FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

(Note: If this part seems to start a little abruptly, it's because this was originally supposed to be part of Chapter 4, but with the size the story was reaching over the editing process, I decided to separate it into two parts to make it a little easier to read. I'm trying a method of keeping single chapters between 15-30 pages unless otherwise unavoidable.

This next scene to follow was written solely by me and may not have the RP-esque layout that the rest of the story has, as it's hard to imitate that for solo scenes. )

The mist that hung over the bridge was so thick, from afar Drogo had actually mistaken it for a mound of snow and the team had momentarily feared the road had been snowed over completely and left impassible. But as they drew closer, they could see that the wall of white that hung over the bridge to Lindenburg was not snow, but fog - thicker than pea soup and utterly impregnable to their eyes.

Ernoul knew that such fog did not form naturally in this region; what fog usually formed over the river was never so thick as what hung over it now, and he knew by the tufts of fur on his head that the wind was blowing; it should have been moving the fog bank along its path. But the fog persistently remained where it was, and he knew that meant only one thing.

"We should proceed with caution," he said to Drogo.

"Why? It's just fog, bud," the Raichu stated.

"The same fog that my brother's report described," Breenelle cut in. "Whoever's been attacking people is in there." She had to forcefully stop herself from adding 'dumbass' to her words, sorely tempted.

"Oh, yeah; good point," said Drogo, nodding. "Well, I guess I'll mosey on down and send 'em packing." He stated with a grin, punching his left paw into his open right.

"Drogo, I advise caution," Ernoul warned. "We cannot even see what is waiting for us in there."

"Re_lax_, Ernoul. Doesn't matter if a freaking Regice is in there," Drogo replied, walking ahead without hesitation. "One good thunderbolt is all it's gonna take and we'll be home in time for lunch."

Breenelle groaned and dropped her head into the snow at her feet. "Why'd I have to get stuck with the idiot?" She growled under her breath. "I swear, I'm being punished..."

She did not know Ernoul could hear her every word, but the ice Ninetales said nothing of it, letting her vent as he followed his leader. He kept his ears high, listening for any sound that might give him any warning of danger coming in.

Then, Drogo stopped, his ears twitching, as did Breenelle's when she caught up to them. They all heard it then as they stopped to listen. A voice in the air, carried on the wind; a melodic voice, altering in pitch but otherwise confined to high notes, was coming out of the fog. Someone was singing, a most haunting melody that caught Breenelle's fur to stand on end, but Ernoul remained steadfast and Drogo seemed to pay it no mind.

"Ha! I've heard better singers in the school choir," the Raichu said, and continued approaching the fog.

"Drogo!" Ernoul snapped, his voice raising. "Don't just charge in; this is a trap!"

"Ernoul, I got this," said Drogo, not even looking back at his teammate as he vanished into fog ahead.

"Why do you follow this guy when he's got the brains of a Frillish?" Breenelle whispered to Ernoul as they followed him.

"He founded the team," replied Ernoul, minding his steps as he felt his paws on the wooden planks of the bridge.

"Doesn't mean he should be the boss! Azrael had his own team before he joined us; he lets Neilla lead because she's smart!" She pointed ahead with her paw. "He isn't!"

"I... I did not wish to lead," replied Ernoul. "I am not ready for such responsibility."

"You're_way_more ready than he is."

Drogo felt the arching bend of the bridge beneath his feet as he ascended, still hearing the singing echoing through the fog. The singing paused briefly, and then turned to humming as he felt the bridge starting to level out. He squinted when he thought he saw a shape in the fog ahead of him, unable to make out what it is; the way it swayed, he at first thought it was a flag, until the mist parted enough that he saw two ice blue eyes staring back at him.

It was only upon meeting those eyes, and feeling all the confidence disappear from his mind, that he realized the humming was coming from where those eyes watched him, through the holes of a white mask.

"Uh..." he started to say.

The figure exhaled, and Drogo was suddenly sprayed with a torrent of snow that engulfed his face. He let out a muffled yelp, stumbling backwards and crashing straight into Ernoul as the Ninetales entered the mist. Drogo wiped at the snow coating his face, making it hard for him to breath until he finally wiped it all away, looking ahead into the mist again.

She was gone.

"Drogo, what is the matter?" Ernoul asked.

"Y-You guys didn't see her?" Drogo asked, anxious.

"See who?" Breenelle asked impatiently. "There was no one there."

"I'm telling you, she was there!" Drogo exclaimed. "Blue eyes, white mask. It was a-a-a Froslass!" He exclaimed. "Yeah, definitely a Froslass." He shot to his feet, looking around hastily. "Come on lady, where'd ya go?"

"Froslass..." Ernoul echoed, his eyes widening in horror. "Drogo, we need to get out of this fog, now!"

"Why? We've got her outnumbered!" Drogo replied, turning around and walking backwards as he looked back at his teammate quizzically.

"We can't know that, and besides that, we-" his sentence ended suddenly as he saw something behind Drogo; a dark silhouette in the fog, standing nearly triple Drogo's high, arms outstretched.

Breenelle beat him to it. "Behind you, dumbass!" She shouted.

"Wha-" Drogo asked, turning around, only for a jolt of pain to course through his face as his nose collided with something hard. "Ouch!" He yelped, throwing his paws over his hurt nose. "What the heck?"

He looked up at what he had run into, and nearly jumped out of his fur as he found himself staring up at the frozen shape of a Machoke, frozen solid and mouth open in a silent scream. They could see through the ice that the Machoke had been dressed for the cold, wearing a parka and long, thick woolen pants to protect himself from the cold of winter but still he had been frozen solid...

"...We need to get out of this fog," said Ernoul.

"I'm starting to agree," said Breenelle.

"O-Okay... we need to uh... to d-d-double back! Rethink our plan," said Drogo, backing away from the frozen Machoke in horror. "Let's just get going."

"Finally seeing some sense," muttered Breenelle.

Thunk.

The three of them started as something struck the bridge, turning briskly toward the source of sound. A tiny, unassuming speck of ice lay resting on the bridge, but before they could register what it was, another thunk sounded beside them, with another speck in its place. More tiny pieces of ice began to fall upon them, and they quickly knew what was happening.

"Hail," Ernoul said, confirming their suspicions. "She's making use of her Snow Cloak; she's going to attack."

The humming returned as the three turned to leave, bringing all three of them to an abrupt halt. Drogo turned and started backing up, looking back where he had seen the frozen Machoke, which was still there. He felt his hip bump something, and jumped as a shrill cry filled the air. He screamed as well, turning and finding himself staring into Breenelle's red eyes.

"Watch where you're going, dingus!" She hissed at him.

"Sorry!" He whispered back.

Then, Bree's eyes shifted, and grew round as she looked over Drogo's shoulder. The Raichu blinked at her, giving her a questioning look, and then realized how close the humming sounded now.

"She's... right behind me, isn't she?" He asked.

Slowly, Bree nodded in response.

Drogo sucked in a deep breath, and then let out a yell as he spun around, cheeks sparking before he fired a Thunderbolt at the form of the Froslass. The ghostly figure dashed out of the path, the bolt going wide of its intended target. The Froslass dove at him then, the tip of her mask meeting the tip of his nose, and he went rigid as she met his gaze again, her arms wrapping gently around the back of his neck as her lips parted.

_'Is she... going to kiss me?'_He wondered, unsure of what to make of the situation.

Until, he saw the glow in her mouth, and suddenly felt all of the strength leaving his limbs. His mind screamed at him to push away, and he did, turning his head forcefully away from the Froslass before he discharged a surge of electricity over his body, forcing her to retreat or risk being shocked. She vanished immediately into the fog.

Drogo, still dazed by the Froslass' Draining Kiss, barely registered Ernoul's shouting or the Ninetales scooping him up to lay over his back. He did notice though, when the Ninetales began to run, starting with a hasty trot before breaking into a full sprint, placing his steps carefully so as not to throw Drogo off him.

Through the haze in his eyes, Drogo was sure he saw more forms materializing in the mist. He could see eyes - not just a single pair, but at least six pairs, watching him from the white veil, a look of malicious glee in one pair he was sure he recognized all too well. But as he cleared the fog from his mind, he realized the eyes were not getting smaller; the Froslass - at least half a dozen of them, he realized, were chasing them!

