Chapter Fifty Four

Everything seemed to go in slow motion.

Defrag clutched the ladder rung below DL, firing Macro's laser at the kartana below. Fortunately they couldn't fly very high. Once the pokemon were above the rooftops, they were out of the deadly Ultra Beasts' reach. But that didn't satisfy Defrag. She kept a watchful eye on them, keeping the laser aimed on their drifting, swooping bodies, while DL tried to steady herself and Macro on the ladder.

Despite Defrag's offer, the pachirisu had insisted on carrying him. Defrag had been surprised at the smaller pokemon's strength. But in a crisis, one can often amaze others with what they can do. They can even amaze themselves.

The ladder came to a stop and DL scrambled through the hatch, stumbling under the mawile's weight. Defrag steadied her, gripping the laser in her teeth to free her paw. But DL was swiftly whisked through the hatch by Anchor.

"What on earth happened down there?!" The granbull gathered the unconscious mawile into his arms, much to DL's protests. "Steady on, DL! Tell me what - Digit?"

He spotted the lopunny as she scrambled through the hatch. She looked up, meeting his eyes, watching as the look of surprise melted into a frown.

"I ain't got time for this," he muttered. "He needs help, quick. Matrix! Set co-ordinates for Cyan City. Hyperdrive!"

The ribombee's head poked out of the cockpit door before vanishing like a dart.

"Cookie!" Anchor demanded. "Follow me with your first aid kit!"

"Roger!" The quirky voice came from the kitchen.

A dumpy brown slurpuff waddled into the corridor. He did a quick double-take when he saw Defrag, then almost fainted when he spotted Macro. He stuttered a few times, but Anchor dismissed it with his free paw.

"Hold it together. We need you right now," he said.

Anchor stomped down the corridor, stopping at the final room. With Macro in one arm, he scanned the door and marched inside before it had fully opened. DL was hot on his tail, her eyes never leaving Macro.

Defrag leant on the door and briefly glanced around the sparsely decorated room before looking back at the space pirates.

"Well he's a bloody mess." Anchor fumbled with the mawile's mask. "At least he's breathing. What happened down there?"

"It was the kartana." DL shook from ear to tail. She clasped her paws to her chest and sank down into a little chair beside the bed. "They chased us. One of them ran him down before we could get onto the ship."

When Anchor finally removed the mask, his face paled. Macro's muzzle was crimson. Defrag's paws went to her mouth and she backed out of the room. DL let out a whimper and turned away in her seat, covering her eyes.

"I'd say they did more than run him down," said Anchor weakly.

Cookie placed the first aid kit at the foot of the bed and pulled out a full ream of bandages. He nudged Anchor aside and commenced removing Macro's scarf before trying to stem the bleeding. From what Defrag had witnessed back in Spool City, it would be no easy feat.

"I daren't check over the wound," he said. "I don't want to disturb him too much. But..."

The sheets were already soaked with blood. Hopefully it just looked a lot worse than it was.

"I'm not sure how much help I can be," the slurpuff went on. "I'd say he needs a surgeon, not a chef who passed a course in first aid with health and safety."

He knotted the bandage as tightly as he could then took a step back, wiping his bloodied paws on his berry-stained apron.

Anchor stared down at Macro for a while then placed a paw on Cookie's back. "You've done what you can. Let's just hope it's not too long until we reach Cyan City."

"How fast is your hyperdrive?" Defrag asked.

Anchor looked up at her again with surprise. He'd likely forgotten she was even there. He brushed back his mohawk and replaced his surprise with another frown, before marching from the room.

"Come on, DL," he said. "We'll leave Cookie with him. He knows what he's doin'. We'll only be in the way."

"No."

He looked back at the pachirisu. She'd turned her chair back, and clasped Macro's paw in both of hers. Her eyes were screwed shut, cheeks wet with tears, and she shook her head to further emphasise her answer.

"I'm not leaving him," she said. "I can't!"

The slurpuff looked up and gave Anchor a sad smile, still with his tongue poking out. "It's okay if she stays. She's not in my way."

Anchor nodded solemnly and let the door close behind him. He fired Defrag a leer then marched down the corridor. She faltered by Macro's room before resigning herself to following the silent granbull. Despite his blood stained paws, he pulled out his phone and held it to his ear.

