Finally, the penultimate chapter of this arc! Without further ado, I present Iron Chains. In which things take a 'shocking' turn and danger is just around the corner...

Echo (Male Crobat)

Hazard (Male Joltik)

Rascal (Female Tyrunt)

Anubis (Male Houndoom)

Scrapper (Male Breloom)


A weak buzz of electricity shot through Koa's body and jerked upright, gasping. He blinked, pushing aside an unpleasant dream of trying to flee from Entei, and looked around.

Hazard stood an inch in front of his face, his blue eyes shining with urgency and fur fluffed. "Hazard?" he mumbled, still fighting off the remnants of sleepiness. "What's up?"

Hazard chittered softly, then scurried a few feet away before looking back expectantly.

"You want me to follow you?" If Hazard had woken him to show him something, it was probably important. But what could be that important? Quickly grabbing his flashlight, he crawled out of his tent.

Cool air greeted him. Several yards away, he could just barely make out the shape of Hazard, body glowing faintly with electricity and waiting expectantly. He started moving again, and Koa quickly hurried after him.

Once he began walking, his brain started to wake up. Worry set in. How far were they going? What did Hazard want to show him? For another minute, Hazard just scurried quickly forwards, determinedly following some kind of route he seemed to have memorized. As they delved deeper into the caves, he glowed a bit brighter, lighting the way.

"Hey Hazard," Koa began slowly. "How much further?"

Hazard slowed only barely, chittering urgently before hurrying along once more. He scurried through another cavern, past a sleeping Onix and into another tunnel that sloped sharply upwards.

As Koa stumbled after Hazard, he became aware of a constant crashing noise. It reminded him of something he'd heard before... He'd only been following the new tunnel for a minute before it widened and opened up. Koa stepped onto a small open area that seemed to overlook a much larger cavern below. The noise had grown much louder now, and he instantly recognized it - waves, crashing against a shore.

Below him spread out a wide, flat cavern. The ocean stretched into the cavern itself a good distance, and a boat lay moored within. Dim lightning on the boat provided a semblance of visibility, though his own spot remained cloaked in shadow. His gaze was drawn almost immediately to a yellow and black shape on the deck of the boat. A second later, as his eyes adjusted, he could make out the shape properly.

There, chained to the deck of the boat, was Zeraora.

Four sets of chains restrained each of Zeraora's limbs, and a heavy collar of chains wrapped around his neck. Each chain had been securely bolted to the boat in a way that stopped Zeraora from moving more than a few inches. It was hard to see from a distance, but he looked injured as well, and lay mostly still.

A soft pressure on his arm made him look down. With one foreleg, Hazard pointed across the cavern. Koa looked to where he gestured. Past the boat, on the far side, a huge tarp covered something. A gust of sea wind swept through the empty cavern, lifting the tarp for a few seconds before it settled again. Cages.

Chills crept down his spine and his stomach twisted. Cages upon cages were stacked, each one containing a pokemon, some even with two crammed inside. By his estimate, over twenty cages filled the cavern. "What the-"

Every single pokemon was some kind of electric type - Plusle, Pikachu, Luxio and more. Many of the pokemon appeared poorly kept as well, weak or injured in some way. His heart dropped. Was this the fate that had awaited Hazard? Where had they even gotten this many? Forget that, what were they planning on doing?

Rage filled him and he clenched his fists. He could feel his heart racing as his breaths quickened. This had to be the work of Team Blackout. He had to stop them, to get those pokemon free somehow, get Zeraora out.

His eyes darted frantically around the area. Just below the ledge he perched on he could see an area where the wall seemed to jut out and slope downwards. It was just close enough to reach, and if he carefully scaled the wall, he was sure he could remain unseen among the shadows.

Every urge screamed at him to leap down from his hiding place, run in and fight them himself. Memories of Scrapper's leg getting broken flashed through his mind. He grimaced and shook his head.

He couldn't just jump into a situation again and let his pokemon get hurt. He scanned the room again, quickly as he could. At least five people were below, standing near the boat, dressed in typical black clothing. No less than two pokeballs each on their belts. Some had three or four each. Too many for him to try and handle alone. He needed help.

A warning chitter from Hazard broke him from his thoughts. He glanced over to see the little Joltik staring fiercely back at him, his eyes blazing with equal, if not greater rage. "Yeah, I know," he growled. His gaze lingered on Zeraora. Chained like a mindless creature. Held captive. His fingers curled into a fist.

Turning around quietly, he edged away from the ledge and back into the tunnel, Hazard by his side. Once he was certain he was far enough away, he broke into a run, Hazard leading him back through the tunnels. The journey back felt twice as long, but eventually he emerged onto the plateau he and Kitto had made camp on.

With the light of the moon to guide him, he raced across the expanse and burst into Kitto's tent. "Kitto!" he shouted. "Kitto get up!"

Kitto's eyes blinked open and he stared at Koa. "Koa? What are you doing?" he grumbled hoarsely.

"Kitto, get up!" he hissed. All he could think of now was the pokemon. Of Zeraora, trapped on that boat.

Kitto sat up, rubbing his eyes. "What?" he demanded. "Spit it out."

"They have Zeraora and a bunch of electric pokemon there was something going on on the island, that's why Zeraora came here because Team Blackout is here and I saw them and they've got cages and cages full of electric pokemon and they're up to something horrible and they've got him chained up and we have to try and stop them -"

"Whoa, slow down!" Kitto said, holding up his hand, clearly wide awake now. "Take a breath, then tell me what is going on." His tone remained calm and level, but his eyes betrayed his anger.

Koa forced himself to take a long breath, then let it out slowly. He refused to make the same mistake he had with Scrapper... "Hazard led me to a cave across the island. I saw a bunch of guys dressed in black, and they've got Zeraora chained up on a boat and there's cages of electric type pokemon. I'm pretty sure it's Team Blackout. We have to go down there and stop them!"

Kitto frowned, his gaze growing dark. "Do you know how long they've been there?"

Koa shook his head. "No, but there's at least five of them, and about three to four pokemon each."

"Do you know if they're planning on leaving soon?"

