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Sinners: The Show Must Go On	By : Stormborn Apostle Category: Pokemon > General Views: 1421 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Pokemon and make no money from this story.

Chapter List
- 1-The Show Must Go On
- 2-Blood and Honor
- 1
- 2
"Three things are of the utmost importance: wisdom, courage, and friendship." – Earthbound

*****

Chapter 2: Blood and Honor

It had been less than fifteen minutes since the Swords of Justice trudged out of Oldale Town, but already nearly every trace of their passage was gone, erased by the torrential rainfall. The ground outside of the city was like a bog, with huge patches of deep mud and standing water. The howling wind was bending, cracking, and even breaking the branches and bushes that might have briefly held sign of the three Great Ones' trail.

Thankfully, Arcanine's nose was as fearsome as his strength.

The scent trail was thin, and fading fast in the violent weather, but Arcanine was just barely managing to keep up with it. The trail itself may have been weak, but the smell of Virizion's blood was hot and strong, lighting up his predatory senses with the promise of weakened prey. Slash and Froslass followed closely behind, keeping their heads low to avoid the whipping branches and flying woodland debris being churned up by the storm.

Slash had been on Route 102 plenty of times, of course, having regularly commuted between Oldale and Petalburg back during his Academy days. But this...this was different. He had never been out here at night, for one thing. For another, he had never been out here alone; the students had always traveled the path in a large convoy, well-guarded by a strong escort of experienced trainers.

And most importantly, this was the first time that he had ever been off the path itself.

The actual road between the two cities was relatively safe, even without an escort; most wild Pokemon avoided it entirely, and even those that denned or hunted nearby wouldn't harass a human unless they were starving or desperate. But once you left the path, you were in the true wilds of Hoenn. In terms of the distance between east and west, Route 102 was only about twenty-five miles long, easily traversable in a single day as long as you kept up a decent pace. But to both the north and south of the road were hundreds of miles of poorly-charted wilderness. There were thick forests, treacherous marshlands, deep lakes, sheer cliffs, unexplored caverns, abyssal sinkholes, and gods knew what else, all teeming with wild Pokemon...many of whom were territorial or predatory. A person who got lost out there might very well never be seen again; even their bones wouldn't last long with so many hungry mouths around.

Of course the Swords of Justice would not have denned close to the roadside; their distrust of humans was quite clear, even disregarding the kidnapping of Keldeo. Arcanine was leading them further and further north, and it took Slash longer than it should have to realize something very concerning – his Pokenav was all but useless out here. Oldale's communications network was down due to the attack...but even if it wasn't, it was highly unlikely that he could have gotten a GPS signal through this thunderstorm. The sky overhead was utterly black with thick clouds, making navigating by the moon or stars impossible; hell, if the storm didn't weaken by morning, then Slash doubted that he'd even be able to locate the rising sun with any accuracy. And the scent trail tethering themselves to Oldale Town would not last long in this rain.

It was a terrifying and humbling thing, realizing just how few minutes and miles separated the safety of home from the sprawling savagery of the untamed wilds.

And now, they were on the far side of that line.

Slash checked his Peacekeeper's energy reserves – 87% power remained to fuel the sword's combat auras. That was good, at least; he was a competent swordsman, but there were many Pokemon in the area that would not be easily harmed by a naked blade. His Pokenav was mostly charged, as well (for what little help it would be without a communications link). But they had no food or water on them, nor any medicine, and Slash confessed to his Pokemon that he wished that he *had* briefly returned home, if only to grab his backpack full of survival gear.

[Don't worry so much,] Arcanine assured his trainer, still sniffing rapidly and struggling to follow the thready scent of lingering god-blood. [Me and Froslass can hunt if it comes to that, and there's no shortage of water out here. It's only the lack of medicine that might be a problem.]

(Oh, it's definitely a problem), Slash thought bitterly to himself as he looked at his companions' wounds. This part of Hoenn was lush with plant life, but he had never been particularly good at herbology; that was the domain of those following the Trainer's Path, not the way of the Protector, and he had long since forgotten most of what he had learned at the Academy. He was trained in basic first aid (albeit mainly for humans and not Pokemon), but why memorize hundreds of different grasses and roots and berries when there was always a Pokémart within a few miles in town? He wished again that Eleanor was with them. She had spent years living off of the land and could probably point out all sorts of edible or medicinal plants...and warn them away from those that were poisonous. They would have to be careful if they tried to forage anything out here.

For more than two hours, the group continued heading north, leaving civilization further and further behind them. Despite the raging storm, the night was alive with the sounds of life; insects chirping, mating calls, roars of defiance, crackling branches. Some Pokemon saw the travelers and hid back in the tall grasses and dense trees, uncertain and afraid. Others stood and simply watched their passage, unintimidated but finding no reason to needlessly risk injury by starting a fight. On one occasion, a large and battle-scarred Mightyena stuck its head out of a shadowy grove, growling hungrily, but one death-glare from Arcanine was enough to drive the creature away with its tail between its legs. Slash breathed a heavy sigh of relief as he confirmed that the Mightyena had been alone; they were normally pack-hunters, and they were responsible for most of the trainer deaths that occurred on Route 102. He could only hope that the storm would keep most of the predators in their dens.

Arcanine suddenly stopped in his tracks, scenting the air. [The smell of Virizion's blood is thicker here. They must have stopped here for a moment. But I'm still not finding any trace of Eleanor out here, Slash.]

Slash unsheathed his sword, keeping an eye on the shadows. His Pokenav's flashlight only illuminated a small area, and the uneven flashes of lightning only made it more difficult to accurately assess their surroundings. Nothing should have been able to sneak up on them, not with Arcanine's nose and Froslass' sharp eyes, but it would be foolish to drop their guard.

Froslass hovered over to a large nearby tree, examining it closely. Small plump pink berries hung from most of the branches, but several lower ones appeared to have been stripped bare. [Looks like they stopped to eat,] she observed, touching one of the berries curiously. She pulled it off the branch and handed it to Slash, who held it up to the light of his Pokenav. It was one of the very few berries that he *did* recognize.

“Pecha berries. Useful for treating most types of poisoning. Dad's Seviper has some extremely potent venom, but if she ate this many of them, then she likely purged most of it from her system. We have to assume that she's well enough to walk on her own again...and probably well enough to fight, too, if it comes to that.” Slash dropped the berry in his shirt pocket and then walked over to the tree to pluck off a few more. “We might need to pick up the pace, guys, or we're going to lose the trail.”

As if to mock him, the wind suddenly erupted into an intense gale, strong enough to nearly knock Slash off his feet; Froslass had to duck behind Arcanine's heavy body to avoid being sent flying. The wind howled through the trees like a living creature as it whipped at their hair and fur and clothing. From somewhere nearby came the immense cracking of splintering wood, followed by a tremendous crashing thud. Slash sheathed his sword with difficulty and leaned into the wind, narrowing his eyes as a gritty spray of dirt and leaves blasted over them.

[Slash, there's no way that the trail is going to survive this,] Arcanine lamented. [I've already lost our own backtrail, and now that the scent of Virizion's blood is gone...I've got nothing. The storm is scouring everything clean!]

“We can't go back now!” Slash shouted, barely audible over the raging wind. “Ellie could still be out here!”

[We're miles from the road now,] Froslass said, still gripping Arcanine's fur and trying to stay low to the ground as the violent gusts buffeted her slight frame. [There was no trace of blood on the road, and wherever the Swords of Justice are denning, it's far from Oldale! The chances of them crossing paths with Eleanor are negligible! We need to find shelter, Slash, this is becoming too much to handle!]

Before Slash could reply, he saw something strange on the edge of his vision. He turned with difficulty and saw that it was a Gardevoir standing a short distance away, watching curiously as the three of them struggled against the gale. Her hair and dress did not so much as flutter in the wind. Slash could just barely make out a faint blue aura surrounding her body, shimmering like a soap bubble, apparently protecting her from the storm's fury.

He couldn't be sure, but he thought that she might be the same Gardevoir that he'd seen on the western wall earlier that afternoon, just before the attack.

“I don't suppose you came to help us?” Slash asked half-jokingly, wincing painfully at the sting of dirt on his skin.

He didn't expect a response from this apparently feral Pokemon, but he got one. The Gardevoir slowly raised her hands at Arcanine and Froslass, her palms glowing with blue light. Slash watched, mesmerized, suddenly wondering if he had been transplanted into one of those fairy tales that he'd read as a child – the sort of pleasant story where a kindhearted Gardevoir protected a human child lost in the wilderness and guided him back to his own people. This line of thought was quickly dispelled as the Gardevoir fired a pair of blindingly-bright balls of blue energy at the two Pokemon, blasting them off their feet and sending them tumbling in the screaming winds.

Even as she reeled under the force of the sudden blow, Froslass managed to steady herself long enough to fire an Ice Beam back at her attacker. The Gardevoir moved aside in a single graceful movement, effortlessly evading the attack, and flung another psychic volley that drew blood from both Pokemon. Slash drew his Peacekeeper and took a defensive stance, his gaze locked with the faintly-glowing red eyes of the otherworldly creature as he activated his sword's Ice Mode.

He had no idea why she was attacking them. There were cases where wild Gardevoir had injured or even killed humans before, yes...but in every single case that Slash knew of, they had only attacked after being seriously provoked. No time to think about that now. He had to protect his friends.

Slash gripped his sword and ran at her, keeping himself low to the ground to avoid the brunt of the wind. She made no attempt to evade him, instead simply watching his charge with an expression of vague interest, or perhaps even mild amusement. He swung his blade in an upward arc as he aimed for her throat...but his swing was slow and unsteady, and not just from being hindered by the storm. He had been briefly overwhelmed by a strong sense that it was almost...sacrilegious to aim his sword at this Gardevoir, and the unexpected sensation had weakened both his killing intent and the strength of his arm. Slash wasn't sure whether she'd done something to his mind, or if this was simply his own hesitation to hurt a feminine and fragile-looking creature such as this.

Either way, his attack had been a poor one. The Gardevoir casually leaned back, his sword flashing mere inches from her face. She did not even flinch; instead, she calmly placed her palm on his chest and sent him crashing into the pecha tree with a burst of blue light. Slash slunk to the ground, struggling and failing to catch his breath. He was suddenly sure that this was an uplifted Gardevoir, not a wild one; she had precisely delivered a pinpoint strike to his solar plexus, instantly disabling him, and that was not a trick that most ferals would be capable of. He tried and failed to regain his footing, sputtering in the dirt. He could see his battered Pokemon climbing back to their feet, likewise dazed and bleeding.

This was too much like their brief battle with Virizion.

Still, Slash thought to himself, this was no Great One that they were fighting. He could accept losing to a god, but not to this creature, uplifted or not. He tried to speak, but the breath was still knocked out of him; instead he looked to his Pokemon and made a quick gesture with both hands, one that they immediately recognized.

Pin her down.

Arcanine cautiously stalked around the Gardevoir, maneuvering so the wind was at his back before striking; despite the rain, his Flamethrower was so intense that Slash could feel it baking his skin from thirty feet away. The Gardevoir extended an arm and blocked the jet of flame with a powerful psychic barrier, but the sheer force of the attack was slowly pushing her backward.

Fighting the blasts of wind as best as she could, Froslass glided behind Gardevoir and unleashed a powerful Ice Beam at her unprotected back. The creature sensed the incoming blow and whipped around like lightning, using her free hand to conjure another barrier just before being struck. She was pinned between the furious streams of fire and ice, her arms spread wide and trembling under the strain of blocking both attacks...but her shields were holding. Slash watched in mingled fascination and fear; this same combination of attacks had managed to draw blood from a god, and yet this simple Gardevoir was managing to hold it back on her own.

Slash struggled back to his feet, sword in hand. Uplifted or not, she was strong, fearsomely strong; he could not afford to hold anything back against her. Still, as he broke into an unsteady charge at the now-vulnerable Gardevoir, that feeling of negation washed over his heart once again. He could almost hear a treacherous voice in the back of his mind, whispering that he was not meant to wield his sword against this girl...but he refused to listen to it again. Arcanine and Froslass were in danger, and he would not allow them to come to harm.

Blazing with killing intent, Slash whipped his ice-enshrouded sword at the Gardevoir's skull, this time striking with all of the considerable power and speed that he was capable of. Her eyes flashed with power as she stopped the blade in midair, mere inches from her face, growling with the effort of holding it in place. They were beautiful, those eyes...but they burned with an intense and almost predatory fury that made Slash's blood turn cold at the sight of them. He grit his teeth and brought his full body weight down on his sword, but the blade only moved another few millimeters. It was like trying to push through stone.

Arcanine and Froslass poured as much power into their attacks as they could manage, and at last the Gardevoir's power seemed to be reaching its limit. Her arms were slowly being pushed back toward her body as the psychic shields buckled, and as her focus began to falter, Slash's sword slid another inch closer to her face. The icy aura around his blade was near enough to coat her hair in a thin sheen of frost.

“Yield!” Slash yelled angrily, desperately, still pushing his sword downward with all of his strength. The wind and rain tore at his hair and chilled him to the bone. He could imagine how it would feel when the blade cut into her, and the mere thought of it made his stomach turn. “Yield or die! You can't win this! Don't be a fool!”

She glared back at him defiantly, but Slash knew that she was completely at their mercy. He hadn't encountered many Gardevoir in his life and knew rather little about them, but he *did* recall one particular fact about their abilities; he had learned about it as a child and never forgotten. Gardevoir were very skilled at teleportation, with powerful ones being capable of flickering around a battlefield in the blink of an eye...but in order to teleport, they had to touch their foreheads with their fingers. Like an anime character, he had thought as a child.

That younger Slash found that factoid rather amusing; this older Slash believed that it would save their lives. As long as this Gardevoir was using both hands to generate these psychic shields, she was completely unable to teleport away. If she dropped her shields, even for an instant, she would be struck by all three attacks at once. As powerful as she was, they had her dead to rights.

His blade moved forward again, its cloak of ice energy now starting to draw blood.

“This is your last chance! Yield!”

After a moment's hesitation, the Gardevoir looked down at the ground, eyes closed and teeth clenched, and nodded. Slash reluctantly pulled back his sword, and motioned for both Arcanine and Froslass to cease their attacks. Gardevoir dispelled her shields and immediately fell to her knees, panting and shaking. She wasn't the only one exhausted – both Arcanine and Froslass were at their limits as well, and Slash sincerely hoped that their opponent wasn't merely feigning surrender. But it seemed that she was well and truly tapped, as she had not even reestablished the psychic bubble protecting her from the storm. Her hair was drenched from the rain, and her dress billowed out like a sail in the gusting wind.

Despite almost being killed by her just moments ago, Slash couldn't help but feel some sympathy for this soggy, trembling Gardevoir. He sheathed his sword and dropped into a crouch in front of her, but she didn't raise her eyes to meet his gaze.

“You fight well,” Slash said hoarsely, his chest still burning from the sharp blow that she'd struck him with. Gods, this girl packed a punch. “We outnumbered you three-to-one, and it still took everything we had to match your strength. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”

She looked up at last, and he saw that the rage in her eyes had been replaced with what looked like humiliation...and perhaps even a faint shade of fear. Slash noticed that her eyes kept darting to the handful of empty Pokeballs on his belt.

“No, I'm not going to try to catch you. That's not the reason we came out here.” Despite the savagery of their fight – he had no doubt that she would have killed them if she had won – he found himself smiling gently at her. If she was a feral Pokemon, then he was essentially talking to himself right now...but he didn't think that was the case. “You don't seem to have a trainer out here...but I get the feeling that you can still understand me. I've never seen a wild Pokemon with such a precise fighting style as yours. Am I wrong?”

She bit her lower lip, her eyes dropping back down to her hands. Slash's eyebrows raised in surprise when she finally spoke, and not just because he could understand her as clearly as his own Pokemon; the disconnect between her savagery in battle and the softness of her telepathic voice was almost difficult to accept. He had expected something far colder.

[No. You're not wrong.]

“If you don't have a trainer, then how are you uplifted?”

[I don't like that word.]

“What do you mean?”

She glared up at him, a trace of her former anger back in her eyes. ['Uplifted'...it implies that Pokemon are savages by nature, and only made sapient by the 'divine blessing' of humans. That is not the case. I don't know why Pokemon are feral in their natural state...but I don't believe that there's anything natural about it. It's more like a curse. And I wouldn't be surprised if humans had something to do with that, too.]

Slash looked back at her, stunned. She was intelligent, all right. And another realization occurred to him; he had heard that dismissive tone before, and recently.

“You know the Swords of Justice, don't you? Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion? They must be the ones who...um...”

['Uplifted' me, yes,] Gardevoir finished with a frown. [Yes, I know them very well. I am one of their acolytes. They saved my life when I was but an orphaned child, and used their magic to grant me the knowledge that would have otherwise been denied to me. The Swords of Justice are like family to me, and I am sworn to serve them. I was charged with guarding their backtrail...and it seems that they were right to be cautious.]

Her ruby eyes peered into him, and Slash winced as he felt something akin to phantom fingers in his mind, scanning through his thoughts like the pages of a book. It was unspeakably unsettling.

[You're the one who hurt Virizion...the one who swore to find Keldeo. So why are you here, human? The Swords of Justice explicitly forbade anyone from leaving your city until Keldeo is found. That includes you. Most especially you, in fact. By their divine command, I should kill you where you stand.]

Slash immediately rose to his feet, and she quickly followed suit. He was a fairly tall young man, easily a head taller than the slender, fragile-looking Gardevoir...and yet she did not appear to be terribly intimidated by his presence. And why would she be? With her full power, she could likely cook his brain in his skull like an egg. Arcanine and Froslass continued to remain in canda, catching their breaths and trying to replenish their strength, but that was not going to be enough. The rain would continue to severely hinder Arcanine's abilities, and Froslass had very little chance of matching this Gardevoir in a one-on-one confrontation, even with her type advantage.

A second round against this Gardevoir would likely end very poorly...and yet Slash had a very strong intuition that meekly cowering before this girl would be an equally poor decision. Despite her formidable strength, it was clear that her unexpected defeat had greatly shaken her confidence and prevented her from forcing the fight. But if she scented weakness upon them...

“Forgive me if I don't think too highly of your friends, Gardevoir. The Swords of Justice attacked my town without provocation. They destroyed much of the city and injured many innocent people, and have threatened to kill them if their demands are not met. If you're expecting me to bow down and worship them just because they're so-called gods, then you've got another thing coming.”

[Without provocation? Their child was stolen! They have every right to – ]

“They have every right to bring justice upon their child's kidnapper,” Slash interjected, speaking over Gardevoir until she fell silent. “But other than that particular criminal, and any accomplices that they might have, every single person in Oldale is innocent. I agreed to help them find their child because it's the right thing to do...but all three of your buddies can take their 'divine commands' and shove them up their asses. They may be Great Ones, but I promise you this: if they start killing innocent people, then the Hoenn League *will* hunt them down, and they *will* end up being butchered by the very humans that they so despise.”

She smirked at him in bemused disbelief. [I had been warned of the arrogance of humans, but this is the first time I have ever witnessed such insanity in person. Surely you can't actually believe that?]

“No, I don't believe that. I *know* that. And if anyone has been arrogant here, Gardevoir, it has been you and your friends. Do the Swords of Justice truly believe themselves to be lords of creation after launching a sneak attack on one of the smallest cities in Hoenn, on a day when half the population is drunk or partying, and *still* managing to be forced back with their tails between their legs?”

[That bruise around your neck seems to speak louder than your words, human. Virizion nearly killed you.]

Slash flashed her such a disturbing grin that she stepped backward in spite of herself. “She nearly throttled me to death, that is certainly true...but before the day was over, my sword was pressed against her throat. So tell me, Gardevoir, what's more impressive...a god nearly killing a mere mortal, or a mere mortal nearly killing a god?”

She gaped at him in rank disbelief. Her amusement had vanished in a flash as his arrogance crossed over into outright blasphemy. [You...you are truly mad.]

“A little bit,” Slash agreed, matter-of-factly. “That's how fragile humans like me have managed to survive in a world filled with such powerful creatures. Madness and audacity.”

He wasn't kidding. He may have been channeling Eleanor a bit by putting on a show, trying to throw Gardevoir off-balance...but he nevertheless meant what he said. His great-grandmother had taught him that a truly mighty warrior had to be at least a little bit insane; how could someone accomplish the impossible if they limited themselves to only rational behavior?

“Are you going to try to kill us, then? Because if that is truly your intention...now is the time. You won't get a better chance than this.”

[Why do you have such a death-wish, human?] Gardevoir asked, honestly curious. [You came out here in direct defiance of the Swords of Justice. You did so despite the savage storm. And now, after just barely besting me in battle, you dare try to provoke me into a rematch? Why? Why are you being such an arrogant fool?]

“You're the psychic. You tell me.”

Again came that strange probing in his head, but this time he was expecting it. He tried to resist the invasion, unsure if it could be done but curious nonetheless. It didn't seem to work, but it wasn't completely without effect – the Gardevoir's eyes narrowed as she probed him, and her expression was one of great effort. Slash promised himself that if he survived this night, he would look into various means of defending against these sorts of psychic intrusions. She might not be the only telepathic opponent that he would ever have to face.

[A young woman...long, red hair...a Dark-type bird following closely behind her...Eleanor. Ellie.] Gardevoir's eyes turned to his, shining in triumph; she was evidently aware of his failed attempt to block her probing. There was something else about this girl, some secret that Slash was keeping locked away, but even Gardevoir's formidable powers couldn't pry it loose...not without hurting him, anyway, and that wasn't a step that she was willing to take. Yet. [Of course, a female, as I should have known. Humans love to harp about how civilized they are compared to Pokemon, and yet you are enslaved to the same base instincts as any feral creature.]

“She is my friend,” Slash said simply. “There are two reasons that I came out here, Gardevoir, but she is the first and most important of them. She left Oldale Town not long before the attack, and I wanted to make sure that she didn't...encounter...the Swords of Justice on the road.”

[Come, now. We are not humans. You truly believe that they would attack an innocent bystander?]

