FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

It was the dead of night, with clouds thick enough to block out the moon and stars blanketing the sky, leaving the ocean an inky black as far as the eye could see, with the only sources of light being the many torches that lined the crenellations upon the walls of the fortress, either mounted upon the stone, or carried in the hands of those patrolling along the top. All of them, oblivious as to what was happening below.

The sentries beneath the waves swam in circles around the island to patrol its boundaries. They had no light to guide them, and so chose to stay close to the island's base to use the base to guide them, moving in groups of three and swimming cautiously as they had to rely on their hearing. There was mostly only Sharpedo about this evening, as they had some of the best underwater hearing among Water-type Pokémon, if they moved slowly.

Despite their efforts, they were unaware of the three large Pokémon that were closing in on them from the side, gliding silently through the water towards their targets.

With a sudden burst of speed, the first one darted forward, spearing the first Sharpedo with a Megahorn attack, then quickly grabbed at it while it was still reeling and dragging it down into deeper depths of the ocean, allowing his allies to finish the other two sentries in the group. The second rushed at the nearest Sharpedo before they could react and pounded them into the stone wall with a single punch, knocking them senseless. The last rammed the Sharpedo head-first to daze it, before finishing them off with a punch to the face.

"There'll be more of 'em," Torolf mouthed to Blaster and Katsu, reminding them that these three would not be the only sentries.

"Let us make haste then." Katsu would mouth back to Torolf, followed by a firm nod.

They waited for the next patrol to come by, which would suffer the same fate as the first as Torolf, Blaster and Katsu ambushed them as they had the first, quickly dispatching them before any of them could flee for cover or to sound the alarm. A third and final patrol was similarly ambushed; too few sentries, too spread out. Luck was with them that night.

With the way now clear, Torolf swam to the surface, staying just beneath the waters to hide himself as he swam back the way they had come from before he drifted below the keel of a small boat, tapping it twice, and then diving back down once again into the deep to rejoin the others. With the signal given, the boat's engines started, and slowly it drifted forward.

Kage was driving the boat, with Sickle standing by with an anchor and line for when they landed. Volcan had given them a brief rundown of how to operate the small boat; fortunately, Kage was a quick study, and they kept the engine low to keep the sound from reaching the sentries upon the walls. Fortunate favoured them that night; the winds were strong, the howl of it masked the low motor of the boat, and with the underwater sentries having already been dispatched, there was nothing to see them making their approach to the island, ready to begin their part of the mission.

Kage carefully guided the boat toward the wall closest to the tower, slowing down as he got closer to the edge, and gently bumped the hull of the boat against the wall, then shut off the engines and signaled Sickle to drop the anchor once the engines were off. Sickle did so promptly, lowering the anchor over the side and letting it fall once it was in the water, before tossing another line over a nearby rock, doubly securing the boat in place. He turned to Kage and nodded, letting him know that the boat was secure.

Kage nodded back. With the boat secured, he stepped out of the cabin, and then jerked his head toward the wall before turning toward it, crouching low and taking a giant leap toward it, sticking to the wall when he was at the peak of his jump, then waited for Sickle to catch up. The Grovyle of course was not built to jump like him, so he had to climb onto the roof of the cabin, bound from it onto the nearest rock, and hopped across them until he reached the wall.

"Step one complete," he muttered to Kage before he began gently running his claws over the wall, seeking purchase on the otherwise smooth surface. He dug his claws into the seams between the metals plates before lifting himself onto the wall, and began climbing, pressing his body flat against it and, in true gecko fashion, scaled the wall using all four of his limbs.

Kage leapt quickly up the side of the wall rather than climb it, waiting each time he leapt so that Sickle could catch up before he leapt again, until they were roughly inches from the top, in where he would signal for Sickle to hold his position as he began to slowly peek his head over the top and scan for any incoming patrols. He had to duck back down again as a Scyther sentry wandered past, not spotting the Greninja and making his way along the wall. The next sentry was a safe distance away, but they still had only a moment to get into the tower, which now rested straight ahead of them, a single door barring their way.

Sickle peeked over the top of the wall, seeing the door as well. He waited for Kage's confirmation before proceeding, clambering over the wall and crawling up to the wall beside the door where he lay flat against it, reaching over with a claw testing the knob and lightly pushing the door. He looked back at Kage, mouthing to him, "Unlocked."

Kage raised his hand to his ninjato and nodded before moving to stand by the door reaching for the knob and turning it slowly, inching the door open and peeking inside to check for any guards patrolling the area. When he was sure they were safe, he opened the door and ushered Sickle inside before he would move in and gently shut the door behind him.

Sickle let Kage take the lead from there as this was more the forte of the Greninja. They had entered a small corridor, with a corner up ahead rounding into the next hallway. Peering around that corner, Kage saw the stairs to lead below, but the access to them went right past a partially open door, through which he heard voices. Kage narrowed his eyes slightly at their situation, then looked over his shoulder to Sickle.

"Hold my shoulder." He whispered softly to the Grovyle.

Sickle compliantly grasped Kage's shoulder as instructed, wondering what he was going to do. Within a matter of seconds, both Sickle and Kage had sunk into their own shadows, thanks to Kage's Shadow Sneak. Kage gave Sickle a moment to adjust to the weightless feeling that came from using this technique, but the Grovyle did not seem too bothered by it, and so Kage manipulated their shadowy form across the floor, passing by the open door and hearing the voices within.

"...progress is not going as quickly as we had hoped," a first voice spoke. "The excavation needs even more workers. But the islands are on the lookout for us now, thanks to the warnings put out by Team Warmachine. Our element of surprise has been lost."

"Such was inevitable; we've hit eight of them already -it was only a matter of time before word of our actions spread." A second, more sinister-sounding and yet somehow joyful voice asked. "Send word to the Oppression to turn their course south; the Equatorial Islands no longer suit our purposes. The lower reaches of the Eastern Continent should have easy pickings. Plus, Asya and Jora should be making progress around their homeland already; we should expect more from them soon."

"What about the prisoners we already hold? They still need to be sent to the excavation site." Another voice spoke; one that Kage knew all too well; it belonged to the Gallade... He was behind that door, no more than five feet from where Kage and Sickle were hiding, and two others were with him. Hearing that voice caused him to stop in his tracks, wanting to hear the rest of the discussion. Sickle voiced no protest, as he too was curious to know the enemy's plans.

"He's right; we can't contain too many more here in this fortress alone," the first voice agreed. "Space is limited, as are our stocks. Starving them to death won't serve us."

"Fair point, gentlemen... order the Oppression to return to the fortress, pick up our current prisoners and take them to the excavation," the second voice replied. "I'd say it's about time our big friend got back into the fight too."

"Him? After his failure in Azure?"

"Why not? If anything, he'll be even more encouraged not to fail again, with that scar as a reminder of what happens if he wastes time toying with his prey, giving them time to get an advantage. Give him that Mega Stone the last shipment brought back too; if he encounters any resistance, that should make short work of them."

"As you wish," the first voice said. "I will fly out to the Oppression myself and relay the new commands."

"That leaves you then to get the prisoners ready," the second voice spoke again, presumably to the Gallade. The creaking groans of a chair followed; someone was standing up from a seated position. "Now, off with you both. I have to see about our little friend over by the bay; he was not easy to sway to our side, let me tell you."

"I don't imagine he was, with a being of his power. Is there any chance he may still be able to free himself?"

"Nothing has been able to break free once the corruption has set so far. But, given how difficult it was for even the three of us to capture him, I am not taking any chances regardless; powerful minds have been able to resist the corruption for longer than others, as I've seen. I will ensure the hold is not broken."

With that, the door opened; three individuals marched out. From their shadowy hiding place, Kage and Sickle only caught a glimpse of the first; a figure with a hood of leaves and a cloak of feathers, but due to his brisk exit, he saw little more than that. He had no idea what Pokémon they were; he'd never seen one like it, but his curiosity would have to come second. Following the first was the Gallade, marching with calculated steps towards the stairs, a cloak trailing behind him as he descended.

But the mere sight of the third one sent both Kage and Sickle's hearts racing, even from the safety of their hiding. Out of the room stepped a Blaziken with deep, dark gray feathers, and silvery-gray undertones as opposed to the usual beige of a common Blaziken or the pale white of rarer ones. His eyes were the colour of amethysts, and merely looking into them seemed to send shivers down their backs as he walked, slowly, out of the room with his talons tucked casually behind his back, wearing a blood-thirsty grin on his face as he stepped over the two of them, oblivious to their presence, and followed his first two compatriots down the stairs.

When their footsteps could no longer be heard, Sickle dared a whisper to the Greninja. "K-Kage... was that...?" He couldn't even finish. Merely looking at that dark Blaziken had startled him, as though he had just looked upon something that should not even exist.

Even Kage had been rattled, which was even more surprising to the Greninja; as far as he knew, there was little that could intimidate him. But something about that dark Blaziken seemed so unnatural -and it wasn't just his colours. This was not a feeling Kage was used to having...

Kage forced his mind to clear; this was no time to let his emotions hinder him -they still had a job to do. "We need to move. Our time limit here has been shortened..." he said lowly, moving within their shadows closer to the stairs before having to come out of them to continue downstairs, once more taking point. "Contact the Peacemaker; let them know that the enemy ship may soon be enroute back to this fortress. We must accomplish the mission before they return."

"Will do," replied Sickle, putting a finger to his ear to activate the miniature radio he had borrowed from Luke. "Infiltration team to Peacemaker; anyone read me out there?" He asked, keeping his voice as low as possible.

_ "I read you, Sickle,"_ Luke's voice echoed in the Grovyle's earpiece. "What's your status?"

"We've entered the tower, preparing to move to the lower levels," the Grovyle reported. "But we just overheard a conversation -one of the base bosses is flying out to a ship or something and they're calling it back. I don't know how far away the ship is but it's possible we may have company soon. Keep your eyes open."

"Understood. Let us know when you find the prisoners. Once they're secure, we'll commence phase two." Luke replied, before solemnly adding. "Take care in there..."

"We will," promised Sickle. "And... Luke?" Sickle asked, pausing briefly as he felt some mild hesitation. "We saw him... the dark Blaziken. If ever there was a time I wondered why Volcan has nightmares, I'm no longer questioning it -just the sight of this guy sent my heart racing."

"I can hear you, Sickle," Volcan's voice chimed over the comms.

Sickle clenched his eyes shut. "Sorry..."

"It's alright. Continue mission; we're standing by," returned Volcan.

"Roger that. Over and out," replied Sickle, before he resumed following Kage.

Kage checked around the corner once they were at the bottom of the staircase, quickly jerking his head back when he saw a sentry coming their way. He once more grabbed Sickle and they sunk into their shadows, waiting for the sentry to pass before they could continue. When they were clear, they made for the next stairway, heading down from the third floor to the second floor, with only one level to go before they'd be on the ground level. They passed a mess hall, where a few off-duty sentries were enjoying dinner, and had to Shadow Sneak across the mess hall as the next set of stairs was on the opposite side, slipping under the guards.

During the passage, they overheard another conversation. "Yanno they put Gosu on guard duty for that Lucario they brought in just over a month back?"

"They put that beastly bug on one Lucario? What the hell did he do that they would resort to calling him down?"

"Apparently he tried to break out; took out six of the guards before they caught him. Poor fool didn't realize there were no boats he could use to escape with. They're going to put him under isolation for a while, with a little... 'incentive' to not try again."

A chuckle followed. "Oh, Hein is going to love that. Night time torture is his favorite pastime, waking up the other prisoners with the victim's screaming."

"And even if that guy breaks out again, no way he's getting past Gosu. Good lesson for the rest of the worms."

When Kage and Sickle emerged at the stairs, Sickle glanced at the Greninja. "Catch all that?" He whispered.

"Indeed..." Kage returned. "Seems we're making a trip to the isolation ward." He added.

"Sounds like we'll have a heck of a guard to go through to get to Volcan's friend, but let's worry about that after," added Sickle. "Let's just get there before that sicko they mentioned does."

They descended to the ground floor, where they entered yet another corridor, with the front door of the tower to their immediate right, and the corridor continuing to their left, going past yet another partially open door. Instead of voices coming from this one, there was snoring -the guard room, most likely, where the off-duty sentries were sleeping.

"It would seem we've hit the jackpot, as it were..." Kage said with very mild jest. "One of them must have a key to where the prisoners are being kept."

"And look over there," Sickle added, pointing to the far end of the corridor, where there rested a stairway leading down to a lower level. "The prison must be down there. Think you can swipe one of those keys while I go check it out?"

"Child's play." Kage returned quickly, peeking into the doorway of the guard room before silently stepping inside.

Sickle pressed himself against the nearest wall, placing his head leaf into his mouth as he climbed along the wall, climbing along it horizontally to pass over the door, just in case any of the guards were still awake and happened to look out the door, though as Kage found there was no such risk; all the guards in the room were fast asleep, letting the Grovyle pass by unnoticed, and the Greninja to step inside without being spotted.

The Greninja quickly scanned each sleeping guard as he stepped lightly through the room, keeping his eyes peeled for anything that even remotely resembled a set of keys. His keen eyes eventually caught sight of a sleeping Toxicroak with a set of keys rested upon his bedside table

Kage stepped into the room, checking to ensure none of the guards were awake, pausing only for an instant when he saw one of the sentries turning over in bed before he deftly dove under the nearest bed, using Shadow Sneak to cross over to the Toxicroak and slowly emerge from the shadow to reach for the keys, meticulously lifting them off the table. He froze as the Toxicroak's throat swelled out, hearing him croak before shifting to lie on his back, mumbling something about a nice-looking 'Vileplume'...

