LUSTER'S POV

We had been walking for quite some time now. The path ahead never seemed to get any shorter, but what could I have expected? Occasionally we would reach a very long stairway up a couple of feet, but the walk would always continue with a long hallway littered with doors.

"This is a different path..." Vince muttered lowly.

"That's because this is the real exit." Sammy replied. "The exit you were heading towards was only going to lead towards a large storage unit."

"Great..." Zantai sarcastically remarked before crossing his arms. "Such a long path though, did you guys always have to take this?"

"I'll be honest, I haven't been here in years." Sammy exhaled, I could hear her frown from here.

"How come?" Grace turned to look up at the monotone Braixen.

"We never leave this cage; everything we need to survive is already here and being transferred to us by our staff." Sammy took a weirdly long breath before continuing. "It was Sam's idea to set a bunch of traps in case any of you guys escaped...I can only imagine it worsened after Zantai and Vince's attempt."

"So that's why she spared them..." I hummed lightly in realization. "She was impressed with their attempt and instead upped her security."

"Precisely, she only saw it as a game for you to challenge her cage's technology." The Braixen shook her head. "No matter, we're almost towards the main exit vault. Once we reach that door is when you'll have to watch out for those traps I mentioned."

The walk here was a lot longer than I had expected. Even more surprising, it felt like every hallway here had a long row of doors to accompany it. Are there really that many rooms here? Is every one of them being utilized or are they just empty rooms? It can't be just Sam and Sammy working here, there should be a lot of staff involved for a big project like this. How do they even profit from this?

Once the next flight of stairs arrived I could hear a resounding sigh emanate from the group. We didn't complain much, especially since I was the one still carrying Loki on my back, and whatever led us to the exit was only temporarily trivial. Luckily, most of us were physically fit, so we climbed the steps quickly and finally arrived at the top. On the other side was a rather empty room and a large vault door that resembled one of a safe.

"This is it?" Vince uttered with a small scoff. "Very over-the-top."

"She had to keep you guys in somehow." Sammy shrugged and trudged up to a small keypad next to the steel door. "Let me see if I can remember the code."

"Make sure a wrong attempt won't kill us." Rayne narrowed her eyes towards the vixen.

"I remember Sam purposefully did not do that because she too forgets." The Braixen turned to smile reassuringly at the Manectric.

"'Too'? You mean you don't remember." Zantai crossed his arms.

"Give her a break." I quickly replied. "It's a miracle she's even willing to help us, let alone remember a code she hasn't used in years."

"Right, my bad." The Blaziken heaved a small exhale and pressed his back up against an empty wall. "I'm just so tired, I want to get out."

"We all do." Laker cleared his throat and pointed a claw at the fire bird. "We're not done yet, though. Knowing Sam there's some bullshit on the other end."

Something told me Sammy wouldn't take long to figure out the code, so I turned cautiously to watch the flight of stairs we had just climbed. I could very faintly see the other end—this area of the cage was very dimly lit, almost as if no one ever entered here. It's as Sammy mentioned, there's no reason for them to leave...except for the fact that there is. Don't they have a family? Don't they want to smell the real fresh air?

Deciding not to jinx anything, I kept the impression that Laker had; we were not out of the woods yet.

"And...done. Are you all ready?" Sammy turned to us with a proud smile before she trudged over to the vault handle. "I might need some help with this."

"I got it." Zantai offered before anyone else could and curled his arm around the bar to pull. Eventually, a few of us joined and pulled the door open with an audible high-pitched creak—definitely hadn't been opened in a while.

The other end was exactly what I'd expected; just more hallway. However, this area in particular had even worse lighting than the previous ones.

"At this point we're gonna need a light." Laker scoffed in awe at the sight of the growing shadows.

I'm not sure if anyone else heard it, but I could hear a faint hissing somewhere in the walls. I must be imagining it...but it's likely something to note.

