Chapter 67: Loose Ends
Team Traveller and their companions dashed amid Magmapool's narrow streets, winding around one corner after the other. In their haste, they brushed past bystanders with yelps and shouts as sharp cries rang out from behind. A quick look over Pleo's shoulder revealed their source to be none other than the guards who had given them chase earlier, except there were now many more than the Escavalier that had started everything. The Lugia turned to his Swellow mentor, giving a panicked squawk as a gout of fire zipped overhead.
"H-How much further is it?!" he cried.
"The gate's just up ahead!" Kiran insisted. "If we can get in before the other guards catch up then-!"
Kiran looked down the hill towards the gate in the stone walls, where much to his horror the clear path to it vanished before his eyes as Pokémon in indigo scarves suddenly swarmed it and took defensive positions.
"Agh! New plan!" Nida yelped. "We find some other way over those walls!"
"With what?!" Elty demanded. "If we can't shake these guys off, how are we supposed to have any hope of making it back to the docks?!"
The Growlithe's question was cut off by a Flamethrower suddenly flying by, prompting the lot to dive out of the way as it carried on and set a nearby shopfront alight. Percy looked around hastily, where he chanced to notice an alleyway partially blocked by a tall stack of crates.
"I have an idea!" Percy cried. "Come on, this way!"
The Gliscor hastily led the group down the alley, where they found the stack of battered and disused crates to be covered with a cloth tarp and slightly ajar from the wall. Team Traveller and their allies hastily ducked into the corner one by one, while Kiran pulled the end of the cloth over to provide cover. The lot quickly hunkered to the ground as the patter of footsteps ran past, holding their breaths as they saw the Escavalier from earlier rush in and look at her surroundings in confusion.
"Search the buildings around here!" the Bug-Type barked. "They couldn't have gotten far!"
The guards began to fan out one by one along the alleyway, their voices growing more distant when the loud crack of a wooden door being kicked in suddenly split the air. The cloth shifted as more guards entered the alley to join the search and the sound of another door further down being forced open rang out, along with shouts to check the rooms inside. Team Traveller and their companions lay there panting, trading anxious looks with one another as they realized that their refuge was on borrowed time.
"Please tell me there's more to your idea than just sitting here and waiting to get caught," Elty whispered to Percy.
"Of course there is."
The Gliscor pointed up at a gap between the crates where the sky and nearby rooflines were visible. Further down the hill's slope, Team Traveller could see a larger than normal shop with a black-slated rooftop, with its edge noticeably closer to the wall than the other buildings in the distance.
"There's enough of us that can fly and carry you for a short distance," the scorpion explained. "If we can just get to that roof without getting spotted, we'll be able to get into the air and over the wall just fine."
Percy's words were quickly joined by the sound of another door splintering, making the lot flinch and hold their breaths as the din of the searching guards faded away. Calidus ruffled his feathers, giving an uneasy peek off at the alleyway through the gaps in the crates.
"I'm not liking our odds hanging around this alley..." the Talonflame murmured. "Is there any other way we can get up there without being spotted, Kline?"
The Zygarde paused, before closing his eye in focus and slipping into a trance-like state. After a moment of unmoving silence, the serpent snapped back to attention, before turning to the gathered Pokémon
"There's a stairwell to the side of this building we can use to get onto the roof here," Kline piped. "Once we get up there, we just need to make our way over carefully, and we should be in the clear.
Guardia blanched at the thought of being high up and off the ground again, leaving her to squirm uncomfortably. The lizard raised her head in protest, only to hear guards' voices nearby, leaving her to gulp and shake her head reluctantly.
"A-Alright…" the Cubone stammered. "Just be careful, okay?"
The lot pulled the cloth back and quickly darted around the corner, where they came upon a rickety stairwell thrown together with stray timbers. One by one, the lot hurried up it until they reached a third floor, where they inched along an awning and onto a roof that had a clear, bobbing path down the hill to the shop near the wall. Guardia and the others watched as the guards passed below none the wiser and breathed a sigh of relief, stepping forward when a sharp squawk cut through the air.
"Oi! They're up here!"
Team Traveller froze and felt their blood chill, looking up to see a Honchkrow followed by a Braviary and Minior approaching from the left. At once, the Escavalier and the guards below looked up, and threw a hail of attacks that forced the group to dash ahead madly for the shop near the wall as one tiled roof after another was torn asunder behind them.
"Gah! Looks like we should've hurried it up a bit!" Dimitri cried.
"Forget about that!" Alice shouted. "Everyone just hold on tight to someone who can get off the ground! There's no going back once we leave that rooftop!"
The gathered Pokémon hastily began latching onto their fliers, Calidus taking up Alice on his back as he grabbed Dimitri's shoulders while Percy did the same with Crom. In their wake, Ander took flight while Nida and Elty jumped onto Pleo's back, Kiran taking the opportunity to throw Guardia onto his, leaving the bone lizard to screw her eyes shut and cling tightly as the edge approached.
Nida held her breath as Pleo barrelled over the wall amidst barking shouts. The Lugia hastily dove, pulling up in a street where he came to a tumbling stop and his teammates made similarly tumultuous landings, the lot getting back onto their feet with haggard pants as they looked about their surroundings.
"Stop it right there!"
A sharp caw pierced the air as the lot looked up to see the Honchkrow, Braviary, and Minior from earlier swooping down at them. The Honchkrow leader and Minior rushed in, separating Team Traveller from their accompanying allies as the Braviary tore for Percy. The Gliscor lunged to the side as the Braviary barrelled past, latching onto his right wing with icy fangs. The eagle cried out in pain and gave a forceful jab with his beak back at the scorpion's face, only for Calidus to cut his retaliation short with a burning tackle that struck and sprawled out the Braviary with a feeble groan. The Minior turned away from Team Traveller at the sound of his ally being overpowered, just in time for an Icy Wind from Alice to slick him over with ice and leave him to drop to the ground frozen.
The Sneasel's moment of satisfaction was abruptly cut short by a piercing shriek ringing out, as a quick glance over revealed that the Honchkrow had pinned Nida to the ground. The Nidoran desperately thrashed and flicked her spikes out, frantically trying to force the bird off of her when Elty somersaulted into the Honchkrow with a Flame Wheel to drive him off. The Dark-Type forced the Puppy Pokémon back with a jabbing thrust of his beak when a cutting gust suddenly swept up the Honchkrow and sent him flying headfirst into an awning. A loud thud rang out as the Honchkrow cawed dazedly, followed by a sharp creaking noise before the awning abruptly collapsed, taking the wall of the wooden shack behind it along to the ground with a loud crash. Elty stood stunned for a moment, looking back to see Kiran drawing his wings back, as an impressed smirk spread over his muzzle.
"You know, for someone who complains about pirates so much, you're not half bad at raising hell yourself, Kiran!" Elty piped.
"That's not a compliment!" the Swellow snapped back.
"I dunno," Alice chuckled. "I personally thought it wasn't half bad-"
"Down there! That's where they landed!"
The group looked up to see a Plusle and Minun in indigo at the top of the wall, as others like them were quickly gathering. A bolt of electricity struck the ground nearby, followed by a rock, and a jet of water, prompting Ander to buzz in alarm and flit back.
"Argue it out later before they catch up with us!" the Scyther cried.
Team Traveller and their allies tore along the lane, popping out into a street where they slipped past crowds of passerbys going down one turn after the other. The party continued ahead until they chanced to spot the waterfront and a mob of guards in the distance, prompting them to hastily change course down a side street, Pleo looking back and noticing that much to his surprise the guards were running and shouting… towards a commotion away from them.
"H-Huh?!" Pleo squawked. "What are those guards-"
Pleo's train of thought was interrupted by a cry from ahead and him running into Crom's shoulder. There in front of him, his friends tumbled to a stop and backed away from a group knocked groaning onto the ground. As the lot nursed parts of their bodies, they noticed that ahead of them was a startled party consisting of Albert alongside the Riolu and Eevee from the day before. At once, Crom flashed his claws, shooting a livid glare back at the three ruffians with a fierce roar.
"You!"
"Wh-What's going on now-?" Albert stammered, only for the Druddigon to cut him off with an indignant snarl.
"You set us up to be ambushed by that awful Weavile!"
"I-It's not what you think, we swear!" Charlie yelped.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't turn you canallas into pincushions for my barbs right now!" Nida seethed.
Before Albert could answer, a stream of fire summarily flew in and struck the ground in front of them. The gathered Pokémon dove away, watching as a Ninetales followed by a Clefable, a Weezing, and a Torracat in indigo scarves dashed in, beelining for the Nuzleaf and his companions only to look up in confusion at Team Traveller and the others.
"Dodaeche?!" the Torracat cried. "Those 'mons weren't with you earlier-!"
Dimitri zipped ahead with a watery tackle, cutting the Fire-Type off with a sharp yelp. At once, the other guards promptly flung forward attacks as the side street dissolved into chaos. Nida bounded ahead, only to stop after hearing Crom yelp and get flung through the air as the Clefable of the lot dashed for him. The Nidoran quickly shot a poisonous needle out of her pelt at the Fairy-Type's heel, prompting the Clefable to stumble and give enough time for Guardia to run into the guard with a swat of her club. The bone lizard watched the Fairy-Type recoil and sprang back with a taunting jeer, only to get seized by her tail as the Clefable yanked her into the air. Seeing a nearby crate, Nida bounded up and leapt at the guard's head, throwing an arm back as she forced poison through its pores and brought it down with a sharp jab against the back of the guard's head. The Clefable cried out while Nida dropped back to her feet, panting as the Fairy-Type staggered and flopped over face-first onto the ground.
