Dragapult stared at the trickling river that bordered her settlement and that of the marshes. The river's water level crept to normal, yet about three feet remained free of the flowing water at the bank. The sky had, to the community's glee, been cloudy for the past several days as the pokémon danced and laughed in the steady drizzle, which was better than what they received for most of the four-season. Thunder grumbled in distance as the wetlands nearby basked in the rain from the summer storm.

The ghostly dragon glimpsed at the other bank, waiting for her informant to appear. The dragon grew uncomfortable studying the other side, for it reminded her of her adoptees as well as Yamper and Eevee, the latter two having been gone for over two moons. Appletun, having fewer responsibilities than she, asked his quagsire friend about any leads about the two canids. He replied that he didn't know any details himself, but that another pokémon of the wetlands did, provided he wished to share his tale. This one was slow or taking his time, for Dragapult hovered at the bank for an hour already waiting for his arrival. As she liked to include the community in these matters as well, the dragon refused to seek him alone, as she knew that second-hand accounts, even from her, could be spun into dangerous webs of hearsay, which her community was circumspect to prevent.

Her residential dreepy were ready to alert the other pokémon not present. Naturally, Vaporeon, Flareon, Boltund, and Arcanine flanked her, and having a long wait, they ate their caught fish near the riverbank to make the best use of time. Reuniclus levitated at the tree line. The psychic lost track of the two girls when they reached the interior of the wetlands, having gotten out of his passive range. When the cell-like gelatinous pokémon focused intently, he traced them for a fleeting second, but within past week he lost track of Eevee's aura. Yamper became difficult to detect as rumor had it she evolved. Indeedee's and Orbettle's powers were less pronounced than his, and they lost trace of them soon after they left their sight.

Vaporeon said, "Our daughter might have evolved!" She beamed at her mate, who then rubbed his head against her neck to the aquatic pokémon's delight.

"I wonder what she's now," Flareon said, his mate's eyes showing that she thought the same.

Reuniclus called, "She might have, but it's hard to sense her aura. An aura changes over time and is influenced by many favors." Reuniclus turned, looked at the opposite bank, and said, "He's near."

Dragapult released her dreepy from her horns and they whirled toward the commons to gather the other pokémon. The four others on the bank perked up as they noticed the tall grass and rushes on the opposite bank shifting as a pokémon parted through them.

The pokémon revealed themselves, for not just one but two pokémon came into view. A sliggoo appeared and a goomy, who was stationed atop his back. The sliggoo's antennae twitched as he crept to the bank and then stopped in the shallow water. The goomy chirped and then blinked, looking at the other pokémon opposite. The sliggoo's blank green eyes bore into the others, but his eyesight was poor, and he relied on his son and his antennae to guide him.

Dragapult was unsure if the sliggoo could see them, but he could sense them, for the dragon-type mollusk addressed the crowd watching. "This is Dragapult's community?" He looked about, feeling more than one set of eyes was watching him.

"Yes," the leader said. "We've heard that you've met an Eevee and a Boltund passing through."

He nodded. The pokémon explained that they found him and then he led them back to his home to meet his mate and son.

"Where's your mate?" Vaporeon asked.

"She went with them to the mountain," he said, a hint of longing in his voice.

"What?" Boltund asked, shifting from sitting to standing. "They are going to that death trap?"

"Well, you see…" he stammered, "They've good reason not to be idle. We had a daughter taken from us."

The assembly gasped and quailed. More pokémon began to filter into the clearing near the bank. Some of the younger observers inched toward their parents, like the kidnappers were around the corner still.

"When did this happen?" Arcanine asked.

"Over three moons ago, when the brute flew here," the dragon-type explained. "My mate took her out of our shelter to rehydrate her… the drought was at its worst then and goomy need water often. He performed a fire-type attack, scorching the land and distracting my mate long enough for him to swipe the child right from her!"

"Terrible!" Flareon shouted, and his water-type partner concurred, a worried expression clouding her face.

Reuniclus, who was tuned in to the worried thoughts of the crowd, began to feel an aura from another pokémon not of the surrounding area. It was coming from downstream and heading this way. He sensed no ill-intent, so luckily it wasn't part of a lackey patrol, but the pokémon was agitated.

"Isn't your mate Goodra?" Dragapult asked, recalling several four-seasons ago when she met the peaceful dragon-type. For her to leave her home, mate, and a child to travel with two weaker pokémon, the wetland dweller had to have been pushed to the precipice.

"Yes," he said.

Dragapult looked at the parents of Eevee and Boltund. "Then they are in good hands."

"Dragapult…" Reuniclus began. "There's more company." He pointed downriver and the dragon observed a tall, blue bipedal pokémon slinking toward the group. Dragapult sighed upon seeing the newcomer, for every encounter with Inteleon wasn't pleasant. She lived where the river flowed into the ocean some miles to the east. The runoff from the southern, snowcapped mountains created their precious river, and following it was all Inteleon needed to do to arrive at Dragapult's domain.