“Oh, I certainly do. I've seen firsthand how...brutishly savage your friends are.”

Gardevoir's eyes flared at his words, which she knew were intentionally chosen to anger her. [Have you considered that *I* might have been the one to cross her path, human? Perhaps I struck her down myself. Personally. How would you feel about that?]

Slash let out a loud bark of laughter, irritating her further. “Oh, please. If you were struggling to match the strength of my team, then you would have no chance against Ellie's. None at all. The fact that you are here now, alive and saying such foolish things, is proof that you've never faced her in battle.”

Gardevoir frowned and peered into the young man's mind, but she sensed no deceit, no bluff. The ease at which she entered his thoughts only made her more certain of his sincerity; his mind clearly wasn't strong enough to trick her. [Perhaps. Perhaps not. But even if I were no match for her, the Swords of Justice would be more than capable of slaying her...so perhaps you should show a little more respect.]

“For your sake, and the sake of your friends, you had best pray that's not what happened,” Slash said coldly, all traces of his former amusement vanished. The tumultuous sky and screaming wind seemed to reflect his own heart at the mere thought of something happening to Eleanor. “I told you what would happen if they started killing innocent people, did I not? Well, let me make something else clear: if Eleanor was one of those hypothetical victims, then I would do everything in my power to take their heads myself.”

[Such amusing arrogance. Even if you *could*, and you *can't*, what of your vow to Cobalion? What of your people, who even now huddle amongst the rubble of their city, praying for your success?]

“I have never claimed to be a hero, Gardevoir, nor even a good person. If they hurt Ellie, then all vows are broken; it's game over, everybody out of the pool. My only purpose in life would be to bring death upon those who harmed her.” His hand reached over his shoulder, gripping the handle of his sword. “So...it would be wise to tell me anything that you know.”

Their eyes met for a long moment, and Gardevoir knew that she should probably kill this human. She didn't need to read Slash's mind again to know that he wasn't bluffing about this. If he believed that his friend was killed, then he truly would devote himself to avenging her death, even if it meant dooming the lives of countless others. It was a petty and foolish thing, a human's lust for vengeance...but then again, had she not felt that same urge within herself at times? Even the Swords of Justice, who considered themselves about the weaknesses of human nature, often acted as though they were also bound by it.

She considered. There was no danger that this man could actually kill Cobalion or the others. As strong as he and his Pokemon were, they had essentially no chance of defeating even *one* of the Swords of Justice, let alone all three. Could they kill *her*, then? Quite possibly. She hadn't expected them to blitz her with such viciousness...nor had she expected a mere human to willingly face her in battle, let alone with the intent to kill. Most humans were cowards who hid behind their Pokemon servants, but this one fought alongside them without hesitation. She wouldn't fall for their tricks and get pinned down again...but still, facing these three in open battle was a dangerous proposition.

Gardevoir heard the imagined voice of Cobalion in her mind, urging her to kill the human before he could kill her. And for the moment, at least, she probably could, as long as she moved quickly. Both of his Pokemon were still largely drained of power...and while she was nearly-tapped as well, it wouldn't take much strength to snuff out a mere human's life force. It would have to be fast, and she would have to hope that she had enough strength afterward to teleport away from his companions...but it could be done.

And even if she couldn't escape from his Pokemon, she knew that she should still go for the kill. She had sworn herself to serving the Swords of Justice, even vowing to give up her life for them if necessary. She was sworn to their service...and unlike this human, she was loath to break an oath.

But still, she hesitated.

This human would kill to protect his friends, yes. He would even kill simply to avenge somebody that was already lost, no matter how reckless it might be, or how severe the consequences. But as foolish as that mindset might be, was it truly so dishonorable? If she had the opportunity to avenge her own family, would she not take it?

The strength of her oath to Cobalion warred with her sympathy for the human's motives. After a long moment, she made her decision.

[I will tell you nothing,] Gardevoir stated flatly. [Nothing. I care little for whatever selfish purposes brought you out here. The terms of your oath to Cobalion are set in stone. Go back to your home and fulfill your promise to find Keldeo. It is the only way to save yourselves from their fury. But if you refuse...I swear on my life that you will not be permitted to go any further.]

“On your life, huh?” Slash tightened his grip on his sword, his heart pounding. He was sorry that this was what it had come to, but that remorse would not stop him. Nothing could stop him at this point. “If that's how it has to be...”

[Slash!] Arcanine shouted suddenly, startling his trainer out of his bloody thoughts. [Hostiles!]

Slash drew his Peacekeeper as he spun to face Arcanine, knowing that he was leaving himself open to Gardevoir but having little choice. Even through the sounds of the storm, he could hear the sound of breaking brush all around them...as well as deep, throaty growls of hunger and hatred. Arcanine and Froslass took up defensive positions around their trainer. Gardevoir surprised Slash by not using this moment of vulnerability to attack him; she simply remained by the pecha tree, wide-eyed and silent.

From the shadows surrounding them, from all directions, came half a dozen Mightyena. No, eight of them, a decent-sized pack. They were seemingly undeterred by the wind and rain. One particular pair of them, presumably the alphas of the pack, looked especially hungry for blood. Arcanine let out a booming, challenging roar that seemed to shake the stormclouds themselves...but while the Mightyena lowered their backs, their ears pressed to their skulls, not a single one fled. Slash swallowed nervously. To stand their ground against Arcanine's intimidating presence...either he and his Pokemon had inadvertently crossed into the Mightyenas' territory, or these predators were extremely hungry.

As for how the creatures had discovered their location, despite the raging storm erasing their scent trails...it was obvious. The fight with Gardevoir had drawn them in. Their brief skirmish had been loud and bright...but most of all, Slash knew, Dark-type predators were drawn to psychic energy the same way that they were drawn to fresh meat. Perhaps, to these creatures, there was no difference between the two.

He turned back to Gardevoir and saw that she was as still as a statue, showing no trace of her earlier defiance. She raised a shaky hand and pressed her fingers to her forehead, emitting a pale blue glow from her entire body, and then...nothing. She was unable to teleport away. Perhaps she was too drained from their battle to teleport; perhaps the Mightyena had ensnared the area in enough Dark-type energy to prevent it. In any case, the previously-confident Gardevoir was frozen, trembling, her back pressed against the tree as she tried to make herself as small and unnoticeable as possible. It wasn't working, however; while the pack of Mightyena were eyeballing all of them, it was the Gardevoir that their vicious gazes kept returning to. She and her younger kin were, after all, their natural prey.

Slash raised his sword...and despite having been ready to use this very blade against Gardevoir only moments earlier, he now assumed a protective stance in front of her. Arcanine remained at his back, keeping an eye on the beasts approaching from behind.

“Status report,” Slash said, his voice pitched low enough that the Mightyena wouldn't hear it over the wind. He didn't want to spur them into attacking before they were ready. “Be honest, you two.”

[I'm almost completely tapped,] Arcanine admitted, though he still bared his teeth at the slowly-encroaching circle of predators. [I've still got my fangs, but my flame is completely snuffed out. Until I get out of the rain for a while, I can't regenerate it.]

[I'm a little better, but not by much,] Froslass replied quietly. [I can still fight. But my Ghost magic isn't going to do much to these things...and a single Dark-type attack might very well break me in two.]

“Gardevoir, what about you? Do you have any way of fighting these things?”

She didn't seem to hear him, apparently lost in her own fear. Slash didn't need to be an esper to know that she must have had bad experiences with Mightyena before, likely when she was still young. The Swords of Justice would have easily protected her from such predators...but now, thanks to their orders, she was alone and defenseless out here. Had it not been raining so hard, Slash knew that he would see her face was covered with frightened tears.

A pulse of deep anger rang in his heart. The Swords of Justice were supposedly guardian deities of Pokemon, protecting them from harm, but where were they now? Why hadn't one of *them* stayed behind to guard their backtrail, instead of ordering this poor creature to do so? They had to know that she was prey to the Mightyena out here! How long had she been alone out here, obeying their command and keeping watch despite her own fear? It spoke volumes about her courage...but now, she was absolutely terrified.

Slash's gaze hardened. He was not going to let this Gardevoir get killed by these beasts, not if he could help it. Maybe they had been enemies at first...maybe they were enemies, still. Hell, it was possible that they would be fighting again – perhaps even to the death – before this night was over. But there was absolutely no way that he would stand idly by while an uplifted Pokemon was torn to pieces by feral predators. No chance at all.

He pointed his sword at the pair of alphas, reactivating its Ice Mode and encircling the blade in a whirlwind of frost magic. The Mightyena ceased their advance for a moment, uncertain. They could not comprehend this technology, but their confusion was clearly not enough to overwhelm their hunger, as they resumed their slow approach after only a few seconds of hesitation. A wave of guilt rose up in Slash's gut, and he suppressed it with difficulty. The Mightyena weren't monsters, as tempting as it was to label them as such. Even the ones that preyed on humans weren't actually monsters, but just wild animals trying to survive. They had every right to feed on whatever they could get their fangs upon.

But, of course, their prey also had every right to fight back.

“Gardevoir, do you hear me? Can you fight them?”

[No,] she replied in a tiny, scared voice that was little more than a whisper. It was so completely different from her previous haughty way of speaking that Slash couldn't help feeling an overwhelming surge of sympathy toward her. A familiar sensation dropped over him like a cloak – it was the need to protect, an urge that he possessed inherently as a man and honed into deeply-engrained duty as a Protector. When he spoke again, his voice was oddly gentle, the way he spoke to frightened children after a tragedy.

“That's okay. Listen to me, Gardevoir...you'll be alright. Just stay here, by the tree, with Arcanine. No matter what happens, keep Arcanine between yourself and the Mightyena. He'll protect you, I promise. Right, big guy?”

[Of course,] Arcanine answered immediately. Any of his own distrust of the Gardevoir was irrelevant now; Slash wanted her to be protected, and he would obey. But his obedience was not solely out of loyalty. He possessed the same protective instincts as his master...and just like Slash, he would not allow a frightened girl to be horribly killed in front of him. It went against everything that he had been raised to believe. He would not allow such a terrible thing to happen to his worst enemy.

“Arcanine, take the three coming up behind us. Froslass...me and you are going to take it to the others. You've got to handle both of the alphas, I won't have a chance against them...and I'll go for the smaller three on the left. Alright? And don't either of you two die. That's an order.”

[That goes for you, too, master,] Froslass replied. [Eleanor wouldn't forgive us, remember?]

Slash clenched his teeth at the mention of his friend's name. She was still out here somewhere, possibly safe or possibly dead. But either way, these Mightyena were standing between him and Eleanor, and that was a grave and unforgivable sin. Without another word, Slash raised his sword over his shoulder and broke into a determined charge, with Froslass following closely behind. They heard Arcanine's thunderous roar behind them as he challenged the Mightyena creeping from their blind side; despite his fire magic being completely depleted, he showed no sign of fear.

[Come at me, then! You're going to have to crush Arcanine bone if you wish to taste Gardevoir flesh tonight!]

Several Mightyena lunged at Arcanine, prioritizing the more blatant and boisterous target over the powerless girl huddling by the tree trunk, holding her hands to her face and watching the battle unfold in sheer unthinking terror. Their fangs ripped at his body, struggling and failing to pierce the thick coat of fur; Arcanine leapt to the side and gripped the smallest of the beasts by the throat, crunching down hard enough to nearly decapitate it. That was one down. Seven to go.

Froslass glided at the huge pair of alphas, both hands shining with the silvery glow of ice magic contained within them. They did not flinch or hesitate at her approach; while they could sense her undeniable strength, they could also detect a similar aura within her as they had scented from the Gardevoir – the scent of a Ghost-type, of vulnerable prey. Just as Froslass was about to launch her attack, the male lunged forward with far greater speed than she would have thought possible from a wild Pokemon; she evaded his crushing fangs by mere inches, rolling onto the muddy ground and attempting to aim her counterattack. Suddenly the female was coming at her, intercepting her evasive roll with starved furor. Froslass conjured a barrier of ice between herself and her attacker, but the beast easily smashed through the shield, only slightly hindered from doing so. Still, Froslass was able to use the brief instant of vulnerability to launch a pair of Ice Beams directly into the female's belly, sending her crashing to the ground in a bloody, half-frozen heap.

Slash rushed the three weakest-looking members of the pack, but weak was purely a relative term in this case; the scrawniest Mightyena was still more than capable of killing a human. Even with his Peacekeeper's Ice Mode active, he knew that he had little chance of hacking through their thick and matted coats of fur – his arm simply wasn't strong enough. And so, as the three creatures broke formation and leapt at him, snapping hungrily, he suddenly dropped to one skidding knee and thrust his sword forward like a spear at the nearest attacker. The blade sunk deeply into the Mightyena's chest, the icy aura tearing at the beast's insides, forcing a ghastly choked howl from the creature's throat. He pulled the blade back in an intentional sawing movement, ripping the wound open further and pulling out chunks of frozen, shredded tissue. The Mightyena that he'd impaled stepped back on wobbling legs, bleeding profusely from the gory wound, and fell to the ground with a pained yip. It was mortally wounded, but it would die slow.

(Two down,) Slash thought to himself, trying to ignore the maimed creature's dying cries. There was no time for experiencing guilt; this was a wild fight to the death, and emotions had no place here.

Easier said than done, of course.

Arcanine stood face-to-face with his opponents, bleeding from several wounds but otherwise still wreathed in an aura of savagery; he was a predator, too, and he would not fall to these smaller and weaker creatures. One of the Mightyena snapped at his face while the other attempted to flank him, to get under him, to dig its fangs into his vulnerable belly and rip out his insides. Arcanine kept moving, leaping over his attackers with amazing agility, but the storm was continuing to hinder him. His physical strength was rapidly paling as the rain continued to drench his body, but he knew that any lapse in his movement would likely result in being gutted.

Suddenly, the Mightyena that had been trying to get beneath his belly was gone. Arcanine couldn't take his eyes off his remaining opponent, but he nevertheless knew exactly where it was going; it had seen an opening and was now lunging toward the defenseless and still-frozen Gardevoir. Arcanine tried to break off from the fight and assist, but the Mightyena still in his face simply wouldn't let him do so. These creatures may have been feral, but they were also natural pack hunters, and they were intelligent enough to distract one enemy so another packmate could make a kill. [Slash, Gardevoir's in trouble!]

“She's not the only one!” Slash yelled, trying to protect his face and throat from the two Mightyena that were on top of him, ripping and tearing. His coat and jeans were tough, but their fangs were sharper, easily punching through the material and stabbing nail-sized holes in his arms and legs. In the midst of the fray, he noticed a motionless and defenseless leg propping one of the creatures up in the thick mud; he drew the edge of his sword across it, slicing tendons and forcing its owner to cease biting as it scrambled backward and howled in surprised agony. The other beast lunged for his throat, and Slash just barely managed to strike the side of its skull with the flat of his blade, pushing its killing fangs off-course. “I don't have an opening!”

Froslass was aware of the trouble that her friends were in, but she was unable to intervene; the alpha male was attacking her relentlessly, preventing any chance for a counterattack. In a way, the male's savage rage would make the fight easier, as he was no longer thinking rationally (insomuch as a feral Pokemon could think, anyway)...but the sheer aggression that he was aiming at her was too much to repel for much longer. She had badly injured this creature's mate, and even among wild Pokemon, that was unforgivable. She tossed up shield after shield of thick ice, each covered in small spines due to the rain instantly freezing upon contact with it...but still the alpha male smashed through them, ignoring the gashes torn in his muzzle, driven only by the need to sink his fangs into her body. And the damaged female wouldn't be frozen forever; already the thick chunk of ice around her body was starting to crack. Froslass knew that she had to get in a killing shot while the female was still vulnerable, but the male simply wasn't going to allow it. [Gardevoir, I can't get to you! Get out of here!]

Time seemed to slow to a crawl for Gardevoir as the loose Mightyena rushed at her, barking in outrage and drooling in anticipation of digging into her flesh. She had been in this position once before, years ago when she was but a tiny child. Her memories were hazy, but she didn't need to actually remember the fear; it was flooding her mind right now, completely unhindered by the passing of time.

Escape was her only hope, of course; even if she were fresh, she could not hope to fight these creatures. The vast majority of her arsenal was composed of Psychic-type attacks, completely useless in this situation, and the few other techniques that she possessed were far too weak to do any appreciable damage to such fearsome predators. Even her shields were nearly useless, as Dark-type attacks would effortlessly cleave through her defenses.

She once again tried to teleport away, but the Mightyenas' cloak of dark energy hung over the clearing like a veil. At full strength, she might have been able to overpower the web of dark energy and escape...but after using up nearly all of her power to fight the human and his Pokemon, she was completely helpless.

It was almost funny – the human and his Pokemon may have accepted her surrender, but they had inadvertently killed her all the same.

In this odd moment of stretched time, Gardevoir could see the battle in perfect clarity. Arcanine was exchanging blows with his remaining opponent, but his immense exhaustion was preventing him from landing a killing blow. She could sense his building frustration; if he could only use his flames, he would be able to dispatch this Mightyena with ease. But he couldn't, and not just because of the rain; she was also responsible for depleting much of his strength. Perhaps it was unfair to blame the human's group for draining her powers; she had also drained much of theirs, and it looked more and more like all four of them were all going to die together because of it.

Froslass was definitely stronger than Arcanine, Gardevoir saw, at least with the rain crippling him...but her opponents were also, by far, the most powerful of the Mightyena pack. They were huge creatures, easily shrugging off attacks that would have made quick work of their smaller brethren. Despite having taken a direct hit mere moments before, the female was already regaining her footing, smashing through the remaining ice encasing her body. Froslass reeled under the male's violent and vengeful assault...and while she was still managing to evade the deadly strikes, her luck wouldn't last once the female rejoined the attack. Froslass' offensive abilities were very powerful, but she was nearly as physically frail as Gardevoir herself – a single direct blow would likely be crippling, if not immediately fatal.

As for the human...even now, in what Gardevoir was sure were the final moments of her life, she found herself confused by him.

This man, Slash, had sworn an oath to protect his town, to abide by Cobalion's terms...and then he'd endangered everything by coming out here, during this powerful storm, in search of his friend. Not even a mate, if he was to be believed, but a mere friend!

He and his Pokemon had fought against her with pitiless intensity...and yet, when the battle was over, he had completely defied her expectations and made no effort to capture her, despite being in a position to easily do so.

And even after she had refused to help Slash locate Eleanor, and they were back on the brink of another bloody battle, he had immediately dropped everything to defend her against this pack of feral monsters. There hadn't even been any conscious thought behind his decision. He had simply done it.

Gardevoir wasn't sure if Slash was a good human or not...but at the very least, she didn't think that he was an evil one. As she watched him charge into battle against three grown and hungry predators, with only a sword in hand, a very simple but powerful emotion blossomed in her heart – regret.

It didn't have to be this way. She could have tried talking to the human instead of simply attacking him. Maybe they could have even come to an understanding. The Mightyena wouldn't have been drawn by the sounds of battle...and even if their pack stumbled upon them by chance, the four of them would be at full strength instead of the exhausted shadows that they currently were, and easily dispatched their opponents.

Gardevoir knew that she shouldn't regret following Cobalion's orders...and yet, here and now, at the apparent end of things, she realized with deep sadness that she had never – even once – tried to follow her own wishes in life. She had only lived to follow the wishes of others. She had kept her own ambitions sealed away, forever sleeping, deep within her heart.

And this is where her unthinking loyalty had brought her.

She watched in slow motion as the Mightyena closed in, now only a few yards away. It would cross that distance in less than a second. She hoped that it wouldn't hurt as badly as she believed...she hoped that maybe she could at least die without screaming. But while her earliest memories were faint, she could remember the death of her family quite vividly. Gardevoir broke into a sob as she remembered the sounds that they had made.

Yes, it would hurt. Despite believing herself to be a “true” Pokemon, freed from the curse of feral savagery by the grace of the Great Ones, she was still going to die a messy and brutish animal's death. All of her life...everything...had been for nothing.

Her perception of time returned to normal as her imminent murderer skidding to a crouch only a few feet from her, its legs coiled, ready to pounce and sink its teeth into her fragile body. She flinched, crossing her arms over her face in what she knew was a pointless gesture, bracing for the horror that was about to begin...

...but the attack didn't come.

Even behind her tightly-closed eyelids, she could see the blinding flash of light. She opened her eyes and found that the beast had vanished, and there was something small and round buzzing in the mud at her feet. And even over the roar of the storm, Gardevoir heard the human's voice, shouting and desperate.

“Arcanine, tank the hits and do it NOW!”

She watched in stunned confusion as Arcanine forced himself away from his duel, turning to her despite his opponent digging both claw and fang into his now-unprotected flank. As he dropped into a hungry crouch similar to that of the vanished Mightyena, Gardevoir finally recognized the object laying on the ground – a Pokeball. She realized that the human had thrown it at her would-be killer even while being mauled by two ferocious predators, overcoming his own pain and risking his life just to try and save her. The Pokeball was shaking violently, already starting to crack as the imprisoned creature threatened to overwhelm its strength.

And then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, it was gone – a loose spray of metallic debris, rapidly sinking into the mud.

Arcanine slid to an ungainly stop next to Gardevoir, followed by a buffeting rush of wind brought by the wake of his Extreme Speed attack. He was gasping harshly, blood flowing freely from his wounds. Even when fresh, using that technique pushed him to his limits...and in this state of injury and exhaustion, it had perhaps pushed him to the brink of death.

[What...what happened?] Gardevoir asked him, confused and shaking with terror. She had been mere inches and instants from death. [Where did it go?]

[Gone...forever...] Arcanine panted. [Keep your guard up...it's...not over yet.]

He slowly turned to face his final Mightyena opponent, who was racing after him in a snarling charge, clearly aware and outraged that a third member of his pack had been slain. Arcanine opened his mouth to unleash another defiant roar...and then his trembling legs finally collapsed beneath him. He fell into the mud, gasping for air, unable to even raise his head as the beast closed in.

[Run, Gardevoir.]

