[PKMN FULL] Crimson Dawn: A Tale of Conquest (IC)

[Ray Maverick]

The Observatory

16/10/1059

It wasn't known who built the Observatory, or exactly who sat on the throne beneath its Equatorial Room, where the rusty elevator was taking Garland & company. They emerged in the middle of a dark room with a circular glass blue ceiling that allowed the light of the day outside to fall through dully, revealing all the dust that the archaic place had gathered during the centuries. If the one who was sitting on the throne looked up, they would see through the center of the magnificent circular ceiling, which was generated by the Nexus and served as a telescope that allowed a close view of the stars near the solar system.

While the Observatory's origins were unknown, its purpose was clear: to observe celestial events, but also study the climate and the condition of all life within the barrier of Exathor. And if the legends were true, that barrier was raised by the very same Nexus which generated the telescope. The energized barrier that kept all life intact on Exathor distorted the night sky in such a way that determining the position of the stars just by looking at them from the ground was impossible. Perhaps that is why the Observatory was created - so the Pokemon using it could look at the galaxies with a device that pierced through the radiation of the Nexuses. There were shelves around them that once held books containing information, knowledge of both the stars and the earth that the Observatory had amassed. But those shelves were empty now, as Vigil, who had first explored the place and cracked its secrets, had transferred them all to the newly-built at the time Vaults of Reflection, in Union City. In the report that he stored with those files, though, he stated that the amount of knowledge he had found was incomplete.

Vigil said there was another part of the Nexus that held the deeper secrets: the telescope itself. It was so much more than it appeared, but the team of psychics that investigated further only discovered its name, the Eye of the Nexus, and its nature, an ultra ancient supercomputer that operated on an unimaginable kind of power that the psychics could not identify with. Some branded the supercomputer inactive and perhaps broken, but evidence suggested otherwise. Right next to the Eye, there were the handles one would grab to steer it, and on them, there was one button and two lights, red and green, which Zack supposed meant on and off. The green light was on. Once he noticed, a chill went up his spine and he glanced around at the shadows. "L-look, it's on, heh-heh," he chuckled nervously, "h-how long has that thing been on?"

"For as long as we can remember," Garland answered, still holding his star-shaped Gold Tribe insignia high and glancing warily around the room, his eyes trying to adjust to the dark.

"Hm," the Electabuzz said, forgetting his creeps and tapping his foot on the ground and fingering the fur of his neck. "I wonder if it's getting some of the energy it needs to stay active, but not an adequate amount to function fully. Telescope's good to go, though," he said and jumped on the throne, looking through the Eye. He stirred it towards the first star that appeared in the night that was coming; the entire ceiling shifted. "Yep, totally cool."

"Careful now," Garland said irately.

"The Eye reports not only celestial, but terrestrial events," Jacob said in a muffled voice, "the books on the shelves make mention of a second Sundering, two thousand years ago, in addition to the first one, which happened one thousand years ago. I've gone to the Vaults myself, picked up a tape related to the place, and it was stuck. It kept saying those things over and over again."

"It's possible that Yveltal caused that one as well," Zack commented, "but I guess we wouldn't know. We don't know jack about Exathor before the first Sundering, why would we know anything beyond the second?" he chuckled.

But then something cracked in front of the throne Zack was sitting on and he screamed, leaping up from the throne reflexively. There was a pink flare floating in front of the Eye, bursting out at times, then fading lightly, before appearing again. It looked as if a psychic was trying to convey his image but lacked in power.

Garland put his hands on his hips, lowering the insignia and giving the pink flare a strange look of relief. "Jacob, help him out."

"Help who out?" Zack said confused, louder than he wanted.

The Meowstic nodded quickly, jumped on the throne and reached for the flare with his hand. The pink flare burst one last time, before an eerie image emerged from the telescope; the Pokemon looked like an alien. It was pink, with a bell-shaped head, large and widened green eyes and hands that had colorful dots on them. It floated in front of them, its gaze fixed somewhere to the back, rather than at any of them. The Beheeyem's face wasn't familiar to any of them but Garland, but the Gold Tribe knew enough about him.

"Holy molly," Zack let out with his heart up to his mouth, "that's..."

"Hello," the faint image of the Keeper of the Gold Tribe said softly, "welcome to the Observatory... or not. If you do not belong to the Gold Tribe, then consider me surprised you reached here; alas, in my state, I can only do so much for intruders... were my state otherwise, and you stepped in this room to defile, you would already be dead, sir." Zack smirked, staring at the specter with a half open mouth. It sounded like he wasn't addressing them directly. "... but if you are indeed in the golden brotherhood, then you should hear the rest of this recorded messageeewzzz..." His voice twisted and faded for a moment, along with his image. Then he reappeared. His gaze was fixed forward and he spoke words firmly and tonelessly, like a machine.

"Registering into the Nexus Supercomputer. Gold Tribe status confirmed. The Exalted One's presence, verified."

Then he faded, and again appeared. "Initiating recording. Date and time of documentation: year one thousand and fifty one, eleventh day of the twelfth month, six P.M. Condition of the Nexus: mild and in control. My condition: comatose, stable, forever. Proceeding. Garland, if you are hearing this, then you have come again, and things must be dire. I scared you with my absence last time, didn't I? I was gone when you visited last, and I had not programmed the Eye to set intruders apart. What happened is that my mind was in such a state that my physical body dispersed into the crystal over time... truly, a side effect that I had not predicted. If I was not already trapped in my mind, I would feel trapped in the crystal, much like a certain somebody we've known. And I told you it would be wise to keep the place guarded to avoid any catastrophe such as this, but, I know, I know, too much attention. Secrecy is the best security, after the rebellion." The Keeper paused and a muffled sigh was heard. "I digress. You want my help... or perhaps you came here to talk. Whatever it is, get to the Obelisk. Turn the Eye off - it won't function without the crystal at any rate - then collect the crystal from the Obelisk. I hope you visit again... soon. Recording terminated."

The Keeper faded, leaving the company thunderstruck. Only Garland and Jacob appeared to have known already. Sophia looked suspicious, too. Zack poked at Jacob's ear.

"The Keeper was here?" he asked, "why didn't you just tell us?"

"We were not sure," Garland said quietly, "allow me to explain... the truth mustn't be kept a secret any longer. During the first rebellion, when the Emperor and I headed to Alamagna to plan our defense, Keeper, Crown Prince Cyrus and Marigos the Defiler, who was Wise Master at the time, remained in the White Citadel. We trusted Marigos then, but that wretched Malamar... he took advantage of our absence to seize the two crystals that Vigil had brought us, which were housed in the Emperor's collection. Seeing that there was no one else to defend them, the Keeper engaged him; something that our constitution forbids. The Keeper is our only hope of reviving the Tribe, if the rest of us fall, so he has to stay safe at all costs."

"Hey, hey, hey," Zack interrupted, "how come we don't know about this?! That sounds important as f*ck! Sure, we knew that Marigos guy was a traitor... that's what the news said, at least. But they didn't clarify."

Garland stared at the Electabuzz intently. "It is classified information. That is why. Dareon could not allow a breach of security to gain publicity, especially after the Keeper fell into a coma after his efforts to save the crystals, and chiefly because Cyrus was the one who took care of the problem. The rumors cannot be gated, though, and they're true: it was Cyrus who killed the Malamar. He evolved on the spot and strangled him in cold blood. I suppose you deserve to know the truth, now that we have come thus far, and let us not pretend all adults on Exathor will have committed at least one murder."

Zack shrugged, "I see nothing wrong with defending yourself. If anything, the prince would've looked badass."

Sophia said, "ugh, don't be so transparent. Nobles aren't meant to bloody their hands. The story would've harmed the prince's reputation."

"That's past the point," Garland said firmly and coldly, "we are here for the Keeper. Not to chit chat." He sighed, covering his forehead. "When he fell into a coma, I brought him here, knowing that he could utilize the crystal of the Nexus to better defend it, while simultaneously hiding from the public eye. I thought that the crystal would help him... wake up. I was a fool to think so, perhaps. When I visited, a few months afterwards, he was gone, and I assumed he was either lured, or killed, or taken... I had people searching for him without raising too many questions."

He looked to the Eye and the two buttons. Zack nodded. "I understand now," he said, "I fixed Pendro earlier, I'll see if I can fix him too."

Jacob said, "let's get to it," and pressed the red button on the handle of the Eye. The green indicator faded and the red flashed; apart from that, nothing else happened. The Supercomputer was dormant, but the Nexus was still active.

 

[Ray Maverick]

The Emperor
16/10/1059

Last night, it had snowed so thoroughly that when the Emperor woke and looked out the balcony of his quarters, the village was covered in white. The flakes were sparkling under the intense, generous sunlight; the clarity of the sky was the only thing that bode well for the upcoming battle. A battle fought in the snow... a war starting with the winter. Emperor Dareon wasn't afraid of the snow, or Thrace, but it seemed fair to him to question the season their enemies chose to rebel. Not that he complained - a little snow could never get into the way of the Emperor, even if he was buried beneath fifty feet of it. Then he reflected that Thrace was the same as him: the weather was of such low significance to her that it did not matter what season her Crusade started. Maybe if some poor souls froze to death for her victory would amuse her.

The thought made the dragon suck his mouth in in disgust. The sky island belonged to him, not some ancient God who woke up late.

Later in that morning, he met with Lord Kymotonian and Trade Prince Achilles on a small hill within Amoon village; the soldiers had set a table for them under a pine tree, where the air was fresh and cool. Ampharos and Trevenant sat on massive cushions while the Medicham preferred a modest wooden chair. Lord Kymotonian had ordered a bottle of Flame Quiver to be brought and he'd poured Dareon a glass already, and urged Achilles to have one too, but the Medicham shook his head with that friendly smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Thank you, but no. I would much rather drink from the river."

They had a clear view of the river from where they were. A servant went to fetch the Trade Prince a glass of cold water and he downed it in one go while the others were sipping on their fire wine. The Medicham let out a great, satisfied sigh.

"Cold, fresh water! The best beverage," he declared, glancing at the riverside, then back to Lord Kymotonian. "I always loved your county. Nature is at its best here."

He'd also brought one of those apples he liked to eat; once he'd taken a bite, it crunched loudly.

"What in the world is wrong with you," Lord Kymotonian asked Achilles a bit lazily, "drink up some wine, lad. Too much cold water and you'll be counting your next doubloons in hell. Bahaha-hahaha!" the Trevenant used a branch to shook Dareon's shoulder to join in his laughter; the Emperor just smiled forcibly.

"Speaking of doubloons," Dareon said, locking his eyes on the icy Medicham, "am I missing something here, Trade Prince, or will this war turn very profitable for you soon?"

Achilles looked back at him calmly with an emotionless expression. "I am the Trade Prince, Your Highness. Is it not natural for me to seek profit where there is profit to be made? Would I be the Trade Prince for much longer, should I abandoned that search?" He smiled grandly, scratching his chin lightly; Dareon realized in his later years that the cunning image Achilles offered to the Exathian leadership was not to be trusted.

"Rest assured, I am on your side," Achilles said, "why, the economy is prone to collapse thanks to the efforts of a giant death bird, which I am sure would not wish to resume the tradition of the Trade Prince, and therefore, deem my existence meaningless. I would be at an impasse, you see, should all of you gentlemen die."

"That's why you should be drinking," Lord Kymotonian said, "it's the end times! We're all going down, oil guy, drink up!" Dareon could tell he was joking, but he didn't smile. He wasn't here to waste his time with banter.

"Did I hear something about a donation to the People's Militia, Trade Prince?" Dareon addressed him. "And is your brilliant mind available to grant us an explanation for this lousy jest just yet, or shall we have another drink and wait till sundown?"

Achilles joined his hands together on the table and cleared his throat. "I slapped a pretty word on it, do not hang me for it. I did send gold, yes, and along with that, I expressed in a letter to its leader my deep attraction to the idea of the Militia just... giving up."

"And what if they refuse?"

The Trade Prince rubbed his chin again, looking at each of them examiningly. "There is a plethora of ways to turn a man."

They were silent, and Lord Kymotonian glanced at Dareon, who didn't agree with any of this dishonorable mess. But, when their backs were against the tightly shut walls of Union City, and in front of them they had Thrace and the Crusade, perhaps the honorable way wasn't the way to go.

The Ampharos shook his head, wiping his mouth slightly and looking down. "Lord Kymotonian, you will take a walk now. I need privacy."

Lord Kymotonian wasn't one to protest, so he left the table quickly.

Dareon then laid back on his chair, fixing his eyes on Achilles, giving him a dull, unamused look. "After all these years, I am still trying to figure out what quality Ariadne thought you had that I lacked." He glanced around, raising his arms, "was it strength and might? Was it beauty, or was it wits? Now, I'm beginning to think that it is your criminality that she was fond of. You ignore all laws, while I am the one who has to enforce them. You have the freedom to do whatever you want. Did she find that exciting?"

His tone did not reveal distress; he was merely asking. And Achilles merely answered, in the same, cold manner: "I figured it would be so hard for you to accept that you lost to the likes of me." He got up from his chair. His expression was unreadable. "Haven't you got a war to win? Go on, great leader. The Crystal Palace has yet to be liberated, and I find myself itching for the company the icy peaks have to offer, which is, to say, better than the company offered down here." And with that, the Medicham took his apple and was off.
​

​

 

[GastlyGibus]

Thoughts of home
|Cassandra "Peacekeeper" Eldren, Lenora "Seer" Tarikos, and Pendro "Reaching Mind" Malis.|​

"Hum de hum hum... singing a song, singing whilst I work, singing to take my mind off of things. Things like impending doom and death and killing and inevitable faaaaaate-♪ but that's not bad because I'm singing a song, except for that fact that it isn't woooorrkiiiiinnnng-♪ oh, lord, no- that's not how I hoped this would work at all!"

Pendro the Metang smacked himself in the side of the head, berating himself. Somewhat secluded in his 'work-station' - if you could call it that - he seemed to be running away with himself a little. This perhaps became even more evident when he pointed up accusingly at the trees above him.

"Be quiet, Chatot! You aren't helping!"

Lenora walked through the streets, helping organize each Gold Tribe member to their respective tasks. As she went about her work, she passed by the Metang singing to himself, tilting her head in curiosity. She approached Pendro from behind. "What are you up to, Reaching Mind?" she asked gently.

"AAAAAAAGH, HEAVENS ABOVE." The Metang screamed. Unfortunately, gentleness appeared futile. Pendro dropped to the floor, placing his arms over his head protectively.

The Xatu blinked once in confusion, waiting for the Metang to calm down.

"Erm..." The Metang began, after a while of silence. He spoke, but still refused to move otherwise. "Hello..."

"Hello there," Lenora said, keeping her voice calm. She peered over the steel-type, looking at his make-shift workstation. "May I ask what you are doing?"

"Erm... something," Reaching Mind said slowly. "Sorry," He added.

Lenora looked at the Metang quizzically, standing motionless. "Something is a very vague term, don't you agree?" she said, giving a small chuckle. "I am in charge of directing the defense here. I just want to know what you're doing, is all."

"'Something' probably is a bit vague..." Pendro commented.

"Then perhaps..." Lenora started, offering an almost whimsical smile. It was the closest she had come to cracking a joke. "... you'd like to be more specific."

"Perhaps you're right..." The Metang agreed - though he still found himself unable to comply.

The Xatu stared at the Metang. Curious fellow indeed, this one. She smiled lightly, looking over at the work-station, trying to discern what Reaching Mind was working on. "So then... if I am right, then what does that mean for you?" Despite most people's inclination to become irritated, Lenora couldn't help but find Pendro's actions amusing.

"It probably means something..." Pendro murmured, digging his head into the floor slightly.

Lenora chuckled again. "Well, if you're not doing anything, I think that they're in need of an extra hand over by the eastern entrance." She spoke more firmly this time, but still with a trace of whimsy.