Not wanting to know what depraved thoughts were coming out of this sleep-talker, Kage slid back into his shadow form, exiting the room swiftly and checking for patrollers before he strode over to the stairs, seeing no sign of Sickle; he must have already entered the tunnel, probably to avoid being seen lingering by the door as there was nowhere else he could be hiding. Kage strode down the stairs, making certain that each of his footsteps were light and silent.

He found Sickle halfway down the stairs, still crawling along the wall. The Grovyle looked over his shoulder to confirm it was him before continuing. At the bottom of the stairs, the two found themselves in a dimly lit tunnel, lit only by a few wall-mounted torches. Sickle was at the bottom of the stairs, lying flat on his belly and staring straight ahead. He looked behind him at Kage, putting a claw to his lips and pointing straight ahead. Following where Sickle was pointing, Kage saw another Toxicroak standing at the corner straight ahead of them. His back was to them, but if they were to approach him too quickly, he'd see them out of the corner of his eye easily.

Kage narrowed his eyes at the guard, studying his position compared to theirs and quickly discerning the next course of action. "...Follow my lead." He whispered to Sickle.

Sickle nodded, and climbed a little higher until he was almost on the ceiling, staying as high as he could to avoid the peripheral vision of the Toxicroak as he waited to see what Kage would do. One wrong move could have proved disastrous for either of them as they both had a type disadvantage against this Pokémon.

Kage slowly snuck closer to the Toxicroak, taking care to stay out of his line of sight as he crept forward until he was practically right behind him. From there, he tensed a bit and let loose an Extrasensory to the Toxicroak, blasting him with powerful Psychic energy to stun him, then he quickly leapt at him, grabbing him in a chokehold and yanking him back in his grasp, squeezing the Toxicroak's windpipe. Having been caught off guard, the Toxicroak had no chance to anchor his feet and could not gain any leverage to free himself from the Greninja. Eventually, his struggles began to lessen as he slipped out of consciousness, and went limp in the Greninja's grasp.

"Nice one," the Grovyle complimented from above.

"As I have said before, all enemies have a weakness..." Kage reiterated, letting the Toxicroak fall out of his arms before he picked him up by his armpits and dragged him away into the shadows where he would be harder to spot if anyone wandered into the corridor.

"Call me Psychic, but I don't think a guy who has his back to the entrance is the guard that we heard about upstairs," Sickle stated as he dropped back to the floor.

"It wasn't." Kage firmly agreed after he returned from hiding the Toxicroak and walked past Sickle, keeping his eyes forward as he approached the door, already searching along the ring of keys to begin testing them on the lock.

The door opened on the fourth attempt, and they were greeted with another corridor, with three doors lining both sides of the hall and a split at the end where the hall forked off in two separate directions. The smell of salt water reached their noses, and they were certain that the water source provided by the grate that the captains had previously mentioned was nearby. Each of the doors had voices mumbling from behind them; Sickle took point, slipping up to one of the doors to peer through the bars on them, and then pulled his head back to look at Kage.

"There are cages and another sentry in there -a Weavile," he informed the Greninja. "I think I see more Pokémon in the cages too."

"Those must be the prisoners..." Kage whispered back, nodding back to Sickle. "I assume you can handle the sentry this time..." He said in an almost condescending tone.

"I can indeed. Just watch," the Grovyle said with a grin, before he peeked through the bars, making sure he had a clear shot at the sentry. His cheek swelled, and he opened his mouth to fire a large Bullet Seed at the sentry, striking them square in the head and dazing them from the surprise assault. Sickle then slipped through the door and made a beeline towards the Weavile, who looked up only to see Sickle jump, rebound off a support column and deliver a powerful kick to their face, sending them stumbling back.

The Weavile got back up promptly, attempting to let out a call, before Sickle delivered a Drain Punch to his face, knocking him senseless and siphoning a little energy from him, restoring some of Sickle's own strength while the Weavile quickly lost consciousness. No sound from the other cells was heard as the sentry fell; the Grovyle's assault had gone unnoticed.

Kage stepped into the room after Sickle was finished with the guard, nodding silently to him. "Impressive..."

"Thanks," he returned.

With that, they turned their attention to the cages, inside of which they saw a group of Pokémon, huddled at the back of the cell -six in each cage, with four in total. They had evidently been sleeping, but the commotion caused by Sickle had roused them from their sleep, and they now stared out at him and the arriving Greninja with fearful curiosity. The number of Pokémon within the cells, combined with the number of cells that were left to check, suddenly introduced another problem to the two.

"...If all those other cells are full, we might need a bigger boat," Sickle commented.

Kage looked at the rest of the cells. "The Peacemaker alone cannot house this many prisoners; we're going to need the Trident for this as well."

"Let's hope that'll be enough," said Sickle. "What's our next move; should we start letting them out or take out the other sentries first?"

Almost as if his question were a cue, the door swung open, and a Sawk stepped through, spotting the two of them "Hey! Who are you two?!" He barked before he charged them.

Kage quickly lashed out with his tongue at the Sawk, smacking him with a Lick attack to surprise him, before he ran straight at the Fighting-type. The Sawk lunged at him with a punch, only for the Greninja to pass through him, thanks to having been turned into a Ghost-type by his earlier attack. Drawing his sword, he bludgeoned the Sawk on the back on the head, sending him careening awkwardly to the floor as consciousness slipped from him.

If Sickle's earlier takedown hadn't already alerted the other sentries, the Sawk's shouting would have without a doubt. Three pairs of feet approached rapidly, and through the door emerged a Heracross, another Weavile and a Vigoroth, who piled into the room to confront the two intruders.

"We've been compromised..." Kage growled, then quickly tossed the keys to Sickle. "Signal the others and when they begin, free the prisoners." He stated as he quickly turned back and exhaled a thick Smokescreen to blind the three guards, as well as allow Kage to work within the cover of the smoke.

Sickle took the precious seconds bought by Kage to try his earpiece, hailing the Peacemaker, but try as he might, he did not receive any response; only static and a garbled reply that he couldn't determine who it was from. Beleaguered, he looked at Kage. "I can't get a signal! The walls must be too thick!" He called.

At that moment, the Weavile rushed him, slashing at him with its claws; Sickle deftly evaded the slash, extending his Leaf Blades to block the next one. Sickle could not free the prisoners or head outside to contact the team while he was engaged in battle. Even if he could escape the Weavile, the Heracross was guarding the door, while Kage was engaged by the Vigoroth, who whooped madly and swept his deadly claws at him in a frantic manner. Having used Smokescreen, Kage was no longer a Ghost-type, and he could not revert to the form without using Lick or Shadow Sneak again, but such attacks were ineffective against Normal-types like a Vigoroth.

Kage deftly dodged each stroke that came his way, waiting for his chance to counterattack when he saw an opening. His patience was rewarded when he parried a slash with his forearm, before he counter-attacked, unleashing a flurry of Power-Up Punches too swift for the Vigoroth to stop. The white-furred Pokémon stood frozen as his torso was barraged with punches, before howling and forcing Kage back with a swipe of his claws.

Of course, Vigoroth were never quick to fall -not like their pre-evolved form of Slakoth. Kage's onslaught only made the Vigoroth angrier, and his attacks came faster than ever; even Kage could not dodge or parry such an onslaught, and eventually was thrown into the wall by a powerful swipe from the sentry. Kage managed to soften his landing enough so as not to be stunned, but narrowly ducked as the Vigoroth tried to run him through with his claws.

Kage had his chance to strike back when the Vigoroth's claws became stuck in the wall. He seized the Vigoroth's free arm, throwing himself around his body, dislocating his shoulder with a sharp twist. The Vigoroth howled in again, and for good measure, Kage elbowed him in the temple, and finally his opponent fell.

Sickle was backed up into a wall by the Weavile, who went to slash at him again when he was certain he had the Grovyle pinned. Sickle fired a Bullet Seed to strike the pouncing Weavile in the face directly between the eyes; the unexpected projectile sent the Weavile off balance as the Grovyle spun deftly out of the way. The Weavile face-planted into the wall, yelping of pain as his nose was smashed against the stone. Sickle followed it up with a Draining Punch to his ribs, simultaneously weakening and stunning the Weavile as he had the last and let him fall, defeated, to the floor.

"Close call," he muttered, and then turned when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye, letting out a "Whoa!" as the Heracross raced across the room and attempted to gore Sickle upon his horn, imbedding his massive spiked appendage deep into the stone next to where the Vigoroth was trapped, nearly catching Kage in the process as well but the Greninja had been alerted by Sickle's shout and dodged the charging beetle.

"Hey, you're going to hurt someone with that thing," Sickle taunted the Heracross as he and Kage stepped back. "Got a Flying-type move?"

"Aerial Ace," replied Kage, plainly.

"Perfect. I'll nail him from behind; you get him when you have a clear shot," Sickle directed as the Heracross managed to pry his horn loose from the wall.

Just as the Heracross turned around, Sickle made his move, vanishing into the peripheral of the Bug/Fighting-type as Sickle leapt onto the wall, rebounding over to the opposite column in a remarkable use of Acrobatics. Kage hurled a Water Shuriken at the Heracross, stealing his attention from the Grovyle as Sickle flew over him in an arc, rebounding off the wall behind him and tackling him from behind, sending the Heracross stumbling forward, where Kage made his move. His feet became shrouded in a pale blue glow, and he sprang up, delivering two whirling kicks to the Heracross's face, the second finally sending him from his feet and leaving him battered and motionless on the floor with his comrades.

"Nice moves," one of the prisoners in the cells, a Buizel, commented.

Kage looked over at the Buizel, then motioned for Sickle to unlock his cell. "You're safe now."

"Thanks for that," the Buizel said as Sickle tested one key after another until he found the right one for that door and moved onto the next cell while the prisoners stepped out. "We heard these guys mention something about Rescue Team Warmachine earlier; are you with them?"

"Not us specifically, but they're here too," replied Sickle, opening the adjacent cell door.

"Well, we're going to need all the help we can get to get out of here," the Buizel added. "I can get out that grate where the water comes in but I'm not leaving without my team."

"Your team?" SIckle asked, glancing over.

The Buizel crossed his arms and smiled proudly. "Val of Team Xiphos, at your service."

Sickle looked up at Kage, to see if he knew a team by that name. The Greninja shook his head back toward Sickle before he spoke. "Where are the rest of your team being held?" He asked promptly.

"Probably in the other cells. We tried to break out twice since we were brought here a month ago; they kept us separate to keep us from trying again," replied Val.

"I better get topside and tell Volcan and the others to begin the attack," said Sickle.

The Buizel's twin tails stood on end, and he spun around to face Sickle. "Wait, did you say Volcan?" He asked. "Volcan of Team Phalanx?"

"You know of him I take it." Kage returned.

"Damn right; my team's from Arc Island, just like him," replied Val, turning back to Kage. "You're telling me he's here?"

"He sure is. Hell, he's practically leading the attack on this place," replied Sickle.

"Ha HA! Yes! In your face, Grom!" The Buizel shouted at no one. "I knew he wouldn't leave us hanging!"

"Quiet, you idiot!" One of the other prisoners hissed, but it was too late.

"Who's doing that shouting?" A deep voice echoed from the hallway, heavy footsteps beginning to approach the cells, indicating a very large adversary was approaching. "If you little cretins don't keep quiet, I'll rip out your throats!"

"Uh oh..." Sickle muttered. "We missed one."

Kage shot Val a dirty look after the Buizel blew what little cover they had left, then he looked toward the entrance where the voice came from. "I'll deal with him while you free the prisoners, then find a secure area to contact the Peacemaker." He said to Sickle.

"On it," replied Sickle.

Kage turned to leave, only to pause as he remembered something, and then turned to Val. "One last thing; where is the Isolation ward?" He asked.

"At the end of the corridor, but you're going to have to go past that huge bug-thing coming this way," replied Val. "They call him 'Gosu'; I don't know what Pokémon he is, but he's big, and his body is like a suit of armour."

Kage nodded back to Val, then turned his attention back to the exit. "...There's no defense I cannot breach."

With that, Kage dashed out of the cell, turning in the direction that Val had indicated to him, and came face-to-face with a huge Pokémon. It was clearly insectoid in nature, but it was larger than any other one he'd seen, making the Heracross from before appear tiny by comparison. The Pokémon, covered in shiny metallic carapace with several segments jutting up around the center of his body, was so broad and top-heavy he practically filled the entire hallway from shoulder-to-shoulder, standing hunched over and fixing two black eyes with brown pupils upon Kage. He had six arms, four scrawny ones below his head, and two huge ones that ended in two-clawed 'hands'. Lastly, he had short legs with small feet, his thighs also protected by the armour-like carapace.

"An intruder!" The bug-like behemoth snarled through his mandibles, which clicked frantically as a joyous chuckle emanated from him. "Finally, someone to hurt."

Kage drew his Ninjato and held it in a reverse grip in front of him, leering at the bug type barring his way. He too did not recognize this Pokémon -it was like nothing he had ever encountered, but that did not deter him from readying his strategies in dealing with Bug-types. "Stand aside," He said lowly.

"Now why would I do that?" He asked, rubbing his claws together. "You're going to help me kill off my boredom."

"I said...move." Kage reiterated, then shot out an Extrasensory to stun the bug before he attacked, hurling Water Shurikens at him as his opening move.