[Get up!] Gardevoir shouted, eyes glued to the rapidly-closing Mightyena. [You have to get up! I can't stop that thing! If you don't – ]

[I'm completely used up,] Arcanine groaned wearily. Given how long he'd been fighting in a storm of this magnitude, it was a miracle that he had lasted even this long. [I've got nothing left. I'll distract him for as long as I can, but...you need to escape while you have the chance. While he's...finishing me off.]

Gardevoir stood trembling with fear and shame. She wanted to flee, oh yes – her horror at the thought of being eaten alive was so blindingly intense that it was hard to even think straight. And if the Mightyena was focused on mauling Arcanine to death, then she just might have an opening to escape, and she would be a fool not to take it. It's what Cobalion and others would want her to do – the human and his Pokemon would die, and she would live. It's not as though she could actually fight these Dark-type beasts, anyway. Fleeing was the only rational decision.

The human's pained shouting broke her out of her thoughts. He had been forced onto his back, two Mightyena on top of him and aiming for his vitals. The clothing on his arms and legs were torn to tatters, and an alarming amount of blood was visible through the gashes in the material. His arms were outstretched, grasping and punching at their noses and throats, frantically trying to force the beasts back. His sword was gone; it lay on the ground several feet out of his reach, its aura uselessly freezing the mud beneath it. Slash was clearly fighting a losing battle.

Froslass was doing no better; both alphas were on her now, attacking in a whirlwind of fangs, crashing through her defenses and getting closer and closer to catching her in their jaws. Gardevoir could sense that her reserves were nearly depleted; once Froslass' ice magic ran out, she would be killed within seconds. There was no hope of winning this.

And yet, despite the dire odds, and despite the bad blood between them, these three warriors were still fighting to protect her. Maybe even *dying* to protect her. Her, an enemy!

Gardevoir knew that if she left them to die like this, no amount of rationalization, no amount of praise from the Swords of Justice, would ever be able to wash away her self-loathing at her own cowardice.

Her heart was still gripped by terror, and yet she found that her legs were working just fine. She stepped in front of Arcanine's collapsed form, the last reserves of her psychic energy surging into her hands. She was going to die, and maybe her courage would break once that killing (and feeding) actually began...but she would stand until that happened. As doomed an effort as this might be, she would swallow her fear...and stand true.

With faint wonder, Gardevoir suddenly realized that this was how Slash must have felt when he drew his sword against Virizion, or against any Pokemon who could so easily snuff out his fragile human life. How had he found such courage?

She looked down at her hands, shining and sparking with the energy gathering in her palms. Her fear had not diminished...and yet she was no longer trembling.

How had *she* found such courage?

[You can't hurt him, Gardevoir,] Arcanine growled painfully. [Just get out of here.]

Her lips twisted in a pained grin. [Never.]

Gardevoir raised her hands over her head, allowing the blinding light of her psychic energy to flood the clearing like a beacon. The charging Mightyena put on a burst of speed, now aiming for her instead of the prone and defeated Arcanine. Even better, one of the Mightyena mauling Slash suddenly broke off its attack and rushed at her, as well, apparently unable to overcome its ravenous hunger for psychic prey. She should have been frozen by the sight of not one, but two powerful Dark-types lunging for her, drooling and snarling to taste her blood...but while terror still dwelt in her heart, there was something else glowing inside of her now, giving her strength and courage.

Maybe she couldn't actually fight these monsters, but she could at least distract them from hurting anyone else.

With only one Mightyena still attacking him, and his Peacekeeper out of reach, Slash decided to make a serious gamble – he stuck his left fist out and let the creature bite. His wrist nearly splintered from the force of it...but instead of pulling back, he let out a furious cry and shoved his arm straight down the beast's throat, not relenting even as sharp teeth sliced long gashes in his forearm. The Mightyena's jaws relaxed immediately as it pulled back, panicking and gagging and hacking up blood, its hunger momentarily forgotten. Still pinned on his back, Slash reached out blindly with his still-usable right hand, trying to find his Peacekeeper.

[Human, your weapon!]

Gardevoir gave the blade a small psychic nudge and guided it to Slash's hand; he immediately plunged the sword into the choking Mightyena's neck, driving the blade deep and drenching himself in chilled beast-blood. The creature seemed to give him a final baleful glare – one that promised that the fight was not yet over – and then its gaze became dull and unfocused. It collapsed onto his chest, twitching and gasping its final breaths. Slash pushed the body off his chest with a groan of tired disgust. He then tried, and failed, to pull himself back to his feet; like Arcanine, he had finally reached his limit.

They had slain a full half of the Mightyena pack – only the pair of alphas and two lesser packmates remained – but the odds were still very much against them. The alphas were as strong as the rest of their pack put together, so did their handful of kills really matter?

As a matter of fact, they did.

“Froslass!” Slash yelled, his head falling back into the bloodstained mud beneath him. Despite his fatigue and pain, he was grinning. “Chow down and fuck 'em up!”

The remaining Mightyena all seemed to shudder as their dark-enhanced senses picked up...something in the air, some strange flow of energy. Gardevoir could detect the anomalous magic, as well, but she was equally incapable of understanding what was happening. Only a Ghost-type would be capable of truly seeing it for what it was – the spiritual energies of the recently-slain Mightyena all being drawn to Froslass, who devoured them as she would devour any other meal.

Froslass' body flashed in a silvery shimmer of icy magic, and alphas drew back, uncertain; they could sense that the formerly weakened ghost-girl was suddenly brimming with power. Consuming necrotic energies didn't actually make Froslass any *stronger*, nor did it heal her injuries, but it *did* replenish her magical reserves. Even after her battles with the Swords of Justice, Gardevoir, and these Mightyena, her strength was largely recovered; had the one Mightyena not been destroyed inside of its Pokeball, causing its spirit to vanish, she might have been as good as new.

[Alright,] Froslass said confidently, her small smile unsettling the alphas even further. [Round two.]

She clapped her hands, causing a rush of ice energy to flow outward and freeze the muddy earth beneath them. Suddenly the Mightyena were skating and sliding, barely able to even stand up, let alone fight. Gardevoir watched in amazement as both of her charging opponents lost their footing and crashed into the solid ice in ungainly heaps.

“Gardevoir!” Slash groaned, struggling to prop himself up on one elbow. “My sword! Throw it at Froslass! As hard as you can!”

[What?!]

“Trust me! She knows what to do!”

Gardevoir didn't understand, but apparently the human did; that would have to be enough. She levitated the Peacekeeper with her telekinesis and flung it at Froslass' unprotected back with tremendous force. She could only hope that the human had not simply gone mad and ordered her to kill his own Pokemon.

That was not the case.

Froslass could neither see nor hear the sword as it flew at her back, but she easily detected the rapidly-approaching aura of the blade's icy cloak and immediately knew it for what it was – one of her master's typically audacious maneuvers. She focused her ghostly energies and turned herself intangible, allowing the Peacekeeper to sail through her non-corporeal form; as it passed through the space of her heart, the sword's already-potent icy aura was magnified to extreme levels by her own body's frost magic, transforming it into something like a shining silver spear. The blade lodging itself in the alpha male's chest, piercing through his body like a bolt of lightning and instantly freezing the very blood in his veins; he was dead before he even fell into the mud.

Slash had hoped that the remaining three beasts would scatter with the death of the alpha male...but if anything, their bloodlust only seemed to intensify. Froslass found herself under a renewed and savage assault by the alpha female, clearly intent on avenging her mate. Additionally, one of the Mightyena that had been charging Gardevoir was apparently under the impression that *she* had frozen the mud, and had decided to break off its attack and go after easier prey – namely, the battered human that it had previously been chomping on.

Oh, hell.

“Sword, please!” Slash shouted, trying to regain his footing. He slipped on the slick ice and crashed back onto his hands and knees; his mauled arm was numb and useless. The Mightyena carefully trotted towards him on the frozen layer of mud, drooling hungrily. “I could *REALLY* use my sword, please!”

Gardevoir attempted to grip Slash's Peacekeeper with her telekinesis, but immediately dropped it in stunned alarm as immense cold bit into her hands. She looked down and saw that both of her palms were chilled and bleeding, frostbitten, despite not physically touching the weapon. The silvery blade of the Peacekeeper sparked and crackled with magical resonance, instantly freezing the rain that fell upon it. [Froslass, I cannot touch the sword! The magic is far too strong! You'll have to do it!]

Froslass narrowly dodged a crunching bite that would have effortlessly shattered her skull and glided over to the blade, still firmly lodged in the alpha male's corpse. She gripped the hilt with both hands, unharmed by the powerful icy aura, and yanked the sword free. The blade was glowing so brightly that it illuminated the entire clearing a silvery-white haze, and Froslass was suddenly fiercely proud of her master, having devised the creation of such a mighty weapon in the heat of battle. Gardevoir watched, her heart soaring with hope, as Froslass swung the power-infused sword with all of her strength; the sparkling blade effortlessly sliced into the alpha female's neck and tore her head from her shoulders in a gush of instantly-slushified blood.

What a wonder they had created!

[This is incredible!] Froslass yelled joyously, admiring the gleaming sword in mesmerized awe. [Master, you won't believe what – ]

There was a sharp metallic crack as the blade snapped off at the handle, landing in the mud with a dull and unimportant thump. The holy-looking aura of ice magic instantly vanished, leaving Froslass with nothing more than the wrecked remains of a broken Peacekeeper.

[...shit!]

“What's going on?!” Slash shouted, struggling to back away as the Mightyena reached pouncing range. “I *really* need that sword, ladies!”

[About that...] Froslass answered, trailing off. [I...well...damn it, hang on, master! I'm coming to help you!]

The beast was so intent on tearing out the noisy human's throat that it didn't even notice Froslass aiming on him. Just before it could pounce, its body was impaled by a dozen jagged shards of ice, sending it flying to the frozen ground in a bleeding, whimpering heap. Seeing the pain wracking the creature, Froslass glided closer, took aim one last time, and sent a final shard directly into its brain.

Only one remained.

It came for Gardevoir slowly, cautiously, staying low to avoid any attacks from the others. While it may not have understood the concept of revenge, it was clearly furious that the rest of its pack was dead; its teeth were locked in a hateful clenched grin, and the ravenous look in its eyes had once again paralyzed Gardevoir with terror. Her earlier courageous thoughts about fighting and dying with honor had vanished like smoke; in her heart, she was back to where she started – a helpless Ralts about to be devoured by an unstoppable predator.

Froslass raised a glowing hand at the lumbering beast, but Slash suddenly gripped her arm and pulled it back down.

“Wait a second.”

[There's no time! She's going to die!]

“Maybe,” Slash whispered, “but I don't think so. Just wait.”

Slash and Froslass stood motionless, merely watching as the Mightyena drew closer to its prey. Arcanine lay still on the ground, barely conscious and completely powerless. Gardevoir was too overwhelmed by her panicky fear to notice their inaction...but even if she had noticed, she wouldn't have blamed them. After all, hadn't *she* considered leaving *them* to the beasts, too?

In any case, the still-coherent part of her mind thought to itself, her last stand hadn't been very impressive. Other than throwing the human's sword – which was empowered by Froslass' magic, not her own strength – she hadn't even drawn blood from any of the creatures. What had she actually accomplished? Nothing!

(You distracted the pack from finishing off Arcanine when he collapsed. You threw the sword to Froslass when she was being overwhelmed.)

Gardevoir's lips parted in surprise; the voice in her head was not her own. The words were perfectly audible, cutting through the fog of hopelessness and fear that clouded her mind.

(When I was pinned down and being torn apart, you drew one of the monsters away and guided my weapon back into my hands. I'd be dead if it weren't for you. You're much stronger than you think.)

The human?

She looked to Slash, who was gazing back with fiery intensity. He nodded at her, and just that simple act seemed to fill her heart with hot courage. No matter what had happened before, this human had come to believe in her.

She would not let him down.

Gardevoir grit her teeth and flung a bolt of psychic energy – not at the Mightyena, but at the nearby pecha tree, exploding the base of the trunk into a storm of splinters. Instead of letting gravity slowly bring it down, however, she gripped the entire tree with her telekinesis, letting out a cry of effort and swinging it like a tremendous wooden mace. The immense weight crashed into the surprised Mightyena, impaling it on dozens of jagged branches and pinning the unfortunate beast into the frozen earth.

And just like that, the fight was over.

Froslass helped Slash limp over to Gardevoir, who had fallen to her knees, panting with exhaustion. Arcanine lay unmoving on the frozen ground next to her, but his eyes were open and he was smiling his toothy grin. Slash embraced both of his Pokemon and then knelt by Gardevoir's side; it was almost an exact mirror of the aftermath of their previous battle.

“Are you alright?”

She was silent for a long moment, staring at the ground and trying to catch her breath. She couldn't seem to meet his gaze. [Why?] she asked in a quiet voice. [I tried to kill you before. Why did you help me? Why did you have such faith in me?]

Slash placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, startling her into looking up at him. It was strange. Earlier, when she had refused to help him locate his friend, the human had given her such a cold death-glare that she had been completely certain that the night would end with one of them killing the other. And yet, now...his eyes were so warm.

“Do I really need to have a reason?”

Gardevoir bit her lip and tried to blink away the haze of tears that rose from his words; she was not accustomed to such kindness, and it embarrassed her. Her eyes noted the countless rips and tears in his clothing, and the blood that was oozing out from under them. [Human, you're...you're badly hurt.]

Slash gave her a smile that showed no sign of the pain that Gardevoir knew he must be experiencing. “Don't worry, I've been hurt a lot worse than this before. I'll be alright. Look, you're still shaking...just breathe, okay? It's over. They're gone. You're safe.”

[Thank you. I am...sorry that I was such a...liability in that battle. These creatures...you must understand, they...when I was...]

She trailed off, and although the rain hid it well, he knew that tears were running down her face. Slash suddenly pulled her into a one-armed hug, knowing that he might startle her into a defensive response but being simply unable to help himself. He was no esper, but her fear was just so blindingly clear. Gardevoir was motionless for a moment, far too surprised to even think about protesting; she had not been embraced since she was an extremely young child.

She suddenly raised a hand and clenched her fist, startling Froslass into a defensive stance; however, it was not an attack that Gardevoir was summoning. A thin bubble of blue light popped into existence, enveloping all four of them; it deflected the rain and repelled nearly all of the wind's force, turning the savage gale into a light breeze. Slash released Gardevoir from his embrace and examined the barrier with curious amazement. His hand passed effortlessly through the shield, but the barrage of flying dirt and leaves simply smacked against the outside of the barrier, sticking to the surface as though it were glass.

“Thank you,” Slash said, and he meant it; gods, it felt good to finally be out of the cold rain. “Are you sure you're up to shielding us, though? I don't want you to push yourself on our account.”

[Maintaining this sort of barrier is not a difficult task. I cannot fully deflect the wind as it is now, but the shield should still suffice unless conditions get even worse.] She frowned, progging the sky above and sensing only strange psychic static. [And they may.]

“Well, I greatly appreciate it. And I'm sure my friends do, as well.” Slash turned to Arcanine, who was still resting silently on the ground. “Alright, buddy, I know you don't like it, but I'm going to put you in your Pokeball, okay? I'll keep the sensors up so you can still know what's going on.”

[If that's how it has to be,] Arcanine groaned, but he wasn't terribly unhappy. He may have disliked Pokeballs, but it would still be better than laying on dirt and ice. [Be careful, Slash. Just because we destroyed one pack of Mightyena doesn't mean there aren't more enemies out here. Keep your eyes open.]

“You know it, big guy. You fought well. Now get some rest.”

Slash withdrew Arcanine and placed the ball back on his belt. With his large body safely stowed away, Gardevoir constricted the psychic shield to fit more snugly around them, conserving power and increasing the barrier's effectiveness against the wind. “How are you girls doing?”

[I'm still good to go,] Froslass replied. She had received a few glancing blows during the fight, but nothing serious. [I've already absorbed the other Mightyenas' spirits, so my magic reserves are almost completely full. I can definitely still fight.]

“Very good to hear. What about you, Gardevoir?”

[I...does it really matter?] Gardevoir asked in a halting voice, suddenly feeling shy and confused. [If Froslass is truly recovered, then you must know that...that I am no longer a serious threat to you. It pains me to admit it, but...I am at your mercy.]

“It doesn't have to be that way,” Slash said softly. He reached out and took Gardevoir's hand, helping her back to her feet. “I know that we got off to a pretty bad start...but I also know that you're an honorable lady, just trying to do the right thing. I may have some...issues...with the Swords of Justice, but there's no reason that the two of us *have* to be enemies.”

Gardevoir looked down, mingled frustration and guilt clear on her face. [I am sorry that I attacked you without provocation, but you must understand, it was not...personal. I had my orders. I followed them. Nothing more.]

“I understand that. Believe me, I do. But that's not really a mindset that I'd recommend.” Slash sighed bitterly, Eleanor's words still fresh in his mind. “There's nothing wrong with duty, or with protecting the ones that you love, but...you're not going to find real happiness if you're just following someone else's orders. You have to follow your own path.”

Gardevoir blinked in surprise as she heard the human's words, so similar to the regretful thoughts that had gnawed at her when she believed that her death was imminent. [But they...they are my family. I am bound to serve them.]

Slash shook his head, thinking back to the last exchange that he had with his father. “A chain is still a chain, no matter who's holding the other end of it. But what you do with your life is your own business, Gardevoir, and I won't judge you for it. It's just...something to think about.”

Gardevoir stayed silent, frowning at his words. Just beyond the flimsy-looking barrier, the storm continued to ravage their surroundings, driving even the hardiest wild Pokemon into hiding. The human...and her own doubts...they had to be wrong. The Swords of Justice had awakened her mind and given her true sapience – they had freed her, not chained her! She no longer cowered in the night, creeping from shadow to shadow like some fearful animal. She served her saviors of her own free will, not out of mere obligation. This was the path that she had chosen, and she had no regrets!

(Until tonight,) Gardevoir realized with a start. Tonight, she had cowered. Tonight, she had felt like a thoughtless animal, trapped by her primitive fears. Tonight, she had nearly died...and not in the pursuit of her own ambitions, but solely to carry out the wishes of another. What would any of it have accomplished?

Duty and desire warred in Gardevoir's heart. [I...I don't know what to do,] she admitted quietly. What had previously been haughty defiance was now trembling uncertainty. [Please, I beg you to turn back. You saved my life tonight...and believe me, I won't forget that...but I just...I can't. I can't defy Cobalion, and I don't want to...have to fight you again. Can't you just return home? Please?]

“I don't want to fight you, either,” Slash admitted, “but I told you what I'm after. *Who* I'm after. Try to understand...the way that you feel about the Swords of Justice? It's the same way that I feel about Ellie. She's *my* family. I can't stop until I'm certain that she's safe.”

[If you really feel the same, then how can you ask me to back down? Aren't you just...chained to *her*, then, the same way that you say I'm chained to my family?]

Slash smiled, looking up at the rain sliding down the sides of their protective barrier. “Maybe so, I suppose. But it's less like a leash and more like we're...chained to the same weight, and helping each other pull it along. Me and Ellie are on the same path not out of mere duty or obligation, but because we happen to share the same dream.”

Gardevoir cocked her head, curious. [And just what *is* your dream, human?]

“It's...a long story.” He looked back down at her, his eyes shining and desperate. “Listen...a warrior has to follow their heart. If you truly wish to stop us from pursuing the Swords of Justice, then...do what you must. I won't blame you. But I'm asking you...begging you, even, if that will satisfy you...help me find Ellie, instead. Please.”

She frowned at Slash, stunned. [You...would actually beg a Pokemon for help, human?]

“If it means finding Ellie, then yes. Without hesitation.”

To Gardevoir's amazement, he actually dropped to one knee in front of her, his head bowed. She had only known this human for a short time, but she could sense enough of Slash's thoughts to know that he was not normally a kneeling man. It wasn't that his anger at the Swords of Justice had diminished; on the contrary, she could sense that he was still furious over the attack on Oldale, and he would still attempt to destroy them if they had hurt Eleanor. But he was still willing to kneel, humbled, if it meant finding his friend.

There was something else, too. From everything that Cobalion had told her, Gardevoir believed that most humans were capable of all sorts of...emotional manipulation. They were filled with low cunning that could border on outright sociopathy. And yet Slash had not even *mentioned* the obvious – he and his Pokemon had saved her life. Why wouldn't he try to call in that favor? Why not simply tell her that she owed them her service? Why not try to manipulate her sense of duty to serve their goals?

Gardevoir exhaled shakily. This human had called her honorable, even when she herself was uncertain of that...and she couldn't deny that he'd proven himself to be honorable, himself.

She would tell him the truth.

[Your friend...Eleanor...I saw her.]

Slash looked up at her, eyes wide with surprise.

[You saw me atop the city walls of Oldale earlier, did you not? I was not merely admiring the view. For the past several days, I have lurked on the walls, staying near the main gates and progging the humans entering and leaving your town. The Swords of Justice wanted me to be sure that Keldeo wasn't smuggled out of the city before their attack. And one of the humans that I saw leaving earlier today...was your friend.]

“What happened to her?” Slash asked, his voice tinged with fear. “Please, tell me.”

[I could sense great strength bound within the Pokeballs that she carried. I had to be sure that Keldeo wasn't one of her...servants...so I followed her for a while. You must understand, it is difficult for me to scan the inside of a Pokeball...and I also had to be cautious, as I did not wish for her Dark-type companion to notice my presence. Eventually I was able to satisfy myself that Keldeo was not among her Pokemon.]

She paused, looking down at the kneeling and frightened Slash. All of a sudden it seemed so foolish to have kept this from him. What had it achieved?

[It took nearly an hour to conclude my investigation...and thus she was well away from the city when I last saw her. She kept traveling west, staying on the road, unaware of the impending attack on Oldale. The Swords of Justice didn't arrive at the town until long after she was gone...and when they came, they approached from the northern wilds. Their paths never intersected with your friend's.]

He began to tremble. “You mean..she's safe? You're sure of it?”

[I can't tell you that for certain...I do not know how she fared through this storm, or whether or not she encountered any of the other dangers out here. But I can tell you that neither the Swords of Justice, nor myself, caused this Eleanor any harm. I have no proof, of course, but...if it matters to you...I give you my word.]

