Melting Gelid Roses

by EchoEternal

Slash-fic, M/M. AU, just Pokemon. From the north, reports of the prophet run rampart, and whispers of war are growing louder. A knight and a ninja will slowly find themselves in the heat of things. Main Shipping: Sneakpast (Greninja/Chesnaught).

21. Toil and Trouble

Look, look, the war is still continuing! And lots of words were added below for it!

Expect lots of perspective jumping, because war is heck and all over the place. It should be chaotic and fun, yay! This is another long one, though, because a lot had to unfold, and I think it's stuck like that throughout. So, make sure you're setting time aside for these!

I could keep talking, but we're not here for my rambles. Well, maybe, but only when it's like the story below. Read on, and enjoy!

...

---

[Greninja]

It's actually strange how much less snowfall there is in the Frozen Fields, considering that now we could use it.

Lucario's blade whipped through the air and I raised mine to block it. He spun around as I jabbed forward, missing him. A sharp sting dug into my arm, and I jerked back to return the cut. Gripping my bicep, I traced the tear in my robes. Hands trembling, I brought my fingers around to see the blood. It wasn't a lot a lot, so not a deep cut. That means he pulled away to avoid one too.

Glancing up, I blinked as he clutched his arm, mirroring my reaction. His face calmed and he smirked.

"I thought assassins would know exactly where to carve for kills," he taunted.

"Any combatant should know how to kill," I fired back. "You had an opening."

"Active combat flows differently than slicing well placed targets."

"Then…"

He scoffed and jabbed forward. I parried his thrust and twisted around to cut at him, but he stepped back to evade.

One swing forward from him, another from me, and we traded blocking one another, parrying and forcing the other back, slicing to main, but neither gaining.

"You know, this is fun," decided Lucario. "But, I believe that I have more pressing matters to deal with, so…"

A ball of red energy formed over his hand. I backed up a bit, holding my sword firm.

"What, are you going to cut magic?" He chuckled. "Not the first time, but I expected better from you."

"I'm flattered."

Lowering his eyes, he loosely tossed the spell forward. A heavier, purple burst of magic, blasted it to pieces right before me.

Lucario gawked for a second, but scowled as Alakazam stepped beside me.

"Were you expecting it to be that easy?" I smirked. "Come on. We're thrown off, not unorganized."

"Like I care." Lucario pointed his sword forward. "It takes two of you to counter one of me."

"But there are two of us, and only one of you."

He hesitated and glared at me, not moving right away. The snow crunched beside me as Alakazam stepped forward.

"Please Lucario," he started. "I didn't get everything from our last encounter, but I know that you're hurting, much more than you let on."

"Your point?"

"We can help you, as much as you'd like to contest that," Alakazam persisted. "I know that you're not the Queen's lackey—"

"Not at all."

"Then let us help you, at least."

"For what?" Lucario shook his head. "You gain nothing. And you stand beside an assassin as you try to lower my guard."

"A ninja, to be exact, but even more importantly, my friend." Alakazam stepped past me. "He helped me with my personal life, and to better myself."

"Alakazam."

"No, he can hear that much," insisted Alakazam, nodding back to me. "He should know about us, because you've helped me, and I want to give that kind of assistance to others."

"Aw, that is cute. Bonds of friendship, quaint fluff and nonsense." He swept forward with his sword. "I have some things more powerful than that."

Again, he launched a blue ball of energy forward, to which Alakazam blasted to bits. Behind it, Lucario had rushed forward, and Alakazam swapped positions with me.

Sword raised, I blocked Lucario's strike, and he fumbled back. With a thrust, I struck forward, but he parried. He growled, slashing the air, but walking back.

"You have friends yourself," claimed Alakazam. "You're not a solitary figure like you want us to believe."

"Sure, I'm not a hardened dastard." Lucario shrugged. "What, you want me to summon them here, have a session to open up together? Maybe compete, see who has the better friends?"

"I want you to understand that you're not as alone as you think you are," tried Alakazam. "If I can get through at least to you, then—"

"Then what?" Lucario shook his head. "You can't stop this. You can't stop any of it."

"But what is this?"

"The inevitable."

Again, he rushed forward, but I spotted his hands glowing. Alakazam edged beside me, and I watched the snow lift from the ground.

A heavy wave of snow blasted up and blocked the space between our enemy and us. I blinked and glanced at Alakazam, still controlling snow beneath us with his spoons. We turned back around and Mewtwo stepped forward.

"Um…thank you?" I scratched behind my head, checking back as the snow fell and Lucario flopped over. "You know that's kind of fighting, right?"

"No it is not," insisted Mewtwo. "I merely forced up some snow."

"Adorable." Lucario forced himself back onto his feet. "Powerful stuff, prophet."

"I am not the prophet, nor the seer," clarified Mewtwo. "You are not the first to make this mistake."

"Some giant, potent creature unlike any other we've seen, and you'll tell me that's not a figure of legend?" Lucario rolled his eyes. "Are you going to tell me anything else entertaining today? Oh, how about something with magical flowers, maybe? I'm in a great mood for it."

"…Well—"

"That was sarcasm, you knave." Lucario palmed his face. "Have you had your heads so far up your asses this whole time that you're just going to preach anything to get anyone to listen to you?"

"Honestly, this played out a lot better in my head than putting it to practice," admitted Alakazam. "It's like thinking one thing, but not wording it right aloud."

"No…really?"

"You could benefit from listening," offered Mewtwo. "You are quick to lash out at others, rather than—"

"We are preaching and blabbering on about nothing, then, ok." Lucario's hand lit up again. "Just needed confirmation, thanks."

He launched his fist forward, and a wave of snow erupted from the ground, burying us below it. Mewtwo pressed his hands together, and slowly forced them apart, as a bubble formed around us and pushed the snow back and away.

Looking ahead, Lucario had disappeared.

Someone shouted and I whirled around as Machamp slammed down near us. Snow crushed around him as he groaned, pushing up slowly from the cracked ground.

"Damned dragons," he murmured.

"Wait, but you were with—" My eyes widened. "Chesnaught…!"

Jerking my head up, I watched as Chesnaught backed away from Magmortar. I turned to run over, but Poliwrath slammed his fist over Magmortar's face, and quickly had Politoed spraying water to cover them.

"Greninja!"

Twisting back to Alakazam, I watched as Lucario jumped up, his sword drawn. I rushed over and barely blocked him. His blade forced down hard against mine.

His weight vanished in an instant, however, and I blinked as he disappeared. Shaking my head, I looked again, as Lucario crashed back against the snow, clutching his stomach.

Machamp pulled his fist back and glared at our downed opponent.

"Gods." Alakazam straightened up and rested his hand against Machamp's fist. "Thank you."

"Not a problem." His expression softened as he turned his attention to Alakazam. "You waste your time on helping him, you know that?"

"Maybe so, but it could be worthwhile." Alakazam shrugged. "Enemies turned allies are almost always an asset."

"Not when they're traitors in disguise."

"Uh, now isn't the best time for debates," I interrupted, and waved Mewtwo over.

"Right, yeah."

We returned our attention to Lucario, who pushed himself up from the ground. He panted and spat, slowing returning his attention to us.

"Look at you lot," he barked. "It takes four of you just to handle me!"

"…Machamp, I don't think you hit him hard enough," I determined. "Want to take care of him better this time?"

"Gladly."

As he stepped forward, however, Flygon soared down and landed in front of Lucario. Machamp halted as Lucario pushed from behind the dragon.

"Ha, what? How about when my partner comes in?" He laughed. "You suddenly aren't so quick to rush in, huh?"

"Lucario, there are still four of them," reminded Flygon.

"Not so loud, you fool!"

"Alakazam," Machamp turned back to his boyfriend, "have you got a good enough read on them?"

"Yes."

"Tell me, then."

"Flygon will suspect you to rush forward and immediately counter," quietly assessed Alakazam, "but won't have anything prepared by having himself bound telekinetically. Lucario will immediately attempt to respond to this by attacking forward and will attempt to use a spell against you since direct combat won't work. If Greninja throws a Water Shuriken at him, this will take away his concentration enough for you to strike lower against him, effectively eliminating him for a good moment, and allowing several attacks against Flygon."

"And you can hold him?"

"Long enough, yes."

"Good. Greninja?"

"Um, yeah, I've got it."

"Keep guarding Mewtwo," instructed Alakazam. "We lost the other mages to protect him, but he's the one that they're after. We just need one attack from you, and then stick with keeping him protected until we've thrown off these two."

"Ok, yeah."

"Hey, are you dweebs listening to me?!"

"Flygon's also going to launch an attack," warned Alakazam. "It won't interfere with ours."

"Then let's go."

Pink fire erupted from Flygon's mouth and launched in our direction. Machamp evaded it with us as he charged forward.

Twisting behind me, Alakazam's hand flew up and stretched out, as his eyes lit up in a cyan aura. It connected and wrapped around Flygon.

"W-what the…?!"

"Hang on, Flygon!"

Lucario charged a white spell in his hand, and I quickly responded with my Water Shuriken, aiming high and at his hand. This forced him to block my attack with his spell.

And that was all Machamp needed: he punched Lucario off again, and quickly turned to pummel Flygon. One punch, six, thirteen—no, twenty punches—too many, as the aura around Flygon flickered.

"Can't…hold…"

Alakazam's feet crushed into the snow and he gasped out, as Machamp delivered a heavy punch to knock Flygon back and away from him.

He whirled around and raised his fists, expecting Lucario, who hadn't recovered yet.

"I believe your strategy succeeded already," murmured Mewtwo.

"So did ours, eheehee…"

Pivoting around, I whipped my sword out as Gengar rose from the ground, with shadows latching around Mewtwo. I swept my blade at them and she cackled, sending more around him.

A fuchsia aura lit up around Gengar and hissed. She screeched out and sank back into the ground. As her shadows evaporated, I turned back to Alakazam, who twirled a spoon around as the same aura faded from it.

