Thousands of miles away from Fiore, Alvarez was in the middle of their own prospering. Unlike on the other side of the world, it was a moonless night, showcasing broad stars that twinkled bright enough that kids mistook them for shooting stars. A random young kid with a little Joltik hopping beside him scurried towards the balcony railing to look at the night sky. "Mommy! Mommy! Look at the sky!"

The boy's mother, a young woman with braided brown hair, opened the door to the balcony to meet her son. "What is it?" She looked up at the twinkling night sky. "It is pretty, isn't it?" she softly grinned.

The boy nodded. "Yeah!" The little jumping spider beside him bounced on the railing up and down. "You think so too, Jolty?" The little spider's blue eyes dazzled up to the sky to confirm his answer; he looked back up in awe.

Nights like this didn't happen often over Alvarez. They'd be lucky to get clear nights like this during cold winter nights like this past winter. Now that it was the summertime, the air had gotten much warmer for clouds to bring in nighttime rainclouds. Mother nature decided to do them a favor.

"That's right." The mother paused. "Tonight was the summer solstice wasn't it?"

"What's that, Mommy?"

"It's the longest day of the year. It's the day that the sun was to have risen at its earliest, and set at its latest." She looked up at the skies. "Sometimes it also makes the skies light up, people say."

The boy looked back at his mother, then back at the sky. "Wooow…" He trailed off, thinking about something. "So Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"Is Daddy one of those stars, too?"

She sighed dejectedly. Despite how morbid it was to tell him once, she knew she had to put it nicely. She walked over behind her son, crouching down and holding onto his shoulders. "Yes, sweetie. I'm sure he's up there." She turned and kissed his cheek. "And he's seeing what a handsome boy you're becoming, too."

The boy looked around the sky, seeing the millions of stars glistening around them. "Which one is he? Oh! Is it that one? Oh no, wait! That one! That one looks shiny!"

The boy's curiosity piqued so high that Joltik's excited squeals almost scared him. "What is it boy? You found him?" He turned to what Joltik was looking at. "Hey Mommy, you think it's that star?"

"Let's see." The mother happily looked up at the star, only for her frown to replace her jovial mood. She saw something bright like a star, but it had a strange shape to it, almost like a vacuum exerting rainbow. "What…?"

"What is it, Mommy?" The boy asked.

Joltik's blue Compound Eyes were gazing at the bright "star" that illuminated the distant Alvarez sky. His bug-like eyes saw something white squirm out, but it was quick to fade. The spider jumped as it saw the faint figure move silently over the city, squealing like an alarm.

"Jolty, what's wrong?" The boy looked up, seeing the bright stars disappearing. "Aww, Mommy! I don't see it anymore!"

"Sorry, sweetie." The mother comforted her child, but the strange shape of the brief starlight was wedged into her mind. 'What was that just now? A space vacuum?'

The mother directed the boy inside for bedtime, though his Joltik took one more look at the figment floating aimlessly to the large palace far into the city.


Ajeel slumped so far right in his seat he had to adjust his elbow on the red-cushioned armrest. His face was scrunched with an annoyed look, one that didn't go unnoticed by his peers.

An advisor turned with a raised brow. "Your majesty, is there something you'd like to say?"

Ajeel sat upright, trying his best to look interested in the subject. "Huh? No, I'm good. Sorry." He cleared his throat. "Yeah, whatever you said, I can cope with it."

Brandish sighed tiredly. "Honestly, this is such a pain. Why am I even here, when I could be soaking in a nice hot bath instead?"

Dimaria shot her a smug look. "Come now, Randi. Last I checked, you went through all that trouble just to help your precious country. Don't make it sound like you don't care."

"I don't." Brandish irritably huffed. She felt stare from her left and noticed Decker folding his arms. "What are you looking at?"

Wingull's caw shrilled through the large chamber that was once the war room, where Zeref or Neinhart would conduct their gatherings for the Spriggan 12, now disbanded after the recent fallout a few months ago. The room was a lot smaller than what it was compared to before, but only because repairs couldn't afford the time to make adjustments. Low vaulted ceilings hung with a chandelier over a round wooden table with Ajeel at its head.

A lot of other things happened that were no-brainers. A number of policies were drastically overhauled that Ajeel had to oversee. Family endorsements for the dead soldiers, building repairs, economical standpoints that would've melted anormal person's brain by this point. When Ajeel chose to take power he knew it wouldn't be easy, but he didn't think it'd be this painful.

One of the advisors chose to dismiss the tiff and resumed his report. "At any rate, the morality of the kingdom populace has been up 33% since the start of our lenient policy enaction. We're getting constant word of how Alvarez' reconstruction in its government is causing a movement with our fellow peers."

Ajeel raised a brow. "Is that supposed to be bad?"

He shook his head. "Not so, quite the opposite in fact. With our diplomacy with the Ishgarian natives, we're to be expecting labor forces from Cambire Foundation-trained Pokémon. They go by the names of Machoke, and presumably Bibarel as well."

Ajeel sighed. "Got it. I think we can work with this. So when are they supposed to be here?"

"Along with our diplomatic ambassadors, by the end of the week."

Wingull cawed lightly again as her wings flapped over Ajeel. He squinted awkwardly before facing his advisor. "Uh…I think she's pretty excited, or something." He paused. "Very well. Let's at least check in with the remaining guilds that compose of our current forces. Have them divide their work loads based on their guild's specialty. We'll work from there."

The advisor bowed respectfully. "Very well, sire." He turned and made way out the large double doors, which two guards were stationed to safeguard Ajeel's meeting.

Brandish's face was painted with displeasure. "Seriously?"

"What is it now?" Dimaria questioned.

"Remind me again why we have to indulge ourselves in reorganizing the kingdom? I don't really give a damn either way. Besides, 'King Ajeel' pretty has the situation under control."

Dimaria huffed mockingly. "Honestly, Randi. It hasn't even been that long and you're still the same as ever. We only reunited for a few weeks and you're brushing us, you could at least crack a smile. Wanna let your peers down?"

Brandish shot Dimaria a cold, discomforted look. She honestly didn't want to care about what others said about her – and to an extent she really didn't. She risked a lot for Dimaria and to help her see light. At least she's calmed down some…her sarcasm has been on the rise.

"That's enough, guys. Take a break." Ajeel said, standing up. "That should do it for the time being. I've arranged you some rooms for you to stay in for tonight. They should be ready for you by now."

Decker nodded graciously and turned with Valeria out the doorway behind Ajeel. He watched as one of the guards escorted them to one of the rooms recently rebuilt. He turned towards the girls. "And gals…you should get some rest, too. Dismissed."

Brandish and Dimaria didn't argue as they walked out on their own. They were so abrupt that the guards couldn't keep up with them. Ajeel chose to let them go, choosing to focus on the strain his eyes were having. He pinched the bridge of his nose and squinted as hard as he could. Trying to run a kingdom with little guidance was a huge pain in the ass, but he had nothing better to do. Besides…he wasn't going to allow his grandfather's sacrifice be in vain.

Standing up, Ajeel swayed his drapes as he exited the chamber. "C'mon Trapinch. Wingull." Trapinch crawled along while Wingull glided smoothly overhead to follow their master to his throne room.

"Ugh, what I wouldn't give for a hot bath to soak in right now." Brandish sighed nonchalantly, her left arm crossed over to apply a nice, laxative stretch on her shoulder and forearm. "Sitting in chairs that long is such a pain…unless they're recliners. That'd be pleasant."

Dimaria musingly chuckled. "Boy Randi, and here you said I had problems. Look at you." Brandish chose not to answer and glanced away. "You know, the Spriggan 12 is no more. If you're looking to leave, you don't have any obligation to stay."

"I never said that." Brandish paused. "…though, that's a consideration if this keeps up."

Dimaria nonchalantly shrugged. "Well, whatever. Nobody's loss. Just saying facts here. But still, I didn't really have anything to go back to, so it's not like I have a reason to walk out either." She saw Brandish quicken her pace. "Oh, I get it. You're just not used to work, are you?"

Brandish eyerolled in another direction. "That's Ajeel's doing. He's busy studying to be a king. We're here just as figureheads. I'd much rather be this than get my hands dirty in something like talking."

"Have it your way." They came to a hallway that interjected with the main hall. Dimaria broke off and waved back nonchalantly. "Well then, I'll leave you to swear down yourself to death. If I don't see you in the morning, then nice knowing ya."

Brandish ignored her friend's banter and continued down the main hall towards her quarters. She found a break in the building and looked out towards her left at the windows showing the kingdom. Compared to the skyscraper view the original palace had before it crumbled from the battle Nic and a reanimated Acnologia had, the palace was only a quarter of the height it should be. It was still grand, but still something Brandish was getting used to. When she looked down, she still saw the courtyard being worked on by nighttime soldiers and what looked like Timburr, and the Pokémon that were originally taken in as pets and slaves. They looked a lot more comfortable now than before, but that was just an observation. It wasn't like she cared about them or anything. She wasn't as compelled to help in the cause like Ajeel has been ever since parting ways with Fairy Tail and the Peace Jaegers.

With a grievous sigh, she continued towards her quarters without further delay.


The doors creaked loudly to the palace's throne room, which was straight down the red carpet from the lobby. It wasn't much, but it settled enough with the renovations being made. Ajeel took his place in his seat on his throne and crossed one leg over the other and slouched lazily. "What a pain in the ass…"

He knew this would be tough, but even Ajeel wasn't fully prepared for this big task he had to fulfill. But, unlike Brandish, who pretty much complained 24/7, Ajeel knew better than to retrogress. He knew Brandish knew that too. He asked for her help and she's doing her part in rebuilding the kingdom from square one. He was very helpful in the few members of the Neo Spriggan 12 being there for him, though he'd be hard-pressed to say it to their faces. He's still getting used to this whole "humble and calm" vibe. He still can't believe how he turned from a war-loving mongrel to…whatever this is.

To help him think, he repositioned his elbow onto his bent leg and closed his eyes. The strain from today hurt worse than those blasted water attacks Nic pummeled with. He still found himself too damp at times, though it was guaranteed at this point he was as dry as a dessert. It was so contradictory of itself that he flat out gave up on it a long time ago when he realized why he took the position to begin with.

'What have I gotten myself into?'

That was the same question he asked himself often. Not even two months in and he was still getting used to being a king. Any person would have outright taken hold of the position with envy and did things uncalled for. Neinhart was an example, and that man was precisely what lead to his grandfather's death. He was more or less healed by now, but he knew through experience that he had to do the right thing, even if those were foreign to him.

If he was being honest with himself, this was all a lot of hard work that trying to get quality sleep was a thing that feigned from him every now and again. He'd wake up, eat, and be…king? He didn't comprehend what it really meant to be a king just yet, but he knew one thing: It didn't make him a God.

"You sound just like my old man. It's so annoying. Spouting on about crap like why, when I just want to! And you're saying that war itself is meaningless?! You're an even bigger dumbass than he is!"

"…yeah, maybe I am to you…but that's how you see it, and that's fine…but far be it from me to not show you why we fight."

He looked at the stave he had angle to his armrest. It was a golden accented scepter with a small lacrima at the end. It was originally meant to empower a mage's magic and concentrate long-range attacks, but Ajeel just had it as a small symbol other than the robe and crown he wore all day. Even now when he looked at it, sometimes he just wanted to hit himself with it out of disbelief. A guy who craved war and fighting, yet he knew so much more than before that it wasn't worth it.

As he mused to himself, he felt a gentle nudge from his side. "What do you want?" He looked down at his Trapinch, who stared at him meekly with hinted concerns. "I'm fine, Trapinch. Don't fret about it…" Realizing his tone was rather crude, he shook his head. "Er, uh…sorry."

Trapinch's zigzagged teeth chattered, his concerns seemingly lifted.

Ajeel appreciated the concerns from his peers, but he didn't want to feel like he's being pitied on. Of course he sure as hell knew that wasn't possible by Trapinch nor the others. But his gut instincts writhed at being looked down on. 'Geez, what the hell am I so worked up about? This kingdom's fine…'

Trapinch suddenly turned towards the large open window as Wingull came around. She seemed to have an envelope in her mouth that was carried over to Ajeel's throne and rested on the angled staff.

"What do you want?" he asked curtly. He was handed the envelope through her beak. He raised a brow. "Hm? A letter?" He opened up the envelope and saw a shriveled piece of paper with blotches of paint on the corners. "The hell is this supposed to be? Wingull, where'd this come from?"

"From a little girl out in the streets with her father." She explained. "She looked anxious when she gave me the letter. You should open it."

Choosing not to argue, Ajeel furrowed his brow and started reading the contents. By the handwriting it was extremely crude, but legible. He pressed on.

