Ch.119: Gamble in the Casino! The Desert Beast's Attack Begins!

"Gwyn? Gwyn, wake up," Flint whispered, gently rubbing the Mew's back. He sighed at the trail of drool leaving her gaping mouth with her head rested on the table. "Yeesh. This is why I didn't want you drinking. What am I going to do with you?"

"She'll be fine," Griffin mumbled, locked into his match with Faye. "She's hardly a lightweight. A few bottles of alcohol won't do her in."

Flint shot him a stink glare. "Don't say a few bottles like that's normal."

"You've never met the drunks I've seen or killed." Griffin narrowed his eyes, then threw down a card. "Wall of Denial. I cancel your attack phase."

"Ugh! Spoil sport!" Faye groaned angrily. "I would've pierced through your defenses entirely and ended the rest of your hit points!"

Griffin closed his eyes and smirked. "You're dealing with someone who has to survive day and night to get through life."

"Oh, oh! Just you wait once I get my next card!"

Flint deadpanned. "Happy to see you two are enjoying your time."

"Oh lighten up, fuzzball," Faye muttered as she drew a card. "Not like your night's been ruined. Maybe you and Gwyn can still salvage the night."

"Like how?" Flint asked as he threw a berry in his mouth.

"Well, for one, there's plenty of private places here to get personal~."

Flint inhaled a gasp and accidentally swallowed the berry inside his windpipe. He pounded his chest to get it out, though was quickly saved by a halfhearted slap from Griffin, shooting the berry onto the table. Flint panted in relief, then pointed angrily at Faye while blushing profusely. "We've only been dating for over a month! Keep those depraved thoughts to yourself, woman!"

Faye smirked childishly. "I'm not hounding you about kids, right?" Flint's ears flopped over, then he turned away with a grumble. "Why are you getting so worked up? Most guys I know would jump at the chance to get lucky with a girl like Gwyn. You're being a prude."

"I am not a prude!" Flint huffed and crossed his forelegs. The anger in his face couldn't stick, washing away into a disappointed gaze. "I've never been in a relationship before. I don't want to rush into anything like that."

"Why not?"

"I don't want that to be the reason we're dating. There's more to relationships than that, and…" Flint looked down on Gwyn's sleeping form. "I love her. I love everything about her." He flinched at her sudden, loud snore before rolling flat on her face.

Faye threw her head back and laughed. "You have to be in love to put up with someone's snoring!" Flint sighed in defeat and covered his face.

Griffin sighed and set his cards down. "For what it's worth, I get what you're saying. Take your time with it. Find out if it'll work out between you two. You do want to marry her, right?"

"A-A month! We've been together for a-!"

"Is there really anyone else you want to spend the rest of your life with?" Griffin interrupted. "Either it doesn't work out in the end, or you've managed the one thing hopeless romantics like you have always strived for: true love at first sight."

Flint blinked silently, then looked back down at Gwyn. He ran his paw through her hair, then sighed. "I…I-" Before he could say it, the music suddenly cut off, surprising them. "Huh?"

"What happened to the tunes?" Faye asked.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The trio turned their heads and spotted a figure standing over the DJ booth. A Simisear in a mask waving to the crowd. "Thank you all for joining us for this wonderful party! We hope you all are enjoying the refreshments! I sure am! Hahaha!"

Faye narrowed her eyes. "The heck is this about? Dinner and show?"

Flint glared. "Why does that Simisear sound familiar?"

"And for today, we want to give a big congratulations to the winners of the Gelid Peak Tournament! Despite their loss, they've come so close to besting our champion! A magnificent mark in history that shall be remembered!" He gestured to their table, flashing a spotlight on them. "Give them a hand, folks!"

Flint and Griffin glanced at each other suspiciously as the crowd clapped for them. Flint felt an odd tingle on the back of his neck, telling him something wasn't right. Griffin glared, then pushed Faye under the table, telling her to stay quiet.

Something's amiss here. Flint looked around, then raised his brow at a few partygoers. They were wearing masks like the Simisear. In fact, looking at what species was wearing a mask, something familiar ticked away in his brain.

"How does it feel to be the big winners, Team Ravenfield?" the Simisear asked before examining their table. "Huh? I spot two and one unconscious green cat. Where's the other three? Ah, where's the proud leader, Wes Ravenfield? We should have him come up and tell us all about his harrowing victory!"

Flint whispered something into Griffin's ear, who then nodded. Griffin stood up with one hand stashed in his pocket. "Sorry, Wes isn't here at the moment. Perhaps you can interview me instead."

"Oh no, no, no! Wes Ravenfield is the team leader after all! He should be the one to tell us how his team pushed through the tournament!"

Griffin glared. "Well, that's rude. Are you saying this intoxicated Mew and wheelchair-bounded Flareon are incapable of sharing words? That's rather judgmental of you."

Simisear's eyes widened. "I, uh…didn't mean anything by that!"

"You sure? Honestly, I expect better from some people. Why, perhaps you just want to speak to Wes because you want one of his amulets. Is that what this is about, Smith?"

The Simisear waved his arms frantically. "N-Nothing like that! I'm not after his Star Amulet or Amulet of Umbra! I just want to interview him about his match-!" The Simisear caught his throat, eyes widening in horror.

Griffin held his chin in faux intrigue. "Huh, how odd you would know one of Wes' other amulets when it wasn't even used in the tournament. And I'm surprised I got your name right. That was a slip of the tongue. You just look like this other Simisear I happen to be familiar with. A fellow named Smith…who is a crew member of a gang of pirates that have been chasing us."

Smith was now sweating bullets. "Uh…y-yeah, that sounds like quite the coinci-AAHH!" A slash of icy magic hit his feet and froze him in place from the waist down.

Griffin, holding Absolute Zero aloft, sneered at the Simisear. "Drop the act, you bastard pirate. You're with the Desert Beasts!" Gasps rang throughout the room, chatter of the Desert Beasts suddenly spurring.

"The Desert Beasts?"

"Wait, weren't they those pirates who…?"

"They're those pirate terrorist who attacked Ironworks!"

"The ones who are wanted all over Mysto!"

Flint slammed his paws down and growled at Smith. "And if you guys are here, I have a hunch you're after something we procured recently. Isn't that right?"

Smith was too mortified by his slip-up to respond. An audible sigh close to their table filled in the gap. "Simply because everyone else didn't want to be the center of attention for the distraction. Smith, you're a dunderhead." Flint and Griffin whipped their heads and glared at a masked Raichu, no doubt Banama. "Hello…"

"…and goodbye!" Eyes traveled up as Leigh flew over the room and threw down smoke bombs. Masked members of the audience threw their own smoke bombs down, too, and filled the main floor in smoke.

Partygoers panicked and tried to navigate out of the smoke, but they went down one-by-one, dragged away into the smoke and knocked unconscious. Magic attacks went off in all directions, hitting bystanders by accident in a vain effort to take out the hidden pirates.

Banama lunged over the table and grabbed Flint by the lapel. "Alright, enough screwing around. Where's the key you got from Benedict? Give it now and I won't fry your face off."

Flint clenched his teeth. "I-I-I-"

"Excuse me." Banama's eyes widened as a hand touched his shoulder. "Would you mind…" A fist slammed across his cheek and threw him off the table. "-getting your hands on my BOYFRIEND?!"

Flint staggered in surprise as Gwyn, fully standing, growled over the table while looking quite worn out. "Gwyn! You're awake!"

Gwyn flinched and covered her ears. "Agh! Everything's so loud! Why does my head hurt?!"

"That's called a hangover, Gwyn."

"Whatever it is, I hate it!"

Banama pulled himself up, cupped his cheek, and growled. "That hurt…" His cheeks sparked wildly before releasing a massive electrical blast. Griffin grabbed Faye from under the table and threw her into Flint and Gwyn, knocking them away before the table exploded.

Flint flipped out of his wheelchair and rolled across the floor. "Agh!"

"Griffin!" Faye cried.

The smoke cleared with Griffin holding back Banama with Infinity Breaker. "Faye! Go find Madame Ava and tell her we're booking it!"

Faye gritted her teeth, then nodded. "Alright." She got up and bolted for the door.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Her eyes widened as a Snover jumped from the banister with a knife. "No one leaves the party early-!" A tray bashed him across the face and knocked him away.

