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It felt like it had been years since anyone on Team Valiant or Team Phalanx had looked upon the island home of Team Warmachine. It was not a large island - certainly not as large as Arc Island or Kia He, but the impressive sights of the colosseum and the owning team's great mansion were still a sight to behold. Between both areas, as well as the private dockyard, the island was rich in greenery and well-kept; Torolf commented that he'd hired new landscapers that year, and they had done a beautiful job keeping his island clean and presentable.

But all paled in comparison to the sheer behemoth that was the Kyogre's Rest. The enormous cruise ship was nearly as long as the island by which it rested, designed with an open space at the stern with its own onboard arena - a place that Luke and Volcan remembered well - not to mention Kaen, considering that was where the Charmeleon had been thoroughly beaten down by Katsumoto only a year and a half ago.

As the Peacemaker pulled into dock, a crewman aboard the Kyogre's Rest guided Lashanne's airship to the ship's stern - more than wide enough to accommodate the craft. There, everyone disembarked from both ships, and boarded the massive cruise liner to find their cabins.

"I think the whole population of Azure and Bluegrove could fit into this ship," Sickle commented, shaking his head before looking at Torolf who walked ahead of the group as they approached the boarding planks. "How do you afford this thing? It has to cost a fortune in fuel alone."

"Most summers, we rent it out as a luxury liner," Torolf replied, "This year though, we didn't. We've been so busy in this conflict with the Crusade that it slipped our minds."

"You are not wrong about the maintenance costs, though," Leon commented from his place beside Torolf. "Still, it is nice to see it will be serving a _practical_function for once."

Beside Sickle, Kari - a Ninetales, and a member of Team Warmachine like Leon, spoke, her words reaching Luke and Volcan who walked beside Sickle. "Leon has never approved of us having such a vessel," she said in a low voice, "He considers it overkill."

"Given what it takes to keep this ship maintained, I can see why," Luke remarked, keeping his voice low as well. "Still, I suppose when you're ranked the number one Rescue Team in the world with an impressive resume under your belt, I suppose you can afford to splurge on a pleasure cruise when you can."

"What _did_inspire you to get this thing anyway?" Volcan asked Torolf.

"Aside from the tournaments we host - which you've already attended?" Torolf countered, before adding, "I wanted to give the rich a way to spend their money so that I could redistribute that wealth into more practical purposes."

"...I was not expecting that answer," Volcan remarked, flatly.

"Using the one percent's wealth to support the less fortunate by giving them a pleasure cruise," Wade remarked, rubbing his whisker with his paw. "Clever... Deceptive, but clever."

"The only way to make them spend money is to give them something they want to spend it on," said Torolf with a wry smirk.

At that moment, Luke heard Mewtwo's voice in his mind. 'The day of rest to cross the sea to this island, I believe, has given me enough recovery time to attempt the next teleportation,' he said. 'Let me know when you wish to travel to the city known as Hadleigh; I can send you whenever you are ready.'

'Understood. I'll let the others know.' Luke returned, and then he cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "I've just been informed that Mewtwo has recovered enough strength for another teleportation. We can depart for Hadleigh whenever we're ready."

"Alright. I'll be glad to bring Neilla into this as well," said Volcan.

"What's she like?" Sickle asked. "I think I saw her briefly at your wedding - she was that Lopunny with the blue belt and ears tied, right? I didn't really get to socialize with her."

"She can kick some ass, I can tell you that much," said Volcan, "You don't hear about many Lopunny that are big on combat but she's definitely the exception there."

"And she can stand with the best of them; she even helped me fight Eberon before," Luke added with a smile. "She's as beautiful as she is deadly, and definitely someone you never want to underestimate."

Sickle smiled and nodded. "Sounds like exactly the kind of gal we need. I look forward to meeting her."

"Careful - she might challenge you to a spar," Volcan warned, "She's got a competitive side."

"Good; I could always use a good sparring partner," the Sceptile countered, unfazed.

Volcan chuckled and looked at Luke. "You want to go get her then?"

"She'd kill me if I didn't." Luke joked, then reached out telepathically to Mewtwo. 'Alright, I'm ready for the jump.'

'Sending you in three seconds,' said Mewtwo, giving Luke ample time to prepare himself.

The sensation was instantaneous. Luke felt weightless, and the world around him disappeared, but in the blink of an eye, gravity and sight returned to him. Coming back to his senses, Luke found himself standing in the familiar surroundings of Hadleigh's overlook park; he realized he'd just been thinking of the first time he'd sparred with Neilla in this very park, and Mewtwo must have used it as a medium to know where to send him.

Hadleigh stood before him in all of its architectural marvel. The city had rebuilt much of what had been lost during the great battle that seemed so long ago now, regaining much of its former aesthetic splendour. Not all the murals along many of the city's walls could be saved, but new ones were taking shape. The roads were being repaved with fresh, clean new blocks, making the street the smoothest he had seen, and it still had the dirt trenches to allow Dugtrio and other ground types to travel through the city unhindered.

"This place looks even more beautiful than I remember," he muttered, smiling and nodding at its newer look, then he sighed and refocused on why he was there. "Focus... Gotta find Neilla and her team," he said to himself as he took off into a brisk trot, heading first for Neilla's household.

He reached Neilla's house in a short while, once again smiling at the simplicity of it; Neilla kept the essentials for her place of living - a very small, almost cottage-like structure. When he arrived at the house and knocked through, there was no answer - reminding him of the fact that Neilla was rarely there.

Thinking of the next place to check, he left the street and made his way to Aerendyl's library, going back the way he had come before taking the appropriate detour. Upon his arrival, he opened the door, with the tiny bell above it letting out a light chime as he came in.

"Be right with you!" the familiar voice of the Espeon called from the back of the library. Luke only had to wait a few moments before Aerendyl stepped into view, his bright gray eyes widening in surprise when he saw who it was. "Luke? Well, hello! Welcome!" he said, amicably.

"Hi Aerendyl," Luke said with a smile, "How's business?"

"Quite well, actually," he replied, "I've had eight people sign up for library cards this week alone. I don't know why the sudden surge in popularity, but I certainly cannot complain about it!" he added with a chuckle as he walked up to Luke, seating himself on the floor in front of him. "What brings you to Hadleigh, my friend?"

"I'm actually looking for Neilla." Luke answered. "Mine, Volcan's team and Torolf's team are on our way to Gladiator City to convene with Romulus. He sent us a letter stating he's found the Crusade's base of operations, and we're going to need all the help we can get for what we feel is the final battle."

That caught Aerendyl's attention, his ears raising in anticipation. "You want Team Plainsrunner to join you?" he asked.

