Chapter Forty Eight

Macro couldn't sleep. He lay on his bed, forcing his eyes to stay closed in a desperate bid to at least snatch fifteen minutes. The battle with Zero Day was still fresh in his mind, whirring around in a chaos of flash backs and worse-case-scenarios. Then there was that horrible, screaming beast. Add to the list the crazy noise the ship's engine was making, sleep just wouldn't come at all. And they were too far out from Pulse City to do anything about the engine now. Nowhere safe to land. Below them was just ocean and icebergs. Icebergs so desperately cold that nothing could get close to them without freezing to death, let alone live on them.

Then there was DL. The thought of her leaving made him feel sick, so he forced the thought to the back of his mind and focused on the recent battle with Zero Day. If they encountered them again, how could they handle things differently? Where did they go wrong in that battle? There were so many of them. So many tiny robots kitted out with the same kind of fire power you found on battleships. Wildcard Gamma was equipped with turrets to deal with aerial combat. More so as a means of defence rather than offence. It seemed Zero Day was made the same way. They defended themselves. Took out those who were unfortunate enough to witness what they were up to.

He checked the clock on his computer. Almost four thirty in the morning. If Matrix's assumption was correct, they should be at The Cache very soon. He clambered out from beneath the sheets and retrieved his scarf. It lay in a strewn heap over his chair, tossed there shortly after DL had left him. His goggles lay beneath it. He fastened them over his head and tossed his scarf over his shoulders, trying to ease out the creases. It was now dry, and given how it had been lying for the past hour, sported some pretty intense creases. Hopefully it would iron itself out with the warmth of his body.

He pushed himself to his feet, wobbling slightly as nausea and dizziness overtook him. Great. He was still feeling rough from his faint. He placed a paw on the side of his head and strode carefully out of his room. When his door hissed open, he froze. DL's door lay wide open, and he spotted her perched on the edge of her bed. She looked up at him and a small smile played at her lips, but it was washed away very quickly as though she was trying to hide it. Confusion gnawed at him and he fought the urge to march away.

"We should be there soon," he said. "So I'm going back to the cockpit."

She rose to her feet and walked silently to the door. "How are you feeling now?"

He shrugged. "A bit better. But I need to be up. Got work to do."

"The Cache isn't going anywhere. I'm sure when we get there we'll wait for-"

He silenced her with a wave of his paw. "I'm not just going to sleep through it. What if this place is heavily guarded? Wildcard Gamma needs her captain, and darned if I'm gonna let a little wooziness stop me from doing my job."

"Okay." She wound her paws together and leant against the door frame. "I just don't want you to do anything foolish."

"Since when have I ever done anything foolish?"

"Oh, I don't know." Her voice was thick with sarcasm. "How about stealing me? Rushing into heavily armed buildings? Throwing yourself off a rooftop to escape being caught? Aggravating gangs and mobs in the outskirts?" At his raised eyebrow, she nodded. "Matrix talks a lot over breakfast."

"That's not foolishness, sweetheart, it's work."

"No, it's foolishness. You just happen to come out of it very well."

He sighed and turned away towards the cockpit. "Foolishness or not, if it gets the job done I'll do it. You coming to the cockpit or getting some sleep? 'Cos it looks to me like you ain't had any."

"Well." She looked back at her bed, still rubbing her paws together. "If we're almost there, then I guess I'll join you."

"Don't wanna be the only one asleep, eh?"

He adjusted his goggles and marched towards the cockpit, silently berating himself for speaking so harshly. Before he reached the kitchen, he let himself flop against the wall and rubbed a paw over his scar.

"Look, DL, I'm sorry. I'm just super stressed right now."

For a moment, he thought she'd gone back into her room. But a warm paw fell on his shoulder and steered him away from the wall. He looked up to see her beside him, not looking his way. He picked up his pace, walking out of her arm and into the cockpit.

Anchor sat in his usual seat, his arms tucked behind his head as he surveyed the starscape. Loud snores came from Macro's left and he looked around at Matrix. The ribombee lay back in his seat, his head lolling against the head rest and his mouth wide open. Macro reached out and tapped him on the head. Matrix sat up with a snort and shook out his antenna, then looked back at Macro.

"Sorry, Captain," he said. "Pretty tired."

"Tell me about it." Macro fell into his seat. "How long now?"

"Estimates about thirty minutes until we're there," said Matrix.

"Then we should brace ourselves," said Macro. "They might be heavily armed."

"Way ahead of ya," said Anchor. "Turrets are already armed and ready to go."

