Down the cold and drafty hallway from where Ella stood guarding the computer panel was the pipe maze. Rosa paused upon first glance, noticing immediately the pipes were at least three times the width of her body, and they stretched across a basement-level floor like a complex bridge to meet the opposing end.

A neon blue-hued liquid rushed through the lines, visible from the clear plastic center running along each pipe. They connected to what appeared to be floating platforms, and located on each of those, a large orange button glowed on the floor.

Peering over the edge into the basement-level, Rosa could make out the silhouettes of people moving around. Should they have to venture down there, there would no doubt be a fight to get out again.

Straightening her ball cap, Rosa pulled back her shoulders and carefully stepped onto the first pipe. It felt slick under her worn running shoes, but the wideness of them gave her courage to step onto it and make her way to the first platform.

Espeon, graceful and poised, slipped effortlessly between Rosa's legs to take the lead. The soft glow of her jewel illuminated the dim walkway ahead. Behind them, Rosa couldn't hear Christoph's footsteps or feel his presence as he silently navigated the narrow pipe—his stealth a glaring reminder of his time with the Triad.

Finally, she reached the first platform. It was nothing more than a 3x3 square, but it felt sturdier than the pipes beneath her. With the tip of her foot, Rosa pressed the glowing square button on the floor.

A billow of steam exploded from the southern side of the platform, and the screech of metal against metal tore through the silence, echoing around them.

Immediately, the trio froze.

"Is someone there?"

Shinx.

Another blue-hued pipe pushed from the platform, sliding to connect to the southern wall and finish the bridge. From that side a figure appeared, blocking their path. Like the others, their eyes were lifeless.

"This area is off-limits to those who aren't associated with the Shadow Triad. Go back to your station or report to Ghetsis for judgement."

Rosa slowly reached for Zaveid's pokeball.

"Wait." The figure stepped onto the metal pipeline. As they moved into the light, the Plasma Admin uniform became unmistakable, revealing the harshness of their features. High cheekbones jutted from tightly pulled skin, and beady eyes stared out from unnaturally small sockets. Their gaze held a vacancy that made Rosa tense. "You match the description of Rosa Mae," they said, their tone flat enough to be mistaken as disinterested. "Lord Ghetsis has labeled you a criminal. You also appear to be associating with a known traitor." Their eyes flicked to Christoph, and a smile crept onto their lips, devoid of warmth. "Welcome back, Christoph. Report to Ghetsis immediately for judgement."

Christoph's voice was ice-cold. "I'll have to pass."

The woman blinked and tossed a Pokéball into the air. A Zangoose materialized with a thud, landing on all fours, its silvery fur bristling as it glared at Rosa. "You must face the consequences for your actions in Opelucid," she said plainly. "I will escort you both to Lord Ghetsis."

Rosa didn't flinch. "Get around her when there's an opening and find that keycard," she muttered, releasing Zaveid with a sharp click. "I'll handle this."

The sea lion let out an intimidating snort, its great pointed teeth bared as it sized up the Zangoose. His whiskers, long and white, brushed the edge of the pipeline; they would have to be careful he didn't fall into the basement level below.

"This Plasma member brought you lunch, Zaveid. Aquajet!"

"X-scissor."

Water gushed from Zaveid's mouth to engulf the outside of his body. Pushing off his large hind legs, Zaveid leapt forward and used the momentum to surge across the pipe towards the Zangoose. In the same instant, two swords of brilliant blood red appeared above Zangoose's head. It rose to stand threateningly on its haunches.

Zavied was inches from crashing his armored head into his opponent's soft stomach when the shimmering blades sliced through the water barrier and across his eyes. Red sparks rained down on the two opponent's heads like firework debris. Droplets of water scattered at Rosa's feet.

Rumbling and temporarily blind from the X-scissor, Zavied recoiled. He shook his great head as though trying to dispel the effects of the impact. As he did so, his great spiked horn cut Zangoose cheek to hairline.

Blood flowed from the slash across the beast's face. Fury contorted its features, and spittle flew from Zangoose's mouth as it roared in fury.

Its trainer was equally enraged. "Zangoose, use Revenge!"

An aura of power shrouded Zangoose's fists. Rosa eyed the distance between her Pokémon and their opponent, as well as the amount of space Zaveid had to dodge. Revenge always dealt double damage.

If she was being honest, the odds weren't in their favor.

