Business had been slow today.

Sam drummed his fingers against the polished wood of the countertop as he gazed forlornly out the window. The ticking of the clock hanging on the wall behind him only added to the shift's monotony.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Every so often, a customer would wander through the door, and the young man would instantly straighten with a broad smile, ready to take their order. In rare cases, there'd even be multiple customers at once, sitting at any of the several tables that lined the perimeter wall of the cafe, but once everyone had been served, had their fill, and departed, the monotony would continue.

Rain pattered gently against the glass outside, and Sam resisted the urge to sigh. This weather certainly wasn't going to help matters - there was little reason to seek refreshment at a milk cafe if the air was cold, the sky cloudy, and stinging bullets of water bombarding the earth. Best case scenario, the rambunctious youngsters playing in the tall grass might seek shelter for a few minutes, maybe even order a cup of hot cocoa, but otherwise, he would be left to simply stew in his own boredom.

In all honesty, Sam really enjoyed his job at the cafe. He loved serving customers, and chatting with the regulars. The pay was decent enough, and he got an employee discount, but the real appeal of the job was getting to interact with Pokemon trainers from all across Sinnoh. He enjoyed asking them about the trials of their journey, and hearing about all the amazing Pokemon they had seen or captured. It was a wondrous feeling to connect to a customer on a personal level that simply wasn't possible in most other lines of work. Construction crews rarely had time to casually chat with promising young trainers, and stock boys at grocery stores, or employees in tech support were more likely to be badgered or screamed at by irate customers than form a friendship with them.

Sam grabbed a sanitized towel and made a lap around the dining area for what must have been the sixth time in the past hour, vainly searching for some minute imperfection that could justify him wiping the tables down again. Besides, if someone walked in and caught him standing around doing nothing, they might get the impression he was lazy or unprofessional, and that just wasn't a label he wanted to get saddled with.

At that moment, the wooden front door creaked open, ringing the small cowbell that hung above the entrance. Sam immediately straightened, a broad, professional smile effortlessly returning to his face as he prepared to greet the guest. He half-hoped it would be one of the regulars, who were most likely to recognize that it was a slow day and sympathize with him over it, but Sam certainly wouldn't be disappointed with a returning customer that he had talked to during previous shifts, or even a first-time customer.

He couldn't immediately see who had come in from his vantage point, so he quickly walked back behind the counter so that the arrival would see an employee on duty. It was probably one of the youngsters, if they were too short to be seen from his previous location. However, when he peered over the counter, he didn't see any of the familiar, fresh-faced youngsters he frequently served, nor did he hear the telltale giggling of one of the ninja-clad children trying to avoid being spotted. They were appallingly bad at this game, but Sam played along, especially since the kids liked to 'disappear' from the table after being served, leaving a plentiful tip behind for their favorite server.

Instead, Sam found a Pokemon gazing back at him. It had a slim, bipedal figure, and the entirety of its face was concealed by a skull mask, with the only visible features behind the mask being a pair of cold gray eyes. The mask itself sported a peculiar black scorch-like mark near the forehead, and the Pokemon had a black body with a lighter-colored belly. From Sam's viewing angle, he could see faint white, bone-like markings etched upon its back, echoing the placement of a skeletal structure. A long bone club was slung across its back like a sheathed sword, although Sam could not be sure how it was being held in place, and really didn't want to potentially provoke the Pokemon by staring too much.

"Uh, hello!" he said, missing some of his usual enthusiasm, but otherwise remaining composed. He glanced past the oddly colored Marowak (at least, he thought that's what it was), in case it was accompanied by a trainer...or someone else he could confidently communicate with. Interacting with Pokemon customers was a much steeper challenge, because he couldn't understand a word of what they said, and had to rely exclusively on tone and body language. "Can I help you?" he asked, deciding to stick to the recommended 'script' for taking orders.

Despite the coldness of its gaze, the Marowak did not appear hostile. In response to his greeting, it used both paws to make a strange, circular waving gesture, although there was an insincerity to the motion that undermined the intention of a friendly greeting. Indifferent to whether or not he grasped the previous gesture's significance, it answered his question by simply raising one paw and flashing a single one of its claws, unambiguously indicating that it wanted 'one' of something.

