This chapter is being posted during E3 week. So, if you happen to read it the week it was posted and leave your thoughts, I want you to know in advance I greatly appreciate it! Especially because my desktop's hard drive died on me this week... and I had a brief moment of panic where I thought I had lost all of the chapters I'd drafted. This is why you backup your files, kids!

Of course, if you're reading this in the future, do let me know what you think. I try to reply to all comments I receive. Anyhow, enjoy!

~Cosmic Cavern~

Gallian crept through a narrow tunnel. His eyes darted to each and every glowing gemstone that passed him by. A few of them brushed against his fur, but he refused to flinch. He marched forward, keeping his head low and his expression firm.

"I do not understand, Gallian," Sticky spoke up. He trailed a considerable distance behind Gallian. The purple-colored gems held his attention and he stared at them intently. "Exactly what is the purpose of you coming here?"

Gallian's brow furrowed. "It's none of your business," he growled. "Didn't I already tell you? I'm through with all of this. So, just go away. Take your captain and get out of my life."

"We can't do that, rookie," Luxeira growled. She stood in between Sticky and Gallian, looking at the latter's backside. "If we're not around to monitor your ultra aura levels, the corrupted Z-Power you've absorbed could run rampant and turn you into an Ultra Beast just like that Toucannon you vanquished."

"Tch. What do I care?" Gallian growled. "There's nothing left for me here. I'm tired of my disaster sense firing. I'm tired of feeling like I can't do anything to make it stop. I'm…" He dug his claws into the rocky path. "I just want to be alone, okay?"

"Which is why you went into a cave?" Sticky asked.

Gallian sighed in defeat. "Cosmic Cavern… is where I used to live. Before I had my little run in with you two." Luxeira and Sticky frowned in unison. "I had food. I had a shelter. I had a job. I…" He sucked in a deep breath. "I had someone to come home to. Someone who made me feel like I mattered." He turned slightly, fixing an angry eye on his teammates. "And then you both happened. My disaster sense started acting up so badly, I fled. Because that's all I'm really good at!" He lashed out at a nearby crystal with his scythe. Tiny glowing fragments crumbled to the ground beside him. "It doesn't matter how hard I battle. In the end, I only know how to run away and save my own hide."

"… so, that's how it is, huh?"

Gallian tensed up. He hunched low to the ground and red light sheathed his scythe. Sticky put a hand up against his visor. "Captain, we're definitely not alone!" he gasped.

"Z… Zoroark…" Gallian whispered. His legs quivered. "You're… you're up and walking again?"

Sticky and Luxeira peered over Gallian's shoulder. A single blue eye hovered in the shadows ahead of Gallian. A furry black arm shot out of the darkness. Red claws dug into a light crystal sticking horizontally out of the cave wall. "Yeah, I'm walking," Zoroark whispered, limping forward to brace himself against the crystal. Jagged claws marks ran down the left side of his face, across his stomach, and around his left thigh. Blotches of scar tissue peppered his left eye, funneling out from the dull gray iris.

Gallian's eyes widened in horror. "Oh, gods," he whispered. "Zoroark. This is… this is worse than I thought." He squeezed his eyes shut.

"You wanna say that a little louder?" Zoroark hissed, turning his head to show off the stump of flesh sitting where his left ear should have been. "I'm not hearing things so great these days."

"Captain. It appears these two are connected," Sticky whispered. "You don't suppose Gallian did all of that, do you?"

Gallian gritted his teeth. "Well… I hope you're not expecting an apology," he growled. "I told you not to follow me."

"Yeah… you did," Zoroark said. "That's not what I'm pissed about." He leaned over and bared his fangs at Gallian. "I'm pissed… because you ran out on me. And now I know why. For all your tough talk… for all that strength you claimed you had… you're really nothing but a giant coward."

"Gallian, what is this terrestrial referring to?" Sticky asked, tilting his head in confusion.

Gallian whirled his head around. Psionic energy made his scythe ripple. "Butt out! This doesn't concern you." He turned back to Zoroark. "You don't understand. My disaster sense–"

"Oh, shove off with that disaster sense drivel, Gallian," Zoroark growled, scraping his claws against the crystal. Team Paradox all cringed from the noise. Zoroarks' right arm trembled against the crystal. "You said…" He choked up mid-sentence. "You told me I was more important. That you cared more about me than whatever your stupid disaster sense told you." He smacked his right paw against the crystal. "I offered myself up to you, Gallian. We were mates! That's a sacred bond. You don't just get to break that bond because a little voice in your head tells you to."