"Hi, Jumper?" he said, then paused as he listened to the speaker on the other end. He twitched his claws and Defrag thought she heard him mutter under his breath. "No, sorry. Things aren't alright. I've got an emergency here. It's Macro. We're rushing him to Cyan City now." Another pause. "It doesn't look good, Governor."

Defrag felt her stomach knot and she faltered by the bathroom as Anchor ducked inside with his phone. He wasn't in there very long. When he came back out, his phone was tucked away and he wiped his wet paws on his chest. He gave her another suspicious scowl then waved her off.

With nowhere else to go, she ended up in the cockpit. Matrix looked up from his navigation desk, winding an antenna in his tiny paw. He raised an eyebrow at her, then returned to the detailed layout on the screen.

Anchor fell into a large seat and leant back, frowning out at the world zipping by.

She looked around at the cockpit and tucked her paws behind her back. "It doesn't look much different to the old ship."

Anchor said nothing, staring silently ahead.

"What happened to the huntail?" she asked.

"You should know what happened to it," he grunted.

She shifted her weight to one foot, not taking her eyes off him. "I leave and he gets a new ship? Or is it something to do with that raid in Botnet?"

"Isn't it funny," said Anchor, "how whenever you're around, something bad happens to him?"

She creased her nose and leered at the back of his head. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"The Analogue Isles, saving your hide, he almost died. That weapons raid you took in Botnet City, he almost died. Now he runs into you in Spool and look what's happened!"

"How is any of that my fault?! And you were there during that raid! I had nothing to do with it!" She frowned as he glanced over his shoulder. "I'm not the one who almost took his eye out! I'm not the one who set the building ablaze! And I'm not the one who ran him through with that monster, it did that itself!"

Anchor flashed his canines and turned back to the controls.

"Besides," she went on. "Are you seriously telling me nothing like this has happened since I left Wildcard?"

"Of course not." Anchor sighed and rubbed the bridge of his muzzle. "'Mon's as reckless as he's always been. Just... I'm a little scared, that's all. I've never seen him like this."

"To be honest, so am I." She shrugged and flopped into Macro's much smaller chair. "I've watched those creatures slice up walls and posters, run down random pokemon in the streets. But I never thought they might..." She trailed off and sighed into her paw.

"It ain't your fault, Digit," said Anchor apologetically. "Anyway, what's a nice lass like you doin' in Spool City?"

"I work there," she said. "For a detective named Tracer."

He snorted and rolled his eyes. "From one extreme to the next."

"Anyway. Enough about me. How long is it until we reach Cyan City?"

"It'll be another twenty five minutes," said Matrix.

Defrag started slightly. She'd almost forgotten the little bee was there. She turned back to Anchor and folded her paws in her lap.

"Do you think he'll make it?" she asked.

"Dunno." Anchor sighed and brushed back his mohawk. "I'm kinda clutching at straws."

"Then why Cyan City, exactly?" she asked. "Isn't Pulse City closer?"

"Kinda, but we ain't welcome there," said Anchor. "Besides, we've got friends in Cyan City. Plus, their medicine is much more effective."

"I guess." She paused and brushed a paw along her ear. "I'm a little surprised you're welcome there."

"Well, I'd tell you why but it's a long story."

"We've got over twenty minutes. We may as well kill some time. Take our mind off things."

"All right then." Anchor flashed her a grin. "I'll tell ya. Kinda lookin' forward to the surprise on your face."

...

Annie was feeling rather irritated. She'd managed to sleep through until the mid hours of the morning, and in her scramble for her magic pills had managed to secure her human form. All that time spent pruning her feathers and she was now as bald as a plucked ducklett.

She pulled her clothes on and stomped down the wooden stairs to the kitchen. Voices spoke in hushed tones and as she rounded the corner, Web turned her head and looked her up and down.

"Good to see you looking rested." The skuntank paused and cocked an eyebrow. "You've got your jacket on upside down, dear."

Annie stared down at herself, then removed her jacket to put it on the right way up.

"It's also inside out," said Trojan.

Web cuffed him over the head fin and tried to give Annie a reassuring smile. The human let out a sigh and flopped into a chair as she dragged the sleeves back out the right way.

"What are we doin' back in this dump?" she asked. "I thought we were in Pulse City."

