Surprise! It's an early update, because I'm travelling and won't be able to post this chapter at its usual time. Obviously, if you're reading this in the future, this part doesn't apply to you. But I do appreciate your support either way. Enjoy!

Chapter 53: Turning up the Heat

~Mount Supernova, Eastern Face~

Thunder rumbled throughout the mountainside as lightning danced across the storm clouds swirling around the volcano's peak. Espeon had to stop herself from veering to the right as she walked.

"Keep it moving, missy," Torkoal ordered.

Espeon continued forward, positioned between Totem Marowak and Torkoal. She looked to her left, where the pathway abruptly dropped off. There, lava flowed freely, descending down the mountainside. Behind her, Silvally looked at the lava pond bubbling to the right of the path. A giant, meteor-like fireball remained suspended above the ground. Flames licked at its edges, bathing the black onyx of the mountainside in a soft orange glow.

"Um… are floating fireballs normal here?" Silvally asked, an uneasy look etched on his face.

"No," Torkoal said. "Totem, have you ever seen something like this before?"

Totem Marowak shook his head. "It would seem that something unruly stirs deep within the rock-bones of this mountain. Strange magics, perhaps?"

The fireball vibrated and spat out two solar flares. The High Priest and Spike-Skull both widened their eyes as the flares careened toward them. Silvally turned around, channeling his water memories. He dragged his right foreleg across the ground and a wave of water swept forward, extinguishing the solar flares and creating a wall of gray steam in their place.

"What the–?" Torkoal's eyes widened. "Did you just change into a water-type?"

"I did," Silvally chirped. "I mean, if there's gonna be fire everywhere, it kind of makes sense, right?"

"Are you some kind of Legendary?" Torkoal wondered.

"No, I'm just Silvally," he replied.

"Eyyyaaaaah!"

Silvally and Torkoal turned around to find Espeon and Totem Marowak staring down a pair of floating globules of black paint. The paint blob duo each had a single, hollow white eye. They turned and floated slowly toward the path. Espeon stepped forward and rifled off a pink beam from the gem on her forehead. It sliced through the blobs. They exploded in tiny puffs of multicolored dust.

"What manner of Pokémon was that?" Totem Marowak asked. "I haven't seen such strange bones striding this mountain in my entire life."

"Those definitely weren't Pokémon," Espeon said. "If anything… they might've been tiny little Ultra Beasts."

Totem Marowak scratched the top of his skull. "Ultra Beasts? Did you just make that up?"

"No," Espeon replied. "It's what the Prism Virus calls these powerful monsters that it turns Pokémon into. I don't suppose there are Slugmas or Magcargos living in the lava here, are there?"

Totem Marowak shook his head, sighing. "Not in this volcano. Well, I suppose we just need to continue forward." He beckoned the rest of the group with a wave of his bone club, toward an area where the path steepened considerably. Totem Marowak slowed his pace, minding his steps so as not to go tumbling off the side of the mountain. The lava pool to the left gradually shrank away. Instead, there was a sharp drop off to a set of jagged rocks jutting out from the lava pool at the base of the mountain.

"Everyone, watch your step. The lava has broken through the path," Totem Marowak announced, hopping from one section of the pathway to another. However, the part of the ground he landed on immediately broke apart, with pieces sinking down into the lava. His eyes widened as he slowly fell back, limbs flailing. Espeon shut her eyes and concentrated. A small pulse of telekinetic energy wrapped Totem Marowak up from behind and pushed him forward. He stumbled and fell to his belly, heart pounding in his chest.

"Are you all right?" Espeon asked as Totem Marowak shakily got to his feet. "It doesn't look like the ground up here is all that firm."

"I see that," Totem Marowak muttered. "But it's so strange. The rock-bones up here are supposed to be strong enough to withstand the lava flows."

The High Priest poked his head out from behind Silvally. "Do you think the Eastern Tribe figured out some method to weaken the rock-bones of the mountain?"

Torkoal frowned. "I wouldn't put it past those conniving jerks."

"How are we supposed to get across, though?" Spike-Skull asked. "That gap is too far to jump." He rubbed the back of his helmet. "And, I am ashamed to admit I have not been practicing my bone-vaulting much, recently."

"At least you can jump," Torkoal said. "I'm pretty much useless in this scenario. Totem, what should we do? I think there are a couple of Talonflames living amongst us. Should we seek their aid?"

"There's no need for that," Silvally said, puffing his chest out. "Have no fear, because Silvally's here!" He hopped to Torkoal's side and bent down. "Get on. I'll ferry you across."

Torkoal's eyes widened. "Are you crazy? There's no way you can jump across carrying me."

"Try me," Silvally said. Torkoal looked uneasily at Silvally's back. But the mountainside started rumbling. The lava pools farther down the path bubbled and more black paint blobs rose out from them.

Torkoal's eyes widened. "Oh… this is so not how I wanted to spend today," she groaned, climbing onto Silvally's back. He got a running start and lunged across the gap. Totem Marowak gasped and stumbled backward to prevent Silvally from crashing into him. Silvally landed, skidding to a halt. He kneeled, letting a queasy-looking Torkoal climb off. Silvally nodded his approval and jumped back across the lava, where Espeon and the two Marowaks worked to keep the black blobs at bay. They hurled their bone clubs forward while Espeon charged them with psychic energy. The bone clubs effortlessly smashed through the blobs and returned to their holders.

