CHAPTER 27 — Clash with the Mega Evolution


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ARTWORK BY   Damodoko


Without being able to use the orbs, Badges, or the Gadget to reach Argules, the two female Pokémon decided to travel via Rubro Croconaw, who was using the move Dragon Dance; maximizing his physical strength and speed while jumping through the trees. Mei Servine had coiled her slender body around the red-hooded Croconaw, which only hindered her partner even more, as the white-scarfed Servine was using the move Coil, twisting her own body to increase her attack, defense, and vision; but since she was wrapped around Rubro, he felt the squeeze as well:

— “ACK, Mei, it’s already not easy-URF jumping around while using Dragon Dance! I agreed to give you this ride-AUCH, AUCH, AUCH, BUT HELP ME HELP YOU!” — Croconaw complained, feeling Mei tighten around his chest, The Servine rummaged through her pouch, showing no sign of discomfort.
— “Sorry, Rubro, I’m just doing the same as you, strengthening myself, after all we don’t know what we’re going to face, so the stronger I am, the better. Here, I found Aurora’s mini Rollcall orbs, keep them near your head; we might need them if we get separated.” — Mei explained, moving closer to the red hood of the Croconaw to hand over the small orbs, Aurora Ribombee, who was there, took them, keeping one for herself and placing the other on Rubro’s head.
— “I can hear you three! Great, you all have your Rollcalls now, I have the large version of the Rollcall orb that Mei gave me, if you need my help, break your mini versions, and I’ll arrive in a beam of light… Literally, Nhihehe!” — Warned Akeldama the ghost Zoroark, through the Rollcall orb, the Pokémon was still maintaining Luke Croconaw’s form, which unsettled Saren Larvitar, who was with him in the Lost Dreams Dungeon.

The Larvitar picked up Luke’s Gadget and placed it beside his own, Akel looked at Saren and asked what the Rock Type intended to do. After selecting a few options on his brother’s device, he made a holographic screen appear, displaying some Pokémon in Argules risking themselves to report on the attacks:

— “Tragedy sells. Everyone loves news with bad headlines; they’re hypnotizing. I know plenty of Time Flower and Gadget networks that thrive on this… Look, it took me a while to accept that Luke was Rubro, but now that I know, I can’t just sit still. I want to help too, and for now, this is the best way I can.” — The Larvitar explained, showing regret and sadness. The ghostly Zoroark patted Saren’s head with a big smile and gave him a thumbs-up.
— “Welcome to the Renegades, little partner, this will already help us a lot. Now, we don’t need to search for hotspots; we can go straight to them and see our comrades fight from another angle.” — Akel affirmed, feeling even more confident about everything, but the Larvitar looked at the ghost Zoroark with an uncomfortable expression, then sighed while staring at the screen.
— “Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but it’s really bizarre hearing your weird voice while you’re taking my brother’s form. It sounds like he’s either hoarse or making some kind of joke.” — Saren said without thinking, since he was focused on the screen, he didn’t see Akel’s frustrated expression as he received that critique, Larvitar had unintentionally crushed the ghostly Zoroark’s self-esteem.
— “Good to know, Saren… Now, please, tell us where we should go. We’re currently approaching the wall through the front gate.” — Aurora requested from within Croconaw’s red hood, Rubro stomped hard on a tree branch, propelling himself toward the top of the wall. The Coalossal guard of the wall quickly noticed the Renegades approaching and alerted his partner, Golisopod.

Aware of the guards, the Croconaw whispered a counterattack plan to the Servine. The Golisopod leaped from the top of the wall, wielding a water blade due to the move Liquidation, Rubro opened his mouth and used Ice Fang, launching icy fangs at his opponent. As the Croconaw predicted, the Bug Type Pokémon easily shattered his attack; however, due to this, Mei, with her enhanced vision from Coil, noticed her opponent’s weak points and, using just a small Leech Seed, managed to hit the Golisopod.
The devious seed sprouted, forming a parasitic plant that bound the Pokémon’s arms, immobilizing him, Rubro stomped on the Pokémon, using him as a springboard to jump even higher and pass over the wall while the guard plummeted; seeing Croconaw in the air, Coalossal attempted to use Flamethrower on him. However, once again, Rubro had anticipated his move, unleashing a powerful jet of water from his Liquidation attack through his hands; not only did this propel him toward the location Saren had indicated; but it was also strong enough to engulf the guard’s Fire Type attack and hit him directly in the mouth, causing Coalossal to lose balance and fall from the wall, crashing onto his partner below:

— “Rubro, do you think that was really necessary? The guards could have definitely died there.” — Questioned Ribombee, slightly shocked at how ruthless the Liquidation attack had been. The Croconaw let out a small laugh.
— “No, it wasn’t necessary, but they used to mess with me, so I just wanted to get back at them, hehe.” — Rubro replied, the Servine immediately used Coil, this time intentionally to choke her partner.
— “You are not Luke Hidron, you are Rubro the Croconaw Beserker, and we are the heroes, remember? We must uphold your image, or else the city will turn against us. Next time, treat these Pokémon the same way you treat the Beserkers. If you want revenge, be brave and do it as Luke!” — Mei threatened as she squeezed the Croconaw’s cheek, making him whimper in pain, Larvitar, who was listening to everything, let out a small laugh.
— “Is it always like this around here?” — Saren asked with a big smile on his face, Akel ruffled the Larvitar’s hood, already telling the little one to get used to it.
— “THERE, THERE, REGINA, LOOK UP THERE!”— From Saren’s holographic screen, the Pokémon recording the action alerted the Lopunny reporter; their allies had finally arrived where the battle against a Hellstalker Togekiss, wearing an aviator helmet, was taking place.

The Fairy Type Pokémon was usually a symbol of joy and good fortune, but due to Dark Matter’s corruption, it had become nothing more than a symbol of suffering and tragedy; the Pokémon was flying, using the move Air Cutter to petrify the Pokémon below.
Disgusted by the situation, the Servine launched her Leech Seed at Togekiss, but the attack was automatically nullified due to the Pokémon being surrounded by a light-green sphere, Rubro told Mei that it was the move Safeguard. Noticing that it had been targeted by an attack, the Togekiss swooped down, positioning itself in front of the Croconaw, who remained airborne thanks to the water jets from the Liquidation move:

— “The traitor has shown her face… Mei, you venomous Arbok, attacking me from behind, such a lack of class. But I don’t hold grudges; I’d rather just spread love… Here, a little kiss for you.” — The Hellstalker mocked gracefully before immediately launching a Draining Kiss corrupted by the miasma of Aura Matter, Rubro spun slightly in the air, allowing his partner to use the Iron Tail move to cancel out the attack.
— “WHAT!? HOW DID YOU WITHSTAND MY ATTACK? YOU SHOULD BE A STATUE BY NOW!” — Togekiss screamed, losing all composure.
— “My dear Umme, if I accepted a kiss from just any trash, I’d be covered in slime. But if you’re so eager to share affection, I’ve got a Croconaw dying to give you some love bites.” — Servine responded in a pompous voice, she then released herself from her partner, climbing onto a building, while Rubro strengthened his Liquidation to propel himself toward Togekiss.

