The Magic Council building had been quiet for some time. It wasn't because it was absent, no. Many workers were doing their business and entrusting others to their own. But the stale air wasn't coming from their moods, it was from the Magic Council.

Inside the Council's meeting, the councilmen all were gathered in a meeting. Many of whom seemed in blessed moods, other less than cordial. Hyberion took another sip of his tea before placing it back on its cup.

"So that's what happened." Maryam surmised.

"Yes, I'm afraid the Scarlet Orca guild was put on probation." Montgomery sighed. "That makes the fifth guild case we've resolved in the past week. Is there no end to this Pokémon abuse?"

"I wish I could answer that. However, that isn't in our jurisdiction."

Justice nodded. "Yes. But the Cambire Foundation has been complying fairly to our demands. It's not all their fault either."

"That's true. But not everyone is a good listener. Just take Fairy Tail for an example." Jeff chuckled.

Alfredo scoffed angrily. "Ha! Don't even bother with that name, Jeff. All I see are a bunch of lawbreakers who think they can get their way because they work with the Cambire Foundation."

"Well you're not wrong, Alfredo." Ruge calmly said. "But you know, it isn't exactly wise to go knocking on someone's door with guns pointed at them." He glanced at the man. "And besides, almost everyone has a Pokémon to defend themselves with. We go attacking them, then who do you think will be setting a bad example?"

Alfredo gritted his teeth. He conceded to his point.

"The showing at the Domus Flau has been an effective influence." Justice said. "Since then, we've been getting less reports of mage follies and more job increases related to Pokémon."

"Yes, I'm well aware of that." Hyberion nodded. "The fall of Zeref has brought the message that the age of Dark Guilds is now passed. We're onto a new age, and this time, the concept of magic is put up in question, now that Pokémon live amongst us."

"You ask me nothing but more trouble's come up since their arrival." Wolfheim imposed. "The incident involving Alvarez is a prime example. And we can't ignore Fairy Tail's incident in Glacidia."

"The latter was of sheer coincidence, but I still see your point. Our enemies have started taking advantage of the situation themselves and turning this integration into a game or monopoly. It's deterring to say the least."

"So we need a more efective propaganda is what your saying?" Justice raised a brow.

Montgomery put a hand to his chin. "Yes, I think I see the point. Many to whom that can set an example of what a mage and a Trainer alike should be."

"It's evident that the Cambire Foundation relies on our mages to help spread their word on the matter." Maryam advised. "We need them to be more active in setting an example if that's the case."

Hyberion nodded. "Yes, that's true as well. And as we all know, only one Trainer is a real example."

"As if we can depend on such an independent nuisance." Wolfheim scoffed, a vein grew on his head. "That little whippersnapper just won't accept his place."

"Perhaps this is a bad time, but may I remind everyone that we had to actually push back the Grand Magic Games this year because of Pokémon?" Justice intervened.

"Yes, Justice, I was aware of that. The events of Alvarez within the past year's two incidents has caused increasing alarm to public health. That said, there are rumors going around that we should do away with the Grand Magic Games altogether."

Alfredo stood up. "I object strongly! The principles of magic and power were ours first. To rid of this one standing tradition to give more concern to these problems is basically throwing away our assurance."

"I agree with Alfredo." Marie said. "We should continue with the Grand Magic Games this year. Even with the past 2 years' worth of setbacks, this is our way of saying we still hold onto tradition."

"I like me some games too, but weren't we talking about our guilds and Pokémon?" Jeff reminded them.

Ruge folded his arms. "Yes. This is quite a pickle we're in." he smirked. "Perhaps we need some expert opinions on the matter."

"If you mean Arthur, then don't bother." Alfredo rebuffed. "We can do quite fine ourselves."

"I'm not doubting that. But…didn't he also explain to us that the humans in his other world also have a tournament for Trainers? Perhaps we should look into that."

"What are you saying?"

Ruge was the one who stood up with a hand. "If I may. Now, I'm sure we're all aware that we need to bring more emphasis on the union of mages and Pokémon without one overshadowing the other. But, if we dwell too long on the subject, the Grand Magic Games won't come to pass. So, my proposition…is that we kill two birds with one stone." He turned towards Hyberion. "Hyberion?"

All eyes went to Hyberion as he fell silent. The entire room was filled with awe and suspense as the chairman and fellow Wizard Saint was left to think. He clasped his hands and closed in eyes as he thought back to the God Serena incident, how he himself couldn't beat him, yet Nic and Greninja could. Despite the setbacks, he couldn't ignore the good that Pokémon has done.

"Perhaps we can make this work in everyone's favor." He spoke softly. "If I'm understanding your logic Ruge, then I think I may know the answer to our dilemma."


In a lone cottage in the middle of the woods, it was surprisingly dark inside, despite how the early rays were illuminating the windows. A figure faced the window. It was Kane, and he was out once again to engage with his nemesis.

"Now…I believe the time has come." He started. "Don't you think?"

From the shadows of his cottage, a low hiss came from something large. When he looked over, he smirked as what looked like a tire rolled into the light. The tire actually looked segmented and purple, with magenta spots and massive horns. This was Whirlipede, Venipede's evolution.

"Are you all rested, my sweet Whirly-whirly? Oh yes you are." He cooed to the curled centipede, blowing air kisses, with Whirlipede returning the same ones. The affectionate gestures went on for several more seconds until a small foot got his attention.

"Aw, yes. My little secret weapon. And how are we doing today?" Kane told the figure in the shadow.

"Good." The figure said in a neutral tone. "So are we really doing this?"

"Oh yes. Most definitely." Kane evilly smirked, recalling his battles against Joey. "Failure after failure, we've learned from our nemesis, and now it all makes sense. He has an uncanny sense of surprise. So to defeat him, the most logical solution…is to outwit his sense of surprise."

Kane's insidious laughter echoed throughout the cottage, with Whirlipede hissing in glee.


In another woods far away, a pair of blue eyes opened. "Now, let's do this Pidove!"

"Okay!" In the air, Pidove ascended further as he was looking down at a pond beneath. There, in the shallow water, Joey's recently caught Magikarp looked up, expecting the enemy's attack.

"Now Pidove, Steel Wing! Magikarp, Tackle!" Joey commanded.

"Gotcha!" Pidove chirped.

"Okay." Magikarp wheezed.

Together, both dove and jumped at each other. Magikarp shot out of the water as Pidove's wings shimmered a metallic gray as they closed in on another. Pidove looked more determined as he sped up.

Joey looked closely with his heartbeat quickening the closer they got. 'This is it. It's gotta work this time!'

Pidove and Magikarp screamed out as they closed in, but at the last second, Pidove's wings stopped glowing, catching both Pidove and Joey by surprise. In a shocking slam, Pidove and Magikarp headbutt each other, knocking each other out as they fell into the pond.

Joey facepalmed. "Geez, not again…"

While Joey was having his own problems below, above, a swift blur in the form of Yanma zoomed around. She turned around and fired a Sonic Boom down at Dereece, who was several meters above the pond working on his Element Walk Magic. He pivoted in the air like it was ground and the shockwave went into the water below, making a massive splash. "That was close." He murmured. When he turned to look back, Yanma zipped by him, making him shriek and get thrown off balance of his control.

Joey sighed despairingly, ignoring Dereece's high-pitched squeals as he splashed into the water. He half-heartedly looked up, registering the plunge so casually. He watched Dereece come up several seconds later, gasping for air. Yanma landed on his head, making him grunt.

"So how much higher do you go this time, Dereece?" Joey called out.

Dereece heaved heavily as he used his magic to help him get back up like steps without resistance. Once he scrambled to his feet, he hastily went over to the side of the pond and coughed. Yanma got off and landed in front to watch him recover.

"I think…a couple more feet…" he wheezed in between coughs. "Man, I really didn't think Yanma would be this tough."

"Well you told me to not hold back." Yanma chirped matter-of-factly. "And after that battle with that rat, I'm just even more excited now."

"You don't say." Dereece sighed mentally. 'Well, guess it isn't called intense training for nothing. At least I'm getting better at my control and balance under pressure.' Once he found the strength to stand, he faced Joey. "So, uh, where's your Pokémon exactly, Captain?"

"Oh, right." Joey face the pond. "Pidove, stop drowning and get up!"

The pond was still for a moment before Pidove shot out of the water, like nothing happened. "Yes, Master!" He gurgled, though water was gushing out of his beak, making Dereece sweat drop beneath.

'Really?'

Magikarp soon resurfaced, though he looked a little more dazed if the cross eyes meant anything. "Did I win…?" he groaned.

Joey waved out to him. "Eh, close! Just take 5, buddy!" He watched Magikarp swim off his strain. His frown showed. "Man, I thought he had it that time."

Hearing Joey's complaints, he turned towards him. "So I take it that Steel Wing is a little trouble then?"

Joey moaned as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "We're…getting there. It's just taking longer for us than we thought." He put a hand to his chin. "I wonder how Nic or Erza-senpai's Staraptor and Talonflame does it?"

"Well it can't hurt to ask."

Dereece had a point, Joey saw that. But as much as he wanted to sway to that side, something held him back. "Alright. So I guess that also means that you can fair well now for yourself. You're on your own for training from here, can you manage that?" Nic's words filled Joey's mind, making him furrow his brow. He turned confidently towards Dereece, the resolute in his eyes startling him.

"Sorry, no can do Dereece. Gotta manage this on my own." He held up a balled fist. "I promised Nic-senpai that I can manage my own training. Can't take what credit he already has. It'd disgrace the name of The Freaks. Right, Pidove?"

Perched on a small log close by, Pidove lifted a wing. "Aye aye, Captain!"

Joey nodded and grinned. "See Dereece, we'll get it eventually."

Dereece sighed. He had a feeling that Joey would be this stubborn. He couldn't blame him though, after the experience that they had and the people Joey lost, it wasn't in his place to tell him otherwise. "If you say so." He started for town, with Yanma perching on his head. "Come on, let's get cleaned up for your 10 o'clock manicure appointment."

"A guys gotta look his best in nails too you know." Joey flaunted.


From the skies above, the sound barrier was being broken as a high-speed black bullet dove down.

"Here it comes, Staraptor!" Nic warned. The avian braced herself as her leering glare fixed on Mega Charizard's Fly attack beaming right for her. Their red eyes were locked on one another as the black and blue dragon was coming closer.

"Now, Double Team!"

Staraptor flashed at the last second, creating an array of clones in the surrounding atmosphere that resembled Staraptor. Mega Charizard, using his immense reflexes and agility, tucked in his wings and started spiraling instead. As he closed in on the Staraptor clones, several more flocked away knowingly as Charizard's eyes dilated.

"Heat Wave!"

Exploding blue gusts expelled in all directions in the shape of a cyclone as he passed the illusions. Blue whirlwinds of intense heat was like a blue sun that Nic confidently stared up at, despite the instant sweat on his face. He remained calm as the blue hurricane swallowed all the clones, and the spiraling draft was enough to make the real Staraptor realize she couldn't evade. She flexed her wings so that the shockwaves would pick her up before the actual move hit. Thankfully it did, and it swirled her around the perimeter into a glide skywards above Mega Charizard.

The flames dissipated, and Mega Charizard looked up to see Staraptor above him.

"Aerial Ace!" Nic commanded.

With a battle cry, Staraptor came a blur as she dove down at Mega Charizard. In response, Mega Charizard made Dragon Claw, shredding the atmosphere upon release. He readied a swipe.

'Now!' With quick thinking, Nic transformed into a fusion form of his Fairy/Psychic forms. He reached up. "Ally Switch!"

Mega Charizard slashed, making a massive wake in the air as shockwaves stirred around the air like a typhoon. As the winds receded, Mega Charizard remained stationary in the air as he had a fair gaze as a passing wind revealed Nic smirking.

"Not bad."

Mega Charizard sneered back. Not even seconds later, Staraptor aimed for Mega Charizard below, and without looking, Mega Charizard used his tail to counter Staraptor's incoming talons. The three were all blown back by the shockwaves of their combined forces. Mega Charizard ascended, while Nic teleported back to the ground. Staraptor adjusted above Nic, glaring up at Mega Charizard.

'We're not there yet, but I think this is a start.' Nic evaluated, reflecting on his past experiences. 'If I'm gonna beat more foes with sharp minds, I gotta kick up my wits. To do that, I gotta work on my status and support moves a lot more.'

He dashed below, while Staraptor went high. He darted along the grass with intense speed as he exerted a pink fog, via Misty Terrain. Slowly, he started to turn his own body into pink mist. 'I have to start thinking…'

He suddenly appeared in front of Mega Charizard, this time in a cross of his Bug/Fairy typing. With his sudden appearance out of fairy dust, he scattered Powder onto Mega Charizard. The dragon, with his Dragon Claw weakened and his Fire-type moves turned on him, was forced to ascend higher with Fly as Staraptor chased after him. Nic watched as the two battled on.

'So that I won't feel that cornered again…so that I can save as many more possible.'

Getting higher, Mega Charizard glanced down as he saw Nic shift out of his Fairy-half into his default half. He reached up as a golden aura reached up like streams to catch up to Staraptor. Now enveloped in Helping Hand, Staraptor cawed as she sped in with Aerial Ace.


Erza walked towards the guild hall, with her Aegislash in tow. After a morning's worth of battling and training, she felt that she could use a small break and head to the guild for a job. She wanted to ask Nic if he wanted to go to the guild, but after seeing how focused he was in developing his style, she couldn't bring herself to break his mojo…not yet at least.

"Suppose we kept everyone waiting long enough." She told herself, even though Aegislash was there. "It's been a while since we've last been at the guild. I wonder how everyone's been?" She pushed open the silo doors, walking through the inside.

Mirajane was over by the bar area, where she was cleaning glass when she saw Erza walking over. "Oh, Erza. Fancy seeing you here." She chimed casually.

Erza nodded in greeting. "It's been a while, Mirajane. How's the guild?"

She grinned. "It's just fine." She turned towards the public. "In fact, we've been rather busy."

"I see…" Erza turned towards the guild to see everything that's happening. To her surprise quite a bit had changed. It was probably because of the recent work that had to be done off Ishgar, much to even her own shock. When she looked over at Laki, she noticed that her Bonsly was now a Sudowoodo. When she looked over at Vijeeter, she saw that his Lotad was a Lombre, and was now dancing with him in front of Asuka to amuse her. In the corner of the guild hall, she even saw Mest talking to Kinana about something, possibly a job together with her Seviper and his Kirlia, whom evolved from Ralts the other day. Though oddly enough, even Kirlia was banging his head against a nearby wall. A lot had in fact changed and she almost looked over it.

"It's amazing how much progress it's been." Mirajane chimed.

Erza softly smiled. "Yes, it is."

"Erza!"

From the side, Erza saw Lucy walking up to her. She seemed vivid to say the least. "Nice to see you again, Lucy." She greeted.

"Hey, Erza. You're looking great."

She nodded. "Yes, Vanessa and Sophie went on a job, and Nic's into his…hobbies. So I thought I'd get some fresh air with a job. Where's Gray? I'm sure he'd like to come along."

