"Another complication," Rose murmured, staring at the security footage from the lobby of the Budew Drop Inn. "How disappointing."

Copperajah couldn't tear his gaze away from the screen either. His eyes remained locked on the frame Rose had paused at - a clear shot of none other than one of the three Galarian Legendary Birds, released from the Pokeball of a Gym Challenge competitor. And not just any competitor, but Piers's sister - by far the most inconvenient competitor to suddenly whip out a random Legendary.

At least other competitors could be influenced. Copperajah knew full well Marnie could not.

Rose sighed. "No," he said coldly. "Bede must win the Gym Challenge. I did not spend so long grooming him for that very purpose just for him to lose to Piers's little brat of a sister. But perhaps…" A slight smile returned to her face. "Yes, that will work. It is almost certain they will meet during the Champion's Cup. When that happens, I will have Oleana lend him Articuno. And with Articuno on his side, not even Moltres will be able to stand up to him."

He pressed a button on the desk in front of him, activating the communication system of Rose Tower. "Oleana, please report to my office for new instructions." That done, he leaned back in his chair, heaving another sigh. Copperajah quickly stepped up to him, raising his trunk to nuzzle Rose's side.

Rose smiled wider and patted Copperajah's trunk. "Thank you, Copperajah," he murmured. Still shifting his hand up and down, he turned his attention to the Pokemon hovering at his other side. "Bronzong, remind me what necessities remain for me this evening."

"You have yet to contact Piers with your latest instructions," Bronzong replied. "You were also planning on contacting Hunter J-" Copperajah noted the slight darkening of Bronzong's tone at the name. "-and running another diagnostics check on Eternatus's containment area. And you still have not eaten dinner."

"Dinner can wait," said Rose. "Galar's future is worth a few delayed meals. I suppose I should contact Piers first." He frowned and gave a slight shake of his head. "I will admit, I will be glad when he is finally gone. Dealing with him has been…difficult."

"Pardon me," said Bronzong suddenly, "but according to my Psychic sensors, Agent Looker has just returned from his mission."

"Thank you, Bronzong," said Rose. Quickly, he turned off the security footage of Marnie and Galarian Moltres and leaned forwards, resting his arms on the desk as the door to his office opened.

"Ah, you're back," he said as Looker stepped through the door. "I trust everything went according to plan?"

Looker nodded. "Your information was accurate. Marcus had been on Hunter J's ship, though thankfully your suspicion that they were working together seems inaccurate. From what he told me, she happened to rescue him from that train crash last month - a train crash that, according to him, was caused by a group of Absols attempting to assassinate him. Marcus claimed that J told him she was in Galar both to capture the Absols and to protect him, specifically."

Copperajah hid a frown. I'm not sure if Rose wanted Looker to know about all of that…

Rose grunted. "That is certainly strange. J doesn't normally protect people."

"I am aware of what J normally doesn't do," Looker replied.

"I know," said Rose, "but I still can't help but be suspicious of Marcus. The reasons for his presence in Galar seem shady, he's a Dark-type trainer, two of his Pokemon are former members of infamous Pokemon poacher groups, and he's under the protection of Hunter J-"

"I understand your suspicions," said Looker. "You made them perfectly clear when you first called me here. But I do not believe Marcus hired Hunter J. Just because he is a Dark-type Trainer does not make him untrustworthy. Nor does the fact that multiple Pokemon of his formerly belonged to Pokemon poachers - in fact, he and his Fearow made it quite clear that they both despise poachers, and I highly doubt his Houndoom feels any different. Furthermore, in part due to that clear hatred of poachers, I also doubt he hired Hunter J. So, yes, while I do agree Marcus's reasons for being in Galar are slightly shady, I believe there is reason enough for me to eliminate him as an accomplice to Hunter J, and as such I will not be investigating him any further. In fact, I have given him a tracking device so that he can lead me to J if and when they next meet."

That had definitely not been part of Rose's plan. Copperajah's frown deepened.

"Good thinking," said Rose, voice as smooth as ever. "Just…keep an eye on him, alright? I still cannot help but feel as if something is off with him."

Looker heaved a sigh. "If it gives you peace of mind," he said, "I will have him observed. Now, if you're done, I have an investigation to continue."

Rose waved a hand in dismissal. Looker quickly turned and strode off; as he stepped through the doorway, he nearly bumped into Oleana, who was coming the other way. Muttering a quick apology, Looker disappeared into the hallway beyond.