"Get on. It looks like things are getting a bit too dicey down here," Silvally said. The trio hopped onto his back. Silvally broke into a run but got tripped up as the path crumbled behind him. A larger, dark brown blob emerged from the lava. Some of the brown paint parted to form a mouth with an outline of jagged teeth. The blob roared loudly and, next thing Silvally knew, portions of the broken path were flying toward him.

"Run! I'll take care of these," Espeon said. Silvally resumed running, while she turned around and blasted the rocks apart with a ring of psychic energy. The attack fizzled out before it reached the brown blob. It hissed its displeasure and flew after them. Silvally landed safely on the other side, turned around, and swept a wave of water at the blob. The wave crashed on top of it, dissolving it into brown dust that disappeared amongst the thick volcanic smoke.

"Well, that was certainly unexpected," Silvally said. "You guys must lead pretty exciting lives here if you're coming up this mountain all the time."

"This is not something that we are used to dealing with," Totem Marowak harrumphed. "Clearly, the Dawn Hourglass is messing with the volcano's integrity. Perhaps it has done something to Volcanion?"

The ground trembled beneath Espeon's paws. "Guys? Maybe we ought to talk less and walk more?" she squeaked, trying to push her way toward the front of the group. Everyone else got the message and continued forward. They managed to reached a part of the mountain where the path leveled off, when the ground began rumbling again.

"Now what's going on?" Torkoal groaned.

"Look, over there!" Silvally gasped, pointing a talon at the face of the mountain. A crack had appeared in its rocky foundations and it was rapidly spreading out.

"Run!" Espeon shouted. She tucked her head in, only to stumble and fall on her belly. Espeon shot back up, ignoring the suspicious look from Silvally, and sprinted up the path. Silvally followed suit, along with the rest of the Western Tribe. They looked back in time to see the rock wall burst apart. A geyser of lava shot out, washing across the path and cascading down the mountain toward the fiery depths below.

Totem Marowak's eyes widened. "This is very bad," he said. "If the mountain's foundations are crumbling, then our village doesn't stand a chance."

"But what should we do, Totem?" the High Priest asked.

Totem Marowak sighed. "My bones shudder to even say this, but we might need to prepare everyone for fleeing the Volcanic Wastes."

"What? No way!" Torkoal gasped. "This is our home. We can't just leave it behind like this."

"Would you rather drown in lava?" Totem Marowak snapped, pointing his bone club at Torkoal.

"But… but where would we go?" Torkoal asked.

"I don't know," Totem Marowak said. "I was just thinking out loud, that's all."

"Aha! I knew it! You unsightly Western Tribesmon were up to something!"

The assembled group all tensed up in unison. "Oh no… that voice…" Spike-Skull muttered. "It's Totem Salazzle!"

Totem Salazzle proudly strode toward them, flanked by two of her attendants and a horde of her Salandit minions. Silvally's eyes bulged out at the sight of Shane and Tessa tied to a large pole. "Hey!" he shouted, eyes narrowing and cheek bolts whirring in their sockets. "Put my friends down right now… or else!" Golden energy swirled around his forelegs, bristling his fur.

"I think not," Totem Salazzle exclaimed. "They are my prisoners. And, bizarre appearance or not, you are a male, and thus your words are meaningless."

Silvally screeched and charged forward. Totem Salazzle's attendants moved in front of her and both released clouds of pink gas into the air. Silvally moved right into them and his running slowly stumbled to a stop. "G… guhhhh…" he grunted, staggering backwards.

Totem Marowak's shoulders slumped. "So, even Odd-Bones is not immune to their hypnotic pheromones."

"Call of your attack mongrel, Marowak," Totem Salazzle ordered. "Or I'll take his two accomplices here and drop them into the lava." Shane's and Tessa's eyes widened in unison. They struggled against their restraints, but a pair of Salandit slapped them across their faces.

"You can't!" Espeon begged. "Those are my teammates!"

"We know," Totem Salazzle exclaimed. "And we caught you all in the act of trying to sabotage Mount Supernova." She narrowed her eyes at Marowak. "To think you'd go to such extreme lengths to take our land from us. You are a shining example of why males cannot be trusted, you worthless Totem!"

"You spout nothing but lies!" the High Priest accused, pointing his bone club forward. "We are just as unfamiliar with these outsiders as you are. But the Dance of Revelations has cleared them. They seek the fragment of the Dawn Hourglass lying within the mountain. We think it may be responsible for upsetting Volcanion."

"Ha! So, you know about the Sizzle Shard, as expected," Totem Salazzle scoffed. "Well, my tribe acknowledges no stupid customs created by a pack of barbaric males. You're just lying to cover up your own heinous acts. Now, stand aside and allow us to pass. We will appease Volcanion by sacrificing these outsiders to him. And he will reward us with the Sizzle Shard, allowing us to protect our land from the likes of you."