Slash inhaled sharply and looked up at the sky, a relieved grin forming on his face. His hands were shaking, and not from the cold. Those hands had been steady when he held a sword to a god's throat, but now they were shaking with excitement. The sickening tension that had been gripping his heart faded, and Gardevoir could sense his joy, strong and genuine. Again she wondered if this man was truly as bad as she had been told.

“I believe you, Gardevoir. After what we've been through tonight, I know that I can trust you.”

He suddenly leapt to his feet and hugged her once again, this time embracing her fully despite the shooting pain in his damaged left arm. At first she mewed in surprised protest and tried to pull away...but as the human's happiness washed over her, she ceased her struggling and was amazed to find herself actually embracing him back; apparently his joy was contagious. Froslass watched this display with faint amusement.

[I am truly sorry that I kept this from you, human,] Gardevoir whispered in his ear. [There was no point, and I have no excuse.]

Slash shook his head, grinning uncontrollably as he released her from his arms. Great danger still lay ahead of them, but right now he was too happy to care. “It's alright! And hey, I know that you and your friends hate humans...but as far as I'm concerned, you're a wonderful lady. Would you call me by my name?”

[I suppose that is...acceptable,] Gardevoir replied hesitantly. A thought occurred to her. [Slash...is that, um...a normal name, for a human?]

Froslass shot him a smirk. [It's a good thing that Eleanor isn't here for *this*, huh?]

Slash chuckled good-naturedly, but he didn't actually agree. He wouldn't mind if Eleanor laughed at him for the rest of his life, as long as she was safe. “That's not really important, okay?”

[Very well...Slash.] Gardevoir paused for a moment, and then added hastily, [and for the record, I...I don't hate humans. Even the Swords of Justice don't hate *all* humans, not...not really.] Her voice became quiet. [We just...hate what humans do to Pokemon, sometimes.]

The smile slowly faded from Slash's face. He had been a Protector for long enough to have seen some of the darker, crueler sides of the relationships between people and Pokemon. “I suppose that's fair. I just wish that we didn't have to come to blows over it.” He gave her a questioning look. “So, um...do you have a name?”

She looked at Slash with a hint of disdain, and answered in the dull, flat voice that is customary for responding to the immensely stupid. [...I am Gardevoir.]

“Yes, I know *that*, but...I mean, do you have a...you know, a personal name?”

[No. Should I?]

“Well, I guess you don't really *need* one,” Slash admitted. “My Arcanine and Froslass don't have names...but then again, I don't encounter many of their species around these parts. Arcanine aren't even native to Hoenn, and wild Froslass live far, far away from Oldale.” He paused, thinking that his next question was probably impolite...but he was too curious to not ask. “Hey, if there's a bunch of Gardevoir in one place, how do you tell each other apart? What if you just want to call out to one particular Gardevoir?”

[Wild Gardevoir are not normally gregarious creatures...but in the event that it was necessary, we can simply identify each other by our psychic signatures. Nobody else would hear my voice unless I expressly wished it. I could also speak to a few particular members of a larger group by creating a multibranched communications network and setting it to their specific mental frequencies, allowing for simultaneous telepathic linkage...assuming that they accepted my introductory contact prog, of course.]

“I...see. Well, uh...I suppose that makes more sense than throwing stuff at each other to get their attention.”

[That *does* sound like something humans would do,] Gardevoir replied, hoping that the human (Slash, she reminded herself) would realize that she was merely joking.

Slash smiled, thinking of Eleanor. “Sometimes.”

Gardevoir returned his smile, and suddenly she realized something surprising, almost shocking to her – she wanted to like this human. Perhaps she already did. She had been raised to think very poorly of their kind, particularly given some of what she had seen over the years (and the horror stories that the Swords of Justice had passed on to her). But this young man just seemed...different.

They had fought each other as enemies, and then fought side-by-side as allies. No, that was being charitable; she may have aided them in battle, but most of the fight involved Slash and his Pokemon protecting her, even at the risk of their own lives. She could still sense the buzzing pain in his chest from where she had struck him earlier, but despite that...he was smiling and talking with her like they were...friends. Even more strange were her own thoughts on the matter – he had nearly cleaved her in two with that sword of his, but she was surprised to find that she had no lingering anger or fear towards him. It was very peculiar.

Another realization came to her. When this human had been desperately searching for news about Eleanor, his heart had been draped in a dark cloak of hateful and furious anger; had his friend been slain, he would have thrown away his own life, and even the lives of his people, to avenge her. That was a savage attitude, undoubtedly so...and yet, as soon as he'd learned that his friend was safe, that violent cloak had vanished as though it had never been.

Perhaps this human was *capable* of being as bad as Cobalion had warned her...but Gardevoir didn't think that he really was. Reckless, yes, but not *bad*...and certainly not evil.

[Slash...you told me that you had two reasons for coming out here. Your friend is safe, so...what was the other reason?]

“To keep my promise,” Slash answered simply. “You want me to rescue Keldeo, don't you? Well, like I told your friends, I'll do everything I can to find him...but we have a small problem with that. I have no idea where to start looking. And judging from their aimless attack on Oldale, the Swords of Justice don't know where to look, either.”

Gardevoir blinked in confusion. [Of course they do, they tracked him to your city.]

“That's not good enough,” Slash replied, as kindly as he could. “Listen to me...Oldale might be small compared to the big cities, but it still has a population of nearly six *thousand* people, and I only know a small fraction of them. There are over a thousand homes. Hundreds of businesses. There are Pokemon everywhere, of all types and strengths. Even if the Protectors help me investigate, it would take weeks, maybe months to search every building in town...and even then, we can't be sure that Keldeo is still there. Oldale might be off the beaten path, but plenty of people still pass through. No matter how carefully you've been watching the gates, Gardevoir, you can't guarantee that whoever brought him into the city hasn't managed to smuggle him back out of it.”

She flashed him a challenging look. [Ever since Keldeo's disappearance, I have been using my powers to maintain a nearly constant watch over your city's three gates. Even if Keldeo's kidnapper had him imprisoned in a Pokeball, I would still be capable of detecting his mighty aura...he may only be a child, but he is still a Great One. Only your friend Eleanor and a handful of other trainers possessed Pokemon powerful enough to even warrant investigation. Keldeo is still somewhere within the city walls. I am certain of it.]

Slash sighed and shook his head in frustration. He highly doubted that this Gardevoir, or any of the Swords of Justice, truly understood how human-made technology worked, and that was a serious problem. There was no reason that a thief had to physically carry a stolen Pokemon out of town on foot; they could simply digitize the creature and upload it to the trainer network, allowing them (or an accomplice) to withdraw it from any Pokemon Center in Hoenn. That would risk the League discovering the transfer, of course...and while capturing a Great One wasn't technically illegal (not that Slash had ever heard of it actually happening), it would certainly attract attention – and raise some serious questions – if the transfer was detected. Slash highly doubted that the thief would risk using such a public method of smuggling their stolen Pokemon, but it wasn't a sure bet. Many criminals were stupid; he knew that better than most.

Of course, if the thief *was* clever, then they didn't have to use the network at all. They could simply store the Pokemon's data pattern in a personal computer or storage device instead, preventing any external access or monitoring by outside parties. This would allow them to hold the Pokemon almost indefinitely, or potentially transfer the physical drive through more private channels, such as simple mail.

But this method had some dangers of its own, and Slash was worried.

When a Pokemon's data was uploaded to the trainer network, there were certain safety precautions in place to prevent the pattern's disruption in the event of damage to the storage servers. The pattern would be copied no less than three times, with multiple copies stored in different servers across the country; as long as at least one copy was intact, then the Pokemon could be safely rematerialized, even if the original upload was deleted or destroyed. This redundancy was extremely effective; despite millions of Pokemon being regularly stored and transferred through the trainer networks every single day, all across the world, there had never – ever – been a single case of a Pokemon's data being lost in such a manner.

But for Pokemon stored on a personal device, those protections did not exist. If something happened to disrupt that lone data pattern, then the Pokemon would be lost forever, vanishing into nothingness and with no possibility of recovery.

The Swords of Justice had severely damaged Oldale's electrical network, disrupting the power supply to nearly all of the city. Many devices were doubtlessly damaged or destroyed by the sudden ebbs and surges of electricity as the power grid collapsed.

What would the Swords of Justice do if it turned out that they themselves had accidentally annihilated Keldeo from existence during their desperate rampage?

He considered trying to explain these worries to Gardevoir, but there was simply not enough time to give her a crash-course in data storage and network design. There was nothing that any of them could do about that possibility, anyway; either it had happened or it hadn't.

But if it wasn't the case, and Keldeo was alive and imprisoned somewhere in Oldale, then time was of the essence. The thief would very likely try to flee town before the Swords of Justice returned, and Slash couldn't stop them if he and his Pokemon were still mucking about in the woods. He could only hope that the same storm that had caused them such trouble would also prevent the thief's escape, or at least delay it.

“Gardevoir, can I ask a favor of you?”

[What is it?]

“I still need to speak with the Swords of Justice. I have to ask them some questions about Keldeo's disappearance if I'm going to have any chance of tracking him down. Can you lead us to them?”

Gardevoir stared at him, disbelieving and bewildered at the sheer recklessness of this young man. Did he truly not comprehend the situation that he was in? [I...I know where they are, yes...but Slash, bringing you there would be an *extraordinarily* bad idea! As I warned you, Cobalion commanded that nobody leave your town until this matter is resolved! If he finds out that his command was ignored – and by the same human who injured Virizion, no less! – he will kill you all! He might even kill me just for leading you to them!]

Slash's eyes widened in shock. Even Froslass was stunned. “Kill *you*? Are you serious? After you risked your life to obey their orders? You said that they were your friends! Your family!”

[I may be part of their pack, but...I don't think you grasp just how furious Cobalion is right now! Virizion is his *mate*, Slash! And you and your Pokemon not only injured her, but you also personally threatened to kill her – and right to his face, no less! You managed to simultaneously disrupt their plans, endanger his mate, and challenge his dominance in front of his own pack! He despises you! And if he finds out that I have been helping you in any way, let alone guiding you to them instead of slaying you...my own life will be forfeit, as well.]

Gardevoir shivered violently, remembering just how utterly enraged Cobalion had been when she last saw him. Normally he was full of cool composure, a methodical and tactical creature, but...tonight...he had been almost breathlessly violent. Several wild Pokemon had approached the Swords of Justice as they limped away from Oldale, drawn by the scent of Virizion's blood...and while Cobalion normally scared away his wild kin through simple intimidation, tonight he had turned his full fury upon any beast foolish enough to flash its fangs at him.

And when Cobalion had commanded her to guard their backtrail, it had been without even a hint of concern for her well-being. He knew that she was helpless against the Dark-type predators out here, but in his haze of hatred and fury, he had either forgotten...or simply not cared. Gardevoir's heart ached at that realization...and at the realization that while she may have been part of Cobalion's *pack*, she certainly wasn't a part of their family. As an acolyte, she was more of a servant than kin.

(How is that any different from how humans treat their Pokemon?), part of her mind whispered. (You're not a daughter to them...you're a tool. Nothing more. You were right...what you've risked for them...it was all for nothing.)

Gardevoir swallowed nervously. Even if that was the case, this wasn't the time to be thinking about it. She could reconsider her life choices later. What mattered right now was protecting Slash and his Pokemon from being killed by Cobalion's fury.

[I am not sure how it works for humans, but for Pokemon...attacking someone's mate is a death sentence, whether it's 'justified' or not. You must understand, the fact that Cobalion ceased his attack and left your town without further bloodshed...it was an almost unfathomable act of mercy on his part. But Slash, please believe me when I say that he will revoke that mercy at the first sight of you! He will kill you without hesitation, promise be damned!]

“So, you're telling me that he's so consumed with hatred for me that he'd break his oath and kill me on the spot? Despite me *swearing* to find his child? Despite *knowing* that my death would absolutely result in a disastrous war between them and the trainers of Oldale, virtually *guaranteeing* that his son would be killed in the crossfire?” Slash shook his head in disgust. “Some leader he is.”

Gardevoir tilted her head in confusion, and her next question was legitimately curious. [How is that any different from you storming out here in search of your friend? If she *had* been killed, would you not have attempted the same thing?]

Slash scoffed, opening his mouth to tell her how foolish such a comparison was...and then he fell silent, abashed. He had absolutely no rebuttal to Gardevoir's question. He heard his father's voice echoing in his mind, chiding and disgusted.

(You can either do your duty and work to ensure that nobody else in Oldale has to die over some idiot kidnapping the child of a god...or you can throw everything away – including your own honor – and get thousands of people killed over pointless vengeance.)

He didn't regret resigning as a Protector (even if it had been more abrupt than he would have liked), nor did he regret coming out here in search of Eleanor...but he did regret ignoring his father's wisdom and letting his bloodlust overwhelm his reason. His foolish anger had nearly gotten him and his Pokemon killed...and if they died out here, and Slash's promise to find Keldeo went unfulfilled, what would happen to Oldale? For that matter, what would happen to his small family? His mother and father would die. Naomi would die. Even his great-grandmother, as powerful as she was, would likely die.

He was suddenly glad that he had resigned; if he hadn't turned in his badge, then he'd certainly deserve to have it stripped from him now. His father was right. What kind of Protector would endanger their city for some personal vendetta? It was unworthy of his training. He was no better of a leader than Cobalion was.

Perhaps he was no longer a Protector...but he was still bound to do the right thing. The people of Oldale were, for now at least, *still his people*; before he could consider himself truly free to walk his own path, he had to serve them this one last time.

This was his final case as a Protector – in spirit if not in actual occupation – and he could not endanger it with his short temper and reckless behavior.

Slash lowered his head, lingering drops of water still falling from his hair, and crossed his right arm over his chest. Gardevoir watched this display with confusion and a bit of alarm; she was not human, but she recognized a gesture of submission when she saw one.

“You...you're right, of course. I've behaved in a manner unbefitting of my station, and I have no excuse. My poor decisions have endangered my friends, my family, and my people...and what's more, Gardevoir, you were caught up in it, despite playing no part in the attack on Oldale. You were nearly killed because of my foolishness. I humbly apologize and ask for your pardon.” He paused, swallowed, and then quietly added, “I should have told my father the same thing.”

[Stop this,] Gardevoir implored, almost frightened at how strongly sincere his words were. His mind was open and unguarded; without even actively progging him, she could sense his shame and remorse, as clear as day. [You lead your friends into battle, do you not? You may be a human, but you are still the leader of your pack...and a leader should not bow his head so easily.]

“A leader who refuses to admit a mistake is a poor one,” Slash responded bitterly, his head still down. Gardevoir's eyes widened at that remark – had Cobalion ever admitted to a mistake? “Will you give me pardon?”

[I don't think that you really need to seek forgiveness from...someone like me. I'm the one who attacked *you*, remember?]

“You were only trying to do the right thing.”

[And so were you,] Gardevoir replied softly, suddenly filled with shame. Cobalion *had* been wrong about this human. He was not an evil man, and in fact truly seemed to be a good one. No matter what her reasons had been, she had almost killed a well-meaning and kindhearted man. It hurt to admit that; she had always considered herself to be fighting for the right side, but now she felt completely unsure as to whether a 'right side' even existed. [I suppose that all of us share some guilt in this. But...if it will ease your heart...then yes, Slash, I forgive you.] She hesitated for a moment, and then asked in a stilted, nervous voice: [Can you forgive me, as well? For hurting you and your friends?]

He raised his head and gave her a warm smile, and it was suddenly very difficult to believe that they had ever come to blows. “Of course. Thank you, Gardevoir. I'm very sorry that things turned out the way they have...and I know that the hardest times are likely yet to come...but at the very least, I'm glad that it gave me the chance to meet you.”

Gardevoir could feel herself faintly blushing at those words, and hoped that it was too dark for any of them to notice. She had never expected for any human to make her feel this way, and it was a bit hard to accept. She knew how strongly her species was capable of bonding with a human, of course...but a Gardevoir like herself, who had reached adulthood in the wilds instead of being raised by a trainer, almost never developed such a strong connection with people.

Part of her didn't want a human's kindness to influence her emotions in this manner; she had been raised by the Swords of Justice, after all, and knew firsthand just how horrible some humans could be. Part of her wanted to blame her biology for the strange connection that she was developing with this human, thinking of it as nothing more than a crossed wire in her mind, something that could eventually be corrected. It was just the base and feral part of her instincts, and nothing more.

But that wasn't the case, of course. She may have disliked the term, but Slash was correct – she *was* 'uplifted', and that meant that she couldn't just blame biology or primitive instincts for how she behaved. She had a choice; this was all on her. And while these feelings of happiness at a human's words were certainly unusual and unexpected...she had to admit that she could not find a logical excuse to fight them.

[Slash...I'll do it. I will lead you to the Swords of Justice.]

He looked at Gardevoir with real concern. “Listen, I appreciate the offer, but if you're right about Cobalion...if he really would hurt you just for helping me...then I don't want to put you in danger. I've done that enough tonight.”

[I won't lie to you...this would be very dangerous for all of us. I may be a member of their pack, but...I'm not truly family.] Her heart sank as she spoke those words aloud, because she was now certain that it was the truth. [If Cobalion feels that I have endangered his mate by bringing you to them, he will indeed attempt to kill us all.]

“Then why – ”

[You saved my life, Slash. You didn't have to. You had good reason not to, in fact. But you did...you and your Pokemon bled for me...and I want to repay you for your kindness.]

“I didn't save your life to use it as a bargaining chip,” Slash said earnestly. “And I certainly didn't save it just so you could throw it away. You don't owe me anything.”

Gardevoir flashed him a genuine smile; she had just given him a small test, and he had passed it. [Perhaps not. But, Slash...you said that what I do with my life is my own business, correct? If that's the case, and I'm free to choose...then I choose to help you.]

“And what if they attack us?”

[I will do everything I can to prevent that from happening...and if I fail, then I will do everything I can to protect you. I may not have enough power left to fight, but...I can still be your shield.]

Froslass tapped Slash on the shoulder and smiled. [Then I guess I'll be your sword, master. Don't worry. We've got this.]

“Thank you. Both of you. Oh! Speaking of my sword, where's my Peacekeeper? I hope that I won't need it again tonight, but with the way our luck's been going, I probably will.”

Froslass and Gardevoir exchanged a guilty look.

[...the, um, the last time I saw it...] [It might have been near the alphas...]

Slash raised a concerned eyebrow. “Froslass, didn't you have it last?”

[I, um...yes.]

She pulled out something from her dress, gingerly placed it in Slash's hand, and then slowly backed away. He looked down, expressionless, at the sword-handle in his palm. He was rather confused, because there should have been roughly three feet of steel attached to it.

“What.”

[It broke right after we supercharged it,] Froslass explained quietly. [I guess the blade wasn't meant to get *that* cold, because it just...snapped right off. At least it lasted long enough to kill those alphas.]

“It broke after we...what?” Slash's eyes were wide, darting between the two Pokemon. His teeth were clenched in a wide and mirthless grimace. Gardevoir didn't need to actively prog Slash to detect a strong sense of panic in his thoughts.

[After you had Gardevoir throw the sword through my heart to supercharge its aura.]

“I apologize for repeating myself, but...*what*?!”

[Wasn't that your whole plan?] Froslass asked, confused. [Combining the Peacekeeper's Ice Mode with my magic to supercharge it? The blade was glowing like something pulled from a god's forge!]

“I...have...no idea...what you're talking about!” Slash laughed breathlessly. “I just wanted Gardevoir to throw the sword at the Mightyena, and use your body's intangibility to surprise the bastard and make sure that it hit! But you're telling me that the sword did *WHAT*?”

[I am not certain how this weapon functions,] Gardevoir replied cautiously, [but it appears that...whatever mechanism generates ice magic around the blade...it entered a state of extreme magical resonance when it passed through the quasi-spatial region of Froslass' non-corporeal ice-heart. The aura of ice magic increased in strength by at least an order of magnitude, regardless of the technology's actual limitations...but the rapid temperature shift seems to have badly embrittled the metal, and...]

[And we done broke your sword,] Froslass finished bluntly, secretly wishing Eleanor was around to see this. She'd have found it hilarious. [Sorry, master. But hey, it was a happy accident, right?]

Slash wandered a few steps away, briefly stepping out of the barrier and getting drenched before walking back inside of it, vigorously running his fingers through his hair. He barely seemed to notice his savaged left arm or the numerous bloody punctures in his legs. “Oh, no...oh, gods, I am in big trouble.”

[I know that you are worried about your safety,] Gardevoir said gently, [but I promise you that both Froslass and myself will do everything in our power to protect you from harm.]

“That's not what I'm worried about. Oh, fucking...fuck!”

[What is the matter?]

He flashed Gardevoir another panic-gripped grin. “The problem is that, before I left Oldale Town, I resigned as a Protector. Turned in my badge and all that. And I was *supposed* to leave the sword behind, too!”

[Is it not your sword, then?]

“No, it's not.” Slash let out a brief, wild laugh. “Well, no, it *wasn't* my sword, gotta use the past tense now! No, a Protector is just the *custodian* of their Peacekeeper...the swords themselves are League property. It's one thing for a Protector's sword to get damaged or destroyed in the course of their duties, the League covers the repair costs...but the moment I resigned, I became a private citizen. That means I'm on the hook for the repairs...well, replacement in this case!...and these swords are just...a *little* bit expensive.”

Froslass winced. [How expensive, exactly?]

“Oh, about two...maybe three...million. But it's cool, though! I make that much money in just...a year or two! Well,” he corrected with joyless laughter, “I *used* to make that much, back when I still had a job! Guess that's another problem to worry about!”

[You were...truly unaware of the magical resonance effect?] Gardevoir asked, still a bit incredulous. [You are not joking about that?]

