[Lady Gaga – Love Game]

Within the chorus line, beads of sweat sprayed like a faucet. A shirtless Joey was rocking in swaying motions using his torso as an axis. His feet shuffled and his wrists rolled over one another. Behind him, his five Pokémon mimicked his motions the best they could. The exceptions were of course Gyarados and Tympole, who just had to sway with the motions without proper appendages.

"Doin' the Love Game"

That line was their cue to do a synchronized lean back motion and rotate their spines and upper bodies with straight limbs. Slowly rocking towards the front again, they repeated their earlier chorus motion with just as much sass. To anyone watching it would've been a show. Yet to Joey it was nothing more than a warm-up rehearsal.

Once the chorus ended, Dereece turned Boombox off to signal break. Joey and everyone relaxed after that round of exercise to get their bodies rolling. Joey whipped sweat off his forehead with a grin. "Alright, take 5, peeps!" he bolstered, his tone signaling his energy reserves still up.

As Gyarados gave a confirmed growl, he walked over towards a nearby stand to get a dry cloth and wipe his forehead. Dereece came over with a bright smile. "Looking sharp out there, Captain." He cleared his throat to keep a trick of his breath from going down the wrong pipe.

"Thank you, Dereece." Joey whipped the cloth over his shoulder with an exhale. "Man, I feel like I'm on fire."

"It's June, so that's expected."

Joey gave him an unamused look. "Okay, sure Dereece, get technical why don't ya. You know what I'm saying." He went over towards a nearby satchel sitting beside their apartment on the ground. He unzipped it, getting out five Oran Berries. He rushed back towards his Pokémon and tossed them out. "Eat up, my peeps."

"Thank you, Master Joey!" Tranquill quipped as he was handed the berry to consume lightly. Already the mixture of sharp tastes made his dried throat slick.

"Načase!" Tympole yelled, eagerly flying across the open palm and scoop fed the berry. He almost resembled a breaching dolphin that Joey wished he had his camera to take it. Along with himself, naturally.

"Thanks." Quilladin took his share of the berries and sidestepped. Trubbish and Gyarados were both next as Joey fed them. It was hardly anything for the latter, but something was better than nothing. Seeing Gyarados get fed that small mass made him think. 'I wonder how much he has to eat?'

As Joey stepped back, Dereece stepped forward. "Captain, it's almost lunchtime."

Joey raised a brow, startled. "Already? Wait…!" His eyes widened at something. "Oh, Dereece! I think she might be coming over!"

"Who?"

"Don't worry about it, just see if someone's at the front door, okay?"

It sounded more like an ignorant request by Joey, but Dereece didn't argue. He knew Joey had his reasons for doing what he did…that aren't entirely stupid to human standards at least. He took his leave to slide open the patio doors to the back and went back inside.

A minute later, he came back out, with Sophie in tow. She was carrying a Styrofoam cupholder that carried four plastic cups of lemonade. Her Kadabra followed behind with a full pitcher suspended above him. Seeing them – and the lemonade – made Joey's mouth water.

"Sophie, girl! Ha!" he clapped excitedly. "Knew you'd show up!"

Her thick, supple lipstick curved into a smirk. "I told you I'd come over, didn't I?" She beamed with a small tense of pride. She specifically remembered the time as well. She wanted to tell Joey how long she was waiting outside their apartment, but she chose to let it go. "Anyways, I brought what you asked for."

"You did? Really?"

Sophie smirked. "Yup, hand-squeezed by Vanessa herself. Now I should warn you, she has a tendency to make it a little too sour." She sighed with an eyeroll. "I'm still wrapped around how she and Erza are sisters-in-law when their tastes are polar opposites."

The comment completely went over Joey's head, his mind elsewhere. His dried throat was becoming dusty as he reached for the one cup of yellow citrus liquid. It was so cold condensation was on it that chilled his palms. Holding it in his hands, he acted like he was holding a billion Jewels. He could barely stand!

'So…this was Vanessa-senpai's work. Squeezed from her hands herself. Ohhhh…I shouldn't…but I really can't let her down.' He shook so much the liquid was swishing inside the glass. 'It's so pure, so…'

"Joey?" Sophie's inquiry was completely ignored.

"Give him a minute." Dereece chimed. "It happens whenever something Nic or Vanessa related happens."

Sophie raised a brow. She remembered from earlier how much of a slave Joey was to Nic of all people. Seeing him slowly relish and nearly explode from just one sip made her nearly giggle. Joey's cheeks puckered and he punched the air from that sour energy he was getting. "Oh, baby! That's good stuff right there! Thank you so much, Vanessa-senpai! I swear I'll savor every drop of this beautiful juice made from your hard work!"

Sophie nervously chuckled to herself. 'He really is a fanboy to Vanessa. Wait until I gauche about this in front of Vanessa.' She looked back, making sure to not forget Kadabra. "Oh, Kadabra. Sorry. You can set it on that stool over there."

Understanding the request, he used his telekinesis to set it down on the stand that sat off to the side. Sophie turned back towards Joey and smiled. "So, are we still on for manicures later today?"

Joey's tart lips smacked together. "Girl, you know it! You have any idea how dirty these things have been?" He held his fingers up towards her face. They were well and all, and they shined brightly. If anything one could say they were flawless.

"What's a manicure?" Quilladin questioned.

Joey shot him a raised brow. "What, you think this comes naturally?" He dangled his fingernails in front of Sophie. He looked at his own nails confused. "…eh, you know what, Soph, make it a plus one."

"Uh, Captain. Lunch maybe, then your little manicure?" Dereece squeezed the comment as lightly as he could. He didn't like the way Joey's Gyarados was looking at him.

The Captain shrugged. "Sure. Hey, Soph. Wanna join us? We're making grilled ham and cheese."

Sophie shook her head politely. "As much as we would love to, we have to go furniture shopping…" She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed grimly. "Vanessa's Krookodile had a rude wakening when Mawile was in his face. That's one less sofa stand in my house." She chose to derail the subject before the memory became too cringy. "Where's Duncan?"

"He's at a blacksmith's on the edge of town. Said he'll come back in time to do work."

Sophie was meekly disappointed. She wanted to at least try and get acquainted with the reclusive Trainer. Dereece was already a nice guy, but figured there could be more to Duncan they can kindle on. "Oh well, thanks for letting me know." She turned around and tossed her long, blonde hair over her shoulder. "Just be sure to return that stuff when it's all gone. Our budget's short for a while, okay?"

"Deal!" He watched Sophie smirk and walk back inside towards the front entrance. Dereece came up to him while watching Sophie's sassy hip sway.

"Well you two seem awfully friendly with each other." He knowingly chimed.

"Yeah." He raised a brow. "That a problem?"

"No, no. Just observing is all." He sighed heavily. "You just…seem to be taking Nic and Erza's honeymoon well. I'm kinda worried."

"Ugh! Don't remind me man." He reached for another lemonade cup, instantly swallowing it like he's never seen an ocean before. The sour stung his throat so much he almost choked. "I really wanna go, but I've gotta do my part too. Besides, I've made sure that they had plenty of me packed for the trip. After all, one can never have too much of me, right?" He playfully winked.

"How about we just whip up those sandwiches?" Dereece dismissively walked past them to go inside to get the stove set up.

To distract himself, Joey turned back towards his Pokémon, holding Boombox and setting it down. "Alright my people! From the top!"


"What're you looking for? This ain't a museum, pal."

The rugged tone got Duncan's attention. He stood meters away from the reception desk where a blacksmith was. He was along the taller kinds of folks with a green apron and tattered white t0shirt. For someone who worked with metal and lifted, he was rather slim.

Stepping away from the swords and axes mounted to the wall, Duncan moved closer towards the blacksmith with a blueprint rolled up in his grip. "I got word that you're the guy who can customize metal, right?"

The blacksmith scoffed. "Yep, I can." He held up a cigarette, putting the lit end up to his lips to make his speech more miffed. "You wanted something for yourself or something?"

Duncan held up the blueprints and passed them over. The blacksmith raised a brow at the object and back at Duncan. "The hell is this supposed to be?"

"It's something that I want done personally for my liking. Everything should be in order."

The blacksmith pulled out his cigarette and let out a long smoke blow right over Duncan's head. Once the smoke faded into the ventilation overhead, he took the rolled-up paper and pried off the rubber band. "Okay, let's see what we got." He unfolded the large blueprint paper, making it expand across the desk for the full layout. Even he was at a pause.

On the paper, there were diagrams of nearly every component. Gears. Lacrima, the type of metal, everything. There were even specific directions for the steps and the parts to put together in some areas. The finished product was something else that seemed more or less…colorful, for a lack of better word. Duncan thought it was specific enough with what the guides he got from the Magic Library provided. But one can never be too careful.

Minutes went by and the blacksmith let out another puff of smoky air form the side of his mouth. "Huh? So is this thing supposed to be a handheld or something?"

Duncan craned his neck up. "Yeah. Something like that. So can you do it or not?"

The blacksmith cocked a brow and crossed his arms. "Gotta say, this is something out of the blue. Usually people want a sword or a bludgeon with decorations. But this…" He bent down to get a closer look. "Components? Gears? Types of lacrima?" He whistled. "Damn pal, you sure thought this through?"

"You didn't answer my question."

He pulled the cigarette out with two fingers and smirked. "I like your style. Yeah, I can give a crack at it. But you know the materials for this thing ain't gonna be cheap. If I'm gonna get all the parts for it, it's gonna take a while."

"How much?"

The blacksmith scrunched his brow and looked around his borders at the many price values of his weapons. "For something this complex. We're looking about…800,000 Jewel. The down payment's 200,000."

Duncan frowned. He knew it had to be a lot. But he had his ways. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a sac of Jewel, along with what looked like 3 Big Pearls, and 2 Nuggets. "Should this cover it?"

The blacksmith pulled out a scale and magnifying glass. He pulled up the items Duncan handed and weighed them up. When he realized they were actually legit, he whistled aloud. "Huh, well I'll be damned. An extra bonus?" He looked at Duncan with question. "The hell you get this kind of stuff?"

Duncan smirked, realizing he just got lucky at his shot. "You'd be surprised at what you find lying around."

The blacksmith scoffed back and chuckled. "Alright. It's a done deal. If all is right, should be about a month. I'll contact ya if I need your input on anything."

Duncan nodded, but he wasn't done. He looked over at a thin metal staff on the wall, mounted with a price at about 30,000 Jewel. He walked over, taking it off the wall and held it up. It was surprisingly light for its alloy, but he'll deal with it.

He looked back at the blacksmith. "I also wanna buy something."

The blacksmith raised a brow, before blowing out one more cigarette smoke.


In an astral field, it was nothing but hollow black. A void. One could barely see anything. The mindscape couldn't even show silhouettes of anybody. If one tried looking closely, they could barely see anything that was ahead. But this was the cover that certain Pokémon needed.

One figment – particularly yellow in shade – looked at his papers with scrutiny. "(Guess I wasn't the only one concerned then. That's good.)" He saw his fellow peers, both feminine in appearance, with curled punk hair and one that looked like a mermaid in a shell. But something was off. "(…ugh! Is Tapu Bulu sleeping again?)"

The pink-haired creature cheerfully giggled. "(Looks like it. Should we go get him then?)"

"(That lazy…!)" He let out an exasperated sigh. "(No, he'll pick up on it again sooner or later. He always does.)"

The mermaid coughed, clearing the air. "(Well, that being said. It's presumed we all know why we were brought here, yes?)"

"(Oh! You mean that phantasm energy we felt a few nights ago?)" The pink-haired creature asked.

The yellow and purple creature shot each other a look, then back at their cheery acquaintance. "(…yes. That one. Nice guess.)"

Pink-hair giggled. "(Teehee! Guessing games are always so fun.)"

