Chapter 13: Confronting a Hyena and a Wolf

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Chapter 13: Hyena Hunt
Another night, another weird dream.
"A march of animals?"
Hyenas were marching in an eerily lit gorge. Sitting on a cliff above them was a lion with a scar.
"A shinning new era is tiptoeing nearer."
"And where do we feature?"One of the hyenas  asked.
"Just listen to teacher. We going to kill the king and Simba too. Then I will be the king!"
"Long live the king!" They chanted.
"Yes, my teeth and ambitions are bared. BE PREPARED!"
(Y/N) blinked her eyes open and yawned. Why did the lion want to be be king. She really should think about talking to someone about these dreams.
"Oh! You're awake!" Grim greeted from the dorm. "It already time for breakfast. Let's get going!"
She stretched. "Coming."
The trainer got ready and selected her team for the day, before she, Grim, and Swampert headed out. When they made it to Main Street, Grim spoke up.
"Oh yeah, did you go out somewhere last night? You weren't there when I got up to go to the bathroom."
(Y/N) then recounted her meeting with the mysterious horned man, the blush on her face making Swampert growl.
"Ha. You met a weird guy with horns on his head? What was his name?" 
"He told me to call him whatever I'd like."
"Hmm....then... then how about 'Tsunatarou'?
"Son with horns?" (Y/N) translated. "I don't think he'd like that."
"He can't be mad about it if he told you to call him whatever you wanted! If Tsunatarou is a student at our school, we might run into him. Make sure to introduce me! I've never seen a human with horns before!" 
"I don't think he was human, but 'Tsunatarou'... I kinda like it." 
Cater then appeared, greeting them.
"Morning, (Y/N)-chan. Grim. Swampert." 
They turned and saw Riddle was also there, too.
"Good morning."  (Y/N) returned as Swampert grunted.
Riddle squinted, before taking a step closer to her.
"Hm. Your tie is crooked. Breaking the rules starts with disordered attire. As dorm leader you must lead by example... even if your dorm only has one other student." 
"Ah, sorry. I was in a rush this morning."
Riddle straightened out her bow tie. She had to bend over a little and the redhead face started to match his hair from the close proximity. He finished quickly and then smiled.
"Okay, that should do it."
She nodded gratefully before glancing around. "Ace and Deuce aren't with you?"
"Rule 249 of the Queen of Hearts, today they are on flamingo feeding duty while wearing pink. By the way," The redhead's expression turned grave. "It seems there was another injury last night." 
The Ramshackle residents gasped.
"What?! Really?" 
"According to the the information I collected, it was a 2nd year from the Scarabia Dorm." Cater informed them. "Jamil Viper. The accident took place in the dorm kitchen." 
"How do you get this information?" (Y/N) asked suspiciously.
"It's breakfast time right now, so we might be able to find them in the cafeteria. Let's go check." Riddle suggested. 
They made their way to the cafeteria (Swampert held down Grim) and searched for the victim.
"Let's see...Jamil-kun is tan with long, black hair... Ah , there he is!" Cater spotted the Scarabia student sitting with a boy in white with a turban. (Y/N) recognized him as the person Cater had pointed out during her first day as a student and as the one Grim set on fire. 
They approached the two. 
"Yo. You're the one who got injured in the kitchen last night, right? Let's talk for a bit." Grim demanded. 
"Ah? What's this all of a sudden?" Jamil eyed them suspiciously, particularly Swampert. 
His friend exclaimed loudly in a scared tone. "Ah! That raccoon! He's the one who set my butt on fire during the entrance ceremony! And that monster's the one that put out the fire!" 
Riddle glared at the cat. "Grim, you should be careful about talking to people." He then turned to the Scarabia students. "Apologies for disturbing your meal." 
"The Heartslabyul head, the raccoon from the ceremony, and the beast that controls water!" The boy laughed. "What an interesting combination!" 
"I am not a raccoon! I am Grim! And this is my underling (Y/N)." 