Koa shook his head again.

"Hmm... Then we need to try to find out as much as we can, without being seen," Kitto said slowly.

"So we can stop them, right?" Koa asked.

"So we can alert the police," Kitto said firmly. "Taking on all of them at once is not a great idea. Especially if we don't know what we're up against. We need backup." Almost as if reading Koa's mind, he added, "Trying to stop them ourselves could just get our pokemon and those pokemon hurt. We don't have the numbers. We let the police handle this. Got it?"

Reluctantly, Koa nodded. Kitto was right, they had to play it safe. They had no idea what they were dealing with. "So what do we do first?"

"Show me where you saw them."

xXx

Koa crouched just inside the tunnel while Kitto scoped out the cavern. He didn't want to see them again, to see what they were doing. His thoughts felt crowded, distant. Memories of Veilstone kept flashing through his mind. Scrapper, racing down the alley, and the chilling 'snap!' that followed.

Kitto moved away from the ledge, past him and back down to the tunnel's entrance. Koa followed, navigating by the dim light of his phone. When they reached the exit, Kitto lit a lantern, providing a passable amount of light to see by.

"You're right, there's at least five of them down there," Kitto said. His red eyes glinted in the lantern's light, full of simmering rage. "Zeraora looks like it's chained up with some kind of special chain. They must have ambushed it to subdue it."

Anger boiled inside Koa, mixed with another emotion. Fear.

Kitto continued. "I'm going to place the call to the police. Let them know what they're dealing with." His voice was somber.

"Wait," Koa whispered. "Don't tell them about Zeraora."

Kitto nodded then turned and walked a few feet away, quickly dialing a number. Koa watched him for a moment, then walked away.

Crouching down, he sent out all of his pokemon, one by one. All of their gazes were somber and serious, even Echo. His gaze briefly settled on Flurry. Anubis stood protectively over her, and her dark eyes flickered with fear.

He took a deep breath to gather his thoughts, glancing at Scrapper encouragingly. "I don't know what's going to happen down there. Hopefully the police will get here quickly and handle everything. But just in case..." He took another deep breath. "I want you guys to stay out of this. Team Blackout is dangerous. If anything happens, I don't want to see any of you hurt-"

Scrapper stepped up, pushing past the others, and raised his fists. He stamped his formerly injured leg on the ground. A snarl rumbled in Anubis' throat. He stepped forward as well, eyes blazing. Echo shreed softly in a clear signal of agreement, and the rest of his pokemon all gave soft cries as well, indicating their desire to fight.

Koa blinked. He wasn't surprised at the show of support, not really. Yet seeing it was still heartening. They all shared a hatred of Team Blackout, just as he did. He looked once again at Flurry. She was much too inexperienced in battle for something like this. If something happened, and it came to a fight... "Listen Flurry. No matter what happens, stay in your pokeball, ok?"

She stared back at him for a long moment, then nodded. Koa looked over the rest of his pokemon, taking a measure of comfort in the knowledge they had his back.

xxx

A short time later, he was on his way back to the overlook.

"Now remember," Kitto said, his voice a low whisper, "We're only here to observe. Got it?"

Koa locked eyes for a moment with Kitto, then nodded.

Tense silence settled over them as they crept back out to the ledge, lying prone to stay hidden. Koa took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm and take in the scene before him. The cavern was large, even bigger than a league battlefield. A couple of dark tunnels could be seen along the shadowy edges of the room to the left. Most of the room was flat, rocky ground and on the far end, the inlet of water where the boat was moored, surrounded by dark water.

His stomach twisted and he swallowed. The sound felt loud in his head, and he felt certain everyone in the whole cavern could hear him, though they never looked in his direction. What if the police didn't arrive in time? What was Blackout going to do to Zeraora and the other pokemon? He saw a few of the poachers milling around, and one of them appeared to be checking the locks on the cages at the far side.

A short ways below, he saw a couple of the thieves watching over the process, making conversation amongst themselves. By leaning close and tilting his head just right, he could make out snatches of their conversation.

"You believe... thing is really... legendary?"

"Ythica, legenda, hell if I ca-. I ... Silas talki...buyer earlier ... pay good for it."

Silas? Was that their leader's name? He leaned closer.

"...Heh. So I guess we get a bonus then."

"We'd better. That thing was a beast to knock out. Half of our pokemon are still recovering. Excadrill's gonna be feeling that hit for a week."

"Eh, better than having to fly all the way to Alola to steal a bunch of nonsense. I don't get what the deal is with all these stupid fetch quests we're going on."

"It's that muking guy Boss has us working for. Guess he must pay real well for Boss to take orders from him."

"Yeah well I wish he'd grow a backbone. Getting sick of being someone else's fetcher. Give me a nice simple robbery, not all these battles against freaking legendaries and holing up in some damp cave."

Koa frowned. It sounded like Team Blackout had been hired by someone to catch all these electric pokemon. And Avis had been right, they were behind whatever happened in Alola. He glanced at Kitto, and they shared a brief look before focusing their attention below. Koa tried to comfort himself with the knowledge that the police would be here soon.

From some annex of the cavern, another figure appeared, a woman with dark teal hair and a bulky build.

"Listen up!" her voice came out like the crack of a whip, and immediately the grunts jerked to attention and faced her.

She slowly took in the group of them almost robotically. "Change of plans. Buyer only wants that thing—" she gestured at the Zeraora chained on the deck "—and he's coming early to pick it up. Which means he's not taking all those other pokemon we brought him. If he ain't gonna buy em we'll have to try and sell them elsewhere. Which means I want everyone to start loading those cages back onto the boat. Got it?"

They nodded.

"Good. Now check the locks on the cages and move them, double time."

"Yes Minerva!" they replied in unison, bowing low.

Seemingly pleased with the response, she spun and began to walk away towards the oceanside exit.

Koa's blood turned to ice. 'Within the hour'. Those had been her words. The police wouldn't be here in time at this rate. They needed to try to rescue the pokemon now. He dragged his eyes away from them to look at Kitto. Kitto met his gaze, eyes blazing.