Annoyed, the Fairy-Type Pokémon began using the TRI-Attack move, tainted by Aura Matter, unbothered, the Croconaw allowed himself to be hit, even suffering damage from the attack, but always managing to reverse his petrification; Rubro then opened his mouth as wide as possible, biting down on Togekiss’s neck with Ice Fang.
The Hellstalker screamed in agony, but before he could free himself, Croconaw activated his Shadow Claw in both hands, driving the attack into the Flying-Type’s back, locking himself onto him. The lethal grip caused Togekiss to thrash around in the air, howling in pain, however, Rubro was firmly attached thanks to Ice Fang and Shadow Claw, Umme couldn’t use his moves to shake Croconaw off since he was latched onto his belly.
Desperate, Togekiss flew toward the city's buildings and towers, planning to crash into them to dislodge the Berserker, Rubro noticed the Pokémon’s plan and, using the Shadow Claw embedded in his back, subtly manipulated the Pokémon’s trajectory.
Crying in relief, Togekiss was about to crash into a building, unaware that it was the same one Mei had positioned herself on earlier; as the Pokémon approached, the Servine struck his face with an Iron Tail, sending Togekiss crashing onto the rooftop of another building.
The Hellstalker groaned in pain on the ground, the fall had been worse than expected since Croconaw had maneuvered himself to ensure only he was safe, Rubro stepped off Togekiss, wiping his mouth and spitting blood:

— “Ugh, I thought Fairy-Types had a sweeter taste…” — Croconaw mocked as he licked the Hellstalker’s blood from his mouth, horrified and weakened, Togekiss tried to crawl away, but Mei appeared before him.
— “They usually do, Rubro, but this one is rotten… Please, do the honors quickly, we have a lot to do today.” — Servine taunted, covering her face with her tessen, she then bowed slightly to Rubro before stepping away from the Hellstalker.

Terrified and enraged, Togekiss began insulting the Pokémon duo while glaring at Mei, who simply laughed and fanned herself; Rubro then used Liquidation, trapping the Hellstalker in a pressurized water bubble. The Pokémon struggled frantically, but Croconaw had refined the technique further, and it didn’t take long to reverse the Hellstalker’s condition; Togekiss collapsed unconscious on the ground, fully restored. Due to the bath of Luminous Water, even the Pokémon’s wounds had healed:

— “Done. Send him to… Trevor, right? And let’s go.” — Rubro commanded in a malicious tone, pretending not to know who Trevor Houndoom was. Mei approached, twirling her tessen, then removed her badge from her scarf.
— “As you wish *Flashhh* There, I sent him to the base.” — Servine confirmed as she watched Togekiss vanish in the badge’s light, she then tucked away her accessories in her white scarf, coiling her body around Croconaw immediately after.

Rubro began running, activating Shadow Claw on the two red ribbons trailing from his hood, giving them a dark outline. The Pokémon then leaped from the building, eliciting a gasp from the Lopunny reporter narrating the Renegades' actions, she moved closer alongside the Rotom Drone recording the scene, suddenly, a claw similar to that of a Haunter appeared, gripping a nearby tree firmly.
Lopunny shrieked, urging Rotom to zoom in on the image, revealing that it was Croconaw’s doing; he swung between the buildings, launching the empowered ribbons from his hood, which grabbed onto surfaces and pulled him forward, propelling him.
Impressed, the reporter was about to give a final remark when she looked down at the street, noticing various Pokémon who had been petrified by Togekiss beginning to recover:

— “You are witnessing this firsthand! We captured the entire action of Rubro, the red-hooded Croconaw, along with what appears to be some kind of partner. We don’t know exactly what just happened, but we were all saved from the Hellstalker by a Beserker!” — declared the Lopunny, visibly astonished as she looked at the Rotom Drone. The Electric-type Pokémon then started recording the restored Network.

Inside the Argules palace, all the Pokémon had seen Rubro’s actions through the special Time Flowers of Raijin Heliolisk, Beelzeby Luxray predicted where the Beserker was headed just by observing the direction of the Croconaw’s swinging movements.
Before taking any action, Lúcios Feraligatr waited for Trevor to confirm the Togekiss’s whereabouts; it didn’t take long for the Houndoom to verify that the Pokémon had indeed been sent to the Lacustre Base. Lencia Charizard ordered the preventive detention of the Pokémon, instructing that it be analyzed thoroughly, not wanting to put the base’s members at risk:

— “Beelzeby, you said you know where Rubro is heading. Tell me, I will try to go there.” — Requested Rex Lucario, sitting on a tree branch, resting while preparing to fight again.
— “Do you think confronting Rubro is really the wisest choice right now? The city is under attack by multiple Hellstalkers, and he seems to have helped stop one of them. Don't forget, the enemy of our enemy is our friend.” — Advised the Luxray, still monitoring the Croconaw’s movements.
— “I agree with you, Mr. Beelzeby, but Rex and I still answer to Madame Xerneas, and her orders remain our top priority. And her command was to capture this Beserker.” — Said Naz Gabite, assisting the Electric-type Pokémon in monitoring the Nexus screens, at least while Cody Charmeleon helped Raijin with the new defensive gadgets.
— “Don’t forget what he did to the members of the Lacustre Base last month. And I’ve already told you, I sensed Aura Matter in him the last time we fought. And yes, before you start complaining, Beelzeby, I know Rubro restored Mei and Team Madresp back to their Network forms.” — The Lucario reminded everyone of the Croconaw Beserker’s past actions as he stood up, Rex then raised the four appendages on the back of his head, assuming a combat stance.
— “I’m not waiting until next month to see if this Beserker will still be on our side. I’m going after him, no matter what. You can either help me or get in my way. The choice is yours!” — Declared the Lucario as he began advancing, Beelzeby let out a frustrated growl, realizing that even without Madame Xerneas’s influence, Rex was still difficult to deal with.
— “I agree with Rex… We have no control over this Beserker. We don’t know what he wants, and there are many mysteries that still need solving…” — said Lencia, rising from her throne, The Charizard played with her golden necklace, taking a brief moment to ponder. It wasn’t long before she directed her attention to her royal advisor and the guild master.
— “Lúcios, Trevor, order all the police force and the Lacustre Base to do everything possible to capture Rubro or Mei ALIVE. As for you, Beelzeby, tell Rex what he wants to know. But Rex, if you catch him, bring him here first before sending him to Madame Xerneas! That is a direct order from the Empress of the Calypso Continent!” — Lencia commanded, dramatically spreading her Charizard wings, the Feraligatr, and Houndoom saluted the empress and began carrying out her will.

