Chapter Sixty Nine

All Macro could do was stare at Switch's unconscious body. Restrained to the table by his wrists, ankles and chest, his head lolling to one side revealing the alien jack socket. Macro's jaw was slack as he ran over potential repercussions. A creature dragged from a different time-line, his endeavors post-fracture likely significant. What damage could be done if he wasn't sent back? Or if he was sent back without any memories? Returned as a mindless computer who's only purpose was to 'serve Socket'?

The chingling perched beside Switch's head grinned from ear to ear. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Macro's claws dug into his pads and he fixed Socket in a violet leer. "What have you done to him?!"

"I think the look on your face says you know full well what I've done to him," said Socket. "Besides, you've poked around my private documents enough to know what I've done and what my plans are. No thanks to that scruffy nuisance behind you." Her eyes flickered to Surge and Macro practically felt the zigzagoon bristle. "Download Database was nothing more than a prototype. My real target had always been a human."

"You don't need one," Macro hissed.

"Oh but I do. Goodness knows where BackDoor is up to. I still need to get out of this worl-"

Her words cut off as Macro fired his electric laser, striking her on her left ear. She stumbled backwards, her fur puffing up like a startled quilfish. Her eyes narrowed dangerously and she flicked a paw, launching a shadow ball into Macro's gut. It stung a lot more than it should have. He keeled backwards into Surge's open paws and aimed his laser at the gothitelle. Any other time he'd have thought an attempt like that was futile. But Socket knew full well in his condition all she'd need to do would be to swat him and put him out of his misery. The livid look in her eye told him she wanted to torture him. Physically. Emotionally. Mentally.

He glanced over at Switch's prone form and felt his blood boil. She'd wanted him to see this. She wanted him alive. For now...

The gothitelle strolled backwards across the room and reached behind a cabinet. She dragged out a struggling blue and white bundle of fur, limbs flailing. Chocolate eyes fixed on him.

"Macro!" DL pleaded.

A combination of relief and dread flowed through him, reigniting his fighting spirit. "DL!" He fixed his leering eyes on Socket. "Don't you dare hurt her!"

Socket dragged DL after her and tossed her through an open door.

"Macro! Help!"

He took off after her, drawing both his lasers, ignoring the pain that demanded him to stop. A yelp came from behind him as Surge leapt between him and a thunder wave from the raichu. She slumped to the floor, attempting to earth the stray electricity into the ground. She looked up at Macro and flashed her canines.

"Go after her! I've got this!"

He didn't need telling twice. He staggered into one of the cabinets, hissing with pain, and turned to chase after Socket blindly through the door.

Surge stood and aimed her laser at Yobi, but he leapt past her faster than she could fire it. She skimmed his tail, muttering under her breath. Great, he'd hampered her speed. She hoisted herself up with the examination table and looked from Switch to Yobi's retreating tail. He called to something she couldn't see. A deep hum followed, and electricity sparked in the far shadows of the room. Whatever it was, it didn't bode well. She aimed her gun at the human and snarled.

"I don't have to take you out," she warned the raichu. "I just need to kill him."

Yobi froze and looked back at her. His mouth fell open and he looked between her and the door, warring with the choice to either abandon the human or help his Mayor.

"Socket wouldn't be too happy, would she?" said Surge. "Losing her human right after you went through all that work?"

Yobi roared and leapt towards her, cheeks sparking. A huge, mechanical vikavolt soared over the cabinets, engulfing the raichu with electricity, strengthening his attacks to a deadly level. His blue eyes lit up yellow as electricity spread from every part of his body. Surge laughed and twisted her still-spasming limbs towards him, and fired.

...

Annie hummed to herself, kicking a foot back and forth as she lay sprawled on her seat. Soon. Their attack would happen soon. That's what she kept telling herself, but no one had heard lick nor tail from Switch.

The pyukumyuku lurched forwards as something collided with its rear, and Trojan swore loudly. He twisted his head towards the tail of the ship.

