Ch.28: Treasure is on the Mind! Call Upon the Bounty Hunter of Destruction!

Far off on the outskirts of the Earth Zone lived a small town known as Zircon Town. The town, for the most part, was rather peaceful. The community was full of kind Pokémon who only seek to live their days hard at work. The town, like most buildings in the Earth Zone, were made of stone, which were finely shaped and molded to make suitable living households.

In the center of the town was an entrance to a quarry, filled with a myriad of minerals. In terms of profit value, they were flat out worthless. However, in terms of weaponry, they proved to be useable. Most of the minerals that grow in the quarry were highly explosive when enough force collides with them. As such, they made for useful bombs, cannonballs, and even bullets if crafted well enough.

The town always made sure that the quarry was kept secret from outsiders, as such a quarry would attract the scummiest of scum from all around the region to claim the minerals for themselves. For the most part, they've never had any bandits or pirates pillage them.

…until today.

When you have a famous pirate crew like the Desert Beasts floating around, one could never be too careful. Their caution was solely due to the crew's top informant on all things rare and valuable, Jeffery. He was feared not for his size or strength, for obvious reason, but for his keen sense of digging up dirt and finding just the right details at the worst of times. Whether it be bad luck or simple coincidence, he always finds the information he needs to please his captain.

So, sure enough, it didn't take long to relay the data back to Captain Arid and for the ship to change its original course to the town for pillaging. Once the large flying ship hovered overhead, the townsfolks immediately barricaded themselves into their homes as they came down and started raiding the quarry.

The pirates carried down crates and carefully mined the minerals out of the tunnels. One by one, the pirates carried small crates of minerals back to the ship, waiting to load them in.

While they were at it, they stormed the stores and raided the shelves of food and drinks, specifically any alcohol they could get their hands on.

Jeffery perched himself on top of a roof and laughed his head off. "Yes, you scallywags! Bleed them dry of their resources!" He pointed his feather at two pirates who stopped to take a breath. "No slacking! We need as much of this stuff as possible!" They rolled their eyes and went back to carrying crate. Jeffery snickered. "The joys of being higher ranked."

He cringed as loud music hit his ears. He slapped his wings over them and glared at the Zangoose who was playing merrily on her concertina and dancing on the same roof as him. She wore the standard uniform, with her bandana wrapped around her left arm and sporting a gold chain necklace with a red gemstone.

The pirates stopped their hauling, then laughed before dancing in place. "Yeah, now that's what I'm talking about!"

"Play us a good one, lass!" one of the pirates shouted.

The Chatot, however, wasn't having it. "Ms. Lyra, if you would be so kind as to stop with that insufferable music and get back to work?!"

Lyra stopped playing her concertina, then pouted with an expression that read 'Wow, you are a killjoy.'

"Oh, don't give me that look, lass! Now, I want you to put that instrument away and start hauling!"

"Chill, feather brain," Banama spoke up, leaning against a crate. "She was just giving the crew some encouragement. Nothing to throw a hissy fit over."

Jeffery pulled at his feathers in frustration. "The captain left me in charge while he is in his chamber! I demand respect!"

Malcolm rolled his eyes. "Not going to get anywhere screaming like a lunatic." He looked up at Lyra. "Don't listen to him, Lyra. Play 'til your heart's content."

She perked up, then resumed playing her beloved instrument. The crew got pumped up with energy from the rhythmic, energetic beats and resumed hauling crates, though with a little more enthusiasm.

Jeffery glared in annoyance. "Well, at least you're doing something," he begrudgingly admitted. Lyra looked down at him with a smug grin. "Oh, just play your damn instrument!" He flew off the roof. I'm surrounded by nuisances. All of them are nuisances.

"Hey you!" He glared down as one of the townsfolk, a Politoed in farmer's clothes, stepped forward, wielding a pitchfork. "You've got some nerve entering our town like this! Leave now or we'll be forced to defend our homes without mercy!"

Jeffery smirked. "Oh gee, really?" He chuckled darkly. "Then by all means, do your worse." He snapped his talons. "Crew, defend your second in command!"

Julius smirked, feeling a bit of payback forming in his mind. "Uh, sorry Jeff, but yer orders were to focus on movin' the crates. And only the crates. No goofin' off or slackin', so that's exactly what we're doin'."

The parrot's eyes widened, then he flapped his wings wildly. "Oh hardy har! Very funny! Now seriously, defend me and get these fools off my-!" He felt the Politoed jump up to his level, raising his pitchfork over his head. "-back?"

The pitchfork came down on him, with the two prongs sliding passed his neck, and digging into the ground. The farmer pushed down hard on the pitchfork, sinking the prongs into the ground and pressing the metal against Jeffery's neck. The Chatot flailed his wings and feet in fear, squawking in fear.

"SQUAWK! Someone help me! They're crazy!" he screamed.

The crew was less than interested, merely shrugging at each other. "Does anyone else hear anything?"

"Nothing at all," Simisear said.

"Don't ignore me! I'm the second in command! Get your asses over here and help me!" A gun barrel pressed against the bird's head, making him scream. "AAAAHHHH! HELP!"

The Politoed growled at the parrot. "Silence!"

"Yes sir…" he meekly obeyed.

The farmer pointed at the pirates. "Listen up! If you want your friend to live, you are to return our stolen goods and leave our town forever! Is that understood?!"

Indigo picked at her ear in boredom. "Uh…we really don't care what happens to him."

"Mutiny!" Jeffery cried, then gulped as the barrel pushed harder against his head.

"I'm serious! I'll do it! Leave our town!" the farmer shouted angrily.

Leigh blinked her narrowed, uncaring eyes. "…well, I'm conflicted. On the one hand, peace and quiet. On the other hand…not sure how Captain Arid will feel about this."

One of the Pokémon in the background shook their fist. "Quit stalling and give us back our stuff!"

