Salma woke to Armand's voice talking into a walkie-talkie. His brows were pinched together in worry and she made her way over to him.

"Who is it?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"It's Kendrick," he replied. "He says that he went to visit Caspian earlier today and when he arrived, the building was surrounded by police. Apparently, Caspian has been kidnapped."

"And, judging from the note I found," Kendrick's crackly voice was heard from the walkie talkie. "My sister had a part in it."

"You're sister?" Salma asked.

"Sena." Jaelyn suddenly appeared, Calla by her side. "A member of the Elite Four." She then grabbed the walkie talkie out of Armand's hands and started shouting into it. "Listen here, Kendrick. Don't act like a love-sick fool and rush off to save your damsel in distress from your sister. Meet us in Sraxa Town and we'll find a way to get him back. Caspian's tough enough to fend for himself, even if he doesn't look like it."

"Gentle as always, huh Jaelyn?" Kendrick's voice replied with a sigh. "Fine, I'll be there as soon as possible. Don't make me wait long."

"Understood," Jaelyn replied before turning the walkie talkie off and stuffing it in her skirt's pocket. "Calla, call your sister and warn her we're coming. I'll message the other leaders as well to keep a lookout on the other members."

"What should we do?" Armand asked as he and Salma followed her.

"Get ready to leave and make sure your strongest Pokemon is by your side," she replied. "If anyone working for the Elite Four spots us, we'll have to fight our way out."

"Got it," Salma nodded and dragged Armand back to their supplies, hurriedly trying to pack. "Hurry up, Armand. The sooner we find Carnol, the soon we can get everyone out of this region."

"I don't think they want to come with us," Armand frowned as he put his backpack on, Dustox fluttering around him. "Sorry, Dustox, but I'm going to have to have Galvantula out for this trip. I don't know what I'd do if something bad happened to you."

"Oh, and something bad can happen to your Galvantula?" Salma asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's not what I meant and you know it," Armand replied, returning Dustox and sending out Glavantula. "Besides, if you meant what you said, then where's Haxorus?"

"Fine, you win," Salma huffed as she patted her Garchomp's head. "Let's see if Jaelyn and Calla are ready to head out."

The two of them made their way out into the main waiting area of the gym where Jaelyn and Calla were speaking into their walkie talkies. Jaeyln's brows were furrowed with concern, while Calla looked perfectly fine. Instead of Boltund and Lopunny by their sides, a Zebstrika and a Braviary sat by them. The two Pokemon looked over at the two newcomers and nudged their trainers to get their attention. Calla looked over, said something into her walkie talkie, and made her way over to them, Jaelyn doing the same.

"Oriana said to get to Sraxa Town as quickly as possible," Calla spoke up. "Apparently, Treyton and Aviana are already there. Aviana said that Kaia was kidnapped as well."

"It must have been Trinity who kidnapped her," Armand thought out loud.

"You met Trinity?!?" Calla and Jaelyn asked at the same time worriedly.

"No," Salma stepped in. "Treyton and Aviana made us hide when they heard her flying towards us. We do know about her though."

"Okay, so that means we have to get both Kaia and Caspian out of there," Jaelyn muttered. "Kendrick is taking a shortcut to Sraxa Town so he'll be there in a few days. We need to get there as soon as possible."

"I suggest that we ride our Pokemon," Armand brought up, Galvantula nudging him. "I'll have to return you, buddy, and use Toucannon for this."

Galvantula let out a low cry as Armand returned said Pokemon and released Toucannon.

"Oh, I remember that Pokemon!" Salma piped up. "That's the evolved Pikipek that you stole from the lab seven years ago!"

"You stole a Pokemon?" Calla asked, an eyebrow raised. 

"Seven years ago, and it's a long story," Armand replied, sending a glare Salma's way. "Let's just get to Sraxa Town."

As soon as the four of them were outside, he whistled and Toucannon grabbed him by the shoulders and flew off into the trees. Salma climbed onto Garchomp's back while Calla climbed on Braviary's back and Jaelyn climbed onto Zebstrika's back. The three of them followed after Armand, oblivious to the Zoroark that was watching them. 