Now here's where it got tricky. For all Sam knew, the Pokemon was requesting a table for one, not necessarily an order of one particular item. "Excuse me, but is this a dine-in or carry-out order?" Sam asked, trying to maintain the same level of polite professionalism he employed for all his other customers. There were numerous businesses nowadays that catered to both Pokemon and human clientele, and many employees were given special training to be able to provide outstanding service to both categories. Things were simpler if there was a Pokemon employee to assist with inevitable translation issues, but today Sam was on his own.

The Marowak took a moment to survey the empty dining room, then jerked its paw towards the door, answering in a single syllable. This was enough for Sam to pick up the feminine tone of voice, and he made a mental note to use the appropriate pronoun.

"All right, is that a standard-sized bottle of Moomoo Milk, to go?" Sam asked, holding up the standard to-go canister of the cafe's signature product to indicate the size. He received a curt nod in response, so he filled the bottle and set it on the counter. "Is there anything else I can get for you today?"

The Marowak shook her head and Sam paused, dreading the next words he was about to say.

"Okay, your total will be-"

Upon hearing the amount, the Marowak let out an audible snort of disdain, her mouth curling into a slight sneer. Even though the youth hadn't said or done anything that would have been out of place in any given transaction with a human customer, the bone Pokemon's reaction made it clear that she knew he had been wondering about whether or not she'd have an appropriate form of payment. Without adjusting her expression in the slightest, the Marowak produced a handful of silver coins from a belted pouch at her waist and slapped the change onto the counter, folding her arms defiantly as he counted out the money.

She had given him far too much, Sam realized. He separated the coins swiftly, scooping the necessary amount for payment into the register, and gathering the excess into his hand before reaching over the counter to directly hand the coins back to her. He did the same with the purchased milk bottle; the Marowak was too short to easily take objects down from the counter.

"Thank you for your business today, miss, and I hope you have a great day," he told her, flashing his most sincere and enthusiastic smile. The Marowak studied him for a long moment, then the ghost of a smirk flashed across her face. Without a word, she delicately set the bottle down on the floor, then set the coins he had returned to her back on the counter. She rummaged around in the pouch at her waist for a moment, then extracted a creased paper note, which she dramatically dropped on top of the coins. She jerked her paw towards the jar marked 'Tips', and turned to leave, retrieving the bottle of milk from the floor.

"Whoa, whoa, that's too much for a tip, I can't accept this," Sam insisted, his eyes widening when he caught sight of the denomination on the bill. It was worth more than his average day's pay, and for one wild moment, he was convinced that the Marowak hadn't grasped the bill's value.

The Marowak's response was a clipped grouping of syllables. The words themselves were indecipherable, but the tone of her voice was crystal clear, insisting that he take what she had given him. The cowbell above the door sounded again as the bone Pokemon departed, and Sam stared after her, his mind scarcely able to process what had just happened.

This was a story that nobody was going to believe, or worse, they might assume he had somehow taken advantage of a Pokemon's unfamiliarity with human currency. As this unpleasant thought crossed his mind, it dawned on him that the Marowak had probably deliberately overpaid earlier, either to test whether he was actually unscrupulous enough to try and rip off the 'money-challenged non-human', or just to snidely emphasize that she had the funds to spare, and knew how humans conducted business. Whatever the case, she had evidently been pleased by how he had conducted himself during the transaction, because she had gone out of her way to drastically increase the size of his tip.

One thing was for sure - he now had something to think about while he waited for the next customer.


Seraphina made her way north, drawing her bone club and clearing a path through the tall grass that grew rampant along the route. Local sources claimed that Route 210 had been created by clearing away an overgrown canyon of some sort, but based on her observations, the region couldn't be bothered to devote any resources to regular upkeep of the path. Hell, most of the grass growing on this route was almost twice as tall as she was! This degree of unpruned growth wasn't simply the result of forgetting to mow the lawn for a few months - it was negligence bordering on criminal incompetence. Ironically, Sera supposed that Tapu Bulu would have been pleased with the results, although she doubted the administration of Sinnoh had been trying to appease an Alolan island guardian.

