Pokémon Chronicles - Web of Lies

by Eric566

Three years after the disbandment and defeat of Team Uncario, the members of Team Star find themselves thrust back into stardom after a succesful mission in dealing with an unexpected menace. However, the fall of the last of the Dark Eons and this new achievement has stirred new enemies from the ends of the world, and re-ignited the fires of an empire best forgotten. Sequel to AHR.

18. Chapter 14 - City of Faith

Holy shit, it's been a while, huh? I should've probably put the story on hiatus, knowing that it would take this long and I was going to be sidetracked like this, my bad.

I don't even know if there's people that are still reading this fic (probably are, sorry), but I could barely find the time and motivation because of this virus shit, plus classes have not slowed down at all, and I have to work hard to get my degree finally, and finish uni.

Still, I don't plan to stop writing, even if it will take longer for these chapters to come out. In the meanwhile, enjoy this one, and I hope it helps you get through these tough times. Stay safe, and stay home.

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Chapter 14

City of Faith

The place where all roads lead

"Hey, did ya guys hear about that huge bath house that was built west, in the high plains?" Nox suddenly spoke up during lunch. Only Jake and Serge were missing, out on a field mission.

"The what now?"

"C'mon, out of everyone here you should know, Lucy, huge bath house that was built where that big ol' fortress used to be. After it got torn down, the plains were completely empty. Some tycoon bought the lands from the regional government and build a bath house there. Finished a few days ago, there were some pokémon advertising it in the plaza just yesterday." She just looked at him, confused. "What, I thought you were supposed to have better hearing now Lucy!"

"Oh fuck off, I ain't listening to everything that people say, specially shit like that."

"Well, maybe you should, because it sounded fun, and a nice way to relax after all of the stuff that's been going down as of late. Two for the price of one."

"Yes, a ludicrously high price at that. We don't have enough money to even afford a single night there I'm sure, and as nice and relaxing as it'd be, I doubt we can enjoy it to the fullest." Zed came around the table to place more dishes, and called for Eric and Elly from the bathroom.

"Coming!" A few moments later the two of them would come out, furs a bit of a mess, as they hadn't gotten time to brush, but at least they were mostly dry. Outside, water was pouring down from the clouds, thunder echoing in the air. A very nasty storm, but it was common around that time of year.

"At least you managed to get all that mud off of you. You guys heard what we were talking about?" Nox was answered with a shake of the head, and he quickly brushed over the bath house advertisements, and to his dismay, he got the same answer he had from Zed.

"It's just way too expensive."

"We haven't really gone around to ask!"

"Well, if you want to know, be my guest, you can head out into the cold rain and try to find someone that'll give you that information… We can tell you from experience, the rain today is vicious."

"Yeah, we saw you both waddle in looking like wet mops. We already dried and cleaned it all up by the way." Lucy's sass was met by Elly sticking her tongue out at her, the two girls giggling afterwards. They'd been getting along a lot better after the Luxio had evolved, and the air in the house was a lot more relaxed. It also probably helped that Zed, as always, had cooked up some delicious soup for those rather cold days, warming up even Nox's core, and revitalizing everyone. "Aaah, so good."

"Well, I'm pretty sure no one's going to be needing help today with how much it is raining… there weren't many missions as is on the board this morning either."

"I'm starting to think the others are starting to get up even earlier just so they can beat us to the good ones!" Eric laughed. "I think we'll just have to respond in kind, and get up even earlier."

"Oh screw that, we already get up before the sun rises, how much until this escalation leads to us not sleeping a wink?" Eric looked at her mate, and just shrugged.

"I dunno, six more hours?"

"You're the worst." She poked his nose as they continued eating, just chatting and making small talk with the others. Before they could clean up however, they heard someone knocking on their door, surprising literally everyone. "Coming! Hold on!" She imagined they were getting soaked out in the foul weather, so she didn't even wait to ask who it was on the other side before opening the door. On the other side, an Absol would be waiting, clad in a brownish, traveling cloak… but she was still soaked to the bone, as she sneezed. "Oh goodness! Come on in, quick, you'll catch something!"

"Oh thank you so much, I was getting soaked out there! This rain…" She sneezed again, absolutely drenched, the poor girl was shaking like a leaf too. Zed went over to the kitchen, hiding a bit behind the counter whilst getting out a smaller pot to make something warm for the newcomer, whilst Elly looked her over. "Oh, I'm so sorry about this mess, I didn't expect the rain to get this vicious, but I had to come today…" She sneezed again.

"Oh don't worry, my mate and I were caught while we were coming back too. Come, I'll show you to the bathroom so you can get properly dried and washed up." She quickly led her to the bath, showed her how it all worked, and left her to get all of that mud and wetness off of her. She was in there for a few minutes, before she came out, her lush, thick white fur spotless and pure, her hazel eyes radiating warmth and confidence, the sharp edge of her horn sticking out from her head dulled, to avoid any accidents, and her mane was groomed, and curly towards the ends, making it plump and smooth all the way. She was utterly beautiful… though it didn't help that she sneezed, again.

"Sorry… for breaking in so suddenly. I was directed here by some of the locals as the rain began, this is Team Star's house, correct? The real Team Star."

"Yep, that'd be us." Eric walked over to her, looking at her eyes, and her body, Elly coughing as she walked up beside him, and extended her paw first. "I'm Elizabeth, and he's Eric, but you can call me Elly."

"Elly!" She held her paw, and shook it enthusiastically. "I've heard about you! Oh I'm so glad to finally meet you in person!" She looked around, spotting the Zorua finishing up a pot of warm soup for her. "It smells divine. Are you Zed?" He remained quiet, shrinking away from her beautiful eyes, which trailed over to a rather tensed up Luxio. "Oh… apologies Lucy, I forgot that… I'm sorry if I made him feel uncomfortable." She bowed slightly, surprising the electric type, then finally resting her eyes on Nox. "And you must be Nox, right?"

"Hah! Finally, someone's done their homework!" Nox cheered, as someone finally recognized him… though this confused Eric and Elly.

"You… really know quite a lot about us, don't you?" She turned to face the leaders again, smiling warmly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm just an avid reader, and contrary to popular belief, there are some newspapers, specially in Johto, that speaks highly of you!"

"Johto? Isn't that like… really far away?" Nox, as always, displayed his deep geographical knowledge.

"Far away? Nox, it's west of Kanto, you couldn't get any further away than that." Elly's comment made him blush, realizing he'd sort of made himself look dumb. "You must've had a good reason to have come from so far away."

"Well… yes, but not particularly… see, it wasn't I who wanted to see you, but rather my father. Unfortunately, his health didn't allow him to leave the country, so he sent me in his stead with a request that you go see him in person."

"Wait… you want us to go to Johto?" She nodded, and Eric looked at the others. "How…"

"We will cover the travel expenses, and compensate you for any issues or inconveniences that arise. We will provide a vessel too, one of the two that took me here." The amount of information she just unloaded on all of them, all at once, quickly overwhelmed the group.

"Wait, you mean to say you're going to cover the entire trip? What kind of family are we talking about here? Who is our client?"

"I…" She looked around, at no one in particular. "I don't think mentioning it here, of all places, is a good idea… I have heard that they have started taking hold in this region, starting in this town… how you have allowed the Judges to do so is beyond me but…" Just the fact that she mentioned them was enough to rouse all five of them. "Oh… Well, I suppose I had it wrong then?"

"There's not much we can do, we don't have a special vote or additional weight in decisions the mayor takes. If they want to help them, we can't do much except protest, but even that is apparently falling on deaf ears… but anyways, we got the gist, you don't want to be associated with these people, or be near them and risk being seen or heard?" She nodded, Elly feeling… slightly glad to hear that there was someone out there who opposed them almost as much as she did. "Is that why you rushed over, even while it rained?"

"Yes, I didn't-" She was briefly interrupted by Zed, who placed a bowl of steaming hot soup in front of her, and a spoon. She blinked, and looked at him, smiling. "Thank you!" She then used psychic of her own to pick up the spoon, and begin drinking away. "Yes, I wanted to avoid being seen by anyone. My family… doesn't get along well with them." She left it at that, obviously finding that branch of the conversation uncomfortable. "I know it is a strange request, specially when I have just met you, but…"

"Don't worry, we've answered stranger." Eric reassured her with a smile, the Absol eating and drinking her soup as he spoke. "We'll need to discuss it with the members that aren't present here at the moment, but as soon as reach an agreement, we'll tell you, and we'll head back with you."

"Oh, well… Thank you, it was delicious." She gave Zed the bowl back, she'd eaten most of it, so she'd definitely liked it. "Unfortunately, I cannot wait to hear your answer, I must be on my way once again… the voyage took far longer than I had anticipated, and I am expected to be back in just a few days. So I must leave immediately… I was afraid I would not be able to meet you before I was called away once again, but I am happy that this wasn't the case!" She smiled gladly, getting up. "If you want to take the invitation, there will be a ship in port, a medium sized one. With sails, and a Gyarados nearby. He's the captain. Tell him your answer, and he'll take you to Johto if you agreed."

