Medicham had seen Cyllage City before, but certainly not from the sky. Laid out before her, it looked far less spread-out than it had seemed from the ground; the height of the mountains and varying cliffsides were less evident from the air, the buildings seeming more closely packed. The Trainers below were shrunken almost comically, the few Pokemon that Medicham could see little more than dots. Medicham felt slightly dizzy looking down from here, and swiftly ducked her head, closing her eyes until it stopped spinning.

Marcus clearly had no such reservations. More than once he'd let out an involuntary giggle or a gleeful whoop as Kriesh soared through the air. The Flying energy-made restraints were keeping him tightly anchored to the Fearow's back, thankfully; Medicham had the feeling that he'd throw his hands up in excitement if they weren't secured, and the thought of that made her feel even more queasy.

"Okay, Kriesh," said Marcus, "let's head down. Aim for that beach."

Kriesh dove, making sure to approach gently rather than as sharply as usual. Her descent was noticeably unsure, her wings stuttering a little as she tried to blend speed with care. The technique would, of course, improve with time, but even so, every shuddering wingbeat sent a jolt of panic through Medicham's heart.

It wasn't until Kriesh landed on the beach, sending up a spray of sand as she did so, that Medicham's heart ceased to hammer and she looked back out of her Luxury Ball. A nearby Trainer, fishing rod in hand, was trying to make it look like he wasn't staring as the flying energy securing Marcus released and Marcus slid off Kriesh's back.

"Nice ride," the fisherman said. "You up for a battle? I've got-"

"Not right now," said Marcus. "Where's the ferry to Galar leaving from?"

"The port, down that way." The fisherman pointed. "Better hurry, they're gonna be boarding soon."

"Thanks," said Marcus. "Kriesh, back up. Follow me and see if you can find her from the air."

"Got it." Kriesh leaped back into the air as Marcus twisted and dashed off down the beach.

It wasn't long before the port came into view, a large red-gray stone rectangular building with a red-tiled roof surrounded by Trainers and Pokemon. The nose of a large white boat was visible behind the building, the deck of which was swarming with Trainers.

Marcus looked up at Kriesh as the Fearow made a slow circle around the port before arcing down. He stepped back as Kriesh landed. "No sign of her outside," she said, Medicham translating telepathically. "And it doesn't look like I can fly in that building."

Marcus released Medicham. "All right, Medicham, we'll go in together. Let me know if you see Connie. Kriesh, return."

With Kriesh recalled, Marcus and Medicham moved quickly towards the port. The crowd was expansive but not too tightly packed, and the duo didn't have much trouble making their way through it. The echoing noise of a bustling crowd could be heard as Marcus and Medicham stepped through the open archways leading into the port.

A gigantic room came into view, as tall as a thick spruce tree and as large as the battlefield of the Kalos Pokemon League Tournament. On the right was a ticket office, on the left another archway leading out to a large dock. Several large lamps lit the room, which was occupied by all manner of Pokemon and Trainers. The sound of loud rock music was playing from the docks, barely audible over the noise of countless Trainers but still present.

Medicham's eyes were already scanning for Connie. Privately she knew a single Trainer would be difficult to find in a crowd such as this, but even so she was disappointed to not see her immediately. Marcus let out a hmm. "Let's head over to the docks. She's probably near there."

Medicham murmured her agreement. Together, the two began to move towards the docks. The crowd was more densely packed in here, and several times one of them bumped into passersby or had to awkwardly navigate through crowds. But at length the two made it out onto the docks. Now Medicham could see the full ship, clean and white, shining in the sunlight. The music was louder here, no longer obscured by so many people; it was a tune Medicham hadn't heard before, but it was oddly catchy.

Once more Medicham cast her gaze around, searching for Connie. But she'd barely started looking when Marcus let out a gasp. "Medicham, look."

He was staring over towards where the music was coming from. Following Marcus's gaze, Medicham spotted a throng of Trainers and Pokemon clustered in what looked to be a loose circle. The music was coming from within that circle, and Medicham could see in the center of this crowd a head of black-and-white striped hair nodding along to the beat.

