The valley was silent, save for the brisk wind that was blowing, chilling Ripper's fur. He paid no heed; his eyes were on the towering purple form of Nidoking as he stood atop a boulder, glaring around at the three beaten, but still feebly stirring, Absols surrounding him.
He'd known Nidoking was strong. Betrayer-Of-Kin was one of the strongest Pokemon Ripper knew, and Nidoking had been able to stalemate her. Ripper had never imagined that Nidoking had been holding back during that battle.
Then again, Betrayer-Of-Kin had also been holding back for the entire time he'd known her. Was Nidoking truly stronger than Betrayer-Of-Kin? Or were they both so strong that Ripper had no chance of matching them?
That was the worst part to Ripper. Until now, some part of him had thought maybe, eventually, he could be as strong as or stronger than his compatriots. But now that was seeming more and more like an impossibility.
"Go back to your so-called 'Master'," Nidoking growled. "Tell him that if he thinks he can interfere with my mission, he'd better come himself next time."
Then he turned and stalked back towards Ripper and Betrayer-Of-Kin, leaving the broken Heralds behind as he stepped smoothly over the crumbled earth and fallen rocks in his path, his massive tail dragging across the ground, his wounds not slowing him down at all.
"Was that smoky thing another friend of yours?" Nidoking asked as he approached Betrayer-Of-Kin.
"No, I can't say I have any idea what that was," Betrayer-Of-Kin admitted. "Or why it did what it did. To be perfectly honest, I really don't care."
"We should get out of here," Ripper suggested. "More of them might show up."
"I doubt it," said Nidoking. "But you're right. It would be prudent to depart."
With one last look at the destroyed valley, Ripper turned and followed his two allies as they stalked away, neither one bothering to glance back at the devastation they'd wrought.
"Master?" Bringer-Of-Visions' voice was unnerved, filled with surprise and worry. "Is that you?"
"Yes, Bringer," said Darkrai. "Leave. Head to Oblivion. I will meet you there in a few minutes."
"But-"
"Did you not hear me?" Darkrai interrupted. "Go. Now. I won't be long."
With a reluctant nod, and several questions clear on her face, Bringer-Of-Visions released Medicham and disappeared into a cloud of darkness.
Medicham's eyes didn't follow the Absol's movement. She simply continued to stare at the roof of the dojo unblinkingly. Darkrai knew exactly what those thoughts in her head now held. Shock. Fury. The feeling of betrayal.
"Medicham, I-"
"Was it all a lie?" Medicham's voice was dull, as if wearied by a thousand battles. Darkrai felt like breaking down at the sheer defeat in her tone.
"No!" Darkrai's protest came out a lot more desperate than he'd meant it to be. "Medicham, I promise you, I never lied-"
"Then what was that?" Raw fury bubbled to the edges of her voice as she practically spat the question. "I…I thought I knew you! I trusted you! And you're…you're with them? You're the Master of the Heralds?"
"Yes, I am," said Darkrai, "but that doesn't have to make you-"
"Shut up!" Medicham snapped, rising to her feet. "Don't you even talk to me! I-"
"Who do you think it was that convinced Bringer-Of-Visions to offer you a chance to keep your memories?" Darkrai asked. "Please, Medicham, I'm on your side. The Heralds-"
"You've been playing me," Medicham growled.
"What? No!"
"I get it now," she continued, unheeding of Darkrai's protests. "You were the carrot to Bringer-Of-Visions' stick. It was all one big manipulation. You were making me stronger so I could fulfill my so-called destiny. You had it all planned out, didn't you? Subtly manipulating me into doing the Heralds' work with my newfound strength, while I'd be none the wiser. Do I have that right?"
Panic seized Darkrai's mind. "Medicham, listen to me-"
"Do I have that right?" Medicham screamed.
Both fell silent, Medicham panting as if her exhortations had left her exhausted, Darkrai searching for any possible way he could refute her arguments without outright lying.
"Yes." Each word felt as if it had been dragged from Darkrai's throat. "That…that was the initial plan. But-"
"Get out of my head," Medicham ordered, her voice back to that dull, barely emotive tone. "Get out of my head and don't come back. I don't want to see or hear you in my dreams ever again. And I definitely don't want to be your friend. Because near as I can tell, you've got plenty of those."
Darkrai knew Medicham couldn't see him. No one could, after all. But he nodded anyway. "Okay," he whispered.
There was nothing more to say. Darkrai turned and floated into Oblivion, leaving Medicham and the silent dojo behind.
Bringer-Of-Visions was standing there, awaiting his arrival. Darkrai felt a flash of hatred and revulsion rise to his mind and forced it back down. "Bringer," he said.
"Master," said Bringer-Of-Visions, "I apologize. I didn't know-"
"We discussed this," Darkrai said. "You would provide the stick, I the carrot. This is why we allowed her to keep her memories. We'll be lucky if she's not completely broken and useless after this."
He hated the words. But he knew they were what Bringer-Of-Visions wanted to hear. A reflection of the identity he'd carefully cultivated for the Heralds over a thousand years.
"Please, Master, accept my most humble apologies," said Bringer-Of-Visions, bowing her head in sorrow. "I was not thinking straight. Anger blinded me."
"Clearly." Darkrai forced his voice to soften. "Why so troubled, Bringer?"