The Nidoran watched as the surroundings turned a hazy white and she felt a strange warmness envelop her body, the shouts and cries around her fading into an indistinct murmur. The Poison-Type stumbled forward in a daze, wondering if the Clefable had done something to her, when she suddenly felt her body get yanked off the ground and the warmth inside her fade as she found herself staring face-to-face with Crom.
"Nida! Nida!" the Druddigon cried. "Snap out of it, we've won!"
Nida blinked, looking around to see the other three guards sprawled out on the street as her teammates looked around tensely. At the mouth of a nearby intersection, Ander gave a sharp buzz and motioned impatiently with a scythe.
"Hurry it up!" the mantis shouted. "The ship's this way!"
Team Traveller and their allies ran, following Ander's lead with Albert's group quickly joining them, the lot popping out of the side street and onto the main strip beside the harbor. After seeing a large group of guards off to the left distracted with something at sea, the party looked to their right where they spotted the Siglo Swellow's sails poking above the surrounding ships. With their refuge in sight, the lot bolted down the street and past the harbor's lighthouse until they reached the ship's pier. Instinctively, they bounded down the wharf, where at the end Beatrix and Vicente stared down a skeptical party of guards consisting of a female Pyroar, a Medicham, and a Komala.
"And we're supposed to believe that your ship isn't the one we're looking for why?" the Medicham demanded.
"Er… because there was more than one crew flying these colors in Tidemill?" Beatrix answered. "I seem to remember there was some confusion regarding a few of our crewmembers and another team that entered into a local tournament."
The Medicham narrowed his eyes with a sharp frown and folded his arms together, letting out an unimpressed harrumph at the Illumise's answer.
"Sure there was."
"Now hold on a minute, Gildong," the Pyroar insisted. "The report did mention about something about different groups having similar colors-"
"Shut your yap and move it!" a Cubone's voice piped.
The lioness turned just in time for a whirling bone to strike her in the face, sending her reeling back with a yowl before tripping and pitching off the pier with a splash. The Medicham turned to engage his attackers, only to be struck by Calidus using Brave Bird, sending him stumbling back and tripping over the Komala into the water. Beatrix and Vicente stared stunned, before looking over to see the Talonflame flying in place in front of them, with Ander and Kiran at the head of Team Traveller running along from behind with a small mob of strangers.
"Beatrix, get us out of here!" the Swellow cried.
"Now hold on a minute!" Vicente protested. "You can't just drag total strangers on board and expect us to push off without an explan-!"
The Hitmontop was interrupted mid-sentence by the sound of splashing water along with gagging coughs, prompting him to look down and see that the guards had surfaced above the water, freshly soaked and upset by their sudden trip into the sea.
"Agh! I got seawater in my eyes!" the Komala yelped.
"Okay, never mind that," the Pyroar hacked. "This ship's definitely the one!"
A shout further down the docks prompted Vicente to look off past Team Traveller and their new acquaintances, where he saw the forms of a growing number of guards running towards their pier, leaving him to flush pale and bolt for the gangplank.
"An explanation that can be given later!" the Hitmontop hastily added. "Captain!"
"Raise the anchor and lower the sails!" Beatrix buzzed.
The deckhands wasted no time in lowering the sails and dragging the anchor aboard as Team Traveller and the others ran up the gangplank. A few slicing winds from the air escorts cut the moorings as their counterparts in the water churned up a current drawing the schooner into the middle of the harbor. Team Traveller took their place among the crew, when a hail of beams and projectiles flew from the docks, prompting them to drop against the deck as they sailed overhead.
"Would it kill anyone for us to leave peacefully for once?!" Guardia cried.
"Meh, I've seen worse," Elty scoffed. "And besides, it's not like they're going to be able to keep us in range from all the way back there-"
"A-Aah! They're launching ships after us!" a Dwebble exclaimed.
The lot looked up in horror to see indigo-sailed ships giving chase from a naval yard at the far end of the harbor. A loud blast rang out as colored blurs zipped through the air, a Bayleef, a Golduck, and a few other unfortunates suddenly being swallowed up in flashes of light that made the crew scatter in a panic. The ship quickly devolved into pandemonium as Beatrix flitted to and fro trying to salvage her subordinates' morale while Team Traveller ducked behind crates and stairwells, peeking over wide-eyed as cold shivers went down their backs.
"A-Aah! H-How are we supposed to get out of this?!" Nida cried.
Pleo curled behind a barrel and cringed as shouts and cannonfire rang out around him. Through the din he heard a Qwilfish's voice wonder if this would be their last voyage, then a Sliggoo's despair that his mate and children would be all alone after this, and Natrix and Philips long to go back to peaceful days with normal merchant cargoes. It was the same sorts of voices he'd heard back in the dungeon... the ones he could've helped if only his powers had been there for him...
No! Even if he could still be defeated when trying to use his powers, they'd never be able to escape if he just cowered here! The Lugia raised his head up and darted over to the railing, summoning every bit of his strength and will to hop onto it amidst the booming of distant cannonfire and hiss of incoming attacks to look out at the chasing ships with newfound determination.
"Stop firing at us!" he yelled.
"Pl-Pleo! What are you doing?!" Crom shouted. "Get down from there!"
Pleo spread his wings out as light sprouted along his wings, the Pokémon on the ship turning and staring awed as the Protector's body glowed and washed the deck in silvery light. Kline poked his head out of Percy's bag, staring quietly as Ander backpedaled with a frightened squeak. The Scyther looked out over the deck where he noticed in horror that there in the path of Pleo's wings was Magmapool's harbor, and all the buildings behind it.
"Wait! Pleo!" Ander screamed. "You mustn't-!"
"Let us go!"
The Lugia brought his wings together as an overpowering gale shot forward, prompting Ander to flinch and screw his eyes shut. The wind howled and the ship violently lurched forward until all that Ander could sense was the gentle bobbing of the waves and the sound of surprised chatter. The Scyther warily cracked his eyes open, seeing much to his surprise that the harbor was unscathed, with the damage from Pleo's gale clustered around where the Empire's ships had been chasing after them. The proud vessels were now stranded like upended toys among the piers of the naval yard he'd seen earlier, their sails torn to ribbons as a few of their masts visibly listed. The mantis stared at the sight, before approaching Pleo with stammering incredulity.
"H-Huh?" Ander stammered. "But you- You were-"
"… I aimed up a bit. I was worried that my power would hurt the Pokémon in the harbor," Pleo murmured. "Did… Did I make a mistake?"
Kline hopped forward, sizing up the young Lugia with a stern gaze. After a noticeable pause, he shifted his attention to the damaged ships in the distance, letting his vision linger before turning back to Pleo and closing his eye.
"… No. You did good."
Kline hopped off as the rest of the crew helped keep the ship on its course away from Buyeom, while Philips and Natrix hastily went around collecting and splitting the Apricorns on deck to free the trapped Pokémon within. A sense of calm returned over the Pokémon aboard the schooner, as sighs and cheers of relief rose up from around the deck, the white-scarved deckhands gathering around in awe of their silver-feathered deliverer. Off on the side, Albert, Charlie, and Marilyn huddled to themselves, the festive atmosphere passing them over entirely as Marilyn turned her eyes out to sea sadly.
"David …"
Charlie quietly stared down at the deck as he folded back his ears. He turned to his Nuzleaf companion, looking up as droplets started welling up at the corners of his eyes
"Wh-What do we do now, Albert?" he asked. "We can't just leave David behind like that, can we?"
The Nuzleaf grimaced before hanging his head wordlessly. Albert stayed there a moment as he saw the young Lugia from before pointing him out to an Illumise before slipping away, leaving him to trudge off to the railing and look down at the water. No matter how he tried, he couldn't find the heart to tell his younger peers that David had most likely met his end all thanks to that double-crossing Weavile and his horrid friends. Albert felt his emotions well up in his throat, when the sound of footsteps and low growling pricked his ears from behind.
"Hola," a buzzing voice called out. "It's Albert, isn't it?"
The Nuzleaf turned back just in time to see Charlie and Marilyn bolt beside him wide-eyed, hiding behind his body to the best of their ability. Directly ahead of them was the ship's Illumise captain with none other than Team Traveller and their new companions glaring at them, along with irritated-looking sailors as far as the eye could see.
"We need to have a talk…" Beatrix hissed.
At the same time in Tidemill City, the docks in the naval yard hummed with activity as cargo was hoisted aboard a large four-masted ship lined with metal plates and Pokémon in freshly-creased indigo scarves clambered up gangplanks along the side. The deck quickly filled with a motley mix of Pokémon of different shapes and sizes, the bulk appearing confused and unfamiliar with their surroundings as a few more seasoned faces watched from the side, including the forms of a Cranidos, a Ponyta, and a Sandslash looking on and eyeing the crowd of newcomers.
"Heh, this sure brings back memories," Niilo said. "Makes you think back to when we first joined Captain Nugget's crew, huh?"
"We sure have come a long way in two years…" Berecien murmured. "If only things weren't as dire as they are right now."
"Well hey, at least we got a fancy new ship now!" the Sandslash insisted. "I'd like to see the face of any pirate or square-neck who comes across us now!"
"What do you think of the new recruits though?" Cabot asked. "I didn't think there'd be this many."
"Well, this ship is a lot bigger than the Vasilek," Berecien replied. "So obviously we need a lot more Pokémon to crew it properly."
