Chapter 42: On the Table

Back in Bluewhorl, the sun had just crossed its midday mark, shining down on the residents of the little town as they went about the second half of their daily routines. Customers filled into the eateries, locals dotted the town beach to sun themselves during their midday breaks, and whispers of afternoon siestas floated here and there among the townsfolk. For other Pokémon, their daily rhythms kept them busy at this hour, including Gwenith and her little coterie that kept the bakery up the hill ready for the mealtime rushes of customers.

There inside the dragon family's bakery, the Druddigon set out the afternoon bread on the shop's display, humming little ditties to help the work pass by. As the Dragon-Type shifted the one of loaves to show off its best side to her clients, she heard the chime of a customer passing through her door.

"Good afternoon, you're just in time for the afternoon loa-!"

The Druddigon's cheer gave way to a surprised silence as she saw a blotch-headed Scyther walk up to her counter. Sandra? But what had motivated her to come by the bakery all of a sudden?

"Oh, uh… hello, Sandra," Gwenith said. The Dragon-Type hurriedly hid her surprise behind a hastily summoned smile as she moved a claw over her just-prepared display.

"Have you come for some fresh bread for lunch?"

"I'll take it to go," the mantis replied, shaking her head. "Cassie's been getting a bit lonely lately, and I wanted to get her a treat to surprise her."

"Lonely?" the Druddigon wondered. "But from what I've heard from Hariti, she's been doing great at her Day Care!"

"She gets along well there with her normal circle of friends, yes. But it's more a matter of Ander not being around," Sandra answered. "It makes home a lot quieter."

An awkward silence filled the baker's hut following the Scyther's explanation. The reason why Ander wasn't around was because he'd gone off on that mission to find the Protector, a mission whose updates from the Siglo Swellow normally brought joy to the townsfolk, but only seemed to draw trepidation from the local Marked. Then… perhaps it was best to try and approach Sandra from an angle that they could both relate to.

"Er… I see," Gwenith offered. "I suppose I know what it's like to be in that same boat… The bakery's certainly not as rambunctious as it used to be."

"Hrm?" the Scyther buzzed. "How are your children doing anyways, Gwenith?"

Almost as if on cue, a commotion broke out in the backroom, as the triumphant roar of a Gabite rang out. Both proprietor and customer craned their heads to look through the doorway, where they saw Pyry, covered in flour stains, and proudly holding up a well-sculpted bread roll ready for the oven.

"Haha! I did it! I finally made a perfect roll!" he cheered. "And here you were going on about me being a slow learner-"

The Gabite's reveries were quickly interrupted by the sound of a fist pounding against a wooden table, where there was a large stack of similarly well-sculpted rolls beside a young, displeased-looking Druddigon flecked with flour.

"Eh? Don't just run your maw off!" Cenn snapped. "Get moving on the next one already like a normal 'mon!"

The Gabite growled and shot a dirty look at the smaller Druddigon, his triumphant mood thoroughly deflated as he returned to the next batch of dough.

"Grr… showoff."

Gwenith stifled a laugh before turning her attention back to her customer, giving a sheepish paw at the back of her head.

"Well, things are certainly going smoother than I expected with Cenn and the new help," the Druddigon said.

"And you've heard from your mate about Crom?"

Huh? Sandra was eager to find out about how Crom was doing? While Gwenith supposed it was innocuous, something about the matter seemed odd... Wouldn't she be hearing more or less the same story from Crom as Ander?

"Er… well, no," the Druddigon answered uneasily. "Not since his letter from Seahive Square."

"Did something happen to the ship?" Sandra pressed. "I haven't heard from Ander since Seahive Square either, and it's not like him to suddenly keep us waiting so long on an update."

The Scyther's question made Gwenith jolt into her display, sending loaves falling onto the floor. As the shaken Dragon-Type hastily picked up the fallen bread, she shook her head, and tried to work up a brave face.

"No, no, I'm sure it's fine," she insisted hastily. "The ship's journey has had a few unexpected twists and turns, so it's only logical they'd be a little slow to send an update."

The Druddigon, perhaps starting to believe the brave face she put on, gave a cheery smile to her Bug-Type customer, eager to try and assume the best of her husband and child's journey.

"Why, the kids might be within spitting distance of that ship right now!" she cheered.


On most days, the square near Fensedge Village's guild would be teeming with activity, full of rescue teams coming in and out of the guild and villagers visiting the different shops. By contrast, this day was eerily quiet, with most locals choosing to stay off the streets after sightings of Board ironclads filtered in from the harbor. A few braver or else less savvy souls had stayed out regardless, including a Ponyta, a Cranidos, and a Sandslash sporting white scarves with red saltires...

"300 Poké for a Slumber Orb? What sort of seaway robbery is this?!" the Sandslash scoffed.

The latter of whom was currently preoccupied with an attempt at haggling with the proprietors of the Kecleon market over a cream-colored sphere with swirling clouds inside, much to their displeasure. The Kecleon's scales flushed a ruddy tinge before the lizard shot an unamused look back and cleared his throat to respond.

"That's the standard Merchantry price for it," the chameleon said sharply.

"Yeah! You won't find prices like this anywhere else in town!" his Pumpkaboo partner chided.

"But just look at this thing!" Niilo insisted, tapping a claw against the orb's glassy surface. "Why, it looks fragile enough that it would fall apart in my bag! Surely that's grounds for say… a 50% discount?"

The pangolin's insistence drew glares from the shopkeepers, as well as groans from his Ponyta and Cranidos companions.

"Niilo, just pay him already!" Berecien snorted.

"Yeah, we're not supposed to be wasting time haggling like this!" Cabot complained.

"You should probably heed your friends' advice, Sandslash," the Kecleon insisted. Niilo faltered a bit after seeing the hostile reception, before giving his head a shake and raising a claw.

"Er… 200 Poké! Final offer!" he insisted. "That's a totally fair price, ri- OW!"

The Sandslash yelped as a chitinous claw suddenly yanked the pangolin back and sent him tumbling out of the way. The culprit, a battle-worn Clawitzer, shot a sour look at the Ground-Type before turning her attention back to the Kecleon and Pumpkaboo shopkeepers and depositing some Poké onto the counter.

"300 Poké is fine," the shrimp huffed. "We'll take it."

The shopkeepers took the money and pushed over the Slumber Orb, which Nagant snatched up and stuffed into a red fabric bag. The Clawitzer scuttled over to the still-toppled Sandslash and dragged him up, leading her three subordinates down an alley wedged between a pair of conspicuously deserted shops.

"You should know better than to waste time like that, Niilo," Nagant scolded.

"Gah, älä viitsi… when was it ever a bad thing to get a little immersive with cover?" the Ground-Type whined. "And why are you so upset when it's taken you all this time to get up here?"

"Because some of us had to slip in and out of docks that were crawling with Company sods," the Clawitzer shot back. The Water-Type scanned her surroundings and looked back towards the plaza, and after seeing it still undisturbed, turned back to her subordinates.

"You got the rest of our supplies more smoothly than that, I trust…"

"We did!" Cabot insisted. "We got a smith to make the stuff for that lockpicking kit just like you asked, though we had to buy a few other things as cover once she started asking questions."

