《Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: The Phantasmagoria》 Personality Test Pok¨¦mon Mystery Dungeon: The Phantasmagoria Chapter 1 Personality Test . "I''ve been waiting... ten thousand years to show you, Liam." . It was a chilly day in Charleston. Orange autumn leaves scraped against the sidewalk, whipped wind carrying them to new destinations. A blanket of white clouds blocked out the sun as only small pockets of heavenly light escaped. It rained, a light drizzle splattering across the city''s buildings and fogging up the clammy glass windows adorning the jungle of concrete. Vehicles whizzed past each other, sloshing through collections of water on the roads. Street lamps stood tall on the sidewalks, glowing a bright yellow among the downpour and casting blurry reflections across the shiny wet surface of the streets. Few people roamed in this weather, wearing large overcoats that protected them. Some lucky ones carried umbrellas, shielding away the elements. Despite this dreary day, the Charleston Counseling Office was open for business to its troubled visitors. Rain hammered the sides of the tall, grey concrete building as a single car drove into its parking lot, taking up a spot amidst the rest. The sole occupant, a young man, didn''t get out. Instead, he closed his eyes and leaned forward to rest his head on the steering wheel. Many thoughts swarmed in his head, the heart in his chest sinking lower and lower. His foot pressed up and down on the car''s brake, debating whether or not to stay. After a few moments, he unbuckled his seat belt with a sigh, opening the car door and letting it fly open to greet the crying world. The occupant took a step onto the wet concrete, slamming the car door closed, and slogging through the rain toward the entrance. The automatic doors to the building slid open, a crack of distant thunder rumbling the sky as he entered. It was not his first time here, and possibly not his last.
A room was shrouded in darkness. Curtains blocked pale light and drops of rain from the outside world entering, with only a light wind sneaking its way in. A sound of a metal handle jingling resounded through the room, the door to the room opening slightly, revealing a tan aged hand. The hand then flicked the light switch beside the door. The room became illuminated, casting assorted beige furniture in subdued yellow light. Various oak shelves littered the surroundings, filled with books and magazines for mental and personal health. A clock was positioned on the wall above the doorway, its hands slowly moving and quietly ticking away. The door would finally swing open, exposing two very different individuals. The first person to enter was a middle-aged man with frizzled black hair, who swept a hand across the many plain-looking sets of furniture in the room. "This session won''t take long, Liam, but have a seat, please," the man spoke with earnestness. The second individual was a younger man with brown hair and a modest crew cut. His unkempt features, pale skin, and the drained look in his eyes varied drastically from the older man. He stood by the doorway, looking into the room and observing it in its entirety with a glassy look. It was a familiar but dreaded sight. Sighing, the young man spoke in an expected tired voice, mixed in with a bit of Southern drawl. "Yeah, right¡­ Y''all know I have errands to do after this, Dr. Thompson." Lumbering into the room, he flopped onto one of the couches and panned his face to meet the older man, his eyes boring into the man''s drastically happier face. Clapping, the older man happily spoke. "Hah! Don''t worry, Liam. I know you''ve been under a bit of stress lately, and poking you won''t benefit either of us." The man made his way to a chair opposite of Liam and sat down. He then reached into his pocket, pulling out a pen and a small notepad. "How are you doing today, Liam? It''s been a while since our last session." "I''m doing fine," Liam said flatly. "I''m just..." He shook his head. "Look, you know I don''t want to be here, so can we just get this over with already?" The eyebrows of Dr. Thompson were raised. "I get it, Liam, but please remember these sessions are required by the state, and they are only concerned with your well-being." He began scribbling in the notepad, pausing momentarily to glance at the young man. "I know it''s been just a year, but you still live with your aunt, correct?" "I''ve been living with her since... you already know what; I don''t think I''ll be leaving yet." ''Or ever,'' Liam repeated in his mind, bringing his head to meet the floor. Dr. Thompson analyzed Liam''s perturbed state briefly, before returning to write in his notepad. "And¡­" He finished his writing. "Have you stuck to your goal of finding work in the city? I know you''ve mentioned your interest in becoming a forest ranger, but were you successful with the local parks and forests around Charleston?" Liam slumped into the couch, staring vacantly at the opaque ceiling. "All of them except one denied my application, despite my experience with being a volunteer in the past." He returned to eye the drab carpeted floor, scowling at it. "Not like it matters anymore." Dr. Thompson twirled his pen in one hand. "And how did the one who didn''t go? Did you take the opportunity?" the man questioned, frowning. "You don''t exactly have many options, I''m afraid to say." Liam gave a pained laugh, "I was accepted in, under great scrutiny, of course. The time I was there was¡­ nice. In that small period, I was doing the very thing I wish I would''ve become." He brought a hand to his mouth, clasping it around the semblance of a smile that was forming. ''Or rather... What was your dream in life?'' Liam winced at the gruff voice that invaded his mind once again. "And then..." He took the hand away from his mouth and clenched it shut. "They fired me! Over the smallest of mistakes, one that was out of my control!" He placed his hands on the couch and pushed into it to reposition himself. "I know that I never did anything that would warrant that action, but everyone''s eyes were on me. Just waiting for me to screw up¡­" Heaving, he tried calming himself with deep breaths. "I know that I''m... not who they think - they''re wrong." Liam''s face quickly morphed into anger. "I... I just can''t get these fucking memories out of my head. All their faces. Especially one in particular." ''The same.'' There it was again; that constant reminder in his head. It was always there, always lingering in the back of his thoughts. "I don''t want to deal with it anymore." Dr. Thompson seemed to digest this information, tapping his chin with his pen. "I know we''ve told you this before, Liam, but after your initial arrest, the state of South Carolina wanted to arrest you again under suspicion of... well, you know what." He locked eyes with Liam, displaying his arms. "That''s why we''ve doing all of this for so many years. The state might see you differently, but not us." The older man swallowed, "... Especially after that incident in your old home." Liam ground his teeth at the mention of his old family home. The home where his family once thrived in the thick of the natural American South. Safe, content, and happy in the middle of nature - just how he liked it. The day it burned down was the day all of his dreams of a life worth living were smothered in those same flames. The evils of this world wanted to take everything from him, and they succeeded - just like Mrs. Lachaise said they would. ''But you''d do it too, right?'' the gruff voice in his mind echoed, causing his teeth to grind further. Dr. Thompson shook his head. "They didn''t want you to live a life outside of their control. But this place fought for you, Liam - to reintroduce you to a more healthy society. We''ve been doing this to give you a chance to start a new life." Liam chuckled bitterly at that. The constant voice in his head said otherwise. If he had so much a chance against these groups in the city back then, he would''ve taken up arms as well - to get that revenge his father couldn''t. But his burning anger was long gone, with only the ashes of his resentment remaining. ''The same, the same...'' he repeated ad nauseam in his head. Dr. Thompson glanced at a clock on the wall. "What do you think about exploring job options outside of that industry? We''re here to help with that, Liam." The young man looked somewhat distraught. "No, just... no. I don''t think... think I could handle giving up everything to just toil away in some dead-end job." His restless look soon led to a more defeated one as slumped back into the couch again. "That''s not me. It never was and it never will." Dr. Thompson slowly shook his head. "We''ve been at this for years, Liam." He waved his notepad. "Surely this all has to be doing something for you." The silence that followed was telling. Dr. Thompson leaned back in his chair, placing a hand below his chin and adopting a thinking pose as he looked around the room in thought. The room was quiet for those few moments, only the near-silent ticking of a clock heard. It wasn''t until the older man''s features lit up, a smile appearing on his visage. "Ah! I think I have something that can benefit both parties!" he exclaimed, setting down his notebook and pen. Standing up, he made his way over to a more intricate desk in the corner of the room. Opening up on the drawers, he shuffled through countless papers, analyzing each one. Liam sat looking at him with the same tired look mixed with bemusement, his eyes narrowing. "Aha! One of the last copies." He looked at the paper one final time, before making his way over to Liam. "You... I''m not taking any more medication than I already have." Liam snarled, a scowl remaining on his face. "The constant headaches I have prove that." Dr. Thompson formed a more embarrassed look, holding up his hands in defense. "No, no! This is something different. Something a bit more..." He shook his hands. "Thought-provoking! You can assess your character to future employers, your true self." He smiled at the young man. "Through this, we can also send this to future employers to show what kind of a person you are!" He gazed into Liam''s eyes hard, trying to send a message. "What person you aren''t." Liam was not phased by the man''s spiel, continuing to glare at him. Dr. Thompson, expecting him to interject, cleared his throat and looked down at the paper again. "The ADEPT test will see the tester answer a multitude of questions to assess the tester''s cognitive senses, reactions, character, and define themselves to complete the assessment." Dr. Thompson smiled again, "In other words, a personality test!" Liam''s eyes grew wide, looking almost offended. "What? How is that going to help me get anywhere? What kind of bullshit are you trying to pull? Why do you think this will help me in anything?!" The older man placed a hand on Liam''s shoulder. "Don''t overthink it! This little - let''s say - test is simply a mental exercise for you, and possibly a ticket to great success in the future." He handed the paper over to Liam, who hesitated for a moment but grabbed it. "Fine. I''ll do the stupid test, but I don''t see how this would ever help me... now that is." The young man stood up, breathing a sigh. "If that''s all you wanted to show me, then I think this session is over." Dr. Thompson looked at the clock on the wall and nodded. "For now, but I want you to return next week - same day, so we can review the results together." He raised his hand to invite Liam into a handshake, who begrudgingly accepted. "Don''t worry, I don''t have much going on," Liam replied, breaking the handshake and ambling toward the doorway, finally being able to leave with his thoughts semi-intact. "Liam!" The young man gritted his teeth, turning around to see the cheesy smile the man wore. "You''ve gone through a lot, and the burdens of someone''s past sins shouldn''t reflect the person that was left in its wake. I know that your father... while he wasn''t a good man, tried his best with you." There was no response. "The ADEPT test has been taken by many others - many much like you! Some of these people created new lives, and achieved their own... paradise, haha!" Dr. Thompson finished with notable conviction. Liam''s mouth parted a bit as his eyes studied the man up and down. Doubt flooded every fiber of his being. The door clicked shut as the young man made his exit, with only the ticking sound of the omnipresent clock left echoing throughout the room.
A front door swung open as the howling from an angry storm outside was heard. Liam stepped into his aunt''s home, his eyes bloodshot, and the stains of past tears still visible on his cheeks. The pants and shoes he wore were caked in mud from his kneeling. In his right hand was a plastic bag full of various medicines; some for his aunt, and the rest for himself. He stopped to visit them on his way home. Every time he did so, it was like entering a portal into the past, where his future was undetermined but hopeful in that forest - the place where his pains and sorrows wouldn''t exist. Then he reached where she rested, and the crushing realization of reality came tenfold. In his left hand, he clutched a white wallflower, nearly crushing it in his iron grip. Liam blinked, bringing a hand to wipe a lone tear that was escaping and trailing down his cheek. He wiped the rest of his face, freeing it from any wetness - be it rain or tears. ''Is she asleep?'' He looked around for the sight of his aunt, on the couch for her sleeping form, or in the kitchen. ''It''s not like she cares. Probably out with a friend.'' Liam told himself, trudging up the stairs, one agonizing step at a time. The door to his room flew open, the smell of musk and old stale air made his nose twitch in response. He could hear the pitter-patter of harsh rain on the roof, seeing flashes of lightning through his window. Out of everything, his eyes caught the banjo that was leaning against the wall, dust covering its unused form. The room was a mess to any eye who caught it. Clothes and other items littered the floor, and white sheets ripped off the sole bed.
"Remember, Liam!" Here the youthful boy stood, cleaning up his room for possibly the fifth time this month. He watched his mother crouch upon on the floor as best she could, plucking a shirt of his off the ground, muddled with dirt and other stains from constant playing outside. The young boy listened intently as he also began tidying everything up, placing his belongings back into his room''s closet. But of course, he knew deep down it would all get messy again. "A cluttered room is a cluttered mind," she said, smiling. The boy flinched at the invasion of his mother''s hand, which drifted across his hair. "And soon," She rested a hand on her belly. "You can tell her, too."
He scowled at the distant memory. Liam dropped the bag of medicine and cast the wallflower to the ground, promptly collapsing on his messy bed. His head hit the pillow like a sack of potatoes as he tried to melt into the soft cushion of the bed. But his mind continued to race. Through all the thoughts of today, yesterday, the past, and so on. Thunder clapped outside his home, scattering his thoughts and shaking his room with its might. He closed his eyes, hoping to rest and begin anew tomorrow. However, it never came, with his thoughts never ceasing at the boom of thunder. Sleeping soon became an afterthought of his as he rolled over. His head was pounding, his perception blurring, and he wasn''t sure why. ''Can I ever just forget and let go?'' Liam grit his teeth, his hands reaching behind him to clutch the pillow as he stared at the ceiling. The pounding got worse, flashes of vibrant and fluctuating orange shooting across his vision. Blinking was enough to return his sights to normal, but the strange feeling inside was seemingly just beginning. ''No. No, I cannot forget. No one could ever forget what happened. No one.'' Slamming a fist into the cushiony bed, he forced himself up, his visage enraged. He desperately wanted to be like his young self again, angry and passionate enough to take action against those who wronged him, but now he was defeated and alone, utterly powerless. ''I can''t sleep, I can''t think right, I can''t-'' Then he remembered the paper he brought in from his session earlier. ''If I can''t sleep, I might as well finish it.'' Anything to distract himself. Sighing, he crawled out of bed and grabbed the paper out of the plastic bag, walking over to his personal desk in the corner of the room. He flicked on a lamp, shining white light across the various objects on the desk. Liam''s eye caught one in particular - a painted statue. He picked it up. It was a model of a green, healthy pine tree that stood proudly on what appeared to be a mound of dirt. Liam knew it was painted with care, despite some scuffs or overlapping paint. The rush of memories that accompanied this relic soon overtook him and his pain.
A door swung open as the dead of the night became visible from the eager occupant inside. From the darkness, a chorus of muffled boot stomps got louder and louder as a figure entered. A young Liam''s eyes popped up from behind the couch, the boy sprinting toward the front door. His father was home from his long day of duty to the law, and the boy was waiting all night for him to get back. He got up and close with the now befuddled man, looking up, and clutching something in his hands. "Dad, dad!" Liam tugged on the pant leg of his father, earning a sigh in response. "Liam! You''re supposed to be in bed. God knows what your mother would say..." He quickly closed the door before the chill of the night could come in. "Get to bed - now. You''re lucky it''s the weekend." The boy, however, didn''t relent and excitedly pulled more on his father''s jeans. "No, no, you don''t get it! Mom helped me! I spent all day making it!" The man started to unbutton his uniform, unhooking his badge and speaking in an amused tone. "Make what?" The boy shoved a painted statue in front of the father''s eyes. "It''s a tree, don''t you see?" Liam''s mother had always made these kinds of ceramic statues in her free time, organizing them on tall shelves and letting them shine and glisten in the daylight. They always fascinated the curious little boy. With a little persuasion, he was able to convince her to teach him exactly how she does it. His father stared at the statue for a while. "Yeah, I see that." Chuckling, the father bent down to his son''s height and grabbed the ''tree'' from the boy. He observed it as a smile stained his features. "Looks like your affinity for the outside world carries to your creative side too, huh?" The man looked down at his son, who was grinning ear to ear. Still kneeling, he brought him into a hug. "I want you to show me what you''ll do with your passion - what you''ll make in this life, okay son?" "Don''t worry, dad, I know what I was meant to do." The father ruffled his hair and chuckled again. "Great, now go to bed before your mother kills me."
The statue was launched into a wall, breaking into various pieces and ushering in a loud noise that reverberated across the room. The cracking of thunder came afterward, stirring him out of his rage. His eyes widened as he realized just what he did, slamming both hands on his sides and letting out short rapid breaths to calm himself. It was not fair. He flattened the paper on the desk and focused the lamp''s light on it. Picking up a nearby pencil, deep breaths were taken once again before he began to read and plan out his answers to the questions. His frustrations manifested into a blooming headache, along with the flashes of orange shooting across his vision that seemed to worsen over time. ''You are sending a postcard to a school friend. What exciting news do you have to share?'' The juvenile nature of the questions stuck out to him, but he would answer them nonetheless. I discovered a new trail to school today. Do you want to take it? ''You have a musical talent you want to show off; which instrument do you choose?'' I would choose a banjo. But every time he thought about or tried playing his favorite instrument, it would always stir memories of a time when he once could enjoy life at its finest moments. Realizing he was slipping, he decided to move on to the next question. ''What do you value most?'' If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
"Jesus, Liam, you know I told you not to go beyond the house''s fence," the man scolded, eyeing the child in the doorway caked with mud and small twigs that clung to his shirt. The boy simply stared at his father with a wide smile that refused to go away. "Christ, it''s like the leeches all over again," the father said as he plucked a branch off the boy''s shoulder. Liam laughed at his comment, remembering that exact moment. One day, at a typical family outing near Lake Moultrie, he spent most of his time swimming, only to emerge later from the water covered in blood-sucking leeches. To say he was shocked that day was an understatement. "Do you think containing him is going to work, honey?" a woman with long, auburn hair spoke, reaching into the sink to grab a dirty plate. The young boy grew an awry frown. "Sorry, dad. Playing in the backyard just got really boring. I saw this family of deer past the fence, and I wanted to see them up close!" The boy''s eyes gleamed, before drooping. "Then I fell into a ditch trying to catch up with ''em..." His father bit his tongue, listening intently, looking toward the woman nimbly working beside him. "Well, Angel? What do you think? Does he deserve a second chance?" The woman wiped away the grime her hands had collected on a towel, before turning around and rubbing the cheek of Liam with it, scrubbing any remnants of nature that clung to him. He shook his head, trying to free himself from her grasp. She smiled, satisfied with her work. The two parents stared at each other for a moment, letting their mutual feelings combine before ushering the boy inside.
Liam grunted, placing a hand on his face and slowly rubbing his forehead to stabilize his thoughts from wandering as he wrote down his answer. An adventurous spirit. ''Do you think that lying to a friend is sometimes necessary?'' Sometimes it can be in your best nature. Sometimes it may come back to haunt you and the ones you love. ''You are told to wait in an empty room. What do you do?'' I would get bored and try to wander outside. He answered each and every mundane question the test threw at him. Soon enough, each of them were answered, and the final portion was one last question, which truly shook him to his core. ''Who are you?'' Liam''s breath hitched as he stared blankly at the paper, his relaxed breaths running short. Memories he tried to lock away for so long began to break free, spiraling him deeper and deeper.
"Now that you know who I am..." Liam thrashed against his binds, searching for any possible way to get loose, scraping his body across the cold concrete floor. He gasped, his face contorting into a murderous scowl. A man loomed over him - ragged torn clothing - open wounds dotting his body as he crouched, looking to meet the boy''s gaze. Liam''s shoulder was then latched onto by a hand as the man towered above him. The boy could only stare into his sharpened hazel eyes. "Who are you?"
"SHUT UP!" Liam blinked, brought back into reality by his own shouting. He swallowed down the bile that built up in his throat, rereading the paper''s final question. ''Who are you? What kind of person are you? What is your dream in life?'' He sighed, readying his pencil to begin writing just as he did moments before. My name is Liam Shaw. I am nineteen years old, and I dream of one day becoming a forest ranger.
"I wonder what kind of person are you?" the man''s gruff voice echoed throughout the room. The man leaned back and removed his hand from the boy''s shoulder, who continued to fight against his binds, drool leaking out of his mouth like an enraged animal as his body smacked the concrete wall against him. The man looked around, not giving the boy any thought. His own thoughts after everything that had transpired kept him from thinking straight. "What were you before this all... happened." He looked back to the struggling boy, feelings of resemblance stirring within him. "What will you become now that it has?"
Liam''s mind seared in pain as he gritted his teeth. His hands clenched together, his grip on his pencil beginning to tighten, and tighten until he almost shattered it in his mindless anger. Still, he pressed on answering. I was- He shook his head and erased his sentence. I am an adventurous spirit. I live to explore the unexplored, to find a paradise to call a true home. He looked at the final part of the question, trying to ignore the flashes of oscillating orange and the resurfacing of old memories. ''What is your dream in life?''
"What is your dream in life, kid?" the gruff voice questioned. "Or rather." The man laughed, "What was your dream in life?" The young boy, after giving up on escaping his confinement, heaved and cried, hunkering down in his chains to shut out the outside world as best he could. The man leaned in again. "Because we both have nothing left; no dream in life, no purpose to exist, no rock to hold us down anymore. We''re free for all the wrong reasons¡­" The boy wanted it all to stop, to wake up after this awful nightmare ceased to be. He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth, wanting to wake up somewhere far from here. "Will you quit and ''sunder into dust'' like she wanted?" He laughed bitterly at the last part. "Or rot for eternity, wondering why. Why do we live in a world without our paradise?" The man growled, "Grim reminder, kid. Because..." His face seemed to falter into a rage, his words trailing off. Liam''s expression morphed into confusion at the man''s hesitance, having no chance to respond as the man took hold of him, rocking him back and forth violently. He cringed in pain as the man started shouting once more. "BECAUSE WE ARE THE SAME, AND WILL BE THE SAME FOREVER!" the man yelled, tears welling up in his eyes. "Your old man thought he could change! Before, he almost got away, but reality came knocking..." The tone in his voice relaxed, releasing Liam from his hold, who promptly fell back and slid against the wall - defeated. "Family is everything we have, kid. Without them by our side, how do we continue through this painful world alone? How do we let go? Your father... he only understood that before it was too late." The whimpering boy shivered in anguish and fresh rage at the mention of his father, his eyes glued to the floor and never daring to look at the body that was lying beside his kidnapper. "You and I? We''re weapons - weapons that will soon gain a new target... ourselves."
Liam clutched his head, his pencil rolling off the table. It felt like a raging fire was burning in his brain, mixed in with the constant flurry of orange invading his vision. ''Why can''t I just forget. My head... it hurts so much.'' He weakly got out of his chair, a deep-seated sickness claiming him as he lurched into the bag on the ground, pulling out a bottle of painkillers before running out of his room and into the bathroom beside it. He heaved over the sink, attempting to cough out the ugly feelings swelling within him. He felt sick, both physically and mentally in his head. Just like many times before, the gruff voice of that man echoed without warning. ''BECAUSE WE ARE THE SAME, AND WILL BE THE SAME FOREVER!'' Popping the cap open, he downed the bottle of painkillers, rinsing the contents down with a cup of water he poured. He grounded his teeth together as dark thoughts crept up in his mind. ''Or rot for eternity, wondering why. Why do we live in a world without our paradise?'' His head throbbed in anguish as he slammed a fist into the side of it, closing his eyes. ''I''m sorry.'' The poem his mother would once sing to him long ago was the only thing he wanted to hear now. He wanted to go into that forest Mrs. Lachaise described, the forest where all his anger, strife, and pain would disappear in. He was going home - to paradise. ''I just want to sleep¡­'' The walk back to his room disoriented him, causing him to stumble around in his dizziness, knocking into various walls and furniture. His mouth felt dry. Looking around the room, he could barely tell where he was before he tripped on something and fell back, feeling the soft but fading warmth of his bed. The countless booms of thunder outside began to crash constantly in his head as the room around him began to spin and spin until he couldn''t recognize it in its motions. The unthinkable then happened. His room began to shake as bright, glowing orange columns shot out his floor, piercing the ceiling above. Bits of wooden debris showered down, but none hit Liam as he lay still, transfixed with the oddity occurring before him. ''What¡­'' Liam hesitantly moved an arm forward to try and touch the glowing columns. Once his hand touched one, he felt nothing, but could hear a faint silky giggle pierce through the swirling chaotic mess of sound in his head. Around him, the room''s walls began to crack and crumble apart. Pieces of drywall began to peel off and fall onto the ground. The walls in his room collapsed into nothingness, exposing an endless sea of black void beyond them. The crashing in Liam''s head began to whittle away into nothing but soft echoes and chimes, with the light notes of a piano accompanying it. ''So peaceful.'' The floor and furniture in his room vaporized, as if erased from existence - just for the void of black to consume the rest of his surroundings. Soon, the feeling in his limbs were lost to Liam as he laid in his incapacitated state, with only the vast sea of black to accompany him. Black spots invaded his eyesight, drifting him further and further into unconsciousness. ''Why I... Where am I?'' Those same shining columns of bright orange light shot out of the darkness, twisting and bending around his body. They coiled around him, wrapping him up like chains. He could not struggle or call out for help as the ribbons of light continued to envelop his form. The glowing orange lines pulled on his body, dragging him further into the inky blackness. In this illusionary state, his mind lulled him into a sense of sleep, where nothing could hurt him anymore. However, before he could complete his descent, a familiar silky female voice emanated throughout his mind. "I see - you have finally left that realm and sundered into dust. It has been far too long. Please, allow me to introduce you to this soon-to-be paradise, Liam..." ''Liam.'' He closed his eyes.
The sun hovered over the Sunshine Forest. Fluffy wisps of clouds stood almost alone in the expanse of the blue sky. The chirping and flaps of bird-like creatures could be heard across the forest, through the clearings, and into colorful meadows that separated the wide expanse of tall oak trees. White petals floated gently in the summer breeze, brought by a clearing within the forest which bloomed white wallflowers - the trees of it creating a natural canopy as rays of light shuttered across the greenery. A lone tree rooted itself in the middle of that clearing on top of a big hill. Near the base of the tree, a blue creature was resting gently under it, its chest slowly rising and falling to the tune of whistling grass and flowers. The petals carried across the clearing reached the tree. Some landed on the grass, while one landed on the creature''s muzzle. ''Liam...'' The creature''s snout wrinkled, twitching, until its eyelids fluttered open. On instinct, it lifted its paw to swat away the invading petal in its sleep-induced state. But as it became accustomed to reality, the creature''s eyes widened, and the features of a blue paw clarified in its vision. "W-what?" a young male voice blurted out, a hint of country lurking within. The creature lifted both of his paws, staring hard at them. He tore his judging eyes away to look at his lower body, only to see more blue and black fur aligning his stomach and hind paws. "No, no, no, am I dreaming?" The creature frantically looked around his surroundings, through the trees, down the hill, before focusing on a small stream leading into the inner part of the forest. He shook away any amount of sleepiness in him and got up on shaky hind paws. He took no further time to question things as he sprinted down the hill toward the see-through stream. A misstep caused him to stumble on his paws. He slipped and tumbled the remaining length down, almost dunking himself into the clear blue water of the stream. The creature hastily pulled himself up, then hesitantly peered into the water. The pupil in his eyes turned into pinpricks at the sight that greeted him. A mirror of a canine-like face stared back with its shining cardinal red eyes. Blue and black fur adorned its body, along with its pointy ears. Oval-shaped tendrils drooped down his sides, and touching one of them too hard would send a feeling of electricity coursing through his body. The creature stared into the water for a solid minute, taking in his features as the reflection rippled and distorted them. His paws held onto his face as the shock of his appearance began to settle in. As much to where he couldn''t register the pitter-patter of footsteps behind him. He began to hyperventilate, placing a paw on the beating heart in his chest as it pounded faster and faster. "This... just can''t be happening. " ''Hey.'' "Where am I? And what am I?" He stopped momentarily to breathe in. "And who exactly am I?" The creature looked back toward the hill and at the tree resting atop of it. "I woke up right there..." He confirmed to himself. ''Hey.'' "But that''s it." He raised a paw to rest under his chin, contemplating the unknown. "I do remember hearing something echoing. It sounded like it was-" "HEY!" A soft, feminine voice erupted through his self-monologue. His ears twitched as he spun around to meet the origin of the voice. It was a white-furred, quadruped vulpine just a few inches shorter than him. A tuft of fluffy cream-ish fur sat on top of her head, rustling in the forest''s wind. Behind her, he could see a plume of wispy tails with the same cream coloration fluttering in the breeze. On her back was an empty woven brown basket. The vulpine''s muzzle contorted in embarrassment as she quickly added a reply. "U-Uh, sorry. You were talking to yourself and just seemed lost in your little world. I wanted to see if you were okay." The shock for the blue creature slightly wore off, allowing him to address the vixen before him. "I''m sorry, I''m just a little... confused." He shook his head, inquiring again. "Can you tell me where I am... and also what am I?" The white fox looked a little overwhelmed, her gaze wandering through the trees. "Well, you''re in the Sunshine Forest. At least... not the Mystery Dungeon part," she grumbled the last part under her breath. "As for the second part¡­ you''re, um, a Riolu?" The supposed Riolu''s dazed look only seemed to intensify. "Sunshine Forest, Riolu, Pok¨¦mon? I have no clue what any of that means!" It was now the vulpine''s turn to act confused. "How would you not know about being a Pok¨¦mon? You seem way too old to be a hatchling. Is this a prank or something?" she said with suspicion, scrutinizing the Riolu more. He stepped back, holding his paws up. "No, no! I''m not joking, there''s nothing I can recall, except a name... maybe." "You can''t remember anything? Are you sure you didn''t just bump your head too hard?" The Riolu shook his head. "I''m not supposed to be a Riolu. At least I think I''m not." He scratched his chin. "I just can''t remember what I was in the first place!" A sigh came from the vulpine. "Well, we''re getting nowhere with this back-and-forth. My name is Vulpix, but it''s also my species name, like yours is Riolu. And Pok¨¦mon are... well, they''re you and me." She shuffled her paws together. "Um... Pok¨¦mon also don''t really pick up names. But I do prefer to be called Gloria. It''s nice to meet you, I guess?" A warm greeting smile stretched across her muzzle, with a tinge of red embarrassment accompanying it. The Riolu stared at her for a moment, slowly adopting a small smile of his own. "It''s nice to meet you, Miss Gloria, I wish I could tell you who I really am, but..." He droned on until a giggle came from the Vulpix. "You don''t have to call me Miss Gloria, as you''re probably not much older than I am." She lost her embarrassment, flashing a hint of recognition. "Wait, you said you could remember just a name, right? Could you maybe tell me it?" She leaned in a tiny bit, eager for his response. The Riolu searched the clear sky above for an answer. He racked his brain for that name that repeated over and over in his mind. Then it struck him. ''Yes. What I heard. Could that be mine?'' He raised a paw toward the Vulpix, inviting her to a paw shake. She hesitantly reached out and put her own paw into it, the both of them shaking it. It wasn''t long after that the resolute and confident red eyes of the befuddled Riolu soon met hers. "Liam."
Liam pointed a paw at himself. "So I''m a Fighting-type?" He then pointed at Gloria, who was humming to herself as she trotted. ".And you''re an Ice-type, correct?" Gloria nodded with a smile. "Yep! There are a ton more kinds of types, though. I have a book at home on all of them, and... maybe even a small book on the Riolu family." She said the last part as fast as she could. The two of them had been walking on a paved path through the forest for a while. On the way, Liam questioned what exactly were ''Pok¨¦mon'', and what kind of Pok¨¦mon was he, giving Gloria the leeway to explain just about everything she knew on the subject. ''Evolution'' was a topic that came up, which devolved into a discussion on typing and certain abilities Pokemon had. "I know that Riolu, while not as strong as a Lucario, has great aura-sensing abilities!" Gloria chimed in. "Is that part of my typing?" The Riolu furrowed his brow in confusion. Gloria giggled. "No, you have feelers." She stopped to point a paw at the two tear-shaped objects on Liam''s head. "Those can allow you to sense incoming attacks. If you trained well of course." Liam touched his ''feelers'', now understanding that electric sense he felt before. "Incoming attacks? If I learn how that is?" "Sort of," Gloria began. "Most Riolu are taught by their parents, which you lack knowledge of. So, um, you''ll need to be taught by another aura user, or teach yourself." Liam processed this information. ''So, Pok¨¦mon can have unique abilities. Gloria told me she was an Ice-type and can utilize ice powers. I''m a Fighting-type, which she said is more physically capable than other Pok¨¦mon.'' He looked at Gloria, who went back to humming and walking along the path. ''But still need to know why.'' "Why did you decide to bring me along, and where are we heading off to?" Gloria paused, forming an embarrassed smile. "Well, I couldn''t just leave you there, all alone; especially when you most likely don''t remember what a Mystery Dungeon is." Liam gave her a bewildered look. "I think you said that before, right? What is a Mystery Dungeon?" Gloria looked conflicted. "It''s uh, difficult to explain. You kind of need to see it for yourself to understand. But where we''re going is at the end of this Mystery Dungeon!" "What''s at the end of it?" he inquired, mind tingling with wonder. "Apples," she replied curtly, gesturing to the empty woven basket on her back. "Apples," Liam repeated, somewhat disappointed. She giggled again, "Apples - I came here to collect dinner, but I wasn''t expecting a lost ''mon in the middle of the forest." They continued their walk, finding themselves in the thick of the shady forest now, with sparse gaps between the trees that allowed sunlight to pour in. To ease the Fighting-type''s curiosity, Gloria spoke up once more. "While what lies ahead in this dungeon may just be apples, there are countless Mystery Dungeons that could hold undiscovered secrets behind them. Some Pok¨¦mon like to explore them to find lost relics, or just for the thrill of adventuring through them." Liam didn''t know why, but his heart thumped at her words, a weird feeling of excitement fluttering inside his stomach. Before he could interject with his own curious comment, she motioned for him to look ahead with a furry paw. "Look over there. You see that darker area with the trees beside it? That''s the entrance to a Mystery Dungeon." After a brief walk over to the spot, the two stood near the entrance to the Mystery Dungeon. The ''darker area'' was a medium-sized, almost pitch-black shadow in the middle of the forest''s paved path. The few trees bordering it were blocking the impervious darkness from expanding beyond. It seemed almost out of place in the naturally colorful and vibrant forest. Gloria looked more than fine, while Liam was disoriented at the abnormality of it, his eyes darting back and forth between the Vulpix and the shadow. "This is the entrance?! It doesn''t look like any hole, cave, or building to me." He hesitantly stepped forward to take a closer look at the anomaly. Gloria went in front of Liam. "That''s part of the mystery of them. The entrances aren''t so cut and dry, and it feels like they pierce through reality themselves sometimes!" Looking at a shocked Riolu, she continued. "But what happens next is going to shock you. Let''s enter it now." She told him, brazenly making her way toward the shadowed area. Liam followed close behind, very skeptical and a bit anxious about what would occur in such a place called a Mystery Dungeon. As they stepped into this mysterious shadow, the Riolu noticed that the world around them seemed to almost disappear, the both of them being consumed by the expanding shadowy void.
Sunshine Forest BF 1 When the darkness in their eyes faded, the world around them began to shift and contort. Liam watched in awe as green trees buckled, groaning and bending against their will, snapping and straightening up to form a makeshift wall around the newly formed earthy floor. Leaves shuttered as they started stretching above the sky, forming a natural canopy and a ceiling over the terrain, which blocked the majority of the newly formed artificial sunlight from passing through. A great rumbling shook the floor as mounds of dirt with grass tufts suddenly erupted out of the ground, creating natural rooms and corridors, all in a maze-like pattern. The Riolu stood still out of shock, his mouth half open. Meanwhile, Gloria, taking in his expression, snickered into a paw. "That was my same reaction when I entered my first dungeon, but..." She took a moment to look at her surroundings. "It never does get old." Liam finally found his voice. "How is this even possible?! How does this exist, how did this... even happen?!" he demanded no one in particular. It was utterly surreal and dreamlike to him, that this was a reality he was in now. Gloria gave her equivalent of a shrug. "I, um, couldn''t tell you; no Pok¨¦mon could tell you, really. Every room is random - traps and other stuff lying around, and even Pok¨¦mon that are created!" "P-pokemon created? You''re joking, right? They''re not real like you or me?" he asked incredulously. "You''d be correct, sadly. They exist in these places only to attack Pok¨¦mon who enter, using just my experience." She answered, a frown adorning her short muzzle. It took Liam a while to respond, as he took in all this information. "All right, Gloria, walk me through this. I''m a bit fascinated, but also terrified at what you said." "Right, just follow me. We need to find the stairs to go to the dungeon''s next room, as they''ll lead us to the end of the dungeon." Gloria began walking ahead of him, down one of the room''s many corridors. "Hopefully, we don''t run into any Pok¨¦mon, but that shouldn''t be an issue." An embarrassed look then crossed her face. "I''m afraid I don''t know more about the dungeons than any other Pok¨¦mon. Most of the information comes from books and personal experience. I still believe there has to be some Pok¨¦mon that know the truth," she rambled on as they walked forward. Liam pressed on, right behind her. ''So, not even the Pok¨¦mon know why they exist, or how they work other than basic stuff. That''s-'' "Hey, I found the stairs!" Gloria uttered delightfully, breaking his thoughts. There would be a time and a place for everything. This would all make sense to him later - he knew it. Sunshine Forest BF 2 He was just as shocked to know that she was literal in terms of finding the ''stairs''. It was made out of earthy materials, like tree roots, dirt, and grass. Walking up the stairs seemed to alter their perception, the room around them vanishing as they appeared in another maze-like room, only leaning further into the surreal nature of everything. As they went deeper into the dungeon, Liam tried to understand the Mystery Dungeon, going piece by piece on how these worked with his awareness and the knowledge Gloria bestowed him along the way. She had warned him about traps, but he was far too absorbed in looking around that he didn''t notice he had stepped right into one, the sound of a clicking noise filling the air. The natural dirt floor beneath him shifted into a plate of metal with spiked chestnuts engraved on them. He didn''t know it was a trap until a barrage of those same spiked chestnuts pictured below showered on him from above. Doing the only thing he could do, he rose his arms over his head in defense as the small chestnuts started to pelt his fur. They didn''t actually hurt as much, most bouncing off with no real inflictions on his form. Gloria was going to warn the distracted Fighting-type, but stopped to giggle into a paw, as she knew it was too late. It was only after Liam''s confused and frantic head snapping after the attack ceased that she addressed the surprise. "You walked into a Chestnut Trap; they''re mostly harmless. Still, there are some annoying ones, and some really dangerous ones." The Riolu slowly nodded, not wanting to question it as he brushed leftover flakes of chestnut spikes off of him. Luckily, just up ahead was another set up stairs; they took them. Sunshine Forest BF 3 "Ah! There''s some enemy Pok¨¦mon!" Gloria exclaimed, dodging a shot of silky string. At the other side of the room''s corridor were a pair of Bug-types. Apparently a Scatterbug and a Weedle according to Gloria. No sign of life or intelligence was visible in their eyes. They slowly wormed their bodies toward the pair, eager to attack the dungeon''s intruders. "This will be some good training. This Scatterbug here isn''t too tough, so you can use a move on it and take it out. I''ll take the Weedle!" She explained to him, before grabbing the attention of the other Bug-type Pok¨¦mon, which entered the room at a snail''s pace. Meanwhile, the Scatterbug inched along as fast as its measly legs could muster, trying to ram the Riolu. Liam backed up each time, thinking to himself. ''Am I really going to lay the beatdown on this random Pok¨¦mon and... use a move? What is a ''move''?'' He looked toward Gloria for answers, who inhaled and opened her mouth to spew out tiny snowflakes that coated the Weedle, freezing it into an icy-encased shell. As her foe was defeated, she noticed the Riolu staring dumbfounded and motioned for him to go on with a paw. "Just concentrate, Liam! Every Pok¨¦mon knows how to use a move," she responded, the Weedle she froze in ice vanishing in a flash of bright, orange light. The vagueness of her statement only added more questions. ''Can I really, though? If I wasn''t a Pok¨¦mon before, or at least know how to be like one?'' The Scatterbug then closed its distance while he was in thought, ramming its tiny body directly into Liam''s stomach. Almost on instinct, he brought his paw down and smacked the bug, sending it careening into a nearby mound-like wall. It crumpled to the floor, glowed a bright orange, and disappeared into nothingness. Gloria looked astonished. "Wow! Was that Force Palm, maybe?" she theorized, grinning at the Riolu''s results. Liam stared at his paw, almost mesmerized by what he just happened to do. ''It glowed purple when I struck it! And at that moment I knew exactly what to do.'' His thoughts were interrupted by Gloria''s soft voice echoing from beyond the room. "I found the next staircase!" Nodding, he took a deep breath before following her.
After what appeared to be the final set of staircases, the reality of the dungeon around them began to collapse into darkness yet again, the pair finding themselves in another clearing in their regular reality, like the Mystery Dungeon never happened. A quick glance at Liam''s behind revealed the familiar lingering shadow of the dungeon''s entrance, showing that they somehow were warped to another side of it. "Are we out of it? Is this the end of the Mystery Dungeon?" he asked the Vulpix. "Yup! And now the apples I need should be here." Gloria scanned the area until she looked upwards and exclaimed, "There they are! But... oh. Now I''m kind of glad I met you." The apples she sought to collect were just a few feet higher than she expected, suspended on a tall tree in the middle of the clearing. Liam didn''t understand, observing the apples as he asked. "How so? It''s just apples, right?" Gloria dug a paw into the ground, her muzzle burning a bit. "I''m, um, a bit too short to reach them, and I''m not exactly a good climber" she admitted, reaching her neck around and grabbing the empty basket on her back. "Shhooo?" she spoke with the basket in her mouth. He understood completely. Reaching down, he wrapped his arms around the barrel of the Vulpix. Gloria gave a muffled squeak as he rose her as high as he could into the air. With her height problem now solved, she began to pluck the bright red apples as best as she could with her free paw, with Liam diligently trying to keep his hold and not get hit by the occasional falling fruit. Once she was satisfied with the amount, Liam released his hold on her as she gracefully fell back to the earth. "Eheh. Let''s continue onward," Gloria spoke with exasperation. Liam wordlessly agreed. After collecting the many felled apples on the ground, Liam bent down and scooped up the now quite heavy basket of apples, the two of them picking up the trail through the reticent forest once more. The Vulpix broke the silence. "Don''t worry, Liam. I won''t just leave you out here all alone. If you were shocked over the Mystery Dungeon, then you''re going to be amazed by my hometown," She explained, tails wagging slightly. Liam scrutinized her excitement. ''Surely her home isn''t as nonsensical as that Mystery Dungeon was, could it?'' Gloria noticed his lingering stare and huffed, flicking her plume of tails. "I hope you''re not thinking that I live in a forest." He did, just for a moment. The Vulpix shook her head, "Come on, I''ll show you!" She picked up the pace and passed him to look at what lie beyond the forested path. Not quick to fall behind, he ran ahead and stopped in his tracks as he saw exactly what the Vulpix was eager to see. His eyes widened as he stared forward, mind enamored. A sprawling city that stretched miles across the plains greeted the both of them. But the sight that caught Liam''s attention the most was the sleek black tower soaring high above every other building, nearly piercing the clouds with its imposing presence. Gloria saw his adoration and giggled once more. "That''s my home... Empyrean City."
The horrors that boy experienced, but does not remember... yet.
Author''s Notes: This is a story - one that''s been waiting ten thousand years to be told.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: Roark Roark Chapter 2 Roark The paved path led out of the shady forest and into a massive open field where the sun made its shining presence known. The vast landscape was a bright green grassland mixed with the occasional pocket of sparse trees and flowers. A light breeze was more noticeable as it traveled across the fields, indenting the grass and bristling the fur of the two Pok¨¦mon on the trail. The pair met a crossroad, where the road diverged into multiple paths that either led to faraway buildings as dictated by wooden signs, or more sprawling wilderness beyond the forest and fields. However, the path that interested the two Pok¨¦mon was a much larger flat cobblestone-paved road. Liam and Gloria found themselves on this road. The freshly awakened Riolu walked tensely, his breath a bit shallow. His eyes still wandered, particularly interested in the looming city and the huge swathes of figures ahead; more Pok¨¦mon of unique appearance. The much more knowledgeable Vulpix walked carefree, happy to not carry the basket on her back anymore, and being more familiar with her city and home. As they made their way, they could hear the distant noises of various wagons and wooden carts with decals of faces of Pok¨¦mon that had the same idea of entering the city. Equine-like Pok¨¦mon pulled the wooden vehicles ahead at a modest pace, along with a few other Pokemon of various sizes. Once they caught up to the noise, only the sound of clopping hooves on rocky terrain could be heard. Liam took note of all the different shapes, sizes, and features of them. He was curious as to how many different Pok¨¦mon there were, seeing as how much they varied in size, shape, and almost everything else from the way he saw it. Noticing the Riolu''s constant eyeing of almost everything that went past, Gloria smiled and spoke loudly through the noise. "Empyrean City is the biggest and the most populated city on the Celestic Continent!" She peered towards the massive city before them. "It''s, um, really the heart of this region, and many Pok¨¦mon from the other continents come just to see it!" Liam absorbed this information. ''I guess I should learn more about this city, considering I might be in here a while, depending on what Gloria wants to do with me. And maybe there are answers here...'' He strode forward feeling a bit more determined in his goal. "I was stunned and intimidated when I first saw this place too, y''know," she said, tilting her head upwards and smiling. "Before moving here, I spent my whole life in the Glacier Peak Mountains. That was my whole worldview and all my experience. It was nothing like this." Liam was going to inquire more about the Vulpix herself, seeing as they just met. However, that feeling faded once the two of them had at last officially ''entered'' the city, and into a plaza where dozens, perhaps hundreds of Pok¨¦mon were located from the looks of it. Both of them stopped to take everything in. The cobblestone road transformed into a more smooth and clean concrete one. Square patterns were neatly designed into it as it stretched across the entire city in its winding form. Rows of multicolored buildings, both short and tall stretched up and down the city, creating blocks and alleyways that crossed through them. They were made out of concrete, wood, or both of the materials combined. Features of different Pok¨¦mon, such as color, shape, and ears adorned many of those buildings. Alongside the rows of buildings were chock-full of shopkeepers alike. The passing wooden wagons and carts rolled into the plaza, taking their place in the line of shops. Heaps of Pok¨¦mon either stood in lines browsing through various vendors or walked around the area, chatting with others. Balloons were tethered around the various shops or became lost and drifted through the air. Scraps of what appeared to be confetti danced in the wind, blending in with the vibrant colors of the plaza. Liam''s head snapped back and forth, looking at all the new and exciting sights of the city, trying to gather his thoughts over the commotion of the rumbling of carts and talking Pok¨¦mon. ''This looks like a festival, but it must be the shopping district, right? There must be a hundred Pok¨¦mon here alone! And¡­'' Craning his neck, he looked at the most prominent building he saw from the forest. It was a sleek, black, obsidian-looking building with countless dark stained windows to look out of. Bright blue neon lights lined the building''s sides, pulsing vibrantly even in daylight The building looked almost out of place in the city of old wood and stone. A purple banner with gold trim was spread out near the top of the building. Liam squinted his eyes to make out the text, but couldn''t from his angle. He opened his mouth to inquire Gloria about it but was stopped by a white paw pushing him lightly on his shoulder. "Come on, Liam, I can show you around later," she said before strolling further. Liam nodded, readjusting his grip on the basket of apples and following her. ''Right. Food first¡­ answers later.'' They carefully meandered through the densely packed marketplace, occasionally bumping into some unamused Pok¨¦mon. Gloria led Liam into one of the narrow alleyways connected to the square, the adjacent building walls creating sharp shadows along its sides. "It''s just right through this alley. Watch your step, though!" They proceeded through the dark corridor, making sure not to step on any piles of trash that happened their way. Once out, they emerged into a more clean suburban district of the city. The volume of this area was noticeably smaller, with only a token amount of Pok¨¦mon wandering the quiet streets. Liam took note of the more smaller and colorful round houses with the faces of Pok¨¦mon plastered on them. Green vegetation was more abundant around here as lone trees, bushes, and bundles of assorted flowers appeared in the lawns of the many homes. Then out of nowhere, he sensed the oddly shaped feelers hanging off his head twitch, a spark going through his nerves as his eyes stopped scanning the area and snapped straight ahead. ''What was that?! I felt something... like a warning?'' He brought a paw to caress one of his feelers, wincing at the feeling. Gloria exhaled. "Whew, at least we made it before the sun could set." She nudged Liam out of his stupor, pointing at a house to their right. "See right there? That''s my hom-" "Halt!" a gruff voice commanded. Both of them spun around, startled by the loud interruption. In the shadows of the alleyway, a mysterious figure leaning against the wall uncrossed its arms with a snort, before stepping into the light. The creature was imposing and towered over the two with ease. The Pok¨¦mon was a barn-red color, with black stripes reaching its white belly. Its face was a long snout, with pitch-black eyes. "Don''tcha ya know there''s a toll for passing through?" it snidely added. "The Krookodile tax, eh?" Liam tensed up, his eyes narrowing. ''Already? We haven''t gone that far and we''re being harassed?'' He scanned the surrounding area. ''Are there more of them? If we need to fight... or run.'' Seeing no one else showing up to back up the Krookodile, he knew they had to fight back. Setting down the basket, the Riolu adopted a fighting stance, ready for any sudden movement by the nefarious Pok¨¦mon. The Krookodile chuckled darkly at this. "Isn''t that cute! You wanna tussle, little man?" Liam gulped, almost losing his composure. ''Shoot. Could we even take this guy? I''ve only been in one fight, but Gloria might¡­'' He took a breath and steeled himself, turning to face Gloria. His hardened expression faded once he got a good look at her face. ''She seems... annoyed?'' Krookodile took a step forward. "Hehe, if you''re so confident, then I think I''ll need to beat it outta yo-" "You''re not going to fool me a second time, Roark!" Gloria interrupted. Liam did a double take, losing his stance. ''Roark? Does she know this guy?'' The Krookodile stopped in his tracks, a wide smile traveling across his snout as a roar of laughter came out. Suddenly, a flash of bright white light enveloped the Pokemon, its appearance vanishing in the light. Liam shielded his eyes from the glow, wearing an absolutely bewildered look on his face. Gloria looked onward with a smile on her face and a wag in her tails. The light receded as a new figure stood in the place of the once nefarious Krookodile. It was a dark and red fox-like Pok¨¦mon that stood a few feet taller than the pair. It stood on its hind paws, blood-red claws sticking out of them. Its mane of red fur was big and long, with black spike-like fur protruding out of it, and a blue braid that separated the rest into a ponytail. Its muzzle then grew a grin as a suave yet rugged voice snickered. "Hehehe... And that was a very funny first time wasn''t it?" the fox responded, placing his claws on his hip, walking towards Gloria. He then bent down and hefted Gloria up in his arms. The Vulpix squeaked a bit before melting into the hug. ''Roark'' then spoke to her. "Thanks for going out to get dinner, sis. I have qui-" "What?! How did you do that?!" Liam blurted out, before shoving a paw into his mouth, realizing what he said. The two vulpines stopped their brief moment, staring at Liam. The dark fox chuckled, keeping his curious eye on the Riolu. "Now, Gloria, you never told me you were bringing a friend over for dinner¡­" he joked, poking the Vulpix lightly on her snout with a red claw. "And hey - he''s just as small as you are!" Gloria''s muzzle scrunched up as she wiggled her way out of his arms and onto the ground. "He''s not a... well, I found him in the Sunshine Forest." Roark''s eyes widened, but he still kept a toothy grin. "You know what I told you about bringing over homeless ''mons. I appreciate the sentiment, but I''m not made of cash." Gloria sputtered, "No, no, he''s not a homeless ''mon! He just lost his, uh..." she trailed off noticing Roark''s bemused stare. "AARGH! Can we just explain inside... please?" she squeaked out, pouting and digging a paw into the ground. "Right and¡­" He gazed at Liam, who took the paw of his mouth. "If you''re clueless, I''m a Zoroark. We''re not something you regularly see, as we can create illusions of other Pok¨¦mon to blend in. Helped me get out of a few binds back in the day." Liam found his tongue, "You can just do that? That''s¡­ actually really cool." He shook his head. "Hey, but why''d you have to scare us like that?" The Zoroark started chuckling again. "How else am I supposed to get my sick kicks after my guild work is done?" His grin then turned into a knowing smile as he faced Gloria. "I''m guessing you want to hear what I did today?" He splayed both his claws to incite more thrill. "This one ended in a shocking plot twist!" Gloria''s eyes gleamed, forgetting her previous frustration. "You''ve got to tell me as I make dinner!" Roark laughed yet again, ruffling Gloria''s tuft of fur atop her head, much to her dismay. "Sure, sure." The crafty vulpine made a beeline past them, walking to a house by their right. It was a simple round-shaped home with two windows beside the front door. Liam noticed the structure held a significant resemblance to Gloria''s muzzle, with its baby blue eyes, fluffy white ears, and a tuft of fur on the top of the house. "Hey, kid!" Roark called out. "Let''s talk - you and me, over some nice grub." A wink was sent toward the Riolu before the door was swung open, and the fox was gone. Liam racked his brain for a response that never came. ''He wants to talk?'' He placed a paw over his stomach. ''Although, I am pretty hungry. But who is this guy? And why does Gloria know him?'''' He needed to know. "Wait, Gloria!" Liam shouted, the Vulpix in question turning around with a curious hum and tilt of her head. "You know who this guy is?" He asked, picking up the neglected basket full of apples and walking into the home with her. "He''s my big brother!"
