Interceptor's Wish

by Masterdude21

What started as a young man's search for his abducted mother spirals out of control. Soon, he is fighting a desperate war for survival against greater odds than a more generous God would have allowed. The enemy is everywhere and allies are far too few. With the entire region at stake, who can prevail when fate itself seems set against you? - Novelization of Pokemon Rejuvenation.

6. Loss at Amethyst Cave

Chapter 2: Redemption

A loss at Amethyst Cave

~~~~~~~(I)~~~~~~~

---

Ren plucked at his wound with a pair of tweezers and it was all Wil could do not to cry out in pain.

"And these guys, this Team Xen, they were the same ones who attacked the Oceana?"

Will kept his jaws sealed shut as Ren poked the shard of stone and sent lances of pain shooting through his ribs.

"And now they're after Melia…why?" Ren found a grip and started pulling the shrapnel out.

"Don't know," Will said through gritted teeth.

"And Jenner…I never would have thought he'd be capable of something like this. I've worked with him for years…and all this time…"

"I-aagh! C-Careful!"

"Sorry," Ren muttered.

"No, s'okay, you're….ah, aah, doing great…"

Ren plucked the bloodied shard of stone out between Will's ribs and discarded it. "Got it."

"Thanks…"

Next, Ren quickly stuffed some bandages into the wound to stem the bleeding. Wound packing, he called it. Having entire strips of cloth stuffed into a bleeding wound by someone's thumbs was every bit as comfortable as it sounded, and Will was pretty sure that by the end of it, he'd pass out from the pain.

"And that thing, that Snag Machine, Jenner clearly intended for Melia to use it if she got in trouble. That doesn't make sense to me though; by the time she got in trouble, the ability to steal someone's Pokemon wouldn't change that. Melia is smart, but she's not some hardened rainer."

"Maybe he was coping," Will softly remarked. "Trying to deal with the guilt in some way. If he convince himself he'd tried to help her, no matter how small and useless his aid was…"

"He'd be able to live with himself more easily? Yeah. maybe…"

Ren's Frogadier – Froakie had evolved too – kept a solemn watch together with Nidoran, making sure that team Xen wouldn't try to barge into the lab while they were vulnerable. Nidoran kept flicking his ears back to Will every time he cried out.

"And now they're attacking the city by themselves. Don't we have a police department for that? A National Ranger Department?" Ren continued. "How is Team Xen capable of doing this?"

"Dunno. Doesn't matter for now. You said Venam was fighting them off?"

"As much as she could. The city's got a lot of trainers, and some of them are pretty good at fighting. You got a plan?"

Will sucked in a breath through his teeth. Calling it a plan was being too generous. He had an idea on how to start a plan. "Yeah. We link up with Venam, go to Route 2 and get Melia."

"Good plan…'

Ren finished up by wrapping more bandages around his chest and neatly tying the ends off, before working them away underneath the other bandages. All in all, it had taken Ren maybe fifteen minutes to clean, disinfect and completely cover the wound. "Sounds simple."

Will rolled his shoulders and moved his arms around to test his range of motion. "Huh."

"Better?"

"Much," Will said with relief. "You're a pro."

"I've had a lot of practice," Ren said, his expression darkening.

There's a story there, Will thought. "Thanks man. You're the best."

"I care about Melia a lot. You kept her safe through…all of that," Ren said, gesturing at Will's injuries and bloodied clothes. "You could have run. Instead you bled for her. For us. I'd say we're about even."

Will carefully rose to his feet and took a deep breath. "What is Route 2 like? What's out there?"

Ren thought about that for a moment. "I think Melia's going to go through Amethyst Cave to head to Sheridan Village. There's a Gym Leader there, as well as several strong trainers that would be able to protect her. She'd be safe. But we shouldn't leave it up to fate. We should also act."

"So get Venam, grab Melia, make a break for Sheridan?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a plan." Ren's eyes flashed back to Will's chest, and he worked his jaw for a moment. "Are you sure you're up for this?"

"Have to," Will replied. His face was starting to hurt when he spoke. Best to keep the words to a minimum. "She's out there. Alone. We have to help."

Ren grimaced, but he didn't protest, for which Will was thankful. "Alright. Let's head out, then."

They packed up their Pokemon and headed out together. Will had expected sirens, or some sort of alarm to indicate that the city was under attack, but Gearen City just had…nothing. Just the regular sounds of the decrepit city.

As they made their way towards the eastern part, Ren explained the situation as he had seen it. "Venam went back to her house last night, after you beat her. She should still be around there, but we've got to be careful. There are Xen thugs all around us."

Nidoran gave a sharp cry and skidded to a halt, his nails scraping across the asphalt as he whirled to face their rear. Another sharp back, and Will understood.

"Behind us," he hissed.

Ren acted immediately. "Frogadier!"

"Wait," a female vice cried out. "I'm not with them, don't attack!"

The two guys exchanged a skeptical look. "How about to come out with your arms where I can see 'em," Ren called out.

"What are you, a cop?" The girl snapped. Will guessed she was hiding around the corner of one of the skyscrapers they'd passed. Which one, he wasn't sure.

"No, but I can do this the hard way," Ren retorted.

"Fine, I'm coming out."

A young woman stepped around the corner Nidoran had been glaring at, awkwardly keeping her hands in front of her. She was dressed in a brown formal dress with a fluffy, beige collar on top. Her orange hair was tied in a smooth, short ponytail. All in all she didn't look dangerous, but Will was starting to learn that looks could be deceiving.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop on you guys, but I heard you mention Venam's name?"

Ren's eyes narrowed. "Wait, aren't you Karrina? The girl who hangs out by the docks often?" He crossed his arms and shot her a stern look. "You're a gang leader."

Well crap. That was just what they needed; another gang to face down.

"Look, I may be a gang leader, but that doesn't mean we do bad things," Karrina shot back. "Quite the opposite actually. We work to make sure the streets of Gearen are as clean as possible. Anyway, Venam. Are you two looking for her?"

"...that's right," Ren replied, apparently choosing to believe her. Time wasn't on their side anyway. "Have you run into her?"

"When I saw that the city was being overrun with Team Xen, I contacted her immediately," Karrina said. "I got word that one of their admins was holding themselves off in the Abandoned Factory on Junction Bridge."

Junction Bridge, the blockaded crossing that connected East Gearen with West Gearen. In hindsight, that made it an obvious place to hunker down. It was on the other side of the city though, the opposite direction of where they needed to go.

"Before I could even explain the situation, Venam dashed on over there," Karrina finished, crossing her arms across her chest.

Sounds like Venam, Will thought, and he relaxed somewhat. It sounded like Karrina actually knew Venam.

"Of course she would jump in head-first without thinking," Will grumbled. "But if a Xen Admi is in there, maybe we can stop all of this before it gets too bad. Alright, let's head for Junction Bridge and help Venam."

"Great, I'm going that way myself," Karrina said. "Let's go together then. I'll lead the way."

Following a self-proclaimed gang leader through Gearen City's streets wasn't on Will's bucket list, but damned if it wasn't interesting. She took Ren and him through alleyways and shortcuts that neither of them even knew existed. Where Will would have walked around an entire city block, Karrina simply removed a pane of glass, fumbled with a door and allowed them to cross through a building in a fifth of the time.

"I've seen Ren plenty of times, but you are new here," Karrina stated as they crossed a street that took them to the bridge.

"Yeah."

"How'd you get roped in on this? What's your role?"

"I don't think that's any of your business," Ren said.

"I don't think I asked your opinion," Karrina fired back, keeping her eyes solidly on Will.

"I don't think it matters anyway," Will said. "I'm here to fight Team Xen."

Karrina conceded with a shrug. "Eh. Good enough for me."

The abandoned factory on the bridge looked more like a water purification plant than an actual factory. It was a large complex of steel plating with rusted blue paint here and there. Electrical turbines had been installed at the front, which proved to be somewhat difficult to find due to the large amount of shipping crates and drums scattered around that part of the bridge. It was more like a floating pier than an actual section of infrastructure.