"What's going on here anyways, Captain?" Berecien asked. "Why are there so many bigwigs here on this backwater island?"

"We haven't figured out yet," Nagant answered, shaking her head. "Though the Director apparently has ties to this place."

"Ties to this place?" Niilo began, only for Cabot to go rigid and shush his teammates.

"Shh!" the Cranidos shushed. "Someone's passing by!"

The four fell silent as a commotion rang out from the crowd of local guards and anxious-looking villagers at the end of the alleyway. Nagant hopped atop a nearby crate and propped herself up on her tail. She peered over the heads of the audience as a security detail of stern-faced Pokémon in Company garb led a chattering Luxray with an Administrator's scarf and a Nidoking with an even more intricately patterned garb along. Behind them were a tense-looking Mothim fluttering in an erratic path and a visibly sour Samurott with a Third-Rank's scarf: Commissioner Lyn, the shrimp presumed.

For a fleeting moment, the Water-Type thought she saw a familiar-looking Servine and Raichu, only for her to lose track of them as a Zoroark glancing over a scrap of paper walked by with the tail end of the procession. Once the group had passed, the crowds along the lane quickly thinned, the local guards keen to return to their work, and the villagers likewise keen to avoid the powerful outsiders.

"Captain!"

Nagant looked up just in time to see a Drifblim in a white scarf with a red saltire pass overhead. The Ghost-Type circled back and began a steady descent into the alley as fast as his balloon body allowed, the Blimp Pokémon bobbing in front of the Clawitzer and her team.

"You should be more careful," the Drifblim insisted. "If I could see you from the air, then so could any other flier."

"Plausible deniability, Faraday," Nagant answered. "Does it look more suspicious to be seen talking in an alley? Or attempting to talk from behind cover?"

"... Point."

Berecien shook his head and pawed at the ground impatiently, eager to hurry the conversation along and get the Ghost-Type to cut to the chase.

"So what did you pick up?" the Ponyta asked. "Anything new on the way over here from the docks?"

"The entire Board's here for some sort of meeting," the Ghost-Type answered. "I'm pretty sure it's about that god they're looking for."

"What makes you say that?" Niilo questioned.

"Well, I overheard that Commissioner we followed out here going on about a 'target' slipping away," the Drifblim explained. "And none of the Board members seemed really thrilled with him earlier on."

Cabot fidgeted at Faraday's mention of a 'target slipping away'. Then if the Protector had already left, was it really a good idea to keep prowling around a Company island?

"... Should we pull out, Captain?" the Cranidos asked. "I mean, it sounds like the Protector we're looking for isn't on this island..."

Nagant paused, and twitched her feelers thoughtfully as she assessed her situation. Their continued presence was a risk, but from her perspective, this island wasn't quite the dead end that the Rock-Type thought it would be.

"No, this is as good of a chance we'll have to get leads here," Nagant answered. "Faraday, head back to the docks with the others, we'll be headed in on our end."

"Aye, Captain," the Drifblim replied.

The Ghost-Type gave a salute and drifted away, sailing off into the air and leaving the four saltire-scarved Pokémon to slip out into the thinning crowd and follow after the Director and his entourage. Nagant and her charges followed the Nidoking and his colleagues up to the bridge spanning the stream between the town and the local fort. Niilo, Berecien, and Cabot traded blank looks, whispering to each other about ways to get past this remaining roadblock to their mission.

"Wait, so how exactly are we getting in again?" Niilo asked. "It's not like we can just walk into the fort..."

The three lackeys watched as the Director and his party slipped past the fort's well-guarded gate, and the doors closed after them. Much to their consternation, Captain Nagant seemed to be entirely unconcerned, as she looked down a side street behind her.

"We can just walk into that fort," the Water-Type corrected. "We'll ask the local guards for pointers as to where those Board Pokémon are off to after we get in. That Slumber Orb you picked up earlier is our key to doing it."

"Wait, what?!" Berecien exclaimed. "Captain, what on earth do you mean by that?"

"Why don't they ever bring extra guards to help out during these visits? This is ridiculous!"

Cabot, Niilo, and Berecien's ears perked at the sound of a complaining voice carrying on the winds, and turned to face down the same street their superior had been watching. There, further down the lane, was a group in Company lavenders consisting of a Stantler, Sudowoodo, Mudbray, and a Grimer, lazily sticking fresh wanted posters over older notices caked onto a hut's whitewashed wall. Nagant motioned for the three to follow, prompting them to uneasily make their way over to the Water-Type.

"It's simple, really," the shrimp answered as she passed by the mouth of an open alley. "We borrow the scarves of some locals."

The Clawitzer turned and shot out a burst of water down the alleyway, smashing crates and pots that had been set out amongst the clutter with a loud crash. Berecien, Niilo, and Cabot froze and went wide-eyed as they saw the guards ahead look up from their posters, prompting their superior to drag them into another alley across the street from the now-sopping wreck.

"Eh? What was that?"

"It sounds like it was coming down that alley there!"

The four ducked behind a small pile of sacks and watched as the guards made their way into the trashed alley and began to look for a possible culprit. As the Company Pokémon tensely scanned their surroundings, Nagant fished out a glassy peach-colored orb with swirling clouds inside. After giving it a good shake, she lobbed it with her small claw and sent it flying into the opposing alley at the feet of the guards.

Crash

The spies watched as a peach cloud enveloped the opposing alleyway and slowly dissipated, prompting sighs of relief from Nagant's underlings. There, in the ruined alley, the party of Company grunts were slumped over and soundly asleep, none the wiser for their presence.

"Skoreye," the Clawitzer snapped. "They won't be asleep forever."

The four made their way over to the opposing alleyway, where one by one, they hastily claimed the lavender scarves from the dozing guards. Niilo had the misfortune of being the slowest on the draw, leaving him to draw the Grimer's scarf that was dutifully avoided by his teammates.

The spies hastily donned their new attire, Niilo taking a bit longer to flick slime off his new scarf with a disgusted groan, and walked down the alley to the stream. Nagant looked off to the side, watching the bridge into the fort with a knowing smile, its entry now hers for the taking.

"It's showtime."


Inside Mengir's fort, Lyn made his way for the central, stone complex alongside Ellsberg, two Administrators, and the Company's Nidoking Director. They eventually reached the tall, double doors of Zorn's chamber, still guarded by the faithful Breloom and Gourgeist guards Ellsberg ran into in his initial stint on the island. The pair saluted the gathered Pokémon, and then opened the doors and bade the party to enter the chamber.

The group made their way down the wooden bridge as sunlight shined through the chamber's windows, the extra light making Lyn murmur under his breath about how the room looked notably more spacious during the day. The group came to the islet for Zorn's audiences, but at a glance, there didn't seem to be any sign of the Gyarados. Just then, the water in the pool tossed and churned, as a serpentine form slowly rose from the pool, dripping water as he hoisted his head up to meet his audience.

"Welcome, everyone," the Gyarados greeted, lowering his head before his colleagues. After his bow, the Water-Type quickly shifted his focus to the Nidoking in the front, attempting to make smalltalk with an uncharacteristic amity.

