Got some new follows as of late. Thanks for the support, it means quite a lot. Unfortunately, there's might be some slower updates due to life getting busy. Though I plan to have beefier content to compensate each update after this one, so look out for that (if you care enough about timing, anyways). Now onto the content...

~ Gullverian High Court ~

"Ladies and Gentlemon. Prime Minister Ingasa will now engage the topic of conversation for this meeting."

The Lucario standing in front of the Slowking conjured a staff out of an ethereal bone of pure aura, commanding total attention from all parties in the room. All sources of chatter ceased at the clash of the staff to the ground.

"We will now call this meeting to order."

Ingasa placed his hands behind his back as he stood upright. "Thank you." He then turned to address the gallery, "As we are all aware, Talgeria had been having issues with domestic affairs as of recently. Following the end of the Kalgore War, new issues had been springing up for both of our territories." Ingasa then looked at and then pointed to an Electivire in the gallery, "Chief of Foreign affairs, would you care to elaborate?"

Across the ornate room, the Electivire stood up alongside his Raichu companion. The Raichu handed the Electivire a sheet of paper, which the Electivire begun to read. "Yes, Prime Minister. The current situation is that Eternarifts have been appearing under unknown circumstances. Following these strange appearances, the resurgence of alpha pokémon is causing civil unrest amongst the population of Talgeria. Per our terms of the treaty, we worked with the Sector of Defense to deploy Rescue Teams and the Military to provide Bounty Hunter teams to the sources of these occurrences."

"I see." After the Electivire sat down, Ingasa then turned to a Typhlosion on the opposite wing. "Sector of Defense. Any comments?"

The Typhlosion then stood up, holding her head high. "In total, over five-hundred Rescue teams were deployed to Talgeria in the last two years alone. Our teams on the ground hypothesize that Eternarifts and the resurgence of alphas have some sort of correlated link. The evidence gathered suggests that may be the case."

"Military representatives? Anything to add?"

Sergeant Garland stood up, straightening his back. Team Ventus and Burtoli behind him shakily stood up and grew ice cold. Garland, after clearing his throat, began, "Yes. It appears that the issues that Talgeria was facing over the years have finally crossed over into our territory. An alpha Magcargo had been sighted and fought near Kira University in Twist Forest."

Dozens of eyes leered onto Garland as he continued explaining, causing his speech to briefly flutter. "What was odd about this alpha was that Twist Forest in no way can support ferals of the fire typing." Gesturing to Team Ventus, Garland said, "These three were the Rescue Team that responded to the incident. Based on their findings, it's likely that this alpha didn't just spawn there, but had to have been deliberately placed there."

The gallery went into an uproar. Murmurs and small debates were had amongst the members. The Lucario adjacent to Ingasa slammed her staff into the ground, creating a deafening boom that echoed across the room.

"ORDER! ORDER! The Prime Minister WILL have order!"

As the chatter died, the Slowking asked, "What evidence do you have of this claim? And can you pinpoint the identity of the Pokémon or group thereof?"

"While we cannot place the identity of the personnel involved, we can determine by the temperament of the surrounding ferals that the Magcargo must have been recent." Garland brought out a sheet of paper, "According to research, all alphas attune to the dungeons they reside in, giving them direct or indirect control of the lesser ferals beneath them. However, since the ferals didn't seem in alignment with the Magcargo during their fight, it is assumed that the Magcargo spawned recently."

"And this means what?"

"Since alphas take around a year to fully attune to their dungeons, and given that it is an unnatural alpha, it lends credence to our running theory."

Ingasa lowered his head, narrowed his eyes and begun to pace back in forth about the alcove he was positioned in. Other gallery members looked on in suspense.

"While the lack of solid evidence devalues your theory, I will keep it under advisement. We do not have the resources to mount a full-on investigation, as we have little leads on the suspected party."

"That can be provided! The leads part, that is."

All eyes whirled around to an Alakazam. Said Alakazam looked like a chunk of his face was ripped out and replaced with cybernetics that wouldn't be out of place on a Magnezone. On his left arm, a navy blue looplet with vials inserted into the slots acted as an armband.

