Ch.59: An Offer Not to Be Refused! Destiny Plays its Ominous Song!

It was a cool afternoon in the Aqua Zone, with a gentle breeze flowing through the mountains. Mist formed around the flat mountaintops, covering all in a thin blanket of white. They were quiet and away from the public, perfect for some much needed training.

It was no secret that the Desert Beasts pirates didn't have the best track record with their fights against Team Ravenfield, though specifically the Eeveelutions before they gained a half-Legendary, a thief, and a bounty hunter who probably would have killed them if he had a reason to. Hell, Wes Ravenfield, alone, has given them enough trouble to warrant ship repairs.

It didn't help that their source of 'training' came from pillaging helpless villages and towns that had no chance of defending themselves against pirates. That was the main tactic of pirates then and even now: intimidate and plunder the enemy. Not exactly the best way to keep themselves battle ready.

That didn't mean everyone on the crew was mediocre in a fight. In fact, the crew can handle themselves pretty well against the average fighter, with the likes of Drake and Leigh edging out ahead of them. Again, though, Team Ravenfield clearly consisted of competent fighters.

Captain Arid decided to take their defeat in the water temple as an opportunity for his crew to get themselves into shape. He wanted his crew to harness their fighting potential and perhaps match Team Ravenfield once their paths cross again.

The Darmanitan watched from the Wasteland as his crew fought on the flat mountain. They clashed with swords, daggers, or any weapon they were most comfortable with. It felt hypocritical to not take part in training himself, but his specialty wasn't direct combat. Ever since he found the Harenae Gauntlet, he has mastered his control over the sand to efficiently combat most strong foes. He has been around the Mysto region several times over and he has fought all kinds of strong opponents, from the tough to the intelligent.

Fluttering onto his shoulder was his second in command, Jeffery, crossing his wings as he joined in surveying the crew. "I never expected you to take time out of our day for a training session."

Arid closed his eyes. "Ravenfield is getting stronger as we speak. I want to beat him in this race for the keys."

"Kind of hard to do since we have no idea where we're going and have a total of zero," Jeffery reminded. A low growl came from his captain, causing the Chatot to flip out. "AH! I-I-I mean, there's nothing to worry about, my captain! Ravenfield won't know what'll hit him next time! The Idol of Origin will be ours for sure!"

Arid leaned over the ship's side. "Getting a good look at that map is the only thing we can manage. It'll be much harder to track Ravenfield and his team without clear direction. We took a detour to this mountaintop for training purposes only." He glared. "I refuse to fall behind that Umbreon any longer."

On the ground, the crew paired off into groups of two or more and sparred. Again, this wasn't too new for them, though training's never been taken this seriously before. Then again, they've never had a goal as worthwhile as a reality warping idol.

Jones clashed his Razor Shell with Zerif's cutlasses. Despite the Barbaracle towering over him, Zerif showed off his impressive strength and pushed back against his attack. Jones stumbled backwards, but caught himself before he tripped. He raised his attack again, only to see Zerif disappear before him.

The Collective Pokémon used his many independent eyes to pinpoint Zerif's location. The arm over his right shoulder widened, alerting Jones to spin around and block Zerif's surprise strike. Zerif grinned. "Not bad, Jonesy! You've got a good 'eye' on you!"

Jones smiled back. "You're just as tricky as ever." They pushed each other back and stand their guard. "But stop going so easy on me."

Zerif snickered. "Oh, you think that's me going easy? You're in for hell now!" He rushed down the living barnacle with two cutlasses held between his claws and slashed against his water blades.

Over with Leigh and Drake, the two matched blades with each other, shooting sparks with the collision of katana and battle claw. Drake kept a cool head as he focused his only eye on the Togetic, while Leigh focused projecting her bloodlust to unnerve the Grovyle. Drake could feel the uncomfortable, murderous intent, but Leigh obviously wasn't out to break his will.

Drake spun the katana in his hand, then lunged at Leigh with swift, vanishing speed. The ex-assassin propelled herself into the air via her wings and avoided the cutting attack that slashed through the ground like paper. She spun herself and dived towards him with her claws pointing out like a drill. Drake unsheathed his second katana as he kept his back to her, held the blades in a reverse grip, and crossed them to block the maneuver.

Leigh jumped back and landed a couple meters away. She crossed her weapons and sneered his way. "Show off."

Drake turned around and settled his blades by his sides. "Forgive me for trying to defend against a worthy opponent. Although, that bloodlust of yours is very distracting."

"Tsk…just 'distracting,' huh? You're asking for me to rip your face off."

Drake narrowed his eye. "If it'll increase productivity of our training, then so be it."

"Mind if I cut in?!" Drake sidestepped a swift kick from Rico, who was spinning on his hand. The Grovyle landed next to Leigh as Rico flipped onto his feet. He crossed his arms and slouched back with a cool grin. "Since you two are the strongest around, I figured getting a good workout from one of you would be suitable."

Drake sheathed his katanas. "You can fight Leigh. I'm taking a break." He walked off.

Leigh glared briefly at him. "Oh, sure, dump him on me." She smirked at the Scrafty. "Not that I have any issue kicking your ass."

Rico smirked back and balanced on one leg. "I believe that's my line." He rushed down and threw his knee at her. She blocked it with her battle claws, sinking a foot into the ground by the force. "Geez, what kind of training do you do?!"