Macro had nothing to say to that. Instead, he gave the granbull a huge grin, receiving one in return.

DL climbed up into the seat beside Macro and he shuffled along to allow her to buckle herself in. Not that he felt he needed the seatbelt, but he didn't want to argue with her. Besides, if they ended up in combat, it was better to be safe than sorry. He didn't really fancy smacking into the windshield.

Stars zipped past Wildcard Gamma as it advanced towards an unknown destination. Doubts gnawed at Macro's gut. What if the co-ordinates really were just his imagination? He fumbled in his pouch for his computer and whipped it out, switching on the display. The disk locations glared back at him almost blindingly in the darkness of System Sky, still open from the computer's previous use. As he stared back at it, his mouth turned dry. No sun symbol burned behind the writing. No co-ordinates were listed under The Cache. He looked up with a start, his mouth hanging open.

"Are you okay?" DL asked softly.

He said nothing, staring straight ahead. Anchor sat humming away, oblivious to Macro's distress, carefully steering the ship through the emptiness. Soft snores were the only sounds coming from Matrix. Macro warred with the desire to tell his crew and to keep it quiet. Tell them he was mistaken, or play the oblivious fool. He glanced back down at the screen, desperate to see that sun symbol and those odd numbers. But they were as plain as when Surge sent them to him. Maybe they'd always been plain? He was clearly going crazy. Tiredness. Stress. That's what it was.

Soft cracking sounds flooded the cockpit and he looked up again, and his eyes widened slowly. The entire windshield was being consumed by frost, the cobweb shapes spreading from the edges towards the centre of the window.

Anchor's humming came to an abrupt stop. "I don't like this, Cap'n. I don't think many pokemon have been this far out."

"We appear to have reached the Dead Glacier," said Matrix. "I fear if we travel much further over it, the fuel will freeze."

Macro's computer trembled in his paws as he watched the frost creeping over the window. There was no way. No way they could make it over the Dead Glacier. Temperatures on the surface were rumoured to reach as low as absolute zero during the coldest months. Of course, no one could get close enough to actually find out. It created a permanent barrier around System, and many believed it marked the edge of the world. That beyond it was nothingness.

Metal creaked as it contracted and small cracks spread from the corners of the windshield, jerking out erratically. Cold air whistled through them, blasting Macro's face and peppering his fur with frost. He swiped at it and tugged his scarf tighter around himself. DL shivered next to him and he released his computer to wrap an arm over her shoulders. He turned his head to speak to Anchor but words died on his tongue. The granbull's face was twisted with worry and his eyes fluttered left and right.

"I'm trin' to turn around." Every word he spoke formed mist in the air. "But she ain't listenin' to me."

"The fuel's not f-frozen yet." Matrix's wings buzzed frantically over his voice in a desperate bid to stay warm. "At least... I don't think s-so?"

Frozen fuel or not, something was up. Wildcard Gamma crept further into the glacier's territory, the entire hull complaining with the shock of cold emanating from the surface. Sharp cracks shot across the glass, letting yet more freezing air into the ship.

DL huddled into Macro's side, her paws winding into his thick fur. Her breath formed misty clouds that froze into dust on his scarf. He let his computer fall to the floor in favour of wrapping his arms around her. At least they could keep each other warm. Frost dusted her fur and he swept it away, feeling the cold bite through his paw pads.

Anchor hugged himself and rubbed his arms frantically, casting Macro a look of utter distress. That look alone confirmed Macro's fears.

If the ship refused to turn around, its body would inevitably shatter. The fuel would freeze. They'd plummet to the surface and die before they even hit the ground.

Macro took in a trembling breath and closed his eyes.

"Anchor? I... You were right. I was seeing things..." He shook his head slowly and pulled DL closer into him. "There were no numbers... on that list."

Anchor sighed and huddled into his chair. "I weren't gonna doubt ya, Cap'n."

"S-so what you're s-saying is," said Matrix, "that if we d-die... it's your f-fault?"

Macro bit his lip and stared out of the window, not that he could see anything anymore. "Yeh."

"Don't be ridiculous, Cap'n!" Anchor roared. "You wouldn't have knowingly sent us out to the freakin' glaciers!"

"No, I wouldn't have." Macro looked up at him and flashed his canines. "But I forced you to follow somethin' that was clearly formulated by my exhausted brain!"

Anchor shook his head slowly but he never took his eyes off Macro. "Exhausted or not, you coulda been right, and we're with you 'til the end."

