Chapter 62: Paradigm Shift

A palpable cloud of tension hung in the air over Canalhouse City after word of Pleo's capture reached the Company's capital on Vollezee. In the following hours, the guards were kept busy with sudden reassignments as the four operational ironclads of the Board gathered in the city's harbor, with buildings around the Directorate's Quarter being patrolled more rigorously than normal. At the center, the hulking central office of the Company had remained unnaturally quiet and subdued in activity in spite of its normal churn of Company employees. The most prominent exception to the unusual lull were the stern-faced guards who dutifully watched the entrances at the ground and at the above-ground aqueduct built to service aquatic guests. Ever since the arrival of the Administrators, they had proven to be less-than-accommodating to any would-be entrants into the complex other than its uneasy employees. Were one to slip past the guards down the aqueduct, they would be taken to a pool that wrapped along the northern edge of the building that allowed swimming Pokémon access to the higher levels of the head office, with a marbled passage splitting off into a passageway that snaked to the grand hall that served as the Board's main meeting chamber.

The hall to the chamber had been graced with paintings and sculptures depicting the past Directors of the Company and the firm's exploits, split between one half taken up by a pool and another by stone flooring. In the center sat a carved table where the Board's members met, lined with stone seats set for a time when the Company's reach was not constrained to a mere half of Anyilla. On either side, two of the seats had been occupied: two just below the waterline by Zorn along with Darzin cramped next to him in a far corner, Elilan and Farn sitting opposite respectively, and Inler sitting at the head facing back towards a pair of dark, wooden doors. There, the gathered Pokémon shifted restlessly under an insistent gaze from the Nidoking Director. Farn swished her tail back and forth, Elilan tapped a claw impatiently against the table, while Darzin flicked his antennae and Zorn sulked from the water on the other end. The quiet chorus of tense agitation continued a few moments longer, before Zorn raised his head and looked around at his peers blankly.

"… Is there anything else to consider?" Zorn murmured.

"What do you mean 'Is there anything else to consider?!'" Farn snapped. "The Empire caught the Protector and made him the centerpiece of a tournament! 'Consider' something to fix that!"

"Yes, I understand that the present situation is… dire, to say the least," Inler muttered. "That's why I've brought you all here so that we can respond to this crisis."

"Hmph, the solution seems simple enough," Zorn grumbled. "We launch a pre-emptive strike on Giotto and get that bird back before they can use him against us."

"Are you mad? Not every situation requires charging headfirst into danger!" Farn rebutted. "We still have our portion of the Knights' Ledger in the archives, do we not? It holds plenty of information about the true story behind the Great Calamity, and it would certainly cause an uproar among their denizens."

"May I remind you, Farn, that the Imps also have their own part of the Knights' Ledger?" Elilan countered. "If we leak secrets about them, they'd have every reason to respond in kind about the Company's involvement around that time."

The fox stood up from his seat, giving a shake of his head before casting a piercing glance across the table back at the elderly Nidoking.

"No, the smart solution would be to handle this covertly, and send in a team of spies to extract the Lugia," the Zoroark offered. "Last I heard, the Intelligence Division had a more than capable team currently stationed on Buyeom Island, Director."

Inler buried his face in his right claw, giving a quiet, exasperated groan through his digits. Like other members of the Company from his generation, the younger blood in the organization had always come off as more restless and reckless types. But Travellers above, was he really hearing this sort of talk from his own Administrators when the Company's fate was in the balance?!

"Are you three trying to save this Company, or destroy it?" the Nidoking growled. "Every one of those plans would potentially spell the end of this enterprise if it went wrong!"

The Poison-Type's protests were answered by an annoyed huff and pound of the table from the far left end, where Darzin narrowed his eyes back at the Nidoking.

"Well, it's not as if you're going to be listening to me anyways, but what do you propose then, Director?" Darzin demanded. "Last I checked, the outcome of this crisis could potentially hand control of all Anyilla to the Empire"

The Nidoking blanched and fell silent, looking down and pinching his brow between his claws. As unpalatable as the options were, inaction would merely guarantee the end of the Company and their attempts at life without the Crown. The Director agonized quietly a moment, only for the sound the sound of sharp squawking to ring out.

"Director Inler! Director Inler!"

Inler pulled his head up, and looked up as the door at the end of the room was thrown open, revealing the forms of a Oranguru and Pidgeot carrying letter-stuffed satchels. The Nidoking frowned and glared at the First-Ranks, wondering under his breath how on earth the guards had deigned to let the blasted creatures through in the first place.

"What do you want?" the Poison-Type snapped. "We're in the middle of something important right now!"

"It's from Commissioner Lyn! The Protector the Empire captured fled from them!" the Pidgeot cried. "The Commissioner's trailing him right now in Captain Ellsberg's ship on a southward path!"

"It's true! Our contacts in Tidemill can confirm that the Protector broke away and fled!" the Oranguru exclaimed. "He and his friends have sparked riots in the Imperial capital!"

Gasps and incredulous stares went about the gathered Pokémon in the room as Inler stood dumbfounded at the messengers' words. The Nidoking fumbled a moment with his words, before giving a low, impatient growl back at the two.

"Explain yourself. Now."

The Pidgeot spoke first, telling how Commissioner Lyn had followed the Protector to Giotto and sent his first mate to infiltrate the tournament held to publicly debut him before the Empire's masses. His efforts had been cut short by the intervention of a crew of Tromban smugglers, who had drawn the attention of the local guards and waiting pirates in a haphazard escape towards Buyeom that Lyn had detected during the Protector's retreat.

The Board blinked in astonishment, shocked at how the Empire managed to bungle their victory at the last moment. The Oranguru picked up where his counterpart had left off, relaying word from spies in Tidemill who told of unrest that had started up thanks to the Protector's perceived abandonment and Admiral Coil having been exposed for egg trafficking at much the same time. All the while, smirks and grins began to spread over the Board's faces, with Darzin being the sole exception as he stared with a stone-faced scowl at the Oranguru's recollection.

"So the vaunted defender of the Empire is the one to thrust it into chaos," Farn sneered. "I see the gods truly do smile with favor sometimes."

"Hah, I'll say!" Zorn added. "With Coil falling from grace like this, I'd like to see those Imps hold a marching band together after word got out about a Protector snubbing them!"

"With the Empire's claws full with dealing with their little insurrection, it certainly leaves us in a more favorable position in dealing with them," Elilan mulled. "That said, even with this lucky break, I don't think we should just gloss over everything that has happened so far."

Inler turned his head and raised a brow puzzledly at the Zoroark. As fortunate as they had been right now, what was there to complicate the matter?

"What do you mean, Administrator Elilan?" Inler pressed.

"It's been more than clear that Commissioner Lyn has been struggling throughout this mission with keeping the Protector in his paws," the Dark-Type explained. "Why, if you ask me, he's long overdue for a replacement."

"Elilan, why would you suggest that when he's actively tailing the Protector right now?" Darzin snorted. "Who on earth would even be able to fill his place on such short notice?"

"Simple. He'd be swapped out with a competent operative who would be able to make up for lost ground quickly," the fox offered. "Someone like, say… Commander Betulo."

Inler's mood visibly soured as soon as Elilan mentioned 'Commander Betulo'. The Nidoking pounded the table and glared at the Zoroark while letting out a low, angry growl from the back of his throat.

"Now is not the time to be switching up the mission when things are finally going back on track," the Poison-Type harrumphed. "And if I recall correctly, I already made my feelings clear about the idea of nominating your own Commander as a candidate for the Board."

