The destination Peeks had singled out was laid within Mt. Silver's highest recesses. It was only natural that the home of a legendary was difficult to access; anything less would've been anticlimactic. That sentiment was all the motivation he and his company needed.

With that said, even as they scaled the bitter, unforgiving heights, Lieutenant Surge still had no idea what they were even after. He brushed snow off of his fatigues without complaint, ignoring the creeping signs of hypothermia. "I don't know where the hell you're takin' us, Pipsqueak. But if we had to come up damn near the peak, it better be good."

That was the closest he'd come to whining about the conditions.

Peeks ignored him, walking around experimentally in search of the exact route he and Ash had taken. He scaled a nearby rock face, kicking his little legs to pull him over the top. That was when he felt the fur on his back to begin to friz. Heat. A commodity that was as precious as silver at these snow capped heights. Maybe even gold.

Peeks stepped towards the ambient warmth, and it led him around a few stubborn, deciduous trees toward the daunting mouth of a cavern. The path to their destination was clear as crystal.

"Up here! We've made it." He shouted down the slope, flicking his tail back the way he'd come.

Raichu was quick to catch up, moving with an eager and curious pep in his step. He simply couldn't wait to see the legend for himself. Surge, on the other hand, still moved like a man without a clue of what he was in for. Cautious, a little irate. But, he lacked the rodents' haste.

Nonetheless, he met them at the cavern mouth. "We're headin' int' the mountain, huh? I can't imagine what could be dis important up here, but I guess I'll find out," Surge grunted. He followed Peeks' footsteps, occasionally ducking to the low ceilings. Low compared to a giant of a man nearing eight feet, that was.

Hints of warm water vapor started to linger in Peeks's fur, leading him on the familiar path that, last time, he and Ash had taken purely on instinct. Without his trainer, he felt a bit less sure of his path forward. After a bit of wandering, he almost second-guessed the path they'd taken.

But, the sweltering heat drifting over solid rock made him more confident in his path.

"Hell," Surge swore. "Out of the freezer and inta the frying pan."

Raichu fanned himself with the end of his lightning bolt tail, before realizing that he was only wafting himself with more hot air. It was only getting worse, the lower they ventured inside.

After what felt like an eternity of discomfort that Peeks refused to complain about, he stood before the wider, hallowed chamber. Warm, hissing waters pooled in the domain of the divine, breaking only for the rocky, climbing path to the perch of the bright and mighty.

"Well, I'll be damned…" Surge muttered under his breath, raising his sunglasses in disbelief. Without them dimming his view, the light of divine fire was almost blinding. His jaw hung slack at a sight that few mortal men ever had the chance to see. He, of all people, felt humbled.

Towering over them all was, as expected, Moltres. Eternal roaring flames kindled and flickered like a crown. The legendary Titan of Fire cast a discerning gaze on the three mortals who'd entered their dwelling.

"Well, well… Pipsqueak wasn't lying." Raichu smirked, stepping forth. He punched one paw into another with gusto. "The legendary Moltres, right before our eyes. Now, this is a fight worth hopping into."

The air that cycled in and out of the cavern was hot, and just a tad thin. Even standing before Moltres bathed all present in a debilitating Pressure. Just as well, their peerless gaze glowered down upon their intruders. Pale, gray eyes cast judgment reserved until they opened their beak.

"Vermin such as yourselves shan't even set foot in my dwelling," Moltres spat, "let alone bask in the privilege of combat with yours truly."

"Hey, hey! Did you wake up on the wrong side of your nest this morning and fall out?" Raichu barked back, irritably whipping his cable-like tail against the dirt.

Peeks stared up at Moltres, perplexed. Moltres had hardly hesitated, when propositioned by Ash and himself. But then, perhaps he'd gotten a bit used to the privilege of knowing so many incredible Pokémon from firsthand experience.

"Hey! Moltres!" Surge shouted. His booming voice echoed off the cavern walls. "I can't hear what yer sayin', but those sound like fighting words. You lookin' for a brawl? You might be a thing of legends, but don't take us mortal men lightly. We'll clip your wings in no time flat.'

"Either you seek to waste my precious time with ridiculous jests… Or your impurities blind you. Leave my lair, at once!" Moltres screeched, igniting their wings in a blaze. "...Lest you and your ilk be immolated for your arrogance!"

"W-wait a second!" Peeks sputtered. "This is getting a bit out of hand! Coming here was my idea!"

Moltres' fiery wrath dwindled. They squinted. "...The Chosen One's partner. I almost didn't recognize you."

"We're not here for our arrogance, or immolation, or whatever. We're here for this little bastard." Raichu pat Peeks on the back. "He's got some spiritual healing to do."

"...Is that so." Moltres hummed. "Chosen's Partner. I can see your wounded soul in your eyes. Very well!" The legendary spanned their wings. Mighty blazes lit the cavern with reds and oranges, and blistering heat enveloped all. Sunny Day's glow was cast from the ceiling.

"O' Hero of Shamouti… I've chosen to bless you with a trial by fire! Show me the strength you did, in months past!"

"Now, we're talking!" Raichu grinned, stepping up beside Peeks. "Let's do this."

