Chapter Twenty Six
Even after everything had happened, Seth had slept like a log. And waking up next to Rika and Apple Fritter was now one of his new favourite things to do. Their new, bigger bed was much more suitable, but it still didn’t stop the two girls from falling asleep atop of him.
he lay there for a while, simply enjoying the peace and quiet... until Apple Fritter’s Arceus-damned alarm clock rang again, only the mare put it out of Seth’s reach this time.
The mare yawned and gave Seth a light kiss once she awoke. “Mm, mornin sugarcube! Ya’ll sleep okay?”
“I slept fine,” Seth smiled, kissing her back. “And you did too, on my back, all the way home.”
Fritter blushed and squeaked. “W-well, I ah...”
“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it,” Seth replied. “I can carry you and Rika just fine. I kinda like it actually. Being a quadruped is kinda cool sometimes.”
“Ngh! No big words this earlyyyyy~” Rika groaned as she stirred. “I want a smooch and then some food.”
Seth just chuckled as he and Fritter kissed their little Fairy, who happily cooed in response. The trio lay there for a moment more before getting up, already finding Titania and Christine awake, as well as Umbra.
“Morning ladies,” Seth greeted them. Titania and Christine both returned the greeting, before scowling at one another. Umbra merely nodded as she drank her coffee. She hadn’t gotten home until early this morning. So either she got caffeinated, or someone dies.
“So what’s the plan for today?” Rika asked as she poured some cereal that had a sugar content so high it should be illegal.
“We have our family day remember?” Umbra said. “It should be quite interesting.”
“Sure, that’s one way of putting it,” Rika mumbled as she ate her cereal.
“Rika...” Umbra warned. “You said you would at least try.”
“Well then he needs to stop threatening Sethy,” she defended her mate. “Or I will get mad at him.”
“That’s fine, we’ll tell him as such when we meet up with him,” Umbra sipped at her coffee and sighed contently. She’d definitely need another before dealing with Sev.
Seth, meanwhile, had already gotten his bags on and was heading for the door. Fritter frowned as she watched him.
“You’re leaving already?” she asked. “What about breakfast?”
“Princess Luna said to be at the castle as early as possible,” Seth explained. “I’ll get something from Mocha’s along the way. Don’t worry, I shouldn’t be too long.”
Selena and Ignis must have been still asleep, so after giving a kiss to Rika and Fritter, and a goodbye to the other three, Seth was on his way to storm the castle.
Even this early, the streets of Canterlot were already bustling. A few Pokemon and Ponies offered a friendly wave to the Luxray as he ran down the street, stretching his muscles like this felt really good. He wasn’t sure why, but ever since becoming a Luxray, he liked running a whole lot more.
That said, he was still out of breath once he reached the cafe, and Mocha blinked in surprise as he entered.
“Well now Seth, what’s got you in such a hurry?” she asked as he walked in, taking a seat at his usual table.
“Nothing much, just wanted to run for some reason... though I guess even after the transformation, I’m still a little out of shape.” The Luxray took a few deep, slow breaths.
“I’ll get you some water,” Mocha giggled.
“Thanks Mocha,” The Luxray beamed and greedily gulped the liquid down once she brought it to him. “Could I have my usual breakfast please?”
“Three pancakes, a mocha latte and a hash brown,” Mocha rattled off. “Also, could ya take a seat at the back? I haven’t had a chance to clean the front tables yet.”
“No problem,” Seth replied. He grunted as his sore muscles protested to the movement, but he made his way to a booth near the stage at the back of the cafe.
He took a seat and sighed as he got comfortable. “Phew, note to self, run more often.” his mind wandered to the Summit, and what that meant for the Pokemon and Ponies of Equus. “I certainly hope things calm down at least, the last thing I need is another incident like the last.”
“And now that you said it, it’ll probably happen,” a voice chuckled from the seat behind him. “Murphy’s law and all that.”
Turning around, he saw what looked like an Earth Pony mare with a blue coat and brown mane, and a cutie mark showing a cavalier hat behind a misty vale.
“I suppose I just did, it’s somewhat of a habit of mine,” Seth chuckled. Oh, my name is Seth Crescent, might I have yours?” He was surprised to hear a pony reference Murphy, was that a thing her as well?
“Alice,” she simply said. “And I’ve heard of you. Didn’t expect to see another former human here,” she said, smiling slightly.
“Another?” Seth blinked at this information, and it didn’t really make sense. “Um... you’re a human too? But you’re a pony.”
At his words, the pony’s form suddenly faded away, revealing a large Fox-like Pokemon with a bright red mane of fur. A Zoroark, and one wearing a pair of reading glasses. “I prefer it when ponies don’t stare,” she explained.
“Understandable,” Seth replied. He had to admit, she was pretty cute wearing those glasses, then his mind wandered to what Fritter and Ria might look like with them.
“So Mr. Crescent, how is Equus treating you? Better than Earth I hope, considering humanity is more or less extinct...physically at least,” she asked, as she took a sip of her coffee.
“That’s a morbid way of looking at it Miss Alice,” Seth replied with a dry tone. “But yes, certain things have gone well, but I suppose a new set of problems simply replaced the old ones a the same time.”
“Considering what our ancestors pulled on Arceus and the other Legendaries, and not to mention the crap the bad parts of humanity have done over the years, I personally think humanity got off easy,” she shrugged. “As for problems, its unavoidable. Especially since Arceus seems to have good intentions, but...well...he doesn’t think things through if this exodus was any indication,” she chuckled at that.
“Perhaps he lost his ‘Performing a Rapture’ instruction book?” Seth laughed. “Still, I am glad for one thing in particular. That those who could not find love in the old world, can finally have it in this new one.”
At his statement, Alice laughed cutely. “Maybe someone should write him a book called ‘Raptures for Dummies’, in case he tries again. As for love...I’m glad for them too. That was one law that I think went a BIT too far,” she chuckled.
“Understatement of the year right there,” Seth replied. he turned in his seat so he could talk more comfortably. “So what brings you to Canterlot Miss Alice? Seeing the sights?”
