Chapter 25

Heroes And Nobodies

"My mom used to have a saying she would tell me time and time again that I always hated - something about, uh, heroes and nobodies," Garchomp pondered, racking her brain.

Excadrill crossed his arms, "And what's that supposed to mean? Some sort of motivational tale?"

It was midday, the fiery desert sun above beaming down on the encampment set up above the Grit Ruin Excavator's underground station. Numerous tables and workstations were laid out on the flat sands and rife with the presence of workers coordinating. Both Team Drarosteel and Team Moonlight, along with Excadrill, were positioned at a chosen station, observing efforts from afar. In the distance, small glimpses of orange Entercard light could be seen blipping into existence in different locations, like twinkling stars in the night.

"Nope. It was like a warning… for me." Garchomp rattled her large talons on one of the wooden tables. "Whenever I wanted to leave the village to be my own Pokemon, she would tell that saying of hers."

"And what kinda sayin' would that be?"

She shook her head in remembrance. "That there were heroes and nobodies in this world - heroes that would venture throughout the world, save the day… then die tragically young. And then there were the nobodies - simple Pokémon that lived day to day and kept the wheels of society in motion, staying well and alive." She flashed a sharp grin. "Of course, mom wanted me to be the nobody."

Excadrill bellowed with laughter. "Seein' as you're here now, that didn't quite work out for your momma!" He jabbed a claw at Jackson and Scizor, who were quietly communicating to each other at another table. "Heck, all of us here can be considered heroes and not nobodies. And I don't see us bein' snuffed out' so soon."

Garchomp adopted a proud stance, raising her head high. "Well, dear old mom couldn't foresee the heights my team would reach. Ain't that right, boys'?" she called to the two Pokémon beside her.

Aggron nodded, smacking his large chest proudly. "If it weren't for ya, I'd still be chowing down iron and tusslin' with my Lairon lads back at Steelcrag Mountain. Sometimes I miss those days…"

"Ya miss gobblin' down iron ya big bellied loudmouth," Tyranitar grumbled.

The Steel-type laughed, "And I'm sure you miss raidin' ships off the coast, pirate boy."

"We all miss something here, boys," Garchomp said, eyes glazing over in thought. "But I wouldn't give up everything in the present for something in the past. I'm over that."

Excadrill crossed his arms, "Sounds like quite a story between you three. My momma wanted me to get a head start in life and tossed me out to the Mightyena once I turned working age, yessiree." He glanced back at the two silent Pokemon behind him. "What about you two? Can't rightly say I've heard much about Team Moonlight's pre world famous past."

Jackson ignored the request of conversation as he scribbled down more notes and drawings of diagrams onto a wide sheet of paper, eyes never leaving it. However, Scizor would hesitantly take the initiative, backing away from the Lucario and facing Excadrill, both pincers behind his back.

"Well, there's not much of note to discuss before Team Moonlight was founded," Scizor explained. "Charizard and I were born in Areos Village and were very good friends growing up. We lived with our family and friends there until… that day."

The sick feeling in the Bug-type's chest manifested again.

Excadrill scratched his neck, "Ah, uh, my fault on opening past wounds like that… Jack's always hush-hush about this stuff, but y'all three met each other in that village, huh? Must be the work of Arceus, like a miracle."

"… Indeed we did. We have been best of friends for over two decades, and I do not intend for this to change."

Although the conversation was between Scizor and Excadrill, Garchomp found her attention drawn to a still Jackson, noting his slight facial reaction to the last comment. It was only after her private chat with Scizor that she began to realize and notice these quirks the Lucario sometimes showed. It intrigued her, yet disturbed her in a way she couldn't put her talon on.

"Getting back on topic, we have something to show you, Excadrill," Garchomp said, changing the topic as she reached into her saddlebag to pull out something. "We believe it's got something to do with Entercards, and we'd like you to take a look at it and hopefully confirm our suspicions."

The mole smiled proudly, fixing his tie. "You're talking to an Entercard researcher extraordinaire, miss! Lemme see whatcha got."

What came out of her saddlebag was an unassuming slip of paper, which she carefully handed over with her sharp talons. Excadrill grabbed it from her with an amused expression, squinting to get a better look at what was sketched onto it. It was a drawing of a peculiar symbol - three circles overlapping each other with many swirls and spirals.

"What you're seeing there is what we found atop Celestial Mountain at the very peak. It was marked into the ground, but pretty faded, so it had to be long ago. Thank Scizor for his observation and artist's rendition of it," she explained, shooting the Bug-type a smirk.

Scizor smiled, "It's my hypothesis that the symbol is related to the same symbols used by standard Entercards. Yet, this pattern is too bizarre and unique for a typical Entercard." He swallowed. "… What do you think of it?"

"… I think y'all are right," Excadrill muttered, slowly forming a grin. "But I'll come out and say it - I've never seen somethin' like this before."

"But you think it's related to Entercard symbols, right?" Garchomp asked with a tilt of her head.

"Yeah, I do. But I ain't quite sure why the symbol is made like this. If it's some archaic method of the past, or…" He snorted. "Or it's for some advanced type of Entercard. I dunno, could be either, but this mighty interestin' regardless."

The idea of an advanced Entercard stuck in the pair's minds. It was easier to write off that it was a random pattern etched into the earth ages ago, but that didn't sit right with them, and they knew deep down there was more to it.

Excadrill frowned, stuffing the paper into one of his suit's pockets. "Can't believe I got stumped by this, but I'll take another crack at it later and see if I notice anyth-"

"GUILDMASTER!"

Interrupted by a shout from below, the Pokemon looked down the hill they were occupying to see Leafeon rapidly sprinting towards them. Once she was in earshot, she yelled to them again, tan fur frayed and her wide-eyed visage desperate and frightened.

"G-guildmaster! Please, you need to help right away! I-It's about Shaymin! They're… they're going to-"

"Calm down," Jackson uttered as he stepped away from the table to see her trembling form. "Tell us what happened exactly, Leafeon."

Leafeon inhaled and exhaled to remove her panic. "Shaymin. She was… She was captured by a group of , um, the same ones that threatened Excadrill's group… with the Serperior woman!"

Shock jumped across each face in the group, all except Jackson, who kept his blank expression.

Garchomp scowled, "You're serious, aren't you? How do you know this?"

Leafeon gulped, "The Serperior, she contacted me through Shaymin's ELE. She said that Shaymin was being held at some shrine, the Shrine of Landorus. She wanted money in exchange for Shaymin's return, or in three days they'd… they'd-" She struggled to get the words out as she threw her teary gaze to her Guildmaster. "Please! I know Shaymin left and could be difficult, but she doesn't deserve this! We can get the Council to help, or get her back our-"

"That's enough, Leafeon," Jackson interrupted with a raised paw. "Please, return to the others. We will discuss our next actions and share them with the guild later."

"But-"

"Please. We will work this out."

Leafeon stared back momentarily, analyzing the Lucario's monotone gaze boring into her. She eventually relented, sniffling and wiping her face free of wetness, running back to where she came from. Garchomp watched her leave, biting her scaly lip.

"Shit. Like we don't have enough on our plate already…" she grumbled. "But we can't let this go unnoticed."

"Right on, lass! These scabby little mercs shouldn't have the right and freedom to do as they please," Aggron added, Tyranitar nodding to his statement.

"We're not," she said. "We're fighting back against them, and they're not gonna push us around."

