DarkFoxKit: Alright, how long has it been since our last update? … Wow, we haven't updated since Christmas.

Traveling Master: Well, New Years week we were busy, and that's when my schedule changed, so it took us some time to adjust. And just when we were getting back into the groove of things, my schedule changed again! Yay! So just letting everyone know, my new schedule makes it a little harder for us to write, but we make do the time we have to write.

DarkFoxKit: We will try to write whenever we can. And now… is there anything else you'd like to say before we get the readers to the chapter?

Traveling Master: Just one. I know it's a little late, but happy New Years everyone, and we hope you enjoy the first new chapter of our story for this year.

DarkFoxKit: And we will try to keep Dust from breaking anymore 4th walls. Key word is try.


Chapter 36: Tension

"So, until further notice, there will be no rank up tournament until further notice. The incident with Patricia and Undergrowth had put the public safety at risk, and unease. From now on, rank ups will be handled the old fashion way; by the Guildmasters themselves once a Crusader Team reached a certain amount of points," Chihiro announced to all the Pokemon at White Leaf Town, including those from the Unity Guild, and the other guilds that were a part of the tournament. "The police will continue to investigate more of what else could've been going on during the tournament, and if there are anymore missing Pokemon."

Team Night Tide were there as they listened to Chihiro explaining the current situation. Berry had suggested that Dust and Shab should continue to rest, but Dust was insistent on coming. It helped that his mother personally attended to his wounds, making his recovery that much quicker than normal. Though no matter how hard Dust tried to convince Berry, she refused to ride on his back. He knew something was bothering her, but decided not to press further, for now at least.

"The Lucearnes Guild will have a temporary Guildmaster while their current Guildmaster will be serving some time after some serious false accusations," Chihiro continued. "However, despite what had happened, it is important we thank those who managed to stop Patricia and Undergrowth from continuing with their heinous plans. And we will go on with the rank up ceremony for this tournament as well. It would be an insult to all the teams who had put their hardest into this tournament if we were to cancel that now."

There were some murmurs amongst the crowd. Dust had a feeling the Guildmaster for the Lucernes Guild would've faced repercussions for accusing Chihiro. While Chopper may not have been involved with the kidnapping, his rash judgement did cause further problems for the remaining fighters. Dust wondered who the temporary Guildmaster would be.

"Sorry for the inconvenience these past few days have brought, but know that the Crusaders will continue to help those in need. You can always count on the Unity Guild, as well as all other guilds to keep watch, to provide assistance where needed, to be there wherever a crisis arises," Chihiro finished.


The rank up ceremony was going by rather quickly. Those who got a rank up were called to the front of the crowd. Since the tournament was shut down, they had to do this outside of the building, on the cliff. The teams that were called to be ranked up were then judged by the Guildmasters, and are discussed as to whether or not they deserve more than one rank up. Team Silkwing were able to rank up to Silver Rank due to not only winning the tournament, but working together until the end. Though Dust couldn't help but notice a tension between Talon, who was now a Staravia, and Ivy.

Team Crimson Raiders, surprisingly, were able to get a rank up themselves. Because they were Silver Rank before, they were now granted the Gold Rank, and given a gold badge. Despite their strange 'teamwork', or seemingly lack thereof, they had shown they were skilled enough to be granted a Gold Rank. Though despite receiving a new rank, the team didn't exactly look ecstatic, especially Blizza. Crimson was the only one who seemed to have a calm look on his face, though Dust couldn't tell if he was faking it or not.

As other teams were called forth, Dust found it a bit strange that their team had yet been called. He wasn't sure if it was because of the team name, of what place they had gotten in the tournament, or for some third reason Dust couldn't quite figure out. Luckily they didn't have to wait long until Team Night Tide was called up.

Dust was hoping that Berry would let him carry her, but she still refused. Because Berry was slow on her own, it did take Team Night Tide a little while to get up to the front. Shab was looking at Berry in concern, wondering why she hadn't said much since he and Dust woke up after the battle with Patricia. Of course, there were some confused murmurs among the crowd when they noticed Dust didn't have his now signature stack of Goomy and Feebas on his back when they came to the front.

"Team Night Tide, there was much talk concerning your team," Chihiro started. "Throughout the tournament, your team has shown exemplary teamwork, surprising skills, and great determination. And while you have amazed many others, I must give you a word of advice for each of you."

All three members of Team Night Tide were confused but didn't say anything, waiting for Chihiro to continue.

The Guildmaster first turned to Shab, giving the Feebas a sweet smile before addressing him. "Shab, you've shown great dedication to your teammates, even going so far as to sacrifice yourself to protect them. While very noble, if you sacrifice yourself every time one of your teammates may get hurt, you'll only be causing more harm to yourself, as well as those you're trying to protect. I understand the need of wanting to protect those around you, even going so far to risk your own safety, but no good can come to a Crusader if they are unable to protect others in the future. Strive to become stronger, but also have faith that your teammates will make it out fine."

"I understand, Guildmaster," Shab answered.

Chihiro nodded before turning to Berry next.

"You have quite the hidden potential for such a small and young Pokemon, Berry," Chihiro started. "I can see you're struggling to control it, and even come to terms with it. I understand that this great power frightens you, as it does frighten many of us. However, trying to fight against it won't do you any good. From what I've heard, it almost cost you your life in that battle with Patricia when you kept holding yourself back. There will be times when you may need that great power, and instead of trying to hold it back, you should learn to control it. It's a part of you whether you like it or not, Berry, and learning to control it would be better for you and those around you in the long run than trying to fight it. I hope you will take this advice to heart."

Berry frowned, and she wanted to argue, but she also realized there wasn't much she could say about it without coming off as either arrogant or pathetic. "I… understand, Guildmaster."

Chihiro then turned to Dust, causing the Absol to gulp. After hearing Chihiro's advice for his two teammates, he can only imagine what words she had for him.

"Dust, since first coming to Unity Guild, I've seen you grow and grow. I saw how all your hard work and training had paid off during the tournament, how well you worked with your teammates as you fought difficult opponents. And while it always brings me a smile to see how others are eager to improve themselves, you have forgotten the first mistake you made when you first join," Chihiro explained. "You are the leader of this team, you mustn't forget that you're not the only one fighting in this tournament. You must remember that your teammates will always be there to help you, to give you council when you need it, but you must also remember not to leave them behind. A good leader may be a strong Pokemon, but a great leader is someone who not only inspires others, but also learns from them as well. Let that determination of yours drive you, but don't let it blind you to those close to you."

"I...understand," Dust replied while looking down.

Dust remembered how he made the same mistake back when he and Berry had done their first mission together. How because he was so eager to gain Gold Rank, he had left Berry behind, putting her in danger. The memory only reminded him of the many mistakes he had made so far.

"That being said, I do hope all of you will take what I've told you to heart. These advice are not to hurt you in any way, just help you learn from your mistakes and grow for the better in the future," Chihiro stated. "And now, we will tell you what your new rank will be."

Dust, despite himself, was actually pretty eager to hear what rank they got. He hoped that they were put in a good place to get the Gold Rank as soon as possible.

"Team Night Tide, after these recent events, your team is now promoted from Normal Rank to Silver Rank," Chihiro awarded.

