Chapter 5: Imprisoned

The Ambush at Akuwa Town

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

"Oh, please, tell me it's true! Did Geara actually lose?"

As always, Nastasia sat typing away on her laptop .As always, she barely bothered to look up at Madelis to give her answer. "Based on the reports we've gotten from the grunts he took…yeah."

"Yes!" Madelis yelled, jumping in the air with glee. "Oh happy day~! Wonderful and beautiful day!" She made a beeline for the bar, slammed her hands on the heavy wood and said, "Neved give me a drink! A big one! Oh, sorry, you must need my card, here you go~!"

"I don't need your card," Neved gruffly replied. "I know you're old enough."

Madelis stared at the man for a second, her happy mood evaporating rapidly. "Just give me my drink," she hissed. When Neved started pulling out flasks and bottles, Madelis turned back to Nastasia. "Can you believe this?"

"…what?"

"This!"

"…I wasn't listening."

Madelis rolled her eyes. "Just forget it."

"As you wish…"

Finally Neved handed her the cocktail she'd ordered. "Your drink."

"Well, it's about time. I was about to die of dehydration at this p oint!"

Neved remained silent as she took a sip. Though it had taken him a long time to make, it wasn't actually that bad! "You're pretty good at making drinks, Neved!"

"Thanks."

When nothing else was forthcoming, Madelis decided to broach a subject she hadn't actually bothered to think about before. "Say, Neved, after all this time, I don't think I've heard anything about you. What were you in the past? A bartender perhaps?"

"Bartending is just a hobby. That wasn't my job. I was a sailor who ran a ferry from Neverwinter to Route 9."

"Interesting," Madelis said, taking another sip. "How was the job?"

Neved shrugged. "It was my passion. Never did I enjoy a job like that one."

"Not even this one?" Madelis pouted. "Even with lil ol' me?"

"No," Neved simply said.

Madelis scoffed. "You're no fun at all."

"In fact, I never would have quit if my daughter and wife – "

"Damn, already?" Nastasia exclaimed. "Neved, it's time."

"I see," Neved nodded. "I'll make my way over to the castle immediately then."

"Wait, are we really going through with that?" Madelis asked. "I thought that plan was just something thrown around as a joke."

"Just got word from Madame X. It's begun. We'll be in the area as well. On standby, but you know."

Madelis whistled softly. Blacksteeple Castle… what was she supposed to think about that? That this was a glorious step towards firmly establishing the Xen Initiative's hold on the Aevium Region? They hadn't told her much of the details. For all she knew, this was better off as a joke.

Nevertheless, she had her orders. "Understood. Let's get this done. Come on everyone!"

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

Wispy Ruins

With a snarl and a leap, Houndoom plucked the last Banette out of the air. He pinned the devious Ghost type to the ground with a paw and Aelita leant down in front of it, her hands placed on her hips.

"That's what happens when you ambush people," Aelita chastised the little Ghost Pokemon. "If you wanted to play, all you had to do was ask."

"Come Aelita, we're going," Will said. "Exit's right there."

'Leave…' Banette's voice slithered around in his head. ' Leave and never return…or do so anyway…we don't care…'

The two Shuppet disappeared into the wall and the two Scrafty leapt down the hole where they'd come from. Houndoom let go of the Banette and it too fluttered away.

"Good thing we've had all that training against Ghost Pokemon huh?" Aelita said. "Come on, let's see what this reservoir is all about!"

The two picked up the pace and ran up the ancient steps leading to the outside. Having just spent nearly an hour navigating the dark, labyrinthine layout of the Wispy Ruins, chasing down rogue Shuppet, finding hidden chambers with forbidden secrets and listening to the whispers of the souls that still roamed the area, the light of the sun was almost blinding.

"Wow…" Aelita said, shielding her eyes with the back of her hand as she peered around. "So this is Route 4, huh? That massive reservoir Narcissa told us about? They say trainers get extra benefits for being inside a reservoir!"

"Who says that?" Will asked.

"You know, the people from Sheridan! Now I don't know what those benefits are, but I'd imagine they're good! Since we're here we should take a look around and see what we can find!"

The exit to the Wispy Ruins had taken them up in the rocky hills that surrounded the reservoir. Aelita and Will hiked their way down again, taking care not to stumble and fall over the many loose rocks that littered the area. They followed a little stream of water downhill, where the stream slowly widened into a river that eventually discharged into a large pond complete with waterlilies and other large, blooming flowers. A wooden bridge allowed them to cross the pond and make their way into the reservoir proper.

On the other end of the bridge, Will spotted a familiar figure approaching them. "Oh, hey, that's Nim!"

"Who?" Aelita asked.

Will waved her over. "Nim! Is that you?"

Nim, looking as chipper and excited as ever, quickly ran up to him. "Will!" She said, sounding surprised to see him there. "Wowie, wow! Can't believe we ran into each other like that! The chances of this are nigh…nimpossible!"

Will laughed. Before he even realized it, he stepped closer and hugged her. So much had happened in such quick succession that merely seeing Nim alive and well pulled at his heart in a way that completely blindsided him.

"Haha, it hasn't been that long, has it?" Nim laughed. She flung her arms around his shoulders and hugged him back, tightly pulling him against her robed body. "Ah, I forgot how snuggly and warm people felt…oh!" As if jolted, she suddenly pulled herself back. "Lemme take a look! Yeah, you're doing much better already! How's that lump on your head feeling?"

Surprised, Will reached for the back of his head. "Healing. Could have been a lot worse. How'd you - ?"

"Can't hide from Nim! I see a lot more than you realize!" She said, winking.

Of course. He should really have seen that coming. "Right, Aelita, this is Nim! Nim, this is Aelita."

"Heya!" Aelita said. "You know Will?"

"Hhhyeah I do! Will and I had a run-in at Amethyst Cave. Whatcha both doing out here?"

"Heading up to Akuwa Town," Aelita replied. Her eyes met Will's questioningly, and he smiled at her, nodding. "We're on a mission to find a certain Saki Blakeory there. We've got something they need to repair, and that's really important."

Nim's expression fell. "O-Okay, well, you guys mind if I tag along for a little while?"

"The more, the merrier!" Aelita said.

"Yeah, come with us!" Will added. "It's gonna be fun."

"R-Really?" Nim said, grinning again. "Awesome, I won't be a burden, I swear!"

Will didn't think Nim would ever be a burden to him. "Come on, let's find the way."

With Nim joining the party, the three of them began venturing deeper into the reservoir. Route 4 was a large, lively place, with large meadows separated by beautiful, blue rivers and clusters of blooming trees. Flocks of bird Pokemon soared overhead.

"What brings you to Route 4?" Will asked as they followed the path along the riverbank.

"Well, Route 4 is home to many Pokemon. I came out here because I wanted one, but…Nevermind."

"Something happen?"

"No!" Nim protested, shaking her head. "Ah, nothing! I got uhm…distracted, yeah!"

Something told Will that Nim wasn't telling him the whole truth. Well, that was her choice. A psychic girl had to have a few secrets, right?"

