October 15th, First Year

Thick storm clouds blocked out the sun, Ingo being unable to see for very far as he strode along the coast wiping errant beads of rainwater from his face. Haxorus loped behind him, their dark scales glistening as a flash of lightning illuminated the far horizon.

"How far are we surveying, Warden Ingo?"

Ingo caught the dull reflection of Yuki's wet, golden hair in the underside of his hat visor. "Not far," he rasped in a response. "Only toward the edge of Castaway Bay." Ingo kept his hands clasped behind his back, somewhat calmed by the sound of his boots sinking into the waterlogged sand. He could hear Warden Iscan's audible sigh of relief as the stocky man hurried to close the distance between himself and his surrounding pokémon wielder bodyguards.

The sound of Mesprit's voice had been appearing more and more within his mind, urging him to embrace Lord Basculegion's storm and to that extent, build a stronger approach to utilizing the powers Palkia had lent to him; most notably, the way water seemed to heighten his senses. His hearing. His sight. Even the old aches that had been plaguing him since he had first arrived to Hisui had become barely noticeable. It was though he had been aging in reverse. Even communication with Mesprit had become easier with the increasing amount of rainfall.

Ingo twisted his gifted wooden wristband, one finger trailing along Lady Sneasler's carved likeliness. I do wonder if perhaps my lady is encountering any troubles along her tracks. Ingo sighed. Of course not. Lady Sneasler is undoubtedly strong enough to clear her own tracks. A sudden wave of grief washed over Ingo reminding him all too painfully of the fact that his title as a warden wasn't permanent; that Lady Irida was already working on picking out a replacement for him. His days were numbered; Ingo just didn't know what that particular number was.

"Snivy! Snii-sniv-ssssni." Emmet wriggled in his place atop Ingo's shoulder as if attempting to get his attention. "Snivy?"

"I'm afraid we are at an impasse regarding communication, Emmet." Parlor could be asked, but Ingo's beloved partner was suffering from an alarming number of headaches that had only recently started upon entering the coastlands. Very worrying considering that Parlor's headaches were now accompanied by prolonged fits of paranoia and narcolepsy.

"Warden Ingo! Over there!" Akari reached out to grab Ingo by the hem of his battered coat, her voice a hissing whisper as she pointed toward a section of the shore where turbulent waves tossed loose stones and bits of coral far across the beach. A massive Octillery prowled along the beach, its long tentacles fluttering in the capricious waves. Beside him, Akari's gaze hardened, one pokéball rolling into her awaiting hand. "Should we battle it?"

Warden Iscan shared a reproachful look with Ingo, his dark blue eyes darting to the pokéballs lining his waist. "I-I don't want to encourage you all, but I think we may… need to? I-I mean, we are looking for the Lord. A-and I know the coastlands best out of all of us. And Lord Basculegion lives out there- " Warden Iscan pointed one shaking finger at the far horizon toward where two pillars of stones- the remnants of the Veilstone Isthmus- jutted out of the water, the tips cloaked in fog- "by the edge of Tranquility Cove. It's too dangerous to walk out to Sand's Reach- not with the sea level rising up so high."

"I am inclined to agree with you, Warden Iscan." Ingo studied the rough patch of waters that Iscan had denoted, straightening the cap on his head. "I would much rather avoid taking any routes that lead to imminent danger."

"And if I may… could I make a suggestion?"

Ingo hummed. "We are both wardens, Iscan; you have held the position for far longer than I. You do not need to ask me for permission to ask a question."

Iscan hastily nodded, not quite meeting Ingo's eyes as his face turned a shade darker. "R-right. It's just- it's hard not to be… well… intimidated by all of the pokémon you have with you." Iscan then immediately backtracked. "That's not to say that I think you'll do anything bad with them! No! Not what I'm saying!"

"I understand. No offense taken. What were you suggesting then?"

Warden Iscan then visibly relaxed, switching his point out to two clusters of scattered islands just barely visible in the raging waves. "There and there: Grappler Island- Lesser Lord Octillery's seat- and over there- further into the sea- that's White Rock Island. Gastrodons sit on the rocks when it's sunny and soak up the sea spray. If we could move from one island to the next- in a line- we could skip trying to cross the sea."

"That would be a fool's errand. That suffices as a much better plan, to be certain." Ingo couldn't help but agree, discomfort lodging like a jagged stone in his gut. He was reminded all too clearly of Gingko Landing and of the numerous disappearances and destruction that the frothing sea and turbulent winds had created. "So then, we have your blessing to 'quell' Lesser Lord Octillery and cross the sea to find Lord Basculegion?"