Leigh chuckled darkly. "I warn you, my workout routine is known to be killer." She shoved him back and chased him down.

The crew, for the most part, was handling training fairly competently. They were pirates, they should know how to handle getting into scuffles. Well…save for one pirate. Their new recruit for a while, to be specific.

"Ambrosine, quit running and face me like a pirate!" Indigo shouted as she leapt over the rock spires and fired arrows from her metal claw directly at Ambrosine. Now, granted, the arrows didn't have true arrowheads, rather they were rubber tips that would cause a bruise at worst. That said, the appointed doctor of their crew treated them as the deadly projectiles they were meant to be.

"I didn't consent to this!" Ambrosine shouted as she dodged the flurry of arrows. Her arms and legs were flailing madly as she tried to outrun the arrows. She didn't even want to train, yet the one she willingly acknowledged as her best friend tricked her into leaving the ship just for this surprise ambush. That term 'friend' suddenly looked less appealing.

Indigo laughed as she hopped between spires. "Oh, lighten up! We're building up on your endurance! You could use it!"

"I appreciate your concern and hate you for it as well!" the Steenee screamed angrily.

Aside from Arid and Jeffery, Ray also didn't partake in crew training due to his age. He could wield a cutlass okay and he had his trusty sound orb for protective matters, but he was too young for serious combat training. He hung his limbs over the ship and watched Ambrosine run for her life. "She's…not a very good pirate."

Jeffery rolled his eyes. "Something we can both agree on."

Arid closed his eyes. "She's our doctor. I'm not expecting her to be on the same level as Drake or Leigh."

Ray smirked. "Still, she's far from threatening. Lyra makes a more convincing pirate and she is practically an angel."

To clarify his point, he pointed to the Zangoose down below as she played on her concertina and danced with a merry skip. As she did so, she was fighting with Banama, who tried to score direct hits with his lightning. Her dancing and jolly upbeat made her a difficult target to pin down. May have something to do with her music, though.

Ray swiped the air. "Case and point."

Jeffery grunted. "She's decent at her job, I'll admit, but how do you expect her to strike terror when she can't even keep a straight face with rubber arrows?"

Ray smirked once more. "She can't do any worse than you."

"Exactly!" Three…two…one… "HEY! YOU STUPID BRAT!"

Arid clamped his beak shut before he went into another mad rant. "You've had the same complaints about Tyrone when he first joined and he's been doing fine. Ambrosine is our doctor, nothing more. Her job isn't to be scary, it's to keep us from dying."

Jeffery huffed and pulled his beak away. "Grr…she could, at least, show some dignity."

Ambrosine ducked behind some rocks and pressed her back against them, panting rapidly. She nearly allowed herself a moment of rest, but went straight back into running as arrows fired down from above. She screamed and dashed towards the ship. "Indigo! This isn't funny anymore-!"

The Steenee suddenly locked up, then tripped over her feet. Indigo stopped firing and gasped as Ambrosine held her chest in discomfort, grunting under her breath. The Sneasel reconfigured her claw back to normal and jumped down to her side. "Ambrosine! Are you okay?!"

The healer did what she did best and sent a pain relieving wave that settled down her heart. She relaxed herself and sprawled out on the ground, feeling exhausted. "Y-Yeah…I'm fine…"

Indigo's face fell into a saddened expression. "Sorry…I forgot about your heart problems…"

Ambrosine sighed, then smiled tiredly at her. "I should have said something instead of running for my life." She groaned. "But please! If you're going to make me exercise, give me SOME heads up so I can prepare for it!"

Indigo's lip twitched up into a weak smile. "Heh…right, of course." She helped the Steenee sit up, just as Tyrone was running over, rubbing his sore arms.

"Hey, are you alright?" the Tyrogue asked in concern.

Ambrosine waved it off. "I'm fine."

Tyrone sighed in relief. "That's good…"

Indigo smirked at him. "You look a little worn out yourself."

Tyrone rolled his eyes. "I somehow got pulled into a sparring match with Malcolm. I can honestly say it wasn't a pleasant five minutes." He winced a bit and gripped his arm. "I'm going to feel that in the morning…"

Arid turned away from the ship's edge and paced around the main deck. Jeffery hung back on the ship's edge and crossed his wings. "Well, my captain, it's quite clear we'll have nothing to worry about. Might as well celebrate early for Ravenfield's inevitable defeat. Shall we start setting up for the celebration?"

Arid ignored his comment and looked down with a darkened expression. The somber silence surrounding him unnerved Jeffery and Ray. Their captain could be pretty cold, but this was pretty different to what they're used to. The Shinx stepped forward. "Uh, captain? You feeling alright?"

He gave no response for about a minute. His knuckles, pressed firmly against the floorboards, whitened with his clenched fists. "…sorry…I've just been feeling off recently."

Jeffery tucked his wings against his sides. "How so?"

"I don't know. Just something…" He pinched between his eyes. "Maybe it's the stress talking. I want that idol more than anything now that I know it exists and I certainly don't want Ravenfield snatching it first. However, I've been thinking a lot about the ties between its existence and those who want it, too."

Jeffery narrowed his eyes, picking up on his tone. "You're thinking about the shadows, aren't you?"