“Friends of mine. They have some business here, and since they’ve been so kind to me since I got here, I’m doing what I can to help them,” she smiled. “That’s another thing I like about this world. Aside from a few...unsavory spots, its a very beautiful world,” she said. Then a thought crossed her mind. “How did you know I was from out of town? I doubt you memorize EVERY Pokemon in this city.”
“Magic!” Seth replied, but smiled when Alice gave him an amused, yet deadpan stare. He tapped his nose and nodded, “This actually. The ponies and Pokemon living here all have a rather unique scent, one I noticed that ponies and Pokemon from Ponyville didn’t have, and one you do not have. It may sound silly, but my nose has never been wrong.”
For a moment, unseen to him, Alice’s smile dropped, but it quickly came back. “Well then, maybe I should bathe in the scent a bit more so that I don’t give it away so easily,” she chuckled. “So, any recommendations? I’d have gone for the castle, but...I would think that’s not exactly a tourist spot.”
“The castle is generally open to the public, for those that wish an audience with the Princesses, or want to tour the Gardens. Other than that, I’ve had little time for sightseeing myself.” He paused for a moment as he thought. “We do have the Sundial that Arceus dumped here, and the Falls are quite nice as well, oh, and the Crystal Caves if the Carbink living there will let you.”
“Ah yes, the Sundial. Maybe I’ll visit it later. It would be nice to feel like I’m back home again,” Alice smiled, a slightly nostalgic look on her face.
“You’re from Kalos?” Seth asked. “I visited the region a few times, but it was mostly to visit Diantha for training or simply to catch up... plus the odd hunt for a Mega Stone or two.”
“Yeah, I heard about that. You’re Diantha’s unofficial apprentice, weren’t you? As for me...I’m actually from Hoenn, but I moved to Kalos for my college degree a little over 5 years ago. I’m a little disappointed I never got to finish my degree before we were sent here, since it wasn’t easy working to be a researcher,” she sighed a little glumly.
“A researcher?” Seth asked. “And I wasnt aware I was known in the Kalos region...” He sighed, “At least not for that reason. I hope no one thought ill of Diantha because of it.”
“Don’t worry. It wasn’t common knowledge. Let’s just say I know a few people, and leave it at that, so I know a few things the public doesn’t usually know,” Alice laughed.
“So mysterious,” Seth chuckled. “But I’m glad. I would’ve hated to learn that I brought scorn upon yet another of my friends, simply because they were my friends.”
“Honestly, I thought it was kinda dumb. I mean, your only real ‘crime’ was speaking out against what you thought was an unfair law. Last I heard, you never did anything illegal... except your supposed ‘abuse’ of your Pokemon, but if you really did do that, then you’d have been convicted long ago. Sides, its not like you did anything like those evil teams did,” she sighed. “You would think the authorities had better things to do than chase people who LOVE their Pokemon. Last I checked, the crazy guy with the doomsday weapons is a bigger threat than the guy doing ‘it’ with his Pokemon,” she ranted, a small part of her ‘other’ side showing.
Seth blinked, but that didn’t stop the wide smile he was wearing. It was nice to see that someone else could see the skewed priorities that Earth law enforcement seemed to possess.
“Heh, I think the only person that liked to aggravate the law more that me was that ‘Phantom Fox’,” Seth replied. “Now there’s someone I’d happily share a drink with, though I doubt a thief would have passed Arceus’s little screening...” he sipped at his water and sighed. “Pity.”
“Not exactly,” Alice chuckled as she took another sip. Seth coughed into his cup as he looked at her.
“W-what?” he spluttered.
“My friends are traveling magicians. We’ve been to a few towns, and some of them had one thing in common. Fox hit them,” she simply said, secretly enjoying the look on his face.
Seth blinked, before he chuckled... which turned into gut-busting laughter. He wiped a tear from his eyes as he beamed widely. “Well I’ll be damned, I may yet get that drink.” Mocha gave him an odd look as she brought out his breakfast.
“Someone tell a good joke?” she asked.
“Something like that,” Seth giggled. “I should read the paper more often from the sounds of it.” He took a sniff of his breakfast and hummed appreciatively. “This smells delicious Mocha~”
“I sure hope so,” she replied. “Would you like anything else Miss...? Huh? Where’d that pony from before go? She didn’t pay for her coffee yet.”
Alice just chuckled at her expression. “You’re looking at her. I’m a Pokemon known as Zoroark, the Illusion Fox Pokemon. I think you can guess the rest. And just to avoid a fuss, here ya go,” she said, before placing some bits on the table. “I promise they’re real.”
“So, you’re like a Changeling?” Mocha blinked as she took the Bits. “You Pokemon sure are full of surprises, next thing you know, you’ll tell me that there’s talking ice-cream and walking cupcakes.”
Seth and Alice remained conspicuously quiet, only for Mocha to facehoof. “Really?” she asked as the two nodded. “I need a drink...”
Seth munched on his hash brown and sipped at his latte while the two girls spoke. He was really getting the hang of gripping things with his paws now. He quickly inhaled his pancakes and his coffee, feeling the pleasant buzz from the caffeinated beverage.
“While you're at it, could I order something more. I’ll have a cheese omelette, with some hashbrowns on the side,” Alice ordered.
“Can do,” Mocha smiled. She noticed Alice’s sharp teeth and decided she’d at least ask. “Just an omelette? Or would you like some diced bacon added to it?”
“You serve bacon here? I’ll have some,” Alice smiled.
“I live in the most multicultural city in Equestria,” Mocha winked. “You gotta adapt if you want to succeed here. I’ll be back with your order soon.” She trotted off, whisking Seth’s empty plate away as well.
“Mmm, that was good,” Seth hummed happily. “Mocha makes the second-best food in Equestria, no doubt.”
“Oh? Is it really smart to say a chef’s food is second best in front of the chef?” Alice chuckled.
“Unfortunately, my lovely marefriend has to take precedence,” Seth smiled, the smallest of blushes gracing his cheeks.
“Fair enough,” Alice smiled, just as her food came...until she realized what he said. “Wait...marefriend?”
Seth nodded, “Her name is Apple Fritter, she owns the local orchards here in Canterlot and provides most of the city with them...” Seth trailed off as he thought about the cute, little mare. “Her desserts are nothing short of ammmmazzingg~”
Alice took a moment to process this. “Alright, I guess if humans can fall in love with Pokemon, Ponies shouldn’t be too much of a stretch,” she sighed, before deciding to take a bite of her food. When she did, she she smiled widely. “Delicious! One thing I love about this world is how delicious the food is.”