They saw the tall reptile and Boltund grumbled, "What's she want?"

"She was probably spying on our conversation the whole time," Vaporeon said.

Arcanine said, "Reuniclus would've known."

"Not if he wasn't focusing on sliggoo," Boltund countered, looking at the mollusk who watched the blue reptile approach. The electric hound narrowed her eyes at the slimy dragon. "Did they coordinate this?"

Dragapult, hearing the conversation, wondered the same, for Inteleon entered their scope, placing her hands about her midsection and said, "Many young have been stolen. Where have you been? The bottom of the ocean?" The tall pokémon looked at Dragapult, ignoring the rest of the crowd.

"Even you know?" Boltund retorted. "You, who can't get a mate and wouldn't bother to care anyway."

Reuniclus sensed Inteleon's thoughts turn dark from this statement, and he cautioned, "Stop Boltund."

Inteleon pointed a finger and Boltund and asked, "Do you want to get shot?"

Several of the pokémon closed in on Inteleon, who stood her ground, still pointing where Boltund stood. The reptile lowered her arm, but she remained looking down upon Boltund.

"I've an advantage against you," Boltund said.

Inteleon laughed. "That's all? You've only got your speed since you haven't been training. Not like I can't outsmart you."

Some of the other community members emerged near the bank, one of them being Orbettle, who left the commons to find out what Sliggoo was saying only to find Inteleon too. He hovered over the pokémon's heads and declared, "I'm in no mood for trouble. Inteleon, what brings you here?"

"Here's a smart one," she said, crossing her arms. "You see, my little sobble is gone."

The pokémon, and even Dragapult, were surprised to hear this. Inteleon had been a solitary figure who often stayed by the ocean. Any attempts that Inteleon made in the past to court a mate failed, and most of the community gossiped that Inteleon was the one at fault.

"Since when?" Arcanine asked.

"About a fortnight ago a few flying goons came to my beach. I picked two of them off, but the two others snagged him, and threatened kill him if I didn't stop my attacks. They were going to force me along too, but my friend gyrados made sure that didn't happen. They got away."

"Gyrados is your mate now?" Boltund cried out, her eyes widening from visualizing the tall reptile with the serpentine sea monster.

Inteleon sneered at Boltund's reaction and shook her head. "No, my mate went back to Kalos." She chuckled coolly, waiting to indulge herself in the settlement's reaction to that.

The pokémon complained and whispered among themselves. Some of their jaws hung open, silent, like Inteleon's act was punishable by their creator himself.

"You're with a grimy foreigner?" Flareon chided.

A newcomer to the conversation, Indeedee, who was an orthodox individual on this subject, cried, "You wouldn't!"

Inteleon crossed her arms, indifferent to the leers and epithets the crowded fired. "Yet I did. He was a better candidate than any prior suitor of mine."

"How'd he get here?" Vaporeon asked. "There better not be any others!"

"He swam," Inteleon said, lids covering her eyes for a moment, like anyone could figure it out.

"Why?"

"You know the solitary stone was placed there as a feat of endurance, right?" She shrugged and observed the crowd, looking for signs of recognition before she bothered to continue. She got a few nods. "Well, pokémon cross the channel, from either side, to prove the same. Plus, with a possible attack of his land on the horizon, he wanted to get some information. Which you clearly aren't doing."

"I've heard those claims too," Sliggoo announced, having been ignored for long enough. "Hydreigon eventually wants to claim Kalos. His accomplices that can fly are interested in enacting it."

"It's a fool's quest," Inteleon said. "They lack an armada and no flightless terrestrial pokémon can reach Kalosian soil. The Kalosians know their land, and are at an advantage from the start, especially since I sent one back with details." She began to walk toward the bank and then she slipped into the water.

"The enemy is that close now?" Arcanine asked the crowd. "It's been quite quiet for the past moons."

"The dragon lord is lowering your guard. He's throwing threats in any direction so that someone like you lot think you're out of the woods," Inteleon said, and then she began to swim across the river toward the wetlands. She disappeared into the river briefly before she erupted out of the water like a sleek arrow. She walked in Sliggoo's direction, the droplets of water dripping off her. She walked up to the two wetland natives and said, "Although there's a rumor that a clan of pokémon are causing him problems. With them is a Goodra."

Sliggoo's antennae straightened up on his head, and his son dared to look at the tall stranger for the first time. She petted the goomy, who enjoyed the moisture on her hands. "I might just join them if I find them." Inteleon's comforting touch managed to relax Goomy. Sliggoo watched Inteleon, knowing well that she was thinking of her own young.

