Pokémon Fledglings

[Virgil134]

From the moment that a Veluza hailed them out on the Star Stream with a distress message from Gestirn, Nagant just knew that something had gone wrong with Pleo. When she started steering Valan further west into Imperial waters, there had always been a risk that Pleo's attempts to do whatever he was planning with the Company would fall apart, but she hadn't been expecting them to fall apart like this.

As soon as Starpeak Square's battered port and buildings came over the horizon, the Clawitzer had been in a state of disbelief—one that lingered well after she and Valan had disembarked and made their way inland. Even well into the center of the town, the surroundings were heavily battle-scarred, with the embers of charred husks of nearby buildings still smoldering. Valan's mood was little better as the Salamence Commodore glanced around tense and on edge, before shaking his head with a frustrated grumble.

"If we were just a bit closer, we could have done something."

Nagant quietly set her mouthparts on edge as the Salamence beside her suddenly craned his head towards her with a sour frown.

"I don't know who gave you that intelligence about Lugia's whereabouts, Captain Nugget, but I think it's time you found a different source."

There was a wordless stare between the two of them before Valan turned back and carried on with a low huff. Nagant uneasily hopped along, unable to work up the annoyance she'd normally have whenever that scaly windbag mangled her name, her gaze drifting to the scarred buildings along the route.

None of this was supposed to happen. She'd let Pleo go under the assumption that he'd be able to stay a step ahead of the rest of the Empire while trying to force the Company to leave him be. If she knew that things would come to this, perhaps it would've been better to have stood her ground and fought things out to the end on Haipheh.

… She would need to have a word with him the next time they met, assuming that she ever had a chance to do so again without Valan breathing down her neck. Even if she and the other Imperials were still piecing together what on earth had happened to this place, one thing had become clear early on:

"At least we know that Lugia came through here," the Clawitzer sighed. "It shouldn't be that hard to find out where he went-"

"Get moving, you!"

Nagant and Valan turned as they entered a courtyard next to the village garrison, where a silk-bound Emboar was being shoved along by a Heliolisk and a Makuhita. They stopped for a moment, watching as the pair pushed the Fire-Type towards a group of other Pokémon in similar condition, all under the watch of indigo-clad guards. Those must have been Pokémon caught from the raid, since numbers aside, the group had all the hallmarks of a band of captured pirates:

Scruffy, beaten-down, obviously unwashed, and with moods that ranged from sullen defiance to openly cowering in fright. She briefly noticed a Seviper in orange garb among the lot struggling and thrashing against her bindings, while beside her was a glowering Tyrantrum in similar attire…

Was that Captain Tarquin from the Strongjaw Gang? She supposed that things hadn't been a total debacle for the local defenders if they'd managed to capture a member of Orleigh's Pirate Council, even if it was cold comfort for their present problems with Pleo and his whereabouts.

She heard chatter further down the square and spotted a Krookodile and Empoleon talking and occasionally looking over the group of captives. Judging from the number of white leaves on the former's scarf and the latter's species and quality of attire, likely the local Sheriff and Duke.

"Commodore Valan," Nagant began. "I believe that's-"

"I see them. Come along, Captain Nugget."

Nagant's features fell into a sour frown as she grumbled and followed after the Salamence. As they neared, they began to make out snippets of a conversation about so many 'mons all together "being a safety risk", only for the Krookodile to notice them. Robbie trailed off and nudged the Empoleon's shoulder, prompting him to turn just as she and Valan arrived, the Salamence bowing as the Duke turned towards him.

"Good morning, Your Grace," the Dragon-Type said. "I'm Commodore Valan from the Royal Navy, and this is Captain Nugget, my subordinate."

Nagant quietly grumbled under her breath but otherwise fought back the seething thoughts in her mind. There was a time and a place to push back on the whelp's lack of respect, but this wasn't one of them. Valan idly turned his head towards the pirates as a Farigiraf was dragged into the ranks by a group of Marked as the guards took her into custody and barked angry-sounding orders— probably in Gestirner from their throaty cadence. A glance from the direction the Marked came from revealed that they weren't alone, and their compatriots all seemed just as preoccupied with the pirates. The Salamence slowly blinked at the sight, before turning his attention back to the Duke and his sheriff.

"I can already tell that there's quite a story behind all these scoundrels you've rounded up," he scoffed. "We received word at sea that there was a large raid, but what exactly happened here? And why are all these Marked here?"

Franz and Robbie traded glances with one another, before the Krookodile Sheriff of the pair uneasily pawed at his shoulder.

"The Marked are locals from Starbreak Square who helped us fight off those pirates last night," the Krookodile replied. "As for what happened… we're still in the process of figuring that out, really."

"Hrmph, I should be asking the same question, since there seems to be some miscommunication going about," Duke Franz snapped. "But the long and short of it is that Lugia came here and we detained him under erroneous information that he was held by pirates. Not long after, these actual pirates hired by the Company came through and ransacked the town."

Nagant blanched and visibly stiffened up. The Duke had come into contact with the Protector himself? From the response he gave, it had clearly gone well beyond following the instructions provided by the crown. Just how much had Franz found out about the crown's efforts to secure Lugia?

Nagant twitched her barbels and wrestled with how to proceed, only for Valan to let out a snort and brush the Empoleon's remarks aside with an idle bat of his wings.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure that there will be plenty of time for us to get to the bottom of that later, Your Grace," the Salamence insisted. "But, do you still have Lugia with you?"

"I'm afraid that I don't have any good news for you there, Commodore," Franz replied. "Lugia was helping us attempt to clear the pirates out of the harbor, when their captains overpowered him. They captured him and managed to successfully flee with what we estimate to be between half and two-thirds of the pirates who initially came here."

Nagant's barbels went tense as she found herself reflexively clenching her firing claw in shock. To her side, Valan's jaw hung open as a flash of what she swore was fear came over his face. The Salamence whirled around, motioning with his head back towards the sea with an impatient grunt.

"We need to return to Giotto. Immediately," Valan insisted. "Her Majesty will need all the time she can in order to organize a fleet and mount a preemptive raid on Vollezee."

Now it was Franz and Robbie's turn to recoil in alarm, and judging from the heads turning among the guards, Valan hadn't made his remark as quietly as Nagant would've hoped. The Krookodile of the pair spluttered briefly as Valan already took a few steps away to leave, before cutting them off and waving his claws frantically.

"N-Now wait just a minute there!" Robbie stammered. "You're talking about attacking the Company's capital! Once they retaliate, Gestirn would be right on the front lines for any invasion their fleets would mount and-!"

Franz sharply shushed the Krookodile, who reflexively bit his tongue and swallowed his words. Even so, the Empoleon didn't seem any less disturbed himself, as he turned to Valan with an incredulous squawk.

"Forgive my Sheriff's outspokenness, but you two are talking about waging open war with the Company!" Franz said. "I'll admit that my concerns are mostly related to Gestirn and its own welfare, but that isn't the sort of action to be talking about so lightly."

"We're well aware, Your Grace, but we might not have a choice at this point."

The pair turned and stared at Nagant as soon as the words left her mouth. Valan let out a low grunt and waited for the Clawitzer to continue as she shook her head with a low, chittering sigh.

"If the Company truly has Lugia in their grasp already, it will be a matter of time before they find a way to make him comply with them, and then use his power to try and conquer our islands," she explained. "Our best hope at this point is to attempt to stop them before things get to that, even if it means drastic measures."

Franz and Robbie visibly grimaced in response, and it was hard for Nagant to blame them. It hadn't even been two weeks since she'd parted ways with Pleo and his companions, and here they were forced to contemplate an action which would inevitably return Anyilla to open war.

Perhaps her experiment with trusting Pleo's agency to keep the Company from using him as a weapon had run its course, and it was time to bring him under the Imperial banner—willingly or not.

"Er… Captain, do you have a moment?"

Nagant pivoted on her tail and saw Cabot walking up to her from behind along with Berecien and Niilo. She blinked for a moment, as Valan's face sagged and he narrowed his eyes into an unamused scowl.

"No, we don't, actually," the Salamence harrumphed. "Care to explain why you three are here, Rampardos?"

The three visibly hesitated and traded glances with one another, as Cabot seemed to fumble with his words, before pawing at the back of his neck with a faltering hem and haw.

"Er, it's just… well… we came across some Pokémon down at the harbor who said that they wanted to speak with you."

Valan turned his head as Nagant tilted on her tail to peek past the Rampardos and his companions. There in the background, she could see a party consisting of a Gliscor, a Talonflame, a Sneasel, and a strange green Dunsparce-like creature in yellow and black scarves coming along with a Marked Hydreigon that followed after at a noticeable berth… along with a Growlithe wearing a matching scarf that was clearly too big for him. The thought crossed Nagant's mind that the Puppy Pokémon looked strangely familiar, when she noticed he was looking at her and forcing a visibly sheepish smile over his muzzle. She saw Berecien leveling a long, unamused stare at the Growlithe, before turning back to her.

"I myself am not sure why we're humoring them when they clearly shouldn't be here," the Ponyta harrumphed. "But since they're already present, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to hear whatever they have to say at least."

Valan cocked a brow at the remark as it suddenly dawned on Nagant why the Growlithe looked so familiar—he was that same one who kept hanging around Lugia!