“It is pretty amazing,” Seth agreed. He probably shouldn’t mention he was also dating one of his Pokemon. “I try to remember the things I would eat back home... they pale in comparison.”
“Its true. My family was quite wealthy back home, yet even the food I was able to eat pales in comparison to this,” she smiled as she ate with gusto.
The distant bell tower chimed and Seth’s eyes widened as he realised the time. He was so bucking late! He jumped to his paws and hastily grabbed his bags.
“I’m really sorry Miss Alice, but I have a rather urgent appointment to get to... well, more like the pony I’m meeting is not one you want to keep waiting.” He bowed his head apologetically and ran from the cafe, leaving a small pile of Bits on the table for Mocha.
Said mare came out from the kitchen and blinked. “Wha? Where’d Seth go?”
“He ran off. He had some important meeting. Why?”
“”Just wondering why he ran off like his tail was on fire,” Mocha replied. She scooped up the bits and then blinked. “Oh, he left his wallet behind.”
Alice blinked at that, before quickly scarfing up the remainder of her meal and placing some bits on the table. “I’ll bring it to him. I can still catch him if I hurry,” she said, picking up the bag.
“Thankyou,” Mocha called out as the fox ran off and smiled. “Such a nice girl.”
After receiving the notice, Princess Celestia immediately called upon Grissom and Captain Ironside. This problem had to be addressed immediately.
“You rang your Highness?” Grissom asked as he entered the throne room. He had worked for the Princess for many years, and could tell she was upset about something. And once Grissom saw the bold letter, explaining that the theft of the Canterlot Crown Jewels was imminent... again, he could understand why.
“So just who is this Phantom Fox?” Ironside bellowed. “And who does he think he is? Making such a bold claim up front like this?”
“It’s a good thing Seth Crescent decided to join us when he did then,” Grissom said. “His skills will come in useful for protecting the Jewels and-”
“And lose them like last time?” Ironside replied with a tone of disdain. “That creature failed to protect the Jewels last time and was even brainwashed by the enemy. No, this is now a Guard problem and we will handle it.”
“Now look here,” Grissom was starting to lose his temper. “Problems like these are exactly what we enlisted Seth and his team for! We have no idea who this Phantom is and what they are capable of-”
“And like I said,” Ironside cut the stallion off again. “We will handle it! We can stop this pesky, low born thief, no matter where they hail from! he will rue the day he made such a bold declaration!”
Celestia sighed, while Ironside was good at his job, it was always such a joy to have to deal with him. “I would have to agree with Mr. Grissom,” Celestia said calmly as Grissom mentally pumped his hoof in the air victoriously. “He, or she, claims to be a thief from Earth, we have no idea what trickery might be involved.”
“While I would love to agree with you Princess, this Seth Crescent has already failed once and the council cannot afford to risk the Jewels again.” Celestia swore under her breath, the Council simply loved to undermine her authority, despite the fact she had personally known their great ancestors, they always thought they knew better...
“The Council?” Grissom was a little more vocal with his displeasure. “Those idiots couldn’t find their own flanks with all four hooves! What do they know about catching a notorious thief?”
“They know not to leave to an alien creature that has already proven his ineptitude,” Ironside replied. “Now if you'll excuse me, I have a petty thief to capture!” And with that closing statement, the pompous Captain strode from the room. Grissom blinked and then stomped his hoof before calming himself down.
“I am sorry for my attitude Princess Celestia, that was unprofessional of me.”
“It’s quite alright,” Celestia said with her ever-calm tone, but to the keen observer, her ethereal mane flickered a little quicker than usual. “While I could overrule the Council’s decision, they would see that move as an abuse of power...” Her stoic expression then turned a little cheeky as she gave the smallest of grins to her old friend. “I trust I can leave a contingency plan to you then?”
“Of course Highness,” Grissom smiled back. Make a note Council, never play political chess with Celestia. You will lose... badly.
Ironside stomped a hoof over a map of the palace as his men all sat around the large table.
“Okay boys, this will be a simple job. I want a squadron of Pegasus guard on the roof, nothing gets in and nothing gets out! Am I clear?”
“SIR, YES SIR!” the Pegasi cheered.
“I want Earth’s on every entrance and exit. No blind spots! This thief won’t be able to set foot, claw or hoof inside this Palace without one of you knowing. Clear?”
“”CRYSTAL, SIR!”
“And Unicorn’s,” Iron concluded. “I want four of you at the vault, all armed with anti-sleep and paralysis wards, along with illusion diffusion spells. The rest will make periodic sweeps of the halls and gardens!”
“SIR!” the Unicorns saluted.
“An even if, by some small grace, he actually makes it to the Vault, only the Princess can open it anyway... he’s screwed eight ways to Sunday,” Ironside chuckled. “I dare this thief to even try!”
Seth walked into the Palace, hoping that the Princess would be too mad that he was running late.
The one thing he noticed was that the Guards were buzzing with activity, running here and there, some giving Seth an odd look. Seth decided it was best to ignore them and head straight for the throne room, though he found the door barred by two huge Earth Ponies.
“I have an appointment with Princess Luna,” Seth replied. “Can you let me past please?”
“All Court sessions have been postponed for the next few days,” one guard explained. “Come back then!”
Seth was about to retort when the doors opened and Luna poked her head through. “Ah Friend Seth, please come in!”
As childish as it was, Seth poked his tongue out at the guards as he walked in. Once inside, he also found Grissom waiting as well.
“You’re here,” Grissom greeted him. “Did you have any trouble?”
“A little,” Seth replied, looking back at the door. “What’s going on?”
“We shall explain in a moment, but first,” Luna’s horn lit up as she presented something to the Pokemon. It was a gleaming silver torc, one similar to those worn by the Princesses. On the front, it bore the Cutie Marks of Celestia and Luna, as well as a small, round indentation.
“Your badge of office,” Luna said proudly. “Our favoured silversmith worked quite hard to get this done in time, and we believe his work is as exemplary as always.”
