The atmosphere in Delliger Hollow was just as unnerving on their way out as it was when they were headed in, though in a markedly different way. Nero could sense just as many eyes on them before, and the fear in their eyes was just as palpable, but ever since the burning of that hotel, there was none of the malicious intent. "The townsfolk must've held some fear for Elena," Nero supposed. "I wonder, how did she manage to keep everyone from coming after us long before we arrived at her hotel? I assumed they had feared us for whatever reason, but perhaps it was her they were scared of?"

Nero shook his head. This wasn't a useful train of thought to occupy himself with by this point, especially when there were far more pressing concerns he needed to concentrate on. Namely, the Turtwig trotting alongside them. He wasn't a criminal under the eyes of the Guilds, which Nero verified by skimming through a directory of every wanted criminal in Tullabar two times over, but there was definitely a bounty hunter after him, and Nero had to find out why.

"Zach?" Nero asked, catching his attention. "Tell me, why are you so set on heading for Lumeral? It's quite the opulent destination compared to here, I'll admit, but as far as I've seen in the news, now isn't exactly a great time to visit. The king's been awfully guillotine-happy lately, no?"

"Th-That's… not…" Zach mumbled. "W-Well, it's my home. Where else would I even go?"

"I gave him a full day to come up with a real excuse, and this is all he has?" As he walked, Nero almost tripped over a random unconscious Tepig, but caught himself. "I just get this ominous feeling that there's going to be some trouble in paradise, as it were. I wouldn't pay that much mind on its own, but you seemed quite set on making it to Lumeral as quickly as physically possible. Almost as if you don't want to miss the imminent political turmoil?"

Predictably, Zach froze up, as he did every single time Nero pointed out something fishy about him. "I- Well I–"

"You don't get put on the spot very often, do you?" Nero asked. "I thought Fabian was weak under pressure, but you're on a whole new level."

"I… Just, look, I'm tired." Zach said. "I couldn't sleep at all last night."

"I imagine it'd be hard to," Nero said. "What, with the fiery conflict going down on the floor beneath you. I'm not one to talk, but out of curiosity, why didn't you try to assist Sofia? I'm sure she feels she could've used the help."

Zach stared at the ground as they walked. "Because I'm a coward," he said plainly. "I heard fighting, and I froze up. I really wish my brain would let me do anything else whenever I get scared, sometimes." He chuckled lightly, as to try and ease the tension.

"There's hardly any shame in cowardice," Nero said. "There's no sense in engaging yourself in a conflict you're certain to lose. Had you come running to Sofia's rescue, you almost certainly would've burned to death, assuming you didn't get murdered by the sludge first."

"I at least could've tried to get Fabian's help," Zach retorted.

Nero couldn't help but laugh, being reminded of Fabian's performance that night. "If I didn't know Fabian as well as I do, I'd accuse him of wimping out like you did."

"I wish I was more like him, honestly. I'd kill to be able to fall asleep that quickly, and remain that way for a whole night."

"A fellow insomniac, then?" Nero noted. "You have no idea. Once, I saw him sleep for three entire days straight."

Zach sighed longingly. "A better life..."

This was all getting quite off-topic, but he didn't necessarily mind. After all, building a rapport with Zach would be the best way to ensure that his guard was down when Nero next planned to gather some information. And so, Nero and Zach chatted idly for the rest of their walk to The Ripper.

Fabian chose to sit right next to Zach and Sofia because he desperately needed to apologize for missing the fight with Elena. "I'm so, so sorry about sleeping through that whole thing!" he cried. "I swear, if I knew, I'd have gotten up right away!"

Sofia sighed. "I told you, it's alright. At least you had an excuse not to show up. Unlike some people."

"Hm?" Nero murmured, forcing direct eye contact with Sofia.

She shrunk back. "N-Nevermind, sorry."

Fabian decided not to give Nero any attention. "I know, but the whole reason I'm here is to protect you guys from stuff like this! You all deserve so much better!"

"Fabian, it's okay," Zach said. "We all mess up sometimes. Nobody's perfect."