Macro stared at Anchor for a moment then DL caught his gaze. She stared up at him, no anger behind her eyes. Instead she looked fearful... sad... and she wound her claws into his scarf. Macro turned around stiffly to see Matrix huddled on his seat, his wings beating wildly in intermittent bursts. Whenever they stopped, Macro noted the very edges had turned red. The ribombee nodded, agreeing with Anchor's words, and Macro sank back into his chair feeling tears prick at his eyes. Crying would be a foolish mistake. A lump rose in his throat and he huddled into DL, but what little warmth she gave off was washed away with every biting draught seeping through the cracked windshield.

All the lights blinked off and the entire ship shook, sending Macro's stomach shooting into his chest.

"This is it." Anchor ran his paws over his face then went back to hugging himself. "We're gonna fall."

DL practically climbed into Macro's lap, her wild eyes fixed on the frosty glass barrier.

Everything was completely obscured, and with every tremble and lurch from Wildcard Gamma, Macro's heart skipped a beat. He couldn't tell if they were falling or not. All he could do was brace himself for impact.

"I want you to know somethin', Cap'n. No... Macro." Anchor's voice trembled. "I know it might sound soppy, but I don't give a ratatta's tail. You're the best friend I ever had."

Macro grit his teeth together and screwed his eyes shut. "Likewise. I know I can be an ass."

"Oh yeh, you can be an ass." Anchor laughed bitterly. "But what friends aren't asses with each other at times?"

Matrix's buzzing cut out and his voice cracked. "I don't say things like this often at all, but... same here. You're both asses and I love you."

Macro didn't even care if he was trying to be funny. At least it lifted some of the tension from the air. A dry chuckle left his throat and he felt DL shift in his arms.

"Macro?" Her voice was weak.

He looked down at her, meeting those warm fondue eyes. For a fleeting moment he didn't feel cold anymore. She opened her mouth to speak, but the entire ship shook violently and she threw herself back against him. Macro fell back into his seat as the ship's nose turned towards the sky. Were they seriously going to fall tail-first? It didn't even make any sense.

Then he remembered where the engines were. Held in the pelvic fins at the rear of the ship. If the fuel had frozen, then...

He bit his lip so hard he tasted blood.

But instead of falling, the ship crept upwards. Further and further towards the sky. Then it levelled out ever so slightly, still moving up at an incline. Were they caught in some kind of tractor beam? He opened his eyes, but his view was obscured by the heavy frost.

"I think something's pulling us in," he said.

Anchor twisted to look at him. "But what? Some kind of rescue vessel?"

Macro's heart fluttered in a desperate bid to break free. What vessel would rescue Wildcard Gamma? Bounty Hunters? No... he'd rather freeze to death.

He released DL and slipped from the chair.

"Where're you goin'?" Anchor watched Macro stagger from the cockpit.

The mawile paused by the door and looked back over his shoulder. "Bailin'."

"But it's close to absolute zero down there!" Anchor roared. "Get your fuzzy butt back in your chair!"

A deep buzz filled the cockpit and Matrix hovered in the doorway with his arms spread. Despite being a blur, his wings looked sore and cracked, and his face contorted as he strove to stay airborne. "You aren't g-going anywhere."

Macro flashed his canines and swept an arm through the air, narrowly missing the ribombee. "Move it."

"Make me."

Macro looked around at the cockpit and his brow furrowed. "Do you really think anyone who's rescuin' us is doin' it out of kindness?"

"Maybe not," said Anchor. "But at least their ship works! Ours is gonna crash if we keep flyin'."

"I ain't lettin' them turn me into Socket!" Macro snapped. "I refuse to give her that satisfaction!"

"Who says they're even workin' for Socket?" Anchor asked. "You ain't got a clue." He waved at the frosted window. "We can't even see their ship!"

"That don't matter! You know the price on my head! Pokemon's eyes swirl with credits signs whenever they freakin' look at me!"

"So what? You're just gonna throw yourself to your death out of paranoia? Not everyone's against you, Macro! Look at Jumper and Cyan City! Even Surge has bailed us out a few times, right?"

"Really? Surge?" Macro sneered and felt his fur bristle. "Turns out she's workin' for Socket n'all. Tried to freakin' shoot me."

Anchor's jaw dropped. "When?"

"Back in Pulse City. Look, it don't matter. I ain't lettin' anyone turn me in. You wanna take that risk, you take it. But I'm not. I'm goin'."

DL poked her head over the back of Macro's seat, her eyes glistening with unshod tears. "Don't... please..."

Macro dug his claws into the door frame and tried to look anywhere but at the pachirisu.

