Chapter 5: Remedies

The medical ward at the Temple of Auraciel was unusually busy given how late at night it was. Thankfully, the nurses that worked there were quite skilled and had the situation thoroughly under control. The ward itself was essentially one big, cavernous room with high, vaulted ceilings. The pillars that held up the ceiling also doubled as markers for nearly a hundred partitions made of wooden screens and curtains, each one featuring a cot and some basic privacy for each patient so that the nurses could work on them with relatively little distraction.

Almost three-quarters of those spaces had become occupied by the time the weary, wounded and yet victorious Auracle Guardians were being tended to. Some were being carried on stretchers by nurses, moaning and writhing as their caretakers did their best to soothe them.

Behind one of the curtained-off spaces, the shadowy silhouette of a Lucario sitting sideways on a cot while an Audino sitting on a chair in front of him could be seen as a candle illuminated them from behind. The Lucario had taken off his leather armor and tunic to make things easier for the homely Audino wearing a white coat as she sewed up the ghastly cut on his arm.

"Ugh…"

"What's wrong, Viggo? You can feel it?" the nurse Audino asked him.

"N-no… Just looking at it is making me sorta lightheaded…"

"Then don't look at it," she snorted as she continued to stitch up the wound.

The Lucario simply grunted before averting his gaze away from the half-stitched gash on his right arm. It was one of the more noticeable scars he had earned during his recent battle with the big Void at the graveyard on the outskirts of the temple grounds earlier that night. As impressive as it was, it wasn't the most dangerous souvenir he had brought back from the fight…

That distinction fell upon the writhing black blotches of gunk that were currently clinging to all four of his limbs, each of them steadily draining the Aura from his body.

"Ya know in some ways, you're kinda lucky there, kiddo," the nurse remarked. "In a controlled, safe environment like this, Shadow Matter actually makes a good natural anesthetic. I can stitch your arm right up without you feeling a thing, and there's no danger of you dyin' or losin' all your Aura," she explained casually, as if Viggo hadn't just been put through the ringer by the very abomination that the aforementioned goop came from. "It also helps that you're in the care of a highly-skilled medical professional…" she added with a chuckle.

"Honestly, Mina… You call this natural?" the Lucario grumbled as he moved his other arm, observing the black goo as it continued to spread over it as well as his other limbs at a glacial pace. Although a Shadow Matter attack was slow, it was still extremely dangerous if left untreated. It was a good thing he was in the company of someone who could help him remove the gunk, as he could only imagine how horrible it would be to slowly wither away into a soulless husk— an agonizingly slow process that could take several days depending on the size of the victim. For many, it would most likely be preferable for a Void to simply drain the Aura from them directly rather than suffer in fear and frustration until they were sucked thoroughly dry of their life force.

"Well technically it is, isn't it? Aint that what they taught you during your studies here?" the nurse retorted.

"Oh right, right…"

"Still, it's crazy to think that a mystery dungeon's popped up again…" she sighed. "And for us to get one that spawns Voids twice in a row? Now that's some rotten luck, hon!"

"You're telling me. I'm the one who has to deal with it," he scoffed.

"Oh pshaw… Enough of that whining, Big Vi! You realize how well you, Miron and little Eli handled those beasties till Sonia and the rest of the Guardians got there?" she chuckled with a smile. "Sure you all got a bit battered, but that's to be expected in battle, hon! I've got faith that you and the Guardians will be able to handle this."

Mina's praise made the Lucario smirk a bit. "Well even though we won, it was still a hard-fought battle," he sighed. "To be quite honest, if Sonia and the rest of them hadn't shown up…" he began, but fell silent for a moment as the reality of their ordeal started to set in. "Eli and I could've been overwhelmed by those things… At the very least, our Aura would've been drained," he explained as his eyes narrowed. "Just like what happened to Audrey…"

The Audino looked up for a moment while she started putting the finishing touches on Viggo's stitches, watching the candlelight flicker within his green eyes as certain tragic and painful events were no doubt replaying themselves in his mind. However, what she saw in his eyes wasn't grief or sorrow, but rather determination and resolve. She shook her head gently as she finished suturing his arm, wondering if the Lucario's heart was on its way to healing like the rest of him was. Even so, she could see how these current events were reminding him of what had happened in the past.

"A darn tragedy, wasn't it? She was so strong and beautiful, and still had a lot of life left ahead of her, too," she sighed heavily. "She didn't deserve what happened to her…"

"You know, Eli still feels like it was all his fault," Viggo said abruptly, making Mina shake her head again.