"That's it?" Eric's inquiry confused her. "Just… go tell him who we are?"

"Show him your badges, at the very least if he asks. If he is still suspicious, tell him that Maria sent you, ok?" She blinked, then gasped and bowed. "Oh, sorry I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Maria."

"Ah, there, I was confused for a second… very well, we'll think it over."

"Thanks." She shook paws with them and thanked them for their hospitality, and as she went to open the door, she stopped for a second, and looked at Elly. She seemed like she was about to say something, but closed her eyes, shaking her head and… the door was flung open in front of her, as Jake and Serge burst in, both of them drenched completely.

"Brrrr! This fucking rain i-" The Pidgeot froze in place, halfway in the rain as he stared at a shocked, surprised Maria. They held that stare for a bit, before the Absol excused herself, and walked under his wing, out into the insane rain pouring down in town.

"Serge, close the damn door you're going to flood the house at this rate!" When he snapped his head back to the house, then back out, Maria was gone. She'd been there one moment, gone the next. He closed the door at the third scream he received, shaking his head and splashing everyone with the water sticking to his feathers.

"Hey sorry, I was just surprised to see someone walk out that heartbroken, specially when I've never even seen them." The team star members that had been speaking with Maria looked at him, confused. "That Absol. She looked like you'd just told her her father had died or something."

"What are you talking about? She was all happy to meet us."

"Her name's Maria, by the way, and she asked if we could go to Johto to meet her father for some kind of special request."

"Maria?" Serge crossed his wings in front of him, rubbing his chin. "Name rings fam-"

"Serge for the love of Arceus, get yourself in the bathroom!" Elly kept screaming until both he and Jake were in the bathroom and could dry and clean themselves up, as they'd left the floor covered in mud from outside and water just… everywhere. She immediately got to work on cleaning it all up, whilst the others just sat around and relaxed… an odd morning to say the least.

---

"Alright so, just so we're all on the same page then… we're really going to be heading out tomorrow morning to Johto? Just because someone came in person for our help?"

"Yes. If they came to see us directly it must be important, don't you think? We can't just ignore it."

"I mean… we can't, no, but at the same time doesn't this whole thing smell fishy to everyone?" Serge was weirdly averse to taking the request. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I understand and I'm not saying this to be a dick, or scared or anything of the sort, but… Johto, first and foremost, is pretty friggin' far away, across the ocean too, and past Kanto, so it's going to take at least a week to get there."

"She's got a ship ready for us." Lucy said this with just the slightest disdain… she was still not the biggest fan of boats or ships in general.

"What kind of person would have a ship JUST for us though? We're talking about a kind of treatment Ferrus has to pull multiple strings to afford that. And that reward? Any expenses we have covered, and probably something beyond that?"

"Serge is right, this whole affair is perhaps too advantageous and profitable to be genuine."

"We don't know what the mission itself could be. It could be us going up against yet ANOTHER Rebscura, or one of those machine things…" Zed shuddered, still having nightmares about that particular encounter. The feeling was shared by the others, no one wanted to go up against another of those monsters so soon. Or anytime, for that matter.

"Well I doubt it is one of those cases once again, but I think Jake's argument is enough: the deal is just too good to be true." Eric sighed, crossing his arms as Serge kept insisting. He looked to Elly for advice, but even she seemed to be at a loss.

"Right, I get that, but her plight seemed genuine. Would she really go all this way, and through all of this for just a trap?" Jake was about to answer positively, but the Riolu's question was a good one. "And furthermore, is there anyone who would go to these lengths to trap us like this and send one of their own right to our doorstep? If the trap failed, we'd know who they are, and they haven't been this direct and going after us, we've just stumbled upon them every single time almost."

"Then maybe what happened back in Unova's making them switch up their strategy."

"When they essentially won that fight? That doesn't make sense Nox." Serge suddenly changed his discourse, rubbing his chin. "I think it makes sense. If you guys want to go, I suppose I won't fight it. Let's just stay alert and make note of any weird stuff that goes down. If we get jumped, this time they won't catch us by surprise."

"Woah, what's with the sudden one eighty?" The Luxio rose her head, looking at the Pidgeot, who shrugged.

"Dunno, thinking about her, I…"

"Oh stop thinking with your dick for once!" Her assumption got a chuckle from everyone, even Serge.

"Nah, I can never stop doing that. But that's not what I was going to say. Again, don't know about you lot, but she looked sad as all hell when she left, and that's not the type of face someone would make when they are setting up a trap."

"And again, no one saw this. You're essentially going off of a hunch." They all fell silent as they thought up of what to answer, and Jake gave up, sighing. "You know that whatever choice is made, I shall follow it."

"Well?" Zed's inquiry was directed to Eric.

"I say we go."

"Oh for the love of…"

"I can't tell if you're actually annoyed because we have to cross the ocean or because it could be a trap, Lucy." Elly's tease came with a smirk on top, further angering Lucy.

"Uuuh, how about both, you slut? Anyways, what if we get jumped while on the ship? What then? Or if the people on the ship ARE there to attack us?"

"We beat them. I doubt they'll have enough on that tiny ship to hold us down."

"And if they leave us in the middle of the ocean?"

"I fly back to Treasure Town and get a ship to fetch you guys. Takes about one or two days tops with my powers, I bet." Serge just kept breaking and beating back all of Lucy's arguments, suddenly becoming the main driving force behind them going. Eventually, the Luxio resigned herself, though Zed's pats and nuzzling comforted her somewhat.

"And I guess I'm the only one who still doesn't want to go… eh, whatever. That'd mean I have to stay here in town, and I'm not about to start filling in for you lot here in town."

"That, and we'd also want to all be together in case something bad does actually happen, so you were coming along whether you wanted to or not, kiddo." The Houndour rolled his eyes.

"Guess that settles it then?" Eric was met with nods from everyone. "Right, then tomorrow morning, at 7, I want every up and ready to leave. The sooner we leave the sooner w-" He was interrupted by a knock at the door, which confused them all. "The hell? It's almost ten…"

Elly stood up, walked over to the entrance. "Yes? Who is it?"

"Elizabeth, dear, it's me Slew! Open the door will you? I've something to tell you all!" The Eevee blinked, and opened the door… and while she did see the Slowking on the other side, who she didn't expect to see was Cherry! She pounced her and wiggled, hanging from her neck.

"Weeeee! Elly! So nice to see ya again, gurl!" She looked at the Espurr, which she didn't recognize for a split second, before finally coming to a realization as to who she was, tentatively hugging her back.

"Oh! It's… great to see you again, Cherry! And everything is fine…?" She looked at her. "Is something the matter?"

"Oh no, I'm just happy to see my friends are all ok! And also, hi Nox! And Serge!" She waved at the two of them, which just puzzled the duo.

"I… excuse me who the hell is this?"

"This is Cherry, the Espurr we found down at the bottom of the ruins in Crimsand… Slew, did you tell her our names?"

"No! That's the thing, she's been constantly talking about you guys, saying she knows you, but she can't remember a thing."

"Pffft, yeah right!" She let go of Elly's neck and floated casually further into the house, smiling. "I do know these guys! That's Eric, that's Elly, Lucy, Zed, Serge and Nox and... " Her eyes stopped on Jake, who just glared at her, raising an eyebrow. "I don't know you."

"You don't say." His sardonic comment went completely over her head however.

"Well, I do say!"

"Right, you say you know us, but from where exactly?"

"Dunno."

"Dunno?"

"Dunno."

"Dunn-"

"Alright I think you two better stop before you get into an endless loop." The Pidgeot broke up between Nox and Cherry, since once repetition was enough for him. She floated over and laid on his head, purring and hugging his neck, bucking her hips and pointing forward, as if telling him to charge on. "I'm not going anywhere in here, so get off my back."

"Aww, come on but I'm as light as a feather! Can't complain that I'm all heavy like Elly over there!"

"Hey!" That comment, while annoying Elly, made Serge give the biggest shit eating grin.

"Oh I like you already."

"As always, you have the lowest standards." Jake wrapped up before returning to his lecture.

"Alright, alright let's all just slow down a bit now…" Elly invited Slew to come in and explain why he'd come and taken Cherry with him, but he shook his head.

"I'm afraid this is exactly the reason why I must leave her with you: I require some time to prepare and bring back things for my investigation, so my request was twofold: to please ask you to take care of Cherry, and to deliver some key information."

"Key information?" She and Eric were the only ones who'd heard that part, everyone else was hung up on taking care of Cherry, whilst she rose her arms and cheered cutely.