Dragapult watched the exchange in silence, and some of the others noticed how little she spoke. Inteleon's behavior changed since finding her Kalosian companion and baring their child. The dragon felt unaccommodating for allowing her community to befoul the reptile's character when she and her community should have been questioning their own judgements toward unknown outsiders.

"Inteleon, if you are going to seek your son," Dragapult began, "I recommend you avoid the crags and skirt around Lapras Lake."

Inteleon looked up from Goomy and then at Dragapult, nodding.

"Aren't those pokémon over there dangerous?" Arcanine asked.

"She can handle it," Dragapult answered. A soft smile formed on Inteleon's face.

"That's the way I told Toxtricity to go," Reuniclus said. "The pokémon of the crags could've done serious, perhaps fatal, damage to her."

Boltund barred her teeth for a second in disgruntlement. "Did she even make it?"

Reuniclus nodded. "Yes, I sense she did. Yet, she's traveled a considerable distance, and my psychic connection with her has puttered out."

Dragapult looked at the opposite bank at the two wetland dragons and Inteleon, who offered to escort Sliggoo back to his home. She recalled how she carried her two adoptees over to the other side. It seemed to be eons ago. Morgrem fled without looking behind him, squealing with delight upon achieving his goal for freedom. Once their battle was over, the low key Toxtricity left Dragapult with a resolute and reticent demeanor as she worked on her subsequent goal. Morgrem, however, was untraceable. Reuniclus and the psychics could not home in on him mentally, for being a dark type protected him from such encroachment. She wondered what became of him, as he worried her far more than Toxtricity.


Morgrem and Ruby padded about the lowest bowels of Hydreigon's mountain, conscripted by commander Bisharp to perform an unpleasant task: feeding the captured young. The commander in question watched them, her arm blades crossed, as the ghost and goblin distributed food. The grub composed of plants, berries, minerals, and flesh from pokémon. Fish made up the bulk of the last category, as the source of them flowed through the mountain. Morgrem heard the soft splashing of the current running over rock outside of the circular room.

This task made Morgrem feel cold and miserable. He tried to offer an oran berry to a sobble. The water reptile refused to acknowledge his presence, and the sobble did nothing but cry, his face turned toward the ground. "C'mon, you!" Morgrem urged, gritting his teeth. "You must eat something." If only he'd stop bawling!

The sobble looked up with his glossy eyes and hesitated for a moment as he looked at the goblin. "Where's my mum? I want to see her…"

Morgrem couldn't provide him a good answer. Hearing this repetitive question prompted him to think about his own mother, a ditto that he didn't even know. Even if he did, she was disguised as someone else, and he was too young to realize. He didn't know if she was alive, and as for his father, that hulking grimmsnarl… he was there one day and gone the next. His memory was fuzzy and too fractured to make sense until he reached his fifth four-season. By then, however, he met Dragapult and Toxel and lived in the forest.

"Your mum is fine," Morgrem said, a cavity seeming to form in his chest. What else would he say? He had no clue about Sobble's mother, and an ambiguous answer would cause further paranoia, as these pokémon were young, scared, and helpless.

Sobble nodded, took the berry, and hopped away from Morgem and the sableye. The reptile had left so many tears on the ground that a puddle formed below, which caused a dehydrated goomy to slide into it and absorb the moisture. The slimy blob rolled around in the water, and her purple skin deepened in color as she absorbed it. Some water trickled in from the cave's walls, but it wasn't enough for the weak dragon-type. Ruby offered the slimy pokémon fresh leaves when she finished flopping in the water like a fish, but the goomy shrunk down and shivered in fear.

"Little one," Ruby said, sweetening his voice, "Here's some leaves for you." Ruby placed the greens on the cave floor, as the gem seeker knew she wasn't going to attempt getting close to his hand.

The goomy let out a whimper, but she didn't speak at all. Morgrem recounted how she was taken from her goodra mother. Hydreigon boasted about how easy it had been, for goodra were sluggish and they'd never want to harm their young. Morgrem wondered if Goomy would survive… she needed more water still. Ruby and Morgrem looked at each other, speechless as they felt a palpable sensation of distress and desperation from these pokémon, yet they weren't empathic types like hatenna's or ralt's kindred.

The worst pokémon to feed were the scraggy. They preferred bugs, which Morgrem found disgusting. Morgrem wasn't so worried about their retaliating, as a fairy-type move could halt them in a second, but their behavior toward Morgrem and every other lackey was so nasty the goblin wondered why he put himself through this torture. Morgrem knew that Hydreigon wanted him to leave, and this soul-sucking job was an incentive to do so, but he knew himself. He felt apprehension whenever he considered leaving, for he wasn't as independent as his toxtricity rival.

"Look, reject number one and two!" a male scraggy shouted, offering Morgrem and Ruby their kind's signature leer. "They got demoted!"

"Nothing like grunt work," a female one said. "What an idiot." She looked Morgrem in the eye. "This one here can wipe out half the pokémon here, yet he does what the grand echelon says. Damn brainwashed."