"He really still believes that?" she asked.

"What I don't get is why. No one here at the temple has ever accused him of being responsible for Audrey's death, and she even made sure that he knew that. And still… Tonight he mouthed off to me about it again."

"Eh… Boys can be stubborn like that sometimes…" Mina murmured.

"Oh, well that's helpful," Viggo retorted. "Isn't there some way to get through to him?"

"Hmm, even in my old age I still haven't come to fully grasp the male mind. While I've dealt with my fair share of angsty teenagers throughout the years, I've never encountered a problem like the one between you and Eli. Besides, I'm a nurse not a psychiatrist!" she groaned. "If you really want to figure that out, then you should probably try to spend more time with him. Find out what's been going through his head lately and all that…"

"Mina, I've spent plenty of time with him. I used to train both him and Lara eight hours a day," the Lucario responded dismissively.

"Yeah, in a class. Weren't there around fifteen other pupils that you instructed alongside those two? Not to mention ever since you became the Captain of the Guardians you've no doubt spent less and less time training him," she said.

"I mean… Look, he's sixteen years old. I'm not directly responsible for him and I don't have the time or patience to play therapist. Also, I have a lot more responsibility nowadays ever since becoming Captain, especially since this incident with the mystery dungeon just came out of nowhere. I really do care about him but I just can't be expected to hold his hand with this stuff forever. I've said my piece to him time and time again, but he's just too damn stubborn. Sooner or later he's gonna have to figure it out for himself," Viggo explained while wearing a stern frown.

The Audino put her stubby hands up and turned her head away from him. "Hey now, you asked for a way to get through to him and I gave you one. You two have known each other for years, so you'll have to be the ones to hash this out," she replied.

"I get that. Its just really bad timing is all…" he said before letting out a long sigh. "I think you're right, though. If I have some time then I really should try to patch things up with him. Maybe then I can get through that thick skull of his'," he admitted, his expression softening a little.

By then, Mina had finally finished stitching up his arm. "Well, I'd like to think I know a thing or two about dealing with moody kids. I've got a couple of them myself, you know!" she chuckled as she turned to the side and opened a small wooden cabinet. She reached inside and pulled out a glass bottle containing a clear liquid that sparkled and shined brightly. "Now, let's get that Shadow Matter off you. Don't fret, this Luminous Water won't hurt a bit! Go ahead and hold out your right arm for me, hon," she told him, popping the cork from the bottle as a light fizzing sound emanated from it.

He did as instructed while the Audino held his wrist to keep his arm steady. She then tilted the bottle slightly as the Luminous Water started pouring out directly onto the Shadow Matter. The moment that the glowing water hit the black gunk, it began to writhe and shudder. Strangely, it clung even tighter to Viggo's arm in response to the water being drizzled over it. Viggo noticed it clinging tightly to him, and wondered if the goo was consciously aware that it was being dissolved and wanted to do absorb as much Aura as possible from him before it was removed. At any rate, it didn't seem like the gunk could withstand the effects Luminous Water, and quickly dissolved into nothing as the water quickly dried as well. The Lucario had heard of Luminous Water and what it was used for, but he had never seen it in action before. It was quite the intriguing sight, he had to admit.

After his right arm was clear of Shadow Matter, nurse Mina pulled back a bit and grabbed a small towel from the side to wipe it down. "There! One limb down, three to go…" she said before motioning for his other arm. Viggo held out his left arm next, allowing her to perform the same treatment on it as well. She soon finished with his left arm and quickly moved to work on his legs. "Y'know, Viggo… I might like giving you a hard time but I really do respect and care about you. Ever since you were little I've been patching you up… But look at you now! You're the Captain of the Auracle Guardians, and the best hope we have of fending off those nasty Voids! You did great tonight, hon. I'm proud of you," Mina told him with a look of sincere admiration.

"Ah, it's nothing! Just doing my part to protect the temple…" the Lucario stated as he crossed his arms and averted his gaze from her while his ears started to feel a bit hot.

"And its people! That's certainly worthy of a bit of praise right, Big Vi?" the Audino scoffed as she playfully hit him with the towel.

"Well, I mean-OW!" Viggo began to say, but stopped and groaned in pain while gritting his teeth. "Holy… Ffffff!" he seethed as he shut his eyes and clutched his freshly-stitched arm.