"Let's go." Sammy nodded and curled her arm back to raise her wooden stick in the air, a bright flame emanating from the tip.

"Why is the lighting so poor?" Leon noted with a suspicious gaze.

"Unlike the rooms before, this area is never used. It's the empty connection between the exit and entrance of the cage." Sammy raised her wooden staff just a bit higher to provide light. "Think of us in purgatory until we reach the other side...except we have no idea what Sam could have placed in here."

"Is there not another path?" Loki curiously pried.

"No—well, not that I know of. Sam did mention something about a different path from where I was, but it led to a weird cave system." The young Braixen shrugged lightly and continued onwards. Suddenly, Sammy came to a halt.

In front of us were two paths, and from this perspective it looks like we were in some sort of...

"Are we in a maze?" Zantai couldn't help but let out a small laugh of surprise. "She has a fucking maze in here?"

"It's done on purpose." Sammy frowned, not denying the situation. "Yes, it is a maze, but if we stick close we should reach the exit. I know the path out, but not the traps."

"I can try to detect them." Leon offered.

"No need, they are infrared detectors, and detecting such a small piece of machinery you don't know exists is impossible." She exhaled profoundly. "We're just going to have to trust each other and work together."

I assumed Sammy knew what she was talking about, so I decided to hold off on my questions until later. After her words, the Braixen immediately took a sharp left turn and continued guiding us onwards.

That hissing, though...I still hear it so faintly. What could it be? Is it even bothering anyone else? Am I the only one with good hearing?

"What is that noise?" Rayne muttered with a suspicious tone.

"You hear it too?" I turned to her with a hopeful expression. "The hissing?"

"No, it's more of a metallic shift to me." The Manectric raised a brow. "Like steel grinding against steel."

Leon seemed to know exactly what she was talking about, as the jackal already had a horrified expression when I turned to him.

"Leon? What's up?" Vince turned to place a webbed hand on the Lucario's shoulder.

"T-The walls, they're moving! Like a puzzle piece that slots perfectly together, some kind of base in the center is rotating them all." Leon stammered as he gazed at something even I couldn't see. My x-ray vision is different, as seeing that far into the walls I could not do.

"The walls are moving?" Sammy echoed like she had heard that before. "Arceus, no...that's terrible. That means we could have been moving in the wrong direction this whole time!"

Before we could even register what Sammy was talking about, a loud buzz crackled through the dark halls before the sound of interference froze us in our tracks.

"Hello..? Am I able to be heard?" A voice we did not want to hear; Sam's voice could be heard throughout the speakers—albeit in a monotone similar to Sammy's.

"Fuck!" Vince blurted. "Was she not with Sherwood? Does that mean..?"

"I do not know where Sherwood is, I promise. I came here to help you all escape."

This was getting harder to believe by the second. Is this really Sam? Would she truly try to help us now of all times?

"This must be a trap." Leon growled under his breath.

"I know I haven't been the best to you all this past game, and if I was going to be completely honest to you all...I still probably believe you all are beyond repair. Equally, I despise you all, but I am still going to help you all escape because I never expected it to get this far. I didn't expect my stimulant to alter my brain and make you all play this game. Although the other option would still end with you all dying for the sake of your own wishes, so take your chances as you please."

"What the hell is she talking about?" I turned to Sammy, who was clearly overwhelmed with information.

"W-Well, there's a lot going on, but...I knew something was wrong with her. She uses this machine to help her stay stimulated and prevent the need for sleep, but she overused it and it caused her brain to grow demented and exaggerated." The younger Braixen tried to explain while keeping her cool, but her voice was wavering.

"I still do not forgive her." Rayne narrowed her eyes at nowhere in particular. "She still chose to gather us here before the machine took over, I imagine."

"B-But she's the only chance we have." Grace pleaded. "We're alone in a moving maze, without her help, we're guaranteed dead!"

