CHAPTER 32 — Immediate boarding on the Latios of Steel


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In the secret chamber beneath the tower of Zabeli, Nero Jolteon was lying casually on an armchair, murmuring a song that was comforting to him while waiting to be called for the battle against Empress Lencia Charmeleon. On the other hand, Beelzeby Luxray stared at his brother with great anger for having accepted the empress’s bet. Lory Glaceon shiny noticed the tension in the air and, to ease her concern, cautiously approached the two brothers:

— “Nero, your fight with Empress Lencia is in a few moments, aren’t you at all worried?” — asked the Glaceon, fiddling with one of the long locks of fur on her head in an attempt to calm herself. The Luxray, who had not taken his eyes off Nero, let out a grunt of disdain.
— “It’s not that fight that worries me, Lory, NERO, WAKE UP! WHETHER YOU WANT IT OR NOT, YOU ARE A KING, YOU HAVE TO TAKE THINGS MORE SERIOUSLY.” — Beelzeby stated nervously, which only got worse when the Jolteon yawned and scratched his ear, playing with the earring in it. The Luxray then grabbed Nero by the shoulders, lifting him up and shaking him.
— “ON TOP OF THAT, IT HASN’T EVEN BEEN A YEAR SINCE MOM AMPHY GAVE YOU THIS ITEM YOU TREAT LIKE A TOY, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING WHEN YOU BET SOMETHING SO IMPORTANT?!” — questioned the Pokémon with the red visor. The shaking left Nero a little dizzy, but it didn’t take long for him to recover, and even while in his brother’s claws, the Electric Type Pokémon did not seem to lose either his confidence or his laid-back posture.
— “I just wanted to get this over with already, all this bureaucracy and procedures are a pain, and we’ve already wasted too much time, we need to go to Platinum Wing as soon as possible. As soon as I beat the empress, she’ll have to help us, not only because of the bet, but also because of the laws she created, or did you forget what Fearles told us?” — Nero justified, with a confident smile on his face and directing his gaze at Lory. The Shiny Glaceon let out a small sigh, still worried about the whole situation, but she already knew what that look meant.
— “Here in Calipso the law of the strongest is respected, the winners get everything they want according to their effort and aptitude, and the losers have to lower their heads and fight to find their place…” — Lory explained, sitting nearby, still concerned. The Jolteon pointed at the Ice Type Pokémon and made a sound with his mouth to signal that she was correct. Beelzeby trembled with even more anger and shook Nero with his claws.
— “HEY, YOU IDIOT, WHILE YOU WERE FOLLOWING YOUR JOURNEY WITH RAIKOU, I KEPT DOING MISSIONS FOR THE BASE OF ZABELI, DO YOU THINK I DON’T KNOW HOW THE LEGISLATION HERE WORKS?! ON TOP OF THAT, WHAT WAS THE NEED TO BET A CUTE NICKNAME FOR HER? DO YOU WANT TO MOCK AN EMPRESS?!” — Beelzeby shouted, still violently shaking Nero. However, the Jolteon grabbed his brother’s face, making him stop shaking him. The Pokémon with the golden earring then took a deep breath, trying to recover from the dizziness.
— “I, arrgh, I bet the cute nickname so we could have more closeness and so our alliance wouldn’t be just political but something natural, like, look at you, you only started loving me more when I used your cute nickname, didn’t you?” — Nero reasoned after recovering. At the end of the justification, the Jolteon lowered his ears and looked at the Luxray sweetly. Beelzeby, in turn, just let out a grunt and released his brother.

Now calmer after the explanation and the hungry Rockruff look, the Pokémon with the red visor now understood the full extent of his brother’s plan. Even so, he asked the Jolteon to be more cautious and to follow diplomatic strategies when solving problems or seeking alliances. After all, Judicium was still rebuilding, and the king having a reputation for being childish and foolish would not help the kingdom grow and could generate antipathy.
Nero, still with his ears lowered, nodded, understanding his brother’s point. The Jolteon then raised his ears and gave a big smile, thanking the Luxray and the Shiny Glaceon for being by his side and saying that he counted on the help of both of them to rebuild his kingdom. Beelzeby, blushing, scratched the side of his face; the Pokémon with the red visor would never have guessed he would be a royal vizier. Lory let out a contained laugh and muttered that she had also never imagined she would one day be a queen.
A short time later, the involved Pokémon were already in the arena, ready for combat. Magnus the Mega Charizard Y remained outside by order of the empress to prevent any Pokémon from entering until the dispute was over, since there was always concern about spies or ill-intentioned Pokémon. By the rules agreed between Lencia Charmeleon and Nero, items were allowed during the battle, and the winner would be the one who incapacitated the opponent or accepted their surrender. The judge would be Fearles Zoroark, and he could interrupt the dispute if he deemed it necessary.
Lencia stated that she would use a special Wonder Orb made to measure, and that this would be her only item; her iron collar was merely ceremonial armor for occasions like that, however it would not truly function as protection, being a purely aesthetic item. The Jolteon nodded positively, showing he understood what had been said. The Charmeleon imagined that since Nero was not very experienced with his FRAG-A, her Wonder Orb would be enough to face him, however:

— “I won’t use any item at all, those things get in my way more than they help me, I prefer pure old-fashioned combat, but don’t feel intimidated or pressured Len-Len, you can use your pretty ball if you want.” — stated the Jolteon, removing the earring from his ear and handing it to Fearles.

The Zoroark went pale at the words of the Electric Type Pokémon; Nero’s disregard was something extremely frightening. But that was not the only frightening thing in the arena. Lencia, in turn, even maintaining her more courteous and composed demeanor, could not hide the fire of her blazing tail, which burned intensely. Seated on a bench near the battlefield, the Luxray and the Shiny Glaceon saw and heard everything:
— “Lory, if Lencia doesn’t kill Nero, I swear I will…” — Beelzeby commented, sparks crackling with rage. Lory raised a paw to her mouth and let out a muffled laugh.
— “Hehehe, you asked him to be more cautious and diplomatic. Looks like he completely ignored your request.” — replied the Shiny Glaceon with an uneasy smile, mixing concern and embarrassment.

