I Will Touch the Skies - A Pokemon Fanfiction (OC)

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 278

It had been three months since the Darkest Day had gripped Solaceon by the throat and maimed the city beyond recognition, and it was easy to see that the city hadn't recovered at all. Stores and restaurants were still boarded up, never to open again. The streets were far emptier than they'd ever been, even near the city center, because people had moved after the disaster and never come back, most choosing to settle in Hearthome or Veilstone. I had just spent the night at one of their Centers and decided to see how Solaceon had progressed since I'd left, but the lack of it left a bad taste in my mouth. That wasn't to say that there was no progress at all, however. A port was being built down south on the river mouth, which would belong to the city, and though all political positions in the city had been replaced by Cynthia loyalists, they at least looked to be competent. Now that Shiftry was dead and that no Pokemon had a hold on the city or its surroundings, massive farms were beginning to spring up around the entire place, stretching out west and north as far as the eye could see. I had heard stories about wild Pokemon fighting back at the new expansion, but these were all state-run. They might delay by ripping up some crops, but in the grand scheme of things nothing would change.

Could grass types speed up crop growth? Powerful grass types were able to make trees and plants grow in seconds… but there probably weren't enough of them for it to be a consistent method. Just like Kadabra in the Ranger Outpost, I had to remind myself that the Pokemon I encountered were a lot stronger than what was realistically feasible to train en masse.

Eventually, a powerful Pokemon— or a few— would spring up and start to etch themselves into this world, whereupon the League would be able to make a deal and stop most attacks from ever happening in the first place. I chewed my lip, clenching a fist at the same old systematic oppression taking place here that I was powerless to stop, or even slow. Inch by inch, they took it all away until Pokemon were left with nothing. Deals that lasted decades, or hundreds of years until they were no longer convenient and we encroached some more. Sensing my ire, Tangrowth rubbed a vine on my head and ruffled my hair.

"Angel— Arceus! Don't just ruin my hair," I groaned.

The grass type silently snickered as he carried me toward the old Hunter's mansion— or the Daycare, as it had been called. It still looked the exact same, though League employees and trainers filtered in and out of it. I wasn't planning on getting anywhere close, but I had just wanted to see how things were going. The League had taken over the Hunters' breeding operation here, because even if they'd been a cult, they'd actually been good at their job, and not having their Pokemon would lose the government precious species that it just couldn't get access to without them. There were a few Hunters there as well, easily recognizable by their grey eyes. They knew how to run this place better than the League, after all, and now they were actually getting paid for it.

It was somewhere on this massive plot of land, that I'd had my first battle with another person actively trying to kill me. It was a testament to how much I'd changed, that I had actually let Harry Rodriguez live back then after he'd almost killed both Princess and Sweetheart, despite my reasoning being that him rotting in jail with a permanently maimed leg had been a better price than killing him right away. His death would have been a mercy, or at least that's what I'd believed. He had probably lost his entire leg, now that I was thinking about it. It hadn't been intentional, but Harry Rodriguez deserved something that would stick with him his entire life— a reminder of what he'd done.

Still, it was this place, that had kicked it all off, wasn't it? The first time I had willingly killed a Pokemon, too. I'd been a complete mess afterward, of course, racked by nightmares of electricity surging through Crobat so loudly that it masked the poison type's screams, and hopes that I would never have to do it again. Yet, here I stood, the blood of many more on my hands, and no emotional outburst to show for it. The first time is always the hardest, Cynthia had said, and she had not lied.

"You know, I've always wondered how Shiftry did that Teleportation trick. Or even that pocket dimension one," I muttered to Tangrowth, who was more preoccupied with watching two Ponyta run across the field. "Before I came here, I had no idea dark TE could reach such heights. Shiftry might have been rusty, but he was good."

Even today, I would say the Elder would handily defeat me. I hadn't seen enough from him to actually know how close it'd be, but fighting him in a domain he'd slowly built up over a thousand years? That was a surefire way to lose. Cynthia was just so powerful she hadn't even needed more than two Pokemon to beat him.

"Gives me some ideas for Sweetheart," I continued. "No pocket dimension stuff, I feel like that'd be too hard, but Chase has his Darkfire technique. Cecilia has her special Night Slash… I can get Sweetie to figure something out, at least. What we have to work with right now is Dark Pulse, Crunch and Payback, but those are too rigid for my liking."

Angel had plenty of suggestions, though none of them would actually work. I mean, how does one even mix darkness with Surf? It was technically possible, but she couldn't even move water properly yet, let alone dark TE. It'd take months and be redundant to use, and the only reason he had suggested it was because it would be her favorite option. What that idea did give me, however, was that instead of a wide-ranging attack like Surf, I could attempt to use it with Sand Stream instead. That unfortunately brought a slew of other problems, but none that couldn't be fixed with enough practice, and unlike Surf, she actually knew how to control her Sandstorm thanks to all of the training she'd had with the move since she'd been a Larvitar and Pupitar. The main reason I had taught her Sandstorm that early had explicitly been so she could properly control Sand Stream once she evolved, and it had worked perfectly.

"You know that attack she used against us? That concentrated column of sand she threw at me and Princess? We could start with that."

The grass type absent-mindedly nodded, his attention having been caught by another Pokemon, this time a Teddiursa being carried by one of the employees at the old daycare.

"She's cute, right?" I said, patting his head. "You can't go play, though. We aren't allowed in there."

Tangrowth's vines drooped, but he didn't give up, deciding to wave at them instead. For Sweetheart, I'd need to start small, and I couldn't give her any more techniques to work on. Earthquake, Surf and now this? Any more, and either she'd get overwhelmed, or none of them would be up to par for the fight against Byron.

"Let's head out. I think we've seen enough," I said. "I need to talk to the others."

It was just as Jasmine and Craig had warned. Byron was, first and foremost, a defensive trainer, but that didn't mean he couldn't pack a punch to destroy his opponents. At this point, there weren't many Pokemon of his that were at the eighth badge level, but they had so many tricks that studying them all would take as much, if not more time, as the previous Gyms. The main issue I had was, of course, with the Pokemon on his personal team. Each presented so many issues that I would never be able to address them all, and none of them were easy to deal with.

I had only studied Magnezone and Bronzong in-depth so far.

I had started with studying Magnezone to ease myself into the correct mind space, notably because it was the Pokemon I was the most used to fighting. I'd fought that line in the Solaceon tournament, when I had trained with Mira, and against Volkner, plus I'd seen Jasmine's in action against Craig. While Byron's Magnezone's electric type attacks were somewhat weak— slightly weaker than Honey's, at the moment— that was not where the steel type had put all of its focus. Magnezone's deal was that it could make barriers that looked to be sturdier than Princess' and retaliate against attacks with Mirror Coat. Their Tri Attack was the most powerful I'd ever seen, and they could isolate each elemental beam to make it stronger— or fire more than three beams. There was the usual Lock-On issue, which meant that dodging would be possible, but excruciatingly difficult. All of that was just dressing, compared to the main way Magnezone fought.

Like Bronzong, Magnezone could mess with gravity, though thankfully, it was only with minimal effect. What that meant was that the electric type could artificially speed themself up and make moves like Gyro Ball or Wild Charge hurt way more than they would normally have, and it also made Magnezone excellent at dodging attacks when barriers weren't enough. That did not count all of the custom moves the steel type knew, however, but that would be a common theme with every Gym Leader's personal team. Like Jasmine's own, Magnezone was a master of magnetism and could explode in a burst of sharp metal, controlling it to either attack their opponents or reinforce their own defenses. The steel type could also create some kind of magnetically charged steel storm with those sharp particles. Like Jasmine's Magnezone, they could pull or push at a Pokemon's blood despite the iron contents there being minuscule, which meant that they could lock opponents in place as if they were using Psychic. Speaking of, since they could make barriers, they had minor psychic powers that could make the difference when fighting against a Pokemon without those.

All of that was just scratching the surface, though since Byron wouldn't be going all out, I'd be a fool to study the custom moves he used against people like Craig, for example.

Though I would do so anyway, just in case.

Coming at this Pokemon with any kind of electric or steel type would be a lost cause. Jellicent, Togekiss and Electivire were out of the running, which meant I'd have to lean against my other three Pokemon if I wanted to take Magnezone down. There were weaknesses to exploit, but you had to get close to do so, and that was a trial in and of itself. And for how terrifying Magnezone was, the electric type wasn't as awful as Bronzong.

Starting with the number one issue: Byron's Bronzong was a psychic type, so they were able to keep fighting type moves at bay, and they had the Heatproof ability combined with a powerful Rain Dance when needed, which meant that fire type moves would be nigh useless here, and more importantly, that Byron had a perfect counter against my new and improved lava strategy at his disposal. Luckily for me, Bronzong was also among his weakest offensively, but the steel type was annoying to face. There were the usual psychic type shenanigans, with barriers and all, but Bronzong also knew Future Sight and could see a few seconds into the future when he did use that move— it did have counters, though. Counters that didn't even involve using moves.

Gravity would stop any flying type attempting to get close by sinking them into the ground, which gave Bronzong a nigh impossible advantage to beat in the air. There was, of course, the moves I had memorized, but what made Bronzong unique was their ability to mess with portals.

This was used by Byron both offensively and defensively. Since his Bronzong was offensively weak, the psychic could open up two portals and send their opponents' attacks back against them, along with another thousand applications this insane technique had. Most notably, Bronzong had once flooded the entire field once he'd been one of two Pokemon Byron had left, opened up a massive portal on the ground and dropped all of that water down on an unsuspecting Sableye. Aubri's Sableye, even. It had been this year's Gym Battle, and she'd ended up winning, but needless to say, that had caught her off-guard.

And again, she was way stronger than me, so I expected only basic portals to be used against me if Bronzong was the Pokemon Byron chose to use. Jellicent and Tyranitar would do best against the psychic, but there was still my overarching strategy to keep in mind. I really needed to watch my switches for this one. The last thing I wanted was to get trapped like I'd been against Wake with no swaps left and against an opponent more powerful than we were.

I'd need to study Excadrill and Skarmory next…

"You remembered," I smiled as Angel reached the little clearing they used to train at for the tournament. This place held many good memories for me, despite everything that had gone on a few days later. It was there, that Sunshine started to truly get close with us. Hell, it was here that I started calling him Sunshine with his permission.

Angel dropped me on the grass, where I released my entire team in front of me. He quickly waddled on next to them, squeezing in between Honey and Sweetheart and then turning toward me. The rock type recognized the place and would have started looking for flowers, had I not clapped my hands to get her attention.

"Listen up, everyone. We're heading back to the Lost Tower today, as we planned," I declared.

I stayed silent for a few moments, letting the words sink in and watching the reactions. A nervous tail lash from Honey nearly hit Princess, who groaned in annoyance and hovered a little higher in the air. He had been in the heat of the fighting, back then, and he wasn't looking forward to going in there again.

"The tower looks relatively small from the outside, but remember, it's actually huge from the inside, and each floor grows bigger as you ascend," I explained. They hadn't all been released, when we had fought in the tower. "Supposedly, their old master is buried on the top floor, but that's not where we plan on going anyway."

"It coming to a fight isn't guaranteed," I continued. "But we have to plan for if it does. When we left, Ruth and Mathilda were in… bad spirits, and they essentially told me to never come back. Not only am I coming back, but I'm planning on asking how to kill a ghost permanently. That's as good as asking to kill them."

They were all taking this seriously, now, thank the Legendaries. I discreetly nodded to Buddy, thanking him for reigning in Sweetheart during all of this. She was far too excited to get in her first real fight to pay much attention.

"When dealing with someone, you have to know their goal— what drives them. Once you understand that, you can be in a better position to negotiate. So step one it to understand their motivation."

Negotiate, or manipulate, I thought to myself. Though manipulating beings that were over a thousand years old was a bit out of my wheelhouse.

"When we first came there, Ruth attacked us, but her true goal is actually to leave the tower. She doesn't want to bring humans past the first floor and never goes down there like Mathilda does, because it's like a cruel joke to her— seeing people come and go, and potentially talking to them would be a taste of the outside. A taste of something she's never had and never will. Freedom. Mathilda defended us, and even though she wanted to keep to her directive to protect the tower, she didn't mind humans coming in to chat, because it makes her time easier. Those are their motivations and goals. Depending on what's been going on since we left, Ruth might attack us again."

Runerigus and Sinistea. I had no idea how powerful they were compared to me now, and they'd mostly used simple attacks when fighting each other, but I was going in with the assumption that they could both beat my entire team on their own, since their attacks had been comparable to mine today, and they'd been holding back in order not to damage the grave. If push came to shove and they stopped holding back, then I had no chance. They were more than a thousand years old, after all, and so, I'd need to negotiate and placate instead of fight. If Mathilda could defend me from Ruth again…

"Either way, if it comes to a fight and we're outclassed, we're leaving," I said. "Buddy, you're going to stick close. Use your Night Shades to fight, but keep me protected. Honey, you're the same. Unfortunately, Runerigus is a ground type and a true ghost, so you're better off staying on the defensive."

Both Pokemon stared at each other, then anxiously nodded. There was a tint of disappointment in Electivire's eyes, but Runerigus was a really bad matchup for him in general.

"Angel, how's your Knock Off?" I asked with a grin.

His vines darkened, then cracked like a dull whip against the ground, leaving only a thick gash in the dirt. I had known the answer, of course, but it'd do him some good to show off once in a while.

"There won't be that many nutrients or sunlight to use in the tower for grass type moves, but Knock Off will be your main tool anyway. Try to destroy any incoming ghost type attacks with it," I said. It wasn't like he wouldn't be able to use grass type moves, but they'd be slower to come by, and speed was everything in battles like these.

I paused. "Sunshine… don't burn down the entire place. Let's respect the dead, shall we?"

The dragon rolled his eyes, but ended up agreeing with a grunt, all while sassing me in the process.

"Of course, that's only unless we're left with no other choice," I added. "Could serve as a distraction, with how much they care about the graves. If they don't want to talk, I ask to leave and they don't let me… well, you'll have free reign."

That seemed to please him much more. It wasn't often, that Sunshine got to let loose.

"Princess, unless Sunshine starts burning down entire floors and you need to keep me protected from the heat, you're on offense today," I said. "No Moonblast, that's too destructive. Anything else is fair game. I don't think stabbing ghosts will work, though, so you're going to be using blunt force instead. If we're fighting Runerigus, focus on the ice beam from Tri Attack, too."

The fairy type let out a disappointed chirp, but she knew I was right. Better throw a massive boulder at a Runerigus than a spear.

"Sweetheart, you're focusing on Dark Pulse. We've trained enough, now, so it shouldn't be a problem. Mix it in with Stone Edge or Payback if you get attacked from up close," I said. "No Sandstorm, though. It won't do anything but hurt us."

Her affirming growl made my bones vibrate, but I'd grown used to that by now. I decided to let them fool around a bit while I decided on my plan to convince them to shirk over this information. I knew they'd instantly answer no when I asked the question about killing true ghosts, but I had my empathy at my disposal, now. If I delved deep enough, I would be able to tell if they lied. This was a line crossed— and a line that needed to be crossed. Mars never carried Dusknoir's Pokeball around, so he wouldn't be able to be trapped in there, and he was so powerful I wasn't confident on being able to kill him over and over. It only took one mistake, and he'd slip away and start killing innocents again— because Dusknoir was as wrong as Mars was. They were linked, in some way, and she could understand whatever the ghost said. The only way we had to contain him was this. Since I'd be able to tell if they lied, just confirming that it was possible would be a step in the right direction. Too many lives were at stake to have second thoughts, here. Even if Dusknoir was far too powerful for me to take down, this would be crucial information for the League.

It wasn't like they could beat it out of the ghosts. They wouldn't care if they died, since they'd come back a few days later anyway. However, I was the most powerful empath on the planet, and in a unique position to do this. But if people like Fantina didn't know while having so many ghosts on her team, was I in over my head? Was there really no way?

My eyes glanced at my team, and I had to yell at Sweetheart and Honey to stop trying to rip up trees as some sort of competition. Legendaries, they were going to be the death of me. At least this was a sign that they'd gotten used to this, by now, save for my favorite ghost. I beckoned Buddy over, who lazily floated in front of me.

"You see, I was thinking of waiting on the first floor until Mathilda comes to get us?" I told him. "Then we chat with her— while remaining on the first floor. It should be safe, down there. Maybe we could avoid the fight that way, since trainers are allowed in the foyer."

The ghost watched me, his two crimson eyes glowing slightly brighter.

"Here's the problem, though," I sighed. "You know it as well as I do, don't you? That Mathilda's holding Ruth hostage."

Buddy hummed, saying that it did not matter, so long as Mathilda was more friendly to us.

"It does matter. Because Ruth is willing to break the rules, in the end. The problem is that Mathilda won't let her. Mathilda just wants to bend the rules, not break them. And if we still don't know about killing ghosts, and I figure out that they're lying, then it must be an intrinsic rule of some kind— a rule that Ruth's more likely to ignore— otherwise Fantina's ghosts would have told her a long time ago."

Or any ghost type specialist, for that matter. Though maybe some people knew, but the knowledge had never made it into the hands of any government. Jellicent's eyes dimmed, and he enunciated my thoughts. That if what I was saying was correct, he believed we would have to cooperate with Ruth instead of Mathilda to make this work.

"Yes. And she's stronger, despite being a Sinistea," I said, recalling their battle. "And since there are two of them, there's no way I'd even be able to nudge them into telling me the truth willingly."

Not only was I not experienced enough with my empathy anyway, but Mesprit had told me that unlike Cecilia and Chase, getting someone to do what I want would take hours, or even days. I assumed that for ghosts, it would be days, with how alien their emotions were. Days I did not have, mostly because they'd try to kill me the entire time since there was no way I'd be subtle enough to make it work.

Oh well, Aliyah would have been disappointed anyway.

Or would she? If it was to free thousands of souls permanently being tortured— and doomed to do so until the end of time— then was it wrong to forcefully manipulate someone who was potentially keeping the key to that knowledge under seal? I honestly couldn't bring myself to think so. There was a lot of good, that I could do with this gift, and I believed this to have been one of these moments. Unfortunately for me, though, it just wouldn't work.

"So we'll have to go to the second floor," I said. "Convince Ruth to switch sides, on the condition that we help her get her freedom. I don't think she's truly bound to the tower, just that Mathilda killed her so many times that she's given up leaving."

If we could team up with Ruth, then victory would be possible. Hopefully, I'd be able to get her to tell me how to kill Dusknoir, too.

"You nervous?" I asked Jellicent.

He nodded, asking how he could not be. We were getting into far too many fights for his liking.

"It'll be over soon," I smiled. "Think about it. This summer, with only the Conference in front of us. Then, a brand new region to travel in, without any of this Team Galactic bullshit. Doesn't that sound awesome? You'd know Undella has amazing beaches, if you listened to Cecilia sometimes."

He could not smile, but I knew he liked the idea. I caressed his cheek, leaning on the tree I was sitting against, and bided my time.

—

The Lost Tower sat in a large, artificial hole that had been dug over a thousand years ago. It had been built like an obelisk, narrowing the higher it went despite the opposite being true for the inside of the tower. The exterior of the tower bore the marks of time, its pale stone worn by the elements, yet it retained a solemn beauty despite the design being so simple. Ascending floors were marked by tall, narrow windows, but no glimpses into the heart of the structure were allowed. Instead, each window only led to pitch-black darkness with wisps of a sickly purple. A wide set of pale stairs led down toward the tower's entrance, which Princess flew over. The Lost Tower's surroundings were devoid of any vegetation, as if it wasn't allowed to grow near such a place. There wasn't even a single weed to be seen through the cracks in the stairs or the stony ground at its base. Princess landed near the tower, and I released the rest of the team around me, letting the comfortable hiss of the Pokeballs calm my nerves.

The entrance to the Lost Tower beckoned like a portal to another realm, a threshold between the tangible world and the horrors and tragedies that lay within, obscured by a darkness that was too thick to be natural. Twin pillars, hewn from the same weathered stone as the tower itself, stood guard on either side of the wide entryway. There were no carvings to be seen on it. It was just plain stone, and yet it brimmed with power. The temperature here reminded me of how it had felt earlier in the year, and Angel grabbed a hoodie from my backpack so I could put on another layer. Even so, I could see my breath, and my fingers shivered.

"Let's head in," I declared.

I stood at the enter of my team, and we stepped one in at a time. The inside of the tower was lit by pale blue torches that burned with no fuel, perpetually shifting places every time I stopped paying attention to them. Hundreds of graves were strewn throughout the floor. People taken with tragic deaths, all buried here so ghosts could form faster. Even so, this tower only birthed a single ghost every few decades, according to Mathilda. I stopped myself from reading the inscription on the graves and continued forward. There were many ghosts around us, all out of this plane and invisible to the naked eye. Thankfully, we had four people capable of sensing them, including me. I was not focusing on such small, flickering flames of dull hatred, though. The world came alive as I opened my eyes—

Ah. She wasn't even trying to hide. She floated down the stairwell far in front of us and then slowly approached.

"Incoming," I said, inhaling sharply.

My entire team tensed, the temperature rising slightly as Sunshine flexed. It was difficult to tell if this was Ruth or Mathilda, but considering she hadn't attacked me right away and Ruth never came to the first floor, I guessed Mathilda. She came into view soon enough, exposing her wrinkled face and skin. She still wore the same clothes: faded purple and white robes, with thick, circular spectacles. Her cane rasped against the ground as she approached with a sickly smile. I knew it was Mathilda once I saw the teacup she held in her other hand.

"Young Grace," she spoke with a quivering voice. Legendaries, that accent was thick. Not from the East, nor the West, but from the past. I needed to hang onto her every word to understand, but luckily, she spoke as slowly as she did back when I'd first met her. "I will admit, I did not expect to see you again. What a wonderful day this has turned out to be."

Her emotions reminded me of Aliyah, but flatter. As a ghost, she had mastered all hatred, and now there was only duty. Duty to her old trainer, duty to keep this tower protected. Mathilda's eyes glanced at each of my Pokemon, as if she was assessing their strength and growth.

"Overseer," I said, dipping my head. "Pardon the intrusion. This is an urgent matter that I couldn't delay."

"Please. Call me Mathilda, like always," she smiled, a purple smoke rising from her tea. "There is a question on your mind. I see it as clear as the night."

"There is indeed. And before I ask it, I have to say, I mean you no harm, nor disrespect when asking this," I said. "Really, I appreciate that you saved me and my friends the first time we wandered in here."

"But?" she probed. Still calm, good.

"One of my current enemies owns a Dusknoir," I said. I saw Mathilda's sunken eyes narrow at that, but I continued. "If she gets her way, there will be more destruction than the world has ever seen," I said in half-truth. "This entire tower will vanish, just like that," I snapped my fingers, "You will have no more purpose."

Push by using what she cares about, I thought to myself. A layer of calm anger wrapped itself around her.

"Now, we could kill him, but he'll just come back a few days later," I rambled, leaning heavily against my crutch. "I know our moralities don't exactly align here, but he's already swallowed thousands of souls, which he's perpetually subjecting to torture. Part of me thinks those souls will be freed," I exhaled, "if there is a way to permanently put Dusknoir down."

There it was. I braced myself for an outburst or an attack, but narrowed my eyes to delve deep. Deeper than I ever had. Past a hundred layers of emotion and into the truth of Mathilda's non-existent heart. The essence of her very being.

"I would help you if I could, child," the Overseer shook her head. "But there is no way. A ghost can ebb, but never truly perish. The Dusk returns all."

The statement hadn't been any different than her other ones. Her emotions had not wavered. Her face hadn't twitched, her eyes had not shifted, and her voice had stayed still.

And yet, there had been a slight sense of disorder. Like a piece of the puzzle she was made of that no longer fit. A slight shift in the colors that felt unnatural to me.

That had been a lie, and I knew it in my bones that I was the only mortal being on this planet that would have been able to tell.

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, SecondBlahm, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Uno

 

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 279 - THE TOWER IS THY COFFIN

She had lied— of course, she had, but the fact that it'd been so seamless made me have to do a double take. It had been so natural that I doubted myself, even! I kept my face neutral, though my fingers twitched around my crutch. My Pokemon didn't turn their heads, but I could tell they were wondering if it had been a lie or not. They'd been looking forward to the answer just as much as I had.

"I guess I was in over my head," I said. This was both a signal to my team we'd made, and a way to diffuse the situation with Mathilda. "Sorry about this. I just wanted to save the souls from Dusknoir, so I thought…"

The Overseer cocked her head to the side, her thin hair somehow not drooping and keeping still against her head. "You are not the first to have this question," she calmly said. "Many ask, if ghosts are truly immortal, then is it just not a matter of time until the world becomes overtaken by them? Even when I had just formed, over a thousand years ago, this was a question on the minds of many," she continued, approaching me. Her cane rasped against the blue-grey stones in rhythmic fashion. "But this question overestimates the number of ghosts that are brought into this world."

I nodded absent-mindedly, stopping myself from taking a step back as she got closer. "I get that. I mean, it's what, towers like this, and maybe war, that are good at creating you, right?" I said. "Mass casualty events full of tragic deaths, or places with high concentration of those," I said, remembering what she had told me the first time I'd come here. "And even then, very few are born. Anyway, it was just a question."

"Worry not, I knew no offense was meant," the ghost said.

I moistened my lips and ignored the swirling, constantly shifting blue lights on the walls.

"Where's Ruth, by the way?" I asked, trying to bait out information. "She's not going to attack us, is she?"

"Oh, Ruth has been very cooperative, these days," Mathilda said with a smile. No teeth on those gums, and yet it felt sharp. "She has taken to the top floor of the tower and rarely comes down, lately. No harm will befall you while I am here, that I can assure you of."

Shit. The top floor? The fifth floor of the Lost Tower was rumored to be akin to another world entirely, and impossible to escape from. How in the world was I going to contact her there?

"Perhaps you wish to come to pay respects to the dead," Mathilda said, gesturing to our left toward the hundreds of graves. "Not many trainers stop by, and the few that do rarely stick around long enough to speak with me. These poor souls deserve it, don't you think?"

I glanced at the tombstones. "I suppose I could," I said, wanting to buy time. I gestured at my Pokemon to follow and knelt in front of a grave as I closed my eyes. Was I completely outplayed here? There was no way I could get Ruth to notice me— or maybe she'd notice me once I got to the second floor, but wouldn't care. Or would she? I didn't want to stake this entire thing on a maybe.

There was also something else worrying me.

I had planned for my ACE Trainers to come and save me, should the fighting get to a level beyond what I was capable of handling, but even with my empathy working on overdrive, I couldn't feel them anywhere. In fact, I couldn't feel anything beyond the Lost Tower's reach, as if I'd been cut off from the outside world entirely. Why? Had I given myself away, somehow? I hoped that paying my respects to the dead would make Mathilda free me, so I had no other choice. I opened my eyes again.

Oliver Panshawe - 971-1001 - Kindness incarnate, always willing to go above and beyond for those who needed it (Negotiator, Diplomat). Died in an ambush on the way to negotiate a lasting peace with the people of Lakhut. The war is inevitable. Thousands will die due to his failure.

"Lakhut?" I asked.

"An old underground empire to the north of here, built into a mountain," Mathilda answered. "Though these days, you would call it a mere city, I presume. It predates Solaceon by far, though it was lost to the sands of time and met its end during that very war. Some kind of internal rebellion were the rumors at the time, but it was difficult reaching the Land of Fog, back then."

My eye twitched, and with her words came a new understanding. "Hm. Well, it's a shame the war had to happen at all."

The ghost simply nodded. "Many of the casualties now rest in this very tower."

I wasn't doing this. Now that I couldn't bait Ruth to help me, the best course of action was to retreat and at least inform my ACE Trainers. Maybe come back here as a group… though it'd be harder to convince Ruth that way, I assumed. It was different when negotiating with a squad capable of killing you, even if it wouldn't be permanent. Still, it wasn't like I had much of a choice. Mathilda would beat my entire team, and the best I could do against her was delay. If the fight destroyed too many graves, then I was willing to bet she'd stop holding back, too.

"I suppose I'm done here, then," I said, rising back to my feet. "Sorry for bothering you and all, but I should get going."

The Overseer sipped some of her tea, but the contents did not go down. "Perhaps you'd want to visit the upper floors now that Ruth won't be a pest?"

My neck hair stood on end, and goosebumps ran all over my arms. She was still calm. "No need, Mathilda. I've bothered you enough."

"No, no, my dear. I insist."

I glanced back at the entrance, which was shrouded in darkness, and restrained a sigh. "And if I told you I absolutely wanted to leave?"

"Then I would tell you the fact that I mean you no harm still holds," she said. Not a lie, thank the Legendaries. "But there is a conversation that should be had before you leave."

Jellicent let out a few wary clicks, asking why we couldn't have this conversation here instead of on the upper floors.

"Please, ghostling," Mathilda rolled her eyes. "Your trainer may be good at hiding her intentions, but none of you are. You come into this sacred place with intent to harm, that much is obvious. These are scheming eyes, you all have."

So that's how I'd been caught. I'd been foolish enough to think that Mathilda would only look at me, and not my Pokemon, and even if she did, I believed she'd think they were just being overprotective. Honey's tails froze in place as a blanket of nervousness spread through his skin. Sunshine's stare only worsened, and I had to snap at him so he wouldn't talk back to her. Sweetheart let out a growl as she flashed her sharpened teeth. I could have fooled her, but they hadn't. In a need to keep myself protected, I'd given away the game, and now she knew we were planning something.

"So I'm guessing it's insurance I don't attack you?" I asked. If I was on a higher floor, then running away would be way more difficult. From this, I could infer that I wasn't actually trapped here and that breaking out was possible. Breaking out, or running? I didn't know if I'd have to hit the door with some kind of dark type move to escape. "So I don't destroy the graves?"

It was the graves that mattered, not any actual danger I posed to her. Her priorities were strange to me, but I'd come into this ready to adapt.

"Yes. Too many were lost to the previous fight already," she said. "But we can be civilized about this. It is a warning, you must heed. About the Dusknoir you speak of. After that, I will let you go."

I squinted, and this time, I was quicker on the draw. She was still telling the truth.

"And I guess I can't convince you that I won't fight?" I asked. "Recall my Pokemon save for Honey—"

Cries of protest rang out, but Mathilda seemed unbothered.

"Does it matter, when they are one gesture away from being released? You singling out this… Honey, which I assume is your Electivire— what a horrible naming scheme, by the way— means that he will have a way to stop me long enough for you to get your other Pokemon out, should this come to blows. You are still acting like this battle is inevitable, Grace Pastel."

"Well I… can't just not have a Pokemon out. I just can't. Humans are too fragile, Mathilda. I need one of my Pokemon to protect me, just in case."

Even if I caught her intentions turning nefarious, she'd be able to kill me in a fraction of a second, while Honey would be able to react and buy me time to release my team, at the very least.

"Then that is fine. Simply follow me up the stairs, and we will discuss this Dusknoir."

I sighed. That information was too good to pass up on. "Fine."

I hope this is the right decision. A sharp smile stretched across Mathilda's face, too long to be natural, and the Overseer started walking toward the stairs as she gestured at me to follow, completely pleased with herself. Funnily enough, this time, I was at least slow enough due to my broken ankle not to be too bothered by her frigid pace. If she was a ghost, then did she really need to walk this slowly? Was the limp and the cane that necessary? Mathilda led us deeper inside of the Lost Tower, but she only started to speak once we reached the stairs.

"There are few Dusknoir in existence in this world, or at least that I know of," she started. "One in the lands of Kanto, trained and held on a tight leash by a human that should by all accounts be dead by now. He is also the most powerful by far. One in Galar, still wild and untamed. She has died the least out of all of them and mostly keeps to herself, lest the humans in her land keep her trapped in Pokeballs for centuries like they usually do to troublesome ghosts. Another in the isolated lands of Almia— that one being the oldest. Far older than anything you can imagine. He came into existence shortly after Pokemon were introduced to this world."

I blinked, surprised that she actually had a number to give me. With how rare ghosts were— and Dusknoir being even rarer— I supposed it made sense.

"That old, and he's not the most powerful?" I muttered. "That's… over a hundred thousand years. Even if trained Pokemon progress faster, that's an absurd amount of time to grow."

"I did say ghosts could ebb, didn't I?" she simply answered. From a look at her, I could tell she didn't want to get into it, so I let it go, not wanting to irritate her.

"And you know about them through the Dusk?" I asked, which she confirmed with a nod. "What about this one? The one I was telling you about?"

"The youngest," she said. "He only came into form a few decades ago."

"That's… older than Mars. A lot older," I frowned. "She's in her early twenties, at most. Maybe younger."

"Mars is her name?" Mathilda hummed. "That poor girl."

I scoffed. "Excuse me?"

The ghost ignored my outburst. "You do not understand, and that is alright. You have not seen what that Dusknoir has done to her soul. He owns her, not the other way around, even if she does not know it."

We reached the top of the stairs, and I saw the familiar faces of a few dozen Golett, tending to the graves and brushing the floor with brooms. It was difficult to remember that this was what Lehmhart had been, once upon a time. There was no light behind their eyes, no will to live or the knowledge that they were even alive. This floor was far larger than the previous one, though the light from the torches spread just as far. Dusknoir controls Mars? From the way she'd behaved in the power plant, it was more like the other way around, but I'd only seen them interact once.

"Have you spoken to Dusknoir, then?" I tried. "While alive or dead?"

"Communication in the Dusk is difficult, when we are using all of our energy to come together again, though I have only seen him with that Mars girl's soul once, right after he had rent it," she said. "He was born in this very tower as a Duskull, sixty-three years ago, and there are faces you recognize, after dying time and time again."

There was a slight silence, and I felt Honey nudge my arm. I discretely nodded. He wanted me to keep her talking.

"So what did you want to tell me, then? That a psychotic killer wasn't at fault? She's not being mind controlled, as far as the League can tell."

"Of course, she isn't. I do not know much about this 'Mars'," Mathilda said. "And I am not telling you to feel a particular way toward her. I am just explaining what I know."

My fist clenched, my nails digging into my palms as I tightened my jaw. "Yeah. Sure. What happened to her soul, then?"

"That is unclear to me, though it has been split in some way, perhaps more than once," she answered. "Hoho, take a look."

She pointed toward a crook in the bricked path, where two white flowers were growing, with a prideful look. She crouched, commending the nearby Golett for letting them grow while pulling out the weeds around them. She really did care about this place— to the point that she'd almost forgotten I was there. Her wrinkled hand delicately touched one of the petals until she let out a satisfied sigh. Happiness— no, contentment radiated out of her in dim waves.

"Sometimes, you forget to stop and look at how beautiful the world is," the ghost hummed. The world, in this case, being her tower, and only her tower. "Now, where were we?"

"Mars' soul is split," I reminded her.

"Right. I do not know how many pieces— things tend to get blurry, in the Dusk, and I only managed to parse through because hers was not getting tortured as the others were. Dusknoir has given her a special place at the forefront of his receptacle. For what purpose, I do not know, but that part of the girl you've seen? She is not a full human being. A broken piece of a whole."

"Is that why she's so insane?" I asked.

Mathilda shook her head. "No, but it might be why she might feel incomplete, at times."

"And could this cause… memory issues?" I asked.

"I do not know enough to answer that for certain, but there is a chance it might," she said. "Do you want to see my favorite grave on this floor, perchance?"

I had to at least entertain her for now. This information was too good to pass up, and I could at least justify leaving without knowing the method to kill true ghosts if I got more out of her. But what was she getting by helping me? This was a game of give and take, and I was getting a lot more than she was, even if I knew she enjoyed chatting with people and showing them around the place. I understood that what a being over a thousand years old found appealing would be skewed, but this was… odd. I played along and let Mathilda show me the graves she liked on this floor. The way she picked them was a combination of tombstone design and the actual way they had died. She would tell me stories of the lives each person had lived, as if she knew every human buried here like the back of her hand.

"The Dusknoir you wish to face is actually less aggressive than usual, and he is cunning," she said, finally getting back on track. "Though his thirst for souls appears endless. Dusknoir grow more powerful the more souls they ingest."

"Could the souls be… manually freed?" I asked her, thinking of the Voice. "If Mars ordered him to do so, for example."

"As far as I know, there is no way for that to happen. Once your soul is taken, it can never come back out. They are a part of him, now and forever. It would be akin to asking you to become another person," she mused, then smiling. "Or asking me to part with this teacup permanently," she finished as she glanced down at it.

Of course. That would have been too convenient, I thought as my lips flattened, and that was a plan out the window. I knew it wouldn't have been good to rely on the Voice anyway, given the fact that it could only be used once per day and that we might have to use it on someone else, and that was if we even came face-to-face with Dusknoir. I also knew that impossible commands would just have the individual stand around like a robot instead of actually doing anything, thanks to all the testing Chase and Mira had done.

Even if freeing the souls that way had been possible, it would have been best to have contingencies, which was why I'd come here in the first place. And failed miserably. I could still hear them now, when it got too quiet and I was having a bad day. The endless screams I'd heard when Dusknoir had opened his mouth in the power plant, to be forever tormented with no respite.

"But if ghosts theoretically could die," I said, pretending not to know otherwise, "then it would be possible."

"I am unwilling to entertain such fantasies," she lied. Still it was not a denial.

"Do you know… about the evolution method?" I hesitantly probed.

"Of course. I have been around, girl," she said. "Your Champion came to get it out of me a bit ago, but she left empty-handed. She ended up figuring it out regardless, however, and I did confirm it for her. That way, I ensured she came by twice," Mathilda finished with a snicker. "Needless to say, she was not amused."

'A bit ago' probably meant a few months ago, to a being like Mathilda, given the fact that Cynthia had known about it since earlier in the Circuit. I tried imagining a pissed-off Cynthia, but everything came up blank. All I'd seen her do was smile, and never had she raised her tone in my presence. At least the way she'd been sure of it made sense, now.

"The method itself, is to harvest cloth from souls," she continued. "But once they take to that behavior, it is almost never unlearned. This one is particularly aggressive about it, is all. Galar's Dusknoir is content with one or two a year. Almia's has stopped feasting entirely, and Kanto's gets a regular amount at set intervals."

"But Mars' just feasts, I'm guessing," I said, biting my lip. "Is there… a weakness of some kind? A way we can kill it— not permanently," I specified. "Just temporarily."

"Darkness always works," she waved a hand. "Your Champion should be able to deal with him without too much difficulty, if it comes to that. You…" she trailed off, scanning my team. "Your soul would be taken within the minute. Perhaps two."

That didn't even account for the fact that Dusknoir could just… run away like he had last time at the Power Plant and just not get killed. He seemed smarter about that than most, in that regard, though if Cynthia hadn't had to hold back due to the hostages, maybe she could have beaten him beforehand? It was impossible to know. All I understood was that Dusknoir would be stronger when the time came than he had been back then.

And that was just when facing Dusknoir, not her entire team. Though, I believed I could expect the ghost to be above and beyond the rest of Mars' Pokemon.

"Do you know why Dusknoir would want to control Mars?" I asked. Did he know that Cyrus was trying to end the world? He must have, with how close he was to Mars. There was just no way that knowledge would have slipped through. "Does he gain anything out of it?"

"Another question I don't have the answer to," she said. "Would you like to go to the third floor?"

"I don't think that's a good idea, Mathilda," I grimaced. "Something's been confusing me, too. What are you getting out of this?"

Her eyes widened a smidge. "A companion to pass the time, what else?"

"There's something else," I pushed. "You keep trying to lure me higher and higher by dangling information in front of me. What do you want?"

"Does it bother you so much, that one does not want to take, take and take?" she chided. "An enjoyable time with a human after not having spoken to one in months is all I want. I was coming up with a new design for the third floor and wanted to show it to someone, that is all."

She wasn't… lying? But how? A being so powerful giving so much away for free just didn't compute in my head. I bit my lip, not knowing how to answer except a polite, forceful nod. It made sense, when considering that her way to make her time easier here was to allow more humans in, but still… I supposed she was strongarming me into coming with her, though. It was the only way she'd keep telling me about Dusknoir.

"I'll come to the third floor, but no more," I muttered. I was being baited in a way, and I was biting. "That's where I stop."

"Thank you."

It took five minutes to reach the stairs, partly because Mathilda kept wanting to show me around, but also because of how wide this floor was. The stairs seemed to stretch higher, this time, and it took a full minute to reach the third floor. It was way different than the second and the first. Whereas the second floor was just a larger version of the first with vegetation being allowed to grow, the third floor was a labyrinth of twisting hallways and different sections of the cemetary, where tombstones were grouped together. The walls were a blank grey that was too smooth to feel right. Everything here looked new, though it kept the musty, odd smell and the cold temperatures that Sunshine was keeping me protected from. It got colder the higher we climbed. The halls were adorned by intricate, bricked archways that were the only thing keeping this place from being too monotonous. This was a crypt.

"Each age gets a section, from the youngest to the oldest," Mathilda said affectionately. "Though I will spare you the details. I doubt a human wants to hear about the young dying, especially in tragic circumstances such as these."

"Thanks," I nodded, my throat feeling tight. "So… Dusknoir. What else do you have for me?"

"It swallows souls by opening the mouth on its abdomen," she listed after sipping on more tea. "One pass through there, and your soul will be stolen. It is important to keep your distance."

"No do-overs," I confirmed. "Is there really no way to free the souls?" I asked again, though without permanently killing him was left unsaid.

"Not that I know of, no. If I could see a Dusknoir in person, I could perhaps gain a new understanding of how they function," she stopped, turning toward me and my team. "Alas, I am bound here. Do you perhaps," she paused, turning my way, "want to stay longer?"

My eye twitched. That had been the plan afoot, then. Or not exactly a plan, but a constant need to stay in touch with the outside. I would have empathized with her, had she not wanted to trap me here for however long she was thinking. With the way ghosts that old perceived time, it was probably on the longer side of things. I couldn't fight her— I couldn't run, and I couldn't use my empathy. My fingers trembled as I ignored my Pokemon's looks.

"Sure thing," I forced out. I had no choice.

I was stuck here, now, and I had missed the trap because she hadn't lied, nor were her intentions actually nefarious. She really did just want someone to talk to. I pitied her, in a way. Forced to tend to these graves until the world ended. Not only that, but communicating with my team beyond looks was impossible, or Mathilda would find out and who knew what she'd do then? I followed her, nodding along to her ramblings about graves and whatnot, and I soon realized that this labyrinth made no sense. The hallways didn't connect right, and only Mathilda seemed to understand where we were going. I tried locating myself through tracking certain torches on the walls, or localized cemeteries, but it was all in vain. The walls were too smooth to use them, so that option was barred, too.

How could I get out of this? She'd brought me to a floor I basically couldn't escape from, and this reeked like a domain. No, the entire place was one. Was my only option to wait her out and to slowly make her understand that time was valuable to me? That I wouldn't be willing to waste for months, or years here, even had Team Galactic not been running around? That I had people to get back to? That I couldn't live for hundreds of years, just randomly speaking to her about managing the Lost Tower over and over? The madness in her hadn't been easy to see, but it slipped through the cracks, now. The way her time here had slowly turned her more and more insane.

The only reason she wanted me stuck here instead of me and my friends back then that made sense to me was that she'd grown even more estranged from Ruth after their fight, and that she was starving for contact. Any contact. But then why not speak to the ghosts in the tower? There weren't many, but they were here. Golett, I understood, were empty shells with no personalities until you breathed one into them, but there had been a few ghosts wandering the tower's halls. One Misdreavus, one Gastly, and a Litwick. Not many, and fewer than there had been when I'd first come, but they were there.

Ruth… Ruth was my key to getting out of here. I took a deep breath to calm myself down, and clasped at the side of my jeans. She was on the final floor, and it looked like Mathilda would be content to keep bringing me up to 'show me around'. Would she bring me to the final floor? Even if she did, I'd need to talk her into convincing Mathilda that she was being difficult. Worst case scenario, I'd need to engineer a fight between the two and hope to slip away somehow. It'd be ugly, but I was running out of ideas.

"Listen, Mathilda, I really need to go. This was nice, but—"

"You haven't seen the fourth floor yet," she chided. "Let us be on our way. Once I finish showing you everything there is to see, perhaps you can help me redesign the final floor. Ruth has always been difficult about that notion."

We took a right turn, and the staircase up was magically there. She'd willed that to happen, I realized. Before even climbing up the stairs, however, I felt a presence approach on the fourth floor. No, it didn't approach, it just appeared there. Mathilda sighed, licking her gums in irritation as her sunken eyes went blank and rage flickered within her. I knew Ruth had come, but I let her speak. I couldn't reveal my hand early.

"It appears my fellow Overseer has come to interrupt this tour," Mathilda said. "She will want to speak to me."

Again? But wait! This was my key to breaking out of here.

"Can I leave, then?" I quickly said.

"No. It will not come to a fight," Mathilda added. "Trust me."

Hard to trust her, when she was keeping me prisoner. She gestured at me to follow up the stairs, and the fourth floor revealed itself to us. Upon crossing the threshold, the dim glow of flickering torches revealed a vast expanse of towering shelves, each laden with the skeletal remains of countless departed souls. Bones were meticulously arranged, forming ghastly sculptures that reached from floor to ceiling. The ambient light cast eerie shadows, creating an ever-shifting dance of deathly silhouettes upon the walls. This was no normal graveyard or crypt, it was an ossuary. I felt bile build up in my throat at the sight of so many skeletons, somehow having been preserved through time without a speck of decomposition or dent. The pathways here were wider than in the labyrinth, at the very least, so I still felt like I could breathe in spite of thousands of skulls staring at me. There were no inscriptions to be seen, here. No dates, no names, and no causes of death.

Mathilda kept walking, and I followed into a grand hallway of some sort that was morbid to look at. The hallway was a haunting passage that echoed with the weight of centuries. Stone walls, adorned with intricate carvings of skeletal figures and funerary symbols, reached upward to a vaulted ceiling that seemed to disappear into shadow. The air carried a musty scent that was impossible to grow used to even after ten minutes of traveling through this place. Arches, adorned with ornate filigree and ossified embellishments, spanned the hallway at regular intervals, creating a sense of depth that extended into a seemingly infinite abyss. The ceiling— or the part of it that I could see— was supported by skeletal columns that were somehow solid enough to keep this entire place standing. The Overseer stopped me when we reached the end of the bone-filled hall.

Ruth was there. A splitting image of Mathilda, save for the fact that she did not carry a teacup with her. Her eyes, once filled with fury and… life, and desire, now carried a distant and heavy gaze. The way she held herself was timid, with her shoulders slightly hunched and her eyes staring at her feet. This was not the Ruth I had expected to see.

"May I help you, Ruth?" Mathilda innocently asked. "How strange, when you vowed never to speak to me again."

"You play too many games," she sighed. "Did you think bringing a human into this would be a good way to get me to congregate with you once more?"

Another angle I hadn't seen. The fact that Mathilda had brought me up here had been two-fold, then. One, the reason she'd said before— Mathilda was lonely, and she craved contact with anyone that came by. Why else, would she accost every trainer that came to the first floor of the tower? I'd been fooled by a technical truth, then. An obscuring of all the facts. Two, it was also a way to at least drag Ruth back to a state where they'd talk, and maybe negotiate. My Pokemon shifted uneasily, knowing that we were all horribly outclassed and that the next few minutes would decide our fates. Think, Grace. I needed to play them off each other.

"You did tell her not to come back," Mathilda continued. "Alas, you've essentially given up your role as Overseer, so your word has no more authority here."

Authority… like a shared domain, maybe. If Ruth hadn't felt like she belonged here any longer, then maybe the world had cut her loose and transferred control of this place entirely to Mathilda. Hell, even the first time I'd come here, maybe that was the reason she'd been stronger than Ruth. The balance had already been tipping, back then. I closed my eyes, opening them again as I scanned her. She was not scared or angry— just defeated. Worn down and scraped raw.

"What do you want, then?" Ruth asked.

Sinistea smiled, her eyes full of misguided kindness, "For you to join me again, and to share in our duties like he would have wanted. Like he did want."

"Does what I want not matter?" Ruth murmured.

"May I speak?" I suddenly asked.

Both ghosts looked at me, and I ignored Buddy's panicking groan.

"I have no stakes in this," I said. "Allow me to leave, and—"

"You will leave when the time comes," Mathilda chided.

I took a step away from her, glancing at Honey for him to prepare a Protect. "Ruth. What is it that you want?"

The retired Overseer shot me a tired look behind her thick spectacles, and then her eyes drifted across the thousands of bones in this ossuary. Grand structures made of ivory, hanging from the ceiling like makeshift chandeliers with blue flames flickering inside of skulls and at the edges of tibias. Her eyes met mine once more, and then she looked at my team, assessing them. I could see the calculus, running in her head. We were both trapped here, weren't we?

"This is not a wise move, Grace," Mathilda softly said. "I do not wish for this to come to violence."

And she meant it too, damn it. She still hadn't struck, because at the heart of it all, in her own way, Mathilda was a decent person, who was simply blinded by a loyalty so fervent her actions looped back to being unhinged. Deep in her heart, I could tell that she would not strike first unless we tried to leave.

"Then let me— let us go," I said. The us was important, because Ruth and I were allies of convenience, now, and she needed to be included, or she'd be less inclined to help me if things went to shit. I no longer wanted to get information on how to kill ghosts out of her, I just wanted to get out of here. "You can be an Overseer on your own."

Newborn belief squirmed across Ruth's fake skin. I noticed tendrils I could have pulled on to nurture that feeling, had I been more experienced, but I didn't want to risk her noticing and lose my only hope.

"You should listen to the child, Mathilda," she growled. Her body began to section off, only being linked by darkened tendrils as more shadows lashed out on the floor. Bones around her clattered, some falling to the ground as red runes inscribed themselves on Ruth's skin, bright and true, and it solidified into segmented stone, with a singular eye shining purple.

"I have toiled long enough," Runerigus announced. Her voice echoed numerous times. "And I am done being a slave to a dead man."

Mathilda closed her eyes as regret filled her veins. "How much longer, Ruth?" she asked, her voice distorting. She had asked the same question, during the fight I had witnessed. "One hundred years? Five hundred? A thousand? You know the answer is until the sun goes dark."

Mathilda jumped into her teacup, and all hell broke loose.

Honey instantly brought up a Protect, but it wasn't me Mathilda targeted first. The ghost summoned an Energy Ball, squeezing natural energy out of nothing, and then sectioned it off into twelve glowing spheres. She fired them off toward Runerigus in quick succession, who instantly summoned her two Night Shades. One of them crawled in front of her, blocking the Energy Balls until it exploded, creating dents in the wide hallway and shattering a few bones that hung off the ceiling like chords.

"Angel—"

His vine was already around my waist. The grass type carried me off to a safe distance as Runerigus' ghostly hands turned sharp, and the ground type hurled herself across the ossuary like she was weightless. She flew, aiming her Shadow Claw toward Sinistea, who simply put up a Protect and instantly retaliated with a Shadow Ball that dented her coffin. Ruth snarled as her arm extended toward Sinistea, but a green hue overtook Ruth, and she slumped to the ground before her remaining Night Shade took charge and helped her.

No use running when the third floor was impossible to escape from. I bit my lip, waiting for an opening. Princess flew as close to the ceiling as she could, hitting Sinistea with Tri Attack. She dared not to pull stone from the tower itself in case it would anger Mathilda. Right now, she was holding back while Ruth had given up on protecting this place. Our ally ground bone to dust, thrashing around as desperation ran its course, but she was already losing. Jellicent had finished creating a small sphere of water by now, and he soon turned it to ice. With a grunt, he shattered the ball and sent the sharp spikes flying off toward Sinistea, but only one struck her and barely cracked her cup.

"Sunshine, Honey. Since Ruth doesn't care about destroying the tower, neither should we—"

Flames danced around Sunshine's snout as he let loose a Dragon Pulse that raked against the floor, trailing upward until it hit both Sinistea— and Runerigus, who had rushed in between us, uncaring for our attacks— leaving a trail of fiery destruction in its wake. Electivire flexed, electricity roiling through his arms until he brought his hands forward and massive Thunder engulfed both. Sinistea slowed for a fraction of a second, but wasn't too hurt by the entire affair, while Runerigus was immune.

"Ruth! We need to work together!" I called out. "Sunshine, Sweetheart, you go in. Buddy and Honey have my back."

With a bone-shaking roar, Tyranitar took a few steps forward. It wasn't a run— a jog at best. Turtonator, meanwhile, was engulfed by a Flame Charge as he flew into the heat of battle. The dragon landed right on top of Sinistea, burning hotter as he flexed and flames escaped through the grooves in between his scales. Sinistea was powerful, but she was also light. Tea exploded out of her cup like a Water Spout, cutting across Turtonator's chest and kicking him back. Princess swooped down, placing a barrier behind him before he could crash back into us, and Sweetheart finally reached the fight with a scream. She lowered herself as darkness overtook her teeth and snapped her jaw shut over a quickly erected Protect. The stringent grinding of teeth over Protect made me cover my ears, but she wasn't done. A Dark Pulse blew the ghost away, hurling her high into the obscured ceiling.

It started raining bones. Slowly at first, and then a deluge of never-ending bones falling from the broken ceiling. Ruth was barely recovering from whatever move had robbed her of her strength, summoning two more Night Shades that perpetually started to shoot the obscured ceiling with Shadow Ball.

"Princess!" I snapped.

Her eyes glowed, grappling the falling bones and throwing them back after sharpening them with Ancient Power. Her hold on them was tenuous at best, but with Psychic added to Ancient Power, it was as good as anything else. The lance-like bones flew upward, but Sinistea was nowhere to be seen. Honey grunted, another Thunder flying off of him in an instant, and finally, we heard an impact. Another crack in her cup.

"If you have something to say, say it, girl," Ruth snarled from afar.

"Strategy. Do you have one?" I quickly asked. More and more attacks were aimed at the ceiling. Dark Pulses, Tri Attacks, Shadow Balls, Thunders— and yet, we were just buying time. "If we kill her, can you get us out of here?"

"I can. But we'll need more than this to send her to the Dusk," Ruth said. "Or the fight will be a prolonged one."

"You've lost the sliver of control you had over this place, didn't you—"

I heard a series of crunches and snaps. The massive bone chandelier crashed down to the floor, but it homed toward me faster than I could react, as if it was under Sinistea's control. Electivire put up a Protect as Buddy dissolved into a liquid, letting the bones pass through him and reforming right away as he threw himself higher into battle to give Princess some support. Sinistea had come into view, now, and she was throwing Shadow Balls at her, each more powerful than Buddy's and quicker too. The flying type pushed herself with stale wind as she narrowly dodged the first few, but one broke through her barrier like a knife through paper and hit her wing, and she began falling down, spinning wildly in the air. Angel crawled toward her, a dozen vines shooting out from his body as he kept her from hitting the bone-filled floor.

"You would listen to her before me, Ruth?" Mathilda mourned. "Pick her over me? After all that we've been through?"

"The tower is your coffin," Runerigus said, "but it shouldn't have to be mine."

Sinistea sang.

Bones came together in clumps, turning into abominations— skeletal remains of Pokemon and people under her command. They were built wrong, however. Hastily assembled, and they did not fit. There were six of them in total, each being as large as Honey. With another yell, a shimmering light coursed through the monsters, and the same blue light that lit up the entire tower came alive in their eye sockets. Tyranitar brought a leg down, summoning a small Stomping Tantrum in an attempt to slow them before they could reach me.

"I'll keep her occupied," Ruth hissed. "You deal with the bones."

I could not pay attention to her fight, lest I lose mine. Princess was back in the air, and I ordered her to support Ruth as best she could while my other Pokemon would take down whatever act of necromancy this was. I ignored the clashes to my left and focused. The one Sweetheart was fighting wasn't even a contest. She was bigger, tougher, and despite it looking unnatural— spines mashed together, contorting in unnatural angles, a skull facing backward, with elongated ribs made out of bones that weren't ribs— she tore through it with a Dragon Pulse and ground its bones to dust.

The other five were trickier, however. Angel wrapped vines around a Pokemon-looking beast with two different sets of wings, yet it was still capable of flight. It had a dragon's skull, something akin to a Dragonite, and somehow, that meant it could use moves. It started as a small light in its ribs, bubbling ever brighter until it turned turquoise. Dragon Pulse. Angel stabbed through the sphere of energy with Knock Off, causing the dragon to blow up from the inside, and it collapsed into a pile of unanimated bones.

Sunshine was locked into a battle with the largest of the beasts, his arms pushing against the serpent-like construct formed from vertebrae, each jointed section giving the illusion of serpentine movement. The skull at the head was elongated like a Skeledirge's and adorned with fangs that would have bitten into Turtonator's neck had Angel not brought vines to pull away at the face. Turtonator raged at the close call, bright blue flames enveloping his entire body as he pushed the snake to the ground and slowly smothered it until it turned to ash—

Another flame, this one bright white slammed into Angel, causing him to catch on fire and squirm in agony. I hissed as flames singed the side of my face— I couldn't see him, with how bright it was, but I screamed haphazardly at Buddy to extinguish the fire and called Princess for reinforcements. Electivire blurred away, having switched position with the ghost, and he jumped in the air with Radiant Leap, ramming at full force into a collection of disembodied skulls floating in the air and the source of whatever that fire type attack had been. He grabbed onto the largest skull and slammed a glowing arm right into the collective twice in quick succession, using quick bursts of electricity to speed up a slow attack like Hammer Arm while Princess finished it off by throwing a burst of ice at it. She must have used Nasty Plot at some point, because her attacks were usually nowhere that powerful, and there was an evil glint in her eyes.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Angel was… relatively fine. He could not regenerate himself with Ingrain, here, and that fire type attack had been way more powerful than a Flamethrower. I would have burned to a crisp, had Electivire and Jellicent not tag-teamed with Protect.

But there were still three left, and two were clashing with Sweetheart while the last one threw itself at Buddy and I, and he was the last line of defense. He hadn't trained with Protect enough to keep it up for long. There was some kind of white shimmer in the faceless construct, and it kept hitting— once, twice, thrice— until the barrier shattered. Honey blurred toward it, but as if it had eyes at the back of its neck, it slammed a fist back, hitting the electric type in the face before he could react—

A hit faster than I could see snapped my crutch out of my hand as Angel grabbed me with still-scorching vines and brought me back. The bone construct followed, but Jellicent's head swelled, enveloping him in water and freezing both himself and it to buy some time for us to all recuperate. I ignored the pain at my waist as Tangrowth gently placed my crutch back in my hand, and I exhaled for the first time in what felt like an hour. The final two constructs, Tyranitar, Turtonator and Togekiss had done quick work of.

Okay, I breathed. Calm down. You're all alive, and that's what counts. I scanned the grand hallway in search of Ruth and Mathilda and saw that they were still locked in combat. Distracted. I scrambled to grab potions from my bag, ignoring the pain in my hand. Not broken, I thought after flexing it and clenching it a bit. But my crutch had been torn away very violently, and I was honestly surprised the damn cane was still in one piece, save for a noticeable dent. I applied the potions to Angel, Sunshine and Tyranitar before I ran out of time and the fight was moving our way again.

Buddy did not shatter, when the construct broke free. Instead, he turned back into a liquid right before he reached his breaking point, letting the bovine beast through. He had bought enough time for the rest of the team to finish it off with our combined attacks, destroying it until the light went out of its empty eye sockets.

Ruth wasn't… losing too hard, but she was far from winning, and while she looked to be tiring, Mathilda was not. One of Runerigus' Night Shades suddenly appeared in the shadows behind Sinistea and slammed both of its hands over the teacup, catching her off-guard, and Ruth used that opening to open up her segments and put Mathilda inside of her coffin-like body. All of the sections closed, snapping in place like pieces of a puzzle, and Ruth became a coffin.

Then, there was only silence.

"Is… did we win?" I asked in disbelief.

"Of course not!" she yelled. "This will only buy… a minute or two. She's seeing the worst memories she's ever had, and she will be furious by the end."

"Why the fuck would you do that? That's a terrible strategy—"

"Shut up and listen!" she snapped, her eye lighting up in fury. "There is only one way to kill her, and that is to make her abandon her duties. Her role as Overseer is her implement. With it, she is infinitely harder to kill, but it is also a limiter of some sort. She sees herself as a peaceful Overseer whose role is only to defend. That is the role that she has put herself in, and that is the role the world has given her despite it being narrower than most beings with a domain. If she abandons this role, she will be far stronger, because she will no longer be defending, but attacking. However, the world will not tug in her favor to have her survive."

"Tug in her favor?" I frowned.

The red mouth motifs on her stone body seemed to twist into a grin. "Have you not ever wondered why Pokemon with domains are harder to kill, girl? Why, even for Pokemon who aren't ghosts, they extend their lifespans indefinitely until they are kicked out or abandon their role? Because the world thinks they belong there and won't allow them to go down unless you finish the job properly. Burn the corpse until there are only ashes left."

The only domain holder I'd seen die was Shiftry, and Cynthia was not someone to base my knowledge on, with how powerful she was. Bellatrix's old lessons rang out in my mind, and I could only muster a tight nod. Still, I hadn't known that they were immortal. My earlier suspicions had at least been confirmed, though. The reason Ruth had been so much weaker, even months ago, was now apparent. She had no longer been committed to her duties as an Overseer and was far easier to murder.

"So we make her step out of that role, and she'll be easier to kill," I said. "But she's still a ghost."

"Of course. She'll only be dead for a few days, that gives us plenty of time to run— ah, she's coming back. Steel yourself."

Was that a minute? I inhaled sharply—

Ruth exploded into a thousand pieces, her Night Shades collapsed and exploded as Mathilda crawled out of her remains with a fury so loud I would have been brought to my knees had I not met Mesprit beforehand. This anger— it had weight to it. It crawled into my throat and made it harder to breathe, to move, and even to see straight. I stumbled back, but Honey brought his arm behind me. What had Ruth made her see, to anger her so? At least there were no more bone constructs, but… fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! Ruth was reforming, but she was taking her fucking sweet time with it, and we were Mathilda's only target, now. Liquid kept pouring out of her cup— more than what should have even fit in there. It surrounded it and pooled onto the floor, building up into a horrifying amalgamation of purple, gooey hands and faces with empty eye sockets and mouths. Dozens of them. She used the arms to crawl around like some kind of centipede. She was slightly larger than Jellicent's head, which was very big. I took a step back as the dozens of mouths spoke to me at the same time.

"I only wanted peace," they said. "Yet you struck first."

"I wanted to leave, and you wouldn't let me," I whimpered, ignoring the dread creeping up my spine. By the Legendaries, this was an abomination beyond words. Each voice was a terrifying echo that shook me to my very core. Only Spiritomb had ever shaken me this much. "This can still be resolved through peace. Just let us leave. Please."

I'd been begging, by the end. I was outclassed beyond the bridges that skill could gap. The abomination paused, then multiple smiles crept up on its heads.

"You are the aggressor. Trainers strike at the tower's entrance in hopes to get in. You struck first. I am assaulted on all sides, and keeping to my duties."

The ACEs were trying to get in, then— wait, was she monologuing? Who was she talking to— no… no, no, no! "You kept us trapped here," I blurted out in a panic. "Conflict could have been avoided— if you just let me leave. I am the victim, here, and you are the aggressor. You've stepped out of bounds. Out of your role."

The ghost's faces twisted into snarls that made my lips quiver. "Clever little girl," they spoke as one. "Alas, it will not make a difference."

My jaw clenched. "She's coming—"

She threw herself forward with wildness I thought only Ruth was capable of as bones levitated toward her and became armor. Knowing her defenses were the toughest, Sweetheart's body shone with Rock Polish as she slid across the room, almost stumbling before she clashed with what could barely be called Sinistea any longer. Powerful stone plates met bone and Shadow Claw, and they held— the first time. The second, too, but the third, Mathilda dug inside the flesh of her leg and pushed her away as she slid on the ground because of Rock Polish, creating an elongated dent in the hallway. Honey slipped out of her reach, firing Thunder after Thunder that froze her for a split second every time they hit. Princess raised the ground, creating walls of earth and bone to slow her further. Tangrowth slammed weakened Knock Offs into her side, trying to snake past her bone armor and to strike at the teacup at the center of her body. Sunshine huffed, breathing out massive Dragon Pulses whenever an opening was available. Bones close to him literally caught on fire, including Mathilda's armor. Her mouths let out a high-pitched, garbled scream, but the damage was superficial, and she cleansed the flame with some kind of ghostly aura.

They were buying time. Time for Ruth to come back together, one shadowy tendril at a time, but we'd be too slow. She lunged at Sunshine, hitting him with a punch that caved in his chest and kept going past him, aiming to kill me. My fingers tingled as I pushed and pulled at emotion itself. Love… how do I make love? Or is hesitation faster? I knew what that crush Edith had on me felt like, so it was the only tool I had to work in. Hues of… damn it, it wasn't strong enough! The colors were too dim, there wasn't enough passion! I weaved my hands in the air as Mathilda crashed into Jellicent's Protect. Honey joined him, adding his own as I bit the inside of my lip until it bled. Warmth. I needed warmth! I finished my concoction, leaving myself so exhausted I could barely keep my eyes open. I blinked, biting my tongue to keep myself awake as I pushed the feelings inside of Mathilda with all I had and collapsed backward.

She stopped. Thank fuck, she stopped, but I'd gone about it wrong. There was no precision, no tools used. It was like I'd tried to fit a fridge inside of a backpack. It just wouldn't fit. There was too much all at once. Shit! I hadn't wanted to risk grabbing all the rage out of her, because I would have passed out, and who knew if she would have stopped attacking?

"What… have you done to me?" Mathilda's mouths slowly spoke in horror. "Oh, Legendaries, what have you done?"

A nervous smile stretched across my face as Jellicent's Protect faded— though Electivire's still remained. She'd felt that, at least. Enough to stop her for this long. It was like she'd forgotten what love felt like— and this wasn't even love yet. A pale imitation of it. And I knew it hadn't held. Already, it was flickering out like embers dying in the wind.

"Please don't kill me," I begged with a sniffle, making my voice as pitiful as possible. I did not know if the tears were real or there to trick her. "You love me, don't you?"

Doubt flickered in her empty eyes, but then her faces bared her non-existent teeth—

Sweetheart rammed into her, a Dark Pulse shooting out of her mouth and inside of Mathilda, whose faces screamed, mostly in annoyance rather than in pain. Jellicent rushed toward our enemy with Water Sport, becoming a liquid as he slipped past the bone armor and exploded with Water Spout to take her apart, but I cursed when purple tendrils linked her back together immediately. That love trick would not work twice, but Ruth was almost back— and her Night Shades were. Her misshapen form summoned two perfect shades who engaged Mathilda in combat and left us time to breathe. I was so tired that my legs and arms felt numb.

"Ruth," I hoarsed out. "Finish the job. She's left herself open."

The ghost grinned, tasting that her freedom was closer than ever before. I ordered my team to join her to help, though I asked Sunshine to stay back. His breaths were weakened, and that hit had nearly singlehandedly taken him out. Runerigus and her shades took Sinistea in a three-on-one, their attacks ramping up as they began to hope. Sometimes, a hit that would have made contact was deflected by Princess, who struck from every side with Air Slash. Jellicent summoned Night Shades of his own, sending them to explode like bombs over and over while he pestered Mathilda with Shadow Balls. Sweetheart, although limping due to her leg, was still in fighting shape and fired off Dark Pulses toward Sinistea. This was working, slowly but surely. At the tenth minute, the last of Mathilda's reinforced bone armor collapsed.

She was stronger, but her stepping out of her role had left her open. A massive boulder from Princess would have missed Sinistea, but Honey grunted as he made use of Railgun to adjust its course by just a bit, staggering her for an instant.

An instant was all Ruth needed.

Runerigus gasped as she made use of the opening and plunged a hand into the liquid that was Mathilda's body. She shook, clearly looking for the cup, and she snatched it out of Mathilda. It was still dripping with purple liquid in her hand, when she crushed it with all her might.

"Ruth… you dare…" the voices whispered. "You… abandon your duty…"

Sinistea collapsed into a pool of purple liquid that dissolved the moment it became inert.

She was dead.

The Lost Tower's oppressive atmosphere seemed to lighten, but only for a moment, and I understood that Ruth had stepped back into the role of Overseer, stealing it from Mathilda. If she wants to kill me, I'm dead, I knew. She might have still been blocking the entrance too, and even if she wasn't my ACEs would have to make it to the labyrinth as well. As it stood, I was incapable of moving.

"I'm… free," she muttered in disbelief. A garbled laugh rang out throughout the destroyed ossuary, and her form slowly reverted into that of a human's. "I'm free!"

"I can… leave now, right?" I hesitantly said. "I helped you."

"You were of use, and I thank you for that," she confirmed. A weight lifted off my Pokemon and my shoulders. "Alas, I know what you're after already. I heard you ask for a way to kill a ghost. I am forbidden by covenant to ever tell anyone, but know that there is a method."

"Why— you know what, never mind. Just… who made this covenant?"

"No one knows. Perhaps it is intrinsic to us," Ruth muttered as she slowly walked toward one of the walls. "I am far too young to know what went on at the beginning of our introduction to the Dusk, child."

"The Dusk," I muttered. "What is it?"

She smiled. "That, I can tell you. It is a mirror of this place, ruled by a single sovereign where all ghosts are born, and all ghosts go to die," Ruth slowly explained. "It is Warden. It is Guardian. It is all. Though it has no part in the covenant. It is far too powerful to bother itself with the musings of ghosts and mostly preoccupies itself with sustaining the Dusk. We just feed on the scraps it leaves to come into being, sustain ourselves and travel into this world. I hesitate to call it a being… it is more like a Concept that has existed since the beginning of everything. Distortion."

Legendary, I guessed. The entire Dusk was run by a fucking Legendary.

I continued. "A mirror of this place… the tower?"

She laughed. "No. A mirror of this entire world." She stopped, snapping her fingers, and suddenly, sunlight was allowed into the tower through windows, and I felt fresh air brush upon my face. "Now, I must be on my way. Goodbye, Grace. I will remember you, when the centuries pass and you have been reduced to dust."

She paused before continuing.

"Oh, and also, do not go to the fifth floor. Our old trainer cut his soul into a hundred and eight pieces in his maddened quest for eternal life, and though he remains dormant, he will wake should someone other than us disturb him."

She disappeared into the wind, and my ACE Trainers arrived thirty seconds later through the windows and evacuated me and my team to safety.

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, SecondBlahm, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Uno

 

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 280

I was asked to recall my Pokemon and instantly Teleported… somewhere in Solaceon that wasn't a Pokemon Center. Upon getting a closer look, I recognized it as one of the buildings the League had set up shop in after the Darkest Day. The worn, wooden floor creaked as Lou whisked us inside and into an unoccupied office of some kind where light filtered in through a cracked window. I was honestly surprised to see Lou so soon, though she'd only taken Ariel with her while Maxwell, Richard and Serena stayed behind at the Lost Tower, possibly to assess the damage. The ashen-haired woman looked even paler than usual, somehow, and her white eyes were tired. Her heavy breaths filled the empty office as Ariel motioned at me to sit down. That Shadow Ball had grazed Lou, but it had taken its toll, it seemed.

My legs were still trembling, when I dragged a chair to sit on. Mathilda's countless faces flashed in my mind every time I blinked, her multiple voices resonating within my skull and her empty eye sockets somehow still staring at me. My throat tightened, but I couldn't afford to break. I had come into the Lost Tower with… a shell of a plan, which had fallen apart immediately but then rebuilt itself again, and most important of all, we had all survived.

"Can… someone bring my Pokemon to the Center?" I hesitantly asked. "They were all hit. My Tyranitar and Turtonator, especially."

By the time I'd been well enough to push my empathy to the back of my mind, I'd already seen they were extremely relieved, but also pissed at me.

"Ariel?" Lou sighed. "Can you do that for her while we speak?"

The ACE Trainer nodded, and I handed her my Pokeballs, save for Jellicent's. She vacated the room after sparing us one last look. Lou turned back toward me, crossing her arms with a puzzled look.

"Why did you go in there?" she asked.

"I thought you'd follow. You always follow," I muttered.

"We tried, but the moment you passed through, access to the Lost Tower was cut off," Lou explained. "And I must apologize for that. This is partly on us. Mathilda is usually cooperative and not prone to aggression, but we hadn't sent someone to check in on her in a while, with Team Galactic and everything else happening. We should have entered with you and not tried to follow." She stopped, grabbing a room-temperature water bottle, and offered it to me, which I accepted. I hadn't realized I'd been so thirsty. "But from now on, try to warn us if you're going to places like this."

I frowned, clenching my bottle. "I didn't have to warn you for anything else."

"The forces at play were in another League entirely, Grace," Lou sighed. "Mathilda and Ruth can't be compared to the likes of Carnivine. They're among the strongest ghosts we're tracking in the region. Without Ruth there, even we would have struggled as a team of five."

"There are others?" I asked.

"There are plenty, but honestly, they pale in comparison to some of the other threats out there, non-ghosts included," she said. "It's a careful balancing act, keeping this country afloat. Many deals have been made."

"I… get that. I get that I could have died," I said. "But I identified that Ruth was the weak link, Lou. I made it work, even if it could have gone terribly. It nearly did." And it would have, had I not given her a half-baked crush to have her hesitate. It wouldn't stick and had definitely faded already by now, thankfully. "I get that you were scared I'd die, and I'm sorry, but I got a lot of information you're going to want to hear."

I told her all about the information revealed about Dusknoir and Mars, and it was almost all new to them, save for a few tidbits. For example, they'd already known that Dusknoir was aggressive, how he fought and they had theorized that the souls inside of him couldn't be freed. Mars having parts of her soul inside of him, however? It explained everything they'd known about her memory loss, though it didn't explain how she'd appeared from nowhere. Jupiter, for example, had been working in an accounting firm before disappearing one day while Saturn had gone through the Circuit twice when he was a child. Mars? There were no traces of her anywhere, as if she'd just appeared one day.

The information about that Dusknoir in Almia was new, too. It was nearly impossible to get information on that region, according to Lou, partly because of how far away it and its neighbors Oblivia and Fiore were from the rest of the world and how their borders were permanently closed off. It wasn't something that would affect policy, but Lou had said information like this was valuable, because knowing which important Pokemon were where was one of every League's top priorities. Ghosts could ebb, Mathilda had said, and that meant that Dusknoir could potentially bounce back from whatever slump he was in. He certainly had the experience to do so. Over a hundred thousand years of experience.

"You're still angry," I noted, staring at Lou. When her frown deepened, I spoke up again. "I'm not using my empathy, you just look pissed, that's all. I was… okay at this body language thing before Mesprit came into the picture too, you know?"

The ACE's shoulders relaxed. "I'm not angry at you. You couldn't have known the issues this will cause, and the information we got on Dusknoir and Mars is still worth it."

"But?" I muttered.

"But we have a powerful ghost on the loose," she said. "From the way you spoke about her, Ruth won't take to an aggressive lifestyle and will most likely live in peace for a few centuries, so we doubt she'll be an issue. Maybe blend into human society for a while and enjoy herself, but it was… easier for us, when she was easily trackable."

"Okay. That's a shitty way to think," I deadpanned.

"The League's job is not to be nice, but to keep our people protected," Lou retorted with a thin smile. "Mathilda will be another issue. She's just lost her partner of a thousand years, so there are two possibilities. Either she becomes a recluse and takes control of the Lost Tower once more, but this time, she becomes an aggressive Domain holder that kills trainers. She might try to extend her range, if that possibility comes to pass."

"To beyond the tower?"

Lou nodded with an affirming hum. "Then, the League will have to put her down by catching her and keeping her locked in a Pokeball, and we'd lose one of the main ways we had of acquiring ghosts. That is a massive liability, so I do not think Cynthia will order this."

Ah. I hadn't realized how important the Lost Tower had been to the League. It was the place that created the most ghosts in the region, and on a regular basis, even if it took decades. The calculus here was simple: the League was willing to let more people die each year if it meant that they kept that advantage. And hell, in a hundred or two hundred years, maybe Mathilda would go back to normal and start working with them again. Cynthia thought in terms of generations, not mere months or years.

"That's an awful way to look at things, but I get it, even if I disagree," I muttered, my eyes downcast. "And it'd be my fault, too."

No good things come without a price.

"And the second possibility?" I asked, biting my lip.

"That she runs out of the tower entirely and chases Ruth. This one would be catastrophic, and she's powerful enough of a ghost to shift where she'll reappear by a significant margin and not just a few dozen feet. Maxwell, Dick and Serena will bring in more personnel in hopes of catching her in a Pokeball if she tries to run, but she could slip through."

"And then, she'd be an angry ghost on the loose," I said. "Shit."

If that came to pass, then she could appear anywhere at any time. Run through cities and kill hundreds before someone intervened, and then she'd be able to slip away again. And again. And again. She was too powerful to be restrained by a simple shroud of darkness. She'd do anything to get Ruth back and drag her to her tower again, because she was insane, and I'd prodded at her and helped free the only being that kept her chained.

Her look softened for a split second. "Don't let it get you down, that is only one possibility, and perhaps she will be more amenable than we theorize. It was a failure on our part. We should have been there, and we can't expect kids to think of every repercussion their actions will have." I let her calling me a kid pass, even if I wanted to retort. "Honestly, that'd be difficult to ask from most adults," Lou sighed. "Do you have any other plans to throw yourself into the territory of another Domain holder?"

"Hatterene, but we obviously won't be fighting," I confirmed.

"Oh, her. She's weaker and relatively cooperative," Lou said. "Nightstalker keeps her grounded."

"And she likes me, so you know, you won't have to do anything. There's also that ancient city up north. Lakhut, I think it's called, or at least its people were. Cynthia didn't tell you?" I raised an eyebrow. "That's surprising. That's one she knows about. Hell, it's the entire reason you haven't sent a team to deal with that Zoroark already."

"She must have had her reasons," Lou said, as if she could not even entertain another possibility. "Speaking of, the Champion will be coming in to speak to you soon. About this Dusk business. I'm certain what you told me is information I'm not cleared to hear."

I grimaced. "Will you get in trouble?"

"Oh, I'm already in plenty of 'trouble' for letting you slip into the Lost Tower unattended," Lou said with a wry smile. I'd never seen her so… soft around the edges. Maybe her near-death experience at the raid had changed her some?

For the first time in a while, however, I was looking forward to seeing Cynthia again. She was the one with the biggest chance of getting Dusknoir killed. She almost had, months ago at the Power Plant when the ghost had seemed like an unsurmountable wall whose very presence terrified me. I supposed I was being a little stupid, given the fact that she'd probably hear this in a report, but I wanted her to get this information as fast as possible so she could have a plan in place before the day was over. I aired out the details to Lou again, but I wanted to learn more about her, so as she accompanied me out of the empty building, I struck up a conversation.

"You know, you say that you can't get attached to me— or at least Ariel does— but that doesn't mean I can't hear about you, doesn't it?"

I'd already known she was an experiment, according to Cynthia, but that was the extent of my knowledge.

"Curious again?" she grunted. "Unfortunately for you, you won't hear much from me. Ask the Champion, if you need to hear the information so badly."

She opened the door and gestured at me to leave. "It'd be better if you told me yourself, but I see that that's probably never going to happen," I resigned. "I won't ask her."

"Maybe when this is all over and the world's in a good place, I'll tell you as a parting gift," she said. "Cynthia will meet you at that same Pokemon Center you were in after the Darkest Day, and it is where your Pokemon are as well. Have a good day, Grace Pastel. Try to not get yourself killed while we're watching you."

"Uh, you too."

—

The entire Pokemon Center had been empty by the time I arrived, save for a few Nurse Joys going about their days. I didn't know if it was because Cynthia had cleared the building, or because Solaceon was nearly devoid of all trainers after what had gone on during the Darkest Day. Anyone passing through the city didn't dare to stay long enough to get a room. Speaking of rooms, where the hell is she? I wondered as I made my way into the lobby. I nearly missed Aliyah, sitting on one of the soft red couches with Chimecho hanging around her arm. Arceus, she had so little presence that she still managed the jump on me, which was something she seemed to enjoy, with how her lips quirked upward when I flinched. Chimecho was definitely doing something to mask her presence.

"You do it on purpose," I groaned.

"She'll be waiting for you in room 208," my therapist said with a dip of her head. "And I am glad you didn't have me give you therapy in the Lost Tower. I wouldn't have managed to sneak in, this time."

I chuckled. "'Guess there are places even you can't get into."

"I am but a humble therapist with a few tricks up my sleeve, not a trainer," Aliyah explained. "Alas, my job here is done. I will see you tomorrow, Grace."

"Yup. Thanks for the nudge in the right direction."

I limped my way to the second floor and found room 208 with its door already open. It was right next to the elevators, though I couldn't help but wonder if it was significant in some way. Maybe I was giving it too much thought, and she'd just picked a random room. I felt a chill as I approached, and I understood why soon enough. Cynthia sat on the desk, reading reports with reading glasses that didn't fit quite right on her head, looking more imperfect than I'd ever seen her. She was still striking, of course, in a way few people were, but she wasn't putting on the face of Champion today. Her long blonde hair wasn't disheveled, but it wasn't perfect, either. Not as straight and as lined up as it usually was. Her long, black coat had been swapped for a grey t-shirt and cargo pants. The damn Champion was wearing cargo pants! Glaceon sat at her feet, her eyes attentive and locking with mine before I'd even known she was there.

Cynthia's Glaceon was a menace, from the few videos I'd seen of her, though honestly, every single one of Cynthia's Pokemon was a menace. There was no other Pokemon that embodied fear of the cold more than her, despite her small size— smaller than the average Glaceon, and smaller than Sylvi. Even so, she'd taken down Pokemon dwarfing her before she could even get hit once.

And she was also the one making this room feel like the inside of a fridge, even if Cynthia didn't seem to mind. The Champion beamed at me with an expression that looked genuine. It took everything I had, not to delve into what she truly felt. Who wouldn't want to take a peek inside of Cynthia's mind? Restrain yourself, I thought. It was strange, how Cynthia didn't even seem to care about it, though, despite the fact that she knew I was an empath and the full extent of my capabilities.

"Grace," the Champion smiled. "You'll excuse me, I've commandeered this room to get some work done. I've been catching up on problems left to the wayside since prioritizing Team Galactic, and there's no end to it. Solaceon in particular requires much of my attention."

My eyes scanned her stack of paper, noticing a ledger of some kind. Part of me wondered why she didn't just use a laptop for this, but maybe she had her reasons. Or maybe she just liked it better that way. I shifted around, surprised to see that I was nervous, even now. I hadn't seen her in person since Veilstone, and despite all of my changes since then, I couldn't help but want to watch myself whenever she was close. Like, what was I doing with my arms? Was I looking at her weirdly? Cynthia stood up, towering over me, though she didn't seem as tall as she once was, with all the growing Cece and the others had done this year.

I was still the same height, though.

"Hi," I said, forcing myself to sound confident. "I guess I should just talk to you about the Lost Tower, now? Or did Ariel tell you while I was walking here? She was around here somewhere, and I assume all of the ACEs know by now."

She gestured at me to come closer, and I did. "I heard a little about it," she said. "But let us speak of what actually matters, yes?"

Did the fact that I'd fucked up with Mathilda not matter? I expected at least a reprimand, and my shoulders relaxed without my knowing.

"Dusknoir and Mars."

"A split soul…" Cynthia muttered. "Not unheard of, really, but her functioning that well after the fact is quite an incredible feat."

"They said their old trainer's soul was split in a hundred and eight," I said, leaning against the wall and hugging myself for warmth. Glaceon was still staring at me in silence.

Cynthia clicked her tongue. "Glaceon, don't be so capricious."

The ice type whined, but in a second, it became warm again, as if Sunshine was here with me, or if heat had been allowed to return to my skin. Warmth, from an ice type? No, it was something else, like she'd sucked away all the cold in a split second, leaving only heat. From my reading on the subject of physics, I wasn't sure how that was even possible when warmth and cold had to do with the kinetic movement of molecules, but I was too tired to question whether a non-psychic could affect the world like that.

"Thanks," I grunted.

"One hundred and eight," Cynthia said. "A significant number. One with power."

My eyebrows creased with curiosity. "Why that number?"

She smirked. "We do not know. There are myths and stories, of course. Some say that the first number of ghosts created at the dawn of the appearance of Pokemon was one hundred and eight, and significant events like these hold weight, as Hatterene has taught you. Stories hold power, no matter the type."

I nodded, noticing the little burst of passion in her eyes.

"Spiritomb are built from one hundred and eight. Always one hundred and eight. It can be a split soul, one hundred and eight full ones, or a mixture of the two. It is the number, that is important. At least that's all the knowledge of it that remains," she explained. "They differ in how they act and function. A soul split that many times will fight with itself, but far less than so many different souls shoved into a single keystone. They don't pack as much of a punch, either, but they're just as difficult to take down, in other ways."

"So their old trainer turned themselves into a Spiritomb?" I scoffed.

"Supposedly, he was an ailing man in search of eternal life," she said. "He failed miserably, of course. He succeeded in becoming what he wanted, but that is not actually him up there."

"You told me, a few months ago," I whispered, "that they were echoes."

"As are all ghosts," she nodded. "But let us move on to more important matters. The Dusk."

I couldn't read her— not anymore, but the fact that she didn't show even a sliver of surprise at the revelation that a Legendary ruled over the Dusk made me suspect that she'd known, in some way.

"I did know," she confirmed as if she could read my thoughts. "Though it being the concept of Distortion is new to me, I will admit. I wish I had enough time to study what it meant in full—"

"How did you know?" I interrupted.

"Oh, I know plenty," the Champion said. "I am the highest authority in all of Sinnoh. Who else would know, if not me?"

"I just… it seemed like such a big revelation," I said. My fingers still clenched with a mixture of dread and curiosity, when I thought about it. "You didn't know about the fact that the Legendary represented Distortion, and you just… take it. Like it doesn't even matter."

The blond woman shrugged. "I've grown used to it, it really is that simple."

"Sometimes I wonder how you sleep while knowing all of the skeletons in the world's closet. All of the things that could end us in an afternoon if something went wrong."

Cynthia stared at me, her mouth still stretched into her usual smile, but her eyes turning expressionless. "Best not wonder about that too much, Grace. But the killing of ghosts, I had an idea for given the new information we got. Something tells me," she exhaled with a tint of excitement, "that actions would have to be taken on the other side."

"In the Dusk?"

"Mathilda told you, didn't she? That they feed themselves on scraps that Distortion leaves in the Dusk to sustain themselves and regenerate. What I'm thinking is, what if, Grace, we cut them off from those scraps?"

The idea took a few seconds to sink in, but she continued.

"Granted, we wouldn't be able to do so unless we had a particularly cooperative ghost, and even Fantina's team would not be willing to cross that line, I would bet. And…" she trailed off, looking toward the huge pocket of her cargo pants. The room grew tense, for an instant, and then it passed as fast as it had come. "neither will they."

"Well, if ghosts that close to you aren't going to help, then I think your theory's a lost cause."

"Don't worry yourself about that, I was just informing you about it since it was you, who faced Dusknoir at the Power Plant, so I figured you'd be emotionally invested in this revelation. Your friends will learn of this at a later date."

Legendaries, of course she wasn't brainstorming with me. I was some kid who lucked her way into relevance with powers, and she was Cynthia. She had just been trying to put me at ease. I deflated, biting my lip as she moved on to the topic of Mars.

"Wait! Before that, um… look, I have this problem," I sighed. "I was planning on asking Ruth and Mathilda about… locating ghosts. Three Gengar that raised my Electivire. Due to the circumstances, I couldn't. Not when I was trying to keep Mathilda from lashing out and Ruth just left a few moments after the battle ended."

"Three Gengar who raise children? Sylvestia's?" she prompted with a frown.

"Sylvestia? Who's that?"

"The previous Hearthome Gym Leader. She was before my time, but she owned three Gengar who are known for this sort of thing," Cynthia said. "Though finding them when they don't want to be found is a hassle."

I leaned forward, uncaring for the fact that I was asking for a favor. "Could you help? This is really, really important to him. Please."

The Champion drummed her fingers against the desk. "I'll see what I can do. Now, about Mars…"

—

There wasn't much to do now that I was alone, and Cynthia was gone. My Pokemon were all at the Center, and Buddy was relaxing in a bath I'd drawn for him, lazy as he was. I was planning on leaving as soon as everyone got better, and on apologizing to Honey for missing the opportunity to find his parents. He hadn't expressed disappointment in the Lost Tower, but that had probably been due to the fact that the adrenaline from the battle had still been pumping in his veins until I recalled him. At least I had another way, now, despite the fact that it was less likely to work than the old one. I'd wanted to keep up studying Byron, but I was snapped out of my thoughts when I read a single message.

Cecilia and Chase were back in Canalave.

I shot up on my bed so quickly that I hurt my leg.

"I'm fine!" I preemptively groaned so Jellicent wouldn't worry. "Holy crap."

I hadn't really planned anything for this, which was stupid. Of course, they were going to be back eventually. Apparently, they'd gone into the abandoned mines of Falkirk to train against all survival instincts. I wanted to say something, but honestly, I was the last person that should have been lecturing people about getting into meaningless danger. The Steelix had been angered and fought them while they'd been sleeping in the city's ruins, and they'd fought him off for a few minutes until Cecilia used her Voice to get him to slither back into his cave and leave them enough time to fly off.

Both she and Chase were about to challenge Byron, though Cecilia would be going first as soon as her team was healed, and Chase second.

She had a Hydreigon, now, and he had evolved without any issues like Sweetheart had. Her Scyther had evolved into a Scizor, too.

"Arceus, she's using her gift far more liberally than I ever thought she would," I muttered under my breath, surprised that the idea had worked. I would have thought that the rage issues would return as soon as the hour was up— and they had, but only in a manageable fashion, given that Chase also helped to extend the length she had to speak to Hydreigon. They seemed to be working together far better, now.

In all of my thinking, I nearly forgot to send them a 'welcome back' message. Swallowing my nervousness, I began to type and—

"Gah!"

I dropped my phone on my face as soon as it started vibrating. She was calling me already? Oh Legendaries, I wasn't ready, I wasn't, I wasn't. My heart caught in my throat, and it became hard to breathe. I couldn't answer, because if we spoke, then not telling her the truth would feel wrong. To pretend that nothing had happened, and to just talk to her as always? I couldn't, because that'd make me feel like I was taking advantage of her. Like when we'd been hanging out at the start of our journey and half-flirting, but she hadn't known I'd been a lesbian, and I felt as if I'd been taking advantage of her. The same, twisted feeling wrapped itself around my chest and squeezed.

Was I ready? It needed to happen eventually, and there was still no way I was telling her while she was face-to-face with me. I wouldn't be able to resist peeking at her emotions to look at how her image of me changed, and if it did in a substantial way? That would absolutely break me.

There wouldn't be a better time than now, or at least that's what I repeated to myself: to stop flaking and putting it off. Excuses sprang up in my mind, like my confession affecting her Gym Battle, or her friendships due to the fact that they'd hidden this information from her, but I pushed through and told myself that it would never feel like the right time, and if I waited for too long I'd end up not saying anything at all. By the time I'd found my resolution, though, the phone stopped ringing, but instead of letting me breathe out a sigh of relief and giving me an excuse to procrastinate, Cecilia called again. This time, I braced myself and answered.

For the longest time, no one said anything, and even if it was probably like five seconds, it felt like two hours to me. Two awkward, long hours. It was as if she hadn't expected me to actually answer, and I thought she'd speak first.

"Hello?"

There she was. My ears tingled at the sound of her voice, and my cheeks warmed. My throat suddenly felt dry despite the fact that I had drunk water recently, and my heart started pounding in my chest, as if it was my first time meeting her again.

"Cece," I hoarsed out. "Uh, sorry. That was a weird sound. I—"

"I missed you."

I was smiling, wasn't I? "Me too. I'm sorry I haven't been… available. And that I dropped off the face of the earth without warning for a while after I visited my lake."

"And I'm sorry for taking off after the raid," she said. "I should have been better about this, shouldn't I?"

"We both should have, I think," I sighed, sinking in my mattress. "Did— did the expedition go okay? How's Chase?"

"Oh, he's off studying Byron like a madman," she said with a beautiful laugh.

"Chase? Studying?" I snorted.

"No Gym like the eighth to change your ways," she said, with that little upward inflection she did when she was smiling. "We had a few close calls, but… before we get into it all, I wanted to talk to you about… well, you know. Are we alright?"

She was the one asking if we were okay? I was the one who should have been asking that! And I couldn't believe that she was getting into this already. I couldn't possibly answer yes, could I? I wanted to at least speak to her for an hour or two, before having to rip off the band-aid about… well, everything. To make this moment last for as long as possible.

"I hope so," I muttered. "I want to be. But listen, I have something to tell you."

There was a little bit of hesitation in her voice. "What is it?"

I opened my mouth—

Nothing came out.

Coward, I screamed at myself. I hit the side of my bed, accidentally clipping my knuckles on the wood and hissed in agony as I clenched my fist.

"This is— this is too hard. I need to send this through text," I sighed. "I'm sorry."

I waited for sign of affirmation, and she finally agreed after a few agonizing seconds, despite the fact that I could tell she wanted to hear it from me.

Taking a deep breath, I began to type.

'I don't know how to begin this. There isn't really a good way to begin this, really. I just hope you won't hate me by the end. I've done things that you should know before we start talking again, and you need to understand the full extent of the gift Mesprit handed me.

I guess I'll go in chronological order. That makes the most sense to me, I think. Do you remember, how for my battle with Maylene, I told you about the fcat that I intentionally pushed her buttons to have her bloww up? That was true, but I hid an important momnet from you, and I'm sorry. When I was preventing Infernap e fcrom being swapped out, I intentionally drew out her suffergin to hurt Maylene. Way longer than what was needed. Princess coukd have finished her off in barely five seconds, but it went on for nearly thirty if I remembr right. I guess I could say it was to push Maylene in the right direction and have her change her wsays, but that doesnt excuse anythuing and I should have found anther way. She was just a kid that was overwhlmed and needed help. I regret it today, and I want to apologize, but there's no way she'd talk o me ever again. You were disappointed in me when I told you half the truth, I couldtell, and this makes it worse, so I'm sorry for hiding it from you all this time. I'll have to tell the others too.

I've been hiding what happened at the end of the raid from you and Emi. You left early, so you didn't hear, but—

My fingers hovered over the keys, and I had to force myself to keep typing.

—you know already that we killed him, but you don't know about the way he died. I cut boht of his legs with my hatchet and then I watched Mira's Haunter torture him until he evolved. You know what that implies. That's why Mira's been weird lately, if you noticrd. It didn't afdfect me as muchas her. I'm lying, it didn't affect me at all. I didn't care and I still don't. I just don't want you to hate me for it. I'm sorry. The others know about this except Emilia. I'll tell her too.

This one is less bad. its not something I've done wrong, so please don't give up on me and keep reading. When I sent that text about Mesprit having made me an emppath, I said I wasn't ready to tell you all everything. Along with what I told you, I can also rewrite emotions however I want both temporarily and permanently, and I didn't want to tell you because I knew you wuld freak out and I was scared you wouldn't talk o me again or would never trust me, but I learned to turn it off. If i put it at the back of my mind, then I can't notice. Id never do anything to you, and I'd never look without your permission. I've been working with my therapist about this and I don't peek anymore. I wanted to tell the others, but you should come first.'

I was tearing up, by the end, barely holding myself together as I pushed 'SEND'. There was no undoing it, now. No going back in time or convincing myself to type this up another day or to put it off. I put my phone in sleep mode, placing it under my pillow, because I didn't dare to see what she'd answer with.

Instead of texting so I could digest her answer in a manageable fashion, she called me again after around three minutes. I didn't answer. I couldn't. Instead, I asked her to send it through text, and she started typing. I braced myself for an instantaneous, scorching rebuttal, but instead she took her time, which let the tension I felt shoot up. I had no right to complain, though. Not when I'd taken my time to formulate my text too.

'I don't know how to process this, but writing my thoughts out will probably help. At the very least, I'm relieved you felt open enough to tell me all of this and to be honest with me. I'm no angel myself, Grace. I've done my fair share of wrong and had plenty of impulses I've had to force myself not to act upon with my newfound gift.

I do believe that you went too far in both of these instances. I can't help but think back to the battle with Maylene and wonder how I missed this, but I will not hold it over your head. I do believe that you should apologize despite the possibility that you'll be ignored, but I won't force you to do anything. Your way of battling is something I find very endearing about you, but I think this crosses a line that should not be crossed. Your intentions were one thing, but I believe the road to hell is paved with good intentions, you see. It's been one of the problems I've been dealing with, these past few months.

Edward Backlot gets no pity from me. Not after seeing him get all those people killed. But I do worry about the fact that you dealt him wounds yourself and watched for so long. I'm still giving it some thought, but an entire afternoon is a staggering amount of time to watch a man get tortured. Even ten minutes would be too long for me, Grace. I understand now that Mira got a Gengar out of it, but I would rather you two just have finished the job and done it quickly instead.

Typing this out makes me realize that I'm a monster, aren't I? I can't get myself to care enough. In fact, I care more about what you did to Maylene than this, somehow, but at least I know it isn't right. You do too. Had I stayed, I might have been able to convince you and Mira not to do it, but I needed space, and for that I'm sorry. I won't break up with you over this, and I won't ask you to change who you are, but I'll need you to at least try not to do this again. What I've realized is that each one of these actions leads you to another extreme. If I had caught the issue with Infernape, then I doubt this would have happened.

So long as you promise me not to do something like what you did to Maylene again to another trainer, I will forgive you. Not forget, but forgive. And that isn't me inviting you to omit the truth again.

Regarding Mesprit, I trust you, Grace. Did you think I would flee? I will admit, there's a degree of uncomfortableness, but you trusted me with my gift, didn't you? There will be boundaries, but you seem ready to respect those. If you breach them, I won't give you another chance. These are very simple. One, always ask before looking at my emotions unless we're in a high-stakes situation and you have to use your powers in full. Two, never, ever touch them.

No matter what. I'm serious about this. I would rather die than cross that line.

Can we call, now? I'm sorry if I'm being selfish, but I want to hear your voice. Really badly.

I wiped my eyes, ignoring the relief that I felt that she wasn't leaving me. Cecilia had drawn hard lines in the sand, both with my behavior and my powers. I was planning on following these before she talked to me regardless, though having her say it to me made it feel more real. Heavier. I didn't deserve her. I told her to wait ten minutes so I could gather myself before calling, but it didn't even work, given the fact that I cried when she talked again anyway.

"Grace…"

"I'm okay," I sniffled. "I'm sorry."

"I forgive you. I'm just as bad as you are, really," she sighed. "But we'll hold each other up, won't we?"

"Hmhm. Can I say I love you yet, or is it too soon?"

She let out a wet chuckle. "You can say it. I'll say it too. Can we video call?"

"Cece, I look like a mess."

"You never look like a mess."

I placed the phone on speaker, pulling it from my ear. "Okay. Oh, and don't get angry at Chase and the others for hiding stuff from you, please," I asked. I turned on my phone camera and saw her, as she did me. We stayed silent for a few seconds, taking each other in.

My girlfriend smiled. "I would have rather heard it from you than anyone else, so you don't have to worry."

"So… what's this about that Steelix? Oh, congratulations about Scizor and Hydreigon, by the way. Do you have a new name for him…"

I really didn't deserve her, I repeated to myself. But I wanted to be selfish, just this once, because she'd already made me forget that I'd almost died today.

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, SecondBlahm, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Uno

 

[Soussouni1]

INTERLUDE - SECOND WIND

"Maybe doing this was a bad idea."

Grace rolled her eyes on Cecilia's phone screen and faked offense. "What do you mean? Are you saying I've ever had any bad ideas, Cece? You wound me!"

Cecilia walked leaned against the edge of Canalave's drawbridge. "You? A bad idea? Of course not," she said, not bothering to hide her sarcasm. "But this ruins the surprise you'll have when you get to the city."

"I mean, I'm seeing it right now, aren't I? Point the phone a little up."

This wasn't exactly a date. More like a conversation on the phone that had derailed until Cecilia had begun to rant about how great bridges were and their symbolism, linking two wholes together into one community. Grace had then suggested that Canalave had a bridge and that Cecilia should go and show her because she'd never been despite basically living right next door her entire life. The only place she'd been on vacation as a child was Sunyshore, which still baffled Cecilia. It was evening now, and the drawbridge was packed with people crossing to and fro in the rush to get back home after a hard day's work. The bridge itself was a colossal structure wrought of stone and wood, positioned over the city's central canal, and yachts hugged both sides of the city canal in a way that reminded Cecilia of the docks in Castelia, though several times less grand. The salty wind whipped around her hair, which nearly blinded her.

A day had passed since they'd reconnected, and they'd passed almost its entirety on the phone, save for when they were busy studying or training. It wasn't something Cecilia wanted to make a regular occurrence, especially when they'd just been learning to function when apart, but they did have a lot to catch up on, and talking to her after so long felt like a blessing. All of their adventures, their worries and their troubles they'd missed.

Cecilia had to admit, there had been a certain uncomfortableness when she'd heard about Grace forcing love upon Mathilda, but you often did not have the luxury to choose when you were about to die, and she understood the decision. Luckily, it hadn't been permanent. Cecilia hoped that she'd be able to be fine, when they met in person. She trusted Grace, but… it was still somewhat difficult to imagine the full extent of her capabilities. Chase had been a part of the discussion for a few hours, but he was secluding himself somewhere on route 218, pushing his team in hopes of making it past the eighth badge in one attempt.

"Aw, man. I thought we'd be able to see the Iron Islands from here," Grace sighed.

"Obviously not. They're too far away, and the ferry ride takes hours," Cecilia said, flipping the camera back toward her face. "Anyway, what do you think?"

"Yeah, it's great."

Cecilia pouted. "Spoilsport."

"Okay, in my defense, anything I'd say would sound like that compared to what you had to say," Grace said. "I mean, to be, a bridge is cool, but it's a bridge, y'know? Though I'd definitely be more into it if I was there."

"May I remind you that this was your idea? You just said you didn't get any bad ones."

"Harsh, but fair," her girlfriend laughed, in a way that made Cecilia want to grin too. "By the way, nothing from Mira, still?"

Cecilia pushed herself off the railing. "Nothing at all."

"I thought she might have been ignoring me for… obvious reasons," she muttered. "But I guess she's ignoring everyone. I would have hoped to see her in Solaceon, but I knew that was unlikely."

"She's probably already through by now, with Alakazam to Teleport her," Cecilia said. "Lauren passed through a few days beforehand, too."

"Oh, she's no longer in Sunyshore? Did she tell you what she was doing there?"

"You know Lauren. The only way to get her out of her shell is battling," Cecilia smiled.

"Well, I guess Sirris has gotten good at Teleporting," Grace said. "Arceus, I want a Teleporter so bad."

"Don't let Princess hear you say that. She'll get jealous."

"She's sleeping right now. And taking up all the space, too, but she deserves it after that performance in the Lost Tower."

"Like mother, like daughter."

"Huh? I don't take up all the space when I sleep!"

Cecilia let the silence speak for itself as she started making her way off the bridge, ignoring Grace's cute whining until she couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"It's not that funny— actually, it's not funny at all. You like it anyway, you're the one who always pulls me close because your awful family touch starved you your entire life."

"Hmm, debatable. Do I pull you close, or do you throw yourself into my arms?"

"I can't believe my girlfriend is gaslighting me."

"Let's just call it a tie."

This felt good. Her body felt lighter, now that she had someone to lean on in moments like these. They were not back to how they used to be quite yet, but this familiarity was something Cecilia had dearly missed.

Grace grumbled under her breath. "Fine, it's a tie. Did you hear Barry Lane won against Candice on his first attempt?" she said after Cecilia reentered the well-paved grey streets of Canalave. "I watched the battle earlier. It was a nail-biter. 5-6, with his Rapidash barely standing by the end."

There was a hint of envy in her voice, but also the fire of competition, Cecilia noticed. It was not as if she was immune to it as well. Unlike Grace, she was no rival to Barry, and had never even spoken to him, but she did consider him somewhat of a peer, and him having eight badges while she still had six left a bad taste in her mouth. He was the only first-year to already have eight badges as well, leaving him ample time to train in secret for the Conference and come up with new techniques. The closer to the end of the Circuit a trainer got their eighth badge, the more up-to-date the information on them would be, unless you were someone like Craig Goodwill, who was good enough to win his battles without using everything he had come up with.

"Basically, she tried to out-Barry Barry, and it almost worked. They were throwing out some wild stuff by the end. Her Frosmoth did a weird thing where they created ice constructs that spread cold throughout the arena that looked so real they might as well have been Double Team clones, and they were indistinguishable from the real thing even after getting hit. Anything other than a fire type would have frozen over there, and it was so cold they basically smothered Rapidash's flames."

That sounded very interesting. She'd probably give the video a look as well, despite not having any ice types. The notion that fire beats ice had been ingrained into her mind since she'd been a child, yet she knew now that battling wasn't that simple.

"What Pokemon on her personal team did Candice use?"

"Abomasnow. Maybe I'll message Chase so he can take some inspiration," Grace hummed. There was regret, there. Cecilia knew Candice and she hadn't spoken since the raid, neither deigning to contact the other. Cecilia had not stayed in contact with the ice type Gym Leader like Grace had, but they'd still spoken a little. When she'd asked if Grace wanted her to reach out, she had fervently denied her. "How're you feeling for your own battle?"

"Confident enough," she said. Her battle was tomorrow, and she'd brought information about Byron to learn about him in the Iron Islands. "I'm still wondering how many Pokemon he'll use that are stronger than seven badges. My team is beyond that level already, and Zolst, well… he's the one I'm certain is already at the eighth."

Though all of her Pokemon save for Croagunk were beyond what a Gym Leader would expect for the seventh, too.

"One or two," Grace instantly answered. "You're a first-year with no baseline for your Pokemon's strength. Byron will have to play it safe, even if you lost against Wake. Plus, I doubt he expects you to have trained in the Iron Islands."

"I figured. He'll want to counter Zolst, that much is assured."

"Can I see him? Pretty please?"

"He's not allowed in cities, and you know it," Cece said. "And I can't take off in the middle of a city with Lehmhart, so I'd have to walk all the way to the gate if I wanted to get on a route."

"Blegh. I get it… can I see Scizor, though?"

The Unovan agreed, releasing the steel type as she neared her Pokemon Center (she'd booked the one the closest to the drawbridge for obvious reasons). He squinted at her, his eyes full of exasperation. He must have been resting, then.

"Sorry. Grace wanted to see you?" Cecilia said— or it was more like an ask. She was still atoning for the way she'd treated him, despite them being close these days. Their time in the mines had finally brought them to something akin to companions. Scizor sighed with a metallic trill and nodded.

"Scizor! Scizor! Hi!" Grace yelled, waving at her phone camera. "Legendaries, you look so cool! Wait, you always looked cool, but you look cooler now."

The sleek, crimson exoskeleton glimmered in the streetlights. Scizor's carapace, adorned with serrated edges, was steel, now. No longer would attacks simply penetrate it or break his wings. He had traded speed for defense, of course, though with Agility he was still a Pokemon Cecilia considered a speedster. He could fly in short bursts, but hovering in the air for too long was impossible, and his wings were mostly used to adjust his body temperature and to keep him from overheating. It had taken a lot of getting used to, but there was nothing like combat to get a Pokemon used to fighting in their new form. His two scythes had been replaced by sharp pincers capable of crushing instead of cutting.

He accompanied her into the Pokemon Center, growing more irritated at Grace complimenting his sharp edges in a way only she could get so obsessed with. Cecilia drew eyes, though not as many as before. Give it enough time, and anything will fall out of public attention, she thought. Once she revealed Hydreigon into the world, Cecilia was sure she would attract more, which this time, she would be pleased by. She needed Unovan Professors to notice her, after all.

"To counter Hydreigon, I was thinking either one of his Steelix, Corviknight or, well, his Scizor," Cecilia said, awkwardly turning toward her own. He didn't seem to care. "All of those make sense to me."

"Scizor gets melted by Flamethrower. He won't go for it," Grace said. "Steelix or Corviknight are more likely for his eight badge Pokemon, I've been learning about them, little by little. His Steelix is basically a weaker version of the one on his personal team, and Corviknight is a bruiser built to take hits and dish out just as many. He knows some weird reflective move, too."

"Some kind of Mirror Coat, but not psychic," Cecilia confirmed. She'd heard about it. "Somehow, steel TE is capable of reflecting anything, if you put your mind to it, and Corviknight is specialized in this."

"And he has Roost. Hydreigon won't be able to take him down easily," she said.

Cecilia unlocked her room and entered it with Scizor. "I'll deal."

"You're lucky he doesn't have a Forretress of an appropriate level. Now that'd be difficult to deal with," Grace said. "Or unlucky, depending on the the way you look at things. The challenge would be fun, I think. Byron's Forretress all have ways to counter fire type moves."

"I think I would have enjoyed it, personally. I was looking forward to battling a Duraludon, too, but it turns out he has none."

"Byron's a little old school. Uh, he mostly owns Pokemon native to Shinwa, and Unova after Cynthia went there for a year and their relations warmed."

Cecilia nodded. "Combine that with a Gym having fewer higher-leveled Pokemon, and you get this. Well, that's okay. I just thought a clash between dragons would have been elating…"

"Right?! We'll have to do it, sometime! Or maybe Zolst against Sweetheart! I could find a mountain or remote area for it. I doubt that the barriers they have in the average public arena would be enough, these days."

Cecilia sat on her bed as Scizor hissed with a displeased tone. She relented, placing him back in his Pokeball before lying down on her bed.

"The Conference," she said. "I don't want to show my hand early, and by the time you get to Canalave, I'll be in Pastoria." Cecilia paused, rolling on her stomach. "You know, this might be a little cheesy, but you better not lose until we fight."

Grace answered with a blush and by muttering some gibberish under her breath. Legendaries, she was cute.

"Zolst will be quite useful for my foray into Unova," Cecilia continued, switching the topic.

"Um, I don't think I got that right. We're trying to change for the better, right?"

"It's not anything you're thinking," she sighed. "It has nothing to do with hurting anyone. Remember when I told you was looking into getting sponsored by a Professor when we were in Sunyshore in New Wave's building?"

"Oh! Right, you said that they'd be inclined to sponsor you if you had rare Pokemon. I guess Zolst counts."

"He does! And if I do manage to get my Spiritomb, it'll be an even more lucrative option. I was looking at a few names… Bradley Jordan, Lesley Espinoza, Aurea Juniper are the ones that might be open to working with me."

"What's special about 'em? I mean, other than the fact that they're super smart."

"That they operate outside of politics, mainly. All of them live in small towns and keep to themselves, so I doubt that they'd mind sponsoring me. They're all based in Numeva or Aspertia. Numeva's kind of like Twinleaf— well, it's more like two Solaceons in terms of population, but—"

"No need to brag about how big Unova is, Cece. When you get into it, you never stop."

"Right. Anyway, I've been branded puppet of Cynthia, so that gives me a black mark that I needed to circumvent with people that put science over politics."

Cecilia had money, but it would be running out at some point, and sooner, if she was going to spend the money she wanted to on TMs and items for the Conference. It was nigh time to stop relying on the money she'd taken from her father and she became truly independent.

Grace smiled. "You're daydreaming."

Right.

First, she had to focus on the now instead of the future.

—

Byron's arena was not the pure stretch of stainless steel, ready to be molded to his desires as Cecilia had expected before she'd begun looking up the Gym Leader. Her eyes gazed across the Gym Leader's battlefield and did find steel as a base layer, but it was anything but pristine. It was rough, worn and battered. Holes deep enough for her to fall in and small hills wrought of iron stretched across the entire surface and made it difficult to flood in its entirety, save for the two usual ponds at each edge. Jagged steel spikes, each ten feet in height, covered much of the field in a way that was obviously meant for Byron to manipulate and use to his advantage. Cecilia quickly found the best area to release her first Pokemon in, but she gave Byron a good look first. Wild, purple hair that looked like it hadn't been combed a day in his life and a thick, scruffled beard that stretched down from the side of his head down to his chin. Byron's body was toned, with clearly defined muscle that was visible through his thin, sleeveless white shirt. He wore old, disheveled pants covered in rips and tears, and a worn dark cape that looked like it'd fit right on a child playing superhero back in the Iron Islands. His dark eyes stared into hers, intense and burning as he slung a heavy-looking shovel on his back and grinned.

"Welcome, challenger," he said with a deep, grave voice. Like a smoker's, though Cecilia knew it was from his early days working in the mines. The smoke and ash had damaged his lungs. "This'll be a six-on-six battle with three switch-ins allowed. I reserve the right to use any Pokemon in my arsenal that I deem fit, and killing any Pokemon will get you disqualified from the League Circuit. Go ahead."

Close to the exact words and inflection Roark had used, Cecilia noticed. She didn't bother to keep him waiting, releasing Croagunk onto the field next to one of the steel spires. There were doubtful murmurs within the crowd, and even Byron raised an eyebrow, when he saw the small fighting type land near in one of the grooves in the iron floor, next to one of the ponds. He was right to be surprised. Croagunk was, after all, not at a level where she would be able to come close to winning despite her intense training in the Iron Islands. Cecilia had sent Croagunk out to lose, as they had agreed to during their stay near Falkirk.

For her, it would be trial by fire.

Byron's microphone picked him up cracking his neck, and he sent out an Escavalier without comment, their lances gleaming and sharp. Grace would be a fan of those, she instantly thought. Escavalier was one of Byron's most offensively-minded Pokemon, though its defenses were still tough to breach. Cecilia too, had begun to study her opponents in preparation for the Conference's arduous and spy-filled environment. She'd gotten a taste of it once, before the Solaceon tournament, and had resigned to the fact that talent could only bring her so far.

The referee seemed to be as interested in the battle as the spectators was, which was part of the culture in Byron's Gym. She slashed across the air and yelled out at the battle to begin—

"Brick Break and Fling," Cecilia calmly spoke.

They did not have the power to break past Escavalier's defenses, but they could make it sting, at the very least. Croagunk's hand went white as she jabbed it at the steel spire, shattering it in two quick hits. While she hurriedly grabbed the debris and flung it toward Escavalier at breakneck speed, Byron called out.

"Lance!"

The order resonated across the field like the clap of thunder, and the bug type brought one of its spears forward. For a second, Escavalier hung in the air as the lance glowed bright white. Two pieces of steel rammed into its hard shell, but the third, Croagunk managed to land on its soft body within, eliciting a pained grunt. Escavalier rammed an arm into the air and blurred impossibly fast toward Croagunk.

Cecilia barely had the time for her next order. "Mud Slap."

Croagunk might not have the power to stand up to Pokemon like Escavalier yet, but she was fast, and she fought dirty to attempt to bridge the gap. The fighting type's cheeks swelled before she spat out a mouthful of mud into Escavalier's eyes and inside its armor, giving barely giving her time to dodge by rolling out of the way. The attack still grazed her arm, but she recovered quickly, sliding in a small hole as Escavalier cumbersomely turned back toward them and nearly crashed into one of the steel spires in the process.

"Screech and Lance again," Byron said. "Fire, this time."

The steel type stopped dead in its tracks, hovering carefully in the air as it brought its two lances together and generated an obnoxious keen that made Cecilia wince. The sparks somehow generated a flame that spread throughout once of its hands despite the fact that it was a bug and steel type, and this time, it seemed faster than it had been seconds earlier. The jet of flame behind its elbow is used as propulsion, Cecilia instantly noticed, and the fact that he was specifically aiming for Croagunk's Dry Skin made her skin crawl. In all of the depictions of Byron she'd heard, he was described as a brute who simply used an impenetrable defense to find openings to defeat his challenger.

The flames stretched across the arena with a deafening woosh, burning red and blue as their light illuminated the steel floor. The hole wouldn't be enough to keep the poison type protected, and she knew it. The attempt to get deeper was futile, and Escavalier lanced Croagunk in the shoulder faster than she could react.

"Mud Bomb," Cecilia ordered.

The flames dried the mud as soon as it left Croagunk's mouth, exploding into thick, dry chunks that hurt her more than it did Escavalier, but that was fine. She was learning. While her skin wrinkled and the moisture was sucked out of her, her shoulders bled and Escavalier carried her across the field, her feet swung upward using the momentum she carried, kicking Escavalier's with a Low Sweep. Unfortunately, the impact didn't make the steel type change trajectories, and he slammed her into one of the spires, breaking through it and throwing Croagunk on the ground. Instead of rolling, she caught herself by anchoring her body by jabbing a Brick Break into the ground.

"Fell Stinger," Byron said.

Escavalier angled its lance toward Croagunk, and a sharp burst of energy molded like a spike flew toward her. She jumped out of the way at the last second, pelting her opponent with more Mud Bombs as she did so. Escavalier shot them out of the sky with more stingers before he could get hit, but some of the scorching mud exploded onto his armor, creating a satisfying hiss. For twenty seconds, they played this game. Byron was content to let his Escavalier take more damage, so long as it took down Croagunk with Fell Stinger to increase its attack by the end.

One was bound to hit, eventually. The neon green spike hit Croagunk in the gut and threw her back. She stumbled in an attempt to keep standing, but she only managed to take a single step back before fainting.

"Croagunk is unable to battle! Challenger, send out your second Pokemon."

"You gave a satisfying performance," Cecilia smiled as she recalled her.

They still had a lot of catching up to do. Escavalier did not shine, nor did anything on its body shift, but its eyes sharpened and its body tensed. Taking down Croagunk with Fell Stinger had not been ideal for her, but it was a sacrifice Cecilia had been willing to make.

She grabbed her next Pokeball, releasing Zolst onto the field, and a ripple of tension spread across the arena. Spectators went silent all of Hydreigon's heads let out an infuriated scream and sent spittle forward.

Hydreigon was eight feet in height, and his six, claw-like wings were longer still. His darkened scales seemed to absorb all light, and from her tests, he was her toughest Pokemon, now. Six crimson eyes shimmered under the Gym's harsh lights, the two heads he had for hands lashing wildly at any movement and drooling all over the ground until Zolst snarled at them, and they went still. The low, haunting rumble from the depths of the Hydreigon's throat echoed through the stillness. The heads were not sentient, not exactly, but they could still sense light from dark and tended to be a lot more aggressive than the main head despite being subservient.

And while she had dealt with the worst of Zolst's rage, that did not mean he did not share the average Hydreigon's temperament. The dragon was known as the Brutal Pokemon for a reason.

All of their work had led to this. All of their trials, their training, and their close brushes with death had culminated in this single moment. This was the true beginning of her Gym Battle, and she would destroy anything standing in her way.

"Metal Burst and X-Scissor," Byron said.

Shards of metal broke off the ground and turned into a maelstrom of steel, loud, and clanking together as Escavalier's lances glew neon green. It glided across a few inches above the floor, manacingly raking one lance against it before bringing it up in a sharp motion that cut across Hydreigon's chest—

The right head's mouth snapped shut with Fire Fang around the other lance and dug into the steel while the central and left head blew a searing Flamethrower at Escavalier. It enveloped the steel type completely and disturbed the air until both the dragon and Escavalier were but flickering figures of dark and gray in the heat. The flames melted some of the steel on the floor, causing it to trickle down into pools and sizzle as smoke rose high into the sky. Shadows danced within the fire, and Cecilia was certain she would have heard a screech had the flames not drowned out every other sound.

Escavalier could not escape from the Fire Fang's grasp, but it didn't take its demise lying down. Cecilia saw hints of a fight, though it was meaningless. Hydreigon let go of its unconscious body, blackened by ash and soot, and Escavalier crashed to the ground with the heavy thud of steel.

"Escavalier is unable to battle! Leader Byron, send out your second Pokemon."

"Impressive," Byron smiled. "It looks like your training in the Iron Islands was fruitful."

He'd heard about that? Cecilia kept her face still, waiting for him to release his next Pokemon. She'd been expecting at least one eight-badge level Pokemon to counter her Hydreigon, at the very least, and she was not disappointed to see the massive Corviknight materialize in the air. Thanks to Grace's last-minute advice, she'd known the flying type to be one of Hydreigon's main counters, given the fact that it knew some version of Mirror Coat that didn't need psychic powers to counter Flamethrower.

"Nasty Plot," Cecilia grinned.

"Steel Hurricane and Iron Defense," Byron countered.

Small… Spikes fluttered out of Corviknight's wings, but they never fell to the ground. Instead, the flying type flapped its wings, generating winds so strong they began to chip at the steel in the arena and empty the pools of water at its edges. The steel obscured the bird, but only a blind woman would have missed the glow in its armor. A scheming glint appeared in Hydreigon's eyes as he no doubt imagined finishing this entire battle all on his own with only a massive crater left on the field by the end of it.

Zolst's role, however, was not simply to destroy, even if he was really good at it.

"Earth Power, in a circle, like we planned. Keep up the pressure with your heads," Cecilia ordered in quick succession.

"Steel Coat and Brave Bird. Find an opening," Byron said.

Roaring flames exploded out of Zolst's hands, trailing onto the floor and leaving a massive dent before swinging upward and surging toward Corviknight. The steel type was actually quite slow compared to the Pokemon she was used to fighting, and the attack struck its chest, instantly bouncing back twice as strongly, and crashing into the barrier. The psychic wall shook, shimmering as Kadabra visibly strained to contain the attack— no the entire arena was shaking. The ground exploded in a circle as scorching, molten iron sprung up high into the sky thanks to Earth Power. While Corviknight could reflect attacks, it couldn't reflect the heat itself, even if it was a lot more resistant than Cecilia had given it credit for.

Hydreigon created a ravine chock-full of molten iron.

That was step one done—

Blue flames engulfed Corviknight as its eyes lit up in fury. The hulking steel type lunged at Hydreigon with a Brave Bird with a defiant squawk. What had been the opening? Cecilia thought, her mind racing. There wasn't enough time to figure it out, but Corviknight altered its course, seemingly to be aiming at—

The floor. Corviknight crashed into the molten iron like a meteor with no care for its own well-being. The liquid metal surged upward like water, but Corviknight's Brave Bird created such friction in the air that it had generated more heat as well. Hydreigon was still a clumsy flier and could only awkwardly float out of the way as molten steel clung to his scales and his left hand.

"Focus Blast," Cecilia said.

There was the crack of lightning, and then energy concentrated into a single point in both of Zolst's hands. Hydreigon sent them flying toward the general impact area with a roar, but Corviknight was nowhere to be seen—

"Below you!" she called out.

Drill Peck was a move of many uses. Hydreigon's wings wriggled, and he rose higher into the sky right as Corviknight burst out of the ground spinning so quickly the Pokemon had become a blur.

"Use Head Smash, now! Flamethrower!" Cecilia called out.

Legendaries, she'd have to come up with a system to call out which head did what, and soon. The momentum carried Corviknight up, but the steel type extended its wings, stopping dead in its tracks as the metallic storm kept raging. Thankfully, Zolst understood the command, and his two hands solidified, turning as hard as rock while he kept using Flamethrower. Corviknight, with reflexes beyond what should have been possible, triggered another Steel Coat with Drill Peck still active, and the flames bounced back. Cecilia winced as she heard a crunch, Zolst's two hands smashing into the side of Corviknight's armor while it rammed into the dragon.

Something shifted in Hydreigon's eyes, and he began wailing at Corviknight with everything he had, smashing into the steel type, biting it with Fire Fang and keeping it in close quarters. A trainer with weak nerves might have yelled and ordered Hydreigon to stop, or recalled him in a panic out of fear of killing. Cecilia did no such thing. Instead, she watched for ten seconds as the dark type brutalized Corviknight from up close until Byron pulled out his Pokeball and recalled the flying type to safety. Hydreigon drew upon heavy breaths, but he was not even close to done. He had not trained in Falkirk's abandoned mines and faced down that Steelix with the others for nothing. The damage the molten iron had done to his scales was substantial, but not catastrophic. The steel storm slowly subsided as Byron pulled out his next Pokeball. It had been more useful in obscuring vision than dealing any damage.

What now, Byron? Cecilia thought, analyzing the Gym Leader's face. She knew Corviknight owned Roost, and that Byron had understood that Hydreigon would never let it heal. It had also been one badge ahead, and there weren't that many of those he could use when fighting a first-year with seven badges. Byron smiled, sending out an assortment of gears that somehow made up a whole entity. Despite being a species native to Unova, Cecilia had never seen a Klinklang before.

"Iron Defense, Autotomize."

"Focus Blast!"

Klinklang shone bright white until the edges and gears were indistinguishable as three spheres of orange energy flew off toward it. The steel type's gears disassembled, splitting apart and letting the blasts pass through where its red core had just been.

"Elemental Barrage," Byron said.

From each piece of Klinklang, either ice, electricity or fire launched in the form of a beam toward Hydreigon. Cecilia swept her arm, ordering Hydreigon to use Hyper Voice infused with darkness, but as powerful as the dragon had grown, he had lungs, and Klinklang did not. Each piece of him kept up the attack indefinitely, speeding away from any attempts at retaliation when Cecilia switched up her strategy and called for a Flamethrower. Those that did get hit or narrowly dodged felt it, at least. Even with Klinklang's defenses up, Zolst packed a punch, and she wished she could have seen him destroying the arena forever. Each crater, each ravine, each blow filled her with a satisfaction she could not explain.

She could not dawdle, however. Cecilia snapped back to reality and recalled Hydreigon. Perhaps he could eke out a win in a battle of attrition, but he'd be needed, if that Corviknight ever came back. Her hands comfortably found Talonflame's Pokeball. If Klinklang was going to be difficult, then she would blast all of its pieces away. So long as the circular ravine she had created stayed intact or extended, it would not be a problem, but she would have to make use of Slowking next to start reaping what she sowed.

The Tailwind and Flame Charge to speed up came naturally to Talonflame, these days, though the former was already infused with Heat Wave from the get-go. Cecilia noticed the little pieces of Kinklang act as some sort of hive mind, hiding inside of craters, ravines or behind spires to hide from the worst of the heat. Still, some of them always had an angle, and Talonflame weaved in between numerous electric blasts that the steel type seemed to have automatically begun instead of using ice and flame. She was too fast, of course. She dropped down to the floor with her wings flat against her body until the air itself began to whistle as if she were a missile.

"Flaming Feathers, darling."

She spread her wings with a screech, and a hundred feathers coated in flames burst from them. They did not do so in a random matter, however. As Talonflame sang, she commanded her feathers, using her own flames and wind currents as scaffolding to carry them. They were already sharpened with Steel Wing, of course, and they hunted down the divided Klinklang like prey.

"Combine and Trick Room," Byron said.

Multiple orders in a row again. Braving the Heat Wave and the… less-than-stellar conditions below, Klinklang reassembled, clicking together again like magnets. The feathers all homed in toward the steel type, but the air around it shifted, and the feathers slowed until they came mere inches from its body, and they froze in place.

Klinklang too, was frozen. The gears had stopped turning, and it was simply suspended a few feet above the air. Trap, she instantly thought. There was no need to go in, if it fell onto Byron to make the next move. Cecilia ordered Talonflame to intensify her Heat Wave as her eyes narrowed toward the Klinklang. What now? You're slowly taking damage, so you're going to have to do something.

Suddenly, the Trick Room expanded to the entire arena, turning the red hue shining off the molten iron to pink. Talonflame slowed to a crawl, and while Klinklang was also slower due to Autotomize, it was faster than the flying type in a Trick Room because it was still slower outside of it. It was beautiful, if not morbid, how the Thunder formed in slow motion in front of Klinklang's red core. It began as a low rumble reverberating through the air unnaturally slowly. Then and only then, the incandescent spark of energy coalesced, birthing the electric beam. Heat Wave itself seemed to freeze as the electricity slowly surged forth, Klinklang having opted to get hit by the fiery feathers in exchange for this hit. It was a correct calculus, really. Talonflame was fragile, and despite them having developed techniques to remedy that weakness, there was not much that could be done. Any order she would scream out would come as a garbled, slow-motioned mess, so all Cecilia could do was trust in Talonflame.

She deserved to prove herself. This was as much a test for her as it had been for Croagunk and Hydreigon, and Cecilia had gambled that her Pokemon were strong enough to win regardless. Still slow-moving, a burst of white-hot, flaming air exploded out of Talonflame, twisting and altering the Thunder's path— even weakening it some— but not enough, Cecilia winced. Talonflame had barely moved ten feet since Trick Room had begun by the time the Thunder hit her chest, and the move collapsed with Klinklang showed visible signs of exhaustion. The gears turning weren't as smooth, and its red core had dimmed.

Talonflame did not fall on the ground, however. She caught herself beforehand, her training with Chase's Vikavolt coming to fruition. Byron's eyebrow raised as he looked on with amusement.

"Throw off one piece and Discharge," the Gym Leader said.

Cecilia smirked. "Agility and Flare Blitz!"

She understood now, why Grace kept moves hidden until they were needed. There was a booming explosion around Talonflame as she instantaneously blurred toward Klinklang at the speed of sound, crashing into the steel type before it could even react. Klinklang's red core instantly turned off as the gears themselves begun to melt from the constant exposure to Heat Wave and now Flare Blitz. It was another way she'd found to counter moves like Iron Defense. Heat softened metal, and softened metal was weak enough to bash in. With the denting and rupturing of the steel came a satisfaction deep within her chest, like a primal desire to burn and destroy anything that stood in her way.

"Klinklang is unable to battle! Leader Byron, send out your third Pokemon!"

The wind was at her back, but it was best if she did not get carried away. Byron sent out an Aggron next— the seven-badge level one, and not his personal one, thankfully. She could tell by the lack of scars running all over the rock type's body. Technically, Byron couldn't use Pokemon on his personal team for the seventh badge, but Candice had used that Darmanitan on Grace, once upon a time. Being mentally prepared for one wouldn't hurt. Cecilia instantly used her second switch despite Talonflame still being battle-worthy, finally letting Slowking out to battle. The psychic type immediately crafted a shield for himself to stand on so he wouldn't burn his feet in the pit of scorching metal that had become the arena. Spires had sunk into the ground, not as sharp as they'd been before, but the holes and hills were still there, at the very least.

And so was the ravine she'd set up.

"Let's begin, shall we? Fill up that ravine."

Byron called out for another Iron Defense and a Rock Polish as Slowking lazily lifted up a hand and flicked it around. The air above the ravine condensed into moisture, and that moisture seamlessly turned to gallons of water that hissed as it came into contact with the superheated metal.

"Metal Edge," Byron called out.

Aggron slid on the floor at speeds it had no right to be going, pulling up half-melted spires from the ground and shedding at their edges to sharpen them. With a metallic roar, the steel type sent them flying toward Slowking. Too quick and too large to stop with Psychic.

But with a little bit of help…

"Chilly Reception," Cecilia said.

Slowking grinned, and she was sure he would have bowed if he had enough time.

You know, it's really rude to go around steel-ing those huge spires to throw at me—

Wisps of ice left Slowking's mouth with each word until ice condensed and spread all around the psychic. The Metal Edges slowed as they entered the zone of frost before falling off the wayside away from Slowking, shattering into a dozen pieces of ice and skidding across the floor while the water type finished filling the ravine with water. Aggron just jumped over the chasms to approach, as she had expected. Lauren's own Aggron had done the same thing to her, when she had lost in Veilstone.

"Avalanche!" Cecilia said, deciding to chain her commands.

The chunks of ice answered to Slowking's will, rising from the floor and coming together until he threw them at Aggron, who grunted as the ice hit his steel plates with minimal effect. That was fine, seeing as she was baiting him in.

"Head Smash!" Byron yelled.

Aggron lowered his head, speeding up as he approached Slowking in hopes of taking him down in one hit. And Cecilia was sure it would have. No barriers would stop this charge, and Slowking's movements were lethargic and made him incapable of dodging. Few Pokemon could resist an Aggron's Head Smash powered up by Iron Defense. The steel type was steady in its steps, not slipping despite the Rock Polish and the massive craters that Hydreigon had wrought. What Byron did not expect, however, was for Slowking to start floating.

It was the culmination of his work on barriers throughout the months. Him having created all of them during their training sessions, learning to craft mental shields, creating bridges to walk onto and prioritizing barriers above all else had led to this. He was not floating as much as he was manipulating a barrier to stand on and sending it skyward. With his hands calmly placed behind his back, Slowking landed on the island of his creation, in the middle of the circular ravine he had filled with water while Aggron skidded across the floor and stopped with a mighty impressive controlled slide. More shimmering barriers— five layers in total appeared in spheres around him as the water rumbled.

Here he was, surrounded by water and barriers. A defense that was nigh unbreachable for Aggron, because they would not let him get close in the first place. They had created a fortress.

"Water Cutter," Cecilia smoothly said.

Ten small spheres of water rose from the makeshift river and squeezed until thin pressurized lines exploded toward Aggron, managing to dent the steel.

"Metal Edge."

Try as you may, it wouldn't work. It was a nice test from Byron, to check if Slowking could still use Chilly Reception to stop and slow the iron while focusing on maintaining five barriers. A test that he passed flawlessly. Only one of the projectiles hit the final layer of the barrier and failed to shatter it. Next, the Gym Leader tried to use Metal Sound to have Slowking lose his focus, but something in the barrier shifted, and no sound was let in just like they'd decided they'd do before leaving Pastoria. Cecilia covered her ears, but the psychic was sitting pretty.

"Head Smash. Break through," Byron grunted.

"Disable," she countered.

Slowking's eyes flashed grey, and Aggron snarled in frustration, opting to use Heavy Slam instead. Heavy Slam worked in Cecilia's favor. The point of impact would be spread instead of a singular point like Head Smash and the barriers would be more resistant. There was no plan to just let it happen, though. Cecilia ordered for another Chilly Reception as Slowking this time spread water on the ground around his fortress and beyond the ravine. After another terrible joke that Aggron heard, ice spread outward and made him slip. The rock type stumbled, shattering the ice on the floor and denting the metallic floor. Water Cutter wasn't very effective at penetrating steel, but by focusing on the same spot over the course of seconds, even the toughest of hides could be breached.

And breached, it was. Aggron let out an ear-piercing scream as the Water Cutter started digging into its tough, grey flesh. Byron used his second switch of the battle and recalled Aggron before more damage could be done. The rock type simply did not own the tools to fight Slowking. There were usually no seven-badge psychics this powerful. There were no holes in his defense, or at least no holes that Aggron could have breached. A Magnezone came out next— the expected choice, and for good reason. Slowking was excellent at taking down Pokemon that enjoyed fighting up close, but a Magnezone would be able to breach his barriers if given enough time, and she was not one to stall.

Cecilia recalled Slowking as well, letting the barriers collapse instead of having him expend energy on maintaining them past his presence. Instead, she sent out Hydreigon to counter Magnezone, but she had not expected Byron to recall Magnezone right away, and suddenly, she felt like she had been trapped. No, she had been trapped. Out of switches while Byron could pick whoever he wanted to beat Hydreigon. Would it be another Pokemon that routinely battled at eight badges like Corviknight? Zolst's hands snarled, snapping at each other while the Gym Leader carefully rubbed his chin.

Then, his Corviknight appeared again as far away from Hydreigon as possible. Again, she'd been caught off-guard, but why—

Byron smiled. "Roost."

"Flamethrower!"

Forget the Nasty Plot, they had to prevent Corviknight from getting any healing off. Even without the setup move, Hydreigon's Flamethrower rivaled Turtonator's, with all heads combined. Corviknight bunkered down, covering its face with its wings and stabbing its talon into the metallic floor as its body shimmered. Cecilia frowned when the stream of blue flames bounced off Corviknight's wings. She too, had been surprised that it could use Roost while defending itself with whatever that Mirror Coat was. The move was so energy-intensive…

But if Slowking could multitask, others would be able to do it, too. Corviknight was slow, but Hydreigon was clumsy, and the steel type rushed toward the dragon with the sound of steel against steel as Byron pointed his shovel at the dragon. Corviknight launched into a spin until it was nothing but a blur and a sharpened beak. There was no avoiding this, and Corviknight was healthier than Hydreigon was, now, despite the heat from the Flamethrower.

"Body Press!" Byron yelled.