"Of course." Iscan took a step back, gesturing for Akari and Yuki to step ahead of him. "You three are the ones with the pokémon; not me. I'm only here to provide directions and end this nightmare," he commented placatingly. "I just want the coastlands to return back to normal." Iscan paused for one moment, his gaze turning wary as he once again locked eyes with Ingo. "I'm placing my trust in you. From a Diamond to a Pearl..,. don't do anything rash. Please."

Ingo bowed in turn. "I will act according to your will, Warden Iscan. I will bring no harm upon Lord Basculegion if the situation does not call for it. You have my word."

"Then I'll hold you to it."

With Ingo wielding Haxorus, Galvantula, and Cable alongside Yuki and Akari's respective partners, overpowering Lesser Lord Octillery took only a matter of minutes and a good ear for dodging Hydro Pumps. Yuki handled all the healing while Akari watched the back of the patrol. That led Ingo into scouting along the water's edge, his throat tightening every time a spare wave would reach up to his boots, threatening to sweep him into the surf.

And now, I reach the question that I have been dreading: how should we go about crossing the sea? Standing along the rocky shore of Castaway Bay where the sand rose into the air, vicious waves pounded into the cliff walls sending up copious amounts of sea spray and curling fog. I do not possess a pokémon who knows how to surf and even doing so in this capricious weather would almost certainly prove to be fatal.

"Hear Me, My Champion." Like a tolling bell, Mesprit's insidious voice rang out at the back of Ingo's skull, immediately drowning out the sound of the pounding waves and drumming thunder. "The Spatial Pokémon Gifts You Strength In Commanding The Rawness Of The Sea. Trust That You Are Heading In The Right Direction. Go Forth."

"'Go forth'? What are you implying, Mesprit?" Ingo's gaze again shot to the howling waves. Though Mesprit had been nothing but tolerable to Ingo, he could not bring himself to harbor any faith in the fae. "You'll have me drowned."

"Go Forth, My Champion." Mesprit's presence dawned on Ingo like that of being trapped under the slag of a collapsing tunnel. His legs moved him closer to the tossing turf and then toward the water's edge where the sea spray gathered in droplets along his hat. "Find The Path Forward. Locate The Sunken Arena."

Ingo debated listening to the pixie for only a moment, remembering that Akari, Yuki, and even Warden Iscan were depending on him to find a safe way forward. And while Ingo couldn't see how Mesprit's words had ever guided him correctly, Ingo withered and begrudgingly held out his dominant hand, feeling as though it were the right action to do at that exact moment.

The frothing waves split before him, excess rain coalescing back into the terrifying cross-section that cut down all the way to the seafloor. Ingo stepped further. The waves continued to split down the middle until the point where Ingo was standing completely underneath the shadow of a quivering wave. "I see… So this is what you meant," he rasped under his breath.

"Whoa! How are you doing that?" Akari rocked up beside Ingo, her eyes wide with both awe and terror as she stared first at Ingo and then at the dark swirling water all around her. "Something new from your you-know-who?"

"I believe so."

"This isn't natural." Warden Iscan trembled as he tottered after the group, his form shrunken and his face haggard with terror. "I'm not going to ask. Just… lead on to Grappler Island, please."

To Ingo's surprise, the ocean floor was just as disturbed as the surface. Coral reefs lay in broken chunks, an invisible current tugging them along. The dense curtains of kelp scattered about the ocean floor now swayed in the undertow tangling in massive knots. Unconscious water-type pokémon floated unconscious in the saltwater or struggled pitifully in the thick sand. Some were gathered in clumps deep in the ocean floor moving their fins and tails rhythmically back-and-forth to an unknown beat.

Warden Iscan suddenly darted closer to the water's edge, his mouth agape. Ingo noticed that the muscles in the warden's hands and neck were twitching. "So that's why the water is rising!" Iscan exclaimed, his voice hoarse.

"What're you talking about?" Yuki piped up. "Isn't it because the water-type pokémon are just making a ton of water?"

"Water-types can't make water," Iscan responded without missing a beat. But it wasn't an unkind remark; more like an afterthought. His careful gaze tracked the swishing motions of a Walrein's tail as the pokémon mindlessly cut through a massive section of the water. "No, the water-types- they're the one's causing the treacherous waves. They're moving the water around," Iscan all but whispered.