Cabot raised a claw to his mouth, realizing that an ironclad would be a bit of a tall order to keep sailing with just a few extra deckclaws. How Nagant managed to find so many recruits on short notice, he'd never know, let alone ones all so different from each other. There was a purple Oricorio fanning out her feathers near the mast, a Gigalith grumbling about the assignment having too much water, a Scorbunny thumping his feet impatiently against the ground… Why it was like seeing an entire city block here on deck! The Cranidos' attention drifted over to an uneasy-looking Pikachu in a brown hat, along with a Jangmo-o and Sneasel pointing and snickering from behind. Cabot raised a brow curiously, wondering if perhaps the Pikachu was some manner of court attendant, only for a dismissive snort to cut through the air.
"Not that I'd expect a whole lot from our current crop of press-ganged dranie," Berecien scoffed. "I'm not putting money on them giving up their criminal habits."
"But not all former criminals are bad, right?" Cabot said. "Just look at Tegu and Melli."
"They also chose to join the navy and went through Basic Training like the rest of us," the Ponyta retorted. "Why, most of the Pokémon down there look as if they were plucked straight from a jail cell!"
Cabot tilted his head and mulled quietly how surely Berecien couldn't be right about most of the new recruits being former criminals... only to see the Jangmo-o and the Sneasel pulling their eyelids down behind the Pikachu's back. He noticed on closer examination that the two did seem rather unkept, and that a good number of the other Pokémon in the gathering seemed to carry a vaguely thuggish air about them. The Cranidos fell silent, wondering to himself if perhaps Berecien's comments weren't as far from the mark as he thought, when he chanced to notice a Scraggy, Grotle, and Combusken shifting uncomfortably in a far corner, his jaw dropping as he noticed familiar comet-like blotches on their heads.
"Wha-?! We fought that Scraggy and his buddies before!"
Berecien and Niilo gave Cabot confused looks, before turning their gaze over to the three Pokémon. They noticed the Marked trio seemed to be busy talking among themselves and noticeably high strung, casting furtive, anxious glances at their surroundings all the while.
"Eh? Those three blotch-heads?" Niilo asked.
"Yeah!" Cabot insisted. "During our first mission! You even evolved while fighting them!"
"... I did?" the Sandslash murmured, before giving a dismissive swipe of his claws.
"Meh. They must have been pretty terrible if I can't even remember 'em."
"But they were the first pirates we fought together as a team!" Cabot cried. "From that awful Shadow Brigade! The crew that attacked my hometown a few days ago!"
"Hrmph, so you still think that padding the crew with more thieves and scoundrels was a good idea, Cabot?" Berecien snorted.
The Cranidos caught himself, looking back out at the gathered group of recruits as he hemmed and hawed uneasily.
"Well… I…"
"Eh, don't worry about those stupid blotch-heads, Cabot," Niilo said, as he slung an arm around the Cranidos' shoulder. "They'll probably run off scared once they see the Protector anyway."
Cabot uneasily looked down at the deck, dragging his left foot back and forth across the timbers. While Niilo had a point that the three couldn't be that threatening... something just didn't sit right with him knowing he'd be working with 'mons that were probably smashing up shops in his hometown just a few days ago.
"I mean, I guess…" the Cranidos murmured. "But-"
"Let's just focus on doing our job and getting the Protector back!" the Sandslash insisted. "Why, with the new moves we learned, that Team Traveller won't stand a chance!"
Cabot shifted his glance over at sea as his mind drifted off to how his next encounter with Team Traveller would be like. He had tried his best to make Pleo feel comfortable around them and felt like he befriended him... so how could he just attack him like none of it ever happened? Was it really okay to force him to go back to Giotto like that?
FWISH!
Niilo and Cabot looked up in time to see Nagant at the bridge of the ship shooting up a watery pulse that burst in midair. The two hastily shuffled away as Berecien looked up curiously, only to summarily be drenched by falling torrents of water along with much of the gathered recruits.
"Alright you salty wags, shut your yaps and listen up!" Nagant barked. A chorus of stifled groans and complaints rumbled around the gathering, including from Berecien as he shook off some water with a disgusted stomp of his hooves
"Blegh," he groaned. "I certainly didn't miss this..."
"This is your captain speaking, Captain Nagant of the Uragan," the Clawitzer said.
"Eh?" a Jangmo-o protested. "But the name on the side says 'Lichtkanone'-"
"It's the Uragan now!" she hissed.
Nagant leveled her large claw out and trained it over the gathered Pokémon, the lot falling silent with widened eyes as the shrimp continued on with a sharp hiss.
"And like with my own name, do be sure to get it right."
"Tch, with a welcome like that, I'm thinking she doesn't even want us here," a Oricorio harrumphed. "So what's the point of us even being here on this blasted- AAH!"
The bird summarily dove and hit the deck as a jet of water zipped past her head, leaving the hapless creature to cower against the timbers as Nagant trained a harsh glare at the rest of the group.
"As I'm sure you're all aware, most of you weren't picked because you were the best, the brightest, or even had a lick of training to work with," the Clawitzer barked. "I needed Pokémon who could shut up and help crew this ship on short notice, and you all fit the bill."
All through the gathering, none dared challenge the shrimp's unflattering assessment. Further off at the fringes, a few braver voices murmured to themselves in hushed tones, including Niilo who couldn't help but wince at Nagant's brutal honesty.
"Yeesh, harsh there," he whispered.
"Two days ago, the newfound Protector of the realm was abducted by a pirate crew from Tromba Island," Nagant continued. "Her Majesty has appointed me and Commodore Valan to take point in searching for potential hideaways they could have taken back to Tromba. We will start by searching near Buyeom Island, while Commodore Valan's fleet will search near Gestirn."
All around the gathering of recruits, Pokémon whispered uneasily and traded nervous looks at the idea of taking the same mission as a Commodore. If the crown thought things were serious enough to send such a high-ranked 'mon out, just what were they getting into? Before the crew's misgivings could fully flower, the deck thumped with the sound of Nagant batting her firing claw against the railing.
"The Company and even other pirates are also pursuing the same Protector," the she continued. "It should go without saying that if they manage to recover him before us, it will in all likelihood prove to be the end of the Empire and the peace it is able to give to your home islands."
Cabot gulped at Nagant's words. He had been so sure when they'd pulled into Tidemill that things were finally looking up for the Empire, but now things had managed to get even worse after Pleo left and it came out that Admiral Coil of all 'mons had been undermining them all along. After all their efforts to find Pleo for the Empire, they had ended with the stakes higher and in a poorer position than when they first heard of him! The gravity of the situation seemed to filter down on the rest of the crew as well, as all throughout the ship, there was a deathly silence, broken only by the chittering of its new captain.
"These are turbulent times, and the sooner we put an end to them, the sooner I can discharge you louts so you can go back to your own sorry lives," Nagant snapped. "Until then, you'll follow my orders, and not impede this mission in any way. If you do..."
She leveled her claw at a barrel near the railing and fired a watery pulse that knocked it clear into the air with a loud crack. The gathered Pokémon watched wide-eyed as the barrel came apart in mid-air, showering a rain of wooden chunks into the water with a splash, when the sound of irritated mandibles clicking drew their attention back to the ship's captain.
"I'll throw you overboard myself and let you swim your way back to shore," the Clawitzer hissed. "Are we clear?"
A chorus of overhasty 'ayes' and nods came up from the gathering, prompting Nagant to harrumph in satisfaction, and turn back to a waiting Beedrill.
"Wonderful. Jun, give these greenhorns their assignments," she ordered. "As for the rest of you, get us moving! I wanted this ship out of port five minutes ago!"
At once, the deck burst into activity, the new recruits hastily darting up to Jun for assignments as the more veteran members of the crew tended to the rigging. From their place on the railing, Cabot and his friends looked at each other, before the Cranidos lowered his head with a sigh.
"I guess that's our cue..."
The three shuffled away from the railing and made their way for a rope to tug at it with their fellow sailors, unfurling a great, indigo sail on one of the masts that billowed in the wind and pushed the ship forward along with the help of the Uragan's escorts. All the while, Cabot labored among his fellows, his mind drifting off with the waves as a nagging doubt lingered in his mind…
Was… he really doing the right thing here?
Back on the Siglo Swellow, roughly half an hour had passed since Beatrix and her subordinates'... most forceful persuasion convinced Albert, Marilyn, and Charlie to recount their experiences. Much as everyone had suspected, they were con artists, constantly on the move from one island to the next after bilking a pawful of coins from hapless marks.
During a recent trip to Haipheh Island, they had heard rumors of a Protector stirring somewhere in Anyilla, which after chancing to stumble on an old tome of folklore of the Old Gods in a junk shop and recalling those tales from the street, had planted the seed in David's mind to impersonate a Protector with the rest as his companions. After playing around with a few possibilities, the Ditto settled on impersonating Xerneas, and had apparently played his role convincingly enough for the lot to amass a small fortune. As for why they didn't have a single coin to their name, it had predictably been whiled away in gambling and high living, much to the palpable disgust of the gathered sailors.
After the locals of Haipheh Island began to ask more questions than they were ready to answer, they set off for less unsettled shores in Buyeom to work their con again. Once they arrived, things had gone well enough for them to take in even the Duke to the point where he granted them a king's lodging… only for Team Sentinel to ambush them as they enjoyed the fruits of their scheme. The spies twisted their arms into aiding them under pain of exposure, forcing Albert to lure Team Traveller to the Mystery Dungeon while David was tasked to deceive Lyn by impersonating Pleo. The four did their part, when Team Sentinel summarily betrayed them and left them to the guards, which in turn led to the mad dash out of town that everyone present was all too familiar with.