"Look, I was scared, okay!" Gallian cried, shutting his eyes and looking away from Zoroark. "I… I just saw you lying in the healer's hut. And all the blood and…" He grimaced. "I panicked! I didn't… I couldn't handle it, alright? So, I ran." He lowered his head in shame. "I'm not asking for you to forgive me. I'm just asking you to let us pass."

Zoroark looked at Sticky and Luxeira. "And who are these freak shows, huh? Houndooms are a pretty decent catch, sure. But you told me you only had eyes for other guys." He narrowed his eyes at Sticky. "And I don't even know what to make of that pinhead over there." He glared at Gallian.

"They showed up when I was fighting the thing that attacked you," Gallian muttered. "And now they won't leave me alone."

"We're here for this terrestrial's safety. As well as yours," Luxeira exclaimed. "I'm Captain Luxeira of the Ultra Recon Squad's Team Paradox. This Poipole is my subordinate, Sticky."

Zoroark looked down at Gallian. "Are you lying to me?" he seethed. "Because between the purple guy and your freaky-deaky harnesses, it sure looks like you ditched me to go fulfill some crazy fetish you never told me about."

Gallian's face burned and he looked down. "I'm not in love with either of them," he growled. "You're the only guy I want to be with, Zoroark."

Sticky floated next to Luxeira and whispered, "Captain, am I missing something here? I did not think it possible for Pokémon of the same sex to procreate. Does this world contain some sort of unique reproductive mechanism?"

"Quiet, Sticky," Luxeira ordered. "It's not our place to comment or judge."

Zoroark stepped back, crossing his arms. "You'll have to excuse me if I don't believe that. If you really cared about me, you wouldn't have run out on me."

Gallian winced and shrank toward the ground. "I know," he croaked. "I screwed up. But… but I had to come back here."

Zoroark looked unconvinced. "For what?" In response, Gallian walked up toward Zoroark, his fierce expression softening. Zoroark shrank back, warning Gallian with a growl. Gallian ignored him and continued walking forward. Zoroark's good eye flickered red and he clubbed Gallian upside the head.

Gallian fell to the ground, touching a forepaw to his cheek. He looked up to see crimson energy retreating from Zoroark's claws. "What the heck is your problem?" Zoroark snarled.

"You don't understand," Gallian whispered. "Zoroark… something's happened. I… I'm dying."

Episode 11: The Sizzle Shard Scramble

Chapter 52: Split Decisions

~Volcanic Rim~

One of Hoopa's rings opened up and tossed Team Radiance onto a flat stretch of igneous rock exuding a faint orange glow. Silvally skidded to a stop, kicking up plumes of black volcanic ash in the process. He looked down and flicked soot off his talons with an annoyed huff. "Well, this place is rather dusty," he exclaimed.

"I don't think that's dust," Shane replied, looking in dismay at the tips of his forepaws.

"Ugh, what's with the awful smell?" Tessa whined, throwing her paws up over her snout. Beside her, Espeon wrinkled her snout and grimaced.

"That'd be sulfur and brimstone, I imagine," Shane said. "So, uh, is that Mount Supernova?" He pointed a foreleg upward. His teammates all looked up. The rock they were standing on was a relatively small circular islet. Lava flowed in on either side of them. The two lava streams merged just south of them, forming a large, slowly-moving river that trickled down several yards before the lava started to cool, forming up a circular wall of igneous rock.

Ahead of them, rocky steps led up to a cliff face. And that cliff face gave way to a massive mountain jutting into the air. Gigantic black rocks protruded from the mountain, several of which had streams of lava trickling down from them and gathering by the cliff face. Numerous plateaus were stationed on the mountain, some of which had emera ores sitting proudly atop them. Lava flows crisscrossed between the plateaus. Many had massive fireballs leaping out of them to douse nearby rocky bedsheets with molten lava. The volcano's peak wasn't visible from Team Radiance's current vantage point. All they could see was a mix of smog and dark purple thunderhead clouds that sporadically flashed white. They coalesced to form a vortex with a pitch-black eye.

"Yeah, that sure looks like it," Tessa whimpered. Behind her, a glob of lava struck the edge of the rock islet. Molten rock spilled onto the platform. Tessa squealed and scrambled forward, clutching Silvally's foreleg in terror. "How are we ever going to find a Dawn Shard here, huh? I'll bet the volcano's not even safely navigable."

