PMD: Warped Skies

by Team Ion

Playing the part of the hero sounded fun at first, until he took a meaty punch to the face. Stranded in a world reminiscent of a game he once knew, a human-turned-Meowth struggles to retain his humanity while filling the shoes of the game's protagonists. However, this is not a game. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers, SI-OC/Isekai. Cover by Bograbbit!

46. From a Sibling With Love

So, this chapter was an interesting one to write. Lots of scene breaks in this one as we're bouncing between the two teams.

Results for the previous poll down at the bottom. Polls are hard to think up ideas for, does anyone have any suggestions of polls you'd like to see?

Also. 500,000+ words? What in the? How in the? When in the? What? How? Half a million. That's… so much word. AH!

Thank you all so much for inspiring me to write so much :)

---

"Wait… seriously?"

"I have no business for jokes."

Sean stared up at Armaldo in wonder. The intimidating fossil pokémon stared back with his usual expression of mild annoyance.

Sean blinked and spoke. "Repeat it, please."

Armaldo huffed, rolling his eyes, but acquiesced to Sean's ask. It was why he was only telling this to one member of Team Sunrise, trying to involve any of the others would inevitably attract them all. He'd be answering questions, receiving threats, and getting interrupted all day.

"To recount my words," Armaldo began, "your team's trial period has ended positively. Proving that Dusknoir does appear to be under control, perhaps even genuinely remorseful, and exemplifying the guild's values in your work has been a success."

"Trial period?" Sean asked when Armaldo took a breath. He just wanted to be sure of everything.

"You weren't explicitly told so," Armaldo answered. Every word he spoke was entirely level, almost bored sounding. "But the loosened restrictions was its own kind of trial. Due to Team Sunrise always returning, as per the agreement, even if you played with the limits on occasion." He gave a slight glare, and Sean stifled a smile. "Your team always returned."

Despite the fact that you technically could have simply left. These words were left unspoken, but both of them felt them hanging in the air around them.

"So…" Sean began slowly. "What does this mean going forward?"

"It means you and your team are being upgraded to the benefits and restrictions of being an apprentice of the Wigglytuff Guild," Armaldo explained. "You will be eligible to go on expeditions, you are free to choose your own missions, you are expected to do missions six out of seven times a week."

He paused there, Sean felt his nerves rise. Which was silly, Armaldo had already told him.

But the wicked Bug-type was almost smiling. "And you do not have to return to the guild every day." There it was. Freedom. "You still have to return after each mission," Armaldo added, "and it's required you do not go far without at least alerting the guild. But that is the new terms. Team Sunrise has proven themselves trustworthy, and Team Magnezone has agreed to this."

Sean nodded slowly, unable to stop the smile rising over his face. He did restrain the cheers, however. Just barely.

"O-okay." Sean nodded faster. "Okay! This is great! Thank you so much!"

Armaldo snorted at him. "Don't thank me," he snapped. "If you must give blame to someone, give it to the Guildmaster."

"I'll let everyone know," Sean said, speaking quickly and not hearing that at all. "They'll be so happy! Saniya might come and hug you later, I don't know! Bye!"

And then he raced off before Armaldo could instruct him that Celebi was not to come anywhere near him with any snotty cries or dreaded hugs.

Armaldo dropped his claws and debated on his next move for a few moments. He decided the smartest thing to do would be to climb out the side of the cliff and bury himself in a cocoon of string.

It seemed like the most sensible thing to do.

---

It was time to push on.

Team Ion had backtracked a little to visit Clefable again. She had been surprised to see them so soon but had listened intently to Mane's explanation.

He didn't go into the sheer level of detail he had with Rai and Scout but did agree that keeping an eye out for a possible Morpeko was worthwhile.

"It could explain somethings," she said, thinking back to the team still unconscious. "A surprise attack could be very dangerous, and some of those burns could be from electricity…"

Team Ion was eager to leave, lest they run into Team Isotope again, but Clefable did pause them. "Thank you for alerting me to this, but… I have to point out the obvious." She nodded to Mane. "If this is your family, that places your involvement in this in question."

"We don't know if it's his family," Rai objected.

"And it wouldn't matter even if it was," Mane said. "I'd just want to take them down even more."

"Maybe that's what I'm worried about?" Clefable replied. "If you're too invested in this, you could make a mistake. If you're too invested in this…"

Ultimately, she did let Team Ion go without issue.

But when doors were closed, she sighed and called in a rather similar team. "You three, go after Team Ion. Don't interfere with them unless they're in danger. Just keep an eye on them and report to Team Stunshock."

"Yes, Guildmaster!" Team Isotope said and left after Team Ion.

---

"Surround Sea?"

"7.8/10, too much water."

"Mt Travail?"

"I don't feel like climbing another mountain."

"It'd hardly be climbing. And you float anyway!"

"Noooo."

Team Sunrise was hard at work, figuring out what they should do for work. Sean's announcement had filled the team with unyielding excitement. They were allowed to go almost as they pleased now!

Guardian was hesitant, as was Striker, neither of them was trusting enough to accept that things were so wonderful just on someone's word.

Even if that word was technically all that was needed.

In a compromise, however, they agreed to let Sean and Saniya pick their first long-distance destination while they did a mission for the day.

Saniya was not an agreeable partner, however, and she and Sean could not agree on the destination. She continued to offer suggestions like Yellow Petal Town and Blackstone Village. "Fine!" Saniya said. "I'll just ask Chimecho directly then."

"We shouldn't chase down Team Ion," Sean protested. "We could mess their whole mission up!" But Saniya was not listening. "Saniya!" he yelled. Still not listening.

Sighing with aggravation, Sean went for a walk to clear his head.

It did not take long for Saniya to find Chimecho. It helped that the Psychic-type rarely left the guild and the guild was not overly complex to navigate.

"Celebi!" Chimecho beamed. She was in the little tiny office that Armaldo had finally convinced her to use. Chatot had tried to give her an office for years but tended to give in against her abject refusal. Armaldo just dug the thing out for her and made her use it.

"Chimes!" Saniya beamed back. "Have I got a question for you!"

"You have?" Chimecho asked, setting down the papers she was working on. "Let's hear it," she said, floating up, "as long as you promise to listen to me afterwards!"

"You want to talk?" Saniya asked, surprised. "Wow! Okay. What's up?"

"Didn't you have a question?"

"Nah, just messing with Sean," Saniya giggled, but a little guiltily. "I was giving him a hard time about where we should go for our first real getaway mission. Miiight have gone a little far though, I'll apologise later."

"Make sure you do," Chimecho advised. "But I am glad you came around to find me. I was thinking, with Team Sunrise going to be leaving for who knows how long soon, it may be useful if you can connect to the Psychic Network."

Saniya blinked. "I've heard a lot about that thing, but I still don't get what it is."

"Oh!" Chimecho gasped, quite surprised to hear that. "I can explain." Saniya took a seat. While in the air. It honestly took more effort to do that than simply float, but she was committed. "The Psychic Network is the broadcasted range of various Psychic-types across the Grass Continent. We are specially trained to find the exact frequencies others in the network send out, these frequencies go much farther than your normal Psychic move after all."

Saniya raised a hand. "Can you attack through it?"

Chimecho shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Many pokémon in the Psychic Network are not fit for battle either. Similar to teleporters, it takes a great deal of specific training to tap into the network well enough to be employed in this field. So much so that most who do so simply do not have the capacity to learn how to battle."

"How am I supposed to do it, then?" Saniya asked. "I'm a very poor student. You could ask Giratina, but you can't. Because they're not with me anymore and wouldn't remember me anyway."

She looked very sad for a short moment.

"So, yeah. I like to battle."

Chimecho nodded. "Indeed. But as a pokémon of legends, I believe you have a reasonable shot of at least being able to tap in occasionally. The Psychic Network is primarily used to send rescue requests to available guilds or teams fortunate enough to be close to a representative, but it is also an excellent way to pass other information to pokémon who need to know. If anything happens while you're away, it could be a way to alert you, or us if that thing happens to you."

Saniya opened her mouth to ramble on about something but paused. Scout's words and the threat of Darkrai floated up in her mind, and she tasted the idea a while longer. "Hmmm… well, I could give it a shot at least."

"Wonderful." Chimecho beamed. "We can start now if you're not busy."

"I'm not," Saniya agreed but glanced to the paperwork behind Chimecho, "but, uh… aren't you busy?"

"Oh, I can put this off for later," Chimecho giggled. "It's simply a little thing I do to help keep the cogs of the guild running."

"I'll say," Saniya said. "You make the food, manage the jobs, connect to this Psychic Network thingy, keep count of the stuff. What don't you do in the guild?"

Chimecho blushed. "Oh… you're overestimating my worth."

"Seriously?" Saniya continued. "How are you still an apprentice? Haven't you been here for years? I would have thought they'd have at least promoted you to… some important position?"

"I've been offered," Chimecho admitted, face still a little red. "But I prefer to remain where I am. I can have friends this way, it'd be different if I weren't an apprentice." And that was that. She changed the subject back to Saniya and closed the door, beginning Saniya's lessons on connecting to the Psychic Network.

---

Towny Town was nothing like the name would imply.

For Scout, hearing the name brought to mind sweater vests, middle-aged people calling everyone son, and a bizarre floatiness to the place that left everything feeling like some fever dream.

Rather than that, Towny Town was a cesspool of depravity.

For a town populated by pokémon, it was a rather run-down place. There was general rules of understanding amongst civilised pokémon. Don't fight others in town. Don't trash the place. Be overall good-natured. Help, and you will be helped.

Towny Town was not like that. One could only assume that the name was kept out of sardonic irony, as the pokémon who resided within its scope wanted to be here.

Where the rules were a little looser, but rules still existed. You wouldn't really get violence in the town, as that was just asking to be taken down a lot harsher than what a more civilised town would do, but threats were as common as currency.

Towny Town teetered the edges of civility and the wilds. Pokémon who still valued the safety and security that living in a community and working together benefited resided in places like this. Money could not be eaten after all, unless you were capable of ingesting metal, and had no intrinsic value, but could be used to get food, or other things one may want.

To loosen the proverbial shackle and live as a wild pokémon forsook such things. There was freedom, but there was also danger and uncertainty.

And, really, there were very few proverbial shackles on civilised pokémon anyway. No more than simply asking everyone to get along.

Towny Town would toe that line, but not quite cross it. It wasn't worth it. And despite the relative lawlessness the place boasted, the buildings were largely intact, and the pokémon worked together for the most part.

Businesses that wouldn't be found elsewhere, or at least not so proudly demonstrated, could be seen as the highlights of a place like Towny Town.

Such as the establishment Liepard ran.

Rai, Scout, and Mane stuck very close together as they entered Towny Town, passing by a scorched sign proclaiming where they were.

There were pokémon, as there always was, but a little different. Eyes followed them everywhere, but no one came up to say hello. It was not like Treasure Town or Blackstone Village, or anywhere they were used to.

Pokémon stared at them from a distance, it was very uncomfortable. Rai, people person that he was, bravely asked a braviary if he could point them the way to Liepard.