"Dear Mister King Ajeel, thank you so very much for everything. My Daddy came home safe because of you. Mommy and I missed him when we heard those flying ships went down. Thank you for finding him and bringing him home! You are amazing! Signed, Stacey. P.S. Thank you for letting me have an Oddish, she's sweet and cute!"

"King Ajeel, I thank you greatly for saving my life. I was amongst the many of your members of your aerial fleet. If it wasn't for you, I never would have seen my beautiful little girl again. I couldn't leave her alone again, and the gracious sum you've given to us is helping us go by. Thank you, and I swear I shall repay with my life indebted to our new king. We will do whatever it takes to appease you. Signed, Reygal."

Ajeel read the small letter from front to back, taking in what a regular little girl had to say. He didn't know why, but a smile crept onto his face. The tightness in his face seemed to have loosened. "Heh, being a king has its perks afterall." He spoke nonchalantly.

Wingull chirped loudly and sailed off her perch. The gull cawed as she decided to glide her way out the window and back out in the open. Ajeel and Trapinch watched as she sailed off over the rebuilding Alvarez.

A snicker came from Ajeel. "Geez, old man…"

Wingull sailed promptly around the palace, the altitude just high enough for her to get a good breeze and glide around. With her elevation it was enough to allow her to sail over all over the kingdom. She circled over the palace to watch and see those below. As she did, her Keen Eye accuracy picked up on something down below that grasped her full attention. It was slow, but it made away towards the far end of the palace, plopping itself atop a roof over a balcony. Wingull hummed as she sailed around to keep her eye on the vague figure.


Brandish sauntered into her room, a large hum vibrating her throat. She looked around her room, still the same as ever. There was decorations and décor that resembled her old quarters back when the Spriggan 12 were still a thing, but the paintjob was a brighter, less royal purple to match her overcoat.

Deciding fresh air was best, she walked over to her balcony and opened the doors. She noticed that unlike before when her quarters' balcony hinges would creak, these were smooth and quiet. She walked over the ledge and looked out at the avenue where she could see large imperial monuments that were once dedicated to Zeref and Neinhart, now replaced by Ajeel.

She looked up to the sky, her eyelids barely open. "What a pain all this change is…" As justified as she was, she knew this was bound to happen. "When I agreed to come back, I was hoping for things to stay the same. All these renovations can be such a bore."

"But still, I didn't really have anything to go back to, so it's not like I have a reason to walk out either."

Dimaria's words popped up in Brandish's head. Her brow scrunched at the thought of what her friend said. She risked a lot to save her friends – if she ever cared to call them that. The empire was all she had back then and she now has something to actually…work for. Though, outside of shrinking debris to gravel to make cleanup easier, she didn't expand her reaches far. So why exactly must she complain if she wanted to come back to rebuilding a hellhole?

All this thinking was giving her a migraine. She looked up at the twinkling stars above and all her befuddling seemingly disappeared for a moment. Seeing the bright stars, she thought for a moment about a certain celestial blonde with brown eyes. Flashes of the scuffles they've had when Alvarez attacked and she met her through unconventional circumstances has brought an extent of light onto her dull world.

Despite all her turmoil, thinking back, she couldn't help but crack a meek grin. 'I guess this isn't so bad…' She turned around. 'Still, it's a pain in the ass. Whatever…'

An odd, echoed chime got her attention just before she went back inside. She glanced over her shoulder, but the balcony and city looked quiet.

'Was I just hearing things just now?' She glanced left and right to see what was getting her attention. 'I don't sense Magic Power…I guess I am going crazy.' Another enigmatic hiss was heard, but louder. Her hair was close to standing on end. 'Someone's here.'

As she looked around, her left and right views were completely clear. But there was one place she didn't realize to look" Up. When she looked up, something from the shadows of the roof came into light. She stepped back as her room lights revealed the levitating being's jellyfish-like body with a frilly midsection.

Brandish noticed something immediately. When she realized it, it had an uncanny resemblance to a long-haired woman's hair with a sunhat. It was peculiar, but not as much as the creature itself just spying on her. "What do you want?" she questioned flatly.

The enigmatic jellyfish hummed as it floated in front of Brandish's face. Its tentacles swayed side-to-side hypnotically.

"…supposed to be an answer a Pokémon could give." She paused. "Are you supposed to be a Pokémon?"

The large white jellyfish hummed meekly to itself as its head tilted towards the side. Once again, Brandish was left with no particular answer. 'Can this thing even communicate?' Her tentacles shimmered again in indication of answering something. 'what is it trying to say?'

The creature's frills expanded and contracted as it puffed its way over Brandish's head. It floated around her atmosphere, bobbing in and out of her face like a curious fickle thing. However, this served to only aggravate her.

"I don't have time for this." She turned towards her open doorway back inside just as the jellyfish floated in its way. "Look, you have a Trainer, don't you? Why don't you go back to him or her instead of bugging me…it can be a real pain dealing with unwanted problems."

It emitted a slightly more distorted cry than before, seemingly understanding what Brandish said in its own way. It floated right in place, so Brandish opt to bypass it.

"I won't go picking an unworthy fight…it's such a hassle." She took a few steps forward before noticing a purple orb flaring atop the creature's head. It soared up before severing into purple comets with dark purple smoke following into Brandish's balcony, fading into the spot she was about to step in. "What the…? What're you doing you…? Wait, where'd it go?"

She heard a snarking hiss right over her head. She looked up, but only saw black once the creature's head came down. 'W-What the-?!' With her vision clouded in black, another echo of hisses vibrated her constricted head.

The next thing she knew, a very painful sensation was running through her head. She instinctively yelled out as she was trying to struggle free, but this strange oozing toxin was surging from the creature's body that flowed right to her brain. It was numbing to where her eyesight blacked out from the sensation. Just as the numbness was at its peak, it suddenly spiked to a searing flame that shot at all her nerves. She convulsed and screamed at the top of her lungs, but the creature laced a tentacle around her mouth to gag her. She was nearing where she was almost out of strength, she had to act fast. She had the strength to stand, yet her legs were shaking. Some effort and she was up, ready to use her magic to shrink this creature's head to oblivion. But she mistepped without realizing, a poisonous ripple running off the ground and into her leg. Another painful cry was gagged as the numbness and toxic bubbles arose from her body to indicate poison. The added agony caused her leg to collapse onto its side and for her to squirm at the head of her doorway.

She could feel it; a very numbing, exotic venom running through her. Her fingers twitched constantly at an attempt to move, but her nerves were being used by the jellyfish. All her will was being torn down, her blood broiling to a number of emotions. Rage. Annoyance. Grief…Pain. That's what was driving all these things into her like a gush.

Her screams went wild as the creature hissed louder, almost like a cackle. It sunk its head further to engulf Brandish's head entirely, her pained, muffled cries being muffled and the frills expanded over her upper body to brace below the ample chest she had. The creature was molding into a collapsing gel that took over Brandish's body, enveloping her entire upper-half into a rapidly changing gel substance. The top began to expand like a balloon and swelled her upper-half on a gray and black bubble. The bell lost its stars and grew several glossy spots. Its tentacles that snared her had become flattened and longer, with multicolored diamonds along them with a similar diamond-like end to them. Four tentacles connected to the bell were spines that extended outwards as hands; the remaining four coming from a single larger spine.

Brandish inside was shown to have her skin becoming gray, her eyes turning a harsh yellow while her hair had turned to black. Her coat lad black and purple for its color scheme automatically replaced the other colors. This was the least of it all as the fused entity was gently floating over the floor, leaving black ink to stain the ground.

The ruckus that was made wasn't loud though, so no one was around to hear. The doors suddenly opened, Dimaria walking in. "Brandish, listen. I-!" She screeched to a halt as her heart nearly leaped out of her chest. "W-what the-?!"

The creature's bell gurgled as an alert to the woman inside. When she opened her eyes, feral gold slits inhabited her eyes. Immediately Dimaria backpedaled to where she fell onto her butt. The creature remained in place, but to her it was feet away from causing a heart attack.

'The…hell is that? It's like…some kind of monster that just came out of nowhere! How the hell did it get into here?' Her pupils shrank at a thought. 'Brandish! Where is she?'

She looked left and right, but she didn't find her friend anywhere. The creature hissed so loud that it got Dimaria's attention. "You…!" She got her legs beneath her. "What the hell are you?! Where's Brandish?!"

The creature didn't response.

"Tell me!" Without another word, she threw out a Poke Ball, summoning out her Flareon. The fur exerted embers that seemed to have made Brandish's eyes widened a little. Dimaria swiped her arm, making her Flareon's fur charge up flames. "Don't make me have you take it the hard way!"

The creature looked blankly ahead, seeing the two faces that were in black and white point of view. Inside the bubble, Dimaria's voice was muffled, but Brandish could recognize her.

"D…Di…"

Dimaria, her patience running low out of fear, gave an order. "Flareon, go! Fire Spin!" Flareon unleashed a spiraling thin flame that worked its way towards Brandish.

The flames drew closer, but Brandish's eyes widened some. Two of her large tendril hands reached out, shrinking the fire to a very thin ember that died out before it reached her. Dimaria and Flareon looked shocked at their attacked minimized to thin air. The strange creature let out a gurgle hiss.

"S, y-yoU waNNA HaVE a pIece of mE?!" The vocals of this creature sounded like Brandish, but an underlayer of a distortion and darkly.

Dimaria was so freaked out that when the creature slammed its four appendages on the ground. The entire room shuddered loudly as objects were starting to flux out of proportion. Dimaria looked over and saw Brandish's nightstand shrink, whereas her lavish bed was expanding, nearly covering the room. She jumped on top of the mattress along with Flareon so she would get crushed by its width.

"It just changed the size of this room on a whim?!" She spread her legs to keep herself from falling over. The mattress was too soft for solid footing. 'Wait a minute. This part of what Brandish can do. Is she somewhere nearby?'

Brandish cackled as she looked up at the ceiling. She/It reached one tendril up to expand something.

Flareon looked up. "What is it?!" Dimaria looked up in time to see the huge chandelier that was the size of a Mamoswine. It became too heavy for the chains to support and fell onto her.

Brandish watched as the chandelier was so heavy that it broke the bed, causing it to split in two. The wood supports had splinters scattered everywhere along with glass. The creature floated in place, marveling at what it just did.

Looking at its hands, the jellyfish-human was surprised. "TeehEE! I diDN't knoW hUMAns cOUld do thiS. I WONder wHere I am…?" she looked around the room, seeing the many décor. "Teehee…PRETty…"

Her human side kicking in, the creature turned around at something. Its arm was what blocked an orange blur, swatting it into the wall on the side. It turned towards Dimaria, revealed to be behind her.

"HoOoh…?"

Dimaria gnashed her teeth, careful not to overuse her magic. She already had to stop time once to get herself and Flareon to the other side of the room. She had to act rationally. 'The hell is this thing? Does she have Brandish's magic somehow?"

The creature swatted at Dimaria, but she was quick to backpedal out to the balcony. However, upon stepping, her heel felt a sharp throb as poisonous ripples went through the floor up her body. She felt her whole body turning weak.

"Gngh! What the hell?" She looked down at her leg, her body emitting toxic bubbles. "Poison?"

"I wANna PLay A gaME." She chimed.

"What game?" Dimaria demanded, powering through the poison.

"I WAnna plAY a gAMe wHEre YOu hAve to be sTANding At the ENd. WAnna plaY?" The creature raised one of its tendrils again, Dimaria readying herself this time. The figment slammed it into the balcony, sending a shockwave through it. Dimaria gasped when she could feel the smooth cement eroding into a smaller area. Her wrists came in contact with the railing that was several meters out to realize the area of the balcony was shrinking.

'She's shrinking the balcony this time!'

"TEEHee!"

Dimaria heard the loose giggle to see a tendril lifted up. With her drawn in, the appendage slammed down with enough force to cause the entire balcony to collapse on itself. The debris crumbled over rooftiles below and splattered along the lawn.

The creature looked down, seeing dust and rubble at the bottom of what once was the balcony. "OopsIES~! Looks lIke shE diDN't wANna wiN THat badly then!" She turned away from the doors, huffing. "Phew! What a PAIN~!" The creature suddenly felt a throb in her bell, two of her four hands clutching the squishy mass. "TeEeeeHEEeee! She…IS A PAIN! SHE…PAIN…! KreeAAAAGH!"

The creature's human legs were kicking sporadically. She could feel herself bounce up and down from the resistance the human was putting up. The enigma was hissing.

"Dima…ria…!"

"TEEeeeHEEE! COme nOw, I waS JUst havINg fUn~! LoOsEN Up a lITTle!"

"S-Stop it…that's my…friend!"

