(Alright, time for things to get serious. But don't worry, there'll still be plenty of good times to be had!

The Reviews

Zeon Paralysis Crystal: Axel is a momma's boi and one of my favorite things to do in Pokemon is to give the party personality like that.

Jacob9594: Yes, something interesting is going to happen in the present day at the start of this chapter!

LogBook: Glad you enjoyed the previous chapter - I know I had a lot of fun writing it.

Megan Romero: Nice summary of events there. I noticed a lot of your reviews are like that.)

The next morning, Key had set out to Mt. Coronet, landing outside of Oreburgh and began scaling the mountain to reach the Spear Pillar. Her goal was in sight at the top, as for summoning Arceus…she was fortunate to have met someone yesterday who had the way to summon the Alpha Pokemon.

As she scaled the mountain, she opted to stay out of the way of any wild Pokemon, thinking she'd need her strength for the Alpha Pokemon. This trek would take a few hours, but she reached the top with the sun shining down on Sinnoh in a cloudless sky.

"Thank goodness Jazz was willing to loan me her flute for this…" The merchant mused to herself. Once on the Spear Pillar, Key would go into her bag to get a flute handy, taking a few deep breaths to get ready. She'd play a melody on the flute for a few moments before a glowing white staircase appeared before her. Key smiled, stashing the flute back in her bag as she scaled the staircase.

High above the Spear Pillar on a glowing white platform that looked like glass was the Alpha Pokemon himself, Arceus.

"Who seeks me out?" Arceus would ask, staring down at Key.

"Kiara Dermott of Sevii Mercantile, and ally of the rangers you sent to Hisui," Key answered without a hint of hesitation. He was certainly imposing, but she did her best to not buckle from the deity's presence, keeping a friendly smile and professional posture. "I am the one they refer to as Key."

"Key…what is it that you want?" Arceus was curious at this woman's intentions.

"I wish to be with Aubrey and Vanessa on their mission to save the bond between people and Pokemon," Key answered honestly. "Perhaps you would be willing to make an exception for me."

"Why do you wish to involve yourself?" Arceus then followed up.

"It's simple - I do not want to lose the bond I have with my Pokemon. We've been through quite a lot together even if we've only known each other for a short time," Key responded. "But if my explanation isn't satisfactory enough…perhaps an offering would be."

"An offering?" Arceus seemed surprised by this. "What kind of offering?"

Key would get out some cookware and curry mix. "A humble offering of food, of course. Learned how to make curry during my business trip to Galar."

It would take some effort and a bit of time to get a fire pit set up and roaring to life from where they were as Arceus watched on. Like Key said, she ultimately settled for a humble platter of bean medley curry, figuring the God of the world would be a humble deity himself. After making a big enough helping, Key would set down a plate of bean medley curry in front of Arceus.

"Here you are, Arceus!" She said with a smile. "Mantine! Help me clean up our cookware if you'd be so kind!" The merchant called out her Mantine to help with cleanup as Arceus helped himself to the curry. He was skeptical at first, but after a taste, the Alpha Pokemon wasted no time in eating the offering of food before him.

"Mmm…" After finishing his plate, Arceus would make his decision after letting his plate be cleaned up by Mantine. "I suppose…an exception can be made."

"Yes!" Key would bow towards Arceus, having put all her cookware back in her bag. "I will not disappoint you, Arceus. I came here with everything that our rangers would need."

"Very well. I must warn you that I cannot bring you back until the crisis has been resolved. Are you sure you are willing to go back in time and assist?" Arceus asked. It was still weird to him how a mere civilian would be wanting to get herself mixed up in all of this, but Key her her reasons.

"I am very sure, yes," The merchant simply responded, a portal opening up before her.

"Go. Do not make me regret this," Arceus spoke as Key recalled Mantine, heading on through.

Elsewhere, Arceus's children…well, two of them at any rate, were absolutely malding at what their dad just did. Not because they made an exception to the rule, but Dialga and Giratina were more frustrated that Arceus just got a big helping of curry, and didn't share with either of them. Palkia could only tell them 'There there…' in an attempt to calm any fury they had for being left out of this offering.

Back in Hisui…

The next morning, the rangers would hear knocking on their door, Aubrey still asleep when Vanessa woke up. The younger ranger let out a yawn, seeing her partner snoozing away.

"Oh, I better get Aubrey woken up," She said to herself, shaking Aubrey awake.

"Mmph..." Aubrey's eyes opened up, her hand on Vanessa's arm. "Morning, partner."

"Morning. I believe we are needed," Vanessa greeted.

"Alright, alright." Aubrey would stand up, doing a few stretches before seeing who was at the door. It was Rei, who greeted them with a friendly wave.

"Hey, rangers! Have a nice night?" He greeted.

"Yeah, it was pretty good," Vanessa responded.

"Slept like a baby," Aubrey added with a chuckle. "Though it's gonna be really awkward trying to get out of bed without Vatonage to be my alarm clock."

"Vatonage?" Rei wondered. "Is that one of her Pokemon?"

"Yeah, he is an Umbreon," Vanessa informed.

"Long story, but I've had Vatonage by my side since he was born. Took one look at me and thought I was his mom, so I was like 'Ah, what the heck? I'll roll with it.'" Aubrey smiled, then frowned. "I already miss him..."

"I...see," Rei looked a bit perplexed at such an idea. "A Pokemon viewing a human as its mother. That's a first."

"Well that can happen sometimes when they hatch from eggs," Vanessa explained.

