Chapter 49: Side Effects

"Well, I didn't think we'd make it at first… but what do you think, Hertsog?"

The Mienshao took a step back and followed Pladur's claw along in the air, scanning over the newly-finished shrine. A small smirk crossed his face, growing into a wider and wider grin as he took the scene in. The more he looked about the pavilions and the righted standing stones, the more details he recalled from the stories of the past.

"It looks just like the stories that my grandparents used to tell me," Hertsog said to the group.

"To be fair, we can't take all the credit," Kiran admitted. "If it weren't for your friends' extra help, we'd have never managed to close the gap before you sailed off."

Salvini, Phyllis, and Payak traded smiles and shifted bashfully at the stranger's compliment. It wasn't that big of a deal, was it?

"It was just a matter of helping out a friend, that's all," Payak insisted.

Before Kiran had the chance to reaffirm his compliment, a rustling in the bushes drew everyone's attention, halting the conversation at once. The group fell silent and eased into battle-ready stances, all eyes locked on the shaking shrubs.

"Brace yourselves," Ander whispered.

As they feared, out from the shrubbery came the same seething trio of Beautifly and Dustox that had ambushed the team just the other day. The Dustox in the group scowled and opened her mouth to speak, but a half-formed threat died in her throat as she caught sight of the refinished shrine. She and her swarmmates exchanged suspicious glances amongst themselves, prompting the quartet's Beautifly leader to flit forward to question the workers.

"… What sort of game are you all trying to play here?" the Bug-Type demanded.

"Yeah," the Dustox added. "Why would you fix up our god's shrine after everything that's happened?"

"Because not everyone thinks what happened back then was a good thing," Hertsog answered. "And I wanted to do something to give back to this island's Pokémon before I had to leave."

A lull fell over the angry Bug-Types, and each of them took the time to flit up to the shrine and eye its details closely. They murmured amongst themselves for a moment before a Beautifly with tattered wings broke away from the pack to address the other Pokemon.

"Well, it's certainly more than we expected," the butterfly grunted. "... You can count on others hearing about this soon enough."

The Beautifly leader evidently had nothing to add to his companion's assessment, instead giving a terse nod and leading his group back into the depths of the greenery. The Dustox lingered for just a moment, glancing back at the shrine before being called back by an annoyed buzz from her leader. The stragglers too disappeared into the trees, and then the shrine was quiet once more.

"… What did they mean by that?" Crom murmured.

"I think it was a thanks," Kiran answered. "Even if they're not fully ready to let all of the past go just yet, they seemed happy to see this place in proper shape again."

Clink clink clink

The four Pokémon from the Siglo Swellow turned and saw their Mienshao client approach them, playfully tossing a small bag up and down: the unmistakable chime of jostling coins coming from within. For a second, the group stared and blinked uneasily at the Fighting-Type, unsure what he was up to.

"Huh?" Pladur asked.

"Well, it would be wrong of me not to pay you," Hertsog chuckled. "I'm a bit short on time, so I figured now is as good as any."

Pladur and his teammates each offered a modest shrug and an appreciative bow of their head at the weasel, before recoiling slightly one after the other as direct sunlight hit their eyes. A moment of dazzled silence later, their vision adjusted, and the group noted the sun's burnt orange color, and the way it moved toward the horizon... Eh?! It was almost sundown already! Most shops on the island would be closing around now, and the Siglo Swellow was still missing critical supplies for its repair!

"Ack!" Pladur cried. "And we have to get that pitch still!"

"Come on, if we hurry, we can still make it to the shops!" Ander buzzed.

Kiran, Pladur, and Ander hustled towards the market district, hoping that they'd make it there before closing time. Crom himself lingered a moment, before turning back to Salvini and her friends, bowing his head low in gratitude.

"Thanks again for this job," the Druddigon said. "You have no idea how badly we needed this to fix up our ship."

"Nyama zashto, young one," Hertsog said. "Really, we should be thanking you for all the good your repairs have done on our end."

"Huh?" Thanking him? But wasn't it a bit too soon to tell if the shrine's repairs would do any good? The Druddigon gave a puzzled tilt of his head at the Fighting-Type, before murmuring back an answer.

"If you say so..."

The Dragon-Type glanced behind him, noticing that the forms of his companions were rapidly fading into the distance; his cue to hurry along and catch up with them.

"Uh, anyway… I should probably get going too," Crom said, before giving a cheery wave to the four Pokémon and turning for the path. "Goodbye, everyone!"

Hertsog and the others watched as Crom stumbled after his teammates in a hurry. Once he had left, they simply stood around, an idle silence coming over the group as they pondered their next move. Payak was the first to speak up, taking the opportunity to break the ice with Salvini.

"Hey, Salvini?" he asked.

"Hrm?"

"Thanks for the help today," the Ariados said.

"Yeah," Phyllis added. "It was just like old times…"

"Well, it wasn't completely like old times," Salvini chuckled. "I never knew you were that good with roofing, Payak."