"But, it's a Mystery Dungeon, isn't it?" Shane asked.

"Yes. Tapu Bulu told me he constantly makes new plateaus and trails to get to the peak," Espeon explained. "He seemed pretty confident that there was something off with Mount Supernova's ley lines. Odds are, that's where the Sizzle Shard ended up."

Shane's stance slouched. "How much you wanna bet it's all the way up at the summit?"

Tessa's eyes bugged out. "No way. I'm not about to go up by the mouth of an active volcano. We've had too many close calls to try something so ridiculous," she said, squeezing Silvally's leg tighter. "Besides, Mount Supernova is plenty big as is. The Sizzle Shard could easily be somewhere else."

Shane sighed. "I wish I could believe that, but it never seems to work that way in artifact quests." His teammates gave him confused looks.

"So, do humans need to summit volcanoes regularly to get what they want? That seems like a pretty wild lifestyle," Silvally said, adding in a chuckle.

Shane's shoulders sagged. "Okay, no, but in every video game ever made, the precious item that the heroes need is always at the top of the volcano. And we haven't exactly had the best luck with easy missions."

Espeon flicked her tail. "We're burning daylight sitting here squabbling about locations. The only way we're gonna find out for sure is to head onto the mountain." She walked up toward the steps at the other end of the islet. Silvally raised a curious eyebrow, noting Espeon swayed back and forth uneasily as she walked.

Espeon managed to put a forepaw on the bottom step when the ground began to shake. "Eh?" Her eyes widened and she hopped off the stairs, trying to steady herself. "What's going on? An earthquake?"

CRACKA-THOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Lava and fireballs rained down from the heavens, striking the sides of Mt. Supernova, and setting some of the rocks on fire. "The volcano just erupted!" Shane gasped. He turned around and spotted two additional sets of stairs leading to another cliff face further away from the base of the volcano. "We have to get higher ground or we're gonna die! Quickly, up here!"

He sprinted up the closest set of stairs, beckoning his teammates to follow along. Tessa dashed up after him. Silvally ran up to Espeon and bit down on her tail, stopping her from falling off the shaking ground.

"Thanks for the save," she sighed in relief. Silvally nodded and hoisted her onto her back. But by that time, a burst of lava had shot out from the molten river and set the stairs that Shane and Tessa had used ablaze.

"Silvally!" Tessa cried.

"Espeon!" Shane shouted. "Hurry, use the other stairs!"

Silvally looked to his left and spotted a swell of lava racing toward him. He bounded forward and leaped onto the staircase on his right. Espeon grunted as Silvally impacted the middle stair, jostling her. She grabbed his head crest to avoid falling off. Silvally hopped up the remainder of the stairs, landing safely on the cliff face. Espeon slid off him and watched lava buffet the stairs they had just used.

"That was… closer than I would've liked," she squeaked, tail curling up against her underbelly.

Silvally's gaze remained fixed on Mount Supernova. The eruption had stopped. But it left new rivers of lava in its wake. They slid down the mountain, merging with the existing pools of lava to enlarge them. More fireballs jumped out of the lava, with tails of orange flames trailing behind them. "And there goes our path to the mountain," he said. "Now what are we supposed to do?"

"Nothing!"

"Huh?" Silvally looked over his shoulder just in time to see a bone wreathed in flames clobber his skull. His legs gave out from under him and he collapsed onto his side. Espeon's eyes widened seconds before a second flaming bone connected with her sternum. The wind rushed out of her and she fell unconscious on top of Silvally.

"Hey!" Tessa shouted. "Get away from my friends!" Blue aura encased her paws and she prepared to run down her teammates' unknown assailants. But Shane's pained cries caused her to turn around in surprise and find him lying unconscious at her feet. Burnt fur peppered his body. "W… what the–?" Tessa gasped, only for a cloud of purple gas to surround her on all sides. She dropped to her knees, coughing loudly. Tears clouded up her vision as she struggled to take in a gasp of air. Swathes of blue, black, and dark gray appeared inside the cloud.

As the last of Tessa's consciousness faded, she heard a deep, wheezy voice cackle, "You two, tie 'em up. I'm going to tell Totem Salazzle we found the outsiders who're ruining the Volcanic Wastes!"

~Western Volcanic Wastes~

Tessa awakened with a gasp to find a dark gray tail jabbing her chest. "Ah! W… what? Huh? What's going on here?" She blinked in confusion. "Why is there a Salandit tail in my face?"