"I'm fine on the floor, here, thank you..." Pendro said quietly. "It's not so bad..."

"Lenora," a voice called out. In the distance, Cassandra came running up to the Xatu. "Frederick's militia has gotten to work on retrieving mines for the forest." She looked over at Pendro, who remained lying still. "Why are you on the floor, Pendro?"

"If I remember correctly... it's because of something." Reaching Mind answered.

Cassandra raised an eyebrow, confused. "Isn't that a bit... vague?" she said.

Lenora held out a wing to the Lilligant. "Do not bother asking. I have already tried."

"It's true..." Pendro murmured.

The Xatu brought her wings to her sides again, looking over both Cassandra and Pendro. She was about to speak, when another voice called out.

"Seer! I've found a good place for an ambush!" an Aipom shouted. Lenora looked behind her, seeing the normal-type waving her down. "You want to come give it a look?"

Lenora turned back to Peacekeeper and Reaching Mind. "I must get back to my duties. Peacekeeper, I trust you can find some way to help the others?"

"Absolutely," the Lilligant replied with a salute. With that, the Xatu left. Cassandra looked down at Pendro, the latter still lying on the ground. "So... what exactly are you doing, again?"

Pendro shifted uncomfortably. "I don't really know. I just did the things that I do and nobody stopped me..." He sighed. "I really should do something about that. If I could get up, that would be great."

"Well, perhaps you'd like to help me then?" the Lilligant asked. "The northern team has already gotten to work on securing the mines for your Magnet Rise plan. Now the eastern team needs preparations as well."

"I think I was just about done, actually." The Metang noted, spinning himself around slowly with his claws, making deliberately miniscule movements. After a few seconds of turning, he looked up with a weak smile. "Hello. How's life?"

Cassandra returned the smile with her own. "Oh, you know, preparing for a war. Standard Gold Tribe things. What about you?"

Pendro looked down momentarily. "Much the same. Impending doom and the like. Can't complain." He glanced at his position, noticing he was still grounded. "I really should get up."

"You probably should," Cassandra said, holding out her hand towards the Metang. "Come on. We can walk together... er... or is it float?"

"I... I think the word is float. Magnetic forces are odd things." Reaching Mind floated back up to a reasonable height, before glancing from Cassandra's hand to her face with a quizzical expression.

Cassandra chuckled lightly, withdrawing her hand as it seemed the Metang was ready to go. Together they made their way to the East entrance. All around the city, Gold Tribe and Otori alike were hard at work, preparing themselves and their city for siege. Some 'mon bore expressions of confidence. Others, anxiety and dread. Regardless, they each helped, doing what they could to help.

As the two continued through the city, Cassandra sighed. "All this hustle and activity here... I can't imagine what must be going on in Skyhaven right now."

Pendro returned the sigh, though he smiled slightly. "Thank Arceus you brought it up - I've been thinking just the same. I suppose the fact that there isn't any news is the worst part..."

"Mother must be at her wits' end," Cassandra added. "The Nobles must be having an absolute tantrum over Vektor, I'm sure of it." Her expression grew sullen, adjusting the satchel that hung from her shoulder. "I'll have to write a letter to her after this."

Reaching Mind winced internally, putting the thought that he may not live to see 'after this' to the back of his mind. "I'm sure the Nobles could use just about any excuse to fall into a tantrum. I just hope that the situation there isn't too similar to that in Union City."

"I can't imagine it being any better," Peacekeeper replied. "I mean, for Vektor to pronounce himself emperor? Surely he wouldn't do so without supporters to his claim. I'd consider it a miracle if the entire nation didn't escalate into a full-blown civil war."

Worry creased the Metang's features, and he stopped in thought. "Y-you think so? I, erm... well, it's a possibility- I- I, um... I don't know what I'd... I mean, if I came back and- no, th-that's, uh..."

Cassandra noticed Pendro's unease. Perhaps she shouldn't have mentioned such things. "I don't think Skyhaven would so easily reject Dareon though. My mother is surely backing him, along with many others, no doubt." She looked towards Reaching Mind inquisitively. "Your parents reside in Skyhaven too, right?"

"Yes, yes... retired Gold Tribe, no less. Probably one of the first targets for the public if things went as bad as Union City... it's fine, you don't need to retract your statements just because I'm getting worried; twenty years old and travelling the world, not like I'd be missing my parents or anything like that even in the slightest, I-" Pendro stopped himself, covering his eyes with his hands for a quick second. "Oh, Arceus, I'm sorry - I'm really- that's... that's not meant for you, I'm- I'm being far too..." The Metang sighed. "I'm a little on edge at the moment, I think."

The Lilligant gently placed her hand on Pendro's shoulder. "I think it's safe to say we're all on edge." She gave a weak smile to the silver Metang. "Like I said, though, I can't imagine Vektor having many supporters. The Nobles must be having quite the shouting match." She chuckled slightly, thinking back on her childhood and what she saw of her mother's profession. "My mother was a gentle woman at home, but when she got mad... she got mad. I feel sorry for anybody who gets in her way, especially in a time like this."

Pendro couldn't help but chuckle a little. "W-who is your mother? I may have seen her- read about her, at the very least..."

"She was a representative," Cassandra explained. "Joanna Eldren. A Lilligant, like myself. Her position ensured that she always had a say in political decisions and discussions. I imagine in a time like this, she probably has her hands full."

"Ah, Representative Eldren, a master of, erm... representing things. That explains where you got your, uh, species from, but I suppose- wait, isn't that Tavhir's surname? Heh, odd."

"Well, it's not really odd. We are siblings, after all."

"Er- ah- OH! Erm, huh... yes, that probably would explain it. Uh..." Pendro tapped his claws together nervously. "Did I ever mention that I'm terrible with this sort of thing? Because I am, if you didn't know. Please adjust accordingly. Please. Sorry..."

"It's alright," Cassandra reassured him. "Tavhir is my adopted brother."

"Ah, yes- that, erm... well, it makes a large amount of sense in retrospect." Reaching Mind admitted, smiling sheepishly. "I think I met him once, in one of the libraries - he was there with a Cacnea who called him Tavvy."

"A Cacnea?" Cassandra asked, confused. She thought for a moment, trying to figure out whom Pendro was talking about. "I don't recall Tavhir having ever been friends with a Cacnea..."

The Metang shrugged. "Pretty sure - Tavhir and Irene, Case F3, Shelf 4, eighteenth from the left, ordering 'The Assist Club, Part 2'." He paused to smack himself in the head. "Why did I never get the librarians to pay me for that?"

Cassandra giggled at Pendro's reaction. Try as she might, though, she couldn't think of anybody her brother knew named Irene, nor any Cacneas... "Strange," she said, "you sure that was Tavhir?"

Pendro nodded profusely. "Yep. He introduced himself as Tavhir Eldren. Still a Pawniard. Made that order. Barring extraordinary circumstances, it was him, and in that case it's odd that- erm... oh, er... ah." Reaching Mind laughed nervously. "Erm - no! No, now that I've had time to, erm, reconsider...! I, uh, n-now see that, erm, it was not Tavhir! It was, erm... his brother- uncle- a, erm, by which I mean an entirely unrelated 'mon of indeterminate origin! Not Tavhir at all, no. Th-though you didn't hear that from me... Th-that isn't something that I said. I... erm..." He looked at the floor. "I think I've confused myself."

"That makes two of us," Cassandra replied, scratching her head slightly.

"Just don't say anything! Please. The fate of Exathor might well rest on it... possibly..."

Before Cassandra could reply, they were nearing the east entrance, where a group of Gold Tribe waved them both down. She waved back, before motioning for Pendro to follow. "Well, let's see what our friends have come up with."

Pendro held up a claw. "Erm, can I just-? I mean, one small thing, just a little thing - completely insignificant, of very little consequence: Speaking of the term, er, 'friend'... how - hypothetically of course - is that, erm... defined?" Cassandra ignored his question, making her way over to the others gathered and leaving Pendro behind for a moment.

The Metang blinked once. "... Well, that was rude."

 

[Ray Maverick]

Asaito
... one week ago ...
​

The Greninja had returned to his spot on top of the spike in the plaza. He wasn't in the best of moods; today wasn't off to a good start. And observing the comings and goings in the palace didn't do anything to brighten his mood. The gates of the Citadel were shut by the Sky Guard which had men posted near it. They never opened for anyone. Whatever rations the fortress required - oran berries, or fresh game from Vigil's Forest - were brought in front of the gates in a small wagon, which was thoroughly searched, then it was lifted by a great Aerodactyl, who carried it inside the Citadel. Asaito had thought to stick under the wagon, but it seemed the guards were looking up as it went, so he would be seen.

The fortress was surrounded by a moat of murky waters, Asaito's kind of thing. If he dove there, he would never be seen, and perhaps he could scale the fortress with his sticky feet. But there were sentries atop the towers on the walls that would see him if he scaled the walls; standing all day in this spot, though, he had noticed that the sentry posted on the eastern tower, a Carracosta, seemed to be having his lunch while on duty. A smug grin found its way on Asaito's mouth as he saw the Carracosta installed on the Hyper Beam cannon of the tower, eating handfuls of those chesto berries. He'd noticed only one sack of chesto berries going in with the wagon, and that sack was right next to the Carracosta, helping the sentry quench his endless appetite. The cunning Greninja had already found his way in.

A slippery figure caught his eye in the sunlight. Something was shining across the white plaza. It was a Pokemon, and it was looking at the Citadel; Asaito couldn't tell at first which species, as his eyes were poorly designed to see in the light, so he had to squint in order to see clearly. Even so, he had been taught to detect enemies in the wood. Or Pokemon who stood still, waiting.

The Pokemon in question was an Espeon with shiny fur. From looks alone she didn't look like much. She wore old, modest clothing and even from here one could tell that wherever she had been wasn't scarce of dust and dirt. Even though she appeared like a commoner, she had something royal about her, and the Greninja did not fail to notice. The question came to mind - what was she doing there? She was obviously laying low, making sure to stay out of the guards' sight, but Asaito could see her from his high spot. He squinted his eyes in suspicion, contemplating on what to do next. He had a feeling she had seen him atop the spike.

He jumped from the spike and leaped swiftly at the side of the plaza, jumping over one of the benches close to the street; he landed on it gracefully and crossed his feet, glancing towards her direction; maybe she would get the message and come over to the quiet spot where they could talk.

It was shortly after Asaito took his seat that the Espeon made her way to his bench. The wait for her to arrive was short and once she took her seat, she spoke immediately. "So what makes you so interested in a girl like me?" She asked with a playful smile on her face. The Espeon's voice was light and smooth and her accent was clear enough to tell that it was one from the countryside, but nothing too thick not to understand. Wherever she lived it couldn't have been too far from Union City.

Asaito shut his eyes and snickered, leaning backwards on the bench, an arrogant and mocking air about him. "Interested in you? Pfft. Don't flatter yourself."

There was an almost imperceptible twitch of the Espeon's nose before speaking. Her smile didn't falter. "Then what brought you down from all the way up there?" She asked next, gesturing to the spike above them.

The Greninja crossed his arms and legs nonchalantly, his eyes still shut. "I was only sightseeing," he said carefully, pretending like it wasn't a big deal.

"That's an interesting way to sightsee. They haven't been doing many tours lately, but there's nothing wrong with walking around before curfew. Unless you're feelin' a little shy." Her tone and smile--though slight--were enough to suggest that a lack of comfort wouldn't be the only reason Asaito would make himself so hard to notice.

He opened his eyes and looked at her for the first time. He didn't have time for word games with a stranger! "I saw you," he said, cutting to the chase, "you were looking at what I was looking at," he continued in a cool tone, his voice muffled underneath his pink scarf.

"Looking at what?" The Espeon's eyes widened with curiosity before she looked around for whatever interesting thing Asaito had mentioned. "If you found something new in this boring ol' city then please tell me! I love to sightsee!" She stretched her paw out to gesture to the ground, her worn, turquoise bracelet sliding down her foreleg as she did so. "You know, below the pike."

"Hmph," Asaito let out, scorning her attempt to mock him. "Nothing new about that fortress, Espeon. I know you were looking at it too." His grey gaze was fixed on her, and it wouldn't be so easily fooled. "And you can knock off the dumb act. I've hung out with the likes of you enough to know you've at least some clue what you're doing. I think you're just looking to make a fortune here."

The Espeon giggled at Asaito's comment. "I guess I can't hide that I like a little money, can I?" She moved her V-shaped tail in front of her face, as if to hide from the embarrassing moment. "Sometimes I like to imagine what it'd be like to be gloriously rich. It's a shame I don't have the stuff to get it myself." The Espeon pouted. "Is it the same for you?"

"Gloriously rich? What does that mean?" Asaito asked an insulting manner, "oh, you mean having lots of those golden coins. Nah, I can get by without those. I'm free folk, I don't pay. If I want something, I just take it. It's already mine." He grinned at her wolfishly above his scarf.

"But isn't stealing a little..." The Espeon trailed off. "Boring?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Stealing is easy and you get what you want, but..." She looked at the Citadel. "I'm itchin' for something bigger."

Asaito glanced at the Citadel with the Espeon, then his gaze fell forward, his back turned to the Citadel. "Ambitious, I can dig that..." he muttered in a more serious manner than before. He unconsciously patted his foot with both his hands rhythmically, shaking his head right and left to some song he was reminiscing. He glanced at her and said, "they call me Asaito. Legend of the Murk, or simply Legend, if you prefer. If you already knew that, no wonder you came to me for help." He stood up and turned slightly, so he could look at her and the Citadel sideways. "I'm not in the habit of lollygagging, so let's get on with this already."

The Espeon hopped out of the seat and stood below Asaito. "So you already know a way in?" The 'mon grinned, the devious look a stark contrast to her harmless appearance. "And it's Nadia."

Asaito's sideways look fell on the towers of the White Citadel, devious similarly to the Espeon's. "I know a way in," he said.

 

[KajiVenator]

Nighttime Expedition
Isak Mategu
15/10/1059​

While other members of the Gold Tribe were preparing for the battle to come, Isak had something to do out of town. Under semi-direct orders from a leader of the Gold Tribe, Isak was destined for the swampy area to the north where he would rouse the wild Amoongus. Getting there and back would take a few hours at least, and it was already late in the afternoon, so why dawdle any longer?

Leaving the village was uneventful. The forest was as calm and wild as he remembered, most of its residents blissfully unaware of what would be befalling the nearby village soon. He had half a mind to warn them, but the Pokemon near the village would know to run when they heard the approach of an army of Pokemon. Pokemon in the swamps, however, would not give up their home without a fight, so he ran, through the forest, over fallen logs and mushroom-lined stumps, through mud and grasses to warn them, his endurance lasting even after deciding to stop for a bit.

He took the moment to rest and eat one of his remaining Charti Berries. These berries did not have restorative benefits like the Oran and Sitrus Berries, but what they lacked in medicinal properties, they more than made up, in Isak's opinion at least, with their unique flavor, not to mention that they were the perfect size and consistency for a quick meal.

While he rested, eating his berry, he took in the surroundings. It had been approximately an hour since he left the village, and he was still a while away from his destination. The forest was turning dark, the sky darkening with clouds that blotted out the setting sun. The temperature was starting to drop, an indication of a coming snowfall. This would be an interesting complication, as armies foreign to Amoon and its forests would be hindered by the frozen ground. It was definitely something Isak could and would use to his advantage.

...But using it would require finishing his mission and returning to the village, so Isak finished up his berry and dashed off again. Time flew past as Isak darted past the trees, the consistency of the land slowly becoming less and less solid until he definitely found himself in the midst of the swamps, his small body halfway enveloped in the watery mud, the area darkened from the weather but noticeably lit by a number of Volbeat fawning after an Illumise. Surrounded by the noise of nocturnal Pokemon, Isak began to utter a noise, adding to the myriad of cries which began to die down with his addition.