"Master, our strike against Betrayer-Of-Kin failed," Bringer-Of-Visions admitted. "She had a Champion-level Nidoking on her side, and some kind of teleportation-based being that forced me away from the fight. It was that being that sent me into your…construction."
"What of the other Heralds?" Darkrai asked.
"Finder-Of-Knowledge is dead, Master," said Bringer-Of-Visions sadly. "I do not know the fates of the other three."
"And this teleportation-based being," said Darkrai. "Describe it."
"Almost…almost like a cross between a puff of smoke and a miniature nebula," said Bringer-Of-Visions.
Darkrai's mind flared with recognition. "Attend to the members of your team," he said. "Betrayer-Of-Kin has won this round. She will not win the next."
"Agreed." Bringer-Of-Visions smiled slightly. "Thank you, Master. I will alert you of their status once I find them."
"See that you do," Darkrai ordered. Bringer-Of-Visions dematerialized, disappearing back into the real world, leaving Darkrai alone once again.
Darkrai frowned. So Cosmog had gotten involved. Brought Bringer-Of-Visions from the fight with Betrayer-Of-Kin directly to the Dream World, at the worst possible place in time. But why? Why would Cosmog do such a thing? Darkrai could not read Cosmog's future, but he had seen the creature's dreams; he'd seemed so carefree, so unburdened. So why would such an untroubled creature suddenly orchestrate a gambit such as that?
It made no sense. Darkrai knew he would have to find Cosmog. Learn the truth.
As Darkrai retreated back to the Dream World, he was unsurprised to find the dojo unoccupied, Medicham long gone. Darkrai felt guilt surge through him once more. Try as he might, he couldn't deny it; no matter how much blame he assigned to Cosmog or Bringer-Of-Visions, in the end this was his own fault for not telling Medicham the truth.
He should have known it would fall apart eventually.
With a last mournful look at the dojo, Darkrai dissolved the building with a wave of his hand and began casting out his senses, searching the Dream World for the nebula-esque form of Cosmog.
Marshadow blinked sleepily; the sun was rising, and yet he still felt utterly exhausted. His ears pricked as he heard the unmistakable sound of sobbing outside the tree that had formed his hideaway for the night.
As soon as he realized it was Cosmog's voice, he was up and peeking out of the tree, eyeing the nebula-like being down below. "Cosmog?" he asked. "What is it?"
Cosmog looked up. "i...i think i made a terrible mistake," he said. "my powers...they activated...and i think i hurt someone..."
Marshadow felt pity rise in his stomach as he stared down at Cosmog. He knew exactly what the smoky being was going through.
"i didn't mean to do it..." Cosmog wailed. "it just happened..."
The day was bright and sunny, as all Alolan days seemed to be, and Marcus's general mood seemed to reflect that. He seemed positively gleeful as he informed the team that Drapion and Pangoro were back from the Pokemon Center, that Grimsley had used their free vouchers to sign the group up for a ferry ride to Ula'ula Island to meet Kahuna Nanu, and that the ferry was leaving in the afternoon, which would give them the morning to train.
Furthermore, Marcus would finally be allowing Kamado to train with the rest of the team, and had given him a TM for Rock Tomb that he'd bought at a local market. The Tyrunt's happiness at the pronouncement was infectious, and very soon the rest of the team was grinning at Kamado's excitement.
Medicham could not share in that happiness. She wanted to, more than anything, but any training now just reminded her too much of Darkrai, and so even seeing Kamado literally jumping with joy at the news didn't help her mood.
Kamado was paired with Trevenant, and the rest of the team members were quickly paired up as well, with Kriesh being teamed with Medicham. As the training began, Medicham was aware that Connie, Theo, and Serena were having their own training sessions; several times she saw through the nearby trees a few of their Pokemon battling it out. She also saw Grimsley several times; from what she could tell, he was mostly hanging back and watching the team work, sipping a drink.
"Medicham?"
Medicham stopped at Kriesh's query, the Aura Blast she'd been readying to throw dissipating in her hand. "What is it?"
"It's…you just seem distracted," said Kriesh. "Is something wrong?"
Medicham opened her mouth, ready to pour the story out. She could confide in Kriesh, she knew, and…
And what was she supposed to tell Kriesh? That the Heralds were led by a Legendary? That she'd trusted that Legendary? Trained with him for a week, and not told Kriesh at all until now?
The words came out before her mind could properly mull the decision over. "No. Nothing's wrong."
Kriesh cocked her head. "You sure?"
Damn it! What was I thinking? Medicham knew at once she'd made a mistake. But it was too late. She'd lied. Admitting her lie would only make it worse.
"I'm sure," Medicham said hollowly.
It took a few moments before Kriesh nodded. "All right." The two words sent a pang of guilt through Medicham's heart. "Should we get back to it?"
"Yes," said Medicham, and with that the two flung themselves back into training, Medicham still only really half paying attention.
For once, the day passed by without any unwanted excitement. Kriesh had half expected Pangoro's viciousness and lack of experience in working alongside others to be stumbling blocks, but the newest member of the team had thrown himself into training against Drapion with unexpected glee, scarcely seeming to notice the rest of the team giving him a fairly wide berth. Kriesh couldn't say she liked Pangoro; his torment of the Yungoos family reminded her too much of Team Rocket's treatment of their Pokemon, and his thirst for blood made Kriesh nervous about potentially having to train with him. But she would freely admit that he was quite strong, and if Marcus could rein him in, Pangoro might make a fine addition to his Gym Leader team.
