Ch.46: The Madness of Nature Runs Wild! Flint and Gwyn's Vengeful Rage!

An ominous silence came between the witches and the furious Flareon before them. Flint clenched his teeth together and glared with burning orange aura radiating from his eyes. His Guardian punched its fists together, glaring with equal intensity. It floated over Flint, specifically around Gwyn as she lay unconscious on the Flareon's back. It felt Flint's emotions and his desire to protect the Mew.

The witches held their weapons up defensively while Reuben continued to hold himself up with the poison coursing through his body. Callista stood at the front of the group with cold, narrowed eyes. She stared hard at the Flareon and his Guardian, hissing quietly with amusement.

"Heh…trying to play the Mew's hero, Flareon? How utterly…meaningless."

Flint seethed through his teeth. His Guardian's hands erupted with aura. "If you want to act so smug, say it to my face!"

Callista chuckled as her dark aura manifested around her. "I prefer not to handle the grunt work in a fight, boy…"

The Hex Caster, however, dashed forward before her leader could make the first strike. "Coven leader, allow me to eliminate this pest in your honor!" She pulled out twenty of her shards and threw them on the ground. "Five weren't enough to put you down! How about twenty?!"

The shards erupted in light and transformed into the stone goblins from earlier. They all laughed in delight and sadistic glee as they stared down the irritated Flareon. They jumped around childishly before running towards him, extending their claws out.

The Hex Caster laughed. "That's right, my pets! Kill him and bring me the Mew!"

They surrounded Flint and the Guardian, then leaped at him with their claws thrown forward. On a normal day, Flint would be cowering. Right now? He wasn't having it. His and the Guardian's eyes quickly scanned the attacking goblins, then Flint muttered, "Get lost."

A goblin got close to clawing his eyes out, but it got obliterated by a flurry of punches. The other goblins gasped at the speedy movements of the Guardian. It whipped its head around, with a red glow trailing its piercing gaze, and punched down half the goblins in a matter of seconds.

The Hex Caster stumbled back in alarm. "That incredible speed!"

The remaining nine goblins grabbed hold of the Guardian's limbs to hold it down. They laughed at their clever plan, until the Guardian easily flexed them off before spinning and throwing a tornado of punches. It stopped spinning with its arms crossed coolly. The goblins, suspended in the air and stunned in shock, exploded into dust.

The Hex Caster gasped. "NO!" She aimed her staff. "Away, you dull creature!" She only blinked for a split second, but, to her horror, the Guardian, with astonishing speed, appeared in front of her.

"Looks like I broke your little toys," Flint's voice whispered in her ear before the Guardian socked her square in the face with at least twenty punches before the shock sent her flying back to her coven.

Callista casually stepped out of the way and let the Hex Caster crash into the wall. She deadpanned. "Satisfied, Isidore?"

Isidore groaned and slid to the ground. "Y…Yes, coven leader…"

"Good. All of you, stay out of this," Callista ordered with her foreleg raised. "Someone has to teach this little punk a lesson."

Flint's aura spiked furiously. He stomped his paws down and growled. "I'll deal with you in a moment!" His eyes landed on Reuben, who froze at his petrifying glare. "It's YOU I'm after!"

Reuben held his hands up, quick but weakly. "Whoa, now wait a minute!" He felt a sharp breeze pass by him. He turned around, then received a strong blow to the gut by Flint's Guardian. It grabbed him by the collar and, with one hand, pounded his face relentlessly.

"Never, EVER, come near Gwyn AGAIN!" Flint screamed before his Guardian blasted his fist so hard against Reuben's face that he rocketed through the church walls, leaving behind a large hole. Flint seethed through his teeth angrily, shaking uncontrollably. His Guardian floated over him with matching rage.

While her followers were shaking in horror, Callista merely stared in interest. My, my, he is a feisty Flareon. She tapped her chin. I might actually enjoy this.

Flint faced the ground and breathed heavily, trying to get a hold of his anger. He really, really wanted to let out all his frustration, but he couldn't lose sight of the end goal. He needed to take down these witches for good. He needed to control his temper for a little longer.

He inhaled deeply, then faced the witches once again. "Alright…which one of you wants next round?"

Callista hissed. "All of you…go through the portal without me."

"What about Reuben?" the Curse Weaver asked while the Dark Medium picked Isidore up.

She waved it off. "I'll retrieve him in a moment. I wish to play with this Flareon for a bit. You three take off. Reuben and I will join you shortly."

Not willing to disobey their leader, they nodded. "Yes ma'am!" They went through the portal with Isidore being dragged behind.

Callista hissed, then took an intimidating step forward, though Flint was unfazed. He growled. "You killed Gwyn's mother…didn't you?"

Callista snickered. "Perceptive brat, aren't you? I wouldn't say I killed her. I just set up the pieces for her demise." She clicked her mandibles. "That being said, I won't be as indirect with you. Oh, how I'll enjoy using your bones in my rituals. Your blood will make a great offering to my demonic clients."

Flint scoffed bitterly while his Guardian cracked its knuckles. "I'm not afraid of you."

Callista snickered. "Poor unfortunate soul…" Darkness surrounded her. "It's not me you should be afraid of…"

Reuben, after lying the ground and slowly exhaling in pain, pushed himself up. He groaned slightly, then winced from the stinging pain in his face. He looked down at a puddle of water and gasped at his altered face. The Guardian practically rearranged his skull. Swollen bruises, dents in his face, a sunken eye, and blood running down his face. Even half his igloo head was broken off.

He pressed his hand against his face, then clenched his teeth. "That…bastard!" He stood up dizzily and held his side. "I'm going to kill him, turn his body into a puppet, and spend every waking moment of my life beating him to a bloody pulp!"

"Well, well, well…" Reuben's eyes widened, then he looked up. Griffin stood before him with a puppet in a headlock. "Fancy meeting you here, Reuben."

"Oh! Griffin!" He pointed over his shoulder. "Flint! He's in danger! You need to-!"

"Save it, freak," Griffin growled before kicking him in the chest and stepped on him. "Flint told me what happened." He pulled out Endless Regret and aimed it down at his head. "I'm going to carve you like a pumpkin."

Reuben clenched his teeth and grunted. He clutched his chest as the poison ate away at his health. "You treasure hunters are getting on my last nerve." He raised his hand. "Even so, I've been more than prepared for this."

Griffin glared. "Do you think I'm scared of your puppets?"

"Fear is a varying concept, Everfall." Reuben smirked evilly. "A whole army can instill fear. A single individual instills terror." He snapped his fingers.

Griffin turned around and glared at the rows of puppets surrounding him. The crowd parted to let one through: a Swalot that appeared slightly rotten. It slid forward mindlessly and glared at the Grovyle. Griffin spun his sword and channeled magic through it, then stepped back with the Swalot puppet opened its mouth and fired off condensed, pink fireballs. Griffin raised his sword, but was blasted off his feet.

He landed safely and glared at the puppet while Reuben stumbled to his feet with a wicked grin. "Heh…surprised? We Puppet Masters are rather inventive with our toys. Magic isn't always enough. So, I manufactured the insides of this one with mechanisms that release the equivalent of firework bombs." His grin widened. "And they hurt."