"Get lost, you scummy pirates!"

Leigh bared her teeth in a scoff. "Scummy?" She reached behind her back and pulled out her battle claws. "Buddy, there's a reason you shouldn't be running your mouth off to pirates…"

Tyrone immediately intervened, standing in front of her. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Let's be rational here! I mean…" He looked over his shoulder, then asked nervously, "Do we REALLY need to steal from them? We could just…buy the stolen items?"

Pain Train, who was floating nearby, face-palmed. "…you…are the worst pirate in history, I swear."

Jeffery flapped his wings in a frenzy. "I'M STILL TRAPPED OVER HERE!"

Zerif, having grown fed up with his squawking, pulled a cutlass out of his hair and carelessly threw it at the farmer. He screeched and ducked for cover. However, the cutlass curved in the air and struck the point where the stick and fork met. Jeffery held his breath in horror from how close the cutlass was. "Happy?" the Zoroark asked rudely.

The pitchfork split down the middle, allowing Jeffery to carefully push one half out of the ground, then roll out of his entrapment. He rubbed his neck before glaring at the illusion fox. "Very…"

The farmer picked himself up, but got kicked down as Leigh stepped on his stomach and pressed her left battle claw against his throat. He gulped, shivering nervously. She glared at him, her eyes flashing red for only a moment, then she shouted, "Anyone else want to play hero?!" The crowd shrunk back and shuffled away. She scoffed. "Yeah…that's what I thought." She sheathed her claws onto her back.

Julius loaded his claw cannon, then aimed it at the townsfolk. "Now be good little landlubbers and keep yer distance." He nodded his head. "Keep loadin' the ship, mates!"

Jeffery pouted. "That's my line…"

The crew loaded the crates onto the pulley system, where Rico and Jones tugged on the rope and pulled the platform up. The other Desert Beasts grabbed the crates and took them into the storage room.

The door to the captain's quarters opened and Arid walked out to observe progress. "How's the haul, crew?"

Snover saluted to his captain. "Captain, we've raided their mines dry of the minerals! We are stocked full of them!"

Arid smirked. "Excellent work!" He leaped over the railing, landing with a large thud, and walked over to the crate. He opened it and scooped out a handful of the minerals. They were transparent with a purple tint. He picked one up between his index finger and thumb, then held it up for a closer examination. "Very nice…" He bounced it in his hand, then chucked it at the mast.

The hard collision immediately made the mineral glow, then explode with a bright flash. The crew jumped in alert. The mineral left behind a burn.

Arid poured the remaining minerals back into the crate. "These will provide stronger firepower for our guns and cannons."

Ray wandered over with a clipboard and pencil in his mouth. He sat on his haunches and held the clipboard and pencil in his paws. "Captain, I did a count on the items we've robbed. Each crate, if we split the usage of the minerals up evenly, should be enough for thousands of bullets and cannonballs ranging in the hundreds." He flipped a page. "And that's just assuming we decide not to make bombs."

Arid scratched his chin. "Hmm…bombs might be useful. See to it if we can get any crafted."

Ray took the pencil in his mouth and wrote down the request. "I'll see to it, captain." Once written down, he went onto the next item on the list. "Anyway, we've stocked up on food in the larger crates. We've taken everything from their stores and homes."

Jones leaned against the boat. "So this town's going to go hungry?"

"It's a fairly large town. We haven't covered much of it. Besides, they have farms around here and there'd be no point in stealing seeds from the ground." Ray scoffed. "Consider it an act of mercy."

"Excellent," Arid said, walking over to the boat's side and peering down at his hardworking crew. "A mighty haul perfect for our big quest."

"Riiiight," Ray expressed hesitantly. "Annnd…what is this big quest exactly?"

Jones crossed his arms. "Kid's right. You've been awfully preoccupied about something for the last week. What's on your mind? Must be pretty big."

Arid chuckled. "All will be revealed in due time."

Ray groaned. "Secrets…my favorite," he expressed sarcastically. He turned away, holding his clipboard in his teeth again. "I'll see what I can do about those bombs. We should be ready to set off in half an hour." The Shinx left.

Arid narrowed his eyes on his crew as they transported the crates. He glanced at Lyra as she continued to play on her concertina. He should be annoyed that she was shirking her job yet again, but the musical accompaniment was boosting progress.

He rolled his eyes, then walked back to his quarters. Jeffery saw him leaving and flew up to the ship. "Ah, my glorious captain!" he praised. "Are you pleased by our haul? We won't have to go hungry for weeks on end. A successful pillaging if I say so myself."

Arid grunted. "Yeah, splendid." He entered his quarters and went up to his desk that sat near the back window. His quarters contained a bookshelf, with the various books scattered across his desk. His bed sat in the walls, with untidy sheets.

Jeffery looked around at his room's state in curiosity. He perched himself on the desk, then folded his wings behind his back. "Sssooo…how's the whole…idol situation coming along?" Jeffery was the only one on the ship who knew Arid was researching the Idol of Origin. While the thought excited him, he was still skeptical about the idol existing. He didn't backtalk his captain, of course, but he was filled with doubt. "Any…advancement in your research?"

Arid sat in his chair and scooted in. He grabbed a book and flipped to a page that discussed the mythology of the idol. He grabbed a berry sitting on his desk and took a small bite. "My general knowledge of the legend has improved, but nothing about its location." He narrowed his eyes. "This information has been hidden throughout history. Details I've never considered nor realized."

"And you're positive this research will lead us to the idol?" Jeffery asked hesitantly. "I mean…it is as you said, this is information you're just learning. What made you come to such an outlandish claim?"

Arid leaned back in his seat. "The legend has many retellings. It's commonly referred to as an epic bedtime story of a hero who saved the world from his polar opposite in magic." He held the berry up to Jeffery's face. "The Idol of Origin had the power to reshape and create. The warlock…" He crushed the berry in his hand, splattering the juice over Jeffery's face and shirt. "…had the power to destroy."