Totem Marowak slammed the ground with his bone club. His eyes blazed. "There you go again, spitting upon our dances. Do you not see the hypocrisy in your words? You dismiss every male you come across, but your tribe sings praises to a god who is male!"

"I cannot help it if Arceus was mistaken when she created Volcanion," Totem Salazzle exclaimed, shrugging. "Even the mighty creator is prone to lapses in judgment. Thus, we forgive her, and move on."

"Arceus is male, too, you cretin!" Spike-Skull barked.

"Prove it," a Salazzle attendant countered.

"It's written in the stories of the heroes who defeated Dark Matter," Torkoal replied. "But you wouldn't care about that, would you? After all, you're the crook who took our land from us while Dark Matter wreaked havoc upon the world!"

Espeon raised a curious brow. From their bounded positions, Shane and Tessa turned their wide eyes on Totem Salazzle. Her right eye twitched. "I only took… what was rightfully mine… in the first place," she seethed. Flames gathered around her mouth. "This is your last chance. Stand aside or we'll mow you all down!"

"Heh heh heh. Look at this heartwarming little reunion going on here. It's almost as sizzling as this volcano!"

Silvally turned to his right and frowned. "That voice… it sounds familiar. But something's off with it."

"It very well should sound familiar, Beak Boy!"

"Totem, watch out!" Spike-Skull shouted, lunging to grab Totem Marowak's tail. Silvally looked up and spotted a large orange meteor streaming down toward the entire group. He slammed his forelegs on the ground and a plume of water shot into the air. It struck the meteor, but only managed to put a few cracks in it. Silvally staggered backward, eyes widened in terror. A trio of bone clubs smacked the meteor in unison, accentuating the crack. The meteor shattered, shards of fiery rocks raining down on the ground.

"Meat shields!" Totem Salazzle called, snapping her fingers. A group of Salandit scuttled in front of her and climbed up on one another's shoulders. They spat globs of poison forward, disintegrating the rocky shards heading for the large group. The remaining shards fell into the scattered pools of lava. Totem Salazzle turned and glared at Totem Marowak. "See? Your presence is driving the volcano to anger once again. Get out of here, before you cause any more wanton destruction."

Totem Marowak snorted. "Always quick to accuse me, aren't you?"

"My accusations have merit! Things were going perfectly fine for us before you and your ragged ilk showed up on the mountain," Totem Salazzle scoffed. "I'd smite you for these transgressions… if I hadn't left my smiting staff back in the village."

"Our village. That you took from us!" the High Priest hissed.

"Heh heh. Yes! Excellent! Rip each other apart! Tear yourselves to pieces! You'll just be making my job all that much easier."

Panic overtook Silvally's expression. "Wait a second… Serperior? Is that you? Are you okay? We heard you were captured by the Prism Virus yesterday!"

Totem Marowak whirled on Silvally. "Serperior? Is she another one of your outsider friends?"

A Salandit tapped Totem Salazzle's knee. "My Totem… look up there. On that alcove." He pointed his free arm skyward.

The rest of the Eastern Tribe followed it. They found Serperior sitting coiled up at the edge of a rock spire jutting out from the lava, blue flame markings, fiery helmet, and all.

"Serperior! Oh gods, no!" Tessa gasped. "What happened to you?"

"Me? Well, quite a lot, actually. We found Airy… or should I say 'Nighty?'" Serperior mused.

"She's infected," Silvally whimpered. "And by the sounds of it, Dragonair's the one responsible."

"I think you mean Dragonite," Espeon corrected, shrinking back and looking away from Serperior. She shut her eyes and shook her head. "We, um, need to snap her out of it, right?" Her tail curled up against her rear and she whined loudly.

"What are you saying?" Totem Marowak asked. "Is Leafy-Bones connected to all of the damage being done to the mountain?"

"Without a doubt," Totem Salazzle declared. "And it was these outsiders who brought her here. Yet more evidence of your skullduggery. We should toss them into the volcano and placate Volcanion!"

"No!" Tessa cried. "This isn't our faults, we swear. Serperior, you have to snap out of it. Think about what you're saying. That's not what Team Captivate's about!"

"Shut your pie hole, you sniveling coward,"Serperior hissed. "Nighty and Mistress Zero have opened my eyes. Team Captivate was superficial. Meaningless! But now… now I have a sense of purpose. With the Prism Virus' power, I am the epitome of grace. A maiden that will help create a perfect, Legendary-free world." Serperior looked over her shoulder. "Wouldn't you agree, Volky?"

An orange, membranous cocoon floated in the air next to her. Small cracks ran through its scaly exterior, giving off rainbow flashes of light. The cocoon pulsated. Red liquid trickled out of some of the cracks and dripped onto the ground. "Wait a sec," Tessa whispered. "'Volky?' As in… Volcarona? What did you do to her?"

"Nothing," Serperior scoffed. "Necrozma got his grubby hands on Volky. I heard him say something about a 'shining metamorphosis.'" She looked down at the Eastern Tribe. "Though, from the looks of things, you won't be around long enough to witness it for yourself."

"You there," Totem Marowak barked, pointing his bone club forward. "Remove yourself from our sacred volcano at once! You are disturbing the mighty Volcanion."