To a bystander, Isak would have appeared to be shrieking incomprehensibly, much like any wild Pokemon. His intended audience, the populations of Pokemon nearby, would easily understand him however. He spoke simply, warning them of an impending battle that threatened their homes and families. Silence rang through the swamp, until another shriek rang out, Isak identifying it as that of an Amoongus. It spoke of gratitude for the warning, and soon other voices began to chime in, a Murkrow, a Volbeat, a Swanna... eventually, the noise level returned to what it was before Isak spoke up, the residents of the swamp now sounding eager to drive away any threat they may encounter. If not for the warning, they would have been unprepared for an attack... at the very least, they had a warning. They were a tough group of wild Pokemon but Isak doubted they'd survive an army..

He didn't want to think about what would happen to them. He had accomplished his mission now, but he was not returning Amoon just yet. Instead, he ran to the southeast, eventually finding himself in the forest to the east of Amoon.

The area was not likely to be attacked, but Isak needed to ensure its safety before returning to Amoon. He knew where to go, and soon was staring at a round wooden door which was all too familiar to him. Stronger than his last time here, he opened the door, as large as it was compared to him, without much hassle, and jumped inside, the familiar smell of his home reaching his nose.

It was just as he remembered it, even if it was dark at this late hour. The same dirt floor, the same wood and mud walls, the same paw-carved wooden furniture, the same photographs of his family, especially his mother, lining the walls... The only thing missing were his parents themselves.

"Mom? Dad?" He could tell that they were not home, but he couldn't stop himself from calling for them. From his position, he could barely see a jar on the table, so he hopped on to it to investigate, finding that, besides, the jar, there was a paper-wrapped package and also his mother's jewelry box and a paper with his father's familiar writing. He read the note.

Spoiler:

Hello, Isak. Your mother and I have been waiting for you to come by to see us, but we had not seen you around the village. We heard through some of the Gold Tribe occupying it that some Lord Teneth was due at any day with a formidable army at his conmand, so we decided we could not wait much longer for you to show up... if you showed up at all. We are heading to the home of my brother and his family to the west, near the mountains, so, if you want to, you can find us there, waiting for this battle to pass.

Before we leave, however, we are preparing some things for you. They are on the table as well, a jar of freshly harvested Bright Powder, and two things from when your mother was in the Gold Tribe inside her jewelry box. One is her pair of all-weather goggles, and the other is something we know you will find a use for. We also packed you a care package of berries, so make sure to eat them before they go bad.

Your mother is worried sick at the possibility that this note will still be here when we get back, but I know you are going to find this so, please, make sure to take care of yourself.

Stay safe,

-Your Father

Not willing to disrespect his parents wishes, he opened up the box and found himself staring at a fairly large brown and white spherical gem and a pair of goggles. He slid the fairly large goggles on around his ears, and opened the package, revealing a number of Sitrus and Lum berries. Stuffing the package, gem and note in what space was left in his bag, he then turned to the jar of Bright Powder.

It was time to make some bombs, he thought to himself, rushing off to where he remembered his father kept his sulphur. For hours, he worked on his improvised bombs, occasionally stopping to enjoy an invigorating Charti berry, until he noticed that the sun had risen. Though tired from staying up all night, he needed to get back to Amoon before all that was left was flaming rubble, so he slipped all of his bombs into a large sack from his fathers workshop and ran out the door to Amoon, the large bag slowing him down but not enough to stop him.

He had to save his home.

 

[Ray Maverick]

As the night is falling...​

On the sixteenth day of the tenth month, the enemy advanced. The Shukahen troops were moving out of the Crystal Palace, carrying the banners with the Windseer crest, the Umbreon, to the forests south. Ambrose Tempest had climbed to the tallest tree of the village and could see them, commencing this most obvious frontal assault that he could not help but think was clumsy for Lord Teneth. The slick Umbreon, who was known for his deceptive tactics in battle, was going to smash his army on Amoon like it was nothing. Perhaps he correctly assumed that not all of the Otori defenders were gathered in one place; Emperor Dareon had split their forces in two: one that would stay and defend the village (which was led by Ambrose himself) and another one that was going to a place only Arceus knew of. Dareon had said, "have faith in your Emperor," and bid them all to follow him out of the eastern entrance of the village. He wasn't going to go far, apparently, but Ambrose couldn't know what the Ampharos was planning on doing with an army of ten thousand, but he assumed it was to place an ambush.

The sun sunk between the white mountain peaks of Montajo. A dark, threatening snowstorm was raging in the north, floating over the pine forest that separated Telmor with the Otori territory. Tempest chewed on his cheroot, the ominous sky reflected on his eyes. "Thrace's comin'," he muttered.

The Shukahen banners were seen in the forest, raising and falling between treetops. Their airborne troops were flying low and in the back; Exathian Tactics 101 stated flying-types should avoid taking the brunt of a clash by staying out of range till their commander issued the order for charge. Ambrose's eyes fell to the barricades they had raised on the north entrance of the town, between the two rocky hills and at the top of the steep hill their enemies would have to scale to reach them. The entire village was standing on attention behind the barricades and an air of tension breathed through the town with the northern wind. Pokemon, whether they liked the snow, they stood on it, waiting for the enemy.

Ambrose jumped from the tree, landing onto the snow and grimacing with the cold, rather than the fall. He was amidst soldiers now. They were silent, standing in lines around him, Gold Tribe, troops and villagers alike, all ready to defend the village with every bit of the ferocity of the Stygians defending their home land. Ambrose swallowed, put his hands on his hips, spat his cheroot on the ground and pulverized it with his foot. He looked at those around him with an authoritative yet understanding and caring aura about him.

"The enemy advances and you all tremble like leaves," he said, his voice barely audible, but clear. He started walking among the lines, glancing left and right to his brothers and sisters, and the soldiers he commanded. "They've better numbers, you say. Rich and pretentious lords to command them. They have a God's blessing, you say. But I do not fear. And neither should you. For what they have in physical strength and appearances, they lack in conviction and care. But not us. We are the true, honorable Stygians. So maintain vigilance. Keep the line, brothers and sisters, and you'll see, once the storm comes washing over us, we will still be standing, and still will be delivering punishment."
​

 

[GastlyGibus]

Building Confidence
|Cassandra "Peacekeeper" Eldren and Matthew "Punisher" Blaze.|​

As the rest of the Gold Tribe set about barriers and other obstacles for their foes Punisher couldn't help but feel like he was lost in a fog. Yes, he was helping. Yes, he was moving things around and following orders from others like Ambrose as to put what where. Yet... his mind was in another place. There was more than one time when he would accidentally bump into someone else or place an object in an area that had to be free so that the soldiers could run through. Finally, they were all set and everyone gathered as Ambrose gave a, well, rather effective speech.

Punisher could tell that they would go down fighting. Yet... a worry was tugging at his mind. Ever since he started helping with building the barricades he would glance ever so often to try and find Cassandra. She must have been in some other part of the crowd, and now his fear was quickly growing. What if the enemy broke though? What if she needed help and he couldn't find her? He glanced through the crowd again and slowly made his way through it. He didn't try to stick out too much, but you know... Machamp and all, he was bound to have his movements noticed, especially when he pushed his way through the crowd.

Cassandra, meanwhile, couldn't help but shiver slightly. Whether it was from the cold or the impending battle - or both - she couldn't tell. She looked around at the faces of her comrades as she stood in the middle of those gathered. From courage to fear, determination to anxiety, all manner of emotions and feelings were represented. Herself? She would be lying if she said she didn't feel a twinge of worry. They were vastly outnumbered, and their attackers had already demonstrated their viciousness in the past. Gone were the sacred traditions of their people; they had been replaced by a fanatical devotion to their new leader, Thrace. Alamanga would have fallen completely were it not for their intervention. It would be foolish to expect them to spare Amoon.

At the same time, however, Cassandra had a small hope for the battle. Weak, faint, but there regardless. They had preparation on their side, and from what she could see, a great deal moreso than those weeks ago at Alamanga. They had the bulk of the Gold Tribe with them as well, and she knew, both from her own training and those she knew, that they were easily more powerful than common foot soldiers. Outnumbered as they may have been, they were not outclassed.

As she glanced around at her allies, she noticed a familiar face in the form of Punisher. The Machamp was subtly trying to inch his way through the crowd. As subtle as an imposing fighter with four arms could be, at least.

Punisher scanned the area once more... and there she was. As he laid his eyes on her he couldn't help but feel a relieved smile spread over his face as he made his way over, a few of his fellow Gold Tribe having to quickly move out of the way as he finally made it over. "C-Cass..." He said softly, "... This battle is starting soon. Uh..." He had planned so many things to say, and now his mind was quickly draining now that he was here. What had he planned? Stupid mind! Making him forget!

"It is," Cassandra replied quietly. She looked up at the large Machamp, her face almost blank. "How do you feel?"

"... I..." He fell silent as he looked down. He slowly moved down onto one knee, "I... It's like I just met you, the real you and... " He began to fumble a bit with his four hands, "I... I don't want you to fall. Not today. Not ever."

Cassandra blushed slightly, taking one of the Machamp's hands in her own. "We won't fall. Not if I have anything to say about it." She looked Punisher in the eyes, her gaze bearing an odd sort of determination. "We haven't had that date yet, and this Crusade is going to see one very unhappy woman if anything interferes with that."

Punisher smiled weakly and gripped her hand right on back, "Then we'll fight. And we'll come out alive, better, because of it." He said. They won't take us down this day."

"Then we'll fight," she replied. It was a queer feeling, but seeing Punisher as resolute as he was helped ease her own apprehensions about the oncoming battle.

He nodded, "If anything, we'll make them pay." He said with a chuckle. "Nothing will stand against us today." He slowly stood up and let go of Cass' hand, "We can do this."

Cassandra laughed as well. At the very least, she would be fighting with friends at her side. "And we will. No holding back, for either of us. Agreed?"

He nodded, "Right. Uh... take care Cass. I'll be near the front lines. I won't die, promise." He gave a weak wave as he once more began to push through the crowds, a promise now pushing him forward. Cassandra watched as he left, a small smile on her face. They would win; they had to. As the Machamp walked out of sight, she let out an exhale, mentally preparing herself for the battle ahead.

 

[Plumbum]

The Bechedel Test (We Failed It)
Petrina & Cassandra​

With the battle lines drawn, the ersatz leader of the hastily-assembled Team Tundra remained one of the few 'mon out of place among the Gold Tribe. Taking a place near the front of the lines, Petrina wanted to take every moment she could to scout the incoming opposition against the fading light. The enemy were still some time from hitting and she'd left the team in place behind the lines - there was time left for now. This whole situation with Amoon, it was almost like her own home. Outnumbered and overpowered, but standing defiant to defend what was only a small village. Even then, placing a paw on the snow, she could almost remember standing on the fresh snowfall of Xeo that day. She couldn't let it happen again. But this time... it felt different. This wasn't her team of seven, the whole Gold Tribe, all that was left of it at least was gathered here, fighting shoulder to shoulder with Otori tribesmon as one...

Including one new friend. She remembered meeting Cassandra when they'd all come to Amoon. The Lilligant had been tending to wounds then, but she seemed to be ready to take to the line of battle now... regardless, Petrina wanted to take her chance to check on her, before the big fight. She cooly altered her stride to move around to the mon. "Hey, Cassandra... how are you holding up?"

The Lilligant stood, the anxiety from earlier now nothing more than a faint echo of what it was before. The way she stood seemed almost defiant; defiance in the face of overwhelming odds, as if daring the enemy to try and take the city, if they had seen her. As she mentally prepared herself, Cassandra looked up at a voice calling to her, seeing Petrina standing nearby. "Better. Much better. Ready to take down rebels?"

"Ready for my second shot at this whole 'defense against the finest cannon fodder Teneth can supply' thing." Petrina responded, her natural smile widened to hear the other Gold Tribe 'mon back up to her best. "That looks like a giddy smile there, you know... is it anything to do with that boy that just walked away?" Petrina teased.

Cassandra laughed softly. "It might be," she replied. "Or it might be the smile of a Lilligant who is about to deliver a beating to Teneth's 'cannon fodder,' as you call them." She flashed a grin at the Glaceon. "Either way, I'm not going down without a fight."

"Get it right. You're not going down at all. You've got someone special to live for, haven't you?" The Glaceon sounded almost like she was scolding Cassandra over her train of thought. "Beside, we had quite a nice talk before and I'd feel terrible if you died just after we'd started talking like that.

"Dying is not on the agenda," Cassandra retorted with a lightly jovial tone. "They can try if they want, but they'll be in for quite the surprise." Despite the impending battle that loomed over them, it felt nice being able to share a few amusing quips before the fighting. "And this time around, I've got someone looking out for me, and I them."

"Good. Now, I've got a team of my own to attend to, but listen, I want you to promise me one thing, okay?" Petrina continued before waiting for a response. "You'll find me after we've dealt with these nuisances, and you will tell me everything, okay?"

Cassandra smiled, nodding an affirmative. "Of course. Good luck out there."

"Luck? Like I need it!" Petrina almost sang back as she turned to reconvene with Team Tundra. "I'm holding you that you know!"

"Then we'll reconvene afterwards," Cassandra replied. As Petrina left, Cassandra felt more confident than ever. She took in a breath, then exhaled in preparation. "Let's put these crusaders in their proper place."

 

[Greiger]

Thrasher, Lenora, Ambrose : Wrongful Convictions.​

Thrasher silently listened along with the rest of the Gold Tribe as Ambrose delivered his speech. It wasn't that long, but it was powerful in its delivery. Thrasher just smirked up at his friend as he parted his rousing words upon the crowd and had to cheer with the rest of his brothers and sisters at the end of it. Once the speech ended the Primeape walked up to him, clapping softly, "That was a good speech my friend." He said with a nod. "I honestly can say that I wouldn't have been able to deliver such an amazing speech."

Ambrose, who had just put another cheroot in his mouth, removed it immediately, threw back his head and gave a raspy laugh. "Bunch of lies, I fear," he whispered to Thrasher, nodding so they begun walking to the top of the hill where ranged fighters were placed; from up there, they would see the progress their enemies had made through the forest. "They'll crush us like bugs," Ambrose said to Thrasher, in a bit less laughing manner, his eyes searching for the banners of Lord Teneth in the forest.

Thrasher sighed, "We need as much morale as we can." He said as he put a hand on Ambrose's shoulder, "When we fall, we'll take as many of them to hell as we can." He gave a firm nod.

"True," Ambrose nodded solemnly at his friend, "true."

"Though... if I may ask a question." Thrasher looked about warily, ensuring no one else was near them, "I've been noticing odd looks cast my way. Did something recently happen? I've noticed... some of our brothers and sisters seem to shy away from my presence. It's more along that I can feel a sort of tension in the air whenever I approached a group to help set up obstacles. Is something going on?"

The small Shiftry screwed his mouth and rubbed the side of his face, skeptically, as if. "Ahh..." he sighed, his mouth closed around the cigarette. It appeared he was choosing his words carefully. "Well, you see," he started, spreading his arms as if to say it wasn't his fault, "Krookodile's have big mouths, that they do... you do remember that clown that passed as Shadowrend, yeah?"

"... Yeah." Thrasher said slowly.

The Shiftry sucked on his teeth, giving a quick glance around; the soldiers were busy with the upcoming enemies, so he could talk to Thrasher in peace. He looked at him in the eye. "He knows you from somewhere. And when I say you, I mean the real you - about your time with the assassins. It's a shocker, really... but leadership's immediately distrustful of yours truly after that. You better watch yourself, after we're done here... but, what am I saying, you've got nothin' to worry about. We're all gonna be dead! Hah!"

Thrasher stared at him, "He did... what?" He asked. "Ambrose, you KNOW about my past. Hell, when I joined up I made it known. I intimidated people about it when I first joined! If he knows about then someone else must have told him about it." He clenched his fists angrily.

