The trio of beasts raced across the lands, creating streaks of elements that blaze across the land. Raikou in particular was leading the charge, dashing through treeline after treeline.

"So, our target is this 'Alcryst'?" Raikou asked, "Sounds to me like our summoner can't take care of a simple Alakazam!"

"Calm yourself Raikou!" Entei shouted, "Regardless of the power of this Alakazam, we have permission to fell him. This could be our excuse to let our powers run free!"

"Yes, I understand," Raikou responded, "I'm just asking why must we be the ones to do it? The summoner is a ghost type, right?"

"Yes brother," Suicune interjected, "And the ones around him are strong against psychic types as well."

"Perhaps our summoner is weakened and is in need of our help?" Entei deduced, "Or maybe for some reason, he's afraid of this guy?"

"Whatever the reason, we have our objective! And no other pokemon will stand in our way!" Raikou shouted.

The trio of beasts continued their trek throughout the land, blazing the nearby forest with their combined powers. The race to Alcryst began…

~ Chapter 7: Proof of Courage ~

~ Wayne Explorer's Guild - Upper Floor ~

"So, you managed to finish your job alright?" Agent Wayne asked.

"Yes, sir." Kroto responded, "The Larvitar was returned to his father securely."

"Good. That's one loose end tied up. I'm sure I will be hearing from them soon." Agent Wayne then pointed at Kruler, "And one of you managed to evolve to boot, well done."

"Right." Kroto sulked, "Well, I'm assuming you want a cut of our pay…" The Passimian held out the bag of coins, but Wayne pushed the bag back.

"No, the pay is yours. You earned it, fair and square. We don't need payment, as we are directly subsidized by the government. Consider your first job done and over with. Go eat, get some rest, and be prepared for more tomorrow."

"Oh! Sir, wait!" Beruka interrupted, causing Agent Wayne to shift his attention to her. "We have more for the mission report."

"Speak it."

Beruka cleared her throat, "When we went to fetch the Larvitar, we found he was held hostage. Fortunately, Team Nova managed to free him, as well as take down a group of bandits."

Wayne's expression hardened as he turned to Team Nova, "Is this true, recruits?"

"...Yes." Traximus responded, "We dealt with some Pawniard and Bisharp that were holding the Larvitar hostage. They also had a Machoke with them that had some sort of strange bandana on."

"Strange bandana? Describe it."

"It had an emblem on it. Like, it was a dark-colored hand with a spiral in the center of it. Could it be Team Blackhand?"

"You would be correct in that assertion." Wayne crossed his arms, "It must seem like that individual was a lower-level operative. You are lucky to not have run into one of the higher-tier threats. Nonetheless, I'm hereby giving Team Nova an added bonus, for going the extra mile on their first job."

"Truly?!" Rico bellowed, excitement taking over him.

"Yes. I will directly add 500 coins to your pay for the trouble of dealing with Team Blackhand on your first day." Agent Wayne then walked out of the room and into another.

"Wow! We're just rolling in the dough today!" Rico shouted. Kroto desired to knock some sense into him, but Kruler got to it first, knocking the back of his head with her forearm. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Whoops! My arm slipped. This evolution stuff sure is trippy!" Kruler sarcastically remarked, snickering all the way.

"Why you…! Just wait until I evolve!" Rico growled.

Kroto couldn't help but laugh, "Come on guys, let's get a bite to eat. I'm starving!"

"Hold just one moment." Agent Wayne walked back into the room.

"What's the matter, boss?" Rico asked, his face transitioning from scathing to submissive instantaneously.

"There's somebody I'd like for you to meet. Not directly, of course."

"Oh, okay…" Palla muttered, nervously.

Agent Wayne took Team Nova into the back room, where the scene was relatively dark, save for the glowing connection orb towards the northern side of the room. Conveniently, that's where they were headed, when Agent Wayne tapped the orb and said, "Call Seargent Garland. Priority 3."

The team stood in apprehensive silence. The silence was only broken when Agent Wayne picked up the orb and turned back to the team behind him. After a while, there was a voice on the other end.

"This is Sergeant Garland. Agent Wayne Barlow, you have the go ahead."