"That wasn't a very good plan on her part," he offered with a smirk.

"Somehow, I doubt that was the extent of it," I cautioned. Turning, I rested my hand on Mewtwo's shoulder, and he shook his head as he rose up from the ground.

"Likely not, so let's gather our bearings, and—"

"Alakazam," called Machamp, "I think Flygon's waking up already."

"Or, we continue dealing with the problems at hand." Alakazam shrugged. "Shall we?"

"We shall."

With Mewtwo's slow nod, I returned my attention forward.

---

[Meanwhile]

Nocking an ice arrow on her bow, Weavile narrowed her eyes on the bat scorpion that flew overhead. Delibird rushed away as the creature swooped down at him.

The arrow flew out as Delibird dipped away from the enemy's path, but it was shattered mid-flight.

Weavile's mouth parted slightly, and she scowled as Zangoose grinned at her.

"Come on, ice against these crushing claws?" He laughed. "Not a chance."

"Keep talking, it's helpful."

The ferret blinked and leaned away as Golduck slashed at him, slicing away stands of white and red fur. Bringing his sword back, the duck jabbed forward in a thrust, barely missing as Zangoose flipped away.

"Geez, I thought Vigoroth had a temper." He smirked at Golduck. "Guess you don't have much to calm you down, huh?"

"Actually, I'm completely calm," corrected Golduck. "You, however, seem nervous."

"Eh, swords do that." Zangoose guided his claw along his belt, and drew out a dirk from his arsenal. "Then again, I guess any blade would do the trick."

"Keep telling yourself that."

Golduck swept under and knocked Zangoose's dirk up, loosening his grip on it. He shuffled back as Golduck slashed down again.

Driving up with his dagger, Zangoose growled as Golduck's armor blocked the attack, and retreated before the duck could stab forward.

"Quit playing around!"

A battle-axe cleaved between them, as Golduck fumbled back to avoid the blow, and bursts of snow flew up instead. Zangoose wickedly grinned as Vigoroth dragged the axe up, swiping repeatedly at Golduck.

"So which are ya anyway?" Vigoroth whipped his weapon back and forth at Golduck. "You're a knight, but move too swiftly for the usual kind. Makes it harder to gut ya!"

"Let's just count me as one-of-a-kind," offered Golduck, evading another blow.

"Yeah, right. Who're ya to think you're special?"

"Gods, I'm not usually picky with words, but it's 'you,' not 'ya,' as in, 'you are a barbaric savage,'" taunted Golduck.

"A daft fool with a death wish, that's all ya are!"

"You basically called me a foolish fool."

"Shut your trap!"

"Better." Golduck scoffed. "Bleh. I sound like Greninja's fox friend."

He ducked away as the axe came around again, slamming in between two rocks. Vigoroth tugged on it, but released it as Golduck swept his sword at him.

"Don't need that at all for ya!"

Vigoroth swung his arm across and slashed at Golduck's armor, ripping off a loose undergarment. An arrow fired out, and Vigoroth struck it away, as Golduck retreated.

"Cover fire won't save ya!"

"Works well enough," muttered Golduck.

He jogged back over to Weavile, as Vigoroth returned to dragging his battle-axe back from the stones. She lowered her bow, forming another icy arrow for it.

"Don't you have anything stronger?!"

"They're arrows, Golduck," snapped Weavile. "They're not strong if you don't land the hit."

"Yeah," chimed in Delibird, "they knew just how to pair you off."

"Huh?"

"By opponent?" Delibird shrugged. "If I knew I was fighting an archer, I'd make her face soldiers that could take out arrows quickly."

"…Oh hell." Golduck grasped at his head. "Hell, hell, hell."

"What's wrong?"

"There is no way they could've known, Golduck," insisted Weavile.

"Really? Hm, what shatters ice nicely? Steel, metal?" Golduck pointed at the cannons across the Frozen Fields. "Golly, how convenient, that the enemy forces brought those in. We had quick, simple strategies to peck them off with, and two major defenses to hold." Golduck tugged at Delibird's tail. "How come, then, did they know exactly which one we'd lead with? How'd they breach both defenses?"

"Honestly, we barely had anything put together," disagreed Weavile.

"That's not the point!" Golduck swept his arm out. "How would they know that Delibird carries around a sack of potential explosive gifts?! I wouldn't know that!"

"Lucky guess?"

"For our first attack?"

"Well—"

"And they not only knew how to counter Weavile's archery," protested Golduck. "The three that we're facing are exactly powerful and fast enough to throw me off. I've been trained as a ninja and a knight, and that ape-sloth-thing commented like he knew about that!"

"Honestly, you've had nights of out where you're not exactly…subtle." Weavile shrugged. "You could have—"

"The only reason any of you know about my history is because Greninja came here," corrected Golduck. "I don't talk about it with anyone outside of the Emperor and General themselves."

"That's true, he did only tell me that he wanted to get away from home," agreed Delibird.

"…You never mentioned it to anyone else in passing?"

"Weavile, I don't do that." Golduck shook his head. "I'm an ass, definitely not the brightest, but I'm not that open."

"They've got Lucario and Flygon fighting at least Greninja," spotted Weavile. "They've fought him before, so they'd know how to fight with him."

"All good and well, and sending a fire shooting menace after Chesnaught would be coincidence." Golduck pointed back at the group. "But see that? The bug there? She's specifically going after him."

"Oh, no she's not." Weavile brought up her bow and launched the arrow at the cricket, needling her from a distance. "That should mess her up for a minute."

"But they knew to send her against Chesnaught," reiterated Golduck. "He's our only Grass Type up here, and those are rare, if ever, seen here. And she just recognizes him, from across a battlefield, that easily?"

"You want to talk about that other dragon, or deal with that freak above us?"

"Who?"

Delibird lobbed a Present skyward, and the three watched as their airborne enemy rolled away from them. Golduck returned his attention down as Zangoose and Vigoroth rushed at them.

"This is going to hurt."

"Get 'em, Gliscor!"

Stepping ahead, Golduck raised his sword to block the first two, and grunted as Vigoroth's free claw tore at his arm. Weavile failed to nock her next arrow, as both she and Delibird were tackled away by Gliscor.

"Dastard!"

Unsheathing her dagger, Weavile stabbed Gliscor's back, missing his wings but needling his back. Yelping, the bat-scorpion slammed the pair down and flew away.

"Are you ok, Delibird?"

"Y-yeah…" Delibird brushed snow from his armor.

"Hang on." Weavile prepared another arrow. "We need to help Golduck."

"Wait." Delibird held up his arm, and Weavile paused. "This…we need to use this."

"Delibird, what are you talking about?"

"You save Golduck, then come get me."

"What? Hey, Delibird!"

A shout from Golduck forced Weavile to twist around, and she readied her bow. Narrowing her gaze and shifting her stance, she aimed at Zangoose.

Releasing an arrow, it zipped out at the ferret. She quickly readied the next one as he shattered it, and launched it at Vigoroth.

"These can't stop us, wretch!"

"They're not meant to."

Blinking, an arrow sliced across Vigoroth's shoulder, and he winced. Golduck kicked Vigoroth back as he hacked at Zangoose. Both stumbled away, and Golduck drew out a small knife.

Tossing one back, it stuck into Vigoroth's arm, and he cried out, falling over. He twisted around and threw another, but missed Zangoose, who charged at Weavile.

"Weav—"

"Got him."

Tossing her bow down, Weavile lifted her dagger. She glared as Zangoose leapt forward and struck down with his claw, and brought his dirk back out.

"Dagger dancing? Thought you'd never ask!"

"I don't dance."

Blocking his first blow, Weavile clawed at Zangoose with her free arm, slashing his armor. He jolted back and pounced forward, cutting her arm in return. She hissed and stabbed at him.

Zangoose ducked away, pivoted from Weavile's pursuit, and jumped forward, locking himself against her.

"Not half bad, noble lady," sneered Zangoose.

"Knights aren't automatic nobles," corrected Weavile.

"But you are, aren't you?"

"…Yes."

He surged forward, the dirk slipping against her dagger. She grunted and growled at him.

"You have a lot of tells on that."

"And you were told about it."

"Yeah, I was."

"Great."

A purple and red aura lit around Weavile's free claw. She slashed at Zangoose, and he yelled as his dirk fell.

The energy extended from Weavile's claw, and she pulled on it. The energy formed a second blade, and she pointed at Zangoose.

"The hell is that?!"

"Night Slash."

Gawking, Zangoose barely managed to scoop his dirk back as Weavile sliced at him, slashing open his breastplate and slicing fur away.

He hit the snow again, but quickly rolled away as Weavile advanced on him.

"Didn't you want to dance?"

"Piss off!"

He charged off as Vigoroth fell back from Golduck once more, while Golduck lifted his sword.

Striking down, Golduck was knocked from his feet as Zangoose smashed into him. He grabbed at Vigoroth and tugged away.

"You done playing, prince?"

"Don't ya call me that out here!"

"Think they can hear?" Zangoose rolled his eyes. "C'mon. Gliscor should be ready to cover us."

They hurried off and away from Golduck, who pushed himself up from the ground. He brushed the ice and dirt off as Weavile ran back to him, her bow in one hand, dagger in the other.

"Cowards." Golduck spat out and winced. "Help me go gut them, will you?"

"Can't. I need to go save Delibird."

"What?!" Golduck glared at Weavile. "Why did you leave him?!"

"He left me."

"He sucks at fighting!"

"I know."

"Then?!"

"We need to find him."

An explosion sounded from across the Frozen Fields, and the pair pivoted around. They spotted a cannonball soar across the sky, and flew towards the town.

Feet pounding against the snow, Weavile and Golduck raced toward the cannons. Golduck tugged on her as another burst rang out, and they broke away from the beeline, still trying to run toward them.