Lucario pointed her staff at the Alakazam, snarling in the process. "Silence! You don't get to speak out of turn!"

"Stand down," Ingasa signaled her away. As the Lucario returned to her native position, Ingasa side eyed him, "Who are you, and just how can you do that?"

"Forgive me. My name is Alcryst, a former Talgerian researcher and scientist." The Alakazam bowed, earning from the rest of the gallery suspicious looks. "I have been researching the effects of Eternarifts for some time now and I am willing to provide you with the information we seek."

The Electivire leapt out of his seat, brandishing his electrically charged fist in the air. "Forget it, Talgerian spy! I bet you're here to-"

Ingasa glared daggers into the Electivire, his eyes glowing blue. The Electivire immediately silenced himself and fizzled out his electricity. "I WILL hear him out. Any objections will be noted for the record and ignored in the present sense," Ingasa then turned back to the Alakazam, "But he does raise a point. Why should we trust you? What are you planning on doing?"

"I can assure you, I have shed ties with Talgeria," Alcryst then gestured to his looplet, "And this looplet is proof of it. It was once a Talgerian experiment, but due to economic reasons it was discontinued. I picked up the experiment in secret and was intending on sharing my findings with both nations eventually anyways. As for the plan, I intend to study the effects Eternarifts and how to potentially reverse their influence."

Whispers raced around the room. Ingasa's glowing blue eyes dimmed. "And just how will you do that?"

Alcryst dropped his gesture. "I can start by investigating the most recent occurrence at Kira University in the coming days," he nodded.

~ Chapter 2: Red? Or Blue? ~

Palla stood in a circle alongside Traximus, Neltharios and Kruler. She anxiously looked between the Charmander and Totodile, having been around for most of the discussion and silent throughout.

"Kruler, c'mon. You don't wanna join us?" Neltharios asked.

Kruler stared low at her bandaged arms, remaining silent and shaking her head. "I dunno! I just got outta a situation give me time to think!"

The Charmander stepped forward, "Together we can be stronger!" He looked at his Bagon friend, "Traxy, back me up here!"

"Whatever you just called me, never call me that again," Traximus retorted, rolling his eyes. He focused his attention on the Totodile, "If you need some space to think, then we'll give it to you."

"Hey! That's not-"

"Nel. Drop it. She just said she needs her space."

"Traxy-"

"Shut up Nel."

The Charmander turned to Palla, dismissing Traximus's order, "What about you? You wanna get in on this?"

Remembering Kruler's words to her previously, she found this to be her chance to form a team. However, she found it a bit discouraging that it was without her. "I-I guess. But what can I provide? I'm another dragon type, after all."

"Not to worry!" Neltharios hustled up to the Axew, placing his arm around her, making her wince, "With me here, you don't gotta worry about any faries or ice types! Cause I bring the HEAT!"

Both Kruler and Traximus groaned in unison. "Please make him stop," the former pleaded to the latter, "I can only cringe so much today…"

"I can only pledge to try," Traximus sighed.

- Kira University – Girls Dormitory -

Days later, Palla found herself idle on her bed, lost in thought. In retrospect, Palla found that joining the boys was a good idea. They seemed well mannered enough, even if the Charmander was a bit pushy. Since then, she pondered what she would do with the remaining surplus of time that she was given. Looking towards the opposite side of the room, she noted that Kruler was curiously absent. What could keep her out so long at this time of day? We don't have any classes…

Seeing no more reason to stay isolated in her room, she made her way out of the dormitory and out into the commons area. Wandering about, she made her way to a relatively quieter part of the area, where only a Tauros and a Miltank populated the scene. She opted to plop herself down and take a moment to think.

Kruler got roughed up pretty badly after going in that dungeon. Palla begun to shudder, thinking about her choices. I hope I never come out of a dungeon looking like that. She had help from somebody, Kroto was it? I thought he got overrun as well. I also heard that they fought something supernatural, so maybe they would have been fine otherwise? Hmm…

Conveniently, her thoughts dissipated right before she spotted Traximus and Neltharios walking alongside somebody else she didn't recognize. Seeing no reason to not at least say hello, she approached the trio.