"Has your return home been well, Director?" the sea serpent asked.

"I've had more welcoming visits here," Inler huffed. The Poison-Type moved his tail back and forth impatiently and gestured at the ground with an accusing claw.

"Where are the seats, Administrator Zorn?" the Nidoking pressed. "You don't expect us to stand during this meeting, do you?"

The Gyarados' congeniality quickly evaporated and was replaced with visible blanching. Unsure what to say back to his superior about the lack of accommodations, the sea serpent gulped and hastily tried to come up with a soothing excuse to reply with.

"Uhm... well... th-they'll be here any moment Director!" Zorn stammered. "You see I-"

The sound of the door swinging open rang out as an Amoonguss, Hitmonlee, and a Mankey hastily came in with a low table and a quartet of cushions. After an impatient growl from the Gyarados, the three Pokémon darted over in a hurry and set up the table and seats on the islet. Zorn gave a piercing glare at the lower-ranks, who after completing their work, stammered hasty apologies and darted for the door with their heads lowered.

"I just needed a couple moments to put the finishing touches together," the Gyarados insisted, sporting a forced smile on his maw that did little to assuage skeptical looks from Farn and Elilan.

"Next time, get those finishing touches together before we arrive!" Farn snapped.

"It is a bit unprofessional for a host to keep his guests waiting…" Elilan added.

"Enough, both of you," Inler growled. "I called you all out here for a reason…"

"Ah, yes, yes, we should start talking about where that Protector's been going to," Ellsberg interjected, before gesturing towards the Samurott.

"Isn't that right, Lyn?"

"Nobody asked you, Ellsberg!" Lyn snarled, only for a raised paw from the Nidoking to silence him.

Thump thump thump

Inler thumped his leg on the floor to draw the attention of those present, and gave a displeased grunt.

"There will be plenty of time to voice disagreements later, Commissioner," the Drill Pokémon sternly corrected. "Let's get this meeting under-"

"Hold it right there!"

The gathering turned towards the entrance doors at the sound of a large presence barreling in, where they saw a visibly seething Dragonite with an Administrator's scarf draped around his neck.

"E-Eh?!" Ellsberg buzzed. "A-Administrator Darzin?!"

"Oh, you're kidding me," Lyn growled, putting a paw over his face as the Dragonite landed at the end of the islet.

"What is the meaning of this?!" the dragon bellowed. "You're all starting a Board meeting without me present for it?!"

Farn and Elilan looked at each other with smirks, the Zoroark stifling a laugh as the Luxray turned her attention back to the Dragon-Type.

"Oh, gee Darzin… it was a by-invitation-only meeting," Farn scoffed. "See, here's ours…"

The Luxray pawed at her scarf, fishing out an opened envelope. On it, was the unmistakable lavender fractal that marked it as being penned on the Director's stationery.

"It seems yours got lost in the mail," Elilan answered, giving a dismissive wave. "We can talk about how to punish some clerk for his mistake after we're done here."

"What is this nonsense?!" Darzin cried. "It's like you're not even taking me seriously!"

"That's because no one does take you seriously, Darzin," a growling voice answered.

"What?!"

Darzin clenched his teeth and fists, and turned his head to look down at a Nidoking glaring back up at him.

"You're a disgrace to the Board and the Company as a whole! Why should anyone take you seriously?!" Inler spat. "After losing Tromba you've failed every attempt in the last seven years to remedy that deficiency, a debacle the rest of us have had to contain!"

Darzin's indignant determination wavered, as unwelcome memories of his fight with that spiky blue devil from Tromba resurfaced, much to Elilan's sneering delight. Here, in front of him was a still-stronger Pokémon of her kind, one whose low growls bade him to a challenge the Dragon-Type dared not accept.

"Tell me, Darzin," the Nidoking demanded. "Why are we supposed to take the opinion of a glorified records clerk seriously in the most important meeting the Company has had in years?"

Darzin glared and beat his wings out, only for the Dragonite's small wings to fail to have the impressing effect on the stone-faced Nidoking that he desired. The Dragon-Type grew flustered, his defiant eyes and spluttering maw still trying to make a point, but the rest of his posture became more rigid and tense, undermining his efforts.

"That- That's-" Darzin began, only to be cut off by an unimpressed huff and a glare from the Nidoking.

"I thought so," Inler spat. "If such an obvious power vacuum didn't risk creating internal friction and telegraphing our weakness to the Empire, we'd have been rid of you years ago!"

"With all due respect, Director Inler," Lyn interrupted. "But if we're done with Administrator Darzin's disruption here, could we kindly move on?"

"Concurred," the Director replied. "Darzin, please vacate the premises. We have business to conduct."

"N-Now hold on!" the Dragonite spluttered, flashing his right claw. "It doesn't matter if I've had a bit of a rocky last few years! I'm still an Administrator and I have a right to-!"

Rrr...

Darzin looked up and saw a wall of glares awaiting him from the gathered Pokémon. Inler was pawing at the ground, ready to charge, while Farn was visibly sparking and bracing to pounce. Elilan's smug demeanor had turned decidedly hostile as he readied his claws for a slash, and most ominously, Zorn's fangs were bared and starting to ice over once again. Even Commissioner Lyn and the notary seemed to be getting in on the gesture, the Samurott's right paw hovering over the hilt of one of his seamitars while the Mothim glared daggers.

The Dragonite shrank back, knowing full well that he could not win a six-on-one battle. In all of this, there was one unanimous sentiment that lingered in the air, one that the Director quickly articulated…

"You're in no position to contest anything here!" Inler snarled, slamming his claws against the low table. "Now leave!"

Darzin looked down at the scratches left in the table's wood the Nidoking's claws cut, before reluctantly backpedaling and turned for the door. The Dragon-Type audibly seethed before giving a low growl in return.

"This isn't over, Director…"

Darzin continued on off the islet, giving a beat of his wings to hurry off after making it onto the bridge. There was a loud crash as he slammed the doors behind him, leaving an uneasy quiet to fill the room that was broken by the sound of a Nidoking clearing his throat.

"Now that's been dealt with... shall we get started?" Inler asked. At the Nidoking's question, Lyn noticed that the eyes of the other three Board Pokémon had all turned to him, waiting impatiently before Inler continued on.

"Why don't you start off by telling us about what's been going on, Commissioner Lyn?"


After Team Traveller's meeting with Viktor, there was a long wait under a hastily-formed air pocket at a clump of bubbleweed at the resting grounds for the Dragalge to come back with news of the arrangements for meeting the Blue Fairy. The four waited inside their temporarily-formed enclosure, idly pawing at the strands of bubbleweed and kicking a pebble as the surrounding sea Pokémon chattered about what Viktor might be up to. After what seemed like an eternity, Viktor returned alongside Kuda, a Lumineon, and a Relicanth before instructing Dimitri to fetch the four children for a swim.

After quickly mounting Dimitri's back in a freshly formed air bubble, the group followed after their guides from the Khranitel Rod. Much to their surprise, the four didn't swim off to a place under the sea as they expected, but slowly climbed their way up higher and higher into the water as the bubble on Dimitri's back grew larger and larger with the lowering air pressure. Then, this meant...