She was out of time to think, Zangoose was charged and approaching Zavied with eyes like fire.

"Use razor shell to block, then counter!"

A power-charged paw came crashing down on Zaveid's chest in the same instant her sea lion pulled both shells from his hips and rose on his hind quarters. The ensuing blast whipped Rosa's hair with a force that loosened one of her buns.

Zavied forcefully shoved Zangoose backwards, and with another swing threw it across a length of pipe. It landed hard, but on its feet.

The momentum caused Zaveid's back leg to slip off the edge of the pipe. He was thrown off balance and landed on his stomach with a grunt. Zaveid tried to find his footing, but Rosa cursed when she realized his fur was still slippery from aquajet. His paws struggled to find register on the slippery metal.

"Close combat," The woman said.

Zangoose took full advantage. It barreled forward and deliberately sliced its claws across Zavied's face, cutting a gash in his nose that gushed crimson and stained his white whiskers. Finishing the close combat attack, Zangoose thrust its elbow into Zaveid's chest to shove him off the pipe's edge.

There was barely half a foot of space between the pipe's edge and the Zangoose's hulking form. Christoph seized his moment.

Rosa's skin prickled as he brushed past her, moving with quiet precision. Espeon darted ahead, a flash of psychic energy guiding him as they both surged beyond the battling Pokémon. With a grunt, Christoph slammed his shoulder into the pale Plasma member, who had attempted to block his way. The impact sent her stumbling back with a high-pitched screech, her clawed fingers reaching out desperately for Christoph's jacket—but she only grabbed air.

Without hesitation, Rosa raised Zaveid's Pokéball.

It was a cheap shot—pragmatic, not honorable—but Rosa was long past caring about battle etiquette.

With a flash, Zaveid was swiftly returned to his Pokéball, and Anna took his place. Her paws landed with perfect balance on the pipe, her claws digging in for traction as she steadied herself. Her body, sleek and agile, radiated readiness as her amber eyes locked onto the enemy ahead.

Payback time. "Close combat."

Zangoose barely had time to react before Anna, her limbs a blur of motion, surged forward with a fierce determination. The Zangoose tried to raise its arms in defense, but Anna was already upon it, her fists flashing like lightning as she unleashed a flurry of blows. Each strike landed with precision and power, sending shockwaves through the air as Zangoose struggled to withstand the onslaught. The wild Pokémon hissed in pain, its efforts to counter weak against Anna's relentless attack.

Anna's elbow suddenly connected with the cat ferret's lower jaw. The blow caused Zangoose to fly off the pipes and disappear into the basement level. Its body crunching against the metal flooring below made Rosa want to cover her ears.

Across the room, its owner shrieked wordlessly.

Wasting no time, Rosa ran the length of the pipe bridge and brought her own fist up to pound the plasma admin's cheek. Tingles fluttered through her fingertips at the impact, and she watched as the admin sank to her knees and her head fell forward to hit the floor, out cold.

"Return," Rosa said.

Then she was off again.

The dimness of the room had made the space appear larger from the other side than it was, but Rosa quickly discovered two sets of stairs that led to the basement level. There was also another large pipe connecting to another floating platform.

Deducing that Christoph had rushed down the stairs, Rosa took the pipe bridge. More smoke and screaming metal accompanied her foot mashing down the orange floor button on the platform, then she was dashing down the new pipe towards the next panel.

Over and across, to the left. Right again. The pipes seemed to have no destination beyond the next floating platform, yet she continued crossing pipes and smashing buttons, praying to Arceus that Christoph had already found the keycard and she was just wasting time.

Breathing heavily, Rosa staggered as she reached the next control switch. Her finger slammed down on the button, and with a grinding shift, the pipe ahead of her extended northward, revealing a solid platform that led into a hallway beyond. Without wasting a second, she pushed herself to her feet, her legs aching from the sprint, and darted down the path at full speed.

A set of plasma guards met her near the entrance of the hall, but as little more than grunts, Sven and Gaston swiftly dispatched their paired team of koffing.

At the end of the hallway stood a single metal door, imposing and silent. Rosa approached, her hands trembling as she tried the handle. It didn't budge. With a frustrated huff, she glanced at Anna, who, without hesitation, slammed her shoulder into the door. The sound of metal bending echoed in the hall, and within moments, the door gave way, groaning as it swung open.

