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Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Guiding Light [COMPLETE]

git-it

Member
The last episode has come, last but not least.
Last chapter, Espy and Silv closed with their past and paved the way for the future. And in current chapter finally they sealed their love (in a strange way, because of the spirits; now Silv will be under supervision à la `I always feel like somebody's watching me`).
And poor Tessa now has to worry about Shane again after she managed to get on without him... One minute she had him back, and maybe now she will lose him again... Life is hard...
I wonder how 'End 1' will develop;
and i want to know how Rebecca reacts when she was told everything that happened in this world by now.
And to you, Amby, you do
Quite expertly, Sir. Bravo
 

SonicStreak5344

New Member
The last episode has come, last but not least.
Last chapter, Espy and Silv closed with their past and paved the way for the future. And in current chapter finally they sealed their love (in a strange way, because of the spirits; now Silv will be under supervision à la `I always feel like somebody's watching me`).
And poor Tessa now has to worry about Shane again after she managed to get on without him... One minute she had him back, and maybe now she will lose him again... Life is hard...
I wonder how 'End 1' will develop;
and i want to know how Rebecca reacts when she was told everything that happened in this world by now.
And to you, Amby, you do
Quite expertly, Sir. Bravo
I agree with you I hope there is a sequel that will invovle actual outer space.
 

Ambyssin

Winter can't come soon enough
@git-it: Glad you liked it. Though you're going to see exactly how some of that plays out with this next chapter.
@SonicStreak5344: As it stands right now, I don't have any plans for a sequel. If I do write any more stuff in this same universe, it'll be on the shorter side. Because this fic is way too long as it is. XP
 

Ambyssin

Winter can't come soon enough
Beta read by Namohysip.

XxX

Chapter 104: Ultra Bursting with Surprises


~Borea Heights~

"Get back here, you lousy, rotten thieves! Nobody steals from Town Supervisor Drampa and gets away with it, you hear me? Nobody!"

A younger, smaller Sneasel stood with his back pressed against the wall of a stone building. A blue, dragon-shaped beam whizzed past him and struck the ground several yards away. Hisses rang out from beyond his line of sight. Sneasel brought his arms up against his chest. "C'mon, Pops. C'mon, Mom. You said this job would be easy."

Sneasel dared to poke his head around the corner of the building. There, he found two Weavile locked in a struggle with the much-larger Drampa. The pink-crowned Weavile had a bag of jewels slung over her shoulder and clutched her gut with her arm. She fired Ice Shards in Drampa's general direction, but he swatted them aside with his right arm.

"Get out of the way!" the second, blue-crowned Weavile shouted, seeing dragon energy gathering in Drampa's maw. Shadows swirled around Blue-Crown's claws. He lunged for Drampa and socked him in the threat. Choking on his attack, Drampa stumbled back. Blue-Crown dashed over to Sneasel's mom while Drampa wobbled about, gargling like his head was underwater.

Sneasel ducked back behind his cover, sighing in relief. Still, it did little to quell his guilt. After all, he'd ruined what was meant to be a simple heist.

His parents had planned things out perfectly. Together, they'd wait the day out in Aurora Vale. Then, when night fell, they'd strike. This town was mostly full of old people, so they should've been able to get in and out with no problems. The first house they'd targeted was filled to the brim with jewels… but turned out to be the home of the town's leader.

'Mom and Pops were counting on me to scout out the buildings… and I led 'em right into the worst one!' Sneasel poked his claws together. This was all on him. Assuming they got out all right, he was sure his parents would have some harsh words for him.

Never pick a target beyond your capabilities. Study your surroundings and don't jump to conclusions!

But that's exactly what Sneasel had done. He'd seen all of Drampa's glistening jewels and pointed his parents toward Drampa's house without so much as a second thought. Thanks to him, they were hurt. Biting his lip, Sneasel again poked his head out from his hiding spot.

He did so just in time to see flames engulf his pops. Blue-Crown's screams rang out in Sneasel's head. His mouth was open, ready to cry out for his pops, when he realized that'd only tip Drampa off that he was there. Sneasel instead clutched the corner of the building. His father fell onto his back, smoke rising off his charred fur.

"No!" Pink-Crown said. She tried to gather up icy energy, but the wound on her stomach made it too hard to move. Drampa lumbered over the two of them.

"Hurr… heff… you two… are quite bold. Trying to steal from a beloved Town Supervisor. I may not be a Totem… but my Berserk ability makes me stronger when I'm weary," Drampa said, embers crackling around his snout. "Now, I'll see to it that you two return my gems to me. And then, I'll have Officer Magnezone lock you up for so long your fur will have grayed by the time you get released!"

For a brief moment, Pink-Crown locked eyes with Sneasel. The look in her eyes begged him to run away. Sneasel couldn't leave them, though. They were all he had.

A thief never quits, son. Remember that.

And Sneasel wasn't a quitter. He wouldn't run away. He had to help. What had Pops told him about Feint Attack, again?

Embrace the shadows. Cling tight to spots where light doesn't shine and move through them like a predator creeping through tall grass.

Sneasel pressed himself closer to the building. He darted across it. Drampa didn't see him. There were hardly any good light sources in the street. Nothing was stopping Sneasel from making a run at the big dragon. So, he did just that. Keeping as quiet as he could, he dashed in from the shadows. Then, he slammed into Drampa's side as hard as he could.

"Bwargh!" Drampa cried out in surprise. He wobbled to his left. Then, like a stack of blocks that had lost its bottom piece, he toppled onto his side with a furious roar.

"S-Sneasel!" Pink-Crown gasped. "What are you doing? We told you to stay hidden!"

"I'm helping you guys! Because thieves never quit," Sneasel said, trying to get his pops up on his feet.

Pink-Crown's eyes widened. Before Drampa could right himself, she turned and smacked the ground with her free hand. Icicles rained down on Drampa from above, silencing his cries. "We have to move. All this commotion is bound to have woken up other villagers!" She pulled two berries out from her bag. Pink-Crown scarfed one down and gave the other to Sneasel. He stuffed it into Blue-Crown's mouth. His eyes slowly opened.

"Huh? W-What… Sneasel?"

"Our little apprentice saved us in the nick of time," Pink-Crown said, smiling at Sneasel. "But now we have to get a move on."

Blue-Crown staggered to his feet. He spotted luminous orbs flaring up in the distance. "Right. Time to go." He extended a hand toward Sneasel, who took his claws and ran along after him. "I'm proud of you, tyke. You did your old 'mon proud."

A big grin spread across Sneasel's face. "Thanks, Pops. I learned from the best."

XxX

~Solstice Summit~

With a gasp, Sneasel jerked awake. He nearly rolled off his sleeping mat in the process. When he realized it was still the dead of night, he groaned and thumped his head against the floor.

"Can't sleep?"

Sneasel rolled right. Hakamo-o lay on a second sleeping mat, twiddling his claws and staring at the wooden ceiling above them.

"Had a bad dream," Sneasel muttered.

"You thinking about tomorrow?" Hakamo-o said. "I mean… this spirit-channeling business is a big deal, ain't it? You're finally gonna get to see your folks again after all this time."

Sneasel slid his arms under his head. "Maybe. For all we know, the Totem'll be too busy tending to Snowy. Four days they've been working on him and nothing. I'm starting to think he ain't ever gonna wake up."

"Maybe." Hakamo-o rolled over to face Sneasel, resting his head on his right arm. "But at least you know your folks are safe in the spirit realm." He clutched his blanked with his left hand. "The Totem told me she has no idea where my mom is. And, like, call me crazy or whatever, but I swear that big lug on Team Radiance had a real guilty look on his face when she said that."

"Eh, don't read too much into it. They've been under a lotta stress or whatever," Sneasel said, kicking at his blanket with his right leg. The two fell into silence. Though Sneasel closed his eyes, he couldn't drift off to sleep.

"Hey, uh, Sneasel?"

"What?"

"Um… if you don't mind me asking, what happened to your parents?"

Tensing, Sneasel bent his knees. "I don't know."

Hakamo-o leaned in, expecting more details. When he didn't get any, he asked, "What do you mean?"

"One night… my folks left me in our hideout. Said they'd heard about a good target but the terrain wasn't safe for a rookie like me to navigate. So, I went to sleep. They weren't back when I woke up the next morning," Sneasel said, his voice empty. "I waited around. Burned through our stock of berries. Must've been a couple of weeks before I figured something bad had happened."

"Did you ever try looking for them?"

"Yeah. But they never told me where they went and it's not like we had friends. Besides… I had the family creed to live up to. 'Good thieves never quit.' So, I tried to pick up where they'd left off. And that eventually led to me you… and all the craziness that followed." Sneasel crossed one leg over the other. "I'm not even sure what I'd say to them. Maybe ask them what happened… or maybe not. It's been such a long time, y'know."

"Ah. Yeah." Hakamo-o traced a claw across the floor. "It's just… when the Totem told you that she'd found them in the spirit realm, you barely even reacted."

"I know."

"Well, I'm worried about you. I mean… you saw how upset I was when Dad told me that Mom had passed. I was kinda expecting a similar reaction from you… but that didn't happen." Hakamo-o cross his right leg over his left. "Ain't it bad for you to bottle up that stuff? Pretty sure that's what Team Radiance said had led to so many problems and stuff around the world."

"I'm not bottling anything up. It's just… something I'd always braced myself for." Sneasel sighed. "For years, my parents had told me that thieving was a dangerous profession… and I needed to be ready for the possibility that one day they might get caught by the authorities… or worse."

"Oh." Hakamo-o stared blankly at the ceiling. "I see."

"Any more questions?"

Hakamo-o winced. "Uh… I g-guess not. I'll let you… get back to sleep or whatever."

Sneasel uncrossed his legs and stretched out on his mat, but sleep continued to evade him. Eventually, he decided to break the silence. "Hey, so… any ideas what you want your name to be?"

"Hmm?" Hakamo-o sat up. "Oh. Uh, no. Haven't given it any thought. What about you?"

Tapping a claw against the back of his head, Sneasel hummed. He'd mulled this over for a few days and, while he had an idea, he wasn't sure if he wanted to commit to it. But he figured it wouldn't hurt to tell Hakamo-o. "Zephyr," he said.

"Zephyr?"

"I saw the word in one of Esserly's books. It's, like, a fancy word for a burst of wind," Sneasel said, fidgeting with his blanket. "Sneasels embrace the cold and the dark, right? The way I see it, if I were to ever get good at battling like Snowy and his friends, I'd want to be a zephyr from the shadows."

Hakamo-o stared up at the ceiling. "I like it."

"Y… you do?"

"Yeah. Can I call you Zephyr from now on?"

A smile tugged at Sneasel's— or, rather, Zephyr's lips. "Sure. Go ahead, bud."

XxX​

"Tessa, you're my friend. And I care about you a lot. But if you keep pacing like that, I swear I'm gonna use my ESP and restrain you. You're making me dizzy." Silvally sank onto his belly, trying to cover his eyes with his forelegs. In front of him, Tessa stopped by a double door, frowning.

"I'm sorry. It's just… Ephemeris has been at this for five days… and nothing's happened." Tessa squeezed Shane's crystal memento in her right paw. "We got him back… he's right there. How can fate be this cruel to… to dangle him in front of me like that, yet still keep me from getting to see him?" She put her left paw on the door. "Has Ephemeris even left that room since he got here? I want to talk to him so bad… but they locked it from the inside and—"

"We know, Tessa," Espy said, reclining against Silvally's side. "We want answers, too. But you can't let it drive you crazy. Things are already stressful enough with all the time zone hops we've had to make because of these meetings."

"Oh, yeah. How are those going?"

Hakamo-o walked into the temple's main room, pushing a small cart with wheels. It had a steaming pot on top of it. Zephyr followed behind him, a dirty apron slung over his arm.

"Thank goodness… they're finally over!" Espy stretched out her legs. "If I had to listen to any more of Zekrom's dumb posturing or Reshiram's blatant attempts to hide her infatuation with him using thinly veiled insults, I'd—"

"Sounds spicy," Zephyr mused, handing out bowls to the trio. "Since it's getting late, we brought you three some leftover soup."

"Aww. Thanks. You guys are—" Silvally cut himself off and tensed up. The green glow spreading across his body stopped and patches of sky-blue popped up in his eyes and energy blades.

"Silv? You okay?" Espy whispered. She rubbed his side with her forepaws.

"Y-Yeah. It's… uh…" His voice trailed off. Silvally leaned over and lapped up soup, avoiding eye contact with Hakamo-o and Zephyr.

"So, uh, anything come out of the meetings?" Hakamo-o asked, quirking an eyebrow at Silvally.

"Well, today's meeting ended with Team Paradox boarding Lunala with all the fallers they'd found and setting course for Ultra Space. Looks like they're going to try and find an Ultra Recon Squad branch and synch up with them." Taking a deep breath, Tessa tossed her crystal to herself. "I'm not really sure how I feel about the idea of joining some network of worlds linked by Ultra Space. It's… kind of weird to think about, to be honest."

She looked toward the locked door again. Her aura feelers tensed. She glanced at Zephyr, then silently accepted a bowl of soup and sipped it. "Other than that… Dragonite and Xerneas never wound up coming. I know Dragonite's holed up in her room… but Xerneas went back to the Tree of Life and keeps turning away visitors." Tessa sighed and shook her head.

"Beyond that… we're still absolutely clueless about what happened to Yveltal and Zygarde," Silvally added, brow furrowed. "Arceus theorized that he accidentally destroyed Zygarde with Judgement, since Necrozma used Zygarde as a doppelganger. And Mewtwo mentioned something about Yveltal's soul being sacrificed to fuse him with Volcarona. I dunno. Thinking about it gives me a terrible headache." He shut his eyes and winced.

"Yeah. That, uh, sounds like a lot. I guess we'll leave you three alone, then," Zephyr said, stepping back toward the pushcart. "We've still gotta clean the kitchen, after all."

Tessa was about to say something when the door swung open behind her, clipping her tail. Yowling, she jumped forward. The jerking motion of her arms launched her soup out of the bowl, where it then rained down on her from above. "Ow! Hot! Hot!" Tessa dropped the bowl, which cracked, but managed to stay in one piece.

Espy and Silvally got to their feet, minding their own soup bowls. "Well, Ephemeris? What's going on with Shane?" Silvally asked, multiple colors rippling across his tail and energy blades.

Ephemeris looked down. Then, his expression softened and he stepped to the side. When he raised his wing, two ice Ninetales walked out from the room. Tessa's gaze immediately fell on the smaller one. His blue-white fur was back. Locks of hair dangled over his soft blue eyes. Slowly, a grin crept onto Shane's face.

"Hey guys. Sorry I gave you all such a big scare."

For a minute, nobody moved. Tessa could only stare at Shane, a small voice telling her this was some sort of trick. That her wish hadn't come true. That it wasn't her partner in front of her, but some sort of illusion. Tessa looked back and forth between Ephemeris and Totem Ninetales. They both picked up on her hesitancy and nodded.

"It's really him," Ephemeris said. He nudged Shane forward with a wing.

Espy moved first. She walked up to Shane, brushed her side against his, and lay her head on his torso. "Welcome back," she said, voice cracking.

Silvally was next, having to use caution to avoid bowling anyone over. His steps were so peppy he practically bounded toward Shane. He curled his larger body around both of his teammates, but left a gap so that Shane could see Tessa. She looked at her teammates' happy faces. Warmth flooded her chest. Her gaze met Shane's.

Tessa stumbled forward, vision growing watery. A psychic force grabbed hold of her before she toppled over and pulled her close to Shane. Even though soup coated her fur, Shane still pulled Tessa into a tight embrace. She threw her arms around his neck, not even caring that a curious plink sounded when her chest spike met what should've been Shane's breastbone. He wrapped two of his tails around her torso and squeezed.

"I missed you so much," Tessa hiccupped.

"I missed you, too," Shane whispered.

"Don't you ever do anything like that again, okay?"

Shane's face flushed. "W… what… rebuild a destroyed planet?"

"No." Tessa broke the embrace off and blinked tears from her eyes. "Blatantly lie to my face."

"Oh… right. You remembered." Shane's ears flattened against his head. "But I, uh, I did end up keeping my promise in the end, didn't I?"

Fresh tears welled up in Tessa's eyes. "Okay. Fine. I'll let it slide this time." She rejoined the group hug. Ephemeris and Totem Ninetales stepped back, letting the team soak up every minute of their reunion. Tessa broke off after a couple of minutes and reached into her satchel. "Here. This belongs to you." She pulled out one of the scarves Gallian had gifted her. The one whose coloration matched Shane's original scarf. Beaming, Shane stuck his head up, giving Tessa room to tie the scarf around Shane's neck.

"Thanks. It's perfect." Shane nudged Tessa snout with his own. They both flushed in unison.

Zephyr sat down on one of the cushions. "Welcome back, Snowy," he whispered. Zephyr glanced right, raising an eyebrow. "Hey… are you crying?"

Hakamo-o tensed up, then promptly looked away. "It's not me. There were onions in the soup!" he said, rubbing his eyes as he sat on the cushion next to Zephyr.

"I'd hate to interrupt your reunion, but now that the four of you are back together, I think it's time we talked about some of your experiences," Ephemeris said, walking slowly toward the spirit pool in the middle of the room. Totem Ninetales followed him, then sat down in front of the pool. Her brooch shimmered with pink energy.

"Our experiences?" Tessa tilted her head.

"Yes. Namely, what Necrozma did to the three of you." Ephemeris gestured at Shane, Silvally, and Tessa. The latter two exchanged frowns. Ephemeris had mentioned wanting to talk with them at some point, but with the whirlwind of events that had followed, they figured it'd be a while before that actually happened.

"Um, is this supposed to be a private conversation? Do you want me to step out?" Espy wondered, her tail curling around her waist.

"I'd rather you stay," Silvally said, nudging her with his beak. Espy nodded and scooched up beside his cushion.

"She's a close friend… so I think it's important she stay and hear what I have to say," Ephemeris said, taking a deep breath. "There's actually a couple of other people that I'd sent for, but I think it's okay if we start without them."

Tessa raised a brow. Had Ephemeris… been planning for this? She frowned. If he had known exactly how things would go with Shane, then why didn't he say anything to her? Tessa had made it clear how much she'd fretted over Shane's condition and had gotten no information.

Before she could raise an objection, the door opened. Tessa's aura feelers shot up when Gallian and Zoroark walked in, both looking confused. They each sported new, pink-purple scarves littered with white hearts. When Gallian spotted Shane and Tessa sitting beside one another, his horn flickered. "Oh. You're, uh… you're back. And awake. H-Hello." He blinked in surprise.

"Yo. Welcome back, Shane. Thanks for patching up my eye," Zoroark said, winking.

Shane's ears stuck up. "Uh, you're welcome?"

"We got your message, sir, but what did you need us up here for?" Gallian asked, looking at Ephemeris and Totem Ninetales.

"There's an important conversation I want to have with your sister… and I need the two of you for a demonstration of sorts," Ephemeris said. He gestured to the two remaining open cushions.

"Okay, I'm really confused." Tessa watched her family take their seats. "Ephemeris, don't get me wrong. I'm so, so grateful for what you did to bring Shane back. But, well…" Her voice trailed off and she clutched the memento tightly. "The way you've been acting… it sounds like you had a plan in mind with Shane. In which case… why didn't you tell us anything? I've been fraught with worry for five days! And you… you…" Her aura feelers quivered.

Shane scooched close to Tessa and nudged her with her snout. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just… sorry, hang on." Tessa rubbed her eyes and sat up straight.

"I apologize, Tessa. The truth is that I wasn't sure what I was doing for Shane was going to work until a short time ago. That's when I had Totem Ninetales send for your brother," Ephemeris explained. "I couldn't take the time to tell you what was happening because what I was doing was very… sensitive. I was worried that if I lost my focus, I'd lose the progress I'd made."

"What kind of progress, exactly?" Silvally asked.

Ephemeris looked at Shane, conflict scribbled across his face. "It took so long for me to patch Shane up because I had to try and make heads or tails of his spirit. And it's, frankly speaking, an absolute mess. Probably second only to yours in that department, Silvally." Ephemeris looked away guiltily while Shane frowned.

"I mean… yeah, I fused with Necrozma. I figured that was going to be the case," he said. His calm tone surprised his teammates.

"Oh… really? I see…" Ephemeris lifted a wing and coughed. "Fair enough. I suppose I should start with a bit of background, then." He glanced up at the ceiling. "See, in my travels through Ultra Space, I've heard tales of creatures that, honestly, have a number of parallels to Necrozma. I only got this information from talking to willing inhabitants of the various worlds I've visited. I understand you've spoken with Team Paradox, yes?"

"They gave us a bit of background about the whole Ultra Space business… and that was before Seraph proposed contacting the Ultra Recon Network," Tessa said, crossing her right leg over her left. "I have some misgivings, sure, but now that we've faced down a number of Ultra Beasts, I think she has a point."

Shane looked at Tessa in surprise. Clearly, he'd missed a lot in the time he'd been away. He made a mental note to get more details from his teammates when he was afforded the time.

"Right. Then tell me, did Team Paradox ever make mention of 'Blinding Ones?'" Ephemeris asked, still staring at the ceiling.

"Blinding Ones? No. But Luxeira had told us that Seraph referred to Necrozma as a 'Lightless Black' when they initially discovered him in the Ultra Nexus," Silvally explained. Shane's brow furrowed trying to remember that detail, but it had gotten lost amidst all the stuff that had happened following Team Paradox's tale.

"Lightless Black, huh? Yeah… that's one of the other names I heard," Ephemeris said.

"Names for what?" Espy wondered.

"Creatures bearing striking resemblance to Necrozma." Ephemeris paused to let the statement sink in.

Shane was on his feet, his tails fanning out. "You mean to tell me there are other crazy, murderous prisms out there?" And people wanted to join the world up with others in Ultra Space? The idea made Shane's gut squirm.

"Settle down. It's not quite so black and white." Ephemeris waved Shane off with a wing. "If I had to put it simply, I'd say that Necrozma was, essentially, a member of a particular race of Ultra Beasts… he was just a very unique member of that race, due to his origins." Ephemeris locked eyes with Shane. "The other Blinding Ones… they can absorb light, yes. Even transfigure that light into energy for things like growing luscious gardens from barren ground. But they cannot manipulate spirits the way Necrozma did. And they do not have alchemical powers at their disposal." He shook his head.

"Blinding Ones normally take the form of large, golden light dragons. Something I believe you all are familiar with." Ephemeris studied Team Radiance. They all nodded in unison. "Right. The thing is, whereas the Guiding Light could maintain that form indefinitely… Blinding Ones have a constant need to absorb light. If they don't… impurities will build up in their bodies."

"Impurities?" Tessa rubbed an aura feeler. "That's a bit vague, don't you think?"

"Yes. I'm not really sure how else to describe it. It's like… toxins build up inside of them. And when the impurities reach a certain threshold, it becomes impossible for Blinding Ones to maintain their radiant form," Ephemeris replied. "And that is what they do have in common with Necrozma. When they lose their light, they transform into black crystals. Their bodies restructure to guard their weakened cores. And their temperaments become far more… violent. Does that sound familiar?"

"It does." Tessa tugged nervously at her scarf. "And would that…" She gulped. "Do you think that would explain why, when we found Shane in the Ultra Nexus, he was trapped inside of a black, crystalline heart that tried to attack us?"

Ephemeris nodded. "It would. I believe that what you saw was Shane's new Necrozma instincts taking over… and doing whatever it would take to protect him from harm."

Shane's tails twisted around each other. Clearly, this was something he'd have to worry about. Tessa put her paw on top of Shane's. The look in her eyes told her she was concerned about him, too. Shane looked down, saying nothing. Tessa took her other paw and hoisted his chin up.

"It'll be okay. Let's see where this goes," she whispered.

"So, Blinding Ones try to reclaim the light that they lost, right?" Silvally said. "That must be where the destruction comes into play."

"From what I could gather, their anger is driven less out of malice and more out of… pain. Lightless Blacks… are in states of constant agony. They hunger for light to put an end to their suffering. Sometimes, though, the anguish gets too much to bear. They lash out at their surroundings." Ephemeris kicked at the air with his right leg in a shoddy demonstration. Despite his concerns, Shane couldn't help but smirk at the display. Tessa cracked a grin, too.

Silvally was still stone-faced, however. "Did Necrozma ever mention being in pain? I honestly can't remember," he said, glancing nervously at Espy. Her ears stuck up.

"Ah. You… you want to know about when we were working together, don't you?" She lowered her head. "He did complain a lot about being in pain. Though, remember, he didn't have his core, either. That might've contributed."

"I see…" Silvally's voice trailed off. Shane titled his head. Had Silvally asked about that for his sake? He couldn't get a good read on Silvally's expression, but he didn't want to say that out loud for fear of looking silly.

Instead, Shane asked Ephemeris, "Is there anything else we ought to know about Blinding Ones?"

"Yes. The method by which a Lightless Black becomes a Blinding One is a technique known as Ultra Burst," Ephemeris said.

"Tch. Of course it is." Gallian brushed his cheek with a forepaw. "People in Ultra Space really can't come up with better names, can they?"

"Like our world's any better. We ignored giving ourselves proper names for how many centuries?" Zoroark said, shrugging.

Gallian winced. "Okay, point taken." He noticed everyone in the room looking at him and buried his head in Zoroark's lap. "S-Sorry. Continue, please."

"The Ultra Burst phenomenon involves harnessing tremendous amounts of light energy to attain the radiant form. It also brings about a boost in power. Sound familiar?" Ephemeris said, glancing at Tessa in particular.

"Y… yeah. So, I guess it's, uh, kinda like an Ultra Space version of Mega Evolution?" Tessa rolled the memento crystal around in her paw. Shane shot her a worried look. Was Ephemeris trying to imply something about Tessa's Mega Evolution in particular? Because Gallian was in the room, too, but Ephemeris didn't seem interested in him.

"In some respects, yes. And those were the important facts I wanted to bring up," Ephemeris said. "I thought it vital that you know about Ultra Burst and the differences between Necrozma and the other Blinding Ones… because it's those things that have affected each of you." Ephemeris gestured at Shane, Silvally, and Tessa with his right wing. "In other words, because of your exposures to Necrozma's light energy, all three of you have developed versions of Ultra Burst."

"W… we have?" Tessa squeaked. She stared down at her lap, aura feelers twitching.

Silvally tensed up. His cheek bolts alternated rotating clockwise and counterclockwise. A golden shimmer rippled through his energy blades. Shane looked at both his teammates nervously. He couldn't help but think that this all had to do with the things he'd done in the Prism Wastelands. Even if he wasn't in control, Necrozma had used his body to hurt his friends. And, from the sound of things, he might've permanently screwed up their lives. The thought made his insides squirm.

"Yours in the simplest, Tessa. A standard Mega Evolution wouldn't imbue you with a rainbow aura. From what I saw, the lines your aura powers burnt into your fur have a more… metallic element to them than a Mega Lucario is supposed to have," Ephemeris explained. "Not to mention, while it's not unheard of for Pokémon to see shifts in their spiritual energy when they Mega Evolve, the fact is that you had very large bursts of dragon energy when you were transformed."

Tessa squeezed her scarf. "H… how do you know that?"

"You were still transformed when Lunala and I carried you to my home."

"Oh." Tessa's shoulders sagged. Shane nudged her arm with his snout. It was all he could think of doing.

"T-Tessa? Are you, um, okay?" he squeaked. When she didn't reply, Shane turned to Ephemeris and asked, "Isn't there any way to reverse the effects?"

"No," Tessa whispered. "It wouldn't work." She rubbed her looplet with her paw. "It's just like Necrozma said… I used his light to restore my defective aura sense. That's not something you can fix."

"But you didn't mean for that to happen. You were using a Z-Move to save the Volcanic Wastes!" Shane said. He tried to nudge his way under her arm. Shane hated seeing her distressed like this, especially after they'd just reunited.

"It's… okay." Tessa put her paw on his shoulder, but her voice was shaky. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gallian and Zoroark ready to bolt from their spots and hug her if needed. "Somehow, I had a feeling something like this might be the case." She put a paw on her chest and traced her digits through her black fur. "Even if I didn't intend for it to happen, it did. There's no point trying to deny it. And I'm not going to waste my energy trying to find a way to get rid of it, either. I think it'll just amount to nothing."

"I believe Necrozma's light is an integral part of your spirit," Ephemeris said. "If I could get rid of it for you, I would. But I don't think it's possible."

Shane whined. It took every ounce of strength for him to not complain on Tessa's behalf. It wasn't fair. She deserved a happy life, but Shane feared this was going to make it impossible for her to be at peace. "I'm willing to help you try and find a way to reverse it," he said, putting a forepaw on her lap.

"I appreciate it, Shane, but it's not necessary." Her voice was still shaky. Still, there was a spark in her eyes. Shane tilted his head, but said nothing. "What do I have to be concerned about?" Tessa asked, looking up at Ephemeris.

"Well, I believe you already know that for yourself. If you Ultra Burst, your energy will run wildly out of control. It could take hold of you and send you into a violent rage… much like a Blinding One deprived of light," Ephemeris said. "And, of course, in doing so, you run the risk of draining your spirit of its energy… or burning it out completely."

"Meaning, what, she could die?!" Shane said, ears sticking up. Gallian and Zoroark both got to their feet. "C'mon, Tessa, you've gotta let me try and help you find a cure." How could she be so calm about all of this? Well, okay, she was shaking, but her expression was still so soft. It confused Shane.

"I'm not going to hold out hope for finding a cure," Tessa said. "I think it's better that I try to learn how to control it… right?" She squeezed her memento.

"Well, I suppose so. If you could control it properly, then it would undoubtedly serve you well in battle." Ephemeris turned and coughed into his wing.

Tessa nodded. She then slumped over on her cushion, exhaling heavily. Shane leaned over, whimpering. "Tessa… are you sure about this? I don't… look, if you're upset, you have every right to speak up and say something. Y-You're with friends… a-and family."

"I appreciate the concern." Tessa wrapped Shane's right foreleg up with her left arm. His eyes and face both turned red. "But I'm still mulling things over. Besides, you've still got some news of your own. I want to know everything that's on the table for our team, okay?"

Shane lowered his head. His fur and eye color returned to normal. "Okay."

Ephemeris approached Silvally next. Silvally sat up straight. "I think I already have a good idea what you might end up telling me," he said, glancing at Espy. She nodded reassuringly and wrapped her tail around his hind leg for moral support. "See, ever since we got back from the battle with Necrozma, I've been… having trouble keeping my types and memories stable."

"Oh?" Ephemeris raised his brow. Shane practically jumped out of his seat. All he could remember was the moment Silvally flung himself and Zero and blew up. He was about to speak up when Silvally looked right at him. Shane shrank back, tensing when three of his tails brushed Tessa's side.

"There have been times where two sets of memories have been active at once. I thought that, maybe, my mind was playing tricks on me from fatigue or something. But then… I froze a falling light fixture and reversed its fall," Silvally explained, while Shane's eyes widened. Tessa sat back up. Even Espy looked as though this was news to her. "It… it couldn't have been anything other than time powers. Like what Dialga has— err, had.

"Then, when we were exploring the Ultra Nexus, some of my spirits actually popped out of me!" Silvally pivoted to show Ephemeris one of his cheek bolts. "These suckers opened up and, like, projected silver light and they turned into solid Pokémon."

"I was there. He brought up a Latios, a Zekrom, a Goodra, and Totem Kommo—" Espy realized her mistake the moment Hakamo-o poked his head up. Silvally looked at her in alarm, as did Shane and Tessa. "O… oh no. I… I said too much." Espy winced. "Sorry, Silv."

Hakamo-o was on his feet. "H-Hang on. Dad didn't rejoin the rest of the tribe when the world got all patched up." His gaze fell to the ground. "Y… you mean to tell me that he's still… he's still…" He shakily pointed an arm at Silvally. "And he's inside of you? But if he's dead… then he should be in the Tree of Life, shouldn't he? And… and…" Hakamo-o looked at Zephyr, whose eyes were as wide as Team Radiance's.

"You said there was a Goodra in the group, right?" Hakamo-o said, voice cracking. Espy tried to look away, but Hakamo-o lumbered across the room, ignoring Totem Ninetales' attempts to get him to calm down. "You've gotta let me talk to her! I— that's my mom! You're holding onto my mom's spir— aggh!"

He stumbled over the stairs surrounding the spirit pool and fell, bonking his snout against the wooden floor. "Ow… not the schnozzle. Why is it always the schnozzle?" Hakamo-o rubbed his throbbing snout.

"It's not my fault. I didn't mean for her to show up there," Silvally said, the guiltiest look on his face that his teammates had ever seen. "It… it's Necrozma. When I Exploded… the stuff he did with my spirits… a-and putting me back together…" Silvally shrank down to his belly. Espy leaned against him and rubbed his foreleg.

"That's what I was afraid of," Ephemeris said, rubbing his beak with a wing. "As best I can guess, it seems Necrozma did a very sloppy job of reconstructing you."

Red spread through Silvally's glowing parts. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Your ability — the one that lets you swap between types by drawing on spiritual powers — is unstable. From what I can tell by glimpsing at your energy, Necrozma accidentally transferred some of his own spiritual and light powers to you. I would not be surprised if you could form those golden energy balls he liked using."

"What? I don't want to pluck Pokémon's spirits out of their bodies or anything like that!" Silvally squawked. Several different colors rippled through his energy blades and tail, drawing a startled look from Shane. Now that he thought about it, there were times during the fight against Necrozma where it seemed like Silvally was tapping into some sort of strange power. Was this the result? On paper, it sounded cool, but after everything with Necrozma…

And Shane couldn't see it as anything other than his fault. If he hadn't been careless — if he'd attacked Necrozma when he was possessing Xerneas instead of standing there and talking — this never would have happened.

"Mmm… no, I don't believe you have such an ability. Though, if you'd permit me, I could take a closer look at your spiritual energy and hopefully give you more concrete answers." Ephemeris hopped in front of Silvally, spreading his wings out.

Silvally didn't respond. Espy brushed her head against his thigh. "Silv? Maybe you ought to do it? It's better to know, don't you think?"

Hakamo-o walked around Ephemeris. "You better say yes! Because I deserve an explanation, too!" He snorted out dragonfire embers. Silvally's expression somehow got even more guilty and Shane's heart plummeted. This was far from the joyful reunion he was hoping for.

"Okay. Fine," Silvally croaked. "Make it quick."

"I'm sure he knows what he's doing," Espy said, resuming rubbing Silvally's foreleg. Despite her assurances, he tensed up, digging his claws into the carpet.

"I'll be as gentle as possible." Ephemeris lifted his wings and took a deep breath. Soft, blue light spread through his wings. Ephemeris moved his wings up and down on either side of Silvally's torso, yet didn't actually touch him. Shane raised a brow, thinking Ephemeris looked like the Pokémon version of an office scanner.

"Okay." Ephemeris pulled his wings back and stepped away, blinking slowly. "That was… a lot to take in."

"Did you even do anything?" Hakamo-o threw his arms up in exasperation.

"I did. I have a much clearer picture, now. Silvally… it seems Necrozma turned you into a living, breathing spirit realm," Ephemeris declared. "You have a spirit core — the ones that form your 'memories' — but you also have free spirits moving around within your body, like blood through vessels."

Silvally didn't respond. He stared at the ground. Espy glanced between him and Ephemeris. Sighing, she asked, "Did you— um, do you have any idea how many free spirits he has?"

"A few hundred… maybe? Necrozma really did a sloppy job of things." Ephemeris said. Silvally winced and Espy shot him a horrified look. "Err, sorry. I could've phrased that better." He turned and coughed into his wing. "In any case, I believe the whole 'living spirit realm' bit also explains the strange powers. You're drawing on the abilities of your spirits."