Smirking to herself, Sera uncapped the bottle of milk she had purchased, sniffing its contents cautiously before taking a long swig from the bottle. The sweet, creamy flavor exploded upon her tongue and her legs buckled, nearly bringing the Marowak to her knees. The establishment's claims were not exaggerations after all - the Cafe Cabin really did serve the freshest, high-quality milk in all of Sinnoh. Sera had been skeptical of the claim, because the building did not seem large enough to comfortably house a Miltank, nor did it seem like a sanitary practice to milk one to order.

Now that she had come by, seen the place for herself, and sampled the product, she figured the milk was probably supplied by a local dairy farmer and delivered in smaller batches throughout the day to balance the need to meet demand with the goal of having the highest quality product possible. Whatever they were doing was clearly paying off, Sera mused, gulping down the rest of the bottle and wiping her mouth with her paw. Waves of nostalgia washed over her as she savored the flavor, and within moments, energy rushed into her body, and a rare, contented smile passed over her lips.

Raindrops splashed noisily against the bony surface of Sera's skull mask as she continued north, each droplet of water tapping out a single note of the weather's chaotic melody. The Alolan Marowak closed her eyes, listening to the notes echo and reverberate with her skull, each tone sounding subtly different based on where it landed relative to the previous note.

Music had always held a special place in Sera's heart, loath as she often was to admit it. She never had any ambitions of becoming a musician, and she couldn't sing a note to save her life, but there was little denying the influence that music had on her, especially back when she had still been a Cubone. The songs of local Fletchling moved and inspired her, the thundering drum beats that accompanied fire dance performances excited her more than the actual performers, and few things soothed her as effectively as a Kangaskhan mother's lullaby.

A blanket of fog steadily rolled over the second half of the route, obscuring her vision and posing yet another hurdle to be overcome. Discarding the empty milk bottle on the side of the road, Sera struck one end of her bone club against her forehead. Green fire ignited from the end, the eerie flame chasing away wisps of cloud with each swing of her arm, illuminating enough of Sera's surroundings for her to confidently move forward. Every so often, she would glimpse moving shapes in the fog, a wild Pokemon or traveler cautiously going in the opposite direction. They avoided the blazing flame like the plague, perhaps mindful of the urban legends that warned against trickster spirits that appeared to lost travelers in the mountains or swamps of Sinnoh, luring hapless wanderers to their doom. The rain had seemingly stopped, but each step Sera took into the mist sprinkled her scales with frigid water droplets.

Eventually, her burning torch struck the rock canyon wall, and Sera ran her paw along the rock face until she located a rugged section of wall that she could securely grip onto. Smirking, Sera slung the bone club onto her back, securing it in place with a subtle, black leather strap that hooked onto the belted pouch at her waist. Obviously, she had opted not to wear either accessory when she had gone into the Solaceon Ruins last week, knowing the assignment might require use of her combat abilities. Carrying a bag of human currency and other trinkets would have been both pointless and foolish under those circumstances.

Sera took a breath to steel herself, then reached up to grasp a higher section of the rugged wall. Another breath, and then she brought her first paw up to grasp onto the next 'rung' of the rocky ladder. She repeated this process with her second paw, remembering at the last minute that she was supposed to be using her leg muscles, not her arms. She scowled privately, but adjusted her form. Even though Alolan Marowak were considerably leaner than their Kantonian counterparts, rock climbing was still exhausting work, and Wela Volcano hadn't had many locations where she could safely learn the skill. Sera focused on following a steady rhythm as she climbed higher up the mountain face, pausing for breath at the halfway point, before scaling higher and higher until at last her paws grasped the lip of the mountain cliff.

Growling from the exertion, Sera pulled herself onto the ledge, rolling over and sprawling out on her back as she panted for air, completely winded, but exceptionally pleased with herself. Overcoming the various hurdles presented by the overgrown, foggy, mountainside route was immensely satisfying to her, and the fact she had struggled so much with the rock climbing portion provided solid insight into the area of her training that could use the most improvement. Of course, she knew her limitations better than anyone else ever could, and that was why she had made sure to grab some Moomoo Milk before attempting her 'course' again. The vitamin-rich beverage was a phenomenal way to replenish a Pokemon's stamina, and was an infinitely more tasty option than most human-made alternatives.

