Chapter 20

Suppression

This was a lesser traveled road.

The well-kept gravel path turned to dirt, covered in branches and bramble that cracked and snapped as they passed. The forest thinned from tall oaks to thin and bushy trees and then to nothing but rolling hills of grass.

Further out, the grass grew more yellow.

The cool spring air was slowly replaced by a heat that tingled the skin. The grass was shorter, the dirt now a cracked mud that crunched under their paws.

There were less clouds overhead now. The grass was thinning. Now it was mostly dirt.

Dirt and gravel, with cacti lining the unkempt pathway that traced across barren hills.

It was so remote. So silent.

There was nothing out here.

It was almost unnerving, walking through the arid silence. But thankfully Lahnae's chatter kept things lively and upbeat.

Soon the dirt and gravel turned finer, yellower, sandier. Their paws buried into the sand as they all walked, the heat intensifying as the land changed, dunes rolling ahead. Vizon was already panting.

But there, nestled between two hills of sand...they saw it. A collection of buildings baking in the wavering heat. The group approached, closing in on it, seeing Poke'mon milling about the stone and clay buildings, until at last they entered the village of Qease'.

"Alright, now follow my lead." Nivanee said. "These are old-fashioned types. They keep the old Kessi Kingdom ruins sacred up north into the desert."

Avery made a face, hearing all that.

The journey was already starting to take its toll on Vizon...the Plusle was feeling alright so far, but he figured that might change as the day went on.

"You doing okay, bud...?" Avery asked, nudging the Riolu. "Remember to stay hydrated, we don't want you getting heat stroke before we even do the mission...!"

Vizon could only pant...but nodded.

Avery turned to look at the town. Quiet. Religious, apparently. He wasn't sure how to feel about that. His only role models for religion in Arcea were the nice monks in Taeriana and the crazy mud boys in the swamps.

'So...One for one.'

"We'll defer to you, Niv." Avery said at last.

Nivanee nodded, stepping forward.

The village was indeed quiet. A wind blew over the village. Hot.

Clay chimes clacked together gently, some of the only noise in the village. The Poke'mon here wore thick and heavy robes over their bodies to shield from the hot air, tending to their business either at the old well, the clay pit or even a farm here and there with special sand-growing crops.

The Poke'mon in the village said nothing to the group, only glancing their way briefly. None of the villagers' gazes seemed hostile, only ambivalent. It's clear the guild members were, at the very least, welcome.

The group moved forward in silence, emulating the villagers, Nivanee scanning her eyes over the buildings, looking for-

"HEYA, QEASE'! WE'RE BACK!" Lahnae cheered, making Nivanee yelp and jump into the air. "We're GUNNA PROTECT THE RUINS FOR REAL THIS TIME!"

A few of the villagers perked up at the mention of the ruins, many of them looking to one another in worry. Nivanee hissed at the Torchic.

"Wha-! Lahnae, discretion!" Nivanee said, making Lahnae puff up.

"Hey, I've been here once already! Just yesterday! They know me!" The Torchic said. "I felt horrible that we couldn't save those ruins, so I'm making sure they know THE GUILD NEVER GIVES UP and they're in GOOD HANDS! We're gunna DO IT no matter WHAT IT TAKES!"

"Yes but-!" Nivanee shook her head, batting at the Torchic. Loshjno only shrugged, nonplussed.

"She has a point. It makes for a good image." Loshjno didn't even sound like he was agreeing with Lahnae's actions, only stating a fact. Nivanee furrowed her brow, Lahnae stepping forward.

"I remember where the master's house is!" Lahnae added. "I gotta tell him I brought friends this time!"

Avery cringed a little from the volume interrupting the calm air that hovered over Qeasé. She was enthusiastic, he'd give her that, but...it was worthwhile to read the room, too.

"Careful, Lahnae," Avery advised quietly. "Remember, we're doing an infiltration mission here. It's possible that the Treasure Guild has stationed spies here to look out for us. If they know that we're coming, they'll have time to prepare and get the jump on us."

Avery's words immediately gave Lahnae pause, the Torchic looking back and blinking as he continued.

"I know that image is important when helping people but...it's important to keep our chances for success high, too." Avery added on. "We might want to keep a low profile. We can shout victory all we want when we come back through here victorious, though...!"

Lahnae stared and thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Mmm..." She hummed, stroking her beak. Finally, she...whispered. "...okay!"

She still seemed positively giddy, like a child being taken to the park instead of an Arceali guildmember on a state-ordered mission.

"Hmmm..." Avery could hear Loshjno quietly humming, the Squirtle's arms crossed. He had a smile on his face, watching Lahnae bounce ahead of the group. He said nothing...but he looked as though he were basking in Lahnae's happiness.

Nivanee sighed with relief, silently thanking Avery as they all followed Lahnae toward the village master's house.

Indeed, soon it was in view. It was a larger building than the rest, constructed from laid brick with lines of red flags festooning the front. It was, no doubt, the most impressive structure in the village.

"Ah, here we go..." Nivanee said, watching Lahnae run up to the front. "Lahnae, do you want me-"

Lahnae disappeared through the front curtain.

"-...I guess you don't." Nivanee sighed. Rikzyod quietly chuckled.

"I like the small and stupid one."

"She's enthusiastic, that's for sure," Avery said, giving Rikzyod a little smile back. "Come on, let's not leave her alone in there for too long. We're all in this together, after all...!"

Avery took a breath, looked at the rest of his team...and Loshjno.

The Plusle's eyes lingered on the Squirtle a little longer than everyone else.

'What is he about...? I barely know anything about Loshjno. He definitely seems to get along better with Lahnae than Ganisus had with Kipuuna. So far it seems like this won't be a repeat of what happened in Dove Fo Uddjo...thank goodness. I've had enough Deep Dimension Incidents to last a lifetime.

But...something tells me that there's something about this. Something's off. Whether it's luck or something else-

Luck. Right. Let's not leave Lahnae alone-'

Avery took point, quickly walking inside the impressive building with the others following behind.

"Hey...! Master?"

Avery could hear Lahnae's voice, low and whispering per his suggestion...even indoors. He heard Loshjno chuckle again at this. Vizon side-eyed the Squirtle as they all entered the house.

The inside was simple and humble, with little in the way of decoration apart from clay furniture for guests and nothing else. Painted patterns adorned the walls, hand-crafted, no doubt by the master himself.

"Are we intruding...?" Avery heard Vizon ask from behind. Lahnae spoke again in the other room.

"Master...? It's Lahnae! I..." She trailed off. "Where is he...? Hello...?!"

As they rounded a corner, they saw a large room with an open ceiling and woven matt on the floor. The house seemed completely empty, Lahnae looking about, bewildered.

Avery cast his eyes around the room, looking carefully. Seeing this sort of handcrafted work after being in Arceliaze's carefully manufactured architecture so long was pretty unique...especially in such a remote place as this. But that just instilled a feeling of dread in him as he saw how empty it was.

Nivanee furrowed her brow.

"The Qease' leader...absent...?" Nivanee muttered. "...That can't be right, he'd not abandon the village, surely not now with the Treasure Guild issue going on..."

"Everyone outside looked rather worried." Jolvia reminded, Nivanee perking her head up, deep in thought. But Lahnae broke the thinking with an outburst.

"What like...you're thinking he's KIDNAPPED?!" Lahnae shouted, her whisper gone, now replaced with horrified fear and anger. Jolvia motioned for Lahnae to lower her volume, continuing in a measured voice.

"The village leader of Qease' tends to be one of the strongest Poke'mon in the village. If anything...he's gone out to where the Treasure Guild is in order to handle this himself."

"Oh no..." Nivanee huffed.

Avery clenched his fists.

"Then we can't waste any more time. If the master's gone out, then we have to go and support him." The Plusle was already heading for the door. "Is there anything else we need to do in Qeasé? Or should we set out now? I don't want to mince minutes while there's someone else involved."

"Oh no of course not." Avery could hear Loshjno's voice behind him, the boy's tone...lax as ever. "We certainly can't waste another moment, right, Lahnae?"

"Yeah...yeah!" Lahnae shouted, a glint in her eye. Nivanee, for her part, looked worried as Lahnae pushed past.

"Do you hear that...?" Nivanee asked quietly, her ears swiveling back towards the entrance. Jolvia frowned, her ears flicking.

"I hear it too..." Jolvia muttered, turning away. "Shouting...coming from outside."

Nivanee bit her lip.

"Everyone! Back out! Back out!" the Eevee commanded. Vizon nodded, weaving his way through the group, everyone following suit.

"Shoot- shoot shoot-"

'What's happening now-?! Is it the master guy...? Has he gotten back? Please let this be good shouting...Even if Lahnae is with us please let it be good shouting...'

Avery could already hear it. The rise and fall of the voices. The bumps and shuffles as everyone rushed out of the village master's house. The Plusle headed up after Vizon as the Riolu THREW the curtained door aside.

The blinding light of the desert sun spilled over them. Immediately, they saw the sleepy village of Qease' alight with movement and voices.

Poke'mon were running up to the north end of the village, hot wind billowing between the buildings, whipping their scarves and robes in the dust that kicked up.

"Master!" Avery heard Lahnae's voice cry out.

A crowd was gathering. Up upon a dune that loomed over the village they could see a shadow in the shimmering heat.

Then another shadow.

Another.

Several.

One of the shadows kicked, a cloaked Diggersby tumbling down the dune, kicking up dust as he fell down below at the gathered villagers' feet.

"DID WE ASK FOR VOLUNTEERS OR DID WE ASK FOR LIP?!"

The voice bellowed from on high, the village master Diggersby completely knocked out.

The light faded, the dust slowly thinning. And Avery could see the line of Poke'mon atop the dune.

A Helioptile. A Cubone. A Trapinch. A Magneton. A Sandslash. A Sneasel. A Buizel. All of them leering down at the crowd before them.

Avery could see Jolvia grit her teeth, seeing them.

"The Treasure Guild..." She muttered icily.

'...Helioptile. Cubone. Trapinch. Sandslash. This...is really bad for Jolvia and I.'

Avery could see one of the shadowed Treasure Guild Poke'mon above on the dune break formation, marching over to the Sandslash that towered over the others.

