Chapter 12: Jumping the Shark, Part 1

The sun shone down on the new Nightscale’s base, bathing it in light. It was warm and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, creating the perfect day for outdoor training. 

Galena and Lady faced each other on the dirt road outside of the building. Both Pokémon breathed heavily as they regained their energy for more battling exercises. Inti and Ivan stood by the base’s entrance, watching the others intently. 

“Okay girlfriend, your attacks are looking real good! Now, come on and let me have it!” Galena encouraged as she pounded on her chest.

“Okay!” the Beautifly replied with a determined flap. “I’ll give it my best!”

She flicked her wings toward the Goodra, sending a spray of silver powder at her. Galena shielded herself with Protect while waiting until the powder settled and the barrier dissipated.

“Heads up! Dragon Pulse!” she called before throwing her head forward. A violet beam exploded out of her mouth toward Lady, but the Beautifly nimbly flew out of the way. 

She laughed. “Ooh, that was a good one!”

“Thanks! Now, why don’t we see how your specialty is coming along?” the Goodra asked. 

Inti gave Galena a wary look from the sidelines. “Are you sure? You’ve seen that Lady’s Solarbeam can be quite powerful.”

“It’s no problem,” she dismissed, waving her hand. “Grass moves aren’t that effective on me. Besides, I’m built for taking hits. I can handle it.”

The Druddigon shook his head. “If you say so.” 

“Galena can tank hits, I’ve seen it. She should be fine,” Ivan added with a smile. 

Inti sighed before spreading out his wings and glancing at the sun high above them. His wings glowed, as did the bright yellow star.

“We’ve got this!” the Goodra proclaimed before locking eyes with Lady. “Hit me with your best shot!”

“Here I go!” Lady cheered with a nod. She looked up at the sun and her markings glowed. “Mister sun, please give me a… Solarbeam!”

The sun flashed as though winking before shooting a burst of blinding light. The sunbeam flew down at an impossible speed. Galena gasped as she looked up in shock, her eyes wide with sudden regret, though she had to shield them due to its radiance.

BLAM!

The light blasted into Galena’s stomach and sent her stumbling wildly back. She grunted as she tried to keep her balance, but the force of the strike was too much. The Goodra fell on her behind, coughing and seething from the pain of the impact. A large bruise began to spread across her stomach. She winced as she poked at it.

“Damn girl… that was a nasty blow.”

The two observing dragons ran over, a look of concern on both their faces. 

“Are you okay?” Inti asked, offering a hand to help her up. 

“Oh no, did I do it too hard?” Lady squeaked as her head fell.

Galena shook her head before chuckling. She took the Druddigon’s hand and groaned as she rose to her feet.  “Nah, that was impressive, you’re really working that attack! Our training and missions are paying off!”

“Oh, thank you Galy!” she replied as her antennae stood up. “I’ve been working hard with my hubby, you, and Ivy! It makes me feel special to train with such smart and talented fighters!”

Ivan smiled. “Glad you’re enjoying your training! You’ll be a great fighter in no time!”

“I bet soon you’ll be able to kick arugula boy’s butt,” the Goodra joked with a smirk. “You’ll blow the leaves right off him.”

He crossed his arms. “In my defense, she’d have the type advantage. And I get up close, while she attacks from the air.”

“As she should,” Inti remarked. “It’s safer for a bug type to evade hits. They’re generally more fragile.”

“But that’s okay, I know my friends and darling will protect me!” Lady cheered, closing her eyes. 

The Grovyle laughed. “No doubt about that. But you guys are getting the hang of this, you’re both doing great!”

Inti grinned and raised his head in surprise. “Oh… thank you. I suppose I am getting more acclimated to fighting as well. But more importantly, Lady is enjoying herself.”

“I’m having a wonderful time!” his wife affirmed.

‘This is going well!’ Ivan thought. ‘Our first mission might not have gone as planned, but since then it’s been nice. Training is going smoothly and we’re all getting along as a team. Inti and Galena give me a little grief now and then, but I think we’ll get past my mistake. So long as I don’t make another one…’

“I think we’ve earned a break. Who’s up for some scones and Regalian tea?” Galena asked the group as she waddled toward the door of the base. 