Fearles moved closer to the pair to take his position, exchanging glances with his companions. That moment lasted only a few seconds, for as the referee the Zoroark needed to remain standing and fully attentive to the arena. The eyes of the three reflected just how tense and worried they were about what was about to happen.
The Dark-type Pokémon looked at Nero’s Frag-A, still in earring form, sighed, and slipped it into the pocket of the white suit jacket he was wearing. Fearles then raised his left arm while performing a short countdown, and as he lowered it, the Pokémon battle began.
Using his trusty Quick Attack, Nero dashed swiftly toward the Charmeleon. However, the Wonder Orb in the Empress’s claw began to float on its own. Before the Jolteon could reach her, the green sphere positioned itself in front of him, creating a wall of the same color that absorbed the impact and pushed Nero back.
Seizing the opportunity, Lencia stomped her foot against the arena floor, causing several stones surrounded by purple energy to erupt from the ground. With a brief motion of her claw, the Charmeleon hurled the rocks toward the Jolteon. Nero, however, would not be caught so easily; the moment his paws touched the ground, he activated Rising Voltage, intercepting the stones. Still, Lencia was one step ahead of the King of Judicium, the Wonder Orb was already beside the Jolteon and emitted a high-frequency sonic wave far too close to his ears.
Nero screamed in agony, curling up on the ground and pressing his large ears down to escape the piercing sound. The Charmeleon placed a claw to her mouth and gestured as if blowing a kiss toward the Jolteon, though this was, in fact, Lencia’s mocking way of using Dragon Breath. Pale purple flames burst from the Charmeleon’s mouth, striking Nero critically and dragging him across the arena floor.
Lory covered her mouth with both front paws, frightened and worried:

— “An elite Wonder Orb, Ancient Power, Dragon Breath… Yeah… Empress Lencia isn’t all talk. If Nero weren’t an Electric-type Pokémon, that Dragon Breath would’ve paralyzed him for sure.” — Beelzeby commented calmly, his front paws crossed.

The Shiny Glaceon lowered her paws and glanced at the Luxray for a moment before redirecting her attention back to the battle.
With his eyes tightly shut, the Jolteon began to struggle back to his feet. However, Lencia showed no mercy, using Ancient Power once again in tandem with her Wonder Orb. Without opening his eyes or even standing fully upright, Nero let out a roar and unleashed Thunderbolt repeatedly.
One of the bolts shot toward Lory, but Beelzeby protected her by pulling her into an embrace and using Hidden Power to block the attack. Another nearly struck Fearles, who defended himself by throwing one of the cards he kept in his white jacket, containing the electricity:

— “By Arceus, why is Nero using Thunderbolt with his eyes closed?!” — asked the Shiny Glaceon as the Luxray released her from his grasp.
— “It must be due to the sonic wave from Her Imperial Majesty’s Wonder Orb. Those sound waves likely left Nero confused—that’s why he’s not opening his eyes and is attacking indiscriminately.” — replied Fearles, who had moved closer to the pair while continuing to intercept the uncontrolled Thunderbolts with his cards in an effort to protect them.

The Thunderbolts also struck the Ancient Power rocks and the Charmeleon’s Wonder Orb, causing Lencia to frown angrily. Taking a deep breath through her nose, she unleashed another Dragon Breath, launching the Jolteon into the air.
Nero screamed in pain midair, but his cries of agony slowly turned into a confident grin, drawing everyone’s attention. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning surged from the arena floor toward the Jolteon, assisting him in landing safely right in front of the Charmeleon. The Empress widened her eyes at the King’s ingenuity.
Still, Lencia knew the effects of her Wonder Orb had not yet ended. Quickly raising her arm and snapping her claws, the Charmeleon commanded the Wonder Orb toward Nero. The orb advanced while releasing a pinkish mist.
The Zoroark was the first to realize it was sleep-inducing mist. Beelzeby and Lory shifted anxiously in their seats as the Wonder Orb approached the Jolteon, whose eyes remained closed. Nero flicked his ears, still smiling, then suddenly performed a backward somersault. While airborne, the Jolteon struck the orb with his hind legs using Quick Attack, sending it flying back toward Lencia.
However, anticipating such a reaction due to the earlier Thunderbolts, the Charmeleon had prepared herself and unleashed Flamethrower. With the aid of her Fire-type attack, Lencia prevented the orb from hitting her and incinerated the pink mist, stopping the offensive from turning against her.
The Charmeleon then caught her scorched and deactivated Wonder Orb in her claws. The Empress was just about to reactivate it and send it back into battle when:

— “I suggest you surrender. It’s over, Len-len.” — Nero advised softly, his eyes still closed, standing behind Lencia. The Charmeleon’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor; the shock the Empress felt was so great that her red body almost seemed pink.

Cautiously, Lencia turned her head to look at the Jolteon. The Pokémon was glowing intensely, his body crackling with sparks, clearly showing that he already had a Thunderbolt prepared. The Charmeleon considered jumping away, but then she felt a small jolt. Looking down, she realized that countless electrical sparks surrounded her, ready to trigger Rising Voltage at the slightest sign of movement.
Lencia closed her mouth and smiled:

— “You son of a Ditto… I was never in control, was I?” — the Empress asked rhetorically. She then opened her claws, raised them, and let her Wonder Orb fall to the ground. The Charmeleon had just surrendered to Nero.
— “I’d be lying if I said you didn’t surprise me. You are without a doubt physically stronger than I am, but Len-len… I am the more cunning one.” — the Jolteon boasted, then cast a confident glance toward Fearles.
— “Nhehehe, you really don’t miss a thing, do you? THE VICTORY GOES TO NERO SAKAI OF THE KINGDOM OF JUDICIUM!” — shouted the Zoroark in the white suit, awarding the victory to the Jolteon. Nero then gave the Dark-type a wink.
— “Of course I couldn’t afford to slip up like that. If I’d deactivated my traps before officially receiving the victory from the referee, the Empress would’ve had an opening to defeat me with a cheap shot… I learned that dirty little strategy from the best base master there is.” — Nero replied with a cynical smile toward Fearles, who answered the provocation by pointing at him and making a clicking sound with his mouth, as if to say, “That’s right.”
— “You truly are impressive. This battle made me recognize your worth as a king. You thought quickly, trusted both my insight and that of your partners, did not underestimate me, and even finished the fight while showing respect toward me and carefully following the rules we established. Once you learn how to behave properly, I would say you’ll be an exemplary king. Judicium is fortunate to have someone like you in command.” — Lencia praised as she removed the armor from her neck, the Jolteon blushed at the flood of compliments.
— “Come on, Len-Len, you’re embarrassing me. I just like fighting, he he he.” — Nero replied, ears lowered and wearing a gentle smile.