"Fire and Thunder Fang!" she cried out.

Hydreigon, with its three menacing heads, bellowed a guttural roar that echoed through the arena. In response, Corviknight spread its wings wide, a silent proclamation of the impending challenge. The first strike belonged to Hydreigon, one of his serpentine heads lunging forward with feral ferocity, aiming to clamp its flaming jaws around Corviknight's armored frame. The second strike was an impact that resonated across the arena with the shattering of scales as the steel type rammed into Hydreigon's chest with its full body weight, and continued ramming into him until they both crashed into the barrier.

Zolst was too enraged to care about pain. His second head aimed for Corviknight's wing, spreading electricity throughout his metallic body. The steel type convulsed as its beak elongated, sharpened like a sword, and struck at Hydreigon's weakened scales. How long was he going to survive this? Hydreigon ripped apart chunks of metal with his teeth. There were no fancy techniques at play, here. No metallic storms other than the occasional burst of sharpened steel flying out of Corviknight's wings like bared fangs, no burying into the ground. Just steel against scales, beating each other into a pulp until only one Pokemon would be left standing. Teeth and blood were knocked out of Hydreigon's mouths while Corviknight's armor began to melt as they clashed on the ground like madmen who'd forgotten that this was a battle and not a real fight out in the wild with lives at stakes.

But in the end—

"Corviknight is unable to battle! Leader Byron, send out your fourth Pokemon!"

It'd probably take over a week to heal that Corviknight, she thought. Hydreigon was a mess of flesh and scales. One of his hands was unresponsive and its eyes had been torn out, while he barely managed to hover on the ground. By all accounts, this had been a tie. Corviknight disappeared in a sea of red, and Byron sent out his Magnezone without waiting.

"Lock On and Flash Cannon," he ordered.

She tried to have Hydreigon retaliate with another Flamethrower, but the flames were so weak they lost the clash of power with Flash Cannon, and the beam of light slammed into Hydreigon's chest, knocking him out for good. Magnezone was quite a good counter to her, giving it some thought. Talonflame was severely hurt, and so the electric type might win against her. Slowking would lose as well, and Lehmhart would just have Magnezone wait high in the sky while it pestered him with Flash Cannon. She was sure that he'd be able to clean up afterward, however.

The onus fell upon Scizor, then.

The bug type screeched as soon as she released him, being in a foul mood as always, but he quickly smirked when he realized that it was time for the Gym Battle and not another one of her pre-battle meetings that she'd tried to implement to improve their team cohesion. Scizor was a Pokemon of action, not planning, and his wings fluttered in excitement as he sized up his opponent. Agility was second nature to him, now, but he had other tools at his disposal as well.

"Bullet Punch," Cecilia said. "Stick close at all costs."

Scizor blurred across the arena faster than Magnezone could react, expending so much energy that his metallic skin started glowing red. His wings fluttered as he leaped into the sky, hissing hot smoke escaping from the few holes in his exoskeleton as he slammed a glowing claw against Magnezone, sounding a loud clang across the arena. Magnezone let out a series of frustrated beeps, a beam of fire from Tri Attack hitting Scizor in the arm and forcing him off.

"Keep moving. Bullet Punch again."

He was but a red blur that warped the air around him, hitting Magnezone with occasional jumps, but the electric type retaliated with Discharge each time before Scizor could weave out of range. That was fine, she thought. What she was looking for was happening right in front of her eyes. Scizor leaped over Slowking's ravine, avoiding the water like the plague and angled a pincer upward. A glob of light appeared inside, releasing a Flash Cannon that barely scratched the Magnezone. They were buying time. Time for this.

Scizor's body overheated, and the steel type caught on fire.

"Go ahead, darling," Cecilia smiled.

A blink, and Scizor was on top of Magnezone. He savaged the steel type with fiery punches, uncaring for his body heating up until it glowed with the brightness of a sun. Byron's lips stretched into a maddened grin as he swept his shovel forward.

"Gyro Ball and slam into the ground!"

Magnezone started spinning, it and Scizor turning into a ball of flame. Spikes borne of control over metal rose from the ground, glowing white, all angled to stab into Scizor, who screeched through the roar of the flames and kept slamming his pincers into Magnezone over and over.

They crashed with an explosion, kicking up debris and billows of shredded metal up to the ceiling. Scizor's wings beat so quickly they became a blur, rapidly lowering his inner temperature until he ran to take a plunge in Slowking's river while Magnezone tiredly levitated back in the air, its shell dented and heated to the point that normal hits would now dent it further.

"Brick Break," Cecilia said.

With an exhausted sigh, Scizor rolled his neck and climbed out of the water.

"They won't be able to do that again," Byron said. "Magnetic Prison."

He had assessed that rather quickly, Cecilia mused. Magnezone's magnets spun, and metal burst from the ground, clinging to Scizor like he was a magnet until the grey rocks buried him.

"Now, Thunder."

The iron prison cracked as a Flash Cannon broke through, but the supply of metal in this arena was endless. Thunder cracked, flashing down and running through both the rocks and Scizor, but the attack was so powerful it left them an opening— an opening that was closed within a second and that Scizor was in too much pain to exploit. The second attack charged up, the electric energy humming along Magnezone's body.

"Scizor," Cecilia said, her voice quivering in her throat. "You can do this."

The words mattered, because there was a linking of a bond that had not been present before. It was not as solid as it was with her other Pokemon, but it was there. She had nurtured it, toiling to atone for her sins for months for what she'd done. It was no coincidence, that her battles with him had gotten more successful as they'd grown closer. At the heart of battling was the bond between Pokemon and trainer. Another Thunder hit Scizor, and the steel type instantly slid forward, jumping into the sky with a metallic screech as a torrent of iron followed him like it had a mind of its own.

"Lock-On and Tri-Attack!" Byron ordered.

Scizor's claw shone bright and true.

He slammed a Brick Break at the center of Magnezone's head, and it fell unconscious, the stream of metal crumpling to the ground like a puppet without strings.

"Magnezone is unable to battle! Leader Byron, send out your fifth Pokemon," the referee said.

"You did excellently, Scizor. Thank you," Cecilia said.

The bug type spared her a look and shrugged, though there was a hint of a smile on his face. She had no more switches, unfortunately, so he would have to go down fighting. He fanned his wings, cooling down his body while Byron sent out his Aggron. A terrible matchup for Scizor, possibly among the worst. Effective moves like Brick Break mattered little in the way of biology, and Scizor simply did not have the brute force to punch through his armor. There were, however, a few holes that Slowking had punctured through.

"Fill up that river, Aggron. Rock Slide," Byron said.

Something he could have done as soon as Slowking was out of the field, but had left open to see what I was planning and closing near the end of the battle to see how I reacted, Cecilia thought. She'd gotten good at probing and noticing the test Gym Leaders laid at her feet, as one often was at her level. The pool filled with rocks, flooding onto the arena as it emptied, but there was not enough water to do anything but create some puddles. Scizor just watched as he recovered his stamina.

"Iron Defense—"

Now! "Flash Cannon inside the breaches of his armor!"

"—and Curse."

Curse? Scizor's aim was true, but it only had minimal effects on the rock type. As the ghostly aura took hold, Aggron's movements became deliberate and ponderous. Its colossal frame seemed to carry the weight of a hundred spirits and echoed deep from within his frame. He was heavier, now each step carrying the burden of those poor lost souls and creating a small crater in the earth. It was no small feat, for a non-ghost type to master this move and use it like this, and it had weight to it. It was a commitment, not easily undone by another setup technique like Rock Polish.

"Keep blasting him with Flash Cannon," Cecilia said.

"Metal Edge."

Damage was damage, no matter how small it may be. Two twin Flash Cannons hit Aggron's weakened defenses as pillars— not sharpened edges, but pillars, this time— were ripped up of the earth, leaving massive cylinder holes in the ground. Scizor dodged the first, weaving left as it crashed into Kadabra's barrier, but there was only so much the steel type could do. His overheating technique was a double-edged sword that tended to cut him particularly deep. Little inches of exhaustion had built up until he was no longer capable of dodging. He was thrown back as one of the pillars hit him, his body limp and unresponsive.

"Scizor is unable to battle! Challenger, send out your fourth Pokemon!"

So much progress had been made today. The uncharted path that had been her and Scizor's relationship was now lit up, and she knew how to proceed, now. She grabbed her next Pokeball and did not fight her lips tugging upward in an eager smile.

Lehmhart stretched tall— taller than the massive Aggron, and he played a little tune to announce his presence.

"Lehmhart, use Scorching Sands."

Golurk raised a hand as Aggron raised another three pillars. The ground under the steel type ripped into more pillars. At this point, Byron's side of the barrier was riddled with holes large enough to fit his Aggron twice over. The ground under the steel type's feet turned to liquid, and then superheated quicksand that glowered with a sinister red, for they had long grown past the need to have actual dirt to work with. Aggron sank one foot into the ground, groaning in agony as the hot sand seeped into his chipped armor and scorched his flesh. A loud hum left Lehmart as he caught the first pillar under his armpit. He tried wielding it like a club to hit the others away, but he was too slow. The first hit his knee, causing him to buckle low enough for the last to hit his face. The ground type stumbled back, but he stayed standing.

"He is trapped," Cecilia smiled. "Hammer Arm."

Were they simply going to walk up and hit Aggron with the most powerful attack they had?

Yes.

Was it going to work?

Try as it may, Aggron was not equipped to escape Lehmhart's trap. The ghost type winked out of existence with Phantom Force, disappearing faster than Cecilia could blink, and she imagined him slowly lumbering forward with silent steps. More pillars came, but those that might have hit only went through him— causing damage, yes, but not actually stopping him from getting closer.

His fist was angled upward and glowing behind Aggron, when he reappeared, and it fell down like a bolt of thunder on Aggron's head. The steel type's eyes went blank as dozens of widening cracks spread from top to bottom. Trap and destroy. A simple strategy that they'd refined and that Cecilia knew would be useful against Byron's heavy steel types. Even if Aggron had used Rock Polish instead of Curse, it would not have mattered.

"Aggron is unable to battle! Leader Byron, send out your last Pokemon!"

Looking mighty pleased with himself, Byron sent out a Durant. Barely a single foot in height, the tiny ant-like Pokemon was a comical sight next to Lehmhart, but she knew it could not be underestimated. Small opponents were something Lehmhart actually struggled with. Honestly, Cecilia would have rather fought a Steelix instead. Each part of Durant's body moved at once, its legs and antennas continuously shifting, its crimson eyes rapidly blinking and glancing in every direction in a way that made Cecilia uncomfortable.

She called out for a Scorching Sands, trapping Durant as she had Aggron, but the steel type gave in and simply buried underground before Lehmhart could bring down a Hammer Arm onto its small frame. Why bury, when we can just use Stomping Tantrum? her mind raced. Because they have a counter. This was not a mistake, but a trap, or something akin to it.

But she was three Pokemon up, and at the end of the day, she had the numbers to spend to sniff out the trap.

"Stomping Tantrum!" Cecilia yelled.

In one smooth motion that betrayed what he used to be capable off, Lehmhart brought down his foot and the area around him shattered—

Then forcefully melded itself back together, iron binding itself to more iron, as if the attack had not happened at all. Durant burst from the ground, its pincers still snapping through metal as if it was paper, and climbed on Lehmhart's body as it chewed into his outer skin all along his leg.

"Resonance!"

A dim purple light enveloped Golurk, accompanied by a low melody that rose and rose until it quite literally burst out of the ground type so loudly that the barrier trembled from the sound waves. Durant went completely still, and Lehmhart brought down his arm to grab the steel type from the back of his waist, but Cecilia's eyes narrowed when the move only worked for a single second.

One second. They had practiced night and day for with this, and theory crafted until they came up with something akin to Perish Song, for less… sport-like circumstances. It was still in the theoric stage, but that still meant it was among Lehmhart's most powerful tools.

So why was it that Durant was chewing through him right now?

Durant dug into Lehmhart's insides and the ghost type's core started to dim and flicker.

"Phantom Force!" Cecilia called out.

But he still had the focus needed to use that move, thank the Legendaries. Golurk disappeared, leaving a flailing Durant covered in wet clay to fall back onto the floor. As soon as it did, Golurk reappeared and stepped onto the ant with a glowing foot as his full weight crashed onto the ground with a loud rumble, sending more debris flying up. There were so many missing chunks to the field that had Lehmhart not been so used to this form by now he would have fallen over at least once. When he raised his foot again, Durant was nowhere to be seen. Buried again—

"On your back!" she screamed.

"Crunch!" Byron ordered.

"Fall!"

Darkness swelled across both of Durant's pincers, and Golurk threw himself backward. The steel type let out a frustrated screech as it clung to dear life by digging inside of Lehmhart, but there was a quick flicker, and suddenly Durant was chewing through air.

Lehmhart reappeared lying down on the ground, and Durant was still falling.

He snatched Durant out of the sky and squeezed.

Victory had rarely tasted so sweet.

"Victory to the challenger!"

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, SecondBlahm, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Uno

 

[Soussouni1]

INTERLUDE - GOODWILL

Mount Coronet's outpost to the west of Celestic Town was swarming with hundreds, and maybe even thousands of trainers, desperate to make the trek to battle Candice now that Spring had come and Sinnoh had warmed. Lauren didn't enjoy crowded places, and she never had, even before the Circuit had made her famous. School had been the bane of her existence as a kid, especially since Craig started taking off. People had kept swarming around her, asking what her brother was like or if they could meet him someday, and suddenly, she'd gone from having no friends to being the most popular kid in class. Lauren hadn't cared. Her lack of friends had never bothered her, and she'd been too busy studying battles to prepare for her career to bother with other people, along with keeping up her grades so her parents would let her go on her journey and 'follow in Craig's footsteps.' Arceus, she'd hated them when they told her that. 'Craig' was all that would come out of their mouths her entire childhood.

Well, at least that many trainers in one place let her battle as much as she wanted. Lauren watched as Mags pinned down a Floatzel and a huge glob of fire formed in one of his cannons. The flame did not hit the water type. Instead, it blew up as soon as it reached the apex of its size, creating a massive explosion of flames and magma that even a water type could not be able to handle. Her opponent eyed her with a mix of awe and frustration as she recalled her burning Floatzel. Lauren ignored the excited claps from the crowd around the arena. It had been a few days since she'd revealed her Magmortar, but people were still being annoying about it.

That had been a disappointing fight, too. Nothing worth even getting pumped up about. The girl had challenged her, but she couldn't even back up her words of Lauren just being successful because of Craig gifting her her Sceptile, and she'd let Mags run through her entire team, which was annoying given the fact that he needed to lose some of that ego he'd gained since his evolution. Lauren had dealt with bullies like her before, back in school, and usually she'd just ignored them to make them go away, even if that had rarely worked. These days, Lauren realized that they rarely actually had the power to back up their words, especially when she could blow them up. The nameless girl stormed off out of the arena, and Lauren recalled Mags, taking pleasure in the battlefield having been turned into a field of molten rock.

She placed her headphones back on her head, making herself small as she slipped out of the arena, bobbing her head up and down to her favorite rock band, Laughing Twins. They were Unovan and based in Virbank. Sinnoh's musical industry unfortunately left a lot to be desired, but at least it was better than that garbage they made in Kalos— and no, it was not just because they sang in a different language. It was a rainy day outside, so Lauren had a convenient excuse to put her hoodie up and release Sirris to keep her from getting wet. The Reuniclus let out a cute gurgly sound. Lauren lowered the sound on her wireless headphones and glanced at him. Though he spoke into her mind and volume didn't matter, it still helped her focus on what Sirris was saying.

"Stop dawdling and make a barrier, will you?" Lauren muttered.

You feeling antsy, Laulau? part of him asked. Sirris had two brains, and so talking to him was like speaking to two people.

She is, look at how she's brooding. Hands in her pockets? Pouting? Something must have happened, the other half of her best friend said as he summoned a thin shield above her head. It let the rain patter comfortably, just like she liked.

"Some girl was being bitchy about my brother," she said. "Mags dealt with her."

Goodness me, Sirris groaned. Don't tell me he destroyed her, please.

"He destroyed her," she smiled. "Could have blown off that Floatzel's head too, but he's learned self-control."

He's influencing her more and more, the other voice said. That isn't ideal, especially when he's mentally unwell.

"He just likes blowing things up. There's nothing wrong with that."

Lauren walked in no direction in particular, mostly looking for a good fight that would let her true self come loose. Maybe she'd find someone else with seven badges? That girl had only owned six, though she'd been a second-year, so Lauren had thought that maybe she'd get her blood pumping.

I will admit, there's a certain quality to destruction, Sirris said.

You're encouraging her?! We'll never hear the end of it if we start breaking and becoming insane like the rest of them!

Listen, me, you need to relax, okay? You can't deny that making a huge crater with Expanding Force is fun.

You're also the one who says filing Lauren's taxes is fun. We have until July to do those, dude.

Better early than late. And it is fun, and we get a tax refund if we do it early—

"You guys did my taxes?" Lauren frowned. "When?"

When you stopped by Solaceon, one of them answered.

"Oh. I didn't even notice my money going down," she shrugged. Sirris was the one who took care of all of her money stuff, and her emails too. In fact, they were basically pretending to be her when messaging Silph Co. representatives. When she had to talk to them in person, he told her what to say to bag more contracts and sell more TMs. "Well, thanks anyway."

You should learn to do other things than battling, Laulau.

"Not this again," she sighed, instinctively reaching to raise the volume on her music.

Sorry, he said as he shivered slightly in his goo.

There was a short silence, but the other half of his brain filled it. Anyway, at least Mags isn't as insane as Flint was. A real nutjob, that guy. It's a wonder the League even hired him.

"You wouldn't get it," Lauren smiled.

In a way, Flint had been just like her, but a lot more outspoken and… sleazy, maybe. So full of himself he had annoyed every member of Lauren's team except for Mags, who loved him to bits. During their few days together, Flint had always worn baggy pants that didn't fit around his waist, shirts with horrible designs and sayings, and slippers or crocs on his feet. Lauren didn't care either way. So long as someone was a powerful trainer, then she would accept all of their quirks and fight them. They didn't train together— not exactly, but he did accept to fight her after she'd begged for a while shortly before Mag's evolution. As a condition, he'd said that if Lauren didn't impress him, then he wouldn't have him evolve and just head back to the League instead. And while she had impressed him, his own Magmortar had completely and utterly destroyed her team without breaking a sweat by taking them on all at once. Recalling that fight, deep in the night inside of Volkner's Gym still made her shiver, and it kept her up when she tried to sleep.

"I like your gusto, kid," Flint had said after the battle. "Not many people call my Magmortar a 'piece of shit' while fightin' him. Let's get you a fucking Magmortar, shall we?"

He had, without a doubt, catapulted himself as her favorite trainer ever. The process itself had been hard on Mags and had lasted days. Flint had told her Stark Mountain could have worked by dumping him in the volcano's chambers and having his Magmortar trigger an eruption, though since he was a Magmar, too long in there might have killed him. He also explained that taking a trainer to the Battle Frontier before their eighth badge was too much red tape to cut through and that Cynthia would scream at him for it, though he looked quite pleased about that possibility, for some reason. Maybe her being angry at Flint meant that they'd battle soon? Lauren didn't understand why the prospect of her screaming at him would be so pleasant. Flint also complained about his younger brother in the frontier. The seventeen-year-old was called Buck— a weird name, in Lauren's opinion— and he'd been one of the few first-years to make it to the Conference during last year's Circuit. Now, he spent all of his days in the Battle Frontier working as a private contractor for the League.

Since Stark Mountain would have been too much, Flint's Magmortar did the job and blasted Mags with lava over the course of days until he evolved, almost getting him killed in the process. Flint had been adamant about saying that his Pokemon could actually more powerful than a volcanic eruption when they wanted to be.

Lauren walked around until her album ended, wanting to enter the Pokemon Center as soon as it did, and not one second sooner, because it felt right that way and wrong any other. Things falling into place neatly like this pleased her greatly. With a satisfied hum, she got herself lunch. Her team was pretty efficient, in terms of food intake. Sceptile could use the sun to gain most of his nutrients, even if it had to be supplemented with a little food. Aggron could just sustain himself on the metallic content he found in rocks, and just like Rhydon, he didn't need to eat very often. Reuniclus didn't eat at all, and Seismitoad and Magmortar were the only ones who actually consumed the bulk of the food she bought. It wasn't like she had any problems with money, though. She'd sold another three TMs to Silph since Fire Pillar, and Sirris was great at budgeting.

Laulau, is that…?

Her eyes drifted across the Pokemon Center's cafeteria until Sirris pointed toward her right. Mira was sitting there alone, fidgeting while she played with her food with her Gardevoir sitting next to her. Lauren smiled at the sight of one of her closest friends— and they had been, since connecting at Grace and Cecilia's birthday party. She had been wondering about where Mira was and why she'd stopped messaging. Lauren wasn't one to contact someone first, and she had never been, but sometimes that made her have huge lapses of time between contact with her friends. Maybe I should message people more, she thought as she approached Mira. Upon getting a closer look, she was a little… shaken, maybe? Paler than usual, at least, and she'd already been pale. Gardevoir shot Lauren a look with narrowing eyes before realizing who she was, and then her gaze softened.

You may come closer, Gardevoir said with a pained look. Had she needed permission? Sirris could beat her pretty easily in a fight. But I must warn you, she is unwell. Getting better slowly, but… still unwell.

"Mira?" Lauren probed as she placed her headphones around her neck.

Her pink-haired friend flinched, as if she had been sleeping with her eyes open. "Huh? What?" she muttered with a series of rapid blinks. Her eyes met Lauren soon enough, though. "Lauren! Shit, how long were you, um, standing here?"

"Something like four seconds. Maybe five."

Mira smiled as if she hadn't expected her to respond that way. "Not too bad, then."

"When I was a kid, some girls invited me out, and my parents forced me to go. I had to wait an hour and a half before they arrived, so it was really nothing," Lauren said.

Sirris spoke up. Laulau—

"What? That's… they were fucking with you, Lauren," Mira said. "They might have bet on how long you'd stick around."

Lauren nodded, frowning. "Right. That makes a lot more sense, thinking about it."

"Want to sit?" Mira said after a pause. "Sorry if I'm kind of out of it. I haven't been sleeping well, and I've been struggling with… stuff."

"Oh. I'm sorry for bothering you."

"No, no! You're good, really," Mira yelled.

Lauren sat opposite of her friend. "What brings you here? I thought you gave up on the Circuit."

"I'm heading up north, just like you," she said with a slight shiver. "It's private stuff, though. I don't want to involve you in my isssues. You seem to be having fun, and I saw your Magmar evolved, so congrats on that."

"Thanks. You should see what he can do now," Lauren dreamily muttered. "Though my entire team's awesome. I'd ask you for a battle, but you aren't that interested in that kind of stuff anymore, I guess."

Mira nodded. "Sorry, Lauren. I'm usually a lot more fun than this."

"You are," she acknowledged.

Mira laughed, dropping her fork on her half-emptied plate, and Gardevoir's eyes widened slightly.

"What?" Lauren frowned.

"You always tell it to me straight," she giggled. "I like that. I want to learn from you, really."

"I don't have much to teach, unless you want to blow stuff up," Lauren shrugged. "Anyway, I won't pry into your travels. I was just thinking, since you're here, maybe we could go together?"

"There's no need to be all embarassed about it," Mira snorted. "Can you… um, leave me a day to decide or something? I don't know if this is a great idea."

"Oh…"

"But it's not your fault!" Mira quickly added. "In normal circumstances, I'd say hell yes, you know? Just let me think for a bit. When were you planning on leaving?"

"Well, Barry Lane won against Candice earlier than I did, which is unacceptable," Lauren frowned. "So I wanted to leave tomorrow to get there sooner. I used to be as far into the Circuit as he was, but my detour with Flint and not having a flier screwed me over a little."

Sirris shivered in his goo. Way to call me useless. I've been working so hard on Teleporting you around.

Lauren ignored him. "I wanted to be first. He stole that from me."

"If I'm being honest, I don't think you're even on his radar," Mira said.

"Then I'll get on there," she growled.

"Oh, I fully believe that."

Lauren deflated, having expected Mira to fight her on this. Part of her was sad they hadn't gotten into an argument that would let her expose why her team could beat Barry Lane in a battle. She had imagined herself battling all of the prominent first-years already.

Denzel Williams, she would crush. Not enough firepower and too many gimmicks. There was no meat on the bone, so to speak, and it would probably be disappointingly easy. There was only so much stupid little fairy tricks could do, though she had to admit, his Roserade was a Pokemon she would mesh with well, and Volis would probably enjoy the fight. Cecilia Obel would be trickier now that she finally had her Hydreigon, and watching her battle with Byron had made Lauren very happy. She'd been so disappointed to hear about Cecilia's loss against Wake after they'd been peers in Veilstone that she'd nearly called to give her advice on her rematch before knowing she would leave to fight Byron instead. Sirris had told her it was a bad idea anyway. Her Slowking had grown more skilled at barriers than Sirris, Scizor fought like Mags and didn't care what happened so long as his opponent was taken care of, Talonflame could fly at the speed of sound. She had a lot to give, if it came to a battle in the Conference, and Lauren looked forward to the destruction they'd wreak on whatever field they fought on. Grace Pastel, she would have to judge once she fought Byron herself, but her having a Tyranitar and Electivire was good news, and the latter had taken down a Gyarados by himself against Wake. Chase Karlson was in the same boat as her, and there wasn't enough updated information on him, but she'd seen the way he'd lit Wake's arena on fire and created huge icebergs, and that boded very well.

And of course, that was not even counting the non first-years she would fight.

So many rivals to face at the Conference, Lauren thought with a surge of excitement.

"What are you grinning at?" Mira asked.

"At how I'm going to crush all of your friends."

—

It was a catastrophe.

Hours later, and even though the rain had stopped, Lauren had been watching some videos from last year's Conference with her headphones on when the rumors started. Whispers at first. People talking in hushed tones and staring at each other in disbelief before running out of the Pokemon Center. While Lauren was famous, much to her displeasure due to her annoying fans, few trainers in all of Sinnoh ever triggered that reaction. Trainers that scored high in the Conference— quarter-finalists, at least— Elite Four members, Gym Leaders, or the Champion. It would be just Lauren's luck, then, that the whispers were about her older brother and not someone else. What was he even doing here? Wasn't he training on Mount Coronet like always, or whatever? And why stop in the middle of nowhere instead of flying wherever he needed to be on Roxie?

Damn it. Her phone ringing wasn't any better, either. Lauren considered letting it go to voice mail, but she knew there was nowhere to hide and that it was only a matter of time until Craig found her. They hadn't spoken in months, and she… did kind of miss him, but only a little bit— the tiniest of bits, actually. Him and his stupid little goofy attitude he put on whenever he was with her. Lauren sighed as she picked up the phone, much to Sirris' surprise. The sound of swarming fans filled her headphones, and she groaned as she heard Craig acting happy with them until he realized she had actually answered his call.

"Sorry guys and gals, I've gotta run," she heard on the end of the line. "I won't be staying here long, but I'll be in Hearthome soon, alright? Yep, yep, see you…"

Legendaries, he was being so fake. Most of the time he dealt with his fans, Craig didn't mind, but Lauren knew he hated being swarmed as soon as he landed somewhere and he had shit to do. He was good at hiding things, though. Lauren was terrible at hiding the way she truly felt from people.

"Hurry the fuck up," Lauren hissed under her breath. "I was busy."

It took another twenty seconds for Craig to respond. "Lauren! I didn't think you'd actually answer, I— Arceus, how are you? It's been a while, huh?"

"I'm fine. Why are you here?"

"Well, I was finishing up my training and swinging by civilization again, and I heard you got yourself a Magmortar, so congratulations, eh? I figured I'd swing by and see if you wanted to talk or not. Want to meet?"

"In private. You'll embarrass me if we're in public."

"Me? I'd never do that."

"You embarrassed me when you came to my school two years ago."

"Okay, in retrospect, that might have been a bad idea, but I thought you'd be happy about it," her brother said. "You were, even! Don't try to rewrite history here, you were smiling all day."

"Yeah, well past me was stupid. I'm at the Pokemon Center, come and get me already."

"Aw, she misses me. Which one?"

"The one the closest to the cave's entrance!" she snapped. "Hurry up."

She hadn't expected him to Teleport in front of her Pokemon Center, but he did, with some sort of… was that an Orbeetle? She vaguely remembered seeing one in a battle she probably looked at, but they all blurred together these days. Her brother, revealing a new Pokemon in public? She was almost convinced some abomination in Mount Coronet was mind-controlling him somehow. His hair was still as dark as always, and longer than usual, and he was unshaved, which was unusual, but then again, he was coming back from spending over a month inside of a mountain. Craig walked toward her, his arms wide open to wrap her in a hug, which she promptly weaved away from. After making sure to let people know to leave him alone, he turned back towards her.

"Hey, Lauren," he grinned. "How's my favorite sister doing?"

"Good, actually. How's my least favorite brother doing?"

"You were supposed to answer with 'I'm your only sister', but I'll take it. Oh, sorry, this is Dot, my new Orbeetle. Dot, meet Lauren."

"Let's head up to my room," she grunted.

"C'mon, say hello," Craig said.

"Nice to meet you."

They began walking toward Lauren's room, which thankfully was on the first floor and close by.

I've heard a lot about you, Orbeetle mused with a curious tint in her eye. Or Lauren assumed it was a curious tint. It was hard to tell, with the strange way they were ringed. And this is Sirris, I presume?

At your service, strange creature! Reuniclus answered back.

Goodness, never mind, I want nothing to do with you, Dot deadpanned.

Sirris made a sad face. Does no one know how to take a joke around here? You'd think I was talking to one of the suits at Silph Co.

As soon as they reached Lauren's room, she slammed the door behind them and looked at her brother with disappointed eyes.

"Why're you walking around with a new Pokemon instead of hiding her?" Lauren frowned. "You're losing your touch, Craig."

Her brother scratched the back of his head. "The plan was to keep her hidden until the Conference, but I got fu— I mean, I got screwed."

Lauren rolled her eyes at her brother's inability to swear around her, or any teenager or kid, really.

"So what?"

"Some Galarian kid figured me out. Jamie Pearce, from Motostoke. He owns a fancy Glimmora, but it was his Inteleon that got me. Sneaked up on me in the middle of the mountain and somehow made it past Dot."

In my defense, you did tell me to take a break, the Orbeetle chided. Her carapace lit up with every color imaginable in a way that made it difficult to look away from her.

"Anyway, he's pretty good. Found me out, and it's only a matter of time until it leaks, so I figured I'd get ahead of it and release the information in a controlled manner."

"So that's why you're back early," Lauren said.

"Part of it. I've got some business in Jubilife to attend to soon, and it looks like I missed a whole lot of drama there," Craig said, scrolling through his phone.

"Can't you turn off your phone when we're talking?" she muttered.

He instantly listened in a way that made Lauren feel a little bad. "The Conference is a real nest of Seviper, I tell you. Don't get caught off-guard when you get there," he warned.

"I won't," she grunted. "Say, you'll never guess what happened. I got— I asked my friend to travel with me!"

"Really? Which one?" Craig beamed.

"Mira Compton. She's around here somewhere, and I hope she says yes."

"Ah," he smiled. "Having friends is good, but if she ever asks you to do anything like that raid, you tell her to fuck off, alright?"

Lauren blinked. So much for not swearing. "...yeah."

"Good. You're only sixteen. All you should be worrying about is… whatever the hell sixteen-year-olds are into these days. Still battling and music for you, huh?"

"The Laughing Twins released a new album while you were out gallivanting in Mount Coronet," she said.

"Hoho, really? Did you buy it on the family account, or…"

"Legendaries, you're such a leech," Lauren rolled her eyes. "Yes, I did."

"Great, I'll give it a listen while I'm flying to Hearthome. I've got to meet some execs here who want to milk me for all I'm worth before I croak—" he stopped, seeing her reaction. She'd flinched without realizing it. "—figure of speech, Lauren."

"Right," Lauren nodded. She rubbed her hands on her pants with unease. "Sorry, sarcasm is—"

"I'm your brother, Lauren. I know, don't worry about it. Anyway, I'm glad you're going to be traveling with someone. You know, back in the day, Sarah and I, we'd go to Victory Road and train together…"

Arceus, when he started about Sarah, he never stopped. Lauren let him go on, though, because she knew he enjoyed talking about her to people. Craig liked reminiscing about his time as a kid, and Sarah Newman had been there for a long part of that childhood. Apparently, they had a fight at some point that had them not traveling together anymore, but he always spoke fondly of her, even if she was in Indigo now. When he was done, though, Lauren decided to ask something she'd always craved.

"Craig, I— can we battle?"

Her sibling's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yes, really! Do you think I'd joke about this?!"

"Relax, okay? What, like a six-on-six?"

"That sounds good to me," Lauren grinned.

She was under no impression that she could win, but after how far she'd come… she was certain she'd be able to take down one Pokemon, at the very least.

"And you better not hold back, or I'll never forgive you," she added.

"Well, if you say so," Craig sighed. "Dot, could you take us to that spot?"

—

Dot summoned a barrier around the entire plateau. She had brought them somewhere near Floaroma, and even after Teleporting this far, she showed no signs of exhaustion. Sirris was exhausted after he had Teleported her from Sunyshore to Veilstone!

Still, Lauren was glad her brother had brought her to some secluded area for this battle. Had he not, then his fans would have swarmed him like flies. It was part of the reason she… well, didn't dislike Denzel, but was apathetic about him. It might have been unfair to him, but she didn't care. It was his fault for bringing up Craig every time he had a chance to. Lauren gripped her Pokeball until her knuckle was white and adjusted her glasses with her other hand. Now that it was time— that she was where she'd wanted to be since starting on her journey, the monumentality of this moment weighed down on her back so heavily that she had to consciously straighten it. He was just standing there, all worried about me, and still, there's this pressure. A vice wrapping around her neck that made it hard to breathe. Craig Goodwill was her brother. A goofball, when he wanted to be, an idiot who, despite her desperate attempts, she could not stop herself from loving.

What was it about her brother, that was so terrifying? Was it because he was an institution? The person everyone thought about, when they were asked to name a trainer? The epitome of what it meant to persevere through harsh times and a world that wanted to chew you and spit you out, and still make it? Lauren did not know, and yet when she released her Rhydon, she couldn't help but think she was facing a giant.

"Let's see how you've grown," Craig declared, sending a shiver down her spine.

Hippowdon materialized onto the mountain with her eyes closed. Bad matchup from the get-go. Had he known she would lead with Paragon? But how? She hadn't let anything slip! Lauren's mind raced with a dozen different scenarios. Her sibling was one of the best cold readers in Sinnoh, and the best information gatherer as well, and somehow, he had figured her out. At least he isn't holding back, she thought. Paragon sized up his opponent with a mocking sneer, but Lauren snapped her fingers.

"Stay focused. She will fuck you up," Lauren hissed, and thankfully that got his attention.

"Ippie. Battle," Craig added. "No Sand Stream, I'll need vision."

And just like that, the entire ground… broke down, turning into continuously shifting sands. Rhydon snarled in frustration in a desperate attempt to climb out, but he was sinking like the sand was water.

"Rock Climb! Get close!" Lauren yelled.

Somehow, Rhydon found his footing in the quicksand. The first step was the slowest, and the rock type stumbled forward, barely holding onto the ground with his massive hands. He began to crawl, and then sped up, running across the sands as if he could create stepping stones out of nothing.

"Fissure and close it up," Craig continued.

The plateau opened up like a hungry maw, and Rhydon fell into the depths.

Then, it closed.

"Finish him off with Earthquake, then drag him out."

The entire arena violently shook as slits of brown light appeared within the sand, which burst upward in massive columns of debris from the Earthquake. What was happening? Even with Flint, she'd felt a little more in control, but maybe this was how it felt, when it was a true one-on-one and not a six-on-one, and Magmortar had been holding back. She heard none of Rhydon's scream, while he drowned in the sand. After around fifteen seconds of Earthquake, Hippowdon grunted, sands continuously pouring from the holes on her back. The sands bubbled, and Rhydon was thrown back up to the surface through sheer manipulation of sand. There were long cracks running in his armor and Lauren could only see the white of his eyes.

"Good job, Ippie," Craig said.

Lauren recalled Paragon with a mixture of acceptance and disbelief. Craig had gotten even better. Ippie's expertise with ground TE had grown leaps and bounds. Not that she would have been able to win beforehand, but all of this time, Craig had been a static figure to Lauren. Like she was chasing the moon, forever the same, and that eventually she'd grow past him. But Craig was growing in tandem with her. He was not a static figure who would forever stay the same, and what she'd gotten out of his battling videos was now meaningless.

Think, Lauren. The entire floor was now a death trap, and the only Pokemon who might have had the tools to deal with it were Reuniclus and Seismitoad. Anyone else would suffer the same fate Rhydon had. Lauren shook off the stress and released Sirris, who hovered high above the shifting sands. She couldn't discount Ippie being capable of sending the earth up to drag Sirris into the sands.

"Drag him in with Crunch."

And that's exactly what happened. The ground erupted from below, swarming toward Reuniclus and forming into a maw. Lauren barely had time to comprehend what was happening before the remote Crunch broke through Reuniclus' two barriers with ease she'd never seen before and Hippowdon dug the teeth, which had now solidified into stone, into the psychic's gooey body.

"Acid Armor and Expanding Force!" Lauren yelled.

Sirris was still conscious, thank the Legendaries. The psychic dissolved in a pile of transparent liquid, slipping past the Crunch's grasp. This was, unfortunately, only one Crunch, and about nine more were coming. Light burst out of Sirris, and Lauren's ears popped as everything around him exploded, glassing the majority of Hippowdon's sand. It was replenished so fucking quickly it might as well not have mattered, but at least they had an opening.

"Energy Ball!" Lauren cried out.

"Dig."

His body still smoking with vapor, Reuniclus summoned six fluorescent green balls, speeding them up with Psychic. They had trained for so long, to not disturb Energy Ball's careful balance and accidentally blow it up with the move, and the six attacks homed in toward Hippowdon, who just sank under the sands. The ground above where she had just buried solidified into hard stone before Lauren could blink, leaving the Energy Balls to crash helplessly against stone and not hurting Hippowdon at all. Ippie's always been the most defensive of Craig's Pokemon, Lauren thought, and there was no way she had enough power to deal with her. Expanding Force might have worked, if she was capable of using it around… six times in a row in rapid succession, but that was madness. Lauren's mind was racing but for the first time since she'd begun this career, her mind came up empty.

She couldn't improvise any longer.

"Use Mud Sling," Craig said.

Craig's Hippowdon emerged in another spot as the sand around her turned solid again. Stone turned to mud that flew toward Reuniclus like bullets, cracking across the air every time a small explosion sent them up.

"Suspension Bubble!"

The psychic's eyes shone as a thin layer of air shivered, extending from Sirris until it reached ten feet all around him. The pellets of mud that passed through stopped instantly, hovering in the air as Reuniclus strained to stop the projectiles. The problem was that they never stopped, and eventually, he gave. Bullets of mud crashed into Sirris— dozens of them, leaving an opening for another Crunch. Five, thin tendrils of sand surged upward, their edges turning to stone and than fangs that absorbed all light.

Sirris went down, and Lauren hadn't even landed a single hit on Ippie.

Lauren's jaw clenched as she recalled the psychic, and she realized her hopes of taking down one Pokemon as she was now were simply impossible. Her hands went flat against her side, and the tension left her shoulders in a way she hated, because that meant she'd admitted defeat. There was just no point in fighting anymore, was there? Doubt crept up in her heart, eating away at every other emotion she felt.

"This is meaningless," she muttered. She crouched, hugging her knees. "I give up."

She didn't cry. Lauren just felt numb, like the joy from battling had been ripped out of her. She had lost before. Losing was fun, but losing when you couldn't even retaliate? Where everything you tried was clinically countered, leaving you no room to breathe like you were slowly being choked out? What was the point? Lauren saw Ippie's saddened look and Dot's barrier disappear from the corner. She'd known all of Craig's Pokemon since she'd been a kid, and Ippie was no different. The ground plateau turned from sand back into stone, and around a minute later, she heard Craig's footsteps approach.

"How'd you find it?" he asked.

When Lauren looked up, she saw that his expression had no traces of the pity she had expected. It was hardened, and proud, for some damned reason.

"Not fun," she whispered. "I didn't even get to respond to anything."

"Ippie's a menace," Craig smiled. "And you did ask me not to hold back, didn't you?"

"I did… I just hoped that I'd be able to take down one, or land a hit."

"I picked Ippie because the way she fights counters your entire team, Lauren," Craig gently explained. "Had I picked another Pokemon, you would have gotten at least a few hits in, but no, you would not have taken out a Pokemon."

The statement was ironclad in an infuriating way, but Lauren knew it was true.

"I wanted to beat you, when I started this," she said. "To surpass you."

Craig crouched next to Lauren, placing a hand on her shoulder. His hair had grown long, during his stay in Mount Coronet. It was messy in a way he usually didn't show in public. "I've been at this for ten years, Lauren. You can't surpass that in a single year."

"Cynthia won the Championship in a year."

"Cynthia's one of a kind," Craig smiled. "And look, it took me three years to get to where you are in less than one. I fully believe that you're getting in the Conference, and that took me even longer. You'll surpass me one day, Lauren."

"Do you think that if I sent my Magmortar, he would have glassed the sand faster than Ippie could make it?"

"No," he answered.

"Could Prime have flooded the field to throw her off her game?"

"No. We have contingencies against water types."

"Damn it. You're so fucking annoying," she tiredly exhaled.

Her brother flinched back as if he'd been struck. "Huh? Why?!"

"Shut up," she said, rising to her feet. "I hate you."

"Arceus, I can never win with you, can I?" Craig said with a saddened smile. He stood up as well and patted her shoulder. "I'll have Dot take you back to your friend. Watch yourself in Mount Coronet, alright? Keep Sirris out at all times— you really need to get yourself a flying type after you get your carry license. Mira Compton has her own psychics, too. You should be safe if you stay on the path—"

Lauren wrapped him into a tight hug and squeezed until he groaned and complained about her hurting his ribs.

"I missed you, you idiot," she sniffled.

She felt a hand pat her head. "Me too, Lauren. Me too."

"I'm sorry for pushing you away and never messaging first," she mumbled.

"That's ok. I know you," he said. "Just shoot Mom and Dad a text? They haven't heard from you in months."

"Uhuh."

"Want me to stay with you today—"

"Fuck off. If you tell anyone about this, I'll hunt you to the ends of the earth. Even when you're the Champion, or whatever. And you better become the Champion!"

He chuckled. "Alright. Dot?"

Lauren let go of the hug, wiping her eyes behind her glasses, now foggy from having rubbed on Craig's shirt for so long. The Orbeetle, seemingly unmoved by the display of affection, flicked her wrist, and suddenly, they were back at the outpost. Lauren instantly acted like she didn't know him, of course, though he was instantly swarmed by an army of fans. She ignored his wave and brought Paragon and Sirris back to the Pokemon Center.

Craig hadn't lied when he said he hadn't held back. It would take days for both of them to heal, but it would work out, since Mira needed time to think anyway.

"Well, time to go battle some trainers to pass the time," she muttered, suddenly missing Sirris' quips.

Winning again would improve her mood.

—

A day had passed since her battle with Craig. Lauren wished she could have called it fateful, or pretended like it had been important, but there was no other way to call it other than a one-sided beatdown. It was at times like these, that the gap between the top ring of the Conference and the group stages showed itself, and she wasn't even qualified yet. In a way, this had been a bigger wake-up call than when she challenged second or third years that had been more powerful than she was. The rift had never been so apparent, but instead of being depressed, she was just excited to get to the Conference even more. Before meeting Mira in her room, Lauren made sure she'd actually held conversations with multiple of her friends yesterday night on the phone and that it hadn't been some kind of dream, but it was true. She'd texted first, and they'd all been elated. Her parents too, though that had been expected. Her father was swamped with work, these days, with Sinnoh's economy down in the dumps, or whatever the problem was.

Lauren knocked on the door repeatedly for a minute until she heard Mira swear and run at the door.

"Arceus! Is someone getting murdered or what?!" Mira groaned, her eyes half-opened.

"No, you just weren't answering."

"Lauren, I was sleeping."

"You told me to come!" she said, feeling slightly defensive.

Her friend nervously scratched her elbow. "I guess I did. My bad. Come in." Lauren stepped inside of the… horrifying room. It was like stepping in a pigsty, really. How did someone live in this? "I haven't slept this well in ages, so I might have gotten too into it."

"You can't sleep?" Lauren asked.

"Long story, don't worry about it. I talked to my team, and they… all agree that traveling with you would be a good idea for me, except Exeggcute, but they're a rowdy bunch," Mira smiled fondly. "I'll go up with you until we reach Snowpoint, but then I'll head out to wherever I'm going."

Lauren silently nodded, mighty pleased with herself.

Mira raised an eyebrow. "Damn, no questions? Okay. I still need you to know a few things first, alright? First of all… my Haunter evolved into a Gengar."

"Oh. Can I battle him?"

"Huh?"

"Can I battle him?" she asked again. "I've heard crazy things about what Gengar can do—"

Mira brought both of her hands up. "Wait, wait, wait! That's it? You're asking if you can fight him?"

"Well, yeah! It's not every day someone can battle a Gengar… I wish I knew how they evolved, though. Did I say something wrong, or what?" Lauren said, reducing her voice to a whisper.

"No, you're fine! I'm just— so not used to that reaction, okay. Um, the last thing is sometimes I talk in my sleep and stuff, whenever I manage to actually fall asleep. Whatever you hear… uh, might be a little weird and graphic."

"I've seen weirder things happen. Mags shoots off Flamethrowers in his sleep sometimes."

"Well, if that's your reaction, then we can go, I guess," Mira said with a hint of a smile. "I needed a change of pace anyway."

Lauren smiled, content that she'd gotten her first traveling companion ever, but then she crossed her arms and stared down at her friend.

"You know I'm battling that Gengar at least once before we go our separate ways, right?"

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, SecondBlahm, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Uno, Michael J, Knock

 

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 281

It was pouring.

It was the kind of rain I would have loved, had I been snuggled up under the covers of my bed in a Pokemon Center, but unfortunately for me, I was currently flying on Princess high above route 215. She was just as excited as I was, given the fact that I could feel some of the wind and rain drip past her barrier. We hadn't seen Bellatrix and Nightstalker in too long, and the jitters were getting to her. I actually had needed to go back to Veilstone first to get the gifts I needed. For Night, I'd bought paint, just like he asked for when we'd left the route the first time. I had actually needed to book myself a hotel room so I could store the things I wouldn't need here to fit all of the paint in my bag. It was actually rather incredible, how my perspective had changed since I'd gone on this journey. Never had I thought that I'd be using hotel rooms as storage. The law actually prevented me from booking a Pokemon Center room if I wasn't actually planning on staying there to make room for those who needed it.

For Bella, things had been a little more complicated. She hadn't told me anything she'd wanted when I had left. At first, I considered a trinket or an ornament with a little figure of the moon, but the chain was made of metal, and so I'd changed my mind despite the fact that Honey had suggested we just rip out the chain and use the crescent moon, since it was assembled with… whatever jewelry it was made of. Diamonds, maybe. I didn't want the gift to be incomplete, though. It needed to be something in full, and so, I'd settled on something simpler and more personal. Another crescent moon, this time carved from Princess' Ancient Power, molded into a stone hairpin and painted white and gray so it'd look the part. Objectively, it wasn't as pretty as what I could find in a store. No gemstones adorned the pin's frame, and although the stone had been smoothed, it was still a little rough and sharp at the edges— a bit of Princess' personal touch, no doubt.

"It was around here somewhere…" I muttered. As usual, the sound of my voice was quieter here, as was everyone and everything else— save for the rain and the wind. "Hey, first one who finds it gets the TV the next time we're in a Pokemon Center," I grinned.

She let out a competitive chirp and showed she was up for the challenge, though I'd never take her cartoons away from her. Honestly, watching her and Honey watch TV together was one of the great pleasures in life. I'd have to get some shows downloaded on my laptop so Sweetheart could join in again outside of cities too, since she was too big to fit in a room. My body felt lighter these days than it had been in weeks, not only thanks to Aliyah but because I'd made up with Cece. Legendaries, I wanted to see her so badly— for real, and not on a screen. To feel her skin and warmth, instead of having to imagine and crave it.

But what we had right now was still nice, and doing well to cheer me up.

I scanned the route down below, no longer fearing leaning far over the edge even when Princess twisted and turned. Flight was as natural to me as walking— even more so now, with my broken ankle. We were looking for the little overhang we'd taken refuge in, all those months ago. Symbolism like this mattered, today. It was not where I'd met Bella at first, but the actions I'd taken there had led to her seeking me out. My thoughts ended up lingering on Emilia for a bit, seeing as I'd confessed to her via text like I'd done to Cecilia back in Solaceon. Her response had been hard to gauge, since I hadn't actually heard her speak, but she'd said she appreciated me telling her, but that she'd already been told.

By who? I instantly wanted to ask, but she'd omitted it for a reason, and so I didn't push for an answer despite wanting to know. It made it easier to ignore that sense of betrayal that I'd needed to smother.

There was no signal here, so I wouldn't talk to her for a while yet, just like the others. Princess had better eyes than I did, and she endlessly bragged when she spotted the cave from above. The rain's intensity seemed to lower as she swooped down to land without a sound or disturbance in the air, and I released Angel so he could pull me off. The overhang seemed smaller than it had been, though I knew that was factually untrue. My Pokemon had just grown in size, since then. I took refuge under the cave, quickly drying myself with a towel while Princess apologized for messing up her barrier.

"No worries. I'm excited too," I smiled. "I think we can just wait, now. She'll show up soon. Right now, why don't we worry about drying you too? You look so thin when your fur's wet."

Of course, she took it the wrong way until I called her cute, and Angel continued doting on her, drying her with vines while I released the rest of the team. Jellicent was excited to meet someone to talk history with again. Even if Bella hadn't bothered with human affairs in centuries, she knew things he did not, and you always heard whispers, unlike below the waters. Sunshine was… less enthused, though he was looking forward to training with Nightstalker again to see if he'd be able to best him this time. I seriously doubted that'd be the case, but I was sure he'd be able to put up a fight, at least. The dragon's eyes scanned the treeline in anticipation while Princess nagged him about being nervous about meeting a powerful fairy. Of course, Turtonator ignored her, which ended up making her pout and go see Sweetheart instead. The Tyranitar was too tall for the overhang, so she was forced to sit and crouch. I was with her, rubbing the plates on her back while she whined about how being so big and strong had its disadvantages after all. Tangrowth would have been here too, had he not gotten so engrossed in letting the rain drip down his vines a few feet away after drying his sister.

Honey was sitting against the cave wall, his thoughts entirely somewhere else. I had showed him a few videos of Lauren's new Magmortar, and now he wanted to fight the damn thing. To be honest, I wanted them to battle too, but we wouldn't meet for a while yet. I'd been so surprised to see Lauren message me, but I hadn't expected to hear the news of a new, rare evolution. I was certain Volkner had gotten Flint to help her after all, which I'd be forever grateful for. Evolutions weren't necessary, but they certainly helped a Pokemon's growth, and it wouldn't have done for Lauren not to be at her full potential for the Conference. I felt a smile tug at my lips and listened to Sweetie's soothing growls. She'd gone with Mira into Mount Coronet, so hopefully she would get better… she still hadn't messaged beyond updating her location.

Craig was also back from his training, and had for some reason revealed that he'd caught Orbeetle, which shocked the entire region. Personally, I was just confused at why he had revealed her existence so early, but he must have had a strategy planned for the Conference. Personally, my theory was that Dot being revealed near the event would throw potential rivals into a panicked frenzy and destroy all of the careful work they'd done to plan against Craig's team, and that he was letting the tension build up. So long as no one knew what she was capable of, then her existence having been revealed wouldn't really matter as much. I did question not having waited longer, though.

"Gee, you took a while," I sighed, still staring at the unmoving treeline.

It was the tiniest of movements— a shift in the leaves to tiny it could have been the wind— but there was no mistaking it, with how the rain cleared within seconds. Night's work, no doubt. Bellatrix glided across the forest floor, though in reality, I knew she was using the tentacle-like hairs at the bottom of her body to scuttle her way across. Her thin mouth was stretched into an anticipating smile that revealed teeth too long to fit in her mouth, and as sharp as kitchen knives. Nightstalker calmly followed, his face obscured by his cowl, save for his crimson red eyes that shone within. A Hatterene and Decidueye still made for a strange duo, and would have been the last Pokemon I would have expected to rule over this route, had someone asked me months ago.

Sisters, Bellatrix said, dipping her hat with her claw. Her eyes lingered on Princess' new form, and then my broken ankle and the new scar on my arm. Then, she deferred to the rest of the team, greeting them one by one, as did Nightstalker. And she even called Sunshine by his species' name, and not wyrm, which was a welcome surprise for both him and me.

Togekiss squealed, dashing toward her kin with speed that nearly surprised her. Bellatrix did not flinch away from her, though Princess' advance was slowed until she was basically moving like she carried weights, and her face softly landed in Hatterene's hair, after which she caressed her head with her claw. I strode up to Night and wrapped him into a tight hug, which he, as usual, barely returned.

"You're softer than I remember," I laughed.

The grass type answered that he'd made himself very huggable, with how much I seemed to enjoy those. I snorted, patting him on the arm, and he joined the rest of my team to say hello. Honey shook one of his wings in greetings with both of his massive hands, which made Night stare up at him amusedly and mention how much he'd grown. Obviously, that was Sweetheart's last straw, and she clamored that she'd grown too, though her tantrum made the overhang shake until Angel waddled on to soothe her. For Turtonator, it was as if he was meeting a long-time rival. The greeting was stiff and short until Nightstalker patted him on the shoulder and the tension left Sunshine's body. Jellicent nearly spoiled the surprise about my gifts until I warned him off before he could rat me out.

"Keeper of the Sacred Woods," I smiled.

Bella, with you, she instantly said. How have you—

I sank into Bellatrix's soft hair, rivaled only by Togekiss' own fluff. She was dangerously light, with how tall she was, but I knew her true body was thinner than my bones and hidden by her huge amount of hair. Arceus, I had missed her.

You were wounded, she declared.

"The leg is entirely on me," I sighed into her with closed eyes. Had I been tired enough, I would have fallen asleep standing up. "The arm's a whole entire story."

It seems that you've gone through many changes, Grace, Hatterene noticed. Your emotions are locked away from my purview, now.

I blinked, pulling away from her slowly and looking into her bright, white irises. Cecilia was immune to being mind-controlled, I thought with a frown. So my emotions being closed to empaths kind of makes sense, I guess. Hatterene had complained about this, back when we'd first met. Every time I had focused on understanding a Pokemon, I had been drawing power from Lake Verity and shielding my mind with something impossibly complex— well, complex for anyone who wasn't Mesprit. I hadn't heard the little rascal speak since I'd left Solaceon. I assumed that these days, I drew upon that power all the time.

"It's complicated," I answered. "I'll explain later— but first, since we're guests, we have gifts for you!"

Both Hatterene— and Decidueye, who'd been chatting with Buddy— eyed me with curiosity as I searched through my bag. Electivire and Togekiss were the most nervous, since they were worried about if they'd like their gifts or not. I wasn't too anxious, though I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. I pulled out the tempera paint bottles from my backpack— dozens of them, of varying colors, and had Angel place them along the cavern floor. He even arranged them in color without me asking, too, and I gently petted the vine he had on my good ankle in thanks.

"You told me that you liked to read about art stuff," I told Night. "And I did say I would come back with paint, so here I am. I figured this spot would be good to make some art… though I didn't bring any paintbrushes. Shit, I knew I was forgetting something."

Worry not. Nightstalker is very pleased with your gift, as I am, Bellatrix said.

Decidueye let out a pleased hoot, saying we could always paint with our hands— or the closest thing we had to hands, given the fact that Angel was no doubt going to join in.

"And you'll be painting too, right?"

Perhaps after we deal with more pressing matters, like your injury, she said.

"Well, look at your gift first," I said. "Here."

I pulled the hairpin out of my pocket and handed it to her. It would be small, compared to her towering size and the volume of her hair, but the gesture still mattered. She held it up in her claw-like hair like a newborn child and not a stone sculpture, and she stared at it with a contemplating frown.

"It's a hairpin," I said. "Uh, you put it in your hair."

Realization dawned on her face, and she smiled with an almost silent audible hum that I was certain was a satisfied sigh. She liked it, I breathed out in relief. I knew the gesture mattered, but I wanted her to actually use the gift, too. She placed the pin in her hair, around the ridge of her hat and dipped it in response, baring her teeth.

Your offering is appreciated, esteemed guest, and I extend a sincere welcome to my fief. As your host, I assure you that no harm shall befall you during your stay here.

"Thank you. Now, we have a lot to catch up on, don't we? Let's have a little fun before we get into the doom and gloom of it all."

Bella hesitated, though a nudge from Night convinced her, and she nodded. Very well, sister, she agreed. Tell me about your travels while we… paint.

—

While Turtonator and Jellicent thought themselves above art, the rest of us were going to town on this poor wall. At the deepest depths of the overhang, Honey was making some sort of scene out of his Detective Pikachu comics, and he was honestly doing the best out of all of his siblings. His humans and Pokemon looked like actual people, and not whatever Sweetheart was doing. She'd launched into painting herself on the cave wall, saying that she wanted to be etched onto the cave's surface forever, but she had abandoned halfway through because she was too hard to draw, and now she was just making some sort of green monster without any coherence. Sunshine was hovering around her, acting like he didn't care, but obviously caring and telling her how good she was doing while Buddy hovered high in the cave and sprayed out hands whenever we needed to rinse them to reset whatever color we were using.

"I think she's making it use Hyper Beam," I whispered with a giggle.

Bella was too focused on her own painting to spare it a look, though she was doing just as bad as I was. At first, she'd wanted to use her psychic powers to paint, but Night had said that doing so would be going against the 'spirit' of the activity, and so she was using her claw.

Needless to say, the moon she'd tried to paint wasn't looking too good. Tangrowth was just splashing colors around his own section of the wall in what had looked strange at first, but was slowly taking form as some kind of forest. I, for one, was… um, trying my damndest? The cave's rough surface made it a terrible canvas to do art on, and my hands being full of paint didn't help either. Honestly, it was kind of my fault for undertaking such a daunting project in the first place. I'd wanted to recreate that picture we'd taken in Floaroma with the flower crowns, but rather quickly, I remembered why I'd never bothered learning how to draw. Princess was 'helping' me with her own wings, meaning that she'd basically taken over my drawing to try to make our crowns sharp and spiky instead of the flowers they'd been, like a crown of sharpened rocks. Not that I particularly minded, but painting rocks on more rock was a hassle.

Bella's mouth moved as if she was groaning, but no sound came out of her. Nightstalker, please assure me that my artistic efforts are not as lacking as I fear they are. I cannot allow myself to be undermined by the art of mere children.

The ghost type cackled, moving his wings so fast they were almost impossible to track. His eyes were narrowed in focus, and his movements were brisk and purposeful, like every single action was meant to finish his painting as fast as possible. He was actually making a portrait of Bella and being very good at it. He was the best at this entire activity by far, and he hadn't painted since his trainer had died, which was centuries ago. Apparently, the muscle memory stayed with him, though he still couldn't help but be annoyed at his 'mistakes' that no one else but he could spot. The way the paint clung to his feathers even with Buddy's help gave him a painter's look.

"It's not bad." I shifted back, taking in Bellatrix's moon. "A little rough, maybe. Like, the white paint bleeds over the edges, but maybe that's a specific style."

At the very least, it is over, now. It served as a worthwhile exercise in refining my dexterity, which is a skill that still eludes me. These creations shall grace these walls for as long as I draw breath and these lands remain under my rule.

"That's sweet. We'll have something to remember us by, then. I'll take a picture of the art when it's all done."

Your words convey a sense of defeat, a burden heavy as chains upon the core of your very being. We ought to persist in our prior discussion, Bellatrix said with a worried look.

"I told you everything I'm willing," I muttered under my breath. "And I'm happier today than I've been in a long time."

I called for Buddy to clean my hands, and he did so with a warm jet of water from afar with a precision that never ceased to surprise me.

The fairy tilted her head. I worry for you. Even though you were distraught when we first met, I was able to see how you felt. Today, your mind is layer upon layer of barrier. I have delved into its structural integrity, and there are no weaknesses. This frustrates me greatly.

Information and stories were as valuable as gold to her, as a fairy who still practiced the old ways. I'd always been fine with her looking into my head, though. I understood Cecilia's worries regarding this issue, but I did not share them, and so I had expected Bella to just be able to tell what I thought at all times. This was only something she'd developed after centuries of experience by pushing her empathy to its limits. I was fully confident I'd be able to reach that point if I ever decided to, with enough practice. I had the capability to, just not the experience.

"I'm okay, Bella. I swear." I offered her my hand, and she took it, softly feeling at the creases and ridges within my palm with her claw. "But I'll tell you part of why you can't read my mind anymore: I'm an empath, now. Just like you."

Nightstalker paused, his arms stopping on the cavern's walls as pastel pink paint dripped from his feathers. His piercing red eyes lingered on me, though he went back to his art soon after, not bothering to get involved in this. My Pokemon had known I'd reveal this, but with the exception of Turtonator, they still looked nervous, especially Princess. Bella, though? Damn, she was good. There wasn't a single change in her demeanor, and since I'd been toning my gift down by default these days, I genuinely couldn't tell what she thought about that revelation. Unlike with my human friends, I hadn't been worried about what she'd think at all, though. Hell, she would probably tell me to stop with this self-control stuff because that was a human's way of thinking, and to her eyes, I was half fairy. Behaving like someone I was not went against everything she believed in, and I'd come ready to fight her on that. I hadn't made this much progress just to slide back into my old ways, no matter how much I liked her and enjoyed her company.

And the reason for this isn't knowledge you're willing to part with, I presume?

"Well, Bella." I turned toward her, staring into her dark eyes. "You like a good story, don't you? Let us bargain."

The fairy grinned, sharp and threatening in a way that would have made me shiver the first time I'd seen her. The hairpin that I'd just given her seemed to glisten slightly, and her hair shivered in something akin to pride. I was extorting her, and she was proud of me. A way to turn a human into a full empath? There was no way she wouldn't take the bait. Electivire took a worried step forward, but Togekiss grunted at him, telling the electric type things were fine, and she prevented Sunshine from doing something stupid and messing up my plans.

You've stuck the course, sister, she said. I was worried these months away would turn you back to human ways.

"Oh, I slip back and forth depending on what's needed. Honestly, sometimes I accidentally do, too, whenever I'm stressed out," I explained. "You see, I have this friend called Justin, who was contaminated by dark type energy— that Shiftry who died a few months ago had something to do with it. Him and his cult."

She'd known about Shiftry, of course. She'd essentially called him a pathetic weakling who did nothing with the power he'd amassed over a thousand years when we met. I, for one, was glad Shiftry had been so mentally broken by the time Cynthia broke into his chambers. I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere near that fight— though seeing what a Champion was capable of when pushed in a battle with no rules would have been insightful for my own development, and she did have her Lucario protecting me… but I was getting ahead of myself. I took a step forward as Bellatrix's face turned stoic again. She wasn't one to slip up and show emotion for long, even with me. It made her weaker when negotiating deals.

"He's been contaminated for months, and I'm not just an empath, Bella. I can potentially fix him— in a way I will not be describing until this deal is forged." I had no idea if my empathy worked the same way as hers, but dangling the knowledge in front of her would work. "I can test this, of course. I don't expect you to believe me without proof, but moving on, I know for a fact that I can make him go back to normal, but I need practice. Right now, I don't really know how to make use of these powers outside of their most basic function."

Sister, your offer is alluring, yet an error taints your words. Now that you laid the gravity of your desire bare, I possess the knowledge to negotiate more favorable terms. Consider the weight of your proposition, next time. Costs may always be subject to adjustment through the revelation of newfound insight.

I bit my lip, deflating slightly. I could have… obscured the truth from her further to make it seem like less of a big deal. I'd screwed up in the first exchange already. Legendaries, I was way out of my depth, and yet I had to push. Bellatrix was not one to worry about those who didn't matter to her, and while I did feel a smidge of indignation at the fact that she wouldn't go easy on me just because the circumstances were dire and Justin was important to me, I was the one who had initiated this bargain, and I knew the way fairies functioned.

Then, it clicked. I should have just used the need to practice in my offer, and not pulled Justin's name into it at all.

I cleared my throat. "That's a fair assessment. Look at it like this then," I said, leaning against my paint-stained crutch. Every word matters, Grace. Watch yourself. "One, what I told you alone isn't the full extent of my gift. Second, that story you told me about— about the Claw, the Plume and the Fang? There were some inaccuracies, and I can tell you more about it."

I wasn't going to tell her the world might end— no, that would be going too far, and Cynthia would have my neck after we'd pulled in Denzel without telling her anything. That story she had recounted to me, though? It had been passed down by her mother, and her mother's mother, on and on until we reached one of her ancestors who had no doubt lived through those times. Stories bent, as the generations passed, especially oral history. Stories were currency, and the fact that one of her most precious ones had been wrong would tip the scales back in my favor, no doubt.

Ah, well done in seizing control once more, she calmly acknowledged. While I can't guarantee mastery over manipulating others' emotions, I can certainly enlighten you about the emptyfolk and their prevalent struggle with an emotion-muted existence. I could also help you discern subtle feelings, though that would be contingent upon the workings of your… gift.

Not enough to actually fix him yet, I internally sighed, though I kept my face unmoving. "I'll take that. Has a bargain been struck?"

Bargain struck, Bellatrix said, smiling. I'm proud of you.

My lips tugged upward, and I averted my eyes away from her. It wouldn't do, to show so much right after negotiating.

"Oh! Outside of that bargain, though, I had a question for both you and Night. I was wondering if you could tutor Princess," I placed a hand over her forehead, "and teach her glamour and that move you use to clear the rain away? We've really been slacking on glamour, it's… not great."

Nightstalker agreed right away, not bothering with any procedure so long as he could test Sunshine first and finish his art.

The Keeper of the Sacred Woods sighed. Consider it a favor owed, then.

"Oh, and also, I have a therapist that'll show up here tomorrow, if that's okay?"

After much haggling, I realized that, no, it had not been okay, but Nightstalker managed to convince her with some concessions that Aliyah would have to conform to.

—

Turtonator sported a mad grin as his shell blew up with the brightness of a star, warping the air behind him with heat as he shot off from the floor. Bellatrix's barrier didn't even budge, though she had commented that the noise was annoying and had blocked it off completely as soon as the battle started. The dragon nearly body-slammed Decidueye, who was adhering to a no Phantom Force rule, but the grass type pulled out a shining, neon green sword from below his wing and slashed across Sunshine's chest. Turtonator didn't bleed, but he felt the slice. His eyes bulged and the air was knocked out of his lungs as he landed flat against the ground. He did not linger, however. The fire type retreated into his shell, making his shadow as small as possible as he retreated with Rapid Spin while Nightstalker shot seven arrows trailing his path in an attempt to nail him to the floor.

The last time they'd fought, Nightstalker had run circles around Sunshine, but now? He was actually sweating a little bit and had to try to take Turtonator down, and that had nothing to do with the raging flames on the ground. I was entirely for it, given the fact that he still needed to adjust his explosion-propelled flight and that he needed more experience taking down fast fliers, which Night was a perfect example of. We'd nearly gotten Shell Smash down too, so he would soon grow even faster. It would be important to keep the move as a last resort, however.

Aside from him, and soon Princess, today was an off day for most of my team. Angel had wandered off to help a group of Budew find a new water stream after theirs had been taken away by another group of particularly aggressive Lotad led by a Lombre. Jellicent had gone with him so they could both work something out together, and hopefully Angel would keep him from scaring them. Honey was getting lunch started on my electric stove— we didn't have nearly enough food packed for the duration of our stay here, but Princess and I could always go get more groceries later. Sweetheart hovered over him, and the two bantered together about Honey's cooking skills, which was really funny considering he was already way better than I was. Tyranitar just liked it more when I cooked, because I was Mom.

What you say is… madness in its purest form, Bellatrix said, dumbfounded. I was leaning against her hair while Princess was snuggled up next to me, so I was basically in the middle of a fluff fort. Bella softly ran her claw over my hair. But it would explain why your mental shield is so powerful beyond compare.

I'd told her a limited version of the truth— including my meeting with Mesprit. What I had not told her was what Team Galactic was planning to do with the Lake Guardians. I believed things would work better in my favor the more I told her, and honestly, it also felt good to vent a little. For all of my honesty, I hadn't told Cecilia that Mesprit had tried to tempt me with mind-controlling her, since my powers were stronger than hers because she was half a Shard. Even Bella had been slightly disturbed at that amount of power thrown around so lightly.

I looked up at her, her hairpin clearly visible. "So you believe me without having to try out my power?"

I do not get why you worry so much about using it, she scoffed. You could make much use of it, during bargains.

"I know," I smiled thinly. "But I have lines I can't cross and people I can't disappoint. I'm not above using them when needed, Bella, but to rely on it as much as you? I don't think it'd be that bad, honestly, but I'm shit at self-control. One thing would lead to another, and I'd end up doing something I regret. Maybe not that day, but far down the line. Plus, you know, boundaries. Not everybody's like me and wouldn't care."

The fairy type's claw froze in my hair. Perhaps. It is only advice I give, though I still lament your choice to be so much… lesser than you could be.

In front of us, Nightstalker placed a clawed foot over Sunshine's chest, an arrow pointed at his head and a vindictive look in his eyes. Suddenly, the rain started again, gallons of water pouring over the fires Sunshine had started until they all went out in a matter of a minute; then, the barrier dissolved. She must have figured out a way to speed up changes in her fief, given the fact that she'd told me they worked slowly at her scale. She too, was learning and progressing every day.

I believe you, she finally confirmed. You obscure the truth, but you would not lie when such matters would be so easily disproved as soon as I started teaching you, Bellatrix said.

So she knew, then, I thought as I restrained a sigh. At least she wasn't prying, though I wasn't sure if it was because she already found the nature of the bargain equal or because she was worried about me and not pushing. She liked me enough to bend her rules, as she'd shown by having me owe her a favor for Princess' training.

"I've only lied once since I left you," I said. "It was when I told my Pokemon that I was fine right after my ankle was broken."

Togekiss angrily grunted at that, though I responded by apologizing for it again.

It seems like you've not lost the ways after all, Grace, Hatterene spoke with a fond smile.

"It'll always be a part of me," I said. "Just… mashed together with everything else into this weird, fucked up cocktail that makes me."

Then let us rise, sister.

And rise I did, stretching my arms while Bellatrix, Keeper of the Sacred Woods, my half-sister and my teacher turned toward Princess.

Let us begin your training, baby sister. Before I start with your mother, I will teach you how to manifest your will into reality.

The world shivered.

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, SecondBlahm, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Uno, Michael J, Knock

 

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 282

Princess' Moonblast ripped through trees, earth and grass as she kept it hovering in the air for as long as possible, visibly straining from having materialized her moon for so long. It had been more than two minutes now, since she'd summoned the Moonblast, but Bellatrix was silent, content to observe her. The air itself vibrated, swirling around the moon and generating continuous waves of energy that rippled across the air. Bellatrix had refused to put on a barrier to 'check something', and even I was feeling the tug so hard that Nightstalker had to hold on to my shoulder so I wouldn't just fall into the moon and die a horrible death. It felt like I was about to fall sideways, which was horribly disorienting.

A few moments later, the moon winked out of existence like it had never been there, and all of the debris orbiting around it fell to the ground. A mishmash of tree barks, leaves, grass and earth, all crumpled to the forest floor and created a real mess that Bellatrix would no doubt have to fix, since she hated when things were disorderly in her fief. Princess heaved, and for the first time in a while, I could see her wavering while she floated. Honey and Sweetheart were back in the cave to paint some more, and Angel and Buddy still hadn't come back from their peacekeeping mission with the Budew. That left only Sunshine, who was recuperating in the distance from his fight with Nightstalker. The grass type still had some burned feathers from their spar, but he'd never really been hurt beyond those.

"Thanks, Night," I grunted, slightly pale. There was a reason I'd never allowed Princess to use the move outside of sports. The destructive potential posed far too great of a risk for me to use it in a real fight with lives at stake.

The ghost type patted me on the back, then asked Bellatrix what she thought.

My teacher turned to Princess with a satisfied look. You've progressed admirably in your training since we last crossed paths, baby sister. Your Moonblast isn't flawless yet and has many impurities, but it affects gravity as mine does. That is, of course, one of the few correct applications of the moon's power, as my mother instructed me during my early days as a fairy in training.

I snorted. "I'm sure your mother and you weren't biased at all." I ignored her threatening look, though I did make a note not to call her bias into question as a joke. "Anyway, so how does this help?" I asked, shifting in anticipation.

Moonblast essentially mimics the moon by tapping into its energy, Bella explained. The additional effects it manifests rely on glamour—essentially, they are fueled by belief.

Right, Denzel had told me this, once in Pastoria, though I hadn't expected Bellatrix to start Princess' lessons with something so… advanced. I just hadn't thought that it would be relevant to this process in any way, given the fact that the first time Bella had wanted to teach her about glamour, she'd pulled up a leaf for Princess to practice on, so we were obviously starting a little bigger. Togekiss grunted, hanging onto her teacher's every word.

"So she's been using it all along?" I frowned. "I mean, I knew that, but can we… extrapolate from that and do other gravity tricks?"

Recreation can only go so far; forging your path holds more power. What your daughter practices isn't genuine belief but mere pretense. It is as you say. I regret letting personal bias taint my initial teachings. Now, it's evident that what I witnessed was a good rendition of Moonblast, but that is currently its limit— a rendition, Bellatrix said. You need to tread your path, and find something you believe is true so strongly that it becomes real.

"Okay, so from Moonblast, we'll branch out," I said. "Yeah, smart. Moonblast is already something she's comfortable with. Right?" I turned toward Princess.

The flying type hesitantly nodded, though she didn't say anything. I knew she wasn't feeling that confident, with the way she'd struggled with glamour compared to Sylvi. These days, Sylveon was capable of using his ribbons as bludgeons, making them weigh far more than they actually did to relentlessly beat up his opponents while they couldn't even retaliate thanks to his emotional tampering— and that was Sylveon's speciality. Tampering with emotion, either through his feelers or Moonblast, but he could do other tricks, too.

I hold the conviction that the world revolves around me, and everything should fall into my orbit, Bellatrix smiled. Manipulating gravity, devoid of psychic enhancements, is within my capabilities— though, I admit, psychic abilities occasionally lend a hand, a fact I find somewhat disgraceful. My Moonblast emerges as a consequence of this belief, an assault impossible to ignore, commanding attention with awe-inspiring might. She observed Togekiss with a careful eye. You, baby sister, must find the strongest conviction you believe in.

And that was her test. To find something to specialize her glamour in, because even Bella was not capable of specializing in everything. Even belief and glamour had its limits, and no fairy would be able to simply will anything they liked into being. Togekiss stared at me, her eyes full of doubt, so I crouched in front of her and rubbed her cheek.

"Take your time, baby," I said. "We're staying here three days, and you're just getting started, okay?"

The fairy type chirped with a timid smile, telling me that she'd do her best.

"And that's all I ask of you."

She took off into the skies to focus, having learned to share in my own habits. I had really underestimated how much failing to learn to mess with glamour had affected her, and how it kept nagging her even today. Princess was no Buddy, but outside of it, she'd never struggled that hard on a move like Sunshine or Honey had. Nightstalker hooted, saying he'd watch over her and flew upward as well before I could even thank him.

Let her focus, Bella said, which I assumed carried over. Now, let us move onto the matters of your empathy, dear sister.

My heartbeat quickened in excitement. "Thanks. I've been fumbling in the dark for a while about it, and, uh, I really need some guidance. Someone to point me in the right direction."

Bella ran her claw through my hair— something I'd noticed she liked to do. She'd even commented on it being shorter than before, which she found was a shame, but did not comment on it any further.

I suppose we should start with how you perceive emotions, the fairy said.

"Colors," I instantly answered. "When I let the gift run through my veins and I actually see emotions, I see them as colors, like flickering flames at the edge of a person's skin. When the emotion is stronger, the colors extend further. Mesprit's own emotions went as far as the eye could see." I paused, remembering the sheer onslaught I'd felt from standing in the Legend's presence. "Different colors mean different emotions, and they can mix together to create entirely new feelings. I can kind of guess at what's what, but some colors, I have no idea what they mean."

And you can… paint with those colors, Bella confirmed.

"Yeah, for example, I could pull a feeling out of someone, mix and match it with something else, and shove it back in," I said. "Though that'd be way too noticeable and would tire me out really quickly. And you know, it'd also be immoral."

Bellatrix rolled her eyes, but did not comment or launch into an argument about morality, which was dearly appreciated. You sense emotions differently than I do, then. To me, emotions are sounds.

"Ah. I guess that's why you like it quiet, huh?" I said. Even now, my voice did not carry as far as it did outside of the route.

When too many beings converge in one place, I begin to experience a profound discomfort. Unlike your ability to subtly temper your gift, I lack the finesse to dampen my empathy to a significant degree.

"Yeah. I get headaches sometimes, but I don't hear them as sound. It's more like— a sensory overload," I explained. "I guess we're fundamentally different, then. Can you still help me?"

Helping you discern emotions will prove more of a challenge than I anticipated, she confirmed, but with the emptyfolk? The principles that afflict them remain the same, so I will prove helpful there.

I sighed, biting my lip. Damn it, it would have been too good to be true, wouldn't it? For everything to neatly fall in line and to work in my favor. Every time I could take a step forward, it felt like I couldn't stop myself from stumbling my way through. Bella noticed my grimace, and quickly spoke up again.

Sister, this information will be beneficial for you, no doubt. I'm confident you'll figure out ways to apply and practice it. It might just take more time than we expected.

My heels dug into the wet grass. "You know, fixing Justin will take days of continuously operating on him? Pulling and removing until he's himself again, like I'm some— some kind of damn heart surgeon," I whispered in a defeated tone. "I can't afford to make mistakes, because then I'd have to scramble and put him back together, and— well—"

Focus on the now, Bellatrix said. Let me teach you about the emptyfolk. What do you know so far?

I exhaled. "I know that darkness is absence, which is why you can use it to cancel out other attacks. It can also be used to dampen emotions, but it doesn't have to be every emotion. Shiftry was a fan of doing that because he'd been grieving his trainer for a thousand years, and that's why Justin got all of his emotions dampened."

Good. Very good, even, she said. And how do you think you'd heal him in detail?"

"I guess… put emotions back into him, but the right amount?" I muttered. "Like, this is the problem, I don't know what the right amount is, because I wasn't an empath when he was normal!" I raised my tone. At this point, it'd been so long since he'd been the Justin I used to know that I'd just be eyeballing it, and that was not something that would end well.

That is where you are wrong. Instead of drowning him in emotions, focus on breaking the chains of darkness that hold him back. Don't burden him with more feelings; help him shed the oppressive weight instead.

"But darkness doesn't feel like anything, it's absence. How do I remove absence?" I said. "And… I think you're right, but that probably sounds way easier than it'll be."

To me, the emptyfolk are quieter than silence, so I would not know how to go about this with your interpretation of emotion. Bella said, tilting her head. But your empathy has far more potential than mine. You will have to look into this yourself, the next time to see him and you can delve into his feelings. However,

The fairy paused, her smile turning fond.

Let us see what you can do, yes? I am quite adept at making myself feel emotions of my choosing, so I will train you to pick them apart. I owe you this, at the very least, so that our bargain stays equal.

"Okay, I'm going to… look then?" I hesitantly said. Part of me felt like I was doing something horrible— as I'd conditioned myself to think, but she had given me her consent, after all. Wasn't that how this worked? "Yeah, I'm going to look," I repeated, more sure of myself.

I closed my eyes, taking a few deep breaths as the sound of Honey and Sweetheart's bickering sank into the background. When I opened them again, there was a pressure in my head, slightly aching as I felt the emotions of beings inside of the forest, some looking at us, hidden from view. I pulled back, leaving the range to only a few dozen feet around me so I wouldn't be overwhelmed and be able to focus. My teacher was a gentle swirl of pastel lavender, both soothing and calm. It emanated from what felt like inner peace, and I allowed myself to sink into the sense of comfort it brought. There was a thick layer of fondness, hidden below her normal state, but I had not delved deep enough to see anything but the most obvious emotions.

We will begin with something simple like calm, then. Afterward, we will make the emotions more and more complex as we go on, Hatterene said. Ones like liberosis, kenopsia, or énouement come to mind.

"I have no idea what any of those mean, but let's do this, shall we?"

—

I dimmed my empathy again as I approached Veilstone on Princess' back. While I'd been training for hours, she'd been thinking hard about what she believed in, and we'd both needed a break, now that evening had come.

From the skies, the city looked even worse than it had when walking through it when compared to how pretty most cities in Sinnoh were. It was a forest of concrete with few windows— which, unlike Snowpoint, it had no excuses for— and with even more grids than Jubilife, somehow. I'd come here to pick up some more food for Sweetie. She was having a lot of fun back in Bella's fief, with how powerful her barriers were. She was able to let loose and train however she wanted, even if the ground itself would still get upended and destroyed. Supposedly, it would go back to normal if given enough time, according to Bella, due to the fact that her domain was to be kept a certain way. Before today, I'd never known that was how they functioned, but I learned more about domains every time I met a holder, and it made sense when you gave it some thought. They warped the world to their liking, and so the world would get back to how they wanted it to be eventually. Some wouldn't care about the destruction wrought by Pokemon on their lands, but Bellatrix clearly did, when it got to the level of what a Tyranitar could do.

There was a pang of guilt when I glanced to the south and saw the massive stadium that was Maylene's Gym in the distance. You should apologize, Cecilia had said, but it wasn't like I had the girl's number, and honestly walking into her Gym was a terrible way to go about things. I almost convinced myself to just go and get it over with, but changed my mind at the last second. Maylene was no longer on break, and was actually doing relatively well for herself, these days. She'd kept her style of shutting down status moves and other niche techniques, but had a good difficulty curve that actually made sense, or at least the way she was no longer being flamed as much online suggested as much. I did hope she was deferring tasks properly now, in order not to burn out again, though. Running a Gym and helping with the city was heavy work. Princess landed on the nearest landing pad, which was closer to the grocery store than the Pokemon Center, for some reason. We were mighty close to the Gym, now. My heart was racing, and not in a good way.

While Tangrowth walked me to the store, I opened my phone to check on my usual messages. His expedition with Buddy to help the Budew relocate had been a success, and he was far more cheerful than usual. Cecilia was traveling to Pastoria already, and so unavailable to talk, but I was keeping up regular contact with Ramon— and slightly less so with Bobby. I planned to connect with more Poketch sponsees when I got to Jubilife after my training with Bellatrix and my trek through the ancient city, and dare I say, I was actually excited to meet new people. They weren't all in Jubilife, but a lot of them would be there because a lot of things in the company were about to change, and Craig was going to be there. I was mostly excited about talking battles, but other stuff would be fine, too.

A wave of cold hit me as I entered the grocery store, leaving Angel to wait for me outside with Princess to watch over him. Staring at the ground hurt a little, with how the bright lights from the ceiling bounced back on the white tiles. My crutch clacked against the cold, white tiles. The paint from earlier had dried, leaving the crutch full of splashes of different colors. Honestly, I'd kind of grown to like it, and I had no intention of peeling it off.

"Meat aisle… meat aisle… man, my stove is going to be way too small to feed a Tyranitar," I muttered to myself. "The logistics just don't work. Maybe she can eat them raw? Wait, she's a predator, of course she can."

I shivered when I entered the aisle, rubbing my arm and wanting to spend the least amount of time here possible. Beef would be nice for her, I thought. I passed by a few people, though the fact that it was basically only non-trainers here meant that I wasn't recognized beyond a few looks now that the raid was out of public consciousness. The media was mostly starting to hype up the Conference or talking about the economy, these days. My brows creased when I passed by a girl wearing only shorts and a T-shirt in this cold. She hummed cheerfully, leaning forward against her knees while I shimmied next to her to grab myself some packets of beef—

Oh.

I figured she looked familiar. Candice's hair was usually tied in some strange pigtails that were only in style in Snowpoint, but today, her dark hair was in a simple ponytail. Her skin was as pale as always, and she seemed to be in a good mood. Somehow, she hadn't noticed me yet. My grip around my crutch tightened as soon as I realized who I'd just been standing next to. Should— should I say something? Maybe it'd be a better idea to leave, but now that I was right next to her, I didn't want to move and possibly alert her. How did she not have a fucking crowd of people around her anyway? She was a Gym Leader! One of the most famous people in the country! If she'd had one, then I would have understood to steer clear. Calm down. I needed to calm down. Maybe she'd noticed me but was acting like she hadn't. It'd be easier that way, to pretend like we hadn't seen each other and going back to not talking. Candice settled on some sort of ground beef and rose—

Then, she saw me.

We both stayed silent for what seemed like an agonizing eternity. Her mouth gaped, and she stared up and down at me as if she was convincing herself that this was real and not some kind of hallucination. My chest tightened, and I bit my lip and the discomfort. It was one thing to imagine what you'd say if you met someone who had every right to be disturbed by your presence and another to actually come face to face with her. Legendaries, my fingers felt cold. Had they always been this cold? We hadn't spoken in so long that I didn't know how to begin.

I let out a little choked sound. "Candice, I—"

"Hi," she spoke over me. Her face changed to an awkward smile in a way that was obviously unnatural. "What're you doing here?"

I showed her the beef in my hand. "Shopping… the same as, um, you. Don't you have your… Gym?"

Candice shrugged— or was that a twitch? I couldn't tell. Part of me wanted to delve into her head and see what she thought of me, but I didn't need my empathy to see that she was displeased at our encounter.

"It was… Thursday, so I needed a little break," she said. Her eyes couldn't settle on where to look, evidently, with the way her eyes were continuously shifting. "I have my Gym Trainers running the show, and Gardenia and I are going to meet Maymay and hang out. We're making burgers and stuff, so…"

"Right. That sounds like fun, so don't let me keep you," I said a little more abruptly than I would have liked. "You go and do that. I'll go and, uh, do my own thing."

Fucking kill me already, I internally hissed.

Candice paused, as if she wanted to say something, but she ended up nodding when an older woman needed to look at all the products we were blocking. We moved out of the way, and it was then that I realized how heavy my body felt. Like I was carrying weights around my ankles and wrists.

"Candice, you read the… report, right?" I stopped myself from wincing.

The Gym Leader's eyes twitched. "Could we not bring that up right now?"

"…alright. And could you apologize to Maylene on my behalf? I didn't think it was a good idea to do it myself, given everything that happened since then."

"I mean, I can try. I don't think it'll do anything, though, but I'll do it," Candice nodded. "I'll wait until our party's done to not ruin the mood, though."

I smiled through the prickly feeling all over my skin. "Yeah. So…"

"I'll see you. Take care of yourself, okay?"

She patted me on the shoulder, squeezing before she left. Not wanting to see her at the checkout, I waited, wandering around the store with a caddy full of meat. I hadn't known Candice could be this serious, when the situation required it. Really, part of me had hoped she'd just make a joke about this whole thing and sweep it under the rug, but I knew that hadn't been how it was going to go. At the very least, she hadn't been completely hostile. Honestly, I could count my blessings that she had spoken to me at all.

Five minutes later, I went to pay for my food and left.

I had to keep moving.

—

"Nia, did you see this?" Maylene snorted. Her head jittered on Gardenia's lap. Excitement or anticipation, the grass type Gym Leader mused. Maymay lifted her phone, pulling her away from her gardening book.

"What is it— oh, yeah, I did see that," Gardenia smiled. "You'd think that the world wasn't on fire, with how he acts in his Gym Battles."

Wake had always been somewhat of a meme, within the tight circle of Gym Leaders that was Sinnoh's— so tight they felt like family— but his cheerful demeanor meant that he didn't mind being the butt of the joke. In this instance, he'd battled a trainer aiming for her second badge while continuously doing a handstand.

"That's seriously unhealthy, though," Maymay said, lowering her phone. "What if the blood rushes to his head?"

"It was only a three-on-three, and she won pretty quickly," Gardenia said as she went back to reading about eucalyptuses. "Honestly, I don't think he even expected to go that long. Wake's the kind of guy to randomly challenge himself to keep going for fun."

Maylene chuckled as she adjusted her position on the couch. "True. Arceus, I can't wait to see him again this summer. He told me he and Jean-Pierre would cook me something, and the seafood they make is the best. Plus, he deserves a break, after giving it his all for so long."

Gardenia looked into Maylene's pink eyes, and her friend averted them without hesitation.

"Maymay. How's therapy been?" she asked.

Maylene sat up, freeing Gardenia from her lap pillow duties. Her thighs had been going numb, so the relief was welcome.

"Honestly, it's relieving. Yep, relieving," she said. "I can finally get this… end of the world shit off my chest now that Cynthia's afforded me a League therapist and not some guy who isn't cleared to hear any of the things I need to talk about," she finished with a heavy sigh.

Gardenia wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "We'll be fine. And I'm glad you're doing alright, these days."

Her visage cheered up, though Gardenia knew it was real from the excited flaring of her nose, her quick blinking and the way she raised her tone. "Yeah, I'm doing a lot better, but y'know, I'm kind of worried. Where the hell is Candice? Should I call her?"

"She's probably lost. You know how Snowpointers are," Gardenia said with a mischievous smile.

Maylene faked outrage. "Is that prejudice I hear? Wait until I leak this online, they'll all be at your throat in less than a millisecond."

Ah, she still hadn't lost her hatred for the online trainer community, which was justifiable, after what they'd done to her. There had been death threats and worse. Even though Maylene was sturdy thanks to Aura and her team was nothing to scoff at, reading those emails would affect anyone regardless of how powerful they were, especially a kid as young as her. Fifteen-year-old and reading all of that crap? Legendaries, Gardenia hadn't believed half the shit she'd read after commandeering Maylene's personal computer to delete all of those emails.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom," Maylene said.

She slunk away from the couch and toward the washroom. Maylene's quarters were in her Gym, like almost every Gym Leader, though hers were a lot emptier than most. There wasn't much for decoration here, just furniture. A dining table, a couch, a television in the living room, which the kitchen was attached to, and a bathroom and a bedroom. The walls were plain beige, and the floors were smooth plywood. Maylene had always been a minimalist, but Gardenia still thought her room could use a little bit of life, especially compared to Candice's wacky apartment or Gardenia's garden.

The door swung open in the next moment, with Candice standing in a victorious pose and her hand still outstretched in the air. In her other, she carried two heavy grocery bags. Gardenia's eyes lingered on her old rival's exposed legs for a few moments, though she did not dare to hope. Candice was unfortunately as straight as an arrow and had a hopeless crush on Craig Goodwill, who still saw her as a kid anyway and that he would never return. She'd given up on her long ago, and these days it was mostly lust and not romantic, so it was hard not to stare when she wore such revealing clothing.

"I'm back!" she declared with a wide grin. She skipped into the living room, dropping the bag into the kitchen. "I got all of the burger stuff. The buns, the beef, the cheese, onions— every time I go inside of a grocery store that isn't in Snowpoint, I feel like I'm in a treasure trove. You guys get so much."

Gardenia turned, her arm slinging on the couch's back. "You should come down south more. Volkner hasn't seen you in a while."

"Blegh, I've got all of Sinnoh swarming up north to challenge me. I had to beg my League Trainers to allow me this day off, but thankfully I didn't have any important battles today."

"Maybe— and just hear me out here— but maybe you should be in charge of your own Gym," Gardenia said, letting sarcasm seep into her tone. "I mean, I've got Roro to help me around, but other than that, I always call the shots."

"Yeah, yeah, you and Roro," Candice sneered. There was some old drama, there. "Anyway, do I just put this in the fridge?"

"Yeah, we'll start cooking in an hour or so. Let me help you."

Gardenia rose, though while she helped Candice put the groceries away, she noticed the subtle twitches on her face, microexpressions that left uncomfort lingering for only a moment. The constant moving of her tongue below her lip. Moving slower and more deliberately than she usually did.

"What's wrong, Candice?" Gardenia asked.

"Huh?"

"Something happened when you were out," she continued, shoving a pack of soda into the fridge. "You're not very good at hiding it."

"Just not from you," Candice muttered. The judgment in her tone was not difficult to miss, meaning that her friend clearly wanted to bury this deep and never bring this up again. "You know what, sorry. It was—"

"Candice!" Maymay beamed. "What took you so long? Did you get lost or what?"

"You could say that," Candice said. She bowed in dramatic fashion, twirling her wrist more times than was needed. "But yours truly found the way back without a League Kadabra. Doesn't that deserve a little bit of praise?"

Maylene shook her head, though it was with that usual smirk of hers. "Whatever you say."

"I'd like to see you in Snowpoint in the middle of winter!" Candice protested, pointing at her. "You'd be waist-deep in snow, little lady!"

"Counterpoint: I would just punch the snow until it got out of my way," Maylene shrugged. "You got the goodies?"

"Yep. Gardenia's going to cook for us."

"I'm what?" Gardenia scoffed. "I thought you were cooking."

"Did I ever say that?" Candice tapped a finger over her mouth.

"You did! Yesterday when you messaged me!"

"I guess we can tag team it," she said. Then, she leaned in to whisper. "I'll tell you later about what happened, okay?"

"What're you whispering about?" Maylene squinted, though she was far enough away not to have heard.

"We're whispering about sumo wrestling," Candice lied as easily as she breathed.

"At least try to make the lie make sense," Maylene laughed.

—

So you've come to a decision, Bellatrix said, looking at Princess. Out with it, then.

It had been a spontaneous thing, and while we'd been flying in the air. We hadn't really bounced ideas off each other as much as Princess had just vented to me about what was it she wanted to do, and the answer had been laughingly simple, when it came down to it.

At the core of her very being, Princess wanted to cut and stab.

Hatterene grinned, glowing in the night and serving as our source of light. Simple, but effective. I can see it now, forming around you. Cutting, stabbing, gouging, piercing. Yes, that core belief will be your implement. She stopped, tearing a leaf away from a nearby tree. I'd wondered if she was ever going to bring back this exercise. Now, baby sister. I want you to believe until this leaf is cut to shreds.

The entire team was watching her, now. Jellicent hovered nearby, his red eyes shining through the night. Sweetheart actually had gained her night vision capabilities, now, and she too, watched silently in the distance. I could tell that Electivire wanted to cheer for his sister, though he stayed silent to allow her to focus, and Sunshine stood next to me, his breaths calm, but his eyes betraying his anticipation, and Angel already had a dozen vines primed to hug Princess both to comfort her if she failed or to congratulate her if she succeeded.

Togekiss squinted, the air around her going completely still and—

The leaf was torn to shreds. Already? I told myself, slightly disbelieving. That had been so quick that it basically hadn't been a challenge. Angel went in on his hug, and Princess basically cried for joy at how easy glamour had come to her this time around. I joined in on the fun, of course, making sure to praise her lots and to kiss her forehead.

Your belief was strong enough, Bellatrix smiled. Now you know how glamour feels, don't you? It is all about building upward from there, and perhaps one day, you will refine your own Moonblast in your image. Of course, you may use my own, when it is needed.

Togekiss couldn't contain her excitement. I'd rarely seen her this happy, and the way her wings quickly fluttered showed.

"We're all proud of you," I praised her. "What's the limit to the amount of Moonblasts she can use— or wait, I guess the correct question is what's the limit to this belief thing?"

Amongst the fae, convictions strong enough to manifest are rare. My mother, for one, was considered a genius amongst the fae and could only manifest three kinds of Moonblast. One akin to mine, although weaker in effect. A second that exploded upon contact with any being, and another one to freeze the world around itself. Her capabilities with glamour, therefore, extended to gravity, explosions and the cold. After all these years, I can still only manifest my own Moonblast. The fact that your daughter can use two is already a miracle.

My mouth hung open in awe. "You're— Princess, you're a genius!" I laughed.

Sometimes, a breakthrough was all that was needed to open the floodgates of progress.

—

Maylene was asleep, now. Gardenia knew she made it a point to always keep to a perfect sleep schedule, but tonight, she'd gone to sleep at two in the morning because she'd wanted to talk with her and Candice as much as possible. Now she'll be tired tomorrow, she internally sighed. Granted, they'd all be tired, but she was unused to working while exhausted, and Gardenia and Candice were not. Gardenia's friend lay splayed out on the couch like some kind of slob, happy to take all of the space now that Gardenia had carried Maymay to her bed, and complaining about how full she was every five minutes. Gardenia, for one, was catching up on today's work by answering important emails on her phone.

Candice's voice came as a whisper. "I guess I should tell you what happened earlier."

"Sure. It was weighing on you earlier," Gardenia said. "What happened, Candice?"

Her fellow Gym Leader kicked her head back, staring at the ceiling with an exasperated groan. "Gah! I hate this."

"Okay. That just worries me more, because you're usually straightforward about these things," Gardenia said.

"When I was at the grocery store, I—" she paused, finding her words. "I saw Grace Pastel there, buying stuff."

Gardenia let out an understanding hum, the reasons for Candice's strange behavior now easy for her to understand. They were— or they'd been relatively close long-distance friends, after Candice had met her in Snowpoint. Grace Pastel and her group's survival through Mount Coronet with only two badges had been a massive story, and she'd assumed it was why Candice had gotten close to them, at least at first. After all of the Gym Leaders received the report on the raid, though… no words had been exchanged between the two. She'd read it too, of course. Grace's behavior during the entire event had already been a tough pill to swallow for most younger Gym Leaders. Gardenia had never killed someone before. Neither had any Gym Leaders save for Fantina or Byron. The former deeply regretted what she'd done to get a Gengar and paled every time one brought it up, and the latter had been an act to save Oreburgh from a terrorist attack from a high level trainer gone rogue when he'd been the Gym Leader of that city. Hitting trainers with aim to disable them was more difficult the stronger their teams got, and this one had broken down after losing the Conference as soon as he'd made it out of the group stages, so he'd been good.

It was the nonchalance of it all, that had disturbed. The fact that Grace saw so many people die, killed a few more, and was able to act as if nothing had happened at all. That was the kind of thing ACE Trainers were made of. Still, it had been for a good cause and had Cynthia's seal of approval, so Gardenia had already been ready to forget, and she assumed Candice would have acted similarly had the Haunter incident not happened.

"How was she?" Gardenia asked.

"Nervous to see me, but I was the same," she muttered. "I don't know, I guess she's fine other than that? I didn't stay long, it was too awkward." Candice paused, shifting on the couch until she settled on a new, even more outrageous position. Her head hung over the edge while her legs were above the backrest. "I guess it's hard to imagine that nervous girl being the same one who cut a man's ligaments so he wouldn't run away and then who watched a Haunter torture him for an entire afternoon."

That was the crux of the issue, and though Gardenia was a pencil pusher who would do whatever Cynthia asked of her, she had to admit what she'd read had shaken her. Oh, they didn't know what Haunter had done in detail, but they did know the state of how both Mira Compton and Grace Pastel had been after exiting the mansion. Mira had been completely shaken, face pale and dried tears and snot running all over her face and barely able to stand up straight. Grace had a satisfied, rejuvenated look on her face, like watching someone get tortured had been lightwork for her. Backlot had been a worthless scumbag who Gardenia wouldn't mourn, but there was simply no ignoring that.

"Maybe it's the fairy stuff," Candice grumbled. "Cynthia says her Togekiss dosed her with TE for months."

Gardenia shrugged. "Might be. I don't know," she sighed. "But we only have a few fairy type specialists in Sinnoh, so it's not like we have a huge sample size to work with."

Candice was, Gardenia knew, looking for an excuse.

"Right. Anyway, she told me to apologize to Maymay for her Gym Battle, so I guess she felt guilty about her having broken down as a result, but I never found an opening during the party. She was just so happy, and I didn't want to ruin her mood—"

"I knew you were hiding something!"

From the shadows of the small unlit hall that led to her bedroom, Maylene emerged with a deep-set frown and a tightened jaw.

Candice innocently brought up her hands. "Okay, you win. Jeez, it's not like I was never going to tell you. I was looking for the right moment! No need to stare daggers at me."

"I don't accept her apology," Maylene deadpanned. "I acknowledge it, but I don't accept it. She's insane, and I want nothing to do with her. That's… fine, right?"

She was not hesitating because she was getting second thoughts, Gardenia knew, but because of Grace's capabilities and her being some kind of shard for a Legendary.

Gardenia nodded. "That's alright, she isn't owed anything from you," she said. "But you have to be prepared to work together if everything goes to shit."

Maylene bit her lip. "Whatever. I'm going back to sleep."

"And stop spying on us!" Candice yelled, cupping her hands.

Gardenia leaned against her palm and noticed that the day's activities had her exhaustion catching up with her. Cynthia had, unfortunately, warned them that if Team Galactic ever sprung to action before the deadline was up, then the Gym Leaders would probably be enlisted to help like Indigo had done against Team Rocket during their wars. Gardenia wondered if Cynthia knew how horribly unprepared most of them were. They had grown up in peaceful times, and so, beyond the occasional wild Pokemon attack on their city that the Rangers always dealt with and their Pokemon journey, they had never been in a situation that Cynthia was asking them to help in.

Oh well, Gardenia thought. If she asks, I'll do it.

Such was her duty as a Gym Leader, subservient to the League. That did not mean, however, that she would be happy about it.

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, SecondBlahm, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Uno, Michael J, Knock

 

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 283

"It's nine. She should be arriving any minute, now," I muttered, repeatedly checking my phone.

I do not sense anything, Bellatrix said. Are you sure of this?

"She never fails to show up on time no matter where I am, so yes, I'm sure."

Sure enough, Bellatrix frowned when steps resonated through the forest. Quiet at first, and slow and unsure of themselves, but the closer they got, the steadier the steps grew. Aliyah appeared with a soft smile, her eyes locking with mine immediately. She dipped her head at me, and then both Bellatrix and Night. My teacher was frozen in a way I'd never seen her. Not even her voluptuous hair moved in the breeze, and she observed Aliyah like a hawk. Her wispy hair was tied into a tight chignon a mix of brown and white.

"Well met, Keeper," Aliyah said. "And I greet your companion as well. I come in peace, though I've no gift to offer you. You will have to forgive me, and I hope I have not slighted you."

"No Chimecho today?" I probed with a smirk.

"Oh, he's resting in his Pokeball. Finding this place and getting me through exhausted him quite a bit," Aliyah said.

"What? We're on the route, still…" I trailed off. "Be— Keeper?"

She was still staring, somewhat in disbelief. As one of the conditions for letting Aliyah come here and me not just leaving for Veilstone every day for therapy, I was to not reveal her name, which would be hard to unlearn, with all of the muscle memory I'd built up.

I… cut this place off from the outside so we wouldn't be disturbed by wondering trainers, she spoke into my and Night's minds. Only you and your gathering find it easy to make it here. I wanted to see if she was capable of finding you and would have let her run around aimlessly for a few minutes. It is not unbreachable, but for her to do so this easily…

I scoffed. "What the hell? Don't just try to waste her time! I know she has nothing to offer, but this is— this is important to me."

I apologize. It will not happen again.

"It better not. Don't just apologize to me. Do it to her too." I crossed my arms, waiting patiently for my teacher to build up the guts to apologize to someone she considered lesser. "Go on. We're all friends here."

You are named Aliyah, correct?

"Yes," my therapist smoothly answered.

I apologize for the rough welcome. Even though you bear no gift or great deed, it was unbecoming of me as a host.

"All is forgiven. I am not one to bear grudges, Keeper," she smiled a little too sharply to be genuine. "Now, may I begin my session? We are already running late."

Of course, we will leave you to it, Bellatrix said. Nightstalker, make sure the skies stay clear of rain. Have Princess aid you in keeping it that way for her training. It would do us no good to not afford them comfort.

Princess was off flying… somewhere, training as always. Ever since we'd passed through Twinleaf, my Pokemon being off on their own had stopped bothering me as much, especially in a forest like this one where no one would be able to complain about it. I supposed it made sense, why no trainers had come across us even though Bella hadn't brought us off-route, though I wondered now if whenever one of the others had gone off on their own, they'd seen someone or not… no, they would have told me. The rest of the team was out and about, taking it easy, though they were all within eyesight. Bellatrix left without another word in Sunshine's direction, and I didn't miss the dragon's exasperated look even if he was pretending to sleep.

Night clasped my shoulder, pulling me close and whispered in my ear that Bellatrix was a little jealous of how much I'd been telling her about Aliyah. Out of respect for her, I did not say anything out loud so Aliyah wouldn't hear. It made a lot more sense to behave like she had out of jealousy and not outright malice when no offense had been given, though I hadn't expected her to ever succumb to jealousy. Nightstalker flew off, blasting the entire area with wind as he did so. Not everyone was as silent as Princess with their landings and take offs and it had taken a little to get used to his.

"Now, shall we begin?" Aliyah softly said.

"Sure. Sorry about… all of this. She was hard on you."

"Oh, I know my way around," my therapist smiled. She produced one of her candles from her bag, lighting it purple. "Would you like some tea, perhaps?"

I beamed. "Oh, really? Yeah!"

It would have taken a while to get started if we only got going when the water was done boiling on my camping stove, so Aliyah started the session anyway.

"So. Here you are, with your old teacher," Aliyah said. "How have you found it here so far, my dear?"

"Everything's just been great. The Keeper's not being forceful at all like I told you I was nervous about," I said in a whisper. I wasn't used to Chimecho not being there to mask what I was saying.

"Don't fear. Everything you say remains private. Unless you want Chimecho out anyway so you can be more comfortable?"

"How?"

"Tricks that cannot be revealed," the therapist said, releasing her Pokemon. "Chimecho, if you will?" While the psychic chimed seven times slower than usual, she continued. "I simply did not wish to offend the Keeper. Fairies can be quite capricious."

"She wouldn't have struck just because you had a Pokemon out, Aliyah."

"And yet, she tried to make me lose my way," she retorted with a smirk. "But enough about her. If she is not pressuring you to change course, then she will have done more for you than I expected." Aliyah stopped, staring at me with a curious look. "A little bird told me something quite interesting happened yesterday in a grocery store of sorts."

I physically flinched backward, cringing from recalling my interaction with Candice.

"Word's gotten out, huh?" I groaned.

"It would be hard not to notice one of this year's most famous trainers talking to a Gym Leader," Aliyah shrugged. "Though it garnered less attention than what is usual, for a Gym Leader out and about."

"I mean, it's not like people expect to see Candice in some random grocery store, so they probably weren't paying attention."

Aliyah grunted in affirmation, then waited for me to explain what happened.

"Well, I talked to her a bit," I mumbled. "It was just so awkward, I don't even think any of us said anything productive— or anything that could mend our friendship. I mean, we weren't even that close in the first place, really. We just talked every few days— sometimes called— and she'd tell me about her Gym stuff, and I'd tell her about my journey stuff. I guess we'd talk about random topics that came up too, sometimes."

The older woman clicked her tongue as she handed me a cup of tea. "No need to disparage your relationship. Friendship is friendship, no matter what form it takes, and I believe you're looking for an excuse to cut off all contact. To say that you tried despite that not being the case, and to let go, because it would be easier, not to fight for it."

I wanted to disagree, but all I managed to let out was a small choking sound.

"If you wish, you could share the context of the conversation," Aliyah continued. "Or do not. I do not want to intrude on something private."

"I mean, like I said, we just… fumbled around. I think we were just looking for an excuse to leave as soon as possible," I explained before I took a sip of my tea. It was the perfect temperature, not hot enough to burn but still warm. What flavor was this?

"Hibiscus."

I'd grown used to her being able to tell what was on my mind, so it didn't even surprise me. "Oh. Thanks. I also asked her to apologize to Maylene on my behalf for… well, I didn't tell her why, actually. Just to apologize."

"You didn't tell her why?"

"The context should be obvious, no?" I frowned.

"Hm. Not saying why feels like some kind of block. Like a refusal to acknowledge things," Aliyah said. "And you not wanting to see Maylene in person, I understand. You believe it would do more harm than good, spring up unnecessary drama, but it makes your efforts look… lesser than they are in reality to an outside observer, Grace."

I scoffed. "What? I was— I was fucking dying in there, Aliyah! I was trying so hard to do right— I did try!" I yelled. Wisps of emotion flamed to life around her, the same steady calm as always, and only the pain from biting my lip brought me back to my senses.

She raised a hand. "I'm sorry. I should have formulated my sentence better."

"I don't understand…"

"I am by no means saying that you yourself have not pushed yourself to change. I myself have noted how much progress you've made after each session," Aliyah said. "Just that, from Candice's perspective, you opting not to apologize in person, even if she might have refused, might have looked to her like you were distancing yourself from the problem."

My grip around my cup tightened, and my voice shook. "So I can do everything in my power to make things right, and it doesn't matter, does it."

"No, it does matter. But perhaps next time, try to mend that bridge," she said.

"I don't think there'll be a next time. I think it's over, Aliyah, and it'll hurt less if I come to terms with it now. Cut my losses. She was going to get too busy with trainers traveling up north at the end of the year anyway."

"Now you're trying to convince yourself again," my therapist sighed. "To put yourself in a mental state where everything is already lost, when they can be mended. Is that truly what you want? A half-hearted apology to Maylene, not delivered yourself, and to give up on a friend because you did not dare to fight for her?"

I sighed. "It's… not. But what else can I do? Candice is probably back in Snowpoint by now, and for Maylene, it's not like I'm going to barge into her Gym and call for her to apologize in person."

"Indeed, you will not, but an opportunity will present itself, Grace. It always does."

It was childish, but when looking back at my meeting with Candice, I yearned to be able to ask if I could come. It was childish, stupid, horrible, and I sucked, but I'd wanted to meet Gardenia so badly that the words had been lying in wait. Of course, I'd known better. It would have just ended up in rejection and made things far worse than they currently already were, but still… one couldn't help but wonder, what if? What if I'd been someone they could be comfortable with? It wouldn't even have been that unfeasible. Candice, as wild as she was, would have accepted to bring me back with her even if Maylene would have been angry and probably forced us to make up after having me apologize, and while I know better than to think we would have been friends by the end of the night, things would have been better than this… hopeless situation I was currently in.

I relented, and the tension which had been building up in my shoulders evaporated. "If you say so."

"When you are ready, why don't you send Candice a message, for one? She seemed far more amenable to you than you think her to be."

"Blergh. I'll think about it," I muttered.

"Very well. Now, let us move on to your progress with Cecilia…"

—

Should we talk about the new injuries you've gained since we've met last? Bellatrix suggested.

"There's nothing to talk about, Bella."

My head was pounding after the amount of empathy practice we'd done after Aliyah left, and the last thing I wanted was to talk about the topic I'd been avoiding on purpose. At least she approved of my training, since I was doing it with consent. I was watching some videos of Byron's battles I'd downloaded to make good use of my time.

"Really, you can tell me if you're lonely," I teasingly pushed. "You know, I have some cartoons downloaded on there too if you want to watch with Princess. Though it's not like we could tear her away from her training, I haven't seen her this pumped since she was learning… well, Moonblast."

My teacher rolled her eyes, and I'm sure I wouldn't have missed the humor bleeding off her if I'd been leaning into my empathy. I could have, even with the headache, but I'd somehow grown tired of seeing so many different shades of colors, which I hadn't known was possible. The world felt muted without them, but sometimes I needed the silence, especially when I was studying.

If you prefer not to discuss it, I will let it go. I am simply expressing genuine concern for you, there is no need for humor.

My lips flattened. "Look, it's just… sorry. You know, people sometimes say I make jokes to get out of a tough conversation," I muttered as my fingers went still over my laptop. "Mostly my Dad, but my friends too."

Ah, yes, I have noticed this, she said.

"Well, I didn't mean any harm, it's just a tick I have. For the leg, it was my fault, like I said. I went off-route and encountered a Carnivine grieving her child who'd been stolen by a human and his team. She was blinded by rage and not thinking straight, so she hurt me," I slowly explained before glancing down at my leg. "I hurt her too. I had to, or it might have been worse."

The loss of family always pains, Bellatrix said, slightly misty-eyed. An unfortunate coincidence, that you were there, then.

"Yeah. I mean, it's fine, meeting her got me to deliver her kid back, so I think it was worth it in the end, broken ankle or not," I said.

The fairy tilted her head, curious about the rest of the story. The Carnivine bit, I didn't mind explaining. Bellatrix was a full-blooded fairy, after all. Had she not liked me so much, she probably would have launched into a tirade about how I should have had gifts on hand to appease Carnivine, or not entered her mountain without permission from its ruler even though I hadn't known a Pokemon had been in charge of it. What I feared was what she'd say about my ACE Trainers, who had failed to protect me, or the entire mansion fiasco.

"Did you hear about something called the Game Corner in Veilstone?" I asked.

Whispers from passing trainers, she said. I do not know what it is, however.

"What it was," I corrected her. Before continuing, I shifted on the sleeping bag that was serving as my seat. "The League raided it and shut it down. They were forcing Pokemon to fight to the death in there, and almost all of them came from a man named Edward Backlot…"

I explained the story fully, including my time in Pastoria which seemed so long ago now despite that not being the case at all. I told her about what happened to Maeve, Alex, and Croagunk. About retribution, and how rightful it had felt to watch Backlot reap what he had sowed over the last decades— to see him suffer for each Pokemon he had tortured and gotten killed and watch the same fate befall him until he could no longer take it, and how I'd taken the other people in charge and killed them or delivered them to Carnivine. At least they'd been quickly dealt with instead of dragging things out, I thought, before remembering that people didn't usually think like this.

"It's abnormal behavior, and it's not something I plan on doing again," I said.

Not because you don't want to, the fairy mused.

"Well, you don't know the full picture. If the world was a vacuum with just me, Edward Backlot and no one else, then yeah, maybe I'd be able to indulge," I said. "But that's not what the world is. And it's not even just about Backlot, either… it's about the path I took to get there. If I hadn't stopped to reevaluate who I was, what would have been next? It was a race to the bottom, and I don't mean that the bottom is you, Bella, because that's not at all what I think. You just think differently than humans, but you aren't one, and that's fine. I think the bottom lays in a completely different direction."

It lay with the likes of people like Mars, who committed atrocities every time they felt like it. I don't think I would have ever gotten to that level of sinister, but I would have gotten close to it, only doing what she does, but to people who I thought deserved it instead, and if we went along that line of thought, that limit could get arbitrary and very quickly. The raid had been the splash of cold water I had needed to ask myself what the hell I was doing, even if it had taken a few days after the fact and when the reality of the situation started sinking in and for Denzel to have told everyone about me to start asking myself that question.

Ah, I understand. In this situation, you would cast aside any rules, or perhaps employ them only as a guise for causing harm. There are indeed fairies of such nature, though they are scarce, and not what I would deem as proper, Bellatrix said.

"There are?" I asked before she nodded again. "I'm… not going to lie, I thought you would fight me on this. You know, try to get me to relapse or something. That's why I didn't want to tell you."

Oh, I fully believe you've done nothing amiss, yet I sense it's not the reassurance you seek, is it not? You harbor a lack of trust in yourself, fearing a transformation into something disdainful— which is an apprehension I find quite understandable, even if I perceive your self-confidence to be unjustly meager.

"It's a lack of trust and fear," I pressed. "Come on, Bella, you know me, but I'm the one who's actually in my own head. If I scare myself, it's for a good reason."

She paused, clearly wanting to say something, but her mouth closed again. Very well, then.

"Being a sister is fine," I said. "I welcome it, even. Like I said, it's a part of me, but what I was turning into was something else entirely, Bella. Something foul that takes pleasure in harm and isn't just doing it as revenge after being hurt myself."

Taking pleasure in extracting long prices is not wrong—

"But I would have gone further!" I interrupted. "Taking pleasure from the pain inflicted itself and not a wrong being righted. I'm… sorry for yelling. I just— this is important to me."

I understand, sister. We are going in circles. I… accept our differences. I cannot change who you want to be, even if I so dearly wished you embraced this side of you fully.

I sighed in relief. "Thank you, Bella. You— you have no idea how much this means to me." Another relieved gasp escaped my mouth, and a smile stretched across my lips. To have her accept that I was trying to stop myself from slipping further meant so much. "And it's not like I'm abandoning the old ways, you know? Just… I don't think I should tread the path you want, because there's nothing pretty for me at the end of that."

Overhead, through the tree canopy, I saw glowing streaks through the air. Princess must have been hard at work.

What path do you tread, then?

"A new one. One where I can hopefully accept myself for who I am, by the end. One where I'm content with every part of myself."

The Keeper of the Sacred Woods gently smiled. Nightstalker and I will look forward to it, then.

The disappointment was apparent, but she was trying, at least. Just like I was trying. We were just people doing our best.

Hopefully, it would be enough for both of us.

"Thank you."

—

We'd gotten three days not to train as hard as we could, but to take a break and relax with family and friends. It had been dearly needed, being the first real, lengthy break the team had gotten in ages, save for Princess, of course. My team was driven, but they were not robots, and sometimes they needed to just live and hang out together. Bellatrix had helped with that, recounting old stories to Jellicent in exchange for some of his own, and us two actually showing her the history books we owned. Some of the recent events, she had lived through, after all, and it was fun to see if she'd been too isolated to know if a war or a crisis was going on or not. The Great War, she had not missed— it had been impossible to, according to her, even before Legendaries got involved. Angel had enjoyed building up a reputation with the wildlife as a kind helper, and I'd sometimes joined him in his quests to solve disputes or just wander and meet wild Pokemon. When he wasn't dueling Nightstalker, Sunshine mostly lazed around like an old man and enjoyed my music— because yes, I'd brought my piano from my hotel room to show Bella and Night my skills. Playing for an audience made me play better, for some reason, and I'd only messed up a few times.

Honey and Sweetie had been two peas in a pod, lately. Their banter was ceaseless, now, due to the fact that now that Tyranitar dwarfed him in height, Electivire was content to actually talk back to her nonsense, and she loved that. The fight of it was something she'd grown to appreciate, though that didn't mean they couldn't be cute together too. Honey was still her older brother who doted on her, and he always would be.

Though everyone dotes on her. Even Princess, I thought, glancing at my daughter. She and the entire team were all lined up, watching Bella and Night with saddened expressions. This had been fun, but it was already over, and now it was time to leave for the Ancient City. I'd asked both of them for tips, but they'd never been there, and now they were just worried sick about me.

"No need to look at me like that. I'll be fine," I smiled. "I have ACE Trainers to watch me, if the worst comes to pass."

Night cawed, and noted that these were the same ACE Trainers who'd let me get my ankle broken and nearly get killed by a ghost in a not-so-subtle jab toward the League.

"They'll come in with me, this time. Bella?"

Sister. I wish you could stay longer, like you did last, she mourned.

"I do too, but I can't. I'm… I'm on a tight timetable."

There was the fact that I'd need to battle Byron before the Red Chain ever came into effect, but also, who was I, to enjoy myself in a forest with people I loved when I had less than a month before the chain was completed? It wasn't wrong per se, but it left a bad taste in my mouth, to forget, even if it was only for three days. Everyone else was giving it their all to get ready.

"I'll come here this summer, after the Conference," I continued. "We can spend a lot more time together that way. I wish I could say I'd introduce you to Cece properly, but she'll be busy, and I doubt my other friends would want to meet you, so… yeah, it'll just be me."

I would rather it be, she said, much to Nightstalker's displeasure. The grass type was far more social than she was, and he told her that it'd be the proper thing to do, to meet my friends.

"Maybe another time," I said. "Guys, say goodbye."

Hugs were exchanged, though Princess was the only one who shed tears, this time. The sheer amount of progress she'd made in a mere three days was astonishing. Of course, we'd still need to refine her technique, but at least she had something unique, now. Something that only she could do, and we were only scratching the surface. Bella wrapped her into a hug while she thanked her for all of her teachings, as did I.

"Thank you for the training," I muttered in her hair. "And thank you for not pressuring me to go against what I'm trying to do."

I might be fairy, but most of all, I am Bellatrix, she smiled. And Bellatrix wants you to be happy.

Nightstalker grunted to the side, saying that he would have knocked some sense into her if she hadn't come to that conclusion alone.

Oh no, the waterworks are starting. I tried to blink away the tears, but only more of them came. My vision blurred, and suddenly, it was difficult to take full breaths. My arms around her felt heavier than they'd just been, like my body didn't want to pull away from the hug.

Yet, I did. I sniffled, rubbing the hairpin I'd given her, and she caressed my cheek with her claw.

Go on, sister. And be careful.

"Hmhm."

I recalled my Pokemon, taking off on Princess moments later.

—

I would not be lying if I said that route 210 was the absolute worst route I'd ever been in, save for that one time I'd been stuck deep in Mount Coronet with Cecilia, Chase and Denzel. Sure, unlike my first trek through Eterna Forest, I wasn't getting attacked every few hours, but the fog here? It was so dense breathing was actually taxing, or at least it felt like it. The air clung deep in my throat, cold and humid in a way that constantly irritated it. I couldn't see ten feet in front of me, save for the occasional shape and silhouette that creeped me out and made me jump out of my skin despite having empathy at my disposal to sniff out potential threats. Occasionally, I would hear a Pokemon's cry in the distance, but the fact that they were too far for me to sense didn't help. It was actually cold here despite how late in the year it was due the fact that this route was high on a mountain. With how difficult the terrain was to navigate here, Angel actually had to carry me. Past a certain point, flying to locate the city was impossible due to the fog. I wonder what kind of Pokemon is causing this, I thought to myself. Constant fog all year round, no matter the temperature or conditions would have alerted me had Bella not already revealed their existence to me during our first meeting.

We had all settled in for the night, and I snuggled close to Sunshine for warmth he was happy to give. That didn't help with the irritated throat or the runny nose, but at least I was warm and the shivers had stopped. He was lying on the floor, as always, but he had a scaly hand over my lap to keep me warm while I sat and used a raised stone pillar as a backrest, courtesy of Princess. Speaking of, Princess was close— though they were all close, because of the fog. All within eyesight. I did not want any of them to get lost here, so they were all forbidden from exploring— Angel especially, because I knew he'd wander out and not realize how far he'd gone. It was us and the fog, up here. I could fully visualize what Cynthia had gone through now. Her desperate fight for survival against a Zangoose with only a baby Gible and a knife in her hands, with not only their lives on the line, but her twin sister's. She had described it as feeling like the four of them were the only people in the world, in that moment. Like nothing beyond the fog even existed. Even Jellicent couldn't see through it, and my only source of light was a flashlight I'd pointed upward and my laptop turned on to its maximum brightness. We'd tried to look for firewood, but we'd found no trees, and even if we had, it would be too wet to start a fire for light without Chase's Houndoom there to help. A Houndoom's flames could light anything on fire.

I shuddered, prompting Sunshine to let out a worried grunt, and I caressed his hand with mine and let him know it was nothing. Sweetheart lay at the edge of my vision, determined to be a guard against anything that would dare attack us, though no one had so far. Honey sat in contemplation, no doubt imagining the coming fight, with the rigid way his tails were moving. Buddy's skin lay completely still, with not even a ripple letting itself known. His crimson eyes were unusually dim, though that might have been the fog playing tricks on me. Princess was nestled closer to me, though she was starting to doze off with how hard she'd trained today already with Angel softly caressing her head with a few vines, though he looked somewhat tired himself, with how sluggish the movements were and his eyes being opened smaller than usual.

Guess I should do this speech before they both fall asleep, I sighed.

"Guys," I softly said. "Mind listening for a second?"

My entire family turned toward me, and for a moment, I stayed silent, taking in how far we'd come. How we'd all changed in a thousand different ways since meeting each other, and how we would keep changing, still. It felt significant, though it probably wasn't. Just another day, traveling with Pokemon I loved to the bottom of my heart. Despite how awful being on this route was, I could not deny that the uncharted feeling I got from traveling and camping here filled me with satisfaction that reminded me that why I'd come to enjoy being a trainer hadn't only been the battles. Cities were nice— great, even, but there was no other feeling like the one that was currently filling my chest.

"We're almost there," I continued. "We'll reach the city tomorrow— tomorrow night at the latest, depending on how good Chase's information was. How's everyone feeling?"

I'd known how from a single look, even without empathy, but letting them vent their worries to me would do some good.

Jellicent instantly answered with worried, and that going in there to find a seventh Pokemon was an idea he'd never approved of in the first place, as I knew. He was, however, outvoted already, so he had made his peace with it. Honey was the same, though he hesitated to say it.

"Speak your mind, baby," I said. "No one will judge you for it."

The electric type smiled, though it was somewhat forced. Like he was making himself smile to feel less anxious, like Barry had told me in Pastoria. A new friend would be nice, he said, though he was scared that ghost would get me. Ghosts always had tricks, after all, especially the old ones like Mathilda.

"All types have tricks when they get that old. Just look at Shiftry," I said. "I hear you, though. I'm sorry… I guess I do get kind of headstrong when I get an idea in mind, don't I?"

Princess cooed to the side and dropped Sunshine's name, with no reason, I was sure. The dragon rolled his eyes and blew some smoke at her that didn't even make it halfway before she sent it back his way with little effect.

"C'mon Princess, we've grown past this already."

It took some prodding, but she did offer a heartfelt apology. I knew he probably didn't care, but the last thing I wanted was for Sunshine to feel alienated because he'd scarred me. Princess went next, though she just said she would back whatever I picked.

"What do you think?" I asked again. "But for real, this time."

The fairy type hesitated, not knowing what to answer even after Angel nudged her to the side.

"Your birthday's soon. You're growing, and I want your input. Like I said, speak your mind."

Togekiss chirped, letting me know that she'd told the truth, but that she wouldn't be lying if she said she also was worried like the others. I extended a hand and caressed the bottom of her chin.

"I'm proud of you for letting me know. Start doing that more, okay? Don't worry about disagreeing with me unless it's when you complain about having to have a varied diet. Sunshine?" I turned toward the dragon.

Do or die, he answered. And he would not let the second option happen. He was a far cry from how he would have been shortly after Kamaile's death, having grown confident in his abilities to keep us protected. Honey giggled, teasing Sunshine for wanting to show off, and more smoke was threatened to be blown until I shushed them both.

"Now, who wants to go next?"

Sweetheart growled, something which I was sure resonated through the mountain and scared a few Pokemon nearby. Despite her size, she was still a baby, and I didn't think she quite understood the scale of the opponent we were probably going to face. Hell, I wasn't even sure she knew how close we'd come to dying when fighting Mathilda, even. She was a little excited, which prompted all of us to laugh at the absurdity of it all.

"Happy to finally let loose, huh?" I smiled. "Been a while for you."

The rock type nodded, flashing her sharp fangs I'd seen tear through more raw beef I'd ever seen in my life like it was nothing the other day.

"Angel?" I probed.

His vines shook as one, and he was now fully awake, as was Princess. These days, I didn't go with what he said through gut feeling, but through a sign language he'd basically invented, along with the emotions he felt. He acknowledged the dangers, but from what I'd told him about that ancient Zoroark through what Chase had recounted, he… kind of felt bad for the ghost.

"He was treated terribly by his people, no doubt," I sighed. "All that hatred for humans couldn't have come from nowhere."

Angel happily bobbed up and down.

"If there was something I could do for him, I would," I muttered. "But as it stands, we're flying toward the castle as soon as we enter, scanning the place, and getting the fuck out if there's nothing there. With some luck… we won't see him."

The words felt hollow to me, and they must have to them as well, given the fact that Honey asked me what we'd do if we did actually meet the ghost.

"Then we defend ourselves like we planned," I said. "You guys noticed during the fight with Mathilda, right? Compared to how we handled Carnivine, that was night and day. No one accidentally hurt the other, and you didn't get in the way of one another. We can do this."

The last of what we'd heard of Zoroark had him wiping out seven-badge level teams, and… well, I was above that, now, but it would still be difficult. It would no doubt be my hardest fight in a while, and more difficult than how Carnivine had been to take down. There was also a theoretical scenario where I just… pulled the hate out of Zoroark, but like with the dilemma with Mathilda, it would make me pass out and I wasn't sure if it would even make him stop attacking after recovering from the emotional shock that would no doubt come from having such an integral part of you ripped away in seconds. If he came inches from killing me like Mathilda did, though, no holds would be barred.

It would have been nice, I thought, to help him instead of having to fight. Maybe pulling the hate out of him, little by little. I doubted that he would ever accept that, though, and it would be doing things wrong. Speeding them up artificially instead of having him learn not to hate everything human again.

This was, of course, a fantasy. One born of my old self, who thought everything would end up working out if I tried enough… somehow. Sunshine had worked, but the amount of hatred we were working with here was not even comparable. Sometimes, when I closed my eyes and focused— really focused, I could feel it emanating, even here. Going down there with my empathy at full capacity would be a surefire way of passing out on the spot from the pressure. Even Chase had felt the hatred and how heavy it was, and he was no empath.

"We have the ACEs," I spoke again. "And worst-case scenario, we pull out and run. They'll probably meet us near where the covered hole is supposed to be, since they said they would enter with me next time."

That seemed to have reassured them some, though the tension still remained high.

"I love you all," I said.

And they loved me too.

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, SecondBlahm, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Uno, Michael J, Knock

 

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 284 - WE SING OF RUST

"Good, you're here already," I said.

Maxwell, Lou, Richard, Ariel and Serena stood at attention over a non-descript part of the mountain. Beyond a few cracks in the rock which were more pronounced than anywhere else, being able to tell that there was a lost underground civilization right under our feet would have been impossible. The Lakhut people having been so mighty in the past made sense, now. First, you'd have to make your way through this awful route, and then you'd have to find the passage to their city to assault it. The only thing that had managed to bring them down was an internal conflict, which I had an inkling was caused by that Zoroark using the war with Solaceon as an opportunity to rebel and free himself. There was no mistaking it, however. Even with my empathy in the back of my mind, so subtle that I wasn't able to tell what any of my ACEs or Pokemon were currently feeling, I could see the embers of rage seeping through the fissure in the stone, like a constantly beating heart. While Angel picked me up and dropped me off his head, Lou spoke up.

"Maxwell was waiting here while the rest of us tracked you through the fog," she said.

Her voice was the same as usual, like I wasn't about to throw myself into another situation where my life was at risk. At this point, I was wondering if they privately cursed me for being so abnormal and risk-seeking, but if they did, I couldn't see it on their faces.

Maxwell ran a hand through his dark hair. "Let's talk strategy, Ms. Pastel. From what we understand, this is all for a Claydol. Do you want us by your side while you go look, or out of the way?"

I frowned. "This is an option now?"

"Oh, yes. We figured we wanted to know what your priorities were," Maxwell said. "Nothing like jumping into a fire to foster growth, though."

"The last time you went with that philosophy, my ankle was snapped in two," I said in a not-so-subtle jab at Ariel. The short woman didn't react, her face perfectly stoic. "Run me through these options, please."

"If we're with you, we attack Zoroark as soon as it rears its ugly head and strikes," Maxwell lazily drawled. "Kill it, probably, unless it has tricks to run. It's old, and it's shaken off the rust to be a lot stronger than it once was, but it won't be able to deal with five ACEs. If not, you fight it until it looks like you're going to die, and we go in and kill it. Both options lead to the same conclusion, but maybe you want to prance through the city and have a relaxing time instead of battling."

"Both options will have you completely safe," Richard added.

"Well, listen, how about this. You accompany me, and instead of killing Zoroark right away, we try to…" I trailed off, forcing myself to get the words out. "Reason with it?"

"This ain't a fairy tale," Maxwell said. "That fucker's going to try to kill us before you can open your mouth."

"I know that," I hissed. It wasn't like I wanted to catch him. I just wanted to try to appease him some and see if I could help deal with his pain. Ideally, get him to realize that there was more to life than stewing in his rage in the place that made him suffer so much. He was a Zoroark! He could transform into anything and go anywhere. See the damn world. "But you're ACE Trainers, and you say you should have no problem killing it, so you should have no problem buying time, right?"

"A flawed way of thinking," Ariel deadpanned. "Handling a powerful Pokemon with kid gloves is more difficult than going straight for the kill."

I sighed, clenching a fist. "Are you sure you can't try?"

"Yup," Maxwell shrugged.

"Then I'll go with option two."

They did not react, but I knew they thought less of me for this. All it did was give them more work, and such a risk right after what had happened in the Lost Tower wasn't something they liked. Why do they not just force me to do it their way, then? I asked myself. Was it because Cynthia wanted to push me to grow? To use trials by fire to match the growth she'd laid out for me? The ACEs hadn't failed during the entire raid on Backlot's mansion, so I was confident in their ability to keep me protected.

"An addendum, then," Lou said. "You'll have me with you. Just me, until more is needed."

So not her Pokemon quite yet, then. "Can your barriers hold against a ghost? Shedinja's Shadow Ball… did a number on you."

"I was caught off-guard, if you recall. They'll hold for a while, and then I'll Teleport you away should anything bad happen," Lou said. "But we aren't done yet. Do you think you could scan for Zoroark's location down there?"

My eyes unconsciously glanced at the cracked stone, and I gulped. "I don't think so. Honestly, the anger's so overwhelming I don't think I'll even be able to feel anything else. It's like— trying to discern a candlelight in the middle of an inferno."

"That is what we expected, but we found it would be better to ask," she nodded. "Well, whenever you're ready."

Ariel released her Dragonite, Richard a Pidgeot, Serena a Skarmory while Maxwell already had his huge Honchkrow out and about. Lou had no flier due to her having relied on Teleportation her entire life, so she'd have to hop on Princess with me for our rush to the castle.

"One last question. This… city, is it a domain?" I asked.

Maxwell shook his head. "Nah. Just a particularly fucking pissed Pokemon out for blood," he said. "Not everything's a domain, even though you might suspect it to be."

"Well… I'm ready, then, if no one has anything else to say," I muttered as I released Princess. "Baby, it's time."

I saw Maxwell roll his eyes at the pet name, but I paid him no mind. I knew his entire jerk persona was probably a coping mechanism anyway, and we were about to risk our lives, so I'd let it be even if it annoyed me some. Ariel's Dragonite held out a hand, and a burst of wind collapsed the floor, revealing a cavern that was too dark to reveal what was inside. Hatred gushed out of the hole like a leaking sieve, but I was stronger now. Beyond a mild headache and a weighty feeling on my chest that turned my breaths shallow, I could press on just fine. I hopped on Princess, and Lou did the same behind me, with Togekiss whispering a complaint about how heavy she was. My bodyguards all swooped down first while I recalled Tangrowth, and then it was our turn to get inside, though we lagged a bit behind because Lou had been putting a mental shield on me in case Claydol were aggressive. She hadn't bothered listening when I told her that I already had one, though, and it took until she delved into my mind that she was convinced.

The drop wasn't actually that high, which explained how Chase had actually survived with deep cuts instead of broken bones. It was more of a downward slope that grew steeper the closer you got to the exit. The city lay further, still, but from the skies, it was easy to see. Even today, strange rocks on the ceiling basked the city in their light to rid them of their need for sunlight. The buildings might have been a thousand years old, but they were still in relatively good condition, and I would not hesitate to call them beautiful. Louis or Cecilia would have loved nerding out about architectural design for these, I silently mused as we trailed through the air. Even Lou couldn't help but look down, though part of me wondered if she was just scanning for Zoroark instead of enjoying the sights. Already, my ACE Trainers had dispersed and somehow gone out of view.

It was difficult to tell from up here, but what made these buildings strange was the absence of uniformity, unlike the standardized bricks I was familiar with today. They were of different stones, each sporting a different shade, and they came together in a curious, disorganized, yet harmonious display, despite how contradicting that sounded. They were all different colors too, though I did notice a lack of purple at the city's edges. The further in we flew, the more purple was peppered onto some of the bricks, as if it had been synonymous with status. The streets were cobbled, beige stones and were crawling with Sigilyph who flew with none of the emotion Sig showed whenever Chase showed her off, as if she'd been an anomaly. They all kept to a predetermined path, floating along the streets to keep them safe even though everyone here had long passed away. Even from this high, it was easy to tell they all had a different color palette and arrangement.