"Yes, one of the pieces is related to Cherry herself, and… well, her odd powers. As you've no doubt been able to tell so far, she floats, teleports and does strange things, correct?" Eric and Elly both nodded. It was strange, but nothing they'd never heard of or seen in the past from psychics. "Well, now the surprise comes in the fact that she lacks any and all psychic capabilities. During some testing I performed on her… nothing intrusive, don't give me that look Elly, I discovered that she has sustained damage in some areas of her brain. I don't know precisely which of them, but I suspect it had something to do with the state you found her in."

"What do you mean? We found her inside some strange metal sarcophagus."

"Yes, and according to her, it was cold inside. I believe it might've been some kind of technologically created cryostasis inducing chamber created by humans… Or in other words, Eric, a sarcophagus designed to lower the body temperature of those inside to the point where their bodies do not decompose and are kept in a pristine state for as long as the chamber is supplied with energy."

"Wait…. wait wait wait, you're telling me she has been there ever since humans?!" Elly's shock was undeniable, but the Slowking had his doubts.

"Calm yourself and think rationally: how could such a machine have been functioning all these years without shutting down? I believe something must've drawn her there, she fell inside, and she was trapped at some point. At least that is my theory, though there is a chance yours could be correct… regardless, I'd strongly advise you avoid bringing this up around her."

"What? The fact that she has been asleep for potentially thousands of years?"

"That, and her brain damage. She's odd, and has some symptoms of schizophrenia, and speaking of that, avoid, under all costs, waking her up too violently or otherwise doing something she actively discourages you to do, like touching her. I figure that the hard way." It was then that, upon closer inspection, the professor was hiding his hand under his winter cloak. "Yes, she broke it, all on her own. I know not where her powers come from or what they are, but what rests inside that Espurr far exceeds anything we've seen so far." They all looked at her, currently just hopping around and playing rock paper scissors with Serge and Nox, having a ball, whilst Lucy covered her ears in annoyance.

"Well, bringing her to the most unstable bunch of doofuses isn't exactly the smartest move… besides, we're supposed to be leaving tomorrow." Eric gave Slew a short rundown of what was going to be happening tomorrow, but surprisingly, he seemed excited to hear this!

"Good! It will do her well to get some fresh air! And perhaps seeing new things might rouse her memories… if they haven't been permanently destroyed by the damage. Regardless, I leave her in your capable hands. Now, as for the second piece of information, this one is a bit more troubling, so to speak. No, I know you remember coming to help us defend the ruins we were exploring, since that is where we found Cherry… but do you remember why it is we were there in the first place?"

"Don't think you mentioned it directly, but we guessed it was related to uncovering the culture of humans."

"Yes, precisely, but… we have made some unsettling discoveries ever since. Beyond our interest in researching just what kind of cataclysmic event could've brought about the end of humanity, there is also the fact that we located some strange documents. Having somehow survived through the eons, and using a faithful translator, we have managed to uncover some… unsettling data. References to a war between pokémon and humans, a group that came from another world… most unsettling of all however, are many a reference to Rebscura and Elementals." They both froze on the spot at the mention of all of these things, more important to the elementals part, sharing a worried glance.

"Now, I don't know much about the second part, and it's quite fuzzy, there are some dissertations regarding elements and the sort, things that honestly sound like magic hogwash still… but the Rebscura part is quite unsettling. It won't sit well with me to think that a great civilization like theirs came to an end purely because of Rebscura… specially ones such as the monster you brought down in the Giant's Forest not long ago." There was a pregnant silence, the conversation being overheard by the others, and by now the only one who was still moving was Cherry, innocently asking what was wrong. "You do realize what this could mean, yes?"

"So far we thought that the Rebscura we were fighting were here because of accidents, or leftovers from Eric and Clades… but if you're telling us that even way back then these things were here, which means they could be coming from somewhere else."

"Back in Haleno Village, the elder told us a bit of what Maximilian had been speaking about. Something about the fragments and the power they held transforming those 'not worthy' into Rebscura… but so far, the only ones we've been meeting were transformed accidentally by those fragments." Now, there were even more questions than answers, and Slew felt somewhat guilty, so he attempted to cheer them up, placing a comforting hand on Elly's shoulder.

"Worry not, with enough study and patience, the answers shall come to us. Give us time." He tried to reassure them as best as they could, but now all they could think about was what all of this could mean, and where it all stemmed from. "I apologize if I have brought about a restless night, but in light of current events, I felt compelled to give you all this much information before you go on another one of your quests. And while I'd love to stay and chat about less serious topics with you all, such as Cherry's delightful personality, I feel like you will be going to sleep soon."

"We'll try to… hopefully Cherry doesn't make too much noise." She looked back at the Espurr, just spinning in place, and somehow not getting insanely dizzy, whilst Nox and Serge clapped their paws and wings respectively. Zed was looking amused, Lucy interested and Jake seemed outright annoyed. "Well, good night to you as well, Slew, and please be careful."

"Don't worry, my dear." They both hugged, and Eric followed up shortly after. "And don't you worry either, young man! With time comes perspective, and I have seen plenty to know what to worry and what not to worry about… and with your intervention, I doubt that our friends will bother me and my research for the time being. You, on the other hand, if you will be leaving tomorrow morning, I plea you exercise caution."

"We're already planning on doing just that. Thanks, Slew. Good night!"

"Good night, my friends!" He waved in from outside, and everyone returned the gesture, before he headed back to his house, the door was closed and locked, and now came the dilemma of figuring out where Cherry would be sleeping.

"I wanna sleep with Jake! Jake Jake Jake!" She started to bounce up and down around the aforementioned Sneasel as he got up and carried his book upstairs, before she stopped in front of him with wide open eyes, sparkling almost.

"No." Was his cut and dry response, walking past her, before she came up into his way again.

"Pwease?"

"No."

"Pwetty pwease?"

"No." As she opened her mouth to breathe in and go on another tirade of supplications, he planted a finger on her lips. "No matter how much you insist I shan't allow you to sleep with me. I doubt I shall get much sleep, I have books to read and the light of the candles m- Are you nibbling on my finger?" She was, actually, but she just shrugged innocently. "Do you not know where that has been?"

"Up your butt?" Her sudden response made the Sneasel fluster at the implications.

"What?! How dare you make that assumption, you childish creature!"

"I'm kidding, though you definitely have something up your butt…" The others behind them either laughed or chuckled as they walked by them as they went up to their beds. "Either way, I don't wanna sleep alone today, and the light of the candles won't bother me. You won't know I'm there… so pleeaaaase!" She hopped in place again, putting her hands together and hopping. The ice type was still a bit flustered from her jokes and teases, but if she didn't mind the candles or him reading for most of the night, then he supposed it would fine. Furthermore, a look from Elly told him that he shouldn't delay and go to sleep as soon as possible… he supposed he could catch up on reading on the ship.

"Very well, you may sleep with me tonight."

"Yaaaaay!" She suddenly hopped and glued herself to him, hanging from his neck and making him lose balance, huffing as he worked to straighten himself up as she hugged around his back, like a backpack. She was abnormally light, he'd find out, he'd barely notice she was there… except when she rubbed and cuddled against him. "Under two conditions!"

"Yea?"

"Number one: Respect my personal space." He glared at her intensely, and she let go, floating besides him and pouting cutely. "And number two: Do not disturb me while I read or sleep. That is all."

"Easy peasy lemon squeezy then!" She floated up the stairs, and began checking the doors, catching everyone either slipping into bed, or already in bed, wishing them all good night one by one, except with Nox, where she just squealed and closed that door, blushing, her reaction earning a smirk from Jake as he walked by and opened the door to his room. The inside was cluttered with many books, all of them collected and arranged into neat piles… but those piles were everywhere but the bed. Papers were stacked on the desk, a large papyrus spread on the desk, with a drawing that'd quickly roll up and hide inside one of the drawers. The temperature in the room was even lower than normal, no doubt the ice type's doing, but under the sheets, once she slipped under them of course, it wasn't so unbearable.

She giggled and tossed and played around, risking completely taking the sheets with her as Jake laid in bed too, facing away from her. "Good night!" She chimed in his ear, the Sneasel not even returning the sentiment as he closed his eyes, and attempted to sleep. He didn't particularly dislike the Espurr, but he didn't enjoy her company either, so he'd be as professional about this as he could, and attempt to get some sleep… which was harder than he would think, and not because of her restlessness, but because of his own troubled dreams.

---

Come morning, they'd all rush out of the house after stumbling out of their beds, checking to make sure everything was locked before going to the docks. Eric had gone ahead to meet the "sailors", and his surprise was understandable when he saw that there was only one pokémon there… under the ship. A Gyarados, talking with him, and explaining that he'd be taking them across the ocean to meet with Lady Maria. "I will attempt to make the voyage as smooth as possible, but I cannot vouch for the sea itself."