"Be careful," Peeks warned. "With Sunny Day active, this cave's waters are boiling. They're not safe to touch. And, Moltres can be very difficult to tag, with their flight and heat. We can't let our guard down, if we want to get anywhere."

"And here, you sounded so cocky about winning, earlier." Raichu snorted. He turned back to his trainer, and gestured to the scalding waters with his tail, and made several gestures to the air.

"So, dat's how it is." Surge murmured in his low, gravelly voice. "Allright! Raichu! Nuttin's more important in war than setting the stage t' your advantage! Use Magnet Rise!"

Raichu smacked his yellow cheek pouches, and shrieked. Ambient static flashed across the cavern, and danced amongst rock and rubble. Minerals and metals within it all responded to Raichu's pull.

Slabs of stone and small boulders floated to align with the staircase leading into Moltres's lair. Aligning and floating alongside one another, they provided a straightforward path to the Titan of Fire, and then some. The odds were evened, just a little, with the many stepping stones.

"That's what I'm talkin' about." Raichu grinned.

Peeks's eyes widened at the sheer efficiency of Magnet Rise. He felt humbled, in that he still had plenty to learn from his peers. But, there was no time like the present. He leaned onto all fours, exerting static from his cheeks. "Let's go, Moltres!"

There were no more words from the deity. They craned their neck, and spat a white-hot stream towards both Raichu and Peeks. A Flamethrower, bolstered by the harsh sunlight.

The two rodents split from the middle, diverting from the flames to hop onto the floating stepping stones, making a mad dash towards their winged foe. Zig-zagging between rocks, they encroached upon Moltres from either side.

"Raichu! Count on Pipsqueak for cover, 'n use Focus Punch!" Surge barked, watching the battle through his aviator shades. It dulled the flames just enough to make out the action.

Peeks's ear twitched, overhearing the command. He took initiative, silver light trailing his form. Each stone flipped and spun with the recoil of kicking off their surface. His speed increased drastically.

Before Moltres could so much as react, the rodent careened into their gut.

Raichu's fist then smashed into their jaw, battering Moltres in a pincer attack.

Raichu and Peeks flew past one another, trading places. They landed atop a floating rock each.

The legendary bird, for their part, shrugged off the hits, shaking their head as they ascended to lord over the two rodents who dared to touch them. Boulders with mysterious runes and markings were conjured from thin air, outlined with a mysterious purple glow.

Moltres shared in its mysterious power. Their flames flashed purple before regaining their usual hue and intensity.

"Agh…! Damn bird just got even stronger," Surge cursed. "Raichu! Focus Punch!"

A barrage of mysterious boulders pelted the floating stones surrounding the Electric-types. Raichu bashed the incoming stones to rubble, while his comrade's Iron Tail sliced several stones down the middle.

"Chua… Pi-ka!" Pikachu cleaved the attack in half several times over. But, he could do better than that. He knew he could turn this in favor, as two more boulders flew his way. An effortful spin geared him up for a nasty smack of his Iron Tail.

The boulders careened back towards Moltres, crashing into them. They squawked in pain, knocked back towards the roof of the ceiling. They flapped their wings irritably, wincing at the damage that was 4x effective. However, they wouldn't be alone in suffering Ancient Power's wrath.

"Raichu! You're about to be in hot water. Ten o'clock!" Surge barked.

Raichu's ears flicked up to perceive Surge's warning. Beady eyes scanned his surroundings, before splashing water hit his ears. He was quick on the draw, leaping to a floating slab of rock further away. Scalding water soared from the moat below, coating the rock Raichu had stood upon.

"Pipsqueak!" Raichu called out in warning.

Peeks gasped and looked about in panic. He shrieked, then, as boiling water doused him. His paws suddenly felt just as hot as his hide, clueing him in to the sizzling moisture clinging to the rock he stood upon. His own disarming of Ancient Power had dropped heavy boulders into the waters below.

The heat was unbearable! He scrambled to vault himself off of where he stood.

The rodent's clumsiness left him wide-open. Moltres zeroed in on the scrambling mouse, and spat a Flamethrower at his hide.

The coming flames blasted Peeks against a nearby wall. Fire fanned off of the impact point, leaving a cloud of black smoke in its wake.

The rodent coughed, spitting out thick clouds of ash before they could further irritate his lungs. His fur was singed all over, and the sheer force had embedded him in solid rock.

Suddenly, Moltres seized and writhed in a storm of electricity. A sneaky Thunderbolt had flanked them, courtesy of Raichu.

"Cocky rookie… No matter strong you are, you can't afford to be that— uh oh." Raichu found himself dwarfed and cornered by a furious Moltres. He cautiously backed up toward the wall, finding himself sandwiched between the furious legend and the limits of the cavern.

Before Moltres could fry him, or he return the favor, Moltres lit up with gold, once again.

"Hey! Don't count me out, just yet!" Peeks barked from across the fray, panting. His fur was charred and frayed, but he'd returned with a vengeful Thunderbolt in kind.

Raichu smirked. "Just in time… and, speaking of time…" He felt the awful heat of Sunny Day fading. The cavern lost some of its luster, as the weather condition vanished.