Mina gasped and covered her mouth with her stubby paws as the Lucario writhed in discomfort in front of her. "Oh dear! I take it the feeling has returned in your right arm?" she squeaked. Viggo nodded as he continued to grit his teeth, prompting the Audino to grab a jar full of white cream from the cupboard. "No worries! I've got the numbing cream!" she told him as she quickly opened the jar and dipped her paw inside, taking a little to spread it over the area of his gash. After she applied it, it only took a few seconds for Viggo's arm to start feeling numb again, so he let go of it as the pain started to subside for the time being. After wrapping his arm in some gauze and bandages, Mina stepped back to admire her handiwork. "Hmm… Not a bad job if I do say so myself! Though the Luminous Water did help a bit I suppose~," she chuckled.

"Thanks for patching me up, Mina," he said as he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't mention it, hon! Alright then, don't go exerting that arm too much for the next few days until your treatments are complete. We don't want it opening back up again," Mina told him sternly. The Lucario just gave her an exasperated roll of his head as he leaned back a little. "I mean it, Mister! I know how reckless you can get…" she huffed.

"Seriously, you don't need to worry!" he retorted as he put his tunic and armor back on.

"Experience has told me otherwise, but sure… You're good to go, hon. And do be careful on your way out!" she muttered as the Lucario stood back up.

"Thanks again. I'll be on my way then," Viggo sighed as he pushed the curtain out of the way and began walking towards the exit. However, before he could leave Mina poked her head out from behind the curtain and whistled at him, causing him to pause for a moment.

"Viggo, be sure to get plenty of rest for the next few days!" she called to him.

"I will but I'm pretty certain I'll be really busy…" he replied before carrying on.

"And do remember to come back twice a day for your intermittent Heal Pulse treatments!"

"I'll try my best to remember…"

"Oh, and don't forget to stop by the temple apothecary in the morning, they should have your pain and antibiotics capsules ready by then!"

"I got it, Ma'am! Same as always!"

"Hey now, don't give me that attitude! I've had to remind you about those things ever since you were little!" she chortled.

By that point, the Lucario's ears were burning hotter than a Charizard's tail. "Okay, okay! Bye now! Thanks for everything, you're a miracle worker! Gotta go!" he told her as he quickly darted through the curtain. Within a few moments Viggo was halfway to the infirmary's door, and he just so happened to be walking at a pace that Mina wouldn't be able to keep up with.

"Don't forget, ya little punk— I don't care how tough you think you are! You need to take your recovery seriously!" the Audino called after him as she stuck her head out of the curtain. "I BETTER SEE YOU BACK HERE ON TIME FOR YOUR TREATMENTS! I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE!" she shouted as Viggo darted out of the infirmary and slammed the door closed.

The infirmary went quiet for a few moments as Mina's surprisingly stern words of warning reverberated off the walls. A couple of nurses had just arrived in her vicinity with a fresh patient, a Manectric who had been groaning and moaning in pain a minute before but was now simply laying on the stretcher in stunned silence.

"Uh… Nurse Mina? Is everything alright?" one of the other nurses asked.

"Hmm! Just peachy!" she giggled in response as she then looked down to the new patient. "Well then, let's get this one some treatment!" she cooed. As he was transferred to his cot, the patient gave the two nurses that had brought him there a worried look, while they simply chuckled and waved off his apparent concern, as they knew he was in good hands.


After navigating the tall, circular passages of the temple, Viggo found himself walking into the central sanctuary of Auraciel. The thick pillars that held up the high, vaulted ceiling cast ominous shadows in the dim light of the several oil lamps and braziers that were scattered around the room.

The level of activity wasn't quite comparable to the infirmary, but it was still busier than usual at this time of night. Other than a few residents walking around and nervously chattering about that night's worrying developments, there were a couple Guardians stationed within the chamber to keep the peace. While most of the temple residents were already asleep, the news of the Void attack and discovery of a mystery dungeon was spreading quickly and would reach the entirety of Auraciel's inhabitants' ears by morning. It was only a matter of time before panic set in, and Viggo knew that he would have to do his best to keep everyone calm and united through the uncertain times ahead— no matter how long they were fated to last.

"Oh, you're back, Captain!"

A familiar voice brought him out of his head and into the present moment. He looked up and saw Sonia approaching him with a tired yet relieved smile, the Bayleef looking quite knackered overall. The Lucario smiled back at her, pleased that she seemed to be doing just fine after the battle. "Ah, there you are, Sonia. Good to see you're doing alright," he replied before tilting his head inquisitively. "Did your vines grow back yet?" he asked, curious to know how fast they would regenerate after she had bitten them off during the fight in order to stop the Shadow Matter from sticking to her.