The Darmanitan captain crossed his arms and huffed. "Why am I getting myself worked up over nothing? I've been thinking about them a lot lately, but I don't know why. Nerves, perhaps? Grr…don't tell me a feared pirate captain such as myself is actually feeling anxiety?" He clenched his fist and raised it. "If it had just been Ravenfield's meddling, the idol would be fair game. Now we have equally, maybe more, troublesome competition."

Ray looked up and crossed his forelegs. "That's your other motive to this training, then? The shadows?"

"Phantoms of darkness with no origin, plaguing the region in a fifty-year war that could have wiped us all out. The most important time in Mysto history that nearly cost us everything." He sighed. "Perhaps I'm apprehensive to face the creatures that nearly annihilated us during lesser times." He glared. "But I'm certainly not going to back down from a fight."

Jeffery flew over and fluttered above his captain. "The shadows are nothing to worry about, my captain. Our superior firepower gives us the advantage." He puffed his chest out proudly. "Try as they might, they're simply outclassed in this new era!"

"Don't get cocky, you idiot bird." Jeffery's bravado deflated on the spot as Arid headed towards his quarters, with the Shinx and Chatot trailing behind. "Preparations need to be made before we can make the first move. Tracking down Ravenfield and predicting his next move is top priority. The shadows are a danger that we must train for." He closed his eyes. "Besides, our crew possesses superior advantages against many creatures. I just need to trust in the power of my crew."

Ray matched his pace by his side. "So, how do we go about tracking Ravenfield?" He shot a glare at Jeffery. "Pea Brain here can only fly off so far before getting himself lost."

"I will strangle you…" Jeffery hissed angrily.

Ignoring their bickering, Arid stated, "If we go on to assume where the keys are likely spaced out, we can eliminate where they might not go. We know for a fact they've been to the Earth and Water Zone and definitely possess two of the ten keys. We could cross off the Fire Zone since it lies between the two zones. There's a number of ways they could go next. The Swamp Zone, the Storm Zone, or they could trek back the way they came."

Ray held his chin. "That could take us a while."

"We have the time," Arid grunted. "I'm willing to search this entire region if it means besting that troublesome Umbreon once and for all."

Jeffery landed on his head and puffed his chest out. "Of course, my captain! We'll show that foolish Umbreon that his days are numbered!"

Arid rolled his eyes, then reached his hand out to his door. "I'll plot a course, then we can…" The Darmanitan glared, then looked up at the sky.

"Something wrong, captain?" Ray asked.

The fire ape blinked a couple of times, wondering whether or not his eyes were playing tricks on him. "Jeffery…does it get dark out early in the Aqua Zone?"

Jeffery scratched his head. "Um…no, I don't think so. It doesn't get dark for a few more hours."

"Then can someone explain to me why the sky is darkening?"

Ray and Jeffery looked towards the sky and, sure enough, the misty blue above them toned down in brightness, rather drastically compared to a sunset. In a little over a minute, it looked like they were out in the middle of the night. They heard the crew stop fighting and their murmurs of confusion. Seems none of them have an explanation for this, either.

Jeffery floated up and looked around with perplexity. "What in the name of the skies is this?! It was bright daylight a moment ago!" He scratched his chin curiously. "Are we having an eclipse?"

Ray waved his paw across the air. He could make out the mist surrounding them through the black vapors that trailed against his paw. "Oookay…this is definitely not an eclipse."

Arid growled and shouted to his crew, "Status report, now!"

The first to reply was Pain Train, who floated onto the ship with his keys jangling. "Everything's fine, captain! Everyone's confused, but there's no immediate danger!" He glared. "Though, Leigh did mention she senses a disturbing presence nearby."

"Disturbing presence, huh?" He would be a fool not to trust the ex-assassin's judgment for danger. That only heightened his concern over the situation. Still, if someone was spying on them, they wouldn't make such an obvious and suspicious play to get noticed. He growled. "Alright! Show your face, you bastard!"

Jeffery screeched in terror. "M-My captain! You can't be serious! What if there is someone trying to ambush us?!"

Arid marched into his quarters and came out with his gauntlet. It locked onto his arm as he flexed the fingers. He glared at the darkness around them. "I'm dead serious. Someone wants our attention. Isn't that right?!" he shouted once more, alarming the Chatot even further.

The crew quickly retreated back onto the Wasteland with their weapons out. They searched the skies and ground and kept watch of each other's blind spots. Leigh crossed her battle claws and examined the darkness cautiously. "Captain…I can still sense the danger. An unfamiliar presence."

"I'm feeling some weird magic in the air, too," Graham mentioned as he hung back with one hand on his sheathed battle axe. "Doesn't feel like normal magic, though."

Arid glared deeper, then shouted once again, "Start talking! You dare try and intimidate the Desert Beast Pirates?! Identify yourself immediately!"

"No need to be so brash about it." Arid's eyes widened as a cold chill past over him. Through the corner of his eye, he spotted a darkness shooting out of the floorboards and towering over him. Red eyes peered through the mass as its sides stretched out like wings, gazing down with an intimidating stature. "I'm sure you figured out I wanted you to see me."

With the darkness in physical view, the crew was frozen in disbelief and/or horror. They aimed their weapons at it, but they were uncertain to attack or not. What exactly were they looking at?

