Episode 29: Project Dragonlord

"So Silver got stabbed and kidnapped," Marina said. She began to pace around the lab. It wasn't the habitual pacing of a deep thinker, but the stressed kind of someone on the verge of breaking down. She ended with a loud sigh, and slammed her paw on the table beside her.

The group had managed to call a truce on their situation by telling the agents of Silver's abduction. With King Shield's usual leaders out of commission, leadership duties fell to Marina of all Pokémon. She welcomed Lute's group back to the Pokétopia base and provided them with a table of nourishment, but even with their hunger, her angst had them freeze.

"Er, you okay?" Esther said, slowed her chewing on an apple.

"This whole thing is turning into one unbearable mess. Lassic had us focusing on stopping you and the Spirle attacks, but from what I'm gathering, this is all going well beyond some simple crimes, now," Marina explained, staring at her paw. She clawed at the table, and her added pressure made it shake. "And he's still absent. I don't know what he's playing at, but we need him now more than ever, and he's away on 'business'."

"Well what do you want us to do? You obviously invited us back here to ask for something. I doubt you guys actually wanna let us go free," Sophitia said.

"I trust you, though! Silver was the one chasing you guys, not me," Marina cried. "I don't believe Esther's eyes are an issue now, especially if Spirle know that we know. We've got way bigger things to worry about."

"I hope so. Did they leave a ransom note telling us where to go for Silver?" Sophitia asked.

"They did. And I believe I should send your group to retrieve her. You have the power, and it'd help to mend whatever vendetta she has against you. But I can't help but hold off on this. Something seems massively wrong with the whole thing." Marina turned away.

"It's just bad guys doing bad guy stuff. What could be wrong about everything else?" Esther commented. She went back to stuffing her face.

"Hasn't it struck you guys as odd what Spirle have been doing ever since… well, forever?" Marina pointed out. She began to pace again. "Their actions seem so aimless and sporadic. Even for a team of villains who have had access to government secrets through your eyes, what they're doing with it seems petty compared to what they could be doing. I just can't put my paw on what their plans are at all."

It's true. It's not even obvious why they kidnapped Esther in the first place. They can't have known she'd become a teammate who gets regular access to this place. Then there's the Risen attacks, and now the kidnapping of Silver. I guess there's also kidnapping Gen, too, Lute thought, having a light bulb moment. "One thing's for sure, they're after the Mega Stone. Wait, then Kuri might know what to do."

"Kuri?" Marina said.

"He's going to hate me for telling you this, but Kuri's wife Gen knows where the Mega Stone is. She's the last royal Ancient, Princess Genesis. When Spirle did that mass attack all over Aseria, Angard was the main place they targeted because they heard it from Kuri through Esther's camera," Lute explained. Marina's eyes widened. "But King's Shield arrested Kuri when he went to help her, letting them kidnap Gen easily. But if he works with us, we might be able to fix this quickly."

"Are you suggesting Spirle created a diversion? Or set up a trap using us that could occupy Kuri?" Marina said. "Silver did admit that it felt easier than expected to finally arrest him."

"I think it'd be something like that. But the Pokémon we need to be trying to save right now is Gen, not Silver!" Lute raised his voice.

"Alright. We need to calm down and get clearer on this. We're not leaving Silver behind," Marina said. She gulped, took a deep breath, and then paced a little bit. "I'll need you all to come with me, if you can."

"Can we take the food with us?" Sophitia's face turned red.

"Of course! I hope you guys are feeling better, you looked starved. When I'm in charge, I don't care about mess," Marina smiled. Infia and Esther pumped their fists and stuffed their cheeks before wrapping everything up.

The group stayed quiet while they were directed, but took note of how clean everywhere in the base looked. They didn't exactly trash the place during their escape, but to find that there was no evidence of their skirmish was remarkable. King's Shield certainly were efficient when it came to hiding their tracks, even when they were in their own hidden base.

They headed down a few flights of stairs into a darker sector of the base, where they found prison cells. A single lampshade at the ends of the halls were the only sources of light here, and a distant sound of leaking droplets was all the company the Pokémon here got.