"Oi!" The Sneasel yelled, jabbing a finger at the larger Poke'mon. "You're making this a lot harder than it needs t'be! You keep pushing them and-"

The Sandslash put a hand on the Sneasel's head, shoving her away.

"Foreman, you might be in charge of the dig but you're not my client." Avery could hear the Sandslash say. "You get back down there and find that orb or whatever have you so yer Guild Master can pay us."

The Buizel caught the falling Sneasel, glared at the Sandslash and led the Foreman away. The rest of the Poke'mon postured over the Qease' Poke'mon as the villages carried the Diggersby master away.

Glancing at Lahnae and Loshjno's direction Avery could see Nivanee already gagging the struggling Lahnae with her tail, Loshjno...silently laughing. Even now he only laughed.

"RIGHT!" The Sandslash roared. The Helioptile and Magneton crackled with electrical energy. "If anyone wants to join the more HELPFUL of you lot down by the ruins, we're almost done plundering, then we'll leave. No more of..."

He gestured towards the collapsed Diggersby, who even now had not awoken.

"...that." The Sandslash laughed. Lahnae's eyes FLARED.

Vizon reached in his bag, getting out some oran berries, Nivanee nodding as he stepped up to the crowd hoisting the Diggersby to safety, the villagers graciously accepting the help as the group of Poke'mon up on the dune turned and disappeared toward the desert.

Nivanee sighed, letting go of Lahnae.

"LET ME GO!" Lahnae yelled out. "Master is SUCH A NICE GUY! THIS ISN'T RIGHT!"

"Of course it isn't, but don't make it worse-! Hey!" Nivanee grunted as Lahnae pulled away.

"W...Wait, wait wait-" Avery said, trying to keep quiet, but holding Lahnae's wing. "...I...might have an idea. They said they're...they said they're looking for helpful people to go down and excavate something, right? What if..."

Avery bit his lip, looking at the Diggersby, then at the others.

"This is just a suggestion. But what if we went undercover?" Avery suggested. "Pretended to help, and sabotaged from the inside out? There's..."

His eyes slid to where the others in the Treasure Guild had been, then Jolvia.

"...I'm sensing similarities to the River Delta. There's dissent in the ranks." the Plusle noted.

Loshjno chuckled to himself. Lahnae slowly calmed and looked to Avery, though the fire was no less burning in the Torchic's eye.

"Under...cover?" Her brow furrowed. "What you mean like...lie?"

She turned her head towards the crowd of villagers tending to the village master. She frowned, that look of enraged fury on her face.

"I feel more like...I want to burst in and flame up until there's nothing left but..." She shook her head, taking a breath, trying to un-psyche herself. She was worked up. "No...uh...no, you're right! Y-yeah, that's the smart thing to do! Oh...! Yeah yeah, no, it could be like the river delta!"

Jolvia raised her eyebrows, stroking her chin, glancing up at the dunes.

"From the looks of it..." Jolvia began. "The actual guild Poke'mon are getting bullied by their bodyguards. I imagine Lahnae and Loshjno's attempt to save the day meant they upped their security...and got greater jurisdiction."

"Ohhhh, shooot~" Loshjno said, shrugging with a nonplussed grin. "Then I guess they'd recognize us in a heartbeat. Maybe even the famous upstart Team Azure...aaaand Nivanee of Duskwalker."

The Squirtle eyed Lahnae who looked at him, confused at the conflicting perspectives.

"And imagine...in the midst of a bunch of bad guys, surrounded...just watching them tear up sacred ruins that mean everything to these Qease' poke'mon..." Loshjno put in.

Lahnae's brow knitted, her body slowly starting to shake.

"Happily chip, chip chipping away, without a care, and making the Qease' villagers do it themselves."

Lahnae SNORTED.

'...What is he doing...?'

Avery looked towards Nivanee with concern.

'Is Loshjno always like this...? It seems like he's trying to set Lahnae off...!'

"Okay, okay, yes, you're probably right-" Avery said, cutting the Squirtle off. "Since you guys were here yesterday, and that's what made the security go up, going undercover isn't an option. But...it's important that we keep cool heads about this, okay?"

Avery stood by Lahnae, putting a hand on her back. Nivanee furrowed her brow, watching as the Squirtle innocently put his hands behind his back, a wide smile on his face as he leaned forward, listening to Avery very carefully.

"...I know that what's going on is bad." Avery continued, feeling the Torchic's body shaking in anger. "And we're here to stop it. Not just bring the pearl back, but help Qeasé in the meantime. But...we can't let our emotions get the best of us. We use them as motivation, and fuel for what we can do...but we don't let them drive us."

'...What was something smart I can say? Or...maybe something that Lahnae - maybe even Vizon - can understand implicitly?'

"...When our minds, hearts, and souls work in tandem, that's when we get the best work done, no matter how bad it gets!"

"But this is REALLY bad! Badder than bad!" Lahnae huffed, puffs of fire billowing from her nostrils. Even Vizon was getting worked up, right along with her, clenching his fists as he looked back at the poor old Village Master he helped recover.

"It's unforgivable is what it is..." Vizon muttered, a deep frown on his face. Jolvia's eyes silently flicked between Avery and Loshjno.

"Now, wait, wait, guys. Vizon. Lahnae..." Nivanee said, the Torchic looking away. "Listen to Avery. Listen...you know, to your...'rival'."

Nivanee strained out that last word but it still stuck with Lahnae. She and Vizon both took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

"It's so...hard...to calm down." Lahnae said, shuddering. "Every second I'm sitting idly by is a failure. I just...I just...!"

She strained hard, sweating, anger reaching a boiling point.

"I...just want to save the day..." She muttered, shuddering. "...I want them to stop hurting others. I want everyone to be okay. I want..."

She glanced at Loshjno. The Squirtle only gave an encouraging smile.

"...I want to do my partner proud." She said at last, breathing out. Slowly, slowly trying to calm herself.

Avery saw something.

While everyone watched Lahnae, Avery caught a brief...brief twitch on the side of Loshjno's mouth.

And finally he spoke.

Avery could hear how surgically precise the Squirtle's word choice was, his tone, his posture, everything.

"Then let's go defeat the bad guys." Loshjno chuckled.

That did it.

The dam burst.

Lahnae LEAPT into the air. Vizon PUMPED his fights, both of them yelling in total righteous fury!

"YEAH" They screamed in unison, their voices ECHOING over the dunes. Lahnae FLARED. The heat BURST over the group, billowing between everyone. "HEROES!"

"Lahnae-! LAHNAE WAIT!" Nivanee yelled, stumbling forward as the Torchic BOLTED ahead, Vizon hot on her trail.

Avery's heart leapt out of his chest, and straight into what felt like a vat of molasses.

'This...this couldn't be happening, right? This wasn't...'

"WE'RE GUNNA DO IT, LOSHJNO!" Lahnae promised. "THIS TIME WE'RE REALLY GUNNA DO IT!"

Jolvia ran forward, only briefly looking back to Avery before running after Nivanee, Rikzyod in hot pursuit.

Loshjno chuckled as he stood by the Plusle.

"Alright." He called up to the Torchic lightly, just enough for Lahnae to hear him. "Do what you can and have fun with it, Lahnae...~!"

He chuckled again. Again.

Avery jolted forward to followed but stopped, briefly, and looked at Loshjno, out of the corner of his eye.

There was...a worry, a sort of fear in Avery's face.

'That can't be true. It can't be true.

He's just coping. He's just...He'd been hurt, too! He'd been hurt in the Old Wanderer case! If this was just some game to him, if he was manipulating her like this...he wouldn't get himself hurt, too, right?'

But the more that Avery thought about what he said, the sicker he felt.

'Just...

Just give him the benefit of the doubt.'

Loshjno only stood there, watching Lahnae run. The Torchic trudged up the dune where the Poke'mon had stood, the others after her. All the while she shouted and sang war cries.

The Squirtle was...silent. As though he didn't hear Avery at first. He was...silent.

Only watching Lahnae.

Finally, as the Torchic crested the hill, Loshjno spoke, his eyes ever on her.

"Look how much she's enjoying herself..." Loshjno said...almost wistfully. "Every time we come out into the field she's having the time of her life. She loves being in this guild."

A gust of hot air licked at Avery's fur, a tuft of dust swirling around the both of them. The Squirtle let his gaze fall down onto the Plusle. His face almost seemed serene. Eyes half lidded, a smile on his face, as though he couldn't care less about anything going on.

At the top of the dune, Nivanee caught up with Lahnae, talking to her. It gave them all a moment to breathe.

To talk. Even if briefly.

Avery looked back to Loshjno, frowning deeply. At last, the Plusle found his found.

"L...Loshjno, we...we have to be careful," Avery said, giving a serious look. "I know you're trying to be encouraging, but...we have to be careful."

The Squirtle spoke again, his words like a long sigh.

"Frankly...? 'Careful' would have been sending you and Aquashock, like Sarfallinus had originally planned..." Loshjno said, glancing back at Avery. "But...poor guy. Sarfallinus sometimes isn't the strongest leader...not like I'm any better. I'd never have the heart to tell Lahnae we shouldn't go on this mission. Didn't you see how happy she was to be going on a mission with you, Avery?"

The Plusle sighed deeply.

'...Okay. Okay, that isn't as bad as it could be. He isn't sabotaging her, that's...that's good.'

Avery let some of the tension drop from his shoulders.

'But...he's right. If we were being careful, we would have taken Aquashock.

...Why had I wanted to bring Team Spade instead of Team Aquashock? Was it just because Sarfallinus had fumbled with what they were supposed to do? Was it just because Lahnae had wanted us to collaborate since we first became rivals?

Maybe that was part of it. But...those weren't the only reasons. There was some other reason that I'd brought them along. And...I didn't really want to admit that to myself.'

"...That's true," Avery said. "And...I definitely want her to be happy, too. And you. All of us. But...I think that that shouldn't be our only priority, right...? If we go down here, because we rush in without a plan, then Qease' is going to be in the same situation then as when we got here. And...we have to help them too."

"Oh they'll be fine." Loshjno chuckled, looking back up at the dune, watching Vizon and Lahnae chest-bump with Rikzyod. "With the number of strong guild members on our side the treasure guild won't stand a chance. But make no mistake..."