Reacting on instinct, the bug -which he guessed was the one called 'Gosu' that he and Sickle had overheard being talked about before, put up his arm to block the attack, obscuring his view and failing to see Kage disappearing into his shadow as the Shurikens splashed harmlessly against his armour, seemingly causing him no harm. But in accordance to his size, Gosu was slow to react to the attack from behind as Kage leapt out of shadow and struck him in the back with Night Slash, aiming for an incapacitating, blow, but his sword clanged harmlessly off Gosu's armour.

Gosu turned to face him, shoulders scraping the walls as he did, and lunged at Kage with a swipe of his claws. Kage leapt back, keeping his distance and gauging his opponent; Physical attacks would do little against that armoured body of his, but the Water Shuriken had been ineffective as well, which was a Special Attack. There had been no gaps in Gosu's back that he could see either; the only openings in his armour was the front of his torso, but with his hunched posture, Kage would be hard pressed to get close enough to Gosu to exploit that opening.

Gosu was not waiting either. He pressed his attack, his claws glowing as he raised them and fired a volley of spikes from the tips; a Pin Missile attack. Kage sprang out of the path of the first volley, rebounding off the walls to avoid the onslaught of spikes, and hurled another Water Shuriken, forcing Gosu to stop his attack and put up his arms to protect his face. With that, Kage made a beeline straight towards him, aiming to thrust up beneath his arms, but Gosu dropped his guard just in time to catch Kage's sword between his gauntlet-like foreclaws before the sword could reach him. He followed up this guard with a jab of his smaller arms beneath his head, forcing Kage to break away from him or get impaled by one of the little claws.

'His defense is almost perfect,' thought Kage. 'No vulnerabilities from behind, and he covers himself well in front.' Thinking back on his training, he remembered one important lesson he had been taught when dealing with armoured enemies. 'Fight not the armour... fight the one inside of it.'

He knew just what to do.

Kage used Shadow Sneak again, once more melting into a shadow. Gosu scoffed at him. "You aren't fooling me with the same trick twice, amphibian!" He bellowed, watching the shadows carefully for Kage's attack.

But the Greninja was one step ahead of him again. He had not intended to strike Gosu head on, but reappeared behind the wall of the fork at the end of the corridor. The door to the isolation ward lay before him, but that would have to wait; he could not free Minato while Gosu was here. He conjured another Water Shuriken, casting it down the hallway to his right, where it let out an audible splash as it struck a metal door at the other end of the hallway.

"So, there you are," Gosu growled.

Kage lay flat against the wall, keeping out of sight as Gosu stepped into the corridor, approaching the door only to find it still closed. "What the..."

Kage made his move, unfurling his tongue from around his neck and firing a wad of Toxic from his mouth, splattering against the massive insectoid's back. Realizing he'd been tricked, he spun around to face Kage, his claws gouging the walls as he turned so abruptly. Kage followed up his attack with a Scald, unleashing a stream of searing hot water from his mouth; the arthropod ducked behind his arms again, protecting his face and chest from the searing water.

Kage's strategy went as thus; he did not know if this Bug-type Pokémon had a sub-type; if it was Steel or Poison-type, it would be immune to the Toxic attack Kage had used before, but not the Scald attack he was using now, which could inflict burns upon the opponent.

But suddenly, Gosu stood up, glaring at Kage with his black eyes as he lowered his arms. Kage saw Gosu allowing the piping hot water to strike him, and it did not seem to affect him in the slightest even with its searing heat! He lowered his head and charged at Kage; the Greninja stopped firing the Scald Attack; Gosu slammed into him, but what he struck did not feel like flesh. He looked up to see a wooden log had suffered his charge, and smashed against the wall beside the door to the isolation cell, with Kage nowhere to be seen.

"Damned little..." He began to say, only to pause as his vision blurred suddenly. He shook his head and blinked, trying to clear it, but the blurring persisted, followed by a nauseating sensation that flooded through him. He let out a groan, grabbing his stomach in a show of discomfort. "What's goin'..." He started to say, turning around and leaning against the wall, struggling to stay on his feet. He opened his eyes again, seeing Kage standing before him, sword still in hand, but the Greninja did not seem to feel any need to continue fighting.

"You think I... ain't been poisoned before?" Gosu asked. "My body... will fight this off..." He defiantly tried to step forward, only to stagger and fall to his 'knees', holding his chest as his breathing became laboured.

"I highly doubt that," returned Kage. "Toxic deals poison to you that worsens as time goes on; sooner or later, your body will falter and your immune system will fail to continue fighting off its effects." Kage explained. "You can wait for that, or you can hear my alternative. The choice is yours."

He growled again, meeting Kage's gaze with a glare of his own, but eventually he asked. "...What do you want?"

"You're going to release the one being held in isolation," Kage returned, pointing behind Gosu to the isolation cell, "and then you're going to release any other prisoners that are being held here, and lead them to the exit to the front yard..." He said in a low tone.

"There aren't any other prisoners, besides the ones in the cells back there," the bug stated, cocking his head to gesture behind Kage. "As for the prisoner in isolation, you'll have to find the key to his shackles, which I ain't got. Only the bosses have keys to that cell; nobody else gets in."

He scoffed. "In that case...you're going to break the prisoner out of his shackles..." He growled. "And given your current situation, you are in no position to refuse..."

"You're right, I'm not," he returned in a low, weak voice. "But you'll have to cure my poison first... with that coursing through me, I'm too weak to break solid iron."

Kage reached onto the back of his belt and opened a pouch full of medicinal items, including a Pecha berry, which he took out, showing to Gosu, holding it just out of reach of the Bug's mouth. "If you even think of trying to turn on me, don't think I won't hesitate to strike you down where you stand." He threatened him.

"As if I could fight you... in my current state," Gosu returned, his voice becoming weaker still, his gaze falling and his eyes becoming half-lidded as he sat limp on the floor, supported only by his shoulder against the wall. The poison was working quickly, just as Kage had suspected. But Kage still needed him; he stepped closer, and held the berry out to Gosu...

"Kage, get back!" Sickle suddenly shouted from behind the Greninja, but his warning came too late.

A flicker of movement below Gosu's head; Kage felt something stab into his chest, his eyes widening as he felt the attack. He looked down in shock, seeing that one of Gosu's smaller arms, which until now he'd forgotten about, had jabbed into his chest. Another one shot out to impale the Pecha Berry, before Gosu backhanded Kage away. He had been faking his weakness! With Kage thrown into the wall, Gosu turned and ran for the metal door down the hallway on the right; Sickle moved to intercept him, only to get knocked aside as well when his Leaf Blade proved ineffective against Gosu's armour. The massive arthropod charged through the door, vanishing from sight, before there was a splash, and the sound of grinding metal.

Sickle scrambled to his feet and ran in pursuit of Gosu, but when he stepped through the door, the arthropod behemoth was already gone; the room opened to a pool of ocean water, fed by a grate leading directly out to the ocean -the same grate Sickle had seen when they had studied Gallia's projection of the fortress for possible entry points. Instead, though, it had become an emergency exit for the guard.

Sickle cursed, turning back and running over to Kage, checking him. The claw that had jabbed him had drawn some blood, though did not appear to be located over anything anatomically vital, though Kage's pride had been stung by falling for such an obvious trick. "Stupid and careless," he scolded himself.

"You had the right idea, but these bastards are sneaky," Sickle bade, helping the Greninja stand back up and checking the puncture on his chest, looking closely at it. "Doesn't look too deep," he said, noting from the bleeding that the puncture was rather shallow. "But we're not licked yet; we've got someone even better to break those chains he talked about." He jerked his thumb behind him, gesturing to a huge Pokémon, which Kage recognized as an Emboar, approaching them. "Meet Grom of Team Kopis."

"Heard you need some muscle," the Emboar stated, matter of factly.

Kage looked up at the Emboar, and let out a grunt before he found a cloth from his pouch and pressed it against the wound on his chest, staunching the loss of blood "Get into isolation and break the prisoner in there out," he directed Grom.

"Hey," the Emboar interjected, growling as he glared at Kage. "I'll help you out of gratitude, but don't think I'll be taking orders from you, froggy." He warned the Greninja before stepping past him, approaching the door to the cell and proceeding to pound on it with both fists until it gave way, where he then stepped into the dimly lit chamber beyond.

Kage, after dressing the wound on his chest, turned to Sickle and asked, "Did you signal the Peacemaker?"

The Grovyle nodded. "I slipped back out while you were fighting the big bug and Val freed the other prisoners."

"You guys have reinforcements?" Val asked hopefully.

Sickle nodded back at the Buizel. "And plenty of them."

Almost as if on cue, a shout echoed down into the corridor from the building above; more voices followed suit, and the ceiling began to shake as the sleeping sentries in the floor above scrambled into action. Such a hurried sortie could have only meant one thing.

"The attack's started," stated Sickle. "We need to get everyone topside for the next phase."

"That buffoon better hurry in freeing that one prisoner then." Kage muttered, looking toward the isolation ward. "Time is short."

Until that very moment, there was a red glow shining through the door into the cell, followed by the sound of chains falling to the floor noisily. When both faded, Grom reappeared, stepping out into the hallway carrying the limp body of another Pokémon under his arm. A Lucario, with fur a darker tone than that of Luke, and wearing a black trench coat. The Lucario fit the description that Serena had previously given Sickle of Phalanx's missing teammate to the letter.

They had found him.

"Minato," Sickle commented, remembering the Lucario's name, stepping up to Grom and checking the Lucario's pulse and breathing. He was weakened -starving by the looks of things, and having suffered torture at the hands of his captors, but he was alive. Sickle could not help but smile weakly, before he whsiper, "Volcan's going to be glad to see you."

Grom elevated his gaze, looking at Sickle intensely. "Volcan?" He asked, and then his voice deepened. "You're telling me Volcan is here?!"

Sickle was unsure how to respond, taken aback by the sudden hostility of the Emboar at the mere mention of Volcan's name. He eventually tried to give an answer, only to grunt as Minato was suddenly thrust into his arms by the Emboar, who growled angrily and stepped past him. "Forget it," the Emboar brushed him off, stepping past him and storming up the hallway. "Let's get out of this filthy dungeon; I've had all I can stand of this place."

Sickle eyed the Emboar quizzically, wondering what could have sent him into such a rage just by hearing Volcan's name. He looked at Kage as if hoping he'd have an answer, but the Greninja remained expressionless, though he too was watching Grom. It seemed he did not know the cause of the Emboar's anger either.

Sickle brushed it off, looking the Lucario in his arms and remembering they still had a job to do. He stepped forward, rounding the corner and facing the prisoners that had been released; he'd counted at least a hundred and seventy of them when he had been unlocking the cells, only a third of whom claimed to be from Arc Island; according to Val, there had been over a hundred citizens from Arc upon their arrival, but the rest had been shipped off over the course of their imprisonment, though where had yet to be disclosed. The rest of the prisoners were from other islands in the region, all captured when their homes had been attacked.