Lute felt heavy-hearted as they wandered through, and glanced into the cells they passed. There were six cells in all, and each one was empty besides one. Kuri was sat on a bench at the back of that one, head hung and fists clenched together.

"I have so many questions, but I feel like it's better to trust you guys on knowing what you're doing," Marina stood aside for them. Kuri lifted his head at her voice, but he looked furious with them. "Kuri is one of yours, isn't he? I'm going to set him free, as long as he stays with your group."

"Seriously? You're just gonna do that on a whim?" Sophitia leaned back.

"Well I figured that much out. If Spirle created a diversion involving Kuri, then it's obvious he's a key to this," Marina admitted. "Silver was only going to have him executed in a court trial, anyway."

"So what is it?" the Chespin spoke up, his voice parched. "Am I now your pawn or else?"

"I do still have to do my job, so you could see it that way. But I'm letting you go with Sophitia's team. If you're really a part of everything going on right now, then you've no reason to object. They're here to stop whatever Spirle's up to," Marina said. Her face and tone were stern. "Kuri. We need information. Everything you know about Spirle. Why they've kidnapped Gen, what they're doing with the Risen, why they did what they did to Esther—"

"Go to hell. What do you think I am, one of them? You'd never catch me spitting in their direction," Kuri turned away. "I don't know the answer to any of that, except why they took Gen. But I'm gonna guess you already know why 'cos this lot couldn't keep a freaking secret after all."

"It's necessary right now. Who knows how far Spirle have gotten? They could be on their way to the Mega Stone right now," Lute warned. "C'mon, please Kuri. Work with us. I'm sorry we let you down before. But you're one of the heroes, we need—"

"Don't get all sappy on me. I never said no. But don't expect me to be totally buddy-buddy after you flipped me off back there," Kuri said.

"We did not. King's Shield actually turned on us. They wanted to take away Esther's sight and hearing thanks to that camera," Phoenix said. Kuri seemed surprised by that, and unfurled his arms. "Now Silver was taken by Storm. We may have time yet, but it seems like they're trying to waste it."

"And Lassic?" Kuri asked.

"Nowhere to be found. Away on business." Phoenix said just as sternly as Marina.

Kuri looked away again, and his face started to go pale as he nibbled at a hand. "Of course he isn't here. But them stalling for time just means she's suffering right now."

Then there was silence, besides those droplets. Lute was particularly surprised to see the Chespin this way, confounded and sweating from whatever his inner thoughts were. The group were equally as unnerved, and rubbed their arms or avoided eye contact. That was until Phoenix took a deep breath and stepped forward to get everyone's attention.

"Kuri. Until recently, you have been fighting with only a select few Pokémon on your side. But now, things are about to change. Big things. Big things caused by this team right here," he spoke proudly, and glanced at everyone. "We're not just King's Shield agents. We're not just heroes, either. At this point, we're friends."

"Your point?" Kuri glanced at him.

"You wanted me to keep a connection with King's Shield. By being with them, I can tell you that you can trust them with everything. We only want to do what is best for the world, just as you do," Phoenix said.

Kuri shut his eyes for a moment, and then shook himself. "Gods damn it. Not like I have a choice anymore. It's my pride or the whole world."

"Precisely. Tell King's Shield what they need to know. And don't hold back on it," Phoenix said. Marina's eyes raised, and she cocked her head.

"Hmpf. Alright. We'll see how much you believe me after all. I'll reveal, but none of you will like it," Kuri said mockingly. "We're on the crux of Aseria's greatest crisis. Even greater than the Meteorite Event that took the lives of so many and ended Aseria's Ancient days."

"That's because of the Mega Stone, right? If Spirle's leader gets their hands on that, we're in trouble. That much is obvious," Marina said.

"What isn't obvious is how close they really are to doing that, and how little power we have to stop them. The world is already being ruled by Spirle," Kuri said as he walked off. He headed back upstairs with a distant snarl on him, a vacant but feral aggression like he was trying to stifle the frustration of his thoughts. "That's because our main enemy is Lassic."

"Co… come again?" Lute froze.

"Our enemy is Lassic. He's the one who caused the Meteorite Event, and now he's the one orchestrating this whole thing. He's found the Mega Stone, but he needs as much time as possible to work with it," Kuri announced.