“It’s really cool,” Seth said as he looked over it. “And this is really for me?”
Yep,” Grissom replied. “You’ll need something so that the citizens of Equestria will recognize your authority, and it has a few extras as well.”
“Extras?” Seth said as he slipped on the torc. It was pretty comfy to wear actually, and barely weighed anything.
“Press my Cutie Mark,” Luna said, but blushed when Seth wiggled his eyebrows and smiled. “The one on your torc Seth!!”
“Heh, I know, couldn’t help it,” Seth smiled. “So what does it do?”
“An enchantment to amplify your voice,” Grissom explained as Seth pressed the mark and activated the spell.
“SO HOW DOES IT- WHOA!!” Seth’s voice boomed through the hall. “THIS IS LOUD!”
“HUZZAH!” Luna thundered back with her own Royal Canterlot Voice. “TIS GOOD TO SEE OUR SPELLCRAFT WORK THUSLY!”
“THIS IS PRETTY COOL,” Seth replied. “I WISH I HAD THIS BACK ON EARTH, WOULDA GIVEN MY SPEECHES MORE IMPACT!”
“WE ARE GLAD YOU LIKE IT,” Luna smiled. “I WAS WORRIED THAT THE ENCHANTMENT WOULD NOT WORK ON A POKEMON!”
“WELL, IT SEEMS TO WORK JUST FINE,” The windows rattled at this point as the throne room door flung open and a disheveled Celestia stood there.
“FOR THE LOVE OF ME, WOULD THE TWO OF YOU SHUT UP!!” Her voice sent even Luna flying as the Solar Alicorn snorted and teleported from the room.
“Eheh, whoops?” Seth smiled as he deactivated the enchantment.
“WHAT?” Grissom shouted, quite deaf from the conversation.
“Now, there’s no need to shout,” Luna chided him. Grissom groaned in response and sighed.
“Anything else I need to know about this thing?” Seth asked.
“Indeed,” Luna nodded. “Touching my mark will activate the Canterlot Voice, whilst Tia’s is a passive enchantment. As long as you wear it, you will have a higher resistance to magic.”
“Resistance to magic?” Seth questioned, and without warning, Luna’s horn lit up and she fired a blast of magic at him. While it normally would have made him stumble, the magic simply dissipated in a shower of sparkles.
“Whoa!? Okay, that was cool, but a little warning next time would have been nice,” Seth muttered.
“My apologies, but it answered your question did it not?” Luna stated.
“Well, yes, I suppose.” Seth sighed and noticed the indentation. “And what’s this for?”
“That’s a more recent addition,” Luna stated. “It is so you can mount that Key Stone of yours.” Seth’s eyes widened and he wasted no time in digging around in his bag until he found his old Mega Ring. He removed the stone and placed it inside the torc, the stone fitting snugly inside.
“I... wow, I don’t really know what to say,” Seth said quietly.
“One would usually express their thanks,” Luna smiled and Seth nodded.
“Of course, thank you so much Princess Luna!”
“You’re welcome,” Luna smiled. “While you’re here, we have something to ask you.”
“Of course, what is it,” Seth beamed happily.
Grissom handed him a letter, and Seth’s elated mood fell somewhat as his eyes scanned the page.
Stuck on the page was a black card-shaped note, with the other side revealing a white area that had writing on it. ‘In my travels through this new world, I have heard tales of jewels whose radiance can only be outdone by the very Elements of Harmony themselves, and in those tales, all of them pointed to this fine city atop the mountain. Therefore I have decided. Tomorrow night at 10, The Equestrian Crown Jewels shall be mine.’ With a symbol that looked like a Zoroark’s head next to it at the bottom.
Seth re-read the letter a few times to be sure, but it definitely looked familiar. “Phantom Thief Fox,” he said. “Yeah... I’ve heard of her alright.” Just this morning in fact, as he recalled his conversation with Miss Alice.
“Her?” Grissom, “Well, that’s more info than what we had.”
“I don’t know much myself,” Seth replied. “But I do know about Fox. Heck, anyone who’s dealt with international, or even widely public issues would know of them.”
“So what else can you tell us Friend Seth?” Luna asked.
“Just that Fox has never failed to steal a target. Ever! And that there’s more that one. Fox isn’t a solo act, they use a variety of Pokemon and illusions to steal. It’s quite spectacular actually.” Seth wasn’t about to admit he liked reading about her exploits, watching the police fall over themselves was always amusing.
“So what can we do?” Grissom sighed. “Especially since you can’t ‘officially’ help us on this one?”
“What?” Seth exclaimed. “Um, no offense, but isn’t this why you hired me in the first place?”
“YES!” Grissom shouted, “But those pompous, bullheaded, flankholes in the Council don’t trust you, especially after the Control Incident.” He suddenly realised that he’d insulted the Council in front of a Princess.
“My apologies Majesty,” he said, but Luna dismissed him.
“Fret not my little pony, we too think this ‘Council’ of ours are more useless than the brain in Nephew Blueblood’s head,” Luna sighed. “In my day, little ponies didn’t question Tia and I, we could care for them quite well on our own, and even so, they only really spoke up when they had something ACTUALLY important to say. The council just keeps running their mouths.”
“To bad we can’t make them look like the idiots they are, without risking the Crown Jewels,” Grissom said.
“That could be taken as treason,” Luna smiled. “Fortunately, it seems my hearing as a little off today, must be the altitude.”
“What risk?” Seth replied. “The jewels’ll just get returned anyway...”
Both ponies blinked as they looked at the Luxray like he had just grown a second head.
“Um, come again?” Grissom said.
“Fox steals, that’s true, and she always succeeds, that is also true,” Seth said. “But she almost always returns what she has stolen, with the only times she didn’t return them being when said item was...smashed when the police tried to get it back from her. Not just that, many of her heists have also uncovered some sort of criminal element in the process.”
This little piece of information ticked over in Grissom’s mind as he formulated a plan of sorts, and a wide smile crossed his face. “I think I have the most wonderful idea, but I need to make sure of a few things first.”
“Wonderful, he’s being all cryptic again,” Luna sighed. “Regardless, I can trust this matter to the two of you?”