"And Team Storm, if they're available," Luke answered. "Like I said, this will likely be the battle to end all battles. We need all hands on deck for this."

Aerendyl nodded. "I take it you've already been to Neilla's house, and she wasn't there?" he asked. At Luke's nod, he continued. "That does not surprise me. She has been training hard all month; I don't know why, but it's like she was consumed by this sudden hunger to get stronger, and she has gone with little rest."

'So, she felt it too,' thought Luke, remembering what Volcan had been talking about back home in Azure, and that Torolf had described a similar feeling coming over him as well. "Well, if you were to guess, where would she be right now?" he asked.

"Probably running laps around the city," replied Aerendyl, looking up at the clock on the wall. "If we head out the east gate, we might catch her when she comes around. As for Ernoul and his team, I do not know what they will be doing now, but I know where to find them. They operate out of a house in the upper city, in the Sculptor's Quarter."

Luke nodded in response. "Alright. We'll catch Neilla first, assemble the rest of your team, then we'll go pay Ernoul a visit," he stated. "Lead the way."

Aerendyl nodded, and the two left the library. The Espeon put a sign on his door announcing that he was away on Guild business and accompanied Luke as they headed toward the eastern gate leading out of town. Descending the hill before coming to the Lindenberg road, they stepped out of the city and searched for Neilla.

They did not have to wait long before they saw the Lopunny, coming around the northern bend of the hill on which the city stood. She did not even take long to reach them; despite easily being a kilometre away, the Lopunny was in full sprint, and cleared the distance in a little less than two minutes.

She slowed to a jog when she recognized Luke, and eventually to a walk, panting heavily as she approached. It was then he noticed that she was not wearing her usual belt, instead wearing a belt with a holster containing a water bottle on her right side. "Well look... Who it is!" she said, breathing hard.

"Hard at work, I see," Luke remarked with a smirk as she approached him. "Really stepping up your training regime, I take it."

"You might say that," she replied, plucking the water bottle from its holster and taking a long drink from it. After which, she pulled off the cap and dumped the remaining contents over her head, drenching herself. She swung her head to fling off the excess water before flipping her ears back behind her again and returning the now empty bottle to its holster.

"What brings you to our neck of the woods?" she asked, and then added. "Metaphorically speaking."

"Well, I'm not going to sugarcoat it. I came here looking for you and Ernoul's team." He said with all seriousness. "It's time, Neilla."

She only needed to think about it for a moment before she caught on. "...The Crusade?" she asked, "You found them?"

Luke nodded, "Romulus did," he clarified and began to explain to her what he had already told Aerendyl. She readily agreed to gather up her team so that Luke could give the explanation to them, while Aerendyl ran to retrieve the members of Team Storm. Luke waited at the library while Neilla went to Azrael's house to find him and his wife, and she was the first to make it back with them in tow.

A few minutes later, Aerendyl arrived and was accompanied by Team Storm. It had been some time since Luke had last seen Ernoul, the strange Ice-type Ninetales still a wonder to him - despite them having fought together before. At his back were a Raichu and Floatzel - Drogo and Val, respectively, and all of them seemed to be sporting matching accessories in the form of goggles, as well as small, gray bandanas around their necks.

"Hey, long time no see, eh?" Drogo asked Luke. "Heard you got hitched; sorry I missed it. Hope it's not too late to say congrats!"

"Never too late for that. Thank you," Luke answered with a nod. "Quite the change you guys have going on here. Matching outfits and everything."

"Decided to have a look to go with our team's name and modus operandi," offered Val. "These goggles are meant to protect our eyes from the weather conditions, like when I make it rain or Ernoul makes it hail. Of course, he doesn't really need them."

"Uniformity is good for a team," the Ninetales offered, "It shows professionalism."

"No argument there," Luke agreed. "I like it."

Ernoul nodded, and then his look grew serious. "Aerendyl told us a few things on the way over. I understand the Crusade's main base has been found?"

"Oooh!" Breenelle exclaimed, rising from her seat on the couch beside her husband. "Now that is worth getting out of bed for. Spill! What'cha got?" she directed the question at Luke, and Azrael waved his paw to calm his wife down.

"I don't really have much to say, other than I received a letter from Romulus stating he had found the Crusade's base. I assume he'll give us more details when we arrive at Gladiator City, but right now we need all hands on deck for this," he explained. "Eagle Eye's also looking for his former squadron, and Kage has managed to convince his former brotherhood to fight with us. Coupled with the forces we've already assembled, I'd say we're almost at full battle capacity. All we need are your teams, and we'll be on our way."

"Count us in," Neilla said without hesitation, looking at her teammates and receiving nods from each of them.

"It would be cowardly of us to stay out of this fight now," said Azrael, the Absol rising on his feet, "Especially now that the end of the crisis is in sight."

"Drogo, Val, what say you?" Ernoul asked.

"I'm still eager for some payback after those guys destroyed my home," said Val, punching one clenched paw into the other. "I want a piece of 'em, alright. I'm in."

"And if you two are going, so am I!" Drogo agreed, the yellow spots on his cheeks sparking with electricity as his anticipation rose.

Luke nodded to each of them with a smile. "Thank you, guys," he said, gratefully. "I'll give you some time to pack up and prepare anything you think you'll need."

"Wait, what about Sarth?" Bree asked suddenly.

Neilla jolted as if she'd been hit from behind, her pink and black eyes widening. "Oh, no..." she whispered.

"Do we dare do this mission without him?" Aerendyl asked, "He's our team's muscle."

"He is not healed yet; we cannot take him," said Azrael, "But we cannot leave without telling him either... He would never forgive us."

A long, uncomfortable silence filled the room for a while. Team Storm stayed out of it, knowing this was not their affair, but no one on Team Plainsrunner looked happy to discuss it any further...

Neilla finally broke the silence when she sighed, her gaze dropping to the floor. "I'll go talk to him," she said, her voice carrying a tone of sadness, "Everyone else, go get ready." She looked at Luke, and asked, "Should they all just gather back here or...?"

"We'll reconvene at Aerendyl's library," Luke answered. "And Neilla. Give my regards and my apologies when you see him." He added solemnly.

"Actually do..." she asked, looking at her team before stepping closer to Luke to speak to him privately. "Do you think you could come with me? It's... Not going to be easy to tell him we're leaving him behind..."

Luke hesitated for a moment, but he eventually gave her a silent nod in response. "Yeah... Sure."

Once the pair were out of the library, Neilla led the way up the street a short walk before she turned to look at Luke. "Sorry, for asking you to come along," she said, "I didn't want to say it in front of the others, for Sarth's sake - and, maybe for mine as well. He's really not going to like it, us leaving for such a big fight without him."