"Oleana," said Rose. "You may shut the door behind you."

Oleana turned, closed the door, and stepped over to Rose's desk. "What is it, Chairman?"

"It has come to my attention that Piers was holding some cards close to his chest after all," said Rose. "His sister has in her possession Galarian Moltres."

"What?" Articuno was out of her Pokeball on Oleana's belt in a sudden pulse of Mind. "Moltres is allowing himself to be used by a child?"

"Please, Articuno, calm yourself," said Rose. "Now, Oleana, you know as well as I do that this naturally presents an obstacle to Bede's victory in the Gym Challenge. Fortunately, I have already thought of a solution. Articuno, before Bede and Marnie meet in the Champion's Cup, you will join Bede's team in order to even the odds."

Articuno peered down at Rose. "Are you certain?" she asked. "Not that I wouldn't enjoy a duel with my fellow Bird, but am I not needed in Hammerlocke to help subdue Eternatus in case containment goes wrong?"

Rose nodded. "I understand the risk. But it will only be for one battle, and I will make sure to triple-check the containment area before your departure. And it is imperative that Marnie does not win the Gym Challenge. Bede's victory is necessary to ensure a prosperous future for Galar."

"I understand," said Articuno. "In that case…while I am not as battle-hungry as Moltres and Zapdos, I do enjoy putting on a good show every once in a while. Your apprentice will have his Legendary when the time comes."

"Excellent." Rose smiled. "Now, speaking of containment, I have yet to perform my daily check. However, I have a couple calls to make first - Oleana, if you could, please head down to the lobby and wait for me. I should only be fifteen minutes at most."

"Chairman…"

The hesitation in Oleana's voice brought the attention of Rose, Copperajah, and Bronzong - even Articuno looked surprised. "What is it, Oleana?" Rose asked warily - Oleana didn't generally ask questions in this manner.

"Chairman," said Oleana haltingly, "you know I will support you no matter what. But do you not worry sometimes? The amount of plans you have in play all at once, the amount of people and Pokemon you are manipulating…just one mistake could prove disastrous."

"It could," Rose admitted. "But I have contingencies. And while Marcus has proven to be a rather irritating thorn in my side, I highly doubt that will last for that much longer. What is your point, Oleana?"

"My point, Chairman," said Oleana, "is that I am starting to worry your plans are becoming too complex. Involving too many factors. Now you're taking risks like diverting Articuno away from the Energy Plant for what could prove to be a draining battle, when we likely stand little chance against Eternatus if he breaks free without her. I…I'm sorry for speaking out, but I'm just worried that if things start to go wrong, I…we could lose everything."

Rose nodded slowly. "I understand your concern, Oleana - indeed, I am touched by it. But no plan is riskless. We all knew coming in that there were unknowns. And I promise you the reward will be well worth it. Now please head down to the lobby."

"Yes, Chairman," said Oleana, recalling Articuno and turning to walk away. Rose leaned back in his chair again, watching his secretary open the door, step through, and close it behind her.

"Besides," Rose said to himself as he reached for the phone, quietly enough that Copperajah could barely hear him speaking, "there's a certain charm to watching all of Galar dance to my tune."

Hunter J hung up the phone and placed it back in her coat pocket with a frown. Myrma sidled up to her, all four of the Ariados's spindly legs making clicking noises against the metal floor of the ship. "Looker…" she hissed. "I remember him."

"He's quite the pursuer," Kochius remarked from J's other side. "Just doesn't know when to give up."

J, clearly hearing her Pokemon murmuring to another, snapped her fingers, getting both their attention instantly. "This changes nothing," she said. "Now that we know Looker is here - and that he's given Marcus a tracking device to try and help capture me - we can plan around it just like always. This is far from the first time he's been on our tail, after all."

Myrma and Kochius both nodded.

J glanced around the empty room she'd stepped into when the phone first rang. "Well," she said, "there is no use in wasting an opportunity for practice. Drapion. Ariados. Fight."

In an instant Myrma twisted. "Web Weave!" she hissed, strands of silk flying from her mouth. Each strand was well-placed, catching every Pin Missile that Kochius had just unleashed at her, spiny Bug-enhanced missiles that had been curving towards her nerve clusters.

In the next moment Myrma burst forwards, pulling the threads with her, spikes still caught in them to form a makeshift flail. "Swarm: Shadow Horde!" she snarled as she did so, combining her Ability with Shadow Sneak; half a dozen Bug-formed duplicates of Myrma formed into being and instantly teleported next to Kochius, springing upon him from all sides.