The darkness examined the pirates and their aggressive forms, laughing in evil delight. "Pirates…how they've evolved since my time. To think, you archaic barbarians were nothing more than sea riding mongrels who tore apart the first stretch of land that fancied your interest. It seems those practices remain the same, but it seems the generation has evolved to be a bit more civil. I was expecting you to take the first shout." They saw a sinister smile poke out through the dark form. "I would've slaughtered you like the rest."

Banama's eye twitched irritably from uncertainty. "Just what the hell is this thing?"

"Here's a better question!" Pain Train shouted. "Who the hell are YOU?!"

The darkness laughed. "Oh, here's me talking about you bad-mannered pirates and I forgot to properly introduce myself." The shadowy mass shrunk down and took on a new form. A shadow ghost that seemed to have tendril like hair and solid, sinister red eyes. He smirked to them. "You will refer to me as Nightmare…the Being of Nightmares."

Arid glared cautiously. "Nightmare, huh?" He tightened his golden fist, the metal groaning from the tenseness. "Don't tell me…"

Nightmare showed his white, sharp, transparent teeth. "Ooh, that face…you know what I am, don't you?"

Jeffery was pale as a ghost. His beak was dropped with a frozen state of terror stuck to his blank eyes. "C-C-C-C-Capatin…t-t-t-t-that's a…!"

Arid glowered in disgust. "…you're a shadow."

"So, you have heard of me?" Nightmare asked smoothly, showing off his contrasting calmness to the stiffened pirates.

"You freaks were a plague to our region centuries ago." Arid sneered. "And now you've returned from whatever hellhole you were banished to."

Nightmare crossed his arms. "Your mages should have realized that sealing us away would only delay the inevitable. They were fools not to destroy us. They knew the risks should anyone reopen our sealed tombs." He smirked. "Look where that's getting us."

Malcolm raised his fists to the shadow. He wasn't one to turn down a fight, but this thing was intimidating to look at. "What are you doing on our ship?"

Nightmare glanced around at the tense crew. "My, my…I feel like I'm not being welcomed here. I went out of my way to track you all down specifically. Not like I'm here to kill you…yet."

The sound of crumbling earth picked up. Arid's gauntlet glowed as sand crushed up the ground and collected into a large mass around the ship. The Darmanitan never broke eye contact with the shadow. "Get off my ship."

Nightmare laughed through his teeth. "Are you scared of me?"

"I know plenty of what you want. I don't know the full details about how you came to be, just that some fool released your master. What I do know is your current agenda…"

Nightmare's eyes narrowed. "And I'm not surprised you do. After all, I've gotten to know about you pirates quite a bit." This raised red flags to the Desert Beasts. "It seems you've crossed paths several times with a certain group that has been…causing complications for me lately. I didn't get much about you, other than the few faces I was provided from a Dark Medium. I, of course, speak of the ones you may know as…Team Ravenfield."

Sand shot at the boss shadow like bullets. Nightmare let his form go limp and let the sand bullets pass through his body like he was mist. He regained solidity and avoided the sand tendrils that sought him.

Arid aimed his gloved palm at the fleeing shadow as he scowled. "What is this about?!"

"You've got quite a temper! I told you, I'm not here to kill you pesky pirates!" Nightmare fired a dark beam from his finger and blew apart a sand tendril. "That is, if you don't comply to my demands."

"I don't take orders from you!" Arid swiped his hand up and sent out more sand towards the shadow.

Nightmare grinned and flew around the ship as the masses of sand chased him down. "Spear of Darkness: Dusk Rain!" He summoned hundreds of shadow spears and threw them into the sand. He grunted in annoyance as, while they tore through the mass, the spears sunk into it before getting crushed up. "You're rather skilled with that artifact. My powerful attacks merely sink into your sand."

Arid controlled the sand's direction with quick swipes and twitches of his index finger, chasing down the boss shadow persistently. "You have some nerve to ambush my crew and me without realizing the consequences, you foolish specter! You call us archaic for our methods, but I am feared throughout Mysto for countless reasons! You will respect my command!"

"You show him, captain!" most of the crew cheered.

Arid slammed his palm down and summoned twisters of sand. The winds dragged rock into the twisters and broke them down into more sand for his supply. He locked gazes with the cocky shadow, then swiped his hand to engulf the ship in a sandstorm.

Nightmare looked around at the sandstorm, then crossed his arms. "Well, this is certainly the spectacle. What are you going to do, suffocate me?"

Arid flicked his index and middle fingers out. "Something like that!"

Sand twisters shot out from the all-encompassing storm and targeted Nightmare. The boss shadow held his hands out. "Terror Chord!" The ear-piercing sound wave cut through the air and distorted the approaching winds. They destabilized and exploded into harmless particles. The boss shadow grinned evilly. "Is that all?"

Arid glared. "Not quite."

Nightmare suddenly felt a fist collide with the back of his head. He spun around and locked eyes with a sand clone of Arid. The sand clone growled. "You're not welcome on this vessel!" The arm with the gauntlet molded into a larger fist, then he threw it at the shadow.

Nightmare enlarged his own arm into that of a giant's and crushed the fist with his mighty grip. "Don't act as if we're enemies, pirate. I offer a proposition that you would surely take interest in."