"He's not, he's a dark-type," Ruby said to defend his friend.

"Then it's even worse!" The female scraggy laughed. "Why do you even stay? You can faze through walls," she told Ruby. "And dragon-type moves can't touch him. Dark-type moves against him work like they do against my kind. You might as well slap an aggron for good measure."

"It isn't that simple," Morgrem said with a frown.

"This place has always been my home," Ruby countered. "I can't leave!"

"Does it feel like it anymore? I doubt it, with that three-headed dunce running things," she proclaimed. "Yet… it sounds like you want out. Get a backbone like my big brother Sweet and do something!" Her face pitched, and then she spat at Morgrem, hitting him below his eye. Her acidic saliva burned. Morgrem wiped it from his face and retaliated by using his hair to stab her. She babbled out, mostly from shock and not pain, glaring at Morgrem. She was right—the dark-type move did little harm to her.

"Morgrem!" Bisharp hollered, running over, the nearby pokémon flinching from her presence as she parted through the crowd. "No attacking the subjects!"

"I was defending myself!" he recoiled.

"I don't want to hear it!"

"I bet she deserved it," a deep voice said from the entrance of the room.

"What?" the nearby male scraggy asked in shock. "That's… no, not him!"

Morgrem craned his head to gaze at the entrance, finding a pokémon that he'd only ever heard about standing there. The goblin felt an unease bubbling within his stomach when he met the pokémon's eyes. The green and white pokémon disappeared in a flash, and then he erupted from thin air in front of Bisharp and the two lackeys. Gallade, rumored to be the new commander, stared at Morgrem. The psychic fencer's red eyes appeared hollow like no conscience was behind them. Bisharp stiffened from his proximity and quit speaking.

"Why are you here?" Ruby asked, as perplexed as most of the young who were taught that gallade were noble pokémon.

"To rearrange things," Gallade said. "Since the commanders aren't doing a good enough job." He turned toward Bisharp and smiled. Bisharp kept her face stoic.

"What are you going to do?" Morgrem asked, since Bisharp looked frozen.

"Easy. These little ones can be made into good soldiers. Minds can be reprogrammed. Once they are pulped, they'll never be the same."

The female scraggy that Morgrem stabbed mocked, "Not with dark types, fool!"

"Oh, yes. Well, scraggy make great food. Their muscles and pelts aren't as tough as a scrafty's yet."

Morgrem cringed at the threat, at a loss for words to say. It sounded like Gallade spoke this from experience and not from theoretical reasoning, to further Morgrem's disquiet.

The female scraggy proclaimed, "Then I'm evolving. I don't care that mum says I can't get a mate if I do."

"Our b-brother," the younger male scraggy stuttered, "What has h-happened to our brother?"

"Death, for non-compliance." He waved his arm like it was routine business. "Others have done it," he said, looking at Bisharp. "That will be the policy from here on out to all that oppose us. He's not coming to save you. Evolve if you wish, but you'll be neutralized."

The young scraggy quailed, clutched his sister, and started to sob. His sister hugged him and whispered something like, "Don't let him make you feel scared."

Morgrem shook his head, unable to see any more emotional displays. He took a sitrus berry from his bag and gave it to the female scraggy, who took it from Morgrem and glanced at him in confusion. Morgrem broke the eye contact and he looked at Bisharp for guidance, but she stood like a statue, her eyes following Gallade as he walked toward the exit.

The psychic left the room, and with his departure, Morgrem saw a weight being removed from Bisharp's shoulders. She sighed and then proceeded to return to her station at the front. Ruby and Morgrem exchanged glances.

"She's scared of him," Ruby whispered.

Morgrem nodded and mused, "What in the world is wrong with him?"

Morgrem and Ruby walked toward the exit, done with their task and the friends wished to leave this area as soon as possible. Bisharp stood inert still, her eyes blank as the two shorter pokémon passed her.

"You two," she said, causing the two pokémon to turn around. They looked at her, expecting to be chastised, but she mentioned, "You're off for the rest of the day."

The goblin and ghost looked at each other and then nodded at the commander. "Yes, ma'am," they said, running away from the room, to reach the ladder leading to the higher levels.

"Let's get out of here," Ruby suggested.

"You don't need to tell me twice," Morgrem said with a smile. "Let's go!"

Ruby and Morgrem reached the ladder that allowed pokémon of smaller stature and weight to advance up. The opening to the lower level was wide and circular, allowing flyers to pass through and those of heavier weight to jump up or perform a move to navigate through the mountain.

Once the two friends reached the top, they found themselves in a dimly lit corridor, so Ruby led the way. They scurried past a heatmor, causing the durant-eater to lose his footing on the rock and fall to the cave floor. Thankfully, he stopped himself from greeting the stone with his face, for he cast out his arms to interrupt his fall. The fire-type looked up at the two fiends, glaring at the mischievous pokémon. From his mouth emerged a burst of flame in their direction, brightening the area and throwing a wall of heat at them.