Hertsog beamed at the sight of his former subordinates smoothing things over at long last, and looked ahead to the path down the hill. The Mienshao happened to catch glimpses of Crom and his teammates making their way down the path. He smiled down on the four strangers, hoping on a slim chance that one of them might look back to him and see his expression.

"And thanks to you all as well," the Fighting-Type murmured. "May your travels take you safely to where you need to be."


Unbeknownst to Crom and his companions, Team Traveller had a fitful day some hours ago when the sun still stood high in the sky. Back on Orleigh, the three stormed through a narrow alleyway, leaving a cloud of dust in their wake as they scrambled out of the path of various beam attacks directed their way from behind. The group rounded one corner after the other and pushed their legs to go as fast as they could carry themselves, the attacks finally seemed to dwindle in frequency, and fall further off their mark as they zipped by. Although they certainly couldn't afford to stop moving, this slight reprieve at least inspired a bit of hope despite their bleak circumstances.

"I think we're losing them!" Nida panted. "Quick, over-!"

The Nidoran's words were cut off with a yelp as a jet of water zipped overhead. The three youngsters looked back, where much to their horror, they saw a Floatzel in a golden scarf charging ahead, leading a large pack of peers from the Iron Fleet.

"There they are!" Rodion shouted.

The three Pokémon turned and bolted as beams, projectiles, and the occasional seed sailed past, a sharp gust of wind brushing Pleo with a yelp. Nida attempted to shift her bag forward to fish out an orb, only to fumble over and over again to retrieve anything from it as their pursuers closed in.

"Gah! They just keep coming!" Nida squeaked.

"We need to shake them for a bit!" Guardia cried. "Look for cover! Someplace like-"

A short way into the distance, Guardia spotted a storefront which currently sat vacant, save for some small, worthless-looking trinkets on display at the front of it. With its decently tall wooden walls, it would have to suffice for a hiding spot.

"Like right there!" the Cubone exclaimed, pointing at the stall. "That way!"

Although he was a little slow on his feet, Pleo had a head-start and so wound up being the first to reach the group's designated hiding spot. With a little difficulty, he pulled himself over the wooden wall of the stall, and leaned back over it to offer a helping wing to the others. Without a word, the three hunkered down with bated breaths as the sounds of the pursuing pirates came closer and closer.

As they grew nearer, the sound of the pirates' footsteps added to the chaotic uproar, but their hiding spot was left miraculously undisturbed. After what felt like an eternity, the footsteps and the shouting once again faded into the distance, and each of the young Pokémon let out a relieved sigh.

"We can't rest here too long," Nida urged. "We've got to get out of here, and fast. On the count of three, we'll make a break for it. Ready?"

"Ready," her companions agreed.

"Alright. One, two... THREE!"

Nida led the charge this time, shoving open the back door of the stall and breaking into a sprint away from where they'd heard the pirates storm off to. Pleo and Guardia followed close behind her, into a disorganized mess of alleyways between some nearby buildings. The trio looked up, following the direction of the island's inland mountains as a compass through narrow and winding alleyways, not daring a moment to slacken their pace.

"Gah!"

Pleo squawked in pain as a searing sensation struck his breast, making him beat his wings out as he lost his balance and stumbled forward. He hit the ground and felt his wings strike Nida and Guardia, causing them to similarly tumble to the ground. The bird writhed against the embers singing his plumes, as a jeering voice reached his ears.

"Hah! Nice shot, Kai!"

As Pleo struggled up to his feet, the young Lugia looked up to see the Zangoose from the day before. The white cat began to extend his claws for battle, a smug sneer forming on his face.

"Hey, you twerps didn't think that I just forgot about yesterday, did you?" Scian sneered. "And here I thought that everyone was just getting worked up over some random stranger!"

The Normal-Type crouched low as a wicked grin spread over his face, one claw reeled back ready to strike with a lunging slash.

"Nowhere to run now, dailtíní-"

Nida hastily threw her paws into the satchel over her shoulder and after feeling them connect with a glassy surface, she instinctively latched onto it and flung it. For a fleeting moment, she watched as the glassy, silk-filled sphere sailed on, striking her Zangoose attacker on his shoulder.

Crack

The orb shattered, disgorging a flurry of silvery strands that enveloped Scian and his teammates with startled cries. The silken explosion simmered down, revealing the three pirates to be covered in a layer of sticky, cumbersome threads.

"Agh! Why do they have a Slow Orb here?!" the Banette screeched, struggling at a layer of silk gumming up his arms.

"Gah! It got in my fur!" the Flareon whined.

The three quickly turned and ran as their attackers struggled with their silken bindings, flying down the alleyway and upending a few errant barrels along the way. Nida beckoned for the team to turn right up ahead at a narrow crossroads, leading them around a blind corner-

"A-Aah!"

And directly into a waiting group of black-scarved Pokémon consisting of a Mareanie, a Furfrou, and a Marked Quilladin.

"Well, well, well… What do we have here?" the Mareanie sneered.