"Swampert." Her partner raised his fist, shutting up the cat, before (Y/N) turned to the boys. "I'm (Y/N) Stone. This is Swampert. Don't worry, he's trained." 
Jamil glanced at his dorm mate, apparently seeing what was about to happen coming. A wide childish grin grew on his face as his red eyes beamed into hers. "Wow! You're really pretty!"
"Th-Thank you..." She stuttered, placing a hand Swampert to keep him from pouncing. "You seem to be genuinely nice, so please let me go before my partner decides to kill you."
"Kalim, you're scaring her." Jamil pulled him back by the shoulder.
"Haha, my bad. I'm the Scarabia dorm leader Kalim and this is the vice dorm leader, Jamil. Nice to meet you!" Kalim smiled brightly. 
"Oh, oh this guy's pretty carefree." Grim whispered to (Y/N).
She nodded. "What is this guy doing in this school?"
"...so? Why do you want to know about my injury?" Jamil asked. 
"The headmaster asked us to investigate." (Y/N) informed him.
"Headmaster? Hmm...well, all right then. Last night I was in the kitchen making fried lamb buns that Kalim asked for." 
"Jamil's fried meat buns are super delicious! You should try them next time." Kalim chirped.
Jamil shot the dorm leader a look. "Kalim, don't get off topic." 
"Ah, my bad, my bad."
"While I was chopping the ingredients, all of a sudden I lost control of my hands and injured myself."
"Jamil's knife skills are on par with our top chef's! Were you tired because of Magift practice?"
"No. I wouldn't be that careless. However, while I was cooking, I felt like I lost consciousness for a moment." 
"A dizzy spell maybe?" The trainer suggested. 
"Most would think so, but I remember feeling that sensation before. It could be someone's unique magic." 
Everyone's eyes widened. Of course, how could they not see it? It was so obvious! 
"I see, since Jamil's unique magic is-" Before Kalim could continue, Jamil clamped a hand over his mouth, making Swampert chuckle.  Eventually he let go. "Why'd you cover my mouth?" 
"Because, I'm just getting to the good part." Jamil scolded. "Anyway, I believe the culprit used their magic to control the victims." 
"I see. So that explains why nothing seemed off except to the person being controlled." Cater said. 
"And in the moment, the victims aren't able to tell if they are just clumsy or being controlled. When I fell down the stairs, I didn't feel like I was being controlled either." Riddle remembered. 
"If that's it then it'd be impossible to find the culprit. What should we do?" Cater asked. 
(Y/N) rubbed her chin. "I swear, I've heard this somewhere before.
"A person using magic to control people... Ha! If I had that kind of magic, i could control people and take their bread everyday!" Grim said enthusiastically. 
"And I would use Gengar to make you give it back before throwing you to Tyrantrum." (Y/N) shot back. 
"Stealing bread... Couldn't you think of a better use of that power? " Riddle asked, deadpanned.
"And the, it's be an all you can eat deluxe minced cutlet sandwi-...hm?" 
Wait, deluxe minced cutlet sandwich, mind control....RUGGIE!
"Speaking of which."
Grim suddenly screamed, having the same realization.
Kalim's eyes widened in surprise. "What happened?! Everyone just started yelling!" 
"I know who it is! The one who has that unique magic!" Grim cried. 
Riddle's eyes narrowed. "What did you say?" 
"It's Ruggie Bucchi!" (Y/N) said. "That kid from Savanclaw Typhlosion punched yesterday!"
"Let's find him and interrogate him." Riddle ordered. 
"Way ahead of you. Swampert?"
The water/ground type cracked his knuckles.
"....let's leave battery to the professionals."
Cater searched him up on his phone. "Well... Ruggie Bucchi is in class 2-B." 
"Both of you, thank you for your cooperation!" Riddle nodded gratefully to the Scarabia students. 
"Oh, no problem. I don't know what's going on, but whatever it is good luck to you!" Kalim waved as they left for the classroom.
"We're coming in!" Grin cried out as they entered. "Now where is Ruggie Bucchi?" 