"Wait, you're taking us to the surface?"

Instead, their guides had taken them back up to the top of the sea's churning waves, to a small island in a spindly ring around Braveshoal Town below.

"We chose to go up here because the Blue Fairy has a liking for this place. I personally would have chosen another location, but I wasn't the one who set up this meeting," Viktor grunted. "Now come on. It's this way."

Dimitri neared the surface, where the bubble ballooned, and then gave way to a mist of spray that pattered against Team Traveller's bodies. As Nida shook the seawater off her fur, she saw that the Kabutops had surfaced among gently lolling waves offshore a low-lying island that was part of a ringing atoll. On the island, there were thick, verdant palm groves, with a pod of Spheal and their evolutions without scarves sunning themselves along a beach.

Eventually, the group came to a stony grotto decorated with corals from the seabed that sat alongside a filled tide pool, where they disembarked from Dimitri, looking around curiously.

"You took us to an ánima?" Nida asked.

"Well, it was the easiest place to meet up," their Kabutops guide answered. "And if need be, the Blue Fairy can slip away from here with ease."

"Eh? Why's this place built out on the surface?" Elty murmured. "I would've thought you'd put it underwater with everything else!"

"Most of the ferals around these parts live up on the surface," the Lumineon explained. "So this was the place where all the Pokémon around here would have the best access to the shrine."

The group poked their heads inside, and saw that the walls were covered with depictions of a blue-and-teal sprite. As in other shrines, the pictures told the story of the Protector's attributes and its history, the twin-tailed figure floating through the air as playfully as a leaf on a breeze. Wait! Could it be…?

"So… this is the Blue Fairy's shrine?" Guardia wondered.

"Actually, it's for a Protector named 'Azelf'," high-pitched voice answered.

The gathered Pokémon jumped with a collective start and turned to see a blue creature sporting yellow-ringed eyes, a pair of antennae on her head, and a red jewel in her chest at the foot of the shrine. The creature popped up, and leapt into the center of the sanctum, coming face-to-face with a surprised Team Traveller.

"I'm actually a Protector named 'Manaphy'," the sea angel said. "Pokémon tend to know me as the 'Blue Fairy,' but I find 'Nerea' to be more useful for more intimate settings such as these."

"That's right, they actually came badgering us about how to find you," Kuda answered. "And this is the self-proclaimed 'god' from Tromba we told you about. As you can see, he has a bit of an… unusual entourage."

The Kingdra continued on, only to be interrupted by a gruff Dragalge's grunt. Kuda turned and saw Viktor giving a stern look at his blue counterpart.

"Kuda, take the others and handle perimeter duty," the Poison-Type ordered. "This is a matter for myself, Dimitri, and the kids."

"Eh?!" Kuda protested. "Since when did Dimitri ever get special treat-"

"Now, Kuda!" Viktor snapped.

Kuda shot a glare back at the Ataman, before begrudgingly relenting and turning to call the others. As the Kingdra and the others swam off, quiet returned to the grotto shrine, leaving Nerea to hop down to inspect the strange bird that Viktor had brought before her.

"Tromba, eh?" the Water-Type murmured, as she inspected Pleo's plumage. "You've certainly travelled a long way… What are your names?"

"Er… well, I'm 'Pleo,'" the young Lugia began, prompting a swift follow-up from his Growlithe teammate.

"Eltenios is the name."

"You can call him 'Elty,'" the team's Nidoran said, rolling her eyes. "And I'm Nida."

"I'm called Shugode- Oh, you meant town names…" the Cubone teammate began, hastily correcting herself with a sheepish cradle of her club behind her head. "'Guardia,' I guess."

"I see," Nerea answered. "So what brings you all the way out here?"

"The Company chased us from our home!" Pleo cried. "And no matter where we go, they keep coming after us!"

"And… we heard back in Seaspear Station that you also had trouble with the Company in the past," Nida explained. "So we were hoping you might have some advice for how to get home."

The Manaphy paused and ran a hand under her chin, deep in thought. After seemingly weighing between choices, the Water-Type turned her gaze to Nida and spoke up.

"Well, it would depend on what you mean by 'getting home'," the sea angel answered.

"Huh?!" the Nidoran cried. "What do you mean?!"

"Yeah!" Pleo squawked. "We wanna go back to Tromba, of course!

"It's not so simple…" Nerea answered, shaking her head. "You say that you're having trouble with the Company right now… but do you know why?"

The four youngsters traded blank looks with each other. They knew the Company wanted Pleo, but why did Lyn want him badly enough to chase him across three different islands? He already bullied Tromba well enough without Pleo, and he was unlikely to be able to keep the Protector for himself…

"Uh… because some pushy Samurott wants a promotion?" Elty suggested.

"Because this god has one of those 'bounties' on him?" Guardia added.

"Those are merely the symptoms of the deeper reason," the Manaphy explained. "That reason being that they need you, Pleo."

"H-Huh?!" Pleo cried. "Need me?! But they tried to take me from my home!"

"Nerea, de qué hablas?!" Nida squeaked. "Why would the Company need Pleo?!"

"It's a bit of a long explanation," the sea Protector said. "Let me start by going back as far as I can remember…"

The Manaphy hopped into the center of the shrine. As she paced around a design evoking a teal fairy on the floor, the creature looked off at the sea through the grotto's opening, her face's expression visibly somber as the sea angel stooped to grab a hunk of lavender coral.

"In the past, the Company didn't rule anything on its own, but worked for an Empire that ruled this region," Nerea said. "There was a falling out between the two around forty years ago, just after their great city, Middleguard, was snuffed out."

Nida and Pleo shifted out of surprise at the sea angel's words. There had really been a time when there was someone strong enough to push around the Company? Guardia for her part struggled to try and make sense of this 'city' named 'Middleguard', so it was a hut-dweller ground like Mossaisle… if obviously a bit more important? Perhaps their graveyard?

As his teammates continued to puzzle through Nerea's words, Elty noticed that the Manaphy had stopped to pick up a blue chunk of coral, and began to grind it against the lavender chunk from earlier.

"Since then, the two have both been trying to rule over all of Anyilla, but aren't strong enough to do it on their own," the Manaphy elaborated as she continued grinding the hunks of coral against each other. "It's a problem that only gets worse for them, meaning that if someone doesn't win soon..."

Crack

Team Traveller looked back at Nerea, where the two hunks of coral in her hands had finally snapped, depositing broken fragments on the ground. The Water-Type gave a shake of her head, before flinging the coral remnants into the grotto's tide pool, and grabbing a Dewott's scalchop left as an offering.

"Eventually both sides could fall apart. Which is where we come in," Nerea said. She brought the shell's edge down on the blue rubble on the ground, chopping it into powdery pieces. "If the Company or the Empire were to get their hands on Pokémon like us, they would eventually have the strength to overpower the other."

"But- but I wouldn't fight for them!" Pleo squawked. "They wouldn't be able to make me!"