"Oh!" Morgrem cried, concentrating black, dense energy in a beam at the flamethrower to counter the move. Dust and rock scattered everywhere from the clash, causing the affected pokémon to cough from the particles.

"We were sorry about that!" Ruby called. "You didn't need to attack!"

"Really?" Heatmor asked, his figure starting to reappear as the dust settled. "Too late, for you rascals, I'm having a fight. I don't get much action down here!"

Morgrem stepped forward, tightening his knapsack's strap. He shook himself to dispel the dust, but he'd need a proper wash to rinse it out. "All right then. I'm your opponent!"

"Ah, the pest who won't go away," Heatmor taunted. "Well, then, how about this?" He raised his left hand, his claws extending and gleaming a brilliant white. Heatmor charged at him, and Morgrem watched his hand with intense focus, waiting for the perfect moment to leap out of the way. The goblin rolled away, feeling like something was snagged by his adversary's claw, but Morgrem guessed Heatmor caught his hair.

However, on the ground was Morgrem's bag, with its sling torn in two. Ruby darted to retrieve it, giving Morgrem a thumbs up. Morgrem hesitated, his face betraying an emotion of unease, which allowed Heatmor another swing at him, and this one hit. The goblin cried out as his upper torso burned from the contact with the claws. Morgrem put his arms across his chest to protect the wound as he contemplated his next move.

Morgrem cocked his head at Heatmor and propelled an arm into the air. Sparkles of every color materialized around his hand, and the scene confused the durant-eater as during it Morgrem looked sultry, but it must have been part of the act. The sparkles condensed into a beam of light which Morgrem fired at Heatmor, but the light endangered Ruby as well. The ghost ditched Morgrem's bag and he fled behind a boulder on the cavern floor to evade the super-effective attack.

"Since when did you learn that move?" Ruby asked, his head poking above the boulder.

"Oh, the dragons better worry now," Heatmor said as he returned to his feet.

Morgrem felt a surge of joy from the move's power— the power of the fairy types so feared in this mountain. His euphoria was cut short as Heatmor fired another inferno at him, and Morgrem countered it again with an easier to charge dark pulse. He hadn't quite perfected his dazzling gleam, but it was getting there.

From their battle, Morgrem felt a warm sensation suffusing from his chest. The subsequent explosion from the moves caused some rocks from above to topple upon the combatants, and in Heatmor's case, it was detrimental. When the dust cleared again, he was upon the floor, motionless. Ruby bounded to the pokémon and removed the stones from his body and extracted a few oran berries from his bag for treatment.

Morgrem remained standing there, his body welling up with a familiar sensation of bliss that he felt before. Yet, it was anything but. Morgrem panicked at this as he noticed that his feet were beginning to turn transparent, like they were readying to turn into another set.

"Ruby!" Morgrem hollered. "Where's my bag?"

Ruby turned from Heatmor to Morgrem, noticing the goblin was tense. He'd never witnessed Morgrem looking so frazzled, and then Ruby watched as a white light began to travel up from the goblin's feet and toward his torso.

"Morgrem… you're evolving!"

"Not so loud! I know! Where's my bag? I can't stop it!" Morgrem looked about wildly, trying to locate his knapsack, and near the boulder Ruby had to hide behind lay his bag.

Ruby's mouth hung open. Why did this pokémon, who wanted to become stronger, want to stop his evolution?

The brilliant figure raced to the bag and fumbled around to find something within. Whatever it was, Morgrem found it, and the goblin went slack with relief. The brilliant white drained from his body into whatever he was holding.

Heatmor treated to the best of his ability, Ruby walked over to his friend in disbelief and confusion. "Haven't you been a morgrem for just a short period?"

"True," the goblin said, running his free hand through his hair. "I'm taken for a fool, but I'm older than most think. I bided my time as an impidimp so I could leap into being a grimmsnarl faster. Yet…" Morgrem revealed what he was holding to Ruby. It was a plain, grey stone. "The others cannot know about this."

Ruby wasn't sure if Morgrem was speaking about his evolution plans or about the stone he held. "How long have you had that?" Ruby asked.

"Since my last mining trip. I've been training whenever I can. I knew I might encounter this situation."

"What is it?" Ruby asked, looking at the round stone, his reflective eyes dull. "I'd consider that food only if I was starving."

"My rival and I had an opportunity when we were younger to learn about evolution stones. This isn't one, but I'm glad I knew of it. It's an everstone. If it's in my possession, I can't evolve."

Ruby grabbed his arm and hissed, "Why?" Morgrem's eyes widened as Ruby began to shake his friend. "You've been talking about nothing but getting stronger. Isn't evolving how to do it? You just said you planned to get to your final evolution faster this very way!"