Salandit turned around, looking at Tessa with his beady-blue eyes. His tongue flopped out of his mouth. "Good. Good, you're awake. I'll go tell the Totem." He scurried off down a dirt pathway, passing by numerous huts made of dark onyx and agate crystals.

"Wait a second. Where am I?" Tessa asked, looking around. Behind her, she found identical rounded huts to the one her captor had passed. They stopped just before a cliff that dropped off, with nothing but smoldering ash emerging from behind it. Tessa squinted, making out glowing lava flows from Mt. Supernova in the distance. She turned her attention in front of her, where a fire crackled in a fire pit. Two Salandits stood next to the fire, staring her down.

Tessa tried to move, but found her arms and legs tied together. "Lemme go, you jerks! I didn't do anything wrong. Silvally? Espeon? Shane? Someone… help!"

"Mmmmmrrrggghhh!"

Tessa's eyes widened and she looked up. A wooden pole sat beside her, wedged into the dirt. Shane was suspended halfway up the pole. Ropes extended down from the top of the pole, keeping his forelegs and tails restrained. His rainbow scarf was fixed over his muzzle, acting as a makeshift gag. "Shane? What happened to you?" Tessa gasped. Shane squirmed in midair, trying in vain to break free of his restraints. Tessa looked accusingly at the Salandits. "What did you do to him?"

"Keh heh… we tied him up for the Totem," the larger of the two Salandit exclaimed. "She'll decide if he'll get put to work… or tossed into the lava to appease Volcanion."

Shane's eyes widened. "MRRRGH! MRRRRRRRGH!" he cried, his scarf muffling him. He thrust his body forward but couldn't break free of the ropes. He then tried to breath out an Aurora Beam, only to inhale microfibers from the scarf and descend into a coughing fit.

"It won't do you any good to struggle, outsider. After all, my knot-tiers didn't get their jobs by sheer, dumb luck."

Shane and Tessa stiffened at a booming, authoritative female voice. They looked back to see the Salandit from earlier walking back toward them. A significantly larger lizard walked beside him on all-fours. Her backside was a far darker shade of gray than the Salandits'. And she had a purple underbelly with pink markings strewn across it. She had additional symbols painted along her arms and legs, to go with the spiked choker around her neck, spiked wristbands, and spiked anklets. A gem-encrusted headdress sat atop her head, with a rainbow diamond in the middle.

'Wait a second,' Tessa thought, 'That diamond… it has some winged heart icon on it! Is that a Totem Crystal, then?' She gulped. 'If that is… she's Totem Salazzle!'

Totem Salazzle stopped behind the fire. "Heralder… to me!" she bellowed.

A short, squat Salandit raced forward, with a rolled-up piece of paper in his mouth. He dropped it to the ground, where it unfurled. He loudly declared, "Welcome the mightiest of all Totems… whose beauty and power are unmatched throughout Horizon. Let her love envelope you and be utterly transfixed by her infectious presence. Presenting our vaunted leader… Totem Salazzle!"

Totem Salazzle snapped her fingers. "Applauders!" Three Salandits ran in from behind her and erupted in a thunderous round of applause. Totem Salazzle bowed to Shane and Tessa. "Thank you. Thank you all so much. You are dismissed."

She reared up on her hind legs, resting one hand against her chest and the other down on her thigh. "So, outsider. My patrollers caught you in our domain, angering the mighty Volcanion. What say you to such charges?" She gazed fiercely at Tessa, not even bothering to pay attention to the fact that Shane was thrashing about even harder in his restraints.

Shane succeeded in forcing off his rainbow scarf and groaned loudly. Totem Salazzle's tail flicked in surprise and she looked toward the pole. "Okay. No. Time out," Shane said, looking down at Totem Salazzle. "Someone has to say something for the sake of common decency."

"Shane, what are you talking abo–?"

"The lizard lady has breasts! And a thick rear!" Shane shouted, swinging around on his restraints. Totem Salazzle's eyes narrowed in anger. "That is so many levels of wrong, I could write an essay about it."

"You dare to open your mouth at me, boy?" Totem Salazzle hissed.

"Yes, I dare," Shane growled. "You look like you jumped out of a Victoria's Secret catalog, for god's sake! I can't be the only one who thinks this is weird, right? Not even Grovyles and Sceptiles look so, uh, voluptuous."