"As long as you don't rock any of us off the ship, specially this kitty, we'll be f-" Serge was cut off by a 'friendly' shock from the Luxio, leaving him twitching as she inched her way across the plank and onto the deck. They all followed after, having given her all the space she needed, and the plank was lifted and rested on the ship.

"Alright, I think that's everything." With that last call from the Riolu, the Gyarados began swimming, and even though he started slowly, he'd pick up speed extremely quickly, and almost fly across the surface of the water. Waves crashed against the sides, rocking the boat slightly, but considering how much ground they were covering, it wasn't nearly as much as one would expect. The inside of the ship was spacious and had everything they might want, except too few beds. Four, to be precise. Eric, Elly, Zed and Lucy had no issues picking one for each pairing, and Serge begrudgingly allowed Nox to sleep with him in the same bed after much back and forth throughout the day.

"Seriously I'd rather sleep on the floor."

"Dude, what's the big problem?! Like, you didn't complain back in the day, why now of all times?"

"Kiddo, do you really want me to out you right now on the reason why literally no one wants to sleep with you in the same room?" Elly knew it already, and she'd told Nox, and Serge would repeat it for him, whispering it into his ear.

"...point."

"I suppose that means Cherry and I will have to share a bed… again."

"Yaaay! Slumber Party part two!" She threw her hands up into the air and spun in what looked like zero gravity, eventually sticking herself to the ceiling as the ship moved. The rest of the day moved slowly as they either slept, played board games, talked or read. As the sun set, Eric and Elly moved to the front of the ship to look at the horizon and the slowly shrinking sun. Underneath them, the waves rippled above the murky waters, nothing but bottomless darkness underneath them, accentuated by the slowly fading light.

"You know, I sort of get where Lucy's coming from with her phobia of water, it looks quite terrifying like this. Just imagine falling in, you wouldn't surface."

"Reminds me of what it felt like looking down that ravine in that buried city…" He sat still for a sec, looking at the water. "What do you think about what Slew said? You think something like Rebscuras could be the reason humanity went extinct?"

"I don't know. It could be, but the implications of it are terrifying."

"Eric didn't mention it though."

"Eric didn't mention much of anything, did he?" She glared at her mate. "Honestly, it would've been very like him to have noticed something along those lines and kept it to himself."

"Guess you aren't going to forgive him, even after all this time… We didn't go to his grave this month. We ought to… Don't give me that look Elly, I know full well what he did, but he tried to right his wrongs in the end."

"When he had no other chance… All these humans have done for us is just twist things further. Do I need to remind you about our little interdimensional trip?"

"Don't need to… I still remember it clear as day. You only saw the labs though, I was taken to that arena, and that was just a bit worse, if that was even possible."

"Either way, only humans could've come up with such twisted and sick things to do to other living creatures… you know what, I can see some of that in the Judges, in Tharmius."

"Why the comparison?"

"There's just… something inhuman about him, like those he considers to be evil. or impure or whatever the hell he says are less than dirt and don't deserve even the slightest bit of mercy. Like, who does he think he is? Has the whole "high judge" him really got to his head so much he thinks he can get away with executions on the worst contenders and lock up whoever he wants to maintain order?"

"Well, so far it seems to have worked out in most places… Again, don't give me that look, and their methods are detestable, but effective at the end of the day! And besides… Don't know if it's right to give someone who actively seeks to kill and harm innocents and cause as much panic and terror as possible to have a fair trial."

"How can you say that? He's-"

"You think any of Team Uncario deserved a fair trial after what they did? Nymphe? Procella? Clades and Blake? What other option was there for them at that point, they were too dangerous to be kept alive." He sighed, and covered his head. "Easy for us to say though, the blood isn't on our paws, except for…" Silence befell the two, staring out into infinity for a while before he spoke up again. "I know it sounds like I'm agreeing with them. Not everything is so black or white Elly."

"I get that. Out of everyone here and everyone involved in that fight, you're the only one who can really claim stuff like this. After you were the one that… that…"

"Did what had to be done." He finished that sentence for her, once again falling silent.

"I think about him sometimes. I don't think I ever will stop thinking about him… I've got so many regrets and fears left from back then. So many questions that just remained unanswered."

"Did it really matter to answer them? Did it really matter why he did what he did? I think what matters is what he did, and how we reacted…" He grabbed her paws, pulling her closer. "It'll forever weight on my consciousness, but I won't' let that get in the way of us."

"I know honey… But I worry about where it is we should draw the line…" She sighed, and hugged him, the Riolu returning the hug, watching the setting sun together.

---

The rest of the voyage went by through the night. Gyarados, despite their concerns for him, had not stopped moving even through the night, and come morning they were docked and stationed on the complete opposite side of the ocean. It was a small coastal village, but right on landing they'd notice the strange air that hung above them. It was always a strange feeling to land in a previous unvisited land, but something was even stranger. The villagers looked at them in a mixture of fear and awe, and spotting the mark on the back of Eric's paw made them fall back, and either return to their daily activities or hide in their houses.

The Riolu opted to keep it hidden, covering the mark, but unable to ask questions. Not even the carriage that was expressively awaiting them, lead by three Rapidashes had many answers to give them, as they remained quiet and stoic, and always answered the same. "You must ask the Seer." Whatever that meant, they hadn't a clue, but it was likely someone they'd meet in the next city. The area was surrounded by thick, lush, lively forests, and it quickly became apparent that the forests here were much bigger and far more common than the ones they had back home.

"Like, damn we don't get to see this much green around home."

"We live in a mostly hot climate. Desert to the north, and further down the tundra begins. Only forests that can be seen are to the far west, in places such as Fogbound Lake. This is due to..." Jake quickly drew from what seemed to be an infinite amount of wisdom and knowledge to lecture Nox on the variety of reasons why their area was drier and so much more polarized than Johto. Unfortunately, Nox was too busy appreciating the trees and looking at the winding roads as they rode through. A cliff face appeared, and at the very top, he could see a white tower rising up, trying to look up.

"Wooooah… That it?" Elly leaned next to the window to look out as well.

"Probably. Yanicelum's always been a very… rich city, go figure out why that'd be the case."

"Tithe, probably."

"It was.. a rhetorical question, Jake." Elly looked at him, the Sneasel rubbing the back of his head, and apologizing, only to be booped on the nose by Cherry.

"Silly."

"Stop that."

"Nu." She stuck her tongue out, and then went over the ceiling, and looked out the window as well. "So like, religion 'n stuff. That's what gets made here, right?"

"Pretty much." Eric spoke up. "This is the heart of Arceus' believers, or Arceites, for short. They think that Arceus isn't dead, and is just out there silently judging us, and awaiting his return to carry out divine judgment." She looked at him, puzzled, before Serge rolled his eyes and gave her a simplified version.

"Basically they're just waiting for the dude to do some spring cleaning, as gods do in those dumb stories for teenagers."

"Ooooh, gotcha, so god is evil. That's so anime."

"So… what now?" They just took her remark as a joke, or a strange reference that they had no chance of understanding. Really, she did a lot, and while it might've bothered them at the beginning, now they'd just grown to accept it.

The forest around them cleared out slowly, revealing some farms and shacks in some clearings, and a river flowing through the valley as they went up a hill, eventually reaching a plain, and going over a large stone river, where they could see some more pokémon walking about. It was safe to assume that they were about to arrive at their destination, and only a few minutes later, the carriage stopped, their riders telling them that they'd indeed, arrived at Yanicelum.

The city that spread out before them was unlike any they'd seen before: tall buildings, refined, beautiful fronts, a single, large main street that went from the massive entrance all the way to a separate set of walls, like a separate city, and within this city rose a massive tower, one that put any other to shame, made of marble and stone, rising up to the sky. The heart of the followers of Arceus' teachings.

"Oooh, that looks super impressive!" Cherry stared in awe at the massive size of the tower, Serge whistling.

"Yeah, that thing's reaching all the way up to the clouds… how'd they built it?"

"They didn't." Elly got down afterwards, looking at the tower. "Well, according to the legends of course. It's said that this tower was here from the very beginning, a landmark of an ancient civilization that Arceus himself placed here as a reminder to his followers of his existence, and a place for prayer. Whether that's true or not is… hard to prove, of course, but the fact that this tower exists and that it is a staggering achievement architecturally speaking is undeniable."

"Wow, I can't believe Elly is giving religion a break for once." Lucy joked, walking past them all and heading straight for the entrance.

"So this place is literally just a giant mark that says 'Arceus was here'? Huh, no wonder it looks gaudy, dude must be really obsessed with himself." The reason Nox said that was because already from where they stood they could see stone statues of Arceus on the sides of the tower, and at the entrance of the city.