Once she caught her breath, Seraphina cautiously made her way along the ridge, keeping her eyes peeled for major hazards. This section of the mountain was notoriously treacherous, and a single misstep could send her spilling down the mountainside. Waterfalls thundered in the distance, a reminder that sheer cliffs were everywhere.

She soon arrived at her destination, the mouth of a once-abandoned cave, located on the mountain ridge overlooking the outskirts of Celestic Town. It was a quiet, isolated part of the mountains, difficult for the average traveler to find or reach if they lacked wings or excellent climbing gear, while remaining within a short hike's distance to the human settlement built in the shadow of Mt. Coronet proper.

A distinctly sweet, alluring fragrance bombarded Sera's senses, even before she reached the cave, and she snorted, attempting to force the smell from her nostrils. The cave had probably once served as the nesting ground for a pair of evolved dragon Pokemon, years earlier, but it had long since been abandoned when she and Circe had found it, and they had swiftly commandeered it for their own use.

She didn't even need to inhale to detect the potent traces of Circe's pheromone-laden fumes coming from within the cave, so without any hesitation, the Marowak strode inside. Most would probably consider this to be a direct violation of some inane code of etiquette existing between roommates, but Sera honestly didn't give a shit whether the Salazzle had company over or not. It wouldn't have been the first time she walked in on Circe entertaining a guest, and probably wouldn't be the last time, either. Besides, Circe wasn't the type to get flustered, no matter what kind of situation Sera found her in, and even if the Salazzle did have someone over, most males would probably be so high on her poisons that they wouldn't notice, or care, if Sera walked in.

To the Marowak's genuine surprise, Sera found the Salazzle alone and fast asleep, curled up in one corner of the large den, a thin blanket thrown over her lithe form. Snorting quietly, Sera walked over to her own 'designated' corner of the den, unclipping the pouch from her waist and depositing it unceremoniously on the ground. She did the same with the strap securing her bone club to her back, causing the weapon to clatter noisily against the stone floor.

Circe stirred at the sound, aggressively shifting onto her stomach and rising up on all fours, emitting a hiss of displeasure before recognizing the source of the disturbance, at which point, the hostility vanished, and her expression softened dramatically. "Alola, Seraphina," the Salazzle greeted pleasantly, reclining into a seated position, and using her forepaws to deliver the standard Alolan greeting. Seraphina mimicked the rainbow-like motion, her mouth curled into a sneer.

"Long night?" she asked snidely. Circe smiled, unfazed by her companion's tone.

"No need to be so bitter, dear," the poison reptile crooned, her pale purple eyes shining with sincere affection. "I'm always willing to set you up as well. You only need to ask."

Sera scoffed. "I'll pass. Last guy kept kissing my face, like I'd enjoy that or something," she grumbled, her paw gesturing incredulously towards the skull mask that covered the entire surface of her head. "I'm convinced your pheromones make males stupid."

Circe snickered. "I can't imagine why that might be," she murmured, but the wide grin told another story. "Just remember, the offer is always available, even if you desire company that's, shall we say, a bit more PG?"

"I'm not so pathetic that I need a Salazzle to help me find guys to cuddle with," Sera retorted waspishly.

"Of course not, love," Circe murmured, her eyes glittering with mischief. "But it certainly couldn't hurt."

Seraphina snorted, retrieving her bone club from the floor before settling into a comfortable seated position. She knew Circe far too well to take her teasing remarks personally, just as the Salazzle knew her too well to be bothered by her abrasive manner. They had known one another for almost as long as Sera could remember, back when Circe was a mere Salandit residing in a volcano cave. Despite the obvious differences in their species, the two girls had become fast friends, forging a sense of kinship between them that they couldn't find among their respective peers.

Female Salandit were exceptionally rare among the congress of poison lizards living at Wela Volcano, and competition between the females had been exceptionally fierce. Male Salandit were fanatically subservient to the females, happily surrendering the majority of their food to please their chosen mistress. As a result, Circe viewed the males with absolute disdain, labeling them as overeager 'gremlins', too weak-willed to interest her for long, and her charms ultimately wasted on them.

