Chapter Sixty One

The morning sun cascaded down through the glass dome over the lake, reflecting off Macro's pocket computer. The anti-glare coating was doing little to stop the rays dazzling his eyes. But he read on regardless. In front of him, Anchor charged with flaming fangs towards Switch. The talonflame dodged to the side with a graceful flap of his wings. Switch followed this up by kicking up his leg before launching an aerial ace at the granbull. The pair of them paused to look down at their Z-Crystals, and Anchor let out a huff.

"We just ain't gettin' this," he said. "It's been what... three days now?"

"I guess like all moves, they just take practice." Despite his words, Switch didn't sound convinced.

Matrix buzzed onto the back of Macro's bench and wound his antenna in his paw. "Aren't you joining in?"

Macro glanced him out of the corner of his eye, then brought up Meta City News. "I can't. I'm meant to be resting."

"That's never stopped you before."

The mawile snorted and fixed his attention on the screen. His heart did a small flip in his chest and he struck the top headline. A quick read over the article set his blood boiling.

"Are you freakin' kiddin' me?!" he roared.

Anchor and Switch spun on the spot, almost crashing into DL on her way back from a snack run. One of her ice cream cones deposited cold, pink ice cream onto the floor and Anchor's right leg. The granbull let out a startled squeal, then cleared his throat as he regained his composure.

"Somethin' wrong, Cap'n?" He ducked to wipe his leg before the cheri ice cream turned into a sticky puddle.

"I'd say," Macro scoffed. "Socket's gone and bailed on Meta City."

"She's actually left?" Matrix leant over his shoulder. "I thought she was agoraphobic. She like... never leaves her mansion except in extreme circumstances."

"Well she's not exactly left her mansion." Macro turned the computer so everyone could see it. "Her mansion has left the city."

DL's eyes widened and she dropped her other ice cream. "Is that what he was working on?"

"I'm sorry?" Macro lowered the computer to look at her.

"There was..." DL wound her paws together and glanced away. "There was this door that was always locked. I saw Yobi go into it a few times when I was meant to be helping him. He'd never let me in, we'd only go to his lab. Every time he came out, he'd be covered in grease. I guess... it must have been some kind of engine."

"An engine that allows you to fly a mansion," Macro said bluntly. "No engine can control something much bigger than Wildcard Gamma. Very rarely do I see ships larger than mine. It's playing a risky game. This city we're sat in? Can't move. It just hovers. So how, do tell, can an engine fly a mansion?!"

DL cowered back. "I don't... know..."

Macro sighed and rubbed his paw over his scar. "I'm not having a go, DL. I'm just confused. This technology... has she been hiding it from us?"

"Remember those floating islands I told you about?" Switch asked.

"Yes, I believe you called them 'drifting continents'."

"Well, they could move on a specified path," Switch went on. "But if you overrode the commands, they could be steered. Controlled, perfectly."

Macro looked up at him and narrowed his eyes. "Then if that technology existed way back then, why don't we have improved versions of it now? We could probably fly the entire region."

Switch shrugged his shoulders. "I've no idea. But you did say they never found any engines in what you believed to be the former drifting continents."

"I never believed they found these legendary islands," Macro hissed. "Are you trying to tell me Socket's had their technology stored away in her mansion all this time?!"

"I might be," said Switch. "It's hard to say, but her mansion is in the air. So either there is improved technology that allows something larger than a ship to be flown, or she has the islands' old engines."

"But such technology would be archaic," said Matrix. "Not to mention rusted beyond belief after so many years. How on earth would she get it to work?"

"Maybe Socket wasn't the one who found it," said DL.

Everyone looked up at her, but her eyes were distant. She stared at a tree behind Macro's bench, pawing at her ear.

"That mansion is hundreds of years old," she went on. "Someone else could have found the engines and installed them."

"So this Yobi was performing maintenance work?" Matrix suggested.

"Possibly." DL cleared her throat and glanced at her friends. "But Socket's plan has been in the works for a long time. Since before she even adopted me. It's in this Download Database thing. The reason she adopted me was because she wanted to get her plan in action faster. A younger child would have been easier to manipulate and get on board with her plan, but an older child would mean she wouldn't have to wait for very long. I was the oldest one there. So you could say that for the three years I was with her, her plan was in full motion. She wanted to find this gateway into a new world to build a new System. And to get there, she would fly her mansion. That way she'd never have to leave her house, never have to risk inhaling toxic air. And she'd have a home, while everyone else would have to build theirs from scratch. I'd imagine Yobi was making sure everything was running smoothly so there were no hitches in her plan."