Taking in a deep breath, Sickle addressed the prisoners. "It's time for us all to make our escape," he said, making certain not to let his anxiety show in his voice. "Stay close to Kage and I as we leave this dungeon behind. By the end of this night, you will all be away from this place and free once more. Now, follow me!"

~~~~~

The Trident raced across the waves towards the Fortress at maximum speed, engines roaring as the need for stealth had passed. Romulus stood at the bow, with Kari and Howler standing at his sides, waiting for the boat to be brought into range as Hook steered it towards the Fortress. Behind the three Fire-types stood Leon and Blaster, and on the back of Blaster's shell was Serena; previously her role had been to standby ready to treat the injured as the battle progressed as well as use her Rain Dance attack to cause a rainstorm to give Torolf a boost, but with the lives of her friends and her people hanging in the balance, she could not, and volunteered to join the Breach Team; she too knew Ice Beam, and would be able to do her part.

Overhead, the Red Talons, numbering fourteen with the additions of Eagle Eye and Razorwing -painted with red stripes along his body and neck to help discern him from the enemy fliers that awaited them, flew at pace with the Trident, waiting for Romulus to give the signal to attack. Romulus turned to look back into the cabin, motioning with his front paw for Hook to slow down, and faced forward again, the gate coming into view from the dark of the night. The sentries on the wall heard the engines just as they died out, and Romulus could see them peeking over the parapet, but the lusterless colour of the Trident's hull, combined with the absence of moon or starlight because of the clouds overhead, made it difficult to see the ship. By the time they'd see it, it'd be too late.

Off to the right, he saw the wall assault team still at work; the web ladder, hidden by Hank's illusions, had been completed; the Zoroark was wet from swimming to the island shore, but this was the only way for him to get there unnoticed, while the spiders had been brought over by Blaster shortly after Torolf had signalled Kage and Sickle to begin their part. Everything was in place; Torolf waited beneath the waves for his next part, while aboard the Trident, Tristan, Aegis and Katsumoto were prepared to deploy and begin securing the yard, and Luke, Volcan and Shamshir were at the stern of the Trident, waiting for their opportunity to deploy.

It was time.

"Get ready," he told Kari and Howler, who both nodded.

Romulus sucked in a deep breath, lowering his head briefly before throwing back and howling to the sky. This was his signal to the Red Talons to begin their assault, and upon hearing it, they fell into short dives to gain boosts of speed and soar ahead of the Trident. In accordance with the attack plan, the Red Talons targeted the walkway above the sea gate, bombarding the walkway and causing the sentries to scatter. The sentries, now aware of the attack, were panicked from the seemingly spontaneous fire attack that erupted upon the walls. The time to strike was now while the enemy was distracted.

"Now, attack!" Romulus ordered, inhaling sharply before exhaling a massive cone of fire, with the Ninetales and Arcanine following suit, unleashing three simultaneous Flamethrower attacks to engulf the face of the gate in red-hot fire.

The Red Talons continued peppering the walls with Embers, sending the sentries into a frenzy and preventing any coordinated response to the unexpected assault. But just as Jake began to think the mission was going to be easy, the glow of their fires illuminated something in the night; dozens of metal bodies, appearing seemingly from nowhere and flying out to engage them. He couldn't be certain of their numbers, but just from the number of reflections he saw from the bellies of the ironclad birds, he knew that they outnumbered his squadron significantly.

"Guys, we got a lot of company!!" Jake hollered to his squadron as their long time rivals, the Saberwings, soared onto the scene.

As the first Skarmory raced into battle, breaking formation and making a line straight towards Jake, a steel-gray blur slammed headlong into the attacker, sending them hurtling off course while the assailant flew into formation with the other Talons. Razorwing had intercepted the attacker, and looked back at Jack, giving him a nod. Jake nodded back in acknowledgment to Razorwing, then raised his squad again. "All wings, break formation and engage incoming tangoes!" He said as he and his unit swerved to face the oncoming forces. "Increased numbers or not, let's show those thick automatons why we're the best there is!!"

"Hell to the YES!" Eagle Eye crowed, the cheering of the other Talonflame filling up the night as they scattered and engaged the Saberwings.

From below, Blaster was staring up at the air battle going on, seeing how hopelessly outnumbered the Red Talons were -however skilled they were as well as having the type advantage of Fire against, it didn't look like a battle they could win. "We have to try and help them!" He bellowed, starting to angle his cannons upward.

"No!" Romulus snapped at him after ceasing his fire breath. "They have their job; we have ours! The Talons can take care of themselves; do not lose sight of the objective!" He turned his gaze forward again, eyeing the red-hot surface of the gate's iron banding. "Begin step two!" He ordered, prompting Kari and Howler to step aside and clear the way for the Water-types. "You're up; do it, now!" Romulus commanded sharply.

Blaster grunted in disapproval, turning to look at Leon, who only nodded back to him in reply; he wanted to help the Talons as well but they had been entrusted with an important task of their own. Serena leapt from Blaster's back, standing in front and charging an Ice Beam in her mouth, followed by Leon. Blaster pushed aside his concern for the Talons and angled his cannons forward, both glowing with the pale blue light of an Ice Beam. The three unleashed their attack, and their ice beams struck the red-hot metal, loud hissing and cracking following almost immediately as it was rapidly cooled.

Volcan, Luke and Shamshir made their exit from the trident, the Blaziken and Lucario jumping from the deck of the ship to the island, landing under the cover of Hank's illusion, while Shamshir flew, looking up at the wall to make sure no one had been watching them, which would give away their element of surprise, but they were behind the clock.

Volcan looked at the spiders. "Voltner, Zofia; we're behind schedule. How's that ladder coming?"

"Last strands, boss man," replied the Galvantula as he climbed off the ladder and looked down at Volcan. "She's ready to climb."

"Alright guys, this is it," said the Blaziken, addressing Luke, Hank and Shamshir. "Remember; our priority is to cover the gate team until Torolf breaks it down. Let's get up that web! I'll head up first and clear them out." He looked at Hank. "Drop the illusion."

"With pleasure!" Hank returned with a grin. "Knock em dead, chicken man!"

Luke gently touched Volcan's shoulder once the illusion dropped to get his attention, looking at him with a firm, yet concerned look. "Be careful up there, alright?" He asked.

Volcan smiled at Luke confidently. "I'm not the one to be worried about, love," he said, grasping his shoulder harness and sliding it around to bring his Mega Stone to bear. "I'm going full throttle from the get go."

With that, Volcan turned his gaze towards the top of the wall, which was at least twenty feet high. But that was not a problem for a Blaziken. He half-crouched, tensing his legs, and then jumped as high as he could, clearing the wall in that single bound and practically disappearing into the darkness of the sky above, until he became engulfed in the light of his Mega Stone, enveloping him in the crystalline sphere that drew the eyes of the sentries on the walls, before the sphere shattered and he fell up the wall with a mighty battle cry, now empowered into his Mega Blaziken form as he faced the column of sentries trembling before him.

"So..." He said, in a cold and almost violent tone, with a gaze to match. "Who's going first?"

As if in response to his taunt, two of the sentries -a Scrafty and a Pinsir, rushed him from behind. He turned, glaring over his shoulder at them, before he retaliated with a roundhouse Blaze Kick that sent the Pinsir tumbling into the Scrafty, and sending both tumbling over the wall into the yard. The next to charge him was an Electabuzz with a Thunderpunch; Volcan parried the punch aside with Dual Chop, using the second swing to strike the Electabuzz on the cheek, dazing him before he brought up his knee and slammed him in the solar plexus, winding him.

Finally, a Poliwrath moved to attack the Blaziken, who counted with an overhead throw that launched the muscular Water-type over the wall out to sea; he cried out in surprise as he was thrown; Luke, Shamshir and Hank had climbed halfway up the ladder by the time this sentry was thrown, and looked up when they heard the Poliwrath scream, with Shamshir having to fly out of the way as the Poliwrath fell past. Luke cringed as he heard a wet splat as the Poliwrath belly-flopped onto the surface of the ocean.

"Hey, save some for us up there!" Hank hollered up the ladder, and began to hasten his climb, eager to join in on the action before Volcan cleared the entire wall himself.

Luke let out a sigh, at Hank's eagerness, but followed his example, scrambling deftly up the web ladder until he cleared the crenellations, just in time to see a Bisharp moving to attack Hank from behind as the Zoroark was engaged by a Bibarel. He kicked the Bisharp over the wall, stopping him from striking Hank, and formed a Bone Rush just in time to stop a Vigoroth that lunged at him. Shamshir was next to join the battle, flying over the side of the wall and clubbing a charging Heracross with his claw as it attempted to gore Volcan from behind with a Megahorn attack, catching the Heracross by his horn with his claws, he threw the Bug/Fighting-type from the wall directly into the path of a low-flying Saberwing, who collided with the Heracross audibly and both fell tumbling to the ground below.

Zofia and Voltner appeared to Shamshir's left and right respectively. "Mind if we join in?" Zofia asked, the Female Ariados clicking her fangs excitedly.

"Not at all," replied Shamshir, brandishing his claws again. "There is plenty for all of us."

As the battle atop the wall raged on, with the sentries pressing forth tenaciously, Luke saw one straying off out of the corner of his eye; a Breloom was heading for the gate, their eyes upon the Water-types that were casting Ice Beam upon it. He motioned to Hank to cover him; the Zoroark compliantly followed Luke as he headed for the gate to intercept the Breloom, bounding over multiple sentries that were engaging Volcan and Voltner, with Hank barreling into them as well, keeping their attention off Luke as the Lucario hurled his Bone Rush like a javelin at the Breloom.

The aura bone thudded against the side of the Breloom's head, and he awkwardly stumbled off the wall, falling into the water below. Luke used his Aura Sense to make sure the Breloom had not be knocked unconscious, so as not to drown them, and was relieved when he saw them climbing back out of the water onto the shore. The Lucario started slightly when he heard Hank whooping behind him, and turned just in time to see the Zoroark kicking a Hypno square on the nose, dazing the Psychic-type and knocking them onto their back while Hank stood triumphantly over them, laughing and mocking the remaining sentries, daring them to engage him.

Luke let out a groan at Hank. 'He is way too into this,' he thought, shaking his head.

A droplet of water fell upon his nose. The battle on the wall had quieted a little, with Volcan, Hank and Voltner having cleared out the nearest sentries as Zofia and Shamshir handled the rest from the other direction. With that in mind, he looked up, blinking when another droplet fell upon his forehead. Volcan stepped over to stand by Luke, peering over the wall in the direction of the Trident to check something. He saw Serena on the deck, standing up on her hind legs and holding her paws to the sky as she stepped and turned in a ritualistic manner, confirming his suspicions.

"Serena's doing her Rain Dance!" Volcan exclaimed. "Phase three, team; everyone keep away from the gate!"

A glow out at sea caught their attention as Torolf emerged from the waters below, ascending to his Mega Evolved form as he surfaced, the bulkier form of Mega Swampert now revealed. He made a couple of breast strokes towards the island as the rain began to fall, before thrusting his fists forward as air exploded from the fleshy sacs on his wrists, propelling him forward like a giant, living torpedo, racing towards the island with such speed that the plumes he generated were over ten feet tall.

"This is going to be loud!" Volcan called in warning to the others. Shamshir and Zofia disengaged the sentries, the latter spewing a sticky web on the wall to trip them up as they tried to press on.

"Everyone brace for impact!" Luke added, crouching low to lower his center of gravity.

The Trident steered clear of the oncoming Swampert as much as possible, with everyone on board crouching low and covering their heads with the arms or forepaws as they readied themselves for what was about to happen, except for a few who were watching with morbid fascination as the giant Swampert raced through the water with speed he should not have possessed, fists outstretched as he raced towards the gate.

The sound of Torolf hitting the gates seemed to shake the very air itself, and those not prepared for the tremor that shook the walls fell from their feet. The two metal doors were sent soaring across the fortress, taking chunks from the opposing wall before spinning into the depths of the sea beyond. The entire Fortress became silent; the sentries were frozen in fear as the gigantic Swampert raced into their paw, turning until he reached the beach and launched himself out of the water, landing noisily on shoreline and standing hunched over for a few seconds before standing up on his hind legs, eyeing the sentries in challenge.

The way was now clear. Romulus sent a fireball into the air to signal the Peacemaker, while the Trident was steered back over to align with the gate and make its way into the base. The sentries on the opposite wall, now no longer focused on travelling around the walls to get to Volcan's team, but to instead mass in the yard to intercept the invaders. The Trident ran partially aground to anchor into place, the ramp lowering as a cloud of exhaust fumes obscured the boat slightly.

When the smoke cleared, Romulus was already on the shore, standing at Torolf's side, his fiery, orange eyes glaring out at the defenders gathering before them. He let out a low growl, taking a step forward; the guards in front flinched, expecting him to attack, but he didn't. Instead, he spoke in a low, warning tone. "All of you who wish to leave with their bones intact, stand aside at once."

"W-We're not afraid of you!" A Scyther called defiantly, though the shakiness of his voice betrayed just how intimidated he really was.

No sooner did the Scyther say this that two figures rose from behind Romulus; Revane and Phanto emerged from beneath the ground. Revane's single, glowing eye shone brightly in the night, casting the front of his bulky, spectral form in a dim red light. Phanto, due to Gengar lacking any sort of a bodily outline, was practically invisible in the dark, with only his bright red eyes and toothy grin visible, and the sound of his chuckling filling the air.

"You should be," Romulus growled, his eyes narrowing.

Thundering footsteps echoed from behind Romulus as three more large Pokémon moved into view, one of them bounding over the Houndoom and landing with a crash before charging towards the gathering of guards. The massive Aggron was the first into the battle, with two other figures -a Samurott and a Chesnaught- following close behind; the Chesnaught curled into their shell with Rollout, and the Samurott drawing his Seamitars, using Aqua Jet to catch up with his comrades and join them as battle was joined.

The two sides clashed, and an all-out battle was now taking place. The numbers were far from even, with the guards numbering at least a dozen for every one of them, but the teams were driven by their resolve. The enemy had numbers, but these Rescue Team Pokémon were vastly better trained; professional fighters versus street brawlers; one side was used to working in sync, but the other was not. All in all, the battle was a stalemate, but it would not remain so for long. The Peacemaker was now moving into the bay, running partially aground on the shore before Kaen ran out of the ship and dropped the gangplank.

A screech from above caught his ear, and he ducked just in time to avoid a Saberwing flier that was dive-bombing towards him. He breathed in to launch a Flamethrower, only to exhale a cloud of smoke as his chest flared with pain. "Damn!" He growled, clutching his chest. "Stupid ribs!"

He looked up, and saw the same Saberwing coming around for another attack, diving at him with talons raked forward. They were too fast for him get out of the way...

But not too fast for Jake and Eagle Eye, who upon seeing Kaen being attacked, dove in to intercept the rogue flier, both charging an Ember attack which they exhaled into the Skarmory's face before he could attack the Charmeleon. "We got you covered, Kaen!" Eagle Eye called back as they chased the Skarmory back into the sky.

Jake easily chased down the Skarmory as they attempted to retreat, eventually landing a successful Flame Charge that sent the Skarmory careening out of the sky, crashing into the yard below. He heard his son whooping joyously as Eagle Eye flew alongside him. "This brings back memories, eh dad?" He asked.

"Just like old times, Jackie boy!" Jake returned before dropping into a dive to chase down another Saberwing.

"I said don't call me that!" Eagle Eye shouted after his father before he picked a target for himself and moved to engage.

Kaen watched the overhead battle for a moment, then peered out to the battle in the yard, wishing he could be out there helping them, but the ache in his chest reminded him he would only be a liability in his present condition, as much as it annoyed him. For now, all he could do was make sure the boat was ready for the escaping prisoners, though presently it seemed as though the battle would be over before that was necessary.

Either way, the rest was up to Sickle and Kage now...

~~~~~

"Let's go everybody!" Sickle urged the masses as they made for the exit, running up the stairs back to ground level to make their escape, Kage at the lead while Sickle urged them onward.

The Greninja adeptly took care of any sentry that tried to get in their way, clearing a path until they were at the front door to the tower. When Kage opened it, the prisoners spilled forth into the yard, where they found a variable war zone stretched out before them; members of the five rescue teams, clashing with the fortress defenders as they tried to fight their way across the yard to reach the tower, but the enemy was too numerous still; the prisoners wouldn't be able to get through yet.

