So, completely forgot to mention, but Fever Dreams is dropping this month! This story is about a month or two from completion, so I'm going to be kickstarting my next fic sooner rather than later!

I'm expecting to drop the first chapter June 13th, so please keep an eye out for that! Going forward, we will be getting Fever Dreams on Thursdays and Try Again on Sundays. :D

Welp, that's all I got! So my dear readers, enjoy the chapter and I'll catch everyone next time! :p

Chapter 28: Flawless Teamwork

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Both Guildmasters were far out of sight in the dark forest, disappearing in the black night. However, that did not stop the stare down between the four Pokemon. Ceren and Erin both were in a battle position, silently deciding how to approach fighting the much more experienced Pokemon.

Max had sat back on his haunches, his mark inactivated as he waited for either of the Pokemon to make a move. Gurbo, meanwhile, seemed somewhat amused at the thought of fighting someone presumably weaker than him.

He hit his tentacles on the ground in excitement, bursting out in boisterous laughter. "We'll show Thorn we aren't weak!" He squealed obnoxiously, putting up two of his tentacles in a boxing stance. "Who wants to play with me?"

Erin felt a vein protrude from her head in annoyance. "You're going down!" She exclaimed, feeling more confident in fighting the Pokemon she had a type advantage against… as much as she wanted to pay back Max for what he did.

Said Ninetails smiled smugly at them. "Hmph. No need to be so hasty." He chuckled at their expense, stretching his front legs a bit. "None of you were leaving alive anyway."

A moment of silence passed between them before Ceren looked over at Erin. "He is right, though. We should not be hasty against these two." He told her, quickly bringing his gaze back to the other two. "They clearly have worked together for a while; their chemistry is certainly going to be much higher than two strangers that just met today."

Erin returned a quick glance, hers a little more surprised than his. She of course inwardly figured they wouldn't be an easy fight, but sheepishly realized that even bad guys were capable of strong teamwork. She thought of the Passimian she had battled and suddenly felt her confidence dip a bit.

Ceren, however, seemed to have read her thoughts. "Heh…so why give them that advantage?" He finished before raising his sharp claws in the air. "EARTHQUAKE!"

Erin wildly stared at him, her heart going into maximum overdrive as Ceren slammed his claw into the ground.

This is nuts, I'm right next to him…

However, instead of the earth beneath her violently shaking, a large fissure opened up in the ground and stretched in between Gurbo and Max. As it opened, sharp rocks emerged from the ground, causing the other two to jump away to avoid the nasty hit.

A small forest of rocks now separated the two, and Ceren burrowed his way underground, digging towards Max.

Erin, meanwhile, heaved a massive sigh of relief and slight annoyance at Ceren. "Gave me a heart attack…" She muttered, turning her attention to the Octillery that was on her side. Her tail lit up in a wavy light green aura and she ran straight towards Gurbo.

"Leaf Blade!"

Gurbo didn't waste any time and charged a light blue ball from his mouth, using his tentacles to hold the powerful ball of energy together.

"Octazooka!" He stuttered momentarily before unleashing his powerful attack straight towards Erin.

However, he wasn't prepared for the nimbleness of the much smaller Pokémon as Erin easily managed to roll out of the way of the attack. Smoothly rolling from one shoulder blade to the other, she used her momentum to spring up even faster than Gurbo could've predicted.

Now within striking distance, she swung her charged attack directly for the side of his head, missing by inches as Gurbo somehow ducked at the very last second.

Erin bit her lip. "Damn!" She said to herself, landing in a crouch still directly in front of him. Not taking any chances of a counter, she jumped backwards before Gurbo could retaliate at close range.

Although, said octopus was hugging himself in fear. "WHATTA TRYING TO DO, KILL ME?!" He squealed loudly, twisting his head around to look at her from an upside-down perspective. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT A CONCUSSION WILL DO TO MY PRECIOUS BRAIN!?"

Erin let out a bemused huff. "Axl would've had a field day if he heard you say that." She muttered, her heart suddenly twisting a bit.