"And that about sums it up…" Albert finished.
"Th-That's awful!" Crom cried. "How could you just go around pretending to be a Protector to trick Pokémon into giving you money?!"
"Yeah, and the whole 'throw us under the ship to save your hides' moment was a nice touch," Elty growled. "Real classy there."
"I-It's not like we had any better options there!" Charlie protested. "There's only so many ways 'mons like us can get by!"
"A-And that Weavile was going to expose us!" Marilyn added. "We wouldn't be here talking with you if we didn't go along!"
"Hrmph, I'm not exactly moved right now," Guardia spat. "If we were back in my colony, I'd be dragging you off to be judged by the dead myself!"
The Cubone's retort drew growls and similarly-unfriendly mutters from the gathered sailors, prompting Albert and his companions to blanch. The Nuzleaf shook his head, before piping back adamantly at the detractors all around them.
"Look, at least our racket made Pokémon happy," he insisted. "We went in, put on a good show, and then moved along after giving them a pick-me-up! What's wrong with that?"
"Because all that did was set them up for greater disappointment!" Kline huffed. "After everything that's happened between you and David, are you seriously going to argue that your trickery was worth it?"
The three con artists cringed and cast heavy glances towards the deck of the wood. Evidently, even with the unpredictability of a life of crime, the loss of David had cut deeply for the trio. From the side, Dimitri shook his head, passing his gaze over to Kline when his mind suddenly turned back to his earlier escape from the Mystery Dungeon.
"Speaking of tricks…" Dimitri murmured. "Kline, how exactly did you manage to outsmart Team Sentinel?"
"... I suppose I did promise an explanation," the Zygarde said.
Kline turned his head towards the main-mast, where a translucent figure against the beam materialized and suddenly filled in with color, revealing the form of a green serpent clinging fast to it. The Pokémon on deck jumped back with a start, Pleo looking wildly at the two serpents before squawking in astonishment.
"H-Huh?! You just copied yourself!" the Lugia cried.
"Not quite. What you're seeing at that mast is one of my Cells, which I sent onboard after we met yesterday," Kline explained. "They're extensions of my body, just like how your wing is of yours. I can see and hear through them, but I can also turn them invisible at will."
"… Is that how you knew so much about us?" Nida asked.
"Correct. My Cells are scattered across many islands," Kline answered. "Since I can move them around even when I'm not nearby, I use them to gather information about what's happening in the Cradle."
"And… they also allow you to shapeshift?" Kiran wondered. "When I first saw you in the dungeon, you looked like a dog."
"When enough of them gather to me, yes. In my current Forme I only have the power to turn invisible, but I can call my Cells to me to assume more powerful Formes in which I can fight," the serpent replied. "The Forme you saw me in earlier was made up of about a tenth of my Cells, while the one that other Pokémon typically expect me to look like is composed of around half of them. It's… not exactly an easy process to disguise, which is why I didn't change Forme on our way back to the ship."
"Eh? But how was that enough to trick Team Sentinel?" Nida insisted. "Even if it looks a little similar, that Cell still looks clearly different from you!"
"Even after adding a little splotch of red dye to it?" Kline pressed. "It sure seemed to work well on you and your friends."
Nida blinked and squinted at the hollow-eyed Cell. It did look flatter than Kline, but the skin and general shape still looked very similar to him… with the right lighting, it really would be easy to mistake the Cell for him if it had the same red markings!
"So that's how you did it…" the Nidoran murmured. "But… there's still something I don't get about this whole battle…"
"Huh?" Pleo said. "What is that?"
"That Weavile... Ketu I think his name was. The way he was talking about Lyn doesn't seem right," Nida mused. "Isn't he Lyn's First Mate? Why would he want a Ditto to trick him in the first place? I'd figured something was strange about the way he was badmouthing him, but it just doesn't add up for me..."
"Well, Ketu used to be part of Team Sentinel, but they all still work for Administrator Elilan," Percy replied. "I'm guessing that Lyn and his crew aren't on the same page as him, so Ketu was probably letting his true feelings come through a bit."
Uneasy murmurs floated among the gathered sailors at the mention of 'Elilan' as the lot wondered aloud what he would have to do with Lyn's pursuit, while Elty visibly tensed up and folded his ears back as if a threatening presence had just approached him. His teammates traded confused stares, with a quick glance at Kiran revealing he was just as out of the loop as they were. The name seemed to mean something to everyone else, so who was...
"Administrator... Elilan?" Pleo asked.
"He's a Zoroark and a member of the Board, which is a group of five Pokémon that rule the Company," Beatrix chimed in. "Their leader is called the Director and stationed in the Company's capital, while the others are Administrators and rule over the Company's different islands. Darzin for example used to be the Administrator for our island."
"That's right, Elilan is similarly responsible for running an island called Nagrobek," Kline explained. "I've been able to keep some tabs on that island, if only at a high level. Though, I'm sure Eltenios could fill in the blanks. Given his speech, I'd assume he was born there."
The Zygarde turned on his tail and stared expectantly at Elty, waiting on him to continue. Much to his surprise, the Growlithe flinched, backpedaling with a low whine much as if he'd been confronted by bared fangs from an angry Tyranitar.
"I… I... don't want to talk about this."
Kline tilted his head and narrowed his eye at Elty's surprising reluctance to speak up. Surely he of all Pokémon would have an opinion of how his home island was being run. The Dragon-Type shook his head, opting not to press the matter as he turned away with a huff.
"Hmph, suit yourself. I suppose I'll just go with what I do know then," the Zygarde said. "It's the site of a large prison complex Elilan runs for the Company where half of me is being held captive, the 'friend' I had been telling you about earlier. As Pierce explained, Team Sentinel are his agents and they have been hunting me for years to try and finish things off."
Elty blanched at the Zygarde's words as Kiran recoiled with a startled squawk, staring wide-eyed down at the petite Legendary before beating his wings and frantically pressing for more information.
"So this Administrator has some room or something that's filled with your Cells?!" Kiran exclaimed. "If so, why did you just give him yet another one?"
"It's not like that. My other half, Micky, looks like me but has a set of blue markings," Kline replied. "We both share the same abilities, call on the same Cells, assume the same Formes… Everything that I am able to do, he can as well."
The crew broke out in horrified gasps at Kline's answer. All this time, the Company already had a Protector they were bossing around?!
"H-He has control over a second Zygarde?!" Ander stammered, beating his wings out of alarm from the rear of Team Traveller.
"No, not a second Zygarde. We're both Zygarde," Kline corrected sternly. "Two complementing halves of the same being."
"... But if each of you can assume tough forms on your own, why does Elilan need both of you, then?" Dimitri asked warily.
"Because it's possible for me and Micky to fuse alongside all my Cells into a Forme powerful enough to overwhelm most other Protectors," Kline answered, giving a shake of his head. "Elilan knows that and wants to use that power to become Director and finish off the Empire. Considering how he's still keeping Team Sentinel searching for me after all this time, I can't imagine he'd just accept coming up short again after things got so close for the first time in years."
Ander buzzed with a frightened start, as a stunned silence fell over the crew. Crom fumbled with his words, before spluttering out a nervous reply to the serpent.
"But- But then why haven't we heard anything of it?" Crom asked. "You said that you've been chased around for years, but we're only finding out about this now!"
"Because, the Company won't do anything as long as they don't also capture me."
"That's nonsense! The Company has a Pokémon that can tear the earth to shreds!" Ander yelled. "Why wouldn't they try to force him to go along with their war with the Empire?"
"For one, Elilan and his underlings haven't figured out a way to do that… or at least I hope that's still the case," Kline said. "But even if they had, aside from them, there's only one other Pokémon in the Company aware of me: Director Inler."
Pleo blinked and tilted his head puzzledly. Wasn't it mentioned earlier that the Director was the leader of the Company? If Inler was the Director and he knew they had Micky all along, why wasn't he making a big deal out of it?
"I… don't understand. Why would he and Elilan not want to share that with their friends?" the Lugia asked. "After Nagant brought me to Tidemill, they threw a big party and everything!"
"Because the Company doesn't want to risk their enemies discovering that they can get a Protector of their own that's just as powerful as the one they have," Kline answered. "The moment Micky is discovered for whatever reason, the Empire, if not all the Cradle will also be looking for me."
"Then why did Team Sentinel work against Lyn as well?" Guardia protested. "Percy said he wasn't on the same page as Elilan, but Lyn's just as much a part of the Company as he is, so why wouldn't they be working together?"
"I would imagine good old-fashioned internal politics would help explain things there," Calidus mused. "Elilan is looking for any advantage he can get before attempting his takeover, and whoever brings in Pleo would be on the shortlist to become a new Administrator."
"… Is that why Ketu is Lyn's first mate? To sabotage him?" Nida asked. "But if Inler is calling the shots and wanted Lyn to search for him, why wouldn't he also choose his first mate?"
"Well, last I was aware, Company 'mons high enough to boss others around picked their own second-in-commands," the Talonflame replied. "Knowing Elilan, he probably pulled some strings to get Ketu to butter Lyn up with a first impression so he could get close and steal away anything that Lyn tried to bring before the Board. From there, it'd just be a matter of Elilan having Pleo be given over to a loyal 'mon to present to the Board so he can get promoted into their ranks. "
"Which would be his own right-hand 'mon, something Elilan's pushed the rest of the Board for for some time now," Kline added. "If that happened, he would have decent odds of succeeding with his plot even if he never captured me."