The Bayleef responded by unraveling both of them, looking good as new. "Present and accounted for!" she chuckled as she waved them around a bit.

"Good to know! Well I have to say, I was quite impressed by your chops out there. You led your battalion into battle with flying colors," Viggo told her, which in turn made her cheeks glow slightly red.

"Thanks but, like I said I really had no choice but to rise to the occasion. It was do or die, you know? All of us were caught off guard when we came across those Voids…" she murmured bashfully as she rubbed the back of her head with one of her vines. "Besides, every single Guardian out there was giving it their all! I could never take all the credit…" she added.

"For sure, I'll have to treat you all to some drinks in Zephyros. As soon as this mess is taken care of, of course…" the Lucario chuckled.

"That does sound fun indeed! Might I ask what the occasion is?" another familiar voice asked, Viggo glancing to the side to see Miron approaching him. The Medicham was wearing a resilient smile despite the bruises and tattered black cloak covering his body. He chuckled at the Lucario before covertly opening a link between their minds with his telepathy. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" he inquired cheekily.

"Ugh… As if you had to ask…" the Lucario thought as Miron stifled a snort of laughter.

Standing awkwardly in the middle of the two, Sonia raised an eyebrow at the Medicham's abrupt entrance and cleared her throat to get both of their attention. "Oh its you, Miron. Viggo was just suggesting that we all go out for some fun after this incident is cleared up. Maybe you could even tag along!" she commented.

Miron quickly turned to her and made a flourish with his hand. "Ah, so it's a celebratory affair, then? My mistake, I thought it was for another reason…" he chuckled, placing his hand on the Lucario's right shoulder in a friendly fashion.

"NGH!" Viggo grunted in pain, prompting Miron to quickly withdraw his arm and offer an apologetic smile. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Captain!" he said, trying to hold back another laugh.

"Geez, Miron! For a Psychic-type you're really bad at reading the atmosphere…" Viggo whispered harshly as he rubbed his shoulder and glared daggers at the nosy Medicham.

"Oh, is that what you think?" the Medicham replied mischievously, meeting the Lucario's glare with a sly grin of his own.

"Alright you two…" Sonia murmured in annoyance. "What's with all the shifty whispers? I'm starting to feel like I'm the third wheel here…"

"Eh, its nothing, Sonia. Miron's just doing what he does best…" Viggo snorted.

"Livening things up?" the Medicham in question chortled.

"No, more like sticking your nose into everything just to spread gossip."

"Ahaha! Nonsense! I just came over to see how both of you were doing after all the action, that's all. I wouldn't have wanted our revered Guardian Captain and his lovely protégé getting hurt," the Medicham replied dramatically as Sonia wore a puzzled expression.

"Er… What's a protégé?" she murmured in confusion, but Miron simply carried on with his retelling of events.

"I did my best against those fiendish Voids, but they were able to outlast me in the end. All I remember is using my final attack and then fainting, but I was told that you and young Eli did your best to defend my unconscious body while fighting against the Voids at the same time… I'd expect nothing less from you, Viggo. Its impressive, it truly is!" he said. "Of course, the same goes for you, Miss Sonia. From what I heard the boys might've been done for if you hadn't shown up in time…" he added as he bowed to the Bayleef, causing her to chuckle and shake her head modestly.

"I wouldn't have been able to do much without my backup, honestly."

"Alright, well as much as I'd like to keep the complimentary support-circle going, we're not out of the woods yet and I have business to attend to with the Sage," Viggo remarked before turning to the Bayleef. "He's going to want to know everything that happened and I'll need you there with me, Sonia," he told her.

"Oh! Yeah, about that…" Sonia murmured sheepishly. "I already talked with him while you were in the infirmary…"

The Lucario's eyes widened and his jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "Wait…. WHAT?!" he gasped sharply, turning a few heads nearby. His tone took both Sonia and Miron off guard and they both flinched in response. They were unsure as to why he would react in such a way, especially Sonia. Viggo seemed to notice the sudden increase of eyes upon him so he did his best to regain his composure.

"Is there… Something wrong with that, Captain?" Sonia asked, sounding worried and confused. "You recall giving me permission to take on your responsibilities in your stead in the event that you were incapacitated, don't you?"