"Hey!" the Furfrou chided. "Get 'em, and then taunt them-"

"A-Ah- AAAAAAAAH!"

The two Pokémon whirled and turned just in time to see their Marked Quilladin partner run off in a blind panic. The pair's jaws dropped as they ran after, attempting to talk some sense into the Grass-Type.

"Oi! Chuck!" the Mareanie shouted. "Get back here!"

"Yeah!" the Furfrou barked. "You're our point 'mon!"

In the pirates' confusion, Team Traveller found an opening to slip away and took it without hesitation. The small crowds of passersby and the line of shops around the street proved an enticing option to bog down their pursuers, and so Nida led the way once again, ducking her head low as she and her companions charged across the street. She was interrupted, however, by a stabbing pain as a spray of greenish needles sank into her flank, forcing the Poison-Type to sluggishly pull herself up with a pained groan.

"I got her! They're over here by the crossroads!" a Cacturne shouted, before being joined by its Meowstic counterpart .

"Get them!"

The pair shot out a hail of leafy needles and a glowing ray, the latter striking Guardia with a yelp. Pleo and Nida hastily retaliated with a glowing orb and a poisonous spike, catching their ambushers and forcing them back. The three hastily turned and bolted, just in time as more orange-scarved Pokémon poured out chasing them shouting and snarling. Pleo quickly dragged his friends along, hastily throwing them one by one onto his back and flapping his wings as he desperately tried to get airborne.

"Stop right there!"

Pleo looked up and went wide-eyed just in time to see a shadowy, violet orb careening for his face. The blob struck him, launching him backwards and sending him and his passengers tumbling on the ground. The bird sprawled out stunned and dazed for a moment, looking up to see that he had been ringed by a large group of pirates. The brigands came in every conceivable shape and form, sporting a mix of blue, orange, and black scarves. There were old faces such as Scian and his buddies who had caught up - giving sneering laughs at the group - along with others that were completely new to the team. As the Lugia and his companions looked around for an escape, their attention was captured by the ghostly voice speaking up once again.

"You should quit while you're ahead, Protector."

"Hu-Huh?!" Pleo squawked.

Pleo, Nida, and Guardia looked up just in time to see the crowd of pirates part as the ghostly voice rang out. There, floating up to them was the form of a Cofagrigus with his four arms extended, a toothy smile spreading under the Ghost-Type's headdress.

"You're weakened and surrounded," the Cofagrigus glowered. "If I felt like it, I alone could make short work of you right here and now."

A sudden chill came over Pleo and his companions, the three Pokémon shrinking away from the intimidating Ghost-type with shivers down their spines. It was true they'd dealt with seemingly hopeless odds before... but every time, their odds seemed to plummet lower and lower. This was one bad situation they'd gotten into, and their chances of escape now seemed slim-to-none.

"But I, Captain Sibich of the Shadow Brigade, am a reasonable Pokémon. Everyone here understands just what an asset you'd be to our little haven after you've learned how to use your power," the Ghost-Type offered. "So come along now, and don't make a fuss."

The Cofagrigus bobbed slowly through the air towards the three Pokémon, one spectral hand extended towards each and the fourth crossed over his lower body as if preparing to bow. The context of their situation aside, his demeanor was further betrayed by the unblinking glare of his bright, crimson eyes, along with the way each of his arms swayed and twisted erratically, as if he would reach out and snatch one of them at any moment.

Pleo blanched and started to feel wobbly, unsure what to do. He heard a voice wishing that something could be done about "that Sibich" and "those pirates", and another, and another. The Protector couldn't see them... but if he didn't know better, he'd have thought these were watching townsfolk. Then perhaps it was best to stand up, and not go easily along with whatever this ghoul had in mind for him...

"... No."

"What?" Sibich stopped his approach, and his expression faltered somewhat, his sawtoothed grin upturned into something more resembling an incredulous smirk.

"Are you blind?" the Ghost-Type demanded. "You're not in any position to be refusing me- Huh?"

The Cofagrigus' expression slipped into one of pure shock as a searingly bright ball of light suddenly came into being where his target had stood moments before. The markings on Pleo's back shone a brilliant silver, and the young Protector glowered up at the pirate captain, all his previous fright now boiled away by the radiant light and energy coursing through him.

The voices were now a loud chorus, of unspoken wants, curses, and resentments at the occupying brigands. Each further outcry melting away more of the young Lugia's fear, and further emboldening him to do something, anything in defiance to protect his friends.

"Nida!"

"Shield your eyes!"

As Pleo drew in a sharp breath and began to beat his wings, Nida's eyes widened at the sound of the familiar chittering voice and the sight of two figures peering over the edge of a nearby roof. The unmistakable kite-shaped wings and minty green color of the Pokémon along with an accompanying small, white-winged partner told Nida that they were none other than Rasp and... Bech?! What were they doing here?! With Pleo right here, the two were just in time to get caught in his attack!

"Pleo," she began. "Wai-"

"NO!"