“Leave it to us Your Majesty!” Grissom saluted, along with Seth. “The Crown Jewels will be kept safe!”
“Very well,” Luna yawned. “I believe we shall retire to bed, it has been a most exhausting night.”
“Sleep well Princess,” Seth waved as the tired Alicorn smiled back in response, before leaving the two alone to formulate a strategy. “So...what do you have in mind, Grissom? Remember, we’re about to try doing what’s basically been deemed impossible back on Earth.”
“The plan?” Grissom grinned widely. “Is that there is no plan!”
“...” Seth blinked and stared hard at the stallion. “That... makes no sense.”
“Of course it does,” Grissom beamed. “The Jewels will be returned yes? So when Fox inevitably steals them, and Ironside and the Council fail, we will be all the better for it.”
“That... sounds like it’s a tad too convenient to work,” Seth replied. “No doubt the Council would still just blames us anyway, for not assisting in the first place.”
“Hmm,” Grissom’s mood deflated somewhat. “I hadn’t thought of that.” he rubbed the back of his head with his hoof and sighed. “This is what we get for letting Blueblood decide who’s on the Council.”
“That... explains a lot actually,” Seth replied. “Hmm, how about we get posted as Guards? Even if Fox steals the jewels, then even if we fail, we can’t be singled out.”
“That could also work,” Grissom said. “Who knows, you might even catch her?”
“That would be a nice bonus, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Seth had had quite enough of woefully underestimating his opponents. His teams shockingly easy defeat at the hands of Checkmate being at the forefront of his mind.
“It’ll be tough to convince Ironside to let us in, but I should be able to manage it. Until then, take the day off and relax. I’ll send a messenger once I have more information.”
“Will do, I have a few things to do today and Ignis will get impatient if I don’t hurry.” Seth gave the Thestral a smile and the two shook paw/hooves. “Until then my friend.”
Once he’d left, Grissom headed off to draw up his plans for tonight... And hoped to hell it would work.
On the way out of the castle, Seth was about to head home when a certain voice caught his attention. “There you are, I was waiting for a while here,” came Alice’s voice, sounding slightly annoyed.
“Alice? What are you doing here?” Seth asked in surprise.
“You ran off after leaving your money that you forgot your wallet. I figured I’d give it back to you, but I didn’t expect you to be going into the castle, and into the deeper parts at that,” she explained. She then added, “So...how was it? You seem to have friends in high places if you can go in there of all places.”
“Ah, well thank you for returning my money,” he took his money pouch and placed it back into his bag before shooting a glance at the castle. “As for having friends in high places, well it’s something like that,” Seth replied. “I work for the Princesses you see, as part of the Royal Guard that covers Pokemon-related incidents.” His gaze narrowed as he recalled what had just transpired. “Though I feel a little left out of the loop now...”
Unseen to him, Alice developed a sympathetic look, but quickly changed it back to a normal expression. “I see...This is probably classified, but...wanna talk about it? Maybe I can give you some advice,” she offered.
Seth smiled and nodded, it wouldn’t hurt to tell her about it right? If Fox was indeed involved, then the news would be anything but private. Still...
“As long as you can keep it a secret, at least for now.”
“Sure. Not like I know anyone who’d want to know about anything going on here. I’m only going to be here for a day or 2 more. Depending on how long Sleight’s show takes,” she shrugged.
Seth nodded and a small smile crossed his face. “Well, it looks like you were right about Fox being here in Equestria. She’s after the Crown Jewels here in the capitol... but the ponies here are convinced that they can handle it themselves, and I think they severely underestimate her skills. Their treating her like a common thug, not the skilled Phantom Thief that she is.”
“That IS a problem. As someone who’s lived in Kalos when she was active, I know how things usually go down. If they don’t take Fox seriously well...let’s just say they’re about to get the biggest serving of humble pie in their lives,” Alice idly commented. “Actually...considering its Fox...that might not be such a bad thing.”
“Yeah, we’re kinda banking on that actually,” Seth chuckled. “Though the way my luck’s been running lately, the Crown Jewels will either be damaged, failed to be stolen or she’ll decide to keep them...”
“Oh, don’t be so pessimistic. Just be careful. You won’t be able to go through life if you keep expecting the worst. Sure, you should plan for it, but don’t expect it to happen,” Alice said, patting him on the shoulder. “Sides, this is Fox we’re talking about. Her track records pretty good if you ask me.”
“I’m plenty optimistic,” Seth replied. “But Murphy has been quite active in pursuing to prove me wrong at every step. Between a power-mad Unicorn, Checkmate, the PLA and Arceus-knows what else...” Seth cut off his own rant and looked a little abashed. “Sorry, I’m kinda dumping all this on you and you’re just trying to help.”
“Eh, don’t worry about it,” she smiled. “I did ask after all,” she said. “Anyway, I think I’d better get going. I’ve got some stuff to do, not to mention I wanted to at least sightsee a little,” she said. “You take care now.”
“I will, and thanks for hanging out with me for a while,” Seth smiled. “Maybe next time you can meet my family? Rika will positively adore you... be warned, she a hugger though.”
“Maybe I will next time. Next time I come to Canterlot that is,” she smiled, before walking off.
Later that afternoon, once Princess Luna had awoken, both Princesses were gathered in the throne room, along with Grissom to discuss their strategy for when Fox attempted her heist tonight.
“”It’s quite simple really,” Grissom smirked. “We make a show of stopping the heist, and Ironside should not be able to resist trying to upstage us, the more so the better.”
“You play a dangerous game Night Guard,” Luna spoke. “Should things not go exactly as we plan, then Seth is the one that will suffer the consequences.”
“I have hunch,” Grissom said with a smile. “Trust me, it’ll work out just fine.”
“We are still uncertain. Too much is banking on chance. We do not feel comfortable with risking it, especially if the council suddenly decides to pin the blame on him...even if THEY’RE the ones who did not want him to help,”Luna sighed.
“Oh, we’ll just have to have a counter for that,” Grissom said.
Before they could discuss further, the doors opened as two more guards stepped in, with a Lucario following them. A Lucario wearing a guard badge.
Celestia seemed interested, now what was a Pokemon doing with a Guard badge? And why had she or Luna not been informed of this?