Even as a Salandit, Circe had known she wanted more than a life of ruling over her personal harem of spineless lizards. She believed it would be a waste of her potential by settling for a life of leisure, having a small band of personal servants constantly at her beck and call. There was nothing exciting about such an existence, and Circe felt her talents could be put to better use elsewhere in the world, where such talents and abilities would be rare and unique, making it easier for the poison reptile to stand out on her own terms.

Seraphina had been in a similar situation. Her connection to spiritual energy and restless souls made her something of a pariah among her peers at the volcano, coupled with the fact that she had been taken in as an egg by her adoptive mother. No one really knew where she had come from, and additionally having an abnormal ability was more than enough to brand her as an outcast.

"Oh, by the way, love," Circe drawled, reclining onto her back and stretching luxuriously. Not a trace of self-conscious modesty existed within the Salazzle's body language, and Sera noted that even though she was the only possible audience, Circe seemed to be intentionally flaunting the sleek, feminine curves of her body, her long tail swishing suggestively, as if to dare onlookers to try to examine the more forbidden areas of the poison lizard's body.

"Yeah?" Sera prompted, refusing to be distracted by Circe's ostentatious display. She wanted to sneer at the needlessness of it all, but knew that this reaction was precisely what Circe wanted. She reveled in the attention, and there was literally no way to deny her that thrill. If Sera averted her eyes or ignored her, Circe would treat it as if the Marowak was jealous, embarrassed, or prudish. If she criticized the behavior, it would amount to the same, but indifferently observing the behavior without comment meant Circe still got attention. Sera found the lattermost option easiest, because she honestly didn't care what Circe did with herself, and Circe wasn't likely to tease her over it.

"A message came in while you were out," Circe continued, sitting up and expelling a wisp of purple smoke from her nostrils. Sera privately noted that it was a noticeably sweeter, but less pheromone-heavy variation of the Salazzle's usual incense, almost like an air freshener. She snorted quietly, realizing that she had spent so much of her life in the poison lizard's company that she could not only distinguish the variations of poison Circe utilized, but recognize the intended purpose the Salazzle had for them. "We've been requested to report in with Kuro at our earliest convenience. He and some of his group are preparing for something in Celestic Town."

"Fantastic," Sera sneered, her words oozing with distaste. "Please tell me we've got something with Neo-Galactic scheduled so that we can decline."

"'Fraid not, dear," Circe murmured, her tail swishing idly. "Venus only contracts us for certain operations. Generally the ones of questionable legality, but that's kind of the point, isn't it?"

"Whatever," Sera grumbled, reluctantly getting to her feet and gathering her travel accessories together. "Let's just get this over with."


Celestic Town was a quaint human settlement devoted to preserving the history of Sinnoh. Many believed it to have been the first town founded in the wake of Sinnoh's creation, but the sad reality was that most people living throughout the region had little to no appreciation for the simple town's historical significance.

The average traveler viewed the town the same way one might view a museum - an interesting educational experience, but easily dismissed and forgotten by those lacking a passion for historical and mythological research. Very little had changed since the town's humble beginnings, as it remained a simple, old-fashioned settlement that taught and emphasized the importance of mankind's relationship with Pokemon and the natural world. Construction of buildings was kept at a minimum, to avoid disrupting the harmony that presently existed, with the most recent addition being the local Pokemon Center, which had only been built on the Pokemon League's insistence that all major cities and towns throughout the region have a licensed and up-to-date treatment facility for trainers and their Pokemon.

The two fire lizards made their way towards the very center of town, where an ancient shrine stood, virtually identical to a shrine Sera had visited in Johto's Ilex Forest. Kuro frequently spoke about the deep connection between the Johto and Sinnoh regions, and this shrine, along with its Johto counterpart, were almost certainly evidence of that claim.

The Alolan Marowak paused before the shrine, her cold gray eyes examining the aged structure with quiet reverence. She could sense the ancient energy contained within, perhaps the remnant of a blessing bestowed upon the townsfolk by the legendary Pokemon that the shrine paid homage to. By contrast, the Ilex shrine in Johto was rumored to be linked to Celebi, although the belief that it was blessed in a manner to ward off malevolent spirits seemed to be consistent between them.