The Lugia brought his wings together, whipping up a roaring gale that pinned Nida and Guardia back into a wall. As the two Pokémon struggled to keep their eyes open, the crash of crumbling buildings, the dull thuds of bodies striking hard surfaces, and the screams of Pokémon filled the air. As the winds died down, the sounds of shouts and panicked retreats reached the pair's ears as they took in their surroundings, pallid and breathing shallowly.

The two saw Pleo looking around blankly as if he had seen a ghost. The square and the surrounding blocks had been completely obliterated, the shops reduced to little more than heaps of stone and broken wood. The duo saw one of Sibich's arms slowly pull itself under a pile of rubble; Scian and his buddies lying in an unconscious heap a short distance away. All around the square, the unmoving, weakly breathing forms of Pokémon were strewn about like discarded dolls, as the smell of dust lingered in the air.

And, in the midst of it all, weakly rising up over a layer of stone and tile was the battered form of Rasp, limping along in a daze.

"Nrgh... Dad…? Are you alright?"

The Flygon was covered in scrapes, with his right wing bent at a strange angle. The Dragon-Type bent down and scooped up the weakly moving form of his Ribombee father in his claws, before chancing to spot Pleo standing ahead of him. Rasp's eyes widened, and he began to backpedal with a nervous stammer.

"N-No, back! S-Stay back!"

The stricken Flygon continued a few paces before he turned and bolted. Rasp charged down the shattered lane as fast as his legs would allow, cradling the injured Ribombee in his arms and leaving Pleo behind with the destruction he had wrought.

The raucous square had quieted dramatically, the only company for the young Lugia as he stared ahead being a chorus of faint breathing and groans of pain from scattered Pokémon he could barely distinguish from the rubble. His beak tightened into a grimace, and his heart sank as Rasp's reaction kept persisting in his mind. He… He was scared of him…

The young Lugia stared ahead in shock until he felt a tug against his wing feathers. There, behind him were Nida and Guardia, the pair both tired-looking from their ordeal and with worry etched deeply into their faces.

"Pleo, it's alright," Nida murmured. "We're alright now."

"Yeah, you did what you had to," Guardia offered.

Nida and Guardia froze as the ghastly sound of shrieking Pokemon reached them, accompanied by a chorus of thundering explosions. Turning towards the harbor, they saw its source: a massive ship with indigo sails had pulled in and was being pursued by a sea of furious-looking blue and pink jellyfish Pokemon. They bombarded the harbor with frightening efficiency, casting spectral blobs of deep violet energy into the town's mass of buildings and leaving destruction in their wake. Worse still, the jelliyfish seemed to be working their way inland, on track to level the entire town!

"We need to get out of here," Nida gulped.

The Nidoran and Cubone started to head off, only to see that Pleo was unmoved, still staring blankly off into space. The two went over and tugged at the Lugia's wings, anxiously trying to snap him back to his present reality.

"Isogu, kamome!" Guardia yelled. "We need to get out of here!"

Pleo looked up as the ghostly jellyfish started to approach and took off running. His passengers hastily clambered aboard as the bird began to beat his wings to try to take flight, only for his beats to come absent-mindedly and burdened as he continued to be haunted by the events in the square.

Rasp and Bech were two Pokémon that had helped him the most on this horrid island. But in his eagerness to protect his teammates, he'd hurt them and driven them away… with the powers that were supposed to protect others.

Wasn't what had happened there exactly what Ander and Margi were afraid of? Could they really have been right about what it meant to be a Protector…?

A jet of briny water sailed ahead, slicking some stones sticking out of the path, which made the young Protector slip and pitch forward with a squawk, sending his teammates tumbling along the ground.

The white bird hastily tried to right himself, only to feel a painful sting on his tail and shriek in pain. Pleo looked back and saw a blue Jellicent grabbing onto his tail and struggled against the slimy presence. Nida and Guardia ran in and threw a pair of blows that landed with audible splats. The Jellicent let out a pained hiss as Pleo felt the feral's grip loosen, prompting him to tear ahead alongside his teammates.

He blindly charged forward down an alleyway littered with rubble, the running footsteps of his two partners reaching his ears from behind. Their breaths came short and ragged, as the sound of ghostly wails and shouts rang out at their backs.

"Spike ball, they're still coming!" Guardia cried.

"I know that!" Nida squeaked. "Just keep running!"

The Nidoran led her teammates down a cross-exit and charged past a pile of disturbed barrels before glimpsing a pair of pink and blue shapes floating into the lane ahead. Nida dug her feet in, sending the Poison-Type into a skidding stop with her teammates. The three looked up, where they saw that the pursuing Jellicent had cut them off, with the female preparing a foamy burst from her bell.

"Time to pay for disturbing our waters!" the blue Jellicent hissed.

"Eat Brin-!" the pink Jellicent shouted.