"We need to take those blasted things out already!"

"Please tell me you weren't going for a pun."

"No, shut up."

Once more, an explosion burst from ahead of the pair. They closed in and spotted the cannons, as three were coated in flames.

In front of the next cannon, Delibird lifted a glowing sphere and pushed it into the hole. He jumped and crouched as Gliscor swooped down at him, snapping with his pincers.

"Feeble bird!" He snapped at Delibird, who ducked under the cannon and crawled away. "Get back here! You're ruining my weapons, my pay!"

"You're getting paid for this?"

"Of course! We're hired mercenaries!"

"Oh." Delibird poked out and tossed another orb. "Tough luck!"

Gliscor clawed at the ball and it blasted before him. He inhaled and grinned, snapping his pincers again.

"Aw, that was awful timing."

Delibird rolled away as Gliscor slammed past the cannons, with another igniting behind him. Standing from the ground, Gliscor twisted around and grimaced at Delibird.

"They'll be most displeased with losing so much artillery." Gliscor cackled. "But…knowing that I have the first kill? They'll enjoy that."

He cornered Delibird against an icy stone and lifted his claw back, rising into the air. A thin, ice arrow pierced his wing and Gliscor wailed out, crashing back to the ground.

"How the—?"

"Finally!"

Ducking away, Delibird ran past Gliscor, who shouted at him. Another arrow flew forward and he knocked it away.

Weavile formed another one as she aimed for the bat-scorpion again. Releasing it, her brow furrowed as Gliscor smashed the next one. He jumped up, but his injured wing forced him back to the ground.

"No…no!"

"Yes, yes!"

Laughing, Delibird stuffed another Present down the remaining cannon, and rushed away from it. Gliscor lunged after him, but another arrow struck him back down.

"You…you'll pay for this…!"

"Don't think so."

Golduck stepped forward as the cannon blew up behind Gliscor. He backed away as Golduck lifted his blade.

"Guess you won't be around for the duration of this war," taunted Golduck. "But then, who were you, anyway?"

"You have no idea what's coming," returned Gliscor. "Our employers will stop at nothing—"

"Don't care."

Pulling his blade back, Golduck hesitated as a whizzing echoed and closed in. He jumped away as Gliscor darted off, with a cannonball crashing down in the fiery mess.

Pushing himself up, Golduck ran off, grabbing Delibird and dragging him away from the ensuing bursts of cannonballs, blasts of fire, and scattering rain of ice. They hurried to Weavile, who hopped down from atop a rock.

The trio exchanged perturbed glares, and gazed across the icy wasteland, as Vigoroth and Zangoose wheeled two more, smaller cannons away. Weavile aimed another arrow, but an explosion obstructed her vision.

Turning from the fire, the three ran off from the blazing artillery, and charged back towards the other fighters.

---

[Chesnaught]

Flames shot out over my head, and I crouched to avoid it before jumping away. Magmortar grinned as he guided his cannon after me, but Politoed blasted him back with another rush of water.

Magmortar grunted, bringing his arm back through his cannon…sleeve? I shook my head. He trudged backwards, evading quick strokes from Poliwrath's sai.

Twisting back, he smacked Poliwrath back with a heavy sweep from his arm. While he stumbled back, Politoed rushed forward, slamming a nunchaku over Magmortar's head.

Politoed whipped his nunchaku around, and held them between his hands, as Poliwrath charged forward again. He bounced from his brother's weapons and flew forward, punching down hard against Magmortar as well.

A smile crept onto my face, but I heard a crunch behind me. Pivoting around, I raised my shield just in time, as a knifelike appendage jabbed into it. I blinked as the red cricket pulled her arm back, and hurried around to strike again.

Swiping at her with my sword, she jumped back and flipped aside. Landing, she rushed at me again, only to meet resistance as I blocked her attacks once more. The snow wasn't agreeing with her movements; as fast as she moved, mounds of snow were kicked up, obviously keeping her down low.

Even still, she leapt up and would thrust down at me, determined to land a lethal blow, but failing as I knocked her back with my shield. She landed less gracefully, and staggered over ice as I pointed my blade forward.

Quickly, she smacked it away, but hesitated as I stopped.

"What?"

"You're from Grass Fields, aren't you?"

"Born there, yeah." She lowered her eyes as her mustache-like feelers twitched. "So were you, big deal."

"But why are you way out here?"

"Aw, what's wrong?" She straightened herself out and pointed at me with her arm. "Are you sacred that your king ordered us here?"

"Not really." I shrugged. "He ordered us here."

"And you think a royal above duplicitous notions?"

"Not above it, but this would be too bizarrely random for him," I contended. "But if you want to argue that you're here on his orders, that's fine."

"Hm. Of course the king's pet knight would know him best."

Fed up already, she slashed forward, her arm clanging off of my armor. Again, I knocked her away with my shield, and this time she fell back. I lifted my sword and pulled it back, but she rose up, ready to parry.

"So, who are you? And why fight with these mercenaries?"

"Good pay."

"Yeah, that figures." They always pick pay for reasoning. "And you are?"

"That matters to you?"

"If you're from my homeland, then yeah." I lowered my sword. "You know me, so maybe I know you."

"Nope, unlikely." She tried to swipe at me, but I raised my shield and she pulled back as well. "Smart. Name's Kricketune. We've never met."

"And yet you seem like you revile me," I challenged, "enough to merit killing."

"Contract." Kricketune shrugged. "You're part of a new army, and one I'm assigned to take down while they're in my way."

"So if we weren't—"

"Don't even entertain that idea." She lowered her eyes. "We both know better."

"Fair enough."

Holding her arms up and crossed in front of her, Kricketune paused, glaring at me. I backed a bit as she leapt forward, slicing in a diagonal cross with her arms. My shield tore against her power, and I faltered back. Glancing at it, I saw an imprinted X-shaped dent on it.

Spiraling around and coming from low, she pounced forward and spun to slice at me. She knocked my arms away and slashed at my chest, but failed to cut past my armor.

My head hammered down and knocked into her, before I twisted back and kicked her away. Kricketune fired back up, but stumbled, and she caught her head between her arms. Pointing my sword forward again, I paused and lowered it.

"Sorry, but I'm struggling to ignore it—"

"Gods among us."

"It's just, well, you're from Grass Fields." I tapped my sword against a rock. "You know, it's just, I know it's not a perfect kingdom, but it's not exactly the worst place that you could—"

"Maybe it's just not enough," shot Kricketune. "Maybe, if you're not in the capital or prospering from it, then you need to weigh your options."

"And that's what you did?"

"All I've done until now is survived by any means," insisted Kricketune. "If that means going against a royal army, so be it."

"This doesn't seem like the best approach for survival," I countered.

"You have no idea."

"Ok, but can we talk about the whole, you know, 'aligning with murderers' plan?" I kicked a bit of snow aside. "Because that puts you on a direct route to probably dying, win or lose."

"See, you're a lofty sort after all." She scraped her knifelike arms together. "You assume we're murderers when we're just here to complete our assignment and collect pay."

"Sorry if it's pretentious considering that one," I paused and jabbed at Magmortar, tumbling away from the frog brothers, "he's basically ready to kill."

"If need be, we must." Kricketune shrugged. "I would too. Not the goal, but I'm not above it, as needed."

"Even as I'm trying to convince you of otherwise?"

"Serving under King Nidoking made you soft," criticized Kricketune. "Sometimes, you need to do what you must."

"…Seriously, from Grass Fields?"

"We're done talking."

Wildly, she slashed her arms at me, but I swiped them away with my sword. Unbalanced, she teetered and I punched her down. Slamming my sword down, Kricketune rolled away and popped back up, pointing her arm at me.

Once more, she spun around and hacked at me, but I formed my Spiky Shield this time. She dove into it and only hurt herself, but cut away quickly.

As I pulled back, a crackle of fire sounded from behind and I jumped aside instead. Pushing up from the snow, I grabbed my sword, as Kricketune hurried to Magmortar's side.

He smirked and raised his cannon again, as I bolted aside. Poliwrath and Politoed ran over as the fire chased me, both spraying blasts of water to put it back out.

"Hey, Chesnaught, are you done getting burned yet?" Poliwrath twirled his sai in his hand.

"Well, I'm waiting for either of you to put the fire out permanently," I shot back.

"Working on it, honest," insisted Politoed. "…Do you have a strategy for him? Golduck didn't really."

"Well, you two hit hardest together," I suggested. "So, more of that."

"Ace strategy," joked Politoed.

"He's not wrong," chimed in Poliwrath.

"Well—"

Kricketune leapt toward us, and I fumbled back as Politoed whacked her back with his nunchaku. She cried out and fell back, as Poliwrath dove forward to strike her again. Fire blasted him back, and he tumbled in the snow to put it out quickly.

Politoed blasted a burst of water once again, forcing our opponents back. He twirled his weapons around, and slowed them when the two disappeared from sight. Pointing at a block of ice, I motioned for the two to follow me behind it.

"…Any better ideas?"

"Yes, actually." I gazed at the snow and nodded. "Kricketune is agile, but not that fast. She needs to be able to balance to move properly, and this snow throws her off miserably."

"Ok?" Poliwrath folded his arms, waiting.

"If we want to best incapacitate her, we should impede her movement more," I strategized. "Stopping her from having quick movements would force her to ease up on her attacks, which she makes a lot of."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Politoed shrugged. "The snow is enough of a challenge for her so far."

"Aim your attacks for Magmortar, but purposely miss and fire it across the area around them," I advised. "Snow is wet tough enough to push through already, but slush and ice will impede her further."

"It's easier to break up," countered Poliwrath.

"But if it gets icy and slippery, she'll likely slip up more than if she were able to run," realized Politoed. "Chesnaught's right, she relies on quick, but precise movements."

