Breaking the Gilded Cage

by CreatureMan88

For a group of young Pokémon living in a constricted land, their lives had always been full of peace and blessings. But when they acquire a book depicting the lore of the Legendary Pokémon, they are soon opened up to the truths of The World. Join them as they experience both the joy and the turmoil of an unbound life.

6. Chapter 6 - Things to Come

Buying. Selling. Trading. That's what the Pokémon Settlement was all about. Pokémon from different realms coming together to offer their services in exchange for others, pushing their ever expanding relationships forward. The busy streets of the settlement were occupied by many of its residents, taking advantage of the early morning to engage in their personal activities as was always the case. Because of the large city's vast population of pokémon from all over the world, there was nothing one couldn't acquire from here. Berries, potions, battle items, evolution stones, simple treats, the place had it all. Murmuring crowds both large and small walked at their leisure about the streets for different reasons. Some to shop, some to open shop and others simply out enjoying a walk. Out of the crowd, two specific pokémon stood out, both fire types. They filtered through the other pokémon with deliberate steps, appearing to be in a rush and looking to collect crucial items with what little time they had. Items that one of them insisted would help with a job they accepted earlier, coming to a stop in front of a building with a sign that read 'Herbal Store.'

"Remind me why we had to come all the way here again? I thought we're suppose to be heading straight for the Seismic Highland." The smaller of the duo said as he and his company entered the shop.

"Not yet. We're a little low on supplies so we need to stock up." His partner explained, walking towards some shelves directly to his left from the entrance.

"From the Herbal Store? You and I both know that this stuff tastes terrible."

"Maybe. But this store has what other medicine stores don't that we might need for the trip." The Blaziken picked a few Revival Herbs from the shelf and quickly made his way to the counter, talking to his ally, a Charmeleon along the way. "Besides, check it out..." He raised the transparent plastic bag of medicine so his fellow fire type could have a better look at it. Instead of seeing some kind of powder, he instead saw what he thought were seeds of some sort. "They started grinding regular Revival Herbs and packing them into these capsules so we don't have to taste them anymore but still get their benefits."

"Oh really? That's pretty neat."

"Damn right, it's neat. Because of this simple change, the Herbal Store's popularity went up really fast. It now gives other stores a run for their money. To think that something so practical went ignored just because of its taste. Pokémon sure are picky." The Blaziken placed the medicine on the counter along with a few shards which the Audino behind it happily accepted. Nodding in gratitude to her, the Blaziken and Charmeleon retrieved their herbs and made their way back to the entrance. Now on the main street, the two fire types started heading to their next stop.

"So where's Scorcher? Why did we separate from him?" The Charmeleon asked.

"Scorcher went to the Battle Item Exchange. Said there was something he wanted to pick up from there while we're out shopping. Didn't specify what exactly but he said he'll meet us at the station. Come on." Wading through the streets a second time, the Blaziken led his friend into yet another building close to the one they were in before.

"The Gemstone Gallery? Now we're talking." The Charmeleon grinned. Both he and his partner inspected the glass casings that lined the walls of the store filled neatly with different colored gems. They were not like regular valuable gems, though. What these gems did was power up a move of a specific type. It only worked once but the boost in power was well worth it. "So what are we getting?"

The Blaziken lifted one of the lids, picking out brown, purple and orange gems, one of each and walked towards the counter managed by a Diggersby to pay for them. The exchange done, the Blaze Pokémon led his younger fire companion out of the building and down the street. This time taking a route that led to the eastern station. "Here."

The Charmeleon suddenly had a Dragon Gem shoved into his claws. Looking it over, he looked back at the remaining two gems in the Blaziken's grip. "So then that leaves you and Scorcher with the Fighting Gem and Fire Gem?"

"That's right."

"Wouldn't it be easier if I held onto the Fire-?"

"No it won't." The Blaze Pokémon stopped him right there. "You're the only one of us that can use dragon moves. Those can come in handy if we want to get the upper hand on our foes. Holding a Fire Gem won't do you any good in a battle against dragons."

"Then why did you buy a Fire Gem?"

"Because Scorcher really loves his flames." It was honest-to-Arceus as simple as that.

"I really can't argue with you there."

They continued walking like that, passing by other pokémon while engaging in conversations of different matters. From their good time in the Berry Juice Bar the previous night to even something as simple as what they had for breakfast and finally to the details of the job they had accepted not that long ago.

"What do you think dragons could possibly want from the Seismic Highland?" The Charmeleon asked.

"Can't say. Dragons don't usually need much provocation to starting ruining days. It's safe to say that diplomacy won't work and we'll end up having to fight them. You're not worried, are you?"

"Of course not. I may not be fully evolved but I'm tougher than I look." The Charmeleon punctuated his statement by flexing his claws. "Besides, it takes a dragon to defeat another dragon. That's just what I am."

"No, not really."

"You just gave me a Dragon Gem-"

"To power up your dragon 'moves.'"

"Well I'm close enough." The Flame Pokémon folded his arms stubbornly. "Still, though. A Salamence and a Hydreigon at once? And who knows what other wild pokémon we'll meet in the Seismic Highland on the way? The suck potential of this job is extremely high."

"Relax, Aiden. You've got Scorcher and I fighting with you. When we formed Team Blaze, we invited the possibility of these kind of jobs. It's like this for every guild and backing out won't leave a very good impression." The Blaziken said.

"I never said I was backing out but I'm gonna go ahead and say that I'm sure not many pokémon want to get into fights with dragon types, guild or otherwise. Maybe ice types but they're like on opposite ends of the map and I doubt they'd wanna go anywhere near a place called 'Volcanic Summit' anyway." Aiden commented as he and the Blaziken ascended a flight of brick stairs and onto a platform where other pokémon waited. Among those pokémon was their third and final teammate, Scorcher.

"Aiden. Jetstream. Took you guys long enough." The Infernape greeted them with a most carefree tone of voice, standing up straight with fingers laced lazily behind his flaming head.

"Pretty sure you only got here yourself." The Blaziken named Jetstream smirked and bumped fists with his partner.

"Sporting a new look there, Scorcher?" Aiden looked the fighting pokémon over.

"You like it? It's called an Assault Vest." The Infernape puffed out his chest a little, showing off the padded vest he wore around his torso. "This bad boy's gonna offer me increased protection from special attacks. I figured it'll be appropriate for a job like this... Goes with the flames too, that's a bonus." Scorcher gave a toothy grin. "So are we ready to go kick some draconian ass or what?"

"Definitely." Jetstream rubbed his fist in anticipation.

"You guys sure seem confident." Aiden watched as the Onix that would carry them to the South Gate of the Pokémon Settlement appeared around the bend with an accompanying rumbling sound and kicking up dust as it moved.

"What's wrong, Aiden? You scared?"

"That's what I said."

"I'm not scared!" Aiden said louder than he should have and got the attention of every other pokémon there. "Let's just go..." The Charmeleon was the first to climb on the platform fastened to the Onix's back.

"I didn't know your face could get any redder than it already is." Scorcher smirked as he leaned on the railing, right over the 'do not lean on the railing' sign.

Aiden just glared at him.

"Easy there, champ. Our enemies are the dragons that got too comfortable in the Seismic Highland, remember?" The Onix had started off and Infernape's flaming hair was now billowing in the wind.

"Speaking of, do we have everything we need?" Jetstream asked.

Both his allies looked through the bags fastened around their waists. After a little while of rummaging, they nodded affirmative.

"Got everything right here." Aiden spoke up.

"Just the essentials, really. Potions, Full Heals, all that stuff. Oh yeah and some Haban Berries too. You?"

"Pretty much the same thing. I purchased some Revival Herbs too just in case things go... South." Jetstream put it the best way he could.

"If we play our cards right, though, that shouldn't happen."

Aiden wasn't so sure, however. He had taken on a lot of jobs with his allies since his time of joining their guild but this is the first time he would be going up against dragons. Pokémon known for their brutality and resistance to many types, though not as extreme a case as steel types. Fire being one of the types it resisted which limited his attacking options. The thought that they would be engaging fully evolved ferocious dragons like this... It shook him a little. Both from fear and excitement. It was an odd feeling.

"You okay, Aiden?" Scorcher looked down at the youngest fire type.

"Yeah..." The Charmeleon raised his claws at the end of his arm and tightened them into a fist. "I'm fine."

"Not having second thoughts about the job are you? If you're uncertain, you can sit this one out and Scorcher and I-"

"No!" To suggest that he couldn't handle a battle no matter how difficult was the last thing any Charmeleon wanted to hear. "I'm not backing out of this. If I did, I wouldn't be a very good fire type or even a very supportive team member. You guys know I'm tough as nails so there's no need to worry about me. We're gonna see this job through the end just like we always do. Isn't that right?" The Charmeleon leveled them with a confident glare which was accompanied by the flame at the end of his tail growing a little larger in size.