"Oi! Watch it!" he barked.

Waveform craned his neck around to see through the rear window, but there was nothing there. He frowned and stood up, moving towards the exit hatch.

"Would you mind not being silent for once," said Trojan, "and tell me what you think it is?"

"A cloaked ship," the decidueye explained. "It might be an attack."

"In a ship of that magnitude?" Web asked. "A government ship would be much too small to-"

A beep came from the dashboard and Trojan stared at it as though it had just started speaking in an alien language. He looked from Web to Annie to the dashboard and back.

"Answer it then?" Web suggested.

Annie waved a hand towards him. "I second that motion."

Trojan pushed the call button and a small, nervous voice came from the speaker.

'Hello?' it said. 'Is... is this a friendly ship?'

"Depends what you mean by 'friendly'," said Annie. "I'm the captain. What do you want?"

'Help,' said the voice. 'My name is Cookie. I'm currently flying Wildcard Gamma-'

"Wildcard Gamma?" Waveform gasped. "Isn't that Hunter's ship?"

'I... I...'

"That's the one Switch and DL came from," said Web.

'Yes! Exactly,' said Cookie. 'I've just been contacted. They've run into some trouble.'

Web sighed into her paws. "I feared as much."

"We were gonna give it ten more minutes," said Annie.

'I don't think we have ten more minutes,' said Cookie. 'I think we need to spring an attack, but... I've never done that before!'

"Don't worry," said Annie. "We've got this, Biscuit."

'It's Cookie.'

Poipole poked his head out of Web's tail and frowned. "She never learns. You'll be called Biscuit forever."

"Hush, Sticky. I'm working," said Annie.

Poipole sighed and vanished back into Web's fur.

"What do you want us to do?" Annie asked the intercom. "Because I was just gonna blast the place wide open and run in guns blazin'."

'That sounds fabulous,' said Cookie. 'Send me the signal and I'll... erm... I think it's this button to get the turrets out.'

"I think our new friend might need a helping paw," said Web. "Do you need a helping paw, dear?"

'I'm not sure I should let strangers on this ship. I might get in trouble.'

"This is no time for worrying about getting in trouble!" snapped Trojan. "I can send you Waveform or Web. Take your pick."

'Waveform?!' Cookie squeaked.

"I can fly," said Waveform. "Where's the ship?"

'I-I-I can lower the cloak for five seconds. I might get spotted and fired at. I'm also not a space pirate, please don't hurt me! I'm just a chef!'

"I'll fly out. Show me your ship."

Waveform leapt from the pyukumyuku and twisted in the air. Wildcard Gamma materialised as its cloak melted away, revealing the open hatch. He beat his wings and glided towards it, zipping inside just before the cloak fastened back in place.

The decidueye glanced around his surroundings, coughing on the toxic air. The hatch closed behind him, followed by a gust of clean air that expelled the toxins back out into the sky. Then the main door hissed open. The brown head of a slurpuff peered out from around a door Waveform guessed must lead to the cockpit.

"You... you're a lot bigger than I expected," Cookie muttered. "I have no bounty on my head!"

"Don't fret yourself." Waveform brushed him aside with a wing and strolled into the cockpit. "Where are your weapon controls?"

"Just here..." Cookie pointed a shuddering paw at the pilot's seat. "Everything is there. Steering, weapons, the cloak, hyper drive..."

Waveform turned his head one-eighty to look at him, taking the trembling chef by surprise. He narrowed his eyes at the slurpuff and sighed.

"Listen," he said. "I'm not hunting you or your crew right now. We've got friends in there and we need to get them out. Understood?"

Cookie nodded so fast he jiggled.

Waveform gave a curt nod and waved a wing to the captain's seat. "Sit down and talk me through your plan. We'll work alongside Time Archeops and get this ridiculous month over with."

...