"I can be!" Fabian retorted. "I was supposed to be the next Guildmaster, why should I even be here if I can't help people?"

Zach blinked once or twice and shook his head. "You… You what?"

"The next Guildmaster," Fabian repeated. "Y'know, like the big important guy in the skyscraper who makes all the rules."

"I- I know what the Guildmaster is, but-" Zach stammered. "You're Fabian Vanadis? Like, the Guildmaster heir, Fabian Vanadis?"

"I mean, yeah," Fabian said. "You didn't know?"

"N-No!" Zach stammered. "You neglected to mention that part! What in the world are you doing, traveling with Mr. Moreno of all people? I- I'm so sorry, I've been referring to you by your first name the whole time, and-"

"You really don't gotta start calling me 'Mr. Vanadis' or something," Fabian said. "I introduced myself as 'Fabian' for a reason, y'know? I wanna be approachable!"

Zach took a deep breath. "Y-Yes, of course. It's just, I was raised to treat Guild officials a certain way. Just- wow, I guess that explains some things, but you aren't at all what I expected you to be like."

"Why's that?"

"It's just…" Zach trailed off. "You're so… nice. And casual. It's hard to put into words, but I always used to imagine you as somewhat of a stone-cold businessman. That, and I've never heard of a Guildmaster who wants to be approachable before. I'm even more appreciative of the help now, but then, why in the world are you on the run?"

Fabian's smile faltered. "You… haven't been keeping up with the news, have you?" He didn't read any of the papers themselves, but the headlines alone were always enough to ruin his mood.

"I've not had that luxury recently," Zach said. "Sorry, this is clearly something sensitive for you, I shouldn't have asked. I'd say I'll just check the news for myself, but knowing the Guilds, I can't imagine I'll get an honest reporting."

"Yeah, you're right," Fabian said, repeatedly thumping his tail against his seat. "Sorry, I just really hate talking about it."

"Nothing to worry about," Zach said. He stared at the floor for a while. "Excuse me, I'm still a bit in shock."

Fabian nodded encouragingly, knowing from experience how hard this detail about him was to get over for most people.

"...What do you think a leader's supposed to do?" Zach asked suddenly.

"Huh?" That was a weird question, Fabian thought. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know, just… What's the point?" Zach's voice wavered as he spoke. "I know what the answer is, it's to help their country grow, but that just doesn't sit right with me for some reason."

"That's pretty dumb," Fabian said.

"Huh?" Zach asked.

"I said it's dumb," Fabian replied. "A country's just a bunch of land, right? Who cares about any of that? The people who actually live there are what actually matter. If you can't protect your people and they all die, then you aren't a leader anymore, right? It does matter if you still own the ground they walked on."

Zach scoffed. "You make it sound so simple."

"That's 'cause it is!" Fabian replied. "My mom always told me that we rule people, not places."

Zach seemed almost annoyed. "Rulers do things that are good for their domain but bad for their people all the time. Taxes, for example."

"First off, don't talk to me about taxes for too long or I'll pass out," Fabian warned. "And second, the whole point of taxes is to build stuff that keeps the people safe, right?"

Nero snorted. "Yes, of course. Citizen safety is the highest priority of all kings, I'm sure. How would the citizens of Lumeral sleep well at night without the gold-plated castle in the middle of their city?"

"Nobody's talking to you!" Fabian shouted. "But… I guess, to be fair, the kind of king Nero's talking about is probably a sucky leader. But hey, it's not like every leader in the world is good. I figured that out just a few days ago, actually! That's why I've decided that I'm gonna beat up anyone I see who acts like they're so important that they're allowed to hurt people."

"Late to the party," Zach mumbled.

"Huh?" Fabian asked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Zach sighed. "Don't worry about it too hard. It's nothing you'll be involved with."

"You sure?" Fabian asked. "If something's up, I'm always willing to help-"

The entire bus sharply swerved right, just in time to dodge an enormous uprooted tree hurtling towards them. "We're under attack!" Toño shouted.

Fabian grinned. "Does that mean what I think it means?"