"Feel anything emanating from the castle?" Lou asked. "That's where you're looking first, right?"

"It's emanating everywhere, like I said. Sorry, but it'll be hard to tell in any precise manner. The scale of this… I haven't seen anything like it since Mesprit."

And that manipulative heckler was probably having the time of their life, with the way they'd essentially described themselves as a spectator in my mind. Rejoice, Mesprit. You have front-row seats to the fucking slaughter, I thought, restraining a sigh. Beyond the city— at the center point between it and the castle— was a plaza with a checkered floor that looked like it would have fit some merchant stands perfectly, back when people actually lived here. At its center stood an enormous fountain made of stone and rusted metal, and the water there had long stopped flowing. The mural Chase had spoken about was visible, and I had Princess hover for a few seconds and lower her altitude so I could make sense of it all. Lou didn't seem to mind. Their job was, after all, to just protect me, not to force me into not doing anything dangerous. If they had, I was certain I would be far weaker than I was now, and they needed me strong.

And they never would have let me in here.

Stick figures that looked like people had been painted at the bottom— hundreds of them, all uniform and devoid of any detail. Below them, in a flurry of sprouting flame, was Zoroark, constantly burning with wispy white and red hair. On top of the depicted citizens were Sigilyph, and above those were Claydol and Baltoy. The being the closest to the top along with the king, however, was a being made of silver paint with the most amount of detail in the drawing. It had a golden hexagonal shape for a head, the same crown that adorned the king's own, and was radiating golden light from atop its platform with the king at its side.

"Do you know what Pokemon that is?" I asked. "There's Zoroark, Sigilyph, Claydol and Baltoy, but… I don't know what this is."

"I do not know either," she shrugged. "It is probably long dead, by now, and wasn't spotted by any of the early expeditions we sent into the city. Let's continue. We've wasted enough time."

"Right. Princess."

She continued on her way. The staircase leading up to the castle was made of rusting iron, and the steps were so long that they must have been redundant to climb, back in the day. What if you wanted an audience with the king? Did he just ask you to run a full marathon? While the city itself had been left relatively intact, only showing damage due to its age, the castle had been ravaged. Massive walls, once forged from sturdy iron, bore the scars of corrosion, their surfaces marred by the relentless advance of rust. The castle's silhouette was a twisted and skeletal remnant of its former grandeur and was adorned with ornate spires and turrets now eroded and misshapen. Where once there must have been a proud entrance now lay a gaping maw, the rusted gates long since fallen and rusting on the ground. This entire castle and its surroundings had been borne of metal. It was everywhere I looked, even though it was now rusted. The garden was now a twisted fusion of overgrown weeds and corroded steel. Amidst the remnants of ornate metalwork, shattered statues now served as pedestals for burgeoning grass and moss-covered sculptures. The king sure loved to make statues of himself… no, they were different. Each one, a different monarch, though it was hard to tell through the rust and, you know, the way their bodies had been eviscerated.

Princess landed me at the castle's entrance, which was thankfully still standing, and I immediately released my entire team. Their nerves were clearly on edge— after all, even they could feel Zoroark's rage. I moistened my lips, holding my hands toward Honey and clasping him tightly. Even he wasn't sure about the entire Zoroark plan.

"It's going to be okay," I smiled. "We owe it to ourselves to try, don't we? That's what second chances are about. Let's head inside."

We stepped inside of the broken castle as one. The air here had a certain stillness to it, and coated the back of my throat and sinuses with the taste and smell of rust— like licking coins, but worse. The inside was metal as well, though there were a lot of stones and faded wooden decorations interspersed in the walls. We walked across a faded red carpet with golden fringes across the grand entry hall and I couldn't help but notice the worn-down tapestries that clung to the walls that still held, depicting long-lost memories of what looked to be coronations, festivals or ancient wars. One of them had been torn to shreds beyond recognition, however. Broken furniture lay scattered across the entire foyer, along with shards of glass and rusted metal. Angel helped me up a collapsed pillar, and we came face-to-face with the empty throne room Chase had awakened Zoroark in. The hair on my arms stood on end, but no being made their presence known.

And it was not where we were going.

If Claydol and Baltoy were only afforded to the king, then it would make sense for them to be roaming the castle, and only the castle. I turned left, reaching a door that had obviously been kicked in. The jambs were bent, twisting and splintered, while the door itself bore many dents in the oxidized metal and lay flat against the ground. Honey whispered a small joke about him being able to use the kitchen we now found ourselves in if anyone was hungry, but I stayed silent, clenching my jaw as I treaded the room with careful steps after wiping the sweat off my forehead. I appreciated Honey, even if I hadn't answered. It wasn't like we needed to stay quiet, because I was certain Zoroark knew where we were. Is he waiting for us to go deeper within the castle to spring a trap? Or is he biding his time for something else? Catching Lou off-guard, maybe? Each one of my breaths felt heavy, and my heart pounded against my ribcage while I walked past a pair of collapsed hearths. There was a story, here. People had still been cooking, when it had all happened. Countless plates had been laid out across decaying counters— like a snapshot in history. Dried blood still remained on the floors, walls, countertops, plates— it had been a fucking massacre. And there are still skeletons in the city itself. These corpses had been… well, it looked like Zoroark hadn't left anything remaining. Not even bone.

"Let's keep going," I said.

Sweetheart had to be recalled and released to fit through the next door. It was some kind of garden, but this time inside of the castle, so a courtyard like the one they had in the UPAN building, but more grand. No grass remained here, only earth and a lake large enough to boat in, since there were small barges still attached to a broken-down stone quay. My heart caught in my throat when I saw… remains at the edge of the shore, not of a person, but of the exact Pokemon I'd been pining after for months. Before I could even realize what was happening, my legs were taking me forward, and I was sure I would have ran, if I'd been capable of it.

A part of their head had been shattered to bits, leaving only three remaining eyes that were now dark and empty instead of the vibrant pink I expected. I knelt at the side of the deceased Claydol, softly touching the side of their face. You really were made of clay, I thought with a tired sigh. Completely smooth to the touch, even after all those years. More shattered clay lay at their side, and their separated hands were lifeless on the ground. Claydol were larger than I expected them to be. It was hard to tell with half their body being broken and them lying sideways, but they were probably at around six and a half feet. I felt a hand clasp my shoulder from behind, warm enough to be Sunshine.

"Zoroark must have killed them while they were defending the people here," I muttered. "Shit… if they ran through all of the Claydol—"

Princess chirped, saying that the Sigilyph must have defended the city inhabitants, but a lot of them were still alive.

"Yes, but the Claydol here defended the king himself. The one man Zoroark hated more than anything," I said with a clenched fist. "What if he saw them as targets and just destroyed all of them?"

"Do you want to leave, then?" Lou said.

For a moment, I actually hesitated, staring at the still water of the lake which must have been the site of many gatherings and outdoor parties. Rage still roiled off every single inch of this place and a Zoroark was probably stalking us and waiting for an opportunity to strike. This was only one Claydol, one out of many, but I couldn't help but feel a tightening in my chest at the sight of something I'd wanted for so long having been so savagely destroyed. It was like the world was spitting on my face and mocking me.

"No. We keep looking," I declared, rising to my feet. "There might be no Claydol left, but I want to give it a try, at least. To say I did everything in my power to succeed so I can leave with fewer regrets if I don't find anything."

Lou silently nodded, and we kept going, though I had to call Sweetheart so she would stop wasting energy on moving water from the lake around with Surf. The meandering path along the lake took us to some kind of Keep, as Lou had said. A part of the castle that was often used to overlook the grounds and was defensive in nature. The tall spire of metal was more intact than the rest of the castle, though it was decaying like this entire place. Honestly, I was kind of scared one of these buildings was going to fall on our heads, but we had Lou and Princess for protection. The inside of the keep had stairs leading down or up.

"Up is just the top of the tower," I grunted. "Down might lead to an entire underground section of the castle. I think we go down."

My Pokemon agreed, though I had to recall Sweetheart so she wouldn't collapse the aging stairs. The door wouldn't budge, so Honey had to punch it to push past the rusted hinges.

"Are you kidding me— a crypt, again?" I scoffed.

Though this one wasn't at all like Mathilda's. There was a dampness to this place that I hadn't felt anywhere else in the city. At the entrance, the crypt's ceiling was partially collapsed, revealing jagged fissures in the stone— which was the main building material used here and not metal. Some graves were exposed, revealing skeletal remains that did not affect me after having seen the horrors at the Lost Tower. Hopefully Zoroark didn't have any bone reanimation tricks. Only humans had been laid to rest here, and there were inscriptions as to who they were in a language I couldn't read, and way different than the one that had been at the tip of my tongue in Celestic. From context, I could guess there were their names, and perhaps a little passage about their lives. I released Sweetheart again, and we began exploring the crypt. Sometimes, we had to carefully pick up debris and place it to the side, and the air grew dustier the further we went in. It was only five minutes in, that I came across another Claydol.

This one was intact— without even a scratch on their body, but it was not floating anymore, instead lying flat against the ground, and their eyes were again dark instead of pink. As I approached, I noticed Claydol was covered by a thick layer of dust that didn't bode well for any activity they might have had recently. What had even killed this one? I was certain they were dead and not dormant, with how there was no emotion emanating out of it when I tweaked with my empathy. From this close, I should have been able to feel something even with Zoroark skulking about.

"Shit," I sighed, passing a hand over the psychic's head. "Arceus fucking damn it. No luck. I don't think we'll find any more in the crypt." I paused, closing my eyes and biting my lip in frustration. I was so close. "You know, I'm starting to think the king didn't have that many Claydol in the first place. And we haven't even found a single Baltoy."

"Art often depicts more than reality," Lou offered. "Let us move— move…"

The ashen-haired ACE turned toward Claydol, her white eyes narrowing into slits.

"It's alive," she said. "The signal is faint, but it's alive."

I gasped in relief, feeling a weight lift off my chest. "How do you know?!"

"I am a psychic, and so is it. I can feel the subtleties your Togekiss would not be able to at a glance," Lou said. "Have her delve into its mind."

"But they're a Claydol, they have no mind—"

"Try," she pressed.

I motioned at Princess, whose eyes shone bright pink as she stared down the Claydol. It took around ten seconds for her to confirm what Lou had said, though it wasn't like I didn't trust Lou. The way Princess described how Claydol felt made her certain that they were alive, and that she could feel the artificial mind having been implanted inside of them at their creation. Faint, but present and active.

"Can we— can we jumpstart them or something? I have no idea how any of this works," I rambled. "We need to do something."

"I do not know enough about Claydol to know how they were built or function. You should capture it so we can leave," Lou shrugged.

"I can't catch them without their consent, Lou."

"Then release it if it doesn't want to join you. There is no dilemma here that isn't of your own creation."

"What good are morals if you walk them back at the first sign of inconvenience, Lou?" I said. "The moment you put a Pokemon in a ball, that's where the power imbalance starts. What if Claydol wakes up and feels pressured to talk one way because I could literally trap them for as long as their Pokeball is functional? What then?"

"Well, do something then, because the clock is ticking, Grace," she said.

"Okay. Okay. Princess, can you try to see if you can send a tiny psychic signal or something? Give us something to work with?"

I was flying by the seat of my pants here, but it wasn't like I had anything to go off of. Togekiss was so unused to tempering her psychic attacks that it took her a full minute to lower its strength enough not to collapse Claydol's mind. We had no idea how strong they were, and even if they were strong, they were in a weak state and at the verge of death. Claydol jolted, their arm rattling against the dusty floor.

"Everyone, give them some space! Lou, you still have that barrier around your brain, right?" I asked, just in case Claydol tried to squeeze her brain like a grape.

"Of course. I always do."

Dust burst off Claydol's skin and the psychic rose as their six eyes lit up pink, revealing black pupils that sat perfectly still at their center. A smooth voice, not too deep or too high, rang out of Claydol like they were a machine.

"System reboot initiated. Power restoration at optimal levels. Sensor calibration in progress. Analyzing temporal displacement... One thousand and eighteen years elapsed. Location: Royal Crypt. Assessing environmental parameters. Exterior damage detected. Structural integrity compromised."

"What the—"

"Memory banks accessed. Retrieving historical data. Records corrupted. Fragmented information available. Query: Events transpired during dormancy. Attempting data reconstruction. Attempt failed."

Claydol rose from the ground, floating upward with sluggish movements.

"External stimuli detected. Organic entities present. Analyzing for threat assessment—" Claydol's eyes flashed. "—threat level nine. Interaction protocol initiated. Greetings. I am Claydol 11, Guardian of the Vesuvius Memor family line and all of its descendants. How may I be of service?"

They weren't even speaking in my mind, but for all to hear. I was feeling somewhat overwhelmed by this and didn't even know where to begin now that a Claydol was really in front of me, but I had to say something— there was an explosion, deep within the castle, and the ceiling rattled, littering my shoulders and head in dust. Shit. Had Zoroark not actually been following us all this time? There must have been a reason for it, and he was coming.

"Grace," Lou spoke in a hushed tone.

"My name is Grace Pastel—"

"Acknowledged. Name has been assigned."

"I'd introduce the entire team, but we're running out of time. You said you had memory problems— but long story short, this entire city was destroyed by a Zoroark a long time ago, and I assume he hit you and thought you were dead, but you survived, somehow. Zoroark is coming, and I'm sorry you don't have enough time to think, but if you want, we can just leave before he gets here."

"Query: Zoroark. Unrecognized."

"That ghost your kings kept trapped for who knows how long!" I pressed. "He's coming here to kill us!"

"Individual recognized as the Fiend. Please provide accurate data for accurate processing."

Legendaries, it was like being sassed by a computer. "Sorry— look, can we leave or not?" I asked. "Because if it comes to a fight, I'll want to see if I can communicate with—"

I never finished my sentence. He had been so silent while coming here, like the explosion from before had been a distraction and he'd been closer all along. Zoroark was a flash of red and white, three shadowy claws extending from his hand as he blurred through one of the crypt walls, phasing through Sweetheart and toward me. Honey reacted quicker than Lou did, bringing up a Protect around both me and her. Bright yellow eyes met mine as the ghost snarled, and the weight of centuries of torture bore down on my shoulders like a hammer striking a nail. Like something was continuously grinding me to dust, and even further, still, until nothing would remain but hatred. The ground below him burst into sharp spikes, but none of them struck true, and Zoroark slipped away and retreated back into a wall. This place was far too cramped for a battle, which was why I'd wanted to leave so quickly, and Lou was content to simply watch.

Fiend has breached containment. Activating containment procedure. Initiating security protocols. Citizens, please evacuate, Claydol said, this time in our heads.

"Princess, get us out of here!" I yelled. "Honey, Buddy, keep up a Protect. Put all of us in it."

I knew Jellicent would tire quickly, but we had to stall for time. Zoroark growled, his ghostly appearance turning into a human wearing a purple coat around plated armor. The same crown he'd been depicted wearing on the mural was also present, a golden hexagon that seemed to shine in the dim crypt. Claydol's pupils turned to lines at the sight of the ancient king, though nothing flickered in that gaze. He seemed to understand what a Protect was, at least, not bothering to waste energy attacking us while it was up. Behind me, Princess carved a hole, twenty feet across and ten feet high so we could all fit and run away to a more favorable location.

"Another gift," Zoroark said through a beast-like delighted cackle. "More flesh to gouge and savage, I see. I have yearned for more of thy kind to arrive, thou monstrous things. Thou shall long for the release of death when my reckoning is through with you, mere plaything."

"I don't want to hurt you, and I have nothing to do with the people who did hurt you," I said, loud and clear. "I won't claim to understand what they did—"

Zoroark raked claws against the floor, and three shadowy arcs taller than Sweetheart burst from his hand. He had not aimed for the Protect, instead having collapsed the ceiling above us until I could see nothing but rocks beyond the Protect. Clicking my tongue, I ordered Sweetheart to push them away using Stone Edge and not to attack quite yet. With a wave of her arm, she pushed the boulders and shattered stone out of the way, revealing Princess' escape route that led to a cliff at the side of the castle's keep.

"Okay, let's take steps backward— slowly. Buddy, you can let go. Save your energy for later," I said. "Claydol, are you coming?"

Affirmative. It is my duty to assist in the evacuation.

We started walking into the hole, though Zoroark followed us, keeping his distance. At least he knew that collapsing the tunnel wouldn't work this time.

"Okay, just stick close so you don't get hurt," I said, recalling the fact that they were damaged. "No need to fight."

Fighting the Fiend is not in my parameters. It is my duty to protect and assist in the evacuation, Claydol affirmed.

Right. They're kind of a robot, I quickly thought. No emotions, just parameters and logic. We reached the edge of the cliff, and there was no way I would ever make that jump without breaking every single bone in my body. The long staircase makes a lot more sense, now.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do," I said, uncaring that Zoroark could hear. "I'm going to step on Princess and she'll fly me away. I'll recall you as soon as I can. Sounds like a plan?" After some nods, I turned to Claydol. "You can just float down, right? And Lou, you can Teleport down there?"

Affirmative.

"Correct."

I took a few deep breaths, not having realized I was already sweating bullets. Every time I stared into Zoroark's direction for too long, the sheer scale of his hatred became too much to bear. I quickly mounted Princess, knowing that every second Honey spent using Protect counted, and then, he put the Protect up as she dashed out of the hole while Claydol floated out with Jellicent.

The ghost's mouth turned human again, but his voice was still raw and beastly.

"Thou shalt suffer."

He moved like lightning— only slightly slower than Honey was with Radiant Leap, even. Zoroark broke against Sweetheart, hatred surging out of every inch of his ghostly skin as he hit her with an elbow faster than Electivire could react. I twisted my neck so much it hurt, desperate to see what was going on, but battle in such a tight environment was bound to confuse, and all I managed to glimpse was a burst of electricity and flames. I quickly unclipped my Pokeballs, recalling Angel first before he could burn, then Honey and finally Sunshine. Sweetheart's frame was clearly visible through the flames, but her attacks seemed to have no effect on Zoroark until she blow the entire tunnel apart with a Dark Pulse and collapsed it—

Shit! Shit, shit, shit, FUCK! "Closer!" Arceus fucking damn it! Lou had Teleported out, but the Pokeball's beam wouldn't go through rocks. Princess cried out, and the burst of speed nearly made me slip off her. I gripped her fur tightly not to fall off, but she swerved off when Zoroark jumped through the stone and into the air—

I slipped.

I was falling, tumbling through the air and everything had gone so fast I'd barely registered what had happened. My body was wrested upward by an invisible force, but that wasn't before Jellicent had already been right below me in hopes of slowing down my fall. Princess had caught me, thank the fucking Legendaries. My entire body already hurt like a damn bruise and we were just starting. In the distance, Zoroark crashed into the earth below without a single care for his well-being and instantly targeted Lou, who raised a hand and a barrier while she released her Lunatone and Solrock to assist her. He moved so quickly that I could barely see what was going on, which wasn't helped by the fact that I was upside down. He doesn't care what human he attacks as long as he gets a kill, I realized. At least it looked like Lou was holding.

"Gently…" I groaned as Princess placed me on her back. "Let's get Sweetheart back."

I wasn't actually worried about the rocks having collapsed on her, but what Zoroark could have done while she was freeing herself. In fact, it looked like she'd been blowing the place up but only collapsing tons and tons of stone onto her back instead. Princess slung away the stones and made them fall off the cliff while Claydol silently observed, their eyes forever calculating.

It was only when I caught a glimpse of the bottom of her feet that I managed to recall Sweetheart. Instantly, Princess swooped down on the ground, and I released my entire team before we even landed. Jellicent doused Angel and Honey in water before they could burn further and I finally managed to breathe while Zoroark was focused on Lou. A notable strength I'd caught on was that he could pass through anything and make different parts of his body tangible, but unlike other ghosts, he didn't disappear when doing so. The ground here was generally flat with nowhere to hide, save for a few boulders Princess had brought down and the side of the grand staircase. The city would be a death trap. This was no plaza… but it was the second best area to fight in so we'd be able to buy some time to talk, both to Zoroark and Claydol. The psychic seemed to hover behind me to assist in the 'evacuation' and was telling me to proceed to the city every thirty seconds or so like a broken record. Pokemon took their positions— Princess high in the sky, with Buddy slipping underground and waiting for an opportune moment to strike if the need ever arose, and to reach the team unoppposed by Zoroark to protect them. Angel and Sunshine on opposite sides so the grass type wouldn't just combust every time Turtonator flexed his flames and Honey in front of me, ready to be artillery if everything went to shit, but he was also to use Protect when needed.

The goal was not to fight, but to negotiate.

"Lou! I'm ready!" I yelled.

My ACE Trainer silently Teleported back behind me, taking her two Pokemon with her before recalling them. "I'll observe."

"We don't have to fight! We can just— talk, for a little bit. I know you were mistreated in the past, but that was entirely different people than those who exist now. I don't offer anything but potential freedom, where you won't have to toil in a place you hate—"

Zoroark snarled, though he did not bother saying anything but some half-formed words about violence and killing before his mouth turned to the king's again. Had he never learned to speak when not transformed?

"Look at thee, of flesh and blood, so easily rent asunder, yet thou speakest to me as an equal. Thy kind hath tortured me through generations. Faces come and go, yet one thing remains constant, thou pitiful creature. Always, thou dost subject me to torment. Regularly, thou committest murder in the most agonizing of ways to appease thy imaginary gods, and at the end of it, I remain standing."

The final word rippled across the field and made my knees buckle. Honey grabbed my arm, carefully kept me standing and pulled me closer as Zoroark began circling us, his eyes darting at each of my Pokemon. His golden eyes looked at them like mere obstacles to be pushed away to reach me or Lou, and not actual opponents, though he was sizing us up and figuring out how to best approach this, because we were no pushovers, still.

"You broke this civilization," I tried. "No one sharing their morals remains. What you went through is horrible, and I'm sorry—"

Zoroark grinned, instantly cutting in to rush toward Tangrowth at blinding speeds. Vines shot out of the grass type's body simultaneously, but Zoroark slipped through them until he coated them in darkness and caught him. Zoroark snarled, his entire body turning into an array of sharpened blades, and he tore through the vines like paper before we could douse Zoroark with spores as planned. I understood perfectly what the ACEs had meant now, when they said that handling a powerful Pokemon with kids glove was difficult. How was I supposed to slow Zoroark down enough to talk if this was how he fought?

"Buddy, Protect!" I called out.

Jellicent slithered out of the ground, and a thin transparent barrier appeared around Angel—

It had only been a distraction. Zoroark was back to his original form, though only a blade-like arm remained, jagged and malformed enough to make me feel uncomfortable. The sword dimmed purple, and Zoroark blurred in Sunshine's direction, tearing through his toughened scales with little resistance. I immediately recalled him, releasing him next to me again and groaned from being doused in ambient heat. More vines shot out of Angel, but they didn't even slow Zoroark down.

Blood seeped out of Sunshine's… everywhere, and I fumbled for a Hyper Potion while Princess swooped down with a Fairy Wind so concentrated it might as well have been a needle. Zoroark weaved away from the pink dust, leaving behind a small hole that would have gouged the ghost had he stuck around. That had not been a part of the plan, but she'd seen red after seeing Sunshine get torn through like this. His scales were scorching to the touch, but I still had to apply the potion, so I grit my teeth and bore with it, watching as he healed in front of my eyes and his breaths relaxed.

In the distance, Sweetheart roared as well, calling forth an avalanche of rocks from the cliff we'd just climbed as she called out for Honey to spring up a Protect to keep me safe. Jellicent snaked across the ground, pushing himself to his limit to catch up to Zoroark and boil, from the way his skin bubbled and turned to vapor.

This was a catastrophe.

"Stop!" I called out. "Everyone, stop."

There was hesitation, but they knew who led during battles, and it was me. Zoroark cackled, sending balls of shadows forth that distorted the world around them like a black hole. They homed in toward Angel, who Zoroark seemed to love targeting, and the grass type rose four walls around him just in time to protect himself from both the spheres and the Rock Slide. The Ancient Power wouldn't have held, had Sweetheart been still pushing the rocks with her will, but she'd stopped, and so we watched Zoroark look for another opening. Tyranitar took a few steps toward Angel, growling menacingly at our enemy. Sunshine heaved on the floor, pushing himself back to his feet. A single attack, and he'd nearly… died. This was real. Zoroark would have torn through his muscles and heart had I not recalled him.

"Please try," I told Zoroark. "We want to—"

"No," the ghost answered.

"Is this what you want? We have people to help you."

"And who was it, girl, that decided I needed help?"

Ah.

I understood, now.

There was just no getting through to him. No angle where we'd be able to see eye to eye. I would never be able to understand what he'd been through in his life, save for the hatred it had left over, just like he would never be able to understand that not all humans were the same people who had tortured him for centuries, because it was all he had ever known. I blinked, trying not to cry at the tragedy of it all. The waste.

Please proceed to the citadel and evacuate, Claydol sounded in my head.

"If we leave now," I whispered to Lou. "Will the League catch him? Can we just… leave him here?"

"No," Lou whispered back. "We cannot ignore the risk of him slipping out of the city and terrorizing the route. He has remembered what killing is like, and so it is a risk we cannot take."

My shoulders slumped in defeat. "I see."

There was only so much talking could do, in the end. I'd failed to save him from a worse fate, because we couldn't see eye to eye. I was an empath, but I'd failed to show him I could help. To show him that cooperation would be better than this.

After every thought, I expected Zoroark to cut in, but he wasn't. Why? It felt like he was biding his time, and I didn't like it. We could hurt him, but he could hurt back, and he wasn't giving it his all, it felt like. Angel finished gathering up spores and threw one of his bombs toward Zoroark as a last-ditch attempt, and the ghost type blurred with a sidestep. Despite it being a two-against-one, his claws extended, tipped with metal and shadow as he danced through an array of vines. This really wasn't a good place to showcase what we'd practiced on, I thought through grounded teeth.

I called out for Jellicent, who was here as always with a Protect in tow. Zoroark might have been a ghost, but it looked like he couldn't actually track Buddy under the ground. Zoroark slammed his entire body against the green barrier until it cracked— shit, even after all our training? Jellicent began transforming as an explosion of ghostly energy rattled the entire battlefield. Even with Honey's protection, I felt the need to hurl and continuous chills ran through my body. I— did hurl, kneeling against the floor and emptying my stomach. At the edge of my vision, Buddy turned into a shapeless liquid while Zoroark stabbed his claws into him. The ancient ghost didn't even bother with continuing, as if tearing through real flesh was more satisfying to him than Jellicent. I recalled Angel before he could dig into him, but it wasn't him he was after. Zoroark's hand turned to a Morning Star— spiked with rusted edges— and I recognized the Foul Play that formed around it immediately.

"Iron Defense!" I called out.

The move started, but it wasn't in time. Two quick jabs to the gut dealt Sweetheart so much pain she cried out loud enough to make my ears ring. She did not go down, though. Rage filled her eyes, though it felt like a drop in the ocean. She swept her tail as Zoroark circled around her and phased through it, preparing another attack to strike her back. Princess quickly formed a barrier, and though it shattered, it parried Zoroark's strike enough for him to graze her instead of wound her as the first two Foul Plays had. A glob of pitch black formed in Sweetheart's mouth, weaving itself into rings as Angel shot out more Knock Offs to grab onto Zoroark. The ghost dodged, somehow phasing through a Shadow Ball that Jellicent had sent like it had no effect and again, he was out before anything could substantially hurt him.

Sunshine yelled at my side, as I sent Angel back out again, asking me to see reason. To finally let all of my Pokemon loose and to attack or at least flee. Even Honey was itching to do something, with the way his tails lashed out and electricity coursed through his arms. To not just be on defense duty while Zoroark ran circles around us.

"One more try, and we can leave," I gasped. "I'm sorry, but one more. Buddy, to me!"

I didn't miss the two shades appearing to replace him, and I allowed Sunshine to go in because I felt like he would have anyway. More sluggishly than usual, he retracted into his shell and sped toward Sweetheart, who was actually losing to Zoroark. She could barely react to his strikes and he seemed so fucking efficient at phasing through things that he never got hit by anything other than dark type moves. Sunshine arrived with a roar, flames flickering from the edge of his shell. He turned in a smooth motion and slammed his tail against his shell, blowing everything behind him to smithereens. We had tested this, I knew, but it still felt odd seeing Sweetheart standing in the explosion with only an unpleased grunt while Zoroark keened and slid back with smoke and flames dancing at the edge of his body. He could not afford any respite, with the way Princess was hounding him with Fairy Winds that cut.

I turned to Buddy and pointed toward the castle. "Get back up there and grab a giant sphere of water from the lake while we buy time. You're going to freeze him, and we're going to coat the entire with in dark TE."

The water type instantly shot up with a burst of water, spraying me in the process, and I continued observing the fight. It made me uneasy, how Zoroark seemed to continuously speed up the more he battled. All of my Pokemon were getting beat! All of them, and he was fucking playing around. Doing more dodging instead of attacking in a way that made me feel sick when it should have been good, to buy more time and barely even going for me. The ancient ghost's arm turned to a mess of metal that had no coherent shape, and he pointed it upward at Princess—

"Dazzling Gleam!" I yelled.

They shot out like bullets, making the exact sound guns did in movies, but so much louder, and they were each coated in purple light that clung to them like moths to a flame. I bit my lip and covered my ears. The ringing from earlier still hadn't left, and this was just making things worse. Princess exploded in a burst of radiant light that made her look like this damned city's sun, and the first wave of the same bullets were torn to shreds. The second wave hit her barrier, and the third wave shattered it. The fairy type cried out, though thankfully there was no fourth wave, with the way Sweetheart managed to hit Zoroark with a Dark Pulse and Sunshine hurt him from the heat emanating from a Flamethrower. And I said I wouldn't hurt him, I sighed, biting my lip. If I could just get him… restrained, so we could converse beyond him saying he'd kill me, then we might have gotten somewhere.

"Claydol, would Zoroark… hold back for any reason? Like, does he enjoy drawing a fight out when he could win?" I muttered.

Negative. From the few fragments of memory that remain, he scythed through Lakhutians like wheat and did not draw out any battle. Further data retrieval ongoing for comprehensive understanding.

"You don't need to do that— you're okay," I anxiously said. "Lou? What do you think?"

"I think you are wasting your time and that you should run with your Claydol," she said. "Other than that, I have nothing to offer."

"I'm trying one last thing," I repeated.

"Yes. It might work, or it might not," Lou said. "I just think you're affording him too many chances when there is no need for any."

Princess' flight was unsteady, now and I called for her, knowing that if Zoroark focused on her, she would be critically wounded. "I don't even know if Claydol wants to come— do you want to come? If you stay here, you'll most likely die, but I won't force you to do anything."

My primary directive is to keep the Vesuvius Memor family safe. There are no more remaining descendants of this line. If you wish to take me, I could be your guardian. You or the other woman.

"Then we have a deal," I said.

Status updated. Grace Pastel designated as new Monarch.

This… was I forcing them to come with me? I shook the thought off as Princess landed next to me, her eyes clouded by insidious pain, and I ignored the sound of fighting to tend to her wounds.

"She has a metallic shard lodged inside of her," Lou instantly declared. "Do not use a potion."

My heart jumped in my throat. "Wh—what?"

"I can have my Ferrothorn get it out of her, if you wish—"

"Yes! Do it now, please," I sighed in relief. An explosion from Sunshine shook me to my core as Lou released her steel type. Princess' breaths were short and shallow, making me think it had pierced through her lung. "Will a Hyper Potion be enough? I— should I recall her?"

"It will be," Lou said. "Ferrothorn, do you feel metal inside of her? Pull it out gently."

The hulking piece of metal trilled, and Princes started shrieking. This wasn't a procedure that was meant to be done without anesthesia, and it showed. My heel bounced against the floor as I consciously shut down the numerous thoughts of revenge filling my head, the most prominent one being to loose the ACEs on Zoroark. He was tortured for centuries, killed in excruciating ways over and over. This was a fight of my doing. I did this. Togekiss gasped as the sharp piece of metal left her body and I finally applied the potion. Thank the Legendaries I'd spent money on these, because I knew a potion would not have been enough. Lou recalled her steel type soon enough, though I made sure to thank her.

I also cycled through my other Pokemon, recalling and releasing them next to me so I could continuously heal them and throw them back into the fight, though it wasn't working. They were already exhausted, having to fight for their lives even if Zoroark was holding back— again, not in strength per se, because his attacks were aiming to kill, but in their intensity. He was fighting like this was a leisurely stroll through a garden, not like he wanted to see me decapitated.

It was then, that Jellicent came back with enough water to flood this entire city— no, I was exaggerating, but it was so much it cast and enormous shadow over the entire battlefield. How deep had this lake been? Without a single word from me, his two Night Shades barrelled toward Zoroark, who finished them off with a simple Shadow Claw and seemingly didn't care for the explosion. A sphere of water split off and slammed against Zoroark, freezing over instantly.

"Sweetheart, use Dark Sandstorm like we trained!" I instantly reacted.

Her entire armor was nothing but cracks and flesh, and some parts of her plating even stabbed into her. Still, sand burst forth from her vents, each grain blacker than pitch and coating the entire ball of ice. Zoroark tried to phase through, but he couldn't. There was another explosion of ghostly energy, We had trapped him in a prison for his hubris, and all he could do now was listen. Eventually, so much sand surrounded the sphere that I couldn't even see through it.

I did not take a step forward. It would be too risky, if there was a trick afoot. Jellicent whispered in my ear that he found the castle to be suspiciously active, with the rust actively disappearing from every single metallic surface he'd seen. I nodded, but turned back to Zoroark.

"Listen to me, Zoroark— can you hear me?"

"Silence, thou powerless little wretch. The instant I escape this confinement, I shall rend thy throat asunder, feeble barrier be damned. No, I'll relish in it, savoring the methodical unraveling of thy being. I shall shatter every bone within thy meager frame, then I will peel away thy skin, ensuring thou linger in agony for as long as possible. A torment, much akin to the depths of thy kind enjoys so much."

I shivered, because when I looked into his eye, I knew he was telling the truth. I composed myself, trying not to appear weak, but he must have known, because he cackled in the ice, his voice carrying through solid.

"If you stay here, the League will be forced to take you in," I said. "You'll be trapped in a Pokeball forever instead of learning to work with people, Zoroark. You're not thinking long-term."

There was a crack as Zoroark tried punching his way out repeatedly, seemingly ignoring my words. Sweetheart provided more sand with immaculate focus, but I could tell she was straining. In a battle of endurance, Zoroark would eventually break out.

"So that's it, then?" I sighed.

He did not answer.

"I tried," I murmured, my eyes downcast. "I really did."

The punches stopped, and for a second, I felt hope.

Thou keep sending trainers after me, human. They lurk in the skies, waiting for the right moment to strike me down should I leave an opening. Do not pretend to care for my well-being.

I frowned. Had that been why he'd been holding back? Because he feared that he would be vulnerable if he went too wild?

"I'm sorry, I'm— I'm important to the League. That's what we call the people in charge of the surface, these days, but they won't kill or torture you, I promise."

For around thirty seconds, Zoroark stayed silent. The hatred did not even dim, but I dared to hope that he was considering my offer, at least. Why else would he leave Sweetheart and Buddy time to rest instead of punching his way out?

Warning issued. Significant issue identified. Detection of a dangerous signature back in the castle. Urgent response required. Advising immediate investigation and implementation of security measures— they stopped, and their eyes flashed— no, advising immediate evacuation if you desire to live.

Lou's eyes darted upward faster than mine.

"What—"

The smell of metal hit my nose first.

A cascade of liquid iron began to pour from the castle's towering spires, a mesmerizing flow that shimmered with a glow. It started as a gentle stream, like molten silk trickling down the stony facade, but soon gained momentum, a fluid spectacle that defied nature. It did not just crawl down the stairs and the castle, either. It crawled up the ceiling, all along the walls of the massive cave. It looked slow, from all the way down there, but I was pretty sure that was faster than Princess could fly.

Zoroark bellowed inside of the sphere, cackling like a madman. "HAHAHA! YES! WE SING OF RUST AND RESTORATION, THOU AND I, MY ANCIENT FOE! OF RUIN AND RENEWAL, AND RUIN ANEW! AN ENDLESS CYCLE OF DESTRUCTION AND REBIRTH!"

Shit. This was what he'd been baiting, wasn't it? And the fact that I didn't know what it was bothered me more than the fact that I was about to drown in iron. And the reason he'd waited so long to attack us was probably because he'd been doing whatever it was that had triggered this.

Lou clasped my shoulder so hard it hurt. "Recall your Pokemon, now! We're Teleporting out!"

That was when it actually sunk in for me. The fact that I'd never seen her panicking ever, even during the raid, sold me on the urgency of the situation, and I quickly followed her orders. I tapped a Pokeball on Claydol's head as I heard him whisper 'My King' in my head, and the device instantly dinged without any resistance. My body unconsciously flexed, readying myself for the Teleport as my ACE Trainers let themselves known in the sky and screamed words I could not discern.

Nothing happened.

"...Lou?"

She was already pale, but my ACE Trainer went as white as snow, like all the blood drained from her face.

"It's not working," she breathed. "I can't pull us out. The metal's interfering with— just get on your Togekiss, now!"

The iron leaked from the cliff, now, and we barely had enough time to take off. Princess strained, barely hovering straight. If we fell now, would she be able to keep me from dying? The ice ball collapsed from Zoroark's strikes in the distance as we took to the skies and joined the other ACEs. The ancient ghost couldn't phase through the liquid iron, and instead hoisted himself on the cracked sphere and jumped into the city, looking for refuge.

It had been the opposite, then. As Princess wavered and my heart pounded against my chest so hard it hurt, I realized my words had been flipped against me.

Zoroark had trapped us into a cage born out of my own hubris. Of my own belief that I could help him through words instead of running away instantly with Claydol. For not knowing when to give up. For not heeding my ACEs' warnings and thinking that I was special enough to get a ghost who had endured countless methods of torture through centuries to see the light and to try to get better. I was not special. I had lucked my way into powers, but that did not mean I would be able to actually understand what beings had gone through in their lives.

I was a fool who had tried to do good.

Being good did not always pay, despite me having decided to tread down that path. To give faith in individuals where there was none hope of them seeing the light again. To fight for a good cause until you'd exhausted every option, because the fate that would befall the people you were trying to save next would be far worse than the lifeline you were giving them. Because at the heart of Zoroark's rage was a child who had never grown up, and who was scared of the unknown beyond the city that had tormented him so long.

Oh well.

I had tried, and if we lived through this, I would keep trying, but sometimes, trying was not enough, and it would never be.

"Well, fuck," Maxwell said with a nervous grin. "What kind of monster are you going to have us fight, Ms. Pastel?"

"I'm sorry," I cried. "I'm so sorry, I thought—"

Ariel spoke from her Dragonite. "Leave the tears for later, when you are glad we're all out," she said, actually smiling. Was that how fucked we were? So fucked that Ariel felt the need to actually reassure me? The entire cave was coated in metal now, including the exit. Ariel had her Dragonite try a full-powered Fire Blast at the ceiling, and it didn't break through. All it did was heat the metal until it glowered red. They all tried this, for a while, but nothing worked. Nothing made the metal budge. Next, Serena tried to contact the outside through radio, but no signal would go through the cave. We were trapped here like rats.

"Look alive, my pretties," Maxwell said, eyeing the bottom of the staircase. "It's shown itself."

The towering beast just materialized from its pool of metal, standing fifteen feet in height and broad-shouldered. Its limbs resembled twisted, contorted masses of metallic sinew. Each movement was accompanied by the eerie creaking and groaning of its metallic frame, seemingly swapping between liquid and solid at a whim. The gears on its arms, instead of being worn and weathered after all these years, exhibited a bizarre perfection that was more unsettling to me than what the monster would have looked like with rust marring its body. They grinded and rotated with an unnatural precision and timing, emitting an eerie symphony of metallic sounds that resonated through the cave. It was when I witnessed the gear on its head, golden and bright as a star, that I recognized the Pokemon on the mural. It too, was continuously rotating even though half was buried in its head. A single black sphere hovered at its center, and my brain wanted to believe that was its eye.

The liquid metal coating the floor might have only been waist deep, but the Pokemon weaved it into a number of spikes larger than Lakhutia's buildings, and with a metallic chime, it sent them flying at us. Not only did we have to deal with this… force of nature, Zoroark was still hiding somewhere in the city and would actually fight us in full, now that his trap was complete. A three-way battle because I'd been too fucking stubborn to give up.

This was when I knew it.

We were going to die because of me.

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, SecondBlahm, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Uno, Michael J, Knock, Jan

 

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 285 - WE SING OF RENEWAL

The spikes were sharp, solid, and most of all large, but they didn't look like they'd actually threaten us until midway through, when they started continuously exploding in hundreds of bits of shrapnel that turned back to a liquid before they could damage any buildings in the city. Knowing her barrier would just get shredded to pieces, I almost yelled at Princess to somehow dodge— more out of desperation than anything else— but Lou snapped me back to reality and told Togekiss to get closer to the other ACEs instead. Princess listened right away, despite how tired and sluggish her movements were, we all bunched up together so close our mounts were almost touching.

"Serena!" Maxwell called out.

The silent girl whispered something to her Skarmory, and the steel type screeched in defiance, and I felt a slight push away from him. The shrapnel had gone ahead of the spikes themselves, but they wavered the closer they got to Skarmory and then swerved out of the way as if they'd been pushed away by a magnet. We moved as one toward the ground to get some distance with the giant spikes, probably because Skarmory wasn't confident about deflecting the metallic bursts from too close, but we got out of the first foray okay, thank the Legendaries. The giant spikes hit the cavern's walls and were absorbed back into the liquid metal in an instant as we hovered over a tall stone building. The giant amalgamation of steel let out a metallic grunt as its gears turned around its arms and metal jumped at us from below like a hungry maw, and we had to swing back upwards. Too high and we get attacked, too low, and we get swallowed up by metal that Skarmory couldn't push back. My mouth tasted like ash and bile as I gripped Princess' fur.

"Lou, how are your abilities?" Ariel calmly asked.

"Unusable if I want to pull us outside. Locally might be possible, but I'm not confident about Teleporting around this place. It could be done… but I fear I'd get you killed. The Pokemon's doing something to stop me."

The Pokemon. They didn't know what it was, either, since it was pretty obviously the thing that had been painted on the mural and they hadn't known its name. I gulped, too ashamed to speak up or suggest anything. We were here because I'd fucked up, and now the situation was hopeless. The beat of silence that lingered after they heard that Lou couldn't Teleport was not missed, either. Another burst of metal, this time from the ground, rose up at speeds all of my Pokemon but Honey would have been too slow to react to, and this time, Dragonite and Skarmory wrapped a Protect around us so tightly that there was no space or energy wasted, combining their efforts seamlessly. What wasn't good, however, was that they strained to keep it up when the first volley hit. If ACE Pokemon struggled to use Protect against the apparent steel type, then Jellicent and Electivire's would shatter in an instant.

"We're going to have to fight it. Lou, how are your barriers? Can you keep her protected?" Richard nudged his head at me as he gruffed atop his Pidgeot.

"That, I can, though they'll be slower to come out than usual," she answered.

"Watch for Zoroark," Maxwell said, turning toward the steel type. "This big lump of metal isn't going all out quite yet."

"I believe it wants to keep the city intact, otherwise it would have been all destroyed by now, and so would we," Ariel said.

"Fair assumption. Let's do it, then," Maxwell said.

"You want my Pokemon for firepower?" Lou asked. "I can give you three."

"Keep your Lunatone and Solrock to defend the mark, we'll take the rest," Serena said.

There was no hesitation in their movements after Lou handed Maxwell three of her Pokeballs. They waited for our enemy's next strike, this time making sharp spikes of iron rain from the ceiling at speeds that warped the air around them. Again, the Protect barely held, with cracks forming around the green, shimmering surface, and then they scattered in every direction while Lou ordered Togekiss to get us down to a temple-like building with a spire high enough to stand in without alerting whatever that Pokemon was. At the edge of my vision, the ACEs released their entire teams. Pokemon that could fly like Ariel's Cryogonal hovered in the sky closer to the hulking construct, while those who could not like Richard's Greninja had been released as close as possible on nearby roofs in squads of four or more. A flurry of attacks shot out of their mouths— Hyper Beams, Fire Blasts, Thunders, Hydro Pumps, Ice Beams— all slamming into the steel type's liquid hide and exploding some of its body away, but more liquid metal from the floor healed it instantly.

That did not bode well.

The temple's grounds were flooded with liquid metal, but the upper floors were not. Princess carved a hole into the stone with a tired huff and let us in. The inside of the structure was solid, colorful stone, though there was a trinket at its center, raised by a platform and left to bask in the ambient light shining from a hole in the ceiling. A piece of metal, in the form of a gear, as if they'd worshipped the damn thing. An explosion rattled the temple and dust floated down from the ceiling, caking my hair and face until Lou placed a thin barrier above our heads. Through the hole in the wall, I could see that the liquid metal writhed as one every time the original body was hit, like little scythes and claws squirming right above the edge. I felt her hand clasp my shoulder and pull me away.

"Get a hold of yourself," she said, her voice sharp. "I'm not the one supposed to order your Togekiss around, Grace."

Princess chirped while Lou released Lunatone and Solrock from their balls, and they took over barrier duties.

"This is my fault— I should be doing something—"

"You will die, and everything will have been meaningless," Lou said. "Let the others take care of that Pokemon, and I'll keep you safe."

"What about Zoroark? He could be anywhere," I said.

"I know," she replied as another explosion rocked the building. "For now, we need information."

I inhaled a full breath for the first time since the battle had begun, and I nodded. There was enough space here for Honey to use Protect if anything happened, so I released him first. He sighed in relief when he saw we were okay and he wrapped me and Princess into a tight hug that I could only weakly return. The others, I would let rest up until they were needed. Lou walked at a brisk pace, picking up a chunk of rock from the floor before she got to the edge of the temple and dropped it into the metal outside through the hole in the wall.

At first, nothing happened. There was only the bubbling of metal that grew more and more violent until it grew red hot and the stone melted before it could even sink below the depths. Somehow, it was sparing the buildings, but not anything else, I quickly thought. That meant that it knew exactly where everything should be and this entire sea of metal was like a limb that it could control. That sent a shiver down my spine, though I didn't let it show. That amount of control was terrifying.

"We need information," I repeated her words. "Claydol should know more about whatever that Pokemon outside is, and… maybe it has a weakness of some sort."

"That sounds right. What about your empathy? Are you feeling anything?" Lou asked.

I closed my eyes, focusing on the colors that swirled around the city like a raging storm. Two concepts, battling each other for influence. The weight of Zoroark's rage, pushing against my chest, squeezing my heart until it would pop. Like a noose around my neck, with someone threatening to push me off the chair. The relentless, unending tide of flames so dark they were nearly black, wanting to drown me under its weight. I gasped, focusing on the other half of the equation. Calm at first, until you delved deeper into the icy blue. Even then, calm had been the wrong expression for it, but it was steady. A consistent mourning, with colors at its edges I could not properly describe— a sign of what had once been, but would never return. Grief. Decay. A wanting feeling of what had been lost.

"It's grieving," I muttered. "They're grieving the loss of the city, but… not for the first time."

An endless cycle of destruction and rebirth, Zoroark had called it, and I began to make sense of the words. This was not the first time the metallic Pokemon had appeared, nor was it the first time Zoroark had fought them, if we could even call it a fight. Zoroark was so much weaker that I wondered how they even made it work, but now wasn't the time to ask questions without answers when I had a treasure trove of ancient knowledge at my finger tips. I released Claydol, who stared at me with flashing eyes that showcased ancient glyphs that I did not understand, but probably meant evacuate.

How may I be of service? Would you like to take a look at my catalog of jokes? I possess over twenty thousand of them—

Claydol stopped, and their eyes… glitched, for lack of a better term, before resetting and returning to their neutral expression of normal, circular dark pupils.

Recommendation reiterated: Evacuation is advised. Observation made: You have taken refuge in the Temple of Silverwind. Await further instructions for optimal protection and strategic response— Claydol cut themselves off, as if they remembered that no help was coming. Their memory was still a little jumbled up, it seemed. Awaiting way to implement evacuation protocol. Please shelter in place while I calculate the best course of action, my King.

My King, huh? I mused. It was the second time they'd called me this, now. "Claydol, that Pokemon," I stopped, pointing out the hole in the wall, "what are they?"

The psychic's… front? facing eyes turned toward the hole at once. Query recognized. They are known as the Eternal Alloy, the Messiah, the Silver Sovereignty, the Iron Guardian, Child of God, the Messenger—

"Could we know the species' name," Lou interrupted.

Observation noted. Acknowledging that my data has been rejected. Communicating request: Please ask more precise questions the next time to prevent recurrence. Optimization of communication parameters is advised for enhanced accuracy.

Claydol's voice was monotone, but that lessened the tension a little, with the way Honey laughed at them. Their straightforwardness was a breath of fresh air in this shitty situation, but unfortunately, a scream from outside brought me back to reality. People were fighting for their lives out there. I didn't deserve to smile.

The name itself would be Melmetal, Claydol finally answered.

"Any weaknesses we can strike at?" Lou quickly said.

Suggestion dismissed. Striking at the Eternal Alloy is punishable by death by the Iron Court, even for a King, and victory would be impossible.

I sighed. "Fine, but, a weakness doesn't mean we can beat Melmetal. It'd just be something to help swing things our way a little."

Cannot compute.

"Okay, what about the Zoroark— the Fiend."

The Fiend has already been reclassified as Zoroark, Claydol said. No weaknesses are known beyond void. As Claydol 11, I was not allowed to witness the ways the Fiend was contained by your predecessor.

"Please don't call me his successor," I muttered. "But thank you for trying."

Acknowledged.

I turned toward my ACE and her two psychics. "Lou, if we can't help with Melmetal, we need to help with Zoroark."

Knowing him, he was probably waiting for our Pokemon to faint or die before he struck and killed us, though since he couldn't phase through the liquid metal, I knew his mobility was cut despite being able to leap from roof to roof. He was weakening us, slowly but surely, until he was able to finish us off. The ACEs had said they believed they would deal with him with no trouble, and that assessment hadn't changed after witnessing him fight. I swallowed, and my heart felt so heavy I wanted nothing but to lay down and sleep, hoping this was all a nightmare, but it was real, and I had to try to salvage this, not because I believed I could do something the ACEs could not, but because it was the price I had to pay for my mistakes.

"There was no way you could have known," Lou said, as if she was reading my thoughts.

"But you still said we should leave, and I didn't listen," I spoke through gritted teeth. "Help me find Zoroark so we can all live through this. Please. The last thing I want is him appearing out of nowhere and managing to get a lucky shot on one of your Pokemon fighting Melmetal. If they die, then we really have no hope of getting out of here."

And if something happened to anyone, I knew I would not be able to live with the guilt if I hadn't at least tried something. Honey's comforting hand rested on my shoulder, and I allowed myself to lean against him and Princess.

"No," Lou said.

"W—what?"

"No. The best course of action is to wait here for outside help. Maxwell and the others are stalling for time. Every hour or as soon as we can, we ping the League with your latest location and confirm your well-being. Cynthia knows that we are here, so she should be expecting a slight delay, but if enough time passes, then help will arrive."

I blinked. "So, after everything I've done, you want me to stay here and do nothing? To not pay for the blood that might be on my hands?"

"Yes," she said with a neutral expression. "This is the best way to go about things. I am putting my foot down, Grace."

Ah.

It was an order. An order I should listen to, given how shit things had turned out the last time I decided to ignore her recommendation.

I clenched at my forehead and slumped against the temple walls in defeat as the sound of explosions rang out outside of the building.

—

Well, wasn't this just a wonderful way to spend the evening? Just Maxwell, his Pokemon, colleagues, and, you know, a giant eldritch creature whose existence was beyond his comprehension, so just another Monday, really. Honchkrow's feathers felt cold against his hands as they flew around the steel type. Suddenly, the air was pulled out of his lungs, and his body felt… nothing, as if he had stopped existing, and before he could realize what had happened, he was somewhere else. Not Teleportation per se, but a neat little trick Honchkrow had learned over the years, though he wouldn't be able to use it too many times.

Maxwell's ears buzzed as the steel abomination's fist glowed, and it punched the ground under its feet. Countless spikes of metal burst like bullets, turning to liquid as soon as they hit the building. Those that did not, impaled, and impaled hard. That was how his Liepard had ended up nearly torn in half by one of them and he'd needed to recall her before she died. She might still be dead in the Pokeball, Maxwell thought with a small sting in his eyes that instantly dulled the moment he forced out a cackle, which Honchkrow reproduced with perfect accuracy, that little prankster. At this distance, their Protect just broke as soon as most projectiles hit, so their best hope was to dodge or use magnetism to swerve attacks out of the way.

Which they did, thanks to Serena's Skarmory, that beautiful fucking bastard. Thank the Legendaries she'd been one of Byron's best Gym Trainers before being scouted, or they'd all be minced meat already. Their Pokemon on the roofs flattened themselves against the ground or hid behind the building while they hung onto the walls, though this was around the sixth home they'd been released on, and they managed to successfully dodge the sharp burst of metal, though the clang of the impact of steel against steel made Maxwell's head hurt. The liquid metal always submerged the buildings— always, without fail, and Dick's Stoutland was proof that any contact was fatal with the way his bottom half had melted off before being recalled. Poor bastard might die in his Pokeball, if they didn't get medical attention within the next hour.

You better fucking show up, Ms. Collins, Maxwell thought.

"Another volley! Sustained this time!" Richard yelled out to the Pokemon below. The poor son of a bitch was worried about his dog, though Maxwell wouldn't hold it against him. The fact that Teleportation was restricted without Dark, Bug, or Psychic TE being used meant they were facing something of unimaginable skill. Legendary or close to it, he wanted to think. Those pieces of shit always had ways to cheat, as if they didn't have enough advantages in the first place.

What came next was a foregone conclusion. The world below brightened enough to blind if you stared long enough, and countless beams hit the metallic Pokemon, who seemed content enough to stick around and take it. They dealt damage, of course. Ariel's Blissey's Hyper Beam made a hole across its chest and tore through it. Crawdaunt's Dark Pulse, meant to disable the use of TE, dug inside of the monster's golden head, but did not even manage to get the fucking glimmer off of it. Every wound closed up in less than a second, and while they did not manage to kill it, at least it felt pain and did not attack while it was under such pressure. The sea of metal serves as protection, Maxwell noticed, otherwise the entire plaza would have been molten plasma by now.

"Brute force won't work," Maxwell said as they stopped midair. "We can't outmuscle that amount of regeneration. This… we might be able to win, but we'll die before we do. I don't think we'll be buying enough time either."

"Tricks, then," Ariel said. "How does Destiny Bond sound?"

"Might not work, but it's our best shot," Maxwell said. The last of the volley was ending now, sooner than he would have thought. "Dick, my Cacturne or your Weezing?" Maxwell paused, watching his fellow ACE, and he knew there was no way in hell he was volunteering. He was soft— soft as an ACE could be, but soft nonetheless. "Fuck it, I'll do it. Not like we can play rock paper scissors or flip a coin."

"No, Maxwell. We can double it up. Better chance of taking it down or at least weakening it."

"Sounds good to me," he shrugged.

There was no opposition from any of them, because they knew it had to be done. Destiny Bond was not a move that killed its user, but one that made a Pokemon share the user's fate. Unconsciousness would lead to unconsciousness and death would lead to death. Ideally, their Pokemon would have thrown themselves into the metallic sea and died to take down the steel type, but they were not sure it was an order they would follow, especially when they'd be leaving their trainers behind for a tactic that might not pay off. It would have to be unconsciousness, then. The reason they'd been worried was that… there could sometimes be backlash, when using Destiny Bond against a demi-God

The living steel let out a piercing sound of grinding metal, and tendrils of iron shot out from its entire body like branches on a tree, forever splitting off but somehow never losing in mass. It was creating a cobweb, and they'd all be trapped in it if given enough time. It was too solid to be pushed back by Skarmory, too large to be dodged. No choice, then. Either this, or we get skewered and die in the next ten seconds.

"Confuse Ray," Maxwell whispered.

A dozen strange lights bled off Honchkrow, and he directed them toward the monster with a cackle. They screamed as always, but there was a tint of fear to these ones. Like they particularly disapproved of what they were being sent to scramble the metaphorical brains of. The spirits spread through the dense cobweb of steel so sharp it could cut at a mere touch while Honchkrow and the others gained some distance. It would buy time, even if they couldn't outrun it. The Confuse Rays entered its body, and the cobweb wavered for a split second. Part of the iron drooped back to the floor, and the steel type let loose a metallic reverberation that Maxwell hesitated to call a roar. The first row of buildings instantly collapsed into the sea of metal, but what was life without a little risk? Of course, their Pokemon kept attacking, buying as much time as they could so Cynthia could hopefully show up here and save their asses. Maxwell spotted his Weavile attempting to freeze a path toward their enemy, but none of their attacks had an effect on the metal beyond creating ripples across the entire city.

"Cacturne, Weezing, Destiny Bond setup!" Richard called out.

A cold, purple flame engulfed both Pokemon as their eyes locked with the steel type, who was already recovering from Confuse Ray, Arceus fucking damn it. Ariel's Dragonite blew Weezing apart with a Fire Blast while Maxwell's Absol cut Cacturne apart. They recalled them both before they could see what kind of hurt binding the steel type to their fate would bring them.

It was not either of them, that reeled from the Destiny Bond, but the petty thing that was playing God down there. Maxwell smirked as purple flames consumed the steel type, happy to have mastered Destiny Bond to such a degree that their target could be picked. Of course, both Absol and Dragonite still felt the backlash, but no flames appeared around them. Instead, their eyes grew tired, but they'd done this a thousand times before and they were tough enough not to faint. Rust began to spread across their enemy's body, and its movements grew sluggish and clumsy beyond even the Confusion. The golden crown atop the steel type's head shone true, blinding Maxwell until he covered his eyes, and suddenly, there was nothing. As if it had turned back time itself, almost all of the rust peeled off its surface, leaving only pristine metal so perfect it was disturbing to look at.

It was like nothing had happened at all, and this had been their best chance at taking this thing down. Two of their Pokemon down, and there was nothing to show for it. The steel type's arms twisted in rage as it finally understood it had collapsed four buildings, and it began charging a row of Flash Cannons.

"Looking like an early funeral, boys," Maxwell smiled, a bead of sweat dripping down his scarred face. "Best we buy as much time as possible for our mark and keep it focused on killing us."

They all laughed as the light blinded them, because he made the best jokes, didn't he?

—

There was a bright flash in the distance, and the metal below stirred.

I'd been keeping an eye on it ever since Lou had ordered me not to go and help. At least that way, I'd felt like I'd been doing something. Lou noticed it as well, though she opened the door leading down the decrepit stairs and looked at the metal that had swallowed the ground floor where people had congregated to pray. Honey let out a panicked grunt, telling her to close the door back before she got us all killed.

"Something's happening," I said. "Claydol?"

Melmetal's capabilities are unknown to me. No footage of them fighting remains within my memory banks. Observed functions limited to performing miracles of metal during religious rituals, or generating iron to build items such as weapons. Further information retrieval required for comprehensive analysis.

So we knew nothing, then. We were blind, and there was nothing we could do about it. The Metal accumulated into shapes— misshapen at first, but then perfectly uniform. Small blobs of metal with dark rotating gears atop their heads, each four feet or so in height. My breath caught in my throat, and I pulled back away from the window, and Lou gently closed the door back to make the least amount of noise possible. Mini-Melmetals, I internally scoffed in disbelief. Probably something he'd use to do his bidding and kill us. We shared a silent look and non-verbally agreed to stay quiet so we wouldn't bait the… thousand or so that looked to have been created. The worst part was that the ground was still flooded with liquid metal, just ankle-deep now instead of waist-deep, so they were still impossible to navigate. I heard one of the remaining Sigilyph beep as if passed through the streets below, letting me know that Melmetal was also letting them live unopposed.

I shuffled to the center of the room, where the gear still stood inside the bowl, free from rust or the scars of time— or maybe Melmetal's presence had just renewed everything here. Rust and restoration, an endless cycle that this city had gone through time and time again, even after every human had been wiped out, like this was a game to Zoroark. A game. Maybe it was a game. The only way for him to exact revenge on this city in perpetuity, to feel like he was taking away something from the people who had wronged him for so long. That was what Melmetal encapsulated to him, wasn't it? They were his nemesis. An enemy without end, that awoke in perpetuity after being beaten.

Fiend incoming, Claydol suddenly said.

They could sense him? I barely had time to register what was happening before Zoroark phased through a wall with a sharpened grin and claw. My hands instantly went for my Pokeballs, and Lou flicked her wrist, aided by her Solrock and Lunatone, pushing back Zoroark, who opted to get slammed into the wall instead of passing through and being thrown back down. The maddened ghost laughed like he was having the best time of his life, and his bright yellow eyes met mine as I released my entire team into the temple.

No words were exchanged, though I did not miss the fact that he imagined killing me in a thousand different ways in that single instant. We couldn't fight cleanly— not without collapsing this entire temple and sinking into the metal—

"Lou, keep restraining him," I said in a hushed whisper.

"I've been doing that," she said with a sigh far too exhausted for my liking. She was tiring already? "Otherwise he would have attacked already. Hit him with something, anything. This won't hold for long."

"Claydol, can you help her keep him still?" I whispered. It'd be best to give her some support first.

Restraining protocol engaged, they responded. With their four efforts combined, Zoroark slowly slid across the floor, but even then, they couldn't get him to plunge in the metal.

"Thanks. Legendaries, what am I going to do with you?" I whispered with a pitying look that seemed to enrage him further. Killing him and letting him reappear after a few days would work fine. "Sweetheart, Dark Pulse. Low-powered so you don't shatter the psychic hold or collapse the building, but steady until he dies."

The rock type grunted, her dark eyes staring down at Zoroark's pale frame, and darkness gathered in front of her mouth. It slammed into Zoroark's chest, damaging the building slightly, but not enough to collapse it. I held my breath, hoping that we hadn't alerted any of the mini Melmetals, but thankfully, none came—

Zoroark's mouth turned to the king's, and he screamed. Sweetheart's Dark Pulse strengthened until the ghost type burst through the wall and into the streets below, but we couldn't stay here any longer. The door Lou had opened earlier slammed open, and Melmetal's army burst through, swallowing it until there was nothing left. They were three, and more would no doubt come. I could see that their emotions were the exact same, constantly changing the exact same way. Shared mind.

"Fire Pillar!" I called out.

Sunshine slammed a foot against the temple's grounds, cracking the floor and creating a focused jet of blue flames that made the Mini-Melmetal squeal, softening their body up enough for Princess to send a gust of wind to blow them apart and splattering them on the walls like Jellicent had so many times in the past. They were manageable, but too many of them, and we'd be fucked. Lou brought her arm down with a heavy grunt, creating a shimmering barrier where the door had just been, not letting the metal slip through, and Claydol handled the hole in the wall without a word while Lou's Pokemon backed them up, but there would always be a crack to slip through, and more would no doubt come. I'd be a fool to think that Zoroark was done with.

"Should we switch buildings?" I said.

Lou winced at the shapeless, horrifying forms that tried to claw their way through the opening. It would only be a few moments until they realized they could just break through the walls.

"That would be wise," she said.

"Buddy, scout the roof above us. It could be covered, for all we know, and the last thing we want is for that to drip on us."

The water type sent a piece of himself upward, slipping through the cracks in the roof before his eyes dimmed, and he looked at me with a worried click.

The building was—

Sinking. It shook below my feet as the steel started to swallow it whole. They weren't going to try to break in, they were going to sink us. My fingers trembled until I clenched at my shirt and calmed myself down with quick breaths. We're going to die. Zoroark knew how Melmetal functioned and had probably engineered this entire thing to get us killed. We're going to die. I should have known that he had another trick up his sleeve. He might be rageful, but he was not run by rage. There had been a cunning in those eyes, and I had underestimated him again. We're going to die. Though it hadn't been like I could have done anything differently. We're going to die. The building slanted, nearly causing me to trip without my crutch. It had slipped out of my hand, when I'd fallen off Princess. I took a deep breath, trying not to think about all the people I would be leaving behind, and I grabbed my Pokeballs.

"The League will come to save you," I croaked out to my team. "Pokeballs are the sturdiest thing ever invented. You'll make it—"

They protested, of course they protested. Princess and Honey were bawling their eyes out. Sunshine and Sweetheart were screaming at me to tell me to stop pretending like I'd given up. Jellicent stared— he just stared, like he couldn't even believe this was happening, and Angel passed a vine over my cheek that made me want to cry. Claydol was telling me to evacuate in their usual monotone voice, but I couldn't help but notice that it had sped up slightly.

"I won't let you die with me," I said. "Stick together after I'm gone, please. Show Claydol the ropes. Be safe."

Sunshine growled, and the heat emanating off him stung my face. I'd never seen him glare like this, not since he'd just joined the team near Mount Coronet. I bit my lip, and suddenly, thoughts popped up in my mind. Will it hurt? How long will I be conscious? If I go in feet first, it'll hurt more. I'm going to miss my Pokemon. I want to see my friends. My Mom. My Dad. I want to hug Cece and for her to tell me everything will be okay. I want to see Bellatrix and Night again. I want the world to remember me. I wanted to see Unova and to have fun there. I might be dooming the world by dying, but at least the other Shards are still alright. They raced, raced and raced until I broke down and collapsed on my knees. My mouth still tasted like dry vomit, my head was pounding against my skull like someone was driving a nail through my brain, and I was just, so, tired.

"Grace."

My eyes drifted toward Lou, barely still open. She'd been closing her eyes this entire time, and I thought she'd been resigning to her fate. Instead, she recalled her two Pokemon so quickly her hands were a blur, and she clasped my shoulder.

"I will get you out of here," she quickly said. "It'll have to be just you and your Pokemon in their Pokeballs. Too many bodies, and I'll get you killed. I actually still might get you killed, with the way Melmetal is scrambling with my head, but it's your best shot."

"You…"

"I will stay here. We have about a minute left or less, so recall your Pokemon, and I'll send you on your way. Take mine, too. Don't release them, or they'll go berserk. They were already arguing in my head about how to get me to live."

"Lou, I can't—"

"None of that, now," she smiled.

She was terrified. Every inch of her being was screaming at her to run, yet she was pretending to be fine. Already, she was moving, recalling my Pokemon using her hands, but I didn't even have the strength to stop her.

"Can't you take both of us—"

"We'll die. I'll Teleport us into a wall, or into the ground, or too high in the sky, or in the street. With one, it can be precise. With two, the risk is too high, and it'll take all of my energy to do it once, with how much I have to concentrate. The metal is screwing with my senses and just barriers are exhausting me. Otherwise I would have shut up Zoroark as soon as he started screaming." She clipped Claydol's Pokeball to my belt, the last one who'd remained. "I'll send you to a nearby roof. You might stumble when you get there, so watch your step. Don't trip and fall on the street. Zoroark will come after you, so be ready for a fight. Buy time by flying on your Togekiss, but not too high to not alert Melmetal. He'll follow and try to kill you, but you can win, Grace. I saw it during that first battle."

"Lou—"

I met her white eyes one last time, and then I was gone. I scrambled to my feet, desperate to find the building we'd been in, but it was already out of view. I… couldn't see anything. I— she was gone. She was gone. Dead. She was afraid to die, and she'd done so alone, without anyone by her side. I let out a coarse cry, clawing against the floor until my nails split, bled and tore off, trying to cling to something that wasn't there and would never be. The worst part was that a sickening part of me felt happy I'd gotten to live, as if I deserved it. Like I wasn't the one who should have died, and not her. The fucking audacity of it, to feel relief when someone had just sacrificed herself for me.

"You fucking dare," I whispered to myself. "You deserve nothing but pain, you pathetic, worthless thing."

There was a beat of silence. A moment where the world hung, and even Melmetal in the distance appeared frozen.

"I killed her," I forced out. "I fucking… I fucking killed her."

Avenge her, something whispered at the back of my head. Make Zoroark pay the price.

"I'm exhausted," I told myself, looking at my bloodied nails. I wish it would have been Mesprit, talking to me, but it wasn't. I was sick.

Excuses. You were exhausted when you made Harry Rodriguez pay the long price. You were exhausted when you made Backlot pay it as well. Exhaustion is an excuse. Make him pay.

There was a sickening giggle around me that made me recoil until I realized it'd been coming from my mouth.

You can win, Grace.

No time to waste.

After sucking air through my teeth, I rose to my feet like a puppet being hoisted by strings, using the sharp pain shooting up my shredded fingers to focus. I bled over my Pokeballs to release my team, who all looked thankful that I'd been the one to do so and not some League employee an hour from now.

Their relief sickened me, but I let the feeling pass.

"Princess. Make me a walking stick, will you?"

The stone below my arm instantly extended until it softly reached my palm, smooth to the touch, and she cut it off from the roof we were standing on in the next moment. My blood dripped over the scepter as I gripped it tight. They worried for me, asking what had happened to my hands, or asking how we were going to survive the next hour before I softly clicked my tongue to tell them to simmer down. Lou's sacrifice would not be in vain. I would not get swallowed up by iron because we'd been too loud.

"Fighting's going to be tricky on this roof," I said. "I'll be flying on Princess, but Claydol, I need you to put up barriers around the team to buy me time to recall and reposition them from the skies before Melmetal can send his minions after them or Zoroark can strike. Can you do that for us? And could you possibly build one for me and Princess while we fly?"

Affirmative. As a guardian, barriers are my specialty, my King. Prepared to enact defensive measures upon your command.

"Good. You'll hover in the skies with us— and Buddy, too. Buddy's Jellicent," I explained, pointing at him with a lazy, bloodied thumb. "Here, can you update their names in your memory bank if I tell all of their names to you once? It'll be easier for the fight against Zoroark, and we know he's coming."

I listed all of my Pokemon's names, and Claydol's eyes flashed. Memory bank updated, they chimed.

Honey rolled his shoulders, patting me on the back, and Angel asked if there was any time for me to bandage my hands. I only had Buddy spray some warm water to clean them, but I needed to be at full mental capacity to assess the damage my team had taken and to do so as fast as possible. Apart from Buddy, Honey and Claydol, they were all either tired or exhausted. They'd gone toe to toe with Zoroark and he was not an opponent who would let you down easy. Foul Play could break through Sweetheart's plates by using her own physical prowess against her, he could cut through Sunshine's scales like butter with a similar technique, and he had a vendetta against Angel. Zoroark could turn any part of his body into blades, but it was safer to assume any weapon. He'd most likely strike at Princess with that metallic burst again while I was on her, but that was fine. With her and Claydol's efforts, I was gambling that it'd be enough.

Gambling was the wrong word to go about it. No, I was assuming that the probability of her resisting the shrapnel would be higher than… wait, that was gambling. I smiled, which worried my family further, but hey, we all found ways to cope, didn't we?

"Buddy, you're going to be important. There's little water to work with, but make your own. We're not trapping Zoroark this time, so feel free to go ham. Honey, you're the only one who can keep up with his speed and I trust your judgment, but don't take too many risks. If you can hit him from afar, do so, and use your speed to leap from roof to roof. You had good practice in the battle against Barry, but this time, if you fall…" I trailed off with a wince, and my throat tightened. "I'll recall you as fast as I can, but it'll hurt."

I paused, turning toward Sunshine and Sweetheart.

"You two are working in a pair. Sunshine, I want you as hot as possible. Make it so the fucker can't approach you without getting hurt, ghost or not. She'll be immune to your heat," I said. "Sweetheart, keep doing what you were doing last battle, but I'll recall you if you need mobility and when homes start getting swallowed up again. I thought Melmetal would prioritize keeping the town intact, but apparently not," I spoke as a huge Fire Blast slammed into its side in the distance, though I could tell now that my ACEs were on the back foot.

If I deal with Zoroark and they all die anyway, then what?

Then I was fucked, but if I didn't fight, I was fucked either way, so it'd be best not to think about that.

"Angel, you—"

Fiend incoming, Claydol said.

Ah. It would have been too convenient for Zoroark to show up after I finished, wouldn't it? Tangrowth quickly placed me on top of Princess, though I still glared at the ancient ghost. Part of his right arm was… just gone. Had Melmetal done that, or was it a trick to get me to lower my guard? He transformed into the King, though his arm still remained missing, and he began to speak in a gravely voice.

"At long last, thy minions are out of the way and occupied, plaything. How strange, that they follow thee when thou art the weakest."

While he wasted his time monologuing, Honey had jumped to another roof, and I had scattered the rest of my team across buildings while Claydol had applied barriers around them and us. Princess hovered in the sky, around twenty feet above Lakhutia's skyline.

"You know, if you're going to talk," I started, tilting my head to the side. "Why is it, that you call yourself Melmetal's nemesis when you can't hold a candle to their strength?"

Fury flashed in Zoroark's eyes, though he did not strike at me quite yet. He loved this, I realized. Running his mouth, and explaining his circumstances in long-winding ways. He had, after all, barely spoken to anything in the last thousand and eighteen years, save for Chase and the few expeditions who had been wiped out by him. The ghost in the form of a man rubbed the bottom of his chin and growled.

"Before I unravel thee and invert thy very essence, feeble one, let it be known— The Endless Alloy boasts a power far beyond the feeble confines of thy human intellect. Yet, I am boundless, returning from the Dusk after each demise, acquiring wisdom in every skirmish. I evolve, refining my prowess with each resurrection, chiseling away at the inevitable. It takes decades to subdue my nemesis, but in the end, I endure while it crumbles into a heap of rusting metal, lying dormant for centuries, and my blade dulls once more while I lie in wait for its return. Thus, the cycle persists. I merely hastened the dance to ensure thy demise. It will strike until all it considers parasites are dead, and that includes thou and I."

I didn't let the surprise show on my face. So Melmetal was a protector, but seeing as everyone was dead, they were content to flood the entire city in metal to cleanse it, for lack of a better word. Fights that lasted decades, and then centuries of dormancy. The fact that he spoke of it from a place of pride did not bode well for Zoroark's mental state. It was like Melmetal was his friend, or maybe the only being he could connect with down here. For Zoroark, nemesis implied a sick fondness of some sort, even if it went against what I considered normal.

Yet it was another part of the sentence, that caught my attention, and every second was a moment my Pokemon could rest.

"'A power far beyond the feeble confines of thy human intellect'," I mused. "If only you knew what was coming for you, Zoroark. Of what lay beyond the small city you think to be the entire world. I pity you, you know? Even though you killed a good woman today, I pity you, because you know nothing."

Zoroark's arm grew out, and his form flickered back as he roared in fury. It had been a trap, then. Good. Below us, and below the roofs, was an endless sea of metal that would swallow up anything that fell. I could afford few mistakes. My breathing quickened until I inhaled and straightened my back, placing my hands flat against Princess' back so they wouldn't tremble, but I still felt them spasm at random.

"You sing of ruin? Well, I sing of renewal, and I'll have you fucking dance to my song by the time we're done, you little shithead. Tucked safely into a ball so you can eventually come to regret what you've done here today and actually pay."

He'd been rushing at Tangrowth before I finished my sentence, leaping at him on all fours with his entire body wreathed with purple shadows. The grass type's eyes narrowed, and all of his vines blurred with Knock Off as he lashed out all around him. Still mid-air, Zoroark's entire body turned into an array of swords that I knew would cut through anything, Knock Off or not. From another roof, Honey's tails straightened as he shot out a massive beam of electricity that only phased through Zoroark, who landed next to Angel and cut apart Claydol's shield in three slices. Not yet. The ghost stabbed into Tangrowth's vines, uncaring for the few that did manage to land hits on his thin frame. A thousand vines squirmed in pain as the grass type helplessly attempted to lash out with Power Whips.

"Flamethrower, Sunshine!" I called out, recalling Angel.

The scorching stream of blue flames burned through the entire roof, causing Zoroark to let out a hate-filled scream. The building was already beginning to be swallowed up by steel, but all of my Pokemon were safe, now. I released Angel onto Honey's roof two homes away. While Sunshine kept his fire going, Sweetheart roared, collapsing the building faster than it would have sunk by creating a localized Earthquake below it. As soon as I raised a hand, Turtonator stopped, revealing that Zoroark was already gone. My eyes darted around the city, waiting for him to inevitably pass through a wall and stab someone, and I kept my hand near Honey and Angel's Pokeballs. Their flesh was the softest to cut, and Sunshine and Sweetheart's roof was so hot the stone was glowering red, so he would either target them first or me.

Zoroark identified, two o' clock, Claydol spoke.

I had no idea where the hell that was, but I noticed him soon enough. A small shape of wispy red and white pushed itself through a roof right below me, his arm turned to fragmented metal that burst upward like bullets. Claydol's eyes flashed as they reinforced the invisible barrier around us, and Princess' did too. I winced when I heard the cracks from the impact, and pushed Togekiss to go faster to dodge, but Jellicent's sphere of water he had been gathering quickly traveled below us, slowing the speed of the shrapnel enough for the barrier to stop them before he turned it to ice and used Brine. Each raindrop was as thick as my head and stabbed into Zoroark before he blurred away from his current roof. With a flash of light, electricity submerged Electivire's body, and he jumped with thick vines wrapped around his waist. He'd wanted to slam into Zoroark mid-air, but instead all he managed was to phase through him with a Thunder Punch that still hurt him, with the way electricity crackled around his pale frame. Having expected a bigger blow, Honey screwed his landing and tumbled onto the nearby building with a flattened roof, sliding until he fell beyond the edge. Tangrowth's legs buckled, and he slid across his roof as he held his brother from falling into the metal. When Princess gave me the angle, I recalled him before he could fall further in. Every home around us was getting swallowed up, now, as if Melmetal didn't care any longer, but I didn't have time to worry about them.

He was warmed up enough, now.

"Sunshine, I'm pulling you in!" I yelled.

The dragon grunted in agreement, and in a split second, I recalled and released him right next to Zoroark. The air warped and burned as flames burst from every inch of the dragon's skin and the ghost cried out, lashing out at his softened plastron. I winced at each cut of the sword, but Turtonator stood his ground and Jellicent arrived seconds later, using Zoroark's own tricks and having slipped through the ground. His head opened up like a giant maw, having grown three-fold, and wrapped around Zoroark as he boiled the ghost with Scald and Sunshine's combined heat.

Zoroark said something in the water and screamed. A purple shock wave spread throughout the city, but not actually causing any physical damage beyond the confines of his roof. Jellicent exploded, for lack of a better word, scattering across the entire perimeter while Sunshine's eyes bulged out of their sockets and he stumbled back. I recalled him before he could get cut up further and whispered to Princess.

"Moonblast."

Sharpness was her implement, and so, she would cut. The home Zoroark had been standing on was tilting, now, and mini-Melmetal were just making it onto the roof as she gathered the moon in front of her mouth. In the distance, Angel had been rooting himself and taking over his entire home, that little genius. He'd figured out what I'd wanted from him without me even finishing our strategy meeting. With heavy breaths, Zoroark retreated back inside of another house through a slanted tiled roof, but Sweetheart summoned a Dark Pulse that easily broke through it, even with being over two hundred feet away.

But it would not matter if Zoroark hid.

"Cut," I ordered.

Princess' Moonblast looked not like a ball of light like her old one, but like a replica of the moon in the sky, blotches of darkness, craters and all, with only a few impurities to speak of. It was in awe, that I watched my daughter release her newly-coined attack. This one was quick. It did not hover in the air for a long time like Bella's, basking in the attention of others as it commanded the world to spin around it. This one blurred, and within two seconds, it had made it to Zoroark's refuge. The ancient home just… unraveled as the moon continuously spun. As if an invisible force had been cutting across it laterally. The old bricks collapsed into the sea of silver, the stone furniture was cut to ribbons and ground to dust, and it was difficult to see, but the Moonblast cut across Zoroark, splitting his body into nine parts that continuously rejoined and were continuously cut. Had the circumstances been better, my chest would have swelled with pride, but instead, I just watched. I watched him get sliced up and spend energy on regenerating, over and over until the Moonblast winked out of existence and Princess' wings sagged with exhaustion.

But I would be a fool to think that it was over.

There was a low, rumbling snarl from within the collapsed building, and Zoroark emerged from the debris before it could all sink down in the flooded city. He held out a palm, blowing a mini-Melmetal apart with two Shadow Balls before it could get to him.

Not yet, I told myself. He isn't tired enough yet.

Sunshine appeared next to Sweetheart again in a sea of scarlet with heavy breaths, blood gushing from his chest. In the corner of my eye, Jellicent was slowly reforming, though much of his mass had been swallowed up by Melmetal and he would be weakened for the rest of the battle without a water source to regenerate his entire body from. Electivire stood on one knee with clenched teeth, still reeling from the surge of ghostly energy Zoroark had let loose earlier.

Angel, though?

He was ready.

First, the setup.

"Honey," I breathed out. "Railgun. Small scale."

The house he'd been standing on was close to the ground, now, and electricity danced through his fur as it hummed like a motor. He stumbled to the edge of the building, raised a hand, and liquid still rose from the streets below. Zoroark snarled, his eyes flashing in fury as he sent a Shadow Ball barreling forward and blurred. Shit, too fast— I held out a hand as a headache crushed my skull like a grape, but I held strong. If we didn't make it, we would die; I knew we would, with the way all of my Pokemon were at the end of their rope, and so, I did not hesitate. More subtly this time, I slipped guilt I knew all too well now into Zoroark's heart. Not enough to make him stop and not applied enough to be permanent, but enough to make him slow, and I knew right after doing so that I would not be able to do so again. A slight tug from Claydol's powers kept me on Princess before I could fall off again from sheer exhaustion.

Unlike Mathilda, Zoroark didn't seem to understand that I'd been the one who fucked with him, so he paid me no mind, instead rushing to crush Honey's bones with an enormous hammer for an arm. The electric type grunted, pointing at Zoroark as he shot out liquid steel like a raygun. Zoroark cried out as the iron ate at his ghostly skin, but he didn't stop. He pushed, uncaring for any pain he was in and slammed the hammer into Honey's side. There was a sickening crunch, and I saw my hands pale as Honey lost control of the metal and it landed on him— It had only been a few drops, and yet—

The screams were something I'd never forget. His entire hand— his hand—

Electivire's Pokeball rose from my belt, and he was recalled by Claydol. I'd been too frozen to do it myself, because I was a miserable, useless piece of shit who'd been so scared her hands hadn't even moved. Honey's hand was gone. Eaten away by the metal like acid up to his wrist. Zoroark heaved, lifting himself as his form flickered from the metal continuously spreading through his skin. It was then, that Angel looked at him from above his roof, his eyes full of sorrow.

All of this time, Zoroark had been particularly focused on him, and I'd come to understand why before this fight had even begun, when Lou had been restraining him to a wall. Zoroark hated being pitied, and that was all Angel could feel for him. Pity. The ghost wasn't deterred by the home being completely overtaken by vines, and instead rushed toward the grass type, dodging Sunshine's Flamethrower and getting grazed by Sweetheart's Dark Pulse. His movements were slow, now. Lethargic, like each conscious twitch of his body took a massive amount of effort. At the bottom of the home, Tangrowth's vines had been coated in Knock Off, mere inches away from the liquid metal, and it was only now that he doused them in it. Claydol's eyes flashed, and he summoned an invisible wall that Zoroark crashed in, buying precious seconds for him to bring his vines back up as the ghost clawed his way through the barrier—

"Unravel it," I said.

—the barrier disappeared, and Zoroark fell.

He had not expected that, had he?

The steel was quickly eating at the vines, even through Knock Off, but Angel had many to use. He snatched Zoroark's neck with vines coated with silver, squeezing tightly as the ghost choked. He was trapped, now. Unable to phase through the metal. Each time a vine disintegrated, Tangrowth would replace it. After all, this entire house was his.

"Sweetheart, blast him!" I yelled.

Their home had been getting invaded by mini-Melmetal, but Sunshine was fighting them off as best he could with ambient heat and Flamethrowers. Tyranitar gathered a ball of pitch black darkness that exploded outward and slammed into Zoroark's body. Tangrowth continuously replaced his vines, forcing Zoroark to just take the attack.

He was at the end of his rope.

It took a full minute of multiple Dark Pulses for Zoroark to turn into a puddle of white and red, unable to fight any longer. He was not dead, but he was on the verge, threading the line between the Dusk and our world. Another hit, and he would be done for. Part of me knew that he secretly hoped he would pass on, but he couldn't. Not yet. Angel detached the vines off his body before he could be completely eaten away and I asked Princess to get closer. I would not land on the roof, because fuck that. We hovered high above the roof as a heavy silence settled in, with only the background noise of my ACEs fighting Melmetal to fill my ears.

My King. Permission to finish Fiend off? Claydol asked.

"No. That's letting him off too easy, for what he's done. He'll just reappear in a few days and get back to living his life if we do that."

Acknowledged. It is known for its trickery and underhanded tactics. Assessment: High probability of finding an opening to strike again. Recommend heightened vigilance.

"Thank you," I mumbled. It was hard not to worry about Honey's hand right now. "Can you still speak?" I asked Zoroark.

A mouth formed in the puddle, almost transparent. "Proceed, then. Bind me as a thrall and subject me to the anguish anew, thou wretched being. Though it may span decades, rest assured, my vengeance shall manifest. A lethargic demise awaits thee, protracted and deliberate, as I extract retribution in due time."

Jellicent, who had just reformed, was barely a third of his size right now, and he hovered behind me.

"How do I stop Melmetal from rampaging?" I asked. "How do I make them understand that we don't want to destroy the city? They're doing most of that right now, actually."

"Believest thou that a mere triumph in battle shalt coerce me into divulging secrets? I would endure a century of torment ere yielding such knowledge. Who art thou to assume thou canst converse with my nemesis? Whether thou art expunged from this realm within the hour or escapeth, my resolve stands unyielding. Thy fate holds little consequence, for in the end, I shall prevail, be it through cleansing or conquest."

Arceus, did he have to speak like that? Claydol didn't, or maybe his words just took the easiest form for me to understand them with. I was so tired that I barely understood half of that. With a sigh, I clasped an empty Pokeball.

"Who am I?" I said with a sad smile. "Nothing. And so are you."

I had learned that delaying in hopes of a miracle— that he would somehow divulge the information if I was nice or understanding enough was a lost cause. I dropped the device down, and it hit the ghost with a soft thud. He was absorbed into the Pokeball, and although he struggled, he was only delaying the inevitable.

Ding.

He was caught.

I'd hand him over to the League. I did not have it in me to raise a Pokemon that would continuously try to murder me at every turn and it wouldn't be fair to him for me to treat him the way I would. He had killed Lou, almost gotten Sunshine and Honey killed, and would potentially cause the death of more. I could not look him in the eye and say in good conscience that I would try to do good by him, and more importantly, I did not have the tools to fix him in a natural way.

No. We would not be a good fit at all, though I would have to pitch to Cynthia not to keep him trapped in a ball forever if we ever got out of here alive. I recalled all of my Pokemon save for Claydol and Princess and rolled my shoulders as I let go of my walking stick and watched it sink into the metallic sea.

"Claydol."

Yes, my King?

"Something's been stewing in my head, you see. I don't think we can beat Melmetal, and even if I tried to help, I'd just get in the way. But I don't think fighting or stalling is the way out of this, Claydol. I think we negotiate. Show that we took care of Zoroark and don't mean any harm."

I paused, wincing as my head pounded and my arm seemed to twitch involuntarily with a slight spasm.

"I don't exactly know how Melmetal thinks other than they feel things. They felt more like a decentralized entity without a central brain. Like a mass of metal given consciousness, or something like that, I don't know, I'm just spitballing. Would negotiations be possible with such an entity?"

The Eternal Alloy is a benevolent being who aided Lakhutia for centuries. Communicating is more than possible, and I believe they would be more likely to listen if I was present, as one of the ancient King's personal guardians. Recommending diplomatic engagement for potential cooperation and resolution by presenting the Fiend's body.

"No, we're not sacrificing anyone here," I shook my head. "Or at least not until we try to be the best we can be."

Motive unrecognized.

I chuckled sadly. "That's fine, Claydol. Just follow my lead. Princess? I know you're at the end of your rope, but how fast do you think you can go?"

Togekiss answered with half-formed words, but I felt the focus and determination within her. Now that Zoroark was gone, so was the rage that lingered here, and instead, all I felt was Melmetal's grief. Let's try, I repeated to myself. There was a pit of anxiety forming in my stomach at the thought of seeing my ACEs and Lou's Pokemon, and them having to realize that she was dead. Not only that, but I'd potentially be throwing her sacrifice away by trying to do good instead of hiding like I should. Princess whined about a worsening headache, which I empathized with. All this time, my headache had been worsening too, along with a feeling of nausea and struggling to take full breaths. I felt sick, like that time I'd gone to Mount Coronet to save Cece, but Princess was sick too, somehow. There were traces of it in the entire team, save for Claydol and Jellicent. As we approached Melmetal, keeping low to the ground, I realized that the situation was worse than it had looked from afar. Only thirteen Pokemon remained to all of the ACEs, including their mounts, and Melmetal… well, there was some rust coating their body, but it was still fighting as fast as before. They'd tired them out some, but they would need to fight five times as long to hope to finish them off. It was Serena atop her Skarmory who spotted me first, then Maxwell, Ariel and Richard. Maxwell grimaced, motioning at Ariel to go talk to me as his Honchkrow dove out of the way and sent a series of darkened blasts toward Melmetal.

"What are you doing here?!" the ACE yelled. I'd never seen her do that in my life. Her dark brown hair was disheveled, and she was sweating bullets, but she did not look wounded. None of them did. Their Pokemon… were in a much worse shape.

I rereleased Claydol into the air, since they wouldn't have been able to keep up with us getting here. "Ariel, listen to me. You can't win."

"We're buying time—"

"I know, but it's not going to work. We're all going to die if we don't change things up," I rambled, "I've dealt with Zoroark, and I caught him."

There were thousands of questions at the tip of her tongue, but she just nodded. We would leave the sorrow for later. I asked her to get further away from Melmetal, who summoned ten Flash Cannons that all homed toward Maxwell, Serena and Richard. Even when I closed my eyes, I could still see the light from the beams beyond my eyelids. When I opened them again, everyone was thankfully okay. Serena's Skarmory had done some kind of trick to avert the attack, and Melmetal didn't look to be the smartest fighter, thank the Legendaries.

"Remember what Zoroark said? That Melmetal would do… this until the people they consider intruders were dead?" She nodded, though the name 'Melmetal' was new to her. "I have Claydol with me, I can maybe convince them that we're fine. And they shouldn't be able to feel Zoroark's presence any longer."

"You'd need to get close enough to speak to it," Ariel muttered. "That means you'd be risking your life."

"I know. But we're not going to last long enough, Ariel. This… this isn't something you can deal with. Melmetal's too powerful to brute force things."

"Negotiating with Zoroark didn't work, Grace."

"Zoroark was on me," I immediately acknowledged. "And I'm sorry about that. I will apologize and try to repay you until I'm dead, but we have to live first. Zoroark and Melmetal just don't function the same way, Ariel. I'm an empath, I know this."

Ariel sighed. "It would be Maxwell's call. He's in charge, now."

Now that Lou was dead was left unsaid, and I ignored the pit of guilt in my stomach telling me that I was the wrong person to have survived.

"Can you—" I stopped, clenching at my forehead. "Can you call Maxwell over and replace him? Get us to speak?"

"His Honchkrow is the only thing keeping us alive right now," Ariel answered.

"Then I'm going."

"Gra—"

"We are dead either way, Ariel, and you know it! Claydol!" I yelled to interrupt her. "Would you be capable of speaking in Melmetal's head from here?"

Negative. The Endless Alloy does not have a proper 'mind' to communicate with, the ground type said. I would have to use an audible voice and not telepathy.

"That still works. Ariel, you have to let the other ACEs know to stop their attacks, and I have to go alone," I said.

"Now you're asking for too much—"

"Listen to me. Negotiations won't work if you're attacking Melmetal, okay? Just… put it all on pause. It'll be a gesture of goodwill. Can you convince Maxwell for me, or are you going to continue this meaningless fight?"

Both Mathilda and Zoroark had told me that the fact that the ACEs were here in the first place made them less likely to talk. I couldn't send them away, but I could at least compromise. Ariel paused, chewing on my words as a set of metallic whips extended from Melmetal's arms and destroyed more buildings. One of the Pokemon— Maxwell's Ursaring— was hit by droplets of liquid iron and his arm started to melt off until his trainer recalled him.

"We're running out of time," I muttered.

"It has a better chance of success than what we're doing… so go. I'll warn Maxwell."

"Thank you," I breathed out. "Princess?"

This was our opening. Melmetal always waited in between attacks for a reason I did not understand. Maybe it was because they'd been dormant for over a century, or perhaps it took them time to charge attacks of this calibre, or a combination of both. Either way, Togekiss flew up, gaining in altitude as Claydol followed to the best of their ability. Melmetal was completely focused on the ACEs and their Pokemon because they'd been fighting non-stop for nearly thirty minutes. I waited for the steel type's next attack, and it came soon after. Droplets of iron rose from the metallic sea, twisting until they turned into paper-thin sheets of metal that Melmetal sent hurtling forward. I heard Maxwell swear behind me, his voice now faint because of how far away I was. I patted Princess fur, still bloodied from my fingers, and I she dove down, causing the wind to whip my hair around. The attacks from the ACEs had stopped, now, thank the Legendaries.

"Endless Alloy!" I called out so loudly that my throat rasped. "Hear me out, please!"

The amalgamation of liquid steel slowly turned my way, but I didn't wait for it to look.

"Issuing declaration: Lakhutia's new King is addressing you, O child of God. I have been assigned as her new Guardian, as I was for countless monarchs before her. Let it be known she comes in peace," Claydol smoothly said.

The little dark orb in the center of Melmetal's golden gear narrowed at me, confirming that it was their eye. Spikes rose from the metal below, but they did not fly at me. Looks like pretending to be a King works with Claydol here, thank the Legendaries.

"This entire battle's been a big misunderstanding," I quickly added. "The ACEs didn't come here to destroy the city, they're just my bodyguards. When you woke up so suddenly, they panicked, and I guess you panicked too, seeing unfamiliar faces around with Zoroark— speaking of Zoroark— or I guess the Fiend, I dealt with him for you! You should be able to sense that he's no longer here, no? The rage clinging to this place is gone. There's not even a whisper of it left."

The grinding sound of metal against metal escaped Melmetal's frame, and I cursed myself for not being able to understand. I opened up my empathy once more and delved deeper— not too deep, because I didn't want to pass out where I sat. Even Princess looked to be on the verge. Beyond the grief that had molded Melmetal, there was a certain understanding, but it was also mixed with wariness.

"We're sorry about the destroyed buildings and the damage we've caused. If you'd let us leave, we would without a word," I said. "But I have something else to say first, if you will allow it."

There was no reaction, but their emotions didn't waver, so I continued.

"All this time, you've known nothing but the city," I said. "They call you 'child of God' here, don't they?"

Query recognized: the people of Lakhutia believe that the world was forged by a metalworker deity and that Melmetal was given to them by him as a gift, Claydol quickly added in my mind.

Imaginary Gods, Zoroark had said. Melmetal was powerful, but it wasn't a child of a God unless you took being Arceus' children literally. Both Melmetal and Zoroark had only known Lakhutia. One had been forced into the role of a demi-God deity to the acclaim of their people, while the other had been forced into the role of a demon, or something akin to it, and was forced to endure centuries of torment. And now, only they remained, their people long gone, stuck in an endless cycle of ruin and renewal. A never-ending war between grief and rage.

"I was a little like that, when I was younger," I said. "I barely knew anything other than my room and my school, because doing anything else was uncomfortable and scary. The world out there is a beautiful place, Melmetal. Don't stay chained up to the same place out of obligation— because it's what you've always done. Zoroark's gone now, and you can go and experience the outside world without worrying that the city would be destroyed without you."

Worry. Fear. Apprehension. Uncertainty. Each feeling hit me like I'd been run over by a car because of the sheer magnitude of the being I was talking to today. Most of it was redirected toward the city's future without a guardian, but some toward the ruin Melmetal would be leaving behind, if they left to travel the wild on their own.

"I… well, maybe I can come back when we're all better? I think we're all getting a little sick. My Togekiss is excellent at shaping stone, so we could fit up the damage we all caused. If you don't trust us, I could stick around a while as— well, some kind of hostage, I guess. I'll hand over my Pokemon to be healed, and Claydol and I will hang out here. They'll have to bring me food and probably leave at least one bodyguard behind, but we can fix all of this. We can—"

Arceus, my head, I groaned. It was like it was being split in two.

Approval, but not in full. Pain. Loss. Cycle. Melmetal's rusted skin rippled, and it was then that I realized my ACE trainers had dealt more damage than I'd first believed— no, Melmetal had used too much of their power too quickly right after awakening to deal with them when they usually only had to contend with Zoroark, and they would be falling asleep soon no matter what. I did not know what soon meant, but the feeling I got was an hour or two. Beyond when Cynthia and the League would have arrived, but that didn't matter. It was not the point I was focusing on.

It meant that Melmetal was condemned to at least another century of sleep. In the corner of my eye, I saw Maxwell, gripping a stump where his hand should be. The earlier attack had cut his wrist clean off.

Hesitation. Expectation. Favor.

They were tired of fighting.

"Favor…" I muttered. "Melmetal, I'm not— I'm nothing. You'd be disappointed with me, and how would it even work? You're… falling asleep soon," I whimpered.

Never mind that the League would not let me keep them, or at least I didn't believe they would.

Opportunity.

Healing.

Renewal.

The sea of iron rippled without warning across the entire city, absorbing the mini-Melmetals in the process. The buildings did not get swallowed up by the endless tide of silver. Instead, the ones who had collapsed rose again— newer ones, made of metal, but ragged and worn so they would appear to be rock at first glance. They were perfect replicas. Replicas was important, because Lou was still dead and she was never coming back. Already, her other three Pokemon had been discreetly recalled. I placed a hand over my mouth, choking up from the sacrifice taking place in front of my eyes and as the emotions of this entire debacle started sinking in. Melmetal's body did not shine bright. Instead, rust spread like a cancer, slowly overtaking their entire frame. It clung to the gears, the golden one atop their head crumbling to dust as the liquid metal returned to the main body. Melmetal grew to forty feet tall, leaving only thin sinews of rust behind that looked more like a bird cage than the majestic body that had come before. I called out to Togekiss, who landed on the now solid ground and nearly collapsed from exhaustion. I barely managed to stand on my good leg, wobbly as it was, and a thin psychic hold from Claydol kept me upright. After thanking her for pushing herself so far, I recalled my starter and clipped her Pokeball back on my belt. I limped toward Melmetal's corpse, my eyes struggling to stay open, and I crouched at the sliver of iron and gold that remained on the floor.

Small enough to fit in the palm of my hand, and much smaller than the ones they'd created before. I outstretched my arm, placing my palm up from the floor, and the mini-Melmetal hopped in my hand with a confused warble. I ignored the agonizing pain in my fingers and turned to Claydol.

The situation could have unfolded less favorably. Let us express gratitude for the fortunate outcome, Claydol said, their pupils forming into upside-down 'U's to mimic happiness. Happiness that they did not feel, and that I was not feeling either, but the gesture was appreciated.

"Let's see the world, both you and I," I said, before addressing… the nameless metallic blob in my hand. I struggled to understand if this was a new life, or reincarnation of some kind, but they were just so fragile. Like pulling on them too hard would unravel the entire structure. "You're tired of fighting, aren't you? You won't have to do that, or train, or anything else you don't like."

It had cost others. Lou was dead, and her Pokemon would grieve her like mine would have if I'd died. Maxwell had lost a hand. The majority of my ACEs' Pokemon were grievously injured or maybe worse.

It had cost my family. They were all physically broken, sick, and most of all, Honey's hand was missing as well, and the bones in his body had been shattered. It would take long for us to heal.

It would keep costing me. It was a debt I would never be able repay in full, and I had not come here with this goal in mind.

But I'd saved two people from an eternity of war or exploitation today. I hoped one day I would have it in me to do this without tasting ash in my mouth, and without endangering the lives of others. You couldn't have known, Lou had told me, and yet…

And yet.

I barely registered catching the mini-Melmetal before passing out.

---

A/N: Three points to note:

1) Lou is truly dead. I don't do death fake-outs because they weren't seen on screen.

2) About Grace catching a Meltan, I can see how it would worry some after seeing what Melmetal could do. Meltan is and will remain ridiculously weak and is basically a baby Pokemon, though it might have some utility down the line outside of fights that the average steel type could have. It cannot evolve unless it finds other Meltan to fuse with or lives for centuries, and it will not want to.

3) Adding two Pokemon at once can seem like a lot, but there is only one more Pokemon planned for Grace's team and she won't be getting it in this region.


Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, SecondBlahm, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Uno, Michael J, Knock, Jan

 

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 286

I stirred awake as a sharp pain shot up my hands, then spread everywhere else. My fingers felt like they were on fire, and moving them around made me whimper. It took a few seconds to remember that I hadn't fallen asleep the last time I'd been conscious and that I wasn't actually supposed to be in a bed, but there was no mistaking the fluffy feeling behind my back or the covers over me. Blinking, I wormed my way from under the covers, realizing I was not in a Pokemon Center. This room was a lot larger than that, though it did look like a hospital room, only larger. My bed was big enough to fit two, and instead of the blinding white I'd come to expect from hospitals, this room was more of a homely beige and gray. This looks more like a hotel room than a hospital room, I groggily thought as I dragged myself out of bed, and then promptly realized there was a needle poking into my hand through the bandages around them, slowly dripping fluids into my system. A flat-screen TV played some news about the Lost Tower being different lately, though I was too out of it to actually listen properly. On my bedside table sat four Pokeballs which had clearly been polished, seeing as none of my dry blood remained on them. I assumed that most of my team had been taken to be healed.

"Water…" I muttered.

A new pair of crutches had been laid on the side of the bed, which I clasped with a pained grunt, and I dragged the IV stand with me. I found walking harder than usual, not because of my ankle hurting more, but because of how dizzy I was, and the headache certainly didn't help. I turned the room's corner— because yes, it actually had a corner— and found myself in some kind of tiny living room with a kitchen, leathery khaki couches a coffee table with flowers on it, and… a fridge, just what I was looking for. I found it difficult to open the damn thing, with how my fingers kept twitching. Grabbing onto things tightly helped, though, even though it hurt more. There was water, but also frozen meals which I'd be able to heat in the microwave. I downed the entire bottle in one go, ignoring the pain shooting up my hands.

Lou… I bit my lip and looked away from my wounded fingers.

They were expecting me to stay here long, which made sense, considering I could barely walk and my Pokemon were all hurt… but where was here? There was a note next to the flowers, so I hobbled my way to the coffee table and slumped against the couch, only to realize that it was a get well soon letter from Cynthia and not anything explaining where the hell I was. It was at this point that I decided to look for my phone, which for some reason they'd put in an Arceus damn drawer, along with the clothes I'd been wearing before passing out and my ring instead of my backpack. There were so many questions I wanted to ask, and it felt like I was being kept in the dark.

But first, I needed to text my friends I was okay. I had warned them I'd be going down in the city, and they were probably worried sick. At least it looked like I hadn't been out for too long— only twelve hours or so, like having a particularly long night's sleep. Texting was like a cruel joke, now, but at least my thumbs were the least fucked up fingers, from what I remembered, which was barely anything. Yesterday still felt like a dream to me, but it was real, and Lou was dead.

I'd killed her.

Before I could see my friends react to the news, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Come in!" I eagerly said.

I expected for a doctor of some kind to come in, not the Champion of Sinnoh herself. She was as pretty as always, decked out in her usual black coat and straightened hair this time. My body froze, save for the occasional twitch, because I was already facing her when I'd gotten one of her ACE Trainers killed. Unlike Rene, who had protected Chase, Lou had reported directly under Cynthia and they'd known each other quite well. Even if I went at this from a pragmatic point of view, which I thought Cynthia operated under, Lou and her abilities had been one of a kind. She was quite literally irreplaceable. I shrunk slightly in my seat, though Cynthia's face was the same as always. Her long, confident strides had her next to me in seconds.

"Grace," she smiled at me. "How are you feeling?"

"Wh—where am I?" I forced out.

"The League," The Champion answered. "You'll forgive the fact that we basically kidnapped you, I hope. We needed to keep the metallic Pokemon you caught a secret, at least for the time being."

Forgive her? Legendaries, I was the one who should have been asking for forgiveness! "Yeah, um, that's fine. My Pokemon, are they—"

"Being healed by the best Joys in Sinnoh. They took a real beating, so they'll take a while to recover. Your Electivire especially. His wrist and hand will regrow in around two weeks, but it'll take longer for him to be able to use it properly. Your team was the victim of mercury poisoning, some more than others. Your Togekiss was hurt the most, with the way fairies are vulnerable to metal, and she'll take a similar number of days to get back to full health. The rest will take less time," Cynthia quickly explained.

Training for Byron before the Red Chain deadline had just gone out the window, and the fact that I even worried about that made me want to ball up my hand into a fist until the pain had me pass out. I assumed the ACE Trainers were also sick, and even though I wanted to ask, I couldn't get the words out of my throat. At least the poisoning wouldn't leave anything permanent.

"You're also sick, which is why I asked how you were feeling," Cynthia continued.

"I have a horrible headache, I feel like I want to throw up continuously even though I haven't eaten and my body keeps twitching," I mumbled. "Breathing is also a little hard."

"Common symptoms of mercury poisoning. We've been giving you chelating agents through your IV, so you should feel better within the week or so. We contacted the other Shards and told them you were alright, but you'll have to tell your other friends."

I didn't bother asking what chelating was or what it did, but I did feel somewhat relieved I would recover— a feeling that sickened me. I'd already messaged the rest of my friends, and no one else had known I'd be going to Lakhutia, not even my parents.

"Cynthia, I'm sorry about Lou…" I muttered.

The Champion crossed her legs. "Don't worry yourself about casualties," she said. The fact that word had been plural wasn't lost on me and probably meant some Pokemon had died too. "Your fingers will take longer to heal, but no permanent damage was done. Your ankle was also deemed to still be healing fine and progressing along well."

I nodded, skin gone pale.

"Aliyah will be coming here tomorrow morning to help with any… issues you might be dealing with, though I am always willing to lend an ear if you need to vent. Let us know if you need someone else to talk to as well."

"Thank you." I stopped, sinking into the leather couch. "Listen, I should be the last one to make demands right now, but I… um, the city's still fine, right? You won't destroy it because Zoroark and Melmetal are gone?"

"We had a few League Trainers look through Lakhutia, but the city won't be touched. I plan on going there as well, when I have the time."

"I caught Zoroark," I said, my eyes glancing at the four Pokeballs on my bedside table.

"Yes, and Melmetal, or that small version of it. That is what I wanted to bring up."

"Do you have someone to look after Zoroark?" I asked. "I don't want him to stay in a Pokeball forever… he needs someone who'll teach him that there's more to life than hatred, but I'm honestly a terrible candidate for the job."

I had a few candidates in mind, but Fantina and Cynthia herself were at the top of that list. It would, however, probably be a year-long journey, and I didn't know if both women would be able to commit to such a thing. ACEs would not be an option. They were trained to shoot first and ask questions later, and Zoroark had just killed one of their own. A random League Trainer would be fine, so long as they had the stomach to handle a Pokemon that would continuously try to kill them. For the Elite Four, none of them were ghost type specialists, but that wouldn't matter so long as they were willing to work with Zoroark. There were also Frontier Brains, but that was probably pushing it.

"This makes things a lot easier. I believed you would try to keep it, which the logistics of wouldn't have worked and would have put you in too much danger," Cynthia said. "If it's something you want, I can try to make it happen, but I cannot guarantee someone will accept. It would have to be someone high in the chain of command who knows about today's events, but few of those will want to take care of Zoroark."

"What about… you?" I tried.

The Champion laughed, which sounded a lot more genuine than the few times I'd seen her do so. Why are you laughing? Lou is dead. Was she really laughing, or was it a trick? The hair on my neck rose, and I felt a chill.

"I suppose I could be an option," Cynthia finally said. "I'll have to see after I speak with Fantina, though I doubt she'll want to burden herself with a murder-obsessed Pokemon. She's always had a soft touch, so maybe."

Thank the Legendaries. I was still important enough for her to at least try to listen to my suggestions. I didn't know if I would have been able to stand back up if I had to live with the fact that I'd condemned Zoroark with years of prison with no stimulation.

"Now, onto your new captures," Cynthia said. "Claydol will be fine to show, though we'll need to hide your… the name we're working with is Meltan, from a few ancient texts we recovered in the city. The scripture is similar to the one used in ancient times in Solaceon, so we managed to figure that out."

I nodded. "Okay."

"And before you're allowed to take it, we'll have to run some tests. Make sure that it's safe to be around, measuring its capabilities, along with taking some general samples from its body, if possible."

"Oh… wait, can the sample stuff wait a few days? And can the safety tests be done in this room? Meltan's never known anything other than the city, so they'll be overwhelmed. Claydol, too."

She inclined her head. "Which is why they were not taken yet." She gestured at the Pokeballs on my table. Zoroark, Jellicent, Meltan, Claydol, with the rest being taken care of by the League's Nurse Joys. "I'll have one of our people come and take a look to make sure being near Meltan won't be poisoning you further, but the rest can wait. It'll just be a small scan, it won't take more than a minute."

"Thanks. Um…"

Arceus, just fucking ask.

"Who else died in the battle?" I choked.

"Do you want to know?"

I nodded.

"Maxwell's Liepard and Richard's Stoutland died from their wounds. The rest of their teams got off rather light, about the same as yours, save for Weezing and Cacturne suffering from severe backlash from Destiny Bond. The nurses believe they'll live, however."

Ah. There was a sudden urge to go and apologize, but I didn't think they wanted anything to do with me anymore. Still, I couldn't let this fester like Maylene and Candice. I needed to at least try, because that was what being good was about. So I'd stand with my head hung low and take the hits, because I deserved it.

"I see what you're thinking. ACE Trainers are a professional force. They will not let feelings get in the way of work."

"That doesn't matter. I still need to say sorry. They pretend like they don't care about each other, but they clearly do, and I got Lou killed—

"That was not your fault."

"It was—"

"Melmetal wasn't a known entity to the League. Zoroark was the highest-level threat we thought you would be dealing with. There was no way for you to expect Melmetal to exist, let alone awaken."

"Lou asked me to leave over and over," I said through clenched teeth.

"Because she was anxious about letting you fight Zoroark after what happened in the Lost Tower," Cynthia smoothly countered. "She was not expecting a Pokemon that powerful to pop up."

I pushed my fingers into the couch and tried not to squirm. "But if I listened, she'd be alive."

And both Zoroark and Melmetal would still be stuck in the same cycle until the League caught the former and killed the latter. I did not want to ask myself if it had been worth it, because lives were not something I wanted to get back to measuring on scales. I'd saved two, gotten three killed in exchange, and caused emotional harm to countless individuals who would have to live with that fact. Every time, when I looked into their eyes, I would see it. I would feel it, even.

"What'll happen to Lou's team?" I whispered.

"They'll see a therapist and be transferred, more preferably together. Either to another trainer or the Battle Frontier," she explained. "Now, I would love to stay and chat, but I have some things to attend to. Mr. Henrick is waiting right outside the room and will take a look at Meltan, so you'll have to wait outside while he does."

"Can I talk to them first?"

Cynthia's smile flattened, and for a second, I could see the gears turning in her head. Her calculating if risking my health was worth keeping me happy. I supposed she didn't fully understand what kind of state I was in, with the way the thought of refusing and being difficult wasn't even an option.

"I'm afraid not, but maybe your Claydol can be in the room. They have an understanding, don't they?"

"I'm not sure if Meltan is a reincarnation or another life entirely, so I don't know if they'll remember Claydol, but if it's the best I'm going to get, I'll take it."

"Good."

Cynthia rose, passing a hand through her long hair and waited for me to stand. I handed her Zoroark's Pokeball, which she would hold onto for now, and I patiently waited outside for the chubby scientist to finish his scan. He'd been wearing eye goggles, gloves, and a full hazmat suit that made me think I was in some kind of contaminated laboratory, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. He'd also had a League Kadabra with him, which I assumed was to keep him safe. There were finally windows in the hallway of this hospital, and I could see the Lily of the Valley Island in its full glory. The League building was imposing, and the tallest in the distance, even more so than the stadiums that were already fully set up and good to go. It was a traditional building that reminded me of the old cathedrals in Hearthome, with a beautiful stained glass window in the form of a Pokeball on its facade and tall orange pointed roofs atop each spire. It was my first time, seeing the island with my own eyes, and it was more of a bustling city than the orderly fortress I'd been expecting— like something akin to what had been built around the three lakes. Instead, this looked like a town larger than even Solaceon. There were definitely security measures that weren't visible to the naked eye, but this looked like a genuinely nice place to live in. There were even civilians walking around— families of League employees who lived here full-time.

"Um, I have a Poketch meeting on the 25th of April—"

Cynthia interrupted me. "Which you won't have time to get to if you stay here as long as we said. Don't worry, we'll Teleport you to Jubilife when you're cleared to leave and transfer your Pokemon to one of Jubilife's Pokemon Centers so they can continue their treatment."

I nodded silently as the door behind us opened and Meltan was confirmed to be safe to be around. I exhaled, my shoulders slumping in relief, and Cynthia allowed me back in the room before she left and told me to get some rest. Claydol's eyes moved independently from each other as they scanned the entire room 'for unknown threats' while Meltan, who was slightly under eight inches tall, crawled along the floor toward me like a baby learning to walk.

"Hey," I whispered, crouching. I picked up Meltan into my hands, making sure to shift them back on my palms so their weight wouldn't hurt. They were heavier than they looked, though that was probably because I was sick. "Are you okay? Was the scan scary?" I turned toward Claydol. "Claydol?"

My King. Data analysis completed: 18 unknown tools and devices identified. Caution advised. Please proceed with care and exercise heightened vigilance in the presence of these unfamiliar items while I take care of them, the psychic chimed, suddenly grabbing things around the room with their mind. They snapped the TV remote in two and were about to crumple the television itself, had I not yelled at them to stop.

"There's no danger anywhere here, okay? We're safe, you don't have to worry."

My apologies. May I bring to your attention that there is a needle stabbing your hand right this moment?

"Yeah, that's fine," I said. "It's helping with my sickness. The rest of my Pokemon are getting help too, and I think we should let Buddy get some rest in his ball for now while we get to know each other. Is that okay?"

Meltan let out some kind of warble that I did not understand. I had no idea if I'd ever be able to understand the steel type as clearly as I did my other Pokemon, with how confusing Melmetal had been, but with my empathy I at least knew they'd agreed to that notion. The small black sphere hovering in the middle of their golden gear turned to an upside-down 'U', and they were clearly pleased with themselves. Now that I could get a better, sober look at their body, Meltan had some kind of red cord in the place of a tail that waggled whenever they moved.

"Okay, guys," I said. "First thing's first, I have a question for you, Meltan. You can answer by nodding or shaking your head, okay?" I waited, and they answered by turning their eye into an 'X' or and 'O' instead. They're more impressive than I thought they'd be, I thought with a slight smirk. "Do you remember where you come from? Any old memories?"

Meltan answered no, which meant that I was basically dealing with a newborn. The metallic being shifted in my hands, their body turning slightly more solid as they traveled up my scarred forearm and carefully balanced themselves on top of it. I painfully kept them still before they could fall and hurt themselves.

"Do you still want to travel?" I asked. "To get to know the outside world?"

Meltan chimed, becoming so gooey they nearly slipped through my fingers, and there was a small spark of electricity on their tail. So they had none of the memories, but had still retained Melmetal's deepest desires, it seemed. Even their attachment to me felt too strong, for how little we'd known each other. I guess he sees me as his protector and guide thanks to the oath I swore with Melmetal, I mused.

"Great! I'm going to show you a bunch of places," I softly said. "I'll keep you safe, okay? You won't have to see any fighting."

Claydol's eyes all converged toward the cracked television screen. May I know why this wall is talking and showing images? Additional query: Who is this lady on the wall? Awaiting data input for explanation.

"Arceus, you're going to have to learn about everything, aren't you?" I chuckled softly. "Alright, that's a television, or TV for short. Basically, it's a projection of what's happening somewhere else. The girl's name is Mallory Ryan. She's a news anchor, and gives people all over the country information instantaneously."

Claydol hummed, letting me know that they'd updated their memory banks. I used the opportunity to grab my Pokedex, which intrigued Meltan to a great degree. Their eyes poked out of their gear in a strangely cute way, and I put them on my shoulder so they would be able to see the screen. I held back a wince from the pain shooting up my fingers, but I didn't want to worry my two new Pokemon. Arceus, I couldn't wait until they got to mingle with the others. Maybe I'd release Buddy early? He'd probably ask me to soak in a bath before doing any socializing, though.

"Claydol, stand still for a sec," I said.

Noted.

Claydol, the Clay Doll Pokemon. Claydol is an enigma that appears to first have been created from a clay statue made by an ancient civilization dating back 20,000 years, after which the knowledge spread throughout the world. This Pokémon shoots beams from both its hands and its eyes, and is adept at multi-tasking.

Meltan jumped from the sudden voice, their eye widely ping-ponging inside of their gear, and Claydol's eyes narrowed at the end of the speech.

Analysis completed: This device is a suboptimal version of myself. Requesting disposal, my King. Elimination recommended for improved efficiency and operational effectiveness.

"The voice does sound kind of similar," I muttered. "But don't worry, you don't have to compete with a machine."

Sex: None

Type: Ground/Psychic

Moves: Mud Slap, Rock Tomb, Rapid Spin, Harden, Confusion, Psychic, Barrier, Imprison, Wide Guard, Light Screen, Reflect (click for more information)

Ability: Levitate (click for more information)

"Not bad," I said.

I am glad I am to your liking and that I will not be destroyed and discarded, my King, Claydol chimed. There was a strange tune that played along with their words, like some kind of celebration music built into them, though it glitched halfway through and stopped instead. Please ignore that horrifying failure. I tend to be the victim of comedic timing, they added.

I snorted. "Really? Comedic timing? Can I have an example?"

Claydol's pupils dilated slightly. Processing request: Hold on while I recall this memory... Memory found. I once wished the first King I served good health, and he died choking on a fish bone six hours, twenty-five minutes, and three seconds later. I was then placed in the Royal Crypt as a bringer of bad luck, where I stayed until you found me.

"That's just superstitious stuff. Anyway, do you have a name I should call you? Or a preferred gender, or anything?"

Awaiting for your input, they said.

"Okay, never mind, we'll put that on hold," I said. "If you want, I'll think of a name for you, and you can just be… you probably don't even understand the concept of gender, so we can just have you be whatever you want, or keep just being outside of that spectrum entirely."

Whatever you wish, my King.

"And what's with this king stuff?" I scoffed, pointing the Pokedex toward Meltan. "You can call me Grace, you know?"

Issuing correction: negative. I am your guardian, and can only be committed to defending a King. You have a Pokemon called Princess. Consequently, you should be referred to as a King.

I rolled my eyes as the screen for my Pokedex went blank at the sight of Meltan, which was something I'd expected, since it hadn't known what that ancient Zoroark was either, when Chase had fought him. It was weird, with Claydol. Sometimes they felt like they had a personality, but other times they just became a regular old computer again that deferred to my every thought. At the very least, they weren't completely blank. Meltan deflated when they saw they didn't have a Pokedex entry.

"Hey, we can just make one up," I grinned. "How about…"

Images of Lou flashed in my head, and I imagined her body melting inside of the sea of metal Melmetal had created. I bit my lip, clenching at my fingers until they hurt. No. Don't do this. Don't put the blame on them. Meltan eagerly screeched next to my ears as they held onto my hair so they could balance themselves on my shoulder. They still couldn't walk properly, after all.

"...I don't know, 'this Pokemon can alter their state from a solid or a liquid, create small jolts of electricity with their tail, and… yeah, I'm out. But look, we can create one together when we figure out more about you."

Pleased with themselves, Meltan nodded and pointed toward the floor. I placed them back on the ground, and they began to practice walking again, though their head was so heavy compared to the rest of their body that they fell over numerous times.

"Are you okay with Meltan being here?" I whispered to Claydol. "They were kind of a God to your people, no?"

The ground type's eyes flashed. Of course. Preserving natural order through the companionship of the Endless Alloy and the King is a rational course of action. Any alternative perspective would defy established principles and be deemed irrational.

I snorted, which confused the psychic and had their eyes turn to strange glyphs again.

"Claydol, I have this thing I've been doing that you'll probably find weird…"

I explained the context to Gym Battles to the psychic, and the way people battled for sport these days and not just for war and actually real fights. Claydol was so confused they failed to compute whatever I was saying multiple times, and the only way I managed to frame this in a way they understood was that battling made Pokemon stronger, so it was like training, but really quickly, and other people enjoyed watching that training. That led to me having to explain that Ditto was a thing, and that injuries in battle were treated far easier now than back in the day. Thinking about it, the implementation of Ditto cells in Pokemon Centers had probably moved the needle when it came to Pokemon training. There were far fewer powerful trainers before, and that included during the Great War. The treatment had begun in Kanto-Johto, but even though they'd tried to keep a lid on it, it spread like wildfire in every region and got to Sinnoh around the time when Cynthia was a kid. By the time she'd gone out on her journey, the cells had already been normalized.

And thank the Legendaries for that, with the way Honey had lost his hand.

I specialize in your protection, my King. Uncertain about proficiency in mock battling.

"Hey, if you don't feel confident with battling, that's okay," I said. "But we'll have to train, still. Your barriers are already great, but offensively, you're lacking. Something like Ancient Power and bettering your use of Psychic would be a good start. Princess can show you the ropes when she's back. And also, we'll need to find you a teacher for Teleport eventually."

Acknowledged.

"And since I want to be honest," I said, standing up to face Claydol. "There's this evil organization I'm involved with that you might have to protect me against called Team Galactic. That was one of the main reasons I ventured into Lakhutia to find you, really."

Meltan tilted their head, peeking out from below my hospital bed.

"You'll be safe," I said. "I'll keep you in your Pokeball if it comes to a fight. But what I want to know, Claydol, is if you're okay with that? The rest of my team is, but if you don't feel comfortable—"

I specialize in your protection, Claydol repeated in their monotone voice.

"O—okay. Thank you."

We'd need to find Claydol a hobby, and soon. I didn't want them to just protect me. They needed to have a life outside of that, and being intrigued by the TV was a good start, if anything. I crouched next to Meltan again, who slid from under the bed and toward me.

"Now, Meltan, I wanted to ask you, do you have a name you want to be called? I can pick, but you might want to. I can throw out suggestions until you settle on something."

Gender was not something they understood, either, so I settled on sticking with what I'd been referring them to, at least for now. I threw some names at them, but they refused every single one.

"Claydol, what do you think of Goopy?" I said, lying on my hospital bed. Meltan stood on my stomach, the cold feeling of metal having seeped through my hospital gown. Of course, the steel type's eye turned into an X instantly.

Requesting permission to speak freely.

I raised an eyebrow and nodded. "You always have it."

The choice of 'Goopy' appears to be a whimsical attempt to encapsulate the molten, gooey essence of the Eternal Alloy. It seems apt, considering the Pokémon's appearance is reminiscent of a metallic blob. However, in the realm of creativity, one might argue that 'Goopy' lacks the imaginative spark found in more inventive nicknames—

"Okay, I get it!" I groaned. "We'll figure something out later."

My apologies, my King.

I grabbed my phone, painfully scrolling through my messages with my thumbs. "No worries, it was just a suggestion anyway," I mumbled, trying not to let the hurt show.

It appeared that Cece was still in transit to Pastoria and that Mira was still traveling up north, but the others had seen the message. I wanted to speak to her so badly… but she'd have reception in a few days at most. The fact that I had to hide Meltan from them left a bad taste in my mouth. Of course, I also had to hide the fact that a Melmetal had attacked me from the non-Shards (save for Denzel) for now, but not wanting to lie, I kept light on the details and said I didn't want to talk about it in-depth, which was the truth. Thinking about yesterday just wracked me with guilt, and my mind just wanted to pretend it hadn't happened as long as I was stuck in this hospital room and I could ignore the consequences of my choices.

Though I would tell them all the truth as soon as I could. Denzel and Louis were especially worried about the way I seemed to get into life-and-death situations at least once per month, but I wasn't planning on doing much of that any longer. If I wanted to, I'd need to be strong enough not to endanger others, at the very least. The last thing I wanted was for someone else to die, and I dreaded the look on my ACE's faces if I forced them to follow me into some death trap again.

I lifted my phone up, staring at the little Meltan.

"How am I supposed to hide you?" I mumbled. "Your existence is bound to come out eventually, and if you're in a Pokeball constantly, I won't be able to show you around."

Meltan warbled, crawling onto my wrist before molding themselves into an iron bracelet and a streak of gold. The transformation had been slow, taking up to a minute, but it was a very nice way of hiding them. The bracelet shivered on my wrist, and I would have rubbed it, had my hands not been shredded.

"That's… perfect," I said. "I didn't know you could do tricks like that."

Well, it seemed I had a lot to learn about both of my new teammates, but I was growing tired, and I was still sick, so I opted to close my eyes and eventually drifted off to sleep.

After Claydol offered to play me a lullaby, of course. One in their catalog of over two hundred songs. Instead, I asked them to watch Meltan— who I was already feeling was slipping off my wrist— while they explored the room and not to attack anyone if they entered the room.

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, SecondBlahm, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Uno, Michael J, Knock, Jan

 

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 287

The League made worse food than Pokemon Centers did.

Sure, my room was bigger, and it was cozier here even if it was technically a hospital room and not a dorm, but I'd expected the food to be just as good as everything else had been. Instead I'd been served some lemon herb chicken with steamed vegetables, and it was just ugh, especially given the fact that I was constantly nauseous and wasn't sure I'd be able to eat even half of it without hurling all over my bed. It was easy to get used to the food the Center cafeterias served you, and I'd never complain about it ever again. Mimi hung onto the plate and extended a thin tendril of metal to grab a piece of chicken before deeming it undesirable and throwing it back with a sad mewl. Mimi was a name they'd chosen and hadn't been in my first… hundred choices, but they seemed to enjoy it enough. Claydol, meanwhile, was still trying to convince me to just assign them a name and be done with it already. The ground type was currently hovering in the 'living room' area in the corner of the room and deciphering the world's current alphabet by using one of my textbooks, which they were learning at a rapid pace. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they'd know how to read by tomorrow morning.

"We'll find you something to eat soon," I told Meltan. "Don't worry about it."

The steel type's eye poked out of the golden gear above their head, staring at me intently. They were getting antsy and wanted to get out of the room after having spent an entire day here, but I was still too sick to go out, even if I wanted to, so I'd taken to taking them into the hallway so they could stare out the window as a bracelet, but that did little to contain Mimi's wanderlust. Instead, they'd grown even more excited at how big the world was in a way that couldn't help but have me smiling. I chewed on possibly the last bit of food I'd be eating, forcing it down with a mouthful of water and sighed.

"I think Buddy should be rested enough now for you guys to officially meet. Are you ready? Both of you?"

While Claydol had already met Buddy, it had been in the middle of a heated battle, so there hadn't been much opportunity for them to speak. The psychic agreed, two of their eyes settling on mine while the others either faced my book or continuously scanned the room for dangers. I noticed it had been muscle memory they had held over from their time as the King's Guardian, something they insisted on calling me. Mimi's tail shook more erratically than it usually did, and I noticed the steel type was probably nervous. I was currently trying to learn their body language without relying on my empathy too much, but it wasn't too difficult with how expressive Meltan was.

"He's nice, don't worry," I said, putting my plate onto my bedside table. A nurse cleared to know everything about me and the events had come to monitor me earlier and would come pick this up just like she'd brought it. I found it pretty crazy that there were apparently clearance levels for everyone here, and not just for members of the army. "He's a little shy around new people though, so I doubt he'll talk as much as you do."

One thing I'd learned about Mimi during our day together was that they were very vocal. More than any of my Pokemon, even Sweetie, though the steel type's words weren't really… words that I could fully translate. More like ideas, wants, and concepts, just like Melmetal had been, but easier to manage. Thankfully Mimi was nowhere as loud as she was, or I would have gotten in trouble with the hospital staff. Claydol was more silent unless you spoke to them first, but once you did, they'd launch into random stories and tangents that sometimes had nothing to do with what you'd asked in the first place until they stopped and apologized for malfunctioning. At least they'd both helped keep my thoughts from spiraling. I had nightmares… saw Lou's face whenever I closed my eyes. The last look we shared before she'd Teleported me out of that sinking house would haunt me for long. Claydol lowered their book as I released Jellicent in the room's center. The ghost's form was still somewhat wavery, with the constant ripples running through his body being the biggest sign, but also how imperfect his head was. It was usually a relatively smooth sphere, but there were bumps and little dents everywhere, and he struggled to stay afloat. Zoroark's pulse attack had really done a number on him too, despite the fact that he usually always recovered quickly from any battle.

"Woah. Can you— can you float alright? Do you want me to draw you a bath? I should have had one prepared, I'm sorry."

Jellicent let out a pained moan, though his eyes were as focused and vibrant as ever. He had known I'd caught Claydol, but not Meltan, and he did stare intently at the little fellow, but only after expressing his relief at my survival. Mimi introduced themselves with a metallic screech, a small spark of their tail and waving two of their little arms. I had seen them create at least eight at once when they were experimenting earlier, but since every human they saw only had two, that was the number they had settled on. Their eye wobbling like a rippling lake betrayed their lack of confidence, however, even if they stood tall.

"You've been in your ball for around a day," I said. "The entire family's fine, there were no casualties there. Honey and Princess will take the longest to heal. This, uh, this is Mimi. I caught them shortly after I recalled you and got us out of there—"

The ghost's tentacle extended until it softly touched my cheek, and I leaned into the affectionate touch until he started to scold me for giving up on life so easily. For daring to leave them behind because I'd been out of options. There was a hint of panic in his tone— a fray in his voice that I had never heard out of him before, because while it hadn't been our first close brush with death, it had been truly the first time I had accepted it.

"What else did you want me to do?" I muttered. "If I'm going down, I might as well try to save your lives. The metal would have killed even you."

Hell, I wasn't even sure if Pokeballs would have been safe. Buddy clicked, not bothering to hide any of his irritation. They were not tools for me to make decisions for them, he said.

"No," I agreed. "You aren't. But I wasn't going to let you die."

The ghost answered that if Lou hadn't suggested Teleportation as an out, they would never have let me recall them. They would all have wrested their Pokeballs out of my hands, because they wouldn't have wanted to give up until the very end.

"I don't want you to feel like a life without me isn't worth living," I said.

Buddy eased up slightly, his eyes dimming and softening with each passing moment. He held back the no doubt scathing retort, sighing as he looked at Mimi again. The steel type had been observing the short argument with a wobbly eye while Claydol, believing themselves subservient (which was something I would have to fix), had not intervened at all. Buddy lowered himself so he could get a good look at Mimi, offering a short greeting. Thankfully, it looked like he wasn't associating them with Melmetal or holding a grudge, though I'd known he was good with children, if a little on the stricter side when compared to Sunshine or me.

"Mimi will be joining us from now on as a traveling companion. They're kind of a tourist, really," I explained, which was to Meltan's liking. "Claydol will be training with us, though."

Salutations, Advisor. I hope we will have a cooperative relationship in serving our King, Claydol said before pausing. Initiating icebreaker— there was a drumroll, but it sounded more like sticks beating on metal than actual drums— Loading. Loading. Failed to find topic pertaining to the species of 'Jellicent'. My apologies, Advisor.

Buddy's eyes flashed with something between confusion and intrigue while I snorted. An underground civilization no doubt would have rarely come upon an actual Frillish or Jellicent, though, so it made sense. The 'Advisor' bit was strange to both of us, with the way Claydol still believed we were basically some kind of royal posse. Mimi was the religious figure, I was the King, and Buddy was the advisor. What would the others be?

"Why don't you tell us one of your jokes?" I teased.

Sarcasm detected. Only if it is an order.

"Fine. Jeez, I can't wait for you to meet Slowking. You two would get along like two peas in a pod," I grinned.

Jellicent sighed, not wanting to know what kind of awful things they'd get up to, but at least first impressions were going decent enough. Mimi spent the rest of the night pretending not to be scared of Buddy while Claydol engaged in conversation with the ghost, which was hard, with the way he waited for Buddy to ask for everything first. Somehow, Bud got him to start leaking some gossip from some lady called Atilia Agatopa, who back in the day had apparently wanted to organize a religious ritual to get a second Melmetal from their God until she was deemed a heretic and her and her followers' throats were slit. At first, I thought their God might have been some steel type Legendary whose name had been lost to time or a made-up one that didn't exist, but he'd actually been a… well, not a man, but something akin to it. The Lakhutians believed that the human body had been forged in his image instead, shortly after he had forged the world and Pokemon. Of course, now we knew that humans came first, but worshipping something that wasn't a Pokemon was a thought so alien to me that I thought Claydol had been short-circuiting at first, and that was just one of their human-like Gods.

So, uh, yeah. Hearing about how a woman and her followers got purged was a 'nice' icebreaker. Mimi and Buddy seemed to like it.

—

I barely slept that night. I'd been tossing and turning, not helped by the subtle pain in my hands that flared up every time I moved them too much. As a result, I was exhausted by the morning, which wasn't ideal considering I'd wanted to study Byron. I was scrambling for a way to make things work and challenge him before the Red Chain was completed, but I wasn't sure if I'd be able to quite yet, and if I did, Honey would have to bow out of the fight. I didn't know if Claydol would get Gym Battles enough to fight in them, and even if they did, I doubted that they'd be able to get their offensive power up in time to work with what I wanted. There was also the fact that I'd need to alter my entire strategy which didn't do me any favors, so everything was still up in the air right now.

Plus, worrying about mundane stuff like Gym Battles… didn't feel right. It felt like I was moving on too quickly, and that was wrong, right? I should have been counting my lucky stars to be alive instead of just acting like things were business as usual. Enjoying watching Mimi try to crawl up the walls until they fell down and tried to go higher this time. Seeing Buddy and Claydol interact for the first time and seeing the spark there when I'd expected Buddy to take a while to even speak to the psychic, but the fact that Claydol was a treasure trove of historical knowledge made them mesh very well, though there were still many holes in their memory. I didn't eat much of the breakfast they sent me, though Mimi had some fun poking some apples with a needle-like arm. It was not long until Aliyah made herself known, arriving with a soft knock on the door that I would have missed if Claydol and Jellicent hadn't alerted me. I heard her soft steps first, which had me relaxing even before she turned the corner.

"Aliyah," I exhaled, like a pressure had been lifted off my chest. Legendaries, when had I gotten so reliant on her? One day missed, and I felt like crying when seeing her again.

My therapist inclined her head as she greeted my Pokemon with a slight smile, though I waited little time to recall them. I'd already warned Meltan and Claydol beforehand that I'd need them away for a little while, though I was beginning to learn that Mimi hated their Pokeball.

"I've heard everything," Aliyah said in a solemn tone before sitting down on the couch. Distance today, or did she want me to get closer? "I'm sorry for your loss, Grace."

"I— I didn't know her much," I mumbled, suddenly feeling the need to tug and hurt my fingers. "I wanted to, but…"

When this is all over and the world's in a good place, I'll tell you as a parting gift. Barely four days ago, Lou had told me this when I'd asked about her, and now she was gone.

"You knew her well enough for it to hurt," she said. "Are you well enough to get out of bed? I'll make you tea, if you want."

"Sure."

I groggily stood up and trudged my way across the room, dragging my IV stand with me and supporting myself with one of my crutches. I suddenly felt like I'd be able to fall asleep if I did close my eyes, like the world was playing a trick on me. Either way, I was too scared to sleep. Aliyah also stood up and approached the stove to heat some water. I plopped myself down on the couch with a sigh and watched the back of her head as she hummed.