Totem Salazzle opened her mouth and spewed a massive fire stream. Flames swallowed Shane up, stifling his cries of pain. The attack burnt his restraints, sending his charbroiled body crashing into the ground. Totem Salazzle snapped her fingers and her Salandit flunkies surrounded Shane on all sides. She returned her gaze to Tessa. "I will never understand why you outsiders cannot keep your man-servants in check. This type of behavior is completely unacceptable."

Shane somehow found the strength to let his jaw drop to the ground. "M… man-servant?!" he shouted. A Salandit tail broadsided him across the head, and its owner hissed at him.

Totem Salazzle remained fixed on Tessa. "You would do well to instruct your man-servant to remain silent in my presence. In the Eastern Volcanic Tribe, men may not speak freely. They exist to serve us women in all capacities. Nothing more." She flicked her snout skyward dismissively.

A stoic expression took over Shane's face. "Okay, I think I see what's going on here. You're another Vespiquen, aren't yo– OWW!" He cut himself off with a yelp and looked to see two Salandits had bit down on two of his tails. He tried to shake them off, to no avail. The other Salandits leered at him.

Totem Salazzle shook her head dismissively. "Honestly, why you would keep a Vulpix with such a barbed tongue is beyond me, outsider," she scoffed. "But the way he so brazenly disregards our customs… I am sure this is what has angered Volcanion and brought wave after wave of volcanic eruptions to the Wastes." She dropped down to all-fours and glared at Tessa. "Tell me, who sent you? Was it that infernal Western Tribe? Figured they would try a stunt like this."

"No, wait. You're making a huge mistake," Tessa insisted. "We don't know anything about a Western Tribe or Volcanion or frequent eruptions. We just got here a short time ago. We're from the Horizon Guild." She craned her neck to the side to show off the explorer's badge pinned to her scarf.

"And you expect that to impress me?" Totem Salazzle scoffed. She stood back up on her hind legs and snapped her fingers. "Where is my insulter?"

A plump Salandit wearing a pair of black sunglasses awkwardly waddled forward and saluted her.

"Laugh at the outsider for me. I do not wish to waste my noble breath on the likes of her," Totem Salazzle declared.

Insulter Salandit nodded. He pointed at Tessa and belted out, "Keh heh heh heh! What a dumb thing to say."

Totem Salazzle's tail conked Insulter over the head. "I said laugh, not speak," she growled. Insulter bowed his apologies and scurried back. "Many of your kind have made their presence here in the past and angered the Volcano God. Therefore, my tribe does not acknowledge your guild's authority."

"Wait… please, wait!" Shane blurted out, finally kicking the Salandits off his tails. "You don't understand. The world's in danger! The Dawn Hourglass is broken and we're trying to repair it before it's too late. We need your help!"

Totem Salazzle turned and glared at Shane. The Salandit guards around him all blanched as she walked up toward him. She unfurled the scaly flaps lying across her tail and released a pink vapor into the air. It surrounded Shane and trickled into his nostrils. "G… guh…" Shane grunted. His jaw fell open, then his tongue lolled out of his mouth and drool trickled off it.

Tessa stared at the scene in confusion, only to realize the Salandit guards had the exact same dopey looks on their faces. One of the Salandits held up his tiny hands to form a heart. "You see, outsider? This is why I do not acknowledge any man. They are driven by their most basic instinctual urges," she scoffed.

She plucked a woozy Salandit guard off the ground and planted a kiss on his forehead. He went as straight and rigid as an arrow. Totem Salazzle dropped him to the ground, where his tail became lodged in the dirt, making him stick out of the ground like a road sign.

"But my partner's telling the truth, ma'am," Tessa said, a pleading look in her eyes. "There's a dangerous threat out there trying to destroy Legendary Pokémon. It's been transforming dungeons and changing Pokémon into monsters called Ultra Beasts. You have to let us go, so we can find the Sizzle Shard on Mount Supernova!"

Totem Salazzle narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "You want free access to Mount Supernova? Out of the question!" she hissed, tail lashing against air. "I'll bet that's exactly what the Western Tribe wants you to do. You go up to the mountain, trigger an eruption, and send lava coursing into our village to destroy our land."

"What?" Tessa gasped. "No, I'd never think of destroying a village. That's crazy talk. Please, you have to listen to me."

Totem Salazzle shook her head. "The interests of my tribe come before anything else. Even if there is merit to what you're saying, then that means we, the Eastern Tribe, must acquire this Sizzle Shard before the Western Tribe can lay claim to it." She walked forward, shouting, "Royal Advisors, to me!"