"Keep it down… I don't think they'd appreciate us talking so disrespectfully about something that's so important to them." Zed as always, attempted to remain respectful.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah… Still, place gives you the creeps don't it?" Serge shuddered. "Never been one for beliefs, but this place is like, exactly what I'd envision the inside of a temple to look like, except even bigger and outdoors. So it's just quiet, slow, empty, and creepy."

"Serenity is important to us here, in this place of worship, strangers." They all jumped from the sudden intrusion of another voice, turning to look at a robed Pancham, who bowed respectfully. "I would like to implore for your forgiveness, for interrupting you so suddenly, but I couldn't help but listen to your conversation. Are you perhaps, the newcomers that aim to meet the Seer and the High Priest?" They all looked at him, confused, Eric taking the lead in the conversation.

"Apologies, but we don't know who these people are by their ranks… we are here at the request of Maria, an Absol, who wished to ask us for help in her father's stead. You wouldn't know where they are, perhaps?" The devout fell quiet for a bit, seemingly deep in thought, before glancing to the side, to a temple nearby.

"It is Thursday. Come." The cryptic message just left them all dumbfounded, Elly letting out a grunt of annoyance, following the group as they headed to this temple. The smaller door at the bottom was slightly ajar, and a chorus of voices could be heard, singing and praying. "You may come into this holy house. Replicate this gesture, if you please, and follow me inside." He made a gesture that mimicked Arceus' emblem on his chest, and walked inside. Eric did the same, remaining respectful, whilst Jake followed in with the gesture, curious to see the architecture in the building. Everyone but Elly did it, as she was about to step in, she was stopped by the Pancham.

"Oh come on…. Fine, I'll stay outside then."

"Sister, you mustn't display such behaviour in front of the lord's home."

"I don't see why I should be forced to follow a custom that I don't personally believe in… but rather than get into an argument I'd rather stay out here." No one pressed her further, but Eric was obviously bothered by this, debating whether to stay outside or not. Eventually, he decided to head in, telling Elly through their link that he was doing it to get the job, to which she didn't object. After a small antechamber, they were in a large temple, oval shaped, a large stained window above them, and a stained glass dome in the centre. The ceiling was painted with depictions of Arceus, angels in the heavens, food, drink, a depiction of the afterlife no doubt.

It was quite a striking image, beautifully drawn, but Cherry didn't seem to care, pointing to a corner of the ceiling, smiling. "Oooh, look at those pretty angels!"

"Oi oi, keep quiet…" Nox tried to quiet her down, looking where she had… and stared at the ceiling for a long time. He saw a beautiful angel, with those large white wings, a torso, a babyface, playing the harp in front of it seemingly with no visible hands… It looked awfully familiar.

"Nox, come on, what are you two doing?" Jake called them over, the small Espurr climbing up on Nox's back and riding on it, much to his annoyance, as they walked up to an elevated area. There was a bit of space for them to lean over the railing and look down. The railings above had chandeliers that lit up the inside of the temple, which was quite dark in some areas, a sea of creatures, all clad in robes, deep in prayer, whilst a central chorus was singing in the middle, harmonious melodies filling the room.

It seemed like they were just waiting around, praying along with the chorus, but before long, the singing died down, and onto the stage… walked Maria, not bearing any of those robes, instead a much lighter set, the population bowing and praying. "Oh Seer Maria…" The realization of who she really was dawned on them, as Maria pressed her paws together, sitting.

"My people, calm your spirits, and let us all pray together for the swift and healthy recovery of our High Priest, and my beloved father, who sadly once again will not be able to join us today" A few moments of serene prayer and silence followed, and then music would start playing in the depths of the temple, coming from a large piano and a chorus, before Maria joined in… And perhaps in the past they'd only heard some jesters sing and dance in town, or some traveling performers, all of them with beautiful, harmonious voices, but what Maria possessed was nothing short of the voice of an angel.

It was breathtaking to say the least, everyone going wide eyed whilst those followers, far more accustomed, either joined in as a chorus or prayed silently, making the members of Team Star have their hairs and feathers stand on end, specifically Serge, who just stared at Maria the whole time, eyes closed, and letting herself be absorbed by the music and the singing around her, the unique architecture of the temple allowing her voice to echo all over, and drown them in its nigh heavenly perfection. As the music died down, her voice was the sole sound that could be heard, and then finally, it too quieted down after holding her voice. After that, most would get up slowly and silently, and parade out of the temple, the Absol looking up straight at where Team Star was, as if she'd already known they'd be there, and motioning to the entrance with her head.

They met her outside, where Elly was sitting to the side of the entrance to stay out of the way of the procession marching out, the city seemingly being awakened after the time of prayer was over. "Oh, I'm so very glad you all made it, but unfortunately as you may have heard, my father's illness has gotten worse."

"Is he in danger?" Serge asked out of pure concern it seemed, taking the words right out of Eric's mouth.

"No, at the very least that is what the doctors say…" She glanced around. "Quite frankly, I'm happy we got a doctor instead of some bishops to sing for him and hope he gets better."

"Not an awful lot of faith in your god then." Elly pointed out, though it came out far more mean spirited than she'd anticipated, Maria took no offense to it surprisingly, sighing.

"I realize this, and I feel that it is wrong, but sometimes fate can be cruel, and steal away those we love most." A long silence followed her observation, deep in thought. "I know not what would transpire should my father perish to unexpectedly, both to myself and to our people, so mother and I shall do our best to make sure he recovers, even if some our followers disagree… No matter, this does not concern his request to you all. Still, I am very glad you have come, and…" She noticed someone new among them, the Espurr seemingly floating in place. "Who might you be?"

"Hiii, I'm Cherry!" She waved at her, floating over and nuzzling the Absol. "Nice to meet youuuu! Again! I think, I dunno, a lot of people I know but at the same time don't know, it's weird! But still, tis' so very nice to meet people whether or not I've met them before or not!" She left the Absol puzzled, and Elly was about to apologize for her intrusive behaviour, but Maria only giggled.

"Goodness, you're a friendly one. Well, it is nice to meet you Cherry, my name is Maria. And I would like to welcome you and our friends to our holy city, Yanicelum." She bowed properly.

"Thanks for the hospitality, and for the voyage. We are sad to hear that your father has fallen even deeper into his illness. If needed, we'll come back another time."

"Oh no no, I simply cannot have you all leave so soon, after you have just arrived, and expect you to endure another voyage across the sea. No, I invite you formally to stay the night, at the very least. Perhaps my father shall feel better once morning comes, and you can meet him them. If not, then I will prepare another vessel to allow you to safely return, and monetary compensation for all your troubles." The team was taken aback, Eric quickly stepping up to try and turn down her

"Wait wait, you don't have to do that!"

"Nonsense, your kindness shall not go unrewarded."

"Kindness? Girl, we just took a ship here and listened to you sing."

"Lucy, the mere fact you trusted my plea and came so far just to have you turned down is enough for me to know you mean well. Even if it is your job, and that you do this out of obligation, one's deeds should be rewarded."

"Or maybe you want us to feel obligated to come help you once the chance arises finally." Elly cut straight to the chase, opening the others' eyes and making the Absol's own widen, and look away. "Am I right?"

"...I apologize if I have offended you in some way, miss Elizabeth, I thought you would be kinder than this."

"Sorry, but I would prefer it if we would speak straight, and establish what it is you want from us from the get go, instead of sweetening the deal further and further. We haven't spoken about what our mission will be, but you insist on sweetening the deal and compensating us for our troubles."

"Elly…"

"No no, she's right…" She sighed, and recomposed herself. "My apologies for having left you in the dark for so long. My father's request, and to a certain extent, my own too, is equal parts simple and complex: we want you to defeat the Judges of Arceus and Tharmius."

---

"As you might already know, the Judges of Arceus are a split from the followers of Arceus, the more radical branch of our faith. Due to the Time Freeze, the many political issues that spurred from it, and some… internal strife in our own faith, they broke away from our peaceful ways, and created a para-military force to take the fight into their own hands, as they put it, and destroy the traces of those who brought about the Time Freeze and have created so much grief across the world."

"...Geez, they almost sound like the good guys when you put it like that." Nox interrupted the Absol, as they were sitting in a residence that had been prepared for their arrival, the Absol having convinced them to eat with her, and some cooks, along with Zed, had offered to make their meal.

"Do they really?! Oh, no no no, I apologize, they are anything but the good guys, or heroes! Their faith is questionable at best, given their actions, which are deplorable at the very least! Locking up innocents, holding those swift trials under the supervision of that one, hideous man… Tharmius."

"You mentioned that he was once a figure of great importance, no?" Once the focus of their mission had been revealed, Elly's interest, along with most of the team's, had peaked.