Cornered, the Luxray told Rex where the Croconaw Beserker was headed, the Lucario then used Extreme Speed, leaping between buildings, towers, and plants in the indicated direction.
Rubro continued moving, using his Shadow Claw to cling to buildings, The Croconaw was in pursuit of an Eelektross wearing headphones, The Hellstalker was listening to music, dancing in midair thanks to its Levitate ability. It was throwing Electroweb laced with miasma at the Network below and onto buildings, petrifying them; Saren had warned about this Pokémon, and it was the Larvitar’s idea to use Shadow Claw on the hood ribbons like a hook shot to prevent his brother from being electrocuted.
However, Rubro was growing impatient, the method was effective at keeping him out of danger, but his movements were too slow, Eelektross hadn’t fled yet, distracted by its music. Noticing a favorable approach, Mei instructed the Croconaw to use the hood ribbon with Shadow Claw to stop the Eelektross. Rubro was about to follow his partner’s command, but at that moment, Rex struck him with Extreme Speed.
The attack was incredibly powerful, and being caught off guard only made it worse, the impact sent both the Croconaw and the Servine crashing through the walls of a tower. Thanks to the multiple Coil uses earlier, Mei managed to withstand the impact and absorb much of the friction that would have harmed Rubro, however, even so, it was a critical hit for him:

— “Arrrrg, was I just run over by a Tauros? Ack, everything hurts…” — Groaned the Croconaw, struggling to get up. The Servine, still wrapped around him, helped him.
— “I’ll use my Pollen Puff on you both, hang in there, whatever hit us is coming to finish the job.” — warned the Ribombee from inside Rubro’s hood. Aurora used two Pollen Puffs, clashing them together to heal her allies.

Then, from the hole in the wall the Renegades had made, Rex emerged, seeing only the Lucario’s shadow through the dust, Mei muttered a worried “Damn it” under her breath, aware of the enemy’s strength.
Agitated, Saren was about to give his brother some advice to help him escape, but at that moment, his father started calling him; the Rock-type wasn’t going to answer, but the phantom Zoroark stopped him, insisting that it was crucial to pick up to maintain their alibi. Frustrated, Saren shouted at his brother to win before muting his Rollcall Orb to take Lúcios’s call; meanwhile, the Ribombee whispered the situation to their other two allies, who remained paralyzed, unable to take their eyes off Rex’s looming shadow in the dust.
Suddenly, the shadow vanished, leaving only a trail in the dust cloud, before Rubro and Mei could react, Lucario appeared behind them; Rex aimed a punch at the back of the Croconaw’s neck, but due to the lingering effect of Shadow Claw on the red ribbons of Rubro's hood, the Ghost-type attack gripped the Soldier’s paws, catching him off guard. Servine’s legs were positioned near Rex’s chest, and taking advantage of that, the Grass-type used Trailblaze, delivering multiple kicks to his stomach; the force of the kicks pushed the Renegades away from the Soldier; seizing the moment, Rubro yanked the ribbons, flinging Rex forward.
The Lucario twisted midair and landed facing his opponents, simultaneously activating Raijin’s Defense Accessory, two bracelets that expanded into a formidable armor. Using his appendages, Rex attempted to sense Croconaw’s aura to quickly determine if he was still a Hellstalker; however, due to the earlier Pollen Puff from Ribombee and the MPP-enhanced strikes Rubro had landed, both his and Mei’s auras were difficult to discern, to Rex, it felt as if he were staring at eight Pokémon instead of two:

— “That was a good warm-up, but playtime is over. This is your last chance to surrender.” — Rex warned calmly, upon hearing that, Servine burst into laughter.
— “Wow, and here I was, worried, Rubro, let’s just go, we need to help the other Network! We're not Hellstalkers, his sacred item won’t affect us. He must know that, otherwise, he would’ve taken us out already!” — Mei said confidently, the Lucario, who had maintained a serious demeanor until now, merely smirked.
— “Aww, looks like we’ve got a well-informed little Servine here… Very few Networks know about that weakness in Soldiers… Let alone an “apparent” Hellstalker. But no, this is funny! I’m actually trying to be nice to you… For now…” — Rex mocked, taking short steps forward, Rubro didn’t attack or show hostility yet, still studying the Soldier.
— “You say “Apparent” Hellstalker? I AM NOT A HELLSTALKER ANYMORE, YOU IDIOT! USE YOUR CONVENIENT LITTLE POWERS AND SEE THAT I AM A NETWORK THROUGH AND THROUGH… BETTER YET, SIT!” — Mei screamed in fury, launching Leech Seed at Lucario, however, his defense accessory not only blocked the attack but incinerated it, leaving only ashes on his armor, with a disdainful motion, Lucario wiped his paw across his chest.
— “I have my answer now. A shame, really. If you had come quietly, you’d still be conscious to answer my questions…” — Rex said in a tone of indifference, then, in an instant, he activated Extreme Speed, appearing right in front of Croconaw, mere inches from his snout; before the duo could react, Rex crossed both his paws and grabbed the bottom of Rubro’s red hood, lifting him.
— “The Musharna will have to extract everything I need from whatever's left of you two.” — He added, immediately executing a devastating Cross Chop to Rubro’s neck, sending the Croconaw flying, Servine had no time to act before the Soldier’s attack landed; however, Mei quickly coiled herself, using Coil to shield Rubro’s vital spots and lessen the impact.
— “RUBRO, I’M SORRY, THIS IS ALL MY FAULT! ARE YOU OKAY?! AHHH!” — Servine cried out, coiling even tighter around Croconaw, only to scream in horror as she saw that the Cross Chop had torn through both the bottom of Rubro’s hood and his neck.