Macro followed Socket through to the stairs. The door slammed shut behind her, and he aimed his gun, blasting the flimsy wood off its hinges. Splinters rained down around him as he staggered through into the entrance hall. Socket had hold of DL by the scruff, standing amid her guards and Tweak. Not one of them moved a muscle, but all attacks and weapons were cocked and ready to fire. DL struggled in the gothitelle's claws, and when she spotted Macro she fixed pleading eyes on him. Her chocolate gaze flitted over his body as she took in the damage and the blood dripping down his horn. He stood trying to catch his breath, resisting the urge to lean up against the stair rail.

His paw trembled with the effort of lifting his gun, aiming it at Socket's head. Some of the guards' modifications flared to life, droning in the silent hall.

"Let her go," he said. "Do what you want with me, but let her go."

"No," DL whined. She kicked her legs, striking Socket in the hip. "No!"

"Really?" Socket looked down at the struggling pachirisu. "He killed your family, Loop, and you want to fight for him?"

"Don't you ever call me that!" DL hissed. "Besides, he might have killed my family, but you took everything else from me!"

Those words still pained him. He placed a paw on the rail to steady himself and narrowed his eyes.

"Just let her go," he growled.

"Why should I?" Socket asked. "A disobedient child deserves to be punished. What kind of mother would I be if I just let her do as she pleases?"

"Mother?!" DL spat. "You're no mother! You're just an evil wench!"

Electricity sparked from her cheeks, spreading to the jack socket and up the gothitelle's arm. They both screamed, and Socket let DL drop to the floor. The pachirisu scurried away towards the main door, but a stoutland leapt across to cut her off. He flashed his canines and growled, freezing DL in her tracks.

Socket shook her paw and rounded on DL. "Little brat! I have every right mind to-"

Macro fired, striking Socket in the back of the head. But she brought up a psychic shield just in time, dulling the weapon's effects. She keeled forwards and rounded on him, throwing up a paw. A blast of psychic rushed across the room, lifting Macro off the floor and slamming him into the wall above the door to the basement. He howled in pain as his horn made impact with the stone. A grin split Socket's face and she pressed him harder against the wall, laughing at the mawile's cries of pain and protest.

"Stop it!" DL screamed. "Stop it! You're hurting him!"

"Of course I am, you pathetic runt!" Socket barked at her. "You two have been the mothim in my honey for too long! I want rid of you and I'm going to enjoy every... last... second!"

Before she could increase her attack, a laser beam erupted from the door beneath him. It struck Socket's paw and she released Macro, dropping him to the floor. The jolt shot pain straight through his spine and he groaned, slumping back into Surge. Another laser beam narrowly missed his head as a medicham disarmed the zigzagoon. She yelped, watching her weapon tumble back down into the basement.

"Surge..." Socket spat. "I thought Yobi would have gotten rid of you."

"I think you'll find he's a little tied up," Surge quipped, stepping aside to stand before Macro. "I don't earn points in marksmanship to be taken out by a crazed scientist and his toys, do I?"

Feet stampeded down the stairs above them, drawing Socket's eye. "And here comes the rest of Wildcard Gamma... I doubt schooling together will give you any advantage, however."

She lifted a paw, firing out psychic energy. Screams and yelps of protest erupted above them, and Macro's crew came crashing down before him like stunned pidgeot. Anchor landed first, followed by Defrag and Matrix. The lopunny pushed herself back up, brushing back her ears. Matrix buzzed into the air, tugging on Anchor's right ear until he climbed, stunned, to his feet.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall!" said Tweak.

Socket chuckled. "You really are all pathetic. I bet not one of you is of much use without your weapons?"

Matrix buzzed his wings in protest and lobbed a pollen puff towards the gothitelle. She caught it in her right paw and scowled at it, before crushing it into dust.

"I think it's time to try using our Z-Moves," said the ribombee.

He lifted his paw and fired out a bug buzz. The move washed over Socket as she raised a shield, leaving Matrix looking stunned.

"It didn't work?" he asked. "Why didn't it work?"

Socket burst into laughter, followed by her guards.

"What on earth was that?" said Tweak. "Someone's been playing too many video games! What are you trying to be? Heroes of the Universe or something?"