"Now there's the Aiden I know." Jetstream smirked. "Thought we were losing you for a minute there."

"Hmph. Like I would ever wimp out of a fight." The Flame Pokémon crossed his arms and closed his eyes snobbishly.

The Onix finally started to slow down and pulled up next to the southern station. Some of the pokémon on his back got off at their stop while others remained and were joined by other pokémon looking to get a ride. Fully loaded, the Onix gave a mighty roar and sped down the half-pipe route towards the next station. Jetstream, Scorcher and Aiden descended down the flight of stairs and made their way to the Southern Gate. Few minutes passed with the only sounds being some of the pokémon around them and in time, they stopped and stood in front of the large gate flanked by a pair of Klinklang on either side. Already knowing who they were, the two steel type pokémon attatched themselves to the gear mechanisms beside them and raised the gate for the fire types, revealing the main route that would lead them to the Seismic Highland.

"Everyone ready?" Jetstream asked.

"Born ready." Scorcher replied, craning his neck and arm in a brief exercise.

"As if you have to ask." Aiden moved his bag so it rested on his back and dropped on all fours.

"Okay then... Let's do this!" The moment Jetstream finished speaking, all three fire types sprinted down the wide path at top speed, leaving nothing but dust behind them.

---

Fairy Realm

Gallant faced Intrepid from his side of the battle floor. From the time they had arrived, all the psychic types figured that since it was still early, they may as well blow some steam.

None of them had been quite ready for the revelations that had been laid on them this morning. It was bad enough that they looked like clueless fools, granted only to one pokémon but on the way to the Training Hold, Edge had decided to share with them some news he learned from the Alakazam back in the Guild Collaboration that really didn't help their mood any but to be fair, they're the ones that asked. Word was some pokémon named Darkrai had come out of whatever isolation it had apparently been in before and was free exploring who knows where... Fair enough. It's a free world, he supposed but according to their training instructor, it is a powerful legendary pokémon that involuntarily caused nightmares so hellish that it physically affected its victims just by being in the same area as them which isn't a very good thing at all. For this reason, he went on to say that the leader of the Psychic Realm, Cresselia, shared her fabled Lunar Wings, said to counteract Darkrai's power, with the populace of the Pokémon Settlement. Another thing they didn't know. It's like what next? Did Xerneas awaken in the little time they had been away from home? It was enough for Gallant to start questioning if living in the Fairy Realm kept him as safe as he was constantly told but pushed those selfish thoughts to the back of his mind. Perhaps the reason he and his friends are kept constricted in their realm is because of the clear dangers that the world was littered with, as they had been informed today. After all, he couldn't deny that if the Fairy Realm was not the paradise it was, they could have wasted away a long time ago. They had Xerneas and his life-giving power to thank for that. Still, though, he couldn't say he wasn't curious about what else happens out there.

"Ready, Gallant?" Intrepid called from a few meters ahead of him.

Pulled out of his thoughts, Gallant got into a battle stance and nodded. He was done putting unnecessary stress on himself. He needed an outlet.

From his position over to the side, Edge gave the signal for their battle to start.

Gallant and Intrepid wasted no time, sprinting toward each other and engaging in close quarters combat. Intrepid jumped up, drew his arm backwards and came down with an open palm, intending to blast his opponent with a psychic wave at point-blank range but Gallant crouched and used the momentum of his run to slide on the floor underneath the space Intrepid had left, causing his attack to miss and instead slam his open palm into the ground. From behind Intrepid, Gallant went for a psychic attack of his own but Intrepid quickly turned around and parried his arm upwards which caused his purple blast of energy to fire harmlessly to the ceiling. Still holding onto his opponent's arm, Intrepid thrust his free hand out and narrowly missed Gallant's chest who leaned to the side. Taking advantage his opening, Gallant grabbed his opponent's shoulder and brought his entire weight backwards, bringing Intrepid with him, placing his feet on his stomach and throwing him over himself and to the floor behind them. Quickly getting up, Gallant then went for another psychic attack, this time uninterrupted, aimed at his floored target.

Intrepid saw this and expelled psychic energy of his own right at the floor beneath him, the force causing him to shoot up into the air, avoiding Gallant's attack and retaliating with another long range attack. Unprepared for Intrepid's unorthodox maneuver, Gallant could only brace himself by crossing his arms in front of him, taking the attack directly which knocked him off his feet and caused him to land roughly on his back a few meters away.

"Getting soft, Gallant?" Intrepid taunted, refusing to give his friend time to recover and running up to where he had landed.

Quickly getting up, Gallant's horns suddenly lit up with a blinding flash that brightened the entire room and put strain on Intrepid's eyes. When his opponent stopped to cover his eyes from the overbearing light, Gallant used that opening to run up to his opponent, going low and whipping out with one of his legs.

Intrepid cried out when his legs were struck, losing his balance and dropping to the ground from the force but quickly rolled out of the way and avoided Gallant's follow-up strike that slammed into the ground where he previously was. Grunting from exertion, Intrepid leaped up with a twirl and bared down on the opposing Kirlia with his arm reared back who met him halfway and threw out a fist of his own aimed at his head. Both blows connected at the same time, the young pokémon crying out and reeling from the pain but not yet done. Recovering, Intrepid thrust out his palm with great telekinetic force and Gallant swung his own arm out, parrying the strike and causing the attack to expel around them as a harmless purple waft of energy. Intrepid struck forward with his left palm this time and Gallant responded by grabbing his wrist with his right hand and wrenching it to the side, redirecting his opponent's attack to where it wouldn't cause him harm. With a flash, Gallant was gone, only to reappear behind his opponent and went for another sweep at Intrepid's legs. Said Kirlia, realizing that it would be difficult to avoid the attack from his position, chose to teleport as well, relocating to the side and delivering a drop kick to Gallant's chest, knocking him to the ground once again.

"I can keep this up all-" Intrepid couldn't finish his boast as he didn't expect Gallant to be tenacious enough to immediately teleport back up with no warning and drive his fist into his chin, sending him off his feet and to the floor.

"What was that?" Gallant smirked. "I can't hear you over your bruises."

"You're one to talk!" Getting back up Intrepid ran and jumped up towards Gallant with another drop kick.

Gallant was prepared this time around and raised his arm to fire a purple psychic wave at the airborne Kirlia. Smirking, Intrepid teleported back to the ground, the attack sailing harmlessly above him and commenced another attack, running up with his arm reared back and striking forward with all the force he could muster. To his surprise and everyone else watching, Gallant didn't try to dodge this time, allowing Intrepid to strike directly and painfully at his exposed chest.

Gallant winced as the psychic attack went right through his body which caused him to droop a little and made his legs quiver as they tried to keep him balanced. Sweet Xerneas, that hurt like hell but there was motive to his reckless behavior. Latching onto the arm that struck him with one hand, Gallant reached up and placed his free palm on Intrepid's body, over his twisted spoon. Looking down, Intrepid's eyes widened in realization of what his opponent was up to but was too late to stop it.

Gallant grinned up at his friend, drawing a great amount of energy from Intrepid's own twisted spoon to power himself up and unleashing a strong psychic blast of energy that blew the screaming Kirlia across the entire room, hitting the ground, rolling a little and coming to a stop near some training equipment. His opponent was no longer moving and that made him the winner of their battle, if the loud cheers of the pokémon gathered were anything to go by. Smiling, Gallant tried to take a step forward and he immediately regretted that, dropping to his knees in pain. Resistant to the psychic type or not, Intrepid's attack bloody hurt.

"You look like crap, Gallant." Valor spoke as he walked up to his injured friend. With the fight over, the other spectators went back to their own business.

"Imagine how Intrepid feels." Gallant watched as Edge, Resolute and Stalwart went to the out-cold Intrepid's aid. It was a good thing pokémon were built to take all kinds of damage from attacks, Gallant thought. If not, it would have been dangerous to engage in these kinds of activities on a regular basis.

"He'll be fine, we do this all the time." Valor put his friend's concerns to rest and crouched down to his level. Clasping his hands together, Valor closed his eyes and performed Heal Pulse, the rippling healing waves patching up Gallant's injuries nicely. After he was finished, Valor got back up and helped his friend do the same. "Better?"

"Much better, thanks." The Kirlia stretched out and felt as healthy as he did before his spar with Intrepid. Dusting himself off, Gallant started to walk to the exit of the Training Hold at the other end of the room.

"Hey, where are you going?" Valor asked, catching up to the leaving Kirlia.

"Food stand. I've got some shards leftover from our trip and I'm in the mood for poképuffs. You coming?"

Valor looked back at the rest of his peers. It looked like the now awake Intrepid was getting treatment just fine without him so he figured his presence was not really required and began to follow Gallant. He guessed he could train later and besides, who passes up a chance to eat? "Yeah, sure."

Walking up to the door, Gallant tapped on it a few times and waited. After a bit of commotion was heard from the other side, the door was unlocked and the Kirlia came face to face with a Klefki. "Greetings! You guys done with the violence?"