"Hey! Both of ya's!" Surge barked. "Your footing's about to run out. Regroup!"

The rodents had been warned just in time, as they found the plates they stood upon were starting to waver. A sure sign to dash back to their high ground. But, escaping a deity wouldn't be that simple.

A gaelstorm was whipped up in Moltres's chamber, summoned by their mighty wings and ever-burning wrath. Terrible winds caught the stone platforms that slipped out of Magnet Rise's grip, tossed around like the lightest of debris.

"Hurricane…! I have to stay ahead of this, or I'll be knocked around!" Peeks thought aloud. Though, he found any semblance of his voice was stolen from him in the howling winds.

His beady eyes scanned for any other rocks. As soon as he found one, far off to his right, he bolstered his speed and zipped to it with Agility. A clean trajectory was a simple matter with his dizzying speed, and he shot from that rock to one hovering above him. His momentum made the rock spin on its axis, and he clung to it on all fours. It'd offer stability for a moment.

Raichu, on the other hand, didn't have such speed to muster. A sudden gust swept him off his feet, before he collided harshly with a boulder. The impact broke it to pieces, and left Raichu dizzy.

"If I can just build a little more speed…!" Peeks thought to himself, zipping between one rock after the next. Moltres's silhouette stood out in the storm, slowly rotating from his point of view, thanks to the constant movement. The Hurricane was carrying him ever closer. This momentum would do.

"Pika-Pika-Pika-Pika…!" The Mouse's tail stood up, gathering a quickly growing bundle of electricity. Electro Ball weighed on his form, quickly dwarfing him.

A fading squeak made his ears stand up, however. Peeks gasped.

Raichu looked helpless and dizzied, being tossed around. Battered by crumbling rubble.

Peeks gasped, before quickly shutting his mouth, lest Hurricane suffocate him. He let Electro Ball's static scatter to the wind and dove towards his marooned comrade. In an act of split-second timing, he grasped one of Raichu's paws with both of his.

Peeks grit his teeth. Hoisting his weight and Raichu's around, he spun with the winds, and chucked both of them out of the storm. The centripetal force was jarring, but he managed to catch himself on all fours, and slide towards the staircase leading into the den.

"Agh… What an attack," Surge grumbled, grimacing. Still, he huffed, quietly offering his approval to their trainee. "I don't know what happened in dere… But it's clear Pipsqueak went beyond the call of duty to get Raichu out of dat mess. Now, that's a soldier."

But, any praise would have to wait. It wouldn't do a thing to save them from Moltres, who had returned to their throne. A dusty, heavily breathing Pikachu stood below them. A dizzy, disoriented Raichu laid flat on his belly, not about his bearings from the wretched Hurricane.

Moltres tilted up their beak. If that was all they could offer, then there was no point in exaggerating the fight any longer. A divine glow coated their body, bathing them in peculiar flames.

Surge swore under his breath. "Sky Attack… Hey! Pipsqueak! Raichu's punch-drunk down there. It's up to you to counter that deadly attack! You better fight it off, or both of you will be blown to hell! Show us your resolve!"

"Yeah. Right. No pressure." Peeks grit his teeth, and stared down the blinding form perched high above. In that moment, he vaguely recalled something Surge had said earlier that day.

Something about how, in war, the only thing that's worth a damn is brotherhood.

That was his driving force, as lightning bathed his body. He sprinted up the steps to Moltres, employing his tried-and-true finishing move — his Volt Tackle. "PikapikapikapikapikapiKAAA—!"

The scorching light of a phoenix dove forth, meeting the golden aura of a mere rodent that'd twice already felled the gods. Mortal and immortal's skulls crashed together, pressing stubbornly against one another for dominance.

As much as Peeks pushed, though— as much as he sprinted and sprinted up the staircase, he found himself losing his momentum. He wasn't moving forward at all, anymore. He felt the wrath of Moltres's signature, unstoppable move.

He cried out, thrown unceremoniously from Moltres's throne. Volt Tackle's recoil seized him in mid-air, leaving the heroic fighter dazed and helpless. He was falling towards the boiling waters.

Suddenly, a cable-like tail snatched and seized him. The pressure woke him, and Peeks slowly, lazily blinked his eyes. A blurry orange quickly became a smirking Raichu. "Raichu…"

"Try not to go and get fried." With a flick of his tail, Raichu released Peeks, sending him spinning and onto his feet. "I swear, I can't take my eyes off you for two minutes."

"If we're going to win this, we'll need to coordinate our attacks. So, do me a favor and try not to get thrown from here to kingdom come." Peeks fired back, smirking in turn.

"When did you become a wiseass?" Raichu laughed. "Alright. Let's show this birdbrain what a couple of Electric-types can do."

"You're still willing and able to fight." Moltres echoed, from above. "Your fortitude is commendable, Chosen."

"Well, if there's one thing that my trainer and I have in common… It's that we're stubborn."

"Your trainer ain't here right now," Raichu replied. He raised the lightning bolt end of his tail.