"So he'll stall for time by any means possible?" Sophitia asked.

"Wait wait wait, hold on a sec, don't leap a million miles ahead. Lassic? Why is Lassic our foe?" Esther gasped.

"I knew you weren't gonna listen to me." Kuri rolled his eyes.

"Not with a bold as hell statement like that, no!" she cried.

Kuri took a deep breath and leaned against the wall, ignoring the attention he drew from all the other agents still here. "Spirle rule the world because Lassic is their leader. He's staged everything. Rising through the hierarchy until he's the unquestionable god he sees himself as today. I saw it all happen. A scientist from the earliest days of the modern age who wouldn't take no for an answer."

"What you're saying is Lassic commands King's Shield and Spirle, making himself appear as a hero? For what reason would he have to create such intimidating villains?" Marina said.

"So much for do or die. It's just like I expected. The more I reveal, then less you guys are gonna believe me," Kuri sighed. "You guys have a Teleportal here, right? We'll need one."

"It's just absurd to think, especially for me," Marina admitted, and looked down.

"More absurd than everything Spirle's done so far? Like putting a camera in someone's brain, or kidnapping Silver for no reason?" Kuri challenged.

"Look, you don't know Lassic the way I do. This hasn't been obvious, but he was part of a team with me and Silver, you know. The five of us, we were the original Agents of King's Shield. Me and my husband Evoli, Silver and her husband Jagen, and then Lassic as our leader… we built up everything together. We went from a nerdy little rescue team to the syndicate we have today," Marina explained, and slid one foot forward. "He's the living icon of advancement and peace in Aseria. He couldn't possibly be some criminal mastermind controlling a group of terrorists. The things he stands for, the things he creates, the things he works towards… we wouldn't be living in nearly as peaceful times if not for him."

Kuri was quiet, but his face grew more intense with every word. "You're right. You don't know him the same way I do. You don't know him as a crazed scientist who doesn't care about anything other than gaining more power. All he really wants is to turn this world into his making, and will stop at nothing to do that. He wiped out the Ancients and stripped the world of their lifestyle because of their refusal to suck up to him."

"Okay, stop a second. Arguing about this isn't going to get us anywhere," Sophitia pushed her way between them. "We need to work with what we have. We're on our own now, and we know that Spirle are after the Mega Stone, which Gen has knowledge of. Kuri. Can you help us get to the Mega Stone first?"

"I don't actually know where the Mega Stone is. Despite being married, that's information even I wasn't allowed to know," Kuri turned away.

"Of course it wasn't," Esther rolled her eyes and groaned.

"But I do know where their base is, and that's where she'll likely be. We go there, we save Gen, and then we disappear from the world," Kuri stated. "As long as Lassic is in power, nowhere is safe for us."

"That doesn't sound nice at all." Lute looked down.

"I don't care. You guys aren't willing to accept the truth," he said. "Spirle's Base is in the world buried in the planet, Moand Dia. We can get straight there using a Teleportal. I know you guys have been messing about with those things, so I assume you have one here."

"Moand Dia?" Lute and Sophitia gasped and exchanged glances.

"What? You've been there?" Kuri said.

In a flash of light, the wavering colours of teleportation disappeared and they appeared at their destination. Only Lute's group could go as the strange limitations of Moand Dia were present here.

They landed in what looked like a laboratory not much different to the King's Shield bases they were used to. Sterilised tiles for floors and walls, pipes tangled all over the place, and a plethora of computers and high-tech devices lining the tables and sides of the room.

The absence of Pokémon or noise gave this place a more sinister feel than the agent bases Lute had gotten used to. He warily sniffed the air and cringed from the suffocating feel of it. It was almost as if there wasn't any oxygen here, or the air was so stale that it hardly gave him the energy it was supposed to.

"Wait, this smells like… banana wrap? Or maybe that's a sugar doughnut. No no, I think it's chocolate popcorn," Esther said, getting happy. "Either way, it smells like my room. That's funny!"

"It smells so bad, though! Isn't this just gone off food?" Infia cried.

"Of course it's all gone off. You try keeping a decent stock of meals when you're god knows how many layers deep into the planet," Kuri commented.