Kamado's training with Trevenant also went off without a hitch. The two of them got along wonderfully, with Kamado busying himself hurling barrages of rocks at Trevenant courtesy of his new TM and using Rock Polish to dodge the intentionally telegraphed bursts of vines that Trevenant retaliated with. Before long, Kamado was zipping around the area faster than a Pokemon of his build should be able to and having an absolute blast doing so, barely repressing open glee while Trevenant threw powerful-looking Shadow Balls his way at a speed only slightly slower than what Kriesh knew the Ghost/Grass-type Pokemon was capable of.
For the afternoon's ferry ride, the group was very nearly the only occupants of the ferry. Kriesh half-expected Team Skull to show up again, but no Grunts showed themselves. This time around Grimsley sat at the back of the boat, away from the rest of the group. Kriesh heard him say to Marcus at one point, as they got on the boat, that he'd 'played his part' and now he was simply here to watch. With Grimsley uninvolved, the rest of the group sat around a table and spent most of the hour-long ferry ride chatting about Gym-related topics. Evidently also worried about a repeat of the last ferry ride, Marcus had allowed Kriesh to remain out of her Luxury Ball during the trip, an opportunity Kriesh took to stretch her wings and fly around the ferry several times.
As she did so, Medicham's demeanor kept coming back to Kriesh. Yes, she'd said nothing was wrong, but Kriesh knew she was lying, or at least not telling her everything. She'd just been too distracted, too halfhearted. And it unnerved Kriesh to see Medicham like that, especially when she wouldn't tell Kriesh why.
Ultimately, though, Kriesh decided to wait to confront Medicham until whatever had happened had somewhat boiled over. There was no sense in instigating a direct confrontation now, when she would be most defensive and unwilling to talk at all. Better to talk later when tensions were lower.
Regardless of Medicham's behavior, Kriesh felt as if this was one of the least stressful days she'd ever had. No major upcoming battles to worry about, no evil team attacks, not even any sign of the Heralds. Both Grimsley's Absol and Seeker-Of-Endings were tucked away in their Pokeballs; Kriesh wasn't entirely sure whether Grimsley's Absol was a Herald, but judging by how Karen's Absol almost certainly was, Kriesh had a sneaking suspicion that Grimsley's was as well.
As a result, a small part of her kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. And it did, eventually, do so, practically the instant the ferry ramp dropped and the group stepped onto the Malie City docks.
The docks in question were laid out on one side of a lengthy path that led from Malie City proper out into the water. On the other side of the path was a massive blue building, Malie City Ferry Terminal emblazoned on its side, surrounded by small, artificially grown trees. As Marcus led the group onto the main path, half a dozen Team Skull Grunts leaped out of the artificial trees, already releasing their Pokemon. "Grab 'em!" one Grunt shouted, an order echoed by the other Grunts as they and their Pokemon pounded down the docks.
Kriesh felt a surge of adrenaline rush through her as she lunged to intercept the incoming foes. Team Skull, Team Flare, Team Rocket…she was sick and tired of these 'teams'. And she'd go to Distortion before she let them take any of her friends.
"Sniper: Beam Impact!" she bellowed. The unlucky Gliscor she'd aimed at attempted to lunge out of the way, but could not escape the seeking Hyper Beam and was hurled back into an artificial tree trunk. Others came on, the Team Skull Pokemon diving towards their new opponent; Kriesh saw two Noctowl coming at her, one on each side, and an Unfezant lunging from above.
"Slumbering Pulse," the two Noctowls chorused. Kriesh backwinged, avoiding the two pulses of Psychic energy that came at her. "Flurry Impact!" she cried, aiming for the Unfezant as it came down on him, but to her irritation the Unfezant, with a cry of "Aerial Blades!", flapped its wings quickly, unleashing a flurry of Flying energy-formed blades that scythed through the seeking beams of Dark energy.
"Aerial Strike!" The Unfezant swooped down upon Kriesh, claws glinting with Flying energy. "Sniper: Barrage Impact!" Kriesh retorted, surrounding her beak with her own Flying energy and shifting to deflect the Unfezant's slashing claws. The Unfezant got off four swift swings, all of which were deflected, before it suddenly leaped off to the side, revealing one of the Noctowl, wings spread, rising behind it.
"Slashing Pulse," the Noctowl crooned; the sudden flap of his wings, sending another pair of aerial blades soaring towards Kriesh, was a sharp contrast to the Noctowl's calm tone. "Flurry Impact!" Kriesh cried, sniping the blades out of the air with the technique's seeking rays, but then another, more excited, cry of "Slashing Pulse!" came from below and Kriesh felt two more blades slice into her chest.
She recoiled, seeing the Unfezant coming in for another attack as she did so. "Sniper: Beam Impact!" she cried, and was rewarded with a startled shriek as the Unfezant was sent flying by the attack. "Confusing Pulse," intoned the calmer Noctowl; with a snarl of "Dark Impact!", Kriesh surrounded her body with Dark energy and flung herself straight into the Noctowl's Psychic attack, dispersing it before her.
The calm Noctowl clumsily flapped out of the way. The excited Noctowl cried out "Slashing Pulse!" again, but this time Kriesh was more prepared; she folded her wings and dropped out of the sky, feeling the blades ruffle her feathers as they soared over her head. Twisting, she beheld the excited Noctowl, wings beating as he tried to gain height.