Ingo watched the situation more closely, finding that his fellow warden had guessed it correctly. Water-types of all kinds littered the ocean floor both dead and alive, their roiling, flailing, spastic movements forcing the water away in paced timings; timings that allowed the water to coalesce into powerful waves. Waves that would only build power and height until they eventually crashed against the shore. And tsunamis… they have the sheer force to travel much further inland than they ought to. "Is there… Warden Iscan. Do you believe there's a way to relieve the pokémon of the sea from their forced movements?"

Iscan shook his head. "Not for now. I'm thinking that if Lord Kleavor had the ability to rile up their followers- the bug-type pokémon- then maybe, it's the same thing here. There's no way to get them to calm down without first quelling Lord Basculegion."

"I believed as much. Then we shall proceed toward the Sunken Arena with haste."

"We're going to take notes, right?" Akari asked tentatively. Her borrowed Pearl Clan tunic was damp with rainwater and without the warmth of her ace pokémon, the young girl beside him shivered. "We don't really have anything to quell Lord Basculegion with."

"Of course we're not going to do anything right now," Yuki retorted, gripping his bag tighter as a massive shadow passed in front of the group. "We're just going to survey and then come up with a plan later. We can't just go crashing in and hope things will turn out okay."

"Spoken well, young man." Ingo gestured for the party to follow him deeper into the waves and as they travelled even further along the revealed ocean floor, the cross-section closed around them, leaving Ingo commanding a moving bubble of sorts. "Please do inform me if any of you wish to return to the surface and we will do so with haste."

"When did you even learn to do this?" Akari balked. In a quieter tone, she began to complain. "Man, why can't I have some cool ability like this? Jaku gets to jump back-and-forth across time, and you get the split the sea like Arceus. Not fair! When'd you learn to do this, huh? When I left the Pearl Settlement?"

"Truthfully, I did not 'learn' how to perform such a trick. It was Mesprit who encouraged me to continue my tracks into the ocean when we had reached the edge of the coast. I am receiving… assistance, but I would much rather hasten our journey." There is no telling when this mysterious power will fade. Ingo didn't want to say it aloud, but he had no idea how he was keeping the icy waters at bay. He could only pray that Mesprit wasn't deceiving him yet again and that Palkia was somewhere keeping a watchful eye on him and his passengers.

Ingo was only stopped when Iscan put a trembling hand on his shoulder. "Wait... We're here, Warden Ingo. This has to be the spot." The ocean waves were dark, barely any light reaching into Ingo's wavering bubble. Cable was careful to keep their distance, sparks of electricity jumping from their magnets being the only source of light for the entire party. Iscan had stopped and had pointed upward. High above them- almost an entire mile above their heads- were two massive shadows. "The Veilstone Isthmus." Iscan then let out a nervous chuckle. "Took us… shorter than I thought it would."

The ocean floor opened up into a gaping bare area devoid of any coral or vegetation, towering walls of gravel fencing the arena in. Bubbles rose in thick columns from the ocean floor where magma vents spurted upward, the sound audible even to Ingo as step-by-step, he treaded closer to Lord Basculegion's resting spot.

Bones- truly massive bones- were scattered about the disturbed sand as were bits of wood, bubbling crates, and most worrying- muddled canvas shapes. Ingo peered closer. He then recoiled, involuntarily bumping into Iscan as he hurriedly retreated, reaching out to grab Emmet's tiny body and obscure him within the shadows of his tattered coat. Those aren't wraps of cloth… those are corpses.

They hung suspended in the thrashing waves, their own torn clothes holding them to the ocean floor like chains. Multitudes of them. Scores of them. The missing people from Gingko Landing were finally found but unable to be rescued, lost forever to the sea, collected like treasures, their leads buried by an unknown force. Ingo gagged, Iscan making a similar noise as he tugged both Akari and Yuki and pivoted them around so as to not allow them to piece out what both he and Ingo had.

"What's the big idea?" Yuki immediately began to complain, fidgeting the moment Iscan began to turn him away from the grisly visage. He struggled against the much stronger warden before eventually giving up, trying but failing to look past Iscan's outstretched hand, nearly obscuring his eyes.

Akari hadn't fought Iscan's protective movements. Instead, her voice quieted, and the courageous bravado vanished like dew in sunlight as she instead looked Ingo straight in the eyes with a terrified glint in her own. "What did you see, Ingo?"

Ingo could only grit his teeth. "…Warden Iscan?"