"Leave it, Tweak," said Socket. "You're as much a nuisance as the rest of them."

The chingling rolled his eyes then feigned hurt.

"Now, the question remains... what do I do with you?" Socket spread her paws. "You're clearly outnumbered. You can do nothing to me, or my army. So I can either kill you all here and now, or I could turn you all into computers! I'm leaving System anyway, so who cares if I break a few rules now? Of course, my elites would probably rebel and then I'd be put out of power. My other choice is to drag you with me into my new world, where you can be the first put to death to set an example to others! It sounds like a perfect plan, but then I'd be tainting my new home with your presence and blood." She slapped a paw to her forehead. "Oh, what a dilemma! What ever will I do?" She cracked an eye back open and grinned. "Detain them."

The psychic and normal types moved in, grabbing Anchor, Defrag, Matrix and Surge. Macro found himself dragged unceremoniously back to his feet, and he stifled a howl as the medicham grabbed him by the arm.

Electricity streaked up the basement stairs, striking Surge straight out of her detainer's paws. The pair rolled head over tail until they landed in a sparking heap beside Socket. Yobi clambered off the zigzagoon and bristled, swiping his tail from side to side.

"Oh, Yobi," said Socket, grabbing the raichu's attention. "Perfect timing. We were just discussing what to do with this lot. If you could take DL back to your basement, I'd like her returned to factory settings. Be sure to keep her memories safe while we're in System."

Macro's heart lurched and he watched the raichu advance towards DL.

"You're just gonna let her do this?" he roared at the guards, struggling in the medicham's grip. "Stop her!"

The guards were silent, stoic. Watching things unfold without a single protest. Fear? Superiority? Macro didn't know what it was, but he wasn't going to stand for it.

He snatched his laser from his captor's paws and fired it towards his feet. The medicham fell back with a yowl, releasing the mawile. Macro scrambled across the floor towards DL, overtaking Yobi and eliciting a squeak of surprise. But then there was a click. An ominous click that caused Macro to twist on the spot. The medicham had aimed a weapon, right towards Macro. He lifted his own laser and fired, intending to counter the weapon's beam. Electricity coursed from Macro's gun, meeting a brown ground laser. It ate up his attack and struck his weapon in the nozzle. Searing heat shot up his arm as the weapon exploded, blowing him backwards into DL. Heat ate away his fur, sending pain throbbing through every inch of his body. His eyes blurred and he slumped into the pachirisu's arms.

Socket leered down at them, her eyes trailing from Macro to the blood pooling on her mosaic floor.

"Tch, what a mess." She looked up at the medicham and frowned. "I aught to fire you for that."

He blanched and tossed the weapon aside.

"Tweak, go and find a mop," she said. "The rest of you, detain these criminals in the holding cells. I still want Download Database restored, so Loop-"

"You're a monster." DL fumbled with her scarf, fastening it securely around what was left of Macro's arm.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said you're a monster!" DL snapped. "You tried to make me think the pokemon trying to help me were evil, but you?! What they did was an accident. What you're doing is pure evil! Hurting others for your own enjoyment and selfish desires! You, Socket, are pure evil!"

Socket's eyes narrowed into slits and she raised a paw, advancing on DL. The pachirisu flinched away on impulse, but Socket froze as a distorted, electrical voice flooded into the entrance hall.

"Oh my, oh my," it sang. "Oh what joy, what joy! What's going on in here?" A golden ring appeared in the ceiling and BackDoor reversed out of it, lifting his arms as he reached a crescendo. "It's fear! It's fear! BackDoor is here!"

"It's about time!" Socket hissed. "Where did you get to? And what happened to your vocal processors?"

BackDoor rubbed his left horn and shrugged. "Looking for other worlds like you asked. And I got... fried a little."

"From playing with aliens, I guess? How much longer? I need to dispose of all this trash."