"For now, thank you." Gallant responded as he and Valor walked passed the steel type fairy and towards the last door that would lead them outside. "We'll see you maybe later today, Keychain."

"I should certainly hope so! Farewell for now!" The Klefki happily moved its body side to side in a motion that caused his keys to jingle.

Now outside, Gallant and Valor walked on the comfortably spongy grass to the closest food stand they could find. Facing his friend, Valor noticed that he had an expression of deep concentration. He noticed that Gallant displayed the same behavoir when they first arrived and in the Training Hold. He didn't have an opportunity to say anything then but now that it was just the two of them, he could finally prod his friend's brain. "Got something on your mind?"

"What makes you say that?" The Kirlia kept walking.

"Gallant, our species name is the 'Emotion Pokémon' and we aren't called that because emotions fly undetected over our heads. I can tell something's up with you now are we gonna talk about it or not?" Valor tried not to sound so pushy but his curiosity was getting the better of him.

"Well since you asked so nicely." Gallant rolled his eyes. "I'm still thinking of all the stuff told to us today. Especially from that guy, Saber."

"The Sceptile?" Valor tapped his chin in remembrance. "Oh yeah. He told us that some legendary pokémon attacked the Tempest Peaks for no reason. What of it?"

"He also said that we live ignorant lives in a closed circle." Gallant reminded his friend. "Insulting as it was, he was right. I guess I just didn't feel comfortable with what he said is all. That whole guild system made me realize there's more to it out there than what we first thought. I mean sure this trip made me more savvy about the world but certainly not in a way I first expected. I didn't feel comfortable with what Edge said either." Gallant finally came up to a stand a Slurpuff had set up that sold all kinds of delicious confectioneries.

"That pokémon, Darkrai..." Valor stood next to his friend and paid for his own mint flavored poképuff. Waving in appreciation to the Slurpuff, the two resumed walking with no clear destination in mind.

"A legendary pokémon that causes physical harm through nightmares without even trying." The Kirlia bit into his colorful cupcake with a cute nom. It completely undermined the subject of their discussion.

"Scary or not, you have to admit that's a cool ability." Valor took a bite of his own poképuff.

"Cool as it is, that pokémon is out there and according to Edge, it doesn't even have to be in the realm to affect us." Gallant took another bite of his scrumptious treat, wondering just how wide an area the dark type could affect.

"Well when we wake up screaming in our beds we'll know we should be alarmed to its presence." Valor joked. "Seriously, though, I don't think this stuff should bother you so much."

"It doesn't." Valor scoffed at that. "Okay maybe it does but what can I say? It's a lot for me to take in. I'm a kid."

"I'm a kid too but you don't see me shaving years off my life with worry." Valor threw an arm around his friend's shoulders.

Looking at his fellow Kirlia, Gallant figured he was right. Saber's words, Edge's information on Darkrai and the Psychic Realm's precautions, it all shouldn't matter to him. It didn't affect him or his friends unless he directly made it his business which there was no real reason of doing. He still didn't like the idea of being forever in the dark but there was little he could do as things were. Perhaps an opportunity like one they had would open up in the future and he could get another more detailed look on the rest of the world. For now, though, all he could do was concentrate on his training and hope that the fire type guild they met would give it all they had to complete their mission and as a result, make it possible for them to come into possession of their long desired Dawn Stones.

Valor smiled as he received a positive feedback from his friend. It was good to know he was back in high spirits and no longer looking so serious. They both took final bites of their poképuffs and sighed in delight at the after-taste the cupcakes left in their mouths. "I don't know who first came up with the idea of poképuffs but I think I wanna marry them."

"Well you're in luck. I happen to know who that is and I'll be happy to tell the Stunfisk the good news." Gallant replied in jest before he and Valor shared a laugh.

"Gallant! You're back!"

Said pokémon looked to his side and saw Sylvia trotting excitedly up to them, followed closely by the blue Kirlia, Angel. Stopping right in front of them, Sylvia placed a ribbon under her chin and took on a thoughtful expression, eyeing them both intently. "Hmmm... You two are the funniest looking Gallade I've ever seen. If I didn't know better, I'd say that you're both still Kirlia."

"That's funny, Sylvia." Gallant dryly commented.

"Right?" The Sylveon jovially ignored the Emotion Pokémon's sarcasm. "My understanding was that the reason you went to the Pokémon Settlement in the first place was to get your hands on some Dawn Stones and evolve yet here you are standing the same as when you left. Were you robbed?"

Gallant and Valor fixed her with a deadpan look.

"Oh don't give me that." Sylvia dismissed their irritation. "It's only been a day but I'm sure you missed me."

Gallant ignored her and instead extended a greeting to the more reserved of the two girls. "Hey, Angel."

"Hi, Gallant. Welcome back." Angel clasped her hands behind her back and offered the male Kirlia a smile.

"Hey there." Valor offered a greeting of his own but his was instead met with a shy away and a barely audible 'hello.'

"Hey, Valor." Sylvia spoke up with a smile. "Don't mind Angel. She's... Well, Angel." The shiny Kirlia gave her friend an offended glare which went ignored. "So, did anything interesting happen on your big expedition?"

"Well-"

"Woah, hold it! Don't tell us here! Come on, let's grab some poképuffs and head on over to our spot. Then you can tell us all about it." Sylvia wrapped a ribbon around Gallant's arm and dragged him with her back to the food stand she was referring to without his consent. "We're borrowing him. I hope you don't mind?"

"Not at all, go ahead." Valor replied, amused. He would have liked to continue their conversation but seeing his friend under the control of his lady friends brought him humor. Watching the Sylveon drag a perplexed Gallant off, he turned around and started making his way back to the Training Hold to see how the others were doing. Momentarily, he thought about what Gallant told them back at the Berry Juice Bar about his opposite gender friends which he now found hilarious in this kind of context. "'Trophy wives', he said. Jokes and marriage proposals or not, that guy is whipped." Valor chortled.

---

Secluded Clearing, a little while later.

Gallant stared at his friends from where he was seated and they regarded him with surprised expressions. He had just finished explaining everything that had happened from the moment his party had stepped into the Brilliant Meadow and was now at the point where he and his team members had just made their order for Dawn Stones. His friends had asked him amusing questions throughout his story like 'What's a bar' or 'What's a bunk bed' but he was happy to answer them. From their expressions, he could tell that the Pokémon Settlement was far more than what they expected it to be. To be fair, he never expected it to be the way it turned out either.

Between them was the fairly large, elevated flat rock that had quickly become their quasi meeting table. On the rock sat three, previously six poképuffs. A chocolate deluxe, a mint and a, um, pink one? He really didn't know what flavor the pink floral pattern poképuffs were supposed to be but it didn't matter. Even though he already had one before, Sylvia didn't mind buying him some more on top of the ones she bought for Angel and herself. Hey, never look a gift Ponyta in the mouth, right?

"So what happened after you got your business out-of-the-way? Sight seeing?" Sylvia picked her second poképuff off the rock and started to devour it.

"You can say that." Gallant picked up his own delectable cupcake as he recalled their activities. "Edge said we could look around the settlement and took us on a ride to other parts of the settlement on an Onix."

"An Onix?"

"A huge snake-like pokémon made entirely out of rocks. Like, huge! It was my first time seeing one too. It carried us and other pokémon around different parts of the settlement on its back, you would have loved it! It goes station to station, offering to give rides to pokémon too fatigued or otherwise unable to get around the settlement on foot, it was the whole thing and- oh yeah!" Gallant looked right at the quiet Angel who looked surprised at his sudden change in behavior. "From there, we went to the Postal Center and I was able to deliver your letter, Angel."

"Really? Thanks, Gallant." Angel gave him an appreciative smile. "Did anything else happen after that?"

"Yeah. Edge showed us this large building called the Guild Collaboration. It's a place where pokémon from all over the world form guilds. Guilds are groups of specific pokémon from different realms that get together and use their different skills or abilities to take on all kinds of jobs for other pokémon willing to hire them. They usually involve hard labor from what my friends and I saw. Some more extreme than others. There's this one that involved a Hydreigon and Salamence attacking the Seismic Highland. That area Redolence told us about that branches into the Ground and Rock Realms. It's known for its deposits of evolution stones and other minerals but until those dragons are taken care of, mining remains a difficult act there."

Sylvia looked at Angel, both wearing shocked expressions. They had heard that most dragons were battle hungry creatures but they didn't expect it to be at such an extent that they came out of their natural habitat and attack neighboring regions. "So those dragons are what's keeping evolution stones from being delivered to the Pokémon Settlement? Doesn't that mean your order will be delayed?" Angel asked.