Macro clutched his computer tightly and hissed. "That gothitelle is about as toxic as all the outskirts combined..."

"So how was everyone else gonna get to this world, eh?" Anchor asked. "Does she have ships built for this?"

"Only enough for her select elite," said DL. "Everyone else - commoners, criminals, space pirates - they'd all be left behind."

"Select elite, eh?" Macro scoffed. "So this new would would primarily be made up of psychic, electric and normal types. With a few water types dragged along for food, I'd imagine."

"So all of us would be left here to rot," Anchor growled. "That's brutal."

"That's the job of an uncaring mayor." Macro rose to his feet. "I think I need a walk. This has really got my gogoat."

"Then you might not wanna hear this," said Matrix, scrolling over his own computer. "But Quantum City has been destroyed by another Ultra Beast."

Macro's fur prickled along his neck and he glanced over his shoulder at the ribombee. "Which one?"

"Dunno." Matrix turned his computer to face him. "You tell me."

The photo didn't show any living creature. All it showed was a huge monument surrounded by rubble. Not an Ultra Beast in sight.

"I can't gauge it from the damage alone, Matrix," Macro spat.

The ribombee shrugged and placed his computer back in his lap, twirling his antenna with his right paw. "Well, it said this huge thing dropped from the sky and destroyed the city. What it's showing you here is a crater and the thing that landed."

"So these ones arrived in a ship?" Macro took the small computer from the ribombee and frowned at it. "Weird lookin' ship."

DL looked over his shoulder and made a thoughtful noise. "The picture's not clear enough. I can't match it to any Ultra Beasts in the UltraDex."

Macro returned the computer to Matrix and turned away. Such news had done nothing to lift his mood. If it weren't for Socket's rotten plan, System wouldn't have been under attack from Ultra Beasts in the first place. He turned on the spot and waved a paw.

"I'll be on my ship if you need me," he said.

"All right, Cap'n," said Anchor. "We'll be here trainin'. All that's got me riled up, I could do with burnin' off some energy."

Macro silently agreed, gritting his teeth together. Oh, how he'd love to join in with them. He absently rubbed his ribs as he strutted towards the docks. DL's soft footsteps followed him, but he dared not look back at her. With the mood he was in, he worried he might say something he'd regret.

A loud whoosh followed by a yelp of surprise snapped him around one-eighty and his eyes widened as a spiral of flames washed towards the lake. The end of the inferno tapered towards Anchor's mouth. The granbull's eyes were wide with surprise, but there was no sign of Switch. The inferno subsided and the talonflame flapped like a dazed hatchling from the scorched floor. Flames trailed over the ground towards the lake, slowly rising as they ate away the grass.

"I..." Anchor gasped. "I think I got it to work."

Switch wobbled and slumped to the floor onto his stomach, wings spread-eagled at his sides.

"Are you all right, Switch?" Anchor rushed to his side and placed a paw on his back.

Switch let out a feeble 'yes', reassuring the space pirate.

Macro trotted to the lake to join the water pokemon in putting out the remains of the blaze. He grabbed a bucket from the emergency stand and tossed its contents onto the flames. They sizzled before fizzling out, leaving behind blackened grass. His heart hammered in his chest, and he fixed worried eyes on the two pokemon.

"Okay." His voice wavered slightly and he pointed a claw at Anchor and Switch as he strolled past them. The latter was still sprawled on the floor, eyes rolling in his head. "I'll be on my ship. Don't burn down the city while I'm away, all right?"

"Roger," rasped Switch.

Macro trudged towards the docks, rubbing a paw under his goggles. His mind was reeling. Yet more Ultra Beasts had invaded System, destroying yet another city. In his own attempts to save Pulse City, he'd destroyed another beneath it. Meta City was slowly being reduced to a toxic wasteland, and kartana were tearing up the outskirts. The memory of those bladed beasts made his ribs hurt and he found himself feeling short of breath. He paused to lean against a lamp post and pulled his goggles from his head.

"Are you all right?" DL placed a paw on his shoulder.

He nodded and gave her paw a soft squeeze before pushing himself on. Once he'd reached his ship, clattering came from the kitchen as Cookie shot to the door and poked his head around it.

"Captain!" Cookie's face lit up with a smile. "Are you wanting some lunch? I'm making chocolate chip pancakes!"

"Ring the bell, I'll see how I feel."

Macro watched the slurpuff duck back into the kitchen, then made for his room. He closed the door before DL could follow him inside, and threw himself onto his back on the bed.

"Macro?" Her voice was muffled slightly by the door. "Can I get you anything?"