BackDoor turned his head left and right to take in the scene and nodded. "Oh, I see. You've been playing-ing-ing with space pirates. Oh what a mess!" He pointed to the blood. "That won't come out easily. You really need to bleach that."

"I don't need your cleaning tips. I need answers!"

"Oh, come on." BackDoor rolled his eyes. "I've been looking ever-y-where for your silly little world."

"And?"

"I'm bored." BackDoor wafted a paw before his mouth as he yawned. "I've made a friend and we've been talking... and we might have found the perfect world for you."

"Friend?" Socket hissed.

DL cowered behind Macro, clutching him tightly. She exchanged glances with Anchor, but the space pirate was too transfixed on the hoopa.

BackDoor grinned widely and waved a paw. Mist rose from his body, forming into a centipede shape beside him. Red eyes glowed from within the black mist, and a hiss split the air. The pokemon flew into a panic, and guards fired their weapons and elemental attacks. But it all drifted right through the mist as though nothing was even there.

"Meet Distortion," said BackDoor.

The entity materialised into a more solid form, six legs flickering in and out of reality as its draconic form struggled to hold. Socket stuttered and stumbled backwards into Yobi. Words failed to form and she pointed a claw at the dragon.

"This?" Distortion asked. "This pathetic creature is what you expect me to work for? To use as a host?!"

"Well, you don't think I'm strong enough," said BackDoor. "You don't think Zero Day are strong enough. What do you want?"

Distortion looked around at the mansion, twisting his long neck left and right.

"This mansion... it has power," he said. "I shall use this as my new host."

"What?" BackDoor squeaked with surprise. "A floating building?"

"Exactly."

"All right. Guess I'd better... clean it up then." BackDoor pulled a ring from his horn. He tossed it towards Socket and it expanded into a void behind her. "Welcome to your new world, Mayor! It's filled with nothing but methane! You're going to love it!" He rolled onto his back and laughed.

Socket screamed as she fought against the void, scrambling on all fours, her claws scraping across the tile. Those beside her also scrambled for their lives, while those far enough away made a beeline for the stairs. Those more confident attacked again, their attacks bouncing off Distortion's scales. He roared and breathed out a stream of purple dragon fire. It washed over those closest to him, knocking them off their feet and burning away their fur. Several crumpled as paralysis overtook them, falling victim to yet another attack.

"Move it!" Anchor roared. "Get to Wildcard Gamma!"

He turned towards DL. The pachirisu held onto the wood surrounding the main door with one paw, while clutching Macro in the other. Her face twisted with the effort of holding on. He stretched out a paw, using the other to support himself against the door. He took hold of her wrist and threw both her and Macro behind him. Anchor joined her in scrambling for the stairs, fighting back against the increasing pull of the void.

"What about Switch?" DL shouted.

"Where is he?" Anchor asked.

"Yobi's lab! In the basement!"

Anchor glanced towards the basement. There wasn't enough time. They couldn't-

Brick and mortar exploded from the wall ahead of them, launched by an elasticated fist. Rubble bounced over the tiles to be sucked into the void. Socket's eyes widened as a large lump of stone careened into her head, breaking her hold and sending her screaming into the void.

As the dust began to settle, the nose of a gigantic pyukumyuku poked from the wall, its innards out retracting back in place. A human stood atop it, her black hair billowing in the wind.

"Viva la Rebellion!" she roared, then burst into laughter.

More explosions rocked the mansion, blowing holes in the walls and dislodging the front door. Bubbles flowed into the entrance hall, and BackDoor yelped as he swerved aside to dodge them.

"Stop them," Distortion growled. "Don't let a single one get away alive."

BackDoor obliged, tossing ring after ring around the escaping pokemon. Screams reached a crescendo as the guards were whisked away into the voids.

The black mist that formed Distortion melted away into the foundations of the mansion. Brick began to warp and distort, twisting back into place. Each stone turned black, and red eyes appeared all over the inside.