Dust was a bit disheartened at hearing their new rank. He had really hoped that they would've gained Gold Rank. But he should've figured, if Team Silkwing only earned Silver Rank due to their teamwork, as well as winning the tournament, it would've been a miracle if Team Night Tide had gotten Gold Rank. But despite all this, Dust still had some hope. He recalled their earlier conversation with Chihiro concerning their ranks, how because of all the extra points they had accumulated, there was a good chance that they were already close to earning Gold Rank. He would just have to ask Chihiro at a later time how many points they will need until they can rank up once more.

"You may turn in your Normal Rank badges for the Silver Rank ones," Chihiro added.

Dust, Berry, and Shab handed over their pink and white badges to Carrie, who was standing beside Chihiro. Carrie took the badges, put them into her pouch, before taking out the silver badges from her pouch, and handed it back to Team Night Tide.

"Since you are now officially a Silver Rank team, you may now take on B Ranking missions or lower," Chihiro announced. "You may also chase down outlaws that are of the B rank or lower as well. You may take on B ranking or lower Mystery Dungeons as well. You are also permitted to be able to help other teams of your choosing from time to time. If you have any further questions, you may ask them now or later."

Dust figured now would be the best time to ask his question. "I actually do have one. We've talked before concerning earning points. I believe we've had quite a bit of extra points when we were Normal Rank. How many points would we now need in order to obtain the Gold Rank?"

Chihiro frowned at Dust's question, which caused the Absol to worry a bit. Chihiro then leaned forward and started whispering. "When we return to the guild, come see me and I'll answer your question then."

"When you said we are permitted to be able to help other teams, what do you mean?" Shab spoke up curiously.

"Sometimes, other teams from the guild may need help for one reason or another. Like a teammate of theirs is sick, and they need someone to fill in their spot for this mission they chose to take on. They can file a request for someone from your team to help them with the mission, or it can be vice versa. Of course, only Bronze or higher ranks can do this, which is why this is all new to you," Chihiro chuckled. "You will receive various rewards and points for your team depending on how well you've helped the other team. I look forward to seeing how you'll do this."

Shab nodded.

"Any other questions?" Chihiro asked.

All three members shook their heads. Dust was curious why Chihiro didn't answer his question, but believed she must have her reasons.

"Then that concludes the Rank Up Ceremony. We thank you all for your hard work, and hope to see more as you continue to grow as Crusaders," Chihiro announced, causing the crowd to applaud for those who ranked up.


Later, that evening, as all the Pokemon were heading back to their own home or guild, Dust went to go see Chihiro alone in her office. Berry and Shab were already settling back in their room with Cliff, wanting to spend some time with her after her little event with Patricia. Cliff had been a bit cautious lately.

Spooks and Phantom were watching from Chihiro's horns as Dust made his way into Chihiro's office.

"Hey, Dust," Spooks greeted. "Congratulations on the rank up!"

"Thank you," Dust said before turning to Phantom with some concern. "And how are you doing? Are you feeling well after...well, you know."

"Yeah… I'm fine…" Phantom frowned. "Patricia didn't drain me or Cliff, she just… fed us something that made us sleep for a while. Though… I think Cliff is a bit shaken up."

"Well, she's safe now, as are you. I know Berry will comfort her, we can only hope she recovers from this experience," Dust replied.

"I'm sure Cliff will recover from this incident after a while," Chihiro stated. "Phantom will recover too, we just need to give them some time to relax. But… I'm sure you're not just here for pleasantries, Dust. You wanted answers to your question, don't you?"

Dust nodded, turning his attention to his Guildmaster. "Yes, I was hoping to know how many points my team currently had, and how many more we would need until we ranked up once more. I know we talked before concerning rank points, and how we've actually had quite a bit of extra points."

"That is true, we did talk about that before," Chihiro agreed.

"So, how many points do we need?" Dust asked, feeling both anxious and excited.

"As of right now?" The Dragapult hesitated. "About 1600 points."

Dust was speechless for a minute, unsure if what he heard was correct. "...I'm sorry, I think I misheard you. For a moment I thought you said 1600 points."

"You heard right," Chihiro answered. "1600 points exactly."

Dust forced a chuckle. "Surely this is one of your jokes, right?"

"This is no joke, Dust," Chihiro replied. "Despite becoming Silver Rank, you and your team have to start at the beginning."

"What do you mean at the beginning?!" Dust didn't mean to shout, but he was surprised by the sudden answer. "What happened to all the extra points we've earned?"

"Well, I had a long and serious discussion about your team rank after the whole incident with Patricia and Undergrowth," Chihiro began. "After seeing what happened between you and Team Crimson Raiders, originally, you and your team were supposed to only become a Bronze Rank. Grace was the one who suggested that, since it showed that you still didn't keep your teammates in mind. As you know, we value teamwork over the individual strength of one Pokemon more in a team. However, your mother, Eclipse, gave us a suggestion. Since it was your team who mainly found out about Patricia's and Undergrowth's plans, we decided that in order to reward you for it, we will rank your team the Silver Rank after all, but at the cost of starting your points over to a clean slate."

Dust was speechless. He assumed they were granted Silver Rank because of their skills and teamwork, but had it not been for Patricia and Undergrowth, he would've been at a lower rank.

"Dust, I understand your desire to become Gold Rank so that you may return home, but don't forget what I said earlier today. If you only focus on yourself, you'll end up repeating past mistakes and hurting others," Chihiro advice. "I know this is hard for you to hear, but know that you still have a chance to earn the Gold Rank. It will require great dedication and hard work, but you might be able to achieve your goal before your year is up."

Dust was angry. Angry over the recent events, angry at Grace for first suggesting they should be Bronze. He was angry at Crimson for suggesting the Duel in the first place, angry that Chihiro didn't push forward, or at least had given them more points. But out of everyone, he was most angry with himself. Just as Chihiro had said, because he was so focused on his own desires, he caused his team to lose. If it wasn't for his mother's suggestion, he would've been at a lower rank.

After a couple seconds he started to calm down a bit, though he was still frustrated with himself. "I...understand. Thank you for answering my question, Chihiro."

Dust then turned and left Chihiro's office, not even waiting for a reply. Spooks and Phantom wanted to speak with him, but Chihiro stopped them.

"Let him be for now, he needs time to think and learn to himself," Chihiro advised.

Berry was in the middle of feeding Cliff some berries in soil, while Shab was watching from the water pot, when Dust walked in. Berry looked up at Dust while Cliff was munching on some of the soil on her plate.

"Hey, welcome back, Dust," Shab greeted.

Dust didn't say anything as he went straight for his hay bed and laid on top of it. His back was facing his teammates as he curled up to sleep.

Berry frowned, seeing that Dust appeared to be upset. She wanted to ask him what was wrong, but then remembered Eclipse's own angry face when she tried to approach Dust before. The Goomy shivered a little.

"Dust?" Shab asked.

"Let him sleep… I think he's just tired," Berry said to Shab.

Shab wanted to press further, but seeing how Dust was in no mood to talk and Berry seemed hesitant to speak to him, he nodded. Shab could only hope that things would get better in the morning.

Cliff looked up, looking worried as well, but she could tell that her 'papa' didn't want to talk, and went back to eating her dinner.