Loshjno's smile faltered. Only briefly.

"We're not completing this mission. And when we inevitably bungle it up...maybe you and Kipuuna can come in and do what we can't today." Loshjno said it so matter-of-factly. It wasn't a self put-down. He said it like he was reading from a book. "So for today...we'll do what we can. Only what we can. And just try to let her have fun with it."

Lahnae's cheering voice echoed from the hill, making Loshjno smile wider.

"It's a pity." The Squirtle sighed. "But it can't be helped. So long as she can improve she'll always keep trying."

Avery stared at Loshjno a moment longer. Words came to mind, but none of them came to mouth. Loshjno had been through three years of this. Anything that Avery said would sound like empty promises.

"Well. You and I agree on one thing," Avery said. "...We'll do what we can. And...hopefully, if everything goes well...that'll be enough."

The Plusle nodded towards the dune.

"Come on, let's not keep them waiting any longer."

"Yeah." Loshjno chuckled. There was an odd look in his eye. Something almost...knowing. "Good luck, Avery."

"GUUUUYS!" Lahnae's voice called from the top of the hill. "WHAT'RE YOU DOOOOING! GET UP HERE! WE'RE GUNNA GO GET THE BAD GUYS."

Loshjno laughed, lightly jogging ahead without a care in the world.

"Even when we defeat the treasure guild...I hope you don't expect much..." Avery heard the Squirtle mutter to himself.

'...What did that mean? The guy is acting like he can see the future or something. Even when we defeat the Treasure Guild...?'

Avery shook his head, picking up the pace. At last, the both of them reached the top of the hill, the group looking out toward the vast expanse of the lightening wastes.

The rolling dunes of the desert seemed to glow under the sun, blinding and shimmering in the heat. A marker flag fluttered beside them. From here, more flags could be seen in the distance, marking a path across the sands. A rush of burning wind carrying a puff of dust rolled across the hills, making everyone squint.

Nivanee looked back and breathed a sigh of relief, seeing Avery and Loshjno approach.

"There you are." Nivanee huffed, stepping closer. "Looks like the dig site is just up ahead, nestled in a valley."

"Lahnae and Vizon insist on the direct approach." Jolvia put in, crossing her arms. "Whatever the method, I'd certainly like to get get the Treasure Guild out of here. Nevermind the pearl, I'm with Lahnae: these ruins are sacred to Qease'. I'm, as ever, surprised this operation has gone undealt with by the guild..."

Nivanee blustered.

"Hey...! There's been a lot going on-"

"This operation looks months old." Jolvia cut the Eevee off, squeezing her folded arms, a sharp look in her eye. "But it doesn't matter. We're here now and we need to shut this down."

"And get the pearl!" Vizon and Lahnae cheered. Jolvia didn't reply...she only looked away.

"This was what it was like with the River Delta, too," Avery said, picking up the pace to walk between Jolvia and Nivanee. "That request for hooligans had been pending for a long time, but nobody went to answer, and...it turned into the Nido Kingdom. Though..."

He gave Nivanee a careful look.

"...The guild hasn't really had the manpower it's had historically, if all those rooms in the basement are to be believed, huh...?" Avery began. "The team before us quit, or something...and the others graduated, I think? Other than Spade and us, it sounds like there hasn't been many to fill the gaps."

Avery returned his eyes to the wastes in front of them.

"...Makes me wonder what else is happening in the world while our guild's so focused on Xamao and the pearls."

"A lot is happening. All the time." Jolvia replied cryptically. "It's a shame. The guild used to have the manpower and mandate to take care of issues all across Arcea. Though now triage always dictates places like Qease' and Taeriana...don't matter."

"We are doing our best." Nivanee seethed, making Jolvia frown.

"As ever." The Nidrorina replied. "Now-"

"AUUUGHHGHGHGH!" Rikzyod roared. "Talk talk talk! Whinging, whining and noise, I have grown so weary of it! I did not leave the mercenaries to talk of current events and feelings, I am here to crack skulls and be cracked! Avery! Where are the skulls!"

"Yeah! Where's the skulls?!" Lahnae cheered, kicking the air excitedly. "I'mma make them pay for messing with innocent poke'mon!"

Jolvia smiled, amused, looking to Avery and nodding her head towards the flag.

"They left a trail straight to the ruins." She said. "And I'm willing to bet they already see us."

"Then there's no point in trying to be stealthy," Avery said. "Everyone, keep an eye on your flanks, to make sure that nobody's sneaking up on us. They have the element of surprise on us, so be ready for attacks from anywhere...!"

He began walking forwards.

'Rikzyod is right. We can talk about current events and guild things later. For now...we have to vacate those ruins before any more damage is done.'

"Everyone, V-shape!" Nivanee commanded, nodding to the group. "Vizon, Lahnae, you're at my left and right."

"HECK YEAH!" Lahnae jumped RIGHT into position, amping herself up, Vizon doing the same.

"Just like the River Delta. Just like Dovve Fo Uddjo. Piece of cake!" Vizon said, mostly to himself. Jolvia took her place beside Vizon, Lahnae waving Avery over to her side as Loshjno stepped up by Jolvia, Rikzyod at Avery's back.

"Ok, we ready?" Nivanee called.

"AYE".

Nivanee gave an affirming nod, leading the fanned out group forward. Their paws crunched in the sand, following the trail of flags laid out. The heat was intense, the sun barreling down on the group.

There was a tense air. Walking. Knowing what would come next. They all had a feeling, surely. Just waiting for it to happen.

"Five..." Avery heard Loshjno mutter to himself.

A swirl of dust rolled over the dunes.

"Four..." Nobody else seemed to hear the Squirtle.

The horizon shimmered in the blaze.

"Three..."

A low wind echoed over the sand.

"Two..."

Vizon took a deep breath.

"One..."

A shout.

A bellow over the dunes.

"IS THAT?!"

"OH CACK, IT'S THE GUILD! GET THE FOREMAN!"

Nivanee snapped her head to the side, a shadow ball FLYING toward a dune, a BLAST of sand SHOOTING from the impact!

"GET THEM!"

"As ever." Loshjno muttered to himself with a chuckle, putting himself in a lax battle pose as everyone else got at the ready.

"...You got a gift from the divine or something?" Avery said with an uneasy chuckle, turning to prepare for any attacks.

The fact that this was a desert...they'd need to get creative. Avery knew his lightning attacks wouldn't work well against most of who they were going up against, if that motley crew from before was any indication.

"What's the visual?!" Avery yelled. "Eyes on the sand, there might be burrowers!"

Nivanee RUSHED forward.

"There!"

Just as Avery predicted! Mounds of sand RUSHED towards them! Two...no three! Closing in FAST!

Vizon shot aura spheres to the mounds!

One! Two! Struck the sand!

A cloud kicked up. The mounds TORE through the clouds, FASTER.

Rikzyod and Jolvia held their ground firmly. Loshjno hummed, puffing his cheeks.

The Squirtle let loose a TORRENT of water. STEAM flooded the dunes as the water hit the blazing hot sand. He pumped more and more onto the dune, making the sand soggier. Soggier!

A rushing digging mound HIT the patch of soggy sand! A muffled YELP coming from below!

"Nice, Losh!" Avery called, building his electricity.

"WATCH OUT!"

Two sandshrews ROCKETED out of the sand. Vizon was STRUCK! He flew back into Nivanee who tried to get away but was hit from behind!

Over the hill!

Two helioptile were SCURRYING toward the group rapidly, ear flaps fluttering and sparking.

A roar.

A BLAZE of heat!

A grand FIREBALL erupted on the ground! A CIRCLE of flamed surrounded the group as Lahnae laid down a ring of fire! The heat was INTENSE. PULSATING. The helioptiles cried out! Backpedaled immediately from the WALL of fire!

Avery looked at Lahnae in amazement. He didn't even have words. This was impressive.

"Be ready-!" Avery shouted, squaring himself. "They might try digging to get underneath it again."

The flames SUBSIDED, a ring of glass now surrounded the group. Lahnae readied her stance.

Over the hill Avery could see a Buizel, looming over the battle, slowly approaching, trudging in the sand.

The Helioptiles circled the group threateningly as the Sandshrews BURROWED in the sand.

"AHA! No you don't!" Rikzyod shouted with a PUNCH into the ground!

"ARCEUS ABOVE!"

With a ROAR and a CLOUD OF SAND, the Geodude TORE a Sandshrew from the ground, SLAMMING him onto the glass ring, CRACKING it.

Another section of the glass ring CRACKED as the other burrowing Sandshrew ran into it. The third Sandshrew emerged from the soggy sand, spluttering, shaking muddy sand from his body.

"FAN OUT! FAN OUT!" Nivanee yelled, bounding over the glass ring. Lahnae split off from the group, followed by Jolvia. Loshjno stayed, firing another watergun at the already wet sandshrew KNOCKING him over!

The Helioptiles saw the group spreading, RUSHING IN. A thick haze surrounded the battle as more and more sand was kicked up.

Avery could hear it. More yelling, over the next hill! They all no doubt knew they were here.

A fireball ROCKETED past Avery, glassing another mound of sand by a Helioptile, the BLAST of heat knocking the lizard aside!

"AVERY!" He heard Vizon yell. "Cubone! Right behind you!"

Avery quickly whirling around, rubbing his paws together.

'One spark-'

The jolt of electricity IGNITED! Flashbanged! ERUPTED from Avery's paws as he dove! The bone club STRUCK the Plusle's shoulder but no more.

"Jolvia, on your left!"

"Hah!"

Jolvia spun, tripping the Sandshrew. A flurry of quick punches pulverized the Sandshrew, one final CRACK on its chest sending him tumbling into the sand.

"Thank you!"

'They're like flies! How many of them are there?!'

Avery rushed the Cubone in front of him, shrugging off the pain. The Cubone swung wide! Avery ducked, lunged, and SLAMMED into the Cubone's stomach! The Poke'mon GASPED, dropping the club. It stumbled back, dropping down into the sand.

An aura ball flew past Avery, STRIKING a fourth Sandshrew!