Breenelle turned, opening her mouth and letting out a cry as a swirling stream of black energy at the nearest Frolass. Drogo heard a shrill scream that made his ears hurt terribly as the attack made contact with its target. Then, he felt Ernoul slow, and was thrown off the Ninetales' back as he spun to face their pursuers, his nine tails splaying out wide as his eyes glowed.

The last thing Drogo remembered was a flash of white that blinded him. He heard Breenelle shouting, and felt Ernoul picking him up again. But by the time his vision began to clear, he was on Ernoul's back for the second time, and they were no longer in the fog. Drogo sleepily looked back toward the mist, almost sure he could see the eyes of the Froslass still watching them as they fled back toward Hadleigh.

His thoughts were brought back to present as the wind rushed over them, causing him to tense and fall over Ernoul's side. The Ninetales skidded to a stop when he heard Drogo fall into the snow, and ran back over to him.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Why are we running?" Drogo demanded, rubbing his head. "We still have a job to do!"

"There are too many of them," Ernoul reply plainly. "We do not have the means to drive them off, not while they hold all of the advantages."

"Are you kidding me? We're Team Storm!" Drogo protested, shooting to his feet. "I'm not running from a bunch of creepy ghoul-friends just because one of them got the drop on me!"

He felt a sting on his cheek as Breenelle slapped him with her paw. "Get your brain out of your ass, thunderhead!" She shouted at him. "We can't beat them; there are too many! We're severely undermanned here and will be no better off than that poor Machoke in there!"

"But-" Drogo started to say, but Bree slapped him again.

"No buts!" She shouted.

"We still don't even have an accurate count of their numbers, and the only one among us with any advantage against them is Breenelle." Ernoul stated as he looked at the Umbreon. "I hold no power against Ghost-type Pokemon, and you were nearly taken out of commission in a single attack."

"She snuck up on me! I can manage!" Drogo protested.

"If you go back in there, you will die," Ernoul stated flatly. "We will not follow you."

"I am the captain here, Ernoul!" Drogo retorted.

"Not mine," Breenelle returned bitterly. "Not gonna follow a guy who can't see beyond the tip of his nose. Only way I'm going back in there is with my husband, a Zoroark, a Blaziken and a Talonflame following; I'm not throwing my life away for your ego!"

Without another word, she turned and stormed away, leaving Drogo to stare helplessly after her despite his growing anger. He looked up at Ernoul as if expecting the Ninetales to do something, but Ernoul shook his head.

"We'll come back when we are better prepared," he said. "We must regroup with the others and tell them what we found."

That was the end of the discussion, Drogo knew. Ernoul had already made up his mind, and nothing he said would change it; even if he was the captain of Team Storm, he could not force Ernoul to do what he said. Even for all his pride and bluster, Drogo knew he wouldn't be able to defeat all of the Froslass by himself.