She tightened her firing claw and had to fight back the urge to Water Pulse that foolish dog right here and now. What on earth was he doing here?! Why would he think it'd be a good idea to come straight to her with friends of his when he was a wanted 'mon at the moment?!

Nagant shot a harsh glare over that made the smile slide off Elty's face and prompted him to pin his ears back. She would have to have some words with that furry imbecile, but not right now with the fate of the Empire hanging in the balance, and especially not in front of Commodore Valan.

"We don't have time for chatter with random civilians right now," she snapped, before pointing back down the path past the newcomers. "Cabot, send them aw-"

"No, you do have time for us," Kline said. "And if you value the fate of your 'Empire', you'll hear us out."

Valan looked down at the green serpent balancing on his tail, before frowning and shooting a sidelong glance over at Cabot and his companions.

"I'm sorry, but who is this impudent green Dunsparce again?" Valan demanded.

There was a brief moment of hesitation as Team Zephyr's members traded uneasy looks with one another. Kline visibly faltered, then shook his head and hopped forward.

"… Perhaps it would be faster for me to just show you," he said, before looking back at Margi. "Just… try not to panic too much, please."

Margi tilted her head puzzledly as Kline turned back and closed his eye in focus. Green lights abruptly twinkled in the sky, before arcing and converging on him. All around, the square grew awash in a green glow, as nearby Pokémon jumped back with startled cries and Robbie hurriedly lunged over to shield his Empoleon superior.

"Ack! Duke Franz! Zurück!"

Nagant leveled her firing claw as the lights gathered, while Margi reflexively flew back and stared up wide-eyed as the gathering mass of lights began to take shape.

"Y-You're-!"

"A-Ah! Demon! R-Run away!"

A Marked Dugtrio from the guards ducked back into the ground and burrowed away, while others hurriedly dove for shelter. The few Marked among the pirates were similarly beside themselves with terror, as glimpses of recognition came over their faces. The lights pooled in front of Nagant's eyes, gathering into a green, serpentine body that filled her vision.

The lights abruptly faded as the glow enveloping the square gave way back to daylight. The Clawitzer lifted her eyes up to the towering figure's face, when her jaw flopped open and her firing claw drooped out of stunned realization that she knew who this 'impudent green Dunsparce' was.

"Z-Zygarde?!"

Kline craned his head down, staring as the Clawitzer's dumbstruck expression reflected in his eyes.

"I suppose I am more typically called that, yes. Though, there is much for us to discuss, and not much time to do it."

---

Crom had never thought about what it'd be like to be a crate sitting in the cargo hold of a ship, but evidently it was quite uncomfortable: constantly laying against hard wood and stuck in one place in a cramped environment.

Perhaps it wasn't the best of comparisons since surely it wouldn't be this miserable. Here in the hold of this prisoner ship, instead of crates, they were crammed up against so many others amidst stifling heat, and an overwhelming odor of unwashed bodies and sea salt. The only source of light came from the blue light of glowmoss lanterns, with the only real hint of how much time had passed being the occasional change of one set of guards for another.

His father was next to him right now and squirming in discomfort, the Fraxure's arms tied behind him in metal chains much as his own were. His other teammates nearby weren't any better off, and there had been little conversation between them since they'd been brought down here. Aside from a panicked outburst from Pyry, the whole journey had gone by mostly in silence, punctuated by the sounds of the ship creaking, or the groans and frightened murmurs of the pirates who'd been crammed up against each other around them.

It was hard to think of anything they could talk about. They'd lost, Pleo had been taken by Lyn, and now they were all going to some island that was mostly known for the awful prison that was built on it. What were they supposed to even do right now? Could they even do anything?

A glance over at his teammates and their defeated expressions told him all he needed to know. The Druddigon hung his head, moisture beading along his eyes when he felt a nudge at his shoulder. It was his dad, nosing at him with a weak smile over his face.

"Look on the bright side, mijo. At least we'll be out of these chains soon enough."

Crom looked around the hull amid the dim lighting and noticed that it wasn't just them who were chained up. Everywhere he looked, roughly every other Pokémon had been bound up in much the same fashion as them, even ones that didn't seem like they weren't strong enough to break out of simpler restraints like silk or ropes.

All those chains couldn't possibly have been cheap with all that metal they used. Were all of them really that important to the Company? Or was this some sort of deliberate decision Lyn had made? The Druddigon opted not to dwell on the matter, since the more he did, the worse the sinking feeling in his stomach got.

"I'm… not sure if that really makes me feel much better right now, dad."

Pladur paused and blinked, before looking away with a flustered stammer.

"I-I mean, at least it's not making you feel worse, right?" the Fraxure insisted. "I don't really know what's ahead of us right now, but at least Lyn didn't get all of us. There's a chance we'll meet some of the others like Kiran who were caught on Vollezee. A-And maybe the others we left behind on Gestirn will figure out a way to help us!"

There was a long silence as Crom finally noticed how wide his father's eyes were, and how he looked every bit as scared as he was. It dawned on him that his dad had been trying to lift his mood, but after Pladur saw how his efforts weren't going anywhere, the weak smile on the Fraxure's face vanished. Pladur himself hung his head, trailing off with a downcast murmur.

"I just thought that having something to hold onto for hope would mean a lot for you… and everybody here, for that matter."

None of his teammates spoke up in reply, as everyone seemed to be in the same downcast mood that everyone else in the ship's cargo hold shared. With how defeated and demoralized the pirates closest to him looked, Crom supposed they also weren't interested in talking much.

A part of him felt sorry for them, as incredible as it sounded to him. They were still a bunch of thieves who pillaged without regard for other Pokémon or their livelihoods, but it was like something about them had just broken after being dragged into the cargo hold. In particular Hess, who from the few times he'd seen him, seemed to have his head hanging and staring blankly at the floor.

Crom snapped to attention after hearing heavy footsteps tap against wood from further down the cargo hold. He turned his head as much as he could and spotted a Kangaskhan in Company lavenders coming down a set of steps for the guards who had been posted to watch over them. The Kangaskhan briefly glanced out over them, before turning her attention back to a Darmanitan by the stairs.

"Nagrobek's coming up pretty fast," the Kangaskhan said. "I don't want to spend all day just dragging these 'mons out, so tell everyone to take care of anything they need to before we hit the docks. The moment the prisoners above deck get cleared out, I want these 'mons on their feet."

Crom noticed the pirates near them visibly tense up as scattered cries broke out around him. The Druddigon heard panicked breathing over the surrounding noise, when he noticed that it was coming from not too far away from him.

He looked over and saw Pyry, eyes widened as the Gabite was visibly hyperventilating. Crom hesitated and set his teeth on edge, just what had come over him?

"Pyry?" the Druddigon asked. "Are you alright?"

"N-No I'm not okay!" the Gabite cried. "I can't go back there! I can't! I can't-!"

"For gods' sake, shut up, you useless worm!"

Loud stomps rang out as the lot turned and saw a Carracosta in Company lavenders lumbering over. The Water-Type loomed over the Gabite with a seething snarl, pulling a flipper back into the air.

"I swear, if I have to hear your annoying little voice whimper and cry about your fate again, I'll grant you your wish and throw you overboard!"

Pyry flinched and cringed from the Carracosta's threat, as angry buzzes filled the air. Crom looked over and saw Pekka fighting against his bindings, before seeing his father hurriedly dart over to try and clamp Pyry's mouth shut. Ander pinned Pekka with his foot and gently tried to hush him, as Pladur focused his attention and desperately pleaded with the still quailing Gabite.

"Easy! Easy! Pyry, just focus on keeping your head down for now!"

The Gabite shuddered a moment, before curling up with a low whine as all the vigor seemed to drain from his body, the encounter having silenced the general outcry in the cargo hold. The Carracosta leveled a piercing glare and lingered briefly, before huffing and carrying on. As the Carracosta headed further out of earshot, Pladur let go of the Gabite, hushedly insisting for him to breathe in. At the same time, Ander noticed Pekka also stopped struggling and let go as the Vibrava tensely fidgeted his wings. There was a brief silence, when the Marked Scyther worriedly traded glances between the two former pirates.

"… Pekka, what was that about?"

The Vibrava didn't meet his eyes and turned away as much as his bindings allowed him. He seemed to be wrestling with something inside of him, before he finally spoke up just loud enough for Team Traveller to hear over the lingering murmurs of the unfortunates gathered around them.

"This… isn't the first time Pyry and I were sent here like this," the Vibrava explained. "Almost nobody ever comes back from Nagrobek, and we were the only Pokémon from our old crew who made it out last time."

"Th-They killed my mom in the place they're sending us to!"

Everyone fell silent at Pyry's outburst, worriedly glancing off just in case the Carracosta came back, before trading uneasy looks with each other The Gabite pulled his legs in and stared at the floor as his voice came out in a choked whine.

"Sh-She was so much smarter and stronger than I've ever been, and even she couldn't make it," he whimpered. "N-None of our old friends who were sent to that place ever got away, so what hope do any of us have?"

Crom fell silent and stared back in wordless shock as his wings drooped. Just what was he supposed to say back to that? They were stuck on a ship headed for a horrible place and an uncertain future. They couldn't even move their limbs properly right now. All they had was each other.