"But Dialga's alive and well. Why was I able to use one of his abilities? And what about the light power you think I have?" Silvally whispered. His head stayed down. Despite Espy rubbing his leg, the crestfallen expression didn't leave his face. Shane looked over at Tessa. His impulse was to apologize. This was his fault. He needed to do something to make this right.

"I think it's best we keep our thoughts to ourselves for now, Shane." Tessa's aura feelers drooped.

Shane nodded, saying nothing. He curled two of his tails around his legs and pretended to straighten out their fur, as if trying to focus on something mindless would somehow let him ignore the tense conversation.

"You went inside of Void Necrozma. You were directly exposed to the giant amalgamation of spirits… and absorbed energy from the— well, let's call it a spirit soup of sorts," Ephemeris said. "The end result is that your range of abilities has extended. You're a bit like Mew or a Ditto… except you don't need to transform. I even—" He paused, but the momentary flinch was enough to make Team Radiance.

"What is it?" Silvally asked, leaning in.

"I even sensed a familiar divine energy… buried deep inside of you. Arceus' Judgement." Ephemeris stepped back, folding his wings against his torso.

Silvally's eyes widened, then he bowed his head. The shock of his face was plain as day. "That's all you can come up with? It's so vague!" Shane blurted out. He drew everyone's gazes toward him. Shane shrank down onto his belly, mentally kicking himself. Though he didn't make eye contact with Tessa he was sure she had a disapproving look on her face.

"Since you house a spirit realm, I have no doubt that you can summon the spirits inside of you, whether they are in your core or have free range of movement. I bet you can also summon spirits from the Tree of Life like Totem Ninetales or my counterpart," Ephemeris continued, tone calm. It didn't stop Shane from believing Ephemeris was upset with him, but he'd learned his lesson and chosen to stare at the floor.

"If that's the case, then I want to see my mom. You've gotta summon her… please." Hakamo-o grabbed Silvally's left foreleg and tried to shake it to little avail.

"Do I need to be worried… about the multiple types thing?" Silvally said. He still wouldn't look up, though he shut his eyes when Espy stuck her head into his line of sight.

"Yes. That, I believe, is your version of Ultra Burst. On your own, you might be able to balance having two types, like most Pokémon. But if you were to tap into the energy you took from Necrozma, you'd take a form that embodies every type," Ephemeris replied.

This time Shane couldn't stay silent. "He already did that when he fought Zero! And he… he… that made his body start to fall apart and he wound up Exploding." Again, all eyes fell on Shane, but he stood his ground this time. One look at Espy suggested she was thinking the same thing. She was the only one not staring at Shane, instead wrapping her tail around Silvally's foreleg. Shane's own tails curled up. Had he… missed something between the two in his absence? It looked like there was something else he'd have to follow up on.

"That's the risk Silvally runs by triggering his Ultra Burst, I'm afraid. If he keeps it active too long, his body will destabilize and it could end with him blowing himself apart," Ephemeris said, bowing his head. "I believe there's a similar risk to overworking your spiritual powers. Say, for example, summoning too many spirits at once."

Silvally's shoulders sagged. He then got to his feet, fast enough to knock Hakamo-o on his rear. "But you can get rid of the extra spirits, can't you? I mean… you saved Shane! You're… you're clearly very strong! Between you and Totem Ninetales… you can put them back in the Tree of Life where they belong, right?" His voice strained with each successive sentence. Different colors flickered in Silvally's eyes. His cheek bolts rotated asymmetrically.

Shane shuffled back toward Tessa. He hadn't seen Silvally this distressed since back when his mask was on. His heart ached. "There has to be something I can do," he said. "Silvally doesn't deserve this. He's…"

Tessa put a paw on his shoulder. "Sometimes bad things happen to good Pokémon," she whispered.

"But… but the void's gone. This is… I wanted you guys to find peace. Not get devastating news like this," Shane said, sniffling. He was tempted to label his friends as mutants of a sort, but managed to hold his tongue. That wouldn't have helped the situation in the slightest.

"I know. But, well, I think we all knew the risks of fighting Necrozma." Tessa put her paws in her lap. "Actions have consequences, after all."

"I'm sorry, Silvally," Ephemeris said, catching Shane and Tessa's attention. "As much as I would love to say I could remove the extra spirits… I can't."

"Th… that can't be right. You bind spirits to the spirit realm, don't you? A-And you can unbind them!" Silvally looked to Totem Ninetales.

"I can only unbind them as ghost-types. If I tried to remove them… I'd erase their essences and transform them into ghosts," Totem Ninetales said, shaking her head.

"Then what about you?" Silvally looked at Ephemeris.

"No. I would have to revive the Pokémon to remove its spirit. Besides, there's no way to safely remove those extra spirits without causing your body to start breaking down… like I mentioned earlier." Ephemeris folded his wings against his sides. "I'm sorry, but the extra spirits are bound to you for eternity."

"Eternity… right…" Silvally's water memories were on. A blue glow shimmered in his eyes and cheek bolts.

"But I believe, with proper training and guidance, you can learn how to better control these abilities and minimize the risk of losing yourself to your powers," Ephemeris said, offering an encouraging grin. It did nothing, though. Silvally looked down, then hunched over, leg muscles tensing.

"S-Silv?" Espy stepped back, tail crinkling.

Shane got to his feet, but Tessa held him back. "C'mon, Tessa, he's in pain. I have to—"

Silvally's cheek bolts opened. Two pulses of silver light emerged and slowly took the shapes of Goodra and Totem Kommo-o. From his position on the floor, Hakamo-o scooched back, eyes as wide as melons. On the other side of the room, Gallian, Zephyr, and Zoroark all got to their feet.

"H-Holy shit." Zoroark gasped. "He… he really… with the light… and the…" Zoroark grabbed hold of his mane and fiddled with it, whispering things under his breath.

"Unngh… my head…" Silvally groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. "Look, whatever you two want to say to him… just make it quick, please? I'm… not in a good place right now."

Hakamo-o focused mostly on Goodra. "M… M… M…" He couldn't even get the words out.

"Hello again, dear." Goodra tilted her head and smiled. "Your father told me that you got quite the strapping evolution… and now I can see it for myself." The smile faded, replaced by guilt. "I'm truly sorry that I wasn't there to witness it in person."

"N… no." Hakamo-o got to his feet, rubbing his eyes with an arm. "It's my fault, isn't it? If I had stayed behind, then you'd… you'd still be with the tribe. I… I…" His legs shook. He took one step forward. Then another. He closed the rest of the gap with Goodra. Stumbling, Hakamo-o expected to fall right through Goodra. Instead his face struck her belly. Though it had the same gooey consistency he remembered… he wasn't covered in slime like usual.

Goodra wrapped her arms around Hakamo-o. Muffled sobs echoed through the room. Silvally glanced at Totem Kommo-o who shifted about uncomfortably. "Not going to join them?" he asked.

"I… treated my son poorly in the past. I think it's best I abstain," Totem Kommo-o said, crossing his arms and bowing his head.

"Fair enough," Silvally said. He met Espy's gaze. She tilted her head, but Silvally waved her off. "I'm fine. Just tired, that's all."

"I'm sorry, Mom. After I left the tribe, I did some… not so good things." Hakamo-o stepped back and blinked tears out of his eyes. "Caused a bit of trouble. Got in a lot of trouble."

"I know some of the details. Your father and I have… spoken," Goodra said, glancing at Totem Kommo-o.

"A-about me?"

"Yes." Goodra stood up and pivoted so she could look at both her mate and her son. "I've already told this to your father, but it bears repeating in front of you. I'm quite upset with the way he treated you… and how he refused to listen to your feelings because he was stuck in the past." She put a hand on Hakamo-o's shoulder. "You should know that the night that you ran off—"

"You had done something to… to convince Dad to let you train me. But Dad wanted to go back on your deal," Hakamo-o said, wincing. "I overheard what happened. What exactly did you promise him, anyway?"

Totem Kommo-o's eyes widened. He looked ready to jump in, but Goodra leaned over and whispered a response to Hakamo-o. He immediately turned around, regarding his dad with a stunned expression. "D-Dad… you… and Mom…" Hakamo-o's brow furrowed. "I can't believe you would—" He cut himself off and shook his head. "I don't even know what to say to that! It's… it's beyond disgusting!"

Shane glanced at Tessa, who could only offer a shrug.

"Son, I—"

Hakamo-o held up a hand. "N-No. I don't want to hear it." He crossed his arms. "Look, I'm sorry you got roped up into all of this world-ending nonsense or whatever, but… but I'm going to need time to… come to terms with this stuff."

"Just as your father and I will need time to mend our relationship," Goodra said, stroking Hakamo-o's shoulder.

"And I've already promised that I will do whatever it takes to earn your forgiveness," Totem Kommo-o said, bowing his head. "Err… within the confines of what I can do as a spirit." He rubbed his shoulder, then sighed. "Can I at least ask you how the tribe is faring in my absence?"

"They're doing fine. With the gods depowered, Rayquaza moved to Rem Canyon to join the tribe." Hakamo-o remained stoic throughout his response.

"Yes. I heard as much from inside my, err, host." Totem Kommo-o glanced at Silvally, who shrugged his shoulders. "And are you all right?"

"I'm trying to make up for what I did. Y'know, reinvent myself and stuff," Hakamo-o said. "My buddy Zephyr's working with me." He jerked his head in Zephyr's direction.

"Zephyr?" Goodra turned around. "Ah… yes, right. The whole 'naming' thing I heard about." She smiled at Zephyr. "Thank you very much for looking after my son in my absence. I'm glad he had someone around to keep him on his feet."

"I-It was no big deal, ma'am," Zephyr said, stiffening.

Silvally coughed loudly. "Sorry, but I think we have to wrap this up. I'm getting tired."

Hakamo-o frowned. His tail dipped onto the floor. "You'll come back and visit, won't you?" He addressed the question more to Silvally than either of his parents.

"Well, if I'm going to do spiritual training, then I'll have to drop by eventually," Silvally said, though he was far from enthusiastic about the prospect.

"Okay. B-Because I wanna talk to you s'more." Hakamo-o leaned over and hugged Goodra again.

"I do too, dear. Maybe you can even come up with a name for me, hmm?" She put her free hand to her mouth and giggled. Then, in a flash of silver light, she retreated into Silvally's cheek bolt.

"Take care, son. I'm sorry," Totem Kommo-o whispered, then disappeared alongside his mate. Silvally staggered back and dropped to his belly on his cushion. Espy leaned against him and rubbed his side.

"That was very nice of you to do."

"I, uh… it wasn't intentional," Silvally croaked.

Shane and Tessa had watched the scene in silence. It would've been a lighter note to end things on, but Ephemeris locking eyes with Shane made him remember that there was still a big piece to this convoluted Ultra Burst puzzle. He sighed and lowered his head, bracing for the worst. "All right, let me have it. What'd Necrozma do to make me into a freak like my friends?" He didn't pick up on the poor word choice until he saw the frown on Tessa's face.

"It's more a matter of what you did to yourself. After all, you're the one who merged with Necrozma's core," Ephemeris said. "And part of why it took so long to restore you was because I had a real hard time figuring out what to make of your spirit. But I finally got my answer… and can pass along what I know to you."

"So, what is it? Am I Necrozma or am I an ice Ninetales?"

"Yes."

Shane blinked. "That wasn't a yes or no question."

"You're both." Ephemeris leaned over and pushed aside Shane's mane. Underneath the chest fur was a faint, glowing triangle… with Necrozma's familiar star-shaped sigil. "You, Ninetales Shane, are the core of Necrozma Shane, the new Guiding Light." He pulled his wing back, letting Shane's mane fall back and hide the markings.

All Shane could muster was, "I see." He looked down at his chest. In the back of his head, he figured this had to have been the case. Yet a small part of him had hoped that somehow surviving the supernova he'd caused meant he'd used up all of the Necrozma energy, so he would just be a normal ice Ninetales.

Espy tilted her head. "Hang on. You were talking a lot about Blinding Ones and how they're basically the same as Necrozma. Wouldn't that make Shane a Blinding One… not the Guiding Light?"

"It, again, makes him both. And the reason I say that is because he fused with a core that was forged from alchemy and ley lines. Shane has many of the powers Necrozma displayed that made him different from other Blinding Ones. Namely, spirit and light manipulation, as well as alchemy," Ephemeris said. Shane stiffened. His tails all straightened out in alarm.

"I don't want those powers! There… that's…" Shane shuddered. "I don't trust myself to handle that kind of stuff responsibly! And what if I… what if those powers turn me violent like they did to Nicky? Can't I just stay as a Ninetales? I don't have to transform or Ultra Burst or whatever, right?" The questions came pouring out and Tessa had to put a paw on his back and pulse a weak amount of aura to him to get him to calm down.

"I'm not well-versed in how Blinding Ones operate. All I can tell you is what I gleamed for analyzing your spirit. The fact is that you are Necrozma's core. As such, you're constantly absorbing light energy, even if you can't feel it," Ephemeris replied. "I don't believe there's an upper limit to how much energy you can take in… but it is dangerous for you to stay in that form the higher your energy levels get."

As if on cue, a golden ripple spread across Shane's back. A single golden, ethereal wing popped out, nearly knocking Tessa over. She managed to grab hold of it but her eyes were wide and her aura feelers were close to popping off her skull. "Ah, Tessa! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! That's…" Shane stared at the wing. "Where did that thing come from? How do I put it back?"

The wing tensed, spasmed, and then retreated into Shane's back. He sat there, wracked by shudders. "As I was saying… until you can learn to successfully control your Ultra Burst and transition between your two forms, I imagine there's going to be a lot of those moments." Ephemeris shook his head. "Blinding Ones naturally want to assume their true, draconic forms. I fear your instincts will be clashing with one another in that regard."

Shane's ears flattened. "Wonderful. So, it's like I'm back at square one… first starting out as a Vulpix or whatever." He dropped onto his stomach, groaning. "Okay. If I have to Ultra Burst, what's the catch? If my friends had a catch, I assume I do, too."

"I'm afraid so. And it's the same problem that other Blinding Ones face. If you overexert yourself… you'll enter into a stasis… just like what happened when you brought your friends out of the Ultra Nexus," Ephemeris replied. "And, though I have no way of knowing this for certain, it's entirely possible that, when you emerge from that stasis, you would become violent and unruly like other Blinding Ones when they are deprived of light."

"But that didn't happen here," Espy pointed out.

"Yes, because I was around to prevent it. I fed Shane small, measured doses of Sacred Fire." Ephemeris lifted a wing up. A tiny gold flame formed on its tip, which Ephemeris quickly dispelled as he tucked his wing back against his side. "You might not be lucky enough to have someone like me around in the future."

"The future…" Shane's gaze dropped to the floor. "Um, Ephemeris? If I… what does being Necrozma's core mean for me, exactly?"

"The same thing it does for Silvally. You will not age. That doesn't mean you can't be killed, of course, but you two are the last vestiges of ley lines from the old world. Dare I say… you're both remnants of the void." Ephemeris glanced at the spirit pool. "And that's why I believe it essential that all three of you learn to control your Ultra Bursts… and that you, Shane and Silvally, train your spiritual powers. Even if you don't intend to use them, if you fail to control them… they could very well end up controlling you."

Shane frowned. Ephemeris' last statement read like the back of a fortune cookie. Still, a knot twisted up in his gut. Which only made him wonder if he even had a gut anymore… or if it had actually been turned into some sort of hollow, crystal organ instead. Shane drew his lips back and gritted his teeth. Tessa shifted closer to him, but Shane couldn't meet her gaze. He had braced himself… but the news still turned out worse than he imagined.

Never aging? A vestige of the void… even though he had destroyed it? Shane didn't want that pressure on his shoulders. The team had rid the world of ley lines. So, why did it feel like he was being punished? And what about Tessa? How could… would it even be possible for him to say how he truly felt, knowing all of this stuff? Shane feared that a relationship would be too dangerous to pursue. If his powers went out of control and he hurt Tessa…

"Shane, please say something. That look on your face worries me," Tessa whispered. She put a paw on his shoulder, only to yank it back when a gold tendril nearly wrapped it up. "Shane?"

He saw the gold tendril go for Tessa's paw and forcibly jerked himself to the left. The tendril receded. Shane pressed his snout into his chest. "I'm sorry. This is a lot to take in." Shane couldn't get past the last things Ephemeris said to him. "Is… is there any way to undo the fusion? To separate my spirit from Necrozma's?" Shane asked.

"No. You are the core. There's nothing I can do to your spirit to change it back to what it used to be," Ephemeris said.

"I figured." Shane sighed. His mind went blank. Was it exhaustion? Shane didn't know, but he didn't want to think about everything Ephemeris had said anymore. He just wanted to lie down. Curl up with his friends and try to pretend like none of this had happened. But Shane couldn't do that. After all, how many problems had his team witnessed that were a direct result of people trying to ignore things they didn't like?

"Is that everything you wanted to tell us?" Silvally asked, eliciting a relieved sigh from Shane.

"It is, yes. Which would bring us to the demonstration part of this whole affair." Ephemeris gestured at the spirit pool with his left wing.

"Demonstration? What kind of demonstration?" Espy wondered.

"Spirit-channeling, of course," Ephemeris said. He and Totem Ninetales approached the pool, with the latter beckoning Zephyr over.

"You're going to channel a spirit? Right here?" Shane gasped.

"Why exactly are we here, then?" Gallian asked, brow furrowed.

"You are close with Shane and Silvally. I think it's important you all see what the spirit summoning process is like, so you're better equipped to help your friends in the future," Ephemeris explained while Totem Ninetales dipped a rod with a glowing orb into the pool. Bright blue light shimmered in the center of the water. It spread out, casting the room in a soft, blue glow.

Totem Ninetales removed the staff and looked Zephyr in the eyes. "Are you ready for this?"

A tingle ran down Zephyr's spine. His fur stood on end. He glanced around the room, until he found Hakamo-o, who gave him a reassuring nod. Zephyr stood up straight, arms by his sides.

"Yeah. Let's do it."

XxX
Next time: lots of spirits!
 

git-it

Member
'Yeah, Team Radiance is complete again! They will live on happy until ...wait... most of them are doomed to kill themselves or their surroundings?
At least they ...uhhm... they... can prevent it if they dont always give 100% and more! And... uhhm... at least not the whole team is affected!
Ha! Ha! No one can change my mind! ...Uhhh...'
So Shane is back again now.
Amby, you can't tell me that you did not only dragged him back to let him see that he failed to patch the lifes of the ones he loves ;) (Oh, you are so evil).
They are absolutely doomed. DOOOMED!
Or they have two chapters to cope with it. May be possible, but 2 is a very small number... 2... Sad...

And we still don't know if Rebecca was still on Silvallys back when they fell from the sky, because last time she was mentioned was in Ultra Space, and not in Esserlys enumeration of who was falling down ;) Theorizing activated: Rebecca is absolutely DEAD!!1!eleven!!

Well done,
Amby,
go on
and fulfill your plan.

Fin.
 
Last edited:

SonicStreak5344

New Member
@git-it: Glad you liked it. Though you're going to see exactly how some of that plays out with this next chapter.
@SonicStreak5344: As it stands right now, I don't have any plans for a sequel. If I do write any more stuff in this same universe, it'll be on the shorter side. Because this fic is way too long as it is. XP
Ok. But I came up with an idea for a PMD story which has Sonic the Hedgehog who is transformed into a Oceuni a fan made Water type starter Pokémon I came up with ends up in a modern world with technology and forms a team with Fenniken who lives in
Starlic City on the Star Continent and Chespin who later joins the team to become Team StarForce a Exploration Team for the Luxray Guild and help Pokémon in dungeons, fight outlaws, and save the world from a coming alien threat who were responsible for Fenniken's father's disappearance on space mission other fan made Pokémon from other users that I follow on DeviantArt will appear in this story. Oh the team will also go into Ultra Space too and have the usual alien abduction scenario with Chespin being the comic relief character for the team.
 

Ambyssin

Winter can't come soon enough
@git-it: You gotta take off that tinfoil hat, man. All you need to is read a few lines here and you'll see what's up. XP
@SonicStreak5344: Generally speaking, I can't judge something just on its premise alone, though I'm not really involved in the Sonic the Hedgehog fandom whatsoever. So, I'm not sure I'd be much help there. I can only advise trying to outline your story before writing it. If you lose motivation while outlining, odds are you aren't going to have fun writing it yourself and will end up abandoning your story.

Chapter was beta read by Namohysip.

XxX

Chapter 105: Spiritual Enlightenment

~Aeon Observatory~

"How long do you intend to stand there and try to steal glances at my ass, huh?"

Rebecca's comment made Milotic's ribbons crinkle. She pressed herself up against the wall, then sucked in a breath and slithered up to the doorway. Rebecca lay in the corner on a set of pillows, facing a pair of oak cabinets lined up side by side on the far wall. Milotic brushed her ribbons together. "I… I did no such thing. I just got here, actually. Came to ask if you were hungry." Her voice didn't waver.

"Liar!" Rebecca tilted her head slightly, her one visible eye narrowing. "Just how dense do you think you I am? Your silhouette's lingered by the door for god only knows how long. Obviously, you've been trying to sneak peaks at me."

"A-Absolutely not. I'm serious. I was going to ask you about dinner," Milotic insisted.

"Yeah, right. Your voice is shaky. Give it up. I caught you in the act. Hell, you're not even making eye contact with me right now, are you?" Rebecca's tail flaps curled up, releasing purple vapors. Milotic slithered back, ribbons tensing up. Her face reddened when Rebecca reached for a nearby blanket and threw it over her body, leaving only her head sticking out.

"Okay, yeah, I was standing by your doorway." Milotic lowered her head shamefully. She had to try to spin this somehow. "But it's not what you think! I was… spacing out. My friend is… in a bad place right now and I was lost in thought trying to figure out what to say to her."

"Uh-huh. Sure." Rebecca turned over to face Milotic. "My doorway must make for one hell of a thinking spot if you picked it to 'space out.' C'mon… I wasn't born yesterday." Rebecca rolled her eyes. Milotic bit her lip. She didn't think she was that transparent. Besides, it wasn't even a total lie.

"Let me tell you all the things that are wrong with this picture." Rebecca held up her index finger. "Number one… I'm human." She added a second finger. "Number two… I don't swing that way. Where I'm from… we ridicule the people that do." Rebecca lowered her hand and drew her lips back in a snarl. "And, lastly, even if I had been a lizard all my life, I would never date, screw, or do anything sultry with a goddamn oversized pasta noodle."

Milotic's eyes widened. "P-Pasta noodle?! I'm a—"

"Bitch did I stutter?" Rebecca sneered. Silence followed as Rebecca glared at Milotic and the latter's gaze wavered.

"I'm sorry. I'll, uh, leave you alone," Milotic whispered.

"Good. And don't let me catch you doing anything stupid like that again." Rebecca pulled the blanket up over her head. Milotic sighed and slithered out of the room. She left the doorway behind when she heard muffled screams and kicking behind her. Milotic didn't need to turn around to know what was up. Rebecca was shouting into her pillow and kicking the floor… exactly what Comfey told her she'd been doing since she'd come from Solstice Summit.

Milotic rounded the hallway corner. What was she going to do? With Serperior leaving the Observatory to self-reflect and Dragonite holed up in the team's old room, Milotic had no one to turn to. Talking to Dusk helped out a bit, but now that Dragonite was back, that sore spot had reopened. Milotic had to talk to her. Otherwise, her guilt would just keep eating away at her. So, she slithered up to her team's room and knocked on the door. There was no response.

Sighing, Milotic said, "Dragonite, it's me. Please let me in." She leaned against the doorway. Unsurprisingly, it didn't budge. "C'mon, Dragonite. You've been locked in there for long enough. We have to talk. You can't keep pretending like this didn't happen." Her ribbons drooped when silence followed. "Please… I don't want to loose my friend again," she whispered. Another long pause ensued. Milotic considered giving up and retreating upstairs.

But then footsteps met Milotic's words. She straightened up, but stayed silent out of fear she'd somehow spook Dragonite. After a tense minute of silence, a bolt lock clicked and the door creaked open. Dragonite didn't appear, however, so Milotic opened the door the rest of the way and went into the room. There, she found Dragonite flopping into her bed, groaning. She scratched at her clammy scales with her right hand.

"Well, you're here. Go on. Say your piece," Dragonite mumbled.

Milotic slithered up to Dragonite's bed. "None of this is your fault."

"Yes, it is. I believed what Necrozma and Zero told me. I… I enjoyed hurting the people I attacked." Dragonite shuddered. "It felt incredible to have that much power. When I nearly lost against Silvally I just… I just…" She curled up into a ball. "I couldn't handle it. It was like I was losing my mind or something."

Milotic bent over to be at eye level with Dragonite. "None of it's true, though. I didn't care about your looks when you were a Dragonair. It was never about that." She reached a ribbon toward Dragonite's wing, but Dragonite it pulled it against her back. "Nighty."

"Don't 'Nighty' me." Dragonite swatted Milotic's ribbon back. "I want the honest truth. You and Serpy cared more about the team's reputation, didn't you?"

"No, we didn't!" Milotic flinched, startled by how loud she was. "I, uh…" She coiled herself up. "Look, I can't exactly speak for Serpy… but I want you to know that it was never about reputation."

"But you did want me to stay as a Dragonair, didn't you?"

"Okay, fine! Yes! I admit it!" Milotic shrank down onto the floor. Dragonite turned over slightly, raising a brow. "But it's not what you think, Nighty. It… it didn't have to do with looks. It was…" Milotic trembled. "I was scared, okay?"

"Scared?"

"Yes, scared. About what would happen if you evolved again," Milotic said, rubbing her eyes with a ribbon. "You know I grew up around a lot of dragons. My dad is a dragon and his temperament is… well, you remember the stuff I told you, right?"

Dragonite bit her lower lip. "I… I do."

"That's why I was worried. I thought that some sort of, like, primal dragon instincts would kick in if you evolved." Tears trickled down Milotic's face. "I didn't want to lose you to an instinctual frenzy. You were… no, you are the person I trust the most out of anyone. I've always valued your insight." She fixed her tearful gaze on Dragonite. "That's why you were always the one I consulted when we were taking jobs, not Serpy. You were always the level-headed one. And I… I really liked how you kept me grounded. I didn't want to lose that.

"So, yeah, you're right. I was being selfish." Milotic sniffled. "But it's because I, um…" Her voice trailed off.

"What? What is it?" Dragonite scooched forward and now her head and torso were practically sliding off the bed.

"I t-told you. You're the… you're the person I trust the most out of anyone in my life," Milotic whispered. Her right ribbon was up. She wanted to reach out to Dragonite, but she held it in place, fearing what would happen if she did. Dragonite looked at the ribbon, then at Milotic, and then at the floor.

"Are you… are you implying what I think you're implying?" Dragonite looked her dead in the eye.

Milotic nodded slowly. She grabbed Dragonite's right arm with her ribbon. "P… please don't leave me. I want you in my life. I want—" Milotic stopped. "N-No, wait, this isn't fair." She pulled her ribbon back. "This isn't about what I want. It was my selfishness that led to all of this." Milotic bowed her head. "It's… it's up to you whether you want to stay or go do something else. Don't let me influence you."

She was about to uncoil and move away from the bed when Dragonite yanked her up onto her lap. Well, partially onto her lap, given Milotic's length. Milotic's ribbons shot up. "N-Nighty, what are you—"

"Why didn't you say something to me before?" she asked, frowning.

"B-Because I didn't, um, want things to be awkward on the team if you didn't see me the same way," Milotic squeaked. Her cheeks reddened.

Dragonite's antennae twitched. "Okay, yeah, I guess I see where you're coming from." She gently clasped one of Milotic's ribbons in her hands.

"So, then, are we—"

"I dunno." Dragonite let go of the ribbon. "I've never really given this kind of stuff any thought. But, like, we don't have an exploration team to worry about anymore. So, like, maybe we can try… uh, dating? See what happens, I guess. How's that sound?"

"Wonderful." Milotic leaned over and brought her head into the crook of Dragonite's neck. "Welcome back, Nighty."

Dragonite reciprocated the embrace, squeezing Milotic's torso. "It's good to be back, Millie."

XxX

~Solstice Summit~

At Ephemeris' encouraging, Shane and Silvally sat down by the rim of the pool. A gold tinge spread through Silvally's glowing parts. Likewise, looking into the pool gave Shane butterflies in his stomach. The blue water turned to swathes of gray, white, and black that swirled around one another. Shane titled his head. The back of his head tingled. His tails reflexively curled up. The more he stared at the pool, the more his fur stood on end. At the same time, an image flickered in his head of a night sky.

Was this what it was like to read auras? Shane shook his head and forced himself to pay attention. There'd be time for questions in the future. He focused on Totem Ninetales, whose brooch shimmered and pulsated with silver light. She stuck a forepaw into the pool, then lifted it. Two silver spheres floated out of the water. Shane had to stop himself from gasping out loud. Silvally watched them, eyes bright-gold.

They drifted toward Zephyr, who stepped back, a dazed look in his eyes. The orbs rippled and squirmed until they took the forms of two Weaviles, one with a pink crown and the other with a blue crown. Color filled the spirits like juice being poured into a glass. Totem Ninetales held her pose, brooch still shimmering. Shane tilted his head. These new spirits lacked the sheen that the ones Silvally summoned had. Was it because of a difference in the summoning method? Did that even matter? Shane wasn't sure, but his mind was already a blur.

"M-Mom? Pops?" Zephyr whispered, looking between the two of them and blinking slowly. They both stared at their claws, then looked back to Totem Ninetales.

"I was under the impression this would be a private event," Blue-Crown said, frowning.

"Forgive me. Circumstances changed after our last conversation." Totem Ninetales bowed her head. "Please, pay them no mind."

"It's been some time, Sneasel," Pink-Crown said. She tilted her head to the side. "And you look… so scrawny."

Zephyr winced. "I've… been through a lot since you guys left. Also, I go by Zephyr now. Sneasel Zephyr."

His parents exchanged confused looks. "It's a new custom we're trying… now that the world's been rebuilt," Totem Ninetales explained.

"I see. So, this is a custom from civilized 'mons, then?" Blue-Crown crossed his arms. An awkward silence fell over the room, with Zephyr poking his claws together. Shane wanted to tell him to say something, but the look on Zephyr's face gave him pause. He wasn't sure if it was his poor social skills coming into play or not, but Shane couldn't get a read on Zephyr's expression. He may as well have been staring at a wall. Shane looked to his teammates for any sort of clues, but they seemed just as confused. Even Hakamo-o looked bewildered.

"Zephyr? You, uh… gonna say something?" Hakamo-o whispered, scratching the back of his neck. He shrank back when Blue-Crown fixed a skeptical look on him.

Sighing, Zephyr rubbed his shoulder. "I guess… I should come out and say it, then. Yeah, if you couldn't tell by all of this… I ain't wild no more. And I ain't a thief no more, either. I had to put those days behind me."

"I see…" Blue-Crown looked around the room. "Well, this place is quite fancy. The Totem told us a brief version of how you ended up here. Caught by the guild and arrested?" He shook his head. "I thought we had told you to be judicious when choosing your targets. Going for the guild's headquarters is a fool's errand. I'm not surprised you were caught so easily."

"I was judicious!" Zephyr countered, face twisting into a grimace. He looked away, biting his lower lip. "What… what happened to you two? You left one night to do a job… and then you never came back."

"We had ventured into Tethys Tunnel, because we heard rumors of a valuable trinket in the swamps of Moonrise Marsh. But as we were walking through the Mystery Dungeon… I triggered an explosive trap." Blue-Crown bowed his head. "For some reason… the entire room was flooded with explosive traps. There was a chain reaction and, well, neither of us could withstand so many blows."

"Though we asked around the Tree of Life, nobody knew why such bad fortune had befallen us. The closest we got to an answer was a couple of people accusing Tapu Lele of setting the explosives for her own amusement," Pink-Crown continued.

Shane raised a curious eyebrow. He knew the Tapus could rearrange the Mystery Dungeons… but did they actually have the power to set traps? A shudder ran down his spine. If there were spirits that believed a Tapu intentionally set traps to mess with Pokémon, then there was a good chance that had actually happened. The thought prompted a round of teeth-gnashing, until his teammates' concerned looks made him stop and stare down at his forepaws.

"What about you, son? We want to know what happened to you." Pink-Crown reached out an arm and put it on Zephyr's shoulder. He winced, but didn't shrink back from the contact.

"I waited for you to come home. Kept waiting… until our berry stock ran dry. At that point, I set out on my own. Did everything you told me to. Stuck to targets I thought I could get away with stealing from and all that." Zephyr scratched his head feather. "And then, one night, I found that lug stumbling around, all covered in puke and stuff."

His parents turned to Hakamo-o, who stood up straight. "I… I was still a Jangmo-o at the time. I'd left home cause I had a… spat with my dad."

"And you two had always taught me that, just because I'm a thief, doesn't mean I should pray on a sorry-looking soul. I felt bad for him, so I took him in. Thought I could get myself a dragon apprentice out of the deal or whatever," Zephyr continued. "For a while, things worked out okay, because we were sticking to really easy targets. Again, like you both taught me." His gaze shifted to Shane and Tessa. "But then… one night, we found a Riolu sleeping with a fancy-looking scarf around her neck. It looked like the perfect thing to steal, so we took it. Only problem is, she gave chase. And she brought her friend with her."

Zephyr raised an arm to point at Shane and Tessa. His parents turned around. Shane's tails stiffened. He had no idea what to say in a situation like this. "Uh… hi there?" The unconvincing looks he got from both parents told him his efforts to defuse the tension had fallen flat.

"Those two beat me and Hakamo-o good… despite acting like they'd never fought before. It made me… upset. I tried to forget about it and go back to business, but Hakamo-o and I kept running into those two. And we kept losing." Zephyr bared his fangs. "I hated it. Every loss made me feel like I was letting you both down." He fixed a tired expression on his parents. "So, I wound up partnering up with a Midnight Lycanroc. But it still wasn't enough to beat Sno— sorry, Shane and his friends."

Shane's ears twitched. The tips of his tails thumped against the ground. A part of Shane's mind told him something as silly as Zephyr calling him by his proper name shouldn't have brought as much of a smile to his face as it did. However, he mostly took it as a sign that, somehow, he'd managed to earn Zephyr's respect. Luckily, he managed to keep his mouth shut and avoid ruining the moment.

From there, Zephyr recounted his escape from prison and all the trouble that Lycanroc's vendetta against Shane had gotten him into. By the time he was done, all Zephyr could do was exhale deeply and step back. After coughing for a few seconds, he said, "And there you have it. I'm done with the whole 'thieving' routine. Gonna use this community service or what have you to try and, y'know, reinvent myself or whatever."

Zephyr held his arms up. "So, go on. Scold me or tell me off or whatever. I can take it." He looked his parents in the eyes, but instead of the angry expressions he was expecting, he saw… relief?

Shane and Tessa glimpsed the parents' expressions and exchanged raised eyebrows. "Is it just me or does Sne— err, Zephyr seem surprised?" he whispered. "None of this is what I was expecting."

"It's not our place to judge," Tessa replied, shrugging. Shane rolled his eyes, but held his tongue to avoid Zephyr or his parents hearing him.

"We're not upset with you, son. On the contrary. We're glad that you're safe," Pink-Crown said, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Bwuh? But what about all that stuff about, y'know, thief's honor and whatnot? I let you down, didn't I?" Zephyr said.