"I haven't ever seen the inside of this place," Ren quietly said as Karrina took them to the main entrance. "Best keep our guard up."

"Okay you two, this is it," Karrina said, fumbling with the lock. "If the reports are true, then there should be a Xen Admin cooped up in here. If we can get rid of them, it may be enough to drive out all the Team Xen grunts from East Gearen. "

"Huehuehuehuehuehuehue."

A sinister laughing sounded from somewhere deep inside the facility, alarming all three of them. "The reports must be true…that laughter can't be from a sane individual!" Karrina exclaimed.

But…wouldn't leadership require sanity? It seemed like an advantage to Will.

Ren didn't see it that way though. "Y-Yeah, let's get this over with!"

As one, the three of them barged inside of the factory. It turned out to have the interior of a water purification plant as well; small catwalks crossing over foul-smelling water, surrounded on both sides by more metal drums.

Unlike a normal water purification plant however, this one had Venam standing smackdab in the center.

"Venam!" Ren exclaimed, and the purple-haired Gym Leader whirled around, a Poke Ball in her hand.

"Huh?! What are you guys doing here?"

"It wasn't smart to run off like that before I could even finish explaining!" Karrina hotly said.

"Listen, - "

A shrill alarm began whining through the building, cutting Venam off.

"Jenkel, who are these three!?" A pissed-off voice came from the same speakers as the alarm. "You absolute idiot! You left the door open even after I told you to shut it!"

"Oh yeah. I was facing down that creep over there," Venam said, pointing at the far end of the catwalk.

"You were supposed to be more competent than this! Whatever, hold them off, I'm getting out!"

With Venam reinforcing their group, they pushed towards the rear of the factory, where the diabolical Xen Admin appeared to have taken a Pokemon hostage inside some sort of machine. The poor victim was a rounded bipedal creature with a light-purple body and a pink head. According to the Pokedex, it was a Musharna, a Pokemon deeply connected to dreams and nightmares.

You there, Xen scum!" Karrina shouted. "What are you doing to that Musharna?"

The Xen Admin…didn't look like a Xen Admin to Will. He wore an actual lab coat for one, not that gray uniform. His disheveled hair looked like it hadn't seen a comb in several lifetimes, sticking out in every direction. The other Admins had looked…well, intimidating and well-groomed on a personal level, people who knew the importance of presentation and outward appearance.

"Huheuheuh," the man laughed. "Xen Admin? Welp, doesn't matter. You've all seen too much! But that's okay…huheuheuh…YES! It's QUITE. All. Right." He suddenly yelled. "I guess I just have to test my experiment out on you two. 0 – 0."

This man…he had to be some sort of genius!

"This guy's a dumbass," Venam said a second later.

"Let's take him down," Ren chimed in.

Karrina turned towards Will. "I still don't know who you really are, but if you can pull this off I'll let you into my gang. This is a good deal!"

"Yeah yeah," Will quickly said, only half-listening. There was no saying what this genius scientist had cooked up for them. They had to be ready for anything! "Come on Ren, let's go."

"Yeah, we got this!" Ren replied.

This man Jenkel came armed with a group of Munna, the unevolved versions of Musharna. He didn't bother preparing himself for a battle, instead sending out his little swarm in one go. Four Munna came floating down from around him and began firing multicolored beams of energy at everything in sight.

"Whoah!" Venam yelped, diving for cover. Karrina too ducked out of their line of fire and hurired towards one of the fallen drums for protection.

"I'll take the left!" WIll called.

"Right! Uh, I mean, I'll take the right!" Ren shot back.

Together, Frogadier and Combusken moved out. Frogadier slid out of the Munna's line of fire, throwing exploding water bubbles without even bothering to look where he aimed. Somehow, he still struck one of the Munna the face and the Psychic-type lost its bearings, nearly crashing to the ground.

Combusken leapt high to avoid getting blasted by another beam of energy, kicked off the wall and slashed at the closest target. She struck one of the Munna across its body with her sharp talons.

"We've got to get that machine offline!" Karrina said.

"How?" Ren replied.

"I don't know, break it or something!"

Break it or something sounded right up Will's alley. "Ren, give us some cover!"

"Frogadier, suppress them with bubblebeam! Keep them clustered together!"

The Frogadier leapt towards the ceiling, hopped to the side to avoid an incoming attack, then opened its mouth and unleashed a stream of highly-condensed water bubbles moving at high speed. The remaining munna flinched when the bubbles detonated all around them and began firing off Pysbeams with reckless abandon.

Frogadier easily relocated to a different spot and continued its assault. Combusken, meanwhile, managed to leap past their blind assault and reached the machine that kept Musharna trapped.

"Ruh oh, she's gonna be real mad with me!" Jenkel muttered.

"Combusken, wreck that machine!" Will ordered.

As Ren's Frogadier blasted the last Munna away, Combusken landed atop of the machinery that kept Musharan imprisoned and wrenched its outer layers apart, exposing wires and a sensitive core. A quick burst of Ember later and the entire apparatus fell apart.

Musharna opened its eyes, looked around –

- and then got really pissed.

"That Musharna…is angry with us?" Karrina exclaimed.

"Why?" Ren asked. "I thought we saved it from being in pain?"

Jenkerl laughed again. "Well of course not! My modifications to the machine caused the two to sort of have a symbiotic relationship! This Musharna was never in any harm. It was enjoying a nice massage, probably."

"…what?" Venam snapped.

"Oh, so you're actually helping Pokemon out? Not harming them?" Karrina said, trying to clear the air.

What?

"Well of course not," Jenkel shot back, spreading his hands of he were explaining how one plus one equaled two to a particularly slow child. "All of us mad scientists get profiled together and it's not cool, man! But I needed someone to test out my glorious machine, so it's not all bad." He jabbed a pointy finger at the group. "You guys are cool, though. Should come back sometime! I have chips and drinks!"

"Later," Will said, trying to wrap his head around this whole thing. Who had Jenkel been talking to? Obviously he wasn't in this for himself, right? Where had Karrina gotten this information anyway?

"Um, no, we're good, " Karrina hesitantly said. "We're just going to leave, now. Let's go guys."

Once outside, Karrina swore and slammed her fist against one of the empty drums. "What a damn waste of our time."

"A false lead," Ren said, shaking his head. "We could have been on our way to Sheridan to save Melia already!"

"Wait, what's going on?" Venam said, alarmed. "Melia? Also Will, I don't mean to be rude, but you look like shit! What happened to your face?"

"Ergh," Ren yelled in frustration, and Will couldn't agree more. "I'll explain it on our way to the train station in the east. Let's go!"

Will lingered for a moment, looking at Karrina. Something about this whole thing felt off to him. His mind was too amped up on stress and adrenaline to make sense of it, but somewhere, the details didn't match up. Why did she look so calm? Why had she accepted Jenkel's explanation so easily?

"Come on Will!" Ren said, pulling at Will's good shoulder. "This way!"

As they hurried across the streets, taking care to avoid roving pairs of patrolling Xen grunts who were busy interrogating the locals, Ren began explaining things to Venam

"Team Xen'x been eyeing Melia since her birth! Jenner only took her in to keep her in one place long enough and mature healthily. He was supposed to send her to Goldenwood Forest so that Xen could abduct her today."

"Those motherfuckers!" Venam spat. "Bunch of evil assholes!

"Yeah, that. But it didn't work, because Melia had invited Will along for the ride."

"No shit! So that was the mess in Goldenwood I heard from. Will, did you seriously fight off Team Xen's entire forest invasion by yourself!?"

Venam made it sound like he was some sort of action hero facing down an army, when in reality, he'd been running almost the entire time, panicked and stressed and scared to death that something would happen to Melia. "I just helped her escape."

"After which this Zetta guy created an evil Rift that contained an enormous artificial Gyarados that swallowed Will into another dimension, where they did battle and - "

"You freaking what? Fuck that sounds wicked!"