… Though then again, at a time like this… maybe that was the most important thing they could have. The Druddigon scooted over and tried to put on a brave face, giving a reassuring nudge with his snout.

"I don't know. But whatever's waiting for us out there. We'll face it together," Crom said. "I promise."

Pyry shifted and looked up at the Druddigon. Crom wasn't sure whether or not the Gabite really believed his promise, but it at least seemed to lift his mood… somewhat.

He just hoped that they'd actually be able to keep it in the place they were going to.

The ship suddenly jolted as it abruptly lost forward momentum, sending Trizano and the others lurching forward while a few pirates fell over from the change in speed. Trizano could see the floor of the ship tilt slightly from it turning and the waves were getting less noticeable. A sign that they weren't sailing in open waters anymore.

"We're starting to dock," the Skarmory murmured. "It won't be much longer now."

The expected sounds and sensations of the ship docking came not long afterwards: the ship stalling in the water, the slow drifting as it was towed and pushed into place along the dock, and the cry of sailors barking out orders to each other. Guardia breathed in and lowered her head when she heard a scream coming from above. A chill seemed to sweep over the cargo hold as the sound of jostling and some sort of disturbance came from above deck.

"What on earth is going on up there?" the Marowak gulped.

Shouts punctuated with other frightened cries rang out from above them, as Guardia set her teeth on edge and looked up. What on earth was going on up there? And of all the times to be completely without a bone to defend herself…

The racket from above began to dwindle down steadily, as Guardia noticed Pyry was hyperventilating from panic again, and a number of other pirates seemed to be in similar straits. Just what were these Pokémon going to do to them? Were they even going to leave this ship alive?

Guardia snapped to attention after hearing stomping noises against the wood at the far end of the cargo hold, which grew louder and louder with each step. A Scovillain came down the stairs with a number of other Pokémon in lavender scarves, who fanned out after entering. The Scovillain briefly looked them over, before turning back to his underlings with an impatient grunt.

"Start clearing them out from front to back," the Scovillain grunted. "It took long enough to deal with their buddies above-deck."

The guards began moving forward at the Scovillain's instruction, and started dragging the pirates off up the stairs as shouts and cries of protest rang out, a few like an unfortunate Liepard being carried off literally kicking and screaming. Guardia shrank back as the awful sounds kept coming from closer and closer by, until she saw the nearby pirates abruptly get taken, and then felt a claws digging into her shoulder. Guardia gasped and looked up, where there was a Midnight Lycanroc glaring down at her.

"Get up, you."

Guardia barely got a word out of her mouth before the Lycanroc abruptly jerked her up by her shoulder and shoved her along. Her heart raced as everything went by in darkened blur: the rest of the cargo hold, the stairs, the ship's corridors, until she saw sunlight coming up ahead through a rectangular aperture. The Lycanroc dragged her forward into it as light blinded her vision and she recoiled. As her eyes adjusted, she saw that she was back on the ship's deck. She briefly saw a line of unfortunates being marched down a gangplank when she felt a shove from behind, and saw the Lycanroc lean his head in with his fangs bared.

"I didn't say you could stop and rest!" he snarled. "Keep moving!"

The Lycanroc pushed Guardia along and down the gangplank for the docks. There was a net filled with haggard-looking and flailing Pokémon that mostly had fins who were being untangled next to a heap of empty nets, while the entire dock ahead was crowded with Pokémon being marched along in single file under the glare of watchful guards. On the nearby piers, other ships were offloading Pokémon in similar states, as it didn't occur to Guardia until just then how many pirates had been captured in the battle at sea with Lyn.

Somehow, in spite of being twice her height just a day ago, Guardia felt smaller and more helpless than she had when she lost her first club in the Subway. What were these Pokémon going to do with them? Had they brought them to this place to die?

Guardia turned her head up along the dock and saw that they were being brought into a town, if it could be called that. The place didn't look that much bigger than Bluewhorl Town, but the cobbles and dirt that formed the lanes looked visibly worn and trampled down in a way she hadn't seen in prior 'civilized' colonies. Barring an exception here or there like a Kecleon Shop painted in faded paint, many of the shops or houses in this place were visibly shabby or shuttered. The locals seemed every bit as worn-down as well, as the Pokémon they passed would largely ignore them while others would grumble or give snide-sounding remarks.

Guardia wasn't sure what to make of the other Pokémon's reaction, other than that they obviously weren't going to be much help. As the guards continued shoving them forward, Guardia noticed that the ramshackle houses and shops were thinning out before the Lycanroc suddenly sent her pitching forward onto her belly. Guardia laid there for a moment and heard her teammates yelp as she saw that they were all in a square in front of a wooden platform set up in its center. As she got back onto her feet, she saw there were bound-up pirates all around them, while Pokémon in lavender scarves ringed them, visibly sneering from the edges.

A sharp tap filled the air, as an umber-colored reptile in dark blue armor plates stepped forward. Guardia looked on as a faint rattle accompanied the stranger's steps. She sized up the Pokémon as it dawned on her that in spite of his scales' color, his longer arms and his thinner body, that the stranger was another Marowak. He let out a low grunt, before looking out over the crowd of unfortunates with a stern glare.

"Hrmph, about time we got to the last batch," he growled. "Repeating myself over and over for these maggots is getting really old."

The Marowak stepped onto the platform, giving him a view of the square. He took a moment to size up the captives gathered around him, before tapping his bone against the platform and giving a toothy sneer.

"The name's Junius. I'm the prison's Associate Warden and the one who will be keeping an eye on you for the rest of your sentences here," the Second-Rank said. "In case you're wondering, but nobody here is interested in hearing whatever sob stories you unwashed scum might have. I already know what I need to: you all struck a deal with Commissioner Lyn to cause trouble on some backwater island, and you didn't pay attention to the fine print."

The Marowak hopped off his platform, pacing about the front row of the gathered prisoners as he held his bone in one hand, letting its other end drag along the ground with an audible scrape. He turned a piercing gaze out over them as he continued on, many of the pirates at the front visibly cringing in fright as he passed or else averting their gaze when his eyes met theirs.

Guardia quickly gathered that they didn't want to get on the 'mon's bad side. Up ahead, she saw Pladur and Trizano attempting to scoot over to try and block her and her younger teammates from Junius' gaze as they looked on visibly stiff and wide-eyed. A small, eerie grin spread over the corners of Junius' mouth as it suddenly dawned on Guardia that the 'mon was not only toying with them, but enjoying it.

"Clearly he doesn't have a use for you anymore, but we certainly do," Junius sneered. "It'd be in your best interests to stay useful to us, or else you're not going to last long around here."

"Are you done? Since all I hear is some twiggy lizard yapping and trying to sound tough."

Guardia blinked as everyone seemed to grow deathly silent and their attention drifted away from the Marowak. Up at the front of the crowd, there was a Zangoose with his arms tied behind his back standing next to a visibly alarmed Flareon and Banette. Unlike his companions, the Zangoose had visibly puffed out his chest and curled his face into a defiant smirk.

Junius' gaze fell on him as the guard's eyes visibly narrowed. He began to pace over, ghostfire starting to form at the tips of his club as the Flareon and Banette nervously inched away, the other Pokémon around the Zangoose doing much the same. In spite of it all, the pirate seemed wholly unfazed, as he briefly glanced at the ghostfire on the Marowak's club, before pulling his head back with an unimpressed frown.

"Oh, so you're one of those Ghost Marowak," the Zangoose scoffed. "I'm quaking in my tracks right here! Like you could really do anything to a Normal-Type like-"

All of a sudden, a sickening thud rang out as Junius drove his club into the Zangoose's stomach. Deep. The Normal-Type yowled in pain and slumped forward onto the ground, wheezing for air as the Marowak swung his bone down as an overwhelming stream of fire shot out from its tip and enveloped the pirate's upper body.

The Zangoose screamed, before going still beyond a faint twitch. Junius pulled his club back and twirled it in his grasp, leveling an icy glare at the crowd in front of him.

"Anyone else want to get in a brave and defiant moment right now?" the Ghost-Type asked. "Anyone? There's always a few idiots in groups like yours who think that they're the heroes of some swashbuckling story."

A long silence followed as everywhere Guardia looked around, all the Pokémon she could see were visibly squirming or trying to avoid drawing attention to themselves. Even Trizano, who for a moment seemed to be ready to try and charge ahead, ultimately kept quiet and averted his gaze. Junius brought his bone back to his side, and turned away with an unimpressed harrumph.

"I thought so," he said. "Good to see that you all learn quickly."

The umber Marowak thumped his club against the ground for attention, making the gathered guards in the square straighten up. Junius looked them over, before motioning up a path that snaked out of town and up a set of rolling hills.

"Throw that yappy furball onto someone's back and get these 'mons up to the prison," he snapped. "We've spent enough time loafing around town today, and the sooner we finish processing them, the better."

Guardia looked around as the guards made their way forward, cries of protest ringing out while the gathered pirates started to be dragged off by their lavender-scarved captors and the guards shoved the Zangoose onto the back of an unfortunate black Tauros. Guardia felt herself get jerked up as the Lycanroc came back to her and shoved her onto her feet, leaving her staring blankly at the path up the hills as she marched along into the unknown.