Blue-Crown walked over and put an arm on Zephyr's right shoulder. "Son, we didn't teach you how to be a thief because we thought it was some grand family tradition you had to uphold… we taught you how to be a thief so you could look after yourself," he said. Zephyr responded with a slackened jaw and a blank expression. "Us dark-types… have never been well-regarded. And that got a lot worse after Dark Matter showed up. When your mother and I had your egg… we thought it'd be impossible for you to find a place among civilized or wild 'mons. So, we thought it best to teach you everything we knew, so that you could hopefully survive on your own."

"Then… then that stuff about picking targets—"

"For self-preservation… and to try and keep you from making any unwanted enemies," Blue-Crown said, walked back to join his mate. He looked around at the temple. "Honestly, if you think that you can make a life for yourself in this village, then we support you."

Pink-Crown nodded. "All we want is for you to be able to provide for yourself. This place… it looks like a good way to start a steadier life for yourself. A life that we couldn't provide for you." She wrapped an arm over Blue-Crown's shoulders. "When your community service is over, if you want to talk with us again and share what ideas you have for your future, your father and I would be happy to help you mull things over."

"Oh. O… okay." Zephyr blinked. He was dazed, like someone had socked him in the back of the skull.

"Something wrong, son?" Blue-Crown asked.

"No. I, uh… I guess I wasn't expecting this," Zephyr said. He stumbled toward his parents. A smile slowly replaced the blank look on his face. His arms weren't long enough to wrap around both his parents, but they recognized the gesture and pulled him into an embrace. "I'm sorry for the, y'know, chilly reception. I've really missed you guys."

A groan echoed across the room. Everyone turned to Gallian, with Zephyr and his parents wearing the most annoyed expressions. Gallian's face paled. He turned and buried his head in Zoroark's mane while his mate rolled his eyes.

"We miss you too." Pink-Crown stroked the top of Zephyr's head, feather included. "Promise us you'll try to set up at least one more of these, okay?"

"I don't think it's up to me." Zephyr glanced at Totem Ninetales. She was concentrating on her brooch, but still managed to look up at him and smile.

"I'm sure I can arrange something," she said.

"Great. We can catch up more, then," Pink-Crown said. She and Blue-Crown broke off the embrace. Their legs dissolved away in swirls of black and gray. "Goodbye, Zephyr. It was lovely to see you again."

"Take care, son." Blue-Crown nodded at Zephyr, then he and his mate condensed back into silver spheres that dropped into the pool and vanished instantly.

Zephyr stared at the pool. Then, he staggered back a couple of steps. Hakamo-o managed to reach his side in time to catch him before he collapsed. "Z-Zeph? You okay?"

All Zephyr could manage was incoherent mumbling. "I think he's still in a bit of shock from the session. You should lay him down so he can rest," Totem Ninetales said, gesturing to one of the now-occupied mats with her leftmost tail. Hakamo-o nodded and carried Zephyr toward the nearest mat.

"W… wait…"

Hakamo-o froze and looked down at Zephyr. "Sn… Shane. Where… Shane?" Zephyr murmured.

"Uh, he's right across from us. Do you need him for something?" Hakamo-o wondered, trying and failing to adjust his grip so Zephyr could see Shane.

"Tr… train…" Zephyr squirmed in Hakamo-o's grasp. "I want… to train… with your team."

Shane's ears twitched. That had come out of left field. He wanted to press Zephyr for more details, but Zephyr's eyelids closed and his arms went limp. Hakamo-o sighed and carried him over to the mat. Laying Zephyr down, he said, "Zeph's mentioned you guys a few times to me. Talking about how he wishes he could defend himself the way you four can. Keeps circling back to how he couldn't do nothing to stop Lycanroc during his episode."

"Well, we don't exactly have any formal training plans. Especially not with Mystery Dungeons being gone," Espy said, frowning.

"But that doesn't mean we can't come up with something," Tessa said, drawing stunned looks from Shane and Silvally. "What?"

"You really want to do that for the guy after he harassed us so much?" Shane whispered. Though it was a flattering gesture, Shane didn't trust the motivation behind it.

"Yes, I do. For one… he helped my brother put together a big gift for the team, so I think he wants to change. And second…" Tessa trailed off and rubbed her shoulder. "I think it'd be, um, kinda nice to teach someone?" Her voice cracked from the uncertainty behind her statement.

"Oh." Shane curled his tails around his legs. "Well, in that case… go for it. Do whatever you think'll make you happy. I'll help in any way I can."

Espy and Silvally shrugged at one another. Ephemeris cleared his throat. "There's one other thing I'd like to do before we, erm, adjourn this meeting."

"Is it going to be quick?" Gallian asked, voice muffled by Zoroark's mane. Zoroark grabbed him by the horn and yanked his head up, an unamused look on his face. Gallian grinned back sheepishly.

"It's for you and Tessa, actually." Ephemeris approached the spirit pool while a golden shimmer spread across his wings. "There's someone who wants to see you."

Tessa's aura feelers shot up. Shane sucked in a breath. There were only two people that came to mind for him… and he strongly favored one guess over the other. He put a forepaw on Tessa's lap. "It's gonna be okay," he said, wishing there was more he could offer.

"If… if this is who I think it is… I'm not ready." Her aura feelers quivered.

"Well, we're all here for you." Shane nudged her shoulder.

"Right." Tessa got to her feet and, gait unsteady, made her way toward the spirit pool. She and Gallian stood in front of it with Zoroark a few steps behind them, clutching his mane and fiddling with locks of hair. Tessa looked to her brother who was about as tense as she remembered when his disaster sense was overwhelming him.

Ephemeris thrust his wings forward, drawing a silver sphere dripping orange and black water out of the pool. It hovered to the edge and expanded outward until a monochromatic Incineroar stood in front of his children. Tessa gripped her scarf tight. She grabbed Gallian by the scruff of his neck, sensing he was going to pounce, and held him until colors filled up Incineroar like they had Sneasel's parents.

"So, that's what he looks like," Espy whispered, swishing her tail.

Incineroar looked down at his kids. "Tessa. Gallian. It's been… quite some time, hasn't it?"

Even though she knew it was coming when Ephemeris called her over, Tessa still stumbled back, losing her grip on Gallian. By the time she found her legs again, Gallian had curled up against Incineroar, who leaned over to reciprocate the hug. Incineroar stuck out his right arm. Tessa lumbered toward him, unable to hold back tears.

"Look how big you've gotten, kiddo," Incineroar said, voice cracking as he wrapped Tessa up into the embrace. "Even got your old 'mon's stripes on your tail."

"D… Dad…" Tessa pressed her face against Incineroar's side. "I… I… missed you so much."

For a couple of minutes, the room was silent, save for Gallian and Tessa's muffled sobs. Thoughts of Shane's human family lingered in the back of his mind. Guilt weighed down his shoulders. Even though he technically had the means to reach them, he didn't think he ever would. And that made him wonder exactly what happened after his departure. How did his parents react? His sisters?

Shane shook the thoughts from his head. He didn't want to show any outward signs that would ruin the mood of the tearful reunion. Shane shifted about on his cushion and batted the end of his leftmost tail.

Incineroar finally broke off the embrace. "I don't know what to tell you both… other than that I'm sorry."

"You don't have anything to apologize for, Dad," Gallian said.

"That's not true. I took too many things for granted. My position. My teammates. Your mother." Incineroar frowned. "I believed that I was surrounded by wonderful people… but that wasn't the case."

"No, Dad… don't say that. I mean, I'm the one who caught that cold the day you—"

Incineroar put a paw on Tessa's snout. "Don't blame yourself, Tessa. I never blamed you."

"But Mom did…" Tessa's aura feelers drooped. Shane winced, flashing back to that faithful morning in Tessa's house where he learned the truth through her tear-filled confession. Glass shard silhouettes flickered around the corners of his vision. Shane squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, telling himself Tessa was in a better frame of mind now.

"I know she did. But she was wrong." Incineroar pointed at his chest. "It just goes to show how out of the loop I was with everything. I never realized her secret… and how she really felt about you two. Just like I never realized that Braviary was always suspicious of her… or that Metagross had grown increasingly paranoid about me.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I think something like this could've happened. I always wanted to be there to support you both. Instead, I left you on your own at a time when you were both vulnerable." Incineroar sucked in a sharp breath. A shaky smile appeared on his face. "But that's why… I can say with one-hundred percent certainty that I am so, so proud of you both." He rubbed his kids' heads as he choked up on his words.

"Proud? But I… I harassed Tessa." Gallian looked away, tail drooping. "I walked out on her. She was the one who snapped me back to my senses."

"Yes, Gallian. You did make mistakes. But you also worked to correct them," Incineroar said. When Gallian looked up at him in surprise, he winked and continued, "I've been kept in the know about your escapades. I heard what you did for Tessa after the battle with Necrozma. You came up with that on your own… and that's something to hold your head high over. And, well, I heard you risked your neck to save your mate. I don't think a total screw-up would've charged into danger like that."

Shane couldn't help but laugh nervously, as that sounded exactly like what a total screw-up would do. Namely… what he did in his lousier moments during the whole adventure. He silently nodded at Gallian while Incineroar looked past his kids and toward Zoroark.

"So, you're the lucky guy, huh?"

"S-Sir." Zoroark stood up straight and saluted. "I, uh…"

"No need for the formalities, Zoroark. I've heard enough to know you're the right 'mon for Gallian. I only wish I could, y'know, actually be there to see how your relationship progresses. Instead, I'll just have to get whatever updates I can from the spirit realm." Incineroar sighed and shook his head. "Regardless, let me offer you a belated welcome into the family."

Zoroark blinked. "Oh, uh, thank you. It's…" He scratched his restored left ear. "I love your son a lot. In spite of the big hiccup we had, I'm glad he's a part of my life." He smiled at Gallian, who turned and smiled back.

"Aww. That's precious," Silvally chirped, drawing a few stern looks. Espy rubbed his foreleg as he shrank down to the ground.

Incineroar turned to Tessa. "You've been through such a harrowing experience. I'm not sure I would've been able to stand tall through all the hardships you endured."

"D-Don't say that, Dad. You w-were the strongest guy I knew," Tessa said between bouts of sniffles.

"Well, that's not the case anymore. You're far stronger than I am. And I'm not just talking about dishing out the hurt." Incineroar punched the air. "From what I saw when you were fighting Necrozma, you've become such a mature young lady. And you did that in spite of all the nasty things Prisma told you after I had passed." He reached down and rubbed Tessa's head. Her tail wagged slightly. "No matter what you may tell yourself, you're as big of a hero as the ones you loved reading about. Nobody can take what you've done away from you, so don't let them. Okay?"

"Y-Yes, Dad." Tessa could barely choke back further tears any longer. Shane's tails twitched. He wanted to go to her side and comfort her, but he could feel Espy and Silvally's gazes on his back. Shane stayed seated, fidgeting with his rightmost two tails.

Incineroar rubbed the back of his head. He glanced back at Ephemeris, who nodded. "It looks like… that's all the time we have for right now," he said.

"W-What? But I— we haven't gotten to speak for that long! I have, like, so much to tell you!" Tessa blinked tears from her eyes.

"I'm sure you do. But I can only stay outside the spirit realm for so long like this." Incineroar offered a warm smile. "We'll do this again in the future, though. After all, it's not like I'm doing all that much in the Tree of Life."

Tessa's ears and aura feelers drooped. "O… okay. I guess… I guess I'll talk to you later, then?"

"Keep your chin up, Tessa." Incineroar knelt down and put a paw under Tessa's snout. "You've made some great friends. I can tell how much they care about you. Your buddy, Shane, has barely been able to sit still through all of this."

Shane's tails fanned out. "I, uh… I can explain!"

"There's no need. I've got a pretty clear picture." Incineroar stood back up and approached the spirit pool. "Gallian, Tessa, I have faith that good things await you both in the future. No matter what happens, though, keep each other close… along with your friends. Sound good?"

"Yeah," Gallian and Tessa said in unison. Incineroar opened his arms wide and his kids approached for one last embrace. Warmth flooded them, then gradually faded away as Incineroar shrank back down into a silver ball and returned to the spirit pool. Totem Ninetales stirred the waters with her staff until they returned to the luminescent blue color they originally had.

"Bye, Dad," Tessa whispered, grabbing Shane's memento and pulling it up against her scarf. Her aura feelers twitched and she stepped back to avoid Shane crashing into him. "Good grief, Shane. You really couldn't sit still, could you?"

"W-Well, I—" Shane's face reddened. "Okay, yeah. But I was, y'know, worried about you and stuff. Are you okay? Happy? Sad? Something else?"

"I'm… tired, to be honest," Tessa said, slouching over. "And peppering me with questions isn't going to help in that regard."

Shane shrank back, ears flattening. "Ah. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. This has been a long week, that's all. And an even longer evening." Tessa stepped to his side and put a paw on his shoulder. His tails puffed up, then frazzled. "I mean, I just got my partner back, only to have a total bombshell dropped on me about my life… and then my dad got spirit-channeled." Tessa shook her head. To Shane's utter confusion, she then laughed.

"Um, are you—"

"Sorry. I'm still trying to process all of this. Like, so much has happened so quickly, that I can't help but laugh." Tessa rubbed her eyes.

"Maybe we ought to head back to the Observatory, then?" Zoroark suggested. "I'm in the same boat as Tessa. I could use some shut-eye… assuming I can sleep after all of this nonsense."

"There's no need to make the trek back to Aeon Town. You all can stay in my home," Totem Ninetales said.

"That's very generous of you, but it's still daytime in the other hemisphere, so I'm sure Hoopa could portal us back to the Observatory," Gallian said, bowing.

"Nonsense. It's the least I can do for you all as thanks for agreeing to our request." Totem Ninetales looked at Ephemeris.

Gallian had a retort prepared, but it was lost amidst a loud yawn. "Okay, you got me. Think you can walk us over?"

"Of course. Follow me." Totem Ninetales headed for the front door. The rest of the group followed, with Hakamo-o carrying the still-unconscious Zephyr. Only Silvally stayed where he was sitting.

"Something wrong, Silv?" Espy said.

"Huh? Oh. Uh, you guys go on ahead. I'll catch up to you. This place isn't that big. I'm sure I'll fine the Totem's house on my own." Silvally avoided eye contact with the rest of the group.

Espy tilted her head, then waved the rest of the group off with a forepaw. Shane frowned. "If you're staying behind, then I think we should—"

"Shane. I appreciate it, but you only just woke up. Why don't you have Tessa catch you up on what's happened the last couple of weeks?" Espy said, pointing her snout toward the door in a fashion suggesting she wanted to be alone with Silvally.

"Um… okay." Shane turned and followed Tessa and the others out the door, but not before taking one last look back at Espy. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"I do." Espy closed the door behind them. 'At least, I hope I do.' She cautiously approached Silvally and sat down across from him. Leaning into his field of vision, she asked, "You okay, Silv? That look on your face is scaring me."

Silvally stayed silent. He squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head to the right. Espy got to her feet. "C'mon, Silv. I want to help. Don't shut me out like this. R… Remember what we talked about in the Ultra Nexus?"

"I do…" Silvally's words were strained. He sounded like he was in pain. Espy took a step toward him but he held a foreleg up. "It's… I… need to focus… a minute." Silvally leaned over, grunting like he was trying to wretch something up from his stomach. Clammy gray spread through his glowing appendages. Silvally's cheek bolts opened and vented cold air. Espy stepped back, shivering.

Why had his ice memories activated? "Silv, are your spirits acting up?" It was the only explanation Espy could think of.

Silvally coughed in response. Another silver ember materialized, like the ones from the spirit pool. Silvally sat hunched over, panting heavily, while the ember expanded outward. Espy stepped back again. The ember expanded into another ice Ninetales. It was about as big as Totem Ninetales, so that must've meant it used to hold the same position. Espy's jaw dropped.

"Silv… is that a—"

"Totem… Ninetales." Silvally took several deep breaths and lifted his head. "More specifically… the one who rounded up all the spirits Golem welded together to create me… and the one that I killed when I couldn't control myself."

Espy's ears and tail shot up. She and Silvally locked eyes with the spirit in unison. Her expression, in turn, wilted. "I actually have a familiar name, you brute. It's Leina. I was from Solstice Summit, too, remember?"

"What's she doing inside your body?" Espy said, though the answer was obvious.

"She's not the only one." Silvally cheek bolts rotated asynchronously. "The others are there, too, aren't they? The rest of your 'team.'"

"All the ones you and Necrozma butchered. Except for Golem himself, of course." Leina shivered. "You can certainly try to summon them, but they will resist. None of them want to see you."

"And I don't want to see you," Silvally growled.

"Then why did you summon me?"

"Because I had a sinking feeling in my stomach and I wanted to get to the bottom of it." Silvally stood up and paced around Leina. Espy frowned. From what she remembered in Golem's videos, Leina seemed most opposed to everything Golem was doing. Espy wasn't even sure she ever saw Leina's face in the recordings.

"Okay, your curiosity's been sated. Now, put me back," Leina said, though her slouched posture did little to bolster her demands.

"No." Silvally paused in front of her.

"S… Silv? Maybe it's best to listen to her?" Espy squeaked. "You're… you're angry. And you might not be thinking straight."

Silvally took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come across as hostile," he said, though a twinge of venom still clung to his words. "All I want is to ask one simple question: why?"

"Why?" Leina cocked her head.

"Why did you do it? Why did you agree to work with them?"

"That's not one question," Leina huffed.

"It might as well be. In the recordings… you seemed hesitant. Like you thought it was a bad idea." Silvally's head crest fanned out. "Why did you go through with it, then?"

"Because I only really objected to Golem filming everything with Porygon2 so he could flaunt his 'genius,'" Leina blurted out. Silvally looked at her skeptically. "In truth, I was one of his biggest supporters. I didn't trust the gods. And something about the circumstances behind the original Ho-Oh's 'death' made me uncomfortable.

"Golem approached me with the idea… and I thought it was a good proposition, to be honest. A way to give future generations peace of mind. But when he said he wanted to record everything so people would know who to thank, I voiced my displeasure." Leina shook her head. "I've always believed firmly in karma. When he started referring to himself as the 'Illustrious Golem,' I feared that his hubris would seep into the experiment and lead to something… unfortunate."

"And, in a manner of speaking, you turned out to be right." Silvally's eyes flickered red. Espy stepped to his side and cleared her throat.

"I think the problem is that Leina's 'team' didn't value you as a living being. And, as such, they didn't treat you with the kindness that living creatures need to thrive." She nudged Silvally's foreleg.

"Yeah." Silvally curled his talons around his cushion. "You were using the power of the void. And, well, now we know that that power is volatile… and sensitive to the emotions of those around it." His brow furrowed. "But I can't believe it didn't occur to any of you that your negative attitudes wouldn't affect me after everything that happened with Dark Matter's first attack."

Leina bit her lip. "What do you want me to say? We had tunnel vision. We were so focused on seeing the project to fruition, that nothing else mattered."

"So, because I didn't hatch from an egg, I didn't deserve to be treated with any sort of respect?" Silvally growled.

"That's not what I said. Only that—" Leina cut herself off. "Forget it. I don't know what you're looking for. Some sort of apology, perhaps?"

"No. I'm looking for a promise. A promise that you and your cronies won't try any sort of funny business," Silvally said, only to be met by a skeptical look. "You heard what Ephemeris said. My RKS System… it's unstable. I don't have the same control over my spirits as I did when I had the memory looplet. So, I want your word that you're not going to try and take advantage of that."

"Fine. You have my word. After all, your Ninetales friend depowered the gods. In a roundabout way, we got exactly what we wanted," Leina said, voice weary. Silence followed, at which point Silvally raised his foreleg. It shimmered with silver light. Espy backed away, wondering if she should speak up. Thankfully, however, all Silvally did was return Leina's spirit to his body. She sighed in relief.

"Okay. That was… a bit concerning, for sure." Espy offered him a shaky grin. "How about we go and rejoin the oth—"

"It's not fair!" Silvally raised a foreleg up and smacked his cushion. Espy jumped back, fur standing on end. A blue glow spread over Silvally as his eyes watered. "I've worked so hard… so damn hard to be my own person. I broke the mask. I subdued the angry spirits. I… I found great friends. I helped keep the world in one piece. And I made up with the Unown." He smacked the pillow again. Tiny tears spread through the fabric.

"So, why? Why did this have to happen? I want to be my own person!" A blue ripple spread through his claws as he struck the cushion a third time. Damp cotton poked out of it. "I don't want to spend my entire life worrying whether I'll be able to keep these spirits under control! I don't want anyone to hijack my body or anything! I want to be me. I want to be with you, Espy!"

"S-Silv—" Espy's legs trembled. She glanced at her naturia looplet, fearful Silvally was losing control again. He kept striking the cushion over and over again until soggy cotton was strewn all over the floor. Then, his foreleg broke through the floorboards and he doubled over. His keen made Espy's heart jump into her throat.

She was at his side in an instant, leaning her tiny frame against his large, shuddering form. "Talk to me, Silv. Remember what I said to you in the Nexus. Don't bottle everything up." Espy stroked the chitin on his foreleg.

He sniffled, then brushed his head against his shoulder. "I'm afraid. I'm afraid I'll hurt you… or Shane or Tessa," Silvally blubbered. A whine escaped his beak. Espy's tail crinkled from the unpleasantly high pitch. "Necrozma… he did this all on purpose. He must've thought there was a chance you guys would free me from his control, so he left one final, nasty surprise waiting. A way to make sure that, even if we beat him, I'd never have peace of mind."

Tears dribbled onto Espy's shoulder. She hopped up on her hind legs and reached toward Silvally's beak with her right forepaw. "Look at me, Silv," she said, but he pivoted his head to his left. "Look at me." Espy managed to turn Silvally's head toward her. "I know you're scared. I'm scared for you. But even though I'll never really know what you're going through… I can still be here for you."

Silvally blinked tears out of his eyes. "But what if I lose control? What if… what if I lash out at you?"

"I care about you too much to let things get that far. And I'm sure Shane and Tessa feel the same way. You don't have to face this challenge alone. Not as long as we're here." Espy moved her forepaw to the tip of Silvally's beak. She was making this up as she went, but it was relieving to see her words getting through to him. "Yes, it might take time for you to get these new powers under control, but that's okay. That spiritual training with Ephemeris sounds like it will help you a lot. I'm confident you can overcome this, like you've done with every obstacle you've faced. And even though I may not be a part of the training, I'll support you as best I can."

"You don't have to do that for my sake," Silvally whispered.

"I want to." Espy stroked Silvally's feathers. "It's like I said before… I'm not expecting you to be perfect. And you shouldn't hold yourself to such high standards. Just do the best that you can. And don't be afraid to ask for help." Her ears drooped. "That was the big mistake that I had made… and you know where it got me."

Silvally didn't respond at first. Espy looked into his eyes, trying to judge what was going through his head. His energy was far too chaotic to read. A pleading look spread across her face. She thought she had a good point… but was Silvally too stressed to acknowledge it?

"Okay." Silvally exhaled deeply. "You're right. I can't let myself get paralyzed by fear. I'll only end up creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. I'll… I'll focus on the training and see how things turn out." He leaned over, pressing his beak to Espy's forehead gem. "You'll attend the training too, right? Even if you're not participating?"

"Of course I will. Because I love you." Espy's heart soared. After all the encouragement Silvally had given her, it felt great to return the favor to him. She kissed the front of his neck.

Silvally licked Espy's cheek. "And I love you, too, Espy."

There was a moment of silence, then Espy whispered. "Selene."

"I beg your pardon?" Silvally looked at her in confusion.

"I've decided on my familiar name. It's Selene." She brushed her head against Silvally's neck. "Because… when I'm with you, things feel serene." Selene looked up at him, smiling.

Chuckling, Silvally shook his head. "Wow. If Shane hadn't just woken up, I'd have believed he came up with that one."

"Are you saying you don't like it?"

"Not at all. I think it suits you well. Selene…" Silvally broke off the embrace and shook out his feathers and fur. "Sorry for snapping. Didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay. Though, uh… you're probably gonna have to tell the Totem about the floor," Selene said, wincing.

Silvally looked at the damage and his head crest shrank. "Crud."

"How about we worry about it in the morning?" Selene said. Silvally nodded and joined her at her side. Together, they made their way out of the temple. To their surprise, however, they found Shane pacing near the entrance. Selene quirked an eyebrow, wondering how much of Silvally's outburst Shane had heard. "Something the matter, Shane?"

"Um… kind of?" Shane poked at a few stray pebbles on the ground. "I, uh, need to borrow Silvally. If not now… then soon."

"Borrow me for what? It's late at night. We should sleep," Silvally said, though his glowing appendages darkened.

"I know that. But I, uh…" Shane's tails twisted up. "Look, Tessa's filled me in on what's happened and, well, I think I should go talk to Rebecca… and Xerneas, too."

"And this can't wait until the morning?" Silvally forced out a yawn to emphasize his point.

"I tried to lay down and get some rest, but I couldn't stop thinking about them." Shane's ears flattened. "The longer I go without talking to them, the more likely I am to just avoid them entirely. And that's, like, a bad idea."

"You don't think you'll just piss her off by waking her up?" Selene frowned. "She's hardly been in the best of moods since we brought her back from the Nexus."

"I know." Shane hung his head. "This is another one of my dumb, impulsive ideas… but I can't help it! It's an itch I need to scratch." He shot Silvally a pleading look.

"And how do you plan on getting to the Observatory, exactly?" Silvally asked.

"Yo."

Selene and Silvally turned and gasped in unison. Hoopa lay in midair, resting his head against his hands.

"Cripes! How are you so good at sneaking up on us?" Selene said, bending over and brushing a foreleg against her chest.

"Years of practice." Hoopa grinned. "So, we going to your base or not?"

Silvally sighed. "Okay, fine. But I really hope you know what you're doing, Shane."

Shane gulped.

XxX
Continued in next post.
 

Ambyssin

Winter can't come soon enough
Continued from previous post.

XxX

~Aeon Observatory~

"Well, you've been lingering outside the door for a few minutes, now. Are you going in or not?" Silvally tapped an impatient talon against the ground.

"I'm just, y'know, gathering up my thoughts," Shane whispered. He constantly shot looks toward the door and the darkness on the other side. He hadn't thought this through properly. Though he wanted to back out, he wasn't sure if he was more scared of Rebecca or Silvally getting upset at being dragged along for nothing. With a deep breath, Shane held his head high and approached the doorway.

He knocked, then said, "Hey, Rebecca, are you still up?"

Silence followed. Shane was about to back off, when a pair of pink eyes stared back at him from the corner of the room. "What's it to you?"

Her voice was hoarse, like she'd spent the entire day shouting. Shane second-guessed himself again, but a stern look from Silvally was enough to get him to walk into the room. "I… wanted to check in on you and see how you were doing. My teammates told me what happened."

"How I'm doing? You want to know how I'm doing?" A bitter laugh echoed through the room. With his vision impaired, Shane couldn't see the blanket flying at him. He hissed when it struck and staggered back. As soon as he bucked it off, his rear struck a luminous orb. Shane jumped forward with a yip. Light filled the room, revealing Rebecca lying on her right side, with her left arm resting against her hip.

Unpleasant memories of Shane's first encounter with Totem Salazzle bubbled to the surface. He squeezed his eyes shut in an effort to concentrate. "Yeah. I do," he said, though the clammy appearance of Rebecca's scales and the vessels throbbing in her sclera gave him a clear enough answer.

"How do you think I'm doing? My life is ruined!" Rebecca hissed, her tail flaps uncurling. Shane tensed, but fortunately Rebecca produced no vapors to hypnotize or poison him.

"W-Well, we might be able to turn you back," Shane said. "Once I learn how to use some of my new powers, I—"

Unlike the blanket, Shane saw the pillow heading for his face. He caught it with ESP and set it on the ground. Rebecca snarled. "No. You can't. The big, gold turkey already made it clear. I'm stuck in this stupid, smutty lizard body!" She smacked her hip with her left hand.

"O-Oh…" Shane's tails drooped. Nobody had told him Rebecca spoke with Ephemeris. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? Bullshit." Rebecca waved her left hand dismissively. "You're living out your damn wet dream, surrounded by all your magical cartoon talking animal buddies. But what about me, huh? My friends… my family… my future. It's all gone!" Rebecca sat up. Embers smoldered under her tail flaps. "Unlike you, I had people who cared about me. People who liked me and who I liked in return. And that's all gone! Because of you and your twink of a friend!"

The wet dream comment hurt, but when Rebecca brought up Shane's lack of a social life in the human world, he growled and bared his fangs. "I'm well aware of the fact that I made mistakes with Nicky, thank you." He took a step toward her. Ice swirled around his paws. "But you can't act like you're an innocent victim in all of this. You… you used him. You got those friends by hurting Nicky!"

"I didn't do anything to hurt him. The court records prove it." Rebecca crossed her arms and stuck up her snout.

"That sounds like something a guilty person would say!" Shane's eyes flashed gold for a second. While Rebecca didn't catch it, Silvally noticed golden flickers on the ends of Shane's tails and his head crest fanned out. Black light spread over him like ink poured into water.

"Are you trying to get me to fess up to something?"

"Yes! Admit it… you're the one who set Nicky up and posted those photos online," Shane barked, snorting out ice tufts.

"Shane," Silvally whispered. One of Shane's tails whapped him in the beak when he tried to step toward him.

Rebecca and Shane stared each other down, neither one flinching. Silvally kept trying to enter the room, only for one of Shane's tails to block his path. Eventually, Rebecca slouched over, sighing. "Fine. You got me." The defiance drained from her expression. She rubbed her temples. "My life's over, anyway. There's no point in keeping in hidden."

She locked eyes with Shane. "Yes, I spiked Nicky's drink. Geoff and the others helped me strip him and take photos. Then, I got a tech wiz friend from another school to help me post them online." Rebecca lowered her head. "So, go on. Yell at me. Chew me out. Do whatever. I overhead folks talking about how you're, like, merged with the thing that brought me here. So, you're practically God or something, right? Or some kind of demigod?"

Shane was absolutely ready to yell at her when he took one look at the defeat on her face and frowned. That, coupled with her claims about his powers, made him pause. What he planned on saying collapsed like a house of cards, leaving his mind scrambling to regroup his thoughts. But he couldn't come up with anything, so silence lingered in the room.

"I see how it is. You want me to stew in my guilt… or whatever." Rebecca rubbed the Necrozma mark on her stomach. "Look, I was wrong, okay? What I did was… cruel. I was the new girl… and I saw a way to get in with 'in crowd,' so I took the chance. They clearly liked me and, no offense, you and Nicky were a couple of weirdos."

Shane stayed silent, though a glare overtook his features once again. Rebecca winced. "But that doesn't excuse what I did. Ever since the depositions ended… I kept thinking about what happened. There were several times I considered going to the administration or the police or whatever… but I didn't." She put her hands on her knees and rubbed them. "It was one of those situations where I'd buried myself so deep in lies and bad decisions that I chose to kept digging myself deeper rather than try and surface for air."

When Shane still didn't say anything, Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Oh, brother. Why did I even say that? You were always bad with sarcasm and imagery and all that stuff." She shook her head. "Yes, I regret what I did… but clearly I didn't regret it enough to do the right thing." Rebecca looked down at her belly. "Guess I got what I deserved in the long run." She looked up at Shane, who stared back at her blankly. "Well, go on. Say something. That look of yours is creepy."

Silvally stepped into the room. "Shane…"

"I'm sorry for shouting at you," Shane whispered. Rebecca's brows raised. "That was… inappropriate of me. You're right. This is… not a situation to take lightly. While I always hoped you and your friends would get your just desserts for what you did… I never wanted that to be something like this. Like dragging you into another world so you can never see the people you care about again. Or… or…"

"Or what?"

"Yours wasn't the only college Nicky attacked. I know for a fact he killed Geoff, so there's a good chance some of your hometown buddies suffered a similar fate." Shane's ears and tails drooped. Rebecca sat up straight. She pinched the bridge of her brow.

"This is a waking nightmare," she croaked.

A spark of familiarity lit up in Shane's mind. "Y'know, in spite of what you said… there was a time not too long ago where I looked at this the same way."

Rebecca frowned. "If you're about to stand there and give me a spiel about why I should be happy to be a slutty-looking lizard, then—"

Shane shook his head. "I'm not going to pretend that I can understand how devastated you really are. In your eyes, you've lost everything." He looked away. "But, despite that, it could be worse. You're somewhere safe. We can look after you… and teach you how to get by in this world. And, well, I don't want to fill you with any false hope, but maybe there is a way to turn you back."

"Oh, that's reassuring." Rebecca flicked her hand. Shane winced, resisting the temptation to snap at her again. The more he talked with her… the more he was reminded of his behavior when he was at his worst. What she needed was someone who could relate to her. And he wasn't the right person for that job. But Shane had a good idea who might be.

"I think there's someone you ought to talk to," Shane said.

"In the middle of the god damn night?"

"It's not the middle of the night where she is," Shane retorted, drawing an eyebrow raise from Silvally. Before Silvally could cut in, Shane pivoted and said, "Her name's Xerneas. She was Nicky's mate."

Rebecca's jaw dropped. "Wait… mate as in Nicky was boinking one of these diabetes-inducing critters?"

"Well, he'd gotten turned into a dragon," Shane said. He'd fully turned around and was walking toward the doorway. "I'll bring Xerneas to you when I'm done talking with her."

"And what makes you think I'll agree to it?"

"Because it'd be good for both of you." Shane turned toward her and his eyes glowed pink. "And if you try to run off… I'll drag you back to the Observatory."

XxX

~Primeval Forest~

"Enjoy your chat with Mopey-Horns," Hoopa said, waving at Shane and Silvally until the former wrapped him up in a tail.

"You are going to wait at the Observatory for my call, right?" Shane said.

"Aww, c'mon, does Hoopa have to?"

"There's an extra Combee honey donut in it for you if you do," Silvally said.

Hoopa's eyes sparkled. "Sold!" He dashed off into his ring portal, leaving Shane and Silvally to navigate the straight path leading to the Tree of Life. Xerneas lay at its base. It didn't take long for either of them to realize something was off.

"Oh, stars above, that stench." Silvally's poison memories bathed him in a violet glow.

"I don't think Xerneas has bathed since she got back here." Shane's snout wrinkled up. "And, by the looks of things, she isn't eating, either. I think her ribs are poking out." An image of Tessa as a sobbing Riolu crumpled on the floor flashed through his head. Shane picked up his pace. Silvally trotted after him. "Xerneas? Xerneas… we need to talk."

Xerneas poked an eye open, then shut it and pressed her face into a tree root. "No, we don't. Go away."

"Neither of us can do that. Not with how… disheveled you look," Silvally said, frowning. "It doesn't take a psychic to see that you're not in a good place."

Shane nodded. He walked to Xerneas side while she tried to curl into a tighter ball. "Xerneas, please… why are you doing this to yourself?"

After a protracted silence, Xerneas replied, "Because it's what I deserve. I'm a failure. I couldn't stick up for Light. I couldn't protect the Tree… twice. I couldn't get through to Necrozma. And now… I can't hear them." She lifted her head up, revealing swollen eyes and tear-stained cheeks. "The spirits… I can't connect with them. I've been trying and trying and trying but the Tree won't resonate with me anymore."

"Ah. Yeah. I, uh…" Three of Shane's tails twisted. "You can blame that one on me. I got rid of all the ley lines, so—"

"No. You did exactly what Light always wanted to do… made a world where Pokémon can be happy," Xerneas croaked. "But it's a world that's better off without a screw-up like me."

Shane had heard this all before. Again, images of Tessa flashed in his head. He looked to Silvally, who had a similarly grim expression. Shane knew he had to choose his next words carefully or things could escalate quickly. "When was the last time you had anything to eat or drink?"