A flurry of footsteps echoed through the village. Tessa watched as a quartet of smaller Salazzles marched up to their Totem in unison. They formed up a circle with Totem Salazzle and proceeded to talk to one another in hushed whispers. "You're making… a mistake!" Shane grunted, coughing up a mouthful of smoke. "I'll bet the whole reason your Volcano God is angry is because of the Prism Virus!"

One of the Salazzle advisors turned to give Shane a scathing look. He gulped and looked over at a trio of snickering Salandit guards. "What's so funny, huh?" he growled.

"Keh heh heh. You talk crazy," a slender Salandit said. "Being a man in this tribe is easy. You just to what you're told and you get quality time with one of those beauties over there."

Shane's snout wrinkled in disgust. "You and I have a very different definition of what constitutes beauty," he growled.

A second Salandit turned to his friends and made a cuckoo gesture. "He don't know what he's talking about, bro," the Salandit exclaimed.

"I have reached a decision!" Totem Salazzle declared as her circle of advisors parted. She walked up toward Tessa. "Given your statements, and the fact that my guards reported two others were taken by the Western Tribe, I believe you are telling a half-truth."

"What?!" Shane shouted, prompting two Salandit guards to muzzle him.

"The Western Tribe has hired you in an attempt to help them seize our land," Totem Salazzle declared. "No doubt they will try to climb Mount Supernova and take the Sizzle Shard, since this plan of theirs failed. Therefore, we shall ascend the mountain to acquire the Sizzle Shard with you in tow…"

Tessa let out a sigh of relief.

"… so that we may also toss you two into the volcano's mouth and appease the mighty Volcanion," Totem Salazzle finished, to Tessa's utter horror. "Guards, prepare to move out!"

Before Shane or Tessa could protest, swarms of Salandits descended upon them. They quickly muzzled Tessa and tied her up against a pole. The remaining Salandits dragged Shane over to the pole and proceeded to tie him up on the other half. Totem Salazzle snapped her fingers and her royal advisors hefted the pole up into the air. They started marching up toward the cliff face.

"We'll take the back entrance," Totem Salazzle said. "With any luck, we'll get the jump on the Western Tribe for sure."

~Eastern Volcanic Wastes~

"Hey. Boneheads. Wake up!"

A large white bone jabbed Silvally square between the eyes. They shot open and he immediately tried to bite down on the bone, only to find a ring made of bone clamping his beak shut. He narrowed his eyes and hissed at the black lizard towering in front of him, gripping a bone in his hands. A white skull sat over his face, making his expression unreadable. A black, flame-like marking sat in the center of the skull, while charcoal insignias littered its sides. The middle of the flame drawing held a Totem Crystal in it, bathing the lizard in a red aura.

Espeon, who lay next to Silvally, raised an eyebrow at the Totem. "You're a Marowak?" she gasped. "Did the volcanic ash turn your scales black?"

Silvally looked at Espeon and shook his head. Totem Marowak rested his bone on his shoulder. "Your flesh… it houses not the bones of a Horizon-born," he said, staring down Espeon. "You are not just an outsider, but a far outsider."

"Well, yeah, I'm from the Mist Continent," Espeon said. "But that's unimportant. Why'd you tie us up? We weren't doing anything wrong!"

Two smaller Marowak peered out from behind their Totem. The one on Totem Marowak's right brandished a flaming bone at Espeon. His skull had spikes protruding from the center of its forehead. "You really expect us to believe such a boneheaded lie? You were walking right up to the volcano and it erupted. You're a psychic. You clearly did some sort of voodoo to it," he accused.

"What? I did nothing of the sort!" Espeon said, eyes widening when she saw a glob of spit fly out of her mouth and land at Totem Marowak's feet. Silvally gave her a horrified look while Espeon sat there, face reddening.

"I'll pretend you didn't just do that," Totem Marowak. He looked to his left. "Go ahead. Speak your mind."

"Yes, Totem. See, there's the matter of this… this thing the outsider brought along with her," the other Marowak exclaimed. Unlike his two partners, his bone had a metal wire around it, with different-colored feathers dangling off. "I'll bet such unnatural bones forced the Volcano God awake, leading to the eruption." He turned to Totem Marowak and asked, "Do you think the Eastern Tribe put these outsiders up to this?"