"I know. That's the point," Serperior said, grinning wickedly. "I want to wake him up and bring him out here… so I can kill him for Mistress Zero. I think I've done a pretty good job messing up this place already, wouldn't you say?"

"You're the one who's making the floating meteors? And the weird blob monsters?" Silvally gasped.

"Necrozma prefered to call them 'Emeravegers.' All I did was add Z-Power to the emeras I found. And… voila! Instant Ultra Beasts! Pretty slick, huh?"Serperior explained. "I'd love to stay and chat with you more, but I have a Dawn Shard to find. So, I think I'll just have to send you all back from where you came." Serperior uncoiled herself and raised her tail. Blue flames engulfed her wavy tail blade. She turned to left and swung her tail down against the ground. The free part of the rock spire split off and exploded, creating a volley of meteors that hurtled toward both tribes.

"Later, losers!" she shouted, disappearing into a wall of volcanic smoke.

Silvally shrank down and whimpered. "I can't destroy that many of them. We have to run!" He tried to turn around, but a jet of fire washed across his shoulder. He looked down at his singed fur in shock.

"This is all your faults!" Totem Salazzle accused. "You brought these outsiders in and led havoc into our valley. We'll never forgive you for these transgressions. We'll–"

Ka-boooooooooom!

The meteors exploded right above the two tribes. Smaller rock fragments rained down on them, while other chunks landed in the lava, splashing some up on the path. The two tribes quickly descended into utter chaos. They stopped leering at one another and started running in opposite directions. But the meteor fragments destroyed both halves of the paths they had used to get to this point. The array of Salandits all screeched in terror and scurried back toward their Totem. In the process, they dropped Shane and Tessa, who fell to the ground and struggled against their restraints as the crumbling ground worked its way up toward them.

Silvally noticed this and raced forward, ignoring Espeon's cry of, "What do you think you're doing?" He lowered his head and rammed the advisor Salazzles standing in his way. Silvally stuck his beak out and clamped it down on the pole holding Shane and Tessa. He lurched his neck backwards and dragged the duo back onto stable ground. Shane looked back, whimpering at the sight of his tails smoking from their close proximity to the lava.

"Totem, what should we do? The ground up here could give way at any moment. And Leafy-Bones destroyed the path leading farther up the mountain," the High Priest said, panic filling his voice.

Totem Marowak shut his eyes, deep in thought. A second later, they opened back up. "The secret passage!" he gasped. "It's been weeks since Tapu Bulu reshaped the mountain. It should still be there." Totem Marowak hoisted his bone club into the air and threw it toward a rounded rock spire jutting out from the lava in front of him. It struck the rock, making it sink down into the lava. A strip of lava fizzled, giving way to a narrow path leading to the mountain wall. Part of the mountain face sank down into the lava, revealing a dark cave.

"Everyone, get across," Totem Marowak said, pointing his bone club forward. "Quickly!"

He was about to step onto the path when Totem Salazzle shoved him aside. "Out of the way, you worthless man. Come, Eastern Tribe. We must take shelter within the mountain!"

Totem Marowak glared at her as she ran across the secret path. The rest of her tribe quickly followed suit. "Ugh, you mean we're going to be stuck in the mountain with them?" Spike-Skull groaned. "Could this day possibly get any worse?"

Ruuuuuuuuuuumble!

The spire that Serperior stood on earlier exploded. A geyser of lava shot out from inside the mountain, sending molten rock plummeting toward the group. Totem Marowak shoved Spike-Skull onto the secret path, saying, "You just had to open your big mouth, didn't you?" He ducked his head down and ran across the path. His cohorts followed suit, with the newly-reunited Team Radiance bringing up the rear.

They all disappeared into the cave entrance. The ground immediately grew even warmer than the paths they had used outside the volcano. Shane started hopping about from paw to paw, whimpering loudly. "This hurts to walk on. It's burning my feet!"

"It's probably the magma flowing underneath us," Espeon said, swaying uneasily and blinking her eyes rapidly to acclimate to the cave. "Look, there are cracks in the floor with orange light streaming out of them."

Shane's tails fell between his legs. "Do we really have to use this to get up the rest of the volcano? This heat has been bad enough already. I'm not sure I can take much more of this!" They proceeded deeper into the cave and the orange glow intensified. The cracks in the floors grew even larger. Team Radiance found themselves pausing in the middle of the cave, as jets of fire shot out from the cracks in the floor. "Yeah, you know what, I think I can officially say I'd take a Monster House over thi— OW!"

A welt appeared on the back of Shane's head and his eyes teared up. He looked back to see Totem Marowak brandishing his bone club. "You would do well to keep that trap of yours shut, lest you bring more misfortune upon us, Whiny-Bones."

Shane's ears folded his against his face. "Whiny-Bones? Aww, c'mon, that's not fair. I'm not whining… I'm complaining!"

"What's the difference?" Spike-Skull scoffed, walking past the group.

Shane's stance slouched. 'Man, and here I thought I'd never be more humiliated than the time they had to run me under the emergency shower in chemistry class.'