Excadrill shook his head. "Shrine of Landorus, huh? Heard it got captured a while back, even holdin' the Legend there hostage and its worshippers. Bad stuff, I tell ya, and the Council are sitting Duckletts on the matter."

"If that's true, then this means we have to intervene."

Scizor said nothing, shooting glances between the others and back to Jackson, who observed them intently. While he did agree with a swift rescue of one of their former guild members, there was only one opinion that would actually matter. He couldn't read minds, but he could tell there was a differing idea brewing in the Lucario's head.

Garchomp looked around, "All right, first we'll need to inform the others. After that, we'll-"

"No."

Garchomp snapped her attention to Jackson, taken aback by his comment. "… Excuse me?"

"No. We will not go through with any extraction of Shaymin."

The stunned dragoness stomped her way over to the Lucario, angling her head to glower at him. "You're telling me… that you're going to let a member of your own guild die to these Pokemon."

"Former guild member," Jackson corrected, glaring intensely. "Shaymin decided to leave the guild, and therefore is not any of the guild's concerns anymore."

"Not any of the guild's concerns?!" Garchomp sputtered, flashing her sharp teeth at him. "Not only did she aid your guild for years, but there are other innocent Pokémon held captive there, and you're just going to ignore them?"

"There are more important matters for my guild to attend to. I will not be sidetracked when time is scarce."

"You wanted to lecture me about doing the right thing before, and now I am. We all are, but you don't. Do you even care about the Pokémon around you? Do you not understand what kind of example you're providing?"

She attempted to emphasize her point by jabbing his chest with a talon, only for a paw to swiftly smack it away as Jackson inched close to her, snarling under his breath. Aggron and Tyranitar appeared on Garchomp's side, sizing the Lucario up with steely expressions.

"You know it's the right thing to do, Jackson," Aggron said, backed up by Tyranitar's silent stare. "C'mon, we gotta do this all together now."

Jackson didn't budge at their arrival. "If your team wishes to be heroes, then by all means, charge into that shrine alone, but leave my guild out of it."

Garchomp leaned further in. "All of your members have decided to willingly follow through with your pursuits, and you don't think they'll want to do this as well? You're mistaken."

Excadrill raised his claws. "Why don't we just calm down here, okay? Jack… we're talking about civilians there, customers of mine no doubt, too! Didn't ya see the two caravan 'mons we had to pick up earlier? Nobodies comin' to save 'em anytime soon."

The Ground-type's words did little to ease the tension between Garchomp and Jackson as they continued to glare at each other, anticipating any movement from the other. Scizor could foresee nothing good in the coming minutes, choosing to swallow down his hesitancy and speak up.

"Guildmaster… We can do both. We can separate planning and still prepare for our assault on Regi Castle right away, like this never happened. It can work, so trust us, please." He flinched not long after speaking, wondering if this was a good idea.

Jackson was still for a moment, giving the Bug-type a side-glance, before speaking slowly to the dragoness in front of him. "... If I do not have a plan of action presented to me after the day is over, then my guild will proceed as originally intended. If this is what you want, then you will deal with this yourselves."

The Lucario forcefully shoved his way past Garchomp and her teammates, descending the sandy hill and leaving the group to walk away by his lonesome.

Garchomp did little to hide her beyond frustrated expression, arms flexing with rage. "He doesn't wanna help his own Pokemon? Fuck him - we can do it all ourselves." Her gaze found Scizor's, mellowing out. "And thank you for sticking up for us, Scizor. Are you able to help us with this?"

"I… I will give it the majority of my attention, as much as Jackson can accept."

"Great. We need a good thinker if we're making a plan tonight."

Excadrill crossed his arms. "I guess it's a good thing to say that I've got a map of the Shrine of Landorus tucked in our underground setup. Plus, we can also use the same Entercard plan me and Jack concocted for Regi Castle."

"Entercards for this?" Garchomp tilted her head. "Don't you need a physical symbol at that location for those to work?"

Excadrill smirked, raising a knowing eyebrow.

A flare of orange light exploded into existence over a rocky cliff, an Entercard manifesting along with it onto a symbol marked in the sands. Once the dramatic entrance of it concluded, two Pokemon stepped away from the card - a Riolu and a Vulpix. They took a quick second to observe their surroundings.

"Seems like this is the place," Liam said, squinting his eyes."But I don't see any castle-like building in the distance."

"Maybe it's below this cliff?" Gloria offered, frowning at the harsh sun above them. "I hope we don't have to stay out here all day…"

"Hey, I think it's nice to get some sun on your fur. Better than being cooped up in the guild with paperwork." He started walking forward, making sure to keep the hefty cream saddlebag steady as he leapt over rocks in his way.

She followed him, walking around the stones in her path instead. "That's easy for you to say, not being an Ice-type."

He laughed, "You'll live."

Their mission here was simple, if not a little dull. After the events of their Entercard training the day previous, Team Drarosteel and their Guildmaster had gathered all of the guild and Excadrill's workers for an important announcement. They were going to see action much earlier than anticipated, and a different location altogether - the Shrine of Landorus - where their former guild member Shaymin was held captive by the Rose Clan.

It was even more alarming to hear they would storm this place only a day later. While many were chosen or volunteered to go themselves, Team Requiem was chosen to do recon for their primary mission of taking back Regi Castle. While they were out peacefully scouting, the rest of the guild was getting ready for a more daunting task.

"Don't worry about starving, 'cause I packed us some lunches," Liam said. "Even got a Pokepuff with your name on it."

"Oh, uh… thanks!"

The Riolu stopped and looked over his shoulder, seeing his partner seemingly stare off into space behind him. Once she caught him staring, she snapped back to full awareness, white muzzle burning red with embarrassment.

"You're still worried about Roark," he realized.

She nodded, almost shamefully.

Liam went back to walking. "He volunteered to go with the others, you know. He wouldn't do that if he wasn't sure he'd be okay."

"I know, but… I just wish he went with us now, or I could be with him there."

"Then you know I'd have to go as well. No matter what, we're crossing into danger." He looked back again. "We're ready for that, right?"

Gloria's blue eyes honed in on him, a shimmer of new confidence. "Of course. I can accept this."

"Same here."

Their short trek through the field of rocks and grainy sand ended at the beginning of a cliffside a few dozen feet above the earth. Trailing around the edges of it, they walked around the sides until they saw it. It was a fortress made entirely out of red sandstone and shattered glass, ancient and decrepit in appearance, yet still grandiose from afar.

"There it is," Liam said as he knelt down to open his saddlebag. He took out a pair of binoculars and placed them over his eyes, scoping out the 'castle'. "Wow, there's quite a lot of 'em."

Through the lens of enhanced vision, he could see the area's finer details clear as day. His binoculars followed Pokemon wearing rose painted breastplates as they patrolled in or around the fort. He swallowed the lump in his throat, coming to terms that these were their enemies, and they would soon battle them for control of the fortress.

"Are they doing anything?"

"Walking around and talking, maybe," he replied. "Wait. I think that's…"

Liam swept his vision over to a newly arriving Pokemon near the backside of the building - a Serperior. It was tailed by an Aegislash as it slithered over to a large hole where many other Pokemon with shovels and other digging instruments were stationed. The Grass-type appeared to exchange words with the diggers, impossible to translate from this far away.

"The Serperior lady is down there talking with them." He lowered the binoculars from his face. "Other than that, not much else is happening."

"How long does the Guildmastere want us to watch?" she asked with a sigh, already wilting from the heat.

