Maryland scuttled over to the digital map, getting ready to plan her expedition to the Glacial Caverns so she could access the Northern Beach. Maryland presses a few buttons on the map and it zoomed into the Glacial Caverns. Then a notice appeared before she could view the information on it.

"Forbidden access until further notice? No! This can't be happening!" Maryland cried, Zen happened to be near her and heard her distress.

"Young Maryland, what is troubling you?" Zen turned to the Corphish.

Maryland sighed and gestured to the map. "This. I need to go through the Glacial Caverns, it's the only way to the Northern Beach."

Zen smiled warmly. "Fear not, we can just ask Zax for permission. I am certain it is nothing that can't be resolved over a talk." Zen walked towards the stairs and Maryland followed her.

They knocked on the door to Zax's office and it swung open. "Yes?"

"Maryland just needs your permission to go to the Glacial Caverns, she finally knows where to locate the Underwater Castle and the entrance is on the Northern Beach," Zen explained.

Zax shook his head. "Look if it wasn't that big of a deal I'd let you go but this is a serious problem. There's currently a very powerful Pokémon raging through the Glacial Cavern and I can't let anyone near there until I'm sure it's safe."

"B-b-but there's no other way to the Northern Beach," Maryland said, Zen and Zax looked at each other.

"Well... that's not entirely true." Zen started. "There's one other option, the Crumbling Mines."

Zax glared at her. "No. There's no way I'm allowing you guys to go to that death trap!"

"Crumbling Mines?" Maryland asked, her face put in a puzzled expression.

"The Crumbling Mines used to be the biggest attraction of Malena. People came from all around the world to mine there, even Friction's family. The mine was rich in minerals that were used to construct Central Town and the Guild. But it was so over-mined that things became dangerous, the Pokémon that lived there were forced to retreat further and further from their homes, finally they'd had enough and began fighting back.

"They jumped miners who were alone and would take all of their possessions. What's worse is because of all the mining many of the tunnels became unstable, some caves while others seemed like they were about to. People retreated, some went home and others stayed behind and found other things to do." Zax retold. "It's far too dangerous for me to allow you anywhere near it. It was long ago but the Pokémon haven't forgotten."

Maryland frowned. "Well... how can you be sure?"

"We tried before you joined the guild to make peace and help them stabilize the tunnels but they attacked us, Omega went primal and Jet was unconscious for many days after that ordeal," Zen spoke softly, remembering the event with her face drawn in pain.

"So there really is no hope then?" Maryland felt tears well up in her eyes.

"Zax, please. I will go with her, she is only a child. You must let us."

Zax glared at Zen. "My answer is..." his eyes fell on Maryland. "Is this: you have to clear Bridge Tower. I need to go up there to check on the Ethereal Orb anyways. It's an incredibly hard challenge, which is why we permit bringing more than four on the expedition, so if you guys can get to the Mid-Floor then I'll let you go."

Zen grinned. "Very well then. I'll fetch Solomon, Maryland you can decide the other members of the team. I advise at least two other members."

Maryland giddily went to Team Exploration's room and knocked on the door, Omega opened the door with a grin. "Oh hello, Maryland. What brings you to our room?"

"I'm looking for Flutter, I need to ask him something," Maryland replied.

Omega turned around and shouted something, Flutter flapped over to the door and landed on the floor.

"Well hello, Maryland. How do you do?"

"Better than I've ever been! Flutter I need your help." Maryland explained her situation.

"Aw shoot I'd be glad to help out, thanks for choosing me." Flutter chirped.

"Any chance I could come too? It's been awhile since I've seen the Bridge Tower." Omega requested.

Maryland grinned wider than she had ever before. "Of course! The more the merrier!"

Zen and Solomon left their room and met up with Maryland and the others. Ellie just so happened to be passing by and noticed them.

"Are you guys planning a party?" Ellie asked, one explanation later Ellie had joined the group and they set off for Bridge Tower.

"Hey Flutter, do you know the history of the Bridge Tower? I always felt like it stood out because it's so huge."

Flutter pondered for a moment. "A giant bird thought it was a stick and one he realized it wasn't he threw it away, then it landed where it is!"

Omega chuckled. "That's not exactly what happens. It was built by the first Pokémon to ever inhabit Malena. They thought they could build all the way to Arceus's domain and they sure tried. It goes up so far, about two years ago we went on an expedition to the top.

"100 floors later we made it, the Top was so cold and I felt like I was gonna pass out. But we had made it. I know why they stopped, any further and they might've died. They even put their most prized possession, an Orb created by a group of Mismagius that could contain the Ancient Evils, in the halfway point as a sign that they believed their Tower was pure of all evil like Arceus."

"Wow lots of history lessons today," Maryland stated.