Lucy shook her head. "Sorry, you just missed him. He went on a job with Juvia. I think they went to a desert or something to help someone."

"That so?" Erza took another look around. Of all the things that she could've missed she went and cursed herself for forgetting something so obvious. "Lucy, where did Natsu and Happy run off to?"

Mirajane intervened. "They went on an important errand with Wendy and Gajeel to the Cambire Foundation."

Erza went wide-eyed. "Is that so? Interesting…"

"I know. Laxus wasn't sure what to do with them either. Don't worry, they have Happy and Carla and Lily. I'm sure they'll be fine."

Lucy sighed. "Guess there's not much else to do today." She felt a tap on her shoulder. When she looked over, she saw that Max was standing there. "Oh, hey Max, what's up?"

"Hey Lucy, sorry to bug ya." He smirked as he pointed a thumb to himself and Sandshrew, who was on his shoulder. "But Sandshrew and I were wondering if you wanted to battle. We heard you got a new Pokémon and we wanna get stronger too. What do you say?"

Though as surprised Lucy was, she didn't back down. "Alright…" she held up Staryu's Poke Ball. "But just so you know, we won't hold back."

Erza grinned. 'Seems everyone's working hard…just like Nic. It's amazing what his influence has done to us.' Finding herself caught up in the moment, Erza turned towards the board. "No sense in dawdling I suppose."


The train whistled as it rolled across the landscape. Inside one of the carts, there were three bodies passed out on the cushions, sprawled over like goop that was liquefied, only these piles of goop were the forms of Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel. All three Dragon Slayers were devoid of eyes as the train long since knocked them out. Looking over them, Charmeleon and Aron were also absent-mindedly asleep, while Swablu used her little fluffy wings as a pillow for Wendy.

"Poor guys. I hope they'll be okay." Happy said. He looked at Natsu, who was snoozing with a paled face.

"The curse of Dragon Slayer motion sickness isn't something I envy." Pantherlily said. He looked towards Wendy. "And Wendy can't use her spells neither?"

"No, I'm afraid not anymore." Carla sighed in her human form. She looked down at Wendy, seeing as how she wasn't waking up anytime soon. "I never imagined that Wendy would be the one to get motion sick either. If anything I figured it'd be a curse she got off Natsu."

"Aye, he always has the gifts." Happy pointed out. "Though I have the tasty fish."

"So, about this request." Pantherlily got them on track. "What exactly is it that the Cambire Foundation wanted to bring to us?"

"I have no idea." Carla crossed her arms, looking at the ground. "But what's stranger was how Laxus explained it."

Earlier that day, the door closed, leaving Laxus to turn around in his seat to look at the Dragon Slayers in front of his office. "Thanks for coming, glad this can get out of the way."

"Whatever." Gajeel shrugged. "So what's up?"

"Yeah, what's this about?" Natsu asked. "Did you want a private spar with all three of us?" he held up an eager fist to exemplify his point.

"Uh, somehow I doubt that." Wendy nervously said.

"Listen." Laxus' serious tone almost made their spines shiver. "I just got a call from the Cambire Foundation. Apparently it has something to do with the stuff those newbies picked up a few weeks back."

"What, The Freaks?" Natsu questioned.

"Yeah, that. After we sent the report, the foundation's administrators have been working some renovations to their community. They just finished building something, and as strange as this is, they're requesting a volunteer group to go see it."

"That so?" Gajeel rebuffed. "Sounds kinda sketchy to me."

"You're right about that. Still, they want at least three volunteers for this presentation. I wanted to ask The Freaks since they're the ones who discovered the fossils. But, considering that they've been a bit busy, I figured they can settle with you three in their place."

Natsu shrugged. "Guess we're not on a job right now so why not?" he smirked. "I wanna see what their building's like anyway. Bet it's gonna be bigger than before."

"I wonder what improvements they've made?" Wendy wondered.

Gajeel smirked. "Sounds like an investigation we can get ourselves into And if we find out they're up to something, I can arrest them."

"Hold up, you're not on the Council anymore, so you can't do that!" Natsu rebuffed.

"Oh yeah?! Well how about I make an example of that by clamming that face of yours?!" Gajeel defended.

"Just try bub, I dare ya!"

"Um, guys, please settle down…" Wendy nervously tried breaking them apart. Natsu and Gajeel turned away from each other, both pouting a little. Wendy sighed in exasperation.

Laxus pinched the bridge of his nose as his Electrike had electricity crackling around his body. "I don't have time for this…" Laxus calmed down. "Look, they want to see someone in a few hours. I don't care who it is, but don't keep them waiting. As far as we know, if they meant for it to be our eyes first, then that can only mean they trust us enough for us to get this far. Don't make them second guess that."

"I'm still curious why they're asking us when they have other guilds and staff to associate themselves with." Carla pointed out.

"Perhaps this is a bonus from our efforts in the recent expeditions." Pantherlily advised. "They want to meet us in person probably and would like for us to share our experience with their apprentices."

Carla looked down. "Suppose there is merit to that. Having shared our experience with the recruits would give them a better perspective on what it's like being a mage or Trainer living in guild life."

"Another reason maybe why Master Laxus wanted The Freaks. They're Trainers as well as mages. Plus they're from same world as Nic. When you puzzle all that together, it makes perfect sense."

"That's true, but if that's the case, couldn't they ask Nic or Vanessa? Something here just seems out of place…"

Happy looked out the window, his gaze turning to Crocus. There, in the small distance within the city's borders, the ever-grand Capital housed something blatantly obvious.

"Guys, look!"

They moved to the window, seeing headquarters. "That must be it right there." Pantherlily surmised.

"We're almost there." Carla pointed out.

The train moved along the tracks, heading closer towards the city.


Back in the forest, Pidove primed his wings with his beak as he rested on a tree branch. While he was taking a break, Joey was back from his manicure to resume training with Magikarp. "Okay bud, let's try this again. From the top." Joey began, arms reached out to his sides. "Tackle!"

Magikarp flopped in the water until he finally took one big flop and shot at Joey. Joey made a barrier at last second to stop Magikarp, causing him to bounce back in the water with a big splash.

"You okay bud?!" he called.

From the water, bubbles gurgled until seconds later, Magikarp came up groaning. "Ow…that hurts." He groaned. "Why are we doing this?"

"To get your stamina up. The more you strike, the more likely your move might get stronger, too…or at least that's how it goes in the games I guess." In truth, Joey had absolutely no idea what he was doing. He figured this would do something productive for Magikarp to at least get his Attack strength up. He could use him to battle wild Pokémon, but even Joey wasn't that dumb. "So c'mon, you still got another 30 Tackles in ya last I checked, right? Let's get those levels up!"

Magikarp groaned, but he complied with his Trainer's commands. He jumped out of the water to attack again.

"C'mon, you can do it!"

While Joey was encouraging his new flopping fish friend, Pidove was absent-mindedly dozing off with a snot bubble expanding and contracting. He was resting until a caw from above shot him awake, popping his bubble, literally. "Hm?" Looking up, his beady bird eyes saw a flock of Pidove flying in the clearing above.

"You there."

Pidove perked his head up and looked around. The pigeon saw nothing.

"Look up."

Looking up, Pidove followed the command. There, he saw two Pidove perched above. However, both Pidove had red rings around their eyes…not that Pidove would've noticed. "Hi!" he dumbly greeted.

"Yes, good day to you as well, my fellow Pidove." The other wild Pidove waved robotically. Her voice was oddly more monotone and neutral.

Pidove dumbly tilted his head. "Are you locals?"

"I'm afraid not." The other Pidove said in a similar tone. "You see, we are meager bystanders passing through the area. We heard it's quite nice along the eastern seas."

"Ohhh, sounds lovely."

"Yes it is." The other deadpanned. "And since you are a fellow Pidove, we would like for you to join us on our flight to the beyond! So how about it?"

Pidove blinked in confusion. He looked back at Joey – his master – and his eyes shifted between. "I, uh…"

Pidove 1 sighed. "Oh right, forgot. Maybe this will work instead." She fluttered closer towards Pidove's face. "Then listen well, I am your new Master, and you shall obey my commands!"

Pidove blinked twice before tilting in confusion. "Commands?"

"Yes, commands." She robotically repeated.

The other Pidove fluttered beside her. "Listen and obey. Follow our flock, and you will soar again!"

Pidove blinked once, then twice, before long, he processed the new command. While it was true Pidove was stronger, that didn't change he was still very forgetful. As if complying, he urgently got off the perch. "I shall obey, Masters!"

He took off pass the two Pidove, both watching the pigeon dumbly follow the flock. The two Pidove slowly turned their heads and their red eyes glowed. "Bwa…ha…ha…ha." They robotically laughed.

Pidove chirped as he sailed off, following the flock of its own accord into the vast sky. Meanwhile, the two robotic Pidove ascended to follow the Pidove, leaving Joey as he trained Magikarp.

Magikarp flopped back into the water, splashing hard. When he resurfaced, he shook his head to rid the pain. "That's better than last time, Magikarp. Now we're making progress!" Joey chimed. "You ready for some more battle training?"

Magikarp wheezed as he was lying on his side on the water. He looked like he was dying.

"I'll take that as a yes." Joey turned towards Pidove. "Alright Pidove, ready for more practice with Steel Wing?" However, when he saw the spot where Pidove was supposed to be being absent, a bead of sweat dropped from his face. "Uh…Pidove?"

Joey started looking around, turning left and right, but he saw no sign of his little pigeon-brained friend.

"Pidove? Buddy! You who! Uh, you out there man? Pidove?" He raised a brow as he scratched the top of his head, humming oddly. "Hmm…I think this might be a bad thing."


Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy all looked up with their Exceeds at the really tall glass buildings. Everything about it looked fancy and refined. It had to at least be a thousand feet high. The blue glass refracted sunlight to make it look like a sanctuary more than a place of business.

"This is the Cambire Foundation in person?" Wendy questioned.

"This is the address we were told to go to, so I would say." Carla answered.

"Wow, check out the size of this place!" Happy awed as he stared high to see the top.

"Yeah, I can hardly see the top from here." Natsu smiled in impression.

"I find it hard to believe this much progress was done within a few months." Pantherlily said. "Either they must have a vast sphere of influence, or their finances are really to question now."

Gajeel snickered. "I don't know about you, but this just gives me a better reason to arrest them."

"Well before we get to accusations, we should at least take a look inside." Carla suggested. She and everyone nodded in agreement and went over towards the entrance. Much to their shock, the doors slid open on their own, triggered by sensors. When they all stepped inside, they were met with a whole new setting.

Shimmering porcelain tiling filled the floors as the sunlight made a blue-turquoise hue shine throughout the entire building. There were people and Pokémon everywhere, either talking or exchanging some tips from one another. They all had smiles as even their Pokémon were engaged in the conversations. In the center of the first floor, there was a fountain installed with two Magikarp arching in opposite directions with water streaming out. Ferns were lined up like everywhere alongside berries and fruits throughout the estate. Classy would be the biggest understatement.

"Woah! Check it out!" Natsu and Happy awed as they looked everywhere. Even the people looked refined as Trainers. "Hey, that looks like the fish that Joey caught back at the beach!"

"It looks so tasty~." Happy's mouth started drooling as he stared at the Magikarp statue.

"You can't even eat it." Carla chided.

"So this is the place, huh?" Gajeel looked around. "Not bad. Kinda reminds me of Luminous' big city back in his own world."

"Well it's possible they built it to modernize their own world." Pantherlily suggested. "In another world, having something related to your home does bring up a sense of similarity."

"That's true, plus it's the most ideal way to adapt in a changing environment. Everything needs a base to start with." Carla interjected.

From the side, someone walked up to them. "Welcome to the Cambire Foundation. We're pleased to meet you." Meeting them was Eliza, and she was looking ever so serious.

"Huh?" Natsu looked over to see her. "Hey, I remember you. You're that chick who helps out that Jefferey guy, right?" he smiled. "Sure been a while."

"Aye!"

Eliza scrutinized the familiar faces. After paneling left to right and seeing their emblems, she gave them a straight face. "I see. Then I suppose that you're the Fairy Tail Mages that were summoned here by President Arthur, is that right?"

"Yup." Gajeel answered.

"Very well then." She looked down at her watch. "And it seems you were right on schedule. Good." She turned around and walked away. "Now then, if you would all follow me?"

"Wait, hold on. Where to?" Natsu asked.

Eliza kept walking. "The Department of Resources and Development. Mr. Bistro would like to see you personally for this project."

The Fairy Tail Mages looked to each other again in confusion. Regardless, they chose to follow Eliza through the building over towards the walkway that went towards the exit. They followed the assistant over the campus.

"As you can see, we've been working on a very productive schedule for the past two months." Eliza explained while the others took in the gardens, battlefields, and the berry gardens they passed by. "We've been getting more and more recruits each day, and some were willing volunteers. But as you can imagine, heightened security checks make it impossible to go a single person without background checks. We have to make sure nothing scandalous with our reputation like before. A few close calls, I admit, but rest assured, our progress in Trainer and Pokémon cooperation is nothing short of the finest."

"Wow, check out all the Pokémon." Natsu gazed at the battlefields.

He watched as a Maractus launched a Pin Missile in midair at a Scyther. The insect slashed both glowing scythes via Fury Cutter, passing the green missiles as they faded behind. Seconds later, they erupted, but Scyther held his pose.

Natsu watched both Pokémon drop towards the ground, a grin showing. "Man, those guys sure look strong."

"Yeah, it's neat." Wendy marveled.

"Excuse me, but we're on a schedule here." Eliza waved upfront. She turned around, continuing. "I understand that you mages are fascinated in fighting, but please refrain until you're discharged, thank you."

They continued their path through the estate until they came to another section of the campus. Here, the building complex was less taller than the main building, but the range it covered was enough to but the Domus Flau colosseum to shame. After making way through a series of buildings and hallways, the group made their final stop in front of a black door.

"This is the place?" Natsu asked.

"Yes, now then…" Eliza opened the door. Upon entering, they came into a small conference room where it was comprised of several scientists, and Jefferey was in the center when he and everyone stopped and turned towards the guests entering the conversation.

"Miss Eliza, you made it." Jefferey acknowledged. "That's good."

"My apologies, sir. I know I was two minutes behind schedule." She bowed. "I promise to make up for that lost time."

"It's fine. You have my thanks for escorting bringing them here. Now then, do you wish to resume your duties?"

She nodded. "Yes, sir. Excuse my intrusions everyone." She turned and walked out the door, closing it behind, and thus leaving the six Fairy Tail people inside the conference room with them.

They all turned towards the scientists and Jefferey, who had hands clasped and giving a firm face.

"Please, have a seat."

Gesturing to his insistence, the six took occupation in the six available seats that were present; Happy and Lily took to standing on the tables.

"You came at just the right time. We were going to discuss the procedures on this matter at hand." Jefferey noted. He looked them over, seeing familiar faces. "Natsu Dragneel, I believe that I recall refereeing your match a while back. Have you been well?"

Natsu shrugged. "Yeah I guess. So what's this about? And why'd you need us specifically?"