Morgrem sighed and said, "It is and I would. But I don't think it's the best action right now. If I was on the outside, I'd do it in a heartbeat, but..." he trailed off.

"So why can't you go? What's stopping you? Is it what Gallade said before?"

Morgrem freed himself from Ruby's grasp. He remained silent as he carried his bag and hastily tied the broken strap together. He headed away from Ruby without giving him an answer. The gem enthusiast grumbled and then conjured a ball of shadow and launched it at his friend. The attack struck Morgrem in the back of the head, and it caused the goblin to fall straight onto the floor.

Morgrem picked himself up from the earth and turned toward Ruby, who looked pained yet satisfied with what he just did. Morgrem, feeling the beginnings of weariness, shook his head and asked, "Do you want me to leave, too?"

"No." Ruby declared, "There's a reason you're staying, and I thought it was to achieve what I just saw, but if that's not your goal, what is?"

Morgrem gazed at his sableye friend for a long moment. He ran a hand through his black locks and then broke the eye contact, looking at the still form of the fainted Heatmor. "Come with me," he finally said.

"Where?" Ruby asked.

"We're going to head outside."

Ruby wondered at that moment if Morgrem finally decided he was leaving. The goblin remained vague, and his next actions remained unpredictable. However, Ruby tagged along to see what he would do. Ruby walked past Morgrem, who seemed to be brooding more than simply scheming lately. The ghost guided him through the dark cavern. Perhaps his evolution around the corner was influencing his behavior? He wasn't as impulsive as when he first met the fairy fiend. He was becoming the opposite: indecisive.

The two wandered about until they reached another ladder. They climbed up to the next floor, which contained most of the mountain's dragon population. Morgrem's haphazard, dirty condition prompted some of the floor's denizens to turn their attention toward him. One such fellow was Druddigon, who observed the smaller pokémon with a disapproving gleam. She and her partner, Noivern, blocked the assess to the northern end of the tunnel which led to Hydreigon's chambers.

"Look at the little rat getting dirty," she tutted. Noivern shrieked in delight.

"C'mon," Morgrem said, dragging Ruby along. "They aren't worth our time." Ruby gave his friend a sidewise glance, for he usually would become annoyed and rebut their words. Morgrem instead reached into his bag and fished out the first berry he grasped and tossed it in the bat's direction. The persim berry quickly disrupted Noivern's attention and he flew to catch it in mid-air. In the process, he struck Druddigon with his right wing. The colorful cave dragon stumbled over onto her mate, and Ruby had to bite back a snicker as the two began to argue. The two fiends stole away from the contentious dragons and left their sight as they headed up another ladder to reach the next level.

Ruby's movements became reluctant, and he turned around and told Morgrem, "We're going above ground level. Why didn't we go east?"

"We're heading to the mountainside. That's where Hatterene lives."

The two walked down the tunnel, which was much lighter than Morgrem's previous trips for the weather had been sunny lately. There was enough light from the miniscule air shafts for the goblin to see, but even if he couldn't Ruby wouldn't have any issues here.

"She's been here?" the ghost asked as they stepped out from the tunnel into the sunshine. The ghost shielded his eyes from the sun and Morgrem squinted upon exiting.

"Now quiet," Morgrem warned. "I'd hate to see Tyranitar up here. Quickly, follow the gravel path."

They strolled upon the path until a wooden shelter came into their view. Ruby looked overwhelmed as he noticed the home's mushroom décor. "Are those from your home?"

"Yes," Morgrem answered. "You're not a dragon, so you'll be fine."

Ruby took Morgrem's word and then the goblin knocked on the wooden door, surprised that Hatterene hadn't detected the two pokémon's emotions already.

"Hope she isn't taking a nap," Morgrem said, heaving a sigh. He peeked through the shutters and discovered that the tall fairy wasn't home. However, there was a pair of feminine voices coming from the mountain tunnel to the north. One was Hatterene's, while the other spoke in a laconic yet authoritative manner.

"Isn't that Bisharp's voice?" the sableye asked, biting his lower lip.

"Damn!" Morgrem growled. "She planned to see Hatterene too!"

Ruby could enter the ether, but where would he hide? There was too much distance from the shelter to run behind a bush without the two females noticing from the northern tunnel. The sides of her house would leave him open to discovery from both tunnels. He shook his head, looking at the mushrooms. He turned his attention to Ruby, and his mind was stricken with an idea.

Morgrem hopped onto one of the nearby mushrooms. The fungi's fruiting body dusted the earth beneath it with spores, illuminating the ground with a soft glow. Morgrem was glad that the sun was shining, for if it wasn't the fungi would blow his cover. "Ruby, jump on the other side of this one." The goblin bounced on the fungi and with each bounce he went a little higher.

"What are you doing?" the ghost asked, looking north, expecting the pokémon to show up on the gravel path any moment. Morgrem tossed his pack upon the shelter's roof as the example.