"I know the feeling," Luke answered. "If we ever left Sol behind because he was too injured, I guarantee it would not end well..." he added gently and with a shudder.

"This isn't a matter of him being angry. It's going to break his heart," said Neilla, "He's been struggling with his confidence ever since he was hurt. He's only barely managed to start walking again, but now we're going off without him before he has time to heal."

The memories of the incident that resulted in Sarth's injury were still clear as day in Luke's mind. The day the vicious and mighty Black Titan, Eberon, had been unleashed upon Hadleigh. The first ones to try to stand in his way had been Team Plainsrunner, but they had been no match for him; the ensuing struggle had resulted in Sarth being slammed into a statue, dislocating a ring in his spine. It was nothing short of miraculous that the incident had not paralyzed the Flygon permanently, but thanks to the talents of some very skilled surgeons, they had managed to repair the damage and put him on the road to recovery.

A road that unfortunately proved much longer than anyone had hoped...

"Right..." Luke reluctantly replied before he sighed heavily and looked down to the ground. "Suddenly not looking forward to this encounter..." of course, he knew that Neilla was not looking forward to it either.

They walked past the city's hospital, to another building next door. The sign out front read 'Physical Rehabilitation Center', and when they stepped through the main doors, they entered a short hallway. The inside of the building smelled akin to a hospital, with a sterilized environment, but instead of a treatment center it was filled with multiple, small rooms where Luke could see many Pokémon undergoing fitness sessions with various coaches guiding them and assisting them as needed. Most of the patrons were elders, or like the one they were there to see, people who had suffered injuries - mostly miners, according to Neilla, in their workplaces.

At the second to last door, they saw Sarth at last. He was walking on a treadmill, his arms gripping the bars at the sides. His coach, if he had one, was nowhere in sight. Sarth's steps were slow and shaky, but he seemed to be holding himself up well enough, even managing to keep his long, fan-tipped tail from dragging on the treadmill behind him.

'He's come so far,' thought Luke, saddened. But not far enough...

Neilla, beside him, had her paw on the door handle. But she was hesitating, staring into the room without lifting the handle. Her shoulders were shaking ever so slightly, and Luke could feel how much she didn't want to do this. But she owed it to her teammate to tell him...

Luke gently placed his own paw on hers on the handle, catching her attention and nodding to her once to help give her the determination to go through with it. He didn't like it any more than she did, but he knew it had to be done, and they'd go through with it together.

She looked at him briefly, and with a steadying breath and putting on a brave face, she finally lifted the handle to open the door. "Knock knock," she said into the room.

Sarth turned his head to look behind him, seeing Neilla and Luke coming into the room. "Hey cap. And... Hey, is that Luke? Long time no see!" the friendly Flygon bade, tapping a button on the treadmill to shut it off before he stepped off and turned, shakily, to his guests.

"Hey Sarth. Long time indeed," Luke answered, smiling and waving to the Flygon as he and Neilla approached. "Glad to see you're back on your feet again."

"Getting better every day," the Flygon replied, despite his shaky walk. "Even the doctor said he's surprised by my healing rate."

Neilla tensed beside Luke. He knew immediately that she was growing increasingly uncomfortable, watching Sarth as he lowered himself onto a bench. "I hate this, I hate this," she whispered, her voice sounding like it was breaking, struggling to keep her brave face, even as she tilted her head back to look at the ceiling. "Why do I have to break his heart?"

Sarth had noticed Neilla's behavior, and her talking to herself despite the two males present. "Neilla?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

Luke rested a paw on her back, offering her his support once again. Neilla had to take another steadying breath. "Sarth... We need to talk."

"...In my experience, it's never a good thing when a woman says that," Sarth remarked, "Including when that woman's your boss..."

Neilla walked over to sit beside Sarth and met his gaze reluctantly. "Sarth... I'm going away on a mission, in the West Continent," she explained, looking back at Luke. "Luke received a summons from Captain Romulus. A call to arms..." she trailed off, inviting Luke to continue the explanation.

The Lucario hesitated briefly before clearing his throat and speaking. "He's found the location of the Crusade's base of operations... He's calling every available Rescue Team to Gladiator City to partake in what may be the final battle."

Sarth's eyes, partially hidden behind the red-tinted lenses natural to his species, widened in surprise as the meaning behind Luke's words became clear. He looked at Neilla, his mouth gaping as he tried to speak. "You're... You're going after then? After the Crusade?" and then he added, in a weak tone, "...But without me..."

"Sarth... I'm so sorry," said Neilla, frowning, seeing the heartbreak she feared causing her teammate already showing on his features. "I didn't want to go without you, but... This can't wait."

"No... I get it," Sarth said, though his tone of voice suggested he was displeased. His derisive words that followed confirmed it, "Having an invalid along would only slow you down... And give you someone else to worry about."

Neilla's shocked expression turned angry in seconds. "You are not invalid!" she snapped at him, "You were hurt! You were doing your job, fighting to protect Hadleigh; even Dragon-types are not invincible you know!"

"I think that fight with that big cat made that pretty clear to me," Sarth replied, surprisingly neutral despite how hurt he clearly was, "But you're going into the most dangerous battle any of us will ever see... And I can't even be there with you. If you don't come back because I wasn't there to help, I-" he trailed off, his lip quivering.

Luke chose then to step forward, and said, "Sarth... I can't promise anything other than I will do everything in my power to ensure we all come home safely," he stated reassuringly. "You may not be there with us physically, but we'll have you with us in spirit."

Neilla nodded, and stood in front of Sarth, finding her words as she spoke without breaking eye contact with him. "I wish we had more time, Sarth; I'd give up my Lopunnite to ensure you could be there with us. But you need to heal... You've come such a long way already. Events, unfortunately, just moved too fast for us all."

She rested both paws on his shoulders. "We will be back," she promised, even if it was a promise she couldn't keep - nor could Luke, though neither doubted the truth of his words that he would without a doubt try to keep it. "You're not going to lose us. We're going to take these guys down once and for all, come back, and be our full team again."

Sarth frowned and gave a light sniff. But eventually his frown turned to a weak smile. "I'll hold you to that, Captain," he said, "Just make sure you give 'em one for me."

"I'll give 'em more than one in your name," Neilla replied, matching his smile.

With that, the Lopunny and Flygon embraced, holding each other as though this would be the last moment they would ever see each other - because, both of them knew, it could be... But Sarth was not willing to let those words slip out then, daring not send his Captain away with a heavier heart than she already had.