Jeffery wiped the juice off his face. "Your point?"

"That's just the bedtime version of it. The real myth has a much deeper history that many untrained scholars can overlook." He pressed his finger against some text and read aloud, "'The champion of the world, bounded by his own grief and paranoia, sought out to seal off all evil from a corruptible world. In his final moments, the idol made one final creation. Sealing off the idol in a world that exists everywhere and nowhere, accessible only by a lock of ten.'"

"Lock of ten?" Jeffery echoed.

"Ten locks…ten keys." Arid raised a brow. "The idol can only be truly found when ten keys are brought together."

"Okay, but what about that other bit? A world that exists everywhere and nowhere?"

Arid rubbed his chin. "It likely suggests an alternate dimension crafted by the idol itself. Even with the vast dimensions we can access in our world, something of that description can only exist in fairy tales…" He closed his eyes. "Or if a reality warping idol was involved."

Jeffery sighed, holding his face in his wing. "O-Okay, so the treasure hunters are looking for ten keys. I get that much. But you don't have definite proof, my captain. They could be…regular ol' keys they're looking for. Keys to a treasure chest or something."

Arid shook his head. "If that's so, why go through that much trouble to protect it?" He leaned forward, supporting himself on his elbows. "That mage said he'll gladly kill Ravenfield to protect that key. Temples and dungeons set up elaborate traps with the thought of death in mind, not the wishful hoping for the outcome. No one goes that far to protect something unless there was a probable consequence." He narrowed his eyes. "That key is much more than just a key, Jeffery."

Jeffery scratched his head. "And you're sure you're not looking too far into this?"

Arid glared. "I've never been so sure in my life."

The Chatot shrugged with a defeated sigh. "Well, there's no use in arguing against you. Real or not, the crew and I will help you see your mission through!"

Arid smirked. "Excellent!"

Jeffery crossed his wings, then picked up one of the books in his talon. "Still, there's the issue of finding these keys. We have no idea where to start looking. We don't have the convenience of a map like Ravenfield."

The pirate captain sighed and leaned back in his seat. "Unfortunately, that's where my research hits a dead end. I never got a good look at that map. If I knew what it was for ahead of time, I would have paid better attention to it." He narrowed his eyes. "We could track their movements, but we don't know where they're heading to next."

Jeffery set the book down. "Leave that to me, my captain." He bowed to him. "If there's anyone right for the job, it is me. I'll see to it that I find Ravenfield and gather all I can about their journey."

"See to it that you do," Arid ordered. "I want that idol by any means necessary."

"Aye, captain!" Jeffery exclaimed with a salute.

A knock bounced off the door. Once Arid gave the clear to enter, Graham opened the door. He had a narrow eyed, lazy expression. He leaned against the door frame and said, "Hey cap, just so you know, we're nearly done loading the ship."

Jeffery narrowed his eyes. "We? What were YOU doing?"

"Supervising, of course."

The parrot flapped his wings in frustration. "You were sitting on the mast and doing absolutely nothing!"

Graham raised a brow. "And what, pray tell, were you doing?"

"I was…" Jeffery's eyes widened, then deadpanned. "…supervising…"

The lazy pirate shrugged his shoulders. "No different than what I was doing."

Jeffery raised his wings and voice. "Don't give me that crap! I was making sure everyone stayed on task!"

"So was I," Graham insisted.

The Chatot was about ready to lose his top, but Arid intervened. "Enough, both of you!" He pointed at Graham. "Tell the crew to hurry up with the last of the materials, then tell Jones to man the wheel."

Graham gave a mock salute. "Aye, sir…" He closed the door behind him.

Jeffery bit down on the collar of his shirt, trying desperately to hold back his rage. "That son of a biscuit eater is getting on my last nerve…"

"Let it go and get back to your station," Arid ordered as he reached for another book. "It'll be a long ride until our next destination, so I need to use this time for more research."

Jeffery let go of his shirt and sighed. "Aye, captain." He flew over to the door and let himself out. He flew high in the air and shouted, "Hurry up with those crates, you morons!"

Banama flinched, then rubbed his ear with an annoyed expression. "Anyone else want to gag him when the captain isn't looking?"

Pain Train narrowed his eyes. "Oh yes."

The crew moved the remaining boxes onto the platform, with only one crate behind them not being supervised.

A cloaked figure poked their head out from the corner of a house and narrowed their eyes on the crate. They could smell the food inside. Making sure the pirates weren't looking, they ran over to the crate. They opened it up, then pulled themselves into the box of food, with the lid slamming shut.

Malcolm and Leigh both grabbed the bottom of the crate and carried it over to the platform. They set it down on the platform, then tugged on the rope. "That's the last of them!" Leigh called out. "Hoist us up!"

Once everyone was on, Rico and Jones made one final hoist and brought everyone back onto the ship. They got off and carried the boxes into the storage room.

Once done, Jones dusted his hands off. "Okay, time to set sail!" Lyra danced around the ship, playing her instrument merrily. "Love the enthusiasm, Lyra!" The Barbaracle headed up to the steering deck, while the rest of the crew went to grab some rum and dance along to the optimistic Zangoose and her music.

Inside the unsupervised storage room, the cloaked figure pushed the crate lid open, then looked around to see if the coast was clear. Once confirmed, they smirked. "Hehehe…perfect." They ducked back into the crate, lay in the pile of food they were on, and grabbed a berry, taking a nice juicy bite out of it.

The lights were out. Darkness covered the circular room. The only illumination allowed was the six candles surrounding the magic circle on the ground, drawn out by chalk. The summoning circle was set.

Aeternus stood over his work with a wicked grin. He was in a new set of clothes. While still in his cloak, he now wore a white dress shirt and a vest that was copper colored with green dots on the right and the colors reversed on the left side. He wore black pants.