"… I don't care if we're all stuck inside the mountain. My tribe got here first. Take your sorry tails and march over to the other side."

Totem Salazzle's voice carried through the caverns. Team Radiance managed to find their way closer to the center of the mountain's interior, where a bright orange glow washed over them. The pitch-black walls had given way to red and orange rocks radiating massive amounts of heat. Small streams of magma drifted through parts of the pathway that spiraled along the mountain in either direction. Occasional walls of magma flowed down from higher areas, making the walls unsafe to stand near.

"We can't just march over to the other side," Torkoal growled, trying to crane her neck up to get in Totem Salazzle's face. "We'd have to go right through the mountain's molten core. And that'd kill us!"

"That's no scales off my bones," Totem Salazzle scoffed. "Because it's all your faults that we're in this mess. You brought in these outsiders. You've brought ruin to my tribe! Just like you did when my mother was in charge."

"That's an egregious lie if I ever heard one," Spike-Skull said, raising up his bone club and sheathing its ends in fire. "You would hold us accountable for an eruption that not even Volcanion could contain? You have a lot of nerve!"

"It was your faults! You angered Volcanion! You didn't take action to keep the entire Volcanic Wastes safe," Totem Salazzle hissed. Flames liked the corners of her mouth. "And now you're doing this again. You've put us all in grave danger!"

Totem Marowak stepped forward. "My tribe would do no such thing. Salazzle, please, this issue has become bigger than a quarter-century feud. You saw what Leafy-Bones was capable of. She must be stopped. She is bringing ruin to Mount Supernova. And that could put an end to our beloved home."

Totem Salazzle responded by shooting a stream of fire directly at Totem Marowak. He brought his bone club up and spun it, rapidly dispelling the flames. Totem Salazzle merely smirked and snapped her fingers. An advisor Salazzle had managed to get beside Totem Marowak. At Totem Salazzle's command, she unfurled the flaps on her dorsal tail and released a cloud of green gas.

"Totem!" the High Priest shouted. He leaped in front of the green cloud, tackling Totem Marowak to the ground. In the process, he inhaled the pheromones. The High Priest's body relaxed, and his eyes turned pink. "Oh… oh my!" he said, getting back to his feet. He walked up to the advisor Salazzle, swaying from side to side. "I'm sorry. Did I interfere? That was quite rude of me. Please…" He got down on one knee and extended an arm toward the advisor. "… accept my humblest of apologies."

The advisor smirked and planted a kiss on the brim of the High Priest's snout. His body went totally rigid and he collapsed onto his side. "You see?" Totem Salazzle sneered. "Your actions betray your words. You cannot protect the Wastes if you are so easily distracted by our pheromones. And that is why I demand you unruly boneheads get off the mountain and let me finish sacrificing the outsiders to Volcanion!"

"Oh, come on. Not this nonsense again!" Shane groaned, immediately causing the Salandits to jump in front of their Totem and hiss a warning at Shane. But, much to his surprise, Tessa stomped up toward the Salandits.

"Will you just shut up already?" Tessa shouted. The Salandits all craned their necks forward, readying fireballs in their mouths. "You," she growled, pointing at Totem Salazzle, "are not helping anyone in the slightest! Least of all these Salandits and Salazzles that depend on you. Don't you get it? We're all in danger, here. We need to stop arguing and start working together! This is exactly what Serperior is counting on! For you guys to fight amongst yourselves when you need to be fighting her!"

Totem Salazzle leered at Tessa, but Shane noticed the other Salazzle advisor in the group shrinking back and fidgeting uneasily. She had a spiked, pink collar around her neck, much like the Totem's.

Tessa took a deep breath and continued, "I'm sorry that we showed up at such a bad time. And I'm sorry that one of our fellow guild members is wreaking havoc on the mountain. But this is not our faults! Serperior is being controlled… by a wicked Ultra Beast called Necrozma. And if we don't get the Dawn Shard that she's looking for, too, then a lot worse stuff is going to happen not just here… but everywhere!"

Tessa's arms trembled. "You don't like us. I get it. But could you please just stop insulting us and let us do our jobs?"

Totem Salazzle drew her lips back in a snarl. "You would dare raise your voice at me like that, you measly pup?"

"I am not just some measly pup!" Tessa shouted back, catching her teammates by surprise. Espeon's tail went as stiff as an arrow at the sight of Tessa's eyes flashing bright blue. "I am an explorer! I've stared down creatures the likes of which you couldn't possibly understand! So, when I say to listen to me… I mean it!"

Shane took a cautious step back. 'Whoa. Where has this Tessa been the entire time?'

"Totem," the collar-wearing Salazzle croaked, "perhaps we should listen to the outsider? She seems to know what she's talking about."

Totem Salazzle shoved her advisor back. "Has the heat rotted your brain? She is but a child! Even if she is female, her opinion is not worth my time and energy. Perhaps if she were a Lucario, her words might hold meaning. But the day I trust a baby Pokémon is the day I turn over my Totem Crystal."

WHAM!