"Few hours. He wanted us to write down what happened over that time." He sat down completely, opening another pouch in his saddlebag. "I also brought some books we can read. Maybe we could finish that one with the Skitty thief?"

Gloria gave him a perplexing look. "We did, remember? You fell asleep halfway into it."

He blinked, before laughing and digging into the saddlebag. "Well, we could give it another shot."

She rolled her eyes and gazed out into the desert as her partner brought out much needed supplies to stave off boredom. However, there was something nestled between the fortress and the emptiness of the landscape that caught her attention. It was a village, a small one from the looks of it, yet she could catch glimpses of the faintest scuffles occurring near it.

"... Hey, Liam. Could you pass me the binoculars?"

"Uh, sure. Not much to see, though."

The Riolu did just that, and she awkwardly positioned them in front of her, leaning forward and taking a peek into the lenses at the tiny town. What she saw made her jaw drop slightly, a shiver trailing her spine following shortly after.

A Rhyperior near the village's entrance was entangled in a fight with a pair of frail and weak looking Leavanny. The latter of which proved no real match to the hulking Rock-type as it tossed one of them to the ground like a ragdoll. It pointed its massive rock column of an arm at the felled Leavanny and barked out something unheard. The other Leavanny made a futile attempt to keep the Rhyperior from getting any further, with little success.

Gloria couldn't watch any longer, tearing the binoculars away as a new emotion that wasn't worry flashed across her face - anger. She looked around and bit her lip, a thought entering her mind that seemed insane, but felt like the only option, and the right to do.

"Liam. There's something going on down there. Something bad."

Liam tossed a Razz Berry in his mouth. "Schomething with the merchenaries?" he questioned through a full mouth.

Gloria shook her head, eyes fixated on the village. "No. Follow me."

He swallowed, "Huh?"

The Vulpix put all her faith into her instincts and jumped off the cliff, falling a few feet down until she reached ground. She pushed forward and slid down a rocky and steep dune, ignoring the pebbles that showered her face as she did so. Liam was quick to shoot to his hind paws and assess the situation.

"Hey, Gloria! Where are you going?! We have a mission to do here, y'know!"

"Just follow me!" she yelled back, finally reaching the cliff's end. "This is more important, and they need our help!" Not long after her words, she took off.

Liam watched her go, before muttering a few curses under his breath and hastily packing up their supplies back into his saddlebag. He jumped not a minute later, and while he would be lying to say it wasn't always a thrill to jump off haphazardly, things were different when his partner suddenly had the idea. He ran after her, wondering just what it was that stirred her to act.

Gloria sprinted off towards the village, necklace swinging up and down off her chest as its modest buildings came into view. Those fuzzy figures she saw wrestling from over yonder became much more clear each step she took. She swallowed the lump growing in her throat, accepting the reality that she was doing this - this was happening.

Rhyperior growled and pounded a foot into the sand. "I told you multiple times already! Give me the house where he is, and you won't get hurt!" he hollered at the two quivering Grass-types'.

"HEY!"

Rhyperior didn't bother to look over his shoulder, sighing. "If you wanna stay safe, little girl, it's best to pipe down while I'm talking with your mom."

Gloria rebuffed her efforts. "Leave those Pokémon alone!"

Now curious, the Rock-type slowly turned around to face this soft yelling voice, the two Leavanny scrambling to safety. It then shocked him to see that the Sewaddle he thought he was speaking to was in fact a Vulpix, a very determined looking one, to be exact. He stared for a moment, before breaking out into hysterics, his large tail swinging behind him.

"You're kidding, right?" he struggled to say through his laughter. "Sweetheart… Where are you parents at right now? They know you're trying to play hero here?"

Gloria grinded a paw into the ground, dead set on this. "I said… leave."

"So you want a fight. Well, sorry to say, I don't fight little gir-"

BOOM!

A small explosion detonated across Rhyperior's rocky back as he flinched in pain. He immediately whirled around to see his attacker, pinpointing the explosion's cause to a Riolu holding another Blast Seed just a dozen feet, his scowl apparent as he adopted a fighting stance, just like Gloria was now doing.

"Oh… it's on now!"

"And are you sure this is going to work?" Garchomp inquired.

"I'm appalled you'd even ask such a question!" Excadrill said jokingly, tapping his puffed out chest with a claw. "You're talkin' to an Entercard expert for over twenty years here!"

"Just want to make sure this doesn't send us off to another dimension."

The mole chuckled as they walked and talked across the plains of sand that was their place of congregation. It was noticeably more quiet than usual, lacking the buzz of scurrying workers. They walked towards the area where their plan of attack was being held, all but set to happen in the coming minutes.

"Nah, nah," he said, pulling out an Entercard from a suit pocket. "All you need for this to work is one physical symbol in that area, and luckily I've had one tucked with me."

"And so all these Entercards link together through this one symbol like a daisy chain?"

"Bingo. To avoid everyone transporting to one symbol and gettin' smooshed, they'll instead be spread around the place like jam. Call it a roll of the dice, 'cause they can end up anywhere around the shrine's vicinity."

Garchomp sighed, "Which means the location they'll end up at will be entirely random? That's not gonna be great for coordination."

Excadrill frowned, "Sorry, lass, but this is the best you can get. If it'll boost your confidence in this a little, I'm sure y'all will prevail; these mercs ain't nothin' but a pack of Wishiwashi tryna be big and tough."

"I hope you're right…"

This entire operation would be her first taste of leading something like this. While an act of bravado and confidence was her usual course of action throughout her team's run of successful missions across the globe, this time things was different. They were heading into enemy territory completely blind with Pokémon that had no hesitation to kill.

Precious lives were in her talons, and she had to keep them safe.

Scaling a small hill, their attention was drawn to the tons of Pokemon gathering below it. They were both of the guild and Excadrill's many vivacious workers. Multiple rows and columns of Entercards were laid on the sand, energy already filled in them, and ready for usage. The Pokemon beside them were conversing and pooling items for the upcoming battle, some wearing worried expressions, but the majority seemed almost determined as they got ready.

It eased Garchomp slightly as she approached.

Monferno breathed out a sigh, observing Braixen wrap her red nurse's armband near her shoulder. "… You know you don't have to go, Braix."

Braixen kneeled down and opened a bag chock full of medical supplies and berries. "I do. Medical attention is needed if anyone gets hurt, and since we're for sure doing this, someone getting hurt is a near certainty." She stopped fiddling with her things to look up at him, smiling. "And you're going, which means I'm obligated to."

"Even past that… you still want to do this?"

"I decided to stay, haven't I? If I'm going to continue being part of the guild, it's natural that I fight for it as well. There was no going back after we decided to stay, and I'm accepting that."

He smirked in return. "Pretty cool to see that. I like that hear that from you."

"… But what I want to know is why you're doing this for Shaymin."

Monferno bit his lip, scratching his bandages. "Maybe I just want to be the bigger 'mon. There's other Pokémon there in need of saving, too. Can't let grudges stop a rescue job."

Her gaze lingered, "… I like to hear that from you. It sounds very noble, not like you," she ended with a modest chuckle.

"Don't get used to it, Braix."

In truth, this was all about proving himself. Over the long years he spent at the guild, nothing seemed more worthy of testing his capabilities than this moment. The expertly hidden fear tucked away in heart felt enough to burn a hole through, yet he continued anyway, because truly what else was there for him besides this? He couldn't think of a life outside doing, especially with Braixen not by his side.

