Apologies
@Cutlerine,
@DeliriousAbsol, I promise I'll get to your reviews when I'm not completely swamped. ;~;
XxX
Chapter 71: Bridging Some Gaps
~Cosmic Cavern~
"So, that was it, then?" Tessa asked, leaning over and resting against Silvally's shoulder while she fought off a yawn.
Gallian nodded. "Yeah… that's all I've got to say, really."
Another round of silence fell over the group, much like when Team Paradox's story had finished. Tessa looked down at her lap, trying to process what she had learned. Gallian was planning to come for her, but by a stroke of bad luck, he ran into their mother. She tried to kill Gallian and, from the sound of it, she was closer to succeeding than when she had Tessa in her clutches in Aurora Vale. Yet, from what Tessa heard, it sounded like her mom really was a vessel for Necrozma, just like Lunala.
The thought didn't bring her any relief, though. She knew Gallian was right. Something was wrong with Prisma. Even if Tessa could free her mother from Necrozma's control, she wouldn't want to see her again. Not after everything she had learned about how cold her mother really was when Incineroar wasn't around.
Shane was lost in thought, too. Albeit he was stuck on an entirely different subject. "I need to ask you something," he said, sitting up to make eye contact with Dusk.
"Me?" she said, raising a brow.
"Yeah. It's about Midnight," Shane said. "What happened to him after you dragged him off?"
Dusk glanced at Totem Decidueye, who nodded. "The Totem kicked him out of the village," Dusk said. "He was going to take Midnight away from the mountain, but Midnight stormed off into the Cavernous Depths. I was supposed to look for him the next day but, well, that's when Zoroark got hurt and things got a little… hectic."
"To make a long story short… I managed to find Midnight in the Cavernous Depths after a few days of searching," Dusk continued. "I told him that Gallian had disappeared and Zoroark had nearly been slaughtered by an unknown assailant. When he heard about Gallian he had this smarmy look on his face, but…" Her voice trailed off. "That changed when I brought up Zoroark. He seemed… upset, actually."
"What happened after that?" Silvally said, concerned with the guilty looks on Dusk's, Zoroark's, and Totem Decidueye's faces.
"Dusk brought me to Midnight," Totem Decidueye said. "And I… well, I gave him permission to return to the village."
"You
what?" Gallian growled, eyes flashing purple.
"Please understand… I couldn't just rely on Dusk to be the lone guard for the village," Totem Decidueye said, holding up a wing. "And I set very specific conditions for his return. He had to remain in his home unless he was working, apologize to Zoroark for his actions, and help Zoroark recover from his injuries."
Gallian shot Zoroark a worried look. "Err… yeah… he was… around," Zoroark said, nervously twirling a lock of his mane. "But he was surprisingly quiet. I figured his one-day exile had shaken him up."
"And things continued that way until one day… when Midnight finished his shift and stomped up to my house, saying he found these suspicious characters planting crystals and needed backup," Dusk said. "When I went with him, though, we didn't find anything. I told him I wasn't in the mood for jokes and returned home. The next day… he was gone. And I haven't seen him since."
Shane frowned. He had a bad feeling and this confirmed it. Midnight
was the same Pokémon that he had given such a hard time to at the guild. His teammates had come to the same conclusion and were looking at him, expecting a reaction.
"What made you curious about Midnight, anyway?" Dusk said.
"Well, we sorta… kinda… might've met Midnight," Shane said. "I think he came to our guild after leaving Cosmic Cavern. And… uh—"
"We know what happened," Totem Decidueye said. "I make it a habit of keeping in touch with Officer Magnezone so I'm prepared if any outlaws wander near our mountain."
"Oh," Shane said, ears folding against his head. "I… um…" He looked at Dusk. "I'm sorry. I was the one who sent Midnight over the edge. I acted like an ignorant jerk toward him."
"It's not your fault. It's mine," Dusk said, sighing. "Truth is I had a bit of a crush on the guy back when we were Rockruffs. He wanted nothing more than to evolve into a Midday Lycanroc but I… I got careless and I ruined that dream for him. The resentment he had about his evolution… I don't think he ever got over it. It stewed inside of him… bubbling up. I thought that
maybe his brief exile shocked the anger out of his system, but that wasn't the case."
That didn't make Shane feel better, considering the Lycanroc fiasco set off a disastrous chain of events for the team. Shane kept those thoughts to himself, however. He didn't want to be insensitive toward Dusk.
Luckily, Silvally jumped in to change the subject. "If we could just backtrack for a minute… because I'm still a bit confused." He looked at Gallian. "What happened after Team Paradox showed up?"
"I went back to the cave these two were hiding in. They gave me the low down and we wandered around Horizon searching for ultra aura signals," he explained. "I stole TMs from Aeon Town after we had a close call with a nasty cluster of Charjabugs in Voltaic Crater. I figured these two needed to be able to defend themselves reliably."
He hung his head shamefully. "In hindsight, I made so many mistakes. I know you don't want to hear this from me, but my disaster sense… it kicked into overdrive." He shuddered. "You don't know what it's like… waking up every day with a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. Day in, day out, I found myself worrying…
fearing that my disaster sense would act up. I was so desperate to keep it subdued that I threw all logic out the window."
Zoroark sat back, sighing. "Was it really that bad?" he asked.
"The headaches… the chest pain… the spotty vision and the ringing in my ears… it was unbearable," Gallian said. "Sometimes, if a flare up was
really bad, I'd struggle to breathe." He looked at Zoroark. "Still… it probably wasn't as bad as you were feeling, huh?"
"Um, if I might ask, what happened after you passed out, Zoroark?" Silvally said.
"I woke up in Midday Valley. The resident healer, Chansey, was tending to me," Zoroark said. "There was a lot of pain, yeah, but that hardly compared to the surprise of finding out that half my eyesight was gone." He pointed a claw at his left eye. Its grayed iris and scar-covered sclera made Silvally cringe.
