And here comes another chapter! It's still not quite where I would like it to be, but I've already rewritten the entire thing twice and if I try again I'll end up never being satisfied with it. Which means it will never get published. So, as always, leave your thoughts below and enjoy!

Chapter 10:

Lord Sable Triumphant!

"Objection!" Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney

Pyre paced agitatedly back and forth in front of his desk. It was late, almost morning in fact, but he'd given up on sleep. He clenched his paws into fists. Kachi, dead! Murdered right outside his house! And Meadow, poor Meadow, had found him like that, throat slit and a gaping hole in his chest! It was enough to turn an adult's stomach, so who knew what it had done to her?

Kachi's bloody, blue sash lay on his desk, the police badge still pinned to it. His body already lay in the basement, ready for the coroner. It was only a formality, though. It was pretty obvious how he'd died. Plus, Pyre was already pretty darn sure who the murderer was.

"I'm going to roast that bastard alive," the quilava growled darkly.

"He's a ghost, sir," Cascade countered.

"I'll roast him undead, then!" Pyre snapped, "It'll give him a preview of the fire that will scorch him for all eternity when he goes back to the grave!"

Cascade sighed and rose from her seat. She placed an authoritative paw on his shoulder, stopping his frantic pacing. "How do you know it was him?"

"I sent Kachi to investigate him," Pyre said, "I sent him there…" He paused, a thought striking him. "Oh Arceus, I…I sent him to his death!"

"Sir…" Cascade sighed, "Please calm down."

"I sent my best friend to his death!" Pyre shouted, "Like hell I'm going to calm down!" Flames sprouted from his neck and lower back. "If you don't care about that, then you can just leave! I'm going to burn him to ashes! I won't let him get away with murder!"

Pyre's ranting ceased when he found himself staring right at the sharpened edge of Cascade's scallop. "Don't. You. Dare say that! I do care! Kachi was my friend too, sir. I just don't want more of us to die. Charging in blindly without knowing exactly who we are dealing with is more than likely just going to get you killed." Cascade's paw dropped to her side. Her voice trembled with barely contained emotion. "I'm sorry sir, but I don't want to be burying you beside him."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Pyre snapped, "Sit here on our tails and cry?! I'm the one who sent him! I'm the one who's responsible for his death! Am I crying, Lieutenant?!"

"No sir," Cascade said as she turned sharply, "But I don't want to start."

Pyre took a deep, calming breath, gathering himself. "Alright, I won't turn vigilante. I'll talk to the Starchasers later today. Maybe together we can turn something up that will nail this freak."

"Sir, is there even a slight possibility it wasn't Lord Sable?" Cascade asked.

Pyre took a deep breath. "Yes. Yes there is. But I have no doubt that he is involved somehow. It's all just too convenient."

There was a knock at the door and they both turned. Meadow peeked her head in. Her eyes were red from crying and her voice was hoarse, but for the moment at least she was keeping it together. "Um, excuse me? I just remembered something… Brother said he had something important to do when he left. I don't know if it got done or not, but it sounded important…Did he…did he finish it?"

Cascade and Pyre exchanged somber glances. A silent communication passed between them. Then, they went over and knelt down beside Meadow. "No, sweetie," Pyre said, "But we're going to finish it for him, alright?"

Meadow nodded. "I have…I have another question."

Pyre smiled. "Yes?"

"When will he be better?"

The two officers froze. Cascade cleared her throat hesitantly. "Meadow…he's dead. He's, well…he's never going to get better."

Meadow stared at her, not comprehendingly. "But…Cotton and Medi…can't they heal him?"

Pyre shook his head sadly. "No. Only Arceus could do that now…" Tears welled up in Meadow's eyes. "I know, sweetie, I know…" Pyre said softly. He held out his forepaws, offering her a hug, and she dashed into his embrace. Cascade silently came up behind her and joined in. Meadow began to sob.

"It's okay," Cascade said soothingly, "We'll be here. We'll protect you."

Pyre's eyes hardened. Oh, he would do more than that. He would make sure that the monster that killed her brother paid.

Cascade raised her head and frowned. The sound of loud voices came muffled to her ears from outside. "Do you hear that?" she asked.

"Some sort of commotion in the hall," Pyre said. They released Meadow and stepped between her and the door. "Go hide, sweetie. We'll be right back."

Cascade drew her scalchops and stepped up to the door. Pyre grabbed the door handle and they exchanged a nod. "On three," he said, "One, two…"

The door opened inwards, slamming into his nose and knocking him flat on his tail. In strode a tall, stern-faced manetric wearing a blue police sash and a diamond badge. Cascade immediately dropped her stance, though her posture did not relax, and sheathed her scalchops. She gave the newcomer a salute which he acknowledged with a nod. Pyre rose slowly and glared.

"At ease," the manetric said to Cascade. He addressed Pyre. "So you're the commander around here, am I right?"

"Yes…" Pyre replied gruffly. He peered around the intruder and saw several other members of his staff looking at him anxiously. "What is all this about?"

"I am Commander Fulmine from Central Command," he answered, "We've received some rather disturbing reports of events out here and I've been sent to assess the situation and assist in any way I can."

Pyre stiffened. "Central Command, eh?" He chuckled. "And here I thought you all just sat around with your tails stuck firmly up your…" Cascade nudged him. Hard. "I mean, good to see you all are finally taking an interest in the border towns."

Fulmine gave him a critical look. "Chief," he said with a hint of distaste, "If it is convenient, I wish to be brought up to speed on the events that have transpired here recently."