"Eastern Tribe? We don't know anything about any tribes," Espeon insisted. "We were going up to the volcano because we're from the Horizon Guild and we need to check out the Mystery Dungeon. We think a piece of the Dawn Hourglass is stuck in–"

Totem Marowak slammed his bone club down in front of Espeon. Shadowy flames erupted from its end, sending Espeon scooting back along the ground. Nervous beads of sweat rolled down her face. "Silence," Totem Marowak ordered. "You will not speak. The Dance of Revelations shall make your true motivations clear for all to see."

Espeon pursed her lips. "And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"Quiet, you!" the spike-skulled Marowak hissed.

Totem Marowak held his hand up. "There is no need for shouting," he insisted. "Remember, she is an outsider. I wouldn't expect her to understand our customs." He turned back to Espeon. "I lead the Western Tribe of the Volcanic Wastes. We pay tribute to our god, the mighty Volcanion, through the sacred art of dance. The dances of the Western Tribe have been passed down through the generations. Dance is a window into the soul. And once our High Priest and his most devout students complete the Dance of Revelations, we shall know for sure if you are friend," his expression darkened, "or foe."

He turned to the Marowak with feathers on his bone club. "High Priest, do you have everything you need?"

The High Priest nodded. Silvally's eyes widened and he started to look about nervously. This wasn't lost on the spike-skulled Marowak. "You have something to hide, Odd-Bones?" he asked. Silvally shook his head, trying not to let his nerves show through. "I'll believe that when I see it in the dance," Spike-Skull scoffed.

He turned around and leaned against his bone club. Two additional Marowak had joined the High Priest. Each of them had painted their skulls. The Marowak on the High Priest's right used shades of red and purple on his skull, while the Marowak to the High Priest's left had orange and yellow swirls around her mask.

"Then, let us begin the Dance of Revelations!" the High Priest bellowed. "Oh, great Volcano God, slumbering beneath earth's crust. Hear our pleas. Show us the truth behind these outsiders' appearances." He raised his bone club above his head and glanced over his shoulder. Behind him, a row of Cubones sat behind homemade drums. They all raised their bone clubs in unison and began to strike the drums.

Flames engulfed the bone clubs of the dancing Marowak trio. The High Priest began spinning his club in his hands, while his two students twirled slowly away from him. His spinning rapidly increased, to the point where it looked like a ring of fire encased his head. The High Priest transferred his bone club to one hand and used the other for a hand stand.

His students stood an equal distance away from him. Each one planted their bone club into the ground. They slowly walked around them, keeping their left hands placed on the clubs and their right hands held up into the air. When they finished their circle, the High Priest tossed his flaming club up into the air and, with a surprising amount of upper-body strength, pushed off the ground with his other hand.

He caught the bone club in the middle of its descent. His students turned and pointed their bone clubs at the spot the High Priest would land on. Two jets of fire raced out. Espeon's and Silvally's eyes widened as the white flames swallowed the High Priest. But the flames quickly formed into a spiral that coalesced at the tip of the High Priest's bone club. His students dropped to their knees, bowing and resting their bone clubs on their shins.

The High Priest finished by pointing the bone club directly at Espeon and Silvally. The Cubones gave one loud, final beat of their drums and held their smaller bone clubs high. Silence fell over the area. The High Priest opened his eyes and stared into the fire on the tip of his bone club. "Hmm… I see," he muttered.

"Well, High Priest? What do the spirits have to say about these outsiders?" Totem Marowak asked.

"They are telling the truth. They did not arrive with malicious intents toward Mount Supernova. And they do not know of the Eastern Tribe," the High Priest announced. The assembled Marowaks and Cubones whispered to one another in surprise, while Silvally and Espeon sighed in relief.

"However," the High Priest continued, silencing the crowd's murmurs, "these outsiders are not entirely benevolent. Espeon's frail bones have brought destructive forces to Horizon. And Odd-Bones is a creature born of forbidden magic. He would seek to strike the mighty Volcanion down if he were to have free reign to explore Mount Supernova."

"Wait, no!" Espeon cried, as the crowd erupted into concerned murmurs. "Listen, you don't understand. We're here to help save Horizon. Not destroy it!" She squinted her eyes, trying to call on her psychic powers, but her vision blurred and her forehead gem didn't respond.

Totem Marowak slammed his bone club down in front of her. "The Dance of Revelations has spoken, outsider," he exclaimed. "We know everything we need to make a decision about what to do with you and Odd-Bones."

"Ffrrrghh eerffghh!" Silvally barked, his gag still muffling his speech.