When Liam entered, he naturally began to observe his surroundings. Gloria nudged the door closed as she took the basket of apples with her mouth from Liam, entering a kitchen-like area to the room''s right. Light spilled from the windows into the room they were in, which appeared to be a cozy living room. A plush white carpet covered the floor, the light making it glow. Shelves covered the walls filled with books, paintings, and numerous lanterns. "On my way to the guild, I happened to bump right into a little youngster - a Pancham - who was carrying a hefty bag, and in quite a hurry from the looks of it," Roark explained, beginning his story. In the middle of the living room was a dining table with an assortment of wooden chairs placed around it. Other furniture included a plain gray couch with colorful cushions beside it. Books were scattered around them, along with a lantern, indicating someone in the house was an avid reader. A hallway was just ahead of the living room, leading to three different doors. "Well, after doing some other errands at the guild, Scizor obviously wanted me to get straight to my jobs, as an outlaw request for Soaring Falls was issued just now, and all other teams were busy. I asked Charizard to accompany me, but he blew me off saying that it ''was a lame job''." Roark used his claws to quote and imitate the Pok¨¦mon''s grizzled voice as he moved toward the dining table. Gloria giggled, dumping half of the basket''s apples, along with handfuls of what appeared to be cinnamon dust onto a tray. It then was placed into the insides of a strange red device sitting on the wooden counter. Liam noticed the device resembled a face with large yellow eyebrows. It also had three yellow ovals on its chest, four appendages sprouting out of its sides, and round eyes with a wide smile in between them. ''Is that some kind of machine? Everything in this land is made to look like a Pok¨¦mon,'' Liam remarked in his mind, following Roark to the table and taking a seat. Roark sat down across from Liam, resting his head on an elbow. "Went out all the way to Soaring Falls - you remember that place? Well, I even went into the Mystery Dungeon portion of it. The Pok¨¦mon there were no match - like always - so I reached the end of the dungeon fairly quickly." "Did you find the outlaw? Or did you find something better?" Gloria asked, a little excited. She chopped up the remaining apples into slices, placing them into wooden bowls with an assortment of multicolored berries in them. Roark waved a claw. "Well, guess what. Remember that little Pancham from the shops? He was at the end of the dungeon and got his little paw stuck into one of the crevices. He was my outlaw." Gloria gasped. "How old was he? He must''ve been just a little kid..." She appeared a little downtrodden after he said that. Liam noticed the Pok¨¦mon-like machine start to shake, vibrate, and glow a hot, crimson red as puffs of steam were jettisoned out of the machine''s ''nostrils''. Liam''s attention rapidly switched between Roark, Gloria, and the fuming device. ''Uh, is that thing going to explode? Should I tell them?'' His worry was alleviated when the machine seemingly cooled instantly; its steam dissipating and constant shaking stopping as it went back to its neutral state. Gloria noticed, and popped open a flap on the machine''s ''stomach'', revealing a tray with its contents much liquified. Gusts of steam from the cooked mush showed its lava-like temperature. Gloria carefully lifted the tray out with tiny mitts suited for her paws and poured its contents into three separate wooden bowls. "He was a little one - about the same age when I met you, and I wasn''t gonna lay the smack-down on a kid because of a job. Turns out he stole some medicine instead of any Pok¨¦, so I got him out of the mess - out of the dungeon and back to Empyrean." "I hope you didn''t turn him into the guild," Gloria responded, a little worry on her face as she started adding the finishing touches to her dishes. Roark smiled, "Hehehe, nah... He was acting like a brat on the way back, but he opened up along the way and told me why he did it." He looked towards Gloria who was peering back. "Told me he was going to give the medicine to his mother, a Pangoro who was deathly sick. He didn''t have enough money, so... he just took it. The little thief and hero went all the way through Soaring Falls to reach his mom." "Roark you¡­" Gloria said, her face now more heartfelt. He steered his gaze to the nearby window, before looking back at Gloria and smiling a bit wider. "Sound familiar?" Gloria gave a small nod before speaking. "Did you do what I think you do?" "You''d be right. We went all the way back through Soaring Falls and into a little grove where his mom got the fix she needed. ''Course I needed to foot the bill back home with the Meowstics'', but..." His eyes glinted with some amusement. "Scizor was just happy to see everything go smoothly when I told him, which is a win in my book." It was perfect timing as Gloria proclaimed from the kitchen. "Done!" Roark stood up to assist the tiny quadruped in grabbing the multiple bowls. Meanwhile, Liam was deep in thought, soaking up Roark''s story, a little curious. ''So, is that what guild members do? Help Pok¨¦mon, or...'' He considered the alternative in his head. ''Or maybe Roark made that decision on his own.'' If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Either way, he wouldn''t be able to think now that his stomach was growling. One by one, wooden bowls plus a singular spoon were placed at their respective spots on the table. Gloria''s careful gaze would prevent the hungry Riolu from eating. "Now, don''t eat the applesauce just yet. The Darumaker cooks food to an extreme temperature. Roark would know..." She threw a glance Roark''s way, who ''tched'' in response. "Please don''t slander my name, sis, you knew I needed that coffee before Indeedee marked me down. I''m just glad she''s a kind spirit." Gloria took the opportunity to tuck her chest in and blow over the applesauce. Chilling white particles blew over the bowls, cooling it down, but not freezing it. Liam didn''t bother questioning this use of her power, as it was useful, but made a mental note of it as he scrutinized the two bowls. One bowl was the aforementioned applesauce, still very warm. He could smell the strong cinnamon emanating from it as his mouth began to water a bit. The other bowl held pieces of sliced apple mixed in with an assortment of different kinds of berries. ''I have no idea the last time I ate, but I''m starving!'' Liam thought, hearing his stomach groan in pain. Once Roark and Gloria were finished setting up, they seated themselves and began to chow down. Liam nearly inhaled his portion. His attempts to be polite and slow down were tossed once he took a taste. Not long into their meal, Roark would speak. "Hey, kid, now that you''re getting your free fill. Do you mind telling me about yourself now?" Liam paused his ravenous eating to stare at the Zoroark in question. He gulped, trying to rack his brain for an answer he knew he couldn''t wholeheartedly give. ''How do I tell him that I''m practically a ghost?'' The Riolu looked over at Gloria, who was watching him with a confident smile, and a nod for him to speak. "Well, I... my name is Liam. At least I think so," he carefully worded, flinching a bit when Roark''s expression morphed into real shock, then bemusement. "You have a name?" Roark scoffed at that. "And... you think it is?" He shot a look at Gloria, who was about ready to interject herself. "Did, uh, you know about our guest''s oddity?" "Liam¡­" She tapped her chin with a paw. "He has amnesia - no memory of who he was. I found him while out collecting apples in the Sunshine Forest." Roark exhaled, biting his tongue and containing his urge to ask for more as he shifted his gaze back to the nervous Riolu. "Is this true... Liam?" The Riolu gulped once more, "Y-Yeah. All I could remember is waking up on a hill, in a clearing, and a name engraved in my mind. That''s when I met her." He indicated to Gloria with a paw. "Just one name, right?" A quick nod reassured Roark. "Huh..." The Zoroark looked deep in thought, his eyes never leaving Liam''s. The Riolu almost broke out into a sweat from the stare-down the two were having. ''Does he think that I''m lying or something?'' He broke the stare, glancing at Gloria for some assistance - she obliged. "You believe him, right?" Twirling his spoon in one claw, the ruse fox sharply inhaled. "Yeah... I do. This means you''re a blank slate. Whatever you were previously is irrelevant." He threw a couple of berries into his mouth to enunciate this fact. "Wait! Can''t we first find out if he has any family or connections? We can take him to the Empyrean Archives! They have a list of almost every Pok¨¦mon in Celestic!" Roark looked like he was going to shut her question down, but responded with a cheeky grin. "Okay, my little egghead, we can do that first. If nothing appears, then we''ll go with my option." His sharp gaze found Liam once again, digging a spoon into his applesauce. "You offer to join the guild." Gloria went wide-eyed. "Roark! He just woke up today, and you want to throw him into the guild?" Liam, too, was shocked. ''I don''t even know what the guild is, and now he wants me in it?'' Gulping down the rest of his applesauce, Roark moved in to explain himself. "Yeah, and I''ll tell you why - this is the best opportunity for the both of you." He glanced at Gloria, who went silent. "This is your time - aren''t you happy?" He didn''t get a response, but still continued, "And no offense, Liam, but I believe if you''re that ''blank-slate'' you say you are, then this is not only hers but your opportunity as well." Liam blinked. ''Gloria wants to get into the guild? If what Roark said is true, then he''d want the both of us to join together.'' He anticipated Gloria''s response as she squirmed a bit under the spotlight. "Well, sure I''ve wanted to join, but..." She poked her spoon with a paw. "Are you sure I''m even ready? E-especially with Liam! He just got here today!" she squeaked. Roark rolled his eyes, scarfing down his remaining berries. "Why do you think I''ve been telling you about my exploits every day for years?" He snorted and continued. "Didja think I would''ve kept you around as a cook? Knowing what the guild does is just one part, and knowing what the right thing to do is the second part." Gloria sighed, appearing to be mulling it over in her head. Still, that overruling worried part inside her brain seemed to be winning against her determined side. She never gave back an answer. "And Liam¡­" The Riolu focused his gaze back on Roark, hesitant about what he would say to him next. "Obviously I don''t know you much, and neither does Gloria here. But..." He inhaled again. "I know you''re not lying." Roark scratched his neck, deep in thought, conflicted on what to say next. "Let''s just say I have a hunch!" Liam frowned. ''What''s this guy''s angle? Surely he wouldn''t trust a stranger he met the previous hour, or maybe he knows something?'' He shook his head to clear those kinds of thoughts, before glancing towards Gloria. ''Maybe this can work if she is willing to put up with me for now. And possibly, I could find answers with this guild.'' Gloria noticed Liam''s stare. "Okay, Roark, but¡­ please don''t rush me?" she asked with a nervous smile. Roark rattled his claws on the cloth table, looking pleased with that answer. "Great, because I''ve got a meeting with a few guild members soon, and I''d like to put in a good word." "Aren''t you already in the guild, Roark? Can''t we just join your team or something?" Liam rebutted. "Yeah, I''m with the guild, but think of it as freelance work; I only help around with errands and do the occasional job. Thank the Guildmaster for that... Bastard," he grumbled the last part, receiving a white forepaw into his shoulder from an unamused Vulpix. "You two - I hope - will become fully-fledged guild members. Besides, I don''t think you''ll be too keen on joining ''Team HandyGuys''." He laughed hard as Gloria''s face burned with embarrassment. Liam crossed his arms and thought it out. ''He''s going to put in a good word for us, but how else will we prove ourselves? Gloria might be known, but me?'' "In fact¡­" Roark glanced at an oddly shaped clock on the wall, standing up out of his chair. "I believe it starts about now. Thanks for the dinner, sis." Reaching over, he lightly noogied Gloria''s head tuft, much to her dismay. The Zoroark gathered his empty bowls and placed them into the kitchen area, before striding over to the front door, stopping midway through. "Right!" Chuckling again, Roark turned around, looking at Gloria. "I thought I''d offer a gift to your sweet tooth, so I also ordered a little dessert." The Vulpix''s eyes lit up as she snapped out of her funk and rose out of her chair. "At Sylveon''s Sweets, right? She makes the best Pokepuffs!" Roark swung the door open as he stood in the doorway, facing the two of them. "Ahuh. Now, why don''t you go pick it up once you''re finished? Take Liam with you - it''d be good to show him around, get him familiar, and all that jazz. Once you get back, we can discuss your options with the guild." Then he was gone. Gloria sat down, "We can go when we''re finished eating, okay?" Her words were soaked in impatience. Liam laughed. "Don''t worry, I''ll be quick." He resumed his devouring, a thump in his heart appearing - keen on exploring more of the vast city.
The door to the outside swung open as two occupants exited the Vulpix-shaped home. Liam adjusted the cream-colored saddlebag that Gloria had given him around his shoulder. "If I recall correctly¡­" Gloria stopped walking. "It should only be a few blocks, so follow me!" she hollered, a bit more excited than usual. The Vulpix took a right, leading further down the neighborhood with a wag in her tails. Liam followed, observing the small suburban neighborhood transform again into a more densely packed street. Tall houses with orange tiled roofs and wooden lumber supports overtook the smaller decorated homes. Gloria then cut off into another alleyway, entering the ''shopping district'' of the city again. There were fewer Pok¨¦mon here than before, but it was still packed. She was about to leave the district and head down another sector but stopped suddenly. "Oh! You should know some of the shops if we''re going to get a chance of getting into the guild" She explained to Liam, before running over to one stand - he followed. They happened themselves in front of a quite large light purplish tent with ''spikes'' that jutted out from various sides of the tent, making a belt of faux protrusions. In the middle, one flap was open, revealing a Pok¨¦mon with a striking resemblance to the tent. Gloria cleared her throat. "This is Toxapex''s Bunker. He stores anything that you can give him. It''s, uh, very useful for long trips." She was going to give an example, but there was already a Pok¨¦mon handing a bag of items to the Toxapex. Liam watched the Toxapex as he grabbed the bag with one of his flaps, giving a sinister smile to his customer in return. Gloria noticed his worried look. "Don''t worry, he doesn''t tamper with your stuff¡­ At least I hope." Despite the Riolu''s perturbed expression expanding, she continued. "There''s one other shop I need to show you! I hope they''re still open." She whirled around, weaving through Pok¨¦mon and running towards the market''s center. Once Liam caught up, she thrust a paw over to a more decorative stand. It was painted white, with royal blue stripes and cloth draped over the front. Above it were carved images of what appeared to be feline Pok¨¦mon. While looking to be the same species, their colors were inverted. "This is the Meowstic Market. It''s run by-" "Gloria!" The Vulpix closed her mouth upon seeing one of the feline owners behind the shop wave a paw. "Oh, that must be them. Come on, Liam!" She quickly ran over towards the stand, the Riolu following behind like many times before. Once they reached the stand, the cleanly groomed Meowstic who called to them, smiled. "Roark''s little sister!" an elegant female voice came out. "We''ve seen you on the streets often, but never got the chance to meet, have we? We were just speaking to your brother earlier." "Um, yeah! That''s me, all right. Did he get in trouble?" Gloria asked, a bit worried. The other feline spoke with a more posh male voice. "No, no, we talk to Roark a lot before he heads off to the guild. However, after he repaid us today for the theft." He exchanged looks with the other Meowstic. "We couldn''t help but think... well, we should give the money back." Liam found his sights staring beyond the two felines and at all the things that lay behind them. Almost a mountain of berries in chests, bottles with yellow liquid on them lined shelves, and round technicolor disks. Along with circular orbs that gleamed in the daylight, each having a slightly different coloration. The female Meowstic nodded. "Ah yes, we can''t help but be bleeding hearts. Knowing that the little guy was doing it for his mom touched us." "I''m sure Roark wouldn''t need the Pok¨¦ back. He makes quite a lot through working with the guild!" Gloria exclaimed. "Pok¨¦?" Liam questioned, arching a brow. The Meowstic siblings immediately gave him a look as if he was crazy, causing the Riolu to quickly shut his mouth. Gloria thankfully covered for him. "Eheh, sorry! He just woke up very early today!" She changed the subject. "Anyway, um, are you sure that Roark would want it back?" The Meowstic sister responded with a sharp nod. "We know he wouldn''t. That''s why we wanted to give something back as payment." After saying this, her brother turned around to take one of the disks in the back that Liam saw. He plucked an icy blue-colored one off the shelves and presented it to Gloria, who kept a poker face, despite her giddiness inside. "Roark always told us that you trained on the Pok¨¦mon in the Sunshine Forest, so we thought we would give you this TM. It''s Frost Breath - a direct upgrade from your Powder Snow," the brother said with a smile, handing the disk over to Gloria. She hesitantly accepted the TM. "Are you sure?" The siblings nodded in synchrony, with the sister responding. "Roark also tells us how much you want to get into the guild, and we think being a little more powerful helps." "And with power comes great responsibility - what all guild members should know about!" the brother added. Gloria held the TM to her chest, which was warming up. "Thank you, Miss and Mister Meowstic! "But, um, Liam and I need to go pick up something at Sylveon''s Sweets." She handed the TM over to Liam, who after inspecting it for a second, popped open a pouch of the saddlebag and placed it in gently. "Ooo, at Sylveon''s Place? She''ll be closing soon, so you two should hurry," the Meowstic sister asserted, before adding with an amusing tone. "Roark also told us how much you liked her goods." Gloria grit her teeth in annoyance. "Can you please tell him to be more quiet next time? Soon the whole city will know everything about me," she grumbled before peering over at Liam. "Come on, we should get there before the sun sets." The two of them were off again, only stopping to turn around and wave to the kind-hearted Meowstics'' They followed a road into a sector where more unique-looking buildings dotted the sides - exquisite-looking details etched onto the walls of many of them. Clothed tables and wooden chairs packed with Pok¨¦mon sat outside them, dining on various types of food Liam couldn''t put his paw on what were. "We''re here!" Liam snapped out of his trance and ran over, stopping to look at the building Gloria was eager to go into. It was a round, medium-sized pink and white building with large glass panes and curved pink ears shooting off its top sides. Near the top rested a sign with elegant writing that spelled out ''Sylveon''s Sweet''s''. Tendrils of pink, blue, and white were carved into it along with a bow of the same coloring. The two of them then entered without any further questions. As they entered, a chorus of tiny ringing bells echoed throughout the building, presumably from the entrance door. A few Pok¨¦mon were inside, seated at tables and idly munching on their confections.
Liam quickly identified that the tiled floor, the wallpaper, the ceiling, and all the d¨¦cor and imagery, were a vibrant pink. He felt his eyes strain as he looked around, finding out that he did not like the color pink - not at all. Gloria, however, didn''t mind as she sauntered toward the front of the establishment. There was a glass casing that covered various sweets like candies, frosted cakes, and other baked goods. Two Pok¨¦mon were chatting near the counter, one behind the casing, and another by the counter. The one behind the casing was a quadruped with white fur, a pink tail, and pink ears. Ribbons touched with blue flowed out of the two bows on its ear and neck. Baby blue eyes, just like Gloria''s, twinkled. The other Pokemon present was a brown and tan-colored bipedal lagomorph, with long ears that stretched all the way down to its hips. Gloria would identify them as both Sylveon and Lopunny respectively. "Sylvie! It''s been a while!" The two Pok¨¦mon talking halted their conversation to watch the Vulpix, who stopped in her tracks at the looks she was getting. "Um, i-is this a bad time?" A gleeful smile found itself on Sylveon''s face. "No, no! It''s very good to see you again, Glory!" a high-pitched feminine voice shouted. Liam saw one of the ''ribbons'' from Sylveon''s bow begin to float its way over to Gloria, who put her paw into it as the ribbon-like feeler wrapped around it. Gloria giggled at the strange but tender feeling. "Usually Roark orders and picks up, but I''m showing someone around the city." She scratched the back of her head with her free paw. "Also, I''ve been having your sister teach me, um, how to cook just a bit better." Sylveon''s smile widened at her words. "Heehee, whenever Leafeon and I are free from our duties, we like to have a cook-off. I even remember when you and I had a little challenge together!" Suddenly, a motherly voice came from the Lopunny. "Gloria? I... You''re the Vulpix that came to the orphanage with that Zoroark, correct?" Gloria gave an absolutely floored look in response, pulling her paw out of Sylveon''s ribbon and planting it firmly on the ground. "Mrs. Lopunny! I''m sorry I didn''t notice you¡­ It''s been too long!" Lopunny spoke slowly, as if remembering locked away memories. "Ten years¡­ my goodness! I still remember what you told me and my little Buneary." Liam was unsure what was going on but did not intend on blurting out like he did before to avoid ruining a moment. Gloria looked disheartened. "I''m sorry, Mrs. Lopunny, but I can''t remember what I said back then." The Lopunny raised a paw to her mouth. "Oh, no, it''s fine! You were so young back then that I..." She waved that same paw. "It''s something that I thought about. My little Buneary there took it quite to heart as well." Sylveon hearing all of this interrupted. "Well, I think it''s very nice that you two met before, but speaking of meeting before." She turned her gaze to the distant Fighting-type. "Have I seen you before?" Liam, feeling the spotlight and eyes on him, spoke. "Uh, no. I''m Liam! At least, uh, that''s what I''d like to be called." He decided to not add anything else, hoping to duck any further questions. The Sylveon glowed with happiness, "Wow! Another Pokemon with a name! That''s so strange and exotic! Maybe if I get to know you more, I can give you a cute nickname as well!" she finished with a wink. Liam could see the same ribbon-like feeler Gloria grabbed wandering over to him. He hesitantly put his paw in it as it wrapped around him, a jolting wave of relaxation washing over him, as if his limbs were jelly, his mind turning to mush. He quickly broke out of the bond so as to not fall over due to his comfort. Sylveon giggled at this. "Heehee, many Pok¨¦mon are overwhelmed at first, but it''s a great relaxer!" Liam never felt sicker. "So... is the dessert Roark ordered ready?" Gloria asked, her impatience breaking through. Sylveon giggled again. "Oh, of course! He already paid for it, so it''s ready!" Her feelers extended behind her as they picked up a pink bag with her face imprinted onto it. ''How does she even do that?'' Liam thought, just as the feeler came back around the counter and toward the still weary-looking Riolu. He carefully grabbed the bag from the ribbon, trying to not touch it and suffer the same effects as before. He then placed it into the same flap where the TM was stored. "Thanks a bunch, Sylvie! I''ll come back later!" Gloria called out as she ran towards the entrance, Liam following just like before. "If you and my sister continue to work together, then you''ll need to include me sometime, Glory!" Sylveon quickly added. Gloria looked back towards the high-pitched Pok¨¦mon with a gleam in her eyes and a wide smile on her muzzle. "It''s a promise."
The sun was setting as the pair found themselves on the road back home. An orange glow-ish hue spread across the horizon, casting it across the city. Darkness would creep in through places that didn''t witness the sky. Liam caught himself staring at it as they walked the road. While the daylight and breeze felt nice on his fur, the beauty of the sunset captured his eyes. His mind was such a blank that he didn''t even know if he had seen one before, but he still could imagine himself witnessing many in his unknown lifetime. The thought of just not existing and experiencing something that he was now was a scary thought. But the feeling of being here reassured him. Gloria broke the silence of the trip. "Liam? I... I just wanted to say something." She took a deep breath. "Thanks for coming with me, for helping me get dinner, and..." She did not know what else to say, so she paused but spoke again. "Look, just thank you for being here right now. I know you don''t really know much, but it''s good to have someone beside you, right?" She winced. "Does that, um, make sense?" Liam squinted his eyes at the sun. "You don''t have to thank me, Gloria. I think anyone in my position would''ve gone with you." ''And it''s not like I had a choice in the matter. Where would I go, what could I do?'' He pondered this, but she pressed on. "Roark... He has always been there for me, and I know he wants me to go places - places I want to go, too. At times I feel totally confident, but then step down..." The Riolu was about to cook up a response, but failed, a scowl forming on his face. He did want to say something, but his mind was too clouded with thoughts of himself to give any kind of advice to the troubled Vulpix. And it wasn''t like he had known her for more than a day. ''Maybe she''s quick to confide in me, but I can''t tell now if she is truly correct about herself.'' The conversation would come to a close as they got further toward home, the sun slowly sinking further in the sky behind them. Liam could make out a dark figure resting with its arms behind its back on the door. It was undoubtedly Roark, who was silently eyeing the two of them with a smirk - the smirk only widening as they got closer. "Hey, don''tcha know there''s a toll?" he snidely told them. "Come on, Roark... my paws are tired.." Gloria moaned in a singsong manner, trying to push past, with him rebuffing his guarding of the door. "Let me see the goods first. I know that tired act will go away and you''ll devour it as soon as we go in," he said matter-of-factly. Gloria blushed. "Liam, show him!" The Riolu quickly dug into the saddlebag, retrieving the pink bag and then tossing it over to the Zoroark, who effortlessly caught it. He peered into the bag before quickly closing it shut. "Great! And now..." He got off the door and swung it open as he ran in. "Time to eat it before she does!" "ROARK!" Gloria snapped out of her sluggish state and bolted inside, the sounds of chaos within the home very audible. Liam could feel laughter bubble out of his chest. It was a strange thing, but like before, he knew he had experienced it one time. With one last look at the retreating sun, he unhooked the saddlebag around his shoulder and headed inside to assess the escalating situation, and also enjoy some much-needed dessert.
The moon was out, and the stars that came with it were difficult to see with the city still alive and bright during the night. Liam lay on the couch of the living room, staring out of the window, watching those few almost invisible stars glow endlessly. Gloria had offered to let him sleep in her room, considering she had a second bed. However, he declined, not wanting to intrude on her privacy. This is what he told her, but the truth was that he wanted to be alone for the time being. The day had been a drain on him, both emotionally and physically. Still, he was restless, for reasons he didn''t know. After an hour of tossing and turning, he simply accepted his insomniac behavior, choosing to stare out into the far beyond the atmosphere. ''... I don''t feel like one of them, like I''m part of something much, much different.'' Gazing at the tiny stars in the sky, he tried to snuggle deeper into his small blanket. Roark had given him it to stay warmer on the couch. He said it was something Gloria used to not be able to sleep without, which Gloria tried to refute. Liam chuckled at the memory of Roark trying to tell more embarrassing stories over dessert, but Gloria shooting him down every time he tried. It was strange. He felt like he was at home in this bizarre land, but something was missing. That alien-like part of him was tearing him up inside. He didn''t know what a Pok¨¦mon was, how to be one, to fit in-as much as he''d like to. That Pok¨¦mon part of himself he must''ve lost, that personality he once had. Would it return? His head was too foggy, his senses too dry - bland - like a husk, and without proper control, but surely there would be some way to regain himself, his true self. He could only wonder what that true part of him was, either bad or good. The Riolu rolled over as best as he could on the tiny couch. Perhaps he would never find out, and he was going to live a life of never knowing. Not wanting to dwell on uncertainties anymore, he shifted his thoughts back to what Roark told him earlier during the day. ''And then he said that two representatives from the guild would be coming by tomorrow. Are they going to test us immediately?'' He sighed, quickly thinking it was best not to dwell on something yet to happen. With a shake of his head, he shut off his thoughts, lulling himself to sleep in the city that never sleeps.
What is it you want to remember? What is it you want to forget? Do you realize both are inescapable?
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: Just Like You Just Like You Chapter 3 Just Like You Liam''s eyes flicked open and shut, his mind battling with his body. A breath of life came out of his mouth as his eyes cracked open, closing them slightly due to the intake of sudden skylight. As he stared up, a clear blue sky greeted him. Remnants of white clouds drifted slowly. As if a switch was flicked on in his brain, he became conscious. The feelings in his limbs awakened as they twitched in response. He could feel his back propped up against something as he was in an upright position. He could feel something grind against him, something tough and scratchy on his fur. On instinct, his paws gripped the thing closest to him - tufts of green pasture. He could feel it around his paw, along with its collected moisture. ''Grass. I''m outside?'' His train of thought caught up as well, now fully aware of where he was. Liam forced his body to move, closing his eyes as he took his back off the ''wall'' and got onto shaky hind paws. When he opened his eyes, they quickly expanded in astonishment at what he was seeing. He was in a place he had never seen before - again. He brought a paw to wipe his red orbs, still thinking he was asleep. Fields of grass stretched far for miles, and bundles of healthy wallflowers bloomed relentlessly among the swathes of empty fertile land. What lies beyond the fields were distant short mountain ranges, coated in mossy greenery. Behind the ranges were walls of obscuring fog-like clouds that blocked further sight to even beyond the mountains. It was uncharted territory, ripe for exploration. This invigorated a part of him - that burning curiosity he was missing. However, that feeling was crushed by the weight forming in his chest. ''Was I dreaming of yesterday? Or...'' He looked around, noting he was resting against the base of a tree, just like he awoke yesterday. A lush forest behind him spread out as far as the naked eye could see. Flora, especially more white wallflowers were taking the shade under the trees. ''Maybe I''m still dreaming?'' But he could feel everything. The cool breeze that flowed through the plains, grazing the fields in its path and coursing through his fur. He could smell the freshly wet grass and the clean mountainous air carried out through the wind. In his ears, he could hear singing and soft breathing at once. It provided a cooling and relaxing solution across his core, like angels were in his head, calling to him. His senses became more heightened, almost sensitive to everything, vulnerable in this state. Even with his worry in mind, and confusion written on his face, he felt something else. He felt bliss. It was like his senses had overridden his rational thoughts. This was paradise. His confusion converted to fascination of the scenery, and he did not know why. "Liam¡­" ''That voice¡­'' The faintly familiar silky voice pierced through the choir of angels in his head. It repeated in his head and echoed across the breathtaking landscape. His entrancement led him to hesitantly take a step forward, scared of the possibility of the view shuttering away, but still, his curiosity overcame that thought. "Liam¡­?" The voice spoke again, this time more soft and young. He didn''t know how to respond, not like he could, with his mouth permanently gaped. He took another step, more confident now. He wanted to press on, to create an adventure here, to explore this paradise. "Liam." Suddenly, his vision faltered as he stumbled to make another step. Regaining his bearings, he noticed the landscape appeared frozen in time. Nothing moved - not the leaves of trees, the swishing grass, the fluffy clouds, or even the swaying wallflowers. The Riolu shook his head, trying to take another step forward int-
"LIAM!" "GAH!" He felt a paw flick his feeler, sending a jolt of electricity through his body and making him faceplant onto the plush white carpet below. A tiny giggle escaped from Gloria before her natural worry at his state came in. "Are you alright, Liam?" she asked, poking him in the back. He grunted in return. "Do you want me to whack him with a pillow?" Liam heard the humor-induced suave voice come from a distance, presumably Roark''s. He was disoriented, unsure how to process what just happened, laying there for a while until he could no longer take Gloria''s paw pushing into him. With a groan, he propped his paws onto the carpet and forced himself up as he got on shaky legs, still unadjusted. Once he stood up, Gloria got a good look at his recently smooshed face. "Why are you crying?" Liam blinked in confusion. ''Crying?'' He reached a paw to touch his cheek and felt dampness, a lone tear slid down and he felt that as well. He grimaced, bringing his whole arm to wipe his eyes clear of the tears. Only stains of it remained on his face. "You were sleepwalking," Gloria muttered. Liam sputtered. "Sleepwalking? No, that was¡­ I was there, it was re-'''' He stopped himself before he could freak out Gloria more. He felt everything there; he could remember it clearly. The fields of rippling grass, the distant wall of white clouds, the sound. Everything. It felt like he was deposited into a separate world, a perfect world, where his feelings swamped his thoughts. Despair crossed his face for a moment until Gloria replied. "Yeah, you just got up from the couch and stood there. I tried calling your name, but then I needed to resort to desperate measures." Roark''s voice emanated from the kitchen, "I told you, Gloria; that blanket has special powers. I remember whenever I wrapped you in it, you were-" He clicked his tongue and waved a claw across his throat. "-Out." Gloria frowned in exasperation, shooting the Zoroark a glare. Liam regained his manner, holding his feelers gently. "Yeah, please, don''t do it again." She gave a sad smile in return. "Well, I had to! You looked... possessed! Especially with that look you had in your eyes." "I thought he just smelled what you were making for breakfast; I know I did," Roark called out, flipping something disk-shaped in a metal pan. Liam wiped the tiredness from his eyes as he finally became more aware of his surroundings. It was early morning, yellowish rays filtering into the living room through the open curtains. His nose twitched as noticed the second thing - a pleasant fried smell drifting through the house, coming from the kitchen where Roark was, who uttered out again. "Hey, Gloria, your potatoes seem to be done." He flipped the disk in the pan again before reaching down and turning a knob. Gloria ran back to the kitchen and began fiddling with another pan on the stovetop. "Don''t worry, sis, I got it." He grinned, taking both pans away from the stove. He walked over to an opposite counter, where intricate ceramic plates were placed. One plate already held the flat-looking cakes on which he stacked another one. On the other plate he dumped what appeared to be a hefty amount of thinly sliced potato strips cooked to golden perfection with diced-up peppers mixed in. Gloria was right behind him and placed a glass bottle of some kind of seasoning on the counter. He nodded and picked it up, sprinkling it lightly over the potatoes. From the kitchen, Liam could also hear the sputtering and shaking of that red device he saw the previous day. From what he heard, Gloria called it a Darumaker. Once the machine stopped its outburst of steam, Roark opened the tray and received a black mug from the inside carefully with his crimson claws. "What - this another one of Leafeon''s recipes?" Roark inquired the Vulpix behind him. "Mhmm, with my own little twist!" Gloria replied. "And how did you manage to get potatoes and these kinds of peppers? This stuff isn''t grown in Celestic from what I''m aware of." He took the two plates along with his mug and headed toward the living room dining table. "She let me use a few from the guild''s personal garden," she said with a smile on her face. Roark laughed. "Oh? She''s allowing you to vandalize her personal heaven? The only Pok¨¦mon I know that has that privilege is Shaymin. And she gets on everyone''s nerves. " He placed the two plates of food in the middle of the table. Noticing that breakfast had arrived, Liam quickly took a seat at the table as his hunger crept in. The other two would swiftly follow. "Pancakes and hash browns?" he asked. "Yup, this time I didn''t burn the pancakes. They never let me near the stoves at the Rescue Society," Roark remarked, sending a wink Gloria''s way. Liam obviously could not remember having them before, but an odd feeling of happiness arose within him as his stomach churned with delight. ''At least it''s not berries again.'' Gloria, upon taking her seat, noticed the rather large amount of pancakes on the plate. "Roark, why did you make almost double the amount?" A devious grin grew on the Zoroark''s face as he reached for his nearby mug of coffee. "Oh, no particular reason. I¡­" He trailed off noticing the deadpan glare from Gloria, laughing. "Now, wait a minute, it''s no joke at your expense. I have guests coming over, it would be rude for them to not dine as well, right?" Gloria''s unamused look turned into a shocked expression. "No way... you actually got guild members to come over?" "Well¡­" Roark waved a claw, "They''re in the city to confirm a job request, and to go over the details with the client." He took a swig from his coffee. "Seeing as the Guildmaster or even Scizor haven''t been looking for new recruits, I told them to come over." "And?" Gloria leaned in further, her eyes a bit wider. "Let''s just say we can hopefully convince them to start training you two." he finished with a smirk. She slumped back, staring down at the carpet until she spoke again, a little worry in her voice. "R-right now? Roark, I don''t want to waste their tim-" She was interrupted by Roark tapping his claw on the table. "Ohohoho, remember I told you I''d get a word in?" Gloria looked down again, grumbling under her breath. "Besides¡­" The Zoroark reached over the table and picked up what appeared to be a newspaper with bold letters that read ''Celestic Cognizance'' on the back as he flipped it open. "I think they''ll need a few extra paws going around before the festival kicks in." Gloria''s pouting faded into eagerness. "The festival is happening? When does it open?" "Festival? And, uh, what''s opening?" Liam questioned. "The Eden Theater is set to open this week. Pok¨¦mon from all over the continent, even the world are coming to see its premiere. Especially every rich ''mon the mayor could get his flippers on," Roark replied, scanning his eyes up and down the paper. Liam''s confusion didn''t go away. "Why is it so popular? Isn''t it just a regular theater?" Roark tore his gaze from the newspaper and gave Liam a look as if he lived under a rock his entire life, quickly realizing that he was still dealing with an amnesiac. "The giant black building, did you see it coming into Empyrean?" Liam racked his brain. ''Ah, I remember seeing that. It was the tallest thing I''ve seen in the city.'' "Yeah, I saw it. Is that the theater?" Roark nodded. "Bingo. But it''s not just any theater." He pointed a claw at himself. "But if I''d ever get in? I''d go straight to the bar it has." Gloria chimed in, with a gleam in her eyes. "It''s also the tallest Pok¨¦mon-made structure in the world standing at over one thousand feet tall! Even the technology involved in it is almost... futuristic! The dazzling electric lights, the aesthetic, everything!" she chittered with glee at reciting everything. "Oookay, no need to go all egghead on him, sis. The boy just wanted an answer." Roark chuckled, trying to reach over and ruffle the Vulpix''s tuft, getting a swipe of a paw in return. Before Liam could respond to the barrage of information, a rapid series of knocks were heard at the front door. "Roooooark! Let us in, man! It just started raining!" a muffled male-ish almost surly voice called from the outside, followed by more banging on the door. "Please, Mony, perhaps they are still asleep?" a stoic female voice responded. "Roark said he would be waiting for us at breakfast time, Braix. I''m starving and it''s raining," the male voice complained more. Back inside the house, Liam could only imagine the eye roll from the female as they listened intently to the chatter. Roark pushed himself out of his chair and rose to his paws as he gave a wide smile. "Allow me to greet my guests so Monferno doesn''t burn the door down trying to get in." He strode toward the door as the voices behind it chatted relentlessly. "See I told you he was there." The male voice remarked as Roark gripped the door handle and threw the door wide open. The sound of rain against the concrete outside echoed through the house. "Hey, Mony. Would you like to come inside? Away from the wet and cold?" A cheeky smile found its way on the Monferno''s face. "Just move, you asshole." Roark snorted in amusement, turning to the other Pok¨¦mon, and offering her a warm smile instead. "And Miss Braixen, please, come inside so your illustrious fur doesn''t get soaked." He turned to look at Monferno with his own cheeky look, who grumbled before sliding past Roark and into the house. Braixen did a tiny bow, speaking in a jokingly stoic manner. "Thank you, Mister Roark, for inviting us over." She entered after the Monferno. Once inside, Liam got a good look at the two. The Monferno appeared to be an orange-furred primate with a flaming tail behind him. Around his shoulder rest a large saddlebag, colored a dark purple with what appeared to be stars embezzled onto it. The other Pok¨¦mon, a Braixen, looked like another vulpine. This time, a bipedal like Roark, and with lighter orange colored fur. Tufts of red fur came out of her ears, a bushy tail sprouting out of her back, and a wooden stick embedded into it. It was not the only non-organic part of her, though, as around her thin arms was an armband, colored white with a crimson cross etched onto it. Roark then closed the door behind him. "Well, let''s not jibber jabber and eat before everything gets cold, eh?" The rest could only agree.
The sound of eating soon filled the room, everyone''s appetites clearly getting the best of them. Monfero gulped a morsel down and gave a short laugh. "Wow, Vulpix, you said Leafeon is teaching you?" He stabbed another piece of thin potato with a fork. "Because I think you give Leafeon a good run for her money with all the additions." He then took notice of all the stares he was getting. "Seriously!" Braixen took a napkin and wiped her mouth, smiling as she spoke. "I have to agree, Miss Vulpix, it''s quite delicious. However, I think I prefer Leafeon''s craft a tad bit more. No offense." A blush overcame Gloria''s face. "Please, um, just call me Gloria! And thanks for the compliments. Now¡­" She looked at Roark, who was busy stuffing his face. She made a gesture with her head for him to interject. It took him a moment, but he finally realized it and cleared his throat. "You two were going to Empyrean to confirm a job request, right?" Monferno spoke. "Yup, the Guildmaster still wanted members out doing jobs, as most of the others are out helping with the festival. This one we took had an error in its request, and usually, we toss it, but since it''s so close¡­" Braixen continued for him, "So after we went and sorted the details, we headed straight here. We''ll be leaving shortly." "And what would you say if I had two different Pok¨¦mon fulfill that request?" Roark said, a toothy smile filling his face. Liam''s eyes sharpened at this. ''Ah, now I see what his plan is. The thing is, will it work?'' Monferno did not seem to mind and went straight back to eating. "Hey, if you want to pull some other ''mons to work in the rain, by all means, you''ve got my word." Braixen, however, seemed a bit miffed at his response. "Why do you want us to hand down the job? It''s not too harsh for us - a simple trip to the Sunshine Grove." "Come on, Braix." Roark gave a quick wink toward Liam and Gloria. "May I see the job request?" Braixen looked toward Monferno, who begrudgingly stopped eating to flip open his saddlebag and retrieve a piece of paper, handing it over. With the paper in his claws, Roark read out. "Rescue Request for Buneary at Sunshine Grove. Uh, one-thousand Pok¨¦ award¡­ from the client, Mrs. Lopunny." Gloria''s eyes widened at that. "Wait, wait! This job request is from Mrs. Lopunny? The one who runs the orphanage?" Braixen gave a curt nod, "Yes. Monferno and I went to the orphanage to correct some errors." She winced a bit as she continued, "Mrs. Lopunny was a bit... dramatic to say the least." Gloria bit her lip as Roark noticed her state and quickly followed up. "What would you say about handing that request to those two." He emphasized by pointing his claws at Liam and Gloria. Monferno laughed. "You know, we don''t usually send newbies off to jobs, right?" Both Liam and Gloria sunk into their chairs a bit after hearing this. "Yes, the Guildmaster made it so every recruit needs to have a modicum of training in them before they take jobs," Braixen added. Roark clasped his claws together. "What would you say if I had these two take the mission, and they return back with that mission complete? I know the Guildmaster isn''t looking for new recruits during the festival, however..." He honed his gaze on the two guild members. "Surely you don''t want to miss on two new shining stars joining the guild, right?" You could hear a pin drop as the two guild members thought of how they should approach this. But Monferno would be quick on the draw. "Why are you so confident these two will succeed? I can see Gloria being able to, but Mr. Personality over there?" Liam blinked, almost not noticing him actually being mentioned. "What kind of strength are you packing? Do you think you have what it takes?" ''Can I really say that when I''ve only been in one Mystery Dungeon?'' the Riolu thought. The Monferno gained a conceited smirk, "Because from what I see, maybe you two can''t do an easy job like this. " Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Liam narrowed his eyes, standing up. "Of course, we can do this job! Right, Gloria?" He spared her a look, hoping she wasn''t as defeated as before. The Vulpix sputtered a bit before declaring, "R-Right! Besides, I know Mrs. Lopunny! I know we can do this, it''s easy like you said, right?" Braixen tapped her chin with a paw. "The Sunshine Grove has been explored extensively, so yes it is easy, I suppose. Are you prepared, though? And can the two of you put up a good fight?" Gloria gave a hesitant nod - she wanted to express her confidence in her abilities, and not call to attention Liam''s condition. Braixen appeared to ponder it a bit, knowing were two Pok¨¦mon she had little connection with, and unaware of their potential skills. Normally, she would flat-out deny to avoid blame on the guild, but a scoffing Monferno would break her inner debate. "Ah, just give them the job, Braix. We have plenty more important ones to be doing. Or else Scizor will stick us on festival duty." The fire fox sighed; she knew it was a battle she was not going to win. "Okay, we''ll let you two do the job, but we expect you to finish the mission completely, and bring back the Buneary back to her mother." Roark grinned. "And if they do well, maybe you can put in a good word to Scizor, or the Guildmaster?" Monferno snorted. "Yeah, sure, just don''t expect anything to come out of it. Both of them are far more interested in their research rather than new recruits." "But new recruits always mean more Pok¨¦mon to do such research, so if you do well, don''t worry," Braixen tried to correct the blunt Pok¨¦mon. Gloria gulped, "So we can go now? I don''t want Mrs. Lopunny to worry so much and-" A red claw interrupted her. "How about we finish eating first? Don''t want to go out on an empty stomach, right?" Roark proclaimed. Liam and Gloria shared a look, before nodding and resuming their eating. Liam''s thoughts of their mission kept swirling in his head. ''This will be our first official exploration then. Hope we don''t screw it up.'' He stole a glance at Gloria. ''For her sake mostly...''
Just like Monferno said earlier, it was indeed raining as Gloria and Liam exited the house. A few hours had passed, the sun shrouded by an overcast, ushering a grayish coloration of the city. Around Liam''s shoulder was the same saddlebag he carried yesterday, this time looking a bit more full than before. Braixen had taken the opportunity to give the Pok¨¦mon their own items for the mission, explaining that her job as the guild''s nurse in training means she must protect them as well. He did not know what most of the item''s uses were, but he trusted her judgment. The two traveled the soaked road, taking them to the same market they had entered before. Many of the shops were shuttered, and few Pokemon trudged the streets and endured the elements. Something caught Liam''s eye as they walked through - Pok¨¦mon wearing armbands around their arms or other limbs. They walked more stiffly and uniformly, quickly fading back into the rest of the smallish crowd present. He stopped and looked back to see if he could get a better look. ''Are those guards, or something else?'' "Come on, Liam!" Whoever they were, the answers would need to wait. They had a job to do. After exiting the city proper, they found themselves on the same paved pathway that led to the crossroads, splintering off into different directions. Taking one of the paths at the crossroads led straight into the heart of the forest, with wind and rain whipping the leaves of trees and bushes around them. "Sunshine Forest again, huh?" he asked, squinting at the forest which had significantly less sunshine than before. "Yep! There''s an area that was abandoned long ago - a garden. Nowadays, it''s a Mystery Dungeon." "Nowadays?" "Well¡­" She dug a paw into the wet ground, "I don''t know all the specifics, but I read a book where it says one time this was a sprawling garden in the forests. Then one day it turned into a Mystery Dungeon." "How long ago?" Liam could never have imagined a place becoming a Mystery Dungeon. She shrugged as best she could. "It''s been around longer than Empyrean City, but it''s not as dangerous as all the other dungeons in the regions, so it''s pretty much left open for anyone." She walked forward. "Come on, I think I can remember the entrance to it in the forest." Her walk turned into a light sprint as she went down the path that led into the Sunshine Forest, the same one they came out of yesterday. Gloria left Liam in thought, pondering just what she had told him. ''Mystery Dungeons can just appear?'' The information Gloria casually relayed to him was unsettling, to say the least. ''Maybe it was already there, and they just discovered it. Still...'' He could hear the distant shouts from Gloria disrupting his thoughts, and quickly ran into the wet forest to play catch up. It was just as he had remembered it, although much gloomier. She giggled as he came into view. "You really need to stop daydreaming so much, Liam." He smiled in return, "Why should I? You Pok¨¦mon say the most bizarre things. I think I would appreciate a good sit down on everything, y''know?" Gloria tapped her chin in thought before excitement took over her face. "I could take you to the library in Empyrean! They have all kinds of books on the continents, Pok¨¦mon, theories¡­" She trailed off as Liam scratched an ear. "Sounds good." He looked around. "Do you remember where this grove was?" "I, um, know for sure it''s maybe this way." She pointed north with a paw. "If we keep going, we''ll run into it." And so they went down the trail again, spotting more Pok¨¦mon-made terrain like cracked polished stone. After walking a while, something caught Gloria''s eye. "Right there! That''s the entrance!" They jogged over to a fenced-off area on the side of the path. In the middle was an open doorway, a gate. Green moss wrapped itself around the stone fence perimeter, cracks on its surface, and almost entire pieces of broken stone littered the ground, showing the age of the structure in its tormented state. Liam noticed something peculiar, though. He took a step closer and saw an indentation in the rock, realizing it was a sign, with actual words. He could barely make out two lines of faded text etched into the stone. "Lurantis''¡­ Garden." He transcribed the first line before squinting his eyes to read the one below it. "Lurantis and X¡­" The rest of it was too faded to even read. However, he soon discovered there was a ghost of an image also embedded into the stone. Two Pok¨¦mon, from what he could infer. One bipedal, and one quadruped with slender legs. He couldn''t make out any distinguishable features. Gloria moved in closer to take a peak once hearing him read the ancient text. "Ah, the book did mention this was once a Pokemon''s garden! That must''ve been ages ago!" Liam tore his gaze from the sign and into the gate. It appeared as if light never went beyond this way. A wall of impenetrable darkness seemed to be blocking it. He felt like he''s seen this before, with the group of clustered trees that lead into the Sunshine Forest''s Mystery Dungeon. "That''s the entrance, right?" She stepped past him and peered into the gate. "Yep! This is it, the Sunshine Grove. Are you ready?" He popped open the saddlebag to check if everything was still in there. "Yeah, let''s find Buneary!" he said with a smile. The two of them then stepped forward into the gate of darkness. Despite doing this before, a lump formed in Liam''s stomach. It was the fear of the unknown, but a thrill of it too.
Sunshine Grove BF1 And just like before, it happened again. The trees bent against their will, snapping to the sides of the two Pok¨¦mon''s visions. Broken stone walls burst out of the ground, moss, vine and other kinds of tangled greenery spiraling around them as a maze-like pattern was formed around the room. Tree leaves formed a natural canopy where artificial light could pass through and reach the ground. Wallflowers sprouted from the ground, littering the terrain and bringing a bright white to the otherwise grey and green vibe of the ruins. Liam stared in wonder as this happened. "I don''t think I''ll ever get used to this¡­" He somewhat lamented not being able to see it again. Gloria giggled. "It''s fascinating, right? Buneary shouldn''t be far ahead, so let''s go!" He gave a quick nod as he steeled himself for anything that lie ahead. Sunshine Grove BF2 "Behind you, Liam!" Gloria shouted. He barely got out of the way before the Ratatta could slam into his side again. Again, on instinct, his paw glowed as he brought it back and then made contact with the purple rodent''s back before it could recover from its wild tackle. It flew back, slamming into the dungeon walls and bursting into orange light. "That Force Palm of yours is powerful. Although, you could be a lot less reckless," Gloria said, pointing a paw at a bruise on his hip. He grimaced in response. "Hey, I''m new to this, y''know." She giggled. Sunshine Grove BF3 Crystallized flakes of vapor spewed out of Gloria''s mouth at a hovering Fletchling. It was just out of Liam''s reach and where he couldn''t touch it with a Force Palm. The Fletchling tried to peck at him while it hovered above. He dodged most of the attacks, only suffering a few weak pecks into his fur. He prioritized moving his paws in a fast rhythm, matching the pecks of the bird Pok¨¦mon. Without him knowing, his movement became a blur as he instinctively zoomed to the opposite side of the room, leaving a small trail of dust in his path. Gloria closed her eyes as tiny sharp shards of ice began to form around her. Once the shards were fully formed, they were launched at the Fletchling, lodging themselves in the Pok¨¦mon''s feathers. The Flying-type cawed in pain, falling to the floor encased in an orange glow. Gloria took a breather and turned to Liam, still in shock at what he just did. "That was Quick Attack I think! I''ve never seen it before." Liam regained his breath. He knew he still had a lot to learn moving forward. Sunshine Grove Midway The stairs that led downward soon revealed a narrow passage bathed in blue-green light. They could hear the sound of running water as two rivers flowed along the sides of the hallway. Liam noted he couldn''t see past the trees, as a void of black blocked his vision. "Did we reach the end of the dungeon?" Gloria looked around, a skeptical look on her face. "Mmmm, no. I think we''re at a halfway point or something." She pointed a paw ahead, "I think up ahead will lead us to the next¡­" She trailed off as she noticed something in the distance, a Pok¨¦mon. Liam saw it too once her talking stopped. ''Another enemy Pok¨¦mon?'' A white paw pushed him lightly, making him wince. "I think that''s Buneary! Come on!" She sped off toward the Pok¨¦mon, Liam''s eyes widened as he quickly followed. As he got closer, he noticed the Buneary had a striking similarity to the Lopunny they had met at Sylveon''s Sweets. It was shorter, had brown fur and tan-colored fluff on its lower end. Its one ear shot upright, while the other ear was folded in on itself. It also carried a brown saddlebag strapped around its shoulder. The Pok¨¦mon was looking around the room, in the rivers, through the trees. Whatever it was looking for, it was totally oblivious to the two behind it. "Buneary! We''re here to rescue you!" Gloria shouted. The Buneary''s folded ear shot up in surprise as it turned around and stared at the two in horror. "You came to rescue me? You must be guild members, right?" A female voice with a hint of country came out, her stare unwavering. "We had a request issued to rescue you. You need to come with us," Liam quickly answered. "Mrs. Lopunny is worried about you!" Gloria quickly added The Buneary''s look of horror widened. "Ma sen-" She stopped herself as recognition of Gloria''s voice flooded her mind. "Miss Vulpix? Is that... really you? From the orphanage?" Gloria was a bit taken back but slowly gave a nod. "Yes! We can go back to it now." Buneary''s eyes strained further as she clutched the grip of her saddlebag further. "I... I can''t go home now, I haven''t found the secret entrance yet!" "Secret entrance?" Liam gave a puzzled look at the bunny, who squirmed. "Yes! There''s an entrance that''s hidden, but I haven''t made it there yet. I just need to go further!" Gloria took a step forward, worry on her face. "Come on Buneary, let''s just go home, your mom must be worried sick." Liam also started to encroach on the Normal-type, but she quickly took a defensive hop backward. "I can''t go home yet! I don''t need rescuing, either. Please tell my mom I''ll be back soon!" She immediately took off further into the dungeon, leaving the pair a bit bewildered. "Wait!... Ugh." Gloria sighed. "Have you heard of any secret entrance here?" Liam asked the Vulpix. She shook her head, still a bit peeved at the Buneary''s behavior. "No, this dungeon has been gone through extensively." He shrugged in return. "Well let''s catch up on her before she gets hurt, or worse¡­ Braixen and Monferno trust us." One determined nod from the Vulpix sent the two of them further into the grove, not knowing just what the Buneary was looking for.