"Go talk to Durg down in Records, then," Pyre replied, "We're in the middle of a murder investigation."

"Be that as it may," Fulmine said patiently, "I would think that the attacks would take precedence over a simple murder."

Pyre's paws clenched into fists. "Murder is murder, Commander, no matter who is the victim." Fulmine looked unconvinced.

"He was an officer," Cascade interjected.

"Ah," the manetric said, "Now I understand. A close friend then?" Pyre and Cascade nodded. "I understand, but I must insist that you set your personal feelings aside for now and remember your duty."

"Which is what exactly?" Pyre said coldly.

The manetric drew himself up. "I am quite frankly stunned by the cold reception I am receiving," he said, "Your duty is to the emperor, of course! If there is a serious threat to the sanctity of his realm here, you are expected to help in any way you can regardless of whether it hinders your personal vendetta or not."

"We believe the murderer is connected with the attacks," Cascade mentioned quietly.

"Well then, why didn't you say so?!" Fulmine said in exasperation, "That changes everything! Full speed ahead! I shall begin my investigation immediately."

With that, he disappeared as abruptly as he had arrived.

"He seems very…proper," Pyre muttered.

"Indeed," Cascade agreed, "At least the capitol is getting news of what is happening out here though. That is something we can be grateful for."

Pyre took a deep, calming breath. "I suppose you're right," he said, "I just hope he doesn't get in the way…"

Lord Sable woke up in a very good mood. The sun shone brightly through the windows of his room and made all the trinkets and silver pieces there glitter and gleam. He rose and stretched with a contented sigh. Memories of the previous night came to his mind and he smiled. Phase two was moving right along. Well, it should be. There were a few details left to nail down, but assuming his subordinates in the Capitol had followed his instructions, he would be prepared for anything that happened.

"Roxy?" he called. The door opened and she appeared. "Ah, there you are. Any messages arrive in the night?"

"Well, no messages per se…" she answered, "But, um, a member of the Imperial Police showed up this morning. Apparently, they've received reports of what has been going on here…"

Sable's eyes narrowed. "Who?"

"Fulmine, sir."

"Oh, him," Sable said with a shrug, "No worries then. He's safely on our side, even though he doesn't quite know what our 'side' is. His loyalty to the Empire blinds him."

"He wanted to see you, sir," Roxy informed him, "As soon as possible."

"Oh, but of course," Sable said, nodding, "Tell him I can see him around, oh, noon."

"It's…almost noon now, sir."

"Oh really? Ha! I must have slept in! Haven't done that in years." Sable sighed contentedly. "Well, dinner then! Hmm, let's see, what will I say to him? 'I fully support your efforts, come to me with whatever you find' maybe? That would allow me to monitor their progress. It won't take much effort to turn up the clues I left for them to find, and once Medi is implicated it won't be long before the entire Starchaser Guild is safely behind bars. This makes my job even easier! Pyre never would have really believed that Magyk was behind it anyway." Roxy nodded and smiled weakly. "Hey," Sable said in a slightly concerned tone, "You feeling alright? You don't look well…"

Roxy gulped nervously before replying. "I'm fine, Lord Sable!"

The sableye looked at her critically. "Is something wrong then?"

Roxy shook her head. "No sir," she stammered, "Just…"

"Yes?" Sable pressed, raising what passed for an eyebrow.

She took a deep breath. "It's just…that business with Kachi and all, it frightened me a bit."

"Oh? That?" Sable asked with a languid tone, "I actually thought it was a rather nice release of some of my pent up emotions."

"That's what s frightened me…" Roxy muttered.

"Oh come now…" Sable sighed and approached her. She looked up in surprise when he offered her his hand. "Tell me, what is it that we are after?"

"Well…everything," Roxy replied.

"And in order to get it, sometimes we have to do things that aren't exactly…savory," Sable explained, "But here, just think of it like this: when the world is mine, as long as you remain faithful to me, you will have more than you can possibly imagine. Isn't that worth a few minor incidents like this?"

Roxy's shoulders slumped. "Yes, Lord Sable…I'm sorry, it's just that he didn't seem all that bad. I'll get over it. I think."

Sable smiled. "That's the ticket, doll. Just keep the end goal in mind and the obstacles in the way won't seem so formidable." Roxy nodded glumly. "So…did anything come in this morning?"

"No sir." Roxy hesitated and marshalled her courage. "May I ask you something?"

Sable blinked in surprise. "Sure thing. Go ahead."

"Would you…would you ever kill me like that?"

Lord Sable chuckled. "You? Never! You're mine, aren't you? I never get rid of anything that belongs to me." Roxy heaved a relieved sigh. "Hmm…that reminds me, we need to have a talk with Medi. We're going to need her help to get that officer's murder pinned on the Starchaser Guild."

For a moment, the room was silent. "And you are absolutely certain that will work?"

"Roxy…" Sable said smugly, "Trust me. By the time Kachi is buried, the fate of the Starchasers will be sealed." A cruel glint entered his eyes. "And then, with Master Majyk safely in my custody, I can destroy the Seal he carries. I don't expect he will survive…"

A shudder ran down Roxy's back.

"I can't believe it…"

"I know, Bolt."

"He was just…killed like that?"

Keski sighed and put his head down on the pillow. "So they say, yeah."

Bolt looked up at him from by the door. "How do you think everyone taking it?"

"You'd know better than me, but I'd guess not very well…" the lucario replied, "I mean, how do you take something like that? We only knew him for a little while. These people have known him for their entire lives."