"That's not all, that's not all," Ambrose continued, "the Krook's spat something new, this time. Implied you might owe some... leftover allegiance to them, or so I hear from Dareon; he suspects you're a spy for the Crusade. Bullsh*t, I told him! Can't be. But, what I say matters little."

"That clown is just that," Lenora interrupted, walking over to the group. "A clown. He is an imbecile and a fool. Surely you wouldn't be so quick to believe the word of a habitual liar, would you?"

Thrasher closed his eyes. He rubbed his temples as a stressed breath escaped his mouth, "So... everyone believes him?" He asked slowly, "Someone who has been proven to be a liar as well as opposite to our cause?"

"Nah, they don't believe crap. But... it's a tight spot. You know how Dareon thinks. Guilty until proven innocent. And I wouldn't blame him, considering we're surrounded by enemies in, literally, every direction."

"... Where is he then?" Thrasher asked. "If he thinks I am an enemy why not simply come right up to me and tell me?" He asked angrily.

"Calm yourself, brother," Lenora spoke softly. "Dareon is away, tending to the forces outside the village. We have not had time to fully investigate the words of that charlatan. When we have repelled the attackers here, we will look into the matter more, and hopefully, put doubt to rest."

Thrasher muttered under his breath, "Yeah, you do that. I am NOT letting my name go down as a traitor." He said as he stomped off.

 

[Plumbum]

Team Tundra
Featuring Isak, Petrina and Friends​

"Trembling like leaves." Petrina allowed herself a small, amused laugh, as she turned to face the team of Otori she'd managed to amass - thirteen ice-types between them with a simple job to keep back anything that was ready to fly past their ground-based defenses. Simple perhaps, but certainly not easy. "I guess there's not much time for great and epic speeches today, but to warriors as proud and brave as we stand, there shouldn't be any kind of need for them either. You all know what we're fighting to save, and it would only be insulting for me to remind you." The plan had been worked through earlier in the day. There would be nine 'mons maintaining a blizzard in the skies at all times, whilst the other four would pick off anything that broke through or evaded the storm. If one of the nine in the center started to tire, one at the edge would take their place and allow them rest. It was a simple, but solid strategy. There was just one part of it missing... Isak should have been here.

Given the enemy was close now, Petrina shouldn't really have taken the time to go and look for him, but she knew just how valuable every Gold Tribe member would be to the battle - and maybe her own team had just that little bit longer. Quickly explaining the situation to the gathered Otori, she ran into the village to find him. "See... this is why I don't like boys. Always stand you up."

Isak, meanwhile had drifted off to sleep in an alley nearby. After pulling an all-nighter, even a mild nap would greatly benefit him. He'd been asleep for a few hours now, having arrived back in Amoon in time to find a certain Glaceon who was looking for volunteers for this "Team Tundra" thing. He'd probably hear the battle as it started, anyway... although instead he would find himself at the behest of that same Glaceon - who upon finding the sleeping Isak decided that the most appropriate was of waking the Buneary up was to bat around his ears as if they were some kind of toy, but he wasn't even fazed. He audibly squeaked a snore, while the Glaceon messed with his ears.

"Well, time for subtlety to go out the window." Petrina mused. She placed her face only inches from Isak's - only just far enough that if he startled they wouldn't knock heads. "Hey, goofy, having a nice nap there? How about you haul yourself up and get to kicking rebel ass with the rest of us?"

The sudden shriek made Isak jump awake, heart pounding, hitting his heard into the alley wall. As he massaged the back of his head, he saw the somewhat familiar face of the Glaceon glaring down at him. "...Crap! Did I oversleep?" He was in trouble.

"Just a spot. You know, enemy at our gates, nothing major." Petrina snarked. "So haul it back there, now!"

"Y-yes, ma'am!" He scrambled for his bag, before running back to the hill where a number of other Ice-type Pokemon awaited.

A Jynx commented on his return. "Get some rest, dear? Little ones like you need your rest."

"I'll be fine. Just watch yourself," he snapped back, irritated at the "little" comment.

"Cranky? I'd be too after what that Glaceon did to you!" This is time, it was a Snover.

"Her name is Petrina, and will you shut up? She's coming back now." Isak shut up himself as Petrina returned, with a none-too-pleased look on her face.

"Knock it off, all of you! Don't you think maybe we've got bigger issues to deal with right now?" Teneth's army drew yet closer, Petrina couldn't leave off any longer. "Time for chat's over, get into your positions now!"

Without another word, Isak bolted off towards a nearby alley, hopping off the walls until he reached a rooftop. His job was to scout for incoming targets and watch the backs of the rest of the team while they dealt with the flying targets.

Meanwhile, the other mons, the Ice-types formed two lines. The front consisting of nine mons, the back with Petrina along with three of the others. "Wait to begin the storm until my command! At the back, choose your targets carefully! We want stragglers and breakthroughs taken out of the skies!" Petrina smiled once more, with just one last thing to say under her breath. "Teneth... this time I'm ready for you, so bring your worst!"

 

[CourageHound]

Heading into Battle
Ambrose, Lenora, Xavier​

Xavier placed the last of his most important possessions in the underground cellar of his father's house. Being the son of a leader of Amoon, Xavier might have felt like some low form of royalty in his childhood days if he wasn't an oblivious little Slowpoke. Still, this was his home and always felt a special obligation and fondness of Amoon and the 'mon that resided within. The thought of an invasion only steeled his resolution to fight.

Taking a moment to meditate, he clutched vile of Mystic Water at the end of his pendant, letting its energies soothe his mind. With one last nostalgic glance around the cottage, Xavier opened the door, exposing himself to the last few rays of the setting sun, and subsequently, the rest of the world. Closing the door behind him telekinetically, he began to hurry back to where the others were waiting. He hoped they didn't notice him wander off.

---

Lenora watched as Thrasher walked off in a huff. She seemed almost expressionless, contemplating the situation, before turning back to Ambrose. "The fault is mine. Had I not been so preoccupied with my duties, I might have seen 'Shadowrend' for what he truly was."

"Spy or not, it matters little now," Ambrose said carelessly, "with or without him, we've still to face what's coming." He adjusted the golden band around his neck, watching the woods restlessly. They were coming. The sight was causing adrenaline to shoot through Tempest's body; he wished they would just come already and get this over with, one way or another, an hour sooner. But, with only Lenora at his side, he felt almost naked to the enemy. He jerked his head to the side, to look down the hill, and barked angrily, "Xavier! Xavier! Where's Xavier? Goddammit, bring him here!"

Just moments after Ambrose had called for him, Xavier began levitating himself uphill to his companions. "I'm here, I'm here." The large Slowking took his usual residence at Ambrose's left side. He then promptly took a large bite out of an apple he had brought with him. The Shiftry at his right gave him a bewildered look at the sight of his friend eating at a time like this, but the expression quickly faded into mild annoyance as this was nothing new or unexpected coming from his lax friend.

Xavier lightly jabbed at Ambrose's side with his elbow. "Hey, I caught the last bit of your speech. Excellent choice of words. I'm sure everyone is motivated now." He took a final bite and tossed the apple in the dirt for the remains to peacefully decompose. Or at least until their enemies began to ravage the area they were standing on, he thought. "You'll be sure to get 100% from both Lenora and I. That you can be sure of." He looked across to his fellow psychic for her obvious affirmation.

Lenora nodded at the Slowking, turning back to Ambrose. "Whatever the result of this conflict, we will give our all. We have done what we can. Let it not be said that the Gold Tribe did not put up a fight."

"I hope so," Ambrose muttered, glancing over his two most trusted comrades, then back to the forest below them. The banners of Lord Teneth, the Umbreon's head, and the crimson banners of the Crusade, were on their doorstep. The Pokemon were screaming as they all charged up the hill at once. "They're here," he whispered, and looked at Lenora and Xavier; his eyes were somewhat glazed and his heart was pounding, but his look was a hardy one. "Stay true."

Without looking at the ranged fighters Ambrose had placed around the trio on the hill, he barked, "make ready, men! Let us taste their blood, before they taste ours!"

The men cheered, cried and roared in unison.

He spat out his cheroot, letting it fall on the path before him, and extended his arms in a battle stance. As the Pokemon, their enemies, charged up the snowy hill, the little Shiftry roared, winds rushing around him and through the snow-ridden trees nearby. The Hurricane he built up was unleashed moments afterwards in the form of a gushing stream of air that came blasting down the hill. The blow-back was enough to impede the progress of the vanguard of Lord Teneth's warriors; they cringed and stumbled, and the smaller and lighter ones were blown backwards from the sudden force of the wind; the charge halted momentarily, giving a chance for the ranged fighters of Amoon to begin fire attacks of all the elements combined - lightnings, streams of water, flames, pulses and blasts of all kinds. The battle for Amoon had started.

Lenora stood still, eyes fixated on the approaching enemies. She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath, then exhaling. "Xavier, Ambrose," she said. "Give me some cover. I need but a moment."

During Ambrose's assault on the front lines, Xavier had been gathering his focus with Calm Mind. He finished once Lenora had voiced her request. "Roger", he simply replied. Lifting an arm, the air above him began to shimmer then visually contort with psychic energy. A spherical mass of energy grew to be a few meters wide. Finally thrusting his arm towards the enemy 'mon, the ball of energy snapped into individual shards and were hurl downhill in the form of Psyshock. All over, the ground, trees, and stones quavered, snapped, and were blown apart in erratic clusters. The concussive blasts fell most the hardier 'mon that failed to be deterred by the harsh winds. The Psyshock was followed by a second Hurricane that Ambrose cast down upon their enemies, staggering the front lines.

As Xavier and Ambrose continued their assault, Lenora reopened her eyes again. Her pupils began to glow a brilliant blue, having finished her own Calm Mind technique as well. Her expression changed drastically. Contrary to her usual amiable demeanor, her eyes narrowed on their foes with a look of righteous fury. She reached out a wing, grabbing one of the attackers in a psychic grip. She lifted the hapless grumpig in the air, before violently tossing him towards his allies. The grumpig slammed heavily into his comrades, sending them flying backwards, back down to the start.​

 

[GastlyGibus]

Keeping the enemy at bay
|Pendro "Reaching Mind" Malis, Cassandra "Peacekeeper" Eldren, Matthew "Punisher" Blaze.|​

Fuelled by a desire to be of use, despite his nigh-overwhelming worry that he could ruin everything in any position he was put in, Pendro's eyes flicked across Amoon, desperately searching for the place he could be of most use. He was never entirely sure where to go in these kinds of situations - elemental punches suited melée, but the Psychic arts and Flash Cannon, Magnet Bomb and the like suited range. His parents, he knew, were far more adept as physical attackers; but that was once they were already Metagrosses, so it came with the territory as far as Reaching Mind was concerned. If he could actually find himself able to evolve at some point in his lifetime, perhaps things would become more clear - for now, though, it left him in a sort of 'Jack of all trades, master of none' sort of situation, with his adaptability making him fine for wherever, but his indecisiveness making it impossible to choose anywhere.

As he hovered there, the ranged attackers on the hill began to waver. They gave their all, striking out with an endless barrage of attacks, but even still, their enemies began to slowly trickle through. As they rushed the city, the defenders were quick to respond, attacking from the sides and alleyways, catching their enemy off guard.

Pendro remained motionless, when a large shadow overcame him.

"Better turn around, tiny!"

The Metang winced and swung blindly at the 'mon behind him with a Bullet Punch. "I'm not tiny, you're just... big!"

The punch hit the Hariyama in the stomach, causing him to recoil slightly. The fighting-type growled in anger, eyeing the Metang viciously. "Nobody calls me big!"

Before he could retaliate, the Hariyama found himself surrounded by... spores? He tried to swat them away, until he realized he couldn't move his arms. He was paralyzed, grunting in frustration. As he struggled to gain movement again, he was blasted away by an Energy Ball, flying several meters away.

"Can't blame him for stating the obvious," Cassandra yelled at the Hariyama. She turned to Pendro, looking him over for any signs of damage. "Are you okay?"

The Metang smiled meekly. "Perfectly fine, thanks." He turned back to the Hariyama, picking the 'mon up in a Psychic grip and throwing him off the ledge. "Back to his friends - that's the right thing to do, I suppose." A crash and a loud 'OW' from the enemies below signified that it probably wasn't. "Oops. Erm, you holding up well?"

Cassandra looked up at the sky, seeing the flying 'mon trying to break through the blizzards. "That depends. See any airships about to crash down on us?"

"OH, ARCEUS, DON'T TELL ME THERE'S- Oh, for-" Pendro put a hand on his chest. "Don't say things like that! I'm on edge enough as it is, I don't need worries of an imminent re-en-Zack-tment of that awful event." The Metang took a moment to breathe before stretching his arms in the Iron Defense technique he tended to use to prepare himself for battle.

The Lilligant gave a weak chuckle, before donning her serious expression once more. "Very well, no time for jokes either way." She focused herself for a moment, using the spare moment for her Growth ability. She exhaled, then turned towards the entrance. "Care to join me in tossing out some invaders?"

"Something like that - I'd be happy to. I wonder how my mines are holding up..." Pendro wondered as he followed Cassandra's lead - taking an academic approach to battle was always a lovely way to take the mind off it.

They weaved through the barriers, dodging the scant few enemies that had managed to break through so far. Cassandra threw a razor leaf at an oncoming krokorok, and Pendro followed up with an Ice Punch. The ground type flew back as Cassandra and Pendro continued towards the northern entrance. It was here the majority of foes began to show themselves. Gold Tribe and Otori clashed with the Crusaders, the former doing their best to keep the invaders out of Amoon. The enemy slipped through, only to find themselves beset by those in the village itself. They were defending the village admirably, but their defense wouldn't last forever.

Cassandra took in a breath, throwing her arms up and summoning a cloud of multi-colored leaves, blasting a Magical Leaf at the Crusaders. The guided projectiles slipped through, avoiding their allies and striking directly at the enemy, causing several to stumble back in pain. In their daze, many found themselves flung upwards and into the surrounding trees by invisible Psychic force.

From the right, Gravellers and Geodudes came barrelling in, grunting as they rolled around or simply crashed through the under-canopy in their path. Pendro pointed at them frantically as he shook his metal head.

"Gravellers, Geodudes, weak to, erm- special attack, Steel type; Flash Cannon, I'm going to use a laser beam! Laser incoming! Cover me, or something, because it makes it... less scary..."

"HAHA! HAVE AT YOU!" Out from the side Punisher ran in and slammed hard into a Graveller, grabbing hold of an arm and spinning about on the spot. The mon slammed into his fellow allies as chunks of dirt and rocks scattered around the area. Most ended up being flung back due to the sheer force of the swings as Punisher raised his temporary bat high up and slammed him down as hard as he could, his two free arms punching down with Karate Chops as the rock type crumbled.

Punisher chuckled and flexed, "Who's next!?"

The other gathered mon cried out as they quickly began to retreat. Punisher laughed loud and looked back at Pendro and Cassandra, "Uh, you two okay? Sorry, I really get into it."

Pendro let out a breath. "Yeah, I'm fine." He squeaked, staring down at the long line of ash he'd made in the dirt. "Just, erm... you know, lasers..."

"We need to push them back," Cassandra said, almost ignoring Punisher's question. "Keep them out of the village at all costs. You think you can help with that?" she asked the Machamp.

He flexed his upper arms, "Of course I can!" He said with a grin. "I'll keep them off your backs!" The Machamp quickly dashed off, punching a few mon along the way as he ran.

"Come on," the Lilligant said, motioning for Pendro to follow. "We'll provide cover for the others."

The Metang looked up from the result of his Flash Cannon before shaking his head and nodding at Cassandra. "Psychic and Flash Cannon, Magnet Rise for defensive ground-based purposes, Iron Defense as always..." Pendro rattled off to himself, getting another quick defensive stretch as he followed.

Towards the northern hill, the battle was at it's strongest. The bulk of the Crusaders fought viciously to push through the defense. They were battered on all sides, but their numbers far surpassed those of the Otori and the Tribe. The defense was holding, but with such a numerical advantage on their side, the Crusaders were bound to push through. Cassandra watched as Punisher bounded towards the fray, readying herself for combat.