"Yeah it does. But one of the guilds got the job and they seemed pretty confident." Gallant told them, remembering the fire types he couldn't identify but otherwise looked strong. "If they're as good as they looked then I can be rest assured. Since guilds have apparently been this for a long time, all I can do sit here and be confident that the problem would be taken care of." Gallant now directed his attention to his female counterpart. "Say, Angel. Do you have your book with you? The one with the legendary pokémon?"

Now that the subject had been changed to books, Angel smiled brightly and Gallant could feel it in her horns. Reaching into her bag that sat next to her, she pulled out the book the male Kirlia was referring to and placed it on top of the flat rock in front of him. "What exactly are you looking for?" She was already excited by implications alone. Did he see a legendary pokémon while on his trip? If so, why did it take him this long to say anything?

Gallant turned the book around so he could get a better read and opened it to the table of contents. "Let's see... Legendary Birds, Legendary Beasts, Golems, Eon Duo, Lake Guardians, ah-ha... These guys..." Gallant went on to open the page marked by the contents that would explain the pokémon he was looking for in detail.

Angel and Sylvia walked around the rock and sat next to their male friend so they could get a better look at what he was talking about. "The Forces of Nature?"

"An apt name, I'll give them that. But these two..." Gallant pointed specifically at Tornadus and Thundurus. "They attacked the Tempest Peaks a short while back. Just thought I'd share the news."

"What?" Both girls voiced their shock in unison. Should it really be so surprising, though? It said in their description that this is the kind of stuff they did in order to entertain themselves. Still, it wasn't fair to the pokémon that lived in that area to be subjected to an attack from reckless legendary pokémon.

"That's not all. There's something else I want you guys to know about." Taking another peek at the contents, Gallant turned the pages again before coming to a new entry. An entry that depicted a shadowy figure shaped like an hourglass with long arms that ended in threatening claws. Half its dark face was obscured by its wavy long white hair and all that was visible was a single blue eye that, even in the picture, seemed to be staring right at them. The Pitch-Black Pokémon: Darkrai.

Angel and Sylvia looked at each other. They had not yet gone over this entry, themselves and they didn't have an idea about why Gallant seemed curious about it or how he even came to know about it before they did. The page gave a detailed summary of what kind of pokémon Darkrai was and listed its various abilities but out of all of them, one in particular stood out. It's Bad Dreams ability. Reported to inflict unbearable nightmares in pokémon unfortunate enough to end up too close to it and the real reason Darkrai chose to live in isolation.

"Edge met someone he knew while we were in the Pokémon Settlement and according to him, this pokémon has been sighted enough times to warrant action from the leader of the Psychic Realm, Cresselia, herself. She apparently shared her nightmare-warding Lunar Wings with residents of the settlement to keep tension at a minimum and-" Gallant suddenly stopped and looked at Angel who was rubbing her arms uncomfortably. She was no longer making eye contact with him as well and he could feel her deflated spirit in his horns. He could only wonder why. "You okay, Angel?"

The blue-haired Kirlia looked up at Gallant with concern but refrained from speaking. This nightmare-inducing dark type legendary pokémon surely couldn't be the cause of the awful dream she had the previous day... Could it? Her friend just said it was roaming the lands so it was a real possibility. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense to her and she didn't like that. She had just this morning started to get over her dream and write it off as a simple bad experience like Fleur de Lis said but there was now evidence in front of her that proved it wasn't a natural experience at all. If she acknowledged that this Darkrai was indeed the cause of her nightmare then she would also be acknowledging that it had been or still is close to the Fairy Realm.

Seeing Angel wasn't being responsive, Gallant looked to the fairy type Eeveelution for an explanation. Sylvia looked at Angel and back to Gallant, not sure how she could tackle the subject without making her friend feel worse than she already felt. Sighing, Sylvia figured she would just go for the straight forward approach, there wasn't any need for her to beat around the bush. Gallant wanted an answer and she had one. "Um... You see..." The Sylveon wrapped a comforting ribbon around her sulking friend. "Angel is upset because she had a really bad nightmare yesterday and now that you just told us that a nightmare-causing pokémon has been spotted and is freely running around... You see where this is going?"

It took a moment but Gallant's eyes started to widen ever so slightly.

"But it's probably all unrelated, right?" Sylvia gave a forced smile and she sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than her friends. "Right, Gallant?"

Gallant joined Angel and looked down at the suddenly interesting grass in deep thought and took to tugging at his muscle band with concern. Awkwardly, Sylvia did the same, her ears drooping a little and pawing at the ground. They all knew what was happening here. There was no reason to hide or pretend. Darkrai was or still is close to their home. Or, Arceus forbid, actually in the realm itself somewhere, waiting for them to fall asleep. Scared children. That's what they now were and without an adult, this kind of news was not something they could easily stomach. What started as a cheerful conversation between the three friends ended in uncomfortable silence.

"Well, damn."

---

Seismic Highland - Afternoon

A great, expanding mountainous region. That's what the Seismic Highland was. Mountains to the left, mountains to the right, mountains everywhere. There were few areas with grass that grew above a foot and there were even fewer trees. The rough terrain made it difficult for most pokémon to travel and it was true for the fire types running through it, taking the most comfortable flat route they could find. That's not to say the route they took was actually flat, it was just more manageable than the rocky high hills around them. The Seismic Highland's name was actually non-indicative as all the seismic activity came from the many ground and rock types that lived underground or in caves with none of it being of natural occurrence. Whether it be tunnelling, defending turf or displaying dominance, earthquakes and other small tremors would be set off now and then. In extreme cases, some earthquakes can become so severe that it affects large parts of the region and changes the geography forever, though that rarely happened. It didn't matter to the fire types any as they were here for one thing and one thing only. Dragon hunting.

Jetstream, Scorcher and Aiden had slowed from their full-blown sprint and were traveling at a much more steady pace. It wouldn't do well for them to use up so much energy before they even met their marks.

"Where are these things anyway?" Aiden impatiently asked, running on all fours and leaping over a large rock. "Please tell me we don't have to scrounge every nook and cranny for these bastards?"

"I hope not. We'd be here all day if that was the case. Maybe all week." Jetstream answered from Aiden's left, his long and powerful legs being far from tired despite the distance they had traveled.

"Imagine if they actually left a long time ago. Now that would suck." Scorcher commented from his running position on the right.

"Can I suggest something then?" Aiden started to slow down. Noticing this, his teammates slowed to a stop as well.

"Got something in mind?" Jetstream stood with his arms folded.

"Yeah." The Charmeleon stood up straight and dusted his claws. "We've been running for what like an hour now? And we've made pretty much zero progress. Why not just direct the attention to us? Those things can fly. From the air it'll be easier for the dragons to find us before we find them if we make enough commotion."

"That could work... Okay, Aiden, how do you think we should go about this?" Scorcher asked expectantly.

"How about fire-breathing?" The Flame Pokémon rested an elbow upon his open palm and pointed upwards. "We all shoot our flames skyward. That kind of make-shift beacon should be enough to attract their attention no matter where they are, right? If they're the battle hungry pokémon we know they are, they wouldn't pass up a chance for a potential encounter."

Jetstream and Scorcher smirked. That was certainly a good plan and it was a reminder that the young fire type wasn't actually as young as he first appeared. Well he was but the point here was that he's mature for his age. Details. "Alright, Aiden. Let's try it."

The three fire types promptly walked closer to each other until they were separated by only a few feet. Nodding to one another, the three took deep breaths blasted massive pillars of blazing flames out of their mouths aimed at the sky. The flames combined into one massive super heated stream of fire that travelled a good one hundred meters above them. This went on for a little more than ten seconds before their lungs started to strain and they had to stop in order to inhale.

"You think that worked?" Scorcher asked as he got his breathing under control.

"Man, I hope so." Aiden took deep breaths.

"Guess we'll just have to wait and see. Let's catch our breath in the meantime." Jetsream suggested.

So they did. They waited and waited. And waited... And... Waited...

"Anything?" Aiden hopefully asked.

"It's been a minute, relax." The Blaziken informed from his seat on a rock.

"Yeah but we still have a whole lot of nothing." Aiden made an impatient noise. So much for maturity.

"I find it odd that your own idea has led you into boredom." Scorcher was on his back, arms behind his head and resting one leg over the other. "Just give it a little more time."

"Yeah, yeah..." Aiden kicked a small rock away from him. He didn't know how much more he could wait. He was just about to suggest they resume running around when he suddenly heard a roar that alerted him as well as the other two fire pokémon. "Now we're talking!" The Charmeleon gave a toothy grin and started looking around with thinly veiled excitement. Another roar, this one followed by the earth shaking under their feet before the ground erupted in a dramatic display that sent debris flying all over the place and out from the new hole came... An Onix.

"Laaaaaaaaaaaame!" Aiden complained.

"Hmmm..." Scorcher stared at the massive rock type for a little while and then went back to laying on the ground.

"You think it saw our flames from a distance and burrowed its way here?" Jetstream asked, not at all threatened by the large pokémon in front of him.

