Everyone got into Corviknight taxis. Rose offered to Grant, "Would you like to ride with us? Each cab can only carry four."

"Sure," Grant replied, getting into the cab with Oleana, Bede, and Rose. The taxi took off, giving the four some time to speak.

At first the air was tense and silent until Rose nudged Grant. Grant wheezed under his breath and coughed up a small amount of blood, his wounds slowly growing worse as he stretched his body to thin.

"You alright?" Rose whispered

"I'm fine," Grant lied, "So... I'm gonna say it. Bede is a gym leader now, and Rose and Oleana you still seem to care about him. So... you guys need to talk about all that. Clear the air it's so tense I could cut it with a Honedge!"

Rose spoke, "Bede, as you can probably tell by now, we had every intention of welcoming you home when we knew you would not be caught in the crossfire between us and the royals. Sadly, things did not go as plan. Oleana, as you saw, felt particularly bad about this."

"I understand that," Bede sighed, "But... I'm happy in Ballonlea, I'm gonna be a gym leader and defeat Victor next season. I'm not leaving that behind."

"Bede," Oleana explained, "Rose told me to run an errand when he was relased. You don't have to accept this but..."

Oleana handed Bede some adoption papers.

Rose explained as Bede looked at them, shocked, "Bede, I have grown to love you as my own son and I wish to make my intentions clear. I wish only to see you prosper. You made mistakes but you've grown from them, and for that, I'm immeasurably proud of you. You don't have to accept me as your father, and if you do not, I will still always at least support you. I will respect your choice Bede."

Bede sighed, "I must confess I love you as a father figure but, again I do not wish to leave Ballonlea. Otherwise I would sign these right now. I still love you as my father but the legal sheninagns the paperwork of being family in the eyes of the law entails..."

Rose nodded, "I understand that, but you will not be forced by me to leave Ballonlea, I am content to leave you in the care of Opal for as long as you wish. I will still love you as my family no matter what the law says."

"Same to you," Bede explained, "And that's why I won't be signing this. We don't need legal stuff to say we're family. Grant and I are brothers, but legally speaking, we're just two dudes. That's it."

"Understandable," Rose chuckled, "I love you son. The papers are here if you ever change your mind."

"I love you too dad," Bede smiled.

And thus they arrived outside Castle Galar, around which a storm of red clouds charged with Dynamax energy gathered. Immediately they were surrounded by royal guards in white armor.

"Get ready here they come!" Bede exclaimed as the duo prepared to battle the guards.

After the battle, they entered to find the door to the throne room locked, requiring six keys to open.

"Those knights in colored armor must have the keys," Anabel commented, "Fan out and find them."

The group nodded and broke off into three wings of the castle. Grant first headed into the western wing, which lead into the garden where he fought three knights, each with four to five Pokémon each. Each knight used some combination of the following: Perserker, Duoblade, Gallade, Corviknight, Polteageist, Sirfetch'd, Bisharp, Falinks, and Runerigus. Like many "evil teams" as they are often called, the team had a theme and the grunts would pull from a small pool of Pokémon. This team focused on Pokémon considered to be related to Galarian culture such as tea related Pokémon, the achient past, midevil area, and war in some way.

He reached the end of the garden, where Marnie confronted the knights in yellow and green.

"Look do you have the keys?" Marnie demanded.

The knight in yellow armor chuckled, "Maybe, but can a peasant girl like you hope to defeat us?"

The knight in green added, "Yes yes. Our Pokémon are charged by the residual Dynamax energy from mother's plan. You don't stand a chance."

"Then I'll even the odds," Grant smirked approaching, "Let's do this!"

"Very well," The knight in yellow chuckled, "I am Bowen, master archer."

The knight in green added, "I am Flailson, master of flails."

Both exclaim, "And this is where your journey ends peasants!"

Royal Knights Flailson and Bowen would like to battle!

Flailson sent out a Gyarados as Bowen sent out a Decidueye. Both glowed red faintly.

The opponent is charged with residual Dynamax energy!

Gyarados's attack, defense, speed, special attack, and special defense rose!

Decidueye's attack, defense, speed, special attack, and special defense rose!

Grant sent out Zappy as Marnie sent out Toxicroak. Gyrados made the first move, flailing wildly about the battlefield which slammed into Zappy, sending her skidding across the ground as she dug her feet into the soil. Before she was then finished off as Decidueye plucked an arrow from its coat and took aim at Zappy, spectral energy filled the quill as it pierced her oversized chest and fainted her with Spirit Shackle.

"We're in trouble," Marnie commented.