Kiran frowned and furrowed his brow briefly. He had heard that Darzin had fallen afoul of the Director after Tromba's revolt, so why was he so much more tolerating of one of his subordinates actively scheming against him?
"But if this Inler knows about Kline and Elilan trying to stack the Board in his favor, he has to know that Elilan's planning an overthrow," Kiran murmured. "Why wouldn't he be stepping in to stop Elilan openly and just take Micky for himself? Could having others find out really be that dangerous compared to being overthrown?"
"It makes a bit more sense when you try and see things from his perspective," Calidus began. "After all, Inler wants to keep things under wraps to reduce the odds of anything coming out about the Company's greatest strength, especially when he knows he can't fully trust all of the members of his Board."
"That's why he also sent Lyn after Pleo," Alice added. "Remember how Kline was saying that the Company didn't want the Empire to know that they had Micky until they also had Kline? If they caught Pleo, they could say they have him right away without having to worry about the Empire finding another Lugia."
"Essentially, short of announcing to the world that he's looking for either of you two, Inler has two options," Percy said. "He can either stay the course with Lyn and have him search for Pleo again once his 'Lugia' is discovered to be a fake, or he can try and get another 'mon to fill his position to lead the search for you without drawing too much outside attention."
Elty blinked and lifted an ear puzzledly at the Gliscor's reply. Everything seemed to make some sense from Inler's perspective, but….
"What about Elilan?" he pressed. "If he's picking a fight with Inler's own chosen lackies, where is he supposed to go from here?"
"Once he discovers Kline tricked Team Sentinel with one of his Cells, he'll probably just send Ketu or the rest of them back again," Alice answered. "Either after us, or you all depending on what he feels he has the best odds with."
The Pokémon on the deck once again fell silent at the Sneasel's words. They knew their odds confronting the Company were long, but they never realized things were this precarious. If Elilan managed to take hold of Kline and discovered some way of bending the Zygarde to his will, would it even be possible to beat him? And what would become of their island... let alone the rest of Anyilla...?
"What are we supposed to do then?" Pleo murmured.
"Well, Nerea told you to head to Pioppo for a volume of the Knights' Ledger, did she not?" Kline asked. "I'd suggest continuing on with that and preparing to confront the Empire and the Company. From there, it would be a matter of drawing the two together and then forcing them to choose between our freedom or their destruction."
"Eh? How do you know about that?" Guardia pressed. "Did the others tell you about that yesterday?"
"I saw you while you were with Nerea," the serpent responded. "And besides, I should hope I'd know about that plan since I was the one who suggested it to her in the first place!"
Team Traveller blinked in surprise at the Zygarde's reply. Nerea's suggestion back at Braveshoal… was his idea?
"You… did?" Pleo asked.
"I mean I remember Nerea mentioning she heard about the Knights' Ledger from another Protector…" Nida said. "But that was you, Kline?"
"Yes, it was," he answered. "After I was forced to run from Team Sentinel, I used my Cells in the hopes of finding information I could use to take down Elilan and free Micky."
"When that got us to Pioppo, we found out about the Ledger and tried partnering up with other Protectors," Alice chimed in.
"Nerea was one of them, but things obviously fell through, as did every other partnership I'd attempted to make," Kline muttered. "The entire reason why I returned to Anyilla was that at first I'd thought that Cernun had finally grown a spine and come out of hiding to help me fight the Company."
The Zygarde's expression took on a sour tone, as he pivoted on his tail towards Albert and his companions and he narrowed his eye into a harsh glare.
"Not that those hopes went anywhere, mind you," he growled.
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" Albert protested. "We've never seen you before-!"
"Hold on- 'Cernun'?" Ander asked.
"The real Xerneas," Kline said. "He's the Protector who has been hiding on Pioppo with a fragment of the Knights' Ledger."
"What?!"
The deck at once broke into an uproar of competing questions from the gathered Pokémon. Xerneas truly was awakened after all? But then why had they never heard of his presence before? Was he in danger too? Kline hastily piped up, simmering the shouts and chatter down to a low burble as he continued on.
"Cernun is another Protector I tried to team up with. Since he and the Pokémon with him preferred to stay hidden with their part of the Knights' Ledger, that obviously didn't happen," Kline explained. "It was the first partnership that fell through, and it's something that still bothers me to this day. There were some philosophical differences between us and after they insisted I had to hide with them as well, things… didn't end on the best of terms, to say the least."
"But things don't have to be that way if we just work together!" Pleo exclaimed. The gathered Pokémon stared surprisedly at the young Lugia as he paced forth, beating his wings for emphasis in front of the green serpent.
"I get that you had some bad experiences with other Protectors... but I'm not them. I know you were upset I accidently made things harder for you, but I do want to help you," he said. "We already told Nerea we would fight the Company, so of course I'd help you free Micky and take down Elilan!"
Nida and Crom chimed in with affirming cheers as Elty shrank away quietly. The other members of Team Traveller watched as Kline stood silent and unmoving for a moment, the whole of the Siglo Swellow waiting for his eventual response. After what seemed like an eternity, the serpent looked away, and gave a small shake of his head.
"Perhaps I'll come to regret this with what happened on Giotto and having to rescue you from Team Sentinel..." Kline murmured. "But at the same time, you have come along further with your powers than I initially thought. You used them quite well when we escaped Magmapool's harbor…"
The Zygarde let out a small chuckle, looking up at the Lugia with a small smile.
"With how eager you've been this whole time, I suppose that's my cue to take the help that I can get," he said. "Count me in."
Team Traveller's faces lit up at once at Kline's reply, prompting Pleo to beat his wings excitedly. After everything that had happened, they'd finally managed to find a helping Protector after all!
"That's wonderful!" he chirped. "I know that you won't to regret this!"
"So what do we do now?" Nida asked. "Even with your help, I don't think we're ready to get into another big fight so soon."
"Well, the Ledger Nerea told you of is still out there, so getting that would be your first step," Kline said. "On our end, we'll be lying low for a while, and rejoin you after you've found that volume."
"Huh?! But why aren't you coming with us?" Pleo asked. "We just teamed up and everything!"
"I can't imagine Cernun or his friends would be happy to see me again after the way we parted last time," the Zygarde replied. "Considering their tendencies, there isn't any possible way that I'd be a benefit to you going there."
"But if we work together, we'd be more likely to get the Ledger!" Pleo insisted. "And we can clear up whatever it is that you've got going on between you and Cernun, and-"
"I… don't think that we should push our luck, Pleo," Calidus interrupted. "After what happened last time, if we show up there, you'd be lucky if you just had to leave empty-handed."
"But isn't Pioppo infested with ghosts that drag away Pokémon?" Nida asked. "Can't you tell us a little more?"
"... All I can say is, be careful," Kline remarked. "And be aware that not everything is as it seems there."
"Hrmph, I don't understand why you can't just give a straight answer," Elty grumbled.
"Because it wouldn't make a difference," the Zygarde answered. "When I went to Pioppo, I spent weeks having my Cells comb the island to try and find out everything I could, and all it did was get me into awkward situations that made things worse."
"So you might as well try a different tack from us this time around," Percy said. "Besides, it might not make sense to stick too close until we've gotten a bit more prep work done."
"What… do you mean?" Crom asked.
"Well, think of it this way," the Gliscor began. "Even if it wasn't for Kline's history on Pioppo, if anyone's been following us from Buyeom, there's no way to know how strong they'd be. If we split up and the worst came to pass, at least they wouldn't be able to get all of us in one fell swoop."
Team Traveller's members caught themselves at the Gliscor's reply. With three separate crews that they knew of just pursuing them, it was hard to admit that Kline didn't have a point about either of them not needing more things to worry about in their journeys than they already had.
"I'm sorry if that wasn't what you'd hoped to hear," Kline sighed. "But for now it really is the best way. After you retrieve the Ledger, we can meet in the waters near Tromba and plan out our next move around friendlier territory."
"… Me parece justo, though what will you do?" Kiran asked. "Haven't you drawn too much attention to yourself back at Buyeom?"
"Hardly, or at least not anything that a suitable cover can't fix," Alice replied. "And I see three Pokémon who can help us with that right here."
The Sneasel lifted up her claw and pointed off at Albert and his companions. After a moment looking around, the three noticed that everyone else was staring at them and abruptly went wide-eyed, realizing that the Sneasel was saying her helpers were none other than...
"Wait, you mean us?!" Charlie yelped.
"Alice!" Kline snapped. "What is the meaning of this?!"
"Well, we do need a way to avoid drawing suspicion if you get spotted by accident," the Sneasel said. "And what better way than if we're seen hanging around a bunch of scammers known for faking Legendaries?"
"… I really don't like where this is going," Marilyn muttered.
"And why should we play along with this idea?" Albert demanded. "We've got our own problems to sort out here, and having to work for you pro bono doesn't need to be one of them!"
"Because if we're going off to Pioppo of all places, everyone on this ship is going to need to pitch in. If you're going to insist on staying aboard here, I'll find a use for you on my ship instead of letting you loaf around and eat from my ship's provisions," Beatrix harrumphed. "Last I checked the heads needed a good cleaning this morning and we weren't able to take care of it thanks to fleeing port in a hurry."
The three con artists blanched, scooting up against the railing. Albert was the first to regain his composure, his startled response quickly giving way to a fiery indignation as he fumed back at the firefly.
"You're going to press-gang us?! What sort of underhanded pirate crap is that?!" the Nuzleaf protested. "You're supposed to be a merchant crew!"