A bit later that night, Dust had trouble sleeping. He decided to write in his notebook since sleeping was becoming hard right now. Berry and Shab were already asleep, and Cliff appeared to be asleep in her own little bed.

As Dust grabbed his writing utensils with his claws, he paused as he reflected back to all the recent events. Despite the tournament only lasting about a week, it felt much longer than that. It felt as though it's been months since Dust last wrote in his notebook. After some thought, he began writing against the paper, spilling out his thoughts onto his notebook.

Where to begin. It has been a while since I last wrote. Normally I write when doing research, or conducting experiments and such. I do occasionally write my personal thoughts from time to time, though the last time I felt this troubled was two months ago when I first left my old guild. Funny, it feels a lot longer than two months, if I didn't know any better, I'd say it's been almost an entire year since I left.

Dust quietly chuckled at the thought before continuing to write. I suppose I'll start at the beginning of when the tournament began… I was full of hope, full of determination… I was also full of worry that I would fail, but I pushed myself forward. Berry and Shab were right by my side as always, I've become more reliant on them, which isn't a bad thing, they've always gotten my back since they both became my teammates. Berry had shown to be much stronger than she appeared, though she is afraid of her power, and I don't blame her. Shab is very supportive, despite not being the strongest fish around, he definitely has a determined will that isn't so easily put out, especially when it comes to Berry. I'm still in shock that he was able to defeat a Gyarados.

Dust sighed to himself as he continued writing. It was nice, seeing the other teams again, seeing many of them promoted to Bronze rank at the very least. Team Silkwing won the tournament and became Silver Rank themselves. It was an honor to work with them when everything was going wrong due to Patricia's schemes. Though it does sting… a lot… that Team Crimson Raiders are now Gold Rank. Well… maybe this means we'll see them less because they can now take on long term missions, perhaps by the time they come back, we'll truly be ready for a rematch with them. One that I had no right to decide for myself...

Dust started to squeeze his writing utensil very hard as he was getting angry. Ever since I first lost to Crimson, I noticed this new...feeling inside. I didn't know what it was at first, but I noticed every time I thought of Crimson, I kept thinking of wanting to battle him once more, to prove to him and myself that I've grown. So when he suggested we partake in the Duel challenge, that same feeling came rushing in and instead of talking with Berry or Shab, I just ignored any common sense and accepted his challenge! If we had fought as a team, we could've beaten Crimson and his team! We could've worked together, like we always had, and made it to the finals! And maybe even won against Team Silkwing! But no, because of my selfish desire, I cost us the match and if it wasn't for mother…

Dust paused as he heard little footsteps coming towards him. Neither Berry nor Shab had feet, so the only one who could be approaching him was Cliff. Sure enough, the little Larvitar was approaching him. Cliff gave Dust a look of concern.

"Daddy… upset?" Cliff asked quietly, looking at the claw Dust was using to squeeze his writing utensil.

Dust wondered how he looked to Cliff at this moment, remembering all the times he saw Eclipse upset, though mostly with him. He recalled how he always felt bad when he saw his mother was angry or disappointed with him. And while he was only upset with himself, the thought of making Cliff feel sad because of him started to calm him down. Dust sighed before shifting his body around, making an open space.

Dust patted the open space as he quietly replied. "Wanna sleep with me tonight?"

Cliff nodded before she walked over to the open space Dust offered. Cliff clinged onto Dust's fur. "I'm… scared… What if… I get kidnapped… by meanies… again?"

Dust curled up closer to Cliff. "Then we'll be right there to save you again...Do you want to hear a story my mother told me when I was your age?"

Cliff looked up at Dust before nodding. "What's the story, Daddy?"

Dust smiled as he recalled the story his mother told him long ago.

Dust cleared his throat a bit before starting. "There once was a small Crusader, who despite their size wanted to help others. The others had taunted them, saying that they were too small to help others, that they were too afraid to be of any help. Wanting to prove them wrong, they accepted a mission to retrieve a lost item in a dungeon, despite it being very dangerous. Not wanting to back down, the little Crusader ventured forth, running into many huge Pokemon."

"Did the Crusader beat them up?" Cliff asked, causing Dust to chuckle a bit.

"The little Crusader wasn't strong on their own, so they couldn't fight against these powerful, bigger Pokemon. Instead, they chose to hide themselves. They don't need to beat up the other Pokemon to complete their mission after all, they only needed to retrieve a lost item," Dust continued, and something struck him as he was telling the story. Didn't Berry do something like that before in Waterfall Cavern?

"A Crusader doesn't beat up Pokemon when they don't need to. Battling is only when it's necessary, otherwise it would be bullying," Dust continued, making Cliff look surprised. "You know, your mommy Berry is like this little Crusader, she doesn't fight other Pokemon just to fight them. She avoids these confrontations whenever she could, unless they're necessary."

Cliff looked surprised again. "But Mommy is so strong!"

Dust nodded. "She is, but she understands being strong doesn't make one a crusader."

"Then what does?" Cliff asked.

Dust smiled as he decided to continue on with the story.

"The little Crusader eventually found the item they were looking for, however, the item was with a terrifying looking Pokemon. The Pokemon themselves was pitch black, they had a very uneasy aura around them. This Pokemon was the one who made many other Crusaders flee the dungeon in fear for their life," Dust continued. "However, instead of running away, the little Crusader approached this scary Pokemon, and instead of battling them, they instead asked them a question; 'are you going to attack me?'"

"The Shadowy Pokemon turned to face the little Crusader, it's glare sent a shiver down their spine as it replied. 'That depends, are you afraid?'"

"'Yes, I am afraid. But I won't run away. I need that item to complete a mission.' The little Crusader answered. 'Will you let me take it?'"

"The shadowy Pokemon then picked up the item as it observed it. 'What if I say no? What will you do then?'"

"The little Crusader didn't back down. 'Perhaps we could trade for it? Negotiate maybe? Is there something you'd want in return for that item?'"

"'There is something, but first I need to know how determined you are. Come back each day for a week, and if you do, I'll shall give you this item on the last day.'"

"The little Crusader agreed to the shadowy Pokemon's challenge. So over the next few days, the little Crusader would enter the dungeon, avoiding all the other wild Pokemon, until they managed to make it to where the Shadowy Pokemon was waiting. At first they barely spoke, but as the days went on, where they spoke more and more, that even on the sixth day the little Crusader almost stayed in the dungeon the entire night. On the last day, they were eager to finish their challenge, so they rushed into the dungeon, avoiding all wild Pokemon as they did before, navigating through the dungeon until they made it to their usual meeting spot. The Shadowy Pokemon finally showed its true self to the little Crusader."

Dust took a deep breath. "The Shadowy Pokemon then asked, 'Are you still afraid of me?' And the little Crusader answered with a smile. 'No, not at all. You're not as scary as I thought you'd be actually.' At hearing that, the Shadowy Pokemon decided the little Crusader was worthy of the item, and gave it to them, but with a request; 'I'd like for you to come back and visit me every once in a while. You are the only one who saw past my nightmares of fear.'"

"'I promise. You were the only one that believed in me when no one else did.'"

"And instead of turning in the item for the reward, the little Crusader instead held onto the item, thinking of the Shadowy Pokemon when they were away, remembering to visit and spend time whenever they had the chance. And so they did for the following weeks, months, and even years. The little Crusader kept their promise, to alway visit the one who believed in them in the first place."