"Look. Put it this way." Anchor spread his paws. "Once we're aboard their ship, if they're hostile, we fight! We got a whole loot room full of weapons. Once we're free, we shoot right out of the Dead Glacier's territory and get back to Pulse City for a good, warming drink. 'Kay?"

Macro choked and screwed his eyes shut, sinking down against the wall. "I don't wanna die..."

"And you won't," said Anchor. "Provided you stay on this ship. We can do this. Reason your tag's so high is 'cos Socket can't flippin' catch you."

Macro's heart was racing. He couldn't recall a time he'd ever felt so defenceless. He sank down to his bottom and buried his face in his paws, letting out a long groan. There was no way he was going to let anyone turn him or his crew in. He'd go down fighting if he had to.

Soft footprints crept closer to him and he cracked his claws apart to see DL reaching down to him. He waved a paw to push her away and clutched the wall, dragging himself to his feet. But he was thrown against it as the ship rocked violently. Yelps flew around the cockpit and he heard a thud from the hallway. He did a quick head count. No sign of Matrix.

"Are you all right, Matrix?" Macro barked.

"Yeh," came a feeble cry from the corridor. "J-just a little b-bruised."

Macro looked over at the windscreen. Frost melted away into water and flowed over the nose of the ship. The entire ship groaned as the ice thawed away, creaking and cracking ominously, shuddering as parts fell away into the abyss. A huge crack exploded from the corners of the window right across the centre of the glass, then the entire thing erupted into shards, peppering the cockpit and bouncing off its occupants. Macro instinctively covered his nose, expecting the air to be sucked out of his lungs. But nothing happened. He lowered his paw and stared transfixed at the world outside.

Well... it wasn't so much a world as an anomaly. No sky. No blackness. Just a huge, bright light broken up into a swirling checkered pattern of blue and white. Dazzling, yet it wasn't impossible to look at. It swirled around them like a tube and Wildcard Gamma was being dragged along inside it.

"This ain't no ship."

The words flew out of Macro's mouth before he had any time to even process them. He half expected Anchor to reply with a 'duh!' but instead the granbull just shook his head, staring aghast at the strange sight before them.

Then Macro noticed one key fact. They were no longer freezing. Wherever they were, it wasn't the Dead Glacier. He dragged himself back to his feet, still staring from the window. Matrix buzzed back into the cockpit and hovered at Macro's head.

"Where in System are we?" The ribombee darted to the navigation system and shook his head slowly. "We're not even on the map anymore. Wait..."

Matrix stared down at the computer, wrapping his antenna around his paw. His face seemed to pale and he sank down into his chair.

"Is something wrong?" Macro asked.

Matrix continued to stare at the screen. "Two, four, six, three, five, seven."

"Eh?"

"Those are the 'co-ordinates' you gave me."

"I don't care for the air quotes, Matrix."

Matrix looked back at him and pointed a claw at the screen. "They're here. Listed. No map, just a black screen and those weird numbers."

Macro crept over to him and peered over his shoulder. He wasn't wrong. Across the black display was a string of yellow numbers, and they blinked erratically as though being disturbed by some invisible magnetic field.

Heavy footsteps and panting reached his ears and he glanced back to see Cookie staggering into the cockpit. He leant against the wall with one paw, his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he desperately tried to catch his breath.

"What... why is the ship slanted?" he gasped.

"We're currently trying to work that out," said Anchor.

Cookie finally looked up at the window and a surprised, husky squeak squeezed from his throat. Then his eyes rolled back and he fell heavily onto his back, sliding from the door head first. DL leapt to her feet to chase after him and grabbed him by his stubby legs.

"I can't hold him for long," she whined.

Anchor stood and grabbed Cookie by the scruff, placing him into Macro's chair.

"Poor 'mon's not seen outside in years, and this is the first thing that greets him?" Anchor shrugged and fell heavily into his seat. "If it were me, I'd faint n'all."

The ship jerked again and Macro clutched tightly to the back of Matrix's chair. All eyes were on the anomaly before them, swirling slowly as the ship was dragged along. At the end of it was bright light, and it grew in intensity. Macro shielded his eyes as the ship shot through it at a breakneck pace. The entire ship filled with light, then it fizzled out, leaving the ship feeling warm and secure.

It was an odd feeling, after all they'd been through.

Macro opened his eyes and looked around. Light. That's all he could see. Soft, golden and warm.

A peaceful silence washed through the ship. The only sounds were the exhausted breathing from Macro and his crew, and snuffles as Cookie came back around.