"Yes. He was already, long before he split off, a dangerous, radical individual, with many strange ideas and whose actions only represented his dubious intent. He presented himself as a man who acted for the people, and did what had to be done, but some of us saw through his deceit rather quickly, brought it to attention, and thus sparked a divide within our ranks."

"He hasn't changed much then. Seems like 'the people' are always on his mind, and seemed to be awfully distraught about the whole property stealing thing…"

"I read something about that, a large sub-organization that would judge and take the property of those they locked up for themselves, sometimes even executing them… Trust me when I say this may very well be the tip of the iceberg."

"And how come you haven't done anything about him yet? Publicly denounce him, or something along those lines would doubtless affect his control and power over the regions his men have gained a foothold in." To Jake's suggestion Maria shook her head.

"We already have, but people have changed drastically in the last few years. They no longer are bound or heavy on faith, they rely more on actions than words, and Tharmius' actions have spoken louder than our prayers could have ever reached. As for traditional military action, it is out of the question, he is simply too powerful." They could vouch for that, given how he had dispatched that Rebscura… But Nox didn't seem to be faced, even though he'd been there, laughing.

"Yeah well, we've done the kind of stuff he has. Sure, he's a tough customer, but he doesn't stand a chance against all of us combined!"

"I have to say, you're right, I think you made the right call calling us." Eric for once agreed with Nox, inspiring confidence that while not all might share, it was appreciated as a vote of confidence in his teammates. Maria too, was inspired it seems, as she gave them a sincere smile and nod.

"You know not how this eases my heart… There are far too many details for us to discuss without my father here, but if you wish to start gathering information and try to locate their main base of operations, you are free to do so. If you require any assistance, I won't mind helping you in any way I can."

"Well, I mean, it's going to be pretty dangerous, so I doubt a beautiful lady such as yourself would want to become wrapped up in such affairs." Serge elbowed in from her side, since he'd chosen to sit besides her, the Absol chuckling.

"Bold of you to assume I don't know how to fight. Still, the sentiment and compliment are both appreciated, mister… Serge, correct? We barely ran into each other yesterday, it is a pleasure to meet you properly."

"The pleasure is all mine." He bowed properly, the Absol chuckling, whilst the others just looked on and rolled their eyes.

"I guess it's Gigolo time…" Lucy muttered under her breath, whilst Jake nodded. In between them was Cherry, who was just playing with her food, then at Lucy…

"What's a Gigolo?" She asked out loud, in that precise moment where everyone was eating, and Jake choked on his food, whilst Serge glared at them and Maria looked confused.

"Well! Uh… It is someone who is surprisingly adept at romance with the opposite gender, usually a male towards females…"

"Well, there are some subtleties to it too." Of all people, Maria would be the one to add to it. "It is more commonly known as a ladykiller in that case, someone who romances females with sex as a final objective, without the emotional weight behind the action, and then moves on to another more attractive female. Usually they are very handsome and romantic, and..." She stopped herself then, her eyes widening. "O-of course this is all that books said about them!" The awkward air in the atmosphere prolonged itself for a while.

"What kind of books do you have to read to learn about this stuff?" Serge was positively curious to learn about this, but she remained quiet, shaking her head.

"It was purely research, books borrowed from the library, ancient texts that had to be transcribed and elements that had to be… ummm… edited." She left it all that, implying censorship, but the slight delay left many questions to be answered. "Anyways! I do hope you enjoyed dinner! It has gotten quite late, has it not?"

"Yeah, I suppose we've kept that Gyarados waiting for long enough." Eric stood up, and so did the others, before Maria stopped them.

"Wait, you intend to go now? The sun will fall soon, the path isn't very well lit, as you have probably noticed, and sailing back would be dangerous because of the rocks and crags near the coast."

"We can't possibly stay overnight, I think we'd be pushing on the boundaries of your hospitality." Eric was trying to remain respectful, but really no one wanted to stay there because of how strange the atmosphere in this city was. Too serene and quiet, like a ghost town, specially so late into the night, where at least in Treasure Town one might hear some people whispering or laughing, and on some nights some groups partying and talking in soft, but reassuring voices. Here though, the sun had just set and not a soul could be seen or heard, whilst in Treasure Town the streets would be lively still as businesses closed shop for the day and bars opened.

"Nonsense, consider yourselves mine and my father's esteemed guests tonight. I will understand if it is somewhat strange to be sleeping in such a strange place, and in rather strange conditions too. This house only has two bedrooms, so you will most likely have to share them."

"Ugh… are you sure we can't leave? Like c'mon, it can't be that bad to sail back to Treasure Town." Nox seemed rather annoyed by this prospect, but before anyone could complain he'd open the door, and a cold breeze blew in, making his fur star on end and chilling the entire room, before he slammed that door shut. "O-on uuh.. s-s-s-second thoughts, I think I'd be a great idea to stay in for the night."

"I can't believe it's this cold over here… I suppose we're a bit further south than normal." It was getting so cold outside that when Eric placed a paw on the glass, it left a mark. "Are you sure you will be able to walk back home alone like this, Maria?" The Absol looked at them, now being put up in the spotlight, but before she could say anything, Serge stepped in.

"I wouldn't mind escorting you home if you wish, or at the very least providing you with the necessary warmth by sleeping in the same bed."

"W-well now! I suppose that would be ideal… but I do not know how I feel about sharing a bed with someone I just met, and a male no less!" She shook her head, looking very flustered, and… quite honestly adorable. "No no no, this won't do. I will walk home, and I shall do it alone. No offense, sir Serge."

"Eh, none taken, I suppose I was stepping over my boundaries back there. Still, my offer to aid you and carry you home on my back is still there. To minimize the time you shall spend outside in the cold. The last thing we need is for your cold to finally manifest itself, given your trip in the rain yesterday." It was at this moment that Nox walked over to him and elbowed his side, only for him to be gently pushed away by his wing. Maria weighted her options, and sighed.

"Very well then, if you insist… but only half of the way. I am afraid that the area I reside in is not open to outsiders for security reasons. I hope you understand."

"Perfectly fine with me!" He sprung to life, walking by her and opening the door for her, bowing and then glancing at the others. "I'll sleep in the same room as Nox, you guys figure out the rest!" With that, he slipped outside, and turned to Maria, shuddering and shivering in the cold. "Holy moley, they weren't kidding when they said it was cold."

"I know right?" She chuckled, rubbing her sides as she sat down. "It hasn't been this cold in quite a while, yet another reason of weight for you to stay tonight, I suppose. I really do hope you have a good experience, we weren't planning on any of this happening…" She sighed. "I was perhaps too eager, like father said, in bringing you at this very time."

"Nonsense! You couldn't possibly have known all of this would happen! Sometimes life is unexpected and things don't go according to plan, but hey we make the best of it!" She looked at him, as he smiled and crouched. "Hop on, and give me some directions. Kinda dark."

"O-oh, yes." She did just that, Serge taking note of her weight, which was surprising all things considered, but of course opted to stay quiet, though nothing could hide a huff, which made Maria blush. "S-sorry, I'll get off if I'm too heavy."

"Oh, you? Nah, have you seen Elly? That ass of hers is so fat, but can't even come close to breaking my b-"

"G-goodness!" Her exclamation made him stop in his tracks, and look at her, confused. "A-apologies, it's just… I didn't expect you to be talking so liberally about someone else's… posterior." He couldn't help but chuckle.

"It's fine, we're a bunch of weirdoes after all."

"I have… taken notice. Either way, shall we? It is to the north, not too far… Oh I should've just walked, it is only a few minuuuutes!" She let out a squeal as they took off unexpectedly, gripping his feathers as they took off, getting a good long whiff at his scent, like that of mint with a strong undertone. "You brute! You could've warned me!"

"Sorry, sorry! But you were starting to second guess yourself, so I just went for it. Didn't want to forewarn you though, I like to remain unexpected, in a way. Like I said, in life sometimes you just gotta deal with things as they come… besides, wasn't going to let you fall." She looked at him, and remained quiet for a while. "You got real startled, didn't you?"

"Yes, I am not so used to flying and… being surprised, in general."

"Life for you not all that exciting here? Be honest, we're several feet above ground already, don't think anyone will hear you up here." He looked back to glance at her, and she stared at his cyan eyes with her own orange ones, looking down at her city, then back at him, sighing.

"No, not that exciting, at least when compared to the one you probably enjoy in your town, and with your profession. It has its upsides and its downsides, as with anything. People come here in pilgrimage, seeking help, advice, and guidance, and we provide them with it, so that they may confront their daily issues with a stronger resolve. We attempt to help as many as we can in our own way… but even I cannot deny that actions often speak louder than words, and we don't have much of that around here." Serge nodded along with her words. "There is peace to be found here though, serenity and tranquility. Even with how exposed we seem to be, we have several guards and warriors scattered through the city to intercept any threats… of course, it's been years ever since someone here was last attacked… so indeed, we don't see much action."

