"I am not ready for this."

Kapun paced back and forth in the early morning's darkness. The two of them had awoken early to place the bombs around the base. Right now, Kite was going to retrieve the bombs from where he had hidden them, leaving Kapun and Rowan alone in their bunker.

"Yes, you are fucking ready," Rowan countered. "We've spent the entire week getting ready for this, or has all of that left your skull?"

Over the last five days or so, he and Rowan had worked feverishly to prepare for the distraction. Kite was busy making the bombs, so the two of them had to do everything else. That included figuring out the best locations to detonate the bomb, the time it would take for them to run between those locations, how long the wick would last, etc.

In other words, a lot of poring over maps and a lot of testing the grass fuses they were going to use. They'd cut the fuses to different lengths to blow within seconds after being lit minutes apart. Both of them had already memorized the floor plan, bomb locations, and which fuses went with which bomb.

"I memorized everything, yeah, but it's still way too much!" Kapun hissed, sitting down on Kite's bed. "This… this is…"

"Are you chickening out now?!" Rowan growled. "After we've done so much fucking work? Are you serious?"

"It's not about the work! I'm just terrified." Kapun leaned his head over the bed. "We.. we only get one shot at this, right? All or nothing, no second chances, etc. This is going to be the riskiest thing of my life - why aren't you scared?"

Rowan rolled his eyes. "Because when I was on the high seas with Kenki, danger was everywhere. We never had the time to relax - there was always another voyage, another boat to plunder, another treasure to steal. This isn't even that risky - all we need is precise execution and flexibility, and things will go alright."

"And if things go wrong, then everything will fall apart!" Kapun wailed.

"Oh, grow up-"

Rowan's irritated interruption was cut off by Kite walking into the room. "Here they are." He was hefting a bulging bag, inside of which were many spherical objects. "Be careful not to jostle them too much, and make sure you execute the plan correctly." Kite pinned them both down with a glare. "Don't mess this up - I'm counting on you two."

"R-right." Kapun said, nodding. Kite's eyes narrowed, and he shot a strange look at Rowan. Then, without so much as looking at Kapun again, he left the room again. "So… he's gone," Kapun said after a few seconds.

"Yeah. He'll be in Kenki's room in a few minutes." Rowan got up. "We have to set the charges. Get up. You'll be taking the bombs, since I have to weave the illusion around us."

Kapun gulped, before slowly slinging the bomb bag over his shoulder. The weight of the explosives pressed down on him. "... I'm scared."

"You've said that already, idiot." Rowan snarked. "Push past that fear already - we can't have you freezing up when it matters most." Rowan opened the door. "Hurry up already."

Kapun walked slowly behind Rowan as they walked through the mostly empty halls of the base. There were a few patrolmen and guards half-heartedly looking around - though, there were a few Starers as well. As the two of them passed one, Kapun shivered. It was almost as if they could see them.

Starers were… strange. Kapun had no idea where they were from or who they were since they ignored all questions asked of them. Asking Rowan just led to more confusion, as he had said they simply 'appear' on Kenki's ship every so often.

Starers didn't talk to anyone but their superiors, they had no hobbies beyond staring, and they were without question loyal to a fault to Kenki. Even if other members of Kenki's army were to slack off, they would fulfill their roles to their utmost ability. They were deeply unnerving, and Kapun barely spent any time with them - and was glad he had done so.

Once they were out of earshot, Kapun whispered to Rowan. "Do you think they saw us?"

"If they did, they would have stopped us," Rowan said irritably. "Keep your wits, alright? You won't need them, but it'll get irritating if you start panicking."

Kapun said nothing, only following Rowan. Within a minute, they arrived at the first detonation site. Quickly, Rowan arranged the camouflage around which the bomb would stay.

"Give it to me to set it down," Rowan ordered. Kapun nodded, slinging off his bag and handing one of the bombs to Rowan. The sight of it instantly reminded him of Kite's demonstration.

Rowan was busy setting the bomb in place, so he didn't see Kapun shiver in hesitation. This was… ugh…

During one of the guard shifts, when Rowan went to the bathroom and left Kite alone, Kapun took the opportunity to set Kite in Reporting Mode and gather his true intentions regarding the trick they would pull off. He had learned that Kite full intended to fulfill his promise, which is why Kapun had gotten this far… but…

… this was still madness. No matter how Kapun tried to rationalize it, it still felt like madness to him. Blowing up the base? If word of this ever got out, the three of them would have an army on their tails, and Kapun didn't even entertain the thought of the three of them sticking together afterwards.

Soon, they were off to the next site, and then the next, and then the next. As Rowan set down each bomb, Kapun stewed in concern.

Still, they were lucky, and nothing went wrong. There was a close call here and there, as some unfortunate guard happened upon them as they were setting down one of the bombs. Luckily, Rowan was paying enough attention to his surroundings to cloak the bomb in an illusion as well, and the guard eventually left when, apparently, nothing was amiss.

Rowan set down the last bomb and turned to Kapun. "Go hang around in the streets or something while we waste time. I'll be heading back to my room to catch a quick nap."

Kapun nodded - this, too, was part of the plan. The point of all this sneaking around was to make them seem innocent - if they were gone for the whole time, it wouldn't matter if anyone saw them. They'd still be as suspicious as ever.

In other words, Kapun and Rowan would have to be seen making the same route as they always did. Rowan would be managing the Kite illusion, so all Kapun had to do is pretend everything was going as usual.

Rowan said that he would need his energy for maintaining all the illusions, and to be honest, it didn't really matter to Kapun if Rowan wanted to take a nap or not. Either way, Kapun still needed breakfast.

Kapun wound his way through Pinnaleis, eventually getting back home. He unlocked the door and snuck his way inside, before entering his room. Tiptoeing around the sleeping Helios and Slate, Kapun took off his uniform and laid on his bed.

He wasn't going to sleep, since he didn't have much control over how long he slept, but as the minutes ticked on by and the sun slowly rose over the horizon, Kapun felt unease sting him over and over. No matter how much he tried to calm down, no matter how far he was from the bombs, it still felt like he balanced on the precipice of life and death.

Eventually, Kapun's roommates began to stir. Helios and Slate got up before slowly preparing themselves for their trip. As they got ready, Kapun walked over to his box of possessions. He had given a few sentimental objects to Rowan (which he had looked at and scoffed but took anyway), so it was much more empty than usual. Still, there were a few new things in there.

All of the purchases Kapun had made in the Illicity were still lying snug in their place. The strange Devolve Orb, the dark blue Gummi, and the odd Energy Seed. Proof of Kapun's descent into criminality.

He stared at them for a few more seconds, before slowly stuffing them into the bag that Kite had given him. Kapun didn't know why exactly, but he felt like it was going to be smarter to bring them with him than not. Even though after today, everything was going to… return to… normal.

… Kapun squashed down the last of his hesitation and slipped the Energy Seed inside the bag, before stashing some berries inside as well. Maybe the instinct was a Legendary giving him advice, some sixth sense, or just paranoia. No matter what, there was no harm in overpreparing.

He made his way downstairs for a light breakfast, only to come face-to-face with Dad. He looked cross. While all of their guests ate and talked nervously about stowing away on the ship, Dad led him to the side to speak privately.

"Kapun," he said gently. "I haven't received a missive yet. Are you sure that we're allowed to ship the crates?" His eyes pierced into him, making guilt surge up inside him.

"Don't worry, Dad. We have Kenki's permission - it's just that I got it too late for the missive." Kapun lied, causing Dad's eyes to narrow. "I promise that we'll be on the list of merchants. Just be at the docks on time, and you'll see for yourself."

Dad didn't say anything, and only studied Kapun and his reactions. After a second, he turned away. "Please tell me that you haven't done anything reckless, Kapun."

Kapun didn't say anything. The air between them was tense and thick, and Kapun felt an odd sense of separation.

"I'll... be fine," Kapun said. "Trust me, Dad. I have… allies. And we'll make sure that everything goes according to plan."