"Where are we?" DL asked.

It was a valid question. Macro mulled it over as he stared out at the vast expanse of warm light. Sat in an unknown location, after the ship had been dragged in by some invisible force. He was certainly beginning to get his suspicions.

He scratched beneath his goggles and turned to leave the cockpit. "I don't know. But I'm gonna find out."

"Hey, we don't know if it's safe," Anchor called after him.

Macro didn't look back as he vanished through the door. "It's gotta be safer than the Dead Glacier though, right?"

Anchor muttered something and rose to his feet to follow Macro. The mawile stopped by the exit hatch as all of his crew gathered behind him.

"What?" he asked. "All of you are comin' with me?"

Cookie shifted uneasily and looked back at the kitchen. "I uhm... I don't do outside."

"It ain't normal 'outside'," said Macro. "I'm beginning to think we got pulled through one of them porthole things."

"If that's the case, who opened it?" Anchor asked. "'Cos I seriously doubt Zero Day coulda survived that cold. Our ship barely survived!"

Macro folded his arms and shrugged. "Maybe BackDoor did."

"If BackDoor is also an android," said DL. "Then it's safe to say it wouldn't survive this cold either."

Macro sighed and opened the exit hatch. "Then let's have a look then, shall we?"

The ground wasn't far down at all. Wildcard Gamma appeared to have sunk into the floor like quicksand and lay submerged in it. Macro tentatively touched the floor with his toes, feeling warmth and solidity. When he stood on it, it was like climbing over a foam mattress. Soft and springy, yet not so much so he couldn't keep his balance. The warm light washed over his fur like a comforting cloud and he found himself feeling much more relaxed than he had simply looking out at it from the ship's shattered window.

He paused and looked back at the ship. Anchor, Matrix and DL were all following him, looking around at the expanse of light. Matrix perched on Anchor's shoulder, his cracked wings hanging limply behind him. Blood seeped from the cracks and the very edges of his wings had turned black amongst the angry red. Macro wondered how on earth the ribombee wasn't so much as grimacing.

Cookie stood in the ship's doorway, peering out and trembling. He slowly climbed down from the ship, muttering to himself quietly. Then he trotted after them until he reached Anchor's side.

"Are you okay?" DL asked softly.

"No, but..." Cookie swallowed audibly. "It's not like a city or anything, and I'm not staying alone on that ship while we're in such a strange place."

DL took his paw and the slurpuff calmed down slightly, keeping in pace beside her as they traversed the unusual landscape.

Warm and bright. It never changed despite how far they moved from Wildcard Gamma. The springy ground became less and less disorienting, instead providing a huge comfort after their freezing ordeal. Macro hadn't realised how sore his paw pads had been until they felt soothed on the warm, soft ground. It was everything he could do to not stop and sink into it, letting it soothe every aching and sore part of his body.

Something appeared in the light ahead of them. Almost a shadow, but not. It seemed to be radiating light itself, a darker glow amongst the brightness. With each step, it grew larger and larger, almost as if it was moving towards them despite not moving at all. It was unearthly. Like nothing Macro had ever encountered. Yet somehow he didn't want to rush back to his ship, or reach for his laser.

As the shape solidified - that was the best word Macro could think to describe it - it seemed to take on the form of a pyroar. But as it grew larger, it was definitely not a pyroar. It was too large, and the mane too pointed. If Macro were to liken its mane to anything, it would be a sun. They were also completely the wrong colour for a pyroar. Whatever they were, they were white, and radiated yellow light.

A pair of glowing, blue eyes looked down at them, and for the first time, Macro felt truly intimidated. Yet the eyes weren't threatening. They were welcoming, as if the being they belonged to had been expecting them.

"Macro." The voice seemed to come from everywhere at once, and was as deep as a lion's roar. "Wildcard Gamma. Welcome."

Macro's jaw went slack. He froze and stared up at the large, white lion. "You know me?"

"I know all of you," said the lion. "I called you here."

Macro stuttered and looked down at his paws. Everything was slowly starting to add up. He looked up again slowly and licked his dry lips.

"You... you put those co-ordinates on my computer?"

The lion nodded.

Macro didn't know what to say. Anchor let out a flustered breath and brushed back his mohawk.

"This is all a little too much to take in," said Anchor. "I don't even know where we are right now."

Cookie trembled audibly and ducked behind DL, who wasn't looking much better herself.

"But... who exactly are you?" Matrix asked. "Why have us fly over the Dead Glacier?"

"Because that's how you get here." The lion smiled. "I'm Solgaleo. And this is the Altar of the Sunne."