"With her help, we're brought back into the game." Laker crossed his arms. "How the hell can you be so sure she's even helping us? This could all be some big trap to get us back in the cage."

"I know betting it all on me is difficult right now, but I have no other choice. By definition, you all are my research, and I am responsible for your lives. If it makes you feel better, I am going to die here."

"What?" Sammy suddenly reeled her body in search of the speaker.

"I never told you this, Sammy, but the moment you stepped foot in that maze you activated the cage's primary defense system. If you ever heard a light hissing noise, it means that this entire place is actively being filled with a deadly poison gas."

"That's..." I felt a hitch in my breath. "That's the hissing I heard!"

"I'm terribly sorry, but nobody can survive breathing that gas for long—in minutes you will die...unless you follow my lead."

"She's toying with us." Vince muttered lowly and crossed his arms. "I'm going the opposite of where she tells us."

"That doesn't sound like a good idea." Leon frowned. "Even if we do not trust her, we also must have some sense of neutrality."

"But following her could also be death." Zantai grimaced as he bit on the ends of his talons. "What the hell do we do?"

"You must hurry before it reaches your area. The maze right now has shifted from the usual spot, meaning the next path you take should be on the right. I can see you all, but I cannot hear you. What little faith you have in me, you must have it now." Occasionally we could hear the speaker get interference, but it was clearly Sam's voice speaking to us.

Sammy was still halted right in front of us, her expression filled with doubt and hesitance. "We're following her instructions."

"What!?" Both Vince and Laker exclaimed.

"We have to! I don't know anything about this maze if it starts shifting by itself!" Sammy was now in tears trying to help us understand.

It took Leon silently walking forward and wrapping his arms around her for a tight hug before the hiccups in her breath stopped. The two backed away and Leon turned to us with a confident stare. "I'm following Sammy no matter what, and if that means following Sam by default then I will."

"I would rather take a different path." Vince tapped his webbed hand against the wall. "If anyone could find the way out, it would have to be me, no?"

"Splitting up sounds awful, though..." Zantai grumbled. "It's either we all find it together or we don't."

"You don't even wanna consider the chance that all of us die together?" Laker whined. "I mean, we want at least some of us to make it out, right?"

"It seems selfish to just part ways." Rayne raised a brow at the two. "I mean, I dislike Sam as much as the next person, but we're out of luck on our own."

"Please, you must all hurry before the walls close in on your current section."

"We have to make a choice." Grace worriedly tapped her paws against the ground. "I-I don't wanna be crushed."

"They're closing in!"

THIRD PERSON

Panting and labored breathing was all this area of the inner cage knew. Sherwood had run to the best of his abilities, but knowing exactly where Sammy and the rest could be was nearly impossible. He was navigating a metallic jungle he wasn't familiar with.

"Damn it all..." He cursed under his breath and slammed a balled fist into the wall. It felt like every turn he made led to nowhere, and deciding which path to take overwhelmed him.

At this point, he had no idea why he was running. He heard Sam's announcement, meaning she had warned the rest of the group about the gas...but that also meant he failed his job. He couldn't both contain her and try to warn the rest of the group about the dangers. Not only that, Hydra was also at Sam's disposal...and dealing with that a second time would kill him.

"Sherwood, wherever you are, I cannot find you. This means you're at the second exit...but also that I cannot help you navigate your way through. If you find a cave-like area, enter it...but be careful." Sam's voice reverberated through the empty halls once again.

He still wasn't used to the idea of Sam being 'normal' again, but taking any chances on his own would be his second blunder of the day.

After a while of running Sherwood eventually discovered a large tear in the metal walls. Investigating closer, he found a large hole that led to a cave-like entrance.

"Here it is." The Sceptile muttered to himself and leaped inside.

It was exactly as he expected, but this one was a little different. Instead of being entirely similar to the cave system they encountered previously, this one was more efficiently lit.

"This might have been what Leon was theorizing..." Sherwood huffed lightly. "The crazy bastard predicted it."