Bolt nodded sadly. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Oh! I forgot! Eona is fully recovered now and Chief Pyre had something to tell everyone! We should probably head up now, if we want to hear it."

Keski sighed and rose. "Well, if I ever find the one who did it…" He let the thought hang. "By the way, did I miss a spot with my dye?"

"Nope, all good."

"Then…let's go see what Pyre knows."

Together, they ascended to the first floor and saw what had been an orderly meeting. Any semblance of that had disappeared, however, with the arrival of Eona. The latias floated in the middle of the room talking passionately with Pyre and Majyk. He arms gesticulated wildly and reflected her deep emotion. "I'm fine!" she insisted, "Now please, let me help!"

"I'm sorry," Majyk said, "But it's too dangerous, even for you."

Eona drew herself up indignantly. "Well excuse me!" she said, "But I am a Legendary Pokémon! Your Officer Kachi seemed like a nice person and it's my responsibility as a representative of Arceus to bring his murderer to justice!"

"And what of your brother?" Majyk asked.

Eona hesitated. "I…don't know." She looked over at Chief Pyre. "You said Lord Sable might be connected to Lord Rayquaza?"

Pyre grimaced. "Yes. Kachi was investigating his…connection before he was murdered."

She looked back at Majyk, satisfied. "There you go. I think I would be better off helping you all catch him and then asking him a few pointed questions than I would just running off with absolutely no idea what I'm doing or where to look, don't you?"

Majyk smiled slightly. "You do make a convincing argument. We welcome your help, then."

"Keski?" Bolt whispered.

"Yes?"

"Who's Lord Sable?"

Medi appeared beside them. "A visiting noble from the capitol," she said with a slight growl in her voice, "I don't like him."

Bolt tilted his head to the side. "Why not?"

Medi opened her mouth, shut it again, and walked off muttering rude things under her breath. Bolt made as if to follow her, but Keski grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

"Just let her be," he said with an edge of nervousness in his voice, "No need to take risks."

"She's not a risk," Bolt protested, a confused look on his face. Keski was about to reply, but then he saw Master Majyk watching him with a critical eye and winced.

"Look," he said, "Do me a favor and…just stay away from her if you can."

"Okay…" Bolt said hesitantly, "If you say so…" He wrinkled his nose in thought. "Hmm…I know! See you later, Keski!"

"Sure, Bolt," Keski said, not really paying attention. He glanced over at Master Majyk in what he thought was a surreptitious manner. The guildmaster, however, was already deep in conversation with Pyre, Emerald, and Eona. When he looked back, Bolt was already gone. Keski's eyes widened and he glanced around worriedly. "Bolt! Where are-"

A heavy weight landed on his shoulders as black and blue-furred arms and legs wrapped around his head. "Keski! You're up!" Ryke yelled right in his ear. Keski growled in annoyance and tilted his head up in to glare at him. The riolu just grinned. "Hi!"

"Hi," Keski grunted, "Did you see where Bolt went?"

Ryke scratched his chin and looked at the ceiling, thinking. "Um…I think he ran out the front door…"

Keski groaned and slapped a paw to his forehead, almost hitting Ryke in the process. "Of course he did…" he muttered, "Well I'm pretty sure he'll turn up again, one way or another. And if he gets us into even more trouble…"

Bolt trotted right up to the front door of the Jasper's mansion and pulled the bell-cord. He hummed to himself and fidgeted a bit, waiting for someone to come open the door for him. From the other side, a nervous voice called, "Who's there?"

"Hi!" Bolt called, "My name is Bolt! I'm here to see Lord Sable. Is he in?"

"Lord Sable?" the voice stammered, "Ah, yes, quite. Give me a moment to get the door open, good sir." Bolt waited patiently as the person behind the door undid whatever locks there were. It opened abruptly and a fat persian peered out at him. They stared at each other for a moment. The cat's eyes narrowed. "Now hold on," he said, "You're that jolteon! The one who didn't have entrance papers!"

"Yep!" Bolt replied and gave him a smile, "That's me! And you are?"

"I'm…well, Jasper…" The cat sighed. "So you're wrapped up in Sable's scheme then? I should have guessed… The attacks only started after you arrived. I guess it's fairly obvious that you had something to do with them."

"Uh…" Bolt cocked his head to the side in confusion. "I think you have the wrong idea. I'm here to ask about Kachi's murder."

Jasper's face went blank. "I know nothing about that."

"No, I want to talk to Lord Sable and see what he knows about it," Bolt explained, a little frustrated. Slowly, the mayor's expression went from one of schooled indifference to confusion and then to alarm.

"Don't," he said, "Just…turn around. Have nothing to do with that sableye."

Bolt's smile became forced. "I'll be fine. My dad told me that I have a knack for getting out of trouble, though he also said I have a knack for getting into it…"

Jasper hesitated. With a sigh, he stepped away from the door and allowed Bolt to enter. "In that case, if you would carry a message to Pyre."

"Sure!" Bolt said cheerfully.

"Tell him to be very cautious," Jasper said, "Tell him our rivalry is nothing compared to this. Tell him to…just tell him not to be a fool."

Bolt blinked in confusion. "Okay, I'll tell him. May I see Lord Sable now?"

"He's in the guest quarters," Jasper replied with a slight hiss, "That way."