Everyone fell silent and stared at her, mouths agape. She looked back up at them, clutching a sleeve in one hand. Her eyes wandered from each pokemon until they fell on two unfamiliar faces. A ruffled looking chatot and a strange, purple creature...

She lifted a finger and wagged it at the blobby alien thing. "The Time Onion... it's coming back to me now."

"She serious?" the chatot asked Web a little too loudly.

Web tried to hush him, but Annie sat back and kicked her boots up on the table. "Yes. It is coming back to me. We found my way home, right?"

"I'm afraid, dear," Web said slowly, "that Poipole isn't a time traveller. He's not the celebi you're looking for."

"What on earth's a poipole?" Annie scoffed.

Both Web and Trojan pointed a claw at the alien's head, while the chatot waved a wing at him.

"I already told you," said the alien. "I'm not a Time Onion."

Annie sighed and ran a hand over her face. The previous day was a blur.

"Anyway, I've got a question," said the chatot. "What exactly do you want with me? First thing I know is some crazy prehistoric bird is kidnapping me, now I'm sat on a table with another extinct species. You draggin' me into some kind of conspiracy or somethin'?"

Web looked up, meeting Annie's eye. "I'm afraid you're going to have to explain to Hatter what you want with him. Because you didn't tell us anything."

Annie scratched her head as she stared at the chatot blankly.

"Try to remember, dear," Web went on.

Annie shook her head and sighed, throwing her arms in the air. "I ain't a clue."

Her hand brushed something sticking out of her belt pouch and she looked down at a roll of paper sticking out of it. She grabbed it and unfurled it on the stained table top. The grimacing face of a mawile stared out at her, disfigured by an ugly scar. Below his face was a large number. A much more handsome figure. Fifty thousand credits.

Yes... it was starting to come back to her now.

She tapped the picture with a finger and looked up at Hatter. "I think I know what I wanted with you. You're a messenger, right?"

"I exchange information," he said. "I only have those posters because space pirates can now get in on arresting the most wanted 'mon in System. And his girlfriend, too."

"Girlfriend?" Annie squinted at the portrait. "Where?"

"Other side."

She flipped it over to be greeted by the pretty face of a zigzagoon. Same price.

"So let me get this straight." She frowned across at the parrot. "We arrest these guys, we get... what... a hundred thousand credits?"

"Exactly." Hatter grinned. "But you want my help, I want part of that deal."

Annie huffed and shoved the poster aside, replacing it with her steepled hands. "I don't exactly want you for no arrest mission. That's a little bit on the side to fuel my ship. I want you... to get the pokemon all riled up about eatin' water dwellers."

"Hang on." Hatter's grin fell away and the bridge of his beak creased in a frown. "What's this got to do with arrestin' some pirates?"

"Nothing. We can pay you. You just have to spread a little message. The mayor is crazy. She's having pokemon eat each other, and how far is it gonna go? Is it gonna stop at the fishes, or are they gonna start having marill on toast? Squirtle soup? Slowbro flambe?" She leant forwards and the corner of her mouth tugged up in a smirk. "Grilled chatot?"

He squawked and leapt back with a flap of his wings, but he quickly regained his composure and returned her smirk with a leer. "They wouldn't!"

Annie shrugged and leant back in her seat. "I reckon the fishes thought that too before restaurants upgraded their menu."

The chatot glanced from side to side, inclining his head slightly to get a good look in all directions. His movements were jerky, like the birds she'd seen in videos. The kind of action that was often followed by a swift bolt towards the nearest exit.

"So are you on board?" she asked.

"How much you offerin'?" His voice was a near-growl.

Web fixed one eye on Annie. "I want to ask how you plan to pay him?"

Annie shrugged. "It's in my head that we can do it."

"How?"

"Dunno."

Web groaned and ran a paw down her face. She stood, her chair screeching over the floor. "I can't handle this. I need a walk."

She scooped up the poipole and whispered something to him that Annie couldn't pick out.

"I'm comin' with you." Trojan fixed Annie in a leer and rose to follow the skuntank.

The two halted in the doorway and stood aside as Waveform strolled in with Zip in tow. The decidueye looked from the two dark types then up at Annie and Hatter.

"You could cut the tension in here with a knife," he said. "Have you apologised?"

"What for?" Annie asked.