Inti nodded. “That sounds nice, but make sure to have some Oran or Sitrus berries too, Galena.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll slice some fruit for myself,” she replied as she dusted herself off. “And a berry for your bombshell Beautifly’s.”

“Pecha, please!” Lady squealed before fanning her wings.

Ivan closed his eyes and grinned as he walked to the door. “I’m so glad to have a day like this. I know we started off a little rocky, but now things couldn’t be better!” 

He continued walking, though everyone else froze in place.

“Look out! Above you!” the Goodra yelled. 

Ivan’s eyes snapped open as he spun around and looked up.

But it was too late— a barrage of envelopes rained down on him, smacking and scraping him as he tried in vain to shield his body. Finally, a package fell and struck him on the head, causing him to yelp. 

“What in the— what was that for?” Ivan muttered as he looked back at the sky. In the distance, a Bombirder with a mailbag was quickly flying away to drop more letters on unsuspecting recipients. The Grovyle grimaced at the assailant as he rubbed his head.

Inti gawked at Ivan. “Are you alright? That was unusual.”

“You don’t say,” he sighed. “This town needs to hire better mail carriers. I almost dread getting the mail now.”

“Guess it’ll keep you on your toes,” Galena deadpanned before bending over to pick up the letters. 

Lady fluttered to the ground. “I’ll help too!”

Inti began to scoop up envelopes as well. Within a moment, all the letters were picked up and handed back to Ivan, except for a muted pink envelope nestled in Galena’s hand. 

She gave it a curious look as she flipped it over. Stamped on it was AIRTA’s shield logo and neatly centered text. “‘From the Desk of Thresha Garnett…’ the heck is this?”

Ivan’s eyes went wide. “W-what!?” He gasped before reeling back and slamming into the door with a thud. He threw out a claw, which shook uncontrollably. “T-t-tell me you misread!” 

“Uh, I don’t think so,” the Goodra replied, giving him a confused glare. She glanced back at the envelope. “No, dude, it says ‘Thresha Garnett.’ Who’s that?” 

He clenched his teeth. “Don’t speak that name, not around the sanctity of our home!” 

“What’s wrong, Ivy?” Lady asked, her expression weighed down with concern.

Ivan inhaled deeply as his head began to spin and his face drained of all color. “Thresha Garnett is the grim reaper of rescuers. Hired by AIRTA to eradicate their hopes and dreams. Her pink envelopes disguise her ill omens… it’s a death note!”

“Oh calm down,” Galena muttered, rolling her eyes. “She can’t be that awful. How do you know this is bad news, anyway?”

The Grovyle began to pace back and forth. “She strikes fear into the innocent and smites the guilty… I have to get my affairs in order. Write my will, send a letter to my mom, pick what to wear for my funeral…”

“Even I find that overdramatic,” Inti scoffed.

Galena nodded in agreement, but upon meeting Ivan’s gaze, she noticed that his expression showed an unmistakable glow of fear and sadness. “You’re really that worried, huh?”

“Yeah,” he croaked as he looked away. “Just open it and tell me what it says. I’ll try to accept my fate.”

The Goodra’s expression turned serious. She cautiously opened the envelope and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Inti, Ivan, and Lady stared in anticipation as she flicked her wrist to unfurl it. The loud flick of the paper made the Grovyle flinch.

Galena cleared her throat as she scanned the letter. “‘Dear Mr. Ivan Drakonov… I am writing to request a meeting with you to discuss a critical issue. This is regarding the change of leadership of Team Nightscale. It would be best to discuss this as soon as possible. Please write back to my office to schedule an appointment. Until we meet, you must cancel all of your team’s missions or work tasks and refrain from accepting more missions. Disobeying this order will not be tolerated. I hope to speak with you within the next business days. Regards, Thresha Garnett…’”

When the Goodra took her eyes off the paper, she saw the broken, deflated husk of the Grovyle to which the letter was addressed. His eyes were watering as they stared up at her in terror. 

“I’m dead. My dream is dead… why is this happening to me?” he choked out.

Inti bore a look of concern and judgment. “What have you done to receive such an alarming message?” 

“I… I don’t know!” Ivan yelped, throwing his arms out in concession. “I thought I did everything right— I’m sure I did!”