Rai had been completely ignored.

Asking around for Liepard received either ignoring or answers like. "I don't know. Go away." Or. "None of your business, exploration team." And even. "First Luxio shows up again and now a shinx? Your kind is just flooding this place, aren't you?" Sneered at them.

Eventually, however, someone reasonable was found.

"Liepard?" Aggron said, looking the three up and down with clear dubiousness on his face. "100 Poké."

Scout may have bitten him, but Mane was relieved to find someone who would take money as all they needed. With the money in hand, and then in the mouth when the aggron ate it, he answered them. "You can find Liepard's little hostel down that way." He pointed east. "Take a right turn once you see the rubble pile and keep going until you find a building with fogged-up windows. That's where Liepard is."

They thanked him for the helpful directions and raced off. Aggron did not play them for fools, and his directions proved truthful.

"This uh…" Mane paused upon spotting the place. "Grovyle and Riolu went here?" he asked.

"Yeah." Rai nodded.

"Oh, boy." Mane smirked, showing some teeth. "I'm going to have fun with them later."

That was not a good sign. Mane entered first, taking a deep breath before he entered. The smell hit Rai and Scout first.

Scout immediately coughed. "What is this?" he gasped.

"Us," a pair of voices spoke up, catching his attention. Mane was walking without hesitation, but hesitation was all Rai and Scout were. Twin salandit laid against a rather curiously shaped rock, their tails glowing as they emitted their pheromones.

It dawned on Scout just where they were. Rai already had figured it out, keeping a distance as best he could.

"We're here to see Liepard," Mane said without hesitation. One of the salandit gave a giggling hiss at him.

"But of course," he said before lazily moving his tail to wave to the right. "We're just the decoration. You can find Liepard in there."

They moved on quickly, Scout opening the door as he was the only one tall enough to pull down the door handle.

Liepard glanced up as they entered. The building was not a very large one, at least the parts open to anyone. To the right was Liepard's office, to the left was other things.

"Oh, my," Liepard said, looking up as the three came in, closing the door after them. "What do I owe the pleasure of three handsome kitties here today?"

"We're here for information," Mane said. "That's it."

"Just that?" Liepard purred. She laughed at Rai and Scout's very uncomfortable look and decided to give a very Mane-like stretch.

Mane himself was unimpressed. "Pass," he said.

"Oh, very well," Liepard sighed, adjusting on the cushion she rested and into a more proper position. "Just spreading the word of Team Ion coming to me is fun enough, I suppose."

At this point, they weren't even surprised they were recognised, which caused Liepard to pout. "You three look so stiff, and not the kind most are here for. Relax, please."

Her words did not help. And she laughed at them again. "My apologies, force of habit. Alright. Pokémon come to me for two reasons, and you appear to be here for the latter reason. What do you want?"

Rai was the first to speak, brave as he was. "We're looking for a pokémon, and we were told that you helped Grovyle and Riolu out a while back?"

Liepard brightened. "Oh, those two!" Then her joy paused, and she became a little downcast. "My apologies for what happened to them. Very brave pokémon… and human, I suppose."

"Pardon?" Scout asked. "Apologies? Oh! They've been revived, so was I."

And Liepard brightened again. "Indeed? Well, that is lovely news to hear. Thank you, Scout."

Scout smiled before realising she had said his name. No one had introduced themselves up to this point, and she smirked.

"So, business?"

"How do you know my name?" Scout asked, alarmed that this pokémon knew that.

Liepard gave him a Look. As did Rai and Mane.

Scout shrunk in on himself. "Ah."

"Indeed," Liepard said, back to amused. "Although I must give you my thanks. Pokémon in my… area of the business tends to have a poor reputation around. The spreading of your… status, however, has eased a lot of judgement."

"Great," Scout said, burning red. It almost felt like Mane was burning him, but he wasn't.

Rai's paw covered his face in silence for a long, awkward, moment.

"Nevertheless," Liepard added, after letting them stew in shame for a moment. "I am grateful. Your salvation of time is one thing, but the good word is another." She winked. "Normally I would charge quite the premium for my aid, whatever it is you desire, but I am feeling generous today."

"We haven't told you what we want," Mane pointed out. She gave a dismissive flip of the tail in response.

Mane nodded to Scout, who stepped up with only a small bit of hesitation, pulling the old papers out. "We're looking for an outlaw, Pyroar is the guy."

He pushed over the objects to Liepard, and she peered down, tracing a claw down the smeargle-panted wanted poster. "The scar is a bit too light on the nose there," she said, tapping the paper. "And it definitely shows him in far too good of an angle. Too much pride in their work, the artist of this has."

Liepard leaned back. "Ah yes, him," she said the word lightly, but a shiver ran through Team Ion, nonetheless. "Pyroar was in here a short time ago. He was… a little too rough with one of my girls and has been instructed never to return. Pity, this wanted poster doesn't show him from the back, or else we could see a memento I left him with."

"Why didn't you tell the Clefable Guild?" Rai asked, as Scout gathered up the papers and Mane took in the information.

Liepard raised an eye at him. "The guild and us do not get along, dear. We take care of our own business, regardless."

Her voice was even, but very cold.

"Do you know where he went?" Mane asked, adjusted to the information as best as he could.

"Curiously enough, no," Liepard answered, to their disappointment. "I would assume he's on his way to Fissure, he left three days ago. You might want to hurry to catch up to him."

"What about anyone else?" Mane pressed. "Did he have anyone else with him?"

Liepard gave him a searching look. "Not that I know," she replied. "Why?"

With Rai and Scout's eyes on the back of his neck, Mane pushed nausea away and answered. "Have you seen any morpeko around?" he asked. His voice clipped with nervousness he was trying to suppress.

Liepard stared at him in silence for a bit, a few things dancing behind her eyes. "Yes."

Mane let out a hard breath he was holding and glanced at Rai and Scout, both giving him a reassuring smile. "Well, that's not a good sign," he sighed, turning back to Liepard. "If I'm right, Pyroar is my brother and Morpeko is my, our, father."

Liepard raised her head, eyes narrowing for a moment. Scout and Rai edged closer to Mane, who stared back at her defiantly. She eventually lowered back down, nodding. "Sift," she called, sharply. One of the salandit popped their head in. "Fetch Lovely, would you?"

Sift nodded and vanished, going through the other door to find someone. Liepard looked back down to Mane, who looked very queasy now. "Yes. They weren't here at the same time and were not seen together in town at all, I would know by know if so. But Lovely might have some information that'd help you."

Sift soon returned, and a pikachu entered the room. She had a pink bow on, and the heart-shaped dint in her tail female pikachu possessed. "Yes?" she asked dreamily, looking over Team Ion curiously with rather amorous eyes.

"Four days ago, Morpeko," Liepard began, voice clipping a little differently, causing Lovely stand up straight and drop the dreamy sway she had going on. "What can you tell us about him?"

"Oh, uh… well-"

"Non-gross information," Mane cut in. "Please. That's probably my father, I don't want to hear…"

Giggling a little at his discomfort, such was it that even Rai had to bury some amusement at the tables being turned on Mane for once, Lovely began.

"Well, he was a talky one. After we… well, afterwards he seemed to want to talk, so I encouraged it. You know, more time in the room, more money later on." She nodded to Liepard, who smirked back and rolled her eyes. "He was very curious about the area, pretty nervous guy. Definitely struck me as a pokémon who was probably in some trouble, so I told him about the shortcut."

Liepard stood up sharply. "You did?"

Lovely's smile froze, and she nodded guiltily. "W-well. Yes. I thought we were supposed to do that?"

Liepard sighed and sat back down. "You are right," she said. "You're not in trouble. It simply appears likely that Morpeko and Pyroar are connected, father and son even."

Lovely's expression turned dangerously furious for a very brief moment before she composed herself. "Ah," she said, shaking slightly. She brushed her fur down for a moment, cheeks sparking. "Well, fuck. That's why Pyroar just vanished without a trace, isn't it?"

"Most likely."

"What's the shortcut?" Mane asked. Lovely gave him a dubious look and glanced to Liepard.

"Do you have a map?" she asked, and Scout procured it. Liepard dug her claw into a point on the map, causing a hole. "The shortcut is a very handy, rather curious, dungeon located just here out of Towny Town. It's very easy to miss."

Liepard leaned back, a little annoyed this had to be revealed. "It's a curious dungeon for two reasons. The layout doesn't change, but the pokémon within it do. It's usually a safe dungeon as well, assuming you know the path." She grinned dangerously. "Getting lost in that dungeon is deadlier than the other hazards of it. We use it to help pokémon evade the guild or teams seeking to arrest them."

"Why would you help those kinds of pokémon?" Rai asked, more confused than upset. A dungeon that didn't change layout was very curious to his exploration senses, even if it was being used for evading the law.

"We do not help violent offenders," Liepard replied as easily as a flowing river. "It's very discretionary of who we'd alert to that secret. Because of the dungeon exits here." She pointed again, to a point right besides Fissure. "That's how we know it's a dungeon. If it was just a complex under the town, it would take days to navigate the correct path, but it should only take a few hours. Assuming you know the right way."

She gave them a narrowed-eye glare. "We'd hate to let too many pokémon know, as not only would it take the security of evading the guild away, it'd open us up to some very dangerous pokémon."

"You're telling us, though?" Mane pointed out.

"Yes," Liepard replied. "Because if Pyroar is escaping out that way, and he's smart or lucky enough to get the right path, no one is going to be able to catch him. And." Her claws came out. "That'd be a shame."

"May I go?" Lovely asked, really wanting to leave by this point.

"Yes. Thank you for your information."

Lovely smiled weakly and vanished.

"Once your business here is done, I'll lead you to the shortcut," Liepard said, eyes not leaving the door and claws not retracting. "I'll even give you the directions you need to follow."

"I don't know if there's anything else we need to talk about," Mane said, ready to go and go now.

"Ah, but there is," Liepard said, nose twitching for a moment. "Raigeki here has a visitor."

Before Rai could react to the fact that Liepard knew his name as well, the door opened again.

"Always so dramatic, aren't you?" the new arrival scoffed, star-tipped tail catching the door before it could close.

Rai's eyes went wide, and Mane gasped. Scout frowned in puzzlement, taking in the visitor, the realisation not clicking just yet.

It was a Luxio.

"Ara?" Rai whispered.

Arashi, Rai's older sister, smiled facetiously. "Hello, Rai."

---

"So, have you determined a destination for us?" Guardian asked over dinner later that night.

"Nope!" Saniya beamed. "I practised mind linking with Chimecho!" Trivialising the work she had been doing. Saniya had made some progress, surprising Chimecho, but was still far away from being able to reliably connect to the Psychic Network.

"Every location I suggested was refuted," Sean said, still rather ticked off. Saniya stuck her tongue out at him, but he didn't look amused at it.

"Perhaps we can determine one together?" Guardian suggested. "After dinner?"

Team Sunrise was just another group of pokémon in the Wigglytuff Guild by now. Even Guardian didn't get any odd looks, they were used to him by now.