Waveform's eyes widened and he stood aside as Web excused herself and slipped out of the door. He glanced back at the two retreating pokemon then marched over to the table.

"What do you mean 'what for'?" he hissed. "Don't you remember our conversation?"

She looked up at the ceiling and stroked her chin with a finger nail. "Not all of it."

"What do you remember?"

"'A captain cares about their crew. The ship goes down, they go with it.'" She tucked her hands behind her head, not taking her eyes off Waveform's. A look of surprise crossed his features and he tucked his wings under his collar. "They have a choice, you know. They don't have to come with me. And neither do you."

"Have you told them that?" he asked.

"No. If they follow me back onto the ship, then I'll know where they stand." She stood up, sending her chair skittering over the floor. "Pay Perappu. He's gonna send out my message to the big cities of System Ground, and we're off to Wave City."

Zip's large eyes widened and he almost danced on his mechanical legs. "You mean we're still going?"

"Of course, little fish. I did make you a promise."

As she left the kitchen, she felt Waveform's eyes on her back.

"Annie?" his voice froze her in the doorway, and she looked back at him. "I really would tell them. They're not mind readers, and you still owe them an apology. I explained your actions in Pulse City were rash."

"But I don't remember my actions," she said.

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter. They do."

She sighed and nodded, then turned out of the front door. There was no sign of Web, but Trojan stood with his back against the wall. A tatty cigarette hung out of his mouth, the sight of which took her by surprise. The same surprise reflected over his face and he quickly removed the foreign object from his mouth.

"Oh jack," he muttered. "Don't say anythin' to Web, alright? She thinks I quit."

Annie shrugged and hugged her arms over herself. "Where is she?"

"Went to get berries. Need to fill the ship, right?" He put the cigarette back and glanced down the vacant street. "It's awful quiet. Never used to be like this."

Annie was silent as she followed his gaze. All she could hear was the wind, and the occasional puff from the scrafty as he contributed to the toxic atmosphere.

"I'm under the impression I owe you an apology," she said. "For... my reckless actions."

He waved a paw at her. "Forget it. We can all get a little wild at times." He removed the cigarette again and folded his arms, letting it hang limply from his claws. "But I gotta suggest you don't do it again. I don't wanna get maimed by angry pirates, and Web don't like seein' pokemon mauled and swung about. But she's a mother duck. No sooner you apologise, she'll be makin' you nutpea soup and fresh bread."

"So you're both still with me?" she asked. "'Cos I don't know where Wave City is."

He laughed and flicked ash into the gutter. "Of course. Any excuse to get out of this dump. Besides, we need to get Poipole home, right?"

"I guess."

Annie hugged herself as the wind picked up around her. A crisp packet whipped up in the gutter and she followed its lonely trail towards the shops. It was eerily quiet. It had always been quiet in Spool City, as far as she knew. But there were no pokemon on the street. No voices. No faces peeking out of windows.

She was about to open her mouth to suggest they leave that day, but a shrill squeal reached their ears. Trojan dropped his cigarette into a questionable puddle and turned to follow the noise. Another one sliced through the silence, louder and more clear. Panicked.

It was followed by Web's purple shape as she rounded a corner, chasing after Poipole's floating form. The strange creature fired something from his head. A stream of glistening sludge that propelled like a bullet towards the bend in the road. The creature ducked nimbly as something flew towards him, glistening in the dull light. White and yellow with four limbs stretched out to the side like a plane. It doubled back like a boomerang, aiming straight for Poipole.

Web shouted at him and dashed towards Annie and Trojan on all-fours, her tail held over her head like a cannon.

"Get inside!" she barked.

The creature zipped towards her and she ducked, firing a cloud of smoke from her tail. It engulfed the creature, sending it up in an arc to avoid it.

"What is that thing?" Trojan asked, stunned into a state of unnerving calm.

"I said get inside!" Web screamed.

She charged into him, bowling him through the door. Annie faltered behind them, looking back at the creature as it raced up the side of the wall, slicing stone and sending tiny shards raining down like hail. It pulled itself free effortlessly and launched towards her like a dart. She span aside and it skimmed her arm before crashing into the wall where it lodged like a knife. A flailing knife.