"That's Piers," Medicham realized. "That Galarian Gym Leader who was with Connie. Wasn't he a Dark-type Trainer as well?"

"You're right," said Marcus. "What do you think he's doing here?"

"Heading back to Galar," Medicham offered.

"Right." Marcus chuckled embarrassedly. "Why don't we go say hello?"

Medicham kept her eyes fixed on Piers's black-and-white hair as she followed Marcus through the crowd. As they got closer, the music grew louder, and now Medicham could hear Piers's voice rising above the hubbub. He was singing, microphone in hand, the rock music providing a background track from a nearby radio.

"The only thing a humble singer can do

Is sing a humble song.

Maybe I can't cheer someone on

Just with the tunes I play.

Maybe my songs don't make anyone happy.

Maybe I can't help.

But still the only thing I can do

Is sing…

Sing my humble song."

The music kicked into high gear as Piers entered the chorus, grabbing the microphone off the stand and leaning back, his hair waving wildly as he sang.

"Cause when I sing

The world don't seem so wrong.

Cause when I sing

I just wanna make you feel strong.

I know the days and nights

Can always feel so long.

But still the only thing I can do

Is sing…

Sing my humble song."

The song calmed a bit now. Piers took a breath, glancing around at his audience. Medicham saw his eyes flick to Marcus, now towards the front of the crowd, and light up in recognition. Medicham couldn't see Connie in the crowd, but she did see a girl she recognized as Marnie, her Morpeko on her shoulder and digging into a treat even as Marnie watched Piers with a large grin.

Piers grinned, too, as he launched into the next part of his song.

"The only thing a humble singer can do

Is sing a humble song.

Cause when life kicks you, beats you down

And leaves you in the street,

I know you hurt, I know you want to pass it on

I wish I could help.

But still the only thing I can do

Is sing…

Sing my humble song."

The music picked up again, blasting out even louder than before, as Piers launched into another rendition of the chorus.

"Cause when I sing

The world don't seem so wrong.

Cause when I sing

I just wanna make you feel strong.

I know the days and nights

Can always feel so long.

But still the only thing I can do

Is sing…"

But instead of finishing, Piers held the note, longer and longer, as the music built to a crescendo, rising in volume until it overpowered his note. Then, with a crash of synthesized drums, the music leveled out, still loud but not overpowering, and over the loud music Piers's voice could be heard.

"Cause when I sing

The world don't seem so wrong.

Cause when I sing

I just wanna make you feel strong.

I know the days and nights

Can always feel so long.

But still the only thing I can do

Is sing…"

Once more he held the note for three lines instead of one; Medicham was starting to wonder how the man was still breathing when the drums crashed again. Piers shifted, driving his hand down and slamming the microphone back into the top of its stand in a vicious but artful and clearly well-practiced maneuver. The music dropped, falling completely silent as Piers, hunched before the microphone, delivered the final line to a dock that, for that one single moment, seemed entirely soundless save for Piers's voice, as if the world itself was listening.

"Sing my humble song."

The docks erupted in cheers and clapping as Marnie, kneeling beside the radio, hit the off button, signaling the end of the concert. Marcus clapped along with the rest of them as Piers, smiling, took a bow. He, however, waved off the Pokedollars that several of the Trainers approached him with. As the crowd dispersed, buzzing with excitement, Piers locked eyes with Marcus and motioned for him to come closer.

"Well, well," the Galarian Dark-type Gym Leader said. "Marcus, was it? Plannin' to visit Galar?"

"Not exactly," said Marcus. "Where's Connie? I was hoping to talk to her."

"She's on the boat already," said Piers. "Marnie, would you mind fetchin' Connie for me? Tell her to be quick."

Marnie dashed off, Morpeko clinging tightly to her shoulder.

"Now, if you don't mind me askin'," said Piers, "what do you wanna talk with Connie about?"

