Chryssa had maneuvered the net into the water and had been working on fishing out the frozen Corsola-- about as frustrating as netting fish out of an aquarium--when she heard Priam announce his Final Move. Yes, she thought, seized with enthusiasm. He better not butcher the dramatic timing...!

It was a testament to Priam's skill as a trainer, something Chryssa lacked, that the so-called Spear of Priam actually came through. No comedic irony, no last-minute complications. Bathed in a brilliant Aqua Jet, the heroic Samurott pierced the ocean spirit and sent its tendrils scattering, dissipating into mist. The other few Corsola still held captive plopped into the water as the ghost lost its corporeal form, bits of ice and bleached coral raining down onto the waves.

Go with peace, spirit of the seas...

The Cursola's mask, now floating alone in the water, seemed to sigh. Then it sank beneath the surface, disappearing from sight.

"You absolutely nailed it," Chryssa whispered.

A moment later Ness resurfaced where it had been, lifting some of the frozen Corsola up on his shell so the warm sun could begin thawing them. Some remained pale white, but others regained their bright color fairly quickly now that their energy was no longer being drained.

"The researcher said it had been picking them off one by one," Chryssa mused out loud, finally netting the loaned "bait" Corsola and lifting it up into the boat. "It probably took it awhile to gain that much power. Thank goodness we stopped it from getting to the nest."

Then again, imagine how much power it would have had. Imagine the battle that would have taken place. Chryssa shivered, torn between morbid curiosity and the genuine exhaustion creeping up on her. Some day, she would like to see that. For today, she'd had enough.

"Brilliant performance. You are by far the coolest and bravest Priam I know." Chryssa eased herself back into one of the seats, watching Ness scull around picking up the last few stray Corsola. "Well, we've done our job-- I say it's time you take us back." Settling in, Chryssa closed her eyes and braced herself for a bumpy ride.

^{corsola conservation | priam conrad
mission complete!}