There was the sound like toothpaste being launched from a tube, and a torrent of slimy purple gunk struck the creature, plastering it to the wall. One of its bladed arms sliced through it, then flailed as it fought to wrestle itself free. Annie felt something soft strike her back and she ducked into the house. She found herself grabbed in one of Waveform's wings as he whisked her away from the entrance to slam the door shut right as Poipole flew over her head into Web's waiting arms.

"Again," said Trojan, more panicked. "What the jack is that thing?"

"I don't know," said Web. "But I suggest we don't wait around and find out."

"Get to the ship," said Annie. "It can't get us in there."

"It's a kartana," said Poipole. "They can slice through steel."

"A what?" Trojan asked.

"If you get the ship up high enough," Poipole went on, "it won't catch us. They can't fly very high. They use the wind current to glide."

"I'll take your word for it." Annie herded them towards the back door. "Off to Wave City it is. Let's head to the ship."

"It was slicing up Spool City," said Web over her shoulder. "Two of them."

"How many do you think there are?" asked Trojan.

"I dread to think..."

"They tend to hunt in small numbers," Poipole explained. "I wouldn't be surprised if there were five or six of them."

"Okay." Annie paused by the back door and pulled it open with a flourish. "Run to the ship."

Trojan was first out of the door. He bolted towards the pyukumyuku and wrenched the tin door open. At the wave of his paw, the rest of the pokemon scurried out towards it as Annie watched. Web closed up the rear, making sure Zip was ahead of her. She checked over her shoulder and clambered over the ramp into the ship.

Waveform placed a paw on Annie's back and led her out into the yard. He gave her a hefty shove and they raced for the ship. Annie threw herself on board and Waveform landed gracefully behind her, tugging the door shut.

"Not a single one in sight," he said.

Annie snorted. "I guess the one that attacked us must still be trying to pull itself free from our new friend's glue attack." She turned to the poipole sat in Web's lap. "I think I'm gonna call you Sticky."

Poipole blinked once. "But I'm Poipole."

"Not any more." Annie fell into her seat and crossed her legs at the ankle. "It's Sticky."

Poipole stuttered and shook his head. "Please don't..."

Annie waved her hand at the grimy window. "Let's get this thing in the sky, eh?"

"I'm already on it." Trojan pawed at a few buttons on the dash and the entire ship began to shake.

"Look..." Web pointed a claw at the house.

One of the kartana glided over the roof, then shot down like a dart out of sight. A second one rose up alongside it, shaking purple globules from its limbs.

"Hurry up, ship." Annie's voice came out oddly calm.

As if on cue, the pyukumyuku began its lurch towards the sky, bounding over the worn out roof tops. Annie thought she saw a chimney tumble towards the road.

Waveform climbed from his seat before they'd finished ascending and tugged his black bandana from his belt pouch. "Give me your arm."

Annie frowned up at him and raised an eyebrow. "I'm afraid it's rather attached."

"You're wounded," he said flatly.

"Eh?" She looked down at her left arm and her eyes almost popped from their sockets. Her white shirt was dyed bright red from just below her shoulder to her elbow. "When did that happen?"

"Unless you wish to undress," said Waveform calmly, "I'm going to have to cut the sleeve off."

Annie began to feel a little dizzy. She turned away from the stained sleeve, becoming increasingly aware of a dull ache beneath all that blood.

"Do as you will," she said weakly. "I think I'll just lie down on the floor for a little..." Her voice trailed off as her surroundings became a blur.

...

It was noon when Wildcard Gamma reached Cyan City. Anchor had Macro tucked comfortably on one arm as he clutched the ladder with another, descending down through the city's open dome. The cold air bit through his fur, and despite being used to it he was worried his trembling would cause him to drop his wounded captain.

Jumper stood below them by the lake, watching the ladder with his paws tucked behind his back. Beside him was an ambulance, its lights flashing from blue to green to red and back. Once the ladder had descended enough, Anchor dropped down beside him. The frogadier's eyes went straight to Macro and they almost popped from his head.

"Good gracious! What on earth happened to him?!" he gasped. "Quickly. Into the ambulance."

He stepped aside to allow Anchor into the ambulance where a croconaw relieved him of the unconscious mawile. DL rushed to catch up with them with Defrag in tow, and he heard the ladder flash away rung by rung from Cyan City. Once they were all inside the ambulance, the doors slammed shut and it took off, sirens blaring.

"What's happened to him?" the croconaw asked.