Purple shell sighed to herself. "(Well, in any case. Let's get back to what's at risk here. We've all felt it, that means we may have ourselves another Ultra Beast coming to Alola. And it is our duty as the Guardians of Alola to see over what kind of terror this is.)"

"(Why is it always Alola? There's other worlds and regions out there.)" The yellow creature crackled static around his body. "(I swear, if this keeps up, ohhh! I'm gonna-!)"

"(Oh come now, Tapu Koko. Don't be so negative~.)" Pink-hair waved him dismissively. "(Besides, you can't do anything. This is a mindscape, remember? You'll just burn out your brain again like before.)"

Tapu Koko's crackling body settled, allowing the purple shell to resume her speech. "(That said, this energy was a large sum that struck down on Poni Island's altar at night. I was too late to see it, but I definitely felt that Ultra Space energy pouring out. But it felt very unnatural. It felt too…alive, so to speak.)"

"(I think I understand. My skin's still tingling all over.)" Tapu Koko grunted. "(Whatever that was, it made me restless all night. It spread all across Alola in a flash.)"

"(I don't know. It looked pretty though.)" Pink-hair chimed. "(And besides, maybe this a special case like before? Maybe these Ultra Beasts are friendly?)"

"(Either way, chances are very unlikely, Tapu Lele…but we won't outrule that possibility just yet.)" Purple shell dismissed. "(This never happened before. Frankly, I'm not sure what we can do to solve this. I've searched all over Poni Island, but I haven't seen any Ultra Beasts. Maybe they went back to where they belong…)"

"(You really wanna take that blind eye chance?)" Tapu Koko bounced around in his rea. He was looking restless with his blood pumping. "(That same energy spike we felt happened again, which means they're still here, right?)"

Purple shell closed her shell, only to open wide again. "(Suppose you're right.)" She kept a short pause until she found her bearings. "(Yes. The energy is still here. In fact, I'm feeling one just as strong. It's faint but…I can most certainly tell it has that quality.)"

"(Oh! So what do we do, y'all?)" Tapu Lele chimed.

Tapu Koko shifted to a halt. "(Well, as far as the way I see it. We'll keep our eye out. If we find anything suspicious we'll call each other. And if it's an Ultra Beast…)" Static crackled around his body at his excitement stirring. "(Then I call first crack at him!)"

"(That's the spirit!)" Tapu Lele giggled, before she started seeing the purple shell creature fade. "(Huh? Tapu Fini? You going already?)"

"(Yes…I've exhausted too much of my energy for the time being. It's best that we all conserve ourselves for now. And can one of you please tell Tapu Bulu to be more aware next time?)"

"(Sure can, girlfriend~!)" Tapu Lele slurred with her slang.

"(Thank you. Now then…)" Closing her eyes, Tapu Fini's body flickered in and out of sight, until she was fully dispersed. The air was silent until Tapu koko sighed aloud.

"(Good Arceus. Well she's as bossy as ever. But I guess it can't be helped.)" He rolled his eyes at Tapu Lele. "(So you out next?)"

On cue, Tapu Lele's body started flickering in and out. She looked down with a disappointed stare. "(Oh, phooey. Oh well, guess I can get myself something to do. Don't worry about lil' ole' me, my friend. I can tell Tapu Bulu everything. You go out there and beat Ultra Beast butt.)" She playfully winked as her spirit was fully translucent. "(But try to play nice now~.)"

Tapu Koko watched his other cohort fade out to nothing, her mind returning back to her altar on Akala Island. He had to remain resilient at all times. He knew he had to be cautious, but his body screamed for a good fight. It's been a long time since he's had one. He soon returned to his scape, leaving the mindscape a totally black void.


Clear skies, blue ocean, and Wingull. Lots and lots of Wingull. That's all that's been in the air for anyone in the high altitude across the seas over PokeEarth. It was a hassle, but on the occasion, there were migrating Taillow and Swablu to change pace. Though the relativity was at large.

"Are you sure you're reading that map right?" Nic was holding onto Charizard as they flew across the ocean. The fire-breathing dragon by all means enjoyed the long flight, but even he was starting to get questionable of where they were going.

"It should be in the right direction." Erza looked at the hand-sized map she held with one hand, the other holding onto Nic. She squinted as she tried reading the directions the Cambire Foundation left for them to follow. "I think…"

Nic groaned at his wife's reply. At this point, he was relying on his experience. The sun arose in the east, and Alola was supposedly in the west. They've been flying in a straight line away from the sun all morning. Nic's body had taken on so much windburn that he felt like he used Harden against a Will-O-Wisp. Not a good strategy. But that didn't mean they were going to be getting anywhere. And besides that, he was able to locate Kyogre of all Pokémon. How hard can finding one region be amongst a vast ocean be?

"We've been flying since this morning." Nic pointed out. "I know Arthur said we should take our time…but I think it's exaggerated at this point."

"I know what you mean." Erza held onto Nic's torso tightly. His toned body helped keep her warm and shielded from the wind. She leaned closer into his back. "We're here on an important mission. Lucy's counting on us to find the culprit. We should be on the lookout, even from a distance."

Charizard sailed on and looked ahead. Something caught his blue eyes that made him more direct. "(I think I see something, Nic.)"

Hearing Charizard's voice, Nic's gaze focused on something that he saw in the distance. It was faint, but he could make out the likes of something flying in the distance. 'People?'

"What are you seeing, Nic?" Erza questioned.

"Hang on, we'll get a closer look." He gripped Charizard a little tighter as the dragon picked up speed towards the sailing figment ahead. When they were getting close, the familiar signs of tail flames brought light onto them that – quite literally – made Charizard's flame ignite. To him especially it was a shock. Nic's blue eyes widened at the sight too. But it was more from the way it was pointed out to them. "Charizard…"

"(Yeah, I see it alright…)"

Two people, both looking to be a young couple, were on the back of a Charizard as well. They sailed over the skies, but unlike Nic and Erza, they had harnesses, jackets, and more importantly a massive saddle so Charizard could be guided better.

"Honey, slow down!" The passenger in the back, the female significant other, was holding on for dear life. Though she was strapped she couldn't take chances with how high or fast her counterpart was taking things.

"Babe, chillax! We're just having a little fun. Am I right?" The man had a clear surfer dialect, his chilled tone directed towards the Charizard that snorted out flames as a response. "There, see? Now babe, just, like, look out and see for yourself."

The woman hesitated, but slowly here eyes opened. It could've been from the lack of air, but her face paled as her eyes locked onto the scene ahead of them. She was drawn to a complete loss for words.

"Rad, right? Totally worth going out of bounds to get this view." The surfer looked at the tracker that was on Charizard's neck. The brace was glowing red and blinking, a small beep indicating the limits. "Sweet."

The Rider Charizard picked up on something and looked over his shoulder. His eyes widened upon seeing an unfamiliar sight. "(What the…?)" He noticed the unharnessed Charizard with two passengers on his back flying towards them. "(Hey. Buddy.)"

Getting Rider Charizard's nudge, the surfer kept his grip on the handles. "Hey bro, take it easy. We're almost done. Just wanna look some more." He heard a small snarl from his side, which him and his girlfriend nearly screamed in fright. "Woah! Where'd you guys come from?!"

Nic managed to get his Charizard to side up in parallel fashion. It was like parking a car almost. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

The surfer eyed Nic and Erza down with shock, but that all turned towards astonishment when he looked at their Charizard, Compared to the Rider Charizard, Nic's Charizard had a far healthier complexion. He looked toned, with even his arms seemingly as dense as metal. "Bro…sweet Charizard, man."

"Uh, thanks…" Nic looked down at Charizard, who gave him a raised brow in return. Out of all the shock, that was the response they got?

"Excuse us." Erza questioned. "Would you happen to know where we are?"

The surfer didn't seem to hear her. He was still eying Nic's Charizard with envy. "Bro, like, that's totally gnarly. Your Charizard's got some sleek style onto it. How'd you get a lucky Page Charizard like that?"

"'Page Charizard'?" Nic parroted.

Charizard furrowed his brow, his eyes showing annoyance. "(Hmph, do I look like a taxi?)" He looked at the fellow Charizard right beside him. Like him, he seemed unamused by this guy. "(Hey man, how's it going?)"

Rider Charizard snorted aggressively. "(Tch, it's going alright.)"

"(Yeah, looks like it.)" Charizard looked back at the surfer and his girlfriend. The way they eyed him and his saddle-less body made him more than unnerved to say the least. "(What are you looking at?)"

"Bro, like…seriously. That Charizard is totally rad! And you're riding without a harness dude?" He smacked his lips. "Man, you're both, like, daredevils aren't ya? Gotta be really gutsy for t=you to come this far out of reach."

The man's dialect wasn't getting Nic or Erza anywhere. The redhead especially was starting to lose her own patience. "You didn't answer my question." She hissed.

Nic chose to advert them and face forward. His eyes bolted wide when he saw the site that lied ahead of them. "Erza."

She looked over Nic's shoulder viciously and had her own eyes widen t the view. With the air blowing her hair around, her two brown eyes were visible to get a clear view of the scenery of the area that lied ahead.

There were four huge islands that were grouped together rather closely, though there was still relative distance between all of them to allow ocean waterways to flow. There were so many features, to one that looked bare, to one with a volcano on it. Even from the height they were at they could awe at the few very large hotels the one island held. Nic also could've sworn that he was seeing huge beaches lined up with people for the summer to start.

"Nic…" Erza's breath was low, but even she wasn't that big of a fool. "That's it."

Nic stared down in shock and slight awe at the sight. 'So that's Alola…' He was looking expectant with what's to be around them once they got down, but the mission still stood. 'Looks like the real mission starts now.'

"Bro, what're you looking at?"

Realizing the surfer and Rider Charizard were still there, Nic looked back. "Oh, right. Sorry about that."

The surfer saw what Nic was looking at and smiled. "I know, right? It's, like, a really cool place. Not a lot of people get to see this much of Alola, but…" He whistled. "Dude, this is a killer."

"Sweetie, I really think we should get back down. They're gonna send authorities tracking us." His girlfriend fret, her tone hinting plea.

"Already?" he sighed. "Alright babe. Later bro! Rad Charizard by the way! Gnarly way of riding it freely!" He yelled loudly in cheers as the Rider Charizard finally took off. From the way he flew hastily he had his fill of his rider.

"(Huh, I almost feel sorry for that guy.)" Charizard mumbled. He looked towards Nic, who couldn't agree more. For clearance, they weren't talking about the surfer.

"As rude as that was, we should reach land." Erza authorized.

Getting themselves sin order, Nic nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Let's go then." He ushered Charizard, who took liberties in flying in towards the nearest island with the large, long beach that connected to the coast and large cliffs on its side.

Even from a closer view, the coastline was bridled in lush life, in and out of the clear water. With how harsh and bright the sunlight was beaming through the water, Nic could've sworn he saw the tiniest fish swim. They looked like Magikarp and Finneon. There were so many creatures swimming down below, and all these people and kids were joyfully swimming with them. There were folks whom were even on Rider Sharpedo and Lapras, racing and surfing across the water freely. Everyone was having fun and minding themselves the way they felt like doing. It was fresh air, lively atmosphere, so who wouldn't.

"There sure are a lot of people here." Erza commented. She looked down at the water below, watching a Finneon breach over the surface and flip over before diving back under.

"(There's something you don't see every day.)" Charizard looked on at a Rider Sharpedo jet that blasted across the water. At the rate it was going, it looked to be super fast. He was almost tempted to race it just for some sport

"I know that look Charizard." Nic's tone snapped him out of his course. "We'll have time today. Let's just try and settle in first." He looked down at the beach and saw the beach spread out for miles. So many people were lined up cross the water that he didn't see an opening. But on the edge of the shore, where a Slowpoke laid lazily, no one was around. "There's a good spot."

Charizard lightened his speed and went into a spiral slide down towards the white sand. The long trip of hours of high-speed and oceanic air had finally come to an end. Finally easing his wing muscles, the dragon settled himself into the soft, cushiony sand. His huge feet tickled at the sensation. Nic and Erza finally were able to unmount their ride and spread their legs.