"These are very powerful players, Pleo," the Manaphy replied. "I wouldn't be surprised if they've already found a way around that... though even if they haven't, I don't think it would be necessary."

"What do you mean by that?" Nida asked.

"If either side can simply claim they are in the good graces of a Protector, then the Pokémon of Anyilla will rally around them," the sea angel explained. "If it happened, it would mean that whatever side gets a Protector first would get strengthened and the other weakened. Potentially enough to finally fight things out."

Pleo and his companions hung their heads. So if they returned, either the Company or the Empire would follow them home, with Bluewhorl Town left to the mercies of the huge fight that would surely ensue afterwards.

"Th-then there is no way back to Tromba as long as the Company is around…?" Pleo murmured.

Nerea hesitated, not wanting to give the bird the bad news.

"… I can't say that the odds are in your favor if you do try to go back," the Manaphy finally said. "Especially to an island that's controlled by the Company..."

"But surely you'd have some idea for how they can get home, Nerea!" Dimitri cried. "You've been giving the Company the slip for years!"

"But even after all those years, I have not yet found a way back to my home, Dimitri," the Blue Fairy answered. "There are ideas I can volunteer, but from my own experience, they're not ones I can give glibly."

"What do you mean?" Guardia asked.

"Even Nerea had a home island," Viktor explained. "She's the Protector of Vollezee."

"Eh?!" Elty exclaimed. "You're the Protector of the Company's home island?!"

"That's correct. They did something to disturb the Mystery Dungeon my egg was in years ago," the sea angel explained. "From what I've heard, my hatching was not too long afterwards."

The Manaphy cast a glance off towards the horizon, a tired look coming over her face as unwelcome memories started to shift to the front of her mind.

"They found me and caught me afterwards," Nerea said. "Were it not for a brave swordsmon among their ranks who was moved by my plight, I would most likely be locked away in some dreary sea fort to this day."

"But how have you been able to stay away from them?" Guardia demanded. "We can't even shake them on completely different islands!"

"That's because she's been getting a bit of help all these years," Dimitri answered, gesturing to Viktor's bobbing form. The Dragalge gave a dismissive snort and shake of his head, before speaking to explain himself.

"It's nothing so special, Dimitri… After Nerea came to the sea, I discovered her true nature back when I was just a little fry and met her for the first time," Viktor elaborated. "The heads of the different rodov that met here in Braveshoal at the time decided to keep it secret, and pass her along within their ranks to keep her from drawing undue attention. That is how she became known as the 'Blue Fairy'' to us."

Nida and Pleo traded disappointed looks with each other. This was hardly the help they were expecting at all! Guardia and Elty both seemed to be unnerved by the Blue Fairy's words, as the more she spoke, the worse off their situation seemed to be. Then… did this mean…?

"So there's really nothing we can do to go home?" Nida murmured.

"There's actually two ways that at least some of you can return," Nerea explained. "The first is for Pleo here to come under my fin and wander from safe harbor to safe harbor down here, while the rest of you go back to Tromba and live out a normal life without him."

The sea angel's words seemed to suck the life out of the four children, making them blanch at the implications of that terrible choice. They… would really have to leave Pleo? But that meant leaving him all alone in a big sea… To not bring him back to the home that needed him… Nerea, seeing how her words had affected her young audience, paused to weigh her next words carefully, before starting hesitantly.

"The other…" she said, trailing off with her words, "... is to get an upper hand so you can make an offer that neither the Company or the Empire can refuse."

Team Traveler jolted, sure they had misheard the Manaphy. She couldn't be seriously saying...

"Nerea," Nida squeaked. "Are you suggesting that we take on the Company?!"

"I'm suggesting that the ones like us won't know peace unless the Company and the Empire stop searching for us," the Manaphy replied. "They haven't stopped searching for me in twenty years. With Pleo, they've just begun. Even if we can gain some leverage... what will happen to the next Protectors if they are not prepared for them?"

Nerea's question drew stunned stares from Nida, Guardia, and Elty. The Company had already run them ragged in just over a week, and they were still chasing this sea fairy after twenty years? But… on the other hand, how could they possibly stand up against the Company? And their cannons, and ships, and forts full of snarling Pokémon…

"I… I mean," Nida stammered. "It doesn't really sound like-"

"We'll take them on!"

Nida, Guardia, and Elty's heads snapped around to face Pleo, the three still stunned by the bird's chirping exclamation.

"Whuh?!" Nida cried, too shocked to form a coherent sentence.

"Pleo, what are you going on about?!" Guardia exclaimed.

"How do you expect us to fight the Company?!" Elty yelped. "And the Empire on top of it?!"

The Lugia hesitated, and involuntarily shifted his wounded wing against his splint. The creature paused for a moment, seemingly taken aback by his own words, before giving a shake of his head and continuing on.

"Nida and I promised each other that we'd all go home. Back to the island that I'm a Protector for," Pleo insisted. "If I give up on this promise… If I give up on Tromba… Wouldn't I also be giving up on what a Protector is?"

"Are you sure you know what you're getting into, kid?" Viktor asked.

"Yeah I do," Pleo said, giving a determined nod. "It doesn't matter how bad it looks, we can't give up without trying."

"Daj spokój, Pleo! This is crazy!" Elty cried.

"Maybe..." Pleo murmured. "But hasn't being 'crazy' all this time kept us going?"

"Hold on just a minute!" the Growlithe objected. "It's all fun to talk about fighting, but how exactly are we supposed to take on mons that have ironclads?!"

"During my travels when I was younger, I met another like us who had the power to see through eyes scattered across the Cradle. He told me of a set of three books called the Knights' Ledger," Nerea said. "Supposedly there are secrets written in them powerful enough to bring both the Company and the Empire to heel. In the past, I tried to get one of the books from Vollezee, but… you can already guess how that turned out."

"So how are we supposed to have any luck?" Guardia asked.

"Because not all of the books are in Vollezee," the Manaphy explained. "Or at least so I've been told."

"Wait, they're not?" Nida asked.

"That's correct. I have heard that one of them lies with another Protector in hiding near a ruined settlement by the name of 'Blackmoon Village' in the fringes of Imperial territory on the other edge of Anyilla," Nerea continued. "I myself considered looking for it, but things fell through before my attempt to claim it."

The other three members of Team Traveller seemed visibly hesitant at Nerea's words. Attempting to get an upper hand over groups as strong as the Company was undoubtedly risky... but in spite of it all, a spark of hope showed through in Nida and Guardia.

"I mean that sounds like an awful lot... but we have come this far already."

"Hrm, at the very least there'd be lore to gather and numbskulls to club."

As for the last member of Team Traveller, his mood had swung in the opposite direction of his teammates'. Amidst the more confident atmosphere, there was an outlier of the team's general mood, consisting of a visibly uneasy Growlithe who begrudgingly added his assent.

"I-I guess…" Elty gulped, flattening out his ears.

"You shouldn't be so quick to rush into things," Viktor chided. "Let's take some time to plan this back at the grounds."

Nida nodded in affirmation as she motioned for her teammates to follow along. The four clambered back aboard Dimitri in their regular order, prompting the fossil Pokémon to begin to drift off as the children looked back towards Nerea.