Pulling back from Neilla, Sarth turned his attention to Luke. "Take care of them for me, won't you?" he meant his whole team, of course.

"I'd stake my life to protect them, Sarth. That much I promise," Luke answered firmly, bit with a confident smile.

Shakily, Sarth stood up, unsteady on his legs, and he motioned Luke closer, letting the Lucario come to him instead of making him wait to find his balance again. Sarth hugged Luke as he had Neilla. "You make sure you come back too," he said. "Heard you adopted a little boy; I'd like the chance to meet him next time."

"Volcan and I planned to have our honeymoon here in Hadleigh, so there's a good chance you'll get to see our boy when we next visit," Luke answered with a wink, patting Sarth's shoulder gently. "Take it easy, Sarth."

"I'll do my best," he replied, and shared one more hug with Neilla, despite them just having one, before the Lopunny finally allowed herself to leave.

She gave Sarth a wave before exiting the room, and they saw him hobbling back over to his treadmill, returning to his physiotherapy while the two went on their way. They were halfway down the hall before Neilla stopped, and slumped so suddenly Luke held out his arms, prepared to catch her, but she stayed on her feet, and slowly stood upright again.

"Sorry, just... That was really hard to do," she said, rubbing her forehead with her paw. "And hearing him call himself... Invalid like that. That really stung to hear... More me than I think it did him, at first. He can't really think that about himself, can he?"

"When faced with such an adversity as his, one could quickly lose hope," Luke answered softly, keeping his gaze lowered. "Volcan was in a similar position once, where he was so hard on himself he thought he was a burden to others and a failure to himself..."

Neilla looked at Luke and began walking again as they continued talking. "How did he... Get through it?" she asked.

"You want the honest answer?" Luke asked rhetorically. "He hasn't gotten through it. He's just found better ways to cope with it," he answered, glancing at Neilla. "I think reuniting with Minato helped him find his center of balance again, and now he uses that feeling to drive himself further, determined to ensure that what happened to them happens to anyone else again."

Neilla grimaced. "Maybe I should talk to him too. Or, maybe have him talk to Sarth when we get back," she said, more thinking aloud than anything.

"That could help, for sure," Luke offered.

She sighed again and straightened her posture. "For another time, though," she said, "Let's get the others and get going. We've got work to do."

Luke nodded. "Right with you, Neilla," He said, then gently patted her shoulder. "I'm looking forward to fighting with you at my side once more."

"That makes two of us," she replied, smiling back at him. "Hope we've both improved, though I suppose on the long voyage across the ocean we'll have plenty of time to find out."