"Stab wound," Defrag told him before Anchor could even open his mouth.

That was all the paramedic seemed to need to know as he rushed to his trolley and rustled through the various tools.

"Will he make it?" DL asked weakly.

A wartortle placed something over Macro's claw and stood back to watch the screen on the attached tablet.

"It's too soon to say," she said. "But we'll try everything." She turned to the croconaw. "His oxygen's low."

Anchor said nothing as the paramedics busied themselves around the stretcher. When the croconaw placed an oxygen mask over the mawile's muzzle, Anchor felt his heart sink into his stomach.

"You could have come in at the docks," said Jumper quietly. "I told you, you are welcome here."

"Well, old habits die hard," said Anchor. "Thanks for opening the dome for us by the way."

"It was scheduled to open now anyway," said Jumper. "Dawn and noon for optimal sunshine. The trees don't do as well in a completely closed off climate. It gets too hot for them, and the glass reduces the needed nutrients from the sun. So, are you going to tell me what happened?"

"I don't know what happened," said Anchor. "Apparently some invasive creature ran him through with bladed arms."

"Are you sure it wasn't a pawniard?"

"It wasn't a pawniard," said Defrag.

Jumper looked back at her and his eyebrows raised slightly. "I don't believe we've met. Are you another of Macro's crew?"

Defrag shook her head as Anchor snorted.

"She's a former crew member," said the granbull.

"I'm a detective, actually," said the lopunny. "Macro just happened to be in my city while I was investigating those creatures."

"There's been a lot of strange stuff happen recently," said Jumper. "That attack on Favicon for one. I am guessing it's related?"

Defrag's face creased in a frown. "I'm guessing news of the massacres in Spool City haven't made it this far?"

The frogadier's eyes widened and he blanched. "No..."

"Typical." Defrag tutted. "Rich cities don't care, do they?"

Jumper regained his composure and frowned, turning away from her as the ambulance came to a halt. The paramedics hoisted the stretcher from its stand and rushed out into the hospital, followed by Anchor and his companions. He only caught a glimpse of the croconaw's tail as it vanished through swinging doors to the 'Emergency Wards'.

Jumper settled himself into one of the many chairs and motioned for Anchor and the others to sit. DL faltered by the double doors, peering through the glass after the paramedics.

"I'm afraid they won't let you in," said Jumper. "Not just yet, anyway."

DL glanced from the frogadier to the doors then flopped into the chair beside him. She huddled into herself, staring blankly at the floor.

"I'm afraid it's just a waiting game now," said Jumper. "But I can assure you Macro is in very good paws."

"I sure hope so," said Anchor. "I've never seen him like this..."

DL shuddered and wiped a paw across her face. Jumper glanced towards her and placed a paw on her trembling back.

"I'm not sure how much help this is," said Jumper. "But there's a cafe if-"

"I couldn't eat a thing right now," said Anchor. "I feel like I've been hit in the gut by a close combat throwing lucario."

Defrag brushed back one of her ears and took in a shaky breath. "A coffee might actually calm my nerves."

Jumper looked over at her then at Anchor. The granbull shrugged his shoulders and knitted his paws together.

"You guys go," he said. "Take DL. I'll wait here in case anything comes up. Don't want 'em lookin' for us."

Jumper narrowed his eyes with concern. "If you're sure-"

"I'm sure." Anchor waved a huge paw. "Go. Don't worry about me. It ain't me you need to be worryin' about."

The frogadier nodded and rose to his feet, motioning DL to join him. She looked over at the door again then clambered shakily to her feet.

"I-" she stuttered. "I don't want to leave him..."

"If you want to wait here, I can bring you something?" said Jumper.

She shook her head slowly, then violently shook her ears before bolting through the double doors.

"DL!" Jumper took off after her and skidded to a halt in the hallway. "Oh, DL..."

The pachirisu sank down against one of the closed doors, the light above it a vivid red. It lit up her white fur like a sunset, and she placed a paw against the blue wood. Tears streaked from her eyes and she sobbed loudly, her entire body trembling.

Jumper crouched down beside her and placed a paw on her back. She pushed his paw away and screwed her eyes shut, trying to stifle the tears.

"I don't want him to die," she sobbed.

"Neither do I." Jumper's voice came out husky. "But I trust the surgeons here. Come on, trust him into their paws."