Ren left out the part where an aggressive Taillow almost cut off half his face, or the part where Zetta's Pokemon had nearly trampled him to death, or the past where a random piece of shrapnel had nearly taken him out of commission entirely. It wasn't cool, it wasn't wicked, it had been a harrowing mess that still might cost them Melia.

"It wasn't like that," Will protested, frustration welling up in his chest. "We we got out by the skin of our teeth. That Admin in Xen's lab…she would've wiped the floor with us if Hapi hadn't teleported them out."

"We'll find her, and get her to Sheridan Village," Ren said with a hint of finality in his voice. "Station's that way, let's pick up the pace."

Since Team Xen were all looking for a blond girl, none of them seemed even remotely interested in the trio of teenagers that hurried across the streets towards the station. The three of them made it there without a single incident, and just in time too.

"The next train to Route 2 just got here," Ren said after a quick glance at one of the electronic schedules hanging around. "Melia might've gotten off on Route 2 some time ago now...will we be able to make it?"

"We'll make it," Will growled. "Come on."

They boarded the train not a moment too soon. A literal minute later, they were on their way to Route 2.

Ren and Venam sat down in a coupe somewhere in the back. Will was about to sit down opposite of Venam when he spotted a couple of passengers standing in the line for a coffee machine.

Coffee…

His mouth started watering. He'd been running himself ragged since escaping the Oceana and he hadn't even thought that coffee was available in this city. He needed to get his nerves under control, calm his mind and give himself a dose of alertness - if there was a better alternative than coffee, it had to be drug-related.

"Berightback,": he muttered.

He waited impatiently until it was finally his turn, then grabbed a paper cup and got himself a good serving of hot, black, rejuvenating coffee. It wouldn't change the day he'd been having, but it would definitely take the edge off.

He glanced back over his shoulder. Ren and Venam still sat there, unmoving and silently.

He'd been so busy focusing on saving Melia that he hadn't stopped to consider his two other friends were having a tough time as well. Ren and Venam had known Melia far longer than he had. He felt like crap. Those two must have been about to collapse on the inside.

Back then, Venam had been giving him a compliment and he shot her down. What if that had been her way to mitigate her stress?

God I'm an idiot..

Silently, Will poured two other cups of coffee and took them with him to their seats. "Here guys. To take the edge off. Look…this thing blows. But we've got to stay strong."

Ren bit his lip, then slowly reached for the coffee. "Yeah…yeah, there's no reason we should sit here all depressed. This is an ordeal we've gotta get through, but we can get through this"

"Easier said than done," Venam glowered. "I'm literally going to scream if this train doesn't go faster."

A moment of silence passed by as they all sipped their coffee. Ren nodded in appreciation, while Venam pulled a face and then shoved the cup away from her. "Gah, black coffee. Gross."

"Can I…?" Will asked, poking her cup.

"Go for it dude. You look like you need it."

"The healing properties of a good Cup of Joe," Ren muttered.

"Acid for the battery," Will agreed.

"Juice for the brain."

"Fuel for the jet."

"You two are freaks," Venam muttered.

Will handed the remaining half of Venam's cup to Ren, who gratefully took it. "So what's the plan?" he asked.

Venam scoffed. "What plan do you need? Find Melia, go home."

Will stared at the girl with disbelief. Lack of planning was half the reason they were in this mess to begin with.

"Yeah, but…" Ren started, but Venam reconsidered her stance halfway through his protest.

"No, you're right," Venam said with a shake of her head. "We should hunt down the people responsible for this and take them out."

That still didn't sound like a plan to Will. The end goal, sure, but…this was the "what" versus "how" all over again.

"That's not what I meant," Ren insisted. "Are we even capable of such a thing?

"I don't care," Venam snapped. "I don't care! Look – "

Will leant back in his seat. "If we rush in and get killed, who's gonna save Melia?"

Venam looked like he'd just slapped her in the face. She stared at him blankly, her expression inscrutable. "That's not how this will go," she then bit at him. "We have our Pokemon, don't we? You've pulled through once already, didn't you?"

A part of Will recoiled in anger, and wanted to tell Venam exactly how Team Xen would make this go. Another part just felt tired and scared. He didn't have it in him to tell Venam off, not when she was so motivated, so eager to get this done.

"Now arriving at Route 2," the conductor's voice drifted through the train. "Dear passengers, do not forget to take your luggage. Have a nice day!"

Venam shoved herself to her feet. She didn't meet Will's gaze. "Train's stopped. That's enough talk." Without another word, she turned and headed towards the exit.

Will uttered a sigh. The pain he felt in his chest had nothing to do with the hole Ren had just patched up. Looking at Venam, he saw himself. Or rather, the version of him that had ran across a burning, sinking ship to find his mother, only to stumble in and ruin everything because he was the most vulnerable one, because he wasn't strong enough, because he hadn't realize how far the enemy would go to get what they wanted –

"Will," Ren said. "I was talking to you. You ah…you were zoning out."

She didn't know. She didn't understand the reality – the consequences perhaps – of failing.

"She won't have to," Will quietly said.

"I'm sorry?"

Will shook his head. "Venam's not going to lose anyone today. I promised Melia that I'd protect her, Ren. So let's get going."

"That's the spirit," Ren said. "Come on, we can't let Venam get too far ahead."

Route 2 resembled Goldenwood forest in that it could have been an entirely different reality from Gearen City altogether. Whereas the forest had been all gold and autumn, Route 2 looked like every single piece of vegetation was blooming and blossoming. All pink and blue and lush green, with sparkling streams and creeks crisscrossing the area.

Despite the urgency of the situation Will couldn't help but stop and admire the beauty.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Ren said, seeing him look around open wonder.

Will nodded.

"And best of all, I don't see Team Xen anywhere."

"Yet," Will corrected him. He spotted two different angles of approach, one snaking around the upper part of the route, closer to the water, and one passing by the lower section of the route, across the meadows and through a little forest. "Let's split up. Cover more ground."

Renn nodded. "That makes sense. I'll take that path over there, to the right. You go left. We'll meet up at the entrance to Amethyst Cave, all the way at the end of Route 2. You can't miss it."

"Okay. Stay safe, man."

Ren held his fist, and Will bumped it. "You too. Don't be late!"

With that, the two went their separate ways.

Route 2 presented not only a challenge, but also an opportunity. His fight with Zetta had shown him that taking on opponents with more Pokemon was a bad idea, and he needed to fix that situation as soon as he could. He'd stored the Shadow Snorunt he caught at the PC back in the Lab. He wasn't going to torment that poor Pokemon by keeping it conscious and having it constantly hurting itself and others. Which meant he was still stuck with using three Pokemon, and that limited his options severely.

So, he began looking.

The meadows and forests of Route 2 teemed with wild Pokemon. Most of them Grass- and Bug-types, but Will spotted several flying types as well. A flock of Spearrow flew overhead and the wound on his face began itching the moment he watched them pass by.

A cut and a shiner were about the best kind of injury he could have walked away with. It could have gone a lot worse, but it also could have gone a lot better if he'd had his own Flying-type Pokemon to defend himself with. Even better, a flying Pokemon of his own could have scouted the entire park from above, letting Melia and him know that the exit was blocked.

Things could have gone so much better that way. Things still could go so much better if he thought ahead right then and there.

That settled it for him, and he began searching for a Flying-type to add to his team.

The first problem was the most obvious. Will couldn't fly. A shame, really. Neither could the other members of his team. They didn't have much ranged attacks, either.

Proving his worth to an opponent he couldn't properly fight was going to be difficult, but Will had a plan.

Well, the meager beginnings of a pan, that was.

He trekked around the trail until he reached a quieter part of the forest. A flock of Pidgey had nestled there in the trees, chirping and yelping up a storm. They occasionally descended towards the ground to forage or otherwise hop around under the watchful eye of their larger, evolved versions.