"WeLL, shouLdn't friENds alWays plAY gaMes?" The fleshy bauble gurgled with its bewildering laughter, but the kicking and gurgling of the person inside made it seem two-sided in its writhe. "COme on! Let'S have some mORE fUn! YOU and mE! How's thAt sOUnd! We Can be clOSer than frienDS eVEn!"

Brandish's half was gritting her teeth, misty black tears from the stress she was taking in. "Please…st…op…op…!"

As the monster was debating amongst itself/herself, it was oblivious to the dresser that was turned onto its side from the destruction in the room. Covered behind it, Dimaria was laying low to the ground with her Flareon, which was a little dazed from that earlier backhand. 'That was a close one.'

She thought back to how she escaped at the last second. Moments before the impact, her teeth clicked, summoning her magic to stop time. 'If I hadn't stopped time at the last second, I would've been flattened. I need to bring this thing down, and quick!'

As the creature squirmed in midair, its back was turned away from Dimaria and Flareon. Both got up and found the opportunity to strike. "Flareon, now! Fire Fang!" Flareon leaped off the fallen dresser and rushed with her mouth lit on fire and trailing embers.

The monster glanced over her shoulder and saw the Flareon heading her way. Far behind, Dimaria's glare was as cold as ice. It's what got her to freeze up long enough for the Brandish half to muster up a hand.

"STOP!"

She forced a hand out, causing Flareon to screech to a halt. The room fell to a small silence as the standoff left the, all stunned at what just happened. Dimaria's eyes were shrunk at what she just heard. The large amorphous was breathing heavily, looking exhausted for no reason.

Dimaria blinked, comprehending what she heard just now. "Wait a minute…that voice."

"Di…Di…maria…" the creature croaked, her head down from thinking.

Dimaria's eyes shot wide open. She recognized the voice all too well. "No way…" Her footing parted for a moment. "Is that…Brandish?"

"Dimaria…"

She was left dumbfounded. All she saw was a pleading figment that weakly raised a limb out to her. The human head inside showed the pitiful sight of a woman that had gnashing teeth and pained, feral eyes with black tears bubbling upwards.

"Help…me…"

Dimaria's heart sunk as fast as her heart raced. She couldn't believe it. "Brandish. It's really-GAH?!" Her body winced at the poison that billowed out of nowhere, causing her to flinch. 'Gngh! I'm poisoned, I almost forgot!'

"AAAAaaaHHHHHH!" Brandish's pained cries got Dimaria's attention again. Her wails echoed throughout the bedroom for a loud enough shudder to occur. Once again, matter was starting to distort around her as small objects were enlarging, while things like the bed and chandelier were shrinking spontaneously.

"Brandish! Stop!" Dimaria shouted, trying to keep her footing. "It's me! Dimaria!"

"KYaaAHHHHaaaHHH!" A higher-pitch shriek rocked Dimaria's ear drums, causing her to cover up. "You my friend?! YOu wannA pLAy soMe mORe?!"

Dimaria gasped. She could barely process what happened next. All of a sudden, a harsh stream of purple liquid spewed from two hand tendrils at her. Because of Brandish's magic, it became a massive flood of purple pressurized toxins that Dimaria was unable to evade. She and Flareon were engulfed by the hyperexpnded Venoshock as it flooded into the hallways, breaking down the doors to her room and sweeping the liquid along the carpet, staining it violet.

The creature cackled as it saw what its attack did. It looked down at its hands again and smirked leerily at the destruction it caused.

Up ahead, Dimaria and her Flareon were sprawled along the ground. The former was barely conscious as the poisonous bubbles continued to drain her stamina. She coughed up poison that ended up leaving a bitter taste in her mouth, literally. She cringed as a shadow moved closer.

"ThAt wAs sO mUCh fUn! I'm loVing tHis gAMe we'Re playINg!"

Barely any strength, she turned on her side with Flareon to see the large floating jellyfish towering over them with a gleeful look on Brandish's face.

"Brandish…" She tried to move, but she was still in shock. That attack did more to her system than she thought.

It hissed back at her. "YoU Can be sUch a paIN sometImes." Dimaria's blood ran cold at that sentence; more so when she saw a limb raised to threaten her. "LeT's fIx tHat rIGht nOW, okAY?"

Dimaria gritted her teeth as Flareon was barely able to stand. She was about to brace for the impact to come, but instead a blue sphere of water flew right over her head, exploding in Brandish's face. The creature expelled a menacing shriek at the water spray out of the blue.

Dimaria gasped. 'Water?'

Brandish shrieked loudly and covered her wet gel body. "GGGGAAAH! THE HELL?! WHAT DID THAT?!" Stirred by the surprise attack, she turned to drift off back into the bedroom. As it swayed away, it couldn't find any way to move beyond its measure. An unknown force kept her from retreating. "WhAt's goiNg On?! Why aM I in PAIN~!"

She tried moving the unknown force, basically swatting at the thick air for no reason. The jellyfish hissed uncontrollably, leaving Dimaria to squirm away until her elbow ran into something thick and round.

"Huh?" She turned around, seeing a familiar creature present. "You?!"

"Heh, well what do you know. Guess you're useful for something after all, Trapinch."

Dimaria looked up. A Wingull sailed and cawed loudly over everyone's heads as Ajeel had arrived with Trapinch, along with several soldiers that escorted him and hung back. To say she was relieved would be putting it lightly. "King Ajeel!"

Wingull cawed loudly and sailed down to the staff Ajeel had in hand, perching herself. "This bird wouldn't shut up about something after it flew through my window for no reason. Next thing I hear is a bunch of breaking everything that I could hear halfway across the hall. What the hell is this?" He shot a brow at the hissing jellyfish woman, its enigmatic appearance leaving him with a number of questions and a gut-wrenching stomach. "What the hell is that thing…?"

The jellyfish woman managed to compose herself and noticed the new group of people. She turned and showed her tendrils to bear a challenge.

Ajeel instinctively spread his legs and held his staff out, causing Wingull to get airborne. "Get back!" he ordered.

The jellyfish didn't take the hint and smirked wickedly. Much like before, she unleashed another torrent of purple liquid from her tendrils, which became projectile torrents that rushed at all of them. Ajeel waved his staff and slammed it into the ground, summoning a giant wall of sand to block the poison. With it stopping, he waved his staff and dispelled the sand, leaving the space open for him to attack.

"Raml Sayf!" He fired sharp sand spears at the jellyfish monster, spreading to a large area across the hall. The jellyfish woman sneered at the incoming attacks.

"WhAT a BorE!" Pushing her tendrils out, she used Brandish's magic to cause the grains of sand coming at her to shrink, leaving only specks to pelt her. They did little than just leave her a little dusty, but nothing she didn't simply shrug off.

Ajeel snarled. "So it shrunk my attack, eh?" He shook another stance. "Alright then-!"

"Ajeel, hold on now!" Dimaria shouted from the side. She coughed, expelling more poison, enough to make Ajeel raise a brow.

"Huh…?"

Her coughing receded, leaving her to finish. "That creature…it's Brandish."

His eyes widened. "What?" He looked back ahead, looking directly at the vague woman inside the jellyfish bell. Now that he looked at her, she did recognize the short hair and attire. The way her face was shaped had a keen look he would never forget. "How the hell did this happen?"

"I don't know. My guess is that something attacked her just as I was coming in to check up on her."

Ajeel stared blankly at Brandish's frame. He watched as she slammed a tendril on the ground, causing a piece of debris to expand to the size of a boulder. She lifted it up with superhuman strength and threw it at them. Ajeel pointed his staff ahead and fired a sharp projection of sand that streamed into the boulder's middle, disintegrating it on the spot. Its remnants showered around Brandish, leaving her mutated form to sigh.

The king sneered. "Damn you bastard…!"

"Wait, stop!" Dimaria pleaded, reaching out to him. "Brandish isn't in control! Don't hurt her!"

Ajeel stopped his attack before he could start. His teeth gnashed as Brandish looked at all of them playfully, and yet sinisterly. "Aw, thiS plAce is sUCh a bORe. Come ON, lEt's have sOMe moRe fun here!" She made a dash right for them head-on. "You PEOple can do BETter!"

She closed the gap quicker than what they thought. Ajeel had to do something, and fast. But he couldn't risk hurting Brandish like Dimaria pointed out. But he had to find some way to subdue her, and as painless as possible. A double negative right there that he sucked at. He always wanted to get back to fighting, but he didn't think it'd be against a supporter. If he hurt her, and left her critically wounded…he would actually feel bad. But his few months of thinking left him to realize he had other options to spare.

"Decker! Valeria! Now!"

Brandish closed in when something sharp rushed right pass her face, piercing the wall without making a sound. Something else with another line rushed into the other wall in the same spot, also making so sound. Brandish ran into the crossed wires, activating the lacrima kunai they were attached to. Electricity coursed through the wires, stunning her in place as Decker appeared out of nowhere with Valeria, their Noctowl and Drifblim floating right behind them.

Shrieking from the pain, Brandish swatted at the wire, chopping it out of place. She backpedaled through the air, giving herself and the enemies some space. The air between was a tense one, one that even the jellyfish took seriously when facing the many adversaries at once. Her facial expression was no longer of pain, but she sure seemed pissed.

Ajeel gnashed his teeth together as he glared daggers at Brandish. "You guys gotta slow her down, try to keep her in one spot. When that happens, we'll snare her entirely." He questioned to himself if this was the best course of action, but it was better than outright drowning her in sand.

Brandish let out a distorted cry as her four hands summoned luminescent gems, which she hurled at them. As they traveled, they expanded into large meteor-like gems that closed in on their foes.

Decker held up four kunai and threw them at the four projectiles and fired them back. They interjected with the boulders flying at them, wedging into their bright surfaces. With a snap of his singers, the kunai exploded, shattering the gems and obscuring the space between in a smoke cloud. He shot a look at Valeria, who nodded in understanding.

Pointing her staff ahead, she silently commanded her Drifblim to attack. The blimp expanded before expelling a ghastly purple windstorm from her bottom. Decker added his magic to make it muted so Brandish wouldn't hear the winds brewing. The ghastly turbulence blew the smoke as well as several scattered shards everywhere in Brandish's direction, causing her to cover up.

Decker snapped his fingers, his Noctowl hooting in understanding. It sailed towards the smoke cloud, eyes fixated on the prize.

Brandish shook her bell around and gleamed through the smoke, seeing a silent owl heading her way. She swatted her arm, dissipating the smoke in one go. Now there was nothing to stop her from making Noctowl's wings shrink to the size of baby birds.

CRUNCH!

Before she could, however, something with bone-crushing force snared one of her tendrils. As she recoiled, Trapinch's jaws were glowing and were locked on the tendril. "You LIttle shIt! GET OFF!"

Decker swiped his arm silently, signaling his attack. When Brandish turned around, Noctowl was nowhere to be seen. She looked around, but felt a hypnotic red glare from above. Looking over, she was once again duped as red eyes radiated a hypnosis-like state onto her.

'If she starts falling asleep, we can lock her in place.' Ajeel realized.

Brandish's eyelids were getting heavy as she looked at Noctowl's hypnotic stare. She was losing her strength fast, almost to where she didn't feel anything at all. Her head inside bobbed up and down, until finally she closed her eyes, having succumbed to Hypnosis.

'Now!' Ajeel swiped both arms to the side, stomping on the ground. "Trapinch, Sand Tomb!"

Trapinch chirped and raised his front legs, stomping them into the ground. Beneath the levitating Brandish, the ground summoned a funnel-like sand cloud that swarmed her, but the creature-half was unable to do anything with its host asleep. A shrilled hiss echoed just as Ajeel used his Sand Magic to cross his arms and ball his fists tight. The swirling sand compressed into a mound that trapped the gel beast, leaving her anchored to the ground with her tendrils wedged in the earth grains.

"There, that'll keep her still for a while." Ajeel commented.

The beast snarled and hissed as it was unable to move. Try as it could, it wasn't able to make full use of Brandish now that she was asleep. It hissed disappointedly at what was happening.

"Alright, you happy now Dimaria?" Ajeel snorted. "We kept it to as minimal as we could. Now let's get her out of there." He stepped forward, but Decker's arm blocked his path. "What is it now?"

Decker silently pointed forward, directing all of them towards the beast. Ajeel squinted as the beast was seemingly convulsing and expanding, like a rippling stomach reflex.

"The hell is it doing now…?" Ajeel questioned. For caution's sake, he and everyone backpedaled away as they watched the beast expand and contract at a quickening pace. The bizarre figment looked like it was about to explode, or perhaps, about to throw up something. "So gross…"

Finally having enough, the parasite hissed loudly before its bottom opened, allowing black, sludge-like ink to splat everywhere that stained the sand. The sand mound melted as the ink and the parasite separated, returning to a white jellyfish while Brandish's body slid slowly down the sand slide, her skin paled and her body covered in black liquid. The parasite wheezed and squirmed in midair at the awful feeling it had sustained.