"When your old guild's nurse was looking after me," Xerneas whispered.

"But you're still here. And that makes me think… you want to live," Shane said, ignored the wide-eyed looked from Silvally. "I believe… that you've been waiting for someone. Someone to come and tell you that it's okay."

"I've turned away plenty of visitors already," Xerneas said. "Celebi, Jirachi, Ampharos, Mawile, Meganium, and Delphox all tried to talk to me. But I dismissed them."

"Well, you can try ignoring me as much as you want, but I won't budge. Because you need help and I want to help you," Shane said.

"You're only saying that… because you merged with Necrozma." Tears trickled down the corners of Xerneas' eyes. "I'll bet you could take Light's form if you wanted to. So, what's stopping you?" She turned her tearful gaze on Shane. "Go on… turn into a dragon and use my past to get me to go along. Or, I don't know, drag me back to your guild with your ESP."

"I won't do that," Shane said. "I know about you and Nicky… and I'm sorry things went the way they did. And maybe there is a part of me that's desperate to help because of that past. But, by that logic, the Dark Matter in me would want me to leave you here to suffer. And I don't intend on doing that."

Shane wasn't sure how he could tell, but he got the sense Xerneas was wavering. He needed one final way to nudge her into his corner and, while Ultra Burst sounded tempting, he dismissed the idea. It had an equal chance of sending her into hysterics instead.

"Then what do you plan on doing?"

"Asking what you'd like me to do," Shane said, bowing his head. "Look, I'm not great at reading other people, so I'm probably not the best person to pull you out of this funk. That's why I brought Silvally… because he has someone you might like to see."

Silvally's head crest fanned out. "So, that's what you were going for," he muttered. "You ought to give yourself more credit, Shane. They've been stirring ever since we got here."

"Who's been stirring?" Xerneas asked, to which Silvally leaned over and conjured two silver wisps. They drifted over to Xerneas and took the forms of Latios and Zekrom. Xerneas eyes widened but, though her leg muscles quivered, she lacked the strength to stand. "Y-You two. H-How… and why—" She looked to Silvally.

"Necrozma put us inside of him." Zekrom jerked her head in Silvally's direction. "But that's not important. What is important is you." She jabbed Xerneas' ribs with a claw. "Look at yourself, Xerny. If Light were still here… even if you weren't together, he wouldn't want you doing this to yourself."

Latios nodded. "You meant the world to Light."

"I betrayed him."

"You were scared of Arceus," Zekrom said. "We were all scared of Arceus." She looked to her mate, who nodded along glumly. "We mucked up big time when we chose not to stand by Light. That's a mistake we'll never get to fix." Zekrom crossed her arms. "Still, I think it'd be an even bigger mistake if you let yourself slip away. Light wouldn't want that for you. He'd want you and the new Guiding Light to support one another."

Zekrom pointed to Shane. "Like it or not… this goofball's inherited the position. And, honestly, from what I've seen of him so far… there are some similarities between him and the Light you knew." She knelt down and put her hand on Xerneas' side. "I think you should go back with them. I mean… if nothing else, since we're bound to the big guy, the three of us can be together again." Zekrom rubbed Xerneas' stomach.

"We hate to see you like this, Xern. These two came here because they want you to have a second chance… but you need to be willing to take it," Latios said.

"What would I even do in Horizon, anyway? There's nowhere I can properly 'fit in.' I'm…" Xerneas cringed. "Since Arceus separated us, I've kept to myself. I don't… do well in public spaces."

Shane cleared his throat. "As it stands, there are some friends of ours who are trying to synch our world up with something called the Ultra Recon Squad. No telling if they'll be successful or not, but if they are… I intend to join it." He glanced at Silvally. "Haven't asked my teammates if they'd join with me but, regardless, it would be good to have someone like you on our side."

"You want me… to fight Ultra Beasts? I'm hardly a battler," Xerneas said.

"But you are a good healer, yes?" Shane asked.

"I… am a natural healer," Xerneas whispered.

"Then we could definitely find a place for you. Besides, Team Radiance is all about second chances for people who've screwed up big time. The way I see it, you'd fit right in with us." Shane extended a forepaw to Xerneas. "So, what do you say? Would you be willing to take a chance on us?" Xerneas stared at his paw and didn't respond. Shane's tails drooped. "Would you at least come back with us to the guild? There's someone I think you ought to speak to."

Xerneas sighed. She took one last look at her friends, then shut her eyes. "Okay. I relent. I'll go… but you two might have to help me get there."

Relief flooded everyone's expressions. Latios and Zekrom shared a smile while Shane nodded at both of them. "Thank you both for, uh, getting voluntold to help out," Shane whispered.

"So long as we, y'know, get to speak with her from time to time… it's all good," Zekrom said, grinning. She and Latios retreated back into Silvally's cheek bolts.

"Don't worry, Xerneas, we've got a way to get you back." Shane levitated out a Gear-Com. "Yo, Hoopa. Pick-up for three, please!"

Before Xerneas could respond, a ring portal materialized on the ground and swallowed them up.

XxX

~Aeon Observatory~

Shane wasn't sure how the conversation between the two ladies would play out, but he wasn't expecting them to stare at each other in silence. "So, uh… want me to do introductions?" he offered, laughing nervously.

Rebecca studied Xerneas intently. She crossed one leg over the other. "You're the wife, huh?" she said. "Oh, sorry, 'mate' or whatever this backwards place calls it."

Shane winced. Two sentences in and things were already going south. Why did he think this was going to be a good idea?

"I was," Xerneas whispered, antlers dimming. She still couldn't sit up, but her larger size let her keep eye contact with Rebecca. "And you were… once human?"

"Yeah. I was Nicky's girlfriend… only I was stringing him along for my own sake," Rebecca said, folding her hands on her lap.

"You're the one he brought up, then." Xerneas casted a suspicious glance at Shane. His tails shot up. Shane gulped, wondering if he should jump in an effort to break the tension but drawing a blank as to what he could possibly say.

"He told you about me?"

"In a manner of speaking," Xerneas replied. "Though, part of it had to do with some of what I shared with him."

Rebecca raised a brow. "Not sure I follow."

"I'm the former god of life… but I never got much respect from my fellow gods. They mocked and shunned me… due to my powers and appearance. Light was… the first one I'd ever really told about that stuff. Because he'd taken such a strong interest in me." Xerneas blinked tears out of her eyes. "The more time we spent together, the more I'd come to love everything about him. His infectious smile. His selfless attitude. His ability to make me feel like the center of attention."

As Xerneas trailed on, Rebecca's expression softened. She twiddled her thumbs. "So, he was like that even as, uh, a giant dragon or whatever."

"He returned the sun and moon to our world after they were taken from us," Xerneas explained. "And, despite doing all of that, he still wanted to keep helping people. That was just… the kind of person he was, I suppose."

Rebecca shifted position and rubbed her shoulder. Shane also squirmed, guilt bubbling in his gut as thoughts of Nicky not deserving the fate he'd gotten plagued the back of his mind. "I took advantage of that generosity for my own sake." Rebecca bowed her head. "Because I was young… and stupid. I've felt guilty about it ever since, but not so guilty that I ever confessed what I'd done to human authorities. And I guess… Nicky held onto his resentment long enough to enact revenge and give me what he thought I deserved."

Xerneas's snout twitched. "I'm afraid… that I might've played a role in that." She sighed. "Not long after we'd become mates… I was ordered not to see him anymore. My creator, Arceus, threatened to kill me if I didn't comply." Her antlers dimmed again. "I really did love him, but I was too afraid of Arceus to take a stand. So, I obeyed. Light was sealed away in a prison for centuries… and when he broke out he tried to take revenge on everyone he believed had wronged him. Which includes you, I suppose."

Shane's stance softened. Though it hurt to hear what Xerneas said — he had contributed to Nicky's fate, after all — he was glad the two were talking and doing so peacefully.

"Wait. He was imprisoned… for centuries? But it had only been a few years since his death when I got pulled away," Rebecca said, a brow raised.

"Time moves differently between this world and the human world," Shane interjected. "I don't know how long it's been for you since I disappeared, but I've already been here for a few months."

"It had only been a couple of days or something," Rebecca whispered. "I saw your name in a news article. Some sort of drunk driving accident."

"Yeah…" Shane didn't know about the drunk driver part, but he did know Necrozma and Solgaleo played a role. He chose to sit on that piece of information.

"Ugh. Sorry, whatever your name is, this is all a lot for me to take in." Rebecca massaged the side of her head. "I'd be in hysterics if I hadn't already cried my eyes dry the last few days."

"I understand. I cannot imagine how hard this must be for you. It feels like I got off easy compared to you. I only lost my powers… but you lost those you cared about most." Xerneas shook her head. "If you'd prefer, I can leave you to your thoughts." She looked at Shane and Silvally expectantly.

Shane frowned. He hoped that the two would somehow find a resolution that would brighten both their dispositions… but, in hindsight, that was foolish and idealistic. Their problems couldn't be solved from one conversation. They'd need time… and continued support. "Right. I guess… Silv and I can take you back to our room. Since we're supposed to be at Solstice Summit right now."

"No."

To everyone's surprise, it was Rebecca who shot the idea down. Xerneas looked at her in confusion. "Something wrong?"

"I, um…" Rebecca scooched her cushion toward Xerneas. "I'd rather you say here… with me."

"Are you sure? I don't want to sour your mood any further," Xerneas said.

"I could really use some company. Especially the kind that won't, y'know, try any funny business like staring at my chest and hoping I won't notice." Rebecca looked suspiciously at Shane and Silvally.

"H-Hey! I wasn't starting or anything. I have a girlfriend!" Silvally said, though his fire memories cast a red glow over him.

"Wait… you do?" Shane raised his brows.

"Whatever. The point is, I'd rather you two leave me here with, uh… sorry, what do I call you, again?" Rebecca turned to Xerneas.

Shane was about to answer for her when she said, "Call me Celeste."

"Celeste? Okay." Rebecca finished scooting her pillow over to Celeste's side. "That's a very pretty name. I'm Becca, by the way." She extended a hand. Celeste stared at it blankly. "Oh. Right. Hooves. My bad. Gonna need some time to learn the culture or whatever."

"It's quite alright." Xerneas chuckled. Even if Becca had called him out, Shane couldn't help but smile. Though it wasn't a perfect resolution, it was a step in the right direction… and that was enough for him.

"We'll leave you two alone, then." Shane turned and left the room with Silvally trailing after him. "So… a girlfriend, huh? Who—"

"Espy. Or, rather, Selene. That's the name she's picked for herself," Silvally said, a jubilant yellow overtaking him.

"Right. Tessa told me people were going to give themselves names. About time, too." Shane chuckled. Silvally joined him, then silence overtook them until Silvally paused by the door to their room.

"Y'know, I've gotta say… this was not what I was expecting. You've only been back for a few hours… and you've already managed to find new ways to surprise me." Silvally smiled at his friend.

"Heh. The way I see it… we're picking up where we left off. Our time together has been defined by surprises, hasn't it?" Shane mused, flipping his hair over his shoulder.

Silvally sat on the statement, then laughed. "I suppose you're right. Never a dull moment whenever you're around… for better or worse." When his laughter died down, he continued, "Though, for my sake, can you please hold off on any more surprises until I've gotten some shut-eye?"

"Hmm? Oh, uh…" Shane brushed his forelegs together. "Actually, there was something else I wanted to ask your help with… but I guess it can wait."

"Okay, well now I have to know," Silvally said, rolling his eyes. "Otherwise I'll be up the rest of the night wondering what it is."

"If you insist." Shane's tails curled up. He took a deep breath and said, "I want to take Tessa out on a date… and I'd like your help planning it."

XxX
With this chapter, I've tied up all the loose ends that I wanted to cover. Which means there's only one thing left to do.

Next time: the epilogue.
 

git-it

Member
Well, now in this chapter most remaining tensions came to an conclusion and made some tears appear in my eyes.
Everything became so smooth, looking back to the wild past.
Wounds are healing, times are changing.
The fate is what they make of it.

I look to next chapter with half a smiling face, half a crying face.
Until THE END.
 

SonicStreak5344

New Member
@git-it: You gotta take off that tinfoil hat, man. All you need to is read a few lines here and you'll see what's up. XP
@SonicStreak5344: Generally speaking, I can't judge something just on its premise alone, though I'm not really involved in the Sonic the Hedgehog fandom whatsoever. So, I'm not sure I'd be much help there. I can only advise trying to outline your story before writing it. If you lose motivation while outlining, odds are you aren't going to have fun writing it yourself and will end up abandoning your story.

Chapter was beta read by Namohysip.

XxX

Chapter 105: Spiritual Enlightenment

~Aeon Observatory~

"How long do you intend to stand there and try to steal glances at my ass, huh?"

Rebecca's comment made Milotic's ribbons crinkle. She pressed herself up against the wall, then sucked in a breath and slithered up to the doorway. Rebecca lay in the corner on a set of pillows, facing a pair of oak cabinets lined up side by side on the far wall. Milotic brushed her ribbons together. "I… I did no such thing. I just got here, actually. Came to ask if you were hungry." Her voice didn't waver.

"Liar!" Rebecca tilted her head slightly, her one visible eye narrowing. "Just how dense do you think you I am? Your silhouette's lingered by the door for god only knows how long. Obviously, you've been trying to sneak peaks at me."

"A-Absolutely not. I'm serious. I was going to ask you about dinner," Milotic insisted.

"Yeah, right. Your voice is shaky. Give it up. I caught you in the act. Hell, you're not even making eye contact with me right now, are you?" Rebecca's tail flaps curled up, releasing purple vapors. Milotic slithered back, ribbons tensing up. Her face reddened when Rebecca reached for a nearby blanket and threw it over her body, leaving only her head sticking out.

"Okay, yeah, I was standing by your doorway." Milotic lowered her head shamefully. She had to try to spin this somehow. "But it's not what you think! I was… spacing out. My friend is… in a bad place right now and I was lost in thought trying to figure out what to say to her."

"Uh-huh. Sure." Rebecca turned over to face Milotic. "My doorway must make for one hell of a thinking spot if you picked it to 'space out.' C'mon… I wasn't born yesterday." Rebecca rolled her eyes. Milotic bit her lip. She didn't think she was that transparent. Besides, it wasn't even a total lie.

"Let me tell you all the things that are wrong with this picture." Rebecca held up her index finger. "Number one… I'm human." She added a second finger. "Number two… I don't swing that way. Where I'm from… we ridicule the people that do." Rebecca lowered her hand and drew her lips back in a snarl. "And, lastly, even if I had been a lizard all my life, I would never date, screw, or do anything sultry with a goddamn oversized pasta noodle."

Milotic's eyes widened. "P-Pasta noodle?! I'm a—"

"Bitch did I stutter?" Rebecca sneered. Silence followed as Rebecca glared at Milotic and the latter's gaze wavered.

"I'm sorry. I'll, uh, leave you alone," Milotic whispered.

"Good. And don't let me catch you doing anything stupid like that again." Rebecca pulled the blanket up over her head. Milotic sighed and slithered out of the room. She left the doorway behind when she heard muffled screams and kicking behind her. Milotic didn't need to turn around to know what was up. Rebecca was shouting into her pillow and kicking the floor… exactly what Comfey told her she'd been doing since she'd come from Solstice Summit.

Milotic rounded the hallway corner. What was she going to do? With Serperior leaving the Observatory to self-reflect and Dragonite holed up in the team's old room, Milotic had no one to turn to. Talking to Dusk helped out a bit, but now that Dragonite was back, that sore spot had reopened. Milotic had to talk to her. Otherwise, her guilt would just keep eating away at her. So, she slithered up to her team's room and knocked on the door. There was no response.

Sighing, Milotic said, "Dragonite, it's me. Please let me in." She leaned against the doorway. Unsurprisingly, it didn't budge. "C'mon, Dragonite. You've been locked in there for long enough. We have to talk. You can't keep pretending like this didn't happen." Her ribbons drooped when silence followed. "Please… I don't want to loose my friend again," she whispered. Another long pause ensued. Milotic considered giving up and retreating upstairs.

But then footsteps met Milotic's words. She straightened up, but stayed silent out of fear she'd somehow spook Dragonite. After a tense minute of silence, a bolt lock clicked and the door creaked open. Dragonite didn't appear, however, so Milotic opened the door the rest of the way and went into the room. There, she found Dragonite flopping into her bed, groaning. She scratched at her clammy scales with her right hand.

"Well, you're here. Go on. Say your piece," Dragonite mumbled.

Milotic slithered up to Dragonite's bed. "None of this is your fault."

"Yes, it is. I believed what Necrozma and Zero told me. I… I enjoyed hurting the people I attacked." Dragonite shuddered. "It felt incredible to have that much power. When I nearly lost against Silvally I just… I just…" She curled up into a ball. "I couldn't handle it. It was like I was losing my mind or something."

Milotic bent over to be at eye level with Dragonite. "None of it's true, though. I didn't care about your looks when you were a Dragonair. It was never about that." She reached a ribbon toward Dragonite's wing, but Dragonite it pulled it against her back. "Nighty."

"Don't 'Nighty' me." Dragonite swatted Milotic's ribbon back. "I want the honest truth. You and Serpy cared more about the team's reputation, didn't you?"

"No, we didn't!" Milotic flinched, startled by how loud she was. "I, uh…" She coiled herself up. "Look, I can't exactly speak for Serpy… but I want you to know that it was never about reputation."

"But you did want me to stay as a Dragonair, didn't you?"

"Okay, fine! Yes! I admit it!" Milotic shrank down onto the floor. Dragonite turned over slightly, raising a brow. "But it's not what you think, Nighty. It… it didn't have to do with looks. It was…" Milotic trembled. "I was scared, okay?"

"Scared?"

"Yes, scared. About what would happen if you evolved again," Milotic said, rubbing her eyes with a ribbon. "You know I grew up around a lot of dragons. My dad is a dragon and his temperament is… well, you remember the stuff I told you, right?"

Dragonite bit her lower lip. "I… I do."

"That's why I was worried. I thought that some sort of, like, primal dragon instincts would kick in if you evolved." Tears trickled down Milotic's face. "I didn't want to lose you to an instinctual frenzy. You were… no, you are the person I trust the most out of anyone. I've always valued your insight." She fixed her tearful gaze on Dragonite. "That's why you were always the one I consulted when we were taking jobs, not Serpy. You were always the level-headed one. And I… I really liked how you kept me grounded. I didn't want to lose that.

"So, yeah, you're right. I was being selfish." Milotic sniffled. "But it's because I, um…" Her voice trailed off.

"What? What is it?" Dragonite scooched forward and now her head and torso were practically sliding off the bed.

"I t-told you. You're the… you're the person I trust the most out of anyone in my life," Milotic whispered. Her right ribbon was up. She wanted to reach out to Dragonite, but she held it in place, fearing what would happen if she did. Dragonite looked at the ribbon, then at Milotic, and then at the floor.

"Are you… are you implying what I think you're implying?" Dragonite looked her dead in the eye.

Milotic nodded slowly. She grabbed Dragonite's right arm with her ribbon. "P… please don't leave me. I want you in my life. I want—" Milotic stopped. "N-No, wait, this isn't fair." She pulled her ribbon back. "This isn't about what I want. It was my selfishness that led to all of this." Milotic bowed her head. "It's… it's up to you whether you want to stay or go do something else. Don't let me influence you."

She was about to uncoil and move away from the bed when Dragonite yanked her up onto her lap. Well, partially onto her lap, given Milotic's length. Milotic's ribbons shot up. "N-Nighty, what are you—"

"Why didn't you say something to me before?" she asked, frowning.

"B-Because I didn't, um, want things to be awkward on the team if you didn't see me the same way," Milotic squeaked. Her cheeks reddened.

Dragonite's antennae twitched. "Okay, yeah, I guess I see where you're coming from." She gently clasped one of Milotic's ribbons in her hands.

"So, then, are we—"

"I dunno." Dragonite let go of the ribbon. "I've never really given this kind of stuff any thought. But, like, we don't have an exploration team to worry about anymore. So, like, maybe we can try… uh, dating? See what happens, I guess. How's that sound?"

"Wonderful." Milotic leaned over and brought her head into the crook of Dragonite's neck. "Welcome back, Nighty."

Dragonite reciprocated the embrace, squeezing Milotic's torso. "It's good to be back, Millie."

XxX

~Solstice Summit~

At Ephemeris' encouraging, Shane and Silvally sat down by the rim of the pool. A gold tinge spread through Silvally's glowing parts. Likewise, looking into the pool gave Shane butterflies in his stomach. The blue water turned to swathes of gray, white, and black that swirled around one another. Shane titled his head. The back of his head tingled. His tails reflexively curled up. The more he stared at the pool, the more his fur stood on end. At the same time, an image flickered in his head of a night sky.

Was this what it was like to read auras? Shane shook his head and forced himself to pay attention. There'd be time for questions in the future. He focused on Totem Ninetales, whose brooch shimmered and pulsated with silver light. She stuck a forepaw into the pool, then lifted it. Two silver spheres floated out of the water. Shane had to stop himself from gasping out loud. Silvally watched them, eyes bright-gold.

They drifted toward Zephyr, who stepped back, a dazed look in his eyes. The orbs rippled and squirmed until they took the forms of two Weaviles, one with a pink crown and the other with a blue crown. Color filled the spirits like juice being poured into a glass. Totem Ninetales held her pose, brooch still shimmering. Shane tilted his head. These new spirits lacked the sheen that the ones Silvally summoned had. Was it because of a difference in the summoning method? Did that even matter? Shane wasn't sure, but his mind was already a blur.

"M-Mom? Pops?" Zephyr whispered, looking between the two of them and blinking slowly. They both stared at their claws, then looked back to Totem Ninetales.

"I was under the impression this would be a private event," Blue-Crown said, frowning.

"Forgive me. Circumstances changed after our last conversation." Totem Ninetales bowed her head. "Please, pay them no mind."

"It's been some time, Sneasel," Pink-Crown said. She tilted her head to the side. "And you look… so scrawny."

Zephyr winced. "I've… been through a lot since you guys left. Also, I go by Zephyr now. Sneasel Zephyr."

His parents exchanged confused looks. "It's a new custom we're trying… now that the world's been rebuilt," Totem Ninetales explained.

"I see. So, this is a custom from civilized 'mons, then?" Blue-Crown crossed his arms. An awkward silence fell over the room, with Zephyr poking his claws together. Shane wanted to tell him to say something, but the look on Zephyr's face gave him pause. He wasn't sure if it was his poor social skills coming into play or not, but Shane couldn't get a read on Zephyr's expression. He may as well have been staring at a wall. Shane looked to his teammates for any sort of clues, but they seemed just as confused. Even Hakamo-o looked bewildered.

"Zephyr? You, uh… gonna say something?" Hakamo-o whispered, scratching the back of his neck. He shrank back when Blue-Crown fixed a skeptical look on him.

Sighing, Zephyr rubbed his shoulder. "I guess… I should come out and say it, then. Yeah, if you couldn't tell by all of this… I ain't wild no more. And I ain't a thief no more, either. I had to put those days behind me."

"I see…" Blue-Crown looked around the room. "Well, this place is quite fancy. The Totem told us a brief version of how you ended up here. Caught by the guild and arrested?" He shook his head. "I thought we had told you to be judicious when choosing your targets. Going for the guild's headquarters is a fool's errand. I'm not surprised you were caught so easily."

"I was judicious!" Zephyr countered, face twisting into a grimace. He looked away, biting his lower lip. "What… what happened to you two? You left one night to do a job… and then you never came back."

"We had ventured into Tethys Tunnel, because we heard rumors of a valuable trinket in the swamps of Moonrise Marsh. But as we were walking through the Mystery Dungeon… I triggered an explosive trap." Blue-Crown bowed his head. "For some reason… the entire room was flooded with explosive traps. There was a chain reaction and, well, neither of us could withstand so many blows."

"Though we asked around the Tree of Life, nobody knew why such bad fortune had befallen us. The closest we got to an answer was a couple of people accusing Tapu Lele of setting the explosives for her own amusement," Pink-Crown continued.

Shane raised a curious eyebrow. He knew the Tapus could rearrange the Mystery Dungeons… but did they actually have the power to set traps? A shudder ran down his spine. If there were spirits that believed a Tapu intentionally set traps to mess with Pokémon, then there was a good chance that had actually happened. The thought prompted a round of teeth-gnashing, until his teammates' concerned looks made him stop and stare down at his forepaws.

"What about you, son? We want to know what happened to you." Pink-Crown reached out an arm and put it on Zephyr's shoulder. He winced, but didn't shrink back from the contact.

"I waited for you to come home. Kept waiting… until our berry stock ran dry. At that point, I set out on my own. Did everything you told me to. Stuck to targets I thought I could get away with stealing from and all that." Zephyr scratched his head feather. "And then, one night, I found that lug stumbling around, all covered in puke and stuff."

His parents turned to Hakamo-o, who stood up straight. "I… I was still a Jangmo-o at the time. I'd left home cause I had a… spat with my dad."

"And you two had always taught me that, just because I'm a thief, doesn't mean I should pray on a sorry-looking soul. I felt bad for him, so I took him in. Thought I could get myself a dragon apprentice out of the deal or whatever," Zephyr continued. "For a while, things worked out okay, because we were sticking to really easy targets. Again, like you both taught me." His gaze shifted to Shane and Tessa. "But then… one night, we found a Riolu sleeping with a fancy-looking scarf around her neck. It looked like the perfect thing to steal, so we took it. Only problem is, she gave chase. And she brought her friend with her."

Zephyr raised an arm to point at Shane and Tessa. His parents turned around. Shane's tails stiffened. He had no idea what to say in a situation like this. "Uh… hi there?" The unconvincing looks he got from both parents told him his efforts to defuse the tension had fallen flat.

"Those two beat me and Hakamo-o good… despite acting like they'd never fought before. It made me… upset. I tried to forget about it and go back to business, but Hakamo-o and I kept running into those two. And we kept losing." Zephyr bared his fangs. "I hated it. Every loss made me feel like I was letting you both down." He fixed a tired expression on his parents. "So, I wound up partnering up with a Midnight Lycanroc. But it still wasn't enough to beat Sno— sorry, Shane and his friends."

Shane's ears twitched. The tips of his tails thumped against the ground. A part of Shane's mind told him something as silly as Zephyr calling him by his proper name shouldn't have brought as much of a smile to his face as it did. However, he mostly took it as a sign that, somehow, he'd managed to earn Zephyr's respect. Luckily, he managed to keep his mouth shut and avoid ruining the moment.

From there, Zephyr recounted his escape from prison and all the trouble that Lycanroc's vendetta against Shane had gotten him into. By the time he was done, all Zephyr could do was exhale deeply and step back. After coughing for a few seconds, he said, "And there you have it. I'm done with the whole 'thieving' routine. Gonna use this community service or what have you to try and, y'know, reinvent myself or whatever."

Zephyr held his arms up. "So, go on. Scold me or tell me off or whatever. I can take it." He looked his parents in the eyes, but instead of the angry expressions he was expecting, he saw… relief?

Shane and Tessa glimpsed the parents' expressions and exchanged raised eyebrows. "Is it just me or does Sne— err, Zephyr seem surprised?" he whispered. "None of this is what I was expecting."

"It's not our place to judge," Tessa replied, shrugging. Shane rolled his eyes, but held his tongue to avoid Zephyr or his parents hearing him.

"We're not upset with you, son. On the contrary. We're glad that you're safe," Pink-Crown said, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Bwuh? But what about all that stuff about, y'know, thief's honor and whatnot? I let you down, didn't I?" Zephyr said.

Blue-Crown walked over and put an arm on Zephyr's right shoulder. "Son, we didn't teach you how to be a thief because we thought it was some grand family tradition you had to uphold… we taught you how to be a thief so you could look after yourself," he said. Zephyr responded with a slackened jaw and a blank expression. "Us dark-types… have never been well-regarded. And that got a lot worse after Dark Matter showed up. When your mother and I had your egg… we thought it'd be impossible for you to find a place among civilized or wild 'mons. So, we thought it best to teach you everything we knew, so that you could hopefully survive on your own."

"Then… then that stuff about picking targets—"

"For self-preservation… and to try and keep you from making any unwanted enemies," Blue-Crown said, walked back to join his mate. He looked around at the temple. "Honestly, if you think that you can make a life for yourself in this village, then we support you."

Pink-Crown nodded. "All we want is for you to be able to provide for yourself. This place… it looks like a good way to start a steadier life for yourself. A life that we couldn't provide for you." She wrapped an arm over Blue-Crown's shoulders. "When your community service is over, if you want to talk with us again and share what ideas you have for your future, your father and I would be happy to help you mull things over."

"Oh. O… okay." Zephyr blinked. He was dazed, like someone had socked him in the back of the skull.

"Something wrong, son?" Blue-Crown asked.

"No. I, uh… I guess I wasn't expecting this," Zephyr said. He stumbled toward his parents. A smile slowly replaced the blank look on his face. His arms weren't long enough to wrap around both his parents, but they recognized the gesture and pulled him into an embrace. "I'm sorry for the, y'know, chilly reception. I've really missed you guys."

A groan echoed across the room. Everyone turned to Gallian, with Zephyr and his parents wearing the most annoyed expressions. Gallian's face paled. He turned and buried his head in Zoroark's mane while his mate rolled his eyes.

"We miss you too." Pink-Crown stroked the top of Zephyr's head, feather included. "Promise us you'll try to set up at least one more of these, okay?"

"I don't think it's up to me." Zephyr glanced at Totem Ninetales. She was concentrating on her brooch, but still managed to look up at him and smile.

"I'm sure I can arrange something," she said.

"Great. We can catch up more, then," Pink-Crown said. She and Blue-Crown broke off the embrace. Their legs dissolved away in swirls of black and gray. "Goodbye, Zephyr. It was lovely to see you again."

"Take care, son." Blue-Crown nodded at Zephyr, then he and his mate condensed back into silver spheres that dropped into the pool and vanished instantly.

Zephyr stared at the pool. Then, he staggered back a couple of steps. Hakamo-o managed to reach his side in time to catch him before he collapsed. "Z-Zeph? You okay?"

All Zephyr could manage was incoherent mumbling. "I think he's still in a bit of shock from the session. You should lay him down so he can rest," Totem Ninetales said, gesturing to one of the now-occupied mats with her leftmost tail. Hakamo-o nodded and carried Zephyr toward the nearest mat.

"W… wait…"

Hakamo-o froze and looked down at Zephyr. "Sn… Shane. Where… Shane?" Zephyr murmured.

"Uh, he's right across from us. Do you need him for something?" Hakamo-o wondered, trying and failing to adjust his grip so Zephyr could see Shane.

"Tr… train…" Zephyr squirmed in Hakamo-o's grasp. "I want… to train… with your team."

Shane's ears twitched. That had come out of left field. He wanted to press Zephyr for more details, but Zephyr's eyelids closed and his arms went limp. Hakamo-o sighed and carried him over to the mat. Laying Zephyr down, he said, "Zeph's mentioned you guys a few times to me. Talking about how he wishes he could defend himself the way you four can. Keeps circling back to how he couldn't do nothing to stop Lycanroc during his episode."

"Well, we don't exactly have any formal training plans. Especially not with Mystery Dungeons being gone," Espy said, frowning.

"But that doesn't mean we can't come up with something," Tessa said, drawing stunned looks from Shane and Silvally. "What?"

"You really want to do that for the guy after he harassed us so much?" Shane whispered. Though it was a flattering gesture, Shane didn't trust the motivation behind it.

"Yes, I do. For one… he helped my brother put together a big gift for the team, so I think he wants to change. And second…" Tessa trailed off and rubbed her shoulder. "I think it'd be, um, kinda nice to teach someone?" Her voice cracked from the uncertainty behind her statement.

"Oh." Shane curled his tails around his legs. "Well, in that case… go for it. Do whatever you think'll make you happy. I'll help in any way I can."

Espy and Silvally shrugged at one another. Ephemeris cleared his throat. "There's one other thing I'd like to do before we, erm, adjourn this meeting."

"Is it going to be quick?" Gallian asked, voice muffled by Zoroark's mane. Zoroark grabbed him by the horn and yanked his head up, an unamused look on his face. Gallian grinned back sheepishly.

"It's for you and Tessa, actually." Ephemeris approached the spirit pool while a golden shimmer spread across his wings. "There's someone who wants to see you."

Tessa's aura feelers shot up. Shane sucked in a breath. There were only two people that came to mind for him… and he strongly favored one guess over the other. He put a forepaw on Tessa's lap. "It's gonna be okay," he said, wishing there was more he could offer.

"If… if this is who I think it is… I'm not ready." Her aura feelers quivered.

"Well, we're all here for you." Shane nudged her shoulder.

"Right." Tessa got to her feet and, gait unsteady, made her way toward the spirit pool. She and Gallian stood in front of it with Zoroark a few steps behind them, clutching his mane and fiddling with locks of hair. Tessa looked to her brother who was about as tense as she remembered when his disaster sense was overwhelming him.

Ephemeris thrust his wings forward, drawing a silver sphere dripping orange and black water out of the pool. It hovered to the edge and expanded outward until a monochromatic Incineroar stood in front of his children. Tessa gripped her scarf tight. She grabbed Gallian by the scruff of his neck, sensing he was going to pounce, and held him until colors filled up Incineroar like they had Sneasel's parents.

"So, that's what he looks like," Espy whispered, swishing her tail.

Incineroar looked down at his kids. "Tessa. Gallian. It's been… quite some time, hasn't it?"

Even though she knew it was coming when Ephemeris called her over, Tessa still stumbled back, losing her grip on Gallian. By the time she found her legs again, Gallian had curled up against Incineroar, who leaned over to reciprocate the hug. Incineroar stuck out his right arm. Tessa lumbered toward him, unable to hold back tears.

"Look how big you've gotten, kiddo," Incineroar said, voice cracking as he wrapped Tessa up into the embrace. "Even got your old 'mon's stripes on your tail."

"D… Dad…" Tessa pressed her face against Incineroar's side. "I… I… missed you so much."

For a couple of minutes, the room was silent, save for Gallian and Tessa's muffled sobs. Thoughts of Shane's human family lingered in the back of his mind. Guilt weighed down his shoulders. Even though he technically had the means to reach them, he didn't think he ever would. And that made him wonder exactly what happened after his departure. How did his parents react? His sisters?

Shane shook the thoughts from his head. He didn't want to show any outward signs that would ruin the mood of the tearful reunion. Shane shifted about on his cushion and batted the end of his leftmost tail.

Incineroar finally broke off the embrace. "I don't know what to tell you both… other than that I'm sorry."

"You don't have anything to apologize for, Dad," Gallian said.

"That's not true. I took too many things for granted. My position. My teammates. Your mother." Incineroar frowned. "I believed that I was surrounded by wonderful people… but that wasn't the case."

"No, Dad… don't say that. I mean, I'm the one who caught that cold the day you—"

Incineroar put a paw on Tessa's snout. "Don't blame yourself, Tessa. I never blamed you."

"But Mom did…" Tessa's aura feelers drooped. Shane winced, flashing back to that faithful morning in Tessa's house where he learned the truth through her tear-filled confession. Glass shard silhouettes flickered around the corners of his vision. Shane squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, telling himself Tessa was in a better frame of mind now.