"Yeah?" The boy approached them (a bruise present on his cheek) only to groan, recognizing them. "...Ugh, you guys again? No matter how many times you ask, I'm not repaying you for that deluxe minced cutlet sandwich." 
Riddle stepped forward, challengingly. "Ruggie Bucchi. We would like to speak with you about the consecutive accidents regarding certain students." 
The boy's grin fell. "Oh... well that doesn't sound like a nice topic." 
"Would you mind coming with us for a bit?" Cater smiled threateningly.
"I got it okay! Just don't hurt me or anything..." Ruggie sighed. 
"Don't bet on it." (Y/N) grumbled and Swampert banged his fists together.
They moved into the hallway while Riddle muttered to himself about using his Unique Magic on him.  However, Ruggie's ears were sharp.
"Oh yeah? Are you sure it's safe to do that without your magical pen Riddle-kun?" 
"Eh?" Riddle's hand shot to his breast pocket, which was empty. "...I don't have my magic pen!" 
"Hey, Cater! Our pens' are gone too!" Grim pointed out. 
"No way! Seriously?!" 
That thief!
Ruggie snickered. "Shishishi! You're all just a bunch of rich kids huh? You were all wide open! So easy to steal from." 
Grim was shocked. "Fnya?! When did he use magic to steal our magic pens?!" 
"Didn't need to. I didn't need to use magic just to steal from you guys! I feel like I'm gonna get attacked if I stay here, so I'll be off now!" Ruggie sang before he tried to ran away.
Emphasis on try.
He seemed to forget the water beast, who easily snatched him and slammed him to the ground. Ruggie looked up, no longer smug, but petrified. (Y/N) loomed over him.
"How's the punch healing?" She asked condescendingly.
He growled and muttered to himself. "You're no fun."
She held out her hand. "Pens. Now. And just so you know, this one consistently punches boulders into dust."
Ruggie gulped and handed the items to the girl, who then returned them to their owners. She then motioned for Swampert to pick him up, but to keep a grip on him. She then glared at him.
"And for your information, I have walked through jungles, swamps, deserts, the sea floor, and an active volcano...at 11. I'm not soft, and I will kick your small tail with my bear hands if you ever call me that. Got it?"
He nodded, slightly scared. "Yes ma'am."
"She is shockingly terrifying." Cater whispered to Riddle.
Deuce and Ace suddenly appeared.
"Hey, what's going on?" Ace asked.
"Swampert just crushed our culprit!" Grim said smugly.
"You've had your fun, now what's the big deal with injuring students?" (Y/N) demanded. 
"Whoa, you have no way to prove that I did it?" Ruggie argued. 
Deuce narrowed his eyes. "What did you say?" 
"You have no proof I hurt anyone. Did anyone actually see me using magic? Did you any photographically evidence? You have nothing then, huh?" 
"You know, the fact that you said that really doesn't speak highly of your behavior in the past." (Y/N) jabbed.
Ace looked at the others, who shook their heads. "Uhh...that's..." 
Unfortunately, he was right, they didn't have any proof.
"Coward." (Y/N) said. "All right then, why don't you prove you're innocent?"
His ears flattened as the girl pushed forward.
"Uh, sorry?"
(Y/N) pulled out a Pokeball and Luxray appear, glaring at Ruggie. He gulped as (Y/N) grinned.
"This is Luxray, she's gonna follow you."
"What!? You can't!"
"Oh I can. You're also on our list of potential victims, correct? You play for Savanaclaw. If you're innocent like you said, then it would be completely irresponsible for us to leave such a valuably undefended! Luxray here will be your bodyguard."
His ears flattened as he smiled nervously. "Oh, I would say I'm that valuable."
"Still, better safe that sorry. Don't worry, she won't bite...without reason...good reason...for no reason. She'll give you your space as a male as well. I'll even take her back at night. But," She pushed her face into his. "You try anything, and she'll fry your guts with nothing but her teeth. Got it?" 
Ruggie looked at her fearfully and nodded.