Decker and Valeria furrowed their brows in disgust. Ajeel, however, realized what happened. "The hell…? Did it and Brandish just…?"

Dimaria gasped shockingly. "Brandish!"

Brandish was unresponsive beneath the parasite. It floated a little ways away from its own shock, but a magic blast and kunai struck it, making it buffer backwards from Decker and Valeria's assaults.

Getting the opening, Ajeel activated his magic and created a sand wave that carried Brandish over towards them. He settled it to the ground as Brandish laid beside Dimaria, who was unable to stand from the poison inflicted.

Dimaria weakly reached out to Brandish, her unconscious expression leaving her in pain. "Brandish…please…are you alright?" She didn't get an answer. "B-Brandish…"

The parasite's shrieks startled Dimaria, who almost forgot about it. She saw the creature writhe at them, but right now, she had to get away.

"Valeria! Get them to treatment, now! The rest of you guards, call for some medics!" Ajeel ordered.

Valeria nodded before looking at Decker, who signaled approval. She looked at her Drifblim as she silently floated over Dimaria and Brandish and gently wrapped a loose arm around each of them. She floated back up, gently drifting away while Valeria turned her magic stave upside-down and mounted it like w itch broom. It jettisoned a magic stream that propelled her away, along with the injured.

The parasite hissed aggressively and fired more purple gems their way to stop Drifblim, but a wave of sand shattered them before they got to far. "You didn't forget about us, did you?" Ajeel's taunt made its tentacles shrivel in annoyance.


Drifblim carefully guided the way with Valeria beside her. The guards behind followed accordingly, with one communicating into a lacrima on his wrist. "Attention! We need medical enhancement and doctors in the west wing! We're currently heading to the central wing of the palace, bring two stretchers and anesthesia! Over!" The soldier looked towards Valeria ahead. "Ma'am, we've just called for help! It should be here in a few minutes! We're also calling for reinforcements to handle to creature in support of King Ajeel and Lord Decker!"

Valeria looked over her shoulder back in the direction she came from. She knew it wasn't going to be easy, but she had to believe in Decker. He wasn't an ex-Spriggan for any reason. She steadied her course as Drifblim followed.

Dimaria looked tired and frenched in poison. She didn't even have the strength to look anywhere but down. She didn't want to anyway. She didn't have any right to.

"Di…maria…"

Her ears twitched at the croaked voice. Dimaria turned her eyes towards Brandish. They were vaguely open, but she saw dull green irises that were cascaded downwards like her own. "Brandish, you…"

"Dima…ria…" Brandish's croaking tone seemed like she couldn't hear her. This gave her the opportunity to listen. "I'm…so…so…sorry…"

Dimaria saw it then and there, the tears that were drifting from Brandish's eyes towards the ground. The sincerity she tried making was as clear as day. At any time it would've been awkward to see Brandish actually care about something, but Dimaria took it in stride. She huffed as Drifblim swayed her grip some.

"Honestly, Randi…you really are a pain." She mused. She said it in time before the poison lurched her body, causing her and Brandish to black out as Drifblim continued carrying them to safety.


The parasite hissed as it shot purple liquid at them, which traveled at incredible speeds. Wingull and Noctowl interjected with air crescents and a rainbow shockwave of kinetic energy causing the attacks to collapse on one another. Through the explosion, shards of sand rained in its direction catered by Ajeel's howling. The creature hissed before it jutted to the side, evading the rush and finding higher aerial surveillance.

What it didn't realize, however, was the dagger held by something silently pinned against the roof. It was caught off guard once Decker came sweeping through, stopping on a knee with the dagger's edge glistening. The beast cried at the silent surprise attack, but persevered.

"The hell is this thing?" Ajeel questioned. "Is it even a Pokémon?

The parasite hissed at Decker before spraying another forceful blast of liquid. The ninja-cowboy used his lacrima heels to flip to one hand and reverse away from the spray in time back to Ajeel's side. The parasite lowered itself and shot them both a cackling hiss.

Ajeel gnashed his teeth. He shot a look around, noticing the broken walls and the destroyed bedroom afar. 'Whatever this thing is, it can deal a lot of damage. If we don't wrap this up, this whole section of the building could end up collapsing again. Alright then…'

The parasite squealed as it manifested another dark purple orb and tossed it towards the ceiling. It exploded, breaking off into more poisonous comets with dark purple smoke trailing behind.

"Stop those before they touch something!" Ajeel ordered.

Decker dutifully jumped into the air and spread his arms, swiping them to shoot out a large net with daggers pinning them over their heads. The massive net caught the poisonous darts and caused static to flare up from the grueling venom clashing with the wires. He landed on a knee and tossed two small jades beneath the parasite. It looked down confused, until Decker snapped his fingers, activating an explosion of smoke and dust that swallowed the parasite from below.

Ajeel swiped his arms around. "Let's see you like this! Rock Slide!"

Within the dust, the parasite didn't know where to turn. It couldn't see where anything was. Unable to notice Trapinch stomping on the ground, distorted waves appeared overhead, summoning gray boulders. Decker snapped his fingers and caused the rocks to go mute, so air couldn't make the gravel roar upon coming down. The parasite shrieked loudly as rocks buried it, causing its bell to get crushed and hammered nonstop.

The dust soon cleared, and everyone saw the smoke fade as a pile of stones covered the parasite. It looked to be down for the count.

"That should've gotten it for the time being." Ajeel huffed. He noticed Decker looking wary at the stone pile, but didn't know what to think. Confused, Ajeel turned back forward. "Don't tell me…"

As if by instinct, several rocks burst open and crystalized gems fired in a large spray at Decker. The ex-Spriggan ricocheted off the ground and flipped across the corridor. The beast turned everywhere, keeping even his Noctowl from getting close as he silently sailed around the shards.

"Hey, ugly! Over here!" Ajeel warned.

The parasite hissed aggressively at Ajeel and wiggled its feelers around. It hummed and sailed right for him, but he didn't budge. He just had to see it get close.

The parasite screeched out with all its might, finally breaking the distance between them. Once Ajeel was directly below, the bell expanded and it closed in to leech off him next. Its tendrils laced around, locking onto the torso and the throat. The creature began injecting its neurotoxins to stimulate and cause Ajeel's body to convulse, much to its satisfaction.

However, the sound of sand got its attention. When the beasts felt grains gliding off his tentacles, it looked down and notice sand pouring out of Ajeel's body. In fact, his whole skin was turning to sand. He melded into sand; a fake that it fell for. Before it had the chance to process this, the crumbling sand spiraled, turning into another vortex of sand that trapped the parasite.

"Got it." Trapinch huffed outside the vortex.

"Just like that, Trapinch…now…" Ajeel's voice echoed through the sand, undetectable as his real body flowed through the grains surrounding the monster. "Alright you parasite!" His magic surged into a condensing manner, thick swirls surrounding the prey that couldn't escape. "Let's see how you handle this!"

Unable to move, the parasite was helpless when sand turned to an upper body, along with a double-bladed axe at the end of a staff made up of sand. The axe swung just at the parasite turned, slicing it clean through the sand swirl around it.

"RAML FA'AS!"

The axe's force was enough to send the parasite screeching through the air past everyone and straight down the hall. The creature screeched with all its might as it sailed through the bedroom, crashing in a sand cloud in the middle of the room.

Wingull cawed as she and Noctowl sailed into the bedroom, or what was left of it. Ajeel and Decker weren't far behind, watching the sand disperse. In the center of the rom was a crater that was piled with sand, the parasite squirming weakly with Ajeel's staff protruding out of its bell. Sand spilled from it from his attack, leaving the staff back to normal.

Ajeel sneered. "That was a pain in the ass." He walked over, glaring down the jellyfish monster that didn't respond. He huffed as he pried his staff out and backed away from the creature. He had to keep a calm head now. He won this fight. He turned towards Decker. "Make sure it doesn't move."

Understanding, Decker pulled out jointed lacrima darts and wires to make a cross strap. He shot the four ends to cover the beast, like a blanket. With the tendrils strapped down, it wouldn't be able to move.

Ajeel sighed in relief. He took the time to glance around the room. He noticed how everything was completely out of proportion; even the lavish bed was supposedly the size of a toyhouse bed. 'That thing took over Brandish, just like she said before.' He thought about his earlier attack being shrunk down. 'What the hell did this thing do to her? Is this thing even a Pokémon…well, guess we won't know till we get the message out to Cambire Foundation on this mess.'

Shaking his head, he dismissed what he would have to do later in favor of now. "Get me some backup. We're gonna lock this thing up before it can get out of here."

Decker understood and withdrew his Noctowl back to its Poke Ball. He turned and dashed out of the bedroom, leaving Ajeel with Trapinch and Wingull to overlook the parasite.

"Alright, so out with it. What are you exactly?"

The beast let out a weak hiss of spite.

"So you can understand me, huh? Listen, normally I would've buried ya in sand and dry you up for the hell you're causing, but I've got questions that as a king, I've gotta have answers to." He slammed the bottom of his stave into the ground. "So out with it, what are you?"

The creature wriggled about, hissing louder like a cry of help. It didn't seem to respond as well as Ajeel wanted.

"I said talk. Don't make me have to force words out of that bell you call a head."

"Krrreeeeaaah!"

"I said talk!"

"KRAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

The parasite's high-pitched shrieks echoed throughout the atmosphere, reverberating through the corridor down to the main area, where everybody else was gathering with medics and soldiers Ajeel called for. They all looked distressed at the pitch the wail had.

Ajeel looked around the room, the atmosphere turning quiet. Too quiet. Suddenly he heard a faint echo of a raspy roar. It was distorted and faint, but he could feel it. He could feel the sand in his blood stop and freeze up at this uncomfortable tone. His entire body froze through this uncomfortable tone.

'That sound…did I just imagine things?'

The floor beneath started shaking, causing Ajeel's knees to almost give in. Another roar – one more audible than before – echoed loudly through the vaulted room. It was louder and more bloodcurdling. A few flickers opened up beneath the parasite before a portal acted like a vacuum, pulling the creature down. The laced wires Decker had it under were distorted and shattered from the spatial turbulence. The creature went barreling down the bright hole, which started shutting.

"Hey!" Acting fast, Ajeel, reached his staff out, unleashing a wave of sand to snare the attacker. It only squirmed a little of the way through before the portal shattered like glass, leaving a blinding light that enveloped the room. When it was gone, Ajeel looked back, seeing his foe gone without a trace.

The only thing that was left…was a pile of sand that was carried away by a gentle breeze through the windows.

Decker returned on a knee, his reinforcements right behind him. "Sir! We cam as soon as we called! What's the situation? Sir?"

Ajeel didn't answer. He was in shock of what he felt just now. That overwhelming chill still lingered, leaving him unnerved as Wingull and Trapinch were left confused. 'What's going on…?'


The creature drifted weakly through the portal, getting away from Ajeel and the world of Earthland. As it sunk into the whole where dimensional ley lines carved a path for it to follow, it slowly regained its conscious long enough to realize what was going on.

As it sailed through to safety, the small grains of sand that Ajeel had managed to get through continued falling, but they were glowing rainbow due to the magic the sand had. It started to spread, the rainbow shine following the parasite on its course to the unknown.


Under the broad moonlight, there was a large island that was illuminated with lunar guidance. Rocky canyons, luscious forests, and vast ruins that were deep within this island.

Beyond the canyons, there was an altar at the top of a massive flight of broad stairs that carried towards the plateau with small but lush greenery growing along the sides. Water gently flowed from carved paths around the waterway that resembled the shape of a sun on it.

Atop of it all, there was a massive picture of a sun-like shape mounted on a rock formation. At its bases were two pillars to represent the sun and the moon.

It was a calm and tranquil scenery under the moonlight. The lunar radiance casted onto the sun altar, which complimented it. This is where a light distorted the air above, cracking space until fragments shattered. In an instance, a menacing shriek and a falling star with rainbow following arched right inti the altar, causing the magic in the sand to spread around and fade into the pool of water beneath. The water took a rainbow shine as the particles mixed with them and traced up to the sun symbol's circumference. It went in full circle and caused the altar to open up in four sections, revealing a swirling yellow dimensional area with a rhombus core. The core drew in the foreign power, tracing it into the center and made a forcefield of golden energy. It fired into the base of the altar, producing a shockwave that sprouted rainbow colors that rippled through the air.

The shockwaves of the charge traveled at a low sea level, fading into the land. These waves coursed into the wilderness and dark caverns, where four sets of eyes at each altar opened wide. They sensed something incredibly wrong.