"To the point then, alright." Jefferey cleared his throat. "As you might be aware, our community has been doing extensive research on Trainers and Pokémon in this world and comparing them to our own. In that light, we've come across a remarkable discovery. Tell me, are you perhaps 'The Freaks' that I've been told of?"

Wendy stammered as she moved her arms. "Sorry, but you've got the wrong people I'm afraid."

"They couldn't make it, so we had to step in their place." Carla answered. "I trust that'll suffice."

"I understand." Jefferey lowered his head. "Then I suppose you aren't familiar with what I'm about to tell you." He looked over towards one of the fellow scientists, giving a nod of approval before resuming.

"We're very much aware after informational shares with your archives that you're familiar with the concept of resurrection, are you not?" the scientist explained. "As in bring back from the dead?"

"What we've been discussing isn't exactly like that." Another scientist fixed. "Rather…fossilized is another word."

Wendy blinked. "Fossilized?"

"You mean like living things that've been in a stasis or something, is that right?" Carla questioned.

"Putting it lightly, that would be the case." A scientist responded, another scientist reached for a remote.

"Here, this is what a fossil looks like." He pressed a button, and on the big screen behind them, the panel showed an image of the three fossils that were sealed inside sterilized glass within coolers. "These are what's known as fossils. They're not too different from rocks, rather they're more like imprints of Pokémon who were there."

"Rocks with Pokémon DNA in them?" Gajeel questioned. "Now this is just ridiculous."

"On the other hand, we don't know much about fossils at all." Pantherlily pointed out. "Our history doesn't go back as far as 500 years ago. This must be an aged process."

"Correct." A scientist answered. "Fossils engraved with any DNA is a process of any kind of sample that the component has. It stains the rock and weathering and erosion eventually molds it into the earth. Usually they get so deep that it takes an excavation unit to dig up certain fossils."

"So kinda like plants and mummies?" Natsu pointed out.

"Not sure it goes to those lengths, Natsu." Happy said.

"In a sense, you're not exactly wrong." Jefferey stood up. "But this process takes millions of years. These Pokémon lived long before humans came around." The news shocked them all, leaving their eyes wide, "I understand you're surprised…and that's why we want to show you this."

Jefferey clicked the remote to show another image. It showed the fossils in one slide, but on the other slide revealed fossil Pokémon that they would be. Each slide showed various Pokémon, some that were seen in tropical exhibits, and others that were in the oceanic waters.

"The fossils before then were all Pokémon, just as how you all have flesh and blood before you expire. Whether by circumstances related to natural selection or resources, these were Pokémon who lived long ago."

The Dragon Slayers were enamored by all the fossilized creatures they saw. Even Gajeel showed some interest in some of them after seeing a slide of a Rampardos headbutting through trees.

Jefferey switched to another slide, showing a very complex machine. "We've wanted to learn more about our ancestors. To do that, we needed to examine them up close and personal. However, we did not have the time-traveling technology to do that. So in order to learn about the past…we had to bring the past to the present."

"Wait, what's going on?" Happy inquired. He wasn't liking where this was going for some reason.

Jefferey glared. "Fairy Tail, the Cambire Foundation would personally invite you to witness…a revolution."


"And you sure this is where you left him?" Dereece questioned.

"Yes. Dereece. You think I wouldn't know where I put my Pokémon before they just swoop off. Geez, I'm not that blind."

"Hard to believe, considering you can barely keep track of all your socks." He deadpanned.

"This isn't about my laundromat needs, Dereece, and I doubt Pidove would go to a laundromat anyways…right?"

Dereece sighed. 'He's getting ahead of himself again.' He went over, patting a discomforted Joey's back. "Look, maybe you're just overthinking things again man. He probably just got a little sidetracked and went off somewhere. He'll come back."

"Maybe…" Joey's resolution overturned to a glare. "Let's go see Duncan, maybe he knows."

"If you're sure."

Walking through Magnolia later on, Duncan was seen having a frown on his face as he had a metal pole being used as his makeshift weapon. He was walking underneath a long, dark bridge towards the north boulevard when he heard familiar voices.

"Yo! Duncan!" Hearing his name, he turned around to look at his Captain and Dereece following.

"What do you want?" he asked rudely.

Joey took a minute to catch his breath after searching around for him. Duncan's irritation grew by the minute until the Captain finally took a breath of relief. "Listen, Duncan, we have an emergency." He huffed. "Pidove, he's gone missing somewhere! We can't find him!"

"…is that so?" he bluntly asked.

Joey nodded. "Yeah, it is. And we need your help, have you seen him?"

Duncan closed his eyes, looking like he'd rather take a nap. "No, I haven't. And even if I did, I don't see how that's my problem."

"But we could really use your help, c'mon!" Joey persisted. "Look, wouldn't you feel at least worried if that's one of your Pokémon out there right now? Who knows what would happen unless we find them?"

Once again, Duncan scoffed in annoyance.

"Duncan…" Dereece walked up to him. "This is serious. Are you even listening right now man?"

Duncan turned around, looking away from both of them. "Hmph, trying to pin responsibility on others rather than yourself, now is that really sounding like a 'Captain' to you?"

"Say what?" Joey asked, taking offense to Duncan's accusations.

"If that were my Pokémon, it just means they were too weak. That's their fault for leaving. If they can't take the training, then they have nobody to blame but themselves." He glanced over his shoulder. "If your Pokémon took off the moment you turned your back, what does that say about you?"

"Duncan-!" Dereece groaned, but an arm reached out beside him, revealing Joey with an anxious stare.

"Doesn't matter who's fault it is when you stop to think about it. It left because it was too weak, or perhaps you weren't a good enough Trainer to be responsible for it. You said that you'd do better at gaining responsibility for your actions, right? So tell me, Captain. What are you doing pinning this on us like we're apart of your mistakes?"

Joey's glare hardened. He swallowed a lump as an image of Pidove perched on his arm showed. His teeth gritted. "He wouldn't dare…"

"Would he? You sound like you know him, but do you know yourself?" Duncan turned back towards the shadows. "If you care so much about it then go look for it yourself…maybe then you'll prove to me something about your position."

Joey's frustrations arose. He gritted his teeth before he gave a pained grunt. He turned and ran off.

"Captain Joey, wait!" Dereece reached out, but Joey was already taking off. He saw Duncan walk away from him and angrily turned around. "What'd you that for?!" he backlashed.

"It was for his sake." Duncan backlashed. "Besides, he needs to learn a little more about responsibility."

"Well that may be true, but you didn't have to be so hard on him! He's worried sick about Pidove!" Dereece stepped forward. "Okay, maybe Pidove isn't the brightest Pokémon that Joey caught, but all that time they shared has bound to mean something. If he forgot about Joey, he'll bound to remember eventually."

Duncan lowered his head, looking silently down with his hat covering his eyes. "Just make note of those words you say. I'm well aware that our Captain has been suffering." He thought of Joey's loss of Broly, and then when Camilla faded away. "This is just another hurdle he has to go over. If he keeps losing things that mean so much to him… then he shouldn't be so weak to begin with."

"And how would you know it's a weakness?" Dereece backlashed. "The Captain's been doing everything he can to make sure he gets through the next day because he cared about Broly and Camilla. Are you saying he should just forget them?!"

Duncan shrugged with a scoff. The silence seemed like a stale answer. "They're dead. They're not around anymore so I shouldn't see how he should be obsessed over someone that's never gonna come back."

"Duncan…" The cold answer stunned Dereece. For some reason, there was actually a small tint of pain in that tone Duncan gave. Seeing his back turned to him still was sending an empathetic message that only Dereece felt from the man.

Suddenly the light lacrima lighting the tunnel went out, making it turn pitch-black, alarming Dereece and Duncan.

"What's this?"

"What the? When did it get so dark all of a sudden?!"

A hiss and glowing sharp eyes came from inside the darkness. Duncan furrowed his brow and reached for his metal rod. He turned his back, but a sharp force to the back of his head knocked him out.

"Duncan?!" Dereece felt a sharp strike on his side that pushed his over. "Gah!" He fell onto his side, lying on the ground.

The lights suddenly turned on, making pitch-black turn off. As Duncan laid there in pain with Dereece, a pair of feet walked up to Dereece. Dereece glanced up, seeing a familiar face.

"So nice that you gentleman could drop in." Kane smirked. Beside him, Whirlipede hissed mockingly.

Dereece's eyes widened. "Kane…"

Kane smirked as he snapped his fingers, making everything go dark again.


Joey was racing through Magnolia, back out towards the woods. His head was stirred up in all the wrong ways from what Duncan said, and it lingered heavily.

"If your Pokémon took off the moment you turned your back, what does that say about you?"

Joey's teeth gritted. 'Crap, I messed up again.' Another image of Pidove flashed in his head. 'I didn't think Pidove thought of me like that.'

"I shall obey, Master!" He thought of Pidove's normal, obedient attitude. That's all he saw.

'Was I really that irresponsible? Am I really that bad of a Trainer that I he could just forget me and go off somewhere?' He tried shaking his head as he ran through the woods. 'No, don't think like that Joey, snap out of it! You gotta find him, fast!'

He soon came to a clearing, where he immediately thought it was the small one where the pond was.

"Pidove?! Pidove!" he called. Suddenly a shockwave made him fall onto his bottom. "Woah!" He groaned as he tried to make sense of what was happening. "What just…!" When he looked up, his eyes widened when he saw Nic, Staraptor, and Mega Charizard all in the air. Immediately Joey started shivering from epic shock. 'N-Nic-senpai! T-this is…this is his Pokémon Training! That's his Staraptor, a-and that's…Mega Charizard again!' He almost lost feeling in his legs. 'I can't believe it! Did I just really stumble into their backyard without knowing?!'

Taking notice of something below, all three turned to see Joey off to the side below them, giving him a mild heart attack.

'Oh no! They spotted me!'

"Joey?" Nic landed with the other flyers. He transformed to normal and approached Joey. "What are you doing here?"

Joey scrambled to find words, but he was so in shock that he started getting nervous. "Oh, um, y-you see…" In his head he was getting unnerved. 'I can't tell him I lost Pidove, or else he's gonna think less of me!' Clearing his throat, he tried for an excuse. "W-well, uh…I was trying to find some more Pokémon, a-and I guess I wandered too far away and bumped into here." He clasped his hands and bowed. "Sorry for disturbing you!"

Nic glanced at Joey for a moment, inspecting him. He could see the profuse sweat on his face, meaning he was rushing his body. From the way he was breathing, he was trying to quell his hyperventilating. The symptoms were there, but he wasn't gonna let it slide.

Looking at Staraptor and Mega Charizard, the three gazed equally before Nic turned towards Joey as he was leaving. "Hold on."

Joey froze in place like a statue.

"Joey…do you need help in catching these Pokémon?" Nic had another suspicion, but he rather played along to see where this would go. "You look like you've been searching everywhere for them."

Joey shuddered. "Uh…n-no thanks, Nic-senpai. I…got it covered." He nervously laughed. "It's just that it's hard trying to find the right one."

Nic chuckled. "I know what you mean. Never thought I'd ever meet other like Staraptor and Charizard…and of course, Erza." He smirked, thinking briefly of his luscious wife. "But looking for the right Pokémon takes more than just an eye you know."

"Y-yeah, I know. Hehe…" He thought for a moment how he chose Chespin a while back, and then how he chose Trubbish when he took one look at her. That feeling he had only stirred his heart up further.

"You probably get it, too, don't you? People can trade their Pokémon for other ones others have, but if you truly valued them, you know your time was worth it."

"Yeah…I know…" Joey had his eyes shadowed by his bangs as he smiled. From the corners of his eyes, glints of tears could be seen/

Nic looked over towards the house. He saw Erza heading out the door towards him, a dreamy smile crossing his face. "…and there's some who you just can't live without." He softly added.

Erza reconvened with him, smiling back. "Are you finished with your training?"

Nic asked. "Yeah, for now I guess." He turned towards Mega Charizard and Staraptor. He watched Mega Charizard revert to Charizard, and he pulled out two Sitrus Berries. "Here you, guys." He lobbed the two berries at them, in which they ate gladly to regain energy.

As the two Pokémon ate a decent fill, Joey was off in the corner, a frown showing.

"So then we're heading out to work?" Nic asked.

Erza nodded. "Yes, the job's to collect some minerals inside a cave in the bottom of a ravine. You ready?"

Nic frowned in seriousness. "We are." He turned back towards Joey. "Joey, you'll be okay, right?"

THUD

Nic looked surprised as they all saw Joey slump to his knees on all fours. They all fell silent upon seeing his head down, like he had disgraced someone dear to him.

"Joey…"

"…I really am a bad Trainer, Duncan was right." He softly muttered. "I let Pidove out of my sight and now he's gone. I thought that I just had to get stronger, but…" he gripped the grass in angst. "I wasn't thinking about them, only myself…Nic-senpai…Erza-senpai…"

Joey lifted his head, showing his tears that startled both.

"I'm so sorry! I really let you down! I let everybody down!" he bowed his head on the grass. "You told me to start training on my own and I pushed too hard! I don't know what to do now! I'm just…just irresponsible…" He started breaking down slowly, balling his fists in the grass in frustration.

Nic was confused at first until he realized what Joey meant. 'Is he really that hungover on what I said?' To a degree Nic can empathize with Joey. If he was worried about his Pokémon, he'd feel the same way. Seeing as how part of this was his fault, he walked up to Joey.

"Joey…look at me." He instructed. Joey did as told. When he looked up, he saw Nic on a knee, with Erza behind him with Staraptor and Charizard, with Aegislash hovering nearby as well. His tears stopped upon seeing their empathy.

"You're not a bad Trainer, you say that because you put yourself down too hard. I understand what it feels to have expectations you can't keep up with." He spoked. "For yourself, for your Pokémon, and everyone else."

"You said that you lost Pidove, did you not?" Erza asked. "Do you know if he's captured?"

Joey sniffled. "N-no…I just had my back turned with Magikarp…and then I don't know. Duncan said it was my fault and I was too weak…and I think he's right."

Nic put a hand on Joey's shoulder. "Duncan is an experienced Trainer, but he doesn't share the same experience you had here. He must have had his own life to think about and is just saying his ideals. You would do the same if you had your own, right?"

Joey's eyes widened. "My own…ideals?"

"You know, we understand your pain. We've felt it countless times." Erza admitted. "When I was separated from Nic…I couldn't keep him out of my mind. A part of me blames myself for letting him get captured at some point. He and Vanessa were nearly dead when I finally found them."

Joey's pupils shrunk. 'Wait…captured?' He looked at Nic, seeing his relaxed expression.

"After countless battles and times apart…I began to realize that we can look after ourselves. But more importantly, we had to trust each other. Through our battles and experiences, we had our own ideals we've made along the way, and within time, even you. Tell me, does Pidove mean that much to you?"

Joey's tears were swelling his cheeks. He slowly nodded. "…yeah. I do. He's the first Pokémon I caught."

Erza smiled. "Then it's worth it."