Toño turned around and gave him a wink. "You know it does, buddy! I've been looking for an excuse to show the world what The Ripper's made of!"

Fabian vaulted over his seat and booked it for the ladder leading to the ceiling hatch. He'd been waiting for a moment like this from the moment he first laid eyes on The Ripper, and he wasn't gonna let anyone else take the coolest seat in the world before he could.

Fabian climbed the ladder and through the ceiling hatch so fast that he felt like he was flying, and promptly sat down in the cockpit. He made sure to buckle his seatbelt. He couldn't forget to, not after the hours of exhausting cockpit safety drilling Toño had put him through.

The intercom crackled briefly before Toño's voice started to come from it. "Agent Blue, do you copy?"

"Over and under, Commander White!"

"What are you two saying?" Sofia screamed, barely audible from the speaker. "We're all going to die!"

"Remain calm, Agent Red," Toño said as the vehicle lurched to the side, nearly toppling as it turned. "Here's the lowdown: We've got a classic Code One Fifty-Nine, big ole' Golurk's hurling bigger ole'er trees and boulders at The Ripper. Agent Purple's on caboose duty, so rest assured that we won't get caught off guard by attacks from behind."

"Wait, who's Agent Purple?" Fabian asked.

"That would be me," came Nero's voice from the intercom.

"But he's not purple! Shouldn't he be Agent Brown or something?"

"He asked to be Agent Purple, so–"

"Guys, please!" Sofia screamed.

Toño cleared his throat. "As I was saying, navigation is covered, so all you have to worry about is shooting!"

Fabian crossed his arms. "I still think he should be Agent Brown," he muttered.

"I'll be sure to bring that up in the war room next time, Agent Blue," Toño said. The Ripper plowed straight through a tree, but didn't lose any speed at all. "Anyways, cannon work is super intuitive! Steering wheel spins your seat around, and you pull it up and down to aim! We've only got three cannonballs loaded though, so–"

Fabian saw a big red button and pushed it immediately. An overwhelming exploding noise assaulted his eardrums, followed by the smell of gunpowder. Dozens of trees directly in front of The Ripper had been reduced to piles of wood chips.

"...We've only got two cannonballs loaded though, so aim carefully!" Toño finished.

Fabian saluted, despite knowing that nobody could see him. "Loud and clear, Commander White! See you on the other side!"

Fabian spun the steering wheel until he could see the Golurk in the distance. He wore a Syndicate cloak large enough to be a blanket for most Pokémon and he was covered in tiny pieces of bark. "Shouldn't be a hard target to miss!"

Fabian lowered the cannon, aimed squarely at the Golurk's chest, but before he could hit fire, The Ripper pulled a complete one-eighty. Admittedly Fabian almost lost his lunch, but luckily, there was a garbage can in the cockpit. Once his business was done, Fabian slammed the lid onto the can as tightly as physically possible.

"How the heck did a Syndicate guy even find us?" Fabian asked as he tried to reorient himself. "We're in the middle of nowhere!"

"Not sure," Toño answered. "Best guess is that the Accelgor bounty hunter lady tipped them off. Agent Purple, do you know this guy?"

"Not personally, but I believe I've seen his face around from time to time. An Officer of mild renown, though– HARD RIGHT, NOW!"

The Ripper swerved to the right, but it was too late. A boulder crashed into the rear, and Fabian thanked every single god under the sun that his garbage can didn't spill over.

"Dammit, are the wheels okay?" Toño shouted.

"Miraculously, yes!" Nero answered.

Fabian frantically swung the cannon in the Golurk's direction and hit fire. It was a direct hit to the chest, and although the cannonball sent him skidding back dozens of meters, it didn't leave a dent, nor did it topple him in any regard. "It's not working!" Fabian screamed.

"I knew we should've gotten explosive cannonballs!" Toño shouted. "What do we do now?"

"Wha- Hey!" Sofia yelled as the sound of crinkling paper came from the speaker.

"There appears to be a large chasm called Ottalon Canyon around half a kilometer north of us," Nero quickly said. "Let's lure the Golurk there and knock him down."