"Sniper: Deathblow!" the Drapion snarled; his arms lashed out, Oblivion glinting wickedly around them, tearing through every single one of Myrma's duplicates in an instant with rapid-fire thrusts from his massive arms. Myrma was still charging, and now Kochius sprang, two more Oblivion-fueled strikes coming her way, perfectly aimed as with everything Kochius did. The first one slammed straight into Myrma's flail of webs and spikes and dispersed them all through sheer force. The second came straight for Myrma's face, but she tapped into Shadow Sneak to avoid-

"J?"

Kochius and Myrma froze, the former's arm an inch from the latter's face; both turned to see Elle standing in the doorway to the room. J glared at the new arrival. "When I say I wish to remain undisturbed," she growled, "I mean it. Now what is so important that you saw fit to barge in anyway?"

"I apologize, J," said Elle, "but Charon said he's made a breakthrough, and I was to let you know immediately, regardless of whether or not you were busy."

Myrma sighed - J had told Charon to do exactly that when he'd made a breakthrough, considering the importance of the mission at hand. Sure enough, J nodded shortly. "His message is received," she said. "Now leave. Ariados, Drapion, with me."

Elle quickly scrambled out of the way as J marched out of the room, Myrma and Kochius following along behind. Kochius huffed. "You're getting good with those webs, especially for someone without Sniper."

"And your reaction time's up since our last clash," Myrma noted. "I do wish we'd gotten to play it out."

"There will be other opportunities later," Kochius growled. "The mission is more important."

"Of course," said Myrma. "Of course."

The two Poison-types fell silent as they followed J through the corridors of her airship. They knew the way well - as two of the three original members of the team before the events of Sinnoh had driven J to expand, they'd lived on this ship for over a decade now - and so their steps were practically subconscious. It seemed only a few moments before they were standing outside of the door to Charon's laboratory. J punched a code into the scanner beside the door - a code only she and Charon knew - and the door hissed open.

The scent of blood would have been repulsive to anyone who hadn't long since gotten used to the smell. It wasn't coming from the main lab, of course - that, as always, was pristine, with shelves of neatly arranged tools, desks covered in computers and various other devices blinking with multicolored lights, and half-completed or disassembled pieces of technology, some of which were sparking intermittently. Myrma would freely admit she didn't know what half of the stuff was, though she was fairly certain J did.

Charon himself was sitting at one of the computers, facing the doorway; his Porygon-Z was hovering beside him, whirring softly as it performed some unknown scientific task. Behind Charon were the four soundproofed heavy doors that led to other areas of his lab, the ones where he was known to run his more dangerous experiments. It was from one of those doors that the scent of blood was emanating, and despite the soundproofing, if Myrma focused on the door and strained her hearing enough, she could just hear the faintest sound of whimpering through it.

Charon stood, his face brightening. "Ah, J!" he greeted. "Welcome! I see you got my message!"

'Indeed, Charon," said J. "Report."

"I am pleased to report success!" Charon announced proudly. "Our second Absol was far more pliable than the first. All I had to do was pull out the horn and take a limb or two, and he was quite willing to tell me everything!"

"And what does 'everything' contain?" J asked.

"Well," said Charon, "for starters, his name is Whisperer-Of-Words. A fairly unnecessarily long name, if I do say so myself. His group does indeed number twenty in all - eighteen now. And they are quite dangerous - after hearing his account, I readily believe that all of them are, at the very least, on the level of a Gym Leader's Pokemon. Likely most are even stronger, but it seems we got fairly lucky - Whisperer-Of-Words seems like one of their weakest."

"That fits my observations," said J. "Not many could escape an ambush from two of my Pokemon, but that Absol would have if not for Elle."

"Speaking of Elle," Charon continued, "or rather those connected to her, it seems that Whisperer-Of-Words was escorting Marcus Grayson's Medicham back from a meeting with his group's leaders. Apparently they had come to a sort of agreement."

"Interesting," J mused. "Does this group have a name?"

"The Heralds," Charon answered. "Though it seems that this group is a small renegade faction of a larger organization."

"And where is their base located?" J asked.

Charon grinned. "This is the juiciest part. The location of their central stronghold and meeting point is…Rose Tower!" He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "How about that?"

J frowned. "Rose's offer did seem suspect. Any idea what their plans are?"