"I know why!" Roark suddenly said from behind, clamping a pair of claws on Monferno's shoulder. "Mony here wants to be a big ole hero!"

Monferno jostled his way out of the ruse fox's grasp. "And I'm sure you've got a better reason to do this?"

Roark flashed a grin, striking a stretched out pose. "Been a while since I've actually put my amazing skills to the test. This is a familiar situation for past me, so why not indulge him a little, y'know?"

"Yeah, well, this isn't the past… But maybe the mercs will go easy on an old man."

Braixen crossed her arms. "I think both of you will do very fine out there. I think we all will." Her eyes shifted to a certain Dragon-type as she stomped into view. "I believe we're about to find out, in fact."

"Hey, listen here!" Garchomp yelled, receiving everyone's eyes on her. She was standing in front of the Entercards. "We're set to begin the operation in just a few minutes, and I needed to say a few things!" She went quiet, her next words more soft. "I know that the past week or so has been… a lot. Trust me, I know. From this whole expedition to your choice of staying or leaving, to now fighting against a clan of mercenaries. None of us expected an encounter so early and on short notice, and I apologize for this, but…"

She trailed off, looking into the crowd of Pokemon staring back until she found Jackson's cold gaze boring into her. She tried deciphering his look just as he tried to many times before in the past, with little success. Was it anger? Disappointment? Displeasure? Or was it a look of judgment, one that told her that she chose this path, and there was no going back now.

Yet, despite that, that glare of quiet scrutiny, a one she has seen many times in her life, both as a child and adult, seemed to only embolden her decision. So many times she was held back from doing what she wanted, or doing what felt right, and now she was in charge of this. She stared back at him, defying him one more time with her expression of pure assurance.

"But this is where we make our comeback! Where we prove ourselves as Pokemon who desire to fight for the present and the future!" She straightened her posture, raising an arm high into the sky. "So, c'mon! World's not stopping for anyone! Let's get out there and kick their asses!"

"YEAH!" the Pokemon present cried back.

Garchomp stepped away, "Everyone knows the mission details! Excadrill's team, you're first to go! Make us proud out there, boys!"

A storm of Drilbur, Gurrdurr, and other restless Ground-types ran to their respective Entercards. With a click of their card's bottom indentations, they vanished one by one in an explosion of golden orange light. Garchomp was quick to follow behind them as she went to her own Entercard, Aggron and Tyranitar by her side.

"Next team, let's go!" she roared.

As the guild proper moved into action, her gaze wandered over to Scizor as he fluttered over to his own Entercard with his insect-like wings. He would look back, the two of them now smiling at each other. They both wanted this, even if they were told or urged not to, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

She and her team were soon enveloped in orange. They flowed through the ley line openings like water in a river, reaching their hostile destination in a matter of seconds. When their vision was returned to them, they were somewhere else. A quick turn around and a scan of their new surroundings proved this method of travel to be successful.

They were at the Shrine of Landorus.

Chaos brewed as sprouts of appearing Entercards popped into reality from nowhere all around the shrine's ruin-like structures. Shouts and yells from the panicking Rose Clan members stationed were intermixed with the sounds of Pokemon sprinting out of their cards to battle. Team Drarosteel would soon follow suit as they charged to the nearest breastplate wearing Pokemon in their vicious sights.

This would be a battle they were sure to win.

"Stay still!"

Rhyperior locked his gaze onto the Riolu as he sprinted away from his current location. A breath of frustration escaped him, slowly pulling up his large cannon-like arm and readying an attack. But before he could complete it, a stream of twisting auroras collided into his outstretched arm, painfully encasing it into a sheet of freezing ice. He threw a glare over to his side, catching the white furred culprit flee from his sights.

BOOM!

A Blast Seed thrown by Liam connected with the frozen arm right after, shattering the ice and discombobulating Rhyperior for a second time. More angry mutterings manifested in a roar of rage as he slammed his limbs onto the ground. The earth trembled and groaned from his created Earthquake, causing Liam and Gloria to falter with their steps and crash to the ground, their attempts to stand futile.

"Now you stay still!" Rhyperior blared. "You stay still and you die!"

Thunderous booms rocked the skies above the Shrine of Landorus. Murals decorated with inscriptions and artistic depictions of Arceus and both Landorus were blasted off by stray beams of various elemental attacks. Ground that was once sacred to the Pokemon here was now trampled by both attackers and defenders as they clashed in a frenzy.

The Rose Clan was caught off guard and vastly unprepared for an attack of this scale. Yet, they fought valiantly, as expected by their glorious leader and princess. Many gathered on the rooftops of clay temple-like buildings and unleashed barrages from above on their foes. Trails of black smoke and gunpowder billowed from them like chimneys as the few Pokemon with rifles fired relentlessly at any movement in a panic.

This only stoked the rage and built up Charizard's Flamethrower as he swooped low to each building and torched the Pokemon on top into unconsciousness.

Monferno was glued to walls of an alleyway between two structures, hyperventilating. His eyes snapped to each piece of stone shot off by rifles, and each physical fight that was happening in the corner of his eyes. There were shouts and cries he could not unhear, ones he didn't know if they belonged to the enemies, or his friends. He lost contact with them almost immediately after in the chaos, and he was all but alone out here.

They were supposed to arrive, make the mercenaries surrender by force, then free the captives - that's it. He had a mission to complete, something to prove to himself and others, so why was standing here and not helping his comrades?

He gulped, forcing his muscles to move as he ran out of the alley's cover, adrenaline pumping throughout his veins. Putting himself right into the fray of bombardment from all angles, he spotted a lone Prinplup wearing a rose decorated breastplate leaning against a shattered pillar. This was where he could prove himself.

Flames engulfed his newly formed fists as he charged towards the Water-type with a gleam in his eyes. Before his enemy could even realize, he tackled the Prinplup to the ground and wailed upon its face and steel armor. He felt like he was doing something important, something that mattered and was grand to him.

That was until the Prinplup fought back.

A scalding jet of water spewed from the penguin's mouth straight into Monferno's face, knocking him off balance and onto the ground. No longer did he have the upper hand as the Prinplup sprung to its feet. Its flippers grew gray and sharp as it struck Monferno multiple times with Metal Claw. The primate spasmed in pain, his wounds from before throbbing under his bandages and preventing him from fighting back.

Why did he think he really had what it took to do this? Because of his unwillingness to realize his inability, he was going to die here.

"Get off my friend!" a jubilant voice screeched from behind.

Monferno's assailant was ripped away from his revenge as Rockruff jumped on the Prinplup's back and bit down hard on its skin. The Water-type wiggled his body around intensely in an effort to rid of the puppy's quite sharp fangs, to little to no success. Rockruff would eventually get his foe down to ground as he relinquished his bite and quickly formed a medium-sized rock from thin air. He sent it crashing onto the Prinplup's belly as it sputtered, before falling unconscious.

"... R-rockruff. You…"

"Saved your butt!" the puppy barked, wagging his tail and running to the primate's side. "Now get up! We gotta keep fighting!"

"... Well said, heh."

"I'm done playing around!"

After the Earthquake ended, Rhyperior started moving, and like a charging Bouffalant, he was faster than initially thought. He held up an arm as he rushed towards them, tiny circular rocks forming from his arm's mouth and being ejected at alarming speeds at the pair. The ones sent to Gloria missed and shattered on the ground, but the ones hurdling Liam's way were something seemingly unavoidable to any other Pokemon.