Dad shook a little bit. "Before we set off later today, come see me. That will be the best reassurance I could ever hope for." With that, Dad left the room. It was only then that Kapun noticed the four eavesdroppers.

"Do you mind?!" Kapun hissed acidly. "Finish your food and go stow away. What I plan on doing is none of your concern."

Eve looked desperately curious, ready to interrogate him over everything, but Slate held a hand over her mouth. "Is the plan in danger?" he asked urgently. "We're not going to stow away if there-"

"The plan is not in danger," Kapun asserted. "You'll get your transport, don't worry. All I ask of you is to not let anyone know you're stowing away."

Slate glared at him, and Kapun did so in return. Idiotic, neurotic parasites…

"... is there anything we can do to help?" Selene asked faintly. Kapun turned to her and winced.

The week had not been kind on her. Kapun didn't know why, but she was shedding insect-like scales. Her previously pretty eyes were now bloodshot and bulging, and it looked like she was having trouble standing. She'd been eating normally and sleeping fine - there weren't any sounds of nightmares or anything - so it must have been some sort of disease.

"Of course not," he sneered. "I don't need your help - none of you are capable of helping right now, least of all you." That earned him all four glares. "If you really want to help, then don't make things any harder for me than they're supposed to be." Passing by Helios with a rough jostle, he grabbed a tiny Apple and stomped out of his house.

As he chewed, he felt the tiniest strings of guilt tighten in his hearts - they had only wanted to help. But he quickly quashed them - the only thing they had to do was sit around in safety. Kapun was going to risk his life for what would benefit them, so he didn't have to take interrogations from them.

Oh, they had given him information to work with, but that tiny gratitude paled with the chest-gnawing stress he was enduring.

Soon enough, Kapun reappeared in front of Kenki's base, feeling his nerves spike once more. He swallowed the rest of the apple, and with his stomach churning, went inside.

The cafeteria hummed with everyday conversation as Pokemon of all sizes and stripes talked amicably. Those that were forced into the work because of desperation - Pokemon such as himself - were far less chatty, eating their meals in silence.

Off in a corner, Rowan was picking at his mush of berries. Kapun slid next to him.

"You're hungry?" Rowan whispered, before leaning forward to take a bite of his mush.

"No, just nervous." Kapun looked at Rowan. "How about you?"

"... not really." Rowan pushed the mush away. "I'm just thinking about how I got to this point."

"Are you having second thoughts?" Kapun pressed, feeling panicked. All three of them were integral to the plan - if any of them decided to abandon the others, the whole thing would fall apart.

"No, I've put too much into this to go back on my word," Rowan immediately denied. "But this whole situation feels strange. I've completed more dangerous missions before - Kenki made good use of me before we settled here - but nothing has quite reached the… oddness… of this mission. And Culus… he confuses me. His actions are sometimes nonsensical and his motivations are… questionable."

Kite… the Collared. "Are you worried he'll betray you?"

"... no." Rowan said eventually. "For some reason… no. There's nothing backing it up, but I don't think he'd lie to me like this."

Kapun wished he could say the same - he had tangible proof that Kite wouldn't betray him, but he still couldn't shake the thought from his head. "You're willing to trust such a notorious criminal so easily? On instinct?!"

Rowan laughed. "You don't get far in the underworld by reneging on deals. If you're a habitual traitor, no one wants to work with you - and the simple power of numbers is undeniable." The laughter stopped. "But even so… I trust my instinct. And so, I'll trust in Culus."

Then Rowan brought the mush back to the front of his bowl and quickly ate the whole lot. After taking a glass of water, he spun to face Kapun. "Let's get going. The more time we waste, the less chance we'll have of Culus getting to the list before it's sent out."

"N-now?" Kapun's legs started to shake. "You want to do it… now?"

Rowan gave him a look, getting up from his seat. "Are you having second thoughts?"

"... no," he muttered, and forced his legs to get up as well. "Let's - let's get going."

Rowan led him out of the cafeteria. Next to them, a facsimile of Kite - or rather, 'Volux' - walked. They only drew passive glances as they walked through the hallways, eventually arriving at a bathroom.

"We'll cloak ourselves here," Rowan whispered. "Make sure not to make any sounds - I can only hold so many illusions in place, and I'll have to spend most of my energy making us invisible."

Right. Kapun nodded, already making sure not to say anything.

Rowan wrapped them in the illusion, and they slowly walked out of the bathroom, opening the door gingerly so as to not make any sound, and closing it quickly to stop anyone from seeing it open.

They made their way to the first detonation point. As they approached, Kapun's chest grew tighter and tighter. Slowly, they were reaching the point where all hell would break loose. Soon, everything would change.

Kapun must have lost track of time, because what must have a few minutes passed in seconds. Now, he was blankly staring at the first bomb he was supposed to set off.

"Do it, quick," Rowan whispered next to him. "This is your job."

Kapun was more than aware of that. He was also more than aware of the fact that this was the line of no return. Once he lit this first fuse, the plan would start and continue until its completion or failure. Even if he were to immediately snuff out the fuse after he lit it, the timing of the plan would be skewed, jeopardizing the whole thing.

"What are you waiting for?" Rowan hissed. "Hurry up!"

He… he couldn't do this. This was too much, this was TOO MUCH! Kapun thought he had gathered, suppressed, and soothed his nerves earlier, but now they were flying all over the place.

"If you can muster up the courage, then return and say so. Otherwise, we can call it quits right here. I won't fault you if you do."

He couldn't muster up the courage… he just couldn't…

It tore down buildings like they were made of papier-mâché, and it took down two of the remaining battlers with ease, beating them with a single swipe of its claw.

How would Kenki kill him? Would he take his time… would he…

Before Dad could retreat, he took the opportunity to slice Dad's stomach wide open, spraying blood everywhere and exposing his insides.

Kapun had suffered enough already! This was - this was too much!

… too much…

"I don't have much choice. I either wait here for the Regilians to find and capture me, or I make it hard for both them and Kenki to find me."

… why could he do this when Kapun couldn't…

"You're playing Kenki's game, and that means you have to exploit any rules you can to win. If you can't exploit the rules, then you don't have a chance. But that exploitation is based on your ability. Not misfortune. Not random chance."

"You don't have much choice either way."

This was his fight. He didn't have a choice. If he was ever going to fight against Kenki… this was the time.

And he had to win.

Kapun blew his Dragon Breath on the fuse, and with a brilliant red spark, it lit up.

The next second, he was running across the building with Rowan next to him, fuelling the illusions as much as he could. He had done it - he had crossed the line of no return, and Kapun had finally rebelled.

Time to play his part to perfection.

Lighting the second fuse took no hesitation, nor did any of the consecutive ones. They had planned the route perfectly, but Kapun still had to hope nothing went wrong in execution.

Once Kapun lit the last fuse, he turned to Rowan. "What now?!"

"Now, we put as much distance between us and here," Rowan ordered. "Time to get to our station."

Rowan maintained the illusion long enough to return to the bathroom, before dispelling it. Soon, they walked out at a faux-sedate pace. Kapun's heart raced wildly, and adrenaline burned his blood.

They left the base without incident, and made their way through the town, eventually arriving at the station. Once they arrived and sat at their post, Kapun forced himself to calm down. Everything was still going according to plan… the bombs had long fuses, long enough to give them ample time to leave the scene and create their alibis.

"Look," Kapun said out of nowhere. "I'm saying that Cheri Berries taste way better than Pecha Berries."

Rowan looked at him like he was insane, before quickly catching on. "As if!" Rowan countered before his voice slowly began to rise. "Pecha Berries are WAY better than Cheri Berries. You're OUT OF YOUR MIND!"

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!" Kapun shouted back, drawing attention from civilians. "CHERI BERRIES ARE SUPREME!"

"PECHA BERRIES!"

"CHERI BERRIES!"

"PECHA BERRIES!"