"Is this really it, though?" Sophitia said while the group scattered around the room to investigate. Esther immediately headed for the suspiciously fridge-like machine, happy to find that it was in fact, a fridge. "Also, you had a way into Spirle's main headquarters the whole time? And it was as easy as using the Teleportals…"

"It seems too convenient, doesn't it? But that's how little anyone would question Lassic's discoveries. I've never been able to get the power to storm a place like this. Let alone a reason, either," Kuri said, arms folded. He never looked at her once. "I doubt we're strong enough now, too. But we have to try, to save Gen."

"Who keeps a fridge without having it turn on? All the food in here's spoiled," Esther said, brushing her nose at it. "They've got good taste, though. There's curry sandwiches in here."

"Curry sandwiches? Who puts curry in a sandwich?" Sophitia said.

"Anything works in a sandwich if you try hard enough," Esther said, half-lidded.

"Er… okay, whatever. Let's focus. They probably know we're here. We need to find Gen or Silver," Sophitia instructed, and formed her sword and shield. "Weapons out. If we really are in the enemy's home base, they'll attack us on sight."

"If there's one truth to all of this, it's that Kuri could activate a Teleportal and casually led us here of all places," Lute said. "Kuri, I…"

"Don't get all sappy on me. I don't care what you have to say," he said, and walked off.

Lute groaned but caught up with him. "You might not care, but I do. I-I want you to know that I'm on your side."

"Don't be stupid." Kuri swayed his head.

"Stupid? Y-you got us here. I don't think you're lying, it's just hard for everyone to believe," Lute said, looking away. Kuri froze, and then turned to him with that distant fury on his face again.

"Me and Gen have spent the last twenty years opposing the world's most politically powerful dictator on our own. No one believes us. No one would side with us. And even now, with evidence on our side, no one would stand with us. And you expect me to believe that through some shoddy little friendship morals based upon nothing but your own naiveté, you're going to suddenly start fighting with me? You, a product of this world's flawed infrastructure?" Kuri said. Everyone went completely silent. "Don't make me laugh. You're only in it to save your leaders and get your next pay check. I know you don't believe me or any of this. We don't share the same beliefs about the way Aseria should be."

"B-but I know there's truth to it. You and Gen are really close and passionate about the Ancients and the old world. That's why you both helped us. That's why you worked so hard to keep Angard alive. That's why you're here now," Lute said, and hung his head.

"Plus, Lassic was totally against us awakening the Ancient Flowers and stuff. And when it most mattered, came up with an excuse to try and get us killed when we were nearly done," Sophitia added. "If Lassic really is some narcissistic guy who wants to rule the world or whatever, it's shown through in more ways than one."

"What, so now you guys are totally against him? Attacking him means becoming the enemy of every last Pokémon in Aseria, you know. Destroying the world you grew up in and becoming the very terrorists Spirle are known as. Are you really prepared to do that?" Kuri asked with a cheeky grin. His smile faded when no one replied. "Exactly. No one would willingly side with me and Gen on that."

"… Well, Phoenix did," Esther said, arms folded and eyes closed. Kuri looked to get even angrier, but left it at that.

It is true that it's a really difficult pill to swallow. It could just as easily be a really elaborate mix up, Lute thought.

His heart raced as they headed deeper into the lab. He snuck a glance up at Kuri, who was concentrating hard. Then at the surrounding area, which looked exactly like a King's Shield base. It even had rooms with hologram tables on it, and glass sections where stasis chambers were. However, not one Pokémon was present.

The difference was that a lot of it was badly damaged. The further they went, the more they came across broken computers or damaged pipes. Small leaks of white smoke, crackling loose wires, dented tables and bruised walls, and more and more frequent as they passed through rooms, hallways, and stairs. They eventually came to a familiar room that actually still had a fire in it, and everyone covered their mouths.

"This is a copy of the Pokétopia base," Infia said, stopping to look around this new room.

"You sure you didn't accidentally warp us to an old base or something?" Sophitia asked. "Everything's broken and out of use."

