Delia Ketchum looked at the strange card in her hands, noting the odd symbols and designs on it. She had no idea what it was or how to use it. Mew, for all of her willingness to help, seemingly expected a lonesome widow to understand what it was she held.

It was this lack of direction, this lack of idea that made Delia decide to use what resources were available to her.

She walked over to the computer terminal and accessed its list of contacts. Finding the one she wanted, the woman steeled herself and moved the cursor over it.

The computer emitted a synthetic ring, emulating an old fashioned telephone's tones.

A minute passed and suddenly, the monitor activated. At the other end, a man with thick eyebrows and long hair."Professor Oa-, wait, Delia?" he blinked, surprised. "Uh, hello. It's good to see you, but what are you doing on Professor Oak's computer?"

"Hello, Spencer," Delia returned, a little unsure if her words came out in an appropriate tone. It had been a very long time since she had ever contacted the man and the most they had heard of each other came through prerecorded messages and emails. "...I asked Professor Oak if I could borrow the computer, since well, I kind of need your help with something. I also couldn't remember your number."

"Is it about…. You know, your boy?" Spenser asked. "I'm sorry I couldn't come visit, but I've been preparing for an upcoming expedition. And you know how Academia can be."

"It's fine, I know you're busy. But no, it's not about Ash." Delia replied. Spencer had known Ash as when he was a little boy. It had only felt right that she sent out an invitation letter to the funeral, but he never arrived. She did not resent him for that, he was a busy man. "It's more… related to your line of work. That is, if you don't mind me bothering you."

"No, no, I can always spare a minute for an old friend," Spencer replied with a short laugh. "Tell me what you need?"

"It's this," Delia answered. She placed the card close to the camera, making sure that the man on the other end got a good look. She had no idea what it was or its functions, but figured a man who was well versed in archeology and ancient cultures might have had a clue. "Do you know anything about it?"

Spencer squinted his eyes, moving onto the keyboard as he typed something out. "I think I've seen this before."

"You recognize it?" Delia turned the card over, just to make sure the man could see the back.

Spencer rapidly typed into his keyboard, his eyes looking at something else on his screen. "Yes. Once, back when I was researching the myths of Sinnoh. An object just like this one was depicted in an illustration. Its shape and design was nearly exactly like this."

Huh, so maybe there was information about the object she held. "Really? What was it for?"

"We're not quite sure," the archeologist replied. "But we think it might be used as a key. We're not sure what for or how though?" The man pressed some buttons and a small depiction of a man appeared in Delia's monitor. The man placed an object similar to a card over a doorway.

A key? A key back to where Delia came from, maybe? So, if she had a key, where was the door?

"Where did you get this?" Spencer then asked. "It looks like a very well made replica."

"A friend gave it to me, but I'm not sure it is a replica or the real deal," Delia answered, honestly. She opted not to explain who said friend was, but the woman felt she could be honest about what she had. "Do you want to examine it yourself? That's kind of why I asked Professor Oak if I could borrow his computer, since he has a object teleporter."

"Right." Spencer typed something on his keyboard. "Slot it into the teleporter pad and beam it over. Do you still remember how to operate it?"

"Sure do," Delia may not have been a trainer, herself, but working a laboratory's teleporter wasn't even that hard. She placed the card onto the flat pane attached to the computer. Usually, the machine was used to transfer Pokémon to and from the Professor's Ranch, but it was just as capable of sending most objects safely. The woman then touched several buttons in a specific sequence to the device.

A beam of red light engulfed the card. And, just when it looked like it was about to dematerialize, the machine ceased. A warning banner appeared over the monitor, Delia read it out loud. "Error? Unable to analyze object? Translation failure? That's… not normal."

"Yeah, you don't get that kind of message every day," Spencer muttered. "Why did the teleport fail? Normal objects can get teleported easily, but not that thing."

"I don't know," Delia admitted. She lifted the card back into her hand, going over it with her eyes. If she had any doubts about Mew's existence or any notion that she hallucinated the entire encounter, those evaporated on the spot. Whatever it was she had been given, it was not anything ordinary or plain.

"Suddenly, I am very, very interested in what it is you're holding. I mean, the inability to be teleported is quite the oddity…" Spencer admitted. He made a nervous expression. "Delia, whatever it is you have, it's strange enough to warrant a deeper investigation. I'm willing to look further into this matter, but this might be bigger than I think either of us realize."

Delia frowned. It figured that this would not be easy, but at least her old friend was willing to help her. Though that brought up another problem. "What about your expedition?"

"I have time until the end of the month. I have things to do at home, though." the man answered. "We're going to need to transport the item, somehow. Maybe you could send a courier?"

Delia pursed her lips. Spencer's mansion was not that far away from Azalea Town, which incidentally, a certain Gary Oak needed to make a delivery on behalf of his grandfather. An idea formed in her head. "I'm going to check with the Oaks about something, but if all goes well, I think I could be going to visit you in the coming days. Do you mind if I visit? It's been quite a while."

"Hm?" The man mused. "I wouldn't be opposed to it, especially since you've brought us something so interesting. Besides, I think it's a good idea to catch up on old times, given what we've both been through… difficult matters."

Delia pursed her lips in solemn agreement. It sounded nice, to reconnect. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea."

"Splendid, I'll make arrangements for your stay," Spencer agreed. He raised one of his eyebrows in a clearly agitated expression. "Uh, sorry, Delia, but I think my assistant is calling me. But we might have to talk about this another time."

"It's perfectly fine. You'll know how to reach me. Goodbye, Delia."

"Goodbye, Spencer."

The call terminated, the screen turning dark.

Delia eyed the card in her hand once again, wondering just how much she should tell the Oaks. Granted, they'd probably wonder why it was that Mew chose her of all people. The woman shook her head. No, if they didn't believe her, that was their problem.