"Yeah, I know." Peeks turned to raise his own tail, and smacked it back and forth against Raichu's. He spun around, bumping his fist against the other's. "So, let's do this!"

"That's the spirit!" Surge boomed, arms folded over his chest. "The best thing you can do is watch each other's backs!"

"The blithering mortal is most correct," Moltres agreed. They opened their beak towards the ceiling, and summoned the harsh sun, once more. "You will need everything you can muster!"

"Alllright! Round two! Raichu!" Surge ordered.

Raichu needn't hear a full command. Snapping static electricity buzzed over the scalding domain. A swarm of stepping stones were ripped from the earth, and others just as easily pulled back into Raichu's influence that'd already been shaken loose by the first blood of the battle.

Both Electric-types dashed onto the floating rocks, leaping from one to the next to confuse Moltres.

The Fire-type tossed their head, spewing violent Flamethrowers toward Peeks and Raichu.

Peeks avoided one with a barrel roll onto the next platform, while Raichu ducked and took lower ground to avoid being scorched. The pattern continued, with Moltres going airborne, and spitting one deadly Flamethrower after the next.

Dodging consecutive flames by the furs on his pelt was making the arena uncomfortably hot for Peeks. Water sizzling, flames burning; it all practically sucked the oxygen out of the air, making a constant effort to stay ahead a challenge. He felt each breath becoming shallow, and dry.

Moreover, no matter how much he scaled the hovering stones, Moltres seemed to be moving higher. With the advantage of altitude, how could he reach them? He had to, somehow. And with the heat fogging his mind, he wasn't at his most tactical. He just wanted an escape. To reach for the sun, and bring it down with his own paws.

'Of course!' The rodent's eyes widened. Last time, he'd won with Ash's direction… With his trainer, he could do anything. He'd use the power that they'd created. Electricity flooded his cheek pouches, crackling at the sweat that trickled down his face. A lively, golden aura surrounded him, as he steadied on all fours. Volt Tackle's power flooded through him, cycling in perpetuity without a direction to go. Flickers of light sparkled with faint blues, and reds, and greens. Peeks inhaled heavily, feeling more lightheaded than ever. But, he couldn't fail.

"Pi-Pi-Pi… Pikaaaaa!" He launched himself skyward toward Moltres. Glimmers across the spectrum flickered in his halo… before his momentum slowed, and stopped. The stress of maintaining Volt Tackle made him wince, and he lost control. He hung in the air, helpless.

There was little he could do, when Moltres's gray gaze fixed on him, and a violent Flamethrower threatened to swallow him whole.

"What a show-off…!" Raichu grunted. His tail quickly snapped out and tightened around Peeks, yanking him from the line of fire a second time. "What do you think you're doing, up there!?"

Peeks settled on one of the floating stones, struggling to catch his breath. He felt like his life had just flashed before his eyes. "I… I just thought I'd…"

Moltres didn't wait for him to recoup. Their patience wore thin, and the damning beats of their wings unleashed a blistering Heat Wave towards the two.

"No time for excuses!" Raichu acted swiftly, whipping his long, lightning bolt tail through the air. One floating boulder after another was reeled in and knocked in front of Raichu and Peeks. An action just swift enough to collect a refuge for himself and his comrade, behind solid stone.

Heat Wave's wrath fanned off of the stone, avoiding touching them directly. But, mounting a defense against a legend wasn't so easy. The burning winds pushed the fragmented stones closer to Peeks and Raichu.

Both of them were forced to check the incoming slabs with their shoulders, met with Heat Wave's terrible force. They struggled to maintain where they already stood; that itself was becoming hotter and hotter, and their fur that held off the storm was starting to burn.

They grit their teeth and pushed back, like two soldiers under heavy fire. Eventually, the assault died down, and their barrier fell away. Peeks and Raichu both slumped over, breathing heavily. It was hard for either to not slip into exhaustion and accept that they were at the end of their ropes. Of course, what was bad would quickly escalate to worse.

White, blinding flames consumed the red and orange coating Moltres, bursting into a full bloom threatening to swallow the cavern itself. The wrath of Moltres climbed towards its apex, gathering for one mighty attack.

Even with his aviators shielding his eyes, Surge had to guard his vision with his hand. "Feels like we walked straight int' hell… Now, that's a legendary Pokémon."

Raichu stood up, and stared into the proverbial sun. His arms fell limp. "...Oh, we are so-"

Without a second thought, Peeks leapt into Moltres's path. Soaring with nothing but his own leg strength, he met the deity head-on. Lightning sparked in his cheeks, and shot down his spine, all the way to his tail. "Piiiikaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa….!" While Moltres channeled the sun, he called on the skies, with a wrathful Thunder. "Chuuuu!"

All of Moltres's flames converged on him at once; a prism of heat, colliding with Thunder's beckoning light. Stubborn gold struck at it all, pressing forth with all of the tiny Pikachu's might.

But, no matter how much power he poured in, the phoenix's shriek pushed back with more power. He watched his own Thunder start to evaporate before his eyes. It was all moments from consuming him. But, he was the only thing between the attack, and a weary Raichu.