"A Noivern from the Valley flew up here and alerted me to Zoroark's condition," Totem Decidueye added. "I dropped what I was doing and went down to check on him. It was… a troubling sight, seeing him lying in Chansey's office, covered in blood and Softboiled yolk."
"And, of course, I lost an ear, too," Zoroark said, scratching at the fleshy stump that remained. "Though I couldn't tell at the time, thanks to Chansey. That yolk numbs you up surprisingly well."
"How long did it take you to realize Gallian wasn't with you?" Espeon asked.
"A couple of weeks, actually," Zoroark said. "I was
really out of it… drifting in and out of consciousness that entire time, until my wounds scarred over."
"That's something I find shocking," Latias said. "A few rounds of Heal Pulse should've been good enough to seal the gashes completely. It wouldn't give you your sight or your ear back, but there wouldn't be scaring."
"It probably has something to do with what Mom used to attack us," Gallian said, frowning. "Those crystal blades… they weren't anything like a normal Pokémon's attack."
"Oh dear," Latias whispered, face blanching. "So, um, I guess we should keep that in mind in case Zero or Necrozma show up again." Various members of the group nodded to each other in agreement.
"There's something else I'm still not sure about," Shane said, swishing some of his tails around so he could brush them with a forepaw. "How did you end up coming back here, Gallian? And what brought you over to the Volcanic Wastes?"
"After confronting the guild in Glyphic Falls, I was… tired," Gallian said. "Whatever dark power was inside of me had intensified. I thought I was losing control, so I went back to Cosmic Cavern, hoping that maybe Zoroark could keep me from totally snapping." Gallian glanced at Zoroark and winced. "Except I wasn't prepared to… well… to see him looking like this." He gestured at Zoroark with a forepaw.
"Our conversation was… terse," Zoroark said. "I was upset and I let it show. Gallian told me that he was dying and my response was to turn around and walk off. I kept going until I was far enough away to safely turn into a Joltik. I scuttled back through the tunnel and heard Gallian arguing with his teammates."
"Yeah, after that conversation, I was agitated," Gallian said. "My disaster sense fired again… and all I could think of to get it to calm down was heading for the Volcanic Wastes."
"It was quite the sight, honestly," Luxeira said. "He weaved his way through the mountains, refusing to stop and rest. When we got to that large volcano, Sticky and I were picking up strange signals. We ascended the volcano and encountered your infected friend. Gallian made us all hide and watch for an opening. I think you know the rest."
"Sort of," Tessa said. "I take it once you had the Sizzle Shard you hightailed it out of there?" Gallian nodded at her. "Why did you come back here, then?"
"Take a guess," Gallian said, sighing.
"Oh, I've got it! Is it his disaster sense? It's totally his disaster sense, right?" Swampert said, drawing a bunch of annoyed looks. "Aha… ha… he was being rhetorical, wasn't he?" Swampert said, grinning sheepishly and poking his flippers together.
"Gallian came into the village and found me tending to the barricade over the dungeon's entrance," Totem Decidueye explained. "A… erm…
heated discussion followed, then you all showed up."
"And Zoroark ended up in the Volcanic Wastes by following Gallian?" Latias asked.
"In a manner of speaking," Zoroark said, looking dejectedly at his scarred leg. "I
tried to follow him, because I was hoping I might get some answers, but I lost track of him quickly. You guys already know the rest."
"Then… I guess that clears everything up," Tessa said, nodding.
"You don't look very happy about it," Shane said, nudging her shoulder in concern. "What's the matter?"
"It's a lot to digest, that's all," Tessa said, rubbing her temples. "A world getting destroyed… Necrozma
wielding Pokémon as living weapons… Mom looking mutilated and trying to kill Gallian. How do you think I'm supposed to feel about this?"
"I… uh… yeah. You're right," Shane said, ears folding against his head. "It really doesn't make our chances sound great."
"Whoa there, Frosty," Blaziken cut in. "You can't go thinking like that, because it's a surefire way to screw your whole team over. If you expect to fail, then you're not going to be able to give it your all when your teammates need you."
Swampert nodded in agreement. "Oh, definitely. There were way too many times when I almost fell into that trap. Like when the meteor was barreling toward the planet and we learned we had to get through to
Rayquaza to save our hides, I was ready give up. I thought we were all hosed." He smiled at Blaziken. "If this guy wasn't there to pick me up and remind me how much good I'd already done, I don't think I'd have been able to face down Rayquaza."
Latias winced and twiddled her claws nervously. "Um… yeah. I know the odds seem… overwhelming. But you
do have a plan of some sort."
"Right!" Silvally said. "Look on the bright side. If we're successful tomorrow, then we'll have the entire Dawn Hourglass back together. Which means we'll have
both Hourglasses at our disposal. That should give us all the power we need to stop the Prism Virus." He turned his smiling face toward Shane. "Doesn't that sound a lot better?"
"Y-yeah," Shane whispered. He looked down, poking at a pebble with his forepaw. If they succeeded tomorrow, then what would that mean for him? Shane had a solid guess, but it left a sinking feeling in his gut.
Tessa's aura feelers twitched. She sat up and put a paw on Shane's back. "Try not to worry too much about it," she whispered. Shane didn't respond. "Hey," Tessa said, leaning over and rubbing Shane's back. "Whatever happens… you know we've got your back, right? Through darkest night and brightest day, Team Radiance always finds a way." She winked at Shane, whose cheeks immediately reddened.
"I think it's time that everyone settled down for the night," Totem Decidueye declared. He grabbed dirt in his talons and tossed it on the remnants of the fire, snuffing it out. "It's been an exhausting day and I expect you all need to be at your best tomorrow."
Blaziken and Swampert exchanged frowns. "Oh, crud… I don't feel tired in the slightest," Blaziken said. "There's no way I'll be able to fall asleep."
"I can help you out with that," Totem Decidueye said. "The real question is how we split lodging accommodations. Zoroark, how much extra room does your house have?"