In the distance, a large bridge of sorts connected the innermost layer of hills with a craggy ridge that protruded from the center of the reservoir. Will guessed that it had to be roughly halfway across the Route. Still a ways to go until they reached it.

"How'd you two meet?" Aelita asked. "Seems Will knows people everywhere he goes."

"Oh, I picked him up in Amethyst Cave when he'd had a bad day," Nim said in a chipper voice. "We played some games, had a good talk. We became BFF's after that."

"The best talk," Will added. Nim made it sound so simple, so small, but he wasn't sure if he'd been able to keep going without her. Mentally, but also physically. Back then, Nim had told him that she would be watching over him and so far, he was still alive, despite several people trying their damnedest to amend that.

"Amethyst Cave…" Aelita said, nodding to herself in understanding. "I see."

As they ventured deeper into the reservoir, Will made several attempts to get to know Nim better, but most of her answers were elusive at best. She could rattle along with the best of them when they talked about Aelita or himself, but she always cut herself off when she was about to actually tell something about herself.

Where she came from? A far-away land without much greenery at all. Nim said that she couldn't have stayed there, hinting at something that happened, but then she just clammed up and changed the subject abruptly

Will understood that some things just couldn't be talked about. He didn't push her, didn't insist on anything she didn't want to tell, but he found it peculiar just how secretive she was being.

"Oh, look!" Nim exclaimed, pointing at a cave at the side of the road. "What's that? Do you think there's treasure? Let's look for treasure!"

Will didn't see a reason not to. If Wispy Ruins were any indication, what lay below Aevium's surface was just as complicated and historic as its surface.

"Don't go in there!" Someone roared at them, and the three froze up.

A man stood atop the rocky wall that ran parallel to their path. His complexion was much the same as Nim's, though his face seemed set in a permanent scowl. "Reckless teens always meet an early demise," he said. He hooked up a rope to an outcropping rock and rappelled down within seconds.

"S-Sorry sir!" Nim meekly said. "We weren't doing anything weird!"

"You shouldn't mess with things you don't understand," the man grumbled. He looked like he was in his-mid-thirties, with the kind of clothes Will had come to associate with Gym Leaders or adventurers. All black and purple, with a trenchcoat that looked like it was part cape hanging around his large, muscled frame. Scars ran across his face. "Denizens of light shouldn't go near the shadows. Lest they become consumed."

"Consumed?" Nim asked. "You mean, like, eating a Gourmet Treat?"

The man uttered a rumbling laugh. "If that's what helps you understand. Then precisely. My name is Cairo. I reside here in the Route 4 Reservoir."

"Hi! I'm Nim and reside wherever is warm at night!" Nim said.

Her voice was cheerful but her words sent a spike of regret through Will's heart. She didn't have a home to return to at all?

"This are my friends, Will and Aelita," Nim said, turning to gesture dramatically at them. "They reside in…their residence."

"Is that so?" Cairo said. "Do you know what you've stumbled upon here?"

"A cave?" Aelita said.

"Uhm…a hole in the ground?" Nim suggested.

"Not just any cave or hole, but a Rift Den," Cairo said, his face twisting in anger. "The Xen Initiative conducted experiments in this area with Shadow Pokemon. The Dens they left behind are still functional and local Pokemon tend to fall into it. Lost forever to the void. What's down there was never meant to see the light of day."

Will glanced at the cave. If he understood the man correctly, then these Rift Dens were prototype Dimensional Rifts? A little pocket of alternate dimensions, or reality?

"They re-emerge as darkened beasts that can only be slain by silver," Cairo continued.

"That's horrible.."

"It's why I've come to Route 4 in the first place. My duty is to hunt those that hide in the darkness. With a blade pure with silver…Evil shall not reign."

Nim fidgeted nervously. "O-Oh…" she muttered, not at all looking comfortable with what should have been something to take to heart.

Cairo noticed it as well. His dark eyes narrowed, and he stepped closer. "You there, girl…"

Nim took a step back. "Y-Yes?"

Cairo glared at her for a moment, but then he closed his eyes and turned away. "…No, it's nothing. I must be mistaken."

Mistaken? About what?

"A-Anyway, you live here, right?" Nim sputtered.

"I would like to think that I reside here for now, yes. Why?"

"I-In that case, I heard a landslide had blocked the way to Akuwa Town. We were actually looking for a way around, or a way to clear the path."

"I can accomplish such a task," Cairo grimly said, "Leave it to me."

"A landslide?" Will asked as Cairo whirled around to take his leave. "I didn't know."

"Oof…the scary guy is gone…" Nim said with a sigh. "Oh, yeah! There were a couple of earthquakes here before you guys came here. A landslide ruined a couple of the paths up ahead."

"Huh. Well, good thing we ran into that guy,:" Will said. "Aelita?"

Aelita had been staring intently at Nim for a while. She jumped a little when Will called her name. "Y-Yeah? Ah, great, let's go then!"

"You okay?"

Aelita shrugged. "I dunno. This entire exchange felt a bit weird."

"That's not weird!" Nim protested. "Me running around with a bunch of clones, that might be weird. That guy was just scary. Yup."

"Scary or not, he's helping us out," Will said. "We should check that landslide out. Nim, wanna take the lead?"

"Uh, sure."

The three of them made their way across the reservoir, following the signs and generally sticking to the road. They walked past flocks of Pidove and little clutters of Emolga until finally, up ahead, they saw Cairo talking to someone in front of a large pile of stones and rubble.

"Hah, and here I thought the damage would be more severe," Cairo said. "This should be nothing for my Pokemon. Excadrill, let's clear this up, shall we?"

He sent out a large, bipedal mole-like Pokemon with a massive, steel blade extending from its forehead. Its arms too had the same, metallic attachments.

His Excadrill wasted no time and began ravaging the stones that blocked the path, slicing and pulverizing them with great force. Within a minute, Excadrill had carved a large opening through the landslide, revealing that the bridge crossing the river below was still intact.

"Hah!" Cairo exclaimed. "The deed is done! Evildoers will not survive in the wake of silver! Excadrill, return! Your duty is finished!"

"Thank you for your help, Cairo," Nim nervously said.

"Yes, yes," He said. "I have a small home just north of here. If you are interested in Rift Dens, I have literature. I can share knowledge. Until then, I bid you farewell."

"…I like him," Aelita said. "He's got spirit."

As they crossed the reservoir, the weather started turning worse and worse. Rumbles sounded in the distance and Will could smell the air starting to turn humid. Glancing at the graying clouds above, he guessed they had perhaps an hour left before it started to rain.

"Weather's getting worse," Will said.

"Yeah. I think this might be a good point to set up camp." Aelita peered around, then pointed at a clearing at the other end of another river. "There! See those tree stumps? Let's pitch our tent there."

Nim sat back on one of the stumps and watched with large, curious eyes as Aelita and Will began putting together the frame of the tent. Will grabbed a hold of the tent cover and unfolded it, but the wind started picking up and the damn thing inflated like a parachute, nearly ripping free of his hands.