Ebony spat on the floor and threw an appetizer into her mouth. "Now this party is getting interesting!"

"Thanks!" Faye shouted before springing out of the room.

Saffiro sprinted onto the tables and leaped over the smoke. "Fuoco Blu!" His body lit up in flames before diving in. He struck a pirate in the chin, grabbed his arm, and bashed him against his comrades. "Phoenix in Fiore!" He blew through his hand and fired scatter shots of fire, accurately nailing the pirates through the smoke.

Ebony grabbed the tablecloth and wrapped it around a Nidorino's head. "May I have this dance, sir?" She spun him around on her heel and swung him into the floor with a loud crack. "Hey, hey, hey, you got two left feet or something?" She kicked his midsection and knocked him away in the smoke.

"HA!" Ebony barely dodged Leigh's battle claws, which nicked off some fur from her ear. Leigh spun around and brandished her claws. "You want to go, little bunny?"

Ebony smirked and cracked her knuckles. "Sure. Never had someone request for their skull to be cracked open. HA!" Ebony rushed in swinging with Leigh blocking and parrying with her claws.

Hugo and Cybil were cornered in the game area as attacks fired off over their heads. Cybil grunted. "I should've brought my rifle with me."

"This smoke is too thick. The light of my staff might not be able to breach it," Hugo mumbled, taking a cautious peek over the table. He barely dodged a bullet grazing the sides.

Cybil covered her left eye and activated Mea Oculus and Ricochet Mirror. "You can still shoot, right?"

"Yeah?"

"There's one approaching on your left. Two bystanders are holding him off. Raise your staff just over the edge and fire at thirty-six degrees."

Hugo glared, then raised his staff. Turning it per her instruction, he fired a golden shot that struck something in the smoke, followed with a soft gasp and thud.

"You got him." Cybil pointed to the walls. "Let's get to cover and find the others."

"Lead the way, my dear." They quietly raced out from cover.

"Are you okay, Flint?" Gwyn asked as she helped him back into the wheelchair.

"Ugh…I'll tell you if we get out of here in one piece- Gwyn, duck!" Flint pushed her head down as a bullet whizzed past them.

Malcolm and Cheshire stepped out of the smoke, armed with flintlocks. Malcolm scoffed and reloaded his gun. "Seriously, just give us the damn key and we'll leave."

"I'm telling you, we don't have it!" Flint shouted.

"We know it's with your brother. Where the hell is he?" Malcom pressed harder, aiming for Flint's head.

Gwyn immediately shot up and knocked the gun out of his hand. "Listen here, buster!" she yelled. "I'm pretty cranky at the moment because of this hangman thing-!"

"Hangover," Flint corrected.

"Whatever! You want to fight?" Gwyn slammed her hands down. "Let's dance!"

Cheshire smirked. "Are you stupid or something? We're in the Snow Zone. There's no plants under this hotel for you to manipulate."

Gwyn narrowed her eyes darkly for a moment, then switched to a cheerful demeanor. "You guys wouldn't happen to be doctors, right?"

"What kind of stupid question is that-?" Malcolm's eyes widened. "Wait!" He turned around and saw three apples rolled on the ground, wrapped in a green aura. "Oh fu-!"

The apples exploded open and expanded into fully matured tree branches. Gwyn pushed Flint away before Malcolm and Cheshire were thrown and pinned against the wall by apple trees.

"Whoa! Nice one, Gwyn!" Flint praised.

"Aw shucks, that was nothing!" She stopped and looked at him seriously. "Where is Wes, anyway? We need to get out of here quickly."

"He went off with Ella not too long ago. They might be talking in the room."

"I'll take you up there with me-!" A club swung from the smoke and struck her in the stomach. Gwyn gasped and went flying away from Flint.

"Gwyn!" he cried out trying to wheel over to her, but someone grabbed his chair.

"Don't leave yet, Ravenfield." Flint's teeth chattered as Fulke, the peg leg Primeape, waltzed up behind him, dragging his club behind him. "Let's break a leg on the dance floor."

Tony flipped around in the smoke, dodging gunfire from Zerif and some unnamed Desert Beasts. "Indigo, you conniving…" he grumbled in annoyance, though mostly at himself. "Taking this secret to the grave or the hothead won't let me hear the end of it."

Tony spotted cutlasses flying out the smoke and dodged them. He felt Zerif jumping out of the smoke from behind, swinging a cutlass at his back. Tony stopped it with his scalchops and held the Zoroark back. Zerif gritted his teeth. "You're quick, Speedy. Very quick." He smirked. "Dense, too."

Tony snorted. "Not like I didn't see this coming." He batted the cutlasses aside and kicked Zerif in the stomach. Zerif, however, laughed it off and blended with the smoke. "Oh, son of a-" Tony felt another presence and dodged a kick that split a table in two.

Rico stomped his foot and growled at Tony. "You're dealing with me, now."

Tony raised his brow, smirking. "Ooh, you look angry about something."

A vein pulsed in the Scrafty's forehead. "Damn right I'm angry." He rushed at the Dewott and threw sharp kicks at Tony, which he blocked with his Razor Shell.

"Need I ask what I did to get you so huffy? I haven't even cracked out the insults yet." Tony ducked and swiped Rico's legs out.

"You know what you did!" Rico landed on his hand, spun on it, and rammed his leg into Tony's side. Tony gasped and went flying across the room, smashing into a table. "What does she even see in you?"

Tony lifted his head and groaned. "She?" He blinked, then smirked knowingly. "Ah, so a certain Sneasel caught your eye, too? Well, if you must know, she's quite the kisser-" He flipped back right as Rico lunged and swung his leg down. "Were you always this temperamental? Or were you intimidated by my smooth delivery with the ladies?"

Rico bared his teeth. "Why you little-!"

"Rico!" Rico turned away for a moment as Julius slid by, firing into the crowd with his pincer cannon. "How about ye leave the romance feudin' for another time? This isn't the time for bein' a jealous nutcase!"

"I'm not jealous, I'm just worried about Indigo's safety!" Rico argued. "This guy is obviously a conniving thief!"

"Aren't you a pirate?" Rico nearly got a face full of Tony's knee, blocking it with his arm. "Playing the bad influence card won't work. Besides, she was the bad influence on me." Tony spun on his hand and kicked Rico across the face.

Rico slid back, holding his cheek, and sneered at the Dewott. "Grr…" Rico took a deep breath and sighed. "I only have myself to blame for at least not trying." He shook his head, then raised his leg. "The mission comes first."

Tony smirked. "Aww, look who became a man."

The pulsing vein returned. "And yet, I still feel pretty annoyed right now." Rico sprinted at Tony, to which Tony laughed and clashed with Flash Splitter.

Indigo was hanging from the ceiling and watching Tony and Rico fight. She sighed to herself. "Not sure what I should feel worse for. Manipulating Tony or not acknowledging Rico." She shook her head, then glared at the hall leading to the hotel rooms. "If Ravenfield isn't here, I'll just have to bust down every door in this place." She fired a grappling arrow and swung over to the banister.

"Eradication Driver." Indigo spotted a blue light aimed in her direction. She cut the rope and fell right as a magic beam shot into the ceiling. She landed on a table, then glared ahead at the Fraxure stepping from the smoke. "That's far enough, pirate," Wilbur threatened, aiming his cannon at her.

"Tsk. You brought your weapon?"

"Unlike most of these amateurs, mine can be summoned to my side. Very handy for situations like this." He pulled the trigger and fired energy volleys at her.

Indigo flipped through them, then fired an explosive arrow. Wilbur blocked it with his cannon right as Indigo raced up and dropkicked him in the face. She kicked his cannon away and pressed him against the ground. "You'll have to try better than that."

Wilbur huffed, then flicked his finger. The cannon hovered off the ground and rammed Indigo off. "Fire." The cannon blasted a weak shot with strong knockback, throwing her across the floor.

"Get your hands off Gene!" Wilbur saw pirates fly over his head and crash into tables. "Woo! Gene feels great!" The Machoke charged through the smoke and bashed his shoulder through another cluster of pirates. "Try and keep up, Wilbur!"

Wilbur rolled his eyes and sighed. "Only normal one…confirmed."