Lucario slowly approached, assuming the Berserker would stay down after such a blow. However, as he got closer, not only he but everyone in Lencia’s royal hall watched as the Croconaw’s open wound was enveloped by a light-blue water, which not only healed it but also stitched his red hood back together:

— “IMPOSSIBLE! HOW CAN A WATER-TYPE POKÉMON HEAL LIKE THAT?!” — Rex shouted in shock. Without hesitation, the Lucario conjured two Aura Spheres in his palms and fired them immediately.
A massive dust cloud erupted, blocking the Soldier’s vision. However, he could still sense his enemies’ strange auras and continued attacking from a distance with multiple Aura Spheres.
— “*Cough, cough* Ughhh, damn it! He caught me off guard, but… Lucky for us, the Luminous Water stored in my hood can heal me. I don’t know if I can take another hit like that, though.” — Rubro muttered, coughing. Mei hugged her companion tightly.
— “STOP IT. Please… just stop scaring me like that, this is getting really annoying… *sniff, sniff*” — Mei murmured, her voice trembling as she teared up. Taking advantage of the chaos, Aurora peeked out from inside the hood.
—“The Soldier is still bombarding us with Aura Sphere. While he hasn’t noticed that the ribbons, strengthened with Shadow Claw, are shielding us, we need to come up with a plan—and FAST!”— Aurora whispered. The Fairy-type then used Pollen Puff once again to heal her allies.

Now panting, Rex activated Extreme Speed again, determined to end the fight once and for all; however, as he dashed into the dust cloud, he collided directly with the red ribbon of the Berserker’s hood now reinforced by Shadow Claw, forming a barrier of Ghost-type energy; the impact successfully repelled Lucario, forcing him to leap back twice to maintain a safe distance.
In the throne room, Beelzeby praised the ingenuity of the beserker Croconaw, stating he was aware that some Pokémon used tools for certain attacks mentioning, for example, the Scalchop on the bellies of Oshawott; but he had never seen a Pokémon use pieces of clothing like that unless they were sacred items or defensive gear. Frustrated at the thought that Mei might escape again, Gabite yelled for Rex to stop underestimating the duo, saying she herself had let her guard down around the Servine just like he was doing now and that; it would be his downfall.
Although Naz meant to help her superior, receiving advice from a lower-ranking Soldier was humiliating for the Lucario; even though he acknowledged the Gabite's warning outwardly, inside, he was seething with rage. To avoid being fooled by his vision again, Rex decided to rely entirely on his aura senses; the Pokémon closed his eyes and used Extreme Speed, this time running along the walls of the building, successfully dodging the red ribbon barrier.
Rex then lunged to strike Rubro in the head with Extreme Speed and landed the hit with ease; but during the time bought, the Croconaw had used Ice Fang’s PP to freeze the water inside his hood, making it rock-solid and softening the blow. The Lucario then summoned his Bone Rush and began striking the Beserker with swift jabs, like he was fencing; Rubro couldn’t dodge on his own, but the Servine had wrapped herself slightly around his waist to assist in his movements.
Rubro tried to touch Rex’s armor, after all, the Pokémon was trying to harm him and since Rubro wasn’t actually a Beserker or a Hellstalker, the sacred item’s repelling mechanism should have activated, pushing the Lucario back. It wasn’t easy due to the Soldier's speed, but with Mei’s help, the Croconaw eventually made contact; only for his wrist to be shattered by Rex’s Bone Rush, who seized the opening to hit him again with a Cross Chop to the neck, sending Rubro flying.
The strike launched Rubro spinning through the air; Servine screamed at him to calm down while activating Iron Tail in an attempt to stabilize them, Croconaw shouted back, managing to land on his feet using his legs and good arm, though he was dragged across the floor. Before he could recover, Rex leapt into the air, Bone Rush raised above him; Mei used her body to spin Rubro just in time, managing to block the Lucario’s strike with Trailblaze active on her feet.
The explosive clash of moves forced Rex to back away; using one of the red ribbons from his hood, the Croconaw manipulated Liquidation to wrap around his injured wrist, snapping it back into place and healing the wound in the process, the Renegades exchanged looks. Their plan to repel the Lucario using his own sacred item had failed, and not knowing why was terrifying; but their next move was even riskier, they would have to go on the offensive.
Rubro charged the Soldier at high speed, improvising a cannon using the ribbon around his hand to fire several ice spikes empowered by Ice Fang; Rex growled shortly and spun Bone Rush, intercepting the attack with ease before countering with a strike to Rubro’s head. But the Servine intervened, blocking the Ground-type move with her tessen; with both of the Lucario’s paws occupied, Croconaw used Shadow Claw with his other arm, piercing Rex’s leg.
Rex howled in pain, and the Bone Rush vanished from his paws; Mei took advantage of the opening, stabbing the Lucario repeatedly in the arm with her folded tessen. Finally, Rubro used Liquidation on Rex’s chest plate, shattering part of the armor and launching him backward:

— “Rubro, his sacred item broke… Sacred items aren’t supposed to break… OH MY ARCEUS, THAT’S NOT A SACRED ITEM! THAT’S WHY OUR FIRST PLAN FAILED!” — Shouted the shocked Servine, Rubro didn’t take his eyes off Rex, but he was just as stunned that the Soldier wasn’t using one of their strongest weapons.
— “ARGHHH, DAMN IT! BEELZEBY, TELL THAT DAMN RAIJIN TO SPEED UP PRODUCTION ON THOSE DAMN THINGS!” — Lucario roared in fury, Rubro Croconaw jumped back a few times, worried by Rex’s sudden outburst. Mei Servine was also shaken by the Soldier’s hostility and found herself wondering who those Pokémon he mentioned were.
— “You two aren’t bad… You Know? Not many Pokémon have managed to injure me like this…” — Rex complimented, staggering as he clutched his bleeding arm. The Soldier opened his eyes with a sadistic grin.
— “I’LL GIVE YOU A PRIZE FOR YOUR EFFORTS… YOU TWO DESERVE IT… MEGAAA SHINKAAAHHH!!” — Rex bellowed, pulling a Mega Stone from his fur. The glow was intense—Rubro shut his red hood tight, and Mei opened her tessen to shield them both from the blinding light.

