Malamar, Bisharp and his remaining slaves managed to track down our heroes. Garchomp and Infernape followed behind him limply. Aggron and the other four stood up and nodded to each other. They had to free the others, hopefully by not beating them within an inch of their lives. Tyrantrum looked towards the steel type and then stomped the ground.

A large stone wall blockaded the entrance, sealing the cult in with the Senshi. Bisharp scoffed at the notion. He leaned towards Malamar and whispered,

"Look at this. They're suicidal. Let's dance."

The ground beneath them trembled. A loud rumbling surrounded the entire aqueduct. Decades old brickwork started to crack under the immense force. Lopunny yelped as she fell to the floor, she looked around, frantically trying to figure out just what on earth was going on. Ampharos started to panic, falling onto his rear,

"What's happening?!" he yelled in fright. Aggron and Tyrantrum felt the tremors in their feet and looked back behind them. That sounded huge, like a bomb exploded. The steel type thought,

"What is this? I haven't felt the ground move like this since…Groudon!" Sableye and Malamar were just as lost as he was. They both looked at each in abject confusion. This certainly wasn't their doing, so what the hell kind of power was responsible for all of this?

Bisharp slashed at Aggron. His metal wrist clanged against Aggron's head as he took advantage of the earthquake. Recoiling from the impact, Aggron fell into the wall. Ampharos snapped out of his fear and charged up a bolt of electricity and fired it directly into him. Bisharp saw the incoming attack and narrowly moved his head back just in time to avoid it. Garchomp was then ordered to attack. A wave of earthy spikes then shot from beneath her, like a column of death. The spikes were shockingly fast. Ampharos knew that he couldn't dodge them in time. He closed his eyes frightfully, ready for the end.

Ampharos felt nothing. He slowly opened his eyes, expecting heaven. If this was death, it was quite surprising. He expected to feel the pain of those spine stabbing into every inch of his skin, at least for a moment. He then opened his eyes and saw that the spikes had frozen in place. He screamed in fright but calmed down. Looking over the spikes, he saw that Garchomp was shaking in place, sparks flickering off of her body.

Ampharos, with a dumb smile on his face, stared at the ground type. Liligant's paralysis plan worked. However, this was no time to celebrate. He jumped over the spikes and ran past Garchomp, towards Malamar. He glanced at his fabulous wool and had an idea. Wool was conductive. He grabbed onto some of his wool and threw it at the cult. Oddly, it seemed to float in the air. Ampharos then released a large spray of lightning into it, trying very carefully not to hurt his friends.

The wool absorbed the electricity like a vacuum. The floating balls of fluff glowed yellow. The electric type stared at the little spheres of thunder in confusion, what was he supposed to do now? Garchomp"s roar cut off his thoughts as she was freed from her paralysis. Vines then wrapped around her, holding her back. Liligant yelled,

"Run! I can holdeth him much longer!"

Malamar stared at the wool in front of him before ordering Infernape,

"Get rid of that!" The fire type obeyed, bursting towards the electric type's projectiles, activating Melting Point to destroy the wool. Infernape reached out and grabbed at the little clouds.

As soon as he made contact with the wool, it exploded. A burst of lightning shot at everyone in the vicinity. Umbreon, Infernape, Malamar, Bisharp and even Aggron were all effected. Tyrantrum, Lopunny and Liligant all watched as Ampharos stood shocked at what he had done. There was no way he actually did that, right? Infernape, in particular, was struck violently. His body shook as he fell onto the floor.

Lopunny jumped towards the now vulnerable Malamar. Sableye sent his gems after her. Thinking quickly, Lopunny formed an ice wall in front of herself and bounced from it. Several gems transformed into knives, ready to slice her into ribbons. Lopunny hissed as one such knife embedded itself into her thigh, flesh being sliced like butter before getting stuck in her bone.