"I know she did. But she was wrong." Incineroar pointed at his chest. "It just goes to show how out of the loop I was with everything. I never realized her secret… and how she really felt about you two. Just like I never realized that Braviary was always suspicious of her… or that Metagross had grown increasingly paranoid about me.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I think something like this could've happened. I always wanted to be there to support you both. Instead, I left you on your own at a time when you were both vulnerable." Incineroar sucked in a sharp breath. A shaky smile appeared on his face. "But that's why… I can say with one-hundred percent certainty that I am so, so proud of you both." He rubbed his kids' heads as he choked up on his words.

"Proud? But I… I harassed Tessa." Gallian looked away, tail drooping. "I walked out on her. She was the one who snapped me back to my senses."

"Yes, Gallian. You did make mistakes. But you also worked to correct them," Incineroar said. When Gallian looked up at him in surprise, he winked and continued, "I've been kept in the know about your escapades. I heard what you did for Tessa after the battle with Necrozma. You came up with that on your own… and that's something to hold your head high over. And, well, I heard you risked your neck to save your mate. I don't think a total screw-up would've charged into danger like that."

Shane couldn't help but laugh nervously, as that sounded exactly like what a total screw-up would do. Namely… what he did in his lousier moments during the whole adventure. He silently nodded at Gallian while Incineroar looked past his kids and toward Zoroark.

"So, you're the lucky guy, huh?"

"S-Sir." Zoroark stood up straight and saluted. "I, uh…"

"No need for the formalities, Zoroark. I've heard enough to know you're the right 'mon for Gallian. I only wish I could, y'know, actually be there to see how your relationship progresses. Instead, I'll just have to get whatever updates I can from the spirit realm." Incineroar sighed and shook his head. "Regardless, let me offer you a belated welcome into the family."

Zoroark blinked. "Oh, uh, thank you. It's…" He scratched his restored left ear. "I love your son a lot. In spite of the big hiccup we had, I'm glad he's a part of my life." He smiled at Gallian, who turned and smiled back.

"Aww. That's precious," Silvally chirped, drawing a few stern looks. Espy rubbed his foreleg as he shrank down to the ground.

Incineroar turned to Tessa. "You've been through such a harrowing experience. I'm not sure I would've been able to stand tall through all the hardships you endured."

"D-Don't say that, Dad. You w-were the strongest guy I knew," Tessa said between bouts of sniffles.

"Well, that's not the case anymore. You're far stronger than I am. And I'm not just talking about dishing out the hurt." Incineroar punched the air. "From what I saw when you were fighting Necrozma, you've become such a mature young lady. And you did that in spite of all the nasty things Prisma told you after I had passed." He reached down and rubbed Tessa's head. Her tail wagged slightly. "No matter what you may tell yourself, you're as big of a hero as the ones you loved reading about. Nobody can take what you've done away from you, so don't let them. Okay?"

"Y-Yes, Dad." Tessa could barely choke back further tears any longer. Shane's tails twitched. He wanted to go to her side and comfort her, but he could feel Espy and Silvally's gazes on his back. Shane stayed seated, fidgeting with his rightmost two tails.

Incineroar rubbed the back of his head. He glanced back at Ephemeris, who nodded. "It looks like… that's all the time we have for right now," he said.

"W-What? But I— we haven't gotten to speak for that long! I have, like, so much to tell you!" Tessa blinked tears from her eyes.

"I'm sure you do. But I can only stay outside the spirit realm for so long like this." Incineroar offered a warm smile. "We'll do this again in the future, though. After all, it's not like I'm doing all that much in the Tree of Life."

Tessa's ears and aura feelers drooped. "O… okay. I guess… I guess I'll talk to you later, then?"

"Keep your chin up, Tessa." Incineroar knelt down and put a paw under Tessa's snout. "You've made some great friends. I can tell how much they care about you. Your buddy, Shane, has barely been able to sit still through all of this."

Shane's tails fanned out. "I, uh… I can explain!"

"There's no need. I've got a pretty clear picture." Incineroar stood back up and approached the spirit pool. "Gallian, Tessa, I have faith that good things await you both in the future. No matter what happens, though, keep each other close… along with your friends. Sound good?"

"Yeah," Gallian and Tessa said in unison. Incineroar opened his arms wide and his kids approached for one last embrace. Warmth flooded them, then gradually faded away as Incineroar shrank back down into a silver ball and returned to the spirit pool. Totem Ninetales stirred the waters with her staff until they returned to the luminescent blue color they originally had.

"Bye, Dad," Tessa whispered, grabbing Shane's memento and pulling it up against her scarf. Her aura feelers twitched and she stepped back to avoid Shane crashing into him. "Good grief, Shane. You really couldn't sit still, could you?"

"W-Well, I—" Shane's face reddened. "Okay, yeah. But I was, y'know, worried about you and stuff. Are you okay? Happy? Sad? Something else?"

"I'm… tired, to be honest," Tessa said, slouching over. "And peppering me with questions isn't going to help in that regard."

Shane shrank back, ears flattening. "Ah. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. This has been a long week, that's all. And an even longer evening." Tessa stepped to his side and put a paw on his shoulder. His tails puffed up, then frazzled. "I mean, I just got my partner back, only to have a total bombshell dropped on me about my life… and then my dad got spirit-channeled." Tessa shook her head. To Shane's utter confusion, she then laughed.

"Um, are you—"

"Sorry. I'm still trying to process all of this. Like, so much has happened so quickly, that I can't help but laugh." Tessa rubbed her eyes.

"Maybe we ought to head back to the Observatory, then?" Zoroark suggested. "I'm in the same boat as Tessa. I could use some shut-eye… assuming I can sleep after all of this nonsense."

"There's no need to make the trek back to Aeon Town. You all can stay in my home," Totem Ninetales said.

"That's very generous of you, but it's still daytime in the other hemisphere, so I'm sure Hoopa could portal us back to the Observatory," Gallian said, bowing.

"Nonsense. It's the least I can do for you all as thanks for agreeing to our request." Totem Ninetales looked at Ephemeris.

Gallian had a retort prepared, but it was lost amidst a loud yawn. "Okay, you got me. Think you can walk us over?"

"Of course. Follow me." Totem Ninetales headed for the front door. The rest of the group followed, with Hakamo-o carrying the still-unconscious Zephyr. Only Silvally stayed where he was sitting.

"Something wrong, Silv?" Espy said.

"Huh? Oh. Uh, you guys go on ahead. I'll catch up to you. This place isn't that big. I'm sure I'll fine the Totem's house on my own." Silvally avoided eye contact with the rest of the group.

Espy tilted her head, then waved the rest of the group off with a forepaw. Shane frowned. "If you're staying behind, then I think we should—"

"Shane. I appreciate it, but you only just woke up. Why don't you have Tessa catch you up on what's happened the last couple of weeks?" Espy said, pointing her snout toward the door in a fashion suggesting she wanted to be alone with Silvally.

"Um… okay." Shane turned and followed Tessa and the others out the door, but not before taking one last look back at Espy. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"I do." Espy closed the door behind them. 'At least, I hope I do.' She cautiously approached Silvally and sat down across from him. Leaning into his field of vision, she asked, "You okay, Silv? That look on your face is scaring me."

Silvally stayed silent. He squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head to the right. Espy got to her feet. "C'mon, Silv. I want to help. Don't shut me out like this. R… Remember what we talked about in the Ultra Nexus?"

"I do…" Silvally's words were strained. He sounded like he was in pain. Espy took a step toward him but he held a foreleg up. "It's… I… need to focus… a minute." Silvally leaned over, grunting like he was trying to wretch something up from his stomach. Clammy gray spread through his glowing appendages. Silvally's cheek bolts opened and vented cold air. Espy stepped back, shivering.

Why had his ice memories activated? "Silv, are your spirits acting up?" It was the only explanation Espy could think of.

Silvally coughed in response. Another silver ember materialized, like the ones from the spirit pool. Silvally sat hunched over, panting heavily, while the ember expanded outward. Espy stepped back again. The ember expanded into another ice Ninetales. It was about as big as Totem Ninetales, so that must've meant it used to hold the same position. Espy's jaw dropped.

"Silv… is that a—"

"Totem… Ninetales." Silvally took several deep breaths and lifted his head. "More specifically… the one who rounded up all the spirits Golem welded together to create me… and the one that I killed when I couldn't control myself."

Espy's ears and tail shot up. She and Silvally locked eyes with the spirit in unison. Her expression, in turn, wilted. "I actually have a familiar name, you brute. It's Leina. I was from Solstice Summit, too, remember?"

"What's she doing inside your body?" Espy said, though the answer was obvious.

"She's not the only one." Silvally cheek bolts rotated asynchronously. "The others are there, too, aren't they? The rest of your 'team.'"

"All the ones you and Necrozma butchered. Except for Golem himself, of course." Leina shivered. "You can certainly try to summon them, but they will resist. None of them want to see you."

"And I don't want to see you," Silvally growled.

"Then why did you summon me?"

"Because I had a sinking feeling in my stomach and I wanted to get to the bottom of it." Silvally stood up and paced around Leina. Espy frowned. From what she remembered in Golem's videos, Leina seemed most opposed to everything Golem was doing. Espy wasn't even sure she ever saw Leina's face in the recordings.

"Okay, your curiosity's been sated. Now, put me back," Leina said, though her slouched posture did little to bolster her demands.

"No." Silvally paused in front of her.

"S… Silv? Maybe it's best to listen to her?" Espy squeaked. "You're… you're angry. And you might not be thinking straight."

Silvally took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come across as hostile," he said, though a twinge of venom still clung to his words. "All I want is to ask one simple question: why?"

"Why?" Leina cocked her head.

"Why did you do it? Why did you agree to work with them?"

"That's not one question," Leina huffed.

"It might as well be. In the recordings… you seemed hesitant. Like you thought it was a bad idea." Silvally's head crest fanned out. "Why did you go through with it, then?"

"Because I only really objected to Golem filming everything with Porygon2 so he could flaunt his 'genius,'" Leina blurted out. Silvally looked at her skeptically. "In truth, I was one of his biggest supporters. I didn't trust the gods. And something about the circumstances behind the original Ho-Oh's 'death' made me uncomfortable.

"Golem approached me with the idea… and I thought it was a good proposition, to be honest. A way to give future generations peace of mind. But when he said he wanted to record everything so people would know who to thank, I voiced my displeasure." Leina shook her head. "I've always believed firmly in karma. When he started referring to himself as the 'Illustrious Golem,' I feared that his hubris would seep into the experiment and lead to something… unfortunate."

"And, in a manner of speaking, you turned out to be right." Silvally's eyes flickered red. Espy stepped to his side and cleared her throat.

"I think the problem is that Leina's 'team' didn't value you as a living being. And, as such, they didn't treat you with the kindness that living creatures need to thrive." She nudged Silvally's foreleg.

"Yeah." Silvally curled his talons around his cushion. "You were using the power of the void. And, well, now we know that that power is volatile… and sensitive to the emotions of those around it." His brow furrowed. "But I can't believe it didn't occur to any of you that your negative attitudes wouldn't affect me after everything that happened with Dark Matter's first attack."

Leina bit her lip. "What do you want me to say? We had tunnel vision. We were so focused on seeing the project to fruition, that nothing else mattered."

"So, because I didn't hatch from an egg, I didn't deserve to be treated with any sort of respect?" Silvally growled.

"That's not what I said. Only that—" Leina cut herself off. "Forget it. I don't know what you're looking for. Some sort of apology, perhaps?"

"No. I'm looking for a promise. A promise that you and your cronies won't try any sort of funny business," Silvally said, only to be met by a skeptical look. "You heard what Ephemeris said. My RKS System… it's unstable. I don't have the same control over my spirits as I did when I had the memory looplet. So, I want your word that you're not going to try and take advantage of that."

"Fine. You have my word. After all, your Ninetales friend depowered the gods. In a roundabout way, we got exactly what we wanted," Leina said, voice weary. Silence followed, at which point Silvally raised his foreleg. It shimmered with silver light. Espy backed away, wondering if she should speak up. Thankfully, however, all Silvally did was return Leina's spirit to his body. She sighed in relief.

"Okay. That was… a bit concerning, for sure." Espy offered him a shaky grin. "How about we go and rejoin the oth—"

"It's not fair!" Silvally raised a foreleg up and smacked his cushion. Espy jumped back, fur standing on end. A blue glow spread over Silvally as his eyes watered. "I've worked so hard… so damn hard to be my own person. I broke the mask. I subdued the angry spirits. I… I found great friends. I helped keep the world in one piece. And I made up with the Unown." He smacked the pillow again. Tiny tears spread through the fabric.

"So, why? Why did this have to happen? I want to be my own person!" A blue ripple spread through his claws as he struck the cushion a third time. Damp cotton poked out of it. "I don't want to spend my entire life worrying whether I'll be able to keep these spirits under control! I don't want anyone to hijack my body or anything! I want to be me. I want to be with you, Espy!"

"S-Silv—" Espy's legs trembled. She glanced at her naturia looplet, fearful Silvally was losing control again. He kept striking the cushion over and over again until soggy cotton was strewn all over the floor. Then, his foreleg broke through the floorboards and he doubled over. His keen made Espy's heart jump into her throat.

She was at his side in an instant, leaning her tiny frame against his large, shuddering form. "Talk to me, Silv. Remember what I said to you in the Nexus. Don't bottle everything up." Espy stroked the chitin on his foreleg.

He sniffled, then brushed his head against his shoulder. "I'm afraid. I'm afraid I'll hurt you… or Shane or Tessa," Silvally blubbered. A whine escaped his beak. Espy's tail crinkled from the unpleasantly high pitch. "Necrozma… he did this all on purpose. He must've thought there was a chance you guys would free me from his control, so he left one final, nasty surprise waiting. A way to make sure that, even if we beat him, I'd never have peace of mind."

Tears dribbled onto Espy's shoulder. She hopped up on her hind legs and reached toward Silvally's beak with her right forepaw. "Look at me, Silv," she said, but he pivoted his head to his left. "Look at me." Espy managed to turn Silvally's head toward her. "I know you're scared. I'm scared for you. But even though I'll never really know what you're going through… I can still be here for you."

Silvally blinked tears out of his eyes. "But what if I lose control? What if… what if I lash out at you?"

"I care about you too much to let things get that far. And I'm sure Shane and Tessa feel the same way. You don't have to face this challenge alone. Not as long as we're here." Espy moved her forepaw to the tip of Silvally's beak. She was making this up as she went, but it was relieving to see her words getting through to him. "Yes, it might take time for you to get these new powers under control, but that's okay. That spiritual training with Ephemeris sounds like it will help you a lot. I'm confident you can overcome this, like you've done with every obstacle you've faced. And even though I may not be a part of the training, I'll support you as best I can."

"You don't have to do that for my sake," Silvally whispered.

"I want to." Espy stroked Silvally's feathers. "It's like I said before… I'm not expecting you to be perfect. And you shouldn't hold yourself to such high standards. Just do the best that you can. And don't be afraid to ask for help." Her ears drooped. "That was the big mistake that I had made… and you know where it got me."

Silvally didn't respond at first. Espy looked into his eyes, trying to judge what was going through his head. His energy was far too chaotic to read. A pleading look spread across her face. She thought she had a good point… but was Silvally too stressed to acknowledge it?

"Okay." Silvally exhaled deeply. "You're right. I can't let myself get paralyzed by fear. I'll only end up creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. I'll… I'll focus on the training and see how things turn out." He leaned over, pressing his beak to Espy's forehead gem. "You'll attend the training too, right? Even if you're not participating?"

"Of course I will. Because I love you." Espy's heart soared. After all the encouragement Silvally had given her, it felt great to return the favor to him. She kissed the front of his neck.

Silvally licked Espy's cheek. "And I love you, too, Espy."

There was a moment of silence, then Espy whispered. "Selene."

"I beg your pardon?" Silvally looked at her in confusion.

"I've decided on my familiar name. It's Selene." She brushed her head against Silvally's neck. "Because… when I'm with you, things feel serene." Selene looked up at him, smiling.

Chuckling, Silvally shook his head. "Wow. If Shane hadn't just woken up, I'd have believed he came up with that one."

"Are you saying you don't like it?"

"Not at all. I think it suits you well. Selene…" Silvally broke off the embrace and shook out his feathers and fur. "Sorry for snapping. Didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay. Though, uh… you're probably gonna have to tell the Totem about the floor," Selene said, wincing.

Silvally looked at the damage and his head crest shrank. "Crud."

"How about we worry about it in the morning?" Selene said. Silvally nodded and joined her at her side. Together, they made their way out of the temple. To their surprise, however, they found Shane pacing near the entrance. Selene quirked an eyebrow, wondering how much of Silvally's outburst Shane had heard. "Something the matter, Shane?"

"Um… kind of?" Shane poked at a few stray pebbles on the ground. "I, uh, need to borrow Silvally. If not now… then soon."

"Borrow me for what? It's late at night. We should sleep," Silvally said, though his glowing appendages darkened.

"I know that. But I, uh…" Shane's tails twisted up. "Look, Tessa's filled me in on what's happened and, well, I think I should go talk to Rebecca… and Xerneas, too."

"And this can't wait until the morning?" Silvally forced out a yawn to emphasize his point.

"I tried to lay down and get some rest, but I couldn't stop thinking about them." Shane's ears flattened. "The longer I go without talking to them, the more likely I am to just avoid them entirely. And that's, like, a bad idea."

"You don't think you'll just piss her off by waking her up?" Selene frowned. "She's hardly been in the best of moods since we brought her back from the Nexus."

"I know." Shane hung his head. "This is another one of my dumb, impulsive ideas… but I can't help it! It's an itch I need to scratch." He shot Silvally a pleading look.

"And how do you plan on getting to the Observatory, exactly?" Silvally asked.

"Yo."

Selene and Silvally turned and gasped in unison. Hoopa lay in midair, resting his head against his hands.

"Cripes! How are you so good at sneaking up on us?" Selene said, bending over and brushing a foreleg against her chest.

"Years of practice." Hoopa grinned. "So, we going to your base or not?"

Silvally sighed. "Okay, fine. But I really hope you know what you're doing, Shane."

Shane gulped.

XxX
Continued in next post.
Ok. I'll try and write out an outline.
 

Ambyssin

Winter can't come soon enough
Beta read by Namohysip

XxX
"A date, huh?"

Silvally looked at Shane, his expression unreadable. Shane studied his teammate but couldn't get the slightest hint of whether Silvally thought this was a good — or even feasible — idea. He wondered if, perhaps, he had enough ESP at his beck and call to get a read on Silvally that way, but black speckles popped up on Silvally's head crest to quickly snuff out that idea.

"C'mon, Silv, quit giving me the silent treatment. You're making me nervous," Shane said, tails drooping. "It's not that outlandish of an idea. You saw what happened before I flew off into the sun."

Silvally's eyes widened. "Wait… that's what you did after you sent us off to Ultra Space?" He shook his head. "Good grief. You really are full of surprises. When were you going to tell us about that, huh?"

Shane looked down guiltily and brushed his forepaws together. "It didn't seem all that important." He fanned his tails out. "Besides, that's not the point. Will you help me plan it or not?"

"Hmm…" Silvally tapped a talon on the ground. "I suppose. It only makes sense, given the way you two have acted around each other since Circadian Coast." He looked Shane dead in the eyes. "But tell me something. Do you actually have an idea?"

"I, uh…" While Shane knew this seemed like the kind of thing he'd be making up as he went along, he had actually given it some thought. But voicing those thoughts coherently was another matter entirely. He cleared his throat. "I was thinking of, y'know, a picnic meal. Nice and simple. Nothing too extravagant."

"Is that it?" Silvally looked unconvinced. "What about other details? Like a location, for starters."

"Sky Peak!" Shane's tails crinkled and he glanced back toward Becca's room, worried he'd disturbed her. When silence followed, he sighed in relief and walked past Silvally.

"Err… any particular reason you want to go there specifically?" Silvally walked beside Shane. "Tessa's darted back and forth between continents a lot these last two weeks. I think she might be sick of it."

"Ah. Well, uh… I wanted to take her somewhere with a really great view," Shane explained, eyes sparkling. "And, unlike Solstice Summit, Sky Peak doesn't have a bunch of gloomy clouds surrounding it all the time. It was either that or Fogbound Lake… and I thought that, like, the nearby Shaymins and gracidea flowers would help convey my, uh, gratitude toward her… as a friend and stuff." He laughed nervously, but hung his head when Silvally didn't say anything. "You think this all sounds stupid, don't you?"

"Not at all. It's one of your better ideas, actually," Silvally said, fish tail wagging.

Shane's own tails perked up. "Y-You really think so?"

"Yeah!" Silvally paused mid-step, cheek bolts whirring in thought. "Maybe we could time the picnic to either sunrise or sunset. That way, not only is the view breathtaking, you can fulfill your part of the promise the three of us made back when I'd broken my mask."

"What promise is that?" Shane said, head tilted.

"Watching a sunset together," Silvally replied.

"Oh, yeah. True. And, I mean, a sunrise isn't that much different. Loophole abuse and whatnot." Shane chuckled. "So, are you willing to help me with all the other details, then?"

Silvally nodded. "Sure! When do you want to do this, exactly?"

"As soon as possible," Shane answered, practically tripping over his own words. Silvally raised a skeptical brow. "I feel like it has to be soon. We have no idea when Team Paradox will come back… or what they'll come back with. But if I wait and they do return, I could get swept up in a bunch of Ultra Recon Squad stuff and who knows when I'll get some downtime. It's now or never, in my books."

"Well, I wouldn't phrase it quite so catastrophically, but I see your point." Silvally glanced at the ceiling. "Yeah, I think with a bit of mental elbow grease… we can make this work."

Shane walked up and embraced Silvally's foreleg. "Thanks, Silv. Glad to know you've still got my back."

Yellow returned to Silvally's glowing parts. "Uh-huh. Just do me one favor in return."

"Name it."

"Help me come up with a familiar name."

Shane stepped away from his teammate. "Huh? I thought you liked Silvally. And Tessa created it for you, didn't she?"

"She did. And I do like it. But I also remember what Sticky told me… how there are other Beast Killers out there." Silvally gazed down the empty hallway. "If we're adopting this species name, familiar name scheme, then I don't want people to know me as Beast Killer Silvally or God Killer Silvally." Gold and silver flickered in his eyes. "I want Silvally to be my species name… so any strangers I come across know they can view me as a friend and not a foe."

"Huh. Well, all right. I don't see a problem with it." Shane stuck his forepaw out toward Silvally. "It's a deal."

Silvally curled up his talons and fist-bumped Shane's forepaw. "Thanks, bud. Now, can we please get some sleep?"

Shane laughed. "Of course. That's enough excitement for one night."

XxX

Epilogue: I'll Be Your Shining Star

XxX

~Circadian Kabana~

"Oh, yes! That's the ticket!" Shane shouted, lying on his belly on a wooden massage table with his head resting on a circular pillow. A Machamp stood over him, pressing one of his elbows onto Shane's back and kneading the musculature under his shoulder blade. Shane's fur glistened with clear massage oil.

"Whoa!" Machamp raised his upper arms as a golden, ethereal wing popped out of Shane's back and waved around like a tapered flag. "Um, buddy? You've, uh… got a thing sticking out of your back." Machamp held a finger in front of the wing.

"Huh? Ah, nuts, sorry about that." Shane flushed. He concentrated and the wing retreated into his back. "You found a sweet spot."

"Yeah. You had a heck of a knot in that shoulder," Machamp said. He positioned his upper arms against Shane's right shoulder while his lower arms kneaded Shane's foreleg like a roll of dough. "Not surprised you and your team are all stiff. What you went through is stressful enough to harden up the slimiest Goodra around."

"I—" Shane cut himself off, tensing, then sighed as relief spread down his limb. "Wow. I see why Kahuna Raichu recommended you."

"Heh, what can I say? I'm one of the best in the business." Machamp would've thumped his chest if his hand wasn't covered in massage oil. "Anyway, I think I'm just about done… unless you want me to tend to your tails, too."

Shane's tails curled up. "Err, it's probably for the best I take a pass on that." Limbs as loose as pasta noodles, Shane struggled to sit himself up on the table. He gave up and rolled over on his side. "Thanks. I, uh, don't have cash directly on me for a tip or anything, though."

"No worries. It's been covered already."

"Really?" Shane blinked. 'Guess when Kahuna Raichu said this spa trip was all-expenses-paid, he really meant it.' He thanked Machamp again before the masseuse exited the room. Shane lay there for a few minutes before he finally had enough feeling back in his legs to make his way out of the massage parlor. The oil bathed him in a pleasant coconut scent, but was sticky enough to where Shane opted to head for a shower stall.

As he stood under the warm water — which bothered him even less than it used to when he was purely an ice Ninetales — he considered his next move. His teammates had all gone for massages first and were currently at grooming appointments. Shane hoped that Tessa would be done first, as it would give him the opportunity to ask if she wanted to go to Sky Peak with him.

"If only I'd told Nero and Selene to have their stylists work slowly." Shane sighed and shook his head, thinking about both his newly-named teammates.

He'd spent the previous day formulating details for the date with Nero. Shane asked Esserly, the only Shaymin he (sort of) knew, if she'd be willing to offer him an escort to Sky Peak. While hesitant to leave Solstice Summit, even for a few hours, she eventually agreed. Shane intended to ask Tessa out that evening, but Selene surprised him with the announcement she'd gotten the team deluxe spa passes for the Circadian Kabana.

Shane turned off the shower and let water and steam trail off his fur. He wondered if trying to Ultra Burst would instantly dry him off, but the room was too small to handle it. Instead, Shane grabbed a towel and focused on rubbing down his fur. He mentally told himself there was nothing to worry about. Asking Tessa out didn't have to be different from any of the other conversations they'd had. She'd kissed him before he'd flown into the sun, after all. That meant there was no pressure, right?

When he was dried off, Shane proceeded into the spa area lobby. Thatched, straw chairs and mats with cushions on them lay in front of walls covered with relaxing blue waves. A desk sat to Shane's right, manned by a Pachirisu who smiled at him. "Excuse me. Have you seen a Lucario, Espeon, or a big fuzzy guy with a funny headpiece anywhere?" he asked.

Pachirisu was about to answer, when the door across the lobby opened up. Shane's heart jumped into his throat, but sank back down when it turned out to be Selene instead of Tessa. Her fur had a vibrant glow to it that brought the velvet fabric of the Observatory's pillows to mind. Even Selene's forehead gem sparkled with newfound luster.

"Hey, Shane. How was the massage?" Selene asked, trotting over to him.

"Heavenly," Shane replied, tails wagging asynchronously. "You look good."

"I feel good. My fur hasn't been this soft in ages." Selene brushed her shoulder. "It's nice to be rid of all those knots and matted patches."

"I'll bet." Shane looked past her. "So, uh, any sign of Tessa?"

"That eager to ask her out, huh?" Selene smirked when Shane's eyes widened in alarm.

"I told Nero not to say anything," he grumbled, scowling.

"It slipped out," Selene said, winking. Shane's cheeks reddened. "Oh, come on. Don't look so nervous. For what it's worth, Tessa kept talking about how happy she was you were back after you ran off with Silvy the other night."

"Oh. That's, um… good." Shane's tails still twisted around one another. "It's just… I've, uh, never dated before. Or even asked someone out, for that matter. What if I stick my paw in my mouth like usual?"

"Come on, you're as loosened up as you're going to be after that massage," Selene said. "If you can't ask her now, then I don't know what to tell you."

Shane gulped. That was far from the confidence boost he was hoping for. His ears twitched and he again focused on the far door, only to exhale like a rapidly-deflating balloon when Silvally Nero walked out.

"Well, how do I look?" Nero twisted his head to the right, swishing the feathers trailing down his neck. Both Selene and Shane did double-takes. Nero's fur sparkled like sand grains under the sun. Someone had polished his beak, energy blades, cheek bolts, and tail gems. Even the patches of scales protruding from his fur had a never before seen luster to them.

"Wow, Nero. You look—"

Selene charged past Shane, hip-checking him out of the way before he could finish speaking. She screeched to a halt in front of Nero, tail stuck out like an arrow and forked ends curved into a heart. "Silvy, this is great!" Selene brushed her hide against his foreleg. "Your legs are so smooth… and your feathers are so soft."

Nero's fire memories blunted his glow. "Y-You look great too." He laughed nervously.

"He was one of the toughest undertakings I've had in all my years here… but I found a way to make it work," a Tsareena said, walking in to Nero's left and reaching up to pat his shoulder.

"I'll say," Selene cooed. Though he couldn't see her face, Shane imagined there were hearts in her eyes.

"Thanks again for all your patience and hard work." Nero nodded to Tsareena.

"You're quite welcome, dear. Feel free to drop by any time." Tsareena headed for the doors to Shane's right, waving back at Nero.

"So, uh… any idea what's taking Tessa?" Shane said. With Nero and Selene lost in each other's expressions, it looked like he wouldn't be getting a response.

"Sorry I'm late! Had a bit of a… disagreement with the stylist about something."

Shane cocked an eyebrow, but the moment Tessa stepped out from behind Nero his limbs locked up and blood rushed to his cheeks. It was like he was back in Sunset Shoals at Primarina's concert. Tessa's fur glimmered. She carried her scarf in a paw and, instead, had a red bow tied around her neck with a blue, flower-shaped brooch pinned to it. A similarly-colored ribbon was tied around her tail.

Tessa saw her teammates staring at her. "Ugh, I know… she overdid it, didn't she? I said I didn't need the bow, but she insisted it was made for me and this is all-expenses-paid, so…" She nudged at the red bow, aura feelers twitching.

"N-No! It's great! Awesome!" Shane blurted out, drawing Tessa's attention. "Uh, I mean… you, um, look very pretty!" His voice cracked and he silently swore. This was why he wanted Tessa to be finished first. With his other teammates watching, his nerves were creeping up on him.

"Thanks, Shane." It didn't stop Tessa from continuing to nudge the bow, though. "So, what's next? Are we going to stay for dinner?"

"Actually, Shane had something he wanted to ask you," Nero said, stepping aside. Selene hip-checked Shane, who stumbled toward Tessa. He almost toppled right into her, but channeled his ESP to stop himself about a foot from her thighs. His eyes abruptly widened and he stood up straight, laughing louder and more nervously than he intended.

"Are you okay, Shane? Cripes, how much did that massage loosen you up?" Tessa sighed and shook her head.

"Plenty!" Shane's voice couldn't have been scratchier if he tried. Behind him, Nero and Selene shared bemused grins. Shane cleared his throat, then took a deep breath. He couldn't overthink this. He just had to come out and say it. "Tessa, I was wondering if you'd like to join me later at Sky Peak. I want to take you for a picnic."

"A picnic? All the way at Sky Peak?" Tessa crossed her arms. "Haven't I done enough time zone jumping over the past few weeks?"

Shane winced. "It's, um…" He rubbed his forelegs together. "I thought it would be nice. Y'know, with the view… and the Shaymins from the village. B-But I guess it would mess with your sleep schedule." He mentally kicked himself. It wasn't going disastrously, but it wasn't going well, either.

Tessa noticed Selene turning and coughing lightly into her shoulder. She blinked a few times, then rubbed her snout. "Wait. Is this for the whole team?" Tessa looked at Nero and Selene. Both glanced at one another, then shook their heads in unison.

"It's supposed to be for the two of us," Shane said, pawing nervously at the floor.

It took a moment for his comment to sink in, but when it did, Tessa's aura feelers rose in time with her brows. "Oh. S-So, it's l-like a date, then?"

"Not if you don't want it to be. It could just be two friends catching up after they've been apart for a while." Shane spoke so fast he left himself breathless.

Tessa stepped back. For a brief moment, a broad grin spread across her face. Her eyes flickered blue, though, and she stood back at attention. "Sure, let's do it."

Shane's ears twitched. "R-Really? I don't want to, like, pressure you or anything."

"There's no pressure at all. It sounds fun," Tessa said, her smile returning. "When would we leave, though?"

"I was hoping to time it to sunrise over in the Grass Continent… so not for a few hours," Shane said, tails twitching with excitement. His mind was giving a victory holler and it took every ounce of willpower not to let it show through. Was this what Gallian and Zoroark were first like with each other? He'd have to ask.

"Okay. Guess we ought to head back to the Observatory for a break, then," Tessa said.

"Good idea. Give me a bit and I'll contact our ride," Selene said, winking. She and Nero turned around and exchanged smiles.

XxX

~Aeon Observatory~

Shane paced around his pillow, avoiding the gazes of the other guys in the room. "Oh gods. Oh gods. What am I supposed to do? What do we talk about? We've gotta have some sort of conversation because eating in silence would be super weird. But I have no idea what to talk about and I don't want to upset her."

"Dude, you need to relax. You've probably undone your entire massage in the span of a few minutes," Zoroark said, scratching at his ear canal with a claw.

"You let yourself get this wound up and the date's sure to be a bust," Gallian said.

Zoroark frowned. "He doesn't need to hear that, y'know. We're supposed to be encouraging him." He crossed his arms. "Besides, I remember you being a complete nervous wreck when you told me how you felt about me."

"That was a lot different. You'd fallen into the sea and I thought you'd cracked your skull open," Gallian said, pouting. "This is as low-stress of a date as you can possibly get."

"It's easy for you all to say. You've done this sort of thing before. I have no experience," Shane said, tails dropping. "Even when I was asking her… my heart wanted to burst right out my chest."

"Do you even have a real heart anymore… or is it just a big, fancy prism crystal?" Nero wondered.

Shane stopped pacing to give Nero the stink eye. "Come on, Nero. You've got all those memories running around in your head. Surely some of them involve successful dates." He gave Nero a pleading look. "Tell me what you know. I'll take any tips!"

"Uh…" Nero's brow furrowed. His cheek bolts sparked, then Zekrom's phantom materialized next to him.

"The things that worked best for Latios were the times where he was spontaneous," Zekrom said. "From what I understand, that's your specialty, Fuzz Butt."

Shane frowned. "Well, with all do respect, Zappy Butt, you're not Tessa. And my spontaneity gets me into trouble… which is what I want to avoid."

"Fair enough. I'm out of advice, then." Zekrom shrugged and retreated into Nero's cheek bolt.

"Boy, I sure hope you and Selene don't plan to take things too far," Zoroark said, smirking. "Otherwise, you'll have an audience for all your mating sessions."

Nero's fur puffed out. Flames swirled around his cheek bolts. "Guys, let's focus on Shane." He shook his head until his red splotches faded. "Look, Shane, your problem is that you're so focused on the date aspect of this… you're ignoring the fact that this is Tessa. You've spent more time with her than with anyone else. So, you need to stop acting like this one outing is the be-all, end-all of whatever you consider your relationship with Tessa to be and treat it like any other time when you've been together."

"B-But it is special. If things can go well, maybe…" Shane's voice trailed off. He sat down on his haunches and mulled over Nero's advice. Was that the problem? Was he assuming things between him and Tessa had to be different because of this?

"I may not know Tessa as well as the rest of you, but I think that, if you go into this expecting to end up in some sort of super-committed relationship… you're setting yourself up for failure," Zoroark said, shrugging. "It took quite an ordeal for you to even end up as friends in the first place. If you ask me, maybe you ought to take things slow." He raised his right arm. "And, yes, I realize the hypocrisy, since Gallian and I rushed into a relationship. But you definitely have the time to move slowly, so I say you do that. Focus on enjoying her company."

Shane looked between Nero and Zoroark. He didn't have a good response in mind, but he figured that was the best advice he could get. "Okay." Shane took a deep breath. "I think I'm ready."

XxX​

"You nervous? This is what you wanted, isn't it?" Selene said, adjusting Tessa's bow with a flicker of psychic energy.

"It is. But you know me… I'm always second-guessing myself." Tessa stared at the bottle in her right paw. It had a purple label on it. "Is a fragrance spray really necessary? We're going to be on top of a mountain filled with gracidea flowers."