"Then where are all the agents? I'm just as concerned as you are," the Chespin said as he scanned the computers. He groaned at the fact that most of them were broken, but his face lit up when he found one that was still on. "Damn it, passcoded. I can't get in."

"Naivie, can you confirm that we're actually in Moand Dia?" Lute asked. She came out of his mane and settled on his head with a lazy yawn.

"Huh? Oh yeah, guess you're in the old world. That's where all the teleportals lead, after all," she said.

"So either way, what's a place like this doing inside the planet? No Pokémon could survive here normally," Lute said as he spun around to look at what everyone was doing. Phoenix tapped things on the computer Kuri was at, and whatever they were seeing, it was making Kuri more interested.

"Oxygen containment and ventilation. Pressurisers, remote access commands for every room in the base. The way this looks, you'd think we were in an underwater home or something. Because the concentration of V-Waves in the atmosphere prevents Pokémon from living in Moand Dia, this place has a heck-ton of stuff to make it bearable. And it still feels like I can barely breathe," Kuri read aloud. He habitually tapped his chin and a foot.

"That explains something else. So all these pipes and vents and stuff, all this makes it so that normal Pokémon can survive here," Sophitia said. "Meanwhile, all King's Shield have are those creepy suits, and their research of Moand Dia is struggling."

"See if you can find something more useful, like a map or a report or something. This info's useless," Kuri said as Phoenix tapped away.

"Maybe for us. I am sending everything I can to Marina," Phoenix replied.

"How come Fluffy Cheeks can use the computer?" Esther asked.

"Remember, I was part of Spirle before I was appointed to you. I may have been a soldier to them, but my tirelessness made me useful for maintenance as well. I know how to operate and fix a lot of their machinery," the Fennekin explained. He didn't look away from the screen once. "They are here! On the lowest level. There are three Pokémon here right now!"

"Wait a minute, isn't this super weird? Spirle's main base, but just three Pokémon are here? No guards, no High Points, nothing?" Sophitia said.

"No complaints. Let's go. Phoenix lead the way!" Kuri said. The Fennekin nodded and charged off.

"Wait seriously, it might be a trap or- oh god damn it, what is wrong with that guy?" Sophitia squealed. She shook herself off and followed.

"Whoa geez, this got a lot scarier than I thought it would be," Esther said, dancing on her toes. "Hey er, if at any point you wanna bail, don't hesitate, 'kay?"

"We're in too deep to run away now, though. I won't run anymore," Infia said.

"That's my girl," she said with a smile.

"I don't really get what's going on, though." Infia admitted, running on all fours.

"Heh, neither do I, Infia. Neither do I," she giggled.

The Spirle base retained its identical layout to the King's Shield base right up until they were at the lowest level, where a new room was present. The sophisticated look of the tiled walls was dropped in favour of natural caves. Black rock that shone with moisture and a gooey, sparkly substance, surrounded a room which was so busted up that it was a wonder the lights still worked.

The same computers from earlier were here, but now they had wires and pipes scattered all over the floor to a single power supply somewhere back in the base. Pickaxes lay against the walls, while lights had been taped to the ceiling and floors, many of which flickered on and off. Everything here looked like a poorly managed excavation site.

"It's even harder to breathe down here. It's like this isn't part of the base or something," Lute said. He had to breathe through his mouth. Everyone except Sophitia was the same, and had gone from running to walking.

"The cave goes onwards, though." Phoenix huffed between words. "We're so far down that the V-Waves are getting denser."

"Do you mind if I wait here? I don't wanna get left behind if I keel over on you," Naivie said.

"Just stay in my mane or something," Lute said.

"Na-uh. It's tough enough to breathe in there as it is."

"You have to breathe?" he said. She bashed him on the head. "Alright alright, just, watch from a distance though. We might have to use an Escape Orb."

"You got it, kid. This is all your business, anyway. I don't wanna get involved," she said, and disappeared into his mane.

"Typical Naivie," he groaned and scratched his face.

One more steep slope onward and the roughness of cave got worse. The area widened as it descended, but there was a lot more broken rock scattered everywhere and marks on the surroundings where stray attacks had hit. Right at the bottom was a metal door protected by a giant green barrier. Storm the Dragalge and Gen were there, but the two of them appeared to be roughed up.