Macro's legs buckled beneath him and he landed hard on his bottom. Or it would have been hard if the ground hadn't been so soft. He stared aghast at the huge, white lion. Solgaleo... that was a name he hadn't heard of since he was a hatchling. So long ago that he'd near forgotten about it. A pokemon that was said to bring light from the sun. But along with many legends, Macro hadn't believed them. Legends had either become extinct, and if there were no evidence, deemed to be fabricated entirely from imagination.

"Okay," he muttered to himself. "Wake up, Macro. This is just another of them dreams you're having. You're just... lying frozen on your ship somewhere on the glacier's surface..."

"You are very much alive," said Solgaleo. "But you may wish to remain seated for what I'm about to tell you."

Macro looked back up at him. He seemed even larger from his position on the floor, and he just couldn't will his legs to push him back up again. He wound his scarf around in his paws and looked over at his crew. Anchor was still scratching his mohawk, while Matrix was looking around at the bright landscape. DL was trying to coax Cookie out from behind her to no avail, while not taking her eyes off Solgaleo.

"There's a reason I've called you here," said Solgaleo. "You already know there's a being travelling around System, opening pockets in time and space."

"Yeh," said Macro, finally pushing himself to his feet. "It's called BackDoor. But I didn't know it was a being, I thought it was a network."

"It's the main root of the network," Solgaleo explained. "And it takes the form of a Hoopa."

"Huh." Anchor let his paw fall to his side. "That explains the golden rings we've seen. Like that one Switch came through."

Macro pursed his lips together then sighed. Another legend to dig up from the depths of his childhood memories.

"However, this Hoopa is an android," Solgaleo explained, almost as if he was soothing Macro's confused mind. "It is not a creature of legend, merely inspired by it. Its capabilities are not akin to the real Hoopa, however it strives to be so. It can create pockets in time and space, but it struggles to find its own due to its restricted capabilities. Instead, it relies on the entities Zero Day and TimeSkip to find them. However, TimeSkip is one less android for you to worry about."

"You say this BackDoor is trying to be more like Hoopa," said Matrix. "Does that mean it can change shape?"

"No," said Solgaleo. "It doesn't currently have the coding to allow that. But it can, unlike Hoopa, travel and manipulate its powers through digital waves. It would merely have to look at live video footage and it could open up a pocket behind it.

"But BackDoor itself isn't the reason I've called you here. I know you're already aware of its existence, but what you might not be aware of is the invasion of dangerous beings being dragged through time and space by this android. You've already encountered two of them."

Macro let a small pause fly between them, just in case there was more Solgaleo wanted to add.

"Yeh, we... killed one of them," said Macro. "As for the other thing... well I don't know where that went to."

"It was Zero Day who let that through," Matrix added.

Solgaleo nodded. "Yes, I still need to explain the issue with Zero Day. But BackDoor has become obsessed with these creatures. He's dubbed them 'Ultra Beasts' and is hoping to find even more of them. The creature you destroyed, its species is nihilego, and there's an entire flock of those swarming throughout all of System. While another similar creature, a blacephalon, is wrecking havoc on System Ground."

"What?" Macro gasped. "There's more of those jellyfish things?!"

"A lot more. In their own universe, they are nothing to be feared. They are merely pokemon from another world, but to you they are aliens. In System, they pose a huge threat. They struggle to survive here. The atmosphere is different, and in many places toxic. Toxic even to you, let alone creatures from a world that lacks civilisation. They are trying to adapt, and as such are manipulating System to their own liking. Their food sources are vastly different to what you would eat. For example, nihilego is a parasite that attaches itself to living beings and injects a neurotoxin to control them. It then feeds on their very life source."

"Like it controlled that ship?" Matrix asked.

"Precisely. It was the pilot it was controlling. Not the ship itself."

DL shuddered. "It sounds terrifying."

"And System's gonna be flooded with them." Macro sneered at the ground then looked up at Solgaleo. "So what are we supposed to do? It took a small army to stop just one of them!"

"That's why you are here," said Solgaleo. "Your weapons are nothing to these Ultra Beasts. You need something far more powerful. You need to drop these weapons you control and go back to your roots."

"Eh?" Macro raised an eyebrow. "But our weapons cover our weaknesses. Sure, I could take on a dragon type or a rock type single handedly, but if I was up against a fire type-"

Solgaleo raised a huge paw and waved him off. The size of his paw alone was enough to choke off Macro's words.