"Sky Impact!" Kriesh shrieked, hurling herself at the excited Noctowl.
"Aerial Slam!" In all the confusion, Kriesh had assumed her Beam Impact had downed the Unfezant, but it was still very much up and fighting. The Unfezant slammed straight into Kriesh's side, tossing her away with a grunt of effort.
"Slashing Pulse!" The two Noctowls' voices blended together as both launched blades of Flying energy at the flailing Kriesh. Again Kriesh folded her wings and dove, barely avoiding the flying blades. She could feel her side throbbing with pain, but pushed it back.
I'm not going to let them beat me. I'll die first.
"Dragon's Song!"
One of the Noctowls was knocked sideways into the other by a burst of Dragon energy as Serena's Altaria flew into view, blue body and cloudlike wings blending into the afternoon sky. The Unfezant whirled to meet this new threat, and Kriesh took full advantage of the distraction. "Sniper: Beam Impact!" she cried; this time the Hyper Beam curved around Unfezant, slammed into it from above, and drove it into the main path. A nasty crack sounded as it struck the stone, and when the energy cleared the Unfezant was out cold, one wing bent oddly.
"Confusing Pulse!" the excited Noctowl cried.
Altaria flared her wings. "Ghost's Song!" she retorted, surrounding her body with Ghost energy. Then she lunged, driving through the Psychic attack unscathed. "Dragon's Song!" she cried, but the Noctowl was quick enough to flutter away.
"Flurry Impact!" Kriesh cried, seeing the calm Noctowl, now looking much less calm, rising up behind Altaria. The Noctowl cried out in surprise and pain as the Dark-type rays struck him in the side and sent him spiraling to the ground. Kriesh dove after his dazed form; with a cry of "Steel Impact!", she cracked him over the head with a Steel energy-enhanced flick of her wing, knocking him out.
Another cry came from above as the other Noctowl failed to evade a Moon's Song from Altaria. Quickly Altaria lunged at the flailing Noctowl. "Sky Song!" A meaty thump sounded as the last Noctowl fell.
"You all right?" Altaria asked. Kriesh looked up at the Dragon/Flying-type, remembering when she'd first seen her less than a month ago; a raging wild Pokemon, assaulting Serena and Marcus over a couple berries. How far she'd come since then!
Kriesh sighed as she remembered how far she herself had come. What she'd been like when Marcus first caught her. There was no way she, of all Pokemon, could judge Altaria for her origins.
"Yeah, I'm fine," said Kriesh. "Come on, we should help the others."
But even as she began to turn away from Altaria, out of the corner of her eye she spotted another Pokemon rushing up behind the Dargon/Flying-type. A Haunter, grinning wickedly, a Curse on the tips of its fingers, with Altaria completely unaware.
"Altaria, look out!" Kriesh cried, but she knew it was too late. The Haunter was too close.
"Black Hole Burst!"
A new voice came from below, taking the form of an enraged hiss, and a blast of Dark energy slammed into the charging Haunter and knocked it straight into the side of the Ferry Terminal. Glancing down, Kriesh saw a new arrival, a gray-haired man wearing a dark red shirt and a black, short-sleeved jacket with yellow patches on his shoulders. He walked with a slouched demeanor, but the look in his eyes and the clenching of his fists portrayed both confidence and competence. An Alolan Persian was on his left, crouched and gazing upwards; it looked as if it had been the Alolan Persian that had fired the Black Hole Burst. On the new arrival's right was…Kriesh felt a low growl come into her throat at the sight of yet another Absol.
Was there a single high-level Dark-type Trainer that didn't have a Herald on their team?
"Nanu!" Grimsley cried; he had sent out his Krookodile, Sharpedo, and Bisharp, all three of whom were tearing their way through a mob of enemy Pokemon with gusto. "Glad you could make it!"
"Was going to say the same to you," said Nanu. "Persian. Finish this."
The Alolan Persian smirked. Kriesh saw a flash of Dark energy pulse at the Dark-type's throat. A small ball of blackness flew from the Alolan Persian's neck into the air, seemingly aimed at no one.
"Black Hole Eclipse," the Alolan Persian snarled.
And then the ball exploded into a surge of roiling black and red energy that instantly reminded Kriesh of the Harbinger of Death, a massive sphere that seemed to tear at the sky itself, enshrouding the area in blood-red light. The Team Skull Pokemon, both conscious and not, began to be pulled towards the sphere, the conscious ones struggling uselessly against the sphere's pull. Screams of agony erupted from the Pokemon that did touch the sphere, prompting even more frenzied struggling from the affected Pokemon, but one after another they were dragged into the roiling sphere, adding their screams to the already-existing chorus.
No one but the Team Skull Pokemon were affected, but Kriesh was shocked by the massive display of power. She could feel the force of the attack even from her place high above it, feel it pull and tug at her even though it wasn't actually trying to force her into it. Such a powerful attack should have been impossible to control in such a fashion, and yet Nanu's Alolan Persian was doing exactly that, the blue gem on its forehead shining with power and its face screwed up in concentration.