"Thank you for everything, Nerea," Pleo said.

"No, the pleasure is mine," the Manaphy answered. "Though there was one last thing I wanted to say…"

"Huh?" the young Protector asked. "What's that?"

"Don't give up, even if it gets rough."

"Right!" the little Lugia grunted back. "We won't!"

The four children waved at Nerea as Viktor slipped under the water, their Kabutops guide starting to pick up speed in the water. Dimitri cut a trench into the water off the atoll, and dropped down into it as the sea closed overhead around a freshly formed bubble. As the Fossil Pokémon carried on, the children watched as Kuda and the others swam in from their positions on some nearby corals, giving impatient grunts as the entourage to escort Pleo and his companions reformed.

Dimitri cut through the water with surprising speed, the reefs and monoliths of Braveshoal rapidly nearing as the Pokémon from the Khranitel Rod carried on into the deep. However, the speedy and somewhat conspicuous Dive bubble ran the risk of attracting unwanted attention - such as that of a lurking Tentacruel, hidden behind a rocky outcropping with her Sharpedo cohort. The two glanced at the target, and back at one another, before reaching a silent agreement and emerging from their hiding place. They set off after their targets, making certain to follow at a safe distance behind the Kabutops' wake.


As Nagant had predicted, she and her subordinates really were able to just walk into the fort with their pilfered scarves. Asking around for the Board's meeting place seemed to go relatively well, as with most of the Company's ranks being surprisingly eager to divulge information to a fellow scarf-wearer. Occasionally, the four would run into a skeptical soul asking why they seemed so unfamiliar with the place, which were quickly mollified by hasty excuses of 'being part of Administrator Farn's detail'. Eventually, the four Imperials' sleuthing lead them to a high-roofed, stone structure in the center of the fort complex.

"Is this really is it…?" Cabot murmured, as he sized up the building skeptically.

"Do you see any other buildings that look big and important enough for an Administrator to use in this fort, Cabot?" Nagant huffed.

"Well, even this one hardly screams 'big-shot inside,'" Berecien snorted. "My family's dworek in Tidemill City looks better than this!"

"And all that just means that everyone expects them to be there," Niilo objected. "How do we know if the Board's even been meeting inside-?"

Before the Sandslash could finish his train of thought, a loud crash rang out and made the four Pokémon freeze in place. After hastily looking around, the group noticed that the doors to Zorn's compound had been thrown open and an irate Dragonite was storming their way.

"Shutting me out like a common First-Rank! The nerve of those ingrates-!"

Berecien, Niilo, and Cabot blanched as they saw that the Dragon-Type was sporting an Administrator's pattern on his scarf. Nagant began to tense herself for battle, only for the Dragonite to look up and glower at her...

"What are you looking at?"

… and turn and continue on into the compound. As the four's heartbeats began to slow and the blood returned to their faces, Niilo's eyes suddenly brightened as he realized...

"Okay, nevermind," he said. "This is the place."

"Then let's hurry up and get in there!" his Clawitzer superior snapped.

Nagant and her teammates made their way in, exchanging hurried pleasantries with each guard they passed on their way through the hallways of the complex. Eventually, the group found a staircase leading to the top floor of the building, the top of the stairway opening up into a long corridor with reinforced shutters installed in each window along its length.

The team made their way along the corridors, dutifully scanning their surroundings for any way of getting to the central chamber. They saw doors to leading to many a room, though their spacing seemed far too regular for one leading to a large chamber. The hunt went on and on, only for the four to find themselves back at the staircase they started from.

"I don't think we're going to be able to get over that central chamber," Niilo spat. "We're back to square one, and if there is a place overhead, it's in one of these rooms."

"Yeah, but how would we know which one to try and get in?" Cabot asked.

Berecien paused, and gave an impatient stomp of his hoofs. They had come this far, was there really nothing else they could do beyond taking a leap of faith? The Fire-Type looked up, where he noticed a wooden grate, with a dark expanse beyond it.

"Eh?" the Ponyta asked. "Didn't the roof have a high ridge when we saw it from outside?"

"Then that means that there's space beyond that grate," Nagant said. "Cabot, I want you up there to do recon. Niilo, give him a way to get through that grate."

"Coming right up!" the Sandslash grunted. Niilo clambered up Berecien's back, and after a quick reassurance to the Ponyta struggling to hold the Sandslash's weight that he'd "only need a minute", moved his claws over to the wooden grate. The pangolin gave careful zip of his claws along three of the grate's edges and pushed it open. After clambering up Berecien and Niilo, Cabot squeezed himself through the opened grate before allowing it to settle back down with a quiet thud.

Berecien's legs gave way after that, sending the Ponyta and his Sandslash partner tumbling to the ground. As Nagant watched the pair pick themselves up, she hastily barked a "look alive" to the two as the sound of approaching buzzing came from the hallway behind them.

The three watched as a Magnemite floated by, giving an askew look at the three tense-looking Pokémon guarding the hallway, before shaking its head and continuing on. As the Magnet Pokémon vanished down the hall, Nagant carefully looked up and down the hallway for more Pokémon, only to tense up at the patter of footsteps. The shrimp whirled around, but saw no one in either direction of the hallway. After realizing that the footsteps sounded as if they were falling against wood, the Clawitzer and her subordinates looked up, just as Cabot lifted the grate to poke his head out of it.

"Captain, there's a stairwell behind a door on the far end of the compound," the Rock-Type whispered. "It wouldn't budge when I tried to open it, so it's probably locked from the outside!"

"Good work, Cabot," Nagant answered. "Stick a corner of your saltire scarf under the door and we'll take it from there."

The Cranidos gave a nod and pulled his head back into the attic as his companions continued on. The three followed the hallway along with the contours of Zorn's complex, until they saw a white cloth peeking out from under a smaller door nestled in an alcove.

Niilo picked through a bag slung over his shoulder and retrieved two thin metal strips, their golden color evidencing that the smith had fashioned them from a Poké coin. One of the strips was bent at the end to form a vague hook, and the other given rough, uneven bumps. A torsion wrench and a rake, it looked like. The Sandslash stepped forward and slid the hooked strip into the keyhole, carefully twisting it back and forth. After feeling something move at the end of the strip, Niilo shifted his other claw to hold the torsion wrench in place as he took the rake and pushed it deep into the keyhole, moving it back and forth… back and forth…

Click

After the lock gave way, Niilo nosed at the push-panel and slid the door open, where on the other side Cabot was waiting for them.

"What took you all so long?" he demanded.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry we're late," the Sandslash said. "Now come on."

Nagant, Niilo, and Berecien quickly ducked past the door and up a rickety plank staircase, leaving Cabot to cover them by slipping a few coins between the door and the frame. After giving a tug against the door to verify it had been sufficiently jammed, the Fossil Pokémon turned and rejoined his companions up in the darkened attic above.

The attic was a dusty space, its ceiling low enough to force taller Pokémon to stoop in order to move around. All around the attic, there were disused crates and barrels heaped onto each other, with faint noises coming from the grates over the rooms below.

"So… how do we figure out which of these grates is the one we need?" Berecien asked.