"And after he said all of that, I told him¡­" Braixen and Monferno leaned in further to hear Roark''s conclusion. "''By the way, Joltik''s on your back.''" Monferno slammed a palm onto the table as did Roark with a claw, the both of them roaring with laughter. Braixen offered a reserved chuckle, holding a paw over her mouth. "Oh, how-" Monferno attempted to speak through his laughter. "How- how long was he on him?" "A good two minutes, I think everyone saw it, too, but they knew better not to say it right away," Roark explained through his snickering. Monferno placed a hand on his head as his breathing relaxed. "Man, I miss a lot of great moments when I''m out doing jobs¡­" He looked over toward Braixen, who was daintily sipping from her mug of coffee. "I envy you sometimes, you know." "You know I have to stay sometimes, when Hatterene isn''t always present, then I''m acting nurse for the guild," she said. "Ah, so Roark doesn''t need to worry when he and Charizard get into an argument," Monferno remarked with amusement. Braixen snickered as Roark waved a claw. "Let''s get down to business, Mony." Monferno grumbled at the use of his nickname, but let him continue. "I know the Guildmaster got you three passes; one for you, Braixen, and whomever else of your choosing." Monferno put his arms behind his head. "Yeah, what''s it to you? I never planned on going myself. Theaters are boring and stuff." Roark leaned across the table. "Well, I want those passes." "What makes you think I''m going to hand off those passes when I''m better off making tons of Pok¨¦ for selling them?" Roark leaned further in, his smirk growing wider. "Because I know you can''t resist a bet. Monferno sucked his teeth in. "Depends if it''s a bet that I know for sure I''m going to win." "Liam and Gloria come back with Buneary in tow..." Roark pointed a claw at the two of them. "You report this to the guild, and if they get accepted in¡­" He stopped to take a sip from his coffee. "Then I get those passes." Another round of rapturous laughter came from Monferno as he slammed the table with a fist. "Those two? They look as green as can be, especially the Riolu with his staring into space." "This is going to bite you, Mony," Braixen warned. He waved her off, "Ah, come on Braix, it''ll be fun. The Guildmaster and Scizor are in no hurry to have new recruits now." A claw-ridden paw soon reached Monferno''s vision, who promptly looked at its owner. "Deal?" Roark asked, the glint in his eyes challenging his foe. Monferno snorted and put his own hand into Roark''s. "Deal."
Sunshine Grove BF4 ''Shoot, this Pok¨¦mon is way bigger than the others we''ve faced,'' Liam thought as the large Raticate made its appearance known. It snarled at him with its gnarly teeth before leaping forward, intending to bite Liam. He quickly dashed out of the way, using his newly learned Quick Attack. The Raticate was persistent however, recovering fast and nearly tackling Liam if it weren''t for the sharp shards of ice sent by Gloria smashing into its sides. Both of them made a mental agreement of their roles in this fight. Gloria went into a support role as she attacked from a distance with Ice Shard. Meanwhile, Liam got up close and personal with the Pok¨¦mon. He utilized the Raticate''s falter from Gloria''s attack to unleash a series of Force Palms into the stomach and face of the Pok¨¦mon. He could feel himself getting better at using his arsenal of moves. Through the pummeling, the weakened Raticate saw an opening and took it. It latched its long teeth around Liam''s left arm and bit down - hard. Liam grunted in pain as his other arm charged another Force Palm, this time with more force put into it. Gloria saw his predicament and launched a barrage of Ice Shards at the Raticate. The teeth around his arm were taken out as Raticate succumbed to the attacks, falling to the floor and bursting into bright orange light. Once the light receded, Liam kneeled down on the floor and nursed his arm. Gloria quickly rushed to his side, worried. "Are you okay? It''s not bleeding, is it?" She leaned in to check on it. He took a deep breath, "Hah... no. But it does hurt very badly." "Let me see the bag; there''s something you can use." Liam used his good arm to unhook the saddlebag before handing it over to her. She set it the ground and opened the flap containing several kinds of berries that Braixen gave them. She fumbled a bit, but pulled out a blue kind of berry with black speckles on it. "This is an Oran Berry, it provides a temporary alleviation for pain. It''s great for exploring Mystery Dungeons, but you should still see someone for greater injuries." Liam didn''t question it, seeing the pain he was in, he was sure it would do the trick. "Alright, give it here." He grabbed the berry from her outstretched paw and tossed it into his mouth, grinding it up. Right then and there he felt a powerful burst of energy pulse through his body, specifically his left arm. He stared at it for a while, flexing it like it was never hurt at all. Gloria giggled and closed the bag, pushing it over toward him. "This should be the last floor. Buneary is most likely up ahead as well." He looked at her from his position with a smile, grabbing the saddlebag. "Then lead the way."
As they exited the final staircase, they found themselves in a silent area. A cracked stone brick pathway covered with greenery led to another structure. A fountain that still poured water out of its numerous holes. In the middle of the room, a Buneary wandered around aimlessly, pushing over pieces of rock and pressing down on brick slabs. Liam and Gloria shared a look before interrupting the bunny. "Buneary! Stop running off, we need to take you back home!" Gloria yelled as the both of them started to close in. Buneary stopped what she was doing and backed up, shocked that they were back. "W-why did y''all follow me again! I told you that I was fine, remember?" "But your mother issued this request! Don''t you respect her wishes?" Gloria retorted. The Buneary tightened her hold on her saddlebag. "I''m doing this for her." "What could you be doing that is for her benefit?" Buneary let out a deep breath. "Do you remember what you said to us all in the orphanage, all that time ago?" A look of shock came on Gloria''s face as she collected her thoughts of when that happened. "... No," She responded, ashamed. "I remember. You told me that your brother had made a promise to you, and that you had made a promise as well." Through the silence, Buneary continued. "You... said that you promised to keep moving forward, despite the hardships that you and everyone in the orphanage had suffered. That you dreamt of getting into the guild. While I was so little at the time, those words struck me deeply. I promised to my mom that I would also join the guild." She smiled. "I snuck out of the orphanage all the time to explore the Sunshine Forest. In a way¡­ I wanted to be just like you," she finished wistfully. A wave of silence ushered throughout the room. Gloria grit her teeth. She wanted to say yes, that they were one of the same. But a part of her told herself that they were not. She had forgotten she said those words, the ones that inspired this young explorer. She did not know how to respond. Thankfully, Liam would soon save her. "If you truly mean all of that, then why are you here, in this dungeon." Buneary addressed this, "Well, the rumor goes that there''s an entrance to a hidden dungeon that leads to ancient treasure. In this room. Right here." She pointed a paw toward the many stone panels that littered the floor and walls. Various faded images were engraved onto each one. "I think the entrance lies in one of those panels activating." She flashed a confident grin. Gloria, snapping out of her thoughts replied. "If we search for a while, can you please then come back to your mother?" she almost pleaded. Buneary placed her paws on her hip. "Of course!" The three of them spent an agonizing amount of time individually pressing each panel. It was some sort of puzzle, they thought. While Liam and Gloria were already getting tired of mindlessly pushing panels, Buneary didn''t seem to mind as she pushed on each one with a fiery determination. Liam could feel his eyes drooping, sleep almost overcoming him at this point due to boredom. Until he noticed one of the next panel''s images. It was the same faded image of a spindly quadruped he saw from the gate outside. He pressed the panel with that image. A rumbling shook the room, scaring Gloria and Buneary out of their repetitive task. Near the front of the broken fountain, the stone brick flooring slid open, revealing a staircase. Buneary turned around and looked on in amazement as she hopped up and down, over and over again, practically becoming a blur. "I knew it! I knew it! I KNEW IT!" "Calm down, we don''t know if it''s a trap or anything," Liam spoke, trying to calm down the hyper bunny. She did not listen as she laughed and ran past the stunned pair. "Come on! I know you want to see it, too!" The Buneary gleefully said, hopping down the stairwell and disappearing from their view, not a single word was heard from the hyperactive bunny. Liam and Gloria exchanged looks, before hesitantly heading over to the stairwell Buneary vanished into. What greeted them was a black void, a symbol of a Mystery Dungeon entrance. "Wow... The rumor was correct, and this is an actual dungeon entrance," Gloria said, a bit dumbfounded. Liam peered into the darkness before placing a paw on Gloria''s side, getting her attention. "We should probably head on in, Buneary could get hurt, or lost." She let out a sigh, and a quick nod from the both of them sealed their resolve. They took their steps down the stairs, into the dungeon that no one had seen before. Sunshine Grove Lost Chamber BF 1 It did not take long for them to find the spunky Buneary, already fending off a Linoone by herself. Before the enemy Pok¨¦mon could lash its claws at her, she tucked her head close to her chest and pointed her ears toward her target. Buneary''s folded ear then sprang up, slamming straight into the chest of the unsuspecting Linoone. Gloria rushed in to quickly deter a hovering Starly as it homed in on the recovering Buneary. With an icy exhale of Powder Snow, the Starly was no match to the Ice-type''s unmatched skill in freezing. The Starly''s snow-coated body fell down to the ground with a burst of orange light. "Buneary! Don''t forget about us! We didn''t take this job for nothing!" Gloria exclaimed with a forceful breath. The Buneary chuckled as she ran down an opposite mossy corridor, further into the depths of the dungeon. "If ya can keep up with me, sure! Besides... aren''t y''all part of the guild?" "Well, we''re no-" The Vulpix couldn''t explain further, biting her lip. However, it was not like Buneary would hear, with the bunny speeding off further into the dungeon. Sunshine Grove Lost Chamber BF 4 Floor after floor they descended deeper into the dungeon, the opposition seemingly growing. But so did their ferocity in dealing with those threats. A Raticate lunged at the trio with outstretched claws, looking to shred them apart. Liam slammed it in the face with a Force Palm before it could, then quickly followed up with a Quick Attack barrage to disorientate it as it fell to the ground, turning to orange ashes. Buneary rapidly hopped up and down, kicking a Poochyena multiple times with her own Double Kick, the mangey dog-like Pok¨¦mon tried to bite the bunny with its jaws, only getting jabs in return. Gloria hurled shard after shard of ice crystals at flying bird Pok¨¦mon. It proved effective each time as they nosedived toward the earth into their glowing fate. They knew they were getting closer, and closer to what lie ahead. Liam was tense, ready for anything to happen their way. Gloria was a bit clammy, her nerves wrecked with entering a dungeon no one had explored yet. Buneary was all smiles. though, as they entered what appeared to be the final section of the Mystery Dungeon. The final staircase they took led them to a large, chamber-like room entirely carved into the ground. Smooth walls adorned by characters and images untouched by the elements stood without a single scratch on them. Wallflowers were found blooming all over the earth, like a mini meadow of white. An unnatural light seemed to bathe the room in an enchanting green and blue calming glow. It appeared that this was their destination, the end of the dungeon. To Liam, this view was worthy of being a reward in itself. In the center of the room, however, was the biggest treasure of all, which sat on a plaque. Buneary stepped forward and gazed at it, mesmerized. It was an orange-gold colored necklace. In the middle of it was an encrusted gem, tiny antler-like metal sprouting from it. She picked it up gently, examining it, noticing a text was written on the plaque. ''For X.'' The rest was too faded to read. She clutched it into her paw and she turned to face the two bedazzled Pok¨¦mon. "Do you think my ma will forgive me if I give this to her?"
The sun held high in the sky, the drizzle and grey clouds from earlier now gone. Only puddles of leftover rainwater remained, quickly being evaporated by the sun''s heavenly rays. Gloria, Liam, and Buneary entered the city, exhausted after the fighting and exploring they had gone through. They decided they would drop off Buneary, finish the job, and head straight home for much-needed rest. The two girls guided Liam through the market, past the maze of restaurants and diners, and into the view of a big brown building. The ears of a Lopunny sprouted out of its sides, Liam noting it a staple of a Pok¨¦mon designed building. "It''s been so long since I''ve come here..." Gloria reminisced, taking in the sight of the familiar building. Buneary stepped forward closer to the entrance, the necklace still in her grip. "Mom! Are you in there?" Not long after, the sound of a scuffle inside was heard as the door swung wide open, revealing the figure of a distressed Lopunny. "B-Buneary? You''re back?" She soon swiftly stumbled forward and held the Buneary in a deathly hug. Buneary grunted from the lack of air. "Y-yeah, those two helped me." She pointed a paw toward Liam and Gloria, hoping she''ll be spared from her mother''s affection. Lopunny broke through her moment as she looked at the two Pok¨¦mon behind Buneary. "Oh! Gloria!" She quickly hopped over and also enveloped the astonished Vulpix in the same tight hug. "H-hello, Mrs. Lop-punny! Please... I can''t... breathe," Gloria raggedly squeaked out. At this moment, Liam was glad he was always on the sidelines when these sorts of things happened. That quickly faded away when he too was rushed by the emotional mother, who wrapped him up into a bone-crushing grasp. "And what''s your name, darling?" Lopunny stopped her assault to rack her brain until she squeezed him tighter with glee. "It''s Liam!" she happily proclaimed. The Riolu in question could almost feel his bones snapping but prevented any sound of pain from escaping him. "Yup, that''s... me, all right." The grip tightened, much to his chagrin. Lopunny swung him around in her murderous grip. "Thank you, thank you, thank you¡­" Liam tuned out her voice more and more as he enjoyed his ''hug''. ''So maybe this is what Roark said about being a guild member¡­''
Just like you, a soul that desires any ounce of heroism or glory that crosses her path.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: History Lesson History Lesson Chapter 4 History Lesson After everything was all said and done, they bid the loving mother and her daughter farewell. Lopunny and Buneary returned to the orphanage to the cacophony of the smaller Pok¨¦mon inside of it. They jumped around and patted the sides of the two bunny Pok¨¦mon as they made their way in. The two took a much-needed sigh of relief, stretching their backs to release any tension brought by Lopunny. After checking for any ''injuries'', Liam tightly closed a flap that was bulging open in the saddle bag he was carrying. When the many thanks and hugs of the Lopunny stopped, she handed over the one-thousand Pok¨¦ as promised in the job request. Gloria initially refused, stating her personal involvement along with taking a guild member''s request. Liam was indifferent to it; he thought they should at least be compensated for a request. However, he was fine with just seeing Lopunny this happy. The motherly bunny insisted, shoving a sack of gold coin-like objects their way. After this ordeal was sorted, they were back on the road home. Liam was staring at the orange sunset in thought as it cascaded an orange hue and glow around the city. Just like yesterday. ''Nothing new, but we''ve made at least one step towards progress,'' he thought, trying not to stumble in his steps as he became entranced with the skyline. The purple of the night sky creeped in, blending with the warm sunset. Unbeknownst to him, a conflicted Gloria would speak as they walked. "Look, I know¡­" She huffed. "We''re not friends yet... maybe." She shook her head. "But I just wanted to confide with someone, someone that''s not Roark." "Is this about Buneary? Or something Roark said?" Liam took a shot in the dark. They hopped down each step of a staircase, sticking to the railing and continuing their walk. "Um, the first one. I... I don''t think I can- I forgot." She hesitated a moment. "She got me all wrong, I''m not-" Gloria inhaled, growling as an unexpected outburst came out. "I''m not who she says I am!" The Vulpix realized what she said, quickly placing a paw in her mouth - Both of them stopped in their tracks. "Who cares?" Liam asked, shrugging. Gloria did a double take. "Huh?" "You influenced her, right? To follow her dreams?" He waved a paw. "Doesn''t matter to me if someone lied or forgot about what they said. If they helped me get where I got today, why does it matter? Trust me, having amnesia makes you realize how important it is to think about the now, not the past." Gloria held a paw to her chest. "I just don''t feel good knowing that... that I''m some fraud." "Aren''t you going through it now? The both of you?" He scratched an ear. "I don''t know Roark that much, but I think he''d tell you the same, right? That means you''ve still got something to prove!" He never quite found himself to be a motivational speaker, his words shocking him as much as the Vulpix. "But... I''m not sure if I can go through-" "Just forget about it, okay?" He did not want to seem rude but also did not want to see her continue to beat herself up again. She never gave a response back, most likely still thinking it over. Liam decided to keep walking, Gloria reluctant to follow. "Besides, didn''t you say you''d take me to the library?" he questioned, changing the subject. He was curious to learn more about ''Celestic'' instead of just Empyrean City. A coy smile grew on Gloria''s face, her previous feelings fleeting. "Yeah... I did." She looked at him as he stopped to meet her gaze also. "We can go tomorrow - there''s a lot you need to know!" Her tails began to wag slightly, pleasing Liam. "Yeah? Tell me all about it then." They chatted relentlessly on the way home, through winding alleys, busy markets, and streets, until they finally arrived at their destination. Liam placed three hard knocks on the wooden door to Gloria''s home, anticipating any movement behind it. Muffled voices beyond the door voiced their surprise until steps towards the door could be heard. The door swung open as the visage of Roark appeared, a wicked grin forming on his muzzle. "Hey, Look who''s back! Tell me, is it good news?" He placed a claw on his hip, awaiting their reply. Liam smiled. "Yeah, we-" He stopped himself as he nudged Gloria with a paw. "Here, you tell him." She gulped a bit, being put into the spotlight. "Buneary is safe; we finished the job," she said softly. Roark''s grin turned into a full-blown smile as he laughed. "Hey, Monferno! You''re gonna get a kick out of this!" The aforementioned Monferno was hunched over the table, playing cards in his grasp from his previous match with the Zoroark. He placed them down and picked up a nearby cup of coffee, engaging the three of them with a smug grin. "The newbies are back, I see. How many times did you loop around the first floor?" Liam moved past Roark, into the home, and toward the mocking primate as Gloria followed. "We made it through the entire dungeon." Monferno snorted. "Okay, still, finding Buneary is the objective. Pok¨¦mon have explored the Sunshine Grove over and over." "And we found Buneary¡­" Another snort came from Monferno. "Great! It was an easy job. I expected more face-planting and friendly fire, but I still don''t think the Guildmaster would care so much." He took a long drink of his coffee. "And we found a secret dungeon, along with an undiscovered treasure." "PFFT-" Coffee spilt from Monferno''s lips. ''That felt good,'' the Riolu thought. Monferno began hacking up the liquid back into his cup. "What? How did you two... You''re lying," he stammered, eyeing the duo. A ring of laughter came from the entrance soon after as Roark strode up to the bewildered Pokemon. "Oh, Mony, now you''re going to have to report it to the Guildmaster. What do you think he''d say about a team discovering secret dungeons? You know he''ll get that look in his eye..." "How would you even prove to me that those two found something within that dungeon?" "Ask Mrs. Lopunny. She''s got a pretty new necklace now," Liam teased - it was too much fun. Monferno wiped his face with a sigh. "Fine. I''ll report it to the Guildmaster like I said." Roark clasped his claws together. "Splendid. Now, don''t go about forgetting our deal, okay?" Liam raised a brow. ''Deal?'' "Okay, Roark, but don''t worry, I don''t forget, I''m not old," he said, shooting a grin the Zoroark''s way as he placed the almost empty mug on the table and stood up. "So... Gloria and Riolu-" "Liam," the Riolu corrected, his irritated gaze piercing through the Monferno. "Whatever you say, Mr Personality." Monferno stepped towards the door, stretching any loose muscles in both arms. "Braixen left earlier to check on her patients. I''m heading back now, so today or tomorrow the Guildmaster will be notified." He gave one final look at the pair. "Don''t get your hopes up; the Guildmaster can be very selective." With the click of the handle, the door flew open as Monferno made his exit into the setting sun. Roark swiftly closed the door and placed his back on it, his arms crossed behind him. "Since it''s becoming late, how about we have a little dinner to celebrate your success? I think I can remember one recipe from my days at the Rescue Society!"
Light spilled from the windows of the home, straight into the sunken lids of Liam''s eyes. He stirred in his sleep, clutching his blanket, trying to escape the wrath of the bright daylight. However, he could not fight it any longer as his eyelids cracked open, revealing his tired red orbs to the world. It was morning, and after everything from the previous day had settled, he and Gloria collapsed into sleep from exhaustion. With his limbs also reawakening from their slumber, he pulled the small blanket off of him, positioning himself upright on the couch. It appeared today he did not dream of ''that place'' as he began to call it. The fields of rolling grass and distant mountains. He was somewhat disappointed, but he did not know quite why. That part of him wanted to return there, to explore it, and take it all in again - the experience. Not wanting to dote on it, he placed a paw on his stomach and squinted at the memory of last night''s unfortunate dinner. ''Cooking is not really Roark''s strong suit.'' He nursed his stomach a bit as he surveyed around, his ears perking up as he registered a sound of a door turning across the hall - Gloria''s room. The door swung open gently as the white Vulpix stepped out, putting a paw over her mouth as she yawned into it, her tiny fangs poking out. Liam noticed she had her cream-colored saddlebag wrapped around her neck, laying across her side. The Vulpix''s gaze wandered until she caught Liam''s stare, to which he blinked in response. "Hey," she said coyly. "Hey." "..." The brief silence that followed was cut short as she stepped into the living room. "Roark must have left for the guild not long ago... seeing how quiet it is here," Gloria mused, fiddling with her saddlebag. "Are we still doing it?" Liam asked. A smile found its way onto Gloria''s face. "Yeah, but I forgot we needed to take you to the archives first and see if you have any relatives." That sent a wave of thought through Liam; he didn''t wonder a lot about who his family and friends were, if he had any at all. As odd as it was, he felt more alien than Pok¨¦mon, and not just from the amnesia. Liam planted his hind paws on the carpet as he stood up, stretching. "And right after, the library, correct?" Some excitement flashed on Gloria''s face. "Yup! Everything about the Celestic Continent and even the entire world is displayed there! If you''re accepted into the guild, you obviously need to know about the world." "Then let''s get prepared," he said.
The trip to the Empyrean Archives was largely uneventful and disappointing. They stepped down the massive white marble stairs of the building, stopping at the bottom where great columns supported the large structure. Gloria huffed. "I can''t believe it... You''re a total ghost." Once they were in there, they combed through the written files of Riolu and Lucario, Liam''s evolution. Other than data on a ''Shiny'' Lucario entering the city long ago, everything was a dead end with next to no Riolu or Lucario having a connection, especially with a name like Liam attached to it. Liam could not say he was too disappointed - he might''ve been if he could remember anything. Nonetheless, it still brought up more questions than answers. "Are you so sure that this goes for all of Riolu and Lucario in the region?" "The archives get information from almost all over Celestic. I don''t think it would exclude all population centers." The Riolu tapped his chin with a paw. "If that''s true, then I have nothing to my name, right?" Like she said, he was a ghost, practically nonexistent, but now a new Pok¨¦mon so to speak. "Um, true, but think about it like this - you have no hang-ups about joining the guild, correct?" she gave a hopeful reminder. Sighing, he leaned on one of the nearby pillars. "Yeah... I guess you''re right." He wanted to add that he might have had no choice but kept that to himself. This was something he wanted to do, not out of need. Answers of his past would come in due time, he hoped, possibly through exploring this alien world to him and finding pieces of what kind of Pok¨¦mon he truly was. Gloria smiled. "Great! Now, we can go to the library!" she buzzed with excitement "Lead the way then."
The path they took to the library took Liam for a spin. Here the buildings seemed much older than the previous ones he''s encountered. Wooden buildings with creaky lumber supports replaced the cement and marble-made ones. "And here we are!" The Riolu snapped to attention, his mouth widening once he stared at what was in front of him. It was a large building, larger than the archives and possibly the largest he''d seen since the odd black tower. Old planks of wood seemed to hold the structure carefully, with little cracks or splinters visible. Tiny windows dotted the large exterior, of overgrowth everywhere as moss, vines, and other greenery concealed the wood near the bottom of the building. However, the mess of tangled flora transitioned into bundles of blooming flowers near the entrance. "Amazing, isn''t it?" Gloria questioned. Liam slowly nodded, taking in its size. "And you''re saying this holds all the information of the world here?" "For the most part. It''s the largest library in Celestic, maybe the entire world. And it''s been here since Empyrean was founded." She smiled. "I''ve been here a lot, almost every week! There''s nonfiction, fiction, history, plays, journals from famous Pok¨¦mon, and so much other stuff!" He laughed at her giddiness. "I won''t stall you any longer, then." Entering through the large double doors, Liam was shocked at its appearance. He expected narrow rows of bookshelves with dust and grime covering them. He even instinctively tried to plug his nose of the incoming scent of old books and earth. But what greeted him was a vast open space that stretched the entire building. Bookshelves so high they reached the ceiling were neatly lined up against the walls of the room, with nearby ladders and stepladders for any Pok¨¦mon to grab what they needed. Natural lighting came from the cracks of the many windows, with hanging chandeliers most of the chamber lit, creating an orange glow from its burning wicks. In the middle of the room was a large intricate circular staircase. It spiraled all the way through the ceiling to an upper level, but also drove into the floor, opening a basement level. Wooden pillars were built into the flooring and stretched to the ceiling, balancing out the large interior. Despite it being a library, it was also fairly loud, mostly due to the open nature of the room''s reverberating sound, and how many Pok¨¦mon seemed to be present. Liam relaxed more seeing this, finding how much he preferred open and clear spaces rather than confined ones. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "It''s nice, right?" he heard Gloria say. "Yeah. Better than some stuffy place I thought you were taking me," answered back. Gloria giggled, "We can come back here later." She lifted her head, looking towards the stairs. "On the top floor is where information of Celestic is found, mostly for Empyrean tourists." He gave a brief nod in return as they walked towards the spiral staircase. They glided along the smooth railing, climbing up until they reached the top. Reaching the final floor, walls were erected splitting off into sections with wide entrances. It was much dimmer, as no windows nor grand chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Gloria hopped up from the steps and took a gander around the room. "Hmmm, I think it''s¡­" Her gaze wandered until her eye caught an entrance from across the room. "Right there, come on, Liam!" The both of them took off towards this section of the room, a gold plate displayed beside its entrance - ''Celestic''. When Liam entered this new area, a new feeling washed over him. He felt serene. The constant whispers of noise and voices seemed to halt in here. Replaced by a quiet shuffling of leaves, and the quiet creaks of wood beneath them. Just like before, books lined the walls neatly, teeming with knowledge over the ages of Celestic''s existence. Above them were richly detailed paintings of Pok¨¦mon of all kinds. Liam did not know what Pok¨¦mon they were, or who they were. Still, he knew they must''ve carried some importance to be seen so proudly. Multicolored flags of possibly different groups hung from the walls, showcasing the identities that many Pok¨¦mon wear proudly, or wore proudly in the past. "Come here, there''s a big map of the whole continent that you can see." Gloria trotted across the room to the west end. He slowly followed her, still analyzing everything in the room as he came upon what she wanted to show him - his eyes widened. Across the wooden walls was indeed a map, a very large and tattered one. It depicted a large piece of land surrounded by a body of water, with a smaller island to the south. From the coloration of the map, Liam could see distinct ''zones'' in the larger land mass. Aside from the colored sections, there were scribbles of icons representing mountain ranges, plains, caves, and lakes etched on all the different regions on the map. Gloria cleared her throat, interrupting Liam''s staredown with the map. "This is the Celestic Continent. It''s in the middle of the world, and there are five major regions within the continent and its surroundings." She walked in front of Liam and used her paw to point at the bottom left portion of the map. "This is the Meadow Region, the region we''re in right now." She moved her paw further to the region''s middle. "Empyrean City is smack-dab in the middle of it." She moved to the top left. "This is the Grit Region. It''s known for its arid temperature, plains of sand, and the occasional oasis. But that''s not all it offers from what I''ve read about it." She moved to the top right. "The Frost Region... it''s pretty much a bunch of snow and not much else." She moved her paw further north. "Um, a lot of my kind come here, from the Glacier Peak Mountains." She moved to the bottom right. "Right here is the Mountain Region, and as you guessed, it''s full of mountain ranges, ravines, volcanoes, and more rugged terrain. Dragon-type Pok¨¦mon seem to like it, though." Liam almost paled at what she said. ''Dragon Pok¨¦mon exist?'' He did not want to think that giant fire-breathing beasts existed, but anything seemed possible in a world like this. Gloria dragged her paw off the mainland and towards the southern island. "And right here is the Shore Region - it''s cut off from the continent, but is still included into Celestic. It''s a pretty big tourist hub, and Pok¨¦mon usually go here to Empyrean or off to the Shore Region. It''s a very pretty island, with tame beaches, thriving jungles, and friendly locals." Liam scratched his chin in thought. ''Well, awfully convenient to have almost all types of elements here.'' His thoughts trailed off as he noticed Gloria didn''t mention what was in the middle of the mainland. He couldn''t quite pinpoint what it was based on color, but the symbols of mountains, cliffs, and ravines gave him a clue. "What is that region in the middle?" She gasped. "I forgot to tell you about Celestial Mountain!" "And what exactly is it? A giant mountain?" "Sort of - it''s a collection of mountain ranges that form the tallest mountain in the world! And it''s not just that - there are theories about the start of this world''s creation stemming from Celestial Mountain!" Liam blinked, raising his paws in defense. "Woah, slow down... world''s creation? How would you prove something like that?" "Uh," she mumbled, looking around the room. "I remember reading something about this, in this room here." She scrambled to the bookshelves on the wall, scanning each book carefully. She flipped a few out of their idleness before shaking her head and putting them back. Not long after the fox''s search, her ears perked up as she tore off a book from the shelf with her teeth. "Thhmis is thwe one, riwght here!" Gloria cried through a full mouth, walking back. She sat down on her hindquarters and placed the book down, popping it open and flipping pages. Her eyes rhythmically analyzed each page, until she stopped at one page in particular. "Here''s a good summary," she said, clearing her throat again. Liam leaned further in, eager to hear about the so-called foundation of creation. She read off of the book like a script. "''And from scattered light, debris, and glowing orange lines, the thousand arms of Arceus molded a celestial peak, piercing the heavens. From this mountain of gods, the lands below formed into Arceus'' perfect world - a paradise.''" "That''s very strange. I never thought a world could just be formed unnaturally by a Pok¨¦mon," Liam mused. Gloria continued, flipping through the pages like a madman. "There''s more, though! Even the Mystery Dungeons have a connection." Now Liam was more curious - possibly some clue towards those bizarre areas of this reality. She continued flipping until she found the right page, stopping to speak again. "This is from research by various independent explorers and guilds over the years. ''While Celestic has the most Mystery Dungeons out of all other continents, Celestial Mountain has the biggest allocation of them within Celestic, and the world,''" she finished, closing the book shut with a paw. "What do you think?" Liam in his mind slowly tried fitting together the pieces of the puzzle given to him. With as mysterious as the dungeons were, along with the theories of creation at Celestial Mountain, he couldn''t quite give an accurate answer. "Maybe the foundation of the world and the Mystery Dungeons are connected? If the two are closely connected as theorized," he took a shot in the dark. Gloria clapped her paws together, "Exactly my thoughts! Um, the guild near Empyrean City was specifically made for researching the Mystery Dungeons. And... I''ve always wondered if the dungeons could''ve been taken out of the equation to better everyone''s lives. But Pokemon don''t really think about them much." Liam pondered what she said for a while, before popping a question. "Is that what you want? To better Pokemon''s lives?" Gloria was thrown off by the personal question. "I... I do want to make the world a better place for Pok¨¦mon to live." She rubbed a paw on the wood floor. "I''ve always wanted to be... y''know, a hero! And one day, when the world showed that it could be so cruel, I was told to keep going." She formed a nervous smile. "I know, I know... it sounds cheesy when I think about it now, but... I want to give back and show the kindness I was given. Joining the guild lets you help Pok¨¦mon in need as Roark does. I feel like that''s what stuck out to me at most - the feeling of being a hero to some Pok¨¦mon. But that feeling of worry always prevents me from¡­" She trailed off until she noticed the massive rambling she gave and started to fidget. "S-Sorry! I didn''t want to be too sappy. Roark says I do that a lot." Liam didn''t agree with that thought. She had already proven herself to him that much. "Don''t worry, I didn''t mind. I think that''s pretty noble, wanting to help Pok¨¦mon. Besides, what we pulled off yesterday tells me you know what to do, more so than I. So... don''t sell yourself short." An embarrassed blush appeared on the Vulpix''s face. "Well, what''s your reason for joining the guild? You know you don''t have to follow Roark''s suggestions." Liam sighed in thought. He could really give two answers to that question. Firstly, he was a nobody with nothing to his name, meaning he needed some place to be. Secondly, he had a burning curiosity about the guild. While he was not too keen on just being a savior to some Pok¨¦mon like Lopunny, he still was moved by it, and wanted more. His true desire came forward with the exploration they would undergo. And while the Sunshine Grove wasn''t an unknown location by any measure, it still held a hidden secret only discovered by them. After that, his thoughts began to wander about the countless other possibilities found through Mystery Dungeons. What they could do, what they led to. His heart would race as fast as his mind when he thought about it. ''And then¡­ the possibility of learning about my past life.'' He wanted to take a gamble in seeing if he could find answers in his travels. After collecting his thoughts, he spoke, placing a paw over his heart. "I want to explore Celestic, learn about the Mystery Dungeons, and maybe find out who I am, or was." Gloria smiled. "Then we both have things we want to achieve. Think we could ever do both... together?" He smiled, "Yeah! You and Roark have helped me, and still are helping me accustom to this... strange world. I''m still learning, and I want to keep doing that. So, I want you to help me along the way, as I help you." Before she could respond, he interjected. "And speaking of learning, in the book about Celestial Mountain, you mentioned an ''Arceus''. Is, uh, that a Pok¨¦mon? Or some sort of alien?" Gloria blinked, giggling. "Arceus? We''re gonna be here a while." She jumped to her paws and walked back to the bookshelves. They had spent hours combing over various books on the fabled Arceus and the Legendaries. Liam would soon get tired of endless knowledge and make an attempt to leave, much to Gloria''s dismay. However, they did not leave the library just yet, as Gloria told Liam she noticed him staring down a lot of Pok¨¦mon through the city, so she suggested they''d pick up a book on all the different kinds of Pok¨¦mon for him to study. After exiting the library with the book in question, she told him of a spot in the city where she always went to read, free from the noise of the library. Where she led him was a square where a large fountain was erected in the middle. From the way Liam saw it, it was a blue seahorse-like Pok¨¦mon spewing glistening water from its mouth, pouring into an enclosed pond. Flat bench-like protrusions circled the fountain, allowing anyone to sit by the pond. Here, Liam and Gloria rested their aching paws. They sat in peace - Liam was Pok¨¦mon-watching, trying to catch the appearance of everyone that walked by, while Gloria was muzzle-deep in a book she had picked out while they were browsing. Around them, the appearance of a festival was beginning to take shape. Pok¨¦mon gathered around placing strings of bright colors that wrapped around the streets. Movement of larger wagons and shops had become more noticeable as well. They were not exactly in the festival grounds, but Liam could tell it was not long until the celebration reached the entire city. He looked up at the blue sky, searching for the black tower. He stared at it for a while. "Do you ever think we''ll see what it''s like inside?" A few moments passed until he noticed no response came from Gloria. The Riolu raised a brow, looking to his side where she should be reading. There he saw the unmistakable appearance of Gloria dozing off, her face almost smashing into the book. Chuckling, he carefully grabbed the book before she could start drooling over it. He flipped open the pouch of her saddlebag and threw it in. Before he closed it, his eye caught the book on all types of Pok¨¦mon they had gotten for him. He picked it up, right then and there deciding that now would be a good time to start learning. Under the shining sun and sparkling fountain waters, he flicked it open to the first page and began reading. ''Bulbasaur. The seed on its back is filled with nutrients. The seed grows steadily larger¡­''
Weavile smiled. It appeared the Pok¨¦mon she was just looking for at the nick of time, the client entering the correct establishment. She kept her kneeling position, her eyes still glued into her binoculars and watching the Pok¨¦mon sit at the correct table. "Hey, Bishy, I think our ''mon of the hour has finally arrived," she spoke, a snide and cynical voice coming out. Behind her, a figure of a Bisharp came into her peripherals. "How are you so sure that this is our ''mon? This isn''t the first time you screwed up," a cold and almost bored male voice mentioned. She laughed, tearing her gaze from her binoculars. "Have you seen any other Sceptile here recently? And this one decides to enter?" She rolled her eyes and tossed the binoculars to the Bisharp, who caught it, giving a glare towards the Weavile. "If you want to take your own look go ahead, all you''re gonna see is an empty seat and that hideous black building." Bisharp scoffed, reaching down and throwing the binoculars into a black saddlebag with an image of a light gray claw engraved onto it. "I trust your judgment, Weavs, and¡­" He paused for a second. "Hideous black building? I didn''t take you for one of those old timer ''mon''s now, right? Gonna start shaking your claws at some street kids?" Weavile ran a claw through her plume of red feathers as she smirked. "I ain''t old yet. Still, I think this city should get some actual taste for once." Bisharp ''tched'' in response. "Have you seen what home base looks like? It''s like a bunch of drunk Timburr built it." Weavile''s smirk widened. "Well good thing we''re always out so much. Out cute lackeys on the other hand¡­" She got up from her position, a dark gray cape attached to her fluttering in the warm wind, the same light gray claw imprinted on it. "You probably want to take the cape off. I doubt the guards or restaurant staff would be pleased seeing you walking around with it," Bisharp warned. She unhooked the cape, tossing it to Bisharp as he stuffed it into the same black saddlebag. "Then it''s a good thing Sceptile will know exactly who we are." Bisharp strapped the saddlebag around his shoulder. "Just remember, he''s one of the only members in recent years who have chosen to assist us. Especially the only one with close enough knowledge to our target." Weavile flexed a claw as she took a step above the concrete railing, looking down at the buildings, lights, and Pok¨¦mon below. "Let''s go then; we''re burning time." Through the rooftops, they hopped down the building''s roof as they made their undetected descent toward the ground. Once at ground level, they entered the establishment and shooed away an Audino waitress. It was relatively empty, seeing it was still daytime. However, the lighting of the restaurant was still moody and dim. Burning candles placed on windowsills glowed a yellow-orange against blood-red drapes. The clanging of glasses onto tables and the occasional chatter of guests filled the room. The two of them marched towards the booth they were looking for, finally coming into view with a sweating Sceptile that sat on the opposite end, nervously wringing its claws together before catching the stare from Weavile and Bisharp and stopping its motions entirely, going stiff. The three stared for a while, Weavile noticing the lack of a proper armband on the Pok¨¦mon before closing the distance. "I think you know who we are, so let''s cut to the chase." She went to sit across from the Sceptile, Bisharp doing the same. Soon, they were all seated and still staring each other down. "I... I wasn''t expecting the Razor Claws to send their only two captains," the Sceptile said. Weavile smiled. "We like to be active in our duties. Besides, I don''t think you bothered to entrap us, right?" She leaned in over the table. Sceptile rapidly shook his head. "No, no, no! I came here of my own volition - you promised me, correct?" Bisharp nodded. "Once you give us the specific details of the target, you can come under our protection for a while." Sceptile shifted in his seat, trying to get more comfortable. "Then I can trust you, right? You won''t throw me out once I tell you?" "We put our trust into you meeting us here, so return the favor please?" Weavile said, adopting a toothy grin. "Yes, everything will be fine. Tell us, and there won''t be any issue with relocating you out of the city and away from your comrades," Bisharp added. Sceptile gulped. "Fine, I''ll tell. But it''s not going to be so easy to reach him. They''re bringing him to a private theater." "A private theater, eh? How many strings did he or the Allfather pluck to get that to happen?" "I wouldn''t know. We were supposed to just go in as his bodyguards for a few hours, then we''d leave." A sneer appeared on Weavile''s face, "Oh? Another Grass-type? That wouldn''t be very wise with you there." The Sceptile tilted his head, about the inquiry further until Bisharp''s gauntlet stopped him. "Weavs, chill. Now, can you tell us the specific seating arrangement? Where he sits, what guards are next to him." "He will be sitting in the front middle seat - reservations are placed on those chairs. The bodyguards may be in chairs next to him or around the room. I... I don''t exactly know. These were the orders I was given - to protect the ambassador from any crazy Pok¨¦mon, not a full-blown attack," Sceptile admitted, only to realize something. "By the Allmother, you''re... not going to kill him, correct?" Before anyone could respond, the same Audino waitress came around with an assortment of ice water, placing it around the table before leaving. A bead of sweat traveled across Sceptile''s face as a grinning Weavile stared at him, twirling her cup''s straw in circles with a claw. "Killing him isn''t part of the plan. That''s just the afterthought if he becomes a little... too crispy," she teased, shooting Sceptile another amused look. "What Weavile means is we''re not here to kill him, only to send a message - a very clear one to the Allfather," Bisharp stated. "To send a message? You''re mercenaries - what would you want? Money? Infamy?" Weavile chortled. "Oh, trust me, money isn''t an issue at all I''m afraid. A client who''ll stay anonymous handles almost all our payments just fine." "Then... what?" Sceptile questioned. "Well, that''s¡­" Weavile stopped to share a look with Bisharp. "A little secret between me and Bishy. But we''re looking for someone, a very special Pok¨¦mon from your side." Sceptile scoffed. "You''re going to risk getting innocent Pok¨¦mon getting hurt, maybe worse... and ruining the whole premiere just to send a message?" A chorus of rattling claws on a cloth table was heard as Weavile rested her head on a free claw. "We may be mercenaries, but we don''t target random Pok¨¦mon all the time. Unless they intervene. Once we make our message clear, we''re out." Sceptile thought for a moment, ultimately sighing. "Fine, like I said - middle of the top row. He''d want to see it front and center, prime for whatever you wish to unleash onto him. But tell me, how are you going to send a message? This will be seen as some random unprovoked attack!" Weavile clacked her claws against the glass of water. "That''s where you also come in. You''re going to tell the Allfather exactly who attacked." Sceptile''s eyes widened. "Are you mad?! The Allfather will be furious! He will no doubt try tracking you two down." "He may be furious, but he''s going to reason in time. And that''s exactly what we want him to do," Bisharp interjected. "Once the heat dies down, you''ll tell the Allfather you were captured by us, but escaped," Weavile added with a smirk. "... All right, but when can I expect a pickup? The festival is starting tomorrow, and the premiere is just two days from now. They''ll know I''m gone and start looking for me." Weavile and Bisharp shared a look before sliding across the booth, both standing up. "We''ll send one of our ''mon''s here very soon to pick you up. Remember, you''re our guy on the inside for now. If the Allfather found out, he''d have your job, or worse," Weavile remarked, making a mock slashing motion over her throat with a claw. Sceptile gulped. The two mercenaries bid the Pok¨¦mon farewell and left the restaurant. As soon they were outside and out of earshot of any passerby Pok¨¦mon, Weavile stopped, a peal of almost maniacal laughter beginning to bubble out of her as she laughed to the heavens. "Arceus, Weav''s, mind toning down the crazy? I don''t want Pok¨¦mon to hear," Bisharp bemoaned, checking his surroundings for onlookers. Once her laughter faded, she waved a claw toward him. "Why shouldn''t I be happy? Shouldn''t you? We''re finally making progress towards making a dent in them." "Your personal matters are noted, but don''t let them consume you. Keep your craziness on our enemies." "I know you want to know what they know, Bisharp. The guild around here does, everyone does. However, we''re going to be the ones to crack it. But I need to settle this... for them." She raised a claw in front of her and tightened it. Pure malice enveloped her features as her claws almost dug into her paw. "These bastards are going to pay for what they did to me, to them, and everyone else on this continent." Bisharp huffed, stepping forward and placing a gauntlet on her shoulder. "Then what''s your plan? We''re going to need to think outside the box." She smiled sinisterly, "Send a ''mon to pick up our dear friend Sceptile. Then get Magmortar; he''s got a show to attend, and a match to light."
This premiere... will end up in flames!
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: All Fun And Games All Fun And Games Chapter 5 All Fun And Games "And then he fell into a Pitfall Trap!" Roark finished abruptly as he slammed his mug back onto the table, roaring with laughter. Gloria started to giggle, but that soon turned into full-blown laughter as the entirety of Roark''s story sink in. A tired Liam, on the other hand, just seemed confused thinking it over. "How would you even get out of a pitfall in a Mystery Dungeon?" Liam asked. Roark waved a claw. "Well, let''s say you aren''t issued rope at the guild for nothing." The previous day of surveying the archives and libraries had taken a toll on the two Pok¨¦mon, mostly Gloria. After their last stop at a quiet fountain plaza, the sun began to set across the city, signaling the end of their ventures. Liam, being the only one awake, scooped up the napping Vulpix and headed off home. To which he would hand off her to the recently arrived and amused Roark. She was quite heavy. Although, he would never tell that straight to her face. Afterward, he stayed up the majority of the night still muzzle-deep in the book about all the Pok¨¦mon in the world. The average word-heavy novel wouldn''t suffice his appetite for knowledge, but the descriptions of certain Pok¨¦mon fascinated him to no end. Goliaths of rock and steel, fire-breathing beasts, and even sentient piles of grime. The Riolu would admit, accompanied by some shame, that he had lost a lot of sleep that night. Now, in the morning of a new day, they were sitting and eating breakfast, listening to another one of Roark''s tales of the guild. Liam was still blinking away remnants of a bad night''s rest. "Anyway, I-" A rapid series of knocks on the front door cut through Roark''s story as a muffled yet familiar surly voice came from outside. "Roark! Open up, the guild''s got some news." Roark''s open mouth transformed into a grin as he ejected himself from his seat. He spared a look towards the two Pok¨¦mon still seating, who were looking at him in anticipation. Gloria''s eyes shrunk a little as she bit her lip, a nervous sweat almost beginning to form around her brow. Liam would blink away any notion of sleep in him as he heard those words. ''The guild is here to determine if we enter or not?'' A bit of excitement crept into him as his heart started to thump slowly into his chest. If he was correct in his assumption, then this would decide if they would get in or not. He gulped, trying to alleviate any worry forming in him. ''We totally got this then. I know it.'' "Moment of truth, eh?" Roark suddenly asked them. They both gave quick nods, the Zoroark snorting and walking towards the door before any more knocks could come out of it. The door swung open to reveal a rather bored Monferno, who took the opportunity to lean on the now vacant door frame. Liam noticed in one of his hands an envelope in a curiously cosmic-themed layer. That same thump in his heart began to beat and beat. Monferno raised a free hand over his mouth as he yawned into it. "Well, the Guildmaster has made his decision," he said, a bit more monotone than usual. Liam hopped out of his chair after hearing that, making his way near the door. Gloria stayed seated, waiting for the dreaded words to come out of Monferno''s mouth - Roark''s came instead. "Well? Don''t leave us hanging then, ''Mony''." He emphasized this by pointing a red claw toward the dazzling envelope. Monferno grunted in response, handing over the envelope. "Just know the Guildmaster''s word is final, for now at least. I don''t want to be sent out as their errand boy any longer." Roark held the envelope in both claws, chuckling as he looked it over. "Ah, did the Guildmaster or Scizor find you a worthy position now?" A sharp laugh came from Monferno, breaking him out of his disinterested state, sending a playful glare Roark''s way - who returned. "Yeah, yeah. Well, after I put in the report of what those two did, the Guildmaster wanted any new recruit requests out of the way. With no jobs for me or Braixen?" He gave a shrug. "I had to be the bearer of good or bad news." Roark scoffed. "Well, I hope Braix-" "Please!" A loud outburst from a rather soft voice at the table interrupted Roark and Monferno''s conversation. Gloria was stiff as a board as she realized all eyes were on her, quickly following up with another request. "... Sorry, but can you please just open it? The wait is killing me!" she squeaked. Liam was caught off guard when the envelope was shoved in front of him, waiting for him to take it. A quick glance upwards to the holder''s owner was a smiling Roark. "I would give the honors to Gloria, but she looks like she''s about to pass out any moment from the wait." He gave the envelope another enticing push the Riolu''s way. Liam hesitantly grabbed it, looking behind him towards the sweating and visibly nervous Vulpix, who offered him quick eager nods to continue - he gave one back. He slid his paw over the enveloped slits, taking each side and pulling it open. Peering inside was a medium-sized slip of paper, and at the bottom sat a few plastic-card-like objects. He chose to take the paper out first. It was colored a dark blue, similar to the background of the star-embezzled envelope. Sharp yellow handwriting was etched into the paper, giving it more officiality. Noticing everyone was waiting on him, he cleared his throat before reading straight from the top. "''This is the official new recruit list managed by the Guildmaster of the Cosmic Quilt Guild. The names listed below will be mentioned as either accepted or declined. It goes as follows:" His eyes shifted towards the bottom to read the names written. You could almost hear a pin drop in the home from the silence of the foreboding list. It was lost on a yawning Monferno, however, who already knew the names. "''Machop - Declined.''" "''Vullaby - Declined.''" "''Pinsir - Declined.''" "''Vigoroth - Declined.''" "''Rockruff - Accepted.''" "''Bagon - Declined.''" Liam wet his lips as he began to read the last few names, a seed of unusual doubt beginning to form in his stomach. "''Grotle - Declined.''" His breath in his throat hitched as his eyes glazed over the last two names - their names. The beat in his chest seemed to return as he began to read. "''Riolu (Liam) - Accepted.''" "''Vulpix (Gloria) - Accepted.''" A collective sigh of relief washed over Liam and Gloria, her more so. This calm moment was soon shattered by Roark''s outburst of celebration as he rose his claws into the air and clenched them shut. "YES!" In almost a blink of an eye, he was right behind a now bewildered Gloria as he latched his claws around her stomach and lifted her into the air, above his head. A surprised squeak came out of her as the now airborne Vulpix was at the whims of a positively giddy Zoroark. "You''re in the guild! You''re in the guild!" He thrust her up and down in the air, much to the dismay of Gloria. "Roark! Put me down!" she screeched in protest to the deaf ears of Roark, who continued his celebration chant. "Okay! Okay! I think I''m getting a bit dizzy!" she quickly added. The unusual outburst from Roark was being witnessed by a shocked Liam, mouth agape. Monfero shrugged. "I''m not sure why you''re so surprised, Roark. I could see this a mile away. What these two found was no laughing matter to the Guildmaster - seeing as how he was looking for exactly those types of Pok¨¦mon." Roark was still preoccupied with his mission to embarrass and shower Gloria in much praise as possible to hear the Pok¨¦mon''s words. "Please, Roark! Ahahah yo- ha! Tickling... me!" Gloria resisted his claws. There was no stoppage. "We haven''t finished your victory lap yet!" Roark proclaimed, attempting to make a circle around the living room, firmly holding the squirming Vulpix. Monferno turned towards Liam, who was still gaping at the sight before him, slightly entertained. He received a light fist into the shoulder from the primate Pok¨¦mon, knocking him out of his trance. "You should''ve seen the look of the Guildmaster when I told him what you two did, Mr. Personality. The moment he caught wind of your names, his eyes went so wide. I don''t think I''ve seen him that caught off guard. Even asked me if Roark was involved, which¡­" He turned to look at the vulpine duo again. "Obviously he was - anything for the little sister, I guess." Liam''s brow furrowed. "Wait, does the Guildmaster know Gloria? Or is he just close with Roark?" Monferno shrugged. "Roark says they met when they first entered Empyrean City. He''s been with the guild for a strong amount of years. However, they seem a bit¡­ I don''t know, cold to each other?" Liam found that pretty odd, for them to have roots in the past but still be so cold. ''Maybe Roark did something? The guy seems pretty harmless, though¡­'' he mused in his mind as Monferno snorted. "Bastard can be a bit irritating, but the Guildmaster can be pretty strange himself. Besides, I think maybe he was more freaked out by your name." "Is he not used to seeing a Pok¨¦mon with a name before? Or¡­" He trailed off as his thoughts resurfaced. ''Maybe, he recognizes me from somewhere?'' The thought sparked some curiosity within him, the need for answers. Monferno shrugged again. "I mean, yeah, that is a pretty weird thing around here. I wouldn''t worry about him giving you the cold shoulder too much, seeing how he and Scizor need Pok¨¦mon like you and Gloria." "Pok¨¦mon like me or Gloria?" "Pok¨¦mon that can find hidden things - new dungeons, new discoveries. Any ''mon can walk into a Mystery Dungeon and come out with the same experience. But it''s ''mons that can find things; things that lead to the guild''s goal." "The guild''s goal? Isn''t it just to rescue Pok¨¦mon and explore Mystery Dungeons?" A palm reached behind Monferno''s head as he scratched it. "Weeell, that may be the case for other guilds, but the Guildmaster founded his own guild for a reason, and I should leave that for him to tell you, considering he gave that long boring spiel to me a few years back." Liam soaked in this information. He never gave much thought to any greater purpose of the guild. He wanted to explore this world, find new discoveries, and see more amazing things like he had seen before. Gloria seemed a bit more noble in her pursuits, so he wondered if both of them could meet the same goal together. A palm from Monferno was then clamped on his shoulder. "Just don''t be an irritating asshole like Roark is; I don''t need a younger rival." Liam huffed, brushing the palm off his shoulder as a bit of snark traveled into his voice. "I don''t think you could be classified as my rival¡­ Mony." He added the dreaded nickname of Monferno near the end, who ''tched'' and ground his teeth. "I told Braixen not to call me that. Anyway¡­" His gaze wandered back to Roark and Gloria, who now were finishing their fourth victory lap around the living room. "ROARK!" Laughter bubbled out of the Zoroark as he carefully placed a flustered Gloria back onto the carpet, the Vulpix trying to regain her bearings. Roark strode over back to his original place near the door, facing Liam and Monferno. The Zoroark cleared his throat. "Ahem, sorry for the little display. I just needed to blow off some much-needed steam with the cutest little sister in the world over there." Monferno nodded. "Right, now¡­ I don''t forget deals, even if-" he sighed, -Even if I lose them¡­ They''re in the bag." A knowing smile crossed Roark''s features. "Thanks. Perchance will we see you today at the festival?" Liam blinked. ''I remember seeing the festival being prepared yesterday. They must''ve gotten it done fast.'' "Of course, I will be. First off, we helped build the damn thing. Second off¡­" Monferno scoffed, "There''s food there! Not the same stuff the guild feeds you. No offense to Leafeon, of course, " he quickly added, waving his hands, "Anyway, you should probably come back to the guild, Roark. I imagine the Guildmaster wants to have a word with you." Roark''s brow raised upon hearing that. "I hope you''re insinuating a good kind of word, seeing that I gifted him two promising recruits." He then nabbed the envelope from Liam''s grasp, giving him and Gloria behind him a look before swinging open the door. "You two will hold the fort - later we''re heading off to the festival, so don''t keep me waiting if you run off." A final wave of the ruse fox''s claw was sent their way before he made his exit. Monferno remained to tell them the rest of the details. "You two should probably head to the guild the day after tomorrow''s premiere of Eden Theater, considering the majority of the guild will be gone. I''ll see you at the festival later. Congratulations, newbies." With a brief wave of his own, he took after Roark, closing the door on his way out. Liam let out a vacant sigh, finally exiting the rollercoaster of emotions they had both been taken on. Everything had appeared to have worked out fine though in the end, and now only came the hard part. He turned around to check on Gloria, who was just taking her first step again, clearly disorientated. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. "You okay? Don''t need to lie down or anything?" he asked, closing in on her. She let out a breath of much-needed air. "Y-Yeah, just a bit dizzy. Roark goes a bit overboard sometimes." She took another step, finding her back to her seat at the table. Liam hopped up back on his seat, too. Another gasp of breath came from her as she opened her mouth, trying to find words. "Right now, I''m having a difficult time seeing this as reality." She placed her paws on the table and stared deep into the wood. "I feel so happy right now, but also so very sick, and, um, not just from the spinning around - it''s like my stomach is fluttering, but is also knotted." She shook her head. "You know what I mean, right?" Liam could never fully understand what was happening in the Vulpix''s mind. However, he still could grasp the gist of it. "I think you just need to accept it, y''know? You''re in now. We''re in now. We shouldn''t squander what we got." She slowly nodded, trying to digest his words. "I feel so confident sometimes then¡­ so helpless other times." She gulped. "I don''t want to disappoint Roark, Leafeon, Buneary, you, or even myself. And now that this great opportunity is upon me, I feel so... pressured." He could understand. Guild work seemed to be so professional, even if some of its members weren''t so professional. However, to him, the riches beyond that blockade of pressure seemed immense in wealth. Perhaps it was just his amnesiac mind building off things he''d already seen, but it felt like it was right in front of them. He was determined, but he needed to also give some of that determination to Gloria, who sorely needed it. "Remember what you told me yesterday in the library? About wanting to help Pok¨¦mon?" She nodded, giving him the floor to continue. "You''ve already proven yourself by helping a Pok¨¦mon like me, and the same with Buneary. I want this to continue, and I''m sure you do, too. If Buneary knew, she''d want you to continue as well." He made sure to lock eyes with her as he said the next part. "We just have to keep moving forward into the unknown. Hold onto your dream, and fight for it." "... If you think I''m going to back out, don''t worry. I... made a promise, to Roark, to my parents, and to myself that I would go through with this." She bit her lip as she continued, "Even if, even if it''s difficult for me to. I want to help Pok¨¦mon, I want to help you, even. I also need to help myself." He smiled at her conviction. The Riolu knew past all the layers of doubt there was something that he also shared. Will. They would need it more than ever if they were to join the guild. If they lost it, then there would be no hope to move forward. Since it was still morning, and Liam knew they had plenty of time to burn until the festival, he wanted to alleviate some of the fears in the future. "Now that we have a lot of time to ourselves, what do you think about heading back to the library? I know there''s a section we missed last time." He poked at her addiction to literature. A genuine, warm smile found its way on Gloria''s face as a wag in her tails appeared. "Yeah, I''d like that..."