"Exactly." I pointed at a patch of ice nearby. "A slight slip isn't easy for her to recover from. Snow keeps her better in place, but ruin that terrain…"

"And she'll crash even more frequently, I follow you now," caught on Poliwrath. "But what about that big brute?"

"We've kept him back with our attacks so far," determined Politoed. "We can't let him burn Chesnaught, that's definitely not something he needs to go through."

"But he'd be able to melt the ice, helping Kricketune," contended Poliwrath. "Doing that makes our efforts worthless."

"Then we take turns keeping him distracted," I advised. "I'll bait him to attack me, and one of you can cover me while the other sprays at Kricketune." I rubbed at my chin and sucked in my cheek. My eyes darted across the icy wastes, and I could barely make out Greninja jumping from some heavy blast. "If we can at least take out Kricketune, having the three of us fight off Magmortar will be easier."

"Two of us, not you," insisted Poliwrath. "I absolutely refuse to risk having you scorched enough that your poor boyfriend won't recognize you beneath the cinders, you know?"

"Yeah, seriously," agreed Politoed. "We caused enough trouble on our for you two. This is something we can cover, and you don't need to worry about Greninja digging you from the ashes."

"But I'm not the only—"

"Chesnaught, come on," interrupted Poliwrath. "It's one Fire Type. We can handle that without you. Help us with that stab-happy cricket, and then we'll regroup with the others soon enough."

"…Fine, but don't get yourselves killed for my sake," I relented. "He may be weak against your Type, but that guy is really strong otherwise."

"We'll see about that," challenged Politoed. "We've had to deal with bigger."

Something crackled and smoke filled the air. We jumped from behind the ice as Magmortar blasted it to pieces. His…deep, creepy chuckle somehow erupted over it.

"Hiding won't save you," he taunted.

"No one's hiding," I fired back. "We're waiting on you."

"Weaklings like you think that you can honestly present a challenge?" Magmortar laughed. "Not possible. You're just a warm-up for me."

"Raw strength is nothing compared to skill."

Don't know how, but that did it for him. Aiming his cannon and firing, I watched the inferno rush at me.

Water whipped through it and doused the flames quickly. I glanced over as Politoed launched out more blasts of water, while Magmortar shifted around to dodge them. For someone so big, his agility was impressive.

Kricketune jumped out and charged, but Poliwrath shot out his own sprays. She turned against the snow with her arm, sliding and struggling to shift her weight from the area he blasted.

"That all you got?" I shrugged at Magmortar. "Your fire goes down quickly."

"You need your friends to keep you alive." He narrowed his eyes at me. "You're not even a threat without them."

"The same goes for you and your fire cannons," I snapped. "You act big and tough, but really, you hide behind those to fight."

Another wave of fire, cut away from me by Poliwrath this time. He charged and readied an Ice Ball. Magmortar pivoted from the attack, as Poliwrath spiked it against the ground.

On her way towards us, Kricketune spiraled back, poorly attempting to avoid the fresh ice. Politoed spat out water, and a huge blast of water and ice launched in front of her, forcing her to jump away.

And we repeated this, as I smirked at Magmortar, stoking his rage and earning bursts of flames from him. Politoed and Poliwrath alternated between stopping the fire and soaking the ground, while keeping Kricketune at bay. She realized what was happening too late, and found herself sliding and falling over more often than she was rushing at us.

Once more, she forced herself up, but as she leapt forward, Kricketune slid and slammed down from the slushy ground. Rolling, she tried to pick herself up, but ice patches surrounded her, making all of her movements too difficult.

Grinning, I nodded to Poliwrath and Politoed, who yelled out and ran toward me. A heavy slam knocked me from my feet and sent me flying, with only a glimpse of Magmortar's smirk, and crashing back against the ice that we created.

Skidding across the ground, I winced as the sky passed by overhead. I slowed to a halt as the large, purple…pipe-creature gazed down at me.

"Uh…" I blinked up at him as he shuddered. "…Isn't this the part where you attack me?"

"Ah, um, r-right!" He raised his arm, but trembled. "Uh…h-hold still!"

"…Really?"

Forcing myself up, the creature yelped and charged away, ducking behind a small iceberg. He ducked down, with most of his body still visible behind it.

"Look, um…you're still visible there," I pointed out.

"What?!" He jerked his head up and wildly surveyed the ice. "Oh no!"

"Are you ok?" I rubbed behind my head. "Listen, we don't have to fight—"

"No! No, I have to!" He quaked and emerged from behind the ice, shaking as he raised his fists against me. "I…I can and will do this!"

"You…seem more liable to have a heart attack," I deadpanned.

He swung a fist forward, but it was easy to back away from. Flailing his arms, he swung for me again, but I sidestepped the first few strikes. Growling, I caught one and locked his arm into place.

"Ah! No! L-let go!"

"Not a chance!"

"Just…let…me…" My head jerked back as I listened to him inhale the air around him. "GO!"

His voice boomed and I was blasted away from him, flying back from heavy sonic waves. I slammed against the ground and grasped at my head, his voice still echoing in my head.

My eyes snapped opened and I stared at the flipped world: not as far as before, Greninja flipped back along the snowy ceiling and blocked a slash from Lucario, who then sprinted from Machamp. Further from them, I watched Delphox fling a fireball out, but I couldn't tell if he hit the target.

Flipping myself back around, I held my head, slowly forcing myself back up. My eyes darted out as I spotted Weavile fire her bow, and a cannonball whizzed off somewhere.

Shaking my head, the ringing fading, I glared ahead as the purple creature approached, still shaking and shuddering.

"Why are you even doing this?" I think I was shouting, but I couldn't tell. "Who are you, anyway? Where did you come from? Why?"

"Explode," I thought he mouthed. It read more like… "Exploud?" I couldn't really tell, but then he trembled and hurried away, in spite of his advantage.

Just what are they really looking to do here…? I shook my head, ringing faded entirely. A breeze caught around me for a moment, but left just as quickly. Surveying the field, I ran back after my opponents.

---

[Elsewhere]

Quagsire gazed around the Frozen Fields, and shuddered at the vast white snow. He looked back toward his friends, fighting against their opponents.

"Two great hellscapes to admire, huh?"

Turning back around, he leaned away from a spinning bone and glared at his opponent. The skull-headed warrior returned the scowl as Quagsire ducked, evading the bone once more. He rose once again as the bone was caught.

"Marowak."

"You know my name." Marowak slightly lowered his arm.

"Yes."

"Fascinating. Now, die."

Running forward, Marowak threw his bone once again, but this time, Quagsire smacked it from the sky.

"That won't stop me!" Marowak charged onward. "Nothing stops me!"

He slid down and kicked at Quagsire, who slammed him away with his tail. Tumbling back, Marowak grabbed his bone and forced himself back up.

"Hm. There are better ways to get your anger out," suggested Quagsire.

"Don't give me that crap!" Marowak pointed his bone forward. "You don't get to act like you can judge my anger."

"I'm not." Quagsire yawned. "You probably have plenty to be angry for. But it's for the best that you don't take it out like this."

"Shut up!"

Stomping at the ground, heavy pulses surged across the ice, cracking it open. The waves slammed into Quagsire and sent him soaring back, crashing into an iceberg.

Dropping to the ground, Quagsire flopped down and groaned. He shook his head and gazed back up as Marowak ran over, pulling his bone back as it glowed.

"Just die!"

Marowak slammed his Bone Club down over Quagsire, who lifted one of his katar to block it. He stabbed forward with the other, slicing past Marowak's armor and lightly cutting him.

Leaping back, Marowak flinched and backed away, clutching his side. Quagsire stepped forward, holding his arms up.

"We don't have to fight," he tried again. "Please, you must understand."

"What, you think that I don't understand?!" Marowak shook his head wildly. "You think I don't know?!"

"No, I think that you know a lot, but you're being guided by this anger—"

"My rage is justified!" Marowak shuddered at his wound, but pointed his bone accusingly forward. "You know exactly what I mean."

Not answering, Quagsire stomped the ground, sending forth a quake of his own. Marowak jumped away from it, hopping onto a stone away from its path.

"You tell me that there's no need to fight, and yet you attack!"

"Prove to me that you're not beyond reason then." Quagsire waited patiently as Marowak jerked back. "My enemy stands before me, refusing to come even half way at what I'm trying to offer."

"An offering?! Of what, of peace?" Marowak jabbed his bone forward again. "There is no such thing left for me!"

"That's not true."

"Yes, yes it is!" Marowak threw his bone once again, but the attack missed Quagsire entirely. "You know nothing of my hell!"

"Then here I am, to listen," soothed Quagsire, leaning away from the bone's return. "You can talk to me about—"

"About how my mother died!" Marowak snatched his bone. "About how she died working alongside you under your emperor's reign!"

Quagsire fell silent as Marowak pointed his bone accusingly forward once more.

"Did you really think that you could just know my name without me catching on?" He scowled. "It's why you didn't even question it, why you didn't give a default response about it being my species name. It's because you know that we're almost impossible to find around here!"

"Extremely rare, but not unheard of—"

"Shut up!" Marowak stomped forward. "Don't you dare speak! Not you."

"I didn't kill her—"

"You might as well have!"

Wincing at Marowak's shouts, Quagsire faltered, sinking into the snow. He pulled himself back out, but Marowak didn't attack.

"She was just another soldier to you, that's all," charged Marowak. "Just another casualty out in this hellish place, out under his reign. My father had already died when I was young, some illness, and my mother worked as both a knight to defend this land and as a mother to raise me."

"Emperor Empoleon found out too late that she had a child," tried Quagsire.

"Like hell he did! He knew and still kept her on as a soldier!" Marowak leered. "What kind of fools the rest of you were, to believe that knave!" He tightened his fists. "She gave everything to this place, everything she had…and what did it get her?"

For a moment, he waited, as Quagsire remained silent.