Cliff tilted her head. "It's a nice story, Daddy… but what does it have to do with being afraid?"

"Well, if you remember, the little Crusader wasn't strong, and they had every reason to be afraid of this dark, scary Pokemon. But over time, they come to realize that the Pokemon wasn't so scary after all," Dust answered. "Yes, there will be times when something scary will happen to any of us, but the fear is, more often than not, what makes a situation much scarier than it actually is. You asked me what being a real Crusader is… well, being afraid, yet going on despite that fear, is how a Crusader must live. We go through scary things to help those who need it, because they themselves can't do it."

Cliff gave a sparkle in her eyes. "I want to be a Crusader like you, Mommy, Uncle, and that little Crusader one day."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. Being a Crusader is a wonderful experience, and I look forward to the day when you do become one," Dust smiled.

Cliff smiled as she snuggled into Dust's fur. "Thank you, Daddy."

Dust couldn't help but grin a little before he looked back at his notebook. We all have our ups and downs, we have our good days, and bad days. Just as Chihiro said, however, we can learn from them, they don't have to define us. If Cliff can get over her fear of being kidnapped, then I can get over my selfish desire of getting Gold Rank. It's going to be hard working from here on out, but I get the feeling, as long as I work with my team, we'll be able to pull through it.

"I love you, Daddy," Cliff yawned as she soon fell asleep.

Dust looked at Cliff, and despite not being biologically related to the Larvitar, couldn't help but have those same feelings for her. "Daddy loves you too."


Berry was looking at the job bulletin board for their next mission. The guild was busy today because the tournament had kept many of the members from being able to complete missions. Now a lot of the teams were getting back into their routine. Dust came over with Cliff and Shab on his back.

"See, told you she would be here," Dust said while looking back at Shab.

"Mommy!" Cliff shouted as she hopped of Dust's back and ran up to hug Berry. "Why was Mommy gone this morning?"

Berry gave Cliff a hug back with her antennae. "Sorry about that, Cliff. Mommy is pretty slow on her own, so she wanted to be here early to try to find a decent mission to go on."

"Well you could've just waited until we all had woken up. You know I don't mind letting you ride my back," Dust commented.

Berry looked at Dust for a moment, and gave a small frown. "You… shouldn't always have to carry me."

"Is… everything alright, Berry?" Shab asked in concern, floating off of Dust's back. "You… haven't been yourself since the Patricia incident."

"I guess… I'm still a little shaken up by it," Berry answered, not looking directly at Shab.

"Well if you want to take it easy, we can do a simple mission if you like," Dust suggested.

"No… we should… at least try to take on a mission that's a little more fitting to our new rank," Berry replied. "Besides… most of the easy missions have already been taken…"

Dust looked at the jobs on the bulletin board, sure enough, most of the ones left were for higher ranks like Bronze or Silver now. Many of them include escort missions, finding a precious lost item in a hard dungeon, or rescuing a Pokemon in a long, tedious dungeon.

"Hmm…" Dust examined the different missions, trying to decide which one to take. "Well we've found lost items before, as well as rescuing Pokemon in the past. How about an escort mission? We haven't done one of those."

Berry's mind immediately began imagining Dust trying his hardest to protect their escort, so much so that he ended up jumping in front of a powerful Hyper Beam attack that tears him to shreds, and a very angry Eclipse starts to chase after her for letting this happen to her precious child.

"N-no! We… we shouldn't do an escort mission right now," Berry quickly said, looking pale.

"Then how about we help the poor lost Pokemon?" Shab decided.

Then Berry's mind began to imagine them going through the long dungeon, falling into trap after trap, and eventually running into a Monster House, where the wild Pokemon rips Dust into pieces.

"N-no! Too soon to go into a long dungeon like that…" Berry rejected.

"Then let's just get the lost item, that shouldn't be too difficult, right?" Dust remarked.

Then the Goomy's mind started to imagine the dungeon having lots of strong Pokemon, guarding the lost item like some kind of treasure, and how one of them was a very powerful Pokemon that launches at Dust with sharp teeth.

"... How about we don't go on a mission today?" Berry suddenly suggested. "We can just stay here… and maybe train at the Dojo for a bit?"

"Train? Well...I guess it has been a while since we've done that. Sure, we can do that," Dust nodded.

Berry sighed in relief, since the Dojo was usually a safe place to train. She just hoped there wouldn't be any training accidents.

Dust saw Berry slithering across instead of getting on his back. The Absol frowned, wondering why the Goomy had been so adamant with riding on him lately.

I hope everything is alright with Berry. If she is still like this by the end of the day, I'll be sure to ask her. Dust thought as he decided to walk beside Berry.


Because Berry didn't ride on Dust, it did take Team Night Tide a little while to finally reach the Dojo. Shab and Cliff didn't seem to mind though, they took turns walking, or in Shab's case, floating beside Berry themselves. Cliff had gotten better with walking lately herself, which was good since she had also been getting heavier lately as well.

When they reached the Dojo, they saw Vesper was already watching Team Destruct training, they were mostly sparring against each other. It was a free-for-all between the three of them, and it looked like they were enjoying themselves.

Seeing Team Destruct, Berry immediately thought of how Al could accidentally launch an attack that goes straight for Dust, causing him to catch on fire and scream in pain. Berry was about to suggest that maybe they go somewhere else, but Dust had already started walking towards Team Destruct, wanting to watch their sparring match.

Berry yelped in a bit of panic when she saw Dust had gotten closer to Team Destruct. Cliff and Shab didn't seem worried about Dust, though they were a bit worried about Berry's reaction.

"Dust! What are you doing!? Don't stand so close to them!" Berry yelled as she all but launched herself towards Dust with Water Pulse.

"Berry?" Dust turned only to see an oncoming purple blob coming right at him.

With a SPLOT, Berry's body had covered Dust's head, thankfully though, not his blade. Berry froze when she realized she was on his face. Dust had no idea how to react to this. Berry ended up slowly falling off of Dust's face after being frozen on him for a good three seconds.

Dust shook his head, getting some of the slime off his face. Once done, he gave Berry a confused look. "Geez Berry, you almost sounded like my mother when I was a toddler trying to speak with the outlaws she captured one time."

Berry blinked and looked up at Dust, relieved that he was okay, but also annoyed at how careless he was. "Team Destruct are known for causing destruction and collateral damage, you really shouldn't be standing so close to them while they're-"

"Incoming!" Brody suddenly shouted a warning call.

A stray fireball was coming towards Dust and Berry. Reacting quickly, Berry fired a Water Pulse at the fireball, turning it into harmless steam.

"Al! What did I warn you about earlier?!" Vesper shouted.

"Uh...not to raid the emergency berry supplied?" Al shrugged.

"The other thing I warned you about," Vesper sighed.

"To not use any special attacks during our free-for-all?" Al asked.

"Yes, and what did I say would happen if any of you should break this rule?" Vesper asked.

"No more sparring for the rest of the day," Al replied while looking down.

"Exactly. Grant, Brody, you two may continue, Al, you'll wait on the side until they are finished," Vesper ordered.

Al pouted at that as he walked away, his tail dragging behind him. He sat on the bench and crossed his arms.

"Are you all alright?" Brody asked Dust and Berry.