"I'm aware every pokemon has their strengths and weaknesses," said Solgaleo. "I don't expect you to do this alone, Macro. You're to work as a team. A much bigger team than you are right now. And you're to take with you a powerful weapon. Each of you. One that amplifies your own signature moves."

He waved his paw again and a long, flat box floated before them. It opened of its own accord, revealing two rows of small, colourful diamond-shaped jewels.

"These are Z Crystals," Solgaleo explained. "And each of them unlocks its user's full potential."

Macro and Anchor both reached forwards and picked one up. The one in Macro's paw was blue with the black outline of a water drop inside it. With the warm light flowing through it, it looked dazzlingly beautiful.

"I've never heard of a Z Crystal," he said.

"Neither have I," Anchor grunted, turning the silver crystal left and right.

Matrix leant forwards and plucked it from his claws. "There's more than eighteen in that box. So I can't imagine they're all for different types?"

"There are thirty four in total," said Solgaleo. "But you'll be taking with you only a small number."

"So we're still gonna be a small team?" Macro asked. "Thirty four seems a much more comfortable number to me."

Solgaleo laughed and shook his head. "The team I've selected will be plenty. Allow me to explain these Z Crystals. Each of its owners will wear a ring around their wrist to contain it. Then, when you unleash your signature move, for example you, Macro, would be utilising 'play rough', hold the crystal above your head and it will then unlock the Z Move to go with it."

"Wow," said Macro. "I was worried there'd be more to it than that."

"Yeh," said Matrix. "Like having to strike a crazy pose."

"No, just hold it high," said Solgaleo. "It's that simple. However, you can only use the move once every twelve hours. The results of using it are exhausting, not just for you but for the Z Crystal itself. As such, make sure your timing is right."

"Exhausting?" Macro placed the blue Z Crystal back into the box. "I dunno. I'm not sure how much I like the idea of using these over my trusty laser. At least I can use that over and over."

"But your laser can be taken and used against you," said Solgaleo. "If a pokemon takes your Z Crystal, not only can they not use it if they don't know how, they cannot if they don't have the corresponding attack."

Macro looked up at Solgaleo, his mouth pulled into a frown. He couldn't deny he was torn. Having a weapon that couldn't be turned on him was an attractive idea.

"I can understand you're hesitant," said Solgaleo. "But I need to ask you to trust me. These are much more reliable and valuable to you than a mere firearm."

Macro stood up straight and scratched behind his head as he stared down at the Z Crystals. "Alright. You've sold me on them. We'll try them out."

Anchor nodded with a small grunt and took the blue crystal back off Matrix to return it to its box.

"I'm happy to hear that," said Solgaleo. "Then I'll explain to you each what your own crystal will do. Matrix, yours will be Buginium Z. That will allow you to utilise Savage Spinout via your bug buzz attack."

"Wow." Matrix's huge eyes became even larger. "That sounds brutal."

"Anchor." Solgaleo turned his eyes onto the granbull. "Yours will be Firium Z. That will turn your fire fang into Inferno Overdrive."

Anchor grinned and folded his arms. "I'm really liking the sound of these moves."

"DL. Yours will be Electrium Z. That will turn your discharge into Gigavolt Havoc. Cookie."

Cookie yelped and peeked out from behind DL.

"Your's will be Grassium Z. This will turn your energy ball into Bloom Doom, or if you prefer a more supportive roll, will change the affect of your aromatherapy to heal damage. And Macro, yours is Fairium Z. That will allow you to turn play rough into Twinkle Tackle."

Macro almost fell over backwards. His arms fell limp to his side and he looked from his friends to Solgaleo and back. Anchor smirked as he tried to stifle a laugh, while Matrix chuckled behind his paw.

"Twinkle Tackle?" Macro turned back to Solgaleo and tried desperately to regain his composure. "I didn't mishear you, did I?"

"No," said Solgaleo. "The fairy type Z-Move is Twinkle Tackle."

"I... what?" Macro stuttered. "It doesn't sound very intimidating. I mean, compared to Savage Spinout?" He gestured a paw towards Matrix.

"It doesn't need to be intimidating," said Solgaleo. "See it as its name covering up its hidden strength. Much like yourself, Macro. You may be small in stature, but your strength and bravery more than makes up for that."

"He's right," said DL. "This move definitely suits you."

Macro felt like he'd been struck with a tranquiliser dart. Those words made it sound a lot more personal, as though it had been carefully chosen. He reached forward and took the Fairium Z.

Solgaleo smiled and nodded. "Use them wisely. As for the others, you'll be taking them and searching for the pokemon - and humans - I've selected you to work with."