"So...because Aubrey was the first thing Vatonage saw upon hatching, he assumed she was his mom?" Rei guessed.

"Yeah, exactly," The older ranger beamed. "It was so dang cute."

"Interesting...I'm sure Professor Laventon will love to hear about this story," Rei mused. "But enough about that. I am to teach you ladies the basics of crafting. Direct orders from the captain."

"How's about breakfast first?" Aubrey suggested.

"Oh, of course! We can do that first," The Survey Corps member agreed.

"Sounds good to me!" Vanessa chimed. With that said, the three would go ahead and get some breakfast. As they ate, Rei had something he wanted to bring up.

"So about that giant Rapidash you had seen yesterday...you know, Axel's mother?" He began. "I'm not sure what had caused it, but...I remembered something that might help with your investigation."

"Oh? What is it?" Vanessa was curious.

"Well, it was a little bit before the time you and Aubrey showed up here, Vanessa...maybe a day or so prior," Rei explained. "I had seen a Bidoof that looked a bit...bigger than the rest. Its eyes were red, so I thought it was sick with something. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but after what happened yesterday, I think it's safe to say there's a connection..."

"And you're saying it happened when the rift in the sky was here?" Aubrey followed up between bites.

Rei nodded. "Yeah. That's right."

"Hmm…interesting," Vanessa thought this over. Red eyes, bigger than normal, certainly matched up with what they experienced yesterday with Axel's mother.

"So um, are we assuming this happened because of the rift in the sky?" Rei asked.

"It's a possibility to be sure," The Sinnoh native agreed. "One that is worth investigating."

"In other words, you think we might be dealing with a threat from the present?" Aubrey wondered.

"Why would you-" Rei cut himself off thinking about what Aubrey was theorizing. "Ah, I see...it's safe to assume this wasn't your doing, right?"

"...Why in the world would we ever want to do that?" The older ranger's expression dropped.

"S-Sorry..." Rei looked away with a frown.

"Even better, how would we be able to do that?" Vanessa brought up.

"Good point...sorry, I only wanted to make sure I was covering my bases," Rei apologized. "That's what you do when investigating after all, right? Consider all possibilities until you find the truth of the matter. At least that's what I think Professor Laventon believes."

"That it is indeed, Rei," Vanessa confirmed.

"Also, one of the big basics in investigating is looking for a motive, a means, and an opportunity. If you can find those, you can find the person responsible for whatever criminal activity they're up to," Aubrey added.

"Yeah. That makes sense." Rei nodded in understanding, having finished breakfast. "Alright, we ready?"

"Yup." Vanessa stood up. "Let's go."

"Lead the way, Rei!" Aubrey got out of her seat, wiping her face off.

"Okay! Follow me!" Rei would lead them to the craftworks. "So this workbench right here is where the magic happens. All you need are the resources to craft something, and these workbenches have all the tools to make those resources into items for use. Potions, Poke Balls, and other assorted items to help out in the field."

"Oh, that is very useful. I can see spending a lot of time here working on medicines," Vanessa mused.

"There's one of these at every base camp too, so you can make them out in the field too," Rei added with a smile. "Here, lemme show you two how to make some basic things."

"Okay!" The trio would spend some time with Rei learning how to craft things, Poke Balls and Potions primarily. He had also opted to show them how to craft other useful utility items as well.

"Y'know Vanessa, it's nice you're able to take to this pretty well," Rei complimented. "You're a natural at this."

Aubrey meanwhile...had Otzawott and Axel trying to help her to the best of their ability, though the three of them had managed to make a Poke Ball that was upside down.

"Thank you Rei. You should probably help Brey out more, though," Vanessa suggested.

"I just now noticed that, yes..." Rei nervously chuckled at seeing what Aubrey had managed to do.

"Osha osha!" Otzawott looked quite proud of what they had managed to craft together.

"Well...at least this'll be a nice conversation piece back home," The older ranger shrugged off her rough first attempt at crafting with an amused chuckle seeing the reactions of both Rei and Vanessa.

"It should, yes," The lad agreed. To Vanessa he asked, "So not to be rude or anything, but...you're the booksmart one between the two of you, right?"

"I am, yes," The younger ranger confirmed.

"That is true, but I'm not a dummy," Aubrey insisted.

"Pony..." Axel nudged his head against Aubrey to tell her she did okay for her first time crafting.

"Thanks Axel..." Aubrey stroked his head in response.

"If it makes you feel any better Aubrey, I'm sure there's things other than fighting you excel at," Rei commented. "Maybe that's why you two bounce off each other so well."

"That there is, Rei," Vanessa responded kindly.

"Mind telling me?" The Survey Corps member looked quite interested in hearing about this.

"Brey here is really talented when it comes to battles," Vanessa began.

"I mean...you are too, right?" Aubrey brought up.

"Yes, but you're the one who is a Champion," Vanessa responded.

"Was." Aubrey corrected. "For about a minute."

"Champion?" Rei wondered. "And...how is one a champion for only that long?"

"She gave it up cause she enjoyed being a ranger more," Vanessa quickly explained.

"Yeah. As for the champion thing...eh, that's a story for another day," Aubrey confirmed to Rei.

"I see...anything else other than she'd be the best among the Security Corps?" Rei wondered.

"Hmm…well, she is also good at finding out things that are going wrong with Pokemon. Is a real sleuth when it comes to that," Vanessa added.

"Oh yeah, that's right!" Aubrey perked up in realization. "Though sometimes I need a translation from any Pokemon working with me to get the full story, I can more or less make some good educated guesswork."