"Got it!" Toño called out. The Ripper swerved north, weaving from side to side in response to Nero's callouts and evading dozens of boulders. Eventually, The Ripper accelerated to such a ridiculous speed that the Golurk had to reach a full sprint to keep up.

Luckily, the canyon wasn't very far, and The Ripper was able to skillfully weave around tossed boulders and trees for the entire journey. It was a shockingly wide and deep canyon, though there wasn't much time to take in the majesty.

"Get ready, Fabian!" Toño shouted as The Ripper swerved around, lining it up so that the Golurk was between them and the canyon. "This shot's the one that counts!"

Fabian took a deep breath. The Ripper was speeding towards the Golurk rapidly, so it was now or never. He balled up a fist and slammed down on the fire button.

The final cannonball soared at the Golurk at point blank. With no time to react, it was a direct hit, and the Golurk was sent flying directly into the canyon.

"I… I did it!" Fabian cheered. Now that the threat was gone, he could safely unbuckle his seatbelt and stand up to stretch. A few seconds passed, and The Ripper wasn't slowing down. "Should we be stopping now?"

Another few seconds went by. "...Joder," Toño muttered under his breath.

"What does that word mean?" Fabian asked.

"The brake's not working."

The canyon was just meters away, and The Ripper was moving way too fast to turn sharply enough. "Brake harder!" Fabian screamed.

"I'm trying!" Toño shouted back. "I'm gonna try the emergency brake! It's gonna be a rough stop, so hold on tight!"

Before Fabian had the chance to grab onto something, the bus instantly went from hundreds of kilometers per hour to a complete stop. Fabian barely had time to react before he was flung forward, smashing through the glass dome of the cockpit.

As he soared through the air, flipping around and flailing his arms as much as he could, he barely caught a glimpse of two blurs, one green and one brown, right beside each other, both drifting towards him. "Holy Arceus, what do I do? I'm gonna die! Arceus, I'm gonna die!"

Fabian made the dire mistake of looking straight down, directly at the mile-deep canyon he was plummeting into. The sight alone made him pass out.

The first thing Fabian felt was a massive headache. He attempted to clutch his head, but found that he couldn't move his arms. They were tied to his waist by some sturdy rope, and as much as he struggled, he couldn't move them.

He was in a dusty concrete building with only a set of bars leading outside as his light source. "Another jail cell? C'mon, this is the third time I've been locked up this week!"

"Lemme go!" he yelled to nobody in particular. "Get me out of here! My head hurts!"

"Fabian?" came a voice from on the other side of the wall.

Fabian fell to the floor and rolled over to the wall in order to hear better. "Zach?" he yelled. "That you?"

"Oh thank Arceus, you're finally awake. Can you see Nero anywhere?"

Now that Fabian was on his side, he didn't really have any way to get back up, so it was hard to get a good look out of the bars in his cell. However, as far as he could tell, all of the cells opposite to him were empty. "No, he's not here!"

"Would you two be quiet?!" shouted a high-pitched, juvenile voice.

"Shut up, Jenny!" shouted another voice that was lower in pitch, but just as youthful-sounding. "Why are you letting them know we're here?! They're so scary-"

"Don't tell them we're scared of them, Petey!"

The two kids marched solemnly into view. The male Oddish, who Fabian assumed was Petey, cowered behind the comparatively bold (though still clearly quivering) Petilil, who was probably the girl named Jenny.

"Kids?" Zach asked. "What are you children doing in a place like this?"

Jenny puffed her chest out. "We captured you, trespassers! No outsiders allowed! It's against the rules! As punishment, you're gonna rot away in these cells forever!"

"Why?" Fabian asked. "Just let us leave, I promise I didn't fall down here on purpose!"

"Sure you didn't!" Jenny said. "And we didn't tie you up and throw you in here on purpose, either!"

Fabian came very close to saying something stupid, but realized just in the nick of time that the Petilil was being ironic. "Where are your parents?" he asked, desperately hoping that they were somewhere nearby.

Jenny and Petey both looked at him like he just asked them to explain what an apple was. "At work," they both said at the same time.