Even though he was making progress, Sherwood couldn't shake the unsettling feeling he felt in his spine. A distant hissing noise made him uneasy, and he couldn't shake the sensation of being watched. What could he even do in this situation? If he managed to find the exit, how could he tell everyone else?

"Sammy's gotta know where she's goin'..." Sherwood took a deep breath and rushed onwards.

It took a few minutes to reach any sort of new area, but eventually, the Sceptile crawled his way to the other side of the next hole he found.

"Welcome." A somewhat familiar voice called out to him from an unknown place.

When he gathered his bearings, Sherwood realized he was in yet another long hallway, except this time it was more dimly lit. On the other end was a Toxicroak staring at him with a small grin.

"You again." Sherwood crossed his arms, clearly recognizing that his path was blocked. "Surely you see that y'all failed."

"Not really." Kanom shrugged lightly, his stare deviating to look at the ceiling. "Sammy doesn't know the exit like she used to."

"Uhuh." The grass-type sarcastically mumbled. "Just get outta my way."

"Why would I do that? I still have my job to do." Kanom chuckled in amusement, continuing to stand his ground.

"Lapdog." Sherwood spoke with a low growl in his tone. "Yer nothin' but a minion for Sam, how's that feel?"

Kanom didn't seem to lose his cocky expression, even with the Sceptile's taunting.

"Didn't you hear? There's a poison gas quickly filling this entire cage...how do you think a poison-type like me would feel? Happy, I'd say, considering I'll be completely unaffected." Kanom stepped forward, his large claw aimed at the other Pokemon.

"So frustratin'" Sherwood grumbled and leaped forward into the air. The Sceptile compressed his chest and lurched forward to fire a wave of Bullet Seeds towards the Toxicroak.

The attack went a little slower than expected, and Kanom easily jumped back to avoid it. "C'mon, is that all, big guy? I thought you were the whole reason Sam couldn't escape?"

Once he landed, Sherwood held his chest in shock. Something was wrong, and the feeling he had made him uneasy.

"That's the gas." Kanom leaned his head against a nearby door, a prominent smile on his face. "Even the slightest inhale could make you faint."

"Bastard..." Sherwood stumbled on his own feet, his senses unbalanced.

"Don't be ashamed, it even gets me a little dizzy, but that doesn't matter. No one will find you here, especially since they're worried about their own problems." The Toxicroak chuckled lightly. "This game is more than just Sam, this game must go on."

"I could care less." Sherwood wiped his maw and glared at the toxic frog in front of him. "I'll kill you both for makin' us sit through all that."

"Such a shame, this was the first time Sam has ever failed this badly. She might get punished badly for that. Did you know we're just following a system? Sam just so happened to find a way to mix it in with her work."

At this point, Kanom's words were nothing but static to Sherwood. The Sceptile's main objective was to find a way to get around him without wasting any time fighting. He knew this would prove to be difficult, impossible even.

But he'd have to try.

LEON'S POV

It was difficult to tell where the walls had rearranged, but using my aura allowed me to tell just how unfortunate our situation had become.

The group was separated into different sections, each by who decided to take whichever path. From the thick metal, I could hear their muffled voices, and I had to press my ear into the wall to listen in.

"Everyone stay calm!" I heard Rayne's powerful voice practically vibrate through the steel.

"If you guys are hearing this...then the walls have finished moving for the next few minutes. You are all separated, but there is still a chance to reunite once the next shift happens. Lau—I mean, Sammy, your group should stay there until it shifts again. The groups that have split off are Vince, Grace, Leon, and Laker."

So more than just me? I can't exactly remember how it happened but the shifts were a lot faster than I realized. My new predicament was how I was going to return to the group.

"All of you have the option to wait until the walls shift again in a few minutes and reunite, or you can try for the exit. However, you must be careful to not let the walls crush you...even with my warnings they can be too fast."