"Speak now!" Marowak stomped down as he commanded again. "What did it get her?!"

"She was strong, hot-tempered like you," reminisced Quagsire with a smile.

"Piss off!"

Throwing the bone hard, it flew fast enough to strike Quagsire before he could defend himself. It tumbled back across the ground, and Marowak scooped it up, running as Quagsire blasted a spray of water at him.

He flipped and stood on a higher mound of ice, glaring down at Quagsire.

"Your mother was a solemn but proud knight," insisted Quagsire. "You acting this way, even for her, would break her heart."

"She's dead! She has no heart to break, it's already gone with the wind itself!"

"That's wrong."

"Don't you lecture me like you actually know me!" Marowak threw his fist out. "You only know of me because of her! You don't know anything beyond it!"

"They claimed you went into foster care," recalled Quagsire. "I assume this wasn't the case?"

"No, it was." He tightened his grip on his bone. "I barely had time to be there, though, because my caretakers were slaughtered by some asinine drunk not a week after I lost her!"

"Wait, that…" Quagsire winced. "Gods, those were your caretakers?"

"Yes!" Marowak spiked the bone into the ice beneath him, not even flinching at the ice that flicked off of his skull-head. "Did any of you come? No! Your emperor merely had the cretin jailed for it!"

"He was to be executed, but he managed to take that into his own hands," darkly remembered Quagsire. "But we tried—"

"Cut the crap! You forget how she even died in the first place!" He jabbed forward again. "She was out on a mission in this place, out to die like many before her, working for your emperor!"

"During a time that we were in a great recession of herbs—"

"You were not!" Marowak punched one fist into the other. "The market vendors were hoarding their supplies!" Quagsire closed his mouth and sighed. "Now you remember exactly when it was. There was no reason for to go."

"We didn't discover that—"

"She was the one that told me! And Emperor Empoleon sent her out the very next day anyway!"

"They were still supplies—"

"Quit trying to justify this! Admit that my mother died when she didn't even need to be out here!"

"I can't do that," contended Quagsire. "Doing so dishonors her memory."

"No, it means that you'd question your emperor, exactly as his family before him was questioned. It's what the people of this empire have stopped questioning for years now."

"Recent years only."

"So what?" Marowak shook his head. "He gets away with the slaughter of innocents, same as his father and his father's father before him."

"These are accusations you wish to convict him with, not his intentions," challenged Quagsire. "You don't understand the toil that we go through."

"Right, and I don't need to," snapped Marowak. "You so lofty few, held high above the rest of the people. But even you are expendable to even fewer."

"That's not true."

"It is, whether you want to turn a blind eye to it or not." Marowak grabbed his bone. "Doesn't matter what you believe. I'm here to exact vengeance, one grunt soldier at a time until I reach the emperor."

"What will that give you?" Quagsire's eyes twitched, but he stood firm. "Will that absolve you of the horrors you've endured, the hells you've likely forged?"

"You'd dare twist this against me?"

"Look at yourself, just listen to what you've fired out," implored Quagsire. "You'll go out after how many people to get some kind of revenge for your dead mother? You'd join a band of murderers hired to steal away someone's very freedom, a group set to slaughter even the innocent, and why?"

"They're not going that far," snapped Marowak. "They're not actually going to kill people. Raze the village a bit, but they wouldn't hurt innocents."

"Those mercenaries are using cannons," reminded Quagsire. "Weapons that don't account for who lives and dies. They're used to break through obstacles and destroy anything waiting on the other end."

"Just because it's powerful doesn't mean that they're using it carelessly," defended Marowak.

"My poor boy, you have no idea what demons you fight with." Quagsire sighed. "I cannot help you from this."

"Who told you I was here for help?!"

"You have. Over and over again, you've been begging for help." Quagsire forced a soft smile. "Why argue with me about your mother's worth, and yours by extension?"

"Because you're among the oldest on the roster! You'd know her!" His fists tightened again. "There's a guilt in you, and that's because of her!"

"I did know her," reiterated Quagsire. "Her name was Marowak before it was yours, and she had a fiery temper that couldn't be quelled…in combat. She would challenge authority when need be, same as you do." He swallowed hard. "But she loved, with every fiber in her being, she loved so many others."

"Shut up."

"She gave her life to follow a cause she believed in."

"Shut up, damn it!"

"Do you know why?" Quagsire's smile came easier now, as tears lined his eyes. "'I want the children we have and their children's children to grow up in a world better than our own.' That's why she told me."

"Liar!" Marowak lifted his bone. "You lie!"

"No, I don't." A tear slipped down. "One thing you will not deny me, even as you want me dead, you will not take my memories of my comrades." Another tear. "I only get to see them again in my dreams, and I learned to stop attaching myself to them for a while, but they lived, and I lived with them." His smile faded. "I moved on. It's been years, but I've actually been able to find some peace again, find friends."

Marowak pointed his bone forward, but remained quieted. His eyes watered a bit as he scowled to Quagsire.

"You can hate me, and you can hate the empire," settled Quagsire. "We can't take away the pain you've lived with for years. I wish to the gods that I had known. If no one else would have you, I gladly would."

"No you wouldn't." Marowak lowered his bone as his arm shook. "Not if you…not after this. You'd never."

"Yes, I would." Quagsire smiled again. "You're just like her…and yet so very different as well. What could you offer the world that your mother hasn't yet? What could you become past what you are, something more?" He chuckled. "Why wouldn't I want to help my friend's son?" He walked forward and raised a free hand. "Come with me. I promise I can make up for lost time."

"…But you can't." Marowak shook his head, tears streaming down, and pulled his bone back. "No one can."

"We can't so long as we fight, but I assure you—"

"Stop."

"Please—"

"STOP!"

Stomping the ground, a tremor ripped across the snow, as chunks of ice flew up. Quagsire dove away from the wave, and frowned as he watched Marowak flee.

---

[Concurrently]

Delphox took a step forward, as his wand slid down and out. He grasped it by the end, and pointed it at the squid that floated near him.

"How adorable," mocked the squid, and he chuckled. "What, pray tell, were you planning on doing with that twig?"

"This."

Whacking him in the face, Delphox's wand lit up and burst a bright yellow spell, smacking and exploding on his enemy.

Flying back, the squid halted itself in the air, descending back to the ground. He wiped his face and glared at the fox.

"You would dare to strike me like that?!"

"Well, yeah." Delphox shrugged. "It's war. Were you expecting hugs with every pop?"

"No, but such underhandedness…" his beak shifted to a grin. "…It's delightful."

"Wow, you really are twisted."

"Upside down and around," agreed the squid. "Were you expecting anything less?"

"Maybe just a bit, yes."

"How could you possibly expect less of the mighty Malamar?"

Wincing with disdain, Delphox hesitated a moment. He opened his mouth but shook his head, pressing his palm against his face. Malamar tilted his head as his tentacles swayed.

"…What?"

"It's just…ugh, the typical evil madman title introduction? Really?"

"Evil madman?" Malamar rolled his eyes. "Please. I'm twisted, not a babbling fool."

"Sure, right."

"Excuse you," snapped Malamar, "I'm being completely serious."

"Absolutely," deadpanned Delphox. "I wholeheartedly believe you."

"Foolish fox." Malamar's tendrils swayed, glowing in a yellow light as he lifted them. "You think yourself so above others, but you'll learn your place soon enough."

"Even if that is the case, it certainly won't come from the likes of you."

Snapping his arms forward, Malamar hurled bolts of lightning at Delphox, who quickly rushed away from each shot. He smirked and continued to speed away from every blast Malamar sent after him, twisting about as snow mounds exploded around him.

"Hold still, witch…"

"Ah, you're mistaken." Delphox twirled his stick around. "Witches are skilled with hexes. I'm a mage, adept with spells."

"You're a headache, nothing more," snapped Malamar.

Launching another bolt out, he narrowed his eyes further as Delphox twirled away from it.

Jabbing his staff forward, Delphox let a burst of Mystical Fire flow. Malamar floated away from it, singed only by the outer flames.

As he lowered his staff, Delphox raised his hand, with a magical red orb in it. He flung it forward, and it smashed into Malamar, knocking him away.

"Gracious, it's almost as if you're trying to lose," taunted Delphox. "Outlandish boasts, poor aiming, and zero strategy." He shook his head. "I was worried you lot were actually more cunning than anticipated."

"Eheehehee…don't worry," echoed a voice around him. "We are!"

Beneath him, a massive purple vortex opened, as Delphox began to sink into it. He grunted and struggled to pull away from it, as Gengar rose before him.

"Aw, look at you…struggling so…" She reached out and lifted Delphox's face. "Your petulant resistance is adorable."

"Hey, none of that for my fox!"

Swooping from above, Froslass wrapped her arms around Delphox and hoisted him away from Gengar's trap. Still grinning, Gengar watched as Froslass took Delphox away from her grip. Letting her magic dissolve, Gengar rose from the ground.

"Aren't you just precious?" She cackled. "You know, I thought it was good to help those Mountains pair before." Gengar's eyes widened as she locked onto Froslass. "But you, you'll be far more delightful to engage."

"…Ew." Froslass dropped Delphox and shook her head. "You really need to work on how you flirt with pretty ladies, you know."

"Eheeheheehee…perhaps so."

A dark sphere charged between Gengar's hands. Froslass soared up and spun around, launching a purple wind as the orb fired at her. It was caught in the gusts and easily canceled by the attack.

Sinking back into the shadows, Gengar chuckled as she vanished. Froslass surveyed the area around her, twisting around as she searched.

"Not there, dear."

With the voice coming from below her, Froslass lifted into the air and forced icy stalagmites to burst from below. She shook her head and blinked, surprised that nothing emerged with them.

"Miss me?"

Grabbing her from above and behind, Gengar dragged Froslass down to the ground, crashing against the ice and pinning her to the earth. Taking a moment to lock eyes with her enemy, Froslass grinned and giggled.

