Albia- Hall of Albia
The city of Albia was begun to slowly thrive ever since the Alpha Alliance has reclaimed it a few days ago. Citizens have been returning to their homes, and the process to rebuild has already begun. It would be a long time before the city would see it's status return to the way things were before the invasion, but for the first time in years, many were hopeful. Some were even happy. Generals Belas and Hazone have kept the citizens safe. Though the Gold Tribe has left to find the Gold Crystal, the armies of the Alpha Alliance continue to protect the re-conquered cities of Albia, Eternity City, Shine City, and Gravel City.
But although it appears that all goes well on the outside, the two Generals sit across a round table, a map with markers on top of it, and sweat dripping off their faces, more anxious than they've ever been. A young Tailow breathed heavily besides them, a scout who had just returned from Cape City with news most dire: By the end of that day, the Sentinels were going to issue a kill-all order.
The Generals had agreed to wait a week before marching conventionally on Cape. The large amount of displaced refugees that resided in Cape would mean that if they were to fight the Silver Tribe and act as a normal invasion force, there would be casualties, an unacceptable amount. That was the reason the Gold Tribe were to go on ahead and figure out a different way. Needless to say, with the new bit of news received, the plan has changed.
"What do we do, then?" Hazone asked his fellow General, examining the map of Valkaria.
"You know what we have to do, Hazone." Belas replied grimly. His tone was stern, but also sorrowful. He didn't want to do this as much as anyone else.
"If we march on Cape City as is, so many would die!" Hazone yelled back. Belas slammed a leg onto the table, looking angrily into the eyes of his Dragonite comrade.
"Do you think I don't know that!? What other choice do we have?! If we don't march tonight, everyone will die!"
The two Generals looked deeply into each others eyes. None wanted to do what was next, but they knew if they didn't act, the consequences would be even more dire. It was decision time, and although they hated to do it, sometime the Generals had to make unpopular calls if it was for the greater good. General Hazone turned to leave, heading for the door as he spoke back to Belas.
"I'll give the army the order. We march on Cape City immediately."
***
Lair of the Madman - Veletra Rescue Group
"Well," Gallant began, placing his hand on his chin as he tried to find a way to answer Allora's question mildly. "A few of my students did survive. But honestly, what you see here is what's left of us. That battle at Cape...and that last battle at Gold City...it took a lot of us with it..." He lowered his head in remembrance. "Ah, but enough of that now. We shouldn't get saddened over the loss of our brothers and sisters, but rather rejoice at those who still live. Starting with that Veletra person. I'll help ya get her."
Gallant and Speculum followed the others out of the main room and down into more tunnels. Zane nodded to Allora once more after she thanked him once more. While they would rescue that Pokemon, the rest of them would go for the Gold Crystal. As the smaller group followed the Abra, Gallant suddenly stopped as he saw Paladin seem to nearly topple over. "Oi, boy, don't go falling on us just yet. We need you in the battle ahead." He grumpily bellowed. He followed in the back of the part, ensuring that they wouldn't be followed, but also that everyone else ahead was in check. He typically did that as he liked to keep an eye on the younger Gold Tribe members. There was also the fact that he didn't trust the Madman and his followers a single bit. He wanted to ensure they wouldn't try to pull any fast ones on him.
"So, what's the deal with this Veletra anyway?" Speculum asked the others.
***
Lair of the Madman
Zane walked behind the others into the building with the supplies. It was intriguing to look around the various artifacts Penance and his followers had managed to find during their time. He wondered if they were stolen or bought. More particularly, he wondered when this had actually happened. He supposed it didn't matter then, as common courtesy and natural laws of the Alpha Alliance were almost all but abandoned at the start of the war. But still, most of these were brought stolen.
Or bought with blood. Upon a small table, Zane saw emblems. Gold Tribe emblems. He walked in front of them, observing them laid out before him. There were a good twenty, some still bright in color, and all were legitimate. Above these was a plate which labeled these emblems as...trophies. Zane tensed. He didn't know how to immediately react to this. He didn't quite expect that the Madman was able to take down so many of his brothers and sisters during his reign, but the worst of it was displaying them like this. He knew all of their fates. They died, but he added fuel to the fire by putting them on display. And to think, Zane once called Defender brother. He once fought side by side with the Golduck. He was only now beginning to see the extent of his madness.
