The first rays of light were so intense that as the figure was coming to, it immediately closed them tight. The figment moaned softly before she realized that it was morning. Blinking numerous times, she came to and sat up from the tall grass that made for a makeshift bed.

"Mmmmm…huh…? Hey…where…am I…?" The figure's soft, chirpy voice made her out to be a female. It was a Starly. When she looked around, she noticed the familiar setting of tall grass and a vast valley that sloped up to the cavernous crags along the north.

"What was I-gngh!" Starly felt a sense of pain on her side. When she tried lifting her right wing, she cringed and immediately folded it back to her side. She glanced down, noticing the damaged feathers that made up her wing.

'How did I get this? What was I doing again…?'

"Hey! Up here!"

A familiar chirp ran in Starly's head as she glanced up. She could have sworn it was euphoric, but somehow, the visage of a familiar Starly with brighter brown feathers descending left her momentarily speechless. She stared up in shock and awe as she watched her descend with two Sitrus Berries; one on her beak, and the other in her stubby claws.

What's strange to her though, was that this didn't seem abnormal at all. Her aching heart must have been a side-effect of whatever put her on the ground.

"Oh, hey! I'm down here!" Starly chirped up to her friend.

Shiny Starly descended, dropping the two berries to the ground so she could use her feet to rest in the grass.

"So glad that you're awake. I was worried."

"Sorry about that. But…can you tell me what happened? I could have sworn something happened…but it slipped my mind for some reason."

Shiny Starly blinked. "Really? That Trainer we fought took us out…even though we outnumbered him. You pushed me out of the way when that Electric attack was after us."

Starly's eyes widened as her breath hitched. Now that she thought about it, that did sound familiar to her. 'Hey, yeah, that's right! That did happen! Then why does it feel like something's missing?'

"Your wing is all beat up. Your looked worn out, so I went over and got some Sitrus Berries for us." Shiny Starly nudged one of the pair with her beak, rolling it towards Starly. "Here, try one. You'll definitely feel better."

"Hey, have you seen Nic around?" Starly blinked. 'Huh? Wait, what's a Nic?'

Shiny Starly tilted her head. "Hm? I don't know what you're talking about. You probably got hit too hard from that fight."

Starly blinked awkwardly. "Heh, you're right…guess I'm still a little tired."

Shiny Starly chuckled. "Then let's eat up. It'd be a hassle if a Nidorino came around and we couldn't fly, right?"

Starly paused as she couldn't help but feel like something was off. Like she was forgetting something important. However, she brushed it off for the moment as she smiled back at her friend. "Yeah!" She dipped into her breakfast, as did Shiny Starly.

A crisp wind blew as Staraptor laid in a sprawled heap in the dirt, showing no signs of movement. Her eyes were still open, but the red retina had lost all light, as though she was a machine whose plug was pulled from its chord – unresponsive.

Nic stood a short distance away, his eyes shrank with shock processing through him. He looked like he had seen someone he loved had their heart ripped out of them before his eyes. For him, it felt worse.

Staraptor's feathers stirred and shifted, revealing Junior as he shuffled out into the open. He cooed as he looked left and right, before his eyes fixed on his mother-figure. "Cooo?" He hopped once, getting closer to her face. "Aaaaaah~? Ah…?" He tried calling out to her, only for no response. "Ahhh…"

Neuro lowered his arm, the glowing fingers fading as he looked down at Staraptor's condition with a scoff. "That takes care of one interloper."

"Ah…? Ah?" Junior tried nudging Staraptor awake, but to no avail. He started pouting. "Ma…! Ma!"

Nic watched on, still registering what happened. From the looks of it, whatever Neuro intended to happen, it worked. His blue eyes fixed upon the shiny Beheeyem, trying to keep as much calm despite the panic he felt inside. "…the hell did you just do?"

"You needn't worry, she's not dead. Rather, should I say that I have her brain on reset."

"What?"

"To put it bluntly, I turned off her brain functions. As we speak, her mind is resetting based on what memories I implant into her. In this particular case…she's living the life she would have had it not been for your existence. By the time she comes to, there won't be a shred of what 'bond' you imprinted on her."

"Ma! Ma~!" Junior continued pouting, tears in his eyes.

Nic stood still, shadows covering his piercing blue eyes. Even though he was outwardly composed, his insides were slowly coming to a boil. Everything was hot from the carnage that Neuro had caused, but this was the boiling point.

As his heart thumped, flashes of memories came to his mind with him and his Pokémon, particularly Staraptor. From their first standoff on Route 11, to their hours of unorthodox training, to her Gym battles against Korrina and Ramos – leading to her evolving into Staraptor.

More memories surfaced as he thought about the battles they'd fought since coming to Earthland. Ever since the battle of Phantom Lord, leading up to now…and all of that was stripped away in an instant.

An image of her as Starly chirping in his mind flashed…before it faded to white.

With Nic's seemingly stunned state, Neuro realigned his shields. 'I can't use Psychic, but I still have plenty of Thunderbolt and Dark Pulse to-!'

Time slowed down in an instant, Neuro suddenly feeling a hand press against his scarred forehead. Nic closed the gap faster than anyone could blink, outlined in green and shoved against Neuro's head clean out of the circumference of his shields and beelining across the landscape.

'-so fast!' He got caught up in the moment, realizing Nic bridged the gap.

As he groaned as the intense clutch, Nic's right hand manifested bright red energy claws that gripped tightly against Neuro's cranium. With a harsh, speedy thrust, the Extreme Speed and Crush Claw force plowed straight through all the forest debris leading up to the thicket in the distance, the impact leveling a straight row of full-grown trees that had the misfortune of being in Nic's way.

In the midst of the destruction, Neuro teleported within his shields' perimeter, his cranial armor bent from the iron grip a second ago. Despite his aching head injury, he was aware enough to look back to the clean path of dirt and dust paved through the landscape and trees alike leading to the sound of timbering lumber miles closer to the crags. To say he was genuinely shocked would be an understatement.

'Had I been a split-second late on my Teleport, he would have crushed my head…!' Neuro didn't have time to blink before Nic appeared right in front of him in his Dark/Psychic combo, teleporting with a Night Slash swinging after his foe.

"GRAH!" Neuro hastily scrambled dark matter within purple aura and projected the Dark Pulse at Nic. The pulsating blast met the sharp needle, which Nic sliced into with all his might. Even with Neuro's augmentations, the jumbled dark beam was bisected and split apart around Nic…right into two shields that took positions and absorbed the attack.

The two other mirror shields teleported overhead, angled into Neuro's ongoing Dark Pulse. The two thinned beams sped out twice their size and filtered into the original stream, steadily expanding its mass.

Nic kept his ground firm, using one arm to keep the attack spliced. But as time progressed, the severed beams continued filtering into the mirrors, multiplying the Dark Pulse. It soon came when Nic resorted to sheathing another Night Slash and crossed them in an X to keep it from breaching.

But it was still too much.

In less than fifteen seconds, the Dark Pulse was multitudes in volume compared to its original wake. So much that it forced to slide across the ground backwards, unable to hold on any longer. The beam pushed him back until he felt his arms cry out in pain from withstanding the mass for so long.

'Teleport!'

He teleported just before he felt his body give out. The beam shot across the landscape with no further obstruction, overlapping Nic's previous assault by a greater margin. By the time the blast had reached the base of the mountain, a short silence fell before an eruption of black and purple aura shot skywards, annihilating a sizeable fraction of the rocky landscape.

Neuro scoffed. "Looks like your body's getting as tired as your cerebral cortex." Neuro didn't bother looking up, instead relying on a shield to absorb Nic's axe kick for his Feint Attack. "Because your moves are becoming too painfully easy to predict!"

Nic clenched his teeth tightly as he knew what came next. He twisted his body out of the way and evaded the shockwave that was reflected back at him. He adjusted himself and spin-kicked the rim of the mirror with all his might, sending it crashing into an adjacent mirror with a loud clang. The hairs on his neck prickled as he felt something behind, and he instinctively back-kicked the lower rim of the shield behind, sending it clanging into a nearby shield.

"Psychic!"

Nic's eyes glowed bright purple as he reached out towards the shields, enclosing them in the same energy.

"So that's your aim?" Neuro scoffed. "Commendable…but futile."

'These shields need to be dealt with NOW!' Nic didn't want to admit it, but he was enraged. Furious even. And justly so. It could have been because of Staraptor's condition – that's certainly the catalyst – but it ran deeper than that. Neuro's tricks, his mental warfare…it was starting to eat at Nic's patience. It was taking everything in him now not to go Legendary Force. The only restriction that kept him from doing so was keeping mind that Neuro's psychic powers could flatline him if he did. That made it all the more frustrating. To fight such an enemy and unable to use full power was a major handicap.

Nic turned around in midair, his telekinetic powers making him float. He sent all four spinning like a saucer after Neuro from various directions, who teleported out of the way.

CLANG!

The mirrors' rims smashed into one another loudly, making a sonic boom as they bounced off each other.

Neuro appeared high above, looking down with a domineering expression. "If you intend to use my assets against me, you'll have to be more adequate than that."

Nic's glowing eyes seared brighter out of broiling spite. With a snarling grunt, he telepathically flung the mirrors skywards towards Neuro.

"Rock Avalanche!"

Jura jutted his index and middle finger forward as a yellow aura enveloped him, sending a barrage of stones coated in the same color towards the opposing Pokémon standing in his way. However, a Hitmontop in the front bright his round, fingerless hands up as they glowed green, creating a wide, hexagonal net that blocked Jura's barrage, despite the immense blast that ensued.

"Such a defense…" Jura muttered. He felt a presence from behind and noticed that the Breloom from before had gotten to his blind. 'Such speed!'

"Force Palm!" Breloom jutted a red claw just as Jura turned to face him. The claw met his stomach area, where a discharge of blue energy exhausted through Jura, causing him to slide away with audible pain.

Jura gradually slid to a halt, putting a hand on his wounded gut. "I didn't expect such force…!" He suddenly stiffened, feeling his body engrossed in bright yellow static. He found it hard to move his body. "A paralysis effect…?"

The Breloom jutted a claw towards him. "Get him!"

All the Pokémon surrounding him went on the offense, releasing long-range attacks ranging from acid, to spherical energy shots, all of which Jura was too slow to react to in time. The Wizard Saint felt the brunt of the attack and let out a cry of pain through the explosions.

Lisanna heard the cry, turning to look in the direction of Jura. "That sounded like Jura! Is he okay?"

"Lisanna, look out!" Mirajane shouted.

With her guard down, Lisanna didn't see the Politoed that came down from above with her foot pressed downwards. The Bounce met Lisanna's exposed Drapion back, the only place that wasn't fully guarded. She yelped in pain as the shock went through her armored frame.

"Lisanna!" Mirajane didn't waste a beat as she closed the gap in the blink of an eye, driving a fist into the Politoed and hurdling her into a nearby wall. She reached down to help Lisanna up. "Are you okay?"

Lisanna strained to get up. "Yeah, I'm fine…" She looked around, finding so many Pokémon surrounding them still. "Still so many…how many are there still?"

Mirajane turned and scoped their limited surroundings occupied by what looked like experienced Pokémon. Even though she didn't look like it, she was starting to wear down. Lisanna was in no better shape than her. It was only a matter of time before they gave out.

"Listen, Lisanna…" Mirajane muttered. "Whatever happens, we stay by each other."

"Yeah, you don't have to tell me twice." Lisanna turned her back to Mirajane, both watching the swarm of Pokémon closing in around them. "We stand by each other! That's the only way we can get through this!"

"Then let's show them what us mages can do!"

"Right!"

An Aggron let out a vindictive shout, signaling the Pokémon to rush at the siblings that braced for their foes.

A few blocks away, Seviper and Arbok were engaged in a heated battle with each other, dark purple knife tail held off to a set of large, glowing fangs. However, despite the stalemate, Seviper lost ground due to lower Attack and was thrown through the air into a debris pile close by.

Right underneath her soar, Kinana was dodging Erik's hands coated in Poison Dragon toxins. With her offense also weakened by Arbok's Intimidate, Kinana knew she couldn't win a head-on fight. Not that she wanted to.

Erik swiped horizontally, but Kinana had room to backpedal again. She adjusted her footing and looked concerningly back at him. "Erik, please! I know you don't want this!"

"…I know." Erik strained, visibly distraught. "It hurts me more knowing this is really happening."

Kinana frowned heavily. She had to do something to stop this torture. She turned towards Erik's Arbok, knowing she held onto his Human Cube. 'If I can just reach for that cube, I'll be able to save him.'

'I see…so that's her game.' Able to hear her thoughts, Erik knew what she was thinking. 'Please, do it!'

"Go, Erik! Poissson Dragon'sss Ssspiral Jaw!" Arbok commanded.

Erik gnashed his teeth, but coated his legs in crimson poison. Not wanting to see what would happen, he closed his one good eye and jumped into the air.

As he was coming down, Kinana braced herself as she tightened her fists. She had to time it right. As the poison coated Erik's legs and spun around, Kinana's body flourished with Magic Power before turning to her snake form. She hastily spread her wings and took flight just before Erik's heels slammed into the earth. She glided overhead and sailed straight for Arbok, her fangs bared for her prize.

Arbok straightened up as the markings on her hood were fully exposed. "Glare!"

The patterns glowed bright red, which Kinana was darting right into. Her snake eyes widened just before static flourished around her body, causing her to twitch and slow down.

Arbok careened her head around and lurched forward, unleashing a Sludge Bomb that bombarded the snake woman in murky explosions. She fell to her back with a loud hiss, unable to get back up.

"No…!" Erik gasped, heartbroken.

Arbok hissed disrespectfully. "Asss if I forgot you could that. Sssaw that coming a mile away. Erik…finish her!"

Erik looked down at Kinana's condition, his one eye shuddering in horror. Kinana's reptilian slits looked back at him, reflecting his distraught figment in the glaze. The way she looked reminded him of their time together many years ago.

Flashes of them together from the Tower of Heaven uprooted, as well as their ventures as the Oracion Seis. Bittersweet memoirs together that kept him alive in prison. He didn't want to lose her again, especially like this.

Despite the poison covering his hands, Erik hesitated to budge. "Cubellios…I…"

"Do it!" Arbok held up her tail, the Human Cube clutched in a coil. "Or elssse…!" Her flicking tongue caught a scent. She instinctively leaned back to avoid a gush of purple liquid that came from her right, the sender being a springing Seviper.

"WE'RE NOT DONE JUST YET!" Seviper lunged with vengeance, her tail swinging with Night Slash once more.

Arbok hissed back, her bangs glowing with Crunch to welcome the fellow snake's comeback.

Hippowdon let out a roar so intense in volume that it caused the ground to tremble. Sand exploded from his nostrils and the large holes on his body, creating a burst of swirling sand and sediments that was like a typhoon.

His Sand Stream Ability activated.

Jellal, Bellona, and Servine covered themselves as a sandstorm swelled around them. While Zoroark and Dodrio looked deterred as well, they were more prepared than their adversaries. The only one who was undeterred was Lucario due to his Steel-type.

"A sandstorm…?" Bellona clicked her teeth.

"This might pose a problem. We'll be taking damage at this rate." Jellal commented.

Zoroark sneered angrily. "Go!"

"You don't have to let me twice!" All three Dodrio heads shouted. Their beaks opened wide, generating a red, yellow, and blue orb of energy respectively.

Knowing the attack heading their way, Jellal and Bellona readied an interception.

"Servine, Leaf Tornado!"

Servine harrumphed aloud as she jumped into the air, turning upside down and spun clockwise. A green typhoon with glowing green leaves manifested around her swirling tail.

"Tri Attack!" All three heads unleashed beams of fire, electricity, and ice at the same time. Servine met the attack with her own attack. The tornado met the beams centerfield, creating bright friction between the two forces before both attacks inevitably collapsed, creating an explosion that obscured everyone's view of the other.

"Lucario, Iron Tail!" Jellal ordered.

Lucario shot through the smoke, barreling right for Dodrio on the other side. As he closed in on a silhouette a short gap ahead of him, his red eyes narrowed. His tail glowed a metallic gray as he twisted his body overhead, positioning himself over Dodrio as the three-headed bird looked up.

At that moment, a roguish smirk appeared on Zoroark's face.

"Take this!" Lucario's tail came down overhead with great force onto his target. What he didn't expect though, was that his tail suddenly fazed through the bird entirely. His eyes widened in mid-swing, shocked. "What…?"

The attack completely going through, Lucario's tail met the ground. His momentum lost, he quickly slid back and flipped upright, steadily observing in front of him.

"It went through?" Servine quipped.

Jellal narrowed his eyes. "An illusion."

Lucario remained steady on his feet, his aura feelers sensing something speeding his way. Immediately turning left, he pulled his head back just as a Shadow Ball spurred on, exploding upon contact with an adjacent rooftop's tiled edge. Naturally it crumbled to shards.

"Where did that come from?" Bellona glared in the direction the attack spurred from, but the sandstorm was too thick to see. She, Jellal, and Servine grunted as they were buffered by the sandstorm.

The figure that was supposed to be Dodrio gradually faded away. In place of it were four more that spurred out of the thick wall of sand like they were shadows, all rushing for Lucario. Lucario brought up his paws to defense from the abrupt attack, but to his shock, he didn't feel a thing, instead he heard a cry from behind.

"GAH!" Servine was blown back when three glowing beaks met her body, a super-effective Pluck putting her on her back.

"Servine?!" Bellona quipped.

"Is she alright?!" Lucario turned his back to check on her. Big mistake. A pair of burning red eyes and equally burning jaw trudged out of the background towards him. He realized this a second too late before he was face-to-face with Hippowdon's gargantuan jaws endowed in fire. They snapped down brutally, exploding at point-blank on Lucario's waist.

"AAAHHH!" Lucario roared out as he felt the flames turn through him. An unfortunate feeling as a Steel-type to Fire-types.

To add insult to injury, Hippowdon brought his head around and threw Lucario through the air. The bipedal canine fumbled through the air before crashing a short distance beside Jellal.

"Lucario-!" Jellal was about to step forward, but the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. His eyes widened just before he twisted his body to avoid Zoroark speeding at him.

He only caught a glimpse of the smirk he had before he faded midway through the lunge.

'Another illusion!' He found himself stunned, just as another Shadow Ball was aimed for his back.

Noticing the anomaly from the corner of her eye, Bellona was quick-witted enough to hurl a dark nebula disk at it. The spell intercepted the Shadow Ball just before it could reach its target, exploding in a bright purple energy burst.

The two quick reconvened and glared in separate directions, their backs to each other.

"Thanks for the save." Jellal praised.

"Don't mention it." Bellona chimed.

The group buffered again, except for Lucario. Servine cringed especially due to the large damage she sustained. Beyond that, the two mages were being wary of their surroundings; the thickness of the sandstorm, the shifting of Dodrio, Hippowdon, and Zoroark figments that were too faded to make out as real or evasive.

"They're using illusions mixed with Hippowdon's Sand Stream." Bellona grimaced.

"These illusions, they're not Macbeth's, therefore…" Jellal surmised. "It must be Zoroark's doing entirely."

"Pursuit!" Three Dodrio spurred out from behind, but Jellal and Bellona instinctively separated as the real one mixed with the illusion copies faded into the sandstorm again.

"This is most troublesome. These illusions make the surroundings too convincing." Bellona grunted.

Jellal frowned. "They do…" He glanced over at Lucario, who was slowly getting back up. 'But there's a way around it.'

Recovering from that blow from before, Lucario opened an eye and looked at Jellal. His look said everything the canine needed to know and nodded.

Right behind, four Zoroark rushed out with claws stretched out, aimed for Lucario's back.