"Mmmm…this is nice." Erza smiled warmly as she locked her fingers and stretched them overhead, getting her tense spine to lengthen and loosen after being clung to Nic's back. Now that she thought about it, maybe it wasn't too bad to have had the ride gone on a tad longer.

The first thing Nic did was take in a long, deep breath of fresh air. He watched the many Wingull glide around the beach where people had accessories and activities to do. It was still crowded no less, which wasn't Nic's style. Being around people wasn't his style.

"Well, t least we've made it. Alola." He took one good look around to invest in the tropical island scenery. Palm trees were scattered everywhere where Crabrawler were Crabrawler were scavenging for any foliage or leaves that may have fallen. He saw a Mantyke glide along the water and went back in, only for a Remoraid to follow in pursuit. Now that e was taking it all in, the ocean air did have a liveliness towards it. Still rather noisy admittedly with all these people, but he did his best to ignore them. He wasn't all for it at first, but now that he's seen Alola, he was starting to feel somewhat excited that it made his skin crawl.

Erza saw her husband's smirk. He looked like he was itching to get some energy burning, as was she. "Let's try and see if there's a Pokémon Center around here. I'm sure Charizard could use the rest."

"Sure." He pointed Charizard's Poke Ball to the respective dragon. "Amazing job, Charizard. Way to hang in there until the end. Let's get you rested up."

"(Whatever you say, man.)" He smirked back with his fist out. Nic obliged to give him the respective credit by bumping his fist back. He used his spare hand to recall Charizard back into the capsule and put it away.

"We're burning daylight, you know."

Hearing her chastising begin, Nic turned towards his impatient wife. "Coming." He walked with her across the hot sand towards the relief they deserved.


The streets were busy at this time of day, so many people were already out and about with their current works and hobbies. For the many whom were busy and handling their matters as they should, others followed in pursuit.

With his long trek finally at an end, someone exited a nearby shop where they paid for a light meal. With a napkin being placed into the trash on the way out, the shrouded individual's hood was down to reveal his white hair and green-blue eyes. He was absolutely positive that no one knew his face. They were dull that way. Plus this was his first time in Magnolia, so getting about and knowing folks shouldn't be that hard.

'Now then, I have been able to successfully make to the designated area. The target's domain should be around this vicinity.' He looked around and maneuvered about the street signs. He had to be sure he didn't have a physical map on him. He was aware that the people were along the dullard end, but there was no sense of being too careful. 'If I had on me a map about Fiore, that would mean I wouldn't be too familiar with the country. That'd giveaway my position. I had to be sure to memorize what primary cities. I believe Magnolia, Era…and Crocus are the prominent ones.'

As he walked through the streets, he was noticing the people were all too happy for his suspicions. A nearby woman was walking along when her high heel gave in. "Oof!" She started falling, but before the figure could react, someone – or rather something – beat him to it.

Catching the woman in a bed of cotton, a Cottonee released the cotton cloud into thin air as the woman got her heels beneath her again.

"Oh! Thank you, Cottonee." She chimed merrily.

The floating Cottonee moved her leaves around. "Yeah, no worries."

The woman happily smiled wider. "I'm glad you're here with me. You've been a big help in so many ways."

"All I really do is help cushion you whenever you fall."

"That's more than plenty. People always say what a klutz I am. So I appreciate you helping me fix myself up."

The Cottonee lightly blushed at the commentary. "Well, when you put it that way…teehee."

The two giggled as they continued their back, completely oblivious towards the man's watchful eye. He turned around and faced forward with a steel gaze. From the ways he looked, he was more resolute than ever. While touching, it didn't do justice on his behalf.

The sound of splashing came from the creek, following by a "Yes!". He looked over to find a Barboach flopping at the end of a hook by a fisherman. "You again, little guy? Heh, so you've figured out where to get the best bait. You're smarter than you look. Feisty."

The fisherman's jolly laughter and bubbling Barboach was ignored by him as he quickened his pace down the avenue. 'This country is more tainted in person. I need to fasten my intel gathering by finding the local guild. I believe that it should be around-'

"Hey Lucy, c'mon will ya?! We're starving!"

A rambunctious tone demoralized the figure's ears of patience. He looked ahead, seeing a door fly open with a pink-haired man with a white scarf, followed by a flying blue cat that landed on his shoulder. The sight hot his attention.

"Okay, okay! Geez…" Stepping out of her home was a young, voluptuous woman with long blonde hair that was still fixing her side ponytail. "Just a little…" She felt it fasten with the blue ribbon on it. "There! Phew! Alright, now I'm ready."

"About time, lazy butt." Natsu teasingly smirked.

"Yeah, we were about to head out without ya!" Happy chastised.

The blonde lowered her head in annoyance. "I swear, you both can be so impatient sometimes." She shook her head. "Well anyways, let's get to the guild! Klefki!"

The floating key ring followed the blonde out the door and shut it. Using herself as a locksmith, Klefki leveraged herself and inserted her key top and locked the door. She turned and gave Lucy what looked like a mock salute.

"Good, now let's go!" Lucy cheered.

"Aye, sir!" Happy and Natsu saluted back and raced for the guild, grabbing Lucy by her wrist and pulling her along. With her unable to escape the hasty grip, Klefki did nothing but follow her Trainer with her keys jingling to chime along the way.

The man watched them head towards the guild hall. He wasn't deaf, he heard them loud and clear. His eyes caught sight of the emblem on Natsu's shoulder. 'That emblem…' There was no mistaking it. He knew for certain who they were now.

Turning left and right, he saw that no one was watching him. He embarked down the same direction, keeping an even pace to make sure he didn't lose Natsu nor Lucy's excited yelps in the distance.


"And then she was like, 'Oh! I've never seen such smooth nails before!'. And I was all like, 'Girl, you think my nails are smooth, you should see what I have to do to get these locks on my hair slick!'." Joey flauntingly laughed in front of Dereece and Sophie, who, like Joey, was eyerolling and chuckling at their dazzling nails with matching dark blue nail polish. "Ain't that right, Quilladin?"

Quilladin was staring at his own nails. They were filed, shiny, and the superficial layer had bright pink fingernail polish. "Huh? Oh, sorry. It's so pretty."

"You can say that again. Now I have something that compliments by earrings." Joey swayed his head, showing off his large loop earrings.

"It suites you." Sophie impishly smirked.

"Girl, you be tripping, because that nail coating is as slick as your hair." Joey dismissively complimented, earing another flaunted gesture from Sophie.

Dereece stood a few short distances away with Vanessa, who just walked over. "Well it seems someone's in a good mood." She commented in a neutral, observatory tone.

Dereece shook his head. "Tell me about it. I think Joey just found his twin or something. They've been like this since they got their nails done."

Walking up next to them after, Duncan saw his Captain having a gossip with Sophie, whose facial expressions showed she was just as oblivious towards everything around her. He scoffed and turned towards Dereece.

"There you are, Duncan. We've been wondering when you'd show up." Dereece raised a brow, tapping his foot in impatience. "What took ya?"

Duncan's grip was on the new metal pole he had perched on his shoulder to rest on. With its length, it could reach about over n arm's length, so it wasn't a hazard unless he was too close. "It's nothing."

Vanessa eyed the new weapon with a raised brow. "Bought a replacement weapon I see."

Duncan snorted. "Yeah, so?"

"Girl, just wait until you try my…" Joey's epic flaunts with Sophie came to a standstill when he finally noticed Duncan standing there. "Oh! Duncan, nice timing ya got. Just got a great manicure with Sophie, check it out." He dangled his loose fingers in front of his face, fiddling them to show off.

Duncan raised a brow and nodded in understanding. The message crossed, Joey retracted his nails so he could lock eyes with Sophie. For a moment he hesitated to say much towards her. He saw not just her expression, but also her disposition.

"Hello, Duncan." Sophie smiled, ignoring his curious stare. She made sure that was his name, and for once, she didn't have to think too hard about it.

"Hey." He paused to allow another comment to slip. "You're looking well."

Sophie twirled a blonde lock around her index finger. "Thank you." Her voice was creaked a little from the talking she and Joey went through. She cleared it. "You seem well yourself. Your Captain's been a big help."

Joey shot her a facetious gasp. "Sophie~! Why-!" He smacked his lips and looked away. "Now you're just tripping, c'mon…but yeah, she's totally right though." He shot his teammate a look. "So the blacksmith thing worked out?"

"It's none of your…" Duncan was about to finish when he saw an expectant look at Sophie. His core wasn't visible, but it tightened at his need to hold back. The memory of what she insisted made him choose his words. "…it went fine. Thanks."

The guild doors burst open, with Natsu smiling brightly. "Hey guys, we're here!" His yell was loud and obnoxious, but not many paid heed.

Gray sat with Juvia at a table, their Snorunt and Marill eating shaved ice and Oran Berries respectively. "Huh? Hey, about you got here. What kept ya?"

Natsu shrugged. "Don't blame me this time. I was actually ready. It's Lucy who's taking the blame this time."

"I did no such thing wrong!" she lashed back. "And for an FWI, it just so happens that I was about to get to my story's big clincher. I was so psyched for days too."

"Get anymore psyched about it and you'd be cooped up like Natsu's Darumaka. You'd probably lose your hair." Happy snickered. Lucy was tempted to make him see stars with Staryu.

Gray leaned back in his seat. "You guys seriously need to chill out. I think we're all just a little worked up at the moment because Nic and Erza are away is all."

Natsu crossed his arms and looked down. "It just doesn't feel the same without Erza. Nic I can get because he's not social, but…"

"Gray, darling. Perhaps it's best that we all try to find a job. Maybe that'll help." Juvia advised, trying to settle the mood.

Gray raised a brow at her attempt at a leeway. "Yeah, you're probably right." He looked towards Wendy, who was sitting with Carla and Swablu sleeping on her head. "Hey Wendy, up for some work?"

"Sure, we'd love to." She smiled. She made sure to refrain from a nod so that Swablu would keep balance on her head.

"Honestly, if you're gonna have Swablu sleep, at least tuck her inside her Poke Ball. You need your own space you know." Carla chastised.

Happy was psyched as well for a job. He had to buff himself up to make himself more presentable to a certain someone. Though his personal means to groom his face with his claws didn't go unnoticed by Lucy. "You getting yourself presentable for Liepard again?" she teased.

Happy nearly pounced from his spot. "Hey! It's not like that!" he lied.

"Just let it go, Lucy. It's a lost cause." Carla chimed from across the table. She turned away with her head stuck up in a snort. "Let him learn the hard way of what Liepard feels."

Gray and Juvia took notice of Carla's tail whipping about, though it was fast and harsh. The sight didn't settle well in Gray in particular. "She, uh…looks a little upset. Don't you think?"

Juvia beamed a sly smirk. "Clearly she's in competition with a love rival. Not a very subtle way of standing her ground if you ask me." She had her own triumphant tease in her chirpy tune. Unlike Happy's failures of seduction, Juvia and Gray's own affiliation with each other had been very well as of late. The underdog always gets the tastiest treat when doing tricks right.

"Anyways~…" Lucy drew the attention back towards her. "Let's find a job that pays. All in?"

Natsu pumped his fists. "I call first picks!"

Cana drank at the bar, guzzling what had to be her third mug of booze. The slamming cluttered the other wooden cups that were stained with alcohol in them. "Man, those guys are so noisy today." She rubbed her already aching head. "I swear, if this keeps up, the sanity corner's gonna get messy now that Erza and Nic went off on their tropical getaway."

Mirajane playfully giggled at Cana's groans. "What's the matter? You miss them already?"

"Please, those guys can wrestle bears to death." She sighed. "Though drinking on a beach sounds like something I wouldn't mind doing again."

"Good times, definitely." Mirajane chirped.