"Er, yes! Yes, of course I remember!" Viggo coughed as his face seemed a bit flush. "I just, uh, thought that I'd…" he began but was cut off by the Bayleef suddenly gasping.

"No! No, you're right! Crap! That was probably a bad move, huh?!" she whimpered, causing Viggo to tilt his head in confusion.

"N-no wait, I never said it was a bad move!" he replied in an attempt to calm her down.

"I should've waited until I heard from you again so that we could get all the facts straight. He could already be making plans to counter the Voids, and he doesn't have the whole story! He only heard my side of things, he hasn't heard what you, Eli, and Miron went through yet! You were taken away by the medics before we could really talk about what happened, and for all I know you guys could've found out something really important and I… never… told the… Saaaaaaaaage…" she whined, slowly fading as she closed her eyes and began falling towards the floor, alarming both Viggo and Miron.

"Geez, get a hold of yourself, Sonia!" Viggo told her as he instinctively caught her and held her steady. "Remember. You're strong, aren't you? You just fought off hordes of Voids earlier without breaking a sweat. Don't let a little oversight like that take you out of the game," he reassured her as her eyes flickered back open. As she opened her eyes again, Sonia found herself staring straight into the Lucario's green eyes. She held her gaze for a few moments before blushing and quickly looking away, nearly falling onto the floor again.

"I-I'm fine, thanks!" she stammered as she brought out her vines and rashly pushed Viggo and Miron away. The two of them fell to the ground in a pile, grunting and yelping in pain while the Bayleef winced and covered her mouth with her vines. "Uuh… S-sorry! I didn't mean to push you guys so hard!" she whimpered.

Miron was the first to stand back up, and he started to chuckle while pulling Viggo back to his feet beside him. "You see, Guardian? The Captain's right, you don't know your own strength!" he laughed while Viggo groaned and nodded.

A small smile appeared on the Lucario's face as he looked to Sonia. "Not to worry, Sonia. It's all good! I was just a tad surprised at how naturally you came to the conclusion to inform the Sage in my stead," he told her

"Great, I'm so glad you understand, Captain~! What a relief!" she chuckled in response. "Now that I think about it, I kind of got to experience what it might be like to be Captain someday, if only for a little while… And GOSH is it stressful!" she sighed.

"Heh, for sure… Anyway, I'm sorry for reacting the way I did initially. I didn't mean to make you worry. Its been a long night and I've got a lot on my mind," the Lucario replied. "After I caught Eli sneaking back into the temple, I had an argument with him and we didn't end it on the best of terms. Then the Void attack happened, and… Yeah, I might not look it but I'm really not in the best of spirits right now."

"I understand completely, Captain. I was probably just too excited about the whole situation and could've waited a little longer to talk to the Sage with you. I mean its not like you were unconscious or missing or anything like that. I told him everything that we discussed beforehand about the mystery dungeon and its location before you were taken to the infirmary, so you might still have to fill in a few blanks for him," the Bayleef replied.

"Like I said before, its fine," Viggo reassured her. "At any rate, I should get going so I can report to the Sage. Since you already informed him on your side of things, go ahead and return to your quarters to rest up. Things are no doubt going to be lively around here for a while and I'll need you to be performing in top condition."

The Bayleef smiled and nodded back to him as she yawned. "Sounds good to me. I wish you luck with the Sage… Oh, and with patching things up with Eli as well," she chuckled lightly.

The Lucario was about to reply when a sudden commotion directed his attention towards the front of the room.

"Alright, alright I'm walking! Ngh, watch it! You don't have to be so rough…"

"Speak of the devil…" Viggo sighed as he turned towards the front of the sanctuary to see the Riolu in question being escorted rather roughly by two other Lucario holding him by his arms.

"I mean really, you guys have to be kidding me! Why won't you let me leave?!" he barked defiantly while his handlers pushed him forward.

"Kid, are you nuts? You can't just go running off into the night while Voids are still at large, that's insane! Besides, we had orders to keep you here in particular…" one of the Lucario calmly explained, despite sounding quite exhausted with the whelp already.

The last part of the Guardian's explanation made the Riolu's eyes widen in surprise. At least, until he realized that he was indeed hearing the Lucario's words correctly. His magenta eyes then began to narrow as he glowered at both of his minders. "Orders..? From who, exactly?" he growled as his fur began to bristle.