The Shiny Glaceon then leapt onto the Jolteon from behind, hugging him and congratulating him on his victory. The Luxray followed by tugging on his brother’s ear and placing the Frag-A back onto it, exchanging a smile with him.
The Zoroark widened his eyes and reached into his pocket. Apparently, during the chaos of the Thunderbolts, Beelzeby had stolen the item from the white suit jacket, replacing it with a small stone. Fearles picked up the stone in his claw, idly playing with it while proudly watching the two Electric-type Pokémon.
Nero then explained his plan. When he realized the effects of confusion, the Jolteon knew that both his vision and hearing were compromised, which is why he used Thunderbolt randomly. After all, he had learned from Raikou how to sense the electromagnetic energy of the environment. However, since confusion distorted those senses as well, the Electric-type attack served as a catalyst:

— “Interesting… So that’s why you kept your eyes closed the entire time and only your ears were moving… Truly, your cunning is impressive.” — the Charmeleon commented once again, praising Nero. The Jolteon simply smiled foolishly, clearly enjoying the compliments, but soon shook his head and grew serious.
— “Len-len, the truth is that I need your help. I want to put an end to the Umbral Requiem cult for everything they did to my kingdom and my family. But my kingdom lies in ruins, so I need the help of your empire to…”— As Nero made his request, the Charmeleon interrupted him gently, placing a claw in front of him.
— “Yes, I already spoke with Fearles about that, and… Hm?”— Lencia was speaking when she suddenly fell silent upon hearing the beating of wings. It was Magnus, who had entered the arena while flying. The Mega Charizard Y landed on one knee and bowed in respect.
— “Your Grace, the Pokémon you were awaiting has just arrived.” — Magnus reported without even rising from the ground. The Charmeleon placed both claws behind her back, maintaining her smile as she walked toward the Mega Charizard Y.
— “I see. Thank you very much, Magnus. You may rise now. Fearles, the rest is up to you. I will be waiting… Come, Magnus.” — Lencia commanded, always respectfully and without raising her voice.

The Jolteon no longer understood what was happening. Nero was about to speak to the Empress, but was stopped by the Zoroark, who placed a claw in front of him and asked him to wait until he was summoned.
Several hours passed after the battle, and at last Fearles’ summons came. The members of Team Gigabolt—Beelzeby, Amphy, and the Jolteon—were gathered in his office, except for Raijin the Heliolisk, who was still a recent member and lacked the maturity required for a meeting of that caliber.
The Zoroark in the white suit explained that the Empress, through one of her trusted Pokémon currently traveling in the Kingdom of Platinum Wing, had issued the necessary warnings. The Kingdom of Platinum Wing was safe, maintaining a state of maximum alert, and everything remained calm.
The date for meeting with Lencia had not been arbitrary. According to Fearles, the Empress had chosen the day together with the King of Platinum Wing. Their objective was to test Nero’s capabilities so that, if he passed, Judicium could be reintegrated into the alliance circle.
The Jolteon showed relief as he recalled the Charmeleon’s words, believing he had passed the so-called test. With this victory, moving among allied kingdoms and empires would become easier, and perhaps it would help avoid lengthy encounters like the recent one.
Unlike his brother, Beelzeby did not seem to share that sense of relief. The Pokémon, who had been sitting on the floor, stood up and took a few steps forward, stopping near the desk of the Zoroark in the white suit:

— “Do you think Vandelvor has trustworthy allies? I lived alongside Keith while Giratina was using me; there is nothing ordinary about that Bisharp. He has the gift of speech—his silver tongue is so sharp that I saw all kinds of Pokémon join the cult solely because of him.” — Beelzeby questioned apprehensively. Fearles looked at his ally with sympathy, understanding that feeling. Lowering his head, the Zoroark took a deep breath and then raised it again with a serious expression.
— “I have no idea. Unlike Amphy, I never knew King Vandelvor, and that so-called calm that Lencia mentioned…” — Fearles replied, sharing Beelzeby’s concern. However, his Gadget began to beep, abruptly interrupting his words.

The Master exchanged a few words with Sakuya Snow Ninetales, who was acting as the Zoroark’s secretary that day. The three Pokémon in the room heard the entire conversation between the two, and it seemed that the time had come for the newer members of Team Gigabolt to meet King Vandelvor.
Fearles led the three Pokémon to meet the King of Platinum Wing, who was already waiting for them alongside Lencia. Nero was so eager for the meeting that he could barely restrain himself from using Quick Attack, but the Luxray looked worried. According to what his mother Ampharos had said, the king was extremely devoted to his faith in Arceus, and the fear of jeopardizing the mission weighed heavily on Beelzeby.
Suddenly, the Luxray felt a gentle touch on his back—it was Amphy’s paw as she walked beside him, smiling kindly. Understanding his mother’s gesture, Beelzeby felt calmer and more confident, his expression changing.
At the door to the meeting room, Magnus stood outside as always, wearing a serious look. This time, however, he was not alone. Beside him stood a large, intimidating golden Mega Skarmory. The fur of both the Zoroark and the Jolteon bristled upon seeing the Mega Pokémon due to the sense of danger it radiated. It did not help that it kept striking the ground with its massive claws. Unlike the pair, however, the Ampharos with a silver ring around her neck and the bespectacled Luxray walked forward without any concern:
— “Andrey, it’s been a long time. I see that Vandelvor entrusted you with the Mega Stone you so desperately wanted.” — Amphy greeted cheerfully, showing no fear at all. The Skarmory smiled when he saw her.
— “Amphy, Amphy… I see that time has not been kind to you. What a shame. I would have liked the chance to have my rematch with you, but I can tell you’ve lost your prime.” — said the Mega Skarmory, looking Ampharos up and down with his red eyes. Those acidic words infuriated both Nero and Fearles; the Jolteon even tried to advance, only to be stopped by the Zoroark.
— “He he, still sharp as ever. We can still have our rematch, who knows, maybe you’ll have better chances now that you think I’m defenseless. But be careful, not everything that glitters is gold.” — Amphy replied. The Ampharos then stepped forward and grabbed one of Andrey’s wings, startling him with her speed. Amphy groaned slightly as she handled the Mega Pokémon’s golden steel feathers.