"CHERI BERRIES!"

"CHERI BERRIES!"

"PECH- CHERI BERRIES!"

Now everyone in the street was looking at them. Rowan and Kapun were in each other's faces, glaring at each other and grinding their teeth.

"How much longer to keep this up?" Rowan whispered behind his teeth.

"A minute, then it'll be solid." Kapun whispered back.

"FUCK YOU!"

And so it continued for the rest of the minute, before they stalked their way inside, amid whispers of insanity from the onlookers. Once they were hidden from view, they dropped the act.

"Seriously, do you think berries are a controversial topic?"

"Look, they were the best thing I could come up with on a short notice. They filled their purpose well enough, didn't they?"

"Idiot."

Kapun ignored the insult. There was no point in talking anymore. If their calculations were correct, the ignited fuse would light the reactant very soon.

Minutes ticked on by, and as they did, Kapun's tension and nervousness mounted. What if the bombs didn't work? What if someone found the location of the bombs? What if they miscalculated the time it would take for the fuses to light the reactant? What if-

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The sound could be heard across Pinnaleis. Everyone stopped what they were doing at the sound of the explosions going off at the center of town. Kapun's heart both seized and rose.

The timing of the bombs wasn't perfect - they were a little late, and they weren't as synchronized as planned - but they went off. Kapun took one look at Rowan, whose eyes were wide with both worry and amazement, and without any words spoken, they left to see the wreckage themselves.

It took a few minutes for them to get their way to the heart of Pinnaleis, but once they were there, they saw the consequences of their actions. Nearly all of the Water-type Pokemon were trying to douse the fires as the rest of the guards and a great number of civilians watched in amazement. All of Kenki's officers were red in the face as they tried to direct the efforts and locate all of the bombs - not that there were any more to go off.

And Kenki… Kenki was in the center of the chaos. He wasn't fighting the fire - no, he was looking at it, contemplating something. A few seconds later, he turned to the crowd, narrowing his eyes.

"If any of you have an idea of who committed this crime," he growled. "Speak up now."

No one said a word. All of the guards and civilians looked at each other in confusion, expecting someone, anyone, to raise their hand. Kapun heard Rowan gulp next to him, and when he turned to look, he saw wide, nervous eyes.

But he didn't say anything, and neither did Rowan.

"No? Anyone?" Kenki uttered again. "If you know who did this and don't speak up, the consequences will be severe. We will look into your minds later."

They couldn't - both he and Rowan were Dark-types, and Kite would be long gone by the time Kenki got around to them.

Kenki scanned the crowd, glaring at anyone and everyone he could. He locked eyes with Kapun, and for a second, he couldn't breathe. Then, after the second, he tore his eyes from Kapun and continued scanning the crowd, before turning away to speak privately with his officers. One of them, a Scrafty, got up and entered the building.

It took only a few more minutes of waiting and worrying before he showed up. Out of breath and fur smelling smoky, Kite showed up, a small smile on his face.

"It was close, but I managed to make the forgery on time. All the details, all the locations, everything. It's done, and that Scrafty officer is taking it to the shipyard right now." As Kite spoke, that Scrafty came out of the building, before leaving the scene of the burning wreckage to go to the pier.

Kite smiled.

"We won."


As they walked to the pier, everyone was silent. The various civilians of Pinnaleis were busy setting up their meager shops and vending stalls, not paying the five of them any mind.

Kair led them mutely, though all of them knew where to go at this point. Helios walked right behind him, with Slate walking closely at his side. Behind the two of them, Eve helped Selene through the city.

Selene…

Every time Helios took a look at her, his heart clenched. She said that she usually used two pills and only really needed one, but only getting half of her medicine was clearly affecting her.

The day after they had visited the Illicity and gained more information on Shadow Workers and the Temptress, everything was normal. At least, it had seemed normal, until Selene vomited it all up.

When they had tried to give her something else to eat, she did it again - and when they decided to skip that in favor of waiting for lunch, she threw that up too. Eventually, Selene took charge of her own recovery, directing them to give her lots of water and easy-to-digest foods, like stewed berries.

She still threw up every now and again, but it was much more sedate now that she was managing her intake properly. Though, since they were going to be stuck in a shop for a few days, that would probably change.

A day or two after that, she started molting scales, starting a panic attack and buckets of tears. Helios and Slate had to watch as Eve desperately tried to console and comfort Selene with no success. Eventually, the two of them excused themselves to go to Illicity and look around a bit more.

Slate took the opportunity to try to bring Helios to the Shadow Worker, so they could interrogate him further. But Slate had a hard time remembering the location of the apartment building, dealing with an onslaught of headaches, and by the time they arrived, Ami had already left. They returned to a fatigued Eve still trying to help a miserable Selene.

Then, Selene started having insomnia, and at this point, Helios figured some legendary (probably Darkrai) had it out for her. Selene couldn't fall asleep at night, said it felt like she was being shocked repeatedly every time she closed her eyes. She only managed naps every few hours now, leaving her eyes bloodshot and her psyche sleep-deprived and stressed.

At this point, Eve tried forcing additional pills down Selene's throat, which set her off. Selene started screaming at Eve, accusing her of trying to kill her faster and pretending to be her friend. Helios thought that Eve should have maybe backed off, let Selene run out of steam.

Nope. Eve started shouting back at her, how Selene should have been more grateful for all the help she had been trying to give, that she was going to die at this rate. Slate sided with Eve, adding fuel to the fire.

Selene had been looking to Helios for help, and Eve and Slate had looked to him as well. Helios, paralyzed by indecision, had done nothing and squeaked out an apology to everyone, before fleeing the room to let them continue their tirades.

Selene apologized later that night, before shuffling off to her bed early. Eve, despite her anger, wanted to go check on her, though Slate forced her to give Eve some space. The next day, Selene's volatile emotions returned. Every conversation with her turned into a shouting match or crying session within five minutes.

And finally, for the last few days, Selene claimed that voices were speaking to her in her head. At this point, Helios finally realized that Selene was going crazy - something that she herself solemnly admitted.

That led them to today, where Selene was now a shell of her former self, shying away from everyone's view as Eve did her best to help her. Seeing the odd person take wide-eyed stares at her made Helios want to scream and throw things at them - she needed help, not an audience!

Drawing attention to themselves would only stop the plan to help Selene, though, and Helios knew that. So, even though it would be so incredibly wonderful to stop and give each of those gawkers a piece of his mind, Helios shut his mouth and kept walking forward.

Once they arrived at the pier, Kair brought them to the warehouse, showing them the crates that they would be hiding in. While the crates were made so that you couldn't look into them, sound could still pass through. In other words, once the merchants and the guides to the real docks came, none of them could make any sound without giving everything away.

Helios and Slate found a half-empty box of Apples that they easily fit into. After taking the rest of the Apples out of the box, they climbed in, along with all of the Apples and water they would need for the trip. Once they were secure inside, Helios's tail flame resting on Slate so that it wouldn't burn the box, Kair covered the midline of the box with a strong tarp and nailed it in tight, trapping them both in.

After he did that, he covered the tarp with the Apples, completing the illusion that made the box seem full. That left Helios and Slate alone together inside the crate as he did the same with the crate that would contain Selene and Eve.

Helios waited inside the crate, arms crossed, as Slate simply held Helios's tail flame as he was supposed to. He squirmed a little, feeling the squishy mold dig itself under his scales. And then, when the muted shuffling finished and Kair left to wait outside, Helios spoke.

"Why does this have to be so difficult?"

Slate looked up, eyes trained on him. "Didn't you think it was going to be like this? Every time I told you to give up, telling you that you would face hell? When did you think it was going to stop?"

"I don't know," he muttered in return. "I just thought the travels would be easier. Not even facing Kite or his master, but just getting there."

"The warriors in the search party probably have it worse," Slate scoffed. "It's still snowing in the mountains, so they probably won't be able to light any fires for cooking. I wonder how many have frozen to death already."