"It shows Shane that you're taking this seriously." Selene snatched the bottle with her telekinesis. "It's only a couple of sprays behind your neck, anyway." She moved the bottle back. Tessa tensed. The oil was colder than she expected, but soon crushed lilac tickled her nostrils. A calmness passed over her muscles.

"There. You already look more relaxed." Selene stepped back, smiling.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Tessa said, smirking back.

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" Selene winked "Come on, Shane's waiting for you up by the entrance. Hoopa's going to take you over."

"Of course he is. Must be getting tired of doing this for us," Tessa said, following Selene up the stairs.

"I get the sense that, as long as we keep giving him donuts, he doesn't mind." Selene giggled. Before long, she and Tessa reached the entrance room and headed outside. Shane stood beside Nero, fur fluffed up to where he looked like a helping of cotton candy. A blue silk bow sat around his neck. Shane had silver rings on his forelegs and sequined bows tied around each tail that sparkled under the moonlight.

"W-Wow, Shane. Those are… some interesting accessories," Tessa whispered. Her aura feelers throbbed in time with her racing heart.

"Thanks. I, uh, thought we could try to match. Gallian and Zoroark picked these out for me. You don't think they're too flashy, do you?" Shane pivoted to show off his tails. Tessa's aura feelers jumped up. She was sure her face was red, now.

"They're perfect for you," Tessa said, voice cracking. She put her paw to her snout and cleared her throat. "So, shall we get going?"

"Of course. Just let me call up Hoopa," Selene said, levitating out her Gear-Com unit.

XxX

~Sky Peak~

"Thanks a lot for agreeing to this, Sister Esserly." Tessa bobbed her head as Esserly walked the duo down a dirt path. Shane and Tessa stared at the gracidea fields on either side of them. To their right, a couple of Shaymins paused in the midst of their conversation and waved.

"Welcome home, Esserly!" one said.

Esserly nodded back at her colleagues. "Thanks. I'm here to help these two with their picnic."

"Oh, wow, you're the ones who fought Necrozma!" the other Shaymin realized, eyes sparkling. "Can I—"

The first Shaymin shoved her shoulder. "Hey, c'mon. Can't you tell the two are here for a private moment? Leave 'em alone."

"Uh, we can always come back and visit another time," Shane said, sweat drops trickling down his neck. He focused his attention in front of him again. They continued walking until the path widened into a large clearing.

"This is… quite the view," Tessa said, gazing out past the rocky crags. Below her, white, puffy clouds passed by. Further down were rows upon rows of green trees. Off in the distance, the sun poked out from the horizon. Tessa squinted. "I think I see some trails far below us… and a town near a beach. Is that what I think it is?"

"It's Treasure Town," Shane said, stepping to Tessa's side. "You can practically see the whole Grass Continent from up here… or so I was told."

"Yeah." Tessa sat down, stretching out her legs and bracing her paws on either side of her.

"It'll take some time for me to get those pancakes cooked. You two okay on your own?" Esserly said. Shane and Tessa nodded. Esserly sniffed at one of the gracidea flowers, shifted form, and flew off behind them. After a half-minute, Tessa patted the ground to her right. Shane sat down next to her, taking care to curl his tails to his right so it wouldn't get awkward.

"So, uh… have you been getting a lot of attention since the battle?" Shane wondered.

"We have. There was actually a party in Aeon Town the day after you, y'know, put the world back together… and it was hard to find space with all the people who wanted to talk to me," Tessa said, batting at her rightmost aura feelers. "Selene said people let her cut in the food lines and Nero got assaulted by a pack of kids."

Shane snorted with laughter. "I'm sorry… what?"

"Those were his words, not mine." Tessa raised her paws innocently. Shane kept laughing, amused by the mental image of a bunch of tiny Pokémon banding together to try and bring Nero down.

"Must be a nice feeling, huh? It's what you— well, we always wanted, right? To be recognized as heroes," Shane said, but when Tessa's expression darkened his eyes widened. "Ah! My bad. I didn't— I wasn't trying to upset you or anything."

"It's okay, Shane. But, like, you remember the talk we had at Circadian Coast, right?" Tessa leaned back, flexing her toes on her right foot. "Honestly, having experienced the attention for myself, I find it overrated." She shook her head. "I guess after Mom and Gallian left I got so attention-starved I craved recognition to the extreme."

"We're like two peas in a pod in that regard." Shane sighed. Tessa quirked her brow. "Oh. It's, uh, a human expression… for similar people." He laughed nervously until his expression turned somber. "I know you caught me up about some of the stuff that's been happening, but how have you been doing?" He hesitated. It was out in the open, but he regretted bringing it up on what was meant to be a fun outing.

"I've been managing." Tessa ran a digit back and forth through the soil.

Shane winced, torn between pressing further and backing off. But, well, he'd already brought it up, right? No sense in abandoning the subject. "When I, uh, spoke with Nero, he said you'd been having a rough time." He gazed out over the mountainside. "If you want to talk about it, I'm happy to listen."

"It's tough to put into words, really." Tessa moved her right foot around in a circle. "Again, part of it goes back to what we talked about. The memories… of the bad things that happened to us. Every so often, they pop up. Like when I was on Celestial Island for the meetings, I kept flashing back to the moment I fell into Necrozma's trap… and you were standing there, attacking me."

She put her left paw on her chest spike. "And, y'know, it's hard to be around Nero and not think about the moment he Exploded. I'm pretty sure he keeps thinking about it, too." Tessa's shoulders sagged. "I know it's all behind us, but I can't stop the bad memories from popping up."

"I see. That's not, um… I think that's actually normal," Shane said. He was about to put a forepaw on Tessa's lap, but he stopped and placed it back on the ground. "It's probably why, y'know, people like Selene struggled after the Bittercold and Dark Matter." Two of his tails twisted together. "That's why we should keep talking about it… even if it's, y'know, unpleasant." Though that didn't detract from the point that this was a date and he had chosen a painful subject.

"You're right. I did actually talk with the other teams about this. Team Poképals told me that, for a while, they still thought about their time in the dark future. Same for Team Gaia and the Voidlands," Tessa explained, gazing up at the sky. "It sounds like it may take some time for me to get over this stuff… if I even can get over it." Her aura feelers drooped. "I have a hard time seeing how I can make myself happy in the future if I can't stop thinking about what happened to us."

Shane's ears flattened against his head. "I'm sorry." He was responsible for a lot of it, in a manner of speaking. "If I hadn't browbeaten you into joining the guild… you wouldn't have gotten wrapped up in all of this."

"You don't have to blame yourself," Tessa said, putting a paw on his shoulder. "These past few months… have certainly been rough. But the bright spots make it all worth it. And you're definitely one of those bright spots."

Shane's heart soared. His tails thumped against the ground. "Even though we, y'know, didn't start off on good terms?"

"Yes."

"You know I still feel bad about Mellath Bog, right?" Shane lowered his head.

"You said as much in your goodbye letter." Tessa pulled the piece of paper out of a tiny shoulder bag she'd brought, along with Shane's memento. "This was really sweet of you, by the way." She held the crystal up. Sunlight struck it and refracted into different colors on the ground in front of them.

"Glad you like it," Shane said, grinning. They lapsed into silence. Shane glanced at the space between them. Sucking in a breath, he scooched over. Their hips weren't quite touching, but he could slide his forepaw beside Tessa's. She looked at it, aura feelers tensing, then slowly slid her paw until it was on top of Shane's. They shared a smile, then looked away, faces flushing.

"So, uh… Ultra Burst, huh?"

Shane barely stopped his tails from curling up. This was the one topic Shane intended to avoid, but Tessa brought it up. He bit his lip, worried about how to respond. He settled for saying, "Ultra Burst. Yeah, pretty wild." As soon as the words came out, a dark thought festered in the back of his mind like an infected boil. "Tessa…" His voice trailed off and he bowed his head. "You, um, you do realize that, since I'm Necrozma now… that means that you're gonna…" He sucked in a breath. "You're going to age, but I won't. And someday, you'll—"

His tails curled up. A voice shouted at him from within. Made him question if a relationship with Tessa could even work given his fate. If they stayed together, there'd be inevitable heartbreak down the road, right?

A paw touched his left shoulder. He nearly jumped, but managed to keep himself seated. "Shane, I'm not thinking that far into the future," Tessa whispered. "I'm still too caught up in the past to look ahead like that. But, even still, I believe things will work out." She smiled at him. "You'll have Nero… and, if your spiritual training goes well, who's to say we can't stick together even once I've moved onto the spirit realm?"

Shane's eyes slowly widened. He hadn't thought about that. Namely because thinking about his new powers made his head hurt. Everything Ephemeris had told him… scared him. "You know… the old Shane would've been hooting and hollering. Strutting around and shouting about how great these new developments are," Shane said.

"Back when I was human, if I wasn't pretending to be a Lucario… I'd pretend to be a dragon. The fact that I actually am one is… well, I don't know what to make of it." Shane subconsciously leaned over… and was startled when Tessa actually let him rest his head against her shoulder.

"Yes, a part of me — the lingering bits of the old Shane — is thrilled by all of this. But the reality is… I don't trust myself with powers like these," Shane continued. "I'm not sure I can be the Guiding Light… and I definitely don't deserve or want to be some sort of god. I just want… to be with you." When he realized what he'd said, he hastily added, "And our other friends, too, of course."

"I see." Tessa glanced at the mark on her right paw.

"Like… what if I lose control? What if I can't harness Ultra Burst properly and I turn violently destructive like Necrozma? Or what if I bungle something up with people's spirits?" Shane tensed up as he spoke. "There are so many pitfalls. Ways to stumble and fail. And the consequences of failing are something that hurts to think about. I was such an idiot… fantasizing about being a hero while ignoring what an enormous responsibility it actually is." Shane gritted his teeth. "As a human, I did everything in my power to avoid responsibility. So, like, I'm the absolute worst candidate for Guiding Light replacement. I'd be a total disgrace to, uh, whatever reputation Blinding Ones have out in Ultra Space."

Tessa took it all in, not moving a muscle. When Shane finished speaking, she brushed hair out of his eyes. "Shane, you've really grown."

"Hmm?"

"What you just said… you showed a lot of insight for someone who claims to be bad at reading other people," Tessa said, offering him a smile. "It sounds to me like you've really taken everything we've talked about to heart."

"Well, I guess? Maybe it's, like, a psychic thing? Since Necrozma was psychic and stuff." Shane's brow furrowed. "All I know is that you mean so much to me and I want you to be happy. Because you deserve it. You deserve the world." He threw caution to the wind and scooched left one last time. His hip brushed against Tessa's. Blood poured into his cheeks. Rainbow light shimmered in his eyes and tails… leading to a spark of blue aura in Tessa's eyes.

"You helped me acclimate to life as a Pokémon, even though I was a dick to you out of the gate. And then you taught me how to be a better person." Shane lifted his head up so he could look Tessa in the eyes. "I don't think I would've worked up the courage to set out and find Nero if you hadn't shown me how much he meant to you. I probably would've given up the fight against the Prism Virus multiple times if you hadn't been there to give me the kicks in the ass that I needed.

"When I was flying into the sun and I was in such searing pain that I wanted to stop… it was you that kept me going above all else." Shane booped Tessa on the snout. "You and your smile."

Tessa's aura feelers trembled. Shane wished he was in her head — and he certainly could try, but that would betray her trust — because the stunned look on her face made it impossible for him to tell if she liked or hated what he'd said.

"That's, uh… wow." Tessa whistled. "I'm gonna be honest… I don't even know how to respond to that." She laughed. Shane winced at first, but perked up once he realized Tessa's laughter held not bitterness or fatigue… but elation. His tails rubbed against one another. Warmth flooded his chest.

As her laughter died down, Tessa's expression turned serious again, "I've got a lot of the same fears you do, Shane. About the whole Ultra Burst thing." She raised her right paw up. "I don't know if things will work out… if I'll really be able to control it or not. And that scares me. It's not like my mind had completely blanked when I lost control against Mom… I knew what I was doing." Tessa balled her paw into a fist. Blue flames flashed around the spike and she brought her paw into her chest.

"But you know what? Even if I'm not sure how things are going to work out… it's okay."

"It's… okay?" Shane tilted his head.

"I finally get it, Shane. When I was sulking about on my own… I thought to myself that a happy life meant things would be perfect. That there would never be a single bad day in my future… ever," Tessa said as the aural embers faded from her paw. "But that's not true. There is no such thing as a perfect life. You'll have good days… but there'll also be bad ones, too." She looked back at Shane. "If I'm going to be happy… then I have to learn to cherish the good times… and turn to my friends and family during the bad. I have people who can support me, now. And that's a resource that, before I met you, I thought I'd never have."

Shane blinked. Then, he slowly nodded. It made sense. Heck, he was probably guilty of that kind of black-and-white thinking, too.

She booped Shane's snout with her paw and smiled at him. "Spiritual training… mastering Ultra Burst… they're both challenges that we're going to have to face. We can't avoid them." Tessa took a calming breath. "But we've overcome so many challenges together. You, me, Nero, and Selene. What's a few more challenges to throw onto the pile, huh?" Tessa playfully elbowed Shane's shoulder.

"Yeah, it probably won't happen overnight. Heck, it might take years to succeed at this. That's okay, though. I'm not afraid of slipping up or making mistakes." Tessa clasped Shane's chin. His eyes and face turned a mix of orange and red. "Because I have people like you to pick me up when I fall down."

"I see." Shane stared at Tessa's outstretched arm, nearly going cross-eyed. "You know… you've changed, too. I remember how you were so afraid of failing. And how it made you extremely frustrated, especially when I screwed up." He swiveled his head and brushed it against Tessa's forearm. "But look at you now. Even if you might think this sounds cliché or overrated… you're a hero, Tessa. And I think you're the strongest person I've ever known."

Grinning from ear to ear, Tessa pulled her arm back. She nodded silently, then said, "There are going to be a lot of changes in the near future… especially if Team Paradox finds an Ultra Recon Squad branch." Tessa took a shaky breath. "And change is inherently scary. But it doesn't feel so scary when I know that I have people I can count on for support." She smiled at Shane. "People like you… my partner from the very start."

A smile spread across Shane's lips. His fur stood on end and tingled. Tessa raised her brows. "Sh… Shane. Your hair… the tips of your mane are turning gold."

"H-Huh? Oh…" Shane tried to focus on his neck, but the tingling wouldn't stop. "Sorry, I don't think I can turn that off."

"It's fine. Looks kinda nice on you. Regal, even." Tessa ran her paw through Shane's locks. A shiver raced down his spine. "So, what do you plan to do with your powers, Shane?"

"Join the Ultra Recon Squad," Shane said, without hesitation. "Even if I don't have proper control over them, yet, I promised Nicky I'd take up the mantle of the Guiding Light."

"Didn't you just tell me you were afraid of trying to be the new Guiding Light?" Tessa said, head tilted.

"Yeah, I am… but that little speech of yours gave me a jolt of confidence. Besides, I owe it to everyone to use the gifts Nicky left me to keep them safe… so that they can be happy." Rainbow light shimmered in his eyes. "After all… with great power comes great responsibility."

"Not a bad platitude. Did you come up with that?"

"Me? No." Shane's face flushed. "It's from Spider-Man… this comic book from the human world about a human kid who gets super powers. Thought it was appropriate."

"You and your references." Tessa sighed and shook her head.

"S-Sorry. I'll stop if you want me to," Shane mumbled.

"Nah, you're fine. I've learned to find them endearing," Tessa said. "I honestly missed them when you were gone." She placed her paw on his cheek, which only served to make him redder. "You really intend to be part of the Ultra Recon Squad, then?"

Shane nodded. "But I'm not saying you have to. We've done enough battling to last a lifetime and you've more than earned the right to a quieter, peaceful job."

"I appreciate the sentiment, Shane, but I'm going to have to decline." Tessa ran her paw down to Shane's chin.

"A-Are you sure? I wouldn't want you getting stressed out or anything," Shane said, biting his lower lip.

"Well, yeah, stress is inevitable with that kind of job… but, at this point, I can't see myself settling into some sort of quiet, day-to-day job." Tessa shook her head. "I think I'd end up going stir-crazy in the end. Besides… you remember the card Gallian gave me?" Shane nodded. "The more I think about what was on that card… the happier it makes me. So, I guess you can say I've reached a conclusion. I want to help people who might not be in a position to defend themselves… because I know what it's like to be helpless and that's something nobody should have to experience."

"Well said." Shane nodded. "Guess this means Team Radiance will live to see a new day and a new age."

"Probably without Selene, though. She's definitely done with the battling and exploration stuff," Tessa said, rubbing her neck. "She told me and Nero as much… but I'm pretty sure Nero will stay with us."

"That's okay. She's earned her, uh, retirement… for lack of a better word." Shane chuckled. "I might've gotten a replacement for her, anyway."

"Celeste, right?" Tessa shook her head in disbelief. "If you'd told me at the start of this that I'd wind up working alongside Xerneas, I'd have probably done a lot more than whack you with my bag." She and Shane exchanged laughter.

"Then should we, like, make it official?" Shane asked. "Our continued partnership, I mean."

"What do you have in mind?"

Shane raised a forepaw. "What do you think I have in mind?"

Tessa grinned, then raised her right paw. "Through darkest night…"

"And brightest day…" Shane joined his paw with Tessa's.

"Team Radiance always finds a way," they said together, before Tessa leaned over and nuzzled Shane's cheek. A spark of golden energy trailed off the end of his hair. Tessa pulled away and looked back toward the hiking trail.

"Huh. I thought for sure the pancakes would be done by now," Tessa said, head tilted.

"Anything you can think of to pass the time?" Shane wondered.

"Well, there is one thing…" Tessa reached into her bag and produced a foam plug that she stuck onto her chest spike.

"W… what is that?" Shane's tails curled up.

"Magearna called it her 'Geartronic Embrace Permitifier,'" Tessa said, grinning cheekily.

"Rolls right off the tongue," Shane deadpanned. "But what's it for?"

"For a dance." Tessa got to her feet.

"A dance? Up here? But we don't even have any music crys—"

Tessa pulled a shimmering crystal out of her bag. "A little gift from Primarina… as is this." She pulled out a tiny box. "He was working on a portable version of the Sky Jukebox before the whole Prism Virus thing got out of hand." She slipped the crystal into the box.

"A-Are you sure about this? We have different numbers of legs… it'd be awkward." Shane's tails frazzled

"After seeing you on stage with Selene? I'm quite sure." Tessa extended her left paw toward Shane. He stared at it then, smiling, stuck his right forepaw out. Tessa grabbed it and yanked Shane up onto his hind legs. She pulled his yipping form close, letting him drape his forelegs over her shoulders.

Soft choral music played from the small box, backed by what sounded like a string set. To Shane's surprise, there weren't any lyrics. But he quickly pivoted his attention from the music to his dance partner. They weren't moving all that much. Tessa took small steps and occasional pivots, which made it easy for Shane to follow along with her. Yet, despite the dance lacking the intensity of his display with Selene, an exhilarating thrill ran to the tips of Shane's tails.

As Tessa leaned in and rested her head against Shane's, he remembered Zoroark's advice. "Tessa. I, uh, I want you to know that if you'd, um, like to take our relationship further… we can go as slowly or as quickly as you'd like," he said. "We don't have to rush anything."

"I know," Tessa whispered, nuzzling Shane's cheek with her snout. "Like I said, there are a lot of changes on the way for all of us. Moving slowly is for the best. Still, I want to savor this moment for everything it's worth… and say what I was too scared to tell you before."

Shane gulped. He could see his prismatic heart flickering in his chest. "A-And that is?"

"That I love you." Tessa pecked the side of his cheek. Shane's tails jolted up. It was too much for him to take. Her fur brushing against his. Her warm breath against his neck. Her gentle touch around his shoulders. Without even realizing it, a pair of golden wings sprouted up from his back and wrapped Tessa up in a tender embrace. She gasped, but then leaned back into Shane as warm light flooded her system.

"I love you, too." Shane snuggled the crook of Tessa's neck. "And while I know I won't be perfect… as long as I'm with you, I'm not afraid of slipping up and stumbling."

"We'll face each challenge one step at a time… together," Tessa said. "Because that's what partners do."

Shane smiled the biggest smile he'd ever managed in his time as a Pokémon. As he wrapped Tessa up tight in his wings, a golden silhouette appeared behind him, bathing the two in light. The silhouette spread over Shane. He grew in size. Two additional wings sprouted up. His tails condensed into a single, long, golden tail.

When the light died down, Tessa stood atop Necrozma Shane's top chest spike. She held the tip of his crystalline beak in her paws and pressed her forehead to it. Jubilant yellow and green spread through Shane's mismatched eyes. He held Tessa gingerly with his upper wings while his lower wings flapped slowly and his long tail brushed against the dirt. His ethereal body prickled.

"I don't want this moment to end," Shane said, funneling warm light through Tessa's snout. The sigil on her paw and the star-shaped mark on her chest brimmed with blue energy.

"Neither do I." Tessa caressed the side of Shane's beak. "How about this… I've one more promise I'd like you to keep."

"Name it."

"You be the Guiding Light… and I'll be your shining star."

Shane's head tendrils frizzled. "That's so unbelievably cheesy I'd toss it over a pasta dish." His beak curved into a grin. "I love it. It's a deal."

They nuzzled one another. The music died down and Shane slowly shrank back into his Ninetales form. The two held their embrace, with Shane ending up in Tessa's lap. She didn't mind, however. Instead, she pivoted slightly so they could both look out toward the horizon.

A small, yellow star passed in front of them and a tiny pink circle appeared on top of it. The star hovered in place for a few seconds, before taking off into the stratosphere.

"What was that? A Minior?" Tessa wondered.

"I dunno. Let's think of it as a blessing from Ultra Space," Shane said, brushing his head against Tessa's chest. Her face flushed. Shane looked up and, noting Tessa's expression, climbed off her lap to sit down beside her. The last of the gold color faded from his fur.

Tessa's aura feelers twitched and she finally regained her wits. "I think I can sense Esserly coming back. Ready for some pancakes?"

Shane still had a huge, goofy grin on his face. "Absolutely."

The two sat back down on the ground, lost in each other's gazes. Yes, the future would undoubtedly hold challenges for them both. For now, though, they were content to enjoy each other's company, happy in the knowledge that they were taking a big leap forward… together.

THE END

XxX​

And there you have it. This is what I'd been planning on doing for months. I know that there are quite a few people out there who expected this fic to have a bittersweet or depressing ending because that would be "more realistic." And while I'd considered that possibility — with how dark and depressing the fic got in places — I decided to go against it.

Instead, I opted to create an ending in which the characters acknowledge that, while the world is saved, there's still work to be done. That work may prove challenging, but they can overcome the obstacles by working together. I chose to do this because, in my opinion, this is a good mix between a hopeful ending and something that we can all extrapolate to our everyday lives. Because we all experience highs and lows. Good days and bad days. Likewise, there's no shame in leaning on others for support.

Truthfully, I'm amazed I managed to get to this point. For the longest time, I thought I'd be stuck writing this forever. The finish line seemed so far away. I'm glad that that belief was ultimately swept aside and I was able to bring this fic to a close. And much like how the beloved webcomic, Brawl in the Family, ended around the time of Smash 4's release, I managed to wrap this up right after the Sun and Moon anime ended and on the cusp of Generation VIII's release. A happy accident, I swear.

There are so, so many things that I could say, but I find myself struggling to organize my thoughts coherently. So, I guess, the big thing I want to say is thank you. Thank you to everyone who gave this fic a chance, in spite of the shortcomings of the opening chapters. Looking back on them, I can see just how rough around the edges they are. You can tell they were the first pieces of prose I'd ever written. I'd like to think my writing improved as the fic went on, but that's for all of you to judge.

Guiding Light began as a simple premise in my head: what if there was a PMD fic where the hero and partner were forced to fight for the fate of the world? I am, of course, referring to the battle between Tessa and Shane while the latter was under Necrozma's control. But I sat on the idea for a while. It wasn't until I read Arrowfoot the Dragon's PMD: Defenders of Warmth that I got more of a creative spark. That original premise morphed into a desire to do something similar to what Arrowfoot did for Generation VII.

I originally outlined the fic to be much more light-hearted and used the framework of Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time — an alien invasion in a world of cute, colorful, cartoony characters — for constructing the plot. Shane was supposed to be a parody of self-insert characters. But, well, even the best-laid plans can sometimes fall apart. Needless to say, the fic morphed and changed dramatically into the final product that we got. I could talk your ears off about all the things that are in the fic that I had never intended on including. Nero and Selene were never meant to be main characters; the latter was actually supposed to die alongside Umbreon. Characters like Sticky, Seraph, Zoroark, Latias, the other heroic teams, and Celeste were never even meant to exist in this fic. And, of course, I hadn't originally planned on having so many blatant Kirby references.

This was not an easy fic to write. It was a huge struggle to write about friendships and relationships… because I have no offline friends. I'm an awkward loner who spends most of his free time behind his computer screen. And there were times when I definitely neglected more important things in order to write. I managed to meet some amazing people in the process of creating this fic, but they're scattered all around the globe and it would be hard to go and see them. I admit that this epilogue was tough to write, because I'm seeing my characters so happy when I've been depressed for years and severely depressed throughout portions of time creating this fic.

Yes, while some people assume that Shane is the self-insert — and I did draw from my cringeworthy teenage behavior to create him — it's actually Nicky that's closest to my experiences. I got severely hazed in high school and often spent nights dreaming of getting revenge on the people who bullied me. The big difference between me and Nicky is, well… he succeeded in his suicide attempt. I'm still around. But that's all I'll say publicly.

Guiding Light is far from a perfect fic. I get that. It's never going to be Silver Resistance and, unlike Scythe, I didn't start the fic when PMD was at its popularity zenith with the Explorers games fresh in everyone's minds. Yet, in spite of the fic's flaws, I've gotten more support on this story than I could possibly imagine. Sure it'd be nice to get brought up in the same sentence as some of the other big PMD works on the internet, but I'm happy with all the comments I've gotten. Sure, I've lost a lot of people's support over the course of writing this. And there are probably plenty of silent folks who stopped reading because they couldn't stand Shane's behavior in the early chapters. That's on me as the author for making him so unlikeable out of the gate that some people couldn't bear reading on.

Still, to those of you who've stuck by throughout all of the many ups and downs, you have my heartfelt thanks. Thank you for showing interest in this fic where the protagonist is on the autism spectrum and has a number of serious character flaws. Thank you for taking a chance on this fic even with all the sexual humor and furry bait that I unashamedly threw into it… and for being receptive of the cast and their diverse range of sexualities. It always made me nervous to write that stuff, but seeing the positive comments brightened me up.

Thank you to those who favorited the fic… but the biggest thanks has to go to, of course, you wonderful souls who've left comments on the fic all this time. You guys are all awesome and really helped me keep my motivation up. To those of you who read the fic silently all this time… I'm not really sure what to say to you. I hope you enjoyed the story and that, someday, you might be willing to tell me what you thought. Although the fic is complete, I'd love to see it continue to grow. Spread the word, if you can. I have the tumblr blog, but there are plenty of sites I'm not a part of. We can grow this fic into something huge together. I'm sure of it.

There are a few extra-special thanks I need to give out, as well. To Virigl134, who has been a sounding board for several of my ideas for the vast majority of the fic's life and also helped arrange the first April Fools' special. To girl-like-substance, whose reviews on Serebii really helped me to improve as a writer through the course of the fic. To Namohysip for his help beta reading the ending episodes and working with me on the second April Fools' special. To sakarime for also being a sounding board for a few ideas, as well as drawing some fantastic pieces of Necrozma. And, lastly, to Dardarax, and that one little guy, whose fics (Dark Legacy and Paper Mario: The Temple of the Sun, respectively) got me interested in fanfiction in the first place.

Now, I've been asked by numerous people what my plans are going forward. And, as of right now, I don't have any. When I said I'd been neglecting important things for my writing… I meant it. I have studies that I need to focus on and a future career as a physician that I need to put my energy toward. I admit, I have loads of ideas running around in my head for things I can write… but it's going to be tough to put them onto paper. You guys have no idea how hard I worked to put Guiding Light together. It took two years and three months of writing over a thousand words a day every day to make it happen.

Would I like to revisit Horizon and its characters? Absolutely! But I cannot commit to another epic-length piece. If I do continue writing, it will take the form of short, episodic stories. And they won't all focus on Team Radiance. I want to give other characters a chance to shine, too. If I did this, I would not be updating on a regular schedule. Parts would come out whenever they're ready. And I would very likely put them here… after the epilogue. There's no point to making a new story for them, since once people realize they'd have to read Guiding Light to understand what's going on, they'd close out of the fic. So, keep an eye on the Horizon Continent blog for any announcements.

Like I said before, I could keep going on and on about all of this stuff. But I think I've said enough at this point. Again, I would like to thank each and every one of you for your support throughout this fic's life. I hope you'll consider leaving your thoughts now that the story is over. If you're reading this in the future, please do comment. I don't plan on leaving the site entirely, even if my schedule is getting busy. I'd love to hear what you have to say.

That's all from me. Take care. And remember… smiles go for miles!

-Ambyssin
 

git-it

Member
I know that with less than 6 months I am not one of the ones that are the longest here. But I enjoyed the time here and would like to thank you. You do a wonderful job by story-writing and running the blogs. You connect people. You change people. You are great.
It was hard to read that you actually inspired Nicky
— it's actually Nicky that's closest to my experiences.
I'm happy that we still got you around :') (That's a 'So happy that I cry', not 'Funny to tears')
I wish you all the best to be happy, and I repeat, you deserve it.

---

That's it, 'End 1'. Remember what I said about 'End A'? That it made me feel conciliatory even if Shane wouldn't return? But, why just feel conciliatory if you can be happy? :) Friend of Happy End.
As mentionned in my last comment, End 1 was closing all what was left open. The circle closes. I like that we had some calm chapters after all that action. I like action, but i like emotions better.

---

I am not the best comment-writer, not just because of the language barrier. I struggle to write what I think, and additional I have to write in english, backtranslate and correct, and then I'm not always happy how my comments developed. Thus, I hope my comments weren't too bad.
 

Sike Saner

Peace to the Mountain
The real Silvally's sound waves diverted one of the missiles, which sputtered off into the distance and exploded. The remaining ones went for his Double Team clones, only to strike the ground an erupt in varying neon colors.

I'm trying to figure out whether that'd be pretty or nauseating to behold. (Certainly it'd be terrifying in person. That goes without saying.) Maybe both, depending on how bright and flashy said colorsplosions are?

Lycanroc flailed about, trying to draw on his powers and summon an Ultra Wormhole to escape. But before he could a giant, orange fist punched him right between the legs.

Critical hit!

Ho-Oh walked out from a wide staircase, head tucked into her chest to avoid bonking it on the ceiling.

Of course I can't help but wonder if she didn't have to learn to do that the hard way.

Shane summoned a fireball and knocked it at Necrozma. Ley line chains shot out from the wall on Necrozma's right. They stopped the attack, but melted into a sticky puddle of tar. It was like all the road construction sites Shane had gone past in his human life.

Did it smell like the construction sites? I've always thought fresh tar smells kind of nice somehow.

"L-Lady Ho-Oh? I, but… this doesn't make any sense! W-Why are you gold?!" she stuttered, scooching away from the pool.

Oh my god, Oricorio, you can't just ask someone why they're gold.

"Well, at least you can say you literally kicked Lugia's ass," Feraligatr offered, grinning cheekily. Infernape pushed his mouth shut.

Pfff. I love that image.

With a pained wail, Latias drew on her dwindling powers and sent healing energy racing into her wing. The bones snapped back into place.

Oh dang, I bet that hurt like nobody's business.

Her eyes fell on Lugia. He was awake. Team Poképals had managed to help him into a seated position. Lugia met her gaze. His eyes filled with tears. Latias turned on the waterworks as well when she raced for him, ignoring Raichu's panicked shouts. She embraced her mate, burying her head in the crook of his neck and bawling her eyes out.

Lugia pressed his head against her back. "I'm so… so sorry," he whispered, shuddering. "F-For hurting you… and f-for Latios and—" He hiccupped. Lugia lifted Latias' head with his wing. Her eyes were red and puffy. "Thank you for saving me," he whispered.

Latias poked her head up and pressed her lips to Lugia's. "D-Don't scare me like that again," she blubbered, before kissing him a second time.

Awww...

"Well, you lot can go have fun with that," Marshadow said, waving the group off. "As for me, I'm—"

"Coming with us," Haxorus said, before beaning Marshadow across the head with a petrify wand. He hit the ground, limbs twitching.

laughs

"Um, Haxy, you're supposed to point the wand at him and fire a burst from it," Raichu said, shoulders sagging.

I liked her way better. :B

The emerald mist cleared, revealing Kyogre hovering off the ground, large red eyes fixed on Volcarona, who had managed to right herself. The illusion was shattered when Mew's familiar, squeaky voice huffed, "I'm not letting you get away with this anymore!"

Okay the thought of that voice coming out of wildly unbefitting forms is pretty great.

Rayquaza groaned, catching everyone's attention. Even Mew looked up. Rayquaza stared back at everyone. "What's going on here? Where did all of you mortals come—" He cut himself off when his gaze fell upon Latias and Lugia. "You two! What's the meaning of this?" He narrowed his eyes. "Are you really so cowardly that you went running off to tattle to your mate after our discussion?"

Lugia frowned. "What are you talking about? We—"

Latias flew up and put a paw on Lugia's mouth. "Sweetie. I think I've got this."

Lugia went cross-eyed looking at her paw. He shuffled back. Latias floated toward Rayquaza, clearing her throat. "What's going on here, is that we," she gestured to the group, "just saved your ungrateful, pretentious ass from being part of some hideous fusion monster with Mewtwo and a Volcarona."

She paused, but before Rayquaza could retort, she continued, "It's the truth. Everyone here can attest to it. So, you can take your usual lineup of 'worthless idiot' insults and **** right off."


Everyone's jaws dropped in unison. Lugia tucked his head into his wing to stave off a coughing fit.

But Latias wasn't done. "Because we're busy trying to stop all of time from collapsing and listening to you would do nothing but slow us down. I could not care any less about you or your stupid dragon pride. News flash! That pride of yours got you corrupted by the Prism Virus. And guess who wound up having to do the brunt of the work saving you?"

Latias gestured to Team Go-Getters. Blaziken crossed his arms and smirked, while Swampert cheerfully waved and said, "Long time no see, Meanie-Greenie. Still as grouchy as ever, eh?"

Rayquaza's jaw dropped. He turned and glared at Latias. "You… you…"

"If you want to lay here and wallow in pity or whatever, then go right ahead," Latias said, turning away from him. "The rest of us are going to the center of that vortex to finish this fight."

actually cheers

I'm so proud of her. :')

Tessa saw an opening and again closed the gap with her mother. Zero desperately swiped at her with her remaining Metal Claws. Tessa caught them between her own paws. "No more!" Tessa growled. Her paws flickered. Zero's Metal Claws shattered. Tessa grabbed her mother by her outstretched paw and slammed her into the ground.

The wind rushed out of Zero. She tried to form up an Aura Sphere, but Tessa hefted her up again, shouting, "This is for calling me worthless!"

Zero hit the ground, gasping for air. Tessa tightened her grip and proceeded to twirl around, repeatedly lifting Zero up and smashing her against the floor. Between each blow came another yell.

"This is for Silvally! This is for Shane! This is for Gallian!"

"T… Tess… agh!" Zero concentrated on Necrozma's core, but it did her no good. Her connection was severed. Through blurry vision, she could see Shane smiling at the sight. He cheered Tessa on, all the while holding the runes around his forepaw stable.