Kage was unsure what to do; from where they stood, he could see the Peacemaker, with Kaen on the deck, waiting for them. Their goal was in sight, but the means to reach it were not; the prisoners, even if some of them were members of Rescue Teams, were too weakened to join the battle.

Suddenly, Sickle called out. "Over there!" He said, pointing to a sizeable gap between the battle and the wall opposite to where the prisoners and their liberators were; an opening where the enemy was absent except for those on the wall, who were currently engaged by Volcan and Luke's assault team. "Maybe we can get around them!"

Kage looked over to where Sickle was pointing to, noticing the gap and nodding firmly before replying. "Stay close. Don't let any of the prisoners fall behind." He returned firmly.

"No problem. I'll keep them..." Sickle's gaze snapped upward. Kage noticed out of the corner of his eye that for only an instant, he had a shadow. "Watch out!" The Grovyle screamed in warning to the Greninja, pointing above him.

Kage turned in the direction from which his shadow had projected, knowing it could have only meant one thing. His instinct was correct; his blade was up just in time to stop the elbow blade of the Gallade plunging at him from above. Kage twisted his body to redirect the force of the blow, sending the Gallade hurtling through the air; the pale-skinned warrior somersaulted as he landed, turning to face Kage again with a murderous glare.

"Sickle, get them out of here, now!" Kage commanded.

"E-Everyone, follow me!" Sickle called, but he didn't move two steps before the Gallade teleported again, this time reappearing in Sickle's path. "Oop! Maybe not!" He yelped.

Grom huffed angrily. "If you want something done..." He grumbled before he dug one hoof into the soil. "Out of our way, you scrawny freak!" Grom bellowed as he charged past Sickle and raced towards the Gallade, fists ready.

The Gallade scoffed, holding his arm out as his body shone for a moment, catching Grom in a Psychic hold and stopping him mid charge. "...Back to your cell, you cretin..." He muttered, then telekinetically pushed Grom back toward the crowd with intense force, forcing the crowd to part to avoid getting crushed by the flying Emboar, who kept flying until he hit the wall of the tower, cracking the stone with the impact.

"Shit, not good!" Sickle hissed through grit teeth. The prisoners had been trapped and underfed for weeks; they were too weakened to fight for themselves, and this Gallade was not letting them pass without a fight.

With no other choice, Sickle set down Minato, calling Val over to him. "Look after him," he told the Buizel as he passed the Lucario over to him.

"Will do," Val returned, swallowing nervously as he looked at the Gallade. "Careful man... that's the Gallade that iced one of my teammates."

Kage scoffed as Sickle stepped over to stand at his side, keeping his gaze ahead. "You realize you are no match for him..." Kage said in a low tone.

"As if you are," Sickle returned in a serious tone. "We stand a better chance working together."

"I have experience with his kind, you do not." Kage pointed out. "You're better off staying with the prisoners."

"You really think he's going to let that happen?" Sickle asked, extending his leaf blades and shifting his stance. "We've been comprised, Kage, and we only have two options now; we go through him, or we go through that warzone between us and the docks. The way I see it, there's no way out of this without a fight. At least with this guy, there's just one of him."

"And let's not forget," Sickle added, looking at Kage's chest, where the puncture left by Gosu's underhanded attack was hidden beneath an improvised dressing. "You're already hurt. I'm not."

Sickle's tone was enough to tell Kage that he wasn't going to change the Grovyle's mind. The Greninja scoffed again, tightening his grip on his blade. "Don't say I didn't warn you..." He muttered back at him.

The Gallade brandished his blades and let his cloak fall from his body as he stepped closer to Kage and Sickle. "I take it you two are ready to die then...?" He asked coldly, then before either of them could answer, he sped toward them closing the distance within seconds and attacking both with a Fury Cutter from each arm.

Both Kage and Sickle blocked the attack, jumping away from the Gallade, and engaged him consecutively. Kage leapt in first, blade meeting arm-blade, but the ring of metal on metal still sounding as they clashed, Sickle struck after Kage was pushed back, swiping twice before he was forced away by a Psycho Cut that left a scar in the ground as Sickle banked aside in the nick of time. Sickle retaliated by firing a Bullet Seed flurry at him.

The Gallade blocked the seeds with his arm, and was promptly re-engaged by the two, a storm of blades, spins and jumps ensuing as they fought. The Gallade's skill was beyond comprehension; here he was, outnumbered and faced by two highly-trained and efficient fighters, and yet he was warding off both without showing a sign of concern or being overwhelmed. Every attack, he blocked, every miss, he followed up; it was as though he fought with a second sight, enabling him to know precisely how to move at every interval.

This exchange carried on for a time before the Gallade decided he'd had enough. When Kage attacked with a Night Slash, the Gallade counted with one of his own; Kage used Substitute to escape, but as if knowing he'd do this, the Gallade teleported precisely to where he reappeared; Kage looked over his shoulder in shock before a powerful kick to his face sent him flying from his feet, stars exploding across his eyes.

Sickle was next to engage, charging a Razor Wind to unleash upon his opponent. The Gallade was visibly stumbled, but little else before he teleported again, appearing above Sickle, who barely got out of the way of a downward drop kick. The Grovyle gained some distance from him as the Gallade righted himself, and raised his arm, revealing the looplet he was wearing, which housed two Emeras -a blue one and a yellow one. He was about to tap them when suddenly the Gallade charged him again, forcing him to raise his blades to guard before he could activate the Emeras.

"Relying on a tool to give you an edge in a fight," he growled as he pushed the Grovyle back. "Weakness if ever I saw it."

"Says the dirt bag who bombards unsuspecting villages in the dead of night!" Sickle retorted, shifting weight into his right leg while bringing up the other and kicking the Gallade square in his gut, managing to stagger him with the force of the strike.

The Gallade stepped back a few paces, rubbing his stomach where the Grovyle had kicked him, but all but shrugged it off before he addressed the Grovyle again. "Were it up to me, we'd slaughter those villages by our own hands, but my colleagues insist on other 'tactics'." He returned before he teleported into Sickle's face again, once more striking at him.

This time, Sickle was too late to react, suffering a slash across his chest and reeling away with grit teeth, but defiantly turned to strike back, lunging at the Gallade and slashing at his face with Leaf Blade. "And what does that gain you?!" Sickle bellowed even as the Gallade dodged him. "Either way, you're attacking helpless villagers, who never did anything to deserve the horrors you inflicted on them!" He struck at the Gallade repeatedly. "You're nothing more than a wretched coward!"

Sickle's desperate flurry did nothing to hinder his opponent; the Gallade effortlessly evaded Sickle's Leaf Blades and Bullet Seeds, and as soon as the Grovyle tried to outmaneuver him with a quick attack, he kicked Sickle mid-charge, turning his own momentum against him with a blow to his chest, knocking the wind out of him. Sickle clutched his chest, gasping for breath as he stumbled backward, eventually backing into the wall of the Fortress -the fight had somehow carried them over to it.

There, the Gallade appeared in front of him, holding his blade at Sickle's throat as he spoke again. "The weak have no place in this world; those who cannot stand against the strong shall perish beneath them." He leaned closer, glaring into Sickle's eyes. "And a coward is one who runs from danger, fleeing at the first sign of it with their tail between their legs." He grimaced slightly. "Or in the case of some, their tail feathers."

Sickle opened his eyes, glaring defiantly at the Gallade. "You're... referring to Volcan?" He asked in a raspy voice.

"Of course," he replied. "The fool ran when he should have stayed and fought, leaving his Lucario friend to fight in his stead. That is a coward."

Sickle chuckled weakly, continuing his defiance as he made his retort. "You're wrong on two fronts there," he began. "The definition of a coward is someone who is unwilling to face danger or opposition, and that's just what you and your colleagues are." He choked slightly as the Gallade pressed his blade closer to his throat, but he still didn't stop. "What 'danger' do those people you butchered pose to you when they're sleeping soundly in their beds, or going about their daily lives? With all your power, what 'opposition' do they present to you, when you slash them in the back?"

Sickle managed a surprise kick to the Gallade's groin, making him recoil long enough for Sickle to bring up his Leaf Blades and stop his next attack, but was still pinned to the wall. "As for your stance on the strong and weak, you're couldn't be more wrong!" He shouted. "The strong exist to _protect_the weak -to defend them from scum like you; the kind who butchers the helpless, and works from the shadows behind an army," He grinned widely, glaring hard at the Gallade. "And that is why... you will never..." He pressed harder, even pushing the Gallade back now. "Be half the warrior that Volcan is!"

He grunted as he was pushed back, mildly surprised by the Grovyle's fighting spirit, and how he could keep fighting as well as he was. But it did little to deter the brutal Gallade, nor did it buy Sickle an advantage. The Gallade gave some ground, letting Sickle move forward, before he side-stepped out of the way, sending the Grovyle sprawling, where he then suffered a Psycho Cut across the back. Sickle let out an agonized cry, starting to lose his footing, only for the Gallade to teleport in front of him again, kicking him in the chest and knocking him onto his back.

Sickle fell, hard, to the dirt. He tried to sit back up again, but the Gallade stepped on his chest, forcing him to stay down. "Your words are nothing but folly, lizard." He said coldly. "The strong thrive, and the weak either perish or serve under them. This is the nature's one true law." He ground his foot into Sickle's chest, aggravating his wounds further.

Sickle could not contain his agonized scream this time, his chest already burning from the Fury Cutters he had suffered before made worse by the kick to his ribs. His voice carried over the sounds of the battle, and eventually reached the ears of one who recognized it...

Luke, after dispatching another sentry, stopped mid-attack as a cry of pain reached his ears. "That sounded like..." He turned to look into the yard, running over to the wall and looking for the owner of the voice. He heard another pained grunt, which brought his gaze down to the right, where two figures stood in the shadow of the wall. He was shocked to see Sickle, pinned under the foot of the Gallade, and Kage lying unconscious nearby while the Grovyle suffered under the cruelty of the Gallade.

He spurred into action as he saw the Gallade raise his arm blade, knowing the Grovyle's life was in jeopardy. He leapt over the wall, and when his paws touched grass, he roared as he used Extreme Speed to close the gap between him and the Gallade, rearing his Bone Rush back as he closed in, and swung with all his might. The Gallade turned too late, suffering a bone bludgeon to his face; he was sent flying off his feet, hitting the ground several paces away, while Luke stood between him and the downed Grovyle.

"You will not hurt him!" Luke growled.

It didn't take long for Volcan to notice Luke was absent as he dropped the last wave of sentries on his side, searching the yard for him until he spotted the Lucario standing over a downed Sickle. He soon found Kage as well, and finally the Gallade. He looked further, seeing the prisoners gathered nearby, the Gallade blocking their only means of getting to the bay where the boats were waiting without going through the battle below.

Luke couldn't take him alone... Volcan had to help. As afraid as he was to face his would-be-killer a third time, Volcan was not about to just leave his beloved Luke to fight this murderer alone. He turned to Hank, waiting until after the Zoroark blasted away a Saberwing that was diving at him.

"Hank! The infiltration team needs backup; can you and the spiders finish things here?" Volcan asked.

"No sweat! We got this in the fuckin bag!" Hank hollered back, looking at Volcan and nodding. "Go kick some ass!"

"When you're clear, get back to the Peacemaker and cover the prisoners as they approach!" Volcan ordered. "Shamshir, with me! Let's go!"

"Right behind you!" Shamshir returned as he and Volcan bounded off the wall, and hurried past the battle to make their way over to where Luke was facing the Gallade.

Luke looked up as Volcan and Shamshir ran over, both putting themselves between Luke and the Gallade. Seeing his chance, Luke cast off his bone rush and turned to Sickle, kneeling to his side and lifting him gently, checking his wounds. "Are you alright?" He asked.

Sickle gritted his teeth in pain as he was moved, but eventually managed to open his eyes and grant Luke a weak smile. "I'll l-live," he returned. "Get me some sunlight and I'll be as good as new."

"We have to get him to Serena," Volcan stated. "She can help him."

Luke turned to Shamshir. "Can you get him back to the Peacemaker?" He asked, helping Sickle to his feet.

Shamshir, without taking his eyes away from the Gallade, replied plainly. "I cannot carry him and protect the prisoners at the same time," he reminded. "We still need to get them out as well; if I carry him, we'll both be vulnerable."

"Then let me..."

Luke turned towards the voice, Volcan daring to look over his shoulder as well, where they saw Kage, having regained consciousness, rising back to his feet. "I can take him... I'll get him to the ship."

"Kage! Are you sure you're alright?" Volcan asked, concerned.

"There's no time to worry about me!" He hissed sharply at Volcan before turning to Luke and trudging over to him. "Give him here."

Luke hesitated, concerned about Kage's condition; the blood-stained dressing on his chest was enough to make the Lucario worry but the additional punishment from the Gallade had not made the Greninja any less disregarding of his own safety for the sake of the mission -Luke knew he wouldn't be able to change his mind. "...Please be careful." He said softly to the Greninja as he gently passed Sickle to him, who put his arm around the back of Kage's neck for support.

"As long as you come back alive." He said as he turned away from the three of them and began limping off toward the prisoners to round them up so they could escape to the Peacemaker.

"I will defend them with all of my strength," Shamshir promised as he joined Kage, heading over to the prisoners while Volcan and Luke turned to keep their eyes on the Gallade.

Predictably, the Gallade moved as if to intercept them, but Volcan appeared in his path in an instant, glaring deeply at him. "You try it, and the first person you attack will be your last," he warned.