Although the concept that The Great Dusknoir was now an official apprentice of the Wigglytuff Guild filled many pokémon in Treasure Town with mirth and amusement.

Bidoof had thought so, and had Bell giggled at the news as well.

"You four," Armaldo said, as dinner was being finished up. "The Guildmaster wants to talk to you afterwards."

Not to keep Wigglytuff waiting, they joined him and Armaldo in Wigglytuff's greeting room.

"How have you been, friendly-friends?" Wigglytuff asked, resting on his throne with a great smile.

"We're great!" Saniya beamed back. "Unless you're here to tell us we can't go wherever we want, in which case I may swap your Perfect Apples for imposter apples!"

"No-no," Wigglytuff laughed, a little nervously. He wiped a bead of sweat away. "Armaldo and I just had a little suggestion for your adventure!"

"Meowth's information has been interesting," Armaldo said from behind them. He had followed them into the room but had loitered by the door until Wigglytuff addressed him. "And he left us with a few more things that he remembered before Team Ion departed."

"Really?" Guardian said. "May I ask what he left with you?"

"Just some clearer details on Darkrai as well as some other stuff that he said was this and that." Wigglytuff gave a so-so hand motion. "But one important thing is Blizzard Island!"

"According to Meowth," Armaldo continued, as Guardian frowned at the name of the island, "in some point within a 'Crevice Cave' lurks a froslass which has frozen and imprisoned an explorer known as Scizor. He is, apparently, still alive and could be saved."

"We've sent a small team to take a look around," Wigglytuff carried on, "but the entire island is quite inhospitable. Very few pokémon go out there, so it could make sense that this poor adventurer has never been found."

"Especially if this scizor is as Meowth's vague description implies," Armaldo added. Three sets of eyes and one cycloptic eye glanced to him for continuation. "Meowth's memory isn't the clearest, he says, and there is the matter of his information being flawed in the past, but there was enough there to theorise who this explorer is."

"Scizor was an honorary member of the Pokémon Exploration Team Federation," Wigglytuff explained, "the same federation that gives guilds like this an official status. He was also the only known student of Lucario, having proved his persistence and dedication to her after years of trying."

"We've tried to get into contact with her," Armaldo said, continuing on, "but she is a very difficult pokémon to find. Probably for the best regardless. I this information is not accurate, I wouldn't want to be the one to raise that hope and dash it."

"That's where you come in!" Wigglytuff beamed. "You may be able to find Scizor! You four are quite strong and clever. You may be able to save him."

"Is Blizzard Island the large island to the southwest of here?" Guardian asked before anyone else could speak.

Wigglytuff nodded, pulling a map out. "Right here." He pointed, and three of four of Team Sunrise grimaced for a moment.

"That's… Frozen Island, isn't it?" Striker asked, very softly.

"Yeeah," Saniya said, dragging the word out. "Oh, wow. What a place."

"Is there a problem?" Armaldo asked. Sean also looked curious.

"It's where…" Guardian began but trailed off.

"Guardian changed back," Striker said, choosing to focus on the positive. Not the almost-erasure of his soul.

Sean's eyes widened, Wigglytuff and Armaldo shared a look.

"Well, that's quite the test, tee-hee," Saniya giggled. "Ah, memories… that I wish I had trouble remembering." She still remembered everything of that. Being paralysed by Spiritomb, able to do nothing but watch as Striker screamed and screamed and screamed.

"I'm sorry," Wigglytuff said, face morphing into sadness, "I didn't realise. I didn't intend."

Guardian raised his hand, and Wigglytuff fell silent. "There is no need for apologies," he said. "Perhaps looking at it from Grovyle's point of view… the place where I finally chose the right thing to do is the better way."

Wigglytuff nodded, and Guardian glanced to the others. "Should we do it?"

"Scout mentioned Scizor once to me!" Saniya said. "Even though he's a bug, he's gotta be nicer than this one!" Armaldo sneered at her. "I say we do it!"

"I am fine with it," Striker said, nodding to Guardian and looking him right in the eye.

"And I'd like to see the place," Sean said. "I only saw part of it… and it ended on a cliffhanger for me." He gave a crooked smile. He had thought the last he'd see of Striker, Saniya, and Guardian was Striker dying to electricity and Guardian having a crisis over it.

They had turned up against Dialga though, that had laid his fears to rest just in time.

Guardian was the last to nod. "Very well. Guildmaster Wigglytuff and Armaldo, we will find Scizor and bring him back safely!"

"We know you'll do great!" Wigglytuff said. "It's going to be cold and icy, so take everything you need to make sure you'll be alright." Striker and Saniya especially nodded to that. "And Froslass will probably be there, so you'll need to fight her to save him."

"Not a problem," Saniya said, raising a fist.

"Good to hear! Now, go to bed."

The four bade the pair goodnight and moved on, destination determined and a plan in their heads.

---

"Knock-knock?"

"Who's there?"

"You're."

"You're who?"

"Your best buddy bidoof around!" Timber said, grinning at the familiar wooden door. There was no pause before she laughed at his joke, he beamed proudly.

"That's a new approach," she said, voice smiling from the other side of the door. "I like it."

"Yup-yup!" Timber replied. "To tell the truth, I get help with this one, I reckon it helped though."

"Oh?" Her voice dripped with interest. "Finally converting someone to our cause?"

Timber laughed. "Nah, she already liked knock-knock jokes," he answered, happily.

"She?" Her voice was coy. "You're not going to replace me, are you?" A touch of sadness entered it then, and he gasped.

"Never!" Timber said, kindly but utterly resolute. "No one and nothin could replace you, Bell."

On the other side of the door, the audino cracked a smirk at his words. "You're sweet," Soothe said, hearing Timber bluster on the other side in embarrassment. "Who is this new friend, at least?"

"I wouldn't believe it myself, but it's Celebi!" Timber said, and Soothe grew very still. "She, uh…" Timber hesitated, guilt entering his voice, "asked if she could meet you." She took a sharp breath, loud enough that Timber actually heard, but he was already hastily adding. "Now I told 'er that you are shy and all that so it probably wouldn't happen, you hear? But she asked me to ask you."

She was quiet for a moment, composing her words in the best way. "You've been talking about me?" she asked, softly and shyly. That wouldn't be good, especially around Celebi.

"Not really," Timber insisted, "I know ya like your privacy. Just Celebi, she asked about knock-knock jokes, and I mentioned I liked to think of a few with someone."

"I see," she replied, considering exactly what this meant. Timber wasn't exactly known for thoughtfulness in regards to holding his tongue. It wouldn't surprise her if he'd told Celebi all about her by now. At least he would have called her a mimikyu.

Hearing nothing, Timber shuffled a bit on the other side of the door, clearly apologetic. She let him shuffle about and mount some shame before replying. "I really don't know about meeting anyone else, Timber. I'd be so much happier if it was just you and me, like always. You can tell Celebi I was the bad guy, though. I'm sorry."

"N-not at all Bell!" Timber insisted. "I reckon you wouldn't like the idea, I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologise," she replied, "you're only looking out for me. Oh, gosh. You must think I'm a complete basket case."

"You value your privacy," Timber insisted. He was sweet, she'd give him that much.

"Thank you," she replied, softer than usual. "Should we change the subject, then? Has anything interesting been happening outside of my little house?"

"Yup!" And then he began to talk. Soothe listened mostly, adding in little sounds to show she was listening or small questions to prod him along. Not much had changed since the last time he'd come around.

Sunflora had learned and subsequently spread through her gossip rings that Charmander and Machoke had begun to see each other.

Flaaffy was also getting along better with Paras, which Timber thought was a pertinent thing to mention. The sheep was even complaining less, which was a miracle if there ever was one.

Loudred was as aggressive as ever, and Croagunk continued to watch them all sleep. Team Ion was apparently around Towny Town, while Riolu and Grovyle wouldn't explain why that was funny.

The topic had returned to Team Sunrise eventually, despite Timber shying away from it. And then he mentioned something very interesting.

"How long are they going to be gone?" she asked, hearing that Team Sunrise were heading into the Frozen Island/Blizzard Island area.

"Not sure," Timber replied. "They're gonna take Lapras over, I hear. That could take a couple days. I guess it'll be however long it takes them to find the guy they're looking for."

"I wish them luck," she said, glancing behind her. "Especially since two of them are Grass-types."

"I reckon they're pretty strong, yup-yup," Timber replied. "They'll do great!"

"Yes… say, Timber. I know it's a bit sooner than normal, but I was wondering if you would get me a few things?" she asked, getting up from the door. "Wait for just a moment."

She dashed into her house, kept nice and clean for the most part, but her table had quite the mess of things covering it. Near the top, only kept below a few things for paranoia's sake, was the map to Wish Cave.

If Team Sunrise was going to be gone for a few days, this was her chance.

She returned to the door, sliding a list of items under. "Would you be able to get me these things?" she asked sweetly.

"I sure can!" Timber said, he was verbally beaming from the other side of the door. She saw the list slip the rest of the way and then a moment of silence.

"Are you… going somewhere?" Timber asked. Part of Soothe was impressed that he could determine that from the items requested, however obvious that the list was.

She had to answer this delicately, but she had actual years of practice to do so smoothly. "I've been a slight bit restless," she said, speaking a little breathlessly and nervously. But not too nervous, didn't need him thinking he had to come with. "I thought I could take a short trip to get some new materials. I could make us some matching scarves again!"

Timber smiled excitedly at that. "That'd be very kind of you, yup-yup." It wasn't the first time she'd asked him for dungeon tools, nor the first time she'd left for periods of time. He'd learned not to offer to come with, she always said no.

But the idea that he'd have a new scarf was exciting, so he happily agreed. "I'll get em right now, yup-yup!" Timber beamed, and he could feel the smile from the other side.

"You are too kind to me," she replied, "putting up with my shyness and everything I demand of you."

He hated it when she talked down on herself. "I don't mind at all," Timber insisted. "We're friends, it's what friends do for each other. Even if we don't talk face to face, that doesn't matter." He said so with such conviction, she was silent for a moment.

"You're a good pokémon, Timber. Thank you."

"I'll be back in a jiffy," Timber said, already counting out who he needed to talk to in order to get the items. "Bye, Bell."

"Goodbye, Timber."

And he was off, back to Bidoof as his friend prepared to go. He considered asking where she was going to go. Sometimes when Bell left she was gone for a couple days, sometimes for a couple weeks. He did wonder about her.

Where she went. Why she went. And why she wouldn't let him see her. But mimikyu were dangerous just to look at, he gathered she was just trying to protect him. Even so, there was something small within him that wondered otherwise.

Soothe sat at her table and read over the copied map again. She had read it so many times he could draw it while asleep. Timber wouldn't be long, she knew, but she had to do something to pass the time. Timber was fast. Timber was reliable. He wouldn't talk, no I mean he was always a loyal creature. Brown and kind and so very stupid. Soothe began to bite my lip as the thoughts began to rise up in your head.