"Joey, I'm sorry we haven't been paying closer attention to you." Nic apologized. "You've been putting a lot of stress on yourself because of Camilla and your mentor, isn't it?" Joey looked shameful, proving Nic's point. "I may have told you that you're training on your own, but don't forget that you're part of a guild now. We look out for each other. Maybe I like training in solitude like Duncan does, but I consider the guild, too. They've supported me when I was feeling down and depressed." He looked at Erza, who smiled warmly at him. "I trust them with my life. And I'm sure you feel the same with your Pokémon too, right?"

Joey stood up, wiping his eyes with his sleeve to stop crying. When he looked up, he had a no-hesitation expression. "You're right. Bro and Camilla trusted me with their lives to the end…I'm gonna hold that same faith for Pidove." He declared.

Nic and Erza nodded. Erza held up a Poke Ball and flung it skywards. "Talonflame, come out!" In the air with Staraptor, Talonflame cawed as she was brought out. "Talonflame, see if you can find Pidove."

"You too, Staraptor." Nic instructed.

"Right, on it!" Using her strong wings to glide, Talonflame circled around and Staraptor went off to search as well. They flew away for reconnaissance, leaving Joey alone.

"So then, what do you propose we do?" Erza asked.

Before they could make a move, Charizard craned his head up and saw a Drifloon drift through the air towards them.

"A Drifloon?" Nic questioned.

The Drifloon floated down to Joey and dropped what looked like an envelope in its chords before floating off. Once the balloon was out of sight, Joey inspected the note.

"A note?" Joey started opening the note so he can read it.

"What's it say?" Erza questioned.

Joey narrowed his eyes, reading the refined print on it. As he went along, his eyes widened like he got shot in the heart. "No…"

Dear Joey,

Meet me at Death Valley at sundown tonight. Come alone. And to make sure that you don't get cold feet, I've taken Dereece and Duncan for extra insurance. Oh, and if I find out anyone else follows you, their lives won't last by the end of the night. Don't keep me waiting.

Sincerely yours,

Kane & Whirlipede

Joey scrunched the paper in his hands. "Kane." He growled. "Of course, that sly little…"

Erza seized the note of her own accord. When she read the contents, while she did admire the refined print, her shock was seen. "What…? Captured?" she gasped.

"It was that guy who ambushed Joey back on that fake request." Nic bitterly noted. He looked towards Joey to see him pondering. "He must have known Joey would be in trouble again and used that against him. Joey…what is your plan?"

His fists were balled tight as he was caught in another crossroad. On one hand, there was Pidove who was still missing. On the other hand, there was his teammates who were captured by his arch nemesis yet again. And both happened on his account. Two mistakes that he felt responsible for. This sent a shiver down his spine that made him think twice of Duncan.

"It was enough that you let your little emotion spree run wild that you took it out on something as a job, but dragging us along when you yourself wasn't prepared is just plain pathetic. You should be grateful that you're still allowing Nic to hold your hand as he is now, otherwise if not for him, you'd be dead. Unlike you, he actually has experience, and he thinks two steps ahead at the very least. If you're really looking to match up to someone like him, your mindsets' the first thing to get fixed."

A long pause strained Joey as he had his back turned. He frowned in the shadows. 'Duncan…' He thought of the way Duncan battled. 'You were speaking the truth to me. If I'm gonna be as strong as Bro wants me to be, and as good as a Trainer as Nic-senpai, I have to step up. This is a test, I know it!'

"Joey?" Erza saw Joey's fists ball. She and Nic could feel a level of dread in the air.

"Nic-senpai…I'm sorry. I know you said that I'm part of a guild…but this is my mess that I have to clean up." He declared. "You heard what the note said, Dereece and Duncan are in danger, and it's all because of me. If I don't go alone, Kane is gonna…" he shook his head, smacking his cheeks with his palms. He pulled himself together and glared. "Right. Then I know what I gotta do."

"And what's that?" Nic asked with crossed arms.

Joey opened his eyes, looking ahead with a fire in his heart. "I have to trust Pidove can handle himself for now. Right now, I gotta prove to Duncan I can be more responsible…and I'll start by stopping Kane right now."


The Pidove flock flew across the skies across Fiore towards east. They were currently traveling across the Clover Canyon, minding their own business. Amongst them, Pidove was in the very back of the flock, seen in the last leg of the V formation.

Well behind him, the two other Pidove who coaxed him were tailing him to make sure he didn't go back. Their red eyes blinked once consecutively, before closing in on Pidove.

"Yes, that's it. Heading east." One Pidove swayed.

"A fine direction for flight indeed, our sweet little friend." The other commented.

"Okay!" Pidove chirped happily, unaware of the two Pidove's eyes blinking red again.

As the flock traveled across the canyon's in the many gorges that had steep cliffs, there were nests of od creatures hidden within the shadows of the cliffs. When the flock traveled over the gorges, their noise traveled down to the nests, making necks and beaks look up. As eyes shimmered, they revealed dull black eyes piercing up at the prey.

"Weee!" Pidove chimed as he was flying freely behind the flock. It's been a while since he had himself some wide-open air. Granted he had a brain the size of a pea, but even he knows what feels good and what doesn't.

The two Pidove behind blinked in unison. They kept close behind Pidove as he fluttered about without a care to the world.

"Glad that you are having fun." One Pidove replied, the red eyes glowing brighter. "I know I will."

Down below, a glint could be seen. That glint soared skywards, heading right for the two Pidove behind.

BAM

Something harsh passed the Pidove from below, shooting skywards. A moment passed before the flapping birds' eyes ceased glowing, and the next instant, they burst into two small explosions in the sky.

Hearing the explosion, Pidove alarmingly stopped his flight path and looked back. "Huh. What was that?" He looked at the fading smoke, watching mechanical body parts fall to the canyons below. Still confused, he barely caught the caw from above. When he looked up, he saw something beaming down from the sun. It was hard to make out at first, but as the creature flapped its extravagant wings, the shade was enough to alarm Pidove.

"Who's he?" Pidove questioned dumbly.

As the shadows faded, the creature revealed itself to be a large brown bird with a massively long, thin beak. He had a red pointed crown with cream and light brown plumage around the wings. It was a Fearow, and it was heading straight for Pidove.

Alarmed, Pidove moved out of the way at the last second. The Fearow, continued its path down until it started circling up towards Pidove.

"Big bird! Big bird!" Pidove hollered.

The Fearow cawed as he moved in to attack again with a glowing beak. It sailed pretty fast, so Pidove's wings glowed via Gust. The strong winds generated were enough to make the Fearow repulse. The avian, however, was flung into the flock up ahead, startling Pidove.

"Oops."

The Fearow tumbled close to the back, straightening out and flexing his wings. The Pidove behind looked back, just now processing the massive predatory threat looming. Startled, the flock began to go into disarray around the skies. Amongst them, Pidove looked around at the confusion, blinking. "Wait, what's going on?!"

Fearow shook his head and let out a loud caw that echoed throughout the skies.

Down below in the shadows of the gorge, there were glints that gleamed profusely about. Upon shooting skywards, Pidove and many more looked down, shocked to see so many Fearow flying up towards them. The many Fearow cawed out in reply, and the other Fearow shrilled another cry in return.

Pidove blinked twice really fast. He knew something was bad about this situation, but didn't know how to process it. He just looked around as many Fearow were chasing around other Pidove. Many territorial birds attacked the helpless, mindless doves that flew right into their domain.

He finally looked forward to see the one Fearow glaring him down. It had its sights on him after that last hit. Pidove fearfully blinked. 'Wait…am I forgetting something important?' he wondered. 'What was it again, uh…uh…'

As Pidove was spacing out, Fearow cawed as he closed in on the swarm.

"No, that's not it…hmmm…" Pidove's eyes widened. "Oh, I know! It's-!" He turned and saw Fearow barreling his way. "Gaaah!"

Fearow opened his beak to clamp down, but out of the blue, a metallic white stream sped across, immediately downing Fearow in one blow.

"Huh?" Pidove gasped. He saw something familiar barrel around the skies.

A sonic-speed metal bullet swished around the air. Fearow after Fearow fell as what appeared to be a Staraptor using Steel Wing spiraled like a drill through the atmosphere, impacting another Fearow into one further below, sending them back into the gorge. Staraptor let out a menacing caw as she took control of the skies, deterring many of the Fearow around her.

Another metallic glint was from above. The glint transformed into Talonflame diving down at a breakneck dive bomb pace. Before they knew what hit them, another gray-white streak came vertically down. Seconds later, a flurry of white burst and smoke enveloped the atmosphere, causing many more Fearow to fall.

"Wooah…" Pidove was speechless as he watched the smoke dissipate. Diving out of the smoke, Staraptor and Talonflame cawed as they flew side-by-side. Together, their wings glowed again via Steel Wing. The familiar move made the bird even more shocked as it made him flash back to his training for that move.

'Master…?'

"HA!" Staraptor slammed her wing down on a Fearow's head, immediately sending him to the gorge. As she held her position, another Fearow came up behind, only to receive a backwing Steel Wing that knocked it out as well.

"Krah!" Talonflame sailed in a straight line into a row of Fearow trying to corner some Pidove. She sailed into all three, passing them and continuing her path. The shock soon caused them all to gawk before they fell into the gorge next.

Steel Wing after Steel Wing, the two birds danced through the skies with a balance of grace and ferocity. Not a single move was wasted as they turned, twisted, and struck down the Fearow around. All while Pidove could do nothing but watch in amazement of how they executed the move.

With one last Steel Wing, Staraptor and Talonflame shot at the last Fearow together. They passed it and posed behind in the air. As their wings returned to normal, the Fearow was stiff before it fell next into the gorge.

"That's the last one." Staraptor noted. She looked around, seeing many Pidove scattering about randomly. "Well, at least we were able to save them." She acknowledged.

"My guess is that they'll find nearby settlements." Talonflame noted.

Staraptor nodded. "Works in our case. Now then…" She towards Pidove, she and Talonflame meeting the flapping pigeon in the atmosphere. "Pidove, are you alright?"

Pidove nodded. "Uh-huh."

"That's good. Then I guess we picked up your trail at just the perfect time." She looked towards Talonflame and then Pidove. "You had us worried there. Don't go flying off like that again, especially without Joey."

"Joey…?" For some reason, the name rung a bell in Pidove's mind. He couldn't help but feel a strong case of déjà vu clog his noggin. In his mind, he could see Joey's big, goofy smile.

"Thanks, Pidove! Let's work hard, kay?" He even recalled his chirpy voice.

Finally it hit Pidove. "Oh yeah! I must obey my Master!" he declared. He looked around, seeing his 'Master' was nowhere. "Master? Joey?" He looked crestfallen as he realized he was nowhere in sight. In fact, he almost forgot how it happened. "Master? Where'd you go?" he asked fearfully.

Staraptor and Talonflame looked towards one another. Opting to do something, they approached the dove.

"Uh, Pidove?" Staraptor proposed in a softer tone, suitable for kids. "If you'd like, we could show you where he is. That what you want?"

Immediately the dove perked up. "Oh goody!"

'Staraptor, can you hear me?' A voice rung inside Staraptor's head, immediately catching her attention.

'Nic?'

'Listen, there's been a change of plans…'


A massive machine that was hooked with tubes and cylinders was being operated by at least 20 different people on the floor. They all were hard at work and directing each other as the inside of the machine was glowing brightly.

The Dragon Slayers and their Exceeds were watching from the balcony along the second level's grid. They were being tentative at watching as the process was taking some time.

"Looks like they're almost done." Gajeel noted.

Wendy nodded. "Yeah."

"I'm still unsure about all this. Can we really trust them to do this? This is tampering with the laws of nature." Carla protested.

"That's hard to say." Pantherlily said. "You ask me, the laws of nature were revoked when Pokémon came here. Besides, he assured this wasn't anything like the R-System. Compared to what we're used to, I'd call this magic."

Happy looked towards Natsu as the Dragon Slayer had a frown. He was glued to the experiment's light coming inside the massive machine. He was neither excited nor disapproving, just quiet.

"Fossil Restoration?"

"That's right. The committees in many of our regions back where we are from have been known to have extensive science that allows us to study the art of fossils." Jefferey explained. "It's no guarantee, but due to us bringing and reproducing our schematics, our highly trained scientists and engineers have been working nonstop to ensure this project gives Earthland the benefit of reviving Pokémon long extinct from fossils, too."

They were all stunned. Fossils? Reviving them? One would've considered this voodoo that's beyond immeasurable. A part of them wanted to scoff at the notion if they had room to talk.

"As you are also aware, it's not everyday that fossils are always found." Another scientist pointed out.

"Like ancestors, some remnants don't always come up upon excavation. However, with the smallest dose, we can bring back the life of that Pokémon that came from the DNA." Another pointed out.

"For real?!" Happy gasped. "You guys can seriously do that?!"

"Wow, I didn't think it could all be possible." Wendy awed. "You mean…"

"You guys sound like you can give life to something that's already lost." Gajeel pointed out. "Somehow I highly doubt that. Magic like that is forbidden, even I wouldn't stoop to that." He looked over at Natsu, who was admittedly quiet about the whole thing. He could see the tension in his gaze.

"This is science, not magic." A scientist corrected. "There's a significant difference between the two."

"Really? How so?"

"Perhaps the flavors in snow cones you all eat. Perhaps the evolution of construction based on math. Or perhaps the blood cells that humans have? They don't move by magic flowing through us, it's by fluids and bodily evolution."

"If there isn't a point getting across, then let me straighten it out." Jefferey compromised. "We intend to revive some of the fossils that we've been researching, and because of what you've done, you'll be the first."

"So then…we're getting ancient Pokémon?" Wendy clarified. "What do you think about this, Carla?" she turned towards Carla, who pondered.

"That's a good question. To be perfectly honest, I didn't think something like this was possible. Not without the tactics of offering something in compensation like the past. It's hard to believe with all the talks everyone shares about the Cambire Foundation that they even had time and staff to do this."

"We can understand." Jefferey humbly nodded. "But as we said, this is a test. But, if successful, then you will be the first to hold Pokémon revived from another world."

Gajeel and Pantherlily shared gazes of question at another, whereas Wendy and Carla were looking questionably in return. Suddenly a hand slammed down on a desk.

"Just a minute." All eyes went towards Natsu, who stood up with a dead serious frown.

"Natsu?" Wendy gasped.

Jefferey raised a brow. "Is there something the matter?"

"Yeah, I got my own say too if you don't mind. What I say you're doing feels wrong. Maybe they've died once before, so are you saying you're just gonna do that to them again?"

"Natsu…" Happy was at a loss for words. He understood when he thought about Igneel. But more importantly, he thought about Zeref and their First Master, Mavis.

"If there's one thing we know about tampering with life and death…it's that it affects others more than you could ever imagine. I don't know what kind of stuff you do in your world, but here we take life and death a lot more serious."

"So you're saying we shouldn't go through with this." Jefferey clarified. There was hint of question of power in his tone. Natsu clearly challenged it.

"I'm saying you should forget this whole thing!" Natsu retorted. "If you looked into our history, then you should know many more died than lived to see this through to the end! Maybe it'd be cool if Igneel or other dragon fossils could come back…" He thought about Igneel for a second, his gaze calming. "But he told me to see the future and not on the past."