"Warden Ingo." Iscan's voice wavered but not with fear nor horror; with shame. "Let's… We need to leave. Now."

Upon arriving back at Castaway Bay some few hours later, Ingo let the bubble around his passengers fade with the drop of his arm, a knot of nausea threatening to spill over. It helped that Emmet hadn't seen the mangle either, but it was an image Ingo knew had been seared into his brain. After bidding a hasty goodbye to Warden Iscan, Ingo led Akari and Yuki back to the Trail Encampment only to notice a congregation of Gingko Guild merchants milling near the stone wall entrance.

Akari stumbled away from Ingo's side. "Adrianos?"

A tall and burly man turned his head, his bulky clothes filthy and his long, gray-speckled hair plastered to his face in matted chunks. The people around him immediately caught sight of Akari before taking a step away, leaving the man to slowly approach Akari, his gaze dull. "Oh. I remember you." The man then peered at Yuki. "Both of you. It's good to see that you're alright."

"Is everything okay?" Akari asked upon getting closer. "Why are all of you up here? It's getting dark out. Aren't you supposed to be down at the landing?"

Adrianos shook his head and pointed a shaking finger down at the bay, his gasps of terror threatening to turn into sobs. Ingo followed with his eyes.

Where Gingko Landing used to stand were ruins of splintered wood and bent scrap metal. Ingo hadn't noticed on the trek up the beach but as he stared at the utter carnage scarred far aways from him, he could only wonder how he hadn't pieced it together beforehand. Gingko Landing was no more. Nothing but wreckage being tossed repeatedly upon the shore by the waves the water-type pokémon had produced. By the same waves the Gingko Guild had once praised as the force that gave them life.

A vicious cycle that needs to be halted immediately. Ingo curtly dismissed both of his young charges before taking Adrianos aside and informing the man about what he had seen at the Sunken Arena.

At his words, Adrianos hung his head and quietly took off his hat, his mouth twisted into a painful grimace. Tears slid down his face, intermingling with the rain. He shut his eyes tight and stared away at the churning seas, the corner of his lip beginning to tremble. "So that's where all of 'em ended up, huh?" Adrianos let out a long, shivering sob, staring out into the dark seas as his legs threatened to buckle underneath. "What a horrible way to die... We may be merchants, but not all of us have a love for the sea. Some of us know just how merciless she can be, the waves."

"Ingo! Something's up!" Akari had run back to Ingo, her wet hair sticking to her face. She stopped, grabbing a hold of Ingo's sleeve. "I thought you said you and Jaku were still figuring out what to do about…" Akari paused, pointedly shooting a glance toward an oblivious Adrianos.

"I will step away. Pay me no attention." Adrianos nodded, wiping at his face with his sleeve. "I have people to grieve for. Best of luck to both of you."

When Adrianos had disappeared off the trail leading away from the encampment, Akari continued, shooting a glance over her shoulder as the rain began to worsen. "You two were still arguing about what to do about Emmet."

Ingo instinctively steadied his brother as Emmet poked his head out of Ingo's coat pocket, seemingly recognizing the sound of his name being spoken. "We were indeed." A twinge of annoyance pricked at the base of Ingo's neck. "Whatever is the matter?" And much to Ingo's further annoyance, another man rounded the walls of the encampment gate. A very familiar man with rain-slicked blond hair. Akari half-gestured with her hands but ultimately failed, leaving Volo to pick up the slack.

"Volo." Ingo's tone dipped. He didn't trust the merchant, especially when Akari had looked close to tears upon finding Ingo and after Jaku had expressed her doubts about the merchant. "Might you know the reason for Young Akari's current state of wellbeing?"

Volo nodded before wiping his face. "I do indeed. You see, I happened to notice that your friend- Jaku, was it? I do believe I saw them exiting the encampment late last night. Of course, I'm aware you pokémon wielders are more than capable of defending yourselves, but according to the guards, she hasn't returned yet. With Valens ordering frequent headcounts and poor Appa actually enforcing them, they've noticed that your friend hasn't shown up."

"But isn't the Suncrest Encampment nearby?" Akari asked.

"Indeed, they are. You know, one of the scouts here already sent a group of messengers to see if any lost people had found their way up into the cliffs where the Suncrest Encampment is."

"And?" Ingo murmured.