As the battle intensified more and more, the Feraligatr remained on a Gadget call with the Larvitar, It didn’t take long for Lucius to notice how restless Saren was; the royal advisor promptly asked what was wrong, causing his son to start stammering. Disguised as Luke the Croconaw and using all his improvisational skill, Akel kept up the illusion of chatting with Melinda the Servine through the Gadget:

— “S-sorry, Dad, it’s just… I’m worried about you and Luke’s partner. It looks like she’s trapped in Argules. To calm down, she’s also on a Gadget call with him, just like us.”— Larvitar replied, taking advantage of the setup the ghost Zoroark had crafted for him.
— “I can’t even imagine how she must feel right now. The Hellstalker attacks have gotten worse. The police are trying to control as much of the Network as possible, so people can escape safely. To make things worse, the only active Soldier is fighting the berserker Rubro… but I have faith we’ll resolve at least that problem today,” — Feraligatr said calmly, watching one of the Nexus’ holographic screens showing the Mega Lucario violently beating up the Croconaw and the Servine, calmness that neither Saren nor Akel shared.
— “BUT DAD, I SAW THE NEWS! RUBRO TOOK DOWN A TOGEKISS HELLSTALKER AND WAS CHASING AN EELEKTROSS HELLSTALKER! THEY CAN’T ATTACK HIM, THEY NEED HIM!” — Larvitar shouted, nearly crying in desperation, Lucius reminded him that they’d already had this discussion, and everyone agreed capturing Rubro was the priority.
— “NO, DAD, DON’T DO THIS, RUBRO IS… UUNFF!” — Cornered, Saren was about to reveal his brother’s secret identity, but the Phantom Zoroark acted quickly, covering his mouth under the guise of a warm hug.
— “Easy, Saren… You're just like Melinda now. I told you not to watch sensationalist news. Ugh… Dad, I’ll talk to him. He’s convinced Rubro is some kind of hero thanks to the Gadget reports.” — Akel said in a velvet-smooth tone, still disguised as Luke, the Feraligatr, annoyed by his younger son’s stance, scolded him before leaving him in his “older brother’s” care and ending the call.
— “HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!”— Phantom Zoroark snapped the moment Lúcios ended the call, Akel then dispelled all the illusions he was maintaining and finally let go of the Larvitar’s mouth.
— “WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?! DAD WANTS TO KILL MY BROTHER! HE’D RATHER PRIORITIZE A CAPTURE THAN SAVE US POKÉMON! I’VE NEVER BEEN SO ANGRY, WORRIED, AND SAD!”*SLAP* “ARGH!”— Saren screamed, only to be slapped across the face by the Zoroark, which made him cry in rage; Larvitar then tried to hit Akel with his paw, but it only phased through the Ghost-type Pokémon.
— “At this rate, I might have to slap your dad too just to knock some sense into you guys!” — Phantom Zoroark said sarcastically, watching as Saren continued to pass through him, when the Larvitar finally tired out, Akel continued.
— “Sorry for hitting you. Just like your brother, you were having a breakdown. And now that you’ve joined the team, you're going to practice that self-control. You already know, acting like that is the gateway for evil entities. You're out of breath now, use that to reflect a little…” — Phantom Zoroark said, sitting on the floor with legs crossed, scratching at his jeans, Saren was still upset from the slap, but took a deep breath and calmed himself.
— “There, see? You look way calmer now… *POW* ARGH—WAS THAT REALLY NECESSARY?!” — Akel had let his guard down, giving the Larvitar an opening to summon a Stone Edge and throw a rock at the Zoroark’s forehead.
— “It was necessary! *Sniff* You hit me first! I may be calmer, but that wasn’t okay. If I need to work on self-control, then you need to work on being less invasive. *Sniff*” — Saren pouted while sitting down again and messing with the Gadget to keep monitoring his brother, phantom Zoroark growled a long sigh but eventually gave in.
— “Fair enough… Sorry again. At least now we’re even. Friends again?” — Akel apologized, crawling over and laying on his belly next to the Larvitar, Saren looked at him with a pouty expression, but then laid his head against Akel’s side.
— “Friends again…” — Larvitar said in a tearful voice, phantom Zoroark, then brushed his hair behind Saren’s back to make him more comfortable.

Meanwhile, in the city, the now-empowered Mega Lucario was brutally beating Rubro and Mei. Rex’s Cross Chops had become so powerful that he didn’t even need to land them directly, the X-shaped vacuum waves they created were enough to pull in and hurl the Renegades through the air.
Finally syncing his Gadget with one of the news feeds, the Larvitar saw the moment when an Alakazam reporter captured footage of Rubro and Mei being hurled from a building toward a large hollow tree that served as a residence; the impact of their bodies created a crater in the terrace. The Mega Lucario appeared there almost instantly, so fast the Rotom Drone’s camera couldn’t track him; the Soldier grabbed the berserker by his hood and, using Extreme Speed, delivered a barrage of punches to the Croconaw’s abdomen; not only did the Mega Lucario’s glowing fists begin to overheat with a yellow shine, but Rubro also started coughing up blood.
Rex then slams the Beserker into the ground with great force, making him bounce; at that moment, the Mega Lucario arrives, his fists pressing the heads of Croconaw and Servine; finally, the Soldier uses a greatly powered Aura Sphere on Mei's head, and since she's still wrapped in Rubro, both of them are launched through the tree they were against, heading elsewhere. The reporter Alakazam ordered the Rotom Drone to follow the Beserker, and both did so; Saren was terrified watching the beating, while Akel, no longer so calm, was trying to contact any of his three allies through the Rollcall orb:

— “Akel, it’s me, Aurora, DON’T SAY ANYTHING, Lucario has Mega Evolved, I’m doing my best not to be discovered, but I’m getting my Pollen Puff ready to heal Rubro and Mei, and he won’t stop… Oh, no…” — Whispered the Ribombee, informing them of the situation as much as she could, since Rex had once again managed to catch up to them.
— “Hehe, you two are still conscious, that’s new. You’d both make great Soldiers, but for now, I’m satisfied just using you as punching bags.” — Stated the Mega Lucario, he then kicks Rubro using Extreme Speed, launching the Beserker, and grabs Mei by the neck, using a Cross Chop on her, throwing them again.
— “I-I can’t… Take it anymore… GHAAAAAAA!!” — Said the Croconaw, then flew through the air until he crashed in the middle of the street, dragging across the stone ground, throwing up debris and opening another hole with his body.
— “It hu-rts so mu-ch, I… really want to cry, ARRRG, this Soldier is a monster…” — Replied the Servine, trying to help Rubro up while forcing herself to do the same.
— “Mei, the Luminous water from my hood is running out, I don’t know how much longer I can keep healing our serious injuries.” — Warned the Croconaw, managing to stand up, one could hear the cracking of his and Mei’s bodies as the water healed them.
— “THAT’S IT, WE CAN TURN THIS AROUND, USING THE CITY TO OUR ADVANTAGE! THIS IS OUR LAST CHANCE AND WE NEED EVERYONE’S HELP!” — Shouted the Servine, excited by her plan, then explained the key details to her allies.