“Nope, I was *completely* unaware of it. And even if I knew that the sword *could* do that, I wouldn't have intentionally broken it just to...” Slash trailed off, his near-hysteria lessening as he looked at the two cringing Pokemon standing in front of him. He exhaled harshly and gave them both a more genuine smile. “Well, on second thought, I'm not sure how we would have gotten out of that fight if it weren't for that...happy accident. I guess that it all worked out for the best...you're both safe, and that's what matters.”

Slash held the broken hilt up to the light of his Pokenav and let out a mournful sigh. This weapon had seen him through six years of service as a Protector, and through more combat than he could remember. It had saved his life on multiple occasions; the lives of his Pokemon, as well, along with a great many innocent people in need of rescue. But still, he supposed that this was a fitting end for the blade – if he was truly going to end his career as a Protector, then it was only appropriate that his weapon should be laid to rest, as well.

But damned if he knew what he was going to tell his father – or the other Protectors – when he returned to Oldale. And damned if he knew how he was going to pay for it.

Slash spotted the severed blade laying nearby and went to retrieve it, with Gardevoir following closely behind to prevent him from leaving the protective psychic bubble. He pried the steel from the icy mud, wiped it on his shirt with a somber frown, and dropped the broken blade into the sheath on his back. Perhaps he would be in less trouble if he could at least return the pieces of the weapon. He dropped the hilt into one of the pocket-pouches of his pants and snapped it closed.

Oh, how he hated this. He hated being unarmed, without even a utility knife on his belt. The vast majority of trainers had no problem with standing aside and letting their Pokemon do all of the fighting; even Protectors generally reserved their Peacekeepers for subduing human lawbreakers, and only wielded them against hostile Pokemon as a last resort. Slash, however, had studied under his great-grandmother's strong-minded tutelage, and he found such an attitude to be cowardly. A trainer's Pokemon was neither a possession nor a servant; they were a trainer's friend and war-companion. They were meant to be a trainer's equal, perhaps commanded but not lessened.

Despite Slash's protests, both of his Pokemon still occasionally referred to him as 'master', something that he was uncomfortable with and had only grudgingly come to accept over the years. They obeyed him, fought for him...they had nearly died for him on multiple occasions. The least that he could do was to fight alongside them, sharing in the risks and the danger. How could he stand alongside them and call them his friends if he wasn't willing to do that?

Of course, it wasn't just a matter of honor, but also a matter of personal strength. If he was truly hoping to become Champion of Hoenn someday, and to reign as a just and deserving ruler, then he had to be both willing and capable of fighting his own battles. Hiding behind his Pokemon wasn't just cowardly; it was weak, and it was unworthy of any true leader – so he had been taught, and so he sincerely believed.

But now, it seemed, his options were limited. While he had been extensively trained in hand-to-hand techniques as part of his Protector duties, those skills were geared almost exclusively towards human opponents. Against a Pokemon, even a relatively weak one, he would have very little chance in unarmed combat. Until he could find another weapon – assuming that he wasn't arrested for destruction of League property upon returning to Oldale – he had little choice but to let the ladies do the fighting. It may have felt inherently cowardly (and it may have hurt his stubborn and foolish male pride), but Slash was well aware that both Froslass and Gardevoir were far stronger than he could ever hope to be, whether he was armed or not.

“How far are the Swords of Justice from here, Gardevoir?”

[Only another mile or two,] she replied slowly, eyeing him up and down. [But Slash...can you really travel with your injuries? You've lost a lot of blood...]

“I'll be alright. Don't worry about me.”

Froslass scoffed and brought her displeased face mere inches from Slash's. It was a look that he knew well, because Froslass had been giving it to him for years – when Eleanor had to return home to Kanto, she'd entrusted Froslass with taking over her role of 'keeping Slash from doing stupid shit'. She occasionally even succeeded. [Don't you give us that tough-guy attitude, master. In these conditions, with rain and dirt and who knows what else flying around everywhere, those wounds will get infected in no time! They probably already *are* infected...you know that there's few things dirtier than a feral Mightyena's mouth! We need to treat those injuries as soon as possible!]

Gardevoir nodded in agreement. [Froslass is right, Slash, you can't keep going like this. We should return to your town...your people can tend to your wounds, and we can all get some rest. Tomorrow we'll head back out here, okay? We'll still have more than two days to find Keldeo, and maybe the storm will have weakened by tomorrow. At the very least, it'll be easier to travel in the daylight...]

Slash remained silent. He didn't want to admit the truth – that while he wasn't sure if he could keep going until they reached the Swords of Justice, he *was* sure that he had no chance of traveling all the way back to Oldale in this condition. His left arm felt like it was on fire, and he was reasonably sure that his wrist was broken. The numerous bites on his legs, along with other scratches and punctures on his body, throbbed with sickly heat despite being drenched in chilling rain. On top of that, his throat was still bruised and swollen, and his chest ached from the pinpoint strike that Gardevoir had inflicted during their brief battle.

He checked his Pokenav for the time and was surprised to see that it was only a few minutes past eight. The early darkness brought by the stormy sky, along with his own physical exhaustion, had thrown his sense of time entirely out of whack. Slash realized that he hadn't slept in almost eighteen hours...and whether he returned to Oldale now or later, it would mean at least two more hours of travel. Even if he was healthy and uninjured, he'd be pushing the limits of his endurance. But in this state...

“We're so close,” Slash grumbled. “It'd be a waste to turn back now. Let's push on, okay?”

Froslass sighed irritably. Even if her stubborn trainer wouldn't admit it, she could see the truth in his exhausted and pained eyes. [Gardevoir, can you do anything for him? I've seen battles where others of your kind used powerful healing abilities on themselves and their allies. Are you able to use such magic?]

Gardevoir, sensing Slash's embarrassment over his perceived weakness, gave him a sympathetic smile and rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. [I'm afraid not. I was orphaned at too young of an age to learn anything from other Gardevoir, and the Swords of Justice preferred to teach me more...combat-oriented abilities instead of supportive techniques. And even if I possessed those powers...from what little I admittedly understand about how they work, I believe that they are much less effective on humans than they are on other Pokemon. Still...perhaps I can do...something...]

She raised a hand, glowing with bright blue light, and surveyed the edges of the clearing. The storm continued to whip and tear at the bushes and trees around them, but thankfully there were no signs of any other hostile Pokemon. Or any Pokemon at all, for that matter – the previous liveliness of the night had been utterly quashed by the ferocity of the storm. It wasn't Pokemon that she was looking for, however.

[Aha!]

Gardevoir used her telekinesis to pluck a handful of small seeds from the branches of a nearby shrub. She brought them within the psychic bubble, holding them up to her palmful of light, and nodded at Slash. [Oran berries. They have minor but non-trivial healing properties.]

“Yeah, I know what they are,” Slash said with a tired smile. “But I'm not a Pokemon, so I doubt that eating them is going to help me very much.”

[You're not going to be eating them. Just wait.]

As Gardevoir began surveying the area once more, Froslass leaned over and whispered into her trainer's ear. [Maybe it's a suppository.]

Slash shot her an unamused glance. As much as he loved Eleanor, he had to admit that she wasn't the best influence on his Pokemon.

Gardevoir pulled another handful of berries from the felled pecha tree, keeping a wary distance from the impaled Mightyena despite being certain that it was dead. She had never expected to survive an encounter with a pack of these beasts, let alone personally slay one in battle. It was only due to Slash and his Pokemon that she had managed to overcome her fear and realize an indirect (but very effective) means of fighting a Dark-type opponent. Regardless of how Slash felt about the matter, she owed him her life...and perhaps she could begin repaying that debt immediately.

With a wave of her hands, Gardevoir brought the oran and pecha berries together and trapped them, along with some rainwater, within a small psychic bubble. She then crushed the berries with her telekinesis and spun the mixture until it became a thick reddish paste, seemingly floating in an invisible bowl.

[I need you to remove your clothing,] Gardevoir instructed. Her face rapidly flushed as the awkwardness of that command suddenly occurred to her. Thankfully Slash did not seem to notice...although Froslass did seem slightly amused at her embarrassment. [Your shirt, that is what I meant. I can provide some very basic treatment of your injuries.]

“With that?” Slash asked warily, eyeing the viscous mixture hovering by Gardevoir's hand. “Uh...no disrespect intended...but I'm not sure that rubbing berry-goop in open wounds is medically sound advice.”

[This mixture is regularly used by the Swords of Justice to treat minor injuries. The actual healing effect is small, even for Pokemon...and for a human, it will likely be negligible at best...but its main purpose is to hasten the sealing of wounds while also fighting off surface-level infections. It should be sufficient to get you to the Swords of Justice and back home again afterward.] Seeing his obvious reluctance, Gardevoir took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. [I have used this treatment on myself on occasion, and I promise you that it works. I know that I've given you reason to distrust me, but...]

“It's alright,” Slash interrupted, giving her a tired smile. “All is forgiven, remember? I trust you. If it's good enough for you, then I'm willing to give it a try.”

He went about removing his coat and shirt, wincing painfully as the fabric pulled over his bleeding wounds. As he hung his clothes on the branches of the felled pecha tree, he realized that Gardevoir was staring at him with barely-concealed shock...and that it wasn't the recent injuries that had gotten her attention. Her voice was a frail whisper.

[Slash...what...what in the world happened to you?]

Slash knew, without asking, what she was referring to. His left shoulder was a twisted mess of scar tissue, stretching from his upper back and going around to his chest. The injury was several years old, but it still looked terrible. He had believed that he'd come to terms with how bad it looked...but now, with this Gardevoir staring in stunned horror, he found himself feeling self-conscious about it once again. Even Froslass was disturbed, despite having seen it many times before.

“Today wasn't the first time that I had a close encounter with a Mightyena,” Slash explained softly. “A few years ago, I was trying to arrest a...very bad man. You're better off not knowing the details, trust me...but it involved the deaths of several people, and the imminent deaths of several more if I couldn't stop him. I couldn't risk him getting away, so instead of waiting for backup, I tried to arrest him on my own. I made a rookie mistake...I didn't clear the other rooms of the building before trying to cuff him...and it turned out that he had a Mightyena in the house. It jumped me while I was completely off-guard. I didn't even have a chance to draw my sword. And it did...this.”

Gardevoir just stared back at him, frankly amazed that Slash could have even survived such a ferocious attack. This wasn't just some flesh-wound surface mauling; it looked as though the creature had nearly ripped his arm off. [How did you get away?]

“I managed to get Arcanine out of his Pokeball and he pulled the thing off of me. He killed it, along with the bastard who owned it. He shouldn't have done that, not really, the guy was cuffed and helpless...but when Arcanine saw what had been done to me...well, I'm not the only one with a short fuse when it comes to friends being hurt.”

Slash fell quiet for a moment, hoping that Gardevoir couldn't read his memories or sense what thoughts were flowing through his head right now. He'd only given her the most basic and bare-bone description of what had happened that day. There had been terror, unfettered and unflattering. There had been so much pain, so much blood. He had panicked blindly, forgetting all of his training, screaming in agony and fear as the beast tore into him, biting and crushing and tearing. He had been utterly helpless, unable to pry the Mightyena off of him, feeling parts of himself being broken and severed, inside and out. There was no unconsciousness or shock to dull the experience of it...and while that may have saved his life, that clarity of memory was not something that he was very thankful for.

Gardevoir's assessment hadn't been far off the mark – Slash's arm was, in fact, nearly torn off, and it had taken several surgeries to get him back into mostly-working order. Even now, years later, his left arm wasn't as strong as it used to be; the lingering nerve damage would hinder him until the day he died. He had mostly learned how to compensate for it, both in his daily life and with his swordsmanship, but he was still permanently...diminished. For the rest of his life he would have to bear the scars of that day, both mental and physical.

Although right now, it was the latter and literal scarring that was bothering him the most. He had been raised to believe that a scar was the mark of a warrior, something to be proud of...but this was no minor cut across the cheek, some mostly-cosmetic wound serving to show just how badass he was. It was a ugly and ghastly thing. If there was anything to be thankful for, it was that the injury had happened *after* he'd broken contact with Eleanor. She hadn't even heard about the incident, let alone seen the scars, and Slash didn't intend to change that state of affairs if he could help it. He didn't want to see fear or pity in Ellie's eyes. He didn't like seeing it in Gardevoir's, either.

“I'm sorry if this...scares you,” Slash said in a low, embarrassed voice. “I know that it's...pretty bad. I should have warned you.”

[Don't be ashamed, Slash,] Froslass said gently, forcing herself to look him in the eye. [You saved quite a few lives by stopping that bastard. Everyone was very grateful for it, remember? They've never forgotten what you did for them. You were their hero.]

“I know, they were very kind to me about it,” Slash answered, “and I'm very glad that I could save them. But...it's just...” He sighed, smiling painfully. “They're not the ones who have to see it in the mirror every day.”

Gardevoir tentatively stepped forward, still silent, and slowly reached out to touch the thick scar tissue. Her touch was feather-light, as though she were worried that it would cause pain in the years-old wound. [You were hurt like this...while protecting strangers? Not even family or friends, but people who you didn't even know?]

“That's part of the job, yeah. An occupational hazard for being a Protector.”

[And...after you recovered from the attack...you continued to be one of those Protectors, correct? Despite nearly losing your life protecting those people? Despite having such a horrific experience?]

“Yeah, I did.”

[Do you...regret it?]

Slash looked down, contemplating the question, and then firmly shook his head. “I regret being injured. There were probably a hundred ways that I could have arrested the guy without getting mauled in the process, but it's all just...useless hindsight at this point. But if you're asking if I regret getting involved...well, if I could go back in time and stop myself from going to work that day, I don't think I would. Not if it meant letting those people get killed.” He sighed, looking to his shoulder and cringing. “I just wish that...it didn't have to be so...hideous.”

Gardevoir slowly ran her hand down the length of the scarring, tracing it down his chest with incredible softness. She locked eyes with Slash, and despite his urge to look away in embarrassment, she managed to hold his gaze. Her initial shock had been replaced with sympathy – not pity – and amazement at what he had gone through. That he had done it for strangers was still astounding to her; she had not truly believed that humans were capable of such selflessness.

[There's nothing hideous about being injured in the course of your duties, Slash. I am sorry that you had to go through such a terrible thing, but...I greatly admire your courage.]

“Courage?” Slash asked, smiling bitterly. “I wish that you were right, Gardevoir, but you're not. If you had been there that day, if you could have peered into my emotions when I was attacked, then you would have seen...the exact opposite of bravery. I was a...frightened, panicking mess. I appreciate what you're trying to do...really, I do...but how can you possibly call it courage?”

[Because you kept doing it,] Gardevoir replied simply, taking her hand from the scar and lightly brushing Slash's cheek. [Despite being hurt, despite being afraid, you didn't let it stop you from being a Protector. You kept on trying to help people because you thought it was the right thing to do. That's what I'd consider true courage.]

His eyes dropped for a moment, and Gardevoir could feel him trembling slightly under her touch. Then Slash raised his gaze again, giving her a look of such kindness that made her own heart quiver. “I guess you're courageous, too, then,” he said seriously, “because you're doing the same thing to help us. Thank you, Gardevoir...for everything. No matter how things go tonight, I'm glad that you're with us.”

[I...um...you're very welcome.] She removed her hand from Slash's face, blushing faintly. Her, courageous? She would never have considered herself as such, especially given how frightened she had been earlier this night...but somehow, when Slash was the one saying it, Gardevoir found it just a little easier to believe. [We should...get started on treating your wounds.]

“Sure. Like I said before, I trust you.” Slash meant it. Gardevoir was the first person to ever look at his scars and not be frightened away. She had initially been shocked, yes, but...for her to actually touch them, and without disgust? And to say the things that she had said to him? How could he not trust her? “Do whatever you've gotta do.”

Slash sat down on the fallen pecha tree's trunk, exhaling with harsh relief as the weight was finally removed from his weary legs. Gardevoir gently held out Slash's left arm, the one that he'd shoved down a Mightyena's throat, and lightly ran her fingers along the length of the battered limb. The wrist was badly bruised and swollen, and very likely broken. There was little that she could do about that, but at the very least she could treat the jagged lacerations in his forearm, cut into his flesh by the beast's teeth. They were still oozing blood; worse, the skin around them was red and throbbing, the telltale signs of infection. She took a dab of the berry mixture and began delicately rubbing it over the open wounds, gently but firmly holding Slash steady as he winced at the sudden painful contact.

[This won't cure a deeper infection,] Gardevoir explained as she worked, [but it will greatly reduce the chances of any further infection from setting in. When you return home to your people, you will still need to seek medical treatment from them. Pokemon remedies rarely work for humans.]

“I...ow!...I understand. Damn, that really stings...”

[I'm sorry, but...]

“Yeah, I know, good medicine usually does. I'll try to stay still.”

[Thank you. I'll try to finish quickly.] Gardevoir finished with Slash's arm and moved onto his back. It wasn't nearly as damaged as the rest of him, but it was still crisscrossed with bleeding scratches that couldn't be left untreated. As she took another handful of the berry mixture and began spreading it over his wounds, Gardevoir was dismayed to find that her cheeks were still hot, despite the night's wintery chill. He was a human, yes, but she had never been this close to *any* male before, let alone in such an...intimate context. Slash's back was strong and well-muscled, a result of his dedication to the sword. Even marred by the terrible scars, he was still rather...

Gardevoir shook her head, trying to throw off these unwanted thoughts. She was deeply grateful that Slash didn't seem to have any psychic awareness of his own, because the thought of him reading her mind at this particular moment was...deeply distressing. It didn't actually mean anything, she insisted to herself...it was just her own lingering feral instincts, unwanted and unneeded in an uplifted warrior. She was nearly seven years old now, quite mature for a species that rarely lived beyond twenty, and most wild Gardevoir her age would have been mated for several years now...but that didn't mean that she had to get all hot and bothered over touching a male. Let alone for a human, no matter how kindhearted (and strong, and brave, and attractive, her mind added unhelpfully) that he might be!

For a moment she considered asking Froslass to finish the treatment...but part of her rose up in vocal protest at the thought of another female touching him like this.

Not good. Not good at all.

(This is ridiculous,) Gardevoir thought to herself. (Maybe I really *do* just need to get...)

[Done,] she said stiffly, walking around Slash to examine the rest of him. His chest was mostly unmarked, and that was a relief. The thought of touching him there (with him able to look her straight in the eye the whole time) made her shiver with hot embarrassment and...something else. Instead she took his right arm and began dabbing her homemade medicine on the wounds there, trying to ignore the strong muscles shifting beneath her touch. Gardevoir frowned and tried to concentrate. Slash was a right-handed swordsman, so of course his dominant arm would be strong (although Eleanor might have made a different joke about his exercise regimen). There was no need to let her thoughts drift on the matter!

She stepped away, and Slash looked over his injured arms with faint amazement. The wounds were not truly healed, but they had almost immediately scabbed over, and even the deepest punctures were no longer bleeding. Some of the hot and pulsing pain in his arms had faded, as well.

“This is...incredible,” Slash said to himself, marveling at how much better he felt. He looked to Gardevoir and nodded gratefully, completely unaware of the conflicted thoughts that had been plaguing her during the treatment. “I have to admit, I didn't think too highly of your, uh, home remedy at first...but this stuff clearly has some potent hemostatic and antibiotic properties.”

[Just remember that the deeper wounds aren't actually healed,] Gardevoir said seriously. [This only takes care of some of the surface damage, and even then, it's not magic or anything. Don't push yourself too hard, or you'll risk reopening the wounds. There are plenty of pecha trees around here, but oran berries are a lot less common, especially at this time of year...I can't guarantee that we'll find more before we reach the Swords of Justice.]

“I'll be careful, don't worry...but still, wow! I really need to start studying herbology again...we were taught about it in the Academy, but when you don't use a skill for eight years, it all kinda fades away, you know?”

[I was not aware that your trainer schools taught...things other than controlling Pokemon.]

“Oh yeah, it's not just trainer stuff. Kids who go to the Academy instead of civilian schooling still have to learn the basics...math, science, history, all of that. It's just that a lot of that knowledge starts to decay if you don't use it regularly. I actually used to speak decent Kalosian back in my Academy days, but now I've forgotten pretty much everything but the insults.”

[What is that? Kalosian?]

“Kalos is another country...one that's far, far away from here. Kalosian is the main language that they speak over there. I had to study it at the Academy.”

[Why?]

Slash shrugged. “That's actually a very good question. I mean, some trainers might travel to Kalos someday, but the vast majority of them won't. To be honest, the only reason that I studied it is because I was required to. Some skills are more useful in life than others.” He considered. “But hey, if we ever need to tell a Kalosian to go fuck himself...don't worry, I've got us covered.”

Gardevoir stifled a bemused laugh, again amazed that this human could keep making her smile in spite of their dire situation. Her curiosity was by no means sated – she wanted to know more about Slash. How he had been raised, how he had been trained...and most of all, what had made him into the kind of person who would, without hesitation, risk his life to help someone like her. It was brave enough for him to fight to protect her...but now that she had seen his scars and heard the story behind the terrible injury, her admiration had become outright fascination. Slash had known, firsthand, what would happen if a Mightyena closed its jaws around him...but it hadn't even slowed him down! She, on the other hand, had frozen in terror at the sight of them, momentarily shut down by her childhood memories of such beasts.

She wanted to get to know him better. She wanted to know what his dreams were, and what path his ambitions were leading him down. And, for the first time in her life, she found herself wondering...just what she would do if she left the Swords of Justice? Where would she go? Was there somebody out there that she could share her own dreams with?

Had she already found the answers to those questions?

Shaking off her thoughts, Gardevoir looked down at Slash's tattered jeans, and the blood visible from behind the gashes in the fabric. [Your legs are also quite badly injured. I'll need to treat those, as well.]

Slash was about to agree when a mental image suddenly flashed through his mind – Gardevoir kneeling between his legs, her bright eyes looking up at him, her hands moving up and down his skin. He shivered at these unexpected thoughts, chastising himself for having them and desperately hoping that her psychic powers weren't able to detect them. As brutal as this day had been, and as dangerous as it promised to still become, Slash was legitimately delighted to have met this brave little Gardevoir. He hadn't felt a friendship form so quickly and naturally since he met Eleanor all those years ago. The last thing that he wanted to do was to scare her off with such inappropriate thoughts.