"Ah, that's pretty cool! Must be from all the time you spend with Pokemon, right?" Rei asked with a smile.

"You bet, man." The older ranger chuckled. "Also have a habit for being...uh, what's the word, magnetic? When it comes to finding Pokemon to journey with me, yeah. Though this was mostly during that time I became a champion."

"Which is funny since your favorite type is Steel," Vanessa chuckled.

"Pretty much!" Aubrey beamed.

"So fighting, battling, and detective work with Pokemon..." Rei put a hand to his chin. "And you handle...pretty much anything else, Vanessa?"

"Yup. I handle medical problems, and occasionally mechanical problems. Though I am not anywhere near as good as our fellow ranger Finn...man he and Izzy must be worried sick," Vanessa frowned.

"First off...yes, I'm sure they're turning Alola upside down trying to find us," Aubrey agreed. "And secondly...Finn is more of an Operator, but works with us in the field all the same."

"Yikes...hopefully we can get you two home soon, but for now, should we head to the Galaxy Hall? See what we have for you two to do today?" Rei suggested.

"Yeah. We can chat more afterwards," Aubrey agreed. "But first lemme change out of this uniform and get back into my own."

"Yeah. Same." Vanessa would go off with Aubrey to change back into their ranger uniforms, and meet back up with Rei at the Galaxy Hall. Vanessa would go off with Aubrey to change back into their ranger uniforms, and meet back up with Rei at the Galaxy Hall. When they returned, they'd see Professor Laventon waiting for them outside.

"Ah, there you are rangers!" Laventon greeted. "I heard how Rei's crafting lesson went...and how Aubrey made this one of a kind Poke Ball." He didn't seem to treat it as a bad thing.

"Thanks, I guess," Aubrey shrugged it off.

"It was not that bad, Brey. I think." Vanessa chuckled.

"So, are we heading in to get our orders?" Aubrey wondered.

"Actually...it was more me wanting to ask you two for some help," Rei confided. "Can you follow me to the training grounds? I've taught you two all there is to know about crafting, now I wish to be taught more about Pokemon battling."

"Ah. Okay." Vanessa nodded in agreement.

"Oh sure! I'll show ya a thing or two!" Aubrey agreed.

"Then right this way, ladies," Laventon requested, leading the group to the training grounds. When they got there, Rei would fold his arms.

"Okay Aubrey...I had a bit of an epiphany. Like how you and Vanessa have Partner Pokemon, I have one too," He explained. "We're not exactly tight like how you are with Vatonage, but we need to be able to work together to complete the Pokedex. So that's why I would like a practice battle." He would call out his 'partner Pokemon', a Pikachu!

"Ah, good ol' Pikachu," Vanessa smiled, thinking back to Ranger Chu. "Good to see him."

"Pika?" Pikachu stared up at the rangers, and then at Rei.

"It's okay, Pikachu. They're going to help us get better at battling together," Rei assured.

"Yup." Vanessa had a reassuring smile with her hands on her hips.

"Okay Rei." Aubrey would take her spot on the battlefield. "Axel, come on out!"

"Ponyyyyy!" Axel stood on his hindlegs with a smile, ready to earn his keep on the team.

"Oh ho! Rangers can battle too?" Laventon mused, taking a seat with Vanessa as Aubrey and Rei got ready for the latter's battling lesson.

"Oh yes," Vanessa answered. "Well, more like we are an exception to the norm."

"Hmm...if you don't mind me asking, what is the norm where you're from?" Laventon inquired.

"Usually we stick to one partner," Vanessa explained.

"Interesting...supposedly, the maximum amount of Pokemon anyone is to have on them is six, but I haven't seen anyone enforcing it yet," Laventon mused.

"Alright Rei, first rule of Pokemon battling - all you have to do to 'win' is to get all your opponent's Pokemon knocked out. Either that or they throw in the towel," Aubrey explained. "Axel, Ember!"

"Dodge that!" Rei exclaimed, Pikachu zipping out of the way with Quick Attack.

"Huh. That's the same where we are from," Vanessa commented.

"It's not like we've ever had to deal with someone who had a team bigger than that," Aubrey commented. "Now...one way you can help your chances of winning, status moves. Your Pikachu should have Thunder Wave, right?"

"He does last I checked, yes," Rei confirmed.

"Then have him use that on Axel. It'll slow him down and make landing hits easier," The older ranger instructed.

"Pony!?" Axel flinched at the idea of being Pikachu's punching bag.

"Okay Pikachu, you heard her. Let's try Thunder Wave!" Rei instructed, going for Thunder Wave, only for Axel to run away from the attack to avoid it.

"Hey, that might not have been a good idea to do that in earshot of Axel, Brey!" Vanessa laughed at this.

"Sorry about that, Axel..." Aubrey sheepishly mentioned.

"Po-ta." Axel shook himself off, getting back to the battle.

"Though here is a tip, Rei," Vanessa added. "Some Pokemon tend to be immune to certain Status Moves based on their types."

"Oh?" Rei sounded interested.

"Yeah, if you want an example, Ground-type Pokemon are immune to Thunder Wave," Aubrey informed.

"Interesting..." Rei mused.

"And Grass-types are immune to any sort of powder move," The younger ranger added.

"Really now? This is news to me..." Laventon remarked.

"Another example is Fire-types are Immune to getting Burned, Electric-types are immune to Paralysis. and Ice-types cannot be Frozen," Vanessa continued on. During this lesson, Axel would be able to clean up quite nicely against Pikachu, winning the battle for Aubrey.