Irritated, he gave in to Ernoul's logic, and followed the Ninetales and Umbreon back toward Hadleigh.

~~~~~

The howling wind seemed to match the pitch of the battling Lycanroc within the sandstorm around the Gigalith who stood patiently waiting for the intruders to be dealt with as they had many others before. The pack of Lycanroc, their speed heightened by the sandstorm, ran about on a mad hunt for their targets. Every so often, the sounds of fighting filled the air - the Lycanroc yelped, another voice cried out. Flashing lights shone through the sandstorm on occasion, though the Gigalith could not make out their cause.

The Gigalith felt secure in its position. Four Lycanroc made up the pack, and he had been chosen to work with them for his Sand Stream ability, conjuring up a Sandstorm once battle was imminent. Few had escaped from the blinding speed of the pack and none before had managed to find the Gigalith.

None at least, not until a Lucario entered the fray.

He emerged from the sandstorm so suddenly, the Gigalith had no time to react; a blue canid form, eyes tightly shut, leapt out of the blowing sand and arched towards him! Once in range, he skid to a halt and thrust his right paw forward, expelling a potent energy pulse from his paw that sent the Gigalith staggering backward.

The Lucario didn't stop there either. He relentlessly closed in again, this time unleashing a Close Combat assault on the staggered Gigalith, striking hard and fast at almost every point of its body, cracking and chipping away the stone and crystal the Gigalith consisted of. Of course, a Rock-type was stubborn in the face of a physical attack -even from a Fighting-type, and the Gigalith was strong enough to strike back.

With the many crystals in its body glowing brightly, it conjured a Power Gem attack, sending four glowing energy diamonds towards Luke. Confined to his Aura Sense, Luke couldn't immediately perceive the oncoming attack and suffered one, but being Steel-type he was resistant to Rock-type attacks, the energy stone glancing off and causing little more than a sting on his shoulder.

He growled a bit from the strike, but recovered quickly and altered his attack plan; he quickly conjured two Aura Spheres in his paws and hurled them both in a wide arc toward the Gigalith. Then, with his Extreme Speed, he became a blur as he ran and reappeared behind his opponent, powering up a potent Focus Blast in his right paw and waited for his earlier attacks to hit their marks.

Once he sensed the Gigalith reeling from the spheres impacting its sturdy body, he launched forward as fast as he could, thrusting the Focus Blast into its back at point blank range. Having next to no resistance to energy-based attacks, the Gigalith fell, slipping into unconsciousness from the three-pronged attack inflicted by a single opponent.

With its defeat, the sandstorm began to clear - Luke first heard the howling winds begin to subside, and then was able to open his eyes to witness his handiwork with the downed Gigalith. Nodding softly in approval, he then lifted his paw up to his ear to raise the rest of his group, specifically his own team Demolitionist.

"The Sandstorm's down. Do your thing, Doug."

"With pleasure!" The Dugtrio exclaimed excitedly before he would contact the others."Clear the battlefield ladies and gents!"

Amidst the fighting, Val and Aerendyl heard Doug's warning call as they fought off another of the Lycanroc pack. Val promptly used Aqua Jet to speed away from one coming up behind him, which flew comically past as it leapt into where he had been before only to get a faceful of water as the Floatzel sped away. He hastened over to Aerendyl, picking him up as he passed and racing away from the danger zone; though the Espeon did not look pleased with the arrangement, it assured he was safely out of the target area as Doug made his move.

The ground suddenly started to shake violently underneath the Lycanroc pack for a bit, then large, sharp pillars of stone started to shoot out of the ground in a circular manner around the rock wolves. The Pillars then closed in on each other until they were practically crammed against one another, trapping the Lycanrocs in a makeshift prison with the only opening being at the top, to let light and air in.

The Lycanroc were pushed together in the confined space, forced into upright postures - except for one unfortunate soul who was left upside-down as the others were pushed into him. Just as it seemed like the stone prison was going to crush them entirely though, it stopped, and the three upright Lycanroc scratched at the walls for purchase but they could get none, and the fourth dug at the ground below in a fit to try and pull himself free of his three comrades to no avail, well and truly stuck.

Doug surfaced in front of his handiwork, chuckling heartily as he looked at it from top to bottom before all three heads nodded in unison. "Aaaand canned like a tuna!" He exclaimed with pride in his tone.

"Couldn't have done it better myself," Val remarked, flicking a paw under his nose as he looked at the results of their work. "Nasty bunch of hounds, weren't they?"

"Indeed. Remarkably well-coordinated too," added Aerendyl. "But such is the nature of pack-hunters." He then turned to Luke. "Your plan worked admirably. And, you found the one conjuring the sandstorm. Did you have any trouble with them?"

"Not a lot." The Lucario answered. "A small scratch, but other than that, he was a pushover really."

"Gigalith are tough cookies, but _way_slow," Val commented.

"Heh, bet you coulda handled him in your sleep, eh boss?" Doug chimed in.

"Well, let's not get too confident, Doug." Luke cautioned the Dugtrio before turning his attention westward. "I'd say we're done here, but we still have one more to attend to before we rendezvous with the others. You go on ahead; see if you can identify where our next group is and how many there are exactly."

"I'm already gone!" Doug answered back as he disappeared into the ground, quickly tunnelling toward their next objective, while Luke and the others regrouped themselves and made their own way toward the hills to pursue their next objective.

Val looked up at the stone prison, tails flicking as he hummed in thought. "You think this will hold them until we can come back and drag 'em to the Hadleigh jail?"

"Possible, but unlikely," replied Aerendyl. "Doug made sure they had no room to get any leverage to use their rock-type attacks. If it was just one Lycanroc he might get out, but they can't do that without battering each other in the process."

"Should somebody stay and guard it?" Val asked, though he knew the group was not in a position to spare any of its members.

"That would be the best idea, but as it stands we can't spare anyone," Luke answered back. "We'll just have to hope it holds out until we get back, and deal with our next objective as quickly as we can."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," agreed Val. "And the big guy back there?" He pointed to the Gigalith.

"I made sure he's out cold." Luke answered. "He won't be getting back up for a while yet, considering the damage he took."

"Let us hope it is long enough," Aerendyl stated, turning to the west. "Let's move, quickly."

"We can get there faster if I carry ya," Val pointed out, offering a smile at Aerendyl's frown. "You can't move as quick as me or Luke on foot."

Aerendyl frowned. "So undignified... but very well," he said.

Val walked to stand before Aerendyl, kneeling and letting the Espeon jump onto his back. Once they were certain he was securely holding onto the Floatzel, Val turned to Luke. "Ready?" He asked.

"Always." Luke answered, then managed a smirk to the Floatzel. "Try to keep up." He uttered before he was off like a bullet toward their next target.

Val grinned, and sped after him with Aqua Jet. Aerendyl cried out as he was nearly pulled from Val's back as the Floatzel accelerated to match Luke's speed, managing to come up alongside the Lucario as they raced westward.

Earlier, when they had first come out to the plain, Luke had expressed that he hoped Val could keep up with him, only for the Floatzel to flash him a grin, and say, "you're talking to the fastest Pokemon of the West Islands here."

Luke had smiled, knowing of at least one Pokemon from Arc he could think of who might compete for that title. Still, there was no question that Val _was_fast, his tails spinning like a propellor as water collected around him and he seemed to almost be flying over the ground. His boast was not without the means to back up his words.

They raced across the plains, over the snowy ground with the hills rapidly drawing closer as they went. They stopped, half a kilometer from their destination, to wait for Doug's report on the area. A few minutes after their arrival, the Dugtrio soon popped up in front of the trio of Pokemon and spun once on the spot to shake off the dirt on their bodies.

"Welp, I found em." He stated. "There's a fair bunch of em too, and from what I gathered from their footsteps, they've created quite an underground network for themselves."

"The credit is not theirs," assured Aerendyl. "These hills used to be home to a colony of Diglett and Dugtrio, before they relocated to the quarry in Hadleigh, looking for work. The hills were abandoned since then." He looked squarely to Doug. "Can you describe the Pokemon hiding there, and how many?"

"I counted as many as...I'd say twenty." Doug answered. "And they looked reptilian in stature, with black markings on their bodies to boot."

"...Can't say I've heard of anything like that before." Luke answered, looking at Aerendyl for answers.

"Reptilian with black markings," the Espeon repeated, thinking aloud. "Any other markings or features worth mentioning? And how large were they?"

"I'd say each one was about as big as a Riolu... and they had these red splatter like marks along their lower backs goin' up to their tails."

Aerendyl's eyes narrowed. "That sounds like a group of Salandit," he said.

"What're Salandit?" Val asked.

"Poison/Fire-type Pokemon, found commonly on the volcanic island of Kia He, off the south-western coast of this continent," explained the Espeon. "They live in clans, varying in size, and each one is led by a clan matron - a Salazzle, much larger and vastly more powerful and always female; the males do not evolve." He looked at Doug again. "Did you see any others there that might fit that bill?"

He shook his heads quickly. "Nope. Just the small fries."

"The Matron might still be nearby, directing them from somewhere discreet," Luke surmised. "We should be careful, in case she decides to attack us while we're occupied with her clan."

"That would be problematic if she does," said Aerendyl. "Salandit have potent poison, and though weak on their own it is why they live in groups like this. Salazzle are _vastly_more deadly." He looked back at Luke. "You might be safe from their toxins, but they are also Fire-types. If they get the drop on any of us, we could be in great peril."

"Then we need to flush them out of those tunnels - force 'em into the open," Val suggested. "Maybe that arena trap trick will work again if we can draw them all out."

"With their numbers, they would overrun us," Aerendyl returned, though not dismissively. "We must part their group - deal with them a few at a time. In the open though, as you suggest, would be ideal."

Luke hummed in thought, rubbing his chin as he tried to formulate a plan that met their ideal conditions. He would then turn to Doug once more once an idea popped into his head. "How many exits did you see while scoping those tunnels out?" He asked.

"About four or five." Doug answered. "You got a plan, boss?"

"I do...it's a bit of a gamble, but if we time it right, we should be able to pick them off quickly." He answered.

"Tell us what to do," Val stated with anticipation, waiting to hear Luke's plan.

"We'll each take one exit, cover as much ground as we can. Then when I give the signal, Doug will cause an earthquake that will force the Salandit to panic and start heading for the exits." He explained. "While that's happening though, Doug will cut off some of the routes and force the Salandit to appear through the tunnels where we'll be waiting for them, essentially bottlenecking them right when they exit the tunnels."

"In such a narrow space, they'll be unable to maneuver around us, and in the chaos they won't be able to coordinate a counter-attack," Aerendyl said, nodding in approval. "It may be our best option."

"I'm game for it." Doug chimed in happily. "Just say the word and they're as good as buried."

"Right, let's get into position then." Luke said in agreement. "Val, you take the east exit. Aerendyl, I want you on the South exit while I take the North. Doug, get underground and wait for my signal. Once we're in position, give em' hell."

"Already gone!" Doug said happily as he disappeared into the earth again.

"Let's move." Luke commanded, already turning to run toward the North exit to take his position, Aerendyl and Val quick to follow suite, making their way over to the respective compass points as quietly as they could, keeping a respectable distance in case the tunnel dwellers spotted them.

Luke gave his team a small amount of time to prepared for their parts before he would raise them via their radios. "All set?" He asked.

"_Ready,"_said Val.

"_In position,"_confirmed Aerendyl.

"Alright... Doug?" He said before flashing a small grin. "Start the chaos."

The Dugtrio didn't need anymore incentive than that, as almost immediately after Luke gave him the all clear, the ground around the underground network started to shake violently as Doug triggered a powerful Earthquake attack from below, rocking the tunnel's inhabitants and causing some of the pathways to collapse, threatening to bury them all alive.