"Guess, Eli…"

The Riolu looked ahead and saw Viggo approaching him with Sonia and Miron not far behind, the Guardian Captain appearing only slightly as smug as he was expecting him to. However, that was probably only due to the pain he was feeling in his arm. He glared at the Lucario rather angrily at first, but his defiant expression soon withered into one of bitter resentment.

"Viggo… Even after I helped you, ya go and snitch on me anyways!"

"Oh come on. This isn't the time to argue over petty crap like this," Viggo groaned before nodding to the two Lucario who had escorted Eli. "Thanks for the help you two. You may return to your duties," he told them. They nodded and released Eli from their grip, the young Riolu glaring daggers at them as they walked back towards the entrance. That same peeved expression remained on his face as he looked at Viggo.

"Tch. What happened to you covering for me, huh? I fought right alongside you! Stop treating me like a kid already!" he spat.

"Alright, that's quite enough out of you. I was trying to be nice and let you go, but after the Void attack it wasn't a secret that you were here anymore. I couldn't just let you run off into the night after you were healed, either," he explained, his expression quickly softening into a somewhat apologetic one. "So there you go. Before we got to the infirmary I told my Guardians to keep an eye on you and to make sure that you stayed here for the night."

The Riolu simply rolled his eyes at him and huffed. "Oh. Well isn't that thoughtful of you," he muttered.

"If treating you like a kid means keeping you alive, then so be it. If anything happened to you now, I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing what Audrey sacrificed to save you."

After hearing those words, the young Riolu grit his teeth and clenched his fists, but the indignant wave of anger he could feel welling up inside him quickly evaporated, escaping his body in a beleaguered sigh. "Fine, I… I get it…" he murmured coldly.

"Do you really?" the Lucario huffed, earning another bitter glare from Eli.

"If it gets you to back off, then sure, I do."

"Whatever. I still have a ton to do, and its almost midnight. You should go back to your room for the night, Eli. If you still intend on doing so, you can leave first thing in the morning if the coast is clear. I won't stop you anymore," Viggo explained.

"Well, that's better than nothing at least…" Eli sighed with a shrug.

"It's the best deal you're going to get for now, so watch yourself," the Lucario huffed as he side-eyed the young Riolu.

"Ahem! Before you boys get too carried away…" a voice suddenly said from behind them. Eli, Viggo, Miron, and Sonia all turned to find an elderly Lucario standing just behind them holding an ornate wooden staff at his side. His faded blue fur was slightly unkempt and blotted with darker spots around his body, and he had wild streaks of overgrown white fur around his muzzle. "I'd like to speak with the both of you," he murmured ominously.

"Sage…" Viggo addressed him while bowing slightly.

"Aaaaah, shit…" Eli cussed under his breath as he smacked a paw against his face.

"My word, it's you! Good evening, Sage!" Sonia quickly said, bowing her head slightly towards the grizzled old Lucario.

"How do you do, my dear Sage? I swear I'm never able to sense you until you're right up on me…" Miron remarked with a chuckle. "You must be one of the most skilled, powerful—."

"Oh cut the crap, Miron. As if you even need to ask how I'm doing. I'm not in the mood for your prattle right now. Though I must admit that I'm relieved to see that you're doing well," the Sage muttered with a hint of distaste as he turned to look the Medicham square in the face with his stern old eyes. "Now get lost, will you?" he growled grumpily.

"Ah, right… W-well, I'll see you around, everyone! Good night and stay safe!" Miron gulped as he promptly took his leave.

"As for you, young lady…" he murmured, causing the Bayleef to stand at attention.

"Uh, y-yes, Sage?" she asked nervously.

"You look like you're about to collapse. Your blockhead of a Captain hasn't been running you ragged, has he?" he asked, making Sonia even more nervous as Viggo simply rolled his eyes.

"Oh, n-not at all, sir! It's just b-been a long night…" she sighed.

"Alright then. Why don't you turn in for a spell? I have some business to discuss with Captain Blockhead and the hellion here," the old Lucario suggested as he turned back to look at Viggo and Eli, causing the both of them to stiffen up while sweat started to trickle down their heads.

"Yes, I was just about to, sir! Thank you, I'll be taking my leave now," she replied with a bow before turning tail towards one of the hallways that led to the dormitories. As she got to the hallway, she quickly glanced back at Eli and Viggo and mouthed the words "good luck" to them before darting out of sight.

Both Fighting-types exchanged worried looks under the Sage's stern gaze, wondering what he could have in store for them. Viggo gulped as he understood fully well that Sonia didn't wish him and Eli luck for nothing.

End of Chapter 5…