Then suddenly, the cover froze in mid-air, and if seized by an enormous, invisible hand.

"Woops, nearly started flying there," Nim said, reaching out as if grasping something invisible. "Luckily I'm such a sharp gal!"

"What the…huh?" Aelita exclaimed. Nim flicked her hand to the side and the tent cover slid towards the frame they'd just put together as if the wind simply didn't exist. "How are you doing that?"

"Magic," Will said, smiling.

Nim giggled, then used her powers to telekinetically put the tent together.

"Magic? What?" Aelita sounded like she'd short-wired. "There's no way!"

"There is only Nimway!" Nim replied, raising her arms in a grandiose gesture. "There we go."

"Let's put the stakes in before the entire thing sails off again," Will said. "You good Aelita?"

"I, uh, just had my horizons broadened I suppose," Aelita said, reaching for the bag of stakes Narcissa had given them along with the supply bag. "I didn't know you were a Psychic-type Nim!"

"It's only fair, considering you're a Fighting-type yourself," Nim happily said. "Let's see…that would make Will…"

"A Normal-type?" Aelita suggested, hammering the steel pike deep into the ground with a little rubber mallet."

"I guess?"

Considering the third type usually associated with the Fighting and Psychic type triangle, Will didn't mind at all identifying as a Normal type. "Fair enough. I got this side."

"It's so nice of Narcissa to pack all this gear for us! Food, water, new sleeping bags…say, how close are we to Akuwa Town anyway?" She asked.

Nim furrowed her brow. "Um, not too far now," she said, sounding dejected all of a sudden. "We just have to follow the path up north and we're there. "

"Tubular!" Aelita cheered and sat down on one of the tree stumps. "We're making record breaking time!"

Slowly, it began raining. Will wiped his forehead, threw his bag inside of the tent and eyed Nim. "You okay, Nim?"

"M-Me?" Nim said, startled. "I'm fine! I'm totally fine! There's nothing weird at all – '

"I didn't say weird – "

"In fact I'm going to prove it by giving you a fun wacky fact! Did you know that you could dip your French fries into milkshakes? It's true!"

"Okay," Will said, nodding. He wasn't too sure if that was Nim changing the subject again, or Nim just being Nim.

"Huh…I guess I never thought to try that," Aelita said. "Maybe next time!"

"It's very good! A-Anyway, what's so important about Akuwa Town and this Saki Blakeory anyway? I mean, do you guys really have to go?"

"Yes," Aelita said decidedly. "We are going to get Will's Snag Machine repaired so he can continue taking back the Shadow Pokemon Team Xen made. He's been battling Team Xen ever since he came to East Gearen. We did destroy their Shadow Pokemon manufacturing site, but as long as they exist, we cannot let Team Xen use them for evil!"

Nim looked as if Aelita had just slapped her. "Oof…um, y-yeah, I uh, I know about Team Xen…"

"Nim saw what they did to Melia," Will quietly said. "She knows how important this is."

"Y-Yeah…I do…"

"Ah, good! Well, then you know important it is for us to find Akuwa Town!" Aelita tried to suppress a big yawn, but she failed. "Man, I'm tired. Imma go lie in my sleeping bag, try to catch some sleep."

"I've brought a spare, just in case," Will said. "It'll be warm at night, so you can reside with us."

"Thanks, I'd like that," Nim said timidly.

The rain really started picking up after that. Not too eager to get completely soaked, Will and Nim followed Aelita into the tent as well.

They'd have a busy day come morning.

~~~~~~~(III)~~~~~~~

Route 3

Ren stared at the campfire he'd made, unsure of how to proceed next. What was he even supposed to do now? He'd spent literal years building up to that one moment, only to screw it up at the end.

Why didn't he join Will and Aelita? Was he just too much of a coward?

"They'll be fine," he said to himself for what had to be the hundredth time that day. "They'll be fine. They'll…be fine without me."

Unless they ran into an ambush. Or if Team Xen attacked them with greater numbers. Or if Will wasn't careful and another Rift Pokemon attacked him and the next shard of stone entered a centimeter higher, ripping through his lungs or his heart or –

"They'll be fine," he snapped. "Without me."

"Feeling lost?" Someone asked.

Ren looked up, alarmed, and saw that the little tree stump opposite of his campfire was suddenly occupied. "Y-You!" Ren snapped, leaping to his feet. "What do you want Crescent? Get out of here!"

Crescent arced a slender eyebrow. "You really want me to leave? Right now?"

"That's what I said!" Ren continued. "After Amethyst Cave, it took us days to even begin to pull ourselves together!"

"Look where that brought you," Crescent calmly replied. "You do look lonely, by yourself. Seems like life wasn't very kind to our little friend Ren, huh?"

Ren felt his temper spike. "Are you making fun of me?"

"On the contrary," Crescent said, her expression passive and calm. "I'm empathizing, if anything. I know what it's like to be in your position. The grief of losing someone, or something, is quite powerful. And if that thing was everything, then, well, what else is there to lose?"

At a loss for words, Ren sat back down again. "What do you want from me?" He asked, knowing that Crescent could literally take and do whatever she pleased. He wouldn't be stopping her.

Even Will wouldn't be stopping her.

"Let's chat," she offered.

"I'm through chatting."

She leaned forwards. The bonfire cast dancing, erratic shadows across her face. "You'll want to hear what I have to say."

~~~~~~~(IV)~~~~~~~

That night, Will didn't get much sleep. He'd always struggled to fall asleep if he stayed in the same room with other people. Lying in-between Aelita and Nim was warm, snug, comfortable and very interesting, but he simply couldn't get his mind to unwind enough to fall asleep.

After two hours of trying and failing to relax, Will sighed and began getting dressed again. The rain had stopped a while ago, so he might as well start scouting the area, see if he could find the route into Akuwa Town.

He absolutely adored Nim, but there was something she wasn't telling them about this place and if he had to stumble into another hidden Xen base he'd at least want to know where the exit was.

Somehow, he managed to climb his way out of the tent and zip it up again all without waking the ladies. He double-checked to see if he had all six of his Pokemon with him, then went on his way.

It was somewhere around twelve in the evening. Still six hours to go until they reached their destination. When they got the Snag Machine fixed, what was to stop Madeline from integrating that same signal into her other bases and sabotaging it again whenever he found them? She might not have been the brightest psychopath he'd ever met, but she had surrounded herself with competent, savvy and dangerous people. He couldn't depend on them being incompetent.

Maybe Saki knew something to isolate that signal, or interfere with it, or make the Snag Machine tamper-proof. Was that even a thing?

Mightyena happily trotted along, his head constantly sweeping from the left to the right as he pinpointed the wild Pokemon around him. His fight against Narcissa had left him pretty beat up, but the nurses of the Pokemon Center here always recruited from the best of the best, and together with the marvels of modern technology, they'd fixed him up real good.

The second-most experienced member of his team and very much a trooper. If Mightyena wasn't the leader of his six little badasses – technically that role fell to Blaziken, since she was his starter and had been with him the longest – then he was definitely the second in command.

