"Yep, it's me!" Ellie said she was a Sliggoo now. With a short grey body that was dripping with goo. Her back had some kind of shell on it so she resembled a snail. She had large fry antennae sticking out of her head and green spots going down her neck. Finally, she had bright green eyes and small stubby arms.

"Well, it's good to see you again," Omega said.

Karl stood, rubbing his head. "Wait isn't she the Goomy that pretended to join the guild and then ran away when we weren't looking?"

Ellie blushed. "Sorry about that. I was just really confused and scared at the time. I had no idea what had happened, but I'm really glad you guys came here. Things have been getting scary." She frowned and then continued.

"Normally all the dragons leave each other alone and only battle for fun and training. But ever since that weird tree Pokémon appeared it's been attacking everyone out of nowhere. They can't even fight back because he blindsides them."

Alpha huffed impatiently. "Then why not hang up against him?"

"We try to but he seems to vanish when we do, and then as we look for him because the mountain is so big we split up more and more and then it happens again!"

Melanie had just woken up and omega caught her up on what had happened. "Why not just get the ancient dragon to help?"

"The dragon doesn't allow visitors. Two of the strongest dragons guard the final floor and floors 40 to 45 are packed with Pokémon like Haxorus and Garchomp."

"Well, we just beat him so there's something. Now, where can I get a Dragon Fang?" Fuego demanded.

"Well, I have one from a few battles ago and we don't really use them because we have so many so you can have it." Ellie room out a sharp white fang and Fuego snatched it. "But you are right. I suppose he has been defeated now. Hopefully, we'll be left alone. But I guess you have to leave now..."

"Yes, that's how it works," Alpha confirmed.

"But wait, what about the Kakuna?" Omega remembered.

Ellie tilted her head. "There's no way a Kakuna would be able to get all the way to the 15th floor."

"That's odd. Some strange Exeggutor appears and then a fake request? I don't like it, whatever it is." Melanie said.

"We can tell Zax all about it. But right now let's just get back. I'm exhausted." Karl grunted.

"Hey, guys... could I come with you all? I know I left last time but I really want to join the guild now. I'm sorry about that but I hope you can forgive me." Ellie said and Omega grinned.

"Of course you can Ellie. Welcome to the guild!"

"Great, another wet noodle. We need some more hardcore traders like myself." Fuego said.

Alpha lumbered over to him. "Look, kid, I don't know who you think you are but nobody likes it. Go on your own adventures, make an honest team, and stop living off scams."

Fuego laughed at him. "You think bossing me around is going to work? You're hilarious! You people think you can change me with a few kind words or by yelling at me! Keep dreaming suckers!"

Everyone was so exhausted they didn't even bother trying to argue with him, they unanimously decided to leave and try again another day.

Meanwhile at the Guild.

Maryland was looking over dozens of articles and files that she'd gotten from the town library and from Zax's library.

"Oh come on it's gotta be somewhere." She scoured the files, the only thing she couldn't find is what she needed. At that moment Flutter flew by her, seeing her distress he landed on one of the papers. "Pardon my asking but what seems to be bothering you miss Maryland?"

"Flutter I told you, it's just Maryland. And anyway I can't find anything on the Underwater Castle." Maryland replied, not looking up from the files.

"Underwater Castle? Forgive me for not remembering but that's where you came from correct?"

Maryland nodded. "Yep. At least there's where I think I came from. Now I'm starting to think I just remembered some dream and thought it was where I was from..."

Maryland had spent two years hunting for any information on her home after she had washed up on the shore of their town. Only recently had she discovered that Zax actually had a bunch of files that only he had access to about the town. She had requested some of them and he'd happily obliged.

"Well, I think it's real. Maybe we could ask Miss Zen and see if she knows anything about it. She is the smartest person I know." Flutter suggested.

Maryland hit her head with her claw. "Why didn't I think of that? Man, I need to stop thinking so big picture." Maryland and Flutter went down to Team Magic's room and knocked on the door. Zen opened it with Solomon floating behind her.

"Yes?"

"Well, I wanted to see if you knew anything about the Underwater Castle?" Maryland requested.

Zen remained expressionless. "I'm afraid not young Maryland. But I do remember hearing it during the Whispers."

"Pardon me but what are the Whispers?" Flutter asked. "I don't really like whispering, it just excludes people from the conversation and that's rude."

Zen chuckled. "The Whispers are a period during the Future Sight process in which we hear things from the future but can't see anything. All I remember hearing is the words Underwater Castle from you Maryland, you sounded excited."

Maryland gasped. "That must mean I make a breakthrough at some point! Oh boy oh boy!"

Flutter cheerily flew in circles. "Hurray! Underwater Castle!"

"I think I have a way to help with your breakthrough young Maryland. It involves visiting an old area I've been meaning to do some recon on." Zen stayed and left her room with Solomon trailing behind her. Flutter and Maryland followed her without hesitation.

They arrived at the portals where Alpha, Omega, Fuego, Karl, Melanie, and Ellie were just leaving.

Zen fiddled with a portal and it hummed to life. "Alright, this should take us to the place. Now just be careful. I'm sure there's some powerful Pokémon in there. After all, it is the Dark Forest. One of the most dangerous parts of the Deep Woods."

"Wait so the Dark Forest is the Deep Woods?" Maryland asked.

Zen shook her head. "As you know Malena is a very small continent, Central town being the only one on it, most of the island is woods. We call this large part of forest the Deep Woods, Magic Forest, Grand Woods, and the Dark Forest are all part of the Deep Woods. Similarly to the Piercing Mountains. Those being Dragon Mountain and Mount Inferno."

"Oh, I see!" Maryland said. "Now let's go!" Maryland quickly leaped into the portal with everyone else following her.