"Nothing. The Suncrest Encampment reports that it closed its gates back when the storm began. Nobody is allowed in or out. Worrisome, especially for Suncrest of all human settlements. Nobody has seen hide nor hair of your friend. And I figured that since you all seemed to be in good relations, that I should tell you."

Ingo promptly tipped his hat to Volo. Odd, that you would pick up on our dynamic when our tracks seldom ever align for all of us to be in the same place at the same time. "Very well then. I shall remember your warning and I will look into the matter. Thank you for your prompt warning, Volo. Not the best news, of that I am certain."

"That's actually horrible," Akari commented in turn. "And the last time Jaku went missing, she got badly hurt. That's what you told me, anyway." Akari glanced at the ever-darkening sky before a shiver passed through her. "Do you think she's okay? I mean, I know she survived the cold back when we first got here, but somehow it feels… different."

Ingo could only shake his head. Do I need to keep an eye on Jaku to ensure her cooperation? This is starting to become a major headache. You must focus on your destination, Young Akari. Continue your survey work. I will see what I can do- "

With a hiss, Chandelure burst from her pokéball, her crystalline body quickly beginning to shine from the excessive rain. Chandelure pivoted and turned her great body to face the faraway coast, her golden eyes dimming. "Chaaaan?"

"Sni?" Emmet wormed his way out of Ingo's pocket, the leaf on his tail quivering. "Sssnivy?" Emmet pointed a claw toward the beach; Chandelure nodded.

And Parlor is in no state to translate, Ingo droned inwardly. But I cannot risk escorting Chandelure into this storm. "If you happen to be aware of where Miss Jaku is, please retain that information for tomorrow. We cannot run our engines in such precarious weather. I am sure that our fellow passenger is in good spirits and in good health."

"I hate to agree with you, but there's no way I'm going back out in this. I need to get warm!"

Ingo opened his mouth to respond, instead being temporarily blinded by the device on his wrist. The screen had changed from the pinpoint map Ingo had grown to love to a new image. One of a tall brick building where fog obscured the ceiling. Candles burned along the dusty floors. Ingo recognized Emmet but much, much younger, his twin brother creeping along a set of polished stairs.

Chandelure made a displeased noise before running her metallic arm over the screen, pointing at what looked to be a ribbon-like item tied around Emmet's wrist. Emmet leaned closer and made a similar cooing noise.

Ingo mirrored their movements. "Is this item… important for some reason?" Both pokémon frantically nodded. "Will it help us locate Miss Jaku?"

Chandelure paused and gave a half-hearted shrug. She then pointed at the distant ocean where the remains of the Veilstone Isthmus jutted out of the water.

"Is this item…. Does it serve a purpose regarding Lord Basculegion?" It was Emmet's turn to enthusiastically nod, snapping to match Chandelure's pointing pose.

"Right they are." Volo had been watching idly as the two conversed, but his sharp silver eyes were trained on Ingo's screen. "So inexplicably from a different time…!" Upon noticing Ingo and Akari staring at him, Volo coughed and pulled at the collar of his soaked uniform. "Ahem… What I meant to say is that I recognize that item."

Akari's eyes widened. "You do?"

"Of course." Volo trained his gaze on Ingo next. "My most sincere apologies Warden Ingo, but I forget- is it you or Warden Melli of the Diamond Clan that patrols the area containing the Celestican Trail?"

"That would be Warden Melli."

"Of course. My mistake. But to answer your question, when passing through the Celestican Trail, one can easily spot remnants of what used to be a massive Ancient Celestican village scattered about the wayside. They're quite fascinating! Why, some of the houses are in good condition and the shrines are pristine!"

"Okay, but what does this have to do with the item?" Akari cut in. "Did you see that weird ribbon there?"

Volo shook his head. "Not necessarily." His tone then softened to almost a whisper. "If you're looking to find a similar item, I know those tags- they're called Cleanse Tags, and they ward off evil spirits. They were used by the Ancient Celesticans. Warden Ingo, you're aware of the Ancient Quarry."

"I am. If I am to recall hisuian history properly, the Ancient Celesticans allegedly called upon the help of ancient pokémon to carve the stones from that place and transport them to the top of Mount Coronet where they constructed the temple of Almighty Sinnoh. Is that correct?"

Volo practically chirped as he enthusiastically responded. "Well done! Not everybody knows that, but of course, you walk the area. Of course you'd know about that fun fact. And you already know- Warden Ingo- that the Ancient Quarry is now overrun by dangerous wild pokémon."