The door to the white Vulpix home swung open to meet night as two occupants exited the home. The festival had started around sunset and was now raging on. Even from this distance, they could hear the booming of music and other noises of festivity. So many lights were on in the city that the stars were hidden by shining yellow beacons, with only a blanket of black seen above. Liam patted the saddlebag wrapped around his shoulder, making sure all of its contents were there and secure. They had decided to take along the one thousand Pok¨¦ given by Miss Lopunny for the job request. Considering they were going to a festival, they did not expect everything would exactly be cheap. Roark stretched his arms out to the heavens. "I know you two aren''t children, but don''t go spending all of it now. I mean, that''s a job''s pay without the ludicrous guild tax," he grumbled, before staring at Gloria, who had just come out of the house after freshening up. "Now, I don''t need to keep you on a chain, right? There are tons of sweets they''re selling, and you might go a little cra- oof" his teasing was interrupted by a white paw being thrust into his rib. "I can control myself," Gloria steamed. "You should probably control how much alcohol you consume, though." Roark laughed, reaching down to ruffle the Vulpix''s tuft. "Trust me, I''m not going to. It''s only once every while I can indulge in killing my liver." She rolled her eyes, trotting down the neighborhood road, further toward the huge bundle of orange-yellow lights in the distance. Liam believed that must be where the main festival took place, with all its attractions. Both he and Roark exchanged looks, before following down the same road Gloria was taking. The further they got, the more Pok¨¦mon they could see in the distance. It wasn''t until when they finally reached the true entrance of the festival did everything come into perspective. Strings of multicolored streamers stretched across stands, walls, across rooftops, bringing a vibrant amalgamation of colors across the usually dull wooden and concrete structures. Tiny flakes of confetti fluttered in the wind amongst the flapping streamers. Liam thought of when he first entered Empyrean City and its bustling market district, except times tenfold here. Glowing orange lanterns hung underneath the stands everywhere, basking the entire area in a warm hue. Banners ran across the front of the stands of shops advertising games, food, knickknacks, whatever. Mask-like objects with Pok¨¦mon faces were plastered around all the faces of the stands and shops. An array of instruments claimed Liam''s ears. The smacking of tambourines, the hum of wind instruments, and the beating of large drums echoed throughout the air, mixing in with the large amounts of talking Pokemon. A pair of red claws would snap him out of his analysis by digging into a section of the saddlebag he wore. From there, Roark dug out a decent amount of the gold coins, clutching it in one claw as he smiled sneakily. "You two go enjoy yourselves. I''ll be off doing ''business''..." He snickered as he went down the road, further into the sea of the crowd. "Don''t be out too late! I know I will!" he shouted with a wave, merging into the crowd of Pok¨¦mon. Liam tucked away and sealed the pouch to the Pok¨¦ that Roark had made. At the same time, a white paw tapped him on his shoulder. "Let''s go deeper in; there''s probably some fun things we can attend!" He wholeheartedly agreed.
From what he could see from his spot in the crowd of Pok¨¦mon, were a pair of Escavalier; Bug-type Pokemon covered in a grey armored shell, like knights of old. Attached to their body seemed to be two long lance-like objects, ready to jab into an enemy Pok¨¦mon. They also seemed content in simply floating above the ground, defying any logic and confusing Liam even more. From what Gloria told him, this was ''Escavalier Joust'', where two opposing Escavalier on opposite sides would charge at each other with their lances, aiming to slash the other in their run. This would go on until one Pok¨¦mon was knocked out. As it were, it was about to begin now. With a loud blurt from a trumpet and wave of a flag, the Escavalier were off, traveling at blistering fast speeds Liam didn''t think was possible with that heavy armor. When the two Pok¨¦mon met, each of them exchanged a devastating jab into the armor from one of their lances, still moving in the same direction. As they connected, a ''woo'' from the crowd would come out, eager to see more. Each time the two Escavalier reached their opposite end, they''d turn around and get ready for another charge. After a while of exchanging blows, the Escavalier closest to the crowd simply could not take the beating any longer, collapsing as the final lance stab pierced its armor. With a cry from a trumpet and a wave of a flag, it was over. The cheers of the crowd signaled their entertainment and the end of the event. The next event they attended seemed to be more straightforward. ''Diving Contest''. There was a large pool of water before the stands. Here, different kinds of Water-type would show off their form in their most suited environment. Much like any other diving contest, they initially would dive off a platform held over the pool into the sparkling water below. However, once they were in the water, they would perform a series of moves and tricks to the audience. Liam would see many types of Pokemon, such as a Vaporeon who would create a mystifying veil over the pool with Aqua Ring, whipping and rippling water around itself - or a Primarina who used Sparkling Aria and shocked the audience with bursts of water into the air like fireworks, accompanied by its amazing singing ability. Near the end, each contestant would stand at a podium and be judged by the audience. As each stood forward, the cheers of the crowd would gauge their effectiveness in swaying them over to their side. Unsurprisingly, Primarina stole the competition with its amazing technique. As the crowd boomed, it gave a bow as thanks. The contest was over. The last event they happened to go to was much like the ''Diving Contest''. But instead of moves and flowing form, this one was all about raw power - a ''Strength Contest''. Pok¨¦mon would test their strength on various objects. Certain Pokemon would pull actual boulders across the terrain in harnesses. Others would smash towers of brick, rock, and concrete to test their physical strength. As each round continued, the weakest Pokemon would be purged as the tasks provided would get much tougher. Soon, it was all down to two Pok¨¦mon - a Machamp and a Conkeldurr. A solid square of concrete was put in front of them and a time limit for them to smash it to pieces. The crowd waited with bated breath as each swing of their fists connected with their respective blocks, sending bits and pieces of it crumbling to the floor. Near the end, it was a decisive victory for Machamp, as its entire concrete cube was nothing but dust and rubble. With a clear winner, the show was over.
After the thrill of seeing all the events and features, the two were back wandering through the festival, weaving through countless other Pok¨¦mon in their way. Their appetite had also been building up, so they decided on heading to where the food stands were. As usual for the city, tons of food was in the likeness of other Pok¨¦mon. Liam could swear he saw an ice cream cone looking almost identical to a Vanilite he had previously seen floating around. Yet, it never bugged Gloria as she continued, looking at each stand, wondering where they should stop. It was not until she looked at one stand in particular and noticed an amassing crowd, her eyes widening once she realized who was behind the stand. "It''s Leafeon! And... a few other members from the guild, I think!" she told Liam, who followed her gaze. It was indeed a Leafeon, along with a Sylveon. He wondered if that was the same one who ran Sylveon''s Sweets, shuddering at that thought. Across the stand were two stools that sat a Monferno and a Braixen, happily chatting away with the two stand owners. ''That has to be them.'' Gloria ran over to the stand, Liam swiftly following, just happy he could finally put his aching stomach to rest. The Leafeon''s ears perked up, looking up to see the white Vulpix sprinting its way over. "Gloria?" a honey-like female voice flowed out of the Pokemon. "Leafeon! Did you hear? I''m going to-" Gloria was interrupted by a sheepish smile and nod from Leafeon. "Join the guild, right? Monferno already spilled the Pokebeans." A palm from the counter shot upright as Monferno lifted his face from his meal. "Guilty as charged," he admitted, quickly bringing his head back down to continue eating. Braixen gave Gloria a warm and professional smile to greet her. "It''s very nice to see you again, Gloria. I look forward to working with you in the guild." The Sylveon, who occupied a space next to Leafeon, gasped, a ribbon-like feeler extending over its mouth in shock. "Gloria? You''re in the guild now?!" Liam could sadly confirm it was the same Sylveon from the shop. The Vulpix nodded. "Yep! We just got news of it today! I''m a bit nervous and all, but I still want to try my best." Sylveon smiled, extending her feelers over the stand and wrapping around an accepting paw of Gloria, who giggled with glee at the sensation. "Oh! And the Pok¨¦mon next to you is¡­ Liam? The Riolu, correct?" Liam wanted to say ''no'' to avoid what was coming, but had already accepted it. The white and pink feeler extended his way as he hesitantly put his paw into it, wrapping it around the rest of his arm. "Yeah, that''s¡­" He shuddered at the feelings of raw positive emotions coursing through him. He stumbled a bit, regaining his footing as he let go of the feeler - it went back to its owner. "Me," he finished, a bit woozy from the exchange. Sylveon went into a giggling fit. "And where is Roark? Did he not come to the festival?" Gloria shook her head, "No, he was here, but went off to the more... adult section, I think." A chorus of laughter came from Monferno at the counter. "Of course, the bastard can''t help himself. I think I''ll go join him, since Scizor doesn''t allow us stuff like that anymore," he brooded. "I''ll be on my way. Thanks for the grub, Leafeon." Monferno scooted out of his stool, standing up to stretch and taking his leave. "Wait, you''re going to miss out on the mayor''s speech? It doesn''t start long from now," Leafeon said "Bah, it''s nothing we don''t know already. See you at the guild, newbies!" And with one wave of a hand, he was gone, in search of what alcohol Roark sought. Liam was confused. "Speech? When is that happening?" "Not long from now," Leafeon replied, leaning over the counter and pointing to a large stadium across the festival grounds. "The mayor will give a speech about the premier of the Eden Theater there. Me, Sylveon, and Braixen were going to catch it before it starts in about an hour. You two care to join us?" she propositioned. Liam gave Gloria a look of wondering as well; she returned a ''yes'' in the form of a nod. "Yeah, we''ll attend it. But we''re pretty hungry, so what do you have to offer?" The Grass-type clapped her front paws together. "I''ll be glad to show you! Gloria, you should take notes. My sister here and I have got a new recipe for Persim Berry scones!"
The stadium itself was massive, obviously built for large-scale tournaments of some sort, Liam theorized. Massive colored concrete walls stretched upward, leaving the roof exposed to the open sky. The interior seemed to be refitted for the festival, with a wooden plateau built in the middle of the stadium, and a wooden podium on top of it. Surrounding the plateau were rows and rows of seats, allowing Pok¨¦mon a good view of what was to come. Once they had gotten there, it was still quiet. There were not many Pok¨¦mon present yet, giving them a chance to score some good seats. Over time though, swathes of multicolored attendants entered, quickly filling any vacant seat, and ushering the entire stadium in a cacophony of chatter and other noises. Liam observed the crowd, trying to spot any Pok¨¦mon he''d recognize. Corphish, Beedrill, Bouffalant, Braviary, Bisharp, Weavile. He made a game out of it while they waited. But after quite a bit of tedious mind exercises, Liam noticed a large door opening across the stadium. First came out a row of what appeared to be guards, who had something strapped to their backs or sides - a kind of metal tube. From how far away he was, he could not exactly tell what it was but knew it must have been some sort of weapon. The Pokemon that came out next he had seen before in the book. It was an Empoleon, a simple black bowtie nestled beneath its neck. Liam guessed that he was pretty important, possibly the mayor himself, seeing how much the crowd went wild when he showed up. All of them moved in a unified group across the stadium grounds, reaching the wooden plateau. The ''guards'' then took their positions around the plateau, keeping their firm stance. The Empoleon climbed the stairs up to the podium, waving a flipper to the chorus of the audience''s bombastic cheers. Once near the podium, it tapped the mic setup with a flipper, sending a popping noise across the stadium. The stadium fell quiet, giving Empoleon the floor to talk. "ATTENTION ALL! THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING THIS PREMIERE FESTIVAL!" an authoritative male boomed over the microphone. "THIS IS A HISTORIC MOMENT, NOT JUST IN EMPYREAN CITY, BUT THE ENTIRE POKEMON WORLD!" The crowd roared in agreement, their excitement bubbling. "THE EDEN THEATER IS A TECHNOLOGICAL MILESTONE THAT WILL SET A PRECEDENT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. TOMORROW WILL GIVE YOU A GLIMPSE INTO THAT FUTURE!" Again the crowd hollered, with whistles, whoops, and applause that could be heard reverberating off the stadium walls. "I WANT TO SHOW YOU THE BRILLIANT MINDS BEHIND ALL OF THIS. THE ARCHITECTS OF THE FUTURE, AND DESIGNERS OF THIS GREAT FEAT!" Liam noticed three new Pok¨¦mon stepping up the stairs to the podium, waving to the excited crowd. Along the limbs of those Pok¨¦mon, he could see an armband on them. The Riolu racked his brain, swearing he saw those same Pok¨¦mon with armbands before. However, he quickly brushed the thought aside, given how many Pok¨¦mon there were in the city wearing strange apparel. "BY LENDING US THEIR TECHNOLOGICAL AID, WE HAVE SPENT THE PAST FEW YEARS BUILDING UP THE TALLEST STRUCTURE IN THE WORLD - THE EDEN THEATER! OUR WORK TOGETHER WILL BUILD A NEW FOUNDATION, NOT JUST FOR EMPYREAN CITY, BUT FOR ALL POKEMON ACROSS THE WORLD! TO THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE, GIVE A HUGE AMOUNT OF APPLAUSE TO THE ALIGNMENT!" Empoleon motioned a flipper to the nearby Pok¨¦mon on stage, a Simisage. The crowd rose in applause, clearly very thankful for the efforts provided. Liam paused to stare up into the sky, directly at the giant, sleek black building towering over everything else. ''The... Alignment? Did they help make the Eden Theater? If so, are they the ones with the armbands that I saw the other day?'' His thoughts were interrupted as Empoleon continued his speech. "I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE ALL OF YOU, THE POKEMON GIFTED THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THIS AMAZING PREMIERE TOMORROW! WE HOPE IT WILL BE AS AMAZING AND LIFE-CHANGING AS WE THINK IT WILL BE." Liam grimaced - it was a shame that they wouldn''t be able to witness the premiere themselves. If the outside looked as alien, he wondered what the inside looked like. "AND TO THOSE WHO WERE NOT CHOSEN, I APOLOGIZE, BUT DO NOT WORRY! THIS IS BUT A GLIMPSE! EVERYONE WILL EXPERIENCE A NEW FUTURE, A BRIGHTER FUTURE AHEAD! THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, AND CONTINUE TO ENJOY THE FESTIVAL! And with perfect timing - multiple plumes of firework trails shot up into the open sky above the stadium. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The sky lit up with spectacular color; crackles and pops filled the air, with streams of multicolored fire that shot across the sky. The crowd cheered as hard as they could, their outcries fading as the colorful pyrotechnics began to fizzle out into nothing in the night.
The audience of the stands began to disperse, getting up out of their seats, content with the speech, and ready to leave. Weavile laughed hard - she expected nothing and was delivered nothing. "Don''t stare at me, Bishy, let''s just leave already." He did not bother offering a response, feeling the same as her, like he was robbed of his time. They stood out of their seats and followed the traffic of the exiting crowd out of the stadium. Once they were outside, they quickly made their way out into the nearest alleyway, away from the loud music and attendees, and free from prying eyes and ears. Weavile cackled yet again. "Man, I can''t believe Empoleon actually brought those scumbags out for the Pok¨¦mon to see." Bisharp scoffed. "Still think we can trust Sceptile then? He is one of them, y''know." "I saw that Simisage with my own eyes - it''s him, our target. That measly Sceptile wasn''t lying, which is good because we''ll need him still for our message to the Allfather," she explained, flexing a claw. "The Alignment has their claws so far up Empoleon''s ass, he''s already more of a puppet than he was before." They kept walking through the dark and dingy alleyway, away from the bustling festival behind them. "You think it''s just money? Empyrean lining up its pockets, or¡­" Bisharp wondered. "They''re getting more cocky, the Alignment, which is why we still need to show them that little thorn in their side is going to soon become a very large spike up their ass." "And do you think our anonymous client is one of them? His tactics of wanting information seem to be the same if I''m basing it off past experiences." "Well, if he is, he''s stuffing us with so much cash it doesn''t matter. Enough where we could find the answers ourselves without his help." "Anyway, Magmortar is in position for tomorrow, right? Does he know that place is swarming with Empyrean and Alignment guards? It''s a suicide mission." "Of course, it''s a suicide mission - the guy is a pyromaniac and a psychopath. He''ll be with the staff at the private theater, where that Simisage will go after the main show. There he''ll strike." "And where do you want us to be?" "The bar up top, away from the inevitable flames of trouble." She sighed. "I think I''ll need a stiff drink afterward."
Celebrations today... showtime tomorrow.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: Curtain Call Curtain Call Chapter 6 Curtain Call The remaining explosions, cracks, and pops of the fireworks into the atmosphere signaled the end of Empoleon''s speech as he waved a flipper toward the booming crowd. Liam, Gloria, Leafeon, and Braixen, were finally able to exit the stadium. A mountain of other Pok¨¦mon followed them on the way out. Once they were outside the massive open doors, Leafeon yawned, stretching her body and hind legs. "You know, I think Monferno had the right idea. This was a whole lot of nothing." Gloria frowned. "I thought it was great! This is an important moment in Celestic history!" Braixen nodded to this. "I agree with Gloria. Tomorrow must be a very special day for any Pok¨¦mon lucky enough to get in." The fiery fox sighed. "A shame that Mony is susceptible to any form of betting..." Liam, on the other hand, was pleased, if not a bit disappointed like Braixen was that he wouldn''t be able to attend. That once-in-a-lifetime event is something you shouldn''t pass up on. "I should really be checking on Monferno now," Braixen said. "Him drinking with Roark is bound for trouble." She sighed, focusing her attention on Liam and Gloria. "I''ll see you two at the guild after tomorrow - you''ll probably be seeing me or Hatterene a lot, considering we''re both nurses. I hope you two enjoy the premiere, so make sure to tell me and Mony all about it!" With a wave of her furry paw, she walked away, disappearing into the crowd and leaving two confused Pok¨¦mon in her wake. Gloria tilted her head, adorning a quizzical look across her muzzle. "Why did she think we''re going?" she asked, causing Liam to shrug. A knowing smile appeared across Leafeon''s face as she finished stretching her unused limbs and strolled up toward the two. "Seeing as you two are going to be the guild''s new recruits, that means feeding the both of you is going to be my job." She pointed a brown furred paw at Gloria. "And that means I''m going to have a little assistant in the kitchen, from time to time." A warm smile graced the Vulpix''s face. "Seriously? I can cook for the guild?" she asked, a little touched at the gesture. "You betcha! You wouldn''t believe some of the ingredients the Guildmaster allows me to get away with!" She laughed into a paw before her eyes widened. "Oh! I need to introduce you to Shaymin! We''re, like... the best of friends. Not that you aren''t, either!" Leafeon said hastily as she turned to look at the Riolu, who was starting to seem like a third wheel. "And¡­ Liam, right? You''re new around Empyrean. Is working at the guild what you really want to do?" Liam, noticing the spotlight was put on him, shifted his eyes around back and forth before replying. "Uh, yeah, I am. Roark told me I should form a team with Gloria, and well... yeah, I think this is something I wanna do." "I trust you." "Huh?" "I know Gloria as a good friend. I know Roark as a part of the guild." Leafeon glanced at the Vulpix. "If she can trust you to be her teammate, and Roark enough to where he''d pop up the question, then why can''t I trust you?" She scratched her chin with a paw. "The guild gets a lot of shady figures sometimes, but you don''t look like the sort to involve much harm - no offense. So¡­" She thrust a paw forward. "I hope you got good taste buds, ''cause I''m going to blow them away!" The Riolu smirked, offering his paw to hers in a friendly paw shake. "If it''s anything like Gloria''s, then I''m sure you will. It''s nice to meet you, Leafeon." "That''s the spirit! Now¡­" Leafeon stepped over to a distracted Gloria and enveloped her in a sort of hug for quadrupeds - wrapping a paw around her side and resting her head on the Vulpix''s neck, who melted into the surprise hug. "I''ll see you two very soon, okay? You know I''m looking out for you right, Gloria?" The Vulpix hummed. "Don''t worry, I won''t back out. I promised Roark, and everyone else I wouldn''t." "That''s good, now¡­" Leafeon snickered as she unhooked herself from their embrace and trotted down a road opposite to them. "Enjoy the show!" She hollered before disappearing into the crowd just like Braixen. Liam sighed. "Ready to go home now? Or¡­ after picking up Roark?" he asked, a bit unsure how much liquor the dark fox intended on ingesting. Gloria shook her head. "No, not yet. I, um, still need to show you one more place, preferably before they close." Liam''s ears perked up at this. "What, another ice cream stand?" He was a bit shocked and also a bit concerned at how much dairy confectionaries she seemed to consume at Leafeon''s stand. Gloria''s face burned as she sputtered a response. "N-no! We''re going to do what I forgot to show you at the Meowstic twins'' shop, remember that?" She took a step forward. He did, although he was not sure what she forgot to show him, considering she already ran over the basics. They continued to walk and talk down the still bustling festival. "Sure do, what''s so important about it right now?" "Well you need to know about battle items, things you can in dungeons and outside of them. Guild members use it all the time, Roark told me they''re extremely useful in heavy situations." ''Battle items? Like, weapons?'' He snorted at the thought of Pok¨¦mon carrying swords into dungeons. Perhaps it was not like he thought. "They should still be open, at the very least servicing their last few customers. So I hope they can serve us," Gloria added. Among the luminous orange lights and the bombastic ensemble of music in the ubiquitous darkness of the night, they traveled through it all toward the marketplace.
In both of their sights, they could see it. The royal blue strips of blue on a painted white stand. Inside of it were the Meowstic twins, happily handing their customer a sack of Pok¨¦ for the items it sold. A sole lantern kept the stand lit in the unnaturally quiet marketplace. Once their customer was gone, the pair grabbed any accessory or item nearest to them and started placing them in wooden boxes that lined the walls. Gloria nudged Liam in his side with a paw as she blazed towards the shop. "Come on, I think they''re about to close!" He took off in a similar pursuit. "Mister and Miss Meowstic!" A shout from Gloria pierced the feline ears of the shop owners as they stopped placing objects into boxes to stare at where the voice came from. The approaching footsteps and sight of a familiar white Vulpix soon met their gaze, along with the same Riolu from before. The Meowstic sister stopped her packing to greet them. "... Gloria?" Gloria huffed as she reached the counter of the stand, resting her forepaws on the wood. "Yeah¡­ we... came from the... festival!" "Oh? I heard it was winding down for today, not until the premier tomorrow," the sister spoke again. "Did you use that TM?" her posh sounding brother chimed in. Gloria winced. "Well... not yet, but that''s also part of why we came here before you closed. I, uh, forgot to do something the last time I was here." "Oh? And what was that?" the brother asked. "Well, since I''m going into the guild with¡­" She pointed a paw towards the Riolu next to her. "Liam here, I thought I''d teach him about battle items like seeds and orbs." The twins were confused at the prospect of a Pok¨¦mon knowing nothing about those items since they were so common. Luckily, the two prepared for such a response on the way here. "I''m from a village far far away, we don''t have Mystery Dungeons there so I don''t know much about items." Liam smiled, hoping they would buy it. The brother scoffed at this. "No Mystery Dungeons? On Celestic? Crazy talk¡­" The sister then interjected with a clasp of her paws. "You''re in the guild now? That''s great! We''re probably going to see you a lot more often now." She turned around and walked diligently towards their stock of various items and trinkets on the shelves. "You''re just in luck, as another shipment came before the festival started. I can give you a few select pickings to choose from." She picked up an array of different colored seeds and cloudy orbs. Returning to the counter, she laid them all out so Liam could get a good look at them. The most noticeable thing resting on the counter were the giant seeds - giant enough that they were as big as his paw. The orbs on the other hand seemed just the right size for a Pok¨¦mon to grip one. "There are different types of seeds and orbs with different effects. Some of them inflict status conditions or damage to the opponent. While they''re more effective inside Mystery Dungeons - they can be useful outside them but with less effect." The Meowstic sister explained, pointing at a red-hued seed. "This is a Blast Seed. Creating enough pressure on it by biting it or throwing it can cause it to explode on opponents, which is very useful for tough foes." The feline then pointed at the yellow-hued seed next to it. "This is a Stun Seed. It can lock opponents up in their tracks, not giving them time to attack and leaving them vulnerable themselves. Just don''t accidentally stun yourself! I remember Roark told me he did it before." She laughed as she moved on toward the orbs. Her paw found its way on a white flushed orb. "These are Wonder Orbs. This one, a Luminous Orb, can create a quick flash of white light to disorientate enemies if you smash it. In a Mystery Dungeon, it''s enough to flash the entire room you''re in. Use it with caution." Finally, she rested her paw on the last Wonder Orb. It held a deep purple coloration. "This here is a One-Hit-KO Orb. As the name suggests, it can be used to take down opponents in one fell swoop. Once crushing it, the holder can immense energy very briefly, just enough for an attack." Her brother intruded after she finished. "Riveting stuff, right? In dicey situations, it can come out to who holds superiority through item usage. Even the weakest of Pok¨¦mon can stand a chance if they''re well equipped!" The sister nodded in agreement to her brother''s words. "We showed you just a few, and yet there are many different kinds of items to use. We''re always here for guild members to give them a selection of what''s best for them." Liam tapped his chin with a paw. ''This definitely leads to new combat possibilities. Being able to use items and moves in tandem seems to be the best way to approach things from now.'' He was getting excited just thinking about the prospect. Liam spared a glance towards Gloria. "Do you mind if we do a little... shopping?" he questioned, emphasizing by patting the saddlebag around his shoulder. She appeared to be in thought for a moment before nodding curtly. He unhooked the saddlebag and placed it onto the counter, the Meowstic''s smiling in synchrony as he did so. "How many of those items could we get for five-hundred Pok¨¦?"
To them, the festival seemed to rage the entire night as they made the trip back home. The uproar of it echoed across the city, even into the neighborhoods. They decided to not go to the adult section of the festival to look for Roark. Gloria knew but mostly hoped that the ruse fox would''ve been responsible and headed home as he told them. Once the duo was finally home, they cracked open the front door to a lantern now turned on in the living room. At the dining table, Roark was seated in a chair leaning over the table with his arm resting on it-his paw supporting his head. He did not seem to appear fully drunk from the way Liam saw it - just a little tipsy. The Zororark noticed their presence as they walked it. He turned and waved a red claw toward them. "Hey! How was the festival?" "It was fun, you missed the events and the mayor''s speech you know¡­" Gloria told him, which sparked a grin from Roark. "Nah, I already had the time of life somewhere else!" He ended with sudden spontaneous laughter. "... Are you drunk?" Gloria asked, a bit curious about his state. He nodded. "A bit - the swill they served wasn''t really up to par. Eh, still better than nothing, I suppose. Nothing like the stuff I''ll get tomorrow..." Confusion spread across Gloria''s face. "Tomorrow? Where are you going exactly." Her words caused Roark''s eyes to snap out of their relaxed state and become alert. "Ha! I forgot to give you guys your true celebration gift!" Roark reached across the table to grab an envelope. It was the same one that Monferno had come earlier with - yellow shining stars dotted on a black background. He opened the slit of the envelope and reached inside with his claws, coming out with three card-like objects. They seemed to twinkle in the light of the lantern, giving them their own flair. Roark faced the confused Pok¨¦mon and offered another fang-bearing smile. "We''re all going to the Eden Theater premiere tomorrow! Now, don''t get all too exc- oof!" He was cut off short as a white blur collided with him into a hug. "How did you get passes for the premiere?! They only gave them out to a selected bunch!" Gloria exclaimed as she rocked the dark fox back-and-forth with surprising strength. Roark chuckled and slightly pushed Gloria off of him. "Let''s just say Monferno couldn''t resist a good bet, and I happened to be the victor." Gloria continued to voice her excitement as he tried to calm her down. Liam simply watched the two talk, his heart beginning to race as he thought of it over it over. That they were going to this once-in-a-lifetime opening. He placed a paw over his chest to ease himself, lest he act out like a certain Vulpix. But it was exciting, to say the least. Once the enthusiastic Vulpix was settled, Roark clamped his paws together, claws intertwining. "Now, to finish off a great day of festivities... " He detached a paw as it reached back into his huge mane of dark fur, pulling out a bottle with brown liquid that swished around in its containment. "Monferno also bet on him drinking me under the table." He slammed it onto the wooden counter as he flashed a grin. "Why don''t you two have a little drink to celebrate as well?" "Roark¡­" Gloria grumbled, a bit apprehensive to the idea. "Aw, come on, sis, you''re old enough - it''s okay." He shook the bottle a little, hoping to entice her. Gloria frowned and shook her head. "I think I''ll go to bed instead, but you two can have your fun." She yawned, tiredly shuffling past the table and into the hallway. "Don''t be such a prude, sis!" Roark called out as she walked into her room and shut the door. He huffed as he whirled around to a still-standing and very much awake Liam. "Well? Are you gonna leave me hanging as well?" He gave another shake of the bottle to the Riolu. Liam smiled, nodding to his request. While he did not think it was quite wise to be drinking this late, he knew it probably was a while before he had any actual alcohol. Now was a time to celebrate their acceptance into the guild, and the premier tomorrow. "Sure, give me a glass." Roark slammed the bottle onto the table. "That''s what I''m talking about!" He laughed as he got out of his chair and went into the kitchen. Opening one of the cabinets, he pulled out two small shot glasses. The Zoroark waltzed back to the table to sit back down as Liam hopped on a chair opposite to him. Roark placed the glasses on the table before popping off the cap of the bottle of liquor and pouring the brown substance into each glass at full height. The two of them latched onto their respective glass, raising them to their lips. A smug grin was planted on the fox''s muzzle before he took a sip of the burning liquid. "Let''s hope you''re not as much of a lightweight as Monferno was."
"Now, Liam! Crush it!" Liam bit down hard on the seed in his mouth, the back of it positioned against his enemy, a Weedle. With a crunch of the outer shell of the seed, a buildup of the seed''s backside began to bulge outward until it quite literally exploded. A spew of flames seemed to come out of Liam''s mouth, and rocketed toward the Weedle. As it connected with the bug Pok¨¦mon, a series of bangs and cracks resounded through the dungeon floor. Once the flames receded, a flash of orange light consumed a well-charred and defeated Weedle. Liam spat out the empty shell of the Blast Seed. Behind him, Gloria clapped with her paws, happy at his success. "Great work, Liam! There''s probably more enemy Pok¨¦mon if we look hard enough." She set down the saddlebag she was carrying to fish out another item, and threw it the Riolu''s way. After Liam and Roark drank away into the night, they went to bed, or rather, fell asleep at the table. In the morning they awoke to the taps of Gloria on their drained minds. She was fitted with their saddlebag of items as she explained to them about her heading off to the Sunshine Forest to collect apples and berries for breakfast. Naturally, Liam accompanied her when his head stopped spinning. He must have been just as surprised as Monferno when Roark never seemed phased by the alcohol. He made a mental note to never challenge the seemingly master of that field again. Along the way to the Sunshine Forest, he suggested they use the vast amount of items they bought from Meowstic Market on the Pok¨¦mon of the dungeon portion of the forest. Gloria was fine with it. In fact, she encouraged him to use them, thinking it was a good way to practice on some weaker Pok¨¦mon. At the same time, she showed him her using the TM, Frost Breath, that she was given by the Meowstics''. She held the icy blue disk close to her chest with a paw and closed her eyes as she focused internally. Shocking Liam a bit, the disk turned from a light blue to a light grey, with her finally tossing it onto the ground. Apparently, she had learned the move, explaining that he was supposed to focus on learning it while holding it close. He did not find a reasonable counter to that, so he just rolled with it. Liam caught the Luminous Orb she had tossed him, rolling it between his two paws. "Actually, I think we''re close to the end, where we found those apples, right?" He walked over to the saddlebag and placed the orb back inside its pouch. "Yeah, uh, you''re probably right. We''ve spent a while here fighting the Pok¨¦mon." She picked up the saddlebag and hoisted it around her neck, traveling down an opposing corridor. Liam followed, picking up the basket they had brought for the apples. The steps they took afterward led them to the same clearing they had been before. Trees hung over the patchy terrain, teeming with fresh apples. Across the clearing were bushes where countless kinds of berries seemed to grow and thrive. It seemed to be. a great place to pick up food and ingredients without paying at markets, which Gloria gladly took advantage of. "You''re probably going to have to help me again with reaching the apples," she remarked with a bit of embarrassment, motioning him to come to assist. Right above was a bundle of shiny red apples, easy pickings for Pok¨¦mon tall enough to reach them. Just like before, he dropped the basket and scooped the Vulpix up, positioning her to where she could pick the fruit off the tree branches with her paws. As she did so, he decided to pop up a question that had been lurking in his mind. "For tomorrow, when we arrive at the guild, are you going to be okay?" Gloria sighed as she plucked a few of the many apples that hit the ground with a ''thud''. "It''s funny - whenever I don''t think about it, I feel like it''ll be alright. When I do, then it all fades, that confidence and my worry sets in." "But you''ll be okay, right? You can go through with this like you said, like we went over." She toppled over the final few apples in her way before Liam set her down as they started picking up the apples off the ground and placing them into the basket. "Yeah¡­ I think I''ll be good." She placed the final apple in the basket as she picked it up with her teeth and carried it toward the berry bushes. Placing the basket down, she started to pick the oddly shaped and colored berries. "I''ve made so many promises, that I just need to fulfill them. Roark would never give me the time of the day if I backed out now." Liam took a step forward. "Do you feel comfortable making another promise then?" "Huh?" "You promised me we''ll make a team together, and do our very best in accomplishing our goals and the guild''s goals." Liam made his ultimatum clear, not to put pressure on her, but to tell her he would be there if she was. Just as Roark did with his actions, he wanted the best for her, as she had gotten them this far. Gloria brushed the remaining berries into the basket, turning around to see Liam''s red eyes piercing hers with an outstretched arm. With a gulp, she handed him the basket, which he took without saying a word. "I¡­" She stopped herself when his other free arm rose, while his eyes still bored into her. "Let''s shake on it," he proclaimed. A white forepaw latched onto Liam''s as they shook up and down, slowly. Gloria looked up at Liam with her own glint in her eye - pure confidence, no falters. "I promise."
The cool air of the starry night sky was all too familiar to the trio that walked on the busy Empyrean street. It was showtime. Today, the Eden Theater would open to the select lucky few Pok¨¦mon given the ability to grace her premiere. The trio that walked the streets was a part of that same lucky few Pok¨¦mon. "I wonder what they''re going to show once everything''s set up. Another play?" Roark inquired to no one in particular. Gloria seemed extra giddy than before now that the time had finally arrived. "Probably not even a play! The Celestic Cognizance said many times that it''ll showcase new kinds of devices and a machine that''ll ''shoot'' something!" Roark scoffed at her account. "Shoot? Hopefully not at the audience." He laughed at his terrible joke. Liam stopped in his tracks to look straight up. In his vision, he could clearly see the massive black building again, this time, upfront and close. The purple banner with gold trim he could see up close now - it read ''Grand Opening''. Unlike any other building in Empyrean City, this seemed to be made of some new material that wasn''t wood or concrete. It formed a grid-like pattern around the entire structure that bordered black tinted windows. However, what was most dazzling in Liam''s eyes were the neon-like lights that lined the sides of the tower. Unlike the flickering glow of a lit lantern, they pulsed a deep blue color, making a distinct colored outline of the tower. While they were on even in the daytime, they were a sight to see during nightfall. If it was in their intentions to gather the eyes of any Pok¨¦mon that wandered the streets of the night, then they had most certainly achieved their goal. Liam could only stare at it with awe, thinking of the previous night at the festival where the mayor gave his short passionate speech. ''If this is the future of design, then I can only wonder what awaits us on the inside.'' He seemed to be just as excited as Gloria was, but not noticeable to the naked eye. In his amazement at what lie before him, he failed to hear the rapid footsteps behind him until something collided in his back, snapping him out of his thoughts and sending him to the ground. "Oh! I am so sorry, my dear Pok¨¦mon!" a feeble voice rang out from behind the Riolu. Liam, still a bit winded after that sudden wake-up call, pushed himself up to his hind paws. He brushed himself off before turning around to see a Simisage, who was a bit panicked at his state. Two other Pok¨¦mon then soon showed up, taking their place at each side of the Simisage. A Shiftry, and a Breloom from the looks of it. Across both of their limbs rested an armband. A flash of realization flew across Liam''s face - he recognized those armbands. The Shiftry faced the still apologizing Simisage. "Mr. Ambassador, please don''t run off. We''re here for a reason." He then faced Liam. "We''re very sorry for the Ambassador''s actions. He is a tad bit excited for the premiere." A ''tad bit'' was an understatement as the Simisage clapped his hands together. "Oh, yes! I cannot wait! Let us be off, my dear guard companions!" And with that, he was off towards the tower of light, his guards quickly taking their position at the green primate''s sides. Liam''s mouth opened and closed - he hadn''t uttered a word at what occurred, and neither did Gloria or Roark, who simply stared at the odd pair of Pok¨¦mon making their exit. Liam racked his brain, wondering why he thought that Simisage seemed familiar - then it hit him. ''That''s the Pok¨¦mon that was on stage last night! Part of¡­ the Alignment or something?'' He gazed at the ground in thought, something crossing his vision as he focused on it. It was an armband, similar to the ones he saw before, when they were heading to the Sunshine Grove and at the stadium. Orange lines came from the center, but this time it was on a purple background instead of a black one. ''Was this that Simisage''s? He didn''t appear to have one¡­'' He looked ahead, they were still in view so he cupped his paws over his mouth and shouted. "Hey! You dropped this!" Simisage and his entourage of guards turned around, Liam was raising the purple armband so they could get a look at it. Simisage looked at his arm, seeing the lack of his armband around it. Shocked, he quickly ran over to Liam. "Oh, why, thank you! They would need this to confirm I''m an ambassador, of course!" He took the armband from Liam before slipping it around his left arm. "Many thanks, my dear Pok¨¦mon! Now I must be off!" The Simisage then ran off back into formation with his guards, disappearing once more. Liam could only shrug when Gloria and Roark''s eyes came upon him. It was not very long until they finally arrived at the proper entrance to Eden Theater. It was not hard to notice, considering the hundreds of Pok¨¦mon swarming its sides. A good look at them revealed most were wearing some kind of formal attire - be it a tie, a bow, or some suit or dress custom-made for that Pok¨¦mon to wear. Liam could not help but feel a bit underdressed at this occasion. It seemed the premiere would be attended by mostly Pok¨¦mon of the upper class in the city. Nonetheless, Roark was there to reel his nerves back in. "Tycoons and a bunch of other rich ''mons¡­ Hopefully, some guild members will be here, though." The crowd around the tower''s entrance formed a natural barrier, so they had to squeeze past the rest to get a look at the actual entrance. Once they merged in with the rest, they could get a more clear sight. A red carpet rolled off the smooth concrete of the streets of Empyrean, up a few stairs, and led to two giant detailed metal doors. At this point, Liam also realized the entire building was made out of this shiny metal-like material. It was smooth, and glossy when drenched in the light it created. Blocking the stairs to the theater itself was a stream of red cloth wrapped around two posts, and next to it was none other than the mayor of Empyrean City himself, Emploeon. A simple blue tie hung from his neck as he moved to address the amassing crowd. He cleared his throat, his voice booming throughout the crowd, even without a microphone from before. "CITIZENS OF EMPYREAN, THE TIME HAS FINALLY COME FOR THIS GREAT MOMENT IN THE HISTORY OF OUR CITY TO COMMENCE!" A cheer arose from the crowd - Empoleon waved off them to silence again with a flipper. "THE SHOW YOU SEE TODAY WILL BE ONE OF MANY IN THE FUTURE! AFTER WE ALLOW ENTRY, IT WILL START VERY SHORTLY!" He motioned for one of his companions from the crowd to come to his side - a Kingler. "WITH THE CUTTING OF THIS CEREMONIAL RIBBON, ALL OF YOU WILL JOIN ME IN THIS HISTORICAL MOMENT! WE WON''T WAIT ANY LONGER NOW!" He stepped out of the way as the Kingler scuttled on its long legs toward the red ribbon. It hovered its massive red pinchers towards the ribbon; with a single clenching motion, the stream of red snapped into two halves. This resounded another big cheer from the crowd as Empoleon regained his position and the crowd''s attention. "JOIN ME INSIDE AND TAKE YOUR SEAT SO THE SHOW CAN GO ON!" With a final wave of his flipper, he headed up the stairs of the theater-his guards and companions following him inside. "Jeez, does the guy ever not speak in loud speeches?" Roark snorted out as Gloria set down the saddlebag she was carrying. Opening a pouch, she brought out the three passes from before, giving one to both Liam and Roark. "They''re probably going to check them at the door." She grabbed her own before closing the pouch and putting the saddlebag back around her side. The crowd was soon all over the crimson carpet, eager to finally enter the once-forbidden theater. The trio found their place in a naturally forming line, most likely due to passes and identity being slowly authorized. As they got closer, the excitement contained within them started to bubble. Soon it was their time, flashing their passes to a pair of menacing guards until they gave them the okay to head on in. And just like that, they were inside. The noise of the outside world becoming a lot more subdued in this new environment. A short hallway with pulsating blue lights on black steel walls funneled the newly arrived Pok¨¦mon into the next area. Once they reached the end of it, the ''ooo''s and ''aaa''s of the Pok¨¦mon in front of them only enticed them to see what was inside. What greeted them once they pushed passed the Pok¨¦mon in front was a sight to see. A massive chamber of black steel greeted them. Each corner of the room held its own intricate ceramic fountain that gushed clear water into their individual pools. Just like on the outside of the tower, the cold steel walls blinked with blue lines of light, wrapping across the entire room. Countless Pok¨¦mon in uniforms, most likely staff members, buzzed around the room tidying everything up for the arrival of their guests. At the end of the room, a large white sheet covered the wall, some sort of device sat in front of it. The firm, black carpeted floor caved in slightly into the ground as rows of plush, purple chairs sat in rows behind the white paper-like screen. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it However, what intrigued Liam the most were the six reinforced glass tubes on the sides of each wall that shot straight through the tall ceiling. Steel pillars supported the corners of the tubes. What was most confusing was that there were no stairs in sight, meaning no one could enter the above floors. Before he could voice his confusion to the others, a tingling chime broke through everyone''s chatter. Empoleon stood in the middle of the aisle between the rows of chairs, a spoon in one flipper, and a glass in the other. "Once you''re acquainted with everything, please find a seat of your choosing. The show will be beginning very soon!" he finished with a smile, handing off the glass and silverware to a passing custodian before heading to the front row. Murmurs about the upcoming show filled the trio''s ears as passing Pok¨¦mon traveled down the aisles to find a seat. Two claw-ridden paws latched on Liam and Gloria''s back as they turned to their owner. "Let''s find a seat before any stuffy Pok¨¦mon take it." Roark freed them from his grasp, traversing down the slope of the room - Liam and Gloria right behind him. Due to the influx of Pok¨¦mon rushing ahead to secure a seat in the front row, they had to make do with seats near the back. They weren''t too miffed about it, just happy to actually get seats with so many Pok¨¦mon here. Liam tapped his hind paw on the ground in impatience, resting his head on a forepaw. They had been seated for around ten minutes with nothing happening except staff handing out drinks and edibles to the audience. Roark had taken to teasing Gloria out of boredom. But then, the fluctuating lights dimmed, until they were shut off completely. The prattling of the audience was reduced to whispers as the room shifted moods in the darkness. Liam could only theorize what kind of ''show'' would take place. According to Gloria this wasn''t some kind of play with physical actors and set pieces on a stage. However, his thoughts on it were cut short as he observed a few staff members tinkering with the device in the middle. One Pok¨¦mon held some kind of tape-like object while another Pok¨¦mon fed it into one of the two disks present on the device. It was a fairly long process, but the job appeared to be done as both began retreating out of the aisle. Suddenly, a ray of reflecting light came out of the device and onto the white screen in front of it. The device made soft shuttering noises, whirring silently. Liam tilted his head at the sight of such a thing until the screen flickered back and forth rapidly. It settled on what appeared to be a countdown. His eyes widened as it actually started counting down, frame by frame, his excitement inside reaching a boiling point. This was something not just he would experience for the first time, but everyone. He settled into his seat just in the nick of time for the screen to display to reach zero. A blare of trumpets seemingly came from nowhere as the screen transitioned. The show was about to start.