He rubbed his hands together. "It's perfect. Nearly complete." He pulled a knife from behind his back. "Now the offerings. To summon the general of the shadow army, the blood of a worthy follower must be drawn." He pressed the sharp edge against his palm, then slashed across it without so much as flinching. He held his hand over the circle and let the scarlet liquid drip into the center.

His maid and Zaros stood back, away from the summoning ritual. Zaros pushed his glasses up. "So, you use this summoning to call upon the shadow general?"

Aeternus squeezed the cut wound to let more blood drip. "Yes. It comes in handy when we're out of touch with each other."

"So, could you perhaps do the same to summon your master?"

"Yes, but…" Aeternus narrowed his eyes. "I believe the situation is a bit more complicated than that." Once enough blood was spilt, he held his hand out. "Maid, bandage me."

"Yes, master." She walked over with a first aid kit in hand, then began to treat his self-inflicted wound.

Aeternus raised his other hand, which glowed yellow. He telekinetically moved placed some yellow dust into the center. The dust resembled what Ricardo was reduced to. "And a sacrifice of life." He smirked. "Or in this case, Life Particles."

"Quite the hefty price for a summoning," Zaros commented.

"Dear ol' Nightmare has always been a demanding fellow." Aeternus snickered. "We're going to have so much fun together. It'll be like the old days." The count glanced at Zaros. "Perhaps, when we find my master, he'll give you the gift as well."

Zaros remained neutral in his expression. He took his glasses off and wiped the lens. "I'll consider the offer."

"You won't regret it," Aeternus assured.

Roserade tightened the bandage around her master's hand, then stepped back. "I have patched up your wound, master."

"Why thank you, my sweet. Now please rejoin Zaros in the back. Nightmare's quite the dramatic when summoned." She nodded, then stepped back.

Aeternus cracked his fingers, then his neck. After loosening up his joints, he stacked his hands together and held them over the magic circle. "Okay, Being of Nightmares, time to have some fun."

Aeternus' hands sparked with magical electricity. They brought down a bolt onto the center, lighting up the blood and dust. The symbol glowed to match his magic aura. The Life Particles and the blood swirled within the center, compacting into a condensed sphere, then fusing into the chalk. The center turn black.

The black energy traveled up the chalk lines, overtaking Aeternus' own magic aura. Once the circle was corrupted, the energy traveled up the candles. The flames shifted from their red-orange glow to a black and red flame.

Aeternus ceased channeling magic into the circle, then took a step back. He folded his hands behind his back and stretched a wide, toothy grin as he watched his ritual take form.

The wind began to pick up in the stone room, swirling along the walls. Zaros covered his face with his free arm while gripping tightly on his spell book. The Roserade, aside from pushing down on her skirt as it nearly flew up, didn't flinch and continued to express blankness in her expression.

The flames moved with the wind. With the wind spinning faster, the flames followed the path. Soon enough, the trail of flames connected with each other, creating a ring of black fire.

Soon, the center exploded with energy, creating a powerful tornado that blew everyone but Aeternus off their feet. The flames traveled up with the tornado, fusing into the energy. At the center, the sound of crackling and shattering was heard. A tear in space cracked open in the floor.

A form slithered out of the rift. An amorphous form of pure darkness. Its red eyes pierced through the tornado, glaring down at the smug grinning Mr. Mime. The figure raised its arms and slashed the air, dispersing the tornado.

Zaros and Aeternus' maid sat back up, but were knocked back down from the second blast. This one was far stronger, as the force shattered the stone walls surrounding them. The wooden door was blown off its hinges and skipped across a long hall before breaking down the middle.

They pushed themselves up a second time, this time not getting knocked over again. They rubbed their heads, then looked up at the large shadow that loomed over Aeternus with an intimidating stature. The shadow reached to the height of the ceiling and was nearly as big as half the room. Its blood red eyes shined down on Aeternus like a spotlight.

The shadow bent down to Aeternus' level and hissed. "Puck…"

Aeternus grinned. "Nightmare! My old pal! How have you been?"

The shadow's form shrunk down to his usual size, though he still hovered over Aeternus with his large stature. "Five hundred years…you haven't changed a bit, Puck." Nightmare narrowed his eyes, observing Aeternus' magic aura and behavior closely. "…physically speaking."

The count waved his words off like they were a compliment. "Aw, you flatterer~! Still as charming as ever~!"

Nightmare floated around him. "You're much more…'chipper' than when I last saw you."

Aeternus rubbed his fingers together. "Five hundred years can do that to you. And by the way, I don't go by Puck anymore." He grinned. "It's Aeternus. Count Aeternus."

"Count, huh?" Nightmare folded his arms behind his back, then looked around at his surroundings. "You have risen to the status of 'Count?'"

Aeternus leaned against the walls with a chuckling grin. "I've made a few deals and…" He tapped on the hilt of a dagger hidden in his cloak. "…'legal' actions in my solo years."

Nightmare narrowed his eyes. "So you and the heralds have split up?"

"We went our separate ways, yes." Aeternus rolled his eyes. "Wendrake made that pretty clear when he decided to split." He smirked. "I've been in occasional contact with Callista, though. Voss? Eh, that guy's doing something and, frankly, I rather not know."

"So, we're even more split than I feared." Nightmare closed his eyes. "Typical. I finally wake up after five hundred years and we have a stack of troubles collapsing over."

"I know," Aeternus groaned in annoyance. He counted off his fingers. "Find the heralds, find the idol, and, of course, help the master."

"Uh, Count Aeternus?" Aeternus and Nightmare looked over at Zaros, who was standing around awkwardly. "I, uh…believe I should introduce myself."

Aeternus grinned. "Yes, yes! How rude of me!" He walked over to Zaros. "Nightmare, this is my apprentice, Zaros. He's a fine and skilled sorcerer. Taught him everything I know!"

Nightmare deadpanned. "Why does that concern me?" Either way, he bowed to Zaros. "A honor to meet you, Master Zaros."

"Master Zaros?" he questioned.

Aeternus crossed his arms. "That should show you how high in rank I am over Nightmare. So high that even my apprentices outrank him."

Zaros blinked in surprise, then pushed his glasses up in intrigue. "Interesting…"

Nightmare groaned. Yep, concerned already.

Aeternus pushed Zaros away. "Alright, leave. I'll fill you in on anything you need to know in due time." He pointed at his maid. "That goes double for you."

Zaros and the maid bowed. "As you wish, Count Aeternus," Zaros stated. He and the maid left.

Once the door shut, Aeternus sighed, then glared at Nightmare. "So, about the situation involving the Shadow King…"

Nightmare floated around the room. "Have you felt it?"

"Felt it? His return practically slammed me in the face." Aeternus shook his head. "I must say, when I sensed that beautiful power again, my heart skipped a beat with joy. When I felt it, I knew our return to power would be stronger and fiercer than ever!" He looked up at the ceiling and laughed. "Oh, our glorious conquest would have been marvelous! Marvelous, I tell you!"

His stature became sluggish, with his expression turning disappointed and annoyed. "Then it disappeared, like it was suppressed by a greater force." He shook his head. "Reason told me that my master was in danger, but I don't know what the danger is."

"I've been in recent contact with the Shadow King." Nightmare landed behind Aeternus. "It is true what he told me. Our old master is dead…his original host body, that is. He has acquired a new host body upon his release."

Aeternus glanced through his peripherals with a raised brow. "Something went wrong?"

"Something unexpected." Nightmare narrowed his eyes. "According to the Shadow King, he possessed a wandering warrior with a…weary heart. The negativity, of course, allowed our glorious leader to take possession of this distressed warrior with little difficulty…for the time."

Aeternus held his chin with an intrigued grin. "Ooh, complications."

"I'm sure you're aware of how hard it is to perform a possession should the host body have a strong will. The Shadow King ran into some trouble during a battle with someone, who had knowledge on his treasured goal."

"The Idol of Origin," the count said.

"Precisely. Our master fought with his newfound power, but…he ultimately failed in his mission." Nightmare floated back and forth. "He couldn't retrieve the information. What's worse was…his host body's spirit was fighting back. It still is. Not enough to regain control, but enough to where the Shadow King couldn't take full possession. He was stuck."

"I see. Who is this mysterious warrior?"

"The Shadow King identified him as Alex Ghostwind. He possesses great willpower, stubbornly fighting our master." Nightmare shook his head. "Disgraceful. If that fool were conscious, he would know it is foolish to fight against our master."

Aeternus waved the shadow's praises with indifference. "Yeah, yeah, get to the point. What's the Shadow King up to?"

Nightmare groaned, then continued, "Well, since he can't take full possession, the Shadow King decided to try something different. Using the memories of Ghostwind and all the information he learned from his brief time here, he suppressed Ghostwind's spirit and molded it into a new persona."

Aeternus scratched his chin. "So…he gave the host control again, but without his memories?"

"Without his life. A completely new person, separate from Ghostwind. It allows him to remain dormant and to recover his strength while this new persona went on with his new life." Nightmare glared. "He got rid of the memories, but not the willpower. He still remains trapped within that body, fighting against him. As his magic grew, the host's willpower grew faster. He let himself into his own prison."

The Mr. Mime threw his head back and laughed. "Kehehehe! Oh, that's rich!"

Nightmare glared at him. "This is not a laughing matter!"

"It is for me!" He laughed harder, slapping his knee. "Oh, the Shadow King's own plan backfired on him! Way to go, glorious master!"

Nightmare gripped his shirt collar and lifted him in the air with a furious expression. "I will personally destroy you for insulting our master."

The shadow's eyes widened as Aeternus lifted his palm, aiming it at his face. He smirked malevolently. "Mind if I go first?" Yellow magic coated his palm, threatening to fire through the shadow's face.

Nightmare narrowed his eyes, then dropped him. "For the time being, we can't rescue our master until the time is right. Kidnapping his host would look too suspicious. Someone would notice a missing person in a matter of days. If we cause trouble, the strongest wizards in this world will be after us." Nightmare poked the count's chest. "I don't care how powerful you are. We're not starting a war with the Pokémon of this time, especially when my forces have already gotten beat by a group of wannabe treasure hunters."

Aeternus raised a brow as he adjusted his collar. "Did you say treasure hunters?"

"Oh yes, forgot to mention that." Nightmare glanced at him. "Four treasure hunters are looking for the Idol of Origin. I'm not sure how far they are on their journey, but I intend to find them. I get the first key before they do."

Aeternus smirked, then shook his head mockingly. "Oh, poor you. You're late to the party, it seems." He leaned against a wall with his hand. He held up five fingers. "If I'm correct, there are five meddling treasure hunters to deal with. And…they've already obtained one key."

"WHAT?!" Nightmare gripped him by the collar again with fury.

Aeternus raised his hands. "Watch the suit. It's worth more than your life."

"When?! Where?! How?!"

Aeternus counted off his fingers. "Hmm…yesterday, Fuego Village, and…beats me. They beat the mage protecting it, I guess."

Nightmare threw Aeternus to the ground, but he caught himself on his hands and feet like a cat. "Unbelievable! I didn't think those nuisances would actually get the key!" He pointed at the count. "Why didn't you stop them?!"

"I'm halfway across the region. What was I supposed to do?" Aeternus asked with a shrug.

Nightmare floated back and forth, holding his face. "Ugh…where is this Fuego Village?"

"Times have changed ever since you surfaced. The region has been divided up into different zones. Fuego Village exists within the Fire Zone."

"The Fire Zone?" Nightmare crossed his arms. "Well, guess that clears up what the 'Earth Zone' is. Where are they heading?"

Aeternus shrugged. "I don't know. Somewhere."

The shadow face-palmed. "Brilliant deduction."

Aeternus bowed mockingly. "Why thank you."

Nightmare clenched his fists. "Just wonderful! We have no idea where they're going, we still need to find the other three heralds, AND our master is trapped in his host body!" He clutched his face. "This is a-!"

"Hey, calm down, drama queen," Aeternus interrupted with his hands raised. "Not all hope is lost. You said the Shadow King contacted you, right? It means he's gaining some control, just not much. All we need to do is lure his host out in the open where no one's around, then we can figure out how to suppress Ghostwind's will."

Nightmare pinched between his eyes. "Even so, those treasure hunters will be an issue. I faced the magic users of this time and they are strong. Even that Scrafty gave me a hard time without magic."

"Look, if really is that big of an issue, then let's not focus on the Shadow King."

The shadow glared. "Excuse me?"

"Our master is a smart guy. He'll figure something out. If he's still in regular contact with you, that means there's a time where he has control. At least enough to pull miracles off. Once he has something for us to work with, he'll give us our half of the plan and we'll finish it off there."

Nightmare's expression lightened up. "…perhaps." He rubbed his nonexistent chin. "But what about the treasure hunters? Four of them were enough of a problem. I'm not dealing with five."

Aeternus chuckled, folding his arms behind his back. "Then it's your lucky day, Nightmare, because I already have a plan in mind."

"How so?"

"Well, as magic became more accustomed to this time period, new jobs have been made for the public. Treasure hunter, archeologist, potion makers…" He smirked. "…and bounty hunters."

Now Nightmare was becoming curious. "A bounty hunter?" He tapped his fingers together, then smirked. "Yes, yes…that'd take care of the grunt work." He then frowned. "However, we're not sure how effective they would be in taking those treasure hunters out."

Aeternus reached into his cloak. "Oh trust me, I know. The last bounty hunters I hired got their asses handed to them." He smirked. "Though, I wasn't bothering to hire the best. However, desperate time call for desperate measures."

"You have a plan, don't you?"

Aeternus chuckled. "There's an active list handed out every month that ranks the top hundred bounty hunters in Mysto. The ones I hired were ranked eighty-nine. Considering the number of bounty hunters in the region, that should have been a decent number to work with. But no, they failed. Bounty hunter work is a dishonest job. The side you're on depends on the size of the paycheck." He grinned devilishly. "And I aim to pay high."

Nightmare glared impatiently. "Get to your point."

Aeternus rolled the list up and tossed it to Nightmare over his shoulder. "Check out who's number one."

Nightmare caught it, then unfurled it. "Hmm…the Blood Moon Rogue?"

Aeternus chuckled darkly. "He is said to have taken on thousands of bounties. He's a merciless killer who will take any bounty he sees fit, so long as it pays well." He shrugged. "All we need to do is make a bounty for these travelers and he'll handle the rest."

Nightmare raised a brow. "And…you're sure this will work?"

"I'm positive." Aeternus' lips curled up evilly. "We're going to have so much FUN later!"

The shadow sighed, then smirked. "Oh, alright. But what about the three heralds?"

"Let me handle that. In the meantime, I need just need those travelers' names, faces, and anything else to give clear instructions. Then we plant the seed…and the Blood Moon Rogue handles the rest." Aeterus laughed, rubbing his hands together. "It's going to be beautiful…"

Five Days Later…

Far out in the barren lands of the Desert Zone was a small town, known as Dust Bowl Town. Sturdy wooden buildings stood tall against the harsh, sandy winds, lined across each other in a parallel fashion. No one was loitering around outside, as they'd be much safer within the safety of the buildings. It wasn't a busy town, but it was a good rest stop for travelers who needed a place to rest their feet.

One such building was the local saloon, where travelers would go to get drunk and have a good time. It attracted good business, sure, but the ruder customers tended to be the most grating.

Four men in particular were causing quite the ruckus. A Makuhita, a Sawsbuck in his Autumn Form, a Turtonator, and a Girafarig. They all wore desert gear to protect themselves from the harsh elements outside. To them, they were having a good time after a successful hunt. To the other patrons and employees, they were absolute pains.

Makuhita laughed, chugging down an entire bottle of gin. He slammed it down. "Boys, I declare a toast for such a successful ambush!"

Sawsbuck lapped his drink, which was in a bowl. He laughed. "Oh, I couldn't agree more! Those folks didn't see it coming! Remember when that child screamed for his mommy?"

Girafarig chuckled. "It was so innocent and pathetic. Too bad we didn't let him cry any longer. I wanted to watch him cry some more."

"Perhaps the next attack will prove just as enjoyable," Turtonator proposed, downing an entire mug.

Makuhita whistled at a Mismagius waitress, who cringed in annoyance. "Yo, hot stuff, bring the boys and I another round! On the double!"

She growled at him, but bit back on her tongue. "R-Right away, sir…" She floated over to the counter, then slammed down a tray in front of her coworker, a Dwebble standing on a high wheeled stool.

He looked up at her. "They getting to you, too?"

"I swear, if he tries anything funny, I'm going bash his skull in with this tray! That goes double for his entire party!"

He raised his claws, hoping to calm her down. "We can't do that. Have you seen the wanted posters? Those guys are the Serpent Bandits. If we set them off in any way, they'll kill us, along with our other customers."

"So, we just serve them?!"

"They'll leave eventually. Until then, just get them their drinks and hope for the best."

Mismagius gripped tightly on the tray in frustration. "I'm still tempted to beat them dead…"

Dwebble sighed. "You and me both…"

As everyone was distracted with the noisy bandits, they failed to notice another patron enter the saloon. He was concealed under a brown cloak, though one could make out his green skin, along with the red jacket, white shirt, and black pants underneath.

He pulled on the hood a bit before walking down the saloon. He walked pass the bandits, not so much as batting an eye. He stopped in front of the counter and took a seat in the stool.

Dwebble rolled his stool over to the cloaked Pokémon. "Hello stranger, what can I do for you?"

He dropped three bronze bits on the counter. "Yache berry juice."

The bartender spun around on his stool and rolled over to the bottle that contained the beverage. "Lum…Oran…Roseli…ah, Yache!" He grabbed it and rolled over to the stranger. He took out a glass and poured it until it was near the top. "There you are. Enjoy."

"Thanks." He picked the glass up and took a sip. He smacked his lips together from the refreshing taste, then looked around at the bandits. "Noisy customers?"

Dwebble rolled his eyes. "Don't get me started on those four. I would kick them out, but I'm worried they'll point a gun at me."

"You don't say?" he asked, seemingly unaware of the situation.

"They're known as the Serpent Bandits. Cruel, heartless, vile…I can't stand them, but I can't do anything about it without endangering the other patrons."

"I see…" The stranger took another sip of his drink. He set the empty glass down firmly. "Out of curiosity, how badly do you want them thrown out of here?"

Dwebble glanced at the Mismagius waitress, who was being bothered by the Makuhita. "If someone can throw them out of here, free drinks for everyone." He chuckled weakly, lightly shrugging. "But, no one in here is man enough to do it."

The stranger stared at the Dwebble silently, then he turned around in his chair and hopped off. He pulled a piece of paper out of his cloak. "Better start passing out those free drinks." Dwebble raised a brow in confusion.

With the bandits, Mismagus was trying to leave, but Makuhita had her by the hat. "Let me go!" she shouted aggressively.

"Aw, come on, sweetheart," Makuhita said with a smirk. "Join the guys and me for a drink. It'll be fun."

"I said hands off!" She smacked him across the face, forcing him to let go. However, her eyes widened as she realized the error of her actions.

A red mark went across his cheek. The Makuhita bandit rubbed it with an irritated expression. "Whatever happened to treating a customer with respect?"

"S-Sir, I'm sorry, but you were-" She gasped as he pressed a gun against her head.

"I think you need to be taught a lesson. Here's your tip." He pulled back on the hammer. Mismagius clenched her eyes shut, awaiting the magic bullet to be fired.

Makuhita smirked and pulled the trigger, firing off the magic bullet. However, a hand appeared in front of the barrel before it fired and gripped around it. The sudden obstruction to the gun caused the barrel to explode from the pressure.

"AH!" The bandit flew back in his seat and slammed his head against the table.

"Boss!" his party cried out.

Makuhita sat up, rubbed the back of his head, and glared at the cloak figure standing over him. He looked at Mismagius and nodded his head. "Get lost." She didn't argue, flying away from the confrontation. The gunshot alerted the attention of the other patrons, equally shocked.

The stranger faced the bandits, then felt a blade press against his chest, curtesy of the Sawsbuck. He snorted angrily, shouting, "What's the big idea, punk?! You got some nerve attacking the leader of the Serpent Bandits?!"

The stranger was unfazed. "…so, you are the Serpent Bandits. That's good. I've been looking for you four." He held a piece of paper in front of the deer's face. "You've made a man very, very angry with your latest ambush. I'm here to collect the reward money."

Sawsbuck narrowed his eyes on the wanted poster. "Wanted…Serpent Bandits…Dead…" He blinked. "Wait, just dead-?" A palm strike slammed against the side of his head. The force knocked half his teeth out of his gums, spraying blood across the table.

The other patrons screamed and either got to the back of the saloon or ran outside.

Sawsbuck weakly picked himself up as his gums bled. "Ow…you…bastard…" He raised his hind legs to buck him, but a dagger with a long, thin blade and a red hilt drove into his back. He gasped in pain, then keeled over.

The stranger pulled the blade out of the dead bandit's back, then wiped the blood off with his finger. He tossed the dagger up skillfully. "Who's next?"

Girafarig took a running start and charged at the stranger, adorning a horned helmet with sharp blades. The stranger sidestepped and chopped the giraffe in the back of the neck, sending him tumbling across the floor.

The giraffe tried to stand up, though he was dizzy from the blow. He growled at the stranger, who slowly walked towards him. "Think you're some sort of tough guy, don't you?!" Despite being dizzy, he swung himself at the stranger with all his weight.

The bounty hunter jumped over and threw three daggers, similar to the one he used. They pierced through the Girafarig's back, stunning him and knocking him into a table.

"My turn!" The bounty hunter dodged a punch from the Turtonator, who was wearing a copper colored gauntlet. The punch flew into the ground and turned the floor to splinters. The bounty hunter waved his cloak and knocked the sharp wood away.

He pulled out three more daggers and threw them at Turtonator. He spun around and let them collide with his shell, which triggered it to explode in the bounty hunter's face.

Tuntonator laughed. "HA! That's what you get for killing my…!" He turned back around, but there was no scorched body on the ground. He narrowed his eyes in confusion. "…pals?"

He felt an uncomfortable presence behind him. He glanced through his peripherals to identify it, until a large black blade thrusted through his back and came out of his front. He spat out blood, with a horrorstricken expression dominating his features. He only got a quick glance at the glowing red eyes that stared back at his, before he collapsed onto his knees and fell dead.

The bounty hunter pulled the blade out of the dead turtle's back, then pointed it at Makuhita, who was petrified with fear. "N-No…no…you're him. I-I recognize that sword…"

The sword, as established, had a long black blade. The blunt edge of the sword was straight while the sharp edge was curved. The hilt connected around the straight edge and was wrapped in white cloth, which dangled off. The blade was reflective, allowing Makuhita to see his own terrified expression.

The bounty hunter stepped forward and pulled his hood back, revealing himself as a Grovyle. He plucked his three daggers out of Girafarig and picked up the other three that Turtonator blocked. He held all six of them up, then they disappeared into a red vortex.

Makuhita pressed his back against the wall, then the Grovyle pressed his sword against the bandit's chest. The Grovyle narrowed his eyes. "Killed an innocent woman…killed a boy…looted all their possessions…" He narrowed his eyes. "Nothing makes me sicker than scum like you."

Makuhita found the strength to argue back, with nervous rage. "O-Oh yeah?! What does that make you?!" He reached behind his back, gripping the short, straight edge sword sheathed on his back. "I've heard about you! You're the Blood Moon Rogue! You're a freak! A killer! Just like us!"

Grovyle narrowed his eyes. "…yes, you're right." He pulled his sword away and sent it into the same red vortex as before.

Makuhita smirked. "Big mistake!" He pulled his sword out and thrusted it straight for the bounty hunter's heart.

However, in a surprising move, Grovyle caught the blade in his hand. Makuhita gasped in shock. Blood trickled down the bounty hunter's arm, yet he didn't so much as flinch.

The Blood Moon Rogue glared and, with a clench of his fist, snapped the blade in two. With swift movements, he jabbed his knuckles against the sides of the Makuhita's head, then slowly lifted him up with surprising strength and little effort. The Makuhita felt his body tense up in horror and pain.

The bounty hunter leaned forward, then whispered, "What does life mean to you?"

Makuhita was confused by his words, but he'll never be able to decipher them. He felt the air pressure tense up as they both became surrounded in a thick red aura. The aura shot to the top of the roof like a powerful eruption. The floor and tables that sat near them were obliterated by just the pressure of the bounty hunter's aura alone. Both bandit and bounty hunter were cloaked in the aura, only seen as silhouetted figures.

Makuhita threw his head back and screamed in absolute agony. This aura…was no ordinary aura. A strong type of magic fueled it, but he wasn't sure what. It made his skin burn. His organs, including his eyes, and blood boiled. He flailed frantically to escape, but Grovyle had him held up tight despite only using his knuckles to trap him.

The bounty hunter's cruel methods of execution horrified the onlookers, having only heard stories of the Blood Moon Rogue and his previous bounties. The Dwebble and Mismagius looked at each other with worried expressions, though they were both unsure if they should be scared or relieved.

Makuhita's screams reached maximum loudness before going completely silent. The bounty hunter ceased with his magic and dispelled his aura. He removed his knuckles, letting the bandit hit the floor. The bandit was, for lack of a better term, boiled to death. He looked…too appalling for words to describe.

Grovyle walked over to the counter calmly, as if he didn't boil a man alive. The patrons flinched as he drew closer. The bounty hunter looked down at the Dwebble, then handed him a sack of bits. "That should cover the damage." Without another word, he turned away and walked out of the saloon.

The patrons and staff stared in disbelief, looking around at the dead bodies on the floor. Mismagius looked at Dwebble. "Uh…what do we do now?"

Dwebble gulped. "Um…you call someone to retrieve the bodies and I'll…pass out the free drinks, I guess."

"I've taken care of your bounty," the bounty hunter said to the East Sea Gastrodon over his mobile crystal ball. "Your wife and son have been avenged."

The Gastrodon lowered his head, sniffling at the reminder of his lost family. "I…thank you, Blood Moon Rogue. I'll…make sure to have the payment ready before you come pick it up."

"Pleasure doing business with you." He tapped the crystal ball and ended the call. He almost put it away, but he got another call over it. Curious, he held it up and tapped it. The image of a Lurantis came into view, but just her face.

"Griffin, where are you? Mack and I have been looking for you everywhere! You've been gone for a whole day!"

Griffin raised a brow. "And you only now decide to call?"

"I misplaced my orb, but that's not important! Where are you?!"

"Dust Bowl Town."

The Lurantis groaned. "Let me guess, new bounty?" He nodded. "Of course. Warn us next time you leave like that. We'll be by to meet up with you."

Griffin walked forward, staring at the crystal ball. He was unaware of the black vortex ahead of him in the ground, which spat out a piece of paper. "I'm heading to Cactus Village to pick up my money. I'll meet up with you there."

"You better. We're a team, remember. You can't go running off like that."

"Well, maybe if you two weren't so darn slow, we wouldn't be having this-" He stopped talked when he felt himself stepping on a piece of paper. He stepped back and immediately took notice of the word 'Wanted' across the top. "Hello, what's this?" He bent down and picked it up.

"What did you find?"

He read the poster over. "It's a bounty…for some group called 'Team Ravenfield' or something." The poster presented a rough sketch of all five active members. "They were last seen leaving Fuego Village."

"Fuego Village? That's in the Fire Zone."

Griffin narrowed his eyes on the money below. "Well, well, well, someone really wants these five dead. Check out the bounty." He pointed the orb at the promised reward.

The Lurantis' eyes widened in surprise. "Sweet Mew, that's a lot of zeroes!"

"And all I need to do is take back some key they stole," he explained, reading the instructions provided. He scoffed. "Too easy. If it weren't for the reward, this be a waste of my time." He looked at the Lurantis. "Holly, you and Mack go pick up my money from Cactus Village. I'll tell the guy you'll be coming."

Holly groaned. "You want us to walk to Cactus Village, THEN find you somewhere in the Fire Zone?"

"Is that a problem?"

She bowed her head. "…you owe me sixty percent."

He rolled his eyes. "Deal." He had no time to argue. "I'll call back when I find them."

"Okay. Don't do anything stupid." Holly ended the call.

Griffin stuffed the crystal ball in his jacket. "Better see if I can afford a ride to the Fire Zone. Easier than running to it." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked out of the town.

Hidden from sight behind a building, Nightmare peered down at the bounty hunter with villainous glee. Perfect. He'll get rid of those treasure hunters, then the idol will be ours. He sunk into the darkness, laughing as he disappeared.