“STATE THY NAME!” Luna bellowed in the Canterlot Voice, causing the Lucario to stumble back from it’s force.
The Lucario quickly got back on its feet, before saluting. “Officer Jonathan Trace, Baltimare Guard, and formerly of the Kalos Police Force,” he stated, his voice disciplined and respectful.
“Baltimare?” Celestia echoed. “They always did enjoy not filing their paperwork correctly... or at all.” She looked at the Lucario and nodded. “Very well then Mr. Trace, what may we do for you today?”
“I heard that Fox is planning a heist on this castle. Requesting permission to join the defense,” he stated.
“That’s... quite abrupt,” Celestia said and Grissom nodded as well.
“With all due respect, ma’am, sir. I was in charge of the Fox case back on Earth, and have been pursuing her for the last 5 years. I have a better idea of how she will likely act, and I am proud to say that I am one of the few officers to have come close to apprehending her,” Jonathan stated.
“And in five years, thou hath yet to catch her... even once?” Luna stated with a dry tone. “Your resume is less than impressive Officer.”
Jonathan’s stoic expression cracked a bit at the statement. “Understood. However, I have intel on Fox’s likely movements, and have been tracking her since she resumed her crime spree on Equus. And for all its worth, I did manage to catch her once on Earth....unfortunately she had already planned for that too that time…” he groaned at the last part.
“What do you think?” Luna whispered.
“Perhaps this was the ‘counter’ we were hoping for?” Grissom smiled. Celestia shook her head and sighed. What on Equus was she going to do with this stallion?
“Very well Officer Trace,” Celestia replied with her usual regal tone. “As a Princess of Equestria, not only do I recognise your station, I also grant you permission to assist with this case. You will need to find Captain Ironside, the stallion in charge of this endeavour.”
“Much appreciated, your highness,” Jonathan smiled and saluted, before adding, “If I may suggest, assuming you already have a perimeter secured, have guards ready to shift from location to location if necessary. Unfortunately, Fox’s Pokemon form, a Zoroark, has only made her more efficient in terms of her ability to sneak into locations. I wouldn’t put it past her to send out decoys and tricks to confuse the guards before she moves in on her target.”
“Those details are being left up to Ironside,” Celestia said, the smile disappearing from her face. “I’m afraid our hooves are tied this time.”
“Understood. I will report to Captain Ironside immediately,” Jonathan nodded.
“Also,” Grissom said with a small smile, his fangs glinting. “You will be working with our own Pokemon division on this case, do try and get along with them okay? They may be your best bet.”
“At this point, I’ll take anyone. We need as many able bodies as we can if we want even a CHANCE of catching Fox. We’re going up against 5 centuries worth of refined techniques,” Jonatan sighed.
“That’s quite the tall order, I do hope you succeed,” Grissom smiled a little too widely.
“Why do I get a bad feeling about this? Like I’m suddenly dancing to one of Fox’s scripts?” Jonathan mentally groaned when he saw the smile. However, he simply nodded, and went off to find Captain Ironside.
“This is going to be fun~” Grissom grinned as the Lucario left.
“I pray no-one gets injured tonight,” Celestia added.
“Should I bring popcorn?” Luna asked. The other two turned and looked at the Alicorn, looks of shock on their face.
“It’ll be buttered!” Luna defended.
“Not if Tartarus freezes,” Ironside replied, once Jonathan had stated his request. “I’ve already said no to you creatures, and yet you keep asking. Is ‘no’ a word you simply do not understand, or is there nothing but air between your ears?”
Jonathan looked almost...stunned at the response, but quickly recomposed himself. “But sir, all I’m asking is that you arrange the guards to be able to quickly respond and adapt to the situation if needs be,” he explained. “Fox works via tricks and confusion. A rigid approach to her just won’t work.”
“A thief is a thief,” Ironside replied. “My guards have never failed and nor will they tonight.”
“Totally wish Shining was still here,” one of them whispered to another.
Jonathan for his part resisted the urge to groan. “Not every thief is the same, sir,” he tried to reason. “Fox...every Fox that ever appeared on Earth has never been caught before. And even now, after 5 CENTURIES of gathered knowledge and expertise, they still continue to evade the law.” he sincerely hoped that could make Ironside see reason…
“Then it simply goes to show how truly incompetent your law enforcement is,” Iron smirked. “If it were me, that thief would be rotting in a cell by now.” Ironside thumped his hoof on the table and the map that was on it. “Tell you what, you can help out. I kind of feel sorry for you at this point, and maybe seeing real stallions catch a thief might make you a better Officer.”
Jonathan REALLY wanted to groan at this point. This stallion was full of himself, and for all it was worth, he HOPED he could deliver. But after years of dealing with Fox, he had a pretty good idea how someone like him would end up, and it wasn’t with Fox behind bars. Despite that he forced himself to push down his ire. “Understood. Thank you very much, sir,” Jonathan said insincerely, though Ironside never noticed.
“Good,” he snorted as Jonathan walked outside. “Maybe there’s hope for your kind yet!” he grunted as Jonathan walked away. Ironside looked over his plans and smiled. Tonight was going to go off without a hitch
Once he was outside, Jonathan slammed his fist into a nearby wall, cracking it. “Real stallion my ass. That idiot isn’t even taking her seriously. All he’s done is made this a whole lot easier for Fox,” he grumbled. “That moron is lucky Fox returns what she steals, or I’d hate to be in his shoes when this is over.”
Seth stood in the open training field of Canterlot Palace. Since that debacle with Checkmate, he had decided that a little training was in order. Plus Ignis had been itching to practice his Mega evolution. So along with himself and his dragon, Selena, Fritter, Titania and Christine were also here.
Ignis stood there, idly scratching his belly. He looked back to Seth and sighed. “You know,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about that fight ever since, and I’ve been wondering...”
“Wondering what?” Seth asked as he rummaged through his bag.
“Why you told us to take a dive before we went in.” The dragon walked over to his trainer and sat on the ground. “We looked like a bunch of amateurs... so why?”
Selena nodded and Titania blinked in confusion. He’d told his Pokemon to lose? Why?
Seth looked up, he figured that this question would come up sooner or later. “Okay, well... a few reasons really. One, what would have happened to you both if you’d fought seriously?”