Besides, she had a good feeling about Gary meeting Spencer. Didn't the boy want to be a scientist like his dear grandfather?

James collapsed onto the wooden deck of the ship, relief surging through him. Despite his apron, his fur was coated in grease and slime, but that didn't matter to him at all. Besides, how could he feel anything but that, when he had his friends sharing in his success.
"It's… over. Finally, over," Jessie fell right next to her, her body covered in sawdust and paint. Several tools clattered onto the floor beside her.

"Got dat right…" Meowth joined the two of them, bundles of copper wire and electrical burns over his body.

Arbok and Weezing threw themselves against a cart, one that had seen constant use in the past few days. Neither spoke, both exhausted from hauling materials back and forth.

Victreebel was the only one not on the floor and he made himself useful by giving everyone else wet towels and bowls of water.

James took his towel and rubbed it against his head. As a pikachu, he didn't exactly drip sweat as he used to, but the addition of something moist cooled him off rapidly. Rubbing at his eyes, he surveyed what had been the work of the past week and marveled.

The old, broken ship had each and every surface patched up and repaired. Most of the battle damaged planks had been replaced, with large sections of the hull practically looking brand new. Even the torn up mast had been given a sturdy replacement with a heavy duty sail cloth. But Team Rocket was not content with simply repairing what was broken.

No, they had more ambition than that.

James looked beneath his feet and felt the tingle of electricity racing through the vessel. A simple, if crude, network of copper wire snaked its way through the ship, creating the most basic of electrical systems. Oversized chemical batteries were in the front of the ship, which stored the electricity of anyone willing to hook themselves in and donate power. That power drove the large electrical motor near the ship's stern, which in turn drove a massive steel propeller that in theory would let the ship function without a Pokémon directing the wind.

There were even some other features, such as the control panel being able to remotely control the sails or activate the, albeit slapdash, defensive weaponry they fitted the ship with. There were plans to cover the ship in lightbulbs, too, but that… did not work out and is best left forgotten.

And all it cost them was… everything they had. Their collective purse was emptied of all of the money they got from luring that ditto into that trap. Even the substantial investment offered to them by a Fjord the merchant lord samurott had run out.

Which was a relevant thought, since his son spoke, announcing his presence. "Wow. How'd you guys find the time to… do everything you did?" Dewott commented as he walked over. "Like, I know we loaned you some of the company's guys, but this ship was falling apart a week ago."

James uttered and laughed. "We've had practice doing stuff like this before! Granted, usually, the parts we get are off the shelf and easily assembled rather than a big project like this."

"But that's nothing that the brilliant minds that are Team Rocket cannot handle!" Jessie preened, flicking her tail as if to emphasize a point.

"Yeah, but we'd be stuck here if someone didn't already introduce vulcanized rubber some time ago," Arbok added. "That was kind of necessary if we didn't want the ship to catch fire."

James nodded his head, thinking about the number of alternative materials he would have been forced to try to cover the ship in enough cables. Or worse, how they would have needed to do something as ridiculous as jumpstart an industrial revolution just to get what they wanted. No, what they did was considerably saner…. At least, he thought what he did was saner.

"Huh, it's really that important? Thought the stuff was only good for making waterproof clothing or armor against electricity," Dewott uttered, curious.

"Rubber is good for plenty of things! Especially if you want to bag pikachu's and…." James stopped and then looked down at himself. Oh, right. He smiled awkwardly. "Rubber is very good if you need material with good elasticity and doesn't conduct electricity or heat easily."

"Right," Dewott muttered, his eyes scrunched as he thought to himself. "You know, if you guys decide to stick around, you could easily make a name for yourself. Not that many outsiders that come here are all that versed in tinkering, like you guys are. Sometimes they are, but you know, not like this."

"Ya should see us when we got da tools!" Meowth boasted. "We coulda knocked yer socks off!"

"I mean, we… could," Jessie agreed, though looked conflicted. "If we wanted to."

James smiled awkwardly. Though, a part of him was aware that by introducing a number of modern inventions that there would probably be side effects. The electric motors could have a tremendous impact on the businesses living here, if their designs gained popularity. Though, admittedly, that wasn't the pikachu's problem to solve.

"Right."Dewott nodded his head. "It seems like everything is in order. So, you guys are really gonna be leaving soon?"

"Ya. It looks like it," Meowth agreed with a shrug. "No idea were we gonna go, but da twerps are gonna be the ones pickin, I tink."

"And then, with luck, you'll be heading out of this country," Dewott continued, skipping ahead several steps. "So, what are you guys going to do after you get out?"

James felt an uncomfortable sensation develop in the pit of his heart. While a part of him thought that things would go back to business as usual, there were… things. Things that needed to be addressed.

"Go back ta business as usual," Meowth shrugged. "It ain't dat hard!"

"So, what is that?" Dewott answered. "Like I forgive me for asking, but you guys did kind of save my butt from that pirate. I'm a little curious, is all."

It suddenly occurred to James that Dewott hadn't ever learned about what Team Rocket actually did outside of Citrine. They hadn't exactly advertised to the world that they were essentially Pokémon kidnappers and that mostly came down to the fact that in Citrine, being a bandit was basically a death sentence. The otter likely didn't even know that Team Rocket had a darker side to them.

Meowth clearly realized this, too. "I, well. Maybe I was gonna get a girl? I dunno?" he stumbled all over his words.

"... Maybe go to a hair salon?" Jessie muttered. "... Probably beg the Boss for forgiveness since we lost his balloon after he gave us a promotion."

"It's not like we had a lot of time to think about this." James pointed towards the ship below him. "All of this stuff, it was a lot of work."

"Right." Dewott shrugged. "Well, we've got a few Moons til the tournament anyways. Maybe you guys will have a better idea by then."

"Probably," James agreed. "Maybe by tomorrow? We've still got to get the ship out of drydock and run a few tests."