A Force Palm struck Totem Salazzle's belly. She toppled over, landing on half a dozen Salandits, who all groaned in unison. Aura swirled around Tessa's paws like two tufts of blue fire. "You better stay down!" Tessa screamed, her paws balling into fists. "Or I'll hit you as many times as it takes to shut you up!"

Silvally and Shane were at Tessa's sides in an instant. "Tessa… deep breaths," Shane coaxed. "You're losing your temper."

Tessa hung her head. The aura faded as she turned to Totem Marowak. "I'm sorry, sir," she said, "but that Pokémon, Necrozma. He has our friends. And…" Her eyes teared up. "And he has my mom. I'm not going to sit around and be distracted by Salazzle… Totem or not. Is there anything you could do to get through to her?"

Totem Marowak sighed. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this. But I see that she refuses to listen to reason."

"Impudent outsider," Totem Salazzle hissed, getting back to her feet. "Nobody strikes the Totem of the Eastern Tribe and gets away with it!" She smacked the ground with her tail. "Don't just stand there gawking, you dunderheads. Get her!"

Before any of the Salandits could attack, Totem Marowak brought his bone club down in front of Totem Salazzle. Her eyes widened and she looked over at her rival. Totem Marowak lifted the bone club up and began to twirl it around in his hands. Fire sheathed the bone club, creating a massive flaming circle as Totem Marowak continued twirling it. He started dancing around in a circle, shaking his tail back and forth at Totem Salazzle.

Tessa's brow furrowed. "Wait, what's he doing?"

'Oh god, please don't let this be some sort of weird mating dance,' Shane thought, craning his upper body down and cupping his forepaws over his eyes.

Totem Marowak spun around faster, increasing the speed that he twirled the bone club. The Eastern Tribe looked on, their jaws slackening in sequence. Finally, Totem Marowak shouted and brought his bone club down to his waist. At the same time, he pelvic thrusted, and a flurry of bright pink hearts flew out in front of him. Tessa and Espeon realized what was happening and looked away. They both pressed their faces against Silvally's hide, drawing a discomforted grunt.

"What is the meaning of this nons–?" Totem Salazzle started, only for one of the hearts to smack her right in the face. Her jaw dropped. A bit of drool trickled out of it, landing on a poor Salandit standing right below her.

"Hey!" the Salandit whined. "What's the big idea?"

"T… Totem?" another Salandit said, looked up in concern. Both Totem Salazzle and her lankiest advisor slowly approached Totem Marowak. The choker-wearing Salazzle hung back, a hand covering up her eyes.

"You," Totem Salazzle whispered, leaning in toward Marowak, "have gorgeous eyes."

The Salandits tails all shot up in alarm and they started whispered among themselves nervously.

"She… complemented another man?" "And the Western Tribe's Totem, to boot!" "What's wrong?" "I'll bet he did something to her!"

Totem Salazzle pressed a hand to Totem Marowak's chest. "… and you are such a good dancer. Shaking that tail of yours around like it was nothing. You ought to teach me sometime."

Now it was the Western Tribe's turn to have its members' jaws drop in unison. Even Team Radiance seemed stunned at the display. "Okay, I didn't think Attract was that strong," Espeon gasped.

"Maybe there was something in the dance that Marowak did that bolstered its effectiveness," Silvally mused. "There's at least a small part of me that found that dance alluring." His tail slowly swayed back and forth in a gesture of agreement.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up," Shane groaned, cupping his forepaws over his ears. "God, I'm really starting to think one of those Tapus drugged us while we were sleeping. This whole day has 'bad trip' written all over it."

"I'm pretty sure all of our trips have been bad," Tessa muttered.

Shane facepalmed. "Not the right kind of trip, Tessa."

"Then what–?"

"I'll tell you when you're older," Shane deadpanned, turning away from his partner and ignoring the flabbergasted look on her face.

"As nice as that sounds, Salazzle, I think we'd best spend our time preparing to evacuate, don't you?" Totem Marowak said, fluttering his eyelids at Totem Salazzle and her assistant. They both nodded vigorously.

"Oh yes! Yes! Absolutely!" Totem Salazzle said. "How can we have some quality time if lava burns us to ashes? We need to get back down to the Volcanic Wastes right away!"

Totem Marowak nodded. "That's a fine idea." He turned to Spike-Skull. "You stay with the outsiders and help them. If they run into Leafy-Bones again, they may require some extra muscle."

"I'll help too!" Choker Salazzle offered, waving a hand.

"Of course, of course," Totem Salazzle said. "You kids go have fun."

Sweat drops trickled down the back of Shane's head. 'She's totally lost it,' he thought, as Team Radiance's newly-assigned helpers walked up beside them.

"Outsiders," Totem Marowak said, "we leave this to you. Please stop your friend from driving Volcanion to anger. Our home cannot take another eruption."

Ruuuuuuuuuuuuumble!

Silvally stuck a foreleg out to stop Tessa from falling flat on her face. "And it doesn't look like we have a lot of time to spare," he said. "This volcano's stirring again."

"Great. A treasure hunt inside an active volcano," Shane groaned. "I'll bet the other human heroes didn't have to deal with nonsense like this."