Nivanee and Lahnae darted forward together, the Eevee, pushing her tail at Lahnae's back and SWIPING her forward. The Torchic ROCKETED towards the 2nd Helioptile, flames ERUPTING around her body! A Poke'cannonball!

An EXPLOSION of flame and sand ERUPTED at Avery's side. The power was INCREDIBLE. Was this really the extent of Lahnae's strength?!

Lahnae SHOT UP from the cloud, landing back with the group, hardly winded. A Magneton and 3 Trapinch hurried towards them.

But they looked very worried facing against the guild that stood before them.

There was a lot of them but...compared to everything else? This was actually...pretty easy!

The synergy between Azure and Spade was clear. Watching Rikzyod and Jolvia combined their rock throw and poison needle attacks, watching Lahnae and Loshjno use steam to deftly move from position to position. Vizon and Nivanee back-to-back, laying down a hail fire of shadow balls and aura spheres.

Even as more and more Poke'mon ran over the dunes, one by one they each were knocked aside, SLAMMING into the sand.

Avery was relishing in this. In every mission he'd been in so far, he'd either felt out of his depth, or out of sync. He'd either felt too new to the work, or too new with the people he was with.

But here...it felt almost natural. Everyone was working together, even Loshjno was doing amazing work...! He didn't know why the Squirtle was so pessimistic about this, it was clear that both he and Lahnae were incredibly skilled!

"We've got to push forward!" Avery called through the others, backing up to press up against Vizon. "I don't know if there's an end to these guys, but they're not our target! We've gotta get them out of the ruins and find our quarry!"

Everyone nodded, Nivanee firing off one last shadow ball, knocking over a group of Sandshrew.

"Teams! Advance!" The Eevee called, keeping her back to Vizon as she moved towards another flag in the distance. Jolvia grabbed a Cubone, SLAMMING him in the ground and knocking him out with one STRIKE to the face. Rikzyod and Lahnae advanced together, the Geodude sending out a volley of pebbles through Lahnae's flamethrower, PEPPERING the dunes in flaming rocks.

"RETREAT! GET OUT OF HERE!" A Sandslash screamed in a panic. The Helioptiles yelped, turning tail and darting off back toward the ruins.

"OH NUTS TO THIS, THIS AIN'T WORTH THE PAY!" Several Poke'mon abandoned altogether, running off into the dunes. Lahnae stamped her foot.

"We'll BE BACK FOR YOU LATER, BAD GUYS!" She called out, her voice booming as they all quickened their advance across the desert.

The shouting, panicking voices that surrounded the group got fainter as more and more Poke'mon ran toward the valley just ahead. A glint over the next hill shimmered with blinding light. Something shiny stuck out of the horizon of sand.

All around, they saw more and more stone blocks, adorned with a moon, a star and a sun on each side. They were stacked or sometimes laid across the sand. Loose bricks, the occasional pathway dug up from the sand, the crunch of the sand replaced with the clomp of stone.

Then, it happened.

The panicked screams...got louder.

"WHO'RE YOU?!"

"WHAT NOW?!"

"ARCEUS ABOVE WHAT IS HAPPENING?!"

The voices weren't addressing the guild members as they entered. Nivanee furrowed her brow, their group advancing towards the last flag, seeing more and more of the dug up ruins spread before them.

"...Do you hear that...?" Avery mumbled, moving a little closer to Vizon. "...Viz, those yells. Those...those aren't normal. That's not about us, that's..."

'Uh oh.'

"Stay on guard!" The Plusle commanded.

The group crested the hill. What they saw was breathtaking.

Across the rolling dunes were buildings. White stone blinded the group, adorned with shining gold domed rooftops. Many buildings looked crumbling, but others still looked fresh enough to live in. And there, across it all, a grand structure shimmered in the burning sun.

Before them sat a plaza of white stone, a massive sun symbol adorning the expansive area. Treasure guild tents were placed here.

And that's where the worrying part was seen.

The tents were ripped. Tables were smashed and flipped. Maps and gold and chests and beds lay scattered and dismantled and ruined, the operation here smoldering, torn to shreds. Fires billowed smoke, embers fluttering in the desert wind.

And they could hear yelling.

Poke'mon ran to and fro, disorganized, many gathering whatever they could, trying to run over the dunes, out of the plaza. These weren't fighters. These weak Poke'mon were proper treasure guild members. Many of them ran deeper into the uncovered city, into a building half-submerged in the sand, screaming for the Foreman.

And there, in the center of the plaza, the guild saw a Sandslash thrown asunder by a VOLLEY of razor leaves slicing the air.

A Snivy stepped into view, a Starly fluttering over his head.

Around them, a sizeable team of cloaked poke'mon ran into view, striking at the treasure guild and their hired thugs.

That's when they saw it. Nivanee's breath caught in her throat.

Glistening on the heads of every Poke'mon in this group of interlopers:

Golden Schism Sigils.

The Thieves Guild was here.

"There's the surprise." Avery could hear Loshjno sigh with a chuckle.

"...Ssssshit," Avery whispered, clenching his fists. He turned to Loshjno again, registering his words.

'Had he known? How on earth could he have known...? Unless...

...He's just used to the pattern.'

"...Okay," Avery mumbled. "Everyone sees the symbols they're wearing, right? The Schism Sigil. It seems like they're driving the Treasure Guild out, but...I think this might be more a devil we know versus devil we don't. What's our verdict? What do we do?"

"TAKE EM ALL DOWN!" Lahnae shouted without hesitation.

The Snivy slowly turned his head toward the guildmates at the top of the hill, squinting his eyes harshly at them.

"I'd not normally agree but..." Nivanee looked back at Avery, her face serious. "You know why they're here. We have no time to waste."

Vizon grit his teeth, sweating. Rikzyod cracked his knuckles, awaiting the word. Jolvia only stared, slowly getting ready to fight, nodding.

The Snivy eyed their group a long time. He looked up, saying something to the Starly above, then turning and BOLTING toward the entryway to the large building, the Starly following as the hooded Poke'mon mopped up the rest of the treasure guild, the stragglers making their way into the large building.

"...Alright," Avery said with a nod. His arm still hurt from that impact with the Cubone. It was...frustrating to Avery how easily he could go down sometimes. "...Once over. Anyone injured? Everyone ready to go?"

Every gave a nod in affirmation, one that Avery returned.

"Let's go." The Plusle commanded. "That large building's where they're funneling in. Point of interest. There first!"

"AYE."

With a shout the group RUSHED forward into the plaza, their steps thundering over the stone.

Immediately Rikzyod opened his arms to GRAPPLE a cloaked Poke'mon, SLAMMING the Charmander into the ground. Vizon jumped, spinning and STRIKING his fist into a Simisear!

"Ah! Guild! It's the guild!"

"Me homfe i essoweve! Evvipboupi!"

The other cloaked Poke'mon jumped, spinning around and readying themselves, black cloaks billowing in the wind.

"Team Isce's in the chamber! Just hold 'em off!" A cloaked Poke'mon yelled. The Charmander and Simisear scrambled away from Vizon and Rikzyod. No one-hit KO's, these poke'mon were MUCH tougher.

"GET READY! BREAK THROUGH THEM!" Lahnae yelled!

"SURROUND!" Nivanee bellowed, the group fanning.

"...Team Isce," Avery mumbled, steeling himself. "Alright, everyone, take 'em down!"

Two bolts formed in the Plusle's hands. He rushed one of the hooded figures, jumped up into a front flip, JAMMED the electrical volts into them!

The hooded Poke'mon JOLTED, THROWN forward by the FORCE of the javelins! Cloak SMOKING.

"OH!"

"KULAE!"

Avery's paws slammed on the ground behind the hooded Poke'mon, panting.

"Cut 'em off!" Avery shouted, backing off. "Don't let anyone out or in!"

The other cloaked Poke'mon spun, SLAMMING into Avery's teammates, one of them forcing Jolvia down. A cheap shot STRUCK across Nivanee as she tried to break through.

"Loshjno! Water!" Lahnae yelled. Loshjno hummed, putting down a large puddle of water at Lahnae's feet, the liquid pooling around her.

Lahnae TENSED. Her body EXPLODED with heat, a MASS of steam SHOOTING UP from the puddle, ROCKETING her forward! SLAMMING into a cloaked Poke'mon! The thieves guild Poke'mon screamed as they FLEW back and CRATERED into a wall, chipping the white stone.

To Avery's side, Rikzyod sparred two cloaked Poke'mon, trading punches. The thieves guild Poke'mon batted and blocked his strikes, no matter how fast they were. Rikzyod ROARED with laugher as every punch was parried. One of the Poke'mon ducked under a punch SLAMMING their fist into Rikzyod's jaw, sending the Geodude FLYING into the air.

Working together, one cloaked Poke'mon grabbed the other, spinning, THROWING them into the air to forward flip and STRIKE their fists into the Geodude! Rikzyod STREAKED into the ground, CRATERING with an EXPLOSION of debris and dust, stone pebbles clattering around the group's feet.

"Rik!" Vizon yelled, desperately dodging psychic beams from a Kadabra. Nivanee tried to hit the psychic Poke'mon with a shadow ball but was HIT from the side, the shadow ball flying wide and CRASHING into a stone wall, toppling it. Dust CASCADED over the plaza.

It was getting harder to see! Their team couldn't break through! These Poke'mon were on a totally different level to the Treasure Guild mooks!

'Shoot. Shoot, things are getting incredibly out of hand...! If we were working with teamwork, so are they...!'

Avery knew he had to remain aware of what was happening around him... But-

"Don't underestimate them!" Avery yelled, circling the battlefield quickly, peppering the action with bolts of electricity. "Watch what they do and counteract!"

He turned... And thought.

"Losh!" Avery called, whipping his head toward the Squirtle. "Try and soak their cloaks if you can! I've got an idea-!"

Loshjno heard Avery, laughing, a knowing look in his eye. He knew the Plusle's plan exactly.

Unfortunately, so did the Thieves Guild.

"OI! COORDINATE!"

"AYE"

"TARGET 1, PLUSEL."

"AYE AYE"

A Buizel backed off, protected by a Bulbasaur, a Pidgey following the water Poke'mon.

Loshjno readied a watergun, scanning the arena.