“Maybe it’s not as bad as it sounds! She might just want to help you,” Lady offered, flying higher to match her optimism. 

Galena frowned. “I dunno. If we can’t go on missions, something’s gotta be up.”

“Y-yeah,” the Grovyle said, beginning to rock on his heels nervously. “I just wish we knew what.”

‘I’ve really messed up something this time,’ he knew. 

‘Whatever it is, I just hope I can fix it.’

---

Ivan stared up at a clock mounted on the office wall, watching as its long hand shifted and clicked. As another agonizing minute passed, he shook with fright and twiddled his claws. A draft blew through the tall door in which he had come through, causing him to shudder. 

‘That must be the icy chill of death,’ he thought. 

Deciding to distract himself with anything, the Grovyle looked around. The small rectangular space around him was taken up by filing cabinets, potted plants, bookshelves, and a long mahogany desk. Galena stood next to him, tapping her foot impatiently. Behind the desk sat a Diggersby woman in a heightened office chair. 

The rabbit was busily filling out piles of paperwork, using her paws and her ears to do twice the work of a normal secretary. She wore a pink wool sweater, a navy skirt, a heart hair clip on her left ear, and Torterra-shell glasses with lenses thick enough to withstand a Bullet Punch. A gilded nameplate between her and the rescuers read “Bonnie Burr.” 

For a moment, the three maintained an uncomfortable silence. That was until suddenly, there was a shrill whistling in the corner of the room. 

Ivan craned his neck toward a white teapot on a counter. It was steaming and bubbling on a hot plate, an invention relatively new to the isle. The Diggersby gasped before hopping off her chair and to the teapot. She turned a dial to turn off the hot plate and retrieved a cup from the counter. She grabbed a spoon and sugar cubes from a jar before pouring herself some tea.

As Bonnie mixed the sugar in, she turned to look at Ivan and Galena with her warm brown eyes. “Would either of you like a cup of tea?” Her voice was nasally but chipper, an endearing combination of awkward and cute, like her appearance. 

“I’m okay, but thanks,” Galena replied with an anxious smile. 

Ivan nodded. “I appreciate it, but I don’t need anything right now.”

‘It would probably come right back up,’ he knew. The stress was squeezing his stomach, nauseating him. 

“Let me know if you change your mind,” Bonnie said with a smile as she walked back, though she couldn’t look them in the eye. She seemed to sense the tension in the air. 

The Diggersby lowered her chair so she could sit again, then propped up the chair with a lever. But just as she was about to sip her steaming cup of tea, there was a mechanical beeping. Her eyes shot to a metal box on her desk with small holes in the front and a red button on top. A wire led from its back over to the wall. Ivan recognized this device as an ‘intercom,’ another new technology from mainland Noverra.

Bonnie promptly pressed the button and leaned toward it. There was a burst of static before a breathy, garbled voice began to break through the noise. 

“I shall see Mr. Drakonov now,” it said.

The Grovyle’s blood ran cold. ‘That must be Thresha Garnett. I don’t know if it’s the static, but somehow her voice is even more monstrous than I imagined…”

“Very good, ma’am, I will send him in. It seems he brought a teammate,” Bonnie replied before giving the pair a wary nod. “Ms. Garnett is ready for you. You may go through that door.” 

She pointed to a door left of her desk, parallel to the one Galena and Ivan had entered through. They shuffled over to it, the Grovyle leading. 

He froze in place as he looked up at the door. Screwed onto it was a sleek bronze plaque with the words, “Thresha Garnett— Head Administrator, Team Affairs.”

Ivan gulped as he slowly reached for the doorknob, which was like a hooked lever to accommodate Pokémon without opposable thumbs. He grabbed it, wincing as the cool metal of the knob seeped into his skin, but couldn’t bring himself to push down on it to enter.

“We don’t have all day, dude,” Galena chided from behind him. 

The Grovyle sighed. ‘It was a good life while it lasted.’

Though his arms trembled, he summoned what courage he could and pushed the knob down and forward. The door opened with a slow, sad squeak, as though sympathetic to him and his inevitable fate.