Lopunny then ripped the knife out of her leg. Blood trailed from the wound like a string being pulled from her. She spun in the air and threw the weapon at Sableye, hoping to hit his arm or legs to incapacitate him. The dark type rapidly jumped out of the way, the knife just barely scraping off some skin from his elbow. The ruby blade then sunk itself into stone. Lopunny then jumped towards Sableye, aiming her legs for the goblins head.

Sableye panicked and threw himself to the floor. Lopunny soared past him like a bullet, her legs sinking into the wall up to her knees. Seeing the power Lopunny had was enough to break Sableye's resolve. He immediately started to apologize,

"Wait, wait, we can talk about this!"

A stone pillar then smacked into Bisharp's face. The steel type was pushed into a wall. Tyrantrum and Aggron dashed towards Bisharp rapidly, tearing the concrete beneath them apart. Liligant followed shortly behind them, summoning a swirling tornado of petals that flew past the two. Bisharp protected his face with his wrists, petals subtly scraping scrap from his wrists, blinding him.

Aggron and Tyrantrum went to Bisharp's sides. The dark type tried to free himself but Liligant's vines wrapped around him, retraining him. Aggrons fist turned into bright steel, shining through the murky depths of the aqueduct, whilst Tyrantrum's tail was enveloped with blue and yellow energy, a roar booming from the glowing flames. The two forces slammed into Bisharp, crushing him like a tin can. Bisharp could only gape in pain as the wind was thrown out of his lungs.

Bisharp collapsed onto the floor. His bravado shattered before everyone's eyes, blood coated the lower half of his face. Sableye watched all of this and froze in horror, staring at their comrades body. Sableye looked at everyone now staring at him. That gem wall couldn't hold forever. What would they do to him? Wait, what would they do to Umbreon? She did nothing wrong. She did not deserve this. Sableye shook his head and stood tall, well, 'tall.' Here he was, a lone man standing against an army.

Ampharos stared at Sableye as the gremlin shakily stood. The electric's mega evolution faded away, the wool simply disappearing into quiet static. His panicked breathing and whimpering for mercy echoing through the silence, begging for a reprieve. They were like him. They were like him when he began this journey. Had…had they been in the wrong?

Ampharos gulped and stuttered,

"That's enough. We've done enough." Aggron, Lopunny and even Malamar were surprised by the electric type's change in attitude.

"Buddy, I get the kindness but they've killed people," said Aggron. Sableye wanted to desperately to believe, but he couldn't. He couldn't fall for it again. Sableye snapped at Ampharos,

"I'm not falling for it!" The sheep stepped back, hands open and visible, showing no malice. Ampharos insisted,

"I'm not going to hurt you!" He then slowly stepped towards them, still showing his palms.

Sableye's shoulders remained tight as the sheep got closer and closer. Sableye could only wonder if this was a trick. He looked towards Bisharp, who had now awakened but remained mute and stuck in place, glaring at him. What if this was his chance to get out? Bisharp was on the floor with two powerful Pokémon on either side of him, he had no power here, he was helpless. Still, who knew what these Senshi were up to.

"Wait," Sableye thought. This was the Ampharos from before. The one that froze in fright when he and Druddigon fought him. Remembering how he was back then, he seemed quite gentle. If anything, Sableye could at least know that he would be talked to like a sentient being.

The three stared at each other for a moment. Both sides were trying to get a read on the other. Sableye's gems fell to the floor with dozens of clatters, just as Ampharos faded out of his Mega Evolution. The electric type outstretched his hand, grinning in an attempt to comfort them, lacking the words to convey his message. Sableye looked at Ampharos's hand, looked at Ampharos, looked back at Umbreon and took it.

A groan echoed out from the silence. Ampharos and Sableye looked back to see Infernape sitting up. The fire type occasionally froze for a split second but he seemed alright, especially considering what happened to him. He looked at the scene in front of him and grinned at Ampharos,

"You did good buddy."

"FERNY!" Lopunny yelled as she freed herself from the wall and dashed towards him. Infernape outstretched his arms as he stood up. Lopunny jumped into the air and the two embraced tightly, spinning around gracefully.