With a growl of effort, Nanu's Alolan Persian broke his concentration. The sphere exploded, a shockwave of power rippling through the air in all directions, buffeting the various Pokemon and Trainers alike with its strength. The Team Skull Pokemon fell to the ground, landing in a heap on the stone path. Their Trainers stood slack-jawed at the scene; so were Marcus and Serena, while Theo, Connie, and Grimsley were grinning knowingly.
"So," said Nanu to the Grunts, "you going to surrender peacefully? Or am I going to have to make you?"
Persian backed his Trainer up with a vicious snarl. Cringing, the Grunts raised their hands and knelt on the ground.
"What…was that?" Marcus could be heard asking. Kriesh was curious, too; she quickly turned her ear towards the ground, listening for the reply, and saw out of the corner of her eye that Altaria was doing the same.
"Z-Move," said Grimsley. "It's…eh, Connie and Theo can fill you in later. Nanu, what's going on? You're not usually so out and about."
Nanu nodded. "Thing is, this isn't the only area Team Skull's in. I've been getting reports from all around the island. It seems they're causing chaos practically everywhere. Acerola's dealing with a group around the Thrifty Megamart, I haven't heard from the Hokulani Observatory, and the Ace Trainers are running themselves ragged everywhere else."
Kriesh and Altaria soared down to their respective Trainers. As Kriesh looked around, she could see that nearly all of her teammates had been sent out. A few of them had scratches, but on the whole none of them seemed as badly injured as Kriesh was.
"So who have you brought for me?" Nanu asked.
Grimsley quickly introduced Marcus and the rest. Nanu gave the faintest hint of a smile. "Aspiring Gym Leader, huh?"
"Yes, that's me," said Marcus.
"Well, I suppose we could talk later," said Nanu. "Right now, I'm off to the Megamart. Acerola could probably use the help."
"Where else could we be useful?" Grimsley asked.
"The observatory might be under threat," said Nanu. "I've heard Kukui's fighting at Mount Lanakila…only got a couple of Ace Trainers in Tapu Village, Ula'ula Beach, and Ula'ula Meadow…a couple of locals are tracking down some stolen Pokemon near the Aether House…"
"I'll head to the observatory," said Grimsley.
"Thanks." Nanu turned and dashed off, his Alolan Persian and Absol running in his wake.
Marcus sighed. "We should split up," he said. "Cover more ground."
"Normally I'd be against that," said Theo, "but I think you're right. We've got four locations beside the observatory, and four Trainers…"
"I'll go after the stolen Pokemon," said Marcus. "Those locals will need more help than the Ace Trainers will."
"Fair enough," said Connie. "I'll head to Tapu Village."
"And I'll go to Ula'ula Beach," said Serena.
"Guess I'm off to Ula'ula Meadow," said Theo. "We'll meet back at…the Aether House?"
"Sure," said Marcus. "It'll be close to where I am, anyway."
"All right, let's go," said Connie. "See you all soon."
"That's the plan," said Serena.
"Kriesh, let's go," said Marcus. As the three Gym Trainers turned and began to run into Malie City, Kriesh spread her wings, allowing the energy of Fly to surround her. Marcus hopped onto her back, and Kriesh leaped into the air, leaving Malie City behind.
Kriesh did not see Grimsley, still standing on the docks, give a faint smile before sending out his Sharpedo in the water. The former Dark-type Elite Four member leaped onto Sharpedo's backside, and the two raced away across the water.
About five minutes after their departure, it was becoming increasingly clear to Kriesh that in their haste to go and help, no one had figured out the directions of any of the places they were going.
Likely the other three had found some sort of map in Malie City, but Marcus had no such thing, and was attempting to look up Ula'ula Island on his Pokedex in order to figure out exactly where they were going.
By now, though, Kriesh could at least tell they were going in the wrong direction, because she could see ocean close to her left and far to her right, indicating that unless Aether House was at the end of the peninsula she suspected they were on, they would not be reaching it by continuing to fly in this direction.
To her right, Kriesh could now see what looked to be a large city surrounded by high walls. The city looked somewhat dilapidated, but moving figures could be seen dotting the walls and the city streets. Red-roofed buildings filled the city, one of which was much larger than the rest and could be seen at the far end. Kriesh strained her vision, wishing she'd gotten Keen Eye as her Ability instead of Sniper. Sniper was quite useful, but with Keen Eye she would have been able to see those figures as if they were right next to her.
A sharp whistle came from below.
Kriesh twisted her head to see a teenager standing in the trees below them, gesturing for them to come down. She recognized Elio from Akala Island, his Tsareena standing next to him. "Dive," Marcus whispered; apparently he'd heard and spotted Elio too. Kriesh dove; the trees made it difficult to land, and as such her landing was a little rough, but she managed to set herself down without incident.
"Elio," Marcus greeted. "What's going on?"
"What are you doing, flying around up there?" Elio asked. "Team Skull will see you!"
"What do you mean?" Marcus queried.
"We're right next to Po Town!" Elio whispered. "The place is crawling with Grunts!"
"Well, then, what are you doing here?" Marcus asked.
"Tracking down some stolen Pokemon," said Elio. "The Grunts that stole them took them to Po Town."
"Oh, so you're one of the locals Nanu mentioned," said Marcus. "Is anyone else with you?"
"Hau and Lillie stayed behind at Aether House," answered Elio. "I came alone."
"Alone? Against all these Grunts?" Marcus sounded aghast.
"I've fought and beaten a lot of these guys before," said Elio. "I've even faced and beaten two of their Admins and their boss. I'm confident in my team's skills."