"Yeah, we can talk about it then." Dewotted nodded his head. Satisfied with the answers he had received, the Water-type walked off the ship.

Team Rocket sat there for a good minute, until one of their number broke the silence. "So, what are we going to do?" Weezing intoned with his two voices. "I mean, it's a good question isn't it?"

"It is…" Jessie conceded. "I mean, we could just go back to the way things were, like nothing happened. It's not like anything we did here was going to change anything, wasn't it?"

"So, if everyone's a Pokémon, does that mean, we'd have to kidnap everyone we run into?" James frowned as he mulled over the implications of everything they learned. And what it meant for them. After all, it was the most logical part of being in Team Rocket. What they did was already plenty illegal when they scammed or stole the Pokémon that belonged to someone else; adding another one and disappearing a random human to get it wasn't that far of a stretch.

"You're being ridiculous!" Jessie said, raising up her head in annoyance. "Besides, it's not like… it matters if we or anyone else is supposed to be a Pokémon or not. Outside of this place, humans, you know, exist."

"Wait!" Meowth raised a paw. "But if everyone's really a Pokémon, don't that mean we can ya make 'em Pokémon?"

Jessie blinked and then bounced in position. "Oh, you're right, Meowth! That's a brillian idea, if we ever found out how to make others into Pokémon, that means…"

"Jessie, not here," Arbok reminded, pointing his tail to the dockyards around the ship. While no one was necessarily in earshot and the entire place was filled with the noise of shipbuilding and harborwork, they weren't necessarily alone either.

"Sorry, Arbok!" Jessie replied, somewhat bashfully. She smiled brightly. "But still, think of all of the profits!"

James did, but his gut reaction reviled him. If they ever found out how to turn humans into Pokémon, that meant that nearly anyone could be taken by Team Rocket and sold onto the open market. James had spent a good year trying to capture a singular pikachu, yet he couldn't help but imagine that it would be himself locked up and given a price tag.

… It brought up unfortunate memories of a certain marriage proposal.

"Guys, let's think about this and…Wait, who's that?" He went to speak, but stopped the moment he heard someone climb the boarding ramp.

Team Rocket as whole stood at attention, their exhaustion draining from them as they went into battle positions. Was it Dewott again? The Twerps? Or an uninvited guest?

They didn't have to wait long as a large vulpine body with nine tails walked up the ramp. "Right this way," she spoke to someone behind her.

James recognized the fox. It was that ninetales who sometimes hung around Lycanroc-Not-Twerp, a priestess of some sort. He didn't say anything as a member of his team announced a greeting.

"Oh, hell, Miss Kyuko, what brings you here today?" Victreebel shifted his body into a bow, his vines ushering the vixen forward.

"I'm simply here helping a guest who wanted to see you." the ninetales answered. She turned to her back and down the ramp. "They're up here!"

"Wow, we're gotta be really popular," Meowth muttered sarcastically.

"Well, of course, we are," Jessie said, matter of factly.

"But why?" James wondered who it was. No one came to see Team Rocket unless they wanted something. And he doubted that the Twerps would have needed a guide to bring them here.

Their answers were answered when a familiar looking jigglypuff walked onto the ship. She looked pristine now, though not too long ago, bore the brunt of a number of injuries from that battle a few days ago. She was the same jigglypuff that faced Team Rocket when they lured Verge into a trap. She was also familiar in another way, though James couldn't explain how. "Hello…" She murmured, her tone ice cold.

James flinched at the sound of her voice. That sense of familiarity gnawed at him, though he couldn't explain why.

"Oh, it's you," Meowth muttered, almost sounding as though he recognized her.

"You know her?" Jessie questioned.

"Uh, it's kinda of obvious," Arbok spoke back.

"Yeah, we kind of ran into her every other day?" Victreebel mentioned, pressing a vine on his chin. "Not lately though?"

Suddenly, recognition dawned in James's mind. He knew who this pink puffball was. He stared at the Normal-type, terrified. If Team Rocket followed Riolu Twerp and his Pikachu everywhere, Jigglypuff was the Pokémon that trailed after everyone else. That terror never fought with anything more complicated than her own voice.

"You know, I didn't think I'd run into you guys. I thought I lost all of my favorite fans!" Jigglypuff mentioned. She then pouted and touched her sides. "You did end up beating me up I guess?"

"Dat wasn't our fault!" Meowth hissed. "Ya were gonna cave our head in! And ya weres gonna hurt yerself out with what dat ditto did to ya!"

Jigglypuff raised up her lip in defiance. "You could have been nicer about it. Have you lot degenerated into ruffians without those humans you had around you? Maybe it's the fault of these… new members of your motley group?"

"Ruffians?" Jessie barked. "Motley?" Embers of flame started to form around her.

James stood in the way. He grabbed the eevee by her fuzzy collar and kept her from charging forward. "She doesn't recognize us," he whispered, realizing what her words meant.

Jessie grunted, but held back. She raised her chin up and turned her gaze away.

"...We have been forced into rather unsavory positions?" Arbok said. "It's been quite rough living here. Having to crawl out of the muck."

"I suppose that's true. My first few days here were also frustrating. Did you know they have laws against public singing? The nerve!" Jigglypuff snapped her fingers. "Wait, I know. I'll… forgive you for your rudeness!"

James's blood ran cold. Though the words the punk puffball used were meant to be endearing. He knew this creature to know what it would do next.

Jessie's eyes met his in equal recognition. "James!" she barked

"Victreebel, worry seed, now!" James barked out. Ever since he learned that such a move existed, he had always intended to get his pitcher plant to learn it, if only because he saw the utility of being able to instill insomnia at will.

But he hadn't have the time. "Uh, I didn't learn it…" Victreebel replied with obvious embarrassment.

"Wait, what's going on?" said the ninetales.

"Just, run!" James barked.