He'd helped save Melia, Aelita, Marianette and finally the whole of Goldenleaf Town.

"The bestest of boys," Will whispered with a smile.

He didn't find the entrance to Auwa Town. What he did find, however, was a river crossing that led to a fenced-in clearing in a forest. A meadow of sorts. Someone'd cut a hole through the fence just large enough to crawl through.

Mightyena paused to sniff at the ground, then swung his head around to look at Will.

"What do you think?"

Mightyena gave a little whine, then darted through the opening.

"Gotcha."

Will quickly followed him, dropping onto all fours and crawling his way underneath the fence. He couldn't see Mightyena yet, but he knew that the canine was there somewhere, either hidden in the shadows or within petting range. His favorite locations, in fact. Apart from the throat-ripping location, that was.

Will stuck close to the trees and. He glanced around the meadow, then spotted someone sitting atop a little folding chair on the other side. Mightyena came walking out of the treeline a dozen meters to his left, calmly approaching the person keeping guard.

"Ah! G-Get back!" She yelled, leaping from her seat and backing away. "I'll bite ya! I'll wear your fur as a coat! I'll make slippers out of you!"

Will frowned. He recognized those unhinged threats. "Mosely?" He called, stepping out of the treeline himself.

"Will!" She cried back. "Wait, then you're a good boy!"

"I am," he answered without thinking. "But he's better."

"I was talking about him you weirdo!" Nevertheless, Mosely double-timed it across the meadow and approached him. "Didn't think we'd be meeting again so soon. Wassup!"

"Mosely, my dear, is someone there?" The voice of a woman drifted from the trees behind her.

"Aw, crap," she hissed. "Maman! You're supposed ta be sleeping! You were so exhausted today!"

A tall woman with black clothes and long, beautiful blond hair came walking out of the treeline behind Mosely's chair. She reminded Will of Karen for reasons he didn't understand, but without the obvious insanity. She looked very much like a maternal figure, and just one look at her made Will understand why Mosely had attached herself to this woman.

"Oh? Please excuse me, I did not know you had guests," Maman said, smiling tiredly at Mosely.

"It's okay Maman! This is just my friend, Will! He's a good guy!"

"Nice to meet you ma'am," Will said, reaching out and offering Maman his hand.

"Pleasure to meet you too," she said, taking his hand in a very delicate, soft shake. "As Mosely said, my name is Maman. Bridgette Maman. What brings you to my garden?"

"I'm not really sure," Will admitted. "I was looking for the entrance to Akuwa Town, but…I guess I got turned around."

"Mm-hm-hm! Lost and thus found!" She declared. "I take it that you are a Pokemon Trainer?"

"They sure are!" Mosely shouted in-between cuddling Mightyena and receiving giant Poke-kisses. "Will literally saved my life in Goldenleaf Town, too."

"Oh?" Maman said. "Well, then my thanks on behalf of little Mose here. If you need a place to stay, my home is your home."

"I appreciate that ma'am, but I don't want to be a bother," Will replied.

Maman waved his concerns away. "Nonsense. A good soul like yourself cannot be a bother to me. My garden is a place of salvation for every lost soul, yours included. It offers safety and peace. In time, it will offer guidance."

Will wouldn't necessarily label himself as lost, but something about Maman made it hard to argue.

"Well, I shall return home to try and get some rest," Maman continued. "Mosely you do not have to keep watch. Nobody shall hurt you here."

"I know that!" Mosely said, jumping back to her feet and wiping Mightyena's drool from her neck. "I'd stab a fool! But I gotsa watch out for you Maman. You never known when Team Xen's coming back with vengeance."

"I haven't found them here yet," Will said, deciding to humor Mosely for now. "I'll let you know if that changes."

"Heck yeah! Thanks for being a bro Will. Don't be a stranger!"

Will thanked the pair again, then Mightyena and him headed back to the tent. His timing was solid, since it started raining at the halfway point again.

Miraculously enough, Will wasn't soaked to the bone when he came back to the tent. He checked to see if the gals were still sleeping – both were – and then quickly checked up on the egg to see how it was doing – alive and kicking up a storm – before undressing himself and then crawling back into his sleeping bag.

There, he lay listening to the rain for another hour, trying to concentrate on his breathing and nothing else. It didn't work; his concern about Nim kept dumping strange, unwelcome thoughts into his head. He wasn't sure what time it was when he finally drifted off, but when he woke up again it was sudden and chaotic, with Aelita and Nim making all kinds of noise.

Guessing that they were under attack, Will catapulted upright and tugged the sleeping bag open with one hand, Blaziken's Poke Ball at the ready. Frantic, he looked around -

- only to see Aelita clutching the egg, smiling and marveling at something Will didn't quite see.

A second later his brain finished booting up and he realized Aelita and Nim were so excited because the egg was hatching.

It shook hard, then a section to the left cracked and something sharp poked out. The baby Pokemon poked away at the sudden hole he'd made, and before soon half the egg began crumbling. It continued to wrestle and fight against the shell, and Will reached out to help remove the parts that were stuck in place by the sticky goo inside.

A grayish green Pokemon with pale sharp tusks protruding from the sides of its mouth poked its head out.

"Oh my god it is so cute," Aelita breathed.

"Oh, that's an Axew!" Nim said. "I wondered when he'd be hatching."

"Hi little guy," Will said, picking Axew up as it continued freeing itself from its egg. The back of its head had a tall, slightly curved horn, which whipped back and forth as Axew looked around. Its red eyes settled on Will and it began making adorable little cries, waggling with its forearms. "Welcome to the team. You're gonna love it here."

The rain had stopped for the moment. They broke camp, packed up their things and began making their way to the other end of the reservoir. Nim seemed to grow more anxious as they got closer to the other side. When they finally came within visual range of the terminal that separated the route from the town, Nim began...for a lack of a better word…stalling?

"Hey, don't you guys want to see what's over there?" She said, pointing in a random direction away from the terminal. "That looks fun! Think there might be treasure?"

"Sorry Nim, but we've got to get to Akuwa first," Aelita said.

"Maybe when we find Saki."

Little Axew, riding along with his head poking out of Wills backpack, cooed happily.

"Oh…okay…but don't you think you should feed your Pokemon before we head in?"

"They've already eaten. I know the baby is cute, we can't overfeed them, they're vulnerable to that kind of stuff," Aelita said.

Nim kept silent as they crossed the final stretch. Finally, after half an hour when they were about to head into the terminal, Nim dug her heels in the sand. For the first time since he'd met her, he heard her yell.

"S-STOP!"

Will stopped in his tracks, then turned around. She'd remained rooted to the spot a few meters back. She looked pale and upset. "Nim?"

"Sorry for screaming, but as your friend I must bring up some crucial info," she said, sounding like she had to force herself to utter every word. "You guys c-can't go to Akuwa Town! It's too dangerous!"

There it was. Nim did know something important, and she'd been mulling over that the entire time.

Wordlessly, Will plucked an empty Poke Ball out of his pocket, set his backpack down and pulled Axew from its mainframe.