"Uh… I suppose Team Radiance ought to bunk with me, since we're all going to Circadian Coast. I'm pretty sure they'll fit in the living room," Zoroark said, scratching a facial scar.
"Hoo boy, looks like I get to try out sleeping as a Ninetales in close quarters," Shane mused, knowing it didn't actually matter, since he struggled to sleep more than an hour or two.
"I don't see what the problem is. We sleep together with Silvally, so we don't take up that much space," Tessa said. Several astonished looks met her in response, including one from Silvally. "What's the matter?" Tessa asked.
"You… uh…
might want to rephrase that one," Dusk said, sniggering.
"Huh?" A beat followed, then Tessa recoiled. "Oh… oh, gods, no! I didn't mean it like that!" She threw her paws up and waved them in front of her face.
"Mean it like what? I don't get it," Shane grumbled.
"Never mind," Zoroark said as Gallian helped him to his feet. "Let's turn in for the night."
"In that case, Hoopa and I need to head out," Latias said. "I've synched up to your Gear-Com units. Call us when you're ready to move out."
"Sounds like a plan," Blaziken said. Hoopa opened a ring portal and he and Latias flew into it, disappearing in a flash.
"Not to keep anyone from well-deserved sleep or anything, but what about Espeon and Seraph?" Luxeira said. "They haven't returned. And given Seraph's… erm…
demeanor, I'm tempted to go and find her."
The rest of the group exchanged concerned looks. "I'll go with her," Shane said.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Tessa asked.
"It's fine," Shane said. "I'm having trouble sleeping as is. May as well try to be productive, right?"
Tessa bit her lip. "Okay, but be careful. Seraph seems… uh…"
"Unpredictable?" Silvally said.
"That's putting it mildly," Dusk deadpanned, hopping off her perch and landing with a wince.
"Relax, guys. I get the feeling I'm not her type, so I think I'll be free from any surprise smooches," Shane said. "Just, y'know, focus on getting some sleep. That's what's most important, right?"
His teammates nodded. Gallian and Zoroark led them back toward the village. Shane turned to Luxeira and signaled he was ready to go. Together, they set out for the hot springs area.
XxX
As Gallian recounted his story, Espeon walked along a tunnel, weaving through light beams made by the crystals embedded in the walls and ceiling. She spotted a thin veil of steam ahead of her. Espeon hesitated briefly, trying to see if she could pinpoint Seraph's location. It wasn't difficult. Espeon found Seraph by the edge of the large, rightmost pond, exactly where Shane and Tessa were the last time she was here.
Seraph stared at her reflection, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Espeon winced at Seraph's unhealed cuts and the scorched remnants of her ponytail. She got about halfway to the pond when Seraph held a paw up, claws crackling with electricity. "I could hear you coming, you know. What do you want?" she growled.
"To talk," Espeon replied, tail calmly drifting back and forth.
"Well, buzz off, Pinky. I don't have anything to say to you," Seraph said. More electricity surged across her arm as a warning.
"Fine then," Espeon said, standing her ground. "But I'm not leaving. This is a public area. I'm perfectly welcome to be here." She strode forward, head and tail held high in a defiant display. A growl rumbled in Seraph's throat but she lowered her arm. Espeon cautiously approached Seraph, who turned away from her, huffing in annoyance.
"You seem like you could use something to take the edge off," Espeon said, sitting down beside Seraph. She flipped her satchel open and levitated out a silver flask. Seraph eyed it skeptically.
"… tch. I don't know whether to call you generous or stupid. You
do realize I'm not from your world, right?" Seraph scoffed. "For all I know, drinking that will poison me or make my fur fall off." She looked down at her chest. "Or what's left of my fur, I guess."
"It's fermented berry juice," Espeon said. "They didn't have that back in Ultra Village?"
"They did," Seraph said, gingerly grabbing the flask with a paw. "You sure you want me to have this? Seems like it's hard to come by."
"I'm trying to lay off the sauce, actually," Espeon said. "Just be warned, it's pretty—"
Seraph uncorked the flask and chugged its contents down in a matter of seconds. Belching loudly, she dropped the flask to the ground. Seraph sat down, draping her legs over the edge of the pond and into the water.
Espeon looked down at the empty flask, blinking in surprise. "Uh… okay. I was about to say that juice is strong, but I guess it doesn't matter anymore."
"Thanks for the concern, Pinky, but it's unwarranted," Seraph said, rolling her eyes. "I'm an experienced drinker. This stuff's not too hard."
"Right… gotcha," Espeon said. The two of them lapsed into another round of silence, until Espeon broke it by whispering, "Um… I'm sorry about what happened to your home."
"… tch. Wasn't my home," Seraph said, leaning over and resting her head on her paws.
"It wasn't?" Espeon gasped.
"I'm from a different Ultra Space pocket," Seraph said. "I had a life there, with wonderful parents and a little brother that, yeah, got on my nerves, but was loveable in his own dorkish ways." Her expression darkened. "One day an Ultra Wormhole opened up above our city and a pair of Guzzlords popped out. They're—"
"I know what they are," Espeon said.
"Huh. Well, alright then," Seraph said. "So, yeah, rabid Guzzlords devoured the city. They ate my friends… their houses…
my house…" Seraph bit her lower lip. "My parents… they tried to buy time so my brother and I could run away." She lowered her head, shutting her eyes. "But they didn't stand a chance against two Guzzlords. And as my brother and I were escaping, he tripped on some rubble. By the time I realized what was happening…" Her voice trailed off and she shuddered.
"That really does sound awful," Espeon said, ears drooping.
"An Ultra Recon Squad finally appeared and neutralized the Guzzlords, but the damage had already been done," Seraph said, her voice shaky. "I was one of the few survivors of the attack. The Recon Squad took me to their base. They planned on sending me to this special center filled with 'mons who lost their homes to UB attacks… but I refused."
"What did you do instead?" Espeon asked.