Before she could finish, the enraged Mega Lucario reappears, descending from the sky and landing on one knee near the duo; to instill more fear in his enemies, Rex walks slowly toward them, activating Bone Rush, holding a large energy bone in his hand.
Taking advantage of the fact that the Mega Evolution had broken the armor the Soldier was wearing, the two Renegades use long-distance attacks to try to stop him; Rubro transforms one of the ribbons from his red hood into an arm cannon, firing Ice Fang, while Mei launches multiple Leech Seed from her arms. Rex doesn’t even bother intercepting the attacks with Bone Rush; the Pokémon simply uses Extreme Speed to dodge all of them, continuing to advance slowly to terrify Croconaw and Servine.
The speed of Mega Lucario’s Extreme Speed was so terrifying that it was impossible to see him move, it seemed like the Steel Type Pokémon was teleporting. The Soldier once again reaches Rubro and Mei, but unlike last time, the Pokémon drives the Bone Rush into Servine’s chest, piercing through her and hitting the Croconaw behind; smiling sadistically, Rex raises the bone with both Renegades impaled on it:

— “I think a regular Pokémon would get mad at you two for constantly healing, but this is actually therapeutic for me. I can stab you again, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN!” — Said the Mega Lucario, pulling the pair writhing in pain closer to him; Mei then uses her tail to place a Leech Seed in the Mega Lucario’s mouth.

The Soldier tries to spit out the seed, but it starts to sprout, gagging him, Rubro takes advantage of this, firing Liquidation jets from both arms at Rex’s face, throwing him backward, landing headfirst on the stone ground. With Mega Lucario’s hesitation, the Bone Rush holding Croconaw and Servine vanishes; gravely wounded, Rubro uses Liquidation again to escape, flying through the air using the propulsion of the Water Type move:

— “STOP READING THE CLICHÉ PSYCHOPATH’S MANUAL! REX, THEY’RE NOT GOING TO SURRENDER — BREAK ALL THEIR BONES AT ONCE AND BRING THEM HERE!” — Ordered the Luxray, already irritated by the Soldier’s delay in completing what he considered a simple task, Rex, using his aura control enhanced by Mega Evolution, vomits out the Leech Seed from his mouth and incinerates the move with an Aura Sphere.
— “THAT RIDICULOUS VISOR ON YOUR FACE CUTTING OFF BLOOD FLOW TO YOUR BRAIN!? I ALREADY DID THAT, BUT FOR SOME REASON THESE TWO MISERABLES KEEP HEALING NONSTOP, GHAAAAA!” — Screamed the Mega Lucario before starting to use pain, Gabite notices that her master’s arm and feather were still bleeding.
— “Rex, whatever you’re going to do, do it quickly! The Mega Evolution didn’t heal your injuries… You’re still SERIOUSLY hurt, and these moves seem to be taking a serious toll on your body.” — Warned Naz, concerned for the Soldier’s well-being, Rex responded by telling her and Beelzeby to shut up and just say where the pair was going.

Observing the flight pattern of the Croconaw Beserker through the Time Flower, the Luxray traced and assumed that the pair would escape the city using a water stream in that direction; Beelzeby alerts Mega Lucario to hurry or risk losing the Pokémon.
Furious, Rex leaps using his Extreme Speed with such force that a crater forms where the Pokémon jumped from, but, Rubro manages to reach the stream, diving into it with Mei still wrapped around him; Mega Lucario sees the red-hooded Croconaw swimming underwater and heads toward him.
Using Extreme Speed, it was easy for Rex to land in front of the duo, Rubro tries to escape by swimming quickly in the opposite direction. However, roaring in rage, Rex grabs the heads of the Croconaw and the Servine, lifting both of them by the head and pulling, trying to separate them:

— “YOU REALLY THOUGHT YOU COULD ESCAPE ME? THIS ENDS NOW!” — Roars the Mega Lucario, unlike the other times, Rubro and Mei smile.
— “You’re right, it ends now… FOR YOU!” — Shouts the Servine, just as the water from the stream begins to rise around Rex.

The water brought with it numerous Leech Seed that began to sprout upon contact with Mega Lucario, this had been Mei’s plan all along, to have Rubro use his MPP in a place with lots of water; after all both knew they couldn’t surpass the Soldier in strength, so their only option was to outsmart him.

Rex didn’t let go of the Croconaw and the Servine, the Pokémon squirmed, trying to shake off the Leech Seed and avoid the advancing water; Mei, still wrapped around Rubro due to the Coil move, begins to stomp on Mega Lucario’s belly with Trailblaze, forcing him to release the pair and fall on his back into the water. Free, the red-hooded Croconaw uses MPP with Liquidation, allowing him to control the stream’s water in multiple ways; one to heal his and the Servine’s injuries by converting it into Luminous in front of everyone’s eyes, and another to trap Rex and cover him with both water and Leech Seed.
There were so many Leech Seed covering Mega Lucario’s body that they completely bound the Pokémon, leaving him at the mercy of the Renegades; Rubro then traps Rex inside a water bubble and uses Liquidation with Mega Lucario inside, not to heal him, but to beat him up. Inside the bubble, the Soldier felt as if he were being pressed and punched all over his body; signaling to his partner, Mei detaches from Rubro while performing a flip, as he draws all the water from the bubble into his hand, releasing Mega Lucario into the air.
The Croconaw uses all that water to create a Liquidation fist, while the Servine, from her flip, makes her legs glow light green, activating Trailblaze; before Rex hits the ground, Rubro lands a Liquidation-charged punch at the same time Mei delivers a Trailblaze kick to the Soldier. Both Pokémon, roaring, strike Mega Lucario’s chin, sending him flying violently into the air; from the impact, Rex crashes onto his back, forming a crater, his Mega Evolution then vanishes, revealing the Lucario lying unconscious on the ground.
Realizing their victory, the Croconaw, and the Servine look at each other, panting; they then hug tightly before letting go and jumping with joy together, everything was recorded by the Rotom Drone, which approached the Renegade team; Mei notices the Pokémon filming them, still excited. The Servine catches Rubro’s attention and asks him to wave at the camera with her, pretending to be a Beserker, the Croconaw curiously looks at the yellow Rotom:
— “MEI, THE HELLSTALKERS! WE STILL NEED TO STOP THEM!” — Shouted Rubro, remembering why they were there, Mei pulls out her Tessen, fanning herself as she blushes with embarrassment.
— “ARRRG, DAMN, that Mega Lucario beat us up so badly, I even forgot we came here to stop the Hellstalkers. I don’t even feel like doing it anymore, but let’s go, before I change my mind.” — Said the Servine, using her Coil move again to wrap herself around the Croconaw, who winced from the pain of having his partner latch onto him again.
— “SLOW DOWN, BESERKER!” — Yelled Officer Riano Granbull, accompanied by two Fraxure, a Golbat, and his partner Brago Rotom Dex, all part of the Argules police force.
— “BY ORDER OF QUEEN LENCIA FLAMEY CHARIZARD, YOU ARE ALL UNDER ARREST, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO…” — Brago took the lead, charging the Renegade duo, explaining their rights while showing illustrated images of what he was saying on his screen, as the Fraxure approached.
— “WE’RE THE RENEGADES, AND WE DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS BUREAUCRATIC NONSENSE, RUBRO!” — Shouted Mei, cutting off the Rotom Dex, at her command, Rubro uses his MPP on the stream’s water, launching it still filled with Leech Seed at the officers, who are bound by the Grass Type move.
— “WHAT THE—?! YOU WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO DO THAT, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO RUN!” — Complained the Servine, furious at the Croconaw’s recklessness.
— “*Groowl*, I’m not a psychic, I’m a Water Type Pokémon, not Psychic Type… Too late now.” — Replied the red-hooded Pokémon, shrugging and making a confused expression, the white-scarfed Pokémon mutters in frustration and tells them to run already.