"Who cares, it's an Onix." Aiden wasn't even looking at it and was instead keeping an eye out for the dragon types they were after.

Noticing its prey weren't paying much attention to it, the Onix gave its loudest, most intimidating roar at them before initiating its attack and making a lunge at the Charmeleon. Oh, how they would pay for their insolence. Opening its large mouth, the rock snake closed in on the young fire type who decided enough was enough and channeled the steel type into its claws then used them to take a wide and painful swipe at the Onix's lower jaw, fracturing the left side of it and knocking it to the ground. Dazed, the rock type shook its head but wasn't yet ready for another attack. An attack that came from right underneath it. The ground erupted a second time from below it and the large Onix found itself caught in the mouth of an even larger Steelix. The Onix cried out in pain as the trapped part of its body became littered with cracks under the pressure until its comparatively weak stone structure gave out and shattered in half between the Steelix's strong jaws. Triumphant, the Iron Snake Pokémon let out a roar to the heavens that shook even the loose rocks and grass around them before leveling its scornful red eyes down at the fire types who were now on guard. Now that the violent act of natural selection was over, the three fire type pokémon were prepared to blast the steel type to hell with their scorching flames when the skies above them suddenly darkened and the clouds were split by an onslaught of flaming boulders that rained down on the area all four pokémon were occupying.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me..." Jetstream commented and his legs immediately got to work. "Everyone, scatter!"

Not needing to be told twice, the rest of his team kicked their limbs into high gear and ran in different directions to avoid the meteor shower that had been summoned to ensure them a painful demise. Aiden dropped on all fours and ran in zig-zag patterns, using the shadows of the giant boulders to discern where they would strike and how he would avoid them. Scorcher and Jetstream ran opposite ends from each other, using their high agility to expertly dodge the falling meteorites and even flip over the ones that fell right in front of them. Scorcher made a giant leap over a rock formation but, unfortunately, wasn't ready to find a steep slope on the other side of the rocks, causing him to roll almost all the way downhill but quickly regaining his footing and skidding to a halt at the bottom of the slope. He looked around. The Infernape appeared to be in a new area that was completely flat and had no grass or trees growing anywhere but instead little holes that decorated the ground.

"A Diglet nest?" Scrocher pondered to himself. That last attack must have scared them enough for them to flee deep underground and he couldn't really blame them. Looking up where he came from, he realized that he could easily scale the high slope and regroup with the rest of his team. As he prepared to do just that, the Steelix from before appeared at the top of the hill and barreled down the hill to the same level, passed the Infernape and gave a loud roar at its intended target while rotating the spikes that jutted out from parts of its body to look more intimidating. Scorcher just scoffed. The steel type looked no worse for wear from being struck by the Draco Meteor attack and that must have been the source of its confidence but he was not just a fire type, he was also a fighting type and if it's a fight the Iron Snake Pokémon wanted he was certainly going to give it one.

"Bring it on, ugly." Scorcher raised his hand and taunted the Steelix with a 'come on' motion.

The Steelix did just that, sweeping its tail around, kicking up dirt and striking out at the Infernape who easily jumped onto it while it was still in motion, ran up the entire length of the steel type's body and delivering a blazing flip kick aimed right at its head. The force of the attack was enough that the Steelix's upper body snapped backwards and Scorcher followed his attack up by driving a Fire Punch straight into its exposed lower jaw which caused it to slam onto its back in a dusty heap. It wasn't done, though, as it easily recovered and rose back up. Its jaw was blackened by the Infernape's fire attacks and there were two large dents in it but it was still willing to battle. The Steelix locked its red eyes with its opponent that stood in middle of the field. Growling, the Steelix begun to collect a swirling mass of pure energy in its mouth and, when it felt that it was more than enough, fired a destructive beam right at its target.

"Please." Scorcher drawled as he sprinted to the side and easily outran the Hyper Beam. The Steelix didn't let up, though, as it followed the Infernape's movements with its head, its perpetual beam of energy defacing the ground and leaving a deep trench wherever it passed in hopes that it would incinerate the elusive fire type but Scorcher was just too quick for it. When the Steelix finally ceased with its attack to recharge its lost energy, he commenced his own attack, pulling out the Fire Gem from his bag and then tossing his bag to the side so it wouldn't get damaged. Activating the glowing orange gem in his hand, Scorcher manipulated his primary type to cloak his entire body in flame before shooting forward like a rocket and leaving a resulting blazing trail behind him as well as a small crater where he once stood. Too fatigued to act, the steel type could do nothing but take the attack head-on and hope that it's body would be able to survive the blow. Heh, yeah right. Scorcher's attack was so powerful and his body temperature so high that he blew a smoldering hole right through the Steelix's midsection and it reacted by giving a loud pained cry then falling over, defeated.

"Flare Blitz." Scorcher informed from the where he landed behind the Steelix as its body dropped lifelessly to the ground. "Deal with it." Done, he tossed the now useless, dulled grey gem to the ground and walked around the steel type's corpse to where he had tossed his bag. After securely fastening his bag around his waist, he ran back towards the slope while simultaneously reaching in and pulling out a Sitrus Berry, swallowing it whole to recover the energy he lost from his previous double-edged attack. He could already hear explosions and see rampant flames from the other side of the rock formation at the top of the hill and hurried his pace to aid his allies.

---

Aiden gave a guttural grow, baring his fangs at his mark. The Hydreigon in front of him certainly knew how to make an entrance. What with attempting to kill him and his allies by dropping meteorites on them that were now scattered harmlessly around the terrain, resting in the craters they made when they struck the surface. He was on all four of his limbs again in a primal stance, his claws digging into the ground. His flame tipped tail waved side to side in anticipation. When his team first took the job, he was excited at the prospect of fighting a dragon type for the very first time but now that there was an extremely violent three-headed dragon in front of him, it became clear to him just how dangerous the job actually was. This guy and the Salamence, wherever it was, were the reason that the ground types couldn't do as much mining as they wanted to and there was obviously a good reason for that. He didn't know the full extent of the Brutal Pokémon's power but he could tell that this is a foe unlike the ones he faced in the past.

"What's the matter, lizard? Do I frighten you?" The Hydreigon taunted.

Aiden glared at the dark dragon. According a few sources, 'Lizard' was a hateful slur dragons directed at each other. It's a demeaning term that implied one was too pathetic and small to stand up to another. Being the prideful pokémon they were, it was easy to see why it was such a big insult. Looking around, he didn't see Jetstream or Scorcher anywhere so it was just him and his much larger opponent. A direct hit from it would be pretty bad but if he was faster, he could work around that problem.

Levitating on its six wings, it came as a surprise to the Hydreigon when the Charmeleon in front of it was enveloped in a draconian aura. It recognized the move as Dragon Dance and all three of its heads roared in preparation at the idea of fighting a foe that could actually make it break a sweat.

From where he was standing, Aiden continued to power himself up, the fierce dragon aura stimulating the muscles in his body and making him faster as well as stronger. Looking up, he growled at the opposing dragon as a challenge to which it gladly accepted. The Charmeleon ran at the Hydreigon at high speeds, jumping up with his claws reared back and swinging them at the Hydreigon which responded by biting down on Aiden's extended arm with one of its heads and tossing the fire type down to the ground right in front of it. Inhaling, the Brutal Pokémon expelled from its main head a pulsing shockwave that pulverized the ground in front of it and would have certainly caused serious damage to the fire type had he not utilized his increased speed to dodge backwards in time.

Just before Aiden could attack again, the Hydreigon flapped its wings and blew dust at him, causing him to cough and cover his eyes. The Hydreigon took advantage of Aiden's temporary blind state and flew at him from a low altitude before giving him a back-hand (or back-head) that sent the fire type tumbling a few meters back and hitting into a rock. Getting up on shaky legs, Aiden coughed a little and held his aching side. Looking at his opponent, his eyes widened and he performed a diving roll, narrowly avoiding the Dragon Pulse that reduced the rock he landed against to rubble. The young fire type wasn't given any time to breathe as the ground beneath him started to get unnaturally hot. Moving fast, Aiden instinctively jumped to his right just as a pillar of earthly force erupted from the spot he had just been and continued to run as fast as his limbs could allow in order to evade the rest of the similar attacks that exploded dangerously close behind him.

The Hydreigon continued to relentlessly attack the fire type using Earth Power over and over, curious to know how much his target could take. When Aiden realized the dragon type settled with bombarding him with the same attack, he figured he might as well let rip with some attacks of his own while on the move. They might not be that accurate with him running like this but anything would be enough in this position. Taking a deep breath, Aiden fired volleys of fireballs at the Hydreigon as he ran a circle around it. The Hydreigon reacted by ceasing its assault and casually dodging to the side, raising its secondary heads and firing some flaming projectiles of its own that knocked Aiden's out of the air with the rest flying straight at him. Seeing this, Aiden stopped dead in his tracks snarled at the incoming fireballs.