"I'll forgive you, if you listen to me sing!" Jigglypuff didn't listen to anyone else's concerns. She pulled out a microphone from out of nowhere.

Everyone tried to run, to leave the area.

But they were too late.

James didn't rememberthe words, but the sound reverberated throughout the pikachu's body. It reminded him of the effort it took to fix up the ship and upgrade it up to Team Rocket's designs. It had taken so much work, so much labor… so much so that the pikachu's body felt heavy.

Maybe it wasn't a bad idea to… rest. He earned it after all.

Zorua shivered in mortal terror. The little fox kit wanted to run, but she was trapped, unable to flee. The only thing that eased her suffering was the steady and loving touch of her Momma as she gently kissed the injury in one of her paws.

"Ssh, it's alright. Momma's here," Momma said softly, like her words were the bestest pillow in the world.

Zorua looked up, her fears suppressed for a moment. Her Momma's embrace offered safety and security, like there was nothing that could go wrong.

"Hmph," an ugly grunt echoed throughout the room. The mean pangoro stood outside of their cage, staring at them with disgust.

Zorua flinched and squirmed, stopped only by Momma's tight grip.

"Why do you even want us? What's the angle here?" Momma shouted at the bad bear.

"There are a number of reasons." Pangoro replied in a stern tone. "I know what you really are, where you came from. That alone should be reason enough to execute you where you stand."

Momma narrowed her eyes. "Oh, so you know? I wonder who told you that."

"I had a friend inform me," the pangoro replied.

"What friend?" Momma demanded.

Pangoro ignored it and circled around the cage, his movements like a predator examining his prey. "But more than that, your dear husband had the audacity to involve himself in matters that were not in his station!" The bear slammed into the cage, rattling it.

Zorua cried and whimpered, tears streaming down her eyes. She couldn't see a thing, but the fire and rage inside the pangoro scalded her.

Momma held close, whispering softly into the little kit's ears. She faced the pangoro again, her eyes burning. "Ah, now I know who you are. You're the oldest son of the late Emperor. At least, you are the oldest son right. I wonder what happened to make it that way."

Pangoro rattled the cage once again. "Watch your tongue, accursed. Be fortunate I still need you alive."

Zorua screamed. She dug herself deeper into her mother's body.

Pangoro looked down at her, a malicious grin over his face. "But if you won't cooperate, I can make arrangements to make you compliant."

Cinder saw the monster's paws extend towards her. It was like looking at a monster that wanted to eat her in one gulp. She closed her eyes.

"He stole my birthright from me. Now, I will have it back, and more."

Cinder jolted out of the dream, scattering ink all over the parchment before her.

The zorua blinked the sleep from her eyes as she scolded herself for making a mess. Taking care not to cause any more problems for herself, she removed the ink bottles and pens and stored them away. The parchment was unsalvageable and was thrown away; something was on it, but the ink had so thoroughly saturated it that it was completely unreadable.

With her mess taken care of, Cinder pulled out her journal and began to put her thoughts into words before she forgot her dreams. It had been a long time since she had properly slept and dreamed. No, less dream, and more of a memory. It was a half forgotten recollection of she and her mother being held captive by a pangoro, another fragment from a distant time and place.

Cinder had little reason to doubt its veracity, since the previous few dreams of that scene hinted at her mother's human origins. So, what information was she meant to glean? Perhaps the pangoro's identity?
The zorua frowned as she realized another thing to consider: Why was she dreaming about her own distant past with such clarity? Did one the dreamweaver Cresslia favor her enough that she was being given prophetic insight? Maybe Uxie bestowed a blessing? Or perhaps it was an undocumented part of spiritual physiology? It wasn't as though there were that many scholarly works about the specific parts that made spiritual Maiju so different from their flesh and blood kin.

… Was this a good thing? Or was it some sort of trap?

Cinder had no idea. Though, maybe she had dreamed about a pangoro because she recently spoke with the Dowager Empress yesterday… or the day before yesterday? Wait, what day was it? What time was it?

The fox turned her gaze towards a nearby window, noting that it was late in the afternoon, the sun slowly descending past the horizon. That didn't necessarily explain what day it was. And come to think of it, the spectral fox had no recollection of what she had done before falling asleep. The last thing she remembered… She aided Brock in brewing his first potion.

Cinder frowned. She felt a little tired despite having just woken up instead of being refreshed like she usually would have been. Maybe it had been only a short nap?

The door behind her slid open, drawing the fox's attention.

To Cinder's surprise, she saw Cyclizar walking towards her, a number of empty sacks around his claws. "Oh, you're awake," he commented. "Thought you'd be sleeping more."

"I had a bad dream. Couldn't sleep," Cinder admitted. "So, how long was I out for?"

"Not long," Cyclizar answered. He walked over and offered a sack to the fox. "Need any help packing?"

"Uh, okay," Cinder accepted. She pointed towards a small collection of vials and flasks containing a variety of reagents and substances, her alchemy alchemy supplies. "Just be careful."

"Yeah, I know my way around chems," Cyclizar replied in a dry tone. He walked over to the alchemical goods and started sorting them.

"You do?" Cinder asked, a little surprised. The fox infused her body with shadowstuff, the physical appearance of a riolu.

"Hm, why that form?" The lizard blinked at the disguised fox, slightly perturbed.

"I need more dexterous paws. And there's examples of them all over the house, especially if you look at the family portraits. If my kind were any good at levitation, I'd do that instead." Cinder replied. "So, what's this about… chem work?"

"It's only in passing and only because sometimes we looted that stuff. One of the chemists would have made something or we'd have sold it," Cyclizar replied as he picked up some bottles.

"Oh, that's still more than most. I'm surprised you never brought it up until now," Cinder commented. She found a small box and gently placed each bottle inside, all the better to ensure they didn't collide with one another and potentially break during travel.