"Trying to get on there!" he cried.

Ruby understood and did as Morgrem asked. After a few bounds from the pokémon, Morgrem managed pull himself on the shelter's roof by wrapping his hair around a mushroom's stem. Since the roof contained fungi and flora as well, he could easily disguise himself and his belongings. Ruby stole away from the mushroom, melting into the shade of the eastern side of the house, rendering him invisible.

Seconds later, the two suspected pokémon, Hatterene and Bisharp, came into view as they reached where the dirt path became gravel. The sunlight made Hatterene's pastel colored body and hair stand out with brilliance. Bisharp's steel blades reflected the sun's rays, so the two pokémon appeared otherworldly. Morgrem squinted at the display, wondering what Bisharp was doing speaking to Hatterene. The witch-like pokémon commented that she'd rather speak to Bisharp than Tyranitar any day, and within a few sentences their topic became clear.

"We've got a few ghosts to deal with him," Hatterene said, standing on the gravel path.

"They aren't tough enough," Bisharp said, shaking her head. "The minions won't follow through with it, being terrified to go against the boss."

"A few dark types would be fine, then," Hatterene said.

Bisharp sighed. "He came through to examine the living quarters and Thievul thought him to be an enemy." She chuckled. "He is, but when Thievul used crunch on him it made him even stronger! He flung that fox off his arm and with one blow of his fist, Thievul was out."

Hatterene's expression changed from polite concern to apprehension. "Wow. He's running justified."

"That's an ability of his?"

"It's rare, but possible for Gallade to have, and a few others, like lucario," Hatterene explained.

Morgrem's suspicions were acknowledged, for he and the invisible Ruby received full confirmation that Bisharp was in fact worried about Gallade.

"What about you… or your friend?" Bisharp asked. "I heard in their societies the gardevior know how to handle them if they take a wrong turn."

"There's no way I can make it not obvious. The boss caught the last time I did, and it takes a strong psychic to completely overwhelm another. I don't think I can. Now he… he won't be affected by the psychic attacks, but Gallade's fighting moves are another story. He knows some fairy moves, but he can't use them at full capacity."

Bisharp commented, "Gallade will be busy in the east for some time. I think sending your friend with him would be wise."

Morgrem smiled. Bisharp marked him as a candidate to drive Gallade away. The psychic wouldn't be able to sense his mind, making him a great choice. Morgrem questioned, however, if he was strong enough to contend with the blade pokémon. Maybe if he evolved, which wouldn't work in his favor right now either.

Hatterene didn't answer Bisharp straightaway. She stared at the commander for several more moments. "Don't send him away permanently."

"Will he evolve soon?" Bisharp asked.

Hatterene closed her eyes and shrugged. "I can't say. He just evolved into Morgrem earlier this four-season."

Morgrem held back a snort. He thumbed the stone again within his bag as he eavesdropped. That was good; even Hatterene hadn't articulated his intentions yet.

"You train him too?" Bisharp asked.

"He and I are the only fae here. I've taught him some moves."

Bisharp produced a feeble laugh. "If my future wasn't so uncertain, I would put a stop to that." She nodded. "The next time I see him, I'll ask him about this offer."

"No need. He is nearby," Hatterene said.

Morgrem cursed under his breath. Of course, she detected his erratic emotions. Perhaps one day he'd get them under better control.

"What?" Bisharp asked, flustered. However, she gave Hatterene a sly look and then said, "That's perfect for the mission. Morgrem, show yourself!"

Morgrem inhaled and let out a long breath. There wasn't any point to remaining hidden from the two stronger pokémon. It would've been a sign of cowardice, something he didn't want to display. He stood up, heaved his bag off the roof, bounded off it, jumped upon the mushroom, and then landed with an audible thud against the forest floor. Bisharp walked and Hatterene floated in his direction.

"Well, they were correct about how well you can hide," Bisharp declared. "I wouldn't have imagined you on her house."

"I knew that's where he was," Hatterene said. "He likes those fungi."

"Bisharp," Morgrem began, "Why are you so concerned about Gallade?"

Bisharp began, "Since you missed the first half of our discussion, he's working to be the only commander. Tyranitar doesn't believe me, that dumb box of rocks. Gallade has"—she shook her head— "An agenda I don't like."

Morgrem nodded. "He's too unpredictable, borderline sadistic, especially from what I heard."

"So," Bisharp said, "I'd like you to tail him, and see why he's come now. The scrafty that was on the plains said Gallade used to own that territory. I suspect he's trying to take advantage of the boss."

"But," Morgrem began, looking into the distance at the forest below. "What will you ultimately do about him?"

"Eliminate him, among many others," Bisharp said. "Like drapion, weavile, ferrothorn, toxtricity, seismitoad, carkol…."