"Gen!" Kuri roared and charged ahead the moment he saw her.

"Kuri? Wa-wait!" she cried back. But he ignored her and threw himself at Storm with an arm pulled back for a Needle Arm attack. Storm avoided his first two punches, but was struck by the last, sent sailing into the wall. He cried out and slammed to the ground pathetically, left surrounded by chipped rocks.

"Are you okay?" Kuri gasped.

"I'm fine you dolt! What's with you?" she cried and shook in his arms.

"What's with me? You look like a state! You were kidnapped by Lassic and everything. I had no idea what was happening! I could've… I could've lost you," Kuri said, and fell forward. "I'm so freaking glad you're okay."

"And as you can tell, I'm totally fine!" Gen backed off to brush herself off. She realised how ripped and scruffy her dress was and blushed, and pulled at it to uselessly hide her fur underneath. "Okay, I admit I could look better, but this is nothing, you know that. I'm totally fine. We have a bigger problem."

"None bigger than getting you the hell outta here. We're in a crisis here, but there's no time to explain," Kuri stated.

"I'm not going. I can't leave this the way it is," she said.

"Genesis, please! If we stay here, we're—"

"What's gotten into you? You're acting like a kid who's just found their mother." she growled. He sighed and put his arms around her. She accepted his hug, but her face went bright red.

"I can't begin to tell you how worried I've been. I couldn't bear if I'd really lost you," he said, trying to sound calm. "For the first time ever, I was helpless, and knowing that you were taken by Spirle during that time… It hurt to think about what they might've been doing to you."

"Well you're gonna have to hold those feelings. We have a crisis of our own here," she said as calmly, and pushed herself free. "This is gonna sound nuts, but Storm needs you guys' help."

"He… what? Him?" Esther cried.

"Spirle's king is on his way to the Mega Stone as we speak. However, he is making use of a flawed theory," Storm said as he got up from the rubble. He was furious but weak, hung forward and nearly lifeless. He let the rocks crumble around him. "Wait, Lute, why did you return? To finish us off?"

Lute didn't answer and raised an eyebrow. His silence only made Storm squint, and he shook with fury.

"So it wasn't you. A feral Eevee in your likeness forced Spirle to evacuate this place."

"A feral Eevee in your likeness? Evoli? Evoli was here?" Sophitia said. She glanced back at everyone, but they simply shrugged.

"He seems to want to stop the Spirle King! But the king was never here. He departed for the Mega Stone a little while ago, practically the moment I completed my work on Project Dragonlord," Storm said, crossing his arms. "I believed that I reached a breakthrough with using V-Waves to create soldiers and alter a Pokémon's genetic makeup. If this theory would work, then the Pokémon behind that cage would be unstoppable."

"And he plans to use that same work using the Mega Stone to make himself invincible." Sophitia guessed.

"Precisely. You catch on fast. But the theory didn't work! Project Dragonlord just now turned into a Risen. An exceedingly powerful one, for that matter. I cannot contain it!" Storm said. "If the Spirle King uses the same technology on the Mega Stone, he will turn himself into a Risen. Please, you must stop him!"

"You have got a fucking load of balls asking us to do anything for you," Kuri replied.

"Like, how stuck up do you actually hafta be?" Esther added, rubbing her face.

"Also, Project Dragonlord? The ultimate soldier, is behind that door?" Lute said, fixated on it. "You… d-did you turn Silver into a Risen?"

"That was not the intention. Normally, my failed attempts at soldiers that become Risen would at least follow orders or could be contained by some means," Storm said. "But this thing is uncontrollable! It is an actual monster that far exceeds my expectations. It is fruitful that your group is here, now. It will require all our effort to bring it down."

"This is crazy, Gen. Look, we need to get outta here, now," Kuri said, and tugged at her arm.

"We can't leave this monster here. Once it breaks free, it will wreak havoc upon Aseria," Gen stood firm.

"That's not our problem! Let these kids deal with it," Kuri begged.

Before she could argue, the ground shook hard enough to throw everyone off balance. The group went quiet, and flinched when the door behind the barrier was smashed from behind. It didn't break, but the whole cave vibrated, and a quivering, gurgling roar came from beyond. That was followed by several more slams. Each one sounded like it threatened to bring down the whole cave around them.