"Then what were you doing waffling for so long on Kenobi, Commissioner?" a gruff voice demanded.

"Huh?"

"Lyn, if you'd left my port with a quick patch job right after getting word from Ellsberg, we wouldn't be having this conversation!" a feline voice hissed.

"Ah!" Cabot exclaimed. "That's-!"

"Shh!"

Nagant glared at the Cranidos before motioning at a wooden grate to the side, and began to peer down into a chamber filled with water, where the Board's members had gathered around a small islet.

"Let's just listen and hear what our friends have to say."


"And that's where things stand right now."

Inside the stone walls of Zorn's chamber, Ellsberg and the gathered members of the Board had been listening for fifteen minutes now as Lyn had recounted the events that had transpired since his last visit to Tromba. While Inler had listened patiently to the Samurott's story, the other Pokémon in the room seemed to have been focused on other things.

Having already heard most of the story, Farn and Elilan only paid half attention to what Lyn had to offer. The Luxray had spent most of her time pawing at a loose thread of the pillow she rested on, raising the occasional comment. The Zoroark on the other hand, didn't bother to maintain a pretense of attention, and primarily spent his time picking disinterestedly at his claws.

Zorn and Ellsberg on the other hand, appeared notably more tense. The Gyarados frequently shifted his gaze at his different guests to make sure they were pleased, with particular emphasis on the Company's Director. The Mothim on the other hand tried to avoid as much eye contact as possible, as he nervously fluttered behind Lyn, keen to stay out of the center of attention.

"I see then," Inler said as he looked up at the Gyarados looming over the gathering. "Administrator Zorn, can you confirm Commissioner Lyn's story?"

"Er… well, after Elmer here informed me of a sighting of the Sea Guardian on my island," the Gyarados explained, "I suggested that they let us handle the capture process this time around while they focused on extraction."

Zorn's explanation drew an annoyed buzz from Ellsberg, the Mothim all too eager to correct his bungled naming with a huff.

"Administrator Zorn, it's-" Ellsberg began, only to catch himself after seeing the sea serpent shoot an unamused glare.

"Er… nevermind."

Elilan gave a skeptical raise of his brow at Ellsberg's outburst, though the conversation was quickly herded back to the Gyarados' failed capture of Pleo by an impatient Luxray's hiss.

"Well that seems to have worked out quite well, Zorn," Farn scoffed.

"If I might remind you, Farn… we actually caught him," Zorn corrected. "This time he escaped only because of external interference, so there were no failures on our part."

"I find that a little hard to believe, Administrator Zorn," Inler growled. "I suppose you'll be telling me next that I should view middling outcomes like your first mission with Commissioner Lyn as resounding successes."

"Things genuinely aren't as bad as they seem, Director," the Gyarados insisted. "Commissioner Lyn's ship is still fully provisioned and ready for a hunt, while the Protector left in a hurry, and with a wounded wing. The Protector wasn't prepared to go far while your chosen agent is."

"Well then, I suppose it's just a matter of narrowing down where those kids would have fled to, hm?" Elilan remarked. "When two of their options are the island they fled from to get here and our capital, it's not like they'd have many options if they were in need of rest."

Inler gave a shake of his head in realization. Although his Zoroark subordinate didn't mention it, his listing seemed to point towards one other place the Guardian and his companions would have fled to.

"Then that leaves Otvaga as the only rational option for them to choose," the Nidoking answered. "It's a neutral island, and a gateway to Imperial waters..."

He frowned as an uncomfortable realization dawned on him. As a gateway to the Empire's waters, there would be nothing to stop the Guardian from actually making his way into them. Even if their rivals were still in the dark about the sea god's awakening, any attempt at retrieval would lie in the paws of subterfuge, and the price of any failure would rise exponentially.

"... We'd do well to plan for the worst and assume they've headed into enemy waters and don't plan on returning anytime soon. Even a fool knows better than to try a failing strategy thrice in a row," Inler said.

A breeze whistled past a window near the ceiling, which made the Nidoking look up for a moment, his mind turning to a further risk that he hadn't immediately thought of. One that prior Directors had overlooked which still afflicted his hometown to this day.

"And I know enough from the experience of the so-called "violation of the Pact" that the local ferals saw from my predecessor's extraction of the Voice of Life that being too careless with a Protector can have far-reaching consequences…" the Poison-Type added. "In light of that, I think we would be best off sending a team under Lyn's command there in pursuit of them, in case they've already made it behind enemy lines."

The Nidoking's proposal prompted Zorn to raise a brow and twitch his barbells. He was all for pushing around would-be opponents to the Company when the situation called for it, but...

"You can't be seriously suggesting that we attempt to launch a military assault on the reef where all the sea clans in Anyilla gather, Director…" Zorn answered, only to be cut off by a raised claw from his Nidoking superior.

"I'm suggesting nothing of the sort, Administrator Zorn," Inler rebutted. "The ideal route would be to send a small team after them disguised as a merchant ship."

The Poison-Type paused and mulled, running a claw under his chin thoughtfully. It was an audacious plan, no doubt, but even so, he could see its merits.

"Yes… that way, if the Protector has already made it into Imperial territory by the time it arrives in Otvaga, Lyn and his crew can continue on westward without drawing attention," Inler explained. "And we already have the perfect ship for that feint… isn't that right, Ellsberg?"

"Wh-What?!"

Ellsberg reeled back in shock, glancing to the others expecting similar responses to the Director's outrageous response. Instead, the gazes which met his only ranged from indifference to mild annoyance at his outburst. The Mothim hung his head, drawing a small smirk from Elilan as Farn cleared her throat to continue on.

"But Director, how does that make sense?" the Luxray demanded. "Sending an even smaller force in pursuit of the Protector? If it's a matter of preserving diplomatic niceties, there's no shortage of privateers we could use as pawns for this matter."

"It's hardly ideal, but it's the best we can manage under these constraints," Inler admitted.

The Samurott gave a thoughtful stroke of his whiskers at the Director's suggestion. It wasn't as direct as he would have preferred, but he was no stranger to using subterfuge to get his way. And if that bird and his companions really had headed for Otvaga, there was one Pokémon there who would certainly be worth his while to consult.

"I think that I can work with that, Director," Lyn answered. "Though… there is one request that I must make to the Board."

"And that would be?"

"I have a contact within Otvaga," the Samurott explained. "If the Guardian and his fellow travelers truly moved through there, I believe that I might be able to get a lead as to where they've gone off to."

Inler paused and mulled for a moment. Relying on an outside contact for a mission this dire could be risky, but Lyn's track record had made him the best candidate for a reason, and it might be worth giving him the benefit of the doubt.

"Very well, though do be mindful that the quality of your contact will reflect in your performance review, Commissioner," Inler said. "Ellsberg here will handle your new ship in your absence as your First Mate-"

"N-Now hold on just a minute here!" the Mothim cried. "That's my ship! You can't just give it away to-!"

Ellsberg was cut off by a piercing glare from Inler, the Nidoking's threatening posture coupled with similarly unamused stares from Zorn and Farn that prompted a deflated stammer from the Bug-Type.