"It-it's not about them," Helios choked, though the well of shame sprung up inside him once again when he thought of the people who had died for trying to fix his mistake.

"Then what is it about?"

"It…" Helios looked down. "Selene… she's suffering, and I can't stop thinking about it."

Slate narrowed his eyes. "Try harder, then. There's nothing you can do about it, and the only thing you can achieve by thinking about it is more worry, stress, and misery."

Helios glared at him. "Were you always this cold-hearted?" he spat. "Or is shutting off your heart another thing they teach bodyguards to do?"

"I'm your friend before your bodyguard. I'm not her friend." Slate's grip on his tail loosened slightly. "You're pushing yourself to ridiculous extremes for her, when she's likely to betray us as soon as the time becomes right."

The well of shame started supplying anger instead. "I'm the one pushing myself to extremes? Didn't you say that the warriors in the search party have it worse?" Then the second part of the sentence registered. "You still think she's going to betray us? After all that she's done for us?"

"Considering that the only thing she's done to help is give us an arbitrary time limit on her 'death', yes. There are much safer and more comfortable ways of getting to Illusuria than sticking yourself in a crate, and spending her time wailing and acting ill isn't helpful in the-"

Helios punched the side of the crate, making Slate shut up and the apples overhead jostle. "What is your problem with her?!" he hissed. "She's done her best to help us, even with her illness! Why are you trying so hard to make her the bad guy?! Why can't you just trust her?!"

Slate waited a few seconds, but as Helios's glare only intensified, he spoke before it was too long. "It's precisely because of my trust in her that I have to force myself not to."

"... what?" Whatever cold logic or harsh words Helios expected to counter didn't come, and instead, Slate gave him something that just made no sense. "What are you talking about?"

Slate looked up as if trying to see through the apples over the tarp. "When I first laid eyes on Selene, I felt strangely… at ease. I felt like I could tell her anything, and I trusted her deeply. I didn't mind it at first - I thought that it was because she was there to heal you. The next few times I saw her, she had proved to be at least moderately helpful, and so, I didn't mind that feeling whatsoever."

Helios blinked. "But what does that have to do with-"

"Getting there." Slate interrupted. "When I found out she was Kite's accomplice-"

"She's not Kite's accomplice!"

"- I thought that feeling of trust would melt away instantly, now that she was no longer there to help, now that she was our enemy. And when I saw her again a week ago, that feeling of trust returned full-force - and it was then that I realized that the 'trust' I was feeling was unnatural."

"... huh?"

Slate sighed. "Every time I see her, that feeling I get - that I can tell her whatever I need to without worrying, or that she'll never be my enemy - returns. It makes no sense, since that feeling goes away when she does. She artificially makes that feeling in me, and the worst part is that I don't know how she does it. She might be using the same thing on you-"

"Wait, so your problem with her is that you trust her?!" Helios asked incredulously. "So why are you so against her?"

"Helios, use your head, please. If I automatically trust her, despite logic and innate emotions, she's using some sort of… mind control… on me." Slate fidgeted with Helios's tail. "If she's using it on me, who's only moderately suspicious of her, what's to say she isn't using it on you, or Eve, or everyone."

"I… I…"

"This isn't a hypothetical - I can tangibly feel the difference in my trust in her, between when I interact with her and when I don't," Slate continued. "The reason I can do that is because I have that logical mistrust of her - you automatically believed in her from the beginning, and I bet Eve did too. With the mind control, anything that isn't damning will go under your attention, or you'll explain it away, or-"

"Stop! Just - just stop!" Helios's claw scratched against the crate. "I… you're lying! You hate her, and you're just making this up so that-"

"When I went with Selene to the Shadow Worker's residence, I felt strangely at ease, like I was dreaming. That feeling stayed until we left, though my 'trust' in her stayed until I stopped seeing her for that day. Only when I stopped seeing her did I realize how odd it was that one Shadow Worker led us right to another, and that second Shadow Worker divulged valuable information… on Selene's request."

Helios gaped.

"The Shadow Workers, who we know belong to the Temptress's clandestine organization, willingly gave us top secrets. They divulged as much as needed, even though I was there." Slate's glare fixed him in place. "And Selene wasn't concerned in the slightest through it all, perfectly cooperative - and she got in Pinnaleis by pretending to be a Shadow Worker. She said that she fumbled through it, but what if she knew exactly what to say…"

"S-Slate, please… stop…"

"Someone has to keep their wits about them, and you and Eve trust Selene blindly. I truly trusted her once - never again. As long as she keeps that mind control up - as long as I feel that artificial trust - I can't trust her. If that means I must be cruel to her, then so be it."

Slate smiled grimly. "I won't let her betray you - not without her suffering the consequences."

Helios tried to counter, to stay on Selene's side, but words failed him. He was still trying to wrap his head around Slate's logic, but… as scary as it sounded, some of it was compelling. Selene, by her own admission, got through what should be a lot of security with what seemed like no effort. If she was on their side…

… no, he had to stay on her side… right?

Right?

"... we can hear you, you know." Helios's breath caught, and Slate's eyes widened. "These boxes aren't soundproof."

Eve's voice, somewhat muffled through the layers of boxes between them, nonetheless sent Helios's head spinning. Selene… she had heard everything.

Slate's gentle grip on Helios's tail turned into a choking clamp, as he began shaking. "What-what of it?!"

"Even if you two think she's a monster, I - I'll stick with her. No matter what, she'll be my friend, and there's nothing you two can do about it." Eve's statement was brittle and halting. "Mind control… I won't believe it. All I have is your toxic words, and now, to me, they're worth n-nothing."

Slate didn't say anything and Helios couldn't say anything. Eve didn't continue, and Selene (who must have heard all of it) didn't offer anything. Everyone was quiet as the tense minutes ticked on by.

"I hate this…" Tears began leaking out of Helios's eyes. "Why does life have to be so… so unfair?"

No one had an answer for that either.

Then, out of nowhere, Helios began to hear… voices. Judging by how Slate turned to the direction of the sound, he did too. Helios pressed the side of his head to the crate and listened.

"... Kair? What in Darkrai's name are you doing here?" A sonorous voice, one filled with equal parts cheer and worry, asked. "Are you feeling okay?"

Kair chuckled. "I'm great, thankfully. My wound's feeling much better nowadays. As for how I got permission… well, my son was much more persuasive than how I thought he was going to be. It seems to me that he's already gotten the permission."

"My my, how fortunate!"

One by one, Kair's old colleagues came to introduce themselves, talking to him with what sounded like happiness. Helios did his best to focus on what was being said, out of boredom and desire to distract himself from the earlier argument.

"... say, Kair, it's gotten rather cloudy, hasn't it?" One of his friends remarked. "It looks like it's going to rain soon."

"Soon?" Kair replied. "At the rate it's gathering, it'll only be a few more minutes before it's pouring."

"Don't worry, geezer. Your cargo'll be safe." A new brash voice declared. "Alright, everyone here's on the list, right?" There was a round of affirmations. "Great, now- Hold on, Kair? What are you doing here? Aren't you still on Admer's shitlist?"

"I got permission, Zuruz. Check the list if you're not sure." For someone who only had Kapun's vague promises, Kair was excellent at faking confidence.

"Mmhmm, let's see now… no... no… no… n-WHAT?!" Zuruz, whose voice had been thick with derisive mockery, now held incredulity and raw shock. "75 CRATES, TO ILLUSURIA?!"

"Logain, right?" Kair said smugly.

"... how the hell did you manage to convince him, Kair?" Zuruz asked in amazement. "I thought getting permission out of him was like winning the lottery, never mind that it's you!"

"My son simply has a way with words."

"... right." Zuruz still sounded incredibly baffled. "Anyway, we should get going. None of you will want to be in Pinnaleis for much longer. After all, the Captain's Rain Dance isn't something he uses when he's in a good mood, and he's definitely not in a good mood today."