"Dangerous?" Aelita asked. "What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry to say that Saki Blakeory isn't in Akuwa Town," Nim quickly said. "In fact, no one is." She grit her teeth, suddenly appearing anguished and afraid. "B-Because Team Xen swooped in and kidnapped everyone!" She practically forced herself to say.

"Wh-What!"

Will gently tapped Axew with the Poke Ball and "caught" him inside. Suddenly, the serene and diverse reservoir seemed dangerous and vulnerable, with large open lines of sight and plenty of places for the enemy to hide. No way he'd expose a baby Pokemon to the violence that was about to ensue.

"I was in Akuwa Town trying out local Gourmet Treat options…by the way, did you know Strawberry Blast is the best kind? If you guys have any cravings for that, you should try it out!"

"NIm…" Aelita quietly urged her.

"Oh yeah. Suddenly these Xen people swept in and started kidnapping people! I was able to get away, but the people there weren't so lucky…so I'm asking, like, for reals. Don't go to Akuwa Town!"

Will sighed. Nim knew about him. Knew him. She knew that there was no way he would just give up on this.

"Will and I have faced Team Xen multiple times now," Aelita calmly said. "We know the risks, but if there are innocent people at stake, we can't leave them."

"They'll hurt you!" Nim exclaimed, her voice frantic and pained. "I know they will! I didn't even have to cheat to find out!"

"Nim…you know I can't stop," Will said. "You know. I can't."

"I know!" Nim screamed. "And I know what will happen so I will make you stop!"

Suddenly, Nim sent out her Pokemon, and Will knew she meant business.

But letting the threat of Team Xen stop him was unacceptable. Who knew how many people would die if their next plan succeeded. Who knew what kind of leads and information would remain hidden if e didn't pursue them.

One thing was for sure: Will would never be able to look at himself in the mirror if he walked away now.

So he sent out his own Pokemon to accept Nim's challenge.

It wasn't fair. Not to Nim, nor to him. He understood the pain and uncertainty that went with knowing your friends were in danger. If this were him, he might very well have made the same decision as Nim. Protect the ones he cared about with force, if need be.

But it wasn't him. He didn't have the luxury of choice, or the agony of having to watch a loved one depart.

What he had was a mother imprisoned by psychopaths and an oath to uphold. For Melia, Venam and Ren. For Aelita, the Eldest and Keta.

For Marianette.

So he'd fight. And he'd win. And he'd continue fighting.

Her team had grown stronger since he last saw it. Her Pokemon were all fully-evolved, too. That being said, she still mostly depended on Psychic types. Will could deal with Psychic types.

Their Pokemon clashed. Mightyena ducked underneath Darmanitan's burst of flames and then shot forwards. Behind him, Houndoom unleashed a jet of flames himself. The purple fire vaporized the grass between him and Nim's Stonjourner, but it didn't seem too fazed by the flames.

Mightyena bounded at Darmanitan, Snarling. In turn, Darmanitan shot forwards, lashing out with a fist wreathed in flames, forcing Mightyena to disengage.

Houndoom leapt aside when Stonjourner blasted a scattering of rocks and gems at him, then unleashed another blast of fire.

It didn't look like her Stonjourner was going down by Houndoom's flames. Will recalled him, deciding on something else. "Nidoking! Show them what you got!"

Narcissa's Moon Stone had worked like a charm. In the depths of Wispy Ruins, Will had asked Nidorino if he was ready to evolve and Nidorino had all but slammed himself against the stone. He now towered above Will, a solid ten feet of purple armor, gray plates and razor-sharp spines.

Nidoking roared and Will felt his bones vibrate with the force.

"Stonjourner, use Psychic!" Nim ordered.

"Nidoking, Earth Power!"

Nidoking was much faster. As Stonjourner surrounded himself with power, Nidoking slammed a fist into the ground, sending sweeping cracks that shot towards his foe. The ground underneath Stonjourner exploded as fiery orange energy erupted beneath him. Jagged stones slammed into its body with immense power.

Mightyena meanwhile darted around Damanitan, dodging its flames and keeping it distracted. As Nim recalled Stonjourner, Nidoking slammed his fists into the ground again. The ground beneath Darmanitan shattered and great, crackling crags of stone and earth struck its body.

As Darmanitan struggled to get free, Mightyena rammed into its head, knocking it out as well.

"I won't let them take you!" Nim said, before sending out her next two Pokemon.

Will had seen some of these Pokemon before in Amethyst Cave. Nim's Lunatone and Solrock, two dual Rock and Psyshic types, floated above the ground, making them almost impossible to strike at with Earth Power. In turn, Nidoking's thick armor and plating didn't do a thing against their Psyshic attacks.

He had to switch out again.

"Nidoking, come back," Will said. "Okay Houndoom, let's wrap this up!"

Nim's Pokemon packed a good punch, but they weren't particularly mobile or fast. They wreaked havoc across the battlefield, Solrock flinging flames and Solrock levitating rocks and debris in every direction. Mightyena, being better suited for close quarters, wasn't able to get in close enough.

Then again, he didn't need to. Houndoom was able to absorb Solrock's flames and use them to power up his own fire. Mightyena then circled around the pair of floating Pokemon, harassing them with Swagger and Snarl.

Together, they brought down Solrock. As Nim sent in her last Pokemon, Lunatone made the mistake of targeting Houndoom with a powerful Ancientpower. The scattershot of stones caught Houndoom full in his side and knocked him out, but that gave Mightyena the opening he needed. Black shadows leaked from his mouth as he clamped down on Lunatone, imbuing his Crunch attack with the energy that was like venom to the Psychic-type.

After that, his Moxie ability activated. Adrenaline coursed through his body, further boosting his strength and rendering him less vulnerable to pain.

Will recalled Houndoom and sent out Nidoking again. Together, they managed to pin down Nim's Malamar long enough for Nidoking to deliver a scathing Poison Jab. His claws, moving with that much force and that much weight, slammed into Malamar's body and knocked him out with one blow.

"Wow, look at you..." Nim muttered in defeat. "You've grown so strong…and so fast, too…hah, I couldn't stop you…"

"See! Will and I are strong enough!" Aelita said. "Don't worry Nim, we can handle ourselves pretty well – "

She stumbled and nearly fell.

"Whoah, t-that's weird," Aelita weakly said. She steadied herself, but her eyes narrowed in concentration. "I feel kinda woozy all of a sudden…am I…getting cold feet or something?"

Nim gasped and immediately began scurrying backwards. "I…I gotta go. Please be safe you guys! Don't underestimate Team Xen or they'll break you!"

"Nim, wait!" Will said.

Too late. Nim ran off, disappeared behind a tree and then…she was gone.

"Dang, there she went," Aelita said. "What a strange girl. So…Akuwa Town's in trouble. Team Xen doesn't know when to quit. Let's get in there and give them the wombo-combo!"

Wil stared at the spot where Nim had disappeared. If she'd really, truly wanted to stop him, he wouldn't have stood a chance. She'd have used her powers to send him to her pocket dimension, or even just rooted him to the spot. Possibly break his leg so he couldn't physically move.