---

Ketu made his way through the Wyrmwind's passages towards the ironclad's brig, carrying a tray with a cup of water, a few gummis, some stale bread, and a Nomel Berry. He mentally went over the day's events in his mind as he couldn't help but frown at having to jump through yet more hoops for his mission to keep Lyn off the Board.

He supposed that this was the reason why he'd made a point of trying to draw up different contingencies for how to deal with Pleo before Lyn left Vollezee. Things would've been so much simpler if he had been able to snatch the Protector away in an Apricorn away from prying eyes as he'd planned, and it likely wouldn't have taken much to convince Lyn that one of the pirates' teleporters had gotten away with Pleo. Knowing Lyn, the Samurott would've gone and wasted time and 'monpower attempting to mount an abortive raid of Orleigh, while Pleo could've been sent off to trusted paws with the otter none the wiser.

That obviously wasn't going to happen now. At least Lyn still believed that Darzin was behind everything that happened on Buyeom, meaning the Samurott hadn't taken more drastic measures to secure Pleo… like keeping him inside an Apricorn on his person. Instead, Lyn had opted to imprison Pleo inside the brig, which was nothing that Ketu couldn't work around.

There was still one other hurdle that needed to be settled: namely what exactly had happened to the Knight's Ledger. The book was still missing, yet he couldn't help but get the feeling that Lyn was lying to him earlier about not finding it. He vaguely recalled Lyn mentioning that he'd been 'thinking about the future' after he captured Lugia… could it somehow be related to that? At the same time, if the Samurott really had found the Ledger, what would he even do with it?

… What if Lyn had learned about his true allegiances after all? Did Lyn somehow know that Elilan wanted to get his claws on the Ledger and was lying about it to keep it away from him? Or was he just being paranoid?

The Weavile paused and shook his head. Whatever the truth of the matter was, it didn't change the present state of affairs. For now, he was better off focusing on this current backup plan. He'd already set up what he needed by convincing Lyn to send the rest of Team Traveller to Nagrobek. Now it was just time to execute the hard part.

Ketu made his way down the brig's hallway, tray in his claws, as he studied his surroundings. Even if he hadn't already known where it was, it wasn't exactly hard to find the cell where Pleo was being kept. There was one cell in particular where an Electabuzz and an orange Lycanroc—Tarmo and Rudolf—were standing watch with a pair of glowmoss lanterns hanging on opposite sides of the door, while all the others were unattended.

Ketu walked up, the pair noticing him as he approached with a pair of quiet blinks. Tarmo was the first to budge as he cocked a brow, before calling out to the nearing Weavile.

"Ketu?" the Electabuzz asked. "Since when were you on feeding duty for the prisoner?"

"Since the Captain needed someone to question Lugia. He's got his paws full right now, so I was the obvious 'mon to fill in for him," Ketu replied. "It's like they say: 'the best way to a 'mon's heart is through his stomach'. Having something to eat should make Lugia more talkative."

"Hm, makes sense I suppose," Rudolf remarked. "We'll open the door for you."

Ketu let his eyes linger on the Lycanroc as a small frown came over his face. Right, it wasn't like Aldrich was standing guard right now, but Lycanroc were still Pokémon with more sensitive hearing. Just how much sound got through these new cells? Would Rudolf be able to hear anything he said from the other end?

… Maybe it was just paranoia, but perhaps it was best to get rid of him. He wouldn't be salvaging much of any mission if the Lycanroc somehow overheard him inside.

"Actually, that reminds me… go get Klaas to take over the rest of your shift, Rudolf," Ketu said. "Given everything that's at stake, we should not be taking any chances, and I think he'd pair better with Tarmo if the bird tried escaping again."

Rudolf stiffened up briefly and backpedaled, before the Lycanroc narrowed his eyes with a defensive frown.

"Wait, why would Klaas need to take over right now?" Rudolf questioned. "It's just watching over a door, which is nothing I can't handle."

"Because Klaas is able to reliably put 'mons to sleep, and it's a bit hard for 'mons to escape when they're snoozing on the floor," the Weavile insisted. "This bird's been nothing but full of surprises for the past month and the Captain's got a lot riding on getting him back to Vollezee safely. He's not going to be particularly impressed if your personal pride helps Lugia get away again."

The Lycanroc hesitated briefly, before begrudgingly backing down. The wolf started to head off as Tarmo stepped in afterwards, giving a nudge at the Rock-Type's shoulder.

"Come on, Rudolf, it's not like that bird's going anywhere," the Electabuzz said. "Even if that power of his comes back, he's chained down and everything. Go squeeze in a card game or something before you get another task."

That one seemed to put the Lycanroc's concerns to rest, as Rudolf headed off for the brig's exit without complaint afterwards. Ketu and the remaining guard waited for him to slip past the doorway, before Tarmo turned his attention back to the cell door.

"Alright, let me get this door open for you…"

---

Pleo stirred in his sleep, letting out troubled murmurs as in his head, those awful scenes on the Argent Aviso's deck kept playing over and over again in his mind. The screams and attacks flying all around, Ingela's body lying on the timbers as blood pooled out from under her, Lyn's grip on his body as the Samurott marched him away…

He never even got to see what happened to his friends. Were they still okay right now? He remembered what Nida told him of what dying was like back on Mengir, and what happened to that Primarina was just like that. Had… Lyn done the same to his friends?

What bothered him most was that the entire time, his powers were nowhere close to returning to him. His friends had needed him as a Protector then and he just wasn't able to do anything for them. He cried bitterly after being brought to this cell and chained to the floor. After feeling the ship sail away, at some point he was just too tired to keep going on and fell asleep.

A sharp thump woke him as a glimmer of lantern light got into his eyes. Pleo roused and turned his head up, only for his eyes to abruptly widen as he saw the lantern's holder:

It was Ketu, standing in front of his cell's door with a lantern in one claw and a wooden tray in the other. The Lugia's heart began to race, as his voice came out in a panicked squawk.

"A-Aah!"

"Well now, looks like you're in a bit of a bind, aren't you?" Ketu asked.

Pleo squirmed and tried to pull himself away, jerking at his chains with an audible rattle. Ketu walked up, before giving a dismissive tilt of his head as a small smirk formed on his face.

"Relax, I'm not here to hurt you," the Weavile said, putting down the food tray. "You're fine… you know, aside from the part where Lyn and the Board are going to turn you into their weapon and your friends are busy getting sent to a hell prison on Nagrobek… So maybe 'fine' is not the right word there."

Pleo suddenly froze up. H-His friends were sent to Nagrobek of all places?! That island everyone kept saying how awful it was?! His voice began to faintly hitch and moisture started to bead up at the corner of his eyes, as Ketu's expression briefly faltered.

"… Unless I help free you from Lyn and send word to save your friends, of course."

The Lugia jolted back again and looked up wide-eyed, this time not from fright, but from startled surprise.

"H-Huh?!"

"It's simple, really: you join me and become one of Administrator Elilan's agents, and I'll help you and your friends out."

Pleo's mouth hung open in shock, as the Lugia sputtered with an incredulous squawk.

"Wait, what?!"

Ketu leaned back a bit against the wall, and began to idly pick at his claws with a small smile.

"I'm being serious," the Weavile replied. "You have enemies that Administrator Elilan and my colleagues share, and the enemy of our enemy is our friend. Since we both have similar problems at the moment… why not help each other out?"

The Lugia's beak remained open for a moment before he shook his head. His eyes hardened and he rattled his chains again, before he spluttered out an angry squawk.

"No! I'd never join up with you! You're the bad guys and tried to hurt me and my friends!" he exclaimed. "Kline and Nerea told me all about how evil you are! Why would you think that I'd ever agree to this?!"

Ketu went up and grabbed one of Pleo's chains, sharply tugging it with a stern frown.

"Keep it down. I can't exactly make an offer if others are going to overhear it," the Weavile said. "And in spite of what you might think, we're not evil. We just want a better world for the Pokémon that live in the Cradle."

He let the chain go as Pleo reflexively inched away, shooting back a piercing scowl at the Weavile.

"Sure you aren't," the Lugia huffed. "Is that why you keep hurting other Pokémon? Because you want 'a better world'."

"Yes, actually," Ketu said. "Because whenever you want something that's good for others badly enough, you'll do whatever it takes to get it."

The Dark-Type took a step back and paced about briefly, only passingly acknowledging the fierce glare from the Lugia. Even if the kid was a bit weepier than he'd have liked, he had a fire in him, and Ketu was sure that he could come around with just a little nudge.

"You and your friends would know a thing or two about that yourselves, wouldn't you?" the Weavile asked. "Trashing Lyn's ship and three different ports, and anyone else you might have hurt along the way. Beating up the guards at the Vault and stealing gods-knows-what on top of that Ledger you took from there… and that's just the stuff I know of. Really, sounds like the only thing you'd need to fit right in with us is a change of scarves!"

The Lugia's scowl visibly deepened, as he tried to pull away with a testy harrumph.

"We're not like you, and nothing you say will change that," Pleo spat. "With everything that we've seen you and your friends do and everything that Kline's told us about how you're planning on taking over the Company, I don't believe you genuinely care about making a better world. Why shouldn't I just tell Lyn that you're really working with Elilan right now?"