Ingo knew where the conversation was leading to. "…I will make a prompt guess and say that we need to align our tracks toward the Ancient Quarry to find a… Cleanse Tag."

"If you are in a hurry, then yes, by all means you can and will probably find your needed tags on the ruins surrounding the Ancient Quarry. But I would strongly recommend checking the Ancient Celestican Village instead. There's a much higher abundance there and you need to be careful. If it's a Cleanse Tag that you need, you mustn't confuse it for a Spell Tag."

Beside Ingo, Chandelure made another squealing noise, appearing to be… excited? I must know that item if Chandelure has encountered it before. But what is the difference between it and the Cleanse Tag?

From beside Ingo, Akari stepped into a shallow puddle of mud, her eyes set on the mountainous horizon. "I'll go. I'll go and find this tag, Ingo." She turned back to face him, her mouth drawn in a thin grimace. "You stay here and figure out a way to Lord Basculegion. I'll be back with that tag in no time at all."

"I'll go too!" Yuki volunteered. He set a steadying hand on Akari's shoulder. "You won't go alone; not with how dangerous things have been lately."

"Excellent. I do hope this helps with your mission," Volo commented quietly. He made a movement to step aside and join the others from his caravan before pausing. "I do hope you take caution. Very old and very powerful pokémon lurk there."

"It'll be fine. My team and I can handle it," Akari assured the man, talking more to Ingo who had been staring at the young teenager after her sudden exclamation. "We'll be extra careful, and we'll come right back."

"…I am glad to hear it." Ingo let himself relax as much as he could. Akari is a capable girl. While I am concerned for her general well-being, I will take her advice into consideration and temporarily focus on making my way toward my own destination. "Very well. In case I am not here when you return from your expedition, please note that I will be aligning tracks with Warden Iscan to find a suitable entrance point into Lord Basculegion's arena."

"You do that."

Night fell. Waves upon waves of raucous thunder shook the foundation causing Ingo to spill his tea. He grumbled and used the sleeve of his tunic to wipe the spill from his hands. It was all too easy to listen to the pouring rain- for Ingo to wonder how far Akari had gone if she had even left the Trail Encampment. With the humidity of the storm making his skin cool and clammy, Ingo scooted back from the flickering hearth.

Beside him, Emmet laid across the wooden floor, his leafy tail sweeping back-and-forth ever closer to the flames as he used his hand and an emptied ink pot to scrawl on a piece of scratch paper. Emmet had seemingly come up with the idea of picture-writing; constructing shaky diagrams of sorts. It was a substitute for Parlor's telepathy who was to Ingo's knowledge, still suffering from a headache. Ingo was about to make another poultice for his beloved partner when a hearty thump nearly knocked the door off of its hinges.

"Snivy?"

"Stay back, Emmet. Freight?" Ingo's Gliscor immediately dropped from the ceiling and perched atop Ingo's shoulder, their tar-black wings fluttering with anticipation. Another thump at the door, this time a scratching noise accompanying it. Something whined on the other side.

Ingo carefully opened the door. A gaggle of both large and small pokémon, their bodies drenched with rainwater, stood in a shaking circle before the door. The one in the middle- the one that had been scratching on the door- fixed Ingo with its icy-blue eyes, desperation clear in the unbridled whining that drowned out even the storm: Jaku's Zoroark.

"Sniii? Snivy-sni!" Emmet was at the door in an instant and so too were all of the members of Jaku's party, all of them conversing with one another. A mix of tumultuous cries. Emmet pacing from one pokémon to the next. Jaku's Yanmega, grounded by the rain, uncomfortably flapping its wings and clicking its mandibles. Emmet then stared into the distance, the leaves along his throat beginning to rise. "…Ssssni?" Then, without warning, Emmet ran to Ingo's pant sleeves and began to attempt to pull him out and into the storm.

With his entire party following, Ingo followed Emmet to the gates of the Trail Encampment where a camp guard barred the way. With a bit of convincing and a hastily added second passenger, Jaku's Arcanine was swift in giving a ride to both of the men all the way to the fractured coast of the Cobalt Coastlands.

Jaku's Luxray leapt ahead of the party and beckoned them all to a clearing closest to the thundering waves where patches of clay had been exposed. Heaps of sod and soil were littered about the clearing and to Ingo's horror, so too were items that he knew to belong to Jaku. Pokéballs glittered as lighting forked in the sky.

"This… this wasn't an intentional derailment… was it?"

Beside him, Jaku's Zoroark shook its maned head and whined balefully.