"Traximus! Hey!"

The entire group halted. The Krokorok looked towards Traximus condescendingly, "Traxman, you know this kid? She your girlfriend or what?"

The Bagon shut his eyes, pretending to not care about the girlfriend comment, "Yes, I do, and no she's not. What's with mons and the weird names they give me?" Neltharios snickered a bit at that last part.

Palla fought hard to hide a blush, "W-what are you doing right now?"

The Bagon reopened his eyes, "Reiner here needed to go to the deposit box to pick up a package and I wanted to tag along cause Kroto is injured and I'm not so sure we can see him." Traximus then tilted his head in Neltharios's direction, "And he decided to tag along when he saw us walking."

"Can I come along? I won't be a bother…"

Reiner tried to snap his mouth shut with his hands, but failed to do so, releasing a thundering laugh. Traximus and Palla both fell silent, the Bagon flustering slightly due to embarrassment.

Neltharios was the one to bring the conversation back to order, "Sure you can. Misery loves company right? Hahaha!" Nobody laughed with him.

"Right," Reiner responded, "Let's just get back on track."

The group, having gained another member, then made their way toward the mailing center. From what was visible through the window, hundreds of miniature deposit boxes lined the walls, the patterns creating an eyesore for the young Axew.

"Well, here we are. Go get your things. We'll wait out here for you," Traximus said, leaning against the outer wall to the right of the doorway.

Reiner entered the building, leaving the other three to convene amongst each other.

"So, what are we gonna call our team?" Neltharios asked, "I have a few ideas, but I wanna hear yours."

"I was thinking something like Team Drake," Traximus suggested, "Seeing as we all fit the dragon theme as we evolve further."

Neltharios glanced at Palla before descending into brief laughter. Calming himself down, he responded, "That's stupid! Team Inferno is better considering that we are all capable of using fire type moves."

"That's dumb because if Kruler joins, we have a water type. And besides, you're the only actual fire type!"

"And Team Drake is any better?! Last I heard, neither Totodile nor Feraligatr are dragon types!"

"Pretty sure she knows Dragon Dance if her demeanor is anything to go off!"

Moments of the two arguing brought a warm smile to Palla's face. Maybe these two are more like my family at home than I thought. She thought of her older siblings, a Fraxure and a Grovyle. A passing memory of them arguing over the last piece of meat overtook her mind, placing them beside the Bagon and Charmander.

"Oh, hey Palla. What do you think," Traximus inquired, "Do you have any suggestions?"

Caught off guard by the question, Palla blinked several times. As the duo's attention befell her, she said, "U-um, well. I was thinking of something cosmic. Something to do with the stars. Maybe Team Supernova?"

The suggestion was enough to get both Traximus and Neltharios to break off their debate. A brief round of whispers held between the two left the Axew in suspense. Returning to her, Traximus responded, "I like what you're thinking, but it doesn't roll off the tongue easily." Tapping his nubs together, he suggested, "How about Team Nova? It's like supernova, but it's shorter and easier to say."

"I like it well enough," Neltharios cheered, "How 'bout you Palla? Team Nova good with you?"

"Yeah, it's g-good." A sudden warmth pulsated through Palla's body, a strange wave of ease providing a sense of security. They let me choose. They actually let me choose!

Just as Palla was going to say something, the doors swung wide open, and the Krokorok's wide frame came into view. The startled Axew yelped in a sudden panic before recomposing herself.

"Alright. I'm hungry, so we're getting food. Let's go." Reiner demanded.

Dark shades spread about the hallway in the west wing of the entry hall, the dim lighting providing an air of dubiousness. A Tyranitar was present in a remote spot in the unusually empty hall, her gargantuan frame making her consume the space. In her hand, a connection orb pulsated a soft blue light.

"Have you done it?" A voice from the orb asked.

"My part of the task, yeah. Got an update on your side of the deal?"

"Aww come on Sashie. You know I always make good on my deals!"