"Ehee…you like this, huh?"

"Nope. I just like that you're this dumb."

"Huh?"

Ice erupted from the ground, jutting past Froslass's slender body and connecting with Gengar. The shadowy ghost groaned and flew back, as Froslass forced herself from the ground.

"Creepy, that you've got over me," allowed a grinning Froslass. "But definitely not an advantage out here."

"Chilly," managed Gengar, and she cackled again. "You are delightful."

"…Seriously, you can turn down the creep factor," snapped Froslass. "And that's coming from the queen of creepy."

"Former queen," insisted Gengar. "Just as this Empire's leader is to be a former emperor." Her grin widened. "Oh, you really are such a loyal subject, if we go that route! I do hope so."

"Threatening the Emperor is definitely a death wish!"

Launching forward, Froslass flew at Gengar, who threw her fist out. A fist of darkness emerged from a distance away, and slammed into Froslass, punching her back to the ground.

With a groan, Froslass wiped her face and pushed back up, as Gengar giggled and floated back down. She glared at her opponent and raised her arm.

"Delphox, now's a good time to pitch in." After waiting a moment, she jerked up. "Delphox? Your snappy line or complaint is next. …Delphox—?"

She gasped as she turned back, spotting Malamar cupping Delphox's face. Malamar's body shimmered in a bright glow, as Delphox's eyes flooded with the same color.

"That's it, little fox," murmured Malamar. "Give in, give into me…"

A spinning shell launched out and slammed into Malamar, blasting the squid away. It smashed down to the ground, and the snow splashed into Delphox's face. Froslass flew forward, blasting snow and ice at Gengar to cover herself, as Carracosta emerged from his shell.

"Are you still with us, Delphox?" Carracosta blinked as snow dripped from the fox's face, his eyes lowered. "Well, forgive me for this, but…"

Pulling back his flipper, Carracosta slapped Delphox right across his face. Yelping, he wildly shook his head and grabbed at his cheek.

"What was that for?!" Delphox huffed. "We're on the same side!"

"Malamar was attacking you," divulged Froslass. "Carracosta just saved you from some kind of a trance."

"From a…?" Delphox blinked. "…That dastard!"

"Quite," agreed Carracosta, "but we've got more pressing matters."

He pointed away from the group, and to Mienshao, who whipped his arms out to attack Garchomp. The dragon snagged his claw between Mienshao's fur, and flung him across the field, and the stoat slammed down.

"We could use a bit of magic to best the dragon," carried on Carracosta. "That's usually how silly knights' tales go, right?"

"Those are the worst kind," complained Froslass.

"Save that for another time," interrupted Delphox. "Come now, we need to help Mienshao."

"Eheeheehehee…help who?"

Gengar rose from the ground near them, as she brought Malamar up right after. Both grinned at the trio, with the shadows beneath them crawling forward.

"Dearest, shall I…rip them apart?"

"Oh yes." Malamar chuckled. "I've been waiting to see you cut loose."

"Only the best…for all of you!"

Shadows burst from the snow, ripping from the ice and flying out. Delphox jumped up and launched another blaze of Mystical Fire out, burning away the darkness that flew toward them. More soared around them, as Carracosta slammed and lifted from the ground, creating a Wide Guard for his allies.

"Now that's no fun," called Gengar. "Eheehehee…I wanted to see you smear the snow."

"Definitely not today, you…fiend!" Delphox jerked back and glanced to his partners, who cringed. "Oh, please. It's fitting."

"Don't you want to just rest, little fox?" Malamar drifted forward, body lighting up again. "After all, you were such a good little critter before…"

"Yuck!" Froslass shuddered. "You're both super creepy!"

"If you're calling them that," joined in Carracosta, "then it must be true."

"Hey, it's not cool when you bring it up," whined Froslass. She redirected her attention. "But it's enough to bring out this!"

Unleashing another dark stream of wind, she blasted both Gengar and Malamar. Though Gengar wailed and sank down, Malamar smirked and took the wind on, rising to block it from pelting Gengar.

"Uh-oh."

Froslass lowered as her wind faded, and Malamar grinned. Black energy surrounded his tentacles, as he flew forward and lashed out at Froslass.

Leaping in between them, Carracosta cried out, as the attack connected and launched him back.

"Carracosta!"

Delphox's eyes widened as the prototurtle crashed down against a snow bank. Twisting back around, he lifted his wand, and spiraled as pink flashes flickered from it. He waved it about as he pivoted forward, slicing the sparkling energy at Malamar. The squid yelled and rocketed away from the ensuing attacks. Froslass blinked as Delphox scowled after him.

"Was that…Fairy magic?"

"My best friend is something of a Fairy," touted Delphox. "It's not exactly a specialty of mine, but she gave me a spell to utilize if need be."

"Your friend sounds smart," complimented Froslass.

"She is." Delphox shook his head. "But we'll gush over her later, come."

They hurried over to Carracosta, who pushed himself from the ground. He spotted the pair and sighed as he brushed the snow from his armor.

"Nothing to worry about, you two," he assured. "Just my pride that got damaged, mostly…and maybe some new dents on this armor."

"Stupendous to see you well, really, but we've yet to slay a dragon," urged Delphox. "Up with you, and let's be on with it."

"Slay a…I thought 'fiend' was bad enough," criticized Froslass. "Who writes your lines, anyway?"

"Don't ask, shut up, and let's go."

Together, they hurried to Mienshao, who kicked up at Garchomp, but was quickly thrown away from him again. Crashing back down, Mienshao groaned and tumbled away, pushing himself up from the snow and ice.

"Gods, I thought I was stronger," he murmured, and raised an eyebrow as his approaching allies. "Ah, hello. Would anyone care to assist me?"

"Obviously, because you certainly need it," teased Delphox.

"Thank you."

Each of the four readied themselves as Garchomp stomped down. He glared at the four, silently watching them.

"Think you can take on all of us at once, big guy?!" Froslass waited as Garchomp gazed at her. "Um…y-you know, snappy retorts usually call for…comebacks?" Again, he merely stared at her. "…Why is it that we're fighting the only members of their side that are creepier than me?"

"Suddenly, you've been normalized," joked Carracosta.

"Hush up." She rose up into the air. "Honestly, this should be easy work for me."

Lifting her arms apart, Froslass summoned a heavy gust of sleet and ice, launching it at Garchomp. The dragon was pelted briefly, but rushed from it and ducked behind a boulder.

"Ha, that won't save you," taunted Froslass.

Again, she flew over to Garchomp and readied to attack again. Garchomp eyed her carefully, stomping forward as she approached.

Once she was close enough, Garchomp lunged into the air, spiraled around, and chomped at her, mouth ablaze. Crunching at her arm, Garchomp snarled as Froslass shrieked, flying back and slamming down to the snow, rolling.

"Froslass!" Delphox hurried over to her, wand raisd. "Hold still, I can—"

"It's out, it's out," she assured. "Just…give me a minute, and get that dastard!"

Fire crackled from Delphox's wand, and he pointed it forward. He hesitated as Garchomp glared at him, and Delphox lowered his stick. He glanced to Carracosta.

"Think he'll sink or swim?"

Blasting the ground with flames, Delphox smirked as Garchomp crashed through the ice and snow, sinking past his waist. Sucking in air, however, Garchomp slipped further beneath the ground, and sank from sight entirely.

"My guess is swim," muttered Carracosta. "Or, ah, dig."

"Technically he did both," grumbled Delphox. "We would clash with the dragon that can burrow through the earth."

"Isn't that Flygon also a Ground Type?" Mienshao rubbed behind his head as Delphox raised an eyebrow at him. "Furthermore, shouldn't we be mindful of our surroundings?"

"Oh, I suppose." Delphox shrugged. "Or, I could just do this."

Spiking his wand to the ground, Delphox gazed at the cracks in the ice that it formed. Murmuring to himself, he chanted as the ground rumbled around him, and waves stretched out across the ice. He waited and nodded, pulling at his staff.

"Not exactly…ha…a true Earthquake," he explained, "but it's effective…hm…in burying enemies below."

"Do you want me to get that?"

"No, Carracosta, I can…fully handle…" Delphox tugged and grunted, but then released his stick. "Ok, maybe give it a go?"

"Sure." Carracosta ambled over and plucked the wand up with hardly any effort. "There, you loosened it for me."

"…Thanks," mumbled Delphox.

"So, is that it?" Froslass drifted back to her friends. "Did we beat all three of them already?"

"Apparently so," encouraged Mienshao.

"Doubtful," disagreed Delphox. "That Gengar witch appears to slip into the shadows, disappear, and pop out where she pleases."

"Plus, I lost sight of the squid," added Carracosta. "Mienshao, you think too positively sometimes."

"Apologies."

"Well, that quake could have gotten her too," reasoned Froslass. "Maybe we just—"

She gasped as the ice blasted up before them, and Garchomp burst from the ground. His body slammed against each of the soldiers, knocking and scattering them across the icy fields.

"Excellent, Garchomp dear," cooed Gengar, as she emerged from beside him.

"Your endurance is truly remarkable," piped up Malamar, as he floated over. "Now, let's see how you're doing…"

"…Where…?"

"Hm, Gengar, I do believe he's waking." Malarmar brushed a tentacle beneath his beak. "Should we intervene?"

"Eheehee…no, give it a moment."

They watched Garchomp, as his eyes widened and body stiffened, but slowly waned and slouched back down. His eyes lowered to normal again, and he watched the pair before him.

"See? There we go."

"Are we considered inept for him?"

"No, not at all," assured Gengar. "It's just better…to keep him separated…for now…"

"Ah, I can see this viewpoint," determined Malamar. "Just curious, is all."

"Don't be too inquisitive," cautioned Gengar. "After all…those thoughts can be…troublesome, eheehehee…"

"Quite." Malamar spun around, eyeing each of the downed soldiers struggling to get back up. "Well, not that this show hasn't been entertaining, but we've each held back long enough. Can we give them a grand finale?"