The lizard shrugged. "We had plenty of things to worry about," he said. "So, we're halfway there… four Emera's, right?"

"That does appear to be the case," Cinder agreed. She frowned as she realized something; Cyclizar was a bit different compared to everyone else - he was the one member of their group that had no ties of any sort to the world outside of the Citrine Isles. Which made the next thing she asked. "I recall you saying that you had no objection to leaving Citrine behind."

"That's right," the lizard confirmed. "There's not really any reason for me to stay. And the prospect of having a new life outside of what I've known appealed to me. What about you? I know you want to leave, see the outside world and all, but well, what're you going to do?"

"The reason I wanted to leave is because it's where my mother came from. So, the first thing I want to do is learn what I can about her, what she did. Maybe I have relatives, too," Cinder admitted, reaching deep into her heart. It still hurt to think about her, but she wanted to know more. "I've even thought about… humanizing myself, to help me explore that world better."

"You're really thinking about becoming human? Like, can't you just, you know, disguise yourself?" Cyclizar blinked. "You're a passable riolu, right now. Couldn't be hard to imitate a human."

"I have thought of that," Cinder replied. She put a paw over her chin. "But there's a number of problems. The first is that any strong hit will reveal my identity. And a long term illusion in the first place is going to be an effort to maintain. Lastly, Dexter said that I need papers for a human identity, something easier to acquire if I was human in body. There's also something about human language, which I have next to no context for."

"Huh, so that does sound exhausting." Cyclizar frowned.

"There are upsides: I am admittedly curious what I'd look like if I was given a human body. Everyone else showed me their pictures from what they could scavenge. I am also admittedly curious what it's like to have a completely physical form, as opposed to what I have currently," Cinder replied.

"And you'd lose out on everything that makes you a zorua," Cyclizar pointed out.

"Yes," Cinder said solemnly, a single word saying more than a dozen. She was not blind to the results of becoming human, having witnessed the distress that Raichu had undergone from her complete severance of Essence. She would not only lose her powers, but her ability to connect with and speak to other Maiju. It terrified her, yet her curiosity demanded answers. Besides, if some of the others were human once, how bad could it really be. "How about you?"

"Me? Well, I don't really know. All I know is… I am looking forward to a life where I never get to see my dear old 'Dad' again," Cyclizar laughed. "He's still probably liking his wounds, moaning about how the family is gone. Good riddance. "

Cinder winced, her own thoughts turning to her father and what he might have been doing at this very moment. It was a major difference between the two of them, though it wasn't too long ago when she mighty ave shared that opinion.

Cyclizar placed the last of the potions into the box and sealed it. "You know, it's kind of funny, I always kind of thought humans didn't exist."

Cinder blinked. She sincerely wondered if the lizard hadn't been drinking something he shouldn't have. "Wait, what?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, I always thought it was something the priests made up, since I always asked why no humans were ever in Citrine. It felt awfully convenient that they weren't allowed in," Cyclizar laughed. "Granted, I know a clawful of humans now, but I mean, technically humans aren't actually real."

"I suppose if you want to be philosophical about it!" Cinder barked, glancing at him. "But how could you believe something so….ridiculous?"

Cyclizar shrugged. "Things were different out there, far away from the Capital."

"We lived on the same island. In fact, I think you were, what, three villages away for most of your life?" Cinder replied, still incredulous at what she was hearing. Everyone knew humans existed

"And yet, we lived in very different worlds," Cyclizar said in a smug tone, a clear sense of pride radiating out from him. "It isn't like I went to school or anything."

"... I concede the point." Cinder groaned, seeing his point. She supposed that such a mindset might have made sense given his background. A roving bandit camp might not have been the best place to get an education. And aside from that, he was right about humans not technically existing; they were Maiju, like everyone else.

Cyclizar set the box of potions aside and went to pick up a number of scraps on the floor. As soon as he picked up the scroll that Cinder discarded earlier, the lizard fell on his face. "Ow!" he choked.

"What happened?" Cinder shouted, moving closer to the lizard. "Is something wrong?"

The lizard wrapped his arms around himself and shivered. "I'm… freezing, like all of the warmth is gone," Cyclizar gritted his teeth. "It's like my legs are frozen solid, too"

Cinder blinked, not sure how such a thing happened. But given that this started the moment the lizard grabbed onto that scroll, she had an idea. The fox moved toward the Dragon-type and pulled the scroll from his grip.

Immediately, Cyclizar let out a sigh of relief and began to hyperventilate, like he had been nearly strangled. "That was… horrible."

Cinder unfurled the scroll on her possession, still unable to read it, but that was irrelevant to what she knew now. Now, she remembered what she was doing earlier: She read from a technique Scroll! Her battle in the Tanzanite Dojo proved that the techniques that she had mastered were wholly inadequate to face the battles ahead. For that, she had chosen to learn a very simple technique that almost all spiritual Maiju knew - the power to curse on one's enemies. And said scroll now contained her first attempt at laying a curse.

"...Sorry about that," she winced.

Silver stared at the small collection of gemstones in his possession, his thoughts consumed as he quietly calculated the sum total. The value the stones had was exact and well known, once one learned of the denominations of Carats. In a different life, the sneasel had been taught to access the value of precious stones, a skill his father insisted he learn when it was his turn to learn the family business. And it was these skills that told Silver that the precious stones before him could have bought a car in most parts of the world, no questions asked.

In Citrine, those gemstones were only worth significantly less.

Specifically, they were just enough to buy a bag of snacks.

Silver tossed the gems over the counter and pointed to what he wanted. In return, the kecleon merchant gave him a large sack containing assorted fruits and… protein. Without a word, the sneasel left the shop, his thoughts still focusing on the coinage.

Citrine used diamonds and pearls instead of coins for every transaction, split into two separate currencies with distinct size based denominations between them. Platinum was used, too, but that was typically used for highly expensive purchases, the kind that maybe only happened once a month.