"You're welcome to try," Ketu said, shrugging back. "Though, how about I spare you the effort and tell you exactly how that'd wind up going?"

The Weavile walked up alongside the little Protector, turning his head down with a small frown.

"I'd talk my way out of things since I'm the one who has been around his ship for four years, and you're not," he said. "Nothing would change about the current trajectory of your life or your friends spending the rest of the foreseeable future doing penal labor. But hey, if you're so sure, go ahead and call out for the guards in the hallway."

There was a lingering pause between the two as Pleo stared back blankly. Was this some sort of a trick? Ketu hadn't been fazed at all by his threat. He knew that Ketu wasn't above lying, but what if what he was saying was true? Then would anything he told Lyn about the Weavile matter at all?

Pleo shifted in his chains and lowered his head as Ketu crossed his arms, giving an impatient tap of his foot.

"… Well?" the Weavile asked. "Are you gonna call those guards or what?"

Pleo fell quiet and hesitated. He scowled up at the Weavile, but even amid the dim light, it was clear that the Lugia's expression wasn't as firm as it was just moments ago.

"I still don't trust you," he murmured. "And there's no way I'd ever work with you."

Ketu stared at Pleo for a moment, before the ends of his mouth curled up into a small smile. Maybe it wasn't a lot of progress, but at least it showed the kid could be reasoned with. The Weavile shrugged his shoulders again in reply, before he spoke again.

"Well, you'd be surprised at how fast Pokémon can change their minds sometimes. I don't expect you to trust me, but you clearly know a thing or two about thinking rationally. You wouldn't have been this hard to catch if you weren't," Ketu said, idly brushing his claws together.

"Besides, you seem like the sort of 'mon that wants to help others. If we succeed, the whole Cradle will be a much better place because of it."

Pleo tilted his head and shot a long, wary glance at the Weavile as he continued to idly flex his claws.

"… Just what do you mean by that?"

"We'll get to that, but let's start with the 'you' angle first," Ketu said. "I'm sure you've figured out by now that if nothing changes, Lyn and the Board are gonna use you and your power as a weapon. The first place they'll try and do that would obviously be Tromba, since that's the only Company island without an Administrator at the moment. The locals there are also less likely to offer resistance to you."

Ketu's face took on a more serious expression, as the Dark-Type narrowed his eyes back in reply.

"You remember what those tribute payments your island goes through are like, right? You know, the whole 'lackeys strolling through town and taking whatever they want like they own the place' that happens whenever Lyn comes around?" he asked. "Now imagine him and a couple hundred goons just being on your island all the time and that happening day, after day, after day…"

Pleo flinched and set his beak on edge as memories of Bunsen and his crew doing much the same crossed his mind. The Pokémon the Company sent had been nothing but a bunch of petty bullies that pushed around the villagers and took from them as they pleased. On top of that, he remembered Bunsen's crew almost forced a bunch of villagers, including Nida's family, off the island. And if Lyn had been the Pokémon there to do that…

His mind then turned back to the deck of the Argent Aviso as the moment Lyn charged Ingela lingered in his head, along with every moment afterwards. The deafening bellow, the way the Samurott's seamitar plunged into the Primarina's stomach, and those awful choking noises as she died. He started to see different villagers from Bluewhorl Town in the Primarina's place… Marley… Osmund… Hatteras…

He couldn't bear to think of how everyone on the island would suffer from Lyn coming to take Tromba over. Maybe Kline or Nerea would be able to stop Lyn, but after everything that had happened on Vollezee and Gestirn… would they? Or would they just go back to hiding?

Ketu studied Pleo's reaction, and after a moment's pause, he shook his head and continued on.

"And then there's of course your friends, who are stuck inside the worst prison in the Cradle right now," the Weavile continued. "That place is meant to break even the hardest of pirates, so how well do you think a bunch of kids and civilians are going to hold up?"

More silence, as this time Pleo seemed to uneasily squirm and fidget. Ketu's mouth tightened into a small frown as he folded his arms.

"Work with us and you can change all of that," the Weavile insisted. "Why let all of that happen when you don't have to? You are a Protector, aren't you?"

Pleo hesitated, before his expression hardened. He jostled against his chains, turning his head up at the Weavile with a piercing glare.

"You're trying to trick me, just like you did to Albert, Charlie, and Marilyn!" the Lugia shot back. "Knowing you, you'll probably just leave Nida and the others in that prison even if I help you!"

"Oh yeah, like the world's really suffering from a group who had nothing better to do than pretend to be human not being able to go straight back to swindling others," Ketu scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Yes, it totally makes sense for us to treat an amateur Rescue Team the exact same way. Because we're a bunch of self-destructive idiots like that."

Pleo blinked and furrowed his brow. Ketu's answer wasn't particularly impressive, but something about it was strange…

Why was it such a big deal if some of them had pretended to be human? It wasn't right of them, but the way that the Weavile had said it, he sounded particularly disgusted and offended.

A sharp tsk snapped him to attention. Ketu was pacing about him now, his arms folded behind his head.

"Look, the fact that I haven't turned and walked out of the door right now is because I want you to work with us. Willingly," Ketu insisted. "There'd be little for us to gain from leaving your friends locked up, and a lot for us to lose if we want to keep working with you in the long term."

The Weavile stepped around the Lugia, before stopping and leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Why would we ruin our relationship with you and force ourselves to drag you into things kicking and screaming when we don't have to?" he asked. "Especially when it wouldn't cost anything to get your friends out of those cells… assuming they stop fighting us, anyways."

Pleo hesitated and hung his head. He really didn't want to help Ketu with anything involving Elilan, and he knew that all of his friends wouldn't want him to either. But at the same time, what was he supposed to do? He really couldn't see any other way of helping his friends right now…

The Lugia looked up at the Weavile when it dawned on him: Ketu didn't say anything about how long he needed to help him, did he? What if he helped him, but then stopped once he knew his friends were safe? Wouldn't that be a way of making sure Ketu didn't get a chance to use him for whatever awful scheme Elilan had in mind?

"… So if I agree to help you, you'll let my friends go right now?"

"I said 'get your friends out of those cells'. Actually letting them go right here and now while Lyn and the Board are still around would be way too risky."

Pleo sharply frowned in reply. Ketu said nothing back right away as the Lugia continued scowling at him silently, before the Weavile threw up his arms with a sigh.

"Look, you want me to be honest? It'd be easier for me to just lie to you and tell you what you want to hear, but I know you're smarter than that," Ketu said. "Think about it: both Lyn and the Board know exactly who your friends are, and they expect them to be imprisoned on Nagrobek. Letting them go about as they please in the prison or making sure they never set foot inside another cell is easy to get past them, but outright letting them leave it is a whole different story."

"It sounds more like you're making excuses to not help them," Pleo harrumphed, turning his beak up. "Nagrobek is the island that Elilan runs so letting them leave would be the easiest thing in the world! He'd just have to tell his underlings to let them go!"

"And if the Board came around and asked for your friends to be turned over to them afterwards? What do you think would happen after that?"

Pleo caught himself as the Weavile pinned his ears back and folded his arms with a serious frown.

"At that point, our only option would be to try and fake their deaths, which would get more than a little awkward if they got spotted wandering around some random island or Subway tunnel afterwards," Ketu explained. "Do you really think you'll be able to save them a second time afterwards if they get in trouble again? Or that it wouldn't blow up any plans we had to take down the rest of the Company and leave you completely at Lyn's mercy?"

Pleo didn't have an answer to that. Maybe his friends would have something if they were there with him, but as much as he hated to admit it, Ketu's argument wasn't wrong. He looked back after hearing footsteps, only to see Ketu sit down beside him, his features having visibly eased.

"It sucks, I know, but part of a secret mission involves knowing how to play the long game," the Weavile said, before looking off into space with a low mutter under his breath.

"Even if it's not what you want right here and now… Even if it might get frustrating sometimes."

That… seemed to make sense. Travellers above, why on earth was something Ketu saying making sense?! This had to be some sort of trick on his part… right?

The young Lugia hesitated and drifted in his thoughts as Ketu leaned back slightly and studied his reaction. After a brief pause, the Weavile shook his head, before giving a reassuring pat.

"For what it's worth, there are places in that complex that can get pretty comfortable. I've stayed in some of them," Ketu insisted. "Obviously, they're not normally meant for prisoners, but… well, no reason why anyone aside from us would need to know that your friends stopped being treated as ones. They'd be closer to 'guests with limited travel options' until Inler's no longer a thing we have to worry about."

Pleo turned his head away, dutifully avoiding looking up at the Dark-Type beside him.

"I… I don't know. Even if I help you beat Inler and Lyn, what would happen afterwards?" the Lugia asked. "Wouldn't the Company still keep me away from Tromba while still bullying everyone there?"

"Well, the Company would be under new management, obviously. And we've got bigger things to worry about than how much tribute every island has been coughing up, so we're not going to be running it like Darzin if that's what you're getting at—never really did like getting involved in that stuff," the Weavile said. "Though to answer your question, while there would be missions outside of Tromba we'd need you for, you can go back to your home whenever you want in between them. If anything, you'd likely make our lives easier by being on Tromba since the Pokémon there look up to you."