"Wait, what do you mean you've beaten their boss?" Marcus asked incredulously. "Like, their leader?"
"Yeah," said Elio. "Not gonna lie, it was difficult, but-"
"Okay, either you're a lot more powerful than I thought or their boss is seriously incompetent," said Marcus.
Elio sighed. "Look, I'm heading into Po Town. You want to come with?"
Marcus nodded. "You got a flier?"
"No, I have Toucannon but he doesn't fly," said Elio. "Is that Fearow big enough for two?"
"Her name's Kriesh," said Marcus. "And yes, she is."
Kriesh glanced pointedly at Elio to underscore her Trainer's statement.
"Tsareena, back in the ball," said Elio. "Looks like we've got ourselves a way in."
"That is, if you're fine with not being stealthy," said Marcus.
"Those walls are heavily guarded," said Elio. "We'll get spotted no matter what. It'll be better to go in quickly."
"Okay, hop on," said Marcus. "Where in Po Town do we land?"
"No idea," said Elio. "But the big mansion on the far end would probably be our best bet."
"If you don't have a flier, how do you know what's in Po Town?" Marcus asked.
"I climbed a tree," responded Elio. "Now, if we're done with questions, shall we?"
"I suppose," said Marcus. "Hop on."
Kriesh obediently crouched, allowing Marcus and Elio to get on. As it had been with Connie, it felt strange to have an unfamiliar person riding on her back, but she lifted off anyway, taking care not to hit any trees with her wings.
"So what's your team?" Marcus asked as Kriesh cleared the treetops.
"Tsareena, Toucannon, Lycanroc, Incineroar, Alolan Ninetales, and Rotom," said Elio.
"Hello!" a robotic voice shouted cheerfully from Elio's belt, startling Kriesh.
"Not now, Rotom," said Elio, patting the Pokemon that had, until now, looked exactly like a Pokedex.
"I didn't know Rotoms could speak to humans," said Marcus.
"Not usually," said Elio. "This one's special. So, what's your team?"
"Aside from Kriesh," said Marcus, "I've got Kamado - he's a Tyrunt. And then I've got Medicham, Drapion, Cloyster, Trevenant, Houndoom, Liepard, and Pangoro."
"That's a lot of Pokemon," said Elio. "Doesn't that get cumbersome?"
"Not really," said Marcus. "It's useful in situations like this."
"Yeah, you're right about that," said Elio. "We're approaching the wall…you sure you want in on this?"
Marcus smiled. "You know something, Elio? I made a promise, back near the start of my journey. That I'd get stronger so that no Pokemon had to be taken away against their will. So that everyone, human and Pokemon, had the right to choose what they wanted to do. This…this is exactly what I've been training to stop. Of course I want in on this."
"Sounds good," said Elio. "Oh. Looks like we've been spotted."
Kriesh looked down to see a Team Skull Grunt eyeing them suspiciously. By now, the wall was about a hundred feet away; when they were fifty feet away, with no sign of stopping, the Grunt released a Pidgeotto into the air, who at once flew up to intercept Kriesh.
"All right," said the Pidgeotto, "I don't know what you think you're doing, but you'd better turn back, or else-"
"Hyper Beam," said Marcus.
Elio noticeably started as Kriesh, with a cry of "Beam Impact!", sent the Pidgeotto flying back over the wall. The shocked-looking Grunt rapidly recalled her Pidgeotto and began to run to the side, shouting, as Kreish sailed over the wall.
"Don't you think that was a little overkill?" Elio asked. "We'll want to conserve as much energy as possible for our exit."
"Kriesh has a lot of practice with Hyper Beam," Marcus responded. "It doesn't take that much energy."
"Huh…okay, are you some kind of Ace Trainer?" Elio asked.
"No," said Marcus.
"Veteran, then? Or a Gym Leader of some sort? Damn it, I'm sounding like Hau…"
"No, I've only been a Trainer for a couple months," said Marcus. "But I am an aspiring Gym Leader."
"That's cool," said Elio. "I've only been at this for a month at most."
Marcus frowned. "Seriously? You've been a Trainer for a month and you beat Team Skull's boss? That-"
"We're nearing the mansion," Elio interrupted. "Where are we landing?"
"Balcony." Marcus pointed to the front balcony of the mansion, a semicircular platform surrounding a large expanse of windows on the top floor. "No Grunts up there."
"True," said Elio. "Not that it'll matter unless we move quickly, because every Grunt's going to be on alert within the next few minutes."
"I know," said Marcus. "Kriesh, balcony."
Kriesh tucked her wings and dove, reaching out her claws to grasp the fenced edge of the balcony. As soon as she'd slowed to a more manageable speed, she hopped down to the balcony proper and allowed Marcus and Elio off.
It was well she did, for just as the two Trainers hopped off a pair of Team Skull Grunts stepped through the door to the balcony. "…and he said, 'No, it's just my Magmar!'" one Grunt said; the other's laughter quickly died down as he spotted the two non-Team Skull Trainers standing on the balcony.
"What th-"
"Tsareena, stop them!" Elio ordered as quietly as he could.
Tsareena materialized out of her Pokeball and instantly glared at the two Trainers. "Queenly Majesty," she said in an imperious tone that reminded Kriesh of a female Heliolisk. The two Grunts, who had been about to send out Pokemon, stopped short, gazing at Tsareena with undisguised admiration.