Before the female Jellicent could attack, a spray of black orbs zipped through the air and struck the jellyfish in her bell, sending her flying into a wall with an unceremonious splat. The other Jellicent whirled around, only to be similarly picked off. After a stunned moment on the ground, the pair hastily phased through a wall, eager to escape as Team Traveller turned and looked in the direction of the Dark Pulses.

"Huh?!"

The three saw a Clawitzer perched on a battered eave, staring them down with a piercing glare. Nagant pulled her claw back, still dripping water from her most recent salvo. The shrimp shook her head and trained her gaze, before starting to speak in a low voice.

"Forty years. Forty years I've been waiting for this moment. Through the end of Conntow, through the Company's sedition and treason, through watching everything I grew up in burn to the ground," she murmured. "All of that ends now through you, Lugia, the catalyst who will undo all of this. But first I shall tell you the tragic tale of my family's fate after the Great Collapse. It all started ages ago… No, you know what, screw it!"

The Clawitzer gave an impatient hiss and brought her big claw down, training it on the white bird in front of her. Pleo and his friends yelped, realizing that the shrimp bore a scarf pattern like the Sharpedo and Tentacruel who ambushed them at Spirit Trench and was preparing to attack them.

"I've waited long enough dealing with those ferals and those kocevniki offshore," she hissed. "There will be plenty of time to tell you after I've captured you!"

Scowling, Nagant readied her shot as Team Traveller turned and attempted to flee, steadying her aim further with her smaller claw. The orb of water building within Nagant's open pincer was all the encouragement Team Traveller needed to get somewhere- anywhere but here.

"Out of my way, you overgrown crab!"

Nagant whirled towards the sound, just in time to be caught up by a spray of flying rocks. The Clawitzer went sailing and tumbled back in the dirt, righting herself with an angry hiss and coming face to face with an Aggron at the head of a large gang of golden-scarved Pokémon.

"That's my prize," Hess growled. "And there's no way I'm letting some hag who couldn't stand and fight me last time take him away!"

"Grr! We'll see how tough you talk when you don't have the advantage of numbers!" Nagant snapped. "Sailors!"

At the Water-Type's prompting, a large cohort of Pokémon in indigo scarves emerged from the other end of the lane. The air filled with growls between the two sides, and both parties hastily braced themselves for battle when a chittering cry went forth.

"Attack!" Nagant shouted.

The shrimp shot forth a pressurized pulse of water as her Aggron foe sent forth a barrage of rocks, leading their respective underlings into opposing charges. Nida, Pleo, and Guardia ran ahead as their surroundings devolved into an indigo and golden-scarfed melee, ducking as a hail of needle-like spikes zipped overhead, drawing a startled squawk from the young Protector.

"A-Ack!"

"Come on, this way!" Nida cried.

Nida bounded ahead, leading her teammates for an uphill alleyway, only to hear the sound of rending earth. The Nidoran yelped and hopped back as the form of an Aggron recoiling from a Water Pulse slid past the group, kicking up a spray of dirt and pebbles. The Steel-Type panted, and hastily threw himself onto his feet, trading glares with his Clawitzer opponent a short ways away flicking away some water off her large claw.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?" the shrimp seethed.

"Heh… you hit harder than I gave you credit for, bug. You're just forgetting one thing," the Steel-Type growled. "Land is my domai- Huh?"

Hess paused as he noticed movement from the corner of his eye. The Aggron turned his head, prompting the Clawitzer to follow suit where they saw Pleo and his friends slowly inching away towards an alley in an attempt to slip away from their battle.

"Uh-oh," Pleo gulped.

"Hah!" Hess sneered. "Just where I needed you- Agh!"

The pirate captain was cut off by a forceful, chitinous blow across his face, sending the Steel-Type stumbling back. Hess desperately tried to run to maintain his footing, only to charge headlong into a window, bringing the wall and a good portion of a slate roof down on his head. Back out in the lane, Nagant shook her big claw as she watched Hess uselessly try to squirm free from under the rubble, turning her attention back to Pleo and his increasingly pallid-looking friends.

"Time to call it quits, kid- Ah!"

Nagant hopped up with a start as she felt a burning pain on her shoulder, prompting her to look side to side for the attack's culprit.

"Hey, brzydula," a yipping voice jeered. "You're not getting out of this fight so easily!"

The Water-Type whirled around to see a Growlithe sticking his tongue out at her. The shrimp readied her claw to attack, only to hear wingbeats and see that Team Traveller was taking advantage of her distraction to escape.

"Gah!" Nagant hissed. "Get back here you little brats-!"

The Clawitzer's shout was interrupted by the return of the burning pain, this time at the back of her head. She seethed, as Elty's voice quickly reached her ears once more.

"Come on," the Fire-Type demanded. "Hit me with your best shot, Imp!"

Team Traveller ran ahead, the sound of a shout and a splash reaching their ears, and then another. Against all odds, Elty's jeers continued on, evidence of his so far successful dodges of Nagant's Water Pulses.

"Hah! You're gonna have to try a little harder than tha-AAAGH!"