"I've been told that you're having issues of blame," she softly continued as she lighted her usual candle. My nose tingled at the smell. "I'd like to forgo today's theme and focus explicitly on this for this session."

"Right."

"Blame. It's a heavy load to carry and can easily transform into survivor's guilt," Aliyah said. She dragged the kettle over the electric stove and turned toward me. "And that can eat someone from the inside if left unchecked."

"Cynthia already talked to me about it. Lou did too, before she died— but she— it doesn't stop the fact that she's gone, and if had I listened, she'd be alive."

"Perhaps she would be," Aliyah agreed. "If, if, if. It's a nice word, but meaningless in this instance and a lot of the time. You should strive to live in the present— not to forget the ones who helped you get this far, but to learn how to live. You are not an omniscient or perfect being, nor should you strive to be, because that would be impossible. This is a journey of self-improvement, not perfection. You are holding yourself to impossibly high standards, Grace, and I believe I know why. You are so scared of returning to your past self that you see any mistake as backsliding, even when it has nothing to do with the strides you've made in improving yourself."

"But she's… dead. And Maxwell and Richard's Pokemon are, too. And he even lost a hand. Lou's team is going to be grieving for years. I wanted to do good, to help Zoroark, but it hurt so many people in the process that I don't know if I have it in me. Unless you're like Cynthia and nothing is a threat to you, then how can you help in situations like these?"

Aliyah paused. "Being a good person often entails making selfless choices and putting others' needs before your own, making it a noble and worthwhile sacrifice for the greater well-being of those around you. Sometimes, more people than you get burned, to save the lives of others," she said with a wistful look, as if she was reminiscing.

"Now I can't help but think, was it worth it? And it makes me sick, Aliyah. Sick. I can't help but look Mimi in the eye and think about Lou being here instead of them and asking myself, did I make the right choice? I'm already attached to them, but… Legendaries."

"Mimi is… your Meltan," Aliyah guessed. "You see it as an exchange. Saving one life for another, as if a choice had been presented to you when you'd first entered Lakhutia. It was not a choice, Grace. You did not choose, because you did not know it was a choice. You simply tried to do right."

She was interrupted by the shrieking of the tea kettle, pulled it off the stove and poured us two cups.

"But let us entertain your 'if' scenario for a second. Say that you left as soon as you got your new Claydol, and say that Zoroark would have let you go instead of doing the same thing anyway and trapping you in the city— because that is also a possibility, if we want to play with hypotheticals, and Zoroark has never let any expeditions sent against him escape even when he was not provoked. You manage to leave, and the League sends a team of ACE and League Trainers to deal with Zoroark soon after. The same scenario ensues. He figures that he is not going to win and is going to get captured, so he awakens Melmetal, and they are all wiped out, or close to it. There would have been more casualties, both human and Pokemon, and knowing you, you would still be blaming yourself for leaving Lakhutia and failing to warn the people who would have gone in after you. Here, drink." She shoved the teacup into my hands and sat next to me. "Asking yourself about 'what ifs' is a conundrum without end, Grace. You can twist the story in a thousand different ways and reach a thousand different conclusions that get you the narrative you want."

I inhaled sharply at her tone, which was more passionate than usual, and wasn't sure of how to retort.

"It poisons the mind," she continued. "Eats at you until you're scraped raw and there's nothing left. But the truth of the matter is, everything looks clearer with hindsight, yes? When the entire event is behind you, and you ask yourself 'what could I have done better?'"

"I do that every time I battle," I said. "Sorry if that comparison is stupid."

Aliyah shook her head. "Not at all. But you are being harsh on your past self, and you were operating on a completely different set of information. Zoroark was something even one of your ACEs could have comfortably dealt with and that they were comfortable enough to let you practice on. The last thing anyone expected was for some ancient, metal demi-God to show up," she finished with a dismissive hand wave. "No, no, you are being too harsh on yourself. Now, should you use this as a lesson to handle these matters in a safer manner? If the situation presents itself and you have access to information that lets you, yes. Going so far as to shoulder Lou's death in its entirety? Absolutely not. That is nonsense, my dear."

I nodded, almost in a half-dazed state.

She really had a way with words, didn't she?

—

"The point is, can we replace her or not, Lucian?" Aaron groaned. He was sitting in one of his usual poses that Cynthia would never understand. The way his back was arched had her hold back a wince, but maybe she was just getting older.

"You weren't here when she was created. It took hundreds of attempts to make her. That means hundreds of deaths. Of pitting children against each other. It is not something I would be particularly fond of doing," Lucian said. "Her passing is a shame, but perhaps we'd do better to move on."

"Maybe we can just kidnap two psychics from those clans in Kanto," Flint suggested, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. "Import 'em here and have 'em start a family, though it'd have to be two different clans, because the inbreeding stuff is—"

"Please do not involve yourself in political matters," Lucian clapped back.

"It's an idea. Maybe we can buy them— okay, okay, sheesh, I'm just pulling your leg, no need to glare at me like I pissed in your fuckin' cereal," Flint scoffed while shaking his head. "What do you think, old bat?"

Bertha sneered, her hand squeezing the top of her cane. The Elite Four had been gathered in Cynthia's office today to assess the loss of assets that had gone on in Lakhutia, and there were debates about Lou, as she knew there would be. Creating her had not been a simple endeavor, both in costs and in ingenuity, but it could be done again, if given enough time. Lou's theoretical successor would unfortunately never be online in time for the confrontation with Galactic that Cynthia felt was coming in her gut. Losing her had been such a shame, too. Her psychic abilities had been as strong as a Pokemon, though they still lagged behind the most talented human psychics in Indigo and paled compared to what someone like Sabrina was capable of, but having a loyal psychic had helped with smoothing League operations tremendously. It was not the same, with a Pokemon. One, they were beholden to their trainers more than they were to Cynthia, and since Lou was a human, she'd been an excellent spy, able to blend in anywhere so long as they gave her contacts for her eyes, and that wasn't counting all of the things she'd been able to do that Pokemon simply couldn't. Her death wasn't the worst event cost-wise, especially when she'd sacrificed herself to save Grace, but it still stung.

"Lou can wait," Cynthia said. "What I need to know is if the other ACEs will be ready to get back to work by the time Grace Pastel leaves."

"You're giving the girl too much leeway," Bertha said. "Her leash should have been tightened from the start. Loose enough to give her the illusion of freedom, but tight enough to keep her from costing us."

"Let's not be mean to a teenager, yeah?" Flint said. "I mean, Aaron's in the room."

The green-haired boy shifted from the position in his chair and kicked Flint in the shin, causing the fire type master to double over and clutch at his leg. The potential the two youngest members of the Elite Four had was there, but they certainly still acted their age. Bertha and Lucian kept things balanced nicely, but Aaron especially needed to grow up sooner rather than later. He had not been in a serious fight yet. Oh, he'd helped clean up Team Galactic's compounds, but he needed something more dangerous than fighting a few grunts. Like that time she'd taken Flint to battle Regice when the Legend had broken out of containment during his first year and he'd come out a different man.

Yes. The kind of fight that would build character and wean off some of that naïveté that still remained. He would need at least a few of these, if he was to be her successor like she wanted him to be. Rare was it that she saw so much talent in such a young man. His instincts at battling were better than even hers, but what Aaron needed the most was experience. Nineteen years old, and already, he was projected to take Bertha's seat as the third most powerful member of the Elite Four by next year.

"Costs today don't matter, Bertha. You think too short-term," Cynthia said, drumming her fingers against the old oak wood of her desk. Bertha was scrappy, a remnant of her decades in politics where she'd learned not to let anyone walk over her. Sometimes, that left her blind to obvious opportunities. "And believe it or not, niceness pays, down the line."

"Ho?" Bertha said with a tint of humor. "Do tell."

"You know already. The world won't be under threat forever, but the powers will stay," Cynthia said. "But returning to the topic of ACEs, how are Maxwell, Richard and Serena faring?"

Lucian produced a thin sheet of paper, tapping it lightly. "Maxwell is good to go already. The loss of his Liepard is buried deep within and probably waiting to be unpacked after he's off guarding duties. Serena's always been stoic, and this is no different. Samuel believes she thinks herself lucky to have gotten off with no losses. You know about her inner self already."

"She hides her self-interest well, but yes, I expected her to bounce back when she got off lightly," Cynthia nodded. "Richard, then?"

"He's doing the worst. Samuel says he's actively mourning and the walls he'd put up to do the job are breaking down."

"He's always been soft," Cynthia said, uninterested. "Replace him, but handle him with care. Give him some time off and put him back in one of the League Trainer forces if he doesn't want to quit. Try to convince him not to. Patriotism won't work with someone in his state, so use Team Galactic's plot to end the world as a hook. I doubt he wants to lose the rest of his team."

Richard was too valuable not to be in the hands of the League, as was every ACE. Oh, Cynthia would have said it in a more subtle way, if she'd been speaking to anyone else. While the Gym Leaders knew of her filtered self, the Elite Four knew her for who she truly was: someone who would put Sinnoh above all, morals be damned, and they accepted her for it because they knew someone like her was needed at the helm of the ship. The meeting dispersed soon after, though Aaron asked Cynthia if they could battle sometime this week, something which she accepted right away. Battles with the Elite Four were two-fold. They served to keep her team from getting rusty, and improved their own skills as well, and though they never won, they always managed to take out at least two Pokemon, or three when they had good days. Granted, when she used Spiritomb or Garchomp early, they always hit a wall.

Cynthia Collins rubbed her tired eyes, wanting to get out of this coat and into loungewear already. Instead, she dialed Fantina's number. Knowing her, she would be having one of her Gym Trainers battle instead of herself, so she was probably free. Cynthia fiddled with Zoroark's Pokeball with a curious smile as the phone rang. She'd gone into Grace's room expecting to be fought tooth and nail for custody of the ghost, but instead Grace had just given it to her. The last thing she'd expected was for her own name to come up as a suitable trainer. Where had the girl who had disliked her so deeply in Veilstone and Sunyshore gone?

That's why you're wrong, Bertha, Cynthia smiled. Niceness pays.

Though now, the Champion would need to make sure Grace's mental health held up. Cynthia had considered getting Cecilia Obel to Teleport here for moral support so they could stay together during Grace's recovery, though from what she understood, there was some tension in the relationship, these days, or perhaps they'd made up? It was difficult to keep track of, with teenagers.

"Cynthia, my darling!" Fantina said in her usual accent. "How goes the League?"

"Swimmingly," Cynthia said. "The Elite Four have been doing a good job in my long absences. Have you read the reports?"

"Oh, such horror. For a Pokemon that threatening to have been right under our noses all this time? I could hardly believe it!"

If she'd read hers, that meant the other Gym Leaders had as well. She suspected opinions would be more positive on this one. Roark had been the only one fully in support of what had happened to Backlot, something which had not surprised Cynthia, with the way he had backed her so loudly with memory extraction earlier in the year. As for Fantina? What she felt was akin to pity for both Mira and Grace. Seeing two children broken in such different ways would do that to her, which was why she'd helped the former with her new Gengar for a few days in Hearthome.

"You know Grace has that Zoroark in her possession, then," Cynthia continued. "She has handed it over to the League, and I'm left with a choice. Do you want to take care of it, or not?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "I don't know, Cynthia. Ten— even five years ago, I would have said yes. Today? Right now? I don't think so. I pity the poor ghost, but I have done my fair share of love-giving and teaching throughout the years. I want to be able to enjoy retirement without such pressures. This would be the most difficult one to teach yet."

Cynthia exhaled. "Very well, then. I suppose I'll take him."

There was a jealous rattle deep within her pocket, and her desk shook slightly. Cynthia clicked her tongue and passed a hand over the rough keystone. While Fantina had spent her entire life rehabilitating ghosts, both in and out of her team, Cynthia had experience with it as well. She had, after all, stumbled upon a Spiritomb when she'd been young, and although she had been horribly unqualified, she had managed to wean off their intent to murder her after years of work— though convincing the majority of the 108 souls had taken ten months instead, which was when she began to be able to approach without being racked by tormenting voices, illusions, visions and nightmares.

"If you think you will have time for him, then go ahead," Fantina agreed. "It will take long."

"It is what it is," Cynthia shrugged.

"Do you actually want to, or do you feel like this is an obligation? You have to actually want to, Cynthia, especially with this one."

"I may be the Champion, Fantina, but I am still a trainer," Cynthia said. "Yes, I do want to help."

"Very well. Contact me if you ever need advice."

"Thank you. I'll let you go, then. Let me know if there's any stirring within the Gym Leaders or you manage to locate Sylvestia's Gengar."

Fantina agreed, then hung up, and Cynthia stretched in her chair, feeling her bones grind against each other and her back and neck crack with each movement. She stayed there, silently clasping Zoroark's Pokeball until she stood and released her entire team. Garchomp, Lucario, Togekiss, Milotic, Roserade, Gastrodon, along with the ones who she'd caught during her one-year stay in Unova, Braviary, Glaceon, and Eelektross. She dropped Spiritomb's keystone onto the carpet, and it seemed to roll on its own, settling at the center of the room. There was a pulse, then Pressure they'd all grown used to as wafts of indigo smoke peppered by green hue sprouted out of the rock, constantly shifting. She'd seen trainers get terrified of Spiritomb countless times in her career, but they were no threat to her. She had endured their torment for nearly a year, continuously working to get close to each soul. Hearing their pain, the way they'd been hurt to create the abomination they'd become and being there. Coming back each time to a world of pain until they understood that she wanted nothing but to help.

Ah, to be young again, Cynthia reminisced. If there was one thing she missed, it was traveling with her team and having something challenge her again.

The Champion took a deep breath, then launched into her announcement. "You're getting a new teammate today, though you will not be introduced quite yet…"

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, SecondBlahm, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Uno, Michael J, Knock, Jan, Jethro R

 

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 288

Jubilife was growing antsy. The city as a whole was fine, but the Poketch side of things had nearly collapsed for me once before and the tension was now reaching its boiling point, all while I was sitting in a hospital bed and doing nothing. Craig was in the city, now, and so he was getting approached by numerous suitors on Aubri Schneider's side with deals, though from what I knew by staying in contact with Ramon and the man himself, there wasn't much there other than her last desperate play to get the job she wanted now that her alliance had collapsed. I flexed my hand, clenching and unclenching it to probe at how much the pain had changed in the last two days, but it still hurt like shoving my hand in a bag of needles. I couldn't help but feel anxious at the thought of all the sneaking around going on at Poketch Headquarters without me around, but hopefully Mel would be enough to deal with it. At least the League was going to be Teleporting me there so I wouldn't be late. Already, I was able to walk a lot better and longer than before, and the headache was nearly gone. The nausea was still there, though.

What worried me more was the fact that just like my friends not involved with Team Galactic, I was going to look Melody in the eye and twist the truth when she inevitably asked me how I got those new wounds on my hands. A lot of people there were actually asking where the hell I was, because if I was texting this consistently, it meant I wasn't traveling, and if I wasn't traveling, they feared I would be late for the date we'd set at the end of this week. The 25th— three days before Princess' second birthday— was when it would all go down, and it was difficult to shake that uneasy feeling within me that things were far from over. I was a lucky person, luckier than I had any right to be, but my wins usually came with caveats these days, and while I did not know Aubri well, I knew she was not one to give up easily just because she was facing overwhelming odds.

"I feel so stuffed in this room," I groaned. "Whose idea was it to not give me one with a window anyway?"

Mimi chimed at the side of my bed—

"Mimi! What are you doing—"

Eating the aluminum handle by my bed, that's what they were doing! I quickly snatched them away, leaving the side metallic bar neatly dissolved, like someone had chewed through half of its width. Legendaries, they'd been so silent when doing it! There had been no crunch of anything! The little culprit was slightly larger than usual and looked mighty pleased with themselves, by the way their tail was wagging. Buddy dragged himself out of the bathroom, still dripping water all over the floor until the entire room became a slipping hazard. Thankfully, he sucked up all the water behind him, though. It was a nice little bit of training in a time when there was none.

I raised an eyebrow at Mimi. "I didn't know you needed to eat. You don't look like the type."

Meltan creaked and turned their eye into a thin line full of disappointment.

"I should have asked Claydol. Here, I'll ask them when they're back. There are plenty of shops out there that sell metal for other steel types that eat it or supplement their diets with it. You just never ate anything else, so… sorry."

I'd seen them spit away everything I'd tried to feed them, and considering the Pokemon they came from, I'd come to the conclusion that eating just wasn't something Mimi would ever do. I had to watch Jellicent slip into the role of a parental figure and lecture the poor little steel type, and their eye went all wobbly until they spat the metal back out and solidified it again, though it was rough work and looked nothing like the smooth aluminum it had been before.

"Points for trying," I smiled.

Claydol was gone, having been taken away to be inspected by the League nurses. There was still some minor damage to their artificial mind that made them occasionally glitch that needed to be taken care of, and though Claydol were rather rare as a species, every Nurse Joy had to learn how to treat every Pokemon they could possibly encounter. While it was a little endearing to hear Claydol glitch, I knew they hated when it happened and the last thing I wanted was for it to happen in a battle. Aliyah had left around an hour ago, having finished our second session, and now it looked like I was going to spend another day bonding with Mimi and looking at battles online, and for an hour and a half, it was that. There was something relaxing about it, just having nothing to do. It was part of why I'd been looking forward to spending a summer month with Cece in Unova before the Circuit started there, just her, me and our teams with our first real break in a year.

There were meaningless attempts to stop thinking about Lou, and though Aliyah had helped me realize that all of the blame did not rest solely upon me, that still didn't help me from thinking it, feeling like shit, or having nightmares about her. The words were nice, they made sense, but I didn't want them to. My fingers twitched, and I let the pain seep in as I pressed them together, wincing when it felt like needles stabbing into my fingers. I'd learned to stifle the pained moans and shivers, now. It was almost a subconscious action because it was what I deserved, and even Buddy hadn't noticed in the last two days.

My phone buzzed against the table, which Mimi was very intrigued about. I grabbed it and placed it against their skin so they could feel the vibrations against their metallic skin, though I did warn them not to eat it. Their entire body shivered, turning into goo. I had noticed that Mimi tended to become more… liquid when relaxed and solid when anxious or excited.

"I can keep it vibrating for you to give you a massage if you want—" my voice cut off when I stared at Candice's name, along with her troll-ish picture in the background of the screen of her sticking out her tongue and pulling down her eyelid. Mimi screeched, tilting their head as they tried to pull the phone away from me. Did they think the phone was making me like this? It was a cute attempt to help, at least. "It's okay, Mimi. You can let go."

Jellicent rumbled to my side. Even if he had never cared much for people outside of our family, he knew about the troubles I'd had with Candice, including our recent meeting in Veilstone, and no matter how much I wanted to expunge that from my memory, the awkwardness would haunt me for a while yet.

"I should answer."

One more ring. Two more. Maybe not? They'd read the reports again, and now they knew I'd gotten an ACE Trainer and two of their Pokemon killed. What else would she think of me now? That I was the girl who'd gone into danger to get herself a new Pokemon and thrown lives away in the process? That wasn't me, but I couldn't deny the primary goal had been to catch Claydol. So was it me?

"I should answer," I repeated, almost to give myself the courage to.

"Grace. Hi."

It was a straightforward greeting, with a hint of enthusiasm mixed with nervousness and hesitation, from the way it wavered near the end. Beads of sweat formed and started dripping down my forehead and palms.

"Hey. Listen, I'm sorry—"

"Are you okay— oh, sorry, go ahead."

I cringed, given the fact that we'd spoken at the same time. "No, no, you can go."

Candice let out a nervous laugh. "Um, I'd rather you go."

I paused, wishing we could have one conversation that wasn't like this. "I'm sorry about the whole grocery store thing… uh, I was kind of out of line, asking you to apologize to Maylene in my stead, and stuff. And you know, just for being a weirdo in general."

"You were fine," she said. "I was weird too. You know, the vibes were off, that happens sometimes. Um, I heard about… yeah, Lakhutia. They said you were sick? Are you feeling alright?"

This was what this was, was it? I was hurt, and now she was taking pity on me. "Yeah. I'm fine, you know, recovering rather well. They say it wasn't as bad as it could have been because mercury poisoning sometimes screws with your cognitive function, so I got off pretty lightly." At least compared to others. Mimi stared up at me, and I rubbed their little golden head with a knuckle.

"You have a pretty bad definition of 'light'. You know, I think I don't want to be all overbearing because I hate when others do that, but you got fucked up, Grace."

"What did they tell you?" I muttered.

"Everything. I— well, normally we wouldn't have gotten access to it, but Cynthia wants to keep us in the loop with anything that happens to you because we're involved with the Team Galactic stuff, and you're a part of that, so."

"So," I repeated with a wince.

"So I know you kicked ass and got the ACEs out of that death trap!" she yelled. "And I know you're having a tough time, so I thought I'd check in and… catch up. I haven't really been the best about this."

A slight sigh escaped my breath. My arms felt so heavy. "You haven't done anything wrong. I was out of line, and I should have reached out earlier about the raid. To explain."

Candice stayed silent for what seemed like an eternity. "So it's been a while. I'm sorry about Lou, Cynthia said you were close."

She still didn't want to talk about it, then. My eyes drifted across the room's warm, beige walls, desperately looking for something to say.

"Hmhm. It's… it's—" hard? Arceus, look at me. Alive and well, and still whining. "It fucking sucks," I said, louder than I wanted to.

"Look, I can't pretend that I know what you're going through," my eyes widened slightly. I never did think I would be at the other end of that sentence, "and we both know that this has been awkward as hell, but the point I wanted to make here is that I want to try to be friends again."

"R—really?"

"Yeah! And it's not because you almost died or anything like that— well, being honest, that's part of it, but not in a weird pitying way, but in a 'you never know when the last time you'll see her is' way, so… friends?"

"Well, declaring it would be a good start, but that's doing five percent of the job."

Candice snorted. "I can go through those percentages pretty quickly. I mean, I basically forced you to be my friend when we first met."

"Are you kidding? Do you know how awesome that was to me back then? To talk to an actual Gym Leader beyond being given a badge, a TM, and money?"

"So Ms. Pastel is too cool to speak to Gym Leaders now, hm?"

I rolled my eyes, sinking into my bed slightly. "I think you'll be hard-pressed to get me to be as shy as I was back in Snowpoint."

"You made such cute googly eyes at me when I invited you and your friends to my apartment, though," the Gym Leader laughed. "Ah well, it'll forever be stored in my head."

This was… nice, wasn't it? Still awkward, but nice. Candice talked to me about being on lunch break for her Gym, and she teased me by dangling the ways she was preparing to fight Lauren's team right out of reach. While my friend hadn't made it to Snowpoint yet, the fact that Candice would be her eighth Gym Badge was common knowledge enough to have her strategizing in her spare time.

"You need to visit the island when you're better," Candice said. "The League's a great place to hang out. Maybe if you ask enough you'll get to talk to one of the Elite Four."

"I'm not sure about that. Maybe." I placed my head against the back of my bed and stared at the ceiling. "Who's your favorite?"

"Ha! Flint's hilarious! He's a real menace in a way that's easy to like. Lucian sucks, he's too serious all the time, and Bertha's kind of a hardass sometimes, but she gives great lessons and does good work. Aaron's cool but he'll talk to you for five minutes and then wander somewhere else. Only Cynthia can hold his attention for long— and honestly, who can blame him?"

Cynthia was a lot of things, but no one could deny that she was intense in a way that garnered everyone's attention when she entered a room like we were Mothim to a flame. Granted, I was pretty sure Candice was alluding to how pretty she was, which was also true.

"I'm kind of here at a bad time, though. It's all set up."

"Yeah, they don't have any activities they'd have for the Conference ready yet, I guess. You'll see how active it gets during Renewal Day. Some people just get a plane ticket to spend the day there, see the opening ceremony and maybe buy some merch, then head back afterward, or stay longer if it's a weekend. The island ends up being so full of people there isn't enough space in the hotels and the Centers."

Renewal Day was the first of June, the start of the Conference, and one of Sinnoh's holidays. It signified new beginnings, but also the start of a tough journey, which was basically what the Conference was supposed to be. Not every region gave the day off for the start of their Conferences, though. Unova, for example, did not. My lips twitched upward when I saw Buddy desperately watching Mimi so they wouldn't eat some other metallic part of the hospital room. The steel type had jumped off the bed a while ago, having grown bored of hearing a conversation they couldn't really understand.

"It's also the start of your three months off, so I guess you're pretty happy," I said.

"Yeah, it's the best day of the year for sure. Work's getting so exhausting I barely have any free time," she complained with a tired groan. "I'll have to show you around the place. I know the best spots on the island. Even Gardenia would agree with me."

My smile fell. "Hey… uh, listen. About Maylene, I want to apologize in person for the way I battled her during my Gym Battle. For deliberately trying to hurt her emotionally. And if this Team Galactic stuff doesn't go to hell, then the only place I'll see her again is here."

All of the Gym Leaders would be present the entire month, as was customary, though they sometimes left for up to a few days at a time to deal with happenings in their cities.

"I can set something up! If I push hard enough, I think she'll at least hear you out once, but the apology will be tough to sell."

"I want to try, at least. To say I did my best," I sighed. "I've— I've been on this whole confusing self-discovering thing since the raid, and I think that's what being good is about at the end of the day. Trying your best, even if you fail. And even when it hurts."

"Well, you've given it more thought than I have," she said before I heard some kind of slap. "Sorry, that was kind of dumb to say." A facepalm, then.

Yeah, I couldn't very well tell her that I had to keep myself in check, but—

There was a knock at the door that was strange at first. Familiar in a way that made me think I was hearing things. Soft, yet purposeful, slow, and still with a sense of urgency to it, it was difficult to explain. I frowned, almost disbelieving at what I'd heard. Mimi squealed, having been spooked by the sudden sound and ran back toward my bed until they fell over and hit their head on the floor with a subtle clang while Buddy hovered over them and asked if they needed help standing up.

"Grace?" Candice asked. "Hello? Did my phone reception fuck off again! They sent guys for this earlier in the year!"

"Hey, Candice, uh, it was nice talking to you, but someone knocked at my door and I have to go. I'll text you!"

"Wha— okay?"

"Sorry!"

I hung up, swinging my legs off the bed and quickly grabbing one of my crutches, dragging my IV stand behind me. There's no way, I thought as I hobbled toward the door. Meltan screamed, hiding below my bed and possibly telling me to hide as well and be careful, though I asked Buddy to watch them for me. If this was staff, the door would be open already. I clasped the doorknob with a tightened fist, forgetting that my hands hurt like hell and cracked the door open.

"What a cold welcome. Maybe I'll leave a bad review," the voice said from behind the door.

Me cracking the door open turned to swinging it open, revealing Cecilia standing behind it with a fond smile as excitement sparked in her eye. Some kind of choked, disbelieving gasp escaped my mouth as my crutch clattered against the floor, and my arms were around her before I knew it. There were tears and possibly snot while I buried my face in her shoulder and snaked my hands under her cotton shirt to feel the skin of her back, though with the way my hands were bandaged, I had to make do with my wrists and arms. The touch was electric, yet warm, and that warmth spread through my heart and had it flutter like I was floating on a cloud. I subconsciously inhaled, basking in her familiar yet comforting smell that suddenly had me relaxed, and I mumbled some half-formed words about having missed her so much I could die. I felt her hands gently caress the small of my back under my hospital gown, pressing us up close together until she began sniffling too.

"How?" I mumbled. "How?"

Cece let out a slight chuckle. "They asked me if I wanted to come after I made it to Pastoria earlier today. Needless to say, I said yes."

"But your Gym Battle, your—"

"I won't be signing up quite yet, and they'll bring me back after," she interrupted, cupping my cheek. "And even if they hadn't, I would have said yes."

"Legendaries— come in, uh, yeah. This is—" I stopped, somehow giggling and sniffling at the same time as I pointed toward the inside of my room. Mimi was peaking their head out from the corner and cried out when we spotted them. "This is Mimi. Did they tell you about them?"

"Hmhm," she hummed, offering a greeting to Jellicent as well.

I wiped my eyes and dragged her inward. "Do you want anything? Something to drink? Aliyah left me some teas here that I could make. The hospital food isn't that great, but if you're hungry, anything will taste edible."

"I'm okay, thank you, love," she said. I did not flush, but my chest did tighten, and in a good way. "Are you feeling okay? I should be the one asking you if you need anything."

I sat back on my bed. "Being frank, I've been waking up in cold sweats in the few times I've fallen asleep, I've puked four times since coming here, I can't eat anything without feeling like I'm about to hurl, and I have a constant headache, but it's all been getting better. They say I should be good to go outside tomorrow."

Standing in front of me while I sat, Cecilia outstretched her hand and gently clasped it around my wrist, trailing it with her thumb until she reached the edge of my bandaged hands.

"And these?" she asked.

"Healing slowly but surely. I haven't gotten a good look at them since we haven't changed the bandaging yet, but—"

She leaned into me, wrapping me into another hug. My skin was like a magnet to her hands, as was hers to mine. "I was terrified when I heard. Relieved you were fine, but terrified. Mercury poisoning and injuries like this?"

"I got off easy," I muttered.

There was a pained look in her eyes. "No," she exhaled. "No, you did not. Do you want to talk about it? To vent?"

I had Aliyah for that, but there was no denying that there was a difference between a therapist and my girlfriend. There was a beat of silence as I hesitated, though I ended up nodding slightly.

"Um, can we…" I trailed off, eyeing my bed. "You know, be like old times? Eugh, now that I say it, old times was like a month ago."

Cece giggled, then took on a haughty, exaggerated tone as she placed a knee on the bed. "Far too long without cuddling for you, of course. Remember when you said I was the touch-starved one?"

"You've been keeping that one in the tank for that long? Now who's the fairy?" I teased.

"I learned from the best."

She lay down on the bed, and I did the same. Our legs intertwined as we sprawled out on the mattress and I leaned comfortably against her, finding support and solace in the familiar soft feel of Cece's chest and slow heartbeat. She traced nonsensical patterns on my back in a rhythmic fashion with her finger with one hand and continuously ran a hand through my hair with the other, always with gentle motions that could have had me fall asleep within minutes. There had been a fear rooted deeply within me that had me thinking the next time we saw each other again, she would be terrified of me, but she wasn't. It was just like we were before, and there was only comfort for her and I. Mimi had climbed atop the bed, and Cecilia squealed when they reached her leg exposed by her skirt and the cold metal touched her.

"They're an adventurous one, don't mind them," I laughed.

"I was just surprised at how cold they were."

"I'm still figuring out how temperature works and which means what, so that's a work in progress," I said. "Anway… I guess I should start."

There were no new revelations in what I told her, since she'd known what had happened already, but saying it out loud, laying everything out, it felt good, still. I felt her heartbeat quicken when I got to the fights and slow with relief afterward like she hadn't known how the entire story of my time in Lakhutia would end, but hearing about someone you loved nearly dying would probably have that effect on you. Her arms squeezed me tight, and she moved a strand of hair behind my ear, her touch lingering slightly.

"You did good," she muttered. "I know you're hurt, but you did the best you could have done in that situation, no matter what you think. And I know you had no way to know, but will you try to be safer now? For me?"

I sighed. "I'll try— I want to. But you have to try, too. That Steelix business in the Iron Islands?"

"I wasn't hurt, and my gift is far better than yours when it comes to dangerous situations," Cecilia slowly said. "Though I wonder if it'd have worked on Melmetal if we needed to run away. We haven't met an upper limit yet, but there's surely one, especially since we're half a Shard."

It still surprised, the way she spoke of the Voice so easily now, but I was not about to criticize her on its use when the only reason she'd used it since the raid was to escape a raging Steelix. We needed to hold each other up and make sure neither of us slipped, though she was a lot less likely to than I was. The way I'd almost convinced myself to take revenge on Zoroark after Lou had died was proof of it.

"Let's both try, then. And look, it's not like there are going to be a lot of Lakhutias in Unova, right?"

Cecilia smiled. "The people might as well be that."

"Oh, people are just people. As long as my head's still on my shoulders and I can keep being with you and battling, I'll count my blessings," I said. "Did you walk around the island while coming here?"

"They Teleported me in front of the building, so no."

"We should go check it out tomorrow when I'm cleared to walk," I beamed. "They've been doing rehab stuff with nurses coming in and helping me."

My girlfriend smirked. "Think we can sneak inside one of the stadiums? I hear they're all empty."

"Oh? Where did that rebellious streak come from?"

"It's fun," she rolled her eyes. "And no harm's done if we're caught. Don't you want to see how grand the stadiums are? They're the largest ones in the region!"

An excited squeal from Mimi nudged me in her direction, though Jellicent did not look happy about it.

"Granted, I doubt we'd get far. Maybe we should just ask. Do you think they'd let us in?" Cecilia asked.

"You're the soft power girl," I said. "But just letting you know, you're supposed to be the responsible one."

—

"Are you sure you're alright?"

My hand tightened around my crutch. "Yes. I don't need to be put in a wheelchair, that's nonsense."

"I don't think the nurse was trying to be rude, I just think she meant that it would be easier on you."

I stayed silent as we exited the hospital with Mimi around my wrist and Jellicent and Slowking shadowing us. The steel type did not move or let themselves be known, but the small jolts of excitement I occasionally felt were hard to miss. The early morning sunlight cast a warm glow on the brick roads that covered the entire Lily of the Valley island and hot air blew into my hair. Where the streets weren't paved, grass and flowers covered the entire area. White and pink Lilies that gave the place a sweet and slightly spicy smell. The Pokemon Center was right in front of the general hospital for convenience, though they were far too big to be combined into one building.

This was by far the largest Center I'd seen, stretching twenty floors into the sky and being larger than one of the blocks in Jubilife City. Most of it, from what I knew, weren't actually rooms, though there were a lot of those too due to the influx of trainers that would arrive even before June. Even those who did not battle in the Conference would organize mini-tournaments or fight here to emulate the strategies going on in the big Leagues, so they needed multiple of these mega-sized Centers to make sure they had enough room to accommodate as many people as possible. Still, there was a massive research department that worked on new Pokemon healing methodologies and tried to find ways to perfect Ditto Cellular technology. Despite being so large, the design stayed largely the same. Sleek white walls on the outside and a red roof, while the inside kept the same warm, orangy tones that so many trainers called home.

It was too early to pick up any of my Pokemon but Claydol right now, and the Nurse Joys told me they were in a great state. Their memories would still have holes in it, but any glitches that stopped them from moving and had them frozen for a few seconds had been cleared. Arceus bless Nurse Joys and their help. It almost feels like magic sometimes, I thought to myself.

I looked up at my girlfriend as we left the Center and she leaned in as she placed sunglasses on my head.

"Oh, right. I forgot those," I said.

"I grabbed them while you were too excited to double-check if you'd taken everything before leaving," Cece said. She already had hers, the same matching ones I'd bought her for her birthday. Her ring, too. Unfortunately my bandages made wearing it a little difficult, so mine was still in my drawer.

"Now I can look like a blind, crippled old woman," I said, half-teasing. Cecilia's hands wrapped around my sides as she placed her forehead against mine. "That was a joke, no need to get all worried."

"Mm. I'm just making sure. I know how you feel about… well, your recent lack of mobility."

Legendaries, she was so nice to me. I pushed down the feelings of guilt that continuously festered deep within and crawled their way to the forefront of my mind any time I had an iota of fun or felt a tiny dose of happiness.

"Ready to meet Claydol?" I turned to Slowking. It was hard to miss Jellicent's fearful rumble. He was terrified of what they'd get up to if given the chance.

Goodness yes, you've teased me enough about them. Let me meet my kindred sibling.

"Eh, they might be a little ruder than you think. I haven't really seen them interact with anyone that isn't me, Mimi, or Buddy."

Someone with a selection of 20,000 jokes cannot be evil, the psychic said with a solemn look. That is heretical thinking.

I rolled my eyes, clicking to release Claydol who hovered a feet up from the ground or so, their six eyes continuously scanning their surroundings, though one of them settled on me and my wrist. Mimi excitedly chimed at the ground type, though I had to pat them for them to stay quiet. We'd talk all about the sights when we got back, but for now all they could do was watch. It hurt to see, but Meltan didn't seem to care, at the very least. They were so overwhelmed by the League that there was no way they would complain about having to stay quiet.

Salutations, my King. These two individuals appear to be among your followers. Prior to addressing that matter, I must inquire about the rationale behind the persistent probing conducted by an assembly of pink-haired women. Seeking clarification for enhanced understanding.

I waited for a few seconds, realizing that one, he was talking only to me, and two, he'd meant the Nurse Joys. "These aren't my followers. Cecilia's my girlfriend, and Slowking's one of her Pokemon, so you can talk to them too. And I told you about the nurses!"

"Please select designation for individual known as Cecilia: Lover, Queen, Wife, Consort—"

"Girlfriend is fine," I snorted. "Queen is kind of funny, though, but no." Cecilia's eyes fluttered at me. "Argh, you know what fine. Queen is fine."

Designation complete, Claydol finished.

Claydol, my fellow comedian. I know this is in short notice and that we just met, but is it true that you have many jokes at your disposal? Slowking asked.

"Affirmative. 21,340 jokes."

Please grace us with one of them.

Claydol stared my way, and I nodded. It was then that I realized that by jokes, Claydol had not meant one-liners that Slowking found hilarious due to how bad they were, but actual long-winded stories and comedic plays, and they voice acted each character, creating special effects and sounds for immersion until I realized we would never get to the end of Livia's adventures pretending to be a man to become a Lakhutian priest if I didn't ask for Claydol to cut off the mental link until they were reciting the play to Slowking only.

"They're far more computer-like than I thought," Cecilia whispered in my ear.

"Right? Lehmhart was a… well, golem that was built for menial tasks, but Claydol needed to be more, at least in that city. I thought I'd be finding an empty shell, but they're a lot of fun. Mimi's fun too."

There was a small spark around my wrist, and the little rascal clearly agreed. The League was mostly pedestrian-based, though there was a central street called Lily Avenue that led to the League building itself that split in two and originated at the island's airport and seaport where trams that reminded me of Eterna City except a lot larger and longer ran all day. There were also bike lanes to the side and people often rode their Pokemon, but we were headed to the trams. We passed by a small school on the way there, one of the few that were on the island where children of League employees would be able to get an education. In a way, the Lily of the Valley island almost felt fake. It was too perfect. There was no trash littering the ground, no chipped paint on any building, the trams were too sleek. It was a blend of futuristic and old architecture that meshed seamlessly together. There were LED screens on the streets, displaying announcements and the weather for crying out loud! Even as a girl from Jubilife, it felt like a lot, and Cecilia was also taken aback. I'd almost expected her to do that cute thing where she brought up that Unova did it as well, but apparently not. I kept glancing at her and the way the sun shone on her perfect brown skin. The way her cheeks dimpled when she smiled and talked my ear off about city design or the progress she'd made bonding with Scizor. The way she knew exactly what level of worry to express without being overbearing.

"You've been staring," she said.

"You have, too! And I'm just taking it in. Recharging to make up for all the daily doses of Cece I've missed."

She laughed. "Obviously. But sometimes, a girl wonders— ah, the tram is here."

The tram had sleek edges with red and white glossy paint, along with Sinnoh's flag painted onto its multiple cars. Cecilia helped me take the step up the tram, and I huffed as I sat in one of the nearly empty tram cars. There was actually enough space here for Claydol, and the amount of stimulation they'd been under had nearly short-circuited them. Every few seconds, I heard a soft chime about an update, and Slowking and Buddy were the ones showing them the ropes and catching them up to speed with modern knowledge. I raised my wrist to the window so Mimi could stare, and Cecilia sat next to me. Morning commuters were already at work at these hours. Honestly, living and working here didn't seem that bad.

"I hear Unova's League is on top of a mountain. Sounds like a hellish place if you ask me," I said.

"Ha, ha," she scoffed. "It's true that it's a relic of an old tradition, though. Leagues are usually in places hard to access, like Indigo. Even this League was difficult to access before modern times."

"All I'm saying is that this is the place with the LEDs. Hey, have you ever been to the Unovan Conference?"

"Once when it looked like Mark was going to go all the way," she reminisced with a regretful tone. "Clarence didn't want me to get any ideas until he changed his mind, of course. It's a lot more… rustic than this. I believe it's because Unovans find it to be a better experience to get away from the modernity they're so used to. It's essentially the same as here, though. A small city where government employees reside. I do have to admit, Sinnoh has us beat in which one I find more appealing."

I feigned a gasp. "What?! Admitting defeat so easily?"

She shrugged. "Sometimes one has to know when to retreat."

The ride to the largest stadium— the one where every battle from the top thirty-two onward would take place— was a short one. Barely ten minutes, and we were out of the tram. It was an oval-shaped behemoth of steel and glass, dominating the skyline and being more prominent than the League building itself in the distance. The facade was a mesmerizing blend of reflective glass and metallic surfaces and shimmered in the sunlight. There were digital billboards where Cecilia told me advertisers were supposed to buy space, but obviously they weren't running quite yet. Surrounding the massive structure, carefully landscaped greenery provided a little break on the eyes.

"There are multiple entrances," I whispered. There were some bored-looking officials standing guard at the two visible ones, along with a few of their Pokemon. "I guess we just walk up and ask?"

"Do you think they have high enough clearance to know about us?" she murmured back.

"Maybe. I mean, they're no ACEs, but people in the Lakes knew about us mattering, at least. Only one way to figure it out, though."

And find out, we did, given the recognizing look the three men and three women gave us. I guess it'd be weirder if they didn't know us, I thought, though it would have been fun if they didn't. Sometimes, I did miss being able to go anywhere without attention, though that was hard to say when I'd caught a Tyranitar, Claydol, Turtonator and now a Meltan. A long-haired man with his hair tied into a chignon beckoned us, and he whispered to his co-workers while we approached him.

"Cecilia Obel and Grace Pastel? What brings you here?"

"We would like to get a look inside the stadium, if possible," Cecilia smoothly said.

"I… you're not going to battle, are you? The fields aren't ready yet and it'd be a shame if one of our poor field engineers was given an extra shift."

"It's just to get a look around," I added. "No battling, I only have a Jellicent and Claydol on me anyway."

Though maybe we would have been tempted if we could, I mused as I smothered a smile. Cecilia seemingly thought the same thing, with the way she softly bumped my elbow. We were probably being really annoying right now, weren't we?

"I suppose we can let you in," another dark-haired man answered. "But we'll send Jen to keep an eye on you."

Jen ground her jaw in annoyance, something which I wouldn't blame her for. We were giving her extra work, even if it wouldn't be tough work. We thanked the League Trainers and were led deep into the stadium. The empty and silent corridors wooshed with the energetic hum of ventilation and fans, and we kept going until we reached a gate that led us to the concourse level of the stadium. There are so many seats here— enough to have tens of thousands of people watching. Even Buddy was mesmerized by the sight, and Mimi sent a familiar approving shock up my arm. The arena itself was… well, not ready, just like the League Trainer had said. It was just a slightly concave field of rock and earth, but I knew there would be all kinds of arenas in the Conference, more than even the Solaceon tournament.

"Want to head down?" Cecilia whispered, almost breathless.

"Yeah."

Jen stayed leaning against a pillar with her Ledian hovering next to her while we made our way down. Slowly, with my leg and the way I quickly ran out of breath, but Cece was there to help me. We climbed down the hundreds of stairs until we reached the bottom level of the arena and entered the field.

The silence was deafening. There was wind whizzing past my ears and slight echoes of life outside of the stadium, but other than that it was just us. Almost by reflex, we began walking in opposite directions until we reached our opposite platforms, with Claydol and Jellicent following behind me.

It was fake. It wasn't real, but I was standing there, and she was facing me. I could almost see the crowd, buzzing in my ears, the commentators sitting in their booths and calling out our moves, the sheer amount of destruction we could bring about on this field as we fought and gave it everything until both of us were on the verge of passing out. I closed my eyes and imagined it. Felt it. There was an excited shiver down my spine, like a jolt of electricity that made my hair rise. My skin felt warm, but I still felt grounded. For months, I'd been pining to stand here for real, to be among the best of the best in the country and to actually thrive and belong here.

I was not there yet.

I saw Cecilia's lips move, but it was impossible to hear what she'd said without a microphone. Somehow, I felt like I knew the meaning of her words, or maybe I was just high off being where I'd dreamed of being for so long and pretending to know what the hell she was saying. It was a challenge. A real one, this time, not that the one on the phone had not been real, but that was that and this was… this.

She raised a finger, pointing at me, and I imagined her words as her dress and hair fluttered in the wind. One day, we will stand, maybe not in this stadium, but in another, and on that day, I will beat you.

"No," I whispered with a savage grin. "That'll be me."

"May I get an insight into what exactly is happening?" Claydol asked out loud. "This is strange behavior."

Buddy told him to just let it happen, and Mimi squirmed on my wrist.

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, SecondBlahm, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Uno, Michael J, Knock, Jan, Jethro R

 

[Soussouni1]

INTERLUDE - KNOWLEDGE

Maeve would hate it here.

Mira shivered, looking at her wispy breath escape her mouth with every exhale. A fire lit by that abomination called Mags crackled nearby and although she had her hands hovering so close to the damn thing that the flames nearly touched her, she was still cold. The frigid wind seeped past her coat and through her skin, chilling her down to the bone. Unfortunately, she had deigned gloves to be a waste of money and time, especially when one of her hands was still broken from the raid and covered by a thick cast. At least that one's warm, she sighed with a slight smile, staring at all the drawings on her cast. She'd practically forced her Pokemon to come up with things to draw, though Gardevoir was the one who'd done the actual drawing.

Magnezone had decided on some kind of tower that resembled a tesla coil with a stick figure on top that was supposed to be Mira waving at the world below. Alakazam had taken a while to convince, but he'd written a 'get well soon' message that was a little too boring for her tastes, so Gengar decided to add some evil faces by the end to turn the vibe behind the message into a sarcastic one. He might have evolved, but he still loved annoying others like it sustained him. These days, he lived in her shadow more than his Pokeball for protection, as Fantina had advised her, and he was practicing to stop feeling cold to people who got too close. Yeah, maybe that isn't helping with the cold.

Though it wasn't like anyone could tell the difference on route 216. It was Spring time, but a blizzard constantly battered the entire route.

Porygon2's idea had been to draw Mira as a five-star pull from one of her gacha games, but Gardevoir wasn't that great of an artist and it ended up looking half-assed, so now Pory was giving her the cold shoulder. Gardevoir herself had drawn at least fifty little hearts all around the cast while Exeggcute had fought themselves for so long they decided they would rather not draw anything at all rather than let one of themselves win. They were a hassle to handle, but on the whole they would be an excellent psychic to add to her collection. At least she was getting some peace and quiet for a while now that it was too cold for them to be out for more than a few minutes at a time. Porygon2 was in her phone and Gengar in her shadow, but Gardevoir, Alakazam and Magnezone were all next to her, both for the fire's warmth and to watch over her.

On the other side of the flames, Lauren sat on a rock her Rhydon had raised. Mira was pretty sure she was wearing two coats atop one another, which ended up giving her a lot more volume and looking hilarious and oddly charming. Her jet-black hair was hidden beneath a thick winter cap, and she had a neck gaiter that actually went up to her nose, so the only thing Mira could see was her dark eyes and thick, circular glasses. Her team trained in the background in some kind of horrifying free-for-all with no order to it inside of Reuniclus' barrier.

Rhydon slammed Magmortar's gut with an elongated hammer-like arm he had sculpted in seconds, and with each strike, shards of sharpened debris would explode out of it with a small burst of glowering rock. All of the snow inside of the shield had vaporized, giving way to solid ground that was currently slowly melting. It must be hundreds of degrees in there, Mira thought, halfway between horrified and awed. While Magmortar was on the defensive and losing, he was going down swinging and blowing flamethrowers out of his cannons that were so hot they were blue and slowed even Rhydon down. Seismitoad, Aggron and Sceptile were stuck in some kind of three-way— heh, three-way— but it was Sceptile that was truly struggling to keep up due to currently being on fire.

There was no helping it. In an environment this hot, he was going to catch on fire, and yet he kept fighting thanks to continuously sustaining himself with Seismitoad's energy using a close-combat form of Giga Drain and having used Leech Seed on her at the start of the battle. He wasn't hitting her enough to finish her off, but enough to stay alive while Magmortar was focused on something else. Mira sent Gardevoir a straying thought telling her to keep the conversation they'd been having going with Alakazam. Parallel thinking came in handy, these days, but sometimes a girl just needed to have a break and hone in on a single one.

Plus, she was feeling less miserable than she'd been in weeks, so she might as well spread that around.

"Shouldn't you have them training against the cold?" Mira asked.

Lauren frowned. "What? I don't have access to any ice tactics as powerful as Candice will use, so I'm playing to my strengths. I know what I'm doing," she said in an offended, muffled voice.

Anyone else, and Mira would have gotten miffed at that retort, but she'd gotten used to Lauren after spending nearly a week with her. She hated anything that even sounded like advice, for one, even though Mira had genuinely been curious and not trying to force her to do anything. Battling was her thing, and she wanted to do it her way. There was a moment of silence as another gush of cold wind blew past them. The sun was setting in the distance, though it wasn't as if Mira had been able to feel any of its warmth anyway.

"Sorry, I was just wondering. You know, I appreciate the way you've helped me and my team train up. I was slacking a little with all the shit that was going on."

"Your fundamentals were terrible," she deadpanned, much to Gardevoir's annoyance. "You're an incredibly lazy battler. Your Gengar was fun and tricky, at least." Mira's friend stopped, cocking her head to the side to get a better look at her. "Are you cold?"

"A little. It's the wind."

Lauren sat up and slowly shuffled toward Mira, who'd been sitting on Gardevoir's cold lap. "Why didn't you buy gloves?" she asked, clasping her hand so tightly it nearly hurt. "Frostbite is a serious risk, you know? You can even get gangrene in the most extreme cases, I looked it up."

Mira shrugged. "Yeah, I messed up. That's a common theme with me, I'll have you know."

Lauren brought her hand close, pulling down her gaiter to breathe some hot air into Mira's hand. Her cheeks were flushed due to the cold, as were Mira's. She could barely feel her fingers, even when someone was touching them.

"You haven't messed up during our travels, at least. This has been fun," Lauren smiled.

Yeah, it has been. Chasey being here would be great too, but unfortunately he was too busy on his quest for revenge against Byron and badges. Too bad you needed those to be taken seriously as a trainer, because she would have killed to have him here to tell her to get her head out of her ass. It was unfortunate that he was so uninterested in girls. Well, not just girls, but uninterested in anyone. Mira had given up on him by now, though he still remained her best friend. Plus, she was too fucked up to date anyone, at the moment. She'd been too fucked up for a very long time, really. Arceus forbid she subject someone to her antics.

"Are you alright?" Lauren asked. "Warmer now?"

"Uhuh. Just anxious about stuff."

"You say sorry a lot in your sleep," she said. "I'm worried about you."

"I did warn you about that, and you said it'd be okay—" Mira stopped herself, realizing she'd gotten loud. "Sorry."

The coming meeting with Uxie had her shitting bricks. From what Grace had finally sent, Mesprit had been a real prick, even worse than Azelf, so Uxie should theoretically have been the nice one, but she was wondering if she could even qualify a power beyond her comprehension as nice. Gardevoir ran a smooth hand through her hair, and she leaned back into her. This had indeed been fun, but only three more days and they'd be in Snowpoint, and then the full weight of her responsibilities would come crashing down.

Lauren let go of her hand and looked at her cast. "How's your other hand feeling?"

"The pain is kind of numb. I think it's because I've grown used to it," Mira said. "Wanna draw something on my cast?"

She ignored Gardevoir's jealous complaints in the corner of her head, focusing wholly on this conversation.

She frowned. "There's not a lot of space."

"Come on, we can find a spot for you, that way, it's like you've left a permanent mark on me. How good are you at drawing anyway?"

"Decent. Better than all of these, but drawing on a cast is harder than doing it on paper."

"Woah. You actually draw?" Mira said, eyes widening.

"Only sometimes when I'm taking a break from training. Like now. Usually I just draw a scene from a battle I really liked."

"Oooooh. Wait, why don't you just draw something right now?" Mira suggested with a grin. "Not just on my cast, but on paper."

"Well, I can't do it with gloves, and my hands will get cold. The wind will blow the paper around, too."

"Let's just do it in our tent, then. It should be warm by now."

Lauren silently nodded, putting her gaiter back up, and Mira stood up from Gardevoir as well, who would remain by the fire with the others. Her footsteps did not crunch in the foreleg-deep snow like Lauren's, but it was just as difficult to walk in it. She had to admit, it was fun to see her fumble around. Maybe Mira just enjoyed watching people eating shit like she was constantly doing, but in a wholesome way and not a 'my life is collapsing' way. It was at times like these, where none of her concurrent thoughts were running, that the screams came back in full force. Harrowing, ear-piercing, begging to be spared or killed. To be relieved from the pain. Mira's entire body shook at once, and it wasn't because of the cold. Never had she seen a man scream until his voice was completely gone and he was spitting out blood. Every time she closed her eyes, he was there. He. Not saying his name was how much of a coward she was. It gave her distance, a way to pretend that hadn't really been her, in that basement. Yet it had been. Arceus, tomorrow couldn't come soon enough. Every day was a trial to see if she'd be able to hold on to the next time she could see her therapist, and while he was very good, she was supposed to be making progress like she'd told the others, not stagnating.

"You go in, I'm going to get Gengy to stay out. He'll make us cold."

Her friend nodded without even looking back, thank the Legendaries. Otherwise, she'd have done that thing where she asked what was wrong and Mira had to say it was private. There was no way she could tell Lauren about this, not when she was having so much fun in the Circuit. It'd be like showing someone what lay beyond the world's veil when they hadn't even asked. She was too innocent to ruin in such a way. Mira had screwed up, with Emi. She never should have told her about what Gengar had done to him.

"Gengy, up."

Mira shivered when her shadow moved. A pair of red eyes materialized above her, followed by a grin filled with layers upon layers of sharpened teeth, each a different size and dripping with poison. Gengar's body detached from her shadow, and Mira suddenly felt lighter, like she'd been carrying weights the entire time. The air seemed to grow more frigid, blowing against her neck as continuous chills traveled up and down her spine, and the glow from the setting sun dimmed. Gengar's body rippled, a mixture of toxic gas and poisonous liquid without a solid form. He looked terrifying to anyone not used to him— hell, he even looked a little scary to her, but that was nothing compared to what he could do when not chained by the rules of battle.

"Stay out, but don't annoy Lauren's team, okay? They'll kill you and we can't afford to waste any more time. Other than that, you can do whatever you want so long as you don't prank nearby trainers," Mira said. "If you behave, I'll get you a treat."

The ghost cackled, purple smoke emanating from his mouth as he slipped into the ethereal and disappeared, his voice echoing in the distance. Alakazam and Gardevoir could still control him, but they were worse than she was at it. Having evolved meant that Gengy had urges. Urges to haunt and prank, which sounded innocent enough until Fantina had told her that new Gengar could grow so obsessed with a victim that they would stalk them until they died from the numerous methods ghosts could use to kill. He would grow out of it eventually, but right now, it was like he was going through puberty. If something goes wrong, Gardevoir or Alakazam will tell me, she reassured herself as she leaned into the tent. I can be allowed a break… can I? They'd cleared some ground here to nail the tent into the earth, and there was a stove burning a block of wood at its center, with the smoke going out of the tent through a chimney. Lauren was taking off her second coat, revealing a gourd of water she'd been keeping inside her clothing. She'd been wearing a thick, creamy, long-sleeved cotton shirt below them.

"Huh. What's that for?" Mira asked, pointing at the flask.

"I have Mags warm it up for me and keep it inside. It helps with the cold," Lauren explained. "You can also put it inside your sleeping bag for a few minutes before you sleep to warm it up."

"Nifty," she said. "Uh, can you help with my coat again…?"

The agreement was wordless. Usually it was Gardevoir or Alakazam, who helped her put clothes on or off, but if it was just the coat, Lauren was fine. The amount of shit you couldn't do with a broken hand was astonishing, and Mira hated feeling that useless. Already, her Pokemon were behind the others. They had utility, of course, but the gap between her and her friends had never been wider. Her good hand slipped past the first sleeve, and there was something to admire about how delicate Lauren was when handling her broken hand. The girl liked nothing more but to see shit blow up, and yet here she was, going inch by inch over the cast and continuously asking if this was okay.

"Yeah, it's okay," Mira exhaled. She did not deserve such care. Not right now. "Thanks for the help."

"It would be weird if I didn't help."

Mira snorted. "I've seen worse behavior from teenage girls." She sat, using her good hand to undo her pigtails and let her pink hair flow freely. "So, how're we doing this? You wanna draw me like one of your Kalosian girls?" she asked, striking an exaggerated, lavish pose.

Lauren frowned, taking off her gloves. "Kalosians don't look that different than you do, but I'm not drawing you in that pose. We never even established that I was drawing you."

Mira wanted to feign a pout and pretend to be hurt, but didn't, because she was pretty sure Lauren would take it literally. "It was a joke, but a pretty shitty one, so don't worry about it." Mira scooted over to her while she grabbed a pen and a thin notebook. "So you said you usually draw battles? Like, your battles?"

The drawings themselves were decent. Not great, but not terrible. The proportions were off, there was no color and it was hard to tell what was in the foreground or background, but it was something she'd made from her heart. The current page depicted an Aggron jumping over an enormous crater to get to a Zweilous.

"These look cool! Wait, I recognize this one, that's your battle against Cece in Hearthome!"

Lauren smiled. "Yeah. It was a fun one. I draw some other battles I wasn't involved in sometimes. I started a few years ago when I was drawing Craig's battles."

Aw, drawing her big brother's fights. How cute.

"Obviously, I threw the notebooks out, though. This one's new," she finished.

Nevermind.

"This is your latest drawing?" Mira asked.

"Hmhm. I haven't done it in a while, so I'll be rusty. I was too focused on actually training, and there wasn't enough time."

"So what are you drawing?"

"I guess I can draw you if you really want me to."

"I was fucking around. You can draw whatever you want, Lauren."

"Then I'll draw the battle between your Gengar and my Sceptile," she agreed. "Can I put some music on?"

"Hmhm."

The scritching of the pen against paper was a comforting sound, especially when combined with the wind continuously battering against the tent. They did well when they decided to buy a tent for two. It was a bitch to assemble and tough to carry, but they had space for a stove to keep things warm and they could just relax here. Mira leaned toward Lauren to get a better look at what she was doing, though her friend was completely focused on the task at hand. Narrowed eyes and a strained left hand. We're both left-handed, so that's cool. The music itself coming from the phone on the floor was okay. It was some rock group that Lauren had been obsessed with since they'd begun traveling together, and she'd been listening over and over during the long stretches of silence that involved travel with her headphones. Some popular Unovan band… something Twins. Mira always got sick of music after listening to it for that long, but Lauren didn't. She'd had their stuff continuously on loop and liked to time stuff to songs or the entire album ending.

And Arceus forbid she had turn it off mid-way through. That was a cardinal sin and wasn't allowed.

"I don't know much about you," Lauren said, still drawing.

"Huh?"

"I don't mean the stuff you're keeping hidden, I mean what you were like before being a trainer. I know about your uncle, your parents and stuff, but I mean more like normal stuff. You know about me."

"Lauren… are you by chance… asking to know more about me!?" Mira beamed. "I thought the day would never come. Miracles really do come true."

"I like to know more about someone when I draw them battling. What's your favorite song?"

"Favorite song? Uh, that caught me off-guard a little, hold on… maybe Nocturno by Silencer—"

"Awful."

"What? What's so awful about it?"

"It makes me fall asleep."

"That's the entire point!" Mira scoffed. "I like chill songs."

"This drawing isn't going to come out very good, I think."

"Are you holding me hostage over my music tastes?"

"I'm just stating a fact, is all. I listen to music to get myself pumped up, so I think you're a little strange," Lauren said, pressing down her pen on the page to accentuate the contours of Gengy's form. "I guess you still have some redeeming qualities that make up for it, though, so who knows."

"Redeeming qualities? Like what? Please praise me."

Her friend chuckled. I made her laugh, holy shit. It wasn't the first time, but she could count the amount of times that had happened on her fingers.

"Well, you might be a bad trainer, but you work hard. You persevere even when you've been having a tough time, you're smart and good at teaching stuff in an easy way to understand," she listed. "You're easy to talk to. Sometimes I'll try to talk to someone and the conversation just dies, so I just leave. You're good at preventing that, and even when we aren't talking you're fun to be around."

"O—oh. That's very nice of you," Mira said, suddenly teary-eyed.

"But you also know when to screw off and let me be alone, so that's a plus."

"Well, after a week together I learned some of your quirks. You know, I've always wondered why you never did ask to travel with some of us. They'd learn to know you that well too."

"I'm not great with big groups, and there are too many of you. I think traveling with someone else other than you would get annoying. Grace's birthday party was already a lot. You did good with the planning, though, even if the music left something to be desired."

"Well, had I known, I would have tapped you for the playlist," Mira smiled. "Thank you, though. I really appreciate you, you know? You help to keep my head on my shoulders."

Lauren's drawing grew slightly quicker. "I haven't really done anything."

"I think just having a friend around helped a lot. It made me feel normal for a while, which I think was what I needed. At least my Pokemon think so."

"Gardevoir keeps staring at me."

"She gets jealous," Mira said with a dismissive handwave. "She won't actually do anything, don't worry."

"I wasn't worried. I could dismantle her in a multitude of different ways. Volis could use X-Scissor to break free of any Psychic hold and—"

"Let's not get into another 'here's how I could beat your team' rant," she interrupted.

Lauren bit her lip.

"Or, you know, maybe we can!" Mira quickly added. "Just… later. I'm not in the mood, currently." The pink-haired teen breathed a sigh of relief when Lauren nodded, seemingly fine with what she'd said. The last thing she wanted was to fuck up with her. "We're good, right?"

"Copacetic."

"Great. You know, I never did want to be a trainer," Mira muttered, listening to the crackling of the fire. They'd neen to replace the block of wood soon. "I thought I'd just graduate from school and get my uncle to get me a job at his own place. Nothing like some good old nepotism to get me going," she said, laughing at her own joke. "Then, he kept getting crazier, and eventually, he just left with everything. I was graduating in a few months, so I wasn't going to get money from the government for much longer and finding foster families takes months that I didn't have. I wanted answers and needed money, so it was the quickest path. Killing two birds with one stone. I guess to truly be good at it, you have to want it and not do it for convenience."

Lauren shifted in her seat. "I don't understand how you couldn't like battling," she said, raising her tone slightly. So from barely a whisper to actually audible. "What will you do when you find your uncle?"

"Tell him how much of a piece of shit he is," Mira said. "And try to fix him."

Fix him. In the previous months, Mira had sensed a pattern, with the gift given to the Shards. Willpower gave Cecilia and Chase the ability to have anyone listen to their orders, ergo, stripping people from their willpower for a set amount of time. Had they not been halves, there was no doubt they would have been able to do more, like what Grace could do. Mold someone to her liking by using emotion, along with stripping one of whatever part of them she wanted to make them into a puppet. It was a pattern. A pattern of thievery, of stealing what made people people. She had guessed that Uxie would give her the power to alter knowledge in some way. To steal it, and to pass it onto others.

That meant that Charon— uncle Ernie— could have all memories of her mother stripped away. Everything that had happened with Team Galactic would have to go, too. It wasn't really fixing him. More like wildly cutting at parts of him that only hurt him. Maybe with his memories gone, Cynthia could delay his execution further, or even free him entirely.

"Yeah," Mira whispered, hugging her knees. "I can try to fix him."

"Do you want a hug?"

"Huh?"

"A hug. Do you want one?"

"S—sure. Why not?"

Dropping the notebook on her lap, Lauren wrapped an arm around Mira's shoulder and brought her close in a gentle, yet brisk motion. Not exactly a hug, Mira mused, but it feels good nonetheless. Warm. The squeeze around her shoulder was nice. It was stupid, but it made her feel safe anyway. Out of Mira's closest friends, Chase wasn't a hugger, Cece didn't hug anyone who wasn't her girlfriend and Maeve only occasionally hugged. While Grace herself loved to hug, and they were of damn high quality, they hadn't seen each other in a while, and she suspected things would be quite awkward when they did. All of that to say, she'd missed these, and it was difficult now to want a little more. She hadn't realized she'd been craving physical contact this way.

"Can I keep the drawing when you're done?" Mira asked.

"If you really want it, I'll give it to you."

"That's nice of you," she smiled.

"Are you done? You're holding onto me more than I to you, and I won't be able to finish this."

Mira begged, surprisingly only half-joking. "Just one more minute."

Lauren gently pushed Mira off, and she was hugless for the rest of the night.

—

The way Lauren had grown more angsty the closer they got to Snowpoint was cute. She could barely contain her excitement and had been hyper-focusing on training. Mira had thought Grace was crazy for her training hours, but Lauren was even more so. Sometimes she'd go twelve hours straight training her team with only a few breaks in between. Her Pokemon fought while traveling, essentially battling along the route in pairs until they were too exhausted to move. When her team was taking a break, Lauren played out battles in her head and talked to herself about what she'd do or how she'd win against imaginary opponents and continuously asked Mira for her input about it. It wasn't really that interesting, but it was fun to see her talk about something she enjoyed so much, so Mira listened and bounced ideas with her. She'd even suggested a few moves that Lauren hadn't dismissed out of hand and was looking into implementing, one of them being useful against Candice's ice types.

Good times were unfortunately coming to an end. They'd made it to Snowpoint in all of its ugly glory. This city was nothing but dull, gray concrete blocks rising a few stories into the sky. It was a cloudy day, and every breath made the inside of her mouth and nose feel horribly dry. What Mira saw, however, was that there were far more trainers here than she'd already expected. There were thousands of shoeprints embedded in the snow, heading toward and outward of the Pokemon Center's direction. There were whispers of there barely being enough room to fit all of the influx of trainers Candice expected to get this year, with it having so many more people than usual. Some years were just like that, with a larger proportion of fifteen-year-olds deciding to give this training thing a try. The Pokemon Center stood as an island of warm colors in the middle of frigid cold. A dot of red where it didn't belong. Mira turned toward her friend with a sigh, ignoring the hushed whispers of her fans starting to gather around. Luckily, her Rhydon was out and keeping them away. Mira never really did get to know her team like she had her friends'. They kept even more to themselves than Grace's, save for Reuniclus.

"Well, here we are," she said. "I guess I'll be… leaving, then."

Lauren frowned. "You're not spending the day? You look tired. You have bags under your eyes."

"That's because I haven't used Hypnosis to make myself fall asleep in the last three days because I wanted to give sleeping normally a try," Mira said, wiping her nose. The damn cold was making it leak. "And yeah, I haven't had much success."

"Oh. I'm sorry, I should have noticed sooner," Lauren said. Though her voice or face wasn't very emotive, there were still quirks in her tone that Mira had learned to parse through. It was the eyes, too.

"No worries, I'll deal. I didn't want to have you worrying over me when you have your Gym Battle coming up, but evidently, I failed," Mira shrugged. It was why she always hid her bullshit problems deep, really. She hated being a burden and having people pity her, but here she was having screwed up again. "Again, I'll be fine! Um, just focus on getting that eighth badge, yeah? I'd say I'll watch, but I'm not sure I'll be able to."

Lauren's feet shuffled in the snow. "Watch the replay, then. I want you to see me use your move. I think it's sellable to Silph Co. Sirris has said we should share the profits, but I can give it all to you if it works."

Mira patted her on the arm. "Don't offer that much to people, Lauren, they'll take advantage of you."

"I really meant it."

"No, keep your money," Mira said. I don't deserve it. "Take me out for a fun day sometimes and we'll call it even."

"I don't really know what that would be."

"We'll just wing it, then."

"...I can't wing it. It has to be prepared, or it'll go wrong," Lauren muttered.

"We'll figure it out, it's still nebulous. I don't even know where I'll be in two weeks," Mira said, her eyes downcast and staring at her feet. "But yeah, I should go. You were fun, Lauren. Good luck in your Gym Battle."

"You were fun, too."

Mira released Alakazam, asking him to Teleport her back on route 217.

"And be careful. Don't take any risks," her friend added.

"What makes you think I'm taking risks?"

"Don't think I'm an idiot. I can tell you're going to do something like the raid again."

Mira's legs suddenly felt heavier, like she was sinking in quicksand. "Not too loud, people are looking—"

"I don't care about people!" she yelled, before turning her head all around them. Rhydon flexed an arm, and stone cracked loudly as his body seemed to sharpen. Nasty technique, that one. It essentially made him mold his entire body into something sharper, losing defense in exchange for heightened offense. "Fuck off! All of you."

Should I Teleport you before this turns to a fight? Alakazam asked. I suggest otherwise. You've picked up a nasty habit of running away, Mira.

"No. I'm fine," she whispered.

"Why are you doing this?" Lauren asked with a clenched fist. "It's bullshit. You're risking your lives for no reason."

"You said you wouldn't ask…" Legendaries, her words were so weak and full of shit. Every time she played this song and dance, her resolve seemed to weaken. "I can't involve you in this. Just trust me, okay? Can you do that?"

"One day, I'll wake up and half of you will be dead," Lauren said.

How could she salvage this? Mira didn't want to ruin the friendship they had going, but the last thing she wanted to do was involve more people in this… pit of continuous harshness that had become her life. Could she imagine Lauren, storming his mansion? Yes, yes she could. She was a better trainer, though maybe that would have been a handicap with all the hostages. Imagining her fighting Team Galactic? Yes. But she didn't deserve any of this. Mira couldn't bare to look at Lauren in the eye, instead staring at anywhere but her face. She shied away from the intense glare of her dark eyes, feeling the pace of her breaths quicken. What do I say? All this knowledge bullshit and I have nothing to show for it? Pathetic. Awful. Piece of shit.

But then, Lauren's look softened when Mira was on the verge of asking Alakazam to run.

"I'm sorry for yelling. Just be careful and don't die. Please."

"Yeah…"

"And sleep. You need eight hours per night, but I'll settle for six. And you need to eat properly. That Gardevoir makes some good points even if she's weak."

Mira sorted Alakazam's protest to the back of her head as she smothered a grin and wiped the corner of her eye.

"Thanks. Hug it out?" she asked, outstretching her arms.

"We already made up."

Her arms drooped back to her side. "Yeah, that's fair. I'll be on my way, then?"

"Goodbye."

"See you, Lauren."

—

Mira had felt the pull of the Lake while traveling through route 217. It had been faint, but felt like a word on the tip of her tongue, for lack of a better expression. Something she was supposed to know, but didn't, and that would have driven her halfway to insanity, had she not had her Pokemon and Lauren with her. It was like an irresistible force pulling her inward, like the planet's gravity as she wandered the snowy plains. Alakazam kept Teleporting her forward in multiple jumps as far as he could see, but it was tough with how the blizzard had picked up. Her free hand was shoved deep inside of her pocket, holding onto her phone for some semblance of company or warmth. The frigid winds seemed to slice through her coat and through any barrier Alakazam conjured up in a way the psychic couldn't explain, but that fascinated both him and her. It was as if the state of the world up there was cold unless you had a fire to help near you. All of these, still helped, including the barrier, but you'd be hard pressed not to feel uncomfortable up here.

"K—keep going North," Mira said through chattering teeth. She could barely feel her legs and fingers. "We're close. Almost there."

It was like her soul wanted to jump out of her skin. Like she wasn't meant to be here. Yet Mira persevered, alternating between trudging through snow and having Alakazam Teleport her for the next thirty minutes until finally, a League Trainer patrolling the surroundings found her. The lucky fuck was dressed like Lauren had been, but with a Camerupt to keep him warm to boot. Part of her pitied him a little, for having to be stationed in what was no doubt the worst of the three lakes. Mira dragged her feet through the snow, leaving trails behind her that wouldn't last the next five minutes.

"Mira Compton!" he yelled through the blizzard. "May I identify you, just to be safe!"

"I can't feel my fucking hands!" she screamed back.

No amount of begging would have him just lead her in, so she mustered her courage and grabbed her ID from her wallet, fumbling around and trying to open it with one hand until she managed to present it to him for a split second before she had to put her hand back in her pocket. Yeah, he was just doing his job, but he was still a fucking asshole. At least Camerupt was sharing some of its warmth with them, but they'd just gotten there. It would take a while for that heat to actually seep in.

"Follow."

Mira nodded, dragging herself through the snow and totally not wishing she was back in that tent with Lauren and shooting the shit. The snot that was continuously streaming down her nose froze within a minute of being exposed to the air, with how fucking cold it was getting, but she and Alakazam persevered. The psychic tried to alter the path of the wind with some of his fancy tricks, and that helped a little. They entered some kind of thick forest, which was hell to navigate, and apparently Teleporting forward was impossible from now on according to Alakazam. As they kept going, she finally got warm again thanks to the huge Camerupt and she began to feel her extremities again. Grace said she wanted one of these before finding her Turtonator, the teenager hummed with interest. She shared few words with Alakazam, because her thoughts lay elsewhere. How should she approach talking to Uxie? She was terrified, even though she knew what to expect the most. Cece and Chase hadn't known what would happen, when they touched their lake, and yet they'd done it anyway.

"Come on," she whispered to herself. "You can do this."

Having to pump herself up while not even being near the damn Lake was somewhat pathetic, but at least no one could hear her thanks to the blizzard. It took another twenty minutes for them to step through some sort of forcefield. The feeling of crossing a threshold was subtle, but it had been there, and suddenly, a fortress lay in front of her and the snow stopped falling immediately. That was the Lake doing that, not the League, Mira knew. Its influence was more powerful than whatever the fuck made this route and its surroundings hell and Uxie kept to a smaller size— the smallest of the three lakes. She was identified and let into the military base. It was just like Lake Valor's, except more compact and smaller. Only two layers of walls instead of three, and fewer people on site in general, which made sense with how inhospitable this place was. Mira found herself reinvigorated as she walked onto the base's paved roads, which were only blanketed by a thin layer of snow. She could think even faster here, and she felt like she'd have the answers to any question she asked. Alakazam's eyes widened as the same feeling overtook his brain, no doubt.

"We're staying a single day, so don't get too excited," Mira preempted.

A shame. I could have many breakthroughs here if we stayed longer, Alakazam said with a sigh.

Part of her wanted to head back to Snowpoint as soon as she was done, but there were responsibilities, and again, involving Lauren with this would be foolish. No, instead she would head back south to Jubilife. Back in her old apartment that she still owned. There, she would spend the rest of the one month she had while training and brace for the worst. She wanted to see the others, but they all knew about her, every single one of them. They'd judge her. Think she was a monster. Grace watched, but she was the one who ordered Gengy to actually kill.

No, it would be best if she stayed on her own.

Mira was taken into the main building, which was only slightly larger than the others. It was a mixture of different whites and greys that made her eyes hurt due to the light getting reflected everywhere seeing as the weather above the lake was clear without a cloud in sight, like she had entered a different world. Some kind of big-shot leader spoke to her, and she had the conversation with him while thinking of a dozen different things, mostly about Uxie. She told them she was going to be touching the water now, and not wait. Better rip the band-aid off and get it over with before she could chicken out.

On the way to the Lake was a modest home made of wood, and not steel and concrete. It looked hilariously out of place, and a grumpy-looking woman in a thick, wooly shirt and pants with arms that looked like they could snap Mira like a twig. Must be Savika, she thought. She sure looked unhappy to have had an entire military installation forced upon her home. There was a tiny Sneasel by her feet, which surprised Mira considering she was supposed to have no Pokemon. Maybe she'd caught something recently, then. Mira wasn't really in a mood to converse with a pissy old woman, so she just nodded at her, which Savika promptly ignored, and kept going until they reached the Lake. It beckoned her. The surface was crystal clear, and she wanted nothing more but to plunge inside of it, clothes and all.

Instead, as around eight League Trainers stood behind her, she plunged her hand into the scorching Lake—

—

It was an endless expanse of dark.

Mira had fallen to some kind of soft, wet ground that was difficult to stand on, with how uneven it was and given the fact that it was impossible to actually see. The water only touched the soles of her feet as if she was walking on it, which was different than how the others had described theirs. Terrified of angering the Legendary, Mira stared at her feet, though she couldn't help but enjoy moving her hand again. There was a little relieved sigh when she realized it was painless, but she could only ignore her problems for so long. There was a weight in front of her, a weight that was looking at her every move and yet that stayed silent. Should I look up? Talk? They usually talk first, don't they?

Silence. Uxie was deafeningly quiet, and Mira couldn't help but start thinking something about her wasn't worthy. What if it had gotten a good look at her now and was thinking of how to rip her gift out of her? Then what would she even be for?

"Come forth, Mira Compton. Look at me."

Holy shit, the girl swallowed. The voice was a child-like quiet, barely a whisper, and yet she caught onto every single word and felt compelled to listen. Mira glanced up at a literal God. Its body was a pale, almost fading blue with two tails embedded with small red gems, but what caught her attention was Uxie's head. Starting from the middle of its face, yellow skin extended upward until it grew into a helmet-like structure that covered the entire top of its head. On top of the yellow growth sat its gem, glowing slightly red, and its eyes were permanently closed. A constant pressure pressed on Mira's chest as she listened to the concept of Knowledge and approached it with heavy steps. Her mind raced with a thousand different scenarios, yet she stayed quiet. Everything here was quiet, far more than what was normal. She kept walking, as if she was in a daze until their faces almost touched and she knew she was close enough. There was no doubt in that, as if someone had planted the knowledge in her head.

Then Uxie opened its eyes—

Mira blinked, not remembering what had happened or what she'd just seen. Uxie's eyes were closed again, but then she slowly started to know. She knew how her powers worked. The fact that she would be able to think faster when she was out of here, or steal and hand out knowledge however she pleased, so long as it wasn't too much, otherwise she would get tired and pass out. While Grace's power was subtle and slow, and Cecilia and Chase's was fast and sudden, hers was in the middle of that. She would not be able to affect Grace or vice versa, but Cecilia and Chase were halves, so they would be possible to steal and insert memories into, not that she was actually planning to do that. All of this had just been knowledge forced upon her head, like it had crawled its way into her brain and forced her to think this way despite her not wanting to. Absorbing too much information at once would give her a headache, and giving too much in a short amount of time would also give headaches. Taking, though, would be easy and without pain.

"You now own a piece of me," Uxie whispered. "A passenger that will aid you in your quest to save His Creation. Yet I worry for you, child. Thoughts of guilt, inadequacy and fear cloud your mind, and I know you to be quite the sensitive Shard."

Mira winced. "That won't stop me from helping save the world."

Knowledge nodded. "I know. But what about what comes after? In many of the futures where the line is not cut, I see you battered and broken. A shell of your former self. You plan on saving your uncle, the one who is a blight upon Creation, but perhaps it would be better to have you forget the fact that you care about him."

"W—wait!"

Her heart lurched in her throat, and she felt herself stumble as dread crept up her skin, covering every single inch and making it hard to breathe. It had said this so nonchalantly, like it was doing her a service, but there was no outrage that rose within her. After all, she was planning on doing something similar to Charon already.

"No. No, I'm okay," she said, the selfish fucking prick. "I'll deal with anything. I've been dealing my whole life."

Uxie just stared— well, not exactly, since its eyes were closed.

"What do you mean by the 'line is not cut'?" she added.

Uxie opened its eyes.

The world line they currently resided in. While Uxie could not travel between lines, it could look and infer knowledge from them and delve into the future. That is how it warned its siblings about the impending doom. Her throat suddenly felt so, so dry. The damn thing wasn't even bothering to talk to her, and she still couldn't remember the color of its eyes. That meant that there were futures where the line was cut and everything ended.

"Fret not."

A psychic bubble enveloped her like a warm, thick blanket. Mira's eyes fluttered, suddenly feeling tired, but she knew better than to think that she was getting hypnotized. She was just genuinely exhausted, and the damn concept of Knowledge was hugging her.

"I worry for you, Shard. Willpower looks at his own with disdain and disinterest. Emotion desires to be entertained for a moment in existence, but I? I worry for you."

"I— how? I'm just some human who'll die in like what feels like an hour to you."

"Does that mean I cannot worry? Should I curse mortals just because I am not? I gifted your people Knowledge, Shard, not only because He asked me to, but because I love you like He does. You are, after all, His creation. It would not do for me to think you lesser."

Ah. Not genuine love, then, but an imitation of what Uxie thought Arceus would be like, and Mira believed the concept loved humanity as a whole and was only treating her differently because she was a Shard. It was genuinely trying, though, which was more than what could be said of the other two.

"Well, I had a few questions about Team Galactic. Um, if they complete the Red Chain, which it looks like they'll do, how close will they need to get to the Lakes to grab you."

Uxie did not deign answer, instead using its eyes to update the knowledge in her head in an instant. They would have to breech the walls, but not get to the shores of the lake itself. Still a difficult endeavor, but not impossible.

"Will they be able to use you to actually attack? Like, use your powers to destroy cities or fight back against League forces?" Mira continued.

Again, it opened its eyes, and she forgot what she'd seen. The Red Chain is made of only Mesprit's gems, and replicas at that. Its hold on them would be tenuous enough that they would probably keep them in a dormant state until the time came to summon Dialga and Palkia, but Uxie was sure they would use them to chart a path to reach the top of Mount Coronet, because the mountain would open itself up for Uxie and its siblings and lead them to the summit. His throne, once radiant and where He sat while He created the world with His uncountable number of hands.

Mira gasped as she was pulled out of the… not vision, but something akin to it, her head throbbing rhythmically like a heartbeat. "Wait, so Mount Coronet would just stop its fuckery if you were there? No time dilation? No moving parts?"

That gave them so much less time to work with. The League had been operating under the assumption that if they wanted to get to the summit with good numbers, they would need to spend weeks brute forcing their way up Mount Coronet. That changed things and shortened the timeline. Fuck.

"Why?"

A system built to keep any but the most dedicated worshippers away from His throne, yet able to be stopped with Uxie and its siblings.

"Fuck me," Mira sighed. "Fair enough. Could you possibly tell me what Team Galactic's plan once the Red Chain is completed is? Or when they plan to strike?"

"Sometimes, they wait. Sometimes, they strike right away. Sometimes, they fail before they get to the lakes. Sometimes, they succeed and His Creation ends. They do it in numerous ways, and no plan is more credible than the other, but I will transfer the knowledge to you."

She knew. She knew everything, and her head felt like it was about to burst. It was important to note, though, that for all its power, Uxie was not omniscient and could be caught off-guard.

"I have one last question, though, Uxie. How would I kill a true ghost permanently?"

Uxie's lips twitched up before returning to their perpetual frown, and it opened its eyes. There is only one way, and it was to kill them a second time in the Dusk. Finding a ghost willing to do so would be impossible, because they were compelled not to do so by a covenant forged by the first ghosts who ever came into existence, so a human and their non-ghost Pokemon would have to enter the Dusk themselves and do it.

"And is there a way to enter the Dusk?" Mira asked, leaning forward.

Uxie smiled again. "Only if you are let in by its ruler," it said. "Goodbye, Shard. I can tell you have no more questions. We will be in regular communication, once you are back. And if what happens during the war to save His Creation proves too much for you, come back and I will fix you."

Fix her. Similar wording, there.

Mira nodded.

Maybe she'd been the choice between her friends for a reason, after all.

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, SecondBlahm, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Uno, Michael J, Knock, Jan, Jethro R

 

[Soussouni1]

A/N: Hey, it's been a while! This is the end of my semester, so I have a bunch of exams. I don't think there will be another chapter this week as a result. The normal schedule will resume at some point next week.

---

INTERLUDE - NUMBER'S GAME

"Thanks again for coming on our podcast, Denzel. Your friend group is tough to get a hold of and has been basically impossible to contact since Sunyshore, but with issues of the raid, that's understandable," Goalducc said. "There's one last question some of our listeners had on their minds before your big day, and that's if you're willing to share a little bit of what you're planning for Byron?"

Denzel ran a tired hand through his hair. He liked Andrew, and he was doing him a favor by being here and boosting his numbers, but he was so tired after having trained so much that he could barely stay focused. In all honestly, he felt a little ashamed of having come here while not having been able to give it his all. It wasn't like he wasn't benefitting too. He was wearing his brand new merch, a pretty white and pastel blue shirt with Sylvi and Denzel crouching next to him on it. There were pink ones too, to go with Sylveon's color scheme, and these two were his personal favorite. Denzel took a discreet breath as he leaned toward his microphone and made sure he was still smiling for the camera.

"You know how these things go, Goalducc. I can't risk Byron listening in and adapting whatever he already has planned for me. I know there's been a lot of noise about me lacking the firepower to beat him, but me and my team have put in the work to win, and that's what I'll show in two days."

Archive chimed in. "Either way, it'll be an interesting fight. You'll be the second first-year to challenge a Gym Leader for their eighth this Circuit. Barry Lane was the first and secured a narrow win against Candice."

"Well, Lauren would have been second had Candice not been so busy up north, but a fact is a fact," Goalducc agreed before clearing his throat. "As always, we'll be live-commenting the battle, so everyone feel free to subscribe not to miss this. Thank you again for listening."

Denzel and Archive followed suit, bidding their viewers farewell as Andrew ended the stream. Finally, he stretched, feeling the bones along his back, arms and fingers crack. Sylvi had his ribbons wrapped around Denzel's legs and was sleeping under the desk after a day spent nothing but training, save for a few eating breaks.

"That was good, right?" Archive said. "We beat our live viewer record. Leave it to Denzel to bring in attention."

Denzel rubbed his eyes. "It was fun, but I've really got to catch up on some sleep. I need to be in peak form, or I'll battle worse."

It was the little things, that added up in battles. How tired you were equaled how quick your reaction time would be. How efficiently you'd be able to keep track of every moving part and catch on to traps faster. Traps that would for sure be laid, in a fight for your eighth Gym Badge. Denzel knew that Byron would target his offensive capabilities already. Studying your final Gym without looking at your own weaknesses would be a surefire way to lose. That was, of course, easier said than done, but he had gotten better at it after Sunyshore and luckily, Byron had fewer Pokemon species to pull from than every other Gym Leader, so that put some of the pressure off.

"Well, good luck!" Andrew said. "Look forward to the post-battle analysis."

"Will do. Have a great night."

He hung up and sprawled out on his Pokemon Center chair due to the fact that Altaria would peck at him should he try to get in the bed while she was grooming herself. He had spent nearly thirty minutes daily cleaning up her feathers so the cleaners wouldn't have to after he left the room, though he knew it could have been worse. The tingles and numbness from his back injury came back in full force now that he was no longer distracted. The pain, too. It could have been worse, he knew. I was lucky.

"Finally over," a robotic female voice rang out. "That was boring. They didn't even talk about me."

Denzel turned toward Lopunny, who'd been using a text-to-speech app on her phone. "To their credit, you didn't have the opportunity to do much against Wake, so it's been a while since anyone has seen you fight in a serious capacity."

Lopunny frowned. "Ban the roof meme."

Again with this? It had been so long since Sunyshore, and the joke of her ´losing to a roof' had turned into a popular GIF that had even spread overseas, especially in Kalos, for some damn reason, but it wasn't that bad, was it?

Or… maybe it was.

"I can't ban memes on channels that aren't mine."

"Fuck you. Lovingly."

"Sure," Denzel snorted.

The normal type huffed, turning away from him while Roserade snickered at the side of the bed. A thorny vine had extended from her flowers, which she was examining with very close attention. It was an attack useful against fleshy Pokemon and one of her favorites, though it would have little effect in the battle with Byron. Either way, Milotic and Froslass were in their Pokeballs and the latter would be let out tonight so she could go off and practice what they'd been working on for some final adjustments.

Denzel unlatched his leg from Sylvi's ribbons and got ready to call it a night, going through the usual routine. Brushing his teeth, going through his new skincare routine, and going over a list of things he could improve on, both in his general life and Pokemon battling. Sylveon's relationships with the members of the team had largely recovered, though they'd grown out of the crush they had on him save for Milotic. It certainly made training easier and more drama-free, even if the bickering rarely stopped. He supposed it was just the way things would stay, and he didn't mind it much. Deep down, he knew they all loved each other, even if Lopunny was currently using her phone to make fun of Altaria's feathers and record her reaction. That gave him an opening to quickly sneak into the bed, though he wouldn't turn off the lights for a while yet.

I haven't been alone… ever, huh? Denzel thought, staring at the ceiling. Pauline had brought him here, but left to see Emilia right after, and he hoped they'd be doing well together even if he did miss them both. It wasn't like Emi was really talking to him, at the moment. Though he was technically in the loop, he had never felt more out of his depth than now, with the group fractured and tensions slowly building up. Grace and Cecilia were at the League, which was information he needed to keep private, but he was happy his two friends had finally made up and looked to be having a wonderful time, from all of the pictures they were posting. Never mind that Denzel was a little jealous they got to see the League so early. Mira was difficult to contact as always. Justin and Louis were also in town, but they hadn't seen each other yet because Denzel had been so busy training, as had Chase—

A knock on the door, and voices behind it. Denzel, who had already been about to fall asleep, rolled out of bed with a tired groan. This had better not be a fan. He would smile, sign an autograph and talk for a few minutes, but he wouldn't be happy about it, especially when he had put out a statement online about not bothering him during these times. Well, he at least had one more day to catch up on his sleep, so talking to kids looking up to him wouldn't be the end of the world. Craig always did it, after all.

Denzel opened the door. "Hello—"

"Ah, you're still awake," Louis said with a thin smile. Behind him were Chase and Justin.

"Obviously, he's still awake, he was just on a damn podcast thing," Chase rolled his eyes. "Let us in, Williams."

The tiredness that had seeped into him seemed to vanish. "Holy crap," he beamed. "The boys are all here!" He hugged Louis, patting him on the back and wrapped an arm around Justin's back and patted it too.

"You're killing me," he groaned. He was as pale as always, and his voice was emotionless, but Denzel appreciated the gesture.

"Worth it," Denzel grinned. "Chase, I thought you were training."

"You thought I'd let you fight Byron without sending you off? I thought you knew me better than that," Chase said. "Do me a favor and beat him into the dirt, will you?"

"I won't say anything that'll jinx me. Uh, do you guys want anything?"

They all shook their heads, and Chase asked for water, which he promptly gave to him.

"How are you feeling?" Louis asked.

"Nervous, but not that much. You know, I've been trying to go at it with the mentality of it being just another Gym Battle. But enough about that, what have you guys been doing lately?"

"Training," Chase deadpanned.

Denzel rolled his eyes. "Obviously, dude. Anything else?"

"Working out."

"Okay, never mind. Louis and Justin?" He knew the two were basically two peas in a pod, these days. Justin was mostly trying to get his feelings back, and at least acting a lot more cooperative than before. Denzel didn't want to be cheesy and say the cure to Justin's affliction was friendship, but things were… okay, which was a lot better than before. Denzel recalled his Pokemon before they could annoy his friends, especially Altaria.

"I've been taking Justin around, mostly," Louis shrugged. "Though he trains a lot more than I do and takes my Pokemon with him to help while I work with Marty Sobieck to see how difficult getting my sanctuary started would be. It's going… okay. He's very cagey about it."

Right. Grace had given him that name. It was good to see him progressing in his own way, though. You would have to be blind if you didn't think that he'd given up on the Circuit and was only still going so his Gabite and Bisharp could enjoy a fight. His other Pokemon probably wouldn't care much about the lack of battling. Ninetales mostly wanted to laze around all day, Empoleon was happy so long as his trainer was safe and Vespiquen… well, her mindset was too alien for Denzel to understand. Chase leaned against a wall with his arms crossed close to the door so he would be the first one out when they left while Justin and Louis sat on the foot of the bed and Denzel claimed his desk once more.

"I keep telling him that another trainer training his Pokemon might as well be useless," Justin said. "But he says it's better than nothing."

"You know, you don't speak a lot, but when you do, Gardner, you tend to say things that are correct," Chase said.

"Well, coming from you, I'll take it as a compliment," Justin said, clearly unmoved.

"When're you guys planning on battling Byron, anyway?"

"A few days after you," Justin said. "Louis' determination is up in the air. It's a shame I have no one to bet with. 'Will Louis actually battle Byron' could make me a decent amount of money."

They all chuckled at that, which Justin didn't really understand, but returned the smile anyway to pretend he did.

"Chase?" Denzel asked.

"I don't know. But I know that as I am right now, I'm not ready," he said.

"You might want to hurry up, or you won't have enough time to battle him twice," Louis said.

"I know what I'm doing— sorry. I just, you know, I want to do it right," Chase muttered.

Do it right. For Chase, the battle was a personal one, and Denzel knew it. The problem was mostly about the limit for the Red Chain to be completed. Who knew how long whatever was going to happen after would last? But it seemed like Chase was operating like he didn't care, or at least like he was putting his vendetta with Byron in a higher priority than everything else, including making it to the Conference.

"You guys talk to Emilia and Pauline lately?" Denzel asked after a pause.

Chase snorted, not bothering to answer, but Louis spoke up.

"From what I understand, they'll be spending some time together in Hearthome," he said.

"Been a while since it was just them two," Denzel smiled. "I hope they have some fun, at least. I mean, I knew about this, but I was wondering because Emilia and I are kind of fighting."

Chase groaned. "Can we talk about anything else than your love life?"

"We weren't even dating—"

"Sure."

"Well, it's true no matter what you believe," he sighed, turning to Justin and Louis. "Anyway, I won't ask you to talk to her for me or anything, but you know, I just wanted to know if she was fine. She met with her parents recently, so…"

"They were always a piece of work," Justin said. "She'll be fine, though. She's stronger than you give her credit for."

Denzel's eyes widened, then he smiled. "Look at you, getting all emotional," he chuckled, slapping his back.

"You're killing me," he said again.

They spoke deep into the night.

—

"Hey. Hey! You're up."

Denzel snapped out of his daze and stared in the Gym Trainer's eyes. She frowned at him like he was creepy, or an idiot, which he was probably being. It was difficult to get into the right headspace when you were about to start the most important battle of your career so far. Denzel apologized for just staring and quickly made his way toward the arena, each step feeling heavier and heavier as he left the waiting room and climbed up onto his platform. Was it rougher here than the other Gyms? Denzel's feet didn't feel like they were flat on the ground— gah, he was just thinking to fill in the dead air, wasn't he? An attempt to quell his anxiety, which had failed miserably. The platform was exactly the same, and he needed to stop being paranoid. Even if it wasn't it wouldn't have any effect on the battle—

He was doing it again. With a sigh, his eyes scanned the battlefield.

Metal. Cragged metal encompassing the entire arena. It was a mixture of grey and rusting red, with many hills, holes and small fissures that made it imperative for a Pokemon incapable of flight fighting here to have good footing, at least when compared to the other Gyms. Denzel subconsciously clenched a fist, his eyes narrowing to find a spot for Milotic to make use of, but it wasn't looking good. Every time a particularly explosive battle took place, the battlefield was rebuilt with the same theme, but not perfectly the same. A small ravine that might have been here in a battle he'd watched could disappear the next day and have been replaced by a hill.

It took a conscious decision, to unclench his fist and grab his first Pokeball while Byron climbed up to his platform, his trusted shovel in hand. All this time, he had kept himself busy with work or training to be distracted enough not to be nervous, but this was it. The eighth Gym Battle. All of his life, he had dreamed of standing here, but now he couldn't help but feel like he was a kid facing Roark for the first time with only an Eevee and barely knowing what he was doing. No, this is different, Denzel thought as he met Byron's grey eyes. This was like standing right below a cliff after thinking you'd gotten at least close to the summit and realizing you were nowhere near finished. That no matter what you went through, no matter how quickly you'd grown, the man in front of you had been through more and worse. Byron brought his shovel up to his shoulder and grinned.

"It ain't every day I test someone for their first eighth," he drawled, a bit of his accent slipping through. His voice sounded even deeper than it did on video. It was that way due to lung damage, apparently. "Denzel Williams, for all of your efforts to claw your way up here, I congratulate you." There was a glint in Byron's eyes, almost mad as he pointed the shovel toward Denzel. "But. If you want to stand among the best, you'll have to go through me."

A shiver ran down his spine, half excited and fearful, and the anxiety slowly began to leave his body. Denzel took a deep breath, clasping his Pokeball tight and returned the smile as Byron enunciated the rules. The words were the same— a six-on-six with three switches allowed, but they felt heavier. The stands were so packed that some people were even standing to take a look at his battle. He was used to this enough to know that there was no way he would spot Chase, Louis or Justin up there, but he knew they were watching, and he knew all of his friends were as well, at least on video.

"Send out your Pokemon," Byron announced at the end of this speech.

You can do this.

"Every battle against someone you can't roll over will need an anchor," Craig had once told him. "A Pokemon who your strategy will rely on. The key to success is to create an advantageous situation for that Pokemon to win."

"You're up, Roserade."

The tall grass type appeared next to the small pond with her head held high and poison already dripping from her flowers. The acid dug small holes into the metal, though Denzel knew they were not good enough to affect actual steel types with poison yet. Roserade was just putting on a show, and she glared up at Byron, who rubbed his chin with an interested look. He was thinking? Why? Shouldn't he have a counter for everything he brought? Denzel calmed himself down with another clenching of his fist as Byron sent out a massive Ferrothorn. It was cloaked in an armor of hardened steel and covered by sharp thorns. The steel type used its three spiky balls linked to its body by thick vines to move itself in a slow, sluggish manner that Denzel knew meant it wouldn't be able to dodge any of their attacks. Ferrothorn was one of Roserade's biggest counters, and but not as big as something like a Skarmory or Forretress. Already, they'd been caught off-guard, but he had prepared for this.

"Frenzy Plant," Denzel said.

Suddenly, grass bloomed in the cracks between the metallic floor, but that was only the precursor to the giant thorny roots as thick as trees that burst out of the ground in their half of the arena. Each thorn dripped with poison so foul purple smoke began to spread across the arena, but that was unfortunately a secondary effect that wouldn't have much use here. While the forest of thorns grew tall enough to reach the arena's ceiling, Byron swept his shovel.

"Sandstorm, Spikes, Stealth Rocks!" the Gym Leader grinned.

The wind picked up as thin particles of sand began to rush across the arena. A few grains at first, but then enough to make him have to squint to see what was properly going on. Ferrothorn began to shed sharp, metallic spikes and rocks from its body, which were then picked up by the Sandstorm and swept across the arena, tearing small cuts across Roserade with the grains of sand. Now her Synthesis is fucked, Denzel thought, but that was fine. Not like he'd expected her to heal for free, and they had come up with other ways to sustain themselves in battle.

"Grapple it and keep yourself healthy with Life Dew," Denzel continued.

With heavy breaths, Roserade grunted, and a few of the massive thorns lowered themselves to wrap around Ferrothorn. The steel type began to revolve until it became a blur, and its Gyro Ball tore across the Frenzied Plants— with difficulty, Denzel noticed with a smirk. The heavy winds from the Sandstorm masked Byron's orders, though, so he would have to work with his gut from now on. Craig had told him that he had good instincts, so he would trust himself. As Roserade knelt next to the pond and water coated her leaf-like skin, there was a shimmer within the Sandstorm that signaled the use of Iron Defense. Ferrothorn threw itself forward with its three vines, using Gyro Ball to free itself each time it got caught.

But they were buying time.

"Seed Bomb."

From under Ferrothorn's feet, something exploded, tearing the nearby thorns asunder. They exploded with poisonous gas and liquid that ate at Ferrothorn's vines, slowing it further as massive bursts of green light and dark smoke overtook the steel type. Denzel had known that Roserade's specialization in poison would not work in this Gym, so she had worked exclusively on her grass typing for this. The frenzied plants had hidden seeds deep in the ground, ready to explode at her command.

It was only dealing negligible damage, though. Ferrothorn kept advancing, ignoring the chips in its armor as it lumbered forward within the Sandstorm. A sphere of light materialized in front of Ferrothorn as it anchored itself sideways onto one of the thorns, which sagged under its weight. The Flash Cannon became a single point and flew toward Roserade with an ear-piercing screech. The poison type was too far away from any hills or rocks to hide behind, so she slid behind a thorn, but they'd both known it wouldn't be enough. The beam of light tore through the thorn and bore a deep hole in Roserade's back as the impact threw her away from the water.

Then the Pin Missiles came. Hundreds of them, all bursting from Ferrothorn's body with the Sandstorm seemingly speeding them up as they homed toward Roserade with a keen. It looked like Ferrothorn would keep itself anchored above ground not to get hit by the Seed Bombs from now on. It was more agile than Denzel had given it credit for, throwing itself from thorn to thorn with a gracefulness that betrayed its heavy, lumbering frame. The poison dripping from each spine from the Frenzy Plant had little to no effect.

"Extrasensory!" Denzel called out.

There were too many of them homing in in every direction to dodge. The air around Roserade warped, and both the Sandstorm and Pin Missile were suspended in the air in a bubble around Roserade. The grass type squeezed the air around her and the Pin Missiles exploded before they could hit. Byron's mouth moved, and Ferrothorn used the opportunity to crawl back onto the floor and get close enough to Roserade that Denzel's hand almost went to recall her, but not now. Her biggest strength was her survivability, and she could still chip away at her opponent for a while. Ferrothorn nearly landed on top of her with a loud thud as a series of explosions dented its armor.

"Slip out! Use your thorns!" Denzel yelled.

Another brown, thorny vine dripping with poison slid out of Roserade's flowers, wrapping around one of the writhing tree-sized barbs so she could pull herself away before Ferrothorn hit her with an Iron Head. She scrambled back to her feet and glared at Ferrothorn, whose yellow eyes narrowed as another Flash Cannon appeared in front of it. Roserade had pulled herself toward the lake again, and so jumped inside of the water to take cover, leaving a cluster of Seed Bombs behind her. The Life Dew took effect again, and the Flash Cannon cut across at least fifteen thorns.

Does he think she won't be able to use another Frenzy Plant and so is setting up for the rest of the battle? No, no, he's fucking Byron, he isn't stupid. Denzel sucked in air through his teeth as he watched Roserade drag herself out of the water. It was poisoned and full of metallic dust, but she was a tough one. They'd long learned to squeeze pure water out of nothing to heal in case Synthesis wouldn't work. Ferrothorn let out a deep, grinding sound from deep within itself as one of its claws slammed against the ground, leaving behind a tiny crater. The cracks in the floor spread toward Roserade and the pond, only for a blinding light to erupt from the fissure. Denzel groaned, covering his eyes. After blinking away his blind spots, he spotted a light glimmering on Ferrothorn's body. The steel type grazed Roserade's shoulder with an Iron Head, leaving her to use a Poison Cutter across one of his viney legs.

There was a small gasp in the audience as Ferrothorn lost a leg. Denzel had known this to be possible, but this was a battle, not the raid. Roserade unfortunately had other ideas, and Ferrothorn lost its balance, crashing on the floor with a soft thud.

"Use the thorns!" Denzel quickly yelled. No use crying over spilled milk. A win was a win, even if he hated it and would have to speak to Roserade about this later. Ferrothorn was a grass type, so losing a limb was something recoverable in a week rather than a month or longer, and Roserade had known it too.

The Frenzy Plants came to life again, wriggling and creaking against the metallic floor they had grown out of. The ones closest to Ferrothorn arched down and bludgeoned the steel type— five, seven, ten at a time as Roserade strained to keep them under control. The Sandstorm was still raging, in fact it felt like it had strengthened slightly despite all the damage they'd caused to Ferrothorn. With a slight nod, Byron's lips moved and Ferrothorn— the damn thing somehow having excellent hearing— anchored itself in the ground with small brown roots tearing through the metal.

There it was.

The first rug pull.

Ingrain was, for all intents and purposes, basically unusable on terrain this desolate. Of course, that was before Denzel had made grass and thorns grow on it. The vegetation began to die, and Ferrothorn's leg started growing again. What the fuck was that kind of speed?

"Poison Cutter! Target the Ingrain!" Denzel cried out.

Roserade stopped trying to counter the Ingrain and keep her plants from dying and instead aimed her flowers toward Ferrothorn. The line of poison was as thin as a piece of paper and so quick anything but the quickest of speedsters wouldn't be able to dodge. Ferrothorn crinkled, the growth of its third arm stopping midway through, but that didn't stop the steel type from picking itself up and tearing away the roots it had just planted.

The Sandstorm was strong enough now. "Weather Ball!"

Shards of sand gathered until they coalesced into a boulder, and Roserade sent it flying toward Ferrothorn, who was knocked off balance again. Another set of seeds exploded under its legs, and just as Denzel felt like he was gaining the advantage again, Roserade began showing signs of weakening. The way her legs shook and how she took a split second longer to take aim with her flowers, or her lack of screaming at things.

The Sandstorm, Spikes and Stealth Rocks had screwed her. Life Dew had extended the time she'd been able to fight, yes, but the issue was it would never heal as much as Synthesis.

Fuck, Denzel sighed as he recalled the poison type.

"Battling is, at its heart, a numbers game," Craig had told him during their time in Sunyshore. "Lose a Pokemon and fall behind your opponent without a plan, and it becomes exponentially more difficult to win. You should always switch rather than hoist yourself to a sinking ship and lose a Pokemon for free, even if it isn't ideal."

Denzel had wanted Ferrothorn to fall to set up an Acid Rain with Roserade so he could fully make use of Froslass and Milotic, but the Sandstorm was too powerful to even get a crumb of their influence in there. He couldn't wait long, either. Ferrothorn had already rooted itself with Ingrain once more and was regrowing its leg. A week? How about two fucking minutes, Denzel internally spat, grabbing his next Pokeball. He'd be down one switch, now, but that was fine.

"If you have to switch first, make sure you force a switch back."

What he had to do was clear.

Altaria emerged in the sky with a flash of red, her mere appearance clearing the Sandstorm around the battlefield like it had never even been there. Still, the Stealth Rocks all slammed into Altaria, who buried herself behind her cotton-like wings to shield herself from most of the damage, and the Spikes clattered to the ground, lifeless. The Frenzy Plants drooped against the floor, their poison evaporating into smoke, and the cleared weather revealed that the entire battlefield was slanting slightly toward Byron at an upward angle. The Sandstorm had been so powerful it had shaved and eroded the arena, flattening it into a smoother surface.

"Hit it out of the sky," Byron said, now that Denzel could finally hear his voice again.

"Sing," he countered.

The howling Flash Cannon cut across the sky in an instant with a blinding light, and Denzel felt the barrier in front of him rattle. Ferrothorn had powered up, but how? Altaria was not the quickest flier, but she was a defensive one. Cotton spurted across her skin and kept her protected from the worst of the attack, though it did singe her feathers. Somehow, she found herself floating even without flapping her wings. She was a ball of dense, smoking cotton in the air as her muffled song spread through the battlefield. Denzel's eyelids felt heavier for an instant as Ferrothorn launched a series of seeds— too quick to know which ones they were. They landed on Altaria's form and anchored themselves there— Leech Seed. The attack had cost Byron, however. Ferrothorn slumped to the ground with its yellow eyes screwed shut, and Denzel grinned.

"Flamethrower!"

It was a simple, but effective command that would force Byron to either lose or switch. Evidently, he chose the latter, the golden yellow flames simply washing over the iron-rich floor and causing it to glow with a dull red, along with burning some of the thorny vines remaining on the ground. Altaria retracted herself back into her Cotton Guard, floating through sheer force of will. She was a fortress of solid cotton that would not so easily be assailable. Byron rolled his shoulders, letting the full thirty seconds elapse before he released his Corviknight. The steel type rumbled with a metallic screech, its feathers scratching against each other as it took flight. Denzel had seen Corviknight battle Cece and knew Altaria's offense would be lacking here with the way it could reflect any special attack, especially a weak Flamethrower like theirs.

That was why he had come with tricks.

"Sing again!"

"Metal Sound!" Byron quickly yelled.

Denzel ground his teeth as the screeching of metal grinding against metal assaulted his ears far louder than any Sing Altaria could bring about. He could almost imagine her being furious in her fortress of cotton, though she was far too focused to let that get in her way.

"Moonblast, then," Denzel ordered with clenched fists.

If Sing was completely countered, then they had this. Without Altaria needing to even rear her head out of her cotton, a small moon materialized in front of her that burned with golden flames so bright it made the sphere look like a sun. The moon rotated upon its axis, summoning more and more flames that scorched everything its light touched. It was slow to move and had no other effects, but Corviknight squawked in pain and it wasn't even near the Moonblast yet. Byron did not bother speaking, instead, the raven soared high in the sky away from the burning moon as blue flames overtook its entire body. The steel type spun until it was only a blur, bearing down toward Altaria like a missile.

The Moonblast would serve them well while it was there, but it would not be enough, especially when Corviknight had access to Roost.

But so did they.

"Tighten ranks, then Flamethrower," Denzel said again.

Cotton compacted again until it became as dense as stone, and Corviknight crashed into Altaria like a burning meteorite, the force being enough to send her flying back. Still, it had not been enough to penetrate the Cotton Guard. The dragon type bounced against the barrier and tried to sneak in another Sing, but Corviknight was quick on the uptake and screeched again. They weren't going to slip one past them, it seemed. They'd gotten some distance now, but Corviknight hadn't actually ended the Brave Bird. It continued chasing after Altaria, who peeked her head out to release more golden flames toward Corviknight. They simply bounced off of it toward the ground, burning more of the remaining thorns. Denzel was sure they were at least causing damage, but he feared it wouldn't be enough.

They were both incapable of taking each other down quickly. The only question was who would blink and use Roost first. That was the only opening where Corviknight wouldn't be able to use Mirror Bounce. The raven crossed paths with Altaria's Moonblast, and she triggered the explosion early. The attack collapsed in on itself like a dying star and exploded with enough pink, nebula-like gas to fill the entire arena.

It was glamour, and it was scorching hot. Altaria was safe and sound behind her Cotton Guard, but Corviknight felt the strain of fighting inside an arena that must have been in the hundreds of degrees. The metal glowed red and became slick, but it did not actually melt below them yet, which wasn't ideal. Corviknight needed to land to use Roost, and Denzel had thought that could have been a trap to force Byron into another switch. Unfortunately, Corviknight just crashed into Altaria another two times, bouncing her around as if she was weightless, like they were playing fucking pinball. She was hurtled into the barrier once more, and then toward the scorching metal on the ground and her feathers caught fire.

That had not been a part of the plan. Denzel bit his tongue, but he didn't panic.

"Safeguard."

A green hue appeared around Altaria, and the flames winked out of existence before they could destroy the Cotton Guard. Corviknight opted to commit to the attack anyway and stabbed its shining, elongated beak deep inside of Altaria. Denzel heard a small, muffled cry from her, but he was certain they could take many of those if needed. The fact that Byron had honed in and nearly shut down Denzel's entire strategy sent goosebumps across his arms.

"Commit."

It was a simple order from Byron, but it sent a shiver down Denzel's spine. Corviknight squawked, his extending his enormous wingspan as he glided through the sky, slowly speeding up until the air warped around his form. What the hell did commit even mean?

"Moonblast again!" Denzel cried out.

The moon was slower the second time, given that it was a move they'd learned recently, and Corviknight just tore through the nascent golden orb without a care in the world for its melting plates of steel. The explosion caused Altaria's feathers to catch on fire again and started melting the metallic ground, but this time Corviknight stuck to her, and Denzel finally understood.

Byron was either planning on having Corviknight take Altaria down with it, or he was betting that Corviknight would last longer than her under the intense heat of the arena. His lips suddenly felt very dry as Corviknight and Altaria both crashed against the ground and he heard the irritating raking of the steel type's body against the ground and near the now-evaporating pond. Altaria had her Safeguard up behind her Cotton Guard in an attempt to stamp down the flames so they didn't spread, but it would only be a matter of time until something gave, and it was helping Corviknight too.

And Corviknight's body was starting to glow. It was using fucking Roost. Sucking air through his teeth, Denzel called out.

"Astonish!"

For the first time since she had come out, Altaria's Cotton Guard went down fully. Purple shadows swirled around the dragon type's head and neck, and she slammed it against Corviknight, causing a dull clang. The damage was pitiful, but it was enough to temporarily stun the steel type and Altaria wasted no time gathering more golden flames within her beak as her Safeguard went down. Her wings were still on fire, but she screamed in defiance, her stare turning into a piercing glare as the giant stream of flames broke against Corviknight's plates. They'd been regenerating from the Roost, but they started melting again like wax. Altaria kept the Flamethrower going as long as she could, but Corviknight wasn't frozen for long. A brutal sweep from its wing slammed Altaria's head and cut off the Flamethrower, then it placed a talon over the dragon type's neck and kept it stuck to the ground so her skin could burn off. Denzel winced as she screamed in agony, though that screech turned to a Disarming Voice that bought her a second.

A second was enough to slip out of Corviknight's grasp and blast him with Flamethrower again.

"Focus," Byron said.

Their relief was short-lived, and talon met neck again. Corviknight was relentless, cutting across Altaria with sharpened wings over and over. If only Dragon Pulse and their other dragon techniques they'd used against Wake worked well here… but they were unfortunately very restricted.

The burning went on for at least thirty seconds, and Astonish and Disarming Voice wouldn't work a second time— not when they'd been focusing on other attacks this entire time. Froslass could potentially deal with Corviknight, but she'll be needed for the rest of the fight. No one else can deal with it like Altaria can.

It fell onto her to finish this, then. There would be no switching. Denzel met Altaria's eyes, and with that came a deep understanding.

"Moonblast."

The order was barely a whisper, but it didn't matter if Byron figured it out or not. Either he would order Corviknight to stay and they would go down together, which meant Byron was planning on it either way, or they would give and retreat, which would allow Altaria time to Roost. Denzel's mind raced in a thousand different ways, but his gut told him this was correct, and so he watched. The sun— the moon was golden and flames flickered across its surface as it appeared in the midst of Altaria's choking cries, melting the steel right below it into a puddle of red metal.

Byron said nothing, and Corviknight's red eyes just stared as its plating liquefied and began to drip onto the floor. For ten seconds, there was only a silence heavier than any pressure Denzel had felt before coming here.

Then the Moonblast exploded in a light show of pink and golden flames.

"Both Altaria and Corviknight are unable to battle! As the Challenger used a move to self-knockout, he has to send his second Pokemon first!" the referee said, still a little dazzled by the lights. Her eyes were staring upward, and not at the smoldering, unconscious bodies of Altaria and Corviknight.

That was a fine development. A sacrifice Denzel was willing to make, if it meant he could stay up to par in terms of numbers with Byron. The problem was that he couldn't be equal, he needed a push and to get the advantage. Somehow, he would have to break through the wall. Both he and Byron recalled their Pokemon, and Denzel decided to make full use of his time to think.

It couldn't be Roserade. She was too tired and still resting. Froslass would do horribly in such a hot environment, and he needed Milotic to come in first to make full use of her, so it had to be either Lopunny or Sylvi. This Gym was Sylvi's weakness exemplified, but…

Lopunny would be needed against whichever member of Byron's personal team he would use.

His mindset had changed, since Sunyshore. He was not sending out a Pokemon to lose and to do as much damage as possible before going down, no, that was a fool's way of thinking. Each Pokemon had a role to play and needed to find a way to maximize their use. Sylveon materialized onto the hot ground, the metal burning through the glamour shielding on his paws as his ribbons turned to zigzags. The Spikes and Stealth Rocks harmlessly bounced off his hide, but they couldn't get overconfident.

"This'll be tough," Denzel warned. "I believe in you."

Sylveon turned back toward him, and there was a flicker of love in that stare before it returned to the empty, soulless one that he liked to have whenever he fought something, and a Wish emerged from his forehead, flying high into the sky and beyond the confines of the Gym. What would it be, Byron? Denzel thought as he stared at the Gym Leader with a clenched fist. Not Ferrothorn, that was for sure, but—

Byron released a Metagross out of an Ultra Ball. Its blue, metallic body was pristine and glimmering slightly in the golden and pink lights. Its red eyes locked onto Sylveon like a robot, and it began to levitate without Byron's word, lifting its four legs across its body and using magnetism to float.

Denzel knew about it. It was a Pokemon Byron was training to become a member of his personal team, not unlike Wake's Palafin.

And it was so smart and ruthless that Byron barely ever bothered to command it. A common denominator among most Metagross owners. It was, however, also newly-evolved and not impossible to defeat. Denzel's jaw clenched, but Sylveon wasn't nervous, so he had no reason to be. Byron slung his shovel over his shoulder and ordered Metagross with one word.

"Begin."

Another Sandstorm instantly materialized, whipping around the arena with a powerful howl, picking up the Spikes, Stealth Rocks and shards of metal that had broken off the arena. Thankfully it wasn't as strong as Ferrothorn's, but it was still annoying and they'd work to destroy Sylveon's shielding twice as fast.

"Light Screen and Hyper Voice!" Denzel called out.

A thin barrier shimmered around Sylveon as he opened his mouth and screamed so loudly that the Sandstorm around him weakened and stopped. His voice was infused with fairy TE thanks to Pixilate, and it reverberated far. Metagross was already gliding down the now-sloped arena, sticking close to the ground and going faster than Denzel would have given it credit for, and the steel type groaned with a vibrating trill as it crossed the Hyper Voice's threshold.

Denzel's throat tightened, as did his fists as Metagross' eyes glimmered with the intent to kill. It wasn't real. It was just Scary Face, but it felt real to him. Sylveon froze too, and the Hyper Voice momentarily ended and allowed the psychic to speed up. Metagross spun like a spinning top as light coated its fists, and it rammed into Sylveon's hide with its full weight. Before the fairy type could fly off like Altaria had with Corviknight, a tight, psychic bubble wrapped around Sylveon, no doubt slowed thanks to the Light Screen, but not enough.

Before Metagross could hit Sylvi with Metal Claw again, Denzel spoke.

"Play Rough!"

It had been half instinct, half desperation— which he hated, but the strategy itself was sound. Sylveon's ribbons did not change in shape, but there was a slight blur to them as they grew and slammed against Metagross' tough hide and managed to dent it. They were each heavy enough to bludgeon through steel thanks to Sylveon's belief, and Metagross was actually caught off-guard. There hadn't been much footage of what Sylvi was capable of, with the way he had barely fought against Wake and Denzel had stopped streaming his training. The fairy type scrambled to his feet, bleeding from his side as his ribbons batted away at Metagross as if they were independent entities and not a part of a whole. Each impact was louder than the last and sapped Metagross of his will to fight, slowly but surely. Each dent in the metal, each clang, they got closer to victory—

Metagross grunted, and all of Sylveon's ribbons froze in place, and his Light Screen was systematically dismantled in front of his eyes. The Sandstorm broke through the vacant space and started battering into Sylveon's hide. One of the fairy type's eyes twitched when the Psychic moved onto his brain, but pain was not something that had worked to stop Sylveon from attacking in the past, and it wouldn't start now. Before Denzel could even speak, Sylveon screamed with a Disarming Voice, allowing him to slip free for a second.

"Hammer Arm," Denzel blurted out.

Multiple ribbons tied into a knot and struck down on top of Metagross' head like thunder. Cracks spread through its entire body and the steel type crashed against the ground, its hide fusing with the molten metal on the ground.

Sylveon did not normally learn Hammer Arm.

But Sylveon's ribbons being so heavy and him already knowing Double Kick had made the transition easy.

Byron bellowed a laugh while Metagross picked itself up and used all of its legs to jump to the left, but a ribbon Sylveon had wrapped around its leg pulled him back, somehow managing to wrest something over a thousand pounds like it was a toy. With a blank stare, Sylveon wrapped more of his ribbons around Metagross until they were one, and the fact that he was injecting the steel type with calm meant that every movement in an attempt to fight back was sluggish. Byron had come thinking that Sylveon would lose in a melee, but he couldn't have been more wrong. Melees were where Sylveon thrived. With its arms tied down, Metagross opened its maw and an instantaneous Flash Cannon snapped into place. The light wailed as it enveloped Sylveon's entire body and disintegrated the last of his glamour armor.

But that didn't mean another Hammer Arm couldn't blow Metagross apart. This one was aimed for one of Metagross' leg joints, and for a second Denzel felt like he was watching Grace fight. Metagross let out a vibrating snarl, managed to wrest an arm away with Sylveon focusing on destroying his other and a clawed Meteor Mash dug into the fairy's side. This time, Sylveon groaned, but the Hammer Arm still struck true. In the middle of a raging Sandstorm and standing on molten metal, both Pokemon hit each other at the same time.

Sylveon slid back, his fur a blackened, smoking mess as he bled from his side and nose. Metagross clicked in irritation, its leg bent wrong and unable to move properly. Sylvi's Wish bore down from the skies and healed him some, though that Meteor Mash had done some serious damage.

"I told you you were growing too confident," Byron cackled, twirling his shovel on the floor. "Try again."

Metagross groused loudly as it started hovering over the ground again. Walking had never been a part of its strategy, but that was still one less arm it could attack with, even if it had been an accident, and the Magnet Rise was a lot shakier than it had been thanks to its shape now being uneven. Sylveon shook his entire body and somehow stared down at the Metagross, his eyes shining blue through the Sandstorm, even if he was a lot smaller than the steel type. Thank Arceus this one is weak enough to hear Byron, Denzel thought before remembering that the Gym Leader wasn't even speaking. Metagross was smart, but it was apparently prone to mistakes due to overconfidence. That wasn't really a weakness Denzel thought he could exploit, at least not without having planned beforehand. Sylveon put his Light Screen up again and started another Wish as he circled around Metagross. They were running out of tricks to sap his will to fight, but they still had one more.

"Moonblast."

This one was smaller and quicker than Altaria's and within two seconds, it had already formed. The Sandstorm itself seemed to weaken around the moon and Metagross just stared, wobbling slightly in the air.

"Now Hammer Arm!" Denzel called out.

Sylveon's ribbons turned into knots and grew heavier as they shone bright white. His Moonblast wasn't so much offensive-based as it was a way to leave his opponents open to further strikes, and Sylveon jumped with a spring in his step, allowing Denzel to see the way his feet were completely burned to shreds. By the time Metagross realized what was happening, it was too late for him to dodge—

A hit faster than Denzel could see buried itself into the fairy's chest and sent him sprawling on the molten floor. It was cooling, slowly but surely, but it was still scorching hot and more bits of Sylveon's skin and fur burned to a crisp.

How?

Metagross rushed in with an amused laugh, three of its fists coated in metal. Denzel's mind raced in a thousand different directions, yet none of it beyond Metagross pretending to be entrapped by the Moonblast made any sense. That meant Byron had prepared a way for Metagross to resist Moonblast, but hadn't really known the extent of Sylveon's other tricks. Sylveon barely managed to drag himself away from the Meteor Mash, though he couldn't avoid the swing from the other arm and Denzel heard a sickening crunch of broken bone. With a frustrated cry, Sylveon called upon his Moon and motioned it toward Metagross. His was among the quickest Moonblasts he'd seen, and it slammed into the psychic's back with an explosion that had him frozen again.

"Go in!" Denzel yelled. "Shadow Ball!"

His instincts carried him, screaming at him that this was real even though his head was cursing the decision. Sylveon limped toward Metagross and into the pink dust as he gathered a sphere of squealing shadows in his mouth. His control over them had long been fixed, and the Shadow Ball screeched, tearing through the air until it hit Metagross square in the face. The moon itself hadn't been enough, but the explosion and release of apathy had been. Sylveon kept going, slamming heavy ribbons into Metagross' wounded legs with savagery Denzel had rarely seen. The impact from the Shadow Ball had been enough to snap the psychic back to reality, and thick, psychic energy wrapped around each of Sylveon ribbons as soon as it managed to focus.

"Bring it down," Byron said.

Another Meteor Mash finished the job, and Sylveon fell before his second Wish could come into play.

"Sylveon is unable to battle! Challenger, send out your third Pokemon!" the referee said.

Damn it, Sylveon had done so well, and yet it hadn't been enough. Denzel had believed the win to be possible until the end. Still, not all was lost. Metagross was a shell of what it could normally do when it wasn't wounded. It was recently evolved, so it was inexperienced and one of its legs was fucked. Metagross would either fall here, or Byron would waste one of his switches. The teenager ran a hand through his brown hair and then rubbed the back of his sweaty neck. Both Ferrothorn and Metagross are fucked, so it's not as bad as it looks. Relax. He found himself taking deep breaths that had him realize how dry his throat was.

Well, it was time to implement his plan.

Milotic's scales burned when the water type appeared, though they were tough enough to resist the fading heat. The Spikes and Stealth Rocks from the Sandstorm chipped away at him, but it was nothing he wouldn't be able to work through. Had Roserade been able to set up her Acid Rain, then Safeguard would have been able to protect Milotic from the poison and he would have been able to manipulate the water regardless. Enough of it, and even steel would corrode.

Unfortunately, it had to be this instead.

"Rain Dance," he called out.

Metagross' Sandstorm hadn't been as strong as Ferrothorn's, and he was weak enough by now that the darkened clouds weren't hampered. There was a boom of thunder as the rain began to fall and flood the field, though it would all gather toward Denzel's side because the Sandstorm and melting of the metal had kept slanting the arena toward him.

Which was perfect. A large body of water on their side of the field was exactly what Milotic and Froslass would need to make this work. Metagross' Magnet Rise was wobbly because of its unfolded, wounded leg, but it still gathered electricity around all of its clawed fists. The air filled with the smell of ozone, even through the barrier, and Denzel realized that this was possibly among the most powerful Thunder Punches he'd ever seen, rivaling Grace's Electivire. Had Byron known I'd use Milotic to fight Metagross? That hadn't been in the videos he had studied—

There was no time for Aqua Ring or Coil, they had to attack.

"Scald! Burn it!" Denzel ordered, pointing at the approaching hulk of metal.

Foam formed in Milotic's mouth until it burst toward the Metagross in a wide cone that grew the further it traveled. Powered by the rain, the foam landed all over Metagross' body and made the steel type grunt with what Denzel figured was a mix of annoyance and pain, but it was still coming.

"Twister!" Denzel added.

In a single moment, the Scald turned to a boiling tornado that trapped Metagross. The steel type floundered in the water and desperately tried to dispel it with Psychic, but to no avail. He was too tired. The mix of water and draconic energy stretched until it reached the barrier's ceiling, tearing through the dark clouds from the Rain Dance and mixing with electricity from the natural thunderstrikes. Metagross gathered a Flash Cannon that heated up the Twister further, and it burst through the tornado, hitting Milotic directly in the face, but it wasn't enough. The Twister ended twenty seconds later and left Metagross unconscious. The Sandstorm ended with a whimper, leaving Milotic with full control of the weather.

"Metagross is unable to battle. Leader Byron, send out your third Pokemon."

Looking mighty pleased with the battle so far, Byron grinned and instantly grabbed his next Pokeball. Ferrothorn appeared again, which Denzel had known would come. After all, the grass type was a heavy counter for Milotic, even when hurt, and he could regenerate with Ingrain if given enough time to breathe. What he hadn't expected was for Ferrothorn to already be awake… and again, he cursed the fact that Byron's experience afforded him so many techniques that he had no idea how they worked. Ferrothorn's third leg was still a stump, but it was experienced enough to walk on two, and it would only take a single lapse in attention for it to regrow. Or maybe not, now that Roserade's Frenzy Plant was all burned? Still, he didn't want to take the risk. Ironically enough, Sylveon's Wish entered Milotic's body again, but it barely did anything, with how little that Flash Cannon had done.

Denzel was wary, still. Ferrothorn had shown itself to be more powerful than it seemed against Roserade, and upon warning Milotic about it, the water type shared his hesitance as he stared up at the inclined field.

"Sandstorm, then get in close and Leech Seed. We need to take away any means of recovery."

So that was the plan, then. Negating Recover and Aqua Ring with Leech Seed, the Sandstorm, Spikes and Stealth Rocks. Damn it, he was really well-researched in what would fuck him over. Before Byron had even finished his sentence, the Ferrothorn had already willed the Sandstorm into existence. Both it and the Rain Dance battled for influence in a maelstrom of loud wind and roiling thunder, but it was the Sandstorm, that would eventually win out. Still, the Rain Dance would help, but with the Sandstorm came Byron being inaudible again.

"Aqua Ring and Coil!" Denzel yelled through the wind.

Milotic had already been doing this, but it felt reassuring to be able to say the obvious. Ferrothorn crawled down the slope that had become the arena, anchoring each spike ball deep in the metal so it wouldn't slip down and fall. That would have been far too convenient, and given the fact that it had swung from thorn to thorn, it was adept at maneuvering in every direction. Ferrothorn crinkled and ejected Leech Seeds at speeds that shouldn't have been a thing. The seeds arced through the air, and somehow the Sandstorm stopped being a mess of wind in every direction and pushed toward Milotic. The water type slid back down the slanted arena, but a yell from Denzel had him slither away and narrowly dodge the first volley. It would only be a matter of time until they landed, though. The Aqua Ring had come immediately, with thin bands of fluorescent water spinning around Milotic, but Coil? Coil was a more complicated affair. Ferrothorn wasn't giving them time to settle down and use the move.

"Fuck it, use it!" Denzel ordered.

Milotic sang, its body wrapping around itself with a bright glimmer in the middle of the Sandstorm, and four seeds landed on his body, growing thorns that wrapped around him like a vice. Halfway there—

Byron said something, and Ferrothorn dropped on the ground and began to slide down the arena. The raking of its sharp spikes against the ground broke through the howl of the Sandstorm and Denzel nearly covered his ears. He was faster this way— in fact, it was faster than it had ever been. Was that why Byron had made the Arceus damned slope in the first place?! All the work Roserade had done to cut off its leg had been rendered null.

Shit.

"Ice Beam!" Denzel yelled.

In normal, non-fucking Sandstorm circumstances, Milotic would have been able to freeze Ferrothorn where it stood thanks to the rain, but only Froslass could work through the miserable tempest. Milotic screamed out a beam of icy blue, which Ferrothorn dodged by dragging itself to the side and continuing on its slide down. Two of its massive legs glowed neon green, and Denzel's nails dug into his palm.

It can't be Twister, not with the Sandstorm being so powerful. Scald, then.

"Scald!"

He'd said it before he finished thinking. Milotic screamed out a widening stream of boiling water that spread just like before and coated every inch of Ferrothorn's body. When the grass type reached him, it suddenly lifted itself up on its spikes again, coming to a screeching halt before using its half-grown stump to hit Milotic in the neck with Power Whip. Milotic's head was thrown back by the attack, and the Scald went high up in the sky. The Power Whip itself bounced back slightly thanks to the Coil, but it was still Ferrothorn's most powerful move and it showed. Milotic's scales peeled off from the impact, and Pin Missiles burst out of Ferrothorn's body, converging toward the now-exposed flesh. The water wasn't high enough yet for Milotic to retreat and he was too useful to give up on now. Denzel didn't want to switch, but there wasn't much to be done here. Ferrothorn cracked another Power Whip on Milotic's forehead as the Pin Missiles dug into the water type, who could only helplessly retaliate with Ice Beam, and while the attacks did hurt Ferrothorn, it would outlast him by far.

They were completely outmatched.

Denzel couldn't believe he was having more trouble with a Ferrothorn than with Metagross. He recalled Milotic, though the Rain Dance would stick for a while yet. They'd trained and learned about using the weather from Wake, and Milotic's influence would remain in the battle. Denzel waited thirty seconds for the rain to continue to build up, and then released his Froslass. The ghost smiled, letting out an ethereal giggle hidden behind her hand as she flickered out of existence and left behind four clones using Double Team. Rain turned to frost around her, but she did not call forth a Blizzard or a Hail, because she needed the water to be in liquid form for future fights.

And it would all be for this.

Rain falling around Ferrothorn condensed to ice and began to slow freeze the grass type where it stood. Ferrothorn attempted to crawl away and back up the slope, but Froslass was everywhere, yet she was also nowhere and unable to be seen, though he knew the Sandstorm and shards of rock and metal would quickly take its toll on her.

"Confuse Ray!" Denzel ordered.

Her four clones, who were now hovering in each corner of the arena waved a hand, each summoning one light that seemed to dim the world around them. The spirits were a silent hum and completely under the ice type's command as she sent them forth with another non-commital wave. With Ferrothorn slowed and freezing in place, getting him confused would be easy—

Fuck! Ferrothorn spun, becoming a ball of glowing light and destroyed all of the ice around itself. From the shadows, Froslass gathered more frost from the raindrops and formed them into spikes that dotted the entire sky. Byron spoke, and the entire Sandstorm ended instantly, leaving only rain and ice in its wake, and somehow, Ferrothorn sped up again and weaved out of the way of the Confuse Rays at the last fucking moment. Then, it fucking clicked. It was a grass type, so a Sandstorm of this caliber would obviously slow it down, damn it. Denzel wiped the sweat off his forehead and leaned against his knees. Don't panic. Don't get angry. That's a fool's errand.

"Keep the Confuse Rays on it," he quietly said, letting his throat rest from all the yelling. "Add some Will-O-Wisps to the mix, and keep pestering it with ice. Hex if it gets burned."

That was a lot, but Froslass was up to the task. Ferrothorn was no longer dealing damage with just the Sandstorm, now, and it was just desperately dodging. Two of the Confuse Rays disappeared screaming in agony and were replaced by a set of cold, purple flames that began to chase down Ferrothorn, and constant shards of ice battered against the steel type's hide. If it keeps dodging, I'll have to give it up and use Blizzard to freeze the entire damn arena.

Not yet.

Both Denzel and Byron were silent for a while as the two Pokemon danced around the arena, and it was clear Froslass was winning even when holding back from using Blizzard. Freezing an enemy in place using the rain might not have worked against Ferrothorn, but it would work against anything without Gyro Ball or Rollout or some other similar move. They couldn't get close, not when the steel type knew Knock Off. Ferrothorn fired off multiple Flash Cannons to take down Froslass' Double Teams instead, but they just reformed immediately. Finally, a Confuse Ray managed to enter Ferrothorn's body, and the following lapse in movement allowed Will-O-Wisp to do the same. Froslass materialized a few dozen feet away from her opponent, holding out a hand to create a Hex as the air around Ferrothorn froze in place. The steel type tried to thrash around, but its better judgment was gone, now.

"Ferrothorn is unable to battle! Leader Byron, send out your fourth Pokemon!"

Arceus, that had been hard. Never would he have thought that the largest roadblock so far would be a Ferrothorn. Denzel restrained an excited smile. He was one ahead and down one switch, but the math dictated that was a somewhat equal situation, and he still hadn't seen which one of Byron's actual Pokemon he would be facing. Denzel ran a hand over his upper lip and slapped his cheeks to keep himself alert.

"You're doing well," Byron declared. "Now let's keep going."

Denzel returned his grin, and the Gym Leader sent out a Probopass. The rock type's turrets stuck close to his body, and instantly, it whipped up a Sandstorm again. Denzel hadn't known how much the Stealth Rocks, flying spikes and shards of metal had screwed his Pokemon over, but he was starting to realize that he basically had no counters for it beyond Altaria, and he had sacrificed her. Shit. The Sandstorm was just as— no, slightly stronger than Ferrothorn's, even, and Denzel could barely see anything beyond the sandy pool of water Milotic had created with Rain Dance.

"Will-O-Wisp and Confuse Ray again!" Denzel yelled.

Once more, the Double Teams summoned the flames and the lights, but Probopass wasn't idle. Its turrets spun around it and there was a deep, reverberating hum that Denzel somehow heard through the storm. He squinted, noticing the grains of sand near his side of the barrier slowly shift. Clumping together one by one until they grew larger and larger— as big as small pebbles, then rocks. The howling of the wind stopped, and instead, what they were left with was a geomagnetic storm.

It was fucking raining rocks, and these were more than the occasional Stealth Rocks or Spikes. They were larger, and exclusively controlled by Probopass. Thousands of them, at his command.

"Target the Double Teams," Byron ordered.