A broad man with deep tanned skin turned in a particular direction, specifically up a hill. He hummed as he could've sworn he saw the altar shine. "Hm…what was that?" He stepped ahead as he heard the echoes of something. "Tapu Koko…?"

Three familiar light from other altars across the region caught the eyes of other people, specifically ones who remained hidden under the night. They seemed to be understanding something was wrong; something that the light of these deity altars were saying to them.

The ripple effects went through the region, returning back to the altar with starlight in them. It shot up to the dimensional rhombus and ricocheted right off it, projected into the wormhole it went through first. Upon impact, the skies expelled a broad, rainbow shockwave that exploded outwards, enveloping the skies across the region's night.


In a realm of darkness, there was the palace of pitch-black rock that had spikes everywhere, especially downwards like an upside-down city. There were a few cracks that lead to pitch-black, cold depths where something abstract was completely still to conserve energy. With no light, it didn't have the urge to waste the strength it didn't have.

A small speck of light got its attention. It's red eye opened wide and could've sworn he saw it. "That light…I saw it…light…light…" His large claws twitched, his whole body trembling until a glimmer shined on him. "LIIIIiiiIIIiiiGHT~!"

His deafening, bloody cry shook the entire palace of dark rock, causing the wake of his roar to echo into deep, dark space.


Underneath the full moon of Earthland, the moon shined so bright that it was almost blinding. The stars in the sky twinkled brighter than everywhere. Many of them were zipping along the sky. Nic was sprawled under the sheets with Erza clinging to him. A faint roar was what echoed in his mind that made his eyes weakly open. He moved his neck towards the curtains that blocked out most of the moonlight, but a sliver of it shined directly into his eyes.

Unable to sleep because of it, he did his best to slip out of Erza's iron grip, replacing himself with a pillow that she immediately hugged to death. Free reign at last, he looked suspiciously at the full moon. His face was brightened by its light, giving him a glow that made him feel almost regal-like.

"Grrrooooo…"

The echoes of something burned into his mind. His core could feel something off again. And as he looked up at the night sky, he got lost in the shooting stars that went across the black blanket above. That echo; he could've sworn he heard it somewhere before. It was quickly followed by a higher pitched cry, one that he clearly more recognized. He looked at the moon, his eyes widened slightly at the light's wake calling out.

"KREEAAAHH!"

The cry was louder than it was before. His brow furrowed at the moon for making him so discomforted. Something inside was bubbling, and it wasn't the salad he had with his dinner. 'This voice, wait…' The first tone he seemingly dismissed, but the last tone was something he remembered all too well. 'Lunala?'

The sky continued to drift shooting stars over Nic's cottage, spreading far and wide. He could only stare in lack of understanding before hearing a stir behind. He looked back and saw Erza with her hair tossed to one side. She seemed to be moving a bit, possibly about a dream of something. He decided to withdraw from the window back to bed. Though the uneasy feeling would've made it hard to sleep soundly for a while.

As the household went back to silence, a lone star shined brightly as it drifted closer towards the house…


The figure looked into the skies above, watching the shooting stars race each other across the forest. He was safely tucked behind bushes, his camouflage keeping him from predators lurking around. 'It's strange. I don't recall there being reports of a meteor shower in this part of the world scheduled. If that were the case, the Magic Engineering Department would've notified everyone within 72 hours prior.'

He watched the starlight twinkle and fall in various places. He couldn't place his finger on it, but he knew better than to make the wring assumptions. He looked over at Oddish and Morelull obliviously walking along their own ways. He wanted to know why they weren't reacting, nor caring for that matter. If this meant an apocalypse, they must be reactive. He didn't expect them to understand however. It wasn't their world anyway. He'll have to make do with stowing on by until they see that for when a more suitable time comes.

A rustle in the trees above got his attention. He looked up, seeing something shiny clank against a tree branch, then rolled down the trunk until it fell directly in front of him. Out of instinct he jerked to his feet, holding in a firm stance. Though realizing it wasn't an animal caused him to loosen up some. He got closer to see there was a strange stone carved with some form of symbol on it.

'What is this?' He leaned in, but was aware to not touch it. He took notice of the Z-shaped accent on it. 'These markings aren't native to the kingdom. They're too augmented.' He heard sweeping above. Looking up, the Butterfree that was in the branches poked its head out and looked down at what was making the noise.

The young man kept his cloak on and glared daggers. He had to make a decision, and fast.

'Is this has to do with the cause, we cannot let an opportunity slip up.' He reached into his pockets, pulling out another device that looked similar to a diamond. He placed the lacrima in front of the odd structure. He stepped back to allow the figment to sway from side to side, much like a Poke Ball. Suddenly, its midsection started grinding, slowly opening to reveal sharp teeth. The object pointed in the path of the vague stone and shuddered. To the man's indifference, the maw opened wide and lunged for the stone, snatching it in one bite. It went stiff and stuff, its diamond-like outside allowing view of the evidence.

Walking over and picking it up, the man turning the containment over. "Strange…for a stone it's much lighter than I thought…" With the containment in check, he stashed it back into his pocket to preserve for later. He turned towards the direction he supposedly was heading before he slept, deciding to hurry.

'I should be within Magnolia by scheduled. But if I hurry, I should be a few hours earlier…' His brow furrowed. His mind was made up. 'Right then. I need to procure as much of our target as I can. That's my priority.' He hurried along, making sure to stay as quiet as possible.

The Butterfree's antennae chimed as it fluttered in the nighttime air to follow him some more.


Dew dropped from blades of grass into fertile soil. Morning had come, the sun's radiance illuminating Nic and Erza's cottage the very next morning. With birds and Fletchling chirping musically across the sky, the front door pried open to show Erza at the ready.

"Nic! Hurry up! We're gonna be late!" Her strong but soothing voice echoed through the living room, hoping to reach the other end of their humble abode.

"Hold on, I'm almost done!" His voice was muffled to an extent due to him in the bathroom. He swished his cheeks full of rinse water to get the toothpaste out. Once set, he spat it out straight down the sink. He glugged down the usual tap water and looked at himself in the mirror. For a moment, he froze in place at seeing his own reflection. He saw a couple of small bags under his eyelids from the sore sleep he got last night. Those vague roars still tingled his mindset even right now, but he couldn't make heads nor tails of it.

He leaned over the porcelain counter, using one arm to support while the other was above his brows to soothe his head. 'What am I doing right now? It's like I can't get these voices out of my head. Something's gotta be going on somewhere and this is some kind of feedback.'

'Krreeaahh…'

A familiar shriek echoed in his mind, though on a slightly painful scale. Without thinking, he morphed into his Splash Form and shot a soft jet of water to the ceiling. He lowered his head as the ice, cold gush came splattering onto his hair, instantly chilling the rattling in his cranium. 'That's better.'

"Nic!"

Erza's shouts made him flinch. '…ugh, I'm gonna have more headaches from her than I do now.' He reached for the cloth on the ring-like hanger and dried his face. 'Besides…it's like she said…'

"That only means there's more surprises out there. You told me that this 'Lunala' was the voice you heard that disrupt you, right? Then I can only assume that means something's out there. If that's a Pokémon we've never seen, then we'll need to be more careful now, won't we?"

The words Erza spoke back on Glacidia ran through his mind, giving him the reassurance he almost forgot. He could trust his wife to help him. With a healthier mindset, he went out of the bathroom to find an impatient Erza looking at him leerily.

"There you are. What took you so long?" she huffed irritably.

Nic smiled. "Yeah, sorry. I kinda got sidetracked."

Erza sighed. "Well you sure took your time. And you said that I take my time in the bathroom." She noticed the bags under Nic's eyes, her frown starting to soften. "Nic, did you sleep well?"

He bashfully looked away. "Yeah."

"Why's that? It wouldn't have to do with a bad dream, wouldn't it?" She remembered how in shock and distant Nic was back when he had those nightmares about Jellal. She assured him that was all in the past, that it was nothing but a childhood fantasy. She walked closer to him, cupping his face and smiled softly at him. "It's okay, Nic. Whatever it is, it's not an issue as of yet. We'll face it together, won't we?"

Nic stared into her chocolate eyes, his disposition as calm as the serenity ocean waves. Those vague headaches he's had eased. "I know." He leaned in, kissing Erza on her forehead. The affection made her cheeks pink. "Alright, let's take our pace today. We've got a big job you've wanted to do, right?"

Quickly recovering from the affection, Erza beamed. "Correct. Now c'mon, the others are waiting for us!"

"Alright, alright! Geez!" He closed the door behind, albeit with a harsher slam than necessary. He rushed down the steps as Erza marched on without him. "Hey, hold on! You can't just leave up on me like-Ow!"

Something with a ker-chunk dropped on Nic's head and plopped off into the trail beside him. The odd stone-like object rolled to a stop at his feet, but that fall from the roof still hurt like hell.

"Nic, what's the holdup again?" His wife turned around, looking at Nic's feet. The object that hit his head shined with the sun's radiance brightening its accented marks. She approached him. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think so." He removed his hand from his head and looked at the palm. To his relief, there wasn't any blood. He looked down at the ground, seeing the object that hit him previously.

"Is that what fell on you?" Erza squinted, seeing how small it was.

"Yeah, looks like it." He looked up to where it fell from. Along their cottage, the lamented roof had gutters. That had to be where it was before the door slam rattled it. 'How'd it get on the roof anyway?' He had an epiphany about last night that stuck with him, which drew his attention towards the sky, specifically the sun. It was a lot brighter than usual.

"What do you think it is?" Erza pondered.

"I don't know." Deciding to take a gander, Nic picked up the rock and inspected its sides. He looked at the insignia on the front and furrowed his brow. His train of thought turned to uncertainty as he blankly stared.

"Nic?" Erza's tone was softer and more concerning.

Rattling himself, Nic was dragged out of his thoughts and held the rock tight. "I got an idea." He quickly volunteered. "Maybe Levy or Freed might know about this. They specialize in reading up runes, right?" His quick thinking was enough to give himself a reason to head to the guild.

Erza out a hand to her chin. "I suppose so. Levy does possess immense knowledge on archives." She smiled and turned towards the guild. "Very well then, shall we?"


Book after book stacked beneath a floating Klink. It looked down at Levy as she flipped page after page with her Gale-Force Readings Glasses. She seemed completely focused on the small texts and inscriptions the book had.

"Man, she's been at that for a while now." Gray commented. He, along with Team Natsu, Vanessa, and Sophie were all gathered around the table that Nic and Erza sat adjacent to Levy. "You sure she's okay?"

"Hey man, don't doubt our Levy!" Droy shouted.

"Yeah! She's read through several novels in just one day This is nothing!" Jet defended brashly.

Gray leaned back defensively. "Geez, okay. Okay." He raised a brow and tried adverting his attention elsewhere. He noticed Gajeel was off battling against Elfman. The sudden crash came from the result of Rhyhorn being blown on his backside by Aron's metallic head. He dismissed it and looked back at the scene. "So this thing was on your roof this whole time? How come you didn't notice?"

"Hey, it's not like it was there before." Nic defended. He looked down at the runes it had. "But it's not like this was there forever either."

"You think somebody placed it there?" Lucy pegged.

Natsu shrugged. "Beats me. Maybe a bird dropped it or something?"

"What kind of bird carries a rock and just drops it on someone's roof?" Lucy backlashed.

Wendy scratched her cheek nervously. "Yeah, a bit incredulous actually."

Carla folded her arms. "Well it's no mystery that it's clearly out of place. Speaking of out of places…" The white cat turned towards the bar, where Happy was approaching Cana's Liepard as she was napping at her Trainer's feet. Happy was a shaking mess, but he was determined. "For crying out loud, will you just give it a rest already Happy?!"

The shout was so abrupt that the fish in Happy's hand was slipping. He hastily bounced it around until it ended up sprung in midair. Just as he was about to reach for it, Rufflet went swooping in, taking the fish and Happy's peace offering for the slender leopard.

"GAAAH! Hey! It took me all morning to fish for that!" Happy took off in a glide for Rufflet getting away with his brunch. "Get back here!"

Liepard's ears twitched at Happy's shrilled cries, making her stir. "Hm?" She watched as Happy passed in front, tumbling and tussling with Rufflet in a tug-of-war over the fish. Her nose wrinkled before she resumed her nap.

"Back off! Cats love fish way more than birds do!"

"Says you! I'm starving here!"

"Sorry Happy, guess I forgot how much Rufflet likes to eat fish." Lisanna meekly said with a raised hand. "Try to share, you two?"

"NO WAY!" they squabbled in unison. They shot fiery leers at each other, which turned to another hectic struggle for the now decimated fish.