Him and me both.

(Well, okay, I mean, I wasn't doing any runes or anything, but yeah. :B)

His parents. Shane stared blankly at Dr. Sinclair as she walked out of the room. His mind was racing. He didn't even notice the nurse walk across the room, holding a bag filled with purple, bubbling fluid. It wasn't until the purple liquid streamed down his IV line and entered his arm that Shane realized something was wrong.

Shane's skin crawled, as if a bunch of invisible bugs were running up and down his arms and legs. He wanted to scratch his chest so badly, but he couldn't move. "Don't worry," the nurse said, walking to the foot of the bed. "This will make you feel better. So much better."

Shane tensed up. He recognized the distortion in the nurse's voice. Shane looked up at the nurse, only to find his face replaced by a large, purple, reptilian eye. It stared back at Shane, its pupillary slit expanding. Before Shane even had a chance to process this, however, a tearing pain gripped his chest. He looked down and had to watch in horror as red, thorny chains burst out from his bandages and dressings. They wriggled about. Then, one by one, they pointed at Shane's face.

He finally managed to get his mouth open, but the chains shot into his throat before he got the chance to scream.

Creepy stuff. Could practically feel that throat jab at the end sfghsjfsjdf

Rayquaza turned and snatched up Espy and Tessa in his arms. "Don't worry! I'll protect you!" he shouted. "The rest of you, follow behind in case I need support." His golden ribbons straightened out, giving him the appearance of an emerald arrow. Rayquaza shot into the air before anyone could respond to him.

Tessa had never moved so fast. Well, she also hadn't flown before. So, to have this be her first experience was nothing short of frightening.

Yeah you could NOT get me to fly with a mega rayquaza.

She didn't even get to see a half-dozen Kartanas shred the attack apart before it got anywhere close to her target.

You know, I almost think kartana are scarier than guzzlord. Just... the idea that you could just fall tf apart because a few of them flitted past and you didn't even know it.

"I, uh, guess they've got things under control?" Feraligatr mumbled, head titled sideways. "Say, is it just me, or do these things seem a lot weaker than that big building thingamajig Lycanroc was controlling?"

"You mean Spattatatta? Yeah, these guys are a lot weaker," Infernape said.

On a scale of 1-10, how fun was it to come up with different ways to mangle the word "stakataka"? :B

Also, that particular permutation is very nearly "Spamrattata", and that's awesome.

"Necrozma gave you another option, Tessa. You can join us. There'll be no more stress. No more anguish." A smile spread across his face. "You'll have the power to do whatever your heart desires. Anything that upsets you… you can destroy it." Shane smacked a forepaw against the ground. "Doesn't that sound better than a life filled with endless guilt… where you're second-guessing every action you take and wondering if you'll lose control of yourself?"

Tessa's response consisted of a gray Flash Cannon beam.

Good response.

"It wasn't your human self that died in Ultra Space. It was Dark Matter," Silvally said, walking toward Shane. "It gave its power to you… because it thought you could use that power to help. Which is exactly what you've done."

"That's not true though." Shane looked down. "I was a total slimeball my first month here. I didn't help people… I berated everyone. You guys. Lycanroc. The other apprentices." He shuddered. "And Necrozma was able to worm his way into my spirit like it was nothing. I… I… I don't deserve forgiveness. I don't deserve you guys."

"It's in the past now, Shane," Tessa said. "You're here. You're with us." She gestured to her teammates. "We're together again. We can make our own future. Please…" Tessa put her other paw under Shane's chin. His eyes sparkled with tears. "You are a good person. The changes you've made are real—"

"They don't make up for what I did as Dark Matter, though," Shane whispered.

"Maybe not. But you know what would? Stopping Necrozma… and saving our world from total destruction." Tessa pulled her paws away and got to her feet. "It wouldn't feel right for Team Radiance to finish this fight without its leader."

Shane stared up at Tessa, blinking slowly. Silvally stepped to Tessa's side. "I understand what you're going through, Shane."

"But I… I made you blow yourself up," Shane whimpered.

"And I tried to kill you back in Moonrise Marsh," Silvally said, looking down guiltily. "We've both got things we need to work on, that's for sure. And that's why I'm standing by you… like you stood by me when I was doubting myself after breaking my mask."

Espy stepped forward, brushing her side against Silvally's. "Me too. You refused to give up on me… even though I'd given up on myself and the world." She looked at Silvally. "I might not have found something to fight for if you hadn't kept believing in me."

"See, Shane? We care about you… just like you care about us. We're a team. And, even with our rocky beginnings, I want my partner by my side. Now and forever." Tessa stuck her paw out toward him. "So, what do you say? One final mission. Let's put an end to this nonsense for good."

Shane looked at her paw. He brushed his face against his shoulder, then stood up. Shane nodded. "Right." He brought a forepaw up to Tessa's paw-spike. "Through darkest night…"

"… and brightest day…" Espy put her forepaw on top of Shane's.

Silvally gingerly touched a talon to Espy's forepaw. "… Team Radiance always finds a way."

Actually got misty-eyed at this. ;w;

Two Unown-O, an Unown-F, and an Unown-! drifted in front of Arceus.

Gdi I laughed

Arceus hissed as they singed his flank. A bunch of Unown-A clumped together above him, punctuated by another Unown-!.

I love unown so much rn

You only found success because of your partners!"

Shane frowned. "I, well…" He blinked slowly and glanced at Tessa. Realization slowly washed over him and a confident look overtook his frown. "If I found success because of my partners… then that just proves how right we are! Relationships are important! They're sources of strength that everyone needs!"

Wow Nicky, you just walked right into that one.

One final roar split the skies. The Z-Moves struck home, blowing Necrozma's head apart in streams of golden light. His body simply floated there, surrounding by ripples of distortion. Shane titled his head and frowned. "Is… is it over? Does this mean we win?"

Espy's ears drooped. "Why isn't what's left of his body falling apart?"

"Oh no…" Tessa's aura feelers crinkled up. "You don't think… his core wasn't in his head, do you? Maybe it's in the middle of his body?"

I like it when a boss that has a blatant weak spot that turns out to be a total decoy. Provided I'm not the one fighting said boss, of course. :B

Espy stood up, the slime reaching up to her belly. She was completely soaked. The goo weighed her ears and tail down, making it impossible for her to do anything but keep them folded. Her face paled. "It's between locks of my fur! Oh, gods, this is even worse than the time I fell in my own puke!"

"Time", she says. Singular. Yet somehow I have a sneaking suspicion it's happened more than once...

He spat an Ice Beam directly into the cocoon. A huge grin spread across his face as the membrane rippled like a plate of gelatin prodded by multiple forks.

I am now helplessly imagining this thing in one of those vintage gelatin mold cookbooks. It'd be called "Delightful Necrozma Salad" or some such, and exactly one word in that name would be true.

The top of the sphere erupted and a large, slimy Rayquaza head popped out.

The picture this puts in my head makes me think of chestbursters, or of emerging botfly larva. Nasty! :D

"But my friends… I want to stay with them! Please, there has to be some other way!" Fresh tears welled up in Shane's eyes. Thoughts of Espy's smile, Silvally curling around him protectively, and sitting on the beach with Tessa flashed in his mind. He couldn't leave. Shane promised that he would stay with them. They were a team. And their journey had been so different. It wasn't supposed to end the same way as the games.

A thunderclap echoed through the room. Nicky's light particles distorted briefly. Shane's tails shot up in alarm.

I'm sorry, Shane. This is the only way I can think of… short of having your team leave the world destroyed in exchange for breaking my core, Nicky said, a hint of urgency to his voice. I realize this must be hard for you. Your friends… are good people. People who care deeply about you.

All Shane could think about was Tessa. Her smile. Her paw brushing against his while they talked on Circadian Coast. The encouraging words when he was trapped by Necrozma. "It's… it's more than that." Shane's voice trembled. "Tessa. I… I love her. I can't… I don't want to leave her. She's… she means so much to me."

If you really love her, then don't you think she deserves to have her world back? Think about it… neither of us were meant to be here in the first place. We broke this world. It's only right we put it back together.

Shane bit his lip. Nicky… had a point. After all the efforts Shane had taken to learn to be selfless, he couldn't throw that all away. Tessa deserved to have Gallian and Zoroark back. Espy deserved to reunite with her brother… and the Pokémon of Paradise. And, if he didn't fix the world, Silvally would never get to show people what he's capable of.

Still, it wasn't fair. After all of his hard work… he wouldn't get to stay with his friends. Not without doing something extraordinarily selfish. Shane's ears drooped. There wasn't any further room for debate. He had to go along with Nicky. Otherwise, he'd be spitting in the face of all the things his friends had said in battle. And that wasn't right. Not after everything Team Radiance had done for him… especially all the second chances he'd gotten. They earned the right to get their world back… and experience true peace.

Another thunderclap sounded. Well? What's your answer? I can't keep the void at bay any longer!

Shane wiped tears out of his eyes. Yes, he'd made up his mind, but that didn't make it any less of a bitter pill to swallow. And, given how unstable Nicky made it sound like Necrozma's massive was, Shane wasn't even sure he'd get to say a proper goodbye. It stung. However, Shane forced himself to imagine his teammates reuniting with people whose spirits Necrozma had taken. It helped to settle his stomach.

He extended a forepaw toward Nicky and said, "Okay. I'll do it."

He really struggled with the decision, even once he'd made it. That strikes me as very realistic. I imagine self-sacrifice often really is much easier said than done.

Shane waited until the wormhole was closed. The red color receded in his eyes and face. Shane sighed and bowed his head. "I don't see why I couldn't have told them the truth. They're going to be heartbroken, Nicky. And Tessa… after that gesture… I should've said that I love her." He turned so he was fully facing the rift. Immense guilt over the fact that he had lied to Tessa bubbled up in his chest. In truth, he still had no idea if this would work. But that wouldn't stop him from going through with it.

'After all, I was never supposed to be a part of this world in the first place. If I can give everyone else a second chance, then I can rest happy.'

With a flap of his four wings, Shane clumsily made his way through the rift. Immediately, an intense wall of heat buffeted him. The wind rushed out of Shane. He was hoping his ethereal body would make this an easy feat, but the sun's molten surface suffocated him. He could barely think straight, but he knew he had to concentrate. Shane had to think happy thoughts to get this to work right.

In his mind's eye, he pictured himself sitting on the hill overlooking Aeon Town. Soft fur brushed against his imaginary hip. He looked to his right to see Tessa sitting next to him. She wrapped an arm around his foreleg and smiled at him. Another tingle crossed his other hip as Silvally sat down on his left, with Espy at his side. All three of them looked out to the west, staring at a beautiful orange sky as the sun sank below the horizon.

Oh my how did all this dust get in my eyes again ahahahaha... ha...

Shane trembled. The energy surging through him made him feel like he was going to burst apart at any second. But he had to keep himself together until he reached the center of the sun. Shane squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his crystalline teeth.

"From darkest night… I'll light the way…"

Shane dove into the sun. Burning pain shot down his entire body. His wings quivered. His tail spasmed. Crystal chunks broke off his body. The hexagonal tiles of Void Necrozma's wings fell apart the closer he got to the sun's molten core.

"To a brand-new world… and a bright, shining day!"

Golden light beams poked out from the center of the sun as it slowly expanded in size. Then, in a sparkling, rainbow flash, it exploded, bathing the entire cosmos in brilliant, ethereal light.

SO MUCH DUST. IN MY EYES RIGHT NOW

;A;

"Are you serious? So, I don't have to worry about Temporal Tower breaking apart?" Dialga's eyes widened. He bent over, brushing his forelegs against his face. "My whole life revolved around that place! What am I supposed to do with myself if I'm no longer its protector?!"

Well, I would imagine that the thing you'll end up doing is to chill. But of course it'll take time. Freedom can be uncomfortable when you're unused to it.

"We are mortal," Arceus croaked. "I'm not sure how to explain it, really. It's, um… there's a new, erm, part to my body. Something that wasn't there before. Something only mortals had… and Xerneas gave herself against my wishes."

Dialga and Palkia instantly realized what was up. Both glanced down at their torsos, then looked at one another and shuffled back.

"You can't say… that we don't deserve this."

That you don't deserve cloacas?

He had only a few seconds to ponder what had happened, before the soap bottle and loofa dropped from the air, landing right between his eyes. Silvally staggered backward, blinking and hissing. Tiny bits of soap had gotten onto his sclera. Spirits above, his eyes burned.

Oh god I felt that. XD

"Well, the general policy Xerneas and I had always taken toward the spirit realm was that restless and vindictive spirits would be sealed in the Tree of Life's roots… then sent back to the world of the living as ghost-types … with no memories or any semblances of their previous selves intact," Totem Ninetales said, the purple aura intensifying around her.

I wonder if Prisma can actually have her previous self and memories fully erased, considering the whole "human wills are strong" thing. I guess maybe if the conversion process involves destroying what remains of the spirit before recycling the raw materials, such that it's technically not a spirit at all anymore before becoming a ghost. Maybe the spirit is the fuel and the ghost is the fire, and the spirit just gets utterly broken down on like an atomic level. Or whatever the spiritual equivalent of atoms would be, anyway.

Ultimately, I guess what I'm getting at is, maybe everyone should keep an eye out in case like some shuppet or whatever down the line starts acting... suspicious.

"And Hoopa's the one who brought him!"

"Bwah!" Tessa jumped up, hollered in surprise, and fell to the ground with a thud. Espy arced her back, puffed up her fur, and hissed.

I don't know what's better: Espy being incredibly kitty or Tessa launching into the air with a Hank Hill noise.

Sobs wracked her body. Tessa was so lost in thought, she didn't realize her teammates had waded in after her until Silvally had curled up around her, tucking his head down and pressing it against her forehead. Espy wrapped her tail around Tessa's waist and buried her face into Tessa's shoulder.

"It's not fair," Tessa blubbered.

"I know," Silvally whispered, tears trickling toward his blue cheek bolts.

"He wanted to stay with us. It's… it's not fair. We were… we were supposed to find happiness together," Tessa said between sniffles. "Why did he… why did he have to go?"

"I don't know," Silvally said, squeezing Tessa tight.

"We're going to get through this," Espy said, pulling her head back and brushing it against her shoulder. "One day at a time. Together. That's what friends do, right?"

Tessa's rubbed her head against Silvally's thigh. "Y… yeah. One day… friends."

"Even if there aren't Mystery Dungeons, we're still a team. We'll stick together," Silvally said, blinking tears out of his eyes. He slowly stood up and faced the sky. "For a bright future… like Shane said."

Espy got up alongside him. "Right. We don't need a guild to be a team. As long as we have each other, that's all that matters, right?" She extended a forepaw toward Tessa.

"Yeah." Tessa clasped it gently and stood up. She rubbed her eyes. "You're right. Tomorrow's another day. We'll face it together. That's what Shane wants for us." Tessa looked down at the crystal. She held it up toward the sun, which had nearly vanished beyond the horizon. "Through darkest night… and brightest day…"

Espy and Silvally reached out to touch the crystal. "Team Radiance always finds a way," they whispered together.

Tessa brought the crystal back toward her chest. "I'll never forget you, partner," she whispered.

Awww... ;w;

"Can I ask you something?" Silvally said.

"Besides that?"

Silvally froze mid-step. "Ha, ha." He rolled his eyes.

C'mon bro, you walked right into that.

Rebecca's head bonked against another crystal. Her head then smacked against Tessa's backside and she went still.

...Was she knocked out by the crystal, or by Tessa's butt?

Still, a knot twisted up in his gut. Which only made him wonder if he even had a gut anymore… or if it had actually been turned into some sort of hollow, crystal organ instead.

One way to find out!

Shane had silver rings on his forelegs and sequined bows tied around each tail that sparkled under the moonlight.

"W-Wow, Shane. Those are… some interesting accessories," Tessa whispered. Her aura feelers throbbed in time with her racing heart.

"Thanks. I, uh, thought we could try to match. Gallian and Zoroark picked these out for me. You don't think they're too flashy, do you?" Shane pivoted to show off his tails.

Shane, you have the vulpine equivalent of a giantass peacock tail. There's no way to NOT be flashy. :p

"I see. That's not, um… I think that's actually normal," Shane said. He was about to put a forepaw on Tessa's lap, but he stopped and placed it back on the ground. "It's probably why, y'know, people like Selene struggled after the Bittercold and Dark Matter." Two of his tails twisted together. "That's why we should keep talking about it… even if it's, y'know, unpleasant." Though that didn't detract from the point that this was a date and he had chosen a painful subject.

Honestly, he's probably doing a much better thing for her than just attempting small talk throughout the whole morning just because it seems more date-appropriate would've been.

A small, yellow star passed in front of them and a tiny pink circle appeared on top of it. The star hovered in place for a few seconds, before taking off into the stratosphere.

"What was that? A Minior?" Tessa wondered.

What was that, indeed...


So, this is it. My last time replying to this thread. I'm pretty sure I've said something almost exactly to this effect every other time I've come back to catch up after a giantass absence, but goddamn, those chapters that've come out since have been, among other things, one hell of a ride.

Hope (and a fair bit of fun nostalgia) as lots of formerly-deceased characters return--shattered as the world explodes. The protags' home dimension in ruin--but then remade, bettre and freer than ever. Shane sacrificing himself such that it seemed well and truly hopeless for him to ever return--and then life found a way.

Even in the end, while (nearly) everyone is home and well again, three of our main protagonists have the spectre of their own powers hanging over them from here on out. And yet they are, in their own ways, beginning to find peace with that fact and pledging to see through whatever's to come by each others' sides

That last segues into the aforementioned "other things". Namely, the sheer volume of great "awww" moments there near the end, of both the "****, that's cute" variety and the "try not to cry (cry a lot)" kind.

I feel like you did a really good job portraying Tessa's sense of loss after Shane remade the world. That's a special kind of rough right there: when everything's not only back to normal but better, and everyone's celebrating, but here you are left with a huge hole in your life, and someone you care about has even less of an option of joining in everyone else's happiness than you do.

And while, certainly, nobody's entirely out of the woods, even now, there's an undeniable air of happiness to the circumstances as they stand here at the end. A lot of relationships are in good, healthy places now, despite all the rough patches. These characters have grown a huge amount--not only throughout the story as a whole, but even just over the course of the last few chapters--and seeing how far they've come makes me smile like a huge dork.

I'm happy to see a good story successfully reach its conclusion. An undertaking this monumental is far from easy--I'm hells of proud of you for achieving this. I hope it's something you can take pride in, too, and I hope that now that it's finished, you'll have all the time and energy you need to relax, take care of yourself, and achieve all your other goals moving forward. Congrats, and thanks for sharing a great story with us! :D
 

Namohysip

Dragon Enthusiast
And so here we are... over a hundred chapters and over a million words and we’re at the end of the story. Obviously, this review is going to contain a ton of spoilers, and most of this is going to be speaking broadly about the story as a whole. I’ll try to keep the spoilers vague, but some things are unavoidable.


First of all, from start to finish, I’ve really enjoyed reading this, even with the minor hiccups that I’ve pointed out in my last reviews. I wouldn’t have added it to my favorites list otherwise. I think despite the fact that you’ve delved into dark subjects and very “real” subjects here and there, you managed to maintain some of that charm that the PMD games had. Not all of it, but some of it, and considering how dark it can get, that’s a feat in and of itself.


The first seven episodes were a bit slow in terms of getting the plot rolling, and you definitely took a lot of time to emulate the games in terms of how long it took for them to actually start getting interesting. I think that played to your advantage in terms of attracting some attention for those seeking out the sequel that never came.


In hindsight, I can definitely tell that this story used to be something entirely different, because the whole subplot of Pokémon being turned into Ultra Beasts... more or less fell off the wayside in favor of more customized prism virus modifications once the Kirby-related stuff came into play. I think the pivot worked well, but it’s definitely noticeable.


I still stand by my statements at how unlikable Shane was at the start, especially after episode 7, and it makes me leery about how he’ll handle himself in the future with all that power. He’ll mellow out with the help of his friends, but I’d definitely put a lot of caution his way regardless. At least you did a good job showing his growth from then on.


I’d say the second act of your story would be Episodes 8 through 13, basically everything to do with Nero and then up to getting to know Team Paradox and the full scope of what had happened. Unlike the first arc, it didn’t meander too much, and I think Nero’s episode in particular was a very strong start to this act.


I do think that some of the shards came off as filler-like, so I think it was a good call to instead use that time to build up different parts of the world and the characters present. It didn’t get cohesive all the time, since huge swaths of the characters don’t really remain significant after the episode over, but that might be a matter of personal preference on my end.


The ending was very strong and the epilogue-like special episode was sweet. Structurally it was a little questionable—having such a long falling action—but having that last bit of conflict was nice, even if it was resolved really quickly. It’s sort of an aftershock that more or less only seemed necessary to make sure there was excitement in the final act that’s otherwise all fluff and trying to tie up loose ends.

It was a very strong finish regardless, though, in terms of giving a sense of resolution while simultaneously showing there’s still an adventure to be had after the story ends. It’s not fully open ended, but it is nice to see the primary conflict come to a close.


Now, I’d like to make a special mention to a few aspects of the story—two things that I feel could be put into consideration for if you ever do future work. There’s no way to “fix” this for GL as it stands, so it’s just something for future endeavors: The first two special episodes, in hindsight, were probably the most difficult chapters to get through without rushing to be done with it. They were periphery, and while they provided some context to certain characters, it still felt like it went longer than it should have. The stories would have been better off distilled into a single chapter rather than an entire episode. 3, 4, and 5 were different in that they had immediate relevance, though, and those were good.


Special episode 1 in particular gives me odd vibes in hindsight. It seems like you were trying to set Zero up as sympathetic or having a redemption arc near the end, but it never manifested and you just tried to drill in how bad a person she was by the end. I felt like her arc made a detour just to Ghost her off, and I’m not really satisfied with how her arc ended for that reason.


That goes for Midnight’s arc as well, and the others that Shane “deemed” unworthy of change, since that sort of goes against the message you seemed to be going for. It’s an odd blemish in how things ended. I’m also a little weirded out at how apparently the characters that were truly killed off weren’t even mentioned much, like Yveltal and Zygarde—and the fact that they’re gone for good is another weird blemish in the way it all ended. Some of these are personal qualms, but of all of them, I definitely stand by these issues in particular.


That aside, I’d like to also focus on two other parts of the story that led to another “unfixable” issue, and this one is probably also a matter of personal preference: scope. Special Episode 3’s first half, as well as the entire first half of Rebecca’s arc at the end, had an odd effect on the scope of the story. Tonally, special episode 3’s first half was strongly sci-fi and a bit of a black sheep to the rest of the plot. It didn’t feel as cohesive, especially since everything that wasn’t tied to the Recon Squad we already knew sort of got lost after that. While I recognize that Necrozma’s presence in the Nexus was necessary for the way the story was structured, the presence of all of Ultra Space and the whole societies that followed made the place where the actual conflict happened, Horizon, feel, ironically, smaller. This goes for a lot of “multiverse” plots, though, so it may just be a matter of preference.


Next, Nicky attacking the literal-human world. I understand that it came with the premise of the story, but the way it suddenly happened at the end of the story, and the catastrophic effects it had on the spots where he affected, was sort of out of left field, and then also simply forgotten aside from a few mentions. Rebecca in general had really weird timing, part of all the other late-game powers that we only really see... after the final conflict is wrapped up. The timing is setting up for a sequel, but one that you have no plans for at the moment. As a story in and of itself, in a vacuum, it’s odd timing for sure.


The story felt much more cohesive with the sci-fi of Special episode 3 and the moments involving the human world in endgame taken out, as the latter took things really far out of scope, and the former sort of felt randomly tacked on and also at a different part of the scope. What exactly kept Nicky from doing that from the start, for example? What's preventing hopeless human worlds from being decimated like that to begin with, since he clearly has a connection to that world? It raised too many questions that weren't needed to be answered.


There were a few final dangling points that I sort of feel were slightly forgotten. For example, I think it would have been nice to see what happened to the Totem Pokémon after the apocalypse, and what sort of authority they hold now. Unless I missed that detail. Are they big anymore? Is that permanent, or did they shrink down? Another big one--Mewtwo and Mags. That subplot kinda faded off, but I wish there was more of a resolution to that. And the big one, which I think you might have tried to nudge away quietly--Xatu's prophecy wasn't really revisited explicitly, and usually when a prophecy is brought up, it's mentioned here and there, no? That being said, I don't care for prophecy tropes, so I personally am glad it faded as quickly as it came.


Still, despite those issues with the story, there are a lot of good beats going on here. Focusing on your core cast of four, for example, really strengthened the pacing of the story, particularly for Nero and Tessa. Your setting was explored pretty well, and while sometimes the outer settings felt unexplored, I think it was still wise to focus mostly on Horizon. The alternative is making the scope feel a bit too large, such as with special episode 3.


From start to finish, I found myself curious where you would take things, and by the end, I was eager to see what the next chapter would hold, even after the excitement was over. Yes, the epilogue episode was long, but I liked it because it meant you were really putting an effort into showing where mostly everyone would be, where they were going, and what potential they had in the future--a big theme you had going overall. And, while this is a bit silly, I did appreciate you making that little cameo at the very, very end of the story, because that was one other thing that impressed me. You managed to make a PMD-Kirby crossover one of the most popular and successful PMD fanfictions out there, and nobody had to know any Kirby to enjoy it.


I suppose that's everything for me. Happy Thanksgiving, and thanks for the wonderful read.
 

LucarioIsMegaEvolving

A single misplaced step
Alright, so I got to this fic a month or so late, but I binge-read it over the past week or two. I don't usually review things due to finding it hard to put my thoughts into words, but I had to make an exception here.

Let me start by saying that this fic is honestly one of the best I've ever read, and I've read a lot. To think that this is your first is insane because it's so well-written. I'll admit that at the start it was about average, or slightly above, but once I got to a certain point, I was enraptured. I got to a point where I didn't want to do anything besides reading this, and so I read this for hours on end, finishing this probably far faster than I would have if it had have been of worse quality. I also felt a deep connection to your characters, I felt like I related to them quite strongly, which is probably one of the main reasons I enjoyed this. Their struggles, achievements, development; I was hooked. It felt personal to me in a way that not many works of anything have managed to do. The development of the story and the twists and changes in the plot were phenomenal. At the bonus where I finally realised that Nicky and Necrozma were the same, I had to put down my phone and take it in. It, in retrospect, made a lot of things make sense, and I was astounded by your ability to make a twist predictable without spelling it out and leave a satisfying conclusion. This fic has inspired me to write something again, and hopefully, I will. Sure, there were moments when it wasn't the best, but on the whole, it was an amazing experience that seemed to appeal to me specifically and be exactly the type of story I wanted to read. I just want to thank you for writing this.

This probably wasn't the most well-written review, but well, as I said, I'm not good at reviewing things. I'd hoped to make this review longer because I feel like I haven't fully communicated how I feel about this, but length isn't one of my strong suits when writing anything. I just want to again thank you for writing this and I hope to see more from you in the future.
 

Ambyssin

Winter can't come soon enough
I owe review replies, clearly. I've been quite forgetful. DX But first... here's something special!

XxX​

Scorch marks and puddles littered the emerald stones comprising Sky Tower's roof. The fierce winds raging around Torchic, Mudkip, and Absol wrinkled their scarves to the point they looked more like grimy, dirt-covered collars. Absol stood in front of his teammates, eyes wide and glowing blue. "He's getting ready for something! Should we attack?"

Above the trio, Rayquaza thrashed about in the air, golden eyes flaring up with rage while a distorted aura flared up from his scuffed-up scales. His roars filled the air, producing enough force to bristle Torchic's feathers. His crinkled scarf nearly wound up in his beak and he had to tighten his core to stop his bag from flying off his shoulder.

"Y-Yeah! We've gotta try and muck up his focus," Torchic squawked, voice straining. Embers built up in his beak and gave way to a large Flamethrower. Absol added his own Dark Pulse to the mix. Red and purple smacked Rayquaza's midsection, pushing him higher into the air. It didn't faze him, however. The aura grew more vibrant, as did the glow in Absol's eyes.

"He's charging up a devastating attack. I… I'm sure of it!" Absol dug his claws into the ground. "What should we do? I… I'm not sure simple dodging will work!"

Torchic's mind raced. So far, Rayquaza had stuck to ranged attacks save for the occasional Dragon Claw. This looked nothing like a Dragon Claw, however. "We… we should…" He looked over to Mudkip. The fear on his partner's face was as evident as the snot bubble trickling down from one of Mudkip's nostrils.

"T-Torchic… I don't… we can't keep this up, can we?" Mudkip's head fin drooped. "The meteor's gonna hit. Ev… everything we did was all in vain!"

"No, that's not true!" Torchic huffed, watching Rayquaza spiral higher into the air. "We've been backed into countless corners ever since we started this journey. And we've always overcome the odds. Why should this time be any different?" He flapped his tiny wings, thinking about the grueling struggles against the likes of Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres.

Torchic looked Mudkip dead in the eye. "What's the team motto?"

"Guys, should we really be doing this right now?" Absol cried, looking at Rayquaza with fear in his eyes. "He's about to attack!"

"E… even when things are looking grim… T-Team Go-Getters will never give in!" Mudkip squeaked, the snot bubble popping as a renewed sense of focus spread over his fearful expression. "Okay, Torchic, what's the plan?"

"Form up by me!" Torchic stood tall. As his teammates rushed to his side, the aura surrounding Rayquaza filled the sky with magnificent golden light. "Wait for my signal… then we all move in separate directions. I'll go forward. Mudkip'll go left. Absol, you go right. Got it?"

"Got it!" his teammates replied in unison.

"Then brace yourselves!" Torchic said, crouching down. Above them, Rayquaza filled the skies with a deafening roar. The golden markings on his body lit up. Rayquaza dove straight for Team Go-Getters, tearing through the air.

"T-Torchic?" Mudkip glanced at his partner.

"Now… run!" Torchic cried, then sprinted forward, eyes squeezed shut and tiny wings fluttering in a panic. He made it about halfway across the roof before Rayquaza struck. The ground shook and a shockwave knocked Torchic onto his belly.

"Waaah!" Mudkip squealed, but Torchic couldn't see his teammate with all the dust Rayquaza's blow had kicked up.

Torchic's world spun, but though his head throbbed, he wasn't hurt all that much more than he had been before the attack. He staggered to his feet, trying to keep from hurling. At the same time, the dust cleared, revealing Rayquaza lying in the middle of an impact crater. His groans were loud enough to make Torchic's disheveled feathers stand on end.

It didn't matter, though. The gambit had worked and Rayquaza was wide open. "Hit him with everything we've got!" Torchic ordered, before spewing the biggest Flamethrower he'd mustered in his time as a pokémon.

A dark purple beam came in from one corner of the roof, followed by a torrent of water. All three attacks hit Rayquaza from different sides, turning his groans into angry roars. However, the most he could muster was thrashing on the ground like a beached magikarp. "Keep… it up… gang!" The Flamethrower muffled Torchic's encouragement, but his teammates picked it up nonetheless.

They continued pushing until Rayquaza's roars turned to one last anguished squeal. His head collapsed onto the ground with an audible thud and he lay still. Torchic cut off his Flamethrower and approached the crater, trembling with… well, he wasn't really sure if it was fear, excitement, or some strange mixture.

"We did it!" Mudkip cheered, hopping over to the crater only to trip and tumble down it until he bonked into Rayquaza's neck. The mighty dragon stirred and Mudkip scrambled back up the crater, squealing in fright.

Torchic hunched over. Rayquaza couldn't still be up for fighting after that, could he? Torchic looked over at Absol for any sign they were in trouble, but his teammate seemed relax, looking pensively at Rayquaza.

Sure enough, when Rayquaza coiled up, he groaned and starched at his neck. "What the—" He blinked and looked around the roof. "What happened to my lovely altar?" His golden eyes flashed red. "Are you whelps responsible for this?"

Torchic took that as his cue. "W-Wait! Rayquaza… you have to help us. There's a meteor barreling toward the planet and we climbed this tower to get you to intervene."

"Y-Yeah. But when we got here, you attacked us!" Mudkip added. "You were all like 'grrr, roar, graaah!'" He snapped at the air with his mouth.

"Hrmph. Is that why I've got such a killer headache?" Rayquaza crossed his small arms and thumped his tail against the ground. "No, that's impossible. Puny mortals like you couldn't possibly lay a paw on my powerful vestige."

Torchic wanted to roll his eyes, but resisted the urge. They had Rayquaza talking and that was better than nothing. "If you don't believe us, why not go up into the air and look for yourself?"

"There's no need. I can sense distortion in the air. Something is clearly wrong," Rayquaza said, huffing out blue-violet embers. "But this headache… nrgh. How am I supposed to face a meteor head-on feeling like this?"

"H-Here!" Mudkip produced an oran berry and an elixir from his bag. "These can help you get your strength back."

Rayquaza turned to Mudkip. His head was even bigger than Mudkip was and that made Mudkip's head fin stiffen. Rayquaza leaned over and sniffed at the items. "Hrmph. As if those meager pieces of sustenance are really good enough for the likes of me," he scoffed. Rayquaza turned to Absol. "You there. Go to the nearby pillar. There should be a hidden compartment with a meteorite shard in it."

Absol cocked his head, but ultimately obliged. Sure enough, he found a sparkling shard hidden in a portion of the pillar. Rayquaza snatched the shard up with his tail and scarfed it down like it was a delicious piece of fruit. His golden emblems lit up once again. Rayquaza flexed his talons as he rose up into the air.

"Thank you. I shall take care of whatever is plaguing the skies!" he declared. Bright orange energy surrounded him.

"W-Whoa!" Torchic squeezed his eyes shut and looked away. When he opened his eyes back up, Rayquaza had completely transformed. Torchic stared transfixed at the golden tassels dangling from Rayquaza's sides.

"How did you do that?" Mudkip wondered, head tilted.

Rayquaza ignored the question. The tassels stiffened at his sides and he shouted, "Dragon Ascent!" Then he shot up into the sky with enough force to push Torchic onto his rear and leave him with his legs kicking wildly at the air.

"Eep! I-Is he faster than when we were fighting him?" Mudkip said.

"It sure seemed like it," Torchic replied, getting back to his feet. The moment he did, a huge explosion rocked the sky, with emerald energy giving way to clear, blue, cloudless skies.

Absol's eyes brightened. "The disaster… I'm not sensing any upcoming disaster anymore!" He looked at Torchic, tail wagging. "We… we did it! We actually did it!"

"Yipee!" Mudkip hopped around joyfully. "You were right Torchic! I never should've doubted you for a second!" He dashed over to Torchic and tackled him in a hug.

"Oof! Aha ha… t-thanks, Mudkip."

XxX​

"Ginji? Hey, Ginji, you still with us?"

Blaziken Ginji snapped to attention to find Swampert waving his fin in front of his face. "What's the problem, bud?"

"You've been spacing out on us, that's what," Swampert said, pouting. "You feeling okay?"

"Yeah. Guess I was just lost in thought." Ginji scratched the back of his head.

"Well, you'd better find your way, because we reached Destiny Shores, like, five minutes ago." Swampert gestured behind him to a beach that was wider than it was long. The beach gave way to grassy slopes leading up to a nice, level, grassy field. Two sets of staircases were under construction along the hill. Ginji recognized Absol Gallian working on one set of stairs with a conkeldurr. The other set had Latias Blossom levitating several stones around it.

"Hmm. Looks like this place is coming along." Ginji stepped off his lapras ride's back. "Pretty impressive considering they've only been working on it for a couple of weeks."