Already, they could hear cries of fright and panic echoing from within the tunnels. As Luke watched, he saw movement - six forms coming his way, scrambling towards the sunlight seemingly unaware of the Lucario waiting for them outside. "Just as planned..." he muttered with a confident smirk as he prepared his Bone Rush.

When the first Salandit appeared, he struck, swinging his weapon at the small lizard, then again when the next popped out. The first two were defeated easily - almost disappointingly so - and Luke readied himself for the next. The third one tried to back into the tunnel again but his frantic comrades pushed him on, unaware of the Lucario waiting in ambush.

Four more Salandit poured forth from the hole, to which Luke quickly took out the second they emerged, striking quickly and precisely at each foe with his weapon. It was almost like a comical game of whack-a-mole as he knocked them out so consecutively - though he made a silent vow never to make that comparison in front of Doug.

The sixth Salandit seemed to catch on something was amiss, however; even before he saw his unconscious comrades, he banked away at the least second as he emerged from the hold, receiving only a blow to his tail that jerked him to an abrupt halt. He spun on Luke, a fireball appearing in his mouth before erupting forth in a red-hot Flamethrower. Luke weaved out of the way of the flames, spinning as he dodged and using the momentum to hurl his weapon like a javelin at the still conscious Salandit. The bone rush struck him square in the face, and he joined his fellows in darkness.

With the final Salandit down, Luke let out a sigh to steady himself as he lifted his paw to his radio so he could raise the others. "Val, Aerendyl. How are things on your ends? Give me a status update."

Val's voice resounded through the receiver shortly afted. "I'm good. Just finished with the last of the little skinks. They aren't so tough."

"As have I. I have seen no sign of the matron, either -it appears she is not present."

There was a chuckle from Val. "Well that wraps this up Ieg-ECK!" The response ended abruptly following Val's grunt.

Luke felt a chill creeping through him. "Val?! What happened!" Luke exclaimed. "Val, respond!" He ordered, but he received no response from the Floatzel.

Taking his paw from his ear, Luke shut his eyes and tuned to his Aura Sense, reaching out in search of the Floatzel's aura - which he had taken the time to familiarize himself with when they had been on their way out of Hadleigh. He found the Floatzel's aura, on the opposite side of the hill from him, along with seven others - one larger than the rest, but the other six beginning to stir. He heard Aerendyl attempting to raise the Floatzel as well, and a glance in the Espeon's general direction showed he was heading towards Val hastily.

'No question...that must be the Matron of this group.' The Lucario thought as he too began to run toward Val's location. "Doug, rendezvous at the Eastern tunnel entrance, but stay hidden until I give the word!"

"You got it, boss!" Doug replied quickly.

To shorten the distance, Luke ran over the hill, slipping somewhat on the snow as he went, but he conjured a bone rush, breaking it in half and using the two ends as anchors to pull himself up the hill. He crested the top just in time to see a streak of light shoot across the ground - a Psybeam, fired by Aerendyl, at a sleek-figured reptilian form standing protectively before the six Salandit who were trying to recollect themselves.

Like the snap of a whip, the reptilian dodged out of the way of the beam, and then breathed a cloud of Poison Gas that obscured them and the Salandit from view. She was trying to escape!

"No you don't!" Luke growled, giving chase after the seven lizard Pokemon through the gas cloud.

Instinctively he held his breath as he chased the group down - the poison wouldn't hurt him but breathing it in was still not exactly comfortable even for him. Behind his closed eyes, using his Aura Sense to find his target, he hurled an Aura Sphere at what he knew was likely the Salazzle Matron. It hit home, he could tell, but her Poison-typing made her resistant to the Fighting-type attack.

Luke approached her, closing the distance; he opened his eyes, seeing he was out of the cloud only for a flash of blue to streak across his vision as something struck him across the eyes. The attack didn't hurt terribly, but it still caused stars to flash before him. He felt a leg sweep against his own and he went down, plunging face-first into the snow.

He growled as he tried to right himself, turning to his attacker - he had expected her to be leaping at him, ready to finish him off while he was down. But to his shock, the Salazzle was running from him, passing up the opportunity to attack him in order to usher her Salandit away; he didn't get a good look at the larger lizard though before she breathed out another cloud of poison, covering their retreat.

"Damnit...! Doug, get after them!" He called into his radio.

"Don't gotta tell me twice!" He replied, tunneling after the fleeing suspects from below.

Luke was getting to his feet when he looked to his left, seeing Val lying unconscious in the snow only a few feet away from him. At that moment he also saw Aerendyl rushing over as the poison began to clear, dropping next to Val to examine him. Luke grunted, deciding to leave pursuit of the Matron to Doug as he scrambled over to Val and dropped beside him, ready to help if he needed it.

"Looks like he took a blow to the head -probably from behind," he said. "But he seems okay otherwise."

"That's a relief..." Luke muttered, heaving a sigh of relief before looking back in the direction of where he chased the fleeing Salandits. "Dragon Tail; I think that's what she hit me with; she must've hit Val with it too." He shook his head. "And she was so quick; hit me across the eyes _and_took my legs out from under me in the same motion. She's nimble, and good at covering her escape, I'll give her that."

"We should consider ourselves lucky she was not out for blood," Aerendyl added darkly. "She snuck up on Val; she could've easily killed him if she had used her claws instead of her tail to attack him."

"...Quite so." Luke muttered as he narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

From his experience, all of Calhoun's forces that he'd gone up against so far were, to say the least, not ones to shy away from drawing blood. Yet, the Matron had deigned only to knock out Val, and similarly treated Luke; he didn't know how much she could know about Lucario, but Dragon Tail was ineffective against Steel-types like him. She hadn't been trying to hurt either of them, only stall them...

'Is this one the exception?'_He wondered. _'Could there be someone in Calhoun's entourage who doesn't like to kill?'

"In any case, Doug's giving chase as we speak. We should tend to the Salandits we have captured and try to rouse Val while we have a moment."

"Agreed," returned Aerendyl. "If the Matron was willing to endanger herself so, it's likely she'll come back for the rest at the first chance she gets."

"Then we better move fast." Luke returned. "I'll round up the Salandits, you wake up Val." He added.

Luke spent the next few moments running back and forth over the hill to retrieve the Salandit he had previously knocked out; he could only carry three at a time, and also retrieved those that he assumed Aerendyl had encountered, bringing them back to where he had left the Espeon and dropping them amongst the others. He did a quick count, and found that there were ten Salandit in total.

'We got half the group,' he thought, allowing himself some satisfaction at the prospect, when his ear twitched, hearing the light crunch of snow approaching them. "We have company," he informed Aerendyl as he tuned to his Aura Sense to see who was approaching them.

Aerendyl rose, turning towards the newcomer, gem glowing in readiness to cast a Psychic attack the moment they showed themselves to be an enemy as he saw a figure coming around the hill in a slight jog. Though after Luke managed to get a clear image as to who their new visitor was, he relaxed and tuned out of his aura sense, motioning to the Espeon to be calm. "At ease, Aerendyl. It's Hageshi." He informed the Espeon.

The Greninja slowed to a walk when he was within earshot of the two of them, adjusting his hood as he approached. He took a quick gander at the area around him, noticing the piles of unconscious Salandit lying piled in the snow.

"...Seems as though my help isn't needed here," he commented, then noticed the unconscious Floatzel next to Aerendyl and narrowed his eyes. "...And I see we already have another casualty..."

"Wait, another?" Luke asked, his ears perking up quickly at Hageshi's words.

"Someone has fallen?" Aerendyl asked, concerned.

The Greninja nodded. "Indeed... Specifically the Zapdos that refuses to leave." He stated in an irritated tone.

Luke groaned and rolled his eyes softly. "What happened?"

Hageshi scoffed. "If you want to know so badly, then you can ask him yourself..." He replied callously. "I'm only here to provide assistance to your task, but it seems my presence here is unnecessary..."

The Lucario and Espeon shared an incredulous look at the Greninja'a manner, then jumped as a groan escaped from the lips of the Floatzel lying behind them. Val was coming around, eyes opening slowly as he shifted in the snow. in the cold snow and raised his head groggily.

Luke knelt down next to Val, gently helping him sit up in the snow. "Easy, Val." He cautioned the Floatzel as he came to, brushing off the snow in his back before looking back to Hageshi. "Well since you're here now, you can make yourself useful and watch the Salandit. We'll need your help carrying them back to Hadleigh too."

Hageshi scoffed again. "So now I'm being used for clean up detail...." He muttered as he turned on the lizards lying in the snow, crossing his arms as he watched them.

"Ow," groaned Val, shivering and throwing off some of the snow that clung to his fur. "My head feels like a Timburr used it for softball practice." He said with a light whimper, putting both paws over a now noticeable bump beside the mohawk ridge of his head fur.

"Well, at least that's the worst you're walking away with." Luke answered realistically before helping Val back to his feet again.

No sooner was the Floatzel back on his feet again did Doug pop up next to Luke, a sour expression present on all three faces. "Sorry boss...they gave me the slip," he said. "There's a frozen creek south of here; they went over it. I couldn't sense their vibrations through the ice. By the time I came up, they disappeared."

Luke nodded back to the Dugtrio in response. "You did all you could." He assured him. "For the most part, this operation is mildly successful. We've managed to capture a good chunk of the clan guarding this area _and_liberated another entirely."

Aerendyl piped up. "Now there's just the matter of transporting these Salandit back to Hadleigh. I did a headcount and got ten of them total. I can give them a sedative that'll keep them out for the journey, but moving them is another matter."

"Well...I mean there's four of us, right? Can't we each take three?" Doug asked.

"Actually as it turns out, Hageshi arrived not too long ago to assist us should we need it. At two a piece, we could-"

*WHUMF*

The sound of bodies being dumped next to them caught their attention as all four of them turned to see Hageshi standing over one of the captured Salandit that he'd dropped beside them, dusting his webbed hands off and scoffing in irritation. "...If you think for a second I'm helping any of you carry these scum back, you're gravely mistaken. I only came to see if you need assistance in taking down the problem, not clean up after your messes."

As the Greninja stormed away, the others stared after him, mouths agape -Val's eye even twitched a few times as they watched him leave. Slowly, Val turned to Luke, wearing a blank expression.

"Remind me, this one was _not_on your team -officially- right?" He asked, pointing at Hageshi.

The Lucario let out an exasperated groan and rubbed his forehead with his paw before answering Val. "That's right... His father is the one officially on my team." He explained. "He's becoming as bad as Lighris is, and now I'm regretting bringing him along... I should have picked Katsumoto, or even _Wade_for that matter..."

"So just for clarification, if I were to pummel him, no hard feelings, right?" Val asked. "Just wondering 'cuz I'm," he added out of the corner of his mouth, "_very_tempted."

"You can certainly try." Luke answered realistically.

"Hold on... wasn't he with Volcan?" Aerendyl asked, looking back the way Hageshi had come from. "Where is he?"

"...Good question." Luke answered with a mildly concerned tone in his voice. He quickly raised his paw to his radio to try and raised said Blaziken. "Volcan, come in. Everything alright on your end?"

"Yeah I'm here. Just met up with Eagle Eye - we're hauling Sound breaker back to Hadleigh,"_the Blaziken's reply came shortly after. _"Did Hageshi find you yet? I sent him your way."

Luke heaved a sigh of relief before answering. "Yea he found us, but once he saw that we were done he's pretty much walking out; not even helping us with the prisoners."

"Ugh... Kage's sourpuss kid and my hot-headed brother - what next?"_The Blaziken moaned. _"I've got to tend to my brother. Can you guys manage?"

"We'll figure something out, and see you back in Hadleigh; over and out," Luke replied before he shut off his radio, pondering how best to transport their prisoners.