''Well¡­ uh, that was something,'' Liam thought, shifting in his seat. It was a long two hours of runtime, and he sat through all of it. He could not necessarily give out a good enough critique, considering this would be his first time of seeing whatever was shown. Overall, he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The technical side of it sparked the most interest in him. Being able to see Pok¨¦mon, lands, and sights through some kind of third-person viewpoint. He wondered what kinds of shows like these would be made in the future, given if the audience enjoyed it as he did. And enjoy it they did, if not more, as a ferocious clamor of clapping paws, hands, flippers, and more erupted throughout the crowd. It was an instant success and a crowd-pleaser for those that attended. Once the cheers of hoots and hollers died down, Empoleon stood up from his seat and waddled to the middle of the aisle again. "I''m pleased to know you enjoy the work on our film! It has taken us a very long time to come to your eyes alone! But please! Don''t leave just yet!" Empoleon pointed a flipper at one of the glass tubes they saw earlier. "The theater staff will assist you in moving up and down the elevators! You can reach the other accommodations such as our suites and bar!" This ignited a buzz throughout the audience until Empoleon''s next words came out. "Today will be on the house of course!" He finished with a guttural laughter to the cheers of the many in the room as they got out of their seats. "We will continue to replay our film all night long, so do enjoy the Eden Theater, please!" Empoleon gave a final wave and bow of his own before returning back to his companions. Liam got out of his seat as he stretched, along with Gloria and Roark, the latter of which speaking. "Well?" Liam shrugged in response. "I thought it was pretty decent - kinda dragged on a bit towards the end." Roark waved him off with a claw. "I think my favorite part had to be when that Mr. Mime smashed the guy''s face with a pie." "Oh, I loved that part too!" Gloria chimed in. They continued to talk about the movie as they slowly escaped from the aisle of chairs. Once they were out, there were several ''elevators'' they could take that would reach the top floors. Liam was hesitant at what the mayor had said about them, and what their purpose was. Teleportation was one thing, but he knew that only strong enough Psychic-type Pok¨¦mon could pull that off. Whatever it was, it did not stop audience members from entering the tubes. Only a few Pok¨¦mon were allowed in at a time it seemed, as one of the members of the staff went in as well. What happened next shocked the three of them. The staff member pushed something next to the door, causing it to close automatically. With another push, the platform the Pok¨¦mon were standing on suddenly started moving up. Their eyes followed the platform as it slowly but surely traveled up the tube, eventually disappearing into the ceiling. Liam and Gloria''s mouths hung open in stunned silence as Roark whistled. "Man, that isn''t something you see every day!" He patted their backs before moving ahead. "C''mon! I don''t want to get left with the cheap stuff!" The two snapped out of their state and followed the Zoroark to a line for one of the elevators to the top. Once they were next in line, the glass door slid open for them to get aboard. Roark gave no second thoughts as he stepped in and told the staff member which floor to go to. Liam and Gloria were a bit more hesitant before getting in themselves. With a push of a circular button on a panel of others - the platform rumbled a bit before slowly lifting off the ground. Liam''s feelers twitched in response to the sensation of leaving the ground. They gazed upward as they ascended, admiring the verticality. "This is¡­ amazing," Liam muttered. It was somewhat of a familiar feeling to him. It was not long until they apparently reached the fourth floor, an opening amongst the black steel walls was where their journey on the elevator stopped, the glass door sliding open for them to exit. They did so quickly, not wanting to intrude on the staff member''s time. This new area they found themselves in was something entirely different from the main floor. Pok¨¦mon waiters and waitresses held bundles of drinks as they shot past each other, placing them on tables and counters chock full of waiting customers. Directly in front was a bar counter topped with a white glass finish. Behind it hung countless bottles of different alcohol or clear drinking glasses. Bartenders ran back and forth, serving those that sat behind the counter. The room was bathed in bright light blue strobe-like lights, causing the three of them to squint their eyes from the change in lighting. Much more noticeable though was the clacking and slamming of drinks on tables and counters as Pok¨¦mon talked and laughed. Roark smiled at what he saw. "Well, well, looks like the true party has just now begun..." He started to walk away before Gloria shouted among the chaos. "Hey! Where are you going!" He turned around briefly, raising both his arms. "What do you think? You''re free to join me, though!" he suggested, to which Gloria grimaced. "Uhh¡­ erm, no." She squirmed under the pressure. "I, uh, don''t think alcohol is suited for me." Liam pondered it for a bit before deciding not to. While yesterday was fun chatting with the intoxicated Zoroark, he didn''t just want to do that the entire night like Roark seemed to. Roark rolled his eyes and waved them off with a claw. "Bah, buncha kids. If you need me, I''ll be here." Liam''s eyes wandered again as the Zoroark left, particularly to a part of the room where a booth with flashy decals built into the steel walls. From the look of the tables surrounding it, it was a place for food instead of drinks. He softly elbowed Gloria and pointed in the direction of the booth. "You hungry? We might be here a while because of Roark." He smirked at the thought. She placed a paw against her stomach area, blushing and nodding. "Yeah, might as well¡­ right?" They made their way to a nearby booth, stopping to look at the menu written on a sign just beside it. Liam tapped his chin with a paw. Everything looked a lot healthier than the stuff they sold at the festival, which was a blessing for his palette. But with his attention focused elsewhere, he neglected to see a green Pok¨¦mon carelessly smash right into him. He felt something cold splash his chest as he jerked out of the way, immediately looking down and noticing a purple stain splattered across his blue fur. Sighing, he stirred his gaze up again toward the Pok¨¦mon who bumped into him, his eyes narrowing as he did so. ''This Simisage again?!'' And indeed it was the same Simisage from outside the theater, like before. A panicked look spread across his face as he readjusted his grasp on his drink. "By the Allmother! I am so, so, so sorry about this my dear Pok¨¦mon! I guess I have gone a bit overboard today¡­" Not long after he said this, his two bodyguards from earlier quickly rolled in. The Shiftry spoke, a bit annoyed. "Mr. Ambassador, please try to keep by our side at all costs! This isn''t the first or second time this has happened." ''I can already tell it wasn''t his first time or second time doing this,'' Liam said in his mind as he was handed a few napkins from the Breloom guard. Simisage sighed and dropped his head, ashamed of his actions. He stayed like that until he popped back up almost instantly with a wide smile gracing his features. "I know just how to repay you two! Quick, you must come with me, before it begins!" He reached forward and yanked Liam''s paw away from wiping his chest. "You don''t need to repay me - just let bygones be bygones, and don''t bump into me again," Liam grumbled the last part beneath his breath. Still, the Simisage didn''t relent, keeping his grip on the Riolu''s paw. "Oh, I insist! Please! I''m sure you two would love it, a private show!" He yanked harder on Liam''s paw. "Please, do come!" ''This guy isn''t going to relent until I go¡­ Well, if that''s the case, we got plenty of time while Roark drinks the night away.'' He spared Gloria a glance while the Simisage shook his paw for a response. She offered the best shrug she could give. Her silence showed that not even she knew what to do with the eccentric Pok¨¦mon. "Alright, alright! We''ll go," Liam huffed. The Simisage laughed, shaking the paw in his hold up and down. "Fantastic! It will be the best part of your night I assure you!" Shiftry placed a leafy fan on Simisage''s shoulder. "Mr. Ambassador, I... " Simisage shoved the appendage off him. "Oh, don''t worry! Nothing will go wrong. Now let''s go!" He then snapped Liam''s paw, forcing the Riolu to follow him. "H-Hey! Woah!" Liam protested as the Simisage happily dragged him near the elevator. Gloria closely followed, severing their connection with her paw. Once they were in the elevator, the two guards of Simisage then pushed for the doors to close, pressing the button for the eleventh floor. The elevator buckled as it made its gradual ascent.
The platform of the elevator finally reached the eleventh floor, stopping at a gap in the steel walls. The glass door slid open as the occupants stepped out. They appeared to be in the same kind of narrow hallway from the entrance of the theater, except for the blood-red carpet instead of an obsidian black. Simisage marched forward with a smile on his face, his guards in tow. He happened upon a chrome black door, to which he turned around and shared with both guards his smile. "Could you two perhaps wait outside? Just to make sure no one can disturb us?" he almost pleaded. Shiftry and Breloom shared a look before shaking their head in agreement. "Great!" Simisage looked behind him and motioned with a hand for them to follow him. He pulled a latch that was indented on the door to the right as it slid open - he went in along with Liam and Gloria. "These rooms are almost entirely soundproof! The loudest volume couldn''t get past these halls!" Simisage exclaimed as he hit some sort of locking mechanism on the door. On this floor alone were black-tinted windows to look out of, Liam and Gloria did so briefly. That feeling of being on top of the world as they admired the almost tiny city below. Just like it seemed with every other place in the building, black walls with blinking blue lines of light. It was more modestly sized than the rest, and instead of plush chairs, there were wooden chairs placed in a grid-like pattern. A projector screen like before was positioned in front of them. But there was no wall behind it, as it seemed to be placed over an already-built wooden stage. Red curtains hung around the screen''s sides. A chrome black door next to the stage then swung open as a Cinccino entered. It was a bit shocked when it saw them, staring at Simisage''s friendly face. "Mr. A-ambassador, are you h-here for the screening?" the female questioned in a shaky voice. Simisage nodded with a laugh. "Yes, bring it out! I have guests with me!" With a quick nod, Cinccino slammed the door shut before returning moments later with a disk-shaped object. She walked over to a familiar device positioned near the screen and started feeding the reel into it. "Ah, just like home. Except my projector was a bit better, haha!" Liam blinked. ''They have their own personal ''projectors''? Or maybe he''s just rich, being an ambassador.'' Cinccino finished unloading the reel, quickly rushing back to the door next the stage, slamming it shut behind her. ''She, uh, seemed to be in a rush¡­'' Simisage clapped his hands together, "It''s been such a long time since I''ve seen ''The Price Of Paradise''! Such a short tear-jerker¡­" He made his way to the front row of the assortment of chairs, sitting on the middlemost chair, and waving Liam over. "Come, my dear Pok¨¦mon - centerstage with me!" Liam frowned but did not want to be rude and deny the Pok¨¦mon his wishes. He trudged over and seated himself right next to the Simisage. Gloria, on the other hand, was lucky enough not to be the ambassador''s target, opting to sit in the back row and enjoy the screening. The projector in front of Liam and Simisage then whirred to life, a ray of light glazing over the white screen. The shuffling of images occurred before a familiar countdown appeared. Once it reached zero, the screen transitioned to a painted image of a vast field of sprawling hills and meadows of white flowers. The sky retained a wash of yellow-orange and pinkish color, stretching across the horizon. The screen then focused on one grassy hill in particular, a lone tree resting at the top, along with a blue shadow of a small Pok¨¦mon resting beside it. Liam didn''t know if it was intentional, but he couldn''t tell what kind of Pok¨¦mon it was from the features. The shadow was crying, hunched as it wept. The view shifted toward the sight of an arriving Pok¨¦mon, this one also an incomprehensible green-colored shadow. It wandered past the other weeping shadow and towards a canvas that rested atop the hill, overlooking the expanse of massive fields, mountains, and forests. "A woman dreams of a world free from strife and hatred," the voices of many small children echoing this statement reverberated across the hollow room. The green shadow then procured a board of dotted colors and a paintbrush, dipping into the color of its choosing and wiping the blank canvas passionately with it. "But if you wish to change the world, then it will surely come to ruin." Another stroke of the brush sent a splash of color onto the canvas, the technique of the green shadow becoming more sloppy through each motion. "In the end, what is truly the paradise you sought?" With a furious swipe of the brush, the colors of the canvas formed a chaotic mess of different lines of color intersecting each other. The green shadow then collapsed and began heaving in distress. "The guilty shadow of paradise weighs heavy on those traveling the road to a brighter tomorrow." The blue shadow near the tree stopped its sobbing, noticing the green shadow''s state. It slowly picked itself up and knelt down next to the green figure, who cried to the earth below. "But if we don''t stop now, then the same tragedies will keep repeating themselves." The scene on the projector shifted to the blue shadow following the green one, who stoically walked down the hill. It gazed at the sights around it in, picking up the pace to follow. The both of them came across a fence, to which they opened the gate and continued their journey through the peaceful land. "Though the world may be so beautiful, it could also be so cruel." Another scene shift would bring the two into a small abode, filled with various paintings. The green shadow then hugged another shadow of the same color, then a smaller one, presumably its significant other and child. "When dawn breaks, the paint will color the shadows below." The blue shadow still continued to follow the green one as it entered another room and collapsed into a fit of sorrow. Hesitantly, it reached out a limb to touch the shadow. With a flash of light, the blue shadow appeared to conjure some sort of memory of the green one - a vision playing in the blue shadow''s mind. "Please, unfortunate souls, rest in peace!" The memories of a green shadow unleashing a torrent of lines that engulfed and swallowed entire lands, villages, cities, and worlds flooded the blue one''s mind. The horrific sight of its hometown swamped by lines and green shadows disappearing into nothing was burned into its mind. "Stealing something to earn your paradise... What will the ones robbed do in return?" With another flash, the blue shadow was back into the present. It shook in rage as it looked at the green shadow, responsible for slaughtering those it wept for all this time. It ran out of the room and out of the house. "The paintbrush slides across the canvas and the world, creating new colors and places." Liam tapped his hind paw against the carpet. His feelers were twitching, and he couldn''t tell why. What he did know for sure was that the temperature of the room suddenly picked up a few degrees. A sweat began to build around his brow as he tried to focus back on the film. The blue shadow stumbled through what remained of its hometown. The buildings, the memories, the beings it knew all wiped away - the slate clean. Only a beautiful lakebed remained, sparkling crystal clear. It stopped to stare for a while - fascinated. "When paradise tempts the one who wanted it so bad for the ones who perished." Something caught its attention, though; a spear that rested gently on the verdant grass. It remembered its hatred, its desire for revenge for those it and the world had lost. Thunder cracked in the distance, rain beginning to settle onto the beautiful lands. It grabbed the weapon, hastily turning around to rush back to where it found the green shadow once before. "Requiem!" The scene cut back to the hills of green, the yellow-pinkish glowing sky. The blue shadow rushed up the hill, clutching the spear as it searched for the green shadow. Then it found it, painting away like it always seemed to do. It stopped in its track to gaze at the green shadow - its sworn enemy. "When dawn breaks above paradise, wish for once, that those unfortunate souls will be able to finally rest in peace. Requiem!" Liam''s attention to the film was interrupted as two loud stomps resounded from behind the projector screen. His feelers began to twitch more suddenly, and his heart began to race slowly but steadily, feeling the temperature of the room swell suddenly. He was becoming more and more uncomfortable in his chair, wobbling around in it. ''Dammit, why is my body going crazy all of a sudden?!'' The blue shadow then noticed more and more flowers blooming out of the ground - wallflowers. Each brushstroke from the green shadow sent more and more to arise from the ground. "And if one day, her wish would come true, all of this pain and hatred would finally be put to an end." The blue shadow turned around, witnessing the gravestones of the many that were sacrificed to create paradise. Pink cherry blossom leaves drifted in the breeze as the white wallflowers danced along with them. The shadow looked up towards the sky of yellow and pink, a blinding light now visible. "Now let us meet again in a world we can truly call a paradise." The blue shadow''s limb that held the spear shook and shook until it let go, dropping the weapon into the flowery grave, the spear vanishing along with its hatred. It knew now and understood the green shadow. They had wanted the same thing after all - a paradise to call their own - the sins of the green shadow now its to endure as well. It was becoming almost unbearable for Liam - the tapping of his hind paw increased as well as the erratic sensation in his feelers. The heat in the room was now almost sweltering. His eyes darted back and forth around the room as his body screamed at him to do something - anything. The film reel slowed to a crawl, the projection petering off until it was gone entirely. Simisage was gleefully clapping at the emotional experience, tiny tears appearing in his eyes. ''Duck! Duck! Run! Run! Move! Move!'' Liam gritted his teeth as his feelers spasmed uncontrollably. ''Just what, though?! Where is it?!'' And then it happened. The white screen of the projector melted as a column of fiery, red-hot flames rocketed toward the two of them. Liam''s eyes widened as he put all his faith into his instincts, quickly turning to Simisage''s side and slamming his right arm right into the torso of the clapping Pok¨¦mon. He pushed the two of them downward, both falling out of their chairs and straight onto their bellies. The pillar of scorching and screaming flames shot just right above them, blasting their now empty chairs to smithereens and illuminating the room into a deathly crimson glow, distorting and wavering the air around it. Gloria sprang out of her chair and narrowly missed the flames that grazed her fur. It did not relent. Liam could not see it as his eyes were closed shut, but he could feel the inferno around him. As if a Darumaker was placed right above him at the hottest temperature. Then, the heat vanished. Liam quickly scooted away as best as he could on the carpet, dragging Simisage with him. He then relinquished his grip and rolled the Pok¨¦mon over. "Simisage! Are you all ri-" The Pok¨¦mon was knocked out - cold. Liam assumed the shock of what just happened was too intense for the ambassador. He knew they could be in imminent danger, and so would Simisage in his incapacitated state. ''But just what attacked us?!'' He slowly steered his gaze away from the ambassador and toward the stage where the white screen once stood. Small orange and yellow flames licked the red curtains, burning it up; cinders from it fell down to the wooden stage below. He looked dead into a yellow cannon-like arm with a black brace around it. Connected to the arm was a large torso with a red and orange flame pattern defined in it. The red shoulder blades of the figure flickered like a flame in a candle. And from what he could see of its legs - two long spike-like protrusions shot out of its feet. Liam gulped. He had seen a Pok¨¦mon like this, in the book from the library. ''That''s a¡­ This is a Magmortar!'' He knew the situation was not going to get better from there. First, he needed to get Simisage out of the way. Luckily, Gloria was quick to his aide, grabbing hold of Simisage''s shoulder with her teeth as Liam grabbed his other shoulder with a paw. Together, they dragged him through the sea of overturned chairs, Liam staring down the still and silent Magmortar the entire time. The flaming head of it finally peeked from the side of its massive arm, surveying the damage it created. A deep male bass voice boomed from his defined lips. "Huh, it appears I missed." He lowered his arm before staring down the two Pok¨¦mon dragging away Simisage to a wall opposite of it. The Magmortar chuckled deeply at this. "What do we have here... kids? You''re making a big mistake taking my match away." The Fire-type then jumped off the stage and right onto the red carpet below with a ''thud'' that echoed across the room. "Liam! He''s here to hurt Simisage!" Gloria whispered harshly. Unbeknownst to them, a chorus of bangs was being placed on the door by Simisage''s guard unit, being able to hear the chaos inside. But Liam and Gloria had much more to worry about. The Riolu knew that much, as this obviously wasn''t some random attack, not in a place like this. But right now they didn''t have many options. They couldn''t flee with Simisage in time and risk him getting hurt, or worse. And the possibility of a fight didn''t look promising, especially with Gloria being an Ice-type. The Magmortar, however, didn''t seem to care about their conundrum as he took slow heavy steps towards them. "You have five seconds to move out of my way, or you will be incinerated!" Liam tore his gaze over to Gloria, and the look she gave him in return said it all. She was deathly afraid, but something also lurked in her eyes, something that told him they needed to fight, fight for their lives as well as Simisage''s. He gave a sharp nod. He made her promise before, promising to not back down when the time came for them to enter the guild. This here would be their final trial to test that. Liam gave out deep breaths as he steeled himself to step forward. "No." That one word gave Magmortar the all-clear. "So be it." He casually lifted his arm cannon right in front of Liam''s face, summoning a rush of flames that spewed towards the Riolu blocking his way. "LIAM!" Liam swiftly sprinted to the right with a Quick Attack, expecting this exact action. Magmortar swept his cannon around his right as Liam ran around the Pok¨¦mon, creating a ring of fire as the scorching flames tried to reach the Riolu. The Riolu was thankful this Magmortar seemed to be a one-trick sort of a deal - the arm cannon being his main weapon, if his only one. But that made getting close all sorts of dangerous. Gloria knew her position in this battle would be nothing but afar as support. If any flames reached her, she was done, or worse. He spared himself the thought of that as he completed a full circle around the Magmortar, the Fire-type now disorientated by Liam''s maneuvering. Closing in, the Riolu splayed his paws as purple energy gathered in them. With Magmortar being too slow to react, he slammed multiple Force Palms into the side of him. That seemed to get a reaction - if an angry one. The yellow arm cannon swung around, hitting Liam square in his chest and sending him back a few feet. "What, you think that actually hurt?" The Pok¨¦mon cackled at the very thought. "Pathet-" PING. PING. PING. Magmortar''s words were silenced as he felt multiple sharp ice crystals impact his back. Most of them melted on his fiery side before impact, but the ones that did land only seemed to fuel the Pokemon''s growing temper. "You little brat!" Magmortar cocked his arm cannon at Gloria, stomping forward to blast her with a combustion of flames. Liam saw an opportunity again, sprinting forward with Quick Attack and ducking under the cocked arm cannon, trying to land blow after blow on Magmortar''s stomach region. The Fire-type backed away a little from the pain. In a rage, he twisted his arm down, facing the still-attacking Liam. With his sights right on the Riolu, he let his flames explode out his arm to torch the Riolu right then and there - is what would''ve happened if it weren''t for Gloria latching onto the side of his arm, pushing it out of Liam''s way and firing harmlessly into the air. ''GRAH!" Magmortar swung his arm forcefully, launching the Vulpix out of her grasp and careening into a wall, the saddlebag around her getting thrown across the room. While it did most certainly hurt, she was glad to not taste a single flame from the Pok¨¦mon. In his tantrum, he also sent Liam flying with a swing from the yellow arm, sending him skidding across the floor. As the two of them got up, they looked at each other. They needed a different plan; their method would only tire them out in the long run. ''Darn! We just need something to turn the tide, something that''ll¡­'' That''s when it hit him. His gaze shot across the room, falling upon Gloria''s saddlebag that lie behind a mess of knocked-over chairs. They could use the battle items inside. He gave Gloria a look that told her everything before he sped off in the direction of the bag, intent on utilizing this new strategy.
Weavile and Bisharp stepped out of the elevator, giving the place a good thorough lookover. A grin soon found its way on Weavile''s face as she stretched her arms. The film they showed was long, and sitting still for her for that amount of time was something she never does. "Man, I''ve been waiting for a good enough drink for ages¡­" "You say that as if we don''t already have that back at base," Bisharp noted, earning a roll of Weavile''s eyes. "Nah, a good ole rich ''mon drink. One that''s on the house according to Mr. Penguin Puppet back there." "Still harping on that, ''Weavs''? Need me to report this to the guards?" Bisharp teased. Weavile placed a claw over her chest. "I simply see this city for what is - a bunch of no-good politicians, crooks, thieves, and liars." "So¡­ us then." "Of course! But we''re so much better than some average street thug. Now, you can accompany me to get drunk or dawdle off doing something I don''t care about. And your choice is...?" Bisharp snorted. "Fine, I just hope you''re correct about this place. Too many ''mons passing their piss or whatever off as alcohol." Weavile took a seat at one of the few unoccupied stools at the bar top, while Bisharp took a seat to the left of her. She rattled her claws on the glass counter, waving down a nearby bartender for them both. "Don''t bother getting a brandy," a suave voice chimed in from Weavile''s left. Turning to the voice, she noticed it was a Zoroark. "Excuse me?" she asked a bit haughtily. Not a lot of Pok¨¦mon randomly struck up a conversation with her. The Zoroark''s head turned fully towards her with a grin, nursing a drink of his own in his claws. "I said don''t get a brandy. They give you the entire bottle and it''s horrible." "Really? Well, good thing I don''t care for brandy types. I''m more of a whiskey gal¡­" She offered him a toothy sneer. The Zoroark chuckled, placing a claw over his heart in mock pain. "You wound me, sister, but I''m way outta your age range." Weavile rolled her eyes at this, amused enough to continue the conversation. "Let me guess... thirty?" "Try forty," he said, taking a swig from his drink. "I think experiencing only twenty of those years can give me the excuse to act young, though." "You a dad or something? Most fathers always end up here now or in the future," Weavile said, spurring a rise of laughter coming from the fox. "Nah, just a brother... or uncle to some. The cool kind of uncle that gives you Blast Seeds and junk." Bisharp suddenly interjected into the conversation, leaning his head over the table. "I think¡­ I think I''ve heard of you before. My father was in the Rescue Society... You have a name, right? Roark, the Zoroark thief who couldn''t produce illusions?" he took a shot in the dark. The Zoroark scoffed to all of this, taking another swig and reminiscing. "Yeah... and Bisharp was your old man, eh? Was a good ''mon to me all those years back when I was a blank slate. But I left the Rescue Society around the time of the Glacier Peak Mountain Avalanche... A nasty little event that was. Now, I just do errands for the guild here." Roark cocked his head to eyeball the due. "But what are you two? Part of a team, workers, or..." He smirked. "You had to do something great to get a gig like this." Weavile held a claw to interrupt Bisharp. "Yes, we''re a team - Team Razor Claw. One of our members got us an invitation here." She noticed the deadpan look from Bisharp and shot him a glare. "Well, shit, why don''t you bring them around. Booze is on the house, y''know." Roark pointed a claw at Bisharp. "And I wanna hear more about you." Weavile scraped the glass counter with a claw. "I think he is off doing something a bit more important. I just hope the poor guy doesn''t get burnt out..."
Magmortar was having none of it. He propped up his arm cannon, honing in on Liam as the Riolu bolted across the room towards the saddlebag. Multiple flaming orange bullet-like projectiles shot out of Magmortar''s cannon, sailing across the room to his target. Liam ducked and weaved between every shot that came near him. The flame balls splattered onto the wooden chairs in his path, causing fragments of blazing wood to burst everywhere. Using this to his advantage, he picked up chairs to block any that came too close, the chairs shattering on impact once absorbing the blow. Magmortar attempted to send another volley but was pelted by Gloria''s Ice Shard, stunning him briefly. He brought his second arm near his assailant and sprayed a wave of flames wildly toward her. She was lucky enough to just be in enough range for her to sidestep the wave of heat, the force of it nearly causing her to buckle. Liam grabbed the saddlebag in the corner and sprinted back to the Fire-type. On the way over, he hastily opened the pouch to their battle items. A bunch of elemental seeds and Wonder Orbs. He knew this would do the trick, but just how many was a question he would have to put to the test. Grabbing a red Blast Seed, he got to a good enough distance as he hurled it straight into the face of a distracted Magmortar. BOOM. The distinct cracking, popping, and mini-explosion of the Blast Seed bursting on impact with the Pok¨¦mon''s face was clear. Magmortar stopped his assault on Gloria as he raised his arms to his face in pain. "GRAH!" BOOM. Liam did not hold back as he tossed another seed straight into the Pok¨¦mon''s face. It exploded on impact as expected with another cry of pain from the Fire-type. BOOM. The third seed would never reach its destination as Magmortar predicted another projectile and smacked it away from him with an arm, exploding on the black steel walls instead. ''Two out of three, that''s better than nothing. Still¡­'' Liam peered into the item pouch, trying to plan out his next approach, but the angry voice of Magmortar would interrupt his train of thought. "ENOUGH!" The seething Fire-type yet again held his arm cannon facing Liam. But this time, he appeared to be charging something, as blue flames licked at the edges of Magmortar''s arm, his eyes seizing up. ''What is he¡­'' Liam realized he only had seconds to react. Something flaming blue and large shot out of Magmortar''s arm, quickly swirling into the air and forming the shape of a strange symbol as it howled loudly and zoomed the Riolu''s way. Liam barely managed to roll out of the way from the massive fire blast before it slammed into the steel wall behind him. He cringed in pain, feeling a few flames singe his tail. Magmortar took full advantage of his dizzying state, aiming his cannon at the Riolu still belly-first on the ground. "Burn." The orange, fiery blaze erupted from his arm and consumed Liam. All the Riolu could feel was unrelenting burning heat. He wanted to scream in agony, but could occasionally feel an icy chill pierce through the pain. He cracked an eye open to see Gloria spewing her Frost Breath on the flames from Magmortar''s cannon, easing the burning just a bit. The worried stare she was sending him told him everything as he rolled his way out of the fire. She backed up as well before the Fire-type could give her a whiplash with his cannons. Liam stood on wobbly legs, his fur blackened as he took deep breaths to calm himself down. If Gloria wasn''t there to save him, he would''ve been toast. They needed to end this quickly before it got even uglier. Magmortar appeared winded as well, especially after that fire blast attack he did - so that meant it was now or never. He dug into the saddlebag and retrieved one of the Wonder Orbs - a Luminous Orb. Magmortar grunted and tried to charge them again with front-facing cannons, ready to end this just like they were. Liam chucked the Luminous Orb at Magmortar''s face - it was a direct hit. The white orb shattered, materializing a bright white light that exploded in Magmortar''s eyes, briefly blinding him in its brief intensity. "GAH!" Realizing he could not see, he started to blast twin Flamethrowers haphazardly from his cannons, desperate for any of them to torch the two Pok¨¦mon before him. Gloria started up her assault with Ice Shard again, but she knew she didn''t have as much energy to spare, just as Liam did. The Riolu pulled a Stun Seed out of the pouch. To stop Magmortar''s random firing and land a hit, they would need to stop him from doing so in the first place. Like before, he hurled the seed at the flailing Fire-type. It shattered as a wave of yellow electricity shot across the Pok¨¦mon''s body. Bolts and static electricity kept his body rigid, with no way to attack or prevent one from being used on him. The pair knew this was their moment. Liam pulled out the two deep purple orbs - the One-Hit-KO Orbs. He rolled one over to Gloria, who stomped it with a paw as he crushed his in an iron-like grasp. A purple flickering aura began to surround the two of them. Gloria charged up a final array of Ice Shards, aiming them straight into Magmortar''s chest. PING. PING. PING. Each one of them landed and made their mark as the Fire-type thrashed in pain. Liam closed the distance one last time, charging a glowing and pulsing Force Palm as he dove it into the Pok¨¦mon''s stomach. A boom echoed throughout the room once it made contact. The static electricity sealing away Magmortar''s movement was broken as the Pok¨¦mon stood still for a few moments, the pain settling in. In a dramatic fashion, Magmortar promptly smashed to the ground with a large ''thud''. The battle was won. Liam collapsed to his knees, heaving back and forth, the adrenaline wearing off as the pain began to set in. "We¡­ did it." Gloria quickly rushed over to Liam''s side, opening up one of the pouches of the saddlebag and taking an Oran Berry out of it. She stuffed it into his mouth as he began to chew on it slowly, almost in a daze. "Yeah, we did do it!" she said with encouragement, giving him a warm smile. "But we need to get you to a proper hospital!" "Hey¡­" He took a breath. "What do we do about Magmortar here?" As if on cue, the door to the room ruptured out of its hinges as Shiftry, Breloom, and other guard Pok¨¦mon entered. The new arrivals looked around, the remnants of wooden chair fragments, the charred remains of the film projector and screen, and the shadow of charcoal left where burn marks stained the floor. It did not take them long to realize a battle had taken place here. Shiftry stepped forward, "What..." He gazed at the unconscious forms of Simisage and Magmortar, "... Happened here?!" "We can''t explain! Just get him to the nearest hospital!" Gloria yelled, motioning towards a pained Liam. The guards gave each other looks, before shrugging and immediately taking over control of the room from here on out.
Liam limped out of the elevator, a bit of a blur in his vision. Two of the guards held him by his shoulders, helping him walk. Behind him, the rest of the guards were carrying Magmortar out as well. He could feel the perturbed looks from the other Pok¨¦mon on the main floor give them once they made their way to the exit. Empoleon seemed to notice and quickly stood up to damage control. "It appears some of our guests have been a little rowdy! Be safe, everyone!" Liam could not blame him; no one could have expected something like this to happen - not even him. The Riolu''s posture became more relaxed when his face hit the cool night air outside; it was a godsend after being in that scorching room. Outside, he bore witness to three Pok¨¦mon on the red carpet, a bunch of Pok¨¦mon crowding around the three of them, shooting whispers back and forth. These Pok¨¦mon seemed much more different though than any regular Pok¨¦mon, as whispers of ''It''s Team Drarosteel!'' or ''Team Drarosteel!'' filled his ears. The Pok¨¦mon on the left was most definitely an Aggron from the size of its hulking frame, metal plates, and horns. The one on the right was a Tyranitar from its dark spots and solid rock body. It stood about the same height as the Aggron. However, the one in the middle was slightly taller than the other already imposing Pok¨¦mon. He gulped at the sight of it - his subconscious fear of Dragon-types coming to fruition before him. It was a Garchomp, with its iconic dark blue coloring and hammerhead-like face, and the long talons on its scythe-like arms. White spikes jutted out from its arms and legs, not to mention its mouth of razor-sharp teeth. Worst of all, it was staring directly at him, strutting forward. "It appears we turned up late to the party, right, boys?" Liam was all the more surprised at the deep velvety female voice that came out of it instead of something more menacing. The Aggron next to her swiveled its head to the dragon, letting out an accented male voice. "Ah, lassie, don''t go worryin'' bout that. Look at the battle scars on this small one lad here! Just like home, I''d say!" He bellowed with laughter. Garchomp''s eyes narrowed at the Riolu, who shrank in her gaze. That was until she saw the unconscious body of Magmortar also being carried out by a few guards. With new context being provided, she understood completely, her eyes becoming more compassionate. "I hope you two are guild members or will be. You did a fine job today the way I see it." Liam stared at her for a while before nodding his head rapidly. "We won''t hold you guys any longer, so get the much-needed rest for the group of heroes here." She motioned with a white talon for the guards to walk past. Once they were on the streets of Empyrean, he gave one final look behind him at the trio of Pok¨¦mon that were now entering the theater, the crowd following in with them. ''Just who are those guys¡­?'' He didn''t have any energy left to think about it as he panned his tired face toward the glittering night sky. Today had certainly been interesting. The Riolu would have chuckled at that thought if he had the strength. He contemplated what tomorrow would bring, and their subsequent days at the guild as he counted what little stars remained in the pitch-black blanket of the night.
A woman dreams of a world free from strife and hatred, but this is no mere fantasy...
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time:Cosmic Quilt Guild Cosmic Quilt Guild Chapter 7 Cosmic Quilt Guild ''"Everyone! Attack with all your might!" he called to his loyal troops. With a swish of his red-tattered cape, Gallade descended towards the battlefield. This would be their last confrontation with the wicked Steelix. Once he landed, he sent wave after wave of Psycho Cuts from his sword-like arms, the arcs of purple psychic energy slamming against the Steelix''s hard exterior as it groaned in pain. Following right after the attack was a myriad of multicolored blasts and beams from behind Gallade, soaring past him and smashing into the Steel-type. The Pok¨¦mon heeded their captain''s words, not relenting in their final push forward to victory. The Steelix''s groan soon evolved into a screech of defeat, its winding body of metal crashing down to the ground, scattering wooden and stone debris in its wake. The battle was won. Team Syndicate had saved the town of Ereon once again. Shouts of cheers and praise of their beloved captain came from the crowd of once attacking Pok¨¦mo, with Gallade waving them off. It seemed the Volbeat and Illumise were returning back to the town once again, buzzing across the crisp night sky. Gardevoir slowly descended down with her psychic powers, her dress gently swaying in the wind once she reached the ground. She then enveloped the heroic Gallade into a loving embrace. "My beloved, it is over," she said with a sweet, loving smile. "Yes¡­ for now," Gallade replied, holding her close with his own tender smile. The couple held their hug throughout the celebration of the town''s hardy citizens. The firefly Pok¨¦mon''s abdomens flickered a bright golden light into the dusky night, floating through the sky with their worries of a dark day fading along with their glowing radiance. The town of Ereon was safe, for now. THE END.'' Gloria sighed contentedly, closing the book she had been reading. She didn''t think it was quite as good as the others in the series and wondered why she even bothered picking it up in the first place. It definitely was not for the ''cheesy'' romantic subplot that Roark suggested she got it for. She snatched the book''s closed form with her teeth as she hopped off her bed. Already she had exhausted any amount of wait in her by going through her collection again. Now was the time to get ready; today was the big day. She strode over to a nearby, almost full bookshelf, and slid the book back into its rightful place. Her next destination was her personal mirror, opposite a white dresser. Picking up a pale bristled brush next to the reflective surface, she began combing it through her colorless fur, smoothing out any loose curls and locks that appeared in her coat. Gloria stared into her reflection, her eyes drilling into her copy in the mirror as she continued her assault on her coat. Without any distraction in her way for what lies ahead, her mind began to swirl as an idle thump began to beat softly in her chest, a few shallow breaths escaping from her. ''Today¡­ today is, um, the day.'' Gloria scolded her inner self for being so redundant, but couldn''t help still thinking about it, now that she was finally here. She huffed as she switched the brush to her other paw, trying at the same time to switch up her mind. She thought of yesterday''s events, gritting her teeth at recalling everything that had happened that day. ''We were attacked.'' Not some random attack either - a coordinated one - with them at the wrong place and wrong time. A shiver traveled across her spine - only adrenaline pumped through her veins at that time. The threat of life or death was very real to them, and they were quite lucky to have dealt with a not so much experienced Pok¨¦mon either. She knew even both of their combined strength would not have taken Magmortar down. The item training they had done prior, along with Liam''s quick thinking, really sealed their victory. A small smile graced Gloria''s worried features as her brushing slowed. hey had won. They had bested a foe much stronger than they were. Past the fears and shock of it all, triumph reigned in her heart. Right then and there, they had proven themselves not to just be any other Pok¨¦mon. No, instead they had proven themselves to be worthy of joining the guild. She switched the brush to her other paw, working on her other side again. At that time, when that Magmortar fell to the ground, she wanted to jump up and down in utter joy. Still, her natural worry came in as she assisted Liam with his condition. She wanted to laugh at that moment, and even now she wanted to laugh. A more pleasant and calm thump in her chest replaced her brisk one. Even if there were no Pok¨¦mon to see them do that, she had, and that was all she needed to know. Now would be their time to show that to the guild, in whatever task they needed of them. ''I should really stop doing all of this. All of this worrying.'' The brushing ceased, believing she was adequately well-kempt. While Gloria wasn''t one of those types of Pok¨¦mon to go to a salon all the time to groom their fur, she at least knew to make her best appearance today. Placing the brush back onto the dresser, she gave one final look into the mirror, analyzing her now aptly prim form, but mostly looking deep into her soul. It seemed to only reassure herself, repeating the words in her mind over and over. But at that time, an idea crossed it. Gloria shifted her gaze towards the white dresser she passed, thinking slowly. The beat in her chest seemed to return, promptly ignoring her previous sentiments. ''Is it time already?'' She slowly plodded towards the dresser, her heart rate increasing once she approached the one drawer in particular that she had avoided for so long. Placing her paw under the latch of it, she pulled it forward, revealing its fabled contents to be seen. Inside were two items; a stone, and a necklace with something attached to it. The stone was icy blue, almost transparent, and an unmistakable snowflake pattern carved into its middle as it radiated a chilly aura. ''When the time is right. When the time is right.'' She repeated the same words told to her young self before in her mind, hesitantly reaching a paw towards the stone, carefully trying not to channel any of the stone''s power as she rested her paw on it. ''Ten years. But¡­'' She removed her paw from the cold stone, placing it against her chest, feeling the beating of her heart quite clearly. ''I still don''t feel ready for this.'' She had entrusted her with this Ice Stone long ago and was told to use it when the time was right. She bit her lip as she fought with her inner self, trying to decide. ''Is the time right, though?'' Going back and forth in her head, resurfacing past memories - she decided. It would come later for her to take the next step. It still saddened her a bit, neglecting it again just as she had neglected her dreams for just as long. ''Just some more time, please?'' she asked almost desperately, knowing she wouldn''t get an answer. She was about to close the drawer when the necklace caught her eye, filling her chest with the same nostalgic warmth from before. The Never-Melt-Ice pierced through the middle with some string. A little sloppily done, but she knew that it was made out of passion. Gloria still could remember the words told to her after she was given it. She reached back into the drawer, took out the necklace, and balanced it in her paw, before holding it to her chest. ''I''ve already made so many promises.'' Gloria smiled, pushing the drawer back into its original place. There would be a time and place for this all - she knew it. She went back to her plush bed and grabbed the cream-colored saddlebag that rested next to it. She opened one of the empty pouches and gently placed the necklace inside. Whenever she was worthy enough to wear it, she would. The rest of the pouches were packed with whatever else they had before, along with anything else she had that was suited for their stay at the guild. She did not know how long they would stay at the guild. Whether it was months or years. Despite wanting to enter the guild a lot, this was a new experience for her and Liam alike. ''It''s all just ahead of us.'' Gloria threw the saddlebag around her side. She mentally checked everything off her preparation list as she marched to the door, opening it with a ''click''. She stepped out into the hall, peering into the living room - quiet as ever. Her gaze changed to the couch, where a dark figure was snoozing, clutching her old blanket. Just as she had expected, Roark passed out not long after yesterday, apparently too tired or too drunk to reach his own room. Gloria giggled softly as she tiptoed over to the couch where the Zoroark rested, snoring loudly as he usually did. She did not want to disturb him but needed to know exactly where Liam went, seeing as there were multiple hospitals or clinics he could be at. She pushed a white paw into his sides, the Pok¨¦mon mumbling something in his sleep as he clung tightly to the small blanket. "Roark, I need you to wake up... Roark!" Gloria ducked her head as a pair of red claws nearly sliced her, trying to drive away the offender away in self-defense. Roark''s eyes snapped open, finally returning to this realm. He appeared to be conscious enough, as he lowered his arm and smacked his lips. "Mmm¡­ Breakfast time already, sis?" he asked, yawning and placing a claw over his mouth. He grimaced in pain, placing another claw on his temple. "Shoot, think you could send some cool air my way?" A wave of chilled frosty air met his face. He sighed in relief at the feeling of coldness consuming his heat. "You''re a lifesaver, sis. Now breakfast?" Gloria frowned, "Not this time, Roark. How much did you drink last night? And you should know what day it is!" she scolded, not bothering to tell him it was the afternoon already. Roark''s eyes widened, before chuckling. "Well, enough to give me a tiny bit of a hangover, I''d say. That Team Razor Claw... " He tapped a claw on his head. "Shared a lot of stories, so I went a little overboard on the drink department." Gloria rolled her eyes, "Where did they take Liam? I hope you didn''t forget." The Zoroark laughed, "What kind of brother would I be if I did? He told me to meet you at some fountain after he got out the, uh-" he snapped his claws together before realization overtook him, "The one the both of you went after your little library trip." ''Ah, I hope he''s all right, and ready for today.'' Roark nestled himself further into the couch, still clutching the small blanket and offering an amused look the Vulpix''s way. "Well? I think he''d hate waiting all on his lonesome for his best explorer partner, y''know?" He continued, despite Gloria''s intention to interrupt. "He looks fine, except being on the bit of charred side. Should take him back to Arceus and tell him he messed up your order." She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Thank you, Roark. I, um, should probably go get him now, and head off to the guild and all." The Vulpix moved in to offer him a small hug, which he slightly leaned into. Once they parted, Gloria moved towards the front door, extending a paw to open the door. "Sis?" "Huh?" Gloria turned around to see an upright Roark, still nursing his aching head, despite the smirk on his face. "Are you excited?" Gloria fiddled with her saddlebag, looking down slightly as a blush consumed her muzzle. "Terrified, but you know me," she said, looking up again. "Of course you are, but trust me, you''re gonna love it. More than being some schmuck who does errands like me. Plus, you get to see me popping in every now and then!" The fox started another round of laughter before suddenly stopping. "Hey, are you carrying that necklace still?" Gloria nodded, that familiar warmth in her chest rising again. "Of course, whenever I feel that I''m worthy," she spoke, patting the special pouch of the saddlebag. Roark nodded slowly. "And the stone?" "When the time is right." "When the time is right," he retorted back. "Just know, you''re making me¡­ them, proud by doing this." The warmth in Gloria''s chest skyrocketed upon hearing those words. Just one little step at a time was all it took for her. "Well then, sis, see you on the flip side." Roark gave her a brief salute with a free claw, summoning a giggle out of her. "I''ll see you later, Roark." With a ''click'', the front door was opened as Gloria bounded outside, quickly shutting the door closed behind her. Roark collapsed into the couch again, holding his pulsing and agonizing head. "It pays off, but man... being a good brother is hard work."
The white door to the small clinic closed after the nurses bid Liam farewell, who offered a wave of his paw in return. The afternoon sun beamed on his face, causing him to squint his red eyes at it. ''What an ordeal.'' For the previous night, he was holed up, or rather, laid on a gurney as the medically trained Pok¨¦mon there laced his body with some sort of purple-pink psychic healing power that he couldn''t quite put his paw on what exactly it was. But he was not complaining, as it healed whatever pain from the burns he was dealt with that night. He was expecting them to stick a bunch of needles into him, but after that treatment of energy, they told him to sleep the rest away. The next morning he was free - just like that. The oddities of this world continued to fascinate him. Even if his blue fur had edges of black on them, he felt great. Looking around his surroundings, he knew he was in an area of Empyrean City that he had never been to before. An emergency or care district from the looks of it, with Pok¨¦mon rushing in patients, or patients themselves wrapped up in gauze walking around with walking sticks. Yesterday, when Roark escorted him to this clinic, he agreed on meeting either one of them at the fountain both he and Gloria had been to previously. After giving his side of the story, Roark was satisfied with his answer, softly slugging him on the shoulder for his success and then taking his leave. Liam assumed the fox was probably drunk, but knew he meant well enough. With nothing more to say or do, he crossed the busy streets of chatting Pok¨¦mon, through winding dark alleyways and open markets. He had an idea of where to go, using the Eden Theater as a landmark to judge his distance. It was not long before he found himself in that familiar plaza, the stone statue of a Seadra spewing water from its mouth into the mini pond below. With the small amount of Pok¨¦mon present, Gloria or Roark weren''t here from the looks of it. Not like he could blame them - yesterday seemed exhausting for Gloria and well, exciting for Roark to say the least. Once he reached the protruding stone benches, he hunkered down on them, letting his hind paws rest from their trip. A lot of time seemed to appear in his lap, enough to comb through his thoughts. He scowled a bit as he felt ''it'' again. Ever since he woke up today, some kind of feeling was in his mind. Like something was trying to worm itself into his brain or break into it. Sometimes it flared up, but it was a constant hazy feeling in his brain. He did not think it was some headache, but it eluded many of his descriptions, though. Whatever it was, he tried to push it out of his mind with a shake of his head. ''Maybe memories?'' He would have chuckled at a thought like that if it didn''t hurt him a little bit. He had been here - this world - or felt like has for almost a week. Ever since his first day of reflection, he felt like a blank, like he never existed. It frightened him at first, but the thought of joining the guild and having that chance of restoring them eased a bit of that scare within him. Truly, he was afraid of confronting the possibility of him never finding himself again. But, it did lead to something different. The chance of him carving out a new him, without past intervention. Whenever he thought back to that map of Celestic, he wondered about all the regions that existed on this continent. Endless plains of green, seas of sand, frozen forests, jaw-dropping cliffs and caves. That is what got his heart pumping; what made him think less of what he lacked on the inside. He knew Gloria had dreams of her own, so why couldn''t he? Not just to know who was in the past, but who he can be now. This was a fresh start, for both of them. He never lied to her when he told her what he wanted to do, or when he made that promise to her. To explore what was around him - uncharted territory, the unexplored. But in the end, would he find his own paradise? A place he could truly call home in this odd world. To create some kind of new him, an actual Pok¨¦mon, and not just an entity or ghost-like he thought he was. Was that wrong? To create some kind of artificial personality? It was funny to him, that maybe he was always just like this, and only rediscovered his lost passion. But if he was different from the Pokemon he was now, then would he want to return to that state, or reject it? ''...'' Liam stopped himself from thinking about something like that - he wouldn''t be in the right mindset now to determine that. Now was the time to think about the present with the guild. Roark had dragged them into this thing, and by extension, Liam too, with Gloria. ''Yeah, this is-'' "Hey! Liam ain''t it?" The Riolu''s ears perked up, hearing his name being called, and that voice who said it in particular. It was familiar, female, and had an unmistakable country accent attached to it. It was an accent he found close to home for some reason. "Buneary?" His head swiveled toward the direction of the voice. Indeed it was Buneary, a joyous smile on her face as the brown lagomorph hopped towards him. She jumped up onto the bench, sitting right next to him. "Yeah, I thought I recognized ya! That blank ole look you always have," she stated with a grin. Liam sighed, "Yup, that''s me. Shouldn''t you be at the orphanage?" Buneary''s cheeks puffed out as she put her paws on her sides. "You know I''m not a little kid like my ma thinks! I''m practically a grown-up now, just like you guys!" "Okay, you did seem to handle yourself fine in the Sunshine Grove. I''ll give you that." Buneary smiled smugly. "In a few years, I''ll be just like y''all with the guild and stuff. Helpin'' Pok¨¦mon, explorin'' the world; all that fun stuff." Liam almost facepalmed; they never told her they were not part of the guild when they went to ''rescue'' her. "You know, we actually weren''t-" She stopped him in his tracks. "Part of the guild, right? I already know ''cause Ma told me. But¡­ you two are still going to become members, right? Gloria at least of all Pok¨¦mon?" He nodded. "Today is going to be our very first day." Buneary''s eyes lit up at that. "Really?! That''s so amazing, I got rejected like a bazillion times." Liam met her starry-eyed gaze. "Well, maybe I can put in a good word that you were involved when we discovered the hidden Mystery Dungeon." He was caught off guard by a sudden hug from the affectionate bunny. She then removed herself to speak again. "Thank you guys, seriously! Ma is a lot less restrictive now that she knows her lil'' girl is grown up, and not a baby ''mon anymore. I hope you''re excited - maybe as much as Gloria should be!" Liam looked up towards the cloudless blue sky, searching for that excitement she hoped he had. A thump in his chest reminded him - he was excited. "Of course I am. We''re both ready for this. We''ve all got dreams, y''know." Buneary seemed satisfied with that answer as she hopped off the stone bench, her eye still trained onto Liam''s. "Y''all will come back to the orphanage again, right? Show me all the cool stuff y''all are doing in the guild?" "Oh, you betcha we will. We practically owe you our invitation to the guild." "Great!" She started to hop away but turned around. "Ma loves the necklace by the way!" And with that final remark, she was out of his sight. Now, he was back to waiting again, if it were not for the visage of a certain silhouette crossing his peripherals. Turning to view it came the familiar frame of a small white fox - Gloria. A cream-colored saddlebag swung across her side as a wide smile encompassed her muzzle. She quickened up her pace as Liam came into her view, scanning his slightly blackened body. "Are, um, are you okay¡­?" "Yeah, and are you here for what I think you''re here for?" "Yeah, I''m ready. Are you?" Liam pushed himself off the bench, brushing his chest as he stood up. She seemed more amped up than the past times they had spoken. He was happy to see that. "Ready." "Then follow me." She motioned for him to head straight down the northern road, which would lead them straight out of the city. Short enough of a trip where it seemed to not wear them out, but long enough to where they could strike up a conversation along the way. "Are you hungry? Did they feed you anything before you left?" Gloria questioned. "Yeah, fed me some of the clinic food. Not as good of the stuff you make, though, but better than Roark''s." She laughed softly as they strolled through the hectic streets of Empyrean, talking about the previous day and the things they saw, how lucky they were in that battle, and Liam showering her in much-needed praise for her multiple saves of him, much to her modest nature.