A loud, yelping shriek filled the air, followed by the sound of a body sailing along and hitting the ground with a wet thud. Pleo and his companions froze in their tracks, the long-necked bird looking back to discover that much to his horror, Elty was lying drenched in the square, limp and unmoving.

"Elty!"

The three turned wide-eyed, staring at Nagant as she perched on her tail, huffing out of exasperation with the Fire-Type, his swift defeat doing nothing to mollify her sour mood.

"Ngah… Grr…"

The shrimp turned to try and find Team Traveller, worn down by her distraction from the Growlithe and the chaos of battle, only to cry out as a wave of rocks flung her into a side street. Their owner, an Aggron with a windowframe stuck around his neck stomped back out, giving an irate roar to announce his presence.

"I'm not done yet, you old crone!"

Pleo and his companions watched as Hess stormed on after the Clawitzer, though unbeknownst to the Steel-Type, his underlings were retreating further and further away, leaving the square filled with groaning and fainted Pokémon. Much to their astonishment, they saw a Drifblim float out of the sky and scoop up a fainted Floatzel, the same fate befalling a Hoppip, and then a Pawniard. The three grimaced, realizing that the Imperials must have decided to carry off the pirates to take them prisoner. Thankfully the indigo scarved Pokémon hadn't noticed them, but in Guardia's mind it was not something to be taken for granted, prompting her to try and hurry Pleo along to safety.

"Pleo, come on," she grunted. "We need to go before those two focus on us again!"

Team Traveller looked back, seeing a Pidgeotto swooping out of the sky towards Elty. Much to Pleo's alarm, the bird latched onto the Growlithe with his talons, making a few awkward attempts to carry his weighty capture off. Nida shook her head, beginning to turn away, only for Pleo to bolt for the scene running as fast as his legs allowed.

"Pleo?!" Nida squeaked. "What are you-?!"

The Lugia ran along, flapping his wings to build up momentum. As a surge of determination came across the Protector, he vaulted up and a fiery blue light began to cloak his plumes as he charged towards the bird ahead of him.

"Hah," the Pidgeotto sneered. "Your bounty will be a nice bonus for me, mutt-"

"Let him go!"

Pleo slammed into the osprey, sending him plummeting back to earth. The bird and his captive tumbled along the ground, the Imperial giving a startled squawk as he began to rise to his feet. Before the Normal-Type could react, a spike caught his neck and a heavy blow broke over his head, sending him flopping to the ground out cold.

"What are you thinking?!" Nida exclaimed.

"I'm not leaving him like that!" Pleo squawked.

"Nrgh…"

Team Traveller looked down at Elty, just in time to see the stricken Growlithe groan and twitch his legs feebly. For a moment, neither Nida nor Guardia were sure what to feel about the Fire-Type's plight. As soon as it came, the feelings of uncertainty subsided, and Guardia hardened her eyes into a scowl back at the young Protector.

"Why shouldn't we?!" the Cubone demanded. Nida for her part looked similarly unmoved, giving an impatient huff before launching into a tirade.

"Pleo, he betrayed us to his old buddies!"

"But they'll send him to the Wastes if we don't help him!" the young Protector insisted. "Elty is still our friend... right?"

Pleo gave a pleasing look at his teammates, only to be met with firm glares. Neither of the two seemed willing to budge, until the sound of a crash in the background prompted Nida to growl and fold her ears back.

"Do whatever you want," Nida huffed. "I'm not stopping you."

"Let's just hurry up and get out of here!" Guardia cried.

The team scrambled forward, Pleo scooping up Elty and hastily nestling him up on his back as the others hopped on in turn. With a running start, Pleo was able to take flight at last, Nida and Guardia clinging to his plumage for dear life. Guardia whimpered in fear as they gained height, Rosequartz Town slowly growing farther and farther away. The two other members of Team Traveller who remained conscious merely thanked their lucky stars that they were finally able to leave this nightmare behind them...


About half an hour after their hurried departure from the shrine, Pladur, Crom, Kiran, and Ander waved farewell to a delighted Whimsicott shopkeeper as he closed up his store for the night, the proud owner of a newly-refilled lockbox and the Siglo Swellow's batch of bounty notices for their stop. For their part, too, the Siglo Swellow's sailors were just as happy with their end of the bargain as they lugged barrels of hull-sealing pitch down the seaside hills and towards the green-sanded beach where the damaged vessel had been pulled ashore.

"Do you think that we bought too much pitch for the ship?" Crom wondered

"Nah, if we have any left over, we'll just keep it below deck," Pladur reassured. "You can never go wrong with some extra supplies."

"Let's take things one step at a time," Kiran chided. "We still need to get this pitch back to the ship first- Huh?"

Kiran paused as the sound of movement from behind reached his ears, motioning for his teammates to stop. The four Pokemon glanced over and realized that they had attracted company. Behind them were a raggedy Turtonator and Charjabug, looking exhausted but in a strangely pleasant mood.

"Er… can we help you?" Ander asked.