~~~~~

The first ones back to Hadleigh following the completion of their missions was Neilla's, bringing the two Trevenant to the county jail as soon as they were through the gate. The Trevenant were deposited into a cell with specially designed bars, each one bearing repelling talismans that kept them from phasing out, and the stone structure left them unable to call upon their woodland powers; they weren't going anywhere with those in place.

As Hank admired the structure's ingenuity, he, Azrael and Neilla turned as they heard the door opening, seeing Val entering the jailhouse followed by Luke, Hageshi, Doug - through a dirt groove in the floor - and Aerendyl, three of them transporting unconscious lizards . Luke and Val carried three apiece over their shoulders while Aerendyl carried four with his telekinesis, visibly straining under the weight and what must've been a fair distance travelled bearing it.

Hank waved and called out to Luke and Doug when he saw them, prompting the two to glance over their shoulders and notice Hank and the rest of his group waving them over. The two of them smiled and took a small detour to reunite with the rest of their comrades.

"Judging by the fact you guys are already here, is it safe to assume you completed your task?" Luke asked.

"Hell yea we did! Was a freakin' cakewalk thanks to our scrappy lady friend here!" Hank remarked with a smug grin, pointing a claw over his shoulder toward Neilla. "Poor bastards got plaaayed like a fiddle."

"Wait, so you're saying _you_weren't the star of the show this time?" Doug asked, tilting all three of his heads as he looked up at Hank.

"Well I mean, we all did our parts. Neilla just got the finishing blow in," Hank replied with a shrug.

Azrael rolled his eyes. "The first Trevenant fell easily enough," he said. "But there was a second one hiding; it restrained Hank and I with Forest's Curse. Neilla fought both of them alone in the end."

"Wait, Neilla took on two Trevenant by herself?" Val asked, looking beside Hank to the Captain of Team Plainsrunner as she came up to stand beside him. "No offense, but you're a Normal-type; how'd you even hurt them?"

Neilla smiled and raised her paw, flashing the ring that housed her Lopunnite. Val didn't recognize the stone for what it was immediately, but Luke did, and his mouth fell agape.

"Wait, you're capable of Mega Evolution too??" Luke burst out "How did I not see that ring before?"

"It's because I wasn't wearing it when we first met," she replied, shaking her head. "I only put it on when I think I'm going to need it, and since I knew we'd be fighting ghost-types, it seemed like the right time. As for how it helped me, Mega Lopunny have the ability 'Scrappy', which allows Normal and Fighting-type attacks to affect Ghost-types the same way as if you used Foresight."

"Where'd you even find that?" Val asked.

She held up her paw again, turning it over as she studied the ring. "It was my mother's, back when she still worked in the Rescue Team business. She gave it to me when I started my team, and I make damn sure never to lose it. From what she told me, it got her out of a _lot_of sticky situations, like it did for us today."

"Well, good to know that myself and Volcan aren't the only ones that can Mega Evolve among our group. Considering who we might be up against, we're going to need every boost we can get." Luke said with a nod. "Speaking of, has anyone heard from his group yet, or if he's completed his mission?" He asked in a somewhat hurried, yet hopeful manner.

"Strangely, no; I couldn't hear them on the radio," Neilla replied, her earpiece out to show to Luke. "I think we were out of range. That or the trees were interfering with the signal."

"Safe to say he's been here though," Val offered, pointing at a nearby cell with his paw. In the cell sat a Skarmory, eyeing them menacingly through the bars of his prison; a Skarmory, he assumed, was Sound Breaker.

"Damn..." Luke cursed under his breath, ignoring the Skarmory glaring back at him. "I guess I must've just missed him."

"Maybe he went back to the inn?" Neilla offered.

"Maybe." Luke answered. "I'll take a gander after we stow these ones away." He gestured to the Salandit, tucked under his arms and over his shoulders like a neck wrap.

"A whole clan of Salandit," Aerendyl put in. "Swarming all over the hills. They were quite a handful, but we got half of them."

"You'll want to put them in a cell down there, then," Neilla said, pointing past where the Skarmory was. "The bars on the ones up here are too wide; they could slip out."

"Got it. Thanks for the tip." Luke returned with a nod.

Neilla called for the guard to unlock the cell for them. The guard met them promptly, producing a set of keys and opening the cell door, letting them place the Salandit in the cell one at a time.

"Quickly. The drug is starting to wear off," Aerendyl warned, seeing the Salandit he carried via his telekinesis were beginning to stir.

One of the Salandits did wake up as Val was about to pass it off to the guard, scrambling to try and get away from the Floatzel's grasp, but Hank was quick to jump in. "Oh pipe down already!" Hank growled before he turned and looked the Salandit square in the eye. He then cast an illusion on the young lizard, scaring it until it went unconscious out of sheer fright before stepping back. "And that should do it."

"Nice work," Val complimented as the guard took the Salandit again, placing him in the cell.

Once the last of the small lizards were behind the bars, the guard closed and locked the door, and Val let out a huff as he regarded their work. "Of course, we're not done yet. We still need to go back for those Lycanroc and the Gigalith we fought first."

"Better regroup with the others and come up with a plan before we tango with em." The Zoroark remarked as he held his claws behind his head. "That said, all in all I think we're doin' a pretty good job so far."

"Let's check back at the inn, make sure Volcan's group is there," Val suggested. "With any luck Drogo's back too and we can put together some volunteers to go pick up those Lycanroc, before they get loose." He looked at Doug. "Not to doubt your prison or anything."

"Hey, I may be an expert trapper and Demolitionist, but even I can admit when my traps fail." The Dugtrio returned. "That being said, I've got a pretty good track record in that regard, so I'm confident it'll hold."

Val nodded and smiled at Doug. "Never lose that confidence," he said with a wink.

"Let's pick up the pace guys." Luke stated in a calm, yet firm tone while keeping his gaze forward. "The sooner we get back to the inn, the sooner we can redeploy and continue where we left off."

Hank snickered. 'Yea sure, it's totally_not cause you just wanna see yer man again.'_ The Zoroark thought to himself.

"Got something on your mind you wish to share, Hank?" Luke asked, turning his gaze over his shoulder and casting an inquisitive glance toward the Zoroark.

He froze for a moment. "Uh, no. Nuthin' man, just somethin' funny I remembered from a while back." He quickly answered.

"...Uh huh." Luke remarked, rolling his eyes and shaking his head as they continued on their way.