But amidst the prisoners, Grom, who had recovered from the Psychic blast he had taken before, spotted Volcan, staring at him for a long moment as he tried to piece together who it was. With the Blaziken Mega Evolved, he no longer looked the same, but eventually, it dawned on him, and his face contorted into a deep scowl.

"You," he said, gaining Volcan's attention. "This is all your fault! You left us all to die on Arc Island while you saved yourself."

Volcan narrowed his eyes at the Emboar. "...Do I know you?" He asked, blankly.

"You're damn right you do!" The Emboar bellowed back. "I'm Grom! Don't pretend you've forgotten me!" He tried to take a step towards Volcan, but the Seismitoad that was holding him up also held him back. "You ran away the night we were attacked; you could have stayed to help us! With our combined teams, we might have repelled the invaders but instead the only one to be found was your spineless medic! And don't think I didn't see your boat fleeing the island either; when I saw Minato brought on board, I knew you'd ditched him and probably your Aggron friend too!"

Before anyone could speak up against Grom, especially Luke who was taking the insults to Volcan's honour with bitterness, Volcan spoke up first. "Listen," he stated firmly, turning his gaze back to the Gallade again, who was waiting patiently as the words were exchanged. "Whatever grievances you have for me, all of the insults, all of the slander -the blame. Everything that you want to place on me, I will take it all," he said in surrender, his eyes narrowing. "And though I may have words to defend myself, I'll never deny that there was more I could have done that night. The fact is, I was too weak then."

Luke wanted to speak out in protest to Volcan's words, but the Blaziken continued. "But right now, is not the time to have that discussion," Volcan continued. "I did not come here just to make amends; I came here because the people of Arc Island -my people, needed me. Let me at least do this before you despise me." He looked over his shoulder at the Emboar. "You and I can settle things later. For now, just get to the ship, and get far away from here."

Grom glared loathingly at Volcan, his intent to berate the Blaziken further all too clear on his face, but he held it back, unable to deny that at least in this capacity, Volcan was right; it was more important that they escape the island, and that blames be exchanged later. "Fine... but don't think I'll even shed a tear if you don't come back," he stated, before he resumed the trek with the rest of the prisoners as Shamshir began to lead them around the ongoing battle in the yard, which was slowly reaching its conclusion as the enemy defenders were thinning out.

The whole time Volcan had spoken, Luke was staring incredulously up at the Blaziken, barely able to fathom the words coming out of his beak. When Grom left, Luke stood a little in front of Volcan, putting a paw on his arm. "Volcan..." He said softly. "Everything you said about yourself...you know that's not true."

Volcan put a finger to Luke's lips gently to silence him, giving him a pained, but sympathetic look. "It doesn't matter right now, Luke," he said. "As far as many of the people of Arc are concerned, I failed them that night. As far as I'm concerned, I failed them that night. I can't expect them to just hand their trust back to me. That... must be earned." He took his finger from Luke's mouth, and turned his gaze straight ahead again, towards the Gallade. His face contorted into an angry scowl as he locked eyes with his enemy for the second time in the past week.

"And I'll start... by bringing him down," he said firmly.

Luke glanced over his shoulder back to the Gallade for a moment, his eyes narrowing and contorting into a frown as well. Slowly he lifted his paw up to his scarf and tugged at it a little to reveal his Lucarionite. "Regardless of what you think about yourself... don't think for a second I'm going to let you fight this bastard alone." He said firmly.

"I've long since given up on talking you out of trying to protect me," Volcan remarked in mild jest, flashing Luke a wry smile. "You'll do as you do... and that's why I love you."

Luke smiled back as he touched his Mega Stone, quickly undergoing his Mega Evolution process and turning to face the Gallade once he was fully powered up, a red flame burning wildly around him once his Mega Evolution was complete. "Besides..." He added in, this time with a bit of a smirk. "I might have a few new tricks to test out on him..."

"We'll probably need them," Volcan returned as he shifted to his combat stance. He was fully ready to intercept the Gallade if he were to try and attack the prisoners again -he'd been in his Mega Evolved form for so long now that his speed was at maximum. But he had maybe minutes left of it before it would expire, and he would need every second against this Gallade...

The Gallade produced his own Mega Stone, tapping into its power and Mega Evolving himself into his Mega Gallade state before he took his own stance, tossing the cloak-like growths of his body behind him before he spoke. "The result will be the same as before, only this time you will not have your allies to back you up. Tonight...you will both die." He stated coldly.

Luke shifted to his stance as well, his smirk fading as he grew serious; his body tensing a bit as he prepared for battle. "No one's dying today, not on my watch," Luke growled back. "You've tormented Volcan and his allies for far too long, and I will NOT allow that to continue any longer!"

"Hmph... Empty words..." The Gallade muttered as his eyes flashed, and the air around the three of them began to shimmer and distort, indicating that he had just used Trick Room to gain an advantage in speed, as well as take away Luke and Volcan's speed advantages.

Despite their situation, Luke only smirked, counting on the Trick Room to make his new tactics that much more effective...

Volcan glared at the Gallade with a look of hatred, his talons clenching tightly even as the trick room, but he stood his ground, waiting for the right moment. "Do you remember," he called out to the Gallade, "back when you attacked me in Azure, you wondered how I regained my memories, after you had heard -I'm guessing from that Gyarados- about my amnesia? Truth be told, I had forgotten everything, except for one thing."

He pointed at the Gallade. "You, and your ilk, have been appearing in my nightmares for weeks; I had no idea who any of you were but every time I shut my eyes, you were there, torturing me. And now that some of my memories have returned, and I recall everyone that I saw you butcher in the streets of my hometown." The flaming ribbons on his fists intensified as he lowered his arms again. "Tonight, I accomplish two things; I will avenge everyone you murdered in my town, and I will end my nightmares of you by seeing you burn!"

The intensity in which Volcan said the word 'burn' was truly frightening. Luke had seen Volcan angry before, and he had proven that his rage could be fierce, but tonight, it was something else. In a way, he had suffered this Gallade for a long time already, with everlasting reminders plaguing his mind and, of course, the more physical one across his back. He had suffered atrocities at the hands of this Gallade, and whomever he served. Now all Volcan wanted was to put an end to his terrors. Once and for all...

The Gallade said nothing more on the matter, merely darting forward at almost nigh impossible speeds thanks to the Trick Room's effect, readying his blades as he closed in on Luke and Volcan.

"Here he comes!" Luke stated, clenching his paws tight as he prepared for the final showdown with this murderer. When the Gallade was right on top of them, he struck out with a Force Palm to at the very least force him back enough to gain a little breathing room and allow them to counter attack.

Volcan, knowing his speed wouldn't help him this time, unleashed the strongest Flamethrower attack he could muster, blanketing the area ahead of him in fire to try and catch the Gallade in the inferno. The Gallade vanished, reappearing behind Volcan and aiming to finish him off at that very instant, but Luke had been prepared for the Gallade's tactics, and had been charging an Aura Sphere for just such a scenario, which he hurled in the Gallade's face, surprising him, and giving Volcan the chance to strike him with a Blaze Kick to the face, searing his cheek and rattling his jaw

"Don't count out either of us," Volcan gave the Gallade that one and only warning.

The Gallade shifted his jaw, checking to see if it was still aligned properly, and growling as the pain set in. He leered up at Volcan angrily, even gritting his teeth as he leered at the Mega Blaziken. "...Don't get so cocky..." He said in a low, threatening tone, then once again he was off, this time appearing before Volcan and lashing out with a False Swipe to throw him off, then quickly lifted him up in a Psychic hold and blasted him away.

Luke moved to retaliate, raising his paw for a Force Palm; the Gallade teleported again, and Luke looked over his shoulder to see the Gallade lunging at him for a Close Combat attack. Much to the killer's dismay, however, Luke was grinning; before he could contemplate why, the Lucario's paws shot out at lightning speed, Trick Room doing nothing to stall them, and struck the Gallade in his exposed gut, stunning him.

"Got you..." He muttered, before that one punch suddenly became one hundred, his paws moving faster than the eye could follow as he assaulted every square millimeter of the Gallade's torso. Each punch was light, but the sheer number of them felt like the sting of a hundred Beedrill. Taken by surprise, the Gallade gagged as he was hit by the combo of punches. Luke ceased only to finish his rampage by unleashing a powerful Force Palm that sent the Gallade flying from his feet, his body ablaze with pain.

Luke sucked in a deep breath, his arms aching from so many sharp movements at once, but with a bit of steady breathing, he ignored the aches, and resumed his stance, triumphantly calling out to the Gallade. "What was that about being cocky?"

In response, the Gallade sat up, gritting his teeth as he tried to fight through the agony of his torso, but even as he managed to get back to his feet, he barely managed to stay standing. Out of the corner of his eye, Luke saw Volcan staring at him in shock and awe as he returned to stand at his side, the question apparent on his face even before he asked it.

"How did you do that?" He asked. "I've never seen you do an attack like that before."

Luke lifted his paw up to show Volcan that it was covered in metallic energy. "Bullet Punch." He answered back. "Courtesy of Shamshir. He taught it to me last night."

Volcan smiled at that. "Sly as a Zoroark," he remarked to his lover. "Even with only a night to prepare, you come out on top."

The Gallade was glaring with intense hatred toward the two of them, his body shaking violently as he struggled to remain on his feet. Luke could see that they were not only damaging the Gallade physically, but emotionally as well. As he stood there, though, the air around them started to shimmer and hum a little before ceasing altogether. The Trick Room had expired, and Volcan and Luke had their speed advantages back once more.

"No! Not now!" The Gallade cursed out loud.

Luke glanced over to Volcan, smirking confidently at. "Want to do the honours, love?" He asked silently to him.

"With pleasure," Volcan retorted, stepping forward and glaring at the Gallade angrily. "This... is over!" He bellowed before he charged at the Gallade, letting his anger guide his hands without taking complete control as he attacked.

The Gallade charged a Psycho Cut, but he was too slow. Volcan delivered a punishing punch to his chest, winding him. "That was for what you did to Sickle," Volcan said coldly.

The Gallade swung his arm, unleashing the Psycho Cut; Volcan dashed out of the trajectory, once more maneuvering to the Gallade's side, kicking him hard in the hip, stumbling him. "That's for Minato!" He dashed against, moving faster than the eye could follow, to the Gallade's right. "This is for Caulin!" He added before landing a Thunderpunch uppercut to the Gallade's jaw that sent him airborne.

Volcan rolled under the Gallade, dropping onto his back and raising his legs. "For everyone you slaughtered!" At the word, he kicked the falling Gallade hard in the back, sending him high into the air from the force of the kick. Finally, Volcan jumped back to his feet, and leapt as high as he could, appearing above the Gallade like a bird of prey descending upon a rodent in the field. At that time, the moon had chosen to reveal itself through the clouds, bathing Volcan in pale moon light and casting him in shadow, where only the flaming ribbons on his arms and the dim glow in his eyes revealed him.

"And this..." He began as he curled into a front flip, outstretching his leg as he fell towards the Gallade. "Is for Linda!"

The force of his kick sent the Gallade falling back to earth like a meteorite falling from the atmosphere. A column of dust rose from the point of impact when the Gallade finally returned to earth, and the entire island seemed to shake with his landing. Volcan was soon to follow him down, landing softly a few paces away. He and Luke cautiously approached the Gallade, Luke confirming that he was still alive via Aura Sense before they dared step close enough to see him fully. The pale warrior had devolved from his Mega Evolution, back in the form of an ordinary Gallade, and lay awkwardly imbedded in the dirt, mouth agape and eyes closed.

Comatose, but alive, thought Luke. A small part of him wanted to think that was more than the murderer deserved, but Luke would never let such thoughts permeate within his mind, and pushed them aside as he turned to Volcan, who stared blankly at their fallen foe.

"You did it, Volcan..." He said happily, smiling broadly at his love.

Volcan let out a sigh as he stepped back from the Gallade until he reached the wall, which he leaned against for support. "I think Sickle and Kage softened him up for us," he remarked. "He was a lot easier than back in Azure."

"Perhaps so." Luke returned, still smiling up at Volcan and approaching his side. "The point is however, that you beat him. You have finally conquered the one you've dreaded since first arriving in Azure." He reached out to grip Volcan's talon, but froze mid-motion as Volcan's body suddenly began flashing a vivid array of colours. When they stopped, he was back in the form of a regular Blaziken again.

The spontaneous de-evolution prompted Volcan to look himself over, starting with his wrists when he noticed the ribbons of fire had gone out, and then over the rest of himself. He grimaced briefly, and then sighed again. "And not a moment too soon, either," he said, before looking at Luke. "Either way... I don't think I could've beaten him without your help." He placed his talons upon Luke's shoulders, and slowly pulled the Mega Lucario into a tight embrace. "Thank you, Luke, for standing with me."

Luke held Volcan tightly in his arms, feeling the Blaziken's warmth and an aura of contentment emanating from him as they stood their holding each other. "...I'm so very proud of you, Volcan, of how far you've come since you first arrived into my life." He said softly.

"I owe it all to you," the Blaziken returned, pulling back from Luke with a warm smile on his face. Sadly, the Blaziken's joyous moment did not last, a serious expression soon returning to his face. "But, we're not done yet. We still have to get the others out of here."

"Right." Luke returned, slowly releasing Volcan from his embrace. "Let's get those prisoners on board the Peacemaker, then we can finally go home..."

