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The corners of Uruloki's mouth turned up in a smile. "Oddly enough, yes. The General is more interested in keeping his own people from leaving than bothering with anyone else. You don't pay taxes to him and he can't make you unless you become his citizens. That means he has absolutely no interest in you, as long as you're not committing any crimes."

Daeron looked at Uruloki quizzically. "The General?" he repeated.

Uruloki nodded again. "Kyrie and I don't even know his real name. It's never spoken. Even he doesn't use it. He's always called himself the General and that's how he's known."

"Creepy," Kaito muttered.

"Well, he was the previous king's general for nearly a thousand years," Uruloki said simply. "So ... yes. He has the army behind him. Those who didn't join him willingly were forced into his service. Families threatened and so on. As a strategist, he's brilliant. Cold and calculating. Losses mean little to him. He will make any sacrifice he deems necessary - anything not directly affecting him, that means - in order to attain the end he desires."

After giving a brief direction, he added, "Deciding to help out with the Rebellion was a no-brainer for us."

"Don't see why you couldn't just tell us all that," Kaito said with a shrug.

Uruloki sighed. "What I've told you is general knowledge. Anything more must be spoken of behind locked doors, even with Kyrie."

Shiro reached over and whamped his twin upside the head. "Sometimes I wonder how much you think," he muttered as they left the outskirts of the city.

Here, the ground turned from red rock to red soil, and further out from the city they could see where it turned from red soil to brown soil, and then to black. Where the brown soil started was where the treeline began, and past the basic treeline was a dense forest.

"Anyways, this is about as close to our home as you can get without being inside the city itself," Uruloki told them, hopping down from Lancaeriel's arms and sitting on the ground. "There's a stream just beyond the trees,but you could also get your water from one of the city wells, about halfway between here and our house."

Andarien had mostly been listening until this point, but when he overheard his sister's question, his hand just about flew to the balls on his belt as well, and he also waited anxiously for their parents' answer.

"I see no reason why you can't," Earendil reasoned. "We're not in the city anymore, and it doesn't look like there's anything here that might be damaged. And they deserve the time out."

Without waiting for anything else, Andarien released his Pokemon. For Ponydash and Eon, there was a flash of red light as they were let out of their Pokeballs, but for Zeus he simply appeared on the ground next to his father and the Ponyta.

Zeus was more than happy to see his brother, and with a squeal he bounded towards him, his fur crackling with electricity. A sharp command from Andarien stopped him, and he looked back at his master over his shoulder.

"Discharge on the rock there," Andarien ordered the Jolteon, pointing at a rock away from the group.

While Zeus ran to do as he was told, Eon briefly licked Yasu on the forehead in greeting before passing by him to greet his mate.

Ponydash meanwhile was already prancing around, happy to be out of his Pokeball, though clearly itching to run.

"Go for it," Andarien grinned at his friend; and with a loud neigh, Ponydash raced off.

Zeus himself seemed to glow as he discharged his electricity on the rock Andarien had indicated, and then he was quickly back to play with his brother. Eon nibbled on Ai's shoulder and began grooming her. He also wanted to spend time with her, but he had obligations to his master and he had to wait for permission to go off somewhere.

Either that or at least wait for Andarien to be otherwise occupied.

Andarien grinned at Miyuki. "It's rare he gets to run like this. It's good for him. And it's about time he tried a real battle."

Despite the Ponyta's speed, it ran for several hundred meters and turned on a dime before racing back.

"Why not give Yasu a chance?" Andarien suggested. "Eon and Ai do the most battling, and Zeus has been training too ... Ponydash and Yasu both do the least training."

"Aside from Senka," Kaito deadpanned, sitting against a tree trunk and stretching his arms over his head.

"She's not a protector," Daeron chuckled. "She doesn't count."

Andarien called Zeus away from Yasu, and the Jolteon obeyed immediately. He sat next to Andarien's feet and looked up at his master, waiting for instructions. When Andarien smiled at him, he settled in to watch the impending battle.

Ponydash also joined Andarien, nostrils flaring as he pawed the ground. He was full of pent up energy, eager for the battle. Not that he had anything against Yasu - he didn't - but he was looking for a good workout.