Pleo let his eyes drift towards the floor. Could he even trust whatever Ketu was telling him? He didn't sound obviously evasive, but he didn't like how he couldn't pick up anything about how the Weavile was really feeling. He'd sometimes noticed when his friends felt certain ways when he was near them, and there were times like when his powers came out when he swore he could even hear their thoughts… but there was nothing like any of that from Ketu right now.

… As much as he couldn't believe he was thinking this, but even if he wasn't sure if he could trust Ketu, was it such a bad thing to help Ketu if the alternative was just Lyn forcing him to do what he wanted? Wouldn't he be able to just break free of Ketu once he got strong enough? And if they really were somehow trying to make the world a better place, wouldn't he be able to influence the way they did it if they trusted him and he stayed around them?

… No, something was wrong about this. These Pokémon had chased Kline around the Cradle for years! Half of him was literally trapped in some sort of prison because of them! And it wasn't as if Nerea didn't have anything good to say about them either. He paused briefly, before shooting the Dark-Type a skeptical frown.

"And what about Kline and Nerea?" Pleo asked. "Both of them insist that Elilan is a bad Pokémon. Are you going to force them to work with you, too?"

"I'm sure they'll come around in time," Ketu replied. "After all, Kline did join us willingly once already."

Pleo jolted up as his chains audibly rattled. His eyes went wide as he looked up at the Weavile, his beak flopping open from shock.

"Wh-What?!"

"Well, I suppose it's technically Micky who joined us, but for a Zygarde, that's like your left wing joining us while your right one didn't," Ketu said. "So same difference, really."

Pleo blankly stared ahead as the Weavile tilted his head, quirking a brow in confusion.

"Wait, he never told you?" Ketu asked. "… Huh. I mean, I suppose I should be more shocked right now, but at the same time Kline never seemed like someone who was above keeping secrets from others."

No, no, that couldn't be right! Kline was insistent that Team Sentinel and Elilan were up to no good, that they were plotting terrible things with the powers of Protectors like them! Why on earth would Kline have ever joined them?!

… It wasn't right. Why would Micky need to be kept in a prison if Kline once worked with Elilan willingly?

"But Kline said that you imprisoned Micky," Pleo insisted.

"It was hardly our first choice, but Kline forced our hand after he convinced Micky to turn against us. As I'm sure you saw on Vollezee, Zygarde aren't exactly weak and powerless Pokémon, and we weren't just going to let ourselves get run over by his powers over a disagreement," Ketu said. "We've been trying to talk some sense into him since then, but as I'm sure you've noticed with Kline, he's a bit of a stubborn Pokémon once he sets his mind on something. Whether it's coming from one half or the other."

That couldn't possibly be what happened… could it? Pleo knew that Team Sentinel wasn't exactly trustworthy, but everything about the way the Weavile had said things sounded so… genuine.

No, this was ridiculous. Kline was the 'Keeper of Balance'. Surely he would've told him if he really did something like this. And it wasn't as if Kline would ever have had a reason to help Elilan and Team Sentinel… right?

Pleo wavered, when he saw Ketu staring at the door before turning back to face him.

"Anyway, it's up to you if you believe me about Kline or not," Ketu said. "That said, we are running out of time right now. Others are going to notice that I'm taking my sweet time in your cell and start asking questions."

The Weavile waited briefly, before he stood up and held a claw out.

"So… are you in?"

… He didn't like this. Even if Ketu was telling the truth, what if something went wrong with agreeing to help him? At the same time, his friends were going to be cooped up in an awful prison! If Ketu was serious about being able to convince Elilan to leave his friends alone, wasn't it his duty as a Protector to try and help them?

Pleo's gaze drifted off as conflicting thoughts swirled in his mind like a churning sea when Ketu pulled his claw back to his side and cocked his head slightly.

"Look, I realize that you're taking a lot in right now, but you don't exactly have a lot of options right now and nobody's going to come to rescue you," Ketu said. "If you really want to get back at Lyn and everything he's put you and your friends through, this is the only way you can make it happen."

Pleo hesitated and averted his gaze. H-How could he make a decision just like this?! But if his friends really were in that much danger, th-then-

"I… I really don't know… I'm not sure if I can decide…"

Ketu impatiently looked back at the cell door, before bringing his attention back to Pleo. He hesitated and gave a click of his tongue, before raising his voice to speak up again.

"… How about I let you think things over?" the Weavile offered. "I can't really do anything with you right now anyway, and there's still a bit of time before your window to make a decision closes. Just don't forget that there's a lot riding on whatever you decide here."

Ketu waited expectantly for Pleo, only for the young Protector to remain silent and visibly struggle with his words. The Weavile sighed and began to make his way for the door, raising a claw as he neared to rap at the wood to be let out…

"Wait!"

Ketu flicked his ears and pulled his claw back, casting a glance over his shoulder. Pleo was there, still wrestling with his thoughts but clearly not as resistant as earlier.

"If I did want to team up with you, how would I tell you after we get to Vollezee?"

"We talk whenever I'm able to get into your cell. It should be a few days from now, but I can't make any firm promises about timing," Ketu said. "That's why I was hoping you'd make up your mind now, since getting to you once we reach Vollezee isn't exactly going to be as simple as heading below deck."

"And what are you going to do about my friends?" Pleo asked.

The Weavile raised a brow in reply, then folded his arms.

"What about your friends?"

"Well, can't you move them out of those cells right now?" he asked. "If it's really so easy for you to get them out of there, why can't you move them out while I think about whether or not to join you?"

Ketu cocked his head, before replying with a scoffing laugh.

"Yeah, that's not how any of this works," Ketu retorted. "We'll move your friends out of those cells once you agree to join—and not before."

"I thought you said you wanted me to join Elilan willingly."

Ketu paused as—much to his surprise—he noticed that Pleo's expression suddenly looked a lot more firm. There was a determined fire behind the Lugia's eyes, as if the two of them were facing each other down on a battlefield.

"This isn't any different from what you did to Charlie, Marilyn, and Albert: making promises and then holding them back until you've gotten what you wanted," Pleo said. "If you really want me to work with you and trust Elilan, then show me that you're serious about not letting my friends suffer when they don't have to. Especially after everything you and your friends have put us through."

There was a long pause between the two, as Pleo's scowl remained unyielding. The Lugia noticed a small smile creeping over Ketu's face, with an expression that looked almost like… respect?

"For a 'mon that's only been alive for a few months, you sure don't back down quickly," the Weavile remarked. "But fine, I'll see what I can do about your friends. Though, you're going to have to wait a while before you get to see anything of them. If you need something to help trust me until then…"

Ketu went over and fidgeted with Pleo's chains briefly. The Lugia heard a metallic clunk and then another, before it suddenly dawned on him that he could move around easier underneath them. Pleo looked down and saw that the chains had been loosened by a few lengths, before turning up and seeing Ketu waiting on him expectantly.

"Let's talk about things that I do have control over right now," the Weavile said. "I can't exactly do anything that would make it look like you're not Lyn's prisoner, but I can change your experience along the way. Do you have any requests?"

Pleo looked down at the food tray set out in front of him, when he noticed the Nomel Berry on it. He winced at the sight as memories of sour juices filling his mouth came back to his mind that he quickly pushed aside.

"Maybe you could get me some better food?" the Lugia said. "Something sweet instead of these yucky Nomel Berries would be nice."

Ketu looked down at the berries, before turning up with a small smile. They were still little steps for now, but this backup plan was coming together pretty well…

And despite Pleo's resistance, he had a good feeling about where things stood between them.

"Yeah, I can make that happen."

---

The first thing Nida saw of the prison was the towering, gray walls that cut across the rolling grasslands almost like sheer cliffs. She marched along after the other unfortunates ahead of her, through a thick gate flanked by watchtowers into a courtyard hemmed in by buildings. Squat ones on either side, with a taller one just ahead that looked almost like some sort of castle, punctuated by a central tower.

… Maybe it had been some sort of castle once. When the guards led Nida up through an entranceway into the central structure, she arrived in a sprawling hall that was taller than any of the buildings in Bluewhorl Town, with stonework that looked strangely decorative for a prison, and space visibly left over as the last few pirates continued trickling in afterwards. There were catwalks running around the walls of the chamber made of wood and stone, teemed with lavender-scarved Pokémon who glared down at them—with what seemed like half their ranks clad in dark blue armor segments.

A sharp thump filled the air as Nida turned her attention back over the doorway, where she saw that 'Junius' Marowak making his way up a set of steps to the topmost catwalk behind him. He raised his bone into the air as ghostfire lit up its ends and twirled it around, before slowly sweeping it over the room with a predatory sneer.

"Everyone, rise and greet our guests properly."

At once, the room reverberated with snarls and growls intermixing with one another from the surrounding guards, a few of them even winding up attacks. Nida and her companions flinched, as they noticed that even some of the pirates around them were visibly unnerved.

She supposed that was one way to 'greet' others. Even if she couldn't get it out of her mind as to how many of the things about this place just seemed strange for a supposed prison. She cast a glance over at Trizano and Pladur, and piped up in a hushed whisper.