“I, um...I can reach these ones easily enough. Just pass me the...bowl?...and I'll take care of it.”

Gardevoir wordlessly levitated the small barrier-bound container of berries to Slash. She was curious as to the source of his sudden embarrassment and discomfort...but while she could easily read his mind if she wanted to, she refused to intrude upon his private thoughts again. He'd clearly been disturbed by her doing it before, and she didn't want to upset him, no matter how natural such progging was to a Gardevoir.

“Damn.”

[What is it?]

“My jeans are in the way, and the fabric is too tight...it's going to rub against the wounds and re-open them while I walk. I guess I can...ugh, this is going to look dumb as hell...”

Slash reached over his shoulder and pulled the broken blade of his Peacekeeper from its sheath. He then began to carefully cut through the legs of his jeans, slicing the fabric in a circle just above his knees, leaving him with a detached sleeve of denim on each leg. He then cut through each sleeve vertically, allowing him to peel the sleeves from his legs without further aggravating the wounds beneath them. He looked down at himself and frowned, more due to the absurdity of his appearance than the injuries themselves. He'd effectively turned his jeans into shorts, and...

“I look stupid.”

Gardevoir shook her head insistently. [Not at all! This is a quite sensible way of dealing with such wounds...]

[Gonna have to disagree with her,] Froslass interjected. [Honesty is the best policy. You *do* look stupid, Slash.]

Slash gave Froslass a disapproving smirk, but Gardevoir sensed no legitimate anger from him...if anything, her comment had seemed to reduce his tension. Again she was surprised – she would not have expected a trainer to tolerate such disrespect from one of his Pokemon, even if only in jest.

[May I ask you a question?]

“Sure.”

[How long have you and your Pokemon been together?]

“A pretty long time,” Slash answered, trying not to hiss with pain as he worked the berry mixture into his legs. “Froslass has been my partner since I graduated eight years ago, but I've known her for even longer than that...all the way back when she was an awkward and dorky little Snorunt.” He grinned at the embarrassment on Froslass' face; two could play her game. “Me and Arcanine have been together even longer than that...close to twenty years, in fact. He's my guardian Pokemon, entrusted to me by my great-grandmother when I was just a little kid.”

Gardevoir nodded in understanding. [It sounds as though...the three of you are like...family.]

“We *are* family,” Slash corrected gently. “That's what being a *real* trainer is supposed to be about. At least, that's what I was raised to believe.”

[And you have no other Pokemon?]

“Nope, it's just the three of us.”

[Why only them? As I understand it, most trainers have quite a few more than that.]

Slash shrugged awkwardly. “Well, I've never felt...entirely comfortable with catching wild Pokemon. I don't really know how I feel about it. I mean, it's one thing to breed them in captivity...a home-bred Pokemon is practically uplifted from birth...but...I'd hate to accidentally separate a parent from its child or something like that, you know? Just because they're feral doesn't mean they wouldn't be heartbroken in their own way, and...Gardevoir? Are you alright?”

She was staring down at her hands, her eyes clouded and her expression unreadable. For a moment he thought that she wouldn't respond, but at last she looked up and smiled at him. [You really aren't like most trainers, are you? I didn't think that a human would even care about something like that. You're...a very kindhearted man.]

“I appreciate the compliment, but...is there something wrong? Did I say something to upset you?”

[No, not at all. I'm just...constantly being surprised by how wrong I was about you.] She gave Slash's hand a gentle, grateful squeeze. [I'm thankful for your concern, but...this isn't the time or place to discuss it. I'm alright. But...assuming that we survive the night...ask me again sometime, okay? I just need some time to...prepare myself to talk about it.]

“Fair enough,” Slash said kindly as he reluctantly released Gardevoir's hand. “Should we get moving again?”

Froslass looked over her trainer's battered body. The bleeding had stopped, but he still looked like he'd been put through a blender. [Are you sure you're able to keep going, master? Don't you lie to me...if you collapse, I'll just freeze you solid and we'll drag the block of ice all the way back to Oldale.]

Slash grinned broadly, although he wasn't entirely sure that she was kidding. “It's my turn to give a status report, huh? Fine. I'm exhausted, almost dead on my feet...but at the same time, I feel a lot better than I did twenty minutes ago. I'm just worried about re-opening my wounds as we travel.”

[I can help with that,] Gardevoir said, her red eyes flashing as she focused intensely on Slash's body. She swiftly wove a series of skintight psychic shields over his arms and legs, as well as separate smaller shields for a few of the deeper scratches on his back. Slash tentatively poked at one of the scabbed punctures on his forearm and was amazed when his finger stopped a millimeter over the skin.

“Very cool, Gardevoir.”

She smiled back at him, her cheeks burning and flushed. It had taken a great deal of concentration to fit those shields properly. For a psychic Pokemon, progging an object (or a person) was roughly equivalent to running their hands over it, learning the secrets of its form through touch. While that had certainly not been her main objective, Gardevoir had to admit that the process hadn't been entirely unpleasant.

[These shields will repel dirt or the brush of clothing, but not much more than that,] Gardevoir warned, trying to sound modest despite bursting with pride. [Try not to fall down or push up against anything if possible. And obviously such simple shields will do essentially nothing in battle...think of them more as bandages than a suit of armor. I wish I could do more, but my power reserves are still quite low.]

“Even so, this is still way more than I expected. Thank you.”

Slash quickly pulled his shirt and coat back on, relieved at both his lack of pain and at being able to conceal his scarred shoulder once more. Even if Gardevoir didn't seem afraid or disgusted, he still didn't enjoy subjecting her to the sight of it. He turned to the pair of Pokemon and flashed them a thumbs-up.

“Just another mile, right? Sooner begun, sooner done. Let's go.”

After one last look at the bloodstained battlefield that had nearly claimed their lives, the trio continued heading north.

*****

Neither Slash nor Froslass had any form of psychic awareness, but both could nevertheless feel a sort of building dread as they approached the Swords of Justice. The air, already power-charged by the unnatural storm, seemed to grow heavier and harder to breathe. Their pulses quickened to compensate for the illusory lack of oxygen, making them slightly lightheaded. Their adrenaline began to flow, an ancient warning coded into their very blood – be prepared to fight, or be prepared to flee. They could do neither, and so that primal panic simply continued to swell with every step they took.

Gardevoir, being much more in tune with the psychic singing of the world around her, knew the source of this oppressive aura – it was Cobalion's rage, his frustration, his desperate worry over his missing son and his protective fury over Virizion's near-death experience. She could imagine him now, staring out toward the south, toward Oldale, envisioning all the ways he would bring destruction upon the town if they should fail to locate Keldeo. And he expected them to fail, of course. Humans were weak, stupid, untrustworthy creatures – such they had always believed, and it was what they had taught Gardevoir ever since she was a child. And until tonight, she would have agreed with them.

But not anymore.

Maybe some humans were worthless. Perhaps many, or even most of them, were deceitful and cowardly. But the man who walked beside her...he had shown her that not all humans were their enemy. He moved forward without complaint, despite the immense pain and fatigue weighing down on his shoulders. He sought to confront three enraged deities, despite being unarmed and hopelessly outmatched. And he walked beside her despite them having started this night as enemies, locked in a bitter battle to the death.

He first spared her life, and then saved her life...and then, despite having no reason to do so, he had shared his own strength and compassion with her, granting her the courage needed to save herself.

Gardevoir felt new power slowly beginning to rise within her, first replenishing and then surpassing her former limits. She knew what it meant, of course. Perhaps her mind and logic was still struggling with the matter, but it was clear that her heart had already accepted the truth. She felt the bond between them, still weak and flimsy, still being woven, difficult to see yet impossible to ignore.

Perhaps he wasn't actually her trainer...but despite everything, it seemed that he was her friend.

She had decided to stop fighting it.

And she would not – *could not* – allow him to come to harm.

[Froslass, I will very likely need your assistance,] Gardevoir said quietly, keeping both her eyes and psychic progging locked onto the thick line of trees that marked the outskirts of Cobalion's territory. It was not a question of *if* they would be attacked; even from this distance, still a quarter of a mile away, she could feel Cobalion's mind blazing with hateful fury. The moment that the Swords of Justice scented them, they would attack...and this time, out here in the wilds, they would have no reason to hold back their full power.

[What can I do to help?]

[My shields will not be sufficient to stop the attack. I will need your power to have any chance of repelling Cobalion's sword.]

[His *what*?]

Before Gardevoir could explain, the horizon began to glow, taking on a bright and golden shine that pierced through the storm-cloaked night. It illuminated their shadowy surroundings like sunrise...and then swiftly became so intense that it was nearly blinding. Gardevoir teleported in front of Slash and motioned for Froslass to stand alongside her.

“What the hell is it?” Slash asked softly, almost mesmerized by the beauty of it...but that sense of wonder was swiftly replaced by fear as the shining glow gradually became more distinct. It was an enormous crescent-shaped swath of destructive energy, stretching perhaps a hundred yards from end to end, hovering in the air just beyond the treeline. It looked like the blade of a titanic sword...and that was, of course, precisely what it was. The Sacred Sword of Cobalion, his most powerful technique, and more than capable of erasing this feeble human and his fragile companions from existence.

Slash initially believed that his brief battles with the Swords of Justice had given him a rough idea of what to expect from them. He knew that the trio had been forced to suppress much of their strength during the attack on Oldale, but he still believed that he had at least an approximate measure of their power. Now he realized the truth.

He had been very, very wrong.

He watched in grim silence as the golden sword continued to crackle and spark with magic, rapidly approaching completion. He had great faith in both Froslass and Gardevoir, and he knew that they would do the best that they could...but part of him had already accepted that this was to be his end. That glowing golden sword in the distance...*this* was Cobalion's true power, and no mortal could hope to stand against it. With this kind of might at their command, the Swords of Justice could have literally wiped Oldale from the face of the Earth if they'd wanted to. Perhaps they still would. And by the time the Hoenn League discovered what happened and organized a response to Oldale's destruction, a sizable portion of the country would likely be in ruins.

[This is impossible,] Froslass whimpered in breathless terror. [There is no way that we can stop something like this!]

Gardevoir, who had at least witnessed this technique being used on a handful of occasions, was the only one not stunned into uselessness. She focused on the psychic bubble around them and poured every last trace of her reborn strength into it...and yet she knew that it would not be enough. Not even close.

[Froslass, listen to me. I've intentionally left some gaps in the magical matrix of this barrier. You need to pour as much Ghost magic as you can into the construct. Don't worry about being precise, just give it as much raw energy as you can spare. I'll bind the whole shield together, and...hopefully it will be enough.]

Froslass looked at her with a look of frightened incredulity. [Do you really believe that the two of us can overpower something like that? Even if we were ten times stronger, it wouldn't work!]

[It's not hopeless! The Sacred Sword of Cobalion is made of pure and focused Fighting-type energy. My psychic shields are very effective at blocking that kind of magic...although given the power disparity between myself and Cobalion, it would not be enough. But Froslass, your Ghost magic is even more effective at repelling Fighting energies than my own power, and by a huge margin! If we combine our magics, we might just succeed!]

Froslass looked down at her own hands, shaking and uncertain. If the Sacred Sword was truly a Fighting-type technique, then she personally had nothing to fear; the Sword might annihilate Slash and tear Gardevoir to pieces with its sheer force, but it would harmlessly pass through her own body without so much as ruffling her clothing. The question was...could she really use that same magic to protect Slash? She had never attempted anything like that before, nor attempted to link her own power with another Pokemon's...but surrender was not an option. Even if she could survive the Sword, there was no way that she could survive losing her master.

[Alright,] Froslass said, nodding at Gardevoir. [Let's give it a try.]

She focused on the psychic barrier and began sending her Ghost magic at it, letting it loose in a powerful torrent of ultraviolet light. The waves of energy washed over the barrier...but instead of being outright repelled, the ghostly energy seemed to sink into it, settling into the cracks and turning the pale blue construct into a more vibrant and intense purple. Froslass was beginning to grin at the successful merging when she noticed that Gardevoir was breathing in harsh and ragged gasps...and was starting to bleed from her ears and nose.

[Wait, hold on! I'm hurting you!]

[Don't stop!] Gardevoir yelled, gritting her teeth and focusing on the barrier. [Don't you dare stop until either that attack comes or you're completely drained dry! We don't have enough power in it yet!]

Slash watched this exchange with dread, unsure if he should intervene or not. If the barrier wasn't strong enough, then he, Gardevoir, and the Pokeball-bound Arcanine were certainly going to die...and Froslass herself would likely die immediately afterward, as the Swords of Justice easily chased her down and slaughtered her with other elemental powers at their disposal. But this exchange of magic was clearly hurting Gardevoir, and quite badly – Slash thought that he could almost feel Gardevoir's pain as the spectral energies surged through her, gradually tearing her body apart from the inside. If this went on for much longer...

He was just opening his mouth to demand that Gardevoir stop when the Sacred Sword was finally unleashed.

The enormous golden blade suddenly flew toward them from the thick treeline, crossing the quarter-mile gap between them within mere seconds. Gardevoir focused the entirety of her power into the barrier, ignoring both the pain and blood bubbling up from her body as it channeled magics that it was never meant to handle. The Sword struck the shield, blinding the three of them with a golden light that was both beautiful and searing, and deafened them with the tremendous crash of divine judgment.

And then all went dark.

*****

Slash awoke to the feeling of rain on his face and strong wind rushing through his hair.

He opened his eyes and found that the sky had changed – it was now nearly hidden by a thick rooftop of interwoven branches, largely (but not completely) shielding him from the torrential rainfall. The trees surrounding him were so thick and clustered together that much of the wind's fury was blunted, as well. For a moment Slash was too lightheaded to think clearly, completely unaware of where he was and how he got there. As he shifted uncomfortably on the damp layer of fallen leaves beneath him, he felt a sharp pain on his back and wondered why Gardevoir's protective shields were no longer covering his injuries.

...Gardevoir?!

Slash snapped into a sitting position, reaching for his sword before remembering that it was broken and useless. And as he slowly lowered his hand, he realized that he was not alone.

To his left was Froslass, lying prone on the ground and apparently unconscious. Next to her was Arcanine, awake and glaring into the shadows, but still too injured and exhausted to move. His Pokeball, broken and useless, was laying only a few inches from his face, as if left there in mockery. Perhaps it had been.

To his right was Gardevoir, also unconscious, her pretty face still showing traces of smeared blood despite the rain falling upon it. Slash noticed that neither of the girls showed any signs of injuries beyond what they already had prior to confronting the Sacred Sword...and considering that all of his limbs were still attached, it appeared that their shield had, in fact, held.

Slash turned to look behind him and found that he could see out of the grove, back toward the direction that they'd come from. A huge chunk of the landscape was completely and utterly scoured clean. In its place was an enormous depression, perhaps half a mile across, filled with churned earth and shattered stone...along with one very small area that appeared to have been untouched, a small grassy island remaining unscathed amongst the raw destruction. A cold shiver ran down his back as he realized how fortunate he was to have met and befriended Gardevoir tonight. If he hadn't, and he'd tried to confront the Swords of Justice with only Arcanine and Froslass by his side...the three of them would now be dead, and they would have accomplished precisely nothing.

[An impressive effort, human,] a cold voice suddenly boomed, [but you only succeeded in postponing your death, not avoiding it.]

Slash slowly turned his head, facing into the dark shadows of the densely-packed grove. A pair of glowing blue eyes, as pale and pitiless as ice, regarded him from the darkness for a moment, and then moved forward. Cobalion. He stepped forward into the small clearing, never taking his gaze off of the human. The expression on his face was that of hatred, plain and simple.

The trees began to shake, and a moment later the other two Swords of Justice emerged. Virizion appeared from behind Cobalion, clearly on the mend but still standing on shaking legs...and if Slash believed that Cobalion's eyes promised death, then Virizion's blazing gaze promised something far worse for him.

From the other side of the clearing came Terrakion, the enormous brute who had torn through the mighty walls of Oldale Town with little effort. He swept his gaze over the four of them, a disrespectful smirk on his face. Slash was fairly certain that he knew why; even if his team was fresh, neither Arcanine or Froslass could stand a chance against the Rock-type magic of a Pokemon of his caliber.

[We're clear,] Terrakion said to Cobalion. [No signs of other humans or their servants. These three came alone.]

[But did they, though?] Cobalion mused, his eyes finally shifting over to the unconscious body of Gardevoir. [You say three, and yet I see *four*.]

[That is how it seems,] Terrakion admitted. [The Froslass may have infused their barrier with enough Ghost magic to block your sword...but Gardevoir is the one who created the barrier in the first place. As hard as it is to believe...she's working with them.]

Virizion shook her head in disbelief. [That's impossible. None of our acolytes despises humans as much as she does. Surely you don't believe that she would forget what happened to her father? She would rather die than become subservient to human filth! There must be some mistake...]

[And yet there she lays,] Cobalion replied in a cold whisper. [Gardevoir bled to defend him, you have seen it with your own eyes. She is a traitor. And she needs to die along with them.]

[But why would she...]

[You know that her kind is inherently vulnerable to theirs,] Terrakion interrupted quietly. [Perhaps she was too weak to resist her baser instincts once exposed to one of them. She's always been a bit of a coward.]

Slash angrily grit his teeth at those words, remembering how he first met Gardevoir – standing alone in the storm-wracked night, keeping watch despite being fully aware of the dangerous predators roaming the shadows...predators that she knew she was helpless to fight on her own. She had been terrified, and yet she had refused to leave her post, and why was that? Out of loyalty and devotion to these three so-called gods! Her so-called family!

He wanted to rage at them, to call them liars and fools for doubting Gardevoir's courage...but he managed to restrain that impulse with great difficulty. Cobalion was on the verge of executing him and his friends...and unless something was done to dissuade him, Gardevoir would be killed as well. Slash refused to repay her bravery by chaining her to his own fate.

Putting on his best 'arrogant bastard' face (which was easier than he cared to admit), Slash smirked at Cobalion. “That Gardevoir might be weak, but she definitely wasn't disloyal to you. Crazy bitch actually tried to kill us, I'll have you know. I beat her down and thought that I'd frightened her into obeying my commands...and then the cunning little shit actually lured us into a Mightyena pack! Damn near got us killed! But after we defeated them...and after I threatened to use her as bait for the next pack that we came across...she suddenly became surprisingly helpful.” He chuckled, the unsettling sound echoing in the dark and shadowy grove. “Once she was done weeping, that is.”

[Human bastard,] Terrakion spat, stalking closer to Slash, his horns crackling with energy. [Worthless, psychopathic vermin, preying on her fears like that! I should crush your bones into the mud right here and now – ]

[Cease this,] Cobalion interrupted softly, the cool menace in his voice making the much-larger Terrakion flinch. [I have claimed the right of vengeance. The human is mine.]

[...yes, Cobalion. Of course.]

Terrakion stepped back as Cobalion walked forward, closely followed by his hobbling mate. Slash tried to summon his courage, knowing that his death was very likely imminent. Still, despite his fear and rapidly-dwindling hope, he remembered one of his great-grandmother's teachings, and he clung to it.

(“A warrior need not die happy, but he must die satisfied.”)

He wasn't satisfied just yet.

“My Pokemon,” Slash said calmly, resisting the overwhelming urge to cringe under Cobalion's murderous gaze. “They have been raised since birth to obey my commands, and had no choice but to serve me. I forced them to fight you and your kin, and I forced them to accompany me outside of Oldale despite your orders. They had no more choice in the matter than the Gardevoir did. Let them go. I'm the one that you want.”

Cobalion's eyes measured him for a moment, looking for – but not finding – any sign of trickery or fear. There was no chance of a counterattack, not from these two – the Froslass was relatively uninjured but almost completely drained of power, and the Arcanine was on the very brink of death. The request to spare them appeared to be purely out of decency, not an attempt at some final desperate ploy. Cobalion almost found himself impressed by the human's courage...but his fury was far more powerful than his admiration.

[Under other circumstances, I might grant that request, human...however, orders or not, they drew blood from my mate. I cannot allow that to stand. They will die along with you.]

Slash's eyes dropped, and he exhaled heavily. It was what he expected, but he had to make the attempt. Arcanine caught his eye, grinning wolfishly.

[It's alright. I wouldn't have agreed to leave, anyway, and you know that Froslass wouldn't, either. Whether you like it or not, I'm with you, buddy...until the very end.]

“Disobedient punk,” Slash whispered. He turned back to Cobalion. “And what of the Gardevoir? She made no attempt to harm your mate. All she did was lead us to you...and even then, she was kicking and screaming the entire time. Will you not spare her?”

[Why do you care?] Virizion asked suddenly, suspiciously. [You say that you used her as a tool...forced her into doing your bidding at the tip of your sword...and that she nearly killed you when she resisted. So, tell me, human...why would you want her to live? Wouldn't tricking us into executing her serve as a more suitable form of revenge for you?]

Slash stammered, unable to think of a reply to that. Before he could fumble out some justification, however, he was interrupted by Terrakion.

[For that matter, why are you even here, human? Revenge for the attack on your town? Surely even you can't be stupid enough to think that you could defeat us. Just what were you hoping to accomplish?]

[I was actually hoping to fuck your mother,] Arcanine said coolly and almost conversationally to the flabbergasted Terrakion. Despite essentially being on the executioner's block, Slash couldn't help but grin. Eleanor wasn't the only bad influence on his Pokemon.

[In the ass,] another voice helpfully chimed in. Apparently Froslass had regained consciousness. [Tales have been passed down through the ages about your mother's promiscuity. We wanted to witness such a legendary skank for ourselves.]

The Swords of Justice exchanged looks of frank and incredulous disbelief. Did this human and his ilk think that this was a game?

“Enough, guys,” Slash said, trying to sound humble and reasonable...but another piece of his great-grandmother's wisdom was speaking up from deep within his mind.

(“Sometimes you just have to double-down, no matter how crazy or stupid it might seem. Stun your opponent with your insanity and you might just find an opening.”)