"Okay, we'll stand back and let Punisher do what he does best." She turned to Pendro, addressing the Metang now. "We'll stay back, help thin out their numbers, and cover for him. Sound like a plan?"

Reaching Mind nodded. "I don't have as surefire accuracy as you do with Magical Leaf, but I'll see what I can do with Psychic. I'll keep watch of our sides."

"Then let's get to work," Cassandra replied. With that ,the two headed towards the entrance where the fighting was strongest, throwing off ranged attacks and keeping the enemy at bay. They would keep going for as long as it took, but it was hard to say exactly how long that would be, and whether or not they had the strength to keep it up.

 

[Greiger]

Punisher and Thrasher : Warriors on the battlefield​

​

Punisher crackled with laughter as he punched in a Weavile's face. He grabbed a Breeloom and tossed him out into the crowd of incoming soldiers and a Seviper he grabbed by the head as he used the body as a whip. The poison tipped tail lashed out and stung a few soldiers as the Machamp smirked, "Come now!" He said eagerly, "Show me some real battling you chumps!" He snapped his make shift whip in the air as the Seviper could only gurgle in his grip. A crowd of the soldiers quickly began to surround him and Punisher realized that they were all ranged mon.

"Crud."

The Machamp pulled back his four arms to mostly protect his head and abdomen as a variety of flamethrowers, water guns, and thundershocks rammed into him. He gritted his teeth as whenever one mon stopped to take a breather another picked up the slack. Finally the Machamp had enough. His four arms came down as his face curled up into a sinister sneer. The gathered mon cried out at the Scary Face and were quickly overcome with fear, some stepped back, others yelped, and two even ran off. Amid the panic one lone Tyrogue managed to rise up. "No." He said firmly, "You will NOT beat us around like some sort of obstacle in your path Gold Tribe warrior. Brothers, sisters! Stay strong in the faith! Do not allow this pathetic piece of minuscule meat control your emotions! Rise above them! Gather on me, we sh-"

The fighter didn't get to finish his 'dramatic' speech as Punisher easily grabbed him and raised him up and slammed him back down upon the rocky ground. He couldn't help but roll his eyes as he kept on slamming another three times before releasing the corpse. "So… anyone going to take his advice?"

The still remaining mon cried out and quickly fled from the scene as Punisher couldn't help but chuckle. He made his way back to his spot and glanced about slowly. ever alert for anyone trying to get to the village. He had to protect Cass at any cost. She WAS helping with the defense and was ranged, as was anyone else still in the village. He flexed his hands a bit as he took in a deep breath and focused some energy throughout his muscular form. Whatever came at him, now matter how big or how scary, he was going to punch its lights out. Even if that meant he fell down as well, he would keep fighting till the end.