Gurbo clicked…something in his mouth. "I'll forgive you this time though. What's important is that I'm alive!" He said, almost oblivious to the battle.

Erin sweat dropped at his sudden turn in emotion. "Uh..thanks?" She said, confused momentarily.

She stepped forward to start another attack, but suddenly she felt her knees collapse and she had to catch herself from falling. She was panting heavily, her lungs screeching for air as sweat was starting to form.

What the…?

Meanwhile, Max jumped gracefully side from side as long extended claws lashed violently at random from the ground. Narrowing his eyes, he managed to catch Ceren by the wrist with his mouth and rip him from the ground.

As he did, Ceren tried to slash him with his free hand, once again missing the Ninetails with his Slash attack, but getting him to let go of Ceren's wrist.

Ceren stared curiously down at the hole he emerged from, perplexed by what he had saw down there. "Weird….I wonder…"

His head snapped up at Max, who was charging a ball of light green energy from his mouth. Ceren's eyes widened in shock as he recognized the powerful attack, his teeth gritting.

Max sneered, holding the ball of energy for a moment. "I'd suggest keeping your eyes on me if you plan on not dying. ENERGY BALL!"

Ceren had to bend backwards as he avoided the otherwise devastating attack, using this movement to put his arms to his head and form his body into a drill shape.

He returned Max's sneer. "You really like hearing yourself talk, huh? DRILL RUN!" His body suddenly started rotating at an intense speed, much faster than even Max had expected. With the rotational speed keeping him in the air, he launched himself at Max.

Max caught the attack in his mouth, but his eyes showed surprise. He was sweating a little bit from the effort, admittedly taken aback by the Sandslash's strength.

Back to Erin, she was back on her feet and staring Gurbo down determinedly, not wanting to show any more pain than she already had.

What's going on? I didn't take much damage from earlier; Axl did most of the fighting. It was only my vines that got hurt.

As she racked her brain, her stomach loudly growled and suddenly felt embarrassment run over her as she realized she didn't remember the last time she ate

.….or drank…..

….or slept…

Hell, she never bothered to heal the damage she did receive during the scrum and felt the pain radiate within her. Taking a deep breath in, she composed herself in order to charge her Leaf Blade attack again.

Like hell I'm losing because of something so stupid.

Gurbo had his tentacles stretched confidently, unfazed by her charged attack. "Do you see? I'm more than a match for a silly guild member getting too big for her britches!" He yelled. "Do you get it now?"

Erin felt more aggravated. "Do you ever shut up!" She snapped, sprinting back towards him and jumping in the air with a flip. She brought her Leaf Blade attack down harshly, aiming to cause serious damage.

To her shock, Gurbo only tipped his head back slightly. "HEADBUTT!" He shouted, bringing his head forward and meeting Erin in the middle, hitting the attack with his forehead. The attacks collided and both struggled to push each other back. Finally, Erin stepped back and remained facing him.

Gurbo looked smug as they separated. "See?" He taunted her. A brief moment of silence passed between them before blood started to drip from Gurbo's head where her attack landed. Gurbo took a deep breath through his nose before clutching the throbbing wound with his tentacles, comedic tears streaming down his face. "YOW!"

Erin, meanwhile, was frustrated. "Are you taking this seriously?" She yelled at him, her eyes white in rage. Her attack hadn't dimmed, however, and she had Gurbo up against a tree. "This is getting ridiculous. Axl needs us!"

She ran back towards Gurbo, not giving the pain she was feeling a chance to catch up to her brain again. This time, if she was going to attack Gurbo, she was going to make sure that she hit him.

She twisted her body again, trying to gain as much momentum as possible to finish Gurbo off in a single hit. As she twisted a full circle, her eyes widened as Gurbo had somehow disappeared from the spot he was just in, causing her to painfully collide with the tree he was in front of. Erin fell to the ground, recoiling from the damage she took from the hard miss.