Zuruz's voice turned cruel. "Whoever blew up our base is going to taste a wonderfully miserable death very, very soon."


Culus was anything but miserable right now.

"We won," he repeated. "You two took far too long, but we won."

Rowan snorted, before jabbing Kapun lightly in the ribs. "This fucker had three existential crises in the span of a minute. Lay it all on him."

Culus rolled his eyes as Kapun growled at Rowan. "Sorry I had to psyche myself up for blowing up the base!" he hissed. "It took a lot of nerve to light that damn fuse, and I'm not gonna take any lip from you, considering all you had to do was just make us invisible."

"Considering how pudgy you are, you should be glad I was able to do that in the first place."

"Pudgy?"

Culus groaned. "Guys, not now. Rowan, Kapun, how much time do we have to stow away on your ship?"

"Not too much - speaking of that, we should probably get moving. Oh, and Kapun? I'm getting paid extra, since this is beyond what we agreed on."

"The hell it is!"

Rowan ignored him and weaved a spell of invisibility around the three of them. "Yes, I am getting paid. Let's go already, it's going to rain soon." Sure enough, large clouds were gathering over Pinnaleis, and the temperature was slowly dropping.

Kapun grumbled but started leading them across Pinnaleis, in the direction of the docks. A quick assurance from Rowan told him that the docks were indeed in the direction that Kapun was leading them in, so Culus didn't worry too much about that.

Still, even though Kenki showed no signs of recognizing them as the culprits, Culus continued to remain tense, a strange sense of unease filling him. The whole operation had been easy - far too easy.

For most of the week prior to the operation, Culus had been creating the bombs in private (while the actual process was quick, recovery of his stamina took much longer). When he wasn't doing that, he was busy paying attention to Kapun and Rowan, making sure they weren't conspiring against him or messing up their jobs.

Surprisingly, they hadn't. They managed to figure out an excellent path that would allow them to detonate the bombs to great effect (Kapun proved to be surprisingly intelligent, more so than his deductive capacities had implied), and with repeated trials, they managed to get the fuse timing down to an art.

That being said, Culus still had to alter his bombs slightly. The damage they were looking to inflict on the structure was less than what Culus's bombs would pull off - they'd create too much damage, too much of a shockwave, and potentially douse the other fuses. That was definitely something to avoid.

Considering the type of fuse they were planning on using, Culus also made sure that the reactant that would blow up to ignite the TNT would itself be ignited by gasoline (which would be ignited by the fuse). That made the bomb even more complicated, but Culus felt it was just necessary enough for the modifications.

Modifying a creation wasn't something he had tried before, and to his surprise, it took up surprisingly little energy. It was almost as if he reabsorbed the stamina he'd lost making it, before using it again for another creation. As a result, the modifications didn't take too long, even if it left him famished.

Other than spying and making the bombs, Culus scouted out Kenki's room and the various routes he could take to hide there. There were around fifty different paths and places he could use to get to and hide in Kenki's room, but a lot of them were covered by guards and Kenki's vision. Eventually, Culus decided to use the tiny ventilation system installed in the room and hide there until the explosion.

After all was said and done, he still found some leisure time to speak with Rowan. The Zorua had a sharp tongue and a quick wit, and he found himself enjoying Rowan's company. Occasionally, Rowan would throw a quick story or two his way regarding his pirate life with Kenki.

After he gave the modified bombs to Rowan and Kapun, Culus followed the plan and hid in the ventilation shaft for as long as was needed (which meant a few hours. Culus quickly found himself bored). By the time Kenki arrived in the room, ready to check the list for one final time, Culus found himself at his wit's end.

Luckily, he had some skill with reading upside down, and so he quickly learned how Kenki listed each merchant down. It took only a little longer to figure out what he was going to write for Kapun's entry.

Slowly, the minutes ticked on by, and as Kenki made his way through the list, inspecting each merchant, he had felt his anxiety spike. If the plan fell through… what would happen?

Then Kenki finished the list, stood up, and called for 'Zaruz'. Culus felt his heart sink. That was that, then. He'd simply have to stow away-

And then the explosions and fires had started, and the plan quickly resumed. Kenki and Zaruz had left to deal with the emergency, leaving Culus with precious little time to apply the created ink to fabricate the permission.

'75 crates of apples, berries, and other food items, going to Illusuria under the name of Kair'.

Once he had written it all down in Kenki's handwriting, he opened the door and jumped down to the street, before sneaking around to meet his two conspirators in the crowd.

All in all, it had been surprisingly simple. There hadn't been any real complications on his end, and from the idle chatter between Rowan and Kapun about the subject, there hadn't been any on their end either. All that was left was to board the ship…

… which… wasn't there.

"Why is the dock empty?" What kind of harbor was this? There were plenty of warehouses and a wide sea in front of him, but no people, and more importantly, no ships. "Is this some kind of joke?"

Kapun rolled his eyes. "Kite, there's no joke. In case you've forgotten, Kenki controls the trade. Do you think that it would stop anyone if the ships were tied down?"

"I… no, I thought that there would be guards looking over the harbor or something."

Rowan snorted. "Like that'd stop anyone suffering from a lack of trade. Someone would find someway to sneak away. Best to do away with all the ships altogether."

"Then what was the point of all this?!" he raged. "If there are no ships, there's nowhere to stow away in! Was all of this for nothing?!"

"No, it's just that the ships aren't here."

Culus didn't miss a beat. "Then where are they?"

Rowan and Kapun both looked at a warehouse off at the pier. "There's a warehouse all the way over there that serves as a gate to an underground city of crime," Rowan explained. "There's another dock in that city - and that dock is where all the ships are."

Culus blinked. "A - a second city? Two docks? I'm sorry, is this common knowledge?"

"Nope." Kapun sighed. "As stupid as it makes me feel, I've only known about the city for the last week. I… stumbled onto it while you sent me off to make my choice on the plan. I took the chance to explore it, and saw the ships firsthand."

"And I've always known. You don't get too far in the criminal world without knowing about the Illicity." Rowan then gave him a strange look. "Given your experience, I have thought you'd have known about it too."

'But I don't have any experience - I'm just competent!' is what Culus wanted to stay. Unfortunately, the collar lit up and worked its magic again - except, strangely, this time, Kapun took notice, staring at the collar with what looked like both fear and fascination. Something to look into later.

Culus shoved away all the angry remarks he'd wanted to make and focused on what was important. "Let's get going then - unless, this is where you want to leave, Rowan."

Rowan looked at him with surprise. "Now?!"

Culus raised an eyebrow. "Yes? When else are you supposed to leave? We're going into a city of crime, right? Even if people recognize me, it'll be of no issue to you. We don't need you anymore, so you're free to go back."

"Don't… need… Fine." Rowan turned away, as the rain finally started to fall. "I suppose I've fulfilled my usefulness with you guys, then. Have a good life." With that, he started walking away.

That was a far better farewell than Culus usually received, but something about it rubbed him the wrong way. "You too, Rowan. I hope you get around to finding out your namesake. Thank you for everything."

Rowan paused, before turning around one last time. "I'm glad to hear it. Now it's back to… cleaning…" Rowan trailed off, looking at something behind Culus in fear. "Oh… oh fuck…"

Culus and Kapun turned around, giving him a heart attack. Drenched in the pouring rain, with the most stern of frowns on his face, stood Kenki.

"Back to cleaning?" Kenki drew his seamitars. "We don't employ or tolerate traitors, Runt. And if you didn't remember, I don't tolerate their life."

Culus instantly fell into a battle stance. The battle was a foregone conclusion in Kenki's favor, but he was going to put up the best fight possible.

Behind him, Kapun quivered, as consequences finally unfolded for all of them. Runt started backing away, eyes wide and babbling. "R-r-r-rain Dance?!"

Kenki surged forward, and in the scramble to get away from the attack, the three of them scattered. Culus ran for the sea, on a mistaken instinct, while Kapun and Rowan instantly fled into the city.