Morgrem's stomach somersaulted as she listed the formidable pokémon who caused them previous problems, but his breath caught when he heard toxtricity being mentioned. He interrupted her babble and asked, "You killed that toxtricity?" He looked at Bisharp and then threw a hard glare at Hatterene. "Didn't she escape?"

Hatterene's face twisted with shock as the goblin's emotions overwhelmed her within seconds. She looked at Bisharp, narrowing her eyes. Bisharp asked, "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Not the one you're thinking of," Hatterene inserted before Morgrem's emotions threatened to overwhelm her. "The amped one that was here before."

Morgrem relaxed visibly, but his mouth was a thin line and the glint in his eyes worried Hatterene. Bisharp sensed she had missed some anecdote and asked, "What's the deal? Did you know that blue one that come through here some moons ago?"

Since the purloin was out of the bag, Morgrem said, "The toxtricity that came through here was virtually my sister. We grew up together."

"You never spoke of this to the boss?" Bisharp asked.

"What need was there?" Morgrem smirked at her, thankful his rival wasn't one of the victims, and that the story escaped notice from the boss and Bisharp. "I didn't know she was coming here, and I don't know where she has gone." Morgrem met Hatterne's eyes. "You did the deed, didn't you?"

Hatterene grumbled at his accusation. Bisharp glanced at the forest witch and said, "She did. This one liked the punk's mate, but he had no interest in Hatterene. I don't like toxtricity to begin with. Their bands, always fighting with one another up north, took over my family's ancestral home cycles ago."

Morgrem asked, "Wouldn't her mate figure out who caused her death eventually?" Morgrem wore a flippant look on his face. Hatterene was driven by emotion, sure, but to eschew all logic?

Hatterene pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes like said toxtricity just agitated her. "I just couldn't handle that noise and her nasty attitude! I broke her mind to the point she became just a husk, and without a scrape on the body, everyone figured she died from age or her own devices, but some found out after a while."

"Like Hydreigon," Morgrem said, recalling a conversation the mountain lord had with the forest witch when Morgrem first arrived and could access the lord's chamber.

Morgrem reverted his accusatory tone to a more level one and mentioned, "You see… I wonder if that amped one is related to my sister."

Bisharp shrugged. "I'm not concerned. She is gone. The blue one probably left for good. Them dumb punks can't find their own tails half of the time."

"My old friend knows her way around, so she can come back," Morgrem said.

"It'd be a suicide mission," Hatterene said. "None will get inside here again on our watch."

"Perhaps if she brings some friends…" Morgrem rubbed his head. He looked toward the tunnel and then back toward the house. "Her kind can do a bunch of damage together, I've heard."

Bisharp enunciated slowly, "Whose side are you on?" She took several steps forward and clattered her steel blades together in warning. Hatterene restrained her with her hair-arm before the commander drew closer to Morgrem.

Morgrem showed no signs of being perturbed as he observed Bisharp confront him. "The boss himself wanted to recruit her, so I think I should ask you that very question. I won't be another name on your list, though."

He walked around the edge of the shelter and beckoned for Ruby to show himself. The ghost appeared, and the two friends walked back toward the tunnel, skirting around the two females on the path. Hatterene remained holding Bisharp steady. The commander dropped her neutrality and glared at the forest witch, who also looked at her with through narrowed eyes.

Ruby scampered reluctantly several paces behind Morgrem as they traveled toward the tunnel they came from. When Morgrem reentered the cavern, he stopped on the second step, turned, and told them, "Ruby, you were right. The other way was the better option."

Ruby clutched his bag with a trembling fist and whispered, "You might have compromised yourself from what you said."

"I'm fine with that." Morgrem removed his bag from his shoulder and dropped it on the step for several seconds, flashing Ruby a smile. The two females didn't understand his gesture, but Ruby did. "Plus, there's someone on the outside that I want to speak to again."

Ruby stood at the cave entrance, unsure if by following Morgrem he'd be guilty of mutiny by proxy, but the commander nearby had yet to challenge him. Hatterene seemed to halt Bisharp's decision, at least for now. Ruby looked at the pink and green figure walking through the tunnel, the sun peaking through from the shafts, seeming to single him out as a harbinger when they landed on him.

Bisharp and Hatterene joined him at the threshold, all of them looking into the tunnel like it were uncharted territory. Hatterene broke the silence and said, "I've not felt this much resolution from him until now."

Ruby had to know if Morgrem was leaving for sure. Perhaps he finally reached his limit. Ruby bolted into the cavern, eager to figure out what his friend planned next.

A.N./ Part of the English Channel is the Strait of Dover, which is about twenty miles across, and athletes have swum across it from the UK to France and vise versa (since Galar is the UK and Kalos France here). To a water-type pokémon it's probably mildly difficult. Being fully evolved, you have a choice between two Kalos pokémon that Inteleon might have hooked up with.