"That we will," Luke concurred. 'I just hope I'm fully recovered by then...' he added internally, absently glancing at his paw.

~~~~~

Reuniting with the others at Aerendyl's place, Luke made sure to give them all fair warning about how they were getting to Team Warmachine's island, giving each of them time to brace themselves. With that, they vanished from the library, teleported by Mewtwo, and reappeared on the pier overlooked by the Kyogre's Rest.

"Whoa..." Neilla said, dizzily, putting a paw on her head.

"Not so different than using Ally Switch," Aerendyl remarked.

"Good for you, bro," Bree retorted, shaking her head. "Not all of us are Psychic-types."

Luke's attention wasn't on his companions right away. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mewtwo, unsteady on his feet off to the side. Teleporting eight Pokémon simultaneously, even over a relatively short distance - at least compared to what he knew from past experiences with the legendary being, must still have been highly taxing to him in his weakened state.

Luke quickly trotted over to check on the legendary psychic type, offering support to him. "Are you alright?" he asked, concerned.

'It was... More taxing than I expected,' Mewtwo admitted. 'Despite your efforts, my strength is still slow to return...'

"Yea, you and I both..." Luke whispered gently as he helped to steady Mewtwo. "Let's get you something to eat and some more bed rest. You've earned it."

"N-Need any help?" Neilla shakily asked from a few steps behind Luke, clearly still shocked she was looking at the Legendary, and highly reclusive Mewtwo.

"Actually yea. Could you grab him by his other arm?" Luke asked as he went to support Mewtwo on his right flank.

"Coming," she said.

'This one. She is your friend?' Mewtwo asked, a wary tone to his mental voice as he gave the Lopunny a sidelong look. He was apparently not one that trusted easily...

'A very trustworthy friend; one that I'd gladly risk everything for.' Luke answered. 'She's also a lot tougher than she looks, so... try to stay on her good side.'

Mewtwo turned his sidelong look to Luke, even as he let Neilla lay his other arm over her shoulders. The look was almost incredulous, but Luke ignored it and the two led him away. Neilla, to her credit, held back any questions that were surely burning in her mind; things she wanted to ask Mewtwo - almost as much as Aerendyl who stayed back with the rest of his team, but he was staring at Mewtwo with an expression of pure wonder.

'What was that?' Mewtwo asked suddenly, and Neilla jerked.

"Huh? What?" she asked.

'You were thinking something about a 'scholar'?'

"Whoa you... You heard that?" Neilla asked.

'You were not exactly masking it,' Mewtwo replied.

"I... Never really had to before," said Neilla, a slight frown on her face as she was clearly unhappy with having her private thoughts monitored by the Legendary Pokémon...

Sensing Neilla's discomfort, Luke cleared his throat to get Mewtwo's attention. 'Maybe keep the mind reading to a minimum for now. Not everyone is as keen to have their thoughts pried into.'

Mewtwo's response was hesitant, but eventually he replied with a simple, 'Fair enough'.

It occurred to Luke then... Did Mewtwo not have a developed speech capability? Or did he simply choose not to speak aloud because it was easier to speak telepathically? He'd have to ask him later...

They arrived at the cabin set aside for Mewtwo, and the two helped him over to the bed to sit him down. He let out a breath and nodded gratefully to the two before he laid down on the bed and shut his eyes, ready for some rest. The two excused themselves silently, closing the door to his cabin.

"Seeing is believing," muttered Neilla, running a hand over her head to push her ears back. "I didn't doubt you'd met Mewtwo, but to see him for myself..."

'Trust me, the feeling was mutual; for the rest of us when he suddenly appeared before us." Luke returned with a shrug. "That said, when he said he wanted to help us against the Crusade, well... who were we to decline?"

"Considering how easy it was to get us all here, I'd say that was the right call," she said.

Just as Luke started to speak again, a glint of metal caught his eye, and he looked to the side to see a Skarmory approaching. The Skarmory, who he recognized as Razorwing, flew up to the ship and landed on the railing close to the two, gripping the thick bar of the railing with his talons.

"Captain Luke," he began, "Torolf wanted me to let you know as soon as you were back, he'd like everyone available to meet at the stern of the ship. All captains, especially." He looked at Neilla. "That would include you and Captain Ernoul, of course."

Luke's expression turned serious and he nodded once to the Skarmory. "We'll be right there," he replied before turning to Neilla again. "No rest for the weary it seems."

"It would seem not," she said, resting her paws on her hips. "Well, I doubt Torolf would call us if it wasn't important... We better get over there. You know this ship so, lead the way."

"Right this way," Luke said.

Torolf stood with his teammates as he waited for everyone to arrive, flanked on the left by Leon and Aegis, and on the right by Kari and Razorwing - who was the last to arrive after distributing Torolf's summons to the rest of the ship's passengers. The first to arrive was Team Phalanx, though it was not only them; on the upper catwalk, overlooking the deck where they were meeting, multiple other Pokémon had gathered. One of them was the Typhlosion, Sol, followed closely by a Zangoose - who Torolf remembered as Luna, Sol's older brother.

Following the two was Minato from Team Phalanx, and then Lighris - the Zapdos, and the elder brother of Captain Volcan. Lastly, a Samurott that he somewhat recognized - but could not recall the name of, only knowing that he was not Katsumoto, and he was joined by a Greninja that Torolf did not know. He looked much like Kage, the second in command of Team Valiant, but far younger. The last to arrive was a female Lucario, who looked much like Luke, but with finer, smooth features than he, and slightly taller as well.

On that note, most of Team Valiant arrived to join the meeting, including the Dugtrio who was carried by Katsumoto and Tristan, still confined to his tub, but lacking the Talonflame Eagle Eye, who was presently vacant. The group grew larger still as Team Storm and Team Plainsrunner joined the gathering, staying well off to the sides where they were out of the way; Val waved to Team Phalanx's members, but knew social interactions would have to wait for now as Luke and Neilla soon arrived to join the gathering.

"Thank you all for coming on short notice," said Torolf. "I wanted us all to have the chance to meet in person. Many of us here have never worked together before. Captains, step forward please." At his own word, he left the company of his fellow teammates.

Captains Luke, Volcan, Sickle, Neilla and Ernoul joined him on the deck, the six of them forming a circle between their gathered teammates. Torolf utterly dwarfed all of them in sheer size, and was easily the oldest of them - or at least appeared to be.

"Let us take a moment to catch up," said Torolf, "All of you have had past encounters with the renegade group, known as the Dark Crusade, of course?"

"Ernoul and I met them at the Battle of Hadleigh," Neilla put in, "Though I think only Ernoul has had any encounters with them since then?" she looked to the ice-type Ninetales, directing the question to him.

"My team and I assisted the new Bureau of Cover Operations in finding and bringing down one of their recruitment centers and uncovered the traitor in the guild hall in Lindenberg," Ernoul clarified.

Torolf nodded his head. "Very good," he said. "Now... Is there anything about the Crusade any of us do not already know? Now is the time to share it."

Volcan looked at Luke, hesitantly. Luke knew exactly what he was thinking, and knew it was best that they get the information out there quickly. Nobody else outside of their teams knew - could know, what Calhoun really was. Only Neilla knew besides them, because she had been present when they'd realized the horrible truth, but Sickle and Ernoul had yet to be informed...

With a motion from Luke to give Volcan the go-ahead, the Blaziken spoke up. "We have reason to believe," he began, "that Calhoun, the apparent leader of the Dark Crusade... Is a Blessed Pokémon."

They drew shocked looks from Torolf, Sickle and Ernoul. "A Blessed?" Torolf repeated. "How could you know this?"

"It started as only a theory, but we have since determined it to be factual," began Volcan, "though Calhoun's bond is incomplete. As Team Warmachine," he gestured to Torolf, "released to the Guild's information archives some time ago, Calhoun is a former warrior monk from the Order of the Fist, and he's originally from the North Continent. He was corrupted by the dark essence from one of the four Nexi across the world, which we know from Master Chen of the aforementioned Order, are focal points intended to gather and suppress dark energy escaping into our world from the fallen god's realm."

"This dark energy is the source of Shadow Pokémon that have appeared across the world over the past several hundred years," Volcan continued, "and it was after his corruption that Calhoun began to exhibit other uncharacteristic behaviour, such as his motivation to attack any places of worship dedicated to the gods - including my former home of Arc Island. The site of his first known attack."

"Could that not simply be a coincidence?" Leon asked.

"It is a strange one if it is," said Volcan, "He came from the North Continent; why travel so far to stage his first attack? While I know of no places of worship in the north, they must exist, but my home was the only place I know of with a place of worship to the creator himself."

"So, he attacked Arc Island... To make a statement?" Ernoul asked.

"That, I cannot say for sure," replied Volcan, shaking his head, "Only Calhoun himself could know the true motives behind his madness. I only know that his behaviour is driven by a will to challenge the gods - the same gods that fallen one, Giratina, would see as his enemies."

A long silence fell over the gathering then, as everyone - at least those who didn't know, struggled to come to terms with what Volcan had just told them... Luke sensed that was a good time to share the positive discoveries they had made along the way - other information that those present might not know.

"We have made some positive discoveries along the way," Luke spoke up, all eyes on him now. "We've confirmed that his influence is not absolute. After our trip to the Northern Continent, we learned through Master Chen that Dark Type Pokémon are immune to Calhohn's influence. On top of that, Pokémon that are Blessed are also immune to the Shadow Curse, and as it stands, we have six total Blessed with us on this mission."

"Six?" Ernoul echoed, lifting his head.

"Yeah, right up there," Volcan replied, pointing up to the walkway overlooking them. "Calhoun has attempted to corrupt two of them, and both times, the corruption has been repelled. We don't quite understand why it happens; only speculation now, but it gives us a significant advantage."

At that, Ernoul hummed in thought, narrowing his eyes as if he was considering something. But only Luke noticed at first. Also not picking up on it, Leon voiced his next question. "How did you manage to find six Blessed Pokémon? Did you begin searching for them when you discovered that Calhoun cannot corrupt them?"

"Ah... Funny thing," Volcan replied, rubbing the back of his head. "Aside from Minato, the most recent one to become a Blessed... All of them are originally from Azure."

"_All_of them?" Leon repeated, incredulous