That was enough motive to double down. "PI… kahhh…!" Peeks reached deep, and pushed even harder. His cheeks suffered a throbbing ache, as they were pushed to the limits of their expenditure. Face-to-face with a wall of flames, the mouse could hardly breathe.

His brain began to feel foggy; his body was being pushed to its absolute limit. The feeling was… familiar. Struggling to maintain his upright position, Peeks felt a strong sense of Deja Vu. The last time he'd been forced to exert so much power was… that awful day, in fact.

The day he was hardwired to give his every breath to violence, against his will. But, even as the flames licked at his skin, and his entire body was in overdrive… he wasn't doing this to hurt.

He wasn't fighting his body at every step, with his best friends in the crosshairs. He was doing it to survive. To protect his brother in arms. And, if that was his motivation…

Maybe he had a bit more in him.

"Pikaaaaa-CHYAAA!"

Thunder spontaneously doubled in size and ferocity. Bolts flew wildly from the struggle of elements, blasting the cavern floor and ceiling with impunity. As bright as Moltres's fury was, his power made it look like a flickering match for a snapshot in time.

"Well, I'll be…!" Surge muttered under his breath, watching it unfold with genuine awe.

The elements canceled each other out, finally. Peeks fell on all fours, panting to desperately recover his breath. His body felt numb wherever it didn't ache… But, his mind, to his own shock, felt completely at ease.

"Bro! What the hell was that!?" Raichu smacked him on the back. "I can't believe my eyes."

"Well, you better… beh…"

"Don't waste your breath," Raichu advised, pointing forth. "Take a good look."

Peeks directed his eyes to Moltres's perch. They, too, looked exhausted. In fact, the flames on their crown and wings had reduced to a whimpering ember. They gasped, supporting themselves with their wings.

"Whaddya know… I think that was Burn Out." Surge narrated from above. "A deliriously powerful Fire-type move. But it comes at th' cost of wiping out the user's Fire-typing. In other words, Moltres here ain't breathin' nothin' but hot air! Now's our chance to strike back!"

"Well, I'm… ready!" Peeks forced himself upright.

"Raichu! Now's your chance! Thunder Wave!" Surge barked.

Freshly recovered from his awe-inspired daze, Raichu took the lead in sprinting up the staircase to their foe. Before the recovering legend could retaliate, he pointed his lightning bolt tail towards them. Rings of static shot out, surrounding and paralyzing the mighty titan.

"Their speed should be down… Now's my chance!" Peeks sprung into the air, gathering lightning on the end of his tail. His boosted speed added absurd vibrations to the Electro Ball, feeding it until it made him look tiny in comparison. "Pika-Pika-Pika… Chu-pi!"

Moltres felt numb. Their wings couldn't will them out of Electro Ball's path in time. They writhed, suffering super-effective damage. They felt frail… on the edge of defeat. This wouldn't do. Not for a legendary Pokémon in their prime. A wrathful glow started to surround them, once more.

"It's Sky Attack!" Surge announced. "Both of ya's! This is your chance! Give 'em all you got!"

"Don't hold me back!" Raichu burst into the aura of Volt Tackle, leading the charge.

"I was about to say the same to you!" Peeks sprinted forth with twice the speed, meeting his comrade halfway up. His cheek smashed up against Raichu's, sparking an extra dose of volatile lightning between them. Their halos of gold merged into one mighty blitz, flashing wildly.

Just in time, for Moltres to take on their heavenly glow, and strike from above.

"Pikapikapikapikapikapikapikapikaaaa….!"

"Rairairairairairairairairairaiiii….!"

Two mortal mice, cheek to cheek, arm in arm. They exerted everything they had, against the divine blaze testing them. Burning violently, to judge whether they were worthy.

Hardship could make or break a fragile living thing. Raichu knew that better than most.

Peeks had teetered on that razor-thin line, for the past while. He decided he wouldn't break.

Scorching heat and numbing static blasted through the cavern. Even at his elevation, Surge was somewhat surprised he hadn't been fried. Black smoke flooded the air with inky residue. A candle always burns its brightest before going out completely.

The hot cloud of soot started to billow away, allowing Peeks and Raichu to spot one another. They stood, now, at the peak of Moltres's perch. They were scratched, bruised, and burned all over, feeling awfully numb from Volt Tackle's recoil. But, being conscious to experience it all was a good sign.

Peeks wiped the sweat from his brow, staggering over towards the pedestal's edge. Moltres laid in a heap, down by the waters. The remaining embers on their wings made the moat sizzle.

"We… we won… We won!"

Raichu stumbled over, groaning. "Shit, I'm gettin' old… Hey, yeah. We did beat that bird down, huh?"

"We did!" Peeks laughed, jumping up to pull Raichu into a hug, pulling him in circles. "We beat Moltres, together!"

"Hey, hey… don't get too cozy," Raichu grumbled.

"Oh, hop off it, huh?" Pikachu smirked. "You can… afford t' drop the macho act… for a second."

"...Ah, hell. C'mere, you!" The big, pudgy rodent returned the embrace, dancing in circles. About as well as he could, anyway, barely hanging onto consciousness.