The Swalot fired off three fireballs at the bounty hunter. Since he couldn't absorb them through Endless Regret, he slashed through the fireballs. He dashed towards the Swalot and slashed at its side. However, the spongy body of the puppet absorbed the shock, allowing it to grab Griffin with its whiskers and throw him over its shoulder.

Griffin landed on his feet and gripped the whiskers tightly. "Your little tricks don't amuse me." He swung the Swalot and bashed it into the other puppets before smashing it down head first. Two puppets leaped in the air and jumped on Griffin's back. He growled. "Die. Exosus Release: Maelstrom!" He exploded out a burst of hateful energy.

Five puppets dashed under their fried allies and swung swords at the Grovyle. Griffin blocked them effortlessly. With an annoyed grunt, he snapped one's neck, then slammed his fist down so hard, he obliterated the body into scattered pieces. He gripped the hilt of Endless Regret tightly and incinerated the other four with a wave of Exosus Release.

Griffin cracked his neck and advanced towards Reuben once more, but was shot in the back by the Swalot puppet. Griffin dropped to one knee and clenched his teeth while his back smoked from the shot. He turned around and stood up, visibly annoyed. "I'm already sick and tired of that thing." He sprinted towards the puppet, trading Endless Regret for One For All.

He slashed the puppet, leaving a light sword jabbed into its skin, then repeatedly struck from all angles. The puppet took the hits as its body as light swords stuck all around. Griffin leaped overhead and spun One For All. "Multiply and Set!" He dived down and struck each of the light swords with perfect accuracy. They shook and rang from the impacts, shaking the puppet as well, before exploding in a brilliant flash.

Griffin jumped back and sent One For All away. He narrowed his eyes, then growled when he saw the puppet leaping from the smoke. Griffin raised his hand and summoned Cekvar's Might. He gripped the massive sword's hilt and smashed it down on the Swalot puppet.

Griffin growled quietly, then lifted the sword for a second crushing when the other puppets attacked him from behind and locked his arms down. Griffin dropped Cekvar's Might, shaking the ground as it landed, and stumbled around to force the freaks off.

"Grr…Exosus Rele-!" He was cut off by a sharp punch to the gut. Griffin doubled over and dropped to his knees, gasping for air. He glared up at the Gurdurr puppet who socked him, who then punched him across the face and slammed both fists down on his head.

Reuben folded his arms behind his back and walked over to Griffin with an evil glare. "Well, it seems you bit off more than you can chew." He raised his brow, grinning mockingly. "I thought you said my puppets weren't a threat to you."

Griffin panted slightly, then narrowed his eyes. "And they still aren't."

Reuben narrowed his eyes and snarled. "Arrogant bastard…" He snapped his fingers, provoking his puppets into a furious state. "I'll make sure they tear your limbs to shreds."

Griffin glared slightly over his shoulder, then closed his eyes with a calm expression. "You really don't know who I am."

"Enlighten me," Reuben mocked.

Griffin opened his eyes and glared. "If you insist." He bashed the back of his head against the puppets holding him down, then grabbed Cekvar's Might with his feet.

Much to Reuben's surprise, the Grovyle was able to balance and support the weight of the massive sword with his feet while spinning on his hands. The sword knocked away a good chunk of the puppets before being thrown in the air. Griffin leaped off his hands and landed against the face of Cekvar's Might. He tapped it once and sent it back into his personal arsenal. He then pulled out No Peace and aimed it straight for the ground.

The collision with the dirt sent up a wave of kinetic energy that blasted the puppets and Reuben away from him. Reuben crashed into the church and landed on his rear. He gripped his chest and snarled venomously at the bounty hunter. "You dare play me for a fool?!" He coughed loudly, then swiped his hand forward. "Kill…KILL HIM!"

The puppets screeched and sprinted at Griffin carelessly. Griffin gripped No Peace tightly and wound it back. However, he loosened his form when a lightning streak passed by the puppets and made them disappear. The Grovyle and Reuben looked up at the church and saw puppets raining down on their heads, with Tony leaning against the cross-wheel decoration at the tip of the roof, holding a puppet by its ankle.

He flipped the salute at them. "Why am I not surprised you need my help?"

Griffin narrowed his eyes and held his hip. "I'm more than capable of defending myself."

"Then why aren't they dead yet?" He glared down at Reuben, then waved with a devious grin. "Yo, Reuben! How's it going?" He flipped his sparking fingers up. "Now, this all looks very suspicious on your end."

Reuben clenched his teeth. "You miserable rats don't frighten me." He whistled loudly, alerting his puppets. "Defend yourselves and the church! We're leaving with the Mew at all costs!"

"Hehehe…no." Reuben received a sharp kick to the back of the neck. His vision blurred and doubled as he stumbled around. He struggled to turn his neck, glaring at the smug Espeon. Ella blew a strand of fur out of her eyes. "No way you're getting taking Gwyn…at least not without a royal smackdown."

Reuben growled and clapped his hands together. The puppets' eyes flashed red, then they roared angrily. They dashed at the newcomers and swung their claws, tails, or fists. With their mindless states, they had the strength to break through solid rock. However, it wouldn't be enough to slow the team down.

The puppets received a surprise attack from Wes, who landed behind a group and fired off Infernius. The corpses incinerated on the spot. Wes blew a puff of smoke from the right side of his mouth and grinned, then casually dodged a sloppy punch from a Lucario puppet. The Umbreon headbutted it with great force, then fired a blank point Mystic Beam that blew its head off.

Fernando ran into the fray, spinning his balisong. He held the knife in a reverse grip and stabbed through the puppets with precise strikes. Two ran at him from both sides with their claws out. The Monferno leapt over their attacks and slashed through their arms, tearing apart their muscles. He then performed a split kick to their heads before grabbing them and smashing their faces into the ground. Fernando dusted his suit off with his eyes closed, then casually backhands a puppet over his shoulder without even turning.

Tony turned around on the roof and casually leaned back, falling to the ground. The puppets ganged up where he intends to land, but Tony smirked cheekily and disappeared in a flash of lightning. The puppets looked around for the speedy Dewott before getting socked across the faces by a swift bolt of lightning. One puppet remained standing and roared at the sky, only to be cut off by a flash across its neck before its head rolled off. The body dropped, revealing Tony as he juggled his scalchop in one hand.

Ella jumped back, skipping actively on her paws, as the puppets chased after her. She narrowed her eyes, then slammed her paws down, sending out a kinetic wave through her psychic power. The ground split open with rock being uplifted. Sharper stones jabbed through the puppets and stuck them in place. Four leapt over the rocks and lunged at Ella. She turned her back to them and flipped her digits up, psychically throwing them over her. She parted some fur from her eyes and smirked.

Reuben stumbled back and gripped his chest tighter. He began to look pale. He panted heavily, but shook his head. "N-No…focus…I'm not dying here…" He tried a couple of times to whistle, merely blowing air, before getting one out and commanding his stronger puppets to guard him. He pressed his back against the church and sneered. "Don't let them come closer…"

They roared and ran at the treasure hunters and hitman. Fernando glared and ran towards one of the puppets, a Dodrio. They squawked at the Monferno and furiously pecked at him. Fernando used his balisong to blocked their relentless pecking, though the force of their attacks were strong enough to push him back.