"No." He let his arm flop over his eyes. "But I'll call if I change my mind."

"All right. I'll be helping Cookie if you need me."

He heard her shuffle away down the corridor. With a flustered sigh, he let his arm fall back down beside him and stared up at the ceiling. Five more days. He had five more days before he would be potentially declared fit for work. 'Potentially' wasn't a guarantee. It didn't sit well with him.

Every second he spent lounging around Cyan City was another second Socket was rolling with her plan. Another second that Ultra Beasts were allowed into System. Another second that a city was at risk of falling under attack, that pokemon were being killed, that cities were falling. Another second towards the risk of an Ultra Beast striking Cyan City while he was nothing more than a sitting ducklett.

But it wasn't Socket opening those gateways herself. It was BackDoor. Socket's androids were scattered over System Sky looking for a gateway into a new, clean world. If they took out the androids, then her plan would screech to a halt. Solgaleo had gifted them a way to stop BackDoor. Anchor had managed to get his Z-Move to work. It would only be a matter of time before the rest of them would get their Z-Crystals under control. However, Macro was in no fit state to fight. Neither was DL.

DL... her electric moves could prove to be very useful in this upcoming battle. Androids were riddled with wires and circuits. One jolt and BackDoor would crumple into a sparking, useless scrap heap.

Macro sat up straight as his reeling mind slowed to a halt. That was it. If they were going to stop Socket, DL needed to use her Z-Move. But with no knowledge of her electrical attacks, there was no way she could master it. The sooner she got them back, the sooner she could get practising. And by then, he'd be able to fight as well, whether he was given the all clear or not. He flipped himself off his bed and rushed out of the room towards the cockpit. He stopped before the controls and looked over them. A jumble of mess he'd never been able to get his head around. He grabbed the steering stick and gave it a wiggle. Nothing.

"Come on, Macro, think!" he barked.

His eye fell on a panel beside the stick and he placed his paw over it. The ship flared to life. Another jiggle of the stick made the ship lurch and before he knew it, they were moving backwards.

Claws skittered over the floor as DL dashed into the cockpit. She glanced around before stopping beside him, fixing Cyan City with frantic eyes.

"What are you doing?!" she squeaked.

"Getting your other memory disks," he said flatly as he loaded up what he desperately hoped was the auto pilot feature.

"Without the rest of your crew?" she gasped. "Are you nuts?!"

"Nope, I am actually thinking straight." A surge of relief flowed through him as he found a list of locations logged into the auto pilot. "Thank goodness this is here, 'cos I don't know nothin' about co-ordinates."

"Could you explain yourself?" DL snapped. "Before I'm forced to call Anchor? Or Jumper?"

He looked up at her, meeting her chocolate glare. "We need your moves, DL. If you can use your electric Z-Move on BackDoor, it'll short circuit it. Socket's plan will screech to a halt, and we can get a jump on her. Stop all this nonsense before it goes any further."

"But what about the rest of your crew? You're just leaving them?"

"They're in the best place right now. They can practice their attacks, get a head start on them while the two of us aren't able to train. If they can utilise Z-Moves, they might be able to teach us faster. And even if things are a little slow, three of my crew being able to use them will put us at a huge advantage when we face BackDoor."

"So you're leaving your crew behind, including Anchor who's had your back more times than I could even guess, in order to get my memories? Just so we can launch ourselves into battle against a deranged robot?!"

"Yes!" Macro fixed her in a violet stare. "With that android flyin' around out there, Ultra Beasts are being dragged into System and it needs to stop!"

"It will stop."

"Yes, after I've 'recovered'! In the meantime, System is under attack and Socket's army is doin' nothin' to stop it! We've been tasked to stop this android and mark my words we're gonna succeed! Now strap yourself in, sweetheart, 'cos I don't know what I'm doin'."

DL let out a sigh and shoved him aside, taking over the controls. He watched as her paws flew over them with expert speed and precision. Well... Anchor had successfully trained her. He climbed into his seat, leaving DL to take Anchor's over-sized chair.

"Where are we going?" She still didn't sound remotely impressed.

"Botnet City." He tucked his paws behind his head and leant back in his seat. "We'll tick that one off the list first. Then we'll worry about Socket's floating mansion."

...

Matrix pointed a tiny paw, drawing Anchor's attention away from Switch's attack. The talonflame was already in full swing, but Anchor was rendered oblivious as he watched Wildcard Gamma drifting across the sky, away from Cyan City. His eyes widened and he opened his mouth to shout, but was cut short as Switch's aerial ace collided with his jaw. Anchor staggered sideways, flailing his arms to right his balance.