"Noted...well, at least we know where to start," Rei commented, recalling Pikachu. "During that Shinx attack, I should've had Pikachu fight at my side but my mind went blank…"

"That can happen sometimes," Vanessa sympathized.

"What do you mean?" Aubrey rubbed the back of her head.

"Sometimes you don't do something due to panic," The younger ranger elaborated.

"And...and really, when you get down to it, Pokemon are terrifying in what they can do, right?" Rei continued. "Why should this creature be able to fire electricity?" Aubrey rubbed her temples, wondering how she was supposed to answer this one.

"They are mysterious that way," Vanessa simply answered.

"Learning why is all a part of our work, Rei my boy," Laventon positively said. "There will be times when field work is scary for us, but if we keep our wits about us, then the region of Hisui will be that much easier to understand."

"Right...when you put it like that, it makes Pokemon sound not scary at all," Rei mentioned.

"Exactly." Vanessa had a warm smile that set Rei's nerves at ease.

"And with you two here, well, guess I can see how not scary Pokemon really are," Rei had a smile in return.

"Yeah, once you get to know a Pokemon, they're not all that bad. Some might be spoiled and others have some real bad tempers, but Pokemon as living beings aren't so different from you and me. They've got friends, ambitions in life, personality...only difference is some of them can move people and objects with their mind," Aubrey mused.

"Yeah exactly. All Pokemon are different, even those of the same species," Vanessa agreed. "Just like us humans."

Laventon chuckled. "With how Aubrey talks about them in detail, she's got experience with all sorts of eccentric Pokemon."

"Oh, dude..." Aubrey smiled, shaking her head with a giggle, remembering all the colorful personalities of her own team back home. "You don't know the half of it."

"Ooooh yeah," Vanessa mused, knowing the full of it.

"Watching you two work out there and do it almost naturally convinced me of something," Rei added. "If I want to do my Survey Corps work well when your mission is done here in Hisui, my partner and I have to work as a team. And the first step to doing so is to get better at battling as one!"

"That's the fire I wanna see!" The older ranger gave him an encouraging slap on the back. "Keep that attitude and you'll be able to stand on your own in no time flat."

"Though it is as the rangers say - getting a bit friendlier with Pikachu might be the best course of action," Laventon mused.

"So you're the ones?" A female voice interrupted the scene. "The new recruits everyone's talking about?" This voice belonged to a woman that sported bright red hair, matching clothes meant for the winter, and a friendly face that caught Aubrey's attention.

"Hey uh...Rei. This Security Corps you keep mentioning to us...is she the captain of that?" Aubrey asked, for she could tell whoever this lady certainly knew a thing or two about fighting.

"Yep. That's Captain Zisu," Rei confirmed.

"Huh, interesting. Reminds me of Flint…" Vanessa commented.

"Flint?" Zisu raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, one of the top trainers in the Sinnoh Region. Specializes in Fire-types," Vanessa answered.

"Huh...well how about that." Zisu cracked a smile. "I can see you've both got some fight in you. Even though you've got vastly different styles."

"You can tell that just by looking at us?" Aubrey sounded impressed.

Zisu nodded. "Why of course I can. Just from looking at you, I can tell you're someone who fights up close and personal, perhaps heavy handed but a good heart nonetheless."

"And me?" Vanessa in comparison was curious.

"Hmm, you are someone who prefers the enemy to approach you. An opportunist in a fight, but packing some real power as a solid foundation," Zisu responded.

"Thank you," The younger ranger responded.

"Captain Zisu's a master of an ancient martial art where you guide your Pokemon in battle," Rei explained. "The Strong Style and Agile Style, as they're known."

Aubrey paused thinking about that. To Vanessa, she whispered, "Hey...doesn't that sound like the styles Izzy knows?"

"Huh…it does," Vanessa realized.

"Only if your Pokemon has mastered that move can it use either style," Zisu explained. "On the one hand, you can choose to deliver the move in the strong style. The move will hit harder, but your Pokemon will be more wide open to a counter. On the other hand, you can choose to deliver the move in the agile style. It won't hit as hard, but your Pokemon will be likely to follow-up with another attack."

"Interesting…" Vanessa processed this information.

"Sounds cool, but...mmm..." Aubrey folded her arms in thought.

"It's something to consider," The younger ranger commented.

"Well hey, it's okay if you ultimately decide not to learn either one," Zisu remarked. "After all...Aubrey, right?" She'd get a nod from the older ranger. "Aubrey here I know has her own style."

"And it works!" Aubrey beamed. "Wanna see?"

"Oh certainly!" Zisu would casually take a seat, putting her right arm on a table. "If you would like to."

"You got it, lady," Aubrey cracked a grin as she sat down, locking hands with Zisu for an arm wrestle.

"This'll be quick," Rei said to Vanessa.

"I hope." Vanessa rolled her eyes. True to Rei's word, this did look to be quite a quick affair, as Aubrey, with her usual brand of strength, would be putting up quite a fight against Zisu, who still had that smile on her face as she turned the tide right quick, slamming Aubrey's arm down with a loud thud.

"One! Two! Three!" Zisu released Aubrey's arm, the ranger looking more surprised than pained.

"Oh wow...I can see why you're the captain here..." Aubrey stood up, rubbing her arm. "I'm okay, partner."

"Okay good!" Vanessa was relieved at hearing that.

"First time I've ever had to try to win one of those," Zisu mused. "If you two ever want to have your Pokemon learn some new moves or master them, I'll be here."