Griffin went for the Swalot puppet, who fired another fireball at him. Griffin slashed through it with Endless Regret, then slapped his palm against its body. "Repello!" The puppet was thrown into the air and onto the church roof.

Griffin prepared to jump, but halted when he saw Wes kicked a puppet that tried to sneak attack him from the side. Wes turned to the bounty hunter and asked, "Where's Flint?!"

Griffin glared and pointed at the church. "Hopefully not dying. He's trying to fight the witches on his own."

Wes' eyes widened. "What?! That's insane!" He sprinted at the church. "Hang on, big bro! I'm here to-!" A fist blew out of the dirt and clobbered Wes in the chin. He flew back and crashed into the fence. He groaned and pushed himself up, then raised his brow at shifting dirt snaking towards him. "Grr…get out of my way!" He lunged at the dirt and spun. "Lumios Storm!" The light arrows rained down on the tunnel, blasting up a Bunnelby puppet.

The puppet landed on its feet, cracked its neck, then revealed hidden blades in its ears. Wes blinked, then clenched his teeth. He threw his paws out and unleashing Terra Slash. The puppet slashed through the sharp stones, then lunged at the Umbreon. Wes caught his ears before they could stab him, then spun on his back and sharply kicked the puppet in the skull.

Wes dusted himself clean, then glared over at Reuben, who glared back with a pained expression. The Umbreon clenched his teeth. "You're not taking our friend."

Reuben panted heavily, then smirked. "Do you think I care about your selfish desires? All my leader wants is her soul." He rubbed his chin. "Gwyn's body will make a good puppet…maybe for purposes other than my personal army."

Wes grunted and stamped his paw down. Only now did he realize how messed up Reuben looked. He expected this to be Griffin's doing, but Reuben likely wouldn't be alive if that was the case. "What happened to you?"

Reuben clenched his teeth. "Like I told the Grovyle, I'll be getting my revenge on Flint for this."

Flint did that?

"But right now…" Reuben held his right arm up and clenched his fist. "I'm taking your lives as well." A blade sprung out from the back of his wrist. Cursed markings were seen on the blade face. He smirked maliciously. "Puppet Masters are considered the vilest practitioners of medical treatment in the world. Comes in handy when your arm gets blown off by bandits."

Wes narrowed his eyes. "You weaponized your own arm?"

"You have no idea how long it took me to find a suitable Alolan Sandshrew with a body type that matches my own. I can take dead limbs or organs and transplant them onto different hosts." He licked the face of his wrist blade. "Witchery modifications do the rest."

Wes glared. Puppetry Surgery. Puppet Masters turn the dead into weapons, whether they be dead limbs or a whole body in general, huh? As long as it isn't connected to a soul. Wes dug his claws into the ground. "You're not turning Gwyn into a puppet. You're not taking Gwyn's soul, either." His magic spiked. "You're no match for me."

Reuben's smirk stretched into a creepy demeanor. "Let's put that to the test."

Wes focused on the Puppet Master, but he couldn't help but shift his gaze over to the church. He sensed his brother's magic spiking erratically inside, something normally not seen for such a passive fellow. Oddly enough, he sensed his magic in two separate spots of the church, while still connected. Did he separate his magic into a separate form?

Wes didn't ponder on the thought for long as he dodged Reuben's wrist blade. The insane Alolan Sandshrew jabbed the blade into the dirt, causing it to bubble and disintegrate into liquid goop. Reuben held the blade up and laughed. "Come and face me, treasure hunter!" He sprinted at Wes, who glared and dashed at him, activating Mystic Burst.

Flint and Callista glared each other down, keeping their distances. Flint's Guardian hovered around his side, glaring at the malevolent witch while simultaneously guarding Gwyn. The fury in both Flint and the Guardian's eyes could burn through the weak-willed.

Callista, however, kept her cool and merely laughed off the malicious stares she was getting. The darkness around her branched out slightly, but didn't officially take form until she willed it. She clicked her mandibles and sighed quietly. "…I'm well aware of your talents, boy."

The Flareon merely grunted, showing off a bit of his gritted teeth. The Ariados narrowed her eyes, then shook her head. "My fellow Dark Medium was kind enough to probe your little mind and tell me all I should know about you. I must say, I'm not all that impressed. You've been in many fights, but you appear to have issue matching up to the same level as your younger brother." She chuckled silently, feeling the Flareon tensing up. "Struck a nerve there, I see.

"Quit kidding yourself and just hand over Gwyn. You'll never, ever beat me, even with that Guardian. Sure, you roughed up two witches who don't specialize in direct combat." Flint could practically see the implied smirk from her jeering attitude. "No need to pat yourself on the back or anything."

She hissed amusingly. "Regardless of what you're feeling right now, you'll never amount to anything. You're nothing more than a helper lending a paw to feel included. You think that one Guardian suddenly makes you tough?" Callista glared. "Save yourself the embarrassment. You can't protect her. I am taking her and fulfilling my destiny. You're no hero…just a fool pretending he's something…"

Flint's face darkened, with his glowing eyes piercing through. His Guardian clenched its fists, mirroring his hidden rage. He stared long and hard at the deriding, smug attitude the spider conveyed. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"…look, no one ever said Flint Ravenfield was the strongest guy around. I get compared to Wes a lot. He was braver, talented in magic despite his disability, and charismatic. No one gave me the time of day. I wasn't popular or striving for anything fancy or cool in my future." Flint opened his eyes and stared at the ground. "Then and now, I know I'll never amount to the same level as Wes.

"However…" He glared at the spider with calm fury in his eyes. "If you think I'm just going to quit now and let you take Gwyn without putting up a fight, you deserve to be beaten within an inch of your life." He gritted his teeth. "You ruined Gwyn's life for your selfish purposes. I swear on my life, I'll stand before my friends and protect them from scum like you!"

Callista clenched her mandibles and growled quietly. "Are all Pokémon this stupid in this century?" she mumbled to herself. She shook her head and chuckled, allowing her darkness to branch out and shape itself. "Word to the wise, kid: don't bark big if you don't have the bite to back it up."

The darkness shaped into another demon. A red skinned demon with pointed ears and three eyes, all black. He was muscular in physique, with horns protruding from both shoulders, and wielded spiked gauntlets on his fists. He wore pieces of silver armor around his body.

He bowed to Callista. "How may I serve you, mistress?"

Callista chuckled. "See that Flareon, Matzhal?" she asked, pointed at Flint, who was momentarily shocked by the presence of the creature. "Destroy him. Bring me the Mew."

Matzhal stood tall and punched his fists together. "Understood!" He sprinted at Flint surprisingly fast for someone of his size.

Flint flinched and turned away as the demon threw a punch at him, but the blow was instinctively stopped by the Celestial Guardian, who caught the punch in its hand. The Guardian raised its foot and struck the demon across the cheek. Matzhal rubbed his cheek, unaffected, and threw another punch.

Flint rolled out of the way as the punch carried over a kinetic blast that reached the walls. He made sure Gwyn was still on his back before running across the church as Matzhal chased after him. Flint glared over his shoulder as Matzhal leaped into the air and rocketed himself directly for the Flareon.

However, the Celestial Guardian disassembled itself into energy and flew around the demon at swift speeds. Its hand was the first to reassemble, catching the punch and stopping it. Once the Guardian was fully reassembled, it threw a hard punch square in the demon's face.