"Thanks!" Bolt dashed off in the indicated direction, took a wrong turn, took another wrong turn, took a third wrong turn and ended up finding the place anyway. He hummed to himself as he approached the door, but as he approached a wave of nausea struck him like a sucker punch to the stomach. He stumbled and fell on his face, retching.

"What…is this?" he groaned. He raised his head. Were waves of darkness coming out of the door? It was revolting! Yes, that was the word. It turned his stomach. What was it? Something hungry, something…evil. He shut his eyes and fell all the way to the ground.

Then, it was gone. Bolt waited for a moment to see if it would come back, but it didn't. He rose to his feet shakily, the queasy feeling in his stomach made it hard to stand upright. "That was…weird," he muttered, "I wonder what that was about."

The door opened. Without bothering to see who was behind it, Bolt immediately stepped through and almost ran into Roxy. She squeaked in alarm and dropped the used dishes she had been carrying. A cup landed on Bolt's head and he let out a yip. "Ow!"

Roxy dropped to her knees and began gathering up the dishes. "How dare you burst in like this! Who do you…?!" She squeaked and dropped the dishes again. "Wait…you're…you're that jolteon!"

Bolt's ears perked up. "You know about me?"

Caught off-guard, Roxy's mouth worked soundlessly for a few moments. "Um, no! Not at all! Who are you?"

"A traveling bard and friend of Kachi's," Bolt replied, "I was wondering if Lord Sable would know anything about his death."

"Um, Lord Sable is a very busy person…"

The door to the bedroom opened suddenly. Lord Sable strode in, an annoyed expression on his face. "What is going on h-" He froze when he saw Bolt, but then a delighted grin spread across his face. "Ah, you. The jolteon traveler. Welcome! Would you care for something to drink, kid?"

"No thanks. I don't fancy waking up in a cage," Bolt replied.

"Well, will you at least tell me what you're doing here?" Sable pressed.

Bolt smiled winningly. "Just a few questions."

Lord Sable laughed. "Roxy, be a doll and clean that up, would you? Then go get yourself something nice from the mayor's kitchen."

Roxy hesitated. "You're certain you want to be alone, my lord?"

"I believe I have demonstrated that I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you," Sable replied with a slight smirk. Roxy nodded and got to work. With a wide gesture, Sable motioned for Bolt to take a seat. "So then, kid, ask away! I'm in a good mood today."

Bolt hopped onto the couch. He took a deep breath. "Did you kill Kachi?"

"Oh come now, surely you can do better than that!" Sable said with a 'tsk', "getting right to the issue at hand spoils all the fun wordplay and verbal fencing. I would have thought that a bard would understand that."

"True…" Bolt said with an apologetic smile, "Sorry, it's just that I'm still a bit disoriented from the dark waves that hit me in the hallway."

Sable looked at him in confusion. "Black waves? What black waves?"

"I don't know!" Bolt replied defensively, "But whatever caused them was hungry for…well, everything."

Sable fell silent, regarding Bolt appraisingly. "Who are you, exactly?"

"I thought you knew," the jolteon replied, "I'm a travelling bard from the Island of Rainbows."

"Mt. Faraway," Sable corrected, "The rumored dwelling place of Ho-Oh and her three guardians. It is only reachable if you have one of her feathers, which act as a compass leading you safely toward it."

A shock ran through Bolt like a thunderbolt. "Well, that's one of describing it, yes…" he admitted.

"By the way, that is a very nice necklace you are wearing…" Sable said. One of Bolt's forepaws immediately covered it. "Is that the feather, perhaps? Tell me, if you were to lose it, would you ever be able to return home?"

Bolt's eyes widened in alarm and Sable's grin turned once more into a vicious, predatory one. But then, the jolteon laughed. "Oh! I get it, this is what you mean by wordplay! Okay then, my turn!" Sable blinked in surprise. "Now, I can already guess that you really did kill Kachi or, if you didn't, you had him killed. Also, you're the only one who doesn't seem concerned about the Monster Pokémon attacks, which is suspicious. Also, I noticed that, when Rayquaza was rampaging throughout the city, the only place he didn't attack was here, where you are. Plus, I have a firsthand account that you are very dangerous."

He grinned. "So tell me, what's so special about Seaside Bluff, hmm? Why are you so bent on attacking it? No, not attacking it. If you wanted it destroyed, you could probably just sit back and watch it burn. You came here to see something, didn't you? What was it?"

Sable glared at him. "You are very perceptive, kid." An eerie, purple glow coated each of his claws. "It might get you into trouble one of these days. You, and that golden-furred lucario friend of yours."

In an instant, Bolt's smile vanished. "You stay away from Keski," he said with a growl.

"Or what?" Sable scoffed, "You'll stop me?! Don't make me laugh!"

"Wow, what a cliché line," Bolt said, clucking his tongue in disappointment, "It would have been better if you had said something like, oh I don't know, anything else."

"Oh really?" Lord Sable said scornfully, "I assure you, I am deadly serious."

"Sorry, I can't take you seriously anymore. Not after a line like that."

Sable ground his teeth together. "You are without a doubt one of the most aggravating individuals I have ever had the distinct displeasure of talking to."

"Thank you, I try," Bolt said with an elegant bow, "But I warn you, if you try to hurt Keski, you won't like the consequences."

"Well then, how about your sister?" Sable said, "What if I were to capture her?"

"Then…I truly, honestly pity you," Bolt said, "When she gets angry, well, something or someone's going to end up broken."