One such Pidgeotto sat perched atop the tallest tree. It had probably been glaring down at him the entire time while he stumbled around their grotto. That it hadn't attacked him yet was a miracle.

Will looked up at the majestic Pokemon, keeping his expression calm and collected. Amanda had said that a Pokemon needed to accept someone as strong, or at least stronger than they were, before they'd follow them. Even if a trainer managed to capture a Pokemon that hadn't acknowledged them, they simply wouldn't obey.

Strength as the initial test, trust, friendship and care for the long haul. If a trainer failed in any of those, the partnership would fail.

"Pidgeotto," Will called out. "I need your strength. Will you fight with me?"

The flock of tiny Pidgey dispersed, fleeing the grotto in every direction. Several of the Pidgeotto went with them to escort them to a safer place.

The Pidgeotto Will had challenged, however, did not leave. It spread its brown wings and uttered a piercing shriek, before hopping down to a lower branch, where he could take a closer look at this uppity human that dared to challenge it.

So far, so good.

Will sent out Combusken "This is a fight for a new ally, Combusken. Let's give them a first impression."

Combusken shrieked at the Pidgeotto in return, spreading out its claws in an intimidating fashion.

The Pidgeotto huffed. It too spread its wings, then leapt from the branches and immediately tucked its wings against its body, going in for the attack.

Combusken dropped low and rolled aside just in time to dodge the Pidgeotto's attack. She immediately shot a barrage of Ember bolts after it, but the Pidgeotto banked sharply to the right and avoided her fire. It soared around the sky, circled around and came down for another attack.

It didn't take Will long to realize that he was going about this the wrong way. "Don't bother shooting it down Combusken. Let it get close, wait for the right moment."

Pidgeotto crashed down on Combusken with incredible force, and she wasn't able to defend herself in time. The blow sent her tumbling across the meadow, while the Pidgeotto took to the air for another attempt.

"Damnit," Will muttered, grabbing a healing potion from his bag and rushing towards her. The Pidgeotto had left a nasty gash across Combusken's arm, but he was sure the blow to her pride was worse. "Stay sharp. It's coming around for another go."

Combusken chirped sharply, but she waited for Will to spray her wound before springing back to her feet. She eyed the circling Pidgeotto, waiting for it to come back around.

Seconds later, the Pidgeotto had reached the optimal angle and it flattened its wings to its body again, pulling itself into another divebomb.

But this time, Will knew how it would strike. He counted the beats of his heart, saw Pidgeotto's blurry form sped through the treeline and yelled, 'Now!"

Combusken moved with insane speed. She pivoted and brought her left arm up in a sweeping arc. The clawed limb smacked Pidgeotto across its face right as it dove past her. The impact sent both Pokemon tumbling across the grass,.

Will tracked the Pidgeotto's little spiral, pulled out a Poke Ball and let it fly. The Snag Machine amplified his motor function and the ball clipped Pidgeotto's wing.

The ball shook once, twice…three times…and then it stopped.

Will smiled, but he got the message. The Pidgeotto had acknowledged his strength, but only barely. If this partnership was to work out, he'd need to fight to earn this Pokemon's loyalty.

It seemed fair enough to him. Once they'd pulled Melia from the fire and got her somewhere safe, he had a lot of work to do.

His fourth member secured, it was time to meet Ren at the cave.

The further into the Route he came, the more Will began to notice the remains of old mineshafts scattered around the areas. Their tracks led all across the hills and spread out across the forest. Rusted cars lay scattered around the insides of the smaller caves, long abandoned by their previous owners.

Wil made his way through the cave systems and across a large, stone bridge. Ren was right; apart from the occasional hikers and trainers, he saw no sign of Team Xen. Maybe the three of them had been fast enough. Maybe they'd beat them to this location.

Slowly, his surroundings started to change from meadows and fields to rockier hills and steep walls of rock. One of the hikers told him that he'd nearly reached Amethyst Cave, but that he needed to be mindful of the wild Pokemon there.

Finally, after a couple more minutes, Will found the entrance. It wasn't exactly hidden or anything; large protrusions of crystal stuck out around the entrance, glistening in the sunlight. A large, wooden sign had been slapped against a smooth-faced rock nearby.

"AMETHYST CAVE"

Will was about to enter when movement caught his attention. He looked up.

There, ten or so meters in the sky, a trio of crystal-winged Vivillon fluttered around, moving with eerie slowness, deliberately circling around the exact angle of the entrance.

So much for the rare Butterflies of Fate. What were they doing all the way over here?

His gut told him it meant something. His brain told him to get a move on, so Will headed inside the cave. It, again, was much different from Goldenwood Cave. The area was much wider and more open. Large, sturdy-looking bridges covered deep chasms, leading loose sections of unconnected rail in every direction. The occasional abandoned wagon had been left in the open, most of them filled with large, jagged crystals.

There, Venam and Ren had finally reunited. They…weren't exactly arguing, but it didn't sound very pleasant either.

"Ren, you said that Melia would go to Sheridan Village to seek safety, right? Which way to Sheridan then?"

"North," Ren replied. "We just have to keep heading this direction. Hey Will. Just in time to join us."

"What took you so long!" Venam snapped. "I've bene waiting here for you guys."

"Caught another Pokemon, just in case," Will replied. "We might need the firepower."

That seemed to be Venam's language. "Okay, fine. Firepower is always handy. Enough waiting around ,let's go – "

Her voice trailed off when she saw someone standing in the middle of the path Ren had just pointed out – a man who hadn't been there just seconds before. He was clad in all-black clothes, with a hood and shawl hiding his face completely.

"I wouldn't go there. Your friend never headed to Sheridan," he spoke, his voice somewhat muffled by his clothes.

Whoever this guy was, his presence couldn't be good, and Will readied himself for an imminent conflict.

"Who is this now?" Venam said. "He with you?"

"No," Ren said, stepping towards the man with clear intent. "I bet he's some Team Xen goon lurking around!"

The man didn't rise to the bait. "Your friend. Melia, was it? She hasn't gone down this path."

Venam and Will turned to look at the only remaining route…which led deeper down into the cave. "Why in the world would she go down to the mines below?" Venam demanded.

…oh no. Oh, no no no no…

The realization came with sudden clarity and sent a wave of cold fear running down Will's spine. They'd caught up to her. They'd caught up to Melia and forced her to abandon her plan, seeking refuge below. Below the ground, in suffocating darkness and an alien landscape…alone.

"You've never experienced true fear, have you?" The man calmly asked Venam, and Will knew that he was right on the mark. "If you had, you'd understand just why she took the turn she did. Fear blinds the mind. Cripples your intellect.'

As does desperation.

"When you succumb to the grasp of fear, you make choices you wouldn't normally make. She took the wrong turn."

Icy fingers plucked at Will's stomach. When Venam staggered back and rushed down the stairs into the depths below, Will nearly sprinted after her.

But something kept him from blindly following her.

That was the exact mistake Melia made, wasn't it? She'd headed blindly into the unknown. In turn, Venam was now blindly running into hostile territory. Territory she would know was now teeming with Xen thugs.

She would never make it on her own.

"Venam, no!" Ren shouted.

"It doesn't matter anyway," the man said, his voice detached and emotionless. "It's hopeless."

"It's not hopeless! We can still make a difference!" Ren snapped back, distressed.

"So young," the man sighed. "So naïve. The truth is the harshest teacher known to man "

Perhaps it was. Will had certainly had his worldview broadened the past few days. But…

Wherever you end up, keep up hope.

He saw no reason to change his course.

Ren gritted his teeth. He opened his mouth to reply, then closed it again. The man was, of course, right. Venam had yet to experience true fear. Melia had made a mistake. The truth was the harshest way to learn the truth. But giving up hope because of that? Give up on Melia, tarnish his mother's last wish? He would no longer be him if he did that.

Besides…"Giving up is the easy way out," Will said, reminding Ren why they came here.

"You're right…you're right!" Ren said. "We still have our Pokemon, we can still find Melia! Come on!"