"I... I didn't know how dangerous those things were," she said. "We were only trying to find out the damage to Meta City. We didn't expect Spool City to... He was trying to get me onto the ship first. Then it..." She looked up and fixed watery, brown eyes on his. "If they're that dangerous, how are we meant to get those creatures back to their own world?!"

She broke down again, curling into a ball at the foot of the door. Jumper crouched beside her and gathered her into his arms, guiding the trembling pachirisu back to her feet.

"Let's get you sat back down. I'll get you a drink." He turned back to the doors to find Anchor watching them, waiting to see if he was needed. He fixed the granbull with a raised eyebrow. "You've really landed yourselves in quite the conspiracy, haven't you?"

Anchor let out a gruff 'hmm'. "I don't think it would have been such a rough landing if we'd gone in prepared."

...

Blinding sunlight filled Macro's vision. He flinched back from it and narrowed his eyes, straining to see through it. But it was all he could see. It was everywhere, blanketing his entire body. Blinding. Dazzling. Yet it was warm, not burning.

A shape formed inside it. A sun shape, solidifying into a face. A face he recognised.

Solgaleo looked down at him, his face soft and gentle. Yet Macro felt humbled, like he needed to fall to his knees. He became aware he was lying down, unable to move. His arms were paralysed at his sides.

Solgaleo smiled and he heard his voice coming from every direction at once.

"Wake up, Macro," he said. "It's not your time yet."

The light faded out into a soft white, then the white grew with a blinding intensity. His arm suddenly obeyed him and he lifted the heavy limb to his eyes. Solgaleo's face faded away, replaced by the soft, furry features of a worried pachirisu.

DL stared down at him, clutching his paw tightly in hers. He removed his other paw from his eyes and squinted into her warm, chocolate ones.

"Wow." His voice came out husky and sore. "You're a sight for sore eyes."

DL's face split into a beaming grin that rivalled the halogen lighting, and she clutched his paw to her chest. Fresh tears streamed over her damp cheeks and she shook her head slowly.

"I'm so glad you're awake." she said. "I was worried sick!"

Macro sighed and closed his eyes as the events came back to him. It was like a nightmare, yet he could still remember vividly the sensation of blood flooding his mouth and running out into his mask. The searing pain as the kartana withdrew its blade. He grimaced and lifted his paw to his face again, feeling the oxygen mask covering his muzzle. It was too familiar to the filter mask. He wanted to wrench it off. He fastened his claws underneath it, feeling a slight tug as he tensed his paw. He snapped his head around to it, spotting the drip fastened into his flesh. The sight made his stomach do an uncomfortable flip. In a hospital, strapped to a drip, having just clung onto life... His blood turned cold and he released the oxygen mask.

"I'm just glad to be alive." He took in a painful breath and let his eyes close again. "Argh, I feel like someone attacked my lungs with a cheese grater."

"The doctors said you're very lucky to be alive," said DL somewhat painfully.

Macro rubbed a paw over his groggy eyes. "Wouldn't be the first time I've had a near death experience."

He felt tiny claws dig into his paw. "They thought they were going to lose you. More than once. At one point... they really..." She choked back a sob and shook her head violently. "You almost bled to death! It's only thanks to Cookie's first aid skills you even made it to the hospital! That kartana sliced open your left lung and severed two of your ribs. It only narrowly missed your heart. If it had been a fraction closer..."

She trailed off and Macro cracked an eye open. She wasn't looking at him, instead staring at the foot of the bed. Her paws were still clasped around his, too firmly for him to wriggle it free. But not only did he feel too weak to try, he didn't want to. Instead he fastened his claws over her soft paw and she snapped her head around to look at him. Her mouth curled down at the sides and she let his paw flop onto the bed so she could wipe the tears from her cheeks. His paw felt oddly cold and he flexed his claws a couple of times before tucking it into his sheets.

"I'm so sorry," she choked.

"What for?"

"If I hadn't gone with you," more tears flooded from her eyes, "then you wouldn't have had to look after me. You wouldn't have-"

"What, you think this is your fault?!" Macro regretted raising his voice and he grimaced. "This isn't your fault, DL. Whether you went with me or not, those creatures would still have been there tearing up Spool City."

"Yes, but I shouldn't have gone with you. Anchor is much stronger than me. You should have taken him."