Inside was a spacious room with a full-sized bed on the left side and a work desk with a lamp and rug on the other side. Simple tan sheets and a pillow covered the bed. The desk was an unpolished chestnut color, and the rug was shaggy but clean. Everything was tidy, almost like the furniture had gone unused for some time.

"Keep watch," Rosa said.

She went to the desk first. If the shadows didn't keep their key cards with them, then maybe they were locked away somewhere. She slipped her fingers over the edges of the wood, trying one of the two drawers. It slid open, and pens rolled forward with the motion. She dug through them, but there was nothing else.

She slammed it shut and went for the other one. Where was Christoph now? Had he found the other's rooms, and was now searching for her? Had he been captured?

And what about N? She didn't know how much time had passed since she'd left him on the top deck to face an army alone, but it couldn't have been more than twenty minutes ago. That was plenty of time to be trampled.

Anna's noise of warning cut off Rosa's thoughts. As Rosa lifted her head from her task, a voice said, "Breaking into other people's rooms is rude. Hasn't anyone ever told you that?"

Rosa's fingers stilled over a small pair of scissors.

"And which one are you?" Rosa asked.

"Pardon?"

Closing the drawer, Rosa turned around to face the ninja. His striking snow-colored hair was windswept and stuck out every which way, as through he'd been running. Predatory eyes, normally bright with condescension, watched her with a carefulness she hadn't seen before. A rival challenging a rival, rather than a cat playing with a mouse.

Rosa thought, with some pride, that after all she had been through maybe she deserved to be seen that way.

"Are you the one that locked me away a few months ago, the one that stole the DNA splicers, or somewhere in between?"

He snickered. "I've always been the one to keep you company. I was just minding my own business when we met in Floccesy. We had such a fun time then, remember? Of course, you wouldn't have recognized me, since I wasn't in my Triad disguise. These are just costumes, you know?" He gestured to his hair and outfit. "Which is how my weak-willed brother tricked you. But after all that, he still couldn't bring himself to turn you in. I grew impatient, so I burned Aspertia to the ground. Even then, he wouldn't act. So, I had no choice but to take matters into my own hands."

Rage surged through her chest, hot and suffocating, a burning tide that threatened to consume her. Of course it had been him. The man with the Stoutland, the one who had set fire to Aspertia, was standing right in front of her, smiling like it was just another game. Every pain she'd endured, every sleepless night spent haunted by her ship cell, every tremor of fear—it was all because of him. And Hugh's pain, too, the scars he carried from that night at Floccesy Ranch.

The agony of not knowing where he was now.

She'd known he was a monster, but this was something else entirely. The cold satisfaction in his eyes, the casual way he spoke of her suffering— she had never truly understood the depth of his cruelty until now.

Christoph had been telling the truth. The realization sank in, filling her with a bittersweet sense of relief. His betrayal still hurt, but the sting suddenly felt less sharp. He truly had fought against Plasma, against everything he had once known, to protect her. That knowledge, though reassuring, twisted her gut with a mix of guilt and gratitude. He had risked everything for her—and had been labeled a traitor by the ones who called him "brother".

It was the same label she'd given him.

Rosa wasn't sure he deserved it anymore.

She pushed the thought aside for now, forcing herself to focus on the more immediate concern. "And your other brother?"

"Playing with your friends, as he has been assigned. Is there something I can help you with? Perhaps an escort to the top floor so you can meet with Ghetsis? I know that's who you're here to see. I might as well make it easy for you."

"I don't need an escort," Rosa sneered. "But I would love your key card for the elevator."

"Such spirit," he smiled.

His canines gleamed unnaturally in the dim light. Had they been filed down to look that way? "I'll show you spirit. Anna, take him down."

He gave a mock pout. "You're no fun."

In the blink of an eye there was a pokeball in his fist and a Pawniard standing before him. It was small in stature, reaching only its trainer's waist, but it had amber hued eyes and sword-like arms that gleamed under the fluorescent lights. White armor covered its chest and waist, shifting into red legs with almond shaped blade-covered toes. Without being commanded, the creature ran at Anna determinedly, screeching when Anna showed no sign of cowering.

When it neared, it reached up towards Anna's belly and Rosa was sure those razor-sharp hands were going to tear through her Lucario's fur.

Anna was too quick. Down she dropped to the floor, her body spinning and feet kicking out in a close combat attack that took the bug's legs out from under it.