Anchor relieved DL of Macro, cradling him in one arm, then rushed towards the stairs. He bellowed for DL to follow him, but froze as a shrill scream came from behind him. DL clutched at the banister rail, her tail swishing behind her as a new void tried to drag her in. He spun on the spot, grabbing DL in his free paw. He dug his claws into the wooden stairs, straining against the void's pull. But it only intensified by the second. His claws slipped, but a sharp pain tugged at his spine as his tail jerked backwards. He turned his head to see Surge clutching the rails, straining under the joint weight of the granbull and his two friends. Her claws dragged crevices through the ornamental banister as the void tried to claim her also. With a growl, she threw her arm behind her, tugging Anchor and DL up the stairs enough for them to steady themselves on the rail.

"Get going!" she barked.

Anchor nodded his thanks and positioned himself behind DL as a meat shield. He ushered her on as he dragged himself up the stairs, his mohawk trailing backwards towards the void's pull. Defrag waited at the top and pushed DL towards the hole created by the pyukumyuku. What was left of Socket's guards milled about it, the fliers gathering up those feeling the misfortune of lacking wings.

Anchor leapt past them to join DL and Defrag on the pyukumyuku's back. The human watched the chaos in awe, her green eyes wide and her mouth forming a silent 'woah!'

"You're gonna wanna get out of here!" he told her. "There's another human in the basement if you can grab him?"

"Roger!" The human followed him over the back of her ship, then swung herself down through the door.

Purple fire careened from the bricks, washing over those left remaining. Surge dived from the commotion, stopping just before the pyukumyuku's nose to fire off a stream of laser fire. Her target was the hoopa. She shot a ring from his paw, drawing the android's eyes. They narrowed into a deadly glare, and he removed another ring from his horn. But his words and expression were drowned out in the frenzy of screams and purple flames.

Three pidgeot managed to get out before the flames engulfed them, each one carrying an ally. They faltered in the air, beating their wings to stay airborne as they watched the mansion distort and twist into some nightmarish living entity.

Anchor steadied himself and DL on the back of the pyukumyuku as it flared to life, dropping down a floor. Yelps and screams filled the air as more rubble fell away, claiming any who got in its path. The innards out launched with all the force of a missile, destroying the wall that separated them from the basement. It flicked out a second time, snatching up the contents of the laboratory before the dust even had a chance to settle. DL grimaced and shook her head, turning her eyes to the sky.

Wildcard Gamma drifted before them, launching a torrent of bubble bombs at the mansion. But rather than exploding, they shot towards the mansion and vanished. Rubble drifted back towards the hole in the wall, and a look of horror crossed Anchor's face as he stared right up into a new void. Pokemon fought frantically against it, and he glimpsed a jagged tail vanish into the ultraviolet mist.

"Surge!" he roared.

The pyukumyuku shook again, moving backwards away from the mansion. Anchor adjusted his hold on Macro and placed his free paw on DL's shoulder as he turned to look back at his own ship. A decidueye stood in the doorway, and when his eyes fell on Anchor he launched himself towards them, gliding through the destruction and fire. He didn't say a word as he latched onto DL and Anchor, whisking them from the pyukumyuku and back to the ship.

Anchor's grip slipped as a heavy weight fastened around his body. The decidueye panicked, flapping his wings frantically to stop them from plummeting towards the ocean. Anchor muttered his own frustration, securing his grip on Macro before looking down to see who'd hampered them. Defrag clutched onto his waist with a death grip, her frantic eyes on the drop below.

"Give us some warning!" Anchor gasped.

She looked up at him, her eyes wide with fear. "There wasn't enough time! Were you seriously going to leave me there?"