"I joined the Ultra Recon Squad, of course," Seraph scoffed. "I wasn't about to forgive those Guzzlords for what they'd done." She raised a crackling fist. "I wanted to make damn sure that any UB or 'mon that stepped out of line paid
dearly for it. So, I worked my ass off to get assigned to a combat unit."
"But you somehow ended up in Ultra Village," Espeon said.
"… tch. That's because the higher-ups didn't approve of my 'methods,'" Seraph sneered. "They got pissed at me for snapping at the UBs they had working for them. What were they expecting? UBs are unstable… they can turn on us at a moment's notice. I had to keep them in line! The brass was a bunch of idiots for not recognizing that." Seraph bared her fangs. "They got tired of my behavior, so they sent me to Ultra Village to help form a new Recon Squad base. Needless to say, I wasn't pleased."
"Luxeira mentioned you got a lot of write-ups for excessive force," Espeon said.
Seraph leaned back, crossing her arms. "Only because those pussies in Ultra Village were squeamish," she sneered. "I did what I had to do to neutralize the threats I was faced with… until the Lightless Black showed up, of course."
"So, the reason you got so upset back around my teammates… it didn't have to do with Ultra Village getting destroyed?" Espeon said.
"Nice deduction there, Pinky," Seraph said, applauding Espeon sarcastically. "I was only upset because it drudged up the memories of losing my home and family to the Guzzlords. I was helpless back then… and I was helpless against Necrozma."
"I see," Espeon said. "Well, we could really use someone like you helping us out. We're trying to put a stop to Necrozma, because now he's terrorizing
our world."
"Ha! You want my advice? Get the hell out of dodge. Your world's hosed, Pinky," Seraph said, kicking up water with her right foot. "I've seen what Necrozma can do with my own eyes. Even by UB standards, it's not normal."
"Necrozma is anything but normal," Espeon conceded, gazing at her rippling reflection in the pond. "He was created by other Pokémon… on this very continent."
Seraph turned her head, directing a surprised look toward Espeon. "You've gotta be shi
tting me. You can't just
make something like that," she said.
"Well, it happened," Espeon said. "Our world has alchemy… a dangerous, forbidden magic that taps into chaotic energy dwelling in the planet's core. Centuries ago, a group of Pokémon used alchemical spells to turn a human into Necrozma."
"Human?" Seraph said. "I saw pictures of humans when I was training. To think you could turn one into something so destructive..." Her voice trailed off and she shook her head. "It's unbelievable. Are you sure you're not pulling my leg?"
"It's true," Espeon said. "I've never seen what a human actually looks like, though. We have a few humans in this world, but they were all turned into Pokémon."
"Sounds like you've got a faller problem, then," Seraph said, snorting.
"Is that some sort of Ultra Space slang?" Espeon asked, brow furrowed.
"It's a technical term for someone who's been displaced from their home by an Ultra Wormhole," Seraph explained. She then laughed bitterly, to Espeon's discomfort. "To think a faller would be capable of causing so many problems. That just makes this Necrozma stuff all the more ridiculous."
"We're trying to stop him, though," Espeon said. "Your two teammates are willing to help us."
"Bully for them. They're worthless," Seraph sneered.
"I'm not too sure about that. They fought my teammates in the past and held their own pretty well," Espeon said. "Besides, are you really in a situation to question them right now? What do you even plan on doing?"
"I already told you, I'm gonna look for a way off this crummy world," Seraph said. "It's only a matter of time before Necrozma manages to blow it apart like he did Ultra Village. If you were actually a smart psychic, you'd be trying to escape, too."
"I don't want to escape. This is my home," Espeon said, ears drooping. "Besides… I've already caused enough problems."
"… tch. If you think I'm interested in whatever sob story you've got cooked up, then think again," Seraph said, rolling her eyes. "You're a stranger. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the booze." She lifted the empty flask up and shook it. "But cheap gestures like this aren't going to earn my friendship."
"I figured as much," Espeon said, sighing. She wanted to get through to Seraph, but Seraph's stubbornness was wearing her down.
"Although… you look like quite the catch," Seraph said, stroking her chin and sizing Espeon up. She leaned back, her eyes clearly wandering down Espeon's body.
"If you've got something to say, say it to my face," Espeon said, pivoting. "That Ninetales you saw at the campfire can attest to the fact that I'm
not a fan of wandering eyes."
"Hey, you should be grateful," Seraph said, innocently raising her paws. "I've seen some pretty nice tail in my day, but you're the first Espeon I've gotten up close and personal with. And I
definitely like what you have to offer."
"I'm flattered," Espeon said, voice as dry and empty as the Solaris Wastelands. Seraph had made a sudden shift from stubborn to sultry and it made Espeon's blood boil.
"Don't look at me like that. You're the one trying to get me to open up," Seraph said, smirking. "If you
really want that to happen, then we ought to find somewhere private, don't you think?" She glanced out across the pond. "Though I suppose a swim is one way to—"
Espeon drew on her psychic powers to shove Seraph forward. Her thighs sank into the cold pond. With wide eyes, she dug her claws into the ground and hoisted herself back into the same position she'd been sitting in. "What was that for? You struck me as the type of girl who likes a stronger advance," Seraph huffed.
"Wow," Espeon said, getting to her feet and glowering at Seraph. "I never thought I'd end up looking through a cracked mirror like this."
Seraph's mischievous smirk vanished. "And just what is that supposed to mean, huh?" she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Talking with you has made me realize what an awful bi
tch I've been," Espeon said, looking at the ground. Taking the remark as an insult, Seraph's expression darkened. "No wonder things fell apart for Umbry and me… I was burning bridges with everyone around me when I should've been building them. If Silvally hadn't stepped in… I imagine I'd turn into you: a cynic who's resentful toward everything around her."
Espeon shook her head. "Boy, that was an eye-opener. I guess I ought to thank you for giving me a glimpse at how much worse things could've gotten for me if I continued pushing people away," she said.
"Are you implying that you're better than me, Pinky?" Seraph growled, clenching her fists. "I'd like to see you deal with the sh
it I've put up with."