"You kept us waiting," a cold, feminine voice spoke abruptly, and Sera tensed, drawing her bone club in a swift motion, but held it loosely at her side as she turned towards the speaker.

A bipedal reptilian Pokemon was walking towards them. It stood just barely shorter than Sera, and had crimson scales covering the majority of its body, save for its cream-colored belly. Its snout was narrowed, and it wielded viciously sharp claws upon its paws and feet. Its tail ended with an endlessly burning flame, and icy blue eyes studied the Alola natives with cold amusement, the left eye marked with a distinctive scar.

"Alola, Inferna," Circe purred, unfazed by the other fire lizard's rude tone, and she waved her paws in the circular motion that accompanied her standard greeting. "I wasn't sure if you'd make it."

"I wasn't sure if I'd want to," Inferna retorted, her gaze turning to Sera, and her lip curled. "And who might you be?"

It was not difficult for Sera to keep her expression impassive. Even if a muscle in her cheek twitched, the skull mask concealed the tell. Only her eyes and mouth could give anything away.

The Marowak's silence seemed to cause the smaller fire lizard some amusement, a wicked smile tugging at her mouth. "Ah yes, I remember now. It's hard to recognize you from this angle. Usually your head is positioned beneath my foot, and much lower to the ground."

Sera's eyes flashed with anger and before anyone could stop her, she closed the gap between herself and the Charmeleon, winding her arm back and delivering a ruthless, underhanded blow directly between the fire lizard's legs.

The reaction was instantaneous.

Inferna's eyes bulged with pain and she dropped to the ground. The Charmeleon's body shimmered, the illusion dissipating to expose a decidedly male Zoroark in its place. Kuro wheezed, clutching himself to defend from a potential follow-up attack. Sera gazed down at the illusion fox unapologetically, while Circe pressed a paw to her muzzle to vainly try and suppress her mirth.

"I told you that was a bad idea," a feminine voice rasped, and a short, bipedal creature with a dark purple body materialized, wearing a wide grin that exposed the alarmingly sharp teeth that lined her mouth. Pale blue, gemstone eyes glittered wickedly, and a small red stone decorated its chest. Additionally, a silver bracelet was clasped to one of its wrists, the band adorned with a distinct, amber-colored gem.

Kuro's only answer was a slight whimper, and Pearl cackled delightedly, her diamond eyes focusing upon Seraphina.

"How'd you see through his trick?" the Sableye wondered eagerly.

Sera scoffed, folding her arms defiantly. "What makes you think I'd have acted any differently if it wasn't him?" she retorted.

Pearl immediately lapsed into hysterical laughter, falling backward and kicking her legs like a small child. Circe and Sera exchanged bemused glances, but just as quickly as it began, the laughing fit ceased, and Pearl's eyes gleamed with unsettling wisdom.

"Inferna said you'd do that," she whispered, her grin widening to show off the viciously sharp teeth lining her mouth. "I told her that Kuro wanted to roleplay as her when meeting with you guys. She said, and I quote, 'Go for it. I bet he gets whacked in the cloaca.'"

"No one warned me!" Kuro protested.

"And ruin the fun?" Pearl chortled, leering down at the recovering Zoroark. "How did you EXPECT someone to react to you accurately impersonating Inferna?" Kuro groaned miserably in response, and Pearl clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "Now, now, don't be so overdramatic," she rasped. "Attacks to your illusions don't damage your body."

"I still feel pain!" Kuro snapped back.

"We're attracting a crowd," Circe remarked casually. Sure enough, the commotion was drawing in curious bystanders, mostly human residents, but a few Pokemon were included in the group, although calling it a 'crowd' was a bit of a stretch.

Sera rolled her eyes, stepping back from Kuro to make it unambiguous that there was no ongoing conflict, and she gestured impatiently for the onlookers to move along. The majority complied without question, losing interest as quickly as they had gained it, until only a handful of stragglers remained, warily observing the collection of foreign Pokemon.