"Well," said Marcus, "you see, after Emma became an Elite Four, Valerie had to resign from her position as Gym Leader due to them both being Fairy-type Trainers. And she asked me to participate in the test to become the new Gym Leader. So…I promise I'm not trying to copy you, but my only existing type similarity is Dark, and…"

Marcus trailed off, for Piers was chuckling, a smile on his face. "And so you wanna get her as one of your Gym Trainers," he said. "Not gonna lie, it's a pretty good choice. She's got the experience and can help you learn the ropes. You'll have to ask her though, of course." Piers sighed. "Would you allow a washed-up Gym Leader like me to give you some advice?"

"Washed-up?" Medicham asked Marcus telepathically.

"Not important," Marcus responded in the same way. To Piers he said, "Sure."

Piers sighed again. "The thing about the Dark-type is…people don't think much of it. Most Dark-types have pretty nasty dispositions. Makes 'em easy for evil teams to snap up. So they and Poison-types have reputations as the 'evil' types. Koga and Janine managed to give Poison-types a better reputation, but even with several Dark-type Elite Four members, somehow the type's never shaken its 'evil' status."

"But you're a Dark-type Gym Leader," said Marcus. "And I don't think you're evil."

"Thanks," said Piers, "but…see, Galar's got somethin' called 'Dynamax'. You've heard about it, I reckon, but Dynamaxing is only possible using somethin' called a Power Spot. Most towns in Galar are built right on top of 'em, but Spikemuth isn't. And when the Chairman asked me to move to another spot, I refused. I couldn't abandon Spikemuth. It's my home. The only reason the Chairman hasn't replaced me is because, besides Kabu, I'm the longest servin' Gym Leader in Galar. At this point Rose is just waitin' for me to retire, cause the longer I stay on as a Gym Leader, the more I ruin my reputation. By now, some Gym Challengers drop out simply 'cause they can't find my Gym."

"So why don't you retire?" Marcus asked.

"Because if I retire without a proper successor," said Piers, "then Rose'll replace Spikemuth with another town as fast as he can. So I'm waitin' until Marnie comes of age. Cause when she wins the Gym Challenge, she'll make sure that Spikemuth keeps its place." Piers beamed as he said that last part, an expression that seemed out of place on the Gym Leader's weathered face. "Look, Marcus, the point I'm tryin' to make is that I'm impressed. Don't get me wrong. I'm glad to see a Dark-type hopeful steppin' up. But it'll be a difficult road. You'll face adversity, even more than usual. You think you're prepared for that?"

Marcus opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off as Marnie rushed back up. "Got 'er!"

Marcus and Medicham looked to the side to see the recognizable visage of Connie striding after Marnie. Though she was smiling, her eyes were already scanning Marcus closely, somewhat warily. "Gotta admit, didn't expect to see you so soon," she said. "So, what's the occasion? Decide to take me up on my offer?"

"Well-" Marcus began to launch into his story again, but Medicham cut him off telepathically. "Make it short."

"Valerie wants me to become a Dark-type Gym Leader," said Marcus. "The competition for the position starts in three months."

"Congrats," said Connie. "From what I saw, you've got enough power for it. Wish you luck."

"Um…" Marcus stuttered over his next words. "I…I didn't come here just to tell you…" The rest of the sentence came out in a burst. "Could you be one of my Gym Trainers?"

Connie raised an eyebrow.

"I mean…" Marcus coughed. "Would you like to be one of my Gym Trainers?"

Connie looked from Marcus to Piers, then back to Marcus. She shrugged. "Sure."

Marcus, who had clearly been trying to prepare something else to persuade her, couldn't quite hide his surprise. "Um…"

"Not like I have much else to do," said Connie. "Besides, I got a feelin' you'll need my help. No offense, Piers, but…"

"I get it, Connie." Piers's smile grew even wider, if a little more sad. "It…it was pretty obvious you were happier outside of Galar."

Connie let out a sigh, turning to Marnie. "Come 'ere, you," she said, reaching out for a hug. Marnie clamped her arms around the taller girl tightly. It took at least five seconds for her to let go.