"That's correct," Luke answered with a nod. "Both Sol and Luna are Blessed with Reshiram and Zekrom respectively. Wade and Hageshi recently bonded with Palkia and Kyurem," he hesitated slightly as he was about to list off the final Blessed, but figured the Liepard was out of the bag anyway, and this wasn't the time to keep secrets.

"And then there's my mother..." Luke added.

"Your mother?" Torolf echoed, looking up at the Lucario watching from the catwalk. "She is also Blessed?"

"Yes," Luke answered. "She possesses the power... of the Creator himself."

Torolf's team Collectively gawked at Luke. But it was Neilla who spoke first. "I'm sorry, what?!" the Lopunny demanded.

"She's carrying the power of-?!" Lighris, still perched on the railing above and only a few meters from Luminara, turned to gape at her in utter disbelief. Luminara, for her part, remained remarkably calm - she had expected this reaction when her secret was out.

Conversations erupted across the bow, and Volcan had to speak up sharply, coming to his husband and mother-in-law's defense before the meeting could be thrown off topic. "Long story! Let's stay on topic, please," he cut in, putting up his hands to make himself more visible. "Questions can wait until after we're done here."

"Thanks, love..." Luke whispered softly to him, ears flattened in a grateful sidelong glance at him.

Torolf cleared his throat. "Volcan's right. Despite this startling news, having even one Blessed with us would improve our chances significantly. But now we have six. This can only be good news for us. We-"

"Seven," Ernoul spoke up, suddenly, interrupting the Swampert.

Torolf went silent, arching a brow as he regarded the icy Ninetales. All eyes drifted to Ernoul, and if he was aware he was being stared at, he didn't show it. Behind him, Drogo and Val looked at each other, puzzled, and then at their Captain.

"Ernoul?" Drogo asked, "What are you talking about?"

"It is a secret I have kept for many years, but she has seen fit to let me share it, given the circumstances," said Ernoul, as an icy mist began to swirl around him.

Everyone watched, mystified, as the icy mist swirled around Ernoul, gathering into a mass above his back. The mist took on a shape, resembling a bird, and spreading its wings wide as more of its silhouette became visible...

More than visible. An apparition formed, taking on shape and colour within the ice, until they saw its face clearly. It was a bird, with a short beak, red eyes, and a shape like a crown upon their brow. A crown made of solid ice...

Nearly everyone gaped, and only Lighris spoke as he recognized his counterpart among the three Legendary Birds. "Articuno," he said.

"Ernoul..." Luke whispered in disbelief as he took in the sight before him. "You're... You're Blessed too?"

Ernoul turned to Luke and nodded slowly. "For nearly fifty years now," he replied.

Up above, though the collective reactions of the other Blessed ranged from stunned to intrigued, there was one among them who appeared more triumphant. "...Thought so," Hageshi stated stoically.

Eyes were on him now, especially Wade as he looked at him almost incredulously. "Hold on, you knew?" the Samurott asked.

"No... But ever since he defeated me in Hadleigh, I had been mulling over the power he displayed to me that day," he answered, keeping his gaze squarely on the Ninetales. "Witnessing Sol's power when we were attacked at the South Islands further confirmed my suspicions."

"Did you think that because he displayed it or because you think only a Blessed could mop the floor with you like he did?" Lighris asked, arching a brow at the Greninja.

A ring of ice spikes suddenly appeared around Lighris' neck, all hovering and pointing right at him in response, making the Zapdos freeze with alarm. "By all means, keep pushing your luck..."

"Hageshi stop!" Luna exclaimed firmly at the Greninja. "This isn't the time to be infighting. We're all here to take down a common enemy, but to do that we need to cooperate."

Hageshi glanced at Luna for the briefest of moments before closing his eyes and causing the ice spikes to fall to the ground and shatter at Lighris' feet. "...I'm only here to preserve the balance of the world. Calhoun is an abomination that disrupts that balance," he openly stated.

"Be that as it may, you know you can't take him down alone," Wade pointed out realistically.

"Why do you think I'm here?" Hageshi pointedly asked.

Meanwhile, Minato was rolling his eyes at the reveal of another Blessed among their ranks that chose to keep their power hidden from the rest of them, and openly made his irritation known to the rest of them. "So, does anyone else got some deep dark secret they'd like to share with the rest of us?"

Ernoul's ear twitched, hearing Minato's comment, and turned his head to look in his direction. "It was not only my secret to tell," he stated. "I am not just Aurora's Blessed; I am her protector and her mate. She has enemies; enemies that seek her power, or her death if they cannot have it. She has permitted that I reveal this secret, because I am in the presence of others like me, and because we face an enemy greater than the ones who threaten her."

"Could someone steal her power from you?" Volcan asked.

"Yes, they could," replied Ernoul. "They would not gain all of it. But the act of doing so would give them a power to use against her - or, others like her."

"Wait, then does that mean... Every Legendary Pokémon could have their power absorbed against their will and used against them?" Doug suddenly piped up in a concerned manner.

"It happened to Sol; it could happen again," Lashanne pointed out, and looked apologetically at the Typhlosion. "Though he wasn't set loose against_Reshiram, it _could have happened. Either way..."

"I think we're kind of getting off-topic here," Luke interjected. "We now know we have a total of seven Blessed among our forces. Is there anything else we should go over before we arrive at Gladiator City?"

"Not yet," said Torolf, "You all have the run of the ship. All its facilities are yours to use as you need them. Get comfortable; this is going to be a very long voyage."

"How long?" Volcan asked.

"At least three weeks, give or take a few days," replied Torolf. "Likely a few extra days; this ship isn't fast."

'That should be enough time to fully recover in time... assuming I do.' Luke thought internally, looking down at the deck slightly.

"In the meantime," Torolf went on, "we should use this time to prepare ourselves as much as possible. The ship's facilities - training facilities, medical care, and the like - are yours to use as you see fit. Does anyone have any other suggestions of how we might prepare ourselves, or know of any other allies we may call upon?"

There was a long awkward silence among them after Torolf posed the question, however among those that were silent, Katsu was looking slightly at the deck in thought, his eyes narrowed as he kept staring at the deck. Eventually though, he did lift his head and looked directly at Torolf, stepping forward to gain everyone else's attention.

"I... Might know of someone who could provide aid to us, provided he can be convinced to consider it," he stated firmly.

"Who is that?" Torolf asked.

"The current Shogun of Maelstrom Isle," Katsu answered. "Lord Hizashi."

Torolf shared a curious look with Leon, and then looked at Katsumoto again. "Do you think he would help us?" the Empoleon asked. "The Shogunate has stayed out of the current crisis and showed no signs of lifting their neutrality."

"They may have escaped the clutches of the Crusade thus far, but it is only a matter of time before they eventually are found and conquered," Katsu answered. "I was born there. They are an entire nation of warriors, and if I can convince them that the threat Calhoun presents endangers their neutrality, then perhaps they will assist us in taking down his forces.

"That's a big if..." Hageshi remarked both stoically and realistically.

"For once, I agree with Hageshi," Wade added. "You may have been born there, but you've made Azure your home. That would make you an outsider to them... Do you really think you can convince the entirety of the island to fight for us, let alone just the Shogun?"

"I must try..." Katsu answered.

"Do you need any assistance?" Torolf asked. "Maybe someone should go with you. Someone else who knows that place," he looked around, seeing if anyone else stepped forward.

"Or is at least a capable negotiator," offered Leon.

"I will go with him."

All heads turned suddenly as Wade stepped forward, standing along with Katsumoto. "I may not be from Maelstrom Isle like Katsumoto-san is, but as a fellow Samurott, perhaps his word would hold more credence than if he were to go by himself."

Leon grimaced. "With no offense intended," he clarified, directing his words to Katsu, "the Shogun is known to be rather xenophobic. Once he knows you are an outsider, he may not be so open with you."

"Forgive my bluntness," Wade began, "but I do not see anyone else offering to accompany Katsumoto-san in this endeavour," he stated, glancing at the rest of the Captains expectantly. "If you are familiar with his ways, then perhaps you should suggest someone else to accompany him. Otherwise, I will go," he concluded firmly, even putting on that Samurott glare of his.

There was another long silence. But then, someone else spoke up. "I will go as well," they said. It was a voice Luke knew.

Turning toward the source of the voice, the group saw Jora entering the conversation. Her expression was serious, and there was no mistaking that it had been her who had spoken. Behind her, Koa was staring on in bewilderment, clearly understanding enough of the conversation to know what she was volunteering to do... As well as how risky it would be.

Luke quickly turned and stood in front of her, looking her square in the eyes. "Jora... are you sure about this?" he asked in a tone that was firm, yet full of concern at the same time.

"I have negotiated with people like this 'Shogun' before," she said, "And I wished to come so that I might be helpful. Perhaps this is where I might contribute. Perhaps I can win us allies I'm the coming battles."

"Well..." Luke began to protest, but after taking a moment to think it through, he realized that she was right. Her trying to convince the Shogun to help them in their final battle would increase their odds of winning their favour... so long as she didn't resort to the same methods she did when she first met him...

"Just... Be very careful, understand?" Luke whispered softly, placing his paws on her shoulders.

She nodded to him. "I will," she promised.

Torolf looked at Katsumoto, wondering what he thought about taking Jora as well as Wade with him. The two of them looked at one another for a moment, then looked back at Jora and each gave them a nod of agreement, stepping apart to allow her to join them where they stood.

"Very well, then," said the Swampert, "You three will be our envoys. Mewtwo will send you to the island - when he is recovered, but keep your minds open to him. If the worst should happen, make sure he is able to get you out of there immediately."

Wade nodded. "We will return safely, regardless of the outcome," he said before slowly bowing to Torolf respectfully.

Torolf nodded again. "Go get some rest, then, until Mewtwo is ready to send you," he bade, and looked at Luke who nodded in agreement. "And may your mission be successful," the old Swampert added.

With that, the three departed, with Serena trotting after them to walk at Katsu's side, and Koa stepped out to join them. With nothing else to discuss, and no one else having any suggestions to offer, the meeting was adjourned, and only Team Warmachine remained to continue talking amongst themselves...