"Good, now beat it."
He walked off angrily, Luxray stalking behind him.
Ace cursed. "Damn it! This is pissing me off!" 
Riddle nodded. "Indeed. Though, that was quite the move on your part (Y/N). I do worry about your Pokémon though."
She snorted. "Luxray has battled legendary Pokémon. I'd pay to see Savanclaw try and mess with her."
"Still, you four should follow him for now."
"On it." They replied, following after the senior.
They made it to the courtyard before they lost track of him.
"You should've let Swampert deck him." Grim said.
"He's not worth the blood on my partner's paw. Still, I wonder what he's planning next."
"You guys, are you still cluelessly searching for the criminal?"  Jack said, suddenly appearing. 
Ace scowled at him. "You should be helping us instead of just watching. Your senpai isn't a good guy you know?" 
"Why are you so desperate to try and help others?" Jack asked. 
"For others?" Deuce repeated. 
"I get you are trying to help your injured friends, but..." 
Ace raised a brow. "Ha? What are you talking about?" 
Jack was caught off guard. "Eh?" 
"Who said we were doing this to help other?" 
"We just want to prove ourselves by catching the criminal and solving this case." Deuce said. 
Ace nodded in agreement. "That's right. We want to be players in the Magift Tournament so we can show our skills to the world." 
"I'm gonna catch the criminal so I get to be on TV!" Grim added. 
"I kind of feel bad that we're going to take Trey-senpai's place in the spotlight." Ace clarified. 
(Y/N) rubbed her temples. "Why am I the only one with basic morality?"
Jack huffed. "I thought I wouldn't trust people who try too hard just to help others but... You guys are worse than I thought."
(Y/N) crossed her arms. "And what does that make you, Howl? You knew from the start Ruggie was responsible. That's why you knew you weren't in danger."
"Ah! I seen now. You're from the same dorm you so you knew you wouldn't be targeted?" Grim agreed.
Jack stared at them. "...Hey...spar with me." 
"Ha? Why all of a sudden?" Ace uttered in disbelief. 
"I'll tell you everything I know, but you have to fight me first." 
"Nah. I really don't like sweating and stuff though..." Ace blanched. 
Deuce, on the other hand, was raring to go. "I don't mind at all. Isn't this an easier, more understanding way?" 
"Fnyaa! Deuce's delinquent switch is on now!" Grim exclaimed.
(Y/N) sighed. Swampert stepped up, but she held out her arm, stopping him. She pulled out Lycanroc's Pokeball and released him. The stone wolf growled at Jack and readied himself. Deuce then pulled out the Pokédex.
"Lycanroc, the Wolf Pokémon. Dusk Form. The evolved form of Rockruff. This strange form is the result of it evolving at dusk. It's very rare even in its native region of Alola. This form of Lycanroc is normally calm and quiet. Once a battle begins, however, this Pokémon displays a ferocious fighting spirit."
"Eeh? (Y/N)!" Ace complained.
"Shut up and fight Ace."
He reluctantly accepted Jack's challenge and joined Deuce and Lycanroc.
Jack was tough, tanking the hits from the boys very well. However, getting hit by a invigorated Lycanroc using Accelerock? Yeah, he didn't stand a chance.
Jack panted for breath. "You put up a pretty good fight." 
"Ugh....You too... not too bad yourself..." Deuce said back. 
Grim settled on Swampert.  "Your guys' punched sent shocks through my heart."
"...you guys are getting out of control. I don't care about being a player anymore... this is exhausting..." Ace muttered.
"Quit whining, Lycanroc and Deuce are doing most of the work!" (Y/N) fired back.
Jack finally nodded. "All right. Now that that's settled, I'll tell you everything that I know." 
Ace was unamused. "What did we settle?" 
"Whats been making my heart race. Since I will be betraying my own dorm. But I can't take it anymore!!" He growled. "No matter how strong your opponent is, it's only a true challenge if you challenge yourself! It makes me want to puke when people use cowardly ways to win! That's not a true victory. I wanted to use my own power to win and get to the top!"