"Yes, and you're a bunch of criminals that according to the law, we ought to tie up below deck and hand off to the guards at the next port," Vicente retorted. "So unless you really want to press the point of everyone getting what they deserve, I suggest that you consider your options carefully."
The trio traded glances between an unimpressed Kline and the Siglo Swellow's glaring crew members. After a moment's hesitation, their glances grudgingly turned back to the Zygarde and his companions as Albert rubbed up uncomfortably against his left shoulder.
"I… guess we can pitch in with the snake for a while," the Nuzleaf murmured.
"Blugh, I still don't think this is necessary," Kline insisted. "But I suppose with that out of the way, we should focus on our mission and get-"
"Wait!"
The Zygarde paused at the sound of a squawking cry, prompting him to look over and see Pleo beating his wings. The Lugia fumbled with his words a moment, newly flustered from the sudden attention before he began pawing at the deck with his feet shyly.
"It's almost time for dinner and we didn't really have proper lunch…" Pleo murmured. "So maybe you guys wanna stay to eat?"
"That won't be necessary, I've already eaten," Kline answered, only for loud groans from his teammates to swiftly follow.
"Kline, not all of us eat sunlight, you know!" Alice grumbled.
"We'd be honored to stay, really," Percy answered. Kline rolled his eye and looked away, begrudgingly speaking up in reply.
"… If we must..."
Pleo's demeanor brightened at the Zygarde's reply as sailors began to drift off under the deck eagerly speculating about their coming dinner. After a rumble of their stomachs, his teammates followed suit, with Pleo trailing happily chirping to himself. After a moment's pause, Percy set off, giving a shrugging smile back to Kline as he grudgingly followed along, reasoning that after all they'd been through today surely a little time to rest couldn't hurt...
BOOM!
Out at sea, the Mistral Marauder bobbed wildly amid churning waves and black skies torn by gale winds and peals of thunder. At the bridge, Rodion held onto the railing and trained his eyes off into the distance through a crude scope as Hess wrestled with the tiller, desperately trying to steady the ship in the choppy waters. Rodion looked far and wide, only for the sight of land to prove ever elusive, when a sharp buzz prompted him to look away and over at a soaked and fuming Ledian behind him on the deck.
"Do you see anything yet?!" Kichiro cried.
"Nyet!" Rodion shouted. "But we should be getting close!"
The Floatzel's answer drew a chorus of dismayed cries in the background, revealing the ragged band that was the ship's crew amidst the Mistral Marauder's ordeal. Their ranks had clearly seen their better days, with the lot sopping and visibly anxious, their time divided equally between fighting to keep the ship afloat and staying upright on their feet. A few of their number had been struggling with the latter half, including Wilhelm who squealed frightenedly as a thunderclap broke from his place firmly tied to the foremast and a sickly-looking Sandile who groaned of a stomachache.
The only members of the crew who seemed to be in high spirits were the sea escorts, who in the words of a nearby Seadra seemed to find the storm "a whole lot of nothing". The sentiment failed to find traction on the deck as one after the other, the gathered Pokémon spoke up in protest, with a Yanmega cutting above the crowd with a sharp buzz.
"Hey! Where's that island already?!" Valatos snapped. "We'll get broken apart if we keep this up!"
"We're working on it!" Hess yelled. "Just do your job and stay out of my scales, alright-?!"
The ship abruptly lurched and jolted as a loud thump rang out. Kichiro hastily latched onto the railing beside Rodion as the ship's movement sent much of the gathered brigands tumbling to the deck with a yelp and Hess away from the tiller. The Ledian lowered his antennae and frowned a moment, only to notice that the ship was no longer moving. The Bug-Type stared out at the churning sea apprehensively as a flash of lightning lit up the water, revealing that the waves below were moving past the ship in spite of not pushing it forward, prompting him to turn back and pipe up with a buzz.
"I think we hit something!"
Rodion hastily leaned over, looking down at the waters where Kichiro pointed. The Floatzel climbed down a line of rope ladder dangling over the edge, where he noticed the hull was still intact, but the waves that broke against its bottom churned up flecks of sand. He hastily clambered back up, proclaiming his diagnosis to the gathered Pokémon.
"Looks like a sandbar!" Rodion announced. "We'll have to push her free!"
Hess set his teeth on edge at his first mate's announcement, as he buried his face in a dripping claw with a frustrated groan.
"Oh drown me… Why does this have to happen now?"
The escorts began making their way for the starboard side of the ship where it had run aground, as Hess clambered up to the stern and jumped off. The Aggron hit the sea head-first, coming up snorting water out his nostrils as he swam against the waves until he felt his feet brush against the sandbar. Hess staggered, uneasily trudging forward amidst knee-deep water around the rear of the ship for the other side of the stern, where he looked up at Rodion who threw down a wooden bucket on a rope that was used to scoop away sand for moments such as these.
Hess dug a pair of footholds into the sand and pushed against the hull, the air thickening with cries from ahead as the sea escorts tried to wash away enough of the sand to free the ship and tug it free with tow cables. The Aggron paced ahead step by step, digging his feet in periodically to clear away some more sand and make sure he didn't slip amidst the waves battering his armored body. A deafening crack sounded overhead with a flash of light, leaving the Steel-Type to stand stunned a moment. Hess wavered, fishing up his bucket to toss away another clod of sand, when he chanced to look off and see a vaguely bump-like shape lit up in the distance. He paused, watching as another flash of lighting rang out, revealing the contours of rolling hills in the distance, making his eyes light up in realization.
"Huh? Hold on a minute, that's land!"
The Aggron suddenly felt the stern slip from his claws, prompting him to pratfall as a wave struck him in the face. Hess got up spluttering and hacking in disgust, rubbing away seawater from his eyes when he noticed his beloved ship had drifted free from the sandbar… and out to sea without him.
"Hey! Wait for me!"
The Steel-Type hastily dove into the water, churning up the water around him into a wave that he rode back for his ship's stern. The Surf broke, depositing him a short ways behind as its remains pushed the Mistral Marauder ahead, leaving him to fight with the churning seawater to catch up. The Aggron plowed ahead, occasionally taking a faceful of water from an errant wave before finally reaching a spread of netting lowered over the side where he clambered aboard and shook some water off his body with a grumble as Kichiro neared with an annoyed buzz.
"Captain, why were you just standing there?!" the Ledian hissed. "We were about to sail off without you!"
"Because I spotted land!" Hess cried. "Past that sandbar to the south!"
Hess pointed off the port side of the ship, leaving Rodion to raise a brow skeptically. The Floatzel raised his scope and peered off in his superior's indicated direction, where a peal of thunder broke out, revealing the darkened form of rolling hills and high treetops in the distance that made the crew's members gasp and murmur. Rodion lowered his spyglass stunned, staring off in disbelief before turning back to the rest of the crew.
"I see it too," the Water-Type said. "From the lack of lights, it must be one of those unsettled islands we were looking for."
"Uh… isn't that island a little big?" Alvise murmured. "I mean, I saw it all the way from here without a scope, so are we sure that's the right one?"
"Pah! Of course it is!" Hess insisted. "There's no lights coming from it, so there's no settlement, what else could it be?"
The crew murmured uneasily at the Aggron's insistence. This patch of sea didn't look all too familiar right now, but there was no way to be certain in this storm. Who was to say that the island wasn't home to one of the settlements they had raided in the past? Or that the Pokémon there had heard about what happened in Tidemill? Why, their choice to sail into this apparent safe harbor could prove to be walking straight into a Pyroar's den!
"… I'm not buying it," Kichiro grumbled. "Something feels wrong about it. Do we really know what we're sailing into?"
"Who cares if we don't know what's on it?!" Nori fumed back. "I'd like to not get sunk here!"
Rodion paused uneasily, before looking up at Hess with a sigh.
"It's your call, Captain," the Floatzel said. "I'm fairly sure that we should be fine sailing in, but admittedly there's not a lot I can work with in these conditions."
Hess looked back out at the island, studying it carefully amidst the intermittent light. Now that he saw it more, it did look larger than he'd remembered. The Aggron gulped, as even in the best of times, attempting to occupy a town with a single crew was a recipe for disaster. And even if there wasn't a town, who was to say there wouldn't be some other hazard? Perhaps some manner of dangerous ferals lived there such as another colony of those drowned bone lizards, or they really had sailed the Dead Zone, where Pokémon who visited it were never heard from again, or-
HLORF!
"Hey, watch where you do that!" a Seadra's voice cried. "You almost hit me!"
Hess' train of thought was interrupted by the sickly sounds of wet retching, prompting him to look over and see the Sandile raising her head up from vomiting over the side of the railing. The Aggron grimaced in disgust, before shaking his head with a frown and turning back to the gathered Pokémon with newfound insistence.
"We don't have many other alternatives right now," the pirate captain grunted. "Let's just hurry up and get out of here!"
The crew uneasily answered in affirmation, before returning to their posts as Hess made his way back to the tiller, turning the ship through the churning waves for the darkened island off in the distance.
As the sun slipped further and further over the horizon and the blue skies began to flush a burnt orange, the Siglo Swellow's mess hall burbled with activity as its occupants began to finish up their meals. All around the room, sailors had gathered about crates repurposed as tables, sharing food and drink as their chatter periodically drifted towards a central table. There, Pleo and Kline sat together as surrounding sailors plied them with questions, with Kiran and Dimitri keeping watch. Albert and his companions sat quietly looking on from one corner, with the younger members of Team Traveller occupying the other, chattering with Percy and his companions at their shared table.
"So wait, you guys are a Rescue Team as well then?" Nida asked.