"How's this then?" Aiden briefly craned his head back and spat a fireball larger than even his foe that spun momentarily before taking on a star shape and cruising at the Hydreigon, swallowing the flames that were aimed at him in the process.

The Hydreigon's eyes blinked in surprise and it crossed it arms over its face at the last second, not expecting the Charmeleon to be capable of such a powerful attack. The Fire Blast hit and the dragon was engulfed in a huge explosion that also charred a good deal of the terrain around it. When the smoke cleared, the Hydreigon lowered its arms and glared at the fire type with an epic fury in its red eyes. The parts of its body it couldn't protect were covered with burn marks and there were flames on the ground around it that continued to burn down what the initial attack couldn't.

"What's wrong, lizard? Can't take a hit?" Aiden smirked.

The savage dragon gave a roar so strong that it knocked the overconfident fire type off his feet and extinguished any flames in front of it. No longer playing around, the Hydreigon flew as fast as it could at the floored Charmeleon and was ready to rip him apart. Fortunately, Aiden was able to halt himself by digging his claws into the dirt and hastily ducked low, avoiding the Crunch the Brutal Pokémon used to try and bite his head off then dug his claws into its tail as it flew over him. Grunting from great effort, Aiden yanked at the dark type's captured tail as hard as he could, using it to swing the dragon round and around, eventually building enough momentum to send it flying at one of the meteorites it summoned. Slamming into the boulder with its back, the Hydreigon cried out from the abuse and the force of Aiden's throw was enough for it to leave a deep crack on the surface.

Aiden panted. He dropped to one knee and placed an arm on the other. He looked up at the dragon as it picked itself up from the ground. Its black sclera and red irises just screamed malice and if it could look any angrier, Aiden would have been honestly surprised. Flapping its black wings, The Hydreigon floated a little into the air and gave a feral roar upwards. A moment later and the sky darkened, a new shower of meteorites falling towards their battlefield while the Hydreigon fixed him with a most spiteful look.

"Yeah? Well I'm not done either!" Aiden bared his claws and ran directly at the Hydreigon, observing that the meteors only dropped around his opponent and not actually close to it. If he could get within striking distance, he was golden. He continued to run, dodging the free-falling flaming boulders around him to the best of his abilities and establishing that the Dragon Dance he used before wasn't just for show. The Hydreigon saw this and decided to put pressure on its opponent by firing off another attack. Aiden saw the dragon fire a red ball of energy that was coming right at him and his reflexes went straight to work. He skid to a halt and then made a break for it to the left, avoiding the first blast that exploded in a fiery fashion against a meteor that had landed behind him. Noticing the shadow of another meteorite, Aiden stopped dead in his tracks, letting the giant boulder drop ahead of him and crossed his arms in front of his face to protect himself from the shockwave it caused when it impacted the earth. Right after the burning rock had landed, the Hydreigon's second projectile hit into it and froze it solid. Aiden continued his pursuit, jumping over the harmless boulder and getting ever closer to his mark. The final projectile was coming right at him and this time, there was nothing to hide behind. Tapping into all he had, Aiden defiantly continued his charge against his foe and reached into his bag, pulling out the Dragon Gem he was given while simultaneously spitting a stream of fire at the yellow ball of energy.

The Hydreigon watched from its perspective as its target's flames met the third projectile of its Tri Attack, the both of them exploding in a combination of smoke, flames and electricity. Just to be sure, the Brutal Pokémon prepared to fire one last Dragon Pulse when out of the smoke emerged the Charmeleon covered in a bursting aura, wearing a furious expression and determined to bring it down.

The rage-fueled Aiden kicked things off by clenching his claws into fists, striking his opponent's jaw with an uppercut which caused the dragon's head to snap back and launch its attack into the air. The Charmeleon then drove his other fist into the dark type's stomach and sent it flying back to the ground where it landed hard enough to kick up dirt and rocks around it. Aiden wasn't finished, falling back down himself with a fist reared back aimed at the grounded Hydreigon. Aiden's opponent roared unyieldingly at him, getting up and flapping its wings forwards which propelled it backwards out of reach of his attack that wrecked the spot where he landed. Still not giving up, the Flame Pokémon pursued his foe with zig-zagging maneuvers, throwing its timing off then jumped up with a spinning motion, catching it right in its chest with his claws and sending it flying into a lone tree that snapped in half and sent splinters everywhere. Absolutely refusing to give in, the Hydreigon recovered and breathed an intense blast of draconian energy that incinerated the falling tree in front of it but missed his opponent that was quick on his feet. Sprinting head-on at his foe, Aiden made to attack one last time before his state of Outrage diminished. The Hydreigon wrapped its arms around itself and coated its body in a dark aura before swinging its arms outwards and sending a ring of pure darkness outwards in a large radius that killed what little plant life their battlefield was left with. Seeing this, Aiden's realized that his only route of escape from such an attack was the air so up he jumped, his legs launching him some few meters skyward, directly over his opponent.

The Hydreigon gave a cruel smirk. With his opponent in the air like this, there was no way he would be able to dodge and with this knowledge, it inhaled deeply and fired a charged Dragon Pulse aimed right at the Charmeleon. Smirking himself, Aiden twisted his head and breathed fire off to the side, the recoil of his attack propelling him out of range of his opponent's. With its head still aimed skyward, the Hydreigon clearly did not expect the fire type to pull such a maneuver if the shock on its face was any indication and that moment of hesitation was all he needed. Touching down on the ground, Aiden pulled his fist back and all the bursting draconic energy flowing from his body went straight into it before unleashing it all in a single explosive haymaker to the Hydreigon's side that sent it careening through their battlefield. The Hydreigon continued to tumble aggressively like a skipping stone on water before slamming into a large rock and leaving a huge indentation in it. The dragon's eyes were wide, its body aching all over as it felt itself slowly fall to the ground.

Aiden didn't even have time to relish his victory as his fatigue finally caught up to him. His vision was blurred and he fought to stand straight, taking clumsy steps as if he was drunk. He dropped to his claws and knees, fighting to stay awake and chanced a look forward where his defeated opponent was... Getting back up? This is bad. This is really bad. He didn't have the energy to keep fighting but he got back up anyway. He watched the Hydreigon float imposingly towards him. It was but a black and blue blur in his hazy vision and he shook his head in order to regain his bearings but no such luck. The dragon was now a few steps in front of him and he could hear its rapid breathing.

"I'm..." Aiden took a staggered step forward. "I'm not done yet either." Aiden tiredly took a swipe at the air and promptly fell flat on his face.

The Hydreigon snorted. Indeed this little lizard had put up quite an unexpected fight but it was only prolonging the inevitable. Its time was now at an end. Raising one of its secondary heads, the dragon took careful aim at the Charmeleon and readied the attack that would take its life.

"Heads up!" The Hydreigon looked to the side at the source of the voice and its face met the business end of an Infernape's foot that forced it to the ground. Again, it got back up and faced the new threat while rubbing the sore side of its face. It glared at Scorcher who stood with a hand on his hip and wearing a cocky smile on his face. Seething with rage, the Hydreigon attacked the Infernape but the fire type was faster, giving a quick jab to its face, driving a knee to its stomach that it exposed when it covered its face, an elbow to the top of its head when it wrapped its arms around its abused stomach and finished with a spinning back kick to its chest that sent it flying. It was out cold before it hit the ground.

Scorcher stared at the defeated dragon for a moment before switching his gaze down at his ally who had exhausted himself and was sleeping soundly right there on the floor. Walking forward, he picked up the Charmeleon and hoisted him over his shoulder. He looked pretty roughed up but so did his opponent. Scorcher had watched the last leg of the battle and he was quite impressed with the way Aiden handled himself considering that this was the very first time he ever fought a dragon. 'Tough as nails,' indeed.

"Well, that's one down." Scorcher commented, looking up at where he could hear another battle taking place. "Waiting on you, Jetstream."

---

Jetstream used Protect, encasing himself in an impenetrable barrier as the Salamence attempted run him down with a Dragon Claw, its sharp claws sending sparks into the air when they scraped against his projected shield. He locked eyes with his opponent who stared daggers back at him. What started as a simple hunt escalated into a fierce rivalry. He didn't think he would ended up hating this pokémon as much as he did. He was surprised when she first spoke, something wild pokémon rarely did. His next surprise came when she gave him her name; Calamity. Seeing as he could properly communicate with her, his first action was to demand what the meaning of the dragon's assault on the Seismic Highland was. Her motive for attacking the the land of the ground types was simple. 'The thrill of battle,' she said. She and the Hydreigon came from the Dragon Realm looking to do battle with as many powerful opponents as they could and according to her, they had done this before in the Volcanic Summit before they moved on to the next area. They were dragons. Prideful creatures that lived for battle and to her, that reason was justifiable enough to seek out opponents wherever they may be. Jetstream didn't agree, going on to insult the Salamence by implying that such actions made her a weak pokémon, the weakest dragon in fact, who could only win battles by taking advantage of weaker pokémon. Naturally, the Dragon Pokémon took an immediate disliking of the Blaze Pokémon which led to their clash.