The other Poke'mon suppressed Vizon and Nivanee, Rikzyod barely able to recover and Jolvia tried to help him.

The Buizel went for a mound of sand, firing a watergun at the mound, getting it wet and soggy. The Pidgey readied behind him as he began flinging soggy...MUDDY SAND in the air, the Pidgey using gust to fling the mud toward Avery!

The Plusle barely had time to dodge, quick reflexes were all that separated him from being KO'd. He let out a cry of pain from the mud, sapping some of the electrical energy from him.

Avery felt grounded, and shook himself to get some of the mud off.

Loshjno turned his head and FIRED a TORRENT of water at the Simisear. The Simisear saw it coming, returning with a BLAZING HOT flamethrower. The two streams CONVERGED, a BRILLAINT cloud of steam BILLOWING into the air.

'What is he doing?!'

"Loshjno!" Lahnae called as the Squirtle was now tied up with the Simisear. A Stanler SLAMMED into Torchic, knocking her over in her brief distraction!

'Alright, I'll have to improvise. Both teams are working together. We've met a fine match. But we can still push through...!'

Avery steeled himself, pulling a bolt out. It was weaker, from the ground attack that had hit him...but it didn't need to be that strong. Not for what he was planning. No matter what, Avery knew he had to trust that his team could handle themselves...while he watched the Buizel.

Waiting for his moment. Waiting for a stream to exit his mouth. The perfect conductor.

"WATCH IT!"

The Buizel perked up, just as he opened his mouth, a STREAM exiting his mouth. He didn't even have time to look surprised.

A hot WAVE of fire SHOT behind Avery as Loshjno finally released his watergun, a MASSIVE CLOUD of steam looming overhead, shading the battlefield.

The Squirtle backpedaled, the Simisear caught off-guard by the sudden lack of resistance, stumbling.

Loshjno looked up, eyes twinkling, opening his mouth.

And let loose a POWERFUL ice beam. It SHOT up into the cloud, STRIKING it. The cloud shifted and SWIRLED and CONTRACTED.

Drip.

Drip.

Droplets fell. Harder. Harder, more and more.

A SURGE of water came POURING down as all the water from the cloud CONDENSED at once, SPILLING over the entire party of Poke'mon.

Lahnae gasped, ROARING a flamethrower in the center of the circle of guildmates, WARDING away the water from their group as she watched Avery arc with energy.

"WHAT"

"OH NO, RUN! RUN! RUN!"

"BURY IN THE SAND! OI! OI!"

The Thieves Guild Poke'mon were SOAKED, Lahnae's flamethrower keeping Azure and Spade team dry.

A perfect storm.

A perfect powder keg.

And Avery held the spark.

"...Ohhh ho ho ho, amazing work-" the Plusle laughed...

Six bolts, like daggers, formed in his hands. Unstable. Bursting with voltage!

He swung, bolts shooting up, into the cloud then rocketing down! Lightning CRACKLED through water, striking each soaked Poke'mon members in a BLINDING STRIKE!

The deafening CRACK of thunder blew across the desert! Rattled the sands!

"Strike now!"

The enemy was JOLTED, STUNNED, SMOKING.

The teams FLEW from the tight circle!

ONE.

Vizon SLAMMED into the Bulbasaur.

TWO.

Nivanee CUT through the Kadabra!

THREE.

Lahnae BARRELED into the Buizel!

FOUR.

Rikzyod ROCKETED into the Pidgey!

FIVE.

Jolvia TOOK DOWN the Simisear!

SIX.

Loshjno fired another ice beam at a Machop.

The Poke'mon all FLEW back, SLAMMING and TUMBLING on the stone, battered and beat down, staggering to get up. Only the Buizel and the Machop managed to stand, heaving, looking in terror at the fallen Poke'mon.

"Arrceus above..."

"Gepdamu raitvu, gepdamu raitvu, dusso! Dusso! WOE! WOE! WOE!"

The Buizel grit his teeth, the Machop scrambling back toward the building.

"NO!" The Buizel roared, trying to lunge, only to be pulled back by the Machop. The struggling water type had a frenzied look in his eye as his ally dragged him away. "PUP VUDDESMO DEBBU! WEGGEPDAMU! VO ADDOFISU, NO TIPVO?!"

The two disappeared into the building, the Buizel's shouts echoing from within as the they ran.

Avery was left panting as they watched. They'd won the skirmish. They'd all won the skirmish, they were in sync! This was going well! This was going really well!

'...Too well.'

"...You guys saw the look in their eyes, right...?" Avery asked, looking at the others as he rubbed at his sore spots from the attacks he'd taken. While they'd won, it was nowhere near a clean victory. "...does anyone here speak Illaminian...? Does anyone know what they're saying? Something...something feels off about all of this..."

Vizon looked up at Avery, tapping his badge on the knocked out Thieves Guild members, vanishing them away in a flash of light. He and Nivanee shook their head, Lahnae coming up to the Plusle.

"I only caught a bit of it but..." Lahnae stuck out her tongue. "It was mostly cuss words."

Loshjno chuckled, folding his arms and shaking his head.

"Well..." Vizon panted, wiping his head. "It got a little more tough than we thought it was going to but...hey! We still made it out okay. I guess it couldn't all be a cakewalk right?"

"No..." Loshjno said, a wide smile on his face. "And, as ever, I suspect it still won't be."

"What do you mean...?" Vizon huffed, hands on his knees as he caught his breath.

"Eh, what else? That's hardly the worst that could happen." Loshjno shrugged nonchalantly. "We're sure to find the upper limit soon enough."

"What's that supposed to mean...?" Vizon asked, straightening up, squinting at the Squirtle. Loshjno said nothing at first, hardly flinching at the glare.

"Well...why don't we go on ahead and find out?" Loshjno said, straightening as well. "It's just like I always say, don't get your hopes too high and just try to have fun."

"F...fun?! Whatdyamean 'fun'?" Vizon snapped, Lahnae glaring at the Riolu. "This...! I mean we're doing good but we're trying our best here to get this done!"

"Oh I'm sure, I'm sure." Loshjno said, glancing at Lahnae. The Torchic panted, exhausted, but refusing to back down. "But being so serious about it won't do any good. We're all working so hard already, after all, and anything can happen. Just...measured expectations, as always."

Lahnae stared at Loshjno...her face seemed contemplative.

Almost...sad.

But she shook her head, the look vanishing immediately.

"Well!" She blurted, as though to banish whatever it was she had been thinking. "NO TIME TO LOSE! LET'S GET THE LIGHTNING PEARL FROM THOSE THIEVES GUILD CREEPS! MISSION NEARLY ACCOMPLISHED, GUYS!"

Vizon frowned briefly at Loshjno...but smiled to Lahnae.

"YEAH!" The Riolu cheered.

Avery glanced at Loshjno as well. He...knew where the Squirtle was coming from.

'Tempered expectations. Sometimes our best isn't enough.

But sometimes, it is. Sometimes, it has to be.'

"Quick freshen up," Avery said, opening up his bag to distribute a few of the oran berries. Nobody was grievously hurt, it seemed, so he was able to split them up so they went further with less. "Everyone alright? We shouldn't go into an enclosed space like that until we're completely ready - but...y'know. Time's of the essence, too, so speak now or forever hold your pain...!"

Everyone took an oran berry, fully healing their fatigue. Vizon slapped his cheeks, psyching himself back up, Lahnae giving a few kicks to feel out her regained strength.

"All good here, Avery." Nivanee said rolling her neck. "Jolvia you good?"

The Nidorina was quiet, only silently eating an oran berry, looking back. Rikzyod grunted, slapping her on the back to urge her forward, jolting the Nidorina back to reality.

"Hm. Yes. I didn't take much damage." She admitted, stepping forward. Her voice seemed a little curt but otherwise normal.

Loshjno and Nivanee approached the doorway leading down into the dark tunnels. Down there, Thieves guild, Treasure Guild and 'Team Isce' were no doubt gathered. Nivanee nodded her head to Avery, letting him take the front this time.

"Ready when you are, Avery..." Nivanee said behind him.

"...Alright," Avery said, clenching his fists with renewed vigor. "We'll go in a few at a time, so we can keep an eye on our flanks. We don't know what's in there, but we know it's a lot of other guild members, so we have to keep a lookout. Keep property damage to an absolute minimum - sorry, Rikzyod, that means...minimal megaton slams."

Rikzyod huffed, rolling his eyes...but nodded, filing in by Vizon's side.

With that, the group filtered in, going two-by-two down the corridor. Avery hung back for a moment, near Jolvia.

'Something is wrong here. I know that. And if anyone else has that sort of feeling...I have a feeling it might be her.'

"...What's your read on this?" Avery said quietly to the Nidorina, moving into the cool of the building. Jolvia flicked her ear but kept her eyes forward. "...How do you feel...? Everyone...everyone here is on edge. Including the other guilds. That's not just me, right...?"

Jolvia looked to Avery, stepping into the cold air of the ruins with him.

"How do I feel..." Jolvia's voice was thoughtful, as though she was forming an answer. "The way I see it, the Treasure Guild doesn't know anything. They think the pearl is just some sparkly knick-knack that'll fetch a high price. These thieves guild members...seem bent on getting the pearl, so I imagine they're working for...him."

Jolvia adjusted her glasses, her eyes kept forward, her face...stoic.

"If I recall...wasn't it said the map of the birds that the cartographer was working on also contained notes on traps and security measures? And how to avoid them?"

She looked at Avery seriously, brow furrowed.

"That's information we are sorely lacking. But the thieves guild Poke'mon clearly know what we don't."

"...They wouldn't be dumb enough to give Team Isce the map," Avery mumbled, remembering that part of what the map was supposed to contain. "So they probably just have a copy of instructions. Still, that's...really dangerous, especially for anyone who isn't aware of the traps-"

Avery sighed deeply, thinking hard.

"The way that things are going...with them knowing how to circumvent them, and us flying blind, they'd definitely get to the pearl before we will," he mumbled, furrowing his brow. "Unless we figure some other way around, or otherwise intercept them on the way out."

Ahead Avery could hear Loshjno...hum. A knowing hum. Avery had a feeling the Squirtle could hear them as they spoke. The Nidrorina frowned.