"Come on," Choker Salazzle said, beckoning Team Radiance forward, "I know a shortcut through the caves. The group exchanged skeptical looks, but then they noticed Spike-Skull walk up to the Salazzle and place an arm around her shoulder.

"I'll watch your six," he said. "Lead the way."

A smirk crossed Choker Salazzle's face. "That better be all you're watching, big guy. I've gotten Dragon Pulse down since our last spar, you know." They both chuckled as they started walking forward.

Shane's brow furrowed. "Wait a sec… aren't these two supposed to hate each other? Don't tell me they're actually…"

"Seeing each other? We are," Choker Salazzle said, cutting Shane off. "And we're doing it behind my mother's back."

"You're Totem Salazzle's daughter?" Tessa gasped. "But that's…" She grabbed her aura feelers.

"Guilty as charged. I'm her daughter… and her eventual replacement. But right now, I'm merely the village's healer," she replied. "Mother and I… we don't entirely see eye to eye on stuff."

"And you couldn't put in a single word to stop her from tying us up?" Shane fumed.

Spike-Skull turned around and glared at Shane. "You make it sound so easy, Whiny-Bones. Tell me, have you stood up to a Totem Pokémon before? With the Z-Power they wield, they are nigh unbeatable in battle!"

'If that's the case, then how did we beat a Totem Lurantis, huh?' Shane thought, ultimately holding his tongue.

"I can't just defy Mother like that. I'm not looking to get exiled," Healer squeaked, quickening her pace. "I'm sorry about all the trouble. Really. But I'm afraid it's a delicate situation."

"Well, we've got some time to kill while we're walking," Silvally said. "Maybe you could fill us in? All we want to do is help."

"I don't know. It's not really my place to tell outsiders about our tribes," Healer said.

Spike-Skull stroked his chin in thought. "Mmm… but perhaps this is the out that we've been looking for? A way to finally get rid of the wedge stuck between our tribes." He put a hand on her shoulder. "We can do this together."

"Okay." Healer took a deep breath. "The thing is… our two tribes… used to be one and the same." She paused, expecting Team Radiance to react. "You're not surprised?"

"Uh, well, let's just say I had a really strong feeling about it," Silvally said, laughing nervously.

"I may have gleamed that from a cursory glance at your life energy," Espeon admitted, her speech slightly slurred.

"Your auras seemed to suggest something like that," Tessa said, rubbing her shoulder.

All eyes fell on Shane. "What, me? Please, I've watched enough TV to see that 'we used to be all together' plot twist coming from a mile away." Shane got a bunch of bewildered looks. "Err… maybe you oughta just continue talking."

Healer nodded. "Basically, the Volcanic Wastes used to be one continuous strip of land lying at the base of Mount Supernova. Our two tribes were one. In ancient times, we had united under the leadership of two Totems who had emerged from a brilliant flash of light to save our land from a rush of lava."

Healer Salazzle placed her hand on a part of the rock wall and peered ahead. She beckoned Spike-Skull and Team Radiance forward. They continued along the path. It spiraled upward, with interior wall getting more cracks in it the higher they went. They glanced bubbling pools of magma on the other side.

"Things were great for all of us… until the natural disasters started plaguing the world," Spike-Skull continued.

"I thought Horizon was mostly safe from that stuff," Silvally exclaimed.

"We were. The Tapus did a fine job protecting us," Healer said. "But an earthquake struck the Wastes. And, in the process, multiple volcanoes erupted, including Mount Supernova." She shuddered. "There was nothing we could do to stop the lava. It split the Wastes in half. And, in that desperate scramble, our tribe was split in half. The Salazzles and Salandits were left in the east, where fireballs rained down from the sky and replaced the fertile berry-growing grounds with rock."

Spike-Skull sighed. "My father told me that they tried to get across and help, but the lava rivers proved too harsh. And Mount Supernova wasn't safe to traverse. So, they focused on building a new village. Eventually, they got used to not having any Salazzles or Salandits around. When we finally could cross over, we realized that we didn't have enough land to accommodate the Salazzles and Salandits. So, our Totem at the time struck an agreement."

"An agreement which Mother grew more and more upset with when the years went on," Healer continued. She paused and held her arms out. Healer pointed ahead, where Team Radiance spotted a couple of Emeravagers floating around in the tunnel. Silvally stepped forward and shot a water globs at them, blowing them apart. He waved the group onward. They continued on the path as it went sharply uphill. The gaps in the interior wall grew larger, exposing more of the bubbling magma down below.

"The magma level's rising!" Shane gasped. "It's not that far away from us. I don't think we have that much time." He quickened his pace, looking nervously over his shoulder.

"It should be alright," Healer insisted. "Even with the mountain unstable, it would take a solid half hour for the magma to rise from that point to where we are. And we still have a bit more of a climb."

Espeon sighed in relief. "So, how did your tribes end up switching places, then?" she asked.

Healer and Spike-Skull exchanged frowns. "Dark Matter," they replied in unison.

Espeon's look of relief vanished. Her tail shot between her legs. "What about it?" she squeaked.

"When word of Dark Matter's threat reached Horizon, panic gripped my tribe," Spike-Skull said. "Everyone was fearful. When the guild showed up to evacuate us, nobody even gave it a second thought."