***

"Hey, Caspian, get up."

Caspian groaned and opened his eyes to see a woman with light green hair and green eyes frowning at him.

"Oh, hello Kaia," Caspian groaned as he sat up. "Ugh, my head hurts."

"You probably got knocked out with chloroform as I did," Kaia replied as she helped him sit up. "Do you know where we are?"

"Uhh..."

Caspian looked around to see that they were in a small jail cell with two beds and nothing else. All of his Pokemon had been taken, and from seeing Kaia's worried face, so were hers.

"Well, welcome to the basement of the League," Kaia huffed as she sat next to him. "Trinity got a luck shot at me. Caught me and my Vivillon by surprise. Who got you?"

"Sena," Caspian replied, placing his head on his knees. "No doubt she wants her brother here for something, just like Trinity most likely wants Aviana here as well."

"So, we're bait."

"Exactly."

The two of them groaned together and then fell silent.

"I can't believe that we're just going to sit here and wait to be rescued like some damsels in distress," Capsian finally let out. "I'm sure Kendrick would love to play hero, but I don't want him charging in here all willy-nilly."

Kaia snorted.

"'Willy-nilly'?" she asked, a smile on her face. "Who are you, my grandma?" Ignoring Caspian's glare, she stood up and removed her hat. "One thing that the Elite Four doesn't know is that I always keep my strongest Pokemon in a secret compartment in my hat. Always helps when I'm in a tight jam."

"Aviana must love that," Caspian rolled his eyes.

"I kinda panicked the first time I saw her and threw my Pokemon at her," Kaia shrugged as she took out the pokeball. "I was so embarrassed that I couldn't talk to her for a week."

Caspian snickered at this, ignoring Kaia's glare this time.

"Alright, let's see your strongest then," he smirked.

Kaia pressed the pokeball's button, and a Parasect appeared.

"So, all of our hope lies on a giant mushroom with claws," Caspian raised a brow.

"Hey, don't make fun of Parasect," Kaia said proudly. "It's my strongest member. Now, Parasect, use Tackle on the bars!"

Parasect did as it was told, but an electric shock caused it to go flying backward and hit Caspian in the face, Kaia wincing as both of them fell to the ground.

"This...might take a while," Kaia muttered.

***

"Alright, I think it's finished!" Carnol announced proudly as he held the invention up to Damon.

"Great, now let's see if this actually works," Damon said, Umbreon curled up in his lap. "Try and see if you can get a connection from...let's see...the Ranvu Town gym leader and the Dohlu City  gym leader."

Carnol looked at him with a confused look, and Damon patted the seat next to him. Carnol plopped himself next to his friend, who played with the machine a bit before they heard static.

"Hmm...seems to be working, Carnol," he muttered as he continued messing with the machine. "Let's just...aha!"

The static soon turned into words, but they were constantly cutting out.

"...Visit...Caspian...police..."

"That doesn't sound good," Carnol muttered worriedly before being shushed by Damon.

"...Caspian...kidnapped" two new voices caught Carnol's attention. "...sister..."

"No way," he breathed. "I recognize two of those voices."

Damon shot him a look before leaning closer to the machine trying to listen.

"...Sraxa...Town...get...him...baccczzzzttt..."

Damon frowned as the call cut off and he turned to Carnol, who was staring off into space.

"Carnol."

Said boy flinched before giving Damon a small smile.

"Yes?"

"You said that you recognized two of those voices," Damon replied. "Do you know them?"

"One of them is Salma, the Champion of Iona before Xenala beat her," he replied, then frowned. "What I don't understand is why the other person is with her."

"Why? Who's the other person?"

"Armand. The man who held me, hostage, two years ago."

Damon looked at him with wide eyes before turning to the door of the treehouse, where a frantic looking Zoroark stood there. He narrowed his eyes before grabbing his bag of supplies and a spare cloak. He returned Zoroak and Umbreon and released his Drapion. Carnol looked at him with a confused look in his eyes. 

"Get your cloak on and return your Stoutland," Damon ordered as he threw up his hood. "I hope you don't mind riding on the back of a Drapion, because we're heading to Sraxa Town."