Ivan took a look around as he stepped through. To his surprise, the office was a spacious, warmly colored room with reddish wood walls and floors. Shelves, filing cabinets, and more plants filled its outer rim. In its center was a tall desk, four cushioned stools made for every size of Pokémon, and a neatly spread red carpet. When he looked to the closest wall, he noticed a corkboard with a collage of photos, certificates, and other papers. 

But when the Grovyle looked to the left side of the room, he flinched in fright.  Sitting at the desk was an older Garchomp woman busily punching the keys of a typewriter with her long, scythe-like claws. She was hunched over, her demeanor rigid and solemn. Light poured into the room from a semicircle window behind and bathed her back in sunbeams, which were sliced in half by her long, notched fin. It was as though the light was mocking Ivan about her sharp, imposing presence.

Galena shut the door, causing Thresha to look up. She adjusted a pair of glasses that clung to her snout and glared at the rescuers. Her eyes were like burning yellow orbs swimming in pools of black nothingness. 

“Please take a seat,” she instructed. 

Not wishing to incur her wrath any further, Ivan crept over and sat on one of the smaller stools. Galena plopped herself down on a wide stool at the end of the array. 

Once settled, the Grovyle looked up to meet the towering administrator’s eyes. She stared back, her very gaze squeezing his chest and choking him. Though now that he was up close, Ivan made some unexpected observations. In contrast to her razor-sharp spikes and coarse violet scales, she was dressed from head to ankle in normal, if old-fashioned, attire. She wore a sleeveless yellow top, a flowing rose-pink skirt, a pale blue scarf, and a lustrous pearl necklace. Red lipstick was drawn perfectly into a heart shape on her lips. Despite the personal touches, the Grovyle’s heart beat rapidly in terror.

Looking away from the Grovyle, she eyed Galena and tilted her head. “I don’t believe I requested Miss Gooley’s presence in this meeting.”

“I’m his emotional support Goodra,” Galena deadpanned, rolling her eyes. “We’re a popular service for airheaded rescuers.”

“Right… in any case, thank you for meeting with me promptly,” Thresha said politely, though she had a bored tone. Her eyes locked back on Ivan. “Do you know why you are here?”

‘To die,’ he thought. “No, Ms. Garnett. All you said was that there was an issue with me taking leadership of Nightscale.”

“I did not want to ruin the surprise,” the Garchomp said flatly.

“Well, you’ve given us a bit of a scare,” Galena chimed in, crossing her arms. “What’s the problem, exactly?”

Thresha stared at the Goodra, causing her to shrink, then shifted her eyes slowly back toward Ivan as though studying her prey. She stretched her maw to give a deep sigh, revealing rows and rows of spiky teeth spiraling from her jaw into her throat.

“I have asked you here so that I can inform you, Mr. Drakonov, that you have made a very serious error in your filing to assume leadership of Nightscale,” the Garchomp explained. “And referring to it as an error is generous on my part. It is downright irresponsible.”

‘Serious error? Irresponsible!? I did everything right… didn’t I!?’ Ivan’s thoughts blurted. Fear boiled in his stomach. 

“What k-kind of error?” he stuttered, gritting his teeth. “I swore I filed all the correct forms.”

The Garchomp scoffed and looked at a packet of papers on her desk. She scowled. “No, I can assure you that you have not. My office informed me that you did not file forms 24-A through 27-J of your leadership onboarding.”

“…Which were?” Ivan chirped as his face turned white.

Her gaze sharpened. “The forms you would have signed to accept AIRTA’s hiring guidelines.”

The Grovyle shot up, nearly jumping out of his seat as he pointed a claw at her. “I know for a fact I signed those!”

“We never received them,” Thresha dismissed with a huff. “My office receives everything handed to the front desk regarding team affairs.”

“Then what happened?” Galena pressed, wearily looking at Ivan with a brow raised.

He rubbed his chin as he sat back down. “Let me think. When I received them, I filled them out, put them aside, wrote out my ad for open positions and…”

Suddenly, his jaw stopped and hung open. The realization hit him.  

‘Then I took the ads to AIRTA… but not the forms.’ 

Ivan’s chest tightened as though he were being crushed to death by an angry Arbok. “I might have… forgotten about them.”