"Absol and Team ACT are already checking out the village." Swampert jerked his head in the direction of the stairs. "Come on."

Ginji followed Swampert, hands at his wait. "The old Horizon Guild is working on this place, then?"

"You didn't here? They converted into a construction crew. Aeon Builders is what they're calling themselves," Swampert explained. "Kind of surprising that a pack of heroes would do something so simple."

"Mmm… I think it's a holdover job," Ginji said, rubbing his chin. "Tessa had mentioned they have plans to join the Ultra Recon Squad whenever our world gets linked up to that fancy network Seraph babbled on about in the meetings."

"Oh, really? I, uh, might've dozed off for that part." Swampert grinned sheepishly.

"I know. Seraph made it clear the linking process could take a while. Like, possibly years," Ginji elaborated. "So, it'd make sense Team Radiance would want to find something to do in the interim. Don't you remember how stir crazy we'd get when there were hardly any jobs available?"

"Fair point," Swampert said. "And I suppose their status will get them a lot of clients… like Arceus, for example."

They reached the hill and Ginji noticed Arceus standing in the middle of the field with Selene perched on his back levitating several scrolls of parchment in front of him. Arceus pointed a forehoof to his right and Silvally Nero walked over, wearing two bags filled with wooden planks. The dragonite and milotic from the old guild were there to help Nero unload the planks.

"Client? Are you sure Arceus isn't supervising them? It kinda looks likes he is." Ginji quirked a brow as he walked up the hill.

"Dunno. Maybe Arceus decided to pick up architecture now that he's not, y'know, trying to keep order or whatever." Swampert waved a flipper dismissively.

"There you two are! I was starting to think you'd somehow gotten lost."

Charizard lumbered over to the duo. Alakazam and Tyranitar stayed back with Absol, both checking out completed houses that sparkled with fresh coats of tan paint.

"Sorry, Charizard. I did get lost… in a manner of speaking." Ginji laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Meandered a bit too much down memory lane, if you catch my drift."

"Oh? Let me guess… you were thinking back to your own big adventure." Charizard stopped walking and smirked at Ginji.

"Guilty as charged," Ginji said, raising his hands up. "What can I say? Seeing Absol again got the ol' noggin stirring. It's been a while."

At the mention of his name, Absol turned away from the houses. He approached his old teammates. The ocean breeze ruffled his graying fur and his chipped, withered claws parted some of the grass.

"Perhaps. Though I hear the two of you had a sizeable role to play in this latest ordeal," Charizard said.

Ginji shrugged. "I guess you could say that."

"Mmm. I'm sure Whiscash would be incredibly proud of you two if he was still with us," Charizard said, then bowed his head silently. Ginji and Swampert did the same, only to straighten up when Absol reached them.

"I was beginning to think you two wouldn't show," he said.

"We, uh, took things a bit slow," Swampert said.

"Heh. And you call me the old one." Absol started to laugh, only to descend into a coughing fit. Ginji stepped to his side and rubbed his shoulder blades. "Ah… thanks. I've been feeling quite winded as of late. I think… the cold mountain air finally got to me."

"Well, you won't have to worry about that here. Should be pristine weather." Swampert inhaled deeply… and took in a loose blade of grass drifting about in the breeze. He doubled over, eyes welling up with tears until he managed to cough out the grass. "Blech! Well, hopefully they'll put in dirt roads soon." Swampert wiped his eyes.

"After all these years, you've barely changed," Absol said, smirking.

"What are you talking about? I've totally changed! Look how big and strong I am now!" Swampert flexed an arm.

"No, I mean you're still such a dweeb." Absol chuckled.

Swampert's jaw dropped. "I… I'm not a dweeb!"

Before Absol could issue a retort, a loud splash echoed through the town, followed by an, "Augh! Seriously?!" Team Go-Getters turned to their right in time to see a sopping wet Shane step out of a pond. "Come on… mystery dungeons are gone! Why is my fur still getting messed up?"

"Sorry, Shane. I didn't see you there," Tessa said, holding a paw to her muzzle to stop herself from laughing.

"Oh yeah? Well, take this!" Shane hunched over to shake himself out and sprinkle water on Tessa, but two of his golden wings emerged from his back. One smacked him in the face and sent him tumbling back into the pond with a startled yip. Tessa turned away and burst out laughing when Shane popped up with a lily pad draped over his head and eyes.

"Well, gee, that sure looks familiar," Absol mused, glancing at Swampert. "Maybe you passed your dweebishness onto the Guiding Light." When Swampert pouted at Absol, he added, "I seem to remember you falling in plenty of mud traps and the like during our time together."

"Yeah, but the difference is I like water and mud, so I didn't whine about it like Shane does," Swampert protested.

"I'm not whining! I'm compla— auugh!" Shane's shouts came to an abrupt end as he slipped trying to climb out of the pond and fell back in.

"Like I said… total dweebs." Absol chuckled.

"If you ask me, you're all a bunch of dweebs!"

Ginji's feather's bristled. He whirled around and his brows raised when he found a lopunny, gardevoir, and medicham walking up toward them in unison.

"G-Gardevoir? Gosh, it's been ages!" Swampert said, vocalizing Ginji's shock for him.

"Yes, I suppose it has," Gardevoir said, putting a hand to her chest. "Dialga was certainly kind to you two, wasn't he? You both look well."

"Oi! Don't you go forgetting about me!" Medicham said, stomping her right foot down and throwing her arms to the side to strike a pose. "Just because you were always one step ahead of me back in the day doesn't mean you get to pretend I'm not here!"

"Easy, Medicham." Lopunny waved her teammate off. "Even the great Team Go-Getters can't help but be flustered when in the presence of… Team Charm!" She threw her right arm up in a pose. Gardevoir and Medicham hopped to either side of her to join the pose, earning applause from Swampert and confused looks from Absol and Charizard.

"Huh. So, the rumors were true after all?" Ginji muttered. "Guess you two held true to your promise to make new lives for yourselves over in the Grass Continent."

"Eh? Rumors?" Swampert scratched his head. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, it was a while back, but I remember reading in a gossip paper that a famous all-girl treasure hunting team had taken the Grass Continent by storm," Ginji explained. "There were lots of pieces about you three. Like how you were supposedly close friends with Guildmaster Wigglytuff."

"Friends? We helped make him famous!" Lopunny declared, striking her pose once again.

"And there was a bit about a feud between former rescue team members," Ginji continued, unfazed by Lopunny's showboating.

"Also true. Turns out Ekans found new teammates. Our teams were rivals for a bit before his team became obsessed with exploring some place called Zero Isle," Medicham said, shrugging and shaking her head.

"Yeah. Wonder how Team AWD's doing, anyway? They're around our ages, so maybe we'll end up seeing 'em here," Lopunny said, shrugging.

"And Gengar? Either of you two speak with him?" Swampert wondered.

"We exchange letters now and again," Gardevoir replied. "He wound up heading to the Mist Continent and becoming an assistant to an audino at her bakery."

"Seriously? I never would've thought he'd have the patience for something like that." Ginji chuckled and shook his head.

"You'd be surprised what some folks are capable of. I mean, I turned an underhanded rescuer and a timid wallflower into expert battlers and ace treasure hunters," Lopunny said, punching an open palm with a fist. She then turning toward the village and watched Arceus, Nero, and Selene levitating wooden planks into formation and using a paste to stick them together. "Boy is it weird to see all these crazy-strong pokémon out and about like it was nothing."

"Agreed. There are going to be a lot of changes to get used to," Gardevoir whispered.

"Well, we adapted to the Grass Continent, so we can adapt to living here, too." Medicham tapped Gardevoir's left shoulder reassuringly.

"Speaking of changes… when the heck are you two gonna find some special someones, huh?" Lopunny asked, hands on her hips and leaning forward.

Ginji stepped back, feathers frazzled. "E-Excuse me? Pot calling the kettle black much?"

"Bold of you to assume I don't have a mate, Feathers." Lopunny pivoted to give Ginji a better view of her hips and winked at him. Ginji thanked the stars he had orange feathers to hide his blush.

"W-Well, uh…"

"Ginji has a date lined up… with the blue houndoom from the meetings," Swampert said, grinning.

"S-Swampert, that was supposed to be our secret!" Ginji huffed, face burning up.

"Oops. Guess it just slipped out." Swampert grinned innocently and Ginji rubbed his temples.

"Good for you, Feathers. A famous world-saving hero deserves a doting mate," Lopunny said, crossing her arms and smirking.

"You're going to tell gossip writers about this, aren't you?" Ginji said, narrowing his eyes.

Lopunny's smirk widened. "Of course."

Ginji groaned. Gardevoir stepped between them. "Perhaps we'll catch up more after we've taken a tour of the town," she said, nudging her teammate in the direction of a fountain that was under construction.

"Goodness. I didn't expect Gardevoir of all people to acquire such… rowdy company," Charizard said, rubbing his horns.

"Yeah, well that rowdy company will be our future neighbors." Absol sighed and shook his head.

"Look at it this way. The next chapters of your stories will have plenty of excitement!" Swampert flashed them a smile.

Charizard groaned. "That's what I'm afraid of."

"How about you save the worrying for the future?" Ginji said, reaching into his bag and pulled out a large basket. "I brought enough lunch for our teams to share if you're up for it."

Charizard's stomach growled in anticipation. "I think you have your answer."

"Looks like it. So, grab your teammates and meet us on the beach," Ginji said. Charziard nodded and walked away from them. Ginji arced his back, yawning loudly.

"Tired?" Absol asked.

"Yeah, but I'm also thinking," Ginji replied.

"About what?"

"About all of this." Ginji gestured out across the town. "When Swampert asked me to join his rescue team, I never imagined things playing out the way that they did. Sometimes it's a lot to take in."

Absol walked up to Ginji's side. His eyes had lost most of their youthful vigor but they still managed to sparkle under the sun. "But you've managed it well. You and Swampert are a fine pair and I'm proud to call you my teammates."

Ginji slung an arm across Absol's shoulders. "Same here, dude."

"Aww, I want in on this group hug!" Swampert hopped in front of them and wrapped each teammate up in a flipper. "How about the motto for old times sake?"

"F-Fine by me," Absol grunted, surprised at the strength of the hug. Swampert let him and Ginji go and the trio cleared their throats in unison.

"Even when things are looking grim, Team Go-Getters will never give in!"

Here's to old places and familiar faces! Welcome back, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon!

XxX​

Surprise! I decided to throw this extra part together after 2020 started off with the reveal of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX. I know some folks are iffy on these remakes of the first game, but I'm happy to see them and hopeful they could lead to something new down the road.

I'd also like to apologize as I know I owe a lot of review responses, but exams followed by holiday chemotherapy left me exhausted and I just kind of... ignored FFN the entire time. Hopefully this bonus makes up for it. Let me know what you thought and perhaps we'll see more of these in the future!
 

Ambyssin

Winter can't come soon enough
Extra 2: It's Fresh Pumpkin Pie, Ninetales Shane!

As Tessa strolled around the top of the hill housing the Aeon Observatory, she held up a paw and swatted away dead leaves carried by the breeze before they hit her eyes. More dead leaves crinkled beneath her feet with every step. She paused halfway around the building to kick some damp leaves off her right foot, then continued on her way until she found Shane sitting on the edge of the hill. He was looking down at the rows of trees from Dewdrop Woods. Some were bare. Others still had smatterings of yellow-orange leaves left on their branches.

"It's funny," Tessa began, resting her paws behind her head. Shane didn't flinch. He must've sensed her coming. "The leaves never used to do this in past autumns. I think the Tapus played a role in clearing them away." She walked up to Shane's left. "I take it this is something that happens in the human world?"

"Yeah."

Tessa's aura feelers grew heavy. "Something wrong?" She looked at Shane. He had a noticeable slouch and, rather than curling his tails around his legs like usual, they were lying behind him against the ground.

"It's nothing."

"It doesn't sound like nothing."

Shane sighed. "Okay, then it's stupid."

"Y'know, if Nero heard that, he'd tell you not to belittle your own feelings." Tessa tilted her head and rested it against her right paw. "Try me."

"I, uh—" Shane's eyes turned pink, followed by his cheeks. "It's kind of embarrassing, but I think I'm homesick."

"Oh." Tessa straightened up. "That doesn't sound stupid at all."

"Yeah, well I'm homesick because of food," Shane admitted, rubbing his forelegs together. When Tessa didn't respond, Shane exhaled a cloud of frost. "See? Told you it was stupid."

"What? No, it's not." The lucario fidgeted with her scarf. "I'm just… not sure what to say, that's all."

"Because I've never really talked about missing the human world," Shane said. "So, for it to come up now, and be about food of all things…" He trailed off and shook his head. "You can tell me it's stupid. I feel guilty just for thinking about it. Especially after all the insanity we've been through."

Tessa had a response in mind this time. Putting a paw on Shane's shoulder, she said, "I think the stupid part is that you're beating yourself up over this instead of just coming clean and telling me what food-related memory's got you feeling blue."

Shane's tails curled up. Tessa worried she'd been too harsh, but relaxed when Shane's tails uncurled. "Right." He clicked his tongue. "Still working on the whole communication thing, I guess."

"Well, relaying building instructions is easier than talking about feelings," Tessa offered. She chuckled, but deduced her attempt to lighten the mood feel flat when Shane didn't reciprocate.

"So, like, there was this bakery near my house in the human world." Shane finally made eye contact with Tessa. "When fall came around, they'd sell the most amazing pumpkin products. Pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie. Oh, gods, their pumpkin pie was to die for!" He salivated as his eyes and chest core turned orange. Tessa stepped back. Shane's tails briefly squeezed together into a bright, golden dragon tail. He glanced back at it and scrunched his face up. His icy tails returned.

"Uh-huh." Tessa scratched her head. It must've been a special bakery to evoke such a strong reaction. "One question, though: what's a pumpkin?"

Shane's head snapped back up. "Huh?"

"I've never heard of pumpkins." Tessa scratched her chin. "What kind of food are they?"

"They're a kind of fruit." He furrowed his brow. "No, wait, a squash! They're a special squash. They're plump and orange and they have a bunch of seeds inside of them." His tails swished in different directions.

That… doesn't help me much. I've never heard of squash, either. Tessa didn't want to say that out loud, though. Just talking about pumpkins improved Shane's mood a bit. "Well, uh, we don't have them in Aeon Town."

"I know." Shane's ears drooped. His head rippled between necrozma and ninetales. "I went to Crabrawler Café and the Kecleon Shop. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy." He gave Tessa the biggest puppy-dog eyes she'd ever seen. "Does the Horizon Continent just not have pumpkins? Or… or the whole pokémon world, for that matter?"

"I… can't say for certain," Tessa said. She didn't like seeing Shane bummed out. Especially when they finally had some time off. The team would be going back to work on building Arceus' community in the Mystery Continent any day now. So, Tessa needed a way to cheer Shane up.

Of course, one thing came to mind. But she wasn't sure the best way to go about it. Maybe I could ask Fenrir? Her zoroark spirit-brother had lived down south most of his life. Perhaps he knew about pumpkins?

"You still there, Tessa?" A blue-white forepaw waved in her face.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Tessa stood at attention. Shane got to his feet and stretched. "You still need something?"

"Nah. I think I'm gonna go for a walk," Shane said. "Try and clear my head and stuff." He turned around. "Catch you later."

"Hang on." Tessa reached her arm out, though that wouldn't do anything.

"What's the matter?"

"You, uh…" Tessa's face flushed and she pivoted away from Shane. How could she phrase this politely? "There are… some wet leaves… stuck to your butt."

Shane's ears and tails shot up. He glanced at his backside and his eyes, core, and face abruptly reddened. "Aha… ha. Thanks for the save." He brushed the leaves off with his tails.

"No problem." Tessa had her face buried in her scarf. The sooner she could pursue the pumpkin matter, the better.

XxX​

"Pumpkins? Can't say I'm familiar."

Fenrir lay atop a stack of boxes in the dining room, scratching his right ear with a claw.

"That town by Cosmic Cavern didn't grow any?" Tessa asked, though at this point it was the longest of long shots.

"Nah." The zoroark yawned into his paw. "Why the sudden interest?"

"Shane's feeling homesick because he used to have pumpkin treats at this time of year," Tessa explained. "I thought maybe it'd cheer him up if I could find pumpkins for him."

Giggles sent Tessa's aura feelers shooting up. She turned around to find Rebecca leaning against a wall, hand pressed to her snout. "Get out. No way Shane's a pumpkin spice bitch."

Tessa frowned. "Excuse me?"

"That's what we called people back home who went gaga over pumpkin products in the fall," the salazzle said, smirking.

Tessa didn't believe her. "If you're not going to help, you should keep the snide remarks to yourself."

"Oh, brother." Rebecca rolled her eyes. "I didn't mean it as an insult. I'm a pumpkin spice *****, too. Lattes were my jam." She licked her snout. "Still, of all the things to get homesick over… that ought to be pretty low on Shane's list. What about television and smartphones and computers and, hell, any electricity for that matter?" Rebecca held her hand out and looked at her fingers. "Frankly I'm still shocked this place has running water."

"Give it a rest, Becca."

The room noticeably brightened as a certain xerneas waltzed in. Tessa offered a small smile. Celeste was looking far better than the filthy, disheveled state Shane had brought her to the Observatory in. Her horns even looked freshly-polished.

"Complaining about what you don't have won't change your situation," Celeste said. Rebecca scowled and looked at the ground. "Anyway, what's all the commotion about, anyway?"

"Shane has a hankering for pumpkins," Fenrir said. "Don't suppose the old god of life would know what they are?"

"Pumpkins?" Celeste's antlers shifted orange. "Of course I know about them. I'd grow some in Primeval Forest every autumn."

Tessa's heart skipped a beat. "Really? Then could you grow some for us now?"

Her jubilance took a hit when Celeste's antlers dimmed. "I wish I could… but when I lost my godly powers, I lost the ability to grow plants with Geomancy. I'd have to do it the old-fashioned way: fertile soil, seeds, water, and sunshine."

I don't have that kind of time. Tessa's aura feelers drooped. She'd been so close.

"Why not try the Grass Continent?" Celeste offered. "That's where most farmland is, if I'm not mistaken."

Fenrir chuckled. "I guess it is in the name."

Tessa didn't think the answer was that obvious, but what did she have to lose?

Her circadian rhythm, of course. Because jumping time zones was oh-so fun.

XxX​

Feraligatr Chester yawned to stop a snot bubble from bursting. He rubbed his eyes with his right arm. "I don't know why you needed to come here at this ungodly hour for pumpkins, but this ought to do the trick, right?"

Tessa held a luminous orb up in the direction he was pointing. Rows of plump, orange spheres sat nestled amongst vines. Green stalks connected each pumpkin to the vine. An unexpected surprise that Tessa fortunately had a working solution for.

The lucario walked up toward the nearest pumpkin and knelt down next to it. "Hey, uh, how do I know if these are fresh?"

She was greeted with snoring as an answer. Guess I'll have to wing it. Tessa held her right paw out and jammed her metal spike into the stalk. It broke apart, allowing her to grab the pumpkin. Tessa picked it up and brought it over to a large crate she'd taken with her. Thank goodness she decided to bring it, otherwise she'd have only been able to take two pumpkins home with her.

… actually, wait, how many pumpkins did she need for baking purposes?

Tessa scratched her head, then decided it was better to air on the side of caution.

XxX​

"What's with the cloak and dagger routine? It's not my birthday, y'know."

Tessa guided a blindfolded Shane down the Observatory's eastern hall, walking by the rainbow walls gradually shifting from deep blue to yellow. "Do you even have a birthday in this world?" she mused.

Shane stumbled. "Uh, well… you're dodging my questi—" His nostrils twitched and he abruptly came to a stop. "H-Hang on. That smell." Shane sniffed the air. "Is that… pumpkin pie?"

Having gotten close enough to the dining area, Tessa pulled Shane's scarf off of his eyes. "Surprise. I went out and found pumpkins. But I took way more of them than I needed for one pie, so…"

She gestured into the dining area, where six tables had been shoved together. Each one had several pumpkin pie tins sitting on it. Shane's tails shot up. His four necrozma wings momentarily popped out of his back before he got them under control. "H… Holy…" He swallowed a mouthful of drool.

Tessa grinned. It had been a long, sleepless night, but the reaction was even better that she imagined. Yes, Shane had been dumbstruck before, but that was usually out of shock. Here, he was happy. The good kind of dumbstruck.

"Wow, this stuff's incredible!"

Sitting at one of back tables, Nero stuck his head up from a mostly-empty pie tin. Pumpkin was smeared across his face from the tip of his head crest down to his chin. He licked pie off of his beak. "I vaguely remember this stuff from way back when, but I didn't know you could bake it into a pie."

"Aha… yeah. But maybe you ought to eat it a little less ravenously next time." Selene levitated a towel over to him. "Your head is orange… and not from fighting memories."

Nero licked more pie from his face. "I could share it, if you want."

Selene's ears crinkled. "Pass. I just showered."

"Aww, you're no fun." Nero stuck his tongue out.

Shane walked up to the nearest table. Tessa offered him a fork. "Shouldn't I, like, cut myself a piece?" he asked.

"People have just been taking their own pies." Tessa pointed to right with her fork. Rebecca lay on the ground with two empty pie tins next to her. Her slender salazzle physique emphasized the bulge in her belly.

"Oooogh, I think I," she interrupted herself with a belch, "overdid it."

"All right. If you insist." Shane snagged the fork with his ESP and scooped up some of the pie. Tessa clasped her paws together, hoping her work would get his approval. She was delighted when he bit down and his eyes widened and cycled asymmetrically through different colors. His mane turned to necrozma head tendrils for a few seconds and his tails squished together and turned gold.

"Oh, gods."

If Shane were butter, Tessa would've thought he'd melt right in front of her. He lay his head down next to the pie tin. "I've missed this delicious treat." He chomped down on another forkful.

"Glad to hear it."

"You didn't have to do this for me, y'know." Shane sat back up. "I feel bad… since I don't have anything to repay you with."

"Consider us even for the breakfast picnic on Sky Peak, then." Tessa winked at him. "Besides, I had plenty of help with the actual preparation."

A raggedy arm appeared in porthole of the kitchen door.

"Still, I hope you didn't work yourself too hard," Shane said between mouthfuls.

Tessa rubbed her snout. "I'd like to think it was for a good cause. Between our whole adventure and now this construction job, I feel like Aeon Town hasn't been all that homely for you."

Shane raised an eyebrow. "Huh. That's a good point."

"I'd hope so." Tessa smirked. "I've got spikes sticking out of me. I should know a thing or two about good points."

Shane broke into a giggle fit. It warmed Tessa's heart. She couldn't help chuckling herself. A small part of her wondered if such a nice, happy moment was too good to be true. Some sort of fever dream. But no, that wasn't the case. She was happy. Shane was happy. They were happy together.

And then the ninetales reminded her of that fact with a surprise lick on her cheek. Lost in thought, Tessa reflexively leaned away. Her aura feelers shot up and her face reddened. "W-What was that for?!"

"A pumpkin spice kiss for my pumpkin spice princess," Shane cooed, eyes and core turning pink. Tessa blushed even harder. It was so awfully cheesy, but so Shane. Still, she had to do something. Everyone was staring at them.

"You know what I think of that?" she said.

"What?"

"This." Tessa scooped up some pie with a digit and plopped it on top of Shane's snout. He went cross-eyed trying (and failing) to lick it off with his tongue.

"Okay, fair. I deserved that one."

And the rest of the room burst out laughing… save for Rebecca, who'd slipped into a food coma.
 

Ambyssin

Winter can't come soon enough
Shane didn't mind how soothing warm sand had become as the years went by. For a decent while, it disoriented him. Ice ninetales and necrozma instincts clashing until he either found a shady tree to lie under or Ultra Burst and make himself an eyesore for anyone in his immediate vicinity.

The sand between his paw pads was less fun, but that was a Future Shane problem. Present Shane was content to bask in the sun's soothing rays, watching the ocean gently inch forward and back along the shore. Forward. Back. Forward. Back.

Enough of a rhythm to lull him to sleep, save for the nearby plinks and plops making his ears twitch. The warm sand was too relaxing to lift his head off, but fortunately he didn't need to move to see who was responsible: a riolu with white paws and white tail stripes with a stack of pebbles and small rocks beside her.

She picked one up and slung it at the ocean. It landed in the water with one splat.

"Boo!" Riolu stomped on the damp sand, then immediately picked up another pebble. She tossed it at the water sideways but it landed in roughly the same spot as the last pebble. "Aww, c'mon!" Riolu stomped twice, then looked over her shoulder.

"Mooooom, it's not working!"

"Keep trying, Stella. It's not supposed to work right away. You've got to train your wrist like any other set of muscles."

Tessa's soft voice was enough to get Shane to roll over in the sand so he could see her. Or at least see the lucario's legs, waist, and the navy blue towel she sat on.

"Remind me again why she's doing this? At this rate, there's going to be a new pyukumuku nest by the shore."

"Wrist dexterity." Tessa pivoted left and leaned over. "Learning Force Palm is about more than jutting your paw out forcefully, you know."

"No, I don't. I don't have wrists," Shane said. In fact, he hadn't had wrists for years now. He was starting to forget what it was like.

"I'm teaching her a little flexibility." Tessa playfully flicked her wrist, tickling Shane's nose.

"H-Hey! Th-thaaa... aaaa... waaaaahchooooo!"

The ensuing sneeze came with enough Icy Wind to coat Tessa's arms in a layer of frost. Though with the sun as strong it was today, the frost quickly melted. The lucario looked at her damp arms, then at Shane. "Really?"

"What?" Shane rubbed his snout. "You flicked sand into my nose."

"I would think the big psychic light dragon would have a way to control that." Tessa tapped her own snout with a glowing digit.

Shane puffed his cheeks out. "Bully."

"Wimp."

The two held a smirk until another plop rang out in front of them, followed by a "Mooooooom!"

Chuckling, Tessa shook her head. "I guess I'll need to be a bit more hands on here, huh?"

"It's your fault." Shane tsked at her. "Could've just brought some pails and shovels and let her build a sandcastle. Y'know, like most kids want to do at the beach."

"MOOOOOOOM!"

Shane's ESP pinged him seconds before the giant splash made his ears stick up. Every instinct jolted to attention and he was on his feet in seconds, ready to open a wormhole and yank Stella back from the large mound rising up from the water.

The large, black and yellow mound. With four pincered arms.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Shane's breath caught in his throat and his tails instinctively puffed out. He hadn't had to deal with Guzzlish in quite some time. Was that an angry yell?

"Shane..."

"I'm thinking!" the icy ninetales squeaked. Guzzlord hadn't moved. He wasn't even looking at Stella. Rather, he eyed her pile of rocks.

"AAAAHHHHHH AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Guzzlord pointed at the rocks with one arm, then at his gaping vortex of a mouth with the other.

"You want these?" Stella pointed to the rocks.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Okay, that was happy Guzzlish. Shane's stance relaxed. His tails drifted down. "It's fine. We're fine. She was feeding him. Accidentally." He laughed nervously.

Tessa sank back onto her towel. "Do you suppose he lives there or..."

"I don't know." Shane took deep breaths to try and stop his core from pulsating wildly. "We're not on the clock. If he wandered in from somewhere else, there'll be an Ultra Recon Squad showing up soon enough."

"Who will probably chew us out for not reporting it."

Watching Stella happily toss pebbles into Guzzlord's mouth, Shane flopped onto his belly, groaning. "Did you have to tempt fate like that?"

"It's not tempting fate when it's happened how many times now?"

"I stopped counting two years ago."

He knew Tessa wasn't getting on his case. Just reminding him of the awkward parts of their job. Things that didn't even have to do with his big ass light dragon transformation.

Shane sighed. "It's funny. We've done this longer than the whole 'exploration team' thing, but my first instinct is still to wing it."

His back tingled, then got hot. Shane looked up to see a golden wing happily waving at Tessa. "Oh, for pity's—" He craned his neck and bit the wing. "Diduhn't meah it liherahly!" It retreated into his back, allowing him to slouch over on his side.

Tessa had a brow raised.

"What?" Shane wasn't sure if she was going to tease him or scold him.

"I don't like dealing with all their rules, either, but sometimes it's less of a headache."

Okay, so it was neither option. That was good, at least.

"It's not that the rules exist, it's that there's too many of them for me to keep track of."

"Isn't that why they gave us that digital handbook?" Tessa said.

Shane opened his mouth to retort, but something told him "I don't want to have to search through that thing" wouldn't fly. He instead glanced at Stella, who was about halfway through feeding Guzzlord her stack of pebbles.

This time it was Tessa who sighed. "You ever find yourself wondering what it'd be like if things went differently?"

Shane's brow furrowed. Hadn't they had this conversation plenty of times before? "You know I wouldn't—"

"Not like that." Tessa held her right paw out. "I mean small changes. Like if we moved away from Horizon. Or didn't work for the URN. Or, I dunno, had another kid."

Shane's fur puffed out. "Y-You want another kid?"

"Huh?" Tessa looked down, face reddening. "N-No? I mean, uh... I'm not sure. It was just, y'know, an example! Of different things!"

Then what's with the shouting?

Shane saw Stella staring at them, before she shrugged and went back to feeding Guzzlord. Several magikarp had gathered around to watch the strange event.

"Okaaaay. Is there, uh, something that brought this on? Specifically?" Shane wondered.

"No. I mean yes. I mean, uh, maybe?"

Well, that wasn't a good sign.

"Is something wrong?" Shane wondered.

"No." Tessa paused. Shane thought he was meant to interject, but he had nothing. "I mean it this time. Nothing's wrong. I just... keep having these funny dreams."

"Funny?" Shane lifted his head up. "Like me getting soaked or dunked in mud funny? Or weird funny?"

"The latter." Tessa smirked at him. "And you haven't had problems with the former for a while now."

"And yet I still live in fear of it."

They shared a laugh at that.

Tessa braced her paws on either side of her. "It's more like... I dunno, my mind going in crazy directions."

Shane struggled to think of what would qualify as crazy with all the adventures they'd gone on. "Such as?"

"Me becoming friends with Nicky. Not you."

Shane's rightmost tails twitched. "Uh-huh." He blinked a few times. "I mean, he kinda gave what was left of his soul to me, so that's not too crazy."

"What about if the name wasn't spelt the same way?" Tessa looked right at him. "And he was a she?"

The icy ninetales shifted a bit on the ground. If there was a point Tessa was trying to make, it sailed far over his head. "Still seems possible for a dream." He slowly slid to a sitting position. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah." The lucario nodded slowly. "I'm sorry if I'm worrying you." She poked the edge of her towel with a digit. "I guess..." Her voice trailed off and she took a deep breath.

"I do want more kids, yeah." Her aura feelers twitched. "But when we had Stella's egg, I got these really strange dreams. Names and figures I swear I recognized, but always too hazy to make out all the details. I'm just worried... they might get worse if we try to grow our family."

Shane scooted over to Tessa's side and rest his head on her shoulder. "Aww, Tess, I'm sorry. I had no idea—"

"Because I never said anything." Tessa's shoulders sagged. "I didn't think it really mattered. And Stella kept us busy enough as a pup to where I never really thought about it."

Shane was pretty sure he knew where she was going. "But she's older now."

"Old enough to feed a guzzlord like it's a feral magikarp, apparently." Chuckling, Tessa gestured toward the coast. Stella had gone through all the pebbles and Guzzlord, seemingly satisfied, had retreated underwater, leaving the white-striped riolu to toss pawfuls of wet sand at the magikarp that stayed behind.

"So, it's back on your mind."

"Yep." Tessa sighed. "I know it's stupid. I've proven I know how to be a good mother. This isn't some mental block. It's just... I don't like not having an explanation for it."

Shane rubbed her back with two of his right tails. The lucario leaned a bit more into the embrace. "I'd rather have an answer," she whispered. "Even if it's something stupid like 'the aura-melding egg thing makes you sometimes have funny dreams.' An explanation is better than no explanation. Because the dreams are different enough to bother me."

"Then we'll look into it."

"We?"

"I mean, like, find a specialist?" Shane laughed nervously. Just because he was a psychic didn't mean he was all that good with headspaces. And dreams were something he'd never really taken the time to learn about. "I'll go with you to the appointments, at least. If that's what you want."

Tessa looked forward, watching her daughter scooping up sand for the feral magikarp swimming in circles.

"Yeah." The lucario took a deep breath. "I'd like that a lot, actually. Thanks."

Shane nuzzled her cheek. "You're welcome."

They continued to lean against one another silently, until...

"... hey, do you think we can try for a vulpix kit this time?"

Tessa rolled her eyes. "You're enough of a handful."

"But I'm your handful." Shane fluttered his eyelids.

Tessa responded by pouring sand on Shane's head.

XxX​

Guiding Light debuted on Serebii on August 2nd, 2017. Which means the fic turned six a year ago.

It also means I missed its five-year anniversary. Oops.

In my defense, I was quite busy at the time. Still am, but I'm now used to my workflow as opposed to trying to acclimate to a new job like I was last year. Medicine ain't easy, kids. Don't go into it unless it's what you are truly passionate about. And even then, you don't have to be a doctor.

I'm happy to see that there are still some folks out there discovering the fic and enjoying themselves with it. Speaking personally, I find it hard to look back and actually read any of this. I think my writing style has changed considerably in the time since this fic ended, to the point where over ninety percent of this story feels like it was written by an entirely different person.

In one sense, I suppose this means I've grown as a writer. Which is nice. On the other hand, it gives me... mixed thoughts about the sequel.

And yes, I did say sequel. Maybe I should've said from the beginning that Path of Valor is this fic's sequel, but I didn't. I was too worried I'd alienate people who would want to read it because they'd think they'd need to know this (giant) fic. They don't. You can get more out of the sequel knowing Guiding Light, but it's not required.

In aiming for the best of both worlds, I got neither. I personally think the sequel is better from a quality standpoint. I can actually reread the chapters I put out there. But content wise it has a lot more things I personally enjoy, which I can now safely say are things you folks reading PMD fics do not enjoy. In hindsight, the lack of interest in the first half of special episode three was a warning sign I didn't catch.

Hilariously, that means I've come full circle. Path of Valor is practically getting posted into a void just like Guiding Light did for, like, its first 25-30 chapters or so. I think something like 40-50 percent of Path of Valor's comments are just the first ten parts, which mainly introduce the story and setting. Hell, new chapters of the sequel are typically followed by comments on this fic instead, generally critiquing the early chapters (which I deserve). It's, uh, funny I guess?

Oftentimes PMD fics gain a bit more traction as they get longer, but the opposite actually happened to the sequel. Which, again, most likely speaks to the content only jiving with a couple of people at best. I'd ask people to seriously give it a chance, but I feel like everyone already has. I can't force anyone to like my stuff, ha ha.

"But Amby, if you're writing what you love, isn't that fulfilling enough?"

Sadly, no. Medical residency in the United States is a system where you're under constant performance evaluation. Basically everything you do you get direct feedback on in some form or another. Not the healthiest thing in the world since it conditions you to think being ignored means at least you're not screwing things up. It's quite difficult to dissociate from that mindset, meaning it is very hard not to compare Guiding Light and Path of Valor's performances. If I was getting evaluated on the sequel's performance as if I were paid to do this, I'd have been fired a while ago.

I realize this isn't the most optimistic sixth birthday message. So let me, again, say a hearty thanks to those of you who took the time to read and comment on this fic. And this little extra. And especially the sequel. I would not have made it this far without you guys. Hopefully, I can see the sequel through to the finish line, but this time around I'm making no promises. We'll have to see what happens.

So, again, many thanks to those who've been supporting me along this wild ride.

~Amby
 
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