Rubro uses Liquidation on his arms to launch himself away, and Mei, noticing they were now at a safe distance, cancels the Leech Seed move, releasing the officers from the parasitic plant binds; even shaken by the surprise attack from the now publicly known Renegades, Officer Riano takes advantage of his partner Rotom Dex’s presence to alert other officers about the danger posed by the red-hooded Croconaw Beserker and the traitorous Servine.
From afar, sitting on a tree branch, Ralm Quilava, listening to music through his Gadget headphones, observes the Renegades’ fight against his allay Soldier. He is impressed by the enemies’ strength and grins slyly, already imagining how he could use the event to his advantage.
That afternoon in Argules was catastrophic; nine different Hellstalker attacks were reported in the city, creating utter panic, adding that to the Poliesport Stadium incident, the credibility of the Empress and her subordinates in the eyes of the people was shaken. However, much of the crisis was mitigated thanks to the Soldiers’ efforts in testing their defense gear, the delegation from King Jolteon, but most of all, the red-hooded Croconaw Beserker, who won over the press; after all, besides stopping four Hellstalkers, he also managed to heal them and the Pokémon who were victims of their attacks all of it recorded and reported by several journalists and Rotom Drones.
The day demanded a lot from Rubro’s persona, when Luke returned to the base, he nearly fainted from exhaustion, it took a while for Lúcios to authorize the return of his sons to Argules. The Renegades took that time to be treated by Aurora and Akel, Croconaw and the Servine still had to bathe in the Fountain of Lost Dreams to ensure full recovery.
Despite the fierce attack from Rex and the intervention of the Feraligatr counselor, the Phantom Zoroark stated that their mission had been a success and things had gone smoothly. However, everyone there would still need more training, Arbustos Trevenant seemed more confident about attacking Argules, and the Soldier still hid many dangerous surprises; Mei stepped out of the fountain already feeling better, she stretched out her paw, offering it for Luke to grab, and when he did, the Servine helped the Croconaw out of the fountain.
Concerned for his brother, the Larvitar was the first to approach and ask about the pair’s condition, Mei and Luke exchanged confused glances, soon laughing and telling Saren they were perfectly fine, and their bodies didn’t hurt anymore. The Croconaw then picked up the Larvitar in his arms, thanking him once again; after all, if he hadn’t pointed the way to the stream, Rubro would be getting interrogated right now:

— “Everything worked out in the end, and look at us now we have a navigator! And adding that to our little medic, our tactical agent, our trump card, and me, your indomitable leader, we’re a complete team! Nhehehe! Dark Matter better watch out, the Renegades are coming in strong!” — Declared Akeldama as he approached with the Ribombee on his shoulder, Saren blushed, as did Luke; both looked very happy to be part of a team.
— “Thanks to Saren’s navigation, we were able to act in key places, but calling him a navigator is still a stretch… We need eyes everywhere, and without the reporters, we wouldn’t even know where we needed to go.” — Said the Servine while drying herself, she then realized she’d been a bit harsh and apologized to the Larvitar.
— “Ow, no Mei, you don’t need to apologize. You’re in charge of tactics for the team, and I think you’re right… I need to have eyes on everything… We don’t have a Nexus here. If we had one, or at least access to one, I could watch over the city better.” — Explained Saren, sitting on Luke’s lap, the Croconaw confirmed there was a Nexus globe at the Lacustre base, but they didn’t have a way to access it.
— “What do you mean? I can access it anytime I want! After all, I’m the master of the Lacustre base, aren’t I?” — Mocked Akel while taking on the form of Trevor Houndoom, with a small chuckle, the phantom Zoroark then returned to his usual form.