Before he followed Ren down the stairs, Will shot the masked man a glare. For a man who saw tragedy unfold and did nothing to stop it, he had only the utmost contempt.

The stairs led them deeper into the cave, where the air grew staler, carrying a faint smell of moisture and dirt. Several Joltik scampered out of the way as Will's shoes finally hit solid rock again. Without natural sunlight, the only way for people to navigate underground was by the light of their fires. Several such lanterns hung around strategic points, illuminating more chasms, more railcars, more broken and rusted rails.

"Did you notice the Joltik?" Ren said when Will caught up to him at an intersection with a bridge.

"Yeah? What about them?"

"They're…not native to this cave," Ren explained. "I was just here recently. These Joltik must have moved in very recently. Hmm…let's not worry about that for now. Let's split up again; I'll take this bridge, you head down that corridor."

"Be careful," Will urged him. "Team Xen will have laid traps."

"Got it. You too."

Will broke into a run, hurrying down the dark pathway. He heard the noises of a Pokemon battle up ahead and he felt his heartrate spike.

Melia. Be safe!

As he rounded the corner, he saw that Venam had indeed sprang one of Xen's traps. She and Seviper were facing off against a grunt and three Zubat.

Will sent Combusken out. "Combusken! Use Ember!"

The Zubat, too occupied with staying out of Seviper's reach, didn't notice that they'd been flanked until it was too late. By then, they had no space to evade, and the bolts of fire hit them dead on.

"Will!" Venam exclaimed. "Just in time!"

"No!" The Xen grunt snarled. He took a ep towards Venam, but her Seviper snapped at him, its fangs stopping just short of his face. The message delivered, the grunt slumped back against the wall.

"Will, Melia did come across here. This asshole just spilled the details…a Xen Admin is chasing her down! She's down here…somewhere."

"Then we better move," Will said. "Ren, you found something?"

Venam whirled around to see Ren was running to catch up to them. Panting, his chest heaving, Ren stopped to explain that he'd quickly stumbled across a dead end. "Nothing," he gasped. "This is the only way left."

"Melia is one floor below us!" Venam said, her voice unsteady. "She's being chased by a Xen Admin, we have to hurry!"

They hurried along, deeper and deeper into the cave. Strange, distant sounds echoed across the cave. The darkness and the weight of the earth around felt heavy and oppressive. Will felt like an intruder, an unwelcome element about to stumble into a hole he would never escape from. The floor was paved with rocks and crystals. Their steps echoed off the walls, giving off the constant impression that they were being stalked.

They ran across a bridge that was far longer than the others. Every few meters, a lantern illuminated the area, casting warping shadows across the cave.

And in the distance…in the distance, Will saw a lone figure. They were almost there. They had to hurry, they had to be faster!

Will skidded to a halt the second he left the perilous quarters of the tight bridge and instantly sent Combusken out. The man standing in the large, open area before him was an enemy, one in the middle of preparing a deadly attack.

"Zetta!" Will yelled. "Where is she?"

Zetta didn't respond, kept staring at the Rift he was preparing, and the temptation to attack was so strong, so overwhelming, that Will already had the words on his tongue when he recognized that this whole thing could be a trap as well. Zetta had to have kidnapped Melia, but he hadn't escaped yet. He'd hidden her somewhere, and attacking him now would endanger her.

"Who are you!" Ren demanded when he made it across the bridge. "You're an Admin, aren't you?"

"What…what's with that blob of energy?" Venam hesitantly asked.

Zetta remained silent, didn't even bother to turn around.

Slowly, a horrible feeling began spreading through Will's stomach. "Zetta!"

"You…" Zetta spat, his voice dripping with contempt. "If only you had not interfered at Goldenwood…this would have been avoided. All of this would have been avoided."

"Avoided?" Ren said. "What are you on about?"

"We were all too late…" Zetta said, his expression bitter and disappointed. "Melia…Melia is dead."

His words hit Will like an anvil.

Melia is dead.

The world sharpened at that word. His stomach swept dangerously.

It couldn't be. It couldn't be! Zetta was lying, they all lied! This was a trick, an attempt to destabilize them-!

It worked. God, it worked. Desperation clawed at his thoughts, pressed deep into his mind. A lie, a lie- !

You promised her.

"What?" Venam snapped. "That's impossible. You're lying."

You promised you'd protect her.

"This is a trick to get us to give up and leave."

A trick. A trick a trick -

His expression one of barely-controlled rage, Zetta thrust a bloodied handbag towards them. "While I was on my way down, I heard a massive crash," he snarled. "When I got to the scene, all I saw was a broken bridge and a Galvantula gnawing on this!"

Melia's bag.

He wasn't lying. Comprehension dawned. Zetta's rage. Melia's absence. The blood on the bag.

You promised you'd protect her!

Ren's voice came from somewhere far away. "Do you really think we're going to believe that? I'm not going to ask again. Where is our friend?"

This is your fault.

"Ren…stop." Will barely heard Venam's voice. The noise of his heart pounding his head was deafening. "That is Melia's bag. Professor Jenner gave it to her on her birthday last year. It was custom made, with Hapi embroidered on the side of it…there's no mistaking it."

"No…"

You failed her.

"It's over…" Zetta muttered, and Will's vision focused on him, and him alone. Never before had he hated like he hated that man, at that moment. "She was our main target. This is a massive failure on my part.

She's dead because of you.

Anger and hate and loathing and sorrow coalesced inside of Will's head, forming something ugly and vicious. He heard Zetta talking about the base and reporting and things being the end, but he didn't care, he didn't care.

"Combusken," Will said. His voice came out hoarse. The thoughts and orders fluttered around his head, his emotions gripping a hold of his rational side. "He's not walking."

Combusken uttered a shrill cry and bounded towards Zetta, but Zetta roared something and the Rift behind him, the Rift he'd been working at, it expanded outwards with mindless aggression. In a single heartbeat, it enveloped Zetta, then Ren and Venam, and finally Will.

It was so fast, so fierce, there was no time to think, no time to evade.

Once again, reality and darkness whirled around his vision in rapid succession. Once again Will felt the real world slither away, to be replaced by the warped, non-reality of the Dimensional Rift.

But this time he was ready. This time he knew what to expect. The moment a sick, dying forest materialized around him, Ren and Venam, he shoved himself back to his feet. He confirmed that Combusken was still with him, still ready and eager for battle, then turned towards the direction where Zetta had been taken.

Will had failed Melia. He'd failed to protect her, just like he'd failed to protect his mother. But that man…Zetta was the one who'd taken her.

Zetta wasn't walking away from there.

"So this is a Rift…" Ren said, carefully scanning his surroundings. "This place feels all kinds of wrong. We shouldn't stay here. Venam…Venam?"

Venam had sunk through her knees at the edge of a pond of purple water, staring blankly ahead.

"Venam, what's wrong" Ren exclaimed. "Come on, we need to go."

"That guy in the cloak…he was right," Venam muttered. "This is all so fucking hopeless…Melia was dead before we stepped in that cave. What's the point?"

"The point?" Ren repeated incredulously. "What about us? Will, you, me? We're still alive. We need to escape this place!"

Venam remained there, giving no indication that she planned to get out. "I don't care anymore," she whispered, and Will felt the grief in her voice. It was palpable and vivid and he felt the rage that had clouded his thoughts lift somewhat.

"So what then?" Ren yelled. "You're going to die here" And let Melia's killer get away."

That seemed to get through to her. She shot Ren an alarmed look. "What?"

Will wanted to give his thoughts, explain how he wasn't going to let Zetta walk away from this, but he felt how his arms trembled, noted how out of control his emotions felt. What he felt – what he truly had to say – would not help anyone.

"While we sit here, Zetta is walking out of Amethyst Cave with no regrets on his shoulders," Ren fiercely said.

"I…" Venam started. "…no. No, you're right. I was being such an idiot. I can't give up here. I want my revenge. I want Zetta to pay for what he did to Melia. He may not have been the one who pulled the trigger, but he was the one who put her in the crossfire."