"Lucario, Foresight!" Jellal shouted.

Lucario's eyes turned from red to blue, his aura enveloping his body. He spread his feet and let out a loud grunt, causing the aura to explode in a shockwave all around him. The wave faded through the sandstorm, causing much of its thickness to disperse.

As it fazed through the area, numerous Dodrio and Hippowdon clones that were closing in on Servine faded, much to her relief. That included the illusions rushing at Lucario's back as well.

As they faded, a Hippowdon charging at Lucario glowed purple before turning to a Zoroark – the real Zoroark. His shock was deathly apparent.

'There!' Locked on, Jellal swiped his arm forward. "Aura Sphere!"

Lucario brought his hands together, generating a hemisphere of dark blue, condensed aura that he fired full-force into Zoroark. The fox was too stunned to react in time before the attack met him head-on, swallowing him in an explosion of aura that sent him flying through a nearby wall, opening a hole into it.

Lucario recoiled his steaming paws, a vindictive stare fixed. "Hmph."

"The illusions faded." Bellona looked around, noticing that Hippowdon was close to Servine with his jaws opened wide with broiling flames. On instinct, she tossed another dark nebula disk at the heavyweight hippo.

"Eh?" Taking the bait, Hippowdon bit down onto the disc, causing it to burn away to a dark mist in his broiling mouth.

"Now, Servine! Leech Seed!"

"Right!" Servine took aim. With Hippowdon distracted, she opened her mouth and launched glowing seeds that planted onto his rough, dense skin. The seeds quickly sprouted and wrapped thick roots around his body, snaring him in its parasitic properties.

Bellona smirked. 'Perfect.'

"What's going on?!" Dodrio's three heads looked around, their cover completely exposed. "What happened to our cover!?"

Once again, the sandstorm brushed through the terrain. Everyone except for Lucario and Hippowdon sustained a little damage. Despite being immune, Hippowdon still lost health thanks to Leech Seed helping replenish Servine's thin stamina.

As a piece of the fall fell to the ground, Zoroark weakly propped himself up, his body visibly shaking from the damage he had sustained. He looked at Jellal and Lucario – especially the latter. "…I see. That's how you broke through my illusions before."

"We'll be setting our comrades free…even if it means against your wished." Jellal declared. "Fiore, it's people…they are not yours to take!"

Lucario brought his paws up in a battle stance, ready to continue.

Zoroark sneered aggressively. "You'd wish!"

Millianna raised her arms to defend herself from the onslaught of magic cards that rushed past her. While they did no more than give her cuts the size of papercuts, they were great in numbers and gradually opened wounds across her bare skin.

"Millianna…I'm so sorry!" Sho cried out, tears brimming in his distraught eyes. "Please, run while you can!"

Millianna spread her legs so she wouldn't drop to the floor. She winced in pain from the few cuts that bled out around her, but she didn't look away. "Don't be ridiculous! I can't just leave you guys like this!"

Wally grimaced heavily, raising his polygon gun arm. "You better make up your mind…cuz unlike you, we don't have a choice."

Millianna gasped, realizing what he aimed to do.

Kagura, who was cutting down enemy Pokémon suspended by her Gravity Manipulation, was focused on her opponents in front, not realizing that the arm was locked onto her direction.

"Stubborn creatures…" The swordswoman grunted.

BANG!

It happened all too fast. A gunshot was followed by a fast-moving projectile that went through the air, straight into Kagura's back. The impact sent a shock through her that caused all her nerves to shut down on the spot.

Time slowed down as Millianna looked completely mortified. She watched the world spin around her as Kagura tilted towards one side, her eyes closing just before she fell on her side with a loud thud. With her consciousness fading, her grip on Archenemy loosened to where it rolled out of her hands.

"KAGURA!" Millianna shouted.

Hearing the familiar cry from afar, Jellal looked away from his battle towards the distance. "That voice…Millianna?"

It was vague, but he could make out a head of hair reminiscent to cat ears. He also saw the blonde, spiky hair and set of shades to two certain individuals that he knew he couldn't forget, no matter how hard he tried…and it looked like one of them was in distress.

Knowing what was happening, Bellona glanced at him. "Go help them."

Jellal looked back, concerned. "But…are you sure?"

She impishly smirked. "Flattered that you worry about me, but need not. We'll take it from here. You just worry about tightening up that loose end you've left hanging for a while now."

Getting behind her sentiment, Jellal turned away. "Alright…just be careful." He cloaked himself in his Meteor, shooting away at blinding speeds. "Lucario, I'm counting on you! Watch her back for me!"

Lucario dutifully nodded. "Understood."

Zoroark sneered angrily. "Your Master is a fool. Either he has his priorities askew, or he's too cocky believing that a Pokémon who relies on his Trainer would be sufficient against us."

A roguish smirk appeared on Bellona's full lips. "That's quite the hypocrisy, given your situation. And besides…" She held her arm out to both side, a sky blue aura flourishing around her. The force of the Magic Power she gave off was so intense that the ground was shaking around her. "But I suppose that if words are all you're good for now, this should knock some sense into you…" Her glare grew sinister. "It's been a while since I've been able to cut loose…now I have a reason why."

Feeling the ground shake, Zoroark, Dodrio, and Hippowdon braced themselves.

With Kagura asleep, it was easy for Sho to use his magic. Shrouding her in light, she shrank her within a card that daintily floated in between his fingers with her sleeping frame inside.

"No…give her back! Please! We need her!" Millianna cried out.

"Then you have to stop us! Do it, or get out of here!" Wally warned.

Millianna's eyes were brimming with tears. She didn't know what to think, let alone say. Her mind was racing in two separate directions that left her in a mental breakdown. On one hand, she wanted to break them all free, but the idea of hurting her dear friends didn't allow for that to settle. And running away was no better than being a coward.

"Millianna…" Wally lifted his gun at her next. "Please, forgive me."

She bit her bottom lip, unable – unwilling – to make a decision. Memories of the three being free from the Tower of Heaven surfaced, feeling that sound freedom.

'I…I'm so sorry, Kagura, Sho, Wally…I guess I really am just a scaredy cat…'

BANG!

The sound of another gun went off, followed by the sound of it hitting something and beaming off in another direction. Millianna waited for the blow…but it never did. When she opened an eye, she saw a figure standing out, his left arm held out to his side.

"Sorry I'm late. Are you alright, Millianna?"

Millianna's eyes widened, stunned at what happened. "Jellal…?! You…you just…?"

Much like her, Sho and Wally had similar reactions, ones of equal shock and horror.

"Wait…Jellal…?" Sho gasped.

"No way…this can't be real…" Wally gasped.

Jellal faced his old former friends, a resolute frown on his face. "It's certainly been a while, Sho. Wally. You look rather well."

Jumpluff took a sharp breath before expelling a barrage of seeds at the opposing Butterfree. However, Butterfree was prepared as his wings glowed bright blue and flapped, creating a Gust that dispersed the seeds before they could reach him.

"Curse you!" Jumpluff scoffed.

"Free!" Butterfree retorted.

Below the two aerial combatants, Shiin was observing studiously, his cold stare fixated on the fight that magic would otherwise be useless in. It was frustrating to know that this world's most prominent tool – magic – was completely ineffective in this situation. This was a battle entirely set between Pokémon.

'No matter what…these Pokémon must not get their way!'

"Manectric, Charge Beam!" Nearby, Laxus's Manectric opened his jaws, channeling electricity into a condensed point in front. With a loud cry, he unleashed a condensed, electrical beam at Rai. The Electabuzz crossed his arms and stood his ground as the Light Screen faded back into view. The electric beam went through one end, and came out half in size. Though, the attack was strong enough still to make a burst of smoke that made Rai stagger.

He caught himself, glaring back in a scowl. "Tch! That all you got!"

Manectric's body enveloped in a red aura, increasing his Special Attack more. "Believe me, there's plenty left."

"Good…then this'll be fun for me!" Rai lunged ahead, reeling back for a Thunder Punch before spurring after Manectric, the latter and Laxus bracing themselves.

"Ma! Ma~!" Junior was nudging Staraptor repeatedly, his tiny space cloud body unable to nudge his overseer awake. "Ma!"

Staraptor remained unresponsive, Junior's constant pouting against her making the hairs on her crest drop in front to conceal were devoid irises.

"Ma…maaa~" Junior wept aloud.

Shiny Starly flew across the valley of Route 11, a few meters off the ground, low enough for Starly to follow behind. "C'mon, ya Slowpoke! Hurry up down there!"

"Hang on, I'm trying!" Starly lumbered on her tiny talons, hobbling with constant, uneven movements. She wasn't used to moving around with her legs since she relied so heavily on her wings. "Ah, man…this is more exhausting than I thought…oh!" She lost her balance and fell onto her stomach for the third time, she counted. "Oof!"

Shiny Starly descended lower, looking down into the tall grass. "You alright down there?"

"Yeah, just another rock, that's all." Starly dismissed. A lighthearted lie.

Shiny Starly chuckled. "And here you're always urging me on."

Starly blinked for a moment before chuckling. "Guess irony has its ways, doesn't it?"

"Ma!"

Starly froze up as her eyes widened. "Huh…?" She looked around at the valley, seeing where the faint voice came from. "That's strange…was I hearing things just now?"

"Hm? Hey, what're you looking at down there?" Shiny Starly asked.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. Could've sworn I heard Junior calling." She cringed again. 'Wait, why did I say that? What's a Junior?'

Shiny Starly tilted her head, confused. "Junior?"

Starly shook her head, dismissing the boggy thought. "It's nothing. Probably still out of it from that battle."

Shiny Starly bashfully smiled. "You're funny."

"Heh…guess so."

"Ma~! Ma!"

Starly heard the distant echo again, but she shook her head rapidly. 'I'm just hearing things. I have nothing to worry about. Probably just the wind.' Thoroughly dismissing the outcry, she hopped along across the valley grass.

Staraptor continued to be unresponsive to Junior's cries. Meanwhile, in the skies above, Neuro was constantly teleporting, avoiding his own shields. Nic dared not let up the momentum of his assault for even a second.

'If he's reliant on these shields, I'll use that!' Nic declared internally. 'If he can use my force against me…the same can go the other way around!'

Another mirror arched around, spinning like a saucer at Neuro as he remained stationary for another second. In the blink of an eye, he vanished. Nic's eyes narrowed as he had a gut guess where he was going to appear next.

Just as he figured, Neuro appeared directly behind him, his right arm stretched out coated in lightning. "Too slow, I'm afraid."

Nic only spared a quick glance. A shield shot straight down like a vertical saw down on Neuro's head.

However, just before it was about to strike his head, it froze in place, surprising Nic.

"Hmph…nice try." Neuro scoffed. Another shield spun at an angle out of sight, but it teleported, appearing between him and Nic. Without a shred of patience, Neuro fired a Thunderbolt at a point-blank range directly into Nic, swallowing him in a monstrous beam of lightning that crackled in a straight path across the sky. The sky roared with crackling lightning from the distance, which didn't go unnoticed by the others – especially Pantherlily.

"GAH!" The black Exceed covered his ears, quivering in shock. "T-Thunder?! With no storm clouds?!"

Neuro kept a straight face as he kept up his voluminous counter. However, despite the upper hand he had, he didn't flinch when he saw a tinge of turquoise bleed through the dispersing electricity. The attack let up, revealing Nic in his Dark/Normal type, his Protect fading as he fell back to earth from freefall.

He landed on his feet in a backflip and looked up, his scowl evident as he saw the shields converge around Neuro.

"A good approach, I'll give you that. But I'll reiterate what I've said earlier. These shields are directly linked to me. My augmented psychic prowess will override any telekinetic force you put them under. Sorry if you intended to use Trick or Switcheroo." Neuro explained. "Your brain must be racked to the brim from trying to outmaneuver me. You're clearly stressed and exhausted."

"And I'm looking right at the source of that." Nic countered.

Neuro didn't bother commenting. Rather, a shield appeared above Junior and Staraptor, with the remaining three shields stacked to boost the Dark Pulse he was preparing in one hand. Nic had to act fast.

He switched his Normal half to his Mind Form, spreading his arms out. "Magic Room!"

Lines of clear white energy spread out around him and hastily created a massive room of inverted-colored squares. Immediately, the effects kicked in and the shields' lustrous colors went out. They all dropped to the ground, clanking heavily like dense metal.

The one closest to Junior and Staraptor dropped straight down onto the former. Junior looked up, gasping with wide eyes at the foreign object closing in.

CLANG!

As Junior cringed, a loud, ringing sound went off. When he looked up, time slowed down as he saw a foot hit the shield. Said foot belonged to Nic as he roundhouse kicked the heavy weapon through the air, tumbling away with loud clatters through the dirt.

"Ooooh…" Junior looked stunned. Did this man that his mother was close to saved him from danger?

Nic silently turned back, giving Neuro a stern glare that would bring a stampede of Tauros to a halt. He looked pissed.

"Struck a nerve, I see." Neuro mused. "That's what happens when you have lead weight hanging around."

Nic's pupils shrank, his patience reaching a boiling point. "That 'lead weight' is someone important to me."

"Rather ironic coming from a Trainer." Neuro retorted. "You knew of my abilities, yet you still ran the risk of insisting she'd fight by your side. You blame me for your Staraptor's condition, yet you didn't withdraw her. How petty." His eyes started glowing red.

"If you're her Trainer, that makes you responsible for her condition. A Trainer's job is to invoke judgment based on their opponents and their Pokémon's condition. If you really intended that I would overlook the opportunity to thin the numbers, then you're no different from the arrogant fodder that are humans! The one at fault…IS YOU!"

A short silence fell between them. Nic didn't immediately respond. He knew that his own anger was justified, but what Neuro said, he hated to admit, but he couldn't necessarily deny either. It was a fault that he had to take responsibility for.

"…maybe you're right. I'll give you that." Nic lowly admitted.

Neuro scoffed.

"But…you're wrong about one thing. She…is anything but lead weight to us."

"Hm?" Neuro blinked. He could have sworn he saw something with Nic's Pokémon Balls within the pockets of his coat. Was he seeing things, or were they…vibrating? It was like caged beasts trying to beat out of their cages in raw anger and resilience.

'Their emotions…don't tell me they're emanating even outside their Poké Balls.'

"A lot has happened, so I never expressed this enough than I should…but I mean it…if anything happens to my Pokémon…to Staraptor…" His fists balled so tight to where his veins started bulging out of his wrists. His knuckles went white from the lack of blood flow. "I couldn't live this life that we have now…"

With the sun setting in the east, Staravia stood in front of Nic as he held out a Poké Ball that she stared at with surprise.

"Staravia…you want to be with us?"

"She said she lost her friend once, but we refuse to lose HER!" Nic bellowed. "She isn't lead weight…she's our family!"

Beside him, Junior was dead silent, his wide eyes going between him and Staraptor. He looked like he was thinking.

Neuro's eyes narrowed. "You'll accomplish nothing with her holding you down!"

Nic glowed as he turned to his Dark/Normal combo again. His eyes glowed bloody red. "Mean Look!" A dark aura surrounded his face, which flashed and enveloped Neuro for a brief instance.

As the aura faded, Neuro felt his body tense up. He looked startled. "My Teleport…!"

With his opponent handicapped further, Nic spurred ahead with Quick Attack, making the ground trail behind him before his palm pressed firmly against Neuro's forehead. An immense pressure was put on the Shiny Beheeyem as he couldn't escape Nic's iron grip.

"I'm gonna crush your head…IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES!"

Red energy enveloped Nic's hand and extended into Crush Claw. The attack lived up to its name as Neuro cried out violently from the increased force around his oversized cranium. Every second, Nic tensed his left arm's muscles to try and grip harder.

"Gaaaaaah~!" Neuro's eyes shrank as he felt his head under pressure. He had to fight back! He must! He slowly lifted an arm and grabbed Nic's outstretched arm. "Two…can play at…this game…!"

He unleashed another Thunderbolt with Nic attached to him. Immediately, a violent, high-voltage mass of lightning enveloped Nic as his clenched teeth parted slightly, his eyes shrinking and gagged from the overcharge of ions Neuro discharged.

"GAAAAAAAHHHH!"

"AAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Both parties violently gagged from the other's attack, but they refused to let up on the other. Nic's Crush Claw kept its firm hold, while Neuro continued electrocuting him to seemingly no end.

The violent sight was too painful to watch, yet hard to look away altogether. Junior silently awed with a mixture of awe and horror at the fight. The intense lightning brightened up Staraptor's face as she was still in a comatose state.

Starly hopped along the valley's grassy ground. She was starting to get used to this, though it was a reel killer for her heels. The little starling was still able to follow Shiny Starly around as they traversed the route.

"So, where are we going now?" Starly asked.

"Where else? Up to our nests, silly." Shiny Starly chirped.

"Oh, right…wait, aren't they up beside the cliffs? How am I gonna get up there?"

"I can try and carry ya. And if that doesn't work, we can ask someone else who can fly like a Staravia around here."

"Right…" Starly blinked as another wave of déjà vu surfaced. She didn't know why, but she felt like she was accustomed to being a Staravia – her next stage of evolution – before. 'Why am I having all these strange thoughts? It's not like I evolved yet.'

As she passed by a crystal sticking out of the ground, she caught something in the corner of her eye. She stopped and saw her reflection in the shiny material, yet instead of a Starly, she saw a far more menacing version of a Staravia, with red eyes, and a crest with a red tuft at its end. She blinked several times before wiping her eyes with her good wing. She looked back once more to find that visage was replaced by a Starly that looked like her reflection.

"Hey, Slowpoke! Hurry up!" Shiny Starly called out.

"Huh…? Y-yeah, sure thing!" Starly snapped out of her daze, but hesitated to move along. Something about this this felt too surreal for her to be comfortable anymore. 'Why did that feel like me just now? First these names, and these voices, now I'm seeing things. Something definitely messed up now…'

"C'mon! This way!" Shiny Starly flew across the mountainside's plateau. Starly did her best to keep up until they came up to a set of bushes that blocked the latter off.

"Geez, hold on. I'm coming…" Starly shriveled through the underbrush, her very tiny frame able to avoid the brunt of the thick and stern branches pointed upwards. As soon as she stepped out into the open, her eyes widened as she came to an opening with a tree at the end.

'Wait, this is…' She suddenly got another sense of déjà vu. For a brief moment, upon blinking, she saw a visage of two lizards, a frog, and a human at the base of the tree. What's even stranger was that despite not ever seeing them before, she didn't feel discomforted.

When she blinked, however, the visages were gone, making her inwardly upset. 'Those guys…'

"We're nearly there. Just a little bit more and we'll be home free." Shiny Starly chirped.

"Yeah…home…" Starly didn't sound nearly as thrilled. If anything, she was very contemplative with that subject. Maybe it's why she felt like this? 'This…this is home…it has to be…is it?'

"She said she lost her friend once, but we refuse to lose HER!"

Starly perked up towards the sky, hearing that faint cry of determination. "A different voice…why's it sound so familiar…?"

"She isn't lead weight…she's our family!"

Starly's gaze softened. "Family…" She gasped. "Wait…this person…Nic?"

Just then, it felt like a wave of epiphanies washed over her. Everything around her suddenly blurred away again, finding herself in a space of darkness. The little, crippled Starly didn't know what was going on, but it looked as though the dark space she was in was zooming past her.

Or was it that she was moving but didn't feel it? Hard to tell.

However, up ahead, she saw pure white clouds rolling through. When she saw them pass by, each one had a different window containing a different setting, but with very similar people and Pokémon interacting in each one.

The first of many clouds showed a Starly at the base of the tree she was at a second ago. She was surrounded by a Frogadier, Charmeleon, Kecleon, and a human with black shades with Sitrus Berries tucked to her side.