However, the joke caused the other members to exchange glances, except for Aurora, who had come to the same conclusion but found the plan risky; the others looked at Akel with mischievous smiles, making the ghostly Zoroark laugh nervously.
In Argules, Nero was watching the news in his master suite through a large Time Flower that projected a holographic screen of equal size; the suite was decorated with dark blue and gold curtains and ornaments, accented with red details to represent the Flamey symbol’s colors. It had a king-size bed with eight pillows, all matching in navy blue and gold, some levers to summon servants, everything fit for a king.
The Jolteon felt frustrated for not being mentioned in the program, especially after managing to stop several attacks that hadn’t even made the news:
— “Your room is really cool.” — Said Beelzeby, who had entered silently, Nero didn’t even turn to look at the Luxray, because already sensing his presence.
— “I agree, but I prefer Judicium’s. After all, Lory stays there with me… All this luxury is nice, but enjoying it alone is just so… tedious.” — Replied the king, thinking of his wife Glaceon, who had stayed behind in the kingdom to handle matters in his absence. Beelzeby removed his visor, revealing his eyes with a large horizontal scar running from one to the other.
— “We’ll be back home soon. I’m sure Lory will get good news from us… I have confirmation, Rubro really has a FRAG-A, more specifically, the Splash Plate.” — Stated the Luxray while yawning. Then, smiling, the Jolteon turned to his royal advisor.
— “Now we’re talking! Things are getting interesting. Too bad the counselor’s son didn’t have that FRAG-A, it would’ve made things way easier. But this Croconaw defeated a Mega and a Dynamax; I’m so pumped to face this Rubro guy.” — Said Nero, releasing sparks of excitement. Beelzeby simply yawned again, cutting the Jolteon’s enthusiasm short as Nero turned his attention to him.
— “This surveillance is wearing you down, huh?” — Asked the monarch, concerned.
— “Of course, but today’s my last day doing it. The system was a success, and Raijin will be adding the new Time Flowers into Argules’ Nexus system. That way, Trevor can assign other Pokémon to handle the surveillance, and I can get back to focusing on fighting again.” — Replied the Luxray, rubbing his eyes.
— “I miss the old days, back when we didn’t have to take care of Judicium or deal with all this royal nonsense. Just you and me, two wandering brothers exploring the world and facing danger.” — Recalled Nero, a serene smile on his face. Beelzeby rolled his eyes, smiling awkwardly.
— “I was still a Shinx, abandoned by my terrorist mother, and you were a crazy Eevee on a journey of self-discovery with my adoptive mom… Yeah, we had some great times, but I like the family we built. Taking care of the kingdom is really rewarding, too.” — Luxray said gratefully, tracing one of his paw’s fingers along the scar, a symbol of the journey he and his brother, the king, had taken together.
— “Well, but let's focus, we have four Frag-A in our sights: the Flame Plate, the Splash Plate, the Zap Plate, and finally the Mind Plate. Out of the four, one is already ours, one is with the Flamey, another with that Croconaw, and the last one apparently with that reporter.” — Beelzeby explained, adjusting his special glasses with a red visor.
— “We need to resolve the crisis here in Argules. Without fixing this, Lenlen won't give us the Flame Plate. Defeating Rubro is a dual priority. After all, not only would it earn us points with Lenlen, but it would also put us one step closer to making the wish come true.” — Nero stated cheerfully with a firm and confident look. The Luxray responded to the king's words with a short laugh, giving a “thumbs up” gesture with his claw.

Seeing that their ideas were perfectly aligned, the Luxray said goodbye to the Jolteon to return to patrolling the city; alone again, without leaving the bed, Nero touched an orb on the nightstand beside him, closing the Time Flower. Then, the Jolteon rummaged through his travel bag and pulled out a light blue cloth; the Electric Type Pokémon smelled the small cloth affectionately and then gazed at it, it was a piece of clothing belonging to Queen Lory, the Glaceon married to Nero.
The Jolteon closed his eyes, beginning to drift off to sleep while holding the cloth:

— “We're almost there, half the way is already secured. With 4 more FRAG-A, we’ll be able to make our dream come true. My beloved, you and I will have our child, born of love and magic.” — Nero affirmed, hugging the cloth as he began to fall asleep.

In another wing of the royal palace, Augusto Skeledirge was watching various news reports while seated in a red armchair, sipping a glass of Bluk Berry wine, the Arbustos strike had been a success; although Rubro had saved much of the Network and reversed the Hellstalkers, the main objective had been achieved better than expected:

— “The Empress prioritized stopping a Berserker who was helping us over the Hellstalkers who were attacking us. WHAT KIND OF IDIOT DOES THAT?!”— Exclaimed a frustrated Vulpix, the Fire Type was walking down the street, being interviewed and filmed by a Rotom Drone.
— “A psychotic Beserker, then these Hellstalker murderers, and now even the Soldiers who claimed to be here to save us left many of us homeless… *sniff*, forgive me, I… I can’t hold back the tears anymore.”— Vented a Pignite, the Pokémon, had lost his apartment in the battle between Rex and the red-hooded Croconaw.
— “Arrrf, I love happy endings…”— Skeledirge mocked. Smiling, the Pokémon adjusted his monocle and then drank the rest of the wine from his glass, feeling victorious and satisfied.
— “We’ve fulfilled our part of the deal, and now we want what you promised.” — Demanded the Shedinja with a lipstick mark on its forehead, Augusto spat the wine he had just sipped onto the Time Flower’s holographic screen, startled by the Ghost Type.

A while later, having recovered from the unwanted surprise, Skeledirge warned the Shedinja not to appear like that in the palace, especially not in his quarters, since the Hellstalker’s Matter aura could attract the attention of the Soldiers.
With boundaries set, Augusto snapped the claws of one paw, patiently waiting for something to appear, Shedinja was just about to threaten the Fire Type Pokémon again when Skeledirge’s fire familiar emerged through the floor between them. Augusto then a bit into his familiar, chewing the defenseless spirit, next, Skeledirge blew flames from his nose, and in this way, another familiar appeared at its tip:

— “The Argul cigar is right below Empress Lencia’s throne room, protected by two Charizard capable of Mega Evolving at the door and two Charmeleon with Z-crystal bracelets in the room. The map I gave to Arbustos should show the exact location. Done. My part of the deal is fulfilled, you have the necessary information.” — Augusto stated, cleaning his silver monocle with a cloth, when he put the object back on, he saw Shedinja still in front of him, expressionless. The Hellstalker was floating toward the floor, about to escape.
— “I'll give you one bonus piece of info for your good work: there’s only one active Soldier, a certain Ralm Quilava. My familiar showed me that Cody, the Flamey prince, and his partner Naz Gabite are without their sacred items. And he overheard that Rex Volantod is in the hospital in critical condition after the beating he took from Rubro and that so-called traitor.” — Said Skeledirge while staring into his wine glass. Augusto then turned his gaze to the Shedinja with the lipstick mark on its forehead.
— “It wouldn’t be a great loss if there were a Hellstalker invasion at the royal palace now that our poor and defenseless Empress is… defenseless? That kind of problem keeps me up at night. Wouldn’t it keep you up too?”— Skeledirge sneered before sipping his wine. While savoring the drink, the Shedinja transformed into a shadow on the floor.

Augusto refilled his glass, turning his familiar into a fiery cane. The Skeledirge leaned on it to stand up, then pompously raised his glass with a confident smile. Augusto offered a toast:

— “To my dear cousin Lencia Flamey, may your downfall be painful and my rise glorious… *glup, glub, glub* Arrrff… Delicious.”— He praised the wine before throwing the glass to the floor, shattering it. Thus, the Skeledirge’s laughter echoed through his shadowy room.