"Oh, we weren't here to ask for anything," the Charjabug said. "We just wanted to say thanks."

"You wanted to thank us...?" Crom questioned.

"Yeah, for the work you've been doing on that place up the hill," the Turtonator added. "It means a lot to us 'mons in the fields to have something other than that broken-down ruin looming down on us all the time."

Puzzled glances floated around the four sailors, gradually giving way to smiles that began to creep over their faces. So their work hadn't gone unnoticed after all...

"Oh. Well, you're quite welcome!" Kiran chirped, puffing out his chest proudly. "Having the watchful presence of a local shrine's always handy for a good 50% boost to morale!"

The pair looked around and shuffled their feet awkwardly, unsure of what to do next. After deciding that they had nothing else to say, the pair turned and began to pace off before bidding farewell.

"Well, that's all," the Turtonator grunted. "I'm sure you've got plenty to do, so we won't keep you any longer. Safe travels out there."

He and his Charjabug companion took their leave, wandering back off into the distance as Crom paused in thought, watching after the two strangers.

"Maybe that shrine will do some good around these parts after all," the Druddigon murmured.

"Hrm..."

Although they'd done good work on the shrine, every fiber of Ander's being had at first revolted against its restoration. Working to restore an altar to those demons just felt... wrong. On the other scythe, it had made a good deal of Pokémon quite happy. Misguided souls, surely, but didn't they too need a reprieve from the world's troubles sometime?

"I suppose if it really lifts Pokémon's spirits around here that much…" Ander mulled.

"I told you, it was the fourth dock that we needed to be at."

"Oh come on, you were confused too! That sloppy 'five' totally looked like a 'four'!"

The group's attention was drawn by the sounds of chatter nearby. In their direction came Salvini, Payak and Phyllis, chatting with one another in obviously high spirits. In addition, at the front of their formation walked the familiar, long-sleeved figure of...

"Hertsog!"

"Eh?" the Fighting-Type murmured. "What are you all doing here?"

"Yeah, we thought that you all got out of dodge already," Payak added.

"Getting those supplies took a bit longer than we thought we would," Kiran explained, giving a tired ruffle of his feathers. "But what are you all doing here?"

"Our reassignments," Salvini said. "I'm getting posted to Canalhouse City with Hertsog."

Phyllis and Payak jumped up with a start at the gecko's words. Salvini trailed off, wondering just what had she said that was so surprising, before her Leafeon partner answered the matter with a question:

"Huh? Salvini, why didn't you tell me that you were also working there?" Phyllis protested. "You grew up there! I'd have spent a lot less time worrying about how I'd ever find anything if I'd known."

"Huh?!" Payak exclaimed. "But Canalhouse City is my posting!"

Confused, the three Pokemon glanced at one another, finding on each other's faces only a befuddled expression matching their own. After a moment, something clicked to Salvini, and she looked over to Hertsog incredulously as a smile began to spread over his muzzle.

"... I might have pulled a few strings on the way out of my position as Captain of the Guard," the Mienshao chuckled. "After all, you all do seem to perform best together, so…"

The Mienshao's explanation drew cheery exclamations, as the four Company Pokémon continued on in warm and congenial tones with one another. Crom and his companions traded satisfied glances, happy to see that in spite of all their troubles, that even Salvini and her friends would be left in higher spirits from their shared work.

"So wait, were you the one who sent those letters too, Hertsog?" Phyllis asked. "I mean, I didn't think it was you at first from the writing, but..."

Hertsog twitched his whiskers and tilted his head puzzledly at the Leafeon's question. The Fighting-Type blinked a bit, before giving a thorough shake of his head.

"No, I haven't the faintest clue," the weasel said, shaking his head. "All I had to work with were the footprints and scratches in front of my abode. From their appearance, it looked like the Pokémon had sharp talons, probably some manner of courier or mail carrier."

Ding ding

"Anyhow, that's our cue to take our leave," Hertsog murmured. "Thanks again, all of you. You've helped me to leave this town in better shape."

One by one - with a nod and a mumbled farewell - each Pokemon filed away. Hertsog led the way, followed closely by Payak, and then Phyllis. However, as Salvini turned to leave, Crom stopped her, checking his surroundings to ensure the others were out of earshot before addressing her.

"Salvini. About that… 'Bird'," Crom began. "You wouldn't happen to-?"

"I'm not telling you where he went if that's what you're asking," she interrupted.

Crom grimaced; although he'd somewhat expected an answer like that, it didn't make Salvini's words any easier to hear. He nodded slowly, leaving his gaze firmly affixed on the ground before her voice called his attention again.

"... He left town with a wounded wing," the Grovyle explained. "Whether or not you truly do have his and his friends' best interests at heart, if you've got a decent map, you should already know where he's gone based off that."

A further chime from the ship's bell rang out, and some calls went up from the dock. It was evidently already time to start boarding, and with not a moment to lose.

"Anyhow, I should get going myself," Salvini said. "May our paths cross again."