"To assist Rose in acquiring the dormant Legendary Eternatus," Charon answered.

Myrma tensed. So did J. "Why?"

"Something about 'providing unlimited power to Galar'." Charon scoffed. "Pathetic. The power of a god at his fingertips, and he uses it to turn on the lights. I could think of so many better uses for-"

"We do not deal in Legendaries, Charon," J interrupted. "Remember, this is not Team Galactic."

"Yes, yes, I know," said Charon dismissively. Myrma sighed - had anybody else on the ship dared speak to J in such a fashion, she would have wasted no time in pouncing on them and filling their mouths with webbing until they suffocated, but Charon was too useful and he knew it.

"I see," said J. "So that's his game - his little Absol pawns have exhausted their usefulness to him, so he brings me in to get rid of them." She smiled in a way that would have chilled anyone watching to the bone. "He ties off that loose end, covers his tracks, and no one is the wiser. Fortunately for him, the nature of his deceit does not naturally include the lack of a payday - and even more fortunately, I still have business here in Galar."

"So we'll continue to play his game?" Charon asked.

"Indeed," said J. "Believe me, his deception will have consequences, but with four million Pokedollars on offer, I am willing to tolerate some things that I might otherwise not. And besides, an intact Absol will likely sell for quite a sum. So yes, Charon, as you say, we will continue to play his game. But if he thinks I am merely content to remain a simple piece on his chessboard, he will soon learn otherwise."

"Of course, J." Charon glanced back at the operating table. "So…what should I do with Whisperer-Of-Words?"

"A hornless Absol with missing limbs is valueless," J replied. "Euthanize it."

"As you command," said Charon.

The calls had been placed, the visit to the Hammerlocke Energy Plant had been completed, and now - finally - Rose and his team had sat down to eat dinner. Naturally, being the Chairman, Rose spared no expense when it came to meals; an entire brigade of Macro Cosmos staff had been assigned to create meals for his Pokemon every day, meals that easily rivaled those found in fancy restaurants. Rose even had an entire separate dining room for his Pokemon so that, unlike in said fancy restaurants, they didn't have to watch him eat his meal.

As Copperajah tucked into his meal - a nice curry, Starf Berry-flavored with a telltale hint of leeks - he noticed Escavalier was picking at his own plate beside him. Instantly, Copperajah's team-leader instincts went into overdrive. "Escavalier?" he whispered, swallowing his latest trunk-full of curry. "Something wrong?"

Escavalier looked up; his gaze swept around the room, then focused back on Copperajah. "Can we…talk?" he asked, gesturing with one lance-arm towards the back of the room.

"Of course." Copperajah rose and stepped back; Escavalier quickly did the same, casting another glance at the remaining four members of the team. They were looking up at the retreating pair, worry in their eyes; Copperajah gave them a reassuring nod, and was relieved to see them turn back towards their food.

"So, I've been thinking," Escavalier said, surprisingly loudly. "What if I combined Shell Armor, Iron Defense, and Metal Burst? I could form an Iron-enhanced shield out of thin air to block an attack, then blow it up in the enemy Pokemon's face. What do you think?"

Copperajah understood Escavalier's intent immediately - to reassure their teammates further that this was just an ordinary conversation. "Not bad," he said truthfully - that was an interesting possibility for a technique. "It could definitely catch an opponent off guard." He slowly lowered his voice as he spoke, transitioning into a more quiet conversation that the others wouldn't be able to hear. "So now that we've made sure the others won't worry about us…what did you actually want to talk about?"

Escavalier shifted. "I…" He hesitated further, took a deep breath, and finally spoke again. "I don't like this," he admitted.

"I…am sorry?" Copperajah murmured.

Escavalier shook his head. "It's not like this is your fault," he murmured. "Look, Copperajah, I was on board with the whole Eternatus thing, and I even get to some extent why Piers needs to go…but Hunter J? Eviolites? Killer Absols that run around causing deadly train crashes? Even you have to admit this is getting out of hand."

Copperajjah nodded. "I understand, Escavalier. And I would be lying if I said that I didn't have reservations too. Not just about the company Rose is keeping, but about all the secrecy and the manipulations, hiding not just players but entire factions from one another…none of it sits well with me. But at the same time, you know perfectly well he has good intentions."

"There's a pretty well-known saying," Escavalier retorted. "'The road to Distortion is paved with good intentions'."

"Is that what you think of Rose now?" Copperajah asked.