Kitto tapped his shoulder lightly, and they crept away from the ledge and deeper into the tunnel.

"We have to do something," Koa growled, keeping his voice as low as he could manage. "If the buyer gets here, Zeraora is gone. All those pokemon will be gone. We have to-"

"I know," Kitto's voice was terse, filled with more anger than he'd ever heard from him before. "We will." He paused, thinking. "Echo knows Confuse Ray, right?"

"Yeah..." Koa said, nodding slowly. His mind raced as he tried to concoct a plan. "We could stun the guards. And then get their pokeballs." A Confuse Ray wouldn't have quite the same effect on humans, but it would be more than enough to stun everyone if they moved fast.

"Hazard can immobilize them," Kitto added.

Koa nodded. "And I'll try to get to Zeraora while you take the guards pokeballs."

Kitto nodded and whispered in acknowledgement. "Let's go then." There was a shuffling noise, then he moved back towards the ledge. Koa followed, then released Echo from his ball. He glanced at Echo, and a flicker of understanding passed between them. He quickly whispered the plan. "Ready?"

Echo nodded, eyes glinting.

Everything happened quickly after that. Echo dove from his perch at the guard farthest away. Just a foot away, he fired a golden orb at his face. The man staggered, then crumpled to the floor. His comrades hadn't even noticed. Moving like a blur, Echo quickly disabled two more.

Minerva, who'd been near the east exit, gave a cry of shock and reached for the pokeballs on her belt. She was too slow. Echo acted first, striking her with a Confuse Ray, and she slumped to the ground. The rest of the guards swiftly met the same fate. In the space of less than a minute, the room had been subdued.

He and Kitto slid down from their perch. Now was the crucial aspect of their plan. A Confuse Ray attack would only stun and disorient for a few minutes. They had a short window to act before the guards would recover and start sending out their pokemon. Starting with the guards closest to their perch, Koa quickly took the pokeballs off one of them, while Kitto did the same with the others. They tossed the pokeballs aside to retrieve later.

Then he sent out Hazard, who quickly began using his webbing to secure the guards.

Koa was halfway across the cave, heading for the boat, when a piercing yowl filled the cavern. His blood froze and he flinched instinctively at the noise, stopping in his tracks. A second yowl sounded and he turned to see a positively giant Luxray standing near the east entrance to the cavern. Behind it stood a man with more pokeballs on his belt, wearing the same black attire, though he carried himself with a greater air of authority and wore no black cap.

Dread rushed across Koa's body. They had missed someone. One person, just outside the cave. Only one. Silas?

"Well. You must be the blue-haired brat my grunts keep talking about." His voice was cold and unconcerned, as if their presence meant nothing.

"You must be Silas," Koa spat. It was a guess, but the expression on the man's face told him he was right.

Silas sighed. "You trainers, always trying to fight back. No matter." With an almost bored expression, he reached inside his vest.

And just like that, everything fell apart.

Flashes of light lit the cavern as more pokemon were released from their pokeballs - Drapion, Toxicroak, Gastrodon, Weavile. To Koa's dismay, Silas wasted no time hurrying to the side of Minerva to release her pokemon as well. A massive Purugly was quickly joined by a Toxicroak and a Jolteon as well as a Gliscor. Koa's heart started racing. They were outnumbered, too many pokemon—

Lights flashed from Koa's belt as his own pokemon released themselves. Anubis' howl echoed, a chilling call to battle. Then he surged forward, no more than a shadowy blur, and slammed into a Luxray. They rolled across the cavern, snarling and howling, a tangle of dark fur.

A raucous din filled the cavern in seconds, a wild cacophony of shrieks and howls and snarls. Koa froze and his mind blanked. He stared as Anubis brawled with the Luxray. Its claws moved in blurs, slashing Anubis' shoulders. He retaliated with a blaze of fire straight to its face. Blinding light flashed from its body as it delivered a powerful shock to Anubis, stopping him in his tracks.

He seized up, his entire body shuddering. Luxray yowled and lunged, tackling him to the ground. Fear for his pokemon flooded Koa. But before he could make a move, a silver boulder smashed into Luxray's side, knocking it halfway across the room.

Anubis got to his feet, and Koa looked to see Rascal, looking smug as ever. A loud screech drew his attention and he looked up just in time to see a Gliscor raise a shining claw and bring it crashing down on Echo's head.

Stunned, the Crobat sailed across the room, straight for a stalagmite. "Echo!" Koa's heart skipped a beat. He leaped into action, dodging around a stray blob of mud from a Gastrodon. A couple yards from crashing into it, Koa leaped up. Echo crashed into Koa and he slammed into the stalagmite. The impact jarred his body, the rock biting into his skin. Echo dropped roughly to the ground.

Koa slid to the floor, coughing. Wincing, he looked over. Echo had fluttered back into the air, looking winded but mostly unharmed.

"You ok?"

Echo bobbed up and down. Yes. His gaze shifted to the Gliscor, who had joined with a Weavile and was now fighting Jackie several yards away. Letting out a piercing screech, Echo shot towards them, colliding with Gliscor, knocking out of the air and sending it careening towards the ground. The Weavile hissed and whirled on Echo, momentarily distracted. The opening was just enough for Jackie to clobber it in the face with a powerful Fire Punch. It rolled across the floor and back onto its feet, baring its fangs.

Meanwhile, the Gliscor had risen again. A purple sheen shimmered in its eyes, and Koa couldn't resist a smirk. Echo had got it with Poison Fang. It dove at Jackie, swooping just out of range while kicking sand and gravel at him with his tail.

Echo shrieked again. His wings glowed as he prepared an attack to aid them. Until a flurry of icy shards struck him in the back. He faltered mid flight as ice completely solidified over his rear wings. Weavile smirked, seemingly pleased with itself.

For a brief second, Echo dipped, ready to nosedive. Then he caught himself, his front wings beating faster. They glowed silver and he circled and dove at the shocked Weavile, slashing it across the chest. It emitted a shocked yelp, then skittered away.