The teenager blinked as rocks all over the arena swarmed toward each one of Froslass' clones, destroying them in mere seconds. The Sandstorm, they could resist, but this? The clones disappeared, and with them went the Confuse Rays and Will-O-Wisps, kicking and screaming. That plan was moot, then. Froslass' real body phased back into the world high above Probopass and only slightly below the now-fading rainclouds, her hand outstretched, and rain crystalized into ice with continuous cracks around the rock type. Both its turrets fired some kind of homing laser, but it was nothing Froslass couldn't dodge. She was slippery, fading in and out of the world and leaving only ice behind her. Probopass' hold on the rocks grew sluggish, but it was still there, and each hit actually dealt significant damage to Froslass whether she was visible or not.

Denzel considered having her go in and Confuse Ray, but he knew Probopass knew Discharge, and it was always nearly instant. Creating one of the strange lights while she wasn't in the world was tough, so they wouldn't be able to take it by surprise, either.

"Icicle Crash," Denzel muttered. He had to keep the flow of the battle going.

From the muddy lake pooling near Denzel's side of the arena, spears of ice rose and blurred in the air, flying toward Probopass with a loud whistle. The rocks clumped and gathered in front of Probopass to shield it, but Froslass waved a hand and shadows overtook the spears. Their paths did not continue naturally. Instead, they went straight up and hit Probopass' back, which was still unguarded. Thank Arceus for that idea, Barry, Denzel sighed.

"Lock On and Tri Attack, flames only," Byron smoothly continued.

While it was controlling the rocks? Denzel's eyes narrowed, and he kept an eye on the floating rocks. They grew slow, but the 'storm' itself did not abate and kept hitting Froslass wherever she stood. Three blue flames roared to life, two near Probopass' turrets and the other in front of its nose, and the steel type let loose a Tri Attack that was worthy of a Flamethrower. It reminded him of the way Cecilia's Zweilous used to combine their Incinerates to keep up power-wise, and it fucking worked. The sheer amount of heat created rising mist from the almost-exhausted rain clouds and the fact that the attack grazed Froslass chipped away at her too. She groaned, capturing some of the mist and reforming it into beams of ice that melted before they could get anywhere near Probopass due to the continuous stream of flames.

Fuck it, Denzel thought. All or nothing, even if Milotic's strategy will be ruined.

There was no point keeping to a plan if it would lose you the battle. Adapt.

"Blizzard."

The world turned white in barely a second. The ice swallowed the flames like a gust of cold wind would do to candlelight, and Probopass drowned under its colossal weight. Tons and tons of snow, hammering into the world with Froslass at its center, untouchable. The patter of the Probopass' rocks hitting the barrier was good news, because it meant the electric type might be losing control, though Denzel didn't know if he was just getting ideas or not. Thirty seconds, and Denzel called out for Froslass to let the Blizzard down. The entire arena was coated in a deep layer of snow, the lake frozen, and the clouds from Rain Dance having exhausted themselves—

The Sandstorm was still active.

A thin, green barrier shimmered with Probopass at its center. Protect— crap! And the rock type didn't look tired at all and had kept his rock storm going during its use. So not only did Probopass counter Froslass' Double Team and could weather her down and scrape her raw with this advanced Sandstorm, but their ace in the hole, Blizzard, was also a no-go? And he had altered the terrain in a way that would make Milotic far less useful after spending so much time creating a lake for him… shit.

"Lock On and Tri Attack again!" Byron yelled, pointing forward with his shovel.

"Blizzard!"

The wind whipped up the snow, including the existing one and created an even stronger Blizzard this time. Denzel didn't know if he could outlast Probopass in a battle of endurance. While he believed that to be his team's strong point, this was Byron he was talking about. He could at least render the flames useless and give himself time to think. The arena was sloped even further now, at a nearly forty-five-degree angle up toward Byron, and the Sandstorm had eroded at the ground so much there was only a massive cliff in front of Denzel. Arceus, if it still had water things would have been so perfect…

"Froslass, can you hear me?" Denzel tried. He wasn't sure that she would be able to with the Sandstorm working against her, but a cold feeling creeping up his fingers confirmed it. "You're going to dispel the Blizzard, and as soon as Probopass pulls down his Protect, you… burn it with Will-O-Wisp. Confuse him if you can, too."

Another beat of cold to confirm, and Denzel could only feel the exhaustion seeping into his bones. The way his back pounded and hurt, the way he struggled to focus. Him! This was what he did best, and Byron was still beating the concentration out of him through sheer skill. He couldn't give, not now. The Blizzard winked out of existence, and as soon as Probopass' Protect went down, Froslass appeared behind him and summoned a Will-O-Wisp. Byron called out, and the steel type erupted with a powerful Discharge that forced Denzel to cover his eyes, but the metallic grunt from Probopass that followed was a good sign. Froslass flickered in and out of existence, her body smoking as she lowered herself to the blanket of snow she'd laid down with her two Blizzards.

"It's tired," Byron said. "Tri Attack."

There was a sharpness to Probopass' eyes that hadn't been here moments earlier, and the three flames hurtled toward Froslass, who swept her tired arm and created a thick sheet of ice and frost from the snow. Angling it with the arena's angle was tough, but she managed to adjust it and the flames slammed against the ice.

It was only a matter of time until they melted, but it was actually the rocks from the Sandstorm that finished Froslass off. Denzel would have switched her out earlier, but the problem when you were behind in those was that using them willy-nilly was not a luxury you could afford, especially when a massive threat was still waiting in the wings. Craig's advice had been sound, but even he had moments when he let a Pokemon go down because he needed to keep the others healthy.

"Froslass is unable to battle! Challenger, send out your fourth Pokemon."

The good thing was that Probopass was hurt and burning, the purple flames clinging to its metallic skin with the usual screeching. Denzel sighed and grabbed his next Pokemon, though he obviously waited the full thirty seconds because he'd be a fool not to. Roserade's hurt, Milotic's an option, but Probopass knows Thunderbolt and Discharge, plus the terrain is awful for him. Lopunny… Probopass can float high enough to negate her entirely.

Roserade, then.

The grass type wasn't fresh by any means, and Byron ordering Probopass to instantly thin out his Sandstorm back into small grains and shards of rock and metal meant that it would black out any light the poison type could make use of to use Synthesis. I can't waste the precious little energy she has left on Frenzy Plant, Denzel quickly thought. It'll have to be just attacks. No fancy techniques. Roserade's Pokeball bled red onto the snow, and she seemed quite surprised at the state of the battlefield. In fact, she nearly tripped from standing at such a steep angle out of nowhere, but her grip on the snow helped her catch herself.

"Seed Bomb."

Now that the Sandstorm was an actual storm again, hearing Byron would prove impossible, but that was fine, or at least Denzel thought so. He'd seen all of Probopass' gimmicks and knew he would attack with Lock On and Tri Attack. Roserade aimed up with a lethargic motion that had Denzel worried, but the seeds that machine-gunned out of her flowers in rapid succession reassured him plenty. Roserade triggered some of the explosions early with the precision of a surgeon to disperse the flames from Tri Attack before they could reach her and the rest exploded on top of Probopass, chipping his tough, rocky armor. Byron laughed, which was really weird when Denzel couldn't even hear him, but then he said something else, and both of Probopass' turrets just… up and left, floating in different directions until they reached behind Roserade. They were going to attack in every direction, he instantly knew.

"Rain Dance!" Denzel cried out.

If she was going to get burned, then she would at least lower the damage. The clouds were thinner and slower to come than Milotic's, but they did the job and rain began to fall, dotting the entire snowscape Froslass had built before freezing, because it was cold in there. Froslass couldn't create such powerful Blizzards without letting the conditions stick, and the temperatures were definitely sub-zero. An Acid Rain might have stuck, but that would just waste her precious energy. The next Tri Attack was dull and slow— a bright red with a twinge of orange instead of the brilliant blue it had been before, but Roserade was still engulfed by the flames.

But still, she stood.

The bombs did not stop. In fact, some were infested with Stun Spore or Sleep Powder too, something she had worked on, but that Denzel thought she would not have been ready to use before the Conference. Probopass hovered higher and higher in the air as its turrets kept blowing flames at Roserade and it reeled from the burns, drowsiness and paralysis, but she would be able to reach it wherever it went, because she didn't give up.

It was then that Denzel decided to gamble. To let her keep pushing in hopes that she would win. Roserade screeched in the same way she had done as a young Budew he had caught all those months ago with fire in her eyes that was her own. She got down on one knee, her leaves burning to a crisp, but she still kept using Seed Bomb.

It was Probopass' turrets that went down first, then the actual Pokemon a few seconds later. While the referee announced for Byron to send out his fifth Pokemon and the Sandstorm abated, Denzel instantly ordered Roserade to use Synthesis. The thing about Byron was that while he was good at using Sandstorm, he was no Wake with Rain Dance. The weather always changed back seconds after his Pokemon fainted. Roserade's form was a mess of burning leaves and flowers, but light spluttered out of her as she groaned, and Byron caught on immediately, sending out a tiny Mawile so quickly his hand blurred.

"Taunt!" he yelled.

The Synthesis stopped, and Roserade's intense stare turned into a glare full of ire. She slowly stood, her wounds barely having healed and aimed toward Mawile with a single hand. Leaves surrounded by every color burst out of her, and all flew toward the small steel type.

"Crunch," Byron added. "Then Sucker Punch—"

"If you can hear me, use Stun Spore!" Denzel desperately yelled.

Mawile turned around, revealing her huge mouth with rows upon rows of sharpened teeth wreathing with darkness. The mouth opened, drooling all over the floor, and snapped around leaves faster than Denzel could follow with his eyes before blurring toward the still-enraged Roserade. Mawile slammed her mouth into her gut and sent her sprawling on the snow, her body unmoving beyond the smallest of twitches.

"Smoothen the floor," Byron said. "It's time."

Denzel blinked, ready to grab Roserade's Pokeball, but it was then that he noticed that the Rain Dance wasn't stopping. It was weakened, but not gone, and both Byron and the referee probably thought that she was like Milotic and could keep it going for a while after fainting.

But she was not.

There was a sudden quake below the ground as pink dust spread from Mawile, roiling and spreading throughout the snowy field.

"Roserade is unable to battle—"

"Life Dew! Use the rain!" Denzel screamed.

They'd never done it before. A Rain Dance that weak wasn't enough water to heal a Pokemon, and half of the raindrops were frozen before even reaching her. There was a slight glow to Roserade as she rose with slow and deliberate movements that made her look like she was one large breeze away from collapse— no, she was. Byron looked genuinely taken aback, and with Mawile having retreated far away to pull whatever glamour trick she was doing, they had an opening.

"Leech Seed," the teenager breathed out.

If they could get it to land on Mawile and keep regenerating with Life Dew, they were squeezing water out of a stone. With half-opened eyes, Roserade coughed up smoke and lobbed a seed toward Mawile with a precision that betrayed her state. Now, Mawile could either dodge and interrupt whatever their plan was, because it looked big and would take a lot out of it, or it would turn around and use Crunch again, in which case the Seed Bomb Roserade had no doubt hidden in the mix of Leech Seeds would explode in there.

He didn't like it, but he was in an Arceus damned knife fight, here. There could be no holds barred, or he would just lose.

What now, Byron?

What Denzel hadn't expected was for Mawile to bear with and take the attack. Some of the seeds wrapped around the steel type, while others exploded, but the ground kept… shaking. Rearranging itself. Smoothen the floor, Byron had said, but what for? How would he use this to his advantage? Both of Mawile's mouths screeched as she finished spreading glamour throughout the floor, and Byron cracked his neck.

"Flamethrower."

Mawile turned her back to Denzel and Roserade once more, and now he knew their luck had truly ran out. Roserade went down before the golden flames even reached her, even if they were so weak that they didn't even melt through Froslass' snow. The referee eyed Roserade as if she expected her to rise again, and Denzel couldn't help but smile. She'd done the team proud.

"Roserade is unable to battle! Challenger, send out your fifth Pokemon!"

It all came down to this. One switch left, with Lopunny and Milotic both completely healthy even though the latter had fought a little. Denzel gulped with a sound that was caught in his microphone and recalled Roserade as he mulled over his options. Keeping Milotic in the back would be smarter, given the fact that the temperature is slowly rising and he'd be a little constrained right now. Worst-case scenario, I can swap.

Lopunny it was. Denzel released the normal type onto the snow, and just like Roserade, she was surprised at the slope.

"We both have two left," Denzel quickly warned. "Play it safe."

Her feet, her hands and her ears lit up with Power-Up Punch and she warily stared at Mawile, slowly climbing up the slope. The Stealth Rocks and Spikes had been folded into Probopass' special Sandstorm, and so they weren't into play any longer.

"You've done well, Denzel Williams."

Denzel swallowed again and felt goosebumps on the back of his neck.

"It's been a valiant effort, and you and your Pokemon have impressed me time and time again," the Gym Leader continued as he grabbed his Pokeball. "Be proud. You're strong."

Lopunny kept prowling her way up the slanted battlefield, slowly finding her footing. She was not used to fighting in such an incline, and it would be difficult for her to be at one hundred percent. Milotic too, though thankfully they had the snow to anchor themselves on and worse-case scenario, Milotic would be able to use hydrokinesis to lift himself even if it was still crude…

"But your true test begins now."

Mawile retreated into her Pokeball, and out went Byron's sixth.

Bastiodon.

The steel type's colossal form landed atop the snow with a deafening, heavy crash. It bore layers upon layers of scars from old battles and was Byron's oldest companion. Deep gouges ran on its hide and thin ones on the massive shield that was its head. Bastiodon's battle-hardened eyes scanned the battlefield, and it acknowledged Lopunny with a tired grunt.

"Show me that you are worthy," Byron said with a maddened grin. "Show me! Brimstone, clear the snow with Metal Sound!"

Denzel shivered in excitement. It was like electricity had jolted him awake. Bastiodon. Him! He returned Byron's grin and laughed.

Bastiodon— Brimstone opened his mouth and screeched so loudly that he blew the snow around him away— back toward Lopunny. The normal type shielded her ears as best she could as the sound itself brought her to her knees. Brimstone pushed the snow until it was all gathered in the lowest point of the arena, leaving behind steel so slick that it was like it had been cleaned and polished. Mawile's work, no doubt. Lopunny began to slide back toward the pit while Bastiodon somehow stood on it like it was normal ground, and it was then that it dawned on Denzel how much of a long-con Byron had been playing and how fucked the situation was. All the time he'd spent chipping away at the arena with Sandstorm after Sandstorm. Slowly bringing it to an angle that was now forty-five degrees, all for Bastiodon to have this much of an advantage. For a second, as Brimstone gathered a huge Flash Cannon in his mouth within seconds, Denzel felt like he was falling.

He grabbed onto a metaphorical ledge and kept himself from panicking.

"Climb up! Punch through the floor with Power-Up Kick!" Denzel called out.

Lopunny threw herself to the side, but the sheer heat from the stray light had her catch on fire, and that was with Bastiodon holding back. The normal type flexed as Agility loosened her movements and she began her climb, each step puncturing through the steel and allowing her to step closer. Bastiodon's stare sharpened, and Byron ordered a Curse. Shadows poured out of every inch of his body and the weight of the dead began to press down on him, but his defenses would be improved. That meant that Lopunny would be thwarted. The normal type managed to dodge another two Flash Cannons despite being on fire, each step working toward getting her used to this footing.

"Good, good!" Byron exclaimed. "Brimstone, Metal Spikes!"

Out of the smooth metal, Bastiodon tore and molded spikes larger than Lopunny herself, and she started zigzagging to not get hit and thrown back into the snow below. One hit from that, and a lot of her bones are broken, Denzel thought with a clenched fist. "Shadow Ball!" he called out. The least they could do was something while Lopunny tried to climb up there. The darkened spheres were thin and unruly, but they would do the trick. Bastiodon had essentially turned itself into an unassailable turret, but an unmovable one. Most of the Shadow Balls were blocked by the spikes bursting from the ground, but the ones that did hit didn't even make Brimstone flinch.

Expected, but still disappointing. There were more Flash Cannons and more spikes, but Lopunny was faster. She spun to the left, her leg digging itself into the ground as she ducked and another burst of metal grazed the top of her head.

"Bounce!" Denzel ordered as soon as she slipped away.

Lopunny jumped, leaving behind two large holes. She ascended like a meteorite, her body wreathing with flames, and another gust of air pushed her toward Bastiodon.

"Counter!" Byron yelled.

"Fuck! Readjust—"

Bastiodon's head glowed as the steel type squared itself, but Lopunny never did land her kick on him. She outstretched her ears, and another gust of air carried her behind Bastiodon, where she quickly scrambled to her feet despite the sliding. Bastiodon screamed with Metal Sound again. It was the grinding of rusted gears, the sliding of metal against metal, and Lopunny was so close that it was debilitating to her. A spike burst out of the floor below her and hit her right in the stomach. The tips were blunted so she wouldn't be impaled, but it still hurt—

She wasn't knocked away.

She held on, her Powered-Up hand and fingers digging into the metal. Her body jerked around like a rag doll, but she was still there.

"Do it," he whispered.

Lopunny jumped on top of Bastiodon and started to ride him. Every second, she struck his back with a combination of Power-Up Punch and Fire Punch, and she was still on fire. Bastiodon let out an annoyed grunt as the strikes dug into the exposed skin on its hide, and the grunt turned into another Metal Sound. Lopunny gritted her teeth and kept going.

"Shock Wave!" Byron yelled.

Electricity poured out of Bastiodon's skin, and Lopunny tried to fight through the spasms until they grew out of control. Just a little more. Build up your strength a little more… he considered switching, but that would reset all of what Lopunny had gained through Power-Up Punch and Milotic would do terribly in an environment like this. Denzel felt like the wind was at his back, pushing in his sails and a win was achievable.

But he couldn't grow too overconfident. No, not when there was so much on the line. He let Lopunny punch Bastiodon and had her mix in the occasional Drain Punch until he recalled her and sent out his Milotic. There was no point sending him out high up on the slope, considering he would just slide down and get shot by Bastiodon's Flash Cannon.

"Rain Dance and try flying like you did against Wake!" Denzel said. He knew it would be more difficult here, since there was no ample supply of water to draw from, but his own could work. It was the way Cynthia's did things, after all. Clouds gathered over the skies as Bastiodon began shooting out electric attacks, this time. If there was one thing old timers like Brimstone had, it was coverage and the way they could so expertly use it. And they could do it, he knew, just not quickly enough to avoid any of Bastiodon's attack, so it was a risk he was taking. A thin layer of water wrapped around Milotic.

"Keep low to the ground. Hydro Pump as you climb," he added, for good measure.

The burst of water that came out of Milotic's mouth was so powerful the edges turned to foam. It dented the iron spikes that Bastiodon had raised— and he was standing in a forest of them by now— and it managed to work its way across the sloped field and right on Bastiodon's head. Finally, the steel type actually sounded like he was in pain, and the rain wasn't helping its predicament, though the wet ground was helping Bastiodon spread its Shock Wave throughout the field and occasionally hitting Milotic.

"Keep your distance and let yourself heal with Aqua Ring and Recover. He doesn't have the range to hit you with spikes from here," Denzel said.

"Slide," Byron simply countered.

Just like that, Brimstone unlached from his spot and started to slide down the metal. Fuck, fuck, fuck! Denzel's nails dug into his flesh as he scrambled for a new strategy while Milotic kept hitting Bastiodon with Hydro Pumps that met its shielded head. Water was beginning to pool down again, but it wasn't enough to make use of. Twister would be less useful than Hydro Pump, and Bastiodon was too heavy to pull any tricks that way anyway.

Bastiodon reached a screeching halt in the middle of the slope as this time a Thunderbolt ransacked through Milotic. Recover and Aqua Ring wouldn't be enough to bear through the damage, so they had to find a way through now.

"Brine!"

Raindrops turned to sharpened spikes, but the majority of them bounced off of Brimstone's armor while a few buried themselves in his brown hide. It wasn't much, but it was something. Milotic's body shimmered in his water as he Recovered from another Shock Wave, and Byron switched things up with a Flash Cannon that nearly evaporated all of his water and had him fall onto the ground and roll down—

He—

He had it.

"Water! Spit out water!"

While Milotic slid back down on the slope, more and more liquid water slipped through the creases in his scales and soaked the ground even further than the Rain Dance had, and the water type pushed himself with a Dragon Pulse to dodge another Thunderbolt. Since Brimstone was now in range, he tore up more spikes in an attempt to block Milotic's path, and the water type got pushed up into the air by another one, though he barely managed to keep still and catch himself with hydrokinesis. Denzel noticed his Recovers were getting slower and his Aqua Ring duller. Even though Byron was keeping his Bastiodon to three relatively simple attacks, he was awful to fight.

"Ice Beam! Freeze the ground below his feet!"

If Brimstone could navigate the terrain they'd created, then they needed to take that away from him. Milotic groaned when a burst of electricity hit him, but he countered with three arcs of cold ice that coated the already slick metal in ice. Bastiodon began to slip down, and Milotic traced a path all the way down to Froslass' snow which had slowly been melting to some kind of slush as the temperature returned to normal—

"Block and Heavy Slam!"

There was the sound of chains, but they were nowhere to be seen. Milotic froze mid-air, as if he was being held by something and kept there, and Bastiodon's slide had the steel type pick up more and more speed. With the weight from Curse, this is… this is… there was a Metal Sound that had Denzel cover his ears with a wince, and the ice in front of him cracked, allowing him freedom of movement and he steered toward Milotic, who had placed himself low to the ground because of Denzel's orders.

Bastiodon hit him head-on.

Milotic was thrown off into the sky and hit the barrier right in front of Denzel with half of his scales caved in. The teenager blinked, not comprehending what had just happened as he took a step back and the referee's voice asking him to send out his last Pokemon faded in the background.

His hand slowly reached Milotic's Pokeball and before he realized it, it was tightened around it so much his palms hurt. Was he fucked? Bastiodon slowly climbed back up to the arena's halfway point, sliding backwards through the slick metal and avoiding every spire he had raised without even having to look, and Denzel leaned forward to get an angle to recall Milotic. Arceus, he was going to be so apologetic later…

"It's not over," Byron said. "It is not, so you should stop behaving like it is."

He knew Byron was right. He didn't answer, but he knew. Bastiodon had taken many water type attacks and Power-Up Punches, and while he was Byron's starter, he wasn't invincible. Denzel's team was good enough to be here, and their moves hurt. Victory was still achievable, but it would be tough. Mawile was healthy, but Lopunny was, too and the steel type had been hit by Leech Seed. Lopunny would have to do it alone, and Arceus damn it, he believed in her. Denzel rolled his tired shoulders and sent out Lopunny again at the bottom of the field. There must have been a reason Byron had used Block against Milotic only and not her, and it wouldn't be as simple as 'he'd been put into a corner'. No, Block was usually a move on the weaker side of things that people didn't use at this point in their careers, and he had never seen it be used at a distance like this without any physical contact between the two Pokemon.

No, there was a zone the Block would affect, and because Milotic was slow, he was trapped. Lopunny was quick on her feet and had a plethora of fighting type moves, which meant she was good at fighting TE and would potentially break out.

"You're the last," Denzel said. "Agility."

Keep yourself thinking.

The normal type punched the air as her hands, feet and ears burst with light, and she dashed up the hill, speeding up in the process. Each one of her steps took her longer and longer until she was a blur, since she had previously adapted to the state of the battlefield. At a distance, they would lose, and horribly, and they had Bounce to close they gap when they got close enough. This time, Lopunny managed to give the blinding Flash Cannons a wide berth that only singed the edges of her fur instead, and Bastiodon was constantly screeching to slow her down with Metal Sound. Eventually, the spires came into play, but Lopunny was at the top of her game. It was like she was dancing, with how fast she was spinning around and dodging everything.

"Bounce and High Jump Kick. Aim for the back so he can't Counter."

Lopunny left behind a crater when she jumped. She soared through the sky, spinning until she extended one of her feet and blurred forward with a gust of wind so powerful it was the only thing Denzel could hear. The angle was good, the speed was too quick to be interrupted by Block, and she would land right on top of Bastiodon's body—

Byron recalled the steel type, and Denzel's heart sank to his stomach.

Lopunny tried to salvage things. She tried to land in a way that would still have her standing, but she was too fast. She crashed into the metal floor and crumpled as she clutched at her leg with a hiss of pain. Byron released Mawile, and Denzel knew it was over. The steel type finished Lopunny off with an Iron Head to the face.

"Victory to Leader Byron!"

It was… over. There were almost no cheers from the spectators, just solemn clapping. A person losing their eighth badge fight was always respected.

It was over, he repeated to himself, and so quickly, too. One second, he'd felt like he was on top of the world, and the next, the rug had been pulled from under him and it was done. Denzel recalled Lopunny and sniffled, somehow deciding now would be a good time to cry about it. He took a deep breath and wiped his eyes as he stepped down the platform, and he was thankfully good again. It wouldn't do his reputation any good to be caught crying just because he lost. He spared Byron one more look, but the Gym Leader gestured at him to come, walking toward him at a brisk pace. Denzel raised an eyebrow and wondered what that was all about, but he listened and followed suit. Byron was a few inches taller than Denzel was, and his burgundy hair looked even more unruly from up close.

"You fought well, kid!" he yelled, clapping him on the shoulder. Not the back, thank Arceus.
"You trusted yourself throughout that entire battle until the end. It was a mistake with a heavy price."

Denzel frowned. "The end? You mean High Jump Kick?"

"No, no. I mean when you switched your Lopunny for Milotic," Byron explained. "All of your Pokemon are nasty pieces of work, but she was best equipped to finish off Brimstone with Power-Up Punch, and you let the opportunity slip you by."

"Shit…"

He had overcompensated.

"At least that's what I believe," Byron shrugged. "No need to look so down, kid. Iron out your strategy, train a little more, and challenge me in two weeks. You've got what it takes."

"I… I didn't think you would switch, there," Denzel muttered as if that mattered.

In almost all of his Gym Battles, the Gym Leader hadn't made use of all of their swaps, after all, and he expected Byron to be no different.

Byron laughed. "This is the eighth badge, boy. There's no mercy in it."

Right. Obviously, if he messed up, Byron would punish him. He wouldn't just not use his resources and let him win. Denzel sighed and turned away from the Gym Leader.

"I'll be back," he said.

"Let's enjoy another battle, you and I."

Denzel walked out of the Gym with his head held high and a heart full of regret.

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, SecondBlahm, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Michael J, Knock, Jan, catfishdog,, Onyx2409, ChairmanK--, William F, Zhijia, Andy S, HeyMrJack, NineXO, Dvn

 

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 289

It was my last day together with Cece.

Come tomorrow morning, she'd be Teleporting back to Pastoria and me to Jubilife, so we'd wanted to enjoy as much time together as possible, as we had throughout the week. She'd gone to pick up supplies for our impromptu picnic we'd decided on when traveling the edges of the island to get me used to walking again, but since the entire League was a no-fly zone and traveling in the skies with groceries without Princess' fine psychic control was a recipe for disaster even if we did get permission to fly, it would take a while for Cecilia to come back. In front of me was a massive cliff that overlooked the ocean, and I could see Sunyshore in the distance, the city overtaken by a pale, blue hue because of how far it was. The smell of the salty air filled my nostrils, and the soft sound of the waves battering the rocks below felt somewhat soothing. Relaxing, even.

I was a little sad this would all end tomorrow, though there was part of me that said I deserved that.

All of my Pokemon were with me, save for Princess and Honey who were still at the Pokemon Center back in the city. Sweetheart had to be told a thousand times that she shouldn't cannon ball down into the cliffs below because it wouldn't end well, even if she'd gotten better with Surf lately. Still, she loomed over the edge with Sunshine by her side, who was telling her that the entire world was theirs to conquer. The dragon type would often look back at us, or more precisely at Mimi with a suspicious eye. He still didn't trust them, considering what their previous form had done to us, though instead of being rude, he mostly ignored them and brushed them off whenever they tried to approach. Mimi was far too curious to let that stand in their way, however. It wasn't really my place to tell Sunshine not to feel like this— we were all still shaken by the near-death experience in that sinking building. For the first time, my team had watched me give up and prepare to die, and they wouldn't recover from that for a long time, but it was worse with Turtonator. He was a dragon, and my decision had been antithetical to who he was.

So yeah, things were a little awkward between us, and I was still figuring out how to fix it, because apologizing and saying I wouldn't do it again wasn't working very well. For all dragons and fairies disliked each other by instinct, the fact that they both held grudges was undeniable. They just had… different ways of going about them. He thought me weaker, now.

Maybe I was.

I bit my bottom lip and watched Mimi silently munch on a metallic screw with an eerie silence. Snacks were one of the few ways I'd found to distract them from their lust for exploration. They were still being hidden, so I couldn't have them wander around aimlessly, even with Buddy or Angel there to watch over them. The former had actually plunged into the ocean below earlier, which was why Tyranitar had wanted to follow him, and Tangrowth was too busy observing the new baby of the team. The last time he had tried touching them, Mimi had squealed in displeasure and tried to eat his vines, which despite them being too weak to do what Melmetal was capable of (the metal hadn't even managed to burn through one inch of Angel's vines), it had sent a good message and now the poor grass type was considering how to approach and trying to quell his jealousy of Jellicent being allowed to approach Mimi at the same time.

You are sad about the Enforcer again, Claydol chimed as they hovered above me. Analyzing potential methods for mood elevation. Suggestion: engage in recreational activities or share positive experiences with us. Please confirm desire for assistance.

The psychic blinked, one of their six eyes focused on Sunshine while one was staring intently at Angel, and the other two at me. They were getting tutored by Slowking in the realm of barriers and offensive psychic powers and making good progress in that regard, though they were still confused about Gym Battles and the like. Angel squirmed, apologizing that he'd been too focused on Mimi to figure out that I was worrying about the 'enforcer'. Meanwhile, Jellicent was advisor. Claydol had plenty of denominations to hand out to the others, because calling out people in my 'court' by name was wrong, according to them.

"I'm fine, thanks," I smiled thinly. "It just reminds me of how we used to be, him and I. Or maybe that's an exaggeration."

Claydol hummed in affirmation, returning his full attention to the last Pokemon in our posse. He had kept an eye on Cecilia's Hydreigon at all times. The mass of scales and muscle hovered a dozen feet or so away from us as he tried to keep his hands under control. Zolst was a lot smarter than he had been when his consciousness had been divided in two, and despite there being lingering wrath at the edge of his skin ready to be triggered at the most minor of inconveniences, and him having red eyes full of anger and continuously twitching, he was also kind of cute, in a way. Every time I looked at him, I couldn't help but imagine him wearing little hats and bowties on each of his heads. Cecilia had left him here for us to bond with him, but only Angel and Sweetheart had done any talking, and it hadn't gone well due to how out of control his hands were. Their eyesight was really bad, so they lashed out at every movement they noticed and tried to bite at it. People kept saying they weren't sapient, but I'd be a fool to deny that they could feel things.

"Actually, Claydol, Angel, what do you think about putting hats on Zolst?"

Bringing two masses of vines together, Tangrowth clapped as his eyes shifted into a smile.

Hydreigon possesses a triadic cranial structure, therefore enabling accommodation of three hats, the psychic answered. This is a flawless plan, my King.

"So we're all in agreement," I said, grinning. I was wearing the sun hat that Mira had given me for my birthday in Sunyshore. I grabbed the hat and felt at the straw with my hands, feeling the sun bear down on me and the wind kick up my hair and dress. "Why don't we give it a try. Mimi? Are you up for it?"

Beside my thigh, the steel type let out some kind of metallic burp, a dissonant symphony of chimes as they patted their stomach. Eating metal always made them grow slightly larger, though they'd return to their smaller size after an hour or two, which I assumed was… digestion? Either way, Meltan agreed with our ploy, and I carried them in my arms as I stood back up. My ankle was doing very well, and in another two weeks I'd be able to walk without a crutch, but my fingers still hurt almost as much as they had the day Lou died, and that was fine. Good, even. Mimi crawled onto my shoulder, pretending not to be scared of the huge dragon we were approaching while Claydol whispered some threat assessment into my mind that I'd long learned to ignore for friends, and Angel skipped ahead of us with cheerfulness that was infectious and kept my mind off of Lou.

Hydreigon growled as he turned toward us, hands snapping ahead. Even if he recognized me, his eyes narrowed in suspicion and scanned my other Pokemon. Mimi squealed, instantly wrapping around my neck and transforming into a necklace that looked more like a thick, neck torc than anything else, as if Zolst wouldn't be able to tell they were a Pokemon. We were still working on her disguises, though a bracelet worked the best for now.

"Zolst. Sorry for bothering you and your… hands," I hesitated before presenting the hat to him. Claydol threw a fit when one of the heads nearly chomped my hand off. "You see, since you aren't busy, I've had this idea of you wearing this hat—"

The dragon's nose flared in indignation, and he told me to go play my childish games somewhere else.

"You know, before your evolution, you would have eaten the hat instead," I faked-sighed. "Now look at you, all high and mighty. I have to say, it does fit you, though."

Angel happily nodded, trying to sneak in a headpat that was instantly burned by a stray ember coming out of the left hand. A wave of hot air slammed into my face, and I squinted until something shimmered ahead of me and the temperature returned to normal.

Apologies for delayed barrier implementation, my King, Claydol communicated with a comically large buzzing sound and erratic patterns in their eye.

"Nah, you're good. Zolst is a friend…"'

I didn't finish my sentence, because apparently me saying that Zolst's new look and temperament fit him had pleased him quite nicely, which was why one of the heads had managed to sneak in a stream of fire in the first place.

And yeah.

Hydreigon could purr.

Granted, that purr would no doubt have countless trainers shake in their boots if they weren't used to it, and it was more of a growl than a purr one would expect from a Glameow, but there was no mistaking that pleased daze, his wings undulating as one and the slight amount of drool dripping from all of his mouths.

"Hey, if you don't like the hats, maybe you'll like hanging out with Sunshine and Sweetheart instead. Seems like you'd mesh well and… share your strategies about world conquest."

Hydreigon let out an agreeing grunt, his still-clumsy flight causing him to knock into Angel, whose vines drooped at him being ignored.

I grabbed one of his vines, almost forgetting not to press my hands as tightly as they would wind and instead caressed him. "You'll make friends too, no worries." I paused as more vines wrapped around my legs. "He was easier to approach when he was a little dumber, but under there, he's still a kid, you know? Try praise, next time."

Mimi unwrapped from my neck, sliding down my arm in liquid form as they sent waves of assuredness at me as if they hadn't been terrified. I patted their golden gear with a finger and returned to the picnicking blanket Cece had bought us. Even so, Tangrowth made a bed of vines for me because it was a lot more comfortable and what I'd grown used to throughout the months. A message from my Dad buzzed on my phone, and I confirmed that I'd be there tonight after I made sure that Princess and Honey had been correctly transferred to the Pokemon Center closest to our apartment.

I was largely cured of my mercury poisoning, but Princess was still struggling, and so was Honey with his hand. They'd recover, of course, but… Arceus.

It was so much, still.

I flicked another screw toward Mimi to keep them from wandering toward the ocean while Claydol told Angel one of their many stories— this time a child's tale about the life of an iron ore, first melted into steel to slay its foes, then a shield to protect his user, than as support for one of the homes closest to the King's castle. The moral of this tale was that our true purpose may evolve and change as we journey through life.

Beyond Lakhutia's obvious obsession with iron, it resonated with me some. Or maybe I was just trying to latch onto anything that made a sliver of sense.

There was a pulsating throb in my fingers. A call to action.

Better distract myself with something, I thought, grabbing my laptop. "Hey, Angel, how do you feel about being on typing duty?"

The grass type eagerly nodded, and I had him look up Denzel's Gym Battle again.

The loss had been a close one, which I knew could feel so much more crushing than there having been a wide gap. My best friend had progressed leaps and bounds and pulled tricks and moves out of his sleeves that I knew would be too much for me, and at this point I wasn't sure if I'd win against him in a straight-up six-on-six.

And yet it hadn't been enough.

There wasn't a lot of training time left, and Honey wouldn't be able to participate in the fight before the Red Chain. The decision to make, then, was to try to figure out if I could still win in spite of that with Claydol.

Yes, my King? the ground type said when I stared up at them.

"Don't worry about it, it's nothing."

Acknowledged.

Honey not being there screwed with my plans for Rain Dance and Thunder, though Buddy was good enough with learning despite being lazy with training most of the time for me to be confident he'd be able to learn it if he needed to. Claydol's offensive powers would be nowhere near good enough to break through Byron like I was planning on doing, but that didn't mean they would be useless. Lingering barriers like Slowking was capable of and manipulating the ground could have me shape the arena just like I wanted to, and they were already good at that despite not even having Ancient Power yet! The knowledge was just prebuilt in their head!

Plans would have to be adjusted. One could not just transplant a strategy that had been made to work with a different Pokemon and hope for the best, and already, it was taking shape in my head.

But,

Was it feasible?

I moistened my lips and let the first thought that came to my head answer. Yes. Feasible, yes, but harder, especially when Byron would know ahead of time about Claydol.

Honestly, maybe I just wanted to get a normal fight again. A good old six-on-six without lives on the line, just my Pokemon and I having fun instead of having to fight tooth and nail to hope to survive the next five minutes. Training was nice, but it wasn't real. It didn't get your blood pumping as a real battle did. There were no stakes, Pokemon held back, and most of all, you were fighting yourself.

And if I was being honest with myself, the feeling of having to wait for however long I'd need to and keep my team ready until Team Galactic was dealt with (meaning I wouldn't be able to challenge the Gym) would have me feel like I was falling behind, and I hated despite knowing how childish it was. Already, Lauren and Barry had won their eighth— the former just two days ago with a better performance than Barry, and it was at times like these that I regretted never fighting her. We weren't rivals per se, or at least we wouldn't be until the Conference, but I had still looked up to her for months and wanted to reach her level. I would have watched her fight more than the twelve times I'd already done so, but Byron was the one I needed to study.

She and Barry were undeniably more talented than I was.

"Looks like I've come back at a bad time," Cecilia said. "Is everything okay?"

I hadn't even noticed her sneaking up on me. "Thinking about choices," I muttered, turning toward her— "Holy, you got so much."

Slowking was carrying the majority of the groceries, though Croagunk carried a bag on her head, balancing it with a careful arm. Cece wore one of her many high-waisted skirts, this one with a plaid pattern, and she paired it with a fitted, tucked-in dark top that gave her a chic look.

"Well, our Pokemon have got to eat, don't they?" my girlfriend playfully noted. Her eyes drifted across the cliff, where she saw Hydreigon hanging out with Turtonator and Sweetheart. "I knew keeping him here was a good idea."

Slowking coughed, placing every bag down on the blanket. Talonflame's idea, the psychic corrected. She still hasn't come back?

I scanned the horizon. "Nope. She could be above, like, Veilstone, for all we know."

"She'll come back," Cecilia said. "She always does."

Since Talonflame had broken the sound barrier, she had learned to enjoy flying above Sinnoh on her own for hours on end and letting the wind carry her— Cece's hand touched my cheek, turning my face as she leaned in to kiss me, and, uh, wow, that was still as amazing as the first one, huh? Better, even, but less clumsy. My heart still fluttered in my chest every time our lips touched, despite having dated for months.

"Want anything to drink while Slowking, Angel and I prepare sandwiches?" she asked, slightly out of breath. "We brought drinks."

"Whatever juice you have, queen of my heart," I teased her. As it turned out, Claydol's designation had stuck these last few days.

Well, teasing wasn't really right when she owned it and flicked her hair back. Legendaries, what I'd give to see her shy and flustered again like those first few weeks. Angel jumped at the opportunity to help with the food while Sweetheart started looking back from the cliff over and over, knowing that she'd get fed soon, and Hydreigon drooling was difficult not to notice.

"You were looking at Byron again?" Cece said, unpacking the groceries. Ham, bread, butter, cutlery— where had she gotten cutlery? Had she asked in one of the Pokemon Centers? Actually, I didn't even want to ask. "Find something to exploit?"

"Mostly, I was trying to figure out if I should challenge him before the Red Chain or not," I muttered.

Red Chain. The words had weight to them, and everyone within ear-shot save for Mimi froze for a moment before returning to what they'd been doing. Croagunk had decided to wander off toward Sunshine, who had been helping her train recently, and Cecilia released Scizor to join her. Turtonator admired anyone's desire to get stronger faster, and she certainly had the drive. Lehmhart was next, of course, and Sweetheart challenged him to a fight right away— a fight that we had to stop before this entire cliff collapsed into the sea. Instead, he decided to wander off to look at the Lilies that the League was full of and named after, each of his steps shaking the earth.

"Well, that depends on how many days you have," Cece hummed. "I'd give myself a week's buffer so my team could get healed… just in case."

I pulled on Mimi's tail so they wouldn't stray off the blanket while they ate their screw. "That's doable, and it wouldn't have to be rushed. I think that at this point, if Claydol is brought up to speed, a win is doable if I don't fuck up."

Cece unwrapped some ham. "Well, that is a given. It is not power or experience your Pokemon would be lacking, that's for certain, but you have to think about how Byron will counter you as well."

I nodded. "Hmhm. I mean, I already figured out that he'd pull out unexpected stuff, but what else am I weak against?"

Planning had always been my forte, and even if I'd gotten good at improvising when things went off the rails, Denzel was far better at it than I was, as was evident in the video currently playing.

But the Gym Battle couldn't just be that. There would be more to it.

"Well, I'd say there are issues of tunnel vision," Cecilia said.

"What do you mean?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"You usually go all in on something," she shrugged, producing around a dozen packets of cheese. "What kind of cheese do you want? Roquefort goes really well with this."

"Uh, Cheddar."

An amused look passed over her face. "Come on. Take a risk for the first sandwich, at least. Remember when I had you taste—"

"Okay, yes, a thousand different things that I ended up liking. Point taken," I laughed. Claydol somehow scanned through the cheese and detected that there were 'no poisons' in it.

"As I was saying… you hone in on one plan— like lava with Volkner— and then you look at the variables— the points of failure that you might be able to salvage by looking at the pool of Pokemon available to that specific Gym Leader, and it's worked out so far, but…"

"But?"

"This is Byron, and this is the eighth Gym Badge," Cecilia declared. "You're exclusively known for your planning, but what if everything you planned is rendered null within, let's say, the first Pokemon? Your entire strategy collapses in front of you, and you're scrambling to pull something together for the rest of the fight? By the time you've figured something out, you're half a corpse bleeding on the floor— behind in swaps, Pokemon, and even if you try to claw your way back to a win, swinging, thrashing, screaming, at the end of the day, you're cornered. Nervous. You start losing your cool, and you slip once, twice, thrice until you're right at the edge of the cliff and you can't afford to slip anymore and I have you."

There had been something in her sharp, brown eyes, when she'd said this. A predacious, hungry look that told me she'd imagined this before.

It was, um, quite attractive.

Even Mimi shivered, shrinking back with a mewl and crawling behind me while Angel and Slowking worked on preparing more sandwiches.

"Then, I lose," I exhaled.

My girlfriend paused. "At least that's how I'd beat you in a serious fight, but for that I'd have to know what you're planning in the first place and Croagunk still has a lot of catching up to do."

In the distance, she was sparring with Sunshine and Scizor, and though they were obviously going easy on her she could actually keep up with Scizor's speed and dodge everything Turtonator threw at her.

"This is something a Gym Leader like Byron should reasonably be able to do," I whispered.

"I've given this a lot of thought. I know Chase, Lauren and Denzel have too."

"And you're just telling me?"

She snorted, rolling her eyes as she plastered that foul-smelling cheese onto the bread. "Come on, Grace. You would have figured it out eventually."

"Huh. Well, if you'd need to hit me with something completely unexpected, but also not so weird that it starts to make you throw. Something that leaves no room for error and catches me off-guard the moment the battle starts, so basically, one of Byron's actual Pokemon."

It would be nearly unprecedented for a challenge, but it fit, and with how versatile all of Byron's Pokemon on his personal team were, having a consistent strategy against them was tough, even with no prior setup of the terrain. His Bastiodon had only applied a few tricks against Denzel, but that was a fraction of what he was actually able to do and it had only been so to give Denzel a chance to win. I'd need to expend switches and most likely give Byron an early lead to take that Pokemon down and that was if he didn't switch before them going down.

Yeah, again, it fit, and the worst part was that even if I saw it coming, it was still going to fuck me over.

"Say," she asked, tilting her head. "How would you beat me?"

"Hm?"

"In a hypothetical scenario where Croagunk is a Toxicroak and at the level all of my other Pokemon are at, of course, so it doesn't end up being a five-on-six."

She blinked expectantly at me, her hands slowing over the sandwich with her fingers twitching slightly. She brought one of them up to brush her hair behind her hair before she remembered that her hands were dirty, so instead, she awkwardly dropped it on the picnic blanket and shifted in place.

"Why're you smiling like that?" Cecilia huffed.

"I'm not smiling."

"You are. Claydol, is she smiling?"

The ground type's eyes glitched out. Unable to answer question out of fear for my well-being.

A fine move, my friend, Slowking said. Learning to ignore their flirting and complete lack of restraint gets easier with time, trust me.

This has been noticed in my short tenure as a bodyguard, Claydol said.

"Gosh, you guys just ruin the mood," I groaned, staring at the sky.

"You can always tell me later in your room," Cece said.

See what I mean? Slowking sighed.

Claydol let out a 'cheering' sound and their pupils turned to upside down 'U's. Implementation of newfound knowledge anticipated for enhanced service to my King.

After another minute, she finished preparing our food.

"Here," Cece said, shoving the sandwich forward. "Slowking, Angel, I'll leave you in charge of further distribution, since it doesn't look like you'll be needing us anyway?"

Leave it to us, my lady, Slowking answered with a smug smile. Between his psychic powers and Angel's vines, they were making a dozen sandwiches at once, and I lamented the fact that it wouldn't be enough to satiate Sweetheart. Her evolution had her constantly hungry, especially when she was growing.

I sniffed at the food and wrinkled my nose. The ham, lettuce and tomatoes were fine, but that cheese was ugh. Still, I bit into it, and—

Good.

"See? Legendaries, you should trust me with food once in a while. I have quite the experienced palette."

"No neef do brag abouf it."

"By the way, about that show you talked about, you better wait for me to continue the seventh episode…"

—

It had been around one in the afternoon when we finished our picnic, and we were back in my room, though anything Slowking would have made fun of was already done. In the end, we had stayed until Talonflame had showed back up all excited to tell us all about a Staraptor she'd befriended and raced near Mount Coronet, after which Cece told her to stay away from that mountain next time. She'd been lucky the Staraptor she had met had been alone and friendly, given the fact that he could keep up with her speed. If it had come to a fight, Talonflame might not have made it back, and she needed to understand that just because she could go at the speed of sound didn't mean she should roam around Mount Coronet like she was invincible.

So yeah, that had been a scare and a half.

Aliyah and Cece's therapist had shown up in the middle of our picnic date, which they had been quite apologetic about, but at the end of it, Aliyah had asked me to meet her at this exact time for reasons she hadn't wanted to say while I was having fun.

So yeah, I was dreading what was to come. Cece was lying with her head on my shoulder with her phone in hand, sometimes texting in our group chat, sometimes studying Crasher Wake, and others just browsing the internet. I did have one of her shirts on that I was going to ask to keep when we went our separate ways again because it smelled like her. It was way too big for me though, so I'd only be able to wear it in my rooms.

I slipped away and said I'd be back in a bit, changing into something more appropriate and had Meltan wrap around my wrist. The rest of my team were in their Pokeballs, but they threw a fit every time I put them in there, so I had resigned to letting Mimi stay out at all times. They felt tight around my wrist as I walked toward the elevators. Even with my crutch, I was walking faster than before, and the pain from the mercury poisoning was completely gone, so I was the fastest I'd ever been.

Which was still slower than walking's pace, but being able to feel independent again had me smiling the entire way through. Aliyah was waiting in some sort of office two floors above mine with a doctor— not a nurse. There was something strange in Aliyah's look— not exactly harsh, but worried, and that in turn worried me as well.

"Um… is there something wrong? With my recovery?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"Sit down, my dear," Aliyah said. When I did, she turned toward the doctor. "Pauline."

Huh, another Pauline. I'd never seen her before, just the nurses.

"When one of the nurses changed the bandages on your hands yesterday, we noticed that they weren't exactly healing quickly enough. There was barely any progress."

My stomach dropped like a stone.

"Maybe you've been moving them around in your sleep, but that wouldn't be enough for what we saw," the doctor slowly said. "Your fingers showed signs of irritation, and—"

"That's enough," Aliyah softly said. "Leave us, please."

Irritation flashed across the doctor's face, as this was clearly her office. My mouth felt like it had been sewn shut, and my feet like they'd been tied to the ground. The doctor quickly paced out of the room, and Aliyah sighed.

"What happened?"

"Nothing!" I blurted out. "I guess I was grabbing too much stuff, I'll— I'll stop."

"I asked about that. Grabbing wouldn't have been enough, nor would have any activities of daily life."

"Look, can we— you—" I stopped, my shoulders slumping as I sagged in my chair with a heavy breath. "Okay, I— I press them together sometimes, but it's not that bad."

"From how slowly they're healing, it does look bad. It would be like you're applying as much force as you can, and not just once or twice. Repeatedly throughout the day."

"I don't know what to tell you."

"I'm not admonishing you," Aliyah murmured. "I'm mostly angry at myself for not catching this sooner."

"Catching what?"

"The fact that you're self-harming."

I scoffed, ignoring Mimi's angry chime on my wrist. "I'm not."

"Oh, but you are." My therapist shook her head, gently grabbing my bracelet-free wrist. "You're willingly causing yourself pain and making your injuries worse."

"That's a really straightforward way of putting it."

"How would you put it, then?" she asked. "Go on."

"Well, sometimes when I'm having too much fun, I… uh, I get these thoughts about Lou, and it makes me realize that I shouldn't be smiling or laughing not even a week after her death, because then it's like I've forgotten. So I squeeze my hands together to get me back to what I should be feeling." Stopping, I looked at my bandaged fingers. "I got these right after she died. While she was dying, terrified and alone."

"You and your symbolism," she dismissed. "Listen to me, Grace. There is nothing that makes self-harm a good thing, and nothing that would make someone deserving of it. Nothing. In fact, you know it's wrong, otherwise you wouldn't have tried to avoid the topic with half-truths. I'll… this is the only way you've self-harmed, correct?"

"...yes."

Her eyes drifted across my wrists and arms again, though they found nothing there.

"Very well. We know what triggers your self-harming, but I can't be by your side at all times, Grace. We're going to have to focus on this from now on."

"I haven't even done it much today. I can stop—"

"You can't, and you won't. Not without help. We'll need to figure out an alternative outlet for your grief. Can you stay here for another hour and a half so we can work on this right away?"

"I— I'll have to text Cece about it."

"Do so," she sighed. "We'll use your room, so she'll have to vacate for the time being. If I were you, I would tell her about this, but I will not force you to do anything."

"I'll… I'll tell her."

Damn it.

—

"So? What is it?"

Cece had evidently fallen asleep in the short time I hadn't been here. We'd spent a lot of late nights talking, cuddling, watching shows or battles, and it was taking a toll on her more than me, considering my sleep schedule was always fucked and hers was actually normal. She rubbed her eyes and stared up at me, still sitting on the bed with her purple pajamas.

But none of that mattered. I was just trying to stall. Aliyah was waiting just beyond the door, and even though she had told me repeatedly on our way here that there was no shame in keeping this a secret, I didn't want to hide things from her anymore even if I knew it wasn't wrong.

I'd have to tell my team, too. Only Mimi knew, and that wasn't right.

I crouched, my eyes downcast as my hair drooped toward the floor and hid her face from me. "Listen, um, this is a big deal, and I know you're going to freak out, but don't freak out."

"Well, now I'm more worried."

Then, there was silence. Knowing how to start hard conversations wasn't really one of my strengths. Usually, I avoided them until I couldn't worm my way out of them any longer. I heard Cece get off the bed, and she lowered herself to my level, grabbing my wrists and touching our foreheads together.

Fuck… she always grabbed the wrists, didn't she? Because she hadn't wanted to hurt my hands.

"You can tell me anything," she softly spoke. Her breath tickled my face. "What's wrong?"

"It's my hands. I—" a sniffle interrupted me. "I've been pressing them together a lot when thinking about Lou. More times than I can count. The doctors found out, and they told Aliyah, and now she wants to give me another session today."

Cece's hands had frozen around my wrists while I had spoken, but I didn't want to look at her, so I couldn't gauge her reaction until I heard her start sobbing.

"I didn't… notice," she forced out through the sobs. "I didn't notice."

"No one did!" I yelled. "It's— it's not on you! I was hiding it really well, and… and… I'm sorry."

We cried together for a while, knees against the floor without saying another word. I didn't know how much time had passed when she wrapped her hands around me and hugged me tight, like she was scared I was going to disappear. I did the same, feeling comfort in the shape of her back and the crook of her neck.

"Loving you hurts, sometimes," she said.

I know, I thought. "I'm sorry. Thanks for keeping up with my bullshit."

"You helped me when I needed it, when we met," Cece said with a sad, tear-filled chuckle. "And I was a mess."

"I guess the roles have switched," I said.

"Thank you for telling me this. I— do you need me to do anything?"

"Aliyah's got it covered, I think."

"Even when we leave, I'm going to text you every day and ask about this. You know that, right?"

"Hmhm."

"Please don't lie to me about it. I know you're still capable of it."

"Hmhm."

She inhaled, and then unlatched from me. "Let's talk about this when you're done with Aliyah. Unless you don't want to?"

"We can talk about it."

Cece smiled. "Okay."

She left the room soon after, and Aliyah entered.

—

It hadn't gone that well.

It hadn't been a catastrophe either, but I could tell it had been our worst session yet. Maybe I was just used to them having been relatively smooth with no hiccups before, but this one was slower, more deliberate, and often got stuck in ruts where I'd try to justify myself and get on the defensive.

It was the first time someone close to me had died. I couldn't just wave it away and pretend it hadn't happen so soon, or at least that's how I felt.

As for my Pokemon? Even though I had planned on telling them anyway, Aliyah had suggested it as well so they could catch me in case I ever tried pressing my hands together when I was alone on the road to prevent as many opportunities for it to happen as possible. Mimi hadn't really understood, and Sweetheart was a little of the same. All she knew was that me hurting was bad, and needed to be stopped. Angel mostly cried for me and tried to cheer me up with flowers and dancing, which had somehow worked a little. Claydol hadn't really reacted, but they had suggested that self-harm was bad and that I should stop in a monotone voice.

The worst of it was me getting scolded by both Sunshine and Buddy. Never had they yelled at me this loud, and I hadn't even had the strength to talk back because I knew they were also beating themselves up for not having figured it out earlier. The concept of self-harm was completely alien to both of them, so it hadn't been their fault, but I knew they were screaming more out of self-guilt than anger. It had gone on until Angel swooped in to save me and said that screaming wouldn't help and that they needed to be gentle with their words.

Cece and I had spent the rest of the afternoon together, and she'd kept looking at my hands repeatedly the entire time. When the sun started to set, we both started packing everything we'd strown about in the room and shoving them into our backpacks. My piano looked mighty useless now that I couldn't play it without feeling pain, so I was probably going to leave it at my Dad's apartment when I got there and pick it back up after my hands healed.

They need to heal, I repeated to convince myself. I wanted them to.

But now, it was time to leave. She would be going to Pastoria, and I Jubilife. Two Kadabra had been brought to our room, one of which was impatiently waiting for us to finish our goodbyes so he could get back to whatever he was studying while the other tried to calm him down.

It mostly involved a lot of hugging. Of feeling each other's skin and warmth for the last time in a while.

"Say hello to Maeve for me," I softly said. "She's been alone in Pastoria for a while."

"I will. You do the same for the guys in Canalave," she said.

I stood on the tiptoe of my good foot to kiss her one last time, and then it was over.

Just like that, she was gone, and a few seconds later, so was I.

When I opened my eyes, I was in the middle of Jubilife.

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Michael J, Knock, Jan, catfishdog,, Onyx2409, ChairmanK--, William F, Zhijia, Andy S, HeyMrJack, NineXO, Dvn, Exceedes, Gustavo S

 

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 290

I might have been foolish to have expected this place to change. The street I'd been brought to was so familiar, even now. I'd passed through it on the bus every time it had brought me home from school. The hums of a hundred car engines filled me with nostalgia that caught me so off-guard I had to blink a few times before realizing I was home. Hundreds of people walked through the streets, with a similar number of conversations happening at the same time. People talking to each other, people on their phones, or in wireless earbuds, going back home from a day's hard work. Even during the evening, the street was well-lit enough to fool me into thinking it was daytime. A couple of Starly hung on top of one of the streetlights, huddling together so they could all fit. A Rattata scuttled across the street and into an alley, causing the passersby to grunt in annoyance when they nearly tripped on her. People were used to that kind of thing here, and Pokemon in cities were almost never aggressive with humans.

My eye twitched when a pressure in my head became more pronounced, and I leaned against my crutch for support as my legs wobbled at the sudden rush of emotions. My empathy's acting up. Even after practicing with my gift for so long, being in Sinnoh's largest city was taking its toll. The air here was thick with smog, especially after having spent so long outside of Jubilife, and the streets were dirty and littered with plastic cups, foam containers, wrappings, and even a newspaper. They always tended to be dirty late at night, before the city cleaners started their shifts.

The Teleportation turned a few heads, as it always did, though they did not stay focused on me long. Jubilife was a busy city, and people saw a lot of those all the time, especially near Pokemon Centers. With a very tired huff (given the fact that I'd been Teleported across the entire region), Kadabra gently bid me farewell, waving one of his spoons and disappearing again as if he'd never been there. I placed a protective hand over my wrist, caressing Mimi so they wouldn't freak out at every new sight and reveal themselves. Already, I could feel them vibrating and I almost regretted not shoving them in my backpack for the time being. Taking another two minutes, I verified that Princess and Honey had been sent to this Pokemon Center, and then I entered the street again. It wasn't that I didn't trust the League, but I just wanted some peace of mind. Togekiss, I'd be able to pick up in three more days, at least. Honey would take at least another week.

Meltan rattled around my wrist again, and there was a small prickle on my skin. They had taken to poking me like this when they were in bracelet mode and they were angry, since they fit tightly enough for the prodding to be discrete.

Right. I needed to release at least one Pokemon so they could keep watch of me and my hands. There had been only a few urges since I'd spoken to Aliyah, and the two times I'd answered to those, I'd been caught and yelled at, so that was certainly working. I didn't know Mimi understood that, though. Part of me wanted to let Sunshine out so we could spend more time together and I could work on repairing things between us, but this was a proper city. He wasn't allowed to be out except in specific areas like Pokemon parks, just like Sweetheart. Angel was a little big and it would be too cumbersome for him to squeeze past the sidewalk. Claydol would start an uproar for being an ancient, rare construct, and they'd get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people in the city and since they were actually dangerous enough to cause an accident, I didn't want to risk it. Buddy, well, he had the same issues Angel had. Too wide, and prone to terrifying people when he wasn't.

I moistened my lips, terrified at myself for almost finding a convenient excuse to be on my own. Mimi was there, but the steel type was a baby. The worst they would do was prod me…

I want to get better.

I called out to people around me, giving myself enough space to release Tangrowth. "Hey Angel," I said, looking into his large, round eyes. He was silent, but they were so full of life and emotion that one could get lost in them for hours, if they knew him well enough.

The urge to caress his side was strong, but I knew he wouldn't let me, not when my hands needed to heal and he wanted them to rest. Instead, the grass type wrapped a vine around my wrist, holding it like he would to guide a child, and then he dragged me forward to hug me. It had only been a few hours, since I'd told him and the others about my issues. The pain was still fresh in his mind, and having been in his Pokeball for a while, there was no doubt he'd been worried about me.

"Sorry," I said. "I'll do better."

Vines squirmed across my back in response.

"Let's go see Dad, yeah?" It's about time you see where I lived before all of this. Before I met you all."

Instead of his usual vine around my good ankle, he had his around my left wrist, this time. It was so gently I could barely feel it, but he wanted to hold on. On the way to Dad's… to my apartment, I told him and Mimi about spots I was familiar with. I never went there on my own after class, but Dad would take me there during our father-daughter dates. There was the bowling place he took me at least once per month, its fluorescent lights headache-inducing after such a long time spent away from the city and during the night.

"I'll take you there eventually," I grinned. "You can play with Honey, since they accept Pokemon, unlike that place we went to in Eterna. The others don't really have the body type for it, though Princess could use her psychic powers to throw the ball."

The grass type silently laughed, signing that she would cheat and control the ball the entire way through.

A chuckle escaped my throat. "Yeah, that sounds like her… I miss her and Honey."

Mimi shook on my wrist, eliciting Angel's soothing pets. They wanted to play, even though they had no idea what the rules of the game even were. There was a certain frustration they harbored with having to stay hidden, but the League had promised it wouldn't have to be forever.

Two minutes later, I pointed toward another, larger building that wasn't as uniform as the others, despite the outside looking quite bland with pale, faded blue bricks and a few windows.

"See that? It's a battling spot, kind of like the clubs in Sunyshore, but way less organized. They run mini-tournaments there with small prize pools, but the people who battle are mostly kids who don't go on the Circuit. Y'know, people who do this as a hobby."

The grass type sagely nodded, waving across the window. Unfortunately for him, no one saw the gesture. Only a few night owls were left in the establishment, and none of them were battling. I sensed Mimi salivate at the sight of a metallic trash can next to the building.

"They also put on battles on TV," I continued. "Dad tried to take me there a few times to try to make me catch the bug by watching actual battles with my own two eyes and not through a screen, but I always vehemently refused."

That seemed to surprised Meltan, who had already learned to know my passion for battle in the week we'd known each other.

"It's this thing with me," I muttered. "When I do something, I want to be really good at it, and back then the fear of failure crippled me. Better be blind and not truly know what I was missing, or at least that's what I thought at the time. He knew me better than I knew myself."

We passed by an Arlyle's, my favorite fast-food chain, and I made a mental note to go get myself fries and a burger tomorrow before my meeting at Poketch Headquarters. Even Craig was around, in fact, he'd been there for a while after having Dot Teleport him from Hearthome.

"I actually told Dad about it, when I first started training and it was only me and Princess," I continued, limping across a street. We were only one block away, now. "The fear of failure cripples, and it somehow manages to trick you into doing anything but facing that fear. I'd tell myself I didn't want to risk my life, that a life outside the city sounded like a pain in the ass, that I'd miss Dad too much…" I trailed off, thinking back to the hundreds of signs that had pointed toward Pokemon training being what I'd wanted all along. "You get paralyzed, and if no one is there to push you, you end up doing nothing. Just lying there, waiting to fade, I guess."

Nothing else was said the entire way to my apartment, but I knew they'd both taken the words to heart. I did check my phone, making sure to text Melody, Craig, Ramon, Bobby and a few other Poketch people I'd connected with after I'd been ambushed in Eterna to let them know that I would be here for the meeting in two days, and already they were asking to meet tomorrow to prepare strategy. Some were also confused at how I'd made it here so quickly. Me having me Teleported to Jubilife by a Kadabra was known news already, and the fact that I'd been involved with League stuff was spreading. The hand injuries were also new, though that was a lot easier to wave away. Trainers got injured all the time, after all.

And then finally.

I was home.

Our apartment block was just… average. Its exterior was a drab of weathered bricks and faded pale blue paint, a color scheme that so many buildings in the city shared. It was sandwiched between two smaller structures, one a commercial building with a bunch of offices made almost completely out of glass, and the other a quaint furniture store where Dad had bought a lot of our own stuff, like our beds. Angel melted back into his Pokeball with a flash of red, and I made my way up the stairs leading to the entrance. The doors were automatic, sliding neatly to the sides and I entered the building with excitement bubbling in my chest. I had babbled so much on the way here that it was only now that the fact that I was going to see Dad again was actually settling on. I scurried my way across the entryway and toward the elevators as fast as I could with a broken ankle and repeatedly pressed on the button.

Seventh floor. Come on. The elevators here had always been so damn slow I'd always taken the stairs. The steps were nostalgic now, a motion I'd gone through thousands of time when coming home from school.

Apartment 714.

I knocked on the door.

I heard Dad swear behind the threshold of my old home, and then something fall on the ground. There were slow steps, than a run, and then…

The door opened, and I jumped into my father's arms, returned to being a little girl again. The hug was silent, though not without some of my sobs filling the dead air. My tears were soaking his… was he wearing a polo shirt? Had he dressed up for this? I chuckled in his chest, feeling his hand stroke my hair.

"Dad…"

"I missed you, kiddo. I really did."

He basically had to push me off because of how long I was taking. Dad was a hugger and a big softy. I'd gotten that trait from him, after all, but if it had been up to me, we probably would have stayed there for five minutes. My father patted me on the shoulder as we separated. He still looked the same. He had balding brown hair, a bit of a belly and a scruffy beard, but it was clear he'd dressed for my return. Normally, he would have been in boxers and a shirt at this time of day and would just be lazing around, watching TV or reading articles about investing. Instead, he had cleaned up and there was a faint smell of… uh, something emanating from the house, but whatever it was, it smelled good. There were bags under his green eyes that hadn't been there the last time I'd seen him. Was work running him ragged? It wasn't really the season…

I wiped my eyes. "Well, you look like hell."

He laughed, rolling his eyes. "Still like hurting your old Dad, don't you?"

"It wouldn't be the same otherwise." I stepped inside, and he closed the door behind me. "Wow, this is, uh…"

"The place is the same," he spoke behind me. "Go on. Get your bearings."

This place felt like coming back home after a long day. Like returning to a book or a show I was so familiar with, but hadn't seen in a long time. After taking off my shoes, I felt at the smooth, beige walls with one of my arms and walked into the living room. Part of me felt like if I sat on that earth-toned couch and sank into the fabric, I'd feel just like I did all those months ago when I'd spend hours on there with Princess as a Togepi. It was there, that she had gotten her first taste of battling. Looking at that TV with me. Back then I thought her uninterested, with the way she seemed to fall asleep all the time, but she had looked, and she had internalized all of it.

"Oh, crap."

I glanced to the right, toward the kitchen counter and saw that the dent I'd made when training Rollout with Princess was still there.

"I never got around to getting it fixed," Dad said, scratching the back of his head. "Feels like an important landmark, now. You know, I look at it sometimes, and then I compare it to what you can do now, and it's mind-boggling. It's like a snapshot in time."

There it was. A single dent on an aluminum-coated kitchen counter only slightly larger than my daughter had been as a Togepi.

That had been what we had managed to do with Princess at full strength.

"That's… trippy," I mumbled to myself low enough so that Dad didn't hear.

A hungry tug from my wrist snapped me out of my thoughts. Mimi wanted to eat at the aluminum, and I'd better not keep it in their line of sight. I'd have to tell Dad about Meltan soon enough. Keeping them hidden while I stayed here would be impossible.

"I like it," I told him. "It'd be kind of weird if you had people over, though."

"Oh, no one comes over anyway," he shrugged.

A pang of guilt wracked my heart as I continued through the living room. Just like I did with my mother these days, Dad and I texted and called, but that wasn't the same as seeing people. He was just as much as a people person as I was, but a job was a job and he only occasionally went out with colleagues. He must be lonely, I told myself. The wooden planks were smooth under my feet as I glided toward my bedroom. It was next to the balcony that we never went on and I wasn't even sure the door could actually open, but the view from here was nice. Our street always had a lot of stuff happening on it and I'd stand next to the window sometimes and look at it with Princess, though never going out myself. Indoor Pokemon, I used to call her, a laughable notion now, with the way she loved to roam the skies whenever she needed to have a think.

I pushed the door of my bedroom open.

The ceiling was lower here than the rest of the apartment in a way that instantly felt cramped, especially compared to the numerous Pokemon Centers I'd stayed in. My room was longer than it was wide, with my bed being along the wall and my desk on another. Old school books were laid about, neatly arranged into piles and organized by year. I was happy to see my scissor collection still in place, around thirty of so had been placed in around five pots at the edge of my desk. Dad leaned against the wooden frame of my doorway, turning on the light switch as I sat on my bed. The light flickered a few times before turning on fully, something we'd always procrastinated on fixing.

I hummed. "You kept this place tidy."

He crossed his arms. "Felt like the right thing to do. You never cleaned your room up."

"Sorry about that."

"Woah, nothing? Just a sorry?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"What can I say, journeying changes a few things about you," I shrugged.

"It's not the same, seeing it in person and seeing it over text," Dad said. "Are you sure you're alright? Your hands…"

"It's like I told you on the phone. They just got hurt on the road," I said, avoiding the truth. I'd tell him more later, just not now. I didn't want to ruin the reunion, and there was far worse things I was planning to tell him. I had talked to Aliyah about how I wanted him to know the real me. The one who had watched a man die for hours, killed his associates and enjoyed it. He had a right to know, but not now. Staring at the ceiling, I continued. "I don't think I'll be able to fit my team in here. It looks smaller than I remember."

He nodded. "I guess you can't really fit a Tyranitar in here. I think she's too heavy to stand on these planks anyway," Dad said. "There aren't that many places that'll take her in Jubilife."

"I'll be busy with a lot of Poketch stuff, so my team won't really have time to see me, but I don't want them to stay in their balls all day," I started, staring up at him. "I was wondering if you could take them out for me? I was thinking of only keeping Buddy with me… and, uh, someone else."

"Who?"

"I want to introduce you to someone, but don't freak out, okay? They're really cute, but they're a secret. You can't tell anyone."

"As long as it's not dangerous."

I nodded. "Mimi."

The metal liquefied, unwrapping from my wrist and slithering onto my shoulder until Meltan took form, and my father flinched back at the sudden activity. Mimi happily waved at him, and I could tell after a split second that he had relaxed when he realized that they wouldn't be growing any bigger.

"This is Mimi. They're more of a traveling companion right now, but they're really rare, so you can't tell anyone about them, okay?"

The steel type accompanied my words with a vibrating mewl, their cold metal seeping through the cloth of my clothes and somehow touching my skin. For a few seconds, his mouth just gaped, as if he couldn't comprehend what he was looking at. Metal given life.

"I'll keep it a secret," he finally agreed. After a pause, he took a few steps forward to get a better look. "I've never seen a Pokemon like this."

"Wanna touch them?"

Needles spurted out of Mimi's skin, poking the skin of my shoulder, and all of a sudden they appeared like a cactus. Or maybe a morning star would be more appropriate.

His skin paled, and his hand recoiled. "No thank you."

"The spikes aren't sharp enough to poke through skin, they're too weak for that— but I guess Mimi doesn't want to anyway."

The steel type on my shoulder squealed in agreement, their body returning to its smooth state. They wanted to explore the city with me, not someone else. It felt like a compulsion to me, a remainder from the promise I'd forged with their predecessor.

"And it's— I'm sorry, I know you're doing a lot of work for Pokemon personhood… is it they?"

Mimi didn't really understand pronouns, nor gender, in fact. "Yeah, 'they' is fine."

My father cleared his throat. "So they can just transform into a bracelet?"

"Oh, not just a bracelet, a lot of things. Mimi, show him your knife!"

Instantly, the steel type elongated, the gear on their head joining with their tail, the latter becoming a handle for the knife and the rest of them turned to a glimmering silver blade curved downward like a scythe. Mimi's head was still the same, a golden gear at the edge of the handle that acted like the pommel of a knife. They were quite a long blade, too. Nearly eight inches, good for deep cuts.

"Cool, huh?" I smirked. "They like to change shapes a lot, it's a part of how they express themselves. Like I said, they're not sharp enough to actually hurt anyone though. They just look menacing."

"It is… nifty," he admitted. "Not sure I would call it cool. I'm going to finish up dinner, what do you say we catch up over some ribs?"

I'd have pumped a fist, if it hadn't hurt. "Aw, sweet! But, uh, I also have another Pokemon to show you? This one, you know, though."

Claydol popped out of their Pokeball, hovering around a foot above the ground. Claydol were rare, but not 'I have no idea what this is' rare, so Dad just frowned and looked at me instead, clearly asking where the hell I'd gotten myself one of these.

"Salutations, progenitor of my sovereign. Preceding notification of this interaction has been processed. It is now opportune to acknowledge the architect of such regal lineage. Cease motion temporarily, as you are now slated for inclusion in the registry of entities under my protective purview."

It was said out loud, because Dad wasn't practiced with Telepathy yet, but I was happy Claydol was talking to him so quickly. There was another reason I wanted to leave some of my Pokemon with him. As we approached the Red Chain's completion, the odds of something happening rose higher and higher, and I wasn't taking any chances. Sure, I'd have to take them back when I left for Canalave, but the fewer days Dad spent defenseless, the better.

"Designation concluded. Mobility is now authorized."

"Oh, they don't mean that in a bad way, by the way," I quickly intervened. "They won't, like, take charge or anything. They're way too subservient, actually, I want them to stop, but they won't."

"Negative. The King remains the King. The concept is straightforward," the ground type said, before their eyes turned to ancient glyphs. "Alert. There exists a multitude of pointed implements within this space, potentially presenting a hazard to all extant life forms.

"Oh, those are just my scissors, don't worry about those. I actually got one or two that can actually cut things other than paper, if you want to see…"

—

Dad was an okay cook. Not spectacular by any means, especially when compared to Mom, but there was heart in what he made, and it was strange, but I could tell, and that made all the difference. The meat was too chewy, but the barbecue sauce was homemade. Jellicent hovered over the table in his usual shapeless form, his two red eyes staring intently at me and my hands. Having to eat ribs with a fork and knife not to dirty my bandages sucked, especially when I wanted to just dig in there. The ghost had been the only one other than Princess who had actually been here, though he hadn't stayed for more than a few days, since Denzel and I had been in such a worry. Angel was next to the table, and I'd occasionally hand him a rib to snack on. Since he even ate the bone, I just handed those to him too. Seeing this from a grass type known for photosynthesis weirded Dad out, but I reassured him by saying that Angel could eat anything.

After all, Tangrowth were known to live in thick forests where sunlight didn't often penetrate, and sometimes they needed to hunt to get the nutrients they needed. Those vines weren't just for show. Sunshine was sleeping in the living room, and we could hear his loud snoring from here. He'd taken the space between the couch and the TV stand, claiming it as his territory. I hoped he wouldn't be too difficult with Dad, though I knew he would probably think he was 'weak' for being scared of large Pokemon he'd seen blow shit up in so many Gym Battles being present in his house. Pokemon that he had only seen a few times, and hell, I hadn't even shown Sunshine to him back in Hearthome because I'd been scared the dragon would roast him alive. Mimi was on the table, trying to commit war crimes against a bone that had been picked clean. They were trying to penetrate through the dense outer shell for reasons unknown to me, but at least the futile task was keeping them distracted enough from eating the utensils. Claydol was at the door guarding it in case any 'intruders' came by no matter how many times we told them that was basically as likely as the apartment spontaneously collapsing. Jubilife was unfortunately very stimulating for them and they couldn't help but be alert. I'd definitely recall them in their Pokeball tonight so they could get some rest.

"So your strategy meeting's at noon tomorrow?" Dad asked. The conversation had pivoted away from my journey and toward the topic of Poketch.

"Yup. It's going to be… mind-numbingly boring, I think," I sighed, throwing another bone at Angel. He hastily caught it, slinking it into his vines, the bone never to be seen again. "I'll see Mel again, though! I've been missing her."

"Ah, I see her sometimes when riding the elevator up. She's been working hard for you."

"I don't doubt that. She's a badass, you know? I had Ramon tell me that she was really good despite it being her first time being a liaison."

"From the whispers I hear that make it into the engineering department, it's a thankless job most of the time," Dad said. "Make sure you thank her properly."

"I will, I will! And guess what, she says that you've been thanking her. Relentlessly. That's the word she used."

"Maybe I was being a little too overbearing," he acknowledged. A burp bubbled up his throat, and I wrinkled my nose. "Come on, Grace, it's just a burp, no need to get all uppity about it. Remember when you were ten— or maybe nine, and you asked me how to burp on command?"

There was a silent giggle from Angel, and a surprised glint in Jellicent's eye.

"Why would— why would you bring that up?!" I yelled. "Arceus, you can't just say that!"

"What? You can't tell me you're embarrassed in front of your Pokemon. If it was in front of Cecilia, I'd get it, though I would say it anyway—"

"I'm going to kick you in the shin if you keep going. I still have one good foot."

"There she is," Dad beamed.

"Don't act like this was a planned attempt at bringing back some sort of childlike version of myself, because I am not buying it."

Buddy clicked from above, saying that it was actually a very likely thing, though I would never tell Dad about it so he wouldn't get a win over me.

Dad innocently raised his hands, which were full of sauce. "Hey, don't glare at me, I didn't say anything. I was just thinking, it's nice to see that part of yourself, because you are still a kid."

"I'm sixteen."

"Case in point," he said. "Hey, I wanted to wait until you approached this topic yourself, but how has therapy been going? Are you doing okay, with the raid?"

"Shoot, I nearly forgot! Uh, my therapist will show up here tomorrow at nine. She'll probably knock at the door."

"Oh, they know my address already?"

"She works with the government, Dad."

He sipped on some water and spoke behind the glass. "I know, but it's still a little surreal. Do you want me to leave, or to clear any space, or…?"

"Oh, no, we'll just go in my room. Aliyah can brew some really good tea, if you want any."

"But you didn't actually answer my question," Dad said. His eyes glanced toward Mimi, who had started repeatedly slapping her bone with an elongated, sharpened hand. "How's it going?"

"It's, uh, it was going great, but there's been a little hiccup recently." I stopped, and saw that he was clearly expecting more. "I'll tell you about it soon, I promise. Just not tonight? Please?"

There was a flash of guilt on his face. Why do you feel guilty, when nothing is your fault? "I'm here for you if you need it, okay? You'll be okay."

"Yeah," I meekly answered. "Yeah, I hope so."

In the air, Buddy had stopped constantly shifting, and Angel ran one of his clean vines through my hair.

"Alert! Intruder identified behind entrance. Acoustic analysis indicates female subject, estimated weight 121 pounds, height 5 feet 4 inches. Weapon status undetermined but non-zero probability," Claydol rang out.

"That's just called a neighbor, Claydol," I snorted. At least they've learned about the units of measurement in one of the books they devoured through. "What's wrong? You weren't freaking out like this at the League."

"Too many individuals present. Concealed blades are a possibility; someone might be waiting to strike, my King."

My Dad stared back, an arm slung back over his chair. "What's with the King thing?"

"Oh, it just makes it easier for them, I think," I said, before raising my tone. "Claydol, you can rest up, okay? Being vigilant is good, but I promise you no one's going to break in."

Reluctantly, the psychic asked if this was an order, and I ended up saying yes. I didn't want them to just do nothing this entire time, even if it was what they'd decided was their job. I needed to find them a hobby, and soon, along with a name. Having the psychic just be Claydol while everyone else had one felt exclusionary. The ground type disappointingly hovered toward the living room, and Buddy offered to go with him in case Sunshine ever woke up and got grumpy. Arceus knew he could be angry when someone got him up from his nap.

"That's a real peculiar 'Mon. More robot-like than I was expecting, though I'm not really a Claydol expert."

"Their personality shines through sometimes, but they're just nervous right now. I might need to keep them in their Pokeball after all and go with them at the Poketch meeting instead of handing them to you."

While Mimi was a born explorer and liked seeing so many people and new sights at once, Claydol had designated themselves my guardian. I knew Jubilife would be a lot for them, but I should have known that they would have been completely overwhelmed, and the whole ordeal clearly had them anxious about protecting me.

"Good idea. I'll already feel overwhelmed with a Tyranitar there…"

"Come on, Dad, it's Sweetheart. She won't do anything bad," I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "I'm not asking you to train them or anything, just bring a computer or something and shove a cartoon in front of her. It's like babysitting, and the rest of the team will be there to help out. Angel and Sunshine are really good with her."

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just nervous, is all."

Scrolling gently with my thumb through my phone as dinner ended and Dad started clearing the dishes on the table, I sent a text to Mira asking if she had any plans in the near future. It'd be a shame to be in the same city and not meet up at least once. She had been largely silent these past weeks and I was worried about her. Push come to shove, I'd try to find her if I had enough time. Plus, it was her birthday soon. Princess' was on the 28th, and Mira's on the 30th, and there was no way I was letting her spend that alone.

"Need any help with the—"

"No. You stay put and relax," Dad interrupted. "How are you going to help with your hands in that state? I saw you wincing every time you held onto a fork or a knife too tightly."

I grumbled, saying that there were plastic bags I could use to keep those bandages from getting wet, which was how I showered anyway. It was the same deal with the cast on my leg. Instead, I placed Mimi on top of my shoulder and wandered into the living room. Sunshine had woken up, as expected, even if his eyes were still closed. His breathing was far too uneven and strong for him to still be asleep, and I always caught onto stuff like that. I plopped myself down on the couch next to him, with Claydol and Buddy hovering around us and Angel following close behind me. On the TV, a battle was playing between two people whose names I didn't know the names of, but I did recognize one of them. One of the few first years outside of my group or Barry that had a real shot of making it to the Conference was participating in some kind of show match, and his use of Parasect instantly soured me on the quality of his character.

"You know, I used to watch battles all the time here," I started. "Part of me had convinced myself I was only doing so because there was nothing better on TV."

"There was a reason you kept looking, though!" Dad yelled across the kitchen.

I nodded. "Kept coming back to them, over and over…" Sunshine opened an eye as silence settled in. "I don't know. I was scared."

I was quieter, now. Enough so that Dad wouldn't hear me when I spoke.

Biting my lip, I continued. "Sunshine, I know it's been tough for you especially. You watched me give up."

Give up like Kamaile had in Mount Coronet, resigning to his fate and desperately trying to get his Pokemon back into their Pokeballs, just like I'd done. I'd made the decision for him, and again, he truly believed he was going to have to lose a trainer he had learned to love, and it ate at him. The dragon huffed, not bothering to look at me or even saying anything.

"I've apologized a million times, but that hasn't gone over well, so I'll tell you this instead." My back straightened, and I looked directly into his closed eyes. "You may think I've forgotten, but I haven't. The pain you felt— the pain you still feel about Kamaile, so strong that it drove you to fight for so many days while you were half-dead until I stumbled upon you in that cave. Do you remember?"

Heat sizzled at the edge of my skin, not harsh enough to hurt or actually burn, but enough to express displeasure. The dragon answered that I'd said I planned on traveling every region and becoming the best in the world, a dream he still found ludicrous.

"It is. It's fucking stupid, isn't it?" I grinned. "But you believe in it, now, just like we do. I want to be the best, Sunshine, and I don't plan on dying before that happens or we get retribution for what happened to Kamaile. Two promises bind us, two promises I'll see through. An apology was never what you wanted, was it? It was dedication to the cause, a renewal to what we'd committed to."

Because down there, in Lakhutia, I'd forgotten about both those promises.

"I won't ask you to forgive me, because that's not how dragons do things," I continued. "But I'll ask you to look past my flaws and to know that it won't happen again."

Turtonator pushed himself off the ground, looming over me with curious eyes. The fire type grunted in agreement, though he said I was on my last strike. He demanded I never think to force him into his Pokeball again because I'd abandoned the idea of being alive. Angel happily bobbed up and down and Jellicent contributed with a 'well said'.

I affirm that if your demise precedes mine, the failure of my guardianship would be catastrophic, Claydol transmitted.

"I know," I smiled. "Now, do you guys want to eat or what? I know Honey's not there and my hands are screwed, but we can ask Dad to cook. Angel can be the sous-chef…"

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Michael J, Knock, Jan, catfishdog,, Onyx2409, ChairmanK--, William F, Zhijia, Andy S, HeyMrJack, NineXO, Dvn, Exceedes, Gustavo S, Jacob, Elie

 

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 291

Malartague Park sat to the south of Jubilife and was one of the largest in the city with the least amount of regulations for Pokemon allowed to be out. Arthur Pastel had always liked this place and had taken his daughter here numerous times in the past, the times he managed to wrest her away from the apartment. Towering trees formed a lush canopy, casting dappled shadows on well-maintained walking paths that wound through the park's verdant landscape. He had always found himself believing the design very well thought-out. With how tall the trees were, it was almost impossible to see the skyscrapers surrounding them, so it was a perfect way to escape Jubilife's urban sprawl when it got too much for someone. Unfortunately, Arthur wasn't here to relax, he was here because his daughter had shoved all of her Pokemon in his hands and asked him to babysit.

First of all, why was a Tyranitar taking a bath in a pond?

It was too shallow for her to actually risk drowning, with the water only reaching her stomach, but she kept splashing around and he had to tell her not to jump what felt like a thousand times and she did not listen. Literally, she was too loud for her to even hear Arthur's voice! Baiting her out with cartoons or snacks hadn't worked either, so Arthur was condemned to have Sweetheart take up all the space in that pond. It wasn't like trainers were even approaching them, though. Not many people were crazy enough to have their Pokemon share a space with an apex predator.

Even Arthur had flinched when he had first released her and she had just looked down at him with a look he hadn't been able to decipher. Over eight feet of green plates of rock grinding menacingly with every movement, rows upon rows of sharp teeth that looked like they could tear through him without a second thought and the sounds out of her mouth shook him until he understood that was the noise she made when she was excited.

The other two weren't much better. Turtonator wanted nothing to do with him, raising the temperature to an uncomfortable level every time Arthur got even close and claiming an area of the park for himself, where people and Pokemon gave him a wide berth. At least he was quiet and peaceful, which wasn't to be said of Tyranitar. Arthur couldn't really stop himself from thinking about Grace's scars every time he looked at the dragon and felt a hint of anger building up in his chest. It wasn't his place to come between them, especially when it looked like there was no animosity left, but that did not mean he had to be happy about it. Still, he'd treat 'Sunshine' with nothing but respect, if only to give Grace some peace of mind, with everything she was dealing with. Turtonator shifted in the bed of vines Tangrowth had made for him. It was hard to spot from this far, but the writhing vines had… buried parts of themselves in the ground and were somehow not dying even when separated from the main body.

Tangrowth himself was keeping Tyranitar company next to the pond and splashing her face with water in some strange sort of game that she seemed very entertained by. The silence from the grass type was unsettling sometimes, but Arthur couldn't deny he was doing most of the heavy lifting with Tyranitar, something he would be thankful for until his daughter came back from her meeting. He'd used the rest of his vacation days to spend as much time with her as possible, which was rather ironic when she was the one at Poketch HQ now.

If Princess had been here, he would have felt better. He missed the little rascal and her antics.

"I've got to get her a birthday gift," he muttered to himself.

—

He had gone over this scenario over a thousand times in his head, but there was no spinning things.

Bob Wallace was nervous, even if this was just a strategy meeting. He ran a hand over the scarred tissue on his left shoulder and stretched his neck while Meg whispered a soothing song into his ear, and a sweet smell filled his nose. His starter didn't understand much of what was going to go down tomorrow, but she was still trying her best to cheer him up. Still, with the stakes so high, Bobby would worry until tomorrow was over and the board was convinced or his career took a huge step back. His phone rang in his pocket, no doubt his folks back in Floaroma cheering him on— actually, it'd be better to check to make sure… yeah, okay, good.

There was a bit of media buzz around this meeting— in fact, the press was camped outside Poketch Headquarters, and it was easy to see why.

Wearing his usual blue cap backward and covering his dark hair, Ram stood crouched on the slick, glossy floor next to his Raticate a few feet away, his eyes alert and sharp, a large contrast compared to his Pokemon's lazy demeanor. Outside of battle, the little rat spent all of his time eating or sleeping. No matter how dumb Ramon liked to act, Bobby knew his friend was smarter than he let on and had somehow secured himself a position with this deal. Yes, he had only ambushed Grace Pastel and pushed for Bobby to become Sinnoh's Poketch Ambassador because they were friends, but there was an angle there he wasn't seeing, and it worried him. Ramon had grown up on the streets, and he looked out for himself first and foremost. His liaison stood behind him and his Raticate, a nervous, fidgeting thing that looked more like an intern on the first day of her job than the experienced negotiator Bobby knew Amandine Hicks was. Sometimes, he wondered if she just pretended to be anxious to appear dumber and more innocent than she actually was.

Bobby's presence and his own liaison created some buzz as well, of course, but it was Craig's presence that truly drew crowds. The raven-haired man was rather tall, broad-shouldered and brightened everyone's day with his presence. A shining Orbeetle levitated by his side, her strange shell flashing with different colors that Bobby figured must have been a way to show her moods. It hadn't been long, since Craig had revealed his seventh Pokemon's existence, and people were going insane at the fact that the man had finally caught a psychic. Some had theorized he must have had one already, with the way he spent so much time in Mount Coronet without one and still hadn't been permanently scarred after ten years as a trainer. He was without a liaison, having long learned to operate without them. Bobby had to admit, Craig's presence here would have had him a nervous wreck before, but for the fight that was coming, he was a reassuring one.

There were, of course, a few more business execs here, along with lawyers for every trainer present. Now they were all just waiting for…

Ah, there she was. Here at noon on the dot.

Grace Pastel entered Poketch Headquarters with a slow, pronounced limp with the help of her crutch and with her Jellicent behind her. Bobby had noticed since they'd met in person for the first and only time that she was quite strange to look at. It had nothing to do with her looks— average height, dirty blond hair that flowed down to her shoulders, a freckled face and a thin nose and lips. No, it was the fact that she had taken so much abuse in a single year, that was strange to anyone who knew about journeying. Burns that marred the left half of her body, stretching from her cheek to apparently her bottom thigh, and from what he could see thanks to her short sleeves, her entire left arm save for a patch of skin on the upper part of that limb. A skin graft, they'd said she had gotten. The other arm had a large scar running up around half of its length, and now there was also her hands being bandaged? She reminded him of Aubri, sometimes, only a younger and far less bitter version of her. She would end up like Aubri, should she continue getting a new injury every time she popped up in public.

Grace had not been seen for around a week until she was Teleported by a League Kadabra into the city yesterday, something that Bobby's paranoid side feared greatly. Her closeness with the government had already almost convinced him not to go through with the way they'd extorted a deal out of her in Eterna City, but sometimes someone just had to go for things before they slipped you by. He would know, with the way that had been his test the first time he had fought for his eighth badge— and lost. Inaction out of fear of a worse reaction was what had cost him many times in his journey, and he had a scar of his own to show for it.

Still, he couldn't help but be curious as Melody Summers strode up to her trainer and was attacked by a tight hug. Well, there was of course the fact that such a close relationship with your liaison was nearly unheard of, but what Bobby was curious about was on everyone's mind in that moment. Numerous eyes darted toward the girl's belt, though they only found three Pokeballs there instead of the reported six she'd been seen carrying yesterday night. Six was important, because she had posted online that her Electivire and Togekiss were stuck in the Pokemon Center— a common tactic to get some engagement and attention online that all of their liaisons had them do every time their Pokemon was badly wounded. The Nurse Joys always kept the Pokemon's Pokeballs, which meant that Grace's total number of Pokemon was eight, not the six Pokeballs she carried.

Grace Pastel had caught two new Pokemon in her absence after she'd left Floaroma, and the world already knew it. Bobby felt confident enough not to be threatened by her, but someone like Sharon would probably be, even if she wasn't here today. Some of the first-years this Circuit were progressing at an astonishing pace that was rarely seen. Flint's brother had been one of the most recent examples of that, though he worked as a contractor up north at the frontier, these days.

Grace greeted everyone else one by one, and her familiarity with Craig was a strange sight to behold. Bobby supposed that there was a reason he had recommended her, a fact that no trainer sponsored by Poketch would forget any time soon.

"Good day," Bob smiled, ignoring the piercing glare from the Jellicent. He had long learned to ignore aggressive Pokemon like him and raising a Chandelure had taught him to ignore the lowering temperature.

"Am I late? I'm not late, right?" Grace asked. "I was hanging out with my Dad. You know, catching up."

"Don't worry about it," Craig said, patting her shoulder. "It's always like that, when seeing a parent after a bit."

"You're not even late," Ramon drawled.

"On the dot isn't late, but common courtesy means that you usually show up early to things like these," Melody said, typing something on her phone. Grace hung her head low, though there was a smile on her face that betrayed her expression. "Now, shall we get going? I found us a room to use this morning."

They all agreed and stepped toward the elevators.

—

The Poketch building was crazy, even for Jubilife. Walking out of the elevators, I felt like I was stepping into another world. Natural light cascaded through the large window panes that were so large and clean I felt like I'd fall if I leaned against them, and the other tower where Dad usually worked could be seen opposite of us, stretching high into the sky from the same lobby we'd just been in. The tiles were smooth granite, a mixture of marbled black and white that looked clean enough to sleep on, and some of the walls had screens in them. Screens! Now I knew where the League had taken that technology from, because they looked exactly like what I'd seen during my stay on the island.

"The tower we're in right now is Jubilee." Mel's voice was a whisper, if even that. With the amount of people around us, she felt the urge to be discreet, even if we weren't talking about anything important. "The other's called Innovation."

My mouth was agape at the sight. "Cool…" I muttered. "Do you guys have, like, virtual reality stuff? Holograms instead of presentations with slides when you're pitching an idea?"

My liaison snorted. "Not quite yet, though they're working on that at Innovation." She brought her hands up, making sure her ponytail was tight enough. Melody had come dressed in a gray suit with a white blouse and dark heels that made her even taller than she already was. I'd never tell her I was jealous about that, though. "How are you feeling about today and tomorrow?"

This time, my voice lowered into a whisper as well. "I missed you too, Mel."

"Don't be like that," she complained, shaking her head. "This is serious business, Grace. Things might go wrong during the final negotiations, and Aubri's in the building. Three floors down."

Jellicent echoed her words, though I knew what he wanted the most was to get out of here and get back to reading books.

"Yeah, sorry. I'm just feeling bubbly about seeing you and Dad again, that's all," I said. "I'm feeling good, though. I mean, the deal is basically done, right? We just get the lawyers to look at it and we all sign, then we present it to the board together tomorrow?"

"People have a tendency to get jittery at the end of negotiations," she said, almost in a teaching manner. "It never hurts to be vigilant, yes?"

"Hmhm. What do you think Aubri's planning?"

Melody perked up. She really did like talking about this. "She's been pushed out completely, so either she goes nuclear and threatens to bleed the company if they don't at least include her, or she presents a rival bid to the board tomorrow and hopes for the best. I don't really see her doing any of these things, but her liaison Jules might have convinced her."

There was a word I caught on specifically. "Include?"

"Yes. She's getting shafted, and it would be a way to cut her losses. Of course, she could also contact us and try to worm her way in to get something out of this."

"Huh. I thought she'd be more likely to go scorched earth on us," I muttered. "I guess I don't really know her that well."

"She's difficult to work with, but she's also not blind enough to see when she's been outplayed," Melody said.

"She didn't really get outplayed… more like Bobby and Ramon threw her under the bus," I whispered. "Not that I mind, I mean, I'm benefiting and it was my idea."

"A good one," she specified before yelling. "Ladies and gentlemen, the room to the left!"

We all filed into an office space that reminded me of the room I'd first negotiated my contract with Poketch with back in Hearthome. The rustic vibe was like I'd stepped into a different building, with old paintings adorning the walls, leathered couches and a makeshift fireplace that was there for decoration and a screen displayed flames instead of there being actually burning wood. There was, of course, a long table with around twenty chairs for everyone to sit on, but I knew the homely vibe Mel had gone with had been intentional to put everyone at ease. Glasses of water had already been placed at every seat, and Melody introduced me to a company lawyer I had no idea she had afforded me. Ramon's Raticate instantly jumped and sprawled on one of the couches, his tail curling up behind him. Every other Pokemon joined their trainer at the table.

One of the lawyers pulled out a stack of papers from a briefcase and distributed them along. Ramon lazily leaned back, balancing on two legs of his chair with an arm slung over the backrest without a care in the world, but he looked exactly like he did when he had spoken to me in Eterna City. Baby-faced as he was, he still managed to look threatening to me, at least. Jellicent whispered in my ear that Bobby's leg was bouncing in his seat, which meant he was nervous. More nervous than he ought to be. Wasn't today good for him? Craig sat at the head of the table like he owned the place, my eyes struggling not to be drawn to him and Dot. He wasn't even doing anything that grand. Just chatting with one of the suits next to him with a bright smile on his face, but his voice carried far even if it was quiet, if that made sense. There was a presence about him that no one else in this room had, even if he was there largely for a ceremonial role because this was his position, we were carving out. I doubted he'd be doing much talking.

Melody clapped her hands, seemingly taking charge and getting everyone's attention. "Okay, everyone! Let's start reading through the document and get into the nitty gritty of this deal, shall we…"

Mimi poked my arm around my wrist to complain, and I rubbed the edge of their metallic skin. Melody essentially went over the same deal I'd negotiated, but in much further detail and she had given the plan actual legs to stand on, transforming it from an idea on a napkin to a real, tangible deal where everyone would, in theory, be happy.

"So if we are in agreement, Grace Pastel will become Pokemon Trainer Ambassador for the Unovan region for a period of one circuit and then will ascend to the newly created position of Poketch Trainer Representative, henceforth representing the company as a whole, once a suitable trainer is found to replace her," Melody said.

Bobby's liaison nodded— Dennis Hemsworth, if I remembered correctly. "Bob Wallace will replace her as ambassador in Sinnoh. Of course, this will be slow and the… 'takeover' will happen over the summer. Their proposed salaries are annexed on page three."

"That's not very wholesome language," Ramon chimed in from the side. "Takeover makes it sound hostile. We're all pals here."

There were some grumbles from their camp, but Hemsworth corrected his words when Bobby asked him to.

"And I'll leave you kids to it when I retire," Craig said.

"Like dividing a falling kingdom, eh?" Ramon chuckled. "I hope you make it and become Champion, bud."

Sinnoh's strongest trainer inclined his head. "I appreciate the thought. Now, won't you tell us what your play is so we can stop walking on eggshells here?"

A chill spread throughout the room, and every eye locked in on Ramon. Light brown skin, dark hair and clothes that were more appropriate for going to the beach than a business meeting, with the way he wore his shorts and sleeveless shirt.

Bobby's foot tapping came to a sudden stop, and he relaxed all of a sudden, almost as if something bad happening was soothing him. In a way, I could understand having the tension from anticipating the rug to be pulled from under you finally leaving now that it actually had happened.

"Out with it," Bob said, almost smiling.

"I'd never stab you in the back, Bobby," Ramon said. "I do want to know something, though. This is nothing that fucks you over, don't worry. It doesn't even fuck the deal over, really. I have no horse in this race."

"You are benefitting, though," I spoke up. "This deal, it opens up future positions in different regions. It basically means that you could potentially be an ambassador for a region other than Unova. Hell, you could even be the Unovan replacement after my year is up, if you think that'll take too much time. Bobby wants to stay here, and so does Aubri, according to your own words but you've never expressed a want to stick to Sinnoh."

I'd known this, of course, but the fact that Unova would be open after one year had meant that if he did want to go there, the position would be open to him. He had the temperament, the looks and the skill for it. Who else would be in a better position than him? Sharon wasn't even involved in this. Bobby stared at his friend wide-eyed, as if he hadn't even considered the fact that he could want to leave the country. That had been his blindspot, then. Sentimentality.

Ramon nodded. "Yeah. I knew you knew, and you knew I knew. That's good, great, even, but… Amandine?"

The short, nervous woman next to him stood up from her chair. "Aubri Schneider approached us and informed us of a potential… hiccup in the deal." Her voice was quick, almost frantic.

"Explain," Both Melody and Dennis spoke as one.

The woman shrunk down, her eyes hidden by her blonde bangs. "Um, it's not a loophole, exactly— it's— it's a matter of if everyone here is negotiating in good faith or not, right? The issue we ran into is in the matter of the potential power and influence Grace Pastel and her future replacement could amass after plunging into the Unovan market. There are fears that it's so large it could shift Poketch's attention and budget to the region instead of Sinnoh."

"Not in a year," Mel said.

"Not in a year," Amandine nodded. "But the consequences for Sinnohan sponsors could be disastrous. Money could dry up and salaries could be slashed if too much attention is redirected to Unova."

Ramon would benefit from this, and yet he didn't care so long as Bobby was guaranteed to not get fucked over. He cared for his friend, so much so that he was willing to stymie his potential future income over it. It was admirable, even if I hated the fact that it might throw a wrench into everything.

"What do you propose, then?" Melody said.

"When we pitch this to the board, we add in a protection from the Sinnohan wing of the company," Amandine shakily said. "Um, I have with me those stipulations." She dragged out more papers from her own suitcase and passed them around, something which Melody, her team and my lawyer started poring over. "This won't hurt anyone in the deal or affect the money Grace Pastel earns, especially since she'll only be in the position for a year. Think of it as insurance for the people sticking to Sinnoh, yes? A reminder to stick to our roots— are— are we okay?"

"That's the gist of it," Ramon said. "Sorry about this, really sorry, Aubri came to me with this like one hour before the meeting. Amandine and her team barely had time to prepare this as it is."

"Intentionally," Bobby sighed. "She thought that with less time, the deal might fall apart."

"I wasn't going to sink it, Bobby," Ramon said. "I'm just looking out for you. You'll be keeping this position for years, but it doesn't mean shit if they take away the money to spend it in Unova."

There was another component to this, but one that I didn't care for one bit. While this deal wasn't forcing me out, screwing me out of money or twisting my arm, they were basically saying that if I was trying to suck all the money out of Sinnoh and screw Bobby on the way out, it wasn't going to work. Insurance, she had called it, and it was an apt definition.

Too bad they were completely off the mark. I had not planned on screwing over any of them, so this really didn't bother me at all. Maybe they still believed I was prone to revenge.

This was, however, not pleasing to the business executives representing the company as a whole and not the trainers. Hell, even Melody grumbled under her breath that if the company wanted to allocate its budget overseas, it should be allowed to, especially if the investments would repay themselves over time.

"Victor needs to take a better look at it before agreeing, but it looks good at first glance," Melody said, nudging her head toward the lawyer. "Do me a favor, Amandine, the next time the Sneasel tries to get into the Delibird nest, don't let her in."

The shy blonde shrunk back. "I thought it was something worth looking at."

"Everything else is fine, though?" another executive asked.

"Yup, we're all good," Ramon said. "Should we let the lawyers look it over?"

We all agreed and claimed the numerous couches present in the room, though our liaisons all stayed with the lawyers to get a better understanding on what would be added to the contract and to tie up any loose ends. Bobby had calmed down since the start of the meeting, the only trace of anxiety being a crease in his forehead and a slightly more pronounced lisp. His Meganium stood behind his seat, her head positioned on his shoulder, and I could smell her sweet fragrance from here. Ramon was caressing his Raticate's head, his cap turned forward and covering his face, and I huddled next to Buddy who had formed into a squishy pillow and neatly enveloped me.

"You kids holding up fine?"

Craig strode up to us, his Orbeetle back into her Pokeball, for whatever reason. We all silently nodded.

"You should all be proud. You negotiated something unprecedented today," he continued, sitting down to face all of us. "Tensions were high in that meeting, but… really, it's all boring, isn't it?"

Ramon and I laughed, though I was the one to speak. "I'd rather be spending time with my Dad."

"I'd rather be training," Ramon shrugged. "Never been big into the business stuff. Amandine's a real lifesaver."

"I don't know, I like business stuff," Bobby said.

"Yeah, but you've always been a weirdo," his friend grinned, turning toward me. "Isn't he weird?"

"I mean… who isn't weird? Not me, of course, I'm perfectly normal," I said with a serene smile.

"Says the girl sinking into a ghost!" Bobby protested, much to Jellicent's displeasure. "You're the weirdest here, Grace."

"Bobby, they say you like smelling your Chandelure's flames," I shrugged, leaning forward. "That's not weird to you?"

Ramon perked up. "I mean, my team's pretty basic, so if we're going off Pokemon—"

"Don't even bother," the other teen groaned. "The fact that you stick to those Pokemon is strange in the first place. No offense, Raticate."

The normal type hadn't even reacted.

"What's so wrong about wanting to use a Persian and a Mightyena instead of some shitty dragon?" Ramon asked.

I glanced toward Craig, wondering if he had smoothed out the tension here on purpose or by pure accident. His small wink showed me that it was the former, and he rose from his seat a minute later to go and speak to a few of the suits who wanted a word with him. Eventually though, I needed to head to the bathroom and away from Ramon and Bobby asking me about my two new Pokemon. Yeah, I'd forgotten about the number of Pokeballs on my belt and mindlessly posted online about Princess and Honey when Melody had asked, and now people were theorizing online about what it was and wondering if that was why I'd been missing all week, though it wouldn't explain the League Kadabra. I spilled out into the wide, busy hallway of Jubilee Tower's twenty-second floor.

"Maybe I should have asked where the bathroom even was," I muttered to Jellicent and Mimi. "I'm pretty sure I saw one on the way here."

There was no doubt the ghost was terrifying to anyone walking past us, and I had to tell him to stop glaring like he wanted to murder them. That was, until he pointed me to the bathroom sign with a tentacle, saying that if I hadn't been focused on how he looked, I would have caught it.

"Come on, I'm just trying to help you look more friendly. Is being here really that much of a pain? Actually, don't answer that."

The bathroom was larger than my entire apartment. The walls were adorned with subtle, nature-inspired artwork, creating a weird vibe that I wasn't sure I liked or disliked. A gentle scent of a light air freshener lingered in the air, and just like everywhere else, the floors were squeaky clean, though they were covered in large turquoise tiles. The sinks were all built on a single reclined slab of marble with touchless soap dispensers, and at the edge of the room was Aubri Schneider. Dark brown hair that almost appeared black, high, pronounced cheekbones nearly hidden by her long hair and a body marred by three years worth of scars. She had half her right hand missing, leaving only her thumb, an eyepatch covering a missing eye, where a scar could be seen angled toward her forehead in a diagonal, and burns on her right arm deeper than mine. She had actually done her hair, which was from what I understood a rarity, and her skin was almost as pale as Justin's. I tensed, almost by reflex even if she wasn't looking at me. There was an aura around her that choked out the air out of a room, an oppressive feeling in my chest, like I was looking at a figure of authority even though she wasn't. The best word to describe her would be intense.

I ignored her, not wanting to get into any drama, and I entered the stall closest to the exit with Jellicent. I was going to wait until she left to pee, but from outside the room, Aubri spoke up.

"I suppose the meeting went over well," she said. Her voice was low and had a certain rasp to it.

No Chatot to translate her words this time. He was probably too much of a hassle to carry in such a professional setting.

"You're trying to fish information from me."

I kept it at that, making sure my voice was as neutral as possible in case she could infer anything from my tone. The water from the sink cut off.

"I already know the deal's gone through," she continued. "That gambit wasn't meant to blow up the deal."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I feigned. "What was it, then? The goal?"

There was a little sound, like a laugh, barely audible. "Secure my position as much as possible. It was a fair play, the way you brought Bobby and Ramon to your side. Very innovative."

"I don't understand. You're praising me?"

"One can dislike a girl and still recognize when she's been beaten, even if I still maintain that you keep lucking your way into connections you have no right to be making at your level of skill and that without those you would be nothing, but it's no use crying over spilled milk. What's done is done."

"Huh. Okay. I wouldn't be nothing, by the way, but whatever." I was confident enough now in my skill as a trainer to know she was just being bitter. "I worked hard for this. You of all people shouldn't be able to deny that."

"Sure thing," she said, clearly dismissive. "I'm not saying that you didn't work hard. I had to crawl my way up here inch by inch by myself. You're just handed everything by the government on a silver platter. It was a League Kadabra that Teleported you here, isn't it? I wonder what would have happened if you spending so long looking for two new Pokemon had actual consequences and you had missed the meeting today or tomorrow? Never mind that you're not even supposed to be able to get more than six Pokemon before the eighth badge." She was right in front of the stall now. I could see her feet below the door. "You're given, given, given, and you have the audacity to act so… self-built."

There were a million things I could have said, in that moment. Anger flared at the fact that she made my experience in Lakhutia sound like a fucking stroll through the park where I'd just wasted time. Like I hadn't condemned a woman to her death, gotten many more Pokemon killed and lost Maxwell his hand. Like Honey hadn't lost his hand. Jellicent's skin rippled and bubbled in anger as his head swelled in the enormous stall, and the edges of Mimi's form sharpened, the metal growing hotter to the touch. There was an urge to press my hands together. To just squeeze until I bled, until I passed out on the floor. Aubri didn't know. She didn't know, but she was still being a bitch about it. Lou… damn it. I wanted to see Dad. I wanted to see Aliyah. I wanted to see Cecilia. I wanted to see Lou.

"...Are you okay?" Aubri's voice rang out.

I was silently sobbing. "Fuck you."

She cursed at herself under her breath, though I heard it anyway. "I didn't expect you to cry, Arceus. I'm sorry."

"Leave me alone."

Her feet under the stall disappeared, and I heard her take a few steps away from me until she came back around ten seconds later. "Do you— should I call someone over? Someone in your meeting, or… shit, I'm bad at this."

"M—Mel. Call Mel."

"Melody Summers. Got it," she said before pausing. "And for what it's worth, I know I must have stepped on a sensitive subject, and I apologize. We all have our issues, and… yeah, sorry."

I wiped my eyes, sniffling in silence with Buddy continuously asking if I was alright. Mimi formed back into their original shape and squealed up at me with worry. They hated conflict and fighting in general, and… I was tired. I wanted to go back home and sleep. Buddy asked me to please keep my hands straight and to stay strong, and I did. For him. By the time Mel walked into the silent bathroom, my face had turned into a mess and standing up seemed like the hardest thing in the world.

"Grace? Aubri came over and said you needed help? Are you okay? Can you open the door?"

Right. The door was locked.

It was also so far away.

Jellicent clicked with urgency in his tone, and Mimi returned to their bracelet-like state around my wrist. His tentacle extended, turning to ice until he could push the lock of the door open and Melody entered, wrapping me into a hug that lasted a good two minutes where I could finish my crying in peace until there was no emotion left to give.

"What happened?"

"Stupid stuff. I'm— I'm better now," I said. "Sorry. Is the deal okay?"

"The deal is fine, but you— I've never seen you like this."

"You didn't see me after the raid," I muttered, more aggressively than I wanted. "I'm sorry."

"That's fine. Do you want to get out of the bathroom?"

"I need to pee."

"Right. I'll get out, and then we can leave together, okay?" My liaison slipped out of the room, though she stayed right behind the door. Unlike Aubri, she was a comforting presence. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about it? I'm here for you, Grace."

"Yeah, it's, uh, League stuff again," I said with a slight sniffle as I sat on the toilet. "You know how that goes already."

Buddy whistled, saying it might be nice to vent to someone else about this, but I silently shook my head. It wasn't that I didn't trust Melody, but I'd already been playing loose with League rules and there had to be a limit somewhere.

"Well, if you ever change your mind," she said before pausing. "Since the deal is being finalized and all that remains is seeing the board tomorrow, why don't you and I get out of here? I can bring you to your father if you want. You said he was in Malartague Park?"

"What if Aubri uses me not being here to push something? What if this is what she wants?"

"I don't think that'd be the case. She looks really guilty about whatever happened here, and that's not exactly her style. She's usually a lot more stoic and an unemotional kid, even if her Chatot can discern what she truly feels. Either way, she has no cards left to play, Grace. She lost. That was a play to maintain her salary, so not exactly something someone does when they had a master plan at the ready."

I sighed. It'd be easier if she was the villain. Easier to explain the feelings that told me to rip emotion out of her and leave her an empty shell that I could cut. Or to subtly take away something from her and leave her feeling wrong, but for her not to know what that wrong was and to have to think about what the hell had happened to her for the rest of her life. I'd get away with it, too.

But no.

I couldn't.

Whatever. She was still an asshole and I wanted nothing to do with her.

"So do you want to see your Dad?"

"Hmhm."

"I'll drive you there with one of the cars. This place can be a lot when you aren't used to it, so I understand."

After finishing up with the bathroom, I pulled out the plastic gloves I used for my hands and washed my face, though Mimi complained about some of the water getting on them. I stared at myself in the mirror and took a deep breath. You're fine. Breathe. I exhaled until my lungs were completely empty and forced a smile on my face.

"I'm better," I said. "But yeah, I'd like to leave. Just let me say goodbye to Ramon, Bobby and Craig on the way out?"

"Of course."

She wrapped me in a one-armed hug and I allowed myself to lean into the comfort. She was too understanding for her own good, sometimes. Even after I hid things from her for so long, she was still so helpful.

"I wonder how Dad is doing," I muttered.

"Knowing your Pokemon, horribly."

I chuckled. "I have faith in him."

We were out of the building ten minutes later.

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Michael J, Knock, Jan, catfishdog,, Onyx2409, ChairmanK--, William F, Zhijia, Andy S, HeyMrJack, NineXO, Dvn, Exceedes, Gustavo S, Jacob, Elie

 

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 292

I lay my head against the glass of the car, still feeling the dried tears on my cheek. My wrist was level with the window so Mimi would be able to see the streets, and my foot tapped anxiously against the bottom of Melody's car. We'd just driven out of the parking lot, and I was stuck in my thoughts. Stuck thinking about Aubri, and what she'd said to me. Her words, I didn't even bother registering. She had no idea what she was talking about and was just jealous of me, but what had she even expected me to do? To just give up everything I had so she could feel better about herself? Was the only way she'd ever tolerate me be if I screwed myself over so she could benefit? I wasn't asking to be friends, just for a crumb of respect. Clicking my tongue in frustration and wishing the urges to break her left, I turned toward Melody, who was wearing sunglasses and had her brown her tied into a chignon behind her head.

"Are you okay?" she asked for what felt like the thousandth time. "Do you want to stop somewhere on the way to the park? I can get you some food, or a drink."

I grumbled, "Some food would be nice, I guess. Can we stop by an Arlyle's?"

"Sure thing," she sighed in relief.

Sometimes, when I looked at my liaison, I saw a woman built for the cutthroat business that was building a career in Poketch, and other times I saw a woman who had built up these protective layers for herself, but was in reality as soft as a marshmallow.

"Since you don't want to talk about what happened," she said. "I have exciting news, if you want?"

"Good news?"

"Good and exciting," she specified. "Remember when I talked to you about your merch designs? I'll be sending you the ones we workshopped with the team and you can give your input on what you think. If you approve, they'll start getting mass-produced, and you'll get a cut of the profits."

"Woah. I get a cut?"

She nodded. "Admittedly, it's smaller than what it would be if you were working with an actual clothing company, but it's still ten percent of the net sales."

"That seems… really small?"

"It's not! It builds up extremely quickly, you'll see," Mel smiled. "But all of that to say, money isn't going to be an issue for you, even with Ramon and Bobby's play. I'm afraid you won't be seeing much of it before the Conference because of how long setting everything up will be, but next year, they'll be selling like hotcakes."

I did feel better about that. "Cool. Thank you."

"We'll be trying to sell them in Unova too, though maybe we'll drop the knife merch for that one—"

I gasped. "There's a knife?!"

"The blade isn't metal, it doesn't actually cut things." When I sighed, she snorted. "I knew you'd be disappointed about that, but we can't go and be selling actual knives, can we?"

"Whatever… I still want one."

"See? Don't you feel better now?"

"Kinda."

The car stopped at another red light. "I'll take that. You know, it's hard to understand what you're going through, but it's not hard to tell that it's difficult. I know Aubri gave you a tough time, but what she said wasn't true, Grace. I hope you know that."

"Hmhm."

"When I was seventeen, I ran away from home and settled into Hearthome," Melody started. "My parents wanted me to be a man, and they wanted me to be a trainer who'd meet a girl on their journey and bring her back in Solaceon after the year was over. Basically, they wanted me to be 'normal'." There was something of a saddened smile on her face. "I ran away to escape all of that. I was almost homeless for a while, but eventually I found people to help out. Remember when I told you I worked with Mallory a few times in the past?"

Mallory, the woman who had given me my interview in Veilstone.

"Yeah?"

"We were roommates. Her, her future husband she met at a Pokemon rights protest, me and another man, and we were living from paycheck to paycheck for a while," Mel smiled. "I didn't want to tell you because I hate what she's become, but I digress. The point I wanted to reach was that sometimes, two people clash in such a way that means they'll probably always be a little at odds. Maybe you just don't mesh well. Maybe you're just fundamentally different in a way that makes you impossible to be around each other."

Melody drove the car into a drive-through and sighed.

"Or maybe, you're so similar that those similarities grate," she continued, loosening her hands around the wheel. "Because you'd think that you'd be best friends with someone almost exactly like you, but those subtle differences that are still there? They get on your nerves, because you couldn't fathom how someone you think was basically you in a mirror could… say these things. Or in your case, I guess it would be do these things."

She was talking old history. About her and Mallory.

"I think Aubri sees herself in you," Melody said. "She sees another version of her that has a bigger network of support than she ever had, and it makes her angry to see what she could have been. Completely unjustified, but she's still a kid, even if she's older than you. Talented, incredibly hard-working, but still a kid. Just like you."

I didn't really know what to say to that. I was still bitter, with Aubri's words fresh in my mind, so I decided to change the subject. "How were you and Mallory similar? Beyond the ruthless businesswoman vibe."

Mel chuckled. "At first, we met because I found it horrible that we just send fifteen year olds out into the wild, that so many of them are injured or die, and we just find that normal. But then… you know. I started working at Poketch, and I had to put principles behind me, while she went all in on trainer abolition. We just went our separate ways. And now there's this Plasma nonsense— what do you want to eat?"

"Uh, can I just have three large fries and a grape soda?"

Melody relayed my order to the intercom and slowly drove the car forward.

"I'm not asking you to forgive her, but I'm trying to help," she said. "At least I hope that helped."

"It did. Genuinely," I nodded. "Thank you. By the way, what do you mean, your parents wanted you to be a man, by the way? Like, you were raised a boy?"

"Oh, I'm transgender."

"Huh?"

"I'm transgender," she repeated.

I blinked. "Oh. I didn't know."

"Well, from the way you reacted, that's rather obvious. Three large fries, by the way? That's a strange order."

"Their fries are great when they're fresh…"

—

We found my Dad sitting on a bench and staring at Sweetheart with a desperate, but defeated look. She'd found a pond to settle in and was having fun in it despite it being to shallow for her, but that meant she was taking all the space actual smaller water types could be using. I chewed on my final remaining fries and waved at Dad, then, the tension left his shoulders as he stood.

"Thank the Legendaries you're here," Dad exhaled as he made his way toward us. "I don't think I'm very good at babysitting your team, Grace."

"Well, nothing happened, right?" I asked.

"No."

"Then you're good at it!" I smiled. Sunshine noticed me out of the corner of his eye, but stayed down because of how lazy he was. "Things could have been a lot worse. Damaged public property, an injured Pokemon…"

My father blanched, but recuperated quickly enough to greet Melody. "Ms. Summers, thank you for bringing Grace here, I appreciate it."

Ms. Summers? Legendaries, that was weird. Bet it made her feel old, even if she didn't say anything about it.

Mel nodded. "Don't worry about it, I was just doing my job."

"How was the deal? Did everything go well?"

My liaison glanced at me, as if she wanted to ask if I was telling him or not. There was a lapse of silence until I gathered my courage and continued.

"Yeah, it went well. There was this girl, um, who was mean to me because she's been wanting more money, but other than that, it was fine."

Dad frowned. "Nothing too bad, I hope. I can talk to her, if you want me to."

It was endearing, how quickly he got angry for me even if Aubri Schneider's team was strong enough to reach the semi-finals of the Conference, or maybe even further this year. Of course, he didn't know that, but still, Dad had always been a little vengeful even though people are nice enough that I hadn't seen this side of him often.

"It's fine, it's been dealt with," I said. "So? How'd you find this part of the team?"

While my father explained everything that had gone on during their stay at the park, Sweetie and Angel finally noticed me. The former dragged herself out of the pond, water glistening off her plates and dripping down her jagged edges and tail. People had long cleared enough space around her to leave her an open path to me, but Mel and Dad took a step back. Tyranitar left imprints on the ground when she ran, and I outstretched my hands to hug her while someone screamed in the background.

Sweetheart stopped before she could crush me under her weight or run me over, as she always did, and I hugged her even though my hands couldn't very well wrap around much of her body. Placing an ear against her stomach, I felt her plates vibrate as she let out a low growl.

"I missed you too. Sorry the city isn't really great for you to hang out in."

Angel reached us soon after, joining in on the hug, and I heard Melody whisper something about filming this.

"Let's have some fun, yeah? I'm free for the rest of the afternoon— hey, Sunshine!" I leaned to the left to get the dragon in my line of sight. "We're coming, so don't think you've escaped us!"

I released Buddy, and Claydol, for good measure. I didn't really care about hiding the psychic given the fact that people would see them in action when I battled Byron, and it ought to shut down some of the wild theorizing that had been running rampant for the last day. For around an hour and a half, I was with my family, and Dad kept saying they were way better behaved with me than with him, especially Sunshine and Sweetheart. He talked with Mel for a while, and I was surprised she didn't leave. Instead, she just kept filming me and taking pictures for PR stuff, which made me feel a little dirty about not being able to just enjoy some time with my team without having to show others how 'great' and 'relatable' I was for it, or whatever, but at least I wouldn't have to post them because she had access to my account.

Angel's vine bed had lasted the entire time and wasn't killing the grass on the floor at a rapid pace. Only a few patches here and there had died thanks to a trick we'd discovered I'd aptly named nutritional cycling. Maybe sharing would have been a better name. Basically, the vines would take, but they would also give, sustaining themselves and the plants they were using in some kind of closed-loop system. Of course, eventually the plants would die, but it'd take way longer for it to happen. It would be useful for what we were planning against Byron, even more so now that Honey wouldn't be able to join the fight.

I'd be trying to study him deeper, now, and fully throwing myself into his personal team. The most problematic Pokemon of his I could fight were Bronzong, Skarmory, Steelix or Forretress. It wasn't that the others would be easy, but that I had the right tool set to better deal with them. Bastiodon, for example, was an immobile fortress when the field hadn't been set up for him, and would be a sitting duck for my attacks. Magnezone was the one I had the most experience with and fought in a way I was familiar with. It was the same with Aggron, since I'd practiced so many times against Lauren's though Byron's Aggron had a few key differences from hers. Bronzong, I'd already gone over, but the problem with Steelix was his absolutely massive size that would have me run into the same issue I did with Wake's Gyarados, except worse. The sheer amount of power available to it was worse than Jasmine's, but it was still capable of taking down all of my Pokemon other than Buddy and Sweetheart in just a few hits. Luckily, its size meant dodging any attacks was basically impossible, but Steelix could easily run through a team if Byron sent him after dealing with your heaviest hitters first. Skarmory was capable of shifting the metal on her body and could fly even after weighing her body down with Curse. In fact, she used it to ram into others with the full weight of spirits behind her and to power up her attacks. Forretress knew way too many moves to count and was the most versatile of Byron's Pokemon by far. Solar Beam, Ice Spinner, Venoshock... Legendaries, there was a lot, and that wasn't counting the dreaded Hyper Beam and Zap Cannon.

Again, the others could be an issue, Excadrill especially, but I wasn't seeing the angle. Then again, maybe that was the point. To catch me off-guard and lead with something I wasn't expecting at all.

Either way, the team and I were working toward what I hoped would be a victory. Princess would be out of the center soon and be ready to keep training Claydol, too.

Eventually though, I decided to message Mira to see if she'd be willing to hang out tonight, and maybe have me sleep over? She took a while to answer, probably because she was busy, but she did answer and agree to me swinging by, along with her address. Part of me was relieved, because I'd thought things between us were so awkward she'd say no or the dreaded maybe that would have really meant 'no, but I don't feel comfortable with saying no'. The day had started off terribly, but maybe it was salvageable after all. I told Dad about it when we left, and Melody went her separate way, though she made sure to remind me that I'd need to be at Poketch again tomorrow.

Dad's car was tiny. It was still a four-seater, but it was something I'd call cute. It was a light grey and was the second car he'd owned since I'd been born. I settled into the front seat, wrapping my seatbelt around me and reclining the seat backward in hopes of catching some sleep. For a while, we rode home in silence, but Dad spoke up around the halfway point.

"I'm glad you have people to spend time with, now."

"Dad," I complained with my eyes still closed.

"I'm just making conversation."

"I know, but… not now, you know?"

I heard him tap his finger against the wheel. "You know, Lynn and Clarissa called me to ask about you when you were at your Poketch thing."

My fingers twitched. "What'd they say? They never called me even once, so it better not be something about wanting to see me again."

"Well, they did want to see you again," he said. "But mostly they were asking how you were doing."

"Well, if they want to talk to me, they can do that without going through you. I still have the same phone I did before I went on the Circuit. We were never that close, and they probably just want to try their luck now that I'm famous or something."

He nodded. "Fair enough. I'd give them a chance, if I were you, but I won't force you to do anything."

"I don't want to see them."

What would be the point? A few hours spent with people I would never be able to relate to anymore? At least with trainers, there was something to bond over, but they'd never even been interested in battling. None of my old school friends had gone on the Circuit, and even last year I hadn't been able to get that close to them. I sat next to them in class, ate with them at lunch and spoke with them, but I was more of a third wheel than anything else. Less than that, when they hung out with their other friends.

"Well, if you were wondering, they're both going to college after they spend some of their gap years working," he shrugged.

"Why not go right away? I know money isn't an issue."

He shrugged. "I don't know. You'd have to ask them."

"Ha, ha. Nice try."

"Well, I'm glad you have friends now."

"They were friends. School friends."

"I'm glad you have more than school friends," he corrected himself. "People your age you can talk to outside of school."

My lips tugged upward. "Yeah. Me too."

—

Mira's apartment sat in a building much like mine, except it was on the outskirts east of the city instead of the center. I hadn't known much about her home life before journeying, save for the fact that her parents had died in a car accident and her uncle had gone crazy and joined Team Galactic because of it. It hadn't been because of a drunk driver, or anything, from what I knew. There was no one explicitly in the wrong, no one who the sole blame lay upon. I had rarely gone to this section of Jubilife, save for when I left or entered the city during the start of journey, and even then, I'd kept my head down both times and just rushed through. I had noticed that cars tended to go a lot faster than in the city center. Fast enough to be fatal, especially at night when luminosity was low. My father asked me if this was the right address, and when I told him yes, he quickly found a place to park nearby.

Mira's neighborhood wasn't… great. The roads and infrastructure here were well-maintained and crime wasn't rampant like the northern part of the city with all of its abandoned factories and people that had lost their jobs after Sinnoh opened its frontiers to global trade and foreign businesses with Cynthia's ascension to the position of Champion, but it wasn't great. It was like everything here was slightly off-beat. The neighborhood was dotted with a mixture of modest, aging homes and apartment complexes. While some properties maintained a sense of wealth with well-kept lawns and flower pots on the windowsills, others showed signs of wear and tear, with peeling paint and overgrown yards. The streets weren't as bustling as they should have been, especially on a Friday evening with the weekend coming up, and there were more wild Pokemon here than I was used to rummaging through the streets or sitting on roofs and electrical cables linking poles together. Spearow and Starly glared at each other with animosity that I could feel ran deep, a generational conflict that spanned this part of the city.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Dad asked through the opened window.

"Dad, a less fortunate neighborhood isn't the end of the world." I turned toward him and smiled, though I found it weird that this was what he worried about after me having gone on a journey and having Pokemon to keep me protected. "I'll be fine, I have Buddy there with me. Here." I released the ghost at my side, asking him to shadow me like usual. "Feeling better?"

"And if anything like this afternoon happens again, I'm right here, okay?"

"Yup. See you later, and be careful on the road!"

He drove off after a wave, the car kicking up dust from the worn asphalt, and I was left alone facing Mira's apartment complex. There were similarities to mine. The faded paint on the bricks, these ones a dull orange instead of a pale blue and covered in too many cracks to count. The difference lay in the inside of the building. First, the entrance was tight, even for a person as thin as I was, and there was no second door with a key sensor lock to stop people who didn't belong here from coming in. The hallway leading up to the stairs was lined with worn-out carpeting with the sound of echoing floorboards creaking underfoot, and a few men— teenagers were hanging out here with a Machop and Toxicroak, smelling like alcohol and shrinking like wilting flowers as I passed by with Jellicent. Empath or not, it was obvious they were terrified of me. Trainers like me probably didn't show up here very often, and from what I understood Mira was basically playing shut-in, at the moment.

"Luckily she's only on the second floor," I complained, steadying myself to climb the narrow stairs. "I don't think I would have made it up all the way to the top."

Buddy helpfully suggested that Angel could have carried me up, though he rescinded the statement when realizing that these old stairs would probably collapse under his weight. Still, the ghost sank into the cracks in the wall, slithering up the dimly lit staircase while emanating with a glowing blue light. Each step was a trial, and each step kicked up more dust that had nearly started a coughing fit. Mimi seemed none the wiser, sending continuous pulses of excitement at the new sights, though I could tell they wanted to hop off my wrist and explore on their own. Mira's apartment would be a nice distraction for them now that they didn't have to stay hidden, at the very least.

Heaving for air, I reached the second floor by pushing myself on the banister with my left hand and my crutch with my right. Buddy didn't congratulate me, because he knew I wouldn't take it very well to be praised for walking, but I did understand by looking into his shining red eyes that he was proud of me. This was, I knew, a sign that my ankle was getting better. Two weeks ago, I wouldn't have been able to climb such a steep and narrow staircase, crutches or not.

"She should be here," I huffed, looking at the apartment the nearest to the stairs. I knocked a few times, and a chill spread below my feet, wrapping around my ankles until Jellicent's eyes flashed and Mira's Gengar squealed in a dozen different gargles, slipping past the door again and leaving a puff of purple smoke. "Nice attempt at a prank, but you'll have to try a little harder to scare us."

Though, from the way Mimi was trembling around my wrist, it had worked on at least one of us. I heard Gengar cackle behind the door, clearly reveling in the feeling of fear and I clicked my tongue.

"Just go get Mira, yeah? I need to get in here."

The ghost left, and with him, the cold followed and I could no longer see my breath. I hadn't seen Gengar since Pastoria, but clearly, he hadn't lost his pranking streak. At least they were harmless now, unlike the time he'd tried to send Louis to the hospital shortly before Mira left the city. The walls here were thin, because even from here I could hear Mira scolding Gengar. It took another twenty seconds for her to reach the door and open it.

She looked… better. Tired, not good, but better. Her long, pink hair was free-flowing and reached the upper part of her leg. She'd grown a little again since I'd seen her, being slightly an inch taller than me, and she wore a drab white oversized shirt and blue shorts. Gengar's presence echoed around her, a writhing, shivering mass of ghostly energy that had the entire hallway feel incredibly cold. Hopefully he didn't haunt the other inhabitants here.

"You're here already?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. "I— I mean, hey. Uh, yeah, hi."

"It's the time we agreed on. Look, before all of… this, I just want to ask, are we… are we okay?"

It had eaten at me, since the raid. One would have to be blind to not see that she'd taken to the torture much harder than I had, even if she'd forced herself to stick around while I'd enjoyed the entire matter. It had been a decision we'd both taken, but she'd overestimated herself and now was hurt. Scarred, even if they were invisible to the naked eye.

Mira blinked, not knowing what to say and hesitating for a few seconds. "Yeah. I think so. I mean, I wasn't sure what I'd feel, but if I didn't want to reconnect, I wouldn't have invited you here. Sorry about the stairs, by the way. If I'd kept better track of time I would have sent Alakazam or Gardevoir downstairs to Teleport you up."

"It's okay. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it," I muttered with a hint of a smile. "And I managed."

"Great. Uh, come in, come in, it's a bit of a mess. I haven't really been cleaning or doing much of anything except keeping up with my training in the afternoons. And Gengy, stop it with the cold, you ass."

Again, warmth returned to my skin as I was let into the apartment. It was more than a bit of a mess. I couldn't fathom someone living here, and I'd never been great at cleaning either, with the way my Pokemon Center rooms always ended up. The place itself wasn't huge, which was fine, but it meant that everything was on display, and it wasn't pretty. Piles of dirty clothes had been thrown haphazardly on chairs, a sofa that wasn't even aligned properly, or sometimes even the ground. There were used plates, soda cans and utensils everywhere, along with a pizza box sitting on the dining room table.

"Um… Gardevoir and Alakazam don't clean up here?" I muttered in the least judgemental way possible.

"Oh, they do. I'm just very good at dirtying stuff up," she sighed in a defeated tone. "I'm sorry, I was planning on fixing up the place before you came, but I just fell asleep. I've been tired, lately. I hope you can still stay over?"

"That's okay, I don't mind."

Part of me subconsciously wanted to peek and see if she'd been lying, then, because I refused to believe they wouldn't clean her place up when they'd done it the entire journey for her Center rooms, but I'd trained to temper that urge and it wasn't like I'd be able to tell anyway. Mira was the only full shard other than me, which meant our powers wouldn't work on each other. She could freely steal, absorb and give away information and memories to any living being, and the subtle twitches on her face told me that she was probably having multiple conversations with herself in the back of her mind. She was an encased shell to my senses, and delving within her in hopes of catching a wisp of color for too long filled me with dread and a sense of being watched by something unimaginably powerful. Uxie, no doubt.

"Oh, by the way!" I tried, thinking of ways to cheer her up. "Your birthday's soon, and I was thinking— if you want, obviously— you could come to my place and celebrate. We could even go out, too! There's this neat bowling place nearby and we could eat out."

My friend smiled. "That… that actually sounds really nice, thank you. Not that I deserve it…" she trailed off, clearing some space to sit down on the couch. There was no television here to watch, so she just looked at me instead, and then my wrist. "Is that the Meltan?"

I nodded. "Mimi."

The steel type morphed back into their original form, though their eye turned to a gray line as they eyed Mira with suspicion. For a while, Mira studied the metallic construct with fascination in her eye that made me think she'd make a good professor. Hadn't she said she wanted to find a job with one, when this was all over? Every time she asked to touch Mimi, the steel type would explode into a dozen needles and spikes and puff up to threaten her, which communicated the message of 'don't touch me' quite clearly.

"I don't think they liked Gengar," I added.

"Yeah, he's been a piece of work," Mira laughed. "Been scaring the neighbors and I had the cops called on me a few times, but they all left when they realized who I was."

That's the League for you, I thought to myself. "You should probably keep him in his ball if he can't behave." Jellicent's huge head bobbed up and down in acquiescence. He was quite proud to have stamped out Gengar so quickly. I knew there was animosity there, with the way he had annoyed Buddy in the past as a Haunter with his pranks that had none of Honey's charms. "Just because you can keep getting away with it doesn't mean—"

A series of high-pitched screams resonated from Mira's bedroom, causing Mimi to flinch and their entire body to wobble. Six cracked eggs hopped up and down on the hardwood floor and eyed up at me, two of them scowling, three looking happy to see me and the last looking so impossibly bored he was basically nodding off already.

"It's nice to finally meet you all!" I beamed, bending forward. "Do they have individual names?"

"They… kind of do," Mira said. "They can feel which one I refer to when I call for them, which is weird. I'd like to ask them how it works, but they don't even know themselves. Alakazam's fascinated by their existence as a gestalt."

"Figures. Uh, speaking of Alakazam, where is he? And Gardevoir?"

"I knew you wouldn't let that go," she sighed, leaning back against the backrest. "I'm sorry, I lied when I said I could have sent them to Teleport you up. They're fine, they're just on some kind of mission right now and they wanted me to stick around in Jubilife until they came back. That's why the apartment is like this."

I raised an eyebrow. "Come on, you can't say some kind of mission and not spill."

"Pauline and Emilia are alone together in Hearthome," Mira said, swaying her head to the side. "They're going to use Gothitelle to intervene in the shitshow that's coming, but she's not going to tell them the full picture. She's not good enough to. That'll make them want to intervene. Gardevoir and Alakazam will be convincing them not to."

"How?"

My friend paused. "By saying the truth. This is partly my fault, Grace, but these people are hell-bent on figuring this out. I shouldn't have told Emilia about my issues," she said, her voice becoming a whisper. I grabbed her hand, softly enough for it not to hurt. "Yeah, I shouldn't have. The best course of action is to scare them into submission. Nothing else will work. Hopefully they keep it to themselves and don't tell the guys in Canalave."

"How do you know Gothitelle will have figured it out?"