"We're here!" Zen said before them was a white marble tower that stretched up so far they couldn't even see where it went. There were large windows put all over the Tower, the base area of the circle was astonishingly wide. The entrance was wide and seemed to invite Pokémon of any size.

"My first mission! Oh boy!" Ellie cheered. The group went inside Bridge Tower. The room was well lit with blue tiled floors.

Bridge Tower.

Things were going very well for most of the expedition, they only had to battle a few Pokémon, however the last floor they had to climb, the Pokémon jumped them in an attack room.

The Pokémon were all bipedal pink Pokémon with a short white tipped tail

And a red and white collar around their necks. A giant spiral-shaped rock with a red gem of some sorts appeared to be on their heads.

"Slowking, powerful psychic type Pokémon," Zen reported as she struck one with her ice punch, the Pokémon was barely phased and threw her backward with a wave of force.

Solomon released a wave of electricity upon them but they refused to stop surging forward.

Ellie shivered. "I have a really bad feeling about this, maybe if it was one or two but ten of them? This is impossible!"

"We can't give up! I won't give up!" Maryland's claw began to glow and she struck one of the head.

"Flutter, like we practiced. Iron Wings!" Omega leaped into the air and Flutter grabbed him, Omega began to glow silver and they spun, slamming into a Slowking and throwing it back before landing.

Ellie fired a purple blast from her mouth. "No, we can do this. Yeah, we got this!"

Zen jumped into the air knee first and landed on two of the Slowking, knocking them down.

Solomon squeaked and sent off another wave of electricity, piling on more damage. Maryland's claws extended into sharp blades and she slammed them onto a Slowking, the Pokémon was thrown into a wall and passed out.

"Maryland, how did you do that?" Flutter asked.

"I'm not sure. But I like it!" Maryland grinned, feeling confident she hit another Slowking in the face with her claw.

Omega leaped into the air and clamped down onto one of the rocks, using his forward momentum he pulled the rock off the Slowking's head. The Slowking fell down on all fours and scrambled away. "Well, that was weird."

Seeing they were losing the Slowking all ran away leaving the group alone.

"We did it! We won! We can do anything!" Maryland cheered, the group all ate a few berries to recover and went up the stairs.

The 30th floor was a small circular chamber that had the stairs in the corner and the Ethereal Orb resting on an altar in

the center of the chamber.

"I'm getting a weird sense of Deja Vu." Ellie murmured.

Omega nodded. "This was where we first met you Ellie, but all that weird time travel stuff confuses me way too much."

Maryland grinned as she stared at the Orb. "So this contains the Shadow that possessed Rayquaza?"

"Indeed that is true. We have to check to ensure nobody has tampered with it. If they did there's no telling what may-" Zen was interrupted by a thud, everyone turned to a small brown furred rat Pokémon with a short tail and two whiskers jutting out on each side of its face.

"Ack! Not you fool again! Borscht doesn't want deal with this." The rat said in a thick accent.

"Hang on, I remember this guy! We fought him back when we first went to Bridge Tower, his accent was different though..." Omega piped up.

"Da! I have returned! Now I will have Orb and sell for much money!" Borscht said getting up, then Maryland slammed him in the head with her claw, he crumbled to the ground unconscious. She took an escape orb from her bag and put it on his back, then she broke it and Borscht was gone.

"Not dealing with his monologue," Maryland said.

Zen chuckled. "Impressive performance young one."

Just then all the light faded from the room and they were draped in a shadow. A high pitched laugh echoed through the room and everyone got into battle positions.

"Oh dear..." Ellie began to shake.

"Thank goodness he's gone! I was getting SICK and TIRED of waiting! Now it's time for MY turn! I've been watching, you're all worn down from FIGHTING! You stand no CHANCE! I could destroy you know, but I'll trap you, starve you, and you'll be destroyed by YOURSELVES!" The voice shook the room, it seemed to shout random words even louder than the others.

"Oh, I can't stay much LONGER! Your other friends are just leaving NOW! And I must DESTROY them too! Then I want to watch my FRIENDS tear your guild apart! PIECE by PIECE!"

"What are you?" Zen demanded.

Maryland fired bubbles at the walls. "Where are you? You're not keeping me from my family! Fight me you coward! Fight me!"

"FAMILY? You mean the ones in the Underwater Castle? Well because of your sharp mouth I'll be sure to destroy them as soon as Central Town is BURNT to ASHES!" The voice screamed and with a cackle, the stairs vanished, and all light was sucked from the room. "I'd take the Orb, but I've already got ONE too MANY Shadows trying to use me for their GAIN."

Maryland fished an escape orb from her bag and broke it. The orb did nothing and Maryland began to cry. "What are we going to do?" 

Thanks so much for reading today's chapter! I know it was shorter and took a while to come out but hopefully the next chapter will be sooner, this book is progressing nicely and I'm really happy with how it's turning out. Have a nice day, bye!