Irritated by Ampharos’ indelicacy, the Mega Skarmory pulled his wings back just as quickly as Amphy had moved. Smiling, the Electric-type Pokémon raised her paws in apology, an apparently innocent act, but in truth a warning to Andrey. After all, his blades in Mega Evolution were far sharper, and even with the contact and the Skarmory’s pull, the old Ampharos’ paws were immaculate, whereas those of a normal Pokémon would have been bleeding from multiple cuts.
Before the exchange could escalate into a battle, the Mega Charizard Y spoke calmly, informing them that Countess Lencia and King Vandelvor were waiting and granting them permission to enter. Andrey rolled his eyes and opened the right-hand meeting room door while Magnus opened the left. The Pokémon entered the room calmly, with only Beelzeby experiencing a bad feeling, which he dismissed as mere insecurity about the meeting that was about to take place.
As soon as the Mega Pokémon closed the double doors, a large Empoleon wearing a royal mantle made of numerous silver chains rose with his wings spread wide:

— “Amphy, my friend, it is so good to see you again. I am also pleased to finally meet all of your protégés from the new Team Gigabolt, including the new bearer of the Zap Plate. My name is Vandelvor Asaplatina, the current king of the Kingdom of Platinum Wing of the Steel Continent, Byakko.” — the Empoleon introduced himself, gesturing broadly with his wings. His royal mantle was so tightly fitted to his body that it rattled like chains whenever he moved. Ampharos walked up to her friend and embraced him.
— “I’m so happy to see you again. We haven’t met since Empress Lencia opened the borders of the Water Continent. I don’t know if this is your first time in Calipso, but believe me, the lands of Her Imperial Majesty are magnificent and welcoming.” — Amphy said as she stepped back from the embrace. Vandelvor continued to affectionately pat the back of Ampharos’ head, causing her fur to stand on end.
— “No, fortunately I have been here before, but always for exceptional matters and never for leisure. My sacred duty to Arceus does not allow me to leave Byakko for long.” — the Empoleon replied, directing his attention to Nero. Noticing the gaze, the Jolteon gave the monarch a wink.

The meeting seemed to last for hours and was already killing Nero with boredom. In summary, Vandelvor stated that, to him, the Jolteon had already proven himself worthy of trust and reintegration into the alliance circle the moment Amphy entrusted him with the item Magnet the disguise for the Electric-type Frag-A. In this case, the Zap Plate.

However, based on the story Fearles told, the Charmeleon imagined that the transfer of the item might have been an act of desperation rather than trust. Thus, the Empoleon, even while trusting Ampharos’ judgment, did not oppose Lencia’s test. After all, they maintained an egalitarian alliance in which no one held authority above the others and all opinions were respected. That conversation was not only meant to explain the real reason behind the battle between the king and the empress, but also to make the terms of the alliance circle clear to Nero, who was about to join it:

— “Okay, I get it, all of this is very cool, and I don’t mind proving myself through battle… Honestly, I even wanted to know if someday I could fight those guards at the door… I MEAN, I mean… Aaarg.” — Nero interrupted, already visibly irritated by what he considered excessive and irrelevant explanations. Taking advantage of the fact that he was sitting close to his brother, Beelzeby forcefully stepped on Nero’s paw, unnoticed by the other Pokémon.
— “Arrrgg… Sorry for interrupting, Vandelvor… ARRRG, Your Majesty… My team and I need to go to the Kingdom of Platinum Wing as soon as possible. We believe that the Requiem Umbral cult has already infiltrated the continent of Byakko and may attack at any moment. Please let us help defend your kingdom.” — the Jolteon asked, trying to be as respectful as possible. Throughout the entire speech, all the Empoleon could see in Nero’s place was Atila Umbreon instead of his son.
— “You like to get straight to the point, don’t you? I already intended to take you with me to the Kingdom of Platinum Wing; that was precisely the reason I came here. The entire Gigabolt team is welcome in my kingdom. We will depart at the end of this meeting if you wish.” — Vandelvor proposed calmly. Nero smiled excitedly, ready to accept immediately.

However, before he could give any answer, his brother gently pulled one of his ears and leaned in to speak into it. The Luxray asked not only that the Jolteon accept, but also that he requests to depart on another day, giving them both a chance to prepare for the journey. Nero wanted to leave as soon as possible, but he knew Beelzeby was right—there was still much to organize before an intercontinental trip.
— “We accept your offer, Vandelvor—Arrrg, Your Majesty… but we still need to organize a few things here. Could you give us three days?” — the Jolteon accepted, trying to contain his excitement. The Luxray smiled in relief that his brother had taken his advice.
— “I understand, but I can only extend my offer until nightfall. I have extremely important duties in the Kingdom of Platinum Wing and must return as soon as possible. The Steel Latios can take us to my kingdom in three hours; you will not find a faster means of transportation.” — the Empoleon replied, concerned that he might not be able to take the members of Gigabolt with him. Nero knew what had to be decided; even so, he looked to his brother, who nodded positively.
— “Well, you’ve left us no choice. It’s decided— we, the members of Gigabolt, will accompany you to the Kingdom of Platinum Wing!” — the Jolteon declared with conviction. Beelzeby sighed in relief at being able to go to the Steel Kingdom, but also grew concerned about the preparations.
— “Excuse me?” — Amphy asked before standing up. Even though she was not royalty, everyone present sat attentively, and no one objected to the words of the great and legendary explorer Ampharos.
— “Vandelvor, I am very sorry, but this time I will not be able to go to this conflict. As you can see, all these years using my FRAG-A have cost me dearly, and I do not know if I would be as useful as before. I leave the future of the world to the new generations. Pokémon like Lencia, Nero, and Beelzeby are more than capable of taking care of everyone’s future, and I will remain behind the grand stage, providing tactical support whenever I can.” — Amphy’s words carried deep sorrow; it was as if her mouth spoke what had to be said, while her eyes revealed how much it tore her apart inside.