“You forgot,” Thresha hissed, a heavy tone of contempt in the words. “Mr. Drakonov. In this business, proper documentation is not something that you can simply forget. I run a very tight ship, and I expect all teams’ papers to be in order. I do not know how my department has allowed you to operate with these forms missing, nor do I wish to. But until that paperwork was handled, you were not to hire any teammates.”

‘Wait, what!?’ Ivan’s thoughts yelled as his heart raced faster. 

Galena gasped. “Wait, I’m not supposed to be working for him!?”

“I am afraid that is correct. This is also true for Mr. and Mrs. Springs,” she replied. 

Ivan wrung his claws. “Whoa, I’m sorry! You’re right, this is bad. Give me the forms and I’ll sign them right now!”

“Is that so?” Thresha asked. Her lips writhed before snaking upward into a toothy, malicious grin. “You will do the paperwork now? How wonderful. Certainly, Mr. Drakonov, please disregard every procedure AIRTA has had in place for decades. You are the son of the great Luka Drakonov, after all, so there should be no repercussions for your actions!”

She looked Ivan in the eye as she brought her arm up. She threw it down and slammed her claw onto her desk.

BANG!

“It does NOT work like that!” the Garchomp roared before standing and lurching toward Ivan.

Galena and the Grovyle reeled back in surprise, the latter nearly falling off his stool. Thresha stood for a moment, exhaling heavily out of her toothy maw. She then cleared her throat and sat back down.

“My apologies… I just cannot tolerate such absent-mindedness,” she said, shaking her head at Ivan. “Did your father not teach you to be diligent in these kinds of matters?”

His head fell. The question hit him like a Poison Jab through the heart. ‘My dad… he was vigilant about everything related to rescuing. Nobody likes paperwork, but he took it all in stride. Or at least, it seemed that way.” 

“You’re right, Ms. Garnett. I’ve been in over my head, trying to lead Nightscale,” Ivan confessed. “But I mean it when I say I’ll correct my mistakes, no matter what I have to do.”

The Garchomp sighed. “You do not understand, Mr. Drakonov. Failure to abide by AIRTA’s standards and procedures is inexcusable. This warrants discussion of whether Nightscale… should be retired outright.”

“What!? R-retired!?” the Grovyle yelped, throwing out his arms. “You can’t be serious! You can’t shut us down!”

Galena’s mouth fell open. She slowly craned her neck toward the Grovyle. “Holy crap. Dude, you messed up bad.”

He clasped his hands together pleadingly and looked up at Thresha. “Please, this is my dream. It’s everything I’ve worked for!”

“You should have thought of that beforehand, Mr. Drakonov,” she spat, baring her knife-like teeth. “You operated outside of the organization’s protocols. Consider yourself lucky that I am not requesting your dismissal from AIRTA altogether. Either way, I would need a good reason not to retire your team given its… detestable reputation.”

Galena opened her mouth to offer Ivan another sentiment of shock, but she stopped herself when she saw the look on his face. The Grovyle hung his head in shame and defeat.

‘So this is it. Not only have I destroyed this amazing opportunity with my recklessness, but I’m letting down all my new friends. Galena, Lady, Inti. And to top it all off, I’ve failed my dad and what he stood for,’ he thought. ‘Is there a reason I can offer her? I can’t think of one. Dear Arceus no… it’s over. Everything I’ve worked for has come crashing down.’

Ivan could only stare up at the Garchomp and look for any sign of compassion on her face. But he found none— all he saw was her glaring yellow eyes boring holes into him. It was a jarring sight compared with the coral-blue eyeshadow above them. And a dusting of blush on the scales of her cheeks. And the heart on her lips drawn neatly with red lipstick…

As he scrambled for something to try, less noble gears in his head started turning. ‘I could maybe… suck up? That’s low, but I don’t know what else to do.’

“I… I understand, but before we g-go any further, can I ask you something, Ms. Garnett?” he began. 

She frowned as she adjusted her glasses. “What is your question?” 

‘Here goes nothing,’ Ivan thought, gulping. “This is random… but I like your makeup!”

Galena cocked her head, giving him a dumbstruck stare. She mouthed “The hell?” before Ivan put a claw up to her to shush her. 