"Right," Ren said, nodding in approval. "Now I don't want to die here. Not yet. What about you, Will?"

Will looked at Ren. He wasn't sure what he needed to say, but he was certain about what to do. "Let's get him."

Ren's expression fell when he met Will's eyes. "I…yeah, yeah, we will. This Rift…you've been in one before, right? That's where you fought that Gyarados. You did it once. Can you do it again?"

"Then you know how to get out, don't you?" Venam asked.

"We…" Will stopped to swallow a lump in his throat. It didn't change how rough his voice sounded. "We destroy what's keeping it alive."

"Zetta said that he turned that Galvantula into this Rift…so we'd have to kill it?" Ren asked. He grimaced when Will nodded. "That's so cruel. He had nothing to do with this."

"It's just as guilty for Melia's death," Venam said, her voice hollow and brittle.

Will found himself agreeing with her. He recognized that wasn't rational. He didn't care.

"It's just a wild Pokemon," Ren urged her. "It probably thought Melia was trying to harm it."

"Doesn't matter," Will quietly said. "We have to kill it to escape."

Ren sighed explosively. "I guess we have no choice then. Let's look for it."

With that agreed upon, Will began making his way forward, like he had with the Magikarp. This place, too, had a grove of sorts, but it was different. Webs hung from the dead trees. Tiny, gray Voltik skittered across the ground, moving without direction, without a goal. An enormous purple egg dominated the open space.

"This road ends with this huge egg?" Venam said. "I don't wanna know what could be inside it."

"It…probably has the Rift Pokemon inside it," Ren said. "Galvantula. Galvantula is in this egg. We have to get it out. I wonder if a single knock will do the trick?"

After a moment's hesitation, Ren walked towards the massive egg. An instant reverberation rocked the egg, and a tear appeared at its top.

"Whoah, it really did work," Venam said.

"Ehm, that wasn't me," Ren protested ,quickly backpedaling as the egg burst open. A purple tail the size of a car burst from the shell, wildly swinging in every direction. A barbed stinger swept at empty air.

"Do Galvantulas grow stingers?" Venam said, fear evident in her voice.

"No…" Ren grimly replied. "They don't."

The shell collapsed further, revealing a pair of lifeless, red eyes.

"Will…you've dealt with these things before," Ren, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself.

Will nodded, then stepped out in front of the two. Irregardless of everything that had happened, no matter if Zetta would get away or not, these two were his friends.

The Rift Galvantula emerged from the shattered husk that had once contained it and Will recoiled, primal instincts prickling underneath his skin as he looked at the monstrosity.

This thing, this…fuck, this abomination Zetta had made looked like a chimeric nightmare come to life. Purple heads of three different Galvantula had been fused into one torso, their snouts elongated like that of a reptile. Its torso was barely large enough to fit three, claw-tipped legs, with one head at each spot where other limbs would normally sprout. The back section of its torso sported a massive, segmented tail that ended in a bulbous spine. It looked too large, too heavy for the creature to lift.

Whatever pain, rage and blame Will held for the Pokemon vanished in that instant. This thing, whatever was left of it, wasn't Galvantula. What it was, didn't matter. It looked like it was in pain.

Will sent Nidoran out at the same time Ren sent forth his Frogadier. Together, they faced down the monstrous Rift creature that slowly came stalking towards them, its tail trembling as it hovered back and forth between the two targets.

"Nidoran, watch out!" Will yelled.

Nidoran stared down his opponent, faint pinpricks of light dancing about his body. His gaze was transfixed on the foe before him - and who could blame him? But if he didn't get out of the way fast, he'd get hurt.

"Nidoran!"

As the Rift Pokemon crept closer, a white light enveloped Nidoran's body. and he began evolving. Frogadier blasted the Galvantula with pulses of energy-packed water, keeping it distracted long enough for Nidoran to finish his evolution.

The light faded as sudden as it had come. Little Nidoran had grown twice as large, easily. His ears had turned spiky and callous, his horn longer and more pronounced. His limbs appeared stockier and heavier, his main body much more muscular.

Will didn't question why Nidoran had waited so long to evolve. He was just glad to have him by his side right now.

The newly-evolved Nidorino roared, and the barbed spikes on his back jutted up at once. The Rift Galvantula jabbed at him with its stinger and Nidorino did not bother evading it. The venom-laced barb slammed against Nidorin's body with such force that Nidorino's legs gave out underneath him. His stomach slammed against the ground, but he didn't even flinch in discomfort.

And the barb had failed to penetrate his hide.

Nidorino's dark, furious eyes flashed towards his foe. He looked unimpressed.

Jubilation mixed with terror made Will's head spin. They could do this. They could do this!

As the other Joltik began scurrying towards them, spitting electrified webbing everywhere, Will sent out Combusken as well. "Keep the little ones off us," he ordered her.

She leapt across the battlefield at once, deftly evading a globule of webbing and landing amidst a pair of Joltik. They didn't react fast enough to her sudden appearance and for that, they paid the price. Combusken lashed out with one leg, the scaly limb impacting several times in one second. Before the one Joltik even registered its blow, Combusken blasted the other one with searing bolts of Ember.

The Rift Galvantula was faster than its massive size suggested. It darted from the left to the right on its three unsightly limbs, alternating between spewing clouds of venom and electrified webs of its own. Nidorino did not care for anything poison related, but the electricity would wear him down.

Ren ordered Frogadier to keep a distance. It zipped behind Nidorino, easily dodging the projectile attacks and blasting the Rift creature with exploding pulses of water.

"Its eyes," Will called. "Target its eyes."

Ren shot him a mortified look. "What?"

Will couldn't bring himself to meet Ren's shocked gaze. "We have to kill it, Ren. That's why we're here."

Ren spat a curse. "Frogadier, target their eyes with Water Pulse! Don't let up!"

Combusken kicked the last flaming Joltik out of her way, then turned her attention to the Galvantula. It rampaged around the rift, alternating between jabbing furiously at Nidorino and spewing attack after attack at Frogadier from its three mouths. A pulse of water detonated near its face and it shrieked, black ichor dripping to the ground.

Time for a new trick, Will thought. "Combusken, use Flame Charge and get in close!"

Combusken shrieked a challenge at her foe. Fire and flames erupted around her body, fully enveloping her form in a searing corona of heat. She dashed forwards, moving even faster than before. Galvantula saw her coming and tried to shoot her down, but Frogadier struck a critical blow at one of its eyes. The resulting detonation blinded its central head and it went wild.

Combusken landed atop the thrashing Rift Pokemon and her flames spread to its battered body. She held on to to its tail, preventing it from simply sweeping her off, and Nidorino saw an opening. As the Galvantula skittered forwards, Nidorino met it with a charge of its own. His razor-sharp horn slammed into one of the Rift Pokemon's legs, shattered its chitinous armor and sank deep into the soft tissue below. He wrenched his head sideways and nearly tore the limb in half.

"Nidorino, back away before it retaliates!" Will ordered when he saw that Nidorino didn't seem to plan on evading.

With a huff of protest, Nidorino began waggling backwards, keeping his armored head in the direction of the Galvantula.

Together, Combusken and Frogadier continued pummeling the Galvantula with water and fire alike. It was a slow, painful process, tactically maiming it until it could no longer hurt them.

Crippled, bleeding and blind, the Rift Pokemon lashed out in every direction, but it had nothing to strike. Combusken looked at Will across her shoulder. Her eyes, dark and resolute, bled with a pity he had never seen in her before. Nidorino too did not move. He waited for instructions.

As it should be. This would be his call. His responsibility.

He felt Ren and Venam's eyes burn a hole in his back. "…finish it off. Don't make it suffer more."

His Pokemon turned back to the crippled creature and dashed towards it. In a blind rage, the monstrosity lashed out with its tail, but it didn't see where Combusken came from and its stinger missed by a mile. Combusken leapt atop one of its heads, leapt in the air as the Rift Pokemon swept at its back with its spine, then seized the creature's head and pulled it in the air, exposing its sensitive throat.