Elfman was seen talking with Lisanna and Evergreen across the guild hall about something. Levy was reading something while Pantherlily listened and Gajeel napped with his head on the table. The entire guild and all its other members were seen rather lively, with all their Pokémon otherwise. Some were out on jobs, but that just meant extra space to move around until more fun work comes around.

The saloon doors slowly opened, catching Elfman's attention. "Hey, someone back from a job already?" He raised a brow at the person entering. "Hang on, who're you?"

"What is it, Elfman?" Lisanna turned and saw the new face at the guild hall.

Slowly, much of the other conversations going about turned to low murmurs. Their attention derailed from the other towards the unfamiliar face that just passed through the guild doors. The figment's white hair reflected beaming sunlight that made him almost impossible to miss.

The saloon doors closed and wobbled in and out, slowly coming to a halt. Meanwhile, the person kept going until he came to a stop and overlooked the guild hall. Immediately he picked up on the faces and the people inside who were in large numbers. There were so many of them, but he held a firm pose.

Looking at him closer, he was a young man, possibly teen it seems, to have a far skin complexion. His white hair was long and slick, though locks flowed everywhere. His blue-green eyes gleamed all around with an intense scrutiny. His cloak was put away to reveal a white cape that acted much like a mantle. Underneath was a black robe with white pants, leading down to them being tucked to the shins to show black boots, which were still in great condition despite the long trek he endured.

As presentable as he could get, he took notice of his own skin crawling. He could very well sense a large amount of Magic Power that it was unbelievable. He straightened his spine to send a shock to his brain, telling himself to keep his calm. He will have to make note of this unbalanced magic level later.

Mirajane casted her usual greeting smile. "Hi! Is there anything we can assist you with?"

Taking notice of the fellow white-hair barmaid, the man gave ger a serious look. "Yes, you can. Is this the Fairy Tail guild's precise location?"

She tilted her head chipperly. "The one and only."

"I see…" He glanced over his shoulder at the current members present and faced her again. There was no mistaking it now. 'For perhaps the most powerful guild in Ishgar, its appearance was very lackluster. If these people really are the biggest priority at the moment, they could at least hold onto some vanity with their positions.'

"What you in for, submitting a request?" Cana slurred from the bar.

The man shot her a look. He did his best to try and be unfazed by her lack of upper body clothing. "If you must know, I am here on official business."

"Oh, well we can help you." Mirajane chimed. "We love to help."

"Yup, that's what we do here." Vullaby chirped, her tiny wings folded with her body puffed out.

The man gave Vullaby another scrutinizing look. He chose to, once again, ignore the commentary from the creature and focused on Mirajane. "Yes, as I am aware. I am looking for Nic Pularis. Do you by chance happen to know if he is within the vicinity?"

The notion of the name was heard loud and clear. This made a large sum of the guild turn towards the man, especially Vanessa and Joey, for their reasons in particular, The former's aura picked up on the man's vindictive mindset, From the way she saw it, she can't sense anything mischievous. It was an open case.

"Oh? You're looking for Nic?" Mirajane chimed, putting an index finger towards her chin. "Huh, let me see…"

A sudden rush of footsteps resulted in a steel nearly trampled right beside the man. He calmly looked over, seeing someone who had gaudy taste in clothing in his eyes, especially someone who's supposed to be masculine. "What do you want?"

Joey shot him a deathly look. "Okay buddy, there are two things you should be aware of." He held up his index finger. "Number one…nice style you have with black and white."

He looked down at his attire, taking Joey's point to heart somewhat. But given his position, he didn't show it. "And the second?"

"Secondly, what the hell kinda business do you of all people have with Nic-senpai, huh? Not just anyone came come up and say they wanna see him! You think you're even worthy of being able to even breathe the same air as him?!"

Gajeel opened a groggy eye at Joey's vicious defense. "Somebody better hold him back. Looks like he's getting off again."

Dereece sighed. "I'll get him…" He was impeded by a hand off to the side. He saw the serious face of someone else. "Vanessa?"

With no other ulterior, Vanessa started walking over in silence.

"I have my specific reasons for him, sir. I don't mean to be rude to you, but you seem to be in my personal space. I would appreciate it if you would refrain a pace back." The man insisted. "Do please. I require my proximity to think."

Joey crossed his arms and complied. He leaned back, but only enough to make him domineer over him. "Well, I'll believe it when I see it. Nic-senpai doesn't have to say anything or meet someone like you. He doesn't do social calls. Ever."

"And yet he works and affiliates in a guild. Isn't that a contradictory?" he countered.

Joey balled his fists, glints of his Barrier-Make formulating. "For Nic-senpai's security, you're gonna be-!" A hand gripped his shoulder, immediately making him change course to see who it was. His anger turned to horror upon seeing Vanessa. "V-Vanessa-senpai!"

Her hand slowly pulled Joey away, which was enough gradually reduce the drag in Joey's demeanor. She stepped forward in his place to shield the man's view from the now gawking Joey, who was caressing where Vanessa's hand just touched him. "We're sorry about that. You'll have to forgive Joey. He's very defensive about his peers." She insisted relaxed.

The man's eyelids lowered at the look in Vanessa's eyes. He could feel something incredibly distinctive in them that made the hair on his neck spike up. Her magic was one thing, it was incredible. Yet something about the way her deep blue eyes gazed made him feel unsound.

"The hell's going on here?" The sound of a door opening and footsteps moving forward came from Laxus. He stepped out of the office, his arms crossed over his chest.

Freed's eyes widened. "Master Laxus!"

Laxus passed by his peers and gave the man a glare. It wasn't a threatening one, but with his posture and the recent workload he's been taking in, he's doing his best to keep up a strong front. "Heard you were looking for Nic, am I right? Sorry, but he's out right now."

The man held a stern face, doing his best to keep his poise in check. "I see." He noticed the magic level of Laxus. "You're the Master of this guild, aren't you?"

"That's me. So who's asking?"

The man straightened his posture to make himself seem taller, though really he was no taller than any of the other boys around him. He could best be related to Natsu and Gray at best with their comparable heights. Hell, maybe just an inch or two shorter. Trying his best to dismiss his height complex, he had to retrogress back to the matter.

"If you have a minute. I would like to speak to you for a moment. There's something important that we need to discuss."

Laxus raised a brow. "Why not just say it in front of everyone here?"

"I believe a much more private talk between two superiors is more formal than a loose-end congregation of boundless input. I implore you."

He looked towards the others around him, their faces showing the same confused sentiment. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't do such things. Normally it'd be his guildmates and peers if anything important or specific. If it were a request it'd be settled via contact information. He'd rather not look rude and deny his request to see him in private though. He had his impressions as well.

He turned towards his fellow Thunder God Tribe. "You guys follow me. The rest of you, just continue what you're doing." He looked back at his client with a serious look. "Alright, follow me."

Laxus and his fellow bodyguards took to their heels and followed towards his office. The man stayed a good distance behind so as to keep his space and scrutinizing eye on them. No one was going to let their guards down this time around.

Once the door shut, the majority of the members settled down. Though some had liberties with their own input.

"Well that wasn't suspicious." Cana grimaced, her mood having been sullied by the odd air.

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." Mirajane chimed.

The scene didn't sit well, but those such as Duncan scoffed at the melee. He went over towards the job list. "We have our own work to do. Isn't that right?"

"Yeah, guess so." Dereece walked over towards Joey to reach for his shoulder. Joey was in a daze, but even with his fixation from Vanessa's touch still evident, he subconsciously smacked the wrist away to avoid his hand tantalizing his shoulder. "Uh, Captain? Time to work."

Blinking, Joey eventually came around. "H-Huh? Oh yeah, sure…" He turned towards Sophie. "Hey, we'll catch up soon okay?"

Sophie smiled. "Sure thing."

Joey shot one more look at the closed doors and frowned heavily. He didn't seem to be very enthused for a number of reasons. Specifically with what this guy wanted. But he knew better than to get worked up about it when there were other priorities to get by. Besides, he was positive about the others handling things while he was gone.

With balled fists, he chose to focus on work and marched towards the doors. "Alright boys, no more shirking. Let's get to work."

"Have a safe trip~!" Mirajane waved them off. She sighed dreamily. "They grow up so fast."

"You can say that again." Cana impishly scoffed.

Vanessa watched Joey take off, but not without him looking his shoulder to see him looking back. He could feel her gaze fixed on him and he swallowed a lump. Flattered as well as urged, Joey picked up his pace and left.

With him taking to his leave, Vanessa did have to admire his means of deflection. It was better than worrying about a matter that may not concern them. She looked at Laxus' closed door, her aura tingling on what could be on the other side.


Once the door shut, Laxus and his Thunder God Tribe turned around to face their guest. He held his hands to the side as he watched Laxus remain astute. "Alright, so what was it you wanted to talk about?" Laxus started.

"If your implications are a guild-elation matter, this may be a misplacement." Freed aforementioned, his tone hinting disapproval.

The man closed his eyes humbly, accepting their plight. "You have my word. This isn't to relate to work or hampering your efforts as a guild."

Laxus furrowed his brow and sighed. "Okay then, so what is it?"

The man gave him a solemn bowed. "Please pardon my lack of greetings. Allow me to correct the formalities. My name is Shiin Verdade. I hale from the Magic Government from the capital of the Pergrande Kingdom."

"The Pergrande Kingdom?" Bickslow's eyes widened beneath his visor. He and Evergreen exchanged looks of wonder and skepticism, before Freed stepped in.

"What exactly does the Pergrande Kingdom have business doing entering Fiore territory?" Freed crossed his arms. "Moreover, what about this Magic Government." He looked back at Laxus. "Master?"

Laxus gave Shiin a suppressed astonishment. He frowned as he was tracing back to something that lead to a chain of matters that had to be cleaned up. "The Magic Government you said? I think the old man before me spoke about it a few times in the past. That's the highest placement above the Council, am I right?"

"Correct. It seems that you're well adverse about the chain of command. The Council stands beneath us in every way, so don't get any bright ideas of comparing us to them." Shiin's commentary was enough to make Laxus' brow twitch. He had to keep himself from crackling static on this guy.

"Hold up." Bickslow tilted his head, making the hair on the end sway over his shoulder. "Not that I don't trust this guy, but last I checked, don't you need some special permission or verification to tell that you're legit? How do we know this guy's just here to pull our leg?"

"Yes. Not that we don't want scoundrels mingling around to begin with." Evergreen glanced at her friend.

Shiin's nostrils flared. He casually reached back and managed to find something in the form of a shiny golden badge. "I believe this should suffice." He held it out to everyone.

"Let me see that." Freed commandeered the badge with a forward reach. He turned the badge over to find all of Shiin's information on there. His name, date of validation, etc. There was even an embedded emblem pressed along the flat back with what looked like a huge parliament building within a magic circle. He held it up to the light to watch it cast a shadow, showing it was indeed valid gold. He came to a conclusion and sighed. "It seems he's telling the truth. He really is a member of the Magic Government of Pergrande. Sorry for accusations."

"No kidding…" Evergreen leaned over, peeking at the shiny emblem. The kanji for the word "Truth" was written at the top front on platinum instead of gold.

"Now then, I believe validations are in order for us to get acquainted." Shiin chided with an impatient tone.

Laxus stayed firm against his chest, his forehead scrunched so much it could crush his nose line if any lower. "…so tell me, what does the Magic Government want so badly that it had to bring one of its peers here? What's the deal with Nic especially? Did he do something to piss off another top dog?"

Shiin's eyelids were half-hearted at best. "The term off 'piss off' isn't entirely inaccurate. However, he is part of the reason why I was sent here."

"But who?"

"The administration and Grand Captain himself has given me the assignment to see him personally. By his order, I am required to shadow the head 'Pokémon Trainer' and his guildmates' affiliations with the Pokémon for research on the fundamentals of mages and Pokémon life in this world."