"I don't play servant to the competition!" Sand tendrils shot out of the clone and tried to stab Nightmare, but his shadowy form went limp again and let them pass through.

"You, too, are after the Idol of Origin. I wouldn't expect less from a pirate. If you have to aim big, go for the gods' ultimate weapon." He grinned down at the real captain. "But you are a fool if you think you have a say in the matter."

He aimed his hand at the sand clone and obliterated it with a Terror Chord. He flew down instantly and pressed a blade like finger to his neck. Arid flinched, almost losing his guard from the creature's speed. Still, Nightmare was impressed with his reaction time. There was sand coated into the Darmanitan's fur. Any slight discomfort and it'll harden into a protective shell.

"I wasn't even aiming to kill you. That's some speed from your sand." Nightmare showed off his teeth. "But now you see that your attacks are meaningless against me. Maybe now you'll be more cooperative."

Arid growled as sand collected under him. "Bastard…"

Nightmare's grin stretched, then dropped as a bullet fired through his eye. A shifting hole through his head before it reformed. He glared at the pirates as they raised their weapons to the shadow.

"Step away from the captain," Smith ordered threateningly, cocking his flintlock.

Nightmare blinked, then smirked suspiciously. "Weren't you all too afraid to come near me?"

"You threaten our captain's life, we retaliate," Drake stated, drawing his katanas.

"Aye, it's true!" Julius boasted as he aimed his cannon. "Ye have some nerve steppin' in like ye are! Hope ye're ready for a dip to a watery grave!"

Nightmare glared at the serious looking captain, staring coldly at the shadow. He didn't reflect worry for his crew or concern. He saw that the shadow wasn't easy to pin down or kill, yet he held his crew's act of retaliation with a high degree of respect and trust. That's definitely not something he has seen from pirates of the past.

Nightmare smirked, then retracted his finger. "You have a lovely crew here."

Arid scowled. "I'm…ordering you to get off my damn ship."

The boss shadow floated back and spread his arms out. "However, you aren't the only one with an army at their beck and call." He raised his hand. "It's still night out. Want to guess why?" He snapped his fingers.

The Desert Beasts gasped as the darkness surrounding them swirled like a group of winds. They froze up as maniacal laughter sounded through the darkness while glaring, red eyes pierced through the surface. The dome of darkness around them split apart into individual splotches of shifting blackness. Arms and hands sprung out while tails formed, resembling the shadowy apparitions told through history. Some big, some smaller than their boss, and others towering in height. Arms shaped like blades, tails shaped like spikes, and heads shaped like monsters. Some channeling dark energy, some channeling a dark fire.

Nightmare snapped his fingers again, then laughed. "I have to wonder how much of this you can handle. A combined Final Nightfall and you all will be erased. Simple as that. I've been regaining my power day after day upon my release. I'm above you worthless Pokémon and your fancy tricks, but my words still retain truth. All you need to do is hear me out and I'll take my leave nice and peacefully."

Arid sneered. "Demonic freak…"

Banama stepped forward and waved his fist. "You think we're just going to comply to your demands?! What do you take us for?! We answer to our captain! And our captain answers to no one!" Lyra nodded her head sharply in agreement, cheeks puffed out angrily.

Tyrone tapped his fingers together nervously. "S-Should we really be testing his patience?" he asked aloud.

Ambrosine was having similar feelings. "G-Guys, I think he's serious about that death threat!"

Malcolm shrugged. "Unless our captain says otherwise, we're not backing off." The Steenee was agape that most of the crew was in agreement with him. Were they that stubborn about their pride?!

Nightmare was looking rather annoyed with their defiant nature, but shrugged it off. "I think you're missing the point of this potential arrangement. We both have a common enemy we wish to see done with. We both desire the same end goal."

"I don't do seconds," Arid growled.

"But you, too, will become a god of this world. Nowhere near as mighty as my master, but certainly feared. You could spend the rest of your living days, maybe even an eternity, as the most feared pirate across time and space." Nightmare grinned. "All the power and riches you could ever desire. Anything you wish for and it shall be yours."

The offer obviously sounded tempting, but that was the whole point of their search. The captain didn't like the idea of working with these devious creatures any more than his crew did. "I'm not working with parasitic monsters who would sooner stab me in the back than swear allegiance with me."

Nightmare feigned hurt. "You don't trust? There are no strings attached to this deal. You get what you want in exchange for your services."

Ray crossed his forelegs. "And what exactly do you mean by services?"

"I can only trek this region for so long before I lose interest. I was tasked by my superior to gather rare artifacts and items from around the region for his little experiments. Magical in nature and quite useful when used appropriately." He grinned at Arid. "You have the resources to get whatever you want. Shouldn't be too hard."

Rico glared. "Hold the crystal ball! Are you saying…you want us to do your freakin' grocery shopping?!"

"A rather dull way of elaborating it, but I suppose an effective one." Nightmare's mouth curled into a wicked smile. "Not to say you won't play your part. You will get your chance to face off against Ravenfield and his pesky friends in due time. Once you've proven your loyalty and acceptance of this deal, our master may see rewarding your efforts. Perhaps even a…Herald of the Pirates for your captain."

Arid glowered. "Why should I trust you?"