Purple fingers twitched towards the iron barb laying on her table, innocently sitting there coated in the blood of victims.

Victim. One. OnonononlyDarkrai.

. . . F.

Killer.

Kill.l;lAKill.

Soothe tasted blood as her lip broke under the sharpness of her teeth and Soothe breathed hard and fast, nearly hyperventilating.

She slowly picked up the iron barb, completely clean of any blood. She carried it over to her fireplace and moved to drop it in the ashes, body extremely stiff.

Her whole body shivered occasionally, and wisps of shA̡d̕oW flowed around her fingers. She brought her left hand up and grabbed onto the extension feeler of her left ear and pulled, tugging her head to the side and pulling until she could almost feel it begin to tear. The pain helped ground her to reality.

Then she stopped. A light flash of pink around the same paw undid the damage she had inflicted on herself, and she gave one large body shake to rid the awful feeling she was left with.

"I am going to Star Cave," she said, out loud, to no one and nothing. "I will not be stopped."

The lack of others did not respond to her, and she scoffed. "Maybe I'll cut out Jirachi's eyes, that might fix things."

She sat down at her table, waiting for Timber to return. Her hands curled on the iron barb, she didn't remember retrieving it from the fireplace, she didn't remember dropping it in the fireplace either, but she found that it didn't matter.

She traced a pattern on her table, the map to Star Cave, as she waited. No one and nothing waited with her.

---

"I'm surprised we're actually going back," Striker pointed out, one of his hands holding firmly onto a bump on Lapras' shell.

"I'm surprised you trusted me this long," Guardian joked, "playing the long game to get your body, you think you wouldn't be fooled again."

"I already tried to set you up," Sean snarked as everyone was a little uncomfortable with Guardian's joke. None more so than Guardian.

"I… apologise, I don't know what came over me."

"You heard his voice, you swooned," Saniya said, brushing it off. "I can't blame you."

Striker gave her an amused look, but a bead of discomfort remained around the four. Lapras also wasn't speaking.

"Ooh! I have an even worse joke!" Saniya said. "Why did the Chatot cross the road?"

"Do not finish that," Sean warned.

"That is very inappropriate," Striker snapped.

Guardian also frowned at her, but they all understand why she did it. Sighing, he wrapped an arm around her. "You don't need to make yourself the bad guy, I do that enough for the both of us."

"I love you too, big guy," Saniya replied, cuddling in his thick arms. "Between these arms and Striker's voice, I might be in heaven."

Guardian dropped her into the sea, which got a laugh out of everyone, including Lapras.

Preparing for Blizzard Island had been a whole heap of fun. Guardian, greatly concerned about the difficulty Saniya had the last time they had come to this place, had effectively emptied the guild of yache and aspear berries.

"The last time we were there, the winds only started moving near the end of our stay," Guardian said, as he loaded up their bags, along with an extra Treasure Bag, with blankets. "Windchill is a very real and extremely dangerous thing for pokémon like you."

"I'm a goddess, bitch!" Saniya yelled, from underneath the blankets.

"I will swaddle you, and you'll never risk the cold again," Guardian said, threatening her with warmth and security until she complied.

Striker had also been a target of Guardian's wrath but had accepted the blankets without fuss as he knew that arguing with Guardian was like telling a stone wall off.

It didn't listen, and you looked foolish for doing it.

With Sean possessing fur and Guardian not being affected by the kind like others, they were ready to set off.

Lapras agreed to take them but let them know that a trip that far to somewhere that wasn't the Hidden Land would take a couple of days. There were islands on the way, thankfully, but the bulk of their trip was spent in a very cramped position with nothing to do.

It was of considerable relief when they finally arrived.

"Oh, YES!" Saniya zoomed off Lapras as soon as she spotted the distant land. "Smell you later."

"Come back," everyone yelled at once, successfully peer-pressuring Saniya into at least slowing down.

She remained ahead of them as Lapras sped up, perhaps a little eager to get them to their destination as well. The waters were colder here than they were at Treasure Town. He found it was a nice change of pace, but so long with Saniya wore on anyone's patience.

And at long last, they were there.

"This place is cold," Saniya complained, almost immediately.

"Put another scarf on," Guardian suggested. Except it wasn't a suggestion and was, in fact, something, he was already doing to her.

"Too many of these and I'll just fall," Saniya said, muffled by the scarf. She appeared more akin to a floating sphere than a celebi at this point. Guardian put a pink bow on her just so they knew it was her. "This is discrimination."

"I think I'll need one of those before long," Striker said, teeth chattering slightly. He wasn't sure why Guardian was in such a motherly mood, and he wasn't going to ask.

The scarves exploded off Saniya, several landing strategically on Striker, and Saniya kept just one for herself. Guardian wrapped once more around her, and they were finally set for the dungeon.

There was a little legwork to be made; first, the dungeon wasn't kind enough to exist right on the beach and the elements bit at the four.

Guardian almost loomed over Striker to protect him from the worst of the windchill, with Saniya floating strategically in his shadow as well.

Sean kept close as well, but with his fur, he wasn't as cold. To prevent the need to overstock on scarves, Sean had also dug out his old pants. Transforming into a pokémon hadn't caused his clothes to vanish, only make himself too short to wear them.

His upper wear was ironically less useful here then his legwear, having far too many holes in them. He tied the ratty, but cleaned, legs around him and wore the pants as a cape.

Saniya declared him dashing.

"This place looks familiar?" Sean asked as they trudged along the icy road. There was a path, thankfully, and with the island being perpetually frozen, no grass or gravel had grown over it to obscure their direction.

Only ice, snow, sleet, and other cold things.

"Not particularly," Striker said, rubbing his arms under the blanket. "Beforehand there was little to gawk at, floating rocks, the usual sights."

"Based on what I could fathom from Scout's word, the map of this time, and my own memory," Guardian said, quite knowledgeable he was, "we did not enter the primary dungeon on this island, due to arriving in the mountain range. But I believe Crevice Cave is close to the foot of the Vast Ice Mountain, or Mt. Avalanche in this time."

"We should be able to find Crevice Cave just by going through the 'Blizzard Island' dungeon, right?" Sean asked, standing close to Striker.

"We should rename that," Saniya said. "This whole place is Blizzard Island. How about Saniya's Burn?"

"So you admit your witty retorts aren't hot in the least?" Sean asked, shivering at the cold.

"I'll witty retort your caboose!"

"I believe the only one who gets the right to name it," Striker began, edging slightly ahead, "should be the one to reachitfirst!"

He then sprinted off, leaving Sean and Saniya in his dust. Or, rather, snowflakes.

"Oh, you want to go, bro?" Saniya screeched and zoomed after them.

Alarmed at the two Grass-types rushing off, Sean and Guardian pursued as rapidly as they could manage. Which was rather fast for Sean, but Guardian lagged behind.

By the time Guardian caught up, Saniya was pouting, Sean was telling them both off, and Striker was flush with the glory of victory.

"Before you chew my leaves off," Striker said, holding up his arms to halt the tirade. "Running warmed me up."

"If you needed warmth," Saniya said, sliding up next to him, "all you had to do was ask, Strikey-wikey."

"Down girl," Guardian puffed, bracing against a chilly rock with one of his large hands. "Don't ever do that again."

"Striker started it."

"I don't care who started it."

Striker smiled apologetically. "It IS cold, I'd like to get this done before one of us wilts. Also, I think I'll name this place, Orb Central."

"Better than Striker's Orbs at least." Guardian dumped another blanket on Striker, and they faced the dungeon.

"We sure this is the place?" Sean asked, pulling out the map. Guardian loomed down, tracing a finger down it.

"Yes, this should be the dungeon Armaldo marked for us," he said, having traced their hasty path. The distance to the dungeon wasn't supposed to be very far, but they could no longer hear the ocean. "Very well, are we set?"

"Ready."

"Of course."

"Sure."

The four nodded. "We're here to save someone's life," Sean reminded as they began to enter the dungeon slowly. "So, please, let's take this seriously."

"Azumarill's given me tips to control myself," Saniya said, happily floating along. "We totes got this."

"I regret teaching you that word."

Being a group made of four world-saving pokémon, Blizzard Island was a trivial dungeon for them to face. No amount of snover would pause Saniya's wrath, and no number of marill could halt Striker's Leaf Blade's.

That's what they expected, at least.

"Why is it hailing when there is a ROOF?" Saniya shrieked when the roof began to just pelt them with ice.

"Dammit, slow down!" Striker yelled, slashing wildly at a sneasel that just danced a deadly dance and danced him into a corner.

"I don't know what you're complaining about," Sean laughed, smacking the Ice-type's like popping bubbles. He continued to laugh even when an altaria descended upon them. He stopped laughing after it blew him into a wall. "WHY ARE THERE DRAGONS HERE?"

"Take this, Shadow Ball!" Guardian roared, blasting a castform in its snowy guise with all his strength. A golduck appeared out of nowhere, and the weather disappeared, castform changing to a Normal-type just in time for the Shadow Ball to pass harmlessly through its body. "I see. That's how things are going to be."

"A castform just vibe-checked Guardian," Sean shouted, alarmed. Before it cast Sunny Day, turned into a Fire-type, and roasted Saniya with a Weather Ball. "Ah. Saniya too."

"Boost me!" Striker said, running for Sean. He braced and lowered his paws, waiting right as Striker leapt up. His foot planted onto Sean's paw, and he wrenched up, boosting Striker with all the strength he had.

Striker's arm leaves glinted green only briefly. Too quick for the castform to even notice.

Then it fell.

"You know?" Guardian asked after the kerfuffle was over. "I'm beginning to see why no one's managed to find Scizor in all this time?"

"How many people got injured on this island of nightmares?" Saniya asked. "No wonder they called off the rescue attempts."

"I am curious about Lucario, though," Sean said, leading the way through the chilly dungeon. There wasn't any wind chill anymore, which cut down a lot of the cold. "If Scizor really was her student. Why would she give up?"

"You can only search for so long," Guardian said, sadly. "Before you accept you simply cannot find them. She must have accepted he had been slain."

"I guess…" His thoughts turned, however briefly, to his family back in his old world. Where they searching for him even now?

Sensing Sean's thoughts, Striker spoke up to change the subject. "I believe the four of us may be somewhat out of practice," he said, stirring Saniya up.

"Are you calling me fat?"

"No."

"Well, alright, then." She smiled. "Carry on."

"So," Striker said, turning to the others, "we may be getting a little chunky." He grinned before Saniya grabbed his face from behind and began to pull.

Guardian gave a chuckle at that, Sean did not. Simply turning away to ward off a piplup that dared to draw too close.

"In all seriousness," Striker continued, once Saniya had been removed from his face. "Our extended time spent with Dialga and in Treasure Town working menial tasks and the few close-by dungeons we've explored haven't really been pushing us."

He raised an arm and swiped out, sending his famed Ranged Leaf Blade to leave a gouge mark in a wall. But not as deeply as he felt it should have been. "We're not having the easiest time here, thus far. We're out of practice."