She stayed silent. "Can I tell you something?"

"You can tell me anything, Mira. We're friends."

"Uxie told me."

I gulped. Legendary intervention wasn't unheard of, with the way Mesprit had forced me to go check on that cave in Celestic, even if they hadn't shown themselves since.

"Why would Uxie care about that?" I frowned, shifting in my seat. Having found worthy opponents, Mimi had hopped off my hand and was mingling with the Exeggcute, waving a tiny needle out of their hand to scare them and regain some of their pride, which wasn't working at all. Instead, the Exeggcute laughed in their face while Buddy kept watch. "I mean, why would they care about if our friends live or die, as morbid as it sounds?"

"Would it surprise you to hear that they actually… care about me?"

I scoffed. "What?"

"I mean, not really!" She quickly brought her free hand up to signal me to wait. "They try to act like they feel bad about things even though they can't because that's apparently the way Arceus is. They want to be the same."

"So they warned you about this? Anything else they can warn you about?" I asked.

"Other than the scenarios about how Galactic strikes that I told you about already, not really. It's blurry, but our friends end up being involved if we don't do anything, so Uxie proposed this instead. We talk nearly every day."

"Every day?!"

"Yeah. They're always tired by the end of it because they weren't meant to use the Shard to communicate other than for urgent matters, they were only meant to watch. So yeah, that's why the apartment looks like Eterna Forest. Sorry."

"Wait… Denzel's going to be fuming at you."

"Which was why I wasn't going to say anything until the deed was done." Mira nervously licked her lips and sighed. "Too late now, though, since you're so nosy. They should be back during the week, depending on how many days this all takes. They have an ACE Trainer following them while they Teleport in multiple jumps."

"To be honest, you weren't great at hiding it."

"I was supposed to clean things up, but I fell asleep. Honestly, I think I thought we were yesterday, I've been lost in my thoughts for so long that I forget when I am, sometimes."

"Arceus, Mira—"

"It sounds worse than it is," she interrupted. "I can think so… widely now. So much. Anyone would get lost while trying to adapt, I think."

I nodded slowly. "Well, I trust you."

"That's it?"

"Yeah. That's it. Emilia and Pauline are going to learn the world might end, and they'll hopefully be so shaken they stop getting involved in this. Again, I trust you."

I did believe our relationship would be irreparably damaged, and there was a pit of dread building up in my stomach. Mira smiled at me, and I smiled back. It was too late, now. If this was the only way they could make it and be safe, then it'd be better like this.

"Okay. Cool," Mira said.

"Cool. But I'll have to tell Cece, Denzel and Chase about it, okay?"

"Yeah, we're cool," she added for good measure. "Um… can I have a hug?"

I snorted. "Come here."

She was cold. Cold and afraid, shivering as I wrapped my hands around her.

"You know, it feels weird to be back here," she slowly spoke, her face on my shoulder. "This place holds so many shitty memories for me. I moved in when my parents died, and my uncle went crazy over the course of a few years, but you already know that. I don't know why I'm talking."

"You're fine. Keep going."

"I guess it feels like shit, staying here," Mira concluded. "But I can't bring myself to leave and stay in a Pokemon Center because it's the only bit of my past life I have left. Sometimes I just imagine fixing the place up and moving back in with Ernie, but you know, recently, I've been thinking about something. Is it normal that my uncle processed the death of my mother worse than I did?"

My hands froze around her, but only for a moment.

"I mean, I cried. My grades fell, I lost friends, I felt like shit for a few months, but then I picked things up and started living again," she said. "But Ernie never let it go. Sometimes I wonder, is that— is that normal? Am I the one who's fucked up?"

"We all process grief differently, Mira. I think you're— I think you're being too hard on yourself. You struggled. You're still struggling and suffering from depression. That image you have of yourself, of someone that's uncaring and unfeeling, is unfounded."

Mira chuckled. "My therapist said the same thing."

"Maybe I'd make an okay one?" I also laughed. She was warming up, now. Her fingers were no longer as cold. "You've been hurting for years, Mira. And either way, life isn't some… suffering competition. It's not about who's hurting the greatest. That's not what makes someone a proper and better person."

"I hope so."

"I'm telling you so," I pushed. "Now, how long has it been since you've showered? I don't mean this in a mean way, but—"

"I know. You're not like that," she said. She squeezed her arms around me one last time, her hair draping above my shoulder until she took a deep breath and pushed herself off. "That felt good. Thanks."

"Hey, I've got an unlimited supply."

"I haven't showered in two days, I think. It was since Alakazam and Gardevoir left," Mira muttered. "I guess I'll go do that."

"I brought my laptop, so if you want to watch a show after I'm game," I said.

She agreed, but had already closed the door of her bathroom, and soon after she put on some kind of rock music I didn't know that spoke Kalosian. For a bit, I just scrolled through my phone and messaged Dad I'd gotten to her apartment okay, but after around two minutes of watching Mimi feigning death after Exeggcute swarmed around them, I decided I'd better start cleaning up a little bit. Some of the stuff, I didn't know where it went, so I'd just leave it there, but trashing these cans and putting these plates where they ought to be wouldn't be too difficult. I released Angel, asking him if he wanted to be a part of the clean-up crew, something he eagerly agreed to after getting distracted by Mira's Exeggcute, and we got to work sorting through everything. Having to put soda cans in the trash and not in recycling bins pained me a bit, but it would have to do. While we put some order in this apartment, Gengar had apparently slipped out at some point, but there wasn't much I could do about that. It took a bit of searching, but we eventually figured out where every plate, cup, utensil or bowl went, and I washed them with Buddy's help since the dishwasher here didn't work. He still left part of himself with Mimi, though, and with a third eye he had formed. It was one of his new tricks, being able to create new eyes that he could see from. Whenever he stuck to one of the barriers during our Gym Battles, he could only hear or feel.

Granted, being able to see wouldn't do much, but it would be useful to spy and for the fights to come. I hummed a song to Angel until we finished cleaning up, and then realized Mira still wasn't out of the shower. I approached the door with quiet steps and put my ear to it, but the music and the showerhead were too loud for me to hear.

Knocking on the door, I yelled. "Mira! Are you alright?"

It took a few seconds, but she swore and answered, "Yeah! Yeah, my bad, I'll be right out!"

Three minutes later, she was out, clean and with her skin still wet, a towel on her head, and a fresh set of clothes. A one-piece Miltank pajama with a hoodie that I had no idea she'd owned. It was a little small for her, so I figured it was something she'd had when she was younger and still living here, clothing she probably used as comfort. Her eyes widened slightly at the state of her apartment.

"Damn. Thank you for all of this," she quietly said. "Sorry for taking so long, I got, uh, lost again. In thought. Told you it happened often."

"You'd think that superpowers would be nice," I said with a wry smile. "But they've been pretty awful, huh?"

"No kidding. Do you wanna eat? I can order pizza, but I'll warn you it takes a long time to get here. There's that decent Johtohan restaurant a few streets away, too. They make the best take-out sushi."

"I'd cook, but I looked in your fridge and you have nothing—" a squeeze on my arm from Angel interrupted me, along with a protest from Jellicent. "Right, right, and my hands are an issue. By the way, Gengar left again."

Mira clicked her tongue. "Shit. Whatever, he'll come back. Keeping him out of his ball and scolding him is the only way to teach him to behave. I'll order, then. Sushi?"

"Animal sushi, right? I know they eat a bunch of Goldeen and Magikarp in Johto…"

She waved a hand as she grabbed her phone. "Yeah, yeah, don't worry. Also, don't discriminate! Not every Johtohan restaurant is gonna be like that."

"Right."

After a quick call, we settled in on the couch again, and I put on a sappy show Angel had roped me into about a mute girl trying to become a trainer, starting from her early life to when she made it to be Champion. It was among the biggest Unovan shows released this year from Pokestar Studio, and I had to admit, it was good. So good, in fact, I was willing to start it over so Mira could see it.

"If I have one complaint, it's that the battles aren't that well-filmed. Too many cuts," I said. "And the tactics used are too simple. You're telling me that even when she's battling at the elite level and all they're doing is still using the same 'super effective' moves over and over? Eugh, I hate using that term too much, anyway. And where's the field control? The long-term planning? The actual tactics? You can tell the producers aren't trainers or maybe they just didn't have the budget—"

"Grace, your battle mania is spoiling the show, this is episode one," Mira whined. "I think you're just meant to turn your brain off and have fun during the fights. Sounds like the show is more about the characters anyway."

"I mean, that's true. I like the fact that they actually treat the Pokemon actors as characters of their own. A lot of the time in these kinds of shows, they're just props used for battle." I stopped, smiling as one of my favorite scenes came up. "Oh, it's this! You're going to love it—"

"Shhh!"

Sienna, the main character of the show declared to her parents that she wanted to be a trainer as the music swelled in the background and the first episode ended, and Angel and I teared up. Something about that scene resonated with me, maybe the dedication put on display, or wanting to surmount the odds even while being dealt a crippling blow before her career even began by being mute.

There was just… something about it.

"You know, that was actually really good," Mira smiled. "Would have been better if you stopped yapping."

"I just want to share this with you, Arceus! I was watching it with Cece, but Angel's the one who found it while we were looking for something to watch. She's preventing me from watching beyond episode seven without her."

"That's still like, five hours of content to go through," Mira shrugged. "Enough for a girl's night, I think. Uh, your time at the League was okay, right?"

"Where's that coming from?"

"Just asking. I mean, I know you've been having a tough time too. I'm sorry about your ACE Trainer. At least your Poketch deal stuff is going well, I saw the headlines."

I bit my lip. "Yeah…"

"Fuck. Fuck, I messed up, sorry," the pink-haired girl said through a panicked sigh. "Forget what I just said, let's just have a good time—"

"It's fine. I mean, the deal itself went well, but there was this thing this afternoon…"

I slowly, painfully explained what had gone on with Aubri in the bathroom and what followed, though I kept the urges to squeeze my hands together a secret. Mira had enough on her plate, too much to be worrying about me hurting myself.

"This corporate life stuff sounds so toxic. It's like, they're putting you all in a cage of their own design and having you fight each other. That shit is systemic," Mira said. "The entire system is built to have kids try to take each other down. Aubri's still a bitch, though. Fuck her."

"Fuck her," I echoed. "But you know, even after all these weeks getting therapy and trying to change, I still get the urge to warp the people who wronged me, Mira. They're just as loud as before, and the thing is, I'd be better at it now that I've gotten some amount of training with Hatterene and learned to discern emotions better. Even after hearing Aubri's side of the story, the urge still lingers."

My friend paled. "That's a dangerous train of thought."

"I know. I know, but I can't stop." I was slightly out of breath, now, and I found it hard to focus my eyes. "I try, try, try, but I can't stop, and I'm scared the lid is going to pop open at some point. That all I'm waiting for is an excuse to let myself loose and do what I truly want. Both times I used it, against Mathilda and against Zoroark, it felt good, in the moment. Right." I looked at my hands and noticed my fingers were trembling. "When did I start thinking like this? What would my Dad think?"

Mira scratched her arm. "I don't know. I don't know if we let you get away with it for too long or if it was always bound to be this way."

She hadn't reacted as badly as I thought she would, which was a huge relief. I'd needed to tell someone other than Aliyah and Cece. There was just something about the people I knew only knowing this sanitized version of me that made me sick, which was a far cry from what I'd been like after the raid, wishing Denzel had hidden what I'd done from the rest of our friends.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess I just don't know," I whispered as Angel's vines ran through my hair. "Every time, I end up going in circles about this. I want to tell my Dad, you know? About having killed people."

She scoffed. "Are you crazy?"

I shook my head. "I want him to know me. All of me, and all I've done."

"I wouldn't…"

"You aren't me. That's okay," I said. "I'll tell my mother too. Or maybe he'll tell her, I don't know."

For around thirty seconds, there was silence. A moment shared between each other, a time of admittance of how we truly didn't know anything, in the end, even with her being blessed by Knowledge. Countless choices lay before us, choices we had no idea how to approach. We were all floundering through the dark, in the end. Swimming in it and hoping to one day reach the shore. Was Cynthia like this? Was everyone like this?

There was a knock on the door.

"Ah, food's here," Mira said, rising from the couch. "Be right back."

The night continued as normal, but I knew we took comfort in each other's company.

We were wrong.

And that was okay, I think, so long as we were trying to be better.

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Michael J, Knock, Jan, catfishdog,, Onyx2409, ChairmanK--, William F, Zhijia, Andy S, HeyMrJack, NineXO, Dvn, Exceedes, Gustavo S, Jacob, Elie

 

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 293

I'd known the next day would be a boring one, though hopefully there would be no incidents. I woke up early in the morning, having gotten awful sleep and feeling weird about having stayed in Charon's old bed. The room itself hadn't had anything particularly weird about it other than being strangely sterile and clean. It was the kind of room that felt unlived in, because it was. I'd be willing to bet Mira hadn't stepped foot in there once since returning to Jubilife, or even longer than that still. Nevertheless, the sounds of slowly getting ready also woke Mira up, and she decided over breakfast (that we'd gotten delivered again) together that she'd go out with me today, mostly to stretch her legs and to see what the 'pricks' at Poketch were all about. Those had been her words, not mine. I didn't think Ramon and Bobby were pricks, especially when they could have been a lot worse about what they did instead of working together with me. Ramon did get a little annoying sometimes, though, with how sarcastic he was. It didn't cross on the sardonic like Maxwell, thankfully. A pang of guilt struck my chest, and I took a deep breath as we left Mira's apartment complex. I hadn't spoken to my ACE Trainers since the incident, and honestly, I figured they wanted it that way.

"Woah. Sick ride," Mira joked.

Dad honked the car, already waiting for us on the sidewalk. He'd always been punctual with stuff, and since he had taken some days off work, he didn't really have anything else to do.

"It's functional," I said. "Comfy, too. The seats are softer than they look."

"That sounds good, actually, I didn't get much sleep."

"Me neither. Worried about Alakazam and Gardevoir?" I asked.

"Partly. I'm not worried about the reveal itself, more about what Emi's going to do. She's tough… mentally. It's like I'm flipping a coin, here. Either it makes her more likely to get involved, or she stands down. Those are better odds than always getting involved, though, and at least if they do they'll know the full picture."

"What about Pauline?"

Mira snorted, recalling Gengar through the pavement. "Pauline will fold. First, she'll deny for a while, probably text us for confirmation, then she'll get angry until she burns out and collapses like a dying star. She'll be terrified. Her tough girl persona's a front."

"It's not a front."

"No, sorry, not a front. It's mostly all a joke, though. I mean, she almost had a breakdown over romance— ah, sorry, I'm being mean."

"Yeah. You are."

"Yeah. My bad, I was thinking about other stuff, and I tend to ramble without thinking about… the ramifications when my attention is divided. I like Pauline, it's just… you know, she grates. Sometimes it's better to just stay put if you don't have the guts to handle this kind of stuff."

I wanted to protest, but Dad honked again, and this time we got in the car. I slipped into the front seat while Mira got behind my Dad, instantly putting her seatbelt on before she even settled on the chair with white-knuckled hands. I kissed Dad on the cheek, did the same, and we all greeted each other after he started driving.

"Mira Compton, right? It's nice to meet you," Dad said, keeping his eyes on the road.

"You too, Mr. Pastel. Uh, your daughter's been a great friend."

He smiled. "Arthur is fine, and I'm glad to hear it. Last night was fun, I hope?"

"We watched that show I told you about," I said. "She was really into it."

"I kept having to stop you from spoiling me. You're horrible to watch a show you already know with."

Dad chuckled. "She probably gets that from me, so I apologize."

"Apology refused!" Mira grinned. "Hey, can I have some embarrassing stories about Grace's childhood?"

"I wouldn't call them embarrassing, more like funny and endearing…"

I would have pinched his side, had he not been driving. Instead, I spoke obnoxiously loud until I masked all attempts of him trying to reveal anything about me, which sent Mira into a laughing fit. The rest of the ride was calmer, with Dad and I talking about whatever and Mira sometimes chiming in, but mostly keeping her eyes to the window. There was a rhythmic thing about her breath that had me think she was sleeping with them open and sometimes talking at the same time, and that would be seriously scary. There was something about how Wailord and Wailmer slept with half of their brains turned on so they could go back for air during the night, and I was wondering if she hadn't been the same. Able to rest parts of her while the rest stayed awake. Sure, we'd told each other good night, but it wasn't like I'd actually seen her sleep since I'd visited her.

When we reached Poketch Headquarters, pristine and both towers rising high into the sky, Dad spoke up. "I'll come pick you up again if you need it, alright? I'll be at that tournament place on our street, they're running a water type only thing and I want to see how quickly it derails."

"Thanks! Oh, and also, it's Mira's birthday on the 30th, can she hang out with me then at the apartment?"

"Yeah, of course. I'll see what I can do about a cake."

"Legendaries, you're the best," I smiled. "See you later!"

He drove off, and it was just Mira and I in the employee-only parking lot, free from the press of groups of fans. The shutter clicking of the cameras could still be heard, even if the journalists kept their distance and were only allowed to stand at the edge of the parking lot. Some yelled at me and asked for an interview about Claydol, which I'd revealed yesterday at the park.

"Sheesh. Sounds annoying to have to deal with," Mira said as we entered through the side doors. Her hands were shoved in the pocket of a baggy hoodie she was wearing. Neither of us had really dressed to impress, and the morning, tired feel still clung to both of us. "So what's the plan? Is Melody meeting us down here?"

"There's a room. I think it's the same room we were in yesterday, but it's mostly formality stuff before we present everything to the board. Well, when I say 'we', I'll just have to stand there and look confident."

"I guess I'll wait for you in that room, then."

"There are a bunch of sofas if you wanna lie down. They might kick you out while we talk pitching strategy, though."

We made our way up at a brisk pace, or as fast as we could with my broken ankle. This time, I was fifteen minutes early. I was glad to see I wasn't the last one there this time. Twice in a row might have been seen as disrespectful. Ramon was missing, but Amandine was already here. By the end of this morning, this entire Poketch thing will be over, I thought with a relieved sigh. Business politics were not for me. They weren't something I was passionate about like Pokemon rights, and so every minute spent here was a slog. It was like time passed twice as slowly and just listening to the ramblings of all the business people trying to squeeze profit out of us.

"Mornin'. Is it okay to bring a friend here?" I asked.

There was Melody, Bobby and his liaison Dennis, and the lawyers all looming over the long table. This was a lot more low-key than I thought it'd be. Craig was here as well, chatting with Amandine. They all greeted us politely.

"She'll have to leave when Ramon gets here in a few minutes. He had to deal with family problems, so he'll be right back," Mel answered.

"Yeah, I'll get out of your hair, or whatever," Mira shrugged.

Bobby must have noticed my eyes narrowing, because he added onto Mel's sentence. "They don't want him leaving."

"I thought he was leaving next year," I said, meaning one year after me.

"He is, and they still disagree. They've been screaming his ear off the entire morning about it, so you can relax. It's a done deal, Grace."

I sighed, settling in on the couch next to Mira and thankful that Bobby wasn't asking about Claydol for now, even though he was so clearly interested in it.

"Oh, Grace, check on your emails and get back to me, yeah?" Melody said, keeping her attention on some papers.

I did just that and contained an excited squeal when designs of my merch popped up on my screen. "Mira, Mira, check this out! Holy shit, these look so cool!"

They were mostly t-shirts, but there were also water bottles, stickers, hats, a Poketch Watch, and best of all, the knife. All of them had variations of me and my team on them, and just like Craig, I did notice they focused a whole lot on Sweetheart. There was, of course, no merch with Claydol on it quite yet. The colors were all different, but they were all pastel-themed as a play on my last name. They'd made my Pokemon look quite nice, too. Not fierce or scary like I was scared they'd do, but soft-looking, or at least as soft-looking as you could make a Turtonator or a Tyranitar. One of the shirts had Angel carrying a cartoonish version of me, another had Honey and I cooking, me flying on Princess with a bright smile and pointing forwards, Sunshine and I sleeping next to each other, Buddy serving as a pillow while I read him a book… Arceus, I was getting emotional. So many memories had been put on these.

"Wait, wait! What's this one?"

I stopped scrolling through the designs and noticed the same picture I'd posted online with the flower crowns near Floaroma and beamed. "My new favorite, I think. Do you think it's obnoxious if I only wear my own merch from now on? Craig doesn't do it."

"It would be super obnoxious. You could do it during Gym or tournament battles, though," my friend mused. "Hey, I get a shirt for free, right?"

"I'm charging you extra," I said, my face straight. "Just kidding. You get whatever you want for free when they start mass-producing these. I wonder if I could get them early…"

"I mean, you're literally the girl on the shirts. It'd be weird if you couldn't."

I hummed, turning toward my liaison. "Mel, these are all great. The team did a fantastic job, I— thank you."

She smiled. "Glad you like them."

If there was something to be said about Poketch, it was that they could make merch. Mira and I spent the next five minutes or so looking at my clothes, deciding which one we'd take. I wanted to deck out my computer in stickers of my team, a ton of shirts, the knife with a Princess motif on the handle… I wanted too much stuff to fit in my bag, actually. I'd have to leave some at home with Dad.

"The good thing about you having merch is that it kind of makes people associate you with certain Pokemon," Mira said. "Like, when we think of Craig, we think of Salamence, Snorlax— though I guess Bertha and Cynthia have him beat in the Hippowdon and Eelektross front, but do you get what I mean?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"People are gonna think Turtonator and bam, you're gonna pop into their heads. Or Tyranitar."

"Maybe in Sinnoh," I said. "Grimsley has a Tyranitar in Unova."

"Ah, that dark type guy, right? Bummer, but at least you get the Togekiss rep since Cynthia won't be there. But what I'm saying is, it's good for publicity."

"Uhuh, I get you."

"It's funny how—"

Ramon burst into the room, his shoulders full of tension and his expression dreary and tired, nothing like the usually excited teen I was used to. I guess his phone call didn't go very well. There were some hushed greetings that he hastily returned as he dragged a chair back, rasping it against the ground for an annoyingly long time until he sat down with a defeated sigh and Bobby started whispering at him.

"I guess your thing is starting soon. I'll see you later?" Mira said.

"When we're done here you'll get the entire place to yourself," I grinned. "I have a few things to ask you about the way you sleep."

She feigned offense with a gasp and shot up. "Grace, you were spying on me while I slept?"

Rolling my eyes, I just waved her away, and she left the meeting room with a spring in her step.

—

Mira stepped out of that living room these people called a 'business space', and her mind shattered once more. It was not a painful process, not anymore. Just uncomfortable, like a certain cold pressure spreading through her brain and seeping into every inch of her head. For a moment, her ears rang, her vision blurred and spun, and the chill spread from her head to her extremities.

Then, she was fine again. Still split, but fine. There were ten of 'her', which was the limit Uxie had told her she would be able to reach with a mortal mind. Each had been assigned a different task, their voices mere whispers in the background, but each word was absorbed like water to a sponge. They were words she would not forget, ever. Plans for Team Galactic, plans to confront Emilia and Pauline, arguing with herself about whether she should tell Grace about her plan to fix her uncle or not when the time came, an endless cacophony of voices she could somehow parse through at all times. She could turn it off at any moment, but life felt so slow without it already in a way that made Mira realize she wasn't sure if she could function without at least two lines of thought going on in her head at all times. She would have been terrified of that, once. To let herself become too dependent on these powers. Part of her had been assigned to keeping her Porygon2 company by typing her messages on her phone and her good, non-broken hand had been moving without her realizing it. It felt better, these days, because she'd assigned the pain of it to another part of her.

She could do that, now. Lock it away and hand it over to a part of her head she wasn't paying attention to. Mira hadn't needed painkillers since. It was so easy, to get lost in the thoughts. Endless murmurs that she didn't know had been going on for thirty seconds or three hours. Her head felt foggy, a mishmash of multiple people who were her, yet weren't.

Minds around her sparkled like crystalized gems. Older people generally, but did not always shine brighter than younger people. She could delve into the shards, sometimes. Peek beyond the curtain into a torrent of memories that had her forget she was even alive if she was close enough. She'd done it a few time, to test the waters. Lived through around five different people for what had felt like hours of memories on a single bus ride. Time within the shards was longer than it actually was out of them by approximately 3.3 times. Uxie hadn't really said anything about the significance of the number, but she could delve without affecting others without robbing them of memories. Doing it always tired her out, but it was doable without collapsing, unlike stealing information to store for herself too quickly.

She didn't do it anymore. There was a line she couldn't cross, and that was to make that a regular occurrence.

So many minds in one place always gave her a headache, when she didn't compartmentalize and shove off the pain to another Mira. It was pretty nifty, what someone could do when they experimented enough with this power. She'd talked a little to Grace about it yesterday nice, and her friend saw emotion through a tapestry of colors she could mix and match, but couldn't make herself change— or at least that's what she believed. She hadn't lost herself to this new sight or experimented anywhere as much as Mira had. There were some terrifying applications to her power, though Mira would have trusted Grace with it even if she hadn't been protected from it. Uxie had warned her. Said that Mesprit always picked 'the ones with the potential to snap with a single bad day'. How ironic was it, then, that Grace put more limitations for herself than Mira ever had?

Sometimes, she wondered how Chase or Cecilia would see the world, had their potential not been split. Theirs was a dull one without any differences because they were two, but there would always be this feeling nagging at her. Like an itch she would never be able to scratch.

Oh well. It wasn't meant to be, ten different voices rang out at once, echoing within the depths of her mind.

"Huh. Odd."

Usually the fragments of her mind didn't unite into one desire like this, but the feeling passed like a gust of wind and things returned to normal. The sudden noise snapped her attention back to reality, and the Mira assigned to walking had brought her back downstairs to some kind of waiting room for people who didn't work here, so good job to her. Hell, she'd even sat down and put on the earphones Mira had bought after Lauren's recommendation.

Friends. Mira blinked, remembering she was human. With her friends, she never split her attention more than two or three times, and she, her true self, would always be the one paying attention to them. She owed them that, at least, with the way they kept taking her back after her fuck ups.

She crushed fragments of her mind, reuniting them with herself and gathering everything they'd done in better detail than crystal clear. Instead of hearing or seeing it, it was now like she'd lived through it. She went down to five and decided to relax for the time being. Even the chairs in the damn waiting room were comfortable here somehow, and she would have let almost all of herself doze off had a particularly bright mind not caught her attention. Even through closed eyes, Aubri Schneider's mind burned bright enough to sear itself past her eyelids. She'd seen a few people like her. Craig Goodwill was one, for example, and her ACE Trainers too. She suspected Grace would have been the same, had her head not looked like a shell encased in impenetrable material. Uxie had warned her not to even try to look at it if she didn't want to hear Mesprit gloating, not that she would have done it anyway.

Why is she there? Didn't she lose?

Was Ramon's excuse about talking to his parents a trick?

Was everything just a trick?

Ramon's a little rat that'll fuck people over to get a leg up over them over and over.

Maybe she was just here to work or to be closer to the board meeting.

Five thoughts simultaneously rang out in her mind just before they split further, and Mira stood up from her chair, her steps carrying her before she could realize what had happened. There was a slight tug, and she took over walking duties, speeding up her step to make it to the elevators at the same time Aubri would. This fucking building is so huge for no reason, she internally whined. The people here knew who she was. Mira might not have had seven badges like the rest of her friends, but she worked with the League, still. She was let through after showing them her Trainer ID, and she slipped through the doors just as they were about to close. Aubri was… well, it was uncomfortable to look at her from up close. Her body had taken so much abuse it was a wonder she was still alive—

"That's none of your business," she said.

Huh? Had one of her been talking already— Mira regathered her minds, collecting them into two. One for background processing and the other for talking. It took around two seconds and a headache, but she was back on her feet quickly enough.

Mira ran a hand through her pink hair, the smile never leaving her face. "You bullied my friend pretty hard in the bathroom yesterday," she said in an accusatory tone. She knew now that she'd started the conversation with 'What are you doing here?' "It was very High School mean girl of you, I do have to say. I just wanted to see if you were going in for a second round or trying to fuck her over again."

Aubri kept looking on straight. "I want nothing to do with the deal. I got what I wanted yesterday." Her voice was low, raspy and unpleasant to listen to, though maybe Mira was just biased. "I just have business here."

"That's the floor Grace is on, isn't it?" Mira said, eyeing the 23rd button lit up on the elevator. "What's your deal?"

The scarred girl shifted in the elevator. "It's not about the deal."

"Then what?"

She paused. "I wanted to apologize, before heading to work on the upper floors, that's all."

Oh.

Oh, that made so much more sense. Mira would have kicked herself over, had she not run out of shame long ago. Arceus, her head felt so slow. It was like crawling at a Slugma's pace to go somewhere instead of walking normally.

"Want to wait until her board stuff is done? I'm not going to lie, just seeing your face is going to ruin her morning."

"...it was that bad, huh?"

"Pretty bad. She's been having a horrible time, lately, more so than our usual dose," Mira shrugged. "I know you're no stranger to those yourself."

Aubri shrugged. "I maintain the majority of what I said, but it's obvious I stepped on a landmine and I've had that happen to me before. I wouldn't wish that upon anyone."

Mira exhaled. "Yeah."

The elevator dinged on the 23rd floor, then Aubri kept it going up. "I'd better wait like you said, then."

"Yup, I think that'd be wise. I'll come and get you, if you want, I don't really care. Just don't go saying 'I maintain the majority of what I said' during the apology, that'll make you look like an ass."

She was an ass, really. Constantly grumpy and annoying to talk to, self-serving, and a refusal to admit that she'd been wrong because she didn't have the full context of what all these favors the League gave Grace, Mira and the others implied. They were weapons. Living weapons kept happy because of how useful they were, and the fact that she would be considered that for the rest of her life made Mira sick to her stomach if she thought about it for too long. She was willing to bet they had files on them about their habits, their powers and how to take them down should they go rogue. Hell, it'd probably be the ACEs that did it. It wouldn't take much thinking to figure out that there was something at play other than 'League favoritism', but she clearly didn't want to do that, because that meant she'd be in the wrong, and Arceus forbid people ever admit they were wrong.

"I shouldn't," Aubri agreed.

That was that. Aubri Schneider left the elevator, and Mira rode it back down to the lobby, fracturing her mind once again.

She'd done a good deed today! Probably?

—

The board's table was comically large.

The pre-meeting went perfectly well, and everyone knew their lines, but that was the thing that surprised me. The fact that seven people were sitting on a table way too large to ever be convenient. The room itself was a rectangular one, the floor dark like obsidian and a large window pane behind the board facing all of Jubilife. Few buildings were as tall as this one in the city, so I could even see the outskirts from up here. The board was full of men who looked way too old to be working, save for one younger guy who I understood was Remington McMillan's son. Their last names were McMillan, Sandy, Smithson, Hemsworth and Leblanc, something Melody had drilled into my head countless times. It was… odd to see the people who were essentially my bosses for the first time. Next to me, Bobby fidgeted nervously and kept his eyes at his feet and even Ramon's smile looked a little forced. Craig looked right at home, though, and we watched the board flip through the document we'd presented them. They'd known about the proposal brewing for a long time now— it was said nothing in both Poketch towers happened without the board knowing— but it was the first time they were looking at the plan in detail, with the actual step-by-step process, the numbers, and the short and long-term strategy. The liaisons had already presented the entire thing using a projector and a slide presentation that had me think I was back in school, and now the board was just flipping through the pages.

No Pokemon were present. It was a bit of a common theme, the way extremely rich people didn't want for trainers to have their Pokemon around them unless they'd been hired to protect them. Personally, I didn't mind, but I figured it was just a peculiar observation. For a while, there was no sound other than the rustling of papers and murmurs between the members of the board, and the way Landis McMillan kept glancing at me made me somewhat uncomfortable. Even so, I kept standing with my back straight and with my face as neutral and non-threatening as possible. Finally, they finished after fifteen minutes of reading.

"This is rocking the boat," Mr. Sandy said. I did notice his small glance of approval toward Remington McMillan before he started speaking. He was obviously a long-time smoker, with the way his voice sounded like it was one bad cold away from permanently disappearing. "Risky. It's a tough sell, to change the system we've gone with for so long… but the potential is there to make Poketch a household name in multiple regions."

"The upfront cost is something to be worried about," Remington agreed. "But these markets are untapped. With Unova alone, we have more potential customers than all of Sinnoh. It's a no-brainer."

"These stipulations about Sinnohan salaries are a little grating," Landis said. He was the only one not scared to speak up without his father's approval. His eyes settled on Bobby. "I hope you know we'll make your life harder because of it, right?"

My fellow trainer didn't answer, though I could feel the tension leave his shoulders a little. Arceus, he was weird. I understood always waiting for the other shoe to drop, but to be relieved because of it?

Remington gestured at his son, who shut up immediately. "Nonsense. Cooperation between all our branches is what makes Poketch successful," he said with a smile. There was something sinister about it that either meant Bobby or Landon were in trouble. Or both. Rarely had I seen someone with such amounts of power without any Pokemon to back up the talk. "These plans all seem in order. There'll have to be some adjustments, but it is all feasible before next September."

Just like that, everyone else agreed. Even Landis. Remington McMillan's word here was as good as law, and so it would be done without a fuss. From what Mel had told me, I knew Unovan expansion was his pet project and something he'd been planning for nearly two decades, shortly after Cynthia ascended to her position and started opening up the country, and he was not about to let a small hiccup get in the way of that. It was funny, in a way, how one man's personal agenda was going to be the cause of such a shift. This was the kind of power Cecilia dreamed of having, and to be honest, me too, just a little bit.

In a more morbid way of thinking, he probably wanted to see it through before he died. He was in his seventies.

"The proposal will be put into place effective immediately, and the transition will take place this summer." Remington said with a satisfied sigh. "Now, we'll have a word with only Grace Pastel and Craig Goodwill."

Everyone else but us and Melody left the room, and a weight lifted off my chest at this Poketch stuff finally being over. Now I'd be able to focus on training my team, especially since I was picking up Princess tomorrow…

"This is the first time we're speaking face to face, is it not?" Mr. McMillan said, looking right at me. I nearly jumped in surprise, but managed to pretend I'd just been needing to scratch my arm.

"Ye—yeah. Nice to meet you all," I said.

Greetings sounded throughout the board, and Remington continued, "Now, seeing as you wrestled a position that still keeps yourself at the top of the pyramid when the year is done, we still need to work out the details of this transition between Mr. Goodwill and you. You're going to be international. That means we'll have expectations of you, even starting in Unova. More communication with medias, both traditional and social, more presence in tournaments, keeping your face in the news…"

"We could send her to visit some trainer schools, Pops," Landis grinned. "He always loved to do that with Craig, and they take those seriously in Unova with Blueberry Academy being a thing."

"Exactly. Now, it is my understanding that you want to get involved in politics as well," Remington said.

"So long as they're not extremists, it's fine, right? You let me get involved in Pastoria."

"Pokemon Rights are a bit of a hot button topic in the country, at the moment," Smithson chimed in. "Would it be wise to let her take a side on the issue?"

"God, you're so inoffensive," Landis groaned. "Pokemon Rights, honestly, who gives a fuck, but polls repeatedly have shown that younger people— our main demographic— are in favor of laws to better protect Pokemon across nearly every region, Unova included. Her taking a side on the issue is fine."

Remington raised a hand, and the room fell silent again. "My son is correct, but there is a line that mustn't be crossed. Plasma."

"You don't have to worry about that. They—"

"Have moderated their platform recently, had Ghetsis Harmonia Gropius vocally support them two weeks ago and are surging in the polls thanks to a coalition backed by young people who usually don't come out to vote," Remington interrupted me. "They have fringe elements, but they are not extremists any longer, Ms. Pastel. The majority of their members and supporters are people like you."

I blinked at that. My image of the Plasma Organization had always been Mallory and the way she'd told me she wanted to abolish all trainers, so this was all new to me.

"I mean, if they're like me, it's not that bad—"

He interrupted me again. "If we have you support Plasma, the people in power, the real people in power—" the members of the board around Remington chuckled. "—will push us out of Unova before we can get a proper foothold in the country."

"Why's that?"

"Because they're the people who can actually change things," Craig shrugged as he fiddled with his nails. "I'd be willing to bet they'd be fine with you backing all the other small orgs, but not an actual political party with real power."

Ah. It was at times like these, that Cecilia raving against the status quo came back at the forefront of my mind. No one wanted to rock the boat, and Plasma was the definition of that.

"I… I get it," I said. "Yeah, okay."

I got it, but that did not mean I agreed. If Plasma was a problem because they could change things, then any organization would be a problem as soon as they grew big enough. They were essentially giving me those fucking fake driving wheels you gave children in a car and had them pretend they were driving. Telling me to have my fun, but not to expect to actually change anything.

Well, fuck that.

I my lips stretched into a forced smile, and the board kept speaking about plans of transition. The only play I had was to make myself too important to dump, and to let Poketch get their foothold before I really got going and tried to connect with like-minded people in public, which might take a few months. That did not mean I wouldn't be able to check things out in secret, though. Maybe see what this Plasma stuff was really about when the crazies weren't speaking.

"Now, we have a press conference set up next Wednesday where we'll announce Craig stepping down and you stepping up for the first time in public…" Remington continued.

—

The meeting took an extra twenty minutes to finish up, and as soon as I was out of it, Bobby and Ramon swarmed me to figure out if I'd screwed them over or not, which I obviously hadn't. I was getting a little tired of these guys expecting me to stab them in the back at the first opportunity just because they had an outdated idea of who I was. I mean, even after bonding together, they still thought I was out to get them? It was a little grating, but at least they apologized by the end of it and we were cool again. Now that everything had been finalized, part of me wanted to return to not bothering to keep up with Poketch stuff again, but I knew that was just the lazy part of me speaking. Connections weren't just made, they were maintained over dinner, meetups, battling, texting… it was kind of exhausting, but it had to be done, and at least they were fun to talk to.

Now I was on my way to find Mira while Melody had gone back to work. I'd hoped she could join us and Dad, mostly because I wanted him to make friends, but duty unfortunately called. She had said she'd ship one of every merch item to my Dad's address, though. Mira hadn't been in the meeting room with all the couches, so I assumed she was waiting in the lobby. My eyes scanned the massive waiting area filled with enough chairs to fit at least a hundred and fifty people and found her instantly, with the way her pink hair popped to my eyes. I made my way toward her, and she winced before waving back at me. She was in her head again.

Mira shot up and clapsed my wrist. "How was it? Did everything go alright?" she instantly asked. "Did you guys do it?"

"Well, I didn't really do anything beyond standing there… but yeah, we did it," I grinned.

My friend pumped a fist. "Hell yes! That's great, I'm happy for you. Now you can finally stop stressing about it."

"Yeah, it's a huge relief," I exhaled. "Wanna get out of here? I texted Dad before the board meeting and he should be here in like five minutes."

"Wait— didn't you see my text? About Aubri?"

I frowned and grabbed my phone. "Ah, crap. I missed it. Did she do something? Do I need to talk to Mel?"

"No, no, relax! She just wanted to apologize to you about yesterday, but for real. It's not a trick."

"To me? I didn't think she was the kind of person to…"

I stopped, realizing that she'd kind of said sorry before leaving the bathroom stall already, so my words didn't really make any sense. I still didn't trust this. Was there a play here? No, it wouldn't work, or she would have struck when Ramon was emotionally vulnerable because of the issues with his parents and before the board meeting. Was an apology really all there was to it?

"I saw her coming in and thought she was planning to screw you over, but it turned out she just felt bad," Mira said. "I can get her down here if you want."

"Huh. I mean, okay?"

Having someone I'd designated as an enemy in my head apologizing had kind of knocked the wind out of my sails. Every time I heard Aubri's name, now, I expected a fight or at least an unpleasant interaction of some kind, which was crazy considering I hadn't even met her that many times. Her words yesterday had… really hurt me. I'd kept hearing them when trying to go to sleep, tossing and turning in Mira's apartment, and had Buddy not been keeping an eye on me all night and forced me to sleep with my hands above the covers, I might have made a mistake. Mira clapped my shoulder and went to get Aubri, so I just stood there with a blank look, not knowing what to think.

Aubri's one-eyed stare was just as hardy as it always was. The way she looked me up and down had my body instinctively grow tense in a way that sickened me, because it meant I was scared of her. Of what she could say to me. For a bit, she silently stood there with her hands in her pockets until I couldn't take it any longer and colors flared to life around the lobby. Aubri was a wispy, dull gray of uncertainty. She didn't know how to begin. Breathing a sigh of relief, I let the colors dim again. I'd slipped, and I had no idea what I would have done had she been planning a trap.

Something to talk to Aliyah about.

"Well?" Mira pressed. "Come on, it's not that hard."

Aubri cleared her throat. "I apologize for what I said yesterday. It was terribly out of line, and I hope our relationship can remain professional and functional. I will refrain from implying anything about your… past experiences in the future, and if the company requires us to see each other like in Sunyshore, I will make sure to treat you like any other colleague."

It was strange, the way she spoke like those lines had been rehearsed when they clearly hadn't. Or maybe they had, and she just hadn't been sure they were the right words after coming face to face with me? I hadn't delved deep enough to tell, only staying at the surface of what she felt.

"I accept your apology," I flatly said.

She dipped her head a fraction. "Thank you."

That was that. I didn't think we would ever be friends, but maybe that was okay.

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Michael J, Knock, Jan, catfishdog,, Onyx2409, ChairmanK--, William F, Zhijia, Andy S, HeyMrJack, NineXO, Dvn, Exceedes, Gustavo S, Jacob, Elie

 

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 294

"Your Togekiss has made a full recovery," the Nurse Joy said. "No harsh battling for another week! She has to take it easy and not strain herself too hard, understood?"

"Yup!"

I'd been staring at Princess' Pokeball the entire time Nurse Joy had talked about limiting her exposure to steel type moves and to take it easy with the training. It wasn't that her words weren't important to me, but I'd been looking forward to this for more than a week, and tomorrow was her birthday. After thanking the Nurse a second time and she told me about how Honey was doing, I grabbed the Pokeball and saw Mira waiting for me outside.

She wasn't fully there, though she did notice my arrival, and it took a few seconds for her attention to return to me. It wasn't the first time she'd done this, and it was pretty easy to understand what was going on. We hadn't talked about it beyond me asking her if she was sure this was how she wanted to live and her saying that not doing this was basically torture for her. On one hand, it felt good to have her confide in me, but on the other… yeah, I worried for her.

"Got your kid back?" Mira grinned.

I beamed. "Yeah! I wanted to bring her back to the apartment before releasing her. I think her not getting swarmed by everybody at first will do her some good, and she'll like the old sights." We started walking toward my apartment complex, and I could see Porygon2 blinking in and out of existence around Mira's head. "After, I'll have Dad drive us to that park for the reunion, though."

I'd do the same thing for Honey, and I knew he would need it. Growing a hand was only the first bit of recovery, he had to learn how to use it again.

"You guys are gonna give me diabetes if I come," she said. "Plus, I don't want to get in between all of you, so I'll head back later."

I shrugged. "If you say so. I don't think you'd do that if you stuck around, Mira. You're great to be around."

"Honestly? We should be expecting the message today."

Ah. The message from Pauline and Emilia after Alakazam and Gardevoir were done telling them about everything. I exhaled, and my pace slowed slightly. This was it. There would be no going back from this.

"How'd you even convince your ACEs of this?" I asked.

Her lips twitched upward. "Getting second thoughts? It's too late to stop this from happening, so…"

To our right, two teams of human and fighting types were playing a round of Basketball with each other, and the Pokemon were on the weaker side of things to allow the people to actually compete, and they were holding back. Still, the Machop, Hitmonchan, Mankey and Combusken were nowhere near out of breath. Beating a fighting type in terms of endurance was an uphill battle.

"I'm just genuinely wondering," I said, watching Hitmonchan score a three-pointer. "We haven't really been appropriate with state secrets, have we?" I ended in a whisper. "I'm guilty of that too."

"I told them Uxie told me to, and they changed their mind real quick. Carlos was nice about it, since they didn't really want two rogue teens to leak everything they've tried to keep under wraps— you like basketball?"

"Huh? I mean, not really. I kind of like throwing the ball around, but the last time I did it was with Denzel in Eterna. Hey, stop changing the subject!"

My friend threw her hands up in a placating motion. "I was genuinely interested, promise. Anyway, not that many people have Xatu or Gothitelle in Sinnoh, I mean, they're both rare as hell, which is why Pauline had to buy hers. Those that have a Xatu don't really know what their Pokemon would have to look at to see that the world's in danger—"

"I remember. You told me back in Pastoria. Gothitelle is like, good at seeing the future of who they've bonded to."

"With all the shit going on, I thought you might have forgotten."

"It's important."

"Right. Basically, since they're close enough to us, they're the only people directly put in danger, and I guess that hasn't changed even with me telling them to stay away. I wish we could have convinced them that future-telling is unreliable anyway. The League has teams of Xatu, but most of their predictions don't even come close to coming true. Abel's was an exception in that regard."

Which was why they hadn't gotten rid of him or his team. Each of his Pokemon presented an excellent opportunity for the League to use. I'd rather they have slit his and his team's throats except for Ditto, personally, but I was under no illusion that I was the one in charge or equipped to make those decisions. Mira and I continued making small talk until we reached my apartment, where Dad was already waiting with a bright look. He had missed Princess as much as I had, having known her just as long. Multiple times, he had asked me if she needed a gift, but I told him to keep it for her birthday.

He'd gotten her one anyway. A weird, multi-colored cube-shaped puzzle toy meant for psychics that made my head hurt the longer I looked at it. The outer layer was transparent, but it was like staring at infinite reflections, or two mirrors perpetually bouncing light between each other. Meltan ended up whining the moment they set their eyes on the puzzle, their eye turning into a confused, wavy line until they retreated behind my neck.

"The goal is to align the mirrors inside until the reflection is completely straight," Dad explained. "I don't really know if it'll pose her a challenge or not, but the people there said it should be a decent distraction for a few days. There was a nice Hypno working there that explained it to me."

"You're used to telepathy, Arthur?" Mira asked. She was intrigued by the toy, probably wondering if she should get one or not.

"No, he could just write it down with a pen on a small whiteboard," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "It sells all kinds of Pokemon-focused toys if you ever want to take a look."

We spoke about that store for a bit, but eventually decided we'd stalled enough. Princess materialized in the middle of the living room, and when the red light left her body, relief filled my very being. Her fur looked so vibrant compared to when we'd been in Lakhutia, her eyes so energetic and full of life. The chirp of pure happiness that followed brought me close to tears, and I dropped to my knees to wrap my daughter in my arms, a sentiment she returned with her wings.

It took her little time to float off to Dad next, nearly knocking over a vase in the process. I had a feeling she wasn't used to the apartment being so small to her, and it was messing with her movements. Mimi climbed on the back of my neck, sending continuous pulses of shyness at the sight of this new traveling companion. That's right, they haven't actually met before, and Princess hadn't met Claydol, either— truly met them beyond battling together in the city. Hopefully she wouldn't hold a grudge like Sunshine… they could be similar, in that regard. Dad wrapped Princess in his usual bear hug, though she nearly knocked him to the ground in the process.

"Gee, all of this wholesomeness makes me feel uncomfortable," Mira said.

I rolled my eyes and let the moment pass. Togekiss hadn't seen Dad in a long while, so the hug lasted a decent amount of time. Mira's eyes widened when she got a hug too, and for a few seconds, she didn't really know how to reciprocate.

"Damn… she's so soft," she growled, almost offended. "Thanks for to warm welcome, Princess."

Togekiss hovered back my way, and I ran a hand through the fur on her head. "How's everything feeling? Good?"

The fairy gave me a hearty nod accompanied by an energetic chirp that made it difficult not to grin. We talked about the nurses and her experience for a bit, or at least until Dad and Mira felt left out. My father even asked how I'd gotten so good at understanding Pokemon without a psychic, and I dodged the truth by saying I must have had a talent for it. An excuse he didn't buy for even a second, but was nice enough to get that it wasn't something I wanted to talk about at all.

The curiosity stayed, though. Back in Hearthome, I'd been good, but not anywhere as quick. The back and forth we'd been having was as if we were two humans speaking.

The next hour or so was spent between us, just hanging out in the living room. When I showed Togekiss the old dent in the counter, her crown flattened against her head and she was desperate to pretend the cause for the damage hadn't been her. After all, she was Princess! Capable of drawing power from the moon to cut this apartment to ribbons, should she wanted, and possibly take the entire apartment down. How could such a small dent be worthy of her?

At least that was her train of thought.

Princess wasn't rude to Mimi or anything. She wasn't like she'd been with Sunshine, threatening to kill them in numerous ways, but she was harsh. Keeping her words short or straight up avoiding them. I tried to mediate, but it hadn't gone very well. I'd need to put Mimi, Princess and Sunshine in a room together soon to hash this out, because they kept treating them as someone they weren't, and they were smart enough to understand exclusion. Letting this fester in hopes of gradual improvement wasn't something I wanted, but forcing things had the potential to make things worse, too… damn it.

Right now, I needed to tell her about my hands. I'd asked her to follow me into my room, leaving Dad and Mira alone and her probably feeling very awkward right about now, and when Mira felt that way, she rambled. With Mimi there with them, I'd hoped that would be distraction enough to let Princess process the news at her own pace, even if we needed to stay here for ten minutes while she caught her breath.

"Been a while since you were in here, huh?" I smirked as I set myself on my bed. "Any memories jostled?"

She hovered close to me, her fur brushing against my arm. Good things, I hope, she answered in a grown-up tone. Like she hated the fact that she'd once been a helpless baby.

"There's no shame in it, I mean, I was helpless too. Still am, in the grand scheme of things." My head turned her way, and I noticed her looking at my desk. "Remember when I'd be studying to barely pass a test and you'd complain about not getting enough attention?"

A pained grunt escaped her throat, and had she been capable of blushing, she would have. I get it now, Dad. I understand why you like embarrassing me so much.

"Come here."

I wrapped my hands around her soft hair and sighed into her skin. My head was buried in the crook between her wing and her body, and it was then that she asked me if everything was okay. Her first worry was Honey— that I'd lied about him being okay to make her feel better like I'd lied about my ankle having been hurt being so damaging to my mental state in Pastoria. Something I'd grown used to, now, and it helped that I could actually tell I was steadily improving in that regard.

"He's fine, I promise. You'll see him in three days… maybe four, depending on how that goes. It's about my hands."

She squinted at them, and a soft psychic hold dragged them both up so she could better look at them.

"This is something I'll need you for. See, I stopped doing this thanks to help from the others and Aliyah, but sometimes I get the urge to just… squeeze them until they start bleeding again. I—"

Something in her shattered before me, though it was more the remains of something she'd been clinging to. A notion. It had first been cracked in Lakhutia, when I'd given up and accepted my death in front of my team, but now it was truly gone. The notion that I was so strong I was nearly invincible. It was like when I'd seen my Dad cry for the first time when I'd been six or seven and the same image of him I'd had had broken down before me and I'd cried too, because seeing a parent so weak made a child realize they were just human like them. Not some permanent fixture that would forever be here, but someone who could have days so bad they were reduced to tears. Oh, Princess had seen me cry before, but the context here was the same. I was just somebody. A person.

I let her sob quietly in my arms for fifteen minutes. She called me names, notably 'stupid', 'awful' and 'reckless'. I let her get it all out and promised her I wouldn't do it again. It wasn't enough, not nearly, but it was a start.

"Let's go see the others at the park, hm? Then we'll go train if you guys are up to it."

—

The wind whipped my hair around as we soared through the skies, and it was then that I'd realized I had missed this. The freedom afforded by flight. We had to steer clear of any skyscraper, which meant we were higher than I wanted to be. I could almost imagine Princess and I twisting and turning within the concrete jungle that was Jubilife, maybe stopping to wave at some office workers through a window to brighten someone's day like I'd done sometimes with seamen when we'd been near the coast. Alas, that would be breaking the law, and you couldn't go two minutes here without seeing a cop on a Staraptor, Fearow or Pidgeot scanning the skies to make sure no one was endangering the city.

It was fun to daydream, though.

Mimi, meanwhile, felt like they were in a dream. They were in their original form between my thighs, but I'd forced them to create a metallic harness around one of my arms. I didn't exactly know if they could survive a fall at this height, but testing that was not in the cards and they'd probably get snatched within the minute. The steel type sent a pulse of gratitude toward Princess with an accompanying screech as they watched the world below pass us by.

"Still embarrassed?" I asked, passing a hand through my daughter's fur. "You're more silent than usual."

She quietly huffed, a sound that was nearly masked by the wind, and I snorted. Knowing her, she'd think about that dent for at least a week. After a moment of silence, she asked me not to show Honey when he came back.

"I think it's cool to look back at how far you've come. He'd definitely tease you about it, though," I giggled.

Togekiss answered that she'd tease him back for his old days practicing Thundershock in Floaroma. It was nice to see her laughing again after what had happened earlier.

"Oh please, you basically banter every day. You have to learn to take what you dish out, Princess." I squinted behind my goggles when I saw a glimpse of darkness hidden behind a cloud above us, and my throat tightened. "Let's speed up to the route. We've got to be back before six if we're showing Dad and you the show I talked to you about."

Route 202 was what we were looking for, mostly because it was the least populated route of the four around Jubilife. I wasn't exactly looking to hide, but it'd be a bonus if we could be on our own. The route was slowly inclined, an endless stretch of green with woods sparsed within. It was in one of these, that I'd spent my first night out on my journey. My arm tingled at the thought of that Ekans trying to bite through my arm. Back then, I hadn't understood how lucky I'd been that they hadn't used poison.

Princess landed us near one of those forests, since trainers knew to avoid them if they wanted to make it through here untroubled. Near the end of Circuits like this, not many people were out on the road anyway. Sure, some spots were popular to train, like the edges of Eterna Forest, but on routes like this? The majority of trainers were still in cities trying to get their last badge of the year, so people here were mostly 14 or just turned 15-year-old kids who already had Pokemon and were trying to get an early start for next year.

Before releasing the entire team, I hopped off Princess, landing on my good foot, and released Claydol. From this close, it was easy to notice the imperfections in their form. Little chips and dents in the brown, solid clay, unevenness in their symmetry, bumps, a hand a little bigger than the other. People back then were masters at what they did, creating life from nothing, but Claydol had not been made with precise measuring tools. Bonds forged through battle, through thick and thin, had apparently been enough, with the way Princess looked at the psychic. It wasn't soft like when she looked at the others; it was too soon for love to have bloomed there and I wasn't sure Claydol was even capable of that quite yet. Still, there was respect in Princess' eyes, respect and gratitude for keeping us alive. She wasn't opposed to them sticking around with us.

That's much better reaction than she had with Mimi, I thought, feeling slightly relieved. I felt bad for the little steel type. They wanted nothing but to explore and connect with others, but didn't understand that Sunshine and Princess would be reluctant to do that for at least a little while.

Claydol hovered a foot off the ground, their eyes flashing pink with ancient glyphs. "Princess, I am pleased to report your recovery and will be delighted to be at your service, along with the rest of the royal court, henceforth."

In her absence, they had called her Princess, which didn't mean her name, but her status as my kid. Togekiss' eyes widened a smidge, and then she grinned, taking to the 'game' in seconds. It was incredible, to see the split second the calculus took to go through in her head. The fairy type puffed up her chest, thanking Claydol for their services.

"This is terrible for her ego, I hope you know that," I said, looking at the psychic. "But! Since Princess is back, she'll be able to take over Slowking's job as your teacher. In terms of barriers, you're already better than her, but your fine control could use some work. What we're focusing on is Ancient Power, though. I want you to be an expert."

There was no way Claydol would get better at it than her in the short time we had left, but I was certain we could get it to be useful.

"At your command," they answered with that same, monotone voice. "Shall we start, Princess?"

"Wait, before you do, work on Mud-Slap, too," I said. "The times you've used it gave me an idea for Byron, I need it to be… uh, I need you to work on the volume. It has nice synergy with Ancient Power if we're going to spread it throughout the arena. Do you think you could do that?"

Claydol froze for a second, a thin light washing over their eyes. "Query: Mud-Slap. Data analysis indicates minimal instances of the described application. Repetitive engagement may lead to enhanced proficiency. Practice imperative for optimal execution."

I grinned. "But it's possible, right?"

"Correct."

"Okay, you guys can set up here, I'll get the entire team up to speed."

While Princess ripped a large sphere from the ground and showcased it to Claydol, rambling about the many applications of Ancient Power, I released the rest of the team to train. We hadn't been slacking, per se, but I wanted to intensify our training to reach the final tools we'd need to win the fight. My Pokemon seemed happy enough to be out of the city. Sweetheart announced her presence with a roar that had my insides vibrate and my bones rattle, and at least a hundred Starly and Staravia left the forest we were near to in panicked shouts.

"Next time, don't?" I sighed. "No need to bother the locals, yeah? If you want to scream, I'll take you to someplace you can vent."

She growled, partly annoyed and partly sorry. After all, was it her fault everything was too scared to be near her? That was the way she thought, at least.

"I'll take you to Sandgem tomorrow so we can work on Surf if you behave." She grinned, flashing her rows of sharp teeth as big as my head. Bribing her usually worked, in cases like these. "Good! We aren't really in a great place to refine your control of Earthquake, so it'll have to be Stone Edge— but with Iron Defense. Can you pull one out right now?"

Instantly, a spike eight feet in length was ripped up from the floor with a rumble. It glimmered as it did, and it was impossibly hard to the touch. I didn't really know the difference in hardness between rock or metal, but I was sure that they were harder than normal and wouldn't break against Byron's steel types. "Good. Now do ten of those at the same time, and we'll call it a day."

Sweetheart touched her two hands together, and I added. "And you'll get meat."

I'd give her some regardless, but it was better for her to have some motivation so she wouldn't get distracted trying to befriend some wild Bidoof and giving the poor thing a heart attack. I turned to Sunshine, who'd been laughing at her request until she swiped him with his tail. His knees buckled, though he didn't fall, instead flames burst to life until Jellicent chimed in and calmed them down with an irritated whistle.

Yeah… they liked playfighting, now. A lot. They were the only two who actually enjoyed fighting together a decent bit, and Sunshine enjoyed the challenge of trying to make his flames burn through her scales. They'd fought countless times at the League, and the temperature within those barriers routinely reached above a thousand degrees.

I was not about to burn the entire route down and ruin countless Pokemon's lives. Plus, I'd be fined by the Rangers for creating an ecological disaster. A few flames, we could put out, but ambient temperature so hot everything within hundreds of feet would catch on fire was an entirely different scale.

"You know what to do," I shrugged. "Work with Buddy on Fire Blast. One at a time so he can clean up, okay?"

Sunshine rolled his eyes, his heavy steps carrying him off in the distance. On the way to the spot he'd designated, he asked Princess for a few boulders large enough not to disintegrate, and she asked him to ask nicely with a please. Instead, he glared at her and asked if she was serious, and it was Buddy that broke the stalemate by saying please. He already knew what to work on— a Rain Dance powerful enough to stick around for a while after he was recalled. There was that Ice Blade thing modeled after Ice Spinner, which he'd used to get me out of that bathroom at Poketch, but that wouldn't be of use against Byron and was more of a side project we'd come up with when brainstorming ways for him to stab things.

I'd been a lot more into it than he had.

"Angel, come with," I said. "We're going into the woods."

The grass type excitedly bobbed up and down, grabbing me by the waist and pulling me up on his head. There was a sad mewl from Mimi, since they seemed interested in sticking by Claydol or Buddy. Those were the two they'd bonded with the most outside of me, and it showed. I ran a finger around the golden rim of their head, and their tail stopped waggling. I'd seen Dad and Mom's Herdier shake his tail when he was excited, but for Mimi, it mostly happened when they were nervous. It could happen, but not very often. Angel waddled into the forest, waving at a couple of Burmy hanging off a branch. Most Pokemon had left the area, retreating deeper into the woods when Sweetheart had roared, so I wasn't expecting to see them. Goes to show that some people are braver than others, I mused, though the leaves on their body were shaking, and not because of the wind.

"Sorry about that noise! You're safe I promise," I said as we passed them. I doubted they'd believe me, but at least I'd have tried. Legendaries, things were going to get so much easier when Claydol learned to Teleport… maybe I'd have Alakazam tutor them if they came back in time before I left, which would be the day after Mira's birthday.

The forest, having seemed so deadly months ago, was now a walk in the park, save for the branches that sometimes got in my face and tangled my hair. They weren't actually off-route and were well-maintained by the Rangers, but they had let a Scyther slip through. Looking back, a predator like them had probably decided to take their chances in the 'human lands' if it meant they could get easy prey. Still, I asked Angel to be on guard with Ancient Power in case an aggressive Pokemon attacked us or we walked near a Dustox colony. As it stood, I wasn't feeling anything nearby with my empathy, though, and that stayed the case even when Angel found a spot he liked.

Two vines popped up from his head in front of my face, and he signed that the soil was good here. High quality.

"Great— for now. We'll have to use bad soil soon just in case our plans don't work out and we'll have you train under Sweetie's Sandstorm, but I guess this is nice for our proof of concept. Down, please?"

The grass type set me on the ground, and I put Mimi on my shoulder before turning back toward Angel. He stared at me curiously through his large eyes, his countless vines writhing so subtly you'd miss it if you didn't stare long enough.

"It's going to be you, Angel. Not Sunshine. Not Buddy. Not Sweetheart. You."

I let the words settle, and their weight draped over the grass type. It was the weight of expectation, of being scared he would fail to battle up to my standards for such an important fight.

I softly clicked my tongue. "We aren't scared of failure." My hands draped over his cheek, and he gently pulled them away so I wouldn't hurt them. Smiling, I continued. "You'll do great. You used to carry the team on your back, when you'd just evolved and during the tournament in Solaceon. And it won't just be you." I turned toward where we'd just come from. "I'll have the arena ready for you, I'll have it just right, or as close as right as possible."

Silence. It was always silence, but the look he gave me in that moment had me grin from ear to ear.

"Now give it a try."

The vines were slow, at first. As Tangrowth closed his eyes, four vines planted themselves into the soil with a slight thud, meeting no resistance beyond the layer of grass and plant-covered dirt. There was a slight glow to each of them as he shivered. The air stood perfectly still, and the entire forest was silent. Suspended in time, with only me and Mimi to bear witness to weeks of work and dedication. Hundreds of minute adjustments to stop the nutrients in the ground from getting used too quickly and killing everything or too slow to sustain what was currently happening.

The four vines left the ground, and then split. Then again, and again until they became a torrent of writhing Ekans crawling across the forest floor. It was like watching water flood the woods. They took the path of least resistance, wrapping around trees, digging under collapsed branches or in some case burying them with only the creaking of the bark to show that they'd ever been there. By the end of it, an entire area was covered in it, far beyond the size of a Gym Arena.

"Perfect."

My voice was a whisper, like I was terrified being too loud would ruin his concentration despite knowing that wouldn't be the case. Each vine was a limb, and he had thousands of them at his command. Only a small circle around my feet was clear of them, and Mimi jumped off my shoulder to touch the… ocean. One of the many vines poked at their side, and they tried to cut it immediately with a needle-like sword. Was I a bad influence on them?

"Give me a Power Whip."

Before I'd even finished talking, vines behind us wrapped together into a braid until they were as thick as a tree and glowed neon green. Good. Then, more popped up, though at the fourth, his focus began to lapse. Still, he could use it at any point on his field.

"Spores."

Around a hundred feet away from us, a puff of yellow, green and purple spores burst out from below the vines with a series of small explosions until they petered out.

"Solar Blade."

It would be with singular vines, this time, partly because of focus and time spent charging the attack, and partly because of lethality concerns. Three vines glowed bright white from the undergrowth and stood straight up. One of them cut across a tree, though Angel held back and only dented the bark. They weren't many, not yet, but that was fine. The advantage was that we could strike from anywhere.

And vines could hold opponents down, trip them up and push them around, too. A fire could always be cut off at the source and isolated, but should push come to shove, Angel would be able to run through the nutrients in the soil to regenerate his vines so long as he still had nutrients. It would be somewhat of a last resort.

"You did great," I exhaled. "So, so good. I'm proud of you."

He blinked slowly, and the entire field shook as one as his vines convulsed with excitement. It was like dropping a pebble into a lake— the emotion rippled like water.

We had our strategy. What we would be building towards.

Now my job was to get Byron's arena there to allow him to do all of this. From a swath of rough steel to…

Well, what we were standing on, minus the trees. Byron would resist, he'd fight and try to drag me onto his idea of what the arena should be shaped like, but I would drag him there kicking and screaming if I had to.

"Give me a Power Whip. Let's try to push to five."

—

"Shut up! You did not come up with that move for Lauren."

It was late in the evening now, and we were both back at my apartment. Princess at at the foot of my bed working on solving her puzzle while Mimi watched it in silence, too shy to get too close or speak up. From what I knew, their words were alien to my team too because they didn't speak. They used body language and felt, but beyond some vocalisations that were gibberish, communicating would be difficult. Princess was an empath, but being as good as I was would be a tall order. Sunshine was snoring besides the bed, and Buddy slowly elongated parts of himself to make his head look like they had spikes all over as a challenge he'd set for himself to work on his fine control. Mira's Porygon2 was her only Pokemon out, but like ninety percent of the time, she was out of view, on her phone.

Mira wriggled her eyebrows with that smug look she had gotten so good at. "What can I say, I was feeling mighty inspired that day."

"You don't come up with moves. That's not something you do! Your idea of battling is whittling Pokemon down while keeping your distance with Teleport or flying or—"

"Hey! I'll have you know that I've progressed beyond that stage," she said, clearly faking her offense at my words. "I'm training too, you know? And Lauren said Gengar was fun to fight!"

"I'm sorry, but calling a Gengar interesting of all things isn't the compliment you think it is."

Mira shrugged. "It is. For her."

She was smiling, so I'd let it go for now. Personally, I really wanted to fight her Gengar, but his idea of a fight was to pop out of nowhere and spook his opponents unless he was in a good mood. He wasn't very well-behaved.

"That move won her the battle," I muttered at my screen. I didn't remember how the conversation of Lauren had come up from her telling me about the drawings on her cast, but we'd segued into her Gym Battle and decided to watch it again. "Damn, who even are you?"

She pushed me on the shoulder. "Stop acting like I'm stupid or something."

"It's fun. Miss Knowledge not knowing how to battle—"

Poketch devices were all linked. Tablets, phones, watches, laptops— everything was connected through a system I didn't really understand. That was the reason why I'd seen Emilia's message pop up in the top right of the screen. Mira and I froze, looking at the text spelling out 'we need to talk'. Simple, but to the point.

"Well," Mira sighed. "Time to face the music."

At the same time, the clock hit midnight.

It was Princess' second birthday.

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Michael J, Knock, Jan, catfishdog,, Onyx2409, ChairmanK--, William F, Zhijia, Andy S, HeyMrJack, NineXO, Dvn, Exceedes, Gustavo S, Jacob, Elie, Serina T, Iepton

 

[Soussouni1]

INTERLUDE - STRENGTH OF THE MIND

Upon a rock flanking Mount Coronet sat Gardevoir, and she was bored out of her mind. What was the point of travel, if it was without Mira? It was like living in a world where no sunrise would ever come, and yet Alakazam had convinced her to accompany him. Mira had pushed as well, of course, and Gardevoir had always been awful at saying no to her since her old days as Ralts. Life without Mira was boring, but it was also empty. For months, Gardevoir's mind had been latched to Mira's own, listening in on everything that went on in that fascinating yet terrifying brain of hers. Sometimes it was five minds, sometimes three, but never more than ten. Truly, her trainer was like a star that Gardevoir could only hope to orbit. To stay within her influence was more than she deserved.

Minds flickered like candles around her, so, so much duller than Mira's. A simple flick of her wrist would be enough to extinguish them, should they get close. Dull. Just so dull. They never approached what Alakazam had designated as their 'camp', a thing humans liked so much. Pokemon had a way to avoid trouble and sense when beings were far stronger than they could handle. Really, this place wasn't a camp, it was more of a set of rocks they'd found along with a nice, flat set of land. Her fellow World Weaver thought more like a human than he let on, which was why he called the mastery over the strings that lay beyond the world's veil psychic. A human term, one in use by more and more Pokemon due to the dominance of their others. Gardevoir had never met her mother, but she had left something in her egg. Memories of tradition, culture, of what their role in the world was as half fae and half weaver.

Closing her eyes, she inhaled. This did not take focus to do, not anymore. A split second later, they opened, revealing to her countless strings that constituted the world. All the exact same length, so many of them they filled her entire vision. In the air, they undulated and flowed freely with the wind. On the ground, they were completely still and harder to make budge, which was why raising an earthen barrier by weaving was incredibly difficult and beyond her and Alakazam's means. Liquid was far easier to move, but air was always the easiest. Concentrating, the strings grew transparent other than the ones she was specifically targeting. She tugged at them with her mind, pulling the strings together near Alakazam. Rubbing them until the air around grew hot and bothered him enough for him to turn her way with an annoyed glare.

Why?

The half-man is coming back. Are you rested enough for another jump? she sent.

I'm close to a breakthrough. Soon.

Gardevoir sent a series of mental jabs to express her displeasure and told him she should have set him on fire. The entire exchange had taken place in less than a second, and could have been faster if she could keep up with Alakazam. He could process things far faster than she could, even if it pained her to admit. Still working with his little toy he called Type Energy, as always. It was an obsession at times, where no one was able to wrest him from his musings until he was done.

The world returned to normal once more as Gardevoir blinked. Sometimes, she wondered if there was something beyond the strings she could weave. She wondered what would happen if she could stretch them enough to tear a hole through reality, or bunch them together until they came dense enough to be seen with the naked eye, or even if delving deeper was possible. When she'd asked Alakazam, he had told her not to try unless she wanted to go mad. It was irritating, how he kept his knowledge so close to his chest even with his closest companions.

Two minutes later, the half-man arrived. Carlos, Mira called him. He was an annoyance that would be better off further crippled than he was if that meant he did not follow them again. Half of his face was missing, having been burned and torn until only flesh remained, and a ghost perpetually clung around him with a foul presence even worse than Gengar. He walked up the hill, reaching the flat, stony plane with a tired grunt, having returned from whatever he had been doing. She was not interested enough to care.

"No fire? It's dark," the trainer grunted to no one in particular. Having been gone since before the sun had set, he had expected one to have been lit.

The ground was solid and rigid, but the insides of a human was mostly gooey liquid. Ready to explore with a single tug of her mind, without protection, which the ACE had none. How strange, that he trusted her so much. She did not bother answering him, instead turning away and resting her hands on her lap. The flesh was soft— or at least that is what Mira said whenever she rested her head on there. Gardevoir's hands were not exactly equipped to feel what was soft and what was not. The half-man did not get an answer from Alakazam either, with how engrossed he was in his research. He had imbued a receptacle of glass and stone with void and was trying to stimulate human conditions, though he would be hard-pressed to do so without testing this on actual living beings. Stone and glass could not act like the confines of flesh, no matter how much he wished that to be the case. That void-touched boy would keep his condition for longer, it seemed.

"ˋSuppose I'll do it myself, then," the half-man grunted. Flames appeared around him, coming from the Mismagius perpetually by his side, and they divided and hovered around the entire camp in a circle until the entire area was illuminated. They were cold, seemingly sapping the area of its heat, but they were only using it for light. Again, he turned Gardevoir's way. "When can we do the jump over Coronet?"

She took a while to answer to express her displeasure. Tomorrow at the soonest, she said. For all she disliked Carlos, he had a mind she could respect. There was a certain fortitude about it Gardevoir couldn't help but admire.

"We're wasting time. By the time we're in Hearthome, we'll have arrived in the number of days it takes to fly there," Carlos complained. He found a rock to sit at with a sigh, near one of Mismagius' cold flames. "The return trip will need to be quicker than this."

That, I can agree with, half-man, Gardevoir said.

Eventually, she drifted off to sleep, and when she woke up, both Carlos and Alakazam were still up. The latter was unsurprising, with how Alakazam only needed to sleep around once per week, just like his need to eat, but for the ACE Trainer? It was easy to tell how tired a human was, when one was experienced enough. Their thoughts slowed, attention spans lapsed, and they became far less fascinating to latch onto. Oh, she never attached her own mind to the half-man. The last time she tried, she had blinked, and been placed into a mental prison of Mismagius' making. It had lasted twelve hours for her. Twelve hours of horrors beyond description, shapes that moved in shadows just beyond what she could see but that terrified her even so.

In the real world, she'd been convulsing on the ground for five seconds.

Never would she mess with the half-man again. Gardevoir did not understand these worries of 'privacy' people liked to tell her about. The mind was meant to be linked with another, and life without that was incomplete. Of course, Mira would forever be hers, but that did not stop her from sometimes delving into others. Grace, she had tried a while ago in Pastoria, before she had visited that Lake. She was violence, compromise and sadism all in one and bottled up. Lesser than she could be due to the fear of being judged, and desperate to lock herself away beyond more and more doors of her own making. So vulnerable, too, with the least amount of fortitude by far, though perhaps there was something admirable of being broken and mended so many times. Chase Karlson, for all Gardevoir hated him for stealing Mira's attention (that role had now been relegated to Lauren), was the flame of ambition personified. A bright mind impossible to extinguish, boisterous and like the brightest stars among the night sky, but fire could burn, if one got too close for too long. Cecilia was ambition as well, but gentler. A stream gently carving its way through the earth until it became a river large enough to flood a forest. She looked beyond what most could see, and it did not matter what twists and turns she would have to make, what obstacles she would meet, because eventually, a river had to reach the ocean. She was also care, gentle and steady. A rock the less fortunate could hold onto in times of strife. A harbor found in the midst of a storm.

All of course paled compared to Mira. Gardevoir was never allowed to delve too deep, lest their minds be locked away in that impossibly complicated shield. Alakazam and she had spent long nights analyzing their trainer's, layers upon layers so deep they were like a fractal. Impossible to comprehend no matter how long they looked.

Finally ready? Gardevoir asked her companion.

Alakazam sighed, one of his spoons twisting in displeasure as he twirled his mustache. That breakthrough had never come, it seemed, as she had predicted. Smart as he was, Alakazam could be so blind, sometimes.

Yes, he gruffed. My apologies for the delay, I really believed I was close. Expunging the energy left the vessel broken. At least now I'm confident I would be able to pull it out of Justin, which is contrary to what I thought in Veilstone. It would leave him in a worse state than the current. Dark Type Energy has always been a weakness of mine.

No need to mess with the void, she chided. Let forces beyond our control lie.

It's for the boy.

It is not for the boy, she said. If her face could keep up with the speed of the conversation, she would have smiled. You simply hate it when you cannot solve one of your projects. The boy stopped mattering long ago.

Alakazam slowed down, brushing her off with a dismissing wave. Let's just go. Where are we jumping? Can we handle reaching the bottom of Mount Coronet from here?

Shall we try reaching Hearthome? Gardevoir asked. Before he could rebuke her, she continued. No improvements come without risks, Alakazam.

Had we been alone, I would have said yes, but let's not get Carlos killed. We go to the bottom of Mount Coronet. Focus.

Carlos recalled his ghost, and sat close to both weavers as he had done multiple times before. Gardevoir closed her eyes, and found memory. She remembered the flattened grounds she had traveled as a Kirlia to get to Hearthome on the way down from Mount Coronet with Maeve and Louis, shortly after having met them. She remembered the layout of the terrain with perfect accuracy as if she could see it with her mind's eye, because she could.

Remember that area we camped at, a day after leaving the Ranger outpost? Alakazam whispered within her mind.

Yes.

It was crystal clear, now. There was a little creek they'd used to wash their dirty clothing and boil water. No trees to be seen in miles. A perfect area to Teleport. Gardevoir linked her mind with Alakazam's and found the exact area he was targeting.

Less than one second had passed.

Strings were weaved together into a line. They stretched and bent, for they were not meant to be exerted this much, but were a constant of the world. Alakazam had spoken many times, about the rules their apparent creator had put in place. It had been that knowledge, that had forced him into evolution. The revelation that they all lived at the whims of a God, which was why the rules sometimes did not make any sense or could be treated so. They could not be broken, but they could be bypassed in numerous ways. The strings tied into knots the sheer amount of control needed for the process being enough to give Gardevoir a mild headache. The link met somewhere above the slopes of Mount Coronet and tied itself together. They only had a moment to tie the structure around Carlos and themselves, because it was unraveling, little by little. In the next two seconds, it would have snapped.

Snapping was what they wanted, but only when they were ready. Forces beyond their understanding rent the knot.

Then, they were somewhere else. In the spot they had visualized in their heads, exhausted, but all in one piece. Long-distance Teleportation was extremely tiring to the mind, and Gardevoir could feel her hold on her weaving abilities slipping by the second.

"It's not meant to work, I think," Alakazam had told her when he'd been a Kadabra and first working on the Teleporting. Back then, he could only do so within his line of sight. "We trick the world into thinking we're somewhere else, and it brings us there because it doesn't know where else to put us. Like a glitch in a computer."

Because that was what weaving was, to her companion. An opportunity to control and understand a world that was not meant to be tamed. Mira had called it fascinating, and Gardevoir had said that his trivialization of the beauty of the Earth they inhabited made her sick.

"Good. The next jump should bring us to Hearthome and we can be done with this," the half-man sighed.

Many trainers with weak minds passed through this place and were of course flabbergasted at an ACE Trainer being here.

—

Let me do the talking, Alakazam said.

They were walking the streets of Hearthome, now, old and adorned with countless brown bricks. Carlos had gone out of view, using Mismagius to mask himself from passersby and them included, but she knew he would be there for the revelation of the danger the world was in. He would want to see and hear what was said, after all. Emilia and Pauline were supposedly staying at a hotel near the Coordinator's Walk, a street that led to the Hearthome Contest Hall. They turned countless eyes, for seeing two Pokemon walking without their trainers was an uncommon sight, even if it wasn't unheard of. One thousand, three-hundred and fifty-six minds were within her range, at the moment, though that number fluctuated wildly with every step. They were unworthy of her inserting herself into their minds. So weak they were barely noticeable. If she'd wanted to, she could latch onto one and Trace it. That was how she'd tracked Abel in Veilstone, after all.

Sometimes I wonder if this is truly necessary, Gardevoir asked. Mira doing this is… not something I approve of.

The logic is sound. Do this now so that they don't kill themselves later, he chided with an exasperated mental sigh. It won't take too long, I assume.

Gardevoir wanted to ask why they should care if two girls got themselves killed by their own means and decisions, but she didn't bother. The debate it would have brought would not have been great to have before such an important moment, and it would not have been the first time it would have happened.

They'll crumble under the pressure, Gardevoir said.

Alakazam's yellow skin glimmered under a street light. If they do, that's good. That means they won't endanger themselves or get in the way.

Mira has too many people to care about, Gardevoir said. She would be happier, with just her Pokemon and the other Shards. Perhaps Maeve. Her mind stands out among the rest, and she has killed before. Fought to the death.

Alakazam didn't answer her, and the remainder of the walk was spent in silence until they realized they were lost. Finding an address was more difficult than it seemed, and it absolutely embarrassed Alakazam. They usually never had to do this, but he was a quick learner and figured out the location within the next two minutes. That lightened the mood a bit, with Gardevoir smiling as they entered the hotel. Humans would call this place 'grand', or perhaps 'beautiful', but it was a waste of space. Towering columns were adorned with intricate gold leaf designs and reached towards the lofty ceiling, creating an air of ostentatious grandeur that seemed to serve no practical purpose. White couches had been strewn about in the entrance area and were large enough to fit a Pokemon battle. Gardevoir's feet slid across the white tiles, and she was nearly too tall for the elevators, which infuriated her. How dare they waste so much space but make it so she had to bend down in the elevators?

Alakazam's eyes shone pink, and the button to the eleventh floor pressed down on its own. The elevator stopped on the fifth floor, but people just flinched when they saw them and opted to wait for the next one, which pleased her greatly. The hallways leading to the room were carpeted and soft to the touch, though they stretched on for what seemed to be endless. Alakazam did not have to tell Gardevoir which room they stayed in, because she could already sense the mind of another world weaver nearby. Gothitelle. She was not one Gardevoir had interacted with much, but she could at least respect the close bond between her and Pauline. They both passed by a couple who practically clung to the wall to leave them space before reaching the door. Gardevoir's eyes flickered, and she pulled and stretched at a string repeatedly, letting it snap back into place to knock on the door. Muffled voices could be heard, worried and wondering who was at their door, but it was only a matter of time until the weaker mind peeked through the peephole and opened the door with a confused frown. Her red hair was well-combed, cut shorter than the last time Gardevoir had seen her and only reaching down to her neck. The fae supposed people would have called the clothes she wore fancy, if she had any good sense of what looked good or not. Pauline broadened her shoulders and made herself tall until her eyes flickered to the half-man who had somehow appeared from the opposite side of the hallway until he joined them, his ghost coiled around his skin, hidden from view and a hole in the world to her senses. A spirit who did not belong to this plane.

There was a reason he'd been able to keep track of Mira so well in Veilstone.

"What's up?" Pauline said, her voice low.

Pretending. Pauline King had always pretended to be strong— and in a way, Gardevoir supposed she was. There was merit to pretending so much it essentially became a part of you, but it felt so artificial, in some ways. Forced. The world and her upbringing had made her this way, but she was just so static.

"Um, what are you guys… doing here?" Emilia asked. Her chestnut hair was frazzled, unkept, and she had deep lines under her eyes. She was worried— worried they'd been found out. Her vulnerabilities leaked out of her so intensely that Gardevoir did not even need to latch onto her head to figure it out.

Not that she would have. For a significant amount of time, at least. Gothitelle was a skilled psychic and it would have soured relations.

Alakazam's spoons levitated out of his hands to allow him to wave. Greetings, Pauline and Emilia. May we enter the room? This is important.

Just tell them so we can go back home, Gardevoir sent only to Alakazam.

We have to be delicate about this. Do not be insufferable and backseat me, he answered in a split-second.

"I mean, we were a little busy," Pauline grunted, gripping at the doorframe. "Can this wait, or…?"

This is related to what you're currently doing, Alakazam said with a gentle smile. It is time to tell you the truth, so I ask again. May we enter?

"I don't—"

Emilia's eyes sharpened, and she interrupted, "Yes. Yes, come in. And… what's your name again?" She stared at the ACE Trainer.

"Carlos," he said flatly. "Only here to observe."

"Oh. This is happening, isn't it?" Emilia exhaled. She slapped her cheeks with her hands until they were red and nodded to herself. "Okay. Yeah."

Wasn't this what she wanted? Why make such a grand affair out of it if she needed to get ready? Gardevoir shuffled into the hotel room, finding it weirdly modest for such wealthy humans. It was simple, with a single bed, one small bathroom to the side, a balcony and a desk. Not that she minded, of course. This was a plus for her, not wasting space that was unneeded to live. Alakazam flicked his wrist, settling his spoon on the flat desk, and he crossed his arms, sending a mental greeting to Gothitelle.

Gardevoir did the same. Well met, Stargazer, she said.

Fuck off, Gothitelle scowled. I know the way you think about Pauline, so don't take that haughty tone with me. We are nothing, you and I.

Gardevoir sighed. Unslightliness and bad manners ran in that group of Pokemon, it seemed. What was so wrong with being true to herself and showing respect only to those who deserved it? Carlos leaned against the entry door, which Pauline kept glancing at as if she was trapped. It was always fight or flight with her.

No need to be nervous, my friends, Alakazam said. Though I will admit, the revelations I bring to you today are mighty. You can still back out, if you so wish.

The two girls looked at each other, and then shook their heads. They were ready to hear this.

Before I begin, may I know what you've discovered so far using Future Sight?

Pauline opened her mouth, but Emilia outstretched a hand to stop her. "Wait. This isn't a trick isn't it? You're not just coming here to learn of our progress to report to the others?"

Pain flickered on Alakazam's face. How tragic is it, that we've been reduced to this? This lack of trust, this expectation of deception and lies?

"That was something of your own doing," she said. "Of Mira's, Grace's and the others' who are in the know and who are leaving us in the dark."

"Who were leaving us in the dark," Pauline specified.

"Were," her friend acquiesced. "So you'll forgive us if we don't really trust any of you, at the moment."

"Come on, Emi."

She hesitated, but ended up relenting as she sat on the bed with a heavy breath. "What Gothitelle sees, it's always through Pauline," Emilia started. "At first, in Pastoria, all we got was a vague warning, but we had her hone in on it, and what she sees is a little broader, but still through the eyes of Pauline. She's in more danger if she sticks close to you, and apparently the window for that has already closed, so don't even try the 'don't be friends with us' bullshit." Emilia's voice shook, at the end of that sentence. After everything, Gardevoir noticed, she was still hurt by being pushed away. "Part of what she sees right now is fire, though."

Alakazam frowned. Fire?

"It's very vague, but yes. I don't know if it's symbolic, or—"

Trust me, I don't do symbolism, Gothitelle interjected. It's literal.

"Okay, well what she sees is fire, and we were kind of stuck on that. The other had her a lot more worried, though. There's potential for her to be taken away by… someone. It's blurry."

Kidnapped, Alakazam said with an audible hum. Perhaps as a hostage. Knowing this is a huge advantage, children. You've done a good thing, here.

Emilia's lips thinned. "Thank you."

"We'll see about getting her some security," Carlos said.

Gardevoir knew he was only thinking from a pragmatic sense. If a friend was hurt, Mira and the other shards would be difficult to work with, in their grief, and who knew how much time they'd have when everything began. For a while, they talked about affording their other friends guards, though Carlos deigned that with ACE Trainers already sticking by Grace and Chase and them being in Canalave, there was no need to place more guards in the city. He recommended them going to Canalave as well, though they'd said they would think about it.

"So? What's the big reveal?" Emilia said, her body tense. "Does it have to do with the fire thing? I mean, it's obviously related to Galactic in some way, so… I'm ready. Pauline, are you ready?"

The redhead steeled herself. "Yeah."

Both minds shone a little brighter, for a moment, startling Gardevoir slightly as Alakazam dove into the details of Team Galactic's plans. Summoning Time and Space (Gardevoir did not like to utter their true names in vain) with the help of the Lake Guardians that they would control through the Red Chain. With the trio, they would find their way up Mount Coronet quickly, unbothered by any of the tricks played by the mountain, and they would reach Spear Pillar to snuff out this universe and create one anew, all for the vanity of one broken man.

Gardevoir had heard the story many times, and her first reaction had been to vow to never let the events come to pass. To stand tall and spit in the eye of destined death— or she supposed it wouldn't exactly be death, if Team Galactic succeeded. Just… inexistence. Gothitelle was the only one who seemed relatively unaffected, though her thoughts and emotions frayed wildly. Weavers saw the world for what it was, a collection of building blocks with rules, and therefore knew how fragile it could be, so Gardevoir had expected for her to take to the news well. Humans had always been strange about their lives ending, too. Pauline King, who had asked if they were 'fucking with her' at least ten times during the revelation, was rocking herself back and forth on the bed and silently crying, muttering to herself that this wasn't real. Emilia was pale, having thrown up in the trash can and her mouth was still laced with vomit. She was frozen, utterly silent, and disbelieving.

Perfect.

Now they could finally go home—

I know this is difficult, Alakazam said with a solemn look. I know the scale of it is beyond what you imagined, but it is the truth. You know everything, now. I hope you know that the best course of action is to let the League do its work.

Emilia wiped her mouth with a napkin, scrunching it up and throwing it in the trashcan. "Wait," she spoke, her voice barely a rasp, "where do Cecilia, Chase, Mira, Grace and Denzel fit in all of this? Why did they know?"

They were picked by the Lake Guardians, Alakazam explained. They were the best candidates available at the time, and so they bear the burden of wrenching them out of the Red Chain's control if they are captured. Mira was picked by Knowledge, Grace by Emotion, and Cecilia and Chase by Willpower— Pauline groaned, saying once again that this wasn't real. Denzel was told shortly before the raid, like you are being told today.

"I see," Emilia said. "Okay. Can we— can we take five?"

Alakazam nodded. May we know what you plan to do from now on?

"We'll tell you after we take five— maybe ten. I need to gather my thoughts," Emilia said. "To— to call them."

Gardevoir sighed, and they left the room.

—

The end of the world.

It was a concept Emilia had thought about a few times. During history classes, when they covered the Great War, she often heard of the Legendary Birds rampaging throughout the world to end the fighting, killing millions in the process and almost as many people as the war itself had killed. Almost all civilians, too, who had nothing to do with the war itself, like it was one cruel joke. She remembered reading about one of Articuno's avatars causing Sinnoh to be plunged under a year-and-a-half-long winter after the war's end and how many people had starved. She remembered reading about how Orre used to have more people living in it than Unova and used to be the wealthiest country on the planet, before it was glassed into an unlivable desert. Reading about Mewtwo beating every force the Indigo League sent after it until it seemed like it was unstoppable, but that one day, suddenly, it had just… disappeared somewhere, for reasons no one knew about, but knowing that it was still out there had kept her up multiple nights.

Emilia had always known, deep down, that there were forces in this world beyond her comprehension. Beings that could destroy everything she loved, everything humanity had built, and it would not even be particularly difficult for them to do so. She gripped the sink until her knuckles went white and restrained a sob, trying to take deep breaths, but finding herself wavering at every single pull of air. This is what you wanted, Emilia, she thought to herself as she stared in the mirror. Now deal with it. Deal with it like they've all been dealing with it. Her thoughts went back to her journey— to her stay in Sunyshore. Memories of her friends, smiling, laughing, battling as if they hadn't known all of this. As if they hadn't been carrying all of this weight. She knew, deep down, that this would be impossible for her to do.

You wanted this, she repeated to herself with clenched teeth.

She washed herself off, rinsing her entire face and the inside of her mouth. At some point, her hands moved to her head, and she started reflexively doing her hair. The motions were familiar enough to be comforting, and as the seconds passed, her hands did not stop trembling, but they trembled less. Routine helped. Routine was familiar. Routine made her think this was a day like any other.

"All this time," she muttered.

Had anything she'd done in the last year even mattered? Did anything matter? Her contests, her content creations, the friendships she'd made, the problems with her parents, her relationship drama, did any of it matter?

"Damn it."

She still felt nauseous, her heart was beating like she'd just run a marathon, and her body was full of adrenaline but she knew Pauline needed help. Emilia had had no choice in retreating to the bathroom to get herself situated, but she'd left her alone long enough. The door cracked, and Emilia was surprised to find Pauline no longer hugging her knees on the bed. Instead, she was sitting cross-legged, taking breaths so deep Emilia figured she must have had an extra set of lungs. She was still crying, though utterly silently. It was a little disturbing, though she didn't dwell on it, considering there was a lot more at stake, now.

She is meditating, Gothitelle said. Learned it from the Primeape.

"I… I've never seen her do that. Can I— can I interrupt?"

She only answered with a nod, and Emilia tip-toed toward Pauline. They'd been through so much together, hadn't day? Even if it seemed small, in the grand scheme of things, even if it didn't matter, they'd known each other since they were toddlers, and she had to admit, there was no one else she'd rather be learning of this catastrophe with. Emilia placed a hand on Pauline's shoulder, and she slowly opened her hazel eyes.

"Pauline." Her throat was tight, but she forced out the words. "Are you— I mean, are you well enough to function?"

"I think." Pauline's voice was so… vulnerable. Raw. Something Emi had heard so infrequently she'd almost forgotten it existed. "I think I can hold myself together for a little bit. I might be wrong."

Emilia sat next to her, placing a hand on hers. "Can we call the others? We should call Mira, shouldn't we? And I guess Grace, since they're together. They were the ones to deliver the news."

It was easy to see now, why they'd all kept it a secret for so long. Why Denzel had said it was for their own good. She did not agree, but she at least understood. No one wanted to just tell someone else the world might end, and the way Alakazam had described it was even more terrifying than the ways Emilia had thought about Legendary Pokemon. With the birds, it would be untold destruction wrought for days and weeks until society collapsed and humanity was reduced to a few roving bands in a world scorched by fire, ice or electricity while it recovered. With Dialga and Palkia, it was… instantaneous. The power of space and time brought to life, if they could even be considered alive. Emilia wasn't really well enough to talk philosophy, at the moment.

"Yeah," Pauline deflated. "Let's… talk to them before we decide what to do."

Emilia knew already, that she would tell her Pokemon and the others who were involved and in danger. Beyond the plot to end the world, people deserved to know that their lives were at stake through Team Galactic's plans to use Pauline— and maybe them as hostages. And their friends having powers? It explained everything about their closeness to the League. So many pieces of the puzzle were starting to fit together. She texted Grace, more out of habit than anything else, telling her that they needed to talk, and then they both jumped a little when she called.

Instantly, she put it on speaker. "Hello? Grace?"

"Hey Emi," she answered. Her voice seemed tired, but most of all, expectant. As if she'd known this call had been coming. "I have Mira with me, and you're on speaker. Let's talk."

"You know," Emilia noted. "I guess Mira told you."

"I did," a higher-pitched voice chimed in. "You guys are up to speed?"

Up to speed? Why was she talking about this like they were just being updated on plans to hang out for an afternoon and not like they'd learned the world could end?

Emilia clenched her forehead. "What the hell, guys? What is all of this?"

"We thought you'd be better off knowing given the fact that you would have gotten yourself killed if you kept playing detective," Mira said.

Grace spoke up. "Mira—"

"Sorry— sorry, that was ruder than it needed to be. How're you guys feeling?"

"Awful," Pauline forced out. For a moment, Emi thought she'd cry again, but she closed her eyes and breathed. "We know everything, now, but it's… it's just so fucking heavy."

"You wanted this," Mira said. Emilia could almost visualize her shrugging. "Don't complain about the weight."

"Well, sorry for not expecting this entire thing to be the literal worst-case scenario!" Pauline yelled. "I'm pretty sure no one would have thought this to be possible, so kindly fuck off."

"It's a lot," Grace said. "It was a lot for us too, at first. You have to let it settle, and it'll get better after a few days. You learn to live with it."

"I think that's just you, Grace," Pauline sighed. "I'll try, but… yeah. Okay."

"I'll try to see about getting you guys a therapist," she added. "They're a lot of help, and they're really good."

There was a beat of silence Emi took advantage of. "I want to thank you for telling us, Mira. I appreciate your honesty."

"No prob'" she drawled. "I mean, it was the best course of action. Again, I had it on good authority that you'd get yourself killed. So, what's the plan now?"

"What do you mean the plan?" Pauline asked.

"What're you guys going to do?"

Not even five minutes since they'd learned the world might end, and they were already being asked that? Not that Emilia had no answer, but… had her friends always been this distant? No, no, that was just her not thinking straight. Of course they needed to know what they'd do.

"We tell the others."

"Expected," Mira said. "Who exactly?"

"I mean, everyone? It wouldn't be right to hide this from some and tell others, it would just splinter us." Splinter them more than they already had, she omitted. "I assume you're okay with us doing that?"

"Sure," Grace said. "Uh, don't tell Lauren, though. She's not involved in this and isn't under threat."

"Wasn't going to," Emilia agreed.

"Okay, so are you guys going to be all like 'let us help you' when everything goes down?" Mira asked. "Because if I'm being honest, I think it's a bad idea."

Emilia glanced at Pauline, expecting a retort about her Pokemon being just as good as Mira, but none of that came. Instead, she stared at her feet and gripped Emilia's hand tight.

"Why, exactly?" Emilia asked. "Beyond the usual… 'we can't protect you' or 'you'll just get in the way' thing."

"Wow, that was exactly what I was going to say," Mira snorted.

"Seriously, I know you're a good trainer, Pauline. Ingenious, even if at first glance all you do is beat things up until they stop moving. Emilia, I've seen your contest. I know you're good enough with TE manipulation to be as good as I am in that regard, but fights like what's coming are… different than the rest."

"We've been in those before, Grace. In Eterna Forest and in Mount Coronet," Emilia protested.

"I mean what I said. It's one thing seeing a Pokemon attacking you because you encroached on their territory or wandered too close to a nest or something, but hearing and seeing another human want to kill you is different, and none of you have enough experience for it."

Emilia groaned. "How can we help, then?"

"Why do you want to get in harm's way this badly?" Mira said with an exasperated sigh.

She clenched her teeth. "Is it that difficult to think that I might want to help my friends? The people who helped me discover myself, who pushed me to realize my dreams of being a coordinator? Who stuck by me when I was deadweight? The people I love?!"

She was tired of being powerless. Of watching her friends become more and more broken for reasons she hadn't understood at the time, but that she now fully knew. If the world would end, she did not want to just whimper in a corner and hope for the best. She wanted to rage against that fate, to fight. To do something.

Grace sighed. "You're right, Emi, I'm sorry. I'd be— I'd be doing the same thing in your situation, I think. Trying to find a way to help."

"So what can we do?"

"Well, that entirely depends on how Team Galactic goes about things," Mira said after a pause. "But maybe we can find something. I'll talk to my guys, since Grace… yeah, I'll talk to my guys. See if they can get back to the League. Don't expect much, but I think they'll do it to keep us happy."

"Thank you," Emilia sighed in relief.

She was terrified, still, but there was no putting the genie back in the bottle. No going back. She had wanted this, and so she would suffer the consequences with open arms despite the hardships it would bring. Carlos and Mira's psychics came back while Grace had been telling them about an underground city where she'd almost died in the spirit of coming clean, and Emilia knew the night was only beginning.

She didn't think she would be able to sleep, anyway. Busy work like this would keep her head above water, and it would keep her from breaking down again.

Hopefully.

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Michael J, Knock, Jan, catfishdog,, Onyx2409, ChairmanK--, William F, Zhijia, Andy S, HeyMrJack, NineXO, Dvn, Exceedes, Gustavo S, Jacob, Elie, Serina T, Iepton

 

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 295 - I'M OKAY

"You don't have to be so… how do I say this, um, you don't have to stop telling me about what you're feeling just because of my issues. Show me your hand?"

Electivire outstretched arm, showing me his new hand. Even though the skin of his fingers was black, it was just so pale, like a newborn's, and in some way, I supposed it was. The fur was shorter than the rest of his body's the skin of his fingers smoother than his other, calloused hand, and every time he tried to move them, he struggled to even make his fingers twitch, let alone flex his hand into a fist, or channel TE into it. I was almost scared to touch it, with the horror stories about Ditto cells Justin had told me months ago, but I knew the fear was unfounded. When I rubbed at the skin, Honey simply said he felt numb, almost nothing. The hand still wasn't his, and it would take another few weeks for it to get back to normal. Still, I patted Honey on the shoulder and stared up at him with a gentle smile. He was back, finally. One hour since I'd gotten him back from the Pokemon Center, and it was like he'd never even left. I'd missed traveling cities with him by my side, though right now we were sitting on a bench next to a bus stop. There was an ice cream stand nearby with a long file, and the hum of car engines filled the street. We weren't really waiting for the bus, but rather had just found it a convenient place to sit and talk. Most of the time, he had complained about the way his hand felt awful, at least until I came clean about my own hands, which was how this conversation had come up in the first place.

He hadn't cried as much as Princess, but instead of hurtling insults my way that I would have been ready to take in full, it was guilt, that wore him down. Pressed down on his shoulders and made him stand a little shorter than he actually was. The fact that he hadn't been there in the days following the fight with Zoroark. I leaned against his arm, hugging it with both of mine.

"Let's both do our best to recover," I muttered. "And hey, my leg's feeling way better since you've been gone. Soon I'll be able to actually walk without a crutch and put weight on it, can you believe that? So you focus on your hand for now, okay?"

He let out a non-commital grunt as he nodded, letting me know that he'd at least try. One of his two prehensible tails wrapped around the foot of the plastic bench while the other straightened. Like with Sunshine and Princess, it wasn't enough, not nearly, but it was a start. So long as I held my promise to try, then he would be at his best, and to be honest, I was doing well and hadn't relapsed. For a while, we talked about him taking a backseat during the Gym battle with Byron, which he took hard. Honey no longer suffered from the self-confidence issues that had plagued him before Sunyshore and his training with Jasmine, but he was still susceptible to feeling like he was being left behind, especially with how he was going to have to take it easy with training regarding his hand. Sometimes, his eyes would glance at my wrist, and I'd feel a slight tug. He was obviously curious about Mimi, but his gentle attitude had me hoping they could connect like the steel type had with Angel and Buddy, even if Mimi's predecessor had caused him to lose his hand.

"I have something I want you to work on when you're better," I said. He eyed me expectantly, leaning to the side and turning slightly. "It's a new project, something that'll help against most opponents and requires a crap ton of control over your electricity? You up for it?"

He nodded, his face eager and showing the first smile I'd seen on him. He flashed his flat teeth and asked me what the idea was, and his grin kept getting wider and wider the more I explained the concept I'd brainstormed. Normally, against Byron, we would have prioritized his magnetic control so he could make full use of the iron-filled arena, including molten metal, if he ever needed to, but given the fact that I'd pivoted off that strategy and he wasn't going to fight, I'd come up with something with more of a general use this past week in anticipation for his return. Eventually, an old couple followed by a Mightyena that looked to be greying asked to sit in our spot, and we of course let them.

"Let's go back home, I have something to show you that'll give you an advantage in your playfighting war with Princess," I grinned. "Want some ice cream?"

We left the bus stop after that and made our way to the stand, where I got him three scoops. Cookies and cream, pistachio and vanilla, and he basically downed them all in a minute. We talked about making our own ice cream one day as got going back toward the apartment, and I told him about some Gym in Unova where the theme was apparently cooking. Like Cece had told me, they didn't only do battling in that country. One trainer or groups of trainers would have to work together to go through different trials that tested skills outside of battling that a trainer would need, at least according to them, and were run by the Gym Trainers before being given the option to battle the Gym Leader. All of their battles had themes that deviated from the usual six-on-six with three switches I was used to. I hadn't looked them up yet, though. I didn't want to spoil myself the surprise.

Mira and Princess' birthdays had come and gone, and since there had been a one-day delay with Honey's discharge from the Center and Claydol was training the fundamentals of Teleporting with Alakazam, I'd decided to stay another day.

Plus… I needed to tell my Dad about everything, before leaving for Canalave. I had promised myself that— and I owed him that, at least. He deserved to know what his daughter was truly like, and to be honest, I just wanted my Dad to love me for who I was, the good and the bad.

A lot of bad, but not just that. These past few weeks had taught me that there was good in me. That I could be that person who I'd used to be before going on my journey, the girl who had befriended a clique of rich teenagers who soured her on their first meeting and who had gotten Sunshine out of Mount Coronet. I was confident in who I was, now, or at least I was nowhere as lost as I used to be. My second change had shown itself, and I'd made full use of it. Anxiety was starting to bubble up inside of me, and many times, I'd been about to spill out everything. Yesterday, for example, at the end of Mira's party. I'd given her my gift, the newest model of the Poketch laptop, a card with words about how important she and her friendship were to me, and a cute bonnet I thought would go well with her pink hair. She'd cried of joy and called herself undeserving— but that wasn't the point, despite how happy it made me. She'd gone to sleep early because being happy was so unusual for her that it exhausted her, and it had just been me and Dad.

The perfect opportunity to come clean, right there in front of me, and I flubbed it. It made me feel like my time in Eterna City, when I'd struggled to come out to Cecilia as a lesbian for days, except this was a lot more serious and really, not even comparable. It was just… my brain being desperate to find a comparison. Something to latch onto to familiarize myself with the trial I needed to face. It was something I'd done many times, but that I was just catching after Mira had called it out a few days ago. A more apt comparison would be the time I'd come clean to Cece about it, but there was something that felt more final with this than with her. Cecilia had known me, seen me become who I was throughout the months while Dad only got to witness part of that change through text, calls and his television. It would feel a lot more sudden for him than for her, or at least I thought so.

Tiresome. It was so tiresome. It wasn't like revealing the fact that you'd killed several more people than they'd said on TV and one of them excruciatingly slowly shouldn't be difficult, it would be disturbing to be that honest. Like I didn't care.

Honey patted my back with his good hand and asked what I was thinking about, and it made me realize I hadn't exactly told my team about this plan to come clean to my Dad. I waited until we reached an empty part of the street, something only possible because of how early in the morning in was, and I told him about my issues.

"You know, I guess in a way, you're sort of like my Dad," I said before humming as I looked up at him. When he giggled, I rolled my eyes. "Not literally, and you know it. I mean personality-wise."

Both were kind-hearted, disliked needless violence, and even when you honed in on the little quirks of his personality, you could find similarities. He loved pranks, though my Dad was less about physical pranks and more about verbal teasing. He lifted his hand to scratch the back of his head, though his face fell when his fingers didn't move.

That was going to take a little to get used to. He embarrassingly used the other hand as we approached my apartment building.

"If I was revealing this part of me to you, how'd you like me to tell you?" I asked. "Do I just… rip the band-aid off? Say everything right away? Or to I stagger the reveals and see how he reacts to them one by one—"

He interrupted me by saying that the second idea was a terrible idea and that would only make Dad hurt more.

"Yeah… I guess so," I sighed. The door to our apartment clacked open, and he pushed me in first. "How, then?"

He blinked.

"Yeah, I'm serious. This is… tough for me. I'd like to hear what you think about it. I love the others, but they wouldn't get it. Dad still thinks Princess is this harmless kid, you know? It hurts me to think that she'd sour on him if she knew how he would react."

For a few seconds, Honey stayed silent as we waited for the elevator. When it dinged open, he lifted a finger and suggested for me to write him a letter.

"A letter?"

That could… work, though it felt like I was chickening out. With Cecilia, I at least the excuse that we hadn't even been in the same city, so doing it via text was okay, even if I'd wanted to do it through call beforehand. Wouldn't it be weird for him to be right there and reading a letter about how his daughter was a mass murderer?

Electivire said that it would be the easiest on me, and easier on Dad, too, especially if we were in separate rooms. It would leave him time to gather his thoughts and figure how to best approach me afterward. Approach me was an expression that had me shiver. It felt like I was a cornered animal ready to lash out, and in a way, I supposed I was. The electric type noticed my wince and apologized for the expression.

"I get it," I exhaled. "Thanks for the advice, I think a letter will work."

It had to.

We rode the elevator up while Honey tried to flex his fist to distract himself from constantly asking about if I was alright. I could almost guess what was going through his head, the idea that I might leave after leaving the letter to Dad, but I couldn't do that to him. It would be almost cruel. When we got to our apartment, Dad yelled in the living room.

"Grace! Your merchandise came!"

Excitement surged through me, and I was limping toward the living room before I even realized it. It was just so stupid, too. It was like I was latching onto this as an excuse to delay. Mimi hopped off my wrist, having learned that home was safe to show themselves, while Electivire bent down and squeezed through the doorway. He was growing, still, as was most of my team, which made me a little self-conscious of my height despite not being short at all, and again, having a bunch of tall friends didn't help. At least Sunshine would be there to echo my complaints. I spared Mimi and Honey a nervous look, but the electric type was already kneeling and letting them climb on their good hand, so I figured their first official meeting was going to go well.

Laid out on the living room table and couch was my merch, and it felt surreal looking at it. One instance of each product, only sent to me before their mass production actually started. How odd would it be, to see my face in stores in a few weeks? To see people wearing all of this on them? Every time, when going out, I noticed at least a few people wearing Craig's or other popular trainers' merch. Hell, I'd even seen a couple wearing Denzel's out and about. Dad grinned at me, beckoning me closer.

"Come take a look," he said. "It must have come last night, but I picked it up earlier this morning when emptying the recycling bin. Figured it might have come, and lo and behold."

"Arceus, this is— this is…"

It was one thing to see the designs online, and another to see them having come to life. I spent around thirty minutes looking at them over with Dad, releasing the rest of my team so they could take a look too, save for Claydol who was at Mira's and training.

It was funny, how I missed them and we'd only known each other for so little time and I'd already grown attached. Of course, Sweetheart also stayed in her Pokeball, and I'd have to show her later, but the others seemed to enjoy the merch. Princess liked all the ones with her on it, obviously, while Angel liked the family-themed ones the best, and he would show his favorite ones to Mimi who was sitting on his head. Honey lamented not being able to wear the shirt showing him using Thunder at an undetermined target because of how cool he looked in that pose, pointing forward with a wide grin. Buddy didn't enjoy the fact that people would be wearing him or any of us, though he liked the monetary gain it would bring. He's definitely going to ask for more books, I thought. I really need to get him Extrasensory so he can read without me.

Sunshine was, as usual, pretending to be too cool for any of this, even if I could see him try to smother his proud smile. It wasn't about the merch for him, but about how far we'd come.

"I think I'm gonna take some of these on the road," I told Dad. "You can keep the rest. What if you wear this to work when they make the ones your size?"

I grabbed a t-shirt with myself, Sunshine and Princess on the front. Supposedly the design choice had been to showcase 'opposites' of my team, dragon and fairy. If only they knew how wrong they were, though. Those two were two sides of the same coin.

"I would, no questions asked," he deadpanned. "I need to show the world how much I support my daughter— who's getting into the Conference her first year."

I groaned, my face heating up slightly. "Dad… I was supposed to embarrass you. Plus, you don't want to jinx me. I've heard a whole lot of horror stories about trainers getting stuck on the eighth badge when they had plenty of time to spare, like Sharon. She's a flying type specialist that works with Poketch."

"Oh, I've heard of her. You should know by now that embarrassing me is literally impossible, kiddo" he boasted, ruffling my hair. "But seriously, I don't say it enough. You've done really, really well this year, Grace, even with all of the issues you've had to deal with. No matter what happens, I'm proud of what you've accomplished." He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and side-hugged me. "I always knew you had potential."

I stayed silent, the confidence suddenly sapped out of me. Not this, and not now. My throat felt horribly dry, and I saw Honey shoot me a look out of the corner of my eye. Taking a deep breath, I cleared my throat.

"Yeah, thanks," I weakly said. "Uh, anyway, I was planning on giving one of these shirts to Mira, since she asked. She'll probably swing by tomorrow with Claydol to give them back."

The pounding of my heart against my ribcage relaxed when I saw Honey trying to pull at Mimi with magnetism, something they apparently enjoyed, with the way they squealed. Princess and Sunshine side-eyed them, but otherwise said nothing, because they knew Buddy would have intervened, and he was already looming over them like a hungry Talonflame.

"And I was thinking of sending one of them to Eterna City. I met a fan there that I think would be really happy with this."

Dad raised an eyebrow. "Early access, huh? Fair enough."

"Yeah, I have their number and everything, so it should be easy. Their name is Edith."

I told Dad about my entire adventure through Eterna Forest that he'd somehow missed, and I knew it wasn't for a lack of keeping up with the news. Maybe Edith's group hadn't talked to anyone but a few trainers at the outpost about it.

"Wish I could have gotten another one of these for them, though," I muttered, observing my knife. It felt excellent to grip, even if the blade itself was made of silicone and couldn't cut. The Princess motif on the handle was really cute too, and I handed it to her so she could flaunt it to the others.

"You know, I've never understood what was with you and blades," he said.

"I dunno, I just think they're fun and pretty."

It took another twenty minutes for me to go through everything and retreat back into my room. Honey joined me, knowing what I was about to do, and Buddy did so because he always liked to shadow me. I gently closed the door open and sprawled onto my chair with a heavy sigh, searching the desk for a pen. The early sunrays shone through my window, revealing floating dust in my room. Part of me considered delaying until nighttime, but there was just no point in procrastinating about it, was there? Jellicent whispered behind me, asking what I was doing.

"Telling my Dad about the raid," I quickly answered, snatching a pen out of a drawer. Paper… damn it, where was my paper? I looked for it for a few seconds before deciding to just rip an empty page out of my old textbook while Buddy asked me why. "Because we tell the truth instead of avoiding it, now. Or at least we do it when we can, even if lying would be more convenient" I said, gripping my pen. "I have to. I have to do it now, or I'll never do it."

Mira had been correct when talking about the need to tell the others about Galactic, even if she had acted more out of pragmatism than anything else. I had no right to criticize her for it, given the fact that actually committing to telling the truth had been her idea and only hers. It felt good, not to have to hide anymore after months of having had to be someone else in front of them, or hidden meetings, secret group chats, talking about them like they were burdens to be protected instead of actual people with their wants and needs.

It had not been without its consequences, however.

From what I understood, Chase completely disagreed with the entire idea. Not that he was really sticking with them anyway, given that he was mostly doing his own thing in Canalave and wasn't sticking by the group. I doubted he would be seeing him much other than the first day I was there to, to be honest.

Then, there was the fact that Denzel's first reaction had been anger on Emilia and Pauline's behalf…

Um…

I wasn't sure their entire thing was going to work out any longer. Some rifts couldn't be fully mended.

That was the thing, with Denzel. Helpful, so helpful, but sometimes people other than me felt like he was treating them with kid gloves, even if it came from a good place. He was quite busy taking care of Louis, at the moment, given that he'd taken it the worse and wasn't eating very well and had to put his negotiations to buy land in Floaroma on hold. He no longer even planned to battle Byron. Even Justin was touched by the news. I'd have to do something, when I got there to try to get everyone in order, and unlike Emi and Pauline, I didn't think either of them were planning to help when the time came. I'd convinced the two girls to book a flight to Canalave so I could train them in the kind of fights that were coming.

Denzel was holding down the ship, at the very least, thank the Legendaries. He'd always been there for Louis, whether that be in Hearthome when he was just… drifting and recovering from his heartbreak with Cecilia, or Sunyshore when he was looking for Justin. Without Louis to keep him grounded, Justin was growing more and more distant again. I need to be there for him when no one else was. No, 'was' was wrong. When no one else could be.

Maeve had handled the news surprisingly well. About as good as we had, back when we'd first learned of it, which surprised Cece a decent bit.

I tapped the tip of the paper with the pen, realizing how I was so unused to writing now. It wasn't that I'd forgotten, that was impossible, but after months spent without writing, the hold on my pen felt odd. Unfamiliar. Especially when holding it too tightly still hurt my hands.

Dear Dad. There's a part of me you need to know about, and this is really important.

No, 'dear dad' felt improper. Weird. Like I was writing about some random, everyday occurrence instead of… well, all of this.

Dad, I need to tell you something important about what happened during the raid.

Damn it, that felt wrong too. I didn't want to just fucking jump into things. I scratched the line until it was completely dark and tried again, and this time, though I wasn't fully satisfied with the words, it was something I could work with.

Hi Dad.

I know you're probably wondering what the heck any of this is, but I need to tell you something that's been eating at me for a long time. I just want you to know that these past few days with you have been among the best since I left Sunyshore. I was really down lately and seeing you again has helped immensely with that.

There. I didn't want to beat around the bush, but going straight in felt wrong and would maybe make it harder to swallow. Was it manipulative, that I was trying to fucking sell this to my Dad so he wouldn't look at me like I was some monster? I kept writing, confessing about not only Backlot, but the five associates I'd killed… damn it, after everything, I didn't want to ruin his image of Princess. Five drills to the head, quick and painless, was how I'd dealt with them while I'd delivered the rest to Carnivine. It filled the entire page and the back, by the end of it. Surprisingly, I wasn't crying. Sad, yes, but mostly, it felt like I was destroying a part of me. Again, this felt final, like I was killing the idea of who Dad thought I was. His little girl. Sure, he already knew about one murder, but that had been self-defense, and he hadn't once brought it up, and knowing him, I doubted he thought differently of me for having defended myself at all costs.

This was different. Merciless.

I wanted to tell Mom, but it had to be you first, and I'm not strong enough to tell it to your face. Sorry. I love you.

I looked over my writing one last time and sighed. This was it.

Buddy whispered behind me, asking if I was sure about this, but I just nodded and instead asked him to go get Togekiss so I could ask her if she was alright about this. If she wasn't, then I would amend my story and not specify how the killing was done. It wouldn't be right, just to expose her without even telling her first. Honey opened the door for her, and they filtered in. For a short time, I was terrified Dad would find it suspicious, but realized pretty quickly that me asking for my Pokemon was anything but.

"Sorry to bother you," I said. "Here."

Her eyes glimmered, and the letter gently slid out of my hands. She grimaced, chirping irritatingly at the topic, and when she handed me back the paper, she asked what I wanted.

"Are you okay with this? With being exposed?"

These past few months, I'd wanted Princess to start disagreeing with me when she actually did. To express her own opinions instead of blindly following my own. Her wings shivered as she hovered a few inches above the ground, and after deliberating for a few seconds, she shook her head. She didn't want Dad to think less of her, after all.

I smiled, caressing the bottom of her chin. "Good. I guess I should have asked before writing the letter, huh?"

Honey laughed, which broke the dam of tension that had been building up in the room. After silently writing a second version of the letter and ripping up the other one beyond recognition, I folded the paper four times, sliding it into my pocket, and turned toward my three Pokemon.

"Hey, if it doesn't bother you guys… I need to be alone for this," I said. "I'm gonna recall you. See you on the other side?"

They all agreed, though I could tell Buddy was only doing so because he knew he wouldn't be able to change my mind. I recalled them and left my bedroom. I could see the back of Dad's head as he sat on the couch, and I heard him lazily scratch his stomach as he watched TV as he sipped a cup of coffee. Coffee. I always hated coffee, I told myself. Idle thoughts, to keep me distracted from what was coming. Mimi was still hanging out with Angel, thank the Legendaries. I'd almost been scared that without me there Sunshine would have started up some drama, but he was rather calm and staring at some old pictures of me lying on a wall shelf.

I decided to come up to him first, silently joining his side. "That was a picture of when Dad took me fishing near the lake up north," I quietly said. "I'm pretty sure I cried when we caught our first one, even if Dad said we'd throw them back in the lake. We ended up just hanging out on the boat Dad rented the rest of the afternoon."

Sunshine snorted, asking how old I'd been. He complained that it was difficult, telling how old humans were, and he found it hard to discern seven from twelve-year-olds.

"I was… eight, I think. Maybe seven," I said, touching the picture frame.

The dragon squinted at me, as if he thought I was lying, but then let out a non-committal grunt.

"Hey, I have to recall you for a bit, I need to have an important conversation with Dad," I murmured. "I'll catch you up to speed after?"

Sunshine frowned, but agreed, and melted in a sea of crimson.

"Going somewhere?" Dad asked.

I nearly choked on my own saliva, but managed to pretend I was clearing my throat. "No, just, uh, hold on."

I kept going, recalling Angel who agreed as soon as he looked into my eyes for a moment. I knelt next to Mimi, who was already recoiling at the sight of a Pokeball. The experience as a whole didn't hurt them, and I had no idea what the simulated environment was like for them, but they weren't shy about expressing their displeasure at the device. Tendrils of liquid metal tried pushing my hand away as the steel type protested with a vibrating screech. Displeasure, they lobbed at me, also with grand ideas of betrayal.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry for making you go in. Why don't you head inside my room for a little bit? I think I'll join you soon right after this."

Pleased with themselves, Mimi slithered toward my bedroom, sliding under the wooden door as a puddle of golden and silver metal. So long as their eye could fit somewhere, they could fit through any opening.

"Dad?"

He turned toward me, and he must have seen something on my face, because he instantly had that look he had when he worried. "What's wrong, kiddo? Did something happen?"

"Uh—" my voice quivered. "Yeah. I have something to give you, if that's okay?"

Maybe I should have waited until tomorrow. My brain was screaming at me not to pull the paper out of my pocket, to pivot and twist my words into a half-truth to delay. Instead, I unfolded and handed him the letter.

"When you're done reading it, I'll be in my room."

I'd been tearing up by the end of those words, and I scrambled back to my bedroom, where Mimi was waiting next to my bed and watching the city from the window with a wide and fascinated wobbling eye. I locked the door to my bedroom and slid against the door with a dry sob. It was done. I'd ripped the bandaid off. I clenched my forehead and tried my best not to rock back and forth.

Meltan, having 360-degree vision, must have noticed the shit state I was in, because at some point, they prodded at my leg. I grabbed them in the palm of my hand and sniffled.

"Sorry, it hasn't really been as fun here as I told you it'd be, huh?" I whispered. "There's a lot of stuff going on and… yeah, I'm sorry."

The steel type mewled with something akin to understanding. I laughed— though it was more of a forceful exhale than anything.

"I promise you when everything is dealt with, we'll have a lot more fun, and Sunshine and Princess will warm up to you soon enough," I sighed, pausing. "I just told Dad about some stuff I did before we found you."

Mimi's eye turned to a straight line.

"Different types of murder," I specified. "They deserved it."

I put my head against the door to see if I could hear anything. Curses under his breath, crying, muttering, anything.

There was nothing, and I knew by now he should have finished reading.

"When we get to Canalave, I wanna show you a bunch of stuff," I continued. "You've never seen the ocean before, so I think you'll like it. It stretches on and on, like it's endless. You can't see the Iron Islands from the city, and we won't have time to go there, but—"

I jumped when I heard steps approaching my door. Already? I'd wanted at least two— five minutes to myself, to prepare, to try not to feel like I'd just ruined something great just because of some ego problem about telling the truth, damn it.

"Grace?"

How was his voice? Muffled, so it was hard to tell, but it was steady. Steady in a way that was somewhat forced, which meant he was trying to be strong, stronger than he actually was. He was shaken, but he still wanted to talk things out and make things right.

"Did you read the letter?" I slowly asked, enunciating every word as slowly as I could. Of course, he had fucking read the letter, I knew that already.

"Can I come in?"

"It's locked."

"Can you open the door, then?"

I hesitated, thinking that talking like this through a door might not be so bad. It would be easier for me, at least, but harder for him. I bit my lip. "Just a second, please."

You can do this.

I stood up, placed Mimi on my bed and unlocked the door, after which he opened it immediately. It swung out, away from me, and he had opened it so quickly that it hit his foot and had him wince with a pained groan.

No matter.

I felt so small. My father took a deep breath and stared at me with cloudy eyes, like he was trying to find something. Find me, maybe. To see if the person I'd been the last few months had been real, or just me pretending. He had clearly cried, with how red his eyes were.

"Sit down," he said.

"Dad, I—"

"Sit down, please."

I gulped, my hair stood on end, and all of the sudden, I was a little girl again. I'd always been one, in truth, but the thought of not listening to Dad hadn't even crossed my mind. I'd been an easy teenager to handle, or at least I wanted to believe that. Sure, I had my bratty moments, but at the end of the day, I always listened. I sat down at the edge of my bed, with Mimi anxiously watching between us two, and Dad dragged the chair at my desk and sat to face me.

"I… read what you wrote. Multiple times," he sighed. "Everything you said in it is true, isn't it?"

Was he was trying to give me an out? I didn't think that would be like him, but maybe he just couldn't believe I'd done what I wrote. Either way, I silently nodded. He didn't react much, though I caught his fingers twitching on his lap.

"Why?"

It was a simple question. Why? Because they deserved it. Because they were a waste of oxygen who had organized the torture of thousands of people over the last decade and forced them to fight to the death while they were drugged out of their mind.

"Because if I hadn't, most of them would still be alive," I shakily answered.

"They'd be in prison."

"That's not enough. You— you saw what they did. They caused so much pain and suffering on a scale not before seen in this country since… the war."

"So you think they deserved it," he said.

"Yes. I'm sorry, but yes."

"I think some people deserve bad fates sometimes when I see some things on the news," Dad said. "That does not mean whatever I want should happen to them, but that doesn't even—" he clenched at his shorts. "—that doesn't even matter. You killed people who were defenseless."

My head hung low. "Yes."

He flinched at the ease of that answer, and for a while, we both stayed silent. There was no sound, save for the city life below permeating through my window.

"Listen, Grace. I— I love you, and I'm trying really hard to stay calm here, and I've always known there was something different about you, but you cannot think like this. These people you… killed, they were people. They were conscious, they had lives, families, spouses, children and grandchildren who had nothing to do with all of this, and while I have no doubt they might have no longer desired a relationship with them or wanted to give them a piece of their minds, or just asked why they did what they did. You took that option away from them. Life isn't this simple, Grace," he said, tapping the side of his head with a finger. "One action that's seemingly simple and black and white will have repercussions beyond what you thought of, always. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

My lips thinned. "Yes."

"This is not a good thing, you did. It was not a noble act, or a great sacrifice needing to be taken for the greater good. You cannot be thinking like this."

"I'm sorry. I've gotten— I've gotten better. That's what Aliyah is for."

He frowned at her name, leaning forward. "Did the League make you start thinking like this? Since they're training you?"

"No," I instantly said. "They picked me because of who I am."

Technically not a lie, and it was how ACE Trainers were picked. It was hypocritical of me, after going on my entire monologue about telling the truth earlier today, but there was just no way I was telling Dad about Galactic. Just… no.

"And Aliyah doesn't pressure you?" he asked.

"No, she's been trying to stop me from thinking this way," I said. "Can I… be honest?"

"Please be."

"I think I've gotten a lot better about this, um, you know, holding back and stuff. And I'm sorry to say it like this, but that's what it is. I don't think like normal people, Dad."

None of the Shards did, at this point.

Pain flickered on my father's face. "I know."

"How?"

"The way you killed," he answered as a matter of fact.

Oh. I supposed it really was that simple. Killers did not think like normal people, and I was a killer. I'd murdered people who couldn't fight back.

"You watched someone die for hours."

"I did."

"You—" he stopped himself. "I won't claim to be able to stop you. You're grown up, now. More powerful than a lot of people could ever hope to be," he said. "But this isn't something I will ever approve of and something you need to stop."

"That's what I want. I won't do any of that anymore, Dad. I asked Angel and Honey to help with that, and with Aliyah and my friends, I think I can be good. I hope."

Dad nodded. "Good. Are you sure you want to go to Unova with all of this? It'll only be Cecilia— and I assume all of your friends from the raid knew about this?"

"All of my friends know about it period," I said. "It took a push, but I managed to be honest. And yes. Cece can keep me steady, I think. We can help push each other up."

He wanted to say more, to tell me to stay, because deep down, he did not believe me. Still, he said nothing and instead forced a smile.

"I should have been there more often," he lamented.

"Dad, don't—"

"I should have. I know you. I would have seen the signs, had I been there. Visited you in every city. I fucked up."

"It's not your fault," I sniffled. I wanted to shake him. To tell him that he couldn't blame himself like this. That everything was just out of his hands.

My father just smiled at me sadly, ignoring the sun shining in his green eyes.

"Thank you for being honest with me Grace," Dad said. "I knew there was something you were holding back since you called me after the raid. I called your mother about it, but I thought you'd just leave without saying." He stood up to wrap me in a tight hug, and I felt tears rolling down my cheek. "You're my daughter, and I'll always love you no matter what. I just wish…" he trailed off.

"You can say."

"I know it isn't your fault, but I wish you'd had a normal journey."

"Me too."

I patted him on the back.

"I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, Grace."

Despite everything, he loved me, still. Trust and his image of me had been broken, but he loved me.

Thank you.

—

Mira placed a Pokeball inside of my palm.

"Here's your Claydol," she grinned. "They've got a grasp on the basics and can Teleport a few feet away if they concentrate hard enough. Since it takes too long, it's not usable in battle and they can't Teleport people yet, but if they keep working on it alone, they should progress quickly enough."

"Not in time for the Red Chain," I guessed.

She lost her smile. "No. Real comedian, that Claydol, by the way. When're you naming them? I was expecting you to be calling them Dolly already."

"When they pick," I shrugged. "They've refused everything I've proposed, and trust me, I tried Dolly."

"Arceus, you're so predictable," she chuckled. "How'd your… issue with your Dad go."

"Okay. Part of me hoped it'd be like the others… that he'd bury it and forgive me so long as I didn't do it again." I clipped Claydol's Pokeball to my belt. "He scolded me."

For as long as I could remember, Dad had never yelled at me, but nothing had terrified me more than when he had raised his tone to say 'please' when asking to come into my room.

"I mean, yes."

"I'm getting off easy, in the grand scheme of things," I murmured. "Even if it hurts."

She hugged me. "You're okay."

"Yeah. I am."

"Isn't that a sign of progress, you think?" she asked. "You could have broken down, or run away, or lashed out."

"Trying to make me feel better, are we?"

"I don't want you to leave the city feeling like shit," she snorted as she pulled away. "Even flying wouldn't help with brightening your mood."

"Yeah. Are you sure you don't want to come with me? Princess can fit both of us."

She waved a hand. "Nah, I'm gonna do my own thing. The group's nice, but, uh, the vibes in Canalave seem awful, at the moment, and Chase won't be enough to salvage things. Hell, he's not even in the group. Plus, if anything happens one of my ACEs will Teleport me right away."

"Hmhm."

"So see you later?"

I pulled a folded t-shirt out of my backpack, one of me riding on Angel's head, and handed it to her. I'd asked him earlier today, and he had agreed to hand it over, as friendly as he was.

She squealed, turning a few heads in the middle of the street. We were standing in front of the Pokemon Center closest to my apartment, given that it was the nearest spot I was allowed to take off in.

"Sick! I'm gonna wear this everywhere and be so fucking obnoxious! Thank the Legendaries we're basically the same size."

"Don't give my fans a bad name," I grumbled. "Call it an extra belated birthday gift."

She eyed me like my fans already had a bad name, and they technically did, given the fact that a lot of people found them insufferable online, at least. In real interactions, they tended to be normal. "Thanks, Grace. You stay safe out there, okay? Tell the others I said hi."

"If you ever get lonely or bored, call me. Don't stay in your own little corner when you have people that care about you." I released Princess and got on her bad— on my own— and put on my goggles and a jacket. "I'll see you later."

The pink-haired girl nodded.

Odds were, the next time we did see each other, the world would have gone to hell, and the League was already getting ready for it. They had declared the evacuation of Mount Coronet by all trainers this morning and were preventing anyone from going in. Princess surged through the skies, quickly rising above Jubilife's skyline, and started flying out west toward Canalave with Mimi shaking around my wrist.

Jubilife had not given me the satisfying resolution I had wanted, but maybe that was the point. There would be no fitting that last piece of the puzzle. Maybe I'd just constantly be chiseling at a stone, working on myself for as long as I lived.

But at least it was like Mira had said.

I was okay.

---

A/N: This is technically the end of an arc, and like always, here I am. This arc had a lot in it, but I'd say it was slower paced than the others for the most part, which is what I was looking for. Obviously there were some tense moments, but the focus here was to show Grace's recovery, and so it was focused pretty much exclusively on her and no one else other than in the interludes. About her clawing back her way to return to a person the people around her could recognize and call a friend. I think I did a decent job of it overall, even if there were some ups and downs and she's still, you know, Grace. I'd say this was my favorite arc to write overall, even if it didn't contain any of my favorite chapters, but that might be recency bias at play. Anyway, Canalave arc inbound! We're approaching Sinnoh's climax, can you believe it? It feels like it was just yesterday when I was storyboarding all of this and hoping to get enough motivation not to drop it by chapter 10. I'd announce a break, but I'm already out of the country and on vacation, so I've basically been on break for a while. Next chapter should be in 2-3 days or so. Thanks for reading!

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Michael J, Knock, Jan, catfishdog, Onyx2409, ChairmanK--, William F, Zhijia, Andy S, HeyMrJack, NineXO, Dvn, Exceedes, Gustavo S, Elie, Serina T, Iepton, sqwl4

 

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 296

The city of Canalave wasn't actually on an island, even if it did feel like it sometimes. The way Sinnoh itself was arranged had made the concept of building a land route to the city a long-winded and dangerous affair even if there used to be a few projects about clearing a path through the densely forested coastal area that hugged the bay splitting Canalave and Jubilife. It wasn't so much impossible, just that it lacked political capital and motivation, especially when the ferry over the gulf worked just as well and was far faster for trainers and civilians to take. I'd have taken it too so I could ingest the sights, had I not been in a hurry. The world around me blurred as Princess flew above the water at cruising speed, which these days bordered on the uncomfortable with how fast she was. Buying a saddle with a backrest was definitely a necessary endeavor that I would need to address at some point, but one for a Pokemon of Princess' size would probably need to be custom-made and take time.

Route 218 itself was beautiful, especially on a clear day like this, but it was nothing I'd never seen before. It was easy to discern the rocks protruding from the shallow, calm waters, which the ferries below so easily avoided these days. Birds like Spearow had made those their home, nesting in the craggy cliffs, high and away from any small-time predators lurking in the sea. There were a few islands strewn throughout inhabited by populations of local water types, like Psyduck, Marill, Shellos and Buizel. Off towards the north and to my right, I could see the gulf closing into a narrow passage until it gave way to the ocean. As for the two land sides of the route, they were well-maintained thanks to their proximities to their cities, though I had to admit, coming up on the shores of the final stretch to Canalave, theirs were far better-looking than the dirty piers flanking Jubilife that Denzel had caught his Milotic in. There was even a mini-town built around it with tourist shops that sold souvenirs from Canalave, no doubt. Seafood restaurants, nature trails, battling arenas… it reminded me of the Ranger outposts in a way, just way less militaristic and serious. We weren't planning on sticking around for long anyway.

I lowered myself to Princess' ear and asked her to land for a little pitstop near one of the piers. She settled on a stretch of beach that had countless dark pebbles instead of sand and I knew it would make walking a horrible experience, and unfortunately these went on for miles. I was not about to worsen the condition of my ankle, so I just transferred from her back to Angel's instead.

There were plenty of trainers here, given that this was near where the ferry stopped. They were mostly people with their feet in the ocean and training their water types to better utilize the water— the baby steps of TE manipulation. Some were just battling, using the unfamiliar footing as a handicap for their Pokemon as a fun challenge or a way to train. From the way I noticed a girl's Stunky trip and hit his face on a rock while battling a boy's Sneasel, they were having mixed successes.

Claydol popped out of their Pokeball with a hiss, hovering closeby and greeting me in their usual monotone voice as they asked how they could be of assistance, and I placed my wrist on my lap so that Mimi could get a good look at the ocean. I asked Angel to use his vines to hide me, and therefore Meltan away from public view, and the grass type brought up countless writhing vines around us.

"Go ahead," I whispered.

The sea was washing against the pebbles with a soothing and rhythmic swishing. Mimi returned to their original form on Angel's head in between my lap, and their eye wobbled in wonder as they silently stared at the vast expanse of the sea. They'd refused to look down when flying on Princess because they hadn't wanted to spoil the moment, or at least that's what I got from them. When Mimi saw something for the first time, they wanted to experience it in full, and by the Legendaries, they did. It was like the foaming water had mesmerized them. Even I'd never seen the steel type so still and calm.

"Shame it's not a sunset," I muttered.

Angel signed in agreement while Princess idly started to mold a pebble into different shapes. She'd already solved the puzzle Dad had given her, and her mind was never without stimulation for long.

"Claydol, what do you think?" I asked.

The ground type chimed, these bodies of water are commonly referred to as a bay. I have never seen such a large amount of it before.

"Makes you think about how big the world is, doesn't it?"

Affirmative. I acknowledge your intent, and it is within my designated function to facilitate the aspirations of travel for you and your court, as mandated by my duty as a Royal Guard.

I frowned. "Hey, let's get back to what you said before. The fact that you'd never seen such a large amount of water in one place."

If I wanted Claydol to grow from the robot they seemed to want to stay as, I needed to hone in on bits of individuality that sometimes shone through. That included them recalling memories in a natural way and without me pushing that first bud of individual thought.

Claydol's six eyes did not move. Affirmative, they chimed.

"Did you like it? Walking… or uh, floating by that lake in the castle's gardens? Before you were shoved into the catacombs, of course."

I must confess, my King, that the meaning of 'like' eludes my understanding, Claydol said with the 'sad' option of what I assumed these days was an extremely versatile soundboard. Despite perusing numerous definitions after surfacing, comprehension remains elusive. I extend my deepest apologies for failing to meet your expectations and am deserving of the gravest punishment imaginable.

"No!" I nearly threw my hands up, but groaned instead. "There's no 'punishment' here, Claydol, you can speak your mind. This was helpful."

Helpful?

I shrugged, leaning back against a couple of vines. "Yeah! It's like, we're making progress." The ground type stayed still, waiting for me to continue. "I guess I can't really do better than the books to explain what liking something is. When I eat good food, for example, it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside."

Angel chimed in, signing that he was excited and couldn't sit still beforehand and during the meal.