The Riolu's aura activated at this moment, electricity shooting up his spine as he honed in on this reaction. He kicked up sand, arms and legs shifting in tandem to dodge rocks that flew past him. All but one escaped his dance of survival, exploding into his chest as he wheezed in pain from its power.

Another Aurora Beam from Gloria slammed and froze the chest of Rhyperior, ice instantly crumbled as he shifted attention to the Vulpix. Another roar bellowed from him as he slammed his two arms onto the ground again, this time causing a split in the earth, spikes of rock erupting from it and barreling towards Gloria.

She was too slow to react and was sent launching by a pillar that formed under her. Liam realized her predicament and took out a Stun Seed from his saddlebag, hurling it at Rhyperior before he could approach the fallen Ice-type. The seed popped upon touching his rocky plates and released bolts of yellow static that restricted his movement, reducing him to mere growls and twitches.

Liam bolted after Gloria to lift her head off the sand, her weakly looking up as he offered her an Oran Berry to munch down. She scarfed it down and leapt back up to her paws after feeling its effect, greatly shocking Liam at her tenacity. They exchanged looks between them and the snarling Rock-type that stared back, waiting for the paralysis to wear off.

A hasty nod between them said everything.

Gloria sprinted towards Rhyperior and expelled another beam of frozen energy at his stationary legs, cocooning them in solid ice as she ran under him. Liam was right behind her with his outstretched paws glowing a bright purple. However, the Stun Seed's effect on Rhyperior wore off, and the behemoth of a Pokemon retaliated by attempting to slam the incoming Riolu in his path with his arms.

Liam's aura activated as he pivoted to the right, avoiding the impact and finally reaching his target. His two Force Palms smashed against the ice, breaking it and also impacting the Rock-type's unprotected areas. Immense pain rattled Rhyperior, but he still was standing, and was eager to deliver payback.

Above a rooftop left unscathed by Charizard's flames were a group of Rose Clan members releasing attack after attack onto the seemingly endless supply of Pokemon still appearing by flashes of Entercard all over the shrine.

"How fuckin' many are there?!" yelled a Dragonite.

"They're all over the place!" a Fraxure to his left screamed back. "We're gonna need backup right away, or we're screwed!"

"You got the 'screwed' part of that right," a Liepard behind them nonchalantly said. "Say, have you guys seen a wickedly handsome Zoroark crawl out from one of those cards?"

The group turned to face this Liepard just as a burst of white light enveloped the feline, quickly fading away to reveal a smirking Zoroark standing in its place. It raised it arms and cackled maniacally as a shockwave of dark and purplish energy washed over the group of mercenaries, knocking them to the ground and bringing them in and out of consciousness.

Roark fled the scene of his misdeeds and expertly slid down the clay building, dashing on all fours to his next set of victims. "Ha! Had to give 'em to the ole Night Daze illusion combo!"

Moments like that allowed him to relive a part of his life he hadn't seen or done in years. He felt alive as he leapt from broken pillar to pillar, almost for a moment believing he was back in the Rescue Society, or back to his days as a thief escaping from guards.

Purpose found again, it felt like.

Shadows appeared from above as he dashed into an alleyway. His smiling muzzle looked up to see a new group of Pokemon staring down on him from the rooftops. Yet, there were no breastplates covering them, only bundles of cloth wrapped around their body and face. Mercenaries these weren't, but bandits they certainly were to his eye.

"C'mon, let's fight! Thief to thief!" Roark beckoned to them with a large grin.

The challenge of battle was accepted as a Furfrou and Heatmor dropped down to face him. They wasted little time as they went in for the attack, the Furfrou's jaws extending for a Crunch as its Heatmor companion spewed bits of Flame Bursts at the Zoroark. Roark, of course, saw this coming a mile away as he danced around these actions.

Despite the severity of the operation, it felt like an old game to him.

Roark grinned as he bounded towards the Furfrou and delivered strike after strike of his Night Slash. The canine responded by attempting to barrel into the fox, not succeeding as Roark swerved out of the way in a frolicking manner. Yet, even his swift movements held a degree of aged slowness, which the Furfrou capitalized on. Gnashing teeth were then clamped down on Roark's leg, and while painful, it gave him the perfect position to pummel his opponent.

Before he could even think of a move, he caught the faintest glimpse of a white flushed orb flying past into his peripherals and shattering on his shoulder. A flash of pure white consumed Roark's vision, thrashing to shake free of both his blindness and the strong jaws that held him still. A cracking noise resounded from the rooftop above as Roark let out a sudden cry of pain. As the Luminous Orb's effect faded away, his bewildered gaze shot to his leg held by the Furfrou.

A sizable bullet wound was spotted gushing blood down his trembling leg. His eyes widened at the sight, fur standing on end as he used all of his force to push the shaggy Normal-type away before another shot from above could seal his fate. He succeeded in shoving the Furfrou off, adrenaline keeping his impaired leg stable in standing as he backed away to assess the situation.

This was more dire than initially thought.

"ENOUGH!"

Wooden planks and other bits of clay and stone exploded out of an abandoned house as Rhyperior stormed through it like it was nothing. His tail's club demolished more walls as it swung madly. There were noticeable chips and cracks in the Rock-type's plated armor, his enraged eyes darting to any peek of the small duo as they ran behind the building.

Their war had been going on for minutes, bringing them closer into the village itself. Liam and Gloria found themselves getting more and more tired, breaths labored and panting as they prepared for the next bout of heavy attacks. They knew victory was possible and in their sights, yet getting there was still something they would have to overcome.

Rhyperior eventually smashed the entirety of the structure as he stormed out, just as another Blast Seed detonated in his face, thrown by Liam. He took his fuming revenge by wildly charging towards the Riolu, swinging his arms like a madman and damaging nearby homes as Liam ducked and weaved to the best of his aura abilities.

One good unavoidable blow to the Riolu's back was enough to ground him completely. As he struggled to get up, Rhyperior turned his attention to Gloria as she squared him off from this opposite end of the village road. Holding up an arm, his angered expression turned into concentration as a smell pebble floating in front of his cannon began to grow larger and larger.

Gloria took notice of this and bolted from her open position. She attempted to avoid any place of hiding for the villagers, sprinting and jumping to find cover from this daunting attack. Rhyperior's arm tracked her through each movement, teeth gritting as the floating stone in his cannon morphed into a gigantic boulder. Feeling the time was right, and seeing her visible, he pulled back his arm and fired it.

His Rock Wrecker sailed across the road and annihilated any house or other edifice in its path of destruction The boulder collapsed into pieces after striking a second home and toppling it over, revealing the woozy looking Vulpix taking cover behind it. Bits of stone from the attack sliced into her fur, and she stood on wobbly legs that threatened to crumple any second. Rhyperior grinned murderously at this as he stomped his way over to her, ready to deliver the final blow.

"GLORIA!"

Liam stood on his hind paws, an outstretched paw raising to sky and holding a purplish Wonder Orb - a One Hit KO Orb. Gloria would tiredly lock eyes between him and the encroaching Rhyperior as he lifted his arms into the air one last time. Liam threw the orb as hard as he could towards his partner, where time seemed to slow down.