"What on earth is this place?" Nida asked. "Why are so many of these guards wearing armor? And why does a prison need a room this big?"

Trizano and Pladur both struggled to give an answer, as they seemed to be as taken aback as she was. The Nidorina's attention moved back to Junius as she noticed movement from one of the balconies above. She saw a Scizor in dark blue armor plates flying down, before coming to a crouching landing on the ground. Nida tensed up and watched as Junius idly pointed out the Scizor with his club to the prisoners below.

"Entella here will handle processing, so you scum all end up where you belong," Junius said. "If you don't want to have a bad time, I'd strongly suggest not getting on her nerves."

The Scizor idly straightened the armor plates on her carapace before bringing her claws behind her back. It made a slight rattle as she moved around, which Nida noticed came from small metal hoops visible in between its gaps. Entella made her way up to the front of the gathering with a steely gaze, as many of the pirates she passed seemed to visibly flinch and shrink away. She scanned the crowd briefly before turning her head up at the wall, before bringing her gaze back down with a piercing frown.

"Hrmph, it's not every day that a group of prisoners manages to make the warden interested enough to come and see things in person."

Nida looked up at the wood-and-stone catwalks and saw a Trevenant peering down at them with a red, narrowed eye. The Nidorina briefly shrunk back under the Ghost-Type's gaze, when a sharp buzz turned her attention back to the Scizor in front of them.

"But he's not a patient 'mon, and neither am I, so let's hurry this up and make you someone else's problem."

A tense silence followed as the Scizor started to go about the room, with the only noises being a couple worried murmurs and whines, as Nida swore she could hear some of the other Pokémon around them audibly gulping. The Nidorina watched as the guards began to gather around them with a few reporting to the Scizor and pointing out different Pokémon in the crowd. The entire time, she noticed that aside from Junius, nobody's armor looked as intricate as Entalla's did—clearly a sign that the Marowak and the Scizor were important here.

Nida looked around at the fringes of the crowd and saw that the guards were spreading out, with the same surly and menacing air that all the others had on the way over. From her side, she could hear quick, shallow breaths. She turned and saw that Pyry and Pekka both looked utterly terrified and were frozen in place.

"Pyry? Pekka?" Nida whispered. "Are you two doing okay?"

"W-We're never gonna get out of this place alive," the Gabite whined. "It's even worse than last time. All the guards are armored up this time and-"

A pointed stone suddenly flew in and caught Pyry in his side. The Gabite got knocked to the ground and laid there gasping for breath as Nida whirled around towards the culprit: a Golem shooting a piercing glare down at them.

"Nobody said you could talk!" the Golem snarled. "Keep this up and you'll whimper and whine yourself into the Pit. Got it?"

Pyry and Pekka's eyes both shrank to pins as Nida swore she could see the color drain out of their faces. The pair frantically nodded back, but otherwise remained silent, saying nothing remotely 'whining' or much of anything at all.

The Golem lingered briefly, before drifting off, leaving the Vibrava and Gabite to visibly tremble as Nida and her teammates traded worried stares between them.

She wasn't sure what on earth just happened, other than that whatever that 'Pit' was that the Golem threatened them with was a place that they really, really did not want to go to. Much to her surprise, most of the pirates were also suspiciously quiet… Had other guards made similar threats to them?

Perhaps they wouldn't have had to based off the expressions she was seeing on some of their faces. Most of the Pokémon didn't look particularly ready to resist their fate—not the small ones, nor even the stronger ones, like Hess a few rows down. Over there, the Aggron was alongside that Ledian underling of his, just staring vacantly down at the ground.

Was that really the same Aggron who raided their island, huffing and puffing about how strong he and his crew were…? Nida caught Crom staring off himself, as the Druddigon looked away with a quiet shake of his head.

"It's weird, seeing Hess captured and miserable like that," the Druddigon said. "Somehow I thought that it'd be more satisfying than this."

Perhaps that had something to do with how they were both tied up and captured together, but she really wouldn't have ever believed that she'd feel bad for him up until now. She couldn't put her paw on it, but there was something genuinely uncomfortable about seeing him in such a pitiful state. Even if the Company hadn't taken Pleo or roped them up into things like this, was this really justice?

"N-No, please! Mercy!"

Nida turned her head and saw a wide-eyed Venomoth getting dragged off desperately by a pair of guards over to a corner where a number of pirates had been gathered, including some that were still visibly injured from their earlier battle at sea. A sinking feeling came over Nida's stomach as the Venomoth was shoved into a corner of the chamber, when it suddenly dawned on her:

Those pirates were acting like they were about to die.

Nida looked on uncomfortably with her ears pinned back, before turning back to her teammates around her.

"Why are those pirates reacting like that?" she whispered. "What's going to happen to them?"

Nobody answered her, as everyone seemed similarly uneasy at the sight. She turned her attention to Pyry and Pekka as they watched the still-begging Venomoth getting dragged off.

"… They're being sent to the Pit," Pekka explained. "It's the place where Pokémon get sent to mine tin."

Nida stiffened up and hesitated as Pyry and Pekka's moods both visibly darkened, before Pekka continued.

"I don't know how they choose Pokémon to go there," the Vibrava murmured. "Some get sent there without making it past the initial sorting, while others get sent there afterwards as punishment."

"Others supposedly get sent there when they're too hurt to work in the prison," Pyry added. "We weren't exactly here for long the last time to find out for ourselves, but every story we heard while we were pirates said that Pokémon don't come back from that place. Word is that they usually don't last long there either."

Travellers above, just what on earth was this place? Nida knew that prisons were supposed to be harsh places, but they weren't normally run like this, were they?

And why would the Company want injured prisoners to mine tin in the first place? Wouldn't those be some of the Pokémon who'd be the least able to-?

"Raise your heads, you worms."

Nida looked up as sharp footsteps pricked her ears and saw a small group of guards approaching her group, with a Passimian beelining straight for her. The Passimian threw out arm and reached for her throat. The Nidorina flinched, trying to pull away the Passimian's hand latched onto her scarf, and…

Riiiiiiip!

Nida felt a sharp tug at her neck as the fabric pulled away and she realized that she didn't feel anything around her neck. She looked down and saw her blue scarf with its star laying in a torn heap as she heard her teammates shouting around her. The Passimian shoved her to the ground before grabbing the chains around her arms, which jerked back, before suddenly loosening up.

Nida laid there with ragged, startled breaths, as it dawned on her that while they were stiff and aching, she could move her arms again. She stayed there in a confused daze amid the continued shouting in the background, when a white scarf with black stripes suddenly landed in front of her. She looked up, where the Passimian was hovering over her with a stern glare

"Put this on," the Fighting-Type barked. "Your group's up next for cell assignments."

Nida faltered and saw her teammates similarly hesitating when she noticed a Lycanroc smacking a nearby Hoppip who was lagging at putting on a similar scarf. The Nidorina hurriedly stooped down and began to put it on, as she saw Pladur helping their other less dextrous companions while the guards moved along. She shakily slipped her scarf on, glancing down at the ugly striped pattern on it. Just after she tightened the knot, Nida looked up and saw a Lycanroc and some other guards near Hess similarly stripping his colors away, pulling away a wad of gold-and-silver fabric along with a silvery stone attached to a cord.

There was a moment of mutual surprise, as the Lycanroc lifted up the cord and moved the circular stone back and forth between his claws.

"What the-?"

Hess' eyes visibly widened at the sight of his lucky charm dangling in the guard's claws, as the Aggron suddenly thrashed against a Mr. Mime undoing his chains.

"A-Ah, my lucky charm! Give that back right now!"

Hess bucked the Mr. Mime and lunged forward as he jerked himself free of his chains, plowing into the Lycanroc with a headbutt that made the guard drop his scarf and necklace. The Aggron snatched it up as the Lycanroc hit the ground on his back, prompting the Mr. Mime and some nearby guards to pile on him. They immediately attempt to wrestle Hess to the ground, sending the nearby pirates diving out of the way.

From the ground, the Lycanroc stumbled back up and started to head over when Kichiro flew forward in the background. The Ledian shot forward with half his arms still bound, with a punch that zipped ahead faster than Nida's eyes could follow. It caught the Lycanroc in the back of his head, sending him stumbling forward with a low snarl.

"Oh, you're gonna regret tha-"

All of a sudden, a silvery blur struck the Lycanroc and knocked him out cold. A moment of stunned shock hung in the chamber as Crom's eyes widened and he realized that the attacker was none other than…

"T-Trizano!" Crom cried. "What are you-?!"

Hess briefly noticed Trizano blowing away a Houndoom who was coming at him as his eyes widened in surprise.

"Wha-? Why on earth are you helping m-"

THWACK!

The Aggron suddenly felt pain shoot through his ribs and pitched to the floor. He bellowed, blinking back agonized tears as he watched Kichiro get pinned to the ground and heard squawking protests beside him as Trizano met much the same fate. All of a sudden, he saw a long, bony club in front of his eye and looked up to see Junius looming over him.

"AAAAAAAAAH!"

Hess shrilled and curled up on himself, bracing for the end as shudders ran down his body and low whimpers came from his throat. Junius moved his club aside, before giving a sharp smack at Hess' back that drew a pained yelp.