"Sergeant Garland, sir, we have a team here who has encountered Team Blackhand on their first day on the job. First, I need to know, are there any updates on the Blackhand situation?"

"Yes. Firstly, an explanation of Team Blackhand for the new team. Team Blackhand are a band of terrorists who are known to cause widespread damage and spread fear and terror across the nations of Gullveria and Talgeria. For what reason is unknown. Second, as to the updates, we have new evidence that links the Eternarift incidents to Team Blackhand."

"Wh-What?!" Traximus, Kruler, Kroto and Palla all gasped at once.

"Hush!" Agent Wayne scolded. "What is this evidence, sir?"

"Just earlier today, we were given word by our scouts. Lively Town was wiped off the map by suspicious pokemon brandishing emblems resembling a dark-colored hand with a spiral in it. The description of the emblems match the emblems worn by that of Team Blackhand. Furthermore, survivors of the incident recall having to fight ferals to escape."

Rico fought hard not to cringe, meanwhile the others went wide-eyed, mouths agape. Agent Wayne merely closed his eyes, "I see. We won't let their sacrifices be in vain. Where was King Basillo at that time?"

"His whereabouts are unknown. He is MIA, possibly swallowed up by the Eternarift. However, we will remain vigilant, and report any sightings of him, if possible."

Team Nova remained silent. Numerous questions raced through their minds. One of the Four Heavenly Monarchs… missing? Aren't they supposed to be these super powerful humans that have defeated calamities before? And this Team Blackhand… Who are they really? What's their purpose?

Rico couldn't bear to be silent anymore, "Erm… Sergeant Garland, sir, where is this Lively Town? Is it close by?"

Agent Wayne went wide eyed, and the other members of Team Nova nearly doubled over. There was an audible cough coming from the other end of the line, as if Garland was clearing his throat.

"I-You… Lively Town is in Talgeria! How could you forget that basic fact? You are an exploration team, are you not?!"

"Well, I'm not from here, you see…" Rico turned back to his teammates who were signaling for him to stop. He then took a deep breath, and then put on a stoic expression, "I am… uh… was a human, and I don't even know where I am."

Agent Wayne nearly dropped his connection orb, "A human?! Don't play games with us, Froakie! How do we know you aren't lying?!"

Rico stood his ground, "Because I know things only a human would know!"

"Like what?" Wayne's eyes leered into Rico's mind.

"Well… Um…"

"He told us about a place called San Francisco…" Kroto remarked, facepalming, "I've never heard of it, have either of you, sirs?"

"San Fransisco…?" Agent Wayne pondered the possibilities. He inspected several, highly detailed maps on the northern wall of the room. Seeing no traces of the city, he relented his point. "Hmm… Unless you're part of a dead civilization, you might be onto something…"

"Agent Wayne! What is going on! I demand an answer!"

"Sergeant Garland, sir… We might have the luckiest break we could ask for. That is, if we can test him to prove his authenticity."

"Hmm… I see. This team… What did you say their name was?"

"Team Nova, sir."

"Very well then, Team Nova. We, the Gullverian Military, will be observing you with 'special' interest. Bear this in mind."

At that, the connection orb dimmed, and the connection was severed. Agent Wayne looked across Team Nova and then closed his eyes. "...If you truly are a human, then that means that there's another world-ending catastrophe on the rise. I truly hope for all our sakes that you, Froakie, are no human and that this is all just an elaborate prank. Either that or this reality is a dream. All of you are dismissed for the day. Get out of my sight."

Team Nova audibly gulped and left the room.

~ Wayne Explorer Guild - Mess Hall ~

"Even when we succeed, we somehow find a way to crap all over it!" Kroto growled, gripping the cup holding his water.

"You just had to go and open your dumbass mouth!" Kruler snarled at Rico, causing the Froakie to wince.

"Guys, calm down…" Traximus reasoned, "It was only a matter of time until somebody found out."

"Nonono!" Kroto interjected, "I know you're trying to be reasonable Traximus, but this? There was no reason for this! Now we got the military on our heads."