"You are certainly correct," Guardian sighed, acquiescing to Striker's point. "But there are other factors. This is an older dungeon, and two of us are vulnerable to the Ice-type. With the number of sneasel around as well affects me, Saniya is having double-trouble, and Sean can hardly hit them."

"Ugh…" Saniya grumbled, in Guardian's arms still. "Let me at em," she said half-heartedly.

"You'll just have to rely on me, then," Sean said, nodding back. "I haven't had quite as much time as you to slack off with Dialga, I'm still raring to go." To prove it, he dashed off and managed to tag a sneasel, sending it crashing into a wall. "Hardly hit them my tail."

It left a little bit of blood behind.

Sean nodded satisfied, the others shared a collective Look, and they carried on.

Despite Sean being in front with Guardian backing him, the dungeon was relentless. Saniya, impetuous and lackadaisical, flew ahead to scout out their next opponents.

Her shriek cut the frigid air.

Striker was the first to react, dashing ahead with lightning reflexes. He slid along the ice to further speed up, having arrived so fast he was able to catch Saniya before she hit the ground.

However, his momentum caused him to continue to slide, and Striker was forced to flip them around, so that he crashed back-first rather than Saniya-first into a wall.

Stunned from the blow, with a sharp crack ringing out from his shoulder, Striker began to slide to the ground as Sean dashed into the room.

Already pawing through the bag, he revealed an orb which vanished into him before erupting out in a wave of light.

The short-range on the Foe-Hold Orb was still enough to catch three pokémon lying in wait. The glalie, castform, and smoochum were old held petrified in the orb's power.

Then, Sean attacked.

By the time Guardian reached the room, Striker was up, and three pokémon were completely unmoving on the ground.

Sean growled at the bloodied glalie before stepping off to check on Striker and Saniya.

"I'm fine," Saniya was repeating, trying to free herself from Striker's tight hold. "I'm fine, Striker. I. Am. Fine."

Very reluctantly, he let her wriggle out of his hold. She tried to zoom up but found there to be a problem. "Oh, dammit!" she gasped, sharply in pain. "My wings."

Saniya's wings were not just for show, they were for flying. Thin and fragile, clear as air and as thick as it too. Saniya's wings weren't an easy target, her wingspan only being about the width of her head. But when they were hit, she felt it keenly.

"I, uh… agh!" Saniya began to float up, wings moving, before she yelled in pain and dropped, Striker catching her. "Oh flip-dipping doodle sucker," she cursed.

"Your wings," Sean said, coming right up to her. He reached out but avoided touching them. There were bits of frost left on them, Saniya having been lanced by an Ice Beam from the glalie.

"No, it's fine, I can do this," Saniya insisted. And she rose out of Striker's arms no problem. "See!"

"You're not moving your wings," Sean pointed out. Her grin paused. "Are you using Psychic?"

"Yes," Saniya groaned and dropped back down. "Oh no, I can't really fly. My wings feel like someone is trying to rip them off when I move them."

"They're fragile," Guardian said, finally reaching them. "And you do not want to damage them. I'll carry you, you cannot risk them."

"I can fly with Psychic!" Saniya said, quickly, and rose back up.

She was met with a wall of unimpressed looks. "You can't do that forever," Guardian pointed out, "and it hurts. AND you can't be distracted, your attacks are still ranged, you can't be trying to juggle holding yourself up and fighting at the same time. What if a sneasel hits you with a Dark move?"

To that end, faced with iron hard logic, Saniya relented and Guardian carried her onwards.

He fed her several of the berries they had brought to give her some warmth back, but they were not risking her flying and breaking her wings or something.

Despite Guardian's arms now being armed by Saniya, she was still a capable fighter. Magical Leaf and Ancient Power made short work of the marill and delibird around them. In a sense, she was more helpful like this.

At least now Guardian could point her at the enemy that needed to be BLAMMED rather than hoping she'd do it on her own.

If only she'd stop pouting and giving snide remarks about his take-downs.

"Oh, another Shadow Ball. How riveting."

"Did you Shadow Sneak the same opponent four times? Where's the pizazz? I thought you were a famous explorer or something?"

"So you can punch with one arm. Congrats."

"Are you normally this sassy?" Guardian asked.

Saniya giggled. "Nope! How am I doing?"

"It doesn't suit you."

"Fine." She looked over to Striker and called. "HEY, STRIKER! FIFTY POKÉ SAYS YOU CAN'T HIT THAT PIPLUP FROM HERE!"

"Volume," Guardian whispered.

"Your money's mine, pink," Striker called and sent four separate Ranged Leaf Blades. Three of them hit.

"You cheated!"

"You can't cheat if there are no rules." He strutted over and held his hand out. "Pay up."

She grumbled, muttering obscenities under her breath, and complied. She really needed to get a hang on the gambling problem.

Painfully satisfied with himself, Striker acted a little thoughtlessly for once and basically swaggered his way through the room.

Right as a piloswine entered the room from a different entrance.

"STRIKER!" Sean screamed in warning, as an Ice Shard came for the back of Striker's head.

The attack connected, and warm blood began to drop to the ice below.

"S-Sean?" Striker gasped, wide-eyed and frozen. Sean had intervened in the path of the attack, taking the Ice Shard to his chest and a raised arm, the blades of ice digging through his fur and flesh.

Sean fell to one knee, and then Striker lost it.

Physically burning with green, Striker launched himself as the piloswine as Guardian and Saniya rushed to Sean's aid.

The first Leaf Blade sheared the fur away from its beady little eyes. The second one slashed right through its muscle and the third cut into the bone.

"Striker STOP!" Guardian roared, coming over as Saniya remained with Sean. He grabbed Striker by the arm, forcing him to halt before he drove his claws through its skull.

Striker gasped for breath and allowed himself to be dragged away from the dungeon feral before he killed it.

"Shoot, shoot, avast, curses, ahh. SHIT!" Saniya cried, an actual curse spilling from her lips. She gasped at herself but didn't pause. Sean was bleeding, that was leagues more important.

"Where's an Escape Orb?" Striker muttered, rushing the overturn the bag Saniya was pulling medical aid from.

"Striker."

"Where is it?"

"Striker!"

Guardian grabbed him again. "Calm. Down."

His one eye met Striker's two, tears glinting in Striker's eyes but not quite reaching emotional, more panicked. "He'll be fine."

"I am fine," Sean gasped, pulling himself up. Saniya backed away a step, to give him space but hung close enough to grab him if he fell. She and him were both sitting on the cold ground, and Guardian itched to pick them both up.

Saniya had managed to wrap Sean's cape around the chest wound, the arm one being covered by one of their many scarfs.

"I can't believe I'm getting blood on these again," Sean joked. It was certainly not the first time he'd bled on his clothes.

Striker truly wished it'd be the last. "You shouldn't have done that," he said, voice shaking just the tiniest bit. The only remaining example of his loss of control, the piloswine having fled already.

"You'd be in much worse condition then me if it had hit you," Sean countered, groaning as he got to his feet. His arm was caught an awkward sling, and he adjusted it a few times.

There was silence.

"What are we going to do?" Saniya asked, always the brave one.

"Continue, of course," Sean said as if it was obvious.

"You are injured," Guardian pointed out. He had stopped Striker from grabbing their Escape Orb, but he was reconsidering.

"I am fine," Sean repeated. He hopped back and forth on his feet to prove it. "It's hardly the worst I've taken, and I'm a lot stronger than I was."

"I don't like it when you bleed," Striker said, lowly.

Sean pinched his lips slightly and glanced away. "Well, neither do I. Now, come on. We've got a job to do."

"I'll carry you," Striker said, sensing this was not an argument he could win.

"Absolutely NOT!"

"Guardian cannot," Striker reasoned, "as he still needs a hand to direct his attacks and he's carrying Saniya."

"You won't be able to fight at all if you're carrying Sean," Guardian pointed out.

"We can't just let him walk!"

"I CAN walk, thank you very much."

"I can still use Shadow Sneak without my hands. You are completely disarmed if you're carrying someone."

"No one is carrying me!"

"I have to make sure he's-"

"Okay!" Saniya said, sharply cutting into the argument. She, having just been sitting around on the cold ground, got to her feet. "I can walk," she announced, somewhat dramatically.

That stopped everyone cold.

Saniya wobbled slightly on her green legs, not used to balancing on her own muscles at all.

"No, you can't," Striker said, finally speaking.

"How dare you!" Saniya gasped. "I can walk better than you can, Grass-boi."

"…We are both Grass-type's."

"Enough!" Saniya demanded, imperiously standing up. "You cannot carry Sean. Guardian cannot carry us both. I, however, can walk." And to prove it, she began to step forward as proudly and regally as she could.

The pride, perhaps even arrogance, was there in spades.

Regality, however?

Saniya's gait was wobbly and she fell over after taking three steps. "This is fine," she said, struggling to get back to her feet. She got up and immediately fell onto her behind. "Don't stare at me!" she snapped and got back up slowly. "Stop looking at me!"

She took one more step and nearly did the splits.

Then she began to fight back the tears. "I can't walk," Saniya whined, tears beginning to win the battle. "I skipped leg day every day!" Then she burst into tears.

Guardian quietly picked her up, no one commenting on what just happened.

Sean brushed Guardian's balancing handoff. "I can manage myself," he said, and they began to trudge onwards.

"I'm sorry you took that attack," Striker said, quietly.

Sean turned a frown on him and opened his mouth to snap, but then paused and swallowed it. "Sorry," he returned, on reflex. Sean shook his head and forced the wave of irritation he had been feeling all day back. "It was my choice," he insisted and gave a smile. "And I'd do it again."

---

Things were silent and somehow even more uncomfortable in Liepard's office.

Rai was gawking, Mane was almost glaring, and Scout simply looked confused. He had gathered this was Rai's sister by now, but the lack of anything happening after she spoke to Rai was confusing him.

"Are you… well?" Ara asked.

Rai blinked, swallowed, and made a weak sound before going back to gawking. Ara huffed in annoyance, and that finally seemed to break the camerupt's back.

"How? Why? What? Who? What? Why? How? Ara?"

"That's a lot of words to not say much?"

Rai closed his eyes and took a deep, very deep, breath. "Okay." He opened his eyes. "I don't even know what to say. Why are you… here?" He cringed slightly.

"I'm not an employee of Liepard, if that is what you are concerned about?" Ara said, Rai, did breathe a sigh of relief there. "Liepard is simply an excellent avenue of information."

"Aww, why'd you have to spoil my fun?" Liepard said, pouting as cutely as she could. "Their faces were magnificent!" She smiled. "And excellent? You flatter me."

"Hm." Ara looked away from Rai and to where the meowth and litleo lurked awkwardly. Ara took a few steps towards them and looked Mane and Scout up and down.

"This one scrawny," she said, about Scout. "And that one is a mangey child of a monster. Interesting choices there, Rai."

"Hey!" Mane snapped.

"Scrawny?" Scout whispered, looking down. He was pretty sure he couldn't see his ribs anymore.