Back to the table, Nic turned towards Levy to see her focusing hard, enough that Jet and Droy's cheers behind were starting to get mute. He clearly ignored them. "Levy. Not to rush or anything, but…what did you find so far?"

Levy pulled off her glasses, hunching forward with a grief frown. "Honestly, I've looked in all the inscriptions I could find. I've looked through the references I had on hand, even down in the guild's library down below. I've seen a lot of symbols…" she looked at the stone quizzically. "But this isn't an insignia that I remember."

"So it's a new type of symbol you say?" Erza pondered, putting fingers to her chin. "Nic, you said something about Lunala some time ago, right? Is there a connection?"

Nic glanced down, unsure of what to make of it. None of the pieces were adding up. "Yeah. Hold on, this happened on a full moon. Last night was a full moon, then next morning there's a new stone. This can't all just be a coincidence, can it?"

Natsu folded his arms to ponder when he felt a nudge beside him. When he looked down, Tyrunt was there at his feet. "Huh? Hey, what's up bud?" Tyrunt had something wedged I bis jaws, something that Natsu took notice of. "What you got in there…oh crap. Don't tell me you tried eating out of the trash again!"

Tyrunt nibbled some, his face scrunched a bit. "Mmmm…Tyrunt no feel so good…"

"Well open your mouth before you gag again." Tyrunt hastily did as told and opened wide. Natsu leaned in and held the mouth wide open with his strong arms and peered deep inside. "Hmmm…nope, you're clean. Nothing here…" He trailed off, noticing something stuck to Tyrunt's roof. Slowly, he peeled it off and pried himself out of the dental work. Natsu looked at the piece of paper that was saturated in saliva. "The hell id this get in there?!"

Tyrunt blinked, his mouth no longer tasting ink. "When Tyrunt followed Natsu to guild with friends, Tyrunt saw crumbled thing. Looked yummy…Tyrunt displeased." He stomped his foot on the ground, causing the wood to echo. "Tyrunt want something to eat!" He looked up and noticed the torn fish that was caught between Rufflet and Happy nearby. The Jurassic creature licked the roof of his mouth and felt an upcoming hunger. "Tyrunt, eat fish!"

Happy and Rufflet, who were in the midst of fighting, felt a chill run up their spines. The ground shuddered as something headed their way. They turned in blank fear, seeing the small but ferocious dinosaur racing after them with jaws salivating. They screeched in fear as they both flew with their lives, Tyrunt chasing them for the seafood meal spread.

"Honestly, what lack of control." Carla exasperated.

Natsu used his magic to heat up the slip, making the water evaporate to make it less flexible. As he read it, it looked like a news article. "Huh?"

"What is it?" Lucy asked.

Natsu placed the article down for everyone to read. It was wrinkled and torn in a few areas, mostly because of being in Tyrunt's mouth, but it was still legible. There was a picture of a rhombus-shaped crystal, and a fisherman who had it on the end of a fishing hook in the middle of a pond.

"What's this?" Juvia pondered. "This morning's news?" She began reading the description below the large black and white picture.

"LOCAL FISHERMAN FISHES UP A RICH FIND:

At 12:10 A.M, just after the peak of the summer solstice had occurred, a meteor shower occurred that had gotten Robert's attention. 'I was fishing in the local pond,' he responded. 'I wanted to see if I could catch that large catfish that people call a Whiscash. They're rowdy, and they can cause tremors that really disturb the other fish. I was hoping to catch it when I saw a shining star dropping into the water in front of me. I fished it up, and it turned out to be some light brown gem that had a strange glow to it. My finger felt tingly after touching it.'

There have been a number of reports coming in about the meteor shower that occurred overnight for approximately 7 minutes. However, as of early Spring, the phenomenon has had no drastic impact on Earthland when the Pokémon had arrived. More is to come in as people wake up and are questioned about this shower.

"My cousin found this shiny red gem that fell into our garden outside." A farmboy with a Bunnelby commented. "Bunnelby said he felt funny when his ears dug it up, and we felt something neat too."

"Some weird stone crashed through my window while I was sleeping and stirred the cat crazy!" Another man shouted. "I woke up out of bed and saw my window was broken, and my car cowering behind the chair. When I walked into the living room, a weird meter the size of my hand with some alien marking sat there on the coffee table."

These were just a few of the dozens of people who have experienced seeing crash sights of these stones and gems to have fallen from the sky overnight. It is advised that if one does find these items, it is best to proceed with caught, or call the local Rune Knights."

Juvia looked down, her face completely filled with shock. "Oh wow…what a shock."

"Strange stones and crystals falling out of the sky, that is too familiar." Vanessa pondered. "The world was in a panic about Pokémon when they first arrived here a few months ago. And now we have stones and gems that fall at the same rate. With all these things falling out of nowhere, people are going to start asking questions about where all this is coming from."

"Should we probably do something?" Sophie asked. "I mean, it's not like we have much to go off of."

Nic had to agree. Sophie did bring up a point. There was the same instance with the Pokémon as well, but he didn't feel like he should voice something like a ringleader. The Council was pointing enough fingers at him from the beginning.

The saloon doors to the guild rushed open, with Joey and his team filing through. "My people, good morning to you all! Your party house king extravaganza extraordinaire is here!" He passed by the many guild people, giving them mock waves. "Hey guys? What's up?" He turned towards Jet and Droy. "Uh…I forgot your names again."

Jet and Droy sulked in despair.

Duncan nudged Dereece with two knuckles. He seemingly understood and furrowed his brow. "You wanna take another job already?" He groaned. "Well, let's just see what Captain Joey wants." He walked over and presented himself to Joey. "Captain, Duncan's ready for a job."

Joey, opting to listen, shrugged. "Huh? Oh, sure. He can go pick one."

Duncan huffed. "Whatever."

Sophie watched The Freaks roll in with such a serious but ever-so casual inspiration. When her eyes casted onto Joey, memories about the other night came back to make her feel more at ease. Her smile widened when Joey and Dereece approached her. "Hey, Joey." She prompted.

"That's my name, don't wear it down." He teased. "How've you been, Soph?"

"I've been a lot better, thank you."

"That's awesome to hear." The two shared a mutual look of satisfaction. After their battle and enlightenment, Sophie has been a lot more mellow. And in turn, Joey seemed just as relaxed around the guild, specifically her.

Though when he saw Nic and Vanessa looking at him, his body froze up immediately. "Uh, N-Nic-senpai! Vanessa-senpai!" He bowed his head to them hastily. "M-Morning to ya!" He glanced over, seeing Dereece not bowing. He grabbed his head and pulled him down with him. "Where's your manners man, say hi!" he hissed threateningly.

"Uh, h-hi there…?" Dereece croaked.

"Hey, Joey." Nic replied casually, not bothered at all by his fanboying. He thought bout something for a moment. He looked back at the news article, then decided to speak up. "Hey, Joey, Dereece."

Joey shot up like a Thunderbolt. "Yes, Nic-senpai?!" he snapped hastily. "W-what do you need from us?! A batch of my delicious brownies? A massage? A maid contract for me to sign?! Anything?!" He looked so shaken to the point where he could practically salivate at the idea of being Vanessa or Nic's maid. To sedate both at once was enough to induce a mild heart attack just after he worked out earlier.

"Um…is he okay?" Lucy worried. "He seems a little…excited."

"That would be putting it lightly." Gray sidenoted. "Man, loyal much?" He felt an odd chill run down his spine when he felt humidity change. He faced Juvia, who gazed at him anxiously. "Uh, Juvia, what are you…what, hold on!"

Joey's dedication sparked Juvia to persevere with her loyalty. "Gray, my darling! We've been running ragged for a while with all these jobs we've done. Through Joey, I must do my best to make sure you have everything you need!" She smiled wide and pounced for him. "So let me appease your desires!"

"Gaaah! No, not now! It's too early for this" Gray veered away, but Juvia held onto him tight. She lovingly held onto him, but he chose to acquiesce. "Thanks, Joey." Gray sarcastically snarked.

Lucy lightly giggled. "Guess old habits die hard."

"You can say that." Vanessa agreed.

Sophie had to suppress a giggle. She had no idea Joey was so devoted to Nic to where it made him completely fruitless. It was a completely different side to him that she saw when he helped her battle the other night. She was definitely going to remember this trend.

Nic powered through Joey's overloyalty and passed him the news article and stone. "This may seem out of the blue, but did you see the a meteor shower last night, and if you guys know what these things are?"

Joey peered down at the piece of paper, crossing his arms. The first part of what Nic said didn't wring a bell. He frowned heavily. "Mmmm…" he sunk his head low. "I'm so sorry, Nic-senpai, I was out like a light last night by that time…" His attention went towards the stone. "But…hey, wait a minute."

"What is it?" Wendy blinked.

Joey gazed harder at the stone. He has a very…selective memory one could put it, but when he knows something important, he was best to remember it. "Dereece, look at this. Doesn't this stone look a lot like what we found a while back?"

Dereece peered over, his eyes widened. "Whoa, how'd that get here?"

"Did I miss something?" Lucy intervened. "Are you guys actually saying you have an idea o what these things are?"

"Can you tell us more about this?" Levy asked, wrapped into the inquiry like the others.

Joey nodded. "Yeah. Now that I think about it…yeah, that looks exactly like the stone we found on a job a little while ago. You guys went with Duncan at the time, but Dereece and I met ole Mister P there." He looked intently at the stone. "We found that stone on a trail with a crystal inside it, but at the time, we didn't know what it did."

"A crystal?" Erza looked down at the news article with the gem hooked at the end of the fishing pole. "You mean something like this?"

Joey peered down at the picture, recognizing the shape. "Yeah, exactly! Only the one we found was white, which was weird…bland color choice…" He shook himself to keep from derailing. "But that's not the trickiest part. When Dereece, Mister P, and – obviously – myself used these two things together…the Pokémon did something crazy."

"Something crazy?" Vanessa sounded piqued. "What sounds a little vague, Joey."

"S-Sorry, Vanessa-senpai!" Joey harshly bowed, banging his head against the table. He ignored the pain, but levered back up with a red forehead. "But I'm serious. When we combined the stone and crystal and battled, the Pokémon we battled with charged up a lot of power, and pulverized anything. Kevin's Sewaddle took down a Steelix with this power, it was insane!"

"So then, these things are connected to Pokémon somehow?" Gray noted, trying to keep himself focused while Juvia was lost in his naked upper body.

"How's that even possible?" Lucy questioned.

Natsu crossed his arms. "Beats me…" he hummed low, before he beamed a bright smile. "But I think I wanna see what this so-called power is for myself. If it's as powerful as you say, then I gotta try that." He turned towards Joey. "Hey, Joey! Where's that crystal? I wanna see what I can do with it?"

Joey eyerolled and tapped his fingers impishly. "Eh, sorry. Sent them to the Cambire Foundation after we got back."

"Aw man! That sucks!" Natsu groaned.

Nic glared down at the stone with the Z-accent on it. He couldn't deny that what Joey does have some hypothesis, but it did piece something together. He found a stone that matched what the description was like. And he recalled that the crystal caused the Pokémon to get a surge. He thought it was something like Mega Evolution, but before he could ask, footsteps went up to him.

"Hey, Nic."

Nic heard his name from a familiar person who wasn't seen in a while. He took it in stride. "What's up, Laxus?"

The Guild Master stood with the Thunder God Tribe behind him. He seemed relaxed, despite the small bags under his eyes. "Just got a call from the Cambire Foundation. Said something about wanting to talk to you and Erza if you can."

The couple looked at him, then to each other quizzically. This was the second bit of news that came out of the blue. "When do they want us?" Erza asked.

Laxus huffed. "As soon as now maybe. Said it was important."

Nic furrowed his brow. He had a pretty good idea of what it might be about. He looked at the stone on the table, its accents gleaming under the guild lighting.


It didn't take very long for Nic and Erza to ride on Charizard all the way to the Cambire Foundation. Upon arriving there, they took a moment to realize what a massive expanse it's been getting. Even now, construction in the form of Machoke and Gurdurr was swarming an entire leg of the place in building of some stations. As invested as they were in the foundation's influence growing, however, they focused on getting to the main building.

Upon arriving at the doorsteps, the doors automatically slid open, similar to what Nic's world's doors do. They took it in stride and walked inside to see a lobby the size of a normal gym stadium, if not bigger. They saw fountains lined up, along with floor tiles that glossed and had black rugs running towards a circular reception desk in the center. People were talking to the receptionists at the moment, but luckily for them, Marie came in from the side.

"Good day to you, Mr. and Mrs. Pularis." She politely bowed. "We apologize for the abrupt meeting with you. Mr. President would like to see you right now."

Erza nodded. "Very well then."