"There," said Volcan as he finished dressing the cut on Lighris' chest. "It's not as glamorous as Serena's healing powers but best we keep those stitches covered for now."

"Heh. Guess we'll both have scars to match, won't we?" Lighris asked.

Volcan shot him a dirty look. "If you'd listened to Eagle Eye like I asked you to, you might not have a scar at all," the Blaziken scolded him, rising to his feet. "What were you thinking, taking on Sound Breaker alone?"

"I was just trying to get the job over with, like I told him," Lighris protested, glancing at Eagle Eye resting on the adjacent couch. "I came here to watch you, not quarrel with some thug with shiny skin."

"Oh my Arceus, _this_again??" Eagle Eye squawked angrily. "Didn't we just have this argument already?? There's bigger shit to worry about than just watching over your kid brother, Spiky! When are you gonna get that through your dumb skull??"

"Mind your own business, half-pint!" Lighris shot back.

"Lighris!" Volcan snapped. "No more arguing! Your muck-up aside, bro, the mission was at least still a success. But you need to stop worrying about me; there are thousands of people here who will be in danger if we fail."

Lighris huffed, biting back the retort he had given Eagle Eye when he had made the same argument knowing that it wouldn't sway his brother. "Not like I'm the only one who screwed up," he said, cocking his head in the direction of Drogo's group.

The Raichu's ears pricked up. "Hey! You wanna run that by me again?!" He demanded. "To my face this time?"

"Sure, little mouse who ran from a snow banshee!" The Zapdos retorted.

"There wasn't just one!" Drogo retorted.

"There wasn't just one Skarmory either, and I didn't bail!"

Volcan cut in promptly, stepping between them. "I said enough fighting!" He exploded. "This isn't about Drogo, Lighris, it's about you, failing to uphold your end of the agreement!"

Before Lighris could retort, the door to the inn swung open, and Neilla stepped through the door. She was soon followed into the inn by Luke, Hank, Hageshi, Aerendyl and lastly Val. The Lopunny surveyed the room, seeing who was present, and rested a hand on her hip as she regarded them.

"What the heck is with all the shouting?" She demanded. "We could hear you down the street."

"Care to explain what's got everyone all riled up?" Luke asked as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, his keen eyes catching the dressing over Lighris' chest. "...Let me guess. He went rogue, didn't he?" He asked.

"Better to ask Eagle Eye about that," replied Volcan, turning and walking over to Luke, opening his arms for him.

Luke eagerly accepted the embrace, wrapping his arms tight around Volcan and caressing his back slowly before turning his gaze to Eagle Eye. The Talonflame sighed irritably as he began to explain what happened during his mission, up to and including the argument he had with Lighris about his attitude toward their mission.

Luke listened intently to Eagle Eye's explanation, his brow furrowing the more his teammate went on. Then when he was finished, Luke slowly turned to face Lighris and stepped out of Volcan's embrace in order to stand before the Zapdos.

"We had an agreement, Lighris..." Luke growled in a disappointed manner. "You would be allowed to stay and help under the condition that you listen to every direction we give you. Because of your antics, you nearly lost your life and risked the lives of both mine and Neilla's teammates." He went on, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Considering both your actions and your attitude toward this mission, I have half a mind to arrest you right here and now, both for negligence _and_for interfering in Rescue Team affairs."

"You're welcome to try," he returned, unbothered by Luke's threat. "Besides, _you_guys asked _me_to help you deal with Sound Breaker, and I did. Can't be interference if I was invited in."

"You were the one that was insistent that you stick around despite us telling you to leave!" Luke exclaimed right back at him. "You're a loose cannon, Lighris! You put my teammate under fire just for the sake of taking down one foe by yourself, rather than working as a unit with the team you were assigned to. If that's how you're going to behave, then you have no place being here with us!" He went on, his temper rising as he continued talking down on Lighris.

"Something I've been saying since he decided to interfere..." Hageshi offhandedly remarked.

"Don't you start, or I'll be sending you away as well." Luke warned the Greninja.

"So what, you want an apology or something?" Lighris demanded. "Look, I went on your damn mission; if I got out of control, you're right, that's on me. But we still got the job done."

Luke was about to snap at Lighris again for his dismissiveness, but instead he caught himself and took in a slow, deep breath to try and calm himself. "...You are on your last chance, Lighris. The next time we send you out, and you endanger any of us with your antics again, you _will_be placed under arrest." He stated firmly. "Don't make me force my hand. You being a legendary is only a title at best, and I know Pokémon who are _far_more deserving of the title than you are."

"Now just a-" Lighris started to retort, but from behind Luke he saw the glare his brother was giving him, warning him that the Zapdos was already on thin ice as it was, especially with him... With a deep sigh, Lighris gave Luke a nod but said nothing, settling into his spot on the sofa as he settled in.

"Now..." Volcan began. "Is everyone present here? We missing anyone?"

"Where's Sarth?" Neilla asked.

Volcan looked at Eagle Eye. "He hasn't come back yet?"

"Haven't seen him since you told him to head to the valley after we took down Sound Breaker. If he's back I didn't see him return." Eagle Eye answered with a shrug.

"The cold's probably slowing him down," Aerendyl offered, looking up at Neilla.

"Probably," the Lopunny agreed. "I sure hope he gets back before it gets dark."

"Was hoping to have him for when we go get those Lycanroc too," Val added.

"Let me see if I can get a read on him." Luke offered as he closed his eyes and focused, tuning to his aura sense and broadening his sensory range as far as he could. But, even after several minutes of sifting through the hundreds of auras in his limited range, he did not find one to match that of the Flygon.

Luke sighed and relaxed as he tuned out of his aura sense, looking to Volcan with mild concern. "Nothing. He's not within Hadleigh's city limits; he hasn't come back yet."

"Should I go out and look for him?" Eagle Eye inquired.

"Neilla, he's your teammate; what do you think?" Volcan asked.

Neilla put her hand to her chin, considering for a few moments how to proceed, but eventually she shook her head. "Daffodil Valley is pretty far... if he's running late, I'm sure he has a reason," she said. "We should put a group together to go get those Lycanroc first. If he's not back by the time we bring them in, then we'll send Eagle Eye to find him."

"Fair enough." Luke returned. "Remind me what typing Lycanroc are again?"

"Rock-types," Aerendyl replied. "Pure rock; no-subtype."

"So Water and Fighting types should suffice..." Luke hummed in thought. "Perhaps Val, Neilla and myself could suffice for this operation." He offered.

"I'll help too; I trapped 'em after all," Doug chimed in.

"Probably need him to bring the trap down anyway," Val added.

"Hank too," Luke added. "We'll need him to subdue them long enough to drug them. Plus, there were four of those howlers so we'll need the extra paws."

"So myself, Val, Hank, Doug and Neilla." Luke surmised. "Should be enough to handle them. We can formulate a plan on our way to the destination."

"Alright. We'll follow you," said Neilla. "Volcan's in charge until we get back. Think you can handle it?" She cast a glance at the Blaziken.

"I'll manage," he replied. "When you guys get back we'll have our debriefing as well. If you need any help, my radio's on." He pointed to his ear for emphasis.

"If there are no further questions." Luke piped up to get everyone's attention. "We should depart right away; we want to get back before the sun goes down. It's going to get very cold then."