That was it. Espeon was done with Seraph's attitude.
"I
have dealt with it
," Espeon barked, stomping a forepaw on the ground. Her forehead gem crackled with psychic energy. "I've watched the world come to the brink of collapse
twice. I've stared down Legendary Pokémon
radiating hopelessness and despair."
"I had a cave tunnel
collapse on me, leaving me on death's doorstep. Hell, I was
turned to stone and had my spirit sent to some demonic hellscape!" she continued, growing angrier with each word. "The sights I saw there
still haunt me! It's only thanks to an act of a god that I'm even standing here! And I've done nothing but squander that miracle! I pushed everyone I cared about out of my life… including the Pokémon closest to me!"
Slowly, Seraph's angered expression melted away. All she could do was stare in stunned silence as Espeon took a few calming breaths, the pink glow fading from her forehead gem. "So… go ahead. Try to find some way out on your own," Espeon said, turning her back to Seraph. "You'll learn the hard way how rough things here can be when you have no one by your side."
Espeon marched back toward the tunnel, head bowed in remorse. She thought that she could draw on some of her experiences to help Seraph, like she did with Gallian. But Espeon had failed spectacularly. Maybe Silvally was wrong. Perhaps some Pokémon weren't capable of changing. Maybe, deep down, Espeon
was just a cynical bi
tch and would end up staying that way.
She was nearly at the tunnel's lip when her ears twitched. Espeon turned, eyeing Seraph skeptically. "What was that? You're gonna have to speak up," she said.
"What do you want from me?" a stone-faced Seraph asked. "I tried to fight Necrozma. I even had help. Look how that turned out."
Espeon blinked. Her outburst had actually gotten through to Seraph?
"You had one other Pokémon capable of battling," Espeon said, pawing at the ground. "The group you saw when you woke up may not look like much, but we're steadily growing. More and more Pokémon are realizing the danger we're in and lending us their support. This world… has had improbable things happen to it before."
Seraph lifted her legs out of the pond and tucked them against her chest. "Like what?" she asked.
"I'm talking the likes of a Torchic and a Mudkip calming an enraged Rayquaza… or a Chimchar and a Totodile defeating Dialga in a battle to save time itself from collapsing," Espeon said, while a slack-jawed Seraph stared back at her. "Trust me… I know what it feels like to want to give up when you're faced with odds like these." Her ears drooped. "It's something I'm guilty of doing… multiple times." Espeon steeled her facial expression. "But no more. I'm tired of making mistakes. I want to make a difference… and create some meaningful change, for once."
'I want to have hope again.'
"Meaningful change, huh?" Seraph said, staring at her thighs.
"I realize that's easier said than done at this point," Espeon said. "But we have a plan." She paused and bit her lower lip. "Well, it's some semblance of a plan. Still, that's better than nothing."
"The Blaziken and Swampert I spotted before… are they—"
"Yes, they're the ones who stood up to Rayquaza," Espeon said. "You'd be working with them, by the way. So, I'd like to think you'd have more support than what you're used to." She approached the rightmost pond, praying that Seraph was reconsidering.
"So, you want me… to help them," Seraph said. "By doing what, exactly?"
"Accompanying them into a Mystery Dungeon," Espeon replied. "It's… um… well, I think you'd be going to a canyon filled with aggressive dragons."
"Great… dragons. One of the types I'm not worth much against," Seraph groaned, looking at her claws. "Not to mention, Swampert and Blaziken wouldn't be all that helpful, either."
"Yeah, I get that it's not an ideal situation, but we need a group to go explore the canyon," Espeon said, returning to Seraph's side. "We believe there's a piece of an important artifact there. Something with the power to stop Necrozma. We've already got half of it assembled. Tomorrow, we plan to split up so we can get the remaining two fragments."
Seraph reached a paw and scratched at the remains of her ponytail, frowning. "So, I'm just going with some strangers into a canyon to look for a mystical object? That's pretty… vague."
"That's all I can really tell you," Espeon said, brushing her right forepaw against her left. "Your teammates will also be going. And I think a couple of other Pokémon will join you to provide some tactical and medical support."
"How many teammates will I have?" Seraph asked.
"At least six, I think," Espeon replied. "You'll also have items to work with."
"Except I have no idea what you terrestrials use for supplies," Seraph said. "But, eh, it's whatever. You're right. I don't know a damn thing about this world and I sure don't have anywhere to go. If I really want off this place, then I figure I've gotta lend you folks a paw."
Espeon supposed that was one way to look at it. Even if Seraph's motives were on the selfish side, Espeon was glad to hear she had changed her mind. "I'm sure my teammates will appreciate your help," she said, glancing back at the tunnel. "Speaking of which, I should probably go back to them. You coming?"
Seraph rolled to her feet. "Just a sec, Pinky," she said, strolling across the cave to the hot spring pongds. "I still reek. There may not be any pressurized showers here, but I'd like to clean myself up."
"Suit yourself," Espeon said, sitting down in the middle of the cave. Seraph hopped into the hot water with no hesitation. She surfaced a few seconds later, running her claws across her forehead.
"Ah, that's a bit better," she said, kicking her way toward the edge of the pond and leaning up against it. Seraph rested her arms and head on the ground, locking eyes with Espeon. "I take it you're not gonna join me?" she said.
"You really think I'd say yes after that little display earlier?" Espeon scoffed, pointing her snout up indignantly. She wasn't sure if this was better or worse than realizing Shane was spying on her while she showered.
"I'm not going to try anything, honest," Seraph said. "All I'm saying is you look ragged."
"Then I'll do something about it later," Espeon said, getting to her feet. "I was going to walk you back to the village, but I get the sense you're going to be a while. So, I'll come back and check on you lat—"
A blob of electrified water arced toward Espeon. She blew it apart with a pink energy ring, only to flinch as a cloud of mist rushed past her. Static lingered in the air, prickling Espeon's fur. Espeon looked down at Seraph's smirking face.