Tessamine Lab Ruins.

They arrived at the entrance to a lab, it was overgrown with vines and leaves and falling apart in many places. The doors had been broken and little light came from the lab.

"Long ago a group of people ran experiments here. But after we sent some explorers on a mission here they put a stop to the horrors that went on in this lab. But the information they have may help us point you to the Underwater Castle."

They walked inside, Solomon began to glow for some reason which provided light. The room was a complete mess and void of any signs of life.

They continued to travel through the lab coming across a few wild Pokémon, but nothing they couldn't handle. They arrived at a room full of computers and Zen began to work on them. "We should've brought Gizzit." She murmured.

"Thanks so much for helping me out Flutter. I'm glad you stumbled upon me or else I never would've gotten this far." Maryland said.

"It was my pleasure! You're really nice Maryland, and I just love helping people." Flutter responded.

"You're really polite Flutter, why are you always like that?"

"It's how my momma raised me."

"Your mom? What happened to her?"

Flutter frowned. "Well, we got separated back when we were migrating. I couldn't fly fast enough and I had to take a break. Next thing I knew I was lost, but then Jet and Omega found me!"

"Oh... well, I'm glad things worked out."

Zen searched the computer, accessing numerous files. She pulled up one that intrigued her title Alolan Forms. The file read: Strange alternate forms of Pokémon, not very common outside their home region. They often have different types and looks from their counterparts, Little is known about them. One is indigenous to this region, an Alolan Raichu name's Friction with stark differences to the normal Raichu."

A picture comparing some strange orange mouse-like Pokémon with a long tail to Friction with her dark orange fur, shining blue eyes, and a large yellow tail that she hovered on.

"Friction was one of these? I'll have to pursue further research." She copied the file, then she pulled up another file labeled Underwater.

The file read: Almost nothing is known about the rumored Underwater Kingdom other than it is on the floors of the ocean and can supposedly be reached by the Coral Path, a Mystery Dungeon located on the Northern Beach.

"Maryland I found some information on the Underwater Castle, I'm going to copy these files and download them onto Solomon." Zen began typing away at the computer.

"Did you say onto Solomon?" Maryland clarified.

Zen nodded. "I figured this out a while ago, using shockwave plus psychic and the little curl on his head as an antenna he can pick up radio waves. So if I broadcast the information in the files as such he'll have them put into his memory. Then he can just send me the information with telepathy when we need it."

Flutter whistled. "My my that's very interesting."

"Alright done, now we can leave. I can't believe we did this without a single problem!" Zen said with a smile. Solomon began squeaking as he stared at the wall.

Then they heard a moan and a pile of green sludge moved into view, a few more did the same until there were five green piles of sludge. Feo larger piles of sludge oozed in through the walls and they all rose.

The smaller Pokémon were green poisonous sludge monsters with hands that were dripping with acid. Around their mouths was pungent yellow and they grinned like zombies.

The larger sludge piles were similar to their smaller counterparts with stones all throughout their bodies. Their sludge was also different colors. Bright pink, sludge green, dark blue, and pungent yellow. They looked angry however and reached out with large hands.

"What are these?" Maryland asked. "Maybe they're some kind of mutants from the lab and the only way to stop them is with ancient magic!"

"Or they're just these Alolan Forms I read about. I didn't see these in the file so we've got to retreat since there's no telling what type they could be." Zen said, with that, they realized that the sludge was guarding their only exit.

Zen's fist cooled and froze, then she punched one of the sludge monster, launching it into the wall.

Maryland opened her claws and bubbles fired out of them, bombarding two of the smaller sludge piles.

Flutter noticed the remaining sludge piles were advancing and began rapidly flapping his wings, blowing the smaller sludge piles away. Only the two large ones remained.

The poisonous monsters surged forward with a moan, swiping at the group. An electric wave surged into one of them from Solomon. The damaged beast looked phased but continued onwards.

Zen jumped into the air with one knee forward, the knee was glowing blue was she dove forward slamming knee first into the previously undamaged creature. It was thrown backward by the force of the attack and into three smaller sludge piles.

Maryland's claws began to glow blue and they crashed into the larger sludge piles head. Then Flutter slammed into it with his aerial ace attack. It appeared to be briefly stunned. Just then a brand new pile of sludge burst out from one of the walls, grabbing at them. They took it as their cue to run.

The group sped through the corridors of the lab, things felt suddenly much darker than before. More of the monsters leaped from vents, holes in walls, shuffled from around the corner. They seemed to just randomly appear from the shadows.There was no chance of winning in battle so they had to hope for a way out.

They came across a set of stairs but before they could climb it a larger sludge pile jumped from the ceiling and grabbed Solomon, stuffing him in its mouth.

"Solomon!" Maryland gasped before she and Flutter could attack Zen stopped them.

"He's trying to hold it off, we must go. Solomon will be fine, we just have to get out of here." Just then the pile of sludge began to convulse with electricity.

They quickly scaled the stairs which lead out to a rooftop balcony. Then a few sludge piles began climbing up through the vents on the roof.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Flutter murmured. Suddenly Solomon appeared next to them all.

"Alright everyone, here we go!" Zen shouted and her eyes began to glow blue. Suddenly they were back in Central Town,  in front of the guild.

Maryland and Flutter then promptly collapsed onto the ground in relief.

"No time for rest. I have to tell Zax about what I found and I'll need you two to come with me." Zen said and she walked into the guild, ignoring the groans of the two younger Pokémon.

Looks like I got this chapter out after all. This was the longest one I've written so far so I hope you enjoyed it! And with luck I might be able to get out the next chapter within the week. Thanks very much for reading and have a nice day, bye!