The barrier that Jetstream projected around himself started to vanish but that was fine as it gave him more than enough time for his ability to activate. The Salamence took another dangerous swipe at his neck and he used his increased speed to step out of harm's way before retaliating with a rising knee to its chin, using the same motion to bring his other leg around in an axe kick that shattered the ground when the dragon dodged backwards. Calamity barely registered the ineffective strike but Jetstream thought she looked funny with a scorch mark on her face even from this distance.

"Too fast for you?"

"Not in the least!" Calamity spread her wings, tensing her muscles and summoning a raging aura around her as she performed Dragon Dance. Ready to continue, the Salamence flew at her opponent with alarming speed and power, digging her right claw into the ground and tracing a gash as she went.

Jetstream ran at break-neck speeds and met her halfway, striking out with an inwards burning roundhouse that clashed with Calamity's Dragon Claw, the collision of their attacks sending a shockwave resonating through the area. With the same leg, the Blaziken gave a high kick that was caught between the Salamence's front legs who went on to swing him around and toss him at the closest boulder. Jetstream, being the experienced fire type he was, flipped mid-air, used the power in his legs to rebound off the rock and launched himself like a bullet back at the Salamence. Flames burst out of the Blaziken's wrists as he attempted a double Fire Punch but Calamity raised her front legs again and caught Jetstream's fists in her claws, causing the flames to extinguish around their joined limbs.

"There's no way you can use your lust for battle as an excuse to bring ruin to this land. Do you have any idea how many innocent pokémon your actions have affected?" Jetstream demanded. The both of them had their free limbs anchored to the ground, neither willing to let up.

"It matters not to me." Calamity roughly shoved the fire type backwards and fired a Dragon Pulse at him while he was imbalanced.

"It should!" Jetstream leaned his body back at an almost impossible angle, feeling the heat and power of the attack as it sailed over him. "The residents of the Ground Realm aren't able mine the deposits of their own land. This directly affects pokémon not just in the Pokémon Settlement but in other realms as well. How could you act so selfishly!?" The Blaziken punched at the air and, from his wrist, sent a Flamethrower at his foe who simply flapped her wings with enough force to nullify the attack.

"Selfishly? I simply act on instinct. Do you mean to condemn me for exhibiting my primal need to battle? A trait common with all pokémonkind?" Calamity flew high up and circled Jetstream, firing off her breath attack in rapid succession down at the Blaze Pokémon who continued to fire his own projectiles up at the gracefully soaring dragon. Using a combination of his speed and a series of back-flips, Jetstream easily avoided the dragon type's assault which tore up the terrain and was backed by loud booming sounds. Calamity, deciding to switch to physical, made a dive bomb at the Blaziken.

"You're wrong! I won't lie. Pokémon indeed do battle with each other but not to the standards you speak of. You're no more different than a wild specimen!" Jetstream's body glowed red as his Speed Boost ability activated again. Calamity blinked in surprise when the Blaziken that was just in front of her vanished in an instant just as she stomped down on the spot he had just been standing on, leaving a small crater in the ground under her weight. Jetstream's speed at this point was so high that Calamity found herself unable to keep up anymore. Hearing a slight tremor that got louder by the second, the Salamence fled back into the sky just as incredibly sharp stalagmites jutted out of the ground where she was once standing.

Calamity continued to fly higher still, making sure the Blaziken would not be able to reach her at this new altitude. Looking around the mountainous region, the Salamence tried to pinpoint the location of her opponent, confident that he would not be able harm her while this high up. Turning around, her confidence level dropped when Jetstream, now airborne as well, rocketed at her and was moving faster than she herself could. The Blaze Pokémon was now a red blur. Getting closer to his mark by the second, he extended his arm right at his opponent's jaw in a crushing Sky Uppercut that knocked her head back then went on to wrap his leg's around the dragon's exposed neck, pivoting his body backwards and flung her back towards the ground like a catapult. Just before hitting solid ground, Calamity beat her wings down and slowed her decent inches from the surface then propelled herself back just in time as Jetsream's fist slammed into the ground, sending debris all around him. Calamity whipped her tail around at the Blaziken but, again, he was too fast and was only getting faster. Jetstream easily dodged back, lifted his leg and brought it down on the Salamence's tail. Calamity roared, her hatred for the fire type growing by the second and she rapidly flapped her wings which kicked up a cloud of dust that forced Jetstream to retreat to a more open area.

Jetstream watched the as the cloud of dust that was concealing his opponent was blown away by a ferocious draconic aura that overflowed from her body and made his feathers ruffle from the force alone. He narrowed his eyes at his mark and she looked back at him with sheer contempt. He never thought he would end up hating a pokémon as much as he did now. The dragon in front of him went against everything a guild stood for. Things were already bad enough with the spontaneous attacks from both wild and legendary pokémon but the fact that a member of a realm with the right mind would so willingly attack other lands... It was inexcusable. Unheard of even and it was with that mentality that Jetstream continued his tireless charge, advancing forward and leaving an after-image behind him.

Calamity roared and flew at high speeds towards the fast approaching Blaziken. A blue blur met a red one at various points on the battlefield, sending booming shockwaves wherever their attacks met. They were going a mile a minute, Calamity's sharp claws clashing violently with Jetstream's strong talons which sent more sparks and flicks of flame into the air. The Blaziken's footwork was unparalleled, occasionally shifting from leg to leg as he met the Salamence's relentless strikes with his own.

"Having a different attitude from me does not assert yourself from what you really are! A pokémon! A monster that lives for battle! It should not matter to either of us what our opinions are! Look at yourself! If you did not live for battle... You would not be here this day!" Calamity withdrew, stomped her entire weight into the ground and cast Stone Edge, the sharp stalagmites erupting from the earth and chasing down the Blaziken in while trying to impale him.

"Lies." Jetstream disputed as he easily outran the attack born from the Salamence's fury. "I'm nothing like you. The reason I'm here is because unlike you, I have something worth fighting for. Had you not so arrogantly attacked this land, we would not be having this pointless battle!" The Blaziken made a Beedrill line for his opponent, zipping right through the gaps that separated the giant earth spikes. Close, Jetstream redirected his attack on the Salamence and in a flash, he was gone from her vision only to reappear to her left and deliver a hurricane Blaze Kick right in her ribs that sent her flying through the air before landing painfully on the ground.

"Spare me..." Calamity got right back up as the hard plate that covered the vitals of her body absorbed the blow. "A fight like this is always inevitable. You will meet more pokémon like me. Battles are always around the corner. Rampant legendaries, swarms of wild pokémon... You will never escape it. We battle until we die and I have long since embraced that fact. The weak die and the strong survive..." The Salamence began to channel new energy in her body. "That's just how the world works!" Calamity opened her mouth wide ejected a large volume of water that traveled at high velocity towards the Blaziken.

Jetstream's eyes widened with shock, not expecting his opponent to be carrying Hydro Pump. Thinking quickly, Jetstream thrust his burning fists forwards and launched an equally large stream of fire at the incoming torrent of water. Both attacks collided and cancelled each other out, resulting in a thick collection of steam that enveloped their battleground. Calamity searched all around her, squinting her eyes as she tried to make her opponent out in the suspended water droplets. Hearing a noise, she turned around and was forced to endure an excruciating flip kick that broke her jaw that sent her flying out of the mist and high into the air. Not yet finished, Jetstream jumped into the air himself above the Salamence and reached into his bag, pulling out his Fighting Gem. With the gem now backing the power of the fighting move of his choice and Jetstream's body glowing red in one last activation of Speed Boost, he unleashed his final attack. Crying out with a horizontal spin, Jetstream thrust his knee out against the Dragon Pokémon's chest with all the power his body would allow, knocking the wind out of her and sending both his opponent and himself falling to the ground like a comet. With cruel defiance, Calamity still continued to fight back during the free fall, using her claws to slash at the leg that was pressed against her chest. Jetstream winced as he took the abuse, his opponent's assault drawing his blood and leaving three nasty gashes in his skin. He endured it, though, forcing more or his weight against the dragon as they fell closer and closer to the earth before they finally impacted the surface. A collision that was so powerful that it caused the ground to crumble underneath them and further caused the biggest shockwave yet to blow through the entire area. When the dust cleared, it revealed a panting Jetstream, his knee was still on the Salamence's chest and the blood from his injury continued to drip down his leg. Calamity was unmoving but her chest rose and fell in rhythm, indicating that she was still alive. Not that the Blaze Pokémon's intention was to kill her. She was resident of the Dragon Realm. Despicable as she was, she had a place to call home and killing someone like her would leave a severe black mark on his conscience.