"Yeah, thankfully I was able to stop that fireball," Berry answered, also relieved to have saved Dust from getting burnt.

"That was impressive, even though it was a stray fireball, it would take a lot even for a water move to extinguish it," Grant remarked. "Perhaps you and I should spar again soon, Berry."

Berry smiled nervously. "Uh… well… you just focus on Brody right now."

"Hmph, suit yourself," Grant replied before turning back to Brody. "Now where were we?"

With that Grant and Brody continued their training. Seeing how it was now just them two, Vesper turned her attention to Team Night Tide.

"It's been a while since I last saw you here. Thought to get in some good training?" Vesper asked.

"Yeah… it would help us to prepare for our… tougher missions," Berry answered a little hesitantly.

"That's good to know. Oh, and congrats on your new rank. It'd be good to train up now and be prepared for the future," Vesper nodded. "Though, I'm sorry to ask, but while Brody and Grant are normally the ones to keep an eye on Al, they are currently occupied. Do you mind keeping the Charmeleon company and making sure he doesn't accidentally set anything on fire?"

"Sure, we'll keep an eye on him," Shab spoke up, having caught up to Dust and Berry with Cliff. "After Brody and Grant finish sparring, we can start our own training."

"Thank you. As you already know, Al can be a handful," Vesper chuckled lightly. "Though I supposed that's why Chihiro put Al on the same team as those two, they seem to be able to keep up with his...energetic personality."

"Happy to help," Dust replied.

Cliff was curiously looking at the fire burning at the tip of Al's tail. "Your tail is on fire… doesn't it hurt?"

"Hmm?" Al then brought his tail up to look closer at it. "Not really. Though I figured that's because it's coming off my tail. Though to others, it can actually burn them. You should've seen the look on Brody's face when I accidentally lit his fur with my tail."

"In other words, Cliff, don't touch the flame yourself," Berry warned the young Larvitar before she looked up at Al. "So… Al… um… there's something… I've been wanting to ask you…"

Al gasped as he suddenly got excited. "You want to try some more meat with me?! I heard they've gotten a new stock of fresh meat and I've been dying to try some!"

"What? No! What is your obsession with me eating meat with you?" Berry frowned with a disgusted look on her face.

Al shrugged. "I think it's like eating a cake. While eating it by yourself is good, eating it with others makes it much better. Plus, you said you were vegetarian, you can at least eat fish meat, right?"

Berry grumbled. "Listen, what I wanted to talk to you about has nothing to do with food of any kind. Does the name 'Calcifer' ring any bells to you?"

"Calcifer?" Al repeated as he scratched his chin before shaking his head. "Never heard of that name. Is it the name of some sort of fancy meal?"

"Wow, he really does think with his stomach a lot," Shab noted.

"I just said it has nothing to do with food," Berry sighed. "Alright… maybe you don't recognize the name… but do you remember possibly mating with anyone? Or having an egg at any point in your life?"

"Mating? Egg?" Al blinked a couple times before he started laughing. After a couple of seconds he started to calm down. "Sorry but no. Even I know I would make a terrible father. Though if I met someone who can cook as well as Brody, I might actually consider it. Why do you ask? You think you might have found some clues to my past or something?"

"Sort of?" Dust spoke up, shrugging. "We're not really sure, we just heard some stories about a Charmeleon named Calficier who went missing years ago from the Volcanic Ash Guild, we figured since you were a Charemeleon with memory loss, it's possible you could've been this Calcifer. And possibly Berry's father considering… what they do in that guild and Berry's outbursts."

"Huh, that is quite the story. Though if I was this Calcifer fella, why haven't the Volcanic Ash Guild come looking for me? I mean, if someone went missing from our guild, I'm sure Chihiro and everyone else would do everything they can in hopes of finding them," Al suggested.

"Well, some other things we heard too was that many of the members were glad that Calcifer went missing," Dust explained.

"Hmm, sorry to hear that. I don't know exactly what other guilds are like, so it's kinda sad to know there's a guild out there who is glad one of their members is missing. But besides that, what's supposed to happen now? Let's say I happen to be this Calcifer guy and I also happen to be Berry's father. What now? I'm pretty sure I would've at least recognized seeing my own daughter. And even if I didn't, I'd at least might have started remembering something, but so far nothing," Al shrugged. "But hey, who knows, maybe I am this Calcifer guy, and maybe I am your father. Oh! If that were true, maybe we can enter some sort of father daughter food competition!"

"Uh… I don't think I have your kind of appetite…" Berry sweatdropped, remembered seeing how much food Al could scarf down in a second.

"Come on, if you're my daughter, then of course you'd have my kind of appetite. It runs in the family!" Al excitedly replied.

"But you don't remember who your family is," Shab remarked.

"Well...so far it's just me...and I have a big appetite. So if Berry is my daughter, then by default she should be able to eat as much as I do," Al explained.

"I've never eaten nearly as much as you do, and I'm 16 years old," Berry pointed out.

Al wrapped an arm around Berry's back. "That's because you're always eating veggies, even I wouldn't eat that much of that stuff. What you need is meat and lots of it!"

"N-no meat!" Berry refused.

Al looked very serious for some reason. "Berry, as your potential father, I say we are eating meat, and that's final."

Berry shivered at both Al's touch, weird seriousness, and the idea of eating a lot of meat, her body started to glow a little, which reminded her that she needed to see Chihiro to get a replacement Everstone. Berry quickly stopped her evolution before it could really begin.

"See, even your body thinks you should be eating meat. If you're this close to evolving, think of how much energy your body is gonna need for after you evolve!" Al stated, before giving a curious look. "What does a Goomy evolve into anyways?"

"That's a question we've all been wondering ourselves," Dust chuckled.

Berry frowned as her mind thought of that Goodra she saw back at the Waterfall Cavern. But maybe… that's not what I evolve into despite our similarities... maybe I turn into something else… like maybe just a bigger version of myself?

Berry's mind then imagined herself as a much bigger Goomy, that was golden colored instead of purple, she was nice and fat, and she had a nice big crown on her head while she looked all sparkly.

"Maybe I would turn into a… a… a Goo… loses! Yeah, a Gooloses!" Berry smiled, having made that up on the spot.

"Gooloses?" Dust asked. He was about to ask further when Al interrupted him.

"Woah! Something like that must be huge! I bet if you did evolve into that, you can eat countless piles of food!" Al then lifted Berry up while pointing with his other arm. "I can already see it, all shall fear and respect the mighty Gooloses! They shall bring you food as tribute!"

"Mommy becomes a big Gooloses! Really big!" Cliff smiled, widening her stubby arms.

Shab started blushing hotly as he imagined a much bigger Berry.

"Wait! If I'm Berry's father, and if Cliff is your daughter, then that makes me a grandfather! Can you imagine all the senior discounts I can get now?!" Al then picked up Cliff with surprising ease. "Come my children, we have food to consume!"

"W-wait a second! We were going to train in the Dojo!" Berry called out.

"Bah, you can train later! Can't train on an empty stomach!" Al explained as he already started heading towards the exit.

Cliff was laughing as Berry was yelping at Dust and Shab to save her. Shab was too busy imagining wrapping himself around a much bigger Berry when he became a Milotic.