"I will be your escort. Do follow me." Without a word, Marie pivoted and directed them towards the black stairway with silver railing arching towards the next level up.

Nic and Erza didn't find any room to argue. They chose to follow her, ignoring the many eyes of the patrons below that recognized the. Even from the expanding distance, they can hear the faint whispers of them saying something about their presence and why they were here. It was evident, but unneeded. They continued until Marie led them to a large black door.

"Mr. President and his supporters are in now. Please bear with us." With that, she turned the knob and moved off to the side. Nic and Erza stepped inside, stumbling to see Arthur at his desk. What they didn't understand was why Charlotte and Jefferey were by his sides. They all even had serious faces; even Arthur showcased a business-like frown at them.

"Arthur…" Nic trailed off quietly. The door shut behind him and locked tight. Marie walked past them, moving behind the big three heads. The room had a very serious tension around it.

"You both came faster than expected." Arthur noted subtly.

"You can have Charizard's Fly to thank for that." Nic's commentary lead to him frowning. "What's wrong?"

Arthur folded his fingers and hunched over his desk. His automatic wheelchair was pressed against it firmly. Jefferey and Charlotte didn't move either, which drew concerns to a new level.

"Is everything alright with the Cambire Foundation?" Erza guessed.

Jeff was the first to step in. "Everything is fine with the foundation right now, Miss Erza. Thank you for the concerns. This matter is in regards to something else for the time being."

"Like what?"

Arthur's small sigh got their attention. He straightened his back to where one could hear the spine cracking. "I'll be as straightforward as I can with you both. I trust you both were aware of the rumors going around about last night, am I right?"

Nic furrowed his brow. He subconsciously felt the stone in his pant leg pocket. "Yeah. We heard. Is this related to that?"

Arthur hummed. "As perceptive as you always are, Nic…but that's not to say there's leeway to it not being the case either." He frowned. "You see, we've received a disturbing call from Alvarez."

"Alvarez you say?" Erza parroted.

"Yes. I trust you both remember a great deal about them. They once tried to plot to overtake the world a short while back using Pokémon as added weapons. But since then, we've been receiving progress with them…that is, until recently."

"We've received a call just before midnight." Jeff continued. "The Alvarez Empire…was attacked."

Their eyes shrunk at the news. This was definitely something they weren't planned for. The development continued as Jeff pulled up a lacrima screen.

"Just last night, an unidentified object made way and ambushed Brandish." He snapped his fingers, creating several pictures sent to them by the Alvarez. It showed the palace's condition before, as well as after with a portion of it totally destroyed. It showed the jellyfish monster and with it combined with Brandish. "The damage of whatever this did has left a toll on the high-ranking Alvarez. We've just gotten word by King Ajeel after he was able to drive away the beast."

They stared at the screens, specifically the creature and Brandish. They've never seen anything like this. Frankly, this made their skins crawl.

Erza, being Erza, came out rather blunt with her testimony. "What is that thing?"

"We're not entirely sure ourselves." Arthur spoke fluently. "But from what we've gathered, the creature that attacked them has uncanny manipulation powers. It was described to have attached to Brandish's head, in which it melded and fused itself with her. From that, it seemed that the creature started using her powers and its own to wreck the palace."

"You mean, like a parasite?" Nic quipped. He looked at the scene again, noting how Brandish looked completely deranged.

Arthur snapped his fingers, dispelling the hologram pictures. "Quite so. And it also appeared that it also has left Brandish's mind and body in critical condition. Even as we speak, she's under quarantine in a new chamber in the palace while her room is undergoing repair and evidence left behind. She's being monitored around the clock while doctors are looking to minimize the toxins the creature has left in her brain."

"I understand this is a lot to take in at the moment." Jeff stated. "But please, understand this at least. What we're dealing with here is what can be seen as a chain reaction. Nic, you're an art person, yes? So someone like you would understand even the minor details are extremely important to the big picture."

Nic steadfast himself, giving no hesitation to a reply. "Yeah, I can relate."

Charlotte pressed on, her eyes narrowed and domineering. "Let's make this clear. This one attack is a sign that our system has flaws. Flaws that cannot be overlooked. If whomever had the audacity to go and strike a confidant to the Cambire Foundation, then this could trace back to us as well. In other words…" her eyes sharpened. "Someone doesn't seem to agree."

"Are you sure about that?" Erza countered. "There isn't any other evidence than what was shown. If that creature alone did such a thing, what motives would it have to just randomly attack a place such as Alvarez?"

"You…have a point there, Mrs. Pularis." Arthur agreed. "We can't go throwing whatever accusations at this unprovoked attack. Who's to say Brandish is at fault. But…" He wheeled himself backwards towards the window. He faced the Cambire Foundation's lower quarters, seeing the copious of mages and the people whom were gathered for their duties. "That doesn't mean we aren't at liberties to have accusations without proof."

"Where is this going?" Erza folded her arms.

Arthur turned around, giving them a neutral frown. "There were reports also by Ajeel himself when we asked what happened. The creature used attacks that had to do with liquid poison, and their ally at arms was revealed to have a status ailment on her that was poison."

Nic felt something flicker. "Status ailment? You don't say that…?"

"I am. We believe that the perpetrator behind this…was a Pokémon."

They looked at each other, eyes slightly wide. Though that was as big of a reaction that anyone was going to be getting from Nic and Erza. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Nic had the begrudging feeling something was up, especially after last night. They knew more was coming, so they pulled themselves together and understood the plight.

"So…a Pokémon then?" Nic surmised.

"Or so to believe." With a snap of his fingers, Arthur summoned the picture of the parasite and Brandish again. "It's a high probability that it could be some toxic-like magic we're not aware of. We only have a dossier of the Ishgarian animal species that are native, so it may very well be an Earthland creature. But if it is a Pokémon, it's one that we have no data on…and is apparently extremely dangerous."

"I wouldn't doubt that, not after what we've seen." Erza said, before looking at the screens. "Nic, is that Pokémon familiar to you?"

Nic squinted a little harder, enough to nearly give him double vision if it wasn't for his artificial eye. "No, not one I've seen or heard of. We've never seen anything like that in Kalos, that's for sure. Maybe it crossed over along with the others back in April."

Arthur shook his head. "A valid reason…but there's evidence to dismiss that. Take a look at this." He snapped his fingers, showing the short clip of the creature falling through the wormhole beneath the trapped surface. "No ordinary Pokémon would be able to manifest such a thing. Either by its power or by something else, it disappeared completely, possibly to a new dimension."

'Something else?' Nic thought about the roars he heard from last night. He could feel his heart rate increasing just a little.

"But that doesn't make any sense. How could something like that be able to teleport from another dimension?" Erza pondered, folding her arms and thinking harder. "The only ones we know for a fact that can do that are Palkia, Hoopa, and Nic."

"Yes. We're well aware of those possibilities. But it may have to do with this." Arthur pulled out a news article, along with the stone that he had Jeff work on sitting on a small pedestal in an incubator. "But we have reason to believe that it has to do with this. Which is another reason why you're here."

Nic and Erza fell silent.

Arthur patted the incubator containing the Z-Stone. "This was the sample and crystal that your guildmates sent to us nearly four months ago. I've given Jeff permission to look into this phenomenon, and through him, we've learned that these stones and crystals do in fact coincide with each other and attach to Pokémon."

"Allow me." Jeff intervened. "Mr. and Mrs. Pularis, we've been doing field tests with the stone and the crystal. Through this, we've seen that together, the Pokémon can generate a massive spike in their attack, enough for a single blow to deal intense damage."

"Yeah, Joey mentioned something like that before we were called here." Nic reminded. "He said something about how his Pokémon charged up and took down opponents."

Jeff sighed. "Case and point, if this power is similar to that of Pokémon, then we have proof that this power originated from our world." He adjusted his white gloves to tighten them. "And with as coincidental as this is with the timing of the attack, there's a connection that can be made. It may have very well fled to PokeEarth. Take a moment to think about it."

Nic didn't need a moment. From what he's heard and seen, he can take a guess. "I get it. So you want us to track this thing and bring it in, is that what you're saying?"

Charlotte snorted, folding her arms. "My, how forward. Yes, to have something like this is pointless to have going around as it pleases. This creature had such a nerve to lay a hand in this opening. We believe that it needs to be…taught a lesson."

Arthur shot her a deterring glare. "That's the secondary motive, Charlotte." He noted, his tone hinting dismay. Thankfully she backed off. "But yes, Miss Jet has the incentive. The primary reason we're asking you both for your help is because of what fell in the sky." Once again, he tapped the incubator. "We need to confirm this indeed came from our beloved PokeEarth, and not from alien source. Mr. and Mrs. Pularis, we humbly ask for your cooperation in our cause."

Nic and Erza looked to each other to see what the other was saying. Even without words, it was evident they had heart of reason. They looked ahead, their glares as decisive and deathly as can be.

Nic stepped forward. "Well, it's not like we have much choice in the matter, do we?" he said seriously. "We've been through a lot, knowing the difference between power and understanding. If these rocks and gems are too much…" He folded his arms. "Then we'll just have to make them understand what they're meant for."

Arthur smiled softly, his spirits lifted. "I knew I could rely on you."

Erza stepped forward. "Besides, that thing attacked a friend of one of our guildmates. It' be unwise to ignore it when punishment is in order."

Charlotte smirked. "Indeed."

"We'll be indebted to you both and your cooperation with us. The Cambire Foundation will promise to well compensate you for this job you're doing."

Nic stepped forward, turning direct. "So, any hints on where exactly it may have gone to on PokeEarth?"

Arthur sighed. "I'm afraid we haven't too much at the moment. But, look at this." He pressed a button on his desk. On it, a little slit opened up and projected a blue monitor of a map. There were several continents that were all around each other, with large oceans that isolated and branched many off. "This is a simulation map of PokeEarth. This was put together by our exclusive knowledge providers brought by the Trainers here in the Foundation."

Erza looked at the map, completely amazed at the length it took up. "I've never knew PokeEarth was that big…"

"Yeah, go figure." Nic said, showing just as much shock as his wife. He forgot the last time he looked at a Town Map. It's been a while.

"A majority of our Trainers have originated from regions much like your own. Kalos. Kanto. Hoenn. They aspire from all those areas. We've inducted a search on their personal belongings, provided they could still keep them. However, they didn't carry the Z-markings like the ones your friend did. But, there is one region we see here that is farther from the rest. Take a look at this."

He zoomed in on a region that was a long ways out to water. He was right, it seemed a long ways away from them; possibly closest thing was Kalos, but southwest in the southern hemisphere. Their eyes were paying full attention.

"Is region is what's known as Alola. Not sure if you've heard of it, forgive me if you do." Arthur quelled. "But we believe this might be a starting point at least."

"Alola, huh?" Nic eyes the four-island region. It was definitely something he wasn't familiar with, but he didn't have to say it aloud.

"So let me understand this." Erza interrupted. "You're compensating us by bringing back proof and intel that these stones and crystals contain. Along with the culprit if they're at large in your homeworld."

"As basic as it can get, yes." Jeff stated.

"Correct, otherwise the Magic Council would be having themselves a field day with confiscations." Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose and chuckled. "So to prevent that, we're gonna need a reliable, primary source to all of this. Can I count on you two?"

Nic folded his arms tighter, raising a brow. "We're after the same thing, aren't we? You've been fair and scratched our backs so far, so I guess we should do the same." He was bumped by Erza. "Gngh! Hey…!"

"Don't put it like that." Erza chastised. "This is business. Show some respect!"

Nic groaned annoyingly.

"Now, now, you two. Don't be like that." Arthur chimed, earning Erza's posturized glare. "Miss Erza, I believe your husband has a point. As business-like as we are, we're not at liberty to speak not like reliable friends. Don't think of this as a business trip for our sake. Rather, why don't you think of this as your…honeymoon, yes?"

"I appreciate the candor, but I see no reason to…" Arthur's words sunk in, her eyes blinking rapidly. Her face started flushing bright pink. "D-did you…"

Nic raised a brow as he saw Erza flinch back and look petrified in shock. "Did you just say…h-honeymoon?!"

Arthur chuckled at Erza's reaction. "Why yes, I did. Why, is that a problem?"

"N-no! Not at all!" Erza regained her poise, but the blush on her face was as bright as day, much to Nic's chagrin. "It's just…it never occurred to me about something like that. We've never planned something like this in advance."

"That's understandable. I heard Alola has beautiful scenery. A lot of private beaches, some lush jungles. Why, I've even heard they have sky railing that goes up to an observatory in the mountains. Consider the Z-Project as a sidequest while you're enjoying the sights. We'll give you both valid passes and a gracious sum as your…allowance, to spend on yourselves."