"It's here! Project Dragonlord!" Storm warned.

"Tsk, damn it. Gen, you better not do anything reckless!" Kuri said, standing up front and ready to fight.

"The same goes for you, asshole," she said, doing the same. Lute's group got ready to fight in their own ways, all stood side by side.

The green barrier shattered like glass, but the shards fizzled out into the air before they caused any harm. A moment later, the metal wall with the door broke apart, and Storm's monster tripped through with a triumphant roar.

Project Dragonlord. The hint that it was Silver turned Risen was undeniable, now. This Risen had her exact her round and smooth shape, and kept Goodra's traits of being slimy and shiny. But it was murky coloured and perspiring an alarming amount of brown mud constantly, leaving a sea of the stuff in its wake. Its eyes were hollow, pink, and glowed in the uncertain darkness. Trails of goo connected its lips constantly, causing it to sound as if it was drowning.

The main issue was that this monster was a giant. Just one of its dripping claws was bigger than Lute's whole body. He would drown in mud if he got close to it. Coupled with its inconsistent combination of sharp appendages and rounded skin, he was at a loss on how to approach this thing in a battle.

"I er, wha- uh…" Esther staggered back. "Okay look, I've played the part of the hero before, but this is like, how the hell do we hit this thing?"

"Don't let it get you muddy, stay away!" Sophitia cried as she leapt back to avoid its claw slamming down.

"She's right. We have to try something!" Lute said, and jump up high. He formed Swift and threw with all his effort. His stars got lodged deep into its body, where they exploded in massive, blinding bursts that tore its body apart, sending the Dragonlord stumbling back.

"What? Lute, how did you?" Kuri said.

"Guys, remember you're in Moand Dia," Naivie cried, popping out of Lute for a moment. "There's lots of V-Waves here. Your Pokémon powers will be super effective and easy to use here."

"Okay, then let's try Energy Ball." Kuri pulled an arm back to form one. It took just an instant the charge the attack until it was bigger than his head, and when it hit the Dragonlord, it once again sent it stumbling back. "Oh hell yeah! I almost forget how it felt to have power in my guts."

With a growl and an uncomfortable looking twitch, the slimy dragon started to regenerate, however. The split parts of its body glowed white and regrew, where their colour returned when they were back in shape. Just like that, Dragonlord returned to being unharmed, and roared at the group loudly enough to pin them to the spot.

"It's still not gonna be easy," Sophitia muttered, and grit her fangs.

Dragonlord bolted forward and surrounded its claws in green energy that enlarged them, a Dragon Claw attack. It swiped hard and wide to force everyone to jump back again. However, Esther and Kuri were struck directly, and smashed into the walls to the sides.

"Kuri! You will pay for that!" Phoenix shouted as he charged towards it. He leapt up high and scorched everything below him in Flamethrower, hitting the Dragonlord so hard that his attack actually pierced its body and revealed the monster's flesh-filled insides. That regenerated immediately however, and Phoenix landed deep in the creature's muddy wake. He panicked down there, and stared up into the face of a Dragon Pulse attack. He braced, but his frightened cry filled the area, shrouded by a blast.

"Don't get close to it!" Infia cried, dancing on her toes. Gen floated using her Psychic, but instead of attacking, pulled Phoenix out the mud and retreated back to everyone.

"We may be able to hit it hard, but one hit from this thing is ten times worse," Phoenix admitted, unable to stand. His body was shivered and purple flames sparked where the Dragon Pulse lingered on him, even after Infia used healing touch.

"But it regens so quickly. Storm, isn't there anything you can tell us that'll help?" Lute said, and glanced at him.

"I already know how to beat it," Sophitia said. She hesitated however, and stared as it thrashed about at the surrounding cave like a wild beast.

"Well then? Now is not the time to mess around!" Kuri said, shaking a fist at her. She shuddered and hung her head.

"Did you see its insides? It's a living thing. If I stab it with my sword, I'll kill it for sure," Sophitia said, holding said sword up high. "But I'll kill it. I'll kill Silver."