"Okay! We will take you up on that I'm sure!" Vanessa responded.

"Now that we've got that settled...there's a lady from the Diamond Clan who has a request for us," Rei explained. "Her name's Mai. I asked the captain about it, and she said it was okay for me to have you two tag along. She's supposed to meet us down at the foot of Aspiration Hill."

"Sounds like a mission to you, Van?" Aubrey asked.

"Yes it does, Brey!" Vanessa agreed.

"Mission...Start!" Epic poses!

"I wonder if I should make my own..." Rei commented.

"Up to you, man." Vanessa would leave off on that point as they went with Rei to meet up with this Mai lady. They'd enter the Obsidian Fieldlands after a short walk when Aubrey would pause mid stride.

"Someone's following..." She said in a low voice. That someone would make themselves known right quick.

"Boo!" Volo was there, right in time for him to make acquaintance with Aubrey's fist. "Ooof!"

"...Really Brey…" Vanessa had a look of disappointment. "Really?" She sighed and would go to check if Volo was okay.

"Oh come on! If it was any real stalker or mugger, you'd have them in a chokehold by now!" Aubrey defended.

"It's okay Vanessa, I'm fine," The merchant insisted, brushing off the punch to the stomach he received like it was no big deal. "It was pretty silly of me to do that. Though I was trying to surprise you."

"Why yes, if it was one of those I would have done that," The younger ranger conceded. To Volo she added, "And next time, don't do that or maybe call from a distance."

"Noted. I was merely passing through, saw you coming here and thought I'd impart some wisdom of my own," Volo explained. "There's a special technique to catching Pokemon that might help in your research."

"Oh? Do tell!" Vanessa was eager to learn about this.

"I call it the Secret Back Strike Technique," Volo elaborated. "Hitting a Pokemon in the back with a Poke Ball will definitely leave it surprised, making catching them all the easier."

"Okay...does this carry over to battles?" Aubrey wondered.

"Why yes. You'll catch the Pokemon off guard and get the initiative against it," Volo responded. "I'd advise using it against tough Pokemon you'd rather not fight head-on."

"Oooh. I think we will definitely be doing that," Vanessa commented.

"Count me in on that 'we' while you're at it," Rei mused.

"If you're part of that Survey Corps now, working to create that Pokedex as they all are, you might end up meeting every last Pokemon in Hisui," Volo remarked. "Then again, I imagine that's the goal, is it not?"

"Of course." The younger ranger nodded.

"Then I'll let it be known that I'm looking forward to the day you do that," Volo smiled. "Good luck!" With that said, he would be off.

Aubrey let out a sigh. "Seriously, Van...remember the last time someone tried to jump us?"

"I know. But why would anyone try to rob us out here?" The Sinnoh native brought up.

"Never know..." Aubrey frowned.

"Um...what happened 'last time'?" Rei sounded curious.

"Let's just say it was a bad time for everyone involved," Vanessa simply answered.

"I'll take your word for it," The Survey Corps member responded, leading them down towards the meeting spot with Mai. They would be met with a member of the Security Corps standing watch.

"There are many strong Pokemon that make their home on the other side of this bridge!" He stated. "I cannot let you pass unless you are a-"

Rei would cut him off. "Captain Cyllene said it was alright for them to go with me."

The guard perked up. "Oh! Well in that case, go right ahead. Don't let your guard down, now. Retreat to safety if you find yourself in trouble."

"You got it." Vanessa would go past him, following Rei's lead. On the other side of the bridge would be the one they were to meet - a young lady with black hair, a blue hooded top with a belt sporting a few pouches tied around her waist, and some leggings that were pretty decorated with a few colorful patterns. With her was a Munchlax.

"Mai, good to meet you," Rei greeted. "These two here are Aubrey and Vanessa."

"My, my, new faces in the village?" Mai mused. "Not that it matters to me if you're new. If you're here, I assume you're here to be of help."

"Of course," Vanessa tersely responded.

"I am one of the wardens of the Diamond Clan. You may call me Mai," Mai introduced herself.

"Wardens?" Aubrey raised an eyebrow.

"I also suppose it makes sense that you wouldn't know what a warden is, given how you're not from Hisui," Mai responded. "But such talk can wait. I'll explain it later. Right now, I'd rather we get straight to the point. I have a problem that needs solving. So the more important question is...do you both feel confident about leading your Pokemon into battle?"

"Pfft, what kinda question is that? Sure I am!" Aubrey exclaimed.

"Of course," The younger ranger repeated.

"Not much of a talker, are you?" Mai asked Vanessa. "Not that it matters to me. That Security Corps of yours wasn't up to the task." She laughed over that fact. "This here is my partner Munchlax. We were raised together like siblings."

"Munchlax!" Munchlax cheerily waved.

"Aww…a Munchlax," Vanessa smiled. To Mai she added, "And I am, I just prefer to say the minimum at times."

"Munchlax battles by my side by choice, without needing any of those silly little balls like you use. Watch and learn." Mai had a pretty confident smile. Munchlax would look like he gave a yawn, before nodding off for a nap.

Aubrey chuckled at this. "You were saying?" Mai went quiet, rubbing Munchlax's head to wake him up. Vanessa snickered, Mai getting Munchlax to wake up.

"Battle me." Mai challenged Vanessa when Munchlax woke up.

"Oh very well then." Vanessa would send out Cyndaquil.

"Rollout!" Mai instructed, Munchlax curling up and rolling at Cyndaquil.

"Dodge and retaliate with Ember!" Vanessa shouted out. The Fire-type followed Vanessa's instructions to the letter, hitting Munchlax with Ember.