Sable mused on this for a moment. "You should not have come, jolteon," he said, "Before today, I was perfectly content to leave you alone for a little while longer. Oh, eventually everyone will serve me, but I prioritize who to go after first. But now, you are quickly becoming a threat. I hate threats. But, it doesn't matter. There is nothing you can do to stop me."

Eona's voice spoke suddenly in the jolteon's head. "Bolt! What are you doing here?!" He jumped in alarm.

"Surprised?" Lord Sable said with a grin, "Well, I don't want to reveal too much, but you might want to warn Master Majyk that the Starchasers Guild will soon be no more." Bolt ignored him and looked around in confusion. Sable's expression changed to one of annoyance. "Are you even paying attention to me?"

"Don't speak to me aloud," Eona instructed, "I can read your surface thoughts and remain invisible easily enough. Pretend I'm not here and distract him. I need to look in the desk."

Bolt forced himself to focus on the sableye. "I'm sorry, there was a pretty butterfly. Now what were you saying?"

Sable stared at him suspiciously. "I was telling you about the Starchaser Guild's imminent demise."

"Oh, I don't think that will be a problem," Bolt replied.

Lord Sable took a deep, calming breath. "And why's that?"

"Because you are…perfectly proportional!" Bolt said, "And the Ancient Prophecy of Kaz-ma-dum-Berith says that perfectly proportional people can never defeat the chasers of the stars!"

Sable stared at him. "Ancient Prophecy of who again?"

"Haz-no-doom-Berlitz, founder of ten thousands Fleems, ruler of the great Hoknaz, and conquerer of the Fanfasms, who live in the plain of NULL!"

Sable blinked. Once. "The Plain of Null?"

"No, no, no!" Bolt said, "the plain of NULL! 'Plain' isn't capitalized and you have to shout the word 'null' because it would be written in a shouty sort of script."

"I'm beginning to think you were dropped on your head as a kit…" the sableye replied.

Bolt grinned disarmingly. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see one of the drawers in the desk slide open. He swallowed. "Well, Dad did admit to it a few times. Then he blamed it on Mom, but she zapped him for it. Not that it hurt him, he's so much bigger than she is, you know."

"Right…" Sable muttered, "Of course, everyone knows that right!"

"Yep! So glad you understand!" Bolt said with a pleased nod.

Sable sighed. "That was sarcasm!"

"I know!"

"Oh why do I even bother…"

One of the windows slowly began to slide open. Bolt glanced at it, just for a moment, but it was enough to arouse Lord Sable's suspicions. He quickly turned around and froze. An ear-splitting screech filled the room and the sableye jumped backwards. Bolt's fur stood on end and he dove off the couch. "Did you see that?!" Sable demanded.

"See what?" Bolt asked innocently, his voice a bit shaky from the fright.

"The pikachu standing in the…" Sable cut himself short. Bolt stared at him in confusion. "Never mind." The sableye collected himself. "Where were we?"

"I don't remember," Bolt replied.

"And neither do I…" Sable growled in annoyance.

"I have what I came for," Eona said in Bolt's mind, "Find an excuse to get out of here."

"Well then!" Bolt said cheerily, "It's been a delightful and informative conversation, but I'm afraid that it's time for me to leave! Uh, Yuki and Cia were going to teach me…basket weaving."

Lord Sable's confusion reached new heights. "But…you don't have…hands…None of you do! That doesn't even make any sense!"

"Well, I'll be sure to tell them that for you!" Bolt replied, "Anyway, see you!" He made for the door, humming happily.

"Hey, wait! Hold it right there, I'm not finished with you!" Sable ordered. He ground his teeth. "Stop!" Angrily, he raised his claws and they glowed purple. "Stop or I will stop you!"

Bolt took one look at them and gulped. "Um, bye!" Electricity crackled across his fur, flowing down into his legs. He charged. Sable braced himself for an attack, but it never came. Instead, Bolt leapt over his head and out the window.

"Eona! Hey! Catch me!" he thought desperately. Invisible hands seized him in mid-air. When Lord Sable looked out the window, there was no sign of him.

"You did what?"

Bolt looked innocently up at Keski and Majyk. "I went and talked to Lord Sable."

"Bolt…" Keski said, visibly restraining himself, "Why in the world did you do that?"

"Seemed like a good idea at the time," Bolt said, "And besides, it worked out! I was even able to keep him distracted while Eona…did something."

The dragon in question cleared her throat. "Speaking of which…" With a small flash of light, she produced a pile of papers and presented it to Majyk, "This is what I got a hold of. Not sure what it contains. I just grabbed whatever I could and ran."

"Hopefully it will contain the evidence we need," the guildmaster said somberly.

"I will say, Bolt did make an excellent distraction," Eona said with a playful smirk, "Well, other than the fact that I almost burst out laughing several times."

Bolt beamed up at her. "Thanks! It's what I do best."

"Mendigo," Majyk called, "Would you come here a moment?"

The ghost popped up out of the floor. "Present! What do you need?"

"Copy these papers and take them down to Pyre, please," the alakazam instructed, "We want more than one copy, just in case."

"On it, boss," Mendigo responded enthusiastically. He cackled in fiendish delight. "Glad to oblige, actually. Consider it a few more nails in Lord Sable's coffin, courtesy of me." He sank back through the floor, papers in tow.

"Well then, what now?" Bolt asked, "That was fun! What else can I do?"