When Ampharos sat down, she felt the gentle, warm touch of the paw of her Zoroark fiancé. Fearles had already discussed this with Amphy, yet he still empathized with his fiancée’s sadness, knowing how much she loved being an explorer. Not only the Zoroark in the white coat, but everyone presents empathized with Ampharos’ difficult decision. All wished her luck, not with pity, but with respect for everything the explorer had done and continued to strive to do.
Nero felt especially saddened. The Jolteon removed the earring from his ear and stared at it. The king then glanced sideways, seeing his adoptive mother being comforted by his brother and fiancé, beginning to feel fear and anger. Nero clenched the earring tightly in his paw.
Hours passed since the meeting. It was a race against time for the brothers to speak with their loved ones and inform them about the journey. Now, almost at sunset, the brothers were packing their belongings for the long voyage:

— “So, how did Lory react when you told her you were going to Byakko?” — Beelzeby asked while rummaging through the storage. The Jolteon, who was packing his things slowly and with his head down, raised his ears upon hearing the question.
— “She was worried at first, but when I said you were going with me, she relaxed a lot more…” — Nero replied with a flushed smile. However, the Jolteon let out a small sigh and began to laugh awkwardly.
— “Hehehe… At least until I told her that all the work of the Kingdom of Judicium would fall on her shoulders until I got back… I didn’t know an Ice-type Pokémon could use Flamethrower… He he.” — the king added, still feeling his ears ache from how much the Shiny Glaceon had complained about being left behind with so much responsibility. The Luxray sighed incredulously at what he heard.
— “Honestly, Nero, sometimes you’re really an ass. Poor Lory—she isn’t even married yet and already has the responsibilities of a queen. You’d better treat her like one. Females like that aren’t found just anywhere.” — Beelzeby warned as he packed some supplies. Nero scratched the back of his neck, grateful for having Lory.
— “Speaking of treating people properly, what about Raijin? If we’re taking him with us, you’d better have set the time and place with him. After all, he’s a member of our team now, right?” — the Jolteon asked enthusiastically. Nero couldn’t interact with the Heliolisk in battle and longed for the chance, but the Luxray did not seem to share his excitement.
— “Yes, Raijin is a member of our team, but he’s also very young and inexperienced. Him going with us could be a great risk—for us and for him… Besides…” — Beelzeby justified coldly. The Luxray, who had been training the young Heliolisk in combat, crushed an orb he had been about to pack among the supplies, squeezing it in his paws with intense anger.
— “Keith will be there. I won’t risk him putting those filthy hands on me and on Raijin again; he will pay for what he did to us, I SWEAR BY ARCEUS HE WILL.” — Beelzeby affirmed, sparks of hatred crackling; Nero, who shared that rage, went to his brother and placed his paw on his shoulder.
— “If that’s what you think, I’m all in, partner. And don’t worry, that bastard will get what he deserves, NOBODY MESSES WITH TEAM GIGABOLT!” — Said the Jolteon, stepping in front of the Luxray and extending his paw; Beelzeby turned his face away and let out a laugh, then turned his head back toward Nero.
— “THAT’S IT!” — Agreeing, both Pokémon struck their paws together, releasing lightning from their paws and bodies.

Not far from the brothers’ lodging, Raijin Heliolisk followed little Melissa Zorua. The Zorua was not very used to leaving her home, only having gotten this chance thanks to the Heliolisk who had gone to visit her; however, Melissa noticed that Raijin seemed sad that day and, intending to cheer him up, decided to show him something:

— “According to my Gadget, we’re almost there. Let’s go, Raijin, I know you’re going to like my surprise.” — Swore the cheerful Zorua while looking at her blue Gadget attached to the red scarf around her neck; joy not shared by the Heliolisk, who walked toward her quite sadly.
— “Melissa, I know this path leads to Zabeli’s hangar. If we’re going to see Master Beel and Sir Nero traveling, I’m not in the mood. Gee, I’m really trying hard in training and even so the master doesn’t trust me; I feel like a Trubbish.” — Commented Raijin depressively; Melissa understood that feeling because of her overprotective father.
— “Let’s go into this commercial building; from the top of it I can show you your surprise… COME ON, NO SLOUCHING!” — Shouted the Zorua energetically, and seeing how the Heliolisk was, she ran behind him and began pushing him to enter.

Upon entering the commercial building, the Pokémon were greeted by a Steenee wearing a dark blue beret and holding an old model of Gadget much larger than the current one; politely, the Grass Type Pokémon asked the reason for the duo’s visit while projecting a holographic model of the building using her Gadget. Melissa asked the Steenee to scan her small blue Gadget and replied that they were going to the rooftop to use the binoculars.
That made Raijin even more grumpy; after all, he had already said he didn’t want to see his team leaving without taking him along, but the Zorua remained stubborn, insisting too much that the surprise was something he would like. Upon reaching the top of the building, both found themselves near several other Pokémon who were also there to see the big attraction; the Heliolisk was surprised not knowing that Team Gigabolt was so popular, even voicing that thought.
However, when he expressed his surprise, a Stonjourner overheard him and questioned him pejoratively about what he was talking about. Even angry about being left behind, Raijin still took pride in his team and began rambling about how important his companions were and about their feats. The Stonjourner did not care at all and, when he could, quickly cut off the Heliolisk’s speech; the Rock Type Pokémon then explained that everyone was there to see the giant black Latios:

— “Giant black Latios?” — Asked Raijin, but that was when the Steenee with the dark blue beret grabbed him by the arm.
— “Sir, please come quickly, you have VIP access to the binoculars, but that access is time-limited.” — Stated the Steenee while pulling the Heliolisk; Raijin wondered what she was talking about.

While being pulled and pushed ahead of all the Pokémon, the Electric Type Pokémon recalled that Melissa had asked the Steenee to scan her Gadget and imagined that at that moment the Zorua had paid for something.
The Grass Type Pokémon removed the Floragato who was looking through the binoculars and told him to wait ten minutes, because unlike him, the Heliolisk had paid for VIP access, which guaranteed him a privileged view and skipping the line. The Floragato immediately complained, claiming that nothing had been said to him at the entrance; the Steenee looked him up and down and then checked her large Gadget:

— “Apologies, sir, according to my Gadget you do not have the financial means to afford our prices; because of this, I was instructed by my supervisor not to offer the package to what he called ‘riffraff’.” — Explained the Steenee with an air of superiority, turning her back on the Floragato, who was left speechless; Raijin was perplexed by the Grass Type’s attitude.
— “Hey, do you always treat visitors like this? Isn’t that disrespectful?” — Asked the Heliolisk while the Steenee adjusted the binoculars; the Pokémon then subtly lifted her beret.
— “Sir, but I don’t even work here, khe he he he.” — Whispered the Steenee; when Raijin looked beneath the beret, Melissa’s black forelock appeared — that was not the Steenee from the entrance, but the Zorua using her Illusion ability.