The Grass-Type carried on, leaving behind the Pokémon of the Siglo Swellow to scratch their heads over her words. Crom's jaw clenched tightly in annoyance, the young dragon shaking his head as he tried to decipher Salvini's somewhat cryptic hint.

"What did she mean by all of that?" Crom murmured.

"Yeah, we just know that Pleo flew off," Pladur mulled. "But how's that supposed to help us know what island he flew off to?"

"Eh? But didn't she say he was hurt when he left?" Ander asked. "How could he have made it all the way to another island?"

The group mulled in puzzlement over Salvini's words. If Pleo left with a hurt wing, just where could he have gone? Why, he wouldn't have been able to get off the island at all without a ship or another Pokémon to help! A silence followed, only to be broken by a startled chirp as sudden realization dawned on Kiran.

"Ah! I think I know where he went!" Kiran exclaimed. "Come on!"

In a flash of bluster and flapping wings, the Swellow soared ahead, leaving his teammates to hurry after him and wonder just what Kiran had so emphatically figured out.


With their hefty load of pitch delivered, the crew of the Siglo Swellow was free to finally complete the ship's repairs. As the call of "all hands on deck" was sounded, some crewmembers were relieved the repairs was finally over with, while others dreaded the workload ahead of them. Nonetheless, sooner or later even the most reluctant Pokemon had gotten to work, and by nightfall the Siglo Swellow was sea-worthy once again.

After a quick double-checking of the ship's hull, the crew gathered to shove the ship out onto the water, just in time for Pat to return from Tromba. While they pushed the mighty vessel into the sea, the Unfezant offered the workers a recap on the recent goings-on of their home island, to the delight of some and the ire of others who wondered aloud what had taken him so long. Once the ship was finally out and bobbing in the waves, Beatrix called everyone back aboard, brandishing a map which she spread on the deck of the ship for all to see.

"Eh? Captain Beatrix?" Philips asked. "Why'd you get us all together for charting a course?"

"Yeah," Natrix murmured. "You usually come up with these just fine on your own."

"It's because I felt that this was important enough for all of us to hear," the Illumise captain answered, before turning to Kiran and his peers with a buzz. "Kiran? Why don't you and your team walk us through your rationale?"

"Well… when we were doing our job in town, we met a Grovyle from the guards named Salvini who helped us out," the Swellow began. "While we were working she let it slip that she helped Pleo and the kids get away after they got caught here."

Some startled cries broke out at the mention of the Grovyle. Why hadn't Kiran told them of her earlier? And why wasn't she here with them?

"En serio?!" a Golduck exclaimed. "Then we should talk with her right away!"

"It's not so simple," Ander buzzed. "She's currently on a ship for Vollezee, and she wouldn't tell us anything more even if she were still here."

"That said, she said that Pleo left with a hurt wing and that if we took a look at a map, things would become clear," Kiran murmured. "And I think I know what she meant."

He stuck out a wing and gestured at a small island to the far east labeled 'Mengir' on it. The Swellow then moved his wingtip along with drawings of currents and winds to the northwest, up to a picture of an atoll with bubbles in the water.

"Otvaga's the closest island to here that isn't run by the Company," the Flying-Type explained. "So for a place to run away to, it's perfect."

"On top of that, the main place he would turn to if he couldn't fly all the way to the next island would be the Subway," Pladur added. "And Otvaga is the nearest hub they would have reached through it."

Amongst the crew an unusually optimistic murmur broke out, flecked here and there with whisperings of "hey, that makes sense!" and "are we finally gonna catch up with them?" abounded as a small wave of excitement washed over the ship.

"So if we got to Otvaga, we'd be able to find them," the Hitmontop First Mate mulled. "Or at worst figure out where they went next."

"Right. In that case, I think that we're ready," Beatrix grunted. "Tell the swimmers to keep a team of divers posted. We'll follow the Subway route up there."

Beatrix turned back to her crew, her eyes glimmering with fierce determination. The Bug-Type flitted up and gave an impatient beat of her wings before barking out to the gathered Pokémon.

"You heard me!" the Illumise buzzed. "Let's get this ship moving already!"

At their captain's order, a chorus of ayes floated around the gathered Pokémon who set off preparing the sails and raising the anchor. The ship lurched forward and began to turn for a northwesterly course. As the waves passed by and the Siglo Swellow began to pick up speed, the crew began settling into a routine, including a young Druddigon who had clambered up the rigging. There, as Crom watched the waves pass by at sea, his thoughts turned to his teammates and finally being able to reunite with them again.

"Nida, Pleo, Elty... hang in for us a little longer," the young Druddigon pleaded. "We're almost there."


Author's Notes:

- Nyama zashto (Няма защо) - Bulgarian: "You're Welcome" (BGN/PCGN 2013 Romanization)
- dailtíní - Irish: "brats"
- Isogu (急ぐ) - Japanese: "Hurry up" (Hepburn Romanization)
- brzydula - Polish: "ugly woman", "hag"