Elilan's ears folded back as a disgusted look settled over his face. The Dark-Type raised his voice to retort, his words dripping with obvious frustration.

"Director, surely you have to see that-"

"At this time, we are best off letting Commissioner Lyn continue his present mission and doing our part to deny the Guardian of the Seas a port to take refuge in," Inler finished.

"Right!" Zorn exclaimed. "Sounds reasonable to me."

"Hrmph, it does seem workable on paper," Farn answered. "But I'm going to need to hear some specifics first."

"It's simple. Farn, you will assign a Commissioner to maintain a presence at Tromba until further notice," the Nidoking instructed. "Give this Commissioner the barest minimum debriefing in order to intercept the Protector if needed."

"Hrmph. That should be simple enough," Farn grunted. Satisfied with the Luxray's answer, Inler turned his attention over to the left side of the table, his gaze settling on his Gyarados subordinate.

"Zorn, I want you to raise some crews to patrol the fringes of Linglan's waters," the Poison-Type continued. "We don't need any backdoors through which the Protector can sneak back undetected."

"Understood," the Gyarados answered. "You can count on me, Director!"

Inler paused a moment, his gaze drifting over to Elilan, before turning to Darzin, idly batting his claws as he mentally mulled his next words over.

"Darzin… you… distribute communications for this whole operation," the Director muttered. "That should be a sufficiently productive application of your skills."

"That's hardly any different from the indignities you force on me regularly," the Dragonite snorted back, drawing a roll from Inler's eyes.

"Glad to hear, and with that, I think this meeting can be-"

"Hold it!"

All eyes around the table turned over to Elilan as he got up from his seat, putting his claws down on the table and staring insistently over at Inler.

"Director, you seem to be neglecting to give me an assignment," the Zoroark said. "I do have better things to do than sit and lounge around in the middle of a crisis, don't I?"

A long, pregnant silence followed the fox's response, Zorn and Farn shuffling awkwardly as Inler's face twisted into a frown and his eyes narrowed.

"The leads you were able to provide the Intelligence Division are more than sufficient as a contribution, Elilan," he replied. "That will be all. I want you all to tend to your duties effective immediately!"

One after the other, Farn, Zorn, and Darzin got up and began to drift out of the room into the hallway. Satisfied with the outcome of the meeting, Inler paced off to follow suit, only for the sound of hurried footsteps to follow as Elilan cut him off from behind.

"Inler, you know that I'm capable of assisting right now!" the Zoroark demanded. "What's with this deliberate attempt to pass me over?"

"Assignments are given out based on the amount of trust that I as the Company's Director can place in an individual," Inler retorted. "A Pokémon blatantly attempting to engage in self-advancement in a time of crisis simply doesn't merit the same level of trust as one who sits and evaluates the facts at hand first."

Inler's reply drew a low growl in response from Elilan, his eyes glaring daggers at the Nidoking Director. The Dark-Type gave a shake of his mane, before letting out a seething protest.

"Director, I gave my suggestion because I evaluated the facts at hand! And last I checked, knowing who to trust can make the difference between success and failure!" the Zoroark snapped. "Your asinine insistence on continuing to invest in Commissioner Lyn is charting a course for failure!"

"Would that be the failure of your aspirations to have a companion parroting your decisions on the Board?"

Inler's response prompted Elilan to ball up his claws, the Administrator all but failing in preventing an angry flash of his teeth from spreading over his muzzle as he attempted to swat away the accusation.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Director," the fox spat. "And I'd rather not waste my time with this claptrap."

Inler gave a forceful sigh, before turning and glancing out a nearby window, looking out over the gabled roofs of Canalhouse City's sprawl. The Nidoking batted his tail back and forth idly, before answering in a nonchalant tone.

"I'm sure you don't. But I know you have your wife and daughter settled here in the city in accordance with the Settlement Protocol for a 'mon of your rank," Inler replied. "Given the… unfortunate circumstances that Pokémon under such protocols would find themselves in should their contacts within the Company be disgraced, I would encourage you to dispel your fantasies about Betulo and to make your peace with the fact that he simply will never sit together on the Board with you. End of story."

The Nidoking shook his head, curtly brushing past his Zoroark subordinate as he made his way towards the exit. The Director pushed the doors open, slamming them behind him with a loud thud, leaving Elilan to glare after him and glower under his breath.

"We shall see about that," the fox snarled.

Elilan's seething failed to reach the Nidoking's ears, who carried along from the dark-wooded doors under a sunlit hallway. From down the hallway, the slamming of the door pricked Farn's ears, prompting her to look back and watch Inler slink off. The Luxray carried on, unaware all the while that further behind her, the form of a Dragonite in an Administrator's scarf slipped out from a side room and quietly followed after her tracks.


Earlier that day, the Siglo Swellow carried on its course from Tidemill City that morning, having sailed along overnight from dusk through the crack of dawn away from the Imperial island for calmer waters. As the sun's rays poked over the horizon, the deck still had a placid air about it as the bulk of the crew remained occupied in the mess hall; even those above deck finding themselves more concerned with breakfast than their jobs as deckhands as the ship drifted along. Among their number was Nida, who finished up the last of her gummis before basking under the morning light. Off further down the ship, she saw Crom and Pleo setting aside their plates before moving onto clay jugs of berry juice. Pleo's mood had been sunny since he'd been reunited with his teammates and gotten the King's Rock he'd received as a lucky charm on Tromba back, with Nida's ears picking up faint snatches of cheery, indistinct chatter from the young Lugia and the Druddigon before the splash of churning waves and passing ferals in the distance prompted her to look out at the sea wistfully.

"Oh? Is something the matter?"

The Nidoran blinked and perked her ears up, turning around just in time to see Kiran flapping to a stop on the deck behind her.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked. "You went off on your own."

Nida paused a moment, before giving a nod back to the Swellow in reply.

"I'm fine, Kiran," she answered. "It's just that I needed a moment to catch up with everything."

"How so?"

The Nidoran shifted a moment, casting a quiet glance over at Crom as he drank from his jug with Pleo further along the deck. It had only been a couple of weeks, but it was still sometimes hard for her to believe that she wasn't in a dream and that her teammates were once again alongside her.

"It's so… different for the whole team to be back together again…" the Nidoran murmured. "We've all been through so much and there were moments where I honestly thought I'd never see Crom or Pleo again."

"The fates work themselves out in strange ways sometimes," the bird answered. "Though was there something troubling you still?"

Nida paused, before shaking her head, and casting a serious glance back up.

"No… but I sometimes wonder just whether or not it will last."

"Worry about things as they come," her Swellow captain reassured. "We're all here now and I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to get used to it again."

The Nidoran flicked her ears, pulling them back as a small smile spread over her muzzle.

"Nah, with us finally back together, I'm sure we won't need all that time," Nida insisted. "It would take an awful lot to spoil this moment."

Buuuuuuurp

The sound of a loud belch from behind made Nida and her teacher flinch, prompting them to whirl around and see Crom and Pleo with their clay jugs, bowling over beside themselves with laughter. Nida furrowed her brow in disbelief, watching as Elty darted up with an amused chortle as Guardia followed after visibly puzzled by Pleo and Crom's demeanor.

"Hah, good one Crom!" Elty yipped.