But she hadn't, because all of those options would have hurt him.

Nim really, truly wanted to see him happy. So that begged the question…what had really happened in Akuwa Town that got her so spooked?

"Come on Aelita," Will quietly said. "Let's go."

Together, they crossed the terminal and headed into Akuwa Town proper.

"Why do you think Nim was so adamant?" Aelita asked. "She's got psychic abilities. You'd think she could toss those guys into the ocean without breaking a sweat."

"Maybe they had really strong Pokemon with them."

"I guess?"

The terminal led them straight into some sort of visiting center. Will saw glass tanks containing groups of Magikarp, an administrative office, a souvenir shop and, all the way to the right, a defunct train station. A train still stood on the tracks.

Not a single soul to be seen. This place was completely empty.

"Nim wasn't kidding," Aelita said, warily looking around. "This place is deserted after all…so quiet. You could hear a Caterpie crawling around in this silence."

Which meant that Xen could hear them talking from the other side of the town.

Will put his finger to his lips.

Aelita nodded.

They headed into Akuwa Town proper. Coming from the visitor center, the frigid air was like a punch to the gut, and Will zipped his jacket up higher when he felt the cold air against his exposed neck.

He'd known Akuwa Town was all the way up north, and mom had said that the town would be somewhat colder, but he hadn't expected it to be this cold.

They stuck to the corners of the buildings, slowly pushing deeper into the town. Some of the buildings had been badly damaged in Xen's takeover. One of the houses had been completely burnt down. Will felt the heat wash over him as Aelita and him hurried past it. It seemed relatively contained, but it had obviously been burning for quite a while. The embers still smoldered.

It was so quiet…Will couldn't even hear the cries of Wingul, or any other Pokemon usually drawn to places like these. Akuwa Town was twice as big as Goldenleaf had been, and they obviously couldn't investigate the entire town in one go, but every street they crossed, every neighborhood they passed just added to the eerie feeling.

Will's instincts nagged at him. Something felt wrong.

He quietly sent Mightyena out. Trusting his senses had never led him astray.

Mightyena looked around, his ears twitching in one direction after the other. He pulled his black lips back to reveal his canines, then uttered a low, warning growl. The fur on his back began standing upright.

"Let's find the Pokemon Center," Will whispered.

Mightyena led them through a series of corridors and alleys, past several more sights of struggle. Scorch marks spread across walls. Shattered windows. Little pools of blood scattered around every now and then.

Mightyena froze. Up ahead, in the middle of a crossroad leading to the Pokemon Center, lay an old man. His clothes were torn. Little droplets of blood had stained the tiles around his head. He wasn't moving.

Aelita attempted to dart past him, but Will held out his arm and stopped her.

She glanced at his arm, confused, then met his gaze. "What?" She whispered.

…it looked too convenient. The entire town had been abducted but Team Xen had left this random guy on the street? Bleeding, in full view?

"It's a trap," he whispered.

Aelita took his wrist and pushed his arm away. "He could be hurt!"

"Team Xen likely did that."

"It doesn't matter!" She urged. "We have to help him!"

"They're watching him. If we go now, we'll spring their trap," Will said.

Aelita looked at him like he'd just lost his mind. "Will, it's freezing, and he's lying on the ground! He could die!"

That was the trick, wasn't it? If they remained hidden and let this guy die of hypothermia or something, they'd never forgive themselves for it. They cared about the lives of innocent bystanders while Team Xen had bodies to spare.

But if they sprang that trap now, Team Xen would immediately capitalize on that, he knew it. They might lose their chance to save the others. The best thing to do here was to remain hidden, continue searching the place.

"If they catch us unaware, we might not make it out either," he urged her.

She bit her lower lip, staring intently at the man. "I…I'm sorry Will, I can't."

"Aelita!" He hissed.

Too late. She darted from cover and ran towards the man, dropping to a crouch by his side.

Mightyena looked at him.

"Shit," Will spat. "Come on!"

He sprinted after her. Aelita got her hands underneath the man's armpits and began pulling him towards the Pokemon Center.

Will quickly ran to her side and helped her drag the guy inside. Mightyena kept a close watch, constantly looking around, flicking his ears from one place to the other. Was that because he didn't know where to focus? Or because he heard the noises from all around?

Inside the Pokemon Center, Aelita hurried to gather what little medical supplies were still around. "He's breathing, but barely," she said. "Will, can you search the back room? See what you can find?"

Will hopped across the counter and hurried through the door. In the backroom, he found an AED unit and he plucked it from the ground.

A small radio on the nearby table kept looping the same static-filled message.

S.O.S…. S.O.S…. S.O.S…. S.O.S…. S.O.S…. S.O.S….

"Oh, that's a defibrillator! I've seen shows where people do medical things like surgery and stuff. The Eldest taught me how to handle an AED like that! That makes me a professional, right?"

Aelita took a deep breath, then began pulling apart the clothing around the man's chest. She attached the AED, followed its instructions to the letter, then yelled, "Clear!"

Will pulled his hands in the air to show that he was ready and Aelita did her thing. It took her two attempts, but then the man coughed and wheeze

"Come on mister, show me some life," Aelita urged him.

"Ah…who…hah…" he wheezed.

"Who did this to you?" Aelita asked. "What happened?"

"The…the gym…" he gasped through agonized gasps. "Took the…others…gym…"

"We're going to check it out. You stay here, take it easy," Aelita said. She locked eyes with Will, and he already saw the regret in her eyes. "I couldn't just let him lie there."

"I get it," Will said. "Just hope it's worth it."

"Well…now we know to look for the Gym, right?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "Come on. Let's go."

Akuwa Town's Gym was actually part of the aquarium. It wasn't hard to find; it was the single largest building the Town had to offer. It took Aelita and him a small half hour to reach it, moving as quickly and quietly as they could.

Mightyena still hadn't found any threats, which actually made Will feel worse. Where was everyone? Had Team Xen already packed up and left? Why leave that single man lying there in the open then? It didn't make sense!

They headed into the aquarium. The tension and anxiety started forming a knot in Will's stomach, and he felt it worsen with every step he took. It was so quiet that he could hear his own footsteps echoing through the empty halls.

Aelita and him walked past massive open tanks, past sealed and enclosed aquariums and large exhibits meant to entertain whole crowds of people.

Damnit, it felt like eyes bored into the back of his head. Someone was watching him, but from where?

The silence was starting to grow deafening. Mightyena silently stalked forwards, his fur bristling, All the Pokemon were gone, too.

Aelita noticed it too. "They even took all the fish," She whispered angrily. "When I get my hands on those grunts…"

Every single place meant for the public was deserted, which left only one possibility

Will slowly advanced towards a door that read "EMPLOYEES ONLY".

Aelita nodded at him.

Will gestured at Mightyena, who got into position.

Will flung the door open and Mightyena bounded inside, snarling, ready to engage whatever forces Team Xen had gathered there.

But the room was empty. Just a few desks, some computers and a couple of fallen chairs.