"And him..." Jolvia muttered quietly, staring at Loshjno's back, quiet enough so he'd not hear. "...he's sandbagging."

A cold wind blew through the echoing, dark corridor.

"...I don't know if he's doing it on purpose," Avery whispered back, just barely above silence. "...I think...he's just prepared to fail, you know...?"

A pause.

"...You don't...mean on purpose...do you...?"

"It's a hunch but..." Jolvia paused. "I've been watching him. Out of curiosity..."

She huffed.

"He's pulling his punches. He's smart enough for two Nivanees. He seems...very perceptive, amazingly so." Jolvia's red eyes flicked toward Avery. "But he's not using a bit of it. He should be leading right now, the enemy wouldn't even get a chance to strike, let alone get so many hits on us. You see how insanely powerful his partner is..."

She was quiet a moment, glancing at him.

"No...he's not giving his all. Not even half. He's sticking to what he's told to do and letting others take hits he could easily see coming and call out..." Jolvia stared hard at the Squirtle. "That guy...he could probably think of 100 different ways to easily clinch this mission but he's just...not bothering."

She leaned in closer, ever closer.

"If I didn't know better..." Jolvia continued. "it's like he's making the Torchic do all the heavy lifting...the poor girl doesn't have brains or perception like he does, she's...floundering. Doing well with these simple enemies but she's running up against a wall very quickly."

"..."

Avery thought about it. It did match up with how Loshjno had acted so far. The thing with the raincloud, with Lahnae. His knowing looks. The amused glances, the smiles.

'But...why?'

"...It's funny," Avery mumbled. "...Part of me wants to say he's clairvoyant. But...he and Lahnae passed the test to get into the guild, even..."

He bit his lip.

"Even at a young age." Avery said at last, much as it made his stomach turn. "So if he's so good...what's the story with the past three years...?"

Avery furrowed his brow. It was a rhetorical question. He didn't expect Jolvia to know the answer, but...something was off. Something about this whole damn mission was off.

"Hm..." Jolvia hummed thoughtfully, furrowing her brow. "...strange of all pearls the Thieves' Guild is going for this one now."

She was quiet, then sighed, pushing up her glasses.

"Let's just stay alert and get this Pearl." She said finally. "That'll cut off the legs of Xamao's plan. Even missing a single pearl means his whole plan is shot, you can't summon the birds without all three."

Avery was silent at that. It was strange that this was Xamao's first target. Loshjno's behavior was strange. Even Jolvia herself...secrets, so many secrets. Always with the secrets.

Jolvia straightened, the group passing lit torches, the sound of voices echoing from deeper within the dark ruins. Vizon and Rikzyod took torches from the wall, the Riolu handing one to Avery. Ahead, they could see the corridor opening up into a larger chamber.

An eerie blue glow shone from strange torches surrounding a massive alter. A dim yellow light shone upon the walls, gently flickering and fluttering light upon the stone like the reflection of water ripples.

They could see it: a faint glimmer in the blue light.

The Lightning Pearl.

"Shh..." Nivanee hushed, crouching a little. "Look..."

A shadow passed in front of the Lightning Pearl.

"No...! No no no, not one more step, now...!"

Avery recognized that voice...the Sneasel foreman they'd seen back at Qease'. Looking down around the chamber he could see Poke'mon, Thieves Guild and Treasure Guild, knocked out cold, littering the stone floor.

Squinting, Avery could see something else. The Sneasel foreman stood by the Lightning Pearl, threateningly holding a very large blast seed. Halfway up the stairs to the pearl, the hooded Snivy and Starly from before stood, shouting up at the foreman.

"Ok, I know what you think you're doing but you really have no idea how dangerous what you're doing actually is." The Snivy said.

"Aww, Arrceus, we're dead meat. End of the line!" The Starly squawked. The Snivy nudged him, hissing.

"That pearl's you threaten is not just some bauble." The Snivy called again. "If you so much as bump it-"

"Oh yeah? You think that's gunna work on me?" The Sneasel huffed, holding the blast seed dangerously close to the pearl. The Snivy and Starly screeched in panic at the sudden move, the Sneasel faltering at the reaction. "Q-quit screwing with me! Just get out of here, you hear me?! I'm not giving this up for nothing. I-I'll bury us before I screw up another dig!"

"Foreman, you speak so boldly...but are you really prepared to die for a bit of treasure?" The Snivy asked.

The Sneasel squirmed, getting closer to the pearl, threatening it. Despite the cool words, the Snivy panicked again.

"No, I don't mean like that!" The Snivy shouted. "I'm not going to kill you for it, moron!"

"Shoot-" Avery hissed under his breath, his heart dropping out of his chest.

'This...This could be bad. This could be really bad.'

I looked to the others for a moment.

"Okay... Listen," Avery said, looking at the rest of the team. "... This is, as far as we're concerned, a hostage situation. If that blast seed goes off we're all goners. The Sneasel's stressed. We have to be careful about how we approach this."

"So...wait, we're all the hostages?" Vizon hissed, worriedly...almost sounding indignant.

"We are, Thieves Guild included..." Nivanee replied. "I don't know what information they've gathered from that map they stole but...they're terrified of the Pearl."

Jolvia's eyes scanned the chamber, urging Vizon and Rikzyod over as the foreman looked up.

"WHO'RE THEY!?" The foreman yelled, her voice echoing over the chamber. The Snivy and Starly whipped their heads around, hissing at the sight.

"How did they-?!"

"Oh man, we're done for...I can't believe I finally get out into a mission just to get immediately bagged!" The Starly whined, the Snivy hushed his companion and looked back up at the Sneasel to answer her.

"That, foreman, is the guild of Arceliaze." The Snivy said, taking a step up the stairs, gesturing up at the guildmates at the chamber's entrance. The foreman recoiled. "So now it's up to you: time in dungeon Arceali or handing over that pearl and letting us get you out of here."

"Nobody take a step closer!" The foreman shouted back, her face twisted in worry. Vizon glanced back at Avery.

Worryingly, Lahnae was sneering very harshly at the situation...too quiet. Loshjno lagged behind, just watching.

'Shit-'

"No use hiding..." Avery mumbled.

'What's the way forward here...?'

He could hear his pulse roaring in his ears.

'What is the way forward...?'

"Don't make threats on our behalf," Avery called with an echo, shooting a look down at the Snivy. "We aren't some stick you can use to bludgeon someone into doing what you want."

Avery had never been in a situation like this before. He had a sinking, awful feeling that these ruins might be coming down whatever they do.

...Loshjno's foreboding words echoed in his ears.

"Ah, it's not I that bludgeons!" The Snivy shouted back towards Avery and the other guild members. "If anything I'm shielding our friend the foreman from the bludgeon that managed to take out a whole squad of trained fighters."

The Snivy glanced back at the foreman who was looking increasingly worried.

"Foreman! We're on official business from the conduit Arceali to retrieve that Lightning Pearl!" Nivanee shouted back, her professional voice roaring. The Snivy hissed. "If you stand down and relinquish the pearl to us we can pardon your illegal digging here as an act in favor to Conduicy goals!"

The foreman glanced down at the cringing Snivy, the grass Poke'mon flustered.

That was a checkmate.

Was.

"AS IF!"

Lahnae's voice ROARED over the the chamber, BURSTING heat over the group.

The foreman jumped, fumbling with the blast seed! The Snivy and Starly screamed in TERROR! Vizon GASPED!

The Sneasel shot her hands out, catching the blast seed. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. The Snivy and Starly were sweating, hyperventilating. The foreman grunted.

"After everything they've done to the Qease' Poke'mon!? WE ARE NOT CAPITULATING TO THUGS AND BULLIES!" Lahnae yelled. Loshjno smiled, folding his arms at the display.

"Lahnae-!" Avery yelled, staring at her, aghast.

Nivanee shot Lahnae a dirty look but the Torchic hardly flinched.

'I...I get where she's coming from. These ruins are important to the Qeasé Poke'mon, and this foreman is responsible to a lot of damage to it.'

"We don't want the rest of the ruins coming down on our heads too-!" Avery hissed quietly. "I'm mad too, but if we aggravate her too much she might hurt these ruins even more-!"

"Hah! You see now...foreman...?" The Snivy capitalized on the opening immediately, even as he tried to catch his breath from the panic. "Law Poke'mon will say anything to get you to walk into a cell yourself."

"I-If both the Thieves' Guild and the Conduicy wants this trinket..." The foreman said, taking a step around the pedestal. "...then it must be something important...maybe even something..."

She paused.

Everyone held their breath.

"...powerful."

Avery looked back at him.

'That...that isn't a good look. From what I know about the Treasure Guild they want money above all else.

...but the way he just said that...really worries me.'

Avery paused a moment, tilting his head back towards his team behind him, whispering as he kept eye contact with the foreman.

"...the real danger is if someone has..." He held up three fingers to his team behind his back, signifying 'three pearls'. "... Right? These things can't do anything with only just one..."

Avery didn't look away from the foreman. The blast seed. The pearl.

"... Right...?"

"That's true for the...'summoning'..." Nivanee whispered. "...individually? I don't know..."

The Sneasel made a move, making Avery's heart jump. Her clawed hand lifted toward the pearl.

"Foreman...!" The Snivy shouted, taking a step forward. "Foreman stop! Don't take that...!"

"Why? Are you scared I'll use its power on you?!" The foreman huffed, smiling smugly. "Maybe I should do just...THAT."

The foreman THREW the blast seed at the Snivy! The grass type DOVE, wrapping his vines around the Starly to pull him clear!

An explosion ROCKED the ruins!

Everyone swayed, falling over! Rocks and dust FELL from the ceiling, clattering to stone!

"THAT'S IT!" Avery heard Lahnae yell, the torchic on her feet at once. "THAT FOREMAN'S GUNNA GET IT!"

"NO!" The Snivy shouted up at the foreman, the Starly squawking in panic.

Avery looked to the Snivy for just a moment, before his eyes went up to the ruins.

"Look!" Avery shouted down, making the Snivy look back. "I know we're after the Pearl or whatever but none of us will have it if we're all trapped in rubble forever. I-"

Avery turned.