He could see it beyond the many bumps of grassy green hills in his way. Once they were out of the city proper, they took to the trail they had taken the days before. This new trail they took seemed to lead them further into the endless stretch of meadow and lush plains. A pleasant breeze ran through them and the fields of grass before them. Liam rushed forward, passing Gloria as he ran up what appeared to be the final hill in their path. Once at the top of the path, he got a good look at the peculiar structure below. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. It was a large purplish-blue building - its exterior walls were dotted with star-like yellow blots, giving the building the look of a full night sky. The architecture was a bit strange, with circular and more curved rooms of various sizes connected to a much larger room near the entrance. A slanted roof climbed above to a light purple dome-like design above one of the rooms. An opening through the dome revealed a long metal object pointed straight towards the sky - a telescope. To the left of the building, a huge stretch of garden and farmland chock full of trees, berry bushes, and other kinds of fruits and vegetables were in abundance. On the building''s right was a rectangular patch of paved grass and dirt, much like the path they were on now. Points of impact and scorched marks into it gave him the idea it was some kind of training ground. ''So, this is the Cosmic Quilt Guild? Someone must''ve really liked the night while making this place,'' Liam thought. Gloria soon caught up with the excited Riolu, gazing down at the same structure. She had seen it before many times, but she couldn''t help but still feel a bit nervous, especially now. Flying-type Pok¨¦mon whizzed above them as they descended toward the guild''s main entrance. Despite not being in the city anymore, there were still tons of Pok¨¦mon near the entrance, and possibly more on the inside. The doors were wide open, allowing any Pok¨¦mon to enter. The both of them disembarked down the trail again once they were done taking everything in. Liam would have seen the inside of the place if it were not for a Pok¨¦mon blocking his path as they exited. "Out of our way!" Liam was pushed to the side as a Toxtricity stormed past him, followed by a large Pidgeot and a lanky Vigoroth, both seemingly just as angry. Before Liam or Gloria could say anything, the trio was gone. ''Why do I always get bumped into,'' he grumbled. The two exchanged looks and shrugs. But with the entrance now clear for them to enter, they took their first few steps into the guild. The hall they were in was tall and wide. Liam could only refer to the large theater they were in yesterday, but a bit smaller. A decorated ceiling dropped chandeliers above them, lighting much of the room up that wasn''t consumed by the outside light through the windows. The walls, just like the outside, had a cosmic appearance. The porcelain tiled floor beneath their paws was a checkered white and black color. However, the centerpiece of the room was a stone statue in the middle - a Milotic. Just like the Seadra fountain in Empyrean, it spewed water from its open mouth into a small fountain. What was more apparent though were the dozens of Pok¨¦mon in the large foyer, mostly crowding around erected signs with papers, notes, and images attached to them. Liam was confused, but Gloria was thankfully there to correct him. "Uh, the Pok¨¦mon here are part of established teams and come here for the jobs listed. The actual members of the guild are in the other sectors. Now..." She looked to the opposite end of the hall, catching an Indeedee that sat behind a wooden counter, happily chatting away with a Scizor. "We should go check in with Indeedee; she''ll get all our paperwork done." Indeedee and the Scizor paused their conversation once Liam and Gloria quietly rolled in. Realization flashed in Indeedee''s eyes as she bent down to retrieve a clipboard and a black pen from the lower sections of the counter. An extremely saccharine voice then spilled out of the Pok¨¦mon. "You two! I saw that form the Guildmaster made! You''re that Vulpix and Riolu duo, correct?" Gloria winced but remembered her words. "U-Uh, yes! We were advised to come today to start off as recruits?" Indeedee nodded. "Of course! Please put down your age, place of birth and other information. It''s useful for us to know once you''re an official member!" The Pok¨¦mon placed the clipboard and the pen on the counter, signaling for the both of them to start signing. This would be fine for Gloria, who didn''t have memory loss, but for Liam, it spelled something different. Luckily, on the way there, they perfected his ''backstory'' he had partially given the Meowstics the day of the festival. Liam did not want to arouse any suspicion or get him or potentially Gloria kicked out of the guild if this was found out. The Vulpix didn''t like the idea, but he reassured her that this was the logical way, and he would take full responsibility if it bit him in the future. He didn''t know his actual age, so he put himself at the same age as Gloria - eighteen. She told him about a village she had been to in the Shore Region before, so he marked that as his place of birth. With all of their information taken care of, the Indeedee took back the clipboard and handed it to the Scizor standing next to the counter. Said Pok¨¦mon was giving her, and the both of them a watchful eye. Once the clipboard was in the clutches of its red pincers, it squinted its eyes as it read carefully. Liam was positive he put everything down correctly, but couldn''t help the slight sweat forming around his brow. "Everything seems intact," a stark male voice belonging to Scizor confirmed. He took one last look at the clipboard before nodding. "I''ll alert the Guildmaster. Please stay here." The tiled floors resounded with a ''clack'' noise as the Scizor left them at the counter, disappearing into one of the corridors beyond the hall. They couldn''t hear much because of the constant chatter, but it was not long before the Scizor was back with another Pok¨¦mon in tow. The Pok¨¦mon that came with him made Liam''s eyes grow wide like dinner plates. It was a Lucario. That was not the most shocking part, though. This one was colored way differently than any normal Lucario he had seen in his book. Its natural blue fur on its arms, muzzle, and ''trousers'' were instead a shade of yellow-gold. Its chest fur retained its blue coloration, if not a bit lighter than usual. He swore he could remember being told of something like this by Gloria. When they were in the Empyrean Museum, she showed him stories of something called ''Shiny'' Pok¨¦mon. Apparently, they were Pok¨¦mon born with some kind of color mutation - harmless, but strange and rare. The sharp red eyes of that Shiny Lucario also enlarged once it saw Liam, the two of them having a tiny staredown from the looks of it. Thankfully, Scizor was there to put a stop to it. "Guildmaster, these are the two other Pok¨¦mon. You should be free to assign the three of them now." The Lucario blinked. "Right," a gruff voice came out. "Then that means¡­" He took a step forward, raising a paw at the Vulpix in front of him. "Roark''s sister, Gloria, correct?" A quick nod from the entranced Vulpix was all he needed. The extended paw then came towards the Riolu as the Lucario tightened it. "And you''re... Liam?" The Guildmaster''s eyes bored into the Pok¨¦mon. Liam gulped, slowly nodding his head. He knew this was a true veteran in front of him - from the stare in his eye, the grizzled look, and the rough voice. The Riolu noticed also something odd wrapped around the Guildmate''s paw though. It was an orange ring, almost glowing. In the middle, there was some sort of rainbow-colored orb carved into the orange band, a strange symbol etched into it. The orb seemed to be bursting with some kind of energy, as Liam''s aura tassels twitched a little whenever he caught a glance at them. The Lucario withdrew his paw, keeping his gaze on them both. "I''m glad you two are here. I am the Guildmaster of the Cosmic Quilt Guild, but my name is Jackson." Liam''s mind seared with pain as he held a paw against his head. His headache from earlier when he awoke was back had come back with a vengeance. Gloria snapped out of her own stupor. "Are you okay, Liam?" Then, just like that, the pain was gone. It dissipated like it had got what it wanted and left. Liam let out a sigh of relief, loosening the hold on his head. "Yeah, I''m okay." Jackson cleared his throat with a paw. "Now, I see there is no further need to dawdle around. You two will begin your training mission. You may have found something in the Sunshine Grove, but we will need to know if you can handle yourselves at all." He swept his paw towards the halls. "You two, along with another recruit, will head to Soaring Falls. Here you will navigate through the Mystery Dungeon there and retrieve the package at the end placed by one of our members." It seemed easy enough for a training mission. Yet one detail seemed off to Liam, as well as Gloria. "Another recruit? I thought we were the only ones." "ROCKRUFF!" Jackson suddenly yelled, shocking the two of them. A scurrying noise emitted from the hallway Scizor and Jackson came from as a dog-like Pok¨¦mon came bolting towards them, a wag in its gray tail. It took its place near Liam and Gloria, who were a bit perturbed. It was indeed a Rockruff as the Guildmaster yelled out. "I''m here!" a young jubilant voice barked out of the Rockruff. Jackson nodded. "Good. Rockruff will join you two on your mission at Soaring Falls. While he is not part of your team, he is a starting recruit just like you - meaning you all will go through the same amount of training." Rockruff gave a toothy smile to the two now friendly-faced Pok¨¦mon. "We''re gonna be such a good du- trio!" he exclaimed. "Then I hope there will be no problems," Jackson said. "The three of you should depart right away while the day is present. Head east down the crossroads, past the Sunshine Forest, where you''ll find the Soaring Falls. Once you retrieve the package''s contents, you will return to officially establish your team." Scizor handed the Lucario the clipboard as the two of them retreated back into the hallway. Jackson gave the two of them, especially Liam, a parting glance before disappearing. As soon as they were gone, Rockruff jumped up and down on all four paws, getting in front of both Liam and Gloria with a determined expression, and wag in his tail. "Let''s go! We''re wasting time!"
"Man, this is booooring!" Liam could not agree with Rockruff''s complaints. He felt sometimes it was nice to take a slower pace and smell the roses, or in this case, the wide expanse of rock and clay before them. Heeding the Guildmaster''s words, they headed east past the crossroads. According to Gloria, Soaring Falls was a public place, so there was a trail that connected from the Sunshine Forest to it. Despite the presence of a Mystery Dungeon , it was a popular tourist destination for many that came to Celestic. "Hey, Rockruff, why''d you join the guild?" Liam asked, wanting to at least have a conversation the long way there. Rockruff almost tripped, "I joined the guild to get stronger, real strong!" A cheesy grin was plastered on Rockruff''s face. "Cause then, I can return to my pack and show them I''m worthy of returning, and¡­ not a screw-up!" Gloria frowned. "Were you kicked out?" And, I thought packs of Lycanroc stuck together, like a family unit." Rockruff shook his head, "Kinda. Mine was, like, a collection of different Lycanroc families, all traveling through Celestic. This stuff has lasted, like¡­ generations, I think." He scratched his neck tuft with a paw. "Anyway, the pack leader thought I was too, uh¡­ ''unfit'' for me to continue with them. And seeing as I was growing old enough, they told me I needed to fend for myself." Gloria''s frown deepened, "That''s horrible!" "I know, right? I''m gonna become strong and famous in the guild!" Rockruff puffed his chest out. "Then, I''m gonna return and shove it in that stupid Lycanroc''s face... the leader one, I mean!" Other than poking at a sensitive spot in the Pok¨¦mon, Rockruff seemed okay to Liam. Sure he had tripped on rocks maybe five times on the trail, and generally was pretty clumsy, but he knew the guild would straighten him out, and even straighten them out, too. The end of the conversation seemed appropriate, as they reached the end of the road after what seemed like hours. They were here, at the Soaring Falls. Before them lie a large gash in the earth''s crust, which seemed to extend to a large lakebed at the bottom. Limestone and clay jutted out from the cliffsides; pieces of it tumbling down into the depths below. However, the most fascinating part was the cascades of downpouring fresh water from rivers run over by the gigantic ravine. Underground water also seemed to well up and pour from openings in the cliffside. Both factors created a sight that was amazing to the eyes, as multiple waterfalls seemed to sprout all across the cliffside, flowing down into the open crevice. Liam grinned as he stepped forward, peering into the cliff below. There was an outcropping below them, and just close enough to where he could slide down there himself without harm. He took the chance. Narrowing his eyes, he placed his paws on the edges of the cliff face and placed his body against it. "Hey! What are you doing!" Gloria shouted. "I don''t know, but he''s got the right idea!" Rockruff retorted, grinning wildly. She never got an answer from Liam as he slid down the rock. It hurt a bit, with the stones grinding against his back, but it was worth it, as his destination was becoming closer and closer. Doing this, it became increasingly clear what that talk he gave himself earlier really meant. ''This is what I was born to do.'' His hind paws touched the ground as he distanced himself from the rock wall, cupping his paws over his mouth to shout at the two still above him. "Jump down! There''s no easier way!" Rockruff did so without so much of a second thought. The excited Pok¨¦mon leaped off the cliffside, landing near Liam''s side with a ''thud''. Next was Gloria''s turn, who just watched each of her companions jump into a treacherous ravine. Both Liam and Rockruff shouted words of encouragement for her to join them below. She gulped as she approached the edge, a little shake in her paws. The stretch of land where the two of them were was wide enough, but what was below it almost made her fur stand on end. Gloria closed her eyes as she jumped, daintily falling to the outcropping below. Once she felt the rocky ground on her four paws, she then slowly opened her eyes, blushing uncontrollably at her embarrassing display. Nonetheless, the Vulpix was congratulated for her bravery by the two others. The outcropping of rock extended around the cliffside, creating an easy path for them to follow around the falls. They made sure to stick to the walls of rock as the crashing of constant water resounded around them. They knew if one of them fell down, it wouldn''t be pleasant. The little pathway in the cliffside led them to a much larger outcropping - a hole that led into the cliffside. It caught Liam''s eye, a hint of familiarity as he looked into it. Rockruff thrust a paw. "Right there! Mystery Dungeon - bingo!" He sprinted off toward the opening, It was just like the other ones. Nothing could be seen in the cave as a shadowy abyss blocked any light from entering or exiting. "I''ll see you two on the inside!" Rockruff yelled as he bolted into the darkness, not giving either of them so much of a word to counter. "Are you ready, Gloria?" She tapped her saddlebag with a paw and nodded. "Ready, but¡­ how exactly are we going to get out?" Liam hadn''t exactly thought of that, but he still wanted to reassure her. "We''ll get out, don''t worry. Now, the dungeon?" "Um, right." They stepped into the gaping darkness.
Soaring Falls BF 1 And just like the other ones before, the new reality they were in expanded around them. Rocky, jagged limestone walls erupted into place, forming their atypical maze-like placement. Water flowed from nowhere above them, spilling onto the floor and creating mini ponds. Water-type Pok¨¦mon also appeared out of those newly created ponds, eager to attack the arrivals. Rockruff took a deep breath as a large rock formed around him. Just like Gloria''s Ice Shard, he launched it at his opposing foe - a Wooper. It smashed against the Water-type''s head, exploding into orange light. Liam knew he was a Rock-type, and was generally at a disadvantage when it came to Water-types, but Rockruff didn''t seem to be bluffing about wanting to become stronger. He quickly formed a Force Palm, slamming it into the side of a Totodile trying to pounce and bite him. Gloria was making good use of her new Frost Breath, keeping the waves of Water-types at bay. Most of them simply froze, literally - when it came into contact with them. Soaring Falls BF 3 Liam grunted as he was knocked back into one of the rocky dungeon walls. A Drednaw had tackled him. His option to run to the sides with a Quick Attack was gone once the Pok¨¦mon closed its distance on him. Noticing the bind he was in, Gloria popped open a flap in the saddlebag, retrieving a red Blast Seed. She placed it on the ground and lightly kicked it towards Liam. It slid underneath the belly of the huge Water-type and right next to Liam''s hind paws. He quickly picked it up and tossed it into his mouth, making sure the positioning was just right. With a crunch, the backside of the seed exploded, sending a roar of yellow flames erupting from the seed and directly into the Drednaw''s face. BOOM. PING PING PING. Following the rush of flames, Gloria sent a volley of her Ice Shards into the bulky Pok¨¦mon. Rockruff also participated in the attack by launching his own Rock Throw, smashing into the Pok¨¦mon''s armor-like shell. Roaring, it collapsed to the ground in a fit of glowing orange light. Once the Drednaw was defeated, Liam stopped to take a breather. ''Never get tired of using those things¡­'' Soaring Falls BF 7 There were way too many Pok¨¦mon in this room - far more than any Liam had seen before on a floor. Pok¨¦mon seemed to appear from any crack, any pool of water, sometimes out of thin air. They could never hope to get out of this unscathed without being swarmed. The three of them were being backed into a corner - literally. They needed to think of something quick, or else they wouldn''t come out of this, alive even. "Gloria, the orb! Remember!" Liam shouted, motioning to the saddlebag. She nodded, opening up another flap and bringing out a pink orb. It was a Knockback Orb, capable of blowing away an entire room of Pok¨¦mon. She dropped it onto the ground and smashed it with her paw, releasing a sweeping wave of pink energy and sending the encroaching mob of Pok¨¦mon careening into the dungeon walls. This was their chance. The three of them sprinted down one of the corridors, Liam taking the time to voice his much-needed concern at the craziness they just witnessed. "Why... why were there so many of them?! There were never this many before!" Rockruff nervously laughed, "W-What? You new to dungeon crawling? Monster Houses are, like... the bane of every explorer''s existence! Man, I hate them!" They took a right turn down the hall. Liam was even more confused, but Gloria was there to set him straight. "A, um, ''Monster House'' is a floor in a dungeon with tons of Pok¨¦mon coming from everywhere. You''re not in for a good time if you''re unprepared for them." Liam silently thanked that they had bought so many orbs and seeds. Clearly, they would need more of them if this were going to happen in the future. The next right in the rocky corridor led them to exactly what they wanted, the staircase further into the dungeon.
It seemed that the many floors of the dungeon were over. This dungeon was the toughest yet, and they did not think their future expeditions were going to relent any time soon. Liam took a large bite into his Oran Berry. While he was not on his last legs, he had suffered some blows. Gloria took small bites out of hers as well. Rockruff declined a berry, saying he was tough enough to handle any pain, despite the two clearly seeing him whimper and limp a bit. They took this small moment to rest and admire the massive chamber the trio appeared out of. The chamber was extremely tall, like they were in a hollowed-out mountain rather than the inside of a cave. Large openings in the ceiling allowed pillars of water to flow down into the cavern below, crashing into a larger flow of water. This sweeping current flowed all the way to the large mouth of the cave, where it met the blinding light of the outside world. Their brief enchantment with the view was cut short as the voice of a distant Pok¨¦mon echoed throughout the chamber. ''Arceus. Now I gotta sit and wait here for Talonflame. Why didn''t the Guildmaster leave the errand boy stuff to Roark.'' Liam blinked, stopping his chewing. He recognized that arrogant tone - Monferno. Gloria did as well as she set her berry down, curiously tilting her head. However, Rockruff didn''t seem to know that same fact, his blue eyes widening in horror as he darted to where he heard the voice coming from. "That thief is going to steal the package we need!" Liam wasn''t sure if Rockruff had either misheard those words or if they had misheard Monferno''s. But it did not matter as the puppy Pok¨¦mon was already long gone, in pursuit of the supposed thief. Liam and Gloria ran after the Pok¨¦mon, shouts of him to stop came afterward as they crossed a bridge-like structure hanging above the rushing current. Monferno was not having a good day, or at least, it was a boring day compared to the other things he had done previously. He set the wooden chest down on the spot where he was told to put it, setting the gold buckles of it just right. He sighed, for he would now have to find a hiding place and wait for the ''newbies'' to arrive, or Talonflame. His thoughts on just where to hide were halted exactly when something barreled right into his backside. The chest was sent flying as he hit the ground with his unknown attacker. "STOP, THIEF! This is the guild''s property!" Rockruff growled, trying to wrestle Monferno into submission. "Thief?! Get off of me, you mangy mutt!" Monferno backhanded the Rockruff, getting up and brushing any dust or grime that gathered on him. "Monferno!" Liam and Gloria caught up, albeit a bit late, the scuffle between the two already over. Monferno ''tched'' once he caught sight of them. "Well, you finally made it. I thought you guys would be going around in circles." He shot a look at the Rockruff he was just fighting with, the puppy Pok¨¦mon''s ears drooping. "Anyway, at least now you can finally claim¡­" His words stopped as he stared at the spot where the chest used to be. "Oh¡­ that''s not good." Liam stepped forward, a bit confused. "What''s wrong?" Monferno looked ahead, a laugh beginning to build within him as he pointed at something being carried away by the stream. "That." ''That'' was the chest carrying exactly what they needed in this mission, bobbing in the water. Liam''s mouth parted; he knew exactly where it was going. "Oh no¡­" Monferno could not help but laugh. "So yeah, we might need to go back to the guild and- hey!" Liam jumped into the water. They could not fail in their mission - this was something he would not take a chance on. "Come on, Gloria! Rockruff, with me!" Rockruff shrugged away current feelings as he bounded into the water with little thought. Gloria was more hesitant on doing so, obviously, but two determined sets of eyes gave her the courage necessary to jump in as well. The strength and force of the current sent them further down the chamber. None of them could move or attempt to fight the flood of water moving them forward. Monferno happily sighed, well aware of what was going to happen. "Ah, the trial is always the best part. Now, for my ride down¡­" As the three of them got closer and closer to the mouth of the cave, it became increasingly clear that this was no small drop. In fact, the current seemed to lead directly out of the cliffside and into the lakebed below. Gloria shoved a paw into her mouth to prevent her from screaming. Liam was analyzing the drop, just trying to figure out if they would even survive a fall this long. Rockruff''s eyes bulged out of their sockets as he got a good look at what was now their fate. "Guys¡­" No more words were able to be exchanged as they drifted helplessly to the edge of the mouth. The outside world greeted them once the water gave them one final push needed for them to be launched out, beginning their hurtle to the lake below. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" SPLASH. Water flooded into Liam''s open mouth - he was still conscious. He slowly flicked his eyes open, looking at his surroundings. He was underwater, or at least that''s what he figured from the massive amounts of blue around him. SPLASH. SPLASH. Two muffled splashes confirmed that Gloria and Rockruff had also just landed in the same water as he had. Their flailing had confirmed to him they were just as conscious as him. Liam kicked his hind paws back in forth, pushing his arms back and forth as he swam to the surface. His head popped out from the water, coughing up any water that had entered him. Two other Pok¨¦mon resurfaced as well, hacking out their lungs. All of them took deep ragged breaths, either trying to calm themselves or getting some well-needed oxygen into their system. It didn''t take long for Liam to readjust and figure out exactly where they were. ''We... must''ve... got spat out over the lakebed... near the bottom of this ravine.'' He knew he was correct when he looked upward, seeing just how far down they were. The view from here was just as amazing if not more than the one above. Getting a good look at all the different waterfall openings over the cliff faces. Spontaneous laughter slowly bubbled within Rockruff, causing Liam to refocus his attention back on them. Rockruff kicked his paws in the water as he laughed, greatly shocking the two of them. "W-What''s¡­ so funny?" Gloria managed, still a little shaken. "That... that was so FUN! It was so scary at first, but then it got super fun at the end!" Rockruff kept his goofy grin. Liam could not speak for Gloria, but he could admit that it was a bit of fun in retrospect. Mostly when the threat of their imminent death was out of the question. He narrowed his eyes, thinking back to what they were trying to do again. ''The chest! Where is it!'' He scoured the lake around him, looking for any hints of something wooden or gold colored amongst the sea of aqua blue. He stopped himself as he honed in on something floating in particular. There it was, what they were after. While Rockruff was still laughing his guts out, he paddled his way over to the chest and grabbed it. He held it firmly, not allowing for it to get past them any longer. "Guys! I got it!" Now he needed to find a place where he could get out of this lake. He scanned his surroundings, making a note of some slanted rock he could use as a landing shore. Rockruff finally stopped his manic laughter and followed the Riolu. A now much less shaken Gloria followed closely as well. Liam swam to the rocky shore, water gushing out of the chest as he trudged onto the land. He placed the chest down onto the ground with a ''thunk''. Both Gloria and Rockruff seemed to come ashore just as he did so, shaking their fur and sending water droplets everywhere. When everyone was on the same page as him, Liam decided to open it. He released the golden buckle in the middle of the chest as the top of it flew back. He stepped a little closer to take a good look inside; what was inside, however, only confused him. "Scarves¡­?" Or at least, that''s what he assumed the bundle of soaked cloth was. He fished one of them out of the tiny pool of water they resided in. It was a shade of purple-black, with specks of yellow dotting the background. It resembled the night sky and the guild''s theme. There were three of them in total, one of each for them. He tried wringing the one in his grasp free of any wetness, but it was futile. "Woah," Rockruff said flatly, a far cry from his previous mood. The Pok¨¦mon dove into the chest, retrieving one of the other scarves present. Gloria did the same. They then spent the next few minutes attempting to dry their scarves. In the end, each one of them had it wrapped around their neck, flinching a bit at the cold, slimy feeling. Gloria''s eyes widened. "How exactly are we going to get out of here?" As if on cue, a flap of a Pok¨¦mon''s wings above them sounded out. Looking up, they could see the outstretched black and red wings of a Talonflame in the sky. Realizing it was going to land right on them, they moved out of the Flying-types way. A gust of wind blew through the area as the Talonflame landed on the smooth rock. Monferno hopped off its back and dusted himself off. "Well, I see the trial was a success, seeing that you''re not floating corpses in the water." He stopped to take a look at the necks of the still-stunned and motionless Pok¨¦mon. "Oh! And you got the scarves - excellent. Now, get on so we can go home." He patted the back of the Talonflame before springing himself aboard again. Liam blinked. "Woah, woah, woah - what do you mean ''by trial''?!" He waved his arms angrily. "And you could just fly down here anytime?" Monferno laughed, "Well, let''s just say what you three did is common. So much so that it''s a trial by fire to many members. Or, should I say, trial by massive freefall, ha!" That sent him deeper into laughter, wiping a tear that formed in his eye. "And didn''t you guys know this was a public area? Free rides anytime." The Talonflame chirped in agreement, splaying its wings out. Monferno patted the bird''s back again with a palm, with silence encompassing the dripping wet Pok¨¦mon. The Fire-type waved. "Come on, it''s gonna get dark soon! And I got a comfy and dry bed to be resting in by now."
It was nighttime, and they were back at the guild waiting in the lobby, sitting on the Milotic fountain, still dripping excess water from their fur. The teams of Pok¨¦mon crowding the room evaporated, either content with the jobs they got, or forced out once it got dark enough. Either way, it was just Liam, Gloria, and the sweet Indeedee behind the counter from earlier. Monferno and Rockruff checked in with her already, since they were part of an already established team. For Liam and Gloria, it was a different story. They still needed the Guildmaster to officially have them entered in as a newly formed team, according to Indeedee. Gloria had brought up the idea of it, so the two of them spent quite a while of their wait brainstorming a name for their team together. But Liam could only picture one name in mind. Almost every one of them had a dream - Gloria, Rockruff, even him. The guild seemed to be a prime opportunity for many to fulfill that wish. If that was the case, then this was their way of remembering that wish. In their long wait for the Guildmaster, they both nodded in agreement as to what their name as a team together would be. Soon after their finalized decision, they heard the ''clack'' of the porcelain floor as Scizor appeared from down the hallway, clipboard in his grasp and the Guildmaster, Jackson, behind him. The two of them quickly hopped off the fountain, straightening themselves up into a formation for the Guildmaster to assess them. Jackson''s steely red eyes sharpened once he caught a glance at the black scarves wrapped around their neck. But once he noticed the soaked and dripping state of them, a smirk tugged at his lips. It was snuffed out once he got in front of them, adopting a more professional stance as Scizor took to his side like before. The Lucario crossed both arms behind his back. "This is good - you have returned with the essentials. I assume you know what is next in this process?" Both Liam and Gloria nodded. "If you''re ready, tell me what your team shall be called." They told him. "... Requiem?" They nodded again. "Then Team Requiem will be the team you''re known by." Scizor scribbled something down on the clipboard he was holding as Jackson looked to his left. "Scizor." The Bug-type halted his writing. "Yes, Guildmaster?" "Take them to their room. I think they deserve a good rest and... drying off after today." He focused his attention back on the newly established team. "Tomorrow, you will join us in the morning with the opening address. Then you will be given this guild''s mission statement - one that you will adhere to your entire time in this guild." Scizor motioned with a large red pincer towards the hallway. "Team Requiem, follow me to your dorm." They kept a small pace as they traversed the remarkably large hallway. On each side of the walls was a wooden door, which Liam assumed led to the rooms of other guildmates. Along the way, some doors opened as Pok¨¦mon popped out to take a good look at the rookies who were joining them, some laughing and smiling once noticing their doused fur and scarves. "Woah! Looks like they went through the trial, too!" "Look, Mightyena, you''re not the only one who went through the trial!" "W-What? I wasn''t?!" a voice barked out. Scizor then stopped at one wooden door in particular. "This will be your residence at the guild for now. I hope you find it to your liking, and please make sure you attend the morning address. Goodnight, Team Requiem." The Pok¨¦mon was already long gone before they could even give him a ''thank you''. So, without anything else stopping them, Liam pressed down on the handle as their room came into view, both of them stepping inside and closing the door behind them. It was fairly small - understandable when housing lots of Pok¨¦mon. Instead of a porcelain floor, it was instead a shaggy carpet. It reminded him of Gloria''s house, except less comfy. While the room was dark, the moonlight from a circular open window allowed them to get a good look. Bookshelves, dressers, and mirror-lined the night sky-themed walls, with posters and banners full of information or motivational messages hung above them. Near the window were two white bean bag-like beds, or at least that is what Liam assumed they were. Gloria lumbered over to one of them like she was possessed, falling on top of one as she sighed in relief from the comfort. "I''m tired," she said, almost lifelessly. Liam chuckled as he joined her in resting on the opposite beanbag. "Yeah, today was a crazy day, wasn''t it?" ''Just like yesterday, too. Are things only to get more and more crazy?'' Thoughts like this melted in his mind as he melted into the warm embrace of the ''bed''. No more words were exchanged as the two of them lulled themselves to an almost catatonic state before sleep won them over. The last thoughts swirling through their head weren''t ones worrying about the future, but simply enjoying the moment they were in now. The quiet night full of blinking stars kept a watchful eye over the Cosmic Quilt Guild, with someone else keeping their eyes on the skies as well. It enamored them, just like it had their previous life.
Starlight, star bright! With all your might, shine a light... on our child tonight.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: Ley Lines Ley Lines Chapter 8 Ley Lines The weather was absolutely perfect, a spotless clear blue sky without a single white cloud in sight. He could feel the cool grass swishing beneath his hind paws as he jogged through the grassland. The pleasant summer breeze blew through the fields of vibrant wallflowers, and coursed through his blue fur. He came upon a fence, to which he opened the gate to it and ran straight forward into the paradise beyond it. He squinted his eyes as he spotted a nearby hill - it was just in sight, the top of it would be a perfect view of his surroundings. He grinned, the further he trekked towards it, the more sounds of nature he could hear. The rustling of leaves, the flow of water, and the chirping of bird-like Pok¨¦mon. Liam is having a good dream. At least, he was having a good dream, before the soothing chirps in his head soon transitioned into horrendous squawking with the sound of flapping wings invading his happily dreaming brain. "WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!" Liam forced his eyelids open as his red eyes twitched in agony. Regaining the movement in his arms, he thrashed them around the cushion, unconsciously hoping to find something to throw at the terrible noise that had entered the room. "WAKE UP! WAKE UP!-" Then it was gone. Most likely out through the door it came in with a flap of its wicked wings. Liam groaned, trying to close his eyes again. He forced himself through this desire, placing his paws on his ''bed'' and placing himself upright on the beanbag. The white light shining into the room from their open window told him one thing - it was morning. He gave a long drawn out yawn, stretching his arms and blinking the remnants of sleep still visible in his sunken orbs. This was way earlier than he''d usually awake, but if it was something they''d do everyday, then he''d just need to get accustomed to it. Amidst his morning ritual, he heard a pair of soft groans on the beanbag next to him. Looking over, the twisting form of Gloria was spotted, clearly discontent with the chaos that had entered earlier. He smiled, some sympathy travelling through him. The both of them were exhausted from their expedition yesterday, Gloria more so. He hated to prevent her some much needed rest, but he didn''t want to risk them being late on their second day. Hopping off his beanbag bed, he silently stepped towards where she was tossing and turning. A few light pushes into her side seemed to stop her squirming and mumbling. One of her eyelids cracked open, revealing her baby blue eyes to the world. She grumbled as she raised a white paw over them, almost trying to curl back into her sleep induced state. "Mmm¡­ is it morning already?" she bemoaned. Liam laughed. "Yeah¡­ we, uh, need to get ready now." She removed the paw from her lids as both of her eyes were now wide open, slightly closing due the amount of light they took in. "I was having a good dream until..." she spoke listlessly. "I really need a good wash, my fur is still absolutely soaked." "And so was I, but¡­" the Riolu trailed off as he touched his scarf, still wrapped around his neck. He smirked, recalling the thoughts of the ''trial'' in his head. "No regrets, right?" Gloria didn''t quite realize what he meant at first, until she touched her own scarf, wincing at the still wet cloth. "No, even if it was a little crazy of you¡­ We still got the job done." Liam scratched the back of his head with a paw. "Hah¡­ sorry about that, but it was the only thing I could think of at that moment." Gloria slowly got off her beanbag, stretching her four limbs in tandem as she gave out a yawn. Her eyes wandered around the small room, trying to accustom themselves before landing on the Riolu in front of her. "Do you have any? Regrets?" Now it was his turn to be confused. "About what? The fall, or the¡­" He was interrupted by a shake of Gloria''s head and the sound of her giggle. "No, about everything. Going with Roark''s plan, joining the guild with me. I know you told me you wanted to explore this world but¡­ there''s ways to do that without the, uh¡­ oppressiveness of the guild." This made him stop and think. It was true; he did want to do that. But then he also wanted something else. Maybe it was payment for the two of them assisting him, or the prospect of returning memories, but none of those really clicked within him anymore. The realization he made with himself yesterday really put everything into a new perspective. Liam shook his head. "I think I finally figured it out... It just doesn''t matter!" She tilted her head in return. "Huh? What do you mean?" Liam splayed a paw, staring at it. "I feel like a new Pok¨¦mon, and¡­ just like you said - I''m a ghost, nothing to my name. I can be anyone, do anything! It''s kind of a liberating feeling after all of this mental torment, y''know? This should be my second chance." He noticed the silence that came afterward and scratched his chin with a paw. "I, um¡­ hope you didn''t think my ''be anyone'' comment was a little too crazy." Gloria blinked. "No, it''s just... you seem to have your bearings now and... you can do what you want without me or Roark getting in your way." "Well, maybe I just wanted to join with you? Better two than one, you think?" A tinge of red embarrassment found its way on her face as she extended a paw. "W-Well, does that mean we''re¡­ friends, now?" He laughed. "We''ve known each other this long, joined the guild as a team, and now you''re asking that question?" Her cheeks seemed to puff out as she kept her paw outward. "It''s been barely a week, and¡­ I''d like to know whether or not this is a friendship rather than just a partnership." The two locked eyes, him searching hers for an answer he already knew, and her searching his for that answer. He raised a paw and clasped hers in it, sealing a pawshake between the two of them. "Of course we are." A warm smile stretched across the white Vulpix''s muzzle as she broke apart from the pawshake and looked behind her. Walking to the side of her beanbag, she pulled her cream saddlebag off the ground, slinging it around her side. "Like you said, we should get ready." As if on cue, the door to their tiny abode opened, a familiar Pok¨¦mon strutting on in. The large mane of dark fur and smirk on its muzzle told them exactly who it was. "I see you two have finally become acquainted with the morning wake up ala-" he was cut off as a white blur smacked him into a hug, "Please, sis¡­ you''ve gotta stop doing this! It''s only been a day, y''know." Gloria released him from her grasp. "I... I know, but it''s good to see you." Roark chuckled, "Well, you might see my mug around from time to time, being the errand boy of the guild means I move around a lot. But you two¡­ you need to get ready for the morning address." "Can I squeeze in a shower before that?" she almost pleaded. Roark shook his head. "Nah, you can after breakfast. That''s when guild members are given free reign to do their jobs and other stuff." He tapped his chin with a claw. "You two will need to learn this routine first, so maybe the Guildmaster has something planned for you today." Liam butted in. "He said yesterday that he would tell us the guild''s mission statement." Roark snapped a claw. "Yeah, that''s it! After breakfast, he''ll step you aside and give you a long spiel about your job as guild members and all that jazz." With the door wide open, Liam could see motions of figures walking past the door and down the hall towards the foyer. Roark had apparently also noticed it as he walked back to the door, resting on the frame, waving a claw at the pair still in the room. "Well? Come on, there''ll be enough time to chit-chat before the address." With nothing more to say, the two of them followed Roark out of their quarters and into the hall. The short walk down the hall led them into the room from yesterday. The large crowds of Pok¨¦mon weren''t present, but a dozen or so were centered around the Milotic fountain, all talking amongst themselves. Each wore their own cosmic-theme scarves, albeit more dry than the ones they currently wore. Once Roark entered the lobby, he sidestepped and bowed, sweeping an arm in front of Liam and Gloria. "May I present... the newcomers!" he spoke dramatically. Soon the eyes of all the Pok¨¦mon, presumably all the guild members, were on the two of them. Some lit up in excitement, some curious, some judging. Though one stare from a Pok¨¦mon Liam knew was a Hatterene sent shivers down his spine. He could recognize a few familiar faces, both Monferno and Braixen, Leafeon, and Rockruff from yesterday, roughhousing with a Mightyena. However, the two stopped once Liam and Gloria''s entry was announced. Rockruff came barreling towards the two, almost face planting on the way there. "Fiiiinally, you two are here! Tell me, what name did you guys choose!?" Rockruff spat out with a giddy smile, his gray tail sweeping the floor behind him. "C''mon, c''mon, tell me!" "Uh¡­ Team Requiem," Gloria answered for the excited Pok¨¦mon. "Nice! I''m part of Team Nightshade with Mightyena over there!" The excited dog motioned over to the Pok¨¦mon, who appeared at Rockruff''s side in a flash. The voice that came out of this Pokemon was almost as bubbly as Rockruff''s, albeit more deep. "Nice to meetcha! I''m the leader of Team Nightshade! The best team aro-" A feminine hissing sound cut him off as a Purrloin sauntered over. "Mreow~ Please don''t introduce yourself as the leader, Mightyena, because the real leader is right here!" She puffed our her chest. "Hey! We talked about it, remember? I signed us up - that means I''m technically the leader!" Mightyena blustered, puffing his chest out as well. Purrloin seemed to ignore his rant as she extended a purple paw towards a bewildered Liam and Gloria, fluttering her emerald green eyes. "Team Requiem, was it? Then I''m glad to greet you into the guild. I''m the leader of these two¡­ dogs." The last part earned a ''hey'' from the two canine Pok¨¦mon. Liam hesitantly placed his paw over hers, forming a pawshake. "It''s, uh¡­ good to meet you as well, Miss Purrloin?" Purrloin broke free, placing a paw over her mouth as she guffawed. "Mreow~ Purrloin will do, my dear. If you two find anything well¡­ shiny and nice out in the field. Make sure to tell me or Mightyena," she ended with a wink. Mightyena jumped in. "Yeah! We''re excellent at ste- finding all sorts of things!" He nervously laughed towards the end. Liam nodded in agreement just as a flurry of flapping wings hovered above him. Looking above, it was the Staravia from their rude awakening. Although, something a bit odd was on located its back. He never got a chance to ask about it, as an impossibly fast male voice erupted from the Flying-type. "S-SORRY! SORRY! It''s m-my job to wake up the guild, so please... uh, don''t h-hate me?" It appeared Pok¨¦mon had a bit of a lisp. Gloria, a bit dazed from his sporadic speaking, attempted to reassure him. "Don''t worry, we don''t hate you for doing that... even if it is obnoxious," She grumbled the last part under her breath. Liam just had to find out. "Is there¡­ something on your back?" He pointed a paw at some kind of yellow fuzz peeking out from Staravia''s behind. The Flying-type tilted his head in confusion, until abruptly turning around and showcasing what was there. It was a Pok¨¦mon, a very small yellow spider-like one with beady blue eyes, which blinked at the two bewildered Pok¨¦mon. "This is Joltik! He''s my partner! Tog-gether, we''re T-Team Static!" Liam locked eyes with the tiny Pok¨¦mon - not even a peep came out of Joltik as they continued to stare each other down. Staravia noticed. "He''s, uh¡­ a bit shy. S-Say something Joltik!" A barely audible chittering noise came from Joltik''s mandibles, which was apparently good enough of a response for Staravia, as he turned back around. "Well, hope you enjoy your s-stay. I''ll see you every morning! B-Bye!" With a quick flap of his wings, the anxious Flying-type was back to his original and frantic position. ''Joy,'' Liam thought. Next up the greeting list seemed to be Leafeon, as well as Braixen and Monferno. Gloria and Leafeon shared a quick friendly embrace as the Grass-type spoke. "It''s great to see you here now, Gloria! As well you too, Liam. I wish Shaymin were here so you could meet her, but maybe another time. You''re really going to like it here." "Yeah, as long as no ''mons get in your way, or act like idiots all the timec" Monferno added, moving towards Liam''s side and placing a palm on the his shoulder. "Hey, you still got some water leftover in your brain, Mr. Personality?" Liam shrugged Monferno''s hand off and smirked. "No, but I think yours is leaking out of your ears." Monferno rolled his eyes. "Mony, please," Braixen chided, stepping forward and offering her paw to Gloria, who accepted. "It is always nice seeing new faces. Officially, me and Monferno are Team Blazingheart. Maybe someday I''ll heal you two up, being a nurse in training." "The name was all her idea, just so you know," Monferno quickly added, earning a chuckle out of Braixen. A ''clack'' from the halls halted any friendly chatter the Pok¨¦mon in the room were having. After a stint of silence, in came Scizor, clipboard in his grasp, along with the Guildmaster as well, hardened expression and all. However, there was another Pok¨¦mon with the two, one Liam hadn''t seen yet in the guild. A Charizard, a large one from the looks of it. He was shocked it could even fit through the narrow hallways with its wide berth, but it did, waving its flaming orange tail around once it entered the room. Looped around the Charizard''s arm was some kind of metal bracelet. The rainbow colored stone he had seen yesterday on the Guildmaster was also implanted into it. Whatever those stones were, clearly they were meant for some kind of elite Pok¨¦mon in the guild to wear. The trio took their positioning in front of all the present guild members, Scizor stepping up to announce something. "Feel free to conversate for a brief moment. We will give out today''s directions in a few minutes." Scizor already had his back turned once those words were said, the noise in the room picking back up. Liam almost jumped out of his fur as a pair of red claws landed on his shoulder. Turning around to its owner gave him a good eyeful of Roark''s toothy grin. "Well, aren''t we lucky! Now would be a good time to give you a quick rundown on who owns what in this guild. You too, Gloria, c''mere." He summoned her with a claw, holding them both by their shoulders. Once they were huddled up, Roark pointed towards the trio in front of the room, who were seemingly going through their daily plans. "Team Moonlight - they founded this guild, and have led it since¡­ forever I''m guessing. Now, where to start with them¡­ Well." Roark pointed his claw towards the Charizard. "That big lug? He''s essentially the spirit of the guild. Always wants to explore cool dungeons and loves battling. But other than that, not sure what else the guy does." Roark then pointed at the Lucario in the middle. "Jackson''s the leader of Team Moonlight, and the Guildmaster obviously. Since this place has been under his control for what... twenty years? It''s safe to say he''s a great leader to keep everyone together. Although, he''s always giving me the cold shoulder and the occasional glare, so not sure what''s his problem." Finally, his claw ended on Scizor. "If Charizard is the spirit, Jackson the leader, then Scizor is the backbone and the glue that holds this whole house of cards together. Being the right hand ''mon of the Guildmaster, he sorts out all the policies, the financing, the complaining¡­ everything! A good tip is that if he ever pulls you aside, it''s most likely a reprimanding, at least in my case." Roark then unhooked his claws from the both of their shoulders. "Whew¡­ hope that clears everything up. I think the morning address is going to start, just follow my lead." The trio up front all nodded as Scizor stamped a leg onto the floor, silencing all conversations taking place. Jackson emerged out of the group, taking his position and clearing his throat to speak. "POSITIONS!" A row and column was now being formed as the guild members and their respective teams took their positions next to and behind one another. Team Requiem trusted Roark''s advice, following him and taking a position to his right. Once everyone had their spot chosen, Jackson spoke again. "Morning address! One¡­ two¡­ three-" "STARLIGHT, STAR BRIGHT! WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT, SHINE A LIGHT ON US TONIGHT!" Liam''s brow furrowed in confusion. ''That sounded more like a children''s lullaby than a powerful chant.'' Whatever it sounded like to him, he made a mental note in his head to repeat that for the morning address next time. After the chant was over, Scizor stepped forward, taking a spot next to Jackson as he read off the clipboard. "Team Blazingheart - Job listings. Team Static - Job listings. Team Nightshade - Cleaning duty." An ''awww'' sounded out from the row before quickly being muffled. "Team Evergreen - Job listings once Shaymin returns." The Bug-type stopped his reading to sigh heavily. "Team... Handyguys... Roark - assisting Head Nurse Hatterene. Finally, Team Requiem - await further assignment after breakfast." Scizor then looked up from his clipboard. "You are all dismissed, please enjoy your meals." Team Moonlight, as a trio, then departed from the foyer, heading off into the hallways and leaving the guild members to their own devices. Leafeon stepped out her formation with a wide smile, addressing everyone present. "Now, who''s ready for some grub?" An assortment of loud agreements met her leafy ears as the guild Pok¨¦mon stormed into the halls, eager to finally get their fill of the morning.
Gloria sighed in relief, sliding open the shower glass door and stepping out. She thanked Arceus above that the guild offered some kind of way to cleanse oneself. She knew she seriously needed it after that plunge they took into the fall''s water. Once Liam was finished with his shower, it was her turn. And after they were finished, they were to report to Scizor''s quarters. She quickly dryed the best she could of her fur, tossing the white towel into a basket near the doorway. Putting her starry night sky themed scarf back on, she opened the door to greet Liam, his back against the wall, arms crossed and waiting for her. "You ready?" She nodded. "Ready." Past the mess hall was unsurprisingly another hallway. At the end were three doors - ones with the faces of Team Moonlight etched onto the wood. Liam placed a tiny knock on the door with Scizor''s face, which was opened by Jackson, who gave them a brief lookover. "Good, you''re here. Come on in, this will be short." Following the Guildmaster inside, their eyes inspected the room. At a swift glance, it seemed like an ordinary room. One with a bed, bookshelves, carpeting, and posters. However, taking a look at the wall to the left made both of their eyes grow wide. Stretched across the wall was a massive map of Celestic. Various scraps of paper with different scribbles of information were pinned onto different locations across the continent. Lines of string connected bits of information to each other, ensuring a link was found. To some onlookers, it was either the work of a mad ''mon, or a dedicated researcher. Jackson stepped past them and towards the map as Scizor continued to tinker with it. "While the information across this map may seem useless now. It is in fact very important and accurately detailed to what this guild''s mission is. Scizor has kept this map updated for the past twenty years of this guild''s existence." Liam stepped forward as well as Gloria, taking in everything that was pinned onto the map. Like the Guildmaster said, all the information to Liam seemed arbitrary, or not worth noting. "What¡­ is the guild''s goal?" he asked. Jackson locked eyes with him. "Scizor is a researcher, a researcher of Mystery Dungeons. All the work the guild does and accomplishes is for this research. Our investigations into the Mystery Dungeon only led us further towards that goal. And to tell you what that goal is¡­ you need to know what a Mystery Dungeon really is." Liam frowned; while he was frustrated the Guildmaster wouldn''t just tell him, it did make him think on what he was told. He thought no Pok¨¦mon knew exactly what a Mystery Dungeon was, so how could the guild know? He stopped to glance at Gloria. Even she was confused, despite being the one who told him about Mystery Dungeons in the first place. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Jackson marched past them again, this time towards the door they entered. "Team Requiem, you will accompany me on a mission to a Mystery Dungeon. We will take a carriage there to conserve our energy, as it is a long trip. There you will be given an explanation of the Mystery Dungeon, and this guild''s goal. I assume there will be no issues with this?" Both Liam and Gloria straightened up, giving Jackson a sharp nod. "No, Guildmaster!" they spoke in synchrony. "Scizor?" "Yes, Guildmaster?" "With me." "Of course." Scizor stepped past them into the hallway along with Jackson, Liam and Gloria following closely behind. What awaited them outside were two Pok¨¦mon, Charizard from before, and a tail wagging Rockruff who leaped in front of Jackson. "Reporting for duty, Guildmaster!" he shouted with a goofy grin on his muzzle. "Yo, Jack, I got the kid." a baritone voice grumbled from Charizard. "Good, take him to an easy dungeon," Jackson ordered. "I will be back later." Charizard whipped the air with his flaming tail, gesturing for Rockruff to follow him. "Come on, little dude! You''re gonna hear about something that''ll blow your mind." "Awesome!" Rockruff exclaimed in awe, excitedly following the fire breathing dragon down the hall. Jackson turned towards Liam and Gloria, who were watching the two Pok¨¦mon depart. "I expect to see you two outside near the crossroads soon - our ride will be there. Take anything you think is necessary for exploration, because this dungeon is uncharted territory." With a wave of his black and gold paw, Scizor followed him down the hallways, leaving Liam and Gloria standing around - dumbstruck. "Gloria¡­ do you know what a Mystery Dungeon really is?" The Vulpix shook her head, "No, all the information I know is, uh¡­ surface level to say the least." she said, a bit embarrassed. It was making sense to Liam now. ''So, if the average Pok¨¦mon doesn''t know what a Mystery Dungeon really is¡­ then the guild really should know something after twenty years of searching.'' Now he just wondered what this was all truly for.
With a final wave to Indeedee, Liam and Gloria exited the building. Outside were crowds of Pok¨¦mon, most likely ones part of exploration teams waiting for the guild to finally ''open'' so they could get their paws on the latest jobs listings. Brushing past these Pok¨¦mon, they went up the hill and down it towards the crossroads. Like the Guildmaster said, a carriage was there. It was just like the ones that Liam saw when he first entered Empyrean - wooden, and pulled by equine-like Pok¨¦mon. Jackson, along with Scizor, seemed to be speaking with the two Mudsdale at the front of the carriage. Their conversation would stop once they caught wind of the two Pok¨¦mon they were waiting for hiking down the trail. "We''re ready, Guildmaster!" Liam shouted. Jackson nodded. "Get in, the trip will take a few hours, even through carriage." The Lucario marched to the carriage''s back and climbed in, with Scizor fluttering up as well with his insect-like back wings. Liam hopped in, assisting a shorter Gloria in getting aboard. Once everyone was situated, Jackson gave his command for the Mudsdale to start moving. Liam almost lurched forward, not expecting for them to keep up a pace that fast. From there on, the ride was mostly dead quiet. Scizor was looking over notes and writing things down. Gloria pulled out a book from her saddlebag to pass the time, and Liam relaxed his arms around the wooden railing, watching the shifting terrain, listening to the bumps from the carriage as it was pulled around. It wasn''t until he caught the piercing red eyes of the Guildmaster fixated on him that he checked back into reality. "Liam." "H-Huh?" The Riolu''s ears perked up, tearing his gaze from the sea of plains to the Lucario sitting opposite from him. "I''ve gone over the information you provided with us yesterday. I have never seen a Riolu from the Shore Region before..." "Uh... " Liam felt like he was about to break into a nervous sweat, but the look Gloria was sending him was telling him not to do exactly that. "Yeah, my parents moved there not long before I was born." "Really¡­ then we are the same, I guess." Scizor momentarily glanced Jackson''s way in confusion, before averting his gaze. "And are your parents... still around?" the Lucario inquired. Liam shook his head, "I never really knew them, ''cause not long after I was born, they were gone." It was a half-truth, Liam thought. While his story was a fabrication, he didn''t know of his parents regardless. Jackson scratched his chin. "Ah, then that means you have little experience in using your aura¡­ correct?" "I, uh¡­ don''t really know how to use my aura." It was a bit embarrassing, but he imagined the Guildmaster would understand. "Exactly, which is why it would be a good idea to teach you about it, seeing as it is a useful tool in a Lucario''s arsenal. Being the only other Lucario around for miles, you will be taught by me in the future to utilize your aura efficiently. It would be imperative for you to handle your aura out in the field." It did make sense. The Guildmaster was the only Lucario around from what he had seen. And him being the evolved version of himself only made it natural that he would know a lot more about using aura than he did. "I''ll be ready for my training anytime, Guildmaster," Liam confirmed. Jackson seemed content with Liam''s reply, as he changed topics. "Good, then we''ll move on to the main reason we''re on this little trip." He peeked over at Scizor, who handed him a scrap of paper. "To understand the concept of a Mystery Dungeon, you need to know about ley lines." Liam blinked. "Ley¡­ lines?" The concept was foreign to him, and looking over, the look on Gloria''s face told him it was alien to her as well. This paper was given a brief glance by Jackson before he extended it towards Liam, who grabbed it. Gloria scooted closer towards him to get a better look at what was inscribed. It was a drawing, a basic and rough one. What was pictured were wide, orange colored lines crisscrossing one another. They formed no shape or design in particular, just bending and looping across one another, forming a maze-like bundle of lines. "Are these the ley lines?" "Yes," Jackson said. "What you see pictured there is the physical form of a ley line. The same form which manifests into a Mystery Dungeon." Liam''s eyes grew wide, as well as Gloria''s. What the Guildmaster just told them, is that these ley lines somehow create a Mystery Dungeon on their own. "But¡­ how?" Jackson took back the drawing from Liam, handing it back over to Scizor, who now finally spoke. "There is no means as to a ''how'' ley lines functionally operate. What is known, is that they exist, and the form they take creates what is known as a Mystery Dungeon." "Form?" Gloria interjected. "What do you mean by that?" "The ley lines twist and curve in different directions. A Mystery Dungeon is only formed once these ley lines cross or splinter into formation, which creates the layout of the Mystery Dungeon based on that form. Those maze-like rooms you see appear in every dungeon? That is the layout the ley lines form when they move, and they are constantly changing their form, twisting the lines into a new layout. The power these lines utilize is unmatched, stronger and more bizarre than anything a Pok¨¦mon could create," Scizor concluded his long speech. Jackson then jumped back in, "And these ley lines, they cannot be destroyed, moved, or erased¡­ at least from the knowledge we have collected. There is only one instance where ley lines could directly be manipulated, and that is through use of Entercards." The Lucario casted a glance at his Bug-type ally. "The way Mystery Dungeons operate, some kind of separate reality, where the boundaries of our own reality do not affect it. The layout of the dungeons only change once a Pok¨¦mon leaves, and a new one enters. Scizor believes in a theory that the ley lines have this power because they transcend both space and time, allowing such oddities to happen in the first place." ''Space and time?'' Liam had heard of Legendaries that could bend them to their will, but Mystery Dungeons doing just that never crossed his mind. The Lucario stopped to gaze out of the carriage, across the rolling green hills, fields, and flowing rivers. "Why? How? It isn''t known. But it is the truth of this world that we live in. All across the world - Celestic, and the other continents, exist these... ley lines. They exist, and have perhaps existed since the creation of this world." "But I don''t understand," Gloria said. "If all this information about ley lines was known, then how come no Pok¨¦mon outside of the guild know about their existence?" She posed a good question to Liam. If the Pok¨¦mon of this world were so acquainted with Mystery Dungeons, then how come the average Pok¨¦mon would know nothing about them? Jackson leaned back against the railing, racking his thoughts on how to approach. "Do you two believe... in an absolute truth?" Two slow nods came as they processed where Jackson was going with this. He continued. "Ley lines are the absolute truth of this world, and should be known to its inhabitants. However, this sentiment is not shared among certain... groups." He then locked eyes with the both of them. "What I''m saying is - plain ignorance of the Mystery Dungeons is not the main reason why information is scarce. Forces, ones beyond even the guild, seek to stifle any recent unearthings of the Mystery Dungeons, lest they cause massive unrest, or any other reason. The identity of these groups are just as mysterious as the dungeons themselves." Jackson waved a paw. "But this is all hearsay and speculation. Fear mongering about shadowy organizations would get us nowhere. The guild is not scared of such threats or setbacks, as we have continued moving towards our goal for many, many years." While he did say it was all speculation, the thought of groups of Pok¨¦mon stopping any new information of the Mystery Dungeons getting out to the public was intriguing, but also very worrying. Both Liam and Gloria didn''t want to imagine what happened to Pok¨¦mon who ''leaked'' some sort of truth. Jackson''s words ushered a wave of silence throughout the carriage, until he sighed, speaking again. "Right now, we''re heading off to a farm. Two days ago, a report was issued that a Mystery Dungeon had popped up seemingly out of nowhere in the farmer''s wheat fields. He said a dark shadow had suddenly materialized over his field. Luckily, there were no Pok¨¦mon present around it when it appeared." He frowned. "Naturally, through history of a Mystery Dungeon appearing, a neighboring town, city, or village guard would first explore the dungeon to test how dangerous it is. In special cases, even the guards of the Council would come out to inspect for potential danger. But this time, I personally volunteered to explore the dungeon myself." Liam remembered Gloria talking about something like that happening. Back when they explored the Sunshine Grove, she told him that the grove was once a sprawling garden ages and ages ago, but then turned into a Mystery Dungeon. The both of them never understood why it happened then, but now, a thought crossed through Liam''s mind. "Both of you said that the ley lines form the Mystery Dungeons, right? So does that mean they can expand, and form new dungeons?" His question earned him a simple nod from Jackson as the Lucario broke his stare down with them, peering at the blue heavens above. "You two are here with me not just to find out our mission statement, but to understand the threat that the Mystery Dungeons oppose to this world.