Laxus turned towards his Thunder God Tribe then back at him. "So you came all this way just so you can watch us is what you're saying?"

"In short, yes." Shiin paused. "And keep in mind this is by the Grand Commander himself. His word trumps any personal matter."

"Look, I don't give a rat's ass about a dumb order. You coming here is one thing, but if it's Pokémon related, why not just take it to the Cambire Foundation? They've got programs to learn from you know."

Shin crossed his arms and lowered his head. "So I've heard. I've also heard that your guild is being sponsored by them personally. I want to see why the guild that Nic Pularis is affiliated with is given clearance by the Council despite your…history."

Nobody in the room was very convicted at being ambiguous. This was a closed statement that was being handed to them for information and data. Personally, if it were up to someone else, they'd be all board since this guy was above even the Council. They had a very bad history with those guys, and vice versa. But now things were starting to get patched up. But they weren't fully pacified, even with the Council's new policies and their regulations having been subdued after Face backfired, leading to Alvarez mounting an attack and destroying Ishgar's countries, leading up to Fairy Tail being the only strongest thing to have stopped the Spriggan 12.

With all that on the backburner, now Laxus was starting to make sense of it. Critical thinking wasn't exactly his strongpoint, but with all these links, getting a higher power above the Council around did bring a sense of order and security, not that it mattered to him of course. But for those who aren't assured of Pokémon in the world beyond their reach, having a few words to catch some breezes was a step in the right direction.

"And what exactly are you planning to do with this information that you've gathered?" Laxus continued, his tone shifting to seriousness.

"That information is confidential." Shin scoffed. "But as I have said, I am to research and evaluate the Pokémon and mage life, so that it can further progress the Pergrande Kingdom and Ishgar."

Evergreen raised a brow. "Hasn't the Cambire Foundation reached your borders by now?"

"They don't have small-time bases set up over there I think." Bickslow stated. "The guys just got back from Seven a short while ago, so I don't think their influence is getting that far yet." He looked back at Shiin. "So you're just trying to prepare in advance or something?"

Shiin humbly nodded. "Yes. Now then, by any chance, is Nic Pularis around? I will require his personal input on this. His insight is highly valued in these times."

Laxus scoffed lightly. In hindsight, the situation would be funny if it wasn't so awkward. There were so many people who wanted to get their hands on that bastard, for various reasons of course. The Council was one of them and now they were kissing his feet. If they honestly believed that Nic would be bound to the government, then this could get problematic. "Hate to break this to ya, but you came at a bad time. Just missed them."

Shiin frowned. "I see. Where did they go?"

Bickslow smirked. "Ole' Nic and Erza got up and went on their honeymoon, pal." He snickered, partially with the rouse behind their leaving. "They won't be back for maybe a few weeks at least."

Shiin stared blankly at Bickslow, finding his smile demeaning. He wasn't fooled easily, but he didn't want to give an improper impression on them. "I see…"

Laxus gave him a moral sigh. "Look, we're sorry for the bad timing pal. Since you came all the way from Pergrande just to see him personally, we'll let you know when he gets back. In the meantime, you can hang around. Just don't do anything funny…we'll be keeping an eye on you."

"Understood. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. The entire future of Ishgar thanks you for this. Now if you'll excuse me." He turned and left for the door, closing it behind him. The Thunder God Tribe exchanged more looks.

"The Pergrande Kingdom…" Evergreen murmured low. "I've hardly even heard of them until now. Is there government supposedly that big of a deal?"

Bickslow crossed his arms. "I wouldn't worry about it right now. Besides, that country's thousands of miles away. The Council and the Cambire Foundation got the centerfield as far as I see it."

Freed dismissed the tribe's accusations and focused on Laxus. "Master Laxus, what do we do?"

Laxus walked over and chose to sit in his seat. He leaned back in his chair with crossed arms and his chin down. He tried to think of what Makarov would do in a situation like this. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. If this guy's objective is to observe that's fine. But he's also legitimately from the supreme government out north. As long as we play our hand fairly, guess they'll be doing the same." His lightning scar started to itch. "But if he makes any funny moves on us…just keep an eye on him is all I ask."

"Understood." Freed saluted.

"Good. Now then…" He sighed heavily. "I really need a drink."


The summer breezes of Alola blew Wingull across the coastline of Hau'Oli's beach. Several sand dunes with shovels on their heads were shuffling deeper into the sand, whereas people were seen chucking black creatures with red spikes on their backs back into the water. One guy with his Machamp threw it so far that it went out of sight.

Exiting the Pokémon Center with their bodies replenished and limber, they were surprised to realize their legs still worked after riding on Charizard all morning. Nic and Erza were back out in the open to be hit with these refreshing sea breezes. The former though just felt his skin gristle from his windburns.

Erza took in a long, fresh breath of air and sighed. Befitting the settings, she adorned her beachwear, the same exact one from Caracole Island to be precise. Enough of her thick body showed, especially her massive chest that was kept within the black bra. A sarong laced around her waist to conceal her lower-half. She had on tan sandals and had a matching sunhat to boot.

"Someone sure looks ready for the beach." Nic slyly commented, smirking at his wife's frame.

"Of course. It'd be a waste to wear such heavy clothing in such nice weather." She beamed idly with pride. She turned towards her husband's frame. "What about you? Is that what you're really wearing?"

Nic raised a brow. "What, this?" He pulled on the fabric of his long black coat. It was thick enough to suppress cold, while at the same time showing off his amazingly toned abs and chest. "I always where this? You saying not wearing a shirt isn't enough for you?"

"Not in the least." She leerily smirked at Nic's frame. She knew he looked good in a gray t-shirt already. He looked even better now that he decided to not wear one anymore. His attire choice wasn't opinionated on her, but it did help compliment some areas where she wears armor and Nic goes as himself.

The sea breeze intensified, the sound of ocean waves riddling with beaming sun and Tentacool bobbing amongst the tides. Nic put his hands to his hips. "So, where does the map say we are exactly?"

Erza pulled out the brochure map from her sarong flicking it once to flatten the wrinkles. "Let's see…" She scrutinized the map's contents. Noticing the geography's structure, she saw a red dot with the label that she read aloud. "Right here it says, 'Hau'Oli City'."

"Well I suppose that's a start." Nic raised a brow. "You made sure to pack those permits too, didn't you?"

Erza chuckled with pride. "Why certainly." There was a long pause between them as another oceanic breeze blew past them. This one carried a sense of awkwardness in it that left the couple at a realization.

"You have it in your Requip space, don't you?" Nic rhetorically asked, giving an unamused brow.

Erza cleared her throat. "Perhaps."

Nic sighed heavily. He should've known it'd come to this. He took a look around to see if anyone was seeing them, or otherwise if they'll notice them. At the moment there were several folks in groups and other in jeeps driving along the streets. He ushered his head in the direction beside the Pokémon Center and started walking. Erza promptly followed.

They walked to where they could fit between the alleys of the building and the one next to it. They've concealed themselves well enough from the crowd for Nic to be certain they were safe for Erza's Requip. He gave her a nod, to which she nodded back. A bright glow emanated behind her, summoning her large luggage cart with the harness unstrapping. She moved to a case and zipped it open.

"Let's see here…" She chimed merrily as she rummaged through the miscellaneous materials within it. She scrounged around the combs, to the shampoo products, to even a sealed container of a cheesecake bar that was going to snack on later. Her salivation aside, she set that aside and pried out two documents with stickers on them and turned back towards Nic.

"This should do the trick." Erza folded the two documents and, much to Nic's slight shock, she decided to hide them within her mountainous chest. "There! All tucked away. Are you ready?"

"Yeah, sure." He looked at Erza's luggage being strapped back in, but it wasn't going away. "Are you really going to lug that around?"

"Hm? I don't see why not." She countered with a snort. "Besides, I wouldn't have to Requip if someone carried it the whole way for me."

Nic raised a brow at his wife's farcical testimony. "First of all, we didn't know how far Alola was from Kalos, and I didn't want Charizard to get weighed down and drown halfway." He held up a second finger. "Secondly, we're trying to keep a low profile while on this trip." He held up a third finger. "And thirdly…please tell me that all isn't cheesecake material."

Erza shot him a facetious gasp. "Nic Pularis. You should know me better by now. It's not all cheesecake and food." She huffed with a raised neck. "Only half of it is. Besides, you hardly pack anything."

Nic shot her a morose look.

"C'mon, don't be like that." He walked closer to him, placing her hand on his cheek. "Look, we're here to enjoy ourselves. I know you're worried about me, and I'm truly grateful for you looking out that way. But I know why we're here too. We're going to do what we can and find out about this Z-Ring and this creature that attacked Brandish. But let's just do what we can to not forget about our needs too. We need to relax while we can, okay?"

Nic knew his wife was in the right. He chose to let the matter go since this was Erza he was talking to. This was her after all. "Yeah, guess you're right."

Erza smirked. She leaned over, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. Once satisfied, she pulled back. "Good. Now that we have that out of the way…" He tugged on her large cart. "Let's get this honeymoon started! I can't wait to see what these Malasadas are like! I bet they're sweet~!"

Nic smirked. "I bet."

When the coast was clear, Nic was the first one to file out behind the Pokémon Center. Erza trekked right beside him as they went through the streets of Hau'Oli City. Now that they were out in the open, Nic had to admit that the sun beaming down did help to liven things. It sure beats being around the guild hall, where if he was sleeping all day like Gajeel did, he'd get a headache.

As they walked and decided to take a look around, they passed by a number of stores with various markets. There were so many clothing stores that Erza wanted to try, depicting her so-called "Warrior's Way of Fashion", as she would proclaim. He was tempted to buy half the stocks, but she knew the Cambire offered their allowance for only so much. She'd buy Nic something to, but knowing him he'd completely disown it. Not even Erza tells that man how to live the way he dresses.

The couple continued to be fascinated with the number of people that were out on the streets. There were just as much people as there were Pokémon out. Nic didn't even recognize a few of them that looked like Meowth and Grimer. He was tempted to battle and see what they were made of, but there would be plenty of time for that later on.

"So, what place did you wanna see first?" Nic asked. Being a guy with no perpetual aim, he chose to roll along with what Erza prompted.

The Requip Mage smiled at the numerous suggestive things they could try. "Well, I'm really looking forward to-!"

"Watch out! Tauros on the loose!"

The shriek of a man's warning put the brakes on Erza's statement and snapped them back forward. They were watching people steer clear as a cowing Tauros swayed his three tails around like whips and barreled across the streets in their direction.

Instinctively, Erza reached out her arm to Requip a sword, but was just as quick to refrain from her second nature reflexes. She shot a knowing look at Nic, who nodded in agreement. Together, they both pulled out capsules. Erza was quick enough to whip out a Dive Ball. "Cloyster!"

"Charizard!" Nic threw his capsule.

The Tauros yelped and hollered as he ran wild through the streets. His hooves clattered against the concrete like a horde of wild animals charging. He was so lost into his free spirit until he hit something as hard as steel. It made him completely flop onto the ground.

His head in a daze, the bull blinked several times several its hooves got beneath him again. He looked up, seeing a green forcefield in front of a closed purple shell in his way of two people. "(Huh? The heck this thing come from?)" He snorted of steam, clicking his hooves against the ground. "(Oh, yes! I'm gonna down this thing!)"

The Tauros excitedly lowered his head went into a full-scale charge at Cloyster again. The clamshell made no attempt to move as the bull was picking up speed. A sudden orange blur dropped from the sky, seizing the bull's horns, twisting his head, and pinned him to the ground in an instant. The cow's head rung like a bell signaling defeat as blue eyes felt like a heat ray against his face.

"(Easy pal. Don't make this anymore of a fuss than it has to be.)" Charizard's grip tightened on his horns.