"What in the world?!" he roared.

"Sorry," said Switch. "It was too late to stop. What distracted you?"

"That!" Anchor pointed a claw at the ship. "Macro has gone and left us here! The lunatic!"

"He did seem rather riled up," said Matrix.

Anchor locked his eyes on the ribombee's, but Matrix merely shrugged as he span his antenna around his paw.

Switch's jaw stiffened and he looked from the space pirates to the ship and back. "I'd like to say he has good reason for this, but none of us are bedridden this time."

"Good reason my tail." Anchor barged past Switch, flames flickering from his jaws. "I'll drag him back here by his scarf."

Switch fluttered his wings as he struggled to keep up with him. "How do you plan on going after him?"

"I'll see if Jumper has a ship I can borrow. Macro can barely fly Wildcard Gamma so it shouldn't take me too long to catch up."

"But DL does," said Matrix. "And she's with him."

The granbull snorted and fired a glance towards the rapidly vanishing ship. "Then I'll chase that mawile across System if I have to."

"Have you any idea where he's going?" Switch asked. "Or why he's doing this?"

"He's doin' it 'cos he's crazy and got no patience," said Anchor. "He's throwin' himself in harm's way right after that kartana attack, and I ain't about to let him do that! As for where he's goin'? If it's for DL's disks, then it's one of two places. Botnet or Meta. And I'm gonna bank all my credits on it bein' Botnet. 'Cos he might be crazy, but he ain't daft enough to face up against Socket when he's barely able to fight a hatchling."

Anchor marched across the square, pushing through the crowds towards the town hall. The blastoise on duty cast them a filthy look before he stepped aside. Anchor muttered a 'thanks' then stomped over to the Governor's office. He didn't even knock. Jumper looked up with a start and was about to dismiss them, but his eyes widened when he spotted the three pokemon.

The frogadier lowered his stamp and his face fell. "What's happened?"

"Macro's high tailed it outta here," said Anchor. "Left us behind."

"Seriously? But he's in no fit state to work!"

"I know, but he clearly don't care."

"So he's just gone, like that? What ever for?"

"I have a good, solid guess." The granbull folded his arms and snorted. "Any chance you've got a ship we can borrow? 'Cos I'm gonna go after him, and I'll hijack one if I have to."

"There'll be no need for that." Jumper rose to his feet and gestured for Anchor to follow him. "I've got three government battleships, and you are free to borrow one. Just... please try to bring it back in one piece?"

"Aye."

"A battleship?" Switch stuttered. "We're taking after him in a vehicle of war?"

"I personally think that's awesome," said Matrix.

Anchor faltered by the door and scratched his mohawk. "I'm not entirely sure we'll be thinking of it as 'awesome' when we catch up with him. Mood he's been in, he'll fire on a government ship."

Jumper looked over his shoulder at him. "Well I'm afraid I don't have any other option."

Anchor let out a sigh and waved a paw in defeat. "Fine. We'll take one. Unfortunately it means we'll have to give him a heads up, especially if you want it back in one piece."

"I'd rather you all came back in one piece, not just the ship."

Jumper led them out the side of the town hall and towards the docks. Hidden away from the smaller, domestic ships was a neat row of glistening, golden government battleships. Their pointed appearance was intimidating despite their small size. There would be little chance of sleeping on them, and for three pokemon to fit inside would be rather snug. Matrix might have been able to find a corner out of the way, but Switch and Anchor would be shoulder to shoulder.

"Given you're only intending on catching up with him," said Jumper as he led them along towards them, "It shouldn't be too uncomfortable. Once you're back at your ship, I imagine you could deliver mine back in its cargo hold?"

"Shouldn't be a problem," said Anchor.

A small clang rang out from behind him and he span on his heel. Matrix appeared almost out of thin air and bobbed backwards, slightly dazed. He shook out his antenna and pointed a paw.

"There's a cloaked ship here." His voice wavered slightly.

"Eh?"

They all stared at the spot, aghast. If it was a cloaked ship, it was a very good cloak. System Sky was as clear as day through it. Matrix vanished back beyond the cloak, humming to himself as he zipped back and forth out of sight. He buzzed backwards away from it and rubbed his chin.

"It's a tympole ship," he said.

"Really?" Jumper's eyes widened briefly then his snout creased into a frown. "There's another space pirate here?"

"I guess so," said Anchor, eyeing the invisible ship with admiration. "Must have cost a pretty penny, that cloak. And I thought ours was good."