Kenki spared a glance at them, but Culus hit him with a Thunder Shock - or, at least, tried to. Kenki batted the attack away without even glancing, looking at where Kapun and Rowan fled into.

"Eyes on me, bastard!" Culus shouted at the Samurott. "I'm your traitor and opponent, not them!"

"Oh, they are too." Kenki shot a lazy Water Pulse at him - however, the Water Pulse traveled at ridiculous speeds. He barely managed to escape it with a Quick-Attack boosted dodge, and when he saw the large crack in the pier pavement behind him, he shuddered.

Suppressing his fear, he turned back to Kenki (who he realized wasn't even trying). "So you're taking your time with me, even though they're getting away?"

Kenki chuckled. "Getting away? Right now, the only way out of Pinnaleis is through the Illicity - the entrance of which I'm keeping my eyes on." With a sinking feeling of despair, Culus realized that Kenki's line of sight went behind him, facing the warehouse that Kapun and Rowan told him was the entrance of the crime city. "Before I came to kill you, I gave the order to block the entrances. They're Wimpods in a pen."

Culus swallowed. Even if they were doomed, he could at least buy a bit more time before Kenki came after his two allies. Kapun had a family, and Rowan was dragged into this, so if any lives had to be lost, his came first. "H-how did you know? We were so careful…"

Kenki twirled his blade, though his eyes held no cheer. "I received an anonymous tip from someone I trust saying that they were assured of Kair getting permission to trade." There was a strange inflection to the name 'Kair', and Culus remembered that Kapun was stuck because of his father's troublesome past with Kenki. "Naturally, I remember authorizing no such thing and was on my guard today as a result."

Culus gulped. "That-that can't be it." Kapun or Rowan had to have messed up at some point since he hadn't. Maybe they hadn't realized someone had seen them plant the bombs?

"Oh, it wasn't. All throughout the morning, I felt a strange presence above me, as though I were being watched. Of course, I wasn't going to break my own vent, now was I?"

he was the one who messed up…

"Though I thought the tip was mistaken at first, the explosions reignited my suspicions. A quick look at my window shortly after the incident intensified them further. After all, I had left them closed, yet they were open.

… what a rookie mistake…

"Then, seeing you whisper with those two gave me a good idea as to who were the culprits, and seeing you flee strengthened it. And all the conversations you traitors had up to this point, all that I overheard… they all confirmed it."

Kapun and Rowan hadn't messed anything up. Beyond the initial tip, Culus was the one to give Kenki all the clues he needed.

"I think his son's life will be a fine price to pay for an illegal trade boat - don't you?" Kenki raised his seamitar before bringing it down, making a Razor Shell slash speed toward him. Luckily, it was slower than his other attacks, allowing him to easily dodge.

It was only until Kenki bore down on him while he was mid-jump did he realize it was a feint.

SHLICK!

The wound was cold. It was only until Kenki removed his seamitar from his shoulder, a full second later, and the rain began dripping in the wound did Culus fully register the pain.

"I... I…" Culus slumped over as Kenki towered over him. When his sight started to blur, he began to think that he was falling unconscious. Instead, Culus realized he was crying… again.

"Pathetic." Kenki impaled the ground next to Culus. "This, coming from the Collared that escaped Ascendance Palace? Utterly pathetic."

Culus had received demeaning wounds and debilitating pain before. It had occurred regularly in the castle, and he had cried there too. Only rarely did he lose his composure like this.

"W-why…?" he blubbered to the world.

He blinked, and that feeling that came when he cried that time came as well.

Step 1: Assess the Situation, Goals, and Obstacles.

The situation? He was heavily injured, a large stab wound in his shoulder and several smaller wounds from miscellaneous situations. His right forearm was currently unusable and bleeding out. Stopping blood loss and resting was the recommended treatment. His two current allies

were on the run and facing problems of their own, meaning they couldn't be used.

Furthermore, time until the departure of the trade ship was shrinking, creating a deadline for all actions. In addition, he was facing Kenki, who had shown extreme proficiency with the blade. Kenki was currently looking to kill him, and from allies' previous remarks, would show no mercy.

The only possible positive of the situation was that Kenki was taking his time to kill him, and that…

Kenki narrowed his eyes. "That glow… you're in Logic Mode, aren't you?" He snorted. "Not like it'll help you, but since it blocks pain, I'll have to take you out of it. Cantrynx orizes ricenda, lobzen piecto, End Logic Mode."

All of a sudden, Culus's normal thinking process returned to him. The pain immediately flushed back, making his eyes water once more.

But emotions, calmed by whatever just happened, were only slowly returning to their despondent state. And from what he just heard…

"How did you…" he coughed. "How did you know? What did y-you just do?"

That weird thinking process would have continued had Kenki not spouted that gibberish before saying, 'End Logic Mode'. The reason it stopped was that…

His eyes widened.

"Y-you know about it?" Culus looked down at his collar, whose glow had only started receding again.

"Of course I know about it," Kenki frowned. "Though, considering how you were never debriefed, you wouldn't. Perhaps you recognize these words, then?"

What words-

"Jurentia involtas mulaties, adjutt benker signitz shutal."


Rowan ran for as long as he could. Then he ran a little more, and a little more until his legs gave under him and he collapsed in a newly formed puddle.

From the sound of splashes near him and the heaves of air, Kapun was at the same limit.

"How… how… how are we alive… ?" Kapun asked him, to which Rowan had no real reply. Kenki could have killed them all in seconds but was taking his time for some reason. Granted, he had no reason to delay, but Kenki usually wasn't the kind of Pokemon who used those liberties.

"Luck," was his eventual reply. "Both of us got lucky."

"Both of us?" Kapun looked around. "Where's Kite?"

Rowan laughed miserably. "He ran the other way, toward the sea. Kenki's probably killed him already and is on his way here."

Kapun turned around. "We have to go rescue him," he declared.

"... what?"

"We. have. to. go. rescue. Him." Kapun said slowly. "He's stronger and more competent than the both of us combined. Neither of us stand a-"

"Kapun, are you an idiot?" he asked scathingly. "He's fighting Kenki. It's likely he's already dead."

"No, he's a Collared! That means that he's stronger than your average Pokemon - he stands more of a chance against Kenki than anyone!"

"A... Collared?" Rowan shook his head. "Never mind, it's still insane to go back! We have to leave Pinnaleis while we still can!"

"Insane? Everything else we've done today has been insane! Blowing up bombs were insane! Forging permission was insane! You're saying that saving Kite is insane?!" Kapun gestured to the city. "Hear the alarms, huh? They're barricading the city! Nobody's getting in or out! We've got nowhere to run to, and our best bet is with Kite!"

Rowan pricked his ears, and sure enough, alarms were ringing. A cold sense of dread rushed through him. "Th-that doesn't mean we should rush to meaningless deaths faster!"

"Meaningless deaths? Kite is risking his life for us!"

"Where is the coward of earlier today?!" Rowan deflected. "Who the hell am I talking to now?!"

"Someone who can light up a bomb and ruin their future, and do it again for people they care about!"

Something, something was closing in on him. "It's suicide!" he raged. "Kapun has slaughtered families by the dozens before! None of us stand a chance!"

"Kite is a Collared! If anyone can do it, he can!" Kapun declared faithfully. "And us going to help can work!" He plunged into his bag and brought out three objects. "A Devolve Orb, a Gummi, and an Energy Seed! We can turn the tides with this!"

"A… what?" Rowan shook his head. "Are you delusional?! That won't do anything!"

"We won't know unless we try!" Kapun countered. "Kite needs us as much as we needed him!"

"You needed him! I was perfectly fine before he came around!"

And then, as Kapun started talking, all the rain and the sirens blaring behind them seemed to go mute, and all Rowan could hear were Kapun's confident statements. "You needed him more than I ever did. He gave you friendship, his company, and purpose. You've been more psyched about the operation than I've ever seen you. You two reference conversations you have during the night. You talk to him, and he listens."