"Why are you here?" Rai asked again. Ara turned back, Rai was frowning at her. Quite the frown for the normally-happy-go-lucky Rai. "I haven't seen you in years. You left, and you never came back. Why are you HERE?"

Ara observed her little brother for a moment. She was a luxio, he was a shinx, but there wasn't much height difference between them now.

She swallowed, just slightly, and only Rai noticed. "I have wanted to come to see you for a while now," Ara admitted, shaking her mane. "I almost did, a while back, when the time was falling apart, and you needed your old rock."

She nodded to the Relic Fragment around his neck. "My old…?" Rai's eyes widened. "Skuntank spun a story about being chased by a luxio! That was… you?"

Ara nodded. "I caught some guy trying to impress me with a shoddy copy. I got the name of the one who sold it to him and looked into it. I've never seen a pattern like that, except on your old rock. Imagine my surprise when I realised someone else had it. I couldn't just let THAT go, not my little bros treasure."

Rai smiled slightly, briefly happy that she had thought of him to remember the pattern so well. He had talked about his treasure with her enough. But his smile didn't last long. "Why didn't you see me?" he asked quietly. "The world was ending, I could have used at least some moral support."

Ara frowned. "I didn't want to distract you," she said. "By bringing up bad stuff."

"So, you knew time was falling apart?" Rai said sharply. Ara blinked in surprise. "If you didn't know, then you wouldn't have said that excuse."

Ara gave a cracked smile. "Clever, the guild's been good for you. You've gotten so much braver."

"He was always brave," Scout said, reminding them that this was not private. "He just needed some help."

"And not to break up this 'happy' reunion," Mane said, causing Ara to turn around properly. "But we've still got MY sibling to worry about. You still haven't said why you're here, either," he pointed out.

"I'm wondering the same in return," Ara said, staring down at Mane. "I know you who you are, Litleo. Son of the first Pyroar, Shadow Pokémon. That's nice. Your brother's a violent thug now, and your father is a coward. Apple doesn't fall far from the tree, huh?"

Mane was actually stunned into silence at that, Rai too stared in horror.

Scout, on the other hand. "Excuse you!" he snapped, raising his voice. "At least he's been around to support Rai. Where have YOU been?"

Ara turned her gaze on him, and Scout was caught in her gaze. It was hardly a matter of fear, she just seemed to loom.

"I've heard of you too, Scout," she said, rolling his name off her tongue like a bad word. "The good and pleennnty of the bad. I can give Litleo the benefit of the doubt, but I've heard plenty about how much you like to lie and use everyone around you. Forgive me if I'm a bit defensive on who might be using my brother."

"Ara!" Rai shouted, sparking angrily. "Don't you dare talk to them like that! Apologise!"

Ara turned back to him, but then Liepard cleared her throat. "While this may be a show I'd pay money to watch, I do have to remind you that we have business," she said, staring Ara down.

Ara turned away from Liepard's gaze. "Business can wait. I haven't seen my brother in over three years. Rai, let's catch up somewhere that isn't a whorehouse."

She stepped to the door, but Rai only moved out of her way. "I haven't seen you in years, and the first thing you do is attack my partners?"

Ara paused and glanced back. She sighed. "I apologise for my words. I took care of Rai after we lost everything and everyone, and I am probably too protective of him. I only see the bad in others, especially when it comes to protecting him."

"That's still not okay to say that," Rai insisted, but relaxed. "But… I'll forgive you if they do."

He glanced back to Scout and Mane. Mane did NOT look happy, but Scout nodded stiffly and nudged Mane. "Yeah, fine," Mane grouched. "At least your sibling actually want to protect you." He pointedly did not say what he was thinking, that being Ara essentially abandoning Rai for all these years.

"Enjoy your time with your brother," Liepard said, excusing them. "I'll continue to entertain Scout and Mane, was it?"

Both of them turned to refuse.

"Thank you," Ara said, pulling the door open with her tail. "Rai?"

"Hey, hold on," Rai said, looking back and forth. "I'm not just going to leave them here."

"Towny Town may not be the most welcoming to two cute pokémon wandering around all lost-looking," Liepard pointed out. "They'll be safest here."

"We'll be fine," Scout said. "Go and… enjoy yourself. You must have a lot to talk about." He and Mane still didn't look too impressed with Ara, but Rai reluctantly nodded.

"I'll see you soon."

And then they stepped out. Ara quickly led Rai out of the building, and they both took grateful mouthfuls of fresh air.

"It's good to see you're well," Ara said, as they quickly began to walk to the edge of town. "Kangaskhan still feeding you?"

"She did until I joined the guild, yes," Rai answered, a little stiffly. "And sometimes she would anyway despite that. You asked her then?"

"She assured me she would," Ara replied, "I didn't have to ask."

"Yeah, she's… nice like that."

Ara looked over to him a lot, but Rai was keeping his eyes firmly forwards. They neared the edge of town, and she spoke again. "I'm really proud of you. Mother and Father would be as well."

Rai frowned slightly, but his ears flicked. "I guess."

"Come on, Rai. Give me something."

"I just don't know what to say," Rai said. "I've wanted to see you for years, and you finally show up out of nowhere and immediately attack my…"

"Your partners?" Ara said, smirking. "Or would you prefer mates?"

"Pardon!" Rai went very red.

"I hear lots of things, Rai," Ara said, giving her little brother a smirk. "But I don't decide until I see it with my own two eyes."

"Them defending me confirms that?"

"You reacting like that," Ara corrected, and Rai's ears went flat, "is what confirms that."

"Well, it's not really what you might be thinking," Rai muttered, turning away. But the insides of his ears were still redder than normal.

"I'm sure."

"Well if that's what you think, why were you so mean to them?" Rai demanded. "Bringing up Mane's family like that, and Scout's told us all everything. No more lies."

Ara juggled a few answers in her head for a moment. "Well, it doesn't change the past, and it makes me worry about you."

"I trust them."

"That's good, healthy trust is essential for relationships!"

Rai groaned. "It really isn't quite what you think," Rai insisted. Ara gave him a prodding look, so he sighed. "I am with Mane, Scout is… complicated."

"Hmm." She had a certain look on her face that led Rai to add.

"Please don't." The tone in his voice made her relent.

"But, to really answer your question, I'm your big sister. I HAVE to make sure they're scared of me so they know not to think they can mess with you."

"I still don't understand what you are saying."

"You totally do." Ara grinned with a lot of teeth. "I'll have the big sister talk with the two of them later, really drive the fear home."

"Don't be mean!" Rai demanded, not refusing the talk in general.

"I'll only threaten them with a little castration."

"They won't know that's a joke."

"A joke? Fine, fine, just the 'they'll never find your body' threat."

"Ara," Rai whined, and she giggled at him.

"I'm only messing with you," she said, planning out her threats to Mane and Scout in secret. "I've missed you."

"I've… missed you too."

"There we go." She leaned across and nuzzled him.

"What have you been doing?" Rai asked quietly. "Since I saw you? You already seem to know everything about me."

"I'd still like to hear it from your own mouth," she returned. "All the details. But, I can go over a bit of what I've been up to."

And so, Arashi began her story.

"I never joined a guild, no offence to you, but it just was never something I was interested in. I still owe the Wigglytuff Guild for getting that Gabite Scale for you though, so pass a message back that if they ever need a favour they can find me and I'll do it."

After leaving Treasure Town, she had worked in Capim Town for a short time, until she had enough money to purchase a one-way ride from the Grass Continent to the Water Continent.

"I've spent most of my time just acting as a hired muscle. I'm not an explorer or anything fancy like that. If you wanted to get wordy, you could call me a mercenary, but I don't accept jobs that have me stealing or hurting civilised pokémon, although I've taken down quite a few baddies."

She described a few of her more interesting jobs. Helping a bounty hunting team take down a whole group of outlaws. Joining a search into some ancient ruins believed to be humans.

The last of her stories was protecting a gardevoir tradesman across mountainous terrain. His wagon of goodies had been too large to navigate through a dungeon, and bandits liked to pick on pokémon that came through the mountain.

"I zapped the murkrow off, choked out and tossed the floatzel with an Iron Tail, and tackled the weavile down the side of the cliff. Gardevoir managed to grab me before I fell too far, that was pretty wild."

Rai cocked his head just a little, and one of his ears flopped, that last word reminded him of something. "I've thought about why you left a lot over the last few years," he said neutrally.

"Have you?" Ara asked. "What conclusions have you made?"

They both remembered the conversation they had before she was quite ready to leave. How the months leading up to that point had been filled with anxious tension from Ara and confusion from Rai. How she had nearly attacked a few pokémon IN town and gotten in trouble.

How Ara had been born and raised in the wilds and a big part of her, no matter how much she tried, could not adjust to the rigidity of a town.

Of a civilised pokémon.

"I don't really like to think about where we came from," Rai said. "I barely remember anyone. I think I remember playing with my brothers, but I don't even know our parents' names…"

"Kogeki was our father," Ara said, smiling wistfully. "Raiton was our mother. Since you were the first boy, they made sure to give you a special name."

Rai nodded, he didn't have the same nostalgia as Ara. He had been very young. Not the youngest of the four, he had two younger brothers technically. But still, very young.

He did remember the names of his brothers, though. Sa and Ji. Hatched at the same time.

"What does that all mean?" Rai asked. He was never sure why their names were so much different from other pokémon. "Where did they get the name from?"

"I asked mother the same question," Ara sighed, looking far away. "She said that the words came to them in dreams…"

Rai nodded, and they shared a moment of silence for their family.

"Did you really hate Treasure Town?" he asked quietly. It was what Ara had said when they argued about her leaving.

"…No, I never hated it. I hated being there, trapped there, but I don't hate the town itself." Ara nuzzled him again. "You were so young when everything changed, and I'm glad you were. I kept myself together by raising you, but once you could stand on your own, I did leave. Probably earlier than I should have, I am sorry about that."

Rai sighed but nuzzled her back, both of them sparking and sharing the electricity. "I'm okay now," he said. And it was true. He had Mane, he had Scout. "I do wish you'd visit though."

"Can't keep this cat down, but… I will. I promise." She had promised the first time too. Rai was an optimist, however, and decided he could believe her.

It wasn't something that anyone in Treasure Town saw fit to discuss if anyone even remembered in the first place. The day Ara arrived, starving and scarred with Rai with her, the town had been sent into quite the tizzy.

She had not adapted to living in town well. Choosing Sharpedo Bluff as a home, just so the sounds of the crashing water could block out the thoughts running in her and Rai's heads and allow them to sleep, had not been an easy choice to make. Being stuck on a cliff with no way to escape but forwards. But they needed to sleep.

She was, they both were, after all, wild pokémon.

Ara had been too late to be able to reinvent herself, raised a certain way so that her thoughts were wired towards open plains, lightning storms, freedom and living each day by what they could. Rai was still young enough, however, that he could adapt to the ways of civilised pokémon.

Where Ara would hiss, bite, and zap pokémon who crowded her, trying to 'help', Rai could control himself, hold back, relax, understand.