"You two look out for each other, okay?" Piers requested. "Marcus, don't throw away her advice. I've known Gym Leaders who won't listen to their Gym Trainers. Remember, a Gym Trainer isn't just a subordinate."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure to listen to her," said Marcus.

"Medicham." Medicham's gaze snapped to Piers. "Do me a favor. I know you're Marcus's ace. Just 'cause you're not on his Gym Leader team doesn't mean he's forgotten 'bout you. Always remember that."

Medicham had never considered that to be a problem, but she responded anyway. "Thank you."

"And Connie?"

Connie, who had been looking at Marnie, shifted her gaze to Piers.

The Galarian Dark-type Gym Leader smirked. "Let me know when he wins."

Connie smirked back. "Will do, Piers."

"Now get outta here," said Piers. "Good-bye. And good luck, both of you."

"Good-bye!" Marnie called.

"Bye-bye!" Morpeko squealed from Marnie's shoulder.

With good-byes of their own, Marcus and Connie turned and stepped off the docks side by side, Medicham walking behind them. Piers and Marnie quickly disappeared into the crowd; the last Medicham saw of Piers was his distinctive hair, rising above the throng along with one hand, upraised in a wave. Then a tall Machamp stepped in front of Medicham's vision, and when he had passed Medicham could no longer see any part of Piers.

"So," said Connie, "what did Valerie tell you?"

Marcus began to relay Valerie's information, but Drapion wasn't listening. He'd heard it several times in the past few days; he did not need to hear it again. Rather, he focused on the surrounding area, and on the Pokemon occupying it in particular.

The two Trainers had absconded to an empty part of the beach, where they had sat down upon a pair of large boulders and released their respective teams onto the sand. Drapion eyed the various team members; his eyes narrowed as he spotted her Tyranitar. Oh, he remembered Tyranitar, and after their tie in the League Tournament, Drapion was itching for a rematch.

Clustered around Tyranitar was the rest of Connie's team; Shiftry, Scrafty, Skuntank, Zweilous, and a sleek-looking red-and-black Pokemon that looked like a cross between a Fennekin and a Liepard. All six had been rapidly alerted to the situation by the Galarian Trainer; all were exuding confidence, clearly understanding their Trainer's new intent. It was abundantly clear that they'd been together for a while, and their trust in their Trainer reflected that.

The rest of Marcus's team were gathered in another group around Medicham, listening closely to Marcus and Connie as they spoke. Drapion stood at the edge of the group, watching Connie's team carefully. He knew they weren't hostile, knew they would be allies rather than opponents in the future, and yet such a tight-knit group instinctively worried him. They would be highly devoted to one another; in a difficult situation, they would rather protect each other than Pokemon on other teams. Not something Drapion preferred.

"…and in three months, I've got to complete all of that, and then there's the competition," said Marcus. "And that's about it."

Connie nodded. "Yeah, she gave you the basics. 'Course, it ain't everythin'. Bein' a former Spikemuth Gym Trainer, I know the rest. For starters, and most importantly, people ain't just gonna be flockin' to serve under you. It's a tradition that any aspirin' Gym Leader who wants to recruit you has to beat you in a 3-on-3 battle, all Pokemon of the aspirin' Gym Leader's type."

"But...I didn't beat you in that format," said Marcus confusedly.

"Correct," said Connie. "See, the reason I decided to join you, apart from lookin' for an excuse not to return to Galar, is because you beat me in the tournament. But you didn't beat me in the proper Gym Trainer format. So at this point, I'm not one of your Gym Trainers. I'm simply helpin' you out, showin' you the ropes and all. You want me to actually be one of your Gym Trainers, you're gonna have to beat me in a full Dark-on-Dark battle."

"So why not mention that at the docks?" Marcus asked.

Connie shrugged. "Didn't want to overcomplicate things. Havin' big conversations is easier without too many other people around. Besides, Piers understood my meaning."

"Okay," said Marcus. "In that case...I'm going to need some more Dark-types."