"Ah, this guy is kind of annoying..." Ace concluded. 
"So this is a pride thing for you." (Y/N) also stated, her Pokémon equally disappointed. "And you judged them."
"I understand! I completely understand that feeling!" At least Deuce seemed moved.
"And here's our annoying guy." Grim deadpanned. 
Jack, having calmed down, explained. "Ruggie-senpai's unique magic is...he can make a person mimic whatever movement he does. He takes control of the person of his choice and makes it look like an accident." 
Ace crossed his arms. "I get it now. That's how he was able to take Grim's bread with no one blinking an eye."
Grim jumped from his perch. "Damn it! I'm so mad hearing it all over again! I hold grudges over food!" 
Deuce furrowed his brow. "But, wait... Wouldn't it be suspicious if he was pretending to fall down stairs near the target?" 
"Ruggie-senpai wasn't alone in those schemes. The other students from Savanaclaw were probably involved too. If he is around the other then doing weird movements wouldn't look as suspicious. The others acted as a barrier to Ruggie-senpai so nobody would notice." 
"This monstrous crime... but why go so far?" Deuce asked. 
Ace hummed. "Hmmm... well success in the Magical Shift Tournament has a huge impact on a student's future, right? So I kind of understand this in a way..."  Jack bared his sharp teeth and growled at the male, not unlike Lycanroc, and Ace flinched and backed away. "Scary! Don't do that with your fangs! I was just kidding!"
The Savanaclaw student sniffed. "Hmph! The present is more important than the future. If you can't show what you can do now then your future doesn't matter! The one I can't stand is Dorm Leader Leona Kingscholar. He's an amazing player, but doesn't like to put effort into anything!" 
"I agree with you there, he seems lazy but he is very strong." Grim agreed. 
"Right?! He has so much strength, but why doesn't he use it?! I hate those kind of people the most. In the tournament 3 years ago, Leona-senpai had one of the most amazing plays I've ever seen. He's the reason I chose to enter this school... when I joined Savanaclaw, I thought I would be able to bring out his full potential, but..." 
Ace whispered to the girl. "Hey (Y/N)? All I hear is him complaining about his Dorm Leader, but..." 
She shushed him. "I think he was inspired by him." 
"The incident isn't just a one time thing for them. They're planning something bigger." Jack said. 
"Something bigger?" Deuce repeated. 
"Diasomnia's Dorm Leader, Malleus Draconia. He had monster like power and brought victory to Diasomnia 2 years in a row. Because of him, Savanaclaw is alway eliminated the first round. My seniors probably all have grudge against him."
"Losing in the first round without scoring a single point..." Deuce pondered. "That must be aggravating for top players." 
"Yeah. The whole world stopped paying attention to them and they felt humiliated. Senpai is trying to get all that back, but they're doing it in such a cowardly way."
"So you think they're planning to do something to Diasomnia on the day of the tournament?" Ace inquired. 
"That's right, that's why I want to crush their plan!" Jack declared. 
"I've heard enough."  Riddle then appeared, Cater at his side.
"Dorm Leader Rosehearts, Diamond-senpai." Deuce greeted.
Riddle frowned. "To think that they were going to try and ruin an important, traditional event. How unforgivable." 
"What should we do, Riddle-kun?" Cater asked. 
"Well right now we can't prosecute Ruggie since we don't have proof. We're dealing with the devious Leona-senpai. He will not go down so easily."
"In other words, we have to catch them in the act?" Ace asked. 
"I have an idea, but first..." 
"Wait. I only said I'd tell you what I know, I have no intention in joining you guys." Jack informed them. 
"Ehh. You came this far and you still say that?" Cater exclaimed with a sweatdrop.
"I'll deal with my dorm's issue myself. See ya." He turned to leave, but (Y/N) huffed at him. 
"You'll be crushed."
"...huh?" 
Grim flinched. "There she goes again. Harsh words." 
"The chances of winning against one vs a whole dorm are pretty low." Deuce also argued.