“The real reason that we're out here, Cobalion, is simple curiosity. I just wanted to know...why you don't love your son.” He turned to Virizion and shook his head disdainfully. “You, as well. You don't give a damn about Keldeo, either.”

There was a long moment of silence. The air seemed to swell with dreadful, maddening pressure. Golden sparks of energy crackled and surged around Cobalion's horns...and Virizion and Terrakion's horns soon followed, glowing and pulsing with unfathomable power. Slash's words had apparently angered them in a way that his Pokemons' crass remarks had not.

[No! He is mine!]

Cobalion glared down at Slash, snorting with outrage as the energy began to form a familiar shape – the shape of a sword, shining and unstoppable. It was smaller than the huge shockwave that he'd fired at them earlier...but at this range, it would be more than sufficient to destroy them all.

“You broke into Oldale, wrecked some shit, attacked some innocent people, and then fled,” Slash said stoically, as if totally unconcerned about his imminent annihilation. Virizion's eyes narrowed as she recognized his expression – the same one that he had before, when he lied to her about killing Keldeo to throw her off-guard. “Those are *not* the actions of parents looking for their child...those are the actions of mindless, brutish killers. Had you truly cared about finding Keldeo, you would have asked the people of Oldale for their assistance, not attacked them.”

[Humans stole my son,] Cobalion growled viciously, striving to complete the Sacred Sword so he could wipe this smirking fool from existence. [And humans *will* pay for it.]

“Wrong again, jackass. Humans didn't kidnap your son...*one* human did. Even if he had accomplices, the people of Oldale are still not to blame. Had you come to the town gates and asked for assistance, the Protectors of Oldale would have gladly come to your aid. We would have organized a search of the city and confirmed or ruled out Keldeo's presence within days, weeks at most. And we could have done it quietly, ensuring that the guilty party had no opportunity to flee.”

Slash's eyes blazed with anger as he rose to his feet, standing in front of Cobalion without fear as the golden glow of the divine sword shone upon him.

“Instead, the Protectors are focused solely on dealing with our broken city. They have to guard the breach in the wall, repair the power grid, and tend to the injured. And while they're busy doing that, the criminal who *did* kidnap your child now has time to sneak away in the chaos...assuming that he hasn't done so already. We *had* a chance to rescue Keldeo, quickly and with minimal risk of him being harmed...but your reckless attack on Oldale has ensured that the worst-case scenario is upon us. So, I ask you again, Cobalion...Virizion...Terrakion...how can you claim to love Keldeo? Your actions have destroyed any trail that we could have followed, and opened a clear path of escape for his captor!”

He took another step forward, so close to Cobalion that he could actually feel the Sacred Sword's aura burning his skin. But instead of pulling away, Slash pulled back his damaged left arm and slapped Cobalion across the face. It was like striking solid steel, and he could feel cracked bones grating in his wrist, but Slash did not even flinch. Arcanine and Froslass cried out in shock at the blow, and Virizion and Terrakion both stepped back in stunned horror as Cobalion's sword suddenly blazed with more power than either of them had ever before witnessed. Despite the smaller size of the blade, it was brimming with far more energy than the sky-spanning strike from before.

“Fool!” Slash shouted, his voice rising into a hectoring scream. “You're supposed to be a guardian for Pokemon! You're supposed to be a Protector, yourself! So tell me, what are you trying to protect – your son, or your ego?! You can't have both!”

Arcanine and Froslass struggled to their feet, fully aware that they were powerless but refusing to let their master die without a fight. But before either of them could make a move, the blazing sword over Cobalion's head began to lose focus, dulling and dimming as it lost its crisp scimitar shape. It collapsed into a loose cloud of golden light before being blown away like mist in the wind. Cobalion's cold blue eyes were locked onto Slash...but while there was still hate in their depths, there was something else, too – a thin and wavering haze of tears.

[Where is my boy?] Cobalion roared, and Slash could not tell if it was a bellow or a sob. [Why have you taken him from me? What had I ever done to you, to make you do something like this?! Why?!]

“I'm not the one who kidnapped your son,” Slash answered softly. “I want to help you find him. But I can't help you unless you let me help you. Enough of the thoughtless rage, Cobalion. I've felt that rage myself, and trust me when I say that it makes you weaker, not stronger. If you truly want to save your son...and to bring justice upon whoever took him from you...then I don't need your hatred. I need your help.”

Cobalion fell to his knees without a word, his chest heaving. Virizion moved to comfort her mate, and Slash felt a pang of unease as he finally saw the Swords of Justice with their cloak of hatred peeled away. Gods they might be, but the three Pokemon were exhausted, miserable, and terrified. Keldeo's parents trembled against each other as the once-prideful Cobalion could no longer contain his despair...and Terrakion looked wracked with guilt, weighed down and haunted by the perceived failure to protect his friends' child from harm.

“I can understand how you feel,” Slash said quietly. “One of the reasons that I came out here was because I was worried that the three of you had taken someone special to me...someone as precious to me as Keldeo is to you. I was overwhelmed with fear...along with useless, destructive rage. That fury endangered me, my friends, and my entire town...just as your rage endangered your son. But we can stop the cycle of hatred, right here and now, and try to make sure everybody goes home again. I just need you to trust me.”

[Why should we?] Virizion asked bitterly, still pressed up against her distraught mate. [We devastated your town. I almost snapped your neck myself, and you nearly killed me with your counterattack. Then you came out here and brutalized and terrorized Gardevoir into obedience. How can there possibly be any trust between us, human?]

[He did no such thing, my lady.]

Slash turned to find Gardevoir climbing slowly and unsteadily to her feet. She was still bleeding slightly from both ears, and she stumbled as she tried to step forward, but Slash immediately caught her arm and stopped her from falling back into the dirt. Virizion was surprised to see that Gardevoir did not so much as flinch at his touch.

“Take it easy, okay?” Slash urged, gently wiping the blood from Gardevoir's face with his shredded shirt sleeve. “You're as beat up as I was, and we're all out of magic berry goop.”

[Thank you, but I'll be fine, master.]

Slash's eyes shot up at her words, and all three Swords of Justice – even Cobalion, who was only now managing to regain his composure – looked at Gardevoir with stunned disbelief. Even Gardevoir herself seemed surprised. She had not meant for that word to slip out, but it was too late to take it back now. Part of her – the prideful, haughty part that she'd initially greeted Slash with – was appalled at the accidental outburst...but not all of her was. Part of her even felt that it seemed...right.

[Did...did I just hear you correctly?] Terrakion asked bitterly. [Despite everything we've told you...despite everything you've *personally* been through...you would dare to call a human by the name of 'master'?]

[No,] Gardevoir answered. Although her heart was racing, her voice remained steady. [But I would call *this* particular human by that name. I don't doubt that many humans are bad and untrustworthy...but I assure you, Slash is not one of them. I...owe my life to him.]

[That's not what *he* told us, girl.]

“I lied,” Slash admitted simply. “Cobalion was going to execute us, and I didn't want Gardevoir to share our fate...so I lied about forcing her to help me.”

[So what is the truth, then?] Virizion asked impatiently. [Did she betray us or not?]

“We started out as enemies. Gardevoir did as you commanded and tried to stop us from pursuing you. But then we were ambushed by a Mightyena pack and were forced to fight together in order to survive. We saved her life and she saved ours.”

Virizion glared at him doubtfully. [Gardevoir would not be capable of fighting Mightyena. Her powers are useless against them, and she is...psychologically unprepared to deal with those particular enemies.]

Arcanine hobbled over to Slash and laid down beside his battered master. [When I was struck down, Gardevoir placed herself between me and the beasts. I told her to flee, but she refused to abandon me. If she hadn't distracted them...then I would be dead right now.]

Froslass hovered next to Gardevoir and threw a companionable arm around her shoulders. [She also helped me supercharge my master's sword, allowing me to slay the alphas of the Mightyena pack. I wouldn't have stood a chance against them otherwise.]

“She saved my life, too, by bringing me my sword when I was pinned down and helpless.” Slash gave Gardevoir a grateful smile, making her blush in happy embarrassment. “And then she struck down the last Mightyena personally, using her power to lift an entire tree before dropping it on the hungry bastard. She is much braver and stronger than you give her credit for. If you want to shit-talk me, that's fine, go ahead...but please, don't disrespect her. No matter how this night began...she's my friend now.”

Cobalion rose to his feet, gazing somberly at the huddled group. They watched him warily, waiting for another golden blade to form above his horns, but none came. His anger was largely burned away, and with some clarity finally beginning to return to his mind, he was able to admit that the human...may have been right about him.

But he was still the alpha of this pack, and he still had to enforce his dominion.

[Gardevoir...you should not have brought them here. My command was quite clear.]

[Yes, my lord, I know.]

[And yet you still did it. You directly defied me.]

Gardevoir was afraid that she knew what Cobalion was going to say next...but with Slash and his Pokemon standing by her side, and their words of gratitude and affection still ringing in her ears, she wasn't quite as afraid as she would be otherwise. [Yes, I did. All I can say in my defense is that I brought Slash here to help find Keldeo, not to bring harm to any of you.]

Cobalion nodded slowly, but his eyes remained cold. [I understand that you believed that you were doing the right thing...that is the only reason that you are still alive. However, such a determination is not yours to make. You are a mere acolyte of the Swords of Justice; I am its alpha, your commander, and you deliberately disobeyed my orders. You know the consequences.]

Slash turned to Gardevoir in alarm, expected to see her trembling and in tears...but instead she simply looked back to Cobalion with a resolute and unflinching gaze. [I do.]

[Gardevoir...you are hereby exiled forever from the Swords of Justice. You have no place in our territory, nor will you be granted the comfort or protection of my pack. Upon the conclusion of this...discussion...you will leave my territory and never return.] He gave Gardevoir a look that was both cold and regretful, but he did not hesitate in his pronouncement. [In the name of the King, we cast you out. You are unbound...and alone.]

Gardevoir bowed her head in silent acceptance of the rebuke, and perhaps now there was the slightest shaking in her small frame...but Slash suddenly slipped a hand around her waist, pulling her against his body, and the warmth of his touch overwhelmed the chill gripping her heart.

“She's not alone,” Slash said assuredly. “Never in life. If she's truly exiled from your pack, then I'd be happy to accept her into mine...if that's something that she wants, of course. And she can stay as long as she likes...whether just for tonight, or forever, she'll be one of us.”

He looked at her expectantly, and she returned his warm smile with a shy and grateful one of her own. Gods, it was hard to believe how quickly life could change. She had woken up this morning as a proud and loyal member of the Swords of Justice, and the thought of allying with a human would have filled her with disgust. And yet here she was, exiled and almost *proud* of it, and being welcomed into a human's pack!

Had Slash been able to sense Gardevoir's thoughts, he would surely have recognized them; they were very much similar to how he had felt when his Protector's badge fell from his hand and landed in the mud at his father's feet. She was a bit regretful, and a bit ashamed...but at the same time, she finally felt...free.

[I'm with you,] Gardevoir said happily, and Slash gave her a gentle squeeze before releasing her. [Thank you.]

“Well, Cobalion, you heard the lady, seems that she's part of my pack now. Is that going to be a problem?”

[It is none of my business what an unbound Pokemon does with their life,] Cobalion stated slowly. [Although, if she is truly a member of your pack, then she is also bound to your fate. You have been tasked with finding my son, human, and while I may have chosen to temporarily end my...hostilities...my original time limit of three days is still in place. If you fail...then she will have the same fate as you.] He paused, and then added: [And even if you succeed, then I want to be clear that she will still remain an exile from my pack. Understand? I do not care where she wanders in this world...as long as it is not here.]

Slash nodded in unhappy understanding, but Gardevoir looked back at her former alpha with curious confusion. As strong as she was, even she could not easily prog the minds of Great Ones such as the Swords of Justice...and yet she could almost swear that she had sensed a small snippet of Cobalion's thoughts.

As strange as it seemed, she was almost certain that his exiling of her...wasn't meant to be a disgrace or a punishment. Rather, it seemed to almost be some form of...atonement? How could that be? It didn't make any sense.

[Now then,] Cobalion said wearily, [that matter is settled. So, human...with all of that over and done with...will you truly help me find my son?]

“Of course.”

Slash dropped back into a sitting position, wanting to rest his legs as much as possible. When this discussion was over, they would have to – somehow – make it all the way back in Oldale, and he was not looking forward to the return journey. His own Pokemon – including Gardevoir, as strange and wonderful as it seemed – joined him on the leaf-littered ground, with Arcanine on one side and Froslass and Gardevoir on the other. The Swords of Justice, perhaps not quite as tireless and immortal as the legends claimed, also slowly and carefully lowered themselves onto the ground; it had been a long and taxing day for all of them.

“I've been a Protector of Oldale Town for six years now,” Slash said. He didn't bother to explain that he had technically resigned; he doubted that the Swords of Justice would understand. “Part of my duties is to serve as a detective...tracking down those who have committed crimes, or finding stolen goods or missing people. To be blunt, I'm pretty damn good at it, too. But I can't track someone down if I don't have any clues or background to work with. I need the three of you to explain to me what happened on the day that Keldeo disappeared. I need as much detail as you can provide...even if some of those details don't seem readily important to you, they might be useful to me. And I need you to start from the beginning.”

Cobalion nodded. [Very well. As you are aware, Keldeo is my child, born to myself and my mate Virizion less than a year ago. We were not expecting his birth, as the two of us have been mated for centuries without any pregnancy resulting from our couplings. We did not even believe that it was possible for us to actually reproduce.]

“Are there any others of your...your kind? Are the three of you even technically the same species?”

[No, we are unique in this world...related in origin, but distinct in form. The three of us weren't born like most living creatures are.] Cobalion actually seemed to smirk the slightest bit as he glared at Arcanine and Froslass. [If you were curious, that is why your...crude remarks about Terrakion's mother did not strike home. The three of us never had parents at all.]

“Where did you come from, then?”

[We were originally mere guardian spirits, subtly influencing the lives of individual Pokemon through magical and subliminal guidance. Over time, we grew in strength, and one day we simply...were.] Cobalion shook his head as he tried and failed to explain. [Our memories of our creation are...hazy. It was a very long time ago, nearly a thousand years in the past. I am uncertain what allowed us to take physical form. We have been called gods by many people and cultures, but we've never had any...divine communication with other Great Ones. We simply gather Pokemon who need our assistance – our acolytes, who are spread across this part of Hoenn – and do what we can to uplift and protect them. I am not sure where Keldeo fits into the grand scheme of things...but I also do not care. All that matters is that he is...precious to me. To all of us.]

Slash gave Cobalion a respectful nod. He could relate to those feelings. He had no idea why Eleanor was...what she was...but it didn't matter to him, either. She was precious to him, and he needed no other reason to care for her. “Why are you in Hoenn, by the way? When I did some admittedly-cursory research on the three of you, the lore I found said that you hailed from Unova.”

[That is indeed where we were originally...born, for lack of a better word. We spent most of our existence there. I had never even considered leaving Unova for other lands...until roughly ten years ago.]

“What happened?”

[Nothing 'happened', not really. But one day, out of nowhere, the three of us...we all felt some sort of...call, coming from the far west. An urge fell upon us...a certainty...that wherever that call was coming from, that was where we were meant to be. We stowed aboard human ships and crossed several different countries before finally arriving here, and we followed that strange summoning to this very forest.]

“Did you find anything unusual here?”

Cobalion shook his head. [No. It was a good place to den...the trees provide a great deal of protection and cover, as you have undoubtedly noticed, and the surrounding lands are bountiful with food and water...but there was no apparent source of...whatever it was that called us here. Still, we had no real reason to leave, so we decided to make this our home. Perhaps there is some magic in this place that allowed me and Virizion to finally have a child, and that magic is what pulled us here? I do not know. But sometimes...on rare occasions...I still feel that call in my mind, faint but unmistakable. Something still wants us to be here, I suppose...but whatever it is, it's more of a force of nature than some...higher intelligence.]

Slash rubbed his chin, trying to take all of this information in. It was fascinating, and under other circumstances he would be eager to learn about the nature of such divine beasts and their ancient histories...but he didn't think it had anything to do with Keldeo's disappearance. “Tell me about your son, then. Anything and everything you can.”

Virizion spoke up next. [He's a smaller and lighter Pokemon, certainly smaller than Arcanine and perhaps only as tall as Froslass. In terms of appearance, he looks quite similar to us...hoofed and quadrupedal, although he only has one horn instead of two. His body is blue and white, and he has a thick mane of red hair. Like the three of us, he's a Fighting-type Pokemon, but his primary type is Water.]

“At the risk of offending you, I have to ask...is he, um...uplifted? Aware and sapient?”

[Yes, he is. He is still a child, but he is intelligent and fully capable of understanding the world around him. However, prior to his kidnapping, he had never been directly exposed to humans...so he possesses effectively zero knowledge of your kind, or the technologies that you wield.]

“In terms of combat, how strong would you say that he is?”

[Despite his young age, he is still a Great One, and quite powerful by your standards. He would easily match up against your Pokemon...but I would estimate that both of them working together could possibly match his strength.] Virizion looked at Gardevoir and frowned apologetically. [That is to say...all *three* of your Pokemon, working together, would likely best him in battle, albeit with great effort.]

“Okay, now that's useful to know,” Slash mused. “At the risk of sounding arrogant, there aren't very many trainers in Oldale who could match or overcome my team's strength. Of the handful who are, nearly all of them are fellow Protectors, along with my father and great-grandmother, but...that's it. My family's definitely not responsible, and I'm almost positive that it's not one of the other Protectors...it would have to be an outsider, a visitor to Oldale Town, and a traveling trainer of that caliber would definitely stand out. When exactly was Keldeo kidnapped?”

[Four days ago.]

Slash couldn't help but grin at that information. Oldale was in the middle of nowhere and had very little to draw the attention of tourists – even traveling trainers, powered by their wanderlust, rarely came through town. That was doubly true for this time of year, when most travelers would be flocking to one of the larger cities to celebrate Certification Day. Even better, all of the city gates were constantly surveilled with cameras. Slash doubted that more than a couple hundred people had entered Oldale in the past four days, and many of them would be either civilians or low-class trainers, easily ruled out as suspects in the kidnapping. It would only take a few hours for a handful of Protectors to review the security footage and draw up a list of those who would need further investigation.

If they were lucky, then the three days that Cobalion had granted them might be two more than they actually needed.

“That's very good to know. I think we have a real chance of tracking the bastard down in short order. All I need now is information about the kidnapping itself.”

Terrakion spoke up, his voice low and hesitant. [The kidnapping...was my fault. I was responsible for watching Keldeo as he explored the surrounding area, and I am ashamed to admit that I...was distracted...]

[We are all partially to blame,] Cobalion interrupted, his tone surprisingly gentle. [We have already been through this. Do not hold yourself accountable for this tragedy...if anyone is to be punished, it is the human who committed the crime.]

“Can you tell me what happened?” Slash asked Terrakion. “Cobalion's right, it's not your fault, nor the fault of anyone here...but the more details I have about the kidnapping, the better chance I'll have at finding the one responsible.”

Terrakion nodded, although his eyes still appeared haunted as he continued. [As you wish. Four days ago, I was entrusted with taking Keldeo out of the grove to explore the fields and nearby lakes...part of his training, you understand. There was no reason to think that anything was amiss. The day was clear and pleasant, no unusual predator activity...my presence was mostly a formality, really. Even though he's still just a child, very few creatures in the area could pose any serious threat to him. And so I let him wander off a bit...still within range of communication, but far enough that I couldn't really see him through the tall grasses and trees. He explored the territory, and I kept an eye on the outskirts in case any humans approached.]

“What was it that distracted you, then?”

[A most unexpected Pokemon. It was a Crawdaunt, huge and powerful...far stronger than I am accustomed to encountering in this area. They live in some of the lakes and ponds around here, but they rarely stray far from the water's edge unless it's raining...and as I said, the weather was quite clear on the day of the kidnapping. I couldn't allow such a strong and predatory Pokemon to get too close to the grove, so I pursued it with the intent of driving it away...and while I dealt with the beast, Keldeo was...captured.]

Slash frowned. “Was the Crawdaunt feral or uplifted?”

[I am uncertain. It was much stronger than the typical feral...more akin to a human-trained specimen...and yet it fought me with brutal and savage intensity. It didn't say a word to me, nor did it respond to my threats. It just...fought. Why do you ask?]

“Because I'm wondering if that little distraction might not have been intentional.”

[What do you mean?]

Arcanine looked up and met Terrakion's gaze. [Slash might be right. We have to assume that whoever kidnapped Keldeo was aware of what sort of creature he is – a Great One – and that he was protected by three more Great Ones who were even more powerful. It is possible that this Crawdaunt belonged to the kidnapper...and was used to draw you away long enough to capture your son.]

[I suppose that's possible,] Terrakion said. [When I began to overwhelm the creature in combat, it retreated into a river and fled. That is not typical behavior for a wild Crawdaunt...like most feral Dark-types, they tend to be extremely aggressive, and would rather fight to the death than submit or try to escape.]

“That also works in our favor,” Slash said with a thin smile. “Dark-type Pokemon are not terribly well-loved in Hoenn, and many trainers simply refuse to raise them at all...so if that thing *did* belong to a trainer, then our search pool has been narrowed even further. We're looking for a powerful trainer, one significantly above average for this part of the country...one who entered Oldale within the past four days...and one of the rare few who not only uses Dark-type Pokemon, but specifically an evolved Crawdaunt. We can probably count the number of trainers meeting those criteria on one hand...and possibly even on one finger.” Slash raised his middle finger and his grin widened. “I think we've got this motherfucker, guys.”

[I have one more question,] Froslass said, looking at Virizion. [Back in Oldale, you told Slash that you 'smelled the kidnapper's stink' on him. Were you being literal when you said that?]

[I was, indeed,] Virizion answered. [We found very little trace of the human who captured my son...some footprints and cast-off trash, and some damage to the area that indicated a brief but intense battle, but little more than that. I was, however, able to pick up the kidnapper's scent...that was how we initially determined that Keldeo was being held in Oldale Town.]

“And you smelled that on me?” Slash asked. “Why did you let me live if you believed that I was the one who captured him?”