The Tyranitar rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Name's Sasha, dingus. Didn't give you permission to refer to me as anything different."

"Now that's no way to refer to me, The Notorious 'Derge!"

"Didn't ask," the Tyranitar huffed, "Now how's the other idiot's side going?"

"Heard nothing from him in three weeks. Either he got caught or he's in some hot water."

"Right…" Sasha sighed and put her free green hand to her side. "Then we're going to have to continue without him. You got any other information?"

"Yeah. My connections got word of that brainiac Alcryst. He plans on coming to your location in a few days."

"Then he'll have one hell of a reception party." The Tyranitar rolled her scaly neck, "I have a new assignment for you. Regroup with me outside of Northrun in exactly two days."

"Got it boss lady. Love you babe!" The orb clicked off before the Tyranitar could berate him.

"Damn him! That attitude of his is what's going to jeopardize our plans." Sasha moved out of the corner and out into the hallway, generating heavy footsteps. "I only hope that the boss can somehow salvage the mess that is that Skelederge."

"Man, Grimmsnarl's noodles are the best!" Neltharios bellowed, "How come you never told me about this!?"

Traximus, after slowly slurping up some of his food, responded, "Because I was, er, occupied at the time."

Palla tilted her head curiously, "With what?"

"Oh nothing. It was a team that called themselves Team Pixie. A Kirlia named Ivy picked a fight with Kroto and that sort of took my attention off eating."

The Axew nearly spit out her meal. "What?! Ivy picked a fight with you guys too?!"

"Yeah. Thankfully they only got a rise out of him. If they had launched any attacks on either of us… Hoo boy." Traximus leaned back, assuming a casual pose, "But you said 'too.' How do you know them?"

"They're the team that bullied me on my first night here! If they picked on you too, then that means that they surely have something against us."

Neltharios then leaned forward, suddenly intrigued by the conversation, "Well if they pick on you again, they'll have all of Team Nova to deal with. We'll see what those losers have to say when they're deep roasted by my Flamethrower!"

"That's right," Traximus followed up, "I know the game Ivy plays. She plays to crowds. All we would need to do is get the crowd on our side and she folds like parchment."

"Well if you guys are done with all the sappy stuff, I wanna open this package right here." Reiner then placed the wrapped item in the center of the table, "I verified where this came from. It's safe to open here."

The others eyes him suspiciously at the mention of safety. "What," he responded, "Trust me, if it was something I didn't want you to see, then I wouldn't open it in front you, would I?"

"I suppose he has a point?" Palla conceded after a moment of silent tension, still maintaining a fair bit of her guard.

"See? At least the girl has a bit of sense." Reiner then ripped open the package and lifted off the top of the box. Inside was a scarf, some vitamins and a Focus Sash. "Awesome! This is exactly what I needed for my training class!"

Traximus rolled his eyes and grunted. He then leered at a suspicious magenta orb sitting at the base of the box. "Right. And does your training class require a strange purple orb?"

"Huh?" Reiner clutched the orb in his three-fingered hand, studying its features closely. "I didn't ask for this. Aren't orbs normally blue? I mean I've seen green connection orbs, but I've never seen a purple one in my life."

Neltharios shook his head. "Maybe it's a new type of connection orb?"

"Yeah, and it even glows and beeps unprompted." Traximus sarcastically remarked noting that the orb was doing exactly that. "Wait, beeping?!"

"IT'S A BOMB! THROW IT! THROW IT!" Neltharios screamed, drawing panicked looks from witnesses around them.

"I can't! It's stuck to my hand! SOMEBODY HELP!" Reiner cried in vain.

The members of Team Nova attempted to make a mad dash away from the scene but were too slow. A blinding magenta glow was followed by a deafening pinging sound in everybody's ears.

Waking up, Traximus found himself, along with Reiner and the other members of Team Nova, in what appeared to be a labyrinth made of pure crystal. The floors had a deep blue tint to them and appeared quite translucent. And so did the walls. And the ceiling. Wow. Somehow, we ended up in some crystal palace. But how did that happen?