Lahnae was already running.

"LAHNAE WAIT-!" He shouted, losing control of the situation. "SHIT-"

Avery gasped, looking up at the crumbling, cracking ceiling.

"O-okay!" Avery shouted. "Pearl or not we need to get everyone out of here before someone gets hurt!"

There was a chuckle. Over the crumbling, shuddering and shouting...Avery heard a chuckle.

"You sure we can do that, Avery?" The Plusel heard Loshjno chuckle..chuckle so calmly, even as the everything crumbled around them. Just as he spoke a powerful CRACK and CRUMBLE roared from the entrance! The tunnel caved in, a billow of dust BLASTING behind the Squirtle.

They were all trapped.

And Loshjno...still had a calm smile on his face, barely seen through whipping, swirling dust.

As if none of this mattered.

Vizon's face twisted in confusion at the Squirtle. Angered. But he left it, turning back to Avery.

"We gotta make a way out! The ceiling?!"

"It's solid gold we'd need..." Nivanee stopped herself, looking over. "LAHNAE! LAHNAE WE NEED THE ROOF MELTED! LAHNAE!"

The Torchic barreled forward, followed by a laughing Rikzyod. Jolvia was flabbergasted at the Geodude's abandon, the woman running after him.

"CALLADIN, HOLD ON!" The Snivy shouted, holding his Starly partner close as rocks tumbled down from above.

And there in the chaos.

A light.

A bright blinding shining light.

"OOOOH YEAH, BABY, I'M FEELIN' NOW!" The foreman's voice roared from the altar.

There, Avery could see her...holding the Lightning Pearl.

The orb SHONE brightly, crackling with power that seemed to disperse the dust around her feet, a wicked smile spread across the sneasel's face.

Vizon looked in horror. Nivanee gasped. The Snivy looked up at the shining pearl in utter terror.

The ground quaked.

And EXPLOSION of energy knocked back the charging Lahane and Rikzyod, the Poke'mon thrown to the ground.

"OOhhh boy..." The foreman looked unsure for a moment as the power intensified. "Okay maybe this...wait...ohhh no..."

She shut her eyes, the pearl CRACKLING again.

"Alright alright, no, I got this! YEAH, BABY!" The foreman's smile returned as she held the pearl aloft, looking down at the Poke'mon that surrounded the altar. "WELCOME TO PULRA'S WORLD, SUCKERS! I'M THE ONE RUNNIN' THIS SHOW, NOW!"

The foreman, Pulra, laughed maniacally as a GUST OF SMOKE BILLOWED UP FROM THE PEARL, FILLING THE CEILING LIKE A GRAND STORM CLOUD.

[security triggered. hardlight projections online.]

Avery clenched his fists, and ran out into the opening. Lahnae and Rikzyod were already out in action.

Loshjno was...

...he couldn't worry about Loshjno right now.

"We can't get out yet!" Avery said quickly. "We have to make sure everyone makes it out of here okay...!"

Vizon looked to Avery, then the Snivy...and nodded firmly. He ran up to Avery, taking his place by his captain's side.

"HEROES NEVER QUIT." Vizon shouted. Lahnae and Rikzyod scrambled up, trying to approach the foreman as waves of billowing energy cascaded out.

Avery turned to the Snivy and Starly. They were...We were enemies. Sure. But...he didn't want to leave them behind either. Call it a sense of justice, but... Pearl or no pearl Avery knew he couldn't leave someone in these ruins.

"Did you know about this-?!" Avery called to the hooded Poke'mon, gesturing towards the foreman and the Pearl.

"Arceus above YES we knew about this!" The Snivy yelled back, his face twisted in anger. "We were trying to explain to that crazed woman this would happen!"

"What would happen?" Nivanee called. "That she could get some ultimate power from these pearls?"

"Hardly!" The Snivy spat. The black hood he wore obscured his eyes as he spoke to them, though his Starly partner wore no such vestments. "That cloud's not ultimate power! Look close!"

Everyone craned their necks up, Vizon furrowing his brow.

The cloud that hung overhead crackled, like a thundercloud. The thick clouds rolled and writhed into one another, like a living organism.

Something moved.

A shadow moved betwixt the clouds.

Nivanee stepped back. Lahnae held her ground.

Like a shark just below the water's surface, something massive slowly stirred from within the clouds of lightning.

The clouds fell, billowing around! The Snivy clenched his teeth, looking up, pulling his Starly friend close.

A grand shadow rosefrom the mass of clouds, hard to see in the dark room as the blue torches blew out in the rushing wind. But a single CLAP of thunder and STREAK of lightning roared out!

"It summons...him." The Snivy said, voice low.

"...oh this is so far beyond my pay grade-" Avery wheezed.

Everyone stared up, wide-eyed.

"Okay... Okay, okay, l-look!" Avery looked to the pair of Thieves Guild Poke'mon. "I know our guilds are feuding and all but we can't feud if we're dead...! We focus on getting everyone out of here alive and figure things out from there. Right?"

"Why don't you tell that to my team, huh?!" The Snivy spat. The Starly looked worried. "Where'd they all go?"

"Hey, uhh, Q?" The Starly said. "I don't think this is the best time to be-"

"Or are they already carted off the prison Arceali you-"

"Uhm! Another time, Q, please?!" The Starly squawked, the Snivy whipping his head back up at the looming behemoth in the clouds as it towered over all in the chamber.

Avery was about to shoot back a scathing reply, but-

...he imagined the inverse. If the Thieves Guild had beaten his own team, and he had to watch his team being taken away...that thought sent a shiver down his spine.

"Look, we... See this is what we need to put aside-"

A JOLT of power interrupted him, making the Plusel stumble forward.

They could see a RUSH of energy blow Lahane and Rikzyod back once again. The clouds swirled and cascaded as though they were in the midst of a grand storm in the sky, a SHOWER of water pattering upon the stone.

"LAHNAE, GET BACK HERE!" Nivanee shouted. Vizon stepped up, looking the Snivy, Q, dead in the eye.

"Where's a way out of here, Thieves Guild?" the Riolu huffed threateningly. The Snivy shot up onto his feet, standing between the guildmates and the Starly, Calladin.

"There is no other way out! Unless you want to start blowing holes in the wall!" The Snivy shouted.

The was a CRASH!

Everyone hunched instinctively in fear!

A BOOMING VOICE thundered over the chamber! Every eye looked up as the full visage of the monster from the pearl came into view, his shining yellow eyes glaring down at all that infested the chamber.

"Who was it that has disturbed this place most ancient and summoned Thundurus, lord of the sky and king of these sands?"

Avery grimaced at the sudden sound and looked up.

'Lord of the sky?! King of the sands?!

Please tell me he's bluffing-'

The little Plusle gulped, feeling his miniscule size...but tried to talk all the same.

"...H-Hi, I'm Avery, nice to meet you-"

Avery's voice cracked. He didn't know why he said that, his nerves were freaking SHOT.

They all could see it: The behemoth's gaze moved, slowly, onto Avery. BURNING him. The sheer intensity of the gaze could have FLATTENED HIM. A spotlight of yellow shone around Avery's body, casting a long shadow.

Vizon fell over in terror.

The behemoth, the colossus, folded his shadowy arms over his chest, a rumbling breath shaking the old walls.

"Then your name shall be first etched into these walls, this tomb." Its voice was like thunder. "Endless chaos shall befall the sands of the east until you have drawn your final breath."

"Ohhh thats-!" Vizon stammered. Nivanee took a step, as though to protect the team. Lahnae backpedaled, trying to crane her neck up to see the impossibly large entity, Rikzyod follwoing closely behind.

The foreman cowered by the alter, but perked up at the beasts words.

"Aha...AHA!" She shouted. "HEAR THAT, GUILDIES? I got me a new PARTNER. And we're going to TEAR YOU UP!"

The Sneasel danced with the pearl in hand, waving it about.

"THUNDURUS! SMITE THEM!"

The shadowy colossus, Thundurus, turned from Avery, the burning gaze averting...falling down upon the foreman.

The foreman's dance halted at once, the woman recoiling under the gaze.

"You will be second. Pulra." His speaking voice bellowed, nearly knocking over the foreman.

"Wh-! B-but...but I hold the pearl...!" The Sneasel stammered in fear.

Thundurus slowly leaned down as she held it aloft.

"I hold it, see!" Pulra shouted. "I'm you're master!"

"You are a thief." Thundurus bellowed, a pair of fingers lowering down. The colossus pinched the pearl in Pulra's hands, flicking her away pathetically. He lifted the pearl away, taking it with him. "And soon to be naught but dust."

"Oh no..." Pulra was already panicking. "No no no no no!"

Avery could feel his body temperature dropping as the color drained from his face.

"...Figures. It figures. We seriously should have figured something so powerful would have a guardian-" Avery groaned. He took a step, shouting up again at the titan of storms. "What...What do you mean...?! What's...What's going to happen to Qeasé?!"

The mountainous shadow lifted its gaze, staring back at Avery. It was silent a moment as the echo of the Plusle's question died upon the stone.

"I know of no Qease'." Thundurus rumbled at last. "These insects, too, will be exterminated."

A FLASH.

A pillar of fire SHOT UP, STRIKING Thundurus on the shoulder. SMOKE and FLAME EXPLODED on the surface of his body!

Thundurus did not budge, arms remaining crossed. He slowly flicked away a flame lingering upon his blue skin as he turned, the clouds threateningly swirling around the ground.

"NO!"

Lahnae's voice rocked over the chamber.

"I'd NEVER let you touch the village!"

Even from here, as the heat from Lahnae's body banished the swirling clouds, a fire of hate burned in her eyes. Nivanee shouted for her to come back again but she was ignored, Thundurus and Lahnae staring one another down.

"I'm sorry we touched your stupid bauble! But that doesn't give you the right to be a bully!" Lahnae shouted. A rather juvenile statement considering the circumstances. Thundurus only stared down at the tiny Torchic, gaze baring down on her body.

"Lahnae that's-!?" Nivanee was dumbstruck. "This is NOT the time! What are you doing?!"

"Apologies shall only ever be repaid in blood." A crack of thunder shook the walls.

And over it all...Avery heard a chuckle.