Dust just blinked a couple times, still trying to figure out what had just happened. "Okay, was not expecting that. Shab, snap out of it, I think we should get Berry before Al ends up feeding her meat...again."

"Oh right! But meat might be good for Berry, especially when she gets… bigger," Shab smiled, blushing even more.

Dust rolled his eyes before picking up Shab's tail fin with his teeth and tossed him on his back before he hurried after Al. Meanwhile, Brody and Grant had just finished their sparring match. Both were breathing heavily, having fought so hard just now.

"Well I think that was a good sparring match. Too bad you had to sit out, Al. But next time just be careful, alright?" Brody called out. But when he didn't receive a reply, he only turned to see the Charmeleon was missing. "...Uh Grant...you wouldn't happen to have seen where Al went...did you?

The Groyvle gave Brody a very annoyed look. "You're a Lucario, for Arceus's sake! Use your aura to find him!"

"I don't even need to use my aura to know where he's already at. Let's head to the cafeteria before he empties the stock...again," Brody groaned before running out the Dojo, with Grant following close behind.


Despite Al's little mishap, things have been relatively tense with Team Night Tide, specially with Berry and Dust. Shortly after the Al incident, Berry went to talk to Chihiro about replacing her shattered Everstone so she wouldn't start evolving again. Chihiro gave Berry another Everstone since she knew Berry didn't want to evolve, though she could tell something else was bothering Berry. But Chihiro decided to let Berry work things out on her own until she asked for help.

For the next few days, Berry refused to let their team go on any missions in fear that Dust would get hurt again. Instead, Dust ended up lounging around the research lab with Otti, while Cliff, Shab, and Berry did their own things. Little did Dust know, Berry and Shab went on missions themselves while leaving Cliff with Carrie.

Dust was starting to get a little impatient with waiting on going on missions, however, he had 1600 points to make before the end of the year, and all this procrastinating was agitating him. However, he was surprised to hear he already got about 100 Points on his badge instead of 0. He asked Chihiro about it, and Chihiro said that Berry and Shab had been going on missions lately.

"What?" Dust shockingly asked. "They've been doing missions this whole time?"

"Yes, they have," Chihiro nodded. "You didn't know?"

"No! This whole time Berry kept on insisting on holding back from doing missions. I agreed cause I felt something was wrong and figured she needed some time to recover after the whole, Patricia, experience! Why would she be lying and going on missions behind my back?" Dust asked.

"Sounds to me you got a Berry sticky situation with your partner," Chihiro punned despite the situation. "You should talk to her about it. Something has clearly been bugging her."

"I try to, but she's always acting so hesitant. And everytime I do, she ends up changing the subject," Dust explained. "I mean, I'm grateful that they are working hard and earning points for our team, but if I wanted to just sit back while they did all the work, I would've done that since we formed this team."

"Well, sometimes you need to be firm when someone is trying to avoid a subject," Chihiro stated. "Berry must have a reason for avoiding it, and it's up to you on making her bring it out. I know you don't like to be hard on her, but if you want to know what's going on, sometimes you need to bring out the big guns."

"The big guns?" Dust asked while tilting his head.

"Perhaps you can channel some of your mother's pressure into your talk with Berry to get her to spill," Chihiro replied.

"Mother's pressure...but I never really used that before," Dust remarked. "But...if it means getting Berry to talk to me, then I'll do my best."

"Just be careful not to overwhelm her too much, that could get her to Clamperl up more," Chihiro warned.

"Thank you, Chihiro. I'll try to hold back, I know what it's like to be on the receiving end of an Absol's pressure," Dust nodded as he headed out.

"Make sure you talk to her alone," Chihiro added before Dust walked out.

"You know, I'm surprised he hasn't used his Pressure ability so far," Phantom remarked.

"I always thought he had Super Luck," Spooks stated. "He always seems to be super lucky… you know, to not be dead."

"Him and his team do seem to have some kind of luck following them. If I didn't know any better, I'd say they were Absolutely being blessed by Victini themselves," Chihiro laughed at her own pun.

Spooks laughed as well, while Phantom just grumbled.


Dust was looking for Berry now. He saw Shab with Cliff in their room earlier, but no sign of Berry.

"Shab, have you seen where Berry went?" Dust asked.

"I think she said she was going to train at the Dojo today," Shab answered.

"Mommy wants to get stronger for Daddy." Cliff smiled.

"Well, good for her. I should go join her too," Dust stated.

"Wait!" Shab shouted while getting in front of Dust. "She said she wanted to train alone, so you should just stay here and rest."

"I've done enough resting, I rather go to the Dojo," Dust replied while trying to move past Shab.

"Then how about continuing your research? I heard Otti is working on a new project," Shab suggested.

"Oh yes, we actually had finished that earlier today. Really remarkable, I think Berry would like to know more about it. Now if you'll excuse me," Dust once again tried moving past Shab.

"W-what about Cliff? I'm sure Cliff would like to spend some time with her Daddy," Shab spoke up.

Dust looked back and saw Cliff was using one of the coloring books they had gotten recently for her. He sighed as he closed his eyes for a moment. Might as well practice now. Shab, I'm sorry for this.

Dust opened his eyes as he leaned closer to Shab until they were both eye level. Shab wasn't sure what Dust was planning on doing, but for some reason the Absol made him slightly nervous.

"Shab, I'm only going to say this once," Dust spoke quietly so that Cliff wouldn't notice. "Please move so that I may speak with Berry alone."

The Feebas frowned, and did actually back away. "... Listen, Dust… Berry… wanted me to make sure she was alone during her training… I don't really want to go against her wishes… Do you need to really talk to her right now?"

"Shab, we are a team. I already made the mistake of not including you two, of not listening to either of you. I don't want you two to make the same mistakes as I did," Dust advised.

Shab sighed, realizing that this might be what Berry needed right now since she had been going behind Dust's back recently. "Alright… fine… I think… you and Berry need this talk anyways… just… try not to be too hard on her."

Dust sighed before walking out the room. "I'll do what I must."

With that, Dust walked past Shab, leaving the Feebas behind.

"Is Daddy okay?" Cliff asked.

"He and Mommy just need a bit of a talk is all," Shab answered Cliff. "Sometimes even close Pokemon need to talk things out with each other alone."

Dust was halfway to the Dojo. He had passed some other Pokemon along the way. Some of them wanted to greet Dust, but after seeing his expression and feeling the slight pressure he was giving off, they decided that it would be best to keep on going. At first Dust didn't notice this, but after a couple more Pokemon had moved past him, he started to wonder if this was how it was like for Eclipse.

I can understand why others easily avoid mother, but...why does she constantly let loose her Pressure? I'm not really fond of this feeling, but if it means getting Berry to speak with me, then I have to at least put up with this until then. Dust thought to himself as he finally reached the Dojo.

The Absol paused before entering as he started to get doubtful. Before he had respected Berry's choices and opinions, always supporting her ever since they had become partners. But thinking about what Berry was doing, going on missions behind his back, something she never did before, he knew there was a line to be crossed, and this was that line. He needed to know what could've pushed Berry to go through such extremes like that, especially since he was supposed to be their team leader. Remembering Chihiro's advice, Dust took a deep breath, building up courage and entered the Dojo.