“We might have actually won?” Selena deadpanned.
“And you would have been too exhausted to attend the wedding after,” Seth pointed out. “You would have sustained serious injuries which could take days to heal and some of those Gryphon’s might have been badly wounded or worse.”
“I’m pretty sure the one Selly ripped to shreds is scarred for life,” Ignis chuckled. “Well, I suppose I could live with that reason, but what’s the other?”
“Checkmate strike me as the type to hold a grudge,” Seth replied and looked at Titania. “Uh, no offense?”
“None taken,” the Fairy smiled. “We really do like to get even.”
“And if he had beaten those two,” Seth replied. “Then the rest of the guild may have come looking for some payback... and that’s a headache I really don’t want to deal with.”
Titania just laughed out loud. She thought that his Pokemon’s movements seemed a tad sluggish at the time, but had chalked it up to tiredness. If Roll and Shredder ever found out... Oh boy, Shredder at least would be freaking pissed.
Selena gave his reasons some thought. “Yeah, alright. I guess I can live with that.” The Dark type put a paw on his shoulder and gave the Luxray a stern look. “But if there is a next time, I will crush them! Understood?”
“Perfectly,” Seth nuzzled his beloved Pokemon. He looked to his dragon and smiled. “Now, what say we let Ignis have a little fun?”
“Oh sweet Arceus yes!” Ignis cheered as he took a spot on the battlefield. “LET”S DO THIS!!”
Christine was looking forward to this, though she wouldn’t tell anyone. She’d never seen Mega evolution before.
Ignis and Seth took a deep breath as they got in sync. Breathing practise was the first thing that Diantha had taught them, and the two spent a few minutes just meditating.
Christine tapped a foot, wondering when the two were actually going to get around to doing anything, while Selena waited patiently. Titania and Fritter stood off to the side, eager to see what would happen.
Seth and Ignis finally opened their eyes as the Luxray pressed a paw against the shining stone on the torc around his neck.
“Let your flames rage across the battlefield. Ignis, MEGA SHINKA!”
It didn’t respond at first, but then a brilliant light erupted from it, as the stone around Ignis’s neck replied in kind. The tendrils of light met in the middle and soon both Pokemon were engulfed by their brilliance.
As soon as it had begun, the light dissipated and Ignis now stood taller, his wingspan was much larger and his long, whip-like tail lashed around. His horns had split into three and small fins now protruded from his arms.
Titania looked over his new form, while Selena just blatantly oggled it, a small line of drool coming from her mouth.
“Well,” Christine said. “That’s... certainly new.” Were it not for her laser-like focus on Sam, she might honestly be tempted, Selena be damned. Stupid sexy dragon...
“Why did he say it in Kantonese?” Titania asked Selena.
Selena nodded, but her eyes remained glued to her sexy dragon. “He likes the way sounds, rolls off the tongue better...” Oh, she knew something that she wanted to tongue~
“Oh yeah!” Ignis chuckled as the sun seemed to grow harsher. “I’ve missed this!”
“Alright Ignis,” Seth said as he pointed to some targets at the end of the range. “Let’s start out nice and slow. Use Flamethrower!”
Ignis grinned as he took to the sky and roared. A stream of white-hot flames poured from his mouth and one of the targets became naught but ash in the wind.
“A nice start,” Seth smiled. Ignis nodded and decided that he was done taking in easy. He slammed his claws into the ground.
“BLAST BURN!!”
The earth under the targets exploded in a massive ball of superheated flame. Titania threw up a Protect, but the heat from the flames still made her sweat. Fritter and Christine yelped and jumped back and Selena just sighed as she stared wistfully at her mighty dragon.
The target on the other hand? Well, if you could call the mound of molten earth targets anymore...
“Well, you could also do that,” Seth said with a light chuckle. “But now we don’t have a target anymore.”
“Hey! Is everyone alright? I heard an explosion…” came a voice. Turning towards it, they saw a Lucario wearing a Guard Badge running towards them. However when he got close, he stopped short. “...and suddenly I think I know where the explosion came from,” he deadpanned when he saw Ignis.
“Yeah, just getting in a little practice,” Ignis chuckled. He walked over to his Absol and scooped her up into his arms.
“How about a little joy ride?” he grinned salaciously and Selena just nodded, blushing like mad. The dragon looked to Seth, who gave a light smile.
“Just be back soon okay?”
“No promises!” Ignis grinned as he took off. The Luxray turned back to the Lucario and offered a paw.
“My name is Seth Crescent, former trainer and current employee to the Princesses Guard.”
The Lucario blinked before taking the paw. “Its a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Crescent. I’m Jonathan Trace, formerly of the Kalos Police and currently of the Baltimare Guard,” he said, before grabbing Seth’s leg. “I’m afraid you’re also under arrest, for charges including Pokephilia, apparent abuse of your Pokemon, and a whole other pile of Taurus Crap charges,” he laughed, before letting go, getting a kick out of the look Seth had when he said he was under arrest.
It took Seth a few seconds to process what the Officer had said and powered down the Discharge he had been building.
“I am so very glad Selena wasn’t here to overhear that,” he sighed. “I would really hate to explain to Celestia why my Absol be-headed a Lucario on her lawn...”
“She probably wouldn’t have got far. Isn’t that right, Heat?” Jonathan simply said, as a Combusken walked into the clearing, followed by a Mightyena and a Noibat.
“Of course not. If she even tried, she’d be kissing Quick Attack, followed by a Sky Uppercut to LEO,” the Combusken, Heat, chuckled.
“LEO?” Fritter asked, confused by the term.
“Lower Earth Orbit... or Equus Orbit in this case,” Seth explained. He’d sent a few persistent Ranger’s there...
“You can tell when someone goes to LEO by the little ding in the sky that happens every time,” Jonathan chuckled. “Anyway, all jokes aside, it’s nice to meet you, Mr. Crescent. I always like to see the so-called ‘Most wanted’ when it comes to cases like Pokephilia. You wouldn’t believe how many of those charges are just plain crap.”
Seth scratched the back of his head while Fritter looked away, blushing.