"You like eating anything. Never seen anyone else eat banana peels and bones," I smiled, patting him on the head. "Princess?"

The fairy type shifted a wing, saying that there was satisfaction in liking. Like when she worked on a sculpture for a few hours and finished it or completed one of her flights. Satisfaction in sleeping in and cuddling with us, for example. Granted, she felt excitement too, and so did I, but I guessed that this was what she identified with the most. Toiling endlessly toward a goal that would take much time to reach.

"We all feel different stuff depending on what we're doing, but I'd put 'like' under a spectrum," I said. "Even when I look at what the emotion is with my empathy, it's not just one color, it's a whole range of feelings that ends up feeling good."

Updating memory banks. Many thanks, my King. I shall incorporate this information into my data stores to fulfill your directives effectively.

"Think you can give that a little thought for me?" I asked. "We can keep talking about it later. What it means to like something."

I will try, they said.

"That's all I asked. And hey, if you ever start liking something… honestly, remember what you said about hats when we were at the League? With Cecilia's Hydreigon?"

Query: conversation about hats retrieved— Claydol paused, and there was a slight click somewhere inside of their head, and then I heard my voice. "Actually, Claydol, Angel, what do you think about putting hats on Zolst?"

Gasping, I nearly fell off Angel, who kept me steady with a vine. "You can do that?!"

Only when you ask, Claydol answered. And audible data from too far back must be deleted, or it will start corrupting. Everything near me is recorded and stored in my memory banks, my King.

"Arceus… that—" Terrified me, I left unsaid. There was no use making Claydol worry anymore than they had when they'd asked for punishment. "So yeah! Hats! You sounded pretty happy when you talked about those, so give that some thought too, and if you want I'll get you some."

Acknowledged.

I released the rest of the team now that quiet was no longer needed, and Sweetheart made a beeline toward the water, crushing countless pebbles under her weight, shadowed closely by Buddy, who kept an eye on her. Eyes turned toward the massive Tyranitar, with her screaming in excitement, though most people pulled out their phones to record her instead of being scared, thank the Legendaries. Already, I couldn't release her in most places in cities, and I didn't want to have to take routes in consideration. She already knew not to train Surf in places where people could see, and I was confident it was basically ready for battle.

Sunshine perked up at the sight of a beach, with memories of Alola coming to the forefront of his mind even if he asked what the hell all of these pebbles were, after which Princess promptly knocked a cube toward his forehead that Honey caught with his good fist. He injected a bit of electricity in it before Togekiss could blink and threw it back at her.

Then, she started whining and fake-crying at me while Sunshine thanked Electivire for the help, but that was before the electric type clapped him on the shoulder and jolted him too.

Yeah, this place was nice.

"Don't throw stones next time," I softly told Princess as Mimi stood bedazzled between my lap.

We were going to stay here for a few hours

—

Canalave was bigger than I thought it'd be.

Seriously, every time I saw that place on television or online, they showed the same spot. The Bridge, or that and its surroundings. While Cecilia no doubt loved that, it gave an image of the entire city being concentrated around its central canal, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Hell, even the times I'd video-chatted her, she had been close to or on the bridge. Canalave was not a place I'd call dense, with only a few skyscrapers on the western side of the canal, but the city sprawled so far out it was sometimes difficult to believe. Sure, Pastoria was huge too, but it had plenty of wild spaces and had more of a suburban vibe, and for Jubilife, Hearthome and Veilstone, well, they were the most populated cities in Sinnoh, so it was something I'd expected.

But Canalave spread far and wide, hugging the crescent coast and spreading far further in land than I could ever imagine. Louis would no doubt call this a non-efficient use of space, and honestly I was inclined to agree. Most buildings looked to be five stories at most, and there were very few apartment complexes to be seen.

Still, it was easy to see that the city had sprung up from the coast, with the architecture growing more and more modern the further you got from it as a rule of thumb. The Canalavians had started off as seafarers who had been embroiled in conflict with the Iron Islands for centuries until they finally conquered them due to some kind of internal strife leaving them vulnerable, and that was before Sinnoh had even been united. Those history books I'd read with Jellicent were boring sometimes, but context like this was nice, whenever I reached a new city. Maybe I'd get a book about Unova before we went. I was sure he'd enjoy it.

Speaking of books, Princess swept over the Canalave Library, which was a grand building in every sense of the word. It stood above all structures surrounding it and was hugged by a lush garden reminding me of Backlot's mansion, with the Milotic-shaped fountains and the well-maintained edges. Chairs and tables had been laid on the outside where people and Pokemon could take books to read and enjoy the sunlight or under the shade of a parasol. The building itself looked nothing like a mansion and went for a more utilitarian look, though it was still beautiful. The roof was made of twisting glass, letting sunlight filter into the top floor, and I could see it was organized with a hole surrounded by a rail in the middle to let it drop down the entire building. The walls were harder to spot at this speed, though I could tell they were made of some kind of faded turquoise-gray brick. It was too late to keep dawdling, and Togekiss zoomed past the library toward the Center closest to the Gym.

"I think I'm getting better at spotting things from up here," I boasted, something that Princess heartily agreed with.

I shivered when seeing the Gym off in the distance, in all of its glory and sharp angles that had me thinking it was the best-looking stadium I'd ever seen. The excitement was tempered rather quickly as we landed and the weight of the situation sank in. The group was… well, the news of the coming events, our work for the League and our powers had broken Louis and shaken Justin. Chase was isolated and no one knew where he was until he sometimes showed up in the city, but if I was to guess he was training somewhere off-route. His ACEs were there, I was certain they'd jump in before Ariel had for me, especially with time running out so soon.

Plus, even Denzel wasn't doing that hot, from what he'd texted me, even if he put on an air of cheerfulness for the others.

There were whispers of Mount Coronet when I entered the Center, its warm golden lights brushing against my skin. The excuse the League had given for the mountain's closure was a breach of powerful Pokemon into the lower floors, the running theory behind the reason for this breach being escape from 'something' even stronger.

It was all a hoax, obviously, and people had already eroded so much trust in the League for their actions this past year that a very sizable number of them just didn't believe it.

Not that it mattered. They just voiced their discontentment online, and I had an inkling many Conference regulars were angry their training area had been closed down. Craig himself had said he'd opt for Victory Road to replace the mountain for the final stretch.

Honestly, focusing on all of this stuff was hard with the axe that was Team Galactic hanging over my neck. Without them I'd be focusing on the Conference, looking at what items to buy, researching the other first-years that'd make it outside my group and maybe even some of the older trainers that were confirmed to have eight badges already. Training and studying 24/7 with only my love for this sport to keep me awake, and that would have been while finishing up with Byron.

I just… didn't have the energy for all of that. It was difficult enough to focus on the eighth badge already. Cecilia had said she just wanted it all over with, which honestly kind of terrified me. She was tired of waiting.

I got myself a room from a spry-looking Nurse Joy who was nice enough to put me on the second floor before texting the others about my arrival. The three of them were, as expected, all at the Center. I tried to distract myself by timing exactly when the elevator would arrive. It was just idle thought, really. A way for me to stop myself from getting nervous. The ride to the fourth floor was cramped and uncomfortable. I was pressed into a corner and wished I could have had Buddy with me to scare all of these people away.

Not that it would have been warranted. The coming conversation was just making it hard to breathe, and the crowded elevator wasn't helping.

Smile, I thought as I got off. Smile for them and everything will be okay. Hadn't Barry said that he could trick himself into a cheerful mood by just smiling all the time? Well I wouldn't mind trying, at least. Denzel's room basically faced the elevators, and I walked up to it with a spring in my step— as much of a spring as I could put in it. I cleared my throat, knocked, and waited for someone to open the door.

It was Denzel, of course. Tall, somewhat broad-shouldered, with messy light brown hair and smiling just as I was. I saw through him right away. He was worried, but honestly who the hell wasn't? He clapped my shoulder and then hugged me without hesitation, something that I instantly returned.

"I missed you," I sighed.

"Me too. Travel okay?"

"Oh yeah, I had a lot of fun. Stopped by the beach with my team and everything," I said. "Plus, the entire trip only took a few hours. Princess is getting faster."

"Eh, the two cities aren't that far apart," he smirked.

I pinched the side of his arm, and he yelped. "It was either that or a spear through the gut, sorry."

"I'd take a spear to rob you from the satisfaction of pinching me."

Ah, this was nice. Great, even. Not that my entire demeanor had changed, but this familiarity was welcome. From the bed, Sylveon hopped down, skipping across the room until he wrapped a ribbon around my wrist— and flinched away when he touched the metal there. Mimi ran away, slithering up my sleeve with a frigid touch until they reformed into a necklace.

I crouched. "Good to see you too, Sylvi. Sorry about Mimi, they're a little shy."

"Damn… I guess that's what's up with the jewelry you've been wearing."

I rubbed Sylveon's neck and ignored the fact that he was currently wrapping me like a present. With Tangrowth around, I was already used to it. "Keep it a secret? I've already passed a Gardevoir on the streets in Jubilife and she stared daggers at them. Can't really keep them hidden from empaths."

"Doesn't matter if she doesn't know what she's looking at though," Denzel shrugged. "Can I see her?"

"Them. And yeah! Mimi, you can come out."

For a while, Denzel tried to get to know the steel type a little bit, but Mimi wasn't really having any of it. Maybe it was because he was so large and imposing? Either way, we had a good laugh about it and it'd make good material to tease him about later.

"So," I said, sitting on the bed. "How're you holding up? I thought the others would be in your room?"

Denzel grimaced and tried catching himself but failed horribly. "Louis' sleep schedule is fucked, and he's already asleep. Stuck around until he did. Justin is in his room, and I wanted to go see him, it's just that… you know, I—"

"I get it. Alone time."

He nodded. "Yeah."

He was worried about the coming battles ahead and Emi and Pauline, but I didn't know if it was more because of how he'd screwed up with them or if it was because they'd be arriving in two days via airplane. His fist was clenched beside his bouncing leg, but he seemingly caught himself when he figured I kept glancing and crossed his arms.

"But you're doing okay?" I asked.

"Yeah! I mean, it's only been a little bit, but I'm holding down the fort. I announced a two-week break from streaming, the 'official' reason being preparing for my rematch against Byron, so I'm just trying to be there for everyone."

Not that we even had two weeks anyway, but I figured a clean number like that was a little less weird.

I smiled. "Thank you for that."

"So yeah, I was gonna head out in like an hour or two. Not going to lie, I thought I'd have enough time to take a nap."

"So I did surprise you with my speed."

"I mean, you're no Talonflame…"

I rolled my eyes. "That comparison seems unfair. Right, Sylveon?"

The fairy type blinked, but then agreed with me after a moment's hesitation.

I huffed. "Told ya."

His smile widened, though he didn't tell me why and instead just glanced Sylveon's way. For a few minutes, we spoke about my merch and I showed him the designs, and Mimi made a mortal enemy of Sylveon, practically speaking, by attempting to gnaw one of his ribbons. The fairy type had hissed at them, asking them never to do that again and might have thrown in a few threats in-between those boundaries. I had no idea what had intrigued them so much. Maybe it was how they resembled Angel's vines in the way they moved, and the grass type had come up with a game where Mimi would try to dissolve or cut his vines. They were a baby, after all. I talked to him more in-depth about my travels and Claydol, about how much better my mental health got these past weeks, and he talked to me about his issues too.

"You know… I kind of don't understand why Emi got mad, and that scares me," he muttered.

"I think it's pretty simple. She wants you to treat her like an equal," I explained.

"I mean, I do."

"No. You treat her like someone who needs to be protected from all of the…" I paused. "All of the ugly of the world. It's like you want to put her in a box and say 'here, play with your contests and your other shit that doesn't matter, and I'll take care of everything for you and Pauline.' Not that I'm any better."

"Huh." His lips thinned, and he put his head against the wall. For around ten seconds, he stared in contemplation at the door. "Hey, Grace… you know, about the issues with my mother?"

I looked up at him, knowing where this was going. "Yeah?"

"How I'd get angry at her for wanting to control my life, for stopping me from going on a journey," he exhaled. "I think I— became like her somehow? I mean, maybe I'm just seeing things, it's just that— you know, one day, you look at yourself and you realize you're more like your parents than you ever realized despite swearing never to become like them. I think today's that day for me."

Sylveon whined, telling him to chase away these thoughts.

"In your defense, there's a lot more risk involved in this than a journey, even if ours wasn't normal," I said. "But yes. I think you might be right."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Shit."

"Sometimes I think back to Cece and Scizor and I wonder if she started training him that way because that's the only way she'd ever known," I whispered. "Parents are parents for a reason. I think that you always get a part of them, the good and the bad." My fingers drummed against my thigh as I desperately looked for words to say. "And look, it's easy to be overbearing about the people you love," I tried. "I mean, we're all complicit, at the end of the day."

"But I reacted the worst. Hell, I'd be willing to bet that Emi respects Chase a lot more, because at least he just thinks she's going to get in the way and he's straight up about it. I'm just… a lot worse with my approach. Condescending, I guess?"

"Why don't you text her and say what you told me? See where that gets you?"

"I mean, I can try."

"Trying's better than nothing."

"Fair enough. Hope she answers, at least," Denzel said.

"She will. And if she doesn't, then maybe she'll talk when they get here."

If anything, they could at least mend their friendship. We conversed a little longer, mostly reminiscing, but at Denzel's fifth yawn, I decided enough was enough.

"You know what, I'm gonna let you sleep."

"Sorry. I guess I forgot to mention my sleep schedule is also fucked." My friend stretched, groaning with each word.

"You've been working hard, just get some rest. We'll do something tomorrow, the four of us."

"Not gonna hole up in a room and study Byron?" he asked with a curious look.

"Well, that too, but there are twenty-four hours in a day," I quickly added. "Plus, I'm almost done anyway, I've been going at this for almost a month." I stood up from the bed, the ribbons around my arms unwrapping loosely. I placed a finger on the mattress and watched Mimi slither up to my wrist and form into a band of gold and silver, which Denzel apparently found very weird, from how he looked at me. "I'll go check on Justin. You go and get some sleep."

"Gotcha. Let me know if anything happens?"

I agreed, slipping out of the room. Justin's wasn't far, just one floor up and next to the stairs that I took to avoid having to wait for another crowded elevator. Pokemon Centers closer to the Gym were always full, even if Byron was now prioritizing challengers with high badges above all and getting a battle in as a trainer with just a few would take so long to schedule that most didn't even bother. Most trainers were understanding enough about it, at least. Justin, I was more excited than nervous to see. He knew about my powers now, and I knew I could fix him, if given the chance.

We had a lot to talk about. My knuckle rasped against the door.

"Who is it?" The voice was calm, too calm. A reminder that he was still afflicted by the contamination despite how long it had been.

And it had been a long time, hadn't it? Since Solaceon, Justin had been like this, and at this point I'd known him in this state just as long as I'd known him normally, and the fact that memories about who he'd been were starting to slowly become less clear hurt.

"Grace," I answered.

There were quiet steps behind the door, almost inaudible, and Justin let me in. He hadn't lost any weight, so that was a plus with how thin he had always been. He had high cheekbones, a triangle-shaped face, and a thin nose. His skin was pale like snow, and his dark brown eyes looked up at mine. His hair was well-kept, combed over and with a fade that told me he'd gotten a haircut a few days ago at most, and he had grown a little bit, being half a head taller. Whereas Denzel had been wearing shorts and a t-shirt— the old, ragged kind that you only wore at home, Justin was still dressed as if he was prepared to go outside. Maybe he'd been about to train?

"Hug?" I tried as soon as the door closed.

"If you want."

I smiled, wrapping my hands around him and the coarse fabric of his polo shirt. "I'll indulge, then. How're you doing?"

"Terrible. It's a good thing you're here and that the others will soon be arriving, seeing as Denzel and Louis are hanging by a thread. Cecilia and Maeve being here as well would have been ideal, but it is what it is."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"What is there to talk about?" he asked. "I've learned about terrifying news, and now I have to live with them. I'll manage."

If I had to guess, the feelings or terror had subsided enough today not to show. They were still there, but my personal theory was that what was hampering Justin wasn't actually smothering all of his emotions. He'd shown them a few times. During the battle with Louis, where his Corviknight had almost died, and even before they'd organized that battle, Louis had managed to push his buttons with the right words, or at least that's what he'd said. When he had learned Maeve had nearly died in that attack in the Safari Zone from that girl whose name wasn't even worth remembering and who I hoped was having a wonderful time in rotting in prison, or when he had won his badge against Crasher Wake. What I believed was that only strong feelings managed to slip through, and what he felt towards the news of the world possibly ending was no longer strong enough to make it through like it had a few hours before I'd gotten here.

"Well, if you ever want to talk about it, I'm here," I said. "Sorry about hiding it."

"Honestly speaking, I'd rather you'd kept it hidden," Justin shrugged. "But you finally letting us know what you've been carrying all these months is a sign of trust, and that's good, I think."

When he said 'I think', he was being literal.

"You okay if we hang out somewhere while the other two sleep?" I asked.

"If you want," he blankly answered, his hands unmoving. It was still strange, how still he was. There was literally no body language at play here, just words, and you never realized how much part of human communication was built into subtle movements and microexpressions until you saw someone without those.

"Great! Let's go out for dinner later, I'll take you out to someplace fancy," I said. "Know any Canalave restaurants?"

"Not really. I've been eating at the cafeteria."

"We'll look it up!" I said. "And hey, I'll make it worth your while. Remember, you used to be my student. I can help you out with battle tips, if you want, or help you workshop new moves or tactics." I raised both of my hands and quickly added, "Don't worry, I'm not going to backseat you anymore, you're too good for that. We can just bounce ideas off each other, yeah? Maybe I can get some inspiration."

He nodded, not reluctantly or with excitement, but I hoped he was more agreeable now that I'd given him something he wanted.

"Can I cut straight to the chase? You know about the… empathy powers, right?"

His eyes opened a smidge wider. "I wondered when you were going to bring that up."

"So you've already thought about it. Good." I stopped, thinking that he'd say something, but instead all I got was an awkward silence. Ouch. "You know, I have it on good authority that I could fix you if given enough time and understanding of what I'm capable of."

"Good authority?" he asked.

"Mesprit."

"Hm. That is indeed probably the best authority to listen to about your capabilities, yes," he nodded.

"You didn't want to be fixed, the last couple of times we asked."

The latest had been shortly before I left for Sunyshore, where he'd said that being like this made him work harder and for longer. I truly thought Justin believed that without the darkness swamping his body, he'd have stalled out way earlier. Personally, I wasn't sure I believed that, but maybe him striking out on his own had fostered growth and allowed him to better bond with his team. I didn't know them that well, these days, so I couldn't exactly tell. Even Arcanine, Ludicolo, Audino and Krookodile, whom I'd known the longest, had changed beyond what I'd expected, and Toxapex and Corviknight weren't even in the picture. Still, for all of his trouble, Justin was close to his Pokemon and a good trainer. One had to be, to get six badges in their first year or to be competent in any way. There was a reason trainers couldn't just buy some Garchomp and steamroll through the Circuit. Why even wastes of oxygen like Abel or Saturn seemed to care for their teams, and vice versa.

The bond between trainer and Pokemon was the primary driver of progress, in the end. Not the only one, but if I had to bet between an eight-badger who had an awful relationship with their team (honestly, I doubted reaching that level with that kind of relationship was possible, though stranger things had happened) and a seven-badger who loved his Pokemon and they loved him, I'd bet on the seven-badger every single time.

Anyway, all of that to say that Justin was a good trainer despite what had happened to him. I'd kind of gotten lost in the weeds here, and Justin had just stared at me while I'd been thinking.

"So? Do you, or do you not?"

"I'm not sure, to be quite frank," he said with quivering lips, and I realized that this was tough to talk about for him. "It's a very big decision. As far as I'm concerned, this is me. It has been me for the last few months."

"But?"

"But at the same time, I can tell something isn't right. That I should react to things, or feel things."

"I remember that."

It had been the same for me during the Darkest Day. The knowledge that I'd be traumatized once all of the darkness disappeared.

"And I know I'm hurting Louis by staying like this. That I'm hurting all of you. That feels wrong to me." He audibly gulped. "How would it feel, anyway? You 'fixing' me."

"I have no idea. I've only used this twice when I was at risk of dying, all of the other times I was just looking."

"And you aren't looking now?"

"I try not to. At first it was to respect people's boundaries, but honestly… speaking to people and knowing exactly what they feel at all times, it feels like it'd be a little lonely," I admitted quietly for the first time. "I dunno, maybe it's silly, but I just don't do it anymore."

Without Aliyah there to keep me grounded, I knew I would have been pulled in a very different direction.

"We don't have to come to a decision now," I said to fill the silence. "Here, why don't I just take a look for now, what do you think about that?"

"...just looking."

"Yeah. Just to see how you look on the inside."

"You do realize how untrustworthy you sound when you say you want to look at my insides, right?" he deadpanned.

"Don't be a baby, I meant it in a good way."

He let it go, and I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, and winced when I opened them again when the world flooded with color. It seeped through the cracks in the door, the little space in the slightly ajar window and even through the walls. They were voices without sound, but still with meaning, and by the Legendaries, they were loud, and the world was so bright it was like I was staring right at the sun. I'd grown since my first few days as an empath, though, so I kept my legs steady and adjusted the range, focusing solely on Justin's frame. Every person, human or Pokemon, had some feeling or a mix of them leaking out of them at all times, and whether it be dull or strong, I'd notice. Hell, even for Pokemon that worked with an alien frame of mind like Mimi and Melmetal, it was the case, even if the emotions were confusing and complicated.

There was nearly nothing leaking out of Justin. At first, I'd thought it was nothing, but it was barely slipping past his skin with muted colors that were missable if I didn't squint. The instinct to push and pull was there, and I could feel the metaphorical needle and thread within my fingers.

"Justin, do you still want to realize your dream? To take over Pherzen? Or did you give up?"

Pale wisps of color became small embers. "Of course, I didn't give up," he answered. "What was this? A test?"

"Yeah. Sorry," I said, closing my eyes. The world became dull again when I opened them. "Wanted to test something."

The theory had been right. It was an inhibitor. Emotions beyond a certain threshold would still break through. I explained it all to him, and he seemed to agree. Now the question was, how did I fix him? Don't burden him with more feelings; help him shed the oppressive weight instead, Bellatrix had said. I could not manipulate TE, so how would I go about this?

Well, Mesprit had said it was possible, and while they were… well, Mesprit, they wouldn't lie to me. It had been a very particular game, that the God had been playing. Using the truth as a weapon, twisting the knife in hopes of twisting me, so to speak and it hadn't worked.

Yet I knew it was true. I just had to work out the logistics in case Justin ever decided he wanted to go back to who he was. Or who he used to be.

I softly patted him on the back. "'Kay, I'm done. Now let's go and hang out!"

He frowned. "It's nowhere near dinner time."

"I want to make up for lost time with you," I said. "Come on."

"Okay."

Thank the Legendaries, he'd said yes.

Come to think of it, he hadn't even asked about Meltan.

Huh. Figures.

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Michael J, Knock, Jan, catfishdog, Onyx2409, ChairmanK--, William F, Zhijia, Andy S, HeyMrJack, NineXO, Dvn, Exceedes, Gustavo S, Elie, Serina T, Iepton, sqw4l

 

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 297

Justin fiddled with a piece of cauliflower at the side of his dish with his fork, his eyes glancing upward and directly into mine. He used to be shy about things like eye contact, but now he could keep staring at me like there was no tomorrow. It was enough to make me uncomfortable. The restaurant was rather empty, given how early it was for dinner. The kitchen had just opened again and we were one of the four groups in the entire place, or at least the four groups I'd seen. This establishment was rather large and despite the horribly expensive prices, it had a bit of a homely vibe to it. They'd probably tried to go for a rustic vibe, like a restaurant for sailors, but it was one of the most popular spots and routinely had Canalave's richest attending, or at least that's what I'd seen with my two minutes of internet sleuthing.

Despite being nowhere near the sea, the scent of the ocean was unmistakable and they played the sound of waves from some kind of machines under the floorboards that were hidden from view. The floor itself was made of wooden planks and rugged, but still somehow felt smooth to walk on when you had to and did not creak at all. Dim lanterns cast a soft, flickering glow over a roughly hewn wooden table. A few feet away, up on the wall, was a painting of an enormous Dhelmise sinking a ship with tendrils of possessed seaweed nailed into the wood. It had caught my eye many times, with the way the hull had cracked in the middle and cut the ship in two. The painting itself was watercolor, faded and without any edges. If you squinted enough, you could see dark smidges— people being grabbed off the ship and dragged into the ocean to be drained by Dhelmise. Stories about Dhelmise and Jellicent sinking ships had haunted sailors for generations, and if you ignored the morbid thought of how many people had died in the middle of crossing these oceans, it was kind of cool, to have this whole lore around your species. Stories that lasted generations and were enough to make an entire culture of people fear or revere you in return.

But it had been too long since I'd said anything, so I turned back toward Justin. With my closer friends, I was comfortable sitting in silence, but with Justin, I felt the need to fill that silence.

"How's your taste these days?" I asked, hoping I wasn't being obnoxious.

"Enjoyable enough," he said. "In a way, it's strange. You've never eaten while under this affliction, correct?"

I shook my head, munching on a fried shrimp. "Nuh-uh."

"What do you think would be my reaction, then?" he asked. "To taste?"

For a second, my eyes flickered almost on instinct. Colors flared to life, but dimmed down when I pushed my tongue against the roof of my mouth to focus.

"I'd say that you get none of the pleasure from the taste," I said. "Which I guess, if we're getting into the weed of things, some people don't eat for pleasure either. Like Chase, for example, or at least most of the time. It'd feel like that, right?"

He nodded. "Yes. I do admit, I've found it easier to have a balanced diet these past few months."

"You didn't have one before?" I asked. "Wait, I guess you did skip a lot when the cafeteria wasn't serving something you liked."

Which, I assumed, was why he'd been so thin.

"I gave it a fair attempt as soon as I embarked on this journey. My father and the team he had to coach me said I needed to build up muscle," Justin explained. "I gave up before we met, however."

"Huh. Fair enough." I stretched my legs under the table and accidentally bumped into his. "Sorry. Anyway, you had a team of coaches, huh?"

"Only for the start, before the Circuit actually began," he nodded. "It would have been dishonorable otherwise."

Of course. A trainer could do whatever they wanted before the Circuit started, but anything after, they had to get on their own, or at least pretend to, or what was even the point of anything? Sure, rich people used their family's money, but actually training and making connections by meeting others… sure, I'd gotten a lot of help there, but that had been through as much hard work as luck. Luck is one thing, but taking advantage of that luck is another, Jasmine had said. Legendaries, I missed her. We texted and called, but the next we'd be seeing each other would be the Conference, if I made it there and there was still a world to have the Conference in. Apparently some other important figures from Kanto-Johto would be there as diplomatic envoys to further tighten the ties between Sinnoh and Indigo. Jasmine had said I'd love Brock and Will, who'd be in charge of the delegation. One Kantoan, and one Johtoan, for Indigo must be equal in all things. They obsessed over it, and I wouldn't be surprised if the delegation itself was also split neatly in such a way.

Personally, I was just focused on not dying next week.

I perked up, remembering the onus to keep the conversation going was on me. "Reminds me of when you guys used to buy info from older trainers."

Justin exhaled. "Scams."

Gasping, I leaned forward. "They were?!"

While the restaurant was nearly empty, a waiter who was working on making sure every table was ready for the evening turned my way and squinted. Had I made him mess up somehow? Or maybe yelling was just annoying. An apron-wearing Politoed was by his side, and she hastily pushed him to keep going with a few panicked croaks, saying that they'd be late if they kept dawdling. Plates stuck to the suction cups on her hands and made her an excellent waitress, even if she was somewhat short.

"Yes, scams, all of them," he continued. "The information was always simple and things we could have figured out on our own if we put our minds to it, and Louis was too foolish to tell they overcharged. At least it was correct."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why'd you take so long to answer?"

"I could tell that Politoed had caught your eye. They call her Queen of the Ocean, or Océanne."

Huh. He was the kind of guy to wait until whatever had caught my attention had passed to keep going.

"That's a badass name," I said, watching the water type prance around. Kalosian, maybe. "Any reason why?"

"She used to sail the world with her trainer. Nothing but her and a speed boat," Justin recounted as if he was reading from a textbook. "See that scar on her back?"

I craned my neck to the left and noticed a patch of discolored green skin, slightly rough and dented. The membrane was so thin seeing the pale, discolored flesh within her was easy.

"Yeah?"

"She got that from a Tentacruel attack," he said. "They say there were at least thirty of them— Tentacool and Tentacruel, all swarming their boat for getting too close while they were migrating back to Hoenn for the winter. They retired from traveling shortly afterward and her trainer opened this restaurant."

"Arceus… that sucks."

I knew that if given enough time, even with Ditto cells, scars would form on a Pokemon, and when in the middle of the ocean, well… there weren't many Nurse Joys around. That did explain how Politoed seemed to order these people around as if she was the boss, though. And she had fought thirty wild Pokemon on her lonesome to protect her trainer, which meant that she must have been incredibly powerful.

I guess they didn't really go for a sailor vibe. The owner really was a sailor.

"The owner doesn't work here anymore and he sold the place, from what I understand, but Océanne enjoys spending some of her days here to make sure the place runs smoothly."

"Wait, how do you know all this?" I frowned. "I thought you didn't go out."

"I didn't. Louis dragged me here once, though, and he chatted with a few of the waiters. You know how he is, every time he reaches someplace he has to learn all about it."

My lips tugged upward. "He is that kind of guy. You know, that mansion we got stuck in when we went through Eterna Forest? How he was looking at the damn paintings?"

A smile flickered on Justin's face, though it disappeared so quickly I almost missed it. "It would be hard to forget being trapped in an ever-repeating mansion and mentally tortured by a Mismagius. But yes, he is like that."

"Well, it's nice. To be in a state of mind to think about those things."

Justin paused, finishing the last of his cauliflower after dousing it in some kind of creamy sauce. "You enjoy reminiscing, don't you?"

I hummed. "Guess so. Makes me realize how far we've come, is all."

"I just found it peculiar, given that no one else does it as much as you do."

"Does it… bother you?"

His hand moved less than an inch on the fork he was still holding. "Bother, not really. It makes me think about before Solaceon, which just feels strange."

"Can I look?"

When he nodded, I blinked and noticed the texture first. It appeared smooth at first, but it was almost palpating with subtle jagged waves. The gray was murky and dim, like a heavy fog.

"Uncertain?" I tried.

"I suppose so."

Legendaries, that training I'd done with Bella was working wonders here. I sank slightly into my chair and finished my dinner in relative silence. Justin ate way too fast and had finished before me. People filtered in rather quickly as I emptied my plate of fried shrimp and fries.

"You've been glancing at that painting all dinner." When I froze, he pointed toward the Dhelmise sinking the ship. "Did anything in particular about it catch your eye? I didn't think you were one for art outside of music."

I stayed quiet for a few seconds, though the sound of the bustling restaurant was ever-present and a growing cadence. They'd started playing music from some speakers, too, and the evening was in full swing.

"When you think about it, not that many people are remembered," I said, tapping a finger against the table. "I was just wondering about how cool it was, to have stories about you— or I guess in this case, it's your entire species. I want there to be stories about me. Hell, maybe songs like they have about Dhelmise, too."

"And prayers, rites and offerings to the sea to ward it away before a crossing?" he asked.

"Justin… was that humor?"

"What?"

"A joke! You made a joke just now!" I grinned, tapping my good foot against the floorboard.

"I guess my statement could have been misconstrued—"

I giggled. "You're funny!" It took a few seconds to gather myself enough to keep going with my train of thought. "Well, I guess that statement might have sounded like it wasn't really going anywhere, but you know, at the League there's this place where they have paintings and fun facts about all of the previous Champions and their Pokemon and stuff. It's in this giant hallway, and it's almost church-like. The light shines through these colored windows and it's fucking breathtaking. Cecilia choked up when she walked into that room." I stopped, feeling a frisson even recalling it. The room just made you feel so infinitely small. "They revere these people like Gods," I pointed at him with my unused fork, "because Gods are stories, Justin."

"Interesting tangent to bring about from a painting of a Dhelmise," he said. I hadn't missed the intonation in his voice, a genuine piece of him slipping through, like it sometimes did. "In a way, I can see what you're talking about. What are people, customs and, well, Gods without stories to remember them by?"

Deep within the recesses of my mind, I felt Mesprit stew in anger. Even they had stories, so they had no right to complain.

"You're nothing," I muttered. "A blip, and then you're forgotten. They don't put you on any paintings, they don't put your name on plaques, or talk about your exploits, and they don't say that your Tyranitar loved to swim."

"Strange example."

"But a valid one," I said. "So I was just looking at that painting and wondering, what can I do, to end up on one of those outside of chaining myself to one position to accrue Pre—" Not Presence, no. Humans could not. "To be remembered across the world. For people to think about me like everyone pictures a Dhelmise when they cross the sea."

"I'd say saving the world, but…" he whispered.

But we both knew that would stay a secret forever.

"It's more a vanity thing," I shrugged. "The need to be remembered after I pass… well, I don't know if it's vanity, actually. You know, it was one of my last thoughts, when all of that shit went down underground." I wanted to keep the events of Lakhutia brief, because thinking about it was still painful. Like opening a wound that hadn't even closed yet. "I can still recall it clearly now. I hope the world remembers me." The words were crisp and seemed loud, even in the middle of this busy restaurant and even though they'd been a whisper.

Justin moistened his lips. "I think it's vanity."

I smiled. "I guess so. What about you, Justin?"

"I don't need to be remembered," he said. "That was the case, even before all of this." Justin pointed to himself. "So long as I leave humanity in a better place than it was, I'll be content. As content as one can be when dead."

"That's probably because you're good, deep down," I smirked, waggling a finger at him. "Someone who's genuinely good and still wants to be better despite it all."

"Is that your powers telling you that?"

"Come on, Justin, it's literally you telling me," I snorted. "Do you want dessert, or?"

"I'm full, thank you." He paused. "And also, did you take a picture of that monument to Sinnoh's past Champions?"

"Oh yeah, a whole lot. Goes back super duper far until the paintings get really bad. You can see the art progress as the ages past, and some of them are so faded that only translated texts remain. They're gonna make Cynthia's soon, apparently. Her and her team."

"You shouldn't call those paintings bad. They're just made with a different, older art style," Justin chided as best as he could in that monotone voice of his. "Show them to Louis tomorrow, will you? I'm sure it will cheer him up some."

"Of course."

Politoed came by to hand us the bill, which I paid in full since I'd been the one to take Justin out and I'd practically dragged him by the arm for this. It was around seven in the evening when we left the restaurant, and my legs felt sluggish from having sat so long. When we reached closer to the ocean, I spotted that there were preparations being made for a festival for some local holiday that Justin informed me was named Seafarer's Day, where everyone would get the day off. Since my history textbook had covered Sinnoh as a whole and not Canalave, I hadn't really known about it, but Justin explained that it traced its history back to the return of sailors back to Canalave to shelter before the stormy season commenced. Only the Iron Islanders had been known to navigate those with confidence.

Artisans were hard at work, creating banners that would adorn the festival venue. They had a fish— possibly a Goldeen embroidered on them. Spinarak and Ariados scuttled in groups, gathering their silk for people to make use of, and the waterfront of the city was being cleaned up by groups of volunteers, including the canal. I spotted a Buizel shooting plastic out of the waters into the hands of a chubby adult man. A lazy-looking Espeon whose gem shone brightly in the night kept wood straight as a bulky woman hammered nails into the planks, etching them into other pieces of wood. It was a communal effort, and it showed. Meltan observed it all with fascination emanating from my wrist.

"The wooden homes will be left empty until they're burned a month later," Justin explained as we walked through the grey-cobbled streets. "If sailors didn't return before the festival, and the stormy season started, they held services inside those homes for them."

"Ah. Light candles and stuff," I said.

"What a horribly simple way of simplifying Canalavian culture," Justin stated. "Louis would be horrified."

"Cece would too. What if the sailors were just late, though?"

"Sometimes they were, and that was no harm no foul," Justin shrugged. "Traditions are strange like this, at times. They build those homes close to the sea to call them back home. It was said that their souls would find their way back and rest on the beds laid upon shore."

"These days I guess it's just a holiday, though," I murmured, staring at the seafront. The Gym could be seen, its huge size looming in the distance and casting lights into the sky. "And when they burn the homes, I guess the fire takes the souls with it?"

My friend nodded, pale under the moonlight. "They do it in the Iron Islands too. Burning their dead." He rubbed his palm with the thumb of his other hand. "I think it's a nice way to be disposed of, instead of being buried."

I wanted to be careful about the topic of burial, especially with him, but we were having a nice conversation, so I pressed on. "I don't really care what they do to me after I'm dead," I muttered. "I just want to die of old age, you know? Satisfied with my life. I guess that's everyone, though."

"Well, hopefully with me at the head of Pherzen, we'll be able to extend human lifespans by a good bit. That's still in the theoretical stages, though, not as solid as curing disease and regenerating limbs, but still, just by curing illnesses most people could live past one hundred, there was a nice paper about it and—"

His eyes were bright, his mouth smiling, and his body felt free. His walk grew erratic and more natural as the warm glow of a streetlight glowed down his face. Dreams were made of this, and it was beautiful. It only lasted a moment, however, and soon enough he was back to… calling it normal felt wrong, but it was what it was.

"Anyway, I suppose I'd like my corpse to be burned. My family could keep the ashes," he finished.

We crossed a street with only silence as a companion.

"Say," I cleared my throat, "I told Emi and Pauline I'd give them lessons about fighting with no rules, and I was wondering if you'd like to join us?"

"I told you I didn't think I would help," he brushed me off.

"And that's completely fine," I nodded. "You know, it's just in case something bad happens and you're thrust into it anyway, I want you to know how it feels so you aren't caught completely off-guard. Been a while since…"

Well, since Solaceon and his Krookodile had buried him into a hole full of darkness.

"Since I was turned into this," he completed without emotion. "Ordinarily I would, but I can't."

"That's okay."

"It would make Louis feel like he has to as well, but he's in no state to," Justin said. "If he reaches a point where he can, I'll come with him."

"It's okay. Not ideal, but okay."

"I partly lied just now."

My foot skidded uncomfortably on the brick, as did my crutch. "What?"

"That was partly true, but it wouldn't exactly make sense as a statement on its own. It's not reason enough," Justin said. "The other half is, revisiting what might happen will for sure be unpleasant."

It took a few seconds to realize that he'd meant he would probably feel scared even through his inhibitor. His chest rose up with the rapidity of his breathing and he was looking away from me. The Pokemon Center was only minutes away now.

"Look, I'm not going to make you train with us, but you can't run away from feelings, Justin. It's normal to be scared."

"Don't try to convince me," he deadpanned.

"I'm not, I—"

"Then we can let the topic go, can't we?" he asked. "What is, if not to convince me to train with you, the purpose of this conversation?"

My skin prickled. "It wasn't, I swear I—"

"It doesn't appear that way to me," he interrupted. "We haven't been together much, but even when we were, there's this thing with you— and keep in mind this is a simple observation. I don't actually feel harmed by you, or you would be able to tell. May I continue?"

I nodded. "Uh, yes."

"You get denied, and then you try to sidestep the topic while in reality, you're slowly returning to it again. Wrapping around it like an Ekans, controlling the entire conversation in hopes of getting what you want anyway at a later date. It's all set up."

"Do I… do that?"

"Well, I could be wrong." His hands passed over his Pokeballs, which he fiddled with for a few seconds. "Either way, it's just an observation of who you are to me, it's not the end of the world… I could have found better usage of words there, sorry."

My shoulders slumped. "We can drop the topic."

"Thank you. It's a good trait to have, with what you want to do with your future career and involvement in politics. I don't think I would have realized it without the darkness to ground me. I'm bad with people." His fingers pressed down on one of the buttons of his Pokeballs and Arcanine materialized at his side, glowing slightly in the night. Embers flickered at the edge of his fur, and he greeted Justin with a slight bow and affectionate growl. Justin scratched the canine's chin before introducing me, and the fire type's tail wagged just a few inches. "Arcanine usually accompanies me on walks like this, so I figured I'd release him."

The fire type looked down on me, because yes, he was that tall, and Mimi was suddenly sitting very still. There were hints of sharpened teeth that glimmered in the night, and I outstretched a hand in an attempt to pet him. He stayed silent, smelling it until he ducked out of the way. Still, I felt the warmth emanating from his fur and skin, imagining how wonderful cuddling with Arcanine must be.

"Fair enough," I sighed. "How have you been?"

Arcanine grunted, saying that things were easier now than they'd been in those first months when they'd been adapting to Justin— or something close to that. It'd been long, so I wasn't sure if what I was hearing was right or not.

"Happy to hear that." Arcanine's ears twitched, and he relaxed just a bit. "Justin says you guys go on walks all the time, so why don't we keep this one going instead of turning in for the night?" I bumped Justin's arm with my elbow. "Maybe head back up? The library's pretty close by."

"It's closed."

"I thought the park would be open."

He frowned. "Why would the park be open? The park is a part of the library. Also, it's not a park, it's a courtyard."

I threw my hands up. "Okay, well you pick where we go."

Arcanine huffed, saying that they knew the city best anyway.

—

I plopped myself down a bench that sat parallel to a promenade along the Canalave canal, heaving with tired breaths as I sprawled onto the uncomfortable wood. Justin warned me to watch out for splinters, but I was way too tired to care. When I'd talked about a walk, I hadn't expected it to go on for so long, and it made me realize that my broken ankle had put me horribly out of shape, with me using my team to walk around all the time. Canalave's famous drawbridge was visible in the distance, as imposing as ever, and illuminated by a crap ton of golden lights. It was the only way to cross between the two halves of the city without using a ferry or Pokemon, which probably made traffic horrible, even if Canalave was more of a pedestrian city akin to Eterna City. For a while, I looked up at the night sky while Justin waited with his team, but their dynamic was too interesting to keep away for long.

Arcanine was sitting at Justin's side, always shadowing his trainer. He reminded me of Buddy, in that way, with how diligent and serious he was. The fire type had always been loyal to his core, and more Pokemon wouldn't change that, or at least that's what I figured until…

Audino was the heart of the group, that much was easy to see. The one who linked all of them together. The normal type spun around like a dance as he seemed to be skidding on the ground, leaving behind pink dust that disappeared before I could blink. He touched Arcanine's side, and the fire type collapsed to the floor, turning on his back with his paws up and tongue hanging out as he chuffed. I could see his fur move like it was being petted, but Audino had already moved on. He almost touched Corviknight, but the raven's eyes turned blood red and Audino froze in his tracks with an awkward smile.

This happens all the time, I silently mused to myself as Arcanine practically purred. Was it a trick of some kind? Tickle, maybe, or a combination of that and glamour. Not as powerful as a core belief, but still something he could use in a pinch. Krookodile observed one of his sharpened claws with a lassitude that was fit for a Slaking, and Corviknight flew his way to escape Audino's antics. The wind clearly bothered the ground type (and who could blame him, considering that Corviknight had decided to fly a grand distance of ten feet instead of walk), because he swiped at Corviknight's feet in an attempt to screw up his landing, and the bird collapsed on the ground.

Toxapex, who had stayed utterly still close to the water, lifted two of her twelve legs and clapped them together as she cackled, though that cackle was more of a strange screech that had a certain echo to it. Her yellow eyes shone brightly in the dimly lit promenade, and Ludicolo had been working on watering her like a plant as he hummed a song that would no doubt be stuck in my head for ages. It was a small column of water dragged from the ocean and poured onto Toxapex. Corviknight scrambled back to his feet and returned back to his usual pose, wings tightly wound against his sides and eyes sharp, and Toxapex continued giving him shit for pretending nothing had happened while Krookodile asked her to shut up and be quiet.

In the middle of it all was Justin, content to just let his team be. They had more of a dynamic with themselves than with him, even if they did obviously love him, with the way they all looked when they thought he wasn't looking. Arcanine turned back to his belly, satisfied with the petting, and he lay down on the ground instead while Audino showed Justin his outstretched palm. First, there was nothing, but when Audino closed and opened it again, there was a pink flower inside that he placed in his trainer's hair and that Justin felt compelled to accept.

It felt odd being there. Intrusive, even if I wasn't saying anything. I'd had to restrain myself from forcefully introducing myself or releasing my own team and interrupting the moment, but I believed I learned more about Justin's team this way than I would have talking to them individually. Eventually, my friend settled on the bench with me, which was my cue to stop taking the entire space and bend my legs so he could sit. The flower in his hair was slowly disappearing, fizzling out of existence. Now that Arcanine was dozing off, he was alone, for once.

"Sorry about this," he said, staring right ahead at nothing in particular. The boats, maybe? I doubted yachts would be that interesting to Justin out of all people, considering his father owned a few. "We're spending more time here than I thought we would."

"That's okay. This is nice."

His back was unnaturally straight against the bench. "Sometimes I look at them and I think that it'd be wrong to intrude, but they keep involving me in things anyway."

"That's because they want to and love you," I said. "What's wrong with that?"

"It feels like I don't fit in," he said. "Like I'm a piece of the puzzle, but in the wrong set."

I sat up on the bench with a tired groan. "Could you elaborate?"

"No."

I blinked. "Huh. Okay, well just know that I think you're wrong, okay? Even with your issues, your team obviously loves you." My voice was a low whisper. "If you didn't fit, then you wouldn't—"

"Drop the topic?" he said with a saddened smile.

"Ah, I was doing it again."

"You were. Sorry, I just don't want to talk about it."

Shifting uncomfortably in my seat, I touched my wristband and felt at Mimi's warmth. "So what were you thinking for Byron?" I asked. "We didn't end up talking about battling when we were eating."

"Turn his gimmick against him and stall for time," Justin said. "Win on a technicality."

"I mean, Byron's gimmick isn't technically just defense, it's just something he's the best at."

"Semantics, Grace," he shrugged as he finally turned his gaze to his team. "Arcanine and Krookodile are the only two who I'm confident can break past those defenses, and that path is just so very narrow. Not a lot of open doors."

"So you want to stall instead," I nodded. "Not bad."

"When you can't win, cheat," Justin declared. "It's as simple as that."

"Shrimple as that."

"What?"

"I ate shrimp— you know what, never mind. Just something Slowking would say."

It wasn't a satisfying way to win, at least to me, but hey, who was I to talk? Plus, I was sure he'd make the battle interesting anyway. In the distance, Ludicolo started singing instead of humming. It was not a festive song like you'd think of when thinking of what a Ludicolo might play. It was still upbeat, but it was also calm. Soothing, in a way that I understood was because music too exciting would bother most of the team. Audino started twirling and dancing for the others, and Toxapex clapped two of her legs together along the beat of the song. Ludicolo joined in the dance, and soon enough the two were together. Even Krookodile was looking, and Arcanine awoke.

I'd misjudged the fire type. Instead of immediately finding his way to Justin, he just made sure he was okay with a look and tapped his feet along with the song.

"I wish I brought my piano along," I exhaled. "I left it at my Dad's."

"You'd be hard-pressed to play along. Ludicolo hates it when someone joins in on his song, so he would have sped up and lost you behind him. The most you could have done is dance."

"Dance with this?" I pointed my chin at my ankle. "You know, it's probably avoided me a bunch of dancing lessons with Cece, though."

"She does love to dance," Justin acquiesced.

"I like doing stuff she likes, but dancing really isn't my cup of tea. Well, so long as she leads, it's nice. Plus, feeling her hands on my back…"

I missed her.

"Anyway," I continued. "Any fun stories you have from your journey alone before Sunyshore?"

—

We stayed out until ten in the evening, where I mostly just let Justin talk about himself by asking him more and more questions and we finally caught each other up to what had been going on in our lives. Since we didn't live on the same floor, I hugged Justin goodnight and left the elevator before he did. Even I was a little tired after a night out, though the plan was to use a few hours to keep going over Byron.

Chase was in front of my door.

It was a scene right out of the outpost out of Eterna Forest, where he'd been waiting after I'd beaten him in our first battle— holy crap, I did love to reminisce, didn't I? His bulky arms were crossed, his brows were knitted together and he had that scowl on his face that made him look younger. Not physically, but emotionally. How long had he been waiting here? A few hours? Wasn't that a huge waste of time? Maybe he'd just wanted to make sure he didn't miss me. He wore a sleeveless shirt that revealed the scar on his forearm that Sneasel had given him months ago, sandals and baggy shorts that went down to his knees, along with the usual blue cap worn backwards. No new wounds, thank the Legendaries. Trainers gave him a wide berth, not wanting him to blow up on them.

"Hey. Why're you angry at me?" I instantly asked.

He pointed back at my door. "Inside."

Gee, he wasn't feeling very vocal today, was he? I rolled my eyes, limping past him to open my door. "How's training been? Learn any new interesting moves or tactics?"

"No small talk. Why are people showing up here, Grace?"

"Emi and Pauline?" I asked.

"Who else? And now I hear you're going to train them? Look, I like them… well, not really, I mostly don't care, but it's a waste of time, man!" His foot tapped against the ground. Anxious. "You should be training yourself up. Louis and Justin, I respect, because they know not to get in the way because they want to feel useful."

"I already know you and I aren't going to see eye to eye on this, so there's no point." A tired breath left me as I placed my crutch against the wall and rummaged through my tiny closet for some clothes to sleep in. "It's been decided, so it's happening. You're outvoted anyway."

"Fuck voting," he spat. "You're going to waste the last week and a few days we have on bringing them up to speed instead of ironing out what you need to iron out or training that Claydol of yours."

"Does Ri agree?" I asked.

"Don't bring Ri into this. It's me you're talking to, and I'm in charge."

"So he doesn't. Look, I know you're putting up some valid points, but this is important to Emi and Pauline, so it's important to me."

Chase removed his cap and ran a hand through his unkempt hair. "So you won't change your mind?"

"That'd be stabbing them in the back."

My friend looked up at the ceiling and let out an exasperated sigh. "Even if we go from your point of view, you're going to get them killed."

"I'm not. I'm teaching them to defend themselves because they will get themselves killed if I don't."

"Then if they do that after so many warnings, that's on them—

"Watch it."

Emotion buzzed at the edges of my senses, appearing and disappearing like shadows. They were colors that I forgot as soon as they left my vision. Needle and thread. My fingers pressed together, but it was only for a moment.

"Don't say that," I warned. "Just don't. It won't just be on them, it'll be on me for not giving them the tools they needed to defend themselves despite knowing they'd need them." I jammed a finger into his chest. "And it'd be on you too, and I know you care. So stop it."

"...whatever, Grace. You're right. We'll never see eye-to-eye on this." He turned toward my door. "I'm going to pass by my room to take a shower, then I'll be gone until the due date."

I inhaled sharply. "You're not fighting Byron?"

"Let me put it simply, Grace. At this moment in time, I would lose, and I'm not about to give that fucker the satisfaction of getting one over me. Anyway, bye. Shit talk."

He slammed my door and left. There were quiet gasps beyond it, probably from trainers asking themselves what the hell had just happened in here. I slowly opened my laptop, opened the Gym's website with a lethargic speed, and changed into different clothes. I inhaled the shirt, taking in the familiar lingering smell before putting it on and released my team other than Sweetheart, and I opted to have Claydol in instead of Angel today. They were too big to fit all of them in, and I figured I'd alternate between my largest teammates. Tomorrow, Sunshine would stay in his ball, for example.

The hours passed with Buddy as my only companion remaining awake.

I went to sleep with Cece's shirt on, thinking of how I could cure Justin if he asked, and I still had Ludicolo's song stuck in my head.

---

A/N: I've been very sick these past few days, but we should be back on schedule starting Monday. Thanks for bearing with me!

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Michael J, Jan, catfishdog, Onyx2409, ChairmanK--, William F, Zhijia, Andy S, HeyMrJack, NineXO, Dvn, Exceedes, Gustavo S, Elie, Serina T, Iepton, sqw4l, Nihilea

 

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 298

Louis Bianchi had been proud, once.

A man who, like him or hate him, a year ago, had been capable of capturing a room's attention. The way he'd carried himself, back straight and chin high, the fancy clothing, each article more expensive than a month's rent, the well-groomed hair, golden like the sun, and the boisterous voice that had a magnetic property about it. The way pride coiled around his very being until he had embodied the concept to the point of becoming blind to all of his faults and what people truly thought about him.

Once.

Once, he had been that.

It was easy to forget, with how gently Louis behaved himself, these days, but he had learned to be prepared to deal with high-stakes situations after he had frozen multiple times in the face of danger in Eterna Forest. That land of death had sharpened him, taught him to keep his wits about him no matter what the situation may be. It had begun with Cecilia's escape into Mount Coronet. The girl he loved, desperate to die a glorious death of joyous battle in the midst of the most dangerous place in the region. Fresh off learning that their entire relationship had been a lie, he had put his head down and spearheaded the organization of her rescue. Cracks had, however, already formed, and would widen as the months passed. A silent killer of his character, turning him more and more subdued. Still, in Solaceon, despite the way his hands had trembled, the way he had pictured the thousands of way the situation might go wrong, he had joined us to investigate and used his money to get us the information we needed to crack that case, a mere two weeks after his father had been imprisoned for a lifetime.

And it was there, that Justin was taken by Shiftry's darkness.

How many times could a man be beaten, for him to rise again and again? I did not have the answer, but the mere thought of it had me choked up as I stepped into Louis' room. Old enemy, he was. A rival in love, back when we'd both been children in the figurative sense and when there had only been that to worry about.

That was who Louis was. A person beaten within an inch of death who could no longer get up. His hair was disheveled, messy and with very visible knots dotting its entire surface as he stared out the window. I could only see the scar on his cheek he'd gotten in Mount Coronet, his skin so pale he gave Justin a run for his money. Ninetales sat by his side, and while she did not look at me directly, I felt warmth slither from my ankles and up my skin like bugs crawling all over me, and I knew I had her attention. Her tails went from lying across to floor— two of them gently rubbing Louis' back— to rising, undulating as one in an almost hypnotic motion. Behind me, Denzel closed the door, knowing that I'd wanted to be alone just for the reunion, at least, with Justin behind him.

"Louis?"

Pride was now fully stamped out, having been replaced by misery. He turned my way, but slowly, as if his bones were old and weary. His fingers gripped the windowsill and the wind blew the thick, white curtains towards the room. With eyes like death, Louis looked at me, bags under them so deep they gave his skin a blue-dark tint even though he spent much of his days sleeping. His chin and cheeks were covered in unkept blond stubble. Louis gave me a smile, forced and sad, the kind of smile you gave to people before delivering bad news. Not knowing what to do, I returned it and briskly paced across the room until I gripped his wrist and knelt by his side of the bed.

"I'm sorry," I said. "For everything."

He opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again as he brushed a bang out of his eyes' way. "I did not ask for any of it," he said, bitterness in his tone. He'd been prepared for a speech, I realize. A spiel where he'd rebuke me and the others for giving him all of this weight. "What's done is… done. It's good to see you, Grace. I hope you've been doing better. Oh, and here's Ninetales." He pointed at her, but she rebuked me, not even looking my way. "I don't think she'll be talking to you. Or any of the others, for that matter, but especially not Emilia," Louis finished with a wry smile.

One did not have to be an empath to see that he despised her for this. For what she had thrown onto his lap with no care or plan. I respected that, just as I respected Louis as a whole.

"That's alright," I nodded. "Have you eaten this morning?"

"Denzel made sure of that, as did Ninetales. She was practically force-feeding me and shoving the food in my mouth with Extrasensory," he said. The tone was— the tone was calm, but there was no missing the constant bounce of his leg and the way his eyes darted everywhere in the room, like he was expecting an attack to come. "I didn't puke it all up this time."

"Well, that's… uh, yeah, that's great."

My friend turned back toward the city. His room did not face the Gym, and since he was on the fourth floor, he had a decent view of the city. They were mostly family homes— huh, I'd nearly forgotten that Lauren came from here. Looking at all the houses covering the horizon had me think back about her, for whatever reason. Louis and I stayed silent for a few moments, and I ignored Ninetales staring daggers at me. Strange, that. From what I knew about their relationship, the fire type had been one to push Louis forward and out of his newfound… mellowness. Maybe even she had limits to what her trainer was subjected to.

"I've had these nightmares," Louis said with a quivering voice. "Calling them nightmares is odd, all things considered. They feel much more real than that."

My hand squeezed his, though not hard enough to hurt myself. "You can tell me."

"You can't see Mount Coronet from here, but I see it in my dreams," he whispered, as if he was scared to utter the words. "I start at the foot of the mountain, always at the foot, and I'm alone with no Pokemon or friends by my side. My legs feel like lead and I can't move a muscle, and eventually, something shatters at the summit." His throat tightened at the words, and he coughed into a fist. "It breaks open, and then the world," he snapped his fingers, "disappears. There's nothing, not even me, and I wake up falling in the dark until I wake up screaming."

"Arceus…"

"You have no idea how hard it is," he spoke through clenched teeth. "to hear the world shatter like glass."

I wanted to tell him it was only a dream, and that we had no idea how it would end, exactly, if it did. If it would be a rip, a shattering, or silent. Yet something told me those words would be useless, at the moment.

"Still, I sleep. It makes the day bearable, at the very least."

"Louis, listen, I— we were thinking of going out today, the four of us." I felt his arm tug away from me, and I let it go. "I know this might not be any help, but I think some fresh air could do you some good. And hey, the way I go about it is this: yes, the world's in danger, but we've got the best of the best on the case, right?"

There was simply no putting the Meowth back in the bag, so this was the next best way I had of dealing with this. The thought of Louis spending the rest of the time we had left depressed in his room sickened me.

"Mira said there were futures where they won," Louis said.

"There are."

"Then how—" he stopped, taking a deep breath. "I've had this thought on my mind, ever since I learned about these powers." Knowing where this was going, I instantly grimaced, but Louis didn't stop. "Could you take some of it away? The crippling anxiety?" He gripped his shirt around his chest. "You could make it easier to bear."

"Louis, I can't—"

He did not scream, but he did raise his tone. "I'm not asking you to take all of it. Just to smooth things over. Please. I can't go on like this." I was silent. This was the last thing I'd expected, and— "You offered the same thing to Justin. He told me earlier this morning. Is it so different if I ask?"

"Justin's case is different," I forced out. "He's been turned into a different person."

Pain flickered in his eyes, raw and piercing. "Does it matter? Don't you need practice with it, regardless? What I'm asking of you is so much smaller than that, and it can give you the experience you need. I want you to help him, Grace, I want that more than anything, but with this, you help everyone."

I gulped. "Can I think about it?"

Ninetales huffed, her head still held high while Louis rose from his bed with a tired groan, the morning sun shining down his half-closed eyes. "I'll come with you three, but please. Just… do this thing for me."

It was different now that the option of practicing with these was now in front of me. I'd done so much to stem the use of these powers that the fact that they could go on to be used on someone other than Justin or someone who was trying to kill me hardly crossed my mind, these days. What if I messed up and didn't know how to put him back together? It was a rather simple operation that I believed I'd be capable of, but fear of failure was known to give trembling fingers, and they needed to be steady to do what he asked of me.

What he asked of me…

There was also the fear of something else.

My body felt like it had gone through a workout when we left his room, having been sapped of all its energy. Denzel beamed when he saw I'd finally gotten him out of there, and even Justin cracked a weary smile, patting his best friend on the shoulder. They spoke some during the walk downstairs, though the conversation was mostly carried by Denzel. Louis and Justin were both quiet unless directly addressed. It was strange to see the former go out without a care for his messy appearance, but at least he was out. The plan was to spend the morning in the Canalave Library now that all of our therapy was done and it was past nine in the morning, though Justin had no therapist and Louis just apparently stayed quiet most of his session. I did not miss the stares bearing through the back of my head he offered me. I was his ray of hope, his lifeline, I alone held the cards to get him better unless he was content with Mira erasing his memory, which would… obviously be worse than what he'd asked me.

Denzel walked with Sylvi at his side, his ribbons brushing against his trainer's legs, and his Roserade whose glare could poison you if she stared for too long. A few people stopped him for an autograph, something he always denied. Louis had his Ninetales, who no doubt whispered constant reassurances into his mind while Justin was Pokemonless. I, meanwhile, had Claydol hovering by me along with Mimi, as always. Canalave was a little easier to handle for the ground type, which would do wonders for our training later today at one of the arenas I'd spotted near the Pokemon Center. The city was more spread out than Jubilife was. Less dense. Still, people looked up at them and Ninetales in awe.

Really, I just wanted to spend more time with them and they'd be able to put up a quick barrier around all of us in a pinch. Since Claydol was no empath, we could not communicate in secret by just having them read what was going on in my head, and maybe it was because of both Louis' demand and my suggestion to Justin, but I had ideas swirling in my head of how to make better use of my gift in a pinch. Could I, for example, communicate silently by threading what I wanted into Claydol's head as a passing emotion, and not a lingering one? Back when I'd first entered Sandgem and been completely overwhelmed by these new senses, I'd felt emotions that weren't mine. Did that mean that while I could not change my emotions, I could overwhelm mine to make myself feel something else?

Questions. There were so many of them without an answer, and that void— that gap in my knowledge as we made it closer and closer to the Red Chain might come back to bite me. My head subconsciously turned to Louis, who avoided my eyes.

On one hand, he had given me his consent. There were no wrongs to this, morally, or at least I wanted to tell myself that. What he'd asked of me had been simple enough to do with a relative amount of focus. On the other, what if this was the start of an addiction? Of him asking me again and again, to help him deal with negative feelings? I had no idea what would happen next week, and maybe it'd get worse— no, going down that train of thought made my heartbeat hurt. Beating against my ribcage like drums, shaking it violently.

And when it was all over, that'd be that. The relief Louis would feel would be immense, so all he needed to do was bear with it for another week and a half— possibly more, but his current state of affairs was temporary. It had a tangible cause, and once that cause was removed, everything would go back to normal for him so long as…

Everyone would make it out in one piece. They had to, or—

Claydol chimed next to me. It seems you are undergoing distress. How may I be of service to alleviate your concerns?

Soothing. Their voice was soothing against my mind and acted like a cold splash of water at the same time.

"I'll tell you later, thank you, Claydol."

Acknowledged.

The Canalave library was more impressive from up close. While it was blocky, almost to a fault, rising five floors above ground with two wings sprouting from its side and wrapping around the courtyard, the designers had not let that stop them from making the building pretty. Tables and chairs were thoughtfully placed outside, creating a cozy space for people and Pokémon to enjoy books under the warmth of the sunlight or seek shade beneath parasols. Thick vines grew at the bottom of the turquoise bricks, neatly clinging to the structure. There were many windows adorning the side of the building, the same intricate glasswork that I knew sat on the roof. A simple staircase took us up a deck and toward the old, rustic doors. They were grand, with intricate carvings wrought onto the steel and wide enough to let in all of our Pokemon.

Louis did not perk up at any of it.

"Welcome to the Canalave Library!" A man looking to be in his twenties said with a bright smile. A smile that fell when he saw how three out of four of us looked. He sat at a desk adjacent to the entrance and had a nametag on his chest spelling out 'Christopher'. "Um… are you in possession of a library card?"

"None of us are, no," Denzel answered.

"Ah. Is this your first time in the library?" the employee asked. "Cards are completely free and can help you get borrowing privileges, access to computers and the internet…"

This was administrative busywork, so I let Christopher's voice sink into the background and observed the library itself. The building smelled like aged paper and polished wood, and the extensive second floor stretched with towering wooden shelves stretching high toward the ceiling. Soft sunlight filtered through large windows, casting a warm glow on reading nooks and study tables strategically placed throughout the library. The air was permeated with the muffled rustle of turning pages and the occasional murmur of hushed conversations. I felt a little self-conscious that the librarian at the entrance and Denzel were speaking at a normal, albeit somewhat quiet volume. Honestly, thank God he was here to handle all of this.

We ended up registering for a library card by filling a form, save for Louis, who didn't even have the energy to write. He'd basically limped over here and was already exhausted, so hopefully sitting in a quiet space like this would do him some good. After verifying our identities with our trainer IDs, we got a card and were ushered into the building.

"Did you know that this place was built before Byron's time?" Justin whispered to Louis. "When Mikhal Rose was Gym leader?"

"Yes," he responded.

"Oh. Ordinarily, you would have started speaking about it, but I suppose you can't."

"Let's let Louis breathe a little, okay Justin?" Denzel said. "Here, let's find someplace to sit—"

"Shhhh!"

"Shit, sorry—"

He'd been shushed by a pair of teenagers reading a book about… well, I only got a glance, but it looked to be about water type Pokemon biology. When I pictured the library, I hadn't really thought the inside would be so homely. Instead of uncomfortable wooden chairs, there were couches ready to accommodate us, even on the first floor. Not wanting to go too far due to Louis, Denzel let us sit and asked if there were any particular books we wanted, and he'd go get them. Using that as an excuse, I decided to go with him to stop Louis from staring at me with that desperate look that was twisting my heart with guilt. As soon as we were out of earshot and browsing the aisles for Justin's book on Canalavian architecture (I was pretty sure he'd only picked that for Louis), Denzel spoke up.

"Okay, so are you going to tell me what's going on? Louis has been staring at you all morning. I mean, I'm glad you got him out, but what did you tell him in there?" he murmured.

I groaned, understanding how annoying I must be every time I'd done the same thing to him. Perceiving things and then bringing them up. "Just a second."

Before answering, I released Jellicent, who I'd promised I would let in the library yesterday night when plans had been made to come here. For a moment, he was a kid again, or at least what I imagined kid Buddy might have been like. His eyes shone with endless wonder and his body wriggled in excitement. He'd just been about to rush and explore the entire place until Claydol warned him through telepathy that Pokemon were not allowed to be without their 'owners' in the establishment. He was right, but owner was a yucky word, ugh.

"Sorry you don't have Extrasensory yet, I promise I'll buy it for you by the end of the day, and we can come back at least once before the Gym Battle," I said, dipping my head slightly. "Deal?"

He grumbled, saying that at least he would have some practice in. Knowing him, he'd have the move down in twenty minutes if it was to do something he loved, like reading. He continued, asking me to grab him a publication on Canalavian and Iron Islander history.

A book about 'what love is' would be appreciated, my King.

"Coming right up," I whispered back, spinning to situate myself. We were in the history aisle right now, and that sounded like philosophy, which was on the… third floor. "Maybe it'll help you, but don't just regurgitate what the book says, okay?"

"Are you gonna keep ignoring me, or…?" Denzel asked, his arms crossed protectively over Justin's book.

"Louis wants me to take away parts of his anxiety," I sighed. To any other bystanders, the statement was innocent enough, but Denzel froze for a split-second. "Yes, like that. And I'm stumped. That's it."

"Shit…"

"You said it. There are pros and cons to this, but I don't know what decision to make and Louis is basically begging— ah." I found a book akin to what Buddy was looking for, though I wasn't sure it covered the period he wanted. This one was only about the two civilizations before the conquest of the Iron Islands. "I don't want him to get addicted to me."

"Can't you take just that away? Addiction?"

I shivered, but kept whispering, "Emotions aren't that simple, Denzel. I can't just take away addiction, I have to tamper and tinker with a ton of other stuff, or maybe reframe the problem entirely? Addiction's one of the more complicated ones." It was a good thing we were already walking, or I'd be pacing around. "Even what he's asking is tough. Simpler, but still tough."

"I… I mean, it's your call, but he asked, didn't he?"

"If someone asked you to punch them in the gut, would you do it?" I called out.

"No, but that's not at all the same—" he stopped, having raised his tone. Back in a whisper, now, Denzel continued, "It's not at all the same thing. You'd be helping him."

"...I know."

"Then why?"

I turned away, scuttling toward the elevators with Buddy and Claydol behind me.

"Look, if you don't want to talk about it, fine," Denzel sighed. "Can we stop by the second floor? The fashion section is there and I wanna stop by. See if I can get some inspiration for some new merch."

I relaxed, my body loosening slightly. "You just want to look at cute clothes."

"Well, that too," he shrugged. "It's real interesting, though, seeing what clothes make people tick and working to design them and stuff like that. Pauline's really into it too."

That was a given, with her family business.

"You excited for tomorrow?" I asked. The elevator dinged, and we squeezed into it, though I recalled my Pokemon and said I'd release them when the books were ready.

"Nervous."

"Eh, nervous is kind of adjacent to excited, when you look at the two."

It took a while to find all the books we needed, and I ended up settling on a textbook from Unova that I was pretty sure was one of the ones they used in civics class to explain how their government worked. I wasn't expecting to do much reading anyway, but it was just something to keep myself busy and not get there completely blind. The future was something I had to think about. From the future came hope, and hope was what I was running on, at the moment. I found Claydol's book, too, and ended up getting a picture book for Princess. Honey already had his comics he still hadn't finished due to his injury, so he was good on that front.

I placed myself back on the couch, and we all got reading.

Except for Louis. Justin read to him in that monotone voice of his, and I was reminded of Claydol for a moment. The ground type was simultaneously holding onto his book and levitating Buddy's, turning the page at each soft click.

It wasn't much, but it was a break, and we and our Pokemon found ourselves chatting together and even Louis joined in, by the end of it.

That was good for him, but not ideal for the decision I needed to make. He could get out of this without my help, and I knew it. He needed support, both from his therapist and from us.

It was possible.

It was.

So I was putting my foot down. I was.

"Let's get lunch," Denzel smiled. "Wanna go to that place you guys went at yesterday night?"

—

The state I left the arena in by the end of training had me feeling bad for the poor employees and their Pokemon who had to fix it afterward. It could barely be called an arena, anyway. I'd gone to one of those fancy ones where you could book a slot to use for a set amount of time and paid enough to have a few hours. I'd ended up releasing my entire team in the middle of that very nice-looking forest with a meandering river (except Honey, who was still recovering from his injury) and turned it to ash and mud. And that had only been the first one. The second, I'd gotten only for thirty minutes and experimented changing the terrain on, making sure my plan for Angel was sound.

It was. Now we just had to execute it while someone was trying to defeat us on the opposite side of the field.

It was evening, now. My mind was still racked by indecision. I'd changed it at least five times, during training, instead of being completely focused like I'd needed to when giving my team directions or watching Byron's videos. I was close to having memorized everything I needed to, so there was no risk of lagging behind. The day after tomorrow, I would sign up, and since this was the eighth, I'd probably be fighting Byron in another day or two. Not the full week Cece had told me to take so my team could be fully healed by the Red Chain, but six days was basically that and it was only a buffer anyway. I doubted any spines were going to be broken like it had against Volkner. It would be horribly irresponsible from Byron to do so.

But these were just idle thoughts. Thoughts to keep me distracted from the decision I'd come to make. One I hoped I wouldn't regret. My knuckles rasped against Louis' door so quietly I might as well have been a ghost. The door unlocked, and instead of Louis waiting at the door, it was Ninetales. She nudged me inside with her snout and closed it quickly. Louis was standing, now. Facing the window, as always, but standing. Staring in Mount Coronet's direction, even though the mountain was not visible. The cause of his haunting visions that he was growing obsessed with.

"I'll help you," I declared, teeth sinking into my tongue a moment later, but it was too late to stop myself from talking. No walking it back now.

There was a gasp, or maybe a sigh of surprise and relief as he turned my way. "Thank you. What do I— do I just sit down?"

"Doesn't matter, just let me concentrate, okay?" My throat was dry despite having finished a water bottle twenty minutes ago. Fingers trembling in anticipation, I turned the desk chair his way and sat facing him. "Are you sure? There's no going back on this. I'm not experienced enough for that."

"Yes."

"And to reiterate, I'm only taking parts of your problem away. You still need to deal with it on your own, I'm only giving you a little boost."

"I understand. It was what I believed would be right anyway," he nodded.

I paused, and the same question left my lips. "Are you sure?"

Again, he agreed without an ounce of doubt.

Okay.

Anxiety unfolded before me like a turbulent storm painted in shades of deep indigo and stormy grays. The air was heavy with the weight of uncertainty, and the colors swirled and danced, creating a disconcerting mix of unease. The indigo threads pulsated with the heartbeat of stress, while the stormy grays cast shadows that seemed to stretch endlessly across the room, roiling over the bed, desk, and out of the window. It was a tapestry woven with blotches of worry, fear, and apprehension, each hue a manifestation of the emotional turbulence within. They were closely mixed together, not easily separated with a bare needle, but it was what I had to work with, and I felt my lips creep upward. I pierced where the negative emotions met with a flicker of my fingers and got to work.

The first stage was untangling this mess and putting it into neat little boxes of color, but I couldn't be too liberal with the cuts, or Louis would break. It was fine work, though I noticed him squirm a little, a motion that excited me some when it shouldn't have. Operating on him was creating even more anxiety and fear I needed to contain, but that was okay. I was good at this, and I made sure to not get second-hand anxiety through Louis' own. The indigo was deep enough for a grown man to sink in, but it was the other colors that gave me issues. The stormy grays resisted, entangled in a complex weave that reflected the intricacies of his fears. I cut, cut, cut, snipping until indigo and grays had been neatly divided and isolated from the rest of Louis' mind scape. How fun, to tinker with someone like this. How liberating. Mesprit shared my giggling as I reached the next step. Cutting when your only implement was a mental needle was tough, but there was something fulfilling about the droning motion of my fingers.

To kill an emotion, one had to either smother it with something else or put it in someone else. What I'd done with Mathilda had been redirecting her love for her old trainer towards me, but it had been too shallow and I'd made it akin to a crush. Redirecting anxiety, while a fun experiment, would not fix the issue. Seeing as I said I would only be helping, I needed to go with option one. Smother it, but not enough to completely kill it, because that was important. Remembering the limits of what I'd set out to do. Unsatisfying, ungratifying, disheartening, frustrating. I wanted to play with him, but no. The consequences would be disastrous.

Calm. It was a crude way of going about things, but I needed calm and joy, and Louis had very little to work with and no potential to draw out more. Damn it! Ugh, unless I was willing to steal some from other people, then I was going to need to cut again. That was fine, cutting was fun even if doing it with a needle took time, but recovery would be less smooth. It wouldn't be seamless from Louis' perspective, at least, and he'd be high off operation for a while, but maybe that was fine. Still, I sent the needle deep within Louis psyche, finding warmer colors. The potential for it was there, I only needed to push and prod until it stopped hiding from me. The indigo softened into hues of cerulean, and the stormy grays yielded to gentle wisps of silver. Not enough. Not enough. Never enough. There was a rip, and I realized I'd cut more of it than I wanted. Oops! Well, better cut the same amount for the indigo, or there would be an imbalance and that'd be awful and possibly make things even worse than they were at the beginning.

Well, we were almost done now. I stitched the indigo and grays back together into anxiety. It was neat, almost too neat. Things might be a little bit more entertaining broken, but that was okay. Not now, maybe, but later, on someone else… gah, that'd go against the stupid rules. Whatever, better enjoy this while it lasted. Stitch, stitch, stitch, I weaved my needle and carefully mixed the two together before inserting it all back into Louis with a flick of my finger, who groaned like he was dying and doubled over. It was easy, now. Lighter, far lighter, both in weight and tone. It was over—

I gasped, sweat boring down my forehead and heavy breaths wracking my lungs. My hands clasped around the chair, keeping myself still. Louis was pale, but he was grinning. The sky was dark outside and the moon was out, somehow. I grabbed my phone with trembling hands, trying not to linger on the way I'd been thinking to myself during the entire process and realized I'd still been smiling.

An hour and a half had passed in what had felt like five minutes for me.

"I feel so much better than I thought I would," Louis gasped. He'd talked while I'd worked on him, but I hadn't paid attention. "I mean, in a way I feel worse because the feeling of my chest being crushed is back, but it's so much lighter I can actually breathe." He rose from his chair, running up to me before he clasped my shoulders. "I can actually function. Thank you, Grace."

"I think I cut more than what was planned—"

"You're fine," he reassured me. "Everything is fine. I'm still— I'm still terrified," there was a nervous laugh. "But I'm better. I can deal with it on my own. I can keep going."

I could only muster a nod. What else to say, to the way he was smiling so brightly? The way he moved being so full of life and vigor? The will to live and try, returned to his face? Could I tell him that this was wrong? That I regretted this now, and that I'd rather he still be depressed?

Things were better off this way. They were.

But the reason I hadn't answered Denzel in the library about why? Why not do it, when he'd asked me to? It was because I knew I'd like it. Enjoy it in a sickening way that I would only make sense of after leaving my daze. The thoughts I'd had about him? He was my friend, for Arceus' sake! And even for an enemy, my head shouldn't function like this.

I didn't think I would ever do this again save for Justin. One did not give a cigarette to an addict, and I already knew that was what it was, and having discovered the wonders of empathy terrified me. Aliyah could not come soon enough tomorrow.

There was an itch waiting to be scratched. The deep desire to alter and twist in my image.

Justin could be next. The last.

I contained a smile.

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Michael J, Jan, catfishdog, Onyx2409, ChairmanK--, William F, Zhijia, Andy S, HeyMrJack, NineXO, Dvn, Exceedes, Gustavo S, Elie, Serina T, Iepton, sqw4l, Nihilea

 

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 299

Water, as far as the eye can see. The warmth of the sun caresses my skin as I lean overboard, watching the water splash on the wooden hull of my ship. This section is hastily repaired after an attack from another beast— a thousand Pokemon in one, uniformity given life. Stretches of dark blue, glowing eyes and a scream that resonated from deep underwater. My hands are rough and calloused, the hands of a physical laborer, but they are larger than I remember them being. The smell of the ocean— salt and wind— fills my nostrils as Wingull and Pelipper fly overhead. One of them, the largest Pelipper, is mine, and I've given him what I have.

Love.

Another man passes by me, tall and broad-shouldered. He says something, but I cannot understand. His lips move, but I do not hear him. It is now that I realize that I cannot hear anything. The world is empty, dark and cold, and there is nothing except a constant ringing in my ears. Still, I move like a puppet held up by strings and smile. Seeing what the man says is easy, with how I can see his emotions move. I've gotten so good at reading people I can even tell when he calls me by my name. Atreus. He pats me on the back and showers me with Love, and even after all these years, it is so powerful I can't help but grin. Why else live, if I could not have this? I kiss him and send him on his way back to the bowels of the ship.

We spend another few hours on the ship, followed by another three, chasing rumors of land out East. I clean, cook, do maintenance and maintain order on the ship while Pelipper keeps watch of threats, and my followers do the same. This is not something I need to do, for they Love me too much to let me work, but it is enough to pass the time. I was with two of my children by the time someone came to tell me that the girl stationed in the Murkrow's Nest had spotted land. Four islands soon came into view, and we celebrated by dancing on the main deck. My children, followers and Pokemon, all together as I liked, but it was only me they could look at. Only me, they all truly Loved. They looked at me with enough of it to fulfill me for a thousand years, and life was a perpetual state of high and bliss.

Hours later, when we reached land, we stepped out of our ships as one, our feet touching the golden beaches. The children with sensitive feet were burning their feet on the sand and hopping along, but I stood perfectly still, as did the others. Locals greet hundreds of us with stone spears and Pokemon of their own I'd never seen before. I know that all of my followers would have thrown themselves in front of me so I wouldn't die, so I did not fear. Their skin is tanned and hair frizzy. Exotic specimens to add to my collection. The leader is easy enough to identify, wearing a mask of some kind of horned beast with a flat head and a nose ring. Within thirty seconds, he was telling the others to put their weapons down and the Pokemon to keep calm as well. The fact that one of the girls was signing it to me meant that we still spoke the same language. Good.

We spent months there, learning their ways, and I made them Love me too. Love me until they'd decided they would rather die than see me leave without them being at my side. I made them need me, just like I'd needed them—

The cold splash of water from the shower was what I needed.

It was clear as day, even when I was taking my morning shower, a plastic wrap over my cast and bandages. I envisioned the smell of the ocean and the sound of the waves against the hull of my ship, with Pelipper and Wingull flying overhead. The suffocating heat of the summer sun. An armada of wooden ships sailing for hours until we hit a shore. The words spoken in the dream had been silent, and for some reason I had forgotten all of their names, but I still felt the intent of every man, woman and child. What they liked, disliked, hated, their hobbies, their relationship with the other members of my group, their fears… I weaved it all into games. Accentuated it until they gave me what they wanted. I started arguments just so I could appear a savior as I solved them, broke down relationships when it looked like they were paying attention to someone else other than me.

Only I and I alone was entitled to their Love. Such a haunting concept, when twisted to this extent. I'd lived through a slice of my predecessor's life last night, and my skin was dirty. I scrubbed my skin until it turned red, scraping it raw as my teeth clamped down on my tongue.

His name had been Atreus. He had been a foreigner, when he had come to Hisui's shores as a baby with his family, but he had never learned from where. I stayed in the shower until my skin was all wrinkled and washed every inch of my skin with soap five times. Why now? The answer ping-ponged around my head the entire shower. There was a bit of a squelch, and I noticed Buddy slipping past the crack below the door. He must have noticed I'd been taking too much time and wanted to check in on me.

"I'm okay. Just thinking about some dream."

He pulled the soap and glove away from me with shining eyes, already proving his worth with Extrasensory, and asked me to step out of the shower.

My body still felt grimy. Like it'd been coated by a thick layer of dirt. Instead of fighting him, I nodded and stood up. "Yeah, I guess I'll go downstairs and eat breakfast, or I'll be late for when Aliyah gets here."

Jellicent rolled his crimson eyes.

"Yes, more people," I said. "No use complaining about it, I need to be here."

He let out an irritated click, saying my friends were the very people making me like this. That without them, I'd have less to worry about. This power business was not a road he thought I should walk.

"I won't."

Then what about Justin, he asked.

"That's where it stops. I promise."

That seemed to have shut down the topic. He knew I did not make promises lightly, so he placed the bottle of soap on the counter and asked me to hurry up out of the shower with a reassuring look and I allowed myself to lean against the cold wall as he slipped out of the bathroom with another wet sound. He too, was worried about next week. My team was handling this well— most Pokemon always seemed better equipped to accept death, from what I understood. They were throwing themselves into training for the battle with Byron, and I needed to do the same.

There were issues that needed to be fixed, but I couldn't keep sulking forever, or I'd affect the people around me, too. When I left the washroom, I looked at my family. At Honey being supported by Sunshine as he tried making a fist with his bad hand. At Angel instantly sending a vine to wrap around my ankle while he spun Mimi around the room and sent them splattering against the walls for fun. Princess, calmly carving a stone she had picked up yesterday into a life-sized Meltan that had me hoping they were growing a little closer, and Buddy quietly watching over everyone with a careful eye.

The sight of it brought some much-needed calm. I let myself sink into Princess' fur for a little bit, kissing her wing, and she grumbled that I was throwing off her focus.

Yes. This was what I needed.

"Who wants some food?" I grinned.

—

"That does indeed sound like addiction."

Aliyah's voice was quiet, though her words struck me like a hammer even though I'd known that was what it was. A vice. Even when I'd used it against Zoroark and Mathilda, when I'd been close to dying, the act of twisting someone had felt good enough to make me smile in the moment. My therapist knitted her hands together as I sipped on the tea she'd offered me, as always. Strangely, this one was lukewarm and had a taste I just couldn't place, with a murky green tint to it, but it still tasted good.

She tilted her head to the side as she looked right at me, and her Chimecho wrapped around her neck mimicked her. "You look surprised, my dear. Is there anything you want to say?"

"Well, I only did it to that extent once— you know what, never mind." I shifted uncomfortably on my bed. "No point making excuses, I guess. It is what it is."

"You've been doing extremely well, this past month with me," she said, voice so gentle I could fall asleep. "There have been no issues of self-harm since catching them, and you have veered off a terrible path, but this is treading dangerous territory."

My hands tightened around my cup. "I know."

"Your friend Justin. Do you know if he'll agree to you working on him or not?" she asked.

"There was some reluctance, so I'm not sure," I answered. "It'd be better if he did, though. He isn't himself."

"Would it not be better to let him reach his own conclusion?" she questioned, leaning forward. "After all, if he doesn't want to, there is nothing that needs to be 'fixed'."

"But—"

"Grace," she interrupted, "you are smiling."

A hand went up to my mouth, tracing its contour, and my smile fell, as did the hunger that had been building itself up inside of me. A hunger for change and warping. Moistening my lips, I hid my mouth behind my cup and stayed quiet.

"Describe your state of mind to me again."

My throat tightened. "It felt like I was having fun. Like I was an artist of some kind," I slowly explained. "It was exhilarating. The same kind of feeling I get when I battle and I can't stop myself from smiling. It feels like something I was born to do." I quickly raised a hand. "But I know it's wrong! And I really will stop after Justin, I just want to help a friend. Working on Louis gave me an idea of how to make him feel again."

"I believe you would be better off not using this gift to such an extent ever again, unless you are forced to in the coming week," Aliyah said. At least she was giving me a pass if I needed to use it against Team Galactic, and honestly it would be odd if she didn't. "With Justin, it will take longer. That's more opportunities for you to slip, given your mindset, and you could do something you don't know how to undo."

That was… true enough.

"What if I have someone in the room with me to keep me focused?" I asked.

"You are simply opening for opportunities to fail," Aliyah said. "I will not make the decision for you, but I will express that I believe this desire to use your gift again is not a pure one, borne of a desire to help, but of a nascent addiction."

This wasn't ideal, to say the least. I owned the keys to bettering Justin's situation— if he asked— but couldn't be trusted to actually save him. Frustration bubbled up my chest and I emptied the rest of my tea, teeth grinding.

"Yeah. I need to give it a think," I finally said.

"At the very least, I ask you to warn me before you do come to a decision," Aliyah said. "I will need to be there. From what I understand, Justin is not speaking to anyone from the League, yes?"

I nodded. He had refused a therapist as Chase had.

"I will see if he can be convinced," the silver-haired woman sighed. "This is not something that should be decided in a day, or even a week, and it would help if he had someone."

"He has Louis. I guess you meant a professional, though."

Louis would probably be speaking his ear off about how much better he felt now, which… might influence things. I could see why Aliyah had wanted to get him someone else, unbiased and objective. A quiet alarm rang on Aliyah's phone, which Chimecho mimicked with surprising accuracy.

"That is it for today," she said with a dip of her head. "I will be seeing you tomorrow."

"Yeah. Thanks for the help."

Emilia and Pauline were getting here in around an hour, now.

—

We hadn't met them at the airport. Instead, they'd gotten a taxi to the city. Reunions like this were supposed to be jovial and exciting, but instead, it was full of awkwardness. If looks could kill, Emilia would be bleeding out on the floor right now. Louis, now recovered from his high, still looked tired and worn down, but he was well enough to function, and the glare he shot Emilia as she stepped out of the car was unmistakable and full of poison. Denzel was, for his part, standing with his back straight as an arrow and hands behind his back like he was about to be scolded by a teacher. Justin looked ahead, his face and body utterly still and with a bored expression. It wasn't exactly a warm welcome, and I didn't think they'd expected much of one.

When Denzel couldn't be the glue that kept the group together, I at least had to try. I walked up to the car as Emi and Pauline dropped their bags and hugged them both. That seemed to have lowered some of the tension, and the others got close, too.

"How was the flight?" I asked.

"Some turbulence, but other than that, it was okay," Emilia said with a slight smile. She was, I noticed, closing her eyes and resting her head on my shoulder, meaning that she was still hurt.

"Happy to be here, at least," Pauline sighed. "It's not the entire group, but being together like this makes me worry less."

Greetings with Denzel were thankfully warm as well. I hadn't exactly known how things had gone with his messages, but at the very least it looked like he'd been forgiven and they were friendly again. Knowing Emilia, there were conditions to that friendship. She had grown quite a ruthless demeanor these last few months and I imagined she was the kind of person that would rather end a friendship than have it limp along half-dead. Justin didn't even wave, simply greeting them from a distance.

"Pauline. Emilia." Louis' voice was strained and contained a barely-veiled anger. "Good morning. I'd like to have a conversation with you both later about what your recklessness did to me."

Pauline winced, though Emilia faced him, not even flinching away. "I'll listen."

"You'd better," he growled with a clenched fist. "Without Grace here, I would still be slowly withering away in my room, Emilia. I did not ask for any of this."

"And I'm sorry," she said. "I thought we'd all be on the same page. That we'd all want to help. I guess I was wrong."

Animosity like this could almost be a physical thing, even if I wasn't truly looking. It was so thick we could all choke on it, if we weren't careful.

Denzel clapped both of their shoulders. "Come on, guys, people are staring. We can discuss it in private, yeah? As a group?"

"I don't think we'll see eye to eye on this, but sure," Pauline sighed. "We need to unpack anyway."

"Oh, I'll help with your bags…" Denzel started.

From then on, it was the usual process. Getting them a room while we waited around in the lobby, with Denzel chatting with both in an attempt to smooth things over. Louis stewed next to me with his arms crossed, repeatedly tapping a finger against his elbow.

"Can you believe it? The gall to walk up to me and act like she did nothing wrong?" he hissed. "Does she not understand the amount of hurt I'd been going through until you came along? I'm still hurting."

"You have every right to be angry," I said.

"I know I agreed to hear her out, but there could have been… I don't know, a way for her to communicate better about what it was before she dropped it all on us."

Justin, who was standing behind the couch, leaned forward with his hands on the backrest. "I'm inclined to agree, but she could only warn you in so many ways without revealing the problem itself. We both took the final decision, in the end."

"I know. Just… don't fight, or at least try not to? Not now," I said. "I think it's important to hear out the other side first, even if she was mean about it. I want everyone to be on the same page before next week."

Louis ran a trembling hand through his hair. He had fixed himself up last night, now clean-shaven and his hair well-kept.

"I'll try."

"Thanks. I'll be training them later this afternoon when they're settled in, but feel free to do it before or after," I said.

Justin chimed in. "Would in not be better to speak after? What if they have an argument and it hurts their performance?"

"It might, but there'll be no coddling. They might be in emotional distress when things start happening, so even though I would like for you two to make up, I won't let it not happening delay my lesson. There's only so much time we have."

"A fair assessment," Justin nodded.

Once they got their two rooms, we all ate breakfast together at the cafeteria. It had been Denzel's idea, while there was a conversation going on, Louis was somehow managing to be quieter than Justin. At the very least, he was eating. It was odd, to see him so well because of something I'd done. Gratifying. It made it easy to tell myself that I was good, after all.

"So yeah, people are still making fun of Lopunny," Denzel groaned. "She got her account banned from Chatter and… uh, made an alt."

Pauline snorted. "Isn't it kind of your fault?"

"My fault how?"

"Well, first you had her lose to a roof—"

"If you said that in front of her, she'd punch you in the gut," I grinned.

"Nothing new with this guy's team." Pauline pointed a thumb at Denzel and grinned. "Feels like half of them want me dead, sometimes."

Emilia rolled her eyes. "They've made progress."

"You're just good at antagonizing people," Justin blankly said. When Pauline stared at him, he shrugged. "What? It's the truth."

Denzel finished chewing a piece of his ham and cheese sandwich. "It's this reputation she's getting. Every time she jumps, she loses."

"Oh, I wish I'd been recording that," Pauline grinned. "Would have gotten some of the heat off of me."

"And it would have been horribly out of context."

"That's the point, Justin. Get with the program," she said. "Anyway, going back to my point, every time you have her jump, she loses!"

"I've seen some 'lost to floor' memes," I interjected. Denzel looked at me with what could only be described as pure betrayal. "What? It's not my fault, I browse sometimes! And you told me to be more involved online!"

Pauline snapped her fingers. "I'd bet fifty thousand Pokedollars she has one of those memes bookmarked."

"Come on," Emi sighed.

I looked at her. "Thank you—"

"One hundred thousand, at least."

"Traitor!" I yelled with faux-offense. "I might have saved one on my camera roll. Just one. But that's technically not a bookmark, so you all owe me cash!"

Emilia wiped her mouth, all prim and proper. "No legal contract was signed, and verbal agreements are as good as void."

"You're trying to trick her. They can be binding if you have enough proof and can show intent," Pauline said.

Emilia cleared her throat, having not expected her… whatever they were to throw her under the bus, and an unintentional giggle left my mouth. The conversation continued in much the same vein, joking around and unwinding from the ever-mounting pressure. Eventually, I stopped chiming in when Louis' miserable look tipped more toward anger, and I used us having finished our food as an excuse for us to vacate the table.

—

There they were. Emilia and Louis, in a single room like they were two Pyroar in a cage waiting to duke it out. It was basically the case, or at least it was what Emilia believed, and it was for the greater good, too. Better talk it out now than let it fester for weeks— if they even had weeks. Get it all out there, pour their souls out to one another and see if their differences could be mended. Louis looked at her with narrowed eyes, a foot quietly tapping against the carpeted floor with a constant, almost inaudible thud.

She remembered meeting Louis for the first time with Pauline. It had been at some kind of fundraiser when they'd been eight years old where the top of Sinnoh's society had gathered. The kind of philanthropic gathering that had rich people feel good about themselves when they donated a fraction of their money, in this case, for a fund that had pledged to challenge child poverty and hunger in Sinnoh. Even at ten years old, he'd had his posse of girls constantly surrounding him and had been obnoxiously loud and annoying. Still, they'd been forced by their parents to connect and he had talked their ear off until Pauline cursed at him and told him to shut the fuck up.

Eight years old, and she'd already spoken like that. It wasn't like Josephine was one to gatekeep language from her child.

He had sworn he would ruin their lives right then and there, and Emilia had gone to sleep terrified that night. The Bianchis had been a name people spoke with utmost respect and sometimes fear, once upon a time, but nothing ended up happening, and they met intermittently throughout the years until their parents had forced them all into joining as one big group of trainers to gather the badges as a horrible PR stunt.

If one had told her back then, that she'd be friends with Louis Bianchi, she would have laughed. Quietly, not to bother you.

"Are you at least going to apologize?" he asked.

Ah, so he'd spoken first while she'd been reminiscing. Emilia nodded. "I'm sorry for telling you about all of this so abruptly. I should have… well, I don't know what I should have done, but I shouldn't have done it like this." She uncomfortably rubbed her arm. "Deep down, I still believe the idea behind what I did was right."

"I was a mess, Emilia. I could barely move my feet until Grace helped me!" he yelled.

"I—" she hadn't known he wouldn't be able to handle it, was the thing. She hadn't been able to put herself in that mind space of just collapsing. Emilia had expected him to struggle like she had, but recover quickly enough to start planning. Work was the only thing keeping her sane, these days. "I thought you would be able to handle it. I'm sorry."

"What was even the thought process here? Do you live to put me down?"

He was far more forceful than she thought he would be, but Emilia stood her ground. "No, Louis. I just thought you'd be like me and want to help the others. Share in their burden. I should have been more tactful and realized not everyone would be like that, it was rash of me."

"So you're really doing it, then?" Louis pressed. "What are you even—"

He stopped, but what he'd intended to say still stung. What are you even capable of doing? Emilia bit down on a retort, telling herself that he was just hurt and bitter, and hurt people passed down that pain to others.

"Call it selfishness, if you want. Call it vanity, but I won't be sitting in a Center while the world is blowing up and I know about it. And I don't care what Chase has to say."

"And are you prepared to die for it?"

"Yes." The words left her mouth before she knew it. "Yes, I'll die to help my friends shoulder the burden if needed. I'll be there if they need to talk to me, and I'll train until I'm not a burden."

She believed he would snap back. Say that she was only saying that, and didn't truly believe it, or say that she was being stupid for no reason. Instead, he let out a long exhale, all of his built-up anger deflating in seconds.

"Fine. And Pauline is the same? You aren't dragging her in this."

Damn it, it pained her to see him care. Her heart wrenched, but she didn't show it. A dozen contests gave coordinators enough experience keep a mask on their faces.

"She wants to help. She's more into this training thing than I am," Emilia sighed.

"Just don't drag Justin into this."

"We won't. What I did— no, what I wanted to do was to give you a choice, Louis," she explained. "To give you all the facts so you could pick what to do. You're both free to do whatever you want, and we won't judge you for it."

"Okay." His jaw unclenched, and he uncrossed his arms. "That's everything I wanted to know. I don't… forgive you, but when everything is over… I think this is fixable."

She dipped her head. "Thank you."

"It is what it is. Now, please leave the room, I need to get my business in order and make some calls to Floaroma."

—

We had traveled to the edge of route 218 for this mock 'death match'. Pauline swaggered forward with excited steps, barely containing her anticipation for the battle, while Emilia was looking around as if to analyze the terrain and what she could work with. This was a pretty classic forested environment, as it went, so there wasn't much of anything unique to spice things up. No creek or meandering river, no hill or depression, just a bunch of trees and tall grass, the ground as flat as it could be. Plenty of cover, if they needed it, but nothing else aside from that.

This would be less about training and improving their team power and technique-wise and more about strategy and how they worked together. There would also be a need to teach them how to expect when attacks were aimed at them and not just their Pokemon. I hadn't exactly come with a plan in mind, and I didn't think I would do anything too complicated. A simple forest worked well enough for that.

When we finally got far enough and stopped, I began. "Let's do it like this," I explained, holding a finger up. "If your barrier is shattered, you lose, because you're basically dead. I won't be using Honey, so I won't have Protect, but you both should definitely pick up that TM. I already let the others know to do the same."

Except for Chase, given that he was too poor to afford it and far too proud to accept it as a gift, even in the face of so much danger. Thinking about him for too long was going to give me a headache, so instead I just shook it off and smiled.

"Okay, what if there's an accident?" Emilia asked. "Like, what if one of our attacks accidentally shatter the barrier and hit one of us?"

"Come on, Emi. Believe in our Pokemon a little," Pauline jeered with her hands on her hips. It was at times like these that the divide between coordinator and trainer was clear as day. "They know how to not mess up that badly. Even Vigoroth!"

Already, her hands were hovering over her belt. She was excited to do this, I realized. To finally do something other than wonder what was going on between everyone and what secrets were being hidden. Emilia was too, but it was hitting her a little more than she'd expected.

"Okay, so it'll be a… five on nine," I confirmed. Six on ten might have been too much, and I wanted this to be close and for them to actually be able to win, so Sweetheart wasn't going to participate. There'd be no point if she could just sink them into the ground. They were going to fight waves of grunts at most, not Commanders. "Use everything you have at your disposal to shatter Claydol's barrier."

I would have liked to say I would be able to use everything, but there was no way for that to be true if I didn't want them splattered on the ground by the end of it.

Pauline grinned. "Got it."

We positioned ourselves at around the same distance trainers would take in a Gym Battle. It would have been nice, to be able to give the Iron Islands a whirl and train there after flying for a few hours, but Braviary wasn't the fastest and we'd be gone for too long, so these woods would have to do. They were not as dense as Eterna Forest, and were quite easy to navigate, being at the edge of the route. There were still plenty of ways to use trees as cover for ambushing or as weapons. I wished we'd gotten permission to stand in one of the battling arenas in the city for future training sessions, but that was against the rules or whatever. Numerous Pokeballs hissed as scarlet light filled the woods, and our entire teams were released. It had been a bit, since I'd seen Emilia and Pauline's teams in the flesh. I observed them getting their teams up to speed, and I leaned against a tree, surrounded by my Pokemon.

"Gothitelle and Metang are going to stick close to them to keep them safe," I whispered. "You're going to prioritize the ones with high mobility— Ambipom, Vigoroth and Primeape, mostly. They can work extremely well in the woods while Braviary's going to be a sitting Ducklett unless she flies up, so Princess, you're going to target her…"

—

"Are we ready?!"

Grace called out from afar, her bandaged hands cupping her mouth so her voice would carry further. Pauline eyed Emilia and licked her lips. It had been so long, since she'd fought like this— since Solaceon, and she'd be lying if she'd said she hadn't looked forward to this lesson. Tangrowth, Togekiss, Claydol, Turtonator and Jellicent. She didn't know very much about the Claydol other than it being specialized in defense. The psychic did not hang close to her like Gothitelle did with Pauline or Metang with Emilia, but the wind stopping around Grace was unmistakable. There was a lesser, actually visible circular barrier wide enough to give them space to battle without burning the entire forest down.

"Should we go over the plan one more time?" Emilia whispered.

"You're just making yourself more nervous," Pauline said. They had been planning this for days, before they even reached the city. "We'll be fine. Gothitelle."

Barriers appeared around both her and Emilia, and Pauline called out, saying that they were ready. It was difficult to ignore Tyranitar staring daggers at them from beyond the battlefield's periphery. Her forehead was stuck against the barrier as she whined, obviously wanting to join in on the fun. Electivire, meanwhile was sitting it out as well and cheering for his team obnoxiously loudly.

Grace called out again. "Three! Two! One! Go!"

Vigoroth was the first to go, pushing himself forward with a hand clawing at the earth, but everyone followed him soon enough. A grunt from Primeape had the normal type climb atop a tree and follow him as they swung from branch to branch. With a loud screech that had her ears ringing, Braviary took to the air and disappeared into the skies while Charizard stayed low and flew so close to the ground her tail lit a trail of fire behind her.

"Now, Braixen!" Emilia yelled.

The vulpine flicked her wand upward, gathering the flames into a ball that glowed white. Wind spun around it, trees catching fire until Braixen sent it wide, making sure to give ample space in order not to burn the other members of the team. Her flames weren't as powerful as the two fire types present, but she could steal and make their fire her own.

Already, Jellicent had disappeared somewhere, most likely underground like he always did, and Lycanroc had stayed with them for that very reason. The rock type carefully pawed at the ground, a shifting mound of earth as he sensed for the ghost to stop him from ever getting to them from underground. Unfortunately, he had left two shades behind that were already attacking the rest of their Pokemon. Trees around the two shades died as they sucked moisture from the bark and leaves and too many rays of water to count shot out, bending and curving around the vegetation. Braixen grunted, directing her ball of white flame to evaporate the water, but there were too many!

A darkened slash from Vigoroth dispelled one of the jets while Primeape swung with more and more haste, but Ambipom wasn't as agile and fell behind as water hit her in the head. Instead of throwing her back, it coalesced into a ball until it started drowning her, but Metang shattered the water with a burst of psychic energy. Charizard beat her flaming wings, dodging two of the beams by gaining in altitude, but a blunt rock that had been hiding behind a tree hit the fire type in the head.

Damn Togekiss, Pauline thought as she bit down on her tongue. Even when she wasn't here, she was causing trouble. The fairy type had joined Braviary in the skies, and Braviary's only job was to distract her for long enough. "Hammer Arm, Vigoroth!"

The normal type snarled, spittle falling from his mouth as his arm bulged to twice its normal size and he slammed it into the base of a tree. Splintered bark flew across the battlefield, but Pauline flinched, nearly falling backward when countless flaming spears hit her barrier. The thin sheet of psychic force did not shatter, but heat prickled at Pauline's skin. How the hell could Togekiss micromanage all of this shit?! When she got another look at the state of the battle, she did not regain her smirk. Beams of Dragon Pulse were flying everywhere, burning brightly as the air around the blasts combusted. They weren't aimed at anyone in particular, but they were making life difficult. Ambipom's fur was starting to smoke, as was Primeape's and Vigoroth's. The latter's veins bulged as he used his second Bulk Up and grabbed the tree trunk he'd destroyed before throwing it at Grace with all of his strength. A thin, pink light wrapped itself around the trunk, slowing it enough for it not to shatter Grace's barrier until Tangrowth threw it back, using Claydol's Psychic as an extra boost. Vigoroth's claws raked against the bark's underside, splitting it into two, and the tree slid against the forest floor and came to a stop.

Claydol fired back a wide net of mud that soaked everything in the vicinity. Vigoroth, Primeape and Ambipom were close enough, now.

"Metang!" Emilia called out.

As trees burned to a crisp around them, thin rays of electricity linked themselves from Metang to Primeape, Ambipom and Vigoroth. The three Pokemon took to the air and dodged a barrage of darkened, bright and neon green vines from Tangrowth, but the Mud Slap still slowed and coated them. The impact was stronger than it looked, with Ambipom being kicked back a few feet and Vigoroth having to anchor his claws into one of the few remaining trees. Still, Metang let out an echoing groan and his Magnet Rise carried them further. They would have slipped, had they not been floating above ground. Approaching so close to Turtonator was basically a death sentence, and they all caught on fire.

But that was fine.

"Braixen, now!" Emi said.

They had expected the temperature to get this high. Braixen's sphere of light disappeared, and she twirled her staff once more. Fire peeled off of the three Pokemon's fur like paint.

Charizard took to the heat like a fish to water, circling and weaving around the trees as she fired off a Flamethrower at Tangrowth and Claydol. The grass type was obviously within a barrier as well and was playing defense, with the way he used his vines to keep other Pokemon from approaching. Grace wasn't doing much of anything, which was making Pauline nervous. Claydol was hit by one of the Flamethrowers and Pauline hoped the barrier would waver, but it didn't even rattle. One of the Night Shades finally blew up when Braixen got her fireball close enough to it, and purple smoke billowed out of the—

"I think she got one of the shades blown up on purpose," Emilia said.

"Huh?"

It made sense, thinking about it. The smoke spread far further and was thicker than what Pauline remembered and they'd staked everything into this one attack. Braixen would not be able to keep the heat at bay for long. A ghostly aura permeated Primeape's fist as he let rage course through his veins, and a Night Slash coated Vigoroth's claws after Pauline called out the order. Ambipom had gathered pieces of bark, mud and threw them forward after coating them in darkness with Fling. Pauline could only hold her breath as her three Pokemon plunged into the smoke.

Braviary collapsed back through the trees, falling into the flaming forest with her plumage already burned to a crisp and wounds all over her body, and a Moonblast bore down from the skies, sucking in flames, leaves, and tree bark as everything began to orbit around it. Gothitelle and Braixen kept themselves and their trainers still with psychic, but Lycanroc was nearly pulled up until Metang kept him still by putting one of his hands around the rock type. Still, he was floating and his feet were off the ground…

"Shit."

Her words were almost breathless. The shifting earth he'd constantly been outputting below them was gone, now, and Jellicent was free to—

The ghost emerged from the ground a writhing mass of vapor and liquid, and Emilia nearly ran off at the terrifying sight. Tendrils of purple shadows gathered around Jellicent's mouth, and Lycanroc quickly tried to deal with him with Stone Edge. Pillars of sharpened stone exploded out of the ground and flew toward the moon, but just passed through Jellicent like he was nothing. A split second later, the Shadow Ball cracked the barrier. He didn't even bother to hit Metang or Gothitelle, he just… won. Pauline expected the scorching heat to burn her face, but it was only unpleasant instead. Turtonator must have been preparing to pull down the intensity already… shit, had she been communicating with Jellicent the entire time like in her Gym battles? The spears around them who'd been wreathed in blue flames had already gone out. The moon winked out of existence and Togekiss landed onto the burned field, slightly hurt by Braviary, but they were all surface cuts and wounds.

A gust of wind cleared the lingering purple smoke, and Pauline noticed Vigoroth, Ambipom and Primeape all unconscious and burned to a crisp. Primeape had made it the closest, and Grace's barrier was nearly— so nearly shattered. If Pauline had to guess, their tricks had nearly worked and Rage Fist had made contact, and maybe a few Flings too, but… damn it, it looked like she'd moved in the smoke to dodge most of the projectiles. In the end, they'd thrown everything they had into hitting her, and not her Pokemon, and it showed.

Damn it, it had ended in such an anticlimactic fashion that her blood was still pumping as if the fight was still going on. Jellicent was working to extinguish the fires that were still going and Tangrowth was using his vines as roots to replant the trees that could still be saved. It took another two minutes for the way to be cleared, though they recalled their Pokemon far sooner than that. They tried discussing what had gone wrong, too, but they couldn't really see it. If they'd sent Metang up to buy time from Togekiss, then the Magnet Rise trick to rush Grace wouldn't have worked.

"What about sending Charizard up there?" Emilia asked as Grace limped their way. "Two against one might have been manageable."

"But she was keeping the pressure off on the rest of her team and drew out attacks… blegh. I don't think there's an easy answer. We got close, though."

"Close isn't enough," Emilia exhaled. "We needed to win."

—

It was embarrassing to say, but that had been far closer than I'd expected it to be. I had expected some of what they did, like using Braviary to draw Princess away. The flying type wasn't as good with fine control as she was, but the strength of her winds was something else and she was able to keep her locked up in the skies for as long as she was still capable of fighting. Of course, there was the spearhead of Vigoroth, Ambipom and Primeape, but everything else? I hadn't thought enough about how unique the strategies Emilia could use were and how good their teamwork was in general. Lycanroc being good enough with ground TE to actually keep Buddy away, Metang being able to make non-steel types float with Magnet Rise, Braixen being a menace that nearly won them the battle. If their Pokemon had been just a little stronger, they would have breached my barrier first. Granted, I'd been going easy, but…

Not that Pauline was useless. She brought much-needed muscle to their duo and her Pokemon were faster, stronger and had more stamina than Emilia's. They were what I would have considered a match made in heaven and had gone far better than I thought they would, even if they looked disappointed with themselves. There were still areas to iron out, but again, who didn't have that? I was going to give far less advice than I thought I'd need to, and most of it would be big picture stuff.

When I finally reached them, I spoke up. "You guys did great."

"Still lost," Emilia bit back with bitterness sharp enough to cut. "I really thought we'd get you."

"You almost did, and that's far better than I expected."

This was why I truly believed Chase was wrong. When the chips came down and things would become a matter of life and death, together, they could be a force to be reckoned with. They completed each other in a way few trainers could.

Angel patted both of them on the head, something I could tell Pauline found condescending and Emilia odd, but it was better than Sunshine being angry at them for coming so close to winning because we'd forgotten to check our egos. He'd complained about not being able to let loose the entire fight, and I kept having to tell him we weren't actually trying to kill them. Sure, we were all individually stronger, but it was lazy to think I could just win because of that. It was a good thing I'd come up with a strategy, even if it was admittedly simpler than theirs, or I would have lost.

"You were sweating during the battle," I said. "You need to iron out your barriers to keep yourselves fully insulated and not partly. You told me you could handle it, but that was clearly wrong."

"Well, I thought it was fine. It was with Charizard's heat," Pauline grumbled.

"Just in case, practice it," I added. "Emi, you call out your attacks too much."

"What?" she frowned.

"You yell them out for no reason, even when your Pokemon is close enough to listen, and that tips all of us off. Even when you don't say an attack, I know which Pokemon it's coming from. Imagine if I'd called out for Princess before she launched that Moonblast, for example."

It must have been due to her coordinator background, where she was always making her voice as smooth and beautiful as possible. The advice was obvious enough that I felt dumb giving it, but whatever.

"Trust your Pokemon. They know enough to work on their own without being micromanaged," I told her. "Pauline did well in that regard."

"What did you think about the overall battle, though?" Pauline asked.

I tapped my chin for a few seconds. "It was a good strategy if you think you can't win," I said. "If the gap between you and your opponents is too big, you make them bleed and take them down with you, so you focus only on them. If they want to kill you, you kill them too."

Pauline grinned, and I noted Emilia pulled out a notepad to write on.

"But! In a fight like this one, if it was real, half of your Pokemon would be dead, even if you'd won. That's heavy sacrifice." I watched them shiver at that thought. "That's why you play it conservatively unless the gap in power is wide and in your favor. You keep your Pokemon close together and don't send three on a suicide mission. You were still playing to win, not to survive."

"Fair," Emilia agreed with a sigh. "We did put winning above that."

"I wanna reiterate that you would almost have killed me though," I shrugged. "It's all about goals, really. If everything's truly lost, don't hesitate. Go for the throat."

Claydol's wider barrier finally went down, and I recalled most of my Pokemon save for Princess.

"Wait! You took down Braviary, so we won't be able to get back!" Emilia groaned with a facepalm.

"Shit. Uh, I can just have Princess bring you two back and then come and pick me back up." Before they could protest, I continued. "Your Pokemon need to get to the Center, go. They should all be healed tomorrow or the day after and you two can practice together."

"Why can't we fight as a team?" Pauline asked.

"If we get separated, we need to be ready," Emilia said before I could answer.

"That. I'll see if I can have Denzel give it a try too, even if he'll be a baby about it. It'd be good if you fought against a variety of Pokemon and strategies. Oh, and also," I smiled, "Planning for days is kind of cheating. You won't have that much time in an actual fight, so the minute I gave you is a little more realistic."

"The planning gremlin telling us not to plan," Pauline rolled her eyes. "What's this, opposite day?"

"I really thought that nickname thing was over."

Pauline snorted. "What, you thought I'd ever let you live it down? Hell no. Even when we're old and gray, I'll be calling you gremlin." She wrapped an arm around my shoulder and laughed.

When we're old and gray. Wasn't that a nice thought?

It was time to focus on the coming Gym Battle, now.

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Michael J, Jan, catfishdog, Onyx2409, ChairmanK--, William F, Zhijia, Andy S, HeyMrJack, NineXO, Dvn, Exceedes, Gustavo S, Elie, Serina T, Iepton, sqw4l, Nihilea

 

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 300

"Welcome to the Canalave Gym! How may I help you today?" The girl paused, giggling. "Wait! A Gym Battle, duh! I'd be stupid not to know who you are and what you're here for."

Was it me, or did this Gym Trainer genuinely enjoy her job as a receptionist? Her cheerfulness was infectious, given the fact that an invisible force tugged my lips upward. Most of her hair was hidden below a cap, though I could tell that it was long, and it made me remember I needed a haircut again soon.

"Right… yeah. I'd like to schedule a fight against Byron, please."

"Coming right up!" she yelled, typing away at her computer. "ID, please!"

I slid her my card and leaned against the counter for support. I'd tried going out without a crutch today and I was definitely feeling the exhaustion creeping up. There was no way I was walking back on my own without Angel picking me up on his head. I was close to being capable of this, though, and compared to how my leg felt back in Pastoria, this was night and day. I glanced back toward the Gym, letting the receptionist do her work. There were multiple TV screens displaying Byron's schedule with the names and pictures of the trainers he'd be fighting. Reception was at the heart of the room, and the girl worked at a sleek, steel desk, clad in her gym insignia and uniform— plenty of grays and a Pokeball on her shirt and cap. The fun thing about Byron's Gym was that even the inside looked uncomfortable. The seats weren't cushioned and were so sharp they looked like a safety hazard. The inside of the structure had been built to encompass discomfort and the jagged edges of the Iron Islands. From what I knew, Byron had the entire place renovated when he took power as a tribute to where he'd come from. Speakers played sounds of drilling and pickaxes striking ore, making everyone feel like they were in a mine.

I was starting to think there was something lacking about Sinnoh's Gyms. Not the process of the fight itself— that was what I was here for, after all. The thrill of battle. Just how uniform all of them were. I couldn't really fault the Gym Leaders, given that Sinnoh enforced a standard to how their Gyms were built save for a few differing features on the stadium's exterior. I figured it'd be nice to have more personality attached to it. Like entire Gyms being a Leader's lair, or a way they had to express themselves, but the fact that this would mean the League would have to fund extravagant projects every time a Gym Leader was replaced meant that it wasn't something Sinnoh was interested in. Plus, Johto was our closest neighbor, and there was an importance rooted in tradition. While these buildings had been continuously kept up to date, they'd been standing for hundreds of years in the same spot.

It just would have been nice if Byron's Gym had been more unique, is all. Maybe with more edges and metallic spikes, a winding path that had you thinking you were in a cave, maybe. In truth, I knew very little about the Gym Leader's personality itself, other than the few tidbits Candice had let slip about him being like a crazy uncle unless the situation demanded some seriousness. Not to the extent of Crasher Wake, but still, it sounded like he was going to give me a fun battle. The Gym wasn't as full as it would have been earlier in the year, but it wasn't empty either. I could still hear the muffled, electrifying cheers going on in the stands that seemed to have the entire stadium shaking. A few trainers pumping themselves and their Pokemon up for their coming battle— closest to me, a girl and her Dustox and a… well, I couldn't tell what gender they were, but someone and their Coalossal, who was impressing me by not spraying scorching hot coal anywhere. It was easy to get swept into the atmosphere and forget, for a moment, that next week, the shoe was going to drop. I grinned, tapping a finger against the counter as anticipation coursed through my veins like a drug.

"Oh… there's a condition on your profile," the Gym Trainer said.

My heart dropped. "Huh?"

"The last day you can battle is tomorrow— wow this is odd. I've never seen this before! Did you piss Byron off or something?" She slid me my trainer ID back. "Arceus, this sucks, I'm gonna need to reschedule someone, if that's the case. Can you hold while I confirm this stuff with Leader Byron?"

"...sure?"

Excitement turned into a nervous knot at the bottom of my stomach. Tomorrow already? Was this a psychological play by Byron to catch me off-guard? I couldn't help but think that was a little unfair, given the fact that he was forcing me to fight him tomorrow when I'd planned on getting another two days to iron things out with my team. No, no. I was ready. An extra few days would have been nice, but I had no choice— wait, this didn't make any sense! If I said no, was he just going to lock me out of the eighth Gym fight forever? I had to wait at the counter for a while, no doubt waiting for Byron to finish his current battle and take his ten-minute break. Once that was done, she grabbed a desk phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, can you go and give the phone to Leader Byron real quick before he starts another fight?" She paused. "Yes, this is important, Arceus! Hurry up, I'm holding up the line!" Placing a hand over the phone, she looked at me apologetically. "Sorry about this, we should get an answer soon."

"No problem."

Another thirty seconds, and I heard the faintest sound of a gruff, almost grating voice on the other end of the line, though I couldn't make out any words. The receptionist explained the situation as quickly as she could, and then nodded along to the answer before hanging up.

"Yep, it's confirmed. Tomorrow or you'll have to wait two weeks to challenge him. I'm sorry about this, but them's the breaks. So?"

"So what?"

"So are you signing up or not?" she pressed.

"Oh. Oh, uh… yeah. Yeah, I am," I exhaled.

Arceus, he'd put so much pressure on me with just abruptly constricting my schedule. I shifted uncomfortably from side to side as the receptionist wrote me up for a slot at 1:30 in the afternoon, so basically right after lunch. Ignoring the grumbling complaints from people talking about how the line was finally moving again, I limped out of the Gym with deep breaths to calm myself down. My arm had been twisted, but nothing had changed. I was fine.

But I'd need to talk to the team about this. I made my way to the Center on Angel's head, since it was closer than any landing pad to take off on, and used the opportunity to pick up a crutch. Louis was busy with business affairs and trying to procure a loan, and the girls were hanging out with Denzel and Justin, making up for lost time. The plan had been to join them after this for a few hours before going off to train, but that couldn't be the case anymore. Today was going to be full of cramming instead.

Instead of releasing Angel again, Princess materialized with the usual scarlet light and hiss and pop from her Pokeball. I stroked her head lightly.

"Hiya. Wanna take us to that beach again?" I asked. "I signed up for the Gym and need to talk to everyone."

Togekiss nodded, though the look on her face betrayed her, with how she clearly wanted to know more right away. I hopped on her back and we were off, the wind whipping my hair and clothes around. Before picking up this entire flight thing, I wondered how people like Cynthia ever flew without a saddle, but honestly, I could say now that I could see myself doing it, even if I was never going to and it'd be horrible for my posture. There was something liberating about it just being you and your Pokemon without any leather in between you. It took around thirty minutes to get to the beach, the world blurring below us. So long as Princess accelerated slowly so the forces didn't kill me, we could go at truly ludicrous speeds, these days. Without me on her back? Well, as much as it pained to admit, she was no Talonflame, but she was still incredibly quick. I'd seen glimpses of her fighting against Pauline's Braviary, and recalling that still filled my heart with pride when thinking back on how many weeks it had taken for her to get used to flying.

There was a soft thud as Princess landed on the pebbled beach, where I let loose the rest of my team. Given how warm it was today, the beach was a lot more active than the other day and we'd needed to go far to be alone, but at least Mimi could join in too. They weren't really going to be a part of the discussion, given how utterly disinterested in Gym Battles and fighting in general they tended to be, but I wanted to make the little steel type feel included, so I tapped on my wrist twice and allowed them to morph into their true form in my palm. When this Team Galactic stuff was all over, I was going to ask the League about no longer having to hide them.

When this was over… Mira had talked to me, about how she worried no longer being so useful to the League they'd tighten our leash, but I didn't believe that would be the case. We'd keep our powers until we died, and Sinnoh would never pass up on living weapons they could use in case another terrorist group showed up or some kind of war happened. Maybe she was right, but I doubted things would change that much.

Most Pokemon eyed me with confusion, with Sunshine even grumbling about why we were back on this annoying beach. I had to call out to Sweetheart so she didn't waddle in the water, and instead, she plopped herself down the ground with a tremor as her tail swayed from side to side and shredded the rocks behind her. She was still a little angry I hadn't let her fight Pauline and Emilia yesterday, and honestly I sympathized. She'd only let loose once against Zoroark. Twice, if you counted right after her evolution, but even then, her use of her powers had been clumsy at best. The rest of them silently gathered in a circle. Honey was desperate to get his hand working, and improving slowly but surely, continuously pumping it into a fist and trying to move his wrist around. Angel slithered a vine underground, curious to see how deep he could go. Princess juggled with a couple of pebbles, using a minor amount of psychic force to send them flying upward, and although Buddy was floating there, all stoic, he was subtly training to make the waves constantly battering the beach stop, without much success. Claydol, meanwhile, was silent, as they would be unless someone spoke to them first.

"Needed an isolated spot to talk, and you know how I am about retracing steps," I explained. "There's symbolism about it that I like."

I caught Turtonator rolling his eyes, though he said nothing.

"I finished signing up for the Gym, but there's a problem— well, it's not exactly a problem, more like Byron threw a wrench in our plans. The battle is tomorrow in the early afternoon."

Reactions could be divided into two camps. Sweetheart, Sunshine and Princess were so giddy they could barely sit still anymore. The rocks Togekiss had been juggling fell to the ground, and she flew in Sunshine's arms until the dragon realized what he'd been doing and dropped her. Tyranitar roared until I had to cover my ears, and I was pretty sure I'd need to call the Rangers to let them know there was no wild Pokemon rampaging on the beach, with how far her voice traveled. Buddy just nodded, just content to do his duty as always, while Angel was mostly happy to see the others excited to battle.

"Here's the thing, the date was forced on me by Byron, for some reason. I think he's trying to get into my head, but I don't know… feels weird to have it like this."

Sunshine shrugged, saying that tomorrow or later made no difference, with how hard they'd trained. It pained him to admit, but even the 'brat', which was one of the names he used for Princess, had never been readier than now. Honey chimed in, saying that delaying might make everyone more nervous with all the tension building up, or at least that's how he'd feel if he could fight.

"On one hand, you might be right, but you know… it throws me off," I breathed. "I'll be fine, though. Doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. You guys are right, we're ready."

I felt steadier now, like I'd managed to hold on to a rock before the current would sweep me. They were my rock, at the heart of it. Angel patted me on the head, signing that even he'd gotten over his nerves, being the planned ace of the fight and all.

Jellicent suggested that the stringent schedule might have been to give my team the time they needed to actually heal before the Red Chain was completed, and my mouth gaped.

"That makes so much more sense! Plus, it can double up as a pressure tactic!" I exclaimed. "And those two weeks will be enough time for Galactic to be dealt with. Or should be, at least."

So he was killing two birds with one stone, which was fair enough. I'd believed the six days I'd planned would be enough to get my team time to heal, but I supposed he wanted to be on the safer ends of things.

"Claydol, what do you think?" I asked, turning toward the ground type. "You feeling ready? That was great barrier work and Mud Slapping against Pauline and Emilia yesterday. Anything else you feel like doing some last-minute improvements on? We're going to spend today with some light training so you can all be well-rested for tomorrow."

Something whirred inside their head, wet like clay in a way that reminded me of Lehmhart.

"If you feel inclined that I am ready—" Claydol paused, their eyes spinning as if they were recalibrating. "I am confident I shall not fall short of your expectations, my King. The Princess and others have provided me with excellent training."

I grinned. "Great!"

Togekiss puffed up her feathers, calling the others 'mere afterthoughts', and Claydol proceeded to apologize to everyone present, and would have kept going, had Buddy not stopped him by the time he'd uttered Enforcer, Custodian, and Jester. They were funny, with their little nicknames for each of the Pokemon, and most of them enjoyed the little flair it gave the team, like we were a real, living court. I had to admit, I might have gotten a little too into it and leaned into the roleplay sometimes.

Of course, Buddy hated having been designated as 'Assassin', but we all thought it fit him rather well.

"Well, since we're already here, I'm gonna bring you guys to an area you can practice in while I finish up watching the videos I was looking at and I can send texts to the others."

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow, everything would come to a head.

—

It was quiet.

I'd found that to be the case, when it was just me and Claydol around and I'd run out of things to say, but learning to be comfortable in the silence between us had been a part of bonding with them. We didn't banter like I did with Sunshine, or talk about plans for the future like with Buddy, or come up with new games for the kids like Angel. I could go on and on, but I had asked them a lot about their past life, and answers were growing dry in a way that had me think they disliked talking about it much. Speaking about stories, they didn't mind, but their actual life? That was clearly an unpleasant topic for them, even if they felt compelled to answer me, so I hadn't pushed further after that. We were back in Canalave now, and they walked with me back to the Pokemon Center. I could have landed at the entrance or had Angel carry me, but I wanted to spend time alone with Claydol.

The psychic slowed slightly when we passed by a shop showcasing mannequins through a transparent window, and three of Claydol's eyes snapped toward the one woman wearing a hat. The other eyes were, as always, continuously scanning the surroundings, but they'd gotten used enough to cities not to freak out, by now. I walked up to the window and eyed the sleek mannequin. It was a creamy cloche hat, neat and form-fitting, and even though I'd never been big on those, I could appreciate that it looked good, especially with the rest of the outfit.

"Interested?" I probed.

I possess a substantial structure for a head. Consequently, this hat would not accommodate me, yet I can acknowledge its aesthetic appeal. The interplay of form and function orchestrates a visual symphony that transcends mere headwear.

"Come on, it'd fit you like a glove! You know, I have a sun hat back home," I said. "I could have you try it on, and if you like it, I'll buy you that hat."

Claydol's six eyes blinked. Have I, through any discernible actions, warranted the imposition of such circumstances? Might it not be more judicious to utilize my performance in this 'Gym Battle' as a source of inspiration and motivation for future endeavors, my King?

"Good performance or not, I know you'll try your best, and you're getting that hat if you want it," I grinned, hands behind my back. "Hell, I'll even buy it now. I'm imagining you with a monocle and a bowtie, though that'd go better with a top hat."

The psychic paused. Could I potentially leverage my sizable cranial structure to don and showcase multiple hats simultaneously?

I snorted. "Yes! That's what I'm talking about! Arceus, you know what, I'm getting you that hat!"

It ended up being more pricey than I thought, but I was getting paid by Poketch soon anyway. The store attendant gave me a strange look when I asked about a hat for Claydol, but they got used to the idea pretty quick and soon, she was showing us hat after hat, no doubt trying to sell me more. There was unfortunately only so much space in my backpack, despite it being so large, and I only got them three. In Sinnoh, I had my dad's place and Emilia and Pauline who held onto stuff for me, but I'd really need somewhere to keep my stuff in Unova if I wanted to have more than a backpack's worth of clothes with me. There was no doubt Cece was going to be welcomed into one of Clarence's properties— not that she would accept such an arrangement anyway. If she got that sponsor she was angling for, we could always rent someplace. She was no longer as rich as she'd been and had basically run out of money with the TMs she'd bought for her battle against Crasher Wake.

Back outside, now. While Claydol's head had a perfect spot for a hat, they could keep them balanced on their head around the protuberance at its center, and that's what they did, since they seemed to favor symmetry. The hats, admittedly, did not fit with each other at all. Other than the beige one we'd bought, I'd gotten a dark top hat and one of those Kalosian caps.

Contemplating the future, what if I were to use one hat per eye? Claydol asked.

"That's the spirit!" I cheered. "See, I knew you'd be into it!"

They could not smile, but their eyes did turn into upside-down 'U's.

Thank you. I extend my appreciation for the enjoyable time we shared today, my King.

"Gah! I'll figure out how to hug you one day, just you wait!" I said, squinting at Claydol. "You won't keep weaving out of the way for long."

A King should not hug her servants.

"But getting them nice gifts is okay? And you aren't my servant!"

Query: on occasion, a monarch might indeed engage in such actions.

Sighing, my hands went flat against my sides. "At least we made some progress. Keep thinking about that name, will you?"

As you wish.

Quiet soon came again, but it was easier to bear than it had been. I recalled Claydol when we arrived back at the Pokemon Center and noticed Denzel waiting for me in the lobby, typing away at his phone. He too, hadn't expected my Gym Battle to come so soon, and while I had a lot of explaining to do, he let me go soon after so I could go and study the entire afternoon.

—

Almost every day, at around ten in the evening, Cece and I called to check up on one another. Though all of my friends knew about Team Galactic and the circumstances we were involved in now, she was still the one I confided in the most. She knew about my recent dream, for example, and had theorized that it was Mesprit trying to passively push me in a direction they wanted me to go in. She was the first I'd told about fixing Louis and the wonderful feeling it had given me, since I'd called her right after for support, and had warned me not to touch Justin until she could be there.

Tonight, though, the topic was a lot more cheerful than usual.

"Ha… I can't believe you got one day, too," I said. "I guess Buddy was right."

"What'd he say?"

"That it was to give the Joys enough time to heal our teams. Six days should have been enough, don't you think? It never took longer than that except when Honey got his spine broken."

"Better safe than sorry, I suppose. Just in case the chain is completed a day or two early. As you said, Mesprit isn't the most reliable," she said, and I could almost imagine her eyes narrowing. "We'll have our battle at the same time, then."

That was the other part of it. Not only were we fighting the same day, we'd been given the exact same timeslot. Maybe Byron and Wake had talked about it.

"I'd say we could have a competition about who finishes first, but I don't want to put any extra pressure on you," I teased.

"Oh, don't use me as an excuse," she laughed. "You know I'd win first anyway."

"I'd know if you told me what you planned," I whined. "Guess I'll just have to catch the video afterwards, though. Are you sure you're ready?"

"I've never been more assured of myself in a battle," Cece said, her grin audible.

"It's weird that you can do that. Just be sure of such a momentous battle." I lay down in my bed and looked at the grainy ceiling. "I mean, I'm confident, but not to that extent. I never am."

"You're cautious. That pays off in most fights," she said. "Right now, I just need to blow off some steam. Blow things up to unwind."

"And that assures you're this confident how?"

"Oh, Grace," she laughed. Music to my ears, but I wished she was here. "Think of it as your last moment to let loose in a legal, official capacity."

Morbid. It was morbid, but she'd laughed about it, and for some reason, framing it that way worked some. Why worry about anything else but letting loose, when this was possibly the last Gym Battle I'd be in? Sometimes part of me wondered how the hell she'd gotten so strong at picturing and imagining her own death, or if this was a subtle call for help.

"Thanks. That actually helps."

I'd deal with it all after I had my fun.

—

"Now remember, even if you know he's doing something fucky, you've got to actually wrack your brain to figure out what it is, or you'll be caught off-guard anyway," Denzel warned. "That's how it happened with me and the slope."

"I know, I watched that battle at least fifty times," I said, rolling my neck and shoulders. "I know there'll be something to screw me, and I suspect I already know what it is. Parts of me thinks that if I figured it out, there'll be something else, but I have no choice but to just hope I can sniff it out while it's happening."

The Gym felt quiet, even though it was the opposite of that. This match had been as anticipated as Denzel's and it showed. Compared to yesterday, this place was packed, with even the lobby being full to the brim. A sea of people, all trying to get themselves a spectating seat. Luckily, my friends had come early and I trusted Pauline to keep Denzel's seat with my life. We'd been in the stands for nearly two hours, even staying during Byron's lunch break, and Louis had bought us all sandwiches to eat so we wouldn't have to leave when we got hungry.

I eyed Denzel's fist, clenching and unclenching. "You're making me nervous."

"Am I? Shit, sorry," he blurted out. "Uh, so we went over everything, right? Any ideas you want to bounce off of me before you have to go?"

"I think I'm good."

"It's a good thing you're calm. I was shitting myself when it was time, personally."

I wasn't calm. I was constantly wiping sweat off my palms on my jogging pants and had to stop myself from reflexively reciting the moves of Byron's Pokemon, and I could barely stand straight. I'd considered wearing something fancy like a dress, but figured if I was going to win this, I needed to be comfortable, so I was basically wearing loungewear. Thick, grey cotton pants, a white long-sleeved t-shirt that I slept with sometimes, and with my hair completely loose. I wasn't exactly screaming 'professional'. The ruckus from the crowd blended with the background sounds of mining as I chewed on my thumb nail. It was a good thing this place was so crammed with people, or I'd be doing nothing but pacing. There was a trill of calm as Mimi rattled against my wrist, and I silently thanked them by caressing their frame with a finger as my lips stretched into a smile.

We'd give it everything we had, wouldn't we? And we'd win, too. We were the definition of prepared, and I'd learned to recover from unexpected events in battle. I wasn't that little girl who had fought against Cecilia and Chase in Hearthome. I was more, and the world would bear witness. Winning all of the Gyms in your first try was a claim few trainers could ever make, and I wanted to be a part of that group.

"Looks like you should get going," Denzel said, raising his tone so I could hear him through the cheers. "Good luck out there, Grace. You've got this."

How was it, that anxiety could be such a physical shackle that I felt it literally melt off of me? He offered me his wrist, and I clasped it. "I'll see you on the other side. Cheer for me. And try to see if you can contact Chase! I'm sure he's hiding in the stands somewhere."

We might have fought the last time we'd spoken, but I doubted he'd miss this.

Denzel hurried back to his seat, and my legs carried me toward the waiting room like I was in a dream-like state. Sitting on a familiar bench, I closed my eyes and leaned back against the wall. Almost a year ago, I'd been here in Oreburgh, a nervous wreck. A little girl, so utterly gripped by anxiety she felt like she'd pop like a balloon, telling herself that she had this despite believing otherwise. My finger circled around the release button of one of my Pokeballs as I patiently waited for the current match to finish. My mind continuously imagined the possibilities of what Byron could release against my lead Pokemon, but it was just busywork, at this point. Thinking for the sake of thought.

Gasps from the spectators, loud enough to make me think the challenger had lost, but they quickly turned to cheers. Must have been a close match that had come down to both their final Pokemon. Byron would be taking his break, now, and then it was my turn. I pulled back my sleeves to make sure my Poketch Watch was visible as trepidation built up and up until it was ready to burst. Having to wait like this was akin to being stuck in a cage. I wanted nothing more but for the battle to start already. To be fighting Byron, blade clashing against shield, and see who would come out on top.

A young looking teen entered the waiting room, all smiles until he saw me. I must have been making a face, because his grin fell and he quickly scuttled away. Not good. I massaged my cheeks and let my expression fall to a neutral one, determined to keep it there so I couldn't be read like a book like Denzel had been. Two minutes later, a Gym Trainer did the same. I was almost in a daze, when answering their questions about bright, flashing lights or sensitivity to noise.

I wanted out. My arms shook, nearly ready to push the trainer out of the way and run to the battlefield myself.

Get me out of the cage.

So long, since I'd felt like this, that I'd almost forgotten that I craved it so much I could die. Part of me wondered if Aliyah would call this an addiction, too.

"You're all set! And remember to have fun, okay? You seem a little stiff!"

No answer came from me. Instead, I grabbed my first Pokeball and clasped it tight.

The light shining through the large frame leading to the battlefield was blinding, but I began stepping through it anyway. It felt larger than life, beckoned me like what I'd heard about Arceus' Garden, at the end of it all, and I found the comparison pleasing enough to shiver as I crossed the threshold.

"Alright, Grace," I murmured to myself, tone steady and harsh and mimicking the very same words I had said against Roark. "You've got this."

And I truly believed it, this time.

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Kail H, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Michael J, Jan, catfishdog, Onyx2409, ChairmanK--, William F, Zhijia, Andy S, HeyMrJack, NineXO, Dvn, Exceedes, Gustavo S, Elie, Serina T, Iepton, sqw4l, Nihilea, V4Ford

 

[Soussouni1]

You could have read this early on my Discord or even earlier on my Patreon. Have this Side Story while I write the Gym Battle.