"Hang on... humans? Plural?" Macro blinked in bewilderment. "There's more than just Switch?"

Solgaleo nodded. "Yes. There is one more. You have not met them yet."

Macro's mind reeled back to Pulse City. DL leaning on the rail while they enjoyed ice cream, receiving a sudden update that a time pocket had been opened.

"So Socket doesn't have a human?" he asked. "Or are you asking me to get them from Meta City?" His voice wavered with the second question, and a wave of cold washed over him despite the warmth coming from the light.

"This human is not in Meta City," said Solgaleo. "They escaped from Socket, and have teamed up with a group of reliable pokemon. They are who you will be taking the Z Crystals to, amongst others. But fret not. You will know them when you meet them." As he listed each one, they floated up out of the box to hover above it. "Rockium Z, Flyinium Z, Waterium Z, Poisinium Z, Normalium Z, Fightinium Z, Psychium Z, Icium Z, Ghostium Z, Darkinium Z."

Macro stared at the hovering Z Crystals. So each one had its own designated owner, and he hadn't a clue who to deliver them to. He guessed the flying Z Crystal was for Switch, but as for the others... some mysterious human he'd not yet met and a whole load of other pokemon. Despite the mystery of it all, he felt a whole lot more comfortable knowing his small army had increased exceptionally in size.

Solgaleo waved a paw and Macro felt a small weight tug at his wrist. He lifted it to find a curved, stone bracelet fasted around it, complete with the Fairium Z. A quick look around told him his friends had received a similar surprise.

"These will contain your Z Crystals," said Solgaleo. "You can remove them if you wish. But take care not to lose them."

"So... I kinda want to practice this," said Macro.

"Same," said Anchor. "But... I'm a little exhausted. That was a lot of information to take all at once."

"Take your time," said Solgaleo. "These moves will take some getting used to. Rest first, then practice them."

"And we're meant to use these to get rid of those..." Macro waved a paw as he tried to remember the name. "Those Ultra Beasts?"

Solgaleo shook his head. "These moves will aid you in saving System, but those Ultra Beasts are not guilty. They're innocent victims. Living beings from another world. Your task is to get them back to their own worlds with as few casualties as possible. They will be volatile, and you will need to defend yourselves, even so far as to use your Z-Moves. But go with care."

Macro paled. How on earth were they meant to get volatile creatures into their own worlds without a means to open them up first?

"But..." he stuttered. "But we can't open time pockets."

"You will find a way," said Solgaleo.

"Huh." Matrix wound his antenna in his paw. "So I guess we have to capture BackDoor or one of those Zero Day things?"

Macro did not care for that idea, but he swallowed back a retort and examined the sparkling Z Crystal on his wrist.

"Like I said, go with care," said Solgaleo. "I now wish you a safe journey. But I give you one warning. Do not head back to Pulse City."

Macro looked up with a start, and Anchor let out a surprised 'what?'

"It is no longer a safe haven for you," said Solgaleo. "Socket has increased the reward for your detainment, Macro, not to mention the rest of your crew."

Anchor let out a surprised bark, almost knocking Matrix off his shoulder in the process.

"She has extended the reward to Pulse City," Solgaleo continued. "Even pokemon you thought were allies may well turn against you."

Macro suddenly felt very sick. His legs buckled again and he sank back to the floor. A wave of exhaustion took over him. Not again. What had he done this time?

"This increase is out of nothing more than spite and fear," Solgaleo explained. "But so long as you do not do anything reckless, it should be no trouble to you. There is another safe haven for you. You know it already. Head there."

"But what about DL?" Macro looked up at him. "We still have two more disks to find..."

"If DL still wishes to obtain Loop's memories, then by all means find them. They are in Botnet City and Meta City, the latter heavily guarded. But be warned that chasing down these disks will result in pain for the both of you."

Those words left a bad taste in Macro's mouth. He continued to stare up at Solgaleo, digesting what he'd just said. Everything. Everyone would be after him now. System was being ravaged by Ultra Beasts. And if he kept trying to help DL, then pain awaited the both of them.

He hoped desperately he could avoid that, or at least spare DL the pain.

"I never leave a job unfinished," he said.

Solgaleo nodded once. "That's noble of you. Until we meet again."

The world around them warped and Solgaleo faded away into the warm light. The light shrank down around them like a warm embrace, dazzling Macro's eyes so much he had to close them. It felt like he was being lifted, floating in a cozy cloud. When he opened his eyes again, he was lying on the floor of his ship, back in the cockpit.