A loud, earth-shaking thud broke up their celebration, drawing their attention.

Once more, they were in Moltres's shadow. Although weary, the legendary titan still dwarfed them, when they were up-close.

A calm, blue aura fell over them. Several ethereal feathers hovered around Moltres, replenishing their health. Roost healed some of their injuries, allowing them to stand proudly.

Raichu went slack. "You can't be serious."

"Fear not." Moltres's booming voice answered. "It would behoove me to acknowledge defeat. Denying an honorable victory would be a stain on my existence. Thou have won a worthy battle against me." They gracefully bowed, gesturing with a wing. "I simply would rather rise from the ashes, myself. Requiring assistance from a human after defeat leaves a bad taste in my mouth."

Peeks could only guess that Ash's aid had wounded their pride.

"Chosen," they addressed. "Beyond my new self-sustenance, I have trained and toiled vigorously, after being defeated by you and your human. Your burning fighting spirit stoked my own, in a way that it hasn't been in generations."

"Is that… so?" Peeks's smile widened.

"Though, it is not only thou that's pushed me. I have convened with the Titans of Lightning and Ice, after your departure. The Ice Titan has been toiling vigorously, in hopes of facing a prospective foe. I simply couldn't risk falling behind; it is never good fortune when we're unbalanced."

"You're not kidding," the mouse snorted. Shamouti hadn't been forgotten. Though, that did make him wonder; who could Articuno be seeking out, themselves? Why would they, in the first place?

"Now, I would like to know." Moltres resumed. "Has thou found what thou sought?"

Peeks blinked at the question, and briefly gave it thought. "...I have." He nodded resolutely. "When I had no choice but to step in the way of your Burn Out, I was at my limits. Everything ached. I thought I might've died, to be honest! But, I was fighting tooth and nail for my own reasons. For Raichu, and for myself. I guess that gave me the sense of control I was looking for! It really feels like a burden's been lifted off my shoulders," he laughed tiredly.

Raichu, consequently, turned back to Surge. He grinned, flashing the Lieutenant a thumbs-up.

Surge smirked.

"Then, I will consider this battle a blessing." Moltres nodded in approval. "You have grown far stronger, Chosen. In the blink of an eye, from my perspective. If you wish to extend your training with thyself… Then you shall be permitted."

"Actually… I think we'll be here a little… while longer," Peeks huffed out. "I think I will."

The titanic battle with the flame of Mt. Silver had wrapped up spectacularly, which meant that the group's mission had been wrapped up; at least in an immediate sense. Scorching heat, nor bitter storms were good for fragile, beaten bodies. So, they returned to the mountain's base.

A crystalline waterfall fed into a fresh spring, close to the foot of the mountain. The trio had deemed it an ideal place to lick their wounds. Raichu and Peeks dipped in and out of the waterfall itself, washing their dirty, singed fur. Surge had already toweled off, leaving them to chat.

"Amazing how good these waters are for healing. Y'know kingdoms used to fight over this territory?" Raichu quipped, while attentively washing his tail.

"Somehow… that doesn't surprise me. I remember Ash mentioning how valuable this mountain's minerals are supposed to be," Peeks replied. "We used to use this to calm our wounds all the time, when we were training here… Ash in particular."

Raichu quirked a brow. "Why. He get banged up here something fierce, or what?"

Peeks sighed in exasperation. "It was during our battle with Moltres. They fired a Flamethrower under the harsh sunlight. I managed to dodge it, but Ash… well."

Raichu, for all his war-hardened stoicism, winced. "How the hell is he even alive?"

"Sometimes, I ask myself the same thing,"

Peeks shook his head. "He was alright… mostly. He got a nasty burn scar down his shoulder and back, though."

"It must look gnarly," Raichu quipped.

"It still causes him pain when he moves around sometimes," Peeks explained. He dipped his own ear under the falls, and then the other. "Dawn's always encouraging him to lotion it up, to help it heal. I try to get him to listen to her…"

Raichu frowned. Peeks was getting frustrated with his trainer's plights again, and he was getting bored of the topic. "So, this 'Dawn.' Ain't that the chick who came in with the cheerleader outfit?"

"That's her, alright."

"Y'know, I swear he and her had somethin' going on. But ol' Lieutenant said Ash is in denial."

"They got together a little while ago, actually," Peeks explained. "You almost wouldn't know the difference, though. Honestly, they've been acting like they're married for quite a long time."

Raichu hummed. "Hm. Good for 'im. Well, hell. What about your love life?"

"Mine!?" Peeks sputtered. "What about yours?"

"Don't change the subject," Raichu fired back. "What're you, a fresh Pichu out of the nest?"

The mouse grumbled. He was too old for this sort of juvenile stuttering, and Raichu calling it out made him all the more embarrassed. "...Do you remember the Buneary that was cheering, too?"

Raichu paused. "...Oh, yeah! She had the same 'fit on. Somethin' cooking with her?"

"Buneary was Dawn's first catch, after her starter," Peeks explained. "She's, uh… something, alright. A real hotshot. An excellent battler; she was a brawler, right out of the wild! But, she's every bit as skilled in Contests. She excels at showing off her cute appeal, and the figures she can sculpt with her Ice Beam are just… incredible. Picked up a bit of a roughneck streak recently, though."