Dust saw Berry standing there as an Ice Beam attack from a Sobble shot at Berry. Berry took the Ice Beam again, and her body started to glow a bit, though it was different from an evolution glow. Am Ember attack from a Vulpix on the other side began to smash into Berry as well. Berry's body glowed some more, turning it into red aura.

"That's it… just… a little more…" Berry huffed.

Dust began to walk over to Berry, the Sobble and Vulpix ceased their attacks when they saw Dust coming, and they quickly began to run off.

"H-hey! What are you doing? I still need to be hit a little more before…" Berry began before she sensed a strong Pressure behind her.

The glow around Berry's body faded away, she quickly turned around, and she let out a scream.

For a moment Berry thought Dust was Eclipse, remembering the same glare the Absol had given her, the same warning she said if Berry had gotten any closer to Dust. Her body started shaking as her mind was racing, trying to figure out why Eclipse was here. But then she noticed the Absol's right eye and how it was blue. Recognizing that it was Dust, Berry started to calm down, but was now annoyed that Dust had scared her for some reason.

"Dust! What was that sneaking up on me like that for!? You could've given me a heart attack!" Berry snapped.

Dust continued to stare at her, and part of him wanted to drop the pressure as he felt bad for scaring Berry like that. But he knew he had to keep it going, even if it means scaring Berry more.

"I'm sorry, it was not my intention to scare you, nor to interrupt your training, but I needed to talk to you…" Dust then looked around and saw there were some other Pokemon who were now watching them. "...Alone."

As soon as they heard Dust, all the remaining Pokemon ran out of Dojo, leaving only Dust and Berry alone. Vesper didn't run out, but she did fly further away to give them privacy.

Berry frowned as she looked at Dust. "What's this about, Dust?"

Dust took a deep breath, knowing that it was now or never. "Berry, I know about the secret missions you and Shab have been doing and I want to know why you've been lying to me these past few days."

Berry froze for a few seconds, she knew it was only a matter of time before Dust found out, but she had been hoping she'd have a little more time before he did. "Oh…"

"What I want to know is why? Why have you been doing these missions behind my back, Berry," Dust stated. "I'm the team leader, and while I know I made my mistakes of not always including the team… you've been doing the same to me lately, that's not like you. What's going on with you, Berry?"

"Look… these missions… you could get hurt doing them…" Berry frowned. "I can't guarantee your safety. How many times have you almost died since you started your career as a Crusader here, Dust?"

Dust shook his head. He knew that was a very good reason, but if that was the case, why start now? Dust knew there was something more. "Berry, if I didn't want to get hurt, I wouldn't have done missions from the start. I wouldn't have done all those dangerous experiments in the past. Even before coming here, if I truly didn't wish to receive any kind of harm, then I would've stayed up in my room, too afraid to even go out the door. Then the Guild Council wouldn't have any reason to kick me out."

Berry didn't say anything to that.

Dust continued, feeling the Pressure inside was building up. "We are Crusaders, and no matter how safe we are, there will always be a chance that we will get hurt. So I'll ask again, why have you been lying to me? Why have you been leaving me behind while doing missions with Shab? In fact, why have you been so reluctant to ride on my back? Before you were worried about harming me with your slime, but I've been wearing the Pecha Scarf ever since. So why now?"

Berry looked down.

"Do you… not trust me anymore?" Dust asked sadly.

Berry looked up. "N-no, no… that's not… not it…"

"Then why?" Dust questioned. "It sure feels like you don't trust me anymore."

"It's not that! It's your mom I don't trust!" Berry blurted out suddenly.

Berry quickly covered her mouth with her antennae, as if hoping that would take back her words just now.

The moment Dust heard Berry say those words, his Pressure immediately dropped. He was surprised and confused, and for a moment, there was only silence between him and Berry.

After a minute of silence, Dust decided to speak up. "Why...don't you trust my mother?"

Seeing how Berry already blurted out about not trusting Dust's mom, she decided to just bite the bullet and tell Dust the whole story. "Well… your mom… really scares me… When she… found us after we knocked out Patrcia… and scared Undergrowth away… she went over to you since you were badly injured… And when I tried to come over to see if you were doing okay, she… she didn't want me coming any closer. In fact… she threatened me… that if I ever let you get hurt like that again… well… she kind of implied with her angry look than saying anything, but… I just… I became… frightened of letting you get hurt anymore after that… I felt sick… and worried your mother would suddenly pop up out of nowhere and tear me apart for letting you get hurt again… I figured the best way to keep you safe and help get you points for the Gold Rank was to go on missions without you…"

At some point during the explanation, tears started falling from Berry's eyes.

Dust didn't know what to say, so many things were going through his mind. But as he saw Berry starting to cry, he couldn't help but think of all the times he's gotten in trouble in the past and how his mother would punish him. While he has grown accustomed to it, he never really thought how others would truly feel about his mother's wrath. He remembered the night when Cliff was worried when he was upset, of how sad it made her just seeing him angry. To think that after everything that has happened, his own mother would cause Berry to feel like this.

Crouching down, Dust wrapped his arms around Berry and held her tightly as he ignored all the slime and tears as they started covering most of his fur. Berry broke down after that, crying into Dust's fur, unable to stop the flood gates anymore. Berry had been holding back since the tournament, and letting it all out now was feeling very therapeutic for the Goomy. Dust stayed there, comforting her, glad that they had their privacy for this. He didn't like seeing Berry this upset, and to think it was his own mother who caused this. He should've known, Berry was a sensitive soul, and having to deal with his mother's wrath, especially over something Berry couldn't have prevented, just ignited up a fire in him that he had never felt for his mother before.

Dust didn't care how long they were there, or how many Pokemon passed by and stopped to look at what was happening. The only thing Dust cared about right now was comforting Berry as she continued to let the tears roll down her side. Dust promised to never abandon Berry again, and that he would always be with her whenever she needed him, whether it was physically or emotionally like now.


FoxyKhai0209: DarkFoxKit: Yup, those two outlaws are going to be quite the pain.

Star Cancer: Traveling Master: So titles like that are only given to a few Crusaders who have reached Master Rank. And not every Master Rank gets one. Gale the Flygon used to be part of a Master Rank team, but the only one who has gotten a title was the team leader. Same with Igneel the Charizard. He earned the title Hell Fire. The titles usually depends on the individual themselves, what they've done to earn that title.

Eclipse is very well skilled when using her Pressure ability, she has quite the reputation. Undergrowth was caught off guard when Eclipse showed up, if he had some time to prepare, he might've fought Eclipse. But the odds were stacked against him, and he knew his chances of winning were very slim.

Scarlet Snow: DarkFoxKit: Thank you, your words are very appreciative.

Star Gemini: DarkFoxKit: Chopper knows he screwed up big time, and he's in big trouble. He grew up with the belief only the strong will survive, and thus he made his guild adopt the same rule.

Star Taurus: Traveling Master: Heh, as I mentioned before, Eclipsed earned that title for a reason. And it also makes a lot of sense since Absol are usually compared to the grim reaper.

And no need to worry about Eclipse, as long as you're on her good side, you should be good.

Dust: But if not, *shudders* May Arceus have mercy on your soul.

Berry4Goodra: DarkFoxKit: I don't know why it would be offensive or insensitive. ^^' Anyways… I'm sure we probably could've worked something out with the Z-moves if we really wanted to, but we don't really care about them that much. There are a few we did like, like Mimikyu's special Z-Move, Let's Snuggle Forever. So we may implement those, but we won't make them an actual Z-move most likely.