"Pathetic," the Marowak snarled.

Crom looked on blankly, as a few guards helped the Lycanroc stumble up while the Mr. Mime brushed himself off. Entella flew over, her metallic claws pulled back and ready for a Bullet Punch.

"What is going on here?" the Scizor demanded.

"It's that Aggron!" the Mr. Mime insisted. "That fat scalebag was picking a fight over some stupid rock under his scarf!"

Entella stepped forward with a sharp frown, before noticing a glint from the ground and spotting Hess' lucky charm. She stooped down and picked it up, Hess reflexively reaching after it again, only to freeze after seeing Junius level his club at him with ghostfire smoldering at its tips, leaving the Scizor to raise it into the air and into the light.

She looked into the stone and its silver-and-gray swirls for a moment, before a flash of realization came over her eyes and a knowing smile crossed her mouth.

"… Oh, this is so much more than just a rock," Entella said. "Doctor Nyxem's going to want to see this."

Crom blinked as a dumbfounded reaction came over both him and his teammates, along with the fellow onlookers—guard and pirate alike. What on earth did that Scizor mean by 'more than just a rock'?

Before anyone could raise the question, Entella's expression hardened, as she turned to the nearby guards, pointing a claw down at Hess as he panted in wide-eyed confusion.

"Send him to the Pit alongside this 'lucky charm' of his."

Hess' jaw dropped in frightened shock. Just to his side, a furious squawk rang out as Trizano continued to struggle against his guards, until a Houndoom finally pinned him down. Entella went up and peered over at the Skarmory as the bird glared back up at her, when she saw his eyes' cross-shaped pupils.

She paused and tilted her head slightly in surprise, before clamping the Skarmory's beak shut with a claw and taking a closer look. Trizano fought against her grip as she inspected his irises.

"Why do your eyes look so strange, prisoner? Speak."

Entella let Trizano's beak go and stepped back, leaving the Skarmory to shake his head before looking up at her with a defiant glare.

"We Immortals don't answer to the likes of your kind," he spat.

Entella raised a brow, as a bemused smiled came over her face.

"… How curious. I've always wondered whether there was actually something to you Immortals ever since rumors about you lot started going around. It seems like we'll find out soon," the Scizor said, before turning her attention back to the Houndoom and the other guards. "Send the Skarmory, too."

Nida's breaths quickened as the Houndoom and other guards dragged Trizano up and began to lead him off, while Junius and the others forced Hess onto his feet. Nida watched as the Marowak gave a passing jab at Hess and the guards herded Trizano away from the gathering. She felt tears well up in her eyes, when something snapped in her and she took off running after the Skarmory.

"Trizano! No!"

A green blur suddenly sailed in and smashed across the side of Nida's head, sending her falling to the ground. The Nidorina lay there as her vision wobbled and she heard her teammates' voices blur calling out for her. Then, a green trunk grabbed her, and she looked up to see a Copperajah dragging her up, fanning his ears out with a piercing glare.

"Quit your whining, pincushion!" the Copperajah snarled. "Keep this up, and you'll be joining him!"

Nida raised her barbs and struggled against the elephant's grip, but to no avail. Nida's mind went blank as Entella went around and pointed out different Pokémon all around her and mentioned "wings" and numbers that didn't mean anything to her. Other guards went about in the background and started grabbing nearby Pokémon as the air grew thick with yelps and cries of duress. She hung her head, her eyes drifting off to Hess as his guards began to put the Aggron's restraints back on.

The sound of frantic buzzing made the nearby guards shift into fighting stances. A little ways away, Kichiro was furiously buzzing and thrashing against his bindings as the Mr. Mime from earlier shoved him to the ground with an unseen force. Hess faltered at the sight, as his guards tightened their grip on him and the chains about his arms. He looked back at his second mate, his voice came out in a shaken stammer.

"K-Kichiro, it's fine," the Aggron said. "Worry about yourself."

"No, it's not fine, you stupid idiot!" the Ledian cried, tears beginning to form in the corner of his eyes. "First Rodion and now you?! We need you! I need you!"

There was a moment's silence as the Aggron seemed to try and force a determined glint over his face, only for him to fail to muster more than a tired, forlorn expression before looking away.

"Just hold things together for the crew while I'm gone," he said. "Someone's going to need to look after them."

Nida looked on as Junius and the other guards shoved the Aggron off after Trizano. The Marowak started heading off when he noticed that things had ground to a halt among the prisoners and guards alike. He gave a sharp thump with his bone against the ground, before stomping a foot for attention and splitting the air with an impatient shout.

"All of you, stop stalling!"

The Copperajah carried the Nidorina forward as other guards began to shove and drag along her other teammates. They made their way forward down cleared walkways, joining a growing procession of captured unfortunates. They soon got to a dim corridor with a noticeably lower ceiling, where the elephant shoved her to the ground and into the care of other guards. Her surroundings all blurred together as they marched her off in a group of other prisoners, where she quickly lost sight of everyone aside from Crom, Dimitri, Ander, and Pladur.

It grew harder and harder to keep track of them amidst the strangers all around her with each turn in the hallways. She'd lost track of Crom by the time she'd been taken to the entrance of a tall, featureless chamber made of brick and mortar, and then Dimitri and Ander as they started getting herded down different hallways.

She could only still see Pladur by the tips of his tusks when a Electivire took her along a hallway running along a tall shaft lit up by skylights on the ceiling, flanked by two stories of wood-and-stone balconies that cantilevered out from the sides. Both to her left and right as she marched along, there was cell after cell with metal bars, every one full of scraggly or unhealthy-looking Pokémon who briefly acknowledged them but otherwise looked away. Up and down the hall, loud rackets rang out as guards stopped in front of various cells and shoved whatever captives were with them in.

She turned her attention back down the hallway, when she suddenly froze out of realization: she couldn't see Pladur's tusks anymore.

"Pladur? Wh-Where are-?!"

"Get moving!"

The Electivire pushed her towards a stairwell heading up as the Nidorina's mind went blank. She felt the floor under her feet change as the cold stone underfoot gave way to coarse, rough wood—all as an awful, sinking realization came over her.

She was all alone now, and she had no idea where her teammates were or how to even begin to try and find them again.

Nida finally snapped to attention after hearing a sharp yowl just ahead, where she saw that pirate Zangoose that Junius had beaten into submission at the town square being shoved into an open cell. She briefly saw him hit the ground on his paws and look up, before scurrying off deeper within with his ears and tail pinned tight against his body. The Electivire changed course as they approached the cell, when the Electric-Type tightened his grip and Nida was suddenly lifted off the ground.

Air rushed past her as she fell toward the stony floor, landing hard on her side. She rolled to a stop and laid there panting, her heart pounding in her chest. She looked back towards the entrance, where the Electivire was there, one hand on the cell door, and giving a malicious sneer down.

"Look on the bright side, you won't exactly be lonely here," the Electivire taunted. "And I'm sure your new cellmates won't bite… often."

The Electivire slammed the door shut with a heavy slam before moving along as the sounds of cries and struggles rang out elsewhere in the corridor. When she was certain the guards had drifted off, Nida went up to the bars and blankly pawed at the cold, unyielding iron.

"Nida, is that you?"

Nida gasped as she heard a chirping voice from deeper within the cell, and looked behind her to see a Luxio and an Amoonguss, who parted ways for a Swellow in a scarf with white-and-black stripes. His wings were clipped and his plumage looked unkempt, but there was a look of startled disbelief on his face.

The Nidorina's eyes widened and her jaw dropped in realization that this was…

"K-Kiran?"

The other Pokémon in the cell briefly murmured among each other as the Swellow hurried over and threw his wings over her. She wrapped her paws around him in turn, pulling him close as her voice wavered and cracked.

"A-Ay, menos mal, you're alright!" she exclaimed. "What about everyone else?"

"Everyone's alright. Natrix and Philips are even in the next wing over," the Swellow explained. "But what are you doing here? What happened?"

Nida paused and hung her head. She felt a lump grow in her throat and her eyes start to grow bleary as everything she'd gone through in the past few days all came flooding back to her.

"W-We went to Gestirn to try and patch the ship up! Except Lyn hired a bunch of pirates who ruined everything, and-"

"Nida, slow down," Kiran insisted, motioning with a wing for a stop. "You've clearly been through a lot. Just take things one at a time."

Moisture began to bead in Nida's eyes as the sinking realization came over her. Everything they'd done, that they'd fought for, it'd all accomplished nothing other than to get them stuck here. In this place where nobody had any idea of how to get away, much less to get back to Pleo.

"L-Lyn was playing everyone all along!" she cried. "Everyone on the team aside from Elty got captured and everyone else is still stuck on Gestirn, and-!"

Nida's voice hitched as she no longer could hold back her tears. She buried her face into Kiran's plumage, as bitter sobs came from her throat.

"I-I just don't know what we're supposed to do! Everything's awful right now! How are we even supposed to get out of this?!"

Kiran set his beak on edge and fell silent. He seemed to be struggling to say something, but managed nothing beyond brushing a few tears away from his pupil's eyes before he shook his head with a defeated expression.

"Pray and hope that something works out," he said. "It's all we can do right now."

---

Author's Notes:

- Zurück! - German: "Get back!"