Still, Silver felt it was a little odd how each diamond or pearl looked exactly the same within a given denomination - each pearl seemingly had the exact same swirls and deformities, whilst the diamonds seemingly had the same perfect cuts, the same inner light. Such precision and exactness was almost blatantly unnatural, perhaps even artificial. If such a thing were true, it would certainly explain why the locals treated the stones with such….ubiquity.

"Did that really happen?" a voice barked in barely suppressed laughter. "You really sent that charizard away with a seed?"

"It was a bit of a team effort!" Gligar's voice clipped in, an obvious hint of satisfaction in her voice.

Silver sighed. He shoved the thoughts about currency to the side as he walked towards his team… and their guests. Sitting around a small table were Totodile and Gligar, both recounting stories. Voltorb, as per usual, dozed off, snoring loudly as he rolled back and forth. However, what was new were the two growlithes, one older and another younger - both had manes made of coarse fur that obscured the eyes.

"And then what?" the younger growlithe barked excitedly, tag wagging.

"So, then I go fight this bulbasaur and this rockruff and he's…." Gligar stopped talking and turned immediately towards Silver as he approached. "Oh, hey there. We were just going through a number of the fight's we've been in!"

Silver shrugged, mostly apathetic to the situation. It wasn't his problem to decide how the others wanted to spend their free time, as long as everyone remembered to practice at the appointed time. He placed the sack of snack foods onto the table.

The younger growlithe stared at the small pile of food with hungry eyes. He nearly leapt at it before his older brother grabbed him by the neck.

"No," said the elder, "Don't eat it all. It's not all ours."

The younger pup gave an annoyed pout, scrunching up his face in an exaggerated manner. Maybe, it was meant to make himself look cuter.

Silver rolled his eyes, unphased by the display. "Nice try."

That caused the younger growlithe to make a high pitched whine.

Totodile laughed. He grabbed a small bushel of berries and offered it to the young pup. "It's okay, kid, have something to eat. It's on me, okay?"

The puppy greedily bit into the berries and swallowed as many of them as he could. "Thank! You!" he said, in between bites.

Silver sighed, wondering just how much of their budget had been consumed by this… diversion. They had gotten the Emera for the local Dojo a long time ago, but ever since the disappearances started happening, his…team decided to intervene in what way they could. One thing led to another and that resulted in them having to rescue the little brother of a local street urchin. Said little brother now happily munched on berries and drained their coffers ever further just by existing. The sneasel was just grateful Gligar apparently had that important, life-saving medicine the puppy needed and they didn't need to pay for it.

"So, Totodile, where are we heading to next?" the older growlithe said.

Silver blinked. Why did the older growlithe ask that of Totodile?

"Uh, not sure yet." the tiny alligator touched his chin. "But maybe Heliotrope?" he said, looking towards Silver as he did.

The sneasel took the cue and responded. "Yeah. There's plenty of stuff there. It's got a Dojo, for sure."

"Sounds great!" the older growlithe barked. He stiffened his posture and sat on his rear. "Okay, so, because you saved brother, I kind of owe you don't I?" Again, he said that towards Totodile.

"Uh, yeah, but you don't really have to pay us back," Totodile said, sheepishly.

Gligar seemed to hesitate as well.

Silver didn't really understand what was going on, but he saw an opportunity. "Can you fight?"

Growlithe snorted, almost laughing. "Oh? Yeah, I know a few moves!" he teeth shone, several of them visibly chipped. "None of them are fair. You want me to join your team, don't you?"

Silver shined the Looplet over his hand. "We need members, our roster isn't exactly full and we need people," he admitted. While a vagabond growlithe wasn't his first choice, he would have been a fool to not leverage a favor owed. Especially since they had already sunk so many Carats on this whole venture.

"Yeah, you can join our team!" Totodile confirmed, snapping to attention.

The older canine stood proud and attentive. "I can do that. I'll fight under your banner."

"Awesome!" the younger pup yipped, his mouth covered in berry paste. "Can I-"

"No way!" Gligar immediately declared. "There's not really an age requirement for combatants, but you're… a pup. You're what, twenty?"

"Aww!" Growlithe complained. "I never get to do anything cool!"

"I mean, the last time you insisted, we had to search the whole city to find you," the brother groaned.

Silver shook his head, in agreement with the others. While he had no problem with letting a very young Pokémon fight, he was not willing to put up disciplining someone who was that young. In fact, he barely wanted the kid to tag along at all.

"I mean, we could take you with, just, no fighting?" Totodile offered.

This caused the puppy's tail to shake in scarcely veiled excitement.

"I'd prefer you not." Silver muttered.

"Yeah, but it's not like I can leave my little brother on the streets. He has to go somewhere, especially if you want me to go with you." the older growlithe muttered. "Like, you guys got a place for him?"

Gligar snapped her claws. "I know! Our Master could probably watch after him, teach him, too. Like, you guys don't have anywhere else to go, right? Even better, be's an arcanine, too!"

Both canines looked at Gligar's offer with interest, clearly considering it.

Silver nodded his head, signalling his own approval with the plan. His Master would have certainly appreciated to educate more students, especially one so young. After all, he was willing to take in outcasts, regardless of where they came from. And more importantly, the young growlithe wouldn't be his problem.

Both canines started to ask Gligar question after question, each probing the flying scorpion with ideas on how to meet the old arcanine.

Silver lost count of their questioning sometime around them asking for Master's favorite food, which was apparently stirfried noodles.

He almost didn't notice Totodile sneaking up behind him, leaving Gligar alone to face the relentless barrage. "Look on the bright side, this way, we won't have to worry about figuring out how to refer to them separately," the Water-type muttered.

"Could just give them different names," Silver replied back.

"Yeah, but Pokmon-Maiju here get really touchy if they get a name they didn't earn," Totodile countered. He stepped behind Silver.