Well… yeah, I guess Giratina is the only ghost serpentine Pokemon, though Dragapault is a little serpetent-like. But the sperten-like Pokemon wasn't a ghost serpentine. *Shrugs*

The ability to eat an attack and send it back is indeed a modification made by her boss. I thought that was obvious, but I guess not.

Traveling Master: When Crimson used flamethrower, it wasn't raining. Only time it rained was when Berry was inside Patricia, but after that, there was no rain. And yeah, Crimson and Blizza may act like bullies or the antagonist, but they are still Crusaders of Unity Guild. Dust and Berry mostly had negative encounters with them, so it sure was a surprise to seeing them helping out.

Team Crimson Raiders were Silver Rank for a reason. It's not that they are strong, but they coordinate well with each other, since they've been a team for awhile now. As to why Crimson used Hyper Beam instead of Flamethrower, well besides it being flashy, it was also to keep everyone else safe. That technique Crimson used would super charge one of his special attacks. Flamethrower is strong and would've been effective against Patricia, but that much power would've caused the flames to spread out and harm the others as well. Hyper Beam was easier for him to aim at than flamethrower.

DarkFoxKit: Mm-hmm. Undergrowth is indeed Ivy's father. And yes, Undergrowth is a shiny Serperior, and let's say he's a level 90 while the Magnezone is level 30, of course it was going to be one shotted. As for Talon, yeah, he was pretty much out of it. He did hear pieces of the conversation, but… not exactly the good parts. Berry did hear the conversation, she was still conscious.

Eclipse: Yes, I've been compared to the Grim Reaper before. Not every high ranking crusader has these titles. Only a few Master Rank have obtained them, and it's only through a great achievement that these titles were earned. You've already heard of another one, if I'm correct. Igneel Hellfire, a Charizard whose flames are truly like those of hell. From what I understand, Chihiro and Chopper neither have titles, but that doesn't make them any less strong.

Traveling Master: *whispers to DarkFoxKit* Uh...did you invite Eclipse, I don't remember bringing her here.

DarkFoxKit: I didn't either… do you want to tell her that?

Traveling Master: And accidentally get on her bad side? No thank you, I say we let her finish replying.

DarkFoxKit: *Ahem* I believe it's my turn. Maybe you can have Dust tell her. As for Chihiro, yes, she's powerful, but she's also honorable. She knew if she tried to fight with Eclipse, it would only make her situation worse. Not to mention Eclipse would not let her go so easily even if Chihiro tried, and Chihiro is at a type disadvantage on top of that. So Chihiro decided to trust that her guild would be able to find out what was really going on.

As for Ivy herself, she could potentially become more powerful, but we will have to wait and see, that's still quite a long ways from here.

So… what are you asking about the Legendary Pokemon? About them being caught by humans? I'd say that when the human died, their Poke Balls automatically releases them, or they bust out themselves. No reason to stay in those balls if the owner of those balls is dead.

Traveling Master: Patricia using stone edge a lot was due to Undergrowth modifying her body. So she's able to use it a bit more.

Not bad theories, there is a lot of mysterious by what Grace meant. But she is also the Guild Master for the Olympus Guild, and also head of the guild council. With that position, it could mean she kept track of activities like Undergrowth and Patricia. Since those two outlaws made their move, it could lead to a bigger problem. Or you might be right and Patricia could be talking with Dio. Another third option is that being Psychic type, they also have the ability to see into the future. Perhaps this is what she had foreseen.

Dio definitely knows something about Patricia and Undergrowth, but exactly what his relationship is to them is hard to tell. Perhaps he's their boss, perhaps he's secretly a detective who's been tracking them. Partners, enemies, many theories that can or cannot be true. Or maybe they are all working under one secret boss? Again, great theories, but only time will tell if you're right, or wrong.

Crystal Lilly: DarkFoxKit: Yeah, I love Staraptor, it's probably my favorite regional bird so far.

Celestial Song: Traveling Master: Things will be rough for Ivy and Talon. It took awhile for him to get used to Ivy, and that was before Undergrowth showed up. Now things are going to be pretty tense.

lonelyboi69: DarkFoxKit: Heh, glad to know you've been anticipating this story. And good, we're glad that the writing was good enough to give you goosebumps~ And well, you're not wrong about the breakdown scene.

Traveling Master: Nice reference, Blizza is a lot like Bakugo. And now that I think about it, Berry is very similar to Deku too. I didn't realize that until after you made that reference. XD

DarkFoxKit: I have no idea what you two are talking about. ^^'

Star Aries: Traveling Master: Eclipse is very intimidating, and Dust had warned others of her bad side before. She normally treats others fair, but a mother seeing her child hurt and bloody, she's going to be very defensive and cold towards anyone who may have anything to do with her son's health. Berry wasn't the one to hurt Dust, but Eclipse remembered how Dust almost died because of Berry's slime. And it's true what she said, ever since Dust left his old guild, he has almost died so many times. So Eclipse is gonna end up being cold towards Berry.

But don't worry, Dust already suspected something happened between Eclipse and Berry, so it will come up that he'll speak with Eclipse in the future about what had happened.

There's a reason why Eclipse had refrained from ever telling Dust who his father is. It's also part of the reason why Eclipse gives off such an intimidating appearance. Whether Dust will end up resenting her, or understanding her reason when he learns who the father is, well, only time will tell.

DarkFoxKit: Yes, Eclipse is very scary. And poor Berry is very sensitive.

Ember2018: DarkFoxKit: Yeah, a lot can happen in a single chapter, especially a long one. We actually did a backstory on Talon, though it's not published, which is what gave us more to work with when it comes to Talon. That backstory also created Undergrowth. But I guess that's why Talon seemed like a protagonist here.

Undergrowth isn't a… Superior Servant, unless you mean the Serperior Boss, because he is the boss of Patricia. The Dusknoir was more of a threat in one area, but not a boss kinda threat, not a long term one like Undergrowth is, so that's why Vlad was more underwhelming. As for the Persian, well, we didn't say he's an accomplice, but he is hiding something big.

Dust: As for Eclipse, my mother... You're telling me! And I've lived with her before. Trust me, I know the extent of her rage.

Traveling Master: I'm sure Eclipse has that effect on anyone who first meets her. Eclipse is able to use her Pressure ability to such a degree that it ends up being very intimidating, and those who aren't fully prepared end up feeling the full weight from the ability. It's something she learned to do a long time ago. So calling her the Reaper is very appropriate.

If Dust decides to practice using Pressure and focus on it every day, he might get close to Eclipse. But Eclipse had done some special training in order to get to where she's at, and it's most likely she won't share with Dust the same method she went through. Part of it has to do with Dust's father, who you were pretty close to guessing. He does have an intuitive mind, similar to how Dust is.

DarkFoxKit: Yeah, Eclipse didn't help by making Berry stay away from her son. Dust didn't like seeing Berry being more isolated from him after that incident. Even though this is Fanfiction, we like to give it our all with our characters. What's the point of making stories if you're not going to give it your best effort, right?

Greatest Guy: Traveling Master: Nice long review.

Chiriro: And thanks for Chiriroing while I was away.