“Well... there might be some truth to those charges now...” he replied with a small smile. “Regardless, it’s nice to meet an Officer that doesn’t have a Braxien stick up his ass.”
“Well...dunno what to say about that. I mean, as long as it’s consensual, I don’t really see the problem,” Jonathan shrugged.
“It is, don’t worry about that... besides, we’re all Pokemon now. It’s not like we really have a choice.”
“Well, unless you go native,” Fritter grinned.
“...Yeah...I think I’ll stick to my own kind,” Jonathan commented.
“Anyway, seeing as you’re working for Princess Celestia, I assume you’re the Pokemon division that Grissom told me about,” Jonathan started.
“That’s right, well I am anyway. My Pokemon are included by default it seems.” Seth looked to the sky, but doubted Ignis would be back anytime soon. He then glanced at the trio of Pokemon that accompanied the officer. “So these are your partners I take it?”
“Yep. These guys have stuck with me through thick and thin for years now. Wouldn’t find any more loyal or dependable Pokemon anywhere,” Jonathan grinned. “Let me introduce you. This is Heat,” he motioned to the Combusken. “Howl,” he gestured to the Mightyena. “And Echo,” he pointed at the Noibat.
“Yo,” Heat greeted.
“Its nice to meet you,” Howl nodded.
“Let’s get along,” Echo smiled.
“Nice to meet all of you,” Seth nodded. “They look pretty strong too.” The trainer in him suddenly had the urge for a battle... except he had none of his Pokemon. “Wish I could introduce my team... they’re all a bit indisposed though. The Charizard from before was Ignis, and the Absol was Selena. I also have a Sylveon, Rika.”
“And I’m Apple Fritter,” the Earth Pony mare spoke up. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance. Though... do try and refrain from arresting my Seth again hmm?”
“As long as he doesn’t do anything that would force me to, we’re all good,” Jonathan waved her off. “So...not to be abrupt or anything, but...I do believe we have bigger things to worry about now.”
“Yeah... Fox.” Seth sighed. “And yet that idiot stallion is just going to let her take the Jewels from the way he’s carrying on... not to mention that my team and I can’t even help.”
“Yeah...that guy didn’t even listen to my when I was suggesting how to better anticipate Fox. Jerk even had the gall to call our world’s law enforcement incompetent when he doesn’t even KNOW how much we sometimes invest in trying to catch a Fox,” Jonathan grumbled.
“Well,” Seth replied. “I’m in no position to question the laws... priorities anymore,” he said. “But is there a specific reason you can’t catch her after all this time. One person surely can’t be that good. Even a Champion can be defeated...”
“Yeah. In a fight. But Fox just plain doesn’t work that way. Every Fox that has ever existed knows the tricks his or her predecessor knew, so they’ve been...refining their techniques over the centuries. What more, even though we know one is coming, there is no way to tell HOW they’ll do it. Especially with this Fox. She’s a frikkin magician. I have to second guess everything I saw whenever I chase her, and the one time I DID manage to catch her...well, let’s just say there was a puff of smoke, and suddenly I was handcuffed to the railings,” Jonathan groaned.
“That... sounds like tonight is going to be a massive pain in the ass,” Seth replied with a groan of his own. “Like I haven’t had enough of those already...”
“Well...if its any consolation, at least Fox’s heists are usually entertaining...if you get to see what she does,” Jonathan said almost feebly.
“Maybe I’ll grab takeout,” Seth mused. “So at least we’ll get dinner and a show.”
“Do they have curry? That always helps me stay up,” Jonathan idly commented.
“Get some for us too while you’re at it,” Howl chuckled.
“Curry for four,” Seth nodded. “I’ll remember.”
Grissom chose that moment to fly from the castle, landing neatly in front of them.
“Hey there Seth, I was hoping to find... you.. here?” He looked at the carnage that Ignis had wrought and sighed. “Well, guess where our tax dollars are going now...”
“Sorry bout that Griss,” Seth chuckled. “I did tell him to take it easy... and, well the castle is still standing sooo, silver lining?”
“...I don’t know how I’m to respond to that,” the Thestral sighed. “Anyway, I got you and your team on the case tonight. so here’s hoping for a successful mission hmm?”
“Sweet, I knew I could count on you,” Seth grinned.
“Oh and I see you’ve met Mr. Trace as well,” Grissom replied. “I hope you gentlestallions can get along.”
“I don’t think we have a problem here,” Seth smiled. “Unless Mr. Trace disagrees?”
“No problems here. I’d rather work with Mr. Crescent any day. At least we’d actually be able to get something done,” Jonathan snorted as he gave another glare at the castle where Ironside was.
“Amen to that,” Seth agreed. “I almost hope Fox wins at this point.”
“Crescent. With how the current person in control is acting...she’d be able to win with her hands tied behind her back,” Jonathan deadpanned.
“Well, paws in you wanna get technical,” Seth replied. “Still, Fox has never dealt with us before, that that should put a nice spin on things.”
“Yeah, that’s true. Still…” Jonathan sighed. “I had high hopes that in Canterlot, I’d be able to coordinate something that could finally catch her. Now though….” he shook his head. “Either way, if you don’t mind, I’d like us to go over the plans I had. I’ll have to adapt it, but I should be able to come up with something workable for us…”
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2 in one?
good job as always
Looks like I picked the right day to catch up on A New Stage.
Wish Shining was there? I seem to recall the last time he was in Canterlot the city was almost lost in mere minutes at his own wedding despite a warning. Not a good track record.
No drought?
Without commas, this implies that Seth munched on his hash brown while the two girls spoke and sipped at his latte, as in, not theirs.
You know, I just realized something just now. Sev is in town, the commander of the PLA, menace to humanity, and rather up there on Hoenn's most wanted list...Well, hopefully Jonathon's attention is kept elsewhere. Else it might not turn out pretty.
Great work here by the way.
Um, who is Christine?
5590722 Have... have you not been reading the story? At all?
!
I don't know how you do it, but your story is delightfully sprinkled with goldnuggets like this one
Nice to know
Ending of Sly Cooper any one? (just gender reversed)
Two Generation 8 Pokémon leaked by Ausbrony.
Soooo, basically exactly what Seth did with the Control Incident
9466557
That's gen 5 Pokemon. Not gen 8