Majyk smiled and patted his head. "I think you've done quite enough, young jolteon. Leave the rest up to us, hmm?" His expression turned somber and he sighed heavily. "Yes, we will bring him to justice. But first, we must bury a dear friend…"

The day of the funeral dawned. The entire town turned out to pay their respects, though they stayed a back a bit to allow the police and the Starchasers some room. Kachi's coffin lay beside the fresh-dug grave. Due to the gruesome nature of his injuries, the lid was already closed, but his police-sash and freshly-burnished badge lay on top of it, glinting in the sun. Pyre looked at it and sighed. The coffin looked so small next to that big hole.

One by one, Kachi's friends came forward and each recounted a short story or memory of him. Pyre told of the time he had tried to find the pikachu a girl and how it had failed miserably. Emerald took a more serious note and shared some stories of how he had helped her and several others. "He was never too busy for us," she said. And so it went on.

Then, Meadow stepped forward. She looked shyly out at the crowd and adjusted the wreath of flowers around her head. "Um…" she began, "I just…wanted to say something real quick, if that's alright." She looked over at Pyre, who nodded encouragingly. "Brother was the best brother I could have wished for. He worked hard for me. He was funny. He played with me. He…loved me." A tear ran down her cheek. "He was really brave too! The bravest there was. I…I…" She suddenly turned and faced Master Majyk. "Please don't bury him! I know Cotton and Medi can help him! Please! Make him better! I don't want him to be dead! I…" She burst into tears. Tenderly, Cascade came onto the stage and picked her up. The pichu collapsed into her arms and buried her head on the dewott's neck. "I'm going to miss you, big brother!" she called as Cascade gently carried her off the stage, "I love you! Be brave, wherever you are!"

Pyre's eyes scanned the crowd. He glared. There he was, that damned Sableye. What a wide-brimmed hat he's wearing! Probably so he can disguise his laughter as tears! The nerve coming to the funeral, but in the end it will spell his own destruction! Yes, how good it will feel to throw that monster behind bars for good!

"Excuse me, Chief Pyre?" Fulmine's voice whispered from behind him, "I'm sorry if this is a bad time, but I wanted to tell you that I've solved the case."

Pyre smirked humorlessly. "Well you're a bit behind us then."

The manetric blinked in surprise. "Oh, well that is the problem with separate investigations, I suppose. However, I would like to tell you that I have reinforcements arriving shortly. I suggest we make no move to make the arrest until they arrive."

Pyre's eyes narrowed. "Reinforcements?"

"Yes, twenty of the Capitol Guard," Fulmine replied, "Due to the nature and power of the persons involved in the crime, I thought it best to have sufficient numbers. Of course, they would have been here sooner, but the nearest teleport hub is a good day's march away."

"No, no, that's fine," Pyre said with a dismissive gesture, "Any extra help is welcome. It's not every day that someone this powerful is arrested, after all. I was concerned about whether or not we would be able to subdue him."

Fulmine nodded approvingly. "You'll wait, then?"

"Yes, we'll wait." Pyre smirked. Today was going to be a good day.

Majyk came to the front. "And now," he said solemnly, "Bolt has agreed to sing for the occasion. For those of you who don't know, he is a travelling bard who has been staying in our town for the past few weeks. Bolt, if you please?"

The jolteon stepped forward and turned to face the audience. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Farewell, dear friend," he sang, "we send you on your way. How cruel was the hand that cut short your stay. We are gathered here, friends and family all, to lay you to rest, answ'ring Heaven's call.

"But we your friends, who on Earth do remain, do so swear to never forget your name. Though time marches on while you lie still here, souls connect hearts which hold each other dear.

"But yet, Death shall not triumph over ye. I look forward to the day that we shall see, each other again, on that Last, Bright Dawn! When Good shall triumph and Evil be gone!

"So has my father always said to me. That Last, Glorious Day shall sometime be!"

Bolt bowed his head and stepped back. A ripple of applause swept through the crowd, though it was subdued by the severity of the occasion. Soon, the coffin was lowered into the ground as the police force all saluted. Team Tremor had the sad duty of filling in the grave, but they were almost unable to until Cascade escorted Meadow away. Wordlessly, Ryke and Mina detached themselves from the crowd, heading off in the same direction.

"Where are they going?" Bolt whispered to Keski.

"To comfort their friend," the lucario answered grimly, "Arceus knows she could use it…"

The crowd began to disperse, but soon they discovered something completely unexpected: a troop of magnezone bearing the seal of the Capitol Guard headed directly for them. Whispers through them, some worried, some indignant. Fulmine stepped forward and called in a loud voice. "Good citizens, pardon me, but Chief Pyre and I have an announcement!"

All eyes shifted towards the manetric. He continued in a proper, clipped tone. "You do not know me, but I am Commander Fulmine from Central Command. Originally, I was sent to investigate the attacks you have experienced recently, but Pyre assured me that the murderer of your good Officer Kachi and the villains who orchestrated the attacks are one and the same. So, thanks to the information I have gathered from you and several of my own sources, I am happy to announce that we have solved the murder!"

Pyre smirked at Lord Sable, but the sableye didn't look concerned. In fact, he hardly reacted at all. However, a startled hubbub rose up from the crowd, but Fulmine quieted it with an imperious glare. "Now, thanks to the help of several of you, I was able to track down a key witness to this event." He turned toward the Starchasers. "Medi, would you please step forward."

The Starchasers stared in confusion as she made her way to the manetric's side, looking like a prisoner going to the headsman's block. "Medi…?" Cia called in confusion. The female glaceon's face was the picture of bewilderment.

"Medi," Emerald said, "What's going on?"