"I would think a wolf would understand the value of teamwork. Wise wolves hunt in packs and all. " (Y/N) added.
Jack was silent for a bit before crossing his arms. "...okay then. I'll hear you out. BUT! If I hear anything I don't like, I'm out." 
"This guy is really annoying..." Ace mumbled. 
"Being stubborn is what Ace-chan does best, huh?" Cater smiled.
"Then, continuing what I was saying earlier." Riddle said. "First..." 
He went over his idea, only stopping when (Y/N) added an addendum which everyone agreed with. 
"I see. Well it's fine, isn't it?" Ace said with a grin.
(Y/N) and her Pokémon grunted.
Deuce smiled. "As expected from our Dorm Leader Rosehearts." 
"All right, I'll make sure to take care of everything before the end of the day." Cater said. 
Riddle nodded to him. "I'm counting on you. Make sure not to look suspicion." 
Cater looked at Jack. "So, now that you've heard Riddle-kun's plan, what do you think, Jack? Will you join us?" 
"...It doesn't sound like a lame place...." Jack he cleared his voice, sounding unsure. "...I'll join you guys, but only this time." 
"Man... this guy...he's not very honest about his feelings." Grim said,
"Well then, let's go back to our dorms now. Ahh, I'm so tired." Ace rubbed his neck. 
"And I'm hungry too." Grim complained. 
"Oh, that's right, you first years. I will overlook your violation of the rules of, 'fighting at school for your own personal gain' this time because it did allow us to gather information." He informed them. "But next time, it will be off with your heads. Understand?" 
Ace,Deuce, and Grim slumped their shoulders, unable to meet Riddle's icy gaze. "Yes. We are sorry." 
Jack looked equally guilty and rubbed his neck."...Yes sir..." 
Lycanroc feared no midget and was completely unapologetic. Good luck getting the collar on him Riddle.
As they prepared to leave, Jack whispered to Ace. I'm not gonna lie, I thought he was a weakling, but your dorm leader actually seems scary." 
Ace nodded. "He is! He may seem like a weak hedgehog but he's actually a super strong porcupine. It's better to just listen to him." 
"Let's get ready for the tournament." (Y/N) said.
Inside, she felt nervousness build. Like with Riddle, she had had strange dreams and now trouble. Maybe it was nothing, but this felt too much like a pattern to ignore. Either way, she had a feeling some of her wilder teammates we about to see action.
(Timeskip)
Leona marched away, aggravated after his talk with Ruggie. The stupid hyena had nearly got them caught and now that herbivore girl had he pet watching his every move. Whatever, they didn't need Ruggie anymore until the day of the tournament. Then he could finally take what was him. He stopped walking as he heard soft footsteps following him.
"You have guts sneaking up on me like that."
He turned and saw a pair of red eyes gleaming at him. The herbivore's cat then stepped into the light.
He huffed. "Just you then? I thought the herbivore told you to watch Ruggie. Too dumb to follow orders?"
Luxray just stared at him unblinkingly. Her eyes locked with his and Leona thought she could see past his facade. Like she could stare into the pit of his soul and see the insecurity and envy he felt boiling under the surface. He choked down the thought and mocked her.
"You know, it's pretty lame. You look like a lion, but your nothing but a collared kitten to that girl. Show some pride."
Luxray's pupils dilated as she pounced. The speed caught Leona completely off guard as he was launched back. Luxray rose up on her hind legs and slammed her paws to the ground. When she was done, she looked at him, not aggressively, but curiously. He growled.
"Get out of here, you mangy fleabag! Go back to your master already!"
"Ray."
The blue feline padded away as Leona scoffed and rose to his feet. Right as he was about to storm off, he noticed something by his foot.
A crushed snake by where he was standing, where Luxray had slammed her paws into the ground. If she hadn't knocked him to the ground, he would've been bitten. Why? Why had she protected him? He sighed, a little troubled, before heading to his room.
What he didn't know is that Luxray had been drawn to him by the sound of dripping ink.

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