"No argument here. Let's mosey guys." Hank remarked while punching his claws together eagerly, grinning maliciously as he did.

~~~~~

The Lycanroc were just as they had left them before, confined in the arena trap that Doug had placed them in, before their confrontation with the Salandits and their Matron. Much to the chagrin of Luke and Val, however, the Gigalith had made its escape; abandoning its charges, it had fled the scene, and though it left a clear trail to follow the team ultimately decided not to pursue it; likely, the Gigalith would return to its employers, or disappear, now that it had failed its mission.

Letting Hank cast an illusion over the Lycanroc to distract them, they tackled the disoriented wolves one after another to administer the sedative to keep them dormant until they got them back to Hadleigh. Once the four Lycanroc were right to be moved, they started back to the city.

Once in Hadleigh, they headed back to the jailhouse to deposit the Lycanroc. They were not two steps through the door before they could hear a commotion coming from the cells, particularly the one where they had stowed the Salandit away; the guards were shouting at the Salandit, ordering them to stop what they were doing. But their commands fell on deaf ears; the Salandit were only growing more agitated.

"We better check this out," said Neilla to Luke.

The Lucario nodded in agreement, motioning for her to follow after him as he went to investigate the commotion and why they were all acting up in such a way. The two of them reached the cell, seeing the Salandit were frantic; they paced anxiously about their cell, hissing and whimpering, many of them screaming incoherent words that neither Luke or Neilla could understand, aside from one that many of the Salandit kept repeating, most of the time screaming it as if they were a lost Teddiursa calling for its mother.

Matron.

"Arceus damn it, they just won't shut up!" One of the guards griped impatiently. "They've been like this since you dropped them off here!"

Luke looked on at the frantic Salandits curiously as they cried out for their 'matron.' He hummed in thought as to what they meant, lulling over the word itself and its meaning. His ears pricked up as he remembered his encounter with what he concluded to be their leader back in the tunnels, and it occurred to him that the very same pokemon might come around and try to bust them out.

He looked over to one of the guards quickly after he came to his conclusion. "We might not be able to quiet them down until we bring in their 'matron.'" Luke stated. "It's also possible she might try to sneak in and free them from under our noses, so I recommend tightening security around this cell just to be safe."

"We have to keep listening to this racket?" The guard demanded, angrily. "This is like listening to a room full of screaming toddlers!"

That struck a chord with Luke, realizing that the guard had the right of it. The way these Salandit called for their matron was akin to that of a child missing their parent. He was momentarily reminded of Caulin, after he and Volcan had rescued the Riolu from Arc Island, and how the young Riolu cried out for his departed mother after Volcan had told him the heart-breaking news of her passing.

Caulin was considerably older than a toddler, but innocent enough that the similarity was there. There was no way for Luke to know what ages the Salandit were, but it did occur to them that some of them were rather small...

"...Then we're just going to have to find her as quickly as possible." Luke answered with the only solution he could come up with. "Until then, I suggest grabbing some ear plugs or anything that can serve to drown out their cries."

"Swell," the guard grumbled, but voiced no other protest. "This used to be a fairly quiet job too."

"Quit your bellyaching," the second guard shot at him.

"Guess that's our cue to go," Neilla suggested, falling into step with Luke as they headed back toward the entrance. "What do you think is bothering the Salandit so much?" She asked him, apparently having not figured it out herself.

"Well for starters, they kept calling out for their matron like scared little children." Luke began as they stepped out of the jailhouse. "A matron is a female leader of a clan, but it also implies a motherly figure as well, and judging from how these Salandits were behaving, it's safe to assume they're nothing more than scared children crying out for their mother."

The Lopunny froze mid-step, her outstretched foot hovering just over the floor for a short second before it dropped, and she turned to Luke. "Wait, you're telling me we locked up a bunch of kids?" She asked, aghast.

"That seems to be the only logical explanation." Luke answered.

Neilla brought a paw to her forehead, dragging it down the length of her face. "Great... totally needed _that_on my conscience..."

"Trust me, I know the feeling..." Luke concurred. "For now though, we should focus on the task at hand. If we come across their matron while we continue our mission, we'll be sure to bring her in with her captured clansmen."

Neilla nodded in agreement, letting out a long sigh as they reunited with Val, Hank and Doug, and departed the jailhouse, starting back to the Folding Easel once more.

The sun had begun to set over the horizon, the light of day rapidly fading as the long night crept in to take its place. They could already feel the temperature beginning to drop as they followed the street, causing fur to stand on end as they adjusted to the chill.

Soon, they reached the inn, stepping inside to find a few faces had come and gone from the room as they had left it. Hageshi and Lighris were nowhere to be seen, Azrael and Breenelle sat over by the fire and Aerendyl sat in a chair behind them, his attention on a book levitating in front of him. In the corner sat Drogo and Ernoul, whispering to each other in what seemed to be a hushed argument.

Volcan and Eagle Eye were talking on one of the couches, and with them was Sarth, who they arrived in time to see Volcan handing a steaming mug, which he held between his claws as the Blaziken unfurled a blanket to drape over him.

"Sarth!" Neilla exclaimed with a mix of glee and relief, crossing the room to her teammate.

Sarth looked up as his name was called, giving Neilla a weak smile as Volcan draped the blanket over his back. "H-Hey Captain," he said, then shivered and huddled into his blanket again. "J-Just walked in

"You okay?" Neilla asked, kneeling in front of him.

"L-Long flight back from the valley," he said, taking a sip from the hot drink he held. "Phew... nasty winds out there. I had a long respite in the valley just getting myself ready to fly back but that c-cold gets right into my bones."

"We appreciate your efforts, Sarth," Volcan said, patting the Flygon on the back. "Sorry I had to ask you to fly so far."

"N-normally, I'd be c-complaining... but it was worth it," the Flygon said. "Team Orochi is watching the south-east now; the road to Daffodil Valley is open and clear again."

"That's good news." Luke returned with a smile. "We just finished rounding up that pack of Lycanroc Doug trapped earlier, so I think it's safe to say the roads are all clear now."

"Not all of them," Volcan put in, grimly. "Apparently the road to Lindenberg is still blocked." He cocked his head toward Drogo and Ernoul, who turned their attention to the Blaziken, having heard him. "But either way, Sarth. You've earned your rest; Hank, get him whatever he likes from the keeper; tell 'im it's on me. Grab a round of drinks for everyone else too."

"You got it, chicken legs!" Hank replied.

"I'll help out," added Val, joining the Zoroark as he headed to the counter.

Volcan turned to Luke and Neilla then. "I was waiting for you guys to get back before we got to the debriefing about the east road. Wanted to make sure we were all up to speed."

"Well no time like the present!" Eagle Eye squawked. "Let's go over everything that's happened already so we can move onto whatever's next!"

Once Hank and Val came with the drinks - and a plate of hot food for Sarth which Val placed on the table in front of him, Volcan called the group over. At his summons, they began making their way to the center of the room for the meeting. Volcan moved off the couch he was using to let Drogo and Ernoul sit, prompting Sarth and Eagle Eye to move over as the Blaziken went to stand by Luke and Neilla. Azrael and the siblings lay on the floor to the left of the sofa, and Neilla, Hank and Val took the remaining seats available. Aerendyl distributed the drinks with telekinesis once everyone had made themselves comfortable, and Volcan spoke up.

"Alright, Drogo, the floor's yours," Volcan said. "What happened out on the east road?"

Drogo took in a breath, before he looked at Ernoul. "You tell 'em; you're better at it," he said.

Ernoul cleared his throat, and began the explanation. "We approached the area Aerendyl described from his notes; the bridge over the river, following the road to Lindenburg. There was dense fog hanging over the area; too thick to see the lands beyond the bridge. We approached, and Drogo had the first encounter with one of the culprits; a Froslass."

"Just one?" Volcan asked.

Ernoul shook his head. "We thought so at first but we found out moments later she wasn't alone. After his initial encounter, we also happened upon one of the victims; a Machoke, frozen solid. We chose then to get out of the fog as we could not see the enemy, and hail was starting to fall - a sign they were ready to engage. But before we could leave, Drogo was attacked-"

"You don't need to tell them that part!" Drogo snapped.

"You asked him to speak, so let him finish," Volcan said firmly to the Raichu, careful not to let any derision slip into his tone and then looked to Ernoul again. "What happened next?"

"Not much else to tell," Ernoul said. "We ran out of the fog, and we're fairly certain there were at least six of them pursuing us. Breenelle and I attacked them to try to ward them off, but any damage we inflicted was minimal at best, though they did not follow us once we were out of the fog. We chose to withdraw."