"Whoopsies… my paw slipped," Seraph teased, lifting her right paw out of the water and laying it against the edge of the pond. "You might want to do something about that, sweetie. I hear statically-charged fur is bad for psychics."
Espeon wished she could slap Seraph like she did to Shane. Instead, she sat down, wincing, and stuck the tips of her forked tail into the ground. Blue wisps crackled through her fur, then surged toward her tail, where they fizzled out harmlessly against the rock. Espeon got back to her feet and marched toward one of the unoccupied springs. She removed her satchel, then waded into the water with an unamused grunt.
"Wow, really? You're no fun," Seraph said, tracing a claw through the dirt.
"I don't appreciate funny business… especially from pervs," Espeon said, sinking lower to the point where her snout was even with the surface of the water. She wouldn't let Seraph fluster her. Especially not after giving Seraph all her berry juice.
"It's not pervy," Seraph said, pouting. "It's just… a difference in cultures. I mean, I can't help but be surprised when none of you terrestrials are wearing any clothes."
"We don't have to, because anything unsightly is covered by our natural coats. Y'know… fur, scales, feathers… whatever," Espeon said. "There's certainly clothing out there, but I've only seen that kind of stuff worn when 'mons want to look fancy."
"Huh, interesting," Seraph said. "Maybe there's more to this world than I thought."
"I already told you, this world's
full of surprises," Espeon said. She sank even lower in the hot spring, blowing a stream of bubbles along its surface.
"Well, someone looks a bit more relaxed," Seraph teased. "You're welcome, by the way."
"It's been… a very stressful last couple of weeks," Espeon said.
"Yeah, well try waking up from a coma in some alien world and then talk to me about stressful," Seraph said, throwing in a bitter laugh for good measure. "My life's been turned upside down."
"It could be worse, you could've been turned into an entirely different creature like Shane," Espeon said.
"Is that Ninetales' name?" Seraph asked, to which Espeon nodded. "Huh. Gonna level with you, Pinky, I've never actually heard of someone having a one-syllable name. It's so... short. Sounds weird to say it."
"Perhaps human naming conventions are different from what you're used to," Espeon said.
"They must be in whatever world this Shane guy is from," Seraph said, shrugging. "It'll take getting used to, that's for sure."
"I mean, most of the Pokémon here just go by their species name. If there are multiple of us in the same place, we use unique attributes to identify ourselves," Espeon explained. "For example, another Espeon might call me Ruby-Gem, because my channeling gem's coloration precisely matches that of a ruby." She pointed to her forehead gem.
"Wow. That's… uh… pretty damn primitive, if you ask me," Seraph said, choking back laughter. "Then again, I didn't see any real tech around. Maybe if we stop Necrozma we can flag an Ultra Recon Squad to come here and bring you guys up to speed."
Espeon actually liked that idea. After all, every time the world was saved, people went back to their old routines. Maybe they needed some
real change to move things in a more positive direction. At the very least, it could help her not feel so cynical all the time.
Her tail brushed across a steam jet and she shimmied across the edge of the pond to reach it. Espeon settled herself against the wall, positioning her rear over the steam jet. She sighed satisfyingly and soon found her eyelids growing heavy. Espeon yawned loudly, a gesture which Seraph caught.
"You drifting off on me there, Pinky?" she called. Espeon's eyes snapped open.
"It
is rather late here," she muttered, frowning. Having just gotten comfortable, Espeon was reluctant to move, let alone leave the pond. But she knew that she couldn't just spend the night here. Not to mention, she was a bit nervous about falling asleep with nobody but Seraph around. With a pang of regret, she hoisted herself out of the pond, taking care to face Seraph as she shook her fur dry.
"Hey, Espeon! You doing alright?"
Shane and Luxeira stood at the edge of the tunnel, the latter looking around the cave. "Yeah, we're okay, I think," Espeon said. "Seraph's over in that spring." She pointed a forepaw to her right. Seraph opened her eyes as Luxeira walk over to her.
"Oh… it's you, rookie," Seraph said. "Gimme a sec here." She pushed down on the ground with her arms and climbed out of the water. Seraph got down on all fours to shake her fur out. Luxeira shuffled backwards with an irritated groan. "Alright," she said, standing back up. "I know what you're here about, so let's cut to the chase. This whole situation blows, but it doesn't make any sense for me to wander around this primitive world on my own."
"So, you've been informed of the situation?" Luxeira said, expression firm.
"I have. You want my help to run around a dragon-infested canyon and nab a mystical artifact," Seraph said, studying her claws. "I'm not what you'd call a dragon-buster, but I don't see any alternatives. I'll help you guys out."
"Good. We plan to set out tomorrow morning," Luxeira said. "Until then, you need to rest. I imagine you're still injured from fighting Necrozma."
Seraph responded by stretching out her arms. "Actually, this hot spring helped a lot." She glanced back at a cloud of steam. "Yo, Pinky, is there something in the water here?"
"Well, caves in our world are known for having mineral water," Espeon said. "Maybe that did something? In any case, I'm beat. If you two are fine, I'm heading off to sleep."
Luxeira nodded. "We'll regroup before parting ways, correct?" she said.
"I imagine so," Shane said. "We plan on using Hoopa to get us to our destinations faster, remember?"
"Hoopa?" Seraph said, looking at Luxeira. "Uh… maybe I've got more to get up to speed on than I thought."
"We'll go over it," Luxeira said. After a satisfied nod from Seraph, the two walked into the tunnel, leaving Espeon and Shane standing together.
"So… uh… I take it this means you got through to her?" Shane said, keeping his gaze fixed on the ground.
"I did, yeah," Espeon said. "I think it was good that I got to talk to her. It helped open my eyes."
Shane's ears twitched. "Oh, what do you mean by that? If… uh… if you don't mind me asking."
Espeon walked up to Shane, sighing. "I've been doing things the wrong way for a while. I've had enough of pushing people away." She froze, shooting a nervous glance over her shoulder. Espeon closed her eyes and shook her head.