"Oh! Oh! My turn now!" Pleo cried. At once, the young Protector craned his head down, tilting the bottle back as he lapped up juice within his beak before pushing it back upright and swallowing. The seabird smacked his mouth, giving a beat of his wings before his beak suddenly cracked open wide...

Buuuuuuuuuurp

The air filled once again with the sound of a loud belch, which was quickly followed by chortling cheers from Crom and Elty, while Guardia looked on with a baffled expression. From their spot by the railing, Kiran sighed, ruffling his feathers as Nida closed her eyes and stuck her tongue out with displeasure.

"Ew…"

"… We've all been through a lot lately and they are still young," Kiran offered. "Maybe it's better to let them have their fun."

BUUUUUUUUUUURP

The pair paused, before looking back to see Pleo staring dumbfounded at Crom as a beaming grin spread over his face. The young Lugia stammered, before beating his wings flusteredly and staring curiously down at Crom's bottle and then back up to him again.

"How did you do that?" Pleo demanded.

"Heh heh! You can't beat a sailor's kid that easily!" Crom teased, sticking a tongue out playfully. "You'll just have to practice a bit!"

Nida sighed and rolled her eyes at her partner's response, grumbling under her breath as she hopped over, Kiran walking along after her. The pair carried on, the young Protector so wrapped up in his childish competition that he paid no heed to the pair's approach.

"Aw… well, I guess I'll just have to do that…" Pleo murmured, before perking up with a forceful point of his wing. "Just you wait, Crom! I'll practice tons and beat you fair and square!"

"Yes, yes, Pleo that's grea- Wait, no, that's disgusting!" Nida snapped. "We don't need to hear you burping all the time! And por el amor de los dioses, Crom! Pleo's learned enough bad habits already while we were travelling out there!"

Crom pulled his wings back as his ruddy head seemed to flush a deeper shade of red, scratching behind his head with a flustered, sheepish stammer. From his side, Elty rolled his eyes, turning to the Nidoran with an annoyed scoff.

"Lighten up a bit, spike ball," Elty chided. "It's just a little fun."

"You hut-dwellers sure are a peculiar lot if this is what you do for entertainment…" Guardia sighed, only for a chittering voice to call out.

"Hoy!"

Crom lifted his head at the sound of footsteps and looked over his shoulder where he saw the forms of a Kabutops and Marked Scyther approaching. The Druddigon turned to face the pair, recognizing them to be...

"Oh! Dimitri! Ander!" Crom cried. "What are you doing here?"

"We were checking up on your father below deck," the Scyther answered.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Ander's reminder of Pladur's wounded state sucked the life out of the group as the lot fell silent. Crom hung his head as his wings began to droop in shame, realizing that while he'd been wiling away his time with Pleo and his teammates, he hadn't even bothered to go down and check up on his father since he woke up!

"I'd- I'd forgotten about that while I was having fun…" he murmured. "Is… he alright?"

"He's still a bit weak, but at least he's lucid now," Ander replied.

"I don't think you've got anything to worry about, Crom," Dimitri insisted. "If he's anything like you, I'm sure he'll be up and at 'em sooner rather than later."

The mantis and crab's reassurance failed to take root with the young Druddigon, as his head sank glumly. The dragon looked down, only to feel a pawing at his leg and see Nida looking up at him.

"And I'm sure your dad doesn't want you to be constantly feeling miserable while he's healing, Crom," the Nidoran offered.

Crom moved a claw to his mouth, the reassurance seemingly moving him somewhat, if unable to dispel a thick, tangible air of doubt about the young Druddigon.

"I guess…" the Dragon-Type murmured. "But what do we do now?"

"That's what I'd like to know, actually."

The sound of buzzing wings and following footsteps announced the arrival of the Siglo Swellow's Illumise captain from Ander and Dimitri's direction, her Hitmontop first mate following closely. Kiran tilted his head, wondering what would compel the two to seek them out together as the ship continued on its course away from Giotto.

"Oh? What brings you here, Beatrix?" the Swellow asked.

"A little crab mentioned earlier that you and the kids were trying to get to Pioppo Island," she answered.

The group blinked puzzledly, before their attention drifted slowly over towards Dimitri. Freshly put on the spot, the Kabutops hemmed and hawed, tapping his scythes together sheepishly.

"Heh, well they did need leads for trying to track you down," Dimitri said. "So I didn't see the harm in bringing it up."

"What's going on at that dump?" Beatrix demanded. "And why do you want to get there?"

Crom cast a blank gaze at Nida and his other teammates. Dimitri never did mention why they wanted him to bring them to that island anyways. Nida began to shift uncomfortably, clearing her throat as she tried to puzzle out a way to explain the matter to the Illumise captain.

"Er… well…" the Poison-Type began, only to be interrupted by Guardia raising a claw and motioning for attention.

"Make yourselves comfortable," she said. "It'll take a while to recite all this lore…"

The Cubone began to recount of their meeting with Nerea, Nida and Elty chiming in to explain how the Company and the Empire had created a record of the events surrounding the Great Calamity that was so compromising to the two that the pair had moved heaven and earth to keep its volumes secret, with Pioppo being the site of of one of those volumes. All the while, Beatrix and Vicente listened quietly, with unmoving, skeptical faces as Nida ended their recap.

"So if we can just find that ledger, we should be able to force the Company and the Empire to back off and leave us and Pleo alone," the Nidoran explained. "It'd be just what we needed to be able to go home while keeping Bluewhorl safe!"

The little spike ball's insistence drew a sharp frown from the Hitmontop first mate, who tapped a foot impatiently against the wood of the ship's deck.

"… I'm not feeling terribly confident charting a trip to Pioppo over hearsay…" Vicente grumbled.

"Oi, we know what we heard! And besides, what other options do we have right now?" Elty demanded. "Are you going to build your own navy to keep those Imps and square-necks at bay?"

A sharp buzz cut through the air as Beatrix shook her head and shot an unamused scowl back at the young Growlithe.

"Ideally we would have options that don't involve poking around an island where Pokémon are known to go missing and never be heard from again," she piped.

Team Traveller grimaced uneasily at the Illumise's response. Yes, it would be a dangerous mission, but doing nothing would be no solution at all for getting Pleo back home! She had to understand that…

Didn't she...?

"I'll think it over and see what we can do for logistics," the firefly offered. "We'd need some downtime in Buyeom to reprovision and patch up a few parts of the ship anyways."

"Hrmph. Hopefully a downtime that's short and to the point," the Hitmontop first mate huffed.

"In the meantime, stay focused on pitching in with the crew," the captain instructed. "There should be some time for you to rest a bit when we're in port."

Beatrix and Vicente turned and drifted off down the deck, leaving Team Traveller to trade dubious looks with one another over how well they'd pleaded their case to the pair.

"I… don't think that they're going to take us there," Pleo murmured.

"I'm sure that they'll come around, pollito," Kiran reassured. "It's not a decision to be made lightly, but if it's really the only way, I'm sure that Beatrix and Vicente will recognize that."

"Besides, you've got better things to do than get your wings in a twist right now," Dimitri added. "With the mess we left Tidemill's harbor in, I'm sure it'll take some time for the Company and the Empire to catch up, and you'll have no shortage of ways to unwind in Buyeom."

"… What do you mean?" Guardia replied. "Isn't it just another island?"

"You're selling it more than a little short. Magmapool Town is famous for being built right next to a volcano that heats the place up," the Kabutops explained. "Why, there's a bunch of hot springs dotted across the island, then there's the black-sanded beaches, the fire shows…"

The horseshoe crab's description brightened his teammates' eyes, Elty taking particular relish as he perked his ears up at the mention of 'fire shows' and darted around happily.