"The power we hold is unthinkable. Darkness can swallow even light into its suffocating grasp. We are a species of abstract thought brought into reality. We made our presence known and feared centuries ago and we will repeat history again. Only, this time, there won't be a fifty-year war. There won't even be a war." The murderous smile on his face grew to uncomfortably sinister lengths. "It'll be a slaughter." His army of shadows laughed maniacally along with their boss, ringing with malevolent glee.

Arid gritted his teeth. "Is that supposed to be a threat?"

The boss shadow narrowed his eyes evilly on the pirate captain. "Depends on your answer."

"And what if I refuse?"

Nightmare smirked and rubbed his chin. "I recall you referring to me as 'competition' for the idol. Well, both have another thing in common: we don't want the enemy getting their hands on our prize."

The pirates looked up cautiously at the swarming shadows and grimaced as they saw them collectively charging dark magic blasts aimed at them and the Wasteland. Their intimidating grins and grating laughter made the pirates tense up apprehensively. This should have been expected.

"Possessing you and your crew as they are now would move things along easier, but I rather not risk the chance of self-liberation after the last time I tried to possess a stubborn mortal." His eyes gleamed mischievously. "Besides, it's not like I'm asking for much. You're free to carry on with your usual business as we see fit. If Ravenfield does prove to outlast our subordinates, then you'll have your shot at killing him."

Arid glared. "So…our only options are to do your dirty work and trust you so we can obtain power, following your orders…or die."

"That's the gist of it."

The Darmanitan never felt so humiliated and furious in his entire life. Who was he to take orders from another? He didn't become a pirate to bow down to the likes of anyone. He rose to this status through intimidation and hard work. He has earned his reputation as a fearsome captain of the skies. His crew didn't follow a weakling who bowed at the feet of a superior power.

But what good was a crew if they wound up dead? Arid considered himself a cold, heartless man of Mysto, but he wasn't without his good side. He left villages in ruins, but he didn't aim to directly kill anyone unless they fought back. Despite his scuffles with Ravenfield and utterances of the Umbreon's demise, he thrived on besting the sly, greedy fox whenever he could. Those rare moments he won out against his archenemy were the proudest moments of his life. Proud moments for his growing crew.

His crew…they were willing to throw their lives for him because of everything he provided for them. Outcasts and loners without a place of their own. Whether some admit it or not, he knew they respected him as their captain. They trusted his judgment, he trusted their actions. He has met many pirates who treat their crew as expendable help. A disgraceful practice he swore never to uphold. He wanted to take after only the best pirates before him. He wanted to take after the former greatest pirate to ever exist in his time, wherever he was now.

As Arid glared into the eyes of the boss shadow, he realized they were at a crossroad, two directions splitting off. Both paths led to undesirable consequences, but only one guaranteed promise in the end.

"…all we have to do is gather material?"

Nightmare's smirk curled. "Hehehe…so, you accept?"

Arid could feel the shocked stares from his crew. "Captain! You can't be serious!" the Snover exclaimed in disbelief.

"We can't trust that thing!" Fulke shouted, stomping his peg leg down. "They're ready to blow us up any minute!"

Cheshire tapped his fingers together and grinned uncomfortably. "I have to agree with the majority. These fine, devious freaks don't seem all that trusting."

Arid clenched his teeth. "You think I don't know that? What other choice do we have?!"

"Fightin'?" Julius suggested.

Arid glared at the shadows waiting to blast them. Their excited smirks told him they wanted him to decline the deal. He looked back at his crew. "Not an option, unfortunately. If I can apprehend their boss, we can't risk fighting this many."

Banama snarled. "So, we just cave into their demands?!"

Jeffery jumped up and flailed his wings. "Captain! Please think of your pride, I beg you!"

"Would you rather die or live to see tomorrow?" Arid asked with a straight face. That got the crew to settle down a bit. "Again, I don't like this just as much as the rest of you. We either suck up our pride and deal with it…or die without our honor." He closed his eyes. "This is the only option we can take…for now," he grumbled under his breath as he shot a glare at the boss shadow, who thankfully didn't hear him.

The crew's aggressiveness settled down completely, allowing calm exchanges through glances to determine their path. They became pirates knowing they'd run the risk of meeting their end soon. Dying in a glorious battle against enemy pirates was the way to go out. Battling a sworn rival to the bitter end and crashing in a glorious blaze was the way to go out.

Dying instantly without raising and baring arms…that wasn't the way they want to go out.

The crew begrudgingly bowed their heads to him. "This is so stupid…" Leigh growled through her teeth. "…but if that is your decision…"

"Trust me, I'm in full agreement with you lot." He sneered at the boss shadow. "I just don't have the room to exercise my complaints."

Jeffery's legs shook uncomfortably, contrasting the snarling expression he darted at Nightmare. It pained him to see his captain beat down without a fight. "Captain…"

The Darmanitan faced the boss shadow and glared. "…you won't backstab us?"

"So long as you comply," Nightmare teased with his large grin. "I'm not new to working with Pokémon. I know how to keep my word."

Arid closed his eyes and huffed smoked from his nostrils. "…fine. You have a deal."

One snap of his fingers and Nightmare's forces ceased their charge-up, much to their disappointment. The boss shadow folded his arms behind his back and flashed his smug smile. "I knew you'd see things my way."

"Don't push it, Umbra Freak," Arid grumbled testily.