"That's right. We had to change our official name several times to avoid drawing attention, but I still think of us as Team Zephyr, the name I came up with for our team before all of this," Percy answered. "Originally I started working at a Rescue Guild in Canalhouse City because of my dad. His team used to be kind of a big deal around there."
"Do you miss your family back home?" Crom added. "I mean... it sounds like you haven't seen them in while."
Percy fell silent and cast his gaze towards the table for a moment as a pall seemed to settle over his mood. After a moment of unease, he gave a sad sigh, before looking back at the Druddigon with a small smile.
"Well... yes. It's been one of the hardest parts of staying undetected," the Gliscor said. "But I personally think it's been worth it. It's helped keep Kline out of the Company's claws, and once this is all over, I'm sure I'll be able to see them again and things will go back to normal."
"If you say so," Crom murmured. "That sounds... rough."
The Druddigon shifted uncomfortably, as thoughts of his mother and brother at the bakery back home filtered back into his mind. It had only been a little over two weeks, and yet he'd already begun to miss them with everything that had happened. To be separated from them for years like Percy…?
"It certainly isn't an adventure I ever expected to be part of when Percy first recruited me from that dungeon in Vollezee," Calidus mused. "But, we've grown real close as a team and looking back, I don't have any regrets about joining him."
Nida blinked and gave a puzzled tilt of her head. Calidus was from a dungeon? But then, did that mean…?
"Huh? You used to be a feral, Calidus?" Nida asked.
"Hrmph, I've never quite liked that term, but for lack of a better word, yes," the Talonflame replied. "I was part of a flock that ran its course from the center of Linglan all the way to Orleigh and we were in the middle of our winter migration. Percy impressed me a bit with his fighting skills back in the day and I wanted to learn more about them, it was a bit disorienting at first… but I can't say that I haven't seen new things because of it."
Guardia gave a pair of light taps with her club against the crate-table, letting out a small chuckle and smile in reply.
"You and me both... But what is it like constantly moving around like that without hut-dwellers?" the Cubone pressed. "Would you mind sharing a bit of your lore with me?"
Calidus tilted his head curiously before deciding to humor the bone lizard, beginning to retell his days as a wee Fletchling moving north and south with the seasons as part of a feral flock. As the falcon continued his tale and told about how the flock defended each other and searched for food, Nida moved a paw and poked at her cup of berry juice, turning curiously towards Percy as she wondered to herself how a 'mon from the Company's capital would turn out to be Kline's closest friend.
"So how was life in Vollezee like anyway, Percy?" Nida said. "I can't think of a single good experience we've had with the Company before, so I can only imagine what it'd be like in their capital city…"
"It was actually pretty nice. My dad told me that Canalhouse changed quite a bit after the Great Calamity because of all the expansions, but nobody I knew seemed to complain about it," Percy answered. "I had heard a lot of the ferals had it rough after the Company emptied out the island's main Mystery Dungeon and turned it into a training facility, but the island still had several smaller Mystery Dungeons, so guild members like me still had plenty of business to go around."
"Eh? You were never bullied by the guards?" Crom asked. "Or had to give your stuff to them as 'tribute payments'?"
"I mean, there were taxes, of course…" Percy mulled. "But it never struck me as anything strange, and we always seemed to handle it fine."
Nida blinked surprisedly at the Gliscor's reply. In all of Tromba, one would be hard-pressed to hear anyone say anything nice about the Company's dealings, and here Percy was making life in the Company's heart sound halfway normal! Could things really be that much better than she expected? Or did Percy just have the fortune to not see the Company's more negative side until fate turned against him?
"All in all, things were pretty good," Percy continued. "But of course everything changed when Team Sentinel attacked and sent us on the run with Kline..."
The Gliscor trailed off and looked back towards Kline's table, where he saw the gathered sailors chuckling bemusedly. There in the middle was Kline turning away huffily from Pleo as the Lugia stared at him with wide, pleading eyes, bobbing and craning his head to match the serpent's annoyed attempts to turn away.
"Please?" Pleo insisted.
"No!" Kline snapped back.
"Can't you at least try it though?" Natrix insisted.
"Yeah, don't be such a buzzkill!" Philips piped.
"It's not even possible!" the Zygarde cried.
"But you won't know for sure until you try!" Pleo protested.
"For the last time, no!"
The Pokémon at Percy's table looked blinked out of confusion as Pleo waddled past the gathered sailors at the central table towards their direction. All the while, the Lugia held his head low drooping with visible disappointment, which made Crom blink and give a raise of his brow.
"Huh? What's wrong, Pleo?" the Druddigon asked.
"Kline won't show me how to become invisible!" Pleo pouted. "I asked really nicely over and over, but every time he just cuts me off!"
Alice looked off at Kline at his table, before turning back towards Pleo with a mischievous smirk. Pleo tilted his head puzzledly, before the Sneasel gave a wave of her claw and spoke up.
"Oh, that's what you're after?" she asked. "That's easy! You just gotta ask him in the right way."
"Huh? What do I need to do differently?" Pleo said.
"Well…"
Alice stood up and leaned in, whispering into Pleo's earholes. The young Protector listened intently, nodding along before his eyes lit up and he turned back with a smiling chirp.
"Oh! Thanks! I'll try that!" he cheered.
Pleo hurried off, returning back to his table in the center in heightened spirits. All the while, Nida and her peers around the table shot puzzled glances at Alice as all of them wondered...
"… What exactly did you tell him?" the Nidoran asked.
"Trade secret," Alice grinned. "I've gotta keep some of the things I picked up as a 'mon of fortune to myself."
Elty's ears perked up at Alice's reply, prompting him to give a cheery wag of his tail and curiously press the Sneasel's comment further.
"''Mon of fortune'? You mean, you used to work on a crew?" the Growlithe asked.
"That's right!" Alice beamed. "The fastest and slickest claws from the Boltstrike Bandits you'd ever meet!"
"Boltstrike Bandits, huh? I... think I heard of them before. They ply the waters out around Garanza and Linglan, don't they? Though how did you end up here?" Elty wondered. "I never heard of that crew getting broken up, so does that mean that you got captured? Or did you have a falling out with your crew?"
"Tch, who do you take me for? I left on good terms with Captain Dart since somebody's gotta make sure those shore dweebs don't misuse Kline!" Alice piped. "Really, with how uptight the team was before I joined, it's a miracle Percy and Calidus didn't die of boredom before I came along!"
Percy and Calidus rolled their eyes at their teammate's description, as she cracked a beaming smile and proudly crossed her arms.
"I'm the one who gives it all the color!"
The Sneasel's boast drew groans from the Pokémon gathered around the table, with the very visible exception of Elty playfully wagging his tail. So she'd managed to leave her crew and stay on good terms? He hadn't really thought about it before, but if she got along well enough with her captain, there wasn't really any reason why things couldn't be the same for him and Hess… or for that matter...
"Heh, not bad!" the Growlithe chuckled. "Maybe I should ask you for a few tips to do the same with my team."
Nida folded her ears back and narrowed her eyes into a sour scowl. Of all the inane things to grab Elty's fancy, why'd it have to be this?
"No. Just… No."
The lot's attention abruptly turned to the center as the sound of high giggles and protests rang out. There, the gathered sailors stood staring befuddled at Pleo as he used his wingtips to tickle the red spot on Kline's belly.
"Hahaha! Wh-What are you doing?!" Kline yelped.
"Trying to get you to teach me how to become invisible!" Pleo cried.
"But I- Pfff! Told you already- Hee hee!"
The serpent squirmed on his back and giggled from Pleo's tickling, before slumping over limply. The Lugia blinked and craned his head down worriedly when Kline suddenly jumped back up onto his tail, giving a sharp scold back at Pleo that made him jump back in surprise.
"What was that for?! I can't teach you how to become invisible because it's physically impossible!" the Zygarde snapped. "Why would you tickle me like that anyways?!"
"H-Huh?! But Alice said that if I did that, you'd tell me!" Pleo protested. "And you sounded like you were having fun!"
Kline blinked, before looking up at Alice with a sharp glare. The Sneasel answered with a smirk and a shrug, prompting the Zygarde to hiss and hop up and down huffily. Kline continued fuming for a few moments… only to trail off and fall quiet. The Dragon-Type closed his eye shut as he zoned out from his surroundings, hopping off for the hallway as the gathered Pokémon stared puzzledly at him and Percy shifted off his seat with a worried tilt of his head.
"… Kline? Is alles goed?"
The Gliscor and the others followed Kline out of the mess hall and through the ship's corridors up to an entrance above deck. There, the rest caught up as Kline paused and stared off at the sky in the distance, prompting them to look up and see tall, dark clouds billowing off in the horizon.
"… I think that that's our cue to get moving," Kline said. "We won't be going anywhere fast on our own if we get caught up in that storm."
"Aw, can't we at least stay for dessert?" Alice asked.
"Only if you feel like drowning at sea," the Zygarde retorted, prompting Alice to roll her eyes.
"Bah, first I miss out on Buyeom's hot springs and now this," she pouted. Crom tilted his head a moment at the Sneasel's mention of the hot springs, as Percy gave a scratch at his cheek.
"I swear you're the only Ice-Type out there who likes hot springs, Alice..." the Gliscor sighed.
"Hey, it's not my fault they're all so unadventurous!" she huffed. "Hot springs are nice and comfortable once you get used to the water!"
The gathered Pokémon raised their brows at Alice's protest, as Calidus ruffled his feathers and looked off towards the entrance below deck.