"Come at me!" He shouted out as he grabbed a passing Ponyta and flung the equine out into the crowd. "Punisher will snap ya necks!" He cried with enthusiasm.

~~~~~~~~

Snap. Another neck broken. Thrasher threw the Nuzleaf's body to the side as he huffed softly. "Of course, so young the army is." He muttered as a Spoink threw a psychic blast against him.He grunted and charged in return, grabbing the Spoink's pearl and throwing it down upon the Spoink's head, shattering her skull and letting her collapse to the ground.

He tossed the pearl up and down upon his head before tossing it and watching it slam into the back of a Linoone's head, easily bringing the normal type down. He rubbed at the sore joint in his knee, but quickly shook it off as he jumped up into the tree and dashed along some branches. He could see the army was rather large, but he had another objective in mind. Find Teneth and rip that Umbreon to pieces. If they could take out the leader, then at the very least when they fell here there would be one less man leading the charge against the Hesperians.

 

[Ray Maverick]

Ambrose, Lenora, Xavier
​

Xavier signaled to both Lenora and Ambrose. "I think it best if I were not in the heart of the battle but a short distance away. Not too near, yet not too far. I can provide ranged support and can heal our allies. However I'll need your support for a moment while I prepare another calm mind."

Ambrose breathed heavily from the effort of launching his attacks; amidst the cries and sounds of battle, he turned to the Slowking to grace him with a smirk. Lenora blasted another psychic wave at the enemy, before nodding towards Xavier herself.

Their enemies were gaining ground upon the hill. They were so many, and Ambrose could place only so much ranged fighters on top of the hills to ward them off. Those in the first barricade had already clashed with the rebels; the rebels from the back were firing attacks at the ranged ones. A blast of fire came shimmering past Ambrose's ear and his cheroot was lit, somehow. "Hurry up, dillweed," he shouted at Xavier, "they'll be moppin' us from the ground if we don't push back!"

"Well, my kind aren't known for their swiftness", Xavier joked. He gathered up more psychic energy, but this time shot an ice beam overhead of the enemy forces. Releasing all the energy at once, the ice beam was manipulated with psychic to rain down upon the enemy pokemon like white lightning. Mounds of ice and frozen enemy forces temporarily halted further advancement. "Go, while they are weakened! Lenora, fly above and assault those who were out of range. Don't go alone." He then directed his attention toward Ambrose and began to bark orders not unlike the Shiftry himself. "Take men with you and keep the enemy from recovering as long as you can. Bring injured allies to me so I can heal them!"

Lenora remained silent, gathering her strength and spreading her wings as she took to the skies. The Xatu's eyes kept their blue glow, chasing after those who escaped the initial Ice Beam. Despite being outnumbered vastly, the Seer proved to be just as fearsome a foe in the air as she was on the ground, utilizing a combination of flying and psychic assaults to keep the enemy at bay.

"Damn you!" Ambrose bellowed at the attackers, "damn you all to eternity, you filthy Houndours!" He brought his fan of leaves down, whipping up a wind that carried sharp leaves in it; the stream struck the attackers bellow. The Shiftry kept shouting as his attack was growing in intensity, until something hit him straight in the face, blowing the cheroot away from his mouth and knocking him backwards. He never saw what it was, but it brought stars in his sight. He grunted, trying to get regain full consciousness and get up. Once he raised his head, the first thing he saw was the northern sky.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YXtmiDK4Xc


Among the snowy peaks of the north, airships were flying south at top speed, their blimps swaying lightly with the wind and their noble blue flags flapping wildly. "What the..." Ambrose muttered, his eyes widened. His eyes fell down on the northern pine forests at the foot of the mountains. More banners rose and fell amidst the treetops, and they weren't the crimson banners of Lord Teneth. In a flash of light, Ambrose saw the Swellow of Hesperia fly above the trees with the banners. Ambrose was rooted to the ground as he watched the front lines of Emperor Vektor's knock down the pines in front of them, so the vast army behind them could follow. Their airship armada was flying right above them.

He felt like his heart had stopped beating, and his mind was boggled, too caught up in the moment to fully comprehend. Time had stopped, he didn't know if he was standing on the spot for five minutes or fifty. He watched as the Hesperians marched across the forest, ready to be met with Lord Teneth's rear guard... they would attack the Shukahen, right? That's what Ambrose hoped would happen. It didn't. He watched, awestruck, the Hesperians walking past the rear guard of Teneth's army in the forest and march to the east. They were awfully fast, moving in lines, Pokemon categorized by their types and size. Judging by the host's curve through the forest, the Hesperians were going to circle the village. That thought made Ambrose snap out of it.

"Hesperians," he bellowed at the top of his lungs; he grabbed a Weezing soldier and shook him violently. "Ring the bell! Get people to defend the eastern gate!"

"Sh-shouldn't we run?" the Weezing shouted and Ambrose smacked him on the head.

"There ain't getting out of this, son. It's do or die." He raised his fan leaves against his thousands of enemies in an act of fury. "You're all gonna die here! Turn back, you mongrels, for Ambrose is gonna kill you AAALLL!"

Just as he said that, the airships with the Swellow flags were gliding into firing range. It was a strange feeling, but amidst the storm of the battle, and from the flash of anger just now, Ambrose slipped into a state of calmness. Now he accepted. He put one hand on his hip and with the other he drew another cheroot from his belt and put it in his mouth. His glare fell onto the airships, which were nearing the village. The bell was screaming somewhere behind him and an Exploud's voice reached everyone's ears: the Hesperians were attacking the eastern gate. Ambrose started laughing loudly, hysterically. He was about to cross the border of insanity.

"So, this is how it ends," he laughed, "last stand, Lenora, Xavier! I hope history will remember us. The children of this doomed world will look up to us! Bahaha! War's my favorite weather!"

Calm like before, he spread his arms, brought them in two circles, whipping the wind; when he kneeled on top of the hill, he pushed forward, and a Hurricane was shot off to the sky. The first Hesperian airship fired at the same time, a wave of Geodudes and Magnemites were sent towards the village, but the powerful winds deterred the shots, which fell onto the head of the Shukahen rebels, exploding on impact. If Ambrose wasn't breathless from his move, he'd have raised a gust of laughter.

Brynjolf
​

"Look at them!" the Wise Master shouted from the bow of the airship; they were pretty high up in the sky, but the Mienshao was willing to risk standing on a thin wooden log for the view. He was pointing at the army of Hesperians circling the hill where Amoon Village was. "Disciplined, organized, effective... you asked me what was it with me and Vektor's alliance. But you can see it before your eyes! The best military in all of Exathor, combined with my own brilliant, tactical mind and this..." He held the dark crystal on the necklace it was forged in. "You think Thrace is the real threat? Not quite, after this! It is so good, to see years of planning fall into place!"

Brynjolf was sitting on the deck of the airship with his massive arms crossed and his eyes shut, sulking. They hadn't let him fight with the others, which blew. He didn't care which side the Pokemon was in, he just needed to smash someone badly. Now, he was stuck with Rethlor on an airship, well away from the battle and forced to listen to his self-glorifying talk, because apparently Brynjolf was too valuable to be allowed to risk his life on the battlefield. He would have protested, being more confident, but he lacked his Mega Stone, so he was naturally more vulnerable as he was unable to mega evolve without it.

"I don't get it," Brynjolf the Aggron said, "is Yveltal your enemy or what? Teneth's sided with it, so why's Vektor attacking Amoon?" Brynjolf himself hadn't even thought they could pull off such a move. He thought they were going to Telmor from Alamagna and attack the Crimson Crusade directly, because it was closer. You always hit the enemy that is closest to you, right? Well, Vektor and Rethlor seemed to have plans of their own. They marched across the Grey Waste and took the tunnels underneath Montajo Range.

"Ha-ha! How naive!" the Wise Master shouted. Despite his overall cheerfulness, it seemed as if he had aged considerably - his fur had lost its dirty shine and light purple color, slipping into a more pale one, and the black circles under his eyes were more present than ever. "I will make it simple so someone of the likes of you could understand! Dareon is at his weakest while in Amoon, and Teneth alone could not pierce their defenses! And if Dareon was allowed more time, and was cornered, he would have been forced to grant the Militia's request and step down, leaving Cyrus to rule a united Militia, Gold Tribe and Otori, while still holding Amoon. Now that we are going to smash Amoon, he is going to die, while we don't have the Militia to worry about... heh-heh-heh!"

"You're buddies with Teneth now?" Lord Brynjolf scoffed.

"That's one way to put it," the Wise Master nodded. "I have studied the Crusade's thinking. They want to destroy the Obelisk, so that is where they will be headed, and Teneth was reluctant on attacking the village alone, so he forged an alliance for us with the Crusade and Thrace! But once Dareon is dealt with, it is their turn! Our military far outperforms theirs... they'll learn what true expertise means."

 

[Greiger]

Thrasher : Not dying today!​

Thrasher ran from tree to tree. For every limb he managed to cling to he found only countless soldiers surging forth upon the ground. None of the looked up. Why would they need to? Their enemies were supposed to be right before them, not on top of them. He could easily send down a few attacks and slay some of his enemies, but that would be a waste of this golden opportunity. He didn't have poison at the moment, but he knew how to fashion quick tools. He could always corner Teneth and stab a cut off tree limb into his back or through his throat. Once Teneth was out of the picture he could easily see the army's moral declining and allowing them to at least slaughter a fair number of enemies before they all fell. As he ran along he suddenly felt a sudden gust that slammed into him. He fell out of the tree and slammed into the ground and several soldiers around him as he blinked in surprise.

As he laid there on the ground he suddenly realized that his hearing was gone. He blinked again and stood up shakily as he could hear a loud ringing noise in both his ears before noise once more made itself noise. He could hear the shouts of the army and then he heard a loud explosion. He could see smoke rapidly rising into the air as he heard some screams in the distance. Suddenly the ground shook as yet another explosion rang out. He fell to a knee as he saw smoke and fire in the distance.

Bombs… the army was being bombed?

Cool.

He looked around at the various surprised soldiers around him and wasted no time. He grabbed a Houndour and flipped him on his back. His knee flew up and he drove into the canine's back. A smirk formed on Thrasher's face as he heard the Houndour's spine snap in two. Using the now paralyzed mon, he threw the body at several other soldiers and leaped back, clinging to a tree limb as he ran up and began making his way back to the village. Right now, the army was a dead zone. If more of those bombs dropped then he would get killed as well. He didn't plan to die today. He huffed softly as he kept on running along the bark.

 

[KajiVenator]

Take The Mout, Team Tundra!
Isak Mategu, Petrina Levitt, and the rest of Team Tundra​

Even at at great distance, Isak could hear the sounds of the enemies approaching. It was a dull sound, the sound of stomps through the forest and random, incomprehensible shouts. The army was definitely coming upon Amoon. But Isak was trying to drown out that noise to pay greater attention to a much more faint and much more important noise: the sound of wind soaring past flapping wings as flying Pokemon approached the village, preparing for aerial bombardment of unsuspecting ground fighters.

Flying Pokemon weren't stupid. Well-trained ones understood the risks that came with forming large groups while airborne, and a Lords army would be no exception. Only exceptionally keen-eyed Pokemon like Luxray would be capable of discerning the small squadrons of flyers from the cloudy skies hovering overhead at large distances.

Isak, being a Buneary, was not gifted with such eyesight, his strengths being hearing and smell. In order to capitalize on them, he had chosen to jump onto this building to allow the sounds of wingbeats to reach his ears unimpeded by structures. For now, all he could hear were the sounds of conflict starting at the frontlines, of rushes of wind, psychic explosions, and a number of other noises as the battle for Amoon began.

"Keep holding!" Petrina yelled, loud and clear for all of Team Tundra to hear. "Wait to raise frosted hell until we can count their feathers!" She thought her battleplan over one last time, even though it was clearly far too late to see anything changed.

Standard playbook so far... The fliers will drop after their grounded troops have taken what they think is the most of the attack - then they'll come forward to find we have an anti-air barrage waiting for them... But Teneth is smarter than that... we've got to assume he knows we're here and he's planned for us... can't play like he expects, we'll have to take the surprise here. "Isak! Let us know the second those fliers get going!"

"Yes, ma'am." Isak would have preferred her be quiet as he already had to discern between the sound of a battle but... hmm? Was that? It was very faint... He turned to confirm and barely saw a few small dots coming in from the western skies.

Time to warn the group. "INCOMING! West by northwest, four or five targets, above the village wall!"

"Just five? Bring better than that! Back rank, check your targets and take them out one-by-one! No need to let them know how strong we really are right now!" Petrina's voice crowed out - following the Buneary's directions, she could make out shapes vague enough to aim at. As she was in the back with the others, she got the joy of firing away the first shot of the whole team, an Ice Beam that lit up against the darkening sky, accompanied by a warrior's cry into the air as the Glaceon temporarily lost herself to the moment, followed by more cold bolts into the sky. "Hold off on the storm yet, guys!"

When the Ice Beams impacted the flying Pokemon, Isak noted how much easier it was to see larger chunks of ice falling out of the sky than the Pokemon they had once been. As the faint sound of further wingbeats reached his ears, he continued to do his job. It would only get harder from here on out.

"Small squad coming from Northeast by North, two or three targets." Noting the presence of another group as well, he added "Larger squad coming from North by Northwest, seven or eight in total!"

"Alright guys, let's start making it difficult for them! Bring up a storm - we don't want a Blizzard yet, bring a hailstorm, let's make these cocky fliers respect us!" Petrina again cooed, apparently even coming dangerously close to enjoying herself as the air grew colder, a gentle snowfall slowly building into a storm of solid rocks of ice falling from the sky - which slowed the flying mons to no end and made them easy targets. "Aim! Fire! Haha, let's watch them fall! Let's make the hailstorm about twenty percent cooler!" More blue streaks shot through the sky, felling their targets like axed trees.

Isak felt that something was amiss even as the rest of Team Tundra did their jobs. Amidst the sounds of battle, Isak heard another noise he could just not place. It was a low humming sound, something mechanical in origin that was distant, yet was growing in volume, but Isak could not place. It seemed to be coming from behind a large cloud...

"You okay up there?" Petrina shouted up to Isak. The Buneary seemed to have gone mysteriously quiet and she didn't like it...

"I... I'm not sure what's coming, but something is coming." As the noises diversified, he felt the need to add "A lot of them. Very big..." As one breached the cloud cover, Isak almost immediately recognized it. "Ah sh*t. Ah sh*t. AH SH*T."

"You're not helping!" Petrina protested - although Isak's help wasn't particularly necessary as the behemoth balloon found its way into her field of vision. Whilst she wasn't looking at her troops, her heart took its time to sink. It was never going to be an easy fight, but now? It was impossible, surely?

Petrina steeled herself. She couldn't let these kind of thoughts infiltrate her head. For once, she didn't even seem to have words.

The cold atmosphere of realization came with a change in the sounds on the battlefield. Explosions and loud impacts took precedence where the sounds of conflict once existed. Still taken aback from the new aerial threats, Isak looked to Petrina for any inspiration only to find the Glaceon staring at the airships, with... was that fear in her eyes? Anger? Recognizing that their team leader needed her own pep talk, Isak swallowed his fear and tried to talk. "It-it'll be alright. It's just a few a-airships, right? Nothing the Gold Tribe can't handle, r-right?"

Petrina shook her head before she turned around. "I wouldn't lie to you. This was going to be a hard battle before... now we might be unable to win. But I pray that's not fear I can hear in your voice. We're not going to be scared to die today, are we?"

"N-no, ma'am. I-I... have to protect Amoon," Isak stuttered.

Interrupting, the Snover from Team Tundra yelled "We're in some real pretty sh*t now, man!"

"You're right! This is a beautiful day for all of you! I was robbed of the joy of dying to protect my home, I had the gall and bad luck to survive to die today fighting for yours!" Petrina shouted back. "You have a chance at the glorious death any great soldier deserves - you are not going to squander it feeling sorry for yourselves! We'll go forward and if we have to, we'll all die today and we will die as heroes! Now! Gather together with me, we have some airships to sink! Bring them all screaming into the afterlife with you, Tundra!"

She was putting on a facade of confidence, but Isak knew she was just as terrified as he was. Still, she was right. If they were going to succumb to the spirit of death now, they'd best do so in the heat... or, rather, cold of battle. Though he was afraid to admit it to himself, Amoon would probably be destroyed today. The least that he could do was take as many threats with him as possible.

"What should we do then, Petrina?" Isak's voice had steadied, at least temporarily.

"Isak, you need to go and find us some help. Preferably some of our Hesperian number who would know how to pilot one of those. The rest of you, form up on me! We're going to herd one of those towards us!" Petrina decided after a moment's thought.

Isak confirmed her order with a salute, but the Snover once again objected. "Towards us? You're f*cking crazy!"

"Yeah, I am!" Petrina responded. That's why this is going to work!"

"Don't die while I'm gone, Petrina," Isak shouted, running off towards the battlefield.

"No promises!" Petrina shouted back at him.

 

[Ray Maverick]

Skysaber and Company
​

Zack peeked through the glass telescope of the Observatory one last time, and what he saw made him yelp, jump and fall on his back on the cold floor. "AH! O-over there, l-look..."

"What?" Garland asked irately, taking the handles of the telescope and looking through the Eye. It wasn't pointing to the sky; rather, to the north of Exathor, where dark clouds were brewing. He saw it too - a great shadow was moving to the south, engulfed in the liquid dark. Lightning colored crimson crossed the sky underneath it. It was Thrace, no doubt, and she was coming straight to the Obelisk.

Garland squared his jaw, staring at the shadow on the sky without fear or awe showing. He drew a breath, slightly bulking up his shoulders, then let them fall as he exhaled. "Let's go," he said, turning around and headed for the back of the room. There was a crack on the wall that led to a hole; the Floatzel peeked down reluctantly.

"Looks like a great slide," Jacob said.

"Where does it lead?" Sophia asked cautiously, kneeling over the edge.

"It leads to the Obelisk," Garland replied solemnly. "The others should have reached it by now... Cyrus will know what to do."


***


The light that was coming through the Obelisk faded in front of their eyes. Cyrus glanced at Tavhir and Noah. "They deactivated it," Cyrus said and took a step to it, "quick, we have to get it out before the Obelisk shuts completely." The Beartic put his hand into the openings between the Obelisk; they would shut off, blocking access to the crystal after a while with the Eye turned off, so he had to hurry.

His hand sneaked into the hollow Obelisk up to his shoulder. His claws found a separate compartment that was floating in mid-air and clutched it; instantly, he felt a warm power rush through him, and he realized it was the same kind of power they were feeling all this time, only intensified. "That's it," he shouted and pulled it with all his strength. The crystal was pulled off its magnetism abruptly.

Cyrus was standing in the middle of the shallow lake, holding the thing in his arm, feeling strangely uncomfortable, as if his body was getting used to the crystal's radiation as it ran through it. The Obelisk was shut with a coarse sound. "I wonder if that will make the barrier fade... and most importantly, if we will notice in good time."

That moment, from a hole in the wall came falling out the rest of the members who had gone into the Obelisk. Garland, Jacob and Sophia, Zack, Alphus & Dean and Beryl. Cyrus raised his free hand to wave at them, and held the other with the crystal up. "We got it."

"Piece of cake!" Noah added.

As Dean had exited the hole he had quickly fell over as Alphus had managed to knock him down and land on him. He pushed himself up a bit as he gasped out, "About bloody time." before Alphus' bulk got the better of him and his face was once more smooshed against the ground. Alphus quickly got off of his friend as Dean dusted himself off, "Sheesh ever heard of waiting? So," He looked over at the crystal, "Do we skedaddle now? I'm guessing that's all we needed and Thrace is coming, so I propose we high tail it. I do sort of want to keep on living you know."

"Yeah, let's get the hell out before we're turned into ash or something," Zack said.

"If Thrace truly is back, we'd be lucky for that much," Beryl muttered.

Dean grinned and made his way to Zack and he nodded to Cyrus, "See? This guy right here speaks my language!"

"Speaking of getting out..." Sophia muttered. "How--"

"Shush!" Zack shouted, pulling a square crystal from his belt and putting it close to his ear. "This is our way out, a psychic gem. Let's hope Thrace isn't close enough for it to.. not work."