"Okay...get close and Tackle!" Mai called. Cyndaquil would get hit by this one, tumbling back but standing back up.

"Okay, let's get another Ember in!" Vanessa instructed Cyndaquil, spitting out an Ember that hit Munchlax square, but stood strong despite the mounting damage. "Hmm, going pretty good so far."

"Get ready for another Tackle, get in close again!" Mai shouted, Munchlax getting in position. "Now...Rollout!"

"Dodge with Quick Attack!" Vanessa was on top of things, and using the speed from Quick Attack, Cyndaquil would dodge the Rollout and hit Munchlax in the back. This would get Munchlax to fall on his hands, trying to get back up.

"Munchlax..." Mai frowned. "You've fought well, Munchlax. You too, Vanessa."

"Thank you." Vanessa would recall Cyndaquil.

"Yeah, we're not like the Security Corps people you fought earlier," Aubrey smiled.

"You're right - you aren't one of those buffoons if you can beat my partner like that," Mai agreed. "I'll take care of the Pokemon that battled for us."

"Oh that's nice of you. I could have done that though," Vanessa responded.

"I insist - you and your Pokemon surprised me with how well you battled," The warden replied. "Practically acting as one. Rather like the legendary hero of old...the one we tell our children stories of."

"Legendary hero, eh?" Aubrey mused. "Sounds about right for you, partner."

"Aww, thanks," The younger ranger had a bright smile, flattered by the praise.

"Now, as for the job at hand. I need someone to deal with an Alpha Pokemon causing trouble up on Deertrack Heights," Mai instructed. "It's a large, fearsome foe, like any alpha, but you'll come, won't you?"

Aubrey paused. "Hey uh, Mai? Do these 'Alpha Pokemon' have glowy red eyes too?"

Mai nodded. "Why yes they do," She answered. "Any reason why?"

"...Would you believe me if I told you Van and I experienced an Alpha Pokemon up close and personal?" Aubrey asked, giving Mai a surprised look.

"You what?!" The warden was taken aback by this news.

"Yup. Was a large Rapidash," Vanessa explained.

"I see...then that would explain why Rei here was recommending you both," Mai realized.

"Yeah, she didn't believe me at first...I told her this was something she had to hear for herself," Rei confided.

"Ah, gotcha." The younger ranger nodded in understanding. Vanessa's Arc Styler would beep, the map function showing them where they needed to go.

"Is your Capture Styler showing you where we need to be, Vanessa?" Rei rubbed the back of his head.

"Capture Styler?" Mai raised an eyebrow. "Is that a new contraption the Galaxy Team is using?"

"Oh no, it is something the two of us have." Once Vanessa got Mai caught up on the details, she gave a nod of understanding.

"Alright...I'll make sure the rest of the Diamond Clan is made aware of these devices you two possess." She said.

"Thank you for that," Vanessa responded with a smile.

"Now, I'll meet you up where the Alpha Pokemon is. Don't keep me waiting for too long, you three," Mai instructed, heading off with Munchlax to where they needed to go. As the trio went on up, they would find more Shinx around, some Kricketot, and even the rare Munchlax and even Stantler higher up on the path.

"Sure is pretty mighty, huh?" Aubrey mused, referring to the Kricketot as she flicked out her Capture Styler.

"Kricketot? Nahhhhh," Vanessa brushed it off as they got whatever data they needed for the Pokedex.

"I think she meant that jokingly," Rei noted.

"Yeah, I'm the gal who said we shouldn't be dismissive of cute things as potentially deadly, but Kricketot? Maybe if they were jacked up on stat buffs and every boosting vitamin under the sun," Aubrey mentioned.

"Hmm, maybe." Vanessa offered up a shrug.

"Heck, I even heard some guy managed to get into the Johto Hall of Fame one time with just a Sentret or something like that," Aubrey mentioned. Rei paused, deciding to listen along and pretend like he knew what this conversation was about.

"Really?" Vanessa paused too, trying to process how someone could topple Dragonites with a simple Sentret. "...Huh. Well better than that guy who was torturing Furrets."

"Oh, don't remind me..." Aubrey groaned, rubbing her temples.

"Ugh, that was…not a fun weekend." Vanessa frowned, empathizing with her partner.

"There's people where you're from who torture Pokemon?" Rei looked a bit disheartened. "Ugh...that's not good to hear. How often do you have to put up with it?"

"Not too often, but this one was memorable…" Vanessa began. "Sooo they were waiting for something to come out so they made this Furret start walking on something that was moving in the other direction. It was effectively walking in place...and this lasted two days before we got wind of it."

Rei stood there slack-jawed in amazement and shock before composing himself. "...Okay. I don't know what would possess someone to do that, but continue."

"Yeah. After we got in, Aubrey broke one of his legs. We took that Furret back home. Poor thing still kept trying to walk for half a day before it would calm down," Vanessa continued. The Survey Corps member winced at that breaking leg part.

"He tried hitting me first," Aubrey responded, arms folded. "Good news was a nearby floor sign made for a good makeshift splint."

"Yeah." Vanessa chuckled at remembering her using a wet floor sign as a splint for that individual. "...Ooooh, Stantler. Don't see those too often."

"You're right, I don't remember the last time I've seen a Stantler be used by...well, anyone," Aubrey commented.

"Yeah. Everyone leaves them be," The younger ranger mentioned.

"Any reason why?" Rei wondered aloud.

"They are not considered to be really good battlers. Pokemon battling is one of the main sources of entertainment in our time," Vanessa informed.

"There's some people who use their favorites," Aubrey continued. "Others take it wayyyyyyy too seriously. As for myself? I simply make what I have on hand work."

"Same, but I prefer Water-types," Vanessa agreed.

"Well that would explain your manners of dress," Rei mused. "Hopefully our Pokedex won't be used by those who treat battling like life or death."

"Trust me, man. Not everyone who sweats for wins has the fight IQ needed to win," Aubrey chuckled as they headed along the path. The sun was setting by the time they arrived where Mai was waiting.

"Looks like you made it here in a reasonable time," The warden greeted. "Before we do this...do either of you 'rangers' know about almighty Sinnoh?"

"Almighty Sinnoh? The region I'm from is called the Sinnoh region," Vanessa answered, her mood picking up.

"Then...you two came from the being that steers all time?" Mai was taken aback by this news. "The being that is said to have created the very universe with its power over time's flow, thus creating the Hisui region as we know it?"

"Wait what? That sounds like Lord Dialga…" Vanessa blinked.

Mai continued. "We of the Diamond Clan are descendants of a people who crossed the sea and settled here in the Hisui region to venerate almighty Sinnoh."

"...The heck does venerate mean?" Aubrey scratched the back of her head.

"Oookay, so only one of you came from the being that steers all time," Mai corrected herself.

"Yeah that would be me. She is from a nearby region," The Sinnoh native informed.

"I could infer which was which," The warden responded. "Almighty Sinnoh has rarely been seen by any human if the old tales are to be trusted, so for you to know of it, Vanessa...interesting..."

"So uh, what are we waiting on?" Aubrey wondered.

"There are still Pokemon who have connections to almighty Sinnoh, Aubrey," Mai informed. "And it is our duty as wardens to tend to their needs. One such Pokemon resides up here in Deertrack Heights. We are merely waiting on the Alpha Pokemon that dared set foot on its sacred grounds."

"Delelelele woooooooooooooop!" A cry echoed out.

"Ah, right on cue," The warden deadpanned. A bigger than normal Kricketune would be seen wandering about, its eyes glowing red. That was indeed an Alpha Pokemon alright.

"Okay you two, you've got this," Rei encouraged. "But uh, do you think your Capture Stylers will work on these Alpha Pokemon?"

"I do not see why not. Also that is a Kricketune." Vanessa readied her Styler, as did Aubrey.

"It matters not what it is," Mai frowned, her eyebrows furrowing. "As far as I'm concerned it is only here to disturb the peace with its racket. Drive this interloper from these lands, rangers."

"You got it. Axel! Standby for Poke Assist!" Aubrey called out her Ponyta, her voice getting the Alpha's attention.

"Capture...ON!" Both rangers exclaimed, their Capture Discs going out at the Alpha. They would find that it was not much of a threat between the two Fire-types they both had. Sure, it was bigger and meaner, but it was still a Kricketune.

As they were in the process of the capture, a Zubat flapping its wings would happen across the scene, dive bombing the Kricketune.

"Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttttt!" It cried out, much to their surprise.

"Another one!?" Aubrey exclaimed, but Mai paused upon seeing the Zubat.

"No, I recognize this one..." The warden informed.

"Oh?" Vanessa looked interested.

"That Zubat in particular hangs out around our encampment...and the Pearl Clan's as well. For reasons I can't really explain he has always been on good terms with my people and the other clan's, so perhaps it is trying to help however it can," Mai explained. They would see this was true, the Zubat's wings clashing with the Kricketune's claws.

"Well we oughta help him if he's helping us!" Aubrey decided. "Axel, get in there with Tackle! Help Zubat!"

"Pony!" Axel agreed, charging the Kricketune.

"Ember, Cyndaquil!" Vanessa added. All three of their attacks - Axel's Tackle, Cyndaquil's Ember, and Zubat's Bite would all knock the Kricketune down, making finishing the capture very easy as both rangers heard that familiar pop sound, signaling a completed capture. "Capture complete!"

"Good job, Axel!" Aubrey smiled as they recalled their Capture Discs, the now tamed Alpha Kricketune standing up and flitting off.

"Ponytaaaaaa!" Axel stood on his hindlegs in a triumphant fashion.

"You too, Cyndaquil!" Vanessa complimented, much to Cyndaquil's joy.

"You rangers really are impressive...working as one with Pokemon, taming an Alpha Pokemon together...what can't you do is the better question to ask here," Mai mused.

"Well, there is a lot, but we would be here for a few hours," Vanessa responded.

Zubat would flap its wings over to Mai with a happy cry. "Yes Zubat, you were a big help too. Thank you." The warden rubbed Zubat's head, much to his joy. "Maybe you really are the hero of legend, Vanessa...though I don't think the stories ever mentioned anything about a sidekick."

Another cry would echo out, this time sounding like the Pokemon belonged here. "Wyeeeeeeeeeeeeer!"

"What the?" Vanessa, Aubrey, and Rei would look towards the source of the noise. "...Well THAT'S new."

The source of the cry belonged to a snow-deer like Pokemon. It had gray and white body with white spots and eyebrows, golden antlers with four spikes extending outwards and one black orb on each. With a brown nose, black hooves, and white mane resembling a beard, it bore some sort of resemblance to the Stantler that the rangers were accustomed to.

"It's the great Wyrdeer!" Mai exclaimed, Wyrdeer jumping down from the overlook it was standing from.

"Wrydeer?" Vanessa paused in confusion, before taking a closer look at Wyrdeer. "...Wait…those horns…they look like Stantler horns."

"He looks upon you with kindness, Vanessa," Mai remarked. Wyrdeer stared at Vanessa for a few moments before trotting in the other direction. "I'd say the great Wyrdeer has taken a liking to you. That is fortunate."

"Yeah." The younger ranger nodded in agreement.

"He is an esteemed Pokemon who can dash across the expanses of Hisui while bearing a human on his back...a human he deems worthy, at least," Mai continued. "He is a blessing to us all."

"Now um, I hope it's not too big of a hassle, but Captain Cyllene suggested we set up a base camp here once we took care of Mai's request," Rei mentioned.

"Ah yes. It was a joint decision by your commander and Adaman," Mai responded. "Yes, you can get it set up. The Hisui region is a land created by almighty Sinnoh for the sake of its Pokemon. And as long as your goal is to co-exist with Pokemon, then I imagine you should be permitted to use this land."

"Okay! I'll let the Construction Corps know right away!...And then get some sleep." Rei stretched his arms. "Today's been a busy day."

"But it's a mission complete for us, partner!" Aubrey pumped a fist in the air.

"Heck yeah!" Vanessa shared the fistpump as they struck their poses!

"I'll make sure our clan leader hears about your deeds. I shall reward you tomorrow, rangers." With a wave goodbye, Mai would head on out. Before the rangers could do the same, Zubat was struggling to pick something up, as if trying to hand it to Vanessa.

"Hey Van, I think Zubat is trying to give you a present," Aubrey mentioned, not really knowing what it was he was struggling with till they took a second look.

"Huh…" Vanessa would see it was a stone plate with a hot pink color. She perked up immediately, taking it instantly.

"Batttttt," Zubat said, gesturing to where Wyrdeer was earlier.

"So what, Wyrdeer left that here for Van?" Aubrey asked, getting a 'Zu!' of confirmation from Zubat. "But why would he do that?"

"Maybe he means for us to have it…" Vanessa theorized, reading the engraved text on the plate. "The Original One breathed alone before the universe came."

"Yeah, sorry partner, but I don't understand all this creationism stuff like you do," Aubrey apologized. "Maybe because you were born into it."

"Well, this is one of Arceus' Plates. They have engravings on them explaining the origins of the world," Vanessa informed.

"But they're probably out of order, I bet," Aubrey shrugged, deciding to head on back with Zubat following the rangers back to the village. He was flitting around Aubrey trying to get her attention. "Hold on...what's up, Zubat?"

"Battttttt...batttttt..." Zubat spoke, almost like he was trying to warn them of something.

"I think he's trying to warn us...but of what?" Aubrey stretched her arms in thought. "Like, is something bad gonna happen? We kinda knew that part, but what?"

"Bat battttttt," Zubat tried to wiggle his ears, telling them to listen carefully.

"...I think he wants us to listen." Vanessa would go quiet, listening for any sort of noise that was out of the ordinary. Aubrey hushed up too upon realizing this, and the three would hear what Zubat was alluding to. In the distance, there were faint sounds of thunder, but the skies were mostly clear on this day.

"...That is weird." Vanessa noted how unnatural this was.

"Yeah, there weren't any signals it was gonna rain or anything today..." Aubrey looked to Zubat for a source of the thunder, to which the Bat Pokemon pointed his body in the direction of the thunder. The sky had darkened as a rift similar to the one above Mt. Coronet appeared for a brief moment over an area in the Obsidian Fieldlands with a large tree visible for miles, red, blue, and green lights appearing out from it before a wild flash of lightning struck down at that location. Wild Pokemon of all kinds active during the night had stopped what they were doing to observe this weird phenomenon before the rift disappeared entirely.

Vanessa had gone wide-eyed from what they had just witnessed. "...What the heck?"

"Baaaatttt..." Zubat shuddered.

"Is that what you were trying to warn us about?" Aubrey wondered. "Because that looked like the same rift that's above Mt. Coronet."

"Zub!" Zubat agreed.

"...I think I get you now, Zubat," Aubrey realized. "Whatever those rifts are, you think they're bad trouble. You want to try and help the clans by getting to the bottom of this too, huh?"

"Zubaaaaat!" Zubat eagerly answered, Aubrey getting it right in one.

"Well then. We were going to do it anyway. We will gladly help you out!" Vanessa spoke confidently.

Zubat would spin rings around Aubrey, trying to mimic what they were doing with their Capture Discs.

"Alright, welcome aboard, buddy," The older ranger chuckled. "...Man, Rei was right. I am magnetic with my teammates."

"Yeah!" Vanessa chuckled. "Let's head back to base."

"Oh yeah. Hey, you mind making us dinner?" Aubrey requested. "Now as for a name, Zubat...um...soaring...soarin...Sora...no, not that name." She finally happened on a nice one. "Oh, how about Soren?"

"Sure!" Vanessa agreed on both making dinner and the name choice.

"Battttt!" Zubat cried out in approval.

"Alright! Soren it is!" Aubrey smiled as they headed on back to the village. Whatever their orders were tomorrow, one thing was for certain - it had something to do with what they just witnessed.

(Yeah, this chapter took long enough. I was fully prepared to give us an epic battle between Key and Arceus but then I remembered 'Oh wait, maxed Speech in Fallout on the final bosses is a thing unless that final boss is named Frank Horrigan.' which Arceus most certainly is not. Next time, we'll get into the Dark Souls aspect of this game and Key rejoins us for this adventure! See you all then!)