"What?" Aelita whispered. "But I thought - !"

Will moved to one of the computers, placing his hands on the desk and taking a moment to steady his feeling. Slowly, the anxiety was making place for dread. He felt like a fly stuck in a spider's web, just waiting for something to emerge and devour him.

"This computer…it's putting out an S.O.S signal," Aelita said. She grabbed the keyboard and mouse and began searching around on the screen. "In fact, someone's trying to contact this office right now! S-Should we pick up?"

Team Xen had to know that they were here already, if they were even around. It could only be someone on the outside. "We have to," He said. "Mightyena, guard the door."

"Okay…Aelita, girl, you can do this," Aelita muttered to herself. Will noticed that she was breathing even faster than when they were running. "Just pick up the phone…you've done this hundreds of times before, so why are you freaking out now?" That last part came out like a whimper

"Need me to do it?" Will offered, not deluding himself for one second that he felt better than Aelita did. He was just better at hiding his discomfort.

"No, I can do it!" With a little cry, she accepted the call.

The computer buzzed as it connected with a loud, static-filled signal.

"…Ello? Can you hear me? This is Officer Jenny from East Gearen City! Valarie Kersey you've sent an S.O.S signal, is that correct? Repeat! This is Officer – "

"Um, this isn't Valarie," Aelita said, looking completely lost.

"Confirm, you are not Valarie? Who is this? This is an emergency channel"

"Oh, uhm my name is Aelita! I'm here with my friend Will and the town has been attacked by Team Xen! Everyone's gone!"

Relief washed over him like a tidal wave when he realized that they'd gotten a call out. Soon, this place would be swarming with authorities. They'd establish a base of sorts here and from there, they could start sending out searching parties.

"Listen closely. Akuwa Town is not safe! It has been deemed lost! You and your friend are in dangerous territory! You need to get out right now!"

Furious, Will stepped in front of the screen. "What do you mean lost?" He snapped. "You're the freaking police! Send in backup!"

"This is not up to debate. We cannot assist you, you have to evacuate, that is an order! Help is on the way, but it will take them several hours to arrive!"

Hours? Goddamnit this entire thing could fall apart within minutes! They didn't have hours!

"We've handled Team Xen Grunts before Will," Aelita said. "We can do this."

A laugh emanated through the hallways. All of a sudden the power cut off, plunging the building into total darkness.

They were trapped.

"We're getting out," Will decided. "Come!"

They started running. More sets of footsteps reverberated across the halls, and Mightyena issued several warning barks.

Someone was chasing them!

"Go, go!" Will yelled. They sprinted through the empty hallways, double-timing it though the deserted rooms and towards the exit.

That same laugh sounded behind them, much closer this time. Will wasn't going to test his luck against an entire hostile town. They had to get back to Route 4 and scatter. If they could put enough distance between them and Team Xen, they might be able to evade them!

Will overtook Aelita. Migjtyena and him had to be the first ones out so that they could hold the line there. Aelita could easily outrun these guys. He just had to buy them a little time!

He reached for Blaziken's Poke Ball. The exit was right there! The doors slid open and he darted outside –

And something smashed down on his right hand, making it go numb and sending the ball to the ground. Will looked up and had time to see a Scizor bearing down on him. In a blur of motion it jabbed its claw against his chest and Will felt everything inside of his body seize up and freeze in protest. His vision blurred and he doubled over, his arms instinctively wrapping around his abdomen.

Aelita screamed. Moghtyena snarled. Men and women in black came from everywhere. Metallic appendages clung to their backs and arms like steely wings, and they used them to hop, leap and soar from the rooftops. They landed on heavy boots.

They rushed in.

Mightyena went wild.

There were so many of them.

Team Xen wasn't there to kill him. Nim had been right. They were there to hurt him. And they did. They were good at it. Will couldn't fight. Could barely muster more than curling into a ball. Heavy boots impacted his body from every direction. Gloved fists seized him and pulled and shoved and jerked him around. Punching. Twisting. Breaking. Mightyena screamed and screeched. A blood churning noise.

Will couldn't scream. What came out of his mouth was nothing more than choking sounds, sobs and pathetic retches and gagging noises as he choked on his own blood. It was too much. The agony took over every impulse, every thought. His body shut down, simply stopped working.

Mightyena's furious snarls turned to pained yelps. Those yelps turned to choking, pained gasps.

When they were done, they flung his body to the ground. Will's mind couldn't handle the pain anymore. It began to drift. Vaguely, he saw something slam to the ground in front of him. Through hazy, bloodied eyes, he saw it was Mightyena. Blood coated every centimeter of his matted fur. He whined lowly hoarsely, through lungs that had stopped working a while ago. Mightyena kicked with broken legs, shoving himself towards Will.

Mightyena twitched once.

He didn't twitch a second time.

Rough hands seized Will's limbs and pulled him up, lugging him away like a sack of broken glass.

Mightyena lay there. Blood dripped from his nose and his jaws. His glassy eyes were unfocused.

Tape went around Will's wrist and ankles, elbows and knees.

At that point, his mind couldn't handle much more than the most basic, simple matters. It experienced things in broken snapshots of bloodied, shattered sensations. Blackness ensued. A flash of dark water. The sharp noise of laughter, then more blackness.

When he started to come to again, he smelled sea water.

His limbs, bloodied and battered and surely broken, hung limply past his body. They dragged him along. Blood dripped from his forehead. His nose. His lips. He couldn't see very well.

But the voices. He heard the voices.

And they froze what little blood still remained within his veins.

"We've brought the two that were snooping around Akuwa Town sir!"

"Is that so? Bring them to me. I shall process them here and now."

Will felt his body being pulled in a different direction. He kept his hazy eyes focused on a splotch of red in his vision.

"What's going on here?!" Aelita demanded. "What's the deal with bringing us to this island?!"

Will felt the guards put him down on something solid.

"Forgive my impoliteness. I did not introduce myself. My name is Neved. I am the Warden of Blacksteeple Castle. You two will be spending the rest of your days here."

"Wh=What? Are you crazy! You sick son of a bitch! Do you see what your lackeys did to my friend? Miss me with your speech! If he doesn't get medical attention he'll die!"

Her words barely registered with him. He spat out a mouthful of blood. He felt like he was choking on raw sewage. Dimply, he was aware of someone grabbing his bound wrists and placing them on something like a wooden surface. He barely had the strength to keep them from sliding off again.

"I would explain, but you will surely find out yourself. Yes, I will provide for your friend. His treatment was wrong, and it is not indicative of how you shall be treated here. "You…look familiar. Have we met?"

"Me? If you've been to Sheridan Village, then maybe…"

"…Did you just say Sheridan? That's where Keta used to live."

One of those words stuck out to Will

Keta. Keta. Keta.

It bounced around his shattered thoughts and it wouldn't go down the blood-soaked sink.

Why Keta?

"Now I remember. You're Keta's daughter, aren't you? Little Aelita."

"You…knew Keta?"

"It doesn't matter. "

But it did. It did, and Will didn't know why, but he clung to that knowledge.