There was a long silence that filled the entire room. Nobody was sure of what to say or how to counter him. Some scientists looked towards each other and began muttering to themselves, much to Natsu's growing ire. He could hear their doubts loud and clear.

Jefferey humbly nodded. "I understand."

"Sir?" a scientist questioned.

"If I were in your position, perhaps I would in fact be intrusive to this act. I might not know exactly you reasons, but, from the sounds of it, it seems that you are very experienced with life and death."

"So you get what I'm saying?" Natsu asked.

"Yes, I do. But, please allow me to say this…when those people that were brought back to life, did they in fact cause more pain or joy in their second lives?"

Natsu was silent at his rebuttal. On one hand, there was Zeref and Lysandre, and in the other, there were those who were in a stasis like Jellal. He's even heard about Nic and Vanessa's family a while back that brought up questions.

"It's true that there are Pokémon who have been created for destruction, that also is factored in by their environment; who they're appealed to; who created them; and who do they have to look up to. If you hadn't been told before, the Pokémon that is known as Mewtwo is an example of such a grave case.

They all thought of Mewtwo and meeting him before. Seeing him even Mega Evolve left Wendy's eyes shuddering. 'Mewtwo…was an artificial Pokémon?'

"But that Pokémon was artificial. It was designed for that purpose. However, fossils are very different. Unlike what you may be used to, we don't implant anything to exact obedience."

"We establish a nurturing and familiar environment where they can feel most comfortable." Another scientist explained. "From there, we merely study their habits and see how they interact."

Natsu didn't look convinced. "Then what?"

"Then that's it. Sometimes we give them Trainers who want to look after them, or maybe we help them integrate with other Pokémon. It's not an easy process. These assimilations take time."

Natsu turned away. He didn't even know if he wanted to hear anymore.

"Mr. Dragneel." Jefferey spoke in a more empathetic tone. "Don't think of this as bringing back the dead. Think of this as giving what was lost another chance. A chance that you can make with your own two hands." He closed his eyes, humbly sighing. "When I first came into the Cambire Foundation, my one goal was to help our world and Pokémon survive. To do that, I needed to open to new potentials, and while I questioned some methods at first, I can't deny that they've helped me realize the ideal future that befits the needs of our people. Perhaps you are right when the dead do deserve to rest…but time never does. And as time flows, so does healing wounds. Please, Mr. Dragneel, think about that."

Natsu was contemplative as he glared down at the ground. He looked so fixated that it was scaring everyone. As he glared, flashes of images came to his mind. His time with Igneel when he was still a kid was one thing he adored, then he realized he was recreated by his brother. In a way, redesigned for a purpose. In all honesty, he didn't even know what to think anymore. He balled his fists in frustration of what to say, let alone think, of the logic of Pokémon and his own.

"It's up to you, but we have the aim of making an understanding between us and your people with Pokémon. We ask for a chance…everyone deserves it."

"Natsu…" Wendy murmured.

After a long minute of thinking, Natsu sighed out. He slowly turned around, giving Jefferey a glare. "…and you can promise that it won't be anything like what we did?"

Jefferey nodded. "I assure you."

Natsu glared in silence longingly before he finally showed signs of ease. "…okay then." He said. "If you guys say you can make it happen, then I'll be in this, too." He frowned threateningly. "But if I find out anything suspicious about this machine, that thing is fried."

A scientist balled a fist. "You'd banter us over something you have no control over-!" he was silenced when Jefferey put his hand up. He lowered it, and he spoke instead.

"That's a fair deal." Jefferey reached to shake Natsu's hand. "I assure you, Fairy Tail, you won't be disappointed."

They shook hands.

'I'm still not sure what they're aiming for with all this talk about another chance.' Natsu watched as the light of the massive machine was igniting brighter than before. Inside the monitors, he could actually see energy and cells molding around the fossils. 'But I guess it'd be kinda cool to see what kind of power these old Pokémon can do.'

Happy hopped onto the railing. "You feeling okay, Natsu?"

Natsu faced him. "Yeah Happy, don't worry." He looked out at the scene again. "Listen guys, sorry about earlier. I was just kinda being a jerk back there."

Wendy shook her head. "No, it's fine. Don't beat yourself up over it Natsu."

"But Salamander does have a point." Gajeel pointed out. "Imagine if this thing can do more than just bring life back from fossils. We could be looking at a new way to bring back even more dead."

Pantherlily crossed his arms and frowned. "That's a grave thought. I'm sure that their technology isn't compatible with our magic systems to do that…" his glare darkened. "But…that isn't to say that can be a possibility for the future."

"I never thought the future can be such a scary thing at times." Wendy dismayed.

"That's because when we learned about the future during the Grand Magic Games, we knew of the perilous outcomes. Here, it's just like Alvarez…we can never be certain." Carla said.

Natsu fell silent as he looked on again.

They all heard a high enough frequency coming from the machine as the cells inside were bubbling and glowing. They looked like they were regenerating and multiplying like crazy inside. Slowly, three silhouettes were growing inside, with each having various shapes. All eyes fell onto the bright arrays that the machine was giving off.

"The DNA convergence is at 97%!" a worker called out. "98…99…"

Jefferey was on the ground level as he stood behind protective glass. He watched the process with hands behind his back and an expectant face that's been there the whole time. 'I owe it to Arthur to give this much for my fair share. Charlotte has been working hard to train even the Rune Knights…now I must rise up. And this is where it'll all start.'

The humming dialed down as the lights inside the machine were cooling down. Slowly, after minutes of savoring and processing, the massive double doors unhinged from another. Steam exited the machine as soon as the smallest cracks opened. Workers were running around like crazy as various other machines were glitching with some static.

Inside, the three fossils were now silhouettes that were standing upright. Jefferey and the Fairy Tail Mages all went wide-eyed as they watched the results actually come to life.

Slowly, three sets of eyes flickered open. Two were black, and a third set had big blue eyes. When the steam finally cleared, the three stepped out, meeting room temperature tiling.

The first one leading the pack lifted his head high. It looked like a baby Tyrannosaurus, save for a slightly rounder bulk. He had a vicious set of chompers to match his short, sharp white claws on the toes and hands. He had a medium-sized tail with a small spike on the end. Around the neck was pointed white fluff.

The second one was a quadruped dinosaur Pokémon as well. It had a primarily yellow body with four white claws; one for each foot. It had a short tail. What was most intricate about it was the fact that its head was round, had a hard texture to it that reminisced of a shield, and had silver accents like one as well.

The third one was the tallest. This dinosaur Pokémon had large glossy blue eyes on its light blue head, which went down a thin, long neck. On top of the head were two sails that refracted light to resemble waves of an aurora borealis. On the stubby body was a small tail, and on either side of the stomach were two blue diamonds that were nothing but ice. The bottom of the stomach had a tainted light blue.

A scientist behind protective glass looked shocked. "The machine. It…"

"It worked." Another finished.

Jefferey grinned.

The brown bipedal creature raised his head, smelling the air. "Huh?" He looked at his surroundings. It wasn't just him who looked around with scrutiny and curiosity. The other two looked dazed, if not confused. The blue one looked a little worried. The shield-like creature looked to be more worried at the ground. Up above, the Dragon Slayers looked shocked.

"No way…" Wendy murmured.

"They really did it." Gajeel said, shock in his tone.

"So those are ancient Pokémon in the flesh." Pantherlily astounded. "They actually pulled it off."

"Incredible…" Carla awed.

"Natsu, are you seeing this?" Happy asked.

Natsu was almost speechless. With deep shock still on his face, he could see the new life that was given another chance, and he was here to witness how they brought the lives of three lost souls back. He knew this had to be voodoo, but what he knew for a fact that they were alive…and no one got hurt.

"Gnngh…" The brown carnivore looked around, eyeing everything and everyone, who were behind protective paneling. "Everything…hazy."

The shield blinked several times before everything became clear. 'What's going on? This isn't the forest'

The blue dinosaur looked at machines, her shock evident. "W-what's going on? Where am I?" she looked around, seeing no snow. When she saw the shield creature, she was surprised, but what startled her even more was the fanged dinosaur turning towards her. "Eek!" she shrunk back.

The creature sniffed around, glaring at the two discerningly. "Tyrunt…hungry!" he shouted, startling everyone. He began stomping, making the ground shudder beneath his wake. It was enough to make the other two shudder. "Tyrunt need food! Need now!"

"Shieldon no like this guy!" The shield creature, now known as Shieldon, panicked.

Tyrunt roared at them hungrily. He looked like he had his eyes fixed on them. Shieldon and the other backpedaled with scared looks on their faces.

"Hey, you."

Tyrunt heard an odd sound. When he turned around, he saw a pink-haired boy who was looking right at him. "Heh?" he hunched at Natsu, tilting his head in confusion. "Tyrunt, see new face." He glared.

"Guess you're called Tyrunt then, is that it?" Natsu said in a serious tone. "Bet you're wondering what's going on." Behind him Wendy, Gajeel, and the Exceeds joined him as he walked forward. "Listen, I'm not the best with talking, but I know you can understand me, so hear me out."

Tyrunt's glare hardened as he growled at Natsu. "Grrr…! Tyrunt no talk! Tyrunt eat!" He charged at Natsu angrily, each step shaking the earth beneath.

"He's on the attack!" a scientist yelled.

"Initiate the safety protocol 1401, now!" another shouted. But soon a hand reached out, stopping them. When they all turned, it was Jefferey who had them thwarted. "Sir?"

Jefferey remained glued to the scene, looking tentatively at the Dragon Slayers. He watched Tyrunt advance without issuing protocols. 'Now will be a test to see what you Fairy Tail Mages can do.'

Tyrunt charged ahead, but Natsu pulled out a Poke Ball. "Looks like you're pretty stubborn. Alright then…" He threw it. "Then how's about we cool you down! Go, Charmeleon!"

From the energy, Charmeleon arose. Tyrunt stopped in his tracks and backpedaled when the lizard formed, his frame the same height as his as he glared him back. Charmeleon let out a cry of his own.

Tyrunt's shock soon dissipated, leaving his feet to grip the ground tighter. "Another…me?" he looked confused, until he stomped in outrage. "What's going on?!" he cried out. "Tyrunt no understand!"

"Wow, this guy's a lot more pouty than you were, Natsu." Happy said. Considering he knew him all these years, that meant a lot.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He tried to ignore the flying cat and adjusted his scarf. "Anyways, let's just try and set the record straight here. Charmeleon, wanna pitch in?"

Charmeleon slashed his claws. "You bet!"

Tyrunt growled as he glared at Natsu and Tyrunt. His instincts were screaming for him to get his way, even if it had to be the hard way. Despite all the blood being fresh, it was pumping drastically through his veins. He roared out as his maw glowed, via Bite. He charged after Charmeleon with fury.

"He's on the attack." Wendy observed, pulling out Swablu's Poke Ball. "You think we should help him?"

Gajeel shrugged. "I wouldn't."

"This is Natsu, he knows what he's doing." Pantherlily said.

As Tyrunt closed in, Natsu held his posture as he glared ahead. 'Okay, let's see this training pay off.' He reached out ahead. "Charmeleon, Flame Charge!" Charmeleon growled as he got to all fours. He cloaked himself in fire and shot across the tiling at Tyrunt. He close din at an alarming rate until he was fats enough to elbow Tyrunt in the snout. The recoil made Tyrunt cry out in pain while Charmeleon flipped to a knee behind, a red aura indicating a Speed increase.

"Now, Ember!"

"Eyes open!" Charmeleon whipped his tail around, sending sparks of char and flames from his tail flame at Tyrunt behind. The swift blanket was enough to push Tyrunt forward, though it did little damage.

"Fire-type attacks hardly do a thing against Rock and Dragon-types, sir." A scientist pointed out to Jefferey.

"Yes, I am aware of that." Jefferey observed the battle. In his mind, he flashed back to Natsu and Max's battle. While he did see other battles more meaningful, he was seeing a different kind of style to Natsu's battle. It piqued him.

Tyrunt shook his head to get the daze out of him and turned around, glaring at Charmeleon. "You…Tyrunt angry!" His eyes turned glossy as a pink background enveloped him. A charming demeanor fell around Tyrunt as Charmeleon was slightly unnerved, via Charm. A large blue aura made Charmeleon's Attack drop big time.

"What the heck is he doing?" Natsu wondered.

"That looks like Charm. Wendy stated. "Juvia's Marill knows that move. It really lowers the Attack power."

"I see, then I guess we gotta go long-range." Natsu figured. "You hear that, Charmeleon, so use Ember one more time!" Heeding the command, Charmeleon nodded as he reeled his tail around and whipped it, sending small sparks at Tyrunt.

Tyrunt was prepared this time as he jumped out of the way. As the sparks dissipated, he glared back at Charmeleon. "Tyrunt no like you! Tyrunt crush you!" His fangs glowed again, initiating Bite. He charged at Charmeleon again.

"Hold, Charmeleon!"

Charmeleon did as instructed. He glared on as Tyrunt went full-speed ahead as the ground shuddered beneath. Off to the side, Shieldon and the other one were in full shock as they were seeing the battle.

When Tyrunt opened his maw closely, that was the call he wanted.

"Now, Ember!"

Charmeleon smirked. "Say 'AH'!" He whipped his tail, sending the hot sparks into Tyrunt's mouth, creating a powerful spark that ignited into a full-blown burst of smoke in the mouth. Tyrunt was seen rolling back from the critical hit, fumbling onto his bottom.

"WAAAAH! TYRUNT'S MOUTH HURTS! IT HURTS!" Tyrunt shouted. He slammed his tail down constantly, crying out harsh echoes.

Natsu balled his fist. "Sorry about this pal, but if you don't wanna listen, we'll finish this the hard way! Charmeleon, Dragon Rage!"

Charmeleon's stomach began shimmering a weak blue spiral and he gathered draconic energy from within. As it surged, Tyrunt's whining made him oblivious to the eminent doom heading his way. "Sorry about this!" Charmeleon opened his maw and lurched forward, unleashing an intense beam of blue and black with a dragon's head across the lab towards Tyrunt. The fossil was hit hard and an eruption of blue and smoke filled the lab. Everything shook as Gajeel and Wendy covered up with the Exceeds. Jefferey and the other scientists looked on behind protective paneling.

Within the dust, Natsu's scarf shifted as Charmeleon jumped in front of him. The smoke cleared, revealing Tyrunt on his side, groaning with spirals in his eyes.

Natsu grinned alongside Charmeleon. "Nice going, Charmeleon." He praised.

"No sweat."

Carla sighed in relief. "Looks like Natsu did a good job holding back that time. I'm honestly surprised."

"Hey, don't say that Carla." Happy chided. "Natsu's way better than he was before."

"Yeah." Wendy agreed. "Plus, he's actually thinking ahead. When you stop to think about it, that's a lot better than when he started out with Charmander. He's really growing."