One of the human observers had gotten the bright idea to pull out a Pokedex to identify their species, oblivious to the glare the Alolan Marowak was casting her way. She was just about to hurl her club to ensure a claim on the girl's attention when the baton tangibly trembled within her grasp, alerting her to the arrival of another presence.

Sera's eyes widened in recognition, and she swiftly pivoted her body to face the direction of the source. Emerging from the entrance of the cave beyond the shrine was a tall, bipedal Pokemon with a canine face. The majority of its body was covered in blue and black fur, except for its torso, which was cream-colored. Red eyes peered from behind a bandit mask of black fur, and a small, bone-like spike protruded from the center of its broad, muscular chest. Four antenna-like appendages hung down from its head beside its ears, but what especially drew Sera's attention was the presence of a metal loop fastened to the Lucario's wrist.

The ring was of crude design, but there was no mistaking the energy contained within the distinct, orange, gem-like stone set in the center. The stone rhythmically pulsed with light, and blue aura flames blazed from the jackal's paw. A troubled frown tugged at the Lucario's mouth as he studied his paw, before looking up and catching Sera's eye.

A cold smirk graced Sera's face as she stepped past the fallen Zoroark towards the Lucario. Circe and Pearl both turned to see what had drawn her interest, and Pearl let out a cackle of delight, her diamond eyes greedily eyeing the Lucarionite.

For a long moment, the Marowak and Lucario simply eyed one another appraisingly. Finally, Sera broke the silence.

"Alola, Force," she stated, twirling her bone club, which was now blazing with blue flames that matched the ones engulfing the canine's paw. "It's been a while."

"Seraphina," he echoed, failing to disguise the contempt in his voice.

"About time you evolved," she noted snidely, rapping her bone club against the forehead of her skull mask. "And it's a damn shame you didn't accompany Kaito to the Ruins last week like we expected," she drawled, twirling her bone club, her eyes shining with enthusiasm. "You'd have been much more satisfying to thrash than that stupid Quilava bitch."

Force's expression darkened. Sera smirked, taking a disgusting amount of satisfaction from knowing her rival was so easily provoked by her words. He clenched and unclenched his fists, and the Marowak could read in his eyes that he was consciously reminding himself to keep his emotions in check.

Sera dramatically brandished her baton towards the Lucario. "You're up next," she breathed. "I've defeated the one who first bested the Sigilyph guardian, and dealt a vengeful blow to the one who ended its life. All that remains is to reclaim the treasure it once guarded."

"I don't have time for your shit," the Lucario snapped. "Pick a fight with someone else."

Pearl cackled from the sidelines, eagerly gnawing at the Sablenite at her wrist as if it were a piece of candy, watching the scene unfolding before her as if it were part of a thrilling action movie. Circe eyed the saliva-coated Sablenite and bracelet with visible disgust, doubtlessly making a mental note to only consider handling the stone or accessory after thoroughly sanitizing them.

"As you wish," Sera sneered, making a show out of putting thought into the matter. "Now who haven't I fought yet?"

"Force, what's going on?" a timid voice asked, and a humanoid female appeared at the Lucario's side. It had green, shoulder-length hair, and appeared to be clothed in a white tutu. A pair of pink horns were set like hair-clips on its head, although Sera understood that the actual functionality of the horns was to read the emotions of those nearby. The Kirlia's pink eyes swept over the opposing group of Pokemon, and she noticeably flinched upon spotting the Zoroark, who was slowly getting back to his feet.

Sensing the perfect opening, Sera's eyes lit up, and she hurled her bone club at the Kirlia. Force immediately shoved the psychic Pokemon out of the way and smacked the spinning projectile aside with his arm. The deflected bone soared back to the Marowak's paw like a boomerang, and she smirked.

"Oh? Did you change your mind already?" Sera asked snidely, spinning the bone dramatically. "Then I, Seraphina -"

"Shut the hell up," Force snapped, his eyes blazing with anger. "Iris, hurry and tell Kaito what's going on, while I kick this bitch's ass."

"You really think you can?" Sera snorted incredulously, but her eyes shone with enthusiasm. "Fantastic. Show me how much the weakest Riolu of the litter has grown."