Matzhal skidded back and growled before slamming his fists down. The shock of the hit sent up a wave of rock pillars at Flint and the Guardian. Flint was thrown up towards the ceiling, pinned to the rising pillar from the push of gravity. Flint threw his paws up. "Blockade Reflector!"

The crystal shield materialized quick enough to absorb the impact with the ceiling. However, Flint didn't take the time to rest as he leapt off the pillar while the demon hopped between them. Flint jumped between the pillars as fast as he could, but the demon proved to be adept at maneuvering this sort of terrain.

Matzhal rocketed at Flint and aimed for his head. His attack was negated from a dive kick to his back, piercing him through the pillar below him and rendering it to rubble. He shot up and punched a kinetic blast at the Guardian, who caught the wave in its hands and pushed against the rushing force. The Guardian grunted tensely and punched the kinetic force away.

Matzhal threw a straightforward punch at the pillars and delivered a kinetic wave that shattered all the pillars into cubes that ricocheted around the church. Flint held onto Gwyn as he was thrown off his feet. He gasped as fast moving, stone cubes flew at him, until a flurry of punches flew from behind him and shattered the cubes.

Callista dodged around the cubes and got to cover. She sneered, then focused her darkness around Matzhal. The demon was engulfed in the darkness before increasing in size, summoning a new demon. Appearing from the black smog was a massive raven with purple, demonic markings all across its body and piercing red eyes.

The raven flapped high and swung its wings, sending down an arrow barrage of feathers. Flint landed on his feet and threw up Blockade Reflector. The feathers bounced off the shield while the rest pierced into the ground. The raven screeched and swooped down, throwing out its talons and crushing the barrier effortlessly before grabbing Flint and Gwyn.

Flint struggled in the hold, but was thrown in the air with Gwyn thrown to the side. Flint, however, was flung directly over the demon bird's open beak. He glared, then flashed his eyes. Time stopped around him, everything but himself and his Guardian frozen. The Guardian flew in and caught Flint before he fell into the bird.

Flint was thrown to Gwyn before grabbing and unfreezing her. The Guardian cracked its knuckles and unleashed a barrage of punches on the demon's head, seemingly doing nothing. It threw fast punches for ten seconds before flying back to its master. Flint's eyes flashed once more, resuming time.

The kinetic force racked up on the demon bird's head hit it all at once. The bird was thrown out of the air with blood flying off. It crashed into the floor and lay motionless.

Callista narrowed her eyes, then sent her darkness over to the bird. The raven was taken away and replaced with another demon: a bat shaped demon with dark gray skin, pointed ears, and, horrifically, an eye in its mouth, which looked around frantically. It had bat wings with clawed hands and regular arms that wielded a chain with a spearhead at the end.

It spun the chain and threw it at Flint. The Flareon rolled out of the way, then clapped his paws together. The demon went for a second attack, but the chain shattered an illusion of the Flareon and Mew instead. Its eye scanned the room madly as multiple illusions of Flint and Gwyn surrounded it. It let out a muffled roar before spinning the chain in a circle above its head.

The circle shape created a red ring as the chain spun faster. Once finished charging, the bat demon snapped the chain down and unleashed a hellish shower of chains that impaled the illusions precisely.

With all the illusions shattered, the energy chains snaked towards the real Flint. He glared and commanded his Guardian to his side. The Guardian let out a battle cry and punched against the chains, shattering them to pieces with every hit. More and more continued to fly out of the ring, but Flint's Guardian was not deterred.

The bat demon screech and threw its chain into the ground. Flint scanned the floor vigilantly, but was ambushed by the chain bursting from below. It wrapped around him and Gwyn and held them in the air. The Guardian glared and jumped up to rescue them, but the bat demon used the other end of its chain to restrain and pull it away.

Callista scuttled up the walls until she was at eye level with Flint. She snickered maliciously. "Have you had enough?"

Flint struggled to break the chains off. "You…think…this is enough…to stop me?!"

Callista sneered. "Oh, I have had enough with your deluded heroism. Berbar, kill him."

The bat demon screeched and threw the Flareon upwards. The chain split in two, separating Gwyn from Flint, who panicked. "NO!" He struggled aggressively in his bindings. "GIVE HER BACK!" The chain snapped tightly around him before slamming him into the walls and floor. Berbar laughed in delight as he cruelly bashed the Flareon around.

Flint's Guardian sat itself up, still pinned down. However, it could feel the resilience of its master as he took the repeated beatings. Flint wasn't letting himself be scared when a life he cared about was on the line. Wanting to uphold Flint's desires, the Guardian reached down and picked up a small stone.

It bounced the stone a couple times, lining up its shot, before flicking it with its thumb. The stone flew with a small boom and an air streak tailing behind. Berbar cried out as the stone pierced through its chest like a bullet. The shock caused it to lose concentration of its energy chains and its weapon, dropping Flint and Gwyn and releasing the Guardian.

Gwyn landed on the ground with a loud thud. She rolled on her back and groaned uncomfortably. "Uuuh…uuugh…" she murmured in her semiconscious state.

Flint raced over and picked her up. "Gwyn? Are you okay? Are you awake?" He held the Mew's cheek with a worried expression. "Oh Gwyn…"

However, his focus was taken off the Mew when Berbar swooped down, clutching the spearhead end of the chain. Flint gasped, then glared as he placed up Blockade Reflector. It took the force of the attack, allowing Flint to leap over the barrier and inhale deeply.

"Magnification Ring x4!" The four rings appeared in front of him, then he unleashed a Flamethrower. Berbar screamed out in pain from the powered-up flames. Flint, with his adrenaline pumping, surprisingly tackled the bat demon onto his back and pinned him down. "Now!"

His Guardian appeared above him and sent down a barrage of punches, pushing the bat demon into the ground. It landed on the ground, raised its leg, and performed a sharp drop kick that further tore up the ground. Flint jumped back and picked Gwyn up onto his back while the Guardian lifted Berbar out and continued to relentlessly punch him.

Callista narrowed her eyes. "Hmm…too easy for you, Flareon? Allow me to fix that." Her darkness stretched out and consumed Berbar.

The Guardian held onto the black smog and pulled its fists back, only to be surprise attacked by a pair of claws that tore through its armored chest. The smog dispersed and revealed a beastly looking creature. Dull white fur with black stripes and a barbed tail. It had six legs and a wide maw that exposed its jagged teeth.

The beast roared and kicked the Guardian away, then rushed right at it once it hit the ground. The Guardian jumped to its feet, but was tackled down by the arms and legs. Using its middles set of legs, the demon beast clawed through the Guardian's torso. Shrapnel of magic flew off the further down it dug.

Flint felt a sudden dizzy spell come over him as his Guardian was being mauled. His legs trembled while his face twisted in discomfort. R-Right…Celestial Guardians are tied to my magic. If it gets destroyed, it'll seriously weaken me. Flint clenched his teeth tightly. But since it's connected to my magic…

The beast continued to tear through the Guardian, until the Guardian summoned a Blockade Reflector in the form of a standard shield and bashed it against the beast's face. It grunted and growled angrily, then kicked the Guardian away before turning its sights on Flint.

Flint gasped and tried to the run, but the beast was quick on its feet. It wrapped its paw around the Flareon's head and towed him around, dragging his face through the floor and smashing it through the floor. Flint tensed up as he was continuously dragged through the crumbling church. The beast ended it by leaping up and smashing his face into the altar.

Flint pushed himself up and panted heavily. "I'm…not…giving up…"

Callista narrowed her eyes. "A fool, you are. Gwyn's fate was decided a long time ago. She's mine."

Flint glared at her irately. "Weren't you listening?! That's never going to happen!" he cried out before charging at the witch.

Callista glared without flinching. Flint came close to tackling her, but her beast demon tackled Flint away and slashed across his chest. Flint cried out in pain and collapsed onto his back. He looked at his chest and winced at the bloody claw marks.

The beast rose to full height and slammed its paws down on the Flareon, coughing up blood. The creature growled quietly and went for a second slam, but the Guardian locked its arms around the beast's forelegs and suplexed the wild animal. It locked its legs around the ferocious demon and pummeled down on its head relentlessly.

The beast roared and caught the Guardian's fist in its teeth before biting down, shattering it to pieces. Flint flinched reflexively, feeling the staggering pain inflicted on his magic. Flint flashed his eyes at his Guardian, commanding it to throw the beast into the air with its legs. It flipped onto its feet and sprung at the creature.

With its good fist, it pummeled the creature relentlessly with just as much effect. It finished the attack off with a sharp kick to the neck, burying it into the floor.

Callista narrowed her eyes at the fallen beast, then stretch her darkness out. The beast was sent away and replaced with a short bird demon covered in dark blur feathers. He had wings growing out of his back and hands with claws. He carried a metal fan of sorts.

He flapped his wings and lifted himself into the air. With a stroke of his fan, he sent out a violent windstorm inside the church. Flint held onto Gwyn as they were thrown in the air. Flint clenched his eyes as his back was slammed into the church before bouncing off into the pillars that haven't fallen over.

The bird demon glared and flew right at Flint. He spun his fan around before smacking the Flareon away, losing his hold on Gwyn. "GWYN!"

With all the activity going around her, Gwyn slowly began to stir awake. "Ugh…F-Flint…?"

Flint flailed his legs around. "Gwyn, don't panic! I'm coming to-!" The bird demon cut him off and bashed him over the head. He slammed into the ground and groaned quietly, then the demon slammed his feet down on the Flareon's back. He froze from the scorching pain stretching across his nerves.

Gwyn continued to fly around in the windstorm, but the Guardian managed to catch and bring her back to the ground. It set her down gently, then glared at the bird demon as it terrorized Flint. It glared over at one of the fallen pillars before running over and picking it up. It sprinted straight for the demon and swung the pillar.

The impact not only shattered half the pillar, but also sent the demon crashing through the wall. The Guardian tossed the remaining pillar and buried the demon further in, then proceeded to violently punch the demon down.

A trail of darkness traveled into the hole as the Guardian pummeled the demon. Flint noticed the wind stopping for a moment, then staggering it pain as an arrow pierced through his Guardian's chest. The Guardian stumbled back, then was kicked off its feet. It levitated above the ground while tending to its wound.

Stepping out of the wall was a brown, spider demon. Head of a spider with large mandibles and eleven eyes. He had six lanky arms and legs. He wielded a bow made up of black wood. He hissed at the Flareon as he drew the string back, summoning a black arrow engulfed in purple flame.

Flint took a defensive stance while his Guardian hovered over him. Callista observed the with minimal interest. "Hmm…I've heard stories about Celestial Guardians being the perfect partner in a solo fight. They feel the connection with their master and know exactly how to fight alongside them. With your incomplete bond, however, your Guardian will soon shatter and leave you defenseless."

Flint glared. "I'm willing to take that risk. Now, quit talking so we can fight."

Callista hissed quietly. Trust me, boy. I intend to end this soon. "Kill them, Salbon."

The spider demon hissed and fired off a volley of arrows. Flint's aura spiked, mirroring the Guardians. The Guardian's hand slowly reformed, allowing it to fully punch through the arrows while Flint stared Callista down.

The Ariados hissed. "Salbon, get to higher ground!"

The spider leapt across the walls and expertly fired arrows from complex angles. Flint and the Guardian stood back to back and looked around the room. Whatever Flint saw, the Guardian would react appropriately. Two sets of eyes, one determined mindset in the end.

Salbon hung upside down on a support beam and pulled back on his drawstring. The Guardian's eyes flashed and it disappeared for a brief moment. Salbon's eyes widened when the Guardian appeared before him and bashed him in the stomach. He worked up the strength to fire another arrow, forcing it back.

Salbon sprung to the air and spun, firing arrows in random directions. Flint threw up Blockade Reflector and protected himself against the attack. The Guardian summoned its own Blockade Reflector as it flew towards Salbon.

Salbon chanted in an unknown language and lit the tip of his arrow in a hellish red. He fired, with the Guardian barely dodging. When it struck the walls, a fierce flame stretched out. Callista stood calmly as the flames spread. She even snickered. "You can't evade me forever."

Flint snarled. "And why is that?! Your demons are no match for me!" His Guardian grabbed Salbon by the ankle and threw him down in front of Callista. The Guardian floated down and crossed its arms. "It's over. You can't beat me."

Callista clicked her mandibles. "Oh, dear boy, if you think any of these demons I've been summoning were the high tier ones, you're sadly mistaken. Besides, I didn't get this far on raw power. I prefer…" She glanced at the hole in the church and observed the battle going on. "…playing tricks."

Flint glanced over at the hole, then glared. "What are you thinking?"

She snickered. "Salbon, fire two arrows. One of your hellfire ones at the Pokémon outside." She glanced over at Gwyn. "And…one for the Mew's heart."

Flint's blood froze in horror. "What?!"

Salbon summoned two arrows and placed the enchantment on the one aimed for the others outside. Callista laughed. "Your Guardian is fast, but it doesn't have the reflexes or speed to stop both arrows. Save your friends…or save your girlfriend."

Flint clenched his teeth tightly. His eyes blazed with magic. "I'll kill you…"

"You've made that threat too many times, dearie. It's getting old." Callista laughed. "Say goodbye to your loved ones! DIE!" Salbon fired the arrows.

Flint was caught off guard by the speed they went at. Thinking smart, he flashed his eyes and froze time. His Guardian flew over to the hellfire arrow and rapidly punched it, ensuring it was destroyed before it reach the others. The Guardian prepared to fly over to the arrow intended for Gwyn, but it and Flint staggered.

Flint didn't have the stamina to keep time frozen for any longer. He could see color coming back into reality. His Guardian wouldn't be able to reach it in time with its current state. But…he couldn't let Gwyn be killed!

Flint clenched his eyes and teeth, angrily trying to come up with a solution. However, he jumped logic entirely, worried about his friend's life. He…He couldn't lose her again!

"THROW ME!" Flint yelled.

The Guardian, with a short burst of movement, grabbed Flint and threw him in the arrow's line of fire. Time resumed.

Gwyn startled awake, hearing the sound of the hellfire arrow exploding and a loud scream of agony coming in front of her. She held her head and sat up, rubbing her groggy eyes. "Wha…?" She looked forward, then screamed in horror.

Flint stood defensively over her, panting with excruciating pain in his eyes. She saw the blood and bruises over him. The exhaustion in his face. His trembling. Her eyes looked around his weary person, before landing on the object that frightened her the most.

An arrow jabbed into Flint's back. His protective aura gave him enough protection from it going any deeper, but it hurt…badly. Blood slowly stained the back of his shirt, scaring Gwyn deeply.

"F…Fl…Flinty?" she started with a trembling tone.

Flint's eyes glazed over as his right foreleg gave out on him. "I…told you…I would…protect you…" His eyes closed as he collapsed onto his side with a soft thud, yet it echoed loudly in the Mew's ears, ringing deafeningly.

Her hands covered her mouth in utter horror. Her eyes shook frantically as she stared at the unconscious Flareon. She didn't see it, but even his Guardian collapsed into sparkles. "Flint…FLINT!" She scampered over to him hastily on her hands and knees.

She held him in her arms and chopped the arrow off his back with her hand. She franctically dug through her bag, dropping glass vials and seeds on the ground. She pulled out one seed and used her Accelerated Growth to make a berry. She threw it in her mouth and chewed on quickly, mashing it down into a mushy substance.

She opened Flint's mouth and spat the mush inside, before closing his mouth and helping him swallow. It would take a while for the berry's effects to kick in. It should give off an accelerated healing effect to his body, hopefully before blood loss did him in.

She hugged her head against her chest and sniffled quietly. Tears dripped down her cheeks, eyes closed tightly. "Flint…why…w-why did you do this to yourself?" She hugged him closed and pressed her cheek against his. "Flint…y-you're going to be okay…" She pressed her face into his mane and cried into it.

"Well…doesn't this ring a familiar tune?" Gwyn's head shot up as the haunting voice spoke to her. Her eyes shook fearfully. Even with her back to her, she could feel the spider's menacing presence as she stepped up. She clicked her mandibles together. "How tragic. Someone cared about you so much that they willingly put themselves in harm's way to save you. First your mother…and now your precious friend."

Callista paused for a moment, then laughed quietly. "Poor, unfortunate soul…destined to live a life of repeated tragedy. Maybe you were better off being alone. No one to connect with…no one to cry over. Doomed to live a miserable life of loss.

"Doomed to see the one's you love perish."

Ba bump. Ba bump. Ba bump. Ba…bump. Ba…bump.

Her heartbeat slowed drastically while her eyes shrank. The cheery, bright red of her adoring eyes slowly darkened, tainted by something…frenetic. Her breathing staggered slightly, then became silent. Her jaw tightened, as did her fists.

"You…" Gwyn's aura surrounded her, taking on a much brighter, practically neon green. "You did this…" Her hair floated up with her aura. "Everything…that has happened to me…" She gently set Flint down, then stood tall on her feet. "Everything that's happened to me…" She clenched her teeth, then shouted from the depths of her soul, "…IS ALL YOUR FAULLLLLLLT!"

Her aura exploded into an unstable pillar, blasting against the ceiling. Her image in the aura vibrated within the intense, rushing aura. Her hair fluttered wildly with the massive energy burst, as did her tail. The aura pressure exerting from her body crumbled the ground around her into dust. Cracks spread out all across the church, even stretching under Callista.

The spider witch narrowed her eyes, then hissed quietly at the power rushing from the young Mew. She chuckled to herself. "The madness of Clara Belladonna lives on inside you…"

Wes dodged Reuben's blades and kicked him in the chin. The Alolan Sandshrew's movements became increasingly sluggish the longer he went on. If he were in top condition and not poison, maybe he could land a hit.

Wes crouched down and lined up for a charging tackle to the Puppet Master when the ground suddenly shook. Every, friend, foe, and puppet, staggered around from the massive quake.

Ella spread her legs out to maintain balance. She looked around the area. "Seriously?! An earthquake at a time like this?!"

Tony threw a puppet over his shoulder, then looked at the church. His eyes widened in incredulity. "Sweet mother of…!"

The others turned to the church and stared in astonishment. Anyone who could see and feel magic were taken back by the overwhelming rush of energy flowing outside the church. The rest were subjected to the immense pressure it was giving off.

Fernando held his arms up and clenched his teeth. "What the hell is that?!"

Wes narrowed her eyes and studied the aura. "That's…Gwyn's aura?!"

Griffin's eyes widened. "Gwyn's?!"

"When the hell has she had this much magic?!" Tony shouted.

Fernando narrowed his eyes. So, I was right.

Wes' eyes fell upon the trees and plants nearby. He saw them swaying towards the church, making odd rustling sounds. He squinted and saw a green glow outlining the plants and traveling through the ground. From what he could tell, the energy was directing itself towards Gwyn.

He questioned if he should go in there and see what was wrong. On the other hand…seeing as how Griffin was apprehensive about going in, was it wise to get that close to a ticking time bomb of madness?

Callista stared down the outpour of magic flooding from the Mew's body, who remained perfectly motionless as she continued to stare down at her fallen friend. Callista hissed quietly. "Alright, you've had your fun, but it's time to go."

Gwyn didn't acknowledge her as she continued looking at Flint.

Callista deadpanned, then rolled her eyes. "Must we do this the hard way, my dear?" She tapped the ground twice. "Salbon, new directive: wound the Mew until she can't move anymore."

Salbon hissed. "Understood." He pulled back and fired at soaring arrow straight for the Mew's shoulder.

However, just within inches of her arm, a root shot out from the ground and caught the arrow. The arrow smoked from the sudden stop and snapped in two. Callista and Salbon stepped back as Gwyn's aura spiked drastically.

Finally, the Mew turned her head around and looked over her shoulder. For the first time in a long while, Callista was caught off guard by the venomous glare that the Mew reflected. The chaos storming in her darkened eyes raged with her chaotic outpour of magic.

She turned herself completely around and faced the witch. "I'm…done…playing…games…"

Callista's eye twitched slightly before resuming her calm demeanor. "You really do like him, don't you? Perhaps…even love him."

Gwyn's aura raged even harder. "I'm not losing anyone…ever…AGAAAAAAIN!" she screamed with absolute fury as the ground broke apart around her.

Callista and Salbon quickly observed the crumbling ground before jumping away as two massive tree roots exploded from the floor and speedily zipped around the room, despite their sizes. They snaked around the church, making fast and sharp turns, and striking down at Callista and Salbon with absolute fury.

Callista hopped upon one of the roots and ran across it, but the root quickly grew sharp thorns she barely dodged. They tore through most of her scarf in an instant. She shot a spider web out and pulled herself away. However, vine shot out from the roots and snaked after her.

Salbon fired arrows at the massive roots, leaping across the walls and pillars. He aimed a hellfire arrow for the Mew, but was grabbed from behind by a vine and slammed into the wall. The vine quickly constricted around the spider demon and squeezed him mercilessly. He forcibly coughed up blood.

Callista glared analytically as she avoided the onslaught of vines. Her unusual birthright has given her a passive plant aura. Without even using a spell, she can command nature itself to protect her at all costs. She grimaced at the thought. I'm fortunate to be in the Aqua Zone. I can't imagine dealing with this somewhere like the Swamp Zone.

Callista scuttled across the walls, then jumped off as tree roots smashed through. The church crumbled to pieces as plant matter sank its way through, with Gwyn in the center of the chaos. Her eyes stayed focus on the spider witch, her hostility never wavering.

Gwyn slammed her foot down and summoned a wave of earth to split open, unleashing the undersea plant life to her aid. Callista swung around the seaweed chasing after her, then sent her darkness out to take Salbon away. She then summoned Berbar to her side, shouting, "Shred through the weeds!"

Berbar spun his chain and fired off serrated energy chains. They slashed through the plants with ease, but the quantity of plant matter made it all the more overwhelming for them. Callista landed onto a root and clung for dear life while Berbar flew through the fray towards Gwyn.

Gwyn snarled, then pulled out a handful of random seeds and shoved them into the ground. "Accelerated Growth: Mad Party Mutation!" The ground before her exploded open with mutated plants made up of the different seeds. The abomination that came out was a hideous plant monster that roared at the bat demon.

Berbar spun his chain and slashed repeatedly through the multicolored monster, but was inevitably pushed back. The plant monster bit down on the bat demon and smashed him into the floor.

Callista replaced Berbar with her giant raven. It kicked the monster back and fired a shower of sharp feathers, tearing the plant matter apart. One feather flew past Gwyn, but she didn't flinch. She sneered at the witch and screamed out angrily, summoning even more plants.

Tree roots smashed against the raven and shoved into to the ground. Toxic flowers sprouted over the roots and released a harmful gas into the air. The gas stretched over the church, however a circle of plants surrounded Flint, sucking up the gas and keeping him safe. Gwyn slammed her hands down and sent up a tidal wave of seaweed, burying the raven and Callista under it.

The raven thrashed violently in the seaweed, then paused for a moment before Callista burst from it, riding on top of Matzhal. Matzhal roared and fired kinetic punches at Gwyn.

Gwyn sneered, summoning up a thick barrier of wood to the protect her and Flint. She screamed and punched the wood, firing off splinter showers. Matzhal threw a punch that blew the splinters away. Gwyn raised her hands and twisted them in aggressive manners, commanding the roots to contort and coil. Callista and Matzhal were thrown off balance as the roots twisted together, smashing out through the ceiling.

The gang and Reuben gasped as the roots shot through the roof and twisted together into a massive tree. Fernando raised his knife and glared. "What is she doing?!"

Griffin squinted at the tree, then notice red berries growing out of it. He recognized those berries all too well. He turned to his friends and shouted, "Get to cover, now!"

The roots trapped Callista and Matzhal inside the tree, but the demon punched his way through it. Callista scuttled out and sneered at the overcharged Mew. "You may not be a true goddess, but your magic rivals any I've ever seen!" She laughed evilly. "Yes, Gwyn Belladonna! Reveal your true strength! Unleash all that power!"

Gwyn roared and slammed her hands down. "Stay away from them! STAY AWAY FROM FLINT!" More trees burst from the ground. The church no longer resembled a church, but rather an overgrown patch of forest out of control. Sharp ended vines stabbed into the trees as they tried to impale Callista.

She swung on her spider web while Matzhal kept the plants at bay. These plants were like a swarm of Sharpedo after the same meal. They were relentless ad unstoppable. Jumping and dodging the roots as fast as they could. Everything was so hectic that Callista couldn't tell up from down anymore. It was just her trying to avoid the rush of nature.

She swung along the branches and landed on top, preparing to swing away again. She looked around and gasped as the plants surrounded and encased her in a thick shell of wood.

Gwyn clapped her hands together with her aura giving off more pressure. Her explosion berries grew all over the trees and plants inside the newly formed forest. So many clustered together, ready to explode on her command. She gritted her teeth, then snapped her fingers. "EXPLODE!"

The berries glowed brightly and detonated. They individually exploded, stacking power onto power with each detonation. Gwyn clapped her hands together and wrapped a thick shell of wood around her and Flint as the explosive wave washed over them.

The gang stepped back as the forest glowed with intense heat. Wes glared and pulled his Vortex Amulet out. "We're out of here!" The amulet sucked him and itself into its personal void. A void quickly opened next to everyone except Reuben and the puppets and pulled them into the Warp Zone.

Reuben looked at the exploding forest and glowered. "Puppets, protect your master!" They huddled around him and shielded him with their bodies.

The forest glowed brighter before exploding. The intense heat scorched across the land and incinerated the ground and nearby bridge, staying somewhat controlled to the patch of land. The puppets screeched faintly as they were incinerated on the spot, their bodies disappearing into ash.

The explosion rang throughout the town, alerting everyone to look out their windows and gaze upon the stunning, yet frightening sight. Even through the thick fog, a burning flash of light pierced the dense whiteness. A strong gust blew through the town, rushing past them.

Back at the church, flaming debris of wood and leaves rained down on the remains of the church. The stone walls collapsed and landed on the flaming ground. Left in place in the center of the once standing church was a burnt tree, smoking from the explosion.

Once the fire rain died down, a ripple of space opened and ejected Team Ravenfield and Fernando. The hitman held his stomach and grunted from the special warping. "Ugh…" He looked forward and narrowed his eyes at the damage. "By the gods…"

Ella's eyes drooped in disbelief. "Man…I never thought Gwyn was weak, but…I've never seen her go that far…"

Griffin narrowed his eyes. "I felt the rage within her. Her magic runs deeper than I anticipated."

Tony crossed his arms and glared. "Yeesh, so that's what they mean when they say 'Beware the nice ones.'" His eyes widened. "Wait, Flint and Gwyn? Are they okay?"

Wes clenched his teeth worriedly and ran towards the wreckage. "Flint! Gwyn!" He jumped across the stones and kicked large bricks out of his way. "Hang on! I'll have you out on a moment!" He dug through the debris, then shrieked as the ground exploded apart.

A large figure leapt out: a four legged, red skinned demon with one eye and a row of spikes protruding from his head. His legs looked like giant, muscular arms and hands. He wore black armor and wielded two massive shields on his actual arms. Standing on his shoulder was Callista, who was slightly singed from the explosion. The demon, however, was perfectly unharmed.

The demon landed and stared down the Umbreon with a stoic expression. Wes flipped backwards and stood defensively, glaring at both the shield wielding demon and the spider witch. Callista glared at the Umbreon, then looked around at the debris. Her eyes wandered over his teammates.

She hissed quietly. "It would seem you've put a dent in my plans. I thought I had that Mew where I wanted her. Guess I didn't account for her having friends." She clicked her mandibles twice. "Let this be a warning to you ingrates: I intend to take what's mine, even if I have to slaughter all of you myself."

Wes' glare deepened, then he took a step forward. "You want to test your odds now?" Griffin gripped Endless Regret, Tony raised his sparking fingers and smirked tauntingly, Ella's eyes lit up as she took her stance, and Fernando held his knife up.

Callista narrowed her eyes calmly, then spotted the dying Alolan Sandshrew on the ground. She hissed in annoyance. "Not today." She spat a spider web at the witch's back and threw him over to her, where her demon caught him. She tapped her diamond medallion twice. "Continue on your quest at your own risk. Your time will come soon enough."

A portal opened up behind her. The demon backed away into it, with Callista waving goodbye in an unsettling manner to the treasure hunters and hitman with an ominous snicker. Her laugh stayed with them even after the portal closed.

Wes glared at the space they disappeared into, then looked over at his friends. They shared the same feelings he felt now. Things just got worse for them.

The silence was interrupted when the rubble shifted apart before Wes. He jumped back and watched the debris collapse, revealing a scorched sphere of wood. It barely withstood the blast, just enough to where it chipped in pieces.

The sphere broke apart and out came Gwyn, who collapsed onto her hands and knees, panting heavily. Her eyes, now back to their cheery red brightness, were wide and frantic from the adrenaline pumping through her system. And yet, she also felt drained from exerting her magic so recklessly. She tried to get herself under control, keeping her breathing in check.

Behind her was Flint, who lay motionless before stirring awake. The bleeding in his back stopped and his injuries were mostly healed. He rolled onto his feet and held his head. "Ugh…what…?" He opened his eyes, then looked around confused. "What happened to the…?"

He glanced over his shoulder, then locked gazes with Gwyn. The Mew's eyes shimmered at the Flareon, making him blush slightly. She turned herself around and faced him. "F-Flint…are you…?"

Flint blinked, then smiled a bit. "Yeah…I'm okay…are you?"

Gwyn paused for a brief moment, then started breaking down into tears. Her lip quivered and her limbs shook. "Flint…" She threw herself at him, scaring him for a second, and wrapped her arms around him as she sobbed into his mane, crying her heart out. "FLINT! Why did…Why d-did you…?! Y-You c-c-could have…You c-could of…!"

Flint narrowed his eyes caringly for the disheveled Mew. She's been through a lot in the last hour. He placed one paw against the back of her head and rubbed it while hugging her with the other foreleg. "I told you…I wasn't going to let those witches take you away…"

Gwyn gripped his mane tightly and sobbed harder into it. Flint could feel his fur getting soaked, but nothing else mattered other than comforting his friend. He patted her back and let her cry.

No one said anything. The group just stared at the two as they had their emotional embrace. They've all had a rough day and wanted to put it behind them.

Fernando's eyes wandered off the two and directed him to where Reuben once lay. He spotted a notebook lying on the ground, something he found curious. He stepped over and picked the item up. He'll have to review it later for glaring details. He stuffed away in his blazer.

The group looked at each other and silently agreed to give the two their space. They stepped out of the church grounds as Flint and Gwyn continued to embrace.

An hour had passed, enough time for the police to be called down about everything that happened. Fernando, with Wes' input, explained to the officers what has been going on in relation to the zombie attacks, along with the…unfortunate loss of their mayor.

Police searched the area and dug through the rubble for anything pertaining to the witches' activities. Sitting off to the side, away from the activity, were Flint and Gwyn. Flint had his back pressed against a slab of church with Gwyn laying against his side, sound asleep. A yellow blanket was draped over her. The Flareon didn't say anything, he just enjoyed the comfortable silence.

An Accelgor officer hopped over to Fernando and Wes, tipping his hat. "We found little of the coven's presence, aside from some chalk markings. That explosion could have erased everything inside."

Fernando nodded. "I see."

"At the very least, this'll make sure we do a more thorough background check on any suspicious activity in the town." Accelgor saluted. "We appreciate your help."

Fernando held his hip and waved it off. "It's nothing. I'm willing to stick around for a few more days to get my story down." He pointed at Wes. "His team was just along for the ride."

Wes nodded. "Yes, sir. We're pretty busy and will be leaving tomorrow."

Accelgor nodded. "In that case, we'll get your statement later." He tipped his hat and bounced away.

Wes sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Kind of weird not getting yelled at by cops…" He glanced at Fernando. "Hey, how come you didn't mention that book you snagged?" he whispered.

Fernando smirked and pulled it out a bit. "You saw that? A lot of the activity we saw today seems linked to the Shadow King. This seemed much more than just personal witch business. Don't have exact evidence, but it's a start." He slipped the journal back in. "I found some notes about Reuben snagging pieces from guys who owed him favors, probably to make his magnum opus of a puppet."

"And we can't let the police see anything that might involve the Shadow King," Wes finished, catching on to his intentions.

"Bingo." He slid his hands into his pockets and looked at the others. "You guys have enough trouble on your plate. If anything happens, I'll be sure to contact you."

Wes nodded. "Right."

Griffin, Tony, and Ella walked over to them, with the Espeon groaning. "After that mess of a day, I'm ready for bed."

Wes smiled. "For the best. We're heading out tomorrow morning."

Ella yawned and waved her paw at him. "Right, right…"

Tony walked over to Flint and crouched down. "Hey, Flintster." Flint jumped a bit, then faced the Dewott. "Wes says we're heading back to the room. Wake Gwyn up and let's go."

Flint rubbed his head. "Oh…right." He looked over at the Mew, then shook her shoulder gently. "Hey, Gwyn," he whispered. "Time to get up. We're heading back to our room."

Gwyn mumbled in her sleep, shaking a bit, then snuggled up to Flint. She nuzzled herself into his mane.

Flint blushed deep red, scratching his head. "Um…" He glanced at the ground meekly. "C-Can we…just give her five or ten more minutes? I…don't want to disturb her right now."

Tony narrowed his eyes at the Flareon, examining his face. He sighed, then smirked lightly. "Sure. Knock yourself out." He stood up and walked over to the others, hands behind his head.

Griffin glanced at Tony as he rejoined them. "Aren't they coming?"

"They'll join us back at the room soon. Right now…" He gave the two one more look over and snickered. "Heh, I think they just want to stay like that for a bit longer."

Ella narrowed her eyes and smiled. "Heh…well, who are we to stop them?"

Wes glanced over at Flint and Gwyn and raised a brow at how close they were. His eyes widened slightly, getting what they meant, then he smiled. "Oh…hehe, right, I get it. They'll meet us back in the room later." Wes took the lead and headed back to their motel room. The others followed quietly.

Flint watched them leave, then sighed to himself. He grunted a bit and held his side. Still bruised up from earlier, but nowhere near as bad. He narrowed his eyes. I…haven't been that angry in years…even then, it was pretty tame. He looked at his paw. I summoned the Celestial Guardian. After…years of trying to master it, I did it. I fully summoned one.

He pressed his head against the wall. Still need to practice with it. Not sure how far I can go, given everyone else is much more experienced than me. My Guardian…simply reacted how I would in a situation. I'm not sure how rational I can be after that.

His ears twitched, hearing Gwyn's light breathing. He looked down at her as she snuggled up to him more. His face reddened further, but he found himself smiling. He wrapped his foreleg around her shoulder and pulled her closer.

Guess we both had something we cared about today. I put myself at risk and saved you, then you turned around and saved me. I told you I wouldn't let her take you. That's a promise I'll keep for the rest of my life.

He leaned his head against hers, then closed his eyes. He wasn't going to fall asleep, he just needed to rest them. He sighed and rubbed her arm softly.

How could I not put myself at risk for you? You're sweet, funny, smart, quirky, and…adorable. Flint blushed at the thought. Heh, I'd be absolutely mortified if anyone heard me say that, but…I can't deny fact. He nuzzled his head against hers. He saw the gentle smile on her face and chuckled silently.

I can't deny…how much I love you.