She whipped her head around to try and locate him, becoming increasingly more alarmed when she realized she had no idea where he ran off to. It was dark, sure, but the bright red Octillery wasn't exactly hard to spot even in the dim area they were fighting in. She kept low to the ground and remained on the defensive as she heard his snickering from somewhere near.

Breathing heavily, she nervously didn't keep her direction pointed the same for very long, not wanting to give him an opening for a sneak attack. Her heartbeat was increasing with every moment she couldn't find him.

Finally, for what felt like an hour, she deadpanned when she saw the looming face peeking from a hole in the tree that she had just hit. He had managed to climb to the perch that was abut ten to twelve feet in the air, presumably with his suction grip. Another moment of silence passed through them as Erin struggled to find the words for this

When Gurbo didn't speak, Erin got angrier. "Will you quit stalling?!" She yelled at him, sweat on her face. "Get down here and fight!"

Gurbo raised a brow, peeking his head from his hole. "You're doing a good enough job tiring yourself out. I'm a little surprised though, I thought you were partners with that meanie Axl! I thought you'd be stronger than this,"

Erin felt her eye twitch a little bit. "You're the one on the run right now!" She pointed out, much to his ire.

He raised a fist at her comedically. "Shaddup, I haven't gotten serious yet!' He squealed.

Erin took another breath, her brain trying to work at a thousand beats per second. She stole a quick glance at Max and Ceren and saw they were locked in a flurry of blows of their own. She was surprised at Max's serene and graceful fighting style.

Her eyes suddenly flew wide open in realization.

I'm so stupid…

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A silence had remained in between the Guildmasters as they continued their walk through the forest. It wasn't on uncomfortable or tense terms, instead it felt normal for the two lifelong friends. Even in the darkness that made both difficult to see as they worked through the path, their footsteps quick and soundless.

Guildmaster Finnegan was in the middle of a cigarette, an experienced calmness on his face as he billowed a puff of smoke into the air.

Nero's face showed the same composure but hid the thoughts behind them. "Are you sure she's ready for a battle like that, Filip?" He asked. "Ceren is going to have his hands full with the Hazaranmom, he's not going to be able to save her if things get hairy."

Guildmaster Finnegan shrugged. "I reckon her comin' with us would be a lot more dangerous, no?" He replied, taking another puff. "She would only ge' in de way."

Nero made an unsure movement with his head. "I suppose." He said uncertainly. "That Octillery doesn't have the trace of blood on his hands, but neither does she."

Guildmaster Finnegan came to a halt. "She needs 'o be able 'o rely on herself." He answered, using his keen eyesight to watch the smoke disappear into the air. "If she can' draw ou' her po'ential now, she never will. Showin' her de gap in power be'ween us af'er a bad firs' week will crush her."

"And if she dies?"

"She won'."

Nero sighed, a smile forming on his face. "Hmph, it's been a while since I've seen you this excited over a prospect." He murmured, tilting his head to study the stars. "I suppose you're right though. Times are changing, Filip. We aren't as young as we used to be. You, me, Yu, everyone is getting older and the dangers we are facing only seem to be getting stronger. We need the next generation to catch up if the safety of the island is to be ensured."

"Ye thinkin' of Ceren too, yeah?" Guildmaster Finnegan returned calmly.

Nero's shoulder twitched and he started to move forward calmly. "This is going to be a test for him as well. He's come far, but he needs to push harder if he wants to reach the heights of Sergei and Axl. I'll admit, I didn't know how long he would last with his apathy towards battle, but he's preserved regardless."

Guildmaster Finnegan side-eyed him. "Perhaps a successor 'o Sergei one day?" He asked.

"Perhaps…"

Suddenly a shooting star blazed over the treetops. The tension between the two suddenly increased as the situation played itself once more.

Guildmaster Finnegan flicked the remainder of his butte away but remained silent as Nero continued to gaze upward.

After a few moments, Nero lowered his head and turned to Guildmaster Finnegan. "I need a favor from you Filip?" He murmured, a distant look suddenly in his eye. "Once we rescue Axl, I need you to take him into your Guild."