"Yeah, at least a team of three before you go recruitin' anyone else," said Connie.

Marcus sighed. "I knew I should have caught that Liepard near Couriway," he grumbled. "I just…I guess I wasn't thinking of it."

Thank Arceus for that, Drapion thought. He wasn't sure he could have stomached that lovesick Liepard on the same team as him.

"Yeah, a Liepard would've been nice," said Connie. "But hey, the area 'round Cyllage is known for a fairly large Dark-type population, from what I know. You got any team ideas?"

"I want a Dark/Fighting-type," said Marcus. "Either a Scrafty or a Pangoro."

"I think this is a pretty good time to introduce the second unofficial rule," said Connie. "It's tradition to have at least one Pokemon from your home region on your team. Doesn't have to be your ace - a lot of Paldean Gym Leaders use non-Paldean Pokemon as their aces from what I've heard - but between those two, I'd suggest a Pangoro. You'll find the Pancham line between Cyllage and Lumiose, though a fellow Spikemuth Gym Trainer once traveled to Kalos and found one 'round these mountains, so make of that what you will."

"Pangoro it is," said Marcus. "I'll study up, refresh my memory on the line."

"Fine by me," said Connie. "I'm gonna place a call. Got someone who I think could help you out."

As Connie stepped away from Marcus, both Trainers pulling out their Pokedexes to accomplish their stated tasks, Drapion's eye caught Tyranitar's. The massive Rock/Dark-type Pokemon, towering over the rest of Connie's team, twitched its head, an indicator to follow. Then he turned and began stalking towards the ocean. Drapion followed, passing the rest of Connie's team with nary a glance.

Tyranitar stopped at the water's edge, peering down into the glistening ocean. It was a calm day, and very few waves were in sight; the flitting forms of Water-type Pokemon could be seen moving through the water further into the ocean. Drapion stepped to his side, staring straight ahead.

"Seems we'll be getting to know each other a little better," Tyranitar growled.

"Seems that way, yeah," said Drapion.

It took about ten seconds, during which Drapion's attention began to wander to a particularly flashy Magikarp in the water, before Tyranitar spoke again. "I knew a Drapion back home," he said. "Joshua's Drapion. Got it as a Skorupi when he was five years old. I faced him back when I was just a Larvitar. Wasn't anywhere near as strong as I am now, but I thought 'he's a Bug-type, I'm a Rock-type, this'll be easy'." Tyranitar smirked. "I couldn't have been more wrong. After that loss, I threw myself into training. Evolved, then evolved again. That Drapion and I battled each other three more times since then. I won all three."

"Ah ain't that Drapion," Drapion growled.

"That much is clear," said Tyranitar. "But see, the thing is...before that fight, the other Dark-types had looked up to me. Because of my rarity, I was viewed as strong. After my defeat, they didn't trust me. Thought I was weak. It took me finally beating him to earn their respect again."

Tyranitar leaned in close, his beady black eyes staring straight into Drapion's. "Now I'm not stupid," he growled. "I saw you eying me. You want a rematch. You want to prove that you're stronger than me. After all, a Gym Leader's Ace has to be stronger than their Gym Trainer's Ace. The thing is, I want to prove my strength too. So here's the deal. Tonight, you and me, one-on-one. You win, I won't ask for anything more. I'll make sure the rest of my team knows you beat me."

The towering Pokemon's smile grew wider, showing his teeth. "But if I win," Tyranitar growled, "then you're going to make sure the rest of your team knows I beat you. So. Are we agreed?"

Drapion glared right back into Tyranitar's eyes, not flinching at all. "Ya got yerself a deal."

"Good," Tyranitar growled. "Tonight, then."

"Tonight," Drapion echoed. With a satisfied sigh, Tyranitar turned and began to amble back to the rest of Connie's team.

Drapion gazed out onto the water for a few moments more, watching as the flashy Magikarp disappeared behind a section of rocks. Then he turned and followed Tyranitar back up the beach, making sure to tear his eyes away from the behemoth and towards the rest of Marcus's team.