"Heh, I can get behind spending some time there!" he exclaimed. The Puppy Pokémon batted his tail back and forth eagerly, prompting Pleo to pause and mull, moving a wingtip over his beak.

"I mean, it does sound fun…" he mulled. "But… what does the island look like?"


After the Siglo Swellow put down anchor in port, Team Traveller quickly made their way down the gangplank and onto the docks of Magmapool Town. The settlement was built along rolling hills under the shadow of a tall black-rocked mountain, a tower of steam rising from its pinnacle in the distance, and a shroud of fog accumulated at its base. The town itself seemed to be a mishmash of features that at once felt similar to prior ports, yet combined in an alien fashion. The settlement was built by the sea along black-sanded beaches and a row of wharves and dry docks, the districts inland filled with cramped whitewashed buildings with arced, slate roofs filling the skyline. Between their gaps, thick, protecting walls of blackened stone poked through, a careful examination revealing that they formed vaguely concentric rings about the town's quarters. All the while, glints of light would catch Pleo's eye, drawing his attention to a window or a decoration perched on a rooftop, the young Lugia beating his wings excitedly.

"Oh! It looks kinda like Aisle Town!" Pleo exclaimed. "Except it's got a lot more shiny things in it like the windows in Tidemill's palace!"

"That would be glass, Pleo," Nida replied. "And... I'm not really sure if it feels like Aisle Town to me. The buildings are a lot drabber, there's walls like in Tidemill, and I didn't remember Kenobi Island looking this rocky when we were there."

"Heh, well they do call it 'Magmapool Town' for a reason," Elty explained. "Most of the rock you see here's lava that hardened into rock since the Cradle was put together!"

Guardia frowned skeptically at the Growlithe's explanation. An island that had grown since the Original One had placed it in the Cradle? What sort of nonsense was that? Even so, the terrain seemed homely, much like the crags of the mountains and the Mystery Dungeon back in Kenobi… if with a good chunk of it in oppressive black tones. The Cubone mused to herself, wondering if a few paintings scattered here and there would help make the stony island feel more agreeable, only to hear a squawk from behind. She turned around and saw Pat taking wing from the Siglo Swellow's deck, flying off towards the sea.

"Huh? Isn't that Kenhallow one of ours?" Guardia wondered. "Where is he off to in such a hurry?"

"Probably headed back to Tromba to pass on the news of our arrival," a voice behind them chittered.

The five youngsters turned back, a quick glance revealing that the speaker was none other than a Kabutops still dripping seawater off his plates… followed closely by a visibly soaked and unamused Swellow and Scyther.

"Eh? Dimitri?" Crom asked. "Where have you been?"

"I was passing on a message of my own here to send back to my rod," the Water-Type explained. "Turns out another one's passing through here right now!"

Dimitri's burble drew a deep frown from the Swellow behind him, who shook his head and beat his wings, spraying droplets of seawater onto the wharf underfoot.

"I still say the cannonball into the water was uncalled for," Kiran grumbled.

Dimitri looked at Kiran and Ander, and after noting their long faces, scratched the back of his head sheepishly with the flat of his left blade. The Scyther among the group let out a chittering sigh, awkwardly shifting his wings uncomfortably as he tried to extend them out to dry under the sun.

"Well, we should have a little time before we move along anyways," Ander said. "We might as well take a look around town and relax for a bit."

Team Traveller carried on along a tight street past a warren of crude, tile-roofed shacks with a surfeit of glass windows and decorations, coming to a stone gate underneath a slate-roofed pavilion. There, the lot discovered much to their pleasant surprise that the local guards appeared to be in the business of charging 'tolls' for entry into the rest of the town and its hot springs. Whether it was the visitors or the promise of coin in their pouches that was the real motivator for the guards' openness, a few Poké coins apiece proved sufficient to grant each of Team Traveller's members entry through the black-stone gate.

The party's passage through the gate brought them into a busy town perched at the top of a hill with plumes of steam and smoke rising up from various points. Opting to try and get a view from above, Team Traveller set up along a wide path lined with shops up a shallow incline, their progress taking them past a red-and-blue pavilion in front of a curved body of bubbling water that Pokémon were resting in, some background chatter revealing that it seemed to be a shrine dedicated in honor to a 'Volcanion', evidently the local Protector. A little ways along, the group passed a pair of large buildings spewing smoke from brick chimneys, one adorned with banners in the Empire's indigo and the other in the red-and-gold of the Merchantry. There in the street, a Kecleon and a Darmanitan were in a heated argument in front of a bewildered-looking black Hippowdon laden with heavy, oblong cargo. The objects of dispute were evidently 'dies' for pressing coins, with neither of the two agreeing who was entitled to take their share of the cargo first. Pleo blinked to himself a moment as he left, wondering to himself why the two were so insistent on going ahead of each other when he looked up and discovered that he and his peers were passing a long wall in front of a broad complex of short buildings with steam rising from behind them. The Lugia recognized the steam to be much like that from the pool surrounding the shrine, puzzling over what its purpose was, only to spot a small crowd of Pokemon gathered around a bulletin board up ahead pulling papers off of it.

Why this was a guild! But… if that was really what this place was, there was just one thing that he couldn't figure out.

"Huh? Why does this Guild have all these steam clouds coming up from it?" Pleo asked.

"Well, Magmapool Town is known for its hot springs," Kiran answered. "I guess the local guild decided they wanted one of their own for their members."

"Heh, well I'd certainly sign up for a guild like that!" Crom exclaimed, giving a playful bat of his tail at the thought of a hot spring waiting for him after a long day in the dungeon. His enthusiasm failed to be matched by all of his teammates, as his exclamation was met by a pouting frown from his Growlithe teammate.

"Meh, speak for yoursel-"

"Ack! Nae sure!" a bellowing voice cried.

The group flinched at the sound of a loud crack and deep rumble, whirling to see a trio of barrels rolling off the back of a cart drawn by a wide-eyed Bouffalant up the hill and tumbling straight for them. One after the other, the members of Team Traveller hastily bolted out of the way, leaving Pleo to stare frozen out of fright as the barrels raced towards him.

"Look out!"

A flash of gray came in as a fist flew forward and sent the barrel headed for Pleo flying into a wall where it dashed itself into a pile of splinters and water. A cutting gust of air tore one of the barrels further behind in two, while the last was dispatched by a moon-like orb of pink light, leaving their contents to stream down the lane and dribble up against Pleo's feet. The Lugia stood there panting and stunned a moment, looking up to see that his rescuers were a large, gray dragon with a head and tail lined with yellow scales, a large black and purple bat, and a pink fox-like creature. The lot approached in red scarves, each sporting a white seven-pointed star as they inspected the mess left behind by their attacks. After the Bouffalant ran up and tried to take stock of his lost cargo, the Kommo-o of the group turned his attention to Pleo, craning his head down as he held a claw out for reassurance.

"Are you alright?" he asked. "Seems like whoever tied those barrels to that cart did a poor job at it."

"I-I think I'm alright…" Pleo stammered. The young Protector's companions hastily ran up, Nida and Crom tending to the shaken seabird as Guardia turned warily to the three strangers with a puzzled tilt of her head.

"… Who are you?" the Cubone wondered.

"We're Team Sentinel," the Kommo-o answered. "I'm the team's leader, Sorge."