"I mean, I'm a man of fun and action myself, but even I can't deny that sometimes sitting down and relaxing is a great way to let off some steam." Indeed, if the others were present they would've wasted no time reminding him about the fact he wasted most of the day sleeping away at his favourite armchair back home.

"I'm glad you seem to appreciate this in some way. So many people nowadays are so polarizing… black or white, there's no space for gray in between." She looked forward for a bit, falling silent as Serge just flew for a while. "You appreciate unexpectedness, yes?"

"Hmm? I mean, it's not that I appreciate it… I suppose I do, actually, I don't like knowing what's ahead, or having a plan. I like to go with the flow, fly free like the wind, see where it takes me. Having a routine, doing things one day, then the next repeating… It's stable, it's fun, but I've never been one to stick around in one place for long, the exception being this team, of course… But that can't probably last forever either."

"You mean you intend to leave?"

"Not anytime soon! These people are great, don't get me wrong, and I love all of them, specially Nox, the Houndour. Kid reminds me of myself when I was younger, you know… But I digress, yeah sometime in the future I think the team will just… drop it, y'know? Can't be rescuing and fighting people for the rest of our lives, eventually Eric and Elly are gonna settle down, about bloody time too… and then I think the rest of us will just be extras. At least that's how I think it'll go down."

"You mean that they will make a family, and you are afraid you will no longer fit in?"

"Pretty much. As much as I like Nox considering me some kind of uncle like figure, I've never been much of a family person, if you can call it that…" This time it was his turn to fall silent for a long time. "Anyways, what the hell am I doing, looking forward like this. Now's what matters, and now it's absolutely freezing."

"Your feathers are quite effective at retaining your heat, though." She couldn't help but rub them, feeling the warmth underneath, and he had to hold back a slightly lewd remark about how warm she was as well, but it seemed she'd caught wind of what she'd said and blushed, falling silent once more. "I deeply appreciate what you're doing for me. And… thank you, for sharing your perspective on life."

"No problem. What about yours, though? Haven't really spoken much about yours." She glanced at him, and seemed to stutter, but before she began to speak, she looked forward.

"Oh, we're here already!" The Pidgeot glanced forward, and sure enough that tower had gotten much closer, nearing an inner wall that separated what appeared to be a more secluded series of buildings and houses. From where he was though, he could see that to the far right, one of those buildings had a collapsed roof, a sore thorn in an otherwise pretty well kept environment.

"Whoa, what happened over there?" He couldn't help but wonder as he flew down, Maria glancing in his direction and seeing it.

"Oh. There was a fire a week or so ago. No one was hurt, thankfully, but it was quite a scare for everyone." She guided him to fly down in front of the large gates in the middle of the wall, a pair of guards approaching to question who they were before Maria dismounted, straightening and bowing in front of the 'Seer' once again. "Relax, please, I have returned. Open the gate, please." They got to that whilst she turned to Serge. "Once again, I cannot thank you enough for having escorted me back home, mister Serge."

"Oh come on, it really wasn't that much of a hassle. Besides, haven't gotten a chance to stretch my wings all day, thought I'd do me good… And hey, it was fun talking to you Maria."

"Likewise. I wish you a good night then, and that we can continue this conversation tomorrow." She bowed, only to find a wing almost in her face. Looking up, he was extending it for a shake, which she took, smiling and shaking it as best as she could, before turning around and heading back inside. The last thing he'd see of her as she headed past the gates and they slowly close behind her were her orange eyes, once again betraying her and shooting him the same look he'd seen in her eyes when he'd seen her the other morning, when she'd left home.

A look of crushing sadness, the weight of her responsibilities coming down on her.

He stayed there for a while, thinking about what it must be like to be in her place, have so many people depending on her… It wasn't that unlike them, who had many depending on their actions and the group to solve their issues. The similarities ended there, of course, but it was a nice new perspective to consider things from. Unfortunately, he didn't stick around longer, as another cold chill went down his spine, shuddering. "Fuck it's cold." Now that she was gone he could freely swear, as he took off immediately to go back home, and to a warm bed, all thanks to Nox. He failed to notice the cloaked figure watching from one of the moonlit alleyways, then slipping into the shadows and tailing him.

He failed to notice he'd been chased once he got back to the residence, but even after he glanced around he failed to notice them, as they slipped inside a dark alleyway. Finding no one there, he slipped into the house, seeing a lit candle, he expected to find someone still awake. Lo and behold, it was Jake, sitting in a chair and reading, glancing up from his book as Serge slipped inside and shut the door, shivering. "Fuck meee, it's cold as balls out there."

"It was your choice to accompany her home, I suppose the fact that you came back at all is telling that you failed in your quest to bed her."

"Hey, I don't always chase tail straight away. She was being nice, I just wanted to return some of the favours she's given us." Jake shut his book and gave him a smirk that told him he didn't believe his words one bit. Serge groaned and dropped it, as he didn't want to get into an argument so late into the night. "Whatever, the atmosphere in this town is a total boner killer anyways. How'd we arrange the rooms?"

"The others are sleeping already: Eric, Elly, Cherry and I in one room, and you, Nox, Lucy and Zed in the other."

"Fair enough." They headed upstairs and Jake took the first door, wishing him goodnight, the Pidgeot doing the same as they headed to bed. Serge laid down and remained awake for a bit, thinking about Maria, rubbing his back, and managing to pick up on her scent: the scent of orange and tangerines. He couldn't help but smile and pull a sleeping, drooling Nox closer, keeping that scent in his mind before falling asleep.

In the other room, Jake would have a few more issues falling asleep, as Cherry kicked and toiled around in her sleep, annoying him to no end and lifting the sheets, before he forced the sheets out of her grasp, and covered himself properly… at which point she'd hug him instead from behind. He huffed, and seemed about to explode and tell her off… but heard her whimpering and shifting a bit behind him. Breathing deeply, and for the sake of rather childish Espurr, he opted to stay quiet, and let her sleep, as she slowly calmed down once she had someone to hug in her sleep it seemed… and shortly after, he too would fall asleep, as the cold air in the room seemed to get even worse, prompting them all to cuddle up and share warmth desperately.

This would have the unfortunate side effect of making Elly wake up, as Eric had grabbed most of the sheets in their bed, and left her a bit cold, waking up shivering, and trying to hold back a sneeze as she sat up, looking at her mate annoyed, and about to grab it roughly, just like Jake had earlier… But was stopped as she saw something moving in front of the window. A glance upward would reveal a figure, seeming floating before the window, staring into the room. Following their gaze, those eyes would be right on Jake and Cherry, a limb caressing the glass of the window, frost gathering wherever they touched. Their head then turned to Elly, cold emerald eyes glancing back, holding a chilling stare, before a sound turned their heads simultaneously. And moments after, the figure was gone, floating away, and behind it, someone else jumping across roofs, chasing them!

Elly looked around, weighting if she should wake her companions… But they might dissuade her, or waiting for them to wake up and get ready those two might be gone. She quickly bolted out of her bed, and out to the hallway, using her psychic powers to silently open doors and out to the street… And finding what looked like icicles and stalactites all over the road, rocks uprooted, light signs of destruction, a trail of evidence leading down the road, to the church the others had gone into just that morning. Within, she could hear noises, crashes and howls, the sound of fighting, a visceral struggle that had ruined one of the large wooden doors and foreshadowed by a trail of crimson leading within. Appalled, she didn't think twice before charging in, even if at any other point in her life she'd avoided entering such a place, within she didn't find anything at first, but the sound of a chandelier crashing to the floor and shattering and candles rolling on the ground filled her eardrums, alerting her above. She could see them, in the shadows cast by the railings above, thanks to the now slowly growing fire that consumed the benches.

Above she'd see two figures fighting and swinging at each other, echoes of weapons biting and clashing, yet no weapons could be seen in their hands, little flakes and shards of ice falling down along with droplets of crimson blood, clashing once again and larger shards flew off from the left figure, while the right slid across the beam, panting, blood dripping from their sleeves. Before they continued their conflict, the sound of Elly trying to put out the flames, hitting and extinguishing the flames before they grew out of control caught their attention, and the right one sprung off the railing, to the floor… and lunged for the Eevee with almost mechanical movements.

She sprung to action too, raising a psychic barrier and a dark matter barrier in sequence, the first sufficing only to slow their down, crashing through and the second springing against their arm… only for it to convert to split and flow around her dark matter, and attempt to skewer her from multiple angles! "What the-" Something came flying at her from the corner of her eye, and forced her to back off and jump away, before several icicles rained down, crashing and exploding into sharp chunks of ice that would've cut her down if she'd stood close. Bringing up another psychic barrier and recalling her dark matter, the bloodied figure rushed her down once more, but quickly vaulted and used her dark matter to launch herself higher and to the rafters. Missing narrowly, she helped herself up with her paws and dark matter, huffing, only for the other two chase her above.