Worried about the consequences of that dirty trick, the Heliolisk pulled Melissa aside, asking them to sneak away before the ruse was discovered; however, the line for the binoculars kept growing and no one wanted to lose their place by going to complain about the service. On the contrary, the Pokémon in line were shouting at Raijin, telling him to use his VIP access already.
Embarrassed and flustered, the Heliolisk shot a disapproving look at the Zorua, who was not shaken at all, maintaining her Steenee disguise and acting the part; the Electric Type Pokémon then put his eyes to the binoculars to see the reason for all that commotion:
— “Arceus… WHAT IS THAT?!” — Exclaimed Raijin, impressed; Melissa knew he would love seeing the black aircraft, still disguised as the Grass Type, the Zorua gently placing her hand on her friend’s back.
— “That, Raijin, is the pride of the kingdom of Platinum Wing — the combat aircraft; they call it the Steel Latios…” — Explained Melissa, describing every peculiarity of the craft; each detail the Zorua described only made the Heliolisk more excited.

Melissa was very happy seeing her friend’s sad expression disappear because of her; the Zorua mentally thanked being under Amphy’s care earlier that day, since Ampharos had taken her to meet King Vandelvor and the ship. The conversation was brief, yet Melissa paid attention to every detail, finding everything fantastic.
A sound then began to play from the Dark Type’s Gadget, alerting her to the time; thus, tapping Raijin on the back a few times, she said the ten minutes of VIP access were over and that he would have to give up the binoculars. However, the Heliolisk did not want to stop admiring the Steel Latios, even asking how much he would need to pay to stay longer; still, all he received was an ironic look from Melissa in Steenee form, the way she found to express how hypocritical Raijin was acting at that moment.
A few hours passed; the two Pokémon were eating ice cream balls made from frozen Snover fruit at a kiosk, the Zorua nonstop talking about the ship and the stories of the original Gigabolt team aboard it, living adventures and traveling across continents. The Heliolisk’s excitement was so great that his body even crackled with sparks; however, suddenly all that animation faded, Raijin lowering his head as he put the sweet scoops into his mouth:

— “Raijin, what happened? You were so happy, why did you get sad again like this?” — Asked Melissa, worried; the Heliolisk looked sorrowfully at the orange sky.
— “The sun is already setting… Master Beel and Nero must already be going to board the Steel Latios…” — Commented Raijin as he rubbed his eyes with his paws; the Zorua felt bad for her friend, she didn’t want to see him sad.

While eating her ice cream and watching the Heliolisk wipe away his inconsolable tears of frustration, the young Dark Type Pokémon noticed Raijin’s white gloves, which hid his black paws, and that gave Melissa a brilliant idea.
Time was pressing; the Jolteon and the Luxray had already packed all their things and were on their way to the hangar to finally board for Byakko and, with luck, stop the evil plans of Requiem Umbral. As they walked calmly toward their destination, the sun reflected off Beelzeby’s glasses and the Pokémon recalled a conversation he had earlier with Sakuya; because of the trip, farewells and preparations had to be very rushed, even so:
— “I will depart today with Nero for the kingdom of Platinum Wing.” — The Luxray informed the Snow Ninetales; it was a little after lunch and the Ice Type Pokémon was at her post as secretary to her brother Zoroark.
— “I understand, Beel. Be very careful; Requiem Umbral is no joke, and after everything that happened, I don’t want you to get hurt again.” — Warned Sakuya, worried, looking at Beelzeby; the Snow Ninetales tried to see her friend’s eyes, but she could not even see her reflection in those dark red lenses.

Sakuya tried not to show it, but her heart was far too heavy; ever since the Luxray had disappeared she had devoted her life to finding her partner, and after she found him, he spent another stretch in the hospital. Seeing him ready to jump back into the fire again left her distressed, an unusual distress for the Ice Type Pokémon:

— “I know, I promise I won’t get hurt, and if they capture me again, I’d rather die than…” — The Luxray swore; however, when he spoke the word “die,” Sakuya seemed to fly from her desk and gave him a cold hug.

Time stopped. The Snow Ninetales trembled intensely, trying to understand what she had done, her heart racing; that cold hug gradually became warm, with both Pokémon able to feel each other’s heartbeat. Beelzeby was trembling as well; he raised his two large paws and returned the embrace, resting his great mane on Sakuya’s shoulder:

— “Don’t say that… I don’t want you to die, not after everything I went through to find you again. Live, please, I want you to live; it’s okay to be captured… Don’t lose hope, I won’t lose mine, and I will find you again, even if it’s only in our dreams…” — Pleaded the Snow Ninetales, crying as she rubbed her head against the Luxray’s head; the Electric Type Pokémon then pulled away from the embrace and stepped back.

Facing Sakuya, Beelzeby used his claw to adjust his visor, pressing on a few very specific spots and removing it from his face. The Snow Ninetales let out a small startled breath upon seeing the horizontal scar made by Nero’s attack and Amphy’s mirror. Still with his eyes closed, the Luxray placed a finger at one end of his scar and traced it to the other:

— “So… I swear by the mark on my face that I will always give more than my maximum, not only to fight, but also to always have hope. Dying will not be an option; I will always remember that.” — Beelzeby swore, slowly opening his eyes due to photosensitivity. With a gentle smile, Sakuya stepped closer and placed her face beneath the Luxray’s chin.
— “Thank you… And… I also want you to remember that.” — The Snow Ninetales thanked him as she lifted her head, rubbing the fur of her white forelock against the Electric Type’s black mane.