"No, I…"

"When he said his farewells earlier, I saw the hurt in your eyes. I saw how you wanted to go with us, even though it was to no benefit to you. And when Kite thanked you from the bottom of his heart, you loved it."

"No, I - Shut up!"

"He pulled you from the misery everyone around you threw on you! You don't curse as much anymore - what's changed. Obviously, you. Runt was a pathetic piece of shit that the world squished and rubbed into the ground. Rowan is Kite's friend."

Then Kapun turned around. "Or does 'Rowan' mean nothing to you?"

"Kapun, that's - stop it, no - SHUT UP!" Rowan had a headache, and for some reason, tears were mixed with the raindrops rolling into his fur. "We didn't have to go through any of this! Culus suggested this because he wanted to see you suffer! I heard it straight from his mouth."

Kapun snorted. "I'm not that stupid. I won't fall for bullshit like that!"

"The day you left for the Illicity, I talked to him, and he made the plan because you pissed him off. He told me that he could just go to the docks and stow away without going through all the trouble he did! He told me that he could have done the entire plan by himself and that he only involved us because he wanted to see if you had the guts to fight at all!"

Kapun stood still for a second, before slowly replying. "He did?"

"Yes, yes he did! The entire fucking plan was made to push you to your limit and to force you to grow a spine!" Rowan bowed his head. "D-doesn't that make you angry? Doesn't that make you want to… abandon… him…?"

Rowan hated his mouth. Rowan hated his brain. Rowan hated both for concocting the poison he spewed.

Kapun turned around, before running back to the pier.

"K-Kapun?" Rowan started running after him.

"His plan worked. The me of yesterday couldn't do this, and the me of now can!" Kapun shouted to the world. "I've grown a spine, and it was because Kite believed I would!"

"Kapun!"

As they ran, Kapun turned to face him. "Now it's your turn!"

"W-what?!"

Kapun turned back around and started running faster, and Rowan could barely push his legs fast enough to keep up. Rain pelted his fur, and though he shouted Kapun's name, Kapun would no longer be deterred.

And then, in a blink of an eye, they were back in the pier, and Kapun started to slow down.

"Kapun, this is - stop it!"

Kapun turned back to him. "So you grew your spine after all, then?" The Deino reached into the bag and pulled out a small cold glass orb and a Gummi.

"Kapun, Gummis are dangerous-"

"They're strength enhancers, right? No other reason to sell them." Kapun popped it into his mouth and swallowed. "I'll need all the help I can get."

Words failed him. Gummis weren't, as Kapun thought, strength enhancers. Gummis were, in fact, neural enhancers, speeding up mental processing powers, reflexes, and overall proficiency and skill.

And they had terrible drawbacks. Had Rowan been able to see under Kapun's hair, he would have been able to see bloodshot eyes and bulging veins to bring all the energy-rich blood to his brain. Soon, Kapun would burn through all of his stamina and wreck his entire nervous system.

"... did you know? What did y-you just do?" A small pause. "Y-you know about it?"

Both of their attentions were brought to the fight between Kenki and Culus, and Rowan's breath caught.

For how long Culus had been fighting Kenki, he'd been doing spectacularly well. In serious fights, Kenki ended it lethally in seconds. But despite the fact that they'd been gone for around ten minutes and Culus only had a single stab wound on the shoulder?

Maybe Kapun was onto something…

"Of course I know about it," Kenki frowned. "Though, considering how you were never debriefed, you wouldn't. Perhaps you recognize these words, then?"

And then Kenki spoke… words.

"Jurentia involtas mulaties, adjutt benker signitz shutal."

They were meaningless to him - complete and utter gibberish. But to Culus… despite the obvious pain he was in, Culus's eyes were wiped of emotion or desire or anything. He stood up, as though Kenki weren't just threatening his life.

"What would you like to know?" Culus offered listlessly, so utterly unlike his normal self.

Kenki opened his mouth, to say something else or ask a question, he didn't know. He didn't know, of course, because Kapun appeared on the scene, leaving behind only an Energy Seed.

"Pyrrer gestit psists affeate!"

Culus blinked. "Wha… what just…" Then his sense of pain returned, and he fell to the ground screaming in pain.

Kenki turned to Kapun. "You've returned," he said neutrally. "And saved me the trouble of having to find you." Kenki pulled his seamitar from the ground, upon which it had been impaled. "Will you give me as much trouble as your father did, or… what are you holding?" Kenki's statements trailed off as Kapun readied the small orb.

"Take this!" Kapun threw the orb straight at him. "And suffer!"

Kenki's eyes trained on the orb, and with perfect precision, sliced it in two, where it laid, not moving at all.

The battle lulled for a second. Kapun's face turned from hopeful and determined to terrified.

"An-"

The second Kenki opened his mouth again, the two halves of the orb blew up with blinding light, engulfing the entire pier. Rowan blinked as the light washed over him, trying to change and alter… something.

Yet when he opened his eyes, nothing had changed. Rowan was still as himself, Culus was still lying on the ground in pain, Kapun hadn't moved an inch, and Kenki had…

...turned into a Dewott.

As Kenki blinked, slowly coming to his feet in his pre-evolution, his seamitar clattered to the ground before turning into a Dewott's Razor Shell. He held out his hands in front of him in awe.

"Taste that!" Kapun crowed. "Feel the might of the Devolve Orb!"

Had Kapun just… devolved Kenki?

"You…" Kenki grabbed his shell before turning to Kapun with pure fury in his eyes. "You have forfeited every right you could have imagined, Kapun."

Kapun then body-slammed Kenki into the ground, starting the first fight Rowan had ever seen where his boss, the closest thing he'd ever seen to a god, could lose.

Then, Culus screamed again, as rainwater plopped into the open stab-wound, and Rowan snapped back to reality. First priority was Culus's life, then it was amazed spectating.

He quickly ran to Culus's side. "Are you okay?!"

"No, not at all," he groaned. "I think I'm going to die."

That looked more likely by the second. "No, you're not. We're going to work together and find a way out of this." If only because of Kapun's crazy luck, which Rowan hoped wouldn't expire within the next three minutes.

"Ugh… how are we going to beat Kenki?" Culus moaned in response.

Rowan looked at the battle, where Kapun's enhanced reflexes were keeping pace with Kenki's clumsier slashes. "Kapun's doing pretty well right now," he offered.

"No, he's not," Culus mumbled. "His reflexes are weirdly good, and getting better, but Kenki's regaining muscle memory faster. And…" Culus dribbled bloody spit on the ground. "And I don't think that… devolution… will hold for very long."

Rowan looked to the battle, and to his despair, Culus was right. Even though the Gummi had massively increased Kapun's survivability and ability to predict Kenki's next move, Kenki was getting faster and more accurate with his slashes. Even though Kapun was still keeping up, Kenki was slowly going to outclass Kapun's reflexes - and when the Gummi ran out, things would get very poor for him.

And if the devolution ran out too… Rowan didn't want to think about what would happen next.

"What's the plan, then," Rowan pressed.

"Fuck if I know, I'm half dead here," Culus moaned. At Rowan's irritated look, though, he pulled himself together. "Damage, we need damage. If we can knock him out before he returns to being a Samurott, we have a chance - a chance - of ending him."

Of ending Kenki

"Damage?" Rowan gulped. "I'm not sure I can fight him, and you're too hurt to fight right now." He still was a coward, though, wasn't he? "I can try, but-"

"Don't, he's already starting to overwhelm Kapun. You'd just barely delay the inevitable." Culus remained silent for a second. "Bomb. This time, we bomb him."

"Another bomb?!" Was that Culus's solution to everything? "But we don't have one right now! We used them all for the plan earlier!"

"I can make another, right now." Culus denied. "I'm tired, but if I push myself just hard enough, I can maybe push one out."