"I don't know what to think," said Escavalier. "He's my Trainer. I've served him loyally since Unova. And I want his plans to succeed just as much as you do. But…how many lines does a hero have to cross before he's not a hero anymore?"

"More than Rose has," Copperajah replied. "His actions are for the greater good, even the ones others may see as morally wrong. The ends justify the means, Escavalier. That is what he said when he first proposed this, and even now, in spite of my reservations, I wholeheartedly agree with him on that."

Escavalier remained silent, so Copperajah continued to speak. "Escavalier," he said, "this is a turning point in Galarian history. Picture, if you will, a Galar with Rose at its head, Bede standing beside him as its great champion, and Eternatus playing benefactor, using his Eterna to provide unlimited power all across the region. Galar will become a beacon of prosperity. Imagine that, Escavalier. Galar, once known only for insularity and weakness, transformed into the greatest region in not just the UPW, but the entire world. That is what lies at the end of all of this, Escavalier. And for the sake of that bright, beautiful future…I'm willing to cross a few lines." Copperajah peered down the length of his trunk at Escavalier. "Are you?"

Escavalier sighed quietly. "I still don't like it," he admitted. "But I see your point. And I suppose I can stomach a few crossed lines if it's for the greater good."

"Thank you, Escavalier," said Copperajah. "Now let us go eat. It will not do to go to sleep with empty stomachs tonight."

The island around Yggdrasil was calm and quiet, the only sound being the rustling of grass in the gentle breeze. Yet even now, as Darkrai rested beneath the boughs of the Tree of Dreams and gazed out upon what lay beyond, he could still in the back of his mind hear the screams and sounds of fighting, see the battle-scarred landscape, as the Dream World's side of the Battle of Alola raged around Yggdrasil.

"You look troubled."

Cresselia's voice brought Darkrai's attention to the Psychic-type Legendary beside him. She was staring at him with clear concern in her eyes; Darkrai felt a pang of sadness fill him at the sight. "I am fine," he said.

Cresselia chuckled. "I am not an idiot, Darkrai. What's going on?"

Darkrai sighed. "I worry for Medicham," he admitted. "On one hand, it seems as if she has finally made peace with Teller-Of-Tales' renegade group, though I cannot know for certain until Teller-Of-Tales seeks me out to confirm it. I doubt he will hesitate to do so - Arceus knows I can't think of a reason why he wouldn't want me to endorse his cause."

"Perhaps he is nervous that you won't?" Cresselia suggested.

"He shouldn't be," Darkrai replied. "Medicham said she'd given him a message through an intermediary. But that is not what troubles me. What troubles me is Galar in general - it is still a raging maelstrom of Psychic blocking that I can barely muster enough influence to even peek through. And the renegades have already made one attempt on Medicham's life, one which I barely managed to notice in time. If I allow my attention to lapse even for a second-"

"Darkrai." Cresselia's voice was kind but firm. "You worry too much."

"I have to," said Darkrai grimly. "If she dies, I will never be able to forgive myself. Not only for potentially dooming the world, but also because…she's my friend, Cresselia. It would…it would be like losing you."

Cresselia rested one wing on Darkrai's immaterial shoulder. "I know. Believe me, I know. But she's a smart girl, and powerful, too. She held her own in the Battle of Alola, and that was over two years ago! You know she can take care of herself."

"I know…" Darkrai slumped; it seemed for a moment as though he would say something else, but he remained silent, simply continuing to stare out into the Dream World beyond.

"Darkrai," said Cresselia, "if you're really so worried…I can let you go out there and help her yourself. All I have to do is use Lunar Dance-"

"NO!" Darkrai's shout was so abrupt that Cresselia couldn't help but flinch back. "No," Darkrai said again, quieter. "You know I can't let you do that."

"You could do so much, Darkrai," Cresselia pressed. "So much more than I am. You could guide the Heralds more easily, help Medicham more freely, protect the world in ways I couldn't possibly replicate-"

"And condemn you to suffer for all eternity," Darkrai growled. "No. Never. This is my burden to bear, not yours."

"If it means saving your friend-"

"You are my friend, Cresselia, and even more-"

"If it means saving Medicham," Cresselia murmured, "it would be my honor to bear that burden."

The two sat in silence for a moment more. Darkrai stirred. "I am being summoned."

"Convenient, isn't it?" Cresselia remarked.