The Garchomp blinked in confusion before shuffling through some papers. “Mr. Drakonov, let us keep this discussion on the matter at hand.”

The Grovyle nodded to his teammate, silently prompting her to follow his lead. 

Her eyes darted around the room before she quietly exhaled and smiled. “Oh yeah, that shade of eyeshadow looks great. I wish I had that kind of stuff for myself. Where do you get it?”

“Miss Gooley, please, can we…?” the Garchomp began before freezing. She glanced at Galena expectantly. “R-really?”

‘Wait… that WORKED!?’ Ivan thought, wide-eyed. 

The Goodra gave Thresha a saccharine grin. “Of course, you’re working it! Love that outfit too. Very hip.”

To the pair’s shock, she blushed. A grin of her own crept onto her face, again revealing dozens of her hundreds of her teeth. “Oh, well… thank you. Not everyone notices the effort I put into my appearance. I order from a cosmetician on the mainland, the best I could afford. As for my attire, I know a tailor in Perla who custom-made everything.” 

“You should give me their address sometime,” the Goodra remarked. “Cause they really know their stuff. I could use a makeover.” 

“It looks good on you!” Ivan added. “If I didn’t know better… I’d ask you out to dinner sometime!”

‘Wow, I’m going that direction?’ the Grovyle asked himself. ’ Have I no shame? I’m… I’m not going to answer that.’

Both Thresha and Galena froze in place. His teammate gave him a concerned look.

The Garchomp sat silently for a moment, but then her grin stretched to her ears. Her cheeks glowed bright red and she roared in a fit of breathy, joyous laughter. “Hahahaha! Heavens, Mr. Drakonov, how scandalous. You’re far too young for me!” 

“Worth a shot,” Ivan remarked, maintaining a feigned smile. ‘And it seems to have worked better than expected.’

Thresha fanned herself with her claws, overheating with embarrassment. She then put her elbows on her desk and leaned her head on her arms. “Although, you’re not the first to notice. Fernando from accounting took me dancing last weekend. That Charizard is such a hunk…”

“He’s a lucky guy,” Galena chimed in with a wink. 

Thresha exhaled as she calmed herself from her laughing fit. She glowed with joy, her otherwise sharp and foreboding features softened. “I appreciate it, both of you… goodness, I needed that. As much as I would like to talk more about myself,  we really must return to our business. Where were we?”

She looked back at the forms on her desk. The first page contained so many words in small print that its content would rival the Arcamaran Dictionary’s. The top read, “Rescue Team Retirement Request,” and at the bottom was a series of lines for her signature. All she needed to do to destroy Nightscale was dip her claw in an inkwell on her desk and sign. 

The Garchomp’s smile disappeared, and in its place grew a deep, quivering scowl. Her eyes were wild with fury, with the left one twitching. Visible puffs of air were pushed out of her maw. “You have to nerve to MANIPULATE ME!?”

The power of her voice blew papers off her desk, scattering them everywhere. Ivan shrunk in his seat, beginning to shake.

‘I’m dead I’m dead I’m dead I’m dead I’m dead!’ his mind screamed.

Galena gritted her teeth as she lurched forward. “Ms. Garnett, wait, we can—”

“THAT TEARS IT!” Thresha roared as she shot her claw into her inkwell, coating its tip in black before raising her arm back up. Her gaze fixated on the form, which somehow survived the force of her cry. “There is no more doubt in my mind! Team Nightscale is officially retired!” 

As she lowered her arm to sign the paper, Ivan leaped off his stool. He rushed to her desk and sprung onto his toes to poke his head and arms over the desk. His eyes were wide with desperation as he wrung his claws. “Ms. Garnett, wait! Please! I’m sorry I tried to trick you but I need to say something!”

The Garchomp stared down and through him, continuing to seethe. “What. Is. It!?”

Ivan’s head drooped in shame. He closed his eyes, from which tears began to leak. “I’m sorry, that was underhanded. My handling of this whole situation, and today, has been shameful. My dad would never condone what I’ve done. I know I’m not him, but I would do anything to be like him. To do the good he would do and have his kind of impact. I am confident that this team, Galena, Lady, and Inti— will help me achieve that. If there is something I can do to fix this, if you’d give me that opportunity out of the kindness of your heart, it would mean the world. Rescuer’s honor.”