The weavile turned. Tears were in her eyes, but all she said was, "I'm sorry. So very sorry…I had to or else…"

"Right," Fulmine continued, "In exchange for immunity, Medi agreed to reveal everything she knew about this sinister plot. Which is why I now can say with the utmost pleasure…" He stared directly at Majyk, eyes cold. "Guildmaster Majyk, you and your entire guild are under arrest for conspiracy to kill and the actual murder of an officer."

There was a moment of stunned silence. "WHAT?!" Pyre shouted.

Fulmine blinked. "I'm sorry if this catches you by surprise, I was under the impression we were of the same mind here. Is this not what we just discussed?"

"No!" Pyre snapped, "We were going to arrest Sable! Lord Sable!"

Fulmine frowned. "Lord Sable has been nothing but a help during this investigation. In fact, there were several clues that I would have missed were he not there to put me on the right track. He even arranged for me to meet privately with Medi here to receive her account. I'm afraid you must be mistaken. The testimony is quite ironclad." The weavile shifted uncomfortably.

"But why would we kill Kachi?!" Emerald protested, "the idea is…ridiculous!"

"I do not yet know your reasons," Fulmine responded, "But there will be plenty of time for that in the Imperial Dungeons."

"But…we have evidence…documents that prove Sable is guilty!" Pyre protested.

"Where did you get them?" Fulmine asked.

"I got them from…" Pyre paused, "Well…I got them from the Starchaser Guild…"

The manetric nodded. "Evidence produced by the accused is always suspect, I'm afraid." He laid a paw on the quilava police chief's shoulder. "I'm sincerely sorry for the confusion. It was not my intent. If you would like, we can review the evidence together later, but for now the Starchaser Guild is under arrest by my authority as a representative of Central Command."

Pyre tried to protest, tried to come up with some defense for the guild, but no words came. When at last he spoke, all he could say was, "But they can't all be guilty!"

"I agree!" Fulmine stated, "But at this point, we cannot determine who is truly guilty and who is innocent. Trust me, I will see justice done and no more. Upon my honor, those who had nothing to do with the crime will be released. Who knows? Perhaps there will be enough of them to remake the Starchaser Guild!"

Pyre rounded on Medi, eyes aflame. "What the hell are you doing?" he demanded in a low growl.

She looked down. "Saving my own skin…"

"Aw forget you!" Pyre snapped, turning away.

A loud outcry came from the Pokémon of the Starchaser Guild, but Majyk silenced them with a look. He floated forward and stopped in front of Commander Fulmine. "You are making a mistake," he said, "We are not guilty of his murder. None of us had anything to do with it. I knew him since he was born and he had been a life-long friend to many of us. Please, allow us to bury him. Do not desecrate this day with a perversion of justice!"

Fulmine's eyes were as ice. "Justice is blind, Guildmaster. Such considerations are not a factor." He signaled the troop of magnezone. "Initiate containment proceedures! No termination authorized!"

"Acknowledged!" they said in unison with deep, guttural machine-voices. The twenty of them fanned out and surrounded the Starchasers in a matter of moments. Their metal hides hummed with power and the nearby Pokémon heard crackle of electricity from the magnets.

"Be advised," Fulmine said, "that while a stun is not fatal, it will hurt a lot. And for you ground-types, do not think that your immunity means you can fight back. You will just wake up with more injuries than the rest. Are we clear?"

In a flash of blinding light, Eona appeared above them. "Stop this at once!" she ordered, "The Starchasers are innocent!"

Fulmine gaped. The magnezones, however, swiveled to face her with electric blasts primed to fire. "Interference will not be tolerated!"

"Look out, Eona!" Bolt cried and leapt into the air between them and her.

"Stop!" the manetric ordered, rushing forward, "Do not attack, you fools! That's…"

His words came too late. The assembled machine Pokémon fired, but Bolt was in their way. He opened his mouth and all the electricity arced toward him, flowing down his throat. The jolteon landed neatly and addressed them. "Now," he said, "I would appreciate it if everyone would calm down for a second. Lord Sable practically told me that he killed Kachi. If anyone should be arrested, it is…"

"Citizen, you are resisting arrest!" they chorused, "prepare to be neutralized!"

"That doesn't seem very nice…" Bolt said doubtfully as they prepared to attack once more. A grey energy blast exploded on his back and threw him to the ground. With a grunt, he tried to rise but a volley of blasts pelted him, almost making him lose consciousness.

Then, there was a low growl and the harsh sound of grating, bending, twisting metal. When Bolt looked up, Keski was standing over him, wielding the torn-off limb of a magnezone in his paws. One zapped him from behind, but he whirled and threw it defiantly in the machine-Pokémon's red, central eye. The glass shattered into pieces and the magnezone emitted a tortured, wailing shriek.

"Next one to so much as a spark in his direction goes straight to the scrap-merchants!" Keski threatened. He glanced down at Bolt. "You hurt?"

"A little, yeah…" Bolt admitted, "My leg hurts right at the knee. My stomach does too. Oh wait, that's because I'm hungry. Never mind about my stomach."

"Officer under assault! Officer under assault!" they chorused, ignoring him, "Termination in progress!"

"Termination?!" Fulmine repeated, "I did not authorize…!"

"Oh no you don't, scrapheads!" With a roar, Blitz led Team Firestrike in a charge at the magnezone line with a column of flame trailing behind him.

"Killing someone for defending a friend? That really ticks me off!" Corona snapped. The female flareon inhaled sharply and sent flames spewing over their metal hides.