"My name is Zelle," the Sylveon added. "I take care of any threats before they get too close."

"And I'm Aldrich," the Noivern chimed in. "I cover the skies while Sorge and Zelle take the ground."

Team Traveller eased themselves, breathing thankful sighs at the intervention of the strong strangers. The group wondered to themselves as to what this Team Sentinel's history could be for its members to become so strong, as the Kommo-o of the group turned his attention over to Pleo.

"So who are you and your friends, little one?" Sorge pried. "I have to say, our team travels around different islands quite a bit, but I've never seen a Pokémon like you before."

A tense silence fell over the group, as Pleo fidgeted uneasily. These Pokémon had helped protect him from those barrels... but with powerful foes chasing after him at every turn, was it really safe to tell them anything about his true nature?

"Er... well I'm Pleo," the seabird began. "And... I'm uh…"

"A Wingull!" Crom interjected. The young Druddigon's exclamation drew raised brows among the members of Team Sentinel, followed by dubious looks back at the strange bird before them. Kiran ruffled his feathers uneasily, realizing that his pupil's explanation surely hadn't sounded convincing… perhaps feigning ignorance would be more believable?

"Or at least we think so! We found him as a feral among a group of other Wingull," Kiran offered. "My student's probably just a bit overweight, really."

Sorge and his teammates looked at the Swellow, before their eyes drifted over to Ander in the back of the group and settled with a quiet, intent stare. The Scyther shifted uneasily, before the trio's expressions suddenly lighted up as Sorge shook his head to brush away the matter.

"Well, that would certainly make a lot of sense," the Kommo-o chuckled.

The Dragon-Type's reply drew quiet sighs of relief from the members of Team Traveller. Eager to find out a bit more about the inquisitive strangers, Dimitri piped up with a curious glance, hemming and hawing slightly as he tried to tease out more about their business at the guild.

"So… you're a Rescue Team, right?" the Kabutops wondered.

"That's right," the dragon answered. "Platinum ranked by the Anyilla Rescue and Exploration Networking Association and here to help in these troubled times."

Sorge's mention of 'Platinum ranked' at once made Kiran perk up, putting a newfound vigor in the bird that made his feathers bristle with excitement. The Flying-Type warbled, hopping over as he puffed his chest out with a beaming smile.

"Well, you're certainly giving my pupils a lot to strive for!" the Swellow chirped. "Who knows, maybe we could trade pointers sometime!"

"Hm? So you lead a Rescue Team as well?" Sorge asked. "Who are you?"

"It's Kiran, captain of Team Traveller and Silver-ranked by ARENA," the Flying-Type beamed. "The finest fledger of dungeoneers in all of Tromba!"

The Swellow held his head up and ruffled his plumage proudly as an unimpressed silence lingered over Team Sentinel. From behind Sorge, Zelle rolled her eyes before turning her head to Aldrich and bringing a feeler next to her mouth to whisper to the bat's sensitive ears with a barely-concealed smirk.

"Sounds like someone's presumptuous."

"Certainly seems like a case of 'student teaching the teacher' to me," Aldrich snickered.

Kiran's mood ebbed at the sight of Zelle and Aldrich's reactions, prompting Sorge to clear his throat and hastily force a grin, giving a disarming wave as he tried to brush the matter aside.

"I'll keep it in mind if we ever take on an apprentice, but I think we'll manage," Sorge replied. "We were just on our way to the dungeon for a mission, but it was a pleasure to meet you all."

The Kommo-o trudged off up the hill for the volcanic peak in the distance, followed closely by his Sylveon and Noivern teammates. As the trio started to slip out of view into the crowds, Crom peered after the red-scarved Pokémon, before shifting his glance back to a Nidoran waiting beside him.

"… Do you think we'll ever make our own team as good as theirs, Nida?" he asked.

Nida flicked her ears back flusteredly. All this time, she'd been wrapped up in getting Pleo home that she'd completely forgotten about her own plans with Crom to push their team forward! But how were they supposed to manage to get anywhere near as far as Team Sentinel when they'd barely just earned their Normal Ranking?

"I mean… it would take a lot of time, and practice… but maybe?" the Nidoran answered. "After all, never say never."

"Step right up and grow your battle prowess with just one quick session! After just a few moments at Alcon's Move Tutoring, you'll be well on your way to unlocking your full potential!"

The rabbit perked her ears up and looked off further up the path to see a crude stall set up with a Porygon flitting about eagerly. Nida tilted her head a moment, before having her memory turn back to their time in Braveshoal. Why, it was the very same Move Tutor they'd run into there!

The last time they'd met, Alcon had driven them off thanks to not having anything to trade for tutoring. But now, with a pouch full of money from Cardino's detective work in Tidemill… perhaps he'd have more of a reason to teach them after all!

"Actually… maybe there's something that can help us out right now."


As Team Traveller made their way over to peruse Alcon's wares, they were blissfully unaware of a brigantine flying white sails with a blue sun pattern pulling into Magmapool Town's port. Aboard it, the Pokémon were tense and wound up, casting wary glances about their surroundings. Above, the form of a small party of flying Pokémon led by a Crobat returned, the Poison-Type flitting down to a Samurott waiting at the bridge.

"That's it. That ship docked over there by the wharf on the far left," Kane said. "Should we move in for the attack, Captain?"

Lyn turned his head off to the left, fishing out his scope and pacing over to the railing. Sure enough, through his spyglass he could see the familiar waterspout-patterned sails of the Siglo Swellow, with its same Illumise captain and Hitmontop first mate distracted by some manner of ongoing debate. The lot of the crew seemed to be lethargic, perhaps taking one of Tromba's fabled midday rests that seemed to have little utility other than to provide excuses for their yearly tribute coming up short yet again. Hardly anything even his diminished crew couldn't handle… if only they were in friendlier waters.

A quick turn of the scope beyond the harbor revealed drydocks filled with ships flying indigo sails, with others prowling the waters and the piers speckled with Imperial underlings as one would expect from the largest settlement of the Empire outside of Tidemill. Lyn pulled the scope back with an irked grunt, with such an environment, there was only serious answer to Kane's question:

"… No. Our odds of succeeding would be slim to none," the Samurott answered.

The Crobat blanched a moment at the otter's reply. The Board back in Vollezee was counting on them to return back with this Guardian of the Seas. If attempting to wrestle him away from port here was out of the question, then...

"… What do we do then?"

"We sail in and dock," Lyn barked. "We're going to need to be patient about this mission."

The Samurott looked over to a Weavile hanging with a claw among the rigging, who shifted slightly and cupped his free claw to bid the sailors to bring the ship in. The Nektar Weide lurched forward, being pulled along by its sails while its escorts in the water and sky pushed it along to a free set of moorings on the right side of the harbor as the Commissioner stamped the deck for attention.

"All of you, stay on alert," the Water-Type snapped. "I'm not expecting us to stay here for too long, and as soon as that schooner leaves, we follow and ambush them outside of port."

The gathered sailors at once darted off, clearing the deck to ready the brigantine for mooring. As the Pokémon moved about tying down the ship, Lyn looked about the passing underlings, his sight settling on a Fearow and a Swanna making their way for a length of rope to help hoist the sails.

"You two. Set that rigging aside and go surveil the ship," he ordered. "If that glorified catboat so much as turns its rudder, I want to hear about it!"

"Aye, Captain!" the pair answered.