His groundwork had been a wild pokémon, however, and those roots never quite left. A wild baseline filled in with a civilised colour. Plenty of times, Rai was able to make it work, but there were just as many times were the conflicting instincts caused him to act rashly and without thinking.

He could do it. She, however, could not.

"I've missed you," Ara said, leaning against Rai. He leaned back. "Now, tell me everything. All the details. Uh, well, you can leave out some of the stuff about your 'partners'. I can live without hearing that."

Rai laughed and started the story.

"Well it was a pretty warm morning, and I came out of Sharpedo Bluff to find a meowth passed out on the cliff's edge…"

---

They had fought through Blizzard Island, or Orb Central if asking Striker, and had stared into the gigantic chasm in the ice. "That looks like certain places." Saniya shivered, but they knew this was the place and trudged forwards.

Insisting she was capable of doing so, and that Guardian's arms had warmed her up, Saniya began to fly again. She couldn't quite do it for too long and had to rest on his shoulder often, but she began to return to independency.

While being carried, she practised connecting to the Psychic Network. Chimecho had been surprised at her aptitude, but Saniya just stated she was amazing.

In an odd turn of events, she had been almost too powerful.

"You are very, very, bright in here," Chimecho had said as she looked into the Psychic Network, squinting against Saniya's magnificence. "If nothing else, I should be able to find you if you are broadcasting."

Saniya herself hadn't managed to connect to Chimecho even once, despite being right next to her.

"It takes time," Chimecho had soothed. "If something does happen and you need to contact the guild, try to broadcast. I'll look periodically and if I see you, I'll connect. Okay?"

But she had told Saniya to practice anyway.

With Saniya flying again, Sean said. "Just don't take another hit to your wings." And she nodded. There was no question she'd be being more careful than Saniya was known for.

"Hey Sean?" she called, as they had delved deeper and deeper into the dungeon. It constantly hailed, forcing Saniya to remain on Guardian's shoulder as her wings could not take a beating from the storm.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I'm sorry about today."

Sean blinked, turning back to Saniya. It was a rare time where hail was not pelting them, and she was floating on her own, Striker and Guardian busied themselves mopping up some enemies. "Uh… what for?" he asked cautiously.

Saniya shrugged, she was clearly uncomfortable. "Just… being a bit careless and getting hurt."

"You don't need to apologise for that," he said.

Saniya observed him with a bit of a surprise. "Really? You seemed really upset before."

Sean frowned and shrugged himself. "Heh, yeah sorry about that. I've been a bit grumpy today, I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed or something."

"If we're apologising for things," Striker's smooth voice slid right in, and the grovyle himself walked over with Guardian in tow. "I should probably do so for losing it on that piloswine." He looked down at Sean, and the makeshift bandages on him.

"I guess I'm not the only one on edge?" Sean said, giving a laugh.

"I suppose that's the thing, isn't it?" Guardian asked, sadly. "We are on edge."

"Come on," Saniya said, floating over to nudge him with her elbow. "We'll save Scizor!"

That wasn't what he meant. And she knew it.

"This frozen scape isn't exactly the kindest of areas," Guardian said, sighing. "Not on our bodies. Or our memories."

Striker shook his head and rubbed Guardian's arm. "This is the place you changed, that you saved me, and we stopped Dialga. It's the place Saniya first saw a sunrise."

"It is the place I saw a sunrise!" Saniya beamed, as brightly as the sun she had so desired to see. "Or, well, this is the island I saw it on!" With the same bright eyes, she said more things. "It's also the place I had to watch, completely helpless, as Striker's soul was being annihilated so his best friend could possess his body to go into the past and end the world."

Saniya looked down, her expression was frozen in place. "Why do I have to remember that part?" she asked, still unchanging in expression. "The spiritomb, I still remember what it was, holding me in place as Striker screamed in agony. I still remember every second of it."

Guardian had gone very still. "I do as well," he admitted. "Every moment."

"Yes," Striker agreed, voice as quiet as the ice around them.

"We're all pretty fucked up, huh?" Sean laughed, tears hitting his eyes. "I wasn't even there, but I saw part of it. Thanks to time collapsing, I could see Striker in place, not knowing if he'd be okay."

"I'm…" Guardian began. Saniya glomped him.

"I don't need you to say sorry," she said, hugging him tightly. "I don't hate you, I never hated you, not for one second. I only missed you, and you're back now. Striker's okay, we're all okay now."

"We're hardly okay," Sean said, still giggling. Striker came over and hugged him as well, and Sean leaned into his chest and cried.

Team Sunrise did not often dwell on the future that now never was. It was not only unhealthy too, but physically difficult thanks to its erasure.

They all carried scars from that time, however. Time was erased, but nothing erased scars.

Team Sunrise all stood a little closer together as they made one final push.

Froslass's chamber was not what they expected.

Scout's words ferried through Armaldo had painted an unpleasant picture to be sure. Armaldo had warned them to be ready for changes, as Scout himself made a very clear point that his word was a guide at best.

There was not one pokémon frozen. Not one. More like ten, fifteen, thirty even. Some, lost trying to find Scizor, others simply victim of exploration.

"What… is this?" Sean said, aghast at the nightmare that they had entered.

"Th-there are so many," Saniya whimpered. Pokémon are frozen in various poses, various colours of ice. She spied with her little eye a pokémon that started with p.

A pikachu, on one leg, lost to the ice.

A phanpy rolled into a ball, lost to the ice.

A pidgeot, wings stretched for battle, lost to the ice.

Striker's eyes flicked back and forth, he didn't want to look at the sculptures surrounding him, but he didn't dare look away. The shaper of this nightmare may still lurk close by.

There were pokémon with scarves, pokémon with Treasure Bags of an ancient model. Pokémon with glittering orbs.

There were a dozen battles begun and ended.

There were lives here that no longer breathed.

"Oh~" A voice bounced from sculpture to sculpture, ringing with pleasure. "Visitors. Oh… how it's been so long."

Team Sunrise immediate went back and back, each pair watching a different angle.

The voice giggled excitedly. "So serious already, you DO have an eye for the art then."

"It's over there," Sean whispered, gesturing forward while his tassels shivered. They began to creep onwards.

"I see a strong frame," the voice sighed dreamily. "Sharp eyes, sharper leaves." Saniya edged closer to Striker. "And one of my own to deliver them to me."

"I am not here to do any such thing," Guardian growled, his eye had gone red not long after they had entered and hadn't even flickered out of it. He could sense what the others could not, except for maybe Sean.

These pokémon were not just frozen. They were dead. Dozens of people splayed out in 'artistic' vision to express the last moments of life.

There was only one thing each life had in common, despair in their glassy eyes.

Guardian was beyond sickened. It was not a natural death, these pokémon had been fed upon by a parasite until there was nothing left to give. Only the final embers of what once were still flickered, but it was too late.

Both of his arms shook, but Guardian was not cold. Nor was he afraid.

They exited the forest of bodies and into the final clearing. In the end, was the crown piece. Scizor.

Winds blew snow up from the ground, and once it settled, Froslass floated before them.

"So cold you must be," she tittered, wavering in place, back and forth. Back and forth. "Let me touch your skin."

Guardian raised his hand and formed a Shadow Ball in a split second and threw it at Froslass with furious abandon.

It was popped by a sharp beam of ice, dissipating harmlessly.

"A pity," Froslass said, even as the rest of Team Sunrise began to mount an attack.

Before Striker, normally so fast, could land a hit, she was gone.

Snow began to fall.

"Sean!" Guardian roared. "Where is she!?"

"I'm looking!" Sean yelled back, his tassels quivering as the snow began to fall faster, harder.

"I'm right here," Froslass whispered, trailing a frozen finger down Guardian's back. He immediately sent shadows striking at her, but they tasted nothing but snow.

"Four sweet pokémon~" Froslass sang as the snow began to fall harder. "One small, I will have them." Sean gasped as something struck him. "One pink, I will have them." Saniya cursed as something hit her. "One sharp, I will have them." Striker growled as something hit him. "One large." Her hands touched Guardian again, and she crooned. "I will have him."

Striker slashed out, striking Guardian as he tried to nail Froslass. She was already gone as Guardian reeled back.

"Dammit!" Striker cursed. "I'm sorry."

"I'm fine," Guardian grunted, grateful she was off him then angry he had been hit. The snow was falling so hard now, they could barely see.

"Saniya! To your left!" Sean screamed, he couldn't see with his eyes but with his aura senses churning he could feel where they were. Froslass was staggeringly difficult to find, however, even with his senses. She'd flicker in and out, barely noticeable as the snow began to interfere with his senses.

Sean gasped as something collided with his back and stuck, knocking him onto his belly. He could hear Saniya yelling out something, trying to attack everything around her, but Froslass was already gone. Sean rolled over, scrabbling at his back.

The snow on his back began to give, but his rapid paws sunk into obscenely sharp tacks of ice that had been buried in it. He couldn't feel his back, but he could feel the blood now, mixing with the snow.

"Pink snow!" Froslass crooned, sweeping a finger along Sean's spine and drawing a line of burning ice. He screamed. "My favourite."

He tried to hit her, but his fists just passed through her. She giggled and stuck the bloody snow in her mouth. She winked, then something else slammed into Sean's back.

Ancient Power.

"Got herr… oh no." Saniya zoomed in as Sean laid in the snow. "Oh crap, I hit Sean!"

"Stop using ranged attacks!" Guardian's voice roared over the snowstorm. "We're only going to hurt each other. Gah, what?" Something began to hit him. And Sean. And Saniya. And Striker.

Hail was being mixed in with the snow, pelting them as well as blinding them.

"Snow, snow, go away," Froslass sung, waving along behind Striker. By the time he attacked, she was freezing Saniya's feet. "Come again another day."

Sticking with Saniya now, as Striker stuck with Guardian, Sean copied her Ancient Power as best as he could and aimed for where he knew no one else was. His arms trembled, he was having trouble standing.

"Would you like a lovely story to lull you to bed?" Froslass asked, whispering right into Striker's ears. He nearly hit her, that time. But she was so fast. "I promise it won't take long."

"Getaway," Striker demanded. "Or fight me face to face!"

"Of course." She appeared right in front of him. He slashed out, but she grabbed his face with her hands. Her hands were so cold. "Sweet dreams." She breathed something pink right into his face and Striker staggered back.

Froslass giggled again before the snow lightened just long enough for Saniya to stop her, attacking with Ancient Power again, ignoring Sean's yell. The snow returned, Froslass disappeared, and Striker took the blow and was knocked into the snow.

"Ah! I hit Striker." They both ran forward, and Guardian too managed to follow until they all reached Striker. Not before Froslass, however.

"Shh," she said, cradling Striker. Her hands lifted razor-sharp blades of ice to his neck as Striker breathed heavily, head dazed and eyes rolling. "He's going to sleep."

"Think very carefully what you are doing," Guardian warned as everyone froze.

"Oh, I am," she replied. "Would he look best standing up, or laying down? The cold does such things to Grass-types, natural positions are the most beautiful I think."