"Guards, bring her to her cell. Why is this one so injured? Who was in charge there?"

Rough fingers grasped Will's chin. Someone pulled his head up.

"Hey…can you hear me?"

Will blinked the blurriness from his eyes but things stayed blurry. Somehow, vaguely, that voice was familiar to him.

"A moment."

They shoved glass of water in his bloodied fingers.

"Drink. You look like you need it."

Will could barely keep the blackness at bay, let alone lift his hands. He exhaled, and the sound came out wheezy and rough. Little sputters of blood fell from his lips.

Water splashed across his face and the coldness was like a grinder to his spine. He gasped and the sudden intake of air hurt like hell.

He blinked the blurriness from his eyes again. This time, the image of a scarred man with a short buzzcut revolved itself right before his eyes.

"You," the man said. "I know you. William. Tch. No wonder the Death Wings lost themselves. It is no excuse, though."

Will stared at him. This man…he was a Xen Admin. The man who had nearly captured him back in their headquarters.

"My name is Neved. You would do well to remember it in this place." The man brought his face closer, intently peering at him. "He will not survive the first day without attention. Gather whatever resources you need. Have a cell ready to treat him. I will send for one of the prisoners - "

Will's body started screaming. Screaming in agony, in denial, in raw, red rage.

He took another ragged breath. It hurt.

"Now then William. I welcome – "

Will gathered what little was left in his broken body and slammed his forehead against the Admin's nose with everything he had.

It felt like throwing his head against a wall. The very next second, his world exploded into a bright flash of light and stars as Neved punched him and his body fell off the chair like a puppet with its strings cut. The second after that, the pain struck him, and it was everything he could do not to fall apart and break again.

Neved squatted down in front of him, wiping a trail of blood from his nose. "You must feel like I deserved that," he rumbled. "Perhaps I did. What happened in our headquarters was a moment of weakness, I must admit. What happened in Akuwa Town shall never happen to you again, you have my word. But, William. If you show such aggression to me or my people again, you will spend your days in solitary confinement. Do we understand one another?"

Blackness encroached on his vision again. Before Will could even recognize that he was going, he was gone.

Unfortunately, he did not stay gone. Somehow, he swam his way back to consciousness again. Would it really have been that difficult to shut down completely and just die? Was that too much to ask for?

He gradually became aware of another voice. Something soft and wet brushed against his face. Will tried to lift his arm to brush it away, but his arm felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. Every muscle screamed and throbbed.

"Take it easy. Those guys did a real number on you. Looks like they didn't bother to do more than start mending some of these broken bones again. They do have healing Pokemon here, but they're generally not meant for us. I still see a lot of swelling...hey, can you hear me"

Will choked a cry.

"I take that as a yes."

Gradually, a man came within view. Through hazy eyes Will saw a large, muscular frame and a head of blue hair pulled back into a short ponytail. He tried to track his movements, but moving his eyes made his head hurt and he had to stop after a while.

"Don't know what you did to piss them off like that…but I'd advise not doing that again. Where are you from?"

Unbidden, Will's thoughts went back to Akuwa Town. The sheer amount of Xen members…Aelita's screaming, Mightyena's pained, choking yelps

Mightyena.

Oh. Oh god.

The realization sent a painful wave of emotions through him. "Mightyena," he croaked. The man above him froze. "Mightyena."

The aquarium. The agony. His friend, slamming to the ground, blood dripping from his face. Twitching. Unmoving.

Vacant.

Oh god. It hurt. It hurt so much.

"Mightyena…" he groaned. His stomach seized, and suddenly he felt like vomiting.

"Your Pokemon? Yeah, we're allowed to keep them on us. Fat lot of good that does."

Tears burned behind his eyes.

Should have listened to Nim should have listened should have listened -

"Okay, I don't think there's much more I can do. They want you to work in the quarry as soon as possible…"

You did this. You wanted in. He's gone because of you.

A scream bubbled up in his throat, burning like bile.

"I think you should at least be able to fake that work for the next few days, so you won't go hungry…we can cover for the quota while you recover."

Will wanted nothing more than to scream himself hoarse. Crawl into a fetal position, lie down and die.

Your fault.

"Mightyena…" He choked back another sob.

Lying down and giving into his grief felt so easy. Just fall apart like he had when he lost Melia. But he couldn't. Not yet. His screwup had cost Mightyena's life, but Aelita was still out there. He'd gotten her stuck in this mess as well. The least he could do was get her out again.

His throat seized up.

Don't cry, he yelled at himself. Get up. Get up!

Will tried to get upright. His stomach felt like it was filled with broken glass and a cry of pain wrenched itself past his lips.

"Hey man, take it easy. I just patched you up."

"Get me…get me up…" Will said.

"Sure?"

"Cmon," Will growled, unable to breathe in enough air to make his words come out normal.

"Alright. I warned ya."

The man took a hold of his arm and gently but firmly guided him upright. As he did, Will took a look at his surroundings. He sat on a dirty mattress that had been placed atop an old, metal bedframe. He also saw a little stand with medical supplies. A glass of bloody water, disinfectant, bandages, the like. He was naked from the waist up. A number of bandages had been used to wrap up a dozen different places on his body. Cuts and scrapes, he guessed.

"How are you feeling?" The large man asked.

Will coughed. His throat was dry but functional. "Who…" he coughed again. It wasn't hard to imagine flakes of dried blood lodged within his windpipe. "...who are you?"

"The name's Adam," the guy said, grasping Will's hand and gently shaking it. "Been stuck here for a while, with the others."

"Others?"

"Yeah. You'll see soon enough."

His room was maybe five by five meters. It had a bed and a toilet and not much else. A heavy door with metal bars separated his room from the hallway. He didn't see any windows.

"Is this…a prison?"

"Ayup. Warden and guards included."

"You…mentioned work? A quota?"

"Don't think about that for now. Like I said, I'll take over your shift until you're healthy enough to…walk, I guess. They've got Pokemon on standby for real life or death emergencies. Anything else we have to take care of ourselves."

Will believed he understood. If someone bled to death on the floor, they'd seal the wound and leave them on the floor. Someone brought in a teen with four or five broken ribs, they'd glue the ribs back together and then leave him to rot.

"...get some rest Will," Adam said. "I've got work to do. Tomorrow morning, I'll send for someone to pick you up. They'll explain everything."

Will nodded. The world spun around again and he was forced to lie down once more. He closed his eyes, listening to the rustle of footsteps and voices around him. Adam left him, and he was alone.

He tried not to think. Tried so, so hard not to think.

~~~~~~~(V)~~~~~~~

AN: I think our Interceptor might need a hug after this.

I've decided to switch things up a bit from how it's portrayed in the game. This felt like a bit more realistic way for the ambush to go down in a written format. Call it an adaptation deviaten, or expansion. That, and as you might have noticed by now, I am a big sucker for drama.

Anyway, I'm really curious what you guys think about how we're setting the stage for Blacksteeple Castle! Please let me know in a review, be sure to follow or favorite if you haven't already, and I will see you with the next update!