"You're seeing Void Shadows again, aren't you?" Shane asked, frowning. Espeon's answered consisted of a heavy sigh. "You know I saw you outside last night… doing something." Shane's tails curled up against his side. "Look… I don't want to push the issue or anything, but I'm worried about you."
"It's okay, human," Espeon whispered. She put a paw under his chin and gently nudged his head up. With a brief flutter of telekinesis, she brushed the silky white fur out of Shane's eyes. "I… uh… I appreciate the concern. What I was doing last night was… wrong. I knew it was wrong, but I didn't care." Espeon winced. "Snorting stardust… was euphoric. It was one of my go-to methods to get rid of the Void Shadows."
"You were… snorting stardust? Like… the stuff that came from Necrozma?" Shane said, fur bristling.
Espeon shivered. "I did, yeah. I was that desperate. But… I'm done with it." She paused. "My life's… not in a great place right now. That's why I should be looking to someone like you for support, instead."
"L… like me?" Shane gasped. "What do you mean?"
Espeon didn't reply. She hadn't anticipated getting Shane alone like this. Now that they were together, she didn't want to press the subject that was on her mind. Shane looked at her, eyes brimming with a mixture of curiosity and worry. Espeon sighed heavily.
"I have to ask you something," she said. "It's… about Necrozma."
Shane sucked in a breath. Was Espeon going to blame him for all of this, like she had done after Umbreon died?
"What are you thinking about him?" Espeon said, staring into Shane's eyes.
"I'm… not sure I follow," Shane said, trying to avoid her gaze. His tails twitched nervously.
"If we have to face him in battle… what are you going to do?" Espeon said, her voice almost a whisper.
Shane's eyes widened and Espeon's chest tightened. That wasn't the immediate response she was hoping for. Espeon wanted Shane to say that he would hold nothing back. But it looked like Shane hadn't even thought about this subject.
"I… well…" Shane's tails curled up. "I'm… uh…" He bowed his head. "We have to stop him… don't we?"
Espeon felt a pang of guilt. Given the day's events, she shouldn't have sprung the subject on Shane like that. But it had been eating away at the back of her mind since their last encounter with Necrozma. A small voice told her to back off, but she ignored it.
"Shane," she said, causing Shane to meet her gaze. He was surprised to see Espeon actually refer to him by name instead of calling him a human. "Do you still see Necrozma as your human friend?"
"I… yeah, I guess so," Shane whispered, wincing.
"I see," Espeon said. That was what she was afraid of. "There's no easy way for me to say this, Shane, but… you need to stop thinking like that."
Shane's ears stuck up. He shuffled backward, staring at the ground.
"I know you don't want to hear it," Espeon continued. "I just want you to understand… that if we have to fight him, we're counting on you to do your part. You have to be able… and
willing… to battle your hardest. And I'm worried that… if you still think Necrozma's your friend… you won't do that."
The realization slowly spread across Shane's face. "I… um… well… yeah, you've got a point," he said. "It's just… I still feel like it's all my fault."
"Do you really think that you can somehow redeem Necrozma?" Espeon said, a bit more forceful than she had intended. Shane shrank back, adding to the guilt bubbling in Espeon's stomach.
"I don't know," Shane squeaked. "But… shouldn't I at least try?"
"I can't give you that answer," Espeon said, ears drooping. "In my mind, you shouldn't. I think he can't be reasoned with. And I feel like you need to stop seeing Necrozma as your old friend and
start seeing him as the monster who… who…"
Tears welled up in her eyes. This was exactly what Espeon didn't want. She had gotten too emotional, but she couldn't just cut the conversation off.
"… killed all my friends in Post Town… and took Umbry away from me," Espeon said, blinking the tears out of her eyes. She took a calming breath. "That's what I think. But, well, you've seen how pessimistic I am. Maybe it's wrong of me to think that way."
"N-no… you lost your brother," Shane said. "But I guess that's my fault, too. I was part of the problem… with Nicky. I'm not trying to get any sympathy or anything… it's just a fact." He hung his head. "Though, you might not have to worry about what I think of Necrozma. If Solgaleo's spirit gets restored… he'll probably take control and fight Necrozma. Then, it won't be up to me."
"Right," Espeon whispered, rubbing her forelegs together nervously. "Shane, I'm… sorry for being so hard on you." Shane's ears stuck up in surprise. "The truth is that… when we first met, I hated your guts. And when you freed me from the Prism Virus… I was determined to
keep hating you." She curled her tail around her waist. "That even extends to our… um… little
moment in the showers. I mean, yeah, what you did was wrong, but I wasn't really upset by it. I was just looking for an excuse to give you a tongue lashing."
Shane stood there, processing Espeon's rambling. He had no idea how to react. What had he done to make her so upset in the first place? That's what he wanted to know more than anything.
"Why did you hate my guts?" Shane asked, a hurt look on his face.
"It's… complicated," Espeon whispered. "But… you deserve to know." She sat down and traced her right forepaw in a circle. "It goes back to the Bittercold, really. Before that whole incident, I was a lot like you. A bit of a dork… with a tendency to put her paw in her mouth and speak before thinking. I loved working with Umbry as much as I liked to crack a cheesy joke or two."
Her ears drooped. "But then Munna and her allies showed up. Their constant chatter about how
negative the world is and how it's futile to struggle protecting an existence that's ultimately hopeless… it wore me down," she said. "Under the stress of helping Team Paradise… I cracked. I let Munna's words twist my heart… I embraced those ideas. The world I saw… wasn't a beautiful one that I got the privilege to explore with Umbry. It was something wretched and ugly."
"That's why… instead of trying to lend support to Team Paradise while they fought the Bittercold… I did something else," Espeon said, her voice almost a whisper. "I pressured Umbry into mating with me."
Shane's eyes widened. He had to use every ounce of willpower not to interrupt Espeon, even though he wanted to know why she lied to him about the tabloid articles.