Out of instinct, Tauros started to kick and drag his body along the concrete, but he was completely pinned down by his horns. The bull's anxiety was going at an all-time high, so much that he didn't even know what he was doing until his body was starting was beginning to relax. His rasped breathing and adrenaline-filled heart racing were finally calming to a normal level of breathing. His chest was still puffing out carbon dioxide, but he was beginning to process what was happening.

A minute went by before the Tauros was fully eased. His breathing had gotten to a normal level, but Charizard retained his steel grip with his claws to be sure. Nic shot a look at Erza before he went around to check on the Tauros.

"Are you okay?" He waited for a response, but his own reaction had taken towards the saddle that was on the Tauros' back. The equipment, likely what looked like the handles, was damaged. "Wait, isn't this…?"

They heard some shouting from a short distance. Their inquiry turned towards a man running up to them with hurry. For a rather large man, he was rather quick on his feet. Much like Nic, his coat was open to reveal his abundant figure and stomach. He looked to be about the age of a grandpa with deeply tanned skin and closed eyes. Right at his side was a Hariyama whose arms were out to keep a distance from the tourists and spokesman.

"Looks like we may have found out where this Tauros came from." Erza noted. Her Cloyster dropped his forcefield at the signal to cool down.

"Tauros!" The burly man came up as Nic and Charizard finally chose to step away. They gave them enough space for the man to kneel down for the bull. "What happened? Are you alright?" He looked around the tired bull, seeing no bodily injuries ascertained. This made him feel relief.

Charizard lowered his chin. "(Supposed this means we're settled then.)"

"For now maybe." Nic muttered low, keeping his tone at bay.

Hariyama noticed the bystanders behind him and stomped his foot. This caught the man's attention. "What is it?" He looked up and noticed the young couple and roused to his feet. "Oh, where are my manners. My sincerest apologies! My Rider Tauros seemed to have gotten startled by an ongoing Yungoos crossing our path. We apologize for the trouble we may have caused."

Nic shook his head. "It's no trouble, really."

Erza looked over towards the Tauros' gear on his back. "Is this your Tauros I take it?"

The man assisted the Tauros back on his feet, keeping his hands on his horns in case he wasn't fully settled. "No. This is actually a Tauros that I paged. This fella was probably fresh out of its rider training. Haha!" He gently stroke the bull's neck, making his tails whip in glee. "There, there. Everything's okay now.)"

Nic and Erza shot looks at each other. They had absolutely no idea what a pager was, nor much about this riding business, but they were mellow enough to not comment on it.

"Oh! Forgive me, I seem to have forgotten my manners." He moved his hands in front and moves them down in rainbow arches on opposite sides. "Alola to you. I am Kahuna Hala, a pleasure to meet you."

"Uh, sure. Pleasure too." Nic's lingo was far from impressed. He didn't know what he did or just saw, but he had to assume it was some form of greeting.

Hala chuckled. "What's the matter? Not familiar with greeting back?" He took notice of Nic's Charizard, especially with how strong he looked. "Oh, what is this we have? A Rider Charizard?" He tilted his head in confusion. "But I don't see its riding gear."

Charizard's brow furrowed as he leaned back. "(Why does everyone keep calling me a Rider Charizard?)"

"I have no idea. Just play along for now." Nic replied. He noticed the skeptical look Hala gave him and chose to digress off his answer to Charizard. "Sorry, but this is my Charizard. Besides, gear really isn't his style."

Hala began to piece the information together. "I see…then that must mean you're new to Alola then, am I right? In that case, welcome to Hau'Oli City!"

Erza gave a subtle nod back. "The greeting is all ours. Um…"

"You mean for our greetings? It goes like this…" He spread his legs apart and moved his arms in a familiar fashion as before. His head tilted towards the left side, which Erza decided to mimic. "Excellent work, lasse! You catch on quick!" Hala laughed.

"Let's see here…Alola?" Erza moved her arms in arches, tilting her head in the same fashion. She blinked and looked at her palms in surprise. "Huh…that's actually cute." She turned towards Nic. "Go ahead Nic, try it."

Nic took one look at Erza, then at Hala. He paused for a brief moment, like he was frozen by an Ice Beam. He suddenly turned away. "No thank you. I think I'm good." His comment was reciprocated when Charizard copied his exact motion. Clearly both found it too ridiculous.

Erza glared daggers at his defiant back. "Nic…!"

Hala smiled off Nic's retort. "Ah, so you're one of those kinds of people. Well to each his own. Now then, what brings you both here of all places?"

Erza's retorting glare and Nic's defiant gesture turned off at his question. Erza managed to prompt a smile on her face – a rather modest and prideful one. "Well, actually…" She wrapped her arm around Nic's, pulling him close in a rather harsh pull, much to his chagrin. As he processed it, Erza showed off their wedding rings. "We're actually here for our honeymoon. We came such a long way from the Kalos region that my husband's a little cranky. Aren't you?"

Her underlying hiss did little to signal Nic when to step down. He furrowed his brow and got the message. "…yeah, sorry." His tone contradicted his intents, but before he could add on, Hala seemed to jovial to care.

"Oh, a young couple swept off their feet! Well then, congratulations to the both of you. If you need anything, I, Hala, the Kahuna of MeleMele Island am here to assist you."

Erza loosened her hold on Nic to set him free. "We'll take your word on it. Thank you very much, Hala."

"Very good. Now then…" He held Tauros' one horn as he guided him back the way they came. Hariyama got on the other side and guided with the other horn. "Come on, young one. Let's get you back to the stables. "

The Tauros whipped his tails and trotted along. Nic and Erza watched them go their own way and made sure they were out of sight and earshot. Erza gave Nic a knowing look.

"Honestly Nic, sometimes you're just…" She pinched the bridge of her nose, but she chose to let it go. She shouldn't get mad because Nic had his own opinions. The way he stands for his own opinions, especially against authority figures, is one of the reasons why she loves him. But even she has her limits. "It wouldn't kill you to at least loosen up. Didn't I just say?"

Nic cleared his throat, turning away. "Well, I have my opinions."

"That you do." She smirked. "Let's find our hotel and drop everything off. I'm in the mood for some beach."

"Sure thing." Nic and Charizard looked at each other with smirks. They couldn't wait to get to the seas again. Even Cloyster's inner clamshell chattered at the idea of getting to another beach. Erza saw their expressions and smirked herself. 'This should be a very interesting getaway. Let's just hope it stays like this.'


As hours went by, Shiin found himself less and less amused with what he had to deal with. He was permitted to stay around for Arceus knows how long, but looking back at it now he should've accounted for how rambunctious Fairy Tail.

He watched as Natsu's Darumaka's fist ignited into flames and he went barreling after Lucy's Staryu. The star shrank to the size of a pea, allowing Darumaka to fall through and doubled over. He watched further as the bauble managed to fix himself in time to avoid a jet of bubbles.

Looking around the guild, he was seeing so many mages who were interacting with their Pokémon like they were actual people. He was seeing Marill swim merrily around Araquanid's water bubble, much to the spider's aggravation. It didn't help that he shared enough of it with Finneon that it was making him uncomfortable. He looked over at another area to see Max and Kinana talking about something, possible related to Pokémon if he heard right. Rufflet and Vullaby fluttered across his feet away from Seviper, who was seemingly playing tag. The sounds of Snorunt chewing on ice did little than make him chilly, especially seeing that more ice blocks came from his Trainer. The strain of seeing all this was enough to make a normal person gain more than a few headaches.

"Guys, look!"

A loud shout got Shiin's attention. A radiant glow shined from across the guild hall that came from something in front of Elfman. The scrawny human-like creature in front of the large, hulking man was giving off a powerful force that rebuffed Jet and Droy's Weepinbell and Swellow.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and saw Elfman's Machop starting to change shape. He was becoming larger, and possibly more humanoid now unlike the kid muscles he had. The creature became bulky, much like Elfman himself. He gained much more muscle mass and gained a darker pigment of skin with red marks across the body. Mysteriously enough, he ascertained a golden belt that came from seemingly out of thin air with this new change.

The glow exploded, allowing the creature to flex his muscles and let out a loud roar for battle that stretched across the guild hall. Shiin watched with shrunken eyes and a shocked disposition.

"Machop just evolved!" Pantherlily shouted.

Levy held a hand to her mouth as she held back a gasp. "I've read about this. Machop just evolved into its next form. I believe that it's called…Machoke, am I right Vanessa?"

Vanessa nodded. "Yes, you are." She smiled momentarily at the scene. Seeing the Machoke in front of her reminded her of her Gym Battle against Korrina. It felt so long ago since then, but she vaguely remembered her Ivysaur and Braixen having to tag out to take down the bulking beast. She pulled up her PokeDex to refresh herself on the creature.

"Machoke, the Superpower Pokémon. It willingly assists with hard labor because it knows the work is good training for its muscles."

"Congratulations, Elfman!" Mirajane clapped her hands together. "He really takes after you now. Oh how they grow up so fast."

Elfman blinked once before he realized what happened. A bright smile crossed his face as his fists clutched tight with anticipation. "Now that's what I call a manly Pokémon! Alright, Machoke! Let's give your new powers a spin, and show them what a man you are now!"

Machoke eagerly cracked his knuckles. "I couldn't agree more."

Jet and Droy swallowed lumps at the sounds of cracking knuckles. Machoke reeled back a fist to ready his next blow, but they were completely unprepared. "H-hey wait up now! Let's talk this out!"

"Brick Break!" Elfman punched forward the same time Machoke's glowing fist barreled straight into Swellow's gut. Even when the swallow attempted to dodge, she was helpless due to No Guard. She was driven into Weepinbell, making dust and wood along the ground splatter.

Everyone cringed at how hard that attack was that it sent a shiver down their spine. Jet and Droy sunk to their knees in shame and defeat when Swellow was atop Weepinbell, both their eyes swirls and unable to continue the battle. Machoke arose and flexed proudly, as did Elfman.

"Now that was just brutal." Gray whistled. He saw the large hole in the ground created from the impact. It looked tough enough to shatter his ice.

"Woah, now that's what I call a tough guy." Natsu noted, an eager look spreading across his face. "Now I really wanna have Charmeleon have a crack at them."

Elfman's ears twitched at what he just heard. He slowly turned towards Natsu with a growing anticipation of his own. "Eh? Did I hear you right?" He rammed his fist into his palm, his Machoke stepping up. "Better back up what you say there, Pinky. Less you're not man enough."

Natsu and Darumaka stepped up, the former pulling out Charmeleon's Poke Ball. "Trust me pal, I plan to." For a brief moment, he thought back to his fight against Caius and his Hariyama. 'We're not gonna fall behind again. This time we actually know how to fight this guy.'

"This should be good." Gajeel snickered, kicking back in his seat to enjoy the show.

Charmeleon came bursting out of his Poke Ball and glared down Machoke. The larger beast cracked his knuckles and snorted.

"You wanna tussle with me, you little salamander?"

"Don't sell us short just yet." Charmeleon bared his claws. "You know what they say, the bigger they are, the harder they fall."

Shiin watched the entire procession with a watchful eye. Everyone in the guild was raptured in these so-called 'Pokémon Battles'. He didn't understand what it was about, not was he obligated to do so. He just watched as Natsu and Elfman exchanged commands as their Pokémon shot dragonfire, only to be floored instantly by a fist and a shockwave following. Despite all that, he had his own obligations to take care of.

With everyone distracted by Machoke getting blasted in the face by embers, Shiin took another look around. Nobody was behind him, nor looking at him. He reached into his pockets and pulled out what looked like a camera. He took quick snapshots of as many people without the flash on, to avoid suspicion. In his visual, he got the members of Fairy Tail with their backs turned as Cana had a betting pool set up already. Another shot as how Charmeleon attempted to dodge, but Machoke caught onto him in a flash, much to Natsu's shock. Despite his own surprise, Shiin continued taking pictures of the battle and of the members present. He got Juvia hugging Gray's shoulder, despite his chagrin. Natsu eagerly giving an uppercut at a command. He got a snapshot of Vanessa and Sophie together eying the battle with interest. He even got one of Wendy feeding her Swablu an Oran Berry.