"Uh-huh. Uh-huh." Raichu nodded. "She sounds like an ace. But that doesn't tell me about you and her."

"Oh! Right…" Peeks felt the heat flooding his cheeks. "She's, uh… a pistol. The day we met, Ash tried to use me to catch her. All she'd do is fawn and lean all over me… Even froze our whole group to get time alone with me! Heh… She's, like, really blunt about how she feels about me. Never tries to dress it up, or anything. There's no decorum — I don't know what to do about it! I feel like she deserves an answer, but every time we go in that direction, my tongue gets tied. How does someone just tell you they're smitten with you to your face!?"

"Well, that's what adults typically do," Raichu shot back. "...And?"

"And, what?"

"Don't act like a dumbass, Peeks. You're not one." Raichu frowned. "Why aren't you a thing?"

"Oh! I… I mean, I've thought about it." Peeks, fiddling with his paws, decided to occupy himself with washing his tail in the stream. "I've just been so preoccupied with everything, lately. It's hard to focus on it, even when I want to."

"Fair, fair." Raichu shrugged. No one was in the position to jump right into close relationships, on the eve of suffering shellshock. "But ya can't expect her to wait forever. How long's this been going on?"

"...About two years," Peeks figured. "Ow!"

"Friggin' Freeze of Lacunosa," Raichu exclaimed, smacking Peeks with his tail. "The hell's the matter with you!?"

"What's the matter with you!?" Peeks bore his fangs. If he had any electricity left, it would've been crackling off his cheeks.

"You've got a great dame waiting on you. You ought to bite the bullet and go for her, while you still can."

"...Yeah. I guess you're right about that. Honestly, she's… pretty beautiful. In a feisty kind of way. And I know she's been waiting. She really does deserve to hear what she's waiting for."

"There you go! Besides," Raichu sing-songed. "If she goes ahead and evolves, Lopunny are quite the sight~!" He folded his paws, nodding to himself with a far-off dreamy expression.

"...Ow!"

Peeks, this time, had been the one to tail whack Raichu, rolling his eyes. "Well, since you made me spill my love life. What about yours, Casanova?"

"Fair is fair. Well, then! I'm not sure where to start… There was this real pistol of a Liligant, when we were still back home… I knew we were heading out t' war in the near future, but you can't waste any time with your life on the line, right? She actually reminds me a lot of your Buneary… Then, when we were in Sinnoh, there was…"

The stories quickly became a blur to Peeks, who could only roll his eyes a little at Raichu's exploits. Raichu wasn't quite Brock, but the instability of entertaining one heart after the next didn't altogether appeal to him. It sounded… fleeting. It lacked that reliable foundation of someone who knew you. Who knew you well.

It made him think that, maybe, a relationship with that rascally rabbit didn't sound so bad, after all. With the sunset dipping towards Johto's skies, he watched the deep purples and blues on Kanto's end. Somewhere, on the path to Cerulean, her life continued, separate from him. She had an appointment with a Poké Stylist, for her ever-illustrious fashion sense.

For just a moment, he allowed himself to wonder how she was faring.

Of all the corridors weaving through Team Rocket HQ, this one was eerily unfamiliar to them. It wasn't their own sector, nor was it Giovanni's office on the top floor. It was leading them to a different superior entirely, who up until now, they'd rarely had to answer to.

"I can't believe this…! Of all the people… Why are we reporting to him!?" Jessie fumed.

"Even when we failed, the Boss was usually the one to admonish us…" James whined. "It seems we're not even good enough for that, anymore."

"Yeah, it wigs me out, too. But, t' tell ya the truth, I t'ink I could go without seeing his face for a little while. Seein' him makes me feel like we're rubbin' elbows with death, itself." Meowth grimaced, folding his arms behind his head. "Maybe he'll cool down some, if we give it some time…"

"Simply waiting is not the Team Rocket way!" Jessie snapped at Meowth. "If we want to gain the respect we deserve, we have to prove ourselves to the Boss! Not answer to some uptight, suit-wearing, toothpaste-headed-"

James's trembling hand slowly tapped Jessie on the shoulder. She had at least the good sense to stop talking. Wide-eyed terror contrasted heavily with her nervous smile, as she practically creaked, slowly turning to look past her shoulder.

Archer stood in front of his office, arms folded behind his back. Catty eyes narrowed, glowering at the trio of misfits. His lips pulled into a thinly-veiled snarl.

"...Headeeed right to the wonderful, illustrious Executive Archer's abode! And, he's even right here, right on time! They do say that punctuality is only second to perfection!"

"No one says that," James muttered to Meowth.

"Look, Jess' is gonna run her mouth, no matter what," Meowth whispered back. "Better this than anyt'in' that'll lose me any of my nine lives."

If the Executive had anything to say, he swallowed it under a professional, threatening veneer. "Please join me in my office," he said, not sparing them a second glance. The three filed in after him, standing at attention while the Executive faced them from his desk, hands folded.