Tsareena smiled warmly, reached out her tiny pink arms, and summoned forth a surge of vines that wrapped around the entranced Grunts, binding them tightly. The Grunts fell to the ground, struggling uselessly.
Tsareena turned to Marcus and Kriesh and took a little bow.
"Yes, Tsareena, you're amazing," said Elio. "There will be more inside."
Kriesh realized at that moment that she'd been staring at Tsareena for the last few seconds, her own feelings of admiration stirring in her heart. Quickly, she forced them back with a grunt of disgust. She hated it when others affected her mind.
Tsareena clearly noticed. "Sorry," she said, sounding not very apologetic. "It's a little difficult to control the direction of my Ability."
Kriesh and Tsareena moved side by side into the building, their Trainers following behind them. "What is that, anyway?" Kriesh asked, need for a strategy overriding her dislike of Tsareena.
"Queenly Majesty," Tsareena explained, "allows me to exert my will upon my opponents and force me to see them as their ruler. In essence it's a temporary hypnosis. And what's your Ability?"
"Sniper," said Kriesh. "I can change and control the direction of my attacks."
"I saw you use Hyper Beam back there," said Tsareena. "Can you use Sniper with that?"
"Of course," said Kriesh.
Tsareena nodded approvingly.
"Shh!" Marcus's hiss made Tsareena and Kriesh quickly step back against the nearby wall. Two more Grunts could be heard, their footsteps approaching and then fading. A door shut, and the footsteps stopped.
"Which way?" Marcus asked Elio.
"What makes you think I know?" Elio asked.
Slowly, Marcus stepped past Tsareena and Kriesh to peek around the corner. "Two guards, standing in front of the door to the right, past some boxes."
"Anyone else?" Elio asked.
"Not that I can see," said Marcus.
"Then we head there," said Elio. "You said you have a Trevenant. He any good at stealth?"
"Not really," said Marcus, turning back to Elio. "But-"
He stopped, his eyes widening as he looked over Elio's shoulder. Kriesh, Tsareena, and Elio followed his gaze to see three Salandit, frozen mid-stride near the door to the balcony.
"…one of the Grunts didn't have seals on his Pokeballs," said Marcus nervously.
"Tsareena-" Elio cried, but before he could, the Salandits recovered from their shock. "Fire Storm!" all three cried; blasts of Fire energy flew from all three Salandits, coalescing into a massive stream of flames that shot straight for Kriesh and Tsareena.
"Down!" Kriesh cried. "Beam Impact!"
The blast of Normal energy shot out from Kriesh's beak and slammed into the Fire Storm with a massive thunderclap of noise that officially threw all stealth out the window. But they could deal with that later; right now, Kriesh was realizing that while the three Salandits could never take on her Beam Impact individually, together they were capable of matching it and even pushing it back. Kriesh forced more energy into the attack, but her beam was getting shorter and shorter as the Fire Storm pressed closer and closer.
"Swift Stomp!"
Elio had sent out his Lycanroc. The tan-colored Rock-type swiftly lunged, a surge of Ground energy rushing from his front paws as he landed. The Salandits screamed out in pain as the extremely supereffective attack struck all three, sending them flying. Kriesh's Beam Impact flew past their flailing bodies and slammed into the opposite wall.
"Swift Rock!" A flurry of Rock energy-formed blasts finished the Salandits off, but now the two Grunts by the nearby door had been alerted and had sent out a Fraxure and a Toxapex. Tsareena leaped around the corner. "Queenly Majesty!" she cried, but the Fraxure was ready. "Rage Blast!" the Fraxure bellowed, unleashing a blast of Dragon energy that slammed into Tsareena and knocked her backwards onto the ground. At once, the Grunts, who had begun to look entranced, shook their heads and sent out their remaining Pokemon.
"That Fraxure has Mold Breaker!" Tsareena spat, struggling to her feet.
"Tsareena says the Fraxure has Mold Breaker-zzt!" Elio's Rotom cried.
"Got it," said Elio. "We've got to get through those boxes…Rotom, get over there and Discharge! Try and knock them back!" He released his Incineroar onto the floor. "Incineroar-"
"Houndoom, get those boxes out of the way!" Marcus was quicker on the uptake. Houndoom landed on the ground, spotted the boxes, and with a snarl of "Flame Surge!", unleashed a wave of Fire energy at the boxes.
"Marcus!" Elio cried, panic in his voice as he watched the boxes catch fire, lighting the walls and roof with a flickering orange. "Do you realize how much of this place is made of wood?"
"Cloyster, get ready!" Marcus ordered. "Once those boxes are down, Surf!"
Indeed, the boxes were blazing, collapsing in a storm of Fire energy. Cloyster grinned. "Wave Blast!" he cried, hurling a massive wave of Water energy at the flaming boxes. The flames were extinguished, the now-loose timbers of the boxes swept away, and the path to the door was now clear.
Clear, that was, except for the two Grunts and eight Pokemon standing between it and them.
"Electric Blast-zzt!" Rotom was the first to strike, sending a Discharge at the enemy group of Pokemon, but a Togedemaru leaped up - "Lightning Rod!" - and sucked the energy into itself. "Take this!" the Togedemaru yelled. "Lightning Bolt!" The absorbed Electric energy shot back at Rotom, who yelped and dove downwards, barely avoiding it as it carved a gash in the roof.