Behind him, Galena sat uncomfortably, staring on in cautious anticipation. 

Thresha shook her head as she wiped the ink off her claw with a handkerchief. “I am sorry, Mr. Drakonov. I cannot see how I could justify—”

Suddenly, there was a shrill beeping like the one earlier. The Garchomp stopped her lecture and turned her attention to the intercom on her desk.

She looked back at the rescuers. “Pardon me.” She pressed the button on top of the device before leaning over to speak. “What is it, Miss Burr?” 

“Sorry for the interruption, ma’am, but I just received a memo from upper administration,” Bonnie explained, her voice warped by static. “Your presence is needed for an impromptu meeting in Conference Room 4A in fifteen minutes.”

Thresha released the button and scoffed. “Now? Does no one in this organization plan ahead?” She pressed the button one last time. “Very well, I shall wrap up my current meeting.”

Galena and Ivan watched the Garchomp as her eyes wandered along her desk. She was deep in thought and grimacing.

“Splendid. An impromptu meeting with the Board of Administration… and with Mr. ‘No Pronouns in Our Signatures’ Vane. If that Braviary calls me Mr. Garnett one more time,” she muttered angrily. Suddenly, her expression shifted into one of worry. “They require my presence. Presence… need a present…”

The Garchomp tapped her claws on her desk as she was seemingly reminded of something. She turned her focus back to Ivan and Galena.

“There may be one thing you could do that would prove your merit as rescuers, to change my mind,” she offered, grinding her teeth. 

‘Wait, really!?’ the Grovyle thought, nearly jumping out of his seat. The crushing weight of dread seemed to lift off of him instantly. “Anything! What is it?”

Thresha rubbed her claws together. “It is more of a personal request, admittedly. You see, a few months ago, Miss Burr gifted me this pearl necklace for my birthday.” She pointed to the string of pearls around her muscular neck. “Hers is coming up, but I do not have anything to give her.”

“So you want us to pick out a gift?” Galena asked, crossing her arms.

“No. I know what I am looking for,” she replied. “She also likes jewelry, so I would like to gift her earrings made of ruby, her birthstone. Particularly… I’d like Radiant Rubies. Those only appear on this isle, in the Lustershine Caverns mystery dungeon, and no local jeweler has one. I was going to put out a request for someone to retrieve a crystal, but since you’re here, it would be convenient if you could do so.” 

‘Lustershine Caverns… I haven’t heard that name in ages,’ Ivan thought as his eyes fell to the floor. ‘Dad always said it had a high threat level, but some of the gems there are highly valuable. It’d be quite a challenge to go in there… especially for me.’ 

‘…No. This is for Nightscale. I’m not letting my dream collapse down on me, on us.’ 

“So if Ivan brings back one of these rubies, we’ll be off the hook?” Galena inquired.

Thresha rolled her eyes. “Of course not, Miss Gooley. I would cite an error on the organization’s part, which would permit him a period in which he could submit the missing documents.”

“That would be great!” Ivan blurted, eager to take the offer. “Once we have the rubies, what do we do?”

“You are to bring a small but pristine sample of the crystal to my office by six o’clock on Friday, which marks the end of my work week. If I do not have it then, I shall retract my offer,” she said sternly. 

“By Friday… that’s only three days,” Galena remarked with a frown. 

The Garchomp glowered at her. “Surely those continuing the good work of Luka Drakonov would be capable of such a short-notice task. Or should I retire Nightscale this very moment?”

“N-no, we’re on it!” Ivan gasped. “Three days is plenty of time! We won’t let you down.”

His teammate gave him a bored look. “We? This is your fault, you cabbage-brained—”

Galena stopped as she looked into the desperate, pleading eyes of the Grovyle. She sighed before rubbing her temples. “Fine. We’ll take care of it.”

Ivan relaxed and gave her an apologetic smile. “Thank you. I’ll make sure this gets straightened out.” He turned back to Thresha. “Consider it done!”

“Good, then it is settled,” the Garchomp said as she stood up, towering over him. “Despite my frustrations, I wish for your success. For your sake and mine.”