Gloria focused on the Wonder Orb as it descended from the heavens and began falling between herself and Rhyperior. A split second decision occurred to her in the blink of an eye and she formed the most powerful Aurora Beam she could muster, discharging it directly at the mid-air Wonder Orb. The twisting beam of energy shattered the orb just as Rhyperior brought down his arms. A purplish aura then coiled around the Aurora Beam as it continued on its course and collided into Rhyperior's chest. Freezing ice spread across his entire body like all consuming fire. Gloria never relented her attack until the Rock-type was completely frozen solid, unmoving.

Silence filled the area as she finally gave up to catch her breath, staring at her work.

The statue of ice that was Rhyperior remained still, his twisted grin petrified behind transparent blue walls. Cracks then appeared in the ice as the statue shook and shook, before slowly collapsing to the sound and crumbling to chunks of hail with a loud thud. Rhyperior himself was freed from his icy prison, lying flat on his stomach, knocked out cold.

Liam and Gloria immediately exchanged looks of disbelief, before overjoyed smiles of relief crossed their muzzles. It was a shared reaction as the Pokemon of the village emerged one by one out of their hiding spots to check their fallen antagonizer. They cheered relentlessly with many rushing to greet and thank their heroes.

Garchomp took her weighted foot off a swiftly defeated Houndoom and surveyed the land, aided by her two teammates by her side.

They were not losing, but they were not winning either. From her limited perspective, and the sounds of battle reduced to only small bursts of action from both sides, they seemed to be in a stalemate. Her team trudged over to the walls of a ruined building, taking peeks beyond it at the force of Rose Clan members behind it.

They perched themselves behind makeshift cover and on rooftops, making sure none of the opposing side could charge through. With this deadlock, Garchomp knew it was only a matter of time before their reinforcements would arrive.

"What's the plan, lass?" Aggron harshly whispered.

"The others we get, and we storm their defenses, I say," Tyranitar said.

"And get blown to smithereens by their rifles and attacks?"

"It's a thought, metalhead."

"Nah, I think I know what to do," Garchomp whispered back. "Give me the saddlebag. And do you know where Team Moonlight is?"

Aggron heeded her command, tossing it over. "Just around the corner. Charizard is restin' his lazy bones, though."

"Tell them we need to combine our powers, and give these mercs something they don't expect."

She quickly opened the saddlebag, sifting through its contents with her talon until she found three important accessories at the bottom. A smirk crossed her features as she looked up at the two, who knew exactly where this was going. Garchomp pulled out her own personal trinket, admiring the Mega Stone etched into it. While she and her crew began to affix them to their bodies, she heard a peculiar noise from above as she looked up, her jaw almost falling to the floor at what she saw.

Piercing through the white cloud in the sky was a green serpentine-like dragon with yellow symbols stretching along its narrow body. Its ravenous maw and two armed claws were outstretched as it descended rapidly towards the shrine below it, eyes full of anger. White energy built up in its mouth, before it unleashed a weakened Hyper Beam upon the remaining Rose Clan members stationed on the rooftops, more than enough to knock them out clean.

"T-that's a… Rayquaza!" Garchomp stuttered in amazement, gazing up again. "There's more!"

Gliding through the blue skies was an entire band of flying Legendaries', from all kinds. Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Latios, Latias, Lugia, Reshiram, Zekrom, Lunala, and many others of the same species. They encircled the Shrine of Landorus and began to swoop down to attack, specifically targeting the Pokemon wearing breastplates or cloth wraps with rapid strikes of attacks.

It was like Arceus himself bestowed a miracle upon them in Garchomp's eyes as she simply observed with a childlike glee. She and her team could only watch in incredulity as the Legendaries' made short work of the mercenaries and bandits all around them.

Liam munched on an Oran Berry as he observed Gloria from afar, watching the weak and disheveled looking Pokemon of the village crowd around her to give their support and thanks. She had a permanent smile glued to her face while she handed out containers of water to the needy villagers, taken from their saddlebag.

This was apparently Debilis Village, a relatively unknown place home to the sick, the dying, and the forgotten of the Grit Region. There was no way these Pokemon could have defended themselves from the Rhyperior, so them appearing was like a miracle to the residents.

He still hadn't gotten over how she ran from their primary mission to do something like this, and that they succeeded by the skin of their teeth. He wasn't angry, only surprised by her actions. But he didn't want to be surprised, because this felt like something she always wanted to do. Finishing his vitalizing meal, he made his way over to her as she finished handing out supplies.

He stopped just a foot from her. "Hey."

"... Hey," she responded quietly.

Liam stepped forward to bring her into a friendly embrace, Gloria melting into it as she inhaled and exhaled from this comforting feeling. Their hug ended moments later as they broke away, still smiling ear to ear to each other.

"Can't believe you did this," Liam said with a shake of his head. "Not that I'm complaining."

"... I said I'd show you."

"You sure did, heh. If only Roark was here to see it…"

Gloria looked around, "The, um, villagers said some Council guards will be arriving soon to arrest the Rhyperior and guard the village."

"Should we wait here in case more of these guys show up?" He patted his saddlebag. "I'm still saving a Doom Seed with one of their names possibly on it," he teased.

"No, they can take care of things and protect these Pokemon. We can go back to our mission now, but…" She pointed a paw to an ordinary house alongside the village road. "The villagers said the Rhyperior was trying to find the Pokemon in that house, but it hasn't come out since, so…"

Liam placed a paw on her shoulder. "I'll go check up on 'em. You keep doing you out here."

Her heart swelled with pride. "... I will. Thanks."

Liam broke away and began treading the dusty trail further into the village. He walked past ailing Pokemon either coughing uncontrollably or stumbling around in their attempts to walk. It was truly a place that housed the unfortunate souls of this land, and he would be lying to say it didn't break his heart or shroud it in anger to see this around him.

Nearing the unassuming residence, he lightly knocked the clay building's wooden door with an enclosed paw. A few seconds later, a clicking noise was heard as the door became slightly ajar, two sets of eyes appearing from the darkness visible inside.

"... Who… Who are you?" a hoarse voice uttered, looking at the Riolu's black scarf wrapped around his neck.

Liam cleared his throat, smiling at the pair of eyes. "Hello, sir. My partner and I are members of a guild, and we just now took down a Rhyperior that was harassing the village and looking for you. Are you, uh, in any danger from these Pokemon, sir?"

"... You-"

The voice and set of eyes cut off as the door now swung open fully, revealing the weathered appearance of an old Nidoking. Liam stood awkwardly in the doorway as he was seemingly given entry to step in.

"Come in. Please."

The Riolu did just that as he ambled inside. Despite the small size of it, the abode of this strange man was quite homely. The floor was carpeted in red, yellow, and orange fabric, frazzled and discolored in some places.. Dusty dressers, tables, and other objects were neatly lined up against the walls. A bed was positioned in the middle of the sole room of the home, sunken in and deflated almost. The air was quiet and dry inside, the scent barren and almost nonexistent. The glimpses of light coming in from the windows blocked by curtains illuminated the room in paleness.

There was something to this place that irked but also intrigued Liam. It felt like a home lost and left abandoned.

"Can I get you anything? Food? Drink?" the Nidoking asked as he shuffled past the Riolu.

"Uh, nah I'm fine, thank you."

Liam's wandering attention was drawn to something resting on a stand that was covered by other dust covered objects. He walked over to grab it, noting that it was a small framed painting of something. It depicted a smiling Pangoro next to an equally smiling Nidoking standing behind a dark backdrop with fuzzy neon blue lights in the corners of the sketch. Yet, the strangest part was how strange the 'painting' looked, as if it was too detailed for it to be drawn.