The two then stood so close that Beelzeby felt chills from Sakuya’s freezing breath, while she felt the electric static of his breathing. The Snow Ninetales then closed her eyes and moved closer slowly; the Luxray, eyes wide open, advanced his mouth to hers, kissing her while placing his large paws on her neck, and she did the same.
Unlike the Shiny Glaceon and the Jolteon, Beelzeby and Sakuya had already explored the carnal side of a relationship among Pokémon; however, this was the first time both had known the reciprocal feeling of love. The Pokémon parted from the kiss and stared at each other up close; Sakuya was the first to break the silence with a small laugh:

— “He he, I always knew you liked me, but come on, I got tired of waiting for you to take the initiative.” — Commented the Ice Type Pokémon; she then gave a small lick to Beelzeby’s snout and released his neck.
— “Don’t blame me; your arrogance sometimes made me imagine you were in love with Nero, it wasn’t a pleasant thought.” — Replied the Luxray as he laughed loudly; the Snow Ninetales laughed at the joke as well. When both stopped, Beelzeby picked up his visor from the floor, blew on it to remove any dust, and put it back on.
— “But Sakuya… Now this moment, as much as I love it, only makes what I’m about to ask more difficult…” — Said the Luxray, looking at the Fairy Type Pokémon; she tensed and nodded for him to continue.
— “I want you to go with me and Nero to Platinum Wing. During the time Nero was away you were my partner, and your abilities as support will be more than essential. I did some research: the continent of Byakko is freezing; you would be in your element and could…” — Beelzeby spoke enthusiastically about his plan; however, he was quickly silenced by Sakuya’s cold paw.
— “I’m sorry, Beel, but… I haven’t gotten over everything that happened. The fight against Requiem Umbral was too much for me; you were only captured because I failed as a partner, and we only managed to rescue you thanks to Nero, Lory, and Raijin. The truth is, I feel completely useless.” — Lamented the Snow Ninetales; the Luxray even tried to comfort her, yet Sakuya was unyielding in her thoughts.
— “Keith and Requiem Umbral will pay for all this suffering. Take your time, Sakuya; after everything you’ve done, you deserve it as much as anyone else. I hope that one day we’ll be partners in combat again.” — Affirmed Beelzeby, resting his forehead against the Snow Ninetales’ icy forelock.
— “Even if that never happens again, now we have a bond just as powerful; give me news whenever you can, and come back soon. I’ll be serving as my brother’s secretary for a while, but if you ever need long-distance support, count on me.” — Replied Sakuya, happy that the Luxray had understood her. The two Pokémon then embraced and shared another kiss.
— “Beel, hey Beel, BEELZEBYYYYY DAMN IT!” — Shouted the earring-wearing Jolteon, startling Beelzeby. The Pokémon had been so lost in his memories that he hadn’t even noticed he was already at Zabeli’s hangar, having his Gadget charged by a Gholdengo already fed up with waiting.

While the Ghost Type Pokémon scanned the device to allow the Gigabolt members into the hangar, Nero questioned why his brother was so distracted; it turned out that the Electric Type Pokémon remembered he still hadn’t told the earring-wearing Pokémon about the kiss.
After Beelzeby gave the news to Nero, the conversation became filled with jokes and laughter on both sides, especially about how funny the coincidence of their relationship was. After all, not only were they Electric Type Pokémon involved with Ice Type Pokémon, but they were also adoptive brothers dating adoptive sisters who had similar careers.
At the same time that the brothers were sharing a tender moment between themselves, in the hangar, already close to the Latios of Steel, a Perrserker was boarding the aircraft carrying a crate. King Vandelvor had taken advantage of his stay on the continent of Calypso to collect several spices for his kingdom, granted to him by Empress Lencia. When the Pokémon left the area to fetch more boxes, the crate shimmered, revealing itself to be a Zorua’s illusion, and the Steel Type Pokémon had, in fact, been carrying the Heliolisk in his arms:

— “Brrrr, his claws were freezing, and he even touched a very intimate place, urrrr, ghaaaan, next time could you make the illusion less intrusive?” — Complained Raijin, feeling violated. Melissa was focused, looking around, for she knew they were committing a serious crime.
— “There was no other way, Raijin; either you became the crate, or we couldn’t get in. Turning into a Pokémon like I did earlier was risky. I don’t know the accent of the Pokémon from Byakko, and everyone here knows each other; we’d be discovered quickly.” — Explained the Zorua. The Pokémon then spotted a kind of control panel, though there was a Metang working on it.
— “We need to get to that panel; then we’ll be able to know where the engine room is, and you can see how this ship flies.” — Stated Melissa, whispering to her friend. Raijin was dumbfounded by the interior of the aircraft, but he still listened to his friend’s idea.
— “We don’t need to remove the Metang from there, we just need to see if there’s any Nexus signal inside this ship. If there is, I can connect my Gadget to it from my bag and maybe find a map.” — Retorted Raijin, leaving the Zorua impressed.
The Heliolisk’s only request was that his partner stand lookout so no one would catch them among the crates, and Melissa did so. Both Pokémon began to hear commotion outside the aircraft, but they were more concerned about being found.
Within minutes, not only had Raijin invaded the aircraft’s Nexus system without being detected, he already had a complete layout of the structure:

— “Wow, geniuses really do genius things that non-genius Pokémon like me don’t understand, hehehe.” — Joked the Zorua, smiling at her own joke. The Heliolisk laughed at his friend’s joke and stuck his tongue out at her.
— “Haha, well then, with this we don’t even need to go to the engine room; I already have everything I need to create my own aircraft if I have the proper materials, WA-WOW-WOW-WOW—WHAT IS THAT?!” — Asked Raijin, almost falling to the floor as the Latios of Steel began to move, but holding onto one of the crates. Melissa, who felt the same thing, climbed onto a crate to get a better view.
— “Oh no… Raijin… The ship is taking off…” — Said the trembling Zorua, but upon realizing the Heliolisk was about to scream in despair, the Dark Type Pokémon jumped on top of him to silence him.
— “SHHHHHH, are you crazy? If we’re discovered it’ll be much worse… We have no choice, we’ll have to jump off the ship, understood?” — Asked Melissa to Raijin, who was still beneath the Pokémon’s paws. The Heliolisk with the white gloves nodded in agreement.