"So you two locked us up all on your own?" Zach asked.

"Yeah, and you're lucky we didn't have you killed!" Jenny said. "We could've, y'know! We're allowed, and we're actually supposed to! If it wasn't for Dr. Nolan, you'd all be dead, you hear me? So you better be real scared of us!"

Fabian had never heard that name before in his entire life. "Who's Dr. Nolan? Is he your boss or something?"

Jenny scoffed. "You don't know Dr. Nolan? He's basically the coolest, most important celebrity in the entire universe! He studies archaeology, and he's super smart, and he's visiting our canyon to study archaeology and be super smart!"

Fabian gasped. "He's a super smart archaeologist? He sounds like the coolest guy in the whole world!"

Petey nodded enthusiastically. "Y-Yeah, he talks about all this cool stuff that I don't get the half of!"

"That's… a relief, I think," Zach said. "But then, doesn't that make him an outsider? I thought that was against the law. Also, why does he have a vested interest in our safety if he's an archaeologist?"

"Don't you dare question Dr. Nolan's genius!" Jenny retorted. "He's a celebrity!"

"Yeah, Zach!" Fabian chimed in. "He's a genius and an archaeologist!"

"R-Right, my apologies," Zach said. "I won't… do it again, I guess. When do we get to meet this 'Dr. Nolan' character?"

"When he's ready!" Jenny snarled. "You can't rush a genius!" Petey leaned in and whispered something to Jenny. Once he was done, she cleared her throat. "He's coming in once he's done eating! And he wants to meet with you guys alone!"

"Wow, I wonder what kind of food a genius eats?" Fabian asked to himself. He couldn't even bring himself to be mad about the whole getting imprisoned thing anymore.

For some reason, Zach sighed. "Please, just let us know when he's ready for us."

"We'll do whatever we want!" Jenny snapped. "Petey, we're leaving!"

The Petilil marched away just as confidently as she had come in, and the Oddish stumbled behind her.

Fabian chuckled to himself. "Funny kids."

"Fabian, we're in unimaginable danger right now!" Zach shouted.

"Well… yeah, I guess," Fabian replied. "But we shouldn't panic right now. Times of crisis are the worst time for that, right?" He thought about what he just said for a moment. "Wait, did I just quote Nero?! Arceus dammit, I hate that guy!"

Zach took a deep breath. "You're not wrong, I guess. But, what do we do? How do we know for sure that this Nolan guy–"

"Dr. Nolan," Fabian corrected.

Zach paused briefly. "...Right. As I was saying, how do we know that Dr. Nolan isn't trying to hurt me?"

"C'mon, Zach, we don't even know the guy yet! We've gotta give him the benefit of the doubt! Why'd he even want to do anything to you, anyway? I'd get it if you were talking about me, since I'm a Successor and all, but you're just like, a guy."

"I… misspoke," Zach answered, voice slightly higher than normal. "I meant to say you, not me. Sorry."

Suddenly, the sound of the door swinging open could be heard, and a set of quadrupedal footsteps followed. By now, Fabian was practically shaking with excitement, wanting to meet whoever this guy was in person.

The doctor, now only just out of view, cleared his throat. "Ah, Fabian and Zach. It's a pleasure to meet you both for the very first time."

Fabian knew that voice. "Hold on a minute–"

A Zigzagoon stepped into view for Fabian, cracked his biggest smirk yet, and bowed his head in an obnoxiously exaggerated motion. "Dr. Nolan, genius archaeologist at your service."

"Nero, what the hell are you–"

Fabian was telekinetically launched into the back wall.

"I've never met a man named Nero Moreno in my life," Nero said through gritted teeth.

Fabian rolled his eyes. "Whatever, just get us out of here so we can get back on the road."

"I'd love nothing more, believe me," Nero said. "However, I'm afraid that the circumstances have changed. We have business here, believe it or not."

"What do you mean?" Zach asked. "We really shouldn't stay in Ottalon Canyon any longer than we have to, you know. It isn't known for being a pleasant place."

Nero sighed. "I'm more than aware. Boy, do I have a story for you."