"Mother didn't see things that way," Healer sighed. "She believed that this was a sign from Volcanion that the fertile land in the west was rightfully ours. Instead of fleeing underground, she ordered us all to march into the Western Tribe's village and occupy it for ourselves." She fidgeted with her choker. "When the Western Tribe came out of hiding, we sprang an attack on them."

Spike-Skull's shoulders sagged. "There was nothing we could do. We gave up and fled to the unoccupied land in the east. After that, our Totem tried to negotiate with Totem Salazzle. She would dismiss him every time."

"And Mother was not as eager to supply the Pokémon she viewed as enemies with any berries that we grew," Healer added. "Needless to say, tensions rose very quickly."

"Soon, our Totem was making attempts to take the land back by force. But we couldn't deal with their toxic attacks, so eventually we gave up," Spike-Skull exclaimed. He shot a nervous look over at Healer. "Err… no offense."

"None taken," the Salazzle assured him. "I'm aware of my species… reputation." She placed a hand on her hip. "The gods gave me these powerful pheromones. And I'd rather use them for love… not war."

Shane made an audible gagging noise. Tessa elbowed him in the ribs with a disapproving look. "Hey, don't elbow me. We both know what she said was so stupidly mushy it borders on cliché. And… it's probably double entendre, too." He shuddered.

"You know, you could stand to learn something from her about how to make connections with those around you, Vulpix," Espeon said icily. "If you were a Salazzle, I bet you'd be using those pheromones nonstop."

Shane's ears drooped. "I thought we'd moved past our little misunderstanding."

Espeon again stumbled to her right, earning an annoyed look from Silvally. She composed herself and pointed her snout skyward. "If that was really the case, then why do you keep slowing down when you catch up to me?" she asked.

Shane's tails shot into the air and he shrank backwards. He saddled up to Silvally, trying to position himself in a way so that he couldn't see Espeon's and Tessa's disappointed looks. Silvally smirked. "Forgive me for being blunt, but I don't think it's a good idea to dodge Espeon by ducking behind my rear. You're kind of just proving her point." He turned and gave him a wink, adding, "Not that I don't appreciate the flattery or anything. If you really want to see the exciting stuff, you'll have to wait until we can find some privacy."

Shane came to an abrupt stop and looked away, face cherry red and left eye twitching. 'Okay, it's official. This is the most humiliating day of my life.' He gritted his teeth and looked ahead toward his Marowak and Salazzle guides. "Hey, how much further do we have to go, anyway?"

Spike-Skull suddenly disappeared behind a rock wall, leaving Shane to tilt his head curiously. He poked his head out about a minute later, beckoning the group forward. "I see the path leading up to the volcano's mouth. It's right through this tunnel."

Team Radiance followed their guides through a hot, rocky cavern much like the one that had brought them inside the mountain. Fewer cracks ran through the foundations and those that did only vented off jets of heat and the occasional ember. Shane still went through it as quickly as he could, looking increasingly uncomfortable with each jet of heat he ran across.

The group emerged onto a thin stretch of trail. Tessa gulped at the sight of the long, steep drop in front of her. The volcano's base was no longer visible, lost amid a sea of thick black smoke and flames. Lava falls inched down the mountainside, giving off occasional fireballs that added to the smoke. Above them, the swirling storm clouds had gotten much closer. Every crackle of lightning now produced an audible, ominous rumbling that sent a chill down Tessa's spine.

"Quickly. Follow me," Spike-Skull said, beckoning the group forward. He guided them along the path as it sloped upward. After a minute of hiking, it flattened out, and Team Radiance found themselves confronted by an intense wall of heat. Their eyes collectively widened as they took in the sight in front of them. The ground sloped downward, giving way to a gigantic hole that led down to the magma they saw bubbling up earlier.

"Beautiful sight, isn't it? It's quite the view to take in when you're all at the end of your ropes!"

"Crap! Serperior beat us up here," Shane groaned.

"Ahhhh!" Healer shrieked. "Marowak, look over there!" She tugged on his shoulder and pointed to her right. Team Radiance all looked over their shoulders and immediately tensed up.

"Under Serperior," Shane gasped, "is that…?"

Spike-Skull nodded. "It is. That fiend got Volcanion."

Review reply time!

Another guest: Yes, younger Gallian is a big bundle of nerves. I imagine most Absols are perpetually anxious because of their disaster senses. Probably why they live in secluded mountains.

SuperOmegaGuest: Well, corn definitely exists. And fire-types can heat up that corn. Therefore, popcorn must exist!

Veralix: Bonus parts are always on the short side, including this last one. It was just supposed to be a quiet little conversation.

Anon Omega: Nobody can touch you because you're a guest account, so I think you're safe. I wasn't expecting everyone to be on board with this. That's why it involves side characters and not the main characters. Regarding time passage, you're doing exactly what Necrozma said not to: thinking linearly. There is no correlation between the flow of time in the PMD world and human world. It's completely random, though time generally moves faster in the PMD world.

Next time: after over 60 parts, a moment many of you have been waiting for: a certain someone achieves a feat she thought would be impossible. You don't want to miss this one!