Kriesh's wings flapped slowly and lazily as she flew above the familiar forest. This area, so near to Lumiose City, was one she knew well, being just across the road from the forest that she'd called home for over a year. So there was an element of calm to her movements, secure in familiarity.

"Find anything?" Medicham's voice sounded in Kriesh's head.

"Nothing yet," Kriesh responded. Medicham fell silent, no doubt informing Marcus of Kriesh's continued failure.

When she'd heard about Marcus's intent to catch a Pancham or a Pangoro, Kriesh had been somewhat nervous. Her flock had gotten into trouble with Panchams a few times; while the Panchams never started the conflict, once it did start they were perfectly happy to beat their opponents into unconsciousness. She'd fought alongside Drapion for long enough to turn a blind eye to his thirst for blood in battle, but dealing with a vicious Pangoro on top of that was daunting, to say the least.

So even as Kriesh searched from the air, relaying information to Medicham and by extension Marcus, part of her was privately and guiltily hoping that she wouldn't find any Panchams. As she soared through the sky, peering down on the trees, she could almost feel Marcus on top of her. He wasn't up there now, but it felt so strange how naturally carrying her Trainer had come. The landing had been the only difficult part; aside from that, it had felt surprisingly normal.

"Anything now?" Medicham's telepathic query disturbed Kriesh from her memory. Swiftly, she looked around, casting her eyes across the forest below.

A flash of black fur caught her eye and she jerked her head back, narrowing her vision towards that point. Keen Eye would be perfect right now, she thought to herself; Sniper was a good Ability, but from what she'd heard, Keen Eye, the other ability a Fearow could have, allowed the user to see much farther and far more clearly with practically telescopic vision.

Even without Keen Eye, though, she saw the patches of black fur through the trees shifting, and that was all she needed. "I think so," said Kriesh. Glancing down at where Marcus and Connie were situated, she added, "Northwest of your position, about…thirty yards."

Medicham fell silent again, and after a few seconds of waiting Marcus turned to Connie, whispered something, and the two Trainers began moving towards the black fur. Medicham spoke up again. "Marcus says to come down. Not to return to your Ball, just to move with them, present more of a front."

"Got it," Kriesh responded. As Marcus and Connie neared the black fur, Kriesh swooped down from the sky, landing on a thick tree branch just above the two Trainers' heads. From here, she could see the black fur more clearly; to equal parts dismay and relief, it was clearly a group of Pancham, though what they were doing she could not tell.

Connie stopped moving, gesturing for Marcus to lead the way. Marcus took a deep breath, obviously having seen them too, and then stepped through the bushes separating him from the Panchams.

Immediately the Panchams looked up, eyes narrowing, as Marcus released Medicham and Drapion onto the forest floor. Kriesh winced inwardly as she landed on another branch, this one overlooking the clearing. She understood that he probably thought showing at least one of his future Gym Leader team would be helpful, but three strong-looking Pokemon appearing at the same time was going to give these Panchams the entirely wrong impression.

Indeed, the Panchams eyes widened. "Quash, now!" one of them snarled.

A wave of Dark energy burst from all of the Panchams. "Battle Armor!" Drapion snarled, raising a barrier of chitin before him, but the wave simply swept through it and struck all four of the clearing's occupants. Instantly Kriesh found herself moving more sluggishly, movements that used to take barely a second now taking two to execute.

"Wait!" Marcus cried, his voice coming out slower than usual. "We just want to talk!"

The Panchams, crouching in readiness, did not untense, but one of them stepped slightly forwards, glaring at Medicham. "You are Psychic. Can you communicate with your Trainer?"

"Yes," said Medicham, speaking just as sluggishly as Marcus.

"Tell him he may speak," said the lead Pancham. "But any sign of violence and we leave."

A further silence fell as Medicham telepathically relayed the information to Marcus. Kriesh felt the sluggishness beginning to fade, and quickly surveyed the group of Panchams, hoping maybe she might see one she recognized. Sadly, they were all unfamiliar to her.