Noah tilted his head with concern. "Not work?? We gotta hurry if that's the case!"

"Come around," Garland ordered. Zack tossed the crystal to Jacob, who activated its psychic power, and the group vanished, leaving the Nexus passive and the Obelisk tightly shut behind them.



***


Sky was all around them. Zack was kneeling on the deck of an airship. The familiar sound of the running engines filled his ears. He shot himself up, throwing aside the cube with the psychic energy that was juiced out. "Behold!" he shouted, showing everyone the deck around him, "our new airship, Thunder Roar!" The balloons were golden and on the bow, there was an Electabuzz figurehead made of wood.

"Welcome, Gold Tribe," someone said from the bridge.

Achilles was standing next to the rudder, one hand on the railing of the ship; the Medicham's ridiculously curly eyebrows were swaying with the high winds, his smile formal and cool.

"Hi," Zack shouted excitedly, running past him to grab the rudder. "Does she fly well?!"

"She does," the Trade Prince said. His eyes were fixed on Prince Cyrus. "You acquired the crystal."

"We did," Cyrus agreed, showing him the crystal. It was so transparent, it was barely visible.

"And it has the cooky old dude in it!" Dean shouted out as he jumped onto Alphus' shoulders, "Something about him trapped in it or something? I really wasn't paying much attention to be honest." He said with a half hearted shrug.

Achilles raised his eyebrows slightly, mildly surprised. "The Keeper?"

Cyrus looked over at Garland, surprised as well, "the Keeper, trapped in here?!"

The Floatzel nodded grimly.

"Indeed. It seems the poor fellow was sealed inside long ago." Beryl chimed in. "A mistaken effort to help him recover."

Achilles looked to the side, to the northwest, absent minded, his gaze floaty and still. The ones on the deck could see what was happening in that direction right now; past the haze, amidst the tall and small pine trees of Vigil Forest, Vektor's disciplined and organized troops had halted, as another army crushed into them. The lightnings were visible from the airship, and the thunders audible and dominant over any scream or battle cry. The blue banners of Hesperia clashed with the white banners of the White Citadel, and if one looked close enough, one could see a clearing amidst the battle, where the Mega Ampharos progressed further into Vektor's army, clearing his way with intense bolts of lightning that forced everyone around him, foe and friend alike to steer clear of him.

Garland was observing the battle, his eyes were darting towards Amoon village, to the other front of the battle, which did not look good. Last night, Garland had protested when Emperor Dareon took his troops off of somewhere, on a whim as it looked, without telling a soul of his plans, but now the Emperor's tactic was evident, and admirable. "Look at that," the Floatzel said, pointing at the Hesperians to the northeast of Amoon, just a five minutes march away from the village, but halted because of the other host that ambushed them. "The Emperor moved to the northeast with our host of remaining ten thousand. I had no idea where he was going, but it is as if he knew Vektor was coming..."

The Hesperians would have circled the village by now and they would have been attacking the eastern entrance, were it not for Dareon. Despite the ambush, the startled Pokemon of Vektor's army were quickly regaining their composure. The odds weren't in the Emperor's favor, with those numbers - nearly forty thousand against ten, and the fear effect did not last as much as Garland thought Dareon wished. "I wish I was down there, fighting beside him, or at least be in the village for everyone," Garland said grimly.

Zack glanced at the Trade Prince, who had the stillest face for all this time. The Medicham, after long moments of listening to the distant sounds of battle, moved close to Garland and put a hand on his shoulder. "One thing at a time," he said calmly. He glanced to Cyrus with a slightly perplexed expression. "You said the Keeper was trapped in there?" he asked the Prince, "I cannot imagine how that would have come to be. Though I did wonder about his unexplained disappearance, years ago, even when I was assured he was transported somewhere safe."

Garland said, "he was brought to the Obelisk for his own protection. The rest is history. I thought it would be best if we waited after the battle, but... we might not be alive after that. Ensuring that the Keeper is healthy is our priority now. We should try to wake him now."

Achilles had grabbed his own wrist, putting his hands in front of him as he watched Garland idly, with a face void of emotion. "I would be glad to assist you with anything you need," he stated.

Cyrus suddenly stepped over to Achilles and bear-hugged him. The slim Medicham was like a stick between the Prince's massive arms. He smiled uncomfortably past the Beartic's shoulders of ice and patted his back. "Thank you, Achilles," Cyrus said, breaking the hug. Achilles seemed relieved as he shook his arms to regain his straight composure. He looked at the Beartic, extending one arm.

"Hand me the crystal, if you please. If Keeper is indeed trapped in there, I shall be able to temporarily transfer us in his realm, so we can all interact with him."

"You can do stuff like that?" Zack asked, staring at the nearly transparent crystal on the Medicham's hands. It looked nothing like from this earth, which made Zack distrustful of it.

"I am a psychic," Achilles reminded him.

"But, that's a different kind of crystal, isn't it? It doesn't work with psychic powers, right?"

Garland rubbed his neck thoughtfully, "that may be so, but still, it is the psychics who can best tamper with the energy of these crystals."

Achilles let out a quiet, humorless laugh. "Indeed."

"Let's get on with it," Cyrus urged. "I can't wait a moment longer with Keeper trapped in there and my people down there in peril."

The Medicham nodded. His long fingers were closing around the crystal. It started to glow slightly, becoming more and more solid, visible to the physical world as Achilles tapped on its power. Suddenly, a bright beam of light was shot upwards from the crystal, reaching six feet in the air.

"It's a link," Jacob said, "let it find you, it's harmless."

The sword-like beam curved into multiple directions, one direction for each of them on the deck. The curves reached everyone's head. Zack felt like his skull was being pierced by an unknown power, and that freaked him out. It felt nothing like the awkward but familiar radiation of the psychic energy. The type of energy projected from the crystal was more raw and it had no magic in it. The pressure it was applying on his head almost made him panic. He saw the other's eyes slip into a white state, before his own turned to the top of his head. He expected not to see anything, because, it's dark inside his head, or anyone's head for that matter, but he saw.

It was a pale, empty yet ethereal place, and he could see the figures of his allies around him, but faintly. Am I imagining this? Zack wondered. There was another figure in the middle of them, staying still in mid-air. It was Keeper, a Beheeyem, who had opened his flashy-green eyes to regard them. Zack opened his mouth, or thought he did, and tried to speak, but he couldn't.

"... I understand," the Keeper of the Gold Tribe said, his voice riddled with sadness. He was speaking quickly and in a hurry, nonetheless. "Woe to whoever shares a similar fate than mine, able to see, but unable to act. The crystal I was trapped into fuels the barrier. I am the barrier. At least, I was. I have witnessed what has befallen Exathor from the sky, front row seat, truly a great joke played by Arceus. That is over now..." he sighed, relieved. "You cannot speak to me, but I can. Do not try to interrupt me... I have prepared my words to come for nine years. Listen very closely to what I have to say, what I have discovered in my time digging through this marvelous device. I, and every Keeper before me, through study of the two crystals brought to Exathor by Vigil from Valkaria that happen to be identical to crystals of the same nature found here, have understood that a basic property of these crystals is the unearthly power concealed within, that is nothing like the magical psychic energy as we know it. It is a far grander, more complex power, and praise Arceus there is only a speck of it to be found in this crystal; I dread to think what manner of weapon this crystal would be if there was more.


Although the greatest minds of our era have accumulated knowledge over how to control this power, we choose not to do it, for fear of catastrophy. That is the common knowledge that Keeper and Gold Tribe share. The rule is simple. Do not tamper with the crystal, simply guard it. However, no Keeper before me has spent time inside. I make it sound adventurous, don't I? It isn't... look around you. The place is emptier than what you can actually see through the crystal, which is to say, nothing at all, and I only exist... I do not even know what plane of existence I live in, but I can only assume this power is to be thanked for it - and no wonder that is possible, if it is able to energize thousands of miles of barriers without stop for thousands of years, helped only by no more than four others. But I digress, as usual.


It cannot be seen by outsiders. Not common people, nor psychic people, who are supposedly adepts of the mind and all things magical. But I see it. Allow me to explain. The most suitable person to use these crystals is called the Wielder, a term mentioned by the Keeper in his documentation of events transpired in the great odyssey of the Gold Tribe in Valkaria, when the Gold and Silver Crystal lost their former accommodations that the ancient Pokemon of Valkaria had done to them in order for them to house Cresselia and Darkrai's power respectively; obviously, there is no more of that power left in the crystals we have today, but there is something, still to be seen and understood by persons in my state... The Valkarian struggle had them all witness the leader of the Gold Tribe himself, believed to be dead ever since the start, reveal himself to have been responsible for everything. The crystal, at the time, served as a prison for the so called Dark One, Darkrai, who corrupted the Wielder, bending him to his will..." The Keeper halted for a moment, drawing breath, and then he continued.


"The Wielder is the master of the crystal, and in theory, he is the master of all crystals, which obey him and only him, but I cannot be sure, at the same time. While leader Adam "Rey" Reed wielded the Silver Crystal, Zane "Vigil" Tyrael had the Gold Crystal, which did not deny its power to him, and when the Wielder was defeated, the crystals chose Zane, I am sure. I digress yet again. What I have discovered is amazing. The crystal is not as empty as it makes it out to be. It has memory! That is correct! It remembers who its Wielders were. There are memories imprinted on this crystal that belong to its former Wielder, and I am very certain the same goes for every other crystal. I do not know about other crystals and if they display memories of all the people who have used them, but this one appears to have been touched only by a single Wielder and no other, a Wielder who lived for thousands of years, and had as much memories to show for it, all of which are stored inside this very crystal. I've tried digging up the important ones, but it is so straining, so tiring...


The last prints of a memory seem to date more than two thousand years ago. The one who was using this crystal was a truly old Pokemon, an Arcanine who placed it himself inside the Obelisk of Stars; his name was Tsulong, the Exemplar of Fire. He ruled the whole of Exathor for all of his life. I am not aware what became of him after he placed the crystal in the Obelisk, but if he lived for so long, there is a chance he could still be among us... although well hidden. He was aware of that Yveltal, Thrace the Deathbringer as she styles herself, and I have seen you were acquainted with her as well. She is unstoppable, truly, without her counterpart... Naestor. A Pokemon that Tsulong knew personally, someone that I have seen through his memories. Naestor is what the common people of the time knew as Xerneas, the life-giving Pokemon... the exact opposite of Yveltal, who is destined to destroy. It is hard to believe, but once Xerneas dies, all life around him is revived, and his healing abilities match Arceus's himself, I believe. Naestor was the Guardian of Exathor along with Thrace and that petty, villainous Meloetta, but I believe something happened after Tsulong's last recorded memory that changed everything - a Great Sundering that tore Exathor apart.


Xerneas just might be the key to beating Thrace. I have, of course, tried to locate him on the island, to no avail. There is not a sign of him here. But there is another particularly intriguing truth I have discovered, being one with the barrier, and being able to know the world as Tsulong did. Used to be that our island was much bigger. Bigger than you imagine - twice its current size, I believe... but as I said, the Great Sundering tore it apart, that is why it is called Great Sundering after all. I can only theorize of what became of the parts of the island that fell into the ocean... there is only so much I can see through the barrier, and so much I can feel. I could feel their other Nexuses, lending me their power... four, you say? No. Three on Exathor, two of them destroyed, and none currently active. There is one forth Nexus that is strained to keep the barrier intact, but it is much farther away from Exathor... in a completely different place, perhaps a land that is not flying like ours, but emerges from the ocean instead. I assume that is the Nexus that fell during the Great Sundering, and Exathor moved away from it, but it kept functioning.


... yes, no Nexus is currently active on Exathor. We have only known two of them, Stoneyard and the Obelisk, but the third one was lost in time, but I could feel its power, aiding me, and suddenly, the war, the rebellion, it all makes sense. There was a Nexus in Alamagna, you see, one that was destroyed by that vile Pangoro who crushed his airship into it - the Tower of Nobles. It was a differently structured Nexus, built inside the rock of Alamagna and emerging in only a spire, a spire which was brought down when the Stygian Empire formed and re-built as the Tower of Nobles. Its main facility is underground, so it is only natural that it went unnoticed for such a long time. But you do know what this means, right? The rebellion, the attack on Alamagna, it was all a ploy, a carefully constructed operation to bring down the Tower of Nobles, that was why the rebels were commanded to do the unthinkable and destroy their capital city, so if those who were targeting the Nexus could not do it, their unaware soldiers would. In the first rebellion, nine years ago, the rebels failed to reach Alamagna. So, whoever plotted this had to do it again. You may ask, why not crush an airship like the Pangoro did, only during peacetime? The result would be the same, the Nexus destroyed. Well, I would think the answer to that is, because they would have more time, if the city was busy with a siege, to search among the ruins for the crystal, wherever it may have been.


My conclusion is that they seek to destroy the Nexuses, for reasons that are past me... but if I were to guess, the masterminds of this scheme want the power of the crystal each Nexus yields in their hand, instead of where it belongs. I cannot be entirely certain what they are planning, but it seems to be a grab for power for them. Thrace must be stopped, regardless..." He sighed, relieved, "Garland. You must command a retreat, before the Crusade finds you. Defending Amoon Village is pointless. In Union City, you have better chances of living through this onslaught. Grant the People's Militia request and force Dareon to step down for Cyrus, so you will be let inside the city. That is my advice."

 

[Ray Maverick]

Brynjolf
​

The weather was cold and the sky grey with clouds. A snowflake rested on the Mienshao's shoulder, and another one at the dark crystal hanging from his neck. His eyes were beginning to get red from the lack of sleep.

His fur wasn't lavender like a normal Mienshao's. It was paler than the snow.

The Wise Master was staring at the board he had brought to the deck. Brynjolf's interest was piqued, strangely enough, because on the board were pinned a series of pictures and portraits that were drawn with pencil. First picture was the Yveltal, flying above Vigil's Forest; the next one was a Pangoro with the stiffest expression Brynjolf had ever seen on a Pokemon. Next to him was that little green witch Brynjolf liked to "play" with, Vendra; he wondered whatever happened to the Meloetta after the Siege. Aside her portrait was Lord Teneth's graceful mug; the Umbreon was looking back at Brynjolf with his eyebrow arched and the edge of his mouth hiked in a half-smile - if Brynjolf didn't know Teneth any better, he would have thought this was the poster of a cruel criminal.

And next to the voracious Umbreon was a Magmortar who had his arms crossed, a scarf around his neck, pilot's goggles and a wooden Pidgey that looked real to Brynjolf on his shoulder.

"... the f*ck?" Brynjolf shouted, letting out a playful laugh, "har-har, what a fool, he's got a bird on his shoulder! Say, Wise Man, what are those?"

"So you pretend you do not know," Rethlor croaked, "intriguing. Those are the faces of... the Family." His pupils dilated seemingly in adoration, his eyes as dark as the crystal on his neck. "This man," he pointed at the image of the Pangoro, "he is Kagemusha Materasu, Lord of Stoneyard and former teacher of academic history in ECUL. Early in his life - when Dareon's father was still Emperor - he studied geometry and astronomy and had shown a keen interest in the Obelisk." The Wise Master paused, looking carefully at the Aggron. "You don't know him?"

"Har... He looks tough and constipated. I'd have made a joke about toilets in front of him, we'd have fought, and I'd remember that. So, nope, don't reckon we've met before."

"Hmm," Rethlor let out, scratching his chin. "That must mean you are not one of them. They hadn't welcomed you to their fold, had they?"

"Fold? What fold, man?"

"The Family, fool, the Family. You were on their side, how can you not know anything about them?"

Brynjolf smirked, "'scuse me, furry animal, how do you know about them?"

"I am one of the five most powerful men in Exathor, I should remind you. I have sources everywhere on the sky island... sources which could not help but notice the presence of this Family, specifically through a minor mistake Kagemusha made in matters of secrecy. For years... for years I theorized that he was the leader of the Family, but..." he tore off Kagemusha's poster from the board, "I was wrong. As time wore on, I learned that they all served one person. The Caretaker."

There was another portrait on the table. One that wasn't pinned on the board; one that had a familiar face on it.

"What of him?" Brynjolf asked.

Rethlor grabbed the portrait from the table and raised it so the Aggron could take a better look.

It was the portrait of the Trade Prince, Achilles. His ridiculously curly eyebrows and eyelashes would make for a huge contrast with his deadpan gaze, but the one who drew the portrait gave him a sharp depth to his eyes that lifted any comicality. His expression remained dispassionate and serious, coldest than the tallest peaks of Exathor. "The Trade Prince," Rethlor announced with a scoff, glancing at the portrait with disgust. "Ever since he got on the council thanks to his title, he has opposed me for dominion in politics. He detests my authority, so I took a certain interest in him - what was causing this vendetta and utter refusal to work together? Perhaps I could find some dirty laundry to strip him off his title as the Trade Prince..."

He paused, shaking his head. "Achilles's predecessor, Kalis, was into it as deep as I am. I wasn't the Wise Master then, simply an associate of Kalis's, and we made for a great team; what better man to make money with than a corrupt Trade Prince, am I right? And one would think, to reach the status of the singular ruler of trading in our land, one would have not only be the Trade Prince, but the Criminal Prince, like Kalis. Not Achilles. He is clean. He is too clean, in fact, the cleanest of us all! I couldn't find a single misdeed, and framing him is impossible. Any illicit activities of his are swept under the rug before I can get to them, and Dareon and Garland can only have suspicions of his wrongdoings."

"Alright," Brynjolf said, "and why are you telling me this?"

The Mienshao's expression turned a bit thoughtful; he shut his mouth tightly and looked to the side, his hands on his hips; now he seemed a bit reluctant. "For years, I've tracked the Family's moves. They work in the shadows, searching for more suitable members for their ranks. This man," he pointed at the Magmortar, "Hissatsu, he is a new recruit, for example. Their operation is still obscure to me, and their motives unclear - perhaps they were sided with Thrace from the beginning, or even worse, it was their idea to bring her back to life. I kept a close eye to Kagemusha... thinking he was the mastermind of the Family; the Caretaker, as they call him. Until I realized, he was taking orders, from a person of a much higher status than a noble - one with power and influence, and of course, massive wealth. Dareon, perhaps, I thought - but no, the Emperor was never fond of dishonorable activities, and much less of secret societies like the Family. To think of Garland in lead of the Family would be the newest anecdote in Exathor. Same with Althalos - the man was dumber than his relatives, rocks. Vektor? Not possibly, I have my eye on him for years. Achilles..."

He glanced at the man's portrait. "Achilles, though, has every qualification."

"Har-har," Brynjolf laughed, "Achilles? You shoot farther than a Blastoise. He'd have taken our side in the war, if he was the Caretaker," the Aggron said, though he was losing his certainty with every word he said.

"He'd have been a fool to side openly with the rebels," the Wise Master said and let out an exasperated cry, "you know nothing of politics, do you? You miserable wretch. And if you're wondering why you're still alive, and why I am telling you this," he said softly, "it is because you will help me discover who the Caretaker really is."

An explosion in the forest below rocked the airship. The Wise Master rushed to the side, grabbing the cold rail and looking at the battle below. The Hesperians were now fighting back the Otori, who had ambushed them from the side. The battle was still tipped in favor of the Thunder Crown-clad Ampharos. Brynjolf, too, was looking past the rail.

"Looks like you Hesperians are in danger of being extinct from Vigil's Forest... har-har! Serves you right!"

The Mienshao shut his eyes and cupped the crystal on his neck, crushing the snowflake with it. Another snowflake fell on his head, between his eyes, and his mouth formed a small smile.

"You are pitifully naive, ignorant lordling. You have no idea. Heh-heh-heh... Look at them!" he pointed in the forest below, between the trees, where the Otori were fighting; their host was quite big, though not wholly visible thanks to the cover the forest provided. "This will change the odds of this war. This glorious power, of which you know nothing about, a power which dwarfs the power of Thrace herself, will let me destroy any living being that opposes me!"