"I didn't bang you up too bad, did I?" Infernape asked. Lopunny just confidently smirked,

"I'm fine, Monkey. Just a little scratch is all."

"You are bleeding from the thigh, you are not fine." Infernape pointed out, looking at the knife wound on the rabbits leg. Lopunny just remarked,

"Tis but a scratch!" as Infernape got onto his knees and activated melting point in his finger.

Malamar rushed to pick up Bisharp, his tentacles picking up the dark type. Malamar pulled out a little yellow crystal and pressed it into Bisharp. The entire group turned around to focus on the two remaining members. Bisharp groaned awake before he snapped,

"You think you've won? I can go another round." Infernape just confidently smirked. He started laughing, much to the confusion of the others. Aggron smirked as well, stepping right next to the fire type.

Did you honestly think four of us bum-rushed into enemy's territory without a plan?" Infernape asked. Bisharp scoffed at the fire type,

"You ran in and one of yours was captured. Why wouldn't I think that?" Bisharp remarked, "I'm not falling for this stupid little trick of yours!"

Lopunny asked the fire type,

"You guys had a plan? Why didn't you tell me?" Aggron said,

"Don't ask me. I didn't shit."

"Sorry about that," said Infernape, "By the looks of it, everything went tits up. I wanted more people to chase after Gardevoir, but so long as she got out of here with the Eclipse Gem, then the plan's a success."

The original plan was to have Gardevoir run with the Gem, forcing the cult to split apart and give the others a much easier fight. Everyone would be freed from their mind control and they could finish off the rest. Now, as you could probably ascertain, Infernape made a miscalculation, but like he said, as long as Gardevoir managed to get away, the plan still worked.

…right?

Umbreon sat in that aqueduct, stifling her tears. That earthquake from earlier certainly didn't help matters. She felt like a quivering little girl, or perhaps more accurately, a failure. As much as she had grown to dislike Bisharp, she still had Sableye and Druddigon and, to a much lesser extent, Malamar. They were the closest thing she ever had to what she had desired for her life. What she was so close to achieving all those years ago with Pidgeot and his gang.

Family.

"Excuse me," said a voice. Umbreon looked over to see Gardevoir walking back towards her. Umbreon immediately went on the defensive, standing up, ready to take on the psychic type. However, Gardevoir didn't flinch. She didn't raise her hands to defend herself. All she did was calmly approach. Umbreon was confused. What kind of idiot was she? All Gardevoir needed to do was keep flying and they would never find the Eclipse Gem. Dump it deep into the heart of the aqueduct where they would never find it again. Instead, she was approaching her enemy.

"Are you okay?" asked Gardevoir. There was a sincerity in her voice that shook Umbreon. It was startlingly similar to that Flareon. Had he told her about Umbreon's situation? It was the memory of the talk she had with Flareon that started to melt the icy walls she had put up towards Gardevoir and her group. Deciding to risk it all, Umbreon confided in Gardevoir,

"No…No, I'm not," said Umbreon. She took a few breaths to calm herself before continuing, "I…I don't know what I'm supposed to think anymore. Bisharp's talking about Weskrin and I don't know what it means. I've spent these past few months praying he doesn't snap. I want to leave, but I also don't, you Senshi are trying to get into my head, and now there's an earthquake!" All the while, Gardevoir stayed silent, allowing Umbreon to speak. Her eyes filled with genuine sympathy. "I just…I just want a family. People who recognize me as a person and not just as an inconvenience."

Gardevoir sat down, leaning against the wall. She patted the space next to her, inviting Umbreon to sit as well. Umbreon did just that, sitting down next to Gardevoir. The air around her began to warm ever so slightly. Maybe it was a shift in temperature or…something else.

"Umbreon," said Gardevoir, "Do you like Sableye?"

"Yes," answered Umbreon without hesitation.

"Do you like Druddigon?" Once more, Umbreon answered,

"Yes, I do."

"Do you think they care about you?" That question was much heavier than before, but Umbreon answered confidently.

"Yes. I think they have my back."