The rest of the guild leapt into action. "Starchasers, defend Bolt!" Majyk ordered and they charged into battle, forming a defensive ring around him.

Pyre seized Fulmine's shoulder roughly. "Fulmine!" he shouted, "This is getting out of hand!" A deflected bolt of lightning shot by their heads.

"Hey Short-Circuit!" Mendigo taunted as he buzzed in and out of the magnezones, "Try and hit me! Come on, I dare ya!"

Fulmine tore his eyes away from the scene unfolding in front of him. "Attacking officers of the law is a crime punishable by death or life in prison, as I'm sure you know."

"Are you going to imprison Latias then?" Pyre snapped, "Look! She's fighting alongside them!" He winced as a tremendous ball of energy imploded the head of a magnazone. "And…doing a frighteningly good job of it too."

"Legendary Pokémon are not under the Empire's jurisdiction," Fulmine replied, "However, we are within our rights to capture and hold her until she can be turned over to her proper authorities."

"Which would be?"

"I would assume the Priesthood."

Eyes glowing, Emerald raised her hand and stopped a thunderbolt in mid-air. Then, calling upon the full extent of her powers, she formed a spear of energy and sent it flyin straight through the body of a magnazone. Its eyes flickered for a moment and then went out as it crashed to the ground. Beside her, Sunsoarer and Stuffy formed a living shield, protecting Bolt from further attacks. The flygon's ground-typing and the snorlax's nigh-impenetrable natural defenses hopefully would shield him from further harm. Their team leader, Naila, ran around the battlefield slashing and stabbing with her claws. The others fought as well, each to their degree of skill. Keski, though, attacked whichever threat was closest to Bolt with a ferocity that disturbed those watching.

The magnezones began to falter as one by one they were struck down. Half of the time, they were struck by their own attacks thanks to the efforts of Master Majyk. Team Snowpaw worked in unison to erect a crude fort of ice that shielded the Starchasers even more. The stray bolts that hit their intended target didn't do much more than a burn. As for the machines who were targeting Mendigo, they quickly realized their mistake. He was completely unaffected. Meanwhile, Team Firestrike tore through their ranks like a wrecking ball with Slicer running interference. Even Cotton and Skipper helped from within the confines of the ice fort. The jumpluff medic spewed out clouds of spores that clogged the magnezone's servo-motors and the floatzel cook provided water for Team Snowpaw to freeze and reinforce the ice.

"You know, your officers' help is welcome," Fulmine said in annoyance, "I should have asked for more reinforcements, however I did not account for Latias' presence."

"I'm sorry, but no," Pyre replied, "These are our friends. Until I see with my own eyes evidence that they are guilty, the best I can promise is that we won't interfere."

"That will have to do then," Fulmine growled, "But this will go on the report!"

"Let it!" Pyre shot back, "Besides, even with my help, you couldn't subdue the Starchasers and Eona. Perhaps if you weren't fighting three powerful psychics who can deflect attacks, the odds would be better."

Fulmine let out a small sigh as the last of the magnezones fell to the ground. "It appears you are right."

"And it seems you lost!" Corona taunted, panting. Fulmine glowered at her and she met his stare with a cocky smirk. She winced, though, as the pain of an electric burn raced up her side.

"I will admit, the initial attack was unwarranted," the manetric stated, "but, it is a serious crime to attack an officer of the law and now you share the guilt of doing so not once, but twenty times. Even if you were innocent before, this is an inexcusable crime!"

"So you are asking us to stand back and watch Keski and Bolt get blasted to oblivion?!" Rafasa scoffed. The monferno crossed his arms. "Seems fair, right boss?"

Blitz grunted. The big arcanine stood over the charred wrecks of three magnezone, smoke rising off his mane. He gave Fulmine the most intimidating look he could muster. "Not to my way of thinkin'. Wouldn't have been right, understand me, manetric?"

"What you think about it being right or not is immaterial," Fulmine replied, "It would have been legal. And so, by the power vested in me as a representative of Central Command, I hereby declare the Starchaser Guild to be outlaws of the basest kind! Brigands and savages!" He looked around, but saw no one supporting him. The townsfolk stared at him with poorly concealed hostility in their eyes. "I see now that an arrest is impossible," he said, "But from this moment forth, you are all wanted Pokémon! And you, Chief Pyre! I am very disappointed in you. I will report your refusal to assist me. Also, I warn you to at the very least not give them any help if you value your own life!" The manetric set his face toward the road. "I'm going now. Stop me if you must, Starchasers, but word of this will spread regardless!" He set off at a gallop and no one made a move to stop him.

For a moment, the only sound was the wind blowing across the field. "Where is Medi?" Majyk asked, "I would like to speak to her, if I could."

They looked around, but did not see her anywhere, nor could they find Lord Sable or Roxy. Shortly, they gave up. "I'd say we have about three days," Pyre said, "Three days until more of them show up. They'll bring an entire regiment next time too, if I'm not mistaken."

"We can take them!" a voice from the crowd shouted, "Long life to the Starchasers!" The crowd cheered.

"No!" Majyk replied, "There will not be any fighting, not on our account. We are sworn to defend Seaside Crest, not the other way around."

"Then what will we do?" Cia asked worriedly.

"Hush, sister," Cyon said gently. He gave her a comforting smile. "I'm sure the guildmaster has a plan."

Majyk hesitated, visibly torn. "We will…discuss that in private. All I can say now is that, after this, things will not be the same."

(End Part One)