[I didn't. The scent on you was definitely the kidnapper's, but it was also clearly a secondary trace, not a primary one. It was clear that you weren't the one who took Keldeo...but that you had been in close contact with the one who did.]

Slash looked to Arcanine. “Did you smell anything unusual on me?”

[No, Slash, but I would not have known what to look for. My nose is extraordinarily sensitive, and you pick up an enormous array of scents over the course of a day. If we had a sample of it, though, then I might be able to track it down...]

[The original scent trail is long since dissipated,] Virizion interrupted irritably. [And I can no longer smell it on the human, likely due to being drenched by the storm.]

“Just how strong is your sense of smell?” Slash asked curiously. “As good as Arcanine's?”

[I would say that it's quite powerful by human standards, but I don't think I have any easy way of knowing if your servant's nose is superior to mine.]

“Do you smell any trace of Mightyena on me?”

Virizion shook her head slowly. Arcanine, however, perked his head up. [I do. Apparently my sense of smell is stronger than hers...but why does that matter, master?]

“Just...just hear me out. How far back can you scent things on me, Arcanine? Can you still pick up on smells from a few days ago?”

[No, not really. As strong as my nose is, a simple shower is typically enough to wash away nearly any detectable scents on you. I might be able to detect something a couple days old if I knew exactly what to look...er, smell for...but not much older than that.]

[What does any of this have to do with Keldeo?] Cobalion asked impatiently, almost shouting. [I don't care who wins this moronic contest!]

Slash smiled confidently. “Listen to me, Cobalion. Arcanine's sense of smell is incredibly powerful, even stronger than your mate's, and yet he can still only detect something on my body if the scent is a couple days old...but Virizion could nevertheless pick up the kidnapper's scent on me earlier today.]

[I don't understand why that matters!]

“It matters a lot. If she could still detect the bastard's scent on me, then I must have come into contact with the kidnapper recently...very recently, in fact. Today, maybe yesterday.”

[That effectively halves the time frame that we need to search,] Arcanine explained. [And if the scent was still detectable for Virizion, then Slash must have come into direct physical contact with the person in question. Merely passing them on the street would not impart any noticeable scent onto him.]

Slash nodded. “I'm not exactly the hugging type, either. It's got to be somebody that I arrested in the past day or two.”

Cobalion glared suspiciously at Slash. [Are you truly certain of that conclusion, human? Your father commanded the Seviper who poisoned my mate, correct? He is quite powerful indeed, to have accomplished such a feat. Can you be certain that it wasn't him, or one of your other clan-mates? I do not mean to insult you or your bloodline, but I would be a fool not to ask.]

“No, it wasn't my dad. He hasn't left town anytime recently...and besides, he's a Protector, too. He wouldn't do something like capture a juvenile Pokemon, even if the opportunity presented itself. It would be...dishonorable. The same goes for my great-grandmother...and since she's a hundred and two years old, I think it's safe to say that she hasn't been traipsing around the wilderness recently. The only other people who I've been in close contact with recently are my cousin Naomi, who literally only became a trainer today...and my best friend Ellie, who Gardevoir already investigated.”

Cobalion gave Gardevoir a questioning look.

[I progged the girl quite thoroughly. She only had four Pokemon with her, and while they were quite powerful, none of them were Water-types. It wasn't her. I'm positive of that.]

Slash smiled at her gratefully. Again he realized just how fortunate it was to have befriended this Gardevoir – not only had she saved them from Cobalion's Sacred Sword, but thanks to her abilities, she was also able to vouch for Eleanor and protect her from further suspicion.

“Like I said, it has to be a criminal that I brought in. I've only arrested a handful of people in the past couple days, so...once I return to Oldale, it shouldn't take long to identify the guilty party. Then we'll just have to find out where they're keeping Keldeo.” He looked each of the Swords of Justice in the eye, one after another. “I know that this can be done. Do you trust me?”

Cobalion looked to his mate, whose back was still raw and oozing blood from the immense blasts of fire and ice that had struck her only a few hours earlier. He felt his rage begin to rise again, hot and furious, but he tamped it down with great effort. Loath as he was to admit it, the human had been correct in his estimation of him – his attack on Oldale had been more about protecting his ego than rescuing his son. He could not allow himself to go down that path again.

[Trust you? No, human, I do not. But you have kept your word to seek out Keldeo, and thus I shall continue to keep mine. You have three days...more than enough time, if your deductions are correct. If you succeed, then all will be forgiven, and we will never trouble your town...or your people...ever again. If you fail...] Cobalion hesitated, barely managing to resist the urge to rant about the destruction he would bring to Oldale if that was the case. The time for that was over. [Well...don't fail.]

Slash nodded and climbed back to his feet, feeling his aching body sob at the sudden movement. Gardevoir had reestablished the psychic shields over his wounds, but his body was still battered and nearly broken. It was going to be a long, long walk back to Oldale.

He turned to Virizion and bowed his head. “I am sorry that the two of us had to come to blows earlier...and I'm sorry for using a crude lie to distract you in battle. Please understand...I had people who I needed to protect, too, and such trickery was the only hope I had to survive against your strength. Will you grant me pardon for my actions?”

Virizion stood stoically, staring at the strange human for a long moment. She didn't want to trust him. It was hard to forgive somebody who had nearly struck her down through deceit, poison, ice, and fire. Her blood still rushed hot and angry through her veins, and her body still throbbed from the pain of her injuries...not to mention the humiliation of having been so badly injured by such an inferior opponent. Still, one thought kept her from rejecting the human's apology and laughing in his arrogant face.

Gardevoir trusted him.

She would not have believed such a thing to be possible, had she not seen it for herself. Despite Terrakion's dismissive words earlier, Gardevoir was not some human-hugging coward like her 'uplifted' kin, groomed from childhood into some fawning servant. On the contrary, she had more reason to despise humans than almost anyone...and yet, even so, Gardevoir had fought alongside him. From the look of the young man's injuries, she had also tended to his wounds after the battle was finished. She had even led him to their home, despite being fully aware that exile (or worse) awaited her for doing so.

And a simple look into Gardevoir's eyes revealed that the girl had no regrets.

Virizion knew that this wasn't something as simple as Gardevoir's feral instincts bubbling back to the surface. There was a bond between her and the human, fragile and simple at the moment but growing stronger with every moment that passed. It wasn't the normal bond between trainer and Gardevoir, either. There was a word for what was happening here...an ancient term, and one that the Swords of Justice preferred not to think about. It was something that made them wonder, in their deepest hearts, if they might not be treating humans just a bit too harshly.

(Kaishakunin,) Virizion thought to herself with a bemused smirk. (By the gods, I never would have believed it. I wasn't sure that such a thing really existed.)

[I stand with my mate,] Virizion said finally. [Just as you have not yet earned his trust, neither have you yet earned my forgiveness. So...find Keldeo. Find my son and bring him back to us. Then...and only then...will I forgive you.]

“Fair enough,” Slash replied with a respectful nod. “We'll be off, then. And we won't let you down. I swear it.”

He turned to his Pokemon and tried to appraise their conditions. None of them were in any fit state to battle. Froslass' reserves were almost completely empty; while she could theoretically replenish her power by absorbing the spiritual energies of a slain opponent, Slash doubted that such an opportunity would present itself. With the storm continually strengthening, nearly all wild Pokemon had taken to their dens in fear – the only ferals that they might encounter would be far too powerful for them to defeat in their current condition. As for Arcanine, he was still severely wounded and likewise tapped of magic, and he would be unable to regenerate his power until he got out of the rain for a while.

Slash glanced at Gardevoir, who (as strange as it might have seemed an hour or so ago) was now part of his team, at least for the time being. While she had managed to avoid being injured in battle, she was no longer unharmed – the strain of channeling Ghost magic through her body had clearly damaged her, and quite seriously.

As for himself...

His wounds were still pained and throbbing with heat, and the skin around each puncture was red and swollen. Gardevoir's berry treatment may have bought him some time, but his blood was clearly tainted with infection. Of course, even if he'd been fresh and uninjured, he was nearing the limits of his endurance – his lack of sleep, and the aftereffects of several surges of adrenaline in the past six hours, had brought him to the brink of collapse.

As much as Slash wanted to deny these realities, his great-grandmother had taught him the uselessness in lying to oneself. They weren't going to make it. All the promises and vows in the world wouldn't change that.

Gardevoir sensed the direction of his thoughts and frowned with worry. He was right, of course; there was precisely zero chance that they could return to Oldale safely in their condition. Her own body was even more damaged than Slash suspected, completely drained of power and bleeding internally where her psychic channels had been destroyed – such was the price a mortal had to pay to repel the sword of a god. She was fortunate to survive it at all, but that didn't change the fact that she was ravaged and broken. She might be able to maintain the thin shields over Slash's wounds, but she would be utterly useless in a fight.

Still, Gardevoir thought, there was perhaps one last card that she could play.

She walked over to the Swords of Justice and knelt before Terrakion. Of the three of them, he was the most likely to agree to her request – the guilt of 'losing' Keldeo ate at him so strongly that even now, with her power drained to near-nothing, she could still sense it clearly.

[I have a request, my lord.]

Cobalion snorted in mocking disbelief. [A request? You are no longer part of this pack, Gardevoir. We are not bound to help you in any way.]

[I am not asking as a member of your pack,] Gardevoir replied softly, not taking her eyes off of Terrakion. [I am asking as one of the warriors who you entrusted to rescue your son.]

Terrakion raised a curious eyebrow. [What is your request, little one?]

[It took several hours for Slash and his Pokemon to travel here from Oldale Town...and considering how badly injured we all are, it would likely take even longer to return. Assuming that we survived the trip at all, of course. I humbly request that you transport us back to his city, so that we might begin searching for Keldeo as soon as possible.]

Cobalion and Virizion stared at Gardevoir in utter disbelief, stunned by the sheer gall of her request...and their shock only increased as Terrakion wordlessly lowered his body to the ground.

[What are you thinking?] Cobalion hissed, a haze of misty energy briefly flaring and then dissipating around his horns. [There's a significant difference between sparing this human's life and allowing him to use you as...as a mount! As livestock! Would you truly kneel to such a weak creature?]

[It's precisely because he's so weak that I'm doing this, Cobalion. The girl is right, time is critical in this endeavor...if they're wrong about Keldeo's kidnapper being imprisoned, then the real perpetrator could be fleeing town with your son at any moment. I can get them back to Oldale in half an hour or less, and ensure that they don't get devoured by some hungry feral along the way.] Terrakion shot his leader a meaningful glare. [Are you truly going to forbid me from doing this? I will obey your orders, but...saving Keldeo has to be our ultimate priority, even if it means lowering ourselves to serve these people.]

After a moment of consideration, Virizion walked up to her mate and gently nudged his side. [It might be humiliating, my love, but we can't agree to give them a chance and then let them die before they even reach the city gates. We're supposed to be more honorable than that.]

Cobalion's tense posture seemed to droop at both the sound of his mate's voice and the touch of her body. His heart was still gripped by anger, but he remembered what the human had said earlier – he could satiate his ego or save his son, but not both. After a long pause, he reluctantly nodded at his compatriot.

[Very well, Terrakion. Bring them to Oldale...and then return as quickly as you can.] Cobalion's icy eyes seemed to glow in the shadows of the grove. [There may be other dangers lurking out here, on a night as strange and wild as this...and your first duty is to our pack, not these outsiders, nor this exile. Be swift.]

[Understood.] Terrakion turned to Slash and snorted impatiently at him and his Pokemon. [Well, what are you waiting for? Climb on! I don't wish to prolong this disgrace any longer than necessary.]

Slash nodded and began reaching for the Pokeballs on his belt...but his hand froze in place as he remembered Cobalion's earlier reaction to such technology. “It would be easier to travel if my Pokemon are withdrawn into their Pokeballs,” he explained softly, keeping his head slightly bowed as Cobalion's cold gaze remained locked onto him. “Is that acceptable?”

Cobalion exhaled harshly, but he made no move to attack. [Do whatever you need to do...and then get out of my sight. Our discussion is over. Until you rescue Keldeo, we have nothing further to discuss.]

“Thank you.” Slash withdrew the exhausted Froslass and then pulled a fresh Pokeball from his belt. “Well, Arcanine, they broke your ball, so I guess I'm capturing you all over again.”

[Not like I could fight it, given my condition,] Arcanine replied with a tired and toothy smile. [Go on. Just promise me that we'll swap out for a better Pokeball later. These cheap ones are so...cramped.]

“You got it, buddy.”

Gardevoir watched stoically as Slash tossed the Pokeball at his partner; without any resistance, the capture process was nearly instantaneous. She had always been terrified of the entire idea of being trapped in such a strange device, and yet Arcanine had shown no fear, only discomfort – and most of that discomfort was from being separated from his vulnerable master, not the capture process itself. Still, it still frightened her, and she steeled herself for what she was certain would come next...but as Slash turned to face her, he made no move to reach for another Pokeball.

“Would you like to ride out here with me? It'd be a lot safer if we had a telepath keeping an eye out while we're traveling.” He gave her a kind and knowing smile. “Besides, I get the feeling that you'd prefer the fresh air, even on a night like this.”

[That...would indeed be preferable, yes,] she replied in a grateful tone. [Thank you, Slash.]

They climbed onto Terrakion's broad back, with Slash gripping one of the creature's armored plates and Gardevoir wrapping her arms around the human's waist. Terrakion raised himself off the ground, gave his comrades a respectful nod, and began heading south as quickly as his exhausted passengers could handle.

*****

Compared to their first foray into the wilds of Hoenn, the return trip was almost enjoyable.

The storm was showing no sign of weakening, but Terrakion didn't seem to even feel it. Despite being a Rock-type, the torrential rain was causing him no noticeable harm, and his robust body was unaffected by even the most vicious gusts of wind. The badly-drained Gardevoir found herself extremely grateful for Terrakion's durability, as it meant that she only needed to maintain a protective barrier around Slash and herself. She wouldn't be able to shield them for very long, but thanks to Terrakion's speed, she wouldn't really need to; despite his fragile passengers limiting him to only a fraction of his maximum speed, he was still crossing the countryside at an impressive pace.

There were a few feral Pokemon still prowling the night, as incredible as it seemed – extremely powerful ones, by the look of them. There weren't any more Mightyena that Slash could see, but he spotted several wandering Crawdaunt, using the rainfall to travel to new lakes and ponds in search of mates and territory. None appeared to be the Crawdaunt that Terrakion had fought on the day of Keldeo's disappearance, however.

“I can't believe the storm is still getting worse,” Slash mused loudly, struggling to be heard over the roar of the wind. “This is well beyond hurricane strength at this point. A hurricane-force storm in late December? It should be impossible!”

[Something evil is at work here,] Terrakion replied darkly. [I am uncertain if it is related to Keldeo's disappearance or just a coincidence...but unless the storm is dispelled soon, this entire region of Hoenn is going to be devastated. To a degree, it already has been.]

“No normal Pokemon would be capable of generating a storm of this magnitude. You said that Keldeo is a Water-type, right? A lot of Water Pokemon can summon rainfall with a technique that humans call Rain Dance. Do you think that maybe he got scared and conjured this as some sort of...defense mechanism?”

[Keldeo is quite powerful for his young age, but he has never shown any ability to manipulate the weather. Even if he could, I highly doubt that he would be able to influence such an enormous area, let alone to such an overwhelming degree. Even Great Ones have their limits. Besides, given how destructive this storm is becoming, I would argue that it stinks more of human foolishness than the actions of a god.]

“There's no human technology that can influence the weather,” Slash replied patiently. “It's been tried, but nobody's managed to pull it off. What would be the point of it, anyway? Why bother making some kind of rain machine when we've got Water Pokemon to help out in times of drought?”

[It could be used as a weapon,] Terrakion pointed out. [Look how much damage has already been done to the countryside...I have no doubt that many Pokemon have been injured or killed by this storm.]

“I know that you guys don't like humans, but we're *not* at war with you. Why would we want to cripple the Pokemon population, anyway? We need them too much to just...wantonly destroy them, and a storm this powerful is going to do a lot of damage to our cities, too!”

[Enough of this,] Gardevoir interjected, silencing them both. [We're almost at Oldale. Slash, I know that you're tired, but we probably shouldn't ride Terrakion all the way up to the gates. You know how your people will react if they see him again so soon.]

Slash nodded wearily. “You're right. We also need to avoid my dad, if at all possible. I'm not sure if he'd try to forcibly keep me in Oldale after my...abrupt resignation...but it's pretty damn likely, and we can't take that chance. I hate to admit it, but our team would be no match for his, even if all three of you were fresh...and there's no chance that I could overpower him in direct combat, either. We'll have to sneak into town somehow.”

[I think I can help with that. Terrakion, could you let us off here? We'll need to be stealthy from here on out.]

[Very well.]

Under normal conditions, the walls of Oldale would be dotted with bright spotlights, illuminating the outer perimeter and allowing the town watchmen to keep an eye out for dangerous Pokemon and the rare nighttime traveler. Tonight, however, the walls were completely dark, and Terrakion was able to get within fifty yards of the town without being seen. Slash and Gardevoir climbed off of his back, keeping a watchful eye out for any observers. There were a handful of watchmen up on the walls, tethered to heavy Pokemon to prevent them from being blown off by the gusting wind, but that appeared to be the extent of the defenses.

“I guess it's good that Cobalion gave them an exact time limit,” Slash said quietly. “They're not expecting a rematch for another three days, so the guard is relatively light. I'm not sure how we're going to get through the gate without being seen, though.”

[What does it matter if they see you?] Terrakion asked. [Your father is the only one that you need to avoid, correct?]

“Yeah, but by now he could have told all the other Protectors to keep an eye out for me. I can't risk being seen by any of them, so...damn, I knew it.”

Slash pointed at the breach in the western wall, where perhaps twenty laborers were struggling against the storm, trying to repair the damage as quickly as possible. They were accompanied by a half dozen Protectors, a few on each side of the broken wall, keeping an eye out for any signs of trouble. One of the Protectors on the outside of the wall was his father Maxim, who was using the fiery glow of his Ninetales' fur to illuminate the worksite. His father looked exhausted, and he kept peering into the dark wilds with a desperate and almost frantic look of worry...and Slash, of course, knew that he was the reason why.

(I'll apologize later, dad,) Slash thought to himself. (But for now, I can't risk you slowing me down.)

He turned to Terrakion and bowed gratefully. “Thank you for bringing us back to town. We definitely wouldn't have made it on our own. I know that you didn't enjoy it, but I promise you that I'm going to return the favor.” Slash's eyes gleamed with confident surety. “The next time you see me, Keldeo will be right alongside me. I promise.”

[For your sake, and the sake of this town, I certainly hope so. I have my doubts...but if you were actually able to strike Cobalion's face and walk away unscathed, then I suppose you're bold enough...and crazy enough...to perhaps pull it off.]

Slash laughed sharply. “I didn't think I was going to survive that, you know. I just wanted to die well, satisfied that I'd done my best to drill Cobalion's responsibilities back into him. It was a miracle that it actually worked.”

Terrakion gave the human an incredulous smirk – if that was how he acted when he truly believed his own death to be imminent, then he was more like Cobalion than either of them would ever dare to admit. Still, there was only one reason why Slash's desperate gamble had actually worked – because Cobalion bitterly blamed *himself* for Keldeo's disappearance, and his guilt had weighed on his heart for every moment of every day since his son was kidnapped.

Cobalion was not lying when he said that did not blame Terrakion, who had been escorting the young Pokemon out into the wilds. As his father, he knew firsthand how curious and flighty Keldeo was, and no adult could keep their eye upon such a child at all times. Even Terrakion's distraction had been justifiable, as he'd been driving a dangerous predator out of their territory.

To a significant degree, Cobalion did not even blame the kidnapper. He had always believed humans to be selfish and violent monsters; a human enslaving a young Pokemon was no more unexpected than a Mightyena biting down on warm flesh. The kidnapper was responsible for an unforgivable crime, and Cobalion would stake his honor on seeing the bastard dead...but much like a feral Pokemon, humans simply...did what they did.

And so, Cobalion placed the blame on himself. *He* had been the one to ask Terrakion to accompany Keldeo on his little field trip...and why had he done that? For some noble reason? To ensure that his son grew strong and wise? To sweep their territory for potential intruders?

No.

Cobalion had sent them away so that he could be with his mate.

He and Virizion hadn't had a chance to be alone for more than a year. At first she had been so heavily pregnant that Cobalion had not dared to touch her, not wanting to risk causing a miscarriage due to his own...desires...and after Keldeo was born, he and Virizion were far too busy taking care of their newborn child to even consider anything else. But as Keldeo grew and matured, Cobalion found himself feeling more and more guilty for not being attentive to his mate and her own needs. And so, on one pleasant and sunny afternoon, he had asked Terrakion for a personal favor: to take the boy out for a while, so that he and Virizion could...reconnect.

Terrakion knew that Cobalion's deep sense of guilt wasn't justified – he was both a mate and a father, and Virizion needed his love just as much as their child did. But for such a self-assured and confident leader, the knowledge of his son's kidnapping – and worse, the realization of what he'd been *doing* while the kidnapping occurred – had chilled him to the core. Cobalion may have outwardly blamed the people of Oldale for the crime...but inside, he blamed himself. The attack on Oldale hadn't been a true rescue operation, but rather a chance for him to let his rage eclipse his self-loathing.

*That* was why Cobalion had broken down when Slash had slapped him, accusing him of caring more for his ego than for his son...because, as hard as it was to admit, the human had been *right*. How could he kill Slash for that? The only crime that he was guilty of was spotting bullshit when he saw it.

Terrakion had no intention of telling the human such a thing, however. Cobalion's shame and grief ran deep, and was not for outsiders to know about. So instead he simply looked to the human, wished him and Gardevoir luck, and disappeared into the night without another word.

Perhaps they were all to blame, Terrakion thought to himself as he ran through the raging storm, racing to get back to his pack. Or perhaps none of them were. But either way, all of their hopes were pinned on one young man and the three Pokemon who had thrown in their lot with him.

Gods help them all.
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