As everybody else regained consciousness, Traximus found himself wondering about the scene, taking note of everything that he saw. Wait. His heart came to a stop when he saw a flight of stairs. Made from the same crystal material, of course. A mystery dungeon? From an orb?! Oh. Oh no. That can only mean…

"Guys. We have a problem," he stated.

"You mean the fact that we're in the middle of Arceus-knows-where? Yeah, I know," Neltharios pointed an accusatory finger at Reiner, "And THIS genius got us into this mess with that bugged orb of his!"

"W-What?! I-I didn't know about this," Reiner waved his arms nervously, "I swear I didn't ask for that orb!"

"Really?! Then why were you so concerned about safety back there?"

"Guys," Traximus started.

"I said I CHECKED for safety! I ensured it was safe!"

"Guys." Palla's attention was snagged.

"Surrrrreeeee… And now we're stuck here because you failed to account for the safety of something that your package held inside! What other magical devices were inside that-"

"GUYS!"

Now the entire group's attention was on Traximus. Neltharios's disgusted look did nothing to phase a distressed Traximus.

"Traxy? You look a bit pale."

"Y-you remember Dr. Mamado's intro to his course?"

Neltharios puffed his chest out, showing off his bravado, "Of course I do! He gave us an overview of everything! Including the war and the Eternarifts used in it!"

Traximus stayed silent, allowing the gravity of Neltharios's own words to set in. Immediately, all the bravado that once colored the Charmander faded, and panic hastily set in. "W-wait… You don't mean…"

The green Bagon gulped and tapped his nubs together. "I do mean it."

"Poor kid. He's been unconscious for a while. Do you think he's okay?"

"His lungs were hell to operate on, but we did all we could. Heal pulses can't exactly treat this kind of damage, so we're gonna have to take alternate procedures."

"Meaning?"

"Implants. We need to order the Oxyale."

Implants. That word rippled in Kroto's subconscious mind. They're planning on placing something in me? Oh Arceus! What if they bug me?! What if they put something in me that makes me crazy!? No! I don't wanna go crazy! I don't! Dad! Dad help, please!

The Passimian in the medical bay begun to tussle about, rocking the table he resided on. A piercing pain raced across his chest causing him to lurch his head back and scream a deafening cry. His heart felt significantly heavier with each second he continued his screams.

Both operators grew nervous and sprung to action. The Oranguru grabbed his right arm and begun to speak to him quietly, "Calm yourself, calm yourself. You're okay. You've been very strong and brave. You've earned a rest…"

Kroto's eyes begun to fill with tears, but his cries begun to die down. He couldn't tell whether or not it was due to his lungs feeling like they were collapsing in on him or because he felt guilty, being conscious of the scene he was causing.

"There, there. That's the way. Ease yourself."

Heaving, Kroto lied down on the bed, his wild movements ceasing. Though he wished to speak, his mouth refused to open, instead prompting him to weep silently. I don't wanna live like this. Where did I go wrong? Was helping Kruler the bad decision? But what if I hadn't? Dad, you taught me to put others before myself. And look where that got me.

"Kroto."

Hearing the Oranguru's voice call out to him a third time drew his eyesight to the source. "We're going to order an implant that will help you breathe better. Until it arrives here, you must limit the amount of physical activity you partake in. You will also need to take an inhaler with you and use it at every moment prior to and following every instance of physical activity. Understood?"

Kroto merely nodded, creating a slight discomfort in his neck.

"Good." Seeing the teary-eyed Passimian, the Oranguru released his arm, "You're going to be okay. If you follow my instructions, your healing process should come along swiftly."

The operators turned their backs and left the room with papers in hand. Kroto was left a sniffling, crying mess. Kruler. What are you doing right now? Are you okay? Please don't be dead. If you died on my mistake, I… I… It would be just like…

Dad…

He shut his eyes once again, hoping to stop his crying with his eyelids.

Oh boy. Looks like it's the other member's turns to get into a dungeon. By the way, if you can correctly guess the reference this chapter's title is, you earn a cookie.

Next: Up for a color-changing adventure?; Dangers in the skies above!