Darkrai sighed. "I am sorry, Cresselia. But I have made my position clear. I will not allow you to take my place, and that is final." Rising, he disappeared in a flash of darkness.

Cresselia gave a sigh of her own, bowing her head. "Darkrai, you self-sacrificing fool…why do you have to be like this?"

"Master?" Bringer-Of-Visions asked again, nervousness pricking at her as the sound of her voice echoed in the emptiness of Oblivion. Normally Darkrai would have answered her by now. "Are you there?"

"I am here." Bringer-Of-Visions smiled as she finally heard the Master's voice. "I apologize - I was distracted. What is it you require?"

Bringer-Of-Visions' smile, only just acquired, now dipped. "Master," she said, "I am worried. I am sure you are aware that Spirit completely dropped out of my Sight for several hours recently. That action, combined with David's recent murder by Betrayer-Of-Kin, has led to quite a bit of distress on my part. I have been advised to seek your counsel on that matter."

She quite plainly heard a soft chuckle from Darkrai. "It seems I am not the only one who is worrying too much," he murmured. "Bringer…Medicham has allies. Friends. Protectors. Galar is not a completely hostile landscape. Yes, there are enemies, but that has always been the case. We must not allow ourselves to become consumed by fear. We must have faith that she will be fine."

"I do not like believing in faith," Bringer-Of-Visions growled. "I prefer control."

"That is clear," said Darkrai.

"Master," said Bringer-Of-Visions, "do you have any idea where Spirit disappeared to for those several hours?"

"I do not," Darkrai rumbled. Bringer-Of-Visions frowned - there was a strange note in his voice. If Bringer-Of-Visions hadn't known better, she would have thought Darkrai was lying.

But that's ridiculous. The Master would not lie. Not about something like this.

"Perhaps," continued Darkrai, "it was an unexpectedly sudden and powerful surge in the Psychic blocking that continues to swirl around Galar. Such things have been known to happen."

"Perhaps," Bringer-Of-Visions murmured.

"As for Betrayer-Of-Kin," said Darkrai, "I will admit to being worried on that front as well. But I must say this, Bringer - no matter how opposed the renegades are to us, I do not believe they would align with her. Betrayer-Of-Kin is their enemy, too."

"Why?" Bringer-Of-Visions asked. "They've already tried to kill Spirit once. We both know they want her dead. Why would they not align with Betrayer-Of-Kin to make that happen?"

"Because," Darkrai insisted, "they are also opposed to Giratina. They just believe that their plan to stop him from rising, whatever it is, is better than ours."

"And that plan doesn't involve Spirit," Bringer-Of-Visions shot back. "Which means she's nothing more than a liability to them. Master, I hate to disagree with you on this, but we cannot trust the renegades not to work with Betrayer-Of-Kin. They are nothing but filthy traitors, same as her!"

"Bringer-Of-Visions, you will stop panicking and listen to me!"

Darkrai's voice was like a thunderclap; Bringer-Of-Visions froze, staring up at him with wide eyes. "There is nothing we can do," Darkrai said, more calmly. "We cannot enter Galar. We cannot provide assistance. All we can do is watch from afar. So cease your worrying. We must simply trust that Medicham, Marcus, and their friends will be able to take care of themselves."

"Yes, Master," said Bringer-Of-Visions, bowing her head in acknowledgement.

"You are dismissed," Darkrai stated emphatically. Bringer-Of-Visions nodded and released the Perish Song, drawing herself back out of Oblivion and into the real world.

She sighed. Darkrai was right. There was no point in panicking. But there was a point in taking action.

Specifically, against the part of her plans she had not let Darkrai in on, for fear he would dismiss her worries as nonsense. The search for the traitor in the Heralds - a search that, as of this moment, was rapidly coming to an end.

After all, she was fairly certain she knew who the traitor was.

All she had to do was find a little more proof, and then she would strike.

Watcher-Of-Time, the last of the searchers, shook her head sadly, a motion that told Teller-Of-Tales everything he needed to know.

The leader of the renegade Heralds felt sick even as he gave an accepting nod in return, watching as she turned and slowly stepped over towards the other Absols in the lobby. Then he turned to his other side, dread filling every inch of his body.

Arbiter-Of-Fates was standing next to him, head bowed. "This is my fault."

"Don't say that," said Teller-Of-Tales.

"It is." She raised her head, eyes narrowed, her voice still choked. "I promised myself I would never put my trust in a stranger again. But I let myself waver. I let you and Medicham influence me. I told myself 'just this once'. And now Whisperer-Of-Words has paid for my mistake."