"It's not over yet!" Grant exclaimed as he sent out Dopey. Toxicroak took the opportunity to charge at Decidueye while it was open, stabbing it in the stomach with the toxic spikes on its hands, using Poison Jab.

Dopey this time got the drop on her enemy thanks to her Quick Claw, suddenly disappearing, leaving an after image. Decidueye looked around frantically, trying to find its foe only for Dopey to already be behind the archer, its head glowing with psychic energy as it struck Decidueye with a critical Zen Headbutt.

Gyrardos once more used flail, and slammed into Dopey, fainting the Slowpoke whom was already injured by the other Royal Guards faced prior. Toxicroak used Poison Jab one final time, stabbing Gyrados in the neck, sending poison pulsating through the sea serpent's viens in a critical hit which fainted it.

The battle ended. Flailson muttered, "Curses..."

"Worry not," Bowen assured him, "Mother is getting closer to our goal. Let us retreat."

Bowen added, turning to Grant, "You want the keys? Take them. It won't do you any good..."

Bowen surrendered two keys and fled.

Marnie smiled, "Well that's them taken care of. If anyone else needs help go help them. I'll go assist Team Yell and Piers with handling all the knights."

Marnie left.

Grant now took the eastern path, three more knights in white before two in purple and brown. Leon glared at the duo, "This is where it ends, for all you royals! Hand over the keys!"

The knight in purple chuckled, "You think you can defeat me, Daggron, and my dude Lanceson over here?"

Lanceson, the knight in brown laughed, "Is this some kind of twisted joke!?!"

"Grant!" Leon called out, "Can I get a hand?"

Daggeron laughed, "The peasant boy? So be it!"

"Bring it on!" Lanceson added.

Lanceson sent out an Escavalier as Daggron sent out a Perrserker. Both glowed red faintly.

The opponent is charged with residual Dynamax energy!

Perrserker's attack, defense, speed, special attack, and special defense rose!

Escavalier's attack, defense, speed, special attack, and special defense rose!

Leon sent out Charizard as Grant sent out Kiss. Charizard opened with the first attack, intense flame spewed from the lizard's mouth which melted Peerserker's metallic helmet, the liquid metal burning its body with a critical hit that fainted the feline. Kiss struck next, hitting Escavalier with Night Slash, which merely bounced off the foe's armor as it impaled Kiss with Megahorn, which fainted her as she coughed up blood.

Grant sent out Rook as Leon made the final move, Charizard once more blasting its foe with Fire Blast, which melted its armor and fainted it from the burning metal that once protected it.

Lanceson lamented, "Well guess we lost to a peasant after all."

Daggron added, "Well if you wanna die so bad, take the keys. You won't get past what we have planned."

Leon glared at the knights before he turned to Grant and explained, "OK the only keys left should be the ones belonging to Sordward and Shielbert. I'll handle any knights coming from this area. You head on back and get those keys!"

Grant nodded as he dashed back to the main room where Victor had already defeated the arrogant duo with help from Rose.

"Ah brother it would appdar he truly is what he seems," Shielbert chortled.

"Yes brother!" Sordward added, "It must be the only explanation."

"What are you two talking about?" Looker demanded.

Anabel inquired, "Do you mean Victor is-"

The duo laughed, "But of course! Mother says it's the only rational explanation! Victor is descended from the upper crust! Those of higher blood! A duke who was a right hand of the royal family!"

Victor demanded, "So?"

Shielbert elaborated, "After we made our apologies we returned home and told mother of the whole sordid affair."

"Ah yes did she have a fit," Sordward chuckled, "She said that she could prove those of royal blood are superior by reviving the one of pure blood."

"We are terribly sorry for all this but we simply must test mother's hypothesis," Shielbert elaborated, "So..."

Knights poured into the room, cornering, Marnie, Piers, and Leon with the rest of the group.

"Let's see that it is a bit more fair yes?" Sordward chuckled.

"We'll stay back and fight them off!" Anabel exclaimed, "Looker, you go with Grant and Victor make the arrest! We'll handle the knights!"

"Show them what my rival can do!" Hop demanded.

"Grant show them what a real family looks like bro!" Bede added.

"Bede," Oleana explained standing next to the child, "I am sorry I wronged you. I care deeply for you, so allow me to atone."

"We all made mistakes," Bede responded with a grin, "You worse than me but your heart was in the right place."

"I suppose this isn't the best father-son bonding activity for us but it'll have to do," Rose joked.

"I suppose so," Bede chuckled.

"Let's make some noise sis," Piers grinned, "Team Yell! Let's go!"

Grunts cheered from behind Piers as Marnie added, "This is it! Show the queen what happens when we get loud!"

Grant, Looker, and Victor nodded and put the six keys into the door and entered the long hallway ahead...