"When the Bittercold was defeated, everyone went back to their old routines," Espeon said. "Even though we talked about Hydreigon taking our human savior away, nobody wanted to talk about the Bittercold. That made the negativity grow… and it was all exacerbated when Dark Matter showed up." Espeon hung her head. "I hated your guts… because you reminded me of the old me. Before the Bittercold's attack. Even in tense situations, you had this carefree demeanor. Heck, even now you still have some goofball tendencies."
Shane wasn't sure if he should feel flattered or insulted. He stayed silent, nodding.
"That's why I was so upset with you," Espeon said. "And Silvally, too. Your cheerful dispositions… they were walking reminders of something I thought I'd never be able to get back. I told myself I'd never accept either of you as my friends…" Her voice trailed off and she bowed her head. "But the truth is you're exactly the people I need in my life."
She took a shuddering breath. "I want to be able to look out at the world and have hope again," she said. "There are a lot of things about this world I wish I could change, like the whole soulmate concept. But… before anything can change, we have to stop Necrozma. We have to get back the people we've lost. Then… maybe we can finally think about moving forward and making progress."
"Okay… I've said my fill. Sorry for rambling like that," Espeon said. "This was all pretty selfish of me, but I wanted to get it off my chest."
Shane had sat down during the conversation. He now stared at his forepaws, jaws clenched tight. What was the right thing to say in the face of all this information? Should he pat her on the shoulder and tell her he's sorry, too? What good would that possibly do?
"Shane?" Espeon said, tilting her head.
"Espeon… I don't know what to say." Shane lifted his head up. "I guess… um… if you want someone to stand by you, then I can try my best. It's just… I'm still trying to learn how to be a good friend, so it'll be far from perfect." A nervous grin shakily spread across his muzzle. "But if I can help bring at least a little of the old Espeon back… then it's worth a shot, right?"
Shane looked down, fearing Espeon wouldn't respond well to him. He was caught off guard when she leaned over and embraced him, running her head across his shoulder and pressing it against his neck. His silky mane brushed against her velvet fur, making his tails stiffen.
"I don't need you to be perfect," Espeon whispered. "Just be yourself… even as you keep growing. Hopefully, I can grow with you."
"Uh… um… okay," Shane said, blinking in surprise. "Should we go back to the others, though? It's getting late… I think."
Espeon broke off the embrace. "Yeah. Sorry. I had said I was tired, but then I'm the one who kept you here," she said, face flushing.
"It's okay, Espeon," Shane said.
"… Espy," she said. "Call me Espy… if that's okay."
After a couple of seconds, Shane smiled. "Of course it is."
XxX
~Dewdrop Woods~
With a frustrated growl, Solrock blasted a small, thorny bush apart with psychic energy. She was supposed to be past the hard part. Somehow, she had managed to nab keys off a Magnemite guard and escape the underground prison. Solrock hadn't expected to emerge in the middle of a Mystery Dungeon. If only she had been awake when Officer Magnezone's team had taken her to jail, then she would at least have a vague idea of which direction to go.
Solrock dropped out of the sky and nestled between two massive black tree roots. She was tired, but she had to keep moving. The police force surely knew she had disappeared by now. There were probably Magnemites flying around, looking for her. Sighing, Solrock hovered back into the air and floated deeper into the forest. Eventually, she lost sight of the trail she had been following.
"Heeheeheehee! Yes, drink up, Volcarona. Take the last bits of Yveltal's light so we can break that stupid cocoon."
Solrock froze upon hearing a distorted voice. Did it mention
Yveltal? Her ESP picked up a surprising energy spike. Solrock cautiously floated toward its location, staying close to the large tree roots sticking out of the ground. Whatever she had heard, it didn't sound very friendly.
It didn't take long for Solrock to find the source of the commotion. Several trees lay in ruins in front of her. She spotted a large, Y-shaped creature in the middle of the trees' splintered remnants. Its body was completely grayed out, save for its head. Above it floated some sort of brown rock. Magma bubbled underneath its cracks.
What was going on here? Was this giant bird Yveltal? Did the strange rock attack it? Solrock had no intention of saying anything. She pressed herself up against the tree root.
"How fitting. A worthless god that looks like giant bacon strips gets devoured. If only we had some scrambled eggs and home fries… then this would've been the perfect meal."
Necrozma drifted above the rock and placed his claws around it. It glowed, then proceeded to suck the remaining color off of Yveltal's head. When the last bits of red had detached, black crystals covered every inch of Yveltal's body.
Solrock had seen enough. Whatever was going on here, she wanted no part of it. She floated away from the scene, sticking as close to the trees as possible.
"And just where do you think you're going, hmm?"
Necrozma popped up in front of Solrock, a broad grin on his face. Solrock froze in midair, eyes wide in terror. "I… I didn't see anything!" she said. "I'm a fellow outlaw… y-you can trust me. I won't rat anything out to the cops!"
"An outlaw, huh? Okay, I believe you," Necrozma said.
"Y… you do?" Solrock said. A flash of light erupted behind her. Solrock turned around in time to see the strange rock burst apart, showering the ground with ash and cinders. She caught a brief glimpse of a tiny, luminescent-orange butterfly taking to the skies, before Necrozma grabbed her from behind and spun her around to face him.
"Yes. In fact… I find you so believable, that I'd like you to join my little game," Necrozma said, his grin widening.
Solrock's eyes darted about in a panic. All she had to do was play along and she'd be fine, right? "Wh… what do… I have to do?"
"Oh, it's very simple," Necrozma said as black chains rose out of the ground behind Solrock.
"Just do exactly what I tell you to… and everybody wins! Heeheeheehee!" He shoved Solrock back into the chains. They ensnared her, breaking her body apart as they dug inside of her.
Solrock didn't even have time to scream.
End of Special Episode 3
XxX
Next time...
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Hello.
It seems we've come a long way.
If you're here, then I suppose you deserve to know.
How everything started. Where all the lies originated from.
But it's not my tale to tell, even if I'm in it.
No.
You must stare into the face of the void, through the eyes of this world's oldest Pokémon.