"With pleasure. I've seen enough of this place to last a lifetime," agreed Volcan, turning in the direction of the battle as he realized the yard had become oddly quiet, and they saw why; the joint rescue teams had finally overcome the fortress defenders; the battle was finally over.

Luke looked up to the skies above and noticed that a sizable number of the Saberwings were also missing, with only a handful left fighting off the Red Talons, who were still holding a decisive advantage, outnumbering the remaining Saberwings. Luke managed a small laugh. "Holy hell...those guys really are the best there is." Luke said joyously. "We actually managed to get through this with no casualties!"

"But not without injuries," Volcan clarified, remembering Sickle and Kage, and noticing that several in the group had been hurt; he saw Gallia and Serena already at work tending to them, applying their healing arts to Howler, Phanto, Aegis, Katsu, Kage and Sickle of course, and three fallen Red Talons -alive, but battered, not likely to be able to fly again for the rest of that day. Even Torolf had not been spared; they saw him among the injured, though at the back and shooing away any attempt to help him, motioning to the others first.

"I'll take injured over deceased anytime." Luke returned, reaching up to touch his Mega Stone, promptly devolving from his Mega form and powering down to an ordinary Lucario once again. "Let's go join them."

"Agreed," returned Volcan putting an arm over Luke as they left behind the injured Gallade that they had defeated together, who still lay unconscious in the dirt, where he would likely remain for some time after suffering such a devastating defeat.

As they rejoined the rest of the group, they located Torolf, sitting propped up against the wall, already devolved back into his regular form. The Swampert had clearly seen better days; his body was covered in various cuts, flowering bruises and even a few burns as he awaited medical help, though willing to wait for the others to get the help they needed first. As they approached, Serena had moved on from Howler and over to Kage, but the Greninja waved her off, directing her to Sickle instead.

Sickle, as if sensing Luke checking on him, looked up to meet the Lucario's gaze, raising his claw and sticking up his thumb in a reassuring way for the Lucario. Luke nodded back to him, and instead followed Volcan as the Blaziken made his way over to Torolf. "How are you holding up?" Luke asked the Swampert as they got closer to him, taking note of the many injuries.

Torolf chuckled, elevating his gaze to look at Luke. "I've had worse... but these little cretins put up a good fight, I'll give 'em that." He let out a sigh, shifting to make himself more comfortable. "And what of you two; how did you fare?"

Luke smirked, jerking his head back to the still unconscious Gallade behind them. "Never stood a chance against our combined efforts." Luke said confidently. "We were better prepared for him, and as a result, he barely laid a finger on us."

"Good to hear," said the Swampert, nodding in approval. "The prisoners are being loaded onto the boats now. I just hope we have enough room for them all. It's high time we get them out of here."

"I couldn't agree more." Luke returned with a nod, then his face grew more concerned again. "How are Sickle and Kage...? Are they alright?"

"What about Hank and the spiders; did they come down yet?" Volcan asked, searching the surrounding walls for the Zoroark and Romulus' arachnoid allies, Voltner and Zofia.

Romulus raised a paw, pointing past the Blaziken. Volcan followed where Romulus was directing him, and he saw Hank and the spiders climbing down from the wall to rejoin the others. The Blaziken breathed a sigh of relief as he saw that they were unharmed -they had taken a few hits, but nothing severe. Voltner had some burns along his back, and Zofia was limping slight; one of her legs had been hurt in the battle, but she was managing on her own. As for Hank, he had little more than a few bruises and scrapes. All things considered, the battle went even better than he had dared hope. He let out a relieved sigh, tipping back his head and taking that moment to just enjoy the night sky, eyes wandering the stars...

Suddenly, Volcan froze, However, it was not the moon that shocked him; it was what they illuminated. Above them, a figure was watching them from atop, overlooking the results of the battle below. He had been up there the entire time, but nobody had noticed him as his dark silhouette blended too well with the night sky before now. But with the moon now shining light upon him, the form of the dark Blaziken above was revealed. Most shockingly of all is that his violet eyes seemed to glow in the dark, only adding to his already frightening appearance.

It did not take long for Luke, Romulus and Torolf to notice the stunned look on Volcan's face. Torolf reached over to tap his shoulder, calling his name, but the Blaziken did not move, as though he were paralyzed. Luke, wondering what had his beloved's attention so, followed Volcan's gaze up to where he was looking, and then gasped in shock when he saw the Dark Blaziken staring down at them from the roof of the tower. Luke could sense the dread emanating from the Dark Blaziken, even making him take a step back as he first gazed up at those amethyst eyes of his.

"By Arceus..." He whispered in a soft, quaking tone.

Romulus heard Luke's shaking voice, glancing over at him. "What's wrong?" He asked, before following Luke's gaze to the top of the tower, narrowing his eyes as he too saw the dark Blaziken. "So... we missed one, did we?"

"Is that the boss of these scum?" Torolf asked, lifting himself away from the wall and shakily standing on all fours. "How long do you think he's been watching us up there?"

"I don't know, but if he comes down here, we're taking him too," replied Romulus, growling. It seemed the dread effect emanating from the Blaziken didn't affect him, but even he sensed that something was unnatural about this being.

Luke had only one way of knowing just what it was about this stranger that made him what he was. He tuned to his Aura Sense, and turned his gaze up at the Dark Blaziken. What he found only increased his dread; he felt as though he were staring into a void of infinite darkness, more than any Dark-type he'd ever seen; the Blaziken's Aura was twisted and malevolent, his entire form filled with a foul essence, mixing of black and purple, with a violet flame-like aura emanating from him, much like how Luke's Aura did when he mega evolved, but this was passive and did not appear to be draining in any way, as if this dark energy was the very life force of this being.

Luke tuned out of his Aura Sense and opened his eyes wide in realization as to what this Blaziken really was, only uttering the words. "...A Shadow Pokémon..."

"Shadow... What?!" Romulus demanded, looking at Luke. For the first time since meeting him, Luke saw a genuine look of shock upon the Houndoom's face -an emotion that to this point Romulus had yet to show. Shortly after, he directed his gaze back to the dark Blaziken again. "But that can't be...!"

"It's him..." Volcan finally spoke, drawing all eyes back to him again. "The one who I saw on top of the Arceus shrine on my island before I escaped... And the one Serena saw take Minato."

"Then this guy is the leader; he's the one responsible for these attacks!" Torolf growled, becoming increasingly agitated. Finally, he let his voice out and called up to the Blaziken. "You there!" he bellowed. "Are you going to stand up there all night or am I going to need to knock down that tower of yours to bring you down?! You have a lot to answer for!"

Torolf's voice of course reached everyone else in the yard, and by now they had all turned their gazes up towards the tower, finally laying eyes upon the dark Blaziken for the first time. Reactions were variant, but most of the group felt at least a slight pang of dread at the sight of him.

At that, the dark Blaziken finally moved, jumping off the edge of the tower and tucking his talonned hands behind his back as he dropped down to ground level, landing with only the strength of his legs to cushion the blow. Now that he was closer to them, the group could finally see that he was grinning, despite how there was a small army of angry Pokémon before him, hopelessly outnumbering him. Be he presented himself as though he didn't believe he was even in any danger. Serena scurried away, hiding behind Tristan and Katsu in terror, her eyes so wide with fear that might have fallen from their sockets if she could open them any wider.

"You have all made my day quite an interesting one," the dark Blaziken said in a deep voice that somehow felt like he was holding back some sort of urge that wanted to explode out of him. "Storming my fortress, freeing my prisoners," he turned his gaze in the direction of the still unconscious Gallade. "Even besting one of my Lieutenants... I have to admit, I'd be impressed..." His eyes glowed brighter as he faced forward again, still wearing that grin even though his gaze had turned to one of malice. "If I wasn't so annoyed."

Shaking the dread from his conscious, Luke furrowed his brow and stepped forward. "Your actions made us get involved, you scum!" He growled, clenching his paws tightly at his sides. "Attacking innocent Pokémon, destroying their homes, taking survivors prisoners against their will..." He grit his teeth angrily, trying not to give in to his anger and attack the dark creature right there. "Just what is it you were trying to accomplish with these actions?!" He demanded.

"Well I could say it's the pursuit of power, but that's only part of it," the Blaziken replied before giggling madly. "Truthfully, my part in this, besides being the one who organized it all, is that it's just so much fun." He continued to laugh after saying that, and it seemed as though restraint was the only thing keeping him from exploding with laughter at that moment, as though the sight of the angry Lucario was pleasing him somehow.

At that, Luke seemed to snap, his eyes widening in fury as a blue aura flame exploded around him to further emphasize his anger. "FUN?!?" He demanded. "All of this is fun to you?! You get enjoyment out of watching others suffer at your own leisure?!?!"

The Blaziken shrugged. "What can I say?" He asked. "All pleasures appeal to a particular crowd, don't they?"

"You're a fucking monster!" Volcan yelled, finally breaking out of his shock as the words of the dark Blaziken sent an unbridled fury through him. "You destroyed people's homes, slaughtered them in the streets and took them prisoner because it brings you joy?! What kind of demented creature are you?"

"Just the product of a little madness, my friend," replied the dark Blaziken, before he finally did burst out with laughter, cackling towards the sky for a few seconds before turning to them again. "I had a particularly enjoyable time with your friend's wife, too."

"My friend's wife?" Volcan repeated. "Wait... are you talking about Linda?!"

"The Gardevoir, protecting the little Riolu boy?" He asked. "Yes... that was my doing; I heard you shout her name after you struck Sash. Your friend heard her calling out for help during his battle with my lieutenant, and I saw him running over, but then Sash hit him from behind. Never should have turned his back on him. He dropped, and when the woman screamed, I knew their connection. I intended to simply capture her, but then she had to go and hit me with that Moonblast." He shook his head. "Her fault, not mine."

Flames exploded from Volcan's wrists, his eyes practically glowing as his fury escalated to the point that he was radiating enough heat to burn what little vegetation lay around them. "Then you're the one that took Caulin's mother away!" He demanded. "I'll make you pay dearly for that!"

Without warning, Volcan charged forward, leaving a trail of fire behind him as he erupted into a Flame Charge, beelining directly at the dark Blaziken and swinging his leg in the most powerful aerial roundhouse kick he could muster. But to his dismay, the dark Blaziken met Volcan's kick with one of his own, whipping around and striking Volcan's outstretched leg with a backwards kick. Much to the shock of everyone watching, Volcan was sent veering off course, striking the ground and tumbling endlessly until he slammed into the wall of the tower with jarring force, wheezing as every ounce of air was knocked from his lungs before he fell to the ground, clutching his chest where he'd struck the tower.

"Volcan!!" Luke hollered out as he watched the Blaziken get smacked away like an insect to a fly swatter. He turned his attention back to the Dark Blaziken and absolutely erupted with rage. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!" He roared, his aura flame going from blue to red while in his normal state, then he dashed forward at impossible speeds with his Bone Rush in paw, swinging wildly at the adversary, roaring out as he did so.

As with Volcan's attack, the dark Blaziken did not move from where he stood. He did not even pull his hands out from behind his back as Luke raced towards him. Despite the speed at which Luke was moving, the Blaziken somehow still reacted fast enough to stop him, landing a straight kick that not only snapped Luke's bone rush but also struck him in the cheek, turning his own momentum against him as an array of stars exploded across Luke's eyes as he was sent flying backward.

"You're fast, but not fast enough!" The Blaziken taunted.

Romulus let out a feral roar as he charged at the Blaziken next, attacking him from the side and lunging at him with his paws outstretched. This time, the Blaziken had to bring out his hands to catch Romulus' paws to avoid being clawed by him. Romulus snapped his jaws at the Blaziken's face, trying to push him off balance, but then was sent flying as he turned and threw Romulus over his shoulder, sending him flying at the tower. The Houndoom rebounded off the wall, diving at the Blaziken again. But his target sprang up and executed a backflip kick that sent the Houndoom flying over his head and land directly on Hank, who was running over to help only to get crushed under the falling Houndoom.

"Gah, fucking!" Hank cursed as he felt the Houndoom land on him, pinning him to the ground firmly. He grunted and managed to push the Houndoom off him before hopping to his feet and leering at the Dark Blaziken. "You wanna dance, pretty boy? Let's fucking DANCE!!" He roared out, holding his claws in front of him and discharging several Shadow Balls toward his target in retaliation.

The Dark Blaziken ducked and dodged every attempt the Zoroark made to attack him, looking disinterested as he did so. His speed was like that of a Mega Blaziken's, seemingly only getting higher with every passing moment, yet he wasn't even Mega Evolved, and was reading the attacks coming at him like words in a book. When all of Hank's Shadow Balls missed and the Zoroark resorted to claws, this time he didn't even strike back; he danced away from Hank's strike, once more tucking his talons behind him as he hopped and spun away from every attempt to wound him, taunting Hank with his smile.

Hank growled as he kept attacking, though after he launched another Shadow Claw at him, he grinned and snapped his fingers while following through with his attack, and then the Blaziken's legs were suddenly entangled in a Grass Knot, anchoring him in place. "Nail 'im, big guy!!" He shouted.

From the Blaziken's left, Katsu was heard roaring as he charged in with his blades drawn, both coated in water as he was preparing a double Razor Shell attack when he was well within range. "Begone, demon!!" He roared.

The Blaziken watched as Katsu rushed at him, seemingly unbothered by him despite the imminent attack, until he exhaled, a small fireball emerging from his beak before it outstretched into a five-pointed star and raced at Katsu. The fire itself was as dark as the Blaziken, violet with a dark center, and struck Katsu with enough explosive force to knock him back, causing him to drop one of his Seamitars, which the Blaziken grabbed and used to cut his legs free.