He observed the other Gold Tribe members. Besides TrueStriker, the others didn't seem to catch wind of the emblems, or maybe they did. Either way, the sight was beginning to disgust him. He had to get out. "Come on. We should go." Zane said abruptly to the others inside. "We need to find the Gold Crystal."
He exited, the others following behind, as he walked with them passed the camp. Guardia, who was analyzing the map outside, saw them and approached Zane in front. "Hey." She said to him.
"Did you copy the map?" He asked her hastily. She replied with a nod. "Would you be able to lead us there?" He asked again.
"Yea, I'm pretty sure I know where it is. You won't believe how detailed he's got everything up here! I mean, how in the worl-"
"Alright, good. Come on, we're going now." Zane interrupted, heading for one of the many tunnels leading out of the lair, and towards the location of the crystal. Guardia looked at him oddly, then replied.
"Shouldn't we wait for that Leon guy to help take us there?"
"We don't need him. You can get us there."
"What? But...what if we get lost? I mean, I was only there as a child. Besides, I only have a rough idea where it is...they can lead us more directly."
"I know where it is." Zane said plainly. Guardia gave him a blank look of confusion, as did a few of the other Gold Tribe members. "I've known for a while. Granted, I don't know the way there, but I know where it is precisely. How it looks. The location around." He stared at them as he decided to explain for the first time to them, hoping he wouldn't sound crazy. "I've been having dreams. Vivid dreams. I've been having them for a while now. Sometimes they're of a battle that seemed to have happened, other times they're of some other occasion. I had a dream...a dream that a Garchomp named Galleon traveled through these tunnels before and tried to find the Gold Crystal."
"Galleon. You mean Emperor Galleon? Of the Order of Neoverse?" Sword and Shield inquired, to which Zane nodded. "But that was 100 years ago."
"I know. I don't know why it is happening. All I know is, I saw Galleon enter the underground tunnels in a battle that supposedly took place all those years ago. I saw where he went, like I was there following him. I saw him enter a part of the cavern where a bright object was. I'm pretty sure it was the Gold Crystal." He looked across the faces of some of the others as he said this, wondering if they could accept the ludicrousness of it.
"I don't know, Vigil. I mean, dreams? I've never heard of anything like that. What if all these were are dreams?"
"I think you should listen to your young leader." The Keeper said to the others, a smile across his face. "The world works in mysterious ways. It is not unnatural for such actions to occur. Especially through powerful Psychic forces, for example."
"Well, Ok..." Guardia finally accepted. "I suppose stranger things have happened. But why not wait for that Leon guy?"
"He's a killer." Zane said to them grimly, a frown on his face. "They're all killers, Guardia. I saw emblems. Emblems of our brothers. They were displaying them like trophies..." Zane clenched his fist. He wanted so hard to punch something, but maintained his composure to keep appearances for the Madman's men around. He remembered TrueStriker's question he asked in his link, and thus remember they had a link in the first place, and spoke through there.
"I know what he's done, what they've all done, and I despise them for it, but I also realize that we can't free the city without their help. Whatever they did in the past, I'm willing to bury that for the moment to save Valkaria. So we'll likely end up getting back here once we secure the crystal. But I'd rather keep as little contact with them in general as possible. We don't need them to babysit us to get that crystal. I feel like this is something we should do on our own."
With that understanding, Zane headed off after Guardia, who began leading them towards the tunnels on the way to the Gold Crystal. As he passed Penance, Zane neither spoke to him nor gave him a glance as the Gold Tribe made their way out of the lair and to their destination. He tried to keep his mind occupied, his thoughts switching now from the acts of the Madman to the real reason they're here. The Gold Crystal. The seemingly last hope of Valkaria.
***
Cape City
"Hmm..." Scar began to think aloud, just as Levina and Snype made their way from the rest of the group. He looked upon the prisoner they had in front of them, deciding it would probably be best to take her away from the main street they were on and secure her. She had some ties with the Madman, and perhaps also the Gold Tribe, which meant she was obviously of some value to them.
"Ancients!" He shouted, as a flock of them ran forward in front of him, ready to be commanded. "Take this prisoner to the dungeon in the Stoneguard. By tonight, we the kill-all order has been issued, kill her along with the rest." The Ancients nodded in understanding, and took away Veletra to the prison.
"Now then..." He said to the other Sentinels still present, as he watched an unconscious Sovereign be taken away, a bit perplexed by what had occurred with him. "We should make the necessary preparations for tonight. I imagine there'll be a few parties who won't quite like what we are going to do, and knowing Cape City, the ears of the enemy are always listening."