"That'd earn me a headache," Silver replied wryly. "So, why did he ask you all those questions?"

"You're not exactly an easy person to talk to. You kind of… don't like to have people talking to you." Totodile shrugged.

Silver grunted.

"Plus, like, I was the one who offered to help Growlithe find his missing brother," the Water-type added. "Remember that?"

Silver nodded, accepting that explanation. By all accounts, the canine wouldn't have received help if it weren't for Totodile stepping in and volunteering. In a sense, the favor owed belonged to Totodile. That needed to be addressed. "Do you approve of recruiting them?"

"Yeah, I think. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement," Totodile muttered. "And we did need more members, especially since we're way below the average roster size."

Silver nodded his head, the tournament loomed in the distance. They still had time, but that time was vanishing by the day. If they didn't do something, anything to fix their numbers disparity, they would be facing an uphill battle even if they received every Emera. On the other hand, overcoming such odds… That sounded so exciting. It would be a chance to test his mettle, his worth in a way that truly mattered.

"So, you happy this way?" Totodile asked suddenly.

Silver blinked, not expecting that. "What?"

"Oh, no reason." Totodile shook his head, he seemed mildly amused by something. The only indication of what it was, was that he looked at the sneasel.

Silver looked over himself, trying to spot what was so amusing. There was nothing. He felt around his face and… nothing manifested.

Totodile stopped laughing. "So, I was just thinking. It's a bit different from what we… you wanted to do at the start of all this."

"It is," Silver confirmed. After all, he wanted to be a trainer, a strong and powerful trainer, like many kids his age did. His life situation made that impossible, especially with his dad… being his dad. He never got a Pokédex, never received a Pokémon, never so much as registered for a trainer license. He had to take matters into his own hands just to get Totodile, but… circumstances changed his plans. "Honestly, I don't mind."

"Oh?" Totodile squinted an eye.

"I don't have my father's shadow looming over me," Silver answered. "I don't have his business, his obligations, his… monsters." Especially that one monster that his father created, that… thing growing in that tube.

Totodile nodded his head in silence.

The pair stood side by side, both watching as Gligar explained the benefits the younger growlithe would receive while away from his brother. Mostly, he would gain a proper education in exchange for service and loyalty when he was older. It wasn't out of the ordinary in this country. The weak and the needy required the support of those stronger and more capable than them to survive.

Silver, himself, took the same bargain when he had first arrived, dazed and unable to make sense of the world around him. He only got through those maddening days because the Keepers took him as one of their own and instructed him in the ways of this world. And then, once the initial shock faded away, he understood his situation better: the sneasel did not ever become a proper trainer, nor could he. Yet in finding himself stranded in a place without humans, he arguably gained something far more valuable… freedom. Freedom from his father. Freedom from weakness.

Which then begged the question; what was Totodile doing here?

Silver turned to his… associate. Totodile had no real obligation to stay with him, once the two of them were both Pokémon. It wasn't like the outside world, where Pokémon were expected to follow their human owners. And even then, Silver had stolen Totodile from a laboratory. By all rights, the reptile had little reason to follow him. And it wasn't like they had known each other very long, either.

So, why was Totodile still here?

"Something on your mind?" Totodile asked out of hand. "You have that look."

"Nothing much." Silver replied flatly. And then he processed the rest of Totodile's words. "I have a look?"

"Oh, uh, would you look at the time?" Totodile rambled pointing to a wrist watch that he didn't have. He gave an awkward laugh and then slowly walked away.

Silver scowled at the little gator as he retreated. The Poison-type didn't pursue, instead he simply rolled his eyes…. As he struggled to understand his acquantance's motives.

Carver cursed the day he ever had the decency to take those stupid eggs into his care.

The kleavor ground his obsidian axe blades against the grindstone, his thoughts fuming with what he wanted to put them into.

He looked over to his right, towards the scant survivors of his once formidable Crew. His merry band of thieves and brigands were now reduced to a small handful, surviving on scraps. Their territories, once vast and brimming with plunder, dwindled by the day. Repeated attacks from bounty hunters, upstart rivals, that mad fox have taken their toll, stripping them to the bone. All that remained now huddled in al cave in the middle of nowhere.

And it was Six's fault. That traitorous lizard stabbed them in the back and ruined everything! All because he had to grow a conscience and want to become something he wasn't. And to top it all off? While the rest of his brothers and sisters found themselves in jail if not led to the gallows, the little traitor was free!

Insult to injury!
Carver smashed an axe blade into the grindstone, imagining the ruined mess to be his disinherited son. Hate and loathing filled his carapace.

The kleavor showed the brat everything from kidnappings to property damage! He gave the lizard the best years of his life and this was how he was repaid!

He cut into the wreckage even further, destroying the heap even further and rendering it completely unsalvageable.

"Boss!" some of the surviving Maiju ran up to him. Two to be precise.

Carver turned to them and glared at them.

They recoiled from his gaze, covering their faces in abject terror.

The kleavor twitched his mandibles and considered briefly on whether or not to take out his frustrations on the runts. He thought better of it, once he recalled just how bad things had truly become. No, his wrath needed to be saved for the prodigal son.

Then, one of the sentries came bursting into the room. A bird, a pikipek to be precise. "Boss!" the bird called out. "Urgent news!"

The kleavor turned is attention towards the bird, wondering just why he wasn't at his post. "Well? Speak up!"

"There's someone on the road. One maiju, a raticate. Looks like he's carrying all sorts of things in his pack!" the pikipek spoke, wings flapping in emphasis. "They'll pass us by soon, but uh… he don't look defended. The Crew is wondering what to do with him."

Carver blinked in surprise, suddenly interested. A lone traveler on this road was rare. "Show me."