"No, you don't," Espeon countered. "Listen, I brought destruction to Horizon because I was being controlled by someone. An awful, terrifying pair of Pokémon want to destroy all Legendaries and plunge the world into chaos. I was working for them unwillingly. We're trying to get the Dawn Hourglass to stop them, but it's broken. And one of the pieces is on Mount Supernova. Please, you have to let us go get it back!"

Totem Marowak looked over to the High Priest. "Do the spirits say her bones speak the truth?"

The High Priest stared at his bone club. Its white flame grew in size, making his eyes widen. "Yes, Totem," he declared. A fresh chorus of confused murmurs came to life in the crowd. Totem Marowak raised his bone club and silenced his tribe. "Totem, if I may?" the High Priest said. Totem Marowak nodded. "Frail-Bones, about how long ago did these Pokémon start to terrorize Horizon?"

"Hmm… it'sh been almost a couple of monshh," Espeon muttered. Her face stiffened as she realized her speech was slurred. She shook her head rapidly. "Err... well... the Dawn Hourglass was just broken yesterday."

Totem Marowak shut his eyes and rested his chin on his fist. "It all makes sense now," he whispered. "The past several weeks, Mount Supernova has been far more volatile. That eruption you witnessed was the third one in the last day. We believed the Volcano God was angered. But perhaps it's the Dawn Hourglass' unstable power at work?"

"Sir?" a Torkoal said, stepping forward. She wore a helmet made to look like a skull. "I know it's risky, but maybe we ought to help these outsiders? Our wall needs to be refortified. It can't withstand any more eruptions. We'll lose the whole village if we don't do something."

Totem Marowak crossed his arms. "Is that so? That is quite troubling news," he muttered.

"What about the Eastern Tribe?" the female dancer asked. "Didn't they take two outsiders as well? If they learn about the Dawn Hourglass, they might try to trigger an eruption and destroy our village!"

Espeon's eyes widened. "What? Why would they want to do something like that?"

Totem Marowak sighed heavily. "Because they know the land they occupy is rightfully ours." He turned toward Silvally. "If I remove your restraints, you swear you won't attack?" Silvally nodded.

Totem Marowak removed the gag and bindings from Silvally's limbs, allowing him to stand up. He opened and shut his beak a few times, taking in large gulps of air. At the same time, the dancers removed Espeon's restraints, allowing her to stand up and stretch out. Silvally noticed her balance seemed off once again but decided not to comment on it.

"Thank you," Silvally said. "Oh, by the way, Odd-Bones is a weird name. You can call me Silvally. If you'd just let me move, I could've showed you guys that I don't mean any harm."

"My apologies… Odd-Bones," Totem Marowak said. Silvally fell over in disbelief, forelegs twitching. "It appears we need to make for Mount Supernova, then. We cannot allow the Eastern Tribe to bring ruin upon us once again." He raised a fist and shook it. Turning back to his tribe, he declared, "I want our best dancers and battlers coming with me up the mountain. We must be prepared to confront those foul Eastern Tribe Pokémon!"

Silvally and Espeon exchanged concerned looks. "But, if the Eastern Tribe has Shane and Tessa… then they could be in trouble, too," Silvally said. "What are we supposed to do?"

"I guess we have to figure out what's happened to make these two tribes hate each other," Espeon said. "And see if we can stop them from fighting long enough to get the Sizzle Shard."

Silvally nodded. "Right. Not the easiest way to get the Sizzle Shard. But, at this point, I'm used to it."

"Odd-Bones! Frail-Bones! We're leaving," Totem Marowak announced, beckoning them over with his bone club.

Espeon's ears drooped. "I get the feeling we're in for another long day."

Silvally gave her a reassuring grin. "At least it's bound to be exciting, right?"

Espeon gulped. 'That's exactly what I'm worried about.'

Review replies:

Anon Omega: no franchise switching. There may be nods and references, but only Pokémon characters show up officially in this story.

Another guest: I'm no lord and savior of anything. I mean, I lost my hard drive this week. There won't be any crossovers, exactly. I do, however, headcanon that Kirby's Dark Matter and Super Mystery Dungeon's Dark Matter both come from the same "ultimate evil." Which you might be able to guess.

Veralix: don't discount your theory. You might end up surprised. Just like I'm sure I'll catch you off guard with what Marshadow's role might be if he returns.

Next time: tempers flare as the two parties make their ways up Mount Supernova... and find a sizzling serpent waiting for them!