Flint shook in his wheelchair, pinned up against the wall with a thick wooden club pressed to his chest. "Now, I'm only going to say this once, so listen carefully," Fulke threatened with a dark glare. "Where the hell is your brother? Which room is Team Ravenfield's? Spill it and I won't break your legs again."

Flint felt obligated to tell him to screw off like any other day, but he was locked up in his chair. His throat clenched up, his paws got sweaty, and his breathing grew heavier. His shrunken eyes indicated actual panic from the Flareon. Blood was rushing through his brain, sending it into overdrive with hundreds of scattered thoughts fighting for dominance.

W-Why…can't I move? Why am I suddenly scared of these guys? They're the same idiots from before, right? What's going on with me?

Fulke was getting annoyed and raised his club. "Maybe a good clonk to the head will jog your memory."

Flint shrunk back in his wheelchair and clenched his eyes shut. Right when he felt the club swinging down, he heard something running up to them and, presumably, decking the Primeape across the face. Flint heard him collapse to the floor, but he was too petrified to open his eyes.

"Flint! Flint, it's me! What's wrong with you?"

Flint felt comfort in the voice and opened one eye, then felt instant relief to see Krystal. "Krystal…oh, thank goodness," he breathed lightly.

"What the heck is going on?" she asked frantically. "I just got back from the lobby and saw this come out of nowhere! The front desk is freaking out!"

"The…The Desert Beasts," Flint answered, breathing out as he calmed down. "They were waiting for this moment to attack and get the key we got."

Krystal blinked, then hummed it over. "Huh, attacking while we're all getting wasted. Yeah, that's not a bad plan." She quickly shook it off. "Uh, forget that! What was with you a second ago? You should've beaten those guys to a pulp!"

"I…I don't know," he admitted meekly. "I just…froze."

"Froze?" Krystal mumbled.

"Yeah, I…Krystal, watch out!"

Krystal spun around and blocked Fulke's club. The Primeape panted angrily at the Delibird. "You're…that exploding chick, aren't you? I'm not letting you get a chance to use one of those fancy explosives on me."

Krystal scowled. "Confident you can stop me in time?"

"Why don't you try me?"

Krystal glanced down at the floor, then smirked back at him. "Sure. I'll even count myself down."

"Well, look who's being cocky."

"K-Krystal?" Flint mumbled worriedly.

"Here we go. Three…two…one…" Krystal took a deep breath…then booked it with Flint in tow. "See ya, sucker!"

"Wha- HEY!" Fulke tried to chase them down, but tripped onto his face. "Agh! What now?!" He looked at his peg leg and saw it firmly rooted into the floor. "What happened to my-?!" His eyes widened as his wooden club grew out over his arm and wrapped around his body. "What's happening to my-?!"

"Don't you remember hitting me with that club?" Fulke's eyes widened, suddenly feeling Gwyn standing over him with an annoyed glare. "I used the delayed version of my Accelerated Growth on your club the second you struck me. You shouldn't really attack me with anything that came from nature. Nature likes me, a lot."

"Get these things off me!" Fulke screamed as he tried to rip the wooden tendrils off.

Gwyn tilted her head and grinned. "Have fun with that." She cupped her hands and shouted, "Krystal! Keep Flint safe for me, okay?!"

"You got it, Green!" Krystal shouted back. "Alright, let's get to your room and get you guys out of here!"

"Us?" Flint gasped. "What about you and the others?!"

"Someone needs to stay back and clean this mess up!" Krystal glared as Pain Train came at them with some other pirates. "Can you find a way onto the next floor yourself?"

Flint glared at the banister, then nodded. "I have something."

"Good enough!" Krystal vaulted over him and punted two bombs into the pirates, knocking them over.

Pain Train avoided them and extended pink chains out from his body, trapping Krystal in them. "Got you."

"Oh please!" With her wings pinned, she ran up to him and bashed her skull against the Klefki. Her eyes widened as a sudden shock went through her body and threw her back. "Yow! What the hell?!"

Pain Train groaned, then laughed. "Chain Link Binding. If you try and harm me, our pain will be shared. Simple as that. I figure you would be immune to your own explosions, but it's not the damage we share that'll come back to bite you."

Krystal pouted. "Oh swell."

"You three!" Pain Train shouted at the pirates behind him. "Apprehend Ravenfield!" They charged at Flint.

Flint nearly froze up, but worked the nerve to summon his Guardian. It grabbed his wheelchair and chucked him through the banister. It instantly appeared up top to catch him and push him out of the main room.

"You idiots! He's getting away- AGH!" Pain Train flew back as Krystal bashed her skull into him again. "Agh! What the hell, woman?! Didn't you hear what I said about these chains?!"

Krystal smirked. "I did. And what better opportunity to have some fun."

"H-Huh?"

"I want to see how much pain I can tolerate from myself. How good's your resolve, little man?"

Pain Train's brow twitched. "Who are you calling 'little,' you masochistic bitch?!" He summoned his flintlock and aimed it. "I can disable the pain sharing effect in the span it takes to hit you with a bullet! Your resolve means nothing to me!"

Krystal chuckled. "I'm sure your pal, Edwin, said the same thing."

Pain Train growled under his breath. Someone better find that key soon or so help me…

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!" Flint ordered his Guardian as they raced down the hall. "You and Ella picked the wrong time to have a heart-to-heart, Wes!" He turned a corner and spotted their hotel room. "Just in time! Wes, Ella! We need to-!" His Guardian suddenly pushed the wheelchair and dodged a stray bullet. "Shit!"

Malcolm stepped out from behind the corner, panting and holding his legs. "You…are more trouble than you're worth." He tossed the flintlock to the side. "Still, at least I know now which rooms to check."

Flint backed into his wheelchair, chattering his teeth. "T-T-Time Hal-!" Malcolm blitzed Flint and socked him in the stomach. Flint doubled over and clutched his stomach, eyes boggling in pain.

"None of that," Malcolm muttered. "I rather not beat up on someone who's injured, so let's make this snappy. Which one of these rooms is yours?"

Flint bared his teeth, seething through them. Need to…lose him.

Malcolm sneered and lifted Flint by the mane. "Didn't you hear me?! I said-!" Flint's Guardian sprung out from behind and socked Malcolm across the face. Flint, who didn't expect the attack, flew back and fell out of his wheelchair. "Agh! That smarts…" Malcolm groaned.

Flint turned onto his stomach and crawled towards the door. "Sh-Shit! Wes, Ella!" His Guardian grabbed the doorknob and tried to open it, but it was locked. "L-Locked? Oh come on-!" Flint gasped as Malcolm slammed his foot down on his back.

"If I didn't know the extent of your injuries, I would've thought you were faking," Malcolm grumbled. The Golduck glared at the door. "So, this is where Ravenfield is." He bared his claws. "Let's knock and see if he's home."

Flint's eyes widened, then he screamed, "Get back!" His Guardian swung its fist and bashed Malcolm right through the door.

"GAH!" Malcolm flew across the room and slammed into a desk.

Flint picked himself back into his wheelchair and quickly wheeled himself in. "Wes, Ella! We need to leave, now! The Desert Beasts-!"

And just like that, the second he spotted his brother and friend, any desire for self-preservation fled from his system.

He thought Wes and Ella were just talking things over, as they should be. Instead, he saw Wes laying on top of Ella with his blazer completely gone and half his shirt unbuttoned while the Espeon's dress was ruffled with wrinkles. The two were frozen with bright red faces and their lips pressed together, staring at an equally mortified Flint and, after regaining clarity, Malcolm.

"Wh…What the…?" Malcolm mumbled.

Wes slowly pulled his face away from Ella and, after clearing his throat, mumbled, "Uh…hi?"

"Hi…" Ella mumbled with foreign meekness.

Flint's eye twitched as old memories of walking in on similar risqué escapades resurfaced. He was so perplexed and baffled that he only had one thing to say.

"W…Why on my bed?"

Wes sat up and laughed…clearly dying inside. "Uh…we didn't do anything like that. W-We were going to ask for new sheets regardless. Just…kind of happened…in the moment. Haha…"

Malcolm took a deep breath and pinched between his eyes. "I…am going drink myself into a coma to forget I saw thi- AGH!" A psychic force lifted him up and slammed him against the wall.