Nidorino charged forwards. He too dodged one final, desperate attack, and then buried his horn deep within the Pokemon's throat. Black ichorous blood poured from its gaping wound and the Galvantula screeched, its three limbs spasming and twitching.

Combusken released its head, then dug her claws into its spine, right behind its neck. A savage swipe severed whatever connected its brain with the rest of its body. It went limp in an instant.

Behind him, Venam clasped her hands in front of her mouth. Ren averted his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Will whispered. What remained of the gray, little Joltik fled. There was nowhere to go. The Rift began disintegrating and falling apart. Unlike before, Will could actually see reality as he knew rushing back inside, expanding within the rift, burning it away from within.

Or maybe his brain was making that up. He felt tired, angry and disgusted with himself. He felt like his heart leaked blood into his chest with every beat. This entire endeavor had ended in death, pain and misery, all because he hadn't been strong enough. Because he hadn't been fast enough.

He hadn't been good enough.

Tears burned behind his eyes as the familiar cave rushed back into position around them.

"We did it," Ren said. "Will, it had to be done. You know that."

Will did know that. It didn't make the disgust he felt any less severe. Didn't make his shame any less crippling.

"Zetta!" Venam yelled. "Where…ah…we're too late. He escaped."

Will didn't respond. He stared at the ground, realizing that this was the place where Melia…where Melia had died.

He had failed her, but the least he could do…the least he could do was find her. Find her remains. Get them back to Gearen. She deserved a proper burial.

"He got away!" Venam snarled and kicked at the ground, hard. "Fuck!"

Will half expected it to be Ren who replied to that. It wasn't. Her voice filled the room of the cave.

"I wouldn't jump to conclusions so suddenly. Will, please step aside."

Will pulled himself from his thoughts and side-stepped just in time for Zetta's limp body to come flying across the bridge. He landed in a painful heap on the floor in front of them.

Ren took a hold of Will's arm. "Look, we shouldn't - "

Before he could finish his sentence, before Will or Venam could do anything, Crescent appeared. She stood next to Zetta with all the air of a hunter that had just bagged their prey. Gothitelle stood on the other side of Zetta.

The same skirt, the same hair ornament and those same, ruthless red eyes. It was her alright.

"Crescent," Will said.

"You three made it out of the Rift…far faster than I anticipated," Crescent said.

"Great…" Venam grumbled. "Who is this now?"

"I hide in the shadows, and strike when need be," Crescent answered, her gaze cold and sharp. "Those who are unfortunate to make contact with me know me as "Crescent"."

At that moment, Will wanted nothing more than to demand. Demand who she was, demand why she had appeared now. Demand why she hadn't helped Melia. But…all of that could be thrown right back at his feet. His promise. His failure.

"That voice…" Ren gasped. "That Gothitelle…you're the voice Will and I heard back at the lab!"

"That was me, yes," Crescent replied dryly. "Seeing you three here is very disappointing. It's irritating when ignorant people refuse to follow advice. Especially when that advice was said to protect a certain individual."

Zetta reared his head. "Argh…Today just isn't my day. I have to deal with idiots from all corners…"

Fury ripped at Will's heart. He jerked himself free of Ren and stepped forwards to kick Zetta's teeth in, but Crescent was faster on the draw. A look of revulsion crossed her features and she brought her foot down on Zetta's head, hard. "Zetta, you repulsive animal. Don't you ever have something of value to say?"

Zetta spat out a mouthful of sand and glared at Will with something akin to what Will himself felt, but he was smarter about it. He kept his mouth shut.

"Good," Crescent said, suddenly the picture of serenity again. "Stay quiet. Animals that cannot behave cannot be allowed to stay out in public. I'm going to put you in a nice place where you can cause no more harm. Gothitelle, if you would?"

Gothitelle giggled and spread her arms.

"W-Wait!" Zetta cried out, his eyes widening in alarm. "Stop! What are you – "

Power emanated from the Gothitelle. Without a Pokemon to dispel her energy or protect him, Zetta was caught like a Deerling in the headlights of a car. His body vanished.

"What?" Venam exclaimed. "What did you do to him?"

"That's inconsequential," Crescent said. "He'll be dealt with later." Her eyes flickered to Will's midsection, then narrowed. She walked towards him, her shoes sounding oddly muffled as they came down on the rocky floor.

Those cold, crimson eyes of hers flicked down to the bloody stain on Will's shirt and she stopped only two feet away from him. "What is that?"

"Just a scratch," Will murmured.

A hint of annoyance flickered in her gaze. "I told you two that this path would lead to nothing but despair. Yet, you ignored these claims and continued on this pointless endeavor. Was this worth it, Will?"

"We didn't ignore them!" Ren snapped. "We knew very well what you said back then! But we chose to do something about it!"

"And what exactly did that bring?" Crescent asked. "What is the end result of your choice here? Was it worth it, Ren?"

Ren…looked away.

"Exactly," Crescent mercilessly continued. "You've endangered yourself for a girl that was killed far before you even had a chance."

At that, Will finally found his voice again. "Wouldn't you?"

Crescent's crimson eyes settled on him again. Will felt a shiver run down his spine at the force of her gaze. "I beg your pardon?"

"For your friends…wouldn't you have gone in, even though the chances were low?" Will asked. "If there was just a chance…"

"What do you want to hear? That I would have heroically thrown everything to the winds to chase down a bad lead, is that what you want to hear Will? Do you want me to validate your monumental screw-up, or should I continue pointing out the reality? You three were in way over your heads. You've set yourselves up for failure."

She turned her back towards them. "Will…no, all three of you. Go back to East Gearen City and stay there. Involving yourselves in the affairs of things that do not pertain to you will result in nothing less than tragedy. These past few events have been proof of that. This is the price of being weak."

Her words cut Will like a blade. The shrapnel he'd caught before had hurt him less than hearing someone like Crescent point it out to him. Because…she was right.

He couldn't fight back the tears any longer. Even as he bit back a sob, he felt them burning a trail across his cheeks.

Melia…I'm so sorry.

"Let's…let's go back home," Ren said, somehow managing the colossal feat of keeping his voice calm and steady.

Venam didn't respond.

Will didn't respond. He didn't answer because he couldn't. It was too much for him. Crescent's words had jabbed a hole in him. He felt like everything that had driven him after his escape from the Oceana had just leaked out through that hole, leaving behind…nothing.

A rack sobbed his body. Nobody noticed.

Ren, Venam and him took that nothing back home. Her home. Ren didn't want to go to his home. Will didn't have a home. That left Venam's home.

There, they spent the rest of the day going to pieces. In Venam's bedroom, they just…stayed. They didn't know what to do. Will certainly didn't know if there was anything to do. Had Venam kept any alcohol in her room. Will was certain their apathy would have led them to make more mistakes.

But she didn't. So they subsided.

Venam on her bed. Ren on the couch. Will on the carpet, not sure what would make him get up again. He'd thrown advice to the wind to pursue Melia and save her, and now she was dead.

If he went after his mother…if he ignored what Crescent said and pursued her to save her…who was to say that the same wouldn't happen again? If he screwed that up, what was the point? If he never dared to venture out again for fear or repeating his mistake, then what was the point?

He didn't know. He wasn't sure if he would ever know.

So he lay there.

With Venam and Ren.

Evening morphed into night. He dreamt about horrible things. Night morphed into morning. Will got up, pulled the Snag Machine from his arm and planted it on the table, He sat back down again.

Morning morphed into afternoon. Hunger began gnawing at his stomach.

"Heading out," he announced.

They didn't respond.

He went to the market. Bought some bread and a few bottles of juice. Went back to Venam's house. He shared the bread and juice.

Nobody spoke.

Time went by. It became dark again. Venam put something on the television. They watched, but Will didn't really get it. Maybe Ren did.