That chuckle. The damn chuckle.

Loshjno stepped up beside the Plusle. His face was...unfazed. As if he was watching a hard and easy call unfold exactly as he knew it would.

"And surprise number two." Loshjno sighed, shaking his head.

Avery looked at him in confusion as the Squirtle stepped up, cupping his hands around his mouth to call out to Lahnae in a friendly voice.

"I think that's done it, Lahnae." Loshjno said. "We've reached the end of what we can do. Time to go home and let someone else take care of this."

Lahnae broke her gaze from Thundurus, whipping her head toward Loshjno.

All at once the hate disappeared.

All the fire was snuffed out.

That one statement...Avery could see it...she looked...disappointed. Saddened.

Hurt.

Loshjno only adjusted his badge, ready to run.

Avery didn't even look at Loshjno. He didn't know what was going on with the Squirtle. But what Avery knew was that once again a mission he'd gone on had ballooned irreversibly out of his control.

The Delta. The Old Wanderer being Nivanee's sister. The Deep Dimension.

...The Illaminian District.

"They aren't insects-!" Avery shouted up to Thundurus, stepping forwards. "They are people that revered these ruins. I'm... I'm not going to let you hurt anyone, and if I have to draw my last breath to do it then so be it!"

Avery didn't know if he wholly believed in what he was saying. But this Snivy, this Starly, this Sneasel...his own team, and an entire village...they were at stake here.

He couldn't afford to back down now.

Avery's words seemed to re-light the fire in Lahnae instantly. The Torchic whipped her head back towards Thundurus, taking a stance against the colossus.

Loshjno snorted.

"You wanna keep going?" The Squirtle muttered to Avery with a knowing smirk. "It's only going to get worse you know? But okay, whatever you say, Avery."

With a chuckle, he took a lazy, half-attentive fighting stance, as though he were only going to play fight. Vizon looked back at the Squirtle, his brow furrowed.

"Losh, what in the world is your deal, man?!" the Riolu hissed. "Do you even realize what's at stake?!"

"Yup."

"What'd happen if we don't succeed?!"

"Yyyup."

"You could stand to care about any of this!"

"I know better these days." Loshjno chuckled. Vizon was about to say more but Nivanee cut him off.

"Stay focused! Eyes forward!" the Eevee commanded, Vizon complying at once. Avery could see the Snivy scrambling up with Calladin the Starly, taking their own battle stances a ways from the guild members.

Thundurus was unfazed by their teams. He only kept his arms folded, staring down at them.

"Your fight will be for naught. The sun will never again kiss your face."

The room shuddered. There was a loud cracking and crumbling. More dust began to fall from the ceiling.

"The insects of this 'Qease' shall turn against you as my thralls, their bodies enhanced beyond their limits."

A thunderous QUAKE. Everyone JOLTED, the room SWAYING. Cracks burst from the floor.

Loshjno chuckled.

"The shadows that surround you shall claw at your throat."

The floor around began to JOSTLE and JOLT.

"And only when you have been beaten and bloodied and lie completely surrounded, your hope stripped from you..."

A massive CRACK STREAKED across the floor. Vizon and Nivanee yelped, Jolvia grabbing the Riolu as he fell over. An orange glow RADIATED from between the cracks, the floor SHIFTING.

"...Only then shall the very earth crack open its fiery maw and swallow you alive."

The crack SPLIT. A hot wash of blazing air ROCKETED upward. Teeth of rock and stone opened, crumbling. Vizon SCREAMED. LAHNAE ROARED in anger!

Jolvia yelped as she saw Nivanee fall in! The maw-like crevice cracked wider and wider. Hot ash BILLOWED out, the floor falling away into a fiery abyss below!

Avery felt something. He could feel things slipping away. He could feel the ground rocketing up into an incline, an insurmountable mountain asking him to climb it.

Even as the ground vanished beneath his feet. Even as he twisted, grabbing for something, anything, even as gravity took hold and he began to fall...he could feel it.

That familiar arc. That all-too-familiar arc.

He had felt it when he saw the cardboard castles. When Janus revealed her identity. When he was in that twisted quiz show with his friends suspended over an abyss. When he found the people responsible for destroying Sekura's home.

But they hadn't already won. There were no mysterious allies. This fall was no illusion.

Time sped up.

Whatever happened next...as ever...Avery wasn't ready.

The ground bottomed-out. EVERYONE free-fell into the grand abyss, Thundurus looming overhead, watching them all plummet into the fires of the unknown.

All around Avery.

The roar of wind.

And the screams of his friends.

Avery could see Vizon tumbling in the air. The WIDE hole rushing by alarmingly fast as Nivanee tried to right herself. Jolvia spread her arms and legs, trying to slow herself. The Snivy and Starly were nowhere to be seen, nor the foreman.

There, Avery could see Lahnae, poor Lahnae, whipping around and thrashing, eyes full of fire up towards the top of the pit where Thundurus watched.

"No!" She screamed over the panic. "I can...! We can still pull this out! We can still do this! We can't quit! We have to do our best! We have to! WE HAVE TO!"

She flipped in midair, her eyes closed as she was disoriented.

"Avery! We...!"

She was cut off, SLAMMING into the rushing rock wall, tumbling dangerously in the air. She opened her eyes, looking at the Plusle.

"Don't...we won't...give up!" She shouted. Even after all this, desperately she shouted. "We can do it...I swear to you we...we can do this! We won't screw this up again! We won't WE WON'T! I PROMISE WE WON'T!"

She was pleading, tossing away her badge.

"NO RUNNING! I PROMISE I PROMISE I WON'T SCREW IT UP AGAIN. PLEASE, JUST...JUST GIVE US ANOTHER CHANCE, WE CAN-!"

Avery could see the tears in her eyes as she begged, the wind KNOCKING her upside down.

And in the screeching wind, the growing glow of fire below.

Avery heard it.

Somehow over everything he heard it.

That chuckle.

"It can't be helped." Avery heard his voice. "It's okay if things don't work out."

Lahnae blinked, a look of shock...a look of sadness, her tears flying upwards as they fell.

"What...?" She said, almost too quiet to hear over the roaring wind.

"I said it's ok. These things just can't be helped." Loshjno said...in some kind of assurance. But Lahnae only looked at him...almost fearfully.

"No...no, no, Loshjno, I...I can do it this time, I-"

"Hey now, there's no use getting so worked up over a mission failure. What's another one for the pile?" He chuckled, hands behind his head as he reclined in the wind, plummeting. "You don't need to worry about me, Lahnae. We've done what we could, and it was certainly a lot."

"But...but we haven't tried our best!" She protested. Vizon whipped his head between the both of them.

"Are you two SERIOUS?!" The Riolu shouted in disbelief at what he was seeing.

"Do we really need to try our best to see that it's hopeless?" Loshjno said, sighing with a smirk as the glow of fire below intensified. "I think you did just fine, all things considered!"

"But! I can do more! We can do more, can't we?! We have Avery! We-!"

"Well, if you really want to keep going..." Loshjno shrugged. "Just don't get so burnt out about it. Do what you can. And have fun, like I always say."

"Loshjno..." Lahnae's voice was sad. Vizon looked furious.

"WHAT IS THIS GUY'S PROBLEM?!" Vizon yelled, clawing at the squirtle as though he wanted to throttle him. "ARE YOU EVEN PAYING ATTENTION?!"

"Loshjno this is serious!" Nivanee yelled in terrified anger. "Don't you understand that?!"

"I sure do." Loshjno replied simply.

Avery looked down. He felt the fire growing brighter. Hotter. Worse.

And still they fell, still they fell with no end in sight...no way out.

The badge against his chest...It was almost inviting Avery to bail. To go back to the guild, let someone else deal with it.

It's just a failure. In these moments it sounded almost reasonable.

...But they weren't the only ones at stake here. That Starly looked out of his depth. Avery didn't see anything of what happened to the Sneasel. And that Snivy...Avery didn't know if their Schism Sigils had the same functionality that theirs did. Even if the Starly could fly out...they wouldn't be able to escape with that God of Thunder in the same room. It'd be a different fate.

And the people of Qeasé.

'The people of Qeasé, he said, would be thralls. And I can't let that happen either.'

But Avery felt the heat of the fire. He felt it advancing. They couldn't help Qease' if they were dead.

"We aren't giving up, but..." Avery growled, looking over at the Torchic. It was then he saw her bare chest, no badge to be seen. "L-Lahnae! Your badge-!"

"WHO NEEDS IT!" She yelled back to Avery, shaking her head. "No bailing! No running! Never!"

"Lahnae thats-!" Nivanee was cut off! She ROUGHLY slammed into a stone wall! Vanished down another shaft as the crevice they fell down split apart.

"NIVANEE!" Vizon screamed, reaching a hand as though he could save her even as the shaft she fell down flew farther from him.

"Hold on!" Jolvia shouted, plummeting into another shaft and vanishing as well.

"Haugh..." Rikzyod grimaced as she disappeared. A jutting rock STRUCK him in the face, rock flying away!

"Arceus above-IT'S GETTING NARROWER!" Vizon shouted in panic.

"IT'S FINE!" Lahnae shouted, trying to keep herself steady as she fell. "We're gunna be fine! We're gunna win this one and everyone's okay! Right, Loshjno?!"

"Mmm..." The Squirtle smirked, looking up at Avery and Lahnae.

Then, he shrugged.

"Whatever happens, happens."

And that was the final word. Loshjno vanished behind a rock face as he fell into another shaft, going who knows where. Vizon yelped as Rikzyod and Lahnae disappeared.

"Avery...! AVERY!" Vizon screamed out, twisting himself to try and get closer, to reach for the Plusle's hand. "Hold on! HOLD ON! HOLD-"

FWOOSH.

Nothing but rock face.

"V...Vizon, I-" The last Avery saw of him was through a look of his own fear.

Avery was alone, tumbling down a narrow shaft all by himself. His friends gone.

And the blazing fire below reaching a fever pitch.

This was it.

The fire...

the rushing of the wind

whatever was down there...

Avery squinted his eyes shut

and waited for the end of the fall

as the heat blasted his face

the wind SCREAMED a final shrill note

AND

CRACK.

...

...

Chapter 20

Suppression