The Mudsdale pulling the cart braced themselves as they slid to a stop. This only meant one thing, they were at their destination. A large red stained wooden farmhouse rested atop a hill, with a wide fenced off area where wheat and other crops were held, swaying in the gentle wind. Everyone aboard the carriage clambered out as a figure appeared from the red farmhouse, walking down the hill. It was a Diggersby from the looks of it. Once it hopped down towards them, it gave them a quick scan over. "Oh, so yer the guild members who came for the dungeon, right?" he spoke with a heavy country accent - similar to Buneary''s - but much more noticeable that Liam could not decipher. Jackson apparently could understand his dialect. "You are correct, and I am glad you went to our guild instead of the Council. Take me to the site, then we will go over if it is safe for you and your family to stay here." The Diggersby grumbled. "Mmm, sounds good enough to me. Had to keep my sons'' from entering it before you arrived. I''ll take ya to it." Up the hill they went, past the large farmhouse and towards the fenced off area. Opening a gate, they wandered into the fields of wheat, careful not to step on any growing crops. After opening yet another gate, they were in a larger section of the farm right behind the red building. Although, instead of acres of rich farmland, only the visage of a shadow engulfing a huge area of the farm was witnessed. No light seemed to get past the impenetrable barrier of its inky blackness. Liam instantly recognized this as a trademark of a Mystery Dungeon. Jackson nodded at the large bunny. "Thank you for guiding us here. We will take over matters now." "It was no issue of mine. Y''all be safe now!" Diggersby said, happily hopping away. "Now." Jackson took a step closer towards the dark shadow. "Look at it, this void of nothingness. There is no farmland here anymore; no crops, no realm to call ours anymore. It has been taken over by the ley lines." His gaze then shifted downward as he pointed a paw towards the ground. "Underneath all of this dirt, rock, and clay¡­ there lies the ley lines, deep below the surface. They''re active and alive, inching their way in the earth, moving in their own chaotic way to create... a literal lingering shadow over our domain - it''s entropic." "I¡­" Liam was halted from speaking by Jackson''s paw. "We''re entering - follow me in once you''re ready. Scizor." With the Bug-type was by his side, they both stepped into the shadow, disappearing into it. Liam and Gloria exchanged looks of apprehension, before deciding on entering into the shadow as well. Liam couldn''t help but feel a lump form in his chest after hearing the Guildmaster''s words.
? BF 1 The darkness that swirled within their vision faded as the terrain around them expanded, a field of freshly grown light yellow wheat greeting them. Wooden fence-like perimeter walls erupted out of the ground, forming a barrier around them as well as the dungeon''s corridors. Instead of cavern walls or forest canopies, a warm multicolored sky with hues of orange, yellows, and magenta could be witnessed. Wispy, dark grey clouds of a coming night stood motionless in the sky. Beyond the horizon was the vision of a faux setting sun with glimpses of distant stars, casting an orange glow across the dungeon. Jackson walked over towards one of the fence-like walls and placed both his arms on top of it, admiring the fake scenery. "Completely artificial. We''re in a separate reality from our own, but the Mystery Dungeon attempts to hide itself as an imitation of ours." He ran his paw across the imitation wood. " Everything here is created by these ley lines, but it isn''t real. This feels like a real fence, but it isn''t. The sun is as impactful as it should be, but it''s not really there." The Lucario whirled around with an uncharacteristic smile, the orange ring around his paw flickering. "Amazing, right? The natural chaos of this all. Like a painter tries to depict the real world, the same applies to the Mystery Dungeons." He tore his gaze from the group, observing the strange ''room''. "Let''s find the stairs, it would be wise to know what kind of enemies lie ahead." ? BF 4 From beyond the barriers of the wooden fence, and even the cover of the yellow wheat, came the figures of the Mystery Dungeon''s Pok¨¦mon. Without any warning, they sprung into action against the invaders. Liam held his ground as a Patrat entered his view, jerking his body accordingly to the timing of its ferocious Fury Swipes. When the time was ripe, he splayed a paw as it glowed with a purple energy. He smacked the Patrat away with his Force Palm, another taking its place, to which he did the same song and dance, again and again. Gloria was satisfied with keeping the floating Cutiefly''s at bay with her Ice Shard. The tiny shards of crystallized ice smashing into the Bug-types as they fell to the ground, one by one. Any that got close to her got a taste of her Frost Breath, freezing the majority of them solid. Scizor didn''t seem to break a sweat as he rapidly sucker punched any Pok¨¦mon in his path with his blinding Bullet Punch. The hulking frame of an Ursaring would step into Jackson''s view as the Lucario narrowed his eyes, hunching over slightly and holding his paws together to form a sphere of brilliant blue energy. "Obtrusions," he hissed, the blue sphere expanding and expanding, until he knew the time was right, launching it from his hold and straight into the chest of the Ursaring. The force of the impact blew it straight into the wooden fence-like walls as it exploded into orange light. Liam, who finished off the Patrats'', gaped at the Guildmaster''s strength. ''If I could ever evolve into a Lucario, would I attain his level of strength?'' It was a tantalizing thought. Jackson studied the room, noting the absence of any other enemies. "And just like the dungeon layouts imitate nature, the spawn from it also seems to imitate life." He turned his back on everyone. "But calling them Pok¨¦mon would be an insult to us. These creatures don''t think, don''t eat, don''t sleep, don''t dream like us. All they know how to do is to attack whoever is in their path - us, real Pok¨¦mon. They''re all but obstacles in our path." The Lucario dusted himself off. "Take a breather, then we''ll find the stairs." ? BF 7 "Gloria! Use the orb - now!" Liam shouted, kicking a Skwovet off of him before it could dig its teeth into him. The room they happened to be in was a Monster House - unlucky of them, but they had experienced this yesterday at the falls, so this wasn''t going to catch them off guard, especially with two veterans on their team. Gloria skidded to a halt and tore open one of the pouches on her cream saddlebag, retrieving a Knockback Orb and promptly smashing it to bits on the floor. A wave of pink energy blew back all the enemy Pok¨¦mon crowding around the four of them and smashing into the fence-like walls. A furious flurry of Aura Spheres were hurled from the paws of Jackson, flying into many of the incapacitated Pok¨¦mon. Scizor slashed each Pok¨¦mon not hit from the spheres with an X-Scissor. It wasn''t long until the room was clear of any enemy Pok¨¦mon. Jackson gave Liam and Gloria a thankful nod as he strode forward towards a corridor. "Good teamwork - it is invaluable when faced in situations like-" he stopped in his tracks as a ''click'' was heard underneath him. "Guildmaster, trap!" Scizor yelled. The floor beneath Jackson shifted from its original grassy terrain and slid open to reveal a metal-like plate, a symbol of an explosion onto it. He squinted his eyes and concentrated on using a move, Extreme Speed in particular. In almost a blink of an eye, the image of him disappeared in his location and reappeared next to Liam. It was perfect timing, as a series of fiery explosions detonated where Jackson was once located. The blasts were so powerful that it had actually warped the terrain of the floor, with bits of wood and scorched wheat that littered the room in the aftermath. Luckily, neither of them were in the trap''s radius. Gloria voiced her natural worry, "Are you okay, Guildmaster?" She was about to grab an Oran Berry, but Jackson impeded her with a paw. "Thank you for your concerns, Gloria, but take my experience as a cautionary tale. These dungeons, no matter how beautiful, or fantastical they are¡­ will kill you without hesitation." The orange ring around his paw flickered again; he looked at the corridor he was heading to before, and walked again towards it again, offering them one last remark. "I believe we are nearing the end of this dungeon. We''ve got much to discuss once we''re out."
The staircase they took shrouded them in a perpetual darkness, until they were back in the real world for once, the blue open sky and the fields of swaying wheat awaiting them. A swivel of their heads showed them that they appeared around the opposite end of the shadow in which they entered. "And now, we''re back to where we were originally." Jackson began. "As the case for any other random dungeon, this leads us nowhere but beyond or back. All the potential this land could have offered - all the food it could provide is now void, now reduced to this enigma. It''s eating us, this world, alive." Liam blinked. "Guildmaster¡­ what do you mean when you say that?" "Guildmaster, I would advise telling them now," Scizor added. Jackson looked up into the sky, as if pondering on where to begin. "Years and years ago, before even the Cosmic Quilt Guild was founded, there used to be a village in the Shore Continent called Areos. This village is where Charizard, Scizor and-" he stopped to turn around and look at Scizor, "... I came from. One day... everything was calm, fine, and ordinary... then it happened. A shadow enveloped the village - the ley lines had curled under it. The entire village was wiped out." "What¡­ do you mean by ''wiped'' out?" Liam asked, feeling a lump forming in his throat. "The buildings, the shops, the landscape, the Pok¨¦mon... vanished, gone, erased, dead. All of it was wiped out as the Mystery Dungeon formed. Anything, anyone, can be completely rewritten by the ley lines once they form underneath." The Lucario gave a tired sigh. "Today, that village, that¡­ dungeon... is now known as Fabled Shores." "But¡­" Gloria sputtered. "How... how come there was no panic over this! An entire village of Pok¨¦mon was killed!" "The spread of the Mystery Dungeons is slow - slow enough to where typical Pok¨¦mon do not notice it. There is no warning, no signs of it starting to happen. Today, the Pok¨¦mon of the world simply accept the presence of the dungeons, not knowing of the slow poison that is killing this world." There was no response. The Lucario tightened a paw. "Which brings me to the reason why we''re here in particular. This farm here provides sustenance for a populace, but the Mystery Dungeon here has taken that way, and cast it into the abyss of shadow. While today, this can be easily replaced, in the future, perhaps it can''t be so easily done. They won''t know until it is too late. The Pok¨¦mon of the future will only squabble over the remaining scraps of civilization untouched by the ley lines. And after that, there will be no world left for us anymore - we will be consumed by the ley lines." Whether or not it was intentional or not, his words ushered a wave of silence through everyone. Liam''s mind raced as he attempted to think of something, just anything he could say to counter the Guildmaster''s words. "But¡­ there''s still hope, right? You said we don''t know everything about the ley lines. And that there are ways to manipulate them? So that means Pok¨¦mon could potentially manipulate ley lines to work in our favor, right? " Liam hoped any of what he said made sense, and didn''t come off as hopelessly na?ve. Jackson simply stared at the Riolu, his orange ring flashing. "... Liam, who are you?" "What?" "What kind of Pok¨¦mon are you?¡­ Why did you join this guild?" Liam opened his mouth, trying to find the words to actually speak. He mustered any courage within him as he straightened himself. "Well, I joined this guild because... because I wanted to explore Celestic, this world. I want to go where no other Pok¨¦mon has gone before!" "And what do you make of the Mystery Dungeons? When you think of this world, do you wish for one without such a thing existing?" Liam nodded sharply. "Guildmaster, I have seen just the plains, forests, and cliffs of Celestic, but I would protect it all against the Mystery Dungeons if given the opportunity " Jackson''s stare bored into Liam, a scowl forming on the Lucario''s face. Those were his exact same words before. His orange band flickered again as he shook his head, offering Liam a nod of acknowledgement. He focused his attention Gloria, who was ready to give her own little speech. "And Gloria, why did you join this guild?" She stared up at him with her own determined look. "Because this is my dream, and I''ve made so many promises I''ve yet to fulfill. I want to help the Pok¨¦mon of Celestic, and the world. Being a member of the guild to me is all about helping Pok¨¦mon who need it." Jackson turned around, content with their answers. "Liam, you are correct about the manipulation of ley lines playing a factor. The use of Entercards by many explorers over the years proves this. Riding the connected ley lines to different dungeons... or instantaneous travel. This truth led to Scizor crafting another theory. If the ley lines are all connected to one another, then that means all those paths must cross at a single coordinate. That coordinate... would be the source of all ley lines if true. And since manipulation of them is possible, that means there could be a chance." Liam''s brow furrowed. "A chance... a chance at what exactly?" An idea was forming in the Riolu''s brain. The Lucario lowly chuckled, "You two... if your resolve is truly what you say it is, we can finally move on to this guild''s mission statement. The whole reason we''ve been scouring this continent for decades for information, inviting in members, hiring teams, spanning expeditions into the unknown. All of that for one singular mission." The orange ring on his paw flashed yet again. "My goal, Scizor''s goal, our goal¡­ is the total eradication of the Mystery Dungeon on this world."
"Welcome back!" Indeedee cheerfully exclaimed, waving the newly arrived Pok¨¦mon down with her paw. Liam and Gloria gave her a brief wave back as they entered the foyer of the building. It seemed the guild was now open, seeing as there were crowds of Pok¨¦mon exploration teams around the public job bulletin board. As soon as he was inside, Jackson spoke. "Scizor. Take charge of the guild. I will be absent for the rest of today." He immediately focused his attention on Liam and Gloria. "Team Requiem, you did good work today. But we''re going to need this guild spotless, so you will join Team Nightshade in cleaning duty until dinnertime. Tomorrow, you will begin your official rotation, starting with job listings." "Wait, wha-" Liam tried to speak, but the Lucario had already made his exit towards the hallway. "Cleaning duty? Seriously?!" Gloria giggled tiredly. "It''s okay, Liam, I''m sure they''ve already made good progress with it." Scizor then spoke up, "If you need cleaning supplies, they''re inside of the closet in the mess hell. Team Nightshade should be working on the floors of the hallway past the mess hall." "Alright..." Liam grumbled. "I''ll get the supplies, Gloria." Brushing past the crowds of Pok¨¦mon teams, Liam entered the hallway and out into the mess hall. Sure enough, there was a doorway to a closet. Opening it gave him a wide selection of rags, brooms, mops. He decided on just taking a small selection of cleaning supplies as he picked through it all. What he didn''t count on was a knock on the open wooden door almost making him jump out of his fur. "I see you''re back." The voice of Roark was instantly recognizable. "Roark. Yeah, we''re back now," Liam stated, still a bit apprehensive. Roark then scratched the side of his neck with a claw. "I, uh, don''t mean to be a big ole sap, but... I wanted to quickly thank you before you get back to working again." Liam was shocked; rarely had he''d seen Roark actually be embarrassed before. "Thank me? For what?" "For being there for her." Liam''s ears perked up. "...Gloria?" Roark nodded, smirking. "I know taking part in my little plan to get her into the guild may have seemed like your only choice, but you could''ve left anytime you wanted, and you didn''t. From what I heard happened at the theater, you two make a damn good pair." Gloria had mentioned this to him earlier in the morning, which was true, he didn''t need to follow exactly what Roark wanted of them. But he already settled that in his mind not long ago. "You don''t need to thank me, Roark. It''s what friends do, right?" The Zoroark chuckled. "That''s the spirit!" His expression changed. "But seriously, there''s going to be a time where I¡­ won''t ever be around for her. And you''re the closest Pok¨¦mon she''s got, other than Leafeon." Liam''s features softened. "What are you saying, Roark? Are you okay?" Roark placed a claw on his hip. "I''m not going to keel over and die like an old ''mon, but all I''m saying is don''t ever stop being there for her, you knucklehead. Those are words from her big brother himself." He punctuated this by jabbing himself in the chest. "She''s, like the sweetest little girl I''ve ever met - a little feistiness in her, yeah, but once she latches on to you. she won''t want you to let go, and that''s what she still needs to learn." Roark then entwined his claws together. "So! Can you make a promise?" It clicked within Liam as he gave a firm nod. "Of course. I promise, I won''t stray away from her. Now, is, uh, that all you needed?" "Not exaaactly," the Zoroark said as he knelt down, pulling something from behind the door. He held the handle with a red claw as he extended it towards Liam. "Here''s the bucket you''ll need. Have lots of fun!" Liam sighed, grabbing the plastic bucket. "Thank you, Roark." The Zoroark waved a claw at the Riolu, before exiting the closet. "Any time! See you tomorrow, fresh meat!" After Roark was gone, Liam went back to rummaging through the cleaning supplies. But with the door still wide open, he could hear the frustrations that the strange members of Team Nightshade were experiencing in the hallway quite clearly. ''Rockruff! You missed a spot!'' ''Sorry! I''ll get right on it!'' ''Mreow~ Not that one dear, this one over her-'' SPLASH. ''Dangit, Rockruff! You spilled the soap... again!'' ''S-sorry! I tripped! The floor is wet, y''know!'' Liam couldn''t help but laugh on the inside as he heard the three bicker amongst each other. This was okay to him - the simple life within the guild, even if it wasn''t action packed exploration that he seemed to crave all the time. He thought back to when the Guildmaster told them of the guild''s mission. He wondered when, if ever, would their efforts become fruitful. But he knew that he, along with Gloria, were here for the wild ride ahead, and neither of them planned on stopping anytime soon.
Something stirs beneath the ground... the truth of this world!
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time:Razor Claw Razor Claw Chapter 9 Razor Claw PLINK. A sharpened dart sailed through the air and met its destination, smack-dab on the bullseye of the black and red dartboard. Soon came another dart, this one missing its mark, just slightly off-center. PLINK. Weavile narrowed her eyes - surely she could be a bit better with her accuracy. With a sigh, she rummaged through a bag on her side, pulling out another thin dart and taking aim. And after another snap of her claw, the dart went through the air, straight as an arrow towards its target. PLINK. She smiled. Bullseye. Again. It also seemed to be perfect timing, as the door to her quarters squeaked opened. In came Bisharp, who gave her an expressionless stare as she fished out another dart. He closed the door behind him. Weavile narrowed her eyes again at the board. "Well? You''re going to ruin my streak." She took aim. PLINK. Bisharp glanced at the dartboard. It was littered with darts, most of them on the outskirts. "Very¡­ impressive, Weav''s." He tore his gaze to absently look around the room. The wooden walls were stained a dark purple, courtesy of Weavile''s request to the painters. Other than random junk she had lying around, the room was mostly clean. But Bisharp knew that if she was left to her own devices, it wouldn''t take long before it devolved back into chaos. PLINK. This throw didn''t seem to quite make it, landing on the edges of the board. Weavile frowned, slowly panning her face towards Bisharp and giving him a playful glower. "Now look what ya did." Bisharp rolled his eyes. "I thought you would be all tuckered out after yesterday." He moved to step inside the room. Weavile arched her back into a stretch as she sat upright on her bed, displaying a wicked grin. "Nah, that was a cakewalk. And I''ve got more important things to do." He raised a brow, "Really? Cakewalk? Do I need to remind you how many times you almost got sliced by the tusks of that Haxorus?" It was Weavile''s turn to roll her eyes. "Yeah, because you couldn''t keep that Simisear away. I should seriously demote you for that," she chided. "Well, I have to applaud you for putting away your ego and realizing that those two were good - good enough for you to ask them to join." "Normally I wouldn''t even think about hiring¡­ competition, but I think those two might be better in our pocket than anyone else''s." "I can agree to that, but you still haven''t told me what ''important things'' you''re doing, other than-" he motioned towards the impaled dartboard, "This." Weavile finished her stretching as she hopped off her bed. "Oh, Bishy, how could you forget my important little meeting with our helpful anonymous client?" Bisharp''s eyes expanded, "It''s today? And¡­ he has more leads?" She grinned, "Today, and I can only assume he''s got more work for us, considering the little message I was sent earlier." Bisharp tilted his head, "Message? I didn''t see any ''mons bring in mail." A laugh came from Weavile as she knelt down, picking up the black bag resting beside her bed. She slung it around her shoulder and strolled towards the door, still grinning wickedly. "You''re either gonna shit out a brick or call it magic once you see this." She tapped the side of her bag with a claw. "Instantaneous." Bisharp snorted, "Are you blowing our money on random junk now?" "Nah, this was a gift¡­ from our little client." She placed a claw on the doorknob, opening the door to a wide, light purple stained hallway. "I''ll show you in a bit. I think it would be appropriate to see our two newest recruits. Hopefully, I haven''t misplaced my trust in them." She stepped into the halls. Bisharp was close behind, "Oh? You''re wondering if the mercs we fought with, then hired right after might betray us?" His sarcasm was noticeable even in his regular tone of voice. "Not that, it''s just I don''t want slackers tearing down our reputat- err, infamy. Whatever. We just need to give them the same ole'' Razor Claw introduction all our cute little members went through." Bisharp scoffed, "You getting soft, Weav''s? Need I remind you this isn''t an actual guild with the whole family shtick?" "Soft? Nah, if anything I''m becoming more jaded as my patience wears down. But speaking of family, let''s go visit the ice queen." She walked down the hall, Bisharp following. "Ah, the last time I saw her, she was still pissed about last time. Don''t think she''ll be too pleased to see your face," Bisharp warned. Weavile nodded, "She can hold a grudge long, but she''ll come to her senses with a quick chat, and some cash." Their brief stroll through the purple stained wooden halls halted once Weavile came to a stop at a door on her right. She briefly glanced at Bisharp in amusement before turning the doorknob and swinging it open. Opening the door revealed a medium-sized room. Around the walls of the room were motivational posters from a typical guild, along with various plainly colored couches and cushions neatly positioned around the center of the room. There, sitting cross legged on one of the furniture, was a Golisopod, eyes closed, seemingly meditating. Its movements were close to zero, with only the mandibles on its face twitching occasionally. Across from the Bug-type laid a Glaceon resting on an opposite couch. It didn''t seem to acknowledge the new presence from the doorway as it coolly flipped through the pages of a magazine with a paw. Weavile sauntered into the room, a smirk on her face as she briefly glanced at the meditating Golisopod, then honed her focus on the resting Glaceon. "What''s up, ice queen?" Glaceon stopped her motions of page flipping, slowly panning her face to meet a smirking Weavile''s. Her face displayed a mix of strained annoyance, contempt, disgust, and all things in between. "Weavile," she hissed in an icy tone. "I told you to stop calling me that." Weavile''s smirk grew wider. "Why would I? Wouldn''t want to disrespect royalty after all." Glaceon scowled, "After you put on that¡­ that horrid job?" she spat out. "With the Grimer''s and Koffing''s? Disgusting!" She dramatically whipped her icy bangs, returning to browse her magazine. Weavile continued to push, her patience waning, but her smirk growing. "Come on, ice queen, I know you couldn''t resist the paycheck of it. Especially you, a veteran should understand. Forgive me?" The Ice-type ''hmphed'' as she flipped through another page. "Just don''t send me those types of jobs again." Weavile nodded, her smirk growing dangerously large. "Of course, ice queen, I promise." She didn''t. "Now, would you know the location of those two recruits we brought in yesterday?" Another page was flipped as Glaceon responded. "In the Lounge, where everyone else is. Just me and Golispod here. I can''t stand the rest of the Pokemon here." ''Who can she stand?'' Weavile grumbled in her mind. "Thank you, Glaceon, you''ll get your pay next week. Then Bisharp will find you a more... suitable job." Glaceon ''hmphed'' again, going right back into immersing herself into her magazine. Weavile then shifted her attention towards the still silent Golisopod. "Hey, big guy. You''re going on our next scouting mission. Can I trust you to not screw it up like some other ''mons around here?" Golisopod''s eyelids shifted, the black abyss background of his eyes and piercing red pupils now visible, his mandibles twitching erratically. Weavile took this as confirmation. "Splendid." "You done interrogating them, Weav''s?" Bisharp questioned. Weavile walked back towards the doorway. "Let''s go get that Simisear and show him a thing or two." Bisharp followed. "Enjoy your time, my beloved lackeys!" she exclaimed, waving a claw to the Pok¨¦mon behind her. One disinterested in farewells, and the other perpetually still and silent. After they closed the door behind them, they headed towards the Lounge, which was directly adjacent to the foyer located down the hallway. Once near the large doors of the Lounge, Weavile smiled. She could already hear the clinking of glasses and the shouts of laughter from beyond the door. Opening it revealed a much larger room than the previous one they were in - it was darkly tinted compared to the other rooms in the building. Plush, crimson red couches, chairs, and cushions strewn about with tables fixed with filled or empty bottles of different drinks - some alcoholic, some not. A couple dozen Pok¨¦mon were all seated on the red furniture, happily drinking the day away and chatting with their fellow comrades. If Weavile were to admit she indeed had a heart, it would be pounding in admiration right now. The commotion soon faded as the mercenaries realized their captains had just entered, a hushed whisper replacing the once bombastic atmosphere. Weavile attempted to correct this. "Just looking for Simisear, ladies and gentlemen. Send him my way." She analyzed the crowd, looking for the fiery Fire-type from yesterday. A large Rhyperior sitting on a red cushion spoke up in a bellowing deep voice. "He''s right here, Cap." He pointed to his left with his giant rock column of an arm. Weavile followed his arm, and indeed it was Simisear, nursing a drink as he stared at Weavile. She smirked, his body was still battered a bit from the beat down they endured. But she knew she wouldn''t regret this. At least, she hoped she wouldn''t. "Come on, Simisear, you can tell this to Haxorus once we''re finished." Simisear then hesitantly stood up to a small amount of cheers from the members, causing Rhyperior to perk back up again. "Hey, Cap! When are you going to tell us what went down at that theater? Surely it had better sludge than what we have here." he said to the laughter of the other mercenaries. "Yeah! You still haven''t told us how he was taken down so fast, and who did it!" a nasally voice shouted from the crowd. "And when are you gonna bust Magmortar out!" a female voice added as agreement resounded throughout the room. Weavile stiffened, "Guys, please, your questions will all be answered once me and Bisharp finish up our business. Rest assured, it was a victory for us." This seemed to settle the outbursts from the Pok¨¦mon, who they went back to their drinking and laughing. A pair of razor sharp claws found themselves on Simisear''s shoulder, the Pokemon immediately turning to face its owner. "Come out into the foyer once you''re ready, and we''ll discuss matters there." Weavile quickly winked to Bisharp, who acknowledged as they turned and closed the doors to the Lounge, hearing the noise picking back up again with their exit. "Didn''t have the heart to tell them Magmortar got thrashed by some random twerps?" Bisharp quipped. "Half-truth - of course I''m not gonna say who he got stomped by, but it''s true that this was a victory for us. That ambassador was scared out of his wits when they rolled him outta there." "Then you think Sceptile will do what he''s been told, since he''s gone back now." "He will, or we''ll find another way. Regardless, our message to the Allfather has been sent with flying colors." "And you''re so sure he''ll want to negotiate rather than removing that thorn in his side?" Bisharp retorted. "I think the Allfather is smart enough to realize he can''t get rid of us so easily. We''re not the top mercs in Celestic because we have nothing to show. No, we''ve got our claws sunken deep, and we''re letting go til I¡­" She paused for a moment. "And you¡­ get what you want." Bisharp could only silently agree. "Still," he began. "Don''t you think it''ll come time to finally break the reality of our escapades to our members?" "Most wouldn''t care, and why should they? To them, it''s just thrill, cash, and the occasional free drinks. I can''t really blame them, but I think they''ll follow their beloved captains anywhere..." Bisharp pointed his gauntlet at her. "Ha, see? You are going soft." She rolled her eyes in response. Once in the main foyer, they patiently waited for the doors of the Lounge to open across the hall. It wasn''t long until they swung open and the bruised resemblance of Simisear came down the halls. "How are you enjoying yourself? The booze good?" Weavile jokingly shouted. "Horrible," Simisear responded. Weavile responded with a fanged smile. "Well, get used to it. Welcome to the Razor Claw Clan-er¡­ Guild, which is the legal term for this place, but don''t go saying that to anyone¡­ or else-" she made a slicing motion over her throat. "Weav''s, please," Bisharp interrupted. "This is the Razor Claw Clan. Only the toughest and most professional mercenaries get invited. We are simply the best Celestic has to offer, so you should feel honored. Now, I assume you understand your duties from now?" Simisear nodded, "I know all of this introductory junk. I''m not new to this, but¡­ say, you guys carry rifles? You do seem to be the most well equipped mercs I''ve seen, compared to the stuff I''ve used." Weavile laughed, "Rifles? Here we all trust our natural strength. I''ve only seen city and Council guards carry rifles. Were you one before?" "Err, sort of." Simisear changed the subject. "When do I start my first job?" Bisharp began explaining, "Once you recover fully from your injuries, I will begin the process of assigning you to a squad. On some occasions, you will be led by teams under my or Weavile''s command." Weavile intervened. "Yeah, and if you become good enough, maybe you could replace a captain," she said, jabbing Bisharp in his side with a claw. "Bite me, Weav''s." Bisharp thrusted a gauntlet towards the doors of the Lounge across the hallway. "Feel free to return or rest in the quarters. Your days here will begin shortly." WIth one last nod, Simisear walked back down the halls and into the Lounge again. Weavile and Bisharp shared a look. "Are you going to show me that thing he gave you now?" he asked. "Let''s go back to my room - you''re gonna be in for the shock of your life." Bisharp shrugged, "We''ll see, Weav''s." The short trek back to Weavile''s room ended as she stepped into her dark purple chambers. Weavile unraveled the strap around her shoulder and threw her black bag onto her bed, pulling the zipper and revealing its contents. Inside were mostly common items she would carry - binoculars, seeds, orbs, her cape, her darts. But one item in particular stood out amongst the others, particularly to Bisharp. It was subdued yellow in color, shaped like a rectangle with curved edges. Two thin ''ears'' of a Pok¨¦mon sprouted from the top. There was even a pair of eyes near the top of the item. Perforations were made into it, below the eyes and on the ''cheeks'' of it. Near the ''mouth'', there was a clear glass display along with a round dial to turn. Around the left side of it was a switch, seemingly to turn the device on and off. To say it was strange to Bisharp was an understatement. "What¡­ is that? You said he gave you this?" Weavile picked up the device, twirling it around in her claw. "Yup, the last time we met, he handed me this. Didn''t say what exactly it was, just told me it was already ''tuned'' to his signal. From there we could instantly communicate." She gave it a tap. "Last thing he said was, he''d contact me on this day, around this time." Bisharp blinked, "Wait, instant¡­ communication? How does he have access to this? I don''t think even the Council has something advanced as this." Weavile shrugged, "Apparently the guild near Empyrean does - said one of his goons nabbed it there. But trust me, it''s very real, and I can testify to that." "But I''ve¡­ never seen something like this before in the guild. This must be new." Bisharp shook his head. "Did he only give you one? This could revolutionize how we do operations, Weav''s. Or we could tear it open, see how it works, make our own. Or¡­" Weavile held up a claw to cease his ramblings. "Hold it, he only gave me one, and he also said to not tinker with it to possibly screw up our connection with him. Besides, I don''t want to get on the bad side of the ''mon lining our pockets with Pok¨¦." "Maybe we could bre-" His desperate counter was stopped by Weavile. "Into the guild near Empyrean? No way, we''re blind, and there''s no telling how many connections they have now." Bisharp frowned, being denied the possibility of exploring the wonder a new technology put a damper on his spirit. Still, his mind churned at just who their client was to get his hands on things like these. "Anyway, let''s wait around unt-" Weavile was interrupted by a harsh crackling noise emitting from the device she held. The two of them stopped to stare at it. The perforations on the ''cheeks'' of it seemed to work as a speaker for the harsh static to come out, and quite loudly at that. They winced at the sound of it until the volume of the static winded down a bit as an unmistakable gruff voice came through the speakers, piercing through the jumbled mess of noises and into their ears. "... Can¡­ you hear me? If so¡­ click the side of the device and respond." Bisharp stared in awe at what he was hearing - Weavile was telling the truth. She took a moment to act, but she did as instructed, holding the device close to her mouth and flipping the switch on its side before speaking into it. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. "I can hear you¡­ loud and clear. Can you?" "... Yes. Then we can begin, I hope you are ready to leave. I want you here at midnight. Do you understand?" Weavile responded, "Don''t sweat it, I''ll be there." "Good, I will be expecting you then. Do not keep me waiting." Then there was nothing but static, until that died out as the room fell quiet. Weavile clicked the switch again, assuming it was to cut her connection. She looked at Bisharp, who was still stunned and silent. "Well, good thing that was so cut and dry. What time is it right now?" Bisharp snapped out of his trance as he spoke slowly. "It''s¡­ the afternoon." Her smirk grew, "Excellent. We''ll need someone to fly us to our meeting spot again. Is Honchkrow available?" "Yes, but it''s going to rain heavily when night hits, he won''t be able to resist the onslaught." She threw the device back into her black bag, pulling out her dark cape, the symbol of a Razor Claw etched onto it. The bag was zipped tight as she threw it over her shoulder, just like many times before. "Get Skarmory. She can withstand it. And get ready yourself, I want us airborne half an hour to our little meeting."
Both of their black capes whipped and billowed against the sharp wind of the pitch dark skies. Dark gray storm clouds were approaching their position, even if rain didn''t come yet. They clung to the steely feathers of Skarmory as she soared through the cloudy night, further towards their destination. Weavile narrowed her eyes towards the ground. While it wasn''t raining just yet, visibility was still difficult when you''re miles above in the sky on a Pok¨¦mon travelling at intense speeds. But then she saw it - the familiar ruined structure of her meeting spot. She smiled amidst the chaos of the open skies - they were here, and with perfect timing, too. A small pat of her claw onto Skarmory''s back told the Steel-type all she needed to know as she nodded in confirmation. Soon enough, they were nosediving straight towards the earth below them. The Pok¨¦mon on board instinctively clutched the feathers of Skarmory more as she descended with haste. Once they were safely secure on their respective realm, the both of them hopped off Skarmory''s back. "Good work as always, Skarmory," Weavile commented. "No problem, Cap''n. All in a day''s work." Bisharp planted himself near Skarmory''s side. "I''ll stay with Skarmory and keep watch. You do your thing, and don''t screw up things with our best client." Weavile laughed, "You say this every time, Bishy, but it never does happen. Perhaps I''m just too charming?" He grumbled in response. The Ice-type took in the sight before her just as she had many times. It was a crumbling wreck of a building, faded beige stone columns were torn to shreds, leaving nothing but jagged stumps left. Nature took this place over, with green moss, vines, and other foliage that grew out of every crack, hole, and crevice of the ruins. Weavile wasn''t too sure on why her client seemed to choose this as a meeting spot every time, but it never bothered her much. It was secluded enough, and the sketchiness of the deals with her other clients were way worse than what she was dealing with now. She moseyed on over towards the crumbling building and planted her back on the same wall she had rested against before, time and time again. She held an enclosed claw behind her as she rapped it against the stone surface. It was her signal to cue in that she was here and ready for their meeting to begin. She could hear an audible shuffling sound from behind the wall of stone, perhaps footsteps she mused. They grew in volume as the noises came closer towards the wall until they stopped entirely. A gruff voice then spoke from beyond the stone wall, the same one from the device. "Good, you''re here. Let''s get down to business." Weavile crossed her arms. "Well? Let''s hear it." The voice spoke again, "My associates were able to witness a failed deal at the Cosmic Quilt Guild, thus allowing them to track down an exploration team exiting that were holding valuable knowledge. You will track down this exploration team, for they have¡­ information of a place that I desire to find." Weavile closed her eyes. ''This guy must have eyes everywhere.'' Sometimes it warmed a mercenary''s heart to work for someone with such cards to play, but it was mostly for the tons of cash they would offer. "Price?" "Ten thousand Pok¨¦. Obtain the information through your own means - stealthily, violent - as long as it''s in my paws, I don''t care." Weavile frowned, "So, you made me go all the way out here for this? Couldn''t you have just told me over that little device?" "You''re mercenaries¡­" the voice spat out. "You Pok¨¦mon have zero honor. You are not trustworthy, so I wish to keep track of you as you go through with my requests." Weavile ''tched'' - it seemed like such a cheap excuse. "You seem like you could handle yourself, why bother with us mercs?" "Believe me, if there was an easier way to obtain the information I need, then there would be no need to deal with your type of Pok¨¦mon. It is simply convenient for me to use your services, being that your efficiency is well respected." ''Damn right,'' Weavile thought. Maybe mercenaries don''t have honor or loyalty, but they''re damn good at what they do, at least she is. But something about his words itched at her mind. They reminded of her early days, the ones she doesn''t wish to speak of so much anymore. "I haven''t even seen as much as your face before, but you say we''re not trustworthy?" The voice seemed to laugh slightly at her comment, which only irritated the Ice-type even further. "You will never see my face, or know who I am." "Oh? Why''s that?" "Because then I''d have to kill you." Weavile had seen many different kinds of Pok¨¦mon in her travels. Scared ones, Angry ones, Brave ones. She was able to call out even the mightiest of bluffs from Pok¨¦mon, so she knew when the voice told her that he would kill her - that he was dead serious. She smiled, "What makes you so sure you could do that?" "Who said I don''t have you surrounded right now?" the voice replied matter-of-factly. ''Touche.'' "Are you going to hand over the details now? We''re burning the night away." A slip of paper appeared through one of the missing chunks of brick wall next to Weavile. She grabbed with a claw as she flipped it over to read the messy text inscribed onto it. Lush Garden It wasn''t too far away, and she was thankful that there was no Mystery Dungeon around this area. The best part was that it was secluded. No town or village for miles. The voice spoke again, "In an hour, they should congregate around the large tree in the center, as they are there to also make a deal themselves. You will intervene, and strike before that deal carries on. Even if you must beat it out of them... this information cannot be lost." Weavile was fine with this. "Yeah yeah, we''ll get it down." She gave a final thought. It should be very easy for her and Bisharp - exploration teams weren''t usually full of muscle ''mons. Just inexperienced kids with dreams and that sort who wouldn''t stand a chance. Especially against a pair of combat veterans trained to not hold back. She sighed slowly at that thought. "Good," The voice answered. "I will await your return with the information. I expect you will not disappoint." The shuffling returned as the voice seemed to walk away from the wall. Weavile took this as a sign to return back to Bisharp and Skarmory. She took her back off the crumbling wall and traversed through the ruins again. Once she was in viewing distance of Bisharp, she threw her arm up, displaying the sheet of paper wedged in between her claws. "Let''s saddle up, we''ve got a job to do."
While before, the night was dry and without a speck of water so much touching the ground - now it came, and when it rains, it pours. And pour it did - heavy sheets of water dropped from the heavens above, slamming into the ground below and onto a flying Skarmory, who didn''t seem to budge. Flashes of lightning in the distance briefly lit up the dark sky before disappearing into the blackness, the crack of thunder accompanying it. Weavile groaned, she would need a nice long shower after this job was said and done with. She scanned the ground below, knowing they were just above the area called the Lush Garden. But they would need to locate the center of it, where a large overgrown tree planted its roots into. It was difficult enough that they were flying at high speeds, way above the ground, but now that they seemed to be into some kind of hurricane of a storm, it was an even bigger pain to see. "Circle this area! I need to get a better view!" Weavile commanded. "Aye aye, Cap''n!" Skarmory screamed. The Flying-type began her maneuvers in the sky, making sure the two on board could get a good look through the flurry of wind and cascading water. It was only a few moments of circling until Bisharp pointed something out with his gauntlet. "Right there, the tree!" Weavile looked to where he pointed. It was difficult, but she could make out a mass of dark shambling green leaves, along with three visible figures beside it. ''There it is.'' "Good eye, Bishy. Get us down close, near some tall bushes, Skarmory!" She enunciated this by tapping the Pok¨¦mon''s back. Skarmory nodded, "You got it, Cap''n!" Lightning rolled throughout the sky as thunder echoed its call. The Flying-type shot through the dark gray storm clouds, slicing through the waves of rain and barreling towards the ground. The field of the now muddy and wet grassland became more and more visible as Skarmory glided towards the surface. She aimed for a pair of bushes just tall enough to conceal their location from any other Pok¨¦mon. Once her talons graced the ground, she implanted them firmly into the wet dirt, flexing her wings and whipping away the water collected onto them. "We''re... here, Cap''n!" Skarmory proclaimed, a bit tired from the trip. Weavile patted her back. "Great, you stay here, and make sure you''re not seen." She bounded off Skarmory''s back, along with Bisharp. They made sure all of them were hidden by the thick green bush in front of them. Here, they would conceive their plan of motion. "Let''s get a good look of this exploration team- see what we''re dealing with here." Bisharp suggested. Weavile agreed, zipping open her bag, procuring her binoculars and peering over the sides of the bush. She listed off each Pokemon she could visibly identify. "Toxtricity... Pidgeot... and a Vigoroth. I ain''t too worried." While these weren''t kids by no means, this didn''t set off any alarms in her mind. This would be easy. Bisharp nodded, "Approach? I say we just barrel through them. No need for anything fancy." "Agreed. This will be a walk in the park, so follow me, and make sure we''re not seen." Stealthily or violent? She could do both just fine. Placing the binoculars back into her bag and zipping it back up, she crouched low to the ground, Bisharp replicating her form as well. From this position, they inched forward through the grass, going from bush to bush, closer towards the huge tree and closer to their targets. As they got near, it wasn''t long until they got within earshot of the three Pok¨¦mon, who were all chatting amongst each other. The both of them listened carefully to their conversations, hoping to glean any juicy details from it. "I''m telling you!" the yellow and purple Toxtricity spoke. "There''s gotta be something of value in those ruins. Something we don''t know about." "I don''t know," the Pidgeot responded, her skepticism showing. "We found nothing combing through it. I even flew around the whole place twice. Twice!" The Vigoroth with a satchel around its waist jumped in. "Yeah I just don''t see why mercenaries would want this, man, I just hope this isn''t a setup¡­" Weavile''s smirk appeared from behind the blades of wet grass. ''Oh this is a setup alright, just not the kind of one you will expect.'' Toxtricity shook his head, obviously frustrated with the lack of faith given to him. "No! We saw something near those ruins. A mural, remember?" Vigoroth visibly shrugged, "Uh¡­ remind me again?" Toxtricity growled, "It was a painting... of something like a metal skirt, or¡­ a wheel!" Pidgeot tilted her head, "A skirt of metal? Why would any mercenary care about it? Doesn''t seem like it would sell much more than the average relic." "That''s beside the point!" Toxtricity countered. "And remember!" He held up a bulbous finger. " We saw a group of Pok¨¦mon wearing armbands near one of the entrances to the ruins! That means this is a place of interest to some ''mons." Weavile''s features softened. ''Armbands? There''s no way...'' The look Bisharp was sending her all but confirmed it in her mind. ''But why?'' She didn''t know, but she didn''t intend to sit around and ponder the possibilities. Weavile would take initiative. She glanced towards Bisharp, sending him a nod that solidified that she was going on the offensive now. Standing up, she stepped out of her hiding bush as she sprinted forward, her cape flapping in the wind. Using the veil of darkness, rain, and her opponents unawareness to her advantage, she stealthily bolted towards them with an outstretched arm, claws ready to slice. The Ice-type focused her attention on the Vigoroth with the satchel, his back turned and ripe for an attack. Her claws effortlessly slid across the Pok¨¦mon''s back, forming a nasty gash as she brought it across. "GAH!" The Vigoroth turned around immediately once he felt something razor sharp digging into his flesh. However, the culprit had already vanished from his sight, sprinting off to his left. Toxtricity''s eyes widened, "Vigoroth! Were you just attacke-" He was cut off by his own yelp as a flash of pain resounded from his chest. A large gash, just like the one Vigoroth suffered from was now visible. The inflictor, a Bisharp, leapt past Toxtricity and towards the other culprit. There, the two regrouped and turned to face the trio they had just attacked. Weavile flicked some blood off her claw - Bisharp did the same. The both of them took a fighting stance together, sizing themselves up against the attacked, who were regaining their bearings. Mercenaries may not have honor, but who said they couldn''t enjoy a fight and want it to last a little while. Toxtricity held a hand over the gash, shaking his body in a rage. It took him a moment to notice, but Pok¨¦mon wearing capes and looking this rugged meant only one thing. "You''re mercenaries¡­ and you decided to attack us?!" he screamed. Weavile lunged forward with an outstretched claw. "Less talk, more fight." It narrowly missed Toxtricity as he leapt backward. But she never stopped her attack, forming an enclosed fist as a layer of ice quickly covered it. The Ice-type closed the distance between the two of them, slamming her newly made Ice Punch into the belly of the Toxtricity. Shades of darkness enveloped both of Bisharp''s bladed gauntlets as he charged towards the Vigoroth, who tried to put up a futile resistance with a rush of Fury Swipes. Bisharp was faster, allowing his duo of Night Slash''s to land consecutive hit after hit onto the Pok¨¦mon''s chest. Pidgeot moved in to assist her two comrades, swooping into the air and beating her wings back and forth. She unleashed her Air Cutter, spawning waves of light blue energy curves from her wingspan. With another flap of her wings, the arcs of energy cut through the air and rushed towards the two attackers. Weavile pushed Toxtricity out her way as an array of Ice Shards formed around her body. Each crystallized piece of ice was sent hurtling towards the impending arcs of energy, smashing into each other, sending chunks of ice everywhere and fizzling the waves of energy. This didn''t seem to stop Pidgeot, as she once again started forming multiple arcs of light blue energy across her outstretched wings. "Oh no you dont!" Weavile shouted. She quickly formed another Ice Punch around her enclosed fist, springing off the ground to reach her target hovering just above. It was the perfect amount of force - the layer of hardened ice smashing into the feathery belly of Pidgeot. The Pok¨¦mon''s eyes seemed to bulge out her sockets, being sent careening past the four of them, smacking into the wooden bark of the humongous tree. Pidgeot was knocked clean out. Thunder howled in the distance. Two left. While Vigoroth was still trying to endure the series of Night Slash''s from Bisharp, Toxtricity recovered from his attack and started charging up an attack. He growled as tendrils of electricity pulsed around his form. His Discharge was surely going to repel these Pok¨¦mon. Weavile hissed as sparks of burning yellow electricity hit her fur, she quickly turned around to assess the threat she neglected to take down Pidgeot. Waving her claws mockingly at Toxtricity, she decided she needed to run circles around him and try to find an entrance into his guard. Bisharp was confused. Somehow this Vigoroth was taking all of his Night Slashes, but still standing. It wasn''t even moving. Then suddenly, surprising Bisharp out his assault, came an upright jab from Vigoroth. Luckily, Bisharp wasn''t mindless with his attacks, allowing him to study the Vigoroth for any sudden attacks and move when needed. It then clicked - the move Revenge. He had the Pok¨¦mon all figured out now. He forcefully grabbed a hold of Vigoroth''s shoulder with both of his gauntlets as the Pok¨¦mon struggled to break free. A sheet of pure gray metallic iron formed across Bisharp''s skull raised head, ultimately bringing his mettalic cranium crashing down onto Vigoroth''s own - headbutting him with his old reliable Iron Head, at full force. BAM! The Pok¨¦mon stood no chance against such an attack, quickly crumpling to the muddy floor in defeat as Bisharp let him out of his grasp. Thunder continued to howl in the distance. One left. Blobs of poisonous purple goo were lobbed at Weavile as she performed evasive maneuvers around Toxtricity. He may be able to keep Pokemon at a distance, but Weavile was the queen of getting close and personal with anyone. Toxtricity formed another Sludge Bomb, hurling it against the floor and forming pits of purple goo. Weavile found her opening, but he thought he was quicker than her - he wasn''t. The Electric-type hummed as arcs of electricity started to form around him. He was hoping another round of Discharge would dispel that Weavile from getting near him. But he didn''t count on the Pok¨¦mon being straight in front of him, Ice Punch formed, mocking smirk and all. "HURK!" It wasn''t just one Ice Punch, it was multiple - into his sides, chest, belly, face. The whirlwind of freezing jabs across his body was too much to bear. One final frosty punch sent him flat onto the ground as thunder roared. None left. Weavile and Bisharp shared a look, an actual smile forming on Bisharp''s features for once. They both nodded, enclosing in on a defeated and well battered Toxtricity, who was still on the floor pushing himself away from them. He held up a bulbous hand, "Wait, wait! You''re the mercs who came for the information about the ruins, right!? We thought we''d sell it to the guild, but you guys offered! Why''d you come here just to attack us! If you want it¡­ just take it then!" Weavile stopped her advancement. "It turns out we''re not the mercenaries you were looking to deal with, but I''ll gladly follow your other advice¡­ where is it?" Toxtricity gulped, "It''s just a note¡­ in the satchel, the one Vigoroth is carrying. Just¡­ don''t do anything else to us, please!" Weavile marched over to the fallen Pok¨¦mon, kneeling down and tearing open the contents of the satchel for her to see. Other than some Oran Berries, seeds, orbs, and other junk, there wasn''t anything that caught her eye, until a slip of paper was located. She grabbed with a claw, bringing it close to her eye to read the text inscribed onto it. What she read was the name of a location. Her heart panged as she read the name in her mind, over and over. It was all too familiar, being burned into her mind for ages. She had been to this location before. Swallowing the growing lump in her throat, she addressed Bisharp, who walked up to see what the slip of paper contained. "Bishy... This is the place that I and..." she stopped, but Bisharp already knew. He turned towards the still bewildered Toxtricity. "Before, you said¡­ Pok¨¦mon with armbands were there, correct?" A hasty nod from the Pok¨¦mon confirmed his suspicions. "Weav''s..." He looked straight into Weavile''s eyes. "The pieces of the puzzle are finally clicking together." Weavile clenched her teeth as fresh rage sprouted within her. But now was not the time for anger. She gave one final look at the slip of paper. They needed to return back to their client for payment. Thunder rumbled the sky once again.
The raging storm from before seemed to fade into the night, the invading storm clouds dissipating along with the pounding of heavy rain. "I assume nothing went wrong?" the gruff voice asked. "Yeah, it was quick and easy. They were out like a light, and we''ve got what we needed from them," Weavile assured. "Then slip it towards me - you will get your payment then." Weavile did as instructed, grabbing the paper from her bag. She lingered briefly, staring at the name that was written on in it. Swallowing down her own disgust, she placed it onto the stone in front of her, sliding it into the darkness beyond. It was then grabbed. "This seems to be correct... very well. I think you deserve your payment now." The voice seemed to disappear for a bit, a heavy sack being placed where Weavile originally put the slip of paper. "This should cover everything. I expect you will wait until I require your services again?" Weavile grabbed the plain cloth bag, noting its heaviness. Opening it up, she definitely knew ten thousand Pok¨¦ was in this tiny bag. The clinking of all the circular gold pieces inside it told her that much. "Yeah, we''ll be available." "Good, do not damage that device or touch any of the dials on it. I will contact you again. This is goodbye... for now." The voice was now gone again, leaving Weavile to mull over her thoughts alone. This little outing proved to be far more worthy of their time, other than the cash prize that came along with it. It would be just what they did with this new information that would decide their next action. But a different feeling ate at her. The same one that long ago, she once had.