Tyrunt groaned and started gaining consciousness. As he came to, he blinked and looked at Charmeleon, processing. "Did Tyrunt…just lose?" He started tearing up and began to cry. His shrieks went through the air as his distress was all too clear.

A hand petted his head. "Hey, relax alright?" Natsu grinned. "It'll be okay." He kneeled down to meet him at eye level. "I know what it's like to be in a world where it doesn't make sense to you. You think you can get your way, but you soon realize that you just gotta accept it. Believe me, I felt that way about Pokémon before."

Tyrunt's crying soon calmed down. He looked up at Natsu and Charmeleon with slight awe.

"I may not know much either, but we can learn from each other." He held up a Poke Ball. "So if you really open up to the world, we'll be happy to show you."

"You won't be disappointed." Charmeleon coaxed, chuckling. "I know I wasn't."

Tyrunt was still uncertain of what Natsu meant. However, looking at his face now, the dinosaur could see a bright smile. He was skeptical, and he was still hungry, but humbled by this loss, it didn't feel fair to be beaten like this, not in a fashion like this. Still, he wasn't gonna get anywhere without help.

He sniffed the Poke Ball, unknowingly nudging it with his snout. The capsule flung open, sucking Tyrunt inside. Almost immediately, the capsule shook and clicked, signaling the beast's capture.

Natsu's grin widened. "Guess we got a new member."

"Aye, wait a go pal!" Happy cheered on.

"Thanks, buddy." Natsu opened the Poke Ball, bringing out Tyrunt once more. "So Tyrunt, from here on, you'll be part of our group. What do you say?"

Tyrunt tilted his head, but soon nodded. "Tyrunt will go."

Wendy and Gajeel looked to each other. Seeing as how the situation was cooling down, they moved closer towards Shieldon and the other, to whom Wendy acknowledged.

"Hey there." She kneeled a distance away. "It's okay. We won't hurt ya."

The long-necked creature was unsure, but she slowly approached Wendy, taking small step by step. Once she was close enough, she sniffed Wendy's cheek before licking it.

"That tickles!" Wendy laughed. "So my name's Wendy. What do we call you?"

The creature blinked, looking nervous. "A-Amaura…thanks."

Gajeel looked down at Shieldon, sharing a blank stare at him. Dark eyes glared at red, and it looked like neither was gonna talk until Gajeel leaned in closer, getting a closer to his face. "…is this thing iron?"

"Don't even think about it." Pantherlily chided.

Off with the other members of the vicinity, Jefferey was approached by a fellow worker. "Sir!" he presented a clipboard with numerous reports on it. "The test's results were better than expected. The cell assimilation process was a success."

"I see." He looked at the worker. "And no deformities?"

"No sir, all three were perfectly healthy when they were brought back."

"That's good." He looked back at the scene. He watched as Happy flew around, avoiding Tyrunt from trying to bite off his tail. "That goes better than the last few tries. Finally, we're making progress."

He continued observing them, watching Wendy pet Amaura's head. Looking at Gajeel, he could see him showing Aron. The two immediately sniffed each other and butt heads, only to bounce off onto their backs. Tyrunt was still chasing Happy, with Natsu soon reaching Tyrunt's fluff and holding him off the ground to restrain him. Having enough, he chose to turn away.

"Sir, where are you going?"

"I'm going back to my office." He stated. "I'm going to have to spend the evening on this report. Make sure they have everything they need before they leave today."

He exited the lab, leaving his gift to Fairy Tail.


The skies were cloudy, so it was hard to tell when the sun was setting. However, within the vast mountain ranges for Devil's Valley, the caws of Murkrow and ravens alike stirred in the darkness beyond the peaks. It was here that a certain someone was climbing up to the top, and like it or not, he had to make it to the summit.

Clawing his way up, Joey groaned as he pulled himself closer. He rested with a wheeze, and then pulled himself up yet again. With each desperate climb up, the further away the top seemed.

"This…is so…stupid." Joey wheezed, laboring in breath frantically. He wasn't used to climbing all that much apparently. "Doesn't this guy…know that I'm a…dancer…and not a…climber…?"

When he found closure, he looked towards a small ledge close by. He rested his hand on a deserted dead tree, using it as a support for him to lean and rest on. He wiped sweat off his face.

"Okay…am I close yet?" He peered up to the top, which was still hundreds of feet away. He sweatdropped nervously and swallowed a lump. 'W-well, at least I'm getting somewhere. I wonder how far I got?'

Joey looked down at the gorge below. When he saw the actual bottom just only five-hundred feet below, his left brow twitched once, then twice, then it constantly twitched until his mentality literally shattered like glass. He let out an annoyed scream that echoed throughout the valley, alarming nearby Geodude and Graveler.

"This sucks! There's no way I'm gonna get up there like this!" Gritting his teeth, he'd rather be at home getting ready for Friday night pizza. However, he knew better now. 'No, I can't back out now. This is serious! Bro would be on this and not complaining like I am. Snap out of it!' He smacked his cheeks with his palms again for the umpteenth time today. 'Get it together, Joey. Your friends are counting on you.' He sighed. 'Man, I wish Dereece could give me a piggyback ride. His magic would save a lot of time…'

An idea sprung in his head.

"Wait…that's it!" he shouted, banging his hand into his palm. "Why didn't I think of this before?! Who needs climbing…when you can just make stairs!" He pressed his hands along the rock.

"Barrier-Make: Stairs!"

A turquoise barrier molded into a very narrow stairway that stretched far up. The area shot high skywards up towards the peak. "Yes! Beat that, Kane! Who needs climbing now? Huh!" he determinedly smirked. "Okay, now can get somewhere. Hang on guys, I'm coming!"

He started up the stairs, heading towards the peak.


At the base of the summit, there was a large dead tree, where there was one branch that was hanging over a really dark open pit in the center. It looked to be bottomless. There, hanging by ropes over the pits and the face of death, Dereece and Duncan were tied together. They were suspended for so long that they lost track of time.

"I trust that you two are having fun hanging around." Down below, Kane was sitting on a large rock, stroking Whirlipede and making him purr.

Dereece glared angrily. "Kane…"

Duncan didn't speak. He tried thrashing about in his restrains and hope. He couldn't even feel his own magic surging.

"I wouldn't waste my strength on that if I were you. Those ropes are made out of the same fibers that Magic Sealing Stone is made of. So you're essentially helpless."

Duncan growled. Dereece looked towards him and back at Kane. "You're even more mad than before!"

Kane looked offended. "I am? Geez, I'm sorry. I mean it wasn't like I was almost buried alive and was forgotten if that's what you were thinking!"

"That's what this is about?!" Dereece countered. "You were trying to kill us first man, c'mon!"

"No matter. Once the beloved Captain Joey arrives for our historic showdown, then we will be seeing who's at the end of their rope now, won't we?" he snickered at the roll of jokes he was making.

"If this a joke, I'm not laughing." Duncan grimaced angrily. He sighed annoyingly. "I can't believe I let such a ridiculous thing like this happen. I hate to say it, but this has become a bigger pain than what our narcissistic Captain is."

"Joey will bounce back, just you wait." Dereece countered. "Remember the last time this happened?"

"Yeah, and that was by dumb luck…like such a stupid thing can happen in a time like this." He scoffed. "Besides, if he were that responsible and wanted to be a Trainer, he'd be looking for a Pokémon, wouldn't he?"

Dereece furrowed his brows. He gave Duncan a disapproving glare. "What do you know about what he went through? If you were him, what would you do? Duncan?"

Duncan remained silent. He chose to not answer such a ridiculous question. This only made Dereece a little more deterred. 'Captain Joey, I know you've been having it rough. But I know you're not as dumb Duncan thinks. Hurry, man!'

Kane watched the sunset in the faraway valleys among the crags with his beloved Whirlipede. "Ah." He sighed. "There's nothing like a nice sunset on a joyous evening. But-" He stood up. "This also signals the end! Once Joey loses this epic clash, there will be no one who will dare challenge my genius! And if not-" He pointed straight at them. "Then I'll just have to sacrifice whoever else gets in the way of my plans."

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. What was that about me losing again?"

Kane perked up and turned around. Him, Dereece, and Duncan all saw Joey with crossed arms, looking down at them from a higher peak that he climbed.

"Captain Joey!" Dereece yelled.

Duncan's eyes narrowed. "So he really came after all."

Joey slid down the slope of the crevice to meet Kane. He landed on a rock and jumped off it onto a knee. He slowly stood up, facing his smirking nemesis.

"Ah, Joey. Right on time." Kane said in a modest but happy tone. "I knew you would come, and right on time, too."

"Damn straight!" Joey beamed. "Ain't no way am I letting this slide on my account. I may have had a lot of setbacks today…" he pointed accusingly at Kane, a serious look on his face. "But I'd sooner be a scumbag than see someone else fall on my account."

Kane eagerly balled his fists. He looked like he was enjoying Christmas morning. "Oh~, this is it, Whirlipede!" he squealed. "This is the moment we've been waiting for. Victory is ours, my friend."

Whirlipede hissed eagerly, to which Kane seemingly nodded at.

Joey looked towards Dereece and Duncan, seeing them suspended. 'You guys…' He thought back t earlier for a moment. 'Sorry for earlier. Duncan was right. I was being irresponsible. I'll tell them that later, but right now…' He faced a glee Kane. 'I gotta battle this crazy person.'

As the sun's gleam shimmered brightly in the distance, dark clouds illuminated shades of purple over their heads. The scene was perfect for their confrontation.

"Alright Kane, you better release my friends if I win, got that?"

Kane smirked. "Don't worry…not yet at least." He added. "I'll return your friends to you…" He snapped his fingers, and all of a sudden, the ground around Joey began to shudder.

Joey looked down, seeing part of the earth give in. Slowly, Drilbur clawed their way out of the holes. Many surrounded Joey, and on top of those, Geodude nearby were waking up and glared. In the high altitude when Joey looked up, he saw Drifloon drift down to surround him.

"But first, you'll have to beat me, and my little friends that I've made in preparations for this occasion." Kane declared.

Dereece gasped. "It's just like before…" he looked towards Joey. "Captain Joey, be careful!"

Joey didn't respond. Instead, he glared ahead with a straight face.

"What's this? Smiling in the face of a challenge? I like that." Kane sneered. "Now, let's see how you handle, when it's not just me, but everyone against you!" He held up a bag of Pokémon Food. "Have at him! And you can have all the Pokémon Food you want my minions!"

The wild Pokémon closed in around Joey as he remained still like a statue. He glanced around to see the many Drifloon, Geodude, and Drilbur targeting him, but rather than movie, he watched as the waves of creatures slowed down.

Many noses wrinkled at this sharp smell. Many of them were seen backing off, much to Kane's shock.

"What's this?!"

"Bad news, Kane. I learned a little something from our last encounter, too." Joey mocked, holding up a silver spray bottle. "So I sprayed myself with a bunch of Super Repel just before I climbed up here. So go ahead, coax the wild Pokémon, they won't come anywhere near me."

Dereece went wide-eyed. "Woah. Did not expect that."

Kane maliciously smirked as he slowly clapped for him. "Well played, Joey." He mocked. "Another reason why you're my most vile nemesis!"

"Ha! I'm not the one who stoops to kidnapping now am I?"

"No…not yet at least." He sneered evilly. "Let's see how far you get when I do this!" He pulled out a Poke Ball. Throwing it, Buizel came out to fight alongside Whirlipede.

Joey grunted as he faced the two adversaries. Getting out his PokeDex, he analyzed Whirlipede.

"Whirlipede, the Curlipede Pokémon. Protected by a hard shell, it spins its body like a wheel and crashes furiously into its enemies."

'So his Venipede evolved too. That's gotta mean he's a lot stronger now, too.' Joey observed. 'I really wish that I found the time for Pidove…but that's not my priority right now. Getting my team back and beating this guy is.' Pulling out two Poke Balls, Joey threw them. "Quilladin! Trubbish! Let's go!"

The Poke Balls flung open, bringing Joey's signature Quilladin out alongside Trubbish, who belched.

"What's this? No Pidove?" Kane mocked maliciously. "Come now, Joey, I thought you were smarter than that."

Joey knew he was being messed with, he felt it. However, he held confidence high. "Don't think it'll be any less hard for you."

"Count on it." Kane reached forward. "Buizel, Quick Attack!" Kane's Busizel was the first to make a move, his body cloaking in bright blue as he dashed across the peak grounds into Trubbish. The results were Trubbish using her garbage gloves to block as she was shoved back several feet. Buizel got airborne from the momentum, leaving a prime time to strike.

"Don't think we haven't any new tricks of our own!" Joey countered. "Trubbish, use Sludge!" Trubbish took a deep breath before she exhaled a big ball of grimy sludge that shot up at Buizel.

"Buizel, Water Gun!" Buizel took a deep breath of his own and exhaled water back at the incoming sludge.

The two attacks met in the center, creating a strong eruption of mist and smoke that spread throughout the air. Buizel returned to the ground unharmed, while Trubbish's Black Sludge healed some of her health.

Kane smirked. "Alright, let's see how you like…this! Whirlipede, Iron Defense!" Kane's Whirlipede growled as he was glaring at his adversaries. A red aura enveloped him as his shell turned to almost completely solid iron, shimmering over once until the Defense was high enough.

"Well this isn't good." Joey dismayed. "He's trying to get himself buffed up." In his head, more thoughts erupted. 'And we're mostly physical attacks. We gotta shoot for a critical hit against this thing.' He reached out. "Quilladin, Rollout on Whirlipede! Trubbish, Acid Spray on Buizel!" Quilladin curled into a ball and went rolling across the rock, while Trubbish gurgled before expelling broiling purple acid ahead.

Kane smirked. "Whirlipede, be a dear and move in front please?"

Whirlipede hissed as he shifted in front. The two attacks closed in on him specifically.

"Now, Protect!"

A turquoise shield-like barrier manifested in front of Whirlipede. The shield bounced off Quilladin and protected them from the acidic blast that Trubbish made. Quilladin recoiled while further behind, Trubbish had a green glow. Recovering health.

"Now, Swift!" From behind Whirlipede, Buizel jumped into the air. The Sea Weasel Pokémon's tail glowed gold as he swung it around, sending golden bright stars at Quilladin and Trubbish.

"Pin Missile!" Joey countered. Quilladin's horns glowed and he aimed at the incoming stars. Multiple white orbs surrounded in green streams expelled from him and shot up at the incoming stars. The two attacks met once again, creating a tremendous burst of smoke and golden light.

Kane smirked. "Now the fun begins…"

From the smoke, Whirlipede rolled through the air above Quilladin. When he looked up, he was stunned by the leap.

"Now, Bug Bite!"

Part of Whirlipede's front glowed bright white and he crashed down on Quilladin. The ground sundered as the shock of the Bug-type move sent Quilladin away, screaming as he slid across the ground.

"Quilladin, hang in there!" Joey shouted. Grunting, he made a counter. "Trubbish, Acid Spray!"

Off to the side, Trubbish gurgled and expelled more acid. The attack struck Whirlipede's side, causing a sizzle. When the acid wore off, a blue aura harshly reduced his Special Defense, but he otherwise looked unhinged by this attack. Trubbish meekly belched.