"Do you like Malamar?" asked Gardevoir. That question was met with hesitation from Umbreon. Malamar…Malamar made her uncomfortable. Never did she ever feel fully safe around him. There were times where she got close, such as when he invited her to a nice sushi restaurant, but she felt like she could never fully trust him. Still, he took the time to teach her hypnosis and that's not nothing.

"Y-Yes, and-and I think he cares about me. Just…not as much as I would like." The last question hit Umbreon like a freight train.

"Do you like Bisharp, and do you think he cares about you?" Bisharp…Bisharp scared her, especially after these last few months. He was a man with a conviction fueled by something violent. Something primal within him that drove him to kill. He was quick to anger and vicious…but he had to care. Right? Why would her put all of this effort in dealing with her if he didn't care at least a little? He had her best interest in mind. That was why he recruited her, right?

But…if he cared, why was he so cruel? Why was he so insistent on everything going his way? Now that she thought about it, she knew why Sableye wanted to use the Eclipse Gem. She knew why Druddigon wanted it. Malamar had told her he wanted the Gem to make a better world…but Bisharp. She had not clue why he wanted the Eclipse Gem. Did he truly have good intentions or did he want something from Weskrin.

"Do you not have an answer?" asked Gardevoir. Umbreon glared at Gardevoir, but relaxed. It was just an earnest question. Umbreon opened her mouth, but no words came out. No matter what, Umbreon couldn't bring herself to make a sound. Gardevoir patted Umbreon on her head, "Umbreon. I love my family with all of my heart, and they love me with all of their hearts. I don't, for a second, doubt that they care about me and want to see me succeed. That is what family is. People who care about you without a second thought. Who would lay down their lives for you if it meant your continued happiness. I never once doubted if they cared about me. I never once worried that maybe they were using me, that I was just a means to an end. That failure meant they no longer cared for me. Do you understand what I am saying?"

Those words shook Umbreon to her core. Care without condition? That made no sense. How are you supposed to care for someone who can't do the job? That was the way the world worked. You provide service and, in return, you get something. What Gardevoir was saying sounded…inane, like something out of a children's cartoon…but maybe that's what she needed. Her entire life, she never got to have a childhood. Never go to see the world with bright-eyed optimism and her life as a courier perhaps conditioned her to view the world in this give-and-take perspective.

Gardevoir outstretched her hand. Her face was so serene and kind. Umbreon felt almost at home staring into her eyes.

"What are you doing?" asked Umbreon.

"You don't have to listen to Bisharp anymore. We can protect you and everyone you care about," said Gardevoir. The way Gardevoir said that struck a particularly strong cord with Umbreon. She felt that warm fuzzy feeling. A feeling she had nearly forgotten from when she saw that family from the window. Was…Was this truly her chance to escape? To be free from Bisharp? To live a normal life without fear or worry? Could she go to a park, watch a movie, read a book without constantly looking over her shoulder? That…that sounded…nice. With Sableye and Druddigon by her side. Was this her chance…

…to have a family.

But then the memories came back. The memories she wanted to forget.

"We trusted you!" yelled Arboliva. Umbreon's eyes then drifted to the Eclipse Gem, hidden within Gardevoir's dress.

"I oughta kill you for that!" yelled Donphan. Umbreon's breathing sped. Her eyes glared into Gardevoir's.

"You knew what was in that package, didn't you?!" That searing, burning pain began to pulse through her back as though the scars were reopening.

"No one threatens my team and gets away with it!" said Pidigeot's voice.

In an instant, Umbreon used a dark slash, slicing Gardevoir's side. Gardevoir screamed as she reached to cover the gaping wound on her side. The Eclipse Gem dropped onto the floor, cracking and leaving a long scar down the middle, but still intact. Umbreon grabbed the gem and sprinted back as fast as she could. Gardevoirs screams for her to come back, going on deaf ears because if there was one lesson Umbreon learned from that horrible day, it was this.

Those who welcome you with open arms, only do you so they may strangle you.