Another showed her hopping through the rain frantically, seemingly running away from something…or rather running in haste towards. Only her efforts were in vain due to the rain and her lack of flight.

The next few clouds were close together to show a cluster of memories. She saw herself all alone, with a bitter scowl on her face as she was silently observing the black-haired human and his Pokémon training in the valley. Then, she saw how she tried to attack the human, only for him to easily beat her with a simple chop to her head.

"These are…my memories…"

She then saw the next cloud revealing her waking up again, under the same tree as before. She saw how vengeful she was when she tried attacking the human again, but was interceded by Kecleon's tongue, which she couldn't escape from. It resulted in her breaking down, blaming them for everything; her loneliness, her lack of a friend, her lack of strength.

"You're angry…I can tell." Nic's voice spoke of empathy. "I know what that feels like…it's frustrating. That's why we're constantly bettering ourselves and learning from our mistakes…not sure what happened, but I'm sure you've got a reason of why you battle."

As that cloud passed by, Starly saw herself secluded in bushes, a Sitrus Berry tucked beneath her wing as she was still spying on Nic and his Pokémon's physical training. She saw her hop out of the bush and attempted to copy the exercises and fighting movements. It didn't work out so well because that accidentally provoked a nearby Stunky that chased her silly. Fortunately, a Water Pulse and a Dragon Rage blew the offensive skunk away. She saw that she was saved by Nic and his Pokémon again, who openly invite her to train.

Frogadier looked down at her, grinning. "Let's work hard…together."

That quote alone was what started dropping the lead weight that held down Starly's squashed heart. She hated it at first, but with Nic's guidance, she was able to do better hopping and rolling around until she was able to fly properly again.

Another cloud rolled by that showed the area raining again, and while they were all resting, Frogadier was still up, talking to Starly, who was still training on her recently learnt Double Team. Though she was hesitant, she confessed the reasons behind her actions, and apologized. Little did they know, Kecleon, Charmeleon, and Nic were up as well, smiles on their faces.

"We're all depending on each other. That's why we work with each other as much as ourselves. You'll find a reason to get stronger. I know." Frogadier croaked.

That was when Starly got more serious and openly cooperating with Nic. Even though it was hell, she managed to defeat an entire horde of Stunky on her own. After the arduous victory was when she evolved into Staravia.

Starly continued watching the progression go on, her eyes wide with shock as all these events unfolded before her eyes. As they did, she could feel the scattered bits reform in her head.

Another memory passed by, with a fully adapted Staravia standing in front of Nic. After losing her only friend, she made new ones that protected her. She took the gander and asked to come with them, finding solace in them. That was the moment that Nic tossed up the Poké Ball…and she went inside with resolution.

More clouds of cluttered memories came by that showed Staravia battling more wild Pokémon in different terrains and caves, even in a gym looking a lot like a sports arena, and another that looked like a garden against a Gogoat; the last one being a tough battle where she evolved into Staraptor.

Then along came a land shark creature, and a snake. She remembered how rough they were to get along with at first too.

The clouds cluttered more into a sea of panels that showed her battling, looking lively and thrilled, fighting all sorts of Pokémon and humans.

"I can't believe…these are all…me?" A bright light ahead started to expand, causing her to look ahead as everything around her faded to white.

When she opened her eyes once more, the space was pure white, but she wasn't alone. She was shocked to find herself now a Staraptor. She looked around, seeing the five Pokémon from the memories in their fully evolved forms, looking down at her empathetically and assuredly. "W-who are…?"

"You really think you can forget about usss?" The purple cobra hissed.

"Is that all you got? It takes more than this to keep you down." The large shark dragon encourage.

"Failure is a no-no~." The green chameleon chimed, tilting her head. "My feathered sister's head is in the clouds…time to come back down."

"We don't give up that easily. Go the extra mile!" The orange dragon encouraged.

A ninja frog stepped up, folding his arms as his red eyes met hers. "We're not going anywhere…not without you."

Staraptor blinked as he then stepped off to the side, allowing Nic to step forward with a knowing smirk. "So…done laying around again?"

"Nic…" Staraptor mulled.

"We're waiting for you…all of us."

"Ma~!"

Staraptor's eyes shrank as she heard that same cry as before. Slowly turning around, she saw a familiar cosmic cloud staring up at her, his yellow eyes and bright smile fixated on her.

"You…you're my…" She looked around at everyone again. "Everyone…" As everything started to fade out again, she turned towards the young cloud, a knowing smile on her face. "I get it now…you're all my…"

…

Starly stood still in the grass of the valley, finally realizing what happened. It all made sense now.

"…no. This isn't right…"

"Hm? What's wrong?"

"…yeah…I remember now. I have others waiting for me." She turned and started hopping away.

"Where are you going?"

"Listen…I have to go."

"Oh? Then let's go together."

Starly smiled. "Yeah, I'd like that too…but you can't."

"Huh? Why not? D-did I do something wrong?"

Starly shook her head. "No…it was never your fault. Listen…whatever happened, I know that I belong somewhere else. And that certain place is beside others that are calling out to me as we speak."

Shiny Starly cocked her head. "Huh? W-what're you saying? You still haven't recovered yet?"

"I know it's hard to accept…but now, I have to accept it. Spending my life here, beside you…it's not my world." She turned and faced Shiny Starly, looking resolute. "The days that I've spent with you…I want you to know, I don't regret a single moment. They were the most fun I had."

Shiny Starly's eyes brimmed with tears. "Me too…"

"I know that you'll find happiness in a Trainer…just as how I found mine." She thought about her fellow Pokémon. "I have a lot of dependable brothers, each so headstrong and full of energy, and a unique sister. We all look out for each other. And I…" She thought about Junior. "Also am looking out for someone who needs me."

"But I need you, too! You can't just leave me like this! What about us?! I…I don't know what I would do without you!" She closed in, embracing Starly with her wings tightly. "Please, don't go!"

Starly used her good wing and draped it around Shiny Starly's head as she smiled. "I know it's hard…but accepting is part of life. I won't live in the past anymore. Because right now, my family is waiting for me. They're where I belong."

Starly took the embrace with dignity and acceptance. Deep down, she knew that this wasn't real now. This wasn't the reality that she lived in. Perhaps in another life somewhere, maybe this could be them. She was heartbroken, but at least this way, she could finally say her peace with no further regrets.

When she pulled away, Starly had become Staraptor again, looking down at Shiny Starly with a soft smile as everything slowly faded into sky blue light particles ascending into the sky.

Shiny Starly smiled softly. "I guess…this is it after all, isn't it? Supposed you shouldn't keep your friends and family waiting then, can you."

"Yeah."

"Then…you know what you have to do."

Staraptor's face grew determined.

"Spread those wings of yours…and take flight!"

Staraptor started spreading her wings, even her injured one.

"Soar! Soar to heights far beyond you could have before!"

Staraptor fully expanded her wings, undeterred by the pain.

"Take flight!"

Taking a deep breath, Staraptor braced herself for what's to come. With nothing weighing her down, she flapped both her wings, ascending off the ground just before the dirt began crumbling to particles. She faced the sky and slowly started flying farther away from the ground.

As Shiny Starly watched her off, she lowered her head in sadness. She suddenly felt something wet drop on her head. When she looked up, she saw sparkling tears coming from Staraptor.

"Thank you…thank you so much! I'm so glad that I could see you one last time! Goodbye!"

Shiny Starly watched her ascend to the sky, the scenery and herself starting to fade. A soft smile spread across her face as tears floated around her.

"…thank you too, for everything…and good luck…my best friend." With those soft words, her body faded in the sky-blue particles around her.

The world beneath Staraptor became sky-blue that she left behind. She ascended higher into the sky, beelining straight towards the sun, which cast away her regrets and reconciliations for good.

Staraptor's body continued to show no signs of response, even through the lightning strikes discharging from Neuro and Nic at the latter's expense. Despite the staggering pain he felt, Nic refused to budge even as he glared Neuro dead in the eye. Neither side refused to give in to the pressure they were under.

Neuro's eyes were bleeding red, from both being bloodshot and pure perseverance. But Nic was crushing harder by the second. He knew he couldn't take much more, he needed to change the tides, and fast.

In the corner of his vision, he saw Staraptor was still lying on the ground, with the strange little interloper at her side, constantly calling out to her like a child would to their mother.

That was his ticket.

His gaze fixed on Nic, slightly narrowing. "Your…values…will be your undoing!" Slowly, he moved his left arm pass Nic's right side. A collage of augmented dark rings gathered before a voluminous Dark Pulse rushed across the ground like a bullet train, much to Nic's shock.

"Mama…" Junior whimpered, remaining unaware of the incoming attack on his right.

Nic's eyes widened as he glanced over his shoulder. 'Shit!' He didn't have any time to spare. Gritting his teeth, he used his free arm and held up an index finger, the tip glowing.

The Dark Pulse blitzed at speeds that didn't make it possible to stop. The force was too great, even without the shields. Junior heard something head his way and turned towards it. He saw the dark matter ring beam close in swiftly and he gasped, unable to react.

Just when the train of massive dark rings were about to flatten him, it suddenly did a sharp U-turn back in the direction it came from, leaving it a foot shy from Junior. He watched the beam's trajectory completely change towards Nic's back, where the Follow Me was hidden from Neuro's view.

The Dark-type move rushed straight into Nic's back like a bullet train, with force so great that it felt like a truck smashed into his spine. Nic's eyes shrank to salt grains as he dug his heels into the earth. Even if he was resistant to Dark-type moves, it was taking every ounce of momentum in him not to budge. The wake and the electrocution flushed through him with such force that any normal human being would have died then and there. He felt his Crush Claw grip lessen some, but he still maintained some level of pressure as his glare fixed with a mixture of pain and resilience.

"Stubborn…brat…!"

"That's…my damn line…!"

"GRAAAAAAAH~!" Both howled in agony as their attacks only continued. However, the combination of Thunderbolt and Dark Pulse was starting to eat away at Nic, starting by tearing at his upper body's clothing.

The feeling of sheer electricity was painful enough, but literal dark matter drilling through his clothes into his exposed flesh was not a pleasant experience. Especially in his spinal area.

Junior watched the attacks continue hammering away at the human. He didn't know why, but the baby's earlier sense of jealousy he had was starting to dwindle. It was still there, but this guy was fighting tooth and nail to save him and his mother.

He really wanted to cry, he really did…but he didn't.

He frowned heavily. He had to do something to help this guy!

Nic's knees buckled slightly under the pressure. He was starting to feel the pressure on his back and throughout his weakened body taking their toll.

"I'll make you kneel to the might of us Pokémon…LIKE YOU SHOULD!" Neuro bellowed. Just when he was about to increase the pressure of both attacks, he was met with something appearing in front of his face. "What the-?!"

Nic gasped in shock.

Junior floated in between, looking as angry as possible in front of the rogue Pokémon. "Ba…ba!" He quipped, as if insulting him.

"The hell! Junior!" Nic grunted angrily.

"Ah…" Junior looked back at him, his face showing no fear.

Nic's eyes widened, perpetual shock overtaking him. 'Junior, you…'

Junior turned back towards Neuro and hopped around him, via Splash. He moved left and right, flopping and jumping around closely to his face. The movement was quickly beginning to eat at the Beheeyem's patience as his focus was dimming gradually.

"Gnngh…stop moving around you little nuisance…!" He grunted.

His lack of focus was starting to affect his attacks. Their force started to dwindle, putting less pressure on Nic. Realizing what was happening, Nic took full advantage of the opening and grabbed Neuro's left arm. He pivoted on his heel and dragged him around, before chucking him with his Crush Claw hand through the air.

Neuro caught himself and steadied himself. His eyes were fully blood red from the adrenaline. His patience has worn thin. Junior teleported in front of him again, appearing all around him.

"I grow tired of you…" He sneered. He turned and locked his arm with another Dark Pulse right where Junior reappeared, putting the attack mere inches from his face.

Nic went to move, but his body suddenly crackled with electricity. 'Damnit! Paralysis!'

"Not another move!" Neuro ordered. "Unless you'd be willing to have more blood on your hands!"

Junior's bottom lip quivered as he looked frightened. With the impending attack intending to harm him, he closed his eyes and yelled out the only thing he could say.

"MAMA~!"

Something swift shot as fast as a bullet with glistening sides that cut clean through the air. The projectile's speed was so great that Neuro nearly caught on.

"WHA-?!" The aerial projectile zoomed straight in front of him, causing his Dark Pulse to deflect completely into the air. He recoiled and pulled back in caution from the next wave of intrusion.

Nic's eyes slowly widened, stunned at what he just saw.

Junior, who was cowering with eyes shut, didn't feel any pain. He opened his eyes slowly, seeing the tailfeathers of a certain feathered creature, whose feathered wings slowly faded back to their brownish-gray shade.

His yellow eyes glistened as he recognized the red tuft at the end of the crest that flowed through the breeze.

When Neuro recovered from his shock, his eyes flashed with shock. "You…!"

"Hands…off…" Red eyes burned with a violent passion. "MY SON!"

"Mama!" Junior quipped.

"Staraptor…!" Nic's breath hitched.

Staraptor's beak curved to a small grin. It felt good being back. But she didn't let that joy and fulfillment cloud her from their predicament.

Neuro looked flabbergasted, his eyes wide with shock at what he saw. "What's this…? How were you able to…"

"You had me fooled for a moment there." Staraptor admitted crudely. "But…I realized where I truly belong. That feeling, is something no amount of psychic manipulation can take from me."

Nic's lip parted at the realization. He thought back to what he yelled earlier. His frown turned to a sincere grin. 'That's our girl.' He thought assuredly. 'Better take care of this paralysis. Refresh!' A green wave of energy began to envelop Nic, gradually ceasing the static enveloping him.

Neuro glared at Staraptor, clearly enraged. "I see…so your commitment to your human is that strong. That's both prudent and praiseworthy. But…"

The Magic Room's large area came into view yet again, however, it quickly pieced itself apart. As it did, Neuro's mirrors regained their colors and levitated towards him.

Multicolored static crackled from the lacrima on his body, especially on the jewel on his head. "…that's why this time, I'll make certain to wipe your existence!"

Staraptor glared Neuro with wings spread. "Challenge accepted. Nic!"

Having recovered from his paralysis, Nic ignored his scrapes and torn clothing to glance at his Staraptor.

"We've got a lot of ground to cover together…let's get to it."

Nic's glare grew as deadly focused as her own, mirroring perfectly. "Took the words right out of my mouth."

"Hmph!" Neuro ascended higher, his eyes flashing sky-blue while his mirrors spun rapidly counterclockwise. "You'll be taking that bond to your damned graves!"

Jumpluff expelled more rounds of seeds, this time successful in landing their marks on Butterfree. However, the Bug/Flying-type seemed unbothered by the attack, holding his position until the rounds of seeds stopped. The fact that he was fine astonished the Jumpluff.

"Appears that grass base attacks like those are far less ineffective on it." Shiin figured out.

Jumpluff pulled away warily. "I-I'm gonna need backup! This one's not going down easy!"

"Flamethrower!" Laxus roared.

Manectric closed his maw and lurched back the same time Rai spun his arms, building up electricity within his antennae. Another round of broiling fire and lightning shot directly into each other. They collided in the center once more, causing the air to superheat between them.

Manectric dug his claws into the ground as he snarled. Electabuzz saw this and scoffed. He was certain that his opponent couldn't hold out much longer than him.

"Dig deep…and ROAR~!" Laxus bellowed.

Manectric's eyes shrank at his Trainer's words. He snarled even deeper and spread his forelegs further apart. He pushed the flames out in a larger volume than before. The excess force caused the Rai's attack to steadily lose its momentum and get pushed back, much to the Electabuzz's shock. It didn't take too long before the flames eventually reached his vicinity and passed through the Light Screen. Even with the force halved again, the flames burned Rai's fur as he scowled in agony. He pulled back and doubled over, getting to a knee as his fur sizzled.

"Gngh…tch. That…was just a lucky break." He sneered. His confidence, however, was quickly snuffed out when a surprising burst of flames exploded from his body, causing him to cringe in pain.

Laxus smirked, realizing what happened. "Guess that's a lucky break too."

"Lord Rai!" Jumpluff shouted in shock.

For Butterfree, this was a golden opportunity. With Jumpluff momentarily distracted, his red compound eyes glinted before he pulled his wings back. As he flapped them, a condensed windstorm with silver crescents flourished after Jumpluff, who was too distracted.

"Huh?" Too late to react, the Silver Wind met her face so forcefully that it became a critical hit. "Aaaaaaah!" She was blown away by the Bug-type move across the vicinity into the nearest wall, the force of Butterfree's attack causing a portion of the metal to dent from the crescents' wake.

The attack eventually let up as Butterfree pulled back. Both he and Shiin watched as Jumpluff slowly fell from the wall and onto her front with a soft thud. Her eyes brimmed with swirls, indicating she was out of commission.

"FREE!" Butterfree chirped triumphantly.

Unlike him, Shiin kept a stoic disposition. "That's one enemy neutralized. Now…" He turned towards Laxus's battle, which wasn't too far.

Rai's face contorted with ire from the burn. He was purely angry and growing desperate. Snarling, the Electabuzz reeled back his electrified fist and lunged for Manectric. "THIS WILL FINISH YOU! THUNDER PUNCH!"

Laxus and Manectric stared down the incoming attack and braced themselves. Rai closed the distance between them and the fist connected with Manectric's forehead, discharging electricity across his body. However, unlike before where it would mildly strain the recipient, Manectric held his ground. The burn effects were doing their job is severely weakening the contact move.

As Rai was pushing himself, the Light Screen barrier appeared between them again, only for it to flicker on and off before eventually fading away. Its effects finally timed out.

'NOW!' Laxus had to time it right…and now it was time for the payoff. "Manectric, go! HYPER BEAM!"

Manectric's eyes glared daggers as he snarled. With Rai so close, he opened his maw directly in front of his face, forming a condensed, bright orange energy sphere that was ready to be unleashed.

Rai's dark eyes shrank ever so slightly. His mouth slowly gaped in horror with every second as the light of Hyper Beam slowly grew brighter in front of him.

"GRRRAAAAAAAAAH~!" Manectric let out a wild howl as a few glints flickered before erupting into an explosive beam that fired across the vicinity. The Hyper Beam raged across the room with Rai being driven at its front, the force sending him into the server along with the attack. The Electabuzz cried out the further away he got, until the sound of a massive thud was followed by an explosion that rattled the entire chamber. Debris and smoke pulsated everywhere as the ground itself shuddered.

Manectric and Laxus stood in cold silence, glaring expectantly at the smoke and dust stirred up by their attack. They watched intensely as the wake eventually subsided.

When it finally did, they saw Rai's body pinned to the core of the server, his eyes brimming with swirls. As gravity pried him off and onto the floor below, the impact had severely cracked the core, causing particles of Magic Power to seep out. Even though the machine itself was damaged, it was still operating.

"That thing's sturdy, I'll give it that." Laxus chimed, his eyes narrowing. "One more should do the trick."

"Free!" Butterfree fluttered past him to Manectric's side.

Shiin walked up to Laxus's side with his trademark expressionless face. "It appears that it also shares the same sentiment."

Laxus scoffed. "Try not to be in the way."

"That would be my line."

Purple energy cultivated around Bellona's body, an eerily sinister look on her face. "It's been quite some time, but I hope that you'll be lenient…once you get a taste of my Divine Empress Magic!" She lifted her arms up. "Divinity Sunder!"

Dark ripples appeared over Zoroark, Dodrio, and Hippowdon. The three Pokémon looked up in wonder before the black and crimson fox's eyes widened. "Get away! Now!"