Why would Sam make this part so incredibly complicated? Was she this worried we would escape from this? I suppose we're only proving her correct.

My position was arguably the worst; I ended back towards the entrance of this area, meaning I had to wait here until the walls decided to move again. However, even though all I had to do was wait, there was something bothering me.

Throughout this entire situation, not once had it occurred to me where Sherwood could be. From the look of the walls it looked like I'd be here for a while, so I considered doing something risky.

I knew it was a slim chance, but I still gave myself a running start and ran out of the vault in search of Sherwood. He was the only reason we were able to get here, and he should be able to leave with us. However, figuring out where to look whenever the path to get here was essentially a straight line with forks in the road would prove to be difficult.

Nonetheless, I was still running as fast as I could. With the help of my aura, I feel confident I could somewhat track his energy down.

"Sherwood!" Even though I couldn't sense the presence of anyone nearby, I still found it worth trying to try and call out.

A wave of energy was returned, and suddenly I could trace it down to the source. It was still enough distance for me to be unable to detect the cause, however. I trusted my gut and continued to run towards the direction of the energy.

The area looked familiar, but it could have also been that it was the same lengthy hallways with many doors lining the walls. By now I was growing exhausted, and I almost regretted climbing those stairs without thinking of Sherwood's whereabouts earlier.

Suddenly, I could get a good grasp of the aura, and the feeling of adrenaline soon rushed through my body. The energy was familiar, and it was without a doubt Sherwood.

"Sherwood!' I called out again, my voice now echoing down the hall I was traversing.

I could hear a faint, muffled voice calling out to me as I continued to run forward. The aura's color grew close enough for me to tell, but part of me would have rather not had that information. Sherwood's aura was filled with dread, and it only made me sprint faster towards his location.

When I arrived my first concern was that he was behind one of the many steel doors. "Sherwood? Are you in there?"

"Leon!" I heard Sherwood's quiet voice from the other side plead. "You have to get outta here!"

"What? What do you mean? I came here to get you." I uttered with concern.

"Run! P-Please...!" His voice was hacking as if he was choking on something. "The gas! It's filling up this area!"

"W-What is wrong with you? I am not going to abandon you here, how do I get you out?" I pressed my paw against the steel door to focus before giving it a decent slam.

"Leon, I am warnin' you, do not waste your energy on this door." Sherwood's voice was growing more faint. "If you use up all your energy tearing it down, you won't make it to the exit."

"I'm confused." I froze for a moment. His words were making me lightheaded...lightheaded? That shouldn't be the case."

"The gas is more than a poison, it affects you prematurely with dizziness and weakness." Sherwood sniffled lightly...was he crying? "I-If you get yourself killed 'cause of me...I won't be able to forgive myself."

"Sherwood, you can't forgive anyone if you're dead, I must find a way to h—" The sudden feeling of asphyxiation cut off my voice.

I turned down in horror to notice that I'd coughed up blood on the surface of my palm. Part of me wanted to believe I could potentially see the gas coming...but it had already arrived.

"You realize now, right?" He muttered before I heard his talon slam against the door. "I don't mind bein' left behind, Leon...so long as I don't take anyone down with me. I know I used to not trust ya, or even hate ya."

He paused, giving himself time to think. "But I care about ya, man...if helping you takes me dyin' in this shithole...then so be it. But promise me something."

"What is it?" I humored him.

"Please take care of Estra when ya find her...my sister needs someone to be there for her." Sherwood's voice held a bittersweet tone.

"How do you know she's alive?" It was getting harder to talk, and my voice audibly suffered because of it.

"I just got a feelin'..." He huffed lightly. "You were a good man...are a good man. You are a good man, Leon. I got stuck in this place with my worst enemy, but I can be proud that I left it with a good friend."

"S-Sherwood, y-you know I cannot just leave you like this." My voice croaked as I slammed my paw into the door, not even making a dent.

"Don't try to help a dead man, you should be runnin' from the grave, not towards it." Sherwood chuckled lightly. "I'm...done talkin'..."

"Sherwood?" I froze.

Was he really this complacent with dying? I couldn't bear the thought of it, he helped us get this far and he's willing to end it all here?

"I'm sorry." My last words to him before I suddenly mustered up the courage to turn the other way and begin running. It was as he said; if I died here because of him he would never forgive himself, and I imagine he'd take that statement to the grave.

I couldn't shake the stream of tears running down my face. How was it easy to leave him the first time? Is it because we shook hands on it? Was it because I trusted that we'd see each other on the other side?

Everything I had hoped for did not go as intended. With my body sluggish from the gas, I still trudged up those steps, I still ran down those halls.

And when it came time to leap through that vault back where I was initially separated...

I wouldn't see Sherwood there, and I knew that thought would be unrealistic...but it still hurt to know.

Sherwood wouldn't be seen ever again.

THIRD PERSON

"I'm sorry, Grace." Vince croaked sadly as he stumped his back into the cold steel wall. "It's my fault, I made a stupid leap thinking we'd get crushed."

"W-We'll get out of it." The Eevee reassured him with a small smile. "But it's still impressive how you managed to get us stuck in between two walls...there is no hallway here like Sam mentioned, do you think she doesn't know where we are?"

"Wherever it is, I can imagine we're fucked the next time the walls shift." The Greninja exhaled lightly, but upon seeing the Eevee's horrified face, he immediately perked up. "I-I mean I'm sure I can do somethin' about it! We can maybe leap back in after it's done shifting."

"Are you sure?" She tilted her head. "From the position we're at, that'd be hard."

Grace was right; Vince had managed to get the two of them jammed in a middle point between two walls—basically the inner layers of the walls that were not meant to be walked into. Once the walls activated, the two would have to find a way to avoid getting crushed between two layers of dense steel.

"Everything okay in there?" Loki's voice emanated from the other side of the metal, albeit very weak.

"Yeah!" Vince cupped his hands together to tone his voice. "Just waitin'!"

And wait they did, as the two had no other option. The area they were trapped in was in the shape of a large cube, essentially holding the two like prisoners in a cell that had no door. They would have to wait for their chance once the next shift occurred, which should happen any minute now.

The two let their breaths go as they leaned into the wall together.

"Grace, I'm sorry." He frowned.

"You don't have to keep apologizing, I might be scared for my life...but I've seen scarier." Grace shrugged and turned to smile at the frog. "You've grown softer, it's cute."

"What?" Vince's head reeled to raise a brow at the Eevee, his voice audibly flustered. "What do you mean cu—soft?"

"Well, weren't you kind of...an asshole at the start of this?" She tilted her head.

"That's some language right there, little lady." He grinned.

"I'm allowed to say whatever I want, Vince, I'm not some baby." She playfully rolled her eyes before curling up on the Greninja's lap to rest.

"Hah! You were at the start; didn't you cry about every little thing?" Vince chuckled lightly, earning a small playful hiss from the fox.

"This part about you still hasn't changed." Grace pouted up at him but turned away to heave a long sigh. "I was, I'll admit...but I think the whole situation with Vanta changed me. Ever since he died, I started remembering so much about my past. I learned that I needed to be strong since someone who was so essential in my life had died. I had to be stronger."

"Yer doin' a helluva good job at that." Vince reassured.

Grace's serious expression didn't falter, however. "It wasn't always like that. Before I knew about Vanta, I had a memory in the library...and if I'm honest, it made me want to kill myself. Every shred of trauma and mental illness had returned to me without a shred of context. My soul and mind felt like dying whenever I didn't know why."

"Oh..." The Greninja paused. "H-How did you deal with that?"

"Right after, Vanta comforted me. I couldn't explain it, but something about him felt familiar or even safe to me at the time. He even mentioned that I reminded him of his younger sister...ironic."

"I'm sorry." He wasn't very good at comfort or finding the words to help, so that was all the Greninja could provide.

"I wish he knew...but there's nothing I can do about it now. I have to be stronger and continue for his sake. Maybe I could have sat there and cried about it some more, but I want to be more like him. It'd be better for everyone if I was more like Vanta."

"That's a little weird, don'tcha think?"

"Huh?"

Vince patted the top of her head with a small grin. "You should be yourself! Just 'cause you wanna be mature like Vanta doesn't mean you can't be yourself."

Grace only locked eyes with him, a gentle smile tugging at her lips. "I think that's a good idea."

Seeing Vince lean closer felt like her imagination, but it would soon be her horror. "V-Vince, the walls!"

"Shit..!" Immediately, the frog spurred into action and formed the largest water kunai he could. "I'm gonna try jamming it! Anything you can do to help you should try it!"

"I-I don't think I have any moves like that!" Grace whined as she watched the Greninja attempt to stab the kunai through the corners.

"Guys!" Loki's now muffled voice yelled through the grinding steel walls. "The walls, they're moving! Be careful in there!"

"Great." Vince groaned and watched as his attempts were destroyed almost instantly. Each time he'd jam his move into the walls it would only hinder it for a few seconds before they shattered.

"Whatever machine is moving the walls is strong...but I don't think it can last that long, right? The walls only shifted for a few seconds before they were done!" Grace turned to the frog next to her.

"So we only gotta last about a minute?" Vince nodded and continued his efforts.

The steel walls continued to close in as if nothing happened, but the Greninja could still be heard tossing as many attacks as he could towards the wall. He tried destroying it directly to no avail—if he had Zantai in here, just maybe he'd have a better chance.

His next attempt was to try and get the wall stuck with the largest Water Shuriken he could muster. That bought them a few seconds before the attack snapped and dissipated.

However, eventually, the space was getting too cramped to prepare a move, and Vince took to leaning forward and holding one wall with his arm and the other with his leg.

"V-Vince...I-I'm scared, I'm not sure if you can hold it like that!" Grace cried out.

"I'm sure as hell gonna try! I can feel it getting a little slower!" He groaned as he strained his body as much as he could. By now he'd have about six feet of width left in the room before they'd be crushed.

"T-There's no use, Vince! Can't you use your trick to get out of here? You should leave while you still c—"

"I'm not fuckin' leavin' you here!" Vince exclaimed with aggression, his voice nearly rumbling the walls.

"I'm sorry...I don't know how much I can help you...I-I'm useless right now..." She shuddered, but she was partially correct. The Eevee wasn't very strong, nor was she even tall enough to try and stop the walls from closing in.

Vince didn't care, however. He stared forward as he had to put his leg down and press his back up against the wall, the lack of space now limiting him further. Still, he held his two arms forward and pushed as hard as he could.

Two feet left before they'd be crushed, and Vince was still trying. All that could be heard was silent weeping and the noises of the Greninja's straining voice. He pushed his body past the limits, and he could feel the muscles nearly tearing at the force.

Vince was lightheaded, and his eyes only got blurrier from the pressure. He continued to try, and his body felt a new wave of determination seep through him. It was as if the room around them began to glow and his arms were wrapped in a pulse of light. He found it far easier to push forward with this newfound power, the walls feeling ever so slightly lighter.

To him, it looked like his arms were glowing, a surreal experience with his now blurred vision. After a while, the walls finally stopped shifting, the space they were left in was quite minimal but enough to move his limbs around.

When he regained his sense, Vince noticed that the glow on his arms wasn't his own power, but many pairs of ribbon-like limbs that were now detaching from him. He turned to look at the source, but soon wouldn't believe his sight.

Vince was staring back at a pair of turquoise eyes, the feelers belonging to a Sylveon.

"Thank you, Vince."

"G-Grace?"