"So whose is it?" Jumper asked. "Do you know them?"

"Not sure, if I'm honest," said Anchor. "I see a lot of ships. Pirates come and go. There's new ships being built every day. Has to be, since they can get pretty beat up. Wildcard Gamma is our third, yanno."

"So you've no idea at all?" asked Jumper. "No idea who I need to look for?"

"Exactly. If they're a water type, they'd blend in pretty well."

"Then maybe I should stay behind and assist the police force?" said Switch. "Get to the bottom of it."

"Might be the best plan," said Anchor.

"No need." The female voice made them all jump out of their skin.

Anchor spun on the spot, and his expression fell at a zigzagoon's familiar face. She looked at each of them in turn, her claws flexing at her sides. Itching as they sought out her hidden laser.

"Well, well." Jumper folded his arms and shifted his weight to one leg. "I have to say, I'm a little disappointed such a pretty young girl has set out on a life of piracy."

"I'm not a pirate," she said. "I'm a mercenary."

"Oh." Jumper jolted slightly. "How can I believe you?"

"Scan me if you wish." Surge nodded towards her invisible ship. "Now if you don't mind, I have a pirate to chase after."

"Hang on one stinkin' second!" Anchor grabbed her shoulder and spun her back towards him. "I ain't just gonna let you chase after Macro like that! What kinda heartless lass are you anyway? Helpin' him out then turnin' on him like this?"

Surge's muzzle stiffened and she swatted his paw away. "I'm doing my job."

"What? Are all mercenaries traitors?"

"Someone pays me, I do their job. Macro paid me, so I worked for him. Socket is paying me, so I'm working for her."

Matrix 'hmm'd' and twirled his antenna. "Last I heard, Socket was after your head."

Surge flashed a canine and let out a low growl. "She'll be singing and dancing when I turn him in to her."

"What, you think she'll let you off the hook?" Anchor growled.

"Given how long she's been after him, yes."

Those words made Anchor's heart sink. He balled his paws into fists and hot cinders trickled from his teeth. Jumper placed a paw on his arm and ushered him aside. The frogadier's eyes were trained on Surge, and Anchor spotted a ball of frubbles hidden in his paw behind his back.

"Listen, ma'am," he said. "Wildcard Gamma are under my protection in Cyan City. Whereas you might see this as controversial, I can't ignore your attempts to harm my good friends. I think I speak for the entire city. So I suggest you come with me, or my entire armed forces will be out here to apprehend you."

Surge let out a bitter laugh. "So you speak for the entire city, do you? If only you knew. I've not been working alone here, Governor."

Jumper jolted again, enough for Surge to whip out her laser and back towards her ship.

"Stay back!" she barked. "I've got almost ever type, and I've not come in here unprepared."

"Bragging?" Switch whispered to Anchor.

"I'd say," the granbull whispered back.

He shot Matrix a grin and the ribombee nodded, ducking down towards the ship. Surge was too focused on the larger pokemon to notice. She reached beneath her jacket and the ship de-cloaked, revealing the smiling tympole. She took another step backwards and a grimace spread across her face. She looked down at her foot and tried to lift it, but sticky webs held her fast to the docks.

Jumper let loose his frubbles, knocking the laser from her paw where it landed harmlessly encased in the foamy mass. Anchor barrelled past her and she let out a wail as she tried to spin towards him.

"What do you think you're doing?!" she screeched. "Get off my ship!"

Anchor threw a grin in her direction before following Matrix onto the ship. Switch followed after him, winking at Surge as he hopped past.

"Thanks for the sweet ride," he said. "We'll be sure to give it back."

Surge seethed and sank to her bottom, clenching her paws so tightly her pads bled. Jumper crouched behind her and tugged her paws towards him behind her back, before securing them with his frubbles.

"You're coming with me, ma'am," he said.

"You can't hold me for long," she hissed. "Socket won't stand for it."

"Oh, I'm aware," he said. "But that doesn't mean you can't answer questions."

Anchor burst into laughter as he watched the zigzagoon be steered away, then familiarised himself with the controls.

"This is just perfect," he said. "Not tiny, and it looks like a space pirate ship. Not to mention Surge can't give chase without it."

"That's well and good and all," said Matrix from the navigation dash. "But there's just one tiny hitch in our plan."

"Oh? What's that?" Anchor asked.

"Macro made it very clear that Surge isn't an ally, and I'm fairly certain he knows her ship."

Anchor and Switch blinked at him.

"Yeh," Matrix went on. "So it doesn't really matter what ship we take off in. He's still gonna shoot at us."