~~~~~

Virizion's vision swam as she slowly started to regain consciousness. Her body ached, and she vaguely remembered suffering a gash on her flank - inflicted upon her by a Gallade that had attacked her. Slowly, she began to remember what had occurred, before she had lost consciousness.

She had eluded them for days, first ambushed during the search for Keldeo, who had disappeared after heading out for a run. He had never returned, and they had headed out from their home to search for him. When they failed to find him, they had split up to cover more ground, and that was when the attack had come... A Volcarona had appeared seemingly from nowhere, striking with a Heat Wave; Virizion, swift as the wind, managed to outpace the attack, and that was when other attackers had erupted from the earth.

A pair of Crustle, posing as Rocks, had been waiting for her. They had almost had her, but she had been too quick for them as well. They bombarded her with Rock Blast, never landing a single blow, and she quickly left them and the Volcarona behind. It puzzled her, seeing these three Bug-types working together, and why would they be after her in the first place?

She outran them for hours, running until she had to stop to catch her breath. The danger though, had not passed. She had not seen the attack coming until it was too late, when a pale figure appeared before her very eyes and struck her with a powerful Psycho Cut. Then, the Volcarona returned, landing on her back and biting onto her neck, where it sapped her strength with Leech Life, making her slow to defend herself when the pale figure - a Gallade, approached her and knocked her out with a well-placed punch.

With her memories returned, and coming back to her senses, Virizion attacked her captors. A pair of Krokorok had been dragging her through a corridor, though a place she did not recognize. She kicked the first with both back legs, sending him hurtling into the wall with a jarring crunch, and then turned on the other one, slamming into him with her head and causing him to suffer the same fate.

Ahead of her, two figures turned; she recognized one of them. The same Gallade that had knocked her out before - that murderous expression he wore could not have belonged to any other, accompanied by a strange-looking Blaziken, with charcoal-coloured feathers and ash-gray highlights, and perhaps most startling of all, his eyes were purple as opposed to their regular blue.

"Who are you?!" she demanded, "Where is Keldeo?"

"Closer than you think, Lady Virizion," the Blaziken replied, turning to face her.

Virizion growled and started to charge at the Blaziken. She was not halfway to him before a massive form slammed into her from the side, running out of a separate hallway and slamming into her. The figure was so large, she felt like she'd been hit by a boulder, and it sent her hurtling into the wall with such force it knocked the wind out of her.

She collapsed to the floor, coughing hoarsely, with her entire left side feeling as if it were broken. She tried to stand; her legs still worked, aching though they were. Defiantly, Virizion lifted her head to glare at her attacker, only to feel her heart drop into the pit of her stomach.

"T-Terrakion?" she asked. "W-Why?"

It was indeed her stone-hide counterpart. Though his head and overall height was less than her, Terrakion was larger and more powerfully built, with thick, heavily muscled legs and forward-angled horns. She knew his face well, but he was changed... His eyes had changed colour, and his facial expression showed none of his usual gusto. He was looking at Virizion like he had never seen her before...

"Brother... What has happened to you?" Virizion asked, shakily rising to her feet.

As her vision cleared, she became more aware of other changes. His stone hide was a darker hue than she was accustomed to; she at first thought it was the lighting in the corridor, but upon closer inspection it was not the case. If not for his face and the familiar battle scars, she might have thought it was a different Pokemon entirely...