"Not the finale yet," insisted Gengar. "But…we can end this round…"

Pushing up quicker, Delphox grasped his wand and tried hurrying forward. Gengar floated toward him, firing a purple hex ball, to which he lifted a barrier to counter.

A heavier, indigo blast shattered his barrier, and the hex connected, zapping Delphox back to the ground. It danced along the ice, and slid to Carracosta, wrapping around him and constricting him as the hex discharged its power.

Froslass lifted into the air, as Malamar followed her. He smirked as he pulled his tentacles toward him, knocking her forward and into him. Twisting himself around and upside down, he pulled back and smashed Froslass into the ground.

Mienshao lifted himself up, eyeing both Gengar and Malamar, before settling on Garchomp. He pushed up to run forward, only to have Froslass get tossed into him, knocking them both down.

"Time to wrap everything up now," whispered Gengar, and she sank into the ground.

Her shadow drifted beneath the ice, and soared to Vigoroth and Zangoose at their cannons. She popped up and grinned to them.

"Halt the assault on the city," she instructed. "Fire on those three chasing you."

"We can't get them, they'll dodge," countered Zangoose.

"Shouldn't Gliscor be proving himself…?"

They watched as Gliscor soared over the trio, and dived down as Weavile readied her bow. She redirected her shot above to hit him, and he crashed down away from them.

"Nice timing," complimented Vigoroth.

Cannon fire filled the air, and the cannonballs launched out. Delibird grabbed Weavile as Golduck shoved the two away, and dove aside as the cannonball slammed down where they stood.

Sinking back down, Gengar flowed beneath the snow again, sliding to the next group. She peeked up as Lucario rolled aside.

"Where the hell did you go?!" Lucario brushed snow from his snout. "I thought you'd go back and forth to help us!"

"You had your dragon," teased Gengar. "I need to unleash mine…"

"Whatever." Lucario narrowed his eyes. "Are you here to help us now, or not?"

"A little from me," revealed Gengar, "but more from Malamar."

"The squid?" Lucario raised an eyebrow, and then turned as Flygon was knocked back by Machamp, and then blasted further down by Alakazam. "So, will that be before or after they defeat us?"

She only grinned to him, and pointed as Greninja ran over. He slowed as he approached the two, and lifted his blade defensively, while Mewtwo stepped behind him.

"A ninja bodyguard?" Both jumped as Malamar floated into view. "Well, that's quite uncommon, perhaps entirely in this area." He smirked. "No matter."

Greninja glanced between the three, maintaining his stance. Malamar floated over as Lucario rushed in, and Gengar sank down.

Tossing a Water Shuriken out at Lucario, Greninja twisted back and swiped as Malamar neared, but the squid drifted aside and forced his tentacles forward. They snapped and lashed at Greninja, knocking him back with his own force. Spotting him in the air, Machamp raced forward to catch him as he fell from the sky.

Punching him from behind, Lucario knocked Greninja forward, as Flygon launched back into the air. Alakazam spiraled around and chased the dragon, but doubled back as Malamar shot over, snapping dark energy from his arms.

Rising up, Gengar quickly latched onto Mewtwo, and shadows wrapped around him. She cackled and sank back into the ground, as Mewtwo gasped out and followed her under.

Again, she drifted off, launching across the ice and popped up with Mewtwo by Magmortar. He growled at Exploud, who shuddered and ducked down at both his and Gengar's presence.

"We have the prophet," revealed Gengar. "The next part can begin when you're ready. And…it's your favorite…isn't it?"

"Finally." Magmortar pointed his cannon-like arm at Exploud. "Scream for me."

"B-but—"

"DO IT!"

Jumping up, Exploud ran ahead, as Kricketune snapped from a deadlock with Chesnaught. Poliwrath and Politoed hurried in front of him as Exploud pulled back.

Chesnaught opened his mouth, but his warning was deafened under Exploud's yell, amplified by the sonic waves that emitted from him. They fired out and blasted the three soldiers away, knocking them from the field.

His scream dying down, Exploud clutched at his mouth as he quieted down, and sank back to the ground. Shuddering, he watched as Magmortar and Gengar loomed over him.

"See?" Gengar cackled. "You've got the power to be the strongest one here."

"I…I don't want to be," whined Exploud. "Aren't w-we done here?"

"Not yet, dear." Gengar spun back around. "Why? Do you…need to go?"

Magmortar pointed his arm back at Exploud, who trembled. Kricketune walked between the two.

"Hey, we beat them together," she interrupted. "That should be enough, yeah?"

"…For now…" Magmortar lowered his arm.

Gengar grinned and turned as Marowak rushed over. He skidded along the ice as he halted, and his shoulders dropped as he looked at his allies.

"I…I was late." He frowned. "I'm sorry, I didn't—"

"No, no, you did splendidly…" reassured Gengar. "After all, you kept that salamander busy and separated, didn't you?"

"Y-yes…" Marowak's gaze fell to the ground. "…He knew my mother…"

"Did he…?" Gengar's smile faltered, and she drifted to Marowak, touching his shoulder. He shivered as her grin widened again. "And…did his words sway your resolve…?"

"No."

"Good…very good." She cackled. "After all…he's part of the monsters that killed her, isn't he?"

"Not really," corrected Marowak. "He just…he didn't help her."

"Isn't a bystander still someone that didn't act accordingly?" She floated behind him. "Did he or did he not…try to help her…?"

"He wasn't completely aware of her situation at all," recalled Marowak. "He—"

"Didn't care after all," interrupted Gengar. "Though, I'm sure…he told you otherwise. Even acted…sincere about it…right…?"

Marowak hesitated, but then nodded. Gengar's beam broadened again.

"Then I advised you correctly," concluded Gengar.

"…Yes, you did."

"Excellent…eheeheehehee…"

Reaching back into the shadows, Gengar lifted an unconscious Mewtwo. She showed him to her gathered allies and Magmortar grinned.

"Can we do it now?" Gengar's eyes settled upon him and she nodded. "Finally…let's ruin that damned city and take their palace once and for all."

Pointing his cannons back toward the buildings, Magmortar unleashed his blaze, and the group marched forward.

---

[Afterward]

Chesnaught lifted himself up from the ground, holding his head as the echoes of Exploud's scream faded, and the ringing desisted. He turned to Poliwrath and Politoed, as both stood, still clutching their heads while Chesnaught released his.

He blinked and turned as Weavile and Delibird walked over, with Golduck limping behind them. The duck scowled as he met Chesnaught's eyes, and set his attention elsewhere. Quagsire waved and waddled over toward Golduck, who rolled his eyes and tried to turn away again.

Machamp carried Greninja and Alakazam from down the field, trudging over to his allies, and met Delphox and Carracosta as they approached as well. Froslass floated just behind them, as Mienshao dragged his sleeves against the snow.

"So, an all around trouncing, then," started Golduck, returning his attention to the group and folding his arms. "Fantastic."

"Where's Mewtwo?" Chesnaught raised an eyebrow as Greninja shook his head.

"They got him," Machamp divulged. "Greninja got ambushed by that ghost and the squid."

"That's on us, then," admitted Delphox. "Their dragon took us down and we couldn't stop them."

"Should've froze that thing to its core," grumbled Froslass, wrapping herself in tight. Weavile stepped over and rested her claw against her friend.

"Exactly what the hell did we face?" Everyone cringed at Poliwrath's louder voice, and he blinked, quieting himself. "Sorry, it's…still ringing a bit for me."

"We'll live," assured Politoed, as he lowered his hands. "But really, what was all of that? It's like they had us pegged outright."

"Oh, they knew us way too well," snapped Golduck. "Strategies that we'd make before we made them, how to face off against each of us, weapons to bring—"

"Do you have a point?"

"Yeah, something you're not going to like." Golduck placed his hands on his hips. "I think someone among us is a traitor."

"Really?" Carracosta folded his arms. "We're jumping right down to that, not our lack of thorough planning?"

"Hey, we barely could get it together from the onset, and that was before we even launched our initial attack," defended Golduck. "Weavile, Delibird, and I figured it out. They knew exactly how to strike at us, not only to begin, but they knew to have us go up against those blasted cannons."

"They knew us better than an initial face-off," agreed Weavile. "One of them literally confirmed it to me while we fought."

"Hell." Carracosta shook his head. "I…well, something must have gotten out. But, how?"

"Hypnosis?" Froslass shrugged. "They tried to control Delphox with it."

"Dastards actually tried that," growled Delphox. "I should bend their minds out backwards for that."

"That could be it," concurred Chesnaught. "Maybe they had one of us under mind control to carry out orders."

"Maybe, but how can we tell who?" Greninja rubbed behind his head. "Not all of us can have our minds read, much as we'd like to, sometimes."

"If they managed to put a Dark Type under hypnotic suggestion, that's an achievement that will doom us all," murmured Alakazam.

"Then what if it wasn't hypnotism?" Golduck tapped at his head. "What if it's literally that someone here was coerced or forced to work against us? Or, worse, they willingly went against us?"

"Mm…why though?" Quagsire slouched. "We've…gotten along well…" His voice faded and his thoughts remained unfinished.

"Don't know, but that's all that I can think of beyond the mind control nonsense," complained Golduck. "If anyone else has bright ideas on our strategies being let loose, I'm all for it. Otherwise, let's get the accusations flying now."

"It really doesn't have to be like that," argued Greninja. "I think that hypnotized folks make more sense."

"To act completely normal like usual?" Golduck threw his hands up. "Come on, everyone under those always acts all quiet and half out of it or whatever…"

"…Like the other dragon," realized Mienshao. "That's why that Garchomp is…sorry, that's not important."

"It could be," realized Alakazam. "If he's under control, I could try to help him fight it, should we bring him down."