Sighing, Jetstream got off the defeated dragon and limped away from her body before settling on the ground to catch his breath. He placed one of his arms on a raised knee and leaned his forehead against it. He had fought dragons in the past as his own home was part of the Volcanic Summit but this was the first time he fought one that wasn't wild. The experience was something else to say the least and he hoped it would be a while before he had to fight another one.

When he felt a sudden breeze, he looked back up and saw a Hydreigon that was hovering above the Salamence's body. He jumped up, balancing on his good leg and met its gaze with his own. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that it was wounded and guessed that it must have clashed with his teammates after they had separated. Even though the Hydreigon stared him down with a hostile glare, it did not attack him, instead using its right head to reach down and pick up its fellow dragon by the tail. The dark type glared at him with its red and black eyes for a few seconds more before taking to the skies and over the horizon. Jetstream sighed in relief put his raised leg back down but was careful not to put pressure on it.

"Looks like it's mission complete."

Jetstream looked to his right and watched as Scorcher walked up to him with Aiden draped over his shoulder. "Is he okay?" He asked out of concern for their young friend.

"He's fine. Just exhausted is all. You should have seen him in action. Bugger took on the Hydreigon all by himself for a good while before I intervened. He deserves a cookie or something." The Infernape looked down at Jetstream's leg. "That doesn't look good."

"I'll be fine." Jetstream reached into his bag, pulled out a Hyper Potion and gulped it all down, sighing in content at the end. "Say... What happened to the Steelix from before? Did it run when the dragons appeared?"

"Nah. It challenged me and I killed it." It was strange to hear him say such a thing so casually but he got used to his partner's mannerisms a long time ago.

The Blaziken looked around and saw all the devastation their battles had caused. Scorch marks, craters, fallen trees and the like dotted the field. What happened on the surface didn't affect the pokémon that lived underground, though, that was good. Since there was nothing left for them here, he and his partner started making their way back to the Pokémon Settlement to inform the Guild Masters of their completed job and claim their reward. He would also need to get his leg looked at and Aiden's own injuries would need to get treated as well. He still had the Revival Herbs he bought from the Herbal Store but he decided to just let Aiden rest. He thought about what the Dragon Pokémon had told him and hoped that the battles that took place in the Seismic Highland was not an event that would repeat itself. Then again, if Calamity or any other trouble makers misbehaved, he would be more than happy to beat some sense into them.

"You and Aiden look like hell. I guess I'm the only one of us here that knows how to properly battle." The Infernape boasted.

Without looking, Jetstream raised an arm and gave his friend a jab in the ribs hard enough to leave a bruise.

"What the hell!?" Scorcher demanded, rubbing his aching side.

"Oh no, you got injured. Looks like you'll be joining us in the infirmary."

"You suck!"

---

It was now night-time and the moon cast its gentle glow upon the slumbering Fairy Realm. The only sound that was heard in the silent home of the fairy types was the grass as it shifted under the gentle steps of the lone awake resident. The Emotion Pokémon stopped and stared at the wide entrance to his home. He was troubled. The day's stress had been enough that he found himself unable to sleep and that was the reason for his nightly stroll. Ever since he returned from his first trip outside his comfort zone, he had been curious about all the other possibilities the world had to offer, both good and bad. Stepping forward, the Kirlia got ready to take an extended walk when a familiar voice stopped him.

"Gallant?"

The psychic type turned around and met the gentle blue eyes of his friend, Sylvia.

"What are you doing?" She stared at him with her head tilted to one side and her eyes shone with an ethereal glow. How was it that she always knew where to find him?

"I can't sleep so I'm taking a walk."

Sylvia looked passed her friend down the path and back to him. "Going a little off track there, aren't you?"

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Gallant faced the entrance again.

"I sleep all the time."

"Doubtful." The Kirlia started walking down the path.

"Wait, where are you going?" Sylvia started following him.

"Brilliant Meadow."

"Really!?" Sylvia wore an incredulous expression. She was about to remind him that he was prohibited from leaving the realm without some sort of supervision but her curiosity got the better of her. "Can I... Can I come with?"

Gallant turned back around faced the Sylveon directly. "Do you want to?"

"Yes!" Sylvia enthusiastically answered but then calmed herself down a little. "I mean... If you don't mind?"

Gallant smiled at his friend and offered her his hand to take. "Come on."

The Intertwining Pokémon happily skipped up to the Kirlia and placed her paw in his hand. Both their bodies were covered in a bright light and before she knew it, she wound up in a different location entirely. Gallant had teleported them to the open path he and his fellow students had been led on during their trip to the Pokémon Settlement. Grass that grew taller than them went on as farther than their eyes could see and the expanding field was complemented by the beautiful healthy trees adorned with soft leaves that varied in shape and color.

"Wow..." The Sylveon commented as her eyes drank in the scenery around her. "Look at this place... I wish Angel was here to see this."

"I wonder how she's doing. Last we saw her, she looked really upset. I'd say even violated." Gallant replied, remembering Angel's sombre state.

"She's with her mom, Miss Sana. Your revealing of Darkrai messing with her head must have been heavy on her but I'm sure she'll be fine by tomorrow."

" It was a lot to take in, I'll admit but now that I think about it, I don't think there's anything for us to worry about."

"What do you mean?" Sylvia questioned, sitting down on the ground.

"Darkrai isn't anywhere near the Fairy Realm. Not anymore, anyway. I remember it now... The black figure I saw the night we arrived in the Pokémon Settlement. It was Darkrai." Gallant looked up at the starry night sky.

"You saw Darkrai? Are you sure?"

"Positive. There's no doubt about it. I could feel it in my horns. The burden of carrying an eternal darkness wherever you went... It's enough to drive anyone to depression. It came from the same direction as us last night. I suppose Angel was just unlucky that she was asleep at the time. According to that book, Darkrai keeps himself away from other pokémon because he means no malicious intent and with a power like that, I suppose none of us can blame him. Darkrai may have affected other pokémon but all that's over now. At least I hope it is."

Sylvia didn't say anything this time, instead joining her friend in appreciating the brilliance of the heavens above them. Minutes continued to pass as they stared at the stars that elegantly twinkled in the darkened sky with the shining moon as their sole audience. Being night, it was unlikely that they would fall prey to wild pokémon so they had little to worry about. After a few more minutes passed, Sylvia finally decided to break the silence.

"So what exactly compelled you to come all the way out here anyway?"

"Well..." Gallant placed a thoughtful hand under his chin. "I guess you can say I got curious. When we first travelled through the Brilliant Meadow, none of us had the time to fully appreciate it and this is the only way I can get to do so. Or you could say that I jumped at the opportunity to misbehave, pick one." Gallant smirked like a cheeky brat.

Sylvia shook her head at her friend's foolishness. Gallant watched as the Sylveon yawned, revealing her sharp but cute fangs that were otherwise hidden.

"Getting tired?"

Sylvia looked at the Kirlia and nodded.

"So am I. Come on, let's head back home." Gallant offered her his hand again and she placed her paw on top of it.

"Hey, Gallant... Next time you feel like misbehaving, let's invite Angel. It's always fun when it's all three of us." Sylvia smiled.

"It's a promise." Gallant smiled back as he teleported his friend and himself back to the Fairy Realm.

---

Two near identical looking pokémon floated side by side as they looked at the third pokémon in front of them with deep concern. They were currently in a large rotunda that acted as a throne room. The circular room was framed with ornate pillars that seemed to have been carved with impeccable craftsmanship. The floor was decorated with marble tiles so clear that one could see the ceiling's reflection in them. Crystals in the shape of lotus flowers were hanging in the air supported by strong psychic power and they magnified the light cast by candles in them, giving the room a brilliant purple crystalline glow. Beyond the two pokémon, settled on top of a high perch was the leader of the Psychic Realm, Cresselia, though she didn't look as presentable as she could have hoped. Her body was a pale sickly pink and her wings were but a reminder of their former glory, having become faded from overuse of her powers.

"Latios. Latias." She spoke in a soft and angelic voice. Cresselia looked at her two most trusted pokémon. They had grown tired of seeing her selflessly sacrifice her power day by day for the sake of others and were ready to take matters into their own hands. Ever since Darkrai had come out of hiding, she had worked herself into a frenzy, creating Lunar Wings to protect as many pokémon as she could but even she needed to take time to rest. Legendary or not, she was still a pokémon like everyone else. All she could do now was put her faith in the most powerful fighters her realm had to offer. With the last few ounces of her power, Cresselia bestowed two new Lunar Wings that wrapped magically around the necks of the sibling dragons. "Stay safe." She offered them a smile of encouragement and fell into a deep slumber, no longer able to stay awake even if she tried.

"Lady Cresselia..." Latias' voice was filled with worry.

"You can only do so much, Lady Cresselia. Please, leave it to us. Rest assured, we will get to the bottom of things." Latios confidently stated. He nodded to his sister and the two left the throne room, determined to bring down the source of the legendary psychic type's plight.

---

END CHAPTER.