Nightmare held his hands up and took the hint. "Fine, fine." He pressed his palm against the ground. The crew narrowed their eyes suspiciously as a shadow stretched through the floorboards and slithered off. He answered their confusion promptly, "Consider that one our messenger…and to keep watch of you pirates."

Arid raised his brow and huffed. "What? Worried we might backstab you?"

"Tsk, don't be absurd." Nightmare raised himself to full height. "You made a wise decision, pirate. You will get everything you want and more."

The Darmanitan spat on the floor in annoyance. "Yeah, yeah…what do you want?"

"Get down to the point? Good start." Nightmare waved his hand around as he explained, "My irritating superior is working to find ways to improve our possession abilities and his minions, utilizing magic, witchcraft, and some science. Using the right mix of spells and biology to create the perfect soldier to lead my shadows." Nightmare glared at them. "I only have a short list of items that need to be collected. There will be more in time, I assure you."

Arid narrowed his eyes. "What?"

He raised one finger. "The cloth of a sacred priest's robes burnt in a corruptive fire of the dark reaches."

"…what?"

Cheshire raised his hand. "I know what he's talking about. Basically a witchcraft fire made from specific herbs. I can handle that."

Nightmare grinned. "Ah, you already have a witch? That takes care of some loose ends." He continued counting off his fingers. "The starlight buster ore, whatever the hell that is. Two soleil jewels. And…some ferromagnetic ore in the Earth Zone."

Arid glared at Jeffery. "You get all that down?"

The Chatot nodded timidly. "Y-Yes…"

Nightmare bowed to them. "Do not disappoint, pirates. You wouldn't want to make an enemy out of the Tribe of Shadows."

Arid hissed quietly. "We'll see…" he muttered under his breath.

The boss shadow floated up into the sky with his shadows following. "Best of luck. May our new alliance prove fruitful." A patch of darkness opened up above them, which they passed through like a gateway. The last of the malicious darkness disappeared, returning everything to as it was before their arrival.

Silence and dread hung over the pirates. The magically sensitive of the crew could feel the remaining shadow squirming around in their ship, making itself comfortable. This was not a good day.

Ambrosine gulped nervously. "Captain Arid…please tell me you know what you're doing…"

The Darmanitan was silent for a moment. He didn't want to say he was uncertain about this dangerous path, but the slightest misstep will ensure their demise. They had to play it cool for now. They might get more out of this than either side believed.

Arid looked to his crew with cold, narrowed eyes. "Do not feel threatened by the shadows. The point of today's earlier training was to combat these menaces. Now we know what we might face when the time comes."

"So, what's the plan?" Malcolm asked as the Darmanitan walked towards his quarters.

"We continue with the day training as we intended. I'm not changing my mind. Tomorrow, we set off to retrieve the requested items." He closed his eyes. "I don't trust that nightmarish ghost for a second, but we might as well take advantage of his 'generosity.'"

Lyra pantomimed her disagreement through expressions. She showed off a scary face and cackling expression, an exhausted expression as she pretended to dig at the ground, a greedy and cunning face with mischievous eyes before a defying look and the scary face, then ended it by sliding her claw across her neck and feigning death. Banama narrowed his eyes at her, then faced the captain. "Lyra has a point. If we get too confident for our own good with them, we're done for."

"You understood that?" Pain Train muttered in disbelief.

Arid grunted. "Patience…that's all I can say." He glared. "Either good or bad will come out of this deal. I'll guide us through this ordeal. If I can't make it to the end, I expect you lot to take after me and finish the job. We're pirates. We take what we want. We work with the shadows and take what we get."

The crew was still hesitant to accept the deal, but they weren't going to defy their captain. Jones bowed his head. "If that's your order, then we're with you captain." The crew nodded in agreement.

Arid sighed, relieving himself of some tension. "Good…" He marched to his quarters as the crew dispersed, a low dread still hanging inside them. The Darmanitan narrowed his eyes seriously.

I have to wonder, though…they're after the idol, but they're not putting much effort or focus into tracking Ravenfield from the sound of it. What exactly are they up to? How deep does their scheming go?

It was late at night in Quartz Plain Village. Streetlights flickered on while the lights of homes were off. It was another quiet night in the village, not a single soul out and about on the streets.

Well, except for one.

Striding through the empty streets was Jonathan Geno, with a focused gaze set on the road and the main entrance of the village. Out of his usual suit, he wore green jacket zipped all the way up, blue pants, and brown traveling boots. Slung over his shoulder was a travel bag, containing a week's worth of food, another batch of Vivian's medicine, and…a lot of money to keep himself stable on the road.

I'm making myself out as prime bandit bait. Jonathan narrowed his eyes. Sorry Hal…Vivian…but I can't stay here when there's work to be done.

Jonathan checked over his shoulder every so often. The nightmares have made him a bit on edge and paranoid lately. It couldn't be helped. Besides, he wanted to get out with as little questions as possible. If anyone came looking for him, he left notes to explain his absence, even calling in some favors from one of the professors to fill in for him.

He neared the village's main entrance. He flexed his fingers delicately, mentally preparing himself for the journey ahead. I'll figure out how to eliminate these shadows once and for all. I won't let history be turned upside-down. He glared, then took the first step forward.