Weavile turned the handle to Bisharp''s room as she stepped on in. It was a rare thing for her to be in his room. But this time, Bisharp requested her to join him inside. She knew something was up with him, considering he wasn''t even trying to hide the grin planted on his face the trip home. Surveying his room, she found him exactly where she thought he would be - fiddling with that large map of Celestic displayed across the entirety of the purple stained wall. The information gathered right there was everything Bisharp gathered from their anonymous client. All the bits and pieces he found were useful towards a combined larger goal. He seemed to be too absorbed into tinkering with the map as Weavile waltzed past without him noticing. She leaned against an adjacent wall. "Well? How are your developments? Sure must help knowing a big piece has just been uncovered." Bisharp turned around, "What we just uncovered changes everything. I knew there was something fishy about our client. But now we have a lead." "What¡­ you think our helpful client is part of the Alignment?" Weavile sure hoped that wasn''t the case. Bisharp shook his head, "Maybe so, maybe not. What matters is that we know they''re involved now. And the same place you''ve been to is now tied to multiple groups wanting to know its location. The Alignment, our client, and this other mercenary group - they''re looking for something." Weavile whistled, "We''ve got a lot on our plate then. Why not check out this other mercenary group?" Bisharp shrugged, "That Toxtricity couldn''t give us any helpful details on who they were, so I doubt we could pinpoint them right now, seeing that there''s tons of other mercs in Celestic. Best thing we could do is wait for a possible confrontation." "And the Alignment?" She grinded her teeth together. "We now know they''re in on this. We should keep taking the fight to them. Maybe then-" "Weavile¡­ this is more than just your revenge. Or even mine. This is for answers." "Answers? What could we possibly need to have answered other than the finding out who these Pok¨¦mon are, and taking them down." It took Bisharp a moment to respond as he placed his gauntlets around his hip, gazing at the large map. "There''s something about this world¡­ something we don''t understand." He sighed. "Maybe other Pok¨¦mon know the truth, even the truth of what lies just below us. Or maybe they don''t, and no one knows." "But¡­" He pointed his gauntlet at the map. "There has to be something, and maybe... it lies in what we''re following right now." She rolled her eyes, "You''re starting to sound like that Bug-type from the guild. Did you forget that we''re mercenaries, Bishy?" "This is the future, Weav''s". ''Oh brother...'' Whenever he was around this map, he never stopped spewing about his idealism. It was something that Weavile could both hate and appreciate of her co-captain and close friend. "Don''t you remember what I told you back then? Didn''t you want to be more than just a street thug?" "But we''re mercenaries?" He nodded, "Yes, and we''re the same as a street thug. And I thought you wanted to be above just that." She crossed her arms, "Thugs aren''t as good as us - we''re above them." "We''re organized thugs, Weav''s. Ones who aren''t afraid to take what they want. And¡­ taking answers by force will seem to be the very thing we''ll use to our advantage. Besides¡­" Bisharp locked eyes with her. "You want to know why it all happened?" He pointed his gauntlet at the map again. "Then take a good look at it, Weav''s. This is where the answer to that lies." Weavile uncrossed her arms and left the wall she was leaning against as she walked towards the large map. Once it was directly in front of her, she took it all in. Scattered pieces of papers, clues, leads, were placed around different locations of Celestic. Red string connected all possible connections together, including the aspects of her much hated encounters. To Bisharp, this was the future, and a means to the answers he had sought for so long. For Weavile, all she wanted was one thing - that one Pok¨¦mon she has been tracking down for these past ten years - the source of all her frustrations and anger. Being a mercenary was powerful, more powerful than being a street thug or member of any guild. Was part of it for the thrill? Yes. The money, the infamy? All yes. But another part was the revenge she sought for being so wronged by this world. That last part of her, though, it was the one that wondered about those answers Bisharp spoke of - the truth of this world. The road that Bisharp wanted to lead them down was the same one they had wanted to go down. ''And look where that got em.'' But she wasn''t afraid of things like that. They''ve persevered through much in the past. ''Is this something that''s worth doing again? Will we lose it all just trying to get it?'' She sighed, as there was only one way they would find out if this wild Ducklett chase was going anywhere, and that was following it.
This road they will take is surely not to be one untraveled before...
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: Fishing Trip Fishing Trip Chapter 10 Fishing Trip ''Ugh, not again.'' Liam instantly recoiled, bringing a paw to his head and slowly rubbing his temple. It was back again, right after he thought he ditched it this morning, but now he guessed it never truly left. Just like many times before, a sharp pain shot across his mind. Thankfully it wasn''t a lasting one, fading away just as quickly as it came. He groaned nonetheless, still holding his head with a paw. Gloria seemed to notice, stopping her conversation with Leafeon. The white Vulpix tried to match her gaze with the squinting Riolu as worry traveled across her face. "Liam¡­ are you okay? Do you need to see Hatterene?" she asked in concern. If Liam could, he would have smiled at her worriedness. It was a side of her he enjoyed very much. But he also wanted to shiver at the last part of her words. Seeing the head nurse, Hatterene, was something he didn''t want to do. Sure they were just rumors that his fellow guild members retorted, but the sinister glares he''s seen her give to the unlucky Pok¨¦mon that entered her office were enough to convince him. "I''m fine. It''s just a little headache." Ever since the day they had left the premiere, he had been experiencing these brief sudden headaches. When they had first entered the guild, and now a week later, they still remained. He only hoped they would just fade on their own and not affect his performance out in the field. They were doing well so far, quite well, according to Scizor. The day after they were told about the ley lines and Mystery Dungeons, they were told to go straight to doing jobs from the bulletin boards. It was pretty tough for them to get adjusted to this; some jobs were easy, some were much harder. And it wasn''t like they were getting paid tons, with the guild taking over ninety percent of their earnings. Roark was always there to set them straight, as he was their ''guardian angel'', to quote the Pok¨¦mon himself. It was much needed in their first few days, even if it meant the occasional teasing. Gloria was happy to just be able to help in some capacity. To give back to the Pok¨¦mon of Celestic. Liam was happy to get out of the guild and see Celestic for what it was. Impossibly tall forests, jaw dropping cliffs, deep blue lakes and ponds. He wondered when he would be able to see more of the continent, and more than just this part of the Meadow Region. His fellow guildmates also told him about expeditions the entire guild would take across Celestic, usually every year. While the goals of each trip varied, it definitely was no short hike through the woods. The thought excited him immensely, more than he''d like to admit. Roark already mentioned that he acted like Gloria sometimes with his tangents. But in this brief period of time, he had already seen a lot. A lot of Mystery Dungeons, too. Every time he entered one to complete their mission, or just to get past it, the words of the Guildmaster always echoed throughout his mind. ''The Pok¨¦mon of the future will only squabble over the remaining scraps of civilization untouched by the ley lines. There will be no world left for us anymore, we will be consumed by the ley lines.'' If that was true, then he only wondered how long it would be until it happened. Like the Lucario said, the process was slow enough for the average Pok¨¦mon to not notice. But, what will happen when they do notice? The whole world would surely begin to unravel, Liam thought. By then, it would already be too late. A sting of electricity shot through his mind, interrupting the rush of spilling thoughts in his head. Liam didn''t know why, but today it felt much worse than the previous headache filled ones. Breakfast always seemed to soothe that pain, though, even if just a tiny bit. He bit his tongue and fought through it as a hyper Rockruff began to talk to him. "So, you guys went to the Eden Theater the night of the premiere? That''s what Braixen and Monferno said... must''ve been really cool, huh?" The Rock-type then proceeded to chow down on his circular bowl of berries. Liam prepared to cook up a response for the Pok¨¦mon, but the gray canine''s dark furred teammate decided to jump into the conversation. "Yeah! There''s supposed to be new kinds of shiny junk in there, right? Did they let you take any home!?" Mightyena exclaimed. "Ooh! How much do you think they sell for?" "Mreow~ That would be marvelous! A pity they didn''t have enough taste to invite us!" Purrloin added with a whip of her head. A flap of wings on Liam''s right sounded out as Staravia anxiously spoke. "Y-Yeah, me and Joltik wanted to know what you guys saw. Roark was pretty tight lipped about it, b-but he said you guys went along with him." Soon enough, all the eyes of the guild members sitting at the mess hall table were upon both Liam and Gloria, patiently waiting for an answer. The Riolu gulped. "Yup, we weren''t there long, but we saw a ton of stuff. The main theater, the bar, and we even got to use one of those elevators." Gloria smiled, keen on explaining. "He''s right, we even got to see a ''film''! It''s like a play, but the actors are already recorded and in character, and the sets aren''t done on a stage. Instead, they''re outside and acting, everywhere, and it''s all projected onto a white screen. It was mesmerizing!" she gushed. "And the elevators are like, a revolutionary way to move up and down! You don''t even need to move!" Everyone ''oohed'' at Gloria''s thrilling explanation. This fascination was cut off by a laugh from an illusion making fox, who appeared in the nick of time, taking a seat at the table with his tray of food. "That''s not even the best part, sis." Leafeon snorted. "Oh, do tell us, Roark. What was indeed the best part? I think I already know what that is," she said matter-of-factly. He blew her off with a wave of his red claw. "The atmosphere, Leafeon. It may have been a bunch of rich ''mons, but damn was it alive. Comparatively, every other joint in Empyrean is as dead as a Ghost-type." The table grew silent as Roark''s terrible joke settled in. He reached for the glass of water on his tray and took a sip. "Drinks were okay too, I guess." "Yeah we all knew you would say that, Roark!" an arrogant voice shouted. "I think you''ve got a problem, old buddy." Liam could recognize that voice any time of the day as Monferno appeared in his peripherals wearing a smirk of his own. He took a seat next to the drinking Zoroark and slapped his tray on the table. "Braix is still out doing nurse stuff for Hatterene." He tossed a red berry into his mouth. "That''s pretty much all she''s been doing the past week - helping." "You should be more proud of her Monferno," Leafeon suggested. "I''d follow in her pawsteps and be more professional¡­" She pointed an earthy paw at the still drinking Roark. "Lest you become like a fox we all know and love." "She''s got you there, darling. Both you two share a striking resemblance in the mmm¡­ improper department," Purrloin commented. Monferno rolled his eyes as Gloria giggled. Roark held up a single red claw, finishing off his glass of water and peeling it away from his lips. "I don''t have a problem, Mony." He stopped to shoot the Monferno a mock glare, who sneered at the name. "Only on special occasions do I drink, and besides¡­" The fox extended his free arm over the wooden table and ruffled the cloud-like head tuft of Gloria, who pulled away immediately upon contact - he laughed at this. "I got to set a good example for my little sister, right?" "You don''t need to set a good example for me, Roark. I know not to do the things you do all the time," the miffed Vulpix responded. "Maybe so, but there''s some things that ole cook master Leafeon can''t teach you." Leafeon rested her head on two paws, a smug smile tugging at her features. "Oh, really? Name one." The Zoroark pointed a claw at the sneering Monferno. "How to swindle a ''mon every time - tell em, Mony." Gloria giggled gleefully while Monferno ''tched''. "I can be professional anytime I want, Leafeon." Monferno folded his arms behind his neck, closing his eyes and smiling. "I just choose not to." Leafeon put on a mock pouting face. "Not even for dear Braixen? You''re never gonna make it," she spoke in a sing-song voice. The primate Pokemon sighed, tossing another berry in his mouth. "Yeah, yeah I''ve heard that all before from mom¡­ and Roark of all Pok¨¦mon." He waved a hand. "If it''s what Braix wants, I can''t really stop her. It''s what she was made for after all, unlike me. Big responsibility and all..." Liam was jolted out of his painful stupor as Monferno''s palm landed on his shoulder. "Speaking of responsibility¡­ how''s it going in newbie town, Mr. Personality? Be honest, how many jobs did you two screw up?" Liam silently despised that nickname Monferno gave him, the connotation it carried. Even if none of them knew the reason. The Riolu found his tongue, and his bite. "Way better than you - that''s for sure." "Yeah! We''re a great pair! Right... Liam?" Gloria sought validation for her defense. Liam shoved off Monferno''s hand. "Of course we are. We have finished every single job with flying colors. Can you say the same, Monferno?" he challenged smugly. Staravia flapped his wings. "H-he''s got you there! R-Remember the Div-vulged Path Incide-" Monfero interrupted the Flying-type. "Ah, Ah! That''s enough of that, Staravia. Been there, done that already." He crossed his arms in finality, stopping to yawn. "Hey, anyone else feeling more tired than usual?" Roark bit into a green vegetable. "Probably because you haven''t had your midday nap yet, eh, Mony?" He winked. "Don''t worry, I never tell Scizor." Leafeon nodded her head to this. "Hey¡­ Monferno?" Rockruff started. "Did you start becoming fashionable like Purrloin? You had something fuzzy and yellow on your back coming over here." "Wait. Wha-" Monferno shot out of his seat and flipped around. Liam blinked, apparently his headaches weren''t causing hallucinations. Sure enough, a furry and yellow arachnid Pok¨¦mon was glued to Monferno''s back, its tiny beady blue eyes blinking after realizing it was caught. "JOLTIK!" Monferno screamed out as he wiggled his body. The entire table lit up in laughter at Monferno''s torment. It was swiftly ended once the Fire-type reached behind his back and plucked the tiny spiderling off, extending it towards a sweating Staravia. "Take back your little fuzzball partner! And keep a leash on him, please..." The tiny Bug-type leapt from Monferno''s hand and onto Staravia''s back. "Awww c-come on Joltik, I told you to stop sapping our friends. Only enemies, okay?" the bird scolded, only getting a small chitter from Joltik, who latched onto Staravia''s feathers. Roark wiped away a tear. "Man, that never does get old. I think Joltik has a particular taste for hot-headed types of electricity." "Yuck it up, Roark. I await the day it happens to you again." The Fire-type began walking away from the table. "Save my food for me, will ya, Leafeon?" "But you barely tou-" Leafeon tried to say before he quickly disappeared into the hallway. "Well..." Her eyes sauntered over to a drooling Mightyena. "I saw you hounding those plates with your eyes, Mightyena - go nuts." A fire seemed to ignite in the large dark furred canine''s eyes as he nearly bounded out of his seat to scarf down Monferno''s leftovers. Rockruff tried to halt the almost possessed Pok¨¦mon with his paws, pushing into the large dog''s side. Purrloin just batted her eyelashes, watching her teammates go crazy. "C''mon. Mightyena! Save a little!" Rockruff pleaded. Liam couldn''t keep his eyes off the scene. It was like watching a carriage wreck in slow motion. It wasn''t until a red claw entered his vision, to which he looked at its owner. "Boy genius is looking for you two. Said after breakfast he needed to give you guys something." "Boy... genius?" Liam inquired with a tilt of his head. Roark tossed another berry into his mouth. "The little Minun kid that runs around here with his doohickeys." "Oh." Despite them being here for over a week now, they hadn''t exactly spoken with the Electric-type, like at all. Not that they were avoiding him, but the Pok¨¦mon seemed to always be cooped up in his personal quarters. All they knew was that he was good with technology, little there of. Gloria hopped out of her seat, ambitious enough to get on with the day. "We''ll go right to him! Ready, Liam?" Said Riolu stared at his almost empty tray. He had his fill of Leafeon''s grub, which was always great. But he enjoyed Gloria''s cooking just a bit more. He pushed his tray into the middle of the table. "Sure, let''s go see him now." He got up. "Thanks for breakfast, Leafeon." The Pok¨¦mon in question waved an earthy paw. "The pleasure is all mine, Liam." She turned her attention to Gloria, who was fiddling with her cream-colored saddlebag. "Still thinking about taking up my offer in the kitchen?" Gloria stopped her motions and gulped. "S-Sure thing Leafeon, I''ll be ready." This earned a wide warm smile from the Grass-type. "That''s my girl." "Nope, my girl! Big brother clause." Roark interrupted, causing Leafon to roll her eyes. "Big sister clause," she rebutted. "Too late! Already invalidated." Liam strode past the two arguing Pok¨¦mon, placing a paw on Gloria. "Let''s go before things get, uh¡­ ugly." He took the opportunity to take a quick look back. She tore her bothered gaze of the events unfolding away. "Yeah¡­ Lead the way!" The two gave a short wave to the Pok¨¦mon left at the table and took to a hallway going out of the mess hall, now back to where everyone''s quarters were held. But they were looking for Minun''s specifically. Their key clue in finding out which door belonged to Minun was given by the picture of a Pok¨¦mon''s ears carved into the wooden frame. Minun''s was a dead giveaway with his pointy ears as Liam brought an enclosed paw against the door. An array of loud muffled clanging noises from beyond the door greeted their ears. Eventually, the door opened to the curious face of Minun. Once he caught sight of both Liam and Gloria, his own face sprouted a joyful smile. "Team Requiem! I see Roark passed down my message." His voice oozed childlike innocence which nearly stopped both of their hearts. "Did you need us to do a job?" Liam questioned. Minun shook his head. "Nope! I''ve been requested to give you two your own ELE." He pointed his tiny mitt of a paw into his room. "Come on inside, I''ll show you it." Once entering the small abode, it became abundantly clear how much Minun loved tinkering with stuff. Gears, springs, cogs, and other assortment of parts littered the floor, shelves, and even the desks. Along with other bits and pieces came an entire collection of tools just small enough to where the Pok¨¦mon could use them. Minun walked over to his personal desk directly in front of the doorway. On the desk were two small devices, which he picked up and proudly presented it to the two estranged Pok¨¦mon. "This is the ELE! The Electric Longitude Emitter!" Both Liam and Gloria got a good look at the thing. It was subdued yellow in color, and shaped like a rectangle. Two Minun-like ears protruded out of the top of the device. Even a distinguishable pair of Minun''s eyes were huddled at the top. Going along with this theme, there were perforations along the ''cheeks'', two minus symbols on its sides. Near the ''mouth'' was a glass display and a round dial below it. Finally, the left side of the device was a switch, presumably to turn it off and on. "What exactly does it do?" Gloria was fascinated, despite not seeing something like this before. Minun cleared his throat, trying to adopt a more grown up voice. "Once the ELE turns on, it is able to register a Pok¨¦mon''s voice and transmit it to another ELE." He shook the device a little. "The electricity inside acts as a link between all ELE, meaning that they can instantly communicate with each other. Seeing that one is connected to another of course!" The both of their jaws almost dropped. What Minun just said was that this little thing allowed for them to talk to anyone at any time. Liam snapped out of his trance as Minun almost shoved the device near him - he grabbed it. "Go ahead, try it out! The signal is already connected to the one I have on the table. Just flip the switch and talk. That''s how you communicate." "Yeah, do it, Liam!" Gloria encouraged, almost impatient. The Riolu heeded their words and flicked the switch of the ELE. The glass display presented a number. Liam guessed it was for which other ELE the device was connected to. He cleared his throat and uttered a ''hello'' to the gadget. From the table behind Minun came a loud garbling of harsh static, the ELE on the wooden desk receiving its transmission from Liam as it regurgitated a copy of his voice. "...Hello." Liam swore he heard Gloria squeak as she did a little dance. "That''s so amazing!" The Riolu could only agree with widened eyes. Minun nodded, tapping the round dial on the device. "Fiddle with the dial and you can change which signal you''re connected to. Everyone has their own number so you know who to contact. Yours is 626." He then pointed at the ELE on the table. "Take the other one as well. If you two are split up, these really come in handy." Liam plodded over to the table and picked up the other ELE. "Thanks, Minun, these will really come in handy." It still baffled him, but this world had many surprises. Minun rubbed the back of his neck with a paw. "Don''t thank me, thank the Guildmaster. He told me to hand these off to you two - said there was a mission he needed done, and these would be helpful in your endeavors." Gloria stood still as Liam popped open a pouch in the saddlebag on her side, throwing the other ELE in. The main one he decided to attach to the side of the saddlebag - ready whenever they would need it the most. "We''re going to head off now to start out jobs. Thanks again, Minun!" Gloria strolled over to the door, a bit of a bounce in her steps. Minun watched the pair leave with a smile. "See you around, Team Requiem!" Things were beginning to clear up in Liam''s head, his pain from earlier but a distant memory. He placed a paw against his temple. ''I just hope it stays that way¡­'' Right now the Riolu just hoped some decent job listings were left for them. A ''clack'' noise was heard beyond the door as he swung it open. Beyond the door was the sturdy visage of Scizor staring down at them, his trusty clipboard clasped in a red pincer. Liam almost jumped out of his fur. Another Pok¨¦mon they haven''t regularly talked to. Roark always told them to be wary of the ''always watching Scizor'', as he appeared almost out of thin air to reprimand a given Pok¨¦mon. Liam would be lying if he said he never took the fox''s words a bit seriously. "Team Requiem," the stark voice of the Bug-type came out. "The Guildmaster wants to see you in his quarters. You will not be taking any job requests today, so follow me." The ''clack'' noise was back again as Scizor marched down the hallway, fully expecting them in tow. Liam and Gloria exchanged a worried look before hesitantly following the Pok¨¦mon. Their short journey through the hallway, into the mess hall, and into another hallway led them right into the closed door of the Guildmaster''s quarters. Scizor gave two brief knocks on the wooden door with a pincer. "Guildmaster, I have Team Requiem." A few seconds later, the gruff voice of the Guildmaster came through the door. ''... Come on in.'' The handle to the door was turned by Scizor''s pincer as he advanced into the room, side stepping so Liam and Gloria could both enter the spacious office. Scizor closed the door behind them, placing his back against it. To say it was exquisite would be an understatement. The carpeting was firm to the touch, and the white and black checkered pattern etched into it bore a resemblance to the porcelain tiled floor outside. Expensive looking wooden shelves and draws lined the walls, filled with maps, books, and notes. The swinging pendulum of a grandfather clock created a ticking noise that reverberated across the entire room. A golden colored telescope was positioned near a single large window, which drew in sun''s rays, bathing the room in a white light. In the middle of the windowsill was a potted plant protecting a blooming white flower that absorbed the sunlight - a white wallflower. However, something else in the room would catch Liam''s eye. ''Is that¡­ a banjo?'' The instrument rested against the windowsill. It was crafted with wood and metal strings, stretching from the circular base to the headstock. Scratches and other rough dents in the detailed wood were visible, clearly showing that it had been used a lot in the past. He didn''t know why, but seeing it struck a chord within him. The obvious centerpiece of the office was the large ornate desk with a glossy finish positioned in the middle of the room. Binders containing diverse scraps of paper with messy ink writing were scattered around the desk. To Liam, they seemed more like personal notes rather than official documents. ''Maybe the Guildmaster is just a bit scatterbrained,'' he thought. The golden furred Lucario slowly looked up from his writing and took in the sight of the three Pok¨¦mon that entered. His gaze honed in on Gloria''s saddlebag, specifically the yellow device that was clipped onto it. He set down both his paper and black pen. "Good. I assume you two are ready for reassignment?" Gloria stepped forward, her paws a bit wobbly. "Did we, um, do something wrong, Guildmaster?" she asked softly. Liam remembered that Minun had said they were given both ELE''s, per the Guildmaster''s request, so Gloria''s worry of them being punished seemed unlikely. His theory was confirmed as Jackson shook his head. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "No, in fact your efforts in the past week have told me that this mission I will send you two on should end well." A thump appeared in Liam''s heart. "Mission? What kind." The Lucario locked eyes with him. "You two will be sent on a recon mission at Criss-Cross Creek. What you will be looking out for is a Mystery Dungeon somewhere along the riverbank." Liam''s brow furrowed. "Wait¡­ we''re looking for one?" Generally, they avoided a Mystery Dungeon unless their job request told them they needed to. Jackson nodded." Yes, you will look for the entrance of a Mystery Dungeon that is located around Criss-Cross Creek. However, you will not enter the dungeon, as the location of it is the only information we desire. This intel is very important for the guild''s cause." Liam grimaced; the two of them understood exactly what that cause entailed. He just didn''t want to disappoint the Guildmaster or anyone else in the guild if they messed this one up. They would never hear the end of it from Monferno or anyone else. The Riolu peered over at Gloria, who thankfully returned his look and nodded eagerly. "Don''t worry, Guildmaster, we got this." The Lucario leaned over his desk and picked up a white envelope. He motioned Liam to come over and grab it, the Riolu following his command. "Take the crossroads. Go north, past Soaring Falls, where there will be a lakebed. There''s a shop there that allows Pok¨¦mon to rent out boats to use on the rivers. You two will use that boat to take a lap across one of the rivers where you''ll keep an eye out for that Mystery Dungeon." He motioned to the envelope Liam now held. "Give that to the owner of the shop; it''s proof that you two are here under my request. Once you two have either secured the location or failed to, then you will contact me through your ELE." He sat back into his chair. "Is this information sufficient?" It was something totally different than the usual job request, but Liam appreciated the change of pace every now and then. He thought Gloria would too, even if she loved doing the work they did. The white Vulpix perked up. "We''ll get right to it, Guildmaster," she said, a nervous but hopeful smile etched on her face. Jackson eyed Scizor, who took his back off the door and swung it wide open for them. "Then I shall await the results - you are free to leave now." He gave the two Pok¨¦mon before him one last glance before returning to his writing. Liam and Gloria walked towards the doorway, taking their exit as Scizor shut the door behind them. The two strolled through the halls, happier coming out of the Guildmaster''s office than before they entered. Gloria took the initiative to speak her mind. "I can''t believe it! We''re actually being trusted with a real mission, after only a week!" Liam returned her enthusiasm. "I''m just glad we aren''t out doing the same job requests everyday." He smiled. "Hey, do you think they''ll stop taking ninety percent of our cut if we do well?" Gloria squinted her eyes suspiciously. "You''re starting to sound like Roark. How much has he influenced you?" The Riolu laughed. "I thought you would be more happy for that." She tilted her head. "Why would I?" "Because then we could afford more sweets. Roark said you liked them a lot." His words caused Gloria to grow beet red. "What?! N-No I¡­ don''t," she sputtered, fidgeting with her bag. "Yeah¡­" He scratched his chin with a paw. "He said maybe you liked them a little too mu- oof!" His musings were cut off by a white paw jabbing him into his side. The culprit - a flustered Gloria. "Stop listening to him!" "I... won''t!" The Riolu''s laugh picked up again as he sprinted down the hall to get away from her wrath, an irritated Vulpix running after him in hot pursuit.
It was now the afternoon, and they were finally at their destination. Their long trip through the winding meadows and past the seas of rock and clay led them to an area dominated by tall, wet grasslands with some strands that were taller than the both of them. Droplets of see-through dew slid down them. Even the atmosphere confirmed that this was surely the place. They were thankful that it wasn''t a swampland at least, Gloria more so. Liam scaled up a damp hill, surveying the land below once he reached the top. A large lake took up his vision, a few rivers splintering off into other directions. His eyes wandered left and right, until they snapped towards a large wooden shack with a porch built by the lakeside. It extended into a dock that hung over the lake with rowboats large enough for two Pok¨¦mon tethered to posts. The shack itself was slightly run down, gift shop knick-knacks hung by string from the porch''s ceiling like ornaments. A crudely painted sign that said ''BOAT RENTAL'' was displayed near the top of the shack. This was their place. Liam faced a tired Vulpix. "Gloria, we''re here now." He walked over and zipped open one of the pouches on her saddlebag. "You gonna be okay?" "Yeah, my paws are aching, though," she moaned, almost slumping over. He put his paw on her side, keeping her steady as he pulled out the white envelope from the bag. Liam then shook her a little. "Once we''re on the boat you can rest." He took away his paw as he hiked down the hill. "But we need to go get it first!" Gloria could only silently agree as she trudged behind her partner. Soon enough, the shack was right in front of them. On the porch, a Sandslash wearing a straw hat was sitting on a rocking chair, cross-legged, and seemingly conked out. The two couldn''t blame the Pok¨¦mon for napping on the job, being that this shop to was in the middle of nowhere. Liam stepped onto the porch and enclosed a paw, knocking on one of the wooden support beams. "H-huh¡­ whu¡­" The eyes of the male Sandslash opened repeatedly until he was wide awake. He quickly glanced at the two Pok¨¦mon that invaded his naptime. "Customers¡­? You folks looking fer a boat?" he questioned, eyeing the two scarves they wore. Liam cleared his throat with a paw. "Yes, sir, we''re representing the Cosmic Quilt Guild." He showed the white envelope to the Sandslash. "Our Guildmaster gave us this to confirm that we are, uh, truthful." The Ground-type raised a brow, swiping up the envelope and tearing it open with a claw. Once he peeked inside, he started to snicker. "Well, well, well, if it ain''t ole Jack." The Sandslash returned his gaze. "Don''t worry now, I know you two are legit." A claw was pointed at the docked boats. "Y''all go ahead and take one. I know Jack doesn''t like his ''mons to dawdle." He tipped his hat. "Just bring it back, is all." Gloria smiled. "Thank you, sir! We''ll be sure to bring it back." She almost rushed to say, already tip-toeing off towards the boats. Liam could only chuckle in response as he gave a wave to the Ground-type, receiving one back before the Pok¨¦mon went back to his nap. It appeared Gloria had already picked out their boat, as Liam found her form resting on one of the built in benches inside. "Aren''t you quick," the Riolu teased, hopping in as well. She giggled. "You need to row. I''m physically incapable y''know." "Yeah, yeah." He made sure to unravel the rope tied to the post, tossing it inside the boat. Carefully, Liam placed himself in the middle where two long wooden paddles extended out into the water below. He grabbed both of them in his paws and took a look at his surroundings. When everything was all clear, he effortlessly pushed both paddles back and forth into the water with a rowing motion, causing the boat to start sailing into the sparkling lake. ''Being a Fighting-type sure has its perks.'' Gloria volunteered herself to be Liam''s eyes as he paddled them towards one the creeks. They had to be extra attentive to their surroundings, as the stream and its sides were strewn with river rocks. She pointed a paw at one of the flowing expanses of water. "This one, Liam! We can get a good eye around the whole area." "Gotcha." Switching up his rhythm, he swerved the boat around and took it straight towards the stream Gloria had pointed out. It was difficult, and a bit bumpy, but he managed to safely cross into it, not so much breaking a sweat. The current of the river was strong enough to pull them deeper into it as the boat gravitated towards the center. Liam let go of the paddles, giving his arms a rest. The hard part was done, and now came the much slower but much easier part. "This river goes north for a while, I think. We''re going to be scouting here a while," she deduced, peering out towards their environment. He took a deep breath, placing his arms along the sides of the boat as his eyes wandered upstairs to explore the ambience around them. The gentle rocking of the boat and the movement of the water filled his ears. A warm summer breeze blew through his fur, greatly relaxing him. A forest of lush green trees grew besides the creek, the swaying leaves of them extending outward over the river, letting the daylight seep through the openings and down onto the two Pok¨¦mon. Blue skies, all around. It was a moment of calm for the Riolu he much deeply appreciated - just them and nature, nothing else. But he still remembered they had a job to do, so he kept his eyes glued around their vicinity for that unusual lurking shadow - the sign of the Mystery Dungeon. For a brief few minutes, everything was fine. Then he felt it. ''Oh no.'' Like he was being stabbed with a dagger, his mind danced in sharp excruciating pain as electricity surged through him. He clenched his teeth, bringing both paws to cradle his head. ''This is¡­'' It was much worse than before, much worse than anytime he had experienced this in the past. Liam rapidly flicked both his eyes open and shut, swearing that he could see something forming within them. Blue and yellow colored tendrils swirled around the flickering spots in his eyes, the pain growing worse and worse. ''What is¡­ even happening.'' Like molten magma was being poured into his veins, his agony reached a climax, almost making him feel like he was going to pass out. He could see flashes in his eyes, the blues and yellows in them mixing together. Then the pain was suddenly gone, but something else remained. The mix of churning colors in his view melted into an image - an image that became clearer and clearer as his mind shifted into overdrive. Different sounds flooded his ears, sounds of water, crunching rock, and different but familiar voices - things that became mute as the image that was burned into his mind started to fluctuate and change forms. A vision began to play.
Pieces of gravel on the paved road were spat out to the sides as the wheels of a deep blue pickup truck spun across them. The outlined image of a horse on its hind legs was emblazoned onto the back of it. The now dirty tires of the truck then rolled to a stop on the road, a grinding noise filling the air. In the driver seat of the truck, a man, old enough to be in his thirties, shifted the vehicle into park and took his foot off the brake. He ripped the keys out of the ignition before pulling the handle to the car door, popping it open to meet the world. He stepped out of the truck and walked around the front, nearing the passenger seat side. He banged his fist multiple times on the passenger door, swinging it open to also greet the outside. "Liam. We''re here. Time to wake up," an authoritative voice called. The young boy strapped into his seat began to stir in his sleep, his eyes popping wide open at the sound of his father''s voice. His vibrant orbs shot around as he released his seat belt in a hurry, eager to get out of the truck. "Calm yourself, son." The father''s words of advice fell on deaf ears as the boy surged out of the vehicle and onto the gravel road. The young boy squinted his eyes, holding a hand over the top of his head to block the blinding sun as he soaked in everything around him. Liam always loved the warm air of South Carolina, even if currently it was very humid. He could feel the wetness and heat of the atmosphere cling to his skin and shirt. Maybe it wasn''t as enjoyable to others, but it was a feeling that made him feel so alive. "Let''s go, Liam, don''t want to be wasting all of this daylight." The man smirked. "Or have the fishes get too confident." The father walked over to the back of the pickup truck, picking up a large light blue cooler, along with two standard fishing rods. He acknowledged for Liam to follow him with a sudden head movement as he cut across the gravel road and into the tall grassland beyond. The two of them brushed through cattail and other wet plant life as they descended down a steep hill to a wooden dock connected to a old bait and tackle shop that extended over the lake. "Hang tight while I have a chat with the owner''s son." The young boy nodded in confirmation as he huddled closer to his father, still eyeballing the scenery around him. The ground beneath them transitioned from moist grass to soaked wood as they traversed across the berth and towards the numerous types of boats clustered around each other. A young man sitting on a red toolbox at the end of the dock adjusted his snapback and took a swig from his can of beer before engaging the encroaching pair. "Hey, Robert! I see you made with it with yer boy. Nice truck - how old is that model? ''78, 85?" "Older than you, Bill, that''s for damn sure." ''Bill'' held up his free hand, "Woah, woah! Can a guy not ''preciate another guy''s taste for automobiles?" He set down his beer can while looking at Liam. "Kid, follow in yer dad''s footsteps and git a truck. Chicks. Dig. Trucks." "Is the boat ready?" Robert changed topics as he lightly shook the cooler and rods in his grasp. "Oh yeah, ''Is all ready for you!" Bill pointed at a nearby row boat that was painted white. "Got a new paint job for it. Ain''t no speedboat, but it''ll do ya good. At least, that''s what Pa says. I aim for speed." Robert gestured for Liam to follow. "Thanks, Bill, we''ll return it safely." The young man laughed. "Yeah, Pa would kill me." He shrugged. "Or you... Don''t rightly know which." The pair came to their fitted white rowboat as Robert carefully stepped in, with Liam jumping in right behind him, rocking the boat. There was already a bait bucket and a toolbox full of gear underneath the wooden benches set up for them. Once everything was settled, Robert severed the connection of rope the boat had to the dock''s pillar, casting it back onto the dock. "You folks have some gooood fishing!" Bill shouted, picking up his beer can again. "Easy pickings, I tell ya - they''ll grab anything they can git!" Liam was proud to admit to himself that deep down, he was just a country boy like Bill. He missed the accent that he had lost after they moved to the city. He was no city boy, that was for sure. Robert planted himself in the middle of the boat, grabbing the paddle on the right, checking his surroundings. "Take the other paddle, Liam." "Gotcha." The boy did as instructed, grabbing a hold of the left paddle and copying the movements of his father as they slowly drifted their way out from the dock. They waded through tall weeds, cattails, lily pads and other bits of green moss that grew on the water, going farther into the lake. "We''ll stop near the lakebed for a bit of training, then take the creek that goes into a forested area. There''s a good spot past it that I want to show you." "... Alright, dad," the boy heaved out as he paddled the boat further. Soon the dock was but a distant memory as their efforts brought them to the center of the lake. Nothing but murky water all around them that teemed with the aquatic life they sought to catch. While they couldn''t see their catch, the tiny ripples and splashes in the water told them all they needed. Liam grabbed the sides of the boat as he peered off into the lake. When the morning light shined upon the lake, it became truly enchanting. A bevy of swans drifted through the water, like tiny white boats themselves, only stopping momentarily to dunk their long necks into the water below for a quick meal, creating trilling noises. He somewhat wished he brought his banjo with him. It was a staple of the American South, and he loved playing it, even if he messed up. It was an instrument that evoked a time and a place for everything. The boy could just pour himself out with each ''twang'' of it, feeling closer to his beautiful homeland. Truly, moments like this reminded Liam of their old house. The perfectly maintained white house with the picket fence out on the open fields, in the thick of nature. But then, ''that day'' happened. Where the reality of things flipped on its head for Liam. The two that remained left that house on the fields, never to return. His father told him it wasn''t safe for him there, not at home, nor at school, as he was pulled out. It was either that, or the memories of being in that home that drove his father away. He missed that home dearly. Even the wide fenced perimeter that blocked him from the outer wilds. When his mind reflected on the events of ''that day'', vitriolic hatred flooded his senses. He could sense his grip on the boat tighten immensely, feeling like he would crush the wood into sawdust. His eyes bored into the water, grinding his teeth together. ''It''s not fair¡­ it''s just not fair,'' he seethed. It had only been a year, but he still could not imagine that their perfect life could''ve been destroyed like that. That someone would target them. "Liam." The voice broke through his hatred as he let go of his death grip on the boat. He turned to face his father as the man grabbed one of the fishing rods off the floor and handed it towards Liam, who took it in his hands. Robert reached into the bait bucket. "Now, there''s a few steps to fishing that you need to know. You''re not just tossing your line in and winning your prize like that." He picked up a writhing worm and jabbed it onto a hook at the end of the line. "It''s all about patience." ''Patience,'' Liam repeated in his mind. Another worm was taken out of the box and given to Liam, who copied his father''s actions and placed it at the end of his hook. "These rods have a larger sinker, so you''re gonna throw your line farther out, okay?" The boy nodded. "Got it." "Great, now¡­" The boat rocked slightly as Robert stood up, holding his own fishing rod. "These rods are already set up, so now all we need to do is cast them. Just watch me." He took a stance. The young boy intently scrutinized his father as the man whipped his fishing rod, the long line flying into the drink with a splash. A small white and blue bobber floated on the water, waiting for any sudden movements from the hungry creatures below. "Like that, Liam. It''s easy." The boy stood up himself. He went to the edge of the boat and imitated the stance his father held, bringing the fishing rod behind him and throwing the line into the water. It wasn''t done as smoothly as his father''s, but it plopped into the lake near a lily pad, the bobber hovering just above the water. Robert looked over. "Make sure you''re paying close attention to the movements of the bobber and the water." He went back to watching his line. "If that Bill wasn''t lying, then there should be a good number of trout or bass waiting for us." Minutes of tranquility consumed the two of them as they patiently awaited for their prey to swim forward and take the bait. Liam calmed himself with every inhale and exhale, the wait taking its toll on his mind. Robert broke the silence, "I never had a father to teach me or do this sort of thing with¡­" He put a hand to his side. "So, I''m glad you agreed to do this with me¡­ as there may not be a time in the future that would allow me. Maybe someday you''ll do this with your own kids." Liam racked his brain for a response. He was only twelve years old, but he wanted to be a grown up and have his own children just like his father - to teach them of the wonders he had once experienced, and maybe still is to this day. ''But most of all¡­'' His attention was stolen by the swans again, watching them as they worked as a unit and scooped up aquatic life together. The way siblings work together, as one, sharing their enjoyment. It created a pang within his heart, the feeling of hatred returning. "I will, dad. But I wish I could''ve... done this with my sister." Robert''s still posture jerked a little as he deeply inhaled, letting out a heavy sigh. Liam winced, realizing the words that came out of his mouth. "Liam¡­ are you talking to Mrs. Lachaise again?" He was. When his father would drop him off at the Lachaise residence to do his jobs, she was the only one there to speak with. They confided in each other, sharing their stories, their dreams, and their suffering. She told him of her sister, and he told her of his. He even brought his banjo over sometimes to play along with her piano, even if she was not as well versed with it. The woman loved painting above all it seemed. She said that the both of them were ''kindred spirits''. While he didn''t know what that implied, it apparently meant that they shared interests that were one of the same - to find their paradise, and to share that with the family they desired to have returned to them. Their times together provided a relief the boy never knew he needed so much. He stared at the swans again, who then spread their pristine white wings and took flight, content with their offerings. They flew away from the lake and into the horizon. "... I don''t want you speaking to that woman anymore." Liam almost dropped his fishing rod. "What?! Why?" Robert sighed again, "I know who that woman is, and her husband. We all grew up in that same orphanage." He adjusted the grip he had on his rod. "The things she says¡­ yes, this world is cruel. But I don''t want you caught up into that cruelty, lest you become it. Like¡­" He stopped himself. "That woman wants to bring you into that forest, but you need to leave it. When she says..." Liam slowly nodded, it was hard sometimes understanding just what his father cryptically said sometimes, but he knew that he just wanted the best for him. However, the things Mrs. Lachaise wondered about simply pleased a part of him that he had wondered about his whole life after that day. Robert peered into the sky, "That there''s something beyond this hell - a fantastical place of heaven or perhaps an even greater suffering - anything to escape this... reality." He almost stumbled on his next words. "Liam... when I met your mother¡­ Angelica, I was nothing. She was something. We had you, and sought out a perfect life out here." The boy agreed with his sentiments. ''And it was¡­'' Robert swallowed, anger creeping into his voice. "And when she was¡­ taken¡­ from us. That was when I realized I could not escape my sins, that reality wouldn''t let me." The man locked eyes with him. "It was my grim reminder, Liam. And it took you with it. There''s little I can do to amend this now, except finding out who is responsible." He clenched a fist. "I may not be a cop anymore, but trust me when I tell you this, Liam. We will get our revenge and make it out of this." The boy was going to respond, but the sight of his fishing rod line being pushed downward stole his thoughts, springing him into action. He snapped his eyes to his bobber as it dipped below the surface, the water billowing as something appeared beneath it. Robert quickly reeled in his own rod as he immediately got behind Liam to coach him. "Start reeling in now. Fight the fish''s movements." Liam did as he was told, putting his hand on the handle and rapidly spinning it back and forth. The ripples in the water intensified as whatever had taken the bait was being taken along. The tricked occupant started thrashing about, causing Liam to falter a bit with his jerking behaviors. "W-Woah!" Liam pulled back the rod with all his strength as he kept reeling it towards the boat. This was a big one, he was sure of it. A splash erupted out from the lake as a large fish with a hook in its mouth flopped around desperately in the air before returning to the waters. "Keep fighting it, Liam! You almost have it." Another rough yank of the rod brought the line closer to the boat, dragging the fish. A spray of water splashed the boat as a long trout with colorful rainbow scales was yanked out of the water and suspended into the air, much to the fish''s dismay. "I got it!" The boy shouted, grinning ear to ear. "Yes... you did," Robert confirmed with a smile of his own. The fish squirmed in the air, trying to breath as Liam brought it into their boat. Once it was inside, Robert firmly grabbed its slippery and slimy sides, ripping out the hook from its mouth. He then gave the fish a good weighing with both of his hands. "Rainbow Trout. About¡­ five pounds." He looked over at his son, who was in disbelief at his accuracy. "There''s your first catch, the one of many. I remember my first catch - tiny little minnow. Not as impressive as yours, that''s for sure." The man popped open the blue cooler and threw the trout in, promptly closing it. "We should go past the creek and find my favorite spot. It''s on a ridge, so we can get out of the boat. And there''s more than just trout there." His words brought Liam back into reality. "... Right." The pair placed their fishing rods down and picked up their respective paddles, beginning their next voyage. A creek which cut through a forest was their destination, and taking it would lead them into Robert''s favorite fishing location. Liam gawked as they navigated out of the lake and into the narrow creek, where the strong current smashed into the rocks. It was like entering a secret grove. Tall, dark evergreen trees, ferns, and other greenery flourished around the craggy river, blocking large amounts of light from reaching them. Only the river was graced by the sun''s rays, making the water glisten and reflect onto their skin. Invisible motes became distinguishable in the shafts of light as they floated around them, glowing. They steadily rowed further into the creek and into the forested grove, careful enough not to bump into any beached river rocks. More ripples in the water around them appeared as schools of fish swam underneath their boat. They took a left, the buzzing of insects and chirping of distant birds humming into their ears. Even the morning howl of an awakening wolf echoed through the trees. A feeling of being alive, utterly in tune with mother nature. Liam took in a deep breath as he slowed down his paddling, almost caught into a trance at his surroundings. It was enough to make Robert notice. "Pick up the pace, Liam, we''re almost there." "Y-Yeah," the boy responded, hastening his progress. A time like this made Liam think back to what Mrs. Lachaise told him - about imagining yourself in a forest, one just like this - to be freed of all that anger and strife that plagued this world. Dreaming that one day, being able to share this experience of exploration with others - an experience that the boy longed for the return of. Utter bliss.
The blue and yellow coils in the Riolu''s vision faded into nothingness, jolting Liam''s body out of his sitting position. In his sights were signs of familiarity, now seemingly back into the present once more. Gloria swiveled her head, "Did you doze off?" She giggled. "You told me I took naps too much, so now who''s laughing." "W-wha¡­ I-" He shoved a paw into his mouth. ''Just what the hell was that?'' One moment he felt like he was dying, and the next moment was something totally bewildering. He saw something appear in his eyes, like it was one of the ''films'' from the Eden Theater playing in his mind. A vision of three Pok¨¦mon that Liam had never seen or heard of before, if they were even Pok¨¦mon at all. The best thing he could describe them looking like was some distant cousin of Monferno or other primate Pok¨¦mon. But it wasn''t even the weirdest part to him. It was the fact that the boy in his vision had the same name as him. The same voice as him, albeit sounding way younger. Even the same joy they shared with the world around them. An insane thought traversed through his mind. That perhaps that boy he saw was actually him. It challenged everything he once knew, but it did make somewhat sense. All it did was bring up more questions, and the answers to them were out of his reach. "Liam, are you okay?" Gloria said with worry. "You''ve been, uh... staring at me and, um, munching on your paw?" An awkward blush traveled across her face. The Riolu blinked, collecting his wits and removing the now saliva stained paw from his chops. "I¡­ uh, yeah. I''m good. Did you... see anything?" He changed the topic. Gloria swung her head back to the riverbank. "I haven''t seen anything, but we''re nearing our first turn." Sure enough, the creek was bending around a curve to the right. Liam quickly took both paddles in his grasp and rowed their boat to match the current. The maneuver was a success, as they inclined to the median of this new strip of water. Gloria yawned cutely. "Did you see anything?" "Uh... no." Liam felt a tad bit guilty that he was off envisioning illusions while she was actually attempting their mission, but It was an unpredictable event - one that he so wished didn''t cause them to miss their chance of discovery. He would need to tell her everything he just saw. The how and when he didn''t bother to answer now. He just knew that in the future, she would need to know this. Especially after the whole journey of self evaluation he went on before. The consequences of which he also did not explore. Another place, another time - their gentle and quiet cruise through the stream seeming to last hours, never producing any sign of a Mystery Dungeon. The sun began to set on their efforts, quite literally, painting the sky in orange and purples. This beauty also came at a price, as the area around them became much darker and less easier to point out things in. Trying to find one specific spot of shadow amongst the rest was like finding a needle in a haystack. The creek also began to merge with the lake, bringing them straight back into where they were before. The shop at the shore became more and more visible as their rowboat swam through the orange tinted water. A harsh crackling noise from the side of Gloria''s bag shocked the both of them out of their slump as they exchanged looks of worry. Liam dropped both paddles, plucking the ELE off the side of the bag. "... Team Requiem. Are you there?" the voice of the Guildmaster came through the ELE''s speakers. Liam remembered the instructions Minun had told them, gulping as he flipped the switch of the device to speak. "Yes, we hear you, Guildmaster." His voice tingled with worry. "It is getting late. Have you two discovered the location of any Mystery Dungeons at Criss-Cross Creek?" Liam wetted his lips. "No, Guildmaster. We did not see anything." Both him and Gloria flinched at the silence that came afterward. However, the Guildmaster''s voice was calm. "... That is fine Team Requiem. Return back to the guild. Leafeon volunteered to stay up and serve you two dinner, as you just missed it." "T-thank you, Guildmaster." Gloria piped up. "We''re, um, sorry to disappoint." "Your efforts are appreciated, Gloria. Please get home safely. Goodbye." The voice of the Lucario faded along with the static. The both of them let out a huge sigh of relief, glad that they weren''t going to be chastised upon getting back. "Well, looks like we''re not going to get that raise," Liam joked, trying to lighten the mood. She rolled her eyes as he picked up the paddles again and began to wade the boat towards the dock. With their mission sorted out, his mind began to race again about just what he saw in that vision. It was an exciting feeling, but also a confusing one.
"A mission given by the Guildmaster, eh?" The Zoroark smirked. "Look at that¡­ my little sister is a diamond in the rough." His eyes wandered over to a tired Riolu. "And who could forget, her sidekick in black and blue!" "Thanks, Roark," Liam lazily offered. Gloria put a paw over her mouth as she yawned. "We need to get some rest, Roark. Can we please?" she almost begged. Roark held up his arms. "Ahh, okay. I''ll see you runts another day. Hopefully, by then you two will own this guild." The trio each gave their own wave as the ruse fox disappeared from the hallway. Liam sighed, shutting the door to their quarters. By the time he turned around, Gloria was already snuggled into her beanbag, happily nodding off. He chuckled at this. Wandering over to his area, the Riolu swiftly fell backward onto the soft cushioning, his eyes staring into the walls illuminated by moonlight. So many theories he wanted to have about what he saw, but only the thoughts of a good night sleep were present in his mind. One day he would figure out this mystery of these visions, and how relevant they are. ''A time and a place for everything,'' Liam drowsily repeated. Then he closed his eyes.
The young boy jogged across the gravel road and jumped into the passenger seat of his father''s blue pickup truck. He quickly strapped his seatbelt in as his father appeared from below the hill with their catchings. Robert went to the back of the truck and dumped off the blue cooler and two fishing rods. They had quite a haul after a long day of fishing. He knew Liam didn''t want it to end, but it was already midday; their time of enjoyment now over. He walked over to the passenger seat and slammed it shut before going over to open the driver side door, taking a step inside. Great rumblings of the engine spurred to life once he placed his key into the ignition and turned it. The grime covered wheels of the car rotated across the gravel, bringing the automobile to a slow start. The young boy absently gazed out of the car window at the lake they had previously boated and had fun across . The setting sun in the sky gave an amazing view of the orange shaded lake that gradually faded the further they got away from it. He was already missing it. "Dad¡­ do you think we''ll ever return here?" Robert adjusted his hands on the steering wheel, looking into the rear view mirror, inspecting the same body of water Liam was. He sighed deeply, returning his attention to the empty road. "Someday, son." The blue pickup truck drove past the lake of yesterday. A trip, one of many that they would embark upon in the expanse of the South.
Fond outings and painful truths obscured by these murky waters of distant memories...
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time:10,000 Years, A Message From The Future 10,000 Years, A Message From The Future Chapter 11 10,000 Years, A Message From The Future "Now that you know who I am¡­" The heavy stomps of the man''s boots on the concrete floor echoed throughout the vacuous room. His brown orbs wandered over to the man he laid upon the ground - an old friend. They lingered for a brief few seconds before slowly facing what was directly in front of the man. The rattling sounds of the rusty iron chains attached to the concrete walls replaced the stomps as the boy confined to the wall struggled to break free. To do whatever he could to smite the man before him, despite all his previous efforts being in vain. A great raging fire burned in Liam''s eyes, heavily contrasting with the imposing man''s calm and judging gaze. They were touched with a hint of sympathy, the kind the boy hated so much. He blinked away angry tears that trailed down his cheeks, spittle spewing from his grinding teeth as he resisted against his iron binds, with little success. Here stