Chapter 17: A View to a Thrill

~Terrace Village~

"Yo, Millie. You really think it was a good idea to just send Team Radiance off like that?" Serperior wondered. "You saw that human totally freak out. I think that Parasect rattled his cage."

"I'm aware of that," Milotic acknowledged. "But he has Riri and Null with him. He'll be fine. Besides, we've got some unfinished business to take care of." She turned her gaze toward the motel. "Namely, I think our 'client' was holding out on us with Parasect."

"Eh?" Serperior raised an eyebrow.

"It was clearly more than just 'some crazy wild Parasect,'" Milotic explained. "There's no way Zoroark could encounter it and just forget about how weird it looked. So, I want to know why she withheld that information from us."

A smirk wound its way onto Serperior's face. "So, you're saying you don't trust our client anymore?"

"Wipe that smug look off your face," Milotic scolded. "She was telling the truth about her mane, after all."

Team Captivate entered the motel and proceeded up to Zoroark's room. Milotic rapped the door with her tail and Zoroark called out, "Come in." The serpents entered the room. Milotic shifted her tail forward to reveal the missing part of Zoroark's mane. Zoroark's eyes immediately sparkled. "Ah, that's it! You actually found it! Oh, thank heavens," Zoroark cheered. She shakily got to her feet and lumbered over. "I just knew you were the right team for the job."

"Hold on there," Milotic brought the mane close to her torso. "I need you to answer something for me first. Namely, why didn't you tell us more about Parasect?"

"Eh?" Zoroark bit her lower lip. "Um, because it's just a wild Pokémon?"

"I disagree," Milotic said. "In fact, we ran into Parasect on the way back."

Zoroark's face paled. "Y… you did?"

"Yeah, and it was hardly your run-of-the-mill wild Pokémon," Serperior harrumphed. "Parasect could split into multiple copies!"

"So, like Double Team? How is that out of the ordinary?" Zoroark wondered.

"Because it wasn't Double Team. It literally split itself in half. And it was made out of this disgusting black slime!" Serperior said, grimacing.

"We found Parasect attacking some of our fellow guild members," Dragonair added. "We came to their assistance. And when we defeated the Parasect copies, they recombined. But, stranger than that, the life and color drained out of Parasect after we beat them. They're now a colorless husk lying in the middle of the forest."

Zoroark's eyes widened. "Th… that can't be right," she muttered.

"Are you saying you were attacked by a different Parasect?" Milotic asked.

"Err, y-yeah! That's definitely it. I was attacked by an agitated, but normal, Parasect," Zoroark said.

"The stammering and hesitation in your voice suggest you're lying," Dragonair accused.

Zoroark bit her lip. "Well, that's just because, um, y'know, my memory's a bit messed up on account of…" Her voice trailed off and her shoulders sagged. "… okay. You got me."

Milotic frowned. "So, you were lying to us."

"Yeah. That whole getting attacked by a Parasect thing? Never happened. I made it up," Zoroark said. "I just picked a Pokémon at random that I knew lived in the woods. I never would have thought you'd actually run into a Parasect. Especially a super messed-up one like you described."

Serperior narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "And just why would you go about doing something so ridiculous?"

"Because the request I had you girls do was fake," Zoroark reported. She swiped the piece of her mane out of Milotic's grasp. Then she held it up by the bead and squeezed. It shattered, spreading glass fragments along the ground.

"A-ha! I knew this whole thing was a set up," Serperior boasted. She whirled on her teammates with the smuggest look of self-satisfaction she could muster. "And you girls actually thought you could trust a Zoroark."

"Hey, I'm standing right here, you know," Zoroark hissed. "Look, I'm sorry I tricked you. But I needed to test you girls to make surely you knew what you were doing. Because what I really need you for is something much more perilous."

"And why should we help you out when all you've done so far is lie to us?" Milotic asked.

Zoroark slumped over. "Because… it's professional courtesy among explorers, wouldn't you say?" Zoroark stepped back and a soft-blue light rippled across her body. Team Captivate gasped, seeing that Zoroark's mane was whole once more. But beyond that, she had several welts on her form. Her mane was disheveled, her left eye swollen, and her right arm lay in a makeshift splint. Zoroark winced as she pivoted to showcase the satchel at her waist.

Serperior looked at the golden brooch keeping the satchel shut. "Ah! That's a badge from the Expedition Society."

"So, that's what you meant by professional courtesy," Dragonair muttered. "But, look at you. You're in absolutely terrible shape."

"I know," Zoroark said, coughing weakly. She sat back down on her bed. "And that's where the problem comes in."

Team Captivate slithered closer to Zoroark's bed. "I think it's high time you gave us the truth here, Zoroark. Or do we need to have our guild ring up your HQ and tell them you're causing trouble over in Horizon?" Milotic said.

Zoroark's eyes widened. "Wait, please don't do that!" she begged. "Team Gaia and Ampharos don't know I'm here. You can't just tell them. All my planning will have gone to waste."

"Then you'd better start talking," Serperior huffed. "What's your role in the Expedition Society? Why are you over in Horizon if your head honcho didn't authorize it? I doubt you're just taking in the sights."

Zoroark nodded slowly. "Okay, I owe you girls that much, at least. I'm one of Team Gaia's recruits. I'm a… a…" She looked down and rubbed the shoulder of her injured arm.

"Go on," Serperior said.

"… a sleuth," Zoroark muttered. The girls exchanged confused looks. "I travel around to different places and use illusions to blend in with the locals. That way, I can get the lowdown on anything out of the ordinary and report it back to the Expedition Society. After the whole Dark Matter fiasco, Ampharos thought they needed to be more on top of things, see."

"That sounds like a rather dubious way of keeping the peace," Milotic said, expression darkening. "I always thought your guild mates were a rather cheerful bunch."

"It was Team Gaia's idea, actually. Their leader, Delphox, recruited me," Zoroark said. "But I'm getting off-topic. I'm in Horizon because I'm chasing down a lead on an artifact that the Society's archaeologist has taken a vested interest in."

The girls exchanged unconvinced looks. "I'm telling the truth… I swear!" Zoroark said, desperation in her eyes. "Look, you can check in my satchel. It has copies of the notes Mawile had taken on the thing she sent me here after. She picked me because I'm good at blending in with my surroundings. It's that simple."

"Tch, that's so like a Zoroark to say," Serperior scoffed. "Well, you clearly didn't do a good job if you ended up like that."

"Quiet, Serpy," Milotic chided. "And what exactly was so important to Mawile that she didn't want to loop in the Horizon Guild?"

Zoroark winced as she rummaged through her satchel and produced some papers. "Mawile's spent the past several years digging up records on Dark Matter to study. In the process, she claims she found evidence of some sort of anti-Legendary Pokémon plot from ancient times."

"Like a conspiracy?" Serperior wondered. "Just how dense do you think we are, anyway?"

"It's not a joke," Zoroark said, foisting the papers onto Milotic. "She found some notes suggesting that, after Dark Matter's first attack in ancient times, a group of Pokémon strongly believed they could no longer trust Legendaries to look out for them. So, they wanted to set out to create a Pokémon that could protect them from any kind of threat."

"That's completely ridiculous," Serperior snorted. "If you want to make a Pokémon, all you need to do is find a compatible mate, take 'em somewhere romantic, and wait for the sparks to fl– MMPH!"

Dragonair wrapped her tail around Serperior's mouth.

"I'm not talking about mating or conceiving an egg. I'm talking about literally building a Pokémon. Like, out of parts, or something. That way, it could always be controlled by someone else," Zoroark elaborated. "According to Mawile's notes, this group carried out their experiments in Horizon. But something seemed to have gone wrong during the whole thing. There are mentions of things getting buried underground."

Milotic scrunched up her snout. "Buried underground, huh? There is an underground labyrinth in Horizon. It's most prominent underneath Glyphic Falls."

"Yeah, the Nocturnus Catacombs. It's one of the few areas where the landscape isn't reshaped by the Tapus' powers," Serperior recalled. "Wait, don't tell me you actually tried going there? That place is a nightmare if you're not properly prepared."

"I didn't just go there. I made my way pretty far into its depths," Zoroark exclaimed. "But then I got jumped." She looked at her injured arm and winced. "Something attacked me from the shadows and pummeled me like crazy. I'd never felt so many punches and kicks striking me at once. It was like getting hit by ten Close Combats in unison! I just barely managed to grab my Escape Orb and flee back up to the surface before passing out. If I didn't have a Reviver Seed, I might not be here right now. And, well, those things are only so helpful..."

"So, you were ambushed by an unknown assailant," Milotic summarized. "Do you need us to retrieve something of yours, then?"

Zoroark nodded. "Yes. Whoever attacked me stole the one official record Mawile let me take. It had a picture of the artifact I was trying to find. Don't you see? I skipped town to come here. Didn't even tell Ampharos or Team Gaia. If I come back empty-pawed and having lost the record that Mawile found…" She shuddered. "Please. I need you to go into the Catacombs and try to find the Pokémon who stole the page."

"That's a pretty tall order," Dragonair said. "The Catacombs are not very small. We could spend weeks looking and turn up nothing."

"What if I show you the entrance I took to the cavern?" Zoroark offered. "Surely that's a place to start, right?"

Dragonair frowned. "It still doesn't help all that much. You didn't see the Pokémon that attacked you and it's not like there's any way to track the page that was stolen. Apologies, but given you've already lied to us, it's tough to agree to such an unreasonable request."

Zoroark frowned. "I've got 30,000 coin for you if you can provide any help."

Serperior doubled over in a coughing fit. "Well," Milotic muttered, "Our policy is to take all jobs, no questions asked. So, I guess we'll help you out. But you'd better not be tricking us this time."

Zoroark raised her good hand. "I swear, this is really what I need you for."

~Glyphic Falls~

The roaring of waterfalls and riverbeds echoed through the canyon. Zoroark limped along the base of the waterfall closest to the entrance. A thick haze lay over the area from water smacking the river. Luckily, Dragonair stood beside Zoroark. She continuously spun her tail about, whipping up short whirlwinds to dispel the haze.

"So, you went right up to this waterfall, then?" Milotic asked.

"Yeah. Like you said, I'm not exactly familiar with this place," Zoroark said. "I wanted to take the closest entrance to these tunnels I could."

"Hang on. We've gone through this place a few times and we've never spotted a Catacombs entrance here," Serperior said.

"That's because we were never looking for any entrances," Milotic said. "We just went in, got what we needed for our missions, and left."

"No, duh. Because nobody wants to spend any longer in this place than they have to," Serperior scoffed. As if to emphasize that point, a rocky outcropping beside her erupted with a burst of steam. Serperior yelped and quickened her pace, stealing glances back at the hidden geyser. "Ugh, like I said," she grumbled.

"It's right this way," Zoroark said, approaching a part of the cavernous pathway that seemed to spiral up through the waterfall's interior. She braced herself with her good arm and leaned against the rock wall.

"Do you have any idea how far into the Catacombs you made it?" Milotic asked. "Or, for that matter, where you ended up going while you were down there?"

Zoroark paused to produce a piece of parchment from her mane. "Here, I wrote down each way I went at the different forks down there. Of course, I pulled it from memory. But I'd like to think my memory's pretty reliable."

Serperior gave Milotic an unconvinced look and mouthed, "It's a trap."

Milotic flicked her rainbow tail dismissively. "Is there anything else?"

"Well, yes," Zoroark said. "I did try to mark my way through the Catacombs with my claws." She raised her good arm. "I used x-shaped swipes to signify my trail."

"But it's entirely possible her attacker took steps to remove that tracking," Dragonair pointed out. "In which case, we'd be out of luck."

"Hmm." Milotic twitched her snout. "I suppose we could do some temporary split-ups and scout ahead if we end up uncertain of how to proceed." She turned back to Zoroark. "Again, do you think you remember how far you made it into the Catacombs?"

Zoroark scratched her ear. "Hoo boy, that one might be a bit tougher to answer. It's not like I had any way of really keeping track of time down there. Lemme see…" She squinted her eyes shut and rubbed the bridge of her snout. "Okay, the sun was just about halfway toward its apex when I went down. And after I escaped, it was almost halfway toward setting." She turned back to Milotic. "So, maybe five or six hours?"

Serperior's eyes widened. "Millie, it's already late afternoon. If we head down now, we're going to be there late into the night."

"So? It's not like the time of day really makes a difference down there," Milotic pointed out.

"But I don't want to be stuck down there all night," Serperior groaned.

"Don't we have one of Magearna's timekeepers?" Milotic asked, looking toward Dragonair. To Milotic's delight, Dragonair and pulled a small, cylindrical contraption out of her bag. "Great, so let's set it for six hours. If we can't find anything in that time, then we'll just have to call it quits." She turned back to Zoroark. "Is that okay with you?"

"I suppose so," Zoroark said. She stopped in the middle of the pathway and started running her claws against the wall. "I think the entrance is over here somewhere. Aha!" Her paw glided across an indentation and she pressed down against it. The rocky area trembled and a portion of the wall beside Zoroark folded down.

Milotic slithered beside her and gazed through the opening. "It's a staircase. I guess this must be our route to the Catacombs."

"Yup, it's what I used," Zoroark said. "I really do wish there was more I could do to help, but, well…" she looked down at her injured body.

"We'll take it from here," Milotic said. "You just get back to Terrace Village safely, okay? We'll drop by the motel when we're done."

Zoroark nodded. "Okay then. Good luck, girls." She stepped away from the entrance, allowing Serperior and Dragonair to join their leader. The trio descended the stairs and the dim glow of the caverns quickly faded.

"Now what?" Serperior said.

"We proceed forward," Milotic said. "There should be something lighting up the Catacombs, if the rumors are true."

"And if they aren't?" Serperior huffed.

"Then we'll need to employ some creative liberties," Milotic said. "In the meantime, say on your metaphorical toes. Serperior I want you beside me. Dragonair, you'll be behind us and facing backwards. We'll move as a singular unit through the cavern until we reach any forks."

"Understood," Dragonair said. She shuffled backward to allow Serperior to slither beside Milotic.

"Okay, girls. Slow and steady wins the race here," Milotic said.

~Nocturnus Catacombs, Southeastern Quadrant~

Their downward trek went faster than expected. Though the girls found themselves fumbling in the dark as the path zig-zagged and a few sharp rocks jutted out to impede their progress. Eventually, however, a soft, purple glow started to filter up the stairs. Milotic's radiant scales once again began sparkling in the dim light.

"Great, looks like we've got a light source," Serperior sighed in relief. "Except your scales turn us into walking targets for any wild Pokémon that happen to linger around the area."

"How about we make an entrance with our Tri-Captivate Technique?" Milotic proposed. "If there are any baddies lingering about, we'll totally catch them by surprise and then we can give them the business. Sound good?"

"I guess so," Serperior said.

"Right, then on my signal." Milotic crouched down. "One, two, three… go!" She sprang forward, with her teammates moving in sync behind her. They sailed down the remainder of the stairs and landed in the middle of a tunnel. All three serpents faced out in separate directions. They proceeded to bat their lashes and radiate small, heart-shaped bits of energy. The energy sailed harmlessly around the cave and struck various walls.

"Area's clear, Milotic," Dragonair reported. Her teammates both relaxed at this, leaving them time to take in their surroundings. The catacomb tunnel was circular in nature. Jagged rocks lined the area, occasionally jutting out into the path. Clusters of crystals also suck out along the tunnel. They came out from the floor, walls, and ceiling. The clusters varied in size and, thus, intensity of the light they gave off.

"Odd," Milotic whispered. "These don't look like any light crystals or Luminous Orbs I've ever seen."

"Could they be ancient light sources?" Dragonair wondered.

"Don't you think they'd have deactivated by now?" Serperior scoffed. "Yo, Millie, which way are we going here?"

"In our direction," Milotic replied, jerking her head down the path. Dragonair, you okay moving backwards? If you get tired, you can switch with one of us."

"I'm good for now," Dragonair reported. She turned around and slithered along backwards while her teammates led her forward through the cavern. "Keep your eyes peeled for any gaps in the lights the crystals make, chief. I think those might be some good hiding spots for wild Pokémon."

"Roger that," Milotic said. "There aren't any real areas of darkness up ahead, but there are certainly dimmer spots."

Click!

Milotic felt herself pass over a switch in the rocks. Serperior and Dragonair bolted away from her. She craned her head up and steaming-hot water gushed out of her mouth. The attack blew the shards of rock that had dislodged from the ceiling into bits. Milotic held her tail up to shield her face from the shower of debris and water droplets.

"A Stealth Rock trap," Milotic muttered. "Looks like we're in for a rough trek, ladies."

"I'm surprised Zoroark didn't trigger it. It's right in the middle of the path," Dragonair mused. "We have three see-trap orbs. I'm not sure how far into this tunnel the effects of one will carry. But it couldn't hurt to try deploying an orb, right?"

"Let's hold off on that until we're deeper into the cavern," Milotic said. "The paths may get more convoluted and trap-riddled, for all we kn–"

Click!

"Are you kidding me? Come on!" Milotic groaned, before the ground around her spewed a mud geyser. Dragonair and Serperior shielded their eyes until they were certain it was safe to turn back. Milotic still stood in place, only now her body was caked in a layer of damp, brown mud.

"Well, now you certainly look the part of the grizzled explorer," Serperior giggled.

"Wipe that smirk off your face before I do it for you," Milotic growled, rubbing mud from her eyes with her tail. "That was just a stroke of bad luck, that's all."

"Or maybe it's bad karma for dragging me out here like this when I said I didn't want to come?" Serperior proposed, her smirk growing. Milotic responded to this by running her tail across her body and flinging a stream of mud at Serperior. "Augh! Hey!" Serperior groaned, raising her tail to shield her face. "Lighten up, Millie. I was just messing with you."

"Ladies, settle down," Dragonair chided. "We've got bigger problems to concern ourselves with than a little grime."

"Does this look like a little grime?" Milotic hissed. "Ugh, I can feel it under my scales!"

"Easy there, chief. Deep breaths. You can always clean yourself off after the mission," Dragonair coaxed. Milotic's face was probably beet red with anger, but there was no way to tell with all the mud in the way. "Instead, can we focus on the mud trap you triggered? Or, rather, what's left of it?" She scooped up a piece of the broken trap and held it up. "Check it out. This trap is brand new. Someone lay it here quite recently."

Serperior squinted her eyes. "How can you even tell?"

"There's absolutely no wear and tear on any of these pieces of debris," Dragonair explained. "And barely any dust or sediment. A trap that's been here awhile would have plenty of dirt sinking into it."

"I guess that means someone's trying to deter visitors," Serperior concluded. "I told you two that Zoroark was bad news. She probably set these traps to either do us in or soften us up for whatever outlaws she convinced to hide down here and lie in wait for us. This whole thing reeks of a set-up."

"You think she's faking those injuries of hers, too? Those seemed pretty real to me," Milotic countered.

"That's just because you're a softie," Serperior scoffed. "I've been suspicious of this mission from the get-go. All of this is just confirming my thoughts."

"Okay then. Suppose you are right about this whole thing being a giant trap," Milotic exclaimed. "Then aren't you just the slightest bit curious about what the heck Zoroark is up to down here?"

"Do you think she's related to that anti-Legendary conspiracy she mentioned? Say, perhaps, a distant descendant of one of the Pokémon involved?" Dragonair proposed.

"But then why would she go through the trouble to bring us here? It's not like we know anything about it," Serperior argued. "She'd have dragged us into this for no good reason."

"Exactly," Milotic cut in. "An outlaw wouldn't try to trick a veteran explorer team for 'no good reason.' So, whether this is a trap or not, Zoroark must have something in mind for us. And I intend to find out just what that is."

"Lead the way then, chief," Serperior offered. "At least I can get a kick out of seeing you trigger all these tra– HEY!"

Several globs of mud pelted Serperior's body.

"That's enough of that talk," Milotic harrumphed. "Dragonair, do we have a trap proof emera in our possession?"

"Um, let me take a look," Dragonair said, fumbling through the item pouch. "Oh, hey, we do have an unused one. I'm guessing you want this?" She produced the teardrop-shaped gem and handed it to Milotic. Milotic rubbed the base of her tail off to expose her looplet and placed the emera inside the only open slot. It shimmered to life and made her looplet momentarily flash green.

"Excellent," Milotic said. "Let's switch the formation to a line. I'll lead and you two can switch places behind me as needed."

"No objections here," Serperior said.

Milotic led Team Captivate along the tunnel. She used her long, serpentine body to help guide her teammates forward. They followed her path perfectly, so as not to trigger any wayward traps. Milotic ended up running into several more traps, but the emera's effects caused them to fizzle out harmlessly. Dragonair inspected several of them and, each time, confirmed they were freshly-placed.

Along the way, the team even encountered some of the claw markings Zoroark had told them about. "Okay, so she wasn't lying about that part. But I still think she's rotten," Serperior said while the team approached a marking telling them to turn right and proceed down a new corridor.

They weaved their way along the path Zoroark dictated. All the while, Magearna's timer continued to tick away. The team paused for a couple of breaks to restore their bellies with their supply of apples. But despite their long trek, not a single wild Pokémon appeared to challenge them. In fact, they heard no signs of any wild Pokémon along their path.

"Don't you girls find it suspicious there are no wild Pokémon around here?" Serperior asked. "From the way Braviary and the Guildmaster talked about this place, I was expecting a Monster House every thirty paces or so."

"Are you trying to jinx us, Serpy?" Milotic groaned.

"Hey, we're all thinking it," Serperior said. "I was just the one to actually bring it up."

"I wonder if the lighting has something to do with it?" Dragonair thought.

"What d'ya mean, Airy?" Serperior asked.

Dragonair paused next to one of the clusters of light crystals. "Well, we all thought these seemed like a strange light source. And to make matters weirder, these crystal clusters have somehow grown larger the farther we've progressed into the Catacombs. I would've expected our light sources to get smaller. We are pretty far underground by now."

"I can't think of any sort of explanation for this," Serperior said, eyeing one of the crystal clusters. "I guess it's just one of those 'the Tapus work in strange, mysterious ways,' moments."

"Perhaps," Dragonair said. "Or, maybe, these aren't a natural light source." Her teammates stiffened at this. "These crystals could have been planted down here and cultivated."

"… you certainly have quite the head on your shoulders there, luv. Working that tidbit out with naught but a hunch to go off of."

Serperior whirled around. "Who said that? Show yourself!"

"Ease up, there. I'm not looking for trouble," the soft, male voice replied. Serperior turned around and fired a spiraling tornado of leaves behind her. They sailed harmlessly along the tunnel, pinging off the light crystals.

"Whoa-ho-ho. You're quite the hothead. I've heard of sweeping a gent off his feet, but that takes it to a new level."

Milotic gasped and slithered back from a cluster of purple, ectoplasmic wisps gathering into a puddle in front of her. The wisps extended upward, taking the form of a small, gray, blob-like Pokémon. He had two arms, two legs, a puffy, cloud-like collar around its neck, a helmet-like cranium bearing a trio of horns, and red eyes with beady, yellow pupils.

Dragonair appeared by Milotic's side, the team's petrify wand curled up in her tail. She kept it hidden behind Milotic, ready to strike. "And just who or what are you supposed to be?" Milotic asked.

"Oh my. Where are my manners? Ever so sorry, luv. The name's Marshadow." Marshadow extended his right arm and slowly bowed. "Charmed to make your acquaintances."

"And what would a 'mon like you be doing crawling around a place like this?" Serperior barked from the back of the group.

"I could ask you the same question, luv," Marshadow chuckled. "The pouch around Dragonair suggests you're not Catacomb-dwellers." Dragonair reflexively swiveled her bag back to hide it. "Not to mention I'd recognize a Horizon Exploration Badge anywhere."

Milotic raised her tail to block off her badge and looplet. "Are you a guild associate? If not, then we have nothing to say to the likes of you."

"In a manner of speaking, I am," Marshadow replied.

"Fat chance!" Serperior spat. "I've never heard of any Marshadow before."

Marshadow smirked. "I should hope not. I'm one of a kind, after all. And I've got a certain reputation to uphold. Wouldn't do me much good if folks knew exactly what I looked like."

"You're not doing much to sell yourself as trustworthy there, buddy," Milotic muttered.

"Touché, luv. But then, neither are you. Here I thought you guild folk were all friendly types," Marshadow mused. "Then again, word around the shadows is there's been one heck of a regime-change lately. Shame to hear Incineroar bit the big one. He was a such a kind soul. Maybe a bit too kind."

Marshadow suddenly jolted stiff. His face scrunched up and his legs smacked together. Dragonair unfurled her tail, revealing the activated petrify wand. "What should we do with him, chief?"

"We've got to take him with us, I think," Milotic said. "If he can melt into and out of the ground he might be able to catch up to us pretty quickly."

"Um, you know I can still hear you, luv. And talk, for that matter," Marshadow muttered. Sweat droplets popped up on Team Captivate's heads. "Listen. Maybe we didn't exactly get off on the right foot, here. You're quite clearly the no-nonsense types. A gent of my caliber can appreciate that kind of professionalism when it comes to exploring."

"So, you're an explorer then?" Milotic asked. "Who are you affiliated with?"

"No one," Marshadow replied. "I'm what you might call a 'private contractor.'" Team Captivate narrowed their eyes at Marshadow. "Oh, come now. No need for the suspicious glares. I'm just not much of a team player. Plus, I can keep one hundred percent of the profits from every job I pull. Can't blame a gent for wanting a bit of independence, eh?"

Team Captivate encircled Marshadow. "Look, cut me a bit of slack, luvs. Let's just say I tend to take sketchier jobs that an established group turns down. When Pokémon are really desperate, they turn to me." Marshadow shakily got to his feet, dusting himself off. "It's not noble and I'm hardly proud of it. But a gent needs to make a living."

"… fine," Milotic said. She smacked him with her tail, freeing him from the petrify wand's effects. "Now tell us what brings you down here."

"Uh, uh, uh," Marshadow wagged a finger. "Information doesn't come cheap, luv. How's about a little mutual exchange first?"

Milotic rolled her eyes. "I'm Milotic. These are my teammates, Serperior and Dragonair. We're a veteran-rank exploration team with the Horizon Guild here on an assignment we personally received."

"What's your team name, then?" Marshadow asked.

Milotic's lips pursed. A gesture that no one caught with mud still coating her face. "We're Team Charm," Milotic lied. Dragonair and Serperior didn't question the lie in any way.

"A fitting name for a trio of beautiful faces," Marshadow exclaimed.

"Answer my question," Milotic instructed.

"Wow, there's just no fazing you, eh?" Marshadow let out a laugh. "Very well then. Personal reasons brought me here. Heard rumors that there's something peculiar lying around this quadrant of the Catacombs. Some sort of remnant of a sinister plot from ancient times. Pokémon trying to play Creator and all that jazz." Marshadow stretched out his back. "But it's been slow going what with all the traps some brute laid out. I keep shadow-melding to try and skirt them but that eats up my strength pretty quickly. Hence how you three caught up to me."

'So, other Pokémon know about this conspiracy too,' Milotic thought. "Well, I'm afraid our reason's not quite so intriguing. But maybe we can help each other out. You look like you know your way around here pretty well. I've got a trap proof emera equipped right now. I can clear traps out of the way if you're willing to provide us with a little extra muscle while we search for our objective."

"Hmm, I'd rather not stray too far from my own mission, luv," Marshadow said.

"But we're already heading in the same direction," Milotic pointed out.

Marshadow crossed his arms and tapped a foot. "Just try not to slow me down. Time is money, after all."

"Ha! Same to you, buddy," Milotic laughed as she slithered past Marshadow. Dragonair and Serperior hung back.

"You go first, Airy," Serperior said. "I don't like that guy and I want to stay as far away from him as possible." And with that, the trio resumed their trek with Marshadow in tow.

Milotic glanced back at Marshadow. 'Best way to make sure he doesn't try any funny business is to keep him talking,' she figured. "So, Marshadow, what did you mean earlier when you said Dragonair was on the right track about these crystals?"

"Oh, just that they're not natural," Marshadow said. "I've got a hunch that they're actually emera ores."

"These massive things are emeras?" Serperior gawked. She glanced down at her looplet and shook her head. "You've got to be joking."

"I did say it was a hunch, luv," Marshadow chuckled. "No way for me to say for certain. And if they are, they're certainly not like the emeras we know of. You make those little trinkets by gathering up stardust, yes?"

"Yeah," Milotic said. "What, so there are different origins for emeras or something?"

"That's where the mystery comes in," Marshadow said. "And there's no sense of wonder to be had if I just tell you. It'll be more fun if you find out for your– woomf!"

Dragonair smacked Marshadow's back with a glowing tail. He stumbled forward.

"Okay, okay, you made your point, luv," Marshadow grumbled. "I've heard rumors that back in ancient times, emera ores were a source of energy used to power all manner of things. Simple as that."

"It sounds to me like you're leaving out details," Milotic huffed. "For starters, where did these things even come from? Giant energy crystals don't just magically pop out of the ground."

"You're sharp as a spike trap," Marshadow chuckled. "But all I have to go on are educated guesses."

"Well, if they're from ancient times, could they be related to the battles between the three Super-Ancient Pokémon?" Dragonair wondered.

"That was my thought, luv," Marshadow said. "After all, they were venting off massive amounts of energy. Some of it must've gotten trapped and crystallized. And thus, we have emera ores."

Milotic pursed her lips. "I'm not sure I like that idea very much. Using captured primal energy all willy-nilly? That could have disastrous consequences." She looked around. "And there sure are an awful lot of these ores."

Marshadow smirked. "As I said, it's quite the enigma. Why do you think I came down here? It's utterly fascinating. If there was something suspicious going on in ancient times, odds are pretty good these emera ores could've been involved."

"Bah, that sounds like a bunch of superstitious nonsense," Serperior scoffed. "Pokémon always look out for each other. It's been that way as far back as anyone can remember. Why do you think rescue teams and exploration guilds formed up?"

Milotic tensed up. "Um, girls? There's something awfully bright up ahead."

Marshadow whistled. "I'll say. Seems like we've stumbled onto something." He glanced at Milotic. "You gonna check it out, luv? Or is this where I bid you adieu?"

Milotic sped forward, deactivating a trio of traps in the process. The others followed along after her, though Serperior continued to lag back. All the while, the bright light grew steadily closer. Eventually, Milotic froze at a point where the tunnel opened up.

"Tapus preserve us," she whispered. "What is this place?"

Marshadow peered out from behind her. They had found a circular chamber, littered with emeras ores extending up to the ceiling. The rocky ground had given way to smoother patches of stone. Only there were numerous jagged cracks running through them.

But Marshadow's attention immediately snapped to the other side of the room. There, in the shadow of two large emera ores, sat a giant, crystal lattice structure. Unlike the emera ores, it was dull-gray in color. Not only that, it had been shattered. Crystal shards lay strewn across the stone floor, twinkling in the purple light. At the top of the lattice's remnants, the group could barely make out a strange symbol: a winged heart, with demonic horns sticking out of the top and a piercing eye sitting in the center.

"This," Marshadow said, "is exactly what I was looking for."

Next time: Team Captivate and Marshadow go a bit crystal crazy.