"Leaving without saying goodbye?" Jonathan nearly tripped over himself, but threw one foot out to stop his fall. He looked to his right panicky, then eased up when he saw it was only Hal. He had his arms crossed while leaning against a building. "That's cold, Geno, real cold."

Jonathan sighed shakily, then straightened himself up. "Hal…how long have you been standing there? More importantly, why are you out so late?"

Hal glared at him and tapped his eyepatch. "The Eye of Silence…a cold whisper that sees no lies. Glimpses into the future when they most matter to the user. In other words…I foresaw this crazy plan of yers an hour ago." He grunted. "Good grief, Geno, what are ye doing?"

Jonathan glared and faced him fully. "I'm sorry, Hal, but it has to be done. These nightmares and my telepathic conversation with the Shadow King…I need to put an end to his plans for good."

"Think with that head of yers, idiot," Hal growled. "Ye said it yerself, that book about the library just came out of nowhere. Don't ye think he wants ye to find the library?"

"If I'm limited by its resources, then so will he! Besides, I need answers about the Grand Imperium Age! I need answers about what happened in the idol's legend! I need to know where the shadows came from and how we can stop them!"

"Wes and his friends are already risking their lives to get the idol. This doesn't concern ye," Hal persisted.

"Someone needs to have their back!" Jonathan retorted. "The library crafted by the gods is the only shot we have at finding answers!"

"How do ye plan on getting that knowledge? And more importantly, do ye even know where the Immensus Library is?"

Jonathan froze up briefly, then continued onward, "No, I don't, but I'll search all of Mysto if I have to!"

"Ye can't use magic, ye have no means of travel other than foot…ye'll be on the road searching for a looooong time." Hal closed his eye. "Geno, think about what ye're doing."

Jonathan gripped his bag tightly. It infuriated him how right the old pirate was. He was going out without a plan and no means of tracking the library. Was he really going to put himself into this much trouble just to find a library he'll have no hope of finding on his own?

"…Hal…" The Krokorok looked at him curiously, noting his tense posture. Jonathan clenched his fist up and sighed. "I…can't explain why I need to do this. My brain's telling me this is a stupid plan that'll fail horribly, yet there's another part of me that I can't describe…that's telling me to take the risk and find their weakness. Don't let them win." Jonathan closed his eyes. "Doing this on my own means many risks that I can't factor in. You're right, I can't deny fact.

"But regardless, if Wes, Flint, Ella, and their friends are putting themselves on the line, then I have no right saying I'm useless. Even if things don't go well, at least I tried to make a contribution in the end."

Hal narrowed his eye seriously at the professor, observing his straight, serious face. He could see the unwavering resolve in his eyes. There was no convincing him otherwise.

Jonathan turned away and readjusted his bag on his shoulder. "Sorry Hal, but this needs to be done." He took the next few steps out of the village.

"…the Snow Zone."

The Scrafty stopped and looked back. "Excuse me?"

Hal sighed and scratched his head. "I've seen and heard every interpretation of the library from one crackpot's point of view to the next. They're all equally crazy despite the evidence." He glared. "There's one consistency: the cold winds that surround it."

"But…the Snow Zone shouldn't have existed that far back," Jonathan pointed out.

Hal pressed a finger against his temple. "That doesn't mean the region wasn't cold, genius. Before magic started flooding the region and warping everything, the upper part of Mysto was just colder naturally, before the sections of the region got divided up. There are parts of the Water Zone, Storm Zone, and even rare cases in the Swamp Zone where cold parts exist, but the cold is always described as blistering and relentless. It seems to have adapted into the Snow Zone's current state."

Jonathan narrowed his eyes. "That's still a lot of ground to cover."

"Then think like the gods for a moment. A place they wanted to keep out of reach of mortals. Normal mortals." Hal waved his hand around. "Pokémon not born with an affinity for magic are less knowledgeable about magic naturally, unless they grew up in magic heavy populations. And the Snow Zone is an uncharted region of snow and ice. There are secrets there and even in the Swamp Zone that have been undiscovered for centuries or millennia.

"I bring up non-magic users…because the library is hidden somewhere that only a very powerful magic user can locate." Hal sighed. "Ye won't be able to get there on your own. Still, if yer dead serious about this stupid plan of yers…I won't stop ye."

Jonathan narrowed his eyes. "The Snow Zone, huh?" He held his chin. "Think like the gods…if I were them and I built a sacred place above the mortals, I would naturally put it on the highest point for all to view and worship."

Hal smirked, genuinely impressed. "Well…I suppose that's sound logic for another crackpot."

Jonathan chuckled lightly, then smiled. "Thank you, Hal…this means a lot."

"Just promise me ye won't get killed," he said half-jokingly. "I've lost enough friends in me life."

The Scrafty nodded. "Of course." He turned back to the road ahead, then sighed. "Immensus Library…here I come." Finally, without interruption, he took the first steps out of the village and made his way down the dirt path.

Hal waved to him as he disappeared over a horizon with a…forced smile on his face. "Good luck, Geno." He let his mood deflate into uncertainty. "Seriously…ye need all the luck ye can…"

He turned his back to the road and headed home. A golden glow pierced out from under his eyepatch. The old croc placed his hand over the hidden right eye, frowning sourly. I hope I didn't start a series of events for this bad omen I feel…