"I hope you three understand something I'm about to make clear," he started. "Your fortune is far greater than any of you warrant, to even be alive. Let alone still working with Team Rocket."

The trio of misfits each swallowed heavily. None of them were sure they could offer a counter argument. Nor did they particularly feel up to engaging Archer, even if that was the case.

"...Ahem." James coughed meekly into his hand, attempting to stand upright and professionally. His posture was still laughably meek, his knees bent and chin tucked in. "Pardon me, Sir. But, I believe you called us here to discuss Operation Lightning Fall?"

"...Yes." Archer resigned. James had been wise enough to appeal to his professionalism. "Lightning Fall has been thoroughly and extensively planned, and all its necessary material and personnel arranged. You need not concern yourself with the details; they're well beyond your paygrade."

Jessie bit back her complaints through grinding teeth.

"While the central ambush takes place, you will be tasked with handling the main generator. Its power core… should at the very least, be sold off for a decent sum. You'll be able to make yourselves useful."

"So, we're reduced to petty grunt work," James muttered.

"We're pilferin' for scraps," Meowth huffed.

While James and Meowth whined and mumbled, Jessie blew a gasket. "Excuse you!" She snapped, against her better judgment. "You have a lot of nerve to leave us prying away spare parts, when we're the reason this mission is even a priority, in the first place!"

Archer's expression grew darker. "Need I remind you," he spat, "that you only possessed that sensitive intel because not only did you disobey your superior Executive, but stole it from her jurisdiction."

"What you call disobedience, I call initiative!" Meowth countered. His confidence was bolstered by Jessie speaking up, first. "Wit'out our involvement, dat valuable data woulda been lost!"

Archer's hands slammed down upon his desk, startling the three. The teal-haired man inhaled sharply through his nose, and collected himself, standing up straight. "Forgive me… losing my composure in front of such traitorous swine is unbecoming of me. Let me make something clear to you. Lord Giovanni may value you; I haven't the slightest idea why. And, Petrel… Well, we don't pay him to think. But the meager sympathies and merits you've scrounged during your time as Administrators will not save you from me. I, Archer… am quite sharp, and keen to deviation from Team Rocket's core principles. If your disloyalty creates any more trouble for our cause, then I'll see to it that you won't survive it a second time."

Even Jessie, among the trio, was scared stiff. They offered nary a word.

The Executive narrowed his eyes, and turned his back to them, arms folded behind him. "Matori will give you your full series of instructions, and you are to be punctual the day of Operation Lightning Fall. You will do exactly are you're told, and know your place in Team Rocket. Do I make myself clear."

"...You certainly do," Jessie snarled out.

"Crystal, sir," James whimpered.

"Clearer dan a Suicune's fresh spring," Meowth sighed.

"Very well. Then, you may rid me of your presence. As soon as possible, ideally."

That was all the license the three misfits needed to bolt the heck out of that horrid office, full of fatigue and thinly veiled threats. They walked upright in a straight line, maintaining their sharp professionalism… before turning a corner and slumping up against the hallway wall.

"Ugh… I hate this! We're being treated like Grunts again," Jessie groaned. "That no-good, arrogant, brown-nosing…!"

"I just feel like we're lucky to be alive," James sighed, anxiously twiddling his thumbs.

All that groaning and whining would come to an end, when Meowth hopped on both of their shoulders, yanking on their shoulders. "Pull yaselves together, ya nincompoops! T'ink of the bigger picture, here!"

"What bigger picture is there?" James frowned. "Because the only things I'm bearing witness to are your whiskered face and your fishy breath."

"Use your head, Jim!" Meowth barked, ignoring the other remark. "This can only work in our favor."

"And how, exactly, is that?" Jessie rolled her eyes.

"Listen. Dat Archer can deny our involvement up 'n down, but the fact of the matter is, the Boss knows that we're responsible for gettin' dat data to him! Operation Lightning Fall was his brilliant plan! Not any of his stiffs'. So, when push comes to shove, and Team Rocket wins…"

"...Then we'll be able to take credit!" Jessie finished.

"We won't even have ta!" Meowth cheered. "Imagine this… The Boss has all the power in the world in the palm of his hand. He'll conquer Kanto in no time flat! And y'know what he'll say?"

As he often did, Meowth veered off into a delusional dreamland, where Giovanni sat on a throne made of gold. The man was narrated in a scratchy, nasally impression. "Victory is sweet! And, Team Rocket's domination never would have been secured without Meowth and his friends taking the initiative to protect precious Team Rocket intel! I think it's time to throw out those losers who do nothing but bark orders, and make the three of them Executives, and a big lump of cash as a reward!"

"A little bit of a pipe dream," Jessie quipped. "...But, I do love making my dreams come true! You're a genius, Meowth."

"Yeah, yeah. I know, I know," Meowth boasted, twirling his whisker. "Dat's why you keep me around. Dat, 'n my shining personality."

"That all sounds well and good," James whispered to them both, "but I feel like all this mutinous talk could land us in hot water… Are you absolutely sure no one could hear you, just now?"

"Please, Jimmy. D'ya really think I'd be that careless and stupid?"

A beat.

"Don't answer dat."