Venam's mother may have had an inkling of what had happened. She kept popping by every now and then. She didn't push too hard. Didn't prod for information. She mainly just…kept them fed and hydrated.

Through the hours, Will just fought. Fought so hard not to think about it. The second his mind lingered, it would come rushing back to him. If that happened, he wasn't sure he could come back from that.

Sometimes, the indecision and stillness of it all became too much, and he headed out once more. Mostly in the evening, when Ren and Venam drifted off to sleep. He'd roam the city. He stayed away from people. He avoided the park. Too painful. He avoided the lab, too. Nothing much there for him.

He took the train back to Route 2 and just…sat down on the first piece of wood he saw. After half an hour of sitting there, trying so very hard not to think, one of his Poke Balls burst open on its own. Combusken just left her ball and appeared in front of him. She stared at him with those orange eyes of hers.

"Yeah?" He asked her.

She uttered a sharp, short cry, voicing her frustrations in a rather succinct way.

"I get that."

Annoyed, she cast her gaze in the direction of Amethyst Cave.

"And then what?"

She scraped her foot across the floor, then uttered another shriek.

"And what do you want me to do about that?"

She walked up the trunk he'd sat down on and roughly shoved him off with her clawed foot. He lost his balance and fell backwards onto the grass, where he just…lay for a moment.

He wasn't sure if he understood Combusken correctly. It probably didn't matter. "You heard Crescent. We fucked up."

She stepped within his view and stared down at him, her eyes piercing into his.

"I fucked up," he amended.

Combusken shook her head at that.

"Yeah I did, yeah I did," he shouted back, pain and grief breaking the weak attempts to keep himself as distant from this whole mess as possible. Tears welled up in his eyes as his chest heaved. He fought against the urge to break down crying again. "I promised her! I promised I'd keep her safe! And I screwed that up! I should have been there with her, I should have…I should have stopped this from happening!"

Combusken sat down next to him. Her body radiated heat, even in the cold night.

"I couldn't save her because I was too weak. And I can't save mom because the same will just happen again!"

Combusken looked away for a moment, looking around her environment. Then, she turned her gaze back to him.

"I'm scared," he whispered. "Scared of going. Scared of staying."

The calmness in Combusken's eyes was a message on its own. This happened, they seemed to tell him. Pick something to do and do it.

What if, what if, what if…

God, he didn't know.

They stayed there together for another hour while Will fought to get his emotions back under control. Only when the last train for the night was about to leave did he pull himself back to the station.

He returned to Venam's house and snuck back in. Her mother didn't notice. Neither Venam nor Ren noticed.

He slept and dreamt again. What he dreamt about, he couldn't remember exactly. He remembered the gaping, dead expression of Gyarados. He remembered a jagged slab of rock slamming into his side, splitting him in half. He remembered falling to the ground and crawling, leaving behind trails of blackness and nothingness that bled into the Rift reality.

The crawling. It stuck with him, even in the morning. Why did he bother crawling in his dreams?

It was the morning of the third day after Melia's death and Will's mind was filled with the memory of crawling across the floor, dragging his bifurcated body across the ground by his hands, clawing for every inch he could get.

It was gruesome and silly and ridiculous, but it was the thing that stuck with him, Crawling and not knowing why.

Late in the morning, Venam's mother came upstairs for her daily checkup. "Are you guys alright? You haven't come down in days..."

They didn't respond.

"Well, alright then," Venam's mom said, clearly not agreeing with the situation. "I'll be downstairs if you guys need anything." She turned to walk back, then paused. "I know things are rough right now," she added. "But you guys can get through this. I know you guys can."

She left again.

Soon after, Ren as well. Where he went, Will didn't know. He couldn't stay alone with Venam. Every time he looked at her, he imagined her glaring at him, hating him for failing her friend, for failing to keep his promise.

It was stupid, he knew it wasn't rational, but his mind had conjured up that image and he couldn't get it out of his mind. Venam hated him and she ought to. That was what his mind told him.

He couldn't bear it.

So he left too.

East Gearen City had nothing left for him, so he returned to the spot where it all started. That pier at the dockyards. The place where Tesla had come for him when he'd been at his lowest, his most vulnerable. There, she had given him hope and a reason to fight.

No. That wasn't right.

Tesla had given him hope and warmth, but the reason to fight…he'd found that himself, hadn't he?

Yes…he had. Back then, before he even had friends or a Pokemon, he'd vowed to rescue his mother from Team Xen's clutches, no matter the cost.

Crawling.

How, when he'd had nothing at all, had he been stronger than now, when he still had friends and Pokemon? Why couldn't he muster the same strength now?

Because…he was afraid. Afraid of failing again. Afraid of losing his mother.

Crescent had said that he was weak. She had been there on the Oceana. She knew Team Xen, so she knew best.

"There you are," Ren's voice came from behind him. "I've been looking for you all across the city." Ren joined him at the pier. "This is where you first ended up, right? After the Oceana"

Will silently nodded.

"Venam's decided to leave her house. But I don't think that's a good thing," Ren said. "She's sorta acting like this never happened. Which isn't healthy, but…"

When Will didn't respond, Ren seemed at a loss.

"I know you haven't known Melia for too long, but…she seemed to really like you. Clicked with you almost instantly. Almost as if you guys had known each other for years. You went far, far above what anyone could have done to keep her safe in Goldenwood Forest."

"It wasn't enough," Will muttered.

"Don't say that. You dragged the two of you back to Gearen in one piece! Well…Melia at least. Look...what I'm trying to say is, we're only human too. You can't expect the impossible of yourself. It's okay to have limits. It's okay to be sad, and its okay not to be. People handle grief differently. That's what my dad told me when I was young."

"Ren…" Will said. "You're my friend…so tell me. What if I try and fail again? What if the same happens when I try to save mom and fail again?"

Ren didn't answer immediately. He gazed out over the sea, his expression thoughtful. "I think you're going about this the wrong way. If I understand you correctly, your question is "what if I'm not strong enough?" In that case, rather than focus on the loss, I think you should focus on how to win."

"…don't fear being weak, but fight to get stronger?" Will said.

"Exactly. It's been several days. I'm over crying. But I won't forget. I want to fight for her. Team Xen did this to Melia, and they did this to you and your mother. If we stay in Gearen City, we won't get stronger. If I can't get strong, I can't avenge Melia. If you can't get strong, you can't save your mother."

Will nodded, seeing what Ren meant.

"What I'm trying to say is…I'm leaving Gearen City," Ren then said. "I'm going to return home and finish something I started. And once I'm strong enough, I'm going to go after Team Xen and destroy them." He paused. "Despite what Crescent told us, I don't think you should stay here, either. I think you should continue on the path you decided back here, a week ago, and continue the Gym Challenge."

Fight to get stronger…

Something clicked together in his head.

When he escaped the Oceana, he'd been hurt. Mentally. Emotionally. Physically. Tesla had set him up, right here at this pier, and he'd crawled. Back then, he couldn't have walked on his own, but he still wanted to go forwards.

So he'd crawled.

This time, Ren was offering him a crutch.

Will took it. "Where do I go next?"

Ren, pale and haggard, smiled at him. "Heh. Eager to get out there, eh? I'm not surprised. The next Gym I think you should visit is in Sheridan Village. That's the place you can go to by going through Amethyst Cave again. I've passed through there a few times. It's a nice and peaceful place. Honestly? It'll be a great place to clear your head. Not only that, but I bet you can find a way to purify the Shadow Pokemon you caught there. That place…it's all about purification, or tranquility or whatever."

Sheridan Village…Melia's one shot at freedom. They needed to know what had happened. They had a right to know about Team Xen.

"Anyway, I guess I'll be heading out on my own, then," Ren finished up. "Good luck out there Will. We're rooting for you. Even Melia."

"Ren…" Will called out.

Ren turned back. "Yeah?"

"…thank you," he quietly said, holding out his fist.

Ren gave him a tired grin, then bumped his fist.

~~~~~~~(II)~~~~~~~