Without any materials? Rowan bit his lip, but nodded, before reaching into Kapun's bag and shoving an Energy Seed into Culus's surprised face. A second later, Culus's eyes opened dramatically, and he instantly pushed himself to his feet (except for the leg which had the stabbed shoulder, that lay limp).

"You good now?"

Culus nodded. "Give me a few seconds." Culus closed his eyes.

"Culus, we don't have the time… for… this…" Rowan trailed off, seeing light whirl in front of him, before coalescing into the familiar shape of the bomb. "Culus, what the hell did you just do?!"

Culus smiled while swaying unsteadily on his feet. "Made a bomb, of course." Despite the Energy Seed he just ate, Culus already looked incredibly tired.

Rowan opened his mouth to ask more - and then Culus shoved him. Rowan rolled to his feet, confused and a little pissed off.

The anger quickly turned to horror. Culus had shoved him out the way of an attack. Both of Culus's front feet, detached from his legs, rolled next to him as he screamed in pain. Kenki, having finally defeated Kapun by kicking him into a steel container and leaving him groaning in pain, looked at the bomb with disgust.

"So this is what destroyed my building." He snorted. "Not very useful in the rain is it?"

Rowan ran forward, putting himself between Kenki and the amputated Culus. "Y-you're not hurting him!" he screamed, putting himself in a defensive posture. "I won't let you!"

"It's not about what you will let me do," Kenki stated, as flashed white. Rowan's eyes widened - that was the light of evolution. The devolution must be running out already. "You can't stop me, Runt."

Rowan hissed, as that hateful name resurfaced. "My name is Rowan, and I'll do whatever the hell I want." He looked at the bomb. "And that bomb will stop you."

"Without any way to light it? Even with all the rain?" Kenki raised his shells. "I hadn't thought you were as deluded as you are now."

Then, behind him, Culus coughed, before smiling. Even with all the pain, misfortune, and tragedy, he found a way to smile, and Rowan found himself staring behind him.

Kenki frowned, as he usually did. "Smiling, at a time like this?"

"You said I had no way to light it?" Culus lit up with electricity. "Think again."

Kenki's eyes narrowed before he blurred into action. Rowan only had a millisecond to think before Kenki launched him away with a flying kick, before putting a foot on the bomb and pointing a shell at Culus.

"You're in no state to fire off any bolts," Kenki declared. "Even if you were to charge at me with a Spark, you'd only kill yourself on contact with the bomb. The instant I see you even attempt it for a double suicide, I'll kick the bomb far away. There's nothing you can do."

Instead of wiping the smile off Culus's face, he only made Culus start to laugh, which was even more disconcerting.

"You… hahaha…" Culus was crying… but was that happiness? "You have five seconds - tell me, what do you think happens when pure sodium reacts with pure water?"

Five seconds of silent confusion passed.

"Time's up, you lose! The correct answer - it explodes!" The laughter turned psychotic. "Game over!"

Kenki's eyes widened, and he looked at the bomb - the very wet bomb, which had been drenched in the rain since Culus had made it.

"Oh…" For the first time ever, Rowan heard Kenki's voice falter. "Oh no…"

BOOM!

Kenki was sent flying at another steel container, and the impact of the blow caused it to teeter precariously back and forth as he flopped, weak and helpless to the ground.

Then, with a mighty groan, the steel container fell on him, trapping him underneath it all.

Rowan stared at Kenki, defeated. "You-you did it…" he said in awe and wonder. Until then, he hadn't truly believed that Culus would be capable of defeating Kenki. Still, he was unable to process it.

"Not yet," Culus warned with a groan. "Go get Kapun and some wrapping for my stab wound and legs. I have… something to take care of." Culus, despite everything, hobbled forward on three legs, the last one limp from a stab wound.

"C-culus? What are you doing?"

Culus stood over Kenki, who lay unconscious underneath him. "Finishing the job."

Before Rowan could do anything, Culus sank his fangs deep into Kenki's flesh. The next thing Rowan knew, both Culus and Kenki had lit up with electricity.

"C-culus?" There was no response. "Culus?!"

Kapun, having finally recovered, slowly tottered over. "What - what's happening?" He stared at the shining murder. "What is he doing?"

Rowan gulped. "Killing Kenki."

He didn't know how long the two of them stood there, as Culus continued to send all the electricity he had into Kenki's smaller bloodstream. In reality, it could only have lasted a minute, but for all that it mattered to Rowan, it had taken hours.

Finally, Culus let go, collapsing to the ground one last time.

"It's done… it's done…" he mumbled, before falling unconscious.

The two of them stared at the wreckage of a pier for a while. Then…

"The boat, the boat!" Kapun shrieked, jolting Rowan back into awareness. "It's been fifteen minutes since we've arrived, so if we run as fast as we can, we can make it!"

He still wanted to stow away?! After everything that had happened?

But for Culus's dream, his ambition…

"... I'll wrap us in an illusion, you carry him." Rowan ordered, to which Kapun quickly nodded. "But first, the injuries."

Rowan tore many strips of cloth from the bag that they were using. It took a bit of deft handling, but he wrapped two of them incredibly tightly around each leg in a tourniquet and used the last of the strips to staunch the flow of blood from Culus's shoulder.

"Do you think he'll make it?" Kapun asked, worried.

"Do you have medicinal berries on your ship?"

"Yeah?"

"Then the faster we get moving, the more assuredly I'll be able to say yes!" That spurred Kapun into grabbing Culus as tightly as he could and running for the warehouse, Rowan quickly wrapping the illusion around the both of them as they ran.

The two guards inside, the Inteleon and Zangoose with whom Rowan was on good terms with, simply let them pass. They had obviously seen the battle outside and clearly didn't want to mess with them. Since they were the only ones to see them, and they had stopped the blood flow, they'd be able to remain hidden.

They rushed down the steps of Illusuria's pillars, as the many denizens below them discussed the alarms. Rowan paid them no heed as the two of them ran as fast as they could to the docks.

Maybe they still had some adrenaline to spare, because they seemed to make it while the last ship was still there and leaving. On the port deck of the ship, Rowan saw a portly Dragonite.

"Is that your ship?" Rowan asked.

"Yes, but the bridge is gone. We can't make it!"

Rowan looked at the ship. He was familiar with the design - it closely resembled merchant ships they had raided before invading Pinnaleis. Near the bottom, there was a hatch that led straight into the hull, where the cargo was stored.

"Hold on to him, I'll open that hatch." As Rowan said that, the ship started to move. Without a second to waste, Rowan leaped from the dock to land on the side of the ship. It was slick, and Rowan's claws barely found any purchase, but he managed to snap the hatch lock and burst it wide open. "Hurry!"

Rowan quickly climbed inside as Kapun started running, the ship quickly picking up speed. Just when Rowan thought the ship was going to outpace the two of them, Kapun made a gigantic leap.

But he wasn't going to make it, unless…

Even though Kapun would barely miss the ship, Rowan grabbed Kapun. Despite his small size, he was able to take hold of Kapun, and with an insane amount of effort, pull them into the ship, making sure Culus was safe at last. With a final push, they closed and locked the hatch.

They did it - they were in.

For the next few minutes, as the ship sailed into the ocean, they could only breathe. They were exhausted, hungry, wounded (critically, in Culus's case), and completely and utterly spent.

"Never… never doing that again," Kapun moaned.

"H-hey…" Rowan grinned. "Kenki's dead."

That monumental achievement finally sunk in. The two of them shared an ear-splitting smile. Despite all the tragedy and pain they faced, it was still something to be proud of.

After all the tears and laughter of celebration had finished, Rowan's smile dropped, and his voice dropped to a whisper. "But now that we have time to talk… when Culus wakes up, you'll have a lot to say about that gibberish."

And as Kapun's smile cracked, Rowan had a feeling that things were only going to get more complicated.


END OF THE PINNALEIS ARC


That was much more fun than I thought it would be. Let's hope Kapun will be able to explain things clearly to his new friends.

If you enjoyed the chapter, feel free to fav, follow, and review. They mean a lot to me.