"I suppose we should get Albert and his buddies together," the Talonflame said. "We wouldn't want them to be left behind."
"Oh thank the gods," a squeaking voice grumbled. "Those lousy wastes of flesh you drug aboard are finally going-"
Team Traveller turned to see none other than Scout overseeing them from the rigging just as Albert, Charlie, and Marilyn came above deck. The Nuzleaf and his companions stared up unamusedly at the Sentret, who bit his tongue before clearing his throat to reply.
"Er… going off on a grand adventure," the Sentret hastily finished. "Carry on!"
"Huh? How'd you all get up here so quickly?" Nida asked.
"Did you really think we were just going to sit around after seeing you all head up?" Marilyn harrumphed.
"Yeah, and I felt something was off about you," Charlie added. "I wasn't just going to sit and wait to find out why!"
"Ugh, whatever," Kline groaned. "Just hurry up and gather together."
The Zygarde hopped into Percy's bag, letting a fleeting glimpse of a red cushion inside pass as the Gliscor lowered himself for Albert and Charlie to clamber onto his back. Further away, Calidus did the same for Alice and Marilyn, as the pair made their way to the edge of the deck and looked out to sea. Pleo waddled up to Team Zephyr and their fellow-travellers as the sailors gathered on the deck behind them to say goodbye. The Lugia slowed as he neared, craning his head down to Kline at the mouth of Percy's bag with a curious tilt.
"Where are you all going to go?" Pleo asked.
"The Subway," the Zygarde answered. "We'll spend some time there to shake the attention we drew to ourselves back on Buyeom, and cross paths again when you've gotten the Ledger."
"Well okay... but is there really nothing I can do to convince you to stay and come with us to Pioppo?" Pleo murmured.
"Unfortunately not. Though there was one last thing that I wanted to say…" Kline began, prompting Pleo to raise his head puzzledly.
"Huh?"
"Good luck, Pleo," the serpent said. "We'll all be rooting for you."
The Lugia paused a moment, staring at Kline with surprised blinks before a small smile crept over the ends of his beak.
"… Thank you," Pleo replied. "And we'll be doing the same for you too!"
Calidus beat his wings and whipped up a Tailwind as Kline hunkered deeper into Percy's bag and the Gliscor hopped up to ride the current off into the air. Marilyn and Alice hastily clambered aboard Calidus' back as he leapt up and took wing, taking flight before Team Zephyr called out farewells and the sailors on deck waved after them. Pleo looked on, watching the lot fade off into the distance as the sun set over the horizon. All the while, the Siglo Swellow carried on for the west, towards what he and his friends hoped would be the beginnings of an end to their ordeal.
Sunsets in Tromba were generally sleepy affairs, consisting of townsfolk tired from a long day's work drifting out to shop on their way back to their abodes as the sky flushed orange with the waning hours of daylight. This time, there seemed to be an unusual spark of good cheer in the air with the word of Captain Beatrix recovering the Protector and the rest of Team Traveller, some of the townsfolk waving off the departing form of an Unfezant messenger flying out to sea above.
Over at Gwenith's bakery, the rays of hope that had spread over the rest of the town were noticeably absent, as Gwenith exited the front of her shop visibly exhausted and with a palpable sense of dread. The Druddigon busied herself half-heartedly brushing some dust away from the entrance when she felt a tug at her tail, and looked back to see Cenn looking up anxiously at her.
"Mom? Is… Is dad gonna be alright?"
Gwenith grimaced and shifted her gaze off to her shop's entrance, before giving a shake of her head and looking back down at her child with a tired smile.
"… He's a strong Pokémon, dear," the older Druddigon reassured. "I'm sure that he'll recover by the time he comes back to see you again."
"But… you sounded really worried about him when the letter came. And you spent all morning writing that one back instead of tending the shop…" Cenn murmured. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong?"
Gwenith paused wordlessly, before craning a claw down and patting the top of her son's crest.
"… You shouldn't worry too much about that right now," she said. "Go on and check up on Mildrew's batch of apples for tomorrow, I'll need it for the pies I'm setting out."
Cenn shuffled uneasily, before heading off down the path in the direction of Mildrew's orchard in the hills. Gwenith watched her child leave, before sighing and shaking her head as she shuffled back through the bakery's entrance. The Dragon-Type drifted in, when her ears picked up the sound of someone loudly eating, prompting her to look over at the counter and catch Pyry's jaws tearing a chunk out of a half-eaten loaf. The land shark looked over and went wide-eyed, the Gabite hastily throwing the loaf behind him on the floor as he raised his voice in squeaking protest.
"Th-They were stale and weren't going to sell anyways!" Pyry yelped "I swear-!"
"Blugh… I don't want to hear it," Gwenith grumbled. "Just get back to kneading dough!"
The Gabite flinched in anticipation of a summary smack, only to crack his eyes open and blink warily. He paused for a moment, unsure what to make of his supervisor's lack of physical aggression before opting not to test his luck and hastily scoop up his loaf and slink off for the back. With the main room freshly emptied, Gwenith shuffled behind the counter and slumped over it, holding her face in a claw when the sound of footsteps entering rang out.
"Have you been holding up alright?" a bleating voice asked. "You look more worn out than usual after you start your evening shift."
The Druddigon looked up and saw Hatteras approaching, prompting her to stand back up and shoot back an unamused glare.
"How do you expect me to be holding up?" Gwenith demanded. "I find out that Pladur's in bedrest after getting his stomach cut open and he and Crom are on the other side of the Cradle being chased around by Company goons! And now there's pirates and the Empire on top of it all!"
The baker's indignation lingered a moment, before she hung her head glumly and began to look away from the wizened sheep across the counter.
"It… just makes me feel so helpless…"
Hatteras folded his ears back, giving a pat on her shoulder with his paw as he spoke in a soft, reassuring tone.
"Gwenith... We all knew there were risks like this to be had," the Ampharos said. "And it sounds like Pladur and Crom are holding up fine-"
The Electric-Type was at once answered with a sharp snarl, prompting him to jerk his arm back as Gwenith growled and bared her fangs across the counter. Hatteras hemmed and hawed a bit, attempting to walk back his word choice in favor of something that would brush fewer of the fraught Druddigon's nerves.
"Er… as fine as the circumstances would allow," the elderly sheep corrected. "Crom did tell you of how he helped Pleo to escape the Imperial capital, didn't he? Even if they sometimes get overwhelmed, that doesn't make Pladur or Crom sound very 'helpless' to me."
Gwenith paused, before warily easing her body. She knew her son and mate weren't helpless, but given everything that had already happened and how far they still had to travel to get back home, why was that supposed to be comforting?
"But how can you be so sure? They're all the way in Imperial waters and here we are alone back on Tromba!" the Dragon-Type cried. "How can you be so sure that something else won't go wrong?"
"I just trust them," he answered. "And whoever's been watching over them all this time."
"… I suppose there's not much else we can do," Gwenith murmured.
"Well, to be fair on them, the worst of their journey is surely over," Hatteras reassured. "Why, all that's left is to simply sail back to Bluewhorl with the Protector, and-"
BOOM!
A deafening blast rang out as both the baker and her elderly patron jumped up. Hatteras looking around wildly in confusion, as Gwenith rushed out from behind her counter for the storefront.
"Huh?! Qué fue eso?!"
The pair hastily exited the bakery, scanning their surroundings when they caught a wisp of smoke from offshore, looking off to see the forms of three ships in lavender sails entering the harbor. Hatteras stared with a startled grimace as the color began to flush from Gwenith's face.
"Hatteras, what's going on?" she asked. "Do you think they've found out about the Protector coming home?"
"I'm… not sure," the Ampharos said to himself. "Just stay behind and batten down the hatches. I don't have a good feeling about this."
Hatteras ran off, carrying down the lanes for the harbor. As he neared, he began to see Pokémon hastily shuttering their shops and huts, as others ran up the lane the opposite direction with yelps and cries. Eventually, he made it to the edge of the town's seaside square, where he found himself walking on a few pallid guards hastily ducking behind crates and market stalls as the Company ships slowed beside the docks.
"What's the meaning of-?"
The Ampharos flinched as a hot woosh of air buzzed by his face and an orange blur hit the ground before him. The sheep blanched as a low growl cut through the air, looking ahead to see the form was of a teal-winged drake rising to his feet with bared fangs, adorned with the scarf of a Company Commissioner about his long neck and the tell-tale blotch of a Marked on his head.
"Where is the 'Hatteras' in charge of this dump?" the Charizard demanded.
The Ampharos mayor gulped and braced himself, steadying his gait with a sway of his tail as he looked back at the fuming drake.
"That… would be me," he answered. "What is the meaning of this?"
Hatteras looked off in the distance, where he noticed the forms of lavender-clad Pokémon hastily disembarking. A low growl and a puff of hot, fiery breath drew his attention back to the Charizard before him, who leaned in with bared teeth and a harsh glare.
"I'm Commissioner Bunsen," the Fire-Type snarled. "The Board's been getting word of all your little games and I'm here to put an end to them."
Author's Notes:
- Dodaeche?! (도대체-?!) - Korean: Intensifier analogous to "the hell" or "on earth". Vulgar. (South Korean Revised Romanization)
- dranie - Polish: "scoundrels", lit. "villains"
- Me parece justo - Spanish: "Fair enough", lit. "Seems fair to me"
- Nyet! (Нет!) - Russian: "No!" (BGN/PCGN Romanization.)
- Is alles goed? - Dutch: "Is everything alright?"
- Qué fue eso?! - Spanish: "What was that?!"