Lyn watched as the birds slipped off, prompting him to shake his head and clamber onto the railing. The Commissioner steadied himself, looking down at the harbor water below as the sound of Ellsberg's wingbeats came up from behind him, their rapid pace and his pants evidencing that he'd been in a hurry to catch up.

"Lyn? Just what am I supposed to do here?" the Mothim demanded. "You've only provided assignments for a pair of scouts!"

"You're watching the ship with Ketu and making sure that it can sail off at the drop of a pin," the Samurott snorted back. "I'm going off to scout the seabed outside the harbor to search for places where our escorts can lie in wait to ambush that schooner."

"But-"

The otter leapt off, diving into the blue water below with a loud splash. Ellsberg peered over, watching bubbles and brine trail after Lyn's body before he surfaced and made his way back for the mouth of the harbor as Ellsberg alighted on the railing, scoffing bitterly.

"'You're watching the ship with Ketu and making sure that it can sail off at the drop of a pin'," the Mothim spat. "Travellers above, does he really think that I don't know my own ship?"

"Tch, beats me," a Weavile's voice answered. "But Lyn's finally gone, and we've got some business to get to for grabbing that Lugia."

Ellsberg turned around and frowned when he saw Ketu lazing against a nearby mast. The Mothim buzzed annoyedly, the Weavile's unwelcome voice drawing his attention as raptly as a warm lantern's light did at night.

"And just what would that involve?" Ellsberg demanded. "You haven't said as much of a thing about your plan ever since we left Tidemill!"

Ketu answered with a scoff and dismissive shake of his head, flashing out a set of claws and turning his attention from the Bug-Type as he picked at them disinterestedly with his other set.

"Like I told you earlier, I've got some old friends here in port," Ketu explained. "All I need to do is to touch base with them, and we'll lure the Protector out to someplace secluded where we can ambush him."

"And just who are these 'friends' and how do you know them?"

The Weavile paid the question no heed and continued to pick at his claws. Ellsberg glared impatiently, prompting Ketu to belatedly step away from the mast with a shrug.

"They're with the Company. Everything else is beyond your pay grade I'm afraid."

Ellsberg fumed at Ketu's flippant response, beating his wings agitatedly as he filled the air with seethes and angry moth noises.

"What sort of answer is that?!" Ellsberg snapped.

"One that's good enough," the Dark-Type retorted. "Just know that they're familiar with this town while those hicks aren't, and they've got a lot of experience in carting Pokémon off from places without drawing too much attention."

"Why should I agree to any of this?" the moth hissed. "We're supposed to work as a team and here you are throwing me aside to work with some random strangers!"

"Look, you want your promotion, and I've got my own things I want out of this mission," Ketu answered. "Just stay out of the way and let the professionals do their job, and we'll both get what we want."

The Mothim flapped his wings a moment, before setting aside his frustration for a moment as his curiosity got the better of him.

"Hrmph. And what do I do if I play along with your little scheme?" Ellsberg pressed.

"You cover for me with Lyn if he comes back and asks why I'm not around. If you keep Lyn from getting suspicious, I tell Administrator Elilan about all the hard work you totally did capturing the Protector when this all settles down," the Weavile replied. "I don't mind if you become a third-rank easily or not, so fair deal, right?"

"What am I even supposed to tell him?!" the Mothim demanded. "We're waiting for those hicks to leave port and you shouldn't even have a reason to leave the ship!"

"Just tell him I went to the hot springs," the Dark-Type said with a shrug.

Ketu paused and waited on a reply, only to be met by the sound of Ellsberg fluttering his wings and a quiet, unimpressed stare.

"'Hot springs'? Really?" Ellsberg groaned. "Do you honestly expect him to believe that coming from an Ice-Type?"

"Yes?" Ketu scoffed. "It wouldn't be the first time that I've visited one. They may be a little too hot at first, but they're very soothing once you get used to-"

"Ugh, whatever! Just hurry it up!" the Bug-Type spat. "Not like you actually do any work with me anyways."

"Kinda hard to work with a doormat who doesn't stand his ground."

Ellsberg spluttered furiously and glared as Ketu slipped away, clambering down the gangplank for the docks. The nerve of that good-for-nothing furball! He could pull his weight just fine if Ketu just stopped belittling him and gave him all the information needed for the mission! The Mothim turned away, looking towards the sea with a harrumph as he tried to assuage his wounded pride. If Ketu wanted to take on all the risk of the operation on himself, then so be it. He was getting his promotion, so what was a little bit of extra spare time?


While the Siglo Swellow and the Nektar Weide sat in port at Magmapool Town, the Mistral Marauder continued to lurk at its spot in Tidemill City's harbor. Ever since Alba had overlooked them, the crew had collectively chosen to keep to themselves aboard the ship and wait for the harbor to re-open, opting not to endanger their run of good luck. With their claws idled, the pirates found themselves trying to scrounge together various distractions aboard the ship, some turning to cards, some to rest, and others to impromptu contests between each other, with the deck thick with spectators ringing the current attraction as a loud belch filled the air.

There, Alvise stood glaring down a smug-faced Charmeleon wiping the edge of his mouth, the Manectric making his way over to a sudsy jug set out on a crate in the middle. The Electric-Type let a crackle of electricity dance among his fur, before seizing the jug by its neck and throwing his head back, letting the beer inside slide down his throat with glugging gulps as chatter floated around the gathered Pokémon.

"Ha! No way he's gonna pull this off!" the Charmeleon snickered, with a nearby Sealeo joining in with a jeer.

"I bet he can't even finish the bottle!"

Alvise narrowed his eyes at the jeers, letting the last drops of the jug's ale run down his throat before he let it drop to the deck with a clatter. The Manectric smacked his mouth, relishing the taste of beer on his tongue, before cracking his jaws open.

BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURP

A chorus of cheers followed the wolf's massive belch, some of the pirates giddy that they'd put their money on the right 'mon, while others were simply impressed by Alvise's performance, including a starry-eyed Hoppip who compared it favorably to Hess' own burps. Even so, flecks of unhappiness stained the gathering, including the Charmeleon and Sealeo, who stared incredulously back at the proud Manectric.

"How the hell did you burp like that?!" the Charmeleon demanded. "You said you grew up as some rich city slicker!"

"Yeah! There's no way you should've been able to do that!" the Sealeo exclaimed. A smug grin crept up over Alvise's muzzle, as he turned up his nose with a tangible air of self-satisfiedness.

"Well, you learn something new every day, huh?" the wolf retorted.

"Alright dorks, you lost your bets," Valatos smirked. "Now cough up the money."

"Yeah, time for us winners to benefit here!" Nori sneered.

A mixture of laughter and grumbling went around, as the Charmeleon and Sealeo begrudgingly passed over a few misshapen coins to Alvise and his companions, while other bettors traded their wins and losses in the background. All the while, Kichiro and Rodion watched from the railing, the Ledian burying his face into a fist with an audible groan.

"Ugh… now I remember why I hate long port stays," the Ledian grumbled

"They were the recruits you found, Kichiro," Rodion reminded. "Besides, it's not as if we've got anything else we can do right now. A pirate's just gotta let a good burp out sometimes."

Kichiro gave a disgusted scoff at the Floatzel's retort, his displeasure with the burping contest only deepening from having his name mangled yet again by a peer. As the Bug-Type fumed, the deck of the ship rocked with heavy footsteps, as Hess lumbered over, stopping by the railing as he looked out over at the mouth of the harbor and the pile of charred wreckage that continued to clog the entrance

"Bah… what's taking those useless Imps so long?!" Hess complained. "That Protector's getting further away by the minute and we're still stuck here!"