The Zorua helped her friend stand up, then she jumped onto Raijin’s head and used her Illusion ability, turning both of them into the Perrserker who had brought them aboard.
Melissa whispered, warning the Heliolisk to walk as naturally as possible,
the Pokémon managed to leave the cargo area without being discovered; however, that was when they realized the ship was completely sealed, not even the windows could be opened. Despair took hold of both of them, especially as they saw the ship moving farther and farther away from the ground, in Perrserker form, the Heliolisk ran with the Zorua on his shoulders.
Some other crew members tried to speak to them, but they ignored them and kept running; after all, as the Dark Type had said before, she still didn’t know how to imitate the Byakko accent, and that would give them away. Raijin pulled up the Latios of Steel’s map from memory and recalled that there were only two places from which they could escape: one through the Latios’s head, which was very far away, and finally the command deck at the top of the structure, which was closer.
The Heliolisk ran quickly toward it; however, along the way the Pokémon found themselves face to face not only with the Gigabolt team, who were waving from a window to the Pokémon on the ground, but also with King Vandelvor, who noticed their presence:

— “Glymett? Hm… No… I don’t think so… Andrey.” — Murmured the Empoleon, who in the blink of an eye went from a cheerful expression to a suspicious one, worrying Raijin and Melissa.

Before they could think of fleeing, however, the Mega Skarmory, who had already positioned himself behind them, embraced them, carefully placing the golden blades of his two wings where he assumed the Perrserker’s neck would be:

— “Glymett, like all the Pokémon who assisted with the loading, is resting, and even if there were an emergency, none of them would come here… You are not one of my subjects.” — Stated King Vandelvor as he approached. When the Perrserker tried to speak, Andrey’s blade moved closer to his neck, silencing him.

Before the Empoleon could approach further, without dropping her disguise, the Zorua used the move Roar on the Mega Skarmory, who, startled, pulled his wings away from the Perrserker and took a few steps back. Sensing that his friend was about to take an offensive action, the Heliolisk jumped at Andrey’s face and used his Quick Attack, managing to dodge the blades and knock the Mega Skarmory down.
Vandelvor was about to attack the Pokémon with his wings, but Nero acted first, using his own Quick Attack and pressing his body against the Perrserker’s, pinning him to the wall and preventing him from fleeing. At that moment, due to the direct physical contact, Melissa’s Illusion ability broke, revealing both her and Raijin. Vandelvor was about to use Metal Claw with the movement of his wings on the small Pokémon, but Beelzeby acted quickly, stepping in front of them and making the king halt the execution of the move:

— “Raijin, Melissa, there you are. I was wondering how long you would keep hiding. Nero, you didn’t need to apply such an attack against our allies.” — Bluffed the Luxray, speaking with great confidence. The Jolteon found himself pressing the Heliolisk’s body against the steel wall; when he disengaged, he looked at his brother with a smile.
— “My bad, I never thought Melissa would become a member of Vandelvor’s crew. I thought it was some infiltrated traitor after what the king said, hahaha, my mistake, Raijin.” — Replied Nero as he helped Raijin up from the floor. By then, both the Heliolisk and the Zorua had caught on to the idea and followed the act with awkward smiles.
— “Excuse me, I’m lost—what is going on? You said you would be the only ones boarding for the kingdom of Platinum Wing.” — Asked King Vandelvor, crossing his wings. Beelzeby moved to Melissa’s side and began to stroke the Dark Type’s forelock with his paw.
— “Forgive us, King Vandelvor. This is Melissa Zorua and that is Raijin Heliolisk; they are recruits of the Gigabolt team, but we prevented them from coming for being too young. However, little Melissa wagered that she could infiltrate with Raijin, and if she succeeded, not only would we have to acknowledge their value, but also allow them to come with us on the journey.” — Justified the Luxray, and the other three Pokémon confirmed the story. The Empoleon’s suspicious expression then vanished, and he began to laugh.
— “Incredible, truly incredible. It seems I need to further improve my security. I suppose I should thank little Melissa for showing me something like this. After all, if two inexperienced Pokémon can breach my aircraft and knock down my main bodyguard, I can only imagine what a malicious Pokémon could do…” — Commented Vandelvor, thanking and praising the Zorua; at the same time, the concern in his voice was noticeable.

With everything settled, the king said goodbye to the Gigabolt team and led them to a large quarter that would house them all; since he didn’t know how many members would come, the Empoleon granted them one of the aircraft’s main accommodations.
Everyone seemed excited and happy with the king’s hospitality. However, as soon as the Empoleon said his farewells and left, closing the quarters’ door, Beelzeby went to the door, ensured it was locked. He also ran a small test to make sure there was no way anyone outside could hear anything from inside the room.:

— “HAVE YOU TWO LOST YOUR MINDS, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING COMING IN HERE LIKE THIS!? DID YOU WANT TO DIE!?” — Roared the Luxray in rage. Raijin only stammered, trembling violently, and Melissa clung to him, hiding her face against the Heliolisk’s belly and starting to cry in fear.
— “The worst part is that we can’t take you back to Zabeli now; Vandelvor wasn’t joking when he said the Latios of Steel was fast, we were already flying over the nearest city to Zabeli.” — Commented Nero, looking out the quarters’ window. Beelzeby growled and put his paw to his face, trying to clear his mind.
— “Yeah, there’s no way around it. If we tell the truth now, at best the two of you will be arrested, and we’ll also damage the king’s trust in us. I’ll inform Fearles and Amphy that Melissa is here.” — Stated the Luxray, taking his Gadget from his belongings and beginning to connect with Sakuya. The two young Pokémon looked sadly at the Electric Type Pokémon; however, that was when the Jolteon hugged them from behind.
— “Hey, even though you caused all this commotion, I agree with what Beel said earlier to Vandelvor. YOU TWO ARE TO BE CONGRATULATED; I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU MANAGED TO INVADE THE LATIOS OF STEEL—IF YOU KNEW THE GUARDS’ ROUTINE, YOU’D HAVE GOTTEN OUT WITHOUT BEING NOTICED…” — Shouted Nero, congratulating the Pokémon. Both Melissa and Raijin were still sad, but those compliments lifted their spirits considerably.

The Jolteon then went to Beelzeby’s side and pointed at the pair, extolling everything that could be done with the Zorua and the Heliolisk on their team against Requiem Umbral. The Luxray knew the potential of the Pokémon’s abilities, but reiterated that they were still young and inexperienced Pokémon:

— “So were we when we started, and here we are… And well, since there’s no way for them to go back, and we’ll have to take care of them, for me, it’s more than decided. Raijin, Melissa, WELCOME TO TEAM GIGABOLT!”