The ripples expanded, sending down intense magical pillars onto them. Hippowdon hastily upheaved his front and plunged into the ground, whereas Dodrio and Zoroark sprinted haphazardly to avoid the beams. The ground exploded with pure Magic Power wherever they struck, making the battlegrounds uneven for Dodrio and Zoroark to tread as they made an attempt to close the gap on Bellona.

"I'll finish you!" Dodrio leaned in and picked up speed, rushing past a pillar with glowing beaks. "Pluck!"

Bellona's smirk widened.

"Goddess Bellow!"

Her body suddenly exploded with purple energy, swallowing everything around her in an eloping mass. Dodrio, who was darting straight in, had the misfortune of being engulfed in the force, screeching out in pain as she was blown away.

The Divine Empress Magic's shockwave continued expanding towards Zoroark, who was far back enough to avoid the fate of Dodrio. He raised his arms overhead as crimson and black energy condensed, his eyes glowing.

"Night Daze!"

He slammed his hands into the ground, sending a field of pink and crimson energy throughout the vicinity. The two shockwaves collided, swirling intensely to where the magnitude was immense. However, immediately, Zoroark found his claws treading dirt as he was slowly being overwhelmed.

Lucario's aura feelers were defying gravity as he had a paw on the rattling ground. His red eyes opened as he turned towards Servine. "He's coming!"

"Thanks for the advice." Servine hummed.

Even through the rattling earth, Lucario timed it just right. "Now!"

At that instance, both he and Servine jumped into the air. The ground exploded beneath, expelling Hippowdon as he spurred into the open with his jaws wide open.

Servine harrumphed as she swiveled and spin high above him, green whirlwinds and energy leaves gathering around her tail. "I hope you like the well-deserved taste of fresh grass. Leaf Tornado!" She spun topside and directed the tornado at Hippowdon's airborne frame, where he had nowhere to hide.

Hippowdon's eyes widened moments before the green tornado rushed into his gaping maw. The insides of his sturdy maw churned as he was pushed towards the ground onto his back with a thunderous slam.

"DAMN YOU ALL~! THIS IS FAR FROM OVER!" Zoroark exasperated. He managed to hold out from Bellona's spell, but the momentum he had was gone as the darkness faded around him, especially when a blue light shined in the sky overhead.

"Come back to your senses! Zoroark!" Lucario aimed his arms at his target, his attack fully charged and igniting everything in blue. "Aura Sphere!"

He launched the sphere with razor-sharo precision. It rushed through the fading Night Daze and closed in on Zoroark, who was still in freefall. His turquoise eyes shrank as he looked to be screaming out in defiance before being hammered by the aura, erupting him in a dense blue explosion.

Lucario and Servine landed on the ground in front of Bellona, the sandstorm around them finally lifting. With it, they looked ahead to see the dust settle from their respective attacks.

The explosions settled, showing Dodrio, Hippowdon, and Zoroark on their backs. All three had swirls in their eyes, a sign that they weren't getting up again.

"Apologies…but rest for now." Lucario sighed.

"Yes, sleep…until this nightmare is over, at least." Bellona commented.

Neuro fired a Dark Pulse through one mirror, causing the remaining three to unleash three empowered blasts of darkness at Nic and Staraptor. Nic changed his Normal-type half to his Insect Form, flapping his wings madly as he unleashed an air-splitting soundwave that rushed at them, via Bug Buzz. The three beams met the soundwaves like a wall, stopping them from advancing.

With an opening, Staraptor flashed briefly she split into numerous copies, via Double Team. They all rushed around the beams and shot like asteroids through the atmosphere towards Neuro.

"Your little illusion trick won't save you!" He redirected two of the three mirrors at the shower of clones in the sky. They began spinning in an orbit as the Dark Pulse continued rushing.

The spinning mirrors' spiraling darkness weaves through the sky, mowing down clones in thick dark smoke. However, Staraptor spurred out, white streaks streaming out of her as she went past the mirrors.

"Aerial Ace!" Nic and Staraptor shouted in unison.

The avian closed in swiftly, but Neuro had calculated this. It was close, but the mirror projecting the Dark Pulse fending off Nic ceasefire and maneuvered between him and Staraptor at the last second.

Nic's eyes narrowed. "Now!"

Staraptor's red eyes glimmered before she suddenly put on the airbrakes, giving a profound flap that created a gust that the mirror reflected back, stopping her momentum. In front, she kicked the top of the mirror, causing the whole thing to tilt back and hit Neuro head.

"GAH!" His already throbbing head pulsated as he recoiled. Though, he kept an eye open on Staraptor and held out his right arm, fingers flickering beguiling colors.

Realizing what he was about to do, he brought her wings in front and pushed away, spiraling and maneuvering around the shields that retreated around the Shiny Beheeyem.

"Let's see you get close to this!" Neuro positioned one mirror below him, with the three others facing vertically beneath him evenly separated. His body crackled with electricity before he discharged a massive Thunderbolt into the mirror below. It came up as three roaring pillars surrounding him that ignited the sky with literal electrified energy.

Nic and Staraptor were watching carefully, waiting to see what he was going to do. Despite their eyes sore from seeing directly at the beaming lightning roars, they saw the mirrors spin clockwise, turning the three pillars into a massive lightning tornado that swirled around Neuro. The tornado began expanding, causing Staraptor to pull away from any stray bolts.

She glided back and slid to Nic's side, both taking brief glances at each other that ignited the fires beneath them.

"Ready?"

"Evermore."

Their feet dug into the dirt, the dry ground splattering as they took off sprinting at inhumane speeds at the impending obstacle before them.

Neuro's eyes glowed bright purple. "Psychic!"

The entire tornado's perimeter was enveloped in psychokinetic energy. Horizontal, condensed beams of lightning shot out in all directions like laser beams, incinerating everything in their path.

Nic glowed and turned his Bug-type half back to his Normal-type. Sticking a glowing index finger up as he ran, he and Staraptor suddenly made sharp turns in opposite directions; Nic running left, and Staraptor spurring right. Every single lightning beam did a sharp angle adjustment and roared after Nic. He slid to a stop and held his ground as all the beams converged, erupting him in a voluminous discharge of lightning.

A brief distance away, Junior covered up, but he looked to be in awe.

As all the electricity was being drawn away, Staraptor shot like a fighter jet along the underside of the lightning tornado. With Nic absorbing all the nulled damage, she had an opening to exploit. Her wings glowed metallic gray as she went counterclockwise against the clockwise current.

CLANG!

Almost immediately, her Steel Wing contacted a rim, stopping its momentum cold.

'Right on point!'

The two remaining mirrors clashed into it, causing the entire tornado to discombobulate. The brief disturbance diffused the veil around Neuro, leaving him face-to-face with Staraptor's piercing eyes.

Veiled in heated static, a battle-thirsty sneer was heard. "Steel Wing!"

Staraptor spurred at Neuro at full-throttle, her wings endowed in metallic gray. At the last second, Neuro brought his hands up to try and catch the wings. Surprising enough, this created a pulse wave that scattered dust and debris, yet the Beheeyem was barely budged.

"This augmented body of mine…will not lose to a weak-hearted flock stray like you!" Neuro vehemently declared, the rainbow lacrima on him illuminating to the point of crackling.

"I strayed once…" Staraptor countered. "But because of you, I know where my heart truly lies. There's no point looking into the past if you stay there!"

She swung her talons up, landing a kick in Neuro's face that send him careening back several feet. She somersaulted and adjusted herself.

"You may have forsaken others…but unlike you, I have others who genuinely care about me. That's what separates us." She sneered.

"This entire ecosystem of humans and Pokémon is unbalanced…it must be restructured! Whether you see it or not!" Neuro challenged, the lacrima on his body discharged static. He channeled a Dark Pulse in both hands that were crackling multicolored lightning. "And I have no intentions on allowing even a single contingent unhinged!"

From above, Nic came down with his fingers extending sharp energy claws and a red aura enveloping him, via Hone Claws. He twisted and spun his body like a vertical tornado as dark purple flame-like energy engrossed his hands as he came down with a Darkest Lariat.

Neuro glanced up, having anticipated the attack. Two mirrors faced Nic and Staraptor respectively, doubling up the wake of his Dark Pulse.

As the attack closed in, Staraptor spread her talons and wings before she looked intently focused. "Close Combat!" She began bombarding the dark matter at speeds faster than the blinking eye, with force that pummeled the Dark-type move enough to diffuse it around her.

Nic retained spinning in the air above, his increased force serving to intercept the attack as well.

Junior watched from a safe distance as he was in awe of his mother and the human working together to corner this estrange Pokémon. His yellow eyes remained wide with wonder and envy, until something in his brain made him stop what he was doing to realize they needed help.

He looked around, seeing if anything could be of use. That's when his eyes locked onto the big machine that he recognized. The same machine that stung him. But it looked completely vulnerable now.

If he recalled, his mama and the human wanted to break it, right? That's when something popped inside of him.

Nic and Staraptor were spinning and pummeling with every ounce of force they had, but the enhanced Dark Pulse was much stronger than the last ones. Neuro continued expelling his attack through the mirrors with bloody envy in his vision.

"Your desperation is showing! Coming at me head-on shows how limited you are." As he mocked them, suddenly Junior teleported behind him. "Huh? You!"

"Boo!" Junior cooed loudly, before they both disappeared from sight.

With the pressure alleviated, Nic and Staraptor stopped their assault. Away from them, Neuro and Junior reappeared in the open, the latter taken aback.

'Teleportation again?' He looked at Junior, who was bouncing up and around more eagerly than before. 'Something's different this time. This little one seems to be more aware. But if he can use Teleport, that must make him a Psychic-type. So then…'

He looked at the Neuro-Amplifier, which was a short hundred meters away from them.

'At this range, being around the Amplifier should be lethal to all other Psychic-types.' He came across an epiphany. 'Could it be…that because this one is an infant, that its underdeveloped brain makes it immune to my machine?!'

Junior cooed as he bounced around Neuro, frolicking and waving his arms overhead. If it served as a taunt to Neuro's slowly crippling endeavors, it was working.

Another round of Dark Pulse began to swell in his hands. "Children have no place on the battlefield. This is a grown-up matter that feeble nuisances like you should stay out of!" He fired the attack at Junior without a moment's hesitation.

Staraptor's eyes widened. "Junior!"

"Ma!" Junior chirped before using Teleport again.

The Dark Pulse continued without a concise target…though its path was heading for the Neuro-Amplifier itself!

Neuro realized this and realized the folly. 'No! I can't deflect it with my mirrors! They're too far away!' He had to work fast. He barely shifted his arms off to the side. The roaring Dark Pulse had so much momentum as it closed in on the machine, but it turned to the machine's right side just near its end.

The wake tore just past the machine, serving to scrape the side. Neuro cursed at the folly, despite how the forest leveled in a straight line.

Junior appeared beside Staraptor, smiling proudly. "Ah!"

"Junior…" Staraptor looked stunned.

Junior gave her a proud smile. "Mama!"

'Junior's finally cooperating…guess he finally came around.' Nic was relieved, but focused on the subject at hand. 'He gave us an opening! Now to handle the mirrors!'

He glowed brightly, his Normal half turning back to Mind Form, eyes glowing blue.

"Magic Room!"

Another large room of magical squares enveloped the area. Almost immediately as the shields were rushing towards Neuro, they lost their glimmer once more and were in freefall.

"Staraptor!"

"Just what I was thinking!" With no hesitation, she spurred towards the four shields. With all their powers thwarted, they were like large glossy rocks – and all rocks break one way or another.

"CLOSE COMBAT!" Nic and Staraptor howled. The latter struck one with the back of her wing, then kicked another, and pivoted to kick the last one; all into one crystal and made them fracture. The sheer force of her attack made them chip in freefall. Staraptor followed up by appearing overhead and glared down at the four collective glasses before diving ferociously. With a furious caw, she jabbed, kicked and pierced with her beak at bullet speeds with force to ground all four at once. And even then, she didn't stop.

"Mama!" Junior encouraged.

Staraptor's red eyes gleamed as she let out a vehement cry. "HRRAAAAAAHHHH~!" Pouring all her feelings – frustrations, relief, and anger – each blow made her think of Nic, Greninja, and the others. The blows didn't stop as those times she wasn't going to take for granted again.

"GRRAAAAAH!"

With a double double-down wing slam, Staraptor chopped down into all four stacked at once. The pressure finally shattering them to fragments. Time slowed down as Nic, Junior, and Neuro witnessed this with their own eyes.

'That's one more asset down.' Nic thought.

Neuro's pupils dilated out of anger. "DAMN YOU!" He faced Staraptor once more, his eyes glowing purple. "Psychic!"

Knowing what was coming as telekinetic energy warped around her, Staraptor kept her adamant glare. "Now!"

In a split-second, Nic appeared in place of Staraptor. The Psychic's matter closed in and immediately imploded, but with no damage.

"Ally Switch again?!" Neuro felt a shadow behind him, making his eyes widen. 'So fast!'

"Aerial Ace!"

Staraptor went to stab the back of Neuro's head with her talons, but he suddenly erupted with a Thunderbolt. The immense lightning had crackling multicolored static engraved with Neuro's enhanced might. The bolts discharged wildly, causing Staraptor to forcefully back off.

"As if I'll make it that easy! My resources may be limited now, but I still have plenty of synthesized magic to give me strength!"

"Mama!" Junior yelped, seeing his mother evading the lightning.

Nic glared intensely as he watched Staraptor's dance through the sky.

Using her Aerial Ace's speed spur, Staraptor dodged the multicolored bolts, keeping herself leveled and maneuvering. She saw two bolts dangerously parallel closing in front of her and went vertical. She dove between them, albeit her chest feathers got singed. Her eyes narrowed as a low grunt escaped.

"Then…you know what you have to do."

Her eyes snapped wide as the voice of Shiny Starly echoed. Instinctively, she flapped her wings, accelerating as she spurred past the field of bolts below.

"Spread those wings of yours…and take flight!"

A multicolored bolt snaked up directly from below, but she barrel-rolled to the side and continued flying. 'Yes, that's right. As long as I still have even a feather on me, I'll look towards the sky!' More bolts grazed across, but she still danced around them.

"Soar! Soar to heights far beyond you could have before!"

"GRAAAAH!" Neuro directed his arms up, discharging his lightning in numerous massive bolts. Staraptor ascended into the sky higher than before, the multicolored voltage chasing after her. It slowly closed in the straight angle she sped at, but her focus was towards the waning yonder above.

'Wings or not, as long as I draw breath! I shall…!'

"Take flight!"

Her eyes dilated. 'TAKE FLIGHT!' She spread her wings out as far as she could. The white streaks from her Aerial Ace began changing from white to sky-blue, quickly engulfing her entire body with a light similar to a burning blue sky. She suddenly arched overhead, evading the collective lightning mass altogether with the momentum she gained.

"What's this…?" Neuro gasped.

Nic's eyes widened, equally shocked.

"Ahhh~" Junior looked on in complete awe.

Staraptor's bodily glow intensified as she followed through her arch. Her speed was incredible, rocketing at Mach speed before setting her sights on Neuro below. With a single flap of her wings, she jettisoned like a bright blue meteor with wings barreling down with astronomical force.

Nic quickly caught on. "That's…!"

"SKY ATTACK!"

With a voluminous cry, Staraptor beelined for Neuro. However, the Beheeyem's instincts took over. Using Psychic, he hastily collected debris into a huge, dense wall between him and the oncoming projectile. Staraptor bulleted into the makeshift shield, instantly shattering it pieces. A large-scale shockwave with a sonic boom erupted everywhere, leveling out the entire area. Rocks flew with Neuro across the battlefield.

Nic covered Junior as the shockwave raged on. He waited until it settled, seeing ahead with awe and realization. 'She learned a new move…a strong one.' His focus sharpened. 'We can use this.'

With a single flap, the dust flattened, revealing Staraptor in the air with her red eyes burning with tenacity.

"Gngh!" Gathering his bearings from barely escaping the full wake, Neuro swatted the dust around him away. "A new move?"

"I won't be weighed down any longer." Staraptor sternly stated. "If the sky is the limit…then we shall aim further than that, right Nic?"

"Right." Nic sternly agreed. Not a shred of doubt was in his voice. "We're ending this now."

Neuro's feverish eyes grew redder by the second, his frustrations at their end. 'I used up my last Psychic for that quick save! I have to finish them while I still have PP for my other moves!'

Nic and Staraptor didn't give him breathing room. They shot across the battlefield like blurs kicking up dust in their wake.

Neuro brought his hands together as multicolored static mixed with his Dark Pulse. Rather than shoot it like he did before, he projected the attack skywards. It reached a pinnacle point similar to a Draco Meteor before it spouted into dozens of dark beams raining down across the field.

"Agility!"

"Double Team!"

Nic suddenly vanished, spurring faster than before to avoid a falling beam. Staraptor glowed briefly before clones of herself spread across the ground. Junior cooed before he followed their lead and teleported. With both their speed and evasion enhanced, the sky poured numerous beams that hammered across the battlefield. However, each one missed their intended target as they gradually bridged the landmine gap.

Nic spurred left and right in zigzags, racing across the field faster than the eye could see. As he spurred along, his hands extending glowing claws as he took a moment to kick off the ground and spiral in midair. Using Hone Claws again, a red glow empowered both his Attack and accuracy.

'This'll buy us time.' Nic thought. "Now, Staraptor! Sky Attack!"

Staraptor and her clones all continued gliding across the ground. A sky-blue light enveloped all of them that started dimly, gradually increasing in shine and density as time progressed. The clones all converged onto Neuro, looking like a flock of radiating birds harrowing his way.

"You think I'm a fool?" Neuro scoffed. He knew only one of them was real. That was obvious.

As the flock drew closer, the Dark Pulse shower slowly sputtered them out. Even with the immense attack, they gradually faded from the slightest grazes. It soon came down to only one Staraptor, whose body was giving off a burning blue light as she closed the gap head-on.

There.

"Thunderbolt!" Neuro fired a multicolored lightning blast from his body, barreling like a wall into the oncoming Staraptor. From what it seemed, the avian had no intention on dodging.

As the bolt seemed like it engulfed her, Staraptor suddenly disappeared.

"Another illusion!" Neuro felt a burning sensation from above. He looked up, finding an even brighter sky-blue light enveloping an avian above. 'Damnit, Double Team!'

'Now!' Nic suddenly vanished, using Teleport. In a split-second he appeared besides his Staraptor, glowing briefly to turn his Psychic half back to his Normal-type. A glowing baton stuck out to the side, via Baton Pass.

"Aaah!" Junior quipped.

As Staraptor began her spur, her talon seized the baton from her Trainer, transferring the stats he's risen and caused her dive to increase to where a sky-blue airwave blew Nic away.

'Too fast! I can't dodge it!' Quickly shifting towards defense, Neuro's body discharged more lightning and rainbow static.

Staraptor's Sky Attack met the Thunderbolt at point-blank. Several flashes of light erupted before a dome-like surge of sky-blue energy and multicolored lightning discharged everywhere. The cracks in the earth blew drafts of static upwards.

Junior covered up, but as a debris piece was heading for him, Nic descended in front, swept Junior in his grip, and rolled off to the side. He got back up, both unscathed.

The massive static flare enveloping the area pushed Staraptor and Neuro in opposite directions. Though Staraptor's feathers had singe marks and yellow static enveloping her body, she immediately brushed off the latter and steadied herself.

Neuro, however, was not as lucky. Though he reduced the damage drastically, he was unable to catch himself and skipped across the earth, until his back slammed into the machine with a loud thud. "Gah!" He gagged loudly from the sheer pain his body was taking.

'Even though my body is synthetic to handle Legendary Pokémon, that blow felt like a hole was punched through me.' Neuro thought begrudgingly, holding onto his abdomen as he floated back up. 'This bird…just what is she?!'

Staraptor flapped over the ground a short distance, her and Nic's unified glare undeterred by Neuro.

"I'll destroy all of you! Along with this wretched society!" Neuro feverishly cried out.

"You'll have to get through us, first." Staraptor sinuated. Nic was right beside her, looking in full acknowledgment.

"Aaaah!" Junior quipped.

"There's absolutely nothing…nothing special about you!" Neuro scowled. "You never had to suffer for as long as I have! You're just like the other Pokémon who hitchhiked off a Trainer for a rebound! Do you have any idea on the many faces engraved into my sleep that I can never forget." Slowly, he began recounting the many experiences and Trainers he cycled through, all having shadows over their nonexistent eyes. "They're all the same. They know nothing of the life given to them, and the ones they take from us! I will not allow some feathered reject like you get in the way of our rectification!"

Staraptor paused, looking into Neuro's feverish eyes for a moment before responding. "You know, a Trainer and Pokémon can understand each other through battle, in theory that is…that's the same between Pokémon, too."

"What?"

"I understand. How desperate it must feel to want something so bad that you'd be willing to risk your life for. I could tell, from how hard you've fought, that this is more important to you than anything else. I acknowledge that." She paused. "But, I also have something worth fighting for. And unlike you, I am not in this fight alone. You can only get so far by yourself. That's what separates us."

Neuro scoffed, electricity crackling around him. "And it's that divide between us that will prove my resolve! I WON'T BE DRAGGED DOWN BY HUMANS LIKE YOU!"

Pressure in the air changed around Neuro. All the crystals embedded into his body began discharging multicolored static. Dense lightning enveloped his body as he brought his hands together, creating dark matter. The air was shaking violently from the density the unified force carried.

'He's concentrating everything he has in one spot.' Nic realized. 'He's making this next shot count.'

"Nic!"

Nic looked ahead, seeing Staraptor glance back at him. "Let's show him. It's not just me. It's all of us."

Nic paused briefly, realizing what she meant. The Poké Balls beside him rattled feverishly. "Yeah, you're absolutely right." He straightened up. "Guess we'll just have to use something to prove your point." He raised his left forearm, revealing his Z Power Ring. "I'm not a fan of these damn poses, but…just this time…I'll give it a shot."

"Mama!" Junior cheered.

Staraptor smirked. "Stay back, Junior. Your mother and her Trainer are going to give it one last push."

Nic closed his eyes, focusing. 'This is it. With everything we've got…'

The moment the Skyium-Z clicked in, the hue in the atmosphere darkened. A sky-blue light came from the Z-Crystal and illuminated the area. The air pressure around him and Staraptor started changing as the two started taking similar stances, with their legs evenly spread apart, and their arms flapping skywards. They then tucked in their limbs before raising their left arms up. The sky-blue Z-Power Nic gathered burst into the sky and down onto Staraptor.

"Go get him!"

Nic and Staraptor heard it. The echoes screaming from the capsules. 'These are…'

"Take him down!"

"We'll push you forward!"

"No brakes for this train!"

"Dessstroy him!"

Nic grinned slightly. "You heard 'em, Staraptor."

"Yes…so let's finish this!" Staraptor spread her wings, the Z-power fully absorbed into her being. She shot into the sky with a single flap, shattering the rock beneath her as she vanished into the atmosphere with supersonic pulses dissipating through the atmosphere. In mere moments, the atmosphere began to visibly distort and shine above like a star. Nic, Junior, and Neuro looked up as the sky was visibly shaking from the cyclone of sky-blue whirlwinds amassing around Staraptor. With her enhanced Attack power, the wake was far more condensed, but equally large.

This didn't go unnoticed from the others across the island.

"Guys, look!" Happy pointed at the blue distortion in the sky.

"What is that?" Elfman questioned.

"That looks like a Z-Move…a really strong one." Natsu realized. His eyes widened before he caught on, a small smirk crossing his face. 'That's gotta be him. I knew it.'

Charmeleon leaned forward. "That looks like…"

Vanessa could feel a familiar aura fill through the skies. It was strong. Very strong. But it was full of resolve that she could distinguish from everything else. She smirked knowing who it was.

"That light…is that at where Nic is?!" Mest gasped.

"There's no mistaking it. It has to be it." Pantherlily noted.

Erza felt her heart tug, but for some reason, she wasn't bothered like she was before. In fact, it was the opposite. She felt…assured. "Nic…"

Neuro saw the immense force hanging hundreds of meters above him. Even if it was so far away, the air pressure was drastically lighter, meaning that it was all going to come down at once. The crystals all over his body beamed brighter than they ever have as the lightning and darkness finally fused to a singular mass between his hands.

"I will strike you down! Now…DIIIIEEEE~!" With every ounce of momentum he had, Neuro faced the sky, unleashing the coalition of his Thunderbolt and Dark Pulse blended with each other. A single dense beam of lightning was within the epicenter of the jumbled dark rings; all expanded and coated with multicolored energy.

"STARAPTOR!" Nic howled.

A small glint in the sky shimmered. Said glint rocketed down at Mach 3 speed, breaking the sound barrier thrice over as a swirling hurricane of sky-blue energy enveloped Staraptor as she rocketed down with all their might. Though the sound was muted by the shattering of air, a loud caw echoed for miles.

"SUPERSONIC SKYSTRIKE!"

The falling blue whirlwind star barreled straight into the skyward beam, creating an intense flare that pulsated wind, lightning, and dark matter everywhere. However, the forces were nonstop and even.

"HRAAAAAH~!" Nic and Staraptor shouted.

Staraptor pushed harder – harder than she ever did before. As she did, silhouettes of the other Pokémon flashed one after another. Arbok, Garchomp, Kecleon, Charizard, Greninja, Nic, and finally Junior. They all looked like they were either pushing or lunging forward with her.

The Z-Move violently shuddered in place for several seconds, before the light grew brighter and jettisoned downwards straight through Neuro's attack, no longer slowed down by its impending force.

Neuro stared up, the entire sky rumbling as it looked like it was falling down straight on him. "What…? IMPOSSIBLE…!"

As the light engulfed him, everything around him turned white moments before he felt an intense pressure accumulate and stir around him.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!"

In a blue spur, Staraptor shot right through Neuro, and more importantly, his special amplifier. She burst out behind with her Z-Power dissipated and posing on the ground, facing away as her opponent and his machine were swallowed in a ground-shattering explosion of sky-blue force that bloomed into the sky. Air torrents spurred everywhere, but she was unmoved by it all.

"Manectric, now! Hyper Beam!" Laxus shouted.

Snarling with a nod of understanding, Manectric opened his mouth and began charging up a highly condensed, destructive beam that sparked. As soon as it was ready to be launched, Butterfree brought his wings back as they briefly flashed.

Together, a destructive beam raced across the corridor alongside a wind with silver crescents. The windstorm surrounded the Hyper Beam in a spiral, mixing the crescents with its wake to give it greater depth. The unified attack pulsated across the ground until closed in on the defenseless server…

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The far fraction of the large chamber erupted into smoke and sputtering Magic Power. Laxus, Shiin, Manectric, and Butterfree all felt a gust try and push them back, but it quickly dissipated. Machine parts quickly fell apart to irreparable pieces.

The core especially dropped to the ground. Moments just before it touched the ground, the strong light it gave off faded away.

CRASH!

The glossy core crashed into the ground, shattering to fragments right before their eyes.

A Dragon Pulse rained down with a gaping jaw onto Shou and Minerva, the former braced for it and swiped her arm, setting off a chain of explosions across the sky to intercept the attack. As the smoke cleared, Hydreigon glared down, snarling vehemently.

Minerva panted, both her body and magic worn down. "I'm not sure…how much more of this we can take…"

Shou labored in breath as well, balling his fists. "C'mon…wake up already, Hydreigon!"

Hydreigon chose violence instead, snarling as she sped down with her three maws wide open and glowing fangs, via Crunch. With Minerva and him worn down, they braced for the oncoming blow.

However, just when she was close, she visibly flinched. Her body jolted as if some impulse was going off. She gasped while her Crunch energy briefly vanished. She levitated over their heads, looking around disoriented.

"Huh? What just…?"

Realizing that her attack had stopped, the two had a moment to relax. Shou's breath hitched, realizing what may have transpired. "Hydreigon…?"

Close by, Mirajane and Lisanna were panting heavily, both covered in scrapes and bruises. The sisters brought their hands and claws up against the mixed horde of Pokémon about to engulf them. However, just before they got too close, they all visibly flinched and blinked rapidly.

"W-wait…what just happened?" A Sand Cloak Wormadam yelped.

"My head is all fuzzy…did I have some freaky nightmare or something?" A Wigglytuff groaned. "Wait…I remember now!"

Looking around, Mirajane and Lisanna saw all the Pokémon having similar reactions. Their attacks stopped completely, much to their relief.

Meredy and Lyon were struggling, the latter unleashing another serpent dragon made of ice at Ultear. Just like the rest of his creations, they all reduced to vapor before it even got close.

"This is no good. We're not getting anywhere." Lyon grimaced.

"And we're almost out of magic. We have to do something before…"

Misdreavus cackled mockingly. "This is too easy. I think it's time to broaden my little collection if no one else is going to…" Suddenly, she flinched as some kind of shock went through her body. She trailed off as she seemed stunned for a moment as she came back to reality. "Wait, what…?"

Ultear looked back, confused.

"Ultear?" Misdreavus blinked twice. She looked at the cube in her hand and realized through her recent memories what happened. Gasping, her hair tossed the cube to the ground in horror.

That was an opportunity Meredy didn't let pass by. Gasping, she swiped her arm, sending a single energy sword spearheading at the cube, where it pierced and shattered the lacrima into hundreds of pieces.

The collar around Ultear's neck immediately turned off, having lost its Organic-Link bond with the broken device. Freed at long last, the Time Mage dropped to her knees in a mixture of relief and exhaustion.

"Ultear!" Meredy raced up to her, Lyon not far behind. The pinkette slid to her knees and hugged Ultear tight, tears brimming in her eyes. "Thank god you're alright!"

"Meredy…" Ultear muttered. She looked up, seeing Lyon with an equally stunned reaction. "Lyon…you as well?"

Lyon exhaled and smiled. "It's good to have you back with us." His eyes widened at another realization. "Wait, but then this must mean…" When he looked up, he saw that not only Misdreavus was coming around, but all the other Pokémon as well. That included Jenny's Milotic, Kevin's Pokémon, Ichiya's Spritzee; they were all dazed but recovering. 'Is this really happening? Did they actually succeed?'

Jellal faced off against Shou and Wally, before the two felt the effects on their collars fade away. Their owners had dropped their cubes out of confusion and shock, allowing them to drop to their knees in relief.

"Sho! Wally!" Millianna shouted.

"No, looks like they're alright." Jellal insisted. "The Organic-Link they were under must have finally lifted."

Sho and Wally were shuddering, their knees buckling as the pressure they were feeling seconds ago had finally lifted like a lead weight. The torture they were under was gone again. For a time, it felt like a nightmare, but that nightmare was finally over.

Tears fell down Sho's cheeks as he gritted his teeth. "I can't believe it…I just can't…we almost…!"

Wally closed his eyes, biting his quivering lip as he was still reeling from the trauma.

Millianna rushed in between them, bringing them both into a hug. "It's okay, you two! It's gonna be okay!" Millianna cried with them.

As the three were having a breakdown, Jellal kept his distance. Even though he was genuinely happy seeing as how the three comrades were back together and sound, he still knew that they haven't entirely forgotten about what he did. Even though he was forgiven and moved on, they clearly haven't. He would just have to wait until he was welcomed by them again.

Lucario, Bellona, and Servine joined his side as they watched the scene with him, all while the Pokémon began to come to their senses.

All over Fiore, the effects were instantaneous. Without the server, Neuro's memory control over the Pokémon that belonged to Trainers were flinching and snapping back to reality.

Taking refuge in the Magic Council's HQ, Marie rushed through a large set of doors to tell Arthur the news. "Sir! We have news! Reports are coming in! All the Pokémon that rebelled are starting to quell themselves!"

In the confines of the study room provided to him for the time being, Arthur's eyes briefly widened, before he exhaled deeply. "I see…that's good to hear." He softly grinned. "I have a feeling…that we'll be further in someone's debt again."

Seviper slammed onto her right side harshly, pinned by Arbok's glowing jaws. The cobra had the viper pinned by the head and playing literal crunching pressure as she was slowly breaking her.

Erik hesitated, unable to look Kinana in her serpentine eyes as poison covered his scaly arm. The paralyzed snake woman could only stare in horror at what's to come.

'Erik…!'

As Arbok was vehemently biting Seviper, she felt a sharp sting in her head that froze her. She blinked once, feeling her sense of reality come back as she pulled off of Seviper. The confused snake looked around, dazed and disoriented. "What happened…?"

With her momentarily distraught, Seviper glanced down and saw the Human Cube at the edge of her tail. With a swift jab of her glowing knife tail, she darted clean through the capsule, shattering it to pieces.

The Organic-Link collar around Erik went off, immediately releasing him from the stress and pressure. He froze up, feeling the magic short-circuit.

"This collar…!" Gasping, he realized what this meant. His hand coated in venom, he gashed the collar off him, making it shatter. With it off his neck, she sank to a knee and panted from relief. "That…was too close…"

As soon as the explosion had settled down, scrap metal and irreparable chunks were all that remained of the Neuro-Amplifier. The intricate, well-guarded machine was nothing more than history now. And its reason for being so was steadying herself, staying calm and composed despite the mental and physical exhaustion she endured.

Staraptor calmly exhaled, allowing her muscles to finally relax after what felt like an eternity. Enough so that she almost fell over. However, she caught herself and raised her head high, unyielding to her fatigue.

"Staraptor!"

Hearing the voice, the female predator bird turned around with a proud smile. There, her Trainer stood looking down at her. Just him being there was enough to make her feel light as a feather.

"…so, how was that?" She lowly chimed.

Nic blinked twice, but he closed his eyes and smirked ever so proudly. "Don't need to…you already know."

Staraptor hummed.

"But…I'll say it anyways." Nic paused, allowing the sunset's light in the horizon to shine down on their faces. "Staraptor…you were magnificent."

The Poké Balls that were sealed by Neuro's machine were unlocked. With the mechanisms properly working, they all expanded and popped open by themselves. The rest of Nic's Pokémon appeared around them, looking down at Staraptor.

"Everyone…!" Staraptor quipped.

Charizard smirked. "You went that extra mile."

Arbok and Garchomp both grunted, nodding in agreement.

"Sister soared to the sun today." Kecleon whimsically chimed, tilting her head.

Greninja stepped forward, their red eyes meeting before the former folded his arms with a genuine smile curving beneath his tongue. "You did good."

"Mama!"

Staraptor's eyes widened at the upbeat tone behind her. The avian slowly turned around, seeing Junior a few feet away, looking up at her. However, unlike how he'd usually hop about and butt into her line of sight, he seemed a lot more patient as he stared at her.

A short silence fell between them, with Junior looking on with anticipation. He looked worried after what he realized he had done earlier.

Staraptor looked to her son, but rather than admonish him like the latter was expecting, she opened her wings and smiled.

Junior gasped, taking the gesture and hopped on over. "MAMA!" He hopped straight into her chest feathers. Even though they were ruffled and charred, they were still soft and warm. He clung to her tight with a big smile.

Staraptor brought a wing around, holding him close. Her eyes misted as she took solace with everyone finally acknowledging her. Yes, this was what she was missing.

"Errrrgh…" A loud, raspy groan close by immediately cut their congratulations short.

Everyone turned and frowned as they looked over to where Neuro was. Suffice to say that he did not look pretty. He laid in a crater, his entire body covered in cracks leaking with multicolored energy, most likely the magic energy that he was infused with. The crystals all over his body were cracked and chipped, but the worst blow to the eyes for them was how severely damaged his head was. His arms were all limp and bent in ways that told they couldn't be felt. The entire right side was dented inwards to the point where it was crushed. The left side lost much of its outer casing, allowing multicolored energy to seep into the air. He was just a mess.

"Neuro…" Nic gave his opponent a morose frown, knowing well that he was beyond the boundaries of repair.

The Shiny Beheeyem was grunting, struggling to get up. His bloodshot eyes were flickering on and off, like a robot whose batteries were short-circuiting. Even in such a condition, he tried to get up, yet to no avail.

"I…I was so…so close…" he rasped. "This world…that chance to give the Pokémon that taste of superiority…it's gone."

Everyone frowned at his shortcomings. Though they understood, it was a misfortune that this took a turn the way it did.

Neuro turned his gaze onto Staraptor. "You…you could've had a better life, a life free from the clutches of humans…and you threw that all away."

Staraptor looked into his eyes, seeing the fight in them, even at death's door. While she truly did sympathize with him and the complex he wanted to change, she knew where her heart lied. She looked him dead in the eyes as her crest shifted in the breeze.

"…who knows? Perhaps in another life, I would have felt the same. Humans aren't the brightest bunch, I know…but like us Pokémon, they can grow, and learn. But we can only do that together. Maybe…just maybe…there's that right person waiting for you out there."

The two locked eyes, reading what the other felt. Neuro's fixated stare spoke of revelation and heartache. He watched so many Pokémon over the years go along with humans with their half-hearted schemes as if they were all brainwashed. But looking into Staraptor now, her eyes reflected the assuredness she had in her words. Something she was resolute on fighting for to her last breath.

As his body was giving out, Neuro never stopped gazing at her. A caged bird, yet one that soared freely. His body was gradually breaking down into particles from his base, the flickering in his eyes dulling.

"Hmph…you're a stubborn one, aren't you?" With those words, Neuro went silent as the light in his eyes flickered off…permanently.

The rest of his body turned into particles, fading away into the air above them. Everyone watched with morose frowns as another enemy had lost their lives to such a cause. Even though they were enemies, at the very least, Nic had to respect the sheer resolve this Pokémon had. He knew he must have had a hard life, but at the end of the day, he was still someone who threatened the lifestyle that he and his family were trying to live. One could say that it was inevitable something like this had to happen.

Junior watched the particles fade upwards, before turning to Staraptor. "Mama?"

Staraptor watched all the particles dissipate, her eyes never leaving the sight until they were all gone. She turned towards Junior with a soft smile. "It's okay now, Junior. It's over."

As the sun fully sank out of sight, it signaled the end of a long struggle.

A couple days had come and gone since the whole fiasco had finally been put to rest. Though it was brief, the impact of the incident had set off a ripple effect across the effected nations.

For starters, the entirety of Fiore was a mess, though the Pokémon were quick to recollect what they had done during their brainwashing and quickly settled down. Though the humans that suffered were not too easy to forgive, but some were better off than certain others who weren't so fortunate as to make it out alive…

As such, an investigation by the Rune Knights still operational was immediately enacted. With a tip off from Laxus's side of the brigade thanks to Hibiki, an entire fleet was sent to two locations at once. Of course, the manpower was extremely limited, given the available knights weren't affected by the incident. Add the fact the entirety of Fiore was literally in shambles from the Pokémon's destruction. However, since this did involve such creatures, it was Charlotte who took control of the operation.

One team went towards Nirvana's ruins, whereas the other half went to Pokétopia – or rather Rolica now.

With a scoff over a pile of house debris, Charlotte watched her men use magic seals and dense braces on the Apostles as they were all being hauled away. The humans they also caught were dragged along as well, though since they were caught as well, their sentences seemed lighter in comparison.

Amongst the Apostle's cronies, Bruce, his torso and bandaged arms in metal braces, spoke up. "Gimme a sec, fellas." He turned towards Elfman. "Hey, big guy!"

Compared to his other guildmates, Elfman had far more bandages over his body, yet he was able to stand despite it all. Just like a real man.

"Let's have another fight! You and me, man-to-man! And next time, I'm not gonna lose!"

Elfman furrowed his brows, nodding in acknowledgment. "Yeah, sure thing."

Martial silently exchanged looks with Machoke in passing. The Sawk lowered his head and hummed his own acknowledgments before being urged along by the Rune Knights.

"C'mon, move it!" A knight pointed a spear at Bruce's back.

Bruce growled. "Yeah, yeah, I'm going!"

Even though Bruce and Martial seemed to be taking their defeat well, the other Apostles didn't have the same leniency. It took a sealing spell to keep Dahab shut the entire time, and Adamantine had extra sturdy braces around his locked claws as he trudged along. The other Apostles were hauled off in single file with their humans until they were out of sight.

Erza nodded towards Charlotte. "We thank you for your assistance. Having them on the island any longer would be a hazard to everyone here."

Charlotte scoffed at the remark. "The moment they decided to act this way, they were already a hazard. I'll make sure that those fools pay for this mess we have to clean up."

Erza could taste the resentment in Charlotte's words. It sounded like her pride was hurt, and understandably so with her Pokémon affected and turning on her. However, she thought about her battle with Dahab and what he went through. As much as she agreed justice was in order, she couldn't get rid of the bad taste in her mouth.

"At the very least…make sure they're at least treated well."

Charlotte scoffed. "That will depend on their compliance from now on. Now…" She turned towards the Pokémon beside Grovyle, eyes locked onto his.

Grovyle sighed, groaned. "Yeah, yeah. Don't say it. I'm coming."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Wait a minute! Even Grovyle?"

"Did you forget? I was an Apostle, too. Just because I didn't like my gig, doesn't mean I was off the hook." He shrugged. "Whatever. At least anywhere else is better than this hellhole."

Charlotte smirked. "Good. Nice to see you know your place."

Grovyle turned towards Lucy, their eyes interlocked briefly. He didn't show any hostility in his relaxed stance, but the blonde mage could see something in his eyes that silently had a sense of gratitude…just way, deep down.

"Well…see ya around." Grovyle frowned as he turned and started walking, much to her dismay.

As if by impulse, Lucy reached out. "Wait, stop!"

Grovyle ceased his trudging and glanced back. "What, did you not hear me? I said adios."

"Charlotte, listen! What if Grovyle comes with us instead?" Lucy questioned, sparking surprise amongst the group.

Cana raised a brow. "Lucy?"

"Look, I know he did some bad things, but I know from experience…he's not a bad Pokémon. Sure, he has anger issues and is kind of a grouch…" Grovyle eyerolled at that, but didn't deny it. "But you know, he still helped us when there was no other way. He just needs someone who he can trust, that's all."

Grovyle's cocked a brow, his eyes widening. 'What is she…?'

Klefki shifted beside her. "That Suria gave us real trouble. Thank you, Grovyle!"

Staryu blinked its thanks and case as well.

Lucy smiled. "You guys, too…"

"Would that suffice?" Erza asked Charlotte.

The stern blonde woman crossed her arms, looking at Grovyle and Lucy. Her stare was intense, like a Pyroar staring down its prey. It unnerved Lucy to where she was nearly sweating bullets. Luckily, Charlotte closed her eyes just before she saw the first signs of perspiration.

"…fine. We have much bigger fish to fry anyway." She turned away and walked off. "If you insist on him being your problem, so be it. But come crying to me…and I'll make sure this doesn't happen again."

With those words, she stormed off, leaving the others to feel a wave if relief wash over them.

"Talk about intense." Lucy sighed. 'Here I thought Erza was scary.'

"Tch! You really are stupid, aren't you?" Grovyle turned towards her, folding his arms with an impatient toe tapping. "Just when I was finally gonna get away from all these yahoos around me."

"Hey, who're you calling a yahoo, gecko!" Natsu berated angrily.

"I think he means all of us, Natsu." Happy corrected. "But still, you don't sound like you're against us."

"I'm just not a fan of anything, ya winged Meowth." Grovyle grunted. Ignoring Happy's resentments towards the name-calling, he scratched the top of his head and groaned louder. "Still…guess if I have to choose between this and hunkering with those cruddy Apostles, guess the choice is obvious." He turned towards Lucy and slack his shoulders. "Alright…fine. C'mon."

Lucy blinked. "What?"

"What, you deaf? I'm saying I'm giving you permission to catch me."

Her eyes widened. "Wait…you serious?!"

"I don't do jokes. Look, just throw something before I change my mind!"

"R-Right, sorry!" Lucy hastily looked into her back pouch in search of any capsules that she had on hand. Despite the rummaging through the compacted space, she felt something she needed. She reached in, pulling out what appeared to be a Great Ball. She held out the capsule towards Grovyle. "I promise, you won't regret this."

Grovyle snorted, folding his arms.

Seeing as how he wasn't putting up any resistance, Lucy tossed the blue and red capsule at him, making contact with his snout. The ball split open, converting Grovyle into energy that was instantly drawn inside. The capsule clamped shut and dropped to the ground immediately after.

The Great Ball shook once, then twice, then three times…until a loud click was heard.

"Alright!" Lucy hurried over and picked up the Great Ball, looking down at it with a bright smile. "Thank you, Grovyle."

"Congratulations, Lucy!" Klefki cheered.

Lucy sheepishly rubbed the back of her head, chuckling. "Thanks, guys."

"Heh, that's our girl! Show'em how you get'em!" Cana beamed, smacking Lucy brashly on the back with a beaming smile.

"That's great, Lucy! Glad he's aboard!" Natsu smiled.

"Thanks, guys."

Happy's eyes suddenly widened. "Hey guys, wait a second!"

Natsu raised a brow at him. "Huh? What up, Happy? You forget something?"

"Yeah, I just realized something. Look!" He pointed a paw at the Great Ball in Lucy's hand. "Lucy has Klefki, and Staryu…and now Grovyle. You know what that means?"

Natsu blinked twice, puzzling what his feline friend was implying. "…hey, hold up! I get it now!" His eyes widened. "Lucy, you can enter the Grand Magic Games with us now!"

Lucy gasped. With all the mayhem that's been going on, the upcoming games were shafted to the back of her mind to where she almost completely forgot about the qualifications. It was a wonder that Natsu was able to keep this in mind than herself.

"Hey, yeah…you're right!" She turned towards Grovyle's Great Ball, smiling wide. "We might have a chance to get in this time!"

Gray folded his arms over his naked upper body, smirking. "Well, that's one way of catching a Pokémon."

"Sure is." Juvia smiled gratefully.

Gray turned towards her, his attitude turning serious. "Hey, you sure you're okay to move around like that?"

"Oh, I'm okay, really. Wendy fixed me right up. I'm not even paralyzed anymore thanks to you guys." Juvia showed him by bringing her arms up in glee.

Gray blinked, but gave her a genuine smile. "That's good…I was worried there for a while. Please, don't scare me like that."

Juvia's breath hitched slightly. It was surprising to hear Gray voice his concerns for her, though technically they were together. Though after her recent experience, she took it in stride with a soft smile. "Right, I'll do better next time, dear."

Wendy and Carla smiled, happy for them. The former had Swablu on her head looking content while Amaura looked awed. To their surprise, Arcelia swerved into the picture looking supportive and happy for all her new friends.

The Freaks were sitting close by, using a torn-down wall to rest on. As the three were recovering, sounds of flapping and buzzing above got their attention. They looked up just as Tranquill and Yanmega flew into view.

"All the Pokémon beaten down are definitely back to themselves again, Master Joey!" Tranquill chimed.

"Everything looks clear over here, too." Yanmega buzzed.

"That's the best news I've heard all day. Thanks for the reconnaissance, Tranquill." Joey held out his right elbow, supply his loyal subject a perch for him to rest on while he brought up an Oran Berry for him to snack on.

Before Dereece could say anything, Yanmega abruptly rested atop his head. Despite how heavy she seemed, she was surprisingly light. The two looked at each other, exchanging sheepish smiles.

Duncan kept his eyes barely open as he was wavering between awake and asleep. His clutch on his Elfen Forja remained firm the whole time.

Erza scanned the area, looking to see numerous people around, many with their businesses and homes ruined by this whole incident. This whole incident left the air quite stale for them, especially with the Pokémon. As far as they knew, the Pokémon turned on them first. It was no surprise that the majority of them didn't have one by their sides as they were cleaning up. 'A lot of lives were hurt because of what this Neuro did.' She didn't like it, but she expected this kind of outcome. 'But, even so…'

In light of all this, she could see a few of the civilians had Pokémon reaching supplies that they couldn't get themselves. Others were supporting them as they were installing fresh glass in windows that were freshly framed and supported by other Pokémon.

A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. 'It may seem torn now, but it can be woven back together as long as even a few people are willing to look past it all.'

Footsteps were heard coming from close by. Erza and everyone turned with caution, but immediately dropped their guard once they recognized Nic walking towards them, his arms filled with heavy bags of fresh-grown fruit, thanks to his Meadow Form. Staraptor had two bags in her talons as well, and Junior had a single Sitrus Berry that he was incapable of nibbling on at the moment.

"This should be the last of it." Nic and Staraptor sat the bags down on the ground. "I'll make some more after we distribute these."

"You seriously okay man?" Gray asked. "Between all your powers making concrete and fresh water for everyone, aren't you overworking yourself?"

"C'mon, it's Nic. What's there to worry about him?" Natsu beamed. "Far as I know, he could do this all day."

Erza walked up to her husband, offering a loving smile. She really appreciated the lengths he was going to help these people, even though he didn't really need to. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, much to his embarrassment. She pulled back and smiled.

"Make sure you look after yourself too." She told him. "It'll be a hassle if I have to remind you every time."

Nic sheepishly smiled. "Yeah…I got it."

Gajeel snickered. "Ole' Luminous has a soft spot."

"You're one to talk. What if Levy was here?" Pantherlily teased, much to Gajeel's chagrin.

"Speaking of the guild, has anyone heard from them lately?" Wendy asked.

"I got in contact with them thanks to the Rune Knights' communication lacrima system." Mest answered sharply. "The signal is a lot stronger for long reaches, but the reception was a serious hassle. Anyways, looks like Laxus took care of that server for good. The guild and town are both just fine."

Everyone sighed in relief upon hearing that.

Sophie slumped down onto a dented trash can's side for a makeshift chair. "That's a relief. Sounds like they cleaned up back there."

"At least that's one place up to speed. But…looks like this place still has a ways to go." Vanessa scanned the construction and cleanup around her. Even with her aura, there were some tensions here and there.

Another set of footsteps were heard. "Ah, yes, but even seedlings, if nurtured, can bear ripened fruit."

Everyone turned towards the sagely tone. Nic immediately furrowed his brow and got defensive when he recognized the white-haired man with enchanted robes. Despite his sudden appearance, he bore a sincere, mature smile.

It was Quinlan. "Greetings to you all. I trust that you're the ones that came to this province's aid, yes?"

Erza immediately confronted him. "Yes, we are. And are we correct to assume that you're this island's supposed king we've heard of?"

Quinlan nodded. "Indeed. That would be me."

Though everyone grew wary, the first to act was Natsu as he glared the sovereign dead in the face. He was not happy to see him. "So you're the head honcho around here." His brow furrowed as embers flickered off him. "You have any idea what you just did?"

Quinlan frowned, choosing silence.

"Talk! We're asking questions here! Or am I gonna have to beat 'rm out of-!"

Erza reached her arm out in front of him, immediately cutting him off. "Stand down, Natsu!" she ordered.

"You serious?!"

"I know how you feel, but he's not the one responsible for this." Though she was more certain, her own well-trained eyes never left Quinlan. "…isn't that right?"

"Yeah, makes sense now. He was this Neuro's puppet to begin with. We heard it ourselves." Mest voiced.

Gajeel leered. He was there too when it happened, but he chose to stay silent.

Nic walked up, confronting the frowning majesty himself. Even though Vanessa was the one with Aura Magic, he wasn't getting a bad vibe off this person. So for now, he wasn't going to chew him out like Natsu had intended.

"I take it that you're the real Quinlan?" he quipped. "And it's safe to assume that you remember everything that happened?"

Quinlan nodded, looking awfully humbled. And yet, he held his head high with what dignity he had left. "Ah, yes. That would be correct. Perhaps it is late, but allow me to formally introduce myself. I am King Quinlan Van Vansley IV. And it's with great humility to say that I am this nation's current leader."

Joey scanned the guy's outfit, cocking a brow. 'He's got a decent getup, I'll give him that.'

"And to answer your second question…" Quinlan continued. "Yes. It took me a while since I had woken up, but I was able to vaguely remember what had transpired. It felt…like a dream. As if one could see what was happening, but unable to subconsciously act." His frown dampened. "Has it really been four months?"

"Afraid so. Looks like you were out of it from the get-go from what ole Luminous told us." Gajeel chastised while folding his arms.

Quinlan acknowledged Gajeel's statement before turning back towards Nic with a grin. "I see, so you're the infamous Luminous. Your tales spread wide." His grin faltered some. "I would have given you a proper welcome…but I'm afraid it's long past that."

"Yeah…sorry for the mess." Nic grunted.

Quinlan shook his head. "You have nothing to apologize for. If anything, I am the one at fault here." He lowered his head in shame. "For you see, had I been more adequate…nobody would have had to suffer like this." He lifted his head, looking Nic in the eye. "Still, I'm not asking for your forgiveness…but at the very least, allow me to thank you all for what you have done. Had it not been for you, that Pokémon's corruption could have gone the point of no return."

Staraptor frowned.

Natsu grumbled, putting his hands to his hips. His Dragon Slayer nose didn't smell anything bad. He was being genuine. "Guess he's alright…for now, at least."

"I understand that it won't begin to make up for the trouble, but I've prepared a small banquet in honor of you." Quinlan stated.

"FEAST?!" Natsu's mouth immediately drooled at the thought of food. "Count me in! You're alright with me, Queenly!"

"Hooray! Fresh fish!" Happy cheered.

Erza shook her head, feeling embarrassed. "Oh, no. We couldn't possibly. With all do respect, the focus should be on the people and Pokémon, not us."

Natsu and Happy's moods immediately deflated.

Quinlan meekly chuckled. "I understand that you all worked hard up until now. Please, I insist. The mindset of the people includes keeping them refreshed. Especially to those who deserve it. We've already gotten the place set up for you…thanks to your contributions, Mr. Pularis."

Nic turned towards everyone around him. If he was honest, he was worn out from this venture, especially after jumping through numerous hoops to get to the bottom of this. Though, as a Trainer and looking at Staraptor, he knew that she deserved amnesty after pulling a massive amount of weight by herself. Erza and Vanessa didn't show any objections. Despite his personal feelings on the matter, he made the call.

"Very well. Guess we're in no position if you already went that far." He resigned.

Natsu and Happy's moods instantly brightened. "ALRIGHT!"

"Alright, a feast for men! I'm starving!" Elfman smirked, flexing his left forearm. Machoke grunted in agreement.

Vanessa stepped forward. "If I may, Your Majesty?"

Quinlan chuckled. "Please, no formalities. I am undeserving."

"Right…then Quinlan." She corrected. "With all do respect, I think it would be wise to inform your people as soon as possible. It's like Erza said before, it's best that we let them know of the situation. They at least deserve to know the truth."

Gray cocked a brow. "You sure about that?"

"Maybe, but it's not like they'll like it." Cana chimed in. "But I guess it makes sense. Better to try and clear some of the confusion while we can. Wouldn't want riots breaking out against you when you were a victim as well."

Quinlan bowed his head with a humble smile. "An excellent suggestion. I'll make that announcement tonight…provided that you assist on the details."

Erza nodded. "We'll do what we can."

"Thank you all." He sounded relieved. He looked relieved. He was certain that a lot of the residence were physically and mentally wrecked from this chaos. Even though he was a puppet, he had to do what he could to ease their discomfort.

Speaking of royals, his amber eyes caught a glimpse of the staff sitting in Joey's lap. "Ah, so you must be the savior that rose up from below?"

Joey blinked, looking contemplative of how it was worded before ultimately shrugging it off. "Eh…sure, we'll go with that."

Quinlan bowed his head. "I never thought the day would come that the staff from our ancestors left behind would see the light of this era. I would like to speak with you personally, if that's alright with you."

Joey blinked, taken aback by the offer. He looked at his colleagues before getting up. "Alright. You wanna talk business, we're ears." He started walking with long, dramatic strides, holding up his staff. Quinlan walked beside him as everyone followed behind.

"So, tell me" Joey started. "By any chance, have you ever heard of a special dance called 'The Macarena'?"

"Afraid not. Please, go on." Quinlan insisted.

"Oh no, here we go…" Dereece shook his head as he followed behind.

Sophie stifled a chuckle. As much as she tried not to, Vanessa began chuckling and grinning.

The section of Rune Knights that went to the Nirvana ruins immediate went straight to business. Much of the Pokémon that fled from their Trainers were being taken away, with the premise of resituating them with their Trainers on the premise of proper cooperation. Luckily, all of them were lenient on the matter.

The only ones who got it rough were Rai and Jumpluff. Like the Apostles, they were hauled away while the rest of the Pokémon were in the midst of relocation. It didn't take long before the renovated domain was nearly baren once more.

The Human Cubes that everyone else were captured in had their Organic-Link Magic undone thanks to the knights. The coalition members captured were freed and immediately reunited with their Pokémon.

"Milotic!" Jenny welcomed her Milotic as the aquatic serpentine moved to place her head against her ample buxom. "You had me worried sick. Seriously."

"I'm sorry, for saying all that stuff to you." Milotic grimaced. "I don't know what came over me."

Jenny forced a smile. Even though she didn't fully know what went on, she knew now that her Milotic was sane again. Though the hurtful words stuck in the air, she was willing to let it go.

The Trimens and Ichiya reunited with their Pokémon as well. Sorano walked past them, stretching her arms overhead. "Mmmm! Man, so great to be out of that stuffy cube! I thought I was gonna get a cramp or something."

"It was fortunate that whatever afflicted their minds seemed to have worn off." Rogue commented.

"Fro thinks so, too!" Frosch chimed.

Lector fell onto Sting's lap. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready for some downtime after all this fighting."

"Yeah, I hear ya pal." Sting frowned. "But we've still got a lot of work ahead of us still. A lot of damage was done across Fiore. And guess who's gonna get to it?"

"Us?"

Sting sighed. "Great, paperwork. Something that I don't look forward to."

While the rest of Sabertooth was in the midst of recovering, Minerva had finished using a Revive on her Bagon and looked over to where Shou was. She saw him tending to all his Pokémon, looking like he was talking to them. From the way it seemed, they looked to be sane and loyal again. She paid close attention to Shou as he was smiling happily.

Their recent battle together left quite an impression on her. It was surprising enough that he could use magic, but it was actually effective. Even though she had some standards, she had to give credit where credit was due.

Meanwhile, Shou was petting the side of Serperior's face, much to his delight. "You guys had me worried there. Glad that you're all okay."

A pair of footsteps got closer. "All is well, I take it?"

Shou turned around, recognizing the familiar woman. "Oh, Minerva, hey. Yeah, we're all just fine. Looks like they remembered everything an are back to normal."

Minerva hummed. "That's a relief. Though I must say, Shou…you took me by surprise. I never knew you were capable of such magic."

Shou sheepishly looked away. "Oh, yeah, well, I was just lucky, that's all. Heh…but you see why I bring my instruments with me."

"That I do. Still…" She put a hand to her hip, frowning. "It was pretty careless of you to fight even with such mediocre control of magic."

Shou felt a sting in his chest. 'Yeesh, she's not easy to please.'

"But…" She followed up, grinning. "I suppose with proper training, it just might be of better use. Tell me, have you thought about joining a guild?"

"Wait…you mean your guild?" He clarified. His chin lowered as he looked at the ground in deep thought. If he was honest, the thought hadn't crossed his mind all that often. He was too busy writing songs and giving music tutoring lessons to help him get by. Though he had to admit, the experience itself was riveting now that he got a taste of it.

"I don't see why not." They all turned towards the voice.

"Sting?" Lector questioned, his partner getting up and facing Shou.

"I don't see why not. Besides, Minerva's point aside, you actually saved our bacon at one point." He commended. "If you really wanna join Sabertooth, I won't object. You're welcome to us anytime."

"A sound answer." Rogue nodded in agreement.

"Heh, gotta hand it to ya, the guy can make a tune." Orga sneered. "I can probably sing in one of his songs if he stops by."

"I don't recall our guild having melodies that often since Shou's infrequent visits. Suppose that's long overdue." Rufus chimed.

"You guys, too?" Shou awed.

Minerva smirked. "Seems the Master and the others have spoken. Well, Shou? What do you say?"

Shou thought about the offer for a short while. He had to admit, despite the short span of time it's been, he had come to get used to Sabertooth's members. He'd be lying if he said he felt particularly attached to a certain Territory Mage waiting expectantly for a reply though. Still, it wasn't like he had anything else to do. It would have been a hassle if something like this happened again. At the very least, he had to be better prepared.

A small smirk crossed his lips as he faced the Sabertooth woman. "Well, I'll give you this…you gave an offer that's hard to turn down. Guess I'll give it a shot."

Minerva's smirk widened.

"Awesome! We got a new member!" Lector jumped for joy.

"Hooray!" Frosch cheered.

Sting rubbed the back of his head, snickering. "Heh, guess it's gonna get a little more noisy for us."

"Perhaps so." Minerva rolled her head towards Shou. "But we'll get used to it."

Shou looked back, smiling sheepishly in response. The other guildmates looked towards each other with knowing smirks. They got a vibe from the two that would surely keep them entertained.

Not too far, Millianna was sitting with Sho and Wally, the two looking much better than what they were a short while earlier. The three were in the midst of catching up when they heard footsteps draw closer. They all looked up, their eyes gazing at the one person they were most uncomfortable being around.

"How are you all feeling?" Jellal asked, accompanied by Bellona and Kagura. The Mermaid Heel Mage was freed from her prison earlier, as was her Pawniard. The women stayed back as the azure-haired man spoke rather calmly towards his past colleagues.

An uneasy tension fell between them as they all glared at Jellal. The latter kept his eyes firmly on them, unwavering yet no signs of hostility. Though, his Lucario was sensing his aura. He felt deep anticipation.

"Master…"

Jellal continued to say nothing. Sho and Wally never stopped glaring vehemently, especially after what he had done to them before. As far as they were concerned, Jellal was better off dead.

However, much to their surprise, Millianna stood up and started walking closer towards him. "Millianna, wait!" Wally quipped.

Kagura was ready to intervene, but Bellona reached her arm out to her side, cutting her off. The two women red the atmosphere and watched with anticipation.

Millianna didn't listen to her friends as she stood face-to-face with Jellal once more. Her large, dark eyes met his. She looked like a feline ready to pounce on her prey, and Jellal just stood there, expecting it. However, she didn't make any movements that indicated she was going to strike.

After what felt like an eternity, the feline-themed woman's eyes closed and she sighed outwards. "…I…thank you, for saving me back there."

Feeling at ease, Jellal humbly nodded. "It's fine. Just glad that it's over now."

"Listen! I'm not like Kagura, okay? I still find it hard to fully trust you." Millianna's gaze faltered in guilt. "But…I guess it's not so bad having you around anymore. So I'll say it again." She bowed her head towards him. "Thank you for all your help!"

Jellal was taken aback by her sudden gesture. His wide eyes turned towards Sho and Wally to see what they thought.

Sho glanced away, grumbling something before facing him. "Guess it has been a while…hard to believe, but still…"

"We've been traveling all over this country for a while now, and we've seen our fair share of people." Wally sagely noted. "Believe it or not, I've even seen peoples lives changed because of what others did for them. I guess what I'm trying to say is…it's dandy to see you've changed."

A small grin came across Jellal's face in gratitude. "It was because I wasn't alone. I had help from the people around me to see that."

Bellona and Kagura smiled hearing that. The two women looked relieved.

"Now then, Wally, was it?" Bellona chimed. "I believe that there's someone who you need to talk to?"

Wally blinked. "Who?"

Bellona looked past Wally. Uncertain as to what derived her attention, the block man turned around, only for his polygon heart to come to a halt. His eyes instantly met another man who was taller, but had similar sharp-edged facial contour. Needless to say, it was as if a shockwave went through them at first glance.

Richard and Wally stood still as everything around them seemed all but meaningless. It all fell silent as a wave of nostalgia ran through them. The longer they stared at each other, the more they recollected of their past. Memories of their childhood on the farm resurfaced. As they recalled their smiles, they saw those same eyes in each other.

Immediately, it all clicked.

"You…you are…" Richard quipped, shakily stepping forward.

"No way…" Wally sauntered forward, looking possessed.

They shakily approached the other, bridging the gap between them. Tears were falling down their faces as they never looked so desperate before in their lives. Their hands reached out to each other, their sharp faces flowing with emotions.

At the same time, they both screamed out at the other.

"BROTHER!"

"BIG BRO!"

The two finally collided, their bodies clinging to the other tightly as if they'd fall apart. They both sank to their knees as they cried over the other's shoulder. Even though it had been years, they just knew who they were…like a brotherly link.

"I'm so sorry! I promise, I'll never leave you again!" Richard sobbed.

"Big bro…it's been so long!" Wally strained. "I…I never thought the day would come, that we…!"

"I know…but it has. Lord behold…my prayer was answered." He cried into Wally's shoulder. "hank you…thank you…thank you…"

Jura looked on, a proud, resolute smile on his face. He recalled the promise Richard made all those years ago. "I'm so proud of you to finally fulfill your dream…Richard."

Nearby, Yukino and Sorano smiled softly at the scene. The latter reached over and petted Yukino's head tenderly, as if it was her solace after years of being apart for so long.

Macbeth silently looked on with a pleased smile.

Erik and Kinana both smiled, feeling closure again.

Far off, Laxus stood with folded arms, watching everything unfold. He didn't say anything aloud, but he did feel genuinely appeased seeing everyone find their happiness in the end. 'Guess this was how you felt watching us all this time…Grandpa.'

Shiin kept his arms folded. His frown never left his face, even as Butterfree chirped as he flew overhead into the wilderness back in the direction of Magnolia. Though, he could have sworn that for a second there, the Pokémon's looked down at him. Shiin glanced away, looking uncertain.

"Man~! Now then, back home we go!" Ichiya directed everyone to the Christina Advance close by.

Nic's party of guildmates had their own soirée on Rolica. Despite how meager Quinlan presented it at first, they all were surprised by the banquet presented to them with all sorts of grains and assorted foods, partly thanks to Nic growing the produce and vegetables for the able-bodied residence. It was held in the main plaza – where the golden palace never left.

As much of the residence came around as per Quinlan's behest. There, they were all informed of the events that transpired without their knowledge, including how the Pokémon were all under the same memory manipulation. Quinlan also admitted to being a puppet, and gave a formal apology to his people. Though there were some that were still sketchy and uncertain, at the very least, a sizeable sum of humans and Pokémon were able to breach an understanding with one another.

It followed with music – provided by Joey's boombox – along with a unique dance routine that the proclaimed king performed in rhythm with his ethereal soldiers. One could say that he was the star of the show, and everyone was infectious to his partying. Though his guildmates didn't have nearly as much of a hand with the festivities, they still enjoyed themselves the best they could. They deserved that much after everything they went through.

Amongst the patrons, Harrison and Mable were also seen dancing in rhythm with Joey's 'unique' dance. They looked like they were having fun. Both Nic and Erza smiled at the sight as they sat back and watched their efforts unfold.

The next morning came and went, and the majority of the province populace of humans and Pokémon looked from the cliffs as they watched the huge ship with Cambire Foundation's logo loading up with the supplies needed for the trip home.

"C'mon! It's time! To go!" Lucy strained as she was dragging Natsu up the loading dock.

"Ugh…this is gonna such…" Natsu groaned. He could feel his stomach churning already.

"That's what you get for eating your fill to its maximum capacity." Charmeleon boasted.

Natsu grunted. "Don't rub it in…"

"Grah! Tyrunt can't wait to get home! Tyrunt ready to start training and battling again!" Tyrunt sneered.

"Yeah, me too! I got fire to burn, baby!" Darumaka spun around and hopped up the deck.

Charmeleon looked back towards his teammates, smiling. This experience really helped them all come to a better team dynamic. At least now he won't feel like he'll be carrying most of the weight.

"It's been a while since we've been back to the guild. Wonder how everyone's doing?" Sophie chimed.

"From the sounds of it, they should be fine. We're a rather hardy guild after all." Vanessa mused. She turned towards Sophie, noticing the Heal Ball in her hand. "You serious about keeping her?"

"I spoke with Charlotte. She said that it's the same as Lucy's Grovyle. Since I caught her, it's my responsibility." Sophie's gaze shifted towards the side. She didn't want to tell Vanessa the very specific threats Charlotte had for her.

Vanessa's aura picked up the slight unnerve in Sophie, but she chose to let it be.

"Hey, where's Wendy and her Pokémon?" Gray accounted, looking at the ship's loading crew of guildmates.

"Now that you mention it, Nic and Cana aren't here too." Juvia realized. "I hope they're alright…"

"Nic said that he needed to help Wendy with something important." Erza answered. "They'll be here soon."

The others looked to each other in confusion, but they shrugged it off and got ready for their trip back home.

Sune sat in front of what used to be the Public Safety Department HQ. Unlike before when it glowed with luster, all she saw were shattered remains of its face. The glass was mostly broken, and much of the walls were broken. Seeing it now made her frown mournfully.

It was poetic in its own way. She worked so hard to uphold a society and job that enforced safety and regulation. And yet, in the end, she never amounted to anything with everyone above her, not giving her the benefit of the doubt. Still, a part of her still wished that this all could have been avoided. Perhaps things might have been different for her if she was given that respect. But looking at the broken building and reflecting on everything up to now, that doubt felt like a small weight compared to what it was a few days prior.

"Figured you'd be here."

Sune's fox ears twitched. She looked over her shoulder. She was greeted by Cana, Liepard, and Prinplup, the three looking well-rested.

"Oh, hey…it's you guys." Sune responded unenergetically. "Your ship is leaving soon, isn't it?"

Cana folded her arms. "Yeah, but we figured we'd see how you were doing."

"Really? Thanks." Sune turned back ahead, lowering her head with a solemn smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just…needed to see this place, just one last time."

The three looked up to the wrecked building and its disheveled logo. They pieced it together and stayed silent out of respect for Sune. They knew first-hand that she had been through a lot, and she was most likely coming to such terms. Cana knew that feeling well, considering her circumstances with her father before the Tenrou Island incident.

The Vulpix looked up to the building's face once more, thinking back to when she took down that rogue Nuzleaf when nobody else would step in. Even if she was admonished for it, she still felt good taking down the criminal. Despite the training and the many other Pokémon she had to compete with, she didn't back down, no matter who it was against. It took a lot of grit to hold on as long as she did. Too bad nobody acknowledged her for that.

In her lamenting, Liepard sauntered up, taking a seat beside her. "I know I've said some things before that were rather harsh, but, for what it's worth…I thought that were a fine officer."

Sune looked at her, a sincere smile on her face. "Thank you…it really means a lot. At least someone respected me in the end."

"Probably not from the side you were expecting, huh?" Liepard chuckled.

Sune followed along, snickering. "You're not wrong, I'll give you that…but you know, I learned a lot from this whole experience. Justice isn't written in stone after all, and even then, stones can break like laws themselves."

"That's one way of looking at it." Prinplup noted. "So then, what now?"

Sune closed her eyes, smiling. "I've been giving it a lot of thought. Can you guys give me a minute?"

Cana raised a brow. "Uh…sure?"

Liepard and Prinplup were equally confused, but chose to abide by her request.

Sune stood up and walked closer towards the building. When she was at the foot of the leveled doorway, she looked down at her badge on her uniform. She saw how despite the dirt and wear her uniform got throughout the fighting, her badge still had luster.

"You know there's a bunch of laws you have to abide by. We can't stand rule breakers, now."

"And that's why I'm here. If you need Pokémon to set them straight, then that's why I'm here."

She smiled at the bittersweet memory. She still found it ironic that she ended up fighting against the society that she swore to protect. She recalled her battle against Hugo as well.

"That's right! The way we're doing things now isn't making any progress for anyone! You think you're right just because you're calling the shots? Well guess what! I'm doing what I feel should be done around here!"

"Hey now, there's no need to be so worked up around me. You gotta learn to chill sometimes. But…" She placed a paw atop her head, giving her a genuine smile. "I'm grateful to you."

"She's right. You're a good 'mon. I mean it." Cana praised.

She never felt so grateful to have been praised like that. It was all she wanted. As she was thinking that, she started undressing herself before everyone, much to their confusion.

"Hm? What's she doing?" Prinplup asked.

"Don't ask me. Let's hope Gray's stripping habit isn't infectious." Cana chimed.

Sune undid all her clothes, folded them neatly and gingerly. The last thing she had in her paw was her badge. Giving it a final look with a smile, she placed it in front of her hat and started walking away. She stopped a couple meters away and paused. Suddenly, she turned around, her maw gathering a fireball. To everyone's shock, they watched the Flame Burst beam across the ground into the pile of clothes.

BOOOOM!

In an explosive flare, everyone stared with shock in there eyes as a plume of fire and smoke were what's left of the Vulpix's attire. She stood calmly, her chest out as she looked at the embers in the sky. She lifted her paw with a salute.

"Thank you for your service, Officer Sune…you are relieved of duty."

A short silence fell as the tensity of the air began to change. With her identity given a formal discharge, she turned towards the others with a smile.

"So…you guys got room for one more?"

Liepard and Prinplup turned back towards Cana to see her approval. The brunette looked surprised for a moment before she grinned and winked. "You bet. Actually, I was just about to ask."

"I know it's a big world out there. But, if I get to see it, I'll be able to help and thwart all kinds of Pokémon. You guys work the same, right? I hope we can get along."

The three grinned in approval.

"Heh…here I come! Not as Sune…but as Vulpix!" With her epithet at rest, Vulpix rushed for Cana energetically.

"Gotcha covered!" Cana threw a Pokémon Ball at the oncoming fox, who jumped for it without hesitation. She immediately went inside and clamped shut before touching the ground.

The capsule shook once, then twice, then three times…before clicking.

Cana walked over and picked up the ball with a sound grin. "Well now…guess I caught a Vulpix, guys."

"Looks like our party's just got a little bigger." Prinplup smirked.

Liepard chuckled. "Yeah…but I think she'll fit in just fine."

"You said it."

On a secluded section of the island, the ocean waves flooded in before pulling back out to sea. The area wasn't too far from the ship, but out of prying eyes. Nic stood a short distance with Staraptor and Junior as they watched the scene unfold before their eyes.

Wendy, Carla, Swablu, Amaura, and Arcelia stood before Adelita. The elder Dragonair looked to be in better shape, though her eyes still had numerous bags. The biggest difference this time, however, was the lack of a blue crystal on her neck, as well as a piercing scar in its place.

"I was able to save her life just in time. Had I been any later, I don't think she would have made it." Wendy admitted. "She's very much alive…but, I don't think she can battle anymore."

"Wendy?" Carla questioned.

"Her body was under severe levels of stress for years. She was malnourished from lack of proper eating and sleeping habits. And she was using her weather manipulation beyond what she was able to control. I tried to heal that too, but…"

Arcelia slithered closer to her mother. "Mom…? Are you gonna be okay?"

The elder Dragonair stared deeply into her daughter's eyes. She could feel something different about her that she hadn't noticed before. She looked more…mature. Despite still having those large eyes that sparkled with innocence, the fact that she was a Dragonair now showed just how much she had grown. That was something she could no longer suppress as a mother.

"Arcelia…I'm truly sorry…for everything."

Arcelia gasped. "M-Mom…?"

Adelita shook her head. "I just wanted a family. I wanted it so bad…that I was willing to do anything to keep it together." She lowered her head in earnest shame "But in the end, I cost me everything, and I was the one who tore it apart. I wasn't able to keep my mate and my eggs safe…and I neglected my own daughter for her safety."

Arcelia frowned. She couldn't say anything to sugarcoat it, because it was all true.

"It took me a long time to come to terms, but I see it now. Arcelia…you've really grown up." A small smile appeared on the mother's face. "And I'm proud to have seen that with my own eyes this once."

"T-thank you, Mom." Arcelia sniffled, using her tail to wipe away a tear.

Adelita's humble grin faded with seriousness as she turned towards Wendy. The blue-haired Dragon Slayer felt unnerved from her stare, but she didn't back away. Adelita turned back towards her daughter.

"Arcelia…I just need to be sure of something." She paused. "Tell me…do you truly trust these people?"

Arcelia turned back towards the others. Amaura and Swablu looked just as expectant as Wendy and Carla. The Dragonair felt an air of assurance when she was around them. She faced her mother, nodding with no reluctance. "Yes, I do. They're my friends after all."

Adelita closed her eyes. Arcelia braced herself in case she was going to try and lash out like before…but she didn't. Instead, she calmly lowered her head in acceptance.

"Hm…then I guess I have nothing to worry about if it's them."

Arcelia gasped. "Wait, Mom…you mean…?!"

Wendy and Carla turned to each other, smiling in relief.

"I can see they're strong. So as long as you're with them, they can protect you in my place. I'm disqualified from being capable as overseeing you when I'm clearly the one who held you back. I just hope that somewhere in your heart, you are able to forgive me."

Arcelia lowered her head. She looked like she was contemplating something. The others stayed back as they waited for her answer.

"I'm not gonna lie…you were a very selfish mother. You never let me experience the meaning of living a life. You always told me that humans were bad news. I'm not saying you're wrong, but you were just blind to seeing there were good ones amongst them like Wendy."

"Arcelia…" Wendy mumbled, but Arcelia continued with determination.

"I'm still mad and upset with you trying to hurt my friends and how you raised me…but, I do understand why you did it." She paused before continuing her sincere thoughts. "Even though I'm disgusted, at the end of the day, you're still my mom. And I could bare to see you suffer like that."

Adelita looked to be processing her daughter's earnest words and closed her eyes. Even though it was vague, she looked more at ease than she did before.

"Then, that's enough for me." She replied. "Thank you, Arcelia. I was able to know how my daughter truly felt before I went off."

Arcelia blinked. "Went off? Where?"

"I spoke with that human earlier." Adelita gestured her tail towards Nic. "He said that he can take me back to our world. I'm gonna settle for a place called Dragonspiral Tower. Heard there's other of my kind there Very secluded."

Arcelia slithered closer. "Y-you don't have to do that! You can stay with us, we won't mind!"

Adelita hummed. "I appreciate it, dear. But…this is something I feel is what's left for me. I can't battle anymore, and I can't manipulate the weather. Besides…you're able to hold your own now. You don't need me anymore, I see that now. What you do need, though, are others who can make you happy." She smiled. "And I think you found that."

Arcelia looked back at everyone behind her one more time. She understood what her mother was saying, even though it broke her already shattered heart. But the young Dragonair knew that this was a conclusion that Adelita came to for her sake.

She sniffled and slowly nodded. "…yeah, sure thing."

"That's my big girl." She turned towards Wendy. "You there."

"Me?" Wendy pointed to herself.

"Yes. Come here."

Wendy was hesitant at first, but she saw the others around her not objecting. Though uncertain, she stepped forward and presented herself to the dragon. "Yeah?"

Adelita towered over her; her head held high. "It still pains me to say this, but…thank you for saving my life. And also…for helping my daughter grow up to be the young, beautiful dragon she is."

Wendy sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "Oh, it was nothing, really…"

Adelita leaned in, her gaze sharpening to a threatening visage. "But, just know this. If you upset or harm her in any way, I will answer to me. Is that understood?"

Her anxiety grew as she shrank back. "Y-yeah, crystal!"

"Hmph!" Adelita backed off, seemingly satisfied. She turned towards Nic, who stepped up towards her. "We need to head out soon. You ready?"

Adelita nodded. "I am."

Nic nodded in understanding. He closed his eyes briefly, concentrating his spatial powers before reaching his arm out. An ovular portal opened up, revealing a crippled tower surrounded by water and broken pillars. Adelita faced the portal and started slithering towards it.

"Mom! Wait!"

Adelita heard the cry and turned around. She was immediately met with a deep nudge, as close to a hug that one could get with a slender, serpentine body. She felt shock overcome her when she felt her daughter's warm nuzzling against her neck. A small tear started coming down her face as she felt her emotions take over. She leaned over and nudged her daughter back, taking solace in what would be their parting.

Everyone watched with sad smiles at the two parting ways. Staraptor turned towards Junior, bringing her wing around to embrace him, much to his delight. Parting always hurt, but she was able to come back to reality thanks to her son. As a parent, she understood what Adelita's grief.

The two eventually parted, both looking misty-eyed, but smiling.

"I'll be fine, Mom…don't worry. Take care."

"I know…you're my daughter after all. Live your life well…Arcelia."

With that, Adelita took what was left of her dignity and turned back towards the portal. She spurred straight through, diving into the pool of blue water with a splash. Without any need to look back as she plunged to the depths of the water, the elder Dragonair didn't bother fighting gravity as she swam into its depths.

The portal closed, leaving the group with one less Dragonair around them. Arcelia sniffled as she wiped away one more tear.

"Arcelia…? Are you okay?" Wendy asked.

Arcelia lowered her head and paused. She turned back towards Wendy, putting on her best smile. "Yeah…I'll be fine. After all, I'm with you guys, right?"

Carla stepped forward, crossing her arms. "Looks to be that way. What do you say, Wendy? She coming with us?"

Wendy didn't need to debate about that one. She already knew her answer. "Right! Then from here on out, we're in this together!" She held her palm out, an Ultra Ball sitting in it. "What do you say, Arcelia?"

Arcelia stared at the capsule in her hand with mild shock. It didn't take long for her to steel her resolve and nod with determination. "As long as we're altogether! Let's be great friends!"

"Yeah, us too!"

With that, Arcelia leaned in and tapped the button with her snout. It opened and converted her into energy that was sealed inside. After a couple shakes, the Ultra Ball went off with a loud click, signaling her capture and new friend.

Wendy looked down at it with a bright smile. "Welcome aboard, Arcelia!" Swablu and Amaura gathered with her, the three laughing brightly.

Nic couldn't help but smile at the sight. He and Staraptor exchanged glances that spoke volumes. Good times. He stepped forward and put his hands into his pockets. "Alright, you ready?"

Wendy nodded. "Right."

"Suppose we kept them waiting long enough." Carla chimed, putting a hand to her hip.

Staraptor turned towards Junior. "Junior?"

"Yaaaah!" Junior chirped happily, activating his Teleport. In an instant, the shoreline was vacant once more.

Once the Fairy Tail members were all packed up and ready to head out, the ship let out a loud horn, signaling its final departure. Quinlan watched at the base of the stone dock that Nic made with his Stone Form. Beside him was Penelope the Slowking, looking on sagely and confident. The other residence afar seemed content as well.

"Well, looks like things are finally looking up around here." Gray said, looking back with a smirk.

"Trust me, it's only getting started." Dereece eyerolled.

"What's that supposed to-"

Before Gray could finish his inquiry, a loud tap was heard atop the ship. All eyes went up as the audience went crazy with whistles and cheers towards Joey, who stood proudly with a smile at his legion of worshippers.

"There he goes again." Cana sighed.

Lucy awkwardly giggled.

"My people!" Joey announced loudly. "It was great being here! You're all a great crowd! And so, I leave you all with one last memento from me!" He nudged his head to the side. "Pssst! Dereece."

Dereece wordlessly lifted up Boombox and pressed the play button.

[Los Del Rio – Macarena]

It started out as a light toe tapping and hip thrust, but as the music started picking up, Joey turned around and smirked. He twirled his staff overhead and tapped the ship's top with it. "Everybody with me now!"

He started the pace with rather overexaggerated hip sways, but then he started adding rhythmic leg movements to his hips. His arms crossed all over; from his shoulders, to his head, then hips, and ending in a long hip roll.

Everyone present followed his lead, all following their savior's lead. Even the Pokémon were getting into it alongside the humans.

All his guildmates watched on from the deck below, half-amused by his influence. Sophie shook her head and smirked.

The Dragon Slayers present, however, deflated on the side of the ship, trying to hold in their stomach contents as the ship was moving.

Amongst them was Harrison and Mable, the two in perfect sync with each other.

"Hey! You know what? I'm starting to like this funky guy!" Harrison shouted through the music.

"He sure gave us some great party tips last night." Mable quipped.

"Yeah! I think we can use that to liven up the stadium once it's all polished! And we're gonna need some decorations!" He turned towards her. "What do you say? This place can use a nice touch of colors you ask me!"

"Y-yeah, I'd to, I's-woah!" Mable was so shocked by Harrison's suggestion that she ended up tripping over herself. Before she took a tumble, Harrison acted fast and caught her in one arm, leaning her back like a dip.

Their eyes were wide as they stared at each other while the others around them continued dancing. Their cheeks began to flourish pink as Harrison awkwardly chuckled, but Mable meekly giggled.

"HEY, MACARENA!" Everyone sang.

As the ship started off, Quinlan stood stoically alongside Slowking as their new acquaintances sailed back to where they came from. A smile crept on the former's face. 'Luminous and Fairy Tail…quite the interesting bunch they are.' He turned back towards the islanders still dancing to the music. 'Progress comes in many forms, I suppose…'

As time went on, the ship was soon out of sight. The island was getting further away from them until it was barely visible. Joey created a slide with his barrier and slid down the slope and flipped onto his feet amongst his peers.

"Phew! Now that's what I call a sendoff!" Joey beamed, twirling his staff.

"Well Joey, congratulations. You abused the power of others' beliefs and replaced hundreds of years of religion and folklore for your ideologies." Cana dryly commended.

"I know! Isn't it great!?" Joey laughed. "Oh, man! Add being a king to my resumé! The others back home are gonna freak!" His eyes widened. "Oh! While fresh on the brain!" He reached into his coat, specifically his clutch that held his valuables. He pulled out a pen as well as a folded piece of paper.

Unfolding it, it was revealed to be Joey's Bucket List. He drew a line over "#5: Invade a Country and Impose My Ideologues by Force'.

"Now that's what I call progress!" Joey smiled brightly at his personal victory.

As Joey was reveling in his accomplishments, Juvia watched on nervously. "Well, he sure seems lively as ever."

"Here I thought Natsu being King would be a gag." Gray grimaced, lowering his head coolly. "Hate to say it, but for what it's worth, Joey really came through this time. We'd be in serious trouble had it not been for him."

"At least he was responsible and used his soldiers and Garbodor to help with the cleanup and repairs."

"That's true…" Gray trailed off as he turned towards Juvia. There was something different about her that made him wonder. Normally around this time, she'd be clinging to him. However, she looked more…patient? It was hard to tell, but it reminded him of his own problems.

"You must feel gratitude for something or someone in your life. The least that you can do is accommodate them through your actions."

Zestyr's words echoed in Gray's mind. He thought about when he saw Juvia again, paralyzed and smothered in ink. He was silent for a short while was he thought about this experience. He glanced back at Juvia with a firm resolve on his face.

"Juvia, listen."

"Hm, yes dear?" Juvia blinked in wonder.

"When we get back, what do you say to a date with me? Dinner perhaps?"

Juvia's heart skipped a dozen beats. She swore she was about to faint from sheer joy. Before she got ahead of herself, she kept control of herself and looked down, a small blush on her face. "I would love that." she admitted. "But…perhaps another time. I've actually made other plans."

Vaporeon, Azumarill, and Wartortle all sat idly close, all three looking at Juvia glancing at them and smiling. They smiled back.

Gray raised a brow in surprise. Normally, Juvia would jump at any chance to be with him, not that he'd object to most of her advances these days anyways. It was surprising how she was maturing and having other obligations than just him. But she looked so serious about it that he didn't find any reason to be concerned. In fact, it relieved him some. "Yeah, no sweat."

Duncan was below the ship's deck, his back against the wooden walls. Even though he leveled up a lot through this experience, his near-death experience against Adamantine was still fresh. Fresh as the scar that was left on his shoulder from their final exchange. His torso was all healed thanks to Wendy, but the wounds there were shallower than the one on his shoulder. It was another painful regret he was going to have to live with for the rest of his life.

His grip on his Elfen Forja remained firm, never once loosening. He had to get stronger. He had to get more experience so he wouldn't make another mistake again. He looked down at the Dusk Ball in his other hand that belonged to his Spiritomb. Thoughts of what happened before were fresh in his mind.

Thoughts of a certain letter with that Dusk Ball bubbled back to the surface. He thought about his Torterra and other Pokémon. This whole experience made him realize their own perspectives. Perspectives that he knew weren't going away anytime soon.

"…hm." Tipping his cap, he closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep, his grip on both precious items never faltering.

On the deck outside, Elfman took note of the staff Joey still wielded. "Surprised you're not staying, what with you being an apparent king now."

"Huh?" Joey turned towards them, shrugging. "Yeah, believe me, it was tempting, but as fun as that might be, I also have my own agendas." He admitted. "But, I squared some things out with ole' Quinlan and he said it's fine…but I get to keep this bad boy!" He dangled his staff for everyone to see.

"You're really allowed to keep that?" Vanessa questioned.

"Yeah, at first I thought about putting it back in that palace since that's where we found it…but then I learned about the fable that he told me about. I just think this is the most logical move so nothing like that happens again."

Dereece nodded in agreement. "That's a good call, Captain."

Joey beamed with pride. "Yup! Now I have my own personal army at my call, and a new summer palace for our vacations starting next year! Summer parties and Sunday afternoon ritual dances, here we come!"

While they were all enthused with Joey, Lucy sweat-dropped. "Somehow, I'm not surprised by that last part…"

"Even when he's got all that power, he's still Joey." Mest noted with a sigh. 'Still, can't believe he pulled this much weight through this whole ordeal. These newbies are no joke at this point.'

Joey looked out at sea, watching as Wingull and seagulls chirp in sync as they glided through the skies. Even though he was personally please with how well things turned out, he knew he had to be realistic. 'Gonna have to keep my staff for emergencies only. The kingdom's crisis aside, there's still that Shiin guy to think about.' He furrowed his brow. 'Wonder where he went off to?'

That was one question on his mind, but it was dismissed when he recapped his confrontation with Don Disco. 'I think I just figured out my fighting style because of this. I've still got a lot of work ahead of me.'

Sophie stepped forward. "By the way, has anyone spoken to Quinlan about the possibilities of making allegiances with the Cambire Foundation? I'm sure trade would be good business."

"Already gotcha covered there." Joey pointed his fingers like guns, winking. "I already put in a good word. Quinlan's onboard with the Cambire Foundation contracts. You know, for a ruler, he's actually a pretty open guy."

'Maybe because he knows when to be humble.' They all thought.

Sophie stepped closer to Joey, standing right beside him as they looked out towards the sea. "You're smarter than people give you credit for. I'm impressed."

Joey smiled. "Thanks, Soph. At least someone sees that. Say, when we get back, how's about a manicure? My nails need some rework and fresh gloss after being in dirt for who knows how long."

Sophie winked. "Glitter polish or plain?"

"We'll play it by ear."

Vanessa watched the two have their exchange with a smile on her face. Her insecurities before were no longer there. In fact, seeing Sophie interact with Joey made her all the more interested. She walked closer to them, flanking Joey's other side.

"Well then, if it's alright with you, mind if I join?" Vanessa chimed in.

Joey flinched and turned in shock. "V-Vanessa-senpai!?"

Sophie blinked. "You too, Vanessa? You don't normally hang out with Joey."

Vanessa gave a hardy snicker. "Maybe so…but I think he's interesting enough." She winked back at them. "So, Joey…know any polish that would suite me?"

Sophie seemed to have gotten the hint. She turned towards Joey with a raised brow at his reaction.

The blonde stylish man blinked as his mind was doing double takes. Vanessa? Hanging out with him?! This has to be a dream! 'THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!' He screamed in his mind. He collected his thoughts and rationalized with a cheeky smile. "Yeah! Sure! Hoe does an ultramarine blue sound to match your eyes?"

"Can't wait to get back to the guild and crack open a barrel of booze!" Cana yelled.

"And you know what? I think this is just what I needed to finish my story!" Lucy beamed with envy. She couldn't wait to get home and finish her novel now that she had a fresh perspective.

"Oh? What's it about?" Cana leaned in with a smirk. "C'mon, you can tell me."

"Uh, thanks, but I'll pass." Lucy put his hands up against Cana's persistence.

"C'mon, Lu. I promise I won't tell. A spoil won't hurt."

"No way!"

Erza walked up towards the front of the ship, where she saw a certain Trainer looking out towards the sky. Overhead, he looked on as Staraptor and Junior were flying freely in the breeze. The redhead knight smiled as she walked up to his side, looking on as they watched the bird and cloud fly ever so freely over their heads.

"She looks like she's having fun."

"Yeah, sure is, isn't it?" Nic answered, never taking his eyes off his Pokémon.

Erza saw Junior laughing with a bright smile on Staraptor's back. "You're not upset?"

Nic rubbed the back of his head, moaning lowly. "Not sure why I should be at this point. Despite what happened…Junior ended up helping us in the end. At least he's finally maturing. Guess that battle with Neuro gave him the experience he needed to realize that."

"Mama!" Junior chimed.

Staraptor smirked. "Alright, hang on Junior!" With a flap of her wings, Staraptor jettisoned into the sky, going into a very large somersault. The entire world flipped around Junior, and it looked like he was enjoying it. And if one looked even closer, so was Staraptor.

Erza looked between them and Nic, smiling contently. 'Yes, through it all, I think they'll be just fine.'

As Staraptor was following through her somersault, her eyes briefly met Nic's. He smiled contently and proudly, to which she smiled back. She followed through and jettisoned down towards the ship and arched right over Nic and Erza, creating a gust that almost pushed them off the ship had it not been for the railing.

Nic lifted his head, seeing Staraptor already soaring high back into the sky. His smirk returned. "I'll be right back."

"What are-" Erza was cut off when Nic glowed brightly for a split second. When it died down, she saw he was in his Sky Form, his wings spread. He flapped his wings and took off to meet the two in the air, leaving the redhead on the deck. Though, she didn't seem bothered. In fact, it brightened her smile seeing him full of energy.

"Haha! Nic! Nic!" Junior shouted.

Staraptor looked to her side, where Nic had already closed the gap. The two were side-by-side as they sailed across the ocean's skies. Blue and red eyes showed genuine joy and understanding, and Junior cheered with glee.

As the two flapped their wings and ascended further towards the sky, Junior's cheers echoed underneath the sun's radiance.

It was a couple days after they returned from their venture on Rolica. It was a early morning, with the sun barely breaching through the windows of Nic and Erza's repaired cottage.

Nic walked through the living room, putting on his top and rolling his shoulder. "You ready?"

Staraptor nodded, looking determined. "You bet."

Nic expected no less. Nevertheless, he looked content.

"Mama! Nic!" Calling out from behind, Junior hopped his way behind his mother.

"Junior? Heh, you wanna watch your mother train?" Staraptor chimed.

Junior nodded energetically. "Yeah! Yeah!"

Staraptor looked at Nic. "Well?"

Nic showed no signs of hesitation. He looked content, if not amused by Junior's willingness to support their training now. "Fine by me. You wanna see your mom and her Trainer work, don't you?"

Junior nodded. Nic and Staraptor looked expectantly towards the other before they walked towards the backyard door, where Greninja and the others were waiting. "Alright, let's start with a run!"

As Staraptor followed behind, she stopped for a moment to look at something on the wall. Seeing it brought a smile to her face.

"Staraptor, you coming?"

"Mama! C'mon!"

Staraptor's smile never faded as she turned back towards the door. "Right, let's go!" She broke in a burst of speed, using her talon to swipe the door shut behind her.

As the sun started to rise in the distance, the house got a little brighter. A faint ray of light illuminated a certain frame that was hung up on the wall. It was the unfinished picture Nic was drawing before the incident happened. Inside the reinforced frame and glass, the picture was complete, Greninja, Charizard, Kecleon, Garchomp, and Arbok present. However, besides Nic was the completed design of Staraptor herself, with her red eyes beaming with pride and joy.

And beside her, there was one more Pokémon in the frame. It was Junior, with his hands up and smiling with joy.

The sunlight radiated especially on Staraptor and Junior's pictures.

And that's it! That's a wrap! By the power invested in me, I hereby bring the Pokémon Rebellion Arc to a close! It took over a year and a half, but it's finally accomplished. It took forever to get this far, but despite the immense drag and the sheer length that this arc carried, I think that I was able to end it with a bang like I said I would. Now, let's just hope that my future arcs don't take nearly as long to complete or take up as much words or chapters to accomplish. It also doesn't help that between May and June, I was moving with my family through the states all the way south, and I had to look for a new job, which took a while. But rest assured, I'm settled in and acclimated now!

With this chapter being a big deal, I had to break over the 30K limit for this one. It was gonna be longer, but I needed to make the aftermath of the battle as blunt as possible while recapping everything everyone went through.

So now Lucy, Cana, Sophie, and Wendy all have new additions to their teams, which means they'll be qualified for the Grand Magic Games. How will these events impact the games? You'll find out.

And I was finally able to bring Staraptor's character to full circle. I think amongst Nic's Pokémon, I felt like she wasn't given a lot of credit or stood out much at all. But hopefully this arc overturned that viewpoint. It was a tough call for which move for her to learn. It was between Sky Attack or Giga Impact. But after doing pros and cons, I went with Sky Attack since it has a chance of a critical hit and flinch, while Giga Impact would do intense damage but leave you vulnerable for a brief time.

And now that Junior is starting to mature, will he be of any value with Staraptor, Nic, and Fairy Tail moving forward? We'll see.

I know this arc was immense, and it was all over the place, but I do hope that you guys ended up enjoying it regardless. It was a long arc, but a lot of battles and character development for a lot of people happened, with new moves and evolutions! Can't wait to hear your thoughts on how this arc went in your opinions!

So as always, I truly do appreciate you reading, and can't wait to get to the next chapter! But after months of waiting, I have Fire Emblem fates: Trainer's Revelation to get back to! Till next time!