"I know, b-but don't bash him too much Kroto," Palla meeped, "He just got here after all…"

Kroto wanted to snarl at Palla, but he found it difficult. He then turned to Rico, "You're lucky I can't be mad at Palla! I gotta go find some place to cool off. I'll see you guys later."

Kroto left the scene, taking his empty plate and cup with him. Kruler, looking in the opposite direction, saw Team Pixie interacting with another team. A Sceptile, Ceruledge and an Aegislash towered over the other team.

"Psst. Hardhat," Kruler whispered, "Looks like we got free entertainment."

"Alright." Traximus rolled his eyes, "Let's see what's up."

Getting a closer look, they realized that the other team wasn't so much scolding them, as much as it was intimidation. The Sceptile glared daggers into Ivy, who appeared to be entirely unaware of the scenario that she's presented with.

"...Little girl. You shouldn't be playing around with knives," The Sceptile chastised, "You might get yourself cut."

"What's with you stoic types!" Ivy shouted, "I'm trying to mingle, but you won't listen to me!"

"...That's exactly the problem girlie," The Ceruledge interjected, "You can't mingle with just anybody. Let it be a piece of advice, from us."

"You better listen to boss lady!" The Meowth clamored, "She has somethin' real important to say, so you'd better listen!"

"Oh?" The Sceptile leaned in closer, "Fine, do tell, Kirlia. But waste my time and you will reap the consequences of your actions."

Ivy, finally realizing the severity of the conversation, staggered back and stammered, "Uh…Um… I-I think you're…"

The Sceptile didn't give her any time to finish her sentence, "Thought so. You're a waste. In fact, both your team and that other one, Team Nova, was it? Both of your teams are laughable, but at least they have more tact than yours. You are a bunch of clowns and your demeanor shows it." He then turned to the rest of his team, "Come on, guys. Let's get out of here."

Passing by Team Nova, the Sceptile shoved Kruler out of the way, saying, "Piss off. Get outta the way, Croconaw."

Team Nova watched as Team Blade walked off into the distance, and eventually left the mess hall. It seemed that the university days haven't completely worn off, as their ability to make sudden enemies shined through once again.

"Ugh. Not you brutes again!"

Team Nova's attention was drawn to Team Pixie. The opposing team, having just been scolded, bore angry looks. "When we joined this guild, we were meant to join at the top! Not join the ranks of the lowly peasants!" Ivy touted.

"Nice to see you too…" Traximus rolled his eyes, "Can't you go bother somebody else?"

"Hmph! I don't need you to tell me what to do!" Ivy scanned over Team Nova, eventually stopping at Kruler, "Hey, weren't you a Totodile when you got here?!"

"Yeah, I was!" Kruler leered at Ivy, "And insult my team again, and I'll knock your teeth in! Got it?!"

Ivy stepped back, causing the Meowth to assume a defensive stance in front of her. "Don't threaten the boss lady! Just because you've evolved doesn't mean you're any stronger!"

"Oooh! Wanna test?!" Kruler maliciously smiled, rolling her neck and assuming an offensive stance.

"Guys, stop!" Palla shouted, "We don't want to get into trouble on our first day here!"

Kruler stared at Palla for a bit, and then turned back to Team Pixie. She sighed, and then dropped the act. She silently got up and then left the scene, leaving Team Pixie with Traximus, Palla and the silent Rico.

"Be grateful that we're in a good mood." Ivy stormed off the scene, bringing her posse with her.

When Traximus returned to his team, the remaining members of Team Nova looked between each other. There was a brief bit of silence that passed through the air. Traximus found it hard to concentrate on food again after having been interrupted. The Froakie attempted to garner the team's attention by coughing a bit.

"What do you need, Rico?" Traximus grumbled.

"I know that you all are mad at me, but I don't think keeping secrets from the government was the right thing to do. Besides, I don't actually know much about this place beyond what you've told me. And that's not a lot."

"I'm not mad at you," Palla reassured, "But did you really think then was the best time to reveal that to everybody else?"

"You did tell me not to reveal it in the village. Not anywhere else." Rico stated.

"True," Traximus relented, "I guess that's a blunder on our part. But there's no going back now. We have this test or whatever you have to be put through." The green Bagon shuddered, "I only hope that whatever it is, it's not too hard on you."

"Let's get some rest." Palla said, "We have another day of work tomorrow."

In agreement, Team Nova got up and left the mess hall.

~ GCIB HQ - Gullveria ~

Neltharios felt himself beginning to wake up on some hard terrain. His ribs were throbbing in discomfort, his head hurt and vision spun, but despite the pain, he eventually sat up, witnessing Alcryst argue with a Nidoqueen from beyond the glass. While the conversation was inaudible, he could piece together what was happening. The Alakazam must be debating the terms for his release, right?

Alcryst's voice finally peered into his mind, "Neltharios, you are going to be released, but they need to confirm one last thing."

"Hmm. One thing…" The Charmeleon muttered to himself, "If it's anything like what I've been through so far then…"

Some doors opened from both sides of the encampment. Two ferals appeared from the doors, a Mightyena and a Torkal. 'Yep. Figures…' Neltharios rolled his eyes.

"If you can control your power, then we will release you. If not, then we will keep you here." The Nidoqueen's voice was heard from the ceiling.

"My power?! What does that mean?!" Neltharios screamed, as the ferals approached closer. Seeing no time to sit still, he sprung into action, dashing at the Torkal with his fists balled. However, before he could do anything, he felt something pulse in his mind, causing him to halt.

'The power… Use it! Focus on it!'

The Charmeleon stood straight up. 'Fine!' He thought and focused on the pulse in his head. Shutting his eyes, he felt a power wave over him. Opening his eyes again, he saw that his vision went blood red, seeing things in various shades of the scarlet color. He glared into the eyes of the Mightyena, who immediately keeled. He then did the same to the Torkal, who stopped its advance and submitted to Neltharios. The Charmeleon then blinked, and his vision went back to normal.

'Very well done… You're getting a grip over your power.'

'Okay, but who are you? You know more about me than you're letting on! Tell me now!'

'I am nobody important at the moment… When you realize who, or rather what you are, you will realize who I am…'

Neltharios pondered over the voice's words. 'When I realize… what I am? I'm a Charmeleon, right? I just so happen to be able to somehow control these ferals.' He then turned back to the Nidoqueen. 'Nevermind.'

"Was that good enough?" Neltharios yelled, unaware if anybody was listening.

The voice on the other end cleared her throat, "Yes, it appears that you have some level of control of your power. If Alcryst wants you, it seems as if he has plans for you. We'll forfeit you to him, but if anything comes out of this, I cannot guarantee that you'll be the same again in the eyes of the government."

A door opened in the back of the encampment, leading to the other side. Neltharios gleefully dashed through the back door and outside the encampment, to which he immediately stopped and gazed about the scene. There were ferals of all kinds in captivity: aquatic pokemon, magma pokemon and others. He couldn't help but stare at the ferals as they gazed back at him.

"What the…? Where am I?" Neltharios asked himself, "There are so many ferals… did they come from mystery dungeons?"

"You are in the Gullverian Central Intelligence Bureau's headquarters; specifically in the science and research level of the facility."

The Nidoqueen and Alcryst appeared from a door on Neltharios's right. He glared daggers at her, while trying his best to resist running up to Alcryst. The Nidoqueen tapped her clipboard with a scornful look on her face. "As for the ferals, those were ferals that were found outside of mystery dungeons, and therefore they were captured and repurposed for scientific purposes."

"What purposes are those? How can you use ferals in your science?"

"That's classified, Charmeleon."

'Of course it is…' Neltharios gritted his teeth, "So where do we go from here?"

"You are to be escorted out of here. Alcryst will take you out."

Alcryst floated towards the Charmeleon, "We're going to teleport out of here. Are you ready?"

"Alright then…"

In a split second, Neltharios and Alcryst blinked out of the room and into the distant beyond, leaving the Nidoqueen behind. The Nidoqueen looked around to see if the coast was clear. Seeing that nobody was in the immediate area, she pulled out a connection orb. She turned it on and ringed somebody. When the orb connected, she began speaking.

"Yes. We may have lost our greatest asset. That Alcryst guy is going to cost us if we have a repeat of the Kalgore War."