"Sniper: Beam Impact!" Kriesh had more luck with her attack, striking the Toxapex and knocking it back into the wall. Irritatingly, Kriesh could see its wounds closing even as it stood. Regenerator, she realized; she'd had enough of that Ability watching Drapion and Houndoom taking on Olympia's Slowking.
Houndoom seemed to recognize it too. "Solar Surge!" he bellowed, aiming his Power Herb-boosted Solar Beam at the Toxapex. Unfortunately, a Vanillish dove in front of the attack, staving it off. Cloyster launched an Ice Flurry at the Fraxure, but a Pyukumuku raised a Protect and took the attack.
The Grunts' Pokemon returned fire, blasts of energy flying towards their opponents. Cloyster deflected the blasts that came at him with a Protect of his own, while Houndoom intercepted a Simisage's barrage of Grass energy with a Flame Storm and the other attacks flew wide. At that moment Elio's Lycanroc and Incineroar leaped forwards, hurling themselves at the Grunts' Pokemon with Fire and Rock energy surrounding them. Exposed, the Vanillish fell instantly from the Incineroar's powerful punch.
Kriesh dove forwards into the fray, taking to the air. The group was now fighting on an open-air hallway, one side facing out into empty space with only a railing separating them from a drop to the first floor. Kriesh dove over the railing, twisted to the side, and flung a Flurry Impact at the Mimikyu she'd seen waiting in the back. "Disguise!" the Mimikyu shrieked; Kriesh could have sworn she saw the Mimikyu's skin fall off, revealing another Mimikyu underneath, and then the Mimikyu was rushing towards her. Kriesh didn't have enough time to backwing before the Mimikyu leaped through two bars of the railing and slammed into Kriesh's side.
Kriesh flew sideways, wings beating wildly, but the Mimikyu held on tight. "Gotcha!" the Mimikyu crowed, clambering onto Kriesh's back. "Rough Up!"
A fist slammed into Kriesh's back and she barely managed to keep herself from falling. Kriesh fluttered backwards, thrashing, but the Mimikyu would not fall off. Another fist drove into Kriesh's back, and then another. The Mimikyu cackled evilly.
"Enough!" Kriesh lunged backwards, slamming the Mimikyu into the wall behind her. The Mimikyu shrieked and toppled off, landing on the staircase beneath her with a thud. Kriesh swiveled and launched a Flurry Impact at Mimikyu, who crumpled under the hits and toppled down the stairs with a thump-thump-thump that irrationally satisfied Kriesh.
Kriesh turned back towards the main fight. The enemy Togedemaru and Simisage were down, and the others were falling quickly before Incineroar and Lycanroc. As Kriesh watched, Cloyster felled the Fraxure with an Ice Blast, while Rotom blasted the Pyukumuku into a wall with what appeared to be a Thunderbolt. Houndoom lunged for the Toxapex with a snarl of "Thunder Jaws!", but the Toxapex burbled "Poisonous Protection," and Houndoom slammed into a spiky purple Protect-style barrier; as he recoiled, Kriesh winced upon seeing poison bubbling at the wounds. Then Tsareena leaped around Houndoom and sent a burst of Grass energy at the Toxapex's side, staggering it. Houndoom finished it off with another, more successful Thunder Jaws. The last Pokemon, a Galvantula, had no way of fending off Lycanroc and Incineroar and was swiftly knocked unconscious.
Looking down, Kriesh spotted more Grunts charging up the staircase. "We've got company!" she bellowed towards Rotom, and was relieved to see Rotom quickly alert Elio and Marcus. "Hyper Beam on the staircase!" Marcus ordered.
Kriesh fired another Beam Impact at the wooden staircase; wood cracked and shattered under the blast, but the staircase did not give. "Forget it, let's get into the room!" Elio cried.
Marcus and Elio swiftly recalled their Pokemon, save for Kriesh and Tsareena, who lunged through the door of the room after their Trainers. Elio quickly turned and slammed the door shut behind them.
"Okay, I think we're…" Elio stopped speaking as he saw what everyone else had already seen. His eyes widened in fear.
The room they had entered was large, but seemed much smaller than it actually was due to the amount of seemingly random odds and ends inside, both on shelves and just scattered across the floor. The room itself had no windows and no doors save for the one they'd just entered. And on the far side of the room stood a large chair, upon which sat a large, strangely dressed man. His hair was dyed white, his shirt and shoes were a similar white, and his pants and jacket were black with white highlights. A pair of odd glasses sat on his forehead; colored golden, one lens normal, the other with the top curved inwards as though it had been badly dented. A golden chain hung from the man's neck, a chain with an emblem that matched the one Team Skull wore on their clothing.
The man smirked. "Yeah. You should be scared. 'Cause big bad Guzma is here."
To all you Alola Anime fans out there: yes, the three Salandits were a reference to Tupp.
Also, Z-Moves and Guzma were two things that I really wanted to introduce earlier, but I just couldn't find a proper place in the narrative for them.
And finally, you know when I said this chapter was the end of the Shadows Arc, and there would be a hiatus after this chapter? Well, I kinda thought this chapter would be shorter...so basically, I had to split the Shadows Arc's final chapter in two. The arc is going to end next chapter, and thus the brief hiatus will be taken after next chapter.
Not my proudest moment.