"...O-Or, I g-guess you can..." he gulped.

"Naturally, you will have discretion over a quarter of the crew," Inler remarked, his eyes locked into a stern glare. "A most generous concession considering the circumstances."

Ellsberg drooped his head under the gaze of his superior, drained of will to challenge the Poison-Type's instructions. He knew his place as a Second-Rank in the Company... but- but- having his ship taken from him? The Mothim gulped before speaking up in a soft voice barely above a whisper.

"I- I mean… if there's really no other way…"

"So, we are all in agreement of what needs to be done?" Inler asked.

"Aye," motioned Farn. Lyn added a grunt in affirmation, prompting a cascade of nods and mumbled agreements after it, with the audible exception of Ellsberg, who fluttered silently in place with his head down.

"Good," the Director grunted. "Then this meeting is over."

Zorn slinked into the water and began to swim off into the chamber's tunnels, leaving his colleagues to make their way down to the chamber doors. Inler exited the room first, followed closely by Farn and Elilan, leaving Lyn to trail after them until a fluttering presence came to him from behind and tugged his scarf.

"Lyn...?" Ellsberg pleaded. "This arrangement honestly feels like a mistake, couldn't we-?"

"Not now, Ellsberg!" the Samurott bellowed. "I'll draw up a list of who I want on the crew before I leave, but I don't want to be kept waiting for you out in Otvaga!"

"But-!"

"Get moving!" Lyn roared.

With that, he turned his back to his subordinate and stomped out of the room. Ellsberg lagged behind, sulking as the weight of the meeting's result bore down on him, his movements being followed by unseen eyes. Nagant and her crew watched intently from a grate in the attic above as the Mothim too left the chamber. After a cautious double-check to ensure they wouldn't be detected, the crew collectively exhaled. Nagant's subordinates exchanged nervous glances and composed their thoughts before speaking up.

"Did I hear that last bit right?" Cabot murmured. "The sea god we've been looking for is headed to our home waters?"

"I heard it, too," Nagant said. "Let's get going."

"Eh?! Captain?!" Berecien protested. "But they only just le-!"

"They did, and we've heard everything that we needed to," the Clawitzer insisted. "And that Commissioner's got a recon mission, we'd be wise to follow after him before he's already left port."

"B-But-" Cabot stammered, only to be cut off by an impatient huff.

"Oi! You heard the Captain!" Niilo cried. "Time to get out of this dusty attic and call it a day!"

"Hmph, about time you used that mouth of yours for something useful, Niilo," the aged shrimp grunted. "Come on, let's move out!"

Nagant hopped away, prompting her subordinates to follow after her away from the grate. As the group made their way into the darkness of the attic, they thought about the conversation they saw in the room below, and how much that Protector they were chasing could change the course of their part of the Cradle…

But who would wind up that determining that course?


"Alright, so let's make sure. Are we clear what you're going to do tomorrow?"

After their meeting with Manaphy, Team Traveller had returned to the grounds of Dimitri's clan like its Dragalge leader had insisted. There, they had discussed their plans with Viktor and Dimitri on what to do next, their efforts stretching all the way on into the deep night as they carefully recited back their flight plan to Viktor.

"Dimitri is going to buy supplies with us in town, then guide us along the Pearl Stream, and we'll head to Sormus Island." Nida recounted.

"There, we'll split up, stock up, and head onto the next island to find some leads as to where this 'Blackmoon Village' is before those Imperial mons get wise to us," Guardia said. "Though I think it shouldn't be hard. Why, I'm pretty sure we've heard of it from somewhere before!"

"Good, at least we're all on the same page," the Dragalge grunted. "As for you, Dimitri, make sure you don't stray too far east until you're sure you are near Sormus. Swimming around those waters alone and with passengers on your back is just asking for trouble."

The group continued on with their chatter, going through plans, and fallbacks, and tidbits that Viktor was determined to drill into the four airbreathers before Dimitri set out with them the next day… the lot of them completely unaware of the Tentacruel and a Sharpedo watching from an overlooking coral formation.

"So they'll be going alone?" Cyanea murmured. "Good, if we beat them to Spirit Trench, it'll be the perfect ambush site for someone travelling along that current."

The Sharpedo swam back and forth, keeping a skeptical eye on her partner all the while.

"Are you sure we should try and jump them just by ourselves?" Katyusha asked. "We would be picking a fight with a bigger group than us."

"Yerunda, they only have one real fighter down here that can swim!" the Tentacruel scoffed. "We can handle that!"

"I… I mean I guess you raise a point," the Sharpedo reluctantly agreed.

"NO!"

The two winced and snapped their attention back to the gathering below, where the Growlithe in the bubble had grown agitated, his fur standing on end.

"No way! We're not sleeping down here in a bubble!"

"Oh come off it," a Relicanth from the crowd scoffed. "You need to get moving in the morning, so you might as well stay close to us."

"If that bubble bursts, we die you moron!" Elty snarled.

The Growlithe glared at the group of seamons, drawing derisive snorts and scoffs at the dog's whining. While the school's ire was focused on the Fire-Type, Nida lowered her ears, before raising a paw and trying to lend her argument into the case for not sleeping in the bubble.

"Uhm… It would be nice to have a proper bed to sleep on…" Nida sighed.

While some of the Khranitel Rod remained unfazed by the Nidoran's request, Kuda in particular giving an eye roll, others were a bit more amenable. Among those was Viktor, who after a long pause, gave a begrudging grunt and replied to the little spike ball.

"Ugh, fine," the Dragalge groaned, shaking his head. "Dimitri, take them to a hostel, but make sure you don't let them out of your sight!"

"Mmhm," the Kabutops replied with a nod. "Got it!"

As Dimitri turned and began to swim away with his charges towards the web of air tunnels in Braveshoal Town, the spying Tentacruel and Sharpedo turned to each other.

"We shouldn't let them out of our sight, either..." Katyusha said. "We were lucky enough just to catch them swimming back into town from that shrine earlier."

"Right, we'll try and find a place near their hostel to rest for the night and sleep in shifts," Cyanea answered. "As long as we stick close to them before they leave town, we can follow them and cut them off at Spirit Trench."

The Tentacruel looked off after the Kabutops and his passengers and saw that they were getting increasingly hard to make out in the dark water. With that, the jellyfish set off after the swimming crab, prompting Katyusha to swim along uneasily.

"So... we're really doing this then?" the Sharpedo insisted.

"Of course, Katyusha!" the Tentacruel scoffed. "After all, I didn't insist on doing this to just show off!"

A confident smirk spread over Cyanea's face, the creature's gaze still trained firmly all the while on her prize ahead of her.

"This is a chance to finally end this standoff with those square-necks... for the Empire."


Author's Notes:

- älä viitsi - Finnish: "come on"
- Skoreye (Скорee) - Russian: "Quickly" / "Hurry up" (BGN/PCGN Romanization)
- (¡¿)de qué hablas?! - Spanish: "what are you talking about?!"
- dworek - Polish: "estate" / "manor" (diminutive)
- Yerunda (Ерунда) - Russian: "Nonsense" (BGN/PCGN Romanization)