Evidently Medicham had finished her message, for Marcus spoke again. "I'm trying to recruit Dark-types for a Gym," he said. "I'm an aspiring Gym Leader - do you know what those are?"

"Of course, we're not idiots," the lead Pancham replied with a short nod.

"I'd like to add a Pancham or Pangoro to my team," Marcus continued. "So...would any of you like to join, or do you know any others of your kind who would?"

The lead Pancham turned to his comerades. There was a bout of whispering, and then he turned back towards Marcus. "I wish to face your Drapion in a three-on-one battle," he said. "Once it is done, you may ask again."

Medicham raised an eyebrow, but relayed the message to Marcus anyway. Marcus shrugged. "Drapion, you up for that?"

"Anytime," Drapion growled.

At that, the lead Pancham gestured for two others to step forwards. One's fur was quite scruffy as if he had rolled in dirt prior to their meeting; the other had a noticeable leer that seemed permanently frozen on his face. Drapion crouched, readying himself for the upcoming fight.

"Begin!" Marcus ordered.

Drapion and the Panchams moved at the same time. "No Escape!" Drapion snarled, aiming a seeking Dark-type ray at each Pancham. All three Panchams lunged forwards with Fighting energy on their fists; all three stumbled as the rays impacted, but kept going regardless.

"Daunting Fist!" the three Panchams cried.

"Battle Armor!" Drapion growled, shifting his chitin to form clusters to take the punches. Even with the added protection, he staggered slightly. It was enough that his follow-up Slam streaked over the heads of two of the Panchams and missed the third utterly. Two of the Panchams now leaped for his sides with cries of "Daunting Fist!" while the lead Pancham hung back, readying himself for another attack.

Drapion twisted, swinging his massive tail into the scruffy Pancham on his right. A Pierce fired from his head-spikes sent the leering one on his left tumbling to the ground. But the lead Pancham now lunged for his legs. "Daunting Throw!"

"Block!" Drapion snarled, raising a Protect that the lead Pancham bounced off of. A swiftly fired Blast was Drapion's follow-up, the X-shaped spray of Poison energy slamming straight into the lead Pancham's chest and knocking it to the ground. "No Escape!" Drapion snarled, sending another barrage of rays at the Panchams. Two of them were slammed into the dirt by the rays, but the leering Pancham on Drapion's left managed to clamber to his feet.

"Daunting Fist!"

"Slam!"

Drapion's right arm, wreathed in Dark energy, impacted against the leering Pancham's fist with an audible thwoom. The leering Pancham staggered, unable to keep pace with Drapion's strength. Drapion twisted again, driving his tail into the leering Pancham's gut.

The lead Pancham rose to his feet, eyes narrowed at Drapion, his lip curled. "Quash!" he snarled.

Drapion's movements at once slowed, and the scruffy Pancham seized the opportunity. "Daunting Throw!" he cried, hurling himself at Drapion's legs. Afflicted by Quash, Drapion was too slow to react. With a shocking display of strength, the scruffy Pancham grasped Drapion's right front leg and heaved upwards. Drapion toppled in slow motion, slamming into the ground with a loud, earth-shaking impact.

The other two Pancham simply watched as the scruffy Pancham drove a swift, merciless fist into Drapion's exposed stomach. Kriesh narrowed her eyes, itching to fire a Beam Impact at the scruffy Pancham, but in that moment Drapion's face formed into a snarl. "Slam," he growled slowly, twisting on his side and swinging his Dark energy-infused left arm into the scruffy Pancham's face. The scruffy Pancham fell, and this time he didn't get up.

Drapion rose to his feet to face the other two Panchams. But they did not move to attack him. "Psychic," the lead Pancham growled, his eyes not leaving Drapion. "Tell your Trainer that we are not interested in joining his team. Nor do we know anyone who would be. We are leaving."

Medicham delivered a quick telepathic message, and Marcus sighed. "Well, let me know if-"

The Panchams turned and dashed into the forest, disappearing in an instant. Drapion glared after them, clearly furious about the unfinished battle.