"You'll have to do much better than that," he said before he nonchalantly hurled the sword at Hank, sending it whirling end-over-end like a deadly saw blade.

"WHOA SHIT!!" Hank hollered as he tried to weave out of the way, though the blade did nick his arm and caused him to hiss in pain, gripping his arm as blood seeped out from the wound and into his fur. The blade struck Tristan who was running over to join them, clanging off his armour before sticking into the ground behind him.

By now, Volcan had recovered from the hit he had taken, collecting his breath and getting onto his knees as he panted, lifting his gaze and eventually finding Luke. He jumped to his feet, spurred on by instinct, and ran over to his lover's side. "Luke! Are you okay?!" He asked, fearfully.

He groaned and coughed in response, slowly forcing himself up on his feet. "Battered, but not down." He returned, lifting his gaze up to Volcan. "What about you? Any major damage?"

"Just had the wind knocked out of me; nothing serious," replied the Blaziken, rubbing his chest.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Katsu and Romulus lying in the dirt nearby; both shakily trying to get back to their feet. Romulus coughed, rubbing his chest with a paw, while Katsu was still trying to clear the smoke from his eyes and put out his burning whiskers from the Fire Blast he had taken. "Looks like the battle's been ongoing without us, though," he said to Luke.

Luke looked around until he saw the Dark Blaziken; after dispatching everyone who attempted to attack him, suffering not so much as a scratch, he had leapt back up on the tower. The Lucario grimaced a little. "He's fast and powerful... I fear none of us can defeat him, weakened as we are." He said softly, then looked back to the Peacemaker and Trident. "We have to stall him until the boats can clear the bay."

But then, almost as if hearing the Lucario, the dark Blaziken called out to them. "I find this rather boring, really; I could so easily crush any one of you, it's hardly a thrilling battle," he called out in a high, mocking tone, making himself sound as dramatic as possible in a deliberate attempt to annoy them.

"Why don't you come have a round with me and say that?" Tristan bellowed up to him. "I'll pound you so deep into this island you'll think you're a fossil!"

"Nah, wouldn't last long enough," the Blaziken replied, sitting on the edge of the tower and kicking his legs absently as he seemed to slip into thought.

"This bastard's mocking us," growled Torolf, falling to all fours and trying to step forward, but stumbled on his injured right forearm, hissing angrily. "Damn, if I could just...!"

"Don't even try it, Torolf," Gallia interjected, stepping over and placing her hands upon Torolf's shoulder. "You saw what he did to the others; you wouldn't last a minute in your condition."

"If I could only get him with Endeavor, like I did to Sol, it'd certainly level the playing field," the Swampert retorted, still glaring up at the dark Blaziken.

Suddenly, the offensive shadow Pokémon snapped his fingers as he seemed to have an idea. "Oh wait, I know! Instead of just having me as your opponent, why don't I call over a little friend of mine from by the bay there? I assure you, he'll certainly keep things interesting."

"Now what is he on about?" Volcan whispered to Luke. "There's nobody left here; we took out all of the sentries."

"Unless he has a few reserve units hidden elsewhere." Luke commented, then tuned to his Aura Sense again to try and identify just what the Dark Blaziken was talking about.

But then, sure enough, in the direction of the bay he saw another life form, hidden beneath the ground by the farthest wall, not fifty feet away from the Trident. There was the aura of another Shadow Pokémon there! Luke opened his eyes in shock again, looking toward the Trident and anyone close to both it and where he sensed the Shadow Pokémon underneath the ground. "Shit! There's another Shadow Pokémon near the Trident!" He exclaimed.

"What? Where?!" Romulus demanded, turning in the direction of his ship, but not able to see where Luke was indicating at first.

At least, not until the Shadow Blaziken atop the tower raised his arm as it began emitting a black fog from his fingertips. "Come on out, my friend! Time for you to get some exercise!" He called across the fortress, even though there was no way his voice could possibly reach where Luke detected the second presence.

Nevertheless, there was a stirring beneath the ground; only Luke could see it with his Aura Sense, but it soon became clear to everyone else as the previously concealed trap door floor open following a pulse of telekinetic energy that kicked up waves in the bay, slamming into the hull of the Trident and causing it to tip slightly, though thankfully not enough to capsize it. From the now opened underground chamber, a figure began to levitate out, rising from the darkness of the underground cell, two eyes of similar colour to that of the dark Blaziken being the first thing they saw.

But what floated out of that cell was not another Blaziken. It was something far worse -a Pokémon that no one had been prepared to face when they had embarked upon this mission; a bipedal Pokémon with a disproportionately long tail and thick, muscular legs below a seemingly weak and frail upper body, with scrawny arms with three-fingered hands that ended in round fingertips. He had a short thin neck, with a tube-like appendage growing from the back of his skull to his back, just below the neck. His head was seemingly cat-like, but in place of ears, he had two short, blunt horns, a smooth angular face that added to his felinoid appearance. But what stood out about him was his dark gray skin, with even darker undertones in the form of a stripe running from below his chest, between his legs and then coating his entire tail, making him hard to make out in the night until he ascended directly in alignment with the moon, and then he was all too clear.

Everyone stared up in horrified awe of the Pokémon that had emerged. They all knew who it was, though had only ever heard of in rumour as it was not often seen, but had gained a foreboding reputation across the lands, as the most powerful Psychic-type Pokémon that had ever walked the world...

"It can't be..." Romulus breathed, finally showing a visible amount of fear since the first time they had arrived at the fortress.

"That's impossible..." Torolf added.

"He's... He is one of them?!" Sickle asked in horror.

"Mewtwo..." Volcan, the first to dare to speak the name of the terrifying Pokémon now looming above them. "Arceus help us all. They corrupted Mewtwo..."

"We can't..." Luke stammered, trembling in fear at the sight of Mewtwo. "...We can't defeat him..." He added, lowering his gaze and clenching his eyes shut. "Damnit... Damnit!! We never anticipated anything of this scale!!" He then slammed his paw into the ground. "All of our planning... all of our preparations!"

This was the first time Volcan had ever seen Luke in such a state; the mere sight of the legendary Psychic-type. Volcan could not blame Luke for feeling defeated before even facing Mewtwo, though; no one among them would even last a moment against a being of such power. Even Volcan felt like the situation was hopeless.

But as he looked towards the ships, and saw the horrified, frightened looks upon their faces, he felt a surge within himself. They had come so far... come so close to achieving their objective only to be stopped by a single Pokémon. He clenched his talons tightly into fists, knuckles cracking. "We have come too far... to give up now."

Luke looked over to Volcan after hearing his low toned words, staring at him incredulously. "Volcan... That thing can wipe us all out with just a thought!" He declared. "We can't defeat him!"

"We don't need to defeat him," replied Volcan. "We just have to stall him until the others can get the prisoners out of here." He looked at Luke, the fear apparent in his eyes, but held back by determination. "Remember, we came here for them. And they're still counting on us. They are already on the boats; they only need_minutes_ to get away. Are we going to just drop dead now when we've come so close?!"

Luke looked back over to the ships moored at the beach, seeing them still loading the prisoners onboard for their escape. "...But...." Luke said softly, then he lowered his gaze, clenched his eyes shut and his paws tightly into fists as he forced himself to calm down, ears flattening as he looked back up to Volcan. "You're right... as long as we can get the boats out of here, we can still finish this..." He said, still in a shaky tone, but was otherwise prepared to see this through to the end.

Volcan helped Luke return to his feet, keeping his talon firmly on Luke's shoulder, and walking with him over to Torolf, where the Blaziken called out to the group to get their attention. "Everyone, listen up," he called. "Get to the ships now; Luke and I will stay here and hold off Mewtwo."

"Um, please tell me I'm not hearing that!" Hank called.

"Volcan, you can't!" Serena cried out in protest.

"Volc! I'm supposed to be the stupid one here!" Tristan called in protest.

"Have you gone daft?!" Torolf demanded, stepping closer to them. "That creature will send you both to oblivion in minutes; you can't beat him! Even with both of you on him, you're both Fighting-types; you're at enough of a disadvantage just with that!"

"But I am not," Romulus' voice chimed in as he appeared at their side, looking at them. "I am immune to Mewtwo's Psychic powers; if I stay and help them, it betters our chances."

"As will I," Shamshir added as he stepped into view. "I can also stand my ground against Mewtwo long enough. My Steel-typing will protect me from Psychic attacks and my Bug-typing will be especially useful against Mewtwo."

"And how do you intend to escape even if you do survive?!" Torolf demanded.

"My boat is still moored alongside the island where Kage and Sickle made their entrance," reminded Volcan. "We stall Mewtwo long enough for the ships to get clear, and then we'll incapacitate him -somehow, and get to it to make our getaway."

"The hostages take priority above all else, Torolf." Luke stated firmly. "I don't care what happens to me, but as long as those prisoners are safe, then that's enough for me..."

"Surely you jest!!" Katsu chimed in. "Luke, you have a family waiting for your safe return! If you stay, you will surely die!!"

"If we don't, all of us are dead!" Volcan yelled back at Katsu. "We came here to save the people imprisoned here; we knew the risks! But if we don't buy you the time you need, then all of this was for nothing!"

"Volcan, if you stay here, you'll never come back!" Tristan added to the protest. "You want to do that to Caulin and Minato? And to Serena and me?!"

"Volcan, please..." Serena pleaded, tears in her eyes. "Please don't do this..."

"Serena... I have to," Volcan returned. "It's the only way."

A long silence fell over the group. The dark Blaziken was watching, bored, from the top of the tower, content to let them say their peace to one another as though he knew that it would be the last words they shared, and he felt compelled to let them have them. More likely though, he was amused by their hopelessness, and simply wanted to see how they would respond to the challenge he had placed before them. Mewtwo also only stayed in midair watching them, not moving, or showing any sort of hostile action.

The next one to move was Torolf, turning about to face the rest of the group, a sad and defeated look upon his grizzled features. "You heard them, everyone," he stated. "Our mission is not yet finished. We must finish it."

"But Volcan... I can't..." Serena began to say.

"He'll be fine," the Swampert continued to urge. "He has an escape plan; he's only going to buy time, not fight Mewtwo to the death. Now come on."

Tristan stared intently at Volcan, holding himself back from just running up to the Blaziken, knocking him out and dragging him away, but settled instead for telling him, "you better come back alive, Volcan."

Katsu however, strode toward the group and stood before Luke, leering down at him firmly. "I will not allow you to throw your life away." He growled sternly. "I swore an oath upon joining Team Valiant, and by my title of this team, I will uphold to that oath! I will stay and fight with you!"

"Katsumoto!" Luke said just as firmly to the large Samurott. "Your duty right now is to protect the lives of those onboard those ships. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. You yourself told me that a long time ago, and today, those words apply. This is no time to play guardian for my sake; focus on guarding them!"

"I cannot..." Katsu argued. "I cannot abandon you here."

"You're not abandoning me, Katsu." Luke returned, lifting his paw to gently touch Katsu's chest in an assuring manner "I will return..."

Katsu's expression was pained, and he was breathing heavily, wanting to keep trying to talk his leader out of this seemingly suicidal mission he was taking. He looked at Volcan as if for support, but the Blaziken had none to offer. Katsu knew that Luke would never leave Volcan's side even if the odds were not so stacked against them.

With nothing more to say, Katsu leaned forward and held Luke in a one-armed embrace, refusing to let his tears be seen as he held him. "Thou had better return alive..." He said sadly, before clenching his eyes shut and releasing Luke, slowly and reluctantly turning away from them to return to the others.

Romulus noted the rest of his team watching him questioningly; Hook, Revane, Zofia and Voltner, all staring as though they wondered if their leader was truly going to remain there. He gave a snort, leering at them briefly, but he shut his eyes, his expression relaxing as he addressed them. "Remember our code, my friends," he stated. "Though fear is our weapon to wield..."

"It shall never be a weapon against us'," finished Revane. "'For if we allow it to be, evil shall use it to rule.'

"Our mission must be completed," stated Romulus, his expression once more contorting to a frown. "And it is now up to the five of you. Now go! Finish it; use the time I grant you."

"Yessir..." the four of them returned before they reluctantly turned away and headed back to the bay, running to the Trident.

Torolf was the last one to leave, raising his hand and pointing at them. "If you don't all come back," he said sternly. "When I join you on the other side, I will pound _all_of you into the ground all over again."

"Hey if it hurts, it'll mean we're still alive," Volcan returned in jest. "Now, get moving Torolf... protect them."

Torolf nodded, and finally, he turned to leave the four to contend with the enemy. With everyone now heading for the ships, Luke, Volcan, Romulus and Shamshir turned their attention back to Mewtwo, who had now moved over to the tower, with both him and his master watching silently at the fleeing Pokémon below. The dark Blaziken could easily have attempted to stop them himself while the others were contending with Mewtwo, but he did not seem interested in doing so. He seemed content with watching them flee,

"Funny how he hasn't done anything to try and stop us," Romulus commented.

"He doesn't believe we have a chance of winning," replied Shamshir, stepping forward. "Romulus and I shall take point," he stated. "The power of our final forms is the only chance we have to prevail here. Luke, you and Volcan have already used your Mega Evolutions; engage only when you have the chance, but watch yourselves."

"We will," promised Luke.

"All or nothing," added Volcan, narrowing his eyes, unwavering resolve burning within him. "Let's do this."

The four of them spread out, preparing for the hardest battle of their lives. Everything hinged upon their success in stalling Mewtwo for as long as possible; failure was not an option. Whether they lived or died... they had to succeed.