"Striker, what are you doing?" Saniya yelled, Striker was not responding.

"Oh, he can't hear you now," Froslass replied, teasing them with a sing-song to her voice. Striker was grinning, almost dopily. "All he can hear is me. You want that, don't you?"

"Yesss," Striker slurred, face flushed even as his hands and legs went numb. Froslass giggled again and began to run the blade along his neck.

A barb of pure darkness speared Froslass in the abdomen and forced her off Striker as Guardian found his opening. With Saniya distracting Froslass, he had been able to turn Froslass's truly dark shadow against her.

She disappeared into the snow with a hiss, and they ran to Striker's side. Sean and Saniya got him up, but he only looked confused now.

"That's ENOUGH!" Guardian backhanded Striker across the face, snapping him out of whatever Froslass had done to him.

"Wha-what?" he spluttered, but Guardian was already turning around.

"Positions, everyone," Sean ordered, and Striker pulled himself back together when Saniya passed him an orb to clutch onto.

They each faced a different direction, refusing to allow Froslass to trick them into hitting each other again.

"Cold and dawn, the wind does blow," Froslass sung. "Bleak the morning early, you're covered with snow. And the winter's now come fairly."

"Where is she?" Guardian hissed, but Sean could not pinpoint her location down. She moved too fast, too often.

"I see some snowman, short and fat. There are your scarves and there are your hats. When I see the snowfall hear me shout. All you children, please come out~."

"Well she's the creepiest thing I've seen all week," Saniya scoffed, holding close to Striker.

He nodded, neck sore. "Whatever she did to me, I did not want to refuse anything she asked. Do not let her get close."

"Too late," Froslass said, driving a blade of ice into Sean's leg. Or, at least, that was her intention. He had sensed her coming in time and caught her arm before it could reach him.

"NOW!" Sean bellowed, holding onto Froslass with all the strength his numb paws could give.

As one, Team Sunrise bombarded her with what they had. Saniya's Ancient Power finally hit home. The eruption of Rock, Grass, and Ghost moves all at once tore Froslass from Sean's grip and sent her screaming into the winds around them.

"I have an idea," Sean said, breathing weakly. Froslass wasn't coming for them again so boldly, but she also didn't have to.

The storm was so cold. The trip to get here was so cold. The hits she had scored on them weren't the worst of wounds, Sean was putting several pieces together. Froslass wasn't nearly strong enough to take them on in a direct fight, and likely not all the pokémon frozen here either.

But the brutality of Blizzard Island and Crevice Cave exhausted everyone that came here. The cold was so debilitating, and then to be wrapped in it completely with a taunting enemy that could hardly be hit.

The elements would take them out before she would, Sean, Striker, and Saniya could barely feel anything around them by this point.

Guardian could, but the cold was even beginning to affect him.

"What?" Saniya asked, Sean was taking a while to say his idea.

"Attack the sculptures," Sean said, bitterly. He was not blind or useless. There was nothing in the sculptures behind them, except a frozen memory. Only one pokémon in here had life to them yet, and that was in front of them.

"What?" Striker asked.

"Don't argue," Guardian said, raising his hand and firing a Shadow Ball. "Just go for it."

The Shadow Ball ripped through one of the sculptures, shattering it completely. The poor pokémon frozen within was more ice than anything else and shattered with it.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" the very winds around them seemed to scream.

Another sculpture shattered, and another.

"STOP!"

The veneer of calm, of control, of civility faded in an instant and Froslass, came directly for them, utter murder in her eyes.

"Vermin. FILTH!" she screamed, reaching for them even as Saniya and Striker began to bombard her with their Power. "You do not deserve to be preserved forever in majesty. YOU WILL ONLY BE FOOD!"

Sean attacked the air above them, destabilising the winds and with Froslass not controlling them anymore, the storm began to cease.

"Guardian!" Sean yelled sharply.

"I have her," Guardian replied, calmly. Far too calmly.

His belly mouth opened, revealing the Shadow Ball he had been forming. Froslass saw it as well and recoiled. Chunks of her body had been ripped away by Saniya and Striker's attacks.

"Saniya, hold her!" Sean yelled, and Saniya reached forth and gripped Froslass with Psychic. Sean copied the move, double Psychic to restrain Froslass. "NOW!"

Guardian unleashed the Fell Shadow Ball.

Froslass' scream shook the sculptures, but there could have only been a relief to what was left. By the time the storm stopped, there was nothing left of her.

Guardian panted for breath, slowly lowering his hands. He shook, his whole body, one violent time before he calmed down.

"She dead?" Striker asked.

"Yes."

And that was all they were going to speak on the subject.

"Quickly," Sean urged, running forward to where Scizor stood, frozen. "Everyone else here is long gone, but Scizor is still alive. Somehow."

"She fed on the life force of the frozen," Guardian answered, coming up behind him. "Feeding on them like a parasite until there was nothing left but their material corpse. She must have wanted to preserve Scizor, however. His life still burns yet."

"A trophy of trophies," Saniya said, sadly.

They began to work on the ice. Guardian burned away thinner areas with Will-o-Wisp, and Sean copied it to work as well. Striker carved at the thicker areas with his blades. Ultimately, it was Saniya who pulled Scizor out, carefully prying him from the hold of the ice with her Psychic.

Then she slapped him.

"Uwaa," Scizor slurred, he had jolted briefly from the slap, raising his head, before he sagged again.

"We've got to go, now," Saniya said.

"Let me carry him," Guardian said. "Holding him like this can't be easy on you, or healthy for him." She slowly, carefully, released her hold on him, closing one eye as she did so. Once Scizor was secured in Guardian's arms, Saniya was picked up by Striker, and they began to quickly make their way out.

"Someone should come back here to give these pokémon a proper burial," Sean said, sadly, after making their way through the maze of bodies.

"Let's focus on getting back," Striker suggested, "so we don't have to organise one for Scizor as well."

Crevice Cave was exited easily, as Froslass' cavern was the final area. However, Blizzard Island would have to be braved again, this time with Guardian and Striker out of commission.

"Try to contact Chimecho," Striker said, to Saniya, as they re-entered the dungeon. "The guild is going to have to be prepared for an emergency by the time we get back."

"Is he going to last the trip?" Sean asked. "It took us days to get here."

"I'll find her," Saniya said, squeezing both eyes shut tightly. "Or she'll fine me. There's got to be a teleporter close by, there just has to be. If we have to, I'll teleport."

"You can't go that far," Guardian protested. "And certainly not safe with someone in this condition."

"It's either that," Saniya said, grimly. "Or nothing at all and he dies on the ocean."

No one could protest that, so Saniya pressed on to shine brightly in the Psychic Network.

---

Coming to understand Rai's predicament at the moment, Ara returned him to Liepard without spending as much time as she would have liked with him.

Scout and Mane were both very, very, relieved to have him back. She thought, maybe, it's because they had been stuck with Liepard the whole time. But she still smiled on the inside to see them so happy to see Rai.

"You are ready to bring Pyroar to justice then?" Liepard asked. She was cool on the outside, but her burning fury towards Pyroar had caused her claws to come out and never retract.

"Yes." Rai nodded, Mane, breathed a sigh of something. Relief? Nerves? Not even he was sure.

"Very good. Follow me, and don't dawdle."

"I'll see you off," Ara said, not offering. And Liepard nodded. Liepard's movements were precise, fluid, using her whole body with every movement. She was the kind who could walk on coals and make it seem sensual.

The twin salandit gave waves with their tails as the five left the room, the door clicking shut behind them, Lovely and a minccino and kirlia also watching them go.

"This is a considerable measure of trust I am putting in you," Liepard said, as they walked. "Not only to not reveal this to the Clefable, or Wigglytuff, or any other force of law. But also." She turned, a flicker of something more real than the bedroom eyes she always had passed through her face. "To bring Pyroar down."

"We're doing this," Mane huffed. "Not just for the graduation, and not just for your sake either. This IS personal. He's going down."

"Hm," she scoffed, but there was a measure of respect to it. "The shortcut is a long dungeon, with many corridors and few rooms. It has many twists and turns, and it is very easy to get lost and turned around in it. Hopefully that has stalled Pyroar for the last few days. But there is a set path that will get you through it the fastest, so listen to me carefully because I am only going to tell it to you."

She was willing to repeat it, however, until they were there and Scout was confident he could lead them through it.

The shortcut was not an easy location to find. Nestled in a small set of rocks, it was as inconspicuous as anything he'd seen. Not even something trying to look inconspicuous, the entrance was, but a small entrance in a random location set off the beaten path.

"I'll see you when you've brought him down," Ara said, nodding to Rai. "And I'll be having a talk with you two later as well," she said, staring Scout and Mane down with Big Sister Energy.

They both swallowed nervously.

"Generic message of good luck," Liepard said, rolling her eyes. "Generic statement that you can do this. Now please, get it done."

With her, very clear, dismissal, Rai gave Ara one last nuzzle before Team Ion shared a group nod and dashed into the dungeon.

Ara watched them go with an eye of sadness, before sighing and turning to Liepard. "Well, now we've got to do business."

"Of course," she purred, turning back the way they came. "Come to my office."

"Always with the office," Ara muttered under her breath. Rolling her eyes, she followed.

There was no one left in front of the entrance.

"Shall we go?" Meowth said, poking her head out to look around.

"Before anyone from that town tells Liepard we followed them," Shinx added, looking around nervously.

"She's right. We can't lose them," Litleo added.

Team Isotope shared a group nod very similar to Team Ion's and dashed into the dungeon after them. Pyroar would not be getting away. But Team Isotope were determined to prove themselves their equal.

---

Well. That was a big chapter!

That was a very big chapter. Biggest one yet, actually. Clocking a little over 18,000 words!

I remember reaching about 6,000 words (a third of this chapter) into this chapter and thinking. "I'm not even up to the main parts of the chapter yet!"

So. ARASHI has finally turned up. Maybe a bit out of the blue, but this has been planned for a while now. She's an interesting character to write, this won't be her only appearance either. No way.

I'm not entirely sure if anyone has exactly thought of Rai as a wild pokémon. I mean, it was technically confirmed in chapter 14, but it was never said in so many words in-universe. But that's been the case the whole time since his family situation was one of the first things I had planned and was from the very beginning.

So, that was fun just to bring to light.

Also, Team Sunrise is doing the Scizor mission! I knew that'd be the case since my planning period. I actually had a bit of trouble writing their part of this chapter, but I figured out why and fixed what was holding me back. I wrote most of this over two days, haha.

(Oh dear, what's Soothe got planned?)

I'm sure Team Isotope is going to do fantastically. Yes. Definitely.

Also, the results of the last poll – What character do you want to see more of?

Well, most of the results got at least one vote. Team Gazer won, heh how am I not surprised, but the overall reaction gives me an idea of a few things.

Now, I don't have a new poll to put up. Still haven't been able to think of one to do. If I do think of one, I might put it up soon after this one is put up. But if I do think of one, but a while after this chapter is posted, I'll put it up with the next chapter.

Alrighty then! Things are getting heated now (just you wait).