Brynjolf stared at the dark crystal, which seemed to absorb the light around it; as it was plastered close to the Mienshao's chest, it looked like a black heart, pulsing slightly every so often, like a living thing. Brynjolf had no idea what it was, as the Wise Master did not talk about it, but the Aggron wasn't too thick in the head to miss that it affected Rethlor, both inwardly and outwardly. On their way to Vigil's Forest with the airship, he had heard him in his bed on the room besides his, tossing and murmuring things like, "they are within," and "the crystal remembers," and sometimes, he would speak on his own, as if replying to someone who wasn't there. To Brynjolf, the crystal didn't look so useful. Who needed crystals to fight anyway? Crystals couldn't crush skulls. Better do it with your own hands.

He looked distrustfully at the Wise Master. "So... you've tested it, right?"

"Oh yes," the Mienshao nodded excitingly, "indeed I have. You heard their scream, right?"

Brynjolf had heard the scream. Yesterday, the Wise Master commanded three of his men aboard to gather belowdecks. Brynjolf himself was on the deck, but he suspected what was going on. Those men had screamed in unison for two seconds, then ceased and dropped to the floor. Later other men tossed their bodies overboard. The Aggron couldn't see clearly, as it was night, but he thought the bodies were blackened, stained in spots as if they had been put in a furnace that slowly ate away their skin. The Wise Master looked very pleased after that.

"Do you know how much this crystal has changed history?" Rethlor said softly, clutching the crystal close to his chest; he was staring off the rail of the ship, to the battle below. Brynjolf shifted uncomfortably; he didn't know much about history.

"Do you know what kind of men wielded this very crystal that I hold in my hands? Men with ambition like mine, to see a world truly united under their own military strength, men who strove to reach legendary status... and some of them did. Does it sound like I'm describing someone?" Rethlor glanced behind him, at the Aggron, who had a stiff look, as if he was trying to remember.

The Mienshao raised the dark, pulsing crystal in the air, and suddenly, there was a change in the wind, or so the Aggron thought. The energy that was coming off of it made his eyes water and forced him to protect them with his arm. The Doublades turned their backs to the surge of ominous waves. "This crystal is responsible for creation of Exathor as a single nation, dear illiterate Aggron. That's right! Ingvar held this crystal when he marched proudly through Stygia and Hesperia. The Illinkar came from the north and brought the snows with them, they buried their enemies in it and left frozen, broken things in their wake - almost five hundred years ago, before the crystal was put into the Nexus. The Illinkar snows were snows of the like Exathor had never seen before. Truly a powerful people, led by the near-godlike Ingvar, who commanded this crystal. How else do you think he accomplished so much? It was the power of the crystal, combined with Ingvar's abilities to summon hail and snow, that made him into an unstoppable conqueror. Armies withered in the cold at first, then they were blown away by his icy wrath. And history books teach that Ingvar died of old age before a crucial battle with the Gold Tribe, but I know that is not true... Zane Tyrael himself has documented that the crystals impede the speed of aging, Ingvar could not have died of natural causes while holding this. The Tribe would not want the truth to be told, because the truth is a stain in an important page of their history. Ingvar was assassinated! That was the only way to defeat him, a dishonorable tactic that goes against the brotherhood's values. It was unthinkable, impossible for the resistance to prevail with strength. But to simply remove Ingvar alone was a genius tactic - he was the one who was keeping the Illinkar tribes together, and after his death, they were completely shattered and powerless. Ingvar is gone... but history repeats itself. Conquest never ends. Here I am, holding the weapon that helped him become who he is."

Brynjolf would laugh out loud, but it was suddenly a strange, horrible feeling, to be so close to the crystal, and his laughter got stuck in his stiffened throat. The entire deck had frozen with darkness, as if, and the flakes that were falling just a minute ago were staying still in the air. What the hell, Brynjolf thought. It was hard to breathe in the haze. "And you want to be the second Ingvar?" he croaked, trying his best to sound mocking. Fat chance of that, he wanted to add, but his certainty was being thwarted. He scorned the crystal before, but the more he looked at it, the more he felt that dark embrace that seemed to have engulfed the entire airship and the more he was convinced that a higher, much dreadful power was in it - and that the one who commanded it was qualified to rule.

"I am the second Ingvar," the Mienshao said with iron confidence, "I know my lineage. I am what's left of the Illinkar tribes, after they were hunted down and killed by the Tribe - if only they weren't too merciful."

Brynjolf blinked, his mind working as quickly as an Aggron's mind could. The Illinkari were all ice-types, that was known, and Mienshaos were no ice types. But the fur of that Pokemon was always strangely colored, purely white instead of your normal lavender. Almost like snow...

"The Illinkar created the Exathian Empire," Rethlor continued, his determined gaze falling upon the Emperor's troops below. "I am the last of the Illinkar. Exathor belongs to me. Now... be quiet, and stay back. I am quite sure... you will enjoy this. Guards!"

The guards, Doublades styled after a new Emperor's Shield for Vektor, emerged from the deck and circled the Wise Master, so Brynjolf couldn't reach him. The Aggron clenched his iron jaws strongly; the Wise Master was wise indeed to put men to guard him as he did the deed, because Brynjolf was looking to grab any opportunity to dismember the lithe body of the Mienshao. The man was more dangerous than he thought, and Brynjolf liked true warriors like Dareon better than book-dwelling council nerds with crystals.

The pale Mienshao closed his fist around the crystal. A thin, black pulse of energy was blasted off of it, shooting through the airship but leaving it unscathed; as it went through Brynjolf, dark thoughts filled his senses. It was painful like a Dark Pulse in itself, Brynjolf could recognize the sensation. He thought of grabbing the Doublade next to him and bending its body with his strength; he thought he could start destroying the airship, and he thought he could snap Rethlor's neck, if he ever reached him. But he didn't do any of those things, because his strength was failing him and his muscles were stiffer than rocks. He blinked, trying to get ahold of himself, clutched his head weakly and roared in pain.

Another pulse was shot off the crystal. "Come on," Rethlor muttered, gritting his teeth and holding the crystal tighter in his palm. The effort he was putting had a visible effect on him; his breathing had quickened, he was starting to sweat and his pupils were dilated.

The Doublades started staggering with the third pulse, falling lifeless to the ground with a steel sound one by one. Cords snapped from the airship as it rocked and a gust of wind rushed through the deck, forcing the Aggron on his knees. He tried to protect his face with his arms.

Then a whisper was heard. "Do not..."

And again. "Do not..."

Brynjolf peeked through his hands to see Rethlor staring wildly at the crystal in his hand with his eyes widened; his mustachios were flailing with the intense wind. All the Doublade guards had fallen dead or unconscious around them.

"Do not give in, Let it fall."

"No! I will not," the Mienshao shouted.

The Aggron lost his senses.

From the darkness, an expanse of a giant room rose in his sight. The floor, the pillars, the ceiling, hundred feet above his head, were all hardened ice. Even for an Aggron, it was extremely cold. That was the throne room of the Crystal Palace; the throne, made of icicles forming a crown around it, was occupied by a small, dark figure with glowing green circles. In front of him, below the steps that led to the throne, there was the tall, pale Mienshao, with the crystal hanging from his neck.

"Are we agreed, Teneth?" The Mienshao was saying. He was eyeing the Umbreon huddled up on the icy throne with slight contempt and annoyance. Ever since he entered, Lord Teneth would only look at the crystal on his neck, instead of him.

"Are we agreed on... what?" Teneth asked, faking glee.

Rethlor sighed impatiently. "Get your host to their north side, and we shall take care of the east side."

The Umbreon on the icy throne nodded with the start of a smile on his snout. He was staring at the crystal again. "Are you sure you can take care of that?" he asked softly.

"Of course I am."

Lord Teneth's smile grew threateningly, his sharp, white fangs showing. "Why don't you give it to me? I'll treat it well..."

Rethlor shook his head, clutching the crystal fearfully. "You must be out of your mind."

"I am... serious, deadly so. We usually let experts do things like that... mhmha-ha-ha..." his silky laugh was ominous, echoing in the throne room and well-paired with his stare.

"If we are done with the negotiations, I should be going." The Mienshao turned to leave.

"You seem confident you are able to handle it," Lord Teneth commented, but Rethlor ignored him and kept walking. Yet, Brynjolf could see the Umbreon's face, a diverted, gleeful smile as if he was painting a happy picture in his mind. "It would be a pity if it were to... kill you."


The Aggron shook into consciousness, Teneth's face as he was saying those words leaving a lasting impression in his sight. The gust was still blowing through the deck; he pushed himself up, blinking wearily the image of Teneth away. The Doublades were still downed, nothing standing between him and the Mienshao.

Rethlor was standing close to the rail, still staring at the crystal; not much time must've passed. The Mienshao slowly averted his eyes from the crystal, to look at the rising Aggron with fear engraved on his features. "Look at you," he whispered.

Brynjolf did; he raised his hands and looked down on his body. He was all metal! He had Mega Evolved.

"But how?" the Mienshao asked, trying to keep his calm, "you don't carry a Mega Stone, do you?"

The Aggron wasn't here to talk, nor to question things. Brynjolf was a man of action. With his newfound strength, he took two quick strides towards the Mienshao through the thickness of the air around the crystal, covering the distance between them in a surprising speed that caught the lesser man off-guard. With a large hand, he reached for his neck, his claws circling around it strongly, and he jerked him up in the air as if he was light as a feather; with his other hand, he punched the air off his lungs. The chain that held the crystal snapped and with a gling! it fell to the deck, away from the squirming Mienshao's reach. His pale blue eyes were widened in horror and helplessness as he struggled and gagged for air.

"Look how little you are, last of the Illinkar or no," Brynjolf said gruffly, eyes half-shut and mouth curved into a smile of pain; he stepped on the crystal deliberately to block it from Rethlor's view and felt a surge of its influence run through his body for it, but the dark thoughts only made his deadly intent greater. "Little men should stay little," the Aggron rasped, and grabbing firmly the top of the Mienshao's head with his heavy hand, he twisted.

 

[KajiVenator]

A Minute In A Poliwhirl's Gloves
Garland, Jacob, Dean, Alphus and Beryl​

The vision was... something else, that was for sure. Alphus, of course, remained speechless during it all. He instinctively reached for a pencil to start drawing what he saw, but his hand only grabbed empty air. Dean stared on, crossing his arms after a while. Eventually he began rolling his eyes as the Keeper went on... and on... and on. He let out a irritated groan as the Beheeyem kept on yapping and finally he was done. "Finally!" Dean cried out, relief very clear in his voice, "You just had to say, they want to destroy these pillar thingies, that was all!" He complained. Alphus rolled his own eyes and punched him once more in the shoulder, though his fist went straight through as Dean smirked, "Boo yah! We aren't physical forms in here! Haha!"

Then, a shimmering light coated Alphus' eyes. It was so bright that the Blaziken had to cover his face, but as it faded away he suddenly realized that he was back on the air ship. In fact, as he looked about, he saw everyone was back. The painter wasted no time in delivering a punch to the Poliwhirl's shoulder for his earlier comment. As Dean was knocked to the ground, Alphus pulled out a pencil and already began sketching when a loud, anguished filled scream resounded out. The Donphan on the deck had fallen over and was crying out in pure agony as she twisted about.

"AAHHH! SH*T! MOTHERF*CKING S**T!" She screamed out, "WHAT THE F*CK!? GAH! MAKE IT F*CKING STOP!"

Unfazed by being knocked onto his back, the Poliwhirl sat up and stared, apparently shocked, at the contorting Donphan. Alphus could sense something was wrong, considering that Dean hadn't made any sarcastic or witty quips at the sight.

Though initially confused at finding herself staring at herself, Beryl quickly realized something was afoot and tried to stand up... only to trip, falling flat on her face when she could not maintain her balance. She could not see the rest of her body, but she could see two white things in front of her that flexed when she tried to move her front legs... she had hands now? Was she in control of that Poliwhirl's body now? She felt incredibly angry at the thought.

With her new white hands, she pushed herself up into a sitting position and yelled at the loudly shrieking and wildly twisting shape of her own body. "HEY YOU, POLIWHIRL, GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF, WILL YOU?" .

"ARGH! HOW ABOUT YOU F*CKING TRY NOT TO SCREAM!?" The Donphan shrieked out. "ACHILLES WHAT DID YOU DO!? I'MMA F*CKING KILL YOU! I SWEAR IT!"

The Medicham raised his hands defensively with a concerned, apologetic expression, "I did nothing, calm yourself."

Alphus just glanced between the two shouters before making his way over to the Donphan and kneeling next to the ground type. "ALPHUS! GET ME F*CKING PAIN KILLERS! SOMETHING! F*CK!"

The Blaziken frowned and stood up, giving a weak shrug as his means of saying he had none. "MOTHER F*CK!" Dean screamed out as he began to cry from the agony his body was going through, "I'LL KILL YOU ACHILLES I SWEAR!"

It was obvious that mindlessly shouting would not solve the problem at hand. Taking a deep breath to calm herself momentarily, the Poliwhirl spoke up. "Trade Prince Achilles does not have this kind of power, nor would he use it recklessly on the Gold Tribe like this..."

"Well said, here is a reasonable one," Achilles said, glancing at the Poliwhirl. "You must be the Donphan..." the Medicham looked around in confusion, until Garland roared.

"JAAACOB!" the leader bellowed loudly, looking for the Meowstic.

Jacob was holding the rail of the airship with one hand, his belly with the other, and his normally stoic expression was now turned into laughter that he suppressed. His sister Sophia was right next to him, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly and looking at Garland, Beryl and Dean apologetically. "Sorry, I tried to stop him."

Garland walked furiously over to Jacob with quick steps, grabbed him from the shoulders and raised him in the air. "This isn't the time for games, Jacob, for Arceus's sake! Turn them back! Turn them back!"

"WHAT!?" New fury ignited in Dean's eyes as, from his fallen position, he glared as hard as he could at the Meowstic, 'YOU'RE F*CKING DEAD! I'M GOING TO RIP THAT SH*T EATING HEAD OFF! WAIT TILL I SLICE AND-" And so the Donphan continued to scream out threats as Alphus just sighed, sat down, and began to draw in his pad.

The eyes of the Poliwhirl locked onto the form of the blue Meowstic. What Beryl felt was unlike any anger she had felt in a long time, and it drove her to slowly force her new body to stand up. She hobbled over to the Meowstic and Garland, glaring at Jacob as she arrived. "Put us back in our correct bodies this instant, or I will ensure you will not enjoy what happens next." The serious tone sounded strange, coming from the body of a Poliwhirl known for his obnoxious behavior, but it carried the message well enough.

"Interesting reactions," Jacob observed, nodding and tapping his foot.

"Change them back, Jacob," Sophia whispered fearfully.

"Right, right..." And the Meowstic waved his arm between the Poliwhirl and the Donphan; a blinding sphere of light was produced from his fingers. After a moment, he sent the sphere swirling above their heads, and it flashed once.

The change was instantaneous. The loud whining of the Donphan ceased as the Poliwhirl blinked and looked about, "I'm me right? Yo, Alphus, slap me real quick. I just need to check!" The Blaziken just rolled his eyes and slapped the Poliwhirl along his face and knocked him down onto the deck. "... YES! Haha! You better watch when you're near water next time Jacob!" He declared as he stood up and proudly put his hands onto his hips, "Just so you know, I was just screaming for dramatic effect. It's the cool thing to do." Alphus just rolled his eyes in return and gave the Poliwhirl and firm punch in his shoulder.

Beryl was not nearly as excited. Sure, being back in her own body with its familiar aches, instead of being barely capable of walking in the body of a Poliwhirl, was a definite relief. On the other foot, she could not shake her anger. She had seen her fair share of insubordination and tasteless pranks, often pulled by low-ranking and immature Tribe members. The cruelty of torturing a fellow Gold Tribesman and getting a laugh out it was a new low, an action that she would not tolerate for even a moment longer. As she stood up, she turned towards the Floatzel and spoke loudly, this time in her own stern voice. "Garland, may I have a word with that Meowstic? Alone?"

Garland shook his head, "this is no time for punishment. Jacob! No more pranks," he shook the Meowstic violently. "Look at what's happening down there! We should be helping with the situation over there, instead of quarreling over here. Granted, if I and Jacob both survive this, I'll do more than just talk." He let Jacob fall to the deck after a death stare; the Meowstic dusted off his shoulders with no trace of laughter or remorse for his actions, nor fear for retribution.

"Agreed," Achilles stepped in, "and if you won't mind, I'll be taking this airship to Union City, since I was the one who funded its creation. I don't intend to be around if you... lose."

"Sensitive, as always," Garland said sarcastically. "Fine. You go then, save your hide. Men! We are going down there. We are helping Dareon!"

A Natu teleported topside the instant Garland said those words.

"Hey, little guy," Zack exclaimed, petting the head of the bird; his hand was trembling and fear could be found in his voice. He swallowed, glancing to the battle. "Suddenly, I don't feel so well... my feet seem to be stuck on this deck."

"Oh, really?" Prince Cyrus laughed and grabbed the Electabuzz from the back of his head, raising him.

"Noooo..."

"Then stay with Achilles," Garland said. "He'll sneak you in Union City. It'll be good to have a pair of eyes and ears there."

"I suddenly feel much, much better."

"I'll stay with Zack," Cyrus declared, "the Militia problem needs to be solved, and I believe I have what's needed."

Achilles was going to object, but he did not say a word.

Garland watched Jacob. "You won't be coming with us. You'll stay and guard Achilles..."

"Garland?" Sophia asked, "please, don't separate us."

The Floatzel sighed, clenching his mouth. "Do as you will." He poked the Natu. "Take us outta here." And the Gold Tribe was gone from the deck of the ship.

 

[CourageHound]

Noah "The Flash" Endris
The Call of the Crystal​

The vision and message granted by the keeper was certainly an experience. Noah wasn't exactly sure what to make of it all as it was happening. The mind link between the 'mon was certainly powerful. He had been exposed to psychic energy before in a similar manner, but none such were so piercing and immobilizing as the current link formed to communicate with the keeper. Although he didn't know the Trade Prince personally, things like this caused Noah to respect him and other psychics a bit more for mastering such discipline with their mental abilities. Despite the sudden shock that caught him off-guard, the Typhlosion swiftly calmed his nerves and prepared to absorb every word the 'mon within the crystal had to share with them.

Out of habit, Noah attempted to form an opinion of the Keeper from the first several sentences spoken. The Keeper seemed like a weary individual. There wasn't much optimism or the faintest joy coated in his words. But who could blame him?, Noah guess. The Flash also couldn't help but feel a resounding sense of sympathy. Trapped in a hollow, vacant crystal for years only being able to listen and observe been never take action or exercise the basic privileges of freedom. Anything of the sort would have certainly driven him mad. Noah was never the sit around and do nothing kind of guy. All of this caused him to view the crystal in a more shrewd light.

However, this initial opinion shifted in curiosity as the Keeper went on. The crystals, just like the one they were visiting inside now housed an enormous amount of power and knowledge. Of course, Noah himself had no idea of the actual scale and true magnitude of this power, so he'd just have to take the Keeper's word for it. There were several moments where Noah wanted to interject with a question, but he kept forgetting that wasn't possible each time he tried. What was interesting to him was that their were wielders of these crystal's and their power. Probably their guardians, Noah thought. Names of a few Wielders were mentioned more than once; "Rey", "Zane", "Tsulong". None of them exactly struck a bell but Noah figured they sounded important. Then a few questions formulated in his mind, causing him to partially tune out of the Keeper's speech. What did it take to become a Wielder of such power?, What were so special about these particular pokemon?, and Aren't I possibly strong enough to be a Wielder? The Typhlosion although fixated on these thoughts, shook his head clear to listen again to the Keeper.

Finally information on what they must do next. At the mention of Xerneas or Naestor, Noah could only think of a regal and noble being, as he is described to be Thrace's exact opposite. He was however largely disappointed upon hearing that Naestor was currently nowhere to be found. Lastly, the Keeper summarized the current state of the Nexuses and the reason for the Stygian attacks. Noah didn't know what to make of that himself, so naturally he decided to leave that up to Garland. 

As the Keeper's speech finally came to a halt, he turned to his companions in hopes to discuss what they have heard but sighed as Dean, Alphus, and Beryl were subjugated to a rather random prank from Jacob. Noah decided to keeps his thoughts to himself as they all eventually were teleported away thanks to the aid of the little Natu.  ​