"Buizel, Sonic Boom!" Buizel's tail glowed white and he swung around, sending a white crescent shockwave at Trubbish. The attack struck her as she turned, sending her fumbling to Quilladin's side.

"Guys!" Joey shouted in worry. He looked back towards Kane, seeing him smirking. 'This isn't like last time. It's completely different. He used Buizel as support to stop Pidove while Venipede was against Chespin. I can't tell what he's doing, crap!'

"Looks like the Captain's in trouble." Duncan said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, and so are we if we don't get out of here!" Dereece wailed. He tried to muster up his magic, but the ropes weren't allowing that. It didn't help that his hands were also tied so he couldn't reach for his or Duncan's Poke Balls. "Get us down from here!"

Joey heard his pals and gritted his teeth. He looked up to them to see them partially distressed – Dereece more so than Duncan. He felt like he was running out of time, the pressure on him didn't go unnoticed by Kane.

"What's the matter, Joey? You look troubled."

Joey glared back at Kane. He knew he was mocking him for his position. He needed to shut him down, and quick. "Oh don't worry about me." He countered. "You should be worrying about yourself. Trubbish, get in close!" On command, Trubbish began to hobble from one foot to the other towards the foes.

'I wonder what his mind's playing with now?' Kevin pondered.

"Quilladin, use Leech Seed on Buizel!" Still a ways away, Quilladin took a deep breath and expelled seeds from his mouth that shot at the weasel.

Kane reached out. "Whirlipede, Protect!" Whirlipede did as instructed and moved in front of Buizel to protect him from the attack. "Rinse and repeat."

Joey smirked.

"What?"

"Now Trubbish, catapult yourself with Acid Spray!" Trubbish's glance dilated before she faced the ground in front of Whirlipede. Instead of attacking the shield, she sprayed acid on the ground, shooting herself over the shield towards Buizel. Kane was caught completely surprised by this attack and saw Trubbish land behind.

"Now, Sludge!"

Trubbish took in a sharp breath and shot a clump of sludge at Buizel. The Water-type was struck as he turned around. The force was so strong that it shoved him into Whirlipede's backside, throwing him off balance.

"Whirlipede!" Kane frantically squealed.

Joey glared as he swiped his arm. "Alright, now Pin Missile, Quilladin!"

"You got it!" Quilladin leaned forward and unleashed more white orbs with green streams surging. They closed in, and they exploded around Whirlipede and Buizel, causing white flashes that resembled fireworks.

Kane covered up and grunted as the smoke made it hard to see. When he looked forward, Whirlipede stammered back up, though Buizel looked a little more hesitant.

"And that's what I call a classic Joey counter!" Joey eagerly declared. "This is way more maneuverable than the games I played back at home."

Kane sneered, but he looked enamored with Joey's tactic, though in a conniving way. "Well played yet again. Attacking my blind spot before Buizel could strike." He smirked. "But…perhaps it's my imagination, but are you feeling a little…cramped?"

The wild Pokémon keeping away from Joey began sniffing the air again. They smelled Joey, making them sneer again.

"Say what…?" Joey sniffed his arm. "Oh no…don't tell me that Super Repel wore off already!" He looked all around as Kane was sneering. He was going to savor this. Joey acted fast as the wild Pokémon closed in around him. "Uh, Trubbish!"

Belching, Trubbish jumped and appeared in front of Joey. The trash bag belched again, her smelly, gassy, corrosive smell being enough to spread around the area. As soon as it hit the noses of wild Pokémon, many recoiled and backpedaled. Some even squealed and comically pounced away.

"Alright! I knew Trubbish's Stench Ability would come in handy!"

"A very interesting move you've made." Kane complimented, reaching out his arm. "However-! Buizel, Pursuit!"

"Huh?" Quilladin turned around, only to be struck in the face by a kick from Buizel. The force was strong enough to slide him back across the ground.

"Quilladin!" Joey shouted.

"Whirlipede, Poison Tail!" Whirlipede's tail glowed bright purple with poison seeping through it. Once ready, he hissed as he rolled into Quilladin. Quilladin gasped before he was blown back by the force of the attack into Trubbish. Both Pokémon made a dust cloud that Joey covered up from.

When the dust cleared, Joey saw Quilladin and Trubbish both groaning. They were out of breath, and looking too tired to move. "Quilladin. Trubbish…"

Duncan gritted his teeth. "Should've known this would take too long…"

"Captain Joey!" Dereece shouted.

Joey looked around to see some of the wild Pokémon getting further closer. Having no choice, Joey put up a barrier-like dome around his area surrounding Quilladin and Trubbish.

"Troubled are we?" Kane questioned. "Well now, if you're not gonna be a man…" He snapped his fingers, making two Murkrow float down besides Duncan and Dereece. "Then I'll just make this quick!"

"Leave them out of this!" Joey demanded.

"Last I checked, you're all a team, aren't you? Fairy Tail's 'The Freaks'. So then, where is that teamwork like last time?" Kane savored this. To see Joey in a pitiful position, to test his own wits against his own. He wanted it to be Joey to feel his pain of being cornered. To be put into an impossible position. The more anxious he got, the wider he smirked. "Now this is a battle."

Joey gritted his teeth. Down beneath him, the ground shuddered as some wild Drilbur popped up using Dig. They glared at Joey as he got into a fighting stance.

Kane was about to see Joey in an impossible position, but out of nowhere, aerial light blue crosses shot everywhere. Drifloon were struck down, and Drilbur and Geodude, and Murkrow scrambled as barrages were constantly raining down out of nowhere.

"What's this?" Kane gasped. He was forced to cover up as Whirlipede and Buizel found cover behind rocks.

All around, eruptions of pressurized air blasts bombarded the wild Pokémon. On top of all that, as they were scrambled, a tempest picked up, pushing away the Murkrow and the Drifloon everywhere. The other Drilbur were blown off their feet while other tunneled away, same with Geodude.

Joey and his Pokémon grunted as the dust stirred. He unknowingly lifted his barrier and looked around confusedly. "Huh? Wait a sec, what happened?!" He searched around, but the number of wild Pokémon were drastically reduced. He blinked in surprise. "I could've sworn there were of them…"

"Master!"

Joey's eyes shot wide open. Slowly, he turned around to stare at something incoming his way. Everyone did. Trubbish, Quilladin, Dereece, Duncan, even Kane looked in the direction where the help came from.

From a short distance away, Pidove was fluttering through the air towards them, chirping happily as he closed in on them.

Joey's eyes lit up. "Pidove!"

"No!" Kane snarled.

Dereece looked with shock of his own. When he looked over at Duncan, he could see even he had a raised brow of slight surprise.

"Yaaay!" Pidove happily chirped. "I found my Master again!" He closed in on his 'Master', sailing overhead while Joey looked in glee.

Seeing his Pidove overhead, the dancer was seeing the dove circle around happily overhead. As Pidove chirped, Joey's mind flashed to earlier. "You're right. Bro and Camilla trusted me with their lives to the end…I'm gonna hold that same faith for Pidove." His earlier words echoed inside. As he saw his bird overhead, he couldn't help but smile wider. "I knew he'd come back."

Kane gritted his teeth. 'How could this be? Did something happen to those mechanical Pidove I created? Something must've happened!'

Smirking, Joey, swiped his arm. "Now we're talking! Trubbish, get back. We got this! Pidove, use Gust!"

"I shall obey, Master!" Pidove's wings glowed as he flapped them, creating a strong gust that barreled right for Whirlipede and Buizel.

Rebounding after his initial shock, Kane reached forward. "Whirlipede, Protect!"Once again, a turquoise barrier was made in front as Whirlipede got between the Gust and Buizel. Once again, they were both protected by Kane's quick thinking.

Pidove flew overhead, getting higher for another strike.

"Buizel, shoot it down with Water Gun!" Kane commanded. Buizel did as told and shot a blast of water skywards at Pidove.

"Not this time!" Joey shouted. "Gust!"

Once again, Pidove's wings glowed as he created another blast of wind against the incoming water. The two forces collided, making a massive spout flare. All around, rain poured down onto them, and Kane had shock when as the jettisons of water diminished, over a coat of water, Quilladin was in midair with a green aura for his Overgrow Ability. To add to that, a massive green, prickly energy engulfed his arm.

'How did he close that gap so quick?!'

Joey brought his arm down. "Alright Quilladin, Needle Arm!"

Quilladin swung his arm up with all his might, smashing it down right on top of Buizel. The impact made the ground split and shred apart as the Overgrow-enhanced attack depressed the weasel. When the dust cleared, Buizel was seen on the ground with spirals in his eyes.

"Buizel!" Kane gasped.

Whirlipede turned around, allowing Pidove to get in front and glare him down.

"Alright Pidove, Air Cutter!" Joey followed. Following the order, the dove flapped his wings, unleashing light blue crosses that grazed through the air towards the insect. Whirlipede went wide-eyed before he was struck hard, sending him crashing into a rock that shattered upon impact.

"Whirlipede!" Kane shrieked with added fury. He returned Buizel and looked in horror as Whirlipede was struggling to get up through the rubble. The obsessed man balled his fists as he glared over, seeing Joey with Pidove resting on a panting Quilladin's head. Seeing Joey's smirk, it only made him even more mad. That same smirk, the same one that he saw Joey in the back of the classroom. All his life…he watched Joey. Seeing him always smile and give no care to the world like it was his to control, and despite what others thought, Joey always got decent grades, even when he was a troublemaker. While Joey got the attention, Kane was always further back in the classroom – every classroom. Behind Joey, envying his charisma…he wanted fair ground. It was thanks to this world that Joey finally noticed him. Finally, after all these years, he could see Joey acknowledge his presence, for once. Slowly, that devious obsession turned his inner angst into something unorthodox: Joy.

"Well Kane, looks like you're at the end of your own rope." Joey held a firm posture. "Now, let my friends go, and we can finish this…I don't wanna see anyone get hurt like this."

Kane slowly composed. "Oh, we'll finish this alright…" Ahead of him, Whirlipede returned upfront and started outlining in bright green, indicating Swarm. Kane held up a Heal Ball.

An odd pressure fell throughout the area, one that disturbed everyone. Joey

"Now, just as you have held back your secret weapon, I have done the same. Behold!" He threw the Heal Ball, sending out his newest Pokémon addition.

Before Kane was a Roggenrola, and he lifted his head and glared up at Joey, albeit neutrally. "Present!"

"A Roggenrola?" Joey questioned.

"Did he get that from that cave we fought in?" Dereece added.

"Now…let's see your Pidove save you from this!" Kane declared. "I had a feeling that if my plan to defeat you was to succeed, I had to ensure your Pidove was out of the picture."

"Wait…" Joey's eyes widened in realization. "You mean Pidove disappearing…that was you?!"

Dereece and Duncan turned towards Kane.

Kane slowly clapped his hands. "Clever, very much clever. But I knew even before that, I had to be sure that even if the plan does backfire, I would have the advantage." He maliciously snickered. "What do you say that, Joey?"

"This is a new low man, even for you." Joey glared. "You're mad, and crazy!"

Kane raised a brow. "Oh come now, where's the sport? Any rate, to begin your defeat! Roggenrola, Rock Blast!" Roggenrola's little hexagonal top glowed bright silver and began projecting blast waves of those energies at Pidove.

"Pidove, dodge it!" Joey cried out.

Pidove ascended, evading the three blast waves that continued beyond their reach. The rocks behind were immediately broken apart by the intense impact, creating shockwaves along the ridged of the pit.

"What the heck?" Joey nervously questioned. "That looked crazy strong…"

"Oh, that? That's a little item I equipped to Roggenrola." Kane answered. "Tell me, are you familiar with the Hard Stone?"

Joey gasped. "Hard Stone? Wait…doesn't that boost the power of Rock-type moves?"

"Precisely."

Joey gritted his teeth. Off to the side, he could see Trubbish still using her ability to keep the wild Pokémon far away, all the while she lifted her head and spewed a purple orb, sending toxic flares into ground around her via Toxic Spikes. Upon rippling into the ground, many Drilbur and Geodude were weary, while Trubbish had to keep them away. 'Trubbish is too busy with the others. I have to hurry and get Dereece and Duncan free. I have to make an opening, and quick!'

Kane reached forward again. "And just so you don't get any funny ideas, both of you! Iron Defense!" Both Whirlipede and Roggenrola encased themselves in a shimmering iron coating, both their bodies enveloped in harsh red aura to amplify their unison Defense.

Taking a new approach, Joey reached out in compliance. 'We need to take out Whirlipede, and quick!' "Pidove, Air Cutter! Quilladin, use Pin Missile!" Pidove flapped his wings while Quilladin shot streaming projectiles from his thorns. The shredding air currents moved with the missiles, dicing and diffusing them into smaller bits to make sharp shards rain at Kane's team.

"Protect!" Kane ordered sharply. Whirlipede once again got in front, making a turquoise shield to take the blows and defend Roggenrola. The air pulses and missiles diffused into the shield as it faded.

Joey grunted in growing angst. 'We need to keep the pressure on. It's the only way we'll get any cover!' He reached out for another command. "Pidove, keep up that Air Cutter! Quilladin, Rollout around Whirlipede!"

"Okay!" Both nodded. Pidove shot even more X-shaped winds at the adversaries, while beneath, Quilladin was aiming for Whirlipede as he curled into a ball.

"Roggenrola, use Rock Blast! Shoot him out of the sky!"

Roggenrola aimed for the incoming crescent waves aiming for him and Whirlipede. The insect rolled out of the way while he blasted silver energy into the sky. The flying crescents dissipated as the rock beams powered through. Pidove maneuvered through the air, firing the attack constantly that rained down to no end. Whirlipede chased after Quilladin while the latter was using his Rock-type attack to swerve around. The entire pit grounds was a mess, with crescents hammering away at the earth and making dust and rock fly. This is what Kane was living to see, and he was relishing in every bit of it.

Joey, on the other hand, found his chance as he saw the madness. Facing his bound team, he slammed his hands on the ground.

"Barrier-Make: Slide!"

Joey created a glass slide that went all the way up to his friends. He looked back to see Kane fully distracted. He raced up the slide, minding his own balance and pounced from one foot to another until he was beneath them. "You guys miss me?" he questioned.

Dereece grinned. "Man, some luck you have, Captain."

Joey frowned. "Yeah, thanks." He started undoing the ropes to them both. Once they were loose enough, Dereece and Duncan fell like cocoon shells onto the barrier slide. Instantly they started rolling down it.

"Mind your step when you land!" Joey called.

Duncan grunted and managed to heed what he said. Upon meeting the ground, he leaped and planted firmly on a rock, while Dereece fumbled and wheezed when he landed on his stomach.

"Bleh!" He spat out dirt. "Oi…well that's a terrible taste." He looked back at Joey, who was still at the top of the slide. "Well, at least we're safe…thanks to the Captain."

Duncan shot a glare at Joey. Rather than provide a positive comment, he held his tongue as the battle resumed.