"You asked if I was safe?" the Nidoking suddenly questioned, sitting on his bed with a haggard sigh.

Liam turned around, quickly putting down the object of his interest. "S-sorry, sir! And yeah… my partner and I wanted to know if something was wrong."

The window lighting that struck his bed revealed the bags under his eyes, and the two clawed scars dotting his purple arms and chest. "That Rhyperior… I believe it was sent by the Rose Clan."

Liam's eyes popped with surprise. "Really? How do you know?"

"... They came here once before, almost a week ago. They came here to see me specifically, and tell them about a place."

Gears were shifting around in Liam's head as he began to realize what 'place' he was talking about. "That place… Would that be Regi Castle, sir?"

Nidoking looked at him strangely. "You mentioned you were part of a guild, correct?"

"Yeah. The Cosmic Quilt Guild. We're from Empyrean City!"

The Poison-type's expression soured, but kept his gaze. "Your guild, is it attempting to investigate Regi Castle?"

Liam nodded, "That's what our reason is for taking an expedition here. But those Rose Clan members took control of it and now we have to take it back from them," he said with a confident clench of his paws.

"It never ends…" Nidoking murmured wistfully. "The Serperior came here, threatened the lives of the children I care for and look after in this village… all for information about that awful place." He growled. "Sick, rotten Pokemon."

"That's awful, but... how do you know all that stuff? And why did they go to you specifically?"

Nidoking scrutinized the young Riolu's curious expression, before looking down "There was a time when I was… important. Pokemon would heed my beckoning, travel to places in search of things that always eluded us. I was an instrument of combat and progress to those above me, all for this greater good we attempted to find."

"So like a leader or commander?"

"... Yes. Something like that." He sighed once more. "But that time is over, by my own claws. Now I live in hiding here, away from home and the Pokemon I knew, waiting…"

Liam found his words subtly hitting close to him, a wave of sadness washing through him. "Waiting for what?"

Nidoking looked back at him. "For my mistakes to catch up with me, for my past demons to emerge and deliver what was owed. I escaped that place, that life, but it never did leave me. It's inevitable that I face it, and accept whatever punishment I am granted."

Silence fell in the room as Liam absorbed his words.

"... Riolu. Whatever the guild does, the secrets below that fortress cannot fall to this Rose Clan or any other being that has terrible intentions for this world. Do you understand that?

"... I understand, sir." Liam looked to the home's entrance. "I think I should, uh, go now."

"Thank you," Nidoking said gently. "It felt good to chat with another peacefully."

As Liam quietly walked to the door, he suddenly stopped, sensing his body jolt from an electrifying feeling. Blue and yellow spirals briefly shot across his vision as the familiar and gruff voice from before echoed throughout his mind, creating a chill up his spine.

'You will have to pay for your father's mistake, just like I did.'

He thought it was gone the day previously, yet here it was again, taunting him.

Nidoking noticed Liam's lack of movement. "Is there something on your mind?"

"... No. Goodbye, sir."

"Goodbye, Riolu."

Liam approached the door and swung it open, briefly standing in the doorway. He let loose a weary sigh, before stepping into the daylight. He shut the door forcefully, the air released blowing away some of the dust accumulating on an armband resting on a dresser beside the doorway, yellow lines coming out of its center.

"Ah! Fuck!"

"Just hold still! And stop swearing!"

"You try holding still or not swearing after getting hit with a bullet!"

Braixen breathed out an air of frustration as she poked her needle one last time through the Zoroark's skin, bringing it out again and stitching together the ruptured flesh. Taking a moment to analyze her work, she nodded and placed her sutures back into her kit, standing up to face the grimacing muzzle of Roark.

"Luckily, the bullet went straight through, and these stitches will work… for now. I'm afraid you will have to get them looked at by Hatterene when we return back to guild, as I am not as skilled or have the best equipment," Braixen admitted shamefully. "To temporarily combat the pain, I advise you to consume small amounts of Oran or Sitrus Berries whenever this region flares up."

Roark shot her a grin as he reached into his mane to bring out a flask. "Way ahead of ya. Any excuse to scarf down berries is one I'm behind."

"Don't pour your alcohol on that wound again. It will slow the healing process."

"I won't, I won't! Sheesh, you're like my little sister."

Braixen gave a small smile at his comment, but lost it as she picked up her saddlebag of medical supplies. "Now, I have to help the many others here, so please do not disturb me."

Roark watched in amusement as the fire fox nearly jogged over to a makeshift encampment built in the middle of the shrine's square. It held dozens of other injured Pokemon after the battle was over, friend and mercenary alike. It seemed almost a miracle that zero lives were lost during the operation, but he believed that was attributed to the Legendaries' interception.

He took a hearty sip of his liquor as he tested his bad leg, wincing at the pain that came with having to actually walk with it. With a grumble of curse words under his breath, he managed to hobble over to the other guild members standing around. All of them were either engaged in chats with their teammates over the battle, or gawking at all the Legendaries' perched on building rooftops and watching them.

Monferno was one of the few that wasn't doing either, standing by his lonesome and lettings his mind wander aimlessly. But any thoughts he had in his mind were suddenly scattered when a pair of crimson claws belonging to Roark landed on his shoulder.

"Hey, you should see Braixen over here," Roark said as he elbowed the primate. "Like a damned head doctor with a million patients in her clinic."

"I know. It's awesome… for her." Monferno went back to staring into space

"... What. You're not gonna mention my messed up leg? C'mon!"

The Fire-type glanced over, snorting. "What is there to say, really? It completes the old man look."

Roark laughed merrily, taking another swig of his flask. "There ya go - don't act so down! This is our moment right here!" He emptied the flask, sighing. "We're heroes… sorta."

Monferno observed the motions of his friends and colleagues talk away their experiences in the battle, the thrill and smile that never seemed to wipe across their faces. Everyone accomplished something in this first battle against the mercenaries. Everyone around him felt like they contributed to something that improved them, made them feel like a hero.

So why did he feel none of that right now? Why did he feel like a stranger here?

There was quite a commotion as new Pokemon began to arrive into the square - the Pokemon rescued from below the shrine's depths. Many were worshippers of Landorus, and once their faces met sunlight, they almost stopped and dropped to their knees to pray for thankfulness. Yet, there was one Pokemon that caught Monferno's eye as Leafeon stood by her side and escorted her out.

Shaymin.

The Grass-type was beyond unkempt as she stumbled out into the square. Her green and white fur was muddy and washed out, still showing the burns of flame that Braixen scorched her with. There was a swelling, purple bruise on her right temple, and multiple lacerations sliced into her skin and fur. Her eyes lacked the usual arrogance and rebellion, instead dullened and staring off into the distance.

He couldn't help but stare at her, either out of his still lingering anger towards her, or some form of pity. He stared until she stared back at him, and that's when a new feeling seemed to emerge between them both - forgiveness. With a mutual nod, they sealed away any past problems.

Across from the Shrine of Landorus' square, Team Drarosteel and Team Moonlight congregated near the shrine's entrance, discussing the details of the chaotic operation.

Garchomp couldn't keep the smile off her muzzle. "I've spoken with one of those Legendaries', and they claim they're here because of Ho-Oh, that they came here to rescue Landorus. I guess it was just perfect timing for us." She chuckled, watching the mythical Pokemon begin to take off into the skies. "Man, it makes me feel like a little girl again. You only dream of something like this happening."