(Battle for the Umbra Throne - Bayonetta)

Beset from both sides: the chilling adversary behind her, the bloodied one in front, she initially thought that she was outnumbered, as the bloodied one crouched, and dashed at her animalistically, gripping the beam and swinging under it before coming back up, bloody streams coiling and lashing out like sharp whips, forcing her to block and slide back, icicles flying over her head and at the bloodied figure as the other one floated in the air, leaving a trail of icy crystals as each swing of their arms was followed by shards, whips and ribbons of ice to block or strike out at her opponent, before defending themselves from Elly's strike from behind. It an all out brawl between the three of them, and Elly had a feeling it was to the death.

Cracks appeared in the ice, and the bloodied figure came through, their features obfuscated by that long black cloak, almost identical to the one the ice one wore, sharp knives forming from the blood that burst out and flying at the two of them, Elly dropping and using her dark matter as a cocoon below the beams, before swinging back up and smashed into the defending ice type and their attacker, throwing them off, using her powers to control the broken chandelier and rain down fragments of metal sharp enough to cut and impale them. The two fighters swung and sliced, ice blades and that strange crimson liquid, clashing, slicing and blocking each other and the fragments of metal and flames as the fire roared besides them, burning through benches and causing much damage to the temple.

During a struggle, Elly smashed down with her dark matter, forcing them to focus her once again, a crimson spear surging from their sleeve and impaling the ceiling as Elly narrowly dodged it, and in the blink of an eye they were up there again, slicing at her and forcing her to block with her dark matter, as it suffered damage. Icicles crashed near them, taking potshots and sharp shards raining down, cutting into the Eevee's flesh and her attacker's black coat. A layer of frost hung on the rafters above them, and snowflakes in the air that froze solid and made a path for the icy attacker to rise up once again, swing upward and snap their fingers, rafters crashing down as the wood had been turned to splinters by the pressure exerted by the ice, knocking Elly into another chandelier, becoming entangled in the iron, quickly wiggling to the sides to dodge another lunge from the crimson attacker.

Before the ice one could reach them, however, a crimson tendril reached up to the rafters, and brought them down entirely, bringing with them stone and wood that crushed them, a thick layer of dust filling the temple, as Elly desperately defended herself from the constant barrage of slashes, pinned between those beams, as her attacker jumped on the chandelier and it began swinging from side to side, as they pounded her black matter with crimson clubs, weakening it further as Elly screamed from the exertion… she noticed the chain of the chandelier and timing it just right, used her psychic powers to snap it and use the momentum to swing them both away from the fire roaring below and to the main stage where Maria had been singing.

She rolled back up to her feet just as the assassin burst through the flames, swinging and forcing her to block and go on the defensive again, parrying an overhead and side slash, and counting with a thrust from her psychic sword, as they vaulted over her and crimson knives rained down on her, stabbing her in the back but quickly catching them with a dark matter fist and sending them flying to a pillar, crashing through it, quickly pushing off rubble as if it were nothing and running back to Elly. As they charged at each other, they were interrupted by the second assassin, a pillar of ice erected between the two as they took a defensive stance facing the crimson assassin, whilst spikes slowly grew from the ground, forcing Elly to back away slowly. With a grunt, she jumped to the side and charged back in with a psychic blade just as the crimson assassin did, clashing with the ice barriers and sending them shattering as streaks crimson, cyan and black coursed through the air.

Chilling frost buffeted her face as the Eevee weaved and ducked under a crimson sword and smashing a fist to the assassin's face, quickly turning into a club to shatter the ice weaver's defenses, only to be clamped down at the same time, a bloody arrow colliding with an icicle over her head as she ducked, pushing the two of them away and attempting to clear some space. None could do, as the crimson assassin was hot on her heels, lunging down with what looked like a bloody rapier, forcing her to roll and still have her side sliced, quickly countering with small psychic blades and a dark matter sword, cutting straight through their face under that hood. And even though blood was drawn… it seemed to have only been a superficial slash, as they barely reacted and attempted to follow up!

Yet another massive icicle crashing down saved Elly's life, as she was being overwhelmed quickly by her opponent's brutal skill and having to split her attention between her and the icy assassin. Taking a few steps back, she roared, and charged back against them… before a single psychic blade whistled past her body, narrowly missing her, and forcing the crimson assassin to weave and dodge in the air, yet another one struck them! She turned around, and found…

"Maria?!" The Absol was right behind her, on the stage, and looking at the two mysterious cloaked opponents, then turned to look at Elly.

"Keep your wits about you!" Her warning came just in time as the recently impaled assassin sprung back up and lunged at Elly, even though a newly made hole in the cloak indicated they'd been skewered. Upon Maria's intrusion to the fight though, the icy assassin changed their target from Elly and began to attack the Absol, who glared them down and began to run between icicles, dodging with unnatural grace and precision, barely looking at the attacks, as a coating of ice threatened to skewer her from underneath, only to jump up and slash at them with her horn, coated in psychic force, blasting downward and launching herself further higher and away from what was an otherwise unpredictable danger, before raining down psychic blades and forcing them to dodge, only for them to perfectly track and nail their arm, making them howl out in pain, the voice underneath clearly that of a woman's. "Surrender, or we shall be forced t-"

Another howl, this time much more distorted and monstrous came from the other cloak. Elly, now capable of focusing her opponent down, had driven her to the flames with a barrage of slices and attacks from her dark matter: a psychic sword was followed up by a dark matter fist, a whip whistling back and forth, smacking and forcing them to step right into her blade or blocking her attacks, covering her own back as she blocked a slice from the bloody rapier, her dark matter swinging from behind her against their head, and while their posture was broken slicing cleanly through! And yet, to her it felt like she was cutting through a waterfall, her opponent stumbling back, but still standing. Foreseeing retaliation, she lunged back before what looked like a dozen of bloody tendrils sprouted from those fresh wounds and attempted to impale her, panting. "What the… hell are you?!"

(Stop the music)

She never got an answer as an aura sphere whistled past Maria and Elly and struck the creature, sending them flying upwards to the rafters, then the flames spiraling and lunging at the icy assassin from across the stage as Nox lunged out, trailing flames and rushing the cryomancer down with his claws and fangs, whilst Eric landed besides Elly, kneeling besides her. "Took you guys long enough!"

"Least you could've done was wake us up!" Serge swooped in in front of Maria, something which she certainly didn't mind, the Pidgeot glancing at her with a smirk, then at Elly. "We only woke up when we heard someone crying fire… good grief you're making a mess out of this p-"

"Duck!" Maria tackled him to the ground as an icicle whistled past his head, the cryomancer having jumped up to the rafters and taken a potshot at the bigger target in the area. Her icicle would shatter and break on one of Jake's barriers, something that seemed to shock her, as she stood there, staring at him for a long time, before Nox came up and smacked her against another one of the rafters and broke through it, blasting a fireball that exploded with ferocity and made him fall back onto the stage, snarling.

"Damn… They're tough! Who are they?!" By this point, it had become increasingly obvious that the rest of the team was on their way or already inside. The first one to recognize this was the cryomancer, who glared down at them, cloak frozen as she'd protected herself from the heat completely. "Not a fuckin' burnt on that guy, the hell?!" Nox's complaints fell on deaf ears, as she stared at Elly and Jake one last time, before turning her attention to the large stained glass window and breaking through it with an ice chunk, flying into the night sky. The Crimson assassin they saw quickly retreat past the fire and into the crypt.

"Hey!" Eric took after them, but the moment he turned the corner, all he saw was blood and the cloak. Whoever, or whatever had been there was gone, the fence leading further to the crypt was locked, and the trail seemingly ended there. Baffled, they shook the fence and tried to open it to no avail, before giving up his search, swearing under his breath, before returning to Elly's side. "You alright?"

"A little bruised and cut up… But I'll manage." She looked at Maria, standing up on shaky legs. "Thanks… I owe you one." She truly did, she didn't know how much longer she'd been able to last against the two of them completely alone.

"Wow, go figure, the priestess CAN actually fight!" Nox taunted as he walked by. "Here we thought you were just a pretty face!"

"Hey, easy on her Nox, c'mon, you don't talk to ladies like that." Serge's white knighting was painfully obvious and it made the others roll their eyes. "Still, that was pretty good, you also saved my beautiful face from being skewered." His comment somehow made her giggle however.

"Oh that would've been an even greater tragedy than what's transpired here tonight, surely." The flames were already being taken care of by water types, and they were rushed out of the building to get Elly treated as guards scrambled to take testimony, and look for the assassins, whose goal, while unknown, had hopefully remained unfulfilled.