The guild doors suddenly opened, and the first thing to come through was Joey. "What's up, people-AH!" He ducked in time when a piece of wood flung in his direction, giving it clearance to buffer Dereece. He watched his buddy grip his nose, the shock turning back towards the crowd gathered around the battle. "Uh, I think we came at a bad time."

Seeing the entrance open, Vanessa looked over and smiled. "Back from your job so soon?"

Joey walked over, smiling pridefully. "Yeah! Don't worry, Vanessa-senpai! It went bright s rain!" He gave a peppy thumbs up. "Client was so happy we chased off those Ducklett littering his pond. Nobody messes with Gyarados, I can tell you that."

Dereece gathered his bearings and sauntered to his Captain's side with Duncan. He turned towards Sophie. "So what did we miss?"

Sophie looked ahead. "See for yourself."

They followed her direction towards the jumping Charmeleon's whose tail swung down at an intense speed into Machoke's forearm. He grunted hastily but was unable to fully overpower the attack when a kick to his face sent him flooring. Charmeleon landed and scoffed. "Who's the small fry again?"

Machoke shook his head as he stirred back up. "Oh, you're in for it now!"

Joey watched the battle unfold with slight interest in mind. Though for the time being he was more focused on the two voluptuous women before him. "But anyways, guys, what's the deal for the rest of the day?"

"Well…" Vanessa humbly smiled. "Since you asked nicely, we were going to see to planting berries in the backyard. We're running rather low on Sitrus Berries recently."

Sophie gave Joey a remorseful grin. "Sorry Joey, hope you understand."

The leader of The Freaks impishly smiled. "Hey, no sweat Soph. It's all good. But hey, what ever happened to that other guy? You know, the one who wanted…something, from Nic-senpai." His tone turned to a grim one of threatening levels. He was aching to ball a fist at the sheer mention of him.

Vanessa turned away. "He's right over there. He's going to be observing us until Nic and Erza return. We were told to mind our business for the time being."

Joey raised a brow. He kind got the point across but still didn't seem to fully apprehend the meaning behind any of this. But he wasn't protective of Nic or Vanessa without a good reason. Still, despite this, he remembered the lessons Broly taught him about being mindful of his surroundings.

Hearing the sound of a click, Joey's hearing aids picked up on the flicker and turned in the direction. His eyes widened when he saw that Shiin was on the far end of the guild, holding onto a camera.

"Uh, Captain…" Dereece realized the look in Joey's eyes upon seeing the photographic item.

Shiin looked down at his camera after taking so many pics for five minutes. He looked at the footages and aid specific attention towards the pics with mages and Pokémon interacting. The item Wendy fed Swablu got his attention.

'I don't recognize this fruit. Perhaps it's part of the Pokémon world's food system they have that crossed over.' He scrunched his brow and looked at the storage level of his camera. "I barely have enough storage left. I'll have to make time tonight to request for a new chip."

A thud in front nearly made him bolt out of his seat. When he looked up, he saw Joey in a sexy sideways position, looking up with a smirk of dignity behind his posture. "You're…Joey, from earlier is I'm not mistaken."

"I'm ready for my good side to be shown." He teased.

"Beg your pardon?" Shiin looked at Joey, then back towards the camera. He put two and two together. "I think you're mistaken. I'm not a photographer."

"And yet you're holding something that takes pictures." He countered. "Look, buddy, a little talk between dudes, alright? I can admit that I was a little brash when meeting you before, but, I have my reasons. I'm sure you have your reasons too. So, how's about this?" He slid Shiin what looked like a 500 Jewel bill. "Let's just say we have ourselves a clean slate, alright? Now, make sure you get my good side~."

Shiin looked at the Jewel bill before Joey and back at him. He slid it back towards him with a scrutinizing expression. "I don't accept charity for what I do, especially from unfamiliars." He paused as he saw Joey's expression souring. "…but I suppose, a few snaps. As long as it's quick."

Joey's expression lightened again. Shiin sighed as he picked up his camera again. 'I need to gather as much on them as I can and earn their trust. I suppose this should be a step in the right direction.' When she saw Joey playfully winking playfully while on his stomach, Shiin had to fight to urge to hurl. '…just…one member at a time.'

Dereece and everyone watched Joey strike poses as Shiin took snapshots of him. With the flashy leader gaining all the attention – not surprising at this point. "At least this should die the heat down while he's around." He said.

Duncan scoffed, walking away from them. Dereece watched him leave. "Where're you going?"

"Back to my place." He held out his sac of Jewel he earned from the job. "The job's done. And we've got work tomorrow right? Gotta rest up."

"Aerial Ace!"

"Brick Break!"

They returned their attention back towards the battle at seeing Charmeleon and Machoke's arms glow bright white. They went charging at each other head on with violent cries of anguish and pain. With no mercy given, both drove their fists forward, but the acceleration made them bypass each other.

Both Pokémon were hit in the face by the opposite move. They were airborne and gawked as they knocked the wind out of each other. Both doubled over and slid across the floor towards Natsu and Elfman's feet, stopping at the same time.

Lisanna looked down at Charmeleon, seeing he was outcold. She moved towards Machoke, seeing the same thing. She held two arms up for either side. "We have a draw people! Both are unable to continue!"

The guild let out cheers for the battle. Natsu kneeled down and held up Charmeleon. "Hey pal, you alright?"

"N-Natsu…?" Charmeleon blinked several times, processing what happened. "Did I win…?"

"It was a draw." He looked at Elfman supporting Machoke over his shoulder. His smirk widened. "But we'll win next time for sure."

"What a mess it's already getting to be." Sophie huffed.

Vanessa smirked. "Yes, indeed." She looked back at Shiin, who was still taking snaps of Joey from afar. Her aura still didn't sense anything…unless annoyance by Joey's demands counted. 'I wonder if Nic and Erza are having any fun?'


Under the blistering sun of Alola, the radiance spilled across the water, where Finneon swam in schools as Magikarp breached out of the water. The sea was lively with the aquatic life of Pokémon as it id with its people ashore.

In the air, Staraptor and Talonflame were flying about, catching great oceanic drafts that pushed them to Wingull elevation. Cloyster was underwater surrounded by other Shellder that felt easier for some reason. While he was being given unwanted attention even in his habitat, a purple serpent swam in the vast ocean. Arbok arched his body out and was met with beaming sun rays reflecting on his wet scales.

Along the shorelines, Garchomp's backfin arched out of the sand as he dug beneath in an open area. The feeling of sand massaging an applying pressure on his scales felt nice. The light vibrations of him moving underground were felt by Scizor, Houndoom, and Charizard, who were sprawled across the sand getting rays as they slept. Charizard especially looked like he needed it.

Kecleon…was nowhere to be found. With her time idly spent completely invisible, not many people could be sure where she was at. Although there were several sand angels in a solemn area next to a number of imprints with an outline of a Kecleon's face.

Nic was under direct sunlight on the beach towel Joey packed them beside Greninja, the two having arms behind their heads and legs crossed. They were so lost that Erza and Slurpuff sitting up and puckering on Sweet Malasadas didn't even faze them.

"Mmm! It's even better than I hoped." The mage-trainer chimed in a sugar high. She and Slurpuff nearly had matching tingly sensations in their cheeks as the sweetness in the tropical dessert sugarcoated their taste buds. They looked like they were about to cry from sheer joy.

"Careful, there's Wingull around." Nic nonchalantly warned. Overhead, the shadows of Wingull circled above as a warning to the knight.

Erza huffed as she gave the seagulls in the air a gleam of her own. "Don't worry, I learned well from my time back in Kalos. Those shameless fiends won't best me again!" She held her next Malasada close to her chest to make it hard for the seagulls to reach. She still irked at the memory of Wingull along Route 8 that she still had nightmares of her precious strawberry cheesecake getting taken from her bare hands by Wingull. She would've cut them all open if it wasn't for Nic and Erza holding her back.

Nic slowly sat back up, crossing his legs over the Joey-imprinted beach towel. His need to bask and rest had gotten thin and he idled his eyes around. Taking another look at the beach and Alola, the air was lagging in humidity. The coastal air was brimming with the scent of seashells and minerals that eroded from the ocean depths. People of Alola were seemingly enjoying their times too, with bright smiles and even brighter complexions. It was hard to believe their enemy would want to be here of all places.

But, they weren't dumb. They knew not to let go at the sight of danger. Trainers were supposed to be prepared at the sight of another Trainer. Odds were wild Pokémon even more so.

"(Feels like we haven't been to a relaxing beach like this for a short while.)" Greninja prodded, his voice ensuring Nic he wasn't alone in his thoughts.

"You're right about that." He lightly scoffed, still observing the scenery.

As another imprint of Kecleon's invisible face smeared the ground, it vanished when Garchomp's head popped right beneath, making Kecleon's coloration fade to normal. The dragon looked up, whereas the chameleon looked down…slowly tilting her head. "Pop goes the Buizel." She creepily monotoned.

Watching Talonflame and Staraptor speed over the water across the horizon, Nic continued on. "We've been working so much that this hardly feels anything but a life in the day of someone else."

"(Knowing us, we'd probably be back on Earthland running through the trees towards the next destination.)" Greninja's pink tongue scarf whiffed from a strong gust of ocean air. "(How nostalgic, back to our vagabond days.)"

Nic smirked, leaning back with his arms supporting him. "Well it's too late for takebacks. But I don't regret the choices we've made either."

From the corner of his eye, he saw a swooping Wingull being chased away by a green sphere launched by Slurpuff. Erza beamed with a warrior's pride. "Begone, rapscallion!"

Greninja looked out and watched Staraptor and Talonflame continue treading across the water. Not very far from the shores coming up, Arbok slithered until he saw a shooting backfin fly across him with Kecleon's tongue wrapped around it. The chameleon chimed as she was several meters out and looking like she was skiing across the sand.

"(Free rides, extra crispy!)" Kecleon raised her hands high, allowing her body to lean back in glee s it sped like a jet ski across the beach.

"(Well, her tongue's gonna taste like granite.)" Houndoom mused.

Aegislash nodded. "(You may very well be right?)"

Nic and Greninja watched Kecleon getting dragged along the sand by Garchomp, who burst out of the sand clean over a dune of sand. An idea came to their mind and they gave each other knowing looks.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"(Yeah.)"

The two turned towards Erza. Nic got his wife's attention. "Hey Erza, wanna spread your legs a little?"

Hearing his unintended innuendo, Erza looked at him. "Nic, I know that look…what do you have in mind?"

"Trust me, it may be just what we need. All we need is just a little help…"

Nic was definitely right. It was a blast, almost literally. Nearly twenty meters off the surface of the water laced by two pink tongues around the torsos with talons hanging to their shoulders. The wind was intense enough to give Staraptor and Talonflame the ability to glide without using their muscles for once.

Garchomp and Cloyster jettisoned across the water at equal high-speed. Water pulse from behind as they swam throughout the bay with Greninja and Kecleon respectively atop of them with tongues out like rope to drag and guide Nic and Erza respectively. Their birds on their backs helped them keep airborne for the ride.

Erza's hair was running wild against Talonflame's feathers. The avian felt a little ticklish of the rogue follicles flying about.

Erza's eyes were wide as she looked down at the passing waves. "So this is what hang-gliding is like." She shot Nic a look. "What on earth gave you this idea?"

Nic shot a look down at Erza's carrier, Kecleon tilted her head, in which the tongue started rotating to give Erza and Talonflame a new direction. He didn't bother to think too much about his answer. "A little birdie told me this would be fun." He chimed.

Talonflame blinked. "(But we're not tiny?)"

"(It's a figurative speech I believe.)" Staraptor noted. She felt a breeze pick up, making her feathers ruffle from how loose they were. "(So this is flying without doing work. It's refreshing!)"