"You know how these Imperial types are with their paper pushers," Rodion sighed. "It takes a while for anything to get done."

"Then they should just move out of the way and let me handle it already!" the Aggron captain snapped.

"And take a chance with the guards from earlier noticing you?" Kichiro retorted.

Hess grimaced at the Ledian's retort. No, going out and being recognized by the guards while the harbor was blocked off was about the last thing that he or the crew needed right now. At the same time, they couldn't just loaf around here! Every moment they waited meant that the Protector would become harder to track down...

"Er… well…"

"Just bide your time a bit, Captain," Rodion insisted. "This certainly isn't what any of us asked for, but we could do worse than having to wait a little in a peaceful port."

"They drove away the Protector!" a voice shouted. "It's their fault we've been abandoned!"

"To the palace! Make the crown answer for these injustices!"

The three pirates flinched and peered over the railing, where in the distance between the gaps of the buildings, they saw a large mob of Pokémon marching along a street. The rioting crowd had a livid, barely constrained air to it as the sound of smashing wood and glass faintly carried on the air and glimpses of posters and banners being torn down echoed across the streets. Kichiro flew back uneasily, giving a skeptical glance back at Rodion as the mob's cries filled the background.

"What was that about it being a peaceful port?" he demanded.

"I don't like the looks of this, Rodion," Hess murmured. "The last time we saw a port this riled up was during the last turf war back in Rosequartz."

"Well, last I checked, common landlubbers didn't fight turf wars for much of anything," Rodion replied. "Whatever's going on out there, it doesn't involve us."

The Aggron uneasily looked out over the sea of buildings as the shouts began to ebb and fade away, with distant crashes and scattered plumes of smoke curling up further off in the distance. The Steel-Type turned away, as nagging doubts of his first mate's reassurance tugged at him, along with an uncomfortable realization that there was little they could do in their present circumstances.

"… Let's hope you're right," Hess said. "But I'd still rather get out of here sooner than later. We've already pushed our luck enough for a day."


At the gates of the Royal Citadel, the distant signs of tumult from the deck of the Mistral Marauder were all but inescapable. There, at the mouth of tightly shuttered gates, a throng of Pokémon of every conceivable stripe had gathered, baying out angry growls and shouts up to the walls of the fortified compound.

"We know the Protector abandoned us because of what Coil did!" a Glaceon shouted.

"No more secrets!" a Shiinotic snarled. "Tell us what other things you're hiding from us!"

The jeers and cries went on, the only thing separating their owners from the Royal Citadel being its stone walls and iron gates, along with a group of uneasy Pokémon in indigo and a number in sets of armor peering down from the top of the wall. Among them was Nagant, who looked out warily at the crowd, giving a dispirited shake of her head as the sound of an Archeops' angry hissing caught her ears and prompted her to see Chancellor Osborn in cloth and mail with a metal breastplate glaring down a wide-eyed Decidueye.

"You said that things were under control!" he spat. "This crowd's doubled in size in the last thirty minutes!"

"We've been trying!" Alba protested. "But they just keep coming!"

"Can you really blame them? We've all found out so much today…" Nagant muttered. The shrimp gazed at the crowd, looking out as a quiet, worn expression settled over her face.

"It only makes sense that not everyone would take it so well."

"Oh for crying out loud," Osborn snapped. "I'll handle this!"

The Archeops stomped over to the edge of the wall, alighting on a ledge with a faint rattle as he beat his wings and gave a sharp caw out over the crowd. The shouts and cries ebbed a moment, as the mob below looked up puzzledly at the Chancellor, who cleared his throat to speak.

"Attention loyal subjects of the Empire! Desist and return to your homes at once!" the bird proclaimed. "Your Majesty is keenly aware of the present crisis and her forces are doing their best to pursue the pirates who stole the Protector!"

"What sort of garbage is that?!" a Mandibuzz squawked. "The Protector blew seafire out into the harbor and away from the ship that took him!"

"Yeah! What sort of kidnapped Pokémon helps their kidnappers?!" a Klang yelled.

A hail of boos followed the Steel-Type's cry, as a Tamato Berry flew past Osborn's head, and an apple dashed against his wing. The Archeops dove for cover with a squawk as more missiles and attacks came for his position, an errant Gravelerock sailing along and catching an Emboar in the face.

"Augh!"

The guard staggered and lurched, almost tumbling headfirst over the edge only for a Herdier and Araquanid to hastily drag her back to safety. The three retreated from the ledge, their peers following likewise as the air grew thicker with flying objects and the crowd's shouts crested into a deafening roar.

"Chancellor, that didn't help!" Nagant hissed.

"Well, what was I supposed to do?!" Osborn huffed. "They weren't just going to clear out by themselves!"

PAM! PAM! PAM!

"Smash those gates open!" the Mandibuzz cried. "We'll get justice ourselves!"

The color flushed from the faces of the Pokémon gathered on the walls at the sound of the pounding below, realizing it to be blows upon the iron gates. The guards looked out at the trails of smoke curling up from spots of the city around them, before looking back and realizing that they'd be fortunate if such a fate was the only thing the mob wished for the citadel. As the urgency of the situation sank in, Osborn beat his wings impatiently and shot a glare over to Alba before barking out an order.

"This has gone on long enough!" the Archeops snapped. "Get your command together and clear out the gates!"

One after the other, the Decidueye and his subordinates took their position, Nagant similarly leveling a claw out for the crowd as she breathed in, hesitating with her aim as an Electivire ran up to Osborn and waved his arms wildly in protest.

"Ch-Chancellor! These are just commoners from the city!" the Electric-Type squeaked. "There'll be a full revolt if we attack them like that!"

PAM! PAM! PAM!

"They're already revolting" Osborn growled. "There's no sense in letting this insurrection fester any more!"

The gathered Pokémon prepared themselves, as they readied attacks to be lobbed out into the crowd below. Nagant similarly joined, feeling water pool at the tip of her large claw as she breathed in and closed one of her eyes to ready her aim.

"Stop!"

The Clawitzer's eye abruptly shot open as the water in her claws suddenly spilled inertly onto the bricks below. The shrimp and the other Pokémon looked up and went wide-eyed at the sight of none other than Queen Aleria flying in, landing on the ledge of the wall before them. At once, Osborn got up, running after the Altaria with his voice thick with panic.

"Your Majesty! Get away from that wall!" the Chancellor cried. "It's not safe-!"

"Everyone just listen to me a moment!"

With that, the Altaria spread her wings, letting out a loud warble that brought a minor lull to mob's unrest.

"You're my subjects!" the Altaria piped "With everything that's been going on, I wanted to talk about what's been happening!"

"What's there to talk about?!" a Shiinotic hissed.

"Yeah! What we need is justice!" a Glaceon roared.

"I know that… and I'm sorry that I've failed you so."

The crowd abruptly grew quiet, the angered shouts and cries giving way to the quiet burble of confused murmuring. Aleria ruffled her cloud-like plumage uneasily, before speaking up over the gathered mob below.

"When daddy became king, he always told me that we were in a dangerous world," the Altaria began. "One where we'd have to worry about threats to the Empire and Pokémon like you who stuck with it in its hardest times..."

The bird queen trailed off, hanging her head in shame as her voice took on a mournful tone.

"I never considered that there could be something threatening the Empire from within like this," she murmured. "Let alone someone from a family my own's trusted for generations, and here it's now driven away our greatest hope."