"It's still not your fault. I'm the captain. It's my job to make sure my crew is on the ship in dangerous situations. Or off it, for that matter."

"What about 'look out for number one'?"

He opened his mouth to reply, but his brain wouldn't process a response fast enough. He stared back into her eyes, still glistening with tears. Yet they were still warm. He felt himself melting into them, and his paw was desperate to find hers again. He clutched it to his chest, unseen under the sheets.

"I can't be a captain without a crew, can I?" he finally said.

Before she could reply, the door opened and Anchor strolled in clutching two steaming cups of fruit tea. When he spotted Macro he almost dropped them.

"Wow, Cap'n," he said, steadying the cups before the tea escaped to the floor. "The docs said you'd be asleep most of the night. It ain't even ten o'clock yet."

"Really?" Macro groaned as he rubbed the bridge of his muzzle. The oxygen mask was growing uncomfortable. "I guess I recover fast."

"Yeah? Hold on to that thought." Anchor turned to DL. "I thought you might want a tea."

"Thank you. But... I should probably let Jumper know Macro's awake."

She rose to her feet then stared down at Macro, her paws twitching at her sides. She lifted them back to her chest then headed for the door, gathering her cup off Anchor as she passed.

Anchor watched her go and waited for the door to close behind him. He turned back to Macro and shook his head sadly.

"She hasn't left your side since we were allowed in," he said.

"Really?" Macro's heart fluttered and he watched Anchor stroll across the room to claim DL's empty seat.

"Aye," he said. "Blames herself."

"But it isn't her fault," said Macro.

"Sadly she don't see it that way. But I do. I know you." Anchor sipped his hot tea then placed the cup on the bed's little stand. "What happened down there, Cap'n?"

"Has no one told you?"

"Two terrified girls have relayed me a story about a bladed Ultra Beast knocking you down and running you through with its arm," said Anchor. "Apparently you tried to take it on."

"That's true, I guess." Macro grimaced as he tried to sit up.

"You stay lay down!" Anchor barked. "I don't want you comin' undone!"

"If they did a good enough job, I shouldn't do."

Anchor placed a heavy paw on his shoulder and narrowed his eyes into a leer. "You stay lay down or I'm sittin' on yer legs."

Macro rolled his eyes and wriggled into his pillow.

"There's a good captain." Anchor took another sip of his tea and kept hold of his cup, warming his paws. "So you tried to take it on?"

"Yeh. It was fast. Couldn't hit it." Macro shrugged his shoulders painfully. "Once I'd angered it, that was it. It wanted blood."

"Aye, it got it n'all." Anchor frowned into his tea. "What were you playin' at?"

"I was trying to do my job. Find where they were comin' from. They're killing pokemon, and for what?"

"Your alarm should have gone off when you heard that! Get back on the ship, formulate a plan. Not run in there guns blazin' like you always do!" Anchor put his cup back down before he accidentally lobbed it across the ward with dramatic hand gestures. "I've told you before you're reckless. Throwin' yourself off buildings to escape, threatenin' government officials, jokin' about blowin' things up. It's like you forget you're mortal! Now look what's happened..."

"I know I'm mortal, Anchor."

"Then why act like that?"

Macro said nothing, letting the room fall into silence. He stared up at the ceiling, watching the fan spin rhythmically as it wafted cool air through the ward.

"I worry about you," said Anchor. "I might not bail on you like Digit did. I've always got your back, you know that. But I worry."

"You don't need to worry." Macro knew his words were pointless, and the glare from Anchor only served to prove his theory.

"Of course I need to worry! Look at you!" Anchor sighed and leant back in his seat. "I worry one day I'm gonna lose you, Macro. It frightens me. You're not just a captain to me, you're my best friend. No... you're my brother. And I'm not gonna let you behave like a reckless fool no more. You get me?"

Macro looked at him out of the corner of his eye. His throat tightened as a lump rose into it, but he choked back the threat of tears. Anchor stared down at him, his large eyes glistening, but his jaw was set with the sternness of a teacher waiting for a naughty hatchling to sit down.

Macro licked his dry lips and croaked out, "What if the situation calls for it?"

"Like what?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. We might all die anyway?"

Anchor let out a single laugh and retrieved his cup. "All right, sure. I'll let you have that one."