Nic managed to keep composure, nodding in understanding. "Yeah, we'll keep it in mind. When do you want us to leave?"

Arthur grinned from ear to ear. "As soon as possible. We can have everything ready for you in half a day. Possibly tomorrow morning with the extra work we'll be putting into assuring the Z-Project information is proven not guilty."

"We'll be here, don't worry. Alright Erza, you re-!" Before Nic could comprehend it, Erza seized him by the wrist, the crushing weight making his left eye twitch from the iron grip of the mighty Titania. He had to suppress a yelp of agony as he turned towards Erza. "H-hey, Erza…your grip. I can't feel…"

"Come now, Nic!" She marched out the door excitedly, beaming gleefully. "We need to make as much preparations as needed! It's our honeymoon after all~!"

"I-I get that, but could you slow down a bit? Your grip is-ow! Erza! Erza, are you hearing me?! Erza!"

The door slid shut as Nic's discomforted yelling faded to the lower floor. They could've sworn that they heard several steps thud as they went along the way. Jeff sheepishly cleared his throat. "Well, I can see who wears the pants in the relationship."

"Indeed." Charlotte rebuffed.

Arthur chuckled amusingly. "Young love. Those two definitely have a…what you might say, an explosive dynamic." He paused, a frown taking over. "Jefferey."

Jeff looked over, silently seeing Arthur fold his fingers again. "Remember our discussion we had, about that stone and ring? It seems…that Arceus decided that my glass was half-empty this time. What a twisted sense of irony this is."

Jeff and Charlotte looked to each other, getting what the other could be thinking. This was going to be another workload that would affect them in as well. They had to check up on their vice-heads of their departments though. For their sake, they hoped Nic and Erza wouldn't let them down.


The next day around was a pain in the ass, at least to Nic. Instead of going on a job like the others did all day, he and Erza spent all day gathering whatever things they may have needed. Though, okay, technically it was all Erza. She gathered all her belongings for the so-called "honeymoon", while Nic gathered the usual: Nothing but the clothes on his back. It wasn't a big deal though, it just meant less of a hassle when on the go…though he'll probably be busy hauling all of Erza's luggage if he decided it was his turn.

"Okay, that should be everything…" Nic sighed and turned towards the guild. Everyone was gathered around them in front of the guild hall to see them off. He and Erza turned gave them valid and soft smiles. "You guys sure you'll be alright with us leaving like this? It feels a little guilty of us to just leave without anything else."

"C'mon, man, don't sweat it." Gray shrugged. "You guys need this just as much as anybody else."

"Ole stripper's got a point." Cana winked, holding up a liquor glass. "You guys are lucky as hell to be getting something like this. Man Erza, aren't you lucky."

Erza took the lush's commentary in stride. "It's much appreciated Cana."

Mirajane held back a giggle. "Make sure you both enjoy your honeymoon. Remember to think of us while you're away…" she playfully winked. "You know, when you're not too busy."

Nic understood the implications, but he looked away, blushing meekly. "Mira…" He groaned. He looked over at Erza, who smirked at him. For some reason, he feels like he wasn't gonna be coming back in one piece…if experience has taught him anything.

"So how long are you guys gonna be gone for?" Bickslow pondered. "Sounds like a long while if you're gonna be all over looking for info and that thing snooping around."

"We don't know for certain. Hopefully sooner than later." Erza noted. "The Cambire Foundation is financing us in 500,000 Pokedollars, so we'll be fine for weeks. We should hold out."

"Yeah, that should be the case." Nic shot Erza a sly leer. "That is unless someone doesn't blow it on desserts first." He dodged Erza's elbow in time. "Gotcha that time." He teased.

"Guys…"

Nic and Erza's light banter froze when Lucy stepped up, a worried but serious look setting onto her. "Don't worry, Lucy. Brandish is going to be okay." Nic assured. "We're gonna clear her name and see what really happened."

Lucy clutched her chest with her right arms, flexing her Fairy Tail emblem at them. Her worried expression steeled. "Okay, I'm trusting you guys. Don't let us down, okay?"

Vanessa looked around, noticing something off around them. Sophie turned towards her to concede. "Something troubling you?"

"Not to be too straightforward at the moment, but has anybody seen Joey and The Freaks?" She looked around. "I figured they'd be nearby."

"Oh, Joey?" Sophie raised a brow, shifting her weight to her right hip. "Right, he and the others just got back. They had a job related to lacrima mines and a Drilbur infestation they had to handle. They should be back by now."

"Wait up! Don't forget me!"

Speaking of Giratina, Nic and Erza turned around, seeing a dust cloud in the form of Joey at its base making a mad dash for the guild. He was looking impatient and rushing like a madman until he broke to a screeching stop. Dust flailed in the area around Erza, Nic, and Vanessa while the other guild members were left unprepared.

"Uh…Joey?" Nic raised a brow. He watched as his loyal ally was panting heavily, no doubt from the mad dash he had taken to reach them. "Are you okay…?"

A moment of catching his breath and Joey sternly lifted up, smiling wide. "Yeah, definitely Nic-senpai!" he spoke quickly. "I didn't wanna miss seeing you off, so I wanted to make sure you guys were prepared.

"With what?" Erza asked.

"With…" He looked behind, only for him to blink. His brow furrowed as his fists balled, his anger spiking. "Hey, hurry up Slowpokes! I told you guys we were in a hurry!"

Filing behind, Duncan casually walked up, not bothering to give a care as he watched a Pidgeotto fly over Magnolia. He was way more interested in it than helping Dereece, who was walking at a Magcargo's pace with a ridiculously large suitcase packed full of materials. It took Dereece all he had to reach Joey before dropping to his knees, ready to puke from the hefty load he hauled across town.

Nic raised a brow. "Um, Joey? Not to be a little rude but…what's all this?"

"This…" He heaved the suitcase off Dereece's back, ignoring his friend going down and opened the zipper to reveal goodies. "Is what I packed for you guys. You know, just in case you get lonely." He balled his fists in frustration. "Honestly, I just wanna jump in and see you guys some more…but…I know you guys need this space…." He swallowed a lump, holding back his comedic, fanboyish tears. "This is my way of making sure you guys get through the trip safely!"

Still lying on the ground, Dereece pointed a finger up. "I-I packed most of it though…"

"Quiet, Dereece! This isn't your time man!" Joey cried.

Nic and Erza looked inside the suitcase, a mixture of indifference and bewildering showed. They were honestly unsure how in the hell this could all fit. There were protein bars with wrappers with Nic, Vanessa, and their Pokémon's faces on them all. There were two rolled up beach towels, both imprinted with Joey's body. Though on the pink towel, Joey was making a cute pose while wearing a maid's outfit with high white stockings and a cute dark bow. There were organic soap bars, two sweaters that had Nic and Erza's Pokémon stitched on them, followed by red and purple hearts on each sweater respectively. Two flashlights with Joey's faces winking playfully, two Escape Rope, a dozen Super Repel, and two thermoses with a Greninja and Aegislash on them.

All in all, to say Nic and Erza were surprised would be the biggest understatement of the late century. Erza questioned how Joey got it done so fast. But Nic questioned how he got this done at all. They knew Joey meant well, so they couldn't really disappoint him.

"Oh! Before I forget…" He reached for something in his purse hidden inside his coat. He opened it up, digging for something. "Lipstick, nail polish, wallet…aha! Yes!" He pulled out a small, handheld little leather book that Joey passed onto them, bowing his head. "A-And take this! Just in case you guys start missing me!"

The book was opened by Erza, revealing photospreads of Joey in various poses. All take from that Sorcerer Weekly job from before. "These were my best shots. That Jason guy did awesome! He let me keep several copies, but I figured you could use one, you know…from me!"

They flipped through the pages until they stopped at a beach photo. It was Joey, winking sexily with magenta and black swimtrunks with his surprisingly toned upper body showing under the sun. Around him, his Gyarados was looking intimidatingly, despite the beach ball in its mouth. At the bottom was Joey's surprisingly tuned signature…and puckered red lipstick.

Nic had to suppress his urge to quiver. He cleared his throat for his composure. "Uh…thank you, Joey." He croaked. "We'll…be sure to use this."

"You mean it?!" Joey's face sparkled with glee at Nic's words. "This is so worth the effort! You guys are awesome!"

Erza politely bowed back. "We thank you for your continued support." She turned towards the guild. "All of you. We'll be sure to think of each and every one of you. We'll be sure to enjoy this time. That we can agree on."

"Make sure you bring us back souvenirs, would ya?" Natsu cheered brightly, running his fist into his palm. "And tell us about the cool Pokémon that's there, too. I might wanna see for myself sometime."

"Aye!" Happy exclaimed.

Vanessa walked up to them, staring them both in the face with a neutral, yet also soft expression. Nic smiled back. "Vanessa, you'll look after things while we're gone, won't you."

"Well…" she slyly smirked, glancing back at everyone. "I'm no Erza, but I suppose I can make do."

Her comment didn't settle well with anyone. If anything, a few of them gulped at the thought of upsetting Vanessa. She was her own handful for sure.

Nic smiled. "As if I needed to ask." He chuckled. He pulled out a Poke Ball and threw it into the air. Popping out in front of everyone was his Charizard. The fire-breathing beast let out a shrilled roar that quaked the ground. Nic powered through and laced a rope tied to a strap at the end of Erza's luggage. Nic harnessed it around Charizard's abdomen and clicked it in.

"Sorry about this, Charizard." Nic sighed. "Honestly, this is a big pain myself."

Charizard snorted. "Don't sweat it." He beamed, looking eagerly ahead. "You know what I say, gotta go that extra mile, right?"

Nic sported a cocky smirk of his own. "Right, why I worry to begin with." He glowed, shifting to his Zap Form. He reached back, tapping the luggage cart. "Magnet Rise!" A yellow glow of magnetic energy surrounded the luggage. The cart started lifting off the ground, making it easier for Charizard to fly away with. "Alright, we'll see you around. Let's go, Charizard! Next stop, Alola!"

The guild waved them off with big smiles, watching as Charizard sailed into the sky, letting out a proud roar with his beloved Trainer and Erza. They all watched as they sailed off to their own side adventure.

"Man, this is gonna suck." Natsu grimaced. "Wonder what they'll be doing while we're stuck here? Man, what I wouldn't give to see their world again."

"You were put to sleep by a mushroom." Lucy reminded. "Well, anyways, I hope they stay safe. Meanwhile, we've gotta pick up the slack that they left behind!"

Wendy balled her fists. "Right!"

Sophie watched them go, seeing the orange dragon sail off with the luggage that was half a ton. 'I'm sure they'll make a lot of new memories.' For a moment, the incident a few nights ago flashed in her mind. She looked back at Joey, who was blowing into a pink hanky and waving it up at them. Her smirk widened. 'I know I will.'

Duncan unknowingly overlooked everyone else watching their comrades leave for some big mission. He was part of the guild, granted, but he honestly didn't as much care as what a wild Pokémon for a Trainer could have, which wasn't much unless they wanted to get caught. In his case, he balled his fists. With Nic gone, he saw an opportunity to get stronger. He huffed, unwilling to let this matter go.

He reached into his pocket, turning away from everyone as one of the books he rented from the library was opened to a bookmarked page with his notes and markings on them. He went to a nearby table and resumed his studies.

Over Magnolia, Nic summoned a small portal for all their belongings to fit through and shot straight through. The portal vanished behind, leaving a bright twinkle that resembled a star.


Along the hills, a hooded figure walked passively through the terrain. He glared daggers at the hills and woods that separated him from his goal. He looked to the sky, his emerald blue eyes glistening upon seeing a twinkle. They narrowed before turning down towards the fading star's hotspot. "I've finally reached it." He muttered to himself. As he walked along, the wind swayed his cloak's top off, revealing his silky white hair that flicked back s he walked. "Magnolia."

As he walked along, the Butterfree chirped merrily as it fluttered over his head, catching a good breeze that carried it over towards the city.


Thankfully, I was one day ahead of schedule, so yay me! So, I see you guys liked what I did with last chapter's little end with Sophie, so let's see what you guys thought about this chapter to the Alola Arc. I admit I took a much different spin than what I originally wanted, but I think I made up for it as such. Decided to shift focus to Alvarez for a short while, and get a connection with Earthland and PokeEarth once more!

Now, I'm gonna have to do critical thinking some more and look at what I'm gonna be doing for the Alola Arc, because learning from the Astral Arc, doing the guild and Nic and Erza's "honeymoon" at the same time would end up complicating things. So maybe I would have to do them either as individual chapters, or make one chapter primary of one side while the secondary would only get a few scenes, because being all over the place will just hurt everyone. So I'll have to rethink for a bit.

But, leave a review, tell me what you think so far and how you're liking this story. See you guys later! XD