The Pokémon in front of the gates began to shift and mumble uncomfortably, with a few of their number looking up at the torn Altaria above. Aleria struggled with her words a moment, before shaking her head and craning her neck back up with earnest, pleading eyes.

"So please! As your Queen, let me do what I can to try and make things right!" the Queen pleaded. "To bring back the Protector that should be watching over us right now!"

The mob below murmured quietly, a few Pokémon at the edge shuffling uneasily before drifting off. Others deeper within followed along, the crowd visibly thinning before the guards' eyes as they fell back with sighs of relief and an awed Nagant turned to the watching Altaria.

"… Your Majesty…" the Clawitzer said. "I… I think you might have just saved your realm."

"Hrmph, I would encourage you not to get too comfortable," Osborn chided, giving a ruffle that rattled the mail-laden segments of his armor. "Mobs are fickle beasts, and with the spirit of insurrection loose among them, I doubt we've heard the last of this."

"Then let's figure out what we can do, Osborn," Aleria cried. "I gave those Pokémon my word that I'd do something about this, and I don't want to be made a liar if I can help it!"

The Archeops frowned, casting a glance out at the still partly-crowded square below, before looking back slowly at the Altaria queen, letting out a sigh as he gave his feathers an uncomfortable ruffle.

"… Very well, I'll send word out for a meeting," he answered. "But we should make haste while we can."

The Fossil Pokémon turned and began to pace off, only to turn his head as he passed Nagant and stop with a stern glance.

"We will need your presence as well, Captain Nagant," Osborn said. "Please follow along."

Nagant chittered flusteredly, the Clawitzer moving her little claw up to try and press for more details, only for Osborn to continue on, followed by Aleria. The shrimp stood there a moment, before hopping after them uneasily. The two surely wished for her to help give chase to the Protector, otherwise they would've never asked for her presence…

But just what could those two be planning with the situation as dire as it was?


After going up to Alcon and assuring him that they had the means to make his time worth the while, Team Traveller set about parting with their earnings from Cardino and booking a tutoring session for each of their younger members. The Porygon's tee-yems were a strange mishmash of numbers, though once Alcon walked them through, their decision-making was made a bit clearer. Nida took a fancy to Poison Jab, while Elty chose to learn the ghostly art of Will-O-Wisp for the promise of being able to burn foes as he wished. Crom waffled a bit in his choice, initially choosing to be tutored Bulldoze, only for a pointed reminder from Nida of its effects on the rest of the team to sway him to Power-Up Punch.

Other choices… seemed more impulsive than they needed to be. Guardia took a shine to Swords Dance, much to Elty's displeasure that the Cubone would now be able to able to bat him around harder. Pleo upon hearing Alcon discover his 'compatibility' with Thunderbolt was at once smitten with the idea of being able to churn up a 'glowy beam attack' that would form thunderclaps on command… only to be sorely disappointed along with his peers to discover that their moves, both mundane and exotic, had merely been implanted as a spark and not given them instant knowledge.

With a freshly lightened coin purse and the taste of mild disappointment in their mouths, Kiran opted to lift his charges' spirits by hurrying into their planned excursion about the town. Team Traveller went around, going from street to street where they noticed a small eatery built around a hot spring and heated black sands, giving the lot a chance to brush away their worries over a lunch of noodles and small buns with a sweet, ruddy filling before entering the springs. The party stayed a while in the heated water and sand, where they whiled away their time before leaving and retracing their steps back to the Siglo Swellow. As they exited the gate leading back to the harbor's docks, the group carried on in warm, high spirits from their refreshing detour.

"Well, at least something went right today," Crom piped. "Those hot springs were amazing!"

"I know! Maybe we should try and make one back in Bluewhorl when we get back!" Pleo chirped. The Lugia's cheerful warbling drew frowns and shifty glances from Elty and Guardia, neither seeming to think much of the young seabird's fondness of the water.

"… Eh, I was fine staying in the sand," Elty harrumphed. Pleo tilted his head puzzledly, wondering what possessed the dog to be so negative about the water, before noting his displeasure seemed to bleed over into Guardia.

"Hrmph, it would've been better if Alcon's lore actually taught us moves like he said said they would," the Cubone grumbled.

"Well, even with tee-yems, you don't become a master at moves overnight," Kiran explained. "Give it some practice, and I'm sure that things will come together."

"I mean I suppose it did take a little before Pleo could fly after he got tutored by Melissa," Nida murmured. "It's just that for that price-"

"Seodulleo! You gotta see this!"

The Nidoran trailed off and looked up to see a Darumaka tugging along a Marill across the street. An air of ecstatic enthusiasm filtered off of the Darumaka, which was met with an impatient glare back from his hapless fellow-traveller.

"This better not be some sort of joke…" the Marill growled.

"No, I'm serious! There really is a Protector at the harbor!" the Darumaka exclaimed. "And humans too!"

The Fire-Type's words at once made Ander jolt up in alarm, looking around with wide-eyed anxiety. His teammates looked at the startled Scyther a moment, before looking off at the quickly-departing pair with puzzled frowns.

"… A Protector… and humans in the harbor?" Guardia asked.

"Pah," Elty snorted. "It's probably just some rumo-"

The Growlithe bit his tongue as the sound of footsteps and wingbeats reached his ears. Elty quickly glanced over and went wide-eyed at the sight of Pleo running along at the end of the street, flapping to try and to take off into the air after the Darumaka and Marill.

"Hey! Pleo!" the Growlithe yipped. "Wait up!"

The Lugia darted ahead for the docks, his companions hurriedly following after him until they came to the edge of a large, excited crowd in a square near the water's edge. Pleo stopped, craning his head to see a crude platform had been set up in the middle of the square, with a Riolu, Eevee, and Nuzleaf gathered proudly, Pleo tilting his head puzzledly as the Riolu of the lot gave an adoring wave to the surrounding Pokémon.

"… But… they look just like normal Pokémon…" the Lugia murmured.

As soon as the words left his mouth, the ground clattered with the sharp clop of blade-like hooves as a great, blue stag leapt up onto the platform from behind. The creature bowed his head, revealing a large rack of rainbow, tree-like antlers, before throwing them back in front of the wide-eyed audience with a forceful stomp of the ground. The crowd at once erupted into thrilled applause and cheers, the deer prancing around proudly as Pleo stared ahead wide-eyed. Evidently satisfied with the response, the Nuzleaf cracked a wide grin before darting up and moving a hand out to gesture to the mysterious Pokémon.

"Behold! The Voice of Life!" the Nuzleaf declared. "The rainbow stag that breathes life into the lifeless, Xerneas!"

The crowd roared in approval as the deer made himself at home on the makeshift stage, soaking in the adulation of the gathered Pokémon. From their places at the edge of the crowd, Team Traveller stared ahead puzzledly, noticing Ander shrinking back with a fearful look in his eyes.

"And here I thought it would just be a few relaxing hours in port…" the Scyther gulped, as Nida formed the name of the strange deer on her tongue.

"Xer… neas?"


Author's Notes:

- por el amor de los dioses - Spanish: "for gods' sake", lit. "for the love of the gods"
- Kenhallow (ケンホロウ) - Japanese: "Unfezant" (Official Romanization)
- Nae sure! (내 수레!) - Korean: "My cart!" (South Korean Revised Romanization)
- Seodulleo!(서둘러!) - Korean: "Hurry!" (South Korean Revised Romanization)