"That's really risky." Machamp rested his hand on Alakazam's shoulder. "We don't need to put you in that kind of danger."

"We were just facing a dragon," countered Alakazam. "Couldn't be that difficult to do again. Especially together, no?" He smiled to Machamp, who slowly returned it.

"Ugh, they're disgustingly themselves," deduced Golduck.

"Why are you so sure that betrayal is the right answer?" Chesnaught rolled his eyes. "Pretty sure that can't be the only way."

"Pretty sure that it's our best bet," snapped Golduck. "Why, too afraid to admit that someone could be corrupt?"

"No, but—"

"Listen, we run a tight ship," continued Golduck. "Secrets getting out is absolutely against everything Empoleon stands for. Something like war strategies getting away from us? Unheard of." Golduck narrowed his eyes. "Unless someone here let it out."

"Golduck has a point," chimed in Delibird. "It's the most probable way that they knew anything, and with us all acting like ourselves."

"Maybe we're not all like us," debated Golduck. "Maybe someone here…isn't quite themselves."

"You mean like you?"

"Funny, Weavile, you were agreeable before," hissed Golduck. "Maybe it's you? You were barely awake before, no?"

"That was a while back." Weavile shook her head. "Look, I'll threaten you if you want me to be like myself, but—"

"Come off it, Weavile's herself," fired out Froslass. "She wasn't the only one exhausted from the other night."

"No, you were too, weren't you?" Golduck narrowed his eyes on her. "After all, Weavile was given the confirmation that information was relayed. But you? You've been acting softer lately, not as scary, and something is entirely off with…with…"

"…You wouldn't even know how I normally act, would you?" Froslass lowered her eyes as Golduck opened his mouth. She pushed his beak shut before anything came out. "Don't embarrass yourself, you suck with relationships, period."

"Yeah, I could've told you that," teased Greninja.

"Froslass wouldn't betray us," defended Carracosta. "She'd have a lot more fun with it, and she's been having just as rough of a go out here as any of us."

"Fair enough," mumbled Golduck. He cleared his throat. "Well? Poliwrath and Politoed were groggy too! What about them?"

"We're still kind of out of it," admitted Poliwrath. "But I think I'd bash my brother over his head if he went against us."

"Yeah, I'd beat you up too," shot back Politoed. "Between us, you're too proud for that, though."

"Maybe it's both of you!"

"Golduck, come on," deadpanned Politoed. "Poliwrath and I are just getting along again now. We couldn't come close to being traitors before now."

"Eh, we'd still bungle that up even now," decided Poliwrath. "Not that we can't be sneaky, but we'd probably let something slip."

"Well, I believe them," chimed Chesnaught. "We were working well together before, and I don't think they'd risk their lives for me if they were looking to get me killed."

"Hey, you never know," argued Golduck. "Wouldn't you let me get killed in a shifty way? I'd plan that carefully!"

"No, I'd kill you outright, with a blade through your chest," explained Chesnaught. "But that's against knight code, and I wouldn't do that to you, even if we pretty much hate one another."

"…Now I changed my mind, it has to be Chesnaught."

"Golduck, we're wasting time—"

"Fine, fine!" Golduck grasped at his head. "Ok…none of those four…then, what of Delphox?"

"Me?" Delphox raised an eyebrow. "You think I'd sell everyone out to the enemy?"

"There's no way that it's Delphox," defended Greninja.

"Definitely not him," agreed Chesnaught.

"Why can't the fox be a traitor?" Golduck folded his arms. "Just because he's from the holy land of Grass Fields, where nothing bad or terrible ever happens? Please."

"Look, I admit that I praise my homeland a lot," admitted Chesnaught. "But that doesn't mean I'm blind to its faults." He shook his head. "But I know Delphox, and I know he wouldn't find any logic in betraying the Iceberg Empire."

"No, I wouldn't." Delphox shrugged. "But that certainly doesn't mean that we're not dealing with a sly fox."

"…Is there meant to be a pun in there?"

"Something like that."

Delphox lowered his eyes and strolled right over to Mienshao, who raised an eyebrow at him. He tilted his head, as Delphox mimicked the motion, before both returned to attention.

"What is it, my friend?"

"Not bad." Delphox slowly shook his head. "Careful enough to fool me on little sleep, but careless enough not to follow through well."

"Beg pardon?"

"If it were just Golduck raving on about it like a lunatic this whole time, I'd ignore it," explicated Delphox. "Weavile confirming it helped, though."

"…Delphox, do you really think it's me?" Mienshao smirked and shook his head. "My friend, you couldn't be—"

"He doesn't talk like that," snapped Delphox.

"Uh, he actually can," intervened Carracosta. "I don't know if he did it enough around you, but that's kind of how Mienshao talks generally."

"We're not ourselves out here," mumbled Quagsire.

"No, I suppose those are valid points." Delphox lowered his eyes. "However, isn't it odd, that of us all, Mienshao is the one that reported the soldiers coming?"

"He was on lookout at the time," pointed out Machamp.

"Convenient." Delphox tapped at his chin. "And would it also work out accordingly for him to be the one telling all of us about it, rather than General Abomasnow?"

"They both did," dryly cut in Weavile. "What's your point?"

"Mienshao was last to depart the palace," furthered Delphox. "Not just because he was talking with the emperor, was it?"

"You're getting a little ridiculous," murmured Delibird. "N-not that Golduck was, or um, wait…"

"Furthermore, you, Mienshao, have been distracted during our entire bouts." Delphox glared at him again. "More specifically, of all the opponents you could have chosen, you repeatedly went after Garchomp."

"He was a worthy adversary, and someone should have," defended Mienshao.

"Why you?" Delphox folded his arms behind his back. "You're not exactly the best equipped to fight a dragon."

"Are any of us?"

"Yet, I think you've paid very specific attention to not only Garchomp, but Flygon as well," elucidated Delphox. "Funny, considering your experiences with Flygon have been limited, but if you were to select a dragon to vanquish, wouldn't you prefer the one that you're familiar with?"

"That's not the best logic," returned Mienshao.

"No, but it seems to be, considering how very familiar you were with Flygon, after a single encounter with him." Delphox released his arms. "Tell me, was it your party or mine that went against him, when we were lost out here?"

"Really, because I was wary of an enemy—?"

"All of it," reiterated Delphox. "Because of all of that, because you've been shirking on your calligraphy, because you've been behaving just a little more cheery than usual, because something that I can't quite place is off about you, and I've gotten close to you in a short amount of time, but enough so that I can tell when you're not yourself."

"Perhaps we're not as close as I believed," glumly murmured Mienshao.

"True, that could certainly be the case," allowed Delphox. His gaze narrowed once more. "However, my friend, there's just one problem with your entire act."

"And what might that be?"

"Why can't I read your mind?"

Mienshao stiffened and froze right after Delphox questioned that. His eyes widened, just slightly, as Delphox's piercing gaze remained upon him. Everyone else studied the pair carefully.

"Alakazam, you're a stronger telepathic than I am," admitted Delphox. "Care to prove me wrong, or otherwise? Mienshao could use help on that accusation."

"Certainly, I could, though if you're wrong, then…" Alakazam's eyes flickered with a flash, but he blinked and his eyes widened. "…Oh, dear gods."

"Nothing then?" Delphox watched as Alakazam nodded. He then turned back to Mienshao. "Well? Your charade is over."

Mienshao hesitated a moment, until a small smirk appeared on his face. It grew quickly into a twisted grin, wider than Mienshao's normal smiles shaped. He cackled in an unfamiliar pitch, and backed away as the other soldiers closed in on him.

"Bravo. Bravo!" Mienshao clapped slowly. "I miscalculated how long this would hold, and your relationship with him." He shrugged. "But, I did know that it would end, soon enough."

Contorting and bending his body around, he grunted and snapped his limbs around. A dark mist encircled Mienshao's body, which shifted in shape and warped back into its original form.

The dark fox grinned brightly as he stood in place of the stout, and Zoroark giggled.

---

...

Surprise. Zoroark shape-shifted again. Bet you didn't expect that, did ya?

Yes, I'm sure several of you called him popping in like that, considering his notable absence both last chapter and throughout this one. It was going to be a carry-over reveal at the top of the next chapter, but I decided to just name drop him right at the end here. I wanted to make the transformation sound a little more sinister here, I don't know why. Was fun, I suppose. Did the same for Garchomp, revealed that earlier, and was gonna hold back on him too. Shucks.

Anyway, yay, fighting and stuff! Added a little depth on some villains, like Marowak and Kricketune. Gengar is just the most fun of the group, I don't know why, but I do love her evilness so. Hence why her presence ended up all over and she was pretty helpful in the end. Honestly, though, I think a fair number of fighters kicked butt in this chapter. Did anyone not get a rough enough pummeling? They'll get some next chapter.

Also, yes, neutral perspectives! So many that I ran out of words! I didn't want the whole fight to be Chesnaught and Greninja running around so they could report about who did what, what was going on through their eyes, and whatnot. Sure, that could've happened, but that sounds like a lot of unnecessary work for them. Besides, I got to use synonyms! Look at me, using new, big words…how nice.

There's still more to come as the war continues to its thrilling climatic battles ahead, which…have yet to come! Expect more drama, though. In the meantime, though, Pokemon Ultra Sun and Pokemon Ultra Moon are on the way, so that's good too! It'll be the first Pokemon main series games that I don't pick up, since I still haven't played through vanilla Sun and Moon! Gotta catch up already.

Anyway, feedback is crucial to help support, so comments and questions are welcome. Spoilery info may vary, however, as I'm not good with reveals, but hey, I still have to keep my tricks to myself. Next chapter might be a little time away, so speculation can run until then. Feel free to visit the characters at my askblog as well, which should be in my profile. Just go scrolling, I'm sure that I put it there.

And, as always, thank you yet again for reading!