He grimaced and glanced back at the monstrous mansion. It looked nothing like it had previously. Dark. Black. Riddled with red eyes and spewing purple flames. So many lives had been claimed in that chaos. He tore his eyes from it and secured his paw around the decidueye's leg. Then he nodded to the passing pidgeot, pointing them towards his ship. One of them frowned, cracking its beak open in a sneer, only to be swatted by the medicham clutching its legs. It was no time to choose sides. The three flying types joined the decidueye on their retreat to Wildcard Gamma. The decidueye twisted to avoid streams of purple fire as they spread out from the mansion, eager to claim what few lives remained. In some form of last hurrah, one of BackDoor's voids opened up before them. The decidueye beat his wings then tucked them to his sides, curving up and away from it before leveling out towards Wildcard Gamma. Anchor felt the tug and clutched tighter to the owl pokemon's talons. DL whimpered as the void almost dragged her free, and he felt Defrag claw at his torso, her long legs kicking away from the void's incessant pull. A screech drew his eye back towards the pidgeot, and his eyes widened as he spotted the closest one veer off course as he was sucked into the void. The medicham stretched out a paw, panic etched over his face. But there was nothing Anchor or his allies could do. The two pokemon vanished into the void, the ultraviolet mist swallowing them into an unknown world.

The decidueye reached the hatch, tossing Anchor and his friends ahead of him. Anchor landed first just before the cockpit, and he let out an 'oof!' as Defrag landed on his back, knocking the wind out of him. He rolled aside, checking over Macro before looking back at the chaos. The inner door was already open, allowing clouds of toxic mist onto the ship, but Anchor was more worried about the destruction than a little toxic air. He could just see the glow of purple flames through the smog, briefly blocked out by the fliers as they joined the space pirates on their ship. Once everyone was on board, the decidueye closed the hatch and air blasted out some of the toxins before the inner door sealed shut.

Anchor finally took a good look at their rescuer, and realisation hit him like a lead brick.

"Waveform?" he grunted. "What are yo-"

Waveform waved a wing in dismissal and nodded to Macro's limp body. "You worry about tending to your wounded party. I'll deal with getting us out of here."

The decidueye vanished into the cockpit, leaving Anchor gob smacked. He shook it off and poked his head into the cockpit.

"Get us to Cyan City, as fast as you can," he instructed. Then paused as Waveform glanced back at him. "Please."

"I'm already on it," said Cookie from the navigation deck.

A brief silence washed over the ship, broken by Defrag.

"So," she said. "What are we going to do with our unexpected guests?"

Anchor hadn't thought that far ahead, more concerned with getting as many pokemon to safety as he could. He looked up from Macro to the two pidgeot. A herdier, oranguru and meditite stood beside them, their expressions a mixture of awe and anxiety.

"Thanks," one of the pidgeot muttered.

"Yeah," said the herdier. "I don't think we'd have survived that."

Anchor took them all in. The pidgeot with their armored talons and wing claws, the herdier with his bionic eye, the meditite wearing small gauntlets not entirely dissimilar to Anchor's. The only one without any visible enhancements was the oranguru, but that wasn't to say he didn't have any.

"Well, I weren't gonna leave any 'mon to die in all that," said Anchor. "I ain't a monster. But I can't have you wanderin' freely on this ship so... I'm afraid you're all gonna have to stay in the cargo hold until we get somewhere safe. Understood?"

The guards nodded all too keenly. Too uncomfortable to remain on a space pirate's ship. No reason to turn them in, either out of gratitude or having no reward waiting for them now Socket had been killed. And at the artificial paws of her own creation, no less.

Anchor led them down the corridor, pausing beside Macro's room.

"Go on," said Defrag. "I'll lead our guests to the cargo hold. You deal with Macro."

He muttered his thanks, watching the lopunny lead the five pokemon through to the loot room. He tore his eyes from them and flashed his paw to open Macro's door. DL shuffled in ahead of him and paused beside the bed, watching Anchor set him down. Blood soaked into his sheets the moment he touched it. It was difficult to see his fur beneath all the blood, but it had clearly burnt away around his right shoulder and cheek. His right arm lay a bloodied mess at his side, the scarf DL had fastened around it no longer showing a hint of its former green. Yet his chest rose and fell as if he were only sleeping. Silent tears flowed from her eyes, and she whisked a paw across them, snuffling into her fur.