"Right, this thing is Silver," Lute gasped.

"This thing was Silver. We kill it here or we let it kill thousands of others once it finds its way to the surface. Pick your poison!" Kuri said.

"I-I know but… damn it, Storm. Isn't there any way to bring back a Risen once its transformed?" Sophitia said.

The monster charged up another Dragon Pulse attack, to which Kuri, Lute, and Esther combined their attacks to clash with it. The resulting blast shrouded them all in smoke and forced everyone back even further. They tripped on the wires and pipes of the area however, and the lighting began to flicker.

"N-no, not to my knowledge. Risen we could not control were disposed of by being thrown out to sea," Storm said.

"Tsk. They're too emotional. Gen, with me. Let's pin it down!" Kuri said.

"Got it," she replied nod.

The two of them jumped forward, Gen soaring through the air while Kuri hopped from spot to spot atop the pipes. As he closed in on the Dragonlord, both his arms began to glow brighter and brighter with shiny green energy. He bashed both fists together and then slammed them both into the ground.

"Frenzy Plant!" he shouted at the top of his voice. Thick vines erupted from the ground and swirled around the giant Risen. They wrapped around its arms and legs tightly. Neither Kuri or the Dragonlord could move, but it thrashed around as much as it could, to which he strained and cried out in effort.

Gen wasn't far behind, though. With both ears lifted and her arms stiff, she helped to pin it down with Psychic as much as she could. However, even with the two of their best efforts to hold it down, it still growled and roared while wrenching hard enough to shake the cavern. Kuri and Gen looked like they were in pain from their efforts to hold it down.

"Grr damn it. Now's your chance! Hurry up and kill the damn thing!" Kuri shouted.

Sophitia gasped and held her sword close. She knew what to do, yet she froze. She couldn't get Marina's cries out of her head, or the knowledge that this was Silver's fate. "Silver!"

"Sophitia," Lute whispered.

"I know you're in there, and you're strong enough to fight it. You're not like the other Risen. You're aware of yourself right now, I know it!" she shouted, and shut her eyes. "So don't make me do this. I get it now; you were once like us. Like me and Lute, and everybody else. I just wish you could've told us sooner, properly. That you were once a giddy little rescue team that wanted to be heroes, too."

The monster quietened down, but its thrashing didn't stop.

"You just wanna help everyone. And now that you've been through it all, you know that it's not so easy sometimes, that you've got to put the majority before the minority. That's why you wanted to take Esther, didn't you? That's why you wanted to fight us. That's why you made us prove to you what we stand for," Sophitia said. She sounded like she was going to cry. "That's why you made us a team in the first place."

The Dragonlord started to get wilder and louder, making Kuri and Gen begin to trip up and falter. Lute and the others gasped, and held their special attacks at the ready while Sophitia held her sword with two feelers, pointing it straight at the monster.

"But you still have these feelings, too! I know you can have them. You just have to fight it and come back to us. Tell Marina and Lassic how you really feel. Let's find a way to bring Evoli back. C'mon, let's all work together for once, and make each other happy," she cried. "Don't make me do this. I don't have to do this. You can come back to us Silver!"

The Dragonlord started to roar at the top of its voice, and pulled its hardest on Kuri and Gen's efforts. It broke free of the Frenzy Plant and the Psychic, and came stomping towards her with its claws bared and mouth overflowing with Dragon Pulse. "Silver!"

All thoughts stopped there. Everyone's desperate instincts kicked off, and their attacks were fired straight at the monster's chest. Swift, Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, and all combined with the energy of the area to grow huge. The attacks tore right through the slimy monster's body and revealed its bloody organs.

With fangs bared and eyes clenched shut, Sophitia threw herself into that vulnerable spot and drove her sword straight through. A piercing screech was let out, and the monster's body lost any sense of form immediately. It looked like it fell straight over Sophitia and smothered her in blood and flesh while its murky, muddy exterior flooded the area around them, swamping everything.

It submerged them all for a while, but as it spread, the height of the substance lowered. Sophitia remained frozen to the spot regardless, her body pale beside the remaining streaks of blood running down her fur. Her fangs were still clenched, her eyes were wide and empty, and her feelers were trembling hard.