"-you change your mind." Marcus shook his head. "Well, that went well."

Connie stepped out from the undergrowth. "That was odd. Never seen a Pancham bail out of a fight like that before."

"Wild Pokemon will be wild Pokemon," said Marcus.

"I guess," said Connie.

Marcus sighed again. "Okay, now what?"

"Well, we're probably not going to see any more Panchams today," said Connie. "Let's try again tomorrow morning. By that time they'll probably have forgotten all about you."

With a nod, Marcus lifted his Pokeballs and recalled Kriesh, Drapion, and Medicham. The two Trainers turned and began to walk out of the forest, leaving the fleeing Panchams behind.

Drapion had made sure that Medicham told Marcus to allow him to stay up later tonight. Now he stood, waiting, near the building where Marcus and Connie were now sleeping. The sky was cloudy tonight, the air somewhat chilly, with only small pinpricks of moonlight seeping through the clouds.

The conduct of the Panchams irked him. Made him feel weak. He was winning, he could tell. But then they'd just stopped. It wasn't like they'd given up, no. He'd seen the fire still in their eyes. Even damaged, they were still clearly capable of further battle. Especially with that Quash technique; Drapion had to admit it was a strong technique, and truly dangerous when used properly.

But they'd simply chosen not to fight. And that hurt. It was as if they hadn't judged him worthy of further battle.

That they'd decided he was too weak.

Was he too weak?

Three unevolved wild Pokemon should have been effortless. But he'd struggled. Missed attacks, allowed hits. Was that why they'd stopped fighting?

Did they truly consider him a weakling?

I'm no weakling.

But even as he told himself that, he could not help but doubt himself.

Emma was understandable. She'd been Elite Four-level, and he'd been up against a Mega-evolving Mawile that could counter everything he threw at it. But the Liepard in the forest had been nowhere near that level. And yet he'd struggled. Now these Panchams had forced him on the defensive as well?

Was he honestly that weak, even after everything he had been through at Marcus's side?

Drapion shook his head. Now was not the time for such thoughts. Not with Tyranitar arriving any second for their fight.

Would he even want to fight? Likely he would have heard about the Panchams. If they considered him too weak to fight against, why would Tyranitar not do the same?

"Ready?"

Drapion very nearly sighed with relief as Tyranitar's voice came from behind him. He hadn't even heard the massive Pokemon walking up to him. "'Course," he growled, turning to face the behemoth.

"Good," Tyranitar growled. "Let's go."

The Rock/Dark-type Pokemon twisted and began to stride down the path. Drapion followed closely, the doubt in his mind replacing itself with anticipation building for the upcoming battle.

"You are certain it was him?"

"He wielded Dark energy naturally," the Pancham growled. "And he traveled with Pokemon that matched the descriptions. It can be no other."

"Three of you faced him?"

"Yes," the Pancham growled. "I will admit he is strong. One of our number was knocked unconscious in only a few attacks. However, our Quash technique made him vulnerable. The three of us alone could not have bested him, and furthermore, two of his allies were present as well. They did not assist, but if they had, our entire group would likely have fallen."

The Drapion standing across from him smirked. "As expected. In that case, alert your Pangoro. He and ten Panchams will march to meet me and ten Skorupi in an hour. Once we arrive at his location, we will bide our time and wait for an opportunity. Then we will strike."

"As you wish." The Pancham scurried away to carry out the order.

The Drapion turned to one of his attendant Skorupi. "You heard my command. Ready the troops. By this time tomorrow, the Marked One will be slain forever. And the Unseen Fist Swarm will earn the Swarmlord's favor."

The Drapion and his two attendant Skorupi turned and marched into the forest to gather their own comrades. None of them noticed the Liepard watching, eyes glowing yellow, from the nearby trees.

For clarification, the final scene of this chapter takes place earlier than the second-to-last scene.

Also, Piers's song. It's an expansion of the song he does in the train station during the Sword/Shield main plot. I'm no songwriter, but I think it turned out well. Hopefully it isn't too cringe.