"_You_chose to withdraw," Drogo added under his breath.

"If you're going to keep interjecting, then perhaps you'd like to continue the report." Luke remarked sternly, his ears having picked up on the Raichu's comments. "Otherwise, let Ernoul speak without any further interruption."

"Like he said, nothin' else to tell," Drogo returned, turning his gaze away from Luke. "I still think we could've taken 'em but I chose to listen to my teammate and play it cool."

Breenelle let out a bark of laughter. "Yeah, right! Cool as a corpse, 'cuz that's exactly what you almost ended up," she added derisively.

"Says you! I could've taken them all with one paw behind my back," stated Drogo, turning away from her. "I just chose to listen to you guys instead to make you feel better."

Luke frowned, leaning over to Neilla and whispering to her. "...Is he always like this; so full of pride he can't admit his failings?"

"All that and more," she replied in a hushed tone. "He's the very portrait of a narcissist."

The Lucario frowned slightly. "I'm starting to wonder if he should even be involved anymore if he's going to behave like this... This is a team effort, and we can't afford any toxicity among us."

"Believe me, I did _not_want to bring him in," she said, rubbing her eyes with her thumb and index finger. "But we're short-handed enough as it is, and from what I've heard from you and Volcan about past experiences with the people we're fighting, this is far from over yet. Loathe as I am to admit it, even if we could do without Drogo, we need the extra muscle his team brings."

Luke sighed and nodded slightly. "If he gets out of hand, I'll talk to him..."

"Good. Luck," she replied doubtfully.

"Well... we may not have opened the road to Lindenberg, but travellers going North and South are safe again," Volcan offered. "We'll have to deal with the east road later; our next step should be the towns remaining outside Hadleigh's walls. It's only a matter of time before they strike again. On top of that we still have to figure out this sudden shift in their M.O; I speak from experience when I say the 'subtle' approach doesn't suit these guys."

"I can confirm that; I was at Arc too, after all," Val chimed in. "So, at the very least, someone else is leading this group - someone a little less murder-happy than the last one. What'd you say his name was again?"

"Calhoun." Luke answered. "From what we gather, he's the mastermind behind this whole crusade of his. Volcan, myself, Romulus and Shamshir all faced him at the fortress, and even with all four of us attacking at once, we couldn't even touch him..." He explained.

Val looked at Volcan, aghast. "He was fast enough to evade you?" He asked. "What was this guy, a Yanmega?"

Volcan shook his head. "Another Blaziken," he replied. "Luke's even faster than I am and this guy bobbed and weaved around us like he was moving forward in time." He grunted. "Not just quick, either. He had a nasty kick, and on top of it he's a Shadow Pokemon."

That made the room fall silent. Even Drogo, for all his self - importance, raised his head at that, looking squarely at Volcan. Azrael and Breenelle glanced at each other worriedly, and Aerendyl shuddered along with Sarth, the latter still clutching his warm drink.

"So, our next priority is stopping this Calhoun from kidnapping anymore people," stated Neilla. "Do we have any idea how he's doing it?"

"Well I previously theorized that Mewtwo had something to do with it; you recall we mentioned Calhoun was controlling him," Volcan began. "But on reflection I think Calhoun revels too much in the destruction to be at the head this time. Doesn't mean it's not one of his followers; maybe we've found one who prefers not to draw attention to himself and uses more discreet tactics. In this case he's somehow making the people leave their homes without any sign of a struggle; Hageshi and I hypothesized this back at that village where we met." He directed his last words to Neilla.

"That's logical," agreed Neilla, nodding. "We saw similar signs at the other villages heading south; people just up-and-vanishing without a trace and without a fight.

"If the townsfolk are seemingly leaving of their own accord without a struggle," Ernoul began, "perhaps our adversary is utilizing the hypnotic powers of a Psychic-type."

"But to influence entire towns, even ones as small as those villages?" Aerendyl added. "It would have to be a powerful one."

"Psychic-types with that much power are indeed few," Luke surmised, rubbing his chin slightly. "It might be an Alakazam. They've been known to be very powerful in their abilities."

"Makes sense. They're known to be one of the smartest species of pokemon out there, what with their huge ass brains and whatnot." Eagle Eye remarked.

"Unlikely. Alakazam do not possess hypnotic abilities," Aerendyl countered. "Like myself most of their power is focused on telekinetic attacks; at most they'd have one to carry away the hypnotized but not to inflict the hypnosis itself."

"What about Hypno? Could they be using one of them?" Breenelle asked.

"Hypno would certainly have the means but they'd be too obvious," replied Aerendyl. "They can only hypnotize someone watching the pendulums they carry."

"What other Pokemon have hypnotic powers?" Volcan asked.

"Well, off the top of my head," began Aerendyl, turning his gaze slightly as he considered. "Exeggutor, Gardevoir, Bronzong or a Malamar would be powerful enough, so long as they could gain the attention of the townsfolk. Outside of Psychic-types, there are others they could use but that is a whole myriad of possibilities. A herd of Stantler, a pack of Patrat, a Gengar or even a Ninetales." He looked at Ernoul. "A _fire_Ninetales, that is."

Ernoul shook his head. "Our fiery cousins aren't the only ones who can obtain the power of Hypnosis."

Luke frowned slightly as he pondered the possibilities laid out before them. There were a lot to choose from, and narrowing them all down to one surefire answer would certainly be a daunting task without further evidence to help discover the culprit's identity. 'Come on, think... Who would have the capacity to control multiple pokemon at once...?' Luke thought to himself, even clenching his eyes shut as he struggled to come up with an answer.

It didn't take long for him to remember one incident where multiple pokemon were controlled by a singular Psychic type, and the realization hit him so hard that he visibly recoiled as he opened his eyes. His reaction had almost everyone turn to look at him, which in turn made him glance at everyone around him before he finally spoke up.

"...I think I might have a thought." He said in a grim tone.

"Don't keep us in suspense," Neilla urged, glancing over at him.

Luke looked over to Volcan. "Think back to the Tournament, love. Who managed to take control of nearly every member of Team Warmachine without any outside help?"

"That was Bialo, but he was working with Maggie," Volcan reminded. "Still... he was definitely powerful enough... logically another Malamar could do what he did."

"It very well could still be a Malamar," Aerendyl agreed. "They hypnotize using bioluminescence, and could certainly affect multiple targets at once if given the chance; all he'd need is some way to get their attention and the lights from his body does the rest."

"Neilla, how many towns are left out there?" Volcan asked, looking to the Lopunny.

"There are four towns left, minus the two that we already found deserted," Neilla answered. "One is at the mouth of the river where it feeds into the ocean. The other three are further south."

"Four..." Volcan echoed,taking in the group present Luke recognized the look on Volcan's face, seeing that he was working out how best to utilize their resources. "Our best bet to catch this Malamar is to hit him from above, or..." He turned towards Doug. "Perhaps, below?"

Doug's faces lit up once more once the attention was on him again. "Say no more, pal. I can scope him out and have him buried in a hole before you can say Geronimo."

"Then we'll send you and Luke to the closest town - if he's there, Luke can approach him with his eyes closed, so he won't be affected by the hypnotic light," Volcan suggested. "That won't protect him from Psychic blasts though, so you'll have to hit first."

Doug nodded his three heads firmly. "You can count on me." He said firmly.

"Well that's all well and good, but even if we catch this sunnuvabitch, we still gotta get the townsfolk outta danger, just in case that big ass ship decides to rain all hell on em." Hank pointed out. "Got a plan for that too, Chicken Legs?"

"More or less," replied Volcan. "I'll use tonight to come up with a more detailed plan; we can't set out now anyway with the sun going down. We'll head out first-thing, if everyone's in agreement?"

"No argument there." Eagle Eye remarked,

"I'm cool with that." Hank added with a casual salute.

"I'll stick around and help you guys work on team distribution," offered Neilla. "We'll have to mix & match if we want to have a representative on each team to address the townsfolk."

"Agreed. I'll help out in that department as well." Luke added with a nod.

"That includes me, right?" Drogo asked.

"Well you _are_a captain, aren't you?" Neilla asked, scowling at him.

"Y-Yeah! Of course I am!" He returned.

"Might I also stay?" Ernoul asked. "I would be delighted to offer my own tactical insight."

Volcan didn't say it out loud, but he had already grown to value Ernoul's wisdom; the Ninetales had already proven to be a capable thinker and planner - certainly more than his 'supposed' captain. He looked at Luke, gauging his thoughts on the matter.He gave a nod back to Volcan in response, indicating to him that he shared in his line of thought before he looked back to the Ice Ninetales.

"We'd be glad to have you here, Ernoul." He replied with a smile.

"Alright," said Volcan. "Everyone else, go rest up. We've got some more work to do yet."