"My Guild?" Guildmaster Finnegan echoed, sounding surprised. "He's yer son, Nero. Are ye sure abou' that?"

Nero shook his head. "I think after everything, a fresh start might do the little idiot good." He admitted, sounding strained. "He has found himself a hell of a companion in Erin. Maybe if he can learn to finally holding himself back…"

A silence fell over the two as they reached the tower, moonlight reflecting off the moist rocks that constructed it. For a moment the only sound that was audible was the rushing torrent of the geyser that lay beyond.

Guildmaster Finnegan gave one last look at his companion. "Ye no' jus' thinkin' of Axl, are ye?" He mumbled.

Nero's focus returned, and he looked almost sad. "No…. the entire fate of the island itself…"

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"OCTAZOOKA"

Erin slid out of the way again as the ball of blue energy barely avoided hitting her. Gurbo had been using his position to try and snipe her from his ledge, already having landed a few pretty big hits.

To his surprise, though, every time Erin stood back up, a smile with blood coming through her greeted him.

Falling to a knee, she chuckled at herself. I'm so stupid…I'm trying so hard to beat him in one hit that I haven't thought anything through. I've been worried so much about impressing everyone that I forgot what got me here in the first place.

Meanwhile, Ceren had his wrist caught in Max's mouth, gritting as flames were burning his way up his arm. Swinging in retaliation, Max let go and backpedaled away from the ground-type.

In this lapse, Ceren glanced over at Erin. "Shit…she's getting hurt pretty bad. I need to beat this guy."

Max stole a glance as well, confused. "What is she laughing at right now?" He wondered out loud.

Erin grinned at Gurbo. First, I need to get Octo-boy out of that tree.

Gurbo based his tentacles again. "I'LL TEACH YOU TO LAUGH AT ME!" He squealed. "OCTAZOOKA!"

This time, the attack made direct contact at the spot Erin was at, exploding and illuminating the ground in a bright blue light once more. When it dimmed back down to the light Gurbo was adjusted to, he peeked out to ensure she was defeated.

His eyes lit up as he spotted the massive hole in the ground. "I DID IT, I CRUSHED HER!" He squealed delightfully, clapping his tentacles. "AH HA HA HA…huh?"

His joyous laughs were cut short as two vines had wrapped themselves around his tentacles with a constraining grip. Looking up, his eyes went wide as Erin had somehow managed to climb to the tee and grab a hold of his wrists in the attack.

She panted but didn't let go as she jumped. "You didn't think a fish could climb a tree better than a grass-type, did you?" As she jumped, she used her vines and momentum to launch Gurbo out of the tree and slam him with intense force into the ground below, making a bigger hole than the one Gurbo had made.

Landing gently, she gave a satisfied look to the Octillery that was groaning in pain, although still managing to slowly pull himself out of the hole. Although, his wincing told her he was in a tremendous amount of pain.

As this happened, an enraged red-orange fire surrounded Max's body and he shot at Erin like a missle, blasting straight through the rocks that had previously blocked the way beforehand.

"FLARE BLITZ!"

She couldn't react fast enough and screamed in agony as Max's teeth sunk into her shoulder, gushing out blood and enveloping her in fire. Thrashing her like a doll for a quick second, he launched her far out of the way from Gurbo where she landed with a thud.

She writhed in pain as burn marks sizzled on her body, a particular nasty one on her chest as smoke was rising from her. She felt her vision fade for a moment and fought valiantly to not let herself black out.

Ceren burrowed his way underground, Max having moved way too fast for him. "That coward, attacking her from behind." He snapped, popping out of the ground as soon as he got to Max with a Slash attack ready. Max was in point-blank distance as Ceren brought down his claws.

However, Max sneered. "I told you to stay on your toes." He reminded him, suddenly ducking his head. "Gurbo and I have battled together for years, we always know each other's moves."