Anchor placed a paw on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'll send Cookie in. I'm no medic."

As he turned to leave, she spoke up, freezing him in the doorway.

"What do we do?"

He shrugged his shoulders and glanced back at her. "Get him to Cyan City and hope we can save him. It's all we can do."

"It's my fault, isn't it?"

Her words pained him. He shuffled his feet and took a deep breath. "It ain't no one's fault. None of us could've seen that comin'."

The door closed behind him, and DL let out a loud sob. She clambered onto the bed and fastened her arms around Macro's chest, nuzzling into his fur. Still warm. His heart pulsing against her cheek.

"I'm so, so sorry," she choked. "Please don't leave me..."

...

Anchor closed the door to the cargo bay and discarded the guards' weapons on one of the shelves. It had been surprisingly easy to disarm them. They'd been very grateful for a rescue. So grateful he'd almost forgotten they were enemies. As he left the loot room, he spotted Cookie on his way out of Macro's door. The slurpuff looked up at him with a sombre smile while wiping his paws on a bloodied tea towel.

"How is he?" Anchor asked.

"I want to say stable, but I fear that wouldn't be accurate," said Cookie. "DL did a good job with the tourniquet but... he really needs to get to a hospital and fast."

"We're in hyper drive so... how long?"

"Another thirty minutes minimum." Cookie brushed back the berry on his head and sighed. "I don't know what to do. I'm a wreck. I'd cook something to calm my nerves, but Waveform needs me on navigation and Defrag's too busy looking after our guests." He gave a nervous glance towards the loot room.

"Navigation? Why?" Anchor's eyes widened and he snapped his head around to the exit hatch. "Wait a minute, where's Matrix?!"

...

Annie and Web tugged at the stretchy innards out, trying to gently free Switch from its hold. The human was out cold, but still breathing. But then there was the issue with the odd music playing from deep within it. Did humans normally make musical noises when they slept? Annie thought about asking Web if she'd ever made any music in her sleep, but something hairy brushed her fingers causing her to forget about it completely. Humans didn't have fur, that much she knew.

She peeled back the gooey material, revealing a tiny yellow body. A pair of wings buzzed to life, and the pokemon drifted free from his confines. He rubbed his antennae and took a few deep breaths.

"Oh!" said Annie. "Hello, bee."

The ribombee rubbed his eyes and reached into his belt pouch. The music was still playing, coming from his tiny computer. But it stopped before he could answer it.

"Are you okay, dear?" Web asked. "I think we might have caught you when we rescued Switch here."

The ribombee glanced down at the human and wound his antenna in his paw. "Yes... you did. I think I got hit with a brick or something. Whatever it was, it knocked me from the air." He took a deep breath and rubbed his head, slumping back towards the ground onto his bottom. "Ow, what a headache. You also can't breathe in that thing." He pointed a claw at the innards out.

"Oh, I know," said Annie. "I've been caught in it myself."

The ribombee shuffled and reached into his belt pouch. "Something is burning me. What did that thing do?"

He pulled out his paw, holding a crystal too big for his belt pouch. His eyes widened and he looked between it and the human. Before he could say anything, that music started up again, with more insistence, Annie thought. The ribombee adjusted his flight goggles and reached for his computer.

"Hey Anchor," he said.

"Matrix!" came a gruff voice. "Where on earth are you?"

"With Switch." The ribombee continued idly winding his antenna as he stared at Annie. "Yeah, I'm with the other human. We'll join you in Cyan City."

"Hey, you can't make that decision!" said Annie. "I'm the captain!"

"You'll want to," Matrix told her. "It's the only safe place for us space pirates, and as far as I'm aware, is one of few places completely free of Ultra Beasts." He returned to his conversation. "By the way, Anchor, you're not gonna believe this..." A pause as the other pokemon muttered something Annie couldn't make out. "You know how in video games bags can hold like... infinite or over-sized items?" He turned the brown crystal around in his tiny paw. "Well, I think I've got a pouch full of Z-Crystals."