"That's not-" Teller-Of-Tales hesitated, then tried again. "Arbiter, we don't know Medicham did this. Why would she? She must have known what would happen if she-"

"Oh, she knows," Arbiter-Of-Fates growled. "She knows I'm never going to trust her…and she knows that you always will. Don't you see, Teller-Of-Tales? She played us - all of us - in order to get into a situation where she could get rid of Whisperer-Of-Words while maintaining plausible deniability. After all, as you yourself just said, there's no reason she would have jeopardized our peace deal, right?" She smirked, but the expression was still twisted with hurt. "Except that's just what she wants you to think. And as long as you keep giving her the benefit of the doubt, she'll just keep picking us off one by one."

"Arbiter, that's ridiculous-"

"Is it?" Arbiter-Of-Fates stepped forwards, glaring straight into Teller-Of-Tales' eyes. "Maybe you can't see past all those fake tears and pretend exhortations she was giving us, but I can. She's a manipulator through and through, and she'll stop at nothing to protect her Trainer from us."

"This is just your paranoia talking, Arbiter!" Teller-Of-Tales cried frustratedly. "Trust me, I'd know if-"

"Trust you?" Arbiter-Of-Fates snarled. "Let me make something clear - if I'd just killed Medicham when I had the chance, Whisperer-Of-Words would still be here, safe and sound. That's on you, Teller-Of-Tales…and it's on me for trusting you. And I will never make that mistake again."

She stepped back, glancing around the room, raising her voice. "I say we end this here and now!" she announced. "We have waited and watched and hidden long enough! Whisperer-Of-Words has paid for our inaction, and I will not allow any more to do the same! I say we go out in force, find Marcus, and destroy him before he can interfere with our cause any further!"

Fear seized Teller-Of-Tales' heart as he heard murmurs of agreement coming from around the room. Quickly, he raised his own voice to match Arbiter-Of-Fates. "And who's to say this will go better than the last time you tried this?" he asked. "Or have you all not forgotten that Whisperer-Of-Words is not the only one of us missing today?"

He hated using Leaper-Of-Realities' name as a weapon - even if he had chosen to follow Arbiter-Of-Fates, his loss still hurt just as much as Whisperer-Of-Words' did - but he felt relieved anyway as more murmurs arose. Arbiter-Of-Fates' eyes darkened. "That was only with four of us," she growled. "And we still came within inches of succeeding, and would have succeeded if it weren't for Hunter J! With all of us working together, Marcus stands no chance."

"That does not mean this is the right path!" Teller-Of-Tales protested, aware of the surrounding Absols' opinions clearly swaying back towards Arbiter-Of-Fates.

"Then what is?" Arbiter-Of-Fates retorted. "How do you plan on handling this before more of us disappear? You call yourself our leader, and yet I'm the only one who actually seems to be leading anyone, while you seem content to sit in here and watch from afar as our plans slowly crumble! So tell me, Teller-Of-Tales, what is your plan?"

"I will go to her!" Teller-Of-Tales shouted. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, spoken in an instant without thinking out of sheer desperation to head off Arbiter-Of-Fates' influence. But instantly he began to build off the idea. "I will go to her," he said again. "I will ask her what happened to Whisperer-Of-Words. I will use my own Psychic abilities to peek into her mind, and I will let her know that if I do not like what I see, I will return and I will order everyone under my command to come down upon Marcus like an unerring tide. When I return, I will know for certain whether Medicham is an ally or an enemy, and you may have Articuno look into my mind so that she can know for certain too. If Medicham is an enemy, then I will cede command of the renegade Heralds to Arbiter-Of-Fates, for she will have proven far more prescient than I am. But if she is an ally, then an ally she will remain, and I will hear no more talk of assassination attempts against Marcus."

Slowly, the surrounding Absols nodded. Arbiter-Of-Fates glanced around, clearly recognizing that Teller-Of-Tales had swayed them. "And what if you don't come back?" she asked.

Teller-Of-Tales sighed. "If," he said, "at the end of three days, I have not returned…then you may do as you wish."

Arbiter-Of-Fates hesitated for a few moments, then nodded slowly. "Very well, Teller-Of-Tales," she murmured. "Three days…and not a moment longer."

Just a quick check-in on our various antagonists (and Darkrai) before we return to the main plot next chapter. As always, please drop a review if you have the time!