The pikipek flapped its wings and escorted the bandit leader out the cave and to an overlook. Ahead, a winding road glided through the trees. A lone rat traveled at a leisurely pace, as if in no hurry to travel anywhere, perhaps even lacking direction. He was dressed in a simple robe, one that made him stand out.

Though his eyesight was poor at this distance, Carver saw the situation before him and considered his options. A lone raticate was atypical, especially this far away from civilization. Given his lack of any visible escorts or carts, it was doubtful he was a merchant. Though, it couldn't be ruled out if he was a courier who was transporting something discrete.

The kleavor squinted at the lone Maiju. This far away from any other settlements, it was doubtful anyone would notice if he went missing for too long. By the time someone went to go look for him, the gang would have been long gone. "It looks like easy prey," he said finally. "Don't know if he's got anything, but it won't cost us much to find out. Maybe he's got food."

"But… but…what if it's… Him?" Pikipek choked out.

Carver glared at the coward. "Not the fox's style. He's not going to risk himself like that, out in the open."

Pikipekk shriveled away. The bird nodded its head vigorously.

"Get the Crew, be quick about it. Don't want him running, you hear?" Carver ordered.

Pikipek gulped and then flew away to make the arrangements.

It did not take long for the kleavor to make his way down to the road. The raticate's pace meandered, giving the bandits more than enough time to prepare their ambush.

Carver stood just to the side of the path ahead of Raticate, whilst some of his Crew were tactically positioned to block off any escape attempts regardless of which direction the rat chose to flee in.

Once his Crew was in position, the mantis stepped out of the underbrush and made his presence known.

The raticate immediately stopped walking forward as he saw Carver come into view. Then as the rest of the Crew blocked his only retreat.

Carver raised his voice and made his intentions clear. "Alright, this is a robbery. Hand over your valuables and maybe, just maybe we'll let you live."

However, instead of cowering in terror, the raticate simply brought a paw over to his neck.. He was clutching something hidden behind the fabric of his garments. Then, he gave a politte, perhaps even mocking smile in return.

Carver sensed something was wrong. Most travelers on the road immediately broke down or at least showed signs of distress. Instead, the rat simply looked at him with vague, if passing interest. No, the bandit chief wasn't going to show weakness, no matter how much his experience told him otherwise. He pressed. "Well? What's it going to be!?"

"You are Carver, aren't you?" The raticate asked. He looked around turning to the Maiju that surrounded him. "This is your Crew?"

Carver scowled. He had no idea who this was, but he clearly knew them. Perhaps his reputation preceded him. "What of it? Who are you?"

"I have heard the events that transpired not too long ago, about the rout your clan has suffered, a defeat nearly a Moon ago," Raticate answered. He narrowed his eyes, looking at Carver. "I have actually come here looking for you."

Murmurs broke out among the Crew. All of them wondered who this raticate was and what his designs were. He was not a hapless victim ready to be parted from their Carats, but something else, something significantly more dangerous. The Crew began to argue if he was some sort of bounty hunter or even a so-called "god" in a mundane guise.

Carver hushed them with a growl. "And?" he demanded, asserting his authority. "Get to the point!"

"I have come to…strike a bargain with you." The raticate reached into his robes and pulled out a single glittering gemstone. "This is what I offer you."

Carver stared hard. He did not know what they were exactly, but he could feel the hum of power radiating from the stone. While the mantis had little understanding of how Mantling truly worked, he could feel the power that was right in front of him. And that was enough to make him wonder just what exactly was the rat's angle in this, if he was giving out something like this so flippantly. "Why should I? What's the catch? What do you want from?"

The rat smiled gleefully. "I want you to cause as much chaos as you see fit. Perhaps you have some enemies you want to settle the score with, perhaps you simply want to destroy. It matters little the specifics."

Carver walked forward, just until Raticate was within armsreach. He didn't have any grasping limbs like many other Maiju had, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. No, what stopped him from simply taking the gemstone was the obvious fact that his guest was hiding something from him. Raticate clearly had ulterior motives if he didn't care about how the mantis wouldn't use his newly given power.

This whole situation reeked of a setup, one where the raticate clearly held all of the cards.

Yet, the kleavor would not be where he was if he shied away from danger.

The benefits were obvious, the only question was whether or not the consequences were manageable or not. "And you're just giving this out? What if I just take this from you? What then?"

The rat shrugged. "Why bother? You will still receive the stone, you will still receive this power, and you will still utilize it to meet your ends. If you were to kill me, it would change little."

More than anything, those words bothered the kleavor. The rat… simply did not care about his own life. All that mattered was that Carver obtained the artifact in his possession. And it was this blatantly one sided position that made the mantis consider just backing away, any harm done to his pride a necessary sacrifice to whatever fate the raticate had in mind.

Yet at the same time, Carver understood his dire predicament - he and the Crew dwindled by the day. Whether it be the declining food stocks, the lack of medical care, or even just the rapidly evaporating cohesion of the group as desertion and death ravaged them, their days were numbered. This stone, this artifact, had the power to change that fate.

The mantis turned to his Crew, who stood back, terrified by the rat's blatant disregard of them. All of them were slowly losing strength, bearing injuries that healed poorly, if not worse. Any equipment they possessed barely held together.

The kleavor sighed. In the end, was it really a choice?

Carver stared at the rat. "Fine, give me the stone."

Raticate dropped onto one knee and presented it to the bandit chief.

Carver grabbed the stone with his axe blades, using both of them to keep it in his grasp. The subtle and prescient power inside the stone filled the mantis with an intoxication sensation, more potent than any concoction he had ever tasted. Whatever the rat's designs were, his gift was real.

And it would be enough to settle a few scores.

The short, rare chapter without Ash in it. This hopefully gives some context and insight on a variety of mindsets and progress updates, but more importantly, it gives a look into upcoming events and plothooks.

Also, alot of you guys really want to see Delia and Gary as Pokemon.