He ducked with perfect timing, as a ball of light blue energy came from the same direction his head was just at and slammed into Ceren's abdomen. Ceren opened his mouth to let out a noise, but no sound came out as he was thrown backwards towards Erin. The force of Gurbo's attack took him further, and he slammed into a rock that stood right by here, cracking it into two pieces.

His eyes were bloodshot in pain as he fell to his knees before collapsing onto his stomach. Blood pooled from the top of his head and onto a puddle on the ground as he now had the same struggle as Erin.

Erin gasped, unable to move her body much in the moment due to the pain that was searing deep in her body. For a heartbeat, she thought Ceren was dead from the attack due to the amount of blood she was seeing on the ground. It wasn't until he brought himself up with shaky arms that she let out a sigh of relief.

He gripped the ground tightly. "I didn't think Octo-boy would still have that much power." He muttered. "Are you okay, Erin?"

Erin turned her singed body to face him. "This isn't good. We aren't going to defeat them in a fair two on two." She whispered, trying to remain silent. "Even separating them like that will only momentarily work."

Ceren sighed. "When I was underground, I saw something really weird. I'm not a hundred percent, but I might have a plan. I just need to know if you can defeat him." He said, giving her an intense stare.

Erin didn't hesitate. "Of course." Her body screamed in pain and all she tasted was metal, but adrenaline started to course through her veins once more as she picked herself back up. "I refuse to lose to him."

Ceren smirked, chuckling at what was happening. "Good. Okay, let me tell you what I saw…." He started.

Meanwhile, Max shook his head at what he thought were two motionless figures on the ground. "What boring, inconsequential creatures." He murmured in disappointment, his eyes returning to their amber. He looked back at the hole Gurbo had been crushed into. "Did you fire that attack from your sleep? Wake up, man!"

"GRAAAAAR!" Gurbo screamed as he burst out of the ground, sending small rocks everywhere. Max sweatdropped as Gurbo had his tentacles extended in a fighting stance.

He glanced wildly around as he looked for his next target. "This Octillery is fighting mad now!" He yelled. "Let me at 'im! I took out the Sandslash, now that big meanie Snivy is next!"

He blinked in confusion as two bodies lay motionless on the ground in front of him, giving Max a confused look.

Max chuckled at his friend. "Who are you going to fight, Gurbo?" He asked, amused.

The amusement didn't last long, however, as earth jumped up in between them. Both jumped back in shock at the sudden attack, turning back to face the Pokémon they thought were unconscious.

Gurbo gasped as vines were wrapped around his body and Erin attached herself firmly to him. Squealing in distress, he wildly shot off an Octazooka in his daze.

Then, with a loud cracking sound, the ground between the two suddenly started to cave in, swallowing them in an abyss of darkness. Gurbo let out a shrill shriek of fear as he fell with her, while Erin looked tense herself at the plan.

Max's eyes widened in shock, and he jumped around the rocks to make an effort to save his friend. Oblivious to his surroundings, he took a powerful underground Slash attack to his face, knocking him off his feet and sliding on his side.

Ceren popped out in front of the rather large hole, crossing his arms in satisfaction. "Heh, I didn't think they'd be a whole tunneling system underneath this forest. I guess that's how someone as big as Thorn has been able to move around without anyone noticing." He said, staring back at the hole. "Damn near took myself down with them causing that crater. Don't worry though, the fall won't be enough to kill them."

A cough brought him back to his opponent and for a moment Ceren tensed in fear. Max was on his feet, a nasty snarl on his face and a bad cut underneath his eye. His eyes were a blazing golden color and as he licked the blood from his cheek, Ceren was able to make out the mark on his tongue.

His voice was thick with rage. "I'll kill you, rodent." He said in a menacing growl.

Ceren weakly grinned at him. "This is our game now, fox head." He retorted, not backing down. "And we are going to win it!"

He glanced down the hole once more to barely see Erin giving him a thumbs up and cheeky smile as she tumbled down the deep hole with Gurbo, the octopus's screams echoing into the night…