"He belongs to me, now," the Dark Blaziken called out, arms crossed as he stood watching, "And so does he."

Out of the same corridor Terrakion had come from, another quadrupedal figure appeared, and once again Virizion's breath caught in her shock. The other figure stood roughly the same height as herself, but his fur was a deep blue colour, and his posture - proud and mighty, was unmistakable, as was his stern face and the two jagged horns growing from his head, as well as the fin-like protrusions at the shoulders of his forelegs.

"C-Cobalion?!" she demanded.

"Out of the three of you, Lady Virizion, you were by far the hardest to capture," the dark Blaziken stated. "But once we separated the three of you, thanks to taking your apprentice, capturing these two was easy. Without your wind-like speed, they had no chance of escaping."

Virizion turned a glare on the Blaziken, lowering her head as she prepared to charge. "You will release them, now!" she demanded, igniting her Sacred Sword and forming a long, crescent blade from the top of her head.

When the Dark Blaziken didn't answer, she charged, easily outpacing her two comrades even as they tried to intercept her. They could not match her speed, and she seemingly had a clear shot at the Blaziken, howling furiously as she prepared to impale him on her blade...

She never reached him. As she closed in, his form blurred and reappeared out of her path. The speed startled her, and she dug her hooves into the floor as she attempted to stop, skidding across the stones, and rounding on him again, only to fail to see another form waiting in the shadows.

A weight fell upon her from behind, and she felt teeth on her neck as she stumbled. Her hooves left the floor, and she was spun, disorienting her as thick, muscular coils fell around her. She knew what this was; it was a Sandaconda. Where had it been hiding - how could she not have seen it?!

Her front legs were captured in its deadly embrace, her hind legs hanging uselessly behind it. The pressure around her grew quickly as the Sandaconda tightened, having her completely seized in its Wrap attack. She gasped in pain as the massive snake threatened to crush her in its mighty grasp. She lost her focus on her Sacred Sword, and the blade disappeared as her strangled cry of agony filled the hall.

"That's enough!" the dark Blaziken called, "We need her alive!"

The pressure lessened. Virizion gasped, trying to draw breath back into her lungs. She let out a cough, blinking the tears from her eyes and looked up at the Blaziken and his Gallade companion as they stood before her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Sandaconda, glaring at her hungrily, as if it wanted to consume her... Maybe it did.

"We have use for you, Lady Virizion," stated the Blaziken, holding up his hand as a black fog began to engulf his arm.

Seeing that fog, and taking a longer look at him, Virizion finally recognized him. "You are... Calhoun," she wheezed, "You are... The Dark Crusade!"

"Correct," he said, and before she could protest, he placed his hand on her head.

Once again, she screamed, feeling the dark power flowing into her, pushing itself through her skin like hungry Tynamo seeking blood... Then, she knew nothing.

The Sandaconda unwrapped its body from Virizion, releasing her from its grasp and letting the newly corrupted Shadow Pokémon stand again. "And there we have it, Sash," said Calhoun, "Three of the mightiest warriors in the world, the Swords of Justice, now under our control."

"And to think, all it took to grab this one was to capture their precious student while he was getting a drink of water," Sash remarked, arms crossed and sneering in disappointment. "It made things almost too easy."

"Sometimes, the biggest problems have a simple solution, my friend," said Calhoun, stepping aside as the corrupted Virizion joined her counterparts and disappeared down one of the hallways, waiting until they were needed. "How is our progress in finding recruits? That Volcarona did well for us, but it will not be enough, and the Krock Clan is now down two members for a while," he gestured back to the two Krokorok Virizion had knocked out; not dead, but unconscious - possibly concussed.

"We've managed to convince a flock of Mandibuzz to follow our cause. They will serve as adequate air support for the time being." Sash answered. "Sakkaku is currently drilling our acquired warriors to break past their limits... but it will be a slow process at best."

"We have time yet," said Calhoun. "That being said, I am going to focus _my_attention on locating the Western Nexus, or this will all be for nothing." He turned to Sash. "Command of the fortress is yours until I have deduced its location. Try not to execute too many, will you? We need every hand, claw, or talon we have."

"I can only promise to try," Sash returned. "Just don't take too long... My blades thirst for the blood of my enemies once more..."

"You will have your time, my friend, soon enough," Calhoun promised, and left Sash then as he started walking through the fortress.

When Sash was out of earshot, and the Sandaconda had departed to wait until he was needed again, Calhoun reached out to Giratina. 'My plan is working so far,'_he said, _'I've corrupted all of the Swords of Justice. Once I unleash them on Gladiator City alongside the Black Titan, Romulus and his team should be removed, along with our traitor who sought refuge with him.'

'Then all is as it should be,' Giratina responded in kind. 'Return to your chamber and link your mind with mine. I will then show you the area where the final Nexus is, just as I did for the Eastern Nexus."

'On my way,' said Calhoun, making his way to his personal quarters at the top level of the fortress. 'While we have a moment, do you know anything about the Guardian of the final Nexus?'

'I do not. My last memory of the Western Nexus was the sight of my father and siblings finalizing the seal and barring me from the outside world.' He said with malice dripping from his tone. 'You will be on your own when you face whatever Guardian protects the Nexus.'

'So, the last Nexus is where you were banished?' Calhoun asked, '...What was the significance of the other three, then? Were they other sites where you battled?'

'They were sites where I attempted to escape from after the Western Nexus was closed off,' Giratina answered, his tone growing agitated. 'My attempt to push through must've created weaknesses in the fabric of space-time at those locations, but it has never happened again. Now that is enough questions. Go to your chambers and clear your mind...'

'No need to be so defensive, my friend. No one but I can hear you,' Calhoun thought back to him as he approached the door to his room.

Taking a map off his wall and laying it on the floor in front of him, Calhoun sat cross-legged in a meditative posture and opened his mind to Giratina. He waited, letting his patron send images into his mind of the location, showing him the way to reach it... Calhoun studied the various mesas and sandy ravines that passed his mind's eye, and held out his hand as Giratina began to guide him, only then opening his eyes.

His hand traced over the map, before settling on a single spot on the map. "...The Stone Labyrinth," he said, "one of several unmapped regions of the West... So it's there. A perfect hiding place, just like the Boglands; an unmapped, unexplored region of the world."

'Take heed... Reaching the labyrinth itself will be an arduous journey, and that is not including what you will have to face on the way there.' Giratina answered. 'Make sure you are fully prepared, both during the journey and when you arrive...'

'I will certainly do my best. I do not know what I will find out there... But, I will not be caught off guard.'

With that, Calhoun left the room, heading back into the fortress. He had much to think about...