Koa smiled. Despite the situation, pride filled him at seeing Echo flying with ease, despite his wings being disabled. Echo would be alright. Already he had engaged the Gliscor again and the ice was beginning to dissipate. Between him and Jackie, Koa felt certain they'd be fine. Tearing his gaze away from Echo, he quickly scanned the battlefield.

Along with Weavile, he could see a couple other pokemon had been knocked out. A Jolteon lay sprawled out, and one Toxicroak lay near it, both unconscious. Anubis was fighting the Luxray still, but seemed to be going strong, while the Luxray looked exhausted. Every few seconds, Rascal would dodge away from the Drapion she was brawling to fire a haphazard attack at it, keeping it off balance.

A tiny seed of hope grew in Koa. Maybe they could win this, or at least hold off Team Blackout until help arrived. He quickly glanced around again. Where was Scrapper? He spotted him a second later, dancing around another frustrated looking Toxicroak. It kept jabbing at him and spitting poison, but he managed to leap to the side just fast enough each time, never getting hit.

Yes. They could win this, just a little more—

And then another light flashed. Koa whipped towards it and spotted a behemoth of a Rhyperior standing before Silas, a taunting look in its eyes. Slamming its fists together, it let out a grating roar that made the earth tremble.

It smashed both arms into the ground, and two lines of stone shot from the earth, one erupting beneath Scrapper and the other hitting Rascal in the side. The two pokemon were knocked aside, staggering and stunned. Koa's eyes widened, his cry to dodge dying on his lips. Rhyperior was clearly a level above the other pokemon. Rascal rose to her feet, then hastily scrambled away from Drapion's tail as it embedded it right where she'd been standing.

Scrapper had managed to shake off the Stone Edge, blinking and growling as he turned towards Rhyperior. Toxicroak crept up from behind, readying a strike.

"Scrapper, right!" Koa shouted. Scrapper hurled himself to his right. The Poison Jab from the Toxicroak met empty air and it croaked furiously.

Rhyperior, however, had turned its sights elsewhere. Its gaze had locked onto Anubis, who was still facing off against the Luxray. The two quadrupeds paced around each other, spitting sparks and embers as they sought an opening to strike. Anubis was blissfully oblivious to Rhyperior singling him out.

With another earth-shaking roar, Rhyperior threw its head back, a golden aura flaring around it. A similar glow spread into the earth around it, then zigzagged through the ground towards Anubis.

"Dodge Anubis!" Koa cried frantically. Before Anubis could move, Luxray swiped at Anubis, knocking him off balance. A moment later the earth under the Houndoom erupted. The blow tossed him and sent him rolling.

Fear flooded Koa. Anubis rolled to a stop and lay still, dazed. Except that didn't seem to be enough to Rhyperior. It held its arms out in front of it and a rock shrouded in a sinister red aura began to form.

Koa scrambled to grab Anubis' pokeball before Rhyperior could strike. Hardly had his hand started to move to his belt before a light flashed from it and Flurry appeared. The light didn't have a chance to fade before a jet of water shot across the room, nailing Rhyperior in the side of the head.

It flinched and grunted, the attack crumbling, and it turned to her with a furious glare.

"Flurry no!" Koa grabbed Flurry's pokeball and tried to return her, only for her to deftly dodge the beam. With a battle cry, she set off rolling and hit Rhyperior with another rapid blast of water.

Enraged, it started firing chunks of rock at her, which she zigzagged through, each one missing her more narrowly than the last, until she hit it with a final jet of water, this time making it flinch and shift backwards. The distraction had been enough. Anubis rose to his feet, shook his head, then charged back at the Luxray, who had since turned on Scrapper. Tackling it, the two rolled back into their brawl.

Golden aura flared around Rhyperior once more as it screeched in rage at its lost prey. The earth began to shake and Koa staggered, scrambling for balance as everything around Rhyperior and Flurry erupted.

Flurry screamed as she sailed through the air and Rhyperior followed up with a swift rock blast, right at her falling form. Koa's heart lurched, his hand reaching for her ball in slow motion. Too slow too slow she was falling, the rock flying towards her helpless body—

A blur of purple and suddenly Flurry was gone and the rock struck the far wall instead. Koa whipped to the side and spotted Echo awkwardly dropping Flurry back to the ground, unharmed.

Shaking, Koa returned Flurry. He opened his mouth to call a thanks to Echo when he saw Rhyperior furiously charging another attack.

"Roll!" Koa shouted.

Echo spiraled to the side, rolling through the air as a barrage of rocks flew at him. One, two, three, four, five. The fifth one sailed wide as Echo faked out Rhyperior before soaring upwards towards the darkness of the ceiling.

Koa seized the opportunity. "Steel Wing!"

Echo screeched and became a shining blur as he dropped down and delivered a rapid one-two strike with each wing before shooting back up into the air.

Rhyperior cried out again as it turned fruitlessly in circles, trying to spot Echo.

"Again!" Koa called, his heart hammering in his ears and his chest tight. This Rhyperior needed to go.

Echo swooped down once more, but only managed to deliver a glancing blow before Rhyperior swung a glowing fist that narrowly missed nailing the Crobat.

Koa scowled. At this rate they'd never do enough to stop it. And then salvation came in the form of a blue sphere from far off, hitting Rhyperior in the back and causing it to fall to one knee.

A slow grin formed on Koa's face as Jackie came sprinting across the room, fists glowing. Without slowing down, the Hitmonchan exploded forward even faster and slammed both fists into Rhyperior's back. It whirled upon Jackie with frightful speed, slinging its own fist, but Jackie ducked and delivered a devastating uppercut that made it reel backwards.

Koa's heart soared and he cheered inwardly as the two began to exchange blows in a rapid brawl. As fast as the Rhyperior might have been, it simply stood no match against Jackie's martial arts. Every movement precise, every strike perfectly-timed.

A frantic clicking and a tug at his ankle jerked Koa's attention downward to see Hazard, eyes wide with fright and gesturing frantically to something behind them.

Whirling around, Koa turned his back on Jackie's brawl and looked towards the inlet, where the boat was. Or rather, had been. Half of it had sunk beneath the water, while the deck where Zeraora was chained remained tilted about the surface, but steadily sinking.

A curse slipped from Koa's mouth as he spotted a smoking hole in the hull. A stray attack had to have struck it. Panic resurged in Koa as the full weight dawned on him. Zeraora would drown. He had to do something. "Come on!" he sprinted towards the boat, Hazard hot on his heels.

"Koa, to your left!" Kitto's shout came from across the cavern, and Koa spun and spotted Silas making for one of the downed guards. One whose pokeballs he'd hadn't had a chance to take.

Hazard skittered past Koa, firing a bolt of electrified webbing. The blow caught Silas around the ankles and he tripped, falling to the ground. Koa couldn't help but smirk. His gaze shifted back towards the boat, still sinking.

How—

With a flick of a knife, Silas cut himself free from the webbing and rose to his feet. Hazard gave a low hissing sound and advanced towards him. Koa's eyes went wide. "Hazard, use—"

Silas charged Hazard. His foot shot out, connecting solidly with the tiny bug-type, knocking him across the ground. Rage filled Koa and red blurred his vision. He raced to his fallen Joltik's side and let out a sigh of relief as he saw Hazard crack one weary eye open. Good, he was stunned but okay. Before he could protest, Koa returned him.

"A move befitting a foolish trainer such as yourself," Silas' taunting voice rang out from behind Koa and he turned to see the Blackout leader standing over the body of the guard, four pokeballs in hand. "Should have come after me instead of the bug."

With a cold smile, he tossed them out and gave the command. A Skuntank and Golem emerged, alongside an Onix and Excadrill, and a second later all four shot past Koa and towards the battling pokemon.

No no no. Even just four fresh pokemon would change everything, his team was tiring and as strong as Jackie was, the tide could too easily be turned back towards Blackout.

The boat was still sinking as well, water now lapping dangerously at the deck. Zeraora appeared barely conscious, still immobile on the deck. And between Koa and the boat stood Silas, cool and confident. In his hand, he casually tossed a single pokeball up and caught it again.

Koa's gaze shifted once more to the boat behind Silas, desperately trying to calculate his odds of getting past him. They didn't look good.

Suddenly, a furious roar came from Koa's right and he turned just in time to see Rascal racing toward him. She skidded to a stop before Silas and took a menacing step towards him, before glancing behind her and grunting at Koa. The message was clear: I'll distract him. Go.

Koa had only made two steps toward the boat when Silas released his final pokemon. A fiery mane and tale, cream fur and horn honed to a deadly point. Koa's body froze and he saw Rascal lock up as well at the sight of Rapidash.

"Flame Charge".

Rearing up, Rapidash cloaked itself in fire and charged. Right at Koa.

For a moment, memories flared to life in Koa's mind like a lit match. Rascal's injured form, racing to protect her, Rapidash bearing down on them, to slow to move—

Koa's mind blanked. His mind screamed at him to move, but his body refused. Fire filled his vision. And then a shining burst of rocks slammed into the Rapidash's side, knocking it off course and interrupting its attack.

Still in a daze, Koa looked to see Rascal, a triumphant gleam in her eye. And then, the spell seemed to break. He shook his head, then focused on Rascal. His heart still thrummed in his ears and his throat remained tight, but he could at least move. Think.

He shouted with a confidence he didn't feel. "Another Ancient Power!"

Rascal began to summon a single boulder this time, a shining silver aura flaring around her as she did. A glint flickered in her eyes and abruptly, the boulder crumbled. A momentary confusion rose in Koa. "What..." his voice trailed off as understanding struck him, like a mental image in his head.

Silas' voice rang out. "Smart Strike."

Lowering its head and aiming its horn, Rapidash exploded forwards, all but a blur. Just a mere couple feet in front of Rascal, a massive deluge of rocks from above buried Rapidash, halting its charge instantly. Rock Slide.

A furious cry came from within the pile of stone, and Koa could see Rapidash thrashing to break free. Ever unflinching, Silas called a counter. "Inferno."

An orange glow began to shine from within. The temperature in the area abruptly spiked. Koa grimaced and moved back, calling for Rascal to do the same as everything suddenly began to grow much, much hotter. The rock pile exploded in a blaze of fire, sending shards of flaming rocks everywhere. Koa yelped and ducked as one shot past his head.

A few battered Rascal, making her stagger, but she stayed upright, jaws twisted into a furious snarl. Black marks scorched her scales and Koa could tell that the blast had done a number on her. "Dragon Tail!" Koa shouted. Could they try to end this? The familiar green aura formed around her tail and she charged at Rapidash.

"Flame Charge."

Wheeling around, the Rapidash took off away from Rascal, fire encasing its body. It galloped in a fiery blur, outpacing Rascal in a few strides before turning sharply around to face her again. The two pokemon met, tail clashing against Rapidash's larger body.

For a brief moment, Rascal struggled against Rapidash, valiantly trying to force it back. In the end, its size won out, and with a triumphant neigh, the force of the attack sent Rascal sliding backwards.

Brand new fury flared in her reptilian eyes. Fury at being pushed back once again. Fury at being weaker, at not being enough, at losing. A chill traveled down Koa's spine. She threw her head back and roared.

The sound shook Koa to his core, deeper and more primal than any noise she'd ever made. He covered his ears and he saw Silas do the same, and even Rapidash flinched back, pinning its ears to its skull.

Koa waited for the roar to fade as it usually did, but instead, it only seemed to grow louder and louder until a searing glow illuminated the cavern, forcing him to shield his eyes.

Through his fingers, he saw Rascal's shining shape began to morph and grow, every part of her body growing larger, bigger, stronger, her proportions evening out and a crest forming on her skull.

And then, after a seeming eternity, the light faded, revealing the towering form of a Tyrantrum, glaring down at the Rapidash, dwarfing it. Koa's jaw dropped.

Silas took a step back, the first sign of fear showing in his eyes. He tried to mask it quickly. "Smart Stri-"

Rascal's head snapped down, clamped around Rapidash and hurled it across the room. It sailed through the air, before coming down on top of a Skuntank, crushing it and knocking both pokemon out cold.

Koa gulped at the display. Before he could say anything, Rascal lumbered over, spun and slapped her tail into Silas, barely putting any force into the blow. Even so it sent him careening sideways where he thudded into a rocky outcropping and lay still.

Then she roared again, and charged across the cavern towards the brawling pokemon and her team. Without slowing, she barreled into the Rhyperior, sending it tumbling, before swinging her tail and smashing its side. Even from here Koa could see the vengeful gleam in her eyes. Whirling, she set her sights on the Onix, who was looming above the brawling pokemon and trying to strike with its tail.

With not even a hint of hesitation, Rascal charged the serpent and full body tackled it. The two devolved into a raging, chaotic mass of rock and scales. There was nothing Koa could offer now, she'd have to handle it herself.

His heart lurched. In all the commotion, he'd completely ignored the most important thing in the room. Shaking and still in shock Koa whipped back around to the boat.

The boat was gone.

Oh gods was Zeraora-? No. He had to try.

He shot one final glance over his shoulder at his team. Rascal had bowled over the Rhyperior and they were still scuffling with the pokemon Silas had released, but with the arrival of Rascal - she was a Tyrantrum now, he still couldn't believe it - things had once again balanced. It was enough. It would have to be enough.

Koa rushed up to the water's edge, then unclipped his pokeball belt, setting it on the ground. Then he took a deep breath and dove into the dark water.

Immediately, a chill set in as the water rushed around him, soaking past his jacket and through his shirt and pants. For once, he found himself glad to have his jacket and boots on, since they weighed him down. Forcing his eyes open, he began to swim downwards.

Through the darkness, he could just make out a shadowy gray mass below, seemingly at the bottom of the inlet. Chest growing tighter with every second, Koa kicked steadily as he pumped his arms rhythmically. He forced all thought of fear and depth and water swallowing him, filling his lungs— buried it, buried it deep, keeping his gaze only on the hazy smudge of yellow below him.

And then, quite suddenly but still too long, he found himself before the battered form of Zeraora. He could see it thrashing, even though it could only move a few inches in any direction.

Chains looped around its paws, ankles and neck, securing it to the ship's deck. To his dismay, the steel of the deck was well intact. Zeraora's eyes flicked open and locked on him. Time stilled as the lightning pokemon glared at him. Koa could see the anger, feel it snarling, even as they were underwater. The warning felt clear. Back off.

Koa glared right back.

Hesitantly, he swam around to the anchor point where the chain met the deck and tugged experimentally. Solid. His chest grew a little tighter as he moved back to examine Zeraora again. Time was running out. His gaze broke away from Zeraora and back to the chains again, this time on Zeraora. They were tight, digging into the skin beneath the fur. The chains themselves were thick, coated in some kind of rubber material. They'd never break.

Koa's thoughts raced at lightspeed. Cutting them was out of the question, unlocking them impossible without a key, and Zeraora had no hope of breaking them like this.

And then, all at once, it struck him.

His hand shot to his jacket pocket. He withdrew the empty pokeball that he kept inside and primed it.

Zeraora's eyes widened and it snarled soundlessly, bubbles escaping its jaws. It jerked towards him and Koa felt the faintest buzz of weak electricity course through his body.

Koa's chest grew tighter and he felt his body crying for air. Forcing himself still, he stared defiantly at Zeraora as the first threads of blackness danced around his vision.

Legendaries and humans don't mix. He refused to believe that. He refused to let Zeraora die here, like this. Staring into its eyes, he willed it to understand.

Please.

Zeraora's response was a defiant glare and tensed body. Never.

Koa lurched forward and grabbed Zeraora by the chain, pulling its head right up to his own, pressing his face against it. Its eyes widened and for a single moment, Koa forgot about everything around him - the water, the ship, the chains, the despair and ever growing vice around his chest.

Blue eyes met his own brown ones, and he saw beneath all the anger, determination. And beneath that, fear.

And then Zeraora nodded.

Koa acted instantly, pressing the pokeball to Zeraora's snout. Red light encased its form and drew it inside the confines of the ball and right out of the chains. Clutching the ball tightly, Koa began kicking frantically, panic seeping in. Suddenly the surface seemed so far away...

He stroked with one arm, keeping the pokeball tightly clutched in the other. His chest burned more and he forced out a small breath, kicking... kicking... Instead of it growing lighter as he neared the surface, it felt darker and darker and he could hardly put any effort into his kicks. His boots felt so heavy. His jacket felt like a Hippowdown sitting on his shoulders.

He gave a half hearted kick with his legs, but the effort felt too much. The surface didn't look any closer than before... Where was the surface again? Where... where was he trying to get to? Maybe if he couldn't remember it wasn't important.

His arm slackened slightly. His grip loosened on whatever he had in his hand... what was so important that he was carrying? The burn in his chest overrode the rest of his thoughts. Air. He needed air now now now. Maybe if he just took a quick gulp, he'd be okay. Right?

Cold water filled his mouth and nose. He gagged instinctively, sucked in more. Panic gave clarity, but not strength. A watery scream swallowed him. The moment crystallized, then his panic and fear faded. Peace filled him. The surface wasn't so far off... Yet now such a detail seemed unimportant. It was close, yes, but not close enough. Shame...

Great... ruined another jacket probably. Maybe he could get one in Canalave. Where had Blake gotten the first one?... His thoughts trailed away as bliss enveloped him and he finally stopped struggling. At least he'd tried. Maybe the police would retrieve the ball with Zeraora.

Sorry...

Somewhere above, a tiny flare of light shone. Then a blur of something pale blue in the water, something soft and dense and round and he was surging, surging upwards— his head broke the surface and he gasped and coughed and choked as he scrabbled for purchase and something shoved him up onto the rocky ground.

Water spilled from his mouth and he coughed and coughed compulsively until his throat and nose burned and tears streamed from his eyes. His head throbbed and darkness pulsed in his vision in time with his heartbeat. At some point, he found he could finally breathe normally, though his throat still felt raw and his stomach churned. Awareness came with oxygen, and he realized his right hand was still clenched around something... he'd been holding something down there.

A jolt shot through him. Zeraora!

Sitting up so fast his head spun, he managed to stabilize himself before glancing around. The sound of battle still raged on, somewhere to his left. Behind was the inlet, and before him sat Flurry, her dark eyes wide with worry. He stared at her a full few seconds before realizing it had to have been her who'd saved him. "Thanks," he whispered hoarsely. She butted against his leg.

Still dazed, Koa held up the pokeball in his hand. He realized he was shaking all over still, and his heart hadn't stopped racing. His breath came in lurches, but he ignored it and pressed the button on the pokeball. Light spilled out, taking the form of the mythical plasma pokemon.

It blinked, taking in its surroundings, before looking down at him. Something akin to surprise registered in its blue eyes, along with relief. Swallowing, Koa reached into the pocket of his soggy pants and withdrew a Full Restore. He half rose to his feet and held it out towards Zeraora. For a second, it drew back. Then it stopped, hesitantly.

Koa sprayed the gash on its arm. It flinched and hissed reproachfully then seemed to relax as the healing effects kicked in. A second later, the light returned to its eyes and sparks began to crackle across its body.

Then it let out a mighty yowl. Lightning surged through the cavern and in an instant, Zeraora was gone, tearing across the room in a raging blur of yellow fur and blue electricity.

All Koa could do was watch as the newly unleashed Zeraora decimated the remainder of Blackout's pokemon, and none too gently. Every strike knocked out or incapacitated its target and in less than a minute, every one of Blackout's pokemon was unconscious.

Koa stared as Zeraora stepped around the bodies, sprang across the inlet, and strode over to the caged electric types still stacked along the wall. With a flash of claws, it made its way down the line, shattering the locks one by one. The pokemon began to emerge, some timid, others relieved or angry or confused.

Just as the last pokemon was freed, an ear splitting howling sound shattered the stillness. It pulsed and reverberated almost unnaturally as lights began to flash near the mouth of the cavern.

Koa clamped his hands over his ears as he dropped to his knees. Turning around he saw an Exploud standing near the ocean entrance, mouth agape. Behind it stood several police officers, flanked by powerful looking pokemon - Arcanine, Alakazam, Machamp and more. Beyond that, he spotted several police boats.

Koa sagged back and let out a breathy sigh of relief.

Movement at the far end of the cavern caught his attention and he turned to Minerva trying to edge away to escape down one of the tunnels. Before he could even consider trying to warn someone, a Yanmega buzzed through the air, blocking her way out. Its eyes flashed pink and a wave of light struck her. She slumped to the ground, fast asleep.

A couple of the other guards had seemingly recovered from Echo's initial strike at some point, and picked now to try and escape. Lights flashed as they released their own pokemon to try and make a run for it, only to be swiftly overwhelmed by the police. Staraptor and Swellow dive bombed them as the police pokemon dispatched them with frightening ease.

For every one of them, there were now two or three Pokemon. The remaining poachers who were conscious either surrendered or were swiftly being subdued by the officers, Silas among them. In seconds, it truly had ended.

Quiet. Overbearing, uncomfortable quiet. The cavern had fallen still. Compared to the sounds of battle it felt creepy.

Koa blinked. In a daze, he searched for Zeraora, but the mythical pokemon had seemingly vanished. A swift headcount confirmed his own pokemon were still standing. Battered, but standing. Echo fluttered over and flopped into Koa's lap, tired but clearly proud. His gaze shifted back to the police, some of whom had gone to check on the stolen pokemon, while he saw another heading towards Kitto.

Good... Kitto was okay. Jackie too, by the looks of it, though the Hitmonchan looked much worse for the wear.

They'd made it. Everything would be okay now. The police moved with impressive efficiency, locking down the rest of the room, sweeping the area, and calming the escaped electric types.

"It's over buddy," he mumbled, idly stroking the Crobat. Anubis trotted over, as did Scrapper. Both looked exhausted and covered in scrapes and bruises, but he didn't see any permanent damage. With great, lumbering steps, Rascal came over and settled protectively behind him. Of all his pokemon, she seemed the most fine, thanks to her evolution.

A dazed smile came over his face at the memory, and he stared at her new form in delight. She was gorgeous... big too. Maybe almost ten feet standing. Her scales had changed to a rich reddish-brown that gleamed in the faint sunlight from outside.

Was it really dawn already?

"Mr. Averon?"

Anubis let out a warning rumble. Koa was suddenly aware of one of the officers kneeling beside him, asking him something. "Huh?" he asked, staring at her dumbly. He found himself staring at her nametag, which read 'Jamie'.

"Are you and your pokemon alright Mr. Averon? Do you require healing?" her sharp gaze was roving across each member of his team scrutinizing them, lingering on Rascal.

Wearily, Koa summoned the strength to look around again and survey his team, then take stock of himself. His limbs felt like weights and his body ached, but he felt fine otherwise.

He opened his mouth to speak but the words felt thick and jumbled. " 'm fine... tired." Suddenly, he very much missed his bed at home. "My pokemon need some healing though," he mumbled. "Rascal evolved. She's OK I think."

Jamie nodded curtly. "Don't worry, we'll take good care of them."

At his side, Flurry pressed against him, and he found himself leaning back against Rascal. With his head to her side, the steady beating of her heart felt oddly relaxing.

Jamie was talking, asking him something else, but the steady thumping of Rascal's heart drowned out her voice.

They were safe.

XXX

Jamie waited with him while the rest of the officers handled rounding up Team Blackout and their pokemon. He half expected her to start peppering him with questions, but she seemed much more concerned with the stolen pokemon and Koa's own team for the moment.

Rather quickly, a Chimecho and a Blissey arrived, and started healing up his pokemon. Only Rascal seemed completely fine, dismissing the healer pokemon with a snort after they'd done a quick checkup.

Koa watched tiredly as the officers moved efficiently about the room, marking the area and leaving a buoy in the inlet where the ship had sunk. Hasty provisions were made for the electric-types. An extra boat was called in to ferry them to the mainland, where he guessed the trained ones would be returned to their trainers and the wild ones could be taken to their proper territory.

His thoughts drifted as he pulled the blanket they'd given him tighter around his shoulders. Kitto sat a few yards away, sprawled against a boulder. Jackie sat next to him, half-asleep, head on Kitto's shoulder. Both looked thoroughly tired.

All of Koa's pokemon had refused to return to their pokeballs for the time being, instead staying near him. Not that he minded. Having them out made him feel better. Between Flurry's thick fur and Anubis' warmth, he began to warm quickly. He let himself drift into a pleasant, half-asleep haze.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the boat holding the captured members of Team Blackout departed, and one by one, most of the others left, save for Jamie and one other officer. Koa returned his pokemon to give them a chance to rest.

"If you like, I can arrange for both of you to head back to the mainland. We can take your statements there instead, and save you the trouble of a ferry ride," Jamie offered.

A grateful smile crossed Koa's lips and he glanced over to Kitto. Despite his confident stance, Koa could spot the weary edge in his gaze, and he nodded in agreement as well.

"That's settled then. We'll take you two back to Canalave then."

Koa began to rise somewhat unsteadily, and Jamie reached out, steadying him. He took a step to follow her to the boat, then paused. "I... can I do something before we leave, please?"

Jamie frowned, scanning the room before her gaze settled back on him. "Sure, kid. Just don't be long."

Koa nodded. He selected one pokeball from his belt and headed in the direction of the back of the cavern, opposite the ocean entrance. He tapped the release button on the pokeball, and Hazard emerged, looking once again bright-eyed and perky.

"Is he down there?" he asked softly, nodding towards the tunnel before them. Hazard closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and nodded. Koa started down the tunnel, Hazard lighting the way.

A minute later, they emerged into a small chamber. And there, at the end of the cavern, stood Zeraora. Its gaze was unreadable as Koa approached, but it was clear it had been expecting him.

Standing before the mythical, he had a chance to fully take in Zeraora. It had looked so tall and huge before, but now he could see it was around his height, though it carried itself with such a presence it seemed larger. When upright, he was just able to look it in its eyes. Its fur gleamed in the light provided by Hazard, who gazed up at it in awe and admiration.

Koa's mouth suddenly went dry, and all the things he wanted to say suddenly seemed paltry and silly. In hindsight, it was plainly obvious what had been going on - Zeraora had been drawn to the island by the electric-types and sought to free them. And both he and Fossie had interfered. Now he understood its rage the night before, trying to catch it when it was on a rescue mission. It must have believed he was with Team Blackout. 'Sorry' seemed so empty.

If only he'd just waited, just challenged it the right way...

Wordlessly, he reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew the pokeball that he'd caught Zeraora in, then held it out.

Zeraora narrowed its eyes, though Koa swore he caught a flicker of something else behind the suspicion and irritation. Surprise? Respect?

With surprising gentleness, it reached out and took the pokeball from him. Then in a swift movement, it shattered the ball and incinerated the remains in a burst of plasma.

Hazard chittered something, and Zeraora shot it a sort of sly grin before putting out its paw and firing a small burst of blue electricity. The jolt made Hazard's fur stand on end, puffing him out to almost twice his usual size.

Then Zeraora turned back to Koa, his piercing gaze boring right into Koa. He resisted the urge to flinch and look away, even as he felt as if his soul were being bared and his defenses peeled away until he was an open book. Almost unconsciously, he held his breath, half expecting Zeraora to be angry. Disgusted. Disappointed.

Instead, Zeraora took a step back and then, so slightly Koa thought he imagined it, nodded. For another moment, its gaze lingered. It didn't speak, but Koa sensed rather than heard Zeraora's sentiment. Gratitude. And an apology.

Then a second later, it vanished in a burst of lightning.

A long sigh escaped Koa and a weight lifted off his shoulders. It was over. The debt was paid. He never imagined that uncatching a mythical pokemon would feel so good.

Now he understood that his team would have his back, no matter what. Today they had proven what they were capable of. And what he could do with their help, if he trusted them as they trusted him. Despite the nagging exhaustion of his body, a renewed determination burned within him. His doubts and fears the past week were smaller now. Distant.

Koa leaned down and picked Hazard up, setting him on his shoulder, then turned toward the tunnel. "Let's go home."


And thus concludes the Iron Island arc! I hope this was an enjoyable arc and worth the wait!

There will be one more 'special episode' to follow this, a unique POV which I will post either over the weekend or next week.

I had a lot of fun writing Zeraora in this. I always enjoyed the idea of some legendary or mythical pokemon being very calm and others being more aggressive, and I liked the idea that one could easily get the wrong idea and turn on Koa, thinking he was actually one of the bad guys.

Fortunately, Koa was able to reach out to it and prove himself, and they resolved things, and Zeraora offered an apology of sorts. And Koa 'technically' caught a mythical!

Also, writing an all out brawl was an absolute delight! I hope it felt as fun to read as it was to write (even if I did spend ages banging my head on a wall over it). Was inspired quite a lot by the fic 'Legendarian Chronicles' by Chibipika, which also features awesome and epic big scale battles. Its a stellar fic, I highly recommend it, as well as Of Sand and Shadows by helloyellow17, which features lots of gritty brawl battles that are very excellent, very recommend. Also, orre.

Thank you as always for the reviews!

Shoutout to Anyafyre, Bzrich, bananaman, and pokemonking! Happy to hear you're enjoying the story and Koa's struggles and growth.

Fossie was created on a whim but I am very excited to write him more, hopefully. There's a lot I want to explore about him to contrast Koa. I am equally amused and delighted about his reception. Definitely a bit of a snot, but one I hope to flesh out a bit more.

Something that I really wanted to do was focus on how sometimes as people, even when we learn from our mistakes, change is a hard road and it's not always as clean cut as movies make us feel. Humans have a way of making the same mistakes over and over, or letting doubt consume us the closer we seem to get to our desires.

But even when things feel impossible, there's always a way through with perseverance, faith and hope.

That said, I have been taking a break from preparing these 4 chapters by playing loootts of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom. I hope I can work more on this and have another chapter up in a month or two!

Happy writing and reading everyone!