Hearing everyone's sentiments, Nic and Erza smiled before Garchomp and Cloyster suddenly bolted across the water, making them get slammed with air pressure as they were pulled along. Their hands interlocked with each other; that's how close they were. The world's clouds were nothing short of swimming beneath them, torn by pink thread of fate binding them to the never-ending seas of time below.

As the couple glided across the sea, their spectacle didn't go unnoticed by those by the shores. Further along Hau'Oli's coastline, Hala had stopped to catch a glimpse of the two.

"Huh? Aren't those two…" Even with shut eyes, he could make out the red hair of Erza. "It's those two! What are they doing…?" He couldn't fathom it, but he was caught surprised by the looks of the Pokémon-made hang-gliding. It piqued his interests ten-fold.

He crossed his arms, watching them continue their dance across the sea. "What interesting spirits they have, I'm sure Tapu Koko would say."


The sun had started setting along the mountains and hills far off Magnolia. The long day had finally came to its end and everyone who wasn't working packed their things and went home to rest.

Shiin closed the door discretely to the inn he stayed in. There weren't many located in Magnolia, hardly any at that, but he was ultimately able to scavenge whatever intel he could and asked about sleeping arrangements for the evening. And in no way in hell would he allow himself to stay within the range of the other mages, especially under the same roof.

Making sure the lock was secure, he shot one more look around to check on everyone's Magic Power. Judging by their signatures, they weren't around. He reached into his robe, slowly pulling out what looked like a handheld grimoire. He set that off to the side as he took out a piece of paper and a pen.

The lamp he had at the desk adjusted so it was as dull as possible. He needed minimal light so no one would suspect a thing. With curtains shut and double-checked on, he went on with his note.

June 25th, X793

20:42

I was successful in arriving within the designated area. At approximately 14:32, I have secured my spot within the vicinity. Upon reading this letter, I am currently staying within the enemy's territory. For the time being I was able to gain most of their space and gestures. However, their leader, Laxus Dreyar, is very suspicious of my intentions. I was only able to make this to you addressing the matter once I had found security.

Upon reaching Fiore, I have found many things to have interested me. The many people within the area have had their lives completely integrated with these Pokémon aliens. Seeing them first-hand, I saw the jovial smiles on their faces to be foolhardy. The innocence of the magic world is at jeopardy, and to see them so fond of such creatures has made me less than appeased with their lack of discipline. Nic Pularis' influence has spread too great across the land.

That being said, by the time I had been able to make it, I was unaware of their scheduling. Nic Pularis was not present during my stay, and has seemingly vanished. The question of where he left remains unknown, however, I have my suspicions that he will be back within due time.

So for the time being, I have begun my scrutinizing of the target's allies and their Pokémon. I have been able to see first-hand how a mage and Pokémon do battle than the video streaming from the Crocus appeal. The mage commands the Pokémon like a pet and has it do the work for them. They started relying heavily on the capabilities of these aliens that they have lost the ways of magic fundamentals. Already the ways and laws of magic here are broken.

Due to the agreed circumstances, I have refrained from contacting and meeting the Magic Council. I will continue to keep these notes updated with what laws exactly I have been able to find that have been overwritten.

This chip I will be sending to you is the evidence of these aliens and the Pokémon I have been able to ascertain information on. I trust this shall suffice until Nic Pularis returns. I shall request a new chip and expect it to be here by next morning in order to send more information.

Furthermore, I shall be looking into a more stable place of residence in the morning. I have used up a large sum of the jewel that I had to book one night, so I shall be requesting a short-term allowance of my Division budget.

For the security and future of the magic world, I shall not fail.

~Verdade Shiin

20:57

Closing out his letter, Shin folded the letter over and slicked a stamp over the ends to seal it. With them secured, he moved his hand towards the handheld grimoire and turned to a page with an ink magic circle imprinted on it.

Gathering his magic, he closed his eyes and focused the energy into the circle to make the magic seal pop out. He picked up the letter and the unsealed chip from his camera and inserted them into the magic circle. Slowly, they disappeared into particles to indicate their successful transport. The magic seal dissipated, leaving no trace left. "There. That should carry out my duties for the day. The Magic Government should have that message to the Grand Captain at 5 in the morning. I need to evaluate more intel. We have plenty of information of the mages and their magic from the Council footages. But, those could be outdated."

His eyes narrowed as he walked towards the curtains. He opened them, allowing the sunset in the west to illuminate the left side of Magnolia, along with the Fairy Tail guild. 'If it is indeed true from what we've heard, and that the mighty Acnologia and Zeref have fallen to these people, they clearly have a much bigger threat composition around them and their Magic Power. Sensing them alone won't be enough. I'll have to see what they're all capable of.'

Tapping from the windowsill above caught his attention. Upon looking up, his eyes hardened at the sight of a Butterfree fluttering a little too close for his liking. "You, begone."

The Butterfree chirped before he hastily fluttered off into the air. He seemed to be making way at the East Forest. Shiin watched it go off before choosing to close the curtains again.

"This world's inhabitance…they must be salvaged. No matter the cost."


The sun had set along the Alolan horizon. Its rays painted the sea with a vibrant show of colors that made the water look orange. Anyone who was watching would've been captivated by the minerals and clear water turning orange as the sea life and daytime creatures swam into the sand or under bedrock to make preparations for the night Pokémon to come out.

Nic looked out the window of the hotel they were staying at. It had a very nice view all the way at the top floor. It was so high that it rivaled the nearest skyscraper a few blocks down. Taking in the sun's rays, he calmed himself.

"I guess this isn't so bad after all." He mused, his eyes gazing up to watch Pikipek fly across the horizon. "Looks like everyone had a fun time today."

"You can say that again." Erza hummed. She was standing in front of a mirror, her hair held off to the side as she brushed it. The wind really messed up a lot of follicles she had going. "It looks like we didn't find anything related to the culprit though."

Nic went over towards the king-sized bed, his body screaming to Body Slam his stomach onto the soft, inviting feel of the mattress. He started taking off his coat to reveal his upper body. While he was a little disfigured at this lackluster of information they've gathered, he knew not to tamper with the luck they have. He knew there were four islands in total, and in a region they were unfamiliar with. The least that could be applied at this time would be a little more integrity.

"Well, it's just our first day, so I guess it shouldn't be too much of a bother. We've been to the Malasada shop, so that's something off your list, and the beach for me…" He looked down at the map that was sitting on the nightstand. He picked it up and looked down at the landmarks already covered.

Erza walked over, her body in her blue skirt and white blouse. "This is Melemele, right? I'm sure there's a bigger island that's supposed to be close by we can explore."

"Yeah, probably. I still wanna look at exploring what this island has though."

"Yes, me too. There's all those Pokémon we saw today that we weren't very familiar with as well."

"Yeah, I remember seeing those Meowth and Grimer on our way here. Maybe it has to do with the way Alola is so far away or something. I figured it'd be some new evolution, not like a mutation…great, now that sounds like an unnatural evolution."

Erza raised a brow. "I'm sure you just backhanded yourself there."

"You know what I mean." Nic huffed. "But, anyways, Arthur had some kind of idea of us being here for a vacation. He said that the Z-Ring we found had to have come from here."

"That's true. I'd imagine that if we look around a little more, odds are we'll find out how these things are made. I doubt this can be any coincidence, but…"

Nic smirked. "Yeah, I know. We'll see. Maybe there's more on the next island over? Guess we'll see about tomorrow, right, Erza?" A bright glow illuminated his side, making him cover up. "Erza?" When he looked over, he almost jerked right back to the headboard at Erza's attire.

She adorned an extremely seductive bunny suit, one that seemed to have hugged her curves very well. Her thick hips, thighs, and legs were all there, and she was apparent in the upper body department as well with her massive melons that were her chest being suppressed by thin straps to the breast clothing. On her head was a headband with black and green bunny ears.

The look she gave Nic was more than enough to give him an itch up his spine. She licked her lips at seeing his figure and his startled expression. She giggled low. "You're cute when you're flustered." She teased, crawling over towards him.

Seeing the hungry look in her left eye, Nic began to get a bad feeling. The color on his face turned pale. Flashes of certain nights and events best left to the imagination were making his heart thump like one of Joey's mad beats.

Before he realized it, Erza pinned him down deep into the bedspread. His heartrate thumped louder with how close her chest was to his face. "Erza? Erza, wait, I don't think I-"

"This is our honeymoon." She swooned. "C'mon, let's savor it…"

She giggled as she dropped down on Nic, his vision going black in a flash.


A ways away from the hotel, where no one could hear the sound of a raging animal breathlessly gasping and growling, the nighttime shores of Alola stemmed with the bright rays of the moon illuminating the atmosphere. Its glow casted onto a fisherman along the rocky shoreline of Hau'Oli northward.

"Oh! I know that Lumineon is around here." He grunted. "I swear, I'm gonna be the one to catch that shiny Lumineon. Seven nights is long enough."

The soft, high tides were thanks to the moon. The water levels were much higher compared to normal. He was well adverse with how low the Finneon and Lumineon tread in the water. He had timed this just right for this occasion.

There were many red glows in the water, alerting him of the Tentacool present. But his bait was part of a Staryu's appendage that fell off earlier. The Tentacool don't want something tacky. Lumineon, however, love to nibble on Staryu and Starmie. A sudden jerk on his fishing rod made his heart jolt.

"About damn time! C'mon babe! C'mon!" He hastily began reeling in the catch that was glowing. He was certain because of the brownish-white glow it had. Its white light was certain to be the Lumineon. He reeled it up along the rocky shores. The waves crashed the bait and the creature latching on with force from the surfing tides. As he pulled it in, his hopes of a shiny Lumineon were dashed by something else.

"What the…?" Meters away, lying on the bedrock, he saw his catch wasn't at all like a Lumineon. In fact, it wasn't even a fish at all. His brow was raised at the creature's figment glistening under the starry night sky though.

The white creature was seemingly unresponsive. It looked more deflated than anything. The fisherman was being careful to not trip over any of the wet rocks beneath as he got to the creature.

His brow scrunched at its repulsive sight. "The heck is this? Some kind of wig from a cruise ship?" He skeptically reached down to pick it up, but was astounded by the thing's weight. "Geez, what's in this thing? Lead weight?! Geez, c'mon…!"

He dragged the thing up the shores until it was safely out of reach of the tides. He rasped his gasps at how much of a pain it was to carry, but he was more astounded with the creature, period. It looked like a new species of Tentacool at best, if the small black drips leading towards the sea meant anything.

Blinking again, he turned towards the white jellyfish. "Is this thing even alive?" He leaned in for a closer look, getting meters from its deflated, bulbous head. "Maybe it should go back in the ocean. This thing is freaky."

He went to seize it, but a tentacle wrapped around his wrist, startling him. "Wah!"

The creature slowly stirred and began levitating off the shoreline. Black ooze continued dripping around its underside as it glared at the fisherman. Its hiss went down the tendril and up the man's spine.

"Uh! N-no! Wait! Stay away!" He backed away towards his Net Balls, but was unable to escape the beast's reach.

It shrieked as its top expanded, swallowing the man's head to muffle his cries of pain under the moon's radiance.

Deeper within the high ranges of the island, the glow of the moon cascaded onto Tapu Koo, who watched from the mountainous points of the island high up. He was so lost in the moonlight that he almost missed his head feather crackling. "(Hm? That just now…)" He looked left and right, his body tingling with crackling static. "(That energy, it's gotta be…oh, I've been waiting for this!)"

He excitedly left the high point, zipping down towards the lower regions for the extermination hunt.


Happy Spring guys! First of all, yes, I know things have been super hard for a lot of people with this COVID-19, so now's I have to do whatever I can to help appease the people. And my best alternative is to write a good fanfic! I won't say anything regarding what was in the chapter, but I hope this suffices for the time being. Everyone keep hanging in there! Your reviews re very much appreciated in return, and stay well!