Pawniard crashed to the ground and scrambled for purchase. Rosa flung out her hand and called for aura sphere, which Anna only acknowledged by bringing her huge paws together for blue energy to swirl in them.

The triad member remained calm. "Metal claw."

Those swords glowed a brilliant sliver, and the combination of its power with Anna's filled the room with cobalt-colored light. Anna's energy ball poured over the Pawniard, blazing into its arms to reach the creature's stomach, but Pawniard held its defense as sweat dripped down its forehead.

All at once it flung back its swords. Like a baseball hitting a bat, the aura sphere ricocheted back in Anna's direction, flying towards her nose. She's blasted backward off the Pawniard and crashes into the floor at Rosa's feet.

Rosa's lungs filled with the scent of the smoke coming off Anna's blue fur. Patches near her face and ears were scorched, and as Rosa leaned down to press her hands to Anna's cheek, she could see tiny embers crawling down the Lucario's neck towards her shoulders.

In an instant Rosa's bag was off her shoulder and she was digging for a burn heal. Her fingers combed quickly through the pockets, searching for the one containing potions.

But then Anna was back on her feet, her body stiff as she again faced her opponent. Pawniard was quick too. A shout from across the room called for faint attack, and the bug's body blurred into a cloud of shimmering darkness.

The room fogged with the blackness. Rosa's eyes strained to find Anna just in front of her, but thankfully she wasn't the one who needed to see. Anna's ability to sense the coming and goings of others has always been of use to both of them.

"Earthquake!"

Rosa heard only the movement of Anna's feet passing across the metal flooring. A sudden bang reverberated through the floor, and the vibrations forced Rosa to her knees. Pawniard's silhouette appeared before her. It screeched and flailed as its armored feet failed to find purchase on the trembling ground. Sheets of metal peeled from the floor and crunched around its ankles and up the legs, biting into its flesh.

The chaos in the room was deafening, but somehow Rosa still heard the ninja's command for Pawniard to use slash and free itself of the metal trap.

By now the darkness of feint attack had faded into a rolling fog, and Anna's outline was visible again. Rosa could see her piercing eyes glowing in the smoke. Pawniard struggled, banging its swords against the metal casing to chip it off its feet. Rosa locked eyes with Anna, and in the instant she called for extreme speed, Lucario blurred.

The force of her body crushing into Pawniard caused its feet to rip away from the metal encasing them. It flew across the small bedroom and landed on the work desk by Rosa, smashing it to splinters. Pain laced Rosa's flesh as flecks of wood buried themselves in the exposed skin along her arms and hands. When she touched the bone at her wrist, a tiny splinter dislodged and fell to the floor.

Pawniard lay in a disheveled heap on the ground. Its white armor was scorched, its ankles bleeding. Anna pressed her foot into the back of its head and ground its face into the woodchips for good measure.

Then it was gone, a flash of red that disappeared into the chamber of its pokeball.

The triad member put his hands behind the back of his head and stared openly at Rosa, like a puzzle he was trying to solve. It was heavy under the weight of his gaze.

Skin crawling, Rosa forced her shoulders back in anticipation of another fight. There was still an Absol somewhere in that baggy clothing of his. He wouldn't catch her off guard when he used it.

Instead, he said, "Giving up when you've clearly lost isn't your strong suite, is it?"

She gritted her teeth. After all this, he was still mocking her.

"You didn't on the plasma frigate, even when you were drained and starving," he continued. "Certainly not in Opelucid when you were chasing me through the streets like a mad woman. Even now you square your shoulders. Are you going to fight me again?"

"I'll fight anyone I have to," she sneered. "After everything you've done to me and my Pokemon, to Bianca and Christoph, to Hugh-"

"Your temper doesn't help. Arceus knows you already lack common sense." He brushed a hand through his long hair and shrugged. "I would warn it'll get you in trouble someday, but to be honest, I think it's here. You said you wanted this?"

From the inside of his jacket, the ninja pulled out a simple white key card. He tossed it to her, and she lunged forward to snatch it as it fluttered through her fingers.

"Elevator leads straight to Ghetsis's office. He'll be pleased to see you – he's been waiting a long time." A devilish smile appeared on his face. "Although the traitor already has one from beating up my brother and is waiting for you by the control panel. My time to stall you is finished. Good luck, guardian of the world."

He vanished through the open doorway, leaving Rosa and Anna alone. Rosa watched him go, still clutching the key card in her hand.