Pidove was soaring around, still firing on Roggenrola while evading the Rock-type attack. Quilladin and Whirlipede were both worn out pretty bad, and neither could withstand even another hit. It was caution all around, and one end of the scale had to be tipped.

"Alright, enough games!" Kane demanded. "Let's do this!"

"Hehe, okay!" Pidove dumbly chirped.

Joey was glaring from the side. With him away but still visible, he could see had to end this. 'This is it. This is where our training pays off…it's do or die!' He gave the command. "Pidove, time for Steel Wing!"

Pidove chirped as he sailed after Roggenrola. As he closed in, his glare was fixed so that he could get a lock on him. In his head, the images of Staraptor and Talonflame using that move made a small spark inside. He chimed loudly as his wings began to glow brightly.

'This must be it!' Dereece hoped.

Pidove chimed loudly as he closed in with two glowing wings. He was so close, until the power shifted at the last second. He went wide-eyed.

"Snap!"

Kane mischievously smirked. "Headbutt!" Roggenrola heed the demand and shot up at Pidove, who was feet away. The impact was so intense that it sent a shock through the pigeon as he sailed far into Joey's direction.

"Pidove!" Joey swiped his arm to shift along his barrier enough to reach for Pidove. He caught him before he could fall into the pits. "Pidove, you okay pal? Say something!"

"Rock Blast!" Kane shouted.

Roggenrola made one more attack that shot silver across the pit. Joey looked up at the last second to see it heading his way, but he was too preoccupied. As he opened his mouth, he and Pidove were struck by explosive dust and smoke that enveloped their area.

The explosion caught Quilladin off guard. He stopped his maneuvering to look back. He saw Pidove get shot out of the sky and crashed into a small ledge away from the pits. The pigeon laid there with ruffled feathers and a dazed look. Along the branches, Joey's barrier wore off when the attack hit, leaving him hanging from the long tree branch's end over the gorge.

"No!" Quilladin wanted to go, but Whirlipede blindsided him. Turning around, Whirlipede rolled passed him, causing hm to fumble off to the side near Trubbish.

Trubbish turned around and burped in surprise as Quilladin was out of breath. Both looked to see Whirlipede hissing at them.

"Joey!" Dereece panicked. "Duncan, we gotta help out the Captain, and quick!"

Kane began laughing maniacally. "You are no match for me, Joey! Your luck's run out!"

Joey was perched on the branch, gritting his teeth. That comment struck a nasty chord in his heart, specifically where Camilla was. "You talk smack about luck again, I dare ya!" he shouted. "When I get down there, you're so-!" He nudged, making him flinch. It happened again, and again, until slowly, he lifted his head to see his support breaking. The branch cracked with every second, making him gulp.

"Oh no…" Dereece paled.

Joey faced forward, eyes wide. "…something tells me I shouldn't have ate all those donuts this morning."

SNAP

The branch completely snapped, twirling far away into darkness while Joey flailed as he plummeted in front of everyone's eye, screaming.

"Joey!" everyone screamed.

Pidove shook his head and looked up. Though fuzzy, he made out Joey as he screamed and plummeted out of sight. Slowly, his eyes began to widen as he became conscious. "No…NO~! NOOOOO~!" He screamed in horror.

"Joey!" Dereece looked down at the pit, scared terror spilled all over his face. Quilladin and Trubbish also looked worried. When all three felt a spine-shrilling aura, they gasped when Whirlipede was behind them, hissing as he was ready to make sure they suffered next.

Duncan grunted. He got out a Poke Ball to prepare for his turn. "Don't get distracted!" he warned. "This is still a battle!"

As Pidove was perched with shock on his face, his despair was making him flashback to events that lead up to now. It was just now that the shock triggered a chain of memories that caused him to dig deep into the pit of his mind. In a white light in his mind, the images started showing.

He recalled a scene where he was just a hatchling in a small nest of three. There were two Tranquill sharing that nest, and it was truly peaceful. It soon came to Pidove to leave the next when he learned how to fly, and he sailed off. Eventually, random flock after flock, foraging on scraps and berries, it soon came to a random flock he hitched with that brought him to a boy with blonde hair and a lavish coat to give him leadership material. He recounted the memory being there for Joey, when he caught him, to the battles they've shared. The Friday night movie-pizza they'd all enjoy together. To the beach, and quite recently, to seeing that happy smile on Joey's face.

"Welcome aboard the party train, Pidove!" He could even recall that hopeful tone in his head.

All these flashes about him and Joey, it was stirring something up inside Pidove. He began growling as mist surrounded his eyes.

"Now…" Kane walked over towards the ledge, peering down into the darkness. "Where is Joey?"

Along the edges of the pits below, Joey was hanging by his massive coat up to a stray branch he conveniently fell by.

"Captain Joey!" Dereece screamed.

"Uh, a little help please, someone!" Joey called up. The branch started to snap along the trunk, making Joey bounce over the darkness with a gasp of terror. "Pidove, guys!"

Hearing his cries for help, Pidove gasped in moral shock. In a sudden show of rising anger, he growled louder as he ascended. "Gnnngh…NOT…MASTER…JOEEEEYY~!" Suddenly, his body exploded in a powerful blue light that illuminated the clouded peak.

"What?!" Kane turned around, startled by the sudden brightness.

Dereece turned around shocked, Duncan's eyes widening a little. Quilladin and Trubbish off to the side were speechless as they witnessed the light. Even down by the gorge, Joey could see a familiar glow ascending.

'Pidove! Is he…!'

Pidove glowing frame gained a neck as the wings flexed, getting bigger. The tail feather grew significantly to boot. As the avian-like creature was in midair over the ridge, the blue light exploded, causing its new form to reveal with a loud battle cry.

Shrill caws reverberated as a medium-sized bird-like Pokémon with the same plumage design as Pidove, only more spread out, had yellow irises and black sclera. It had red arches over the eyes with a dark gray head with a small tuft slicked back.

"Tranquill!" Dereece exclaimed. He pulled up his PokeDex, which observed Tranquill as he did an aerial maneuver through the sky.

"Tranquill, the Wild Pigeon Pokémon. No matter where in the world it goes, it knows where its nest is, so it never gets separated from its Trainer."

"Pidove evolved…that's awesome!" Joey suddenly felt the branch crack again, making him jerk. "Gah!" he flinched. "Though, maybe not at this second…"

Tranquill descended and braced himself. He glared down Kane as he angrily fought him with Roggenrola. "Impressive, but still. You're gonna have to go through me if you wanna save your precious 'Master Joey'." He mockingly declared.

"Okay by me!" Tranquill's eyes showed determination. Without warning, he shot across the ground with wings spread out. They glowed bright as he smashed one into Roggenrola, sending him bouncing away.

"W-what?! No!" Kane worried

"That was Steel Wing." Dereece gasped. "…a perfect Steel Wing!"

Roggenrola stirred back up, but Tranquill was well on him. He bashed another Steel Wing into him, deterring him further. And then another, and then another, relentlessly, back and forth, slamming his wings nonstop left and right into Roggenrola, wearing him down with no room to attack.

Gritting his teeth, Kane had to act fast. 'Roggenrola can't survive this!' He reached out. "Whirlipede, Poison Tail!"

Whirlipede spun his body with a venom gleam in the back. When he closed in on Tranquill, he was in midair when Tranquill's glare snapped at him. Using Steel Wing, Tranquill smacked Roggenrola into Whirlipede, knocking both off course and in midair.

"Gah!" Kane gasped in terror.

Tranquill saw them both in midair when his body was outline din bright blue and he ascended. When at their level, he used Quick Attack and bashed into both with full force. With the Super Luck Ability, he made an air pulse that shot Whirlipede and Roggenrola into Kane, causing him to fall onto his back on the edge of the pit.

When Kane started getting up, he looked up as Tranquil flapped a few feet above the ground. He looked angry, and with Whirlipede and Roggenrola incapacitated, he could only shiver. "No, wait!"

"This! Is! For! Master! JOEY!" Tranquill screamed out with all his might as he flapped his wings, unleashing an Air Cutter that ripped across the ground. The attack closed in on Kane, and all he could do was scream in fright as a massive explosion of dust and rock swallowed him and his Pokémon. The blast was so strong that over the pits, the dust plumed uncontrollably, making it hard for Joey to see what was happening.

He heard a shout from above, making him look on as he saw Kane scream and fall right passed him. Kane fell into the darkness, disappearing from Joey's sight briefly.

"Woah…that was too close." He swallowed another lump.

Suddenly from the darkness, four Drifloon arose, holding Kane by his arms dangling as they inflated themselves higher over the pits into the air. "THIS ISN'T OVER, JOEY!" he declared as he was being lifted away. "NOT YET AT LEAST!"

As Kane was being carried off, Joey was looking up with a furrowed brow. "Uh…don't suppose you can spare one of those?" he asked, but the branch snapped. "Uh-oh!" Suddenly he started falling. "AAAHHH!"

He closed his eyes to await the end, but it never came. Instead, another force tugged at his lavish coat.

"What the…?" Looking around, Joey realized the he was being suspended in midair by nothing but a bright blue aura around his body. Feeling a sense of gravity tugging at him, he was slowly dragged upwards out of the pits, seeing Duncan with his Medicham using Psychic. "Duncan!" he sounded shocked and surprised.

Duncan seemed focused, but enough on his Medicham's attack. "That's good. Now set him down."

The Medicham obeyed and she gently placed Joey back on the ground over the pit's ledge. He looked down at himself to see if he was alright before being approached by his friends and team.

"Joey, are you okay?" Quilladin asked.

Trubbish belched.

"Yeah, I'm think…I think." He straightened up his back and felt his spine cracked. "Oh! Yeah…I'm gonna feel that." He groaned.

Dereece sighed in relief. "I swear I was about to get a heart attack right there."

Joey sheepishly rubbed his head. "Sorry about that, Dereece." He looked towards Duncan. "Thanks, Duncan. Guess you do care after all." He smiled.

Duncan turned away. "Don't get all excited. I saved you because Dereece would've been too slow to use his magic and get down to you in time. Just coincidence."

Joey was buffered some by his comment, but he chose to ignore it in favor of Tranquill cawing. Looking up, the evolved pigeon descended slowly in font of Joey. "Tranquill!" Joey lifted his arm for Tranquill to use as a perch. "Tranquill…that was awesome! You kicked Kane's butt today for sure."

"Yeah. Thanks." Quilladin added, his aura gone to leave him panted. Besides him, Trubbish went cross-eyes as she belched.

Tranquill smiled back. "Thanks, guys!"

"And what's better is that you mastered Steel Wing, that's great." Joey's smile, while genuine, turned ever so serious. "Listen, I'm sorry. To everyone." He looked down. "I've been irresponsible as of late. I let you guys, and Tranquill out of my sight…and this all happened because of me." He turned at Duncan. "Duncan…you were right. You have a lot more experience than me, so I get what you mean, but I'm aiming to keep my faith and everyone I hold dear with me. That's my way, got it?"

Duncan closed his eyes and looked humbled. "Whatever you say. Just make sure you don't fall behind."

"Done." Joey turned towards Tranquill. "And Tranquill, from here on, we're gonna keep an eye on each other more, okay? Fair shares for everyone."

Tranquill looked happy. "Don't worry! I'm never forgetting my Master, Joey!"

"Wait, hold up. Dereece paused, looking at Tranquill. "If you forgot about Joey before and flew away…how did you find us?"

"Hey, yeah. That's right. How'd you know where we were?" Quilladin wondered.

Tranquill blinked before he answered. "Oh, that? Well, I just followed these two birds who guided me here. One was orange, and the other had these brown feathers, hmm…?"

"Brown and orange…?" Dereece questioned the logic, but it stunned him. "Wait, you mean Nic and Erza's Staraptor and Talonflame, right?!"

Joey's eyes widened. "For real?!"

Tranquill perked up. "Yup! Those are the ones!"

Duncan shrugged. "Guess this was another stroke of luck. Seems as though Nic saved you again. How pathetic." He scoffed.

"Hey now, if it wasn't for him, we might not be here." Dereece pointed out. "Besides, aren't these 'guilds' supposed to work together? What's wrong with that?"

Duncan scoffed as he recalled Medicham, minding his own business.

'Nic and Erza-senpai helped me out again.' At first Joey was a little shocked at what happened. He honestly wasn't sure if he should feel happy that Nic may have helped him, but unlike before, this was indirectly. But these thoughts were blocked out by Nic comforting him earlier about guilds and teams.

As Joey looked towards the sunset, a wind shifted his coat, a smile crossing his face. 'Thanks, Nic-senpai. I'll do better, thanks to you.' He raised a fist high. "Alright guys, it's still Friday night! You know what that means!"

"FRIDAY NIGHT MOVIE AND PIZZA!" Tranquill and Quilladin shouted, with Trubbish belching.

Far away on another peak, the two birds mentioned circled before they hovered down besides Erza and Nic. Watching the whole thing from afar, Nic smiled at the next level Joey had taken. 'Well done, Joey. I knew you could prove yourself.'


Somewhere else within the realm of Ishgar, the sun had already set over the horizon. Across what looked like a massive complex that was covered by shadows, there were what looked like a mass of buildings to establish a kingdom or society of sorts.

In a complex behind heavily guarded gates, it was dark within what lurked within. It was here in black and behind glass panels did many of people were meeting, their faces unable to be met with light.

"You now understand what it is that must be done, do you?" one older man with a gruff voice asked, albeit with a slight demand in his tone.

Everyone was looking down at where the light shone in the hollow room. Surrounded by these unmarked judges, a chandelier of light lacrima beamed from ceiling down on someone who had a white coat with spiky white hair. He bowed his head towards these great superiors.

"You and you alone are to carry out this mission. You must travel to the land of Fiore, and do what you must. Gather the intel we need. Every detail weighs the balance of the magic society. Do you understand?"

Slowly, the man lifted his head, revealing shimmering water-blue eyes that were half-open. "I understand." He subtly stated. "With this responsibility…I swear to the name of Earthland, and our society…that I will purify our society from this corruption from its source. I will make sure that he and everyone else understand, that Earthland is ours alone."

The lights turned off, fading everyone back to darkness.


Phew, sorry I'm SUPER late again guys! I know making these updates take a while, but now they're taking like a week at least with my scheduling. But anyways, you'll be glad to know that I updated everything on my profile for the Pokémon info for Fairy Tail. Just know that for the time being, I'm only doing the active members, meaning like Team Natsu and whoever else participated. I still have some kicks to work on, but that's as accurate as can get for now.

So now Joey's Pidove evolved into Tranquill and mastered Steel Wing, on top of beating Kane a third time! And I know many of you might be pissed with Shieldon not going to Joey, but I felt ancient Pokémon fitting with Dragon Slayers sent from the past could correspond well.

Okay, so here's the deal. The next arc I have set up is VERY complicated. I'm calling it the Astral Arc, but the reason it'll be so complicated is because it's gonna be two stories simultaneously, one side for the main plot, and the other half being The Freaks' adventure. I'm gonna hop over to my Bakugan story for a while until I'm mentally prepared to start the arc here.

So anyways, share your thoughts, reviews appreciated very much, and until next time!