"Just another day in Team Drarosteel, I say," Aggron said with a smack of his chest.

"Indeed," Scizor added, giddiness of his own creeping into his stark voice. "I wish we could have explained more of our involvement to them, and their ancestors, but this is a very spectacular moment."

"Enjoy this moment," Jackson said as he stepped into view, crossing his arms behind his back. "From now on, there will be no distractions from the primary mission."

Garchomp scoffed "You can't even be happy that we rescued your own member along with multiple other innocents? This was needed."

"... I'll be happy when we have gathered what we came here for in the first place."

"Forgive me for wanting to help Pokemon in need," Garchomp growled, baring her teeth at him.

Scizor glanced at Garchomp with worry, bringing attention to himself. "We will get right into our operation on Regi Castle, Guildmaster. There will be no more distractions."

"Good. With the Rose Clan weakened, we're in striking distance now. One more assault on that fortress and this war will be over, and the second location ours."

Krokorok stood as stiff as he could, feet straight and only slightly twitching. His gaze swept across the abandoned town, watching gusts of desert wind blow sand and other bits of the deteriorating town's debris into the air. He swallowed the dryness in his throat, biting in his lip in both anticipation and nervousness.

All he could do was continue to wait.

Suddenly, an explosion of orange light materialized in front of him. An Entercard appeared along with two shadows standing atop it that became more clear as the light faded. They stepped away from the card and neared Krokorok, revealing themselves as breastplate wearing Houndoom and Roserade respectively.

"Lord Krokorok," the Roserade spoke regally. "It has been one day since your ambush against the Razor Claws. I do not see them here in bindings… Yet the plan has succeeded, yes?"

Krokorok bent his head, "No, Lord Roserade. There was confusion among my fighters and the capture was not obtained. I am… the only survivors that wasn't captured or killed."

"... That is very unfortunate to hear. Princess Serperior will be very displeased with this news."

The Ground-type shot back up. "She will, but there's something gravely important I overheard the two captains speaking of."

"And what would that be?" the Houndoom probed.

Krokorok looked up and past the two, staring at the two rifle barrels glinting in the sun on top of a cliff overlooking the town, just waiting for him to mess up. "There's an alliance being formed between the Razor Claws and the Alignment. One that is designed to take down our influence in the region."

Roserade was taken aback by this information. "This alliance, are you sure of its existence?"

Krokorok nodded, "Yes. I… I also have information of where a meeting between the two captains and other officials of the Alliance will take place in the Grit Region."

Houndoom and Roserade exchanged looks of apprehension, before looking back at Krokorok.

"Come with us right now. If this is true, then Princess Serperior will need to act right away," the Grass-type said. "We are already facing reports of the Shrine of Landorus being attacked."

Krokorok stepped forward and headed to the Entercard with the two others. Their departure was hasty, and in a few seconds, the trio were gone with an eruption of orange luminosity. Reticence took over the desolate mining town once more, only to be broken by a sharp laugh.

Weavile and Bisharp stepped out of a dilapidated shack, just a few feet away from the meeting that took place moments before. Weavile laughed to herself again as she whistled loudly into a claw and waved it around the town's houses. Scores of her own mercenaries then began to trickle out of these homes and got to work.

"You think this will work?" Bisharp asked her as he knelt down.

"It's my plan, so yeah it will," she said smugly. " I know the snake will be so upset and will take it upon herself to get me, especially if she thinks we're in cahoots with the Alignment now. Then we enact your own plan. Tell me, will that work?" she asked mockingly.

He reapplied more bits of cloth around his wounded leg, cringing at the small amount of blood oozing from behind the dented metal. "If she and her guards are distracted at this 'meeting' of ours, then we can slip into that fortress and find what they're looking for. At the same time, we could take her down with our own little ambush."

"... We just had to bury our own comrades, so it only makes sense for her to bury hers as well." Her scowl turned into a small smirk. "Course… she doesn't actually give a fuck about the Pokemon around her."

"Glad to see I'm with such a big heart."

She looked at him. "And what's your takeaway from this? You really aren't gonna try and scold me for sparking this war?"

He looked back. "It's already been sparked - a long time coming with Serperior. I wish there was another way, but we have to do this for the truth of this world. I will not stop until we get it. So yeah, that's my takeaway. And I think you should see it the same, Weav's."

"Yeah, yeah, save me the details."

Bisharp stood up, "I'll speak to our scouts and get them to watch the fortress to see if Serperior or her guards make a move on our spot."

"Oh yeah, ask 'em if they've seen Rhyperior. He hasn't returned yet with that source the Krokorok was talking about."

"Will do, Weav's."

As he walked away, Weavile sighed and watched her mercenaries gather materials and get ready for their own big surprise to the Rose Clan. Her gaze eventually settled on two Pokemon far outside the ghost town.

Gallade marched across the sands towards Heliolisk, the Electric-type staring off into the distance, clearly bothered. He approached him without making so much a sound, mouth opening and closing as he wondered just what to say.

"How are you feeling?"

"... Fine, I guess," Heliolisk responded, rubbing his face with his claws. "I just… I just can't get that image out of my head, you know? That Druddigon getting…"

"We can talk about it if you want."

"No, I don't." Heliolisk turned to glare at him. "Why did you do it? Why did you tell them our mission here?"

"Heliolisk, you know I needed to get their-"

"You saw how all those Pokemon got mowed down like it was nothing! And now we're supposed to get their trust and work together with these murdering bastards!? How are we going to tell the commander or the Allfather about this?"

"We'll find a way out of this. Trust me."

"I… I need to be alone for a bit."

Heliolisk stumbled off into the vast desert as Gallade watched him, wanting to follow him. He ultimately sat down on the sand instead, frustrated with how his partner and best friend was acting.

"Is he going to be a problem?"

Gallade glanced over his shoulder to see Weavile standing behind him. "No. He's just a bit… rattled from what happened. I promise he won't do anything to jeopardize your plans with Regi Castle."

"Do I need to be worried about you? Especially with that Mega Bracelet?"

Gallade shook his head. "I will not fight you, as it does not benefit us." He slipped his armband over the bracelet on his arm. "And thank you for allowing me to wear it. It is special to me."

"And how special is it?" she asked with a smirk. "Allfather give that to you for being such a good pet?"

"... It was a gift from a dear friend. One that is no longer with us."

"Isn't that cute." Weavile crossed her arms. "I have stuff and other trinkets I still carry with me when I had friends of my own, trusted partners and teammates." Her piercing glare into Gallade hardened. "I didn't ask for what happened to me to happen, but here we are."

Her words were harsh and intended to bite him, but he couldn't feel that way.

"... I didn't ask to be born into this world, to live this life that I was given. None of us back home did," Gallade murmured, a tear escaping him, which was wiped away. "But we were, and we made the best of it."

"So you're saying you just accept the shitty cards you were dealt?"

"I do not accept it. That is why I and the rest of my brothers and sisters do this willingly." He looked straight up, smiling. "I am so fortunate that I was chosen to see this wonderful world with my own eyes. I wish one day… that I could share this feeling with my children."

Weavile followed his gaze into the vast blue sky. She wondered what trick or delusion he was sharing with her, what tactic of manipulation she expected from Pokemon like him. Her burning desire for this revenge seemed to be always present in her mind, but this moment right here made her think of something different.

Her future past all of this.

You were not asked to be born into this world, and yet you have lived this life you were given. What do you make of that?

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Next Time: Deception