---

TRIGGER WARNINGS - Imperialism, talks of war and war crimes, victims of war

SIDE STORY - CONQUEST

"Why did father have to die, mother? Why?"

"Remember, Akagi," her mother softly said. "War is a way of life. People die for what we believe in. In hopes of seeing Ransei unified."

Flames crackled within the fireplace, spreading warmth and light throughout the living room. Akagi's bare feet felt warm on the stony floor. She'd always liked how the fire made the stone like that, given how cold her house got during wintertime. There were no sounds of bombings or explosions in the distance tonight, so it would have been a good evening spent with her mother, had she not received terrible news of her father's passing this afternoon. Akagi's fingers intertwined with her mother's, who smiled.

"Aren't you sad?" she asked.

"This is something a wife must expect," Mother answered, softly caressing her hair. "When a man has married and his wife given birth, he is drafted into the fighting, so it is only a matter of time. How many old men do you see out and about in Aurora, Akagi?"

"Two…"

"Exactly. A good wife must expect her husband to die for the dreams of the Ranseian people," she beamed. "You too, one day, will be in my position. It is important for you to learn these lessons."

Her mother's hands, usually so comfortable and warm turned cold and rigid in a split second, though Akagi did not react. She hated talking about adult life, given all of the terrible stories she would hear from her friends. Her mother made it sound beautiful and worth it, but her friends' parents did not, and she wanted to make full use of the three years she had left as a child.

"Do not be unhappy, sweetie," mother smoothly said. "When we push back these monsters from Ignis and Fontaine, we will rise again."

"Mother… we were allied to Fontaine a year ago, weren't we?"

Her parent stared into the fire, saying nothing for a long while. She grabbed onto a cup, sipping on water heated from the flames. Akagi loved tea leaves, but they were expensive and she could only get those in batches when the merchants came back from Shinwa. They made it sound like such an amazing place. A land of peace and cooperation, where humans never fought each other. Akagi was only thirteen years old, but she knew about the expeditionary forces the outsiders sent to back whoever they favored at the moment. The kingdoms supported by them would rise above the rest for a few months or years, and then support would suddenly vanish, and they would collapse all over again and no progress would be done. While the world had been killing itself forty years ago, forcing the Three Elements into action, Ransei had known that kind of war, had been born in it, molded by it. For centuries— or perhaps millennia, Ransei had been at war with itself, and while tribes had risen and fallen, only a few had come close to uniting the continent with one goal.

For the creator to show Himself. It was said in the scriptures, that the people of Ransei were the oldest and the continent itself was as well.

"Alliances shift, Akagi," her mother finally answered. "That is the nature of politics."

She would talk about politics, when Akagi managed to break past the happy housewife persona that her mother put on. She was far smarter than she seemed, and yet… her mother was just there. Drifting across life.

"Tell me the truth."

Her mother's dark brown eyes closed for a few seconds. "The other women say that Sinnoh's Champion started backing Ignis and that they thought they could stab us in the back in exchange for rights to mine their coal and… some kind of gas."

Akagi did not freeze, for subterfuge and betrayal was a way of life, here, but she wondered. If Shinwa was a land of peace— if the entire world outside of Ransei was a land of peace, then why? Why did they feel the need to come in and ruin things? She was just a girl, but if no outsiders intervened, then would one of the kingdoms finally unite their lands in cooperation? Would peace finally come to Ransei?

Would their creator finally appear before them and lead them to His garden?

Akagi's eyes burned as bright as the flames, and she clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into the flesh of her palm. It was the fire of ambition, that burned inside of her, and she used the death of her father and the knowledge that other nations used Ransei as a whorehouse as kindling. Father had not needed to die, because Sinnoh had killed him. The world had killed him, smothered him before he could truly live. He had been at war since the age of sixteen, lived for thirteen years on the front lines with only a few months spent at home.

"Mother," Akagi said, her voice trembling with rage. "Why is the world unfair?"

She sighed. "Do not think unnecessary thoughts, or you will not be let into His garden and your soul will be lost."

"I hate you. You hate yourself, too, but you act like everything is fine. Like this is normal."

A breath caught in her mother's throat, but the smile returned soon after. "I suppose I do. Hate myself."

"I know."

Akagi ran away from home during the night.

—

Akagi Yoshike, thirteen years old, had left Aurora in the winter with nothing but a satchel on her back with as much food she managed to scrounge up. The air was bitterly cold, slicing through her layers of clothing like a thousand icy blades. Her entire body shivered as one, the wind carrying a chill that seeped into her very bones and her face numb. The snot leaking from her nose was frozen on her upper lip, and she could see her breath in front of her face.

Akagi followed a lonely path in the wilderness leading out of Aurora with a destination in mind. She had not learned geography or even how to read, but everyone knew that in reference to their kingdom of Aurora, Ignis lay to the north, a nation of harsh land not fit for agriculture that had turned them to raiding Aurora's granaries after every harvesting season, save for when an alliance had been established and they traded instead. To the south lay Fontaine, a smaller coastal kingdom full of rivers and streams, and a lot less cold thanks to hugging the warm ocean breeze. Since Aurora was in a state of war with both, Akagi's only option lay to the west.

The Kingdom of Greenleaf, surrounded by lush plains for miles and the biggest producer of food in the region, or at least according to her mother. They were currently at peace with Aurora, so it was her best bet to get through the frontier without meeting a military contingent that would kill her or capture her on sight. She had heard horror stories of what they did to girls they managed to get their hands on, and Akagi would rather slit her own throat than live through that.

Her feet scrunched on the snow, and exposed patches protested against the frigid, agonizing cold. Akagi pulled her scarf tighter, attempting to shield her face from the relentless howling of the frozen winds. Every twig, every leaf, even the path was completely blanketed in pristine, unmarred snow, and the only reason Akagi knew where to walk was because it was slightly more elevated than the rest of the terrain and she knew that the sun rose in the east and set in the west, so she was walking away from it, cursing the enormous star for not giving her any warmth. For hours, the road stretched ahead, seemingly endless in its monotony.

Was she outside of Aurora yet? Her village was at the edge of the Kingdom, so maybe. She couldn't feel her legs or hands. Was that normal? Why was she so tired? Why was she on the ground? The snow coated the side of her face, and Akagi crawled forward, hoping to get herself toward one of the trees to sit upright, but her body felt so numb. She gripped the snow and dragged, but her grip wasn't strong enough to get herself moving. She cackled, her eyes fluttering as she struggled to stay awake. Was this it, then? Should she have stayed home, been handed off to a man and be made to bear as many children as she could to sustain Aurora's population?

Akagi spat on the ground, and it froze in front of her eyes.

Half delirious, she started to whisper.

"O Arceus, creator of realms and harbinger of balance,

Bless us with your guiding light, as vast as the cosmos.

Grant us strength to face the challenges that lie ahead,

And wisdom to navigate the paths of our journey.

In your divine presence, may harmony reign,

As we tread upon the landscapes of our destinies.

As Poke—Pokemon trainers and seekers of truth,

May your cosmic grace be our e—eternal companion.

A—Arceus, source of all existence,

We offer… our gratitude and reverence,

For the wonders of… creation and the bonds we f—forge,

In your name, we find purpose and… unity,

And one day, we—" she stopped to cough. "—we will unite these lands under your radiance."

"That's a pretty prayer, little tyke," said a gruff voice slightly masked by the wind. "What're you doing all the way out there? Decided to go off and die?"

Akagi didn't freeze, for her body was already completely still, and she struggled to open her eyes again. They were nearly frozen shut, and no longer how hard she told her body to move, nothing happened. It was over. She was going to get captured. She could hear the steps and the muffled voices of the others in the distance. They were going to have their way with her and keep her as a slave.

"Lieutenant! Don't get too close, she might have a bomb under her clothes!" a voice said. Male, but lighter than whoever this lieutenant was.

Akagi finally managed to open her eyes, nearly gasping when she saw the size of the man who had approached her. She could only see with one of her unburied eyes, but he towered over all around him at around seven feet, at least, and he had the build of someone who had tilled fields his entire life. It was nighttime now, so it was difficult to see in the moonlight, but his hair was blonde and spiky. Unkept. He carried a sharp scent that tingled her nose and kept her awake. Slightly sweet, but burning. A Raichu and some kind of blue and yellow Canine stood by his side, a Pokemon Akagi had never seen before.

"Grab her and take her back to camp," the Lieutenant said. "Not the first runaway runt we've come across."

"Not the first that'd have a dirty bomb on 'em either," the man said. "But orders are orders. You heard the Lieutenant, boys and girls!"

Akagi was not sure how, but energy coursed through her veins, and suddenly, she could move again. Her heart was beating so loudly she could feel the pulse in her ears, and she started to sweat. She could not move very much, but her hand sluggishly reached inside her satchel. The people around her jumped out of the way, diving away from her as she grabbed her knife and shoved it toward her throat—

The Lieutenant's burly hands grabbed her wrist, and she knew he could have snapped them if he applied enough strength.

"None of that," he grunted. "We won't do anything you're thinking of to ya, so no need to be all fucking dramatic about it." He grabbed her and put her over his shoulder. "Declan! Get your fucking Houndoom to work, you useless sack of shit! I'm freezing my fucking balls off."

Akagi felt warmth spread through her skin, but she had no time to enjoy the sensation, given the fact that she passed out seconds later.

—

She woke up inside of a bed larger than she'd ever been in, and the warmth here felt so good she almost opted to go to sleep before remembering she'd been kidnapped. Akagi's entire body ached, was covered in blisters and was slightly swollen and paler than she was used to. Just the covers and clothes brushing up against her body was painful. Frostbite. She'd never seen one this severe, though, and it made her want to die. The same Raichu Akagi had seen early was lying on the floor, curled up next to some sort of machine that continuously hummed and emanated with heat and contained some kind of chimney that rose through the tent's ceiling. The entrance flap of the olive-colored tent was zipped up, keeping all of the warmth inside. Akagi froze, hoping not to wake up the electric type and gather her thoughts. There was no sound of any bombing or fighting outside, so she knew she was in a peaceful area, at least. From the subtle hints of light and how hungry she was, the thirteen-year-old could tell it was morning again. The tent had a desk and a few chairs, and was more spacious than any tent ought to be, but it didn't look like there was anything she could make use of, save for some papers at the desk that she couldn't read.

And either way, it wasn't like they would have left anything of import here.

What did Akagi know? The accent of the people who took her… was foreign. They were foreigners, but from where? Shinwa? Arceus almighty, if she was in a foreigner camp, she was screwed. If these were Sinnohans, then that meant they'd taken her back to Ignis or somewhere nearby, and if they learned she was an Auroran, they'd enslave or execute her.

She needed to run.

Every movement spread agony throughout her body, and she left the bed inch by inch in order not to wake up Raichu. She was barefoot, but there were shoes in the tent, way to large for her, but it would work. Akagi had one leg out of the covers when that same Lieutenant bent over to enter the tent with another average-sized man at his size. Declan, he had called him. They both wore thick, green clothing with strange patterns on them and he had a medal around his neck made of silver, or maybe a plaque. When he saw she'd been trying to run, he simply grinned, waking up Raichu, and another smaller electric type climbed onto his shoulder from behind his thick neck. This one, she recognized as Pachirisu. Akagi would have called it cute, in different circumstances.

"Already up, hm? Told you she was fierce," the Lieutenant boasted, dragging a chair for him to sit. It looked like it would almost collapse under his weight. "You feeling better, runt?"

"Who— who are you?" she forced out.

"None of your business," he smiled sharply, something both his Pokemon mirrored. "You cooperate now, and we might play nice later. Declan."

Declan was an average man through and through, though Akagi usually never saw ones his age. Brown eyes and hair that was cut short, a thin face and a bit of a beard that looked to be growing.

He stayed standing, tapping on some kind of wooden board he carried with a pen in his other hand. "Tell us what we need to know, and we'll let you go back home."

"I don't want to go back home," she instantly said. "I ran away."

The Lieutenant snorted. "She got you there."

"Then we'll just let you go with actual winter clothing and supplies."

Akagi frowned. "You would… do that?"

"Can't kill civvies we capture, kid," the blond Lieutenant said. "Much less children. Gotta respect the rules of engagement and all of that."

Her frown deepened. "We get bombed at least once per week!" she yelled. To be honest, she knew she shouldn't be fighting this hard. There was distrust, yes, but these Sinnohans had caused her father's death, and all for resources! "Don't pretend to have rules. We keep dying because of the weapons you give. Weapons that go against the bond between a Pokemon and its trainer!"

"Who cares about the bond?" Surge said, causing her to gasp. There was nothing more important than that bond, in these lands, save for the creator Himself. "You people don't use Pokeballs, and most of you use one or two Pokemon at most that take you way too long to train and die or get crippled before they can do anything of note anyway. Missiles and artillery are faster." He paused, scruffing his Pachirisu's neck. "But I can tell you we're not the ones bombing you. We just relocated here three days ago from the other side of the continent."

Declan chimed in. "Maybe if you tell us where you're from, we can help you figure out who was hurting your people."

"I already know who it was. The Sinnohans!" she yelled.

"Auroran, then," Surge nodded as Declan scribbled on his paper. With a tiny gasp, Akagi covered her mouth with her hands. "Just give it up, kid. We'll figure it out eventually."

"...Akagi Yoshike, thirteen years old from Millstone," she sighed, her shoulders slumping.

"Millstone. It's a small border town 40 miles to the southeast of here…" Declan hummed, flipping through the papers on the table. Akagi caught a glimpse of a map. "44.7854° N, 116.8503° W."

The Lieutenant nodded. "Figures. Seen anyone on the road?"

"Just me."

"Looks like their plan to push in actually was a dud," he gruffed, scratching his chin. "Fucking Sinnohan pricks."

Wait— you're not Sinnohan?" Akagi gasped.

"Kantoan, born and bred," he grinned. "The name's Surge. Just Surge. We figured we'd nurse you back to health and then let you go. Not the first time we've done it. If you tried to run and somehow made it out of camp, you would have collapsed ten minutes into your escape. Wouldn't have bothered me, personally, but I think it's a waste of talent."

"Talent?"

"You're determined. Walked… twenty-eight miles in the snow until we picked you up, and tried to end your own life rather than get taken by the enemy. I can admire guts like those," Surge grinned. "You've got more balls than Declan and the majority of the people under my command," he laughed, clapping his underling on the back. Declan only whimpered, though he didn't try to escape. "Tell me, runt. What do you want in life?"

Akagi clenched a fist, bearing through the pain. "I want to bring peace to Ransei."

Pachirisu laughed at the idea, though Surge raised a hand. "Interesting. And how would you do that?" he asked.

"I would… can I say whatever I want?"

Both Surge and Declan nodded.

"I would forge alliances to kick out outside powers… and then we would fight it out between ourselves and unify, and Arceus would intervene and welcome us all into a life of eternal bliss and peace."

Surge leaned forward. "That's a very nice dream," he said in a clearly sarcastic tone. "Maybe we'll all join in, link hands and sing and dance in the flowery fields too, eh?" he snorted. "What you want, Akagi, is impossible."

"Why is it—"

"I wasn't alive for it, but more than forty years ago, we spent years killing each other until Gods had to come and make us stop," he interrupted. "But war's built into the human condition, you see, we can't fucking stop. It's encoded into each and every one of us, to want to take something we don't have, even if we don't fucking have a need for it, so the world looked and saw your shithole of a continent. Divided into petty kingdoms, more than half the people still living under some feudalistic system and without running water or electricity, but so, so many resources. Oil, gas, coal, mega stones, minerals, excellent soil— this place is a treasure trove, and you're using none of it."

Raichu squeaked by his side, crossing its arms.

"Right? It's a waste, and it lets us vent some steam. Kill each other in a contained way without awakening the Gods that could end us in an afternoon," he continued with a sigh. "But let's say that what you said happens. Let's say that we all pack up and leave."

"We get peace," Akagi said.

"You keep fighting, and maybe, after a few decades, some petty King comes close to uniting this place, but then the remaining Kingdoms band together, his generals stab him in the back, and his country collapses."

"No, it was the foreigners who—"

Surge waved a hand. "Oh yeah, sure, we've sped up the process since we came to these shores, but you have history. We've only been here for forty years, but this state of affairs has existed for far longer than that— longer than your recorded history. Tell me, little tyke, have you ever wondered if your people think that uniting the country would bring forth Arceus and you'd get to prance around naked in some fictional garden, that they would just not fight? After all, everyone could be saved if you just stayed at peace. Nowhere in the scriptures does it say Ransei has to be united through conquest."

"The glory!" she snapped. "Being the one to unify the continent would put you in His good graces!"

He snapped his fingers and pointed at her. "Exactly! It's all a game! All ego! A thinly veiled excuse to justify this generational slaughter. You remind me of Johtohans, you know? The way you spin religion to justify whatever the hell you want at the time."

Akagi bit her lip. "So what? Do you think you're any better? All of you foreigners, you're all cut from the same cloth!"

Surge laughed. "Oh, no. I'm a bastard. We're all bastards who're exploiting your home for profit, but hey, at least we don't pretend. Funny thing is, the Unovans say it's to bring freedom and democracy, as do the Galarians, though they're more focused on the free market side of things. Kalosians are ideological fanatics who want all monarchies to disappear. Sinnohans, they say that they need to keep control of the waterways in the Ranseian Channel because those pricks from Fontaine keep mining the sea and raiding their ships, but let's be honest, they just want in on the feast. Us at Indigo? We tell you how it is. That's what's right. That's honesty."

The girl huffed. "Doesn't make me like you anymore."

"I don't expect you to like me. I expect you to hate my guts. Funny thing is, we're here to ally with Aurora to counterbalance Sinnoh's alliance with Ignis."

Akagi blinked.

"That's what I'm talking about. That look. You hate me, but I'm doing what you want." He outstretched his long arms and grinned. "I like you, runt. Let me train you and make you worth something. I'll teach you how to fight, how to read and write, and at the end of it all, I'll give you a 'mon and maybe you'll have what it takes to shine bright in this pile of shit you call home."

He offered his hand.

She took it, thinking that she would kill him by the end of it.

—

Six months had passed since Surge had taken Akagi under his wing.

The war was a distant thing, now. There were close calls in the middle of the night where Ranseians from Ignis had tried to breach their camp, which they had moved closer to Aurora, but the Indigoans always pushed them back with so few casualties it was almost a joke. The things they could do with their Pokemon, the tactics employed, it was all so new to her, even today. She was fourteen, now, and had spent most of her time sticking by Surge during strategy meetings or when he drilled his troops, or inside his tent like she currently was doing.

Taking a geography test.

Ransei currently had seventeen kingdoms, though that number fluctuated throughout the decades. On the table lay a blank map of Ransei with empty boxes above where kingdoms were supposed to be. There were no borders, given the fact that they changed every day, but the general location was always the same. Manectric and Raichu were watching her, making sure that she didn't cheat, and Pachirisu was sitting on the table, sniggering at Akagi for her failure to identify the northeastern kingdoms of Ransei.

"I'd like to see you try, you stupid runt," she growled under her breath. "How the hell am I supposed to tell which one Valora is? Or Illusio? There isn't even topography to help!"

Learning about the countries themselves was easier. Each Kingdom specialized in a single type, though they did not only use that type. Ignis, for example, was full of fire type users. The ruling family had used them for as long as they remembered, and according to Surge, it was a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, though Akagi couldn't help but think there was something more to it. Aurora, her own country, had been specialized in normal types.

Pachirisu fell on her back, giggling like an idiot as her legs and arms moved wildly, and Raichu shrugged, probably saying that he wouldn't know? Akagi had learned to know all of Surge's Pokemon, but she had bonded specifically with those three. She was confident in having at least twelve of the seventeen down, but the rest, she was stumped on, and she ended up filling them randomly when she only had two minutes left for her test.

"Finished yet? Patches, did she cheat?"

Pachirisu nodded, and Akagi strangled her until she jolted her arms and escaped to climb on Surge's shoulder.

"I guess not," the tall Lieutenant grinned. "Let's see what you're made of, runt." She handed him the paper, and after a glance, he shrugged. "12 out of 17. Mediocre, but at least you know the ones closest to us."

"I started learning these a week ago."

"A week should be enough to memorize seventeen things, Akagi," he said.

"Whatever. I'll ace it next time."

"Good attitude to have, just make sure it actually happens, or you're running an extra ten laps around camp."

"Any news? From the war?"

"We caught some Sinnohans scouts and brought 'em back to camp," he said. "We're going to question them for their plans to see if they're anticipating our offensive or not."

"Question how?"

"Pull a few fingernails," he said.

It was at times like these, that Akagi remembered who it was, she was facing. An awful man who had caused the death of her people, children included. Who ordered them to be tortured for information, and who was exploiting Aurora for its resources. She'd gotten smarter the last few months, learned about the world, and this small unit was only a small part of the actual operation. Indigo had launched. They still had expeditionary forces all over the continent, and this was only one of them, albeit the most powerful, given the fact that they were led by Surge.

"No need to look at me like I just pulled your fingernails," he laughed.

"I thought torture of prisoners of war was illegal under the Sootopolis Accords established after the Great War," she said, her voice shaking. "Have you been doing this the entire time?"

"Smart girl. At least you can memorize your history," Surge said. "You see, the funny thing with laws is that there are loopholes. Sinnoh and Kanto-Johto are not at war. In fact, Indigo is not at war with anyone. The people we're capturing aren't prisoners of war, they're enemy combatants."

"That's the same thing!"

"One is illegal, one isn't. No need to launch into an entire ethical debate, I know what I'm doing is wrong, I just don't care."

"Is there anything you care about?" she asked. "Or are you just some empty fucking shell?"

Surge didn't answer. Instead, he sat down on another chair and sighed. "I'm being recalled in three months, runt."

She frowned. "Recalled?"

"Champion Lance has personally asked for me to take over the Vermillion Gym to deal with the Rocket presence building up in the city. He thinks my experience in war will help get the country on war footing to take the fight to them."

He had told her about Team Rocket before, some kind of mafia who was growing more and more prominent in Indigo. Akagi thought they deserved all of it. It was a taste of their own medicine.

"You could call it an early retirement," he sighed. "All my life, I've fought in this damn place, and just like that, I'm leaving. That's something, isn't it?"

"What? Are you gonna cry? Ask for me to come with you?" she mocked.

"No. You could not waterboard begging out of me, runt. I don't ask for things," he said. "And I know you wouldn't come anyway. Bummer, really. You could have a good life in Vermillion, but it is what it is."

"I don't want anything to do with you. You're just someone I'm using to bring my people peace."

"I know, I know, stop talking my ear off. Anyway, the goal is to finish off the Sinnohans before I leave, so you'll be of use, runt."

"Do you mean—"

"I'm giving you your first 'mon."

—

"Weak."

Magnemite levitated from the small crater in the ground that had formed after Raichu had slapped it down with his tail, and it was covered in dents and scratches. Raichu hadn't even used a move, just his body, and he hadn't gotten hit by any attacks even once. He could move faster than the eye could even see, but the worse was that he didn't. He slowed himself down, weakened himself so Magnemite and Akagi would be able to learn something out of this.

"You fight like a dumbass," Surge said. "Look around yourself, runt."

Akagi did so, ignoring Magnemite's protesting beeps. It hated when Surge talked shit, as did she, but it wasn't like they could do anything about it anyway. What she was were just trees. He had taken her to the middle of a clearing.

"What? It's just fucking trees, you asshole!"

"Then use those as cover. Don't just tell Magnemite to stand there and use Thundershock or Sonic Boom. Also, you're just standing there, wide open. Until you get yourself a psychic or a Protect user, that's not a luxury you can afford. You'd be dead before you know it. Use the terrain."

"Raichu could have just killed me anyway!" She yelled, pointing at the electric type, who responded with a laugh. "Don't make fun of me, you prick!"

"Oh, look at me, I'm Akagi," Surge mocked. "The opponent is too strong, so I'll just roll over and die! That's you, runt! You won't last a week without me, thinking like that. Some lad's Pokemon from Ignis is gonna crush your organs with Quick Attack!"

"I thought we were just training—"

Raichu fired off a blinding beam of electricity that burned the side of the arm even when she knew it hadn't touched her, because if it had she would be dead. She flinched, tumbling back into the grass and instinctively crawled back.

"This is training," Surge said. "Now get back up. Don't let your Magnemite show you up."

She cursed under her breath, but by Arceus' grace, she stood.

—

Surge was leaving in a week, but Akagi couldn't even bother thinking about what she'd do.

The teenager walked through a village that was eerily silent, broken by the occasional cry or scream and Surge and Declan chatting about the place they had recently bombarded to smithereens with a long-range barrage of Pokemon moves and missiles. The remnants of what were once vibrant neighborhoods now lay in ruins. Crumbled facades and rubble-strewn streets, blown up stores, schools and hospitals. The air carried a pungent mix of dust, despair and blood, a suffocating blend that mirrored the collective grief of a city torn apart. Amidst the destruction, haunting reminders of lives disrupted and dreams shattered emerged. Abandoned toys, torn clothes, and fragments of personal belongings lay strewn across the wreckage, leaving her with a feeling of emptiness. Something here was lacking.

That was only second to the casualties.

The corpse of an old woman, the bottom half of her body jutting out from below a massive collapsed structure that must have been her home. Children crying for their parents, clinging to non-responsive limbs. People with hollow stares who had just lost everything, just standing in the street without moving, sometimes wounded. People who would glare at her.

This was Ignis' third largest city. Akagi had grown up thinking of these people as enemies, but they were just like her. Victims. Victims of the same self-perpetuating cycle engineered by outsiders.

What am I doing here? she asked herself. The fact that she'd been ever been attached to Surge made her want to gag. The tall Lieutenant wasn't even looking at her, and she feared the next time she actually saw his face, she would convince herself that this was just a one-time event. Why was it so easy to grow to like this man? This monster in the shape of a man. How could one walk through this place and feel nothing? Not care?

"Wasn't this—" she retched, doubling over and puking on the side of the road.

"What, your first mission and you're already puking? You haven't even had to wade through guts yet!" Surge cackled.

Akagi wiped her mouth, though the taste of vomit lingered. "Surge, this is— why did we do this? Just to sniff out a few Sinnohans holding out in the city? So many people died."

"We warned 'em beforehand," Surge said. "It's a shame, but those who didn't evacuate only have themselves to blame."

Declan nodded. "And we finally expelled the final remnants of Sinnoh's expeditionary force. Those who didn't Teleport out are all captured or deceased."

Ah.

She was talking to monsters, not humans.

Akagi Yoshike finally understood that she'd been strung along this entire time. Manipulated. She needed to escape, but how could she? Surge had the majority of his Pokemon out, save for Magnezone being used for long-range communication and Manectric and Electabuzz having been wounded in a battle two weeks ago and still at base camp getting healed by the military nurses.

Meanwhile, she wasn't allowed to use her Pokemon. Not outside of training or unless Surge gave her the okay. She'd caught or been given a few more by Surge that they were training up. Could she release them and strike? No, the noise from the Pokeballs would alert them. She was behind both of them and their Pokemon, at the moment, but she could still strike. Akagi still had that blade she'd tried killing herself with months ago when he had first stumbled upon her.

Swallowing, she slowly shifted her hand down to her pocket, every casualty she came across giving her an extra oomph. She would have to repent, to ever get these people to forgive her. She had not lobbed the attacks herself, but Akagi had participated and sometimes cheered, when she had not witnessed the true horrors of war. Her village in Aurora had never been bombed like this.

She moved like lightning, plunging the blade in Declan's neck. The man slumped to the ground, clutching at the hole. It continuously spurted blood, and Declan bled on the floor as he choked on his own blood. Surge barked out orders to his team before Akagi could strike, so instead she ran, escaping as fast as she could. She could get lost in these streets, blend in as a civilian if she dirtied herself enough. She needed to run. To escape from Surge's clutches before she couldn't forgive herself for what she had done.

"HAHAHAHA! YOU DID WELL TO STRIKE, RUNT!" Somehow, Surge's voice echoed through the streets, though when Akagi looked back, she was not being followed. "I THOUGHT YOU'D ATTACK WHEN I WAS LEAVING, BUT A WEEK BEFORE? HOW SMART OF YOU."

She wanted to retort, to tell him to go fuck himself, to die in a ditch, but instead, she stayed silent.

"RUN AWAY, LITTLE TYKE. LET'S SEE HOW YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE!"

And he would not be there to witness her rise.

Akagi would escape and start an insurgency in the coming years, fighting against Indigo's puppet regime of Aurora. Eight years later, she would take control of the Kingdom and start her own war of conquest across the continent, taking over sixty-three percent of the landmass in another six years with foreign support from Sinnoh. They called her Warlord. Ransei's fastest and best conqueror in centuries.

Everything had been going according to plan until a coalition formed to oppose her of the remaining Kingdoms.

Her enemies were supporters by Unova and Kalos in small numbers, but the ones doing the heavy lifting?

It was Kanto-Johto.

—

She was twenty-nine, now. Thirty in a month.

Akagi had never liked her castle. It was everything she hated in a ruler, the fact that she lived such a luxurious life compared to her people. The stone walls hung in tatters, a faint glow emanating from them as they slowly heated up due to the flames. Grand paintings of her and her conquests would smoulder and burn, as would the golden reams of the frames. The pillars holding up the room would soon collapse in on themselves, but the smoke would get her first.

So the fact that it was currently burning down and collapsing around her did not bother her much. Akagi lazily slumped on her throne, ignoring the fact that if she stayed here for long, she would be trapped by the flames. Her protector Pokemon Chansey had fainted, taken down by some Indigoan scouts before she could react. Heliolisk, Bibarel, Luxray were also all down, and only Magneton and Jolteon remained at her side, ready to die with her. She expected enemy forces to come and finish her off any minute now, but instead, it was her nemesis, who showed up, his entire team by his side, save for Magnezone who she guessed was playing comms relay again like it used to. He bore an extra scar, this time nearly missing his eye, going over his forehead and temple. This one was fresh. His hair was still as golden as ever, and he looked like he hadn't aged a day, even if she knew he was in his late thirties now. Maybe early forties.

Her eyes narrowed at the number of Pokemon. Manectric, Raichu, Pachirisu, Electivire— that one was new. Electabuzz had evolved, it seemed. Voltorb, Plusle and Minun.

"How?" she instantly roared through the flames.

She was not asking why Surge was there. Akagi had known about his presence for months, and had tortured information about him out of his soldiers. He was taking a break from Gym Leader duties and being deployed for eight months. This was his seventh. Surge was a man of war, and now that peace had come back to Kanto-Johto, he could not stay still for long.

"Well, look at you, runt," Surge grinned, his teeth perfectly white. "Our long-awaited reunion, and this is how you welcome me back?"

"Don't play fucking dumb," she drawled. "How is your team back on their feet? I sent people after you— my best people, and the survivors said you'd only have Patches and Raichu left. That the rest would take months to recover, if they didn't die from their wounds."

He snorted. "Oh, that. Nasty pieces of work, your men. You trained them just the way I trained you, and they caught me off-guard—"

"Answer the fucking question. You owe me that, at least."

If she could stall for time, if she could condemn him to burn to death with her, then it would all have been worth it. Surge leaned against one of the pillars, his Pachirisu, Plusle and Minun swarming his shoulder and head.

"Fancy new tech we got from the Rockets," he explained. "They made some Pokemon called Ditto when they tried to create a God, and it turns out that it's really useful for healing. We can't keep it to ourselves and leaks have already happened, so we're currently selling it to the highest bidder, which is why you lost the war against the coalition. They're already at each other's throats to get access to it and thinking about how to stab each other after the war's done, can you believe it?"

"You did that."

"We did," he nodded, crossing his arms. "Now are we going to do this the hard way, or the easy way, runt?"

"What, are you expecting me to surrender so you can capture me?"

"I'm asking you how you want to die," he said. "I tried to ask the League if we could keep you prisoner and spare your life, but you're too important to be left alive. Bummer," he shrugged.

"Tell me, Surge," Akagi inhaled. "Is there anything you care about?"

He smiled. "Still not going to answer that one, little tyke."

"Kill him," she hissed.

The smell of ozone filled her nostrils, and Magneton and Jolteon fired off two Thunders in Surge's direction. Deep in her heart, she'd known it wouldn't work. Raichu grunted, and the electricity bent toward him. He absorbed all of it in his tail, though he was heaving by the end of it.

"Packs a punch," Surge said. "You would have been a decent fight, with your entire team. Get her Pokemon."

Minun and Plusle disappeared— no, they blurred— no, they—

Jolteon managed to dodge, electricity crackling through her fur as she weaved right, but Magneton crumpled to the floor before Akagi even realized what was happening. Minun's body had been overtaken by flames, and she had rammed in its center. Its eyes blinked, and it prepared to fight back, but Akagi raised a hand.

"Stand down."

"Glad you're taking the easy way out," Surge said. "Recall 'em."

She did before they could protest, absorbing them both in their Pokeballs. It was not that she was giving up, of course. Surge was prone to bouts of overconfidence, and she had a plan. Akagi rose from her throne, staring Surge down while he and his team climbed the staircase. As soon as he got within reach, she pulled out a blade from her sleeve and tried ramming it into Surge's throat. The Kantoan was huge, but he was quick, and he ducked, punching her in the gut while Raichu whipped her leg with his electrified tail. The world went white for an instant as she convulsed, hit her head on her throne and crumpled to the floor like a piece of paper.

"Nice try," Surge said. His voice was distant, so distant, yet he was right here, looming over her. Pieces of the ceiling started to collapse near the entrance. "It's a shame it had to come to this, Akagi."

"You— you— you used me," she forced out. "Wanted me to— be strong."

"I suppose I did, in a way. Figured that in a decade, you could own a decent chunk of the continent and be an ally of Indigo. That we could collect the resources in your country in exchange for weapons and aid. Unfortunately you refused any diplomacy and you conquered Ransei a little too quickly."

"Fuck… you. You— make this land hell."

"I do."

It was so enraging, the way he acknowledged it. The way he didn't even try to justify himself for all the crimes he had committed, the deaths he had wrought, lives he and his country had ruined.

"You walked it too," he softly said. "You killed, pillaged, tortured and conquered. Allied with Sinnoh to get a leg up."

"Not— the same. Don't compare us."

"Sure thing, runt," he said, leaning over her. "What do you think would have happened, had we let you take over the entire continent? You were already putting down rebellions before we got fully involved."

"You can't just—" she coughed as pain coursed through her broken leg. "You can't just say that things would be the sa— same as justification."

"It's what I truly think. Doesn't make me any better of a person, though. I'm a bastard."

"I hate— you."

Surge winced. "I know you do—"

Second knife. That had been the plan. This one had been hidden in her boot, and she nearly managed to stab Surge in the neck. He'd been kneeling next to her, so he was in range, and she nearly killed him. Instead, he dodged out of the way and the blade penetrated his upper arm. Akagi internally swore, expecting death to take her, but instead, Surge told his team to stand down.

"Thought you'd try to kill yourself like last time instead," he hissed, clenching at his arm. "Hell of a gambit you threw here."

"Fuck you."

"Raichu."

The electric type's tail shone bright white with Iron Tail, ready to take her head.

"Any last words?" Surge asked between heavy breaths. With some luck, his use of the arm would be permanently crippled.

She spat a glob of bloody saliva in his eye. "Shinwa— was never— land of peace. You are— monsters. May Arceus choke you to de—death with His thousand hands, Lieutenant Surge. May your tar soul be lost forever and may you never see His— Garden."

The man she hated closed his eyes, turning away from her.

"Do— do it, runt," she choked at Raichu. "Finish me—"

Akagi Yoshike perished alone in her throne room.

Her Kingdom collapsed, and within weeks, the coalition needed to take her down were at each other's throats.

Ransei was a land of war, of subjugation. A victim of imperialism. And it would not change, at least not yet.

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Kail H, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, ArgentumTriKeras, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Michael J, Jan, catfishdog, Onyx2409, ChairmanK--, William F, Zhijia, Andy S, HeyMrJack, NineXO, Dvn, Exceedes, Gustavo S, Elie, Serina T, Iepton, sqw4l, Nihilea, V4Ford

 

[Soussouni1]

CHAPTER 301 - I'M SHARP ENOUGH

Who was Byron Fisker?

An Iron Islander, a corporate stooge who had betrayed his homeland in favor of special interest groups on mainland Sinnoh? Perhaps he was a man who had tried his best despite it all and had, through massive opposition, tried to implement incremental improvements to the islands? Somewhere in-between, maybe. There were cheers as I climbed up the stairs to my platforms, though clearly less than Denzel had gotten at the start of his own battle, and I let the noise roll off my back, focusing on the coming fight and Pokeball warm against my bandaged palm. Gym Leaders usually came second to the battlefield, taking full advantage of their breaks, but Byron was already there, waiting.

Sitting on his metallic platform cross-legged, shovel in hand. It was an implement I could admire, with how sharp and well-maintained he'd kept it throughout the years. They said he'd owned the tool since he'd started working in the mines as a teenager, and while it didn't look new, it looked cared for. He wore thick, beige cargo pants with bright yellow bands around his ankles, no doubt used to be spotted in the darkened mines, along with a sleeveless shirt and a ragged cape draped over his shoulders. It did well to hide the weight of years of duty. Tired eyes, and a man too exhausted to keep up appearances any longer, with how he dressed and wild his burgundy hair was. Chase no doubt would have said the way he dressed was just PR to look like a man of the people. There were shallow scars all over his exposed arms. Yet he still bore the smile of a boy excited to battle, sharp and dangerous. The expression of a hunter.

Who was Byron Fisker, I asked myself again. Did any of his baggage matter to me, at this point in time?

No. Not today. That was not my fight.

He was simply a trainer who needed to be beaten. A man who had come upon a Shieldon fossil deep in the mines of the Iron Island and vowed right then and there that he would be a trainer. People still wondered, how he'd gotten the money to resurrect that Shieldon, but it was something he kept close to his chest.

The arena itself was what I'd expected of it. Rugged metal with hills and potholes large enough for Pokemon to fall into littered the entire surface with little licks of rust here and there. Pointed spikes taller than Sweetheart's eight feet, sprouting from the ground and pointing in every direction. There was so much of it that every breath I took, the taste of metal permeated in my mouth and throat. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that the Gym Trainers had added a Mr. Mime to the usual Kadabra, and the barrier pulsed with what I recognized as glamour. I'd watched enough Conference battles to know that instead of Kadabra, Mr. Mime were the staple to shield the audience from what went on during the battle, especially when one of the trainers had a powerful dark type on hand.

I had just been acknowledged.

Byron stood up with a grunt, though I could tell he'd waited longer than needed to do so, and he pointed at me with his shovel, which gleamed under the Gym's harsh lighting.

"Welcome, Challenger."

The words were electrifying, invigorating. I instinctively leaned forward, desperate for him to go through his speech so we could start battling already. His voice was gravely, broken down to its roughest properties from days spent in the mines.

"Grace Pastel. For getting all the way up to your eighth, I congratulate you," he drawled, some of his accent slipping through. "This will be a six-on-six battle with two switches allowed. I reserve the right to use any Pokemon in my arsenal that I deem fit, and killing any Pokemon will get you disqualified from the League Circuit."

My eyes widened, and my throat tightened as I grinned so much my cheeks hurt. Two, not three. It was obvious, what he was targeting. My weakness. As my brain scrambled to adjust my plans, the Gym Leader continued.

"Let's see if you're sharp enough yet to cut through me," he finished, placing his shovel atop his shoulder.

What was it, with steel type specialists and sharpness? Not that I minded, in fact, I fucking loved it. I'd show him I was sharp enough to cut through him. With a radiant smile, I passed a finger over the release button of Sunshine's Pokeball. His eyes were filled with glee when he looked back at me, and he roared out a Flamethrower into the sky to show off to the crowd. The flames were pure white close to his snout, becoming bluer the further away they got from him. Byron studied the dragon type, his face completely still. There were a multitude of reasons I was leading with Sunshine, but he was mainly one thing.

Bait.

Turtonator was, in this battle, a bit of an enigma. Him altering the terrain in any way would not help us reach our end game, and molten metal was not able to be influenced by Princess' Ancient Power and wouldn't work well to alter the ground to help with Angel other than flattening it some, but he would certainly make Byron think I was planning on working with a molten floor to hurt his steel types. There were, as it stood, only a few Pokemon he could counter Sunshine with. Bronzong, which would reveal his personal Pokemon early. The psychic was a master of Rain Dance, manipulating water, and had the ability Heatproof. Second was Empoleon who despite it not being her specialty, would be able to use water to cancel us out or at least slow us down, and would synergize excellently with Bronzong. Lastly was Steelix— either his personal one, or his eighth badge one— and whose thick steel plating would be able to resist the heat from the molten metal. By leading with Turtonator, I narrowed his options enough to know what to expect.

It was something every trainer would have to consider, when fighting Sunshine. How did one fight heat itself, hotter than a thousand degrees Celsius? He was a problem, no matter how you pegged it, and a huge one at that.

At the twentieth second, Byron sent out his Pokemon. The red light grew, grew, and grew until it revealed the Steelix I'd been expecting. The way to differentiate the two was that Byron's Steelix was smaller than average, and the metal coating his body was tinted darker than usual. This one was a very light grey, almost white, and he was large enough for me not to have any doubts. Steelix rose with a grace almost sinuous, each segment moving with a hypnotic spin. Metal screeched against metal as the ground type coiled around himself, almost deafening. Dim, red eyes stared down at Sunshine, Steelix exposing his flattened teeth built to dig through stone and earth.

The referee counted down.

And slashed her hand downward.

Here was the thing about battling Steelix. Like Gyarados, it did not matter how slow they were, when they were so large they could be across the arena in seconds. They were titans of the underworld and used their sheer mass to either scare away any Pokemon or slam through every opponent they had before they could realize what had happened. Sunshine looked like a puny bug next to Steelix, almost pitiful.

Byron had no doubt expected me to switch out sooner rather than later into something like Jellicent.

He was wrong.

Flames burst through the cracks in Turtonator's scales as the ground began to shake when Steelix threw himself forward, cracks spreading through the entire arena like it was made of paper and not solid metal. A ball of light, acting as a second sun, appeared high in the sky and the flames roiling out of Sunshine went from blue to bright white as the metal below him turned molten. Fire turned to a Flame Charge, and Sunshine retreated to his shell, striking his back with an Iron Tail to drift left. He was straining to move with the constant Bulldoze, but what was a dragon's life without struggle? Steelix turned to follow as he grunted from the heat, but Sunshine instantly cut in and switched directions again.

"Corner him and Dragon Breath!" Byron called out.

Steel rose in Sunshine's path, and he slammed into the glowering wall, denting it, but it was not hot enough for him to break through it just yet. With Steelix's massive size, massive attacks followed. The steel type's jaw unlocked, and golden and blue lights swirled in his mouth, gathering into a massive ball of energy that keened to the world louder and louder.

"Fire Pillar."

The still-melting ground below Steelix bubbled, and then burst with the deafening roar of white flames wide enough to engulf half of the ground type's body. The fire exploded upon contact with Steelix's head, and I'd been hoping to knock it out of the way to make the Dragon Breath veer off-course, but Steelix was a force of nature, a walking natural disaster unto itself. When Steelix moved, the world moved with them. The ground shook and Pokemon fled in fear of what would happen to them. Cracks spread through his outer shell, but the Dragon Breath struck true and enveloped all of Sunshine, kicking up molten metal that further hurt the Steelix and creating a wide dent in the ground.

I'd expected to panic. For my mind to race and to have my hand racing toward my Pokeball, but the thing about my bond with Sunshine was that it ran deep. Ours was a partnership forged in revenge and blood, so calm seeped into my veins and I smiled when a stream of howling flames battered Steelix enough for the steel type to screech and Sunshine finally broke through his prison of metal, the steel having melted enough to be soft thanks to the extra oomph from Fire Pillar. The ground continued to shake, energy seeping through the cracks, but the tremors got less powerful the further away Sunshine got from Steelix, and we were faster, now. Hidden away in his shell for defense, the dragon zoomed across the arena while Steelix reeled from the hit. A few times, I had to warn him about a fissure or crack too large for him to just roll over, and an explosion carried him into a short hop to dodge.

Our strategy here had been two-fold. One, keep the ground next to Sunshine molten so Byron's counter would not be able to manipulate the steel into a solid to hurt him, and two, keep his distance from Steelix and outlast him.

"You're far enough now!" I yelled. "Focus Blast! Aim for the segments!"

Sunshine snapped out of his shell, golden energy gathering right in front of his snout. The entire arena was molten now, save for the corners he hadn't gotten to. Glowering red, continuously shifting and most importantly, burning.

"Follow and Rock Blast," Byron said.

Steelix pushed himself forward with a frustrated scream, shards of rock exploding like shrapnel all over his face. They broke against Sunshine's scales, denting and peeling them off as the ground type approached. Most of them just plunged into the molten metal around him, but one hit him in the face as the Bulldoze grew in strength and sent the superheated iron high up in the sky. The Focus Blast wavered, and for a moment, I thought it would explode before we launched it, but instead, Sunshine concentrated it into a single dot, so infinitely small I could barely see the glow amidst the fighting. It was so hot inside the arena that I could barely see Sunshine. It was like looking at a mirage.

Then, he launched it.

I saw it cut across one of Steelix's segments a fraction of a second before I actually heard the sound. A deep, resonating hum of energy that broke against the steel type. Months ago, deep inside Mount Coronet, I had realized that that was an Onix's weakness, and the same was true for their evolved forms. It was not so much that it was a gap in their armor, but it was where they felt the most pain. I kept my face neutral, containing the savage grin wanting to etch itself upon it as Steelix writhed against the superheated, liquid steel. His huge size worked in his favor here, with the way his tail slammed against Sunshine's plastron and sent him skidding back until he hit the barrier with a tired grunt.

Tired. That was what he was. Exhausted, already. Beaten by a constant Bulldoze and sharpened Rock Blasts as large as his torso. His scales were bent and—

Arm bent the wrong way. Broken from the tail hit from Steelix. He drew upon heavy breaths, each exhale spreading fire and heat throughout the arena, powered by the sun, globs of superheated metal constantly flying from the shaking earth.

"Iron Tail the ground and Metal Edge," Byron said. "If he tries to get on you, just Heavy Slam."

Sunshine and I shared another look, and even though I could not see him very well, understanding struck immediately.

When he had been half dead, deep in the bellows of Mount Wela, Sunshine had limped along for days in an attempt to hunt and recover. He'd been half-dead in Mount Coronet for days after Kamaile's death and harassed by passing trainers and roving bands of Rangers. Battered, but not broken. Never broken, for that was antithetical to all dragons. Steelix's tail blurred, slamming down on the molten metal and splitting it apart in a cone and revealing the solid ground below. The shockwave forced Sunshine a few feet back, but that was only second to the countless shards of metal bursting out of Steelix's body. He's shedding weight, I realized. Something Byron had trained Steelix to do to gain in speed and maneuverability— shit, no time to think!

"Go in!" I screamed.

Some might think it foolish, to ignore what the Gym Leader you were facing had said when they had an explicit counter to what you'd just ordered. An explosion rocked Sunshine's side of the field, plumes of smoking sulfur, molten metal and fire rattling the barrier close to Byron. Lightened by too many Flame Charges to count, Turtonator took flight, and for a moment it was like time was standing still. The trail of fire he left behind was like unfurling wings, and he soared through the skies as Steelix angled his Metal Edges upward. Sunshine retreated into his shell, his armor, and he got hit once, twice, thrice, each time propelling himself with another explosion so as not to lose his momentum.

Byron cackled, barely audible through the raging fires as he accepted the challenge. "Dragon Breath, wide!"

Again, it began as a tiny little light, a mixture of blue at its edges and yellow at its center. Steelix bit down on the draconic energy, and when he opened his mouth again, the blast formed into a cone Turtonator was incapable of dodging, more draconic wind than anything else. The Dragon Breath slowed Turtonator enough for him to barely make it onto Steelix's side with flames growing and growing until he was a ball of fiery death. We didn't get the Heat Crash we'd wanted, but he anchored himself by plunging an Iron Tail into the shallower and softer metal. That was the thing about steel types. Their armor softened with heat as well. Still, jagged edges rose from Steelix's armor as if he could shapeshift and kept hitting at Sunshine from every direction.

Smaller now, but huge still, Steelix instantly roared in agony, and without hesitation started to fall to intentionally crush Sunshine under all of his weight. Ordinarily, I wouldn't have expected a Gym Leader to employ such a brutal tactic, but I'd known as soon as he had ordered Heavy Slam that was what he'd been planning.

It was hot enough now. The attack would be quick to charge.

"Fire Blast!"

Now faster to move, Steelix fell down, angling himself to fall right on top of Sunshine, steel creaking and molten metal clinging to his skin as he did so. Sunshine inhaled and drew upon the fiery depths within. His scaled and rugged exterior glowed with an intense heat—

And Steelix hit the ground.

The barrier shook as one, and the impact made my hair blow backward as the force reverberated throughout the arena. The heated metal recoiled in response to the colossal force. Waves of liquid steel surged outward in a chaotic dance, momentarily disrupted by the seismic shockwave of Steelix's descent, and my heart nearly jumped out of my throat as the arena went eerily silent.

What was it, that was so special about Sunshine? He was a Pokemon raised by death and struggle. For more than seventy years, he had endlessly toiled toward a single goal of conquest. To sit atop a mountain, leaving only a trail of his enemy's ashes behind him. A wish gone undone, at least for now, but the flame of ambition had only grown within the last few months as he had.

There was the subtle crackling of flame. Almost a whisper, with how quiet it was, barely distinguishable from the molten metal itself. Byron yelled, but Steelix was already rising, his movement slowed by all of that metal slowing him down. Tons upon tons of it, clinging to every inch of his skin like a coiling snake. My breath caught in my throat, a small, weak and quivering thing.

Then, came the inferno.

Once, I'd been fascinated by how blinding Craig's Typhlosion could be. This wasn't that, not yet, but I understood, now. The surroundings themselves caught on fire as everything went white and something in the air popped, wind blew upward like a typhoon and the world burned to ashes. Light itself penetrated through my eyelids and I did not get to see the blast itself, but when I opened them, Steelix was on fire, metal seeping down to the ground as it superheated so much he struggled to keep himself together. Fire would consume all until it ran out of fuel, and this one would use anything as fuel. I had to blink to chase away the sun spots, and Sunshine rose from within the liquid metal, which was now deep enough to reach his upper chest. He was barely standing, his eyes only half-opened and plastron caved in the wrong way as he struggled to breathe and glowed slightly from the hastily put-together Iron Defense he'd used to survive getting crushed by Steelix.

Struggling.

Beaten.

But what it meant to be a dragon was to still be standing, at the end of it, because at the heart of it all, Sunshine would rather keep fighting until he died than see his opponent win. He was, simply put, a very stubborn kind of perseverance. Fire consumed, and dragons took.

But it was not over quite yet.

With what I imagined was a tired smile and satisfaction at such a wonderful opponent, Turtonator straightened his back and Steelix shook off the liquid metal currently on him. Part of me had hoped Byron would recall him out of fear, but if there was someone who wouldn't blink, it was a Gym Leader. At this point, I assumed he was too tired to move, and so I outstretched an arm.

"Flamethrower."

Quick, simple, and powered by his second sun and the ambient heat that was over a thousand degrees Celsius. The flames clicked into place as the wind from the massive updrafts howled, and Steelix—

"Dragon Tail!"

Was well enough to move. He was an unstoppable force, and he narrowly ducked to dodge the Flamethrower until Sunshine angled it down, though he was slow about it. Now smaller and with parts of his actual tail missing, Steelix could, ironically enough, maneuver better than he ever had, and with one smooth motion and a twist of his body, he sent his shining blue stump of a tail forward, hurtling toward Sunshine's chest.

"Hold on with Heat Crash!"

He'd already been planning on holding on, though the surge of fire coming from within of the building Heat Crash was not something he'd anticipated me to ask.

"Commit!" Byron cackled through the fire.

With a heavy grunt and with the use of only one arm, he clasped onto Steelix's thick, melting tail and used the weight of the impact to his advantage. Like a glowing sun, the sphere from Heat Crash expanded and blew up with a deafening explosion of wind and colorful flames. Shades of gold, blue, white, red and orange engulfed the entire arena as Sunshine crumpled down and slowly sank into the metal. Steelix's eyes were clouded by agony, with deep screeches resonating from deep inside his throat. It took a few more seconds, but he slumped and collapsed as well, allowing me to breathe out a sigh of relief as I smothered a grin. The ground stopped shaking from the constant Bulldoze and it stopped raining molten metal.

Sunshine had taken down a Steelix on his own today.

"Both Pokemon are unable to battle! Since Turtonator… fainted first, the Challenger should send out their next Pokemon first as well!" the referee yelled.

I got now, why he'd wanted an extra two to three days instead of six after this battle. Sunshine probably had more broken bones in his body than not, at this point in time, and possibly internal damage of some kind. Part of me felt guilty he'd been subjected to this, but not as much as I thought I'd be. There was something primal about battling like this in a safe manner that resonated deep within me, and I knew he would be pissed if I whined and apologized to him. There wasn't a much different way of fighting a Steelix anyway, so it wasn't like Byron had anything else to work with.

And Arceus, fighting types like steel was fun, with how resilient they were. No other way to let loose like this otherwise.

"You did well, my little ray of Sunshine," I whispered. The Pokeball beamed toward him, and I considered my next options.

The field wouldn't stay superheated for long without him, but it would for a while yet, and the Sunny Day still lingered in the sky. As it stood, I was confident we could go one more fight in this environment.

The advantage was that I was still locking in Byron to certain Pokemon. Now that Sunshine was actually out of the fight, it opened up more options like Corviknight, but the principle I was going with was still the same and the floor being in this state before anyone could stop him meant that even Empoleon was out. He'd only be able to send floating or flying Pokemon.

For my part, the options were either Buddy or Claydol. Sweetheart was capable of wading through the field without being hurt too much and would no doubt do well against anything Byron would send, but that would just goad him into sending out a Pokemon capable of flying, which was still among her biggest counters. I couldn't send out Princess, because molten metal wasn't molten rock, and couldn't be manipulated by Ancient Power.

In the end, I opted for Jellicent, simply because he was a safer bet and Claydol would be better used once all of the metal turned solid once again. There had been something else, however, something I hoped would pay off in an instant. Yes, his water type moves would be weaker, but that was a price I was willing to pay right now, and they'd only grow stronger as time went on.

There was a way about how Buddy glowed pale blue with an otherworldly sheen high above the molten ground that captivated my eye. Byron knew about the trick we'd used to whisper, so there was no use in setting it up and wasting time.

I did not have much time to get lost in the sight, though, because Byron instantly released his Bronzong. Personal Pokemon. Alarms blared through my mind despite having expected it to be released so early and theorizing that Bronzong was one of the most likely candidates for this battle, but seeing the psychic in the flesh was another matter entirely. They were tiny— barely over five feet— but the sheer weight of the ringing bell Bronzong announced themselves with was enough to make my knees weak and my ears ring. Sound continuously rippled through the arena as if it had a physical form and Buddy strained under its pressure. It was as if the sound was warping the air itself, reminding me of Aliyah's Chimecho, but much more powerful.

This was no song. The sound itself was indescribable. Deep and high, delayed and early, and most of all, wrong. It was distinctively alien and echoed from every direction, causing me to shiver and feel like a force was gripping my brain and squeezing it like a grape. Never had I seen a psychic type seem so haunting, their scarlet eyes brimming with wisdom and untold horrors. Bronzong's metallic form was etched with cryptic runes and weathered by the ages. Layers of rust upon rust, caked into their form, yet somehow still, they managed to look so pristine.

Untouched.

It was said that Byron's Bronzong was thousands of years old. That he had found them wandering off-route near abandoned ruins of one of the countless fallen civilizations that had come to our shores to die in early Hisuian history. The psychic had still been there, watering crops that no longer existed like an automaton, barely conscious of their actions.

Wind began whipping up my hair, and the air grew wet and humid. Through the barrier.

"They're going to drop lava on you with portals!" I snapped. "Will-O-Wisp!"

I knew from videos that Bronzong didn't use barriers in their eighth badge fights to give people a chance, but—

"Rapture," Byron exhaled, the air blowing across his hair. "Rifts."

What was it like, to fight a storm?

There was a crack— the shattering of glass as Bronzong tore ten holes through reality, all pointed toward Buddy. They were perfectly circular, with countless nearly transparent strings writhing around their edges that hurt to stare at for too long.

One more opened above Buddy's head, instantly dumping slag and molten metal Bronzong had no doubt linked from under the sea of superheated iron. He quickly began turning to vapor, and with an irritated click, he sent the Will-O-Wisps flying Bronzong's way with masterful control. They spun and intertwined with one another as they danced with a deafening silence, and gallons of water began pouring out of Bronzong's portals. That was the thing, with Bronzong. While they had Rain Dance, he could also pull water from somewhere else. The jets of water split into millions of droplets that fell horizontally through the arena as the wind howled and the world screamed.

It was raining sideways. Water pattered onto the molten metal, and vapor filled the arena as the battlefield cooled.

Even with the Sunny Day from Sunshine, Water Sport was almost working at full capacity. Still, every few seconds, Bronzong would drop scorching metal onto Jellicent, taking from the bottom of the pool to still use the parts that hadn't cooled. When they did cool, they turned to slag and slowed Buddy further.

That was, until his body split.

To regenerate fast enough, the ghost needed a large chunk to use as a launchpad. Around twenty percent of his head split off from the main body and instantly turned to another Jellicent, his old bits turning to liquid water and falling toward the scorching depths below. I restrained the urge to clench a fist as the burning wisps reached Bronzong and—

Started howling. Screams of agony, barely making it through the storm. Byron said something, but it was inaudible by now, with the constant ringing of the bell and the tempest Bronzong had created. I did not understand how, or why, but they winked out of existence as soon as they reached the steel type, and there had been no use of psychic energy either. None of the videos I'd seen had Bronzong ever interacting with Will-O-Wisp, and I did not exactly have the luxury of time to figure it out. Buddy had turned into a shapeless mass now, and Bronzong had stopped dropping metal on him now that they'd figured it wouldn't work. The Night Shades the water type had hastily summoned, though, were a different matter, and even the rain seemed to damage them enough for them to blow up in puffs of purple smoke before they could launch any attacks.

One thing was for certain, Buddy could not attain victory one-on-one against Bronzong. None of my Pokemon could. This was, in essence, Byron forcing me to use my switches early to see how I would possibly cope with being behind and having to claw my way back into an advantage. Buddy spat out countless Shadow Balls in rapid succession, but he keened when another portal sent them back right at him. I'd believed this would be a good matchup against Bronzong, but I'd been wrong.

It was, morbidly enough, still my best one. The ground had cooled into a smooth surface now, though Bronzong was still flooding the field with Rain Dance despite Buddy being able to use that water to heal. Byron was either setting up for Empoleon or forcing me into having to switch into Claydol or Togekiss next.

But we weren't going to go down that easily.

"Change of plan!" I yelled, cupping my mouth. "Gather some water!"

Jellicent were, as a species, hunters of the deep. They hid, lying still for days at a time until they could snatch their prey and drain them of every ounce of life they had, growing and growing for centuries until they became masters of the ocean capable of sinking constructs of steel larger than any Pokemon they could ever kill. Eyes shining bright through the storm, water began to coalesce around him, both from the vapor and the rain. It condensed into a group of four tight spheres as large as Bronzong themselves, but Buddy did not form them into another move quite yet, not when his opponent would just be able to open up portals to dodge without even moving.

We needed to get close, and he was smart enough to figure that out without my command. Still a shapeless, writhing mass of fluorescent water, Buddy launched himself quicker, now that the Sunny Day had waned completely. Just like the Will-O-Wisp, Jellicent strained under the push of sideways gravity, struggling to approach Bronzong, and Byron pointed his shovel forward, his lips moving.

I could barely make out the words cut before two portals closed next to his Bronzong and opened through Jellicent as soon as he crossed a threshold of around thirty feet.

He had cut him into three diagonal parts and sent those parts sprawling at opposite sides of the arena.

Two of the water spheres collapsed, exploding from the pressure they'd been put into before Buddy could recover, but that was fine, given how quickly he could regrow from this. Byron was testing the waters— probing for a weakness to use while buying time. The steel type angled themselves up, and a deafening Flash Cannon formed inside the hole below them, illuminating the entire arena which was now growing dark from stormy clouds. Instead of concentrating into a single, screaming point like Jasmine's, this one widened in a split second and shot out faster than I could blink.

The attack hit Buddy, but his body was liquid, now. The damage was substantial, the hit having vaporized the majority of his body, but it didn't knock him back. Close enough, now.

"Taunt!"

We only had one shot at this. The ghosts' eyes dimmed with darkness, and Bronzong froze, the entire storm around them collapsing within seconds and portals closing. For a moment in time, we had silence again, and it felt deafening. The gravitational field around Bronzong also ended, and everything returned to normal, save for the fact that the steel type was firing off Flash Cannon after Flash Cannon. We weren't going to get this off for free, and by the Legendaries, those attacks hurt. Each one, loud enough to deafen if you were close enough, hot enough to melt metal and to just make Jellicent's body disappear.

"Will-O-Wisp, then Water Spout!" I screamed, grinning.

The field effect that had screwed up Will-O-Wisp had to have been something Bronzong was consciously doing. It would have made no sense otherwise. The spirits crawled through our plane of existence— slower, this time— and they all rushed to enter Bronzong's body. Purple flames sprouted to existence around the steel type's body, moments later, the remaining spheres— along with a third one he had hastily gathered, levitated inside Bronzing's cavity and exploded with enough pressure to dent through metal.

The pain seemed to snap Bronzong out of the Taunt, because an invisible force snatched Buddy by the throat and started compressing him, leaving me no time to admire my work. It was a combination of Imprison, a concentrated Gravity and Psychic, and there was also anger. Anger at having their storm interrupted, I presumed.

Not that it bothered Byron much. He had his shovel slung over his shoulder and was watching with a lazy, satisfied smile, and I understood why a moment later when Buddy failed to separate parts of his body to escape. We were trapped here. We'd gotten close enough to dish out a few hits and burn Bronzong, but there was no way we were getting out of that vice or attacking out of it. Already, Buddy was trying to form Shadow Balls or Hydro Pumps, but they just exploded in his face from the sheer amount of pressure. It was enough to squeeze a fleshy Pokemon to death, or close to it, I imagined.

That also meant that our only means of escape, Water Cloak, was out of the picture, especially with the Rain Dance having ended. These last few weeks, I'd found that it was a lot more useful than only preventing freezing.

I recalled Buddy with a small nod, happy that we'd at least gotten off what we wanted. The ground was flooded, having turned into a sea, and Byron had forced me into a switch anyway. I sucked in air through my teeth, telling myself it always had to be this way, and nearly released my next Pokemon right away due to sheer excitement instead of waiting for the burn to chew through Bronzong.

Being honest with myself, things were looking quite bad. Not only had Byron fucked me over with only giving me two switches, there weren't many ways to fix the field and empty it of water if I wanted Angel to do his job. Bronzong was still raring to go, though the ghostly flames would slowly eat at them and their armor was chipped all over from the Water Spout. Bells kept ringing, and I bit my lip to stop myself from shivering. My hair felt wet and damp, as did the air.

There was, however, a silver lining.

The Rain Dance had stopped. That meant that Byron, too, couldn't have the field too flooded, or it would screw with the team he had planned. He wanted to screw me over until he emptied the entire place or froze it using Empoleon… or something else, but I was running on empty. Still, considering which Pokemon I was facing, there was only one option left, and Byron knew it.

Princess.

She materialized in a flash of scarlet at the twenty-ninth second, eyeing her opponent with the usual displeasure. Her wings did not flap, yet a wind carried her, almost silent. A whisper you could almost make out, if you listened long enough. There was no material for her to work with using Ancient Power here, so we were still handicapped.

"This is a different battle," I quickly warned. "You have to be quick, and don't get close, you won't be able to escape. Watch out for—"

"Power Gem, Rapture! Get close!" Byron yelled.

"—Gravity!" I finished. "Wish and Mystical Fire!"

While Flash Cannon was among the steel type's strongest attacks, they could also use it to propel themselves. This time, the bright light wasn't wide, instead blasting behind the psychic in a thin line as spheres of light appeared around them, orbiting so quickly they became a single line that—

Exploded. I covered my eyes, cursing at the fact that steel types were so bright all the time, and Princess had just finished using Wish, sending a light piercing through the ceiling. Without a sound, the wind carried her, and she broke to the right, keeping her distance from the advancing Bronzong, but a portal opened, and the light from Power Gem kept chasing her. It broke against her barrier until it glowed red and broke after a few seconds, and then hit her in the back, burning off her fur while she finished off a Nasty Plot and her eyes gleamed with plans of queendom and subjects like she'd spoken to me about so many times. Bronzong shot out another blinding Power Gem while she weaved flames around her. They were a dull red, at first, something she no doubt would have called pathetic, but then they brightened and turned bright blue as Bronzong's bell rang again in an attempt to stun and slow her down so their next Power Gem could hit and they could get in range to lock her up.

I winced when it did hit her wing. For Princess, dodging had always been easy, but not when Brozong could use up to eleven portals as misdirection to confuse her. Another one opened right in front of the fairy type, forcing her to swerve out of the way in order not to fly right into Bronzong, and I ordered her to shed her barrier for speed, given that they weren't working anyway. Another Nasty Plot finished, and blue flames intensified even further, not as hot as Sunshine's— nowhere near as hot, but warm enough to do what we needed. Togekiss circled around the arena, nearly scraping against the barrier as the air around her warped with how quick she was flying and Byron decided to switch tactics.

"Rifts again," he grunted. "Continue your storm."

My stomach dropped.

Shit, shit, shit! What was the plan here? Was he only going to use flying types and Empoleon from now on? Did he just not care? Bronzong stopped on my side of the arena, opening portals that poured out countless gallons of water that split until they became Rain Drops pressurized enough to hurt, just like Brine was. Bronzong glowed eerily in the darkening arena thanks to their burn, but there was no way we were going to outlast them, the most annoying Pokemon of Byron's to take down. I ground my teeth as Princess' Mystical Fire dulled, but she sent it forth anyway, the fire flying in every direction at speeds I could barely track. They weakened and slowed the closer they got to Bronzong and barely ended up tickling him by the end.

After two Nasty Plots. And there was no point in using any more due to diminishing returns.

"Stay up high!" I yelled. "They might drop water on you too! Defog!"

With a flap of Togekiss' wings, the clouds above cleared, and the rain weakened instead of stopping as I'd hoped. Byron frowned, and I remembered that I'd never shown off the move after having Nightstalker teach her, and I leaned against my knees as sweat and water dripped down my forehead and into my eyes. Relax, I breathed. Just because he was doing something that made no sense from my point of view didn't mean I was about to just lose everything, though the possibility of this being a trap was high.

We'd reached an equilibrium, now. Rain barely strong enough to hurt Princess, and not enough to stop Mystical Fire. Even with Heatproof, it was the best move we had at our disposal to deal consistent damage. A gust of Fairy Wind helped Princess climb in altitude as a Flash Cannon seared the edge of her skin, too wide to fit in a portal, but wide enough to make dodging a hassle anyway. It was then, that I noticed that Bronzong never seemed to actually go through a portal themselves, and I wondered if that was a limitation or a self-imposed handicap as a personal Pokemon.

Still, we were losing. Losing because I wasn't playing to Princess' strength.

Teeth flashed, eyes widened, and I decided to bet on my daughter.

"Fire and ice!" I snapped.

That was only the beginning, but we needed to start somewhere. Ice from Tri-Attack poured out of Princess, as did fire as she spun them around her as she sped through the arena and dodged another beam of light. The Wish she'd sent earlier appeared again and healed some of her burns, but she was focused. Eyes narrowed so tightly they might as well have been shut. Blue flames gushed forward in a line, vaporizing water around them and splitting apart to stop Bronzong from isolating them using portals. Instead, rain around the psychic slowed before freezing in place, as if suspended in time, gathering into a Weather Ball packed full of wind and water and ready to explode at a minor touch.

And explode it did, a wave of pressure pushing the fire apart, rattling Princess some, but otherwise having little effect. As if they could bend the water themselves, it rushed to stop the flames before they could reach him, and Princess used the opportunity to launch another Wish upward between heavy breaths as she sent the delayed beam of ice forward.

"Shadow Ball, then Moonblast. Overwhelm them!" I added.

Multi-tasking. She'd been blessed with the ability since she'd been a Togepi, but we'd never decided to push it this far. Fire struck Bronzong, although weakened, causing him to glow and the Will-O-Wisps to squeal in pleasure, followed by ice hurtled at them a few seconds later. Bronzong's portals were slowing, now, but we weren't done. Shadow Ball was next, though the steel type managed to shoot it out of the sky with a quick Power Gem, creating a billow of smoke that Togekiss sent swarming at Rapture with a gust of wind as a pristine moon gathered in front of her mouth. As an empath, she could feel his location and kept striking while she gathered the energy needed to cut.

She was always moving, because she had to. It was who she was, and what Hustle had pushed her to become. You only have eleven portals, but what if we use more than ten angles of attack? Push, push, push until we kept Bronzong on the defensive, because that was the only way we were going to win. Fire, ice, Shadow Ball, Fairy Wind, she could not be stopped.

But constantly chaining attacks had its consequences and was a double-edged blade, our favorite. She was tiring out, and fast.

The moon was without impurities as Princess finished molding it into her image and sent it forward. It was fast, faster than most Moonblasts, and had made its way across the battlefield before I could count to five. Superheated steel that was then cooled turned brittle, and countless invisible blades slashed at Bronzong's outer shell, furthering the damage dealt by Buddy and cutting across them like they were made of wood and not solid steel, even after the Iron Defense Byron had every single one of his Pokemon set up at the start of every fight.

"Rapture."

We were pushing, and yet Byron's voice brought me back from my high. Princess didn't need me to yell to understand that they were preparing something—

A portal opened above her and in front of Bronzong. There was a flash in Rapture's eyes, and then a crack as sinews of metal penetrated her back and Bronzong held her with Psychic.

Both of Princess' wings were bent back, and her moon disappeared as she fell down to the sea below. There was a lump in my throat as my hand instantly went for my Pokeball, waiting another second to see if she would recover from the sheer amount of pain she'd just been dealt with.

She didn't.

If I'd had her keep her barrier to buy a few seconds and allowed her to fight back…

But she's not out of the fight either, I thought as I beamed her back to her Pokeball before she could touch the water. Princess didn't need her wings to fly, especially now that she could manipulate the wind this well. She would, however, be incredibly slow and basically a sitting duck the next time I sent her out, and the pain from her wings would fray her focus to a point where we wouldn't be able to replicate what we'd just done.

Byron could have done this since the start, so why now? I'd dealt with this with Steelix and Sunshine just earlier, but I'd chalked it to the sheer difference in size and Byron going a little harder because his defences were among my best.

"First time someone's ever punched back, hm, lass?" Byron drawled with a satisfied sigh. "You dish it out, I dish back."

"I'm fine," I quickly countered. "I'd be a hypocrite not to be."

"Of course."

I didn't like how he sounded, but it was a possible mind trick, and my thirty seconds were running out. Had I ever been in such a disadvantageous position in a battle before? No switches left and with two tired Pokemon waiting in the wings? Though Buddy was a lot better than Princess was and I'd be confident sending him out against a healthy Pokemon. I eyed the sea below, in all of its turbulence, and decided it had to be him again. Rapture was almost out for the count, and we could hide in the depths to wait them out. I was confident now that with how tired the psychic was, they wouldn't pull any tricks and beat us in water TE manipulation.

And the fact that they'd been capable of beating a creature born to hunt in the ocean in that department before terrified me.

This time, Jellicent appeared below the water, a dull red light barely peeking through the darkened waves. Bronzong was completely still as they hovered in the sky, angled slightly back and ready to fire off a Flash Cannon. What truly confirmed to me that they were on their last legs was that they weren't using Rain Dance or creating a storm any longer, because they knew Buddy would be able to take advantage when the steel type fainted.

"They're tired and slow," I snapped. "Whirlpool and drag them in."

I had no idea where Buddy was, but water below Bronzong began to spin, turning into a typhoon that lengthened upward like a snake, the water at its edges freezing. Too wide to be contained by any portals, if they even had the energy to open them, still.

"Push it down and Flash Cannon," Byron countered.

The world shifted, and the top of the typhoon dissolved. Ice crackled under the pressure, and then the structure would have evaporated, had Buddy not been constantly supplying it with more water. Bronzong could only push with gravity for so long. Their body was in tatters, with deep gashes running all over and even a small hole poking through. They'd been burning for nearly as long as they'd been battling, and by the Legendaries, beating them had been a puzzle. The water swallowed Bronzong whole, freezing in an instant as it fell down to the sea and left the psychic to an unknown fate. I had no idea how Buddy finished them off, but it was completely silent.

It was honestly cooler that way.

Twenty seconds later, Bronzong's unconscious body floated up, face down in the water.

"Bronzong is unable to battle! Leader Byron, send out your third Pokemon!" the referee declared.

While technically ahead in Pokemon now, I was obviously still losing. The earlier Wish from Princess entered the water and healed Buddy some as Byron sent out his next Pokemon. A regal silhouette emerged from the aquatic abyss. A glint of steel pierced through the water's surface as Empoleon made herself known with a deep honk— far deeper than Louis'. Her trident-like beak looked golden and without a touch of decay, as was the steel at the side of her fins.

"Dot the sea, Empoleon," Byron said.

From the videos I'd seen, I knew what I was facing. Instantly, the sea shook as if it was rippled by an Earthquake, and waves at least ten feet high swarmed the arena as islands began to sprout from below the ocean. Empoleon was an artist— a sculptor good enough to rival Princess in detail, and better than her in scale of what she could work with, except she used metal instead of earth and stone. An island sprouted below her, and she stood atop it with a deep bow.

Islands, then, I thought. That was… I could work with that. I kept my poker face, arms flat against my side and moistened my lips.

"Will-O-Wisp again and Scald," I spoke.

Islands kept popping up left and right, and cold, purple flames burst out of the water, all rushing toward Empoleon. The steel type lowered herself to the ground, clawing across the steel of the island she had just made, and she raked. Shards of steel shrouded in darkness pelted at the flames with accuracy that shouldn't have been possible. Magnetism. Subtle, but still there, and the Will-O-Wisps died screaming. Next came the Scald, hot enough to hurt even steel types, and Empoleon jumped into the water to dodge the attack—

Fast! I could tell from how her form disturbed the water when she swam, but she was so quick we had no hopes of getting close and catching up. With a graceful jump, she landed atop another island, and steel formed around her webbed feet to stop her exactly at the center. Her body glowed slightly from the lingering Iron Defense she had set up.

Here was the dilemma, when fighting Empoleon. She could shape steel into anything she wanted, which meant that approaching her was a surefire way of getting skewered, and it meant that she'd be able to sense and attack if we came from underground too, just like Emi's Lycanroc had been. We need to find a counter for that, and soon. She was a master at what she did, and when she worked, there was never any flaw. A perfectionist by definition with the way she stared at people and her opponents.

Artist. Perfectionist. Sculptor. Empoleon had dedicated her life to art, and that was what battling was to her.

But! What could she do, to actually win, if we never approached? While she was fast in the water, we were better than her in it.

My eyes scanned the ocean as the last of the islands came to be, and Night Shades burst from the surface, shapeless, silent creatures barely held together by countless spirits. Webs of iron burst from the ground, piercing through the shades, but the explosion was more powerful than before. We'd learned to adjust that for when we needed a big one.

"Watch for Will-O-Wisps!" Byron warned.

Damn it, he fucking knew. I'd planned on the smoke masking the little buds of flames, trusting in Buddy to come to that conclusion on his own, but I supposed it had been obvious, in retrospect. There was a loud splash, and then a trail of smoke when Empoleon escaped to another island and started growing another web. They were almost like… trees. Winding branches that divided again and again.

I grinned when Jellicent jumped out of the water, more of a net with red eyes than anything else. At this range—

Now! "Taunt!"

I blinked, and metal tipped Empoleon's claws. Again, we only had this one opportunity, and flames had already been prepared—

Byron recalled Empoleon, using the first switch of the battle.

Ah, Buddy. Never flashy, but consistently annoying to fight, because if there was one thing a Pokemon centuries old never ran out of, it was patience, and time was on our side rather than Byron's. The Gym Leader cracked his neck, a noise picked up by the microphone and that made me think back to Princess' broken wings, and he released a…

I squinted. She was so tiny, when you couldn't zoom in like in the videos. Her bright pink cloak mimics the hues of a delicate flower in full bloom, albeit with an unconventional twist. It was made of metal, each blade sharp enough to cut anything that hit her with a physical move. A thin string of silk shot out from the bug type's mouth, and she anchored herself on one of the trees Empoleon had built—

Oh.

Oh, this had been planned, hadn't it? The islands, and the trees? Byron had just been forced into switching so early Empoleon had only managed to create three of them out of nine islands.

This Pokemon was a delicate flower, though she was poisonous and had thorns. She was proof that life could bloom anywhere if given enough time and care, and she was one I had not expected to face at all, given what my team was composed of. So small, so weak-looking, yet I knew that couldn't be further from the truth.

She was Wormadam. Hanging onto a tree by a single strand of silk. There was a shift in the air, then a… bristle. If you squinted and looked close enough, you could see each needle making up Wormadam's cloak was moving. Moving until they produced a horrible screech and a green hue appeared around her. I had to consciously keep my foot from tapping as a deep uncomfortableness overtook me. A thousand ideas, each passing so quickly they might as well not exist. Focus, Grace. Don't let the Bug Buzz get to you.

It would deal constant damage to Buddy, but hopefully the water would keep him insulated from the worst of it.

"Iron Defense and Infestation. Hunt," Byron ordered.

I swallowed. Infestation was one of our key weaknesses— something that couldn't be stopped by Water Cloak, only weakened. Wormadam shimmered under her tree, and countless little things so minuscule they would have been impossible to see without the slight green hue to them. They were writhing, dead, yet alive, reminding me of Vespiquen's way of bending honey. I knew Buddy must have been deep in the water in order not to get hit, but there must have been a reason Byron had called out for the attack anyway. A reason why Empoleon almost managed to set up for Wormadam so beautifully.

"They can swim. They can swim!" I called out, louder the second time. "Keep moving and burn her!"

The Infestation entered the water as little beads of purple flame burst through the surface, each time in a different location. Wormadam's eyes narrowed, and the Infestation followed where the trail of flames was coming from until Byron slapped his shovel against his platform.

"It's a trick. Disperse them and find him that way."

Damn it, he'd instantly fucking figured it out! I internally cursed again when the Will-O-Wisp dissolved before crossing a threshold of ten feet around Wormadam as a transparent green ring circled around her. Safeguard. Must have been a new move she'd learned and mastered in the last two months, because that had been the last time she'd ever been used in battle and she'd gotten paralyzed in that one.

That unfortunately meant that Taunt was also out, given the fact that she had it permanently on and it was one of the few techniques that could fight against that move.

Action snapped me out of my thoughts, and a blade of ice, twenty feet long, elongated from behind the Wormadam's island, striking at the string holding her up—

It shattered. Splintering into a hundred shards of ice. I knew it'd be resistant, but how could a string be this fucking powerful? Had they used Iron Defense on it too? I didn't have enough information…

"Change of plans!" I called out. "Keep your distance and use Night Shades to hit her!"

Arceus, I felt so strange, having to yell these orders out instead of doing our usual whisper, like bringing a plastic knife to a swordfight, but I could see the way Wormadam's eyes glanced at my side of the barrier every few seconds while she directed her Infestation underwater that she knew, just like the others. Clones of Jellicent, this time fully formed, slipped out of the water with Hydro Pumps already prepared and blasted Wormadam with both attacks. The bug type didn't even react, instead, light swarmed her and exploded outward with such force that my ears popped and water around her island evaporated. The shades had thankfully been far enough not to be affected.

This was what it was like, to fight Wormadam. Bide, Counter, and Mirror Coat were her best tools, and any attack would be reflected to be even stronger. One was destined to listen to Bug Buzz and have their body wracked by one of the most powerful Infestations in the region while not even being able to strike back.

And with Safeguard added to the mix, she was truly untouchable.

I winced when one of the clones wavered and lost its shape, a sign that the Infestation had reached Buddy and penetrated him even through the Water Cloak. The last shade rushed toward Wormadam before he could lose control and exploded right on top of her—

Eyes narrowing, I bit my lip. I knew Buddy, and that was far too much control for a Pokemon who'd been hit by Infestation…

I got my answer soon after, with water around Wormadam's island receding as one for a moment, and then swarming her, placing her in a ball of water for her to drown in. A piece of Buddy writhed up the surface of the water, thousands of little green things eating at it until there'd be nothing left.

A trick. He'd separated a part of himself and vaguely shaped it in his image, new eyes and all, and detonated one of his clones to sell it, nearly fooling even me. The sound from the Bug Buzz was barely a whisper, now.

This was why I'd wanted to communicate so badly, but I wasn't going to complain. If we couldn't win by attacking, we would win by drowning.

"Metal Burst," the Gym Leader calmly ordered.

There was a screech, the sound altered by the ball of water, and Wormadam's eyes flared. I almost covered my ears by instinct, but the liquid dampened the sound enough not to make them feel like they were bleeding. The water moved, losing some of its volume, but it kept its stranglehold on the steel type. This time, Wormadam tried an old-fashioned Flash Cannon, but it was weaker than her counterparts, and she couldn't evaporate all the water at once to catch her breath, especially when we had an endless supply here.

And Jellicent was still nowhere to be seen. A hunter of the depths.

"Relax," Byron said. Wormadam must have been panicking, even if I couldn't even spot any differences on her face. "Get to another island."

I clicked my tongue. "Do not let her."

There were only three trees, and the other two were in a similar direction, towards Wormadam's right. The string blew out of the bug type's mouth, and water in between the islands rose, twisting itself into ice in an attempt to cut the string off.

It broke again, not even denting the newly formed string, and it was then that I understood that Wormadam had not been applying Iron Defense to her strings, but that this was biological. The string shot penetrated through the metallic tree trunk, and though Buddy tried to keep her in the water by playing with the currents of his sphere, Wormadam pulled herself to the other island and the Bug Buzz resumed, and thousands of tiny little worm-like things burst out of her cloak, jumping in the water. Infestation again.

We could do this old song and dance once more, but it was only a matter of time until Jellicent's real body was found, and I doubted his trick would work a second time. My thoughts raced as the ghost tried to drown her again, this time swarming all three islands in water and the trees as well, but a second String Shot left Wormadam's mouth and the steel type suspended herself in between two islands, hovering above the sea by having two strings penetrating the trees, all while slamming all of her surroundings with Bug Buzz. Some attempts were made to hit Wormadam with moves anyway— Shadow Ball, Hydro Pump and Water Spout from a distance, but with each retaliation, her power seemed to grow and now no matter how far Jellicent was, he always got hit. How did that even work? Some kind of reverse-engineering of Flail? That would mean that we were actually dealing damage, at the very least. The issue with Byron— and higher-leveled fights in general— was that calling out exactly what your Pokemon was doing became rarer and rarer, not that I'd been spared of that either. It was tough, to figure out what exactly went into each trick to counter them.

This was not sustainable. Recover could only take us so far, and despite not having seen Buddy once this entire exchange, I knew his limits. I understood how far he could go and not go, but who else could win this? Princess would be important to what I'd planned for later and needed rest. Claydol was the weakest offensively by far, Angel and Sweetheart needed to get close to deal any real damage, which would be difficult in this terrain, and Infestation would be able to claw past any barrier or armored plating.

No. The buck stopped with him. It had to.

"Out."

Instantly, Buddy flew into the sky with Water Sport, and hundreds of green lights followed him. Some were already inside of his body, though Wormadam hadn't converged them all there due to worrying about him having sprouted another trap.

I pointed forward, sleeves slightly too long for my arms. "Boil her alive."

I didn't have to tell him twice.

Countless green lights surged toward him at a quick pace, and he twisted his body, altering its shape to better dodge as he rushed toward Wormadam with hate flashing in his eyes. Not every bit of Infestation could be dodged, and those that entered him could still be seen through his transparent skin, wreaking havoc inside of him, but that was fine. To kill a ghost was to be ready to be taken down with them through sheer spite— and hell, they weren't even trying to do that. Jellicent's entire head flung open like a giant maw full of boiling teeth as he reached Wormadam, and the bug type let it happen, because why wouldn't she, when she could retaliate tenfold? This played like a desperate play from someone out of ideas, and honestly, it partly was. With each thing that slithered inside of him, Buddy's eyes grew less wise and more primal. It was a good thing my order had been simple, because it was actually possible for him to remember, when running only on instincts. His thoughts had been reverted to their most basic.

Buddy's head closed around Wormadam, the inside of his head burning hot enough to start evaporating himself. Light came to life, a burning ball of energy coursing out of Wormadam, and then everything exploded with enough force to make the entire barrier shake and have the referee take a step back. Definitely Flail, but there was no time to think about it. I squinted, my bandaged hands and sleeve covering my eyes, but I could still see the light through my eyelids. Shockwaves bounced repeatedly throughout the arena and tsunamis formed drowning every island. Wormadam was still pristine, a flower barely touched by the elements, but her eyes were struggling to stay open and she was swaying from side to side on her string, barely holding onto the stump that was left of both her trees.

Quiet. It was so quiet, the Bug Buzz having finally ended. It felt like something that had been squeezing against my skull had let go and I was free.

Chunks of Jellicent were floating in the water, lifeless and unmoving. With flickering eyes, Wormadam prepared to launch a Flash Cannon, the ball of light keening as it formed in front of her mouth and ready to fire if Buddy showed any signs of reforming.

But there was something else.

Vapor, both from the heat of the explosion and Buddy boiling so hot he'd vaporized himself.

Sinister tendrils of mist, devoid of color, shook and congealed, their spectral dance weaving into a familiar form surrounded by ghastly shadows. It was the eyes first, always the eyes—

"Wormadam, behind you!" Byron called out.

—a haunting, otherwordly wail resonated across the arena as the final wisps of vapor coalesced into Jellicent's horrifying visage. Serrated edges of frozen teeth swarming with countless spirits he had bound under his rule. Ripples continuously ran across his… head, like he was in a constant state of distortion. Grotesque long limbs had replaced his usual tentacles and wrapped around Wormadam in a blur.

He bit.

Wormadam screamed for the first time, her cries masked by the ones of the souls swimming in Buddy's head-maw thing. The teeth, if you could even call them that, didn't even penetrate past Wormadam's cloak.

And yet.

"You're okay, baby," I said, stopping my voice from shaking. It was so cold. "This is a battle."

At the end of it all, he was always there, because how couldn't he be? From a speck, he would always come back. Always the last one standing, able to come back from anything. You had to kill him again and again, over and over until you'd rid yourself of every little speck, every source of water in any state.

Because that was what it meant, to be a ghost.

"Wormadam is unable to battle! Leader Byron, send out your fourth Pokemon."

A breath escaped my lips, and I nearly stumbled as awareness returned to Buddy's eyes and he let go of the Wormadam, barely holding himself together.

Today was the first one of my own Pokemon had scared me.

It was Empoleon, that came out again, and there was no way to avoid the coming loss. Buddy was exhausted, not even having noticed the steel type appear on the island the closest to him. I tried calling out for a Will-O-Wisp, but Empoleon had already fired off a Flash Cannon and finished off Buddy as well, cutting a hole right through the middle of his face. The referee spoke again while I recalled him, and Empoleon began fixing up the islands that had been caved in or damaged by Wormadam with haste. In fact, she was making more ground than before, which signaled to me Byron was planning on using land-based Pokemon next. I was surprised he didn't wait until Empoleon was nearly out of the fight to take full advantage of the water, but maybe Byron didn't want to risk her being too exhausted to do it.

Here was why I'd actually been losing, or at best, keeping equal to Byron while still having the number's advantage. Ignoring the fundamentals of battle, the lack of switches, the field still being his instead of mine.

Claydol was weak.

The psychic type hovered in the sky as soon as I released them, their eyes blinking constantly. Most of them stared at the audience, and one at Empoleon.

I presume this is the Gym Battle? they asked.

"Yes. Don't mind the crowd, focus on Empoleon," I said. "This is a safe space."

Acknowledged—

A beam of light struck at Claydol, but it was stopped by a hastily erected barrier that luckily barely budged at the impact. The shield surrounded Claydol, glowing as everything clicked together until it became invisible to the naked eye.

No matter what, taking down Empoleon with Claydol was impossible, which meant I had sent them out to lose because of how little room to maneuver the two switches had given me. Still, me having to potentially 'sack' them was something we'd talked about extensively before the fight. Byron had read the reports about me catching Claydol, but he didn't actually know what the ground type was capable of beyond the broadest of strokes.

For once, he was actually in an informational deficit.

"Get to work," I said.

Mud materialized all around Claydol in large amounts, and with Ancient Power to help, they scattered it across the battlefield over and over. Enough to bury it in a thick layer of earth. The bits landing next to Empoleon sharpened to spikes and tried penetrating her skin, but the most we could do through Iron Defense was poke a little bit.

"Don't let them set up. Wash it away and Fling," Byron ordered.

While Empoleon was no Jellicent, having prioritized steel over water when it came to TE, she was still a water type. She inhaled, her chest growing to twice its size, and released a torrent all across the ground in an attempt to throw the mud into the water.

How did one win, when they did not have power to punch through a steel wall? Tricks. We were going to annoy the living hell out of this empress no matter what it took, and while victory might be unobtainable, something close to it might be. Mud crawled all over her, solidifying into stone as she tried raking the floor like she had before to launch little iron pebbles of darkness toward Claydol, and then around her mouth, cutting off the coming Hydro Pump from the source for a few seconds until the water burst through the stone and Empoleon coughed. Then, it was the eyes, the mud constantly trying to blind her. She shook, panicking at the loss of eyesight, and mud crawled into her mouth and earholes—

Byron slammed his shovel down, and Empoleon stiffened. Water burst out of her skin and the mud was all knocked away by the sudden force of the Aqua Jet. She glared at Claydol, something furious like she couldn't believe we'd just struck at her in such a dirty way to keep spreading mud around and destroying her art. She slammed a webbed foot on the ground, and thin poles of steel erupted through the solid mud, slowing slightly in front of her so she could bathe their tips in darkness.

Some Fling that was, I thought through clenched teeth. It was basically their own fucking spin on Metal Edge! The shape was perfect to break through a barrier, too, and this was again, a new tactic I'd never seen, and Claydol was too high—

"Imprison and get lower!" I said.

—to make use of Ancient Power effectively. The world blurred, and barriers snapped into place again and again, layer after layer of shields, so many I couldn't even count them as they shimmered like a set of rainbows. The poles broke through them like butter, and though they slowed with each impact, Empoleon brought her hand up and they sped up again, converging toward Claydol as one.

"Ancient Power!" I continued. "Rapid Spin if you can't!"

The thing about battling with Claydol was that beyond barriers, they had to be micromanaged in a way I hadn't been used to since… the first or second badge. Talking took time, and that delay in my order meant that the wall of solid mud climbing up to protect Claydol was late, there had been no Harden to keep themselves protected from some of the damage, and the Rapid Spin had barely begun when the poles penetrated through Claydol.

Yes, they went through their body, and I assumed the head had been spared because that would have been too lethal. Claydol felt no pain, but that didn't mean their systems couldn't fray when touched by darkness. Their spreading of mud across the battlefield slowed, and they were barely able to hover in place. It was as if the attack had been made to—

Oh.

Maybe it had.

What we had, though, was that we could spread mud faster than Empoleon could wash it away. Much of the arena had been covered, now, and though there was some form of a meandering river dividing the arena in two… three, I was slowly clawing my way back into a favorable situation. Another set of poles burst from the ground, but this time, I'd been ready to speak as soon as Empoleon slammed a foot down.

"Ancient Power. Layers," I blurted out.

Claydol was low to the ground, now, and ten thick walls of hardened stone popped up in between them and Empoleon. What I hadn't expected was for the darkened poles to make it through eight of them and having to scream at Claydol to reinforce them, but at least they hadn't gotten hit this time. I could barely see the water type past the walls, but I caught the trident on her head shimmering as she threw herself forward with what looked to be Iron Head. She could not fly, not even close, but she was a deceptively quick runner on the still wet mud even if she looked mighty awkward while doing so. Shards of stone exploded outward as she rammed her head into the shields Claydol had set up, and I called out for an Imprison.

Byron was growing more confident, because he knew I wasn't the type of trainer to go big on stalling and we weren't actually attacking. I flattened my palms in order not to clench them and watched Empoleon break through five walls until she slammed her head into an Imprison that she couldn't break out of. Part of me wanted to gush at the fact that Claydol's barriers were holding back an 8-badge level Pokemon specialized in steel when she was using Iron Head, but we didn't have enough tricks to win yet. Not enough experience, not enough of a bond. Empoleon easily broke out with her variation of Fling and an Aqua Jet preemptively stopped any attempts from blinding her with mud, and sped her up, but Claydol had been moving back, however slowly. Buying time.

But I'd be damned if I didn't try just like they were trying.

"Are you well enough to—"

Do not— ask. Order, they chided, their voice slightly more rapid. Fucking chided! Even though their voice was glitching due to having been stabbed, they were demanding something of me, hell yes!

"Give me hollow walls of earth around yourself," I blurted out.

Once, at the edges of Eterna Forest, Princess had shielded Justin from Scyther in this exact manner, but this was a much better showing of how one could push Ancient Power to… not its limits, but far. Thick walls emerged and bent into a dome, isolating Claydol from the outside world. Then another. And another, all with agility that did not betray how new they actually were with the move. Princess had been an excellent teacher.

"Break through," Byron said. "Keep Fling up."

"Psychic!" I screamed.

Thin poles, each the exact same length, rose from below the dirt and hovered above Empoleon as she got closer and closer. Fifteen seconds away now, maybe eighteen if I was being generous.

My order, simply, did not make any sense as it was. Claydol was not experienced enough to use Psychic on an opponent they couldn't see and that far, and if they waited until Empoleon broke through their fortress of solid stone, the water type would struggle for a few seconds, sure, but then she would launch the pole, and Claydol wouldn't be able to take another stabbing. The goal here, was to let Claydol interpret it in a way that made sense.

It was a leap of faith, as I found myself having done more and more during this fight. Putting my full trust into my Pokemon to accomplish something they'd never or seldom done before. In this case, to think and act independently. This would never work, if I called it out and warned Byron and Empoleon ahead of time. I stopped myself from biting my lip as Empoleon broke through the second dome, dust, ash and shards of rock rising from the crashing Iron Head.

Please.

Third impact. A gaping hole opened on the side of the dome.

At the same time, Claydol appeared above Empoleon without a sound and began assaulting the steel type's mind. Blood gushed from her beak, earholes and eyes, and she struggled to even find where Claydol was until Byron called out their location. Claydol had used those precious seconds hidden away to concentrate and Teleport a short distance.

It was only for a moment.

It didn't win us the fight.

It barely even mattered, in the grand scheme of things.

Lances of steel, tipped in darkness pierced through Claydol. Most of them missed, Empoleon's thought and aim having frayed due to the psychic attack, but the two that did make it weakened Claydol enough to let Empoleon focus on a single, pinpoint Flash Cannon that finished the job. Claydol crashed to the floor, their arms crumpling to their side and eyes fluttering closed. I hadn't realized how emotional I'd gotten at Claydol taking the initiative on offense for one of the first times. My eyes were wet, and it wasn't because of what Rapture had done earlier.

"Claydol is unable to battle," the referee droned. "Challenger, send out your fourth Pokemon!"

I clasped Claydol's Pokeball, but they spoke into my mind.

Did I— do well, my King? they asked, eyes barely open.

I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye and crouched, touching the barrier. "Yes, Claydol. You did amazing."

A name has been assigned— to my own person—

They shut down. I so desperately wanted to have heard it, but it was too late. Their eyes were a pitch black and their voice had cut out in an instant. I recalled them, smiling at the Pokeball and drying my eyes one last time.

Empoleon, despite all of her fighting, was actually rather healthy. She was not the most offensive or defensive fighter, and she'd lost most of the water that made her a threat, but I couldn't underestimate how her fine control would affect a Pokemon that actually had to stick close to the ground. The layer of earth Claydol had planted wasn't deep enough to prevent her from playing with her steel, as she'd shown by her magnetically levitated batons. Even with broken wings, Togekiss was a better choice here than Sweetheart, who was, by all intents and purposes, supposed to go last so she could let loose and destroy the terrain I'd worked so hard to set up. Princess would also be able to flatten all of the walls and domes Claydol had raised. The plan had been for them to collapse them before fainting, but life didn't always go according to plan.

But.

Byron had a switch left. It had been hanging over my neck like an executioner's axe all battle, ready to be used at a moment's notice. If he switched into Corviknight or a Scizor, for example, it was pretty much over, wasn't it? Even Angel, in his current healthy state, would be able to better tackle both of these. The field wasn't perfect as I swore to him it would be, but there was soil, it had been hydrated by the river and water, and it was deep enough for him to root himself in. Again, though, there was a caveat to this. Bisharp was available, and unlike Scizor, he could actually cut himself out of this. Would it be at a speed higher than what Angel could smother him with? That was a question difficult to answer.

This was, I knew, a decision that could cost me the entire battle.

I sighed, grabbing my next Pokeball with a sweaty palm.

Angel materialized onto my side of the field, a silent, towering mass of writhing vines. His eyes locked with Empoleon, and he waved at her with a bright smile, as if telling her that he hoped they'd have a good fight. The water type sneered, the steel tipping her flippers sharpening with a menacing gleam.

"You'll have to stab him deep!" Byron ordered. He knew that a Tangrowth's weakness lay within their vines.

"Do it."

First came the sun, appearing above the sky with a woosh. It was a gentle thing, unlike the scorching heat Sunshine's Sunny Day helped bring. Comfortable with the way its warm, golden light kissed your skin. Empoleon was already running forward, her Aqua Jet growing a smidge weaker, and metal burst through the dirt to keep Angel in place as she summoned another row of spears, this time tipped in sharpened ice. Thick walls of earth rose to try to stop her, but Angel stopped after realizing they were doing nothing. At least Claydol's had slowed her, but the grass type hadn't practiced as much with the move than the others.

He closed his eyes.

Vines anchored themselves to the ground, and then expanded. A verdant cascade of vegetation sprouted out of him like they were the roots of an ancient tree, creaking like old wood. The ground beneath quivered, yielding to its master as sinuous vines kept worming themselves through the soil. They spread, dividing into two over and over like cells and even crossed the river without a hitch.

His silence was deafening.

Empoleon stopped until Byron barked out at her to keep going. She raked a claw forward, spreading a cloud of ice in front of her as she stepped on a path of frozen vines, spears still levitating around her as she slid down Angel's domain. He's testing the waters, I instantly thought. Wants to see if ice is a weakness, or maybe how much dexterity we've got. After all, who the hell could micromanage that many vines?

Angel could. From the side, a green tendril blurred, wrapping its way around Empoleon's neck, and puffs of every powder started exploding in between the two Pokemon. It was only one vine, at first then a dozen more, smothering Empoleon, who barely had time to react and send her spears flying forward. Angel managed to knock the majority of them out of the way with more vines, but two penetrated past his defenses because of how close Empoleon had gotten. For a moment, there were screams as Empoleon began to drown in the vines and Angel sucked her energy with Giga Drain, but then, she was completely silent, her voice having been smothered.

In the forest, no one would hear you scream if Angel ever got his hands on you. Death would come slowly and in silence.

For a moment, Byron frowned.

Then shrapnel and spikes of steel exploded from under Angel's vines, and he whipped a Pokeball out of his belt, instantly recalling the water type—

Arceus fucking damn it! There were supposed to be no openings, but Empoleon had given him enough time to recall her! He'd moved his hand so fast I hadn't even noticed. Those decades of experience weren't for nothing. Odds were, he wanted to keep Empoleon to use against Sweetheart, which was exactly what I'd wanted to avoid. Sure, her steel tricks wouldn't pierce through her armor, but since he was mirroring my style, he would no doubt order Empoleon to flood her vents with water or stab inside of her vents, and while they could be closed, that would go entirely against my plan I had for her—

Focus, Grace. I'd caught up to Byron's numerical advantage, and while Empoleon wasn't as banged up as Princess, I'd beaten Byron's Bronzong. I just needed to dock the damn ship and use Angel's strengths.

"Smoothen out the ground," I exhaled.

Vines crawled atop the earthen walls and domes, swallowing them into the deep. The steel spikes would have to stay, but they weren't really large enough to matter. In reality, he was just using his extended senses to turn them back into mud, but it still looked cool. Like an all-consuming sea of vines. Had I not been fighting against a Gym Leader, I'd be willing to bet that would be a neat psychological trick to stun other trainers. Byron's hands fiddled with the remaining Pokeballs on his belt, and I braced myself. No Skarmory other than his personal one on hand, and he'd already locked himself out of it. Corviknight was awful at attacking at a distance, so Byron would need to get close. It would either be Bisharp or Scizor—

Out of the ball, in the last free corners of the arena not yet overtaken by Angel, came out a Lucario. His eyes were… feral, not at all like Ri or Maylene's own Lucario, and a wide grin split the fighting type's face as soon as he noticed what he was up against. He punched his palm and growled as he squared himself and prepared to fight.

"I knew you'd enjoy this one," Byron said. "Armor up."

"Grab him."

When one pictured fighting a Lucario, they were always diligent, calm fighters. Technique and skill over raw power, blue light swarming every inch of their skin as they pulled off more and more complicated techniques that awed the audience. Lucario were, after all, among the best aura users in the entire world.

This Lucario was nothing like that.

There was no blue wave of energy cascading off his skin as it split open with a nauseating squelch and exposed the raw, pink flesh beneath the skin. Lucario's teeth clenched, but he never lost his grin and kept destroying his own body from within. The initial splits gave way to a visceral display as metallic bones emerged from within, tearing through muscle and sinew until the entire body was covered in sharpened armor that shimmered under the Gym's harsh lights. Only his eyes were still visible.

This was Byron's Lucario. A creature of violence, willing to go through and even enjoying pain, if it made him stronger. An endless hunger for powerful opponents without a care for how close his own body was to death. Vines unfortunately only reached him as soon as his transformation finished, but a set of metallic blades grew from the fighting type's arms, and his own body spun so quickly he became a blur, cutting every single appendage that had tried to reach him.

I had miscalculated thinking that he wouldn't use Lucario when I had a Tyranitar and Togekiss waiting in the wings.

"Swords Dance," Byron said.

"Bulldoze, Spores and Solar Beam!" I yelled in quick succession.

It was not a graceful thing, the way Lucario sharpened like a whetted sword. With an almost manic fervor, his body convulsed as if possessed by the very essence of the battle itself. The ground under him began to shake as vines beat against the metallic floor beneath the wet mud, and bombs of every kind of spore flew in a tall arc toward Lucario.

It was the final act, that captivated me, however. Tangrowth weaved vines into a circle about midway between himself and Lucario. They spun in an almost hypnotic pattern as energy from the sun built up at their center until it nearly blinded me. Within three seconds, the attack shot out toward Lucario. Now on all fours, the steel type threw himself to the side, tongue hanging out of his mouth as he dodged the Solar Beam and barely got a whiff of the spores. Countless vines grabbed at his wrist, chest, neck, legs and ankles, but despite being slowed with both those and the Bulldoze, he was so sharp that even with the vines wreathed with dark energy, they were getting cut within moments of grabbing onto him. Still, Lucario was taking damage. Leaf Blades, Solar Blades, and even Brick Break only dented his armor, but we needed more.

"Explode!" I ordered as soon as he landed from crossing the river.

Two Solar Blades sprouted from the ocean of vines next to Lucario, and the steel type instantly cut across both, but didn't account for the one that had been hidden right under his foot. Cracks in the armor this time, and it even chipped in some places, but it instantly regrew as Lucario snarled in pain and then grinned.

"You're almost there," Byron said.

So close he could taste it. Lucario spun, throwing himself in the air again, but a darkened vine from Angel clasped onto a groove in his ankle and slammed him onto the ground. There was no refinement in this battle. It was just… desperation. A need to fight, because how could Lucario live without that thrill? That was antithetical to who he was. Spores swarmed him as he stood up and coughed. It was as if the air itself was pushing them into his lungs.

One more time.

Another burst of steel from under his feet and hands, exploding with a thousand pieces of shrapnel and giving him enough height to reach Angel in a single jump.

Air crackling with power, a celestial light overtook Lucario's form as his arm shifted with the sound of rearranging bones until it became an elongated knife. The world screamed, air blurred around his arm as multi-colored flames burst out of his fist and the Meteor Mash took form. Lucario descended, streaks of astral fire trailed behind the mighty swing. The metallic bones, now infused with the power of falling stars, collided with Angel as the steel type gouged his insides.

Angel's eyes bulged, vines moved as one with agony all across the battlefield, and Lucario grinned, drool dripping from his mouth.

It was a wonderful display of violence and fighting spirit, but it was not enough. Angel drew upon nutrients from the ground, and Lucario's face fell. Spores wafted off the grass type, and another Solar Blade exploded below them, throwing Lucario back. Swallowing him below the depths was impossible with how he'd just cut his way out, but we could still overwhelm him. I'd known Pokemon capable of cutting vines would be a weakness of ours, but we still had numbers on our side.

It was up to Lucario to get to us, not the opposite. The fighting type flailed with every limb to get himself out, but every contact was another second spent being hit with Leaf Blades or having his energy sucked by Giga Drain, though I did notice the move was way weaker when touching the bones that made up Lucario's armor, and trying for Leech Seed was a lost cause.

"What do we do when we fail?" Byron asked. "We get up and try again. Bullet Punch."

Lucario's second fist turned to another blade, and he grunted.

"Ancient Power—"

He was more of a force than a living thing, with the way he rushed forward and cut so fast. Like a hurricane bending trees so low their leaves touched the ground. Lucario broke through the wall after three punches that might as well have been instant. He was faster now, but the drawback of this was that he was taking more damage. He could not cut every vine before they exploded, could not stop the occasional Solar Beam from clipping him in the shoulder before he could dodge, and spores were not something that could be cut.

Still, he reached us.

A wave. It was a flurry of punches, each puncturing deeper than the last, so quick that the air itself seemed to deflect the vines Angel was using to retaliate. With each impact, Angel lost more and more control. He did not bleed, nor did he scream, but the way his vines moved spelled out agony rather easily. The erraticness of the movements, the way they had turned from a unified force to a writhing mass of individuals. The way the terrain receded at its edges. The way he no longer used the mud to regenerate with Ingrain.

The way the sun flickered in the sky.

"You've got this," I breathed. "Concentrate."

Pain was something Angel had never gotten used to. The way his body was built had him nearly impervious to the sensation, and that had him lose focus each and every time he was struck. My voice had his attention back on the fight, but we were still losing, slowly but surely. Lucario was slowing with the amount of spores he had inhaled and hits he had taken, but he was going to outlast us. Without that armor he would have died— would have fainted twice over already.

That armor.

Steal.

"Give everything you have on Bulldoze!" I ordered.

Bulldoze was, along with Stomping Tantrum, not that much of a sophisticated technique. Angel's eyes sharpened as he beat the ground around Lucario like drums. Byron called out, telling him to pay attention to what was going on around him, but the ground had the fighting type stumble forward and allowed Angel to throw him back around thirty feet. He cut the vines on the ground as he skidded and rolled, and to my relief, he took seconds to get up. For the sheer amount of focus this had required of Angel, vines around the edges of the arena had receded some and the Sunny Day was weaker, now.

That was okay.

"Coat your vines in mud and solidify it."

I couldn't see his eyes from here, but with the split second it took for him to get to work, I could almost imagine him blinking. Mud slipped from below his vines and clumsily soaked their surface before hardening into a thick shell. It wasn't every vine, far from it. Six— seven, at most, with how he had to keep concentrating on everything else. Lucario would be able to break through, but his cutting was not well thought out, to break through stone.

"Bludgeon," Byron said.

There we go. Instead of blades, one of Lucario's fists turned to balls of spiky metal in a way that reminded me of Zoroark. The other was still a well-maintained sword, however.

"Steady. Keep your mind in the game," I warned.

Lucario blurred—

No, he stopped midway through his charge and jumped to the side, his blade-like fist raking against the vines in front of him to clear a path. Angel watched as the steel type circled him, still managing to continuously tire him out. Armor bent and broke, spores were inhaled and time was bought for him to get a feel for how his vines functioned when coated in stone. Lucario was looking for an opening, knowing that any big hit would spell his doom.

He found one, but not the way I'd expected.

Armor sleeked, sticking close to where Lucario's skin should have been, and any spikes and bumps were shed. With that, the fighting type lost weight and there was a shockwave— so fucking fast— in a second, he was next to Tangrowth again. The grass type slammed a whip-like stony vine against Lucario's back, and he howled in agony as his armor finally cracked. Another vine penetrated through the flesh within as Lucario grabbed onto Tangrowth with two hands and—

And ripped him out of his Ingrain. He spun once with Angel in his arms, his eyes barely open and his knees buckling over the massive weight. Circle Throw.

"You're so close! Use—" Anything. Anything would work, but—

Lucario collapsed, dropping Angel back onto the ground, and a discreet vine slithered out of his back.

He'd poured more spores into his veins and won. With fluttering eyes, Angel tried to anchor himself to the ground again to keep his vines from dying, but they were already wilting at the edges.

"Lucario is unable to battle! Leader Byron, send out your fifth Pokemon!"

"Good job, Angel! You did great!" I yelled.

He hadn't been the ace I'd been looking for, but I was starting to think that was okay. For each Pokemon to have been instrumental to victory in their own way, instead of putting all of my eggs in one basket, and honestly expecting any kind of sweep in a battle like this had just been me hoping for the best-case scenario.

Still, I didn't like this. These were basically draws even if my Pokemon were still standing by the end. Byron released Empoleon again, and I knew already that a loss was coming. Getting hit so many times had forced Angel's vines to recede and there was ample space for her to stand in.

"Solar Beam," I tried.

Slow, so slow. There was no more sun to power up the attack, and the light coalesced at a Slugma's pace in front of Angel. That was ample time to gather more steel to gouge Angel and finish him off. The beam still fired, but it swerved up as the grass type rolled onto his back and burned vertically across the barrier.

"Tangrowth is unable to battle! Challenger, send out your fifth Pokemon!"

I recalled Angel, and vines across the battlefield squirmed and died, shriveling up in seconds. Guess the soil wasn't as good as I thought it'd be, I internally sighed. That meant Ingrain hadn't been regenerating as much as it could have.

Now what?

Empoleon was weakened, but nowhere near down. Princess was an okay choice here and I had convinced myself to keep Sweetheart for last, but her wings were broken, meaning she was slow enough to skewer in the air, and if darkness-tipped poles hadn't been stopped by Claydol, they weren't going to be stopped by Princess.

Still, if she could get a Moonblast and some Tri Attacks off… it was doable.

Sending out Tyranitar now would have two weakened Pokemon face off against a single healthy one, and I'd watched enough videos to see how that nearly always went. The one with two Pokemon lost, and the fact that I still didn't know which one the last one would be had me worried.

It would have to be Princess, then. Artist against artist, sculptor against sculptor. And this time, we had earth to work with. It hurt, to see Princess' wings this way. Bent down halfway and struggling to move, despite how much she wanted to. The freedom they had afforded her, the speed, the sheer joy of flight had all been taken away from her. She teetered on a knife's edge, hovering slightly above the ground through sheer force of will like she had so many times as a Togetic, agony wracking every inch of her face.

Empoleon stared at her for a moment, and she must have found something there, or perhaps Byron had told her about Princess beforehand when he'd planned against me, but there was respect there that hadn't been present against any other Pokemon of mine. She was not the flashiest of Byron's fighters, not the strongest, but without her there, Byron's entire strategy just didn't work. It was something I'd noticed with the Gym Leader in high-leveled Gym Battles, to have at least one Pokemon focused more on control than taking down enemies.

She was one of the last two that needed to go down. There was something to be said about the importance Byron placed on her.

"Into that river," Byron ordered, and she instantly jumped head-first in the water.

Here was the state of the battlefield.

The ground had been flattened, having lost most of its holes and hills after Empoleon had altered the field to her liking, and almost all of it was covered by a thick layer of wet mud. From Byron's side of the arena, the river was mostly parallel to the length of the arena until halfway through and sharply turned cut across horizontally, dividing the field in two. Of course, there were remains of what once had been. The short stump of a metallic tree, in another spot, large shards of iron jutting from below the dirt, strings lying on the floor from Wormadam.

It was a simple field, returned to its basics, but the thing was that it worked perfectly for Empoleon. While I ordered Princess to gather some mud, and it began to orbit around her, foam and waves coursed through the river, signaling Empoleon beginning to swim. Spikes and poles formed on the water's shores everywhere near where Empoleon swam, jutting through the mud like sprouting trees.

They were not in the form of trees, this time. With little attention to give and tiredness spreading through the water type, they were rugged. Rough and what I felt Empoleon must have felt was unbecoming of her, but she wasn't actually making use of them. She jumped out of the river, water still tightly wound against her skin with long poles, darkness dancing around them as they hovered behind her. Twisting into a weak Drill Peck, she sped toward Princess at speeds that would be impossible to dodge.

I'd noticed the subtle darkness in her eyes, but doubted she'd have enough left in her to add another Nasty Plot. There wasn't enough time for me to speak regardless, and stones rose from around Princess, exploding like shrapnel around Empoleon and tearing through the small protective bubble of Aqua Jet and the wind from Drill Peck. Blood seeped in her water, yet she didn't veer off course nor lose her focus. She kept going. The ground below Princess rose, bumping he in the stomach to punch her toward Empoleon, and—

"Thunder Wave," I spat.

Electricity buzzed to life around Princess, linking her to Empoleon. It wrapped itself around the water type, and her two spears penetrated past one of Princess' wings while the rest planted themselves in the mud with a soft thud. With a cry of pain, Togekiss' eyes flashes and she pushed Empoleon back a few feet with Psychic. Empoleon rolled away, the mud seemingly working to keep shoving her away. Blood seeped on the ground and coated her fur.

Princess was on her last legs. Bronzong had affected her more than I thought they had. Moonblast would take too long, and Ancient Power wouldn't deal enough damage.

It had been a gamble, to let ourselves get hit to get this off, but being honest, it still gave me what I wanted, even if it hurt me to watch Princess suffer this much, and if Princess had been capable of dodging or avoiding getting hit in any way, she would have done so without me to tell her. This was, something I believed had been needed to obtain a win, catching Byron off-guard with a move I rarely ever used, because in a straight fight between the two, Princess would lose. Empoleon convulsed on the ground, not incapable of moving, but slower, and she wasn't helped by all the mud solidifying around her feet and arms.

"Blast her with electricity," I continued with a tired sigh.

Princess was on the ground now, too weak to even hover, but a small ball of electric energy began to form ahead of her. Weak, so pitifully weak, but hopefully enough.

The electric part of Tri-Attack struck Empoleon in the chest as she got up, but damn it if she wasn't so damn persistent. The water type stumbled forward, but her steps grew more and more confident. More graceful. A second blast of electricity, this time only managing to graze her wing and still slow enough for her to attempt to dodge.

Byron grunted. "Finish her off."

Empoleon raised a flipper, her three claws shining and elongating by a few inches, and she raked her hand across Princess' back, rendering her unconscious.

That was how it finished. With a simple Metal Claw.

Too fast. She'd been weakened too quickly. Even with broken wings and the stabbing, it made no sense for her to have…

"Togekiss is unable to battle! Challenger, send out your last Pokemon!"

And how had Empoleon not fainted through all of this? How had she seen entire battles through? This wasn't just being naturally enduring, this was a trick. A trick Byron had never called out in any of the battles she had ever been in. Aqua Ring? No, I would have seen it, at the very least. Life Dew? Her skin was perpetually wet so it was possible, and that move would be so much easier to render invisible to the naked eye, but this wasn't healing. I'd even scoured the forums talking about Byron's Gym, and none of them had said anything about this. It was something that had her last longer than she had any right to, and I was coming up empty.

I hated coming up empty.

Or maybe I was just paranoid.

Those spikes she'd set up across the arena was something she was too weak to use at the moment, so I assumed it was for what was coming next. Mawile, maybe? That'd make sense against Sweetheart, and the steel type was an expert at making armored Pokemon look like chumps. Ferrothorn? Ferrothorn made sense, given the fact that he had Ingrain and could use them to climb onto and move quickly like he had against Denzel. Aggron…?

But none of it mattered, did it? I only had one Pokemon left. No amount of thinking and theorizing would matter, in the end. I was tired, so tired, but my mind was still sharp. It was my body that could barely keep up. My muscles hurt from having tensed them too much, my ankle ached from standing so long and unconsciously putting weight on it, and my body was soaked in so much sweat that Sweetheart's Pokeball nearly slipped out of my palm.

Things did not actually look that bad for me.

One would have expected a Tyranitar's appearance to be a loud and boisterous thing, and especially mine. Perhaps a scream loud enough to make the barrier rattle, a fist slammed against a chest, the shaking and shifting of the earth.

Or at least to catch more than a glimpse of her.

The world hushed, and the air thickened with an ominous tension. The once-clear skies now twisted into a tumultuous vortex of darkened sands, shrouding the field in gloom, and suddenly, there was no more sound. Empoleon's heavy breathing, the river washing up against the shores of the arena, and none from Sweetheart herself. There was only the howling of the wind and the grating of the sand against the floor and the barrier, which was not even particularly loud. Everything was muffled. It was strange, the way she had disappeared from view seconds after materializing onto the field. The Sandstorm was not particularly thick. In fact, I could still somewhat spot Empoleon and even Byron from here.

Yet she was gone. Utterly masked from the world, as if she had never existed in the first place. The temperature began to drop from comfortable warmth to an annoying cold. Not enough that I could see my breath, but enough to make me shiver.

This was no ghostly trick. No slight of hand. This was her domain, where Tyranitar thrived. People, especially Sinnohans, knew Tyranitar for living high up in dangerous mountains the likes of Mount Silver, or Mount Coronet, but they lived in deserts, too. It was an unforgiving place of few prey, and so when they struck, they had to make it count.

Empoleon spun around, desperate to see where exactly she would be coming from. Had she somehow buried underground? Would the ground open up and swallow her hole? Well, it wasn't the former, since Sweetheart didn't know Dig and her body wasn't exactly adapted to it, but even I didn't know how she would strike. Empoleon flexed, spinning to fire water all around her, but her eyes widened when she saw how weak it was. Barely a Water Gun, if it was even that.

Enduring she was, but she was also on her last legs after Princess. Had she not been in this state, I had no doubt she would have had a trick to get out of this. Forming a shield of metal, perhaps.

It didn't matter any longer. Instead, she struggled to breathe from the amount of sand, convulsed from the paralysis. Byron's lips moved, but she couldn't hear him. No one could. He'd probably asked her to get back into the water.

There was a certain pressure, to not knowing where a multi-ton mass of scales and stone was, a building tension so thick you could choke on it, and anxiety made one prone to mistakes.

She was a hungry maw in the cold dunes at night. A hunter in the dark, ready to strike. A—

There was a roar. Deep and resonating deep in my bones. Endless rows of sharpened teeth sank into Empoleon's arm from behind as Tyranitar reappeared amidst the Sandstorm, her ambush having been laid. Sweetheart shook her head wildly, throwing Empoleon around like a rag and constantly beating her against the ground with Crunch sinking further and further into her flesh. She was the only thing we could hear, in the Sandstorm. Endless, guttural screams of her brutalizing her opponent.

Empoleon tried to get away with a pitifully weak Metal Claw, but the attack barely scratched Sweetheart's scales. It was Grass Knot, that allowed her to escape. From the mud we'd given her, thick roots grew around Tyranitar's feet and had her stumble, leaving Empoleon an opening to fire a concentrated beam of metal into one of her vents. She growled in irritation, and the pain forced her to let go.

Bloody, shaken, and with a flipper shredded by teeth, Empoleon retreated and jumped headfirst into the water now that she'd come back to her senses, but the liquid split apart, and she landed headfirst onto the cold, steel floor below, and the earth began to shake. Cracks spread from Sweetheart's feet until they reached Empoleon, and golden light erupted from the crevices before being swallowed by the dark. Smoke and shards of metal flew upward, thrown off from the sheer force of the Earthquake. They spread across the arena, flattening and altering the disposition of the ground. Even the river changed directions slightly to the right with three other channels being created in seconds.

The silence was admittedly disturbing.

The Sandstorm ended with Empoleon's fall into unconsciousness, letting the referee do their usual spiel to ask Byron to send out his last Pokemon.

"You've done well to push me this far, Grace Pastel," Byron said. "We've bloodied each other well, haven't we?"

What?

"Your true test begins now."

I gulped and ordered her to start it again right away despite the fact that it'd interrupt her celebrating. She disappeared into the Sandstorm once more, and Byron released his final Pokemon.

First came the golden glow.

He shimmered bright, even through the darkened sands, but he was not hope. No, that would be misconstruing what he was supposed to be. A beacon, yes, but a Pokemon meant to lead and inflict fear onto others, because when one saw the golden glow—

My knees buckled, and my breaths grew short. There was a— I felt cold metal press upon my throat, deep enough to nearly pierce the skin. It was there, but it— it wasn't. I shivered, not daring to move a muscle, not even a twitch of my finger or the rising of my chest with every breath, because I'd…

I'd what?

Lose. I would lose.

Kingambit stood up from his perpetual crouch with a lazy scowl, the golden blade atop his head lengthy enough to be taller than I was. Eyes like polished onyx gleamed with an unexplainable lassitude and held a cold, unyielding determination. The Kingambit's gaze swept across the surroundings and felt like a piercing judgment, causing my heartbeat to quicken and my throat to dry.

How, how, how? He had battled with Bisharp just two weeks ago, and the evolution method was entirely dependent on luck finding an army of Bisharp and Pawniard for your own to beat. This made no sense— he had been at his Gym every day since then. Had he sent a Gym Trainer to do it? Where? Sinnoh's population of the Pawniard line wasn't very high, and the reason no native Sinnohans who stayed here had ever gotten a Kingambit was because—

Byron's lips moved.

Kingambit didn't. He stood perfectly still, and something in the air gave away.

The cut was instantaneous, the sound of blade against blade breaking past the sandstorm and being louder than anything I could imagine. It was the screeching of a blade, raking against metal, but a thousandfold. Like nails against a chalkboard. I flinched when the crescent golden arc stretching high into the sky hit the barrier right in front of me, and I almost expected my head to get cut off for that disrespect. When my eyes opened, the Sandstorm was gone, Sweetheart lurking around Kingambit and preparing to strike again. The spikes Empoleon had laid that remained had all been sent forward by the impact, some of them having somehow penetrated past Sweetheart's armor.

But most of all.

He had cut through Dark Sandstorm.

He'd just fucking cut through it so effortlessly.

A large chasm had opened in the middle of the field, splitting it into two.

Everyone had heard of Kingambit's Supreme Overlord ability. It was one of Geeta's main gimmicks, when you actually got to that point and defeated almost her entire team, and Paldea had made a crap ton of propaganda movies about it that Denzel had showed me after Mira's Porygon had smuggled them off their internet, and they were actually pretty good. Where he differed from Palafin, however, was that this Pokemon was no hero meant to turn the tide of battle to save his allies. He was the final obstacle, annoyed that his army had failed him and forced him to get up from his chair to actually get the job done.

Here stood triumph, basked in gold and glory and exposing me to what felt like defeat so overwhelming I could barely move or stand.

"He— he can cut through you!" I yelled. "Iron Defense and Earthquake! Blow everything up!"

I didn't actually know if he could, but at this point it was like the steel type could do anything he set his mind to. With an earth-shaking roar, Tyranitar reared back, her powerful tail crashing against the metallic floor and causing vibrations that resonated throughout the entire arena. The ground quivered beneath the sheer force of the impact, and the metallic floor began to buckle and twist in agony under the earth that still remained. Splitting the earth to swallow him whole would be nearly impossible, when the floor was made of metal. There was a bit of relief when I saw Kingambit buckle under the power coursing through the cracked floor and struggle to stand. He wasn't invincible, thank fucking Arceus.

Still, no order came from Byron. He was barely looking at the battle.

And Kingambit was looking at me, not at Sweetheart.

I understood, now. I was fighting him. He was the general, and I was the opposite commander. What Byron had said before hadn't been an order.

Kingambit jumped, leaving a trail of golden light— no, golden slices in the air. Knowing she couldn't dodge, Sweetheart fired back with a Dragon Pulse, but he fucking cut that too, a sharpened arm slicing across the beam of concentrated turquoise energy. The steel type landed next to Sweetheart with speed that shouldn't have been possible, with his weight and size. He hadn't even looked at her, instead just letting one of the dark swords at the side of his face do the cutting, but I'd seen enough Fury Cutters to know that that neon green glow spelled bad news. Armor fell apart, crumbling like old sandpaper, and Sweetheart screamed.

Even through Iron Defense, he could cut.

"Concentrated Sandstorm!" I yelled.

Sweetheart turned, swiping at Kingambit's feet with her tail, and darkened sands sputtered from Tyranitar's vents and mouth, swarming around the steel type. Next, she intensified the Earthquake with a defiant roar that forced me to cover my ears despite the feeling of the iron against my neck. Water shook, earth and shards of steel flew up and rained down the arena, the floor depressed, collapsing to a lower level, yet Kingambit did not relent.

His hands sliced together, creating a blaring screech that had Sweetheart reeling back, and then he cut through the Sandstorm again, this time with Fury Cutter instead of that golden arc he had used prior. He broke into a quick jog, one step, two steps, three steps, then he slammed an elbow into Sweetheart's gut, plunging a blade deep into her flesh. Never had she been pushed to such an extent.

"Payback!" I ordered.

Darkness in her eyes— then a strike, so powerful a darkened shockwave shot out behind Kingambit and the plating on his chest dented. The steel type brought his head down, cutting through Sweetheart's shoulder with another Fury Cutter. He's growing stronger and stronger, I need some distance.

Kingambit was faster than her, however, and getting closer to the water wouldn't do anything when he'd just be able to cut his way across.

Another hit, this time slicing across her chest while she'd been slamming a fist into the crack in his chest, exposing the grey flesh within.

We had a way to do it, but it was high risk, high reward. To speed her up. Our win condition was keeping our distance enough to keep Earthquake going long enough to win.

A slice across her leg, and she roared, fury filling her eyes. A vengeful look twisted her face into a grimace, and she hurled her entire body forward, slamming her entire weight into Kingambit, who was crushed under so much pressure that he birthed a crater under his feet.

Yes.

That was our win condition.

A point-blank Dragon Pulse, this one cold and merciless as it engulfed Kingambit's form, stunning him for a few seconds until he reacted and cut, and pushed an Iron Head into her ribs.

"Rock Polish! Keep your distance and Earthquake!"

Who knew, that I'd be forced to see a Tyranitar run away from an opponent ever again? Stone shimmered, and for a moment, the blood soaking her plates glowed as well. Kingambit's eyes narrowed, and he leaped forward, but she was more agile, now. She threw herself back, sliding against the metal, and caught him with a burst of ground type energy where he landed before escaping towards the remainder of the river, which was at this point more of a bog. Kingambit let out a guttural, metallic grunt and followed.

Few moves were called out. There was a strange ebb and flow to this battle. Sweetheart ran, and Kingambit occasionally caught up to her due to her injured leg and got a good hit in. Something about those cuts was insidious. The amount of blood lost after each one was far greater than I'd ever expected from these attacks. I had her attempt Dark Sandstorm again, thinking that maybe that first move had been a powered-up one like Retaliate, but it hadn't been, and this time Kingambit destroyed it before it could even get going. Or maybe it had, and that was just its natural strength, I had no fucking idea and it was eating at me from the inside.

Thirty seconds later, they'd reached the water.

"Surf!"

I didn't think it was going to work, but I'd do anything to buy time. The water was full of mud and pieces of metal, but it was enough. A wave formed and washed over the land, and I would have crossed my fingers had every movement not made this damn Kingambit glance at me and press this fucking blade on my neck.

The steep type stopped, skidding against the ground, and braced himself— no he was flexing.

Then, there was darkness.

Little slices of the world, gone, just like that, like they'd been torn apart. The cuts ran the entire length of the Surf, and the water just… receded, like it was unable to be used any longer. Sweetheart confirmed my fears when she waved an arm and nothing happened. Here she was, her back to a bog of earth, water and metal.

We'd cornered ourselves. There was no way she'd be faster than Kingambit in water, Rock Polish just didn't work that way, and he'd waited until this very moment to reveal the fact that he too, could cut off the use of TE.

Not exactly that. More like if he cut enough with whatever move that was, he could effectively cut it off from being influenced by Type Energy. Such fucking bullshit.

This Kingambit… had he known all along? Had he lured us here, to this very position with all the momentum and the deck stacked against us? The Rock Polish, the way he seemed to have been suspiciously slow when following us? Was it all for this? This feeling of entrapment, of pushing against an unmoveable object— a damned mountain, and that defeat was now all but assured?

Don't let the psychological effects of his presence get to you, I breathed. The Earthquake had resumed in earnest and was back at full strength, the earth around them shaking like mad, though I suspected Iron Defense and the boost from Supreme Overlord was seriously dampening the effects.

This was it.

This was our last stand.

There was a glint in Sweetheart's eye, and she lunged forward with a defiant roar, flashing all of her teeth as the mud turned to stone and flew at Kingambit to accompany her charge. The steel type met her assault with calm, first knocking away all of the Stone Edges, and then parrying her main charge with a cross of his arms. She pushed, trying to pummel him into the ground and he fell—

Trick. Kingambit fell back, holding his entire weight with one arm embedded in the ground and then moved his head to slice across Sweetheart's chest. The wound was open enough now to plunge a blade there, and he did, stabbing her with the other hand. Rock Polish had turned Tyranitar slippery, so he pressed, and her feet slid down the metal. The rock type rolled toward the bog, landing face down in the mud, and Kingambit stood up with a tired groan. He cracked his neck, a deeply uncomfortable and metallic noise, then spared me a look, as if to tell me something.

Then, he slid down toward the water.

"Smack Down!" I screamed, hoping to have him slip too.

The water was shallow, and easy to get up from. Sweetheart angled her head toward Kingambit, and shards of stone and shrapnel burst through the water, but Kingambit just… cut.

He just cut so nonchalantly.

Words came out of my mouth, but my ears were ringing.

Kingambit jumped, dodging a burst of stones below him and escaping from the constant shaking of the earth. He landed on top of her, his weight pressing against her back, and a blade gouged the side of her back, neatly avoiding her spine. Sweetheart's eyes bulged, then slowly closed as her head sank back into the water.

Ah.

I'd… lost?

Seriously?

I blinked, my legs giving way below me. There was light at the edges of my vision, but I…

Was this a dream?

Moving was hard. So very hard. Like I'd just lost all of my strength.

Loud. Had the people around always been this obnoxiously loud? Clapping for no reason. Clapping when I hadn't won. Had it always been this difficult not to feel like garbage?

"Recall your Tyranitar, Grace Pastel."

Byron's voice, but it was far away. Shit. Shit, yeah. I fumbled around my belt, recalling Sweetheart before she drowned on accident. Kingambit looked at me and nodded, though he was sitting and drawing heavy breaths.

Like that mattered. Maybe I was just seeing things to make myself feel better. I turned away and bit my tongue. At least I was no longer feeling this pressure on me. There was the sound of Kingambit being recalled, and I had to struggle back to my feet twice before I made it up. Embarrassing.

This was real, wasn't it?

I wasn't going to wake up. Morning was not going to come. It was over.

I hadn't been strong enough to pass my test.

I should have expected Bronzong to break Princess' wings after seeing Steelix fight. Maybe Sunshine would have been able to beat Kingambit— could he cut heat? But then I'd need to spend so many resources to beat Steelix. Maybe I would have won. Maybe I should have saved a swap. Let Princess fall against Bronzong. Maybe I should—

My legs had carried me off the platform, nearly stumbling off the stairs and faceplanting forward. I knew Byron talked to all his challengers after their eighth-badge battle, win or lose, but all I wanted to do was leave. What had I been missing? What did I not have?

Byron was an imposing man, from up close, or maybe losing had fucked me up so hard I couldn't look him in the eye without feeling shame. Our microphones had already been cut off by this point.

The clap on my back knocked the wind out of me.

"What a fun battle! Well fought, Grace Pastel!" he barked out. "You impressed me time and time again with—"

"What did I do wrong?"

His eyebrows rose a smidge. "Let's have you hear the good first." He leaned forward, his hands and chin on the pommel of his shovel. I didn't care about the good, I needed to fix myself, but I let him go on. "Field manipulation and control. Among the best I've seen, for a kid your age. You fight tooth and nail for it, make it hard to keep to one plan. That's excellent."

Hurry.

"Firepower. People like to say that you can make up for that with clever tactics." He plastered a smile on his face, boy-like and innocent. "That's true, to an extent, but it's still a good thing to have. You've got some real heavy hitters with you. I s'pose your Claydol wasn't fully trained yet, though. Do me a favor and understand that what your Turtonator did isn't something you should replicate against all opponents. Accidents are prone to happen, sometimes."

Hurry up!

"I could talk about the strong bond and how your Pokemon fight for you, and how that makes them last longer in battle, but that one is rather common at this point," he continued. "Now, let's give you broad strokes. The problem is, while you've improved at improvising, what my files on you said was your weakness, you're prone to panic when it happens. Makes you battle worse."

Finally. "Do I just throw my head against the wall until I get better at that?" I asked, honing in on my flaw.

He nodded. "No fancy ways to improve other than battling yourself. You were caught off-guard when you realized I was fighting like you, when I started hitting back. That made you miss some things."

"My Togekiss."

"Hurts to see your Pokemon broken like that, doesn't it?" he asked. "Made you not notice the iron I had Rapture slip inside of her."

"I did notice, I—"

"Ah, and yet you didn't change the way you fought. That's even worse," Byron gruffed.

"No, I thought you just stabbed her!" I yelled defensively.

"Rapture contaminated her, and Empoleon helped spread it quicker," he said. "Made her weaken, and weaken fast." He must have seen my face drop, because he quickly added, "Not enough to put her in the hospital for weeks. Just enough to slow her down. Think of her like a steel type Toxic. Fairies are always weak to that trick."

It was just like mercury poisoning.

Damn it, and I'd only noticed she was weakening too quickly when it was too late. Empoleon had screwed us all along! My foot bounced and my teeth gnashed at my thumb nail.

"Relax, kid. Feels like the end of the world right now, but you'll be stronger for it," Byron said, standing up from his shovel. "Enjoy the rest of your week. Spend it with your friends, and I'll be seeing you again when this is all over."

I only nodded. He hadn't given me enough.

I was going to hole up in my room and watch the video over and over.

---

Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Kail H, dragonslaver, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Frogsamurai, Alex F, Kiri, Rhuodric, Nord, Filthymacgyver, Grey J, creativityfails, Spartanstoryteller, Peter D, Bum, Zaire M, Tina M, Nova, Plasmatique, Lodris, Chester, Powernap, Kolby, ShipGoSync, Kcx1, AnotherUser, BeautifulBusinessBoi, Papito12495, KeMon C, Geo, Pedro B, Rat, LR Brantley, ZZStrider, Sharkerxjak, Quakdoktor, nothingtoseehere, Daruda, Mystic Corn, menirx, Paul S, coolblue, Ole W, Daniel J, Eric, Anarchistofyams, Cosimo, Nick S, Matthew M, Pharros, Michael J, Jan, catfishdog, Onyx2409, ChairmanK--, William F, Zhijia, Andy S, HeyMrJack, NineXO, Dvn, Exceedes, Gustavo S, Elie, Serina T, Iepton, sqw4l, Nihilea, V4Ford, Micah T