"C-C-Can we change the subject and explain this?!" Ella finally screamed, for once losing her cool and trying to divert attention away from the last thirty seconds.

Flint slapped his cheeks and cleared his head. "Uh, uh, uh- pirates! The Desert Beasts are here to get the keys!"

"They are?!" Wes gasped.

"There's a mad riot going on back at the party! Griffin had Faye go look for Ava so we can get out of here!"

"Ah shit!" Wes jumped off the bed and grabbed his bag. "Ella, help me get everyone's stuff inside the bag!"

"Right!" Ella psychically lifted all the team's bags and possessions and guided them into the messenger bag.

Flint awkwardly scratched behind his head. "So, uh…if I hadn't come in, were you two actually gonna-?"

"WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THIS!" they screamed.

Malcolm, with some struggle, moved his arm inside his back. "As much as I want to leave as well, we're taking those keys with us!" Malcolm flicked a pellet down and released a gray smog into the room.

The Eeveelutions covered their mouths and stepped back. Ella lost her grip and dropped Malcolm, who bolted through the smog and punched Wes. Wes dropped the bag, which Malcolm swiped and carried with him towards the exit.

"Ah! Flint, he has the bag!"

Flint opened his eyes and summoned his Guardian to stop Malcolm, but froze at the duck's piercing glaring. Ringed eyes flickered in his vision, paralyzing him on the spot. Flint flinched and covered his head as Malcolm vaulted over his chair and dashed out the room.

Ella vented the smog out the window with her Psychic, then gasped. "Flint! Where's Malcolm?"

"And my bag?!" Wes cried.

Flint blinked, then looked at his shaking paws. "I…I don't…"

"Forget it, we need to get my bag back!" Wes zipped past Flint and chased after the barely visible Golduck.

"Move it, Fluff Tail!" Ella shouted, pushing Flint and racing his wheelchair down the hall with the Flareon gripping for his life.

Griffin and Banama clashed through the foyer, sparks of hate and electricity flying out. Griffin summoned one of the Exiled Soul daggers and slashed Banama across the cheek. The Raichu jumped away and whipped his tail down, building up electricity through his body and firing out a wide beam.

Griffin changed to Endless Regret and blocked the beam, but didn't feel most of the force subsiding. "Magic infused electricity?" He narrowed his eyes on the Raichu, piercing through the wall of sparking yellow. "Something's off about his magic. There's something…powering it deep inside it. A contained source of magic, even. It's strengthening his natural electric sacs."

Banama smirked. "That fancy sword of yours won't stop me. Invigoratle!" A fierce red aura wrapped around him, turning his electricity red. His cheeks crackled wildly and released a far stronger blast that overpowered Griffin.

Shit! Griffin pushed off the beam and sidestepped, watching it blast some unfortunate bystanders and melt a hole through the walls.

"Got you!" Griffin felt the Raichu's tail snag around his neck and hoist him up. Banama cracked his knuckles. "Better to get rid of the nuisance first."

Griffin frowned. "You're indeed strong, I grant you that. However…" He summoned Exiled Soul against and grabbed it with his foot. "I'm not so easy to put down!" He threw the dagger at the Raichu, who moved his head to the side and let it fly by.

"Tsk. What was that supposed to do?" Banama grumbled.

"Get my friend's attention."

Suddenly, Holly jumped out from the smoke and threw down an axe kick to Banama's head. Banama went dizzy and dropped Griffin, then gasped as Oswald swung out of the smoke and struck with a well-placed Impact Star, ratting the pirate's innards. Oswald launched the Raichu away into the smoke.

"I'll take care of that guy!" Oswald volunteered. "You two get to safety!" He tipped his mushroom cap to Holly. "Uh…I hope to see you again, Ms. Dawngrove." He dashed off into the smoke.

Griffin dusted himself off, then smirked. "Did Mesprit shoot you two with her arrows?"

Holly groaned with an annoyed blush, then tossed Exiled Soul to him. "Can we focus on getting out, first?" She looked to the side, then mumbled, "And yes, he's really cute, shut up…"

"I now see why Ella enjoys this so much," Griffin muttered to himself, clearly amused. "Let's find the others." They ran off in search of their team.

"HA!" Tony and Rico clashed kicks and knocked each other back. They panted heavily, clothes ruffled and scuffed.

Tony groaned at the state of his attire. "Do you know how much a suit like this costs? You're paying for my dry cleaning."

Rico bared his teeth. "You are super annoying."

Tony smirked. "Ah, you read my profile?"

Rico kicked through a table, knocking wooden boards up, and struck them at Tony. Tony activated Quick Step and dodged through them, then lunged at Rico and threw a punch. He sensed another fighter coming at him, however, and dropped to his knees. A katana swung over his face, nearly grazing his nose. Tony slid into Rico, kicked his legs out from under him, and flipped back onto his feet before acknowledging the one-eyed Grovyle that interfered.

"Hey, do you mind?" Tony asked. "We're having a gentlemen's spat here."

Drake didn't seem interested and raised his katana. "Death awaits your team."

"Ooh, now you're serious~," Tony mocked. However, he couldn't help but notice some of the other tournament fighters sprawled out on the ground, clutching serious looking wounds. He bared his teeth. They're really serious. Some of these guys need medical attention soon.

Drake glided his finger across his blade, then dashed at Tony. Tony electrified his water blades and stopped the sword before throwing a punch. Drake caught it, took Tony's wrist, and flipped him over his shoulders, swinging his katana toward his waist.

"Light Speed: Perfect Counter!" The blade connected, but triggered the spell and allowed Tony to remove himself from Drake's grip and rammed his foot up into his chin. The snap movement threw Drake back in three flips, smashing him against a broken table.

Tony stood up and dusted his shoulders off. "Aeternus, that bastard. Shadow King or not, that mad clown's prints are all over this. He's gonna-" He heard a sound over the chaos, spun around, and caught an arrow aimed for his shoulder. He glared and snapped the arrow in two, staring down Indigo. "What did I expect? Even with all your fears, you're still at this."

Indigo bared her teeth. "Tony, I told you, disobeying will get me killed. Look, just let me get a few shots on you and I'll-"

"I was being cordial before, but this has gone on long enough." Indigo gasped as Tony closed the distance, grabbed her neck, and rammed her into the floor. She clutched his arm and looked at him fearfully. His gaze was dark. "I do love you, Indigo, but I told you before: I don't play nice, especially when it's life or death."

"T-Tony…"

He glared. "Your damn captain needs to get his act together, because I've had it with these shadow punks. One of their own already went after my friend and nearly killed him." Indigo whimpered as Tony's thumb pressed down on her throat. "I don't take that stuff lightly."

"Th…That wasn't our fault."

"One of yours was with Zaros, wasn't she? The Steenee chick led Flint into a trap."

Indigo's eyes widened. "Wha…? We never sent her to…"

"It's your choice, Indigo," he interrupted. "Keep being their lapdogs or get a grip. Is ultimate power even worth it for you lot? Why does your captain care so damn much about it?"

"You want to know the truth, boy?" Tony blinked as sand particles swirled around the two. He glared, then turned to the Darmanitan entering through the smoke, accompanied by Ray, Jeffery, and a nervous Ambrosine. "There are some things a pirate strives for than just gold."

"Give me back my bag!" Wes yelled, chasing Malcolm through the numerous corridors of the hotel, trying to keep him as far away from the main foyer as he could. He didn't want to deal with all those pirates at once, more concerned with getting out of Gelid Peak.

Malcolm sneered back at him. "Man, you're persistent." He whistled and shouted, "Graham, Tyrone, heads up!"

"Huh?" Wes stopped and jumped back from a flying hatchet. "What the-?" A green aura wrapped around the hatchet, extending the handle into thin roots that honed on Wes and grappled his legs. "H-Hey!"

Graham and Tyrone stepped out from around the corner, with the Gallade chuckling to himself. "Geez, was it that easy to take him down? You idiots really are useless."

Malcolm slowed to a weak stride and panted. "Shut up, he doesn't have his amulets on him."

Wes couldn't slide his legs out from the wooden tendrils, nor could he chew through them. "Damn, this wood is tough…" His eyes fell upon the shadow looming over him, belonging to Graham.

Graham spun his battle axe around. "No hard feelings, but I'm sure there's quite a few towns that would cash in for your head." Wes squeezed his eyes shut as Graham reeled the axe back.

"Daybreak!"

Suddenly, Wes' bag rumbled in Malcolm's hand, then the psychic staff shot out, flying into the back of Graham's head. The Gallade teetered forward, where Wes spin his body around and knocked Graham over. Ella jumped and caught her staff in her teeth, then swiped the ground and kicked a strong gust. Tyrone and Malcolm were thrown back.

"Hang on, Wes!" Wes looked up to his brother as his Guardian quickly chopped through the wood. Flint sighed. "Don't go running off like that."

Wes stand up. "Later. For now…" He glared at Malcolm. "Magic or no magic, you're not taking those keys." He charged and slammed his head against Malcolm, knocking him down.

"Gah!" Malcolm rolled back and socked Wes' cheek, then grabbed his suit and rammed his knee into his jaw. "You can't beat me in a fight, Ravenfield. I've got more combat experience than you'll ever hope for."

Wes wiped some spit off his mouth, then smirked. "Yeah, I know." He swung his head into Malcolm's chin, pushing him off, then flashed one of his older amulets, the Spiral Amulet. "But at least I have something useful!" Malcolm's eyes widened as red and green swirls invaded his vision and distorted the hall.

"What the hell…?" Malcolm rubbed his eyes, stumbling around dizzily.

Wes snatched his bag and ran back to his team, but Graham caught his leg and threw him against the wall. "I don't think so." He shot both his legs into Wes' gut, staggering the Umbreon into a daze.

"Wes!" Flint and Ella cried. They moved forward, but were halted by Tyrone, who nervously raised his cursed gauntlet at them.

"D-Don't come any closer!" he threatened.

Ella sneered. "If you insist." She swiped her paw and knocked Tyrone back with a psychic burst.

"AH!" Tyrone tumbled across the floor, then rolled onto his feet. "Grr…" He activated the white gem on his gauntlet and released a wave of red and green spirals.

"He's mimicking the Spiral Amulet!" Flint warned, pushing Ella out of their way.

Tyrone glanced at Wes' bag, enduring the pain of his gauntlet, then clicked his fingers. Flint saw the blue gem shining and, recognizing it, flashed his eyes and activated Time Halt. Time froze for all but Flint and Tyrone.

Tyrone lunged for the bag, sweating bullets from the strain on his body. C-Crap! I hate overusing the gauntlet this much!

"Guardian, get the bag!" Flint ordered, summoning his Guardian after Tyrone.

The two grabbed the bag's strap, trading glares at each other. Tyrone tried to activate another gem out of desperation, but it weakly flickered instead. Right, I can't use more than one charm at a time.

"Sorry about this, Tyrone!" Flint yelled before having his Guardian sock the Tyrogue in the gut just hard enough to stagger him. Tyrone lost consciousness and froze within the frozen time. The Guardian threw the bag over to Flint right as time resumed.

Graham reached for the bag, but saw it was gone. "Huh?" He looked over his shoulder for a moment, but got whacked across the face by Daybreak.

Ella ran over to Wes and helped him up. "Move it, you idiot!" She shoved him down the hall with Flint in tow.

Wes shook his head and asked, "You got the bag?"

"Right here," Flint said, displaying it.

"Then let's get to the others before those guys wake up!"

"Get off Gene, you lousy pirates!" Gene roared, swinging the Desert Beasts off his arms and throwing them into the debris. The smoke was slowly clearing up just as most of the party goers escaped.

"Is everyone out of danger?" Hazel asked after dropkicking one of the pirates.

Orville flew by, slashing up the pirates with his serrated wings. "Yeah, they've gotten to safety. We can breathe easy now."

"Not quite," Gene grumbled. "There's still more pirates lurking about. Gene wishes he had Gene's spear!"

Yon slashed through the pirates, using a knife as a substitute sword. "Waves crash like two opposite forces attracted to each other. We are the calm, they are the rogue. Two colliding oppositions meeting together form a-"

"We need to leave, now!" Wilbur spoke up, running by with his cannon.

"Stop ignoring me…" Yon groaned.

Right as Wilbur got to a door, a horrible noise blasted down on him. He arched back and screamed, plugging his ears in vain. His team looked up and saw the female Zangoose hanging from the rafters, playing in an enthusiastic matter contrast to the noise.

"Hang on, Will!" Hazel stuffed her ears with napkins and dashed over to him. "Gluttony's Appetite!" She pushed Wilbur away and inhaled the magic-laced sound. The discordant sounds mellowed down. She puffed her stomach out and fired the magic back.

Lyra flipped off the rafters and landed on the banister, then played an invigorating song that surrounded her in an orange aura.

"Now what is she doing?" Hazel questioned.

Gene's senses acted up. "Hazel, duck!" He pushed the Miltank down and blocked a sword with his arm. His magic crackled against the blade, but a small sliver of blood was drawn. "Music really does bring out your best."

The helmsman of the Desert Beasts, Jones, pushed his sword down on Gene's arm while cloaked in a vibrant orange aura. "Your assistance is appreciated, Lyra."

Gene scowled. "Filthy pirates!" He rammed his leg across Jones' side, but Lyra's spell had increased his durability.

"That won't work." Jones whipped his arm and knocked Gene away into the wall. "Lyra, perhaps it's time to put them to sleep."

Lyra saluted, stretched out her concertina, and played a soothing melody. The pirates who heard it immediately covered their ears while the unprepared were lulled to sleep.

Gene immediately bit down on his hand, hard enough to draw blood. The music reached his ears, but the pain stimulated his mind, keeping him conscious. "Gene won't be defeated in such a stupid way! Gene doesn't go to sleep, Gene puts you to sleep!" He grabbed a plate and tossed it at Lyra.

Lyra dodged it, then fired a sonic blast from her instrument, which Gene blocked. Lyra huffed, then stretched her instrument once more when vines suddenly sprouts behind her and pulled her down.

"You play lovely music," Gwyn said as she approached the Zangoose, "but playing for a snoozing crowd must be so disappointing." She grinned apologetically. "Sorry, Tony said I should work more on my trash talk. How am I doing?" Lyra smiled and nodded. "Aww, thank you so much!"

"Hey, Flower Girl! Enemy!" Hazel reminded.

"Ah, right." Gwyn pulled some apples out from her dress and tossed them like grenades. "Bombs away!" They exploded open into matured trees, stretching their branches at Lyra.

Lyra dodged them, then played a fiery song, as in a feisty sounding sound that actually set the trees on fire. Gwyn leaped over the burning wood and kicked Lyra in the face, knocking her concertina away. Lyra shook it off, then made shushing sound, tinting the area in a blue aura.

Gwyn suddenly couldn't hear anything around her. Huh? Everything's gone quiet. She took her eyes off the Zangoose for a second, a mistake that allowed Lyra to swing around and kicked the Mew flat on her stomach. Agh! Man, not hearing anything feels weird.

Gwyn waved her hand and sprouted roots from the burning trees. Right as Lyra pounced her, the trees attacked and threw Lyra to the ground, breaking her silent prison.

"I'm limited without my gear," Gwyn grumbled as she stood up. She spotted a dinner platter and picked it up. "Well, it's not a whip, but it works all the same! HA!" Gwyn charged and smacked Lyra across the face.

Lyra growled and swiped Gwyn with her claws, knocking her back. Lyra then dove at her concertina and fired a loud sound that blew Gwyn off her feet. Pirates and resisters alike cringed at the discordant noise.

"Lyra, I need another boost!" Jones called out, losing his amplified glow before Gene suddenly tackled him out of sight.

Lyra stretched her concertina, but a wall of vines with berries cut her off and trapped her in a corner. She glared over the wall, where Gwyn stood on top wielding a vine lasso.

"You make do with what you got. Banzai!" Gwyn jumped and tackled Lyra to the ground, wrestling the vine rope around her.

Tony zipped around the foyer, dodging waves of sand that crushed up tables, chairs, and equipment alike. He fired back with Lightning Shot, which Arid blocked with more sand. He sent the sand through the floor, crushing up the tiles into more sand. It reached Tony's feet and tried to pull him down, but the Dewott blew himself into the air with Ventusphere.

"And so, I finally get to talk to the infamous pirate captain himself!" Tony cheered sardonically. "What an honor to meet a man more spineless than a Tentacool!"

Arid sneered. "You speak nothing but mockery." He waved his gloved hand and fired off compressed sand bullets.

Tony activated Quick Step and raced along the walls. "I prefer dropping the truth bombs, but whatever works for you!"

Jeffery squawked and flew after Tony with a knife. "Don't you dare speak ill of the captain, you dishonorable, degenerate, dimwitted Dewott!"

Tony kicked off the wall and snagged Jeffery by the ankle. The Chatot panicked and flapped his wings wildly while Tony kept him at arm's length. "Aww, how cute." He flicked Jeffery in the forehead, then tossed him over his shoulder.

"AAHH!" Jeffery landed in a bowl of chocolate pudding. "Agh! It's getting in my feathers!"

Arid raised his hand, summoned up more sand, and sent it crashing down on Tony. "You had your chance for power, boy, and now you've made a dangerous enemy. Though fast, you will never outrun the shadows. Just accept your fate and wise up."

"Wise up, eh?" A hole blew open through the sand with Tony's Dragon Thunderclap. He jumped out, saying, "I run because I feel like it. At least I'm not being pressed down under someone else's thumb."

Ambrosine grimaced and looked at her captain. "Captain Arid, we should really leave before the authorities arrive-"

"Listen here, boy." Arid swiped his hand and fired off blades of sand. "This business with the shadows is my own. If they wish to make me a new herald to serve their purposes, how can I refuse?"

"Does the word 'no' answer your question?" Tony dodged the blades and fired back a Ventusphere: Wind Lance.

Arid stopped it with a sand wall, growling. "With the struggles I've endured, you'll never know what motivates my desire for power. A pirate's life is never easy. The old days are dying out. Pirates like me are becoming relics faster than I can foresee."

Tony glared thoughtfully. The pirate's life was one of hardship, that much he knew. Different bands of pirates form, many rivalries form, and much bloodshed is spilt. And with that came one fact alone…

"You can't survive unless you have a strong crew." Tony flipped over more sand blades and fired Lightning Shot: Lotus Bullet, riddling the Darmanitan's sand wall. "I have to wonder how you feel about your crew then. Are they the ones holding you back from glory, or is it yourself?"

Arid scowled. Before he could trade words, Ray tapped his side. "My captain, need I remind you of a true objective?" He pointed to the banister. "That is our target."

Tony and Arid stopped fighting and turned to the banister right as the Eeveelutions came on the scene. Tony looked back at Arid, spotting a hint of darkness in his eyes as he clenched his gloved fist. Tony felt the sand particles under his feet flow towards Arid and surround his fist.

Oh crap, Tony groaned.

"Whoa!" Wes gasped as he leaned over the banister railing. "Man, you weren't kidding, bro! The Desert Beasts are raising hell out here!"

Flint pointed the exit. "We need to move fast. Faye should've gotten to Ava by now. We can make our escape from there. They won't be able to track us in the blizzard."

"Let's find the others and…" Ella spotted something heading towards them and gasped. "Heads down, boy!" She pushed them down, narrowly avoiding the giant sand fist that caved in the hall entrance behind them.

"Arid!" Wes gasped. He peered through the railing and met eyes with his pirate rival. The Darmanitan sneered and whipped up another sand fist. Wes quickly pulled out his Star Amulet, tossed his bag into Flint's lap, and hopped over the railing. "Ella, get Flint to the exit! I'll hold Arid off!"

Seeing the crumbling wall and sand behind her, Ella immediately nodded. "Don't take too long!" She psychically lifted Flint's chair and carried him down.

Wes used Warp Pad and launched at Arid head first. Arid raised a sand wall and stopped Wes, but the Umbreon ricocheted off and zoomed around, nailing Arid in the face. However, Wes' foot sank through the Darmanitan, who crumbled into sand.

"Sand clone!" Wes kicked his leg out, then clapped his paws. "Septem Gladii Virtutis!" He summoned the seven swords and lacerated the clone to pieces.

"Ravenfield!" Wes' vision became obstructed into a tomb of sand. Arid trapped Wes inside a compressed ball of sand, clenching his fist and steadily squeezing it. "Hand over the Keys of Origin!"

Ambrosine bit her hand nervously. "Isn't this excessive?"

A purple glow illuminated from inside the sand ball, then a Mystic Beam fired out and knocked Arid away. The sand collapsed over Wes, who sputtered sand from his mouth. "Ugh! I hate it when he does that…"

Arid gripped into the floor and caught himself, then crushed up more of the panels and sent out more sand. They struck like Seviper seeking their prey, but Tony zipped by and snagged Wes out of the way. Arid flicked his fingers around and tracked the speedy Dewott, crushing through everything in his way.

"Damn pirate is so persistent," Tony grumbled. "Wes, cover your eyes!"

"Uh, right!" Wes did as was ordered.

"Fulmen Scattershot!" Tony fired off electric volleys at the sand vipers and overhead of Arid. "Explode!" He clicked his fingers and set them off, electrifying everything in their area of effect and tearing open the ceiling.

Arid shielded his eyes, then heard the creaking over his head. He caught only a glimpse of the rafters falling on him before swinging his hand and covering himself and his present crew in a sand dome.

"And that's how it's done!" Tony cheered before turning back to Wes. "Wes, Ava and the others just arrived outside! Get to the exit!"

"Where are the others?" Wes asked.

"Griffin, Holly, and Gwyn are still fighting with Shatter Star and the Wild Fangs."

"Will they be okay?" Wes asked worriedly, referring to the two teams.

Tony smirked. "I think they'll be fine."

Right as he said that, he stopped and dodged Pain Train, who crashed through a table. The Klefki groaned and rubbed his head before sneering at Krystal. The Delibrid held her hips and laughed, then fired off Magno Chain. Pain Train took cover behind a stone pillar while the other pirates got an unfortunate dose of explosions.

"Queen of the Boom, baby!" Krystal cheered. She grinned and ran over to Wes and Tony. "How you fellows doing?"

Wes jumped off Tony. "You guys have everything covered over here?"

Krystal crossed her wings and nodded. "Leave it to Team Shatter Star, comrade! Our resolve is stronger than any other!"

Wes grinned, then pulled her into a tight embrace. "I'm going to miss you guys."

Krystal smiled and returned the hug. "As will I, comrade, as will I."

"Hey!" Their eyes widened as Gene came flying onto the scene, trading punches with Jones. "Listen to Gene, Ravenfield!" Gene shouted, even as he got socked across the face. "You and Gene will have a rematch the next time we face! Gene will defeat you! You hear Gene?!"

Wes chuckled awkwardly, then saluted. "Roger that, Gene."

"Good!" Gene staggered back from another punch. "Gene was talking!" Gene socked the Barbaracle in the stomach.

"Agh!" Jones stumbled back, then growled. "Put a sock in it, you muscle-headed idiot." He raised and slammed his foot into Gene, knocking him away.

Wes nodded at Tony. "Get Griffin, Gwyn, and Holly to the exit." Tony nodded and sped off with Light Speed. Wes turned and raced out the foyer.

Sand poured out of the debris collapsed over Arid, then was blasted off with a powerful sandstorm. Arid sneered through the particles. "Where did Ravenfield go?" he grumbled.

"Captain!" He spotted Julius as he was fighting off Oswald from a distance. "Ravenfield absconded with our booty! His getaway ride is just outside this here building!"

Arid narrowed his eyes, then glanced at the shaking Steenee beside him, who was clenching her chest and hyperventilating. "Ambrosine, I need you to amplify my power. Now."

"I…I can't…" Ambrosine fell onto her knees, her face twisting in pain. "My…M-My heart is…agh…!"

Indigo's eyes widened at the Steenee, recognizing the state she was in. "Oh no. Captain, she can't act right now! Her heart condition is acting up!"

"Ravenfield will get away unless we do something!" Arid shouted, getting irater by the second.

"C-Captain, I'm sorry, but I-I can't…AH!" Arid grabbed her collar and lifted her to eye level, snarling in her face.

"I'm giving you a direct order! Amplify my gauntlet's power NOW!" Arid roared.

Ambrosine's eyes widened for a moment, then she wreathed in pain as her heart clenched up tighter. "Agh!" She mustered the strength and tapped the glove, spreading her magic through it. "Th-There."

Arid dropped her, then raced through the bystanders. Some tried to hold him down, but he just knocked them aside with the increased power of his gauntlet. They went crashing into tables and slot machines.

"Where do you think you're going?!" He met some resistance as Krystal tackled him in the side and grappled with his gauntlet. "Leave my comrades alone!"

"Unhand me!" Sand whipped up around the gauntlet and solidified as a collar around her neck. Arid flicked his finger and threw Krystal into the walls, digging the hardened sand into it and pinning her in place.

"Krystal!" Cybil called out from behind cover.

"Ms. Cybil, keep your head down!" Hugo warned, blocking bullets with his staff.

Amidst the chaos and the fleeing captain, Indigo sat Ambrosine up and rubbed her back while the stressed pirate tried to calm her heart. "I got you, Am. Hang in there."

Ray stepped up beside her, eyes narrowed at the fleeting form of their captain. "That was…cold. Even for me."

"Bah!" Jeffery grunted, flying over their heads. "The captain's priorities should be settled on the objective! Ambrosine is fine!"

Ray bared his teeth. "She wouldn't have been if she didn't settle her heart in time!"

"In case you've forgotten, boy, we're not in the best of circumstances at the moment. If we don't do what we're told, the shadows will slaughter all of us. The captain knows this better than anyone." Jeffery flew on ahead.

"You're not getting the last word, you birdbrained-!" Ray started yelling before Indigo touched his shoulder.

"Ray…just let it go."

Ray blinked, then looked back at her and Ambrosine. The Steenee, while looking better, hid her face in a dark haze. He couldn't tell if she was holding back tears or…was numb. He held his paw out to her. "Ambrosine, I…"

"Save it," she muttered bitterly. "Just…Just find me some cover…to hide behind until it's time to flee."

Indigo and Ray looked at each other, sighed, then moved the Steenee out of the line of fire.

Wes raced out of the hotel, scaring the front desk as they frantically tried to calm the other guests down. He jumped out the doors, panting, then looked around for his ride.

"Wes! Over here!" He lifted his head and spotted Ella waving him over from the caravan. "Hurry up!"

"Tony's getting the others! They'll be out in a mo-!" Right as Wes ran towards them, the ground split open in front of him. A giant sand fist shot out and slammed its palm down with Wes barely dodging it. "Shit!"

"I've hunted you for many, many years, Ravenfield." Wes glared back at the front doors where the Darmanitan captain stood. "You've gotten in my way and outclassed me at every turn. I dreamed of the day where I could best you for good. No meager victories or celebrations. I waited for the right moment in my life where I can say I bested you as a treasure hunter."

"Arid, this is crazy!" Wes yelled. "At least when you tried to kill me before, there was some joy I got from it! This feels more like the bad kind of murder!"

Arid sneered. "The Shadow King isn't the only one who's familiar with the Ravenfield name." He twisted his fist. "Ever since I met you, I knew I was destined to be your rival. Apprentices turned master turned rivals!" He fired pillars of sand out from behind him.

Wes used Warp Pad and dodged them. "Uh, you're speaking in riddles! Mind giving me a hint?"

"The shadows will kill us all, Ravenfield. Getting those keys may afford my definite survival, as for my crew. You can't contest with them. I've experienced their power for months and know what they're capable of!" Arid fired sand bullets.

Wes weaved through his attacks, growling. "Okay, I have no time for this!" He rushed through the bullets with Mystic Burst and crashed against Arid, only to turn out as another sand clone. "Not this time!" The clone tried to trap him, but Wes used Aquos Mist and muddied the sand, easily tearing it to pieces.

The ground crushed under his feet and rose into dozens of spikes. Wes contorted his body through them with some slashing up his face and suit. One nearly impaled him, but he twisted his body just in time, only now caught in an uncomfortable position between them.

"The Desert Beasts will not fall victim to this darkness!" Sand kicked up around the spikes, shaping into hardened knives. "I will not vanish before the sands of time! I will control them and immortalize my presence as the pirates of the great skies! A pirate's dream to be the true king of the clouds!"

The knives targeted Wes and flew at him. Wes summoned the Septem Gladii Virtutis and slashed through the spikes and knives. However, because they were sand, it actually worsened his efforts as they got inside his bubble of protection and molded into smaller knives.

While small and mostly nonlethal, dozens of them pricked his skin and squirted tiny amounts of blood. "Agh! Mystic Burst!" The pressure of his magic pushed the knives out of his body. "Infernius! Warp Pad!" He blasted a hole through the sandstorm, then launched through it.

"I've got you, Ravenfield!" Arid popped out of the sand and punched Wes in the face, knocking him to the ground. He slammed his hand down, crushed up the ground, and slowly dragged Wes down through the sand. "Relinquish those keys to me or I'll bury you to death."

Wes struggled in the sand. In struggle, his Star Amulet got dragged off his neck and buried somewhere in the pit. "Ugh!" He clenched his eyes shut. "Magic…need my magic again…hurry, me!"

Ella rushed out the caravan. "Hang on, Wes-!" A sand wall popped out under her and struck her chin. "AH!" Ella flew back bleeding from the mouth. "Ow! I think that…ow, my teeth…!"

A sand wall surrounded around Wes and Arid, sealing them off from the outside world. Arid stomped up to Wes and clutched him by the head, the only part not buried under the sand. "Last chance, Ravenfield. Give me the rest of your keys and I'll let fate decide your future."

Wes bared his teeth. "Arid…I never knew you as a patient man, but even this level of cruelty is beneath you. When did you become this bloodthirsty? Are the shadows scaring you that much?"

"I don't plan on listening to those cretins," Arid growled. "Once I collect all the keys for them, I will take the Idol of Origin for myself and erase them."

"You…can't be serious." Wes glared. "Arid, they're the enemy. I know we're not friends, but your crew can't possibly be enjoying this. Every little thing you do with the threat of death hanging over your heads. What kind of life is that?"

"Who are you to talk?" Arid squeezed the Umbreon's head. "That's your life now. Hunted for their amusement."

Wes' narrowed his eyes, looking at the Darmanitan in disappointment. "At least I'm not being a coward about it."

Arid's eyes widened for a moment. A moment of consideration and, perhaps, panic in his eyes, something unfamiliar to Wes in all his years of doing battle with the usually levelheaded pirate. But once the moment passed, a deep scowl stretched across Arid's face as he raised his fist and swung down for Wes' head.

Suddenly, a purple tether shot through the sand wall and latched onto Wes' back. It dragged him out of the sand, with the Umbreon pulling his amulet out by his hind paws, and through the wall.

"What?!" Arid snapped his fingers and dropped the wall.

"Honestly!" an irate Sudowoodo growled as he pulled Wes in and slammed him against the caravan. "I get totally blackout drunk and wanted to sleep in for the rest of the day only to hear there's pirates running about! The worst part?! I missed it all in the middle of this effing hangover! AND NOW MY HEAD HURTS EVEN MORE BECAUSE OF ALL THIS SCREAMING!"

Arid sneered. "The bounty hunter…"

Wes sat up and shook his head. "Thanks, Mack-"

"Get inside!" Mack yelled. "And get your girlfriend to the doctor! And get me some rum!"

Wes blushed. "Uh, well, I'm not sure she's actually my girl-!"

"Did I stutter?! Move your ass!"

"AH! Right!" Wes picked Ella onto his back and quickly raced inside.

Mack groaned, then spun Eclipse around. "I'm in a shitty mood, pirate captain, so I'll have to take my anger out on you."

Arid narrowed his eyes, then raised up the sand around him. "Do your worst."

"Not today!" Arid got another surprise as Tony flew over his head and fired off a Dragon Thunderclap. The shockwave threw him into the casino hotel windows. Griffin, Gwyn, and Holly came running out the main doors. "We hope you enjoyed your stay at the Lucky Roulette Hotel! Please never come back again or we'll be forced to charge for damages!"

"Can the narration and get inside, Sparks!" Griffin grabbed Tony's wrist and chucked him into the caravan.

"Captain!" Arid stood up, groaning as Leigh, Jeffery, and Cheshire came racing outside. Leigh pointed inside, shouting, "Things are getting out of hand! Ravenfield's friends are tearing up our crew and there's already a swarm of Gelid Peak authorities breaking in! We need to get out of here!"

"Not without those keys!" Arid whipped his head at the caravan just as Vince got in his seat at the front.

"We're leaving, boys! Put your hooves into it and get us out of here!" Vince whipped the reins and the Tauros marched straight for the city exit.

Arid slammed his hand down and crumbled the ground, trapping the caravan wheels in a pit of sand. "As long as you're connected with the ground, you will never escape me." He dragged his fingers, commanding the sand to pull the trailers back.

Ava poked her head out from the front. "Vince, tell the Tauros to speed up!"

"W-We can't!" one of the Tauros cried. "We can't get any traction on this sand!"

"We can't move, my dear!" Vince cried. "We won't be able to go anywhere unless we stun him!"

Ava glowered, then summoned a sword. "I'll hold him off. You get the others to safety."

"What about you?!"

"I'll think of something." Ava stepped out, sword in hand, and prepared to jump off.

Arid narrowed his eyes. "The psychic of their merry group. She'll be a challenge, but my resolve won't fail me. I won't let anyone stand in my way of those keys."

"…You…sure about that, captain?"

Arid's eyes widened as a blue aura suddenly lit up around his glove. "What the-?!" The glove detonated off the surface and blew him right out of it, crashing into his crew. Arid's arm up to the elbow was singed from the explosion, smoking with charred flesh. "Agh! My arm!" He cradled it tightly.

Jeffery squawked and turned to the hotel. "Who dares attack the captain-?!" He froze in horror. "W-What in the-?!"

Krystal, who was leaning limply against the hotel doors, panted long, heavy breaths as she glared the pirates down. "I didn't…attack you before just to stop you. Right before you knocked me away, I…used my Crepitus Touch to plant a bomb on your gauntlet. You had no magic…to defend yourself against my explosion. You won't…be able to use that arm for a while."

Arid bared his teeth. "You little…!"

With the sand no longer in control, the caravan was able to move of its own will again. Vince whipped the reins and shouted, "Once more from the top! Move!"

"Yes sir!" The Tauros all let out a choir of roars and charged away from the hotel.

Krystal smirked weakly. "See you soon, Wes." She groaned and faltered back wearily. Fortunately, Cybil arrived in time and caught her.

"I got you," she whispered.

Krystal sighed, then asked, "Overdid it again?"

"Just a little."

"Heh."

The others found their way to the two, partially freaking out. "The pirates are fleeing the hotel," Oswald explained. "I think the police are chasing them down."

"They may want statements from us," Saffiro added, "and any previous affiliation we may have had about them."

"That so?" Krystal mumbled. "Guess Team Ravenfield didn't make it much of a secret that they knew them, so why not?"

"Let's get you back inside," Saffiro suggested, carry their leader back into the safety of the hotel.

Back with Arid, he tried to stand up while cradling his singed arm. He couldn't twitch his fingers without sending jolts of pain up his body. "Agh!"

"Captain!" Jeffery cried, helping the Darmanitan stand.

Leigh glared back at the hotel, then pulled out a crystal orb. "We can't stay here. We need to leave."

"No!" Arid growled. "I can still…agh!" Arid faltered forward, gripping his arm tightly.

"That's not up for debate," Cheshire stated, looking back as the police raced from the hotel foyer and were steadily approaching the main entrance.

Leigh waved her hand over the orb. "Get me Zaros, now."

The orb glowed for a moment, then formed the image of the smug Watchog. "Did you complete your assignment as asked?"

"Save it, we need to get out of here. We've been compromised."

Zaros sighed. "Of course you have. Very well." He snapped his fingers.

A black portal opened up in front of the group, along with a group of shadows popping out. The police arrived outside, but froze on the spot at the haunting specters appearing on the streets. They reached for magic charms, but one shadow fired a dark beam and blasted them away.

"You lot," Cheshire ordered the shadows. "The rest of our crew is inside or out back. Get them out of here." The shadows nodded and swarmed the hotel for the remaining Desert Beasts.

Leigh grabbed under Arid's arms and dragged him through the portal. "We're getting out of here, captain, hang on."

The pain in his arm rapidly depleted Arid's strength. Through his weary eyes, he glared in the fleeting direction of the caravan. Ravenfield, you…

He closed his eyes right as his vision became obscured in the darkness of the closing portal.

"Oh my Arceus!" Wes breathed, collapsing onto the floor panting. "That…was too close!"

Ella sat off in the corner, catching her breath. "They caught us at a bad time. All the drinking dulled our senses. We weren't prepared."

"We should've expected as much," Griffin grumbled. "They weren't going to let us off that easily. It's not above the shadows to put innocents in jeopardy."

"At least it was just the Desert Beasts," Tony mentioned. "It could've been a lot like Ironworks if the shadows got directly involved."

Gwyn dug out some potions from her bag and tossed them to her teammates. "Here, drink these. They'll cure your ailments."

"Much appreciated, Green," Tony thanked before popping the cork off and chugging the vial down.

Gwyn popped one off and held it out to Flint. "And one for you." He smiled and opened his mouth so she could feed him. She pulled the vial away and smiled. "I'm glad you're alright." She then frowned. "Sorry I couldn't protect you. Ugh, I'm never drinking that much ever again."

Flint chuckled. "Heh. For what it's worth, I appreciated the gesture."

She smiled. "Aww." Gwyn then remembered something. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, normally when you get into a fight, you just have your Guardian defend you. I might have been hallucinating from the hangover, but did you…freeze up when you were attacked?"

Flint's eyes widened. He turned his head away and pulled his hat over his eyes. "I…I'm alright, Gwyn, don't worry. I was just caught off guard, that's all."

"Still-" A knock on the door interrupted her. "Hmm?"

The team turned as Ava let herself in, brushing some snow off her shoulders. "Just to let you all know, we've left Gelid Peak's borders. We're back out in the snow."

"So, we're out of danger?" Holly asked.

"For…the most part," she said hesitantly. "We're still not sure if those pirates will chase after us or not. For now, we're traveling safely."

Griffin sighed. "Thank goodness." He glanced at Faye. "Nice work."

Faye blushed and waved it off. "Nah, it was nothing."

"Well, now that we've had a chance to settle down," Tony spoke up, looking at everyone seriously, "What's our next move?"

"The Swamp Zone." Ava stepped out of the way as Morgan let himself in. "We're going to the Swamp Zone next. From there, we'll look for the Mage of Life."

Wes pulled the map out from his bag and looked it over. He narrowed his eyes. "What the…?" He traced his digit across the map. The Key of Life is in the direct center of the Swamp Zone. The remaining three keys are…that far apart from each other?

"Since it's our closest destination from where we are, it'd be best to go after that key next. Sound like a plan?" Morgan asked.

Tony shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

"Good enough for me," Flint groaned. "The journey will give my leg a chance to heal, at least."

Wes glared at the map, then sighed and rolled it up. "I'm cool with it." He put the map away and stood up. "We could all use a chance to recuperate. Now that we've got the circus on our side, it'll make traveling easier on us."

"No kidding," Ella grumbled, rubbing her sore jaw. "Ow…"

Morgan kneeled down beside her. "Open up, please." Ella frowned, then hesitantly opened her mouth. "Mack told me you took a pretty mad hit." He checked inside her mouth. "Are any of your teeth loose?"

"I don't know, maybe?"

"Well, nothing I can't fix. Come on." He took her paw and guided her out the room. "You all try to get some rest. We've got a long ride ahead of us."

Ella looked back, then gently waved at Wes. He smiled and waved back as the door closed behind her. He sighed with a content smile.

"Sssooo, now that everyone's settled down…" Wes' face turned scarlet red as Tony leaned toward him. "Mind telling the rest of us where you and Ella were while the rest of us were dealing with your angry pirate friends?"

Wes gulped and tapped his paws together. "Uh…hehehe, that's…not all that important. R-Right, Flint?" he asked his brother with a desperate, pleading look.

Flint narrowed his eyes, feeling those memories of previous, risqué moments he walked in on coming back full circle. "You've dug your own grave. Might as well patch it up while you're at it." He wheeled himself to the other end of the trailer.

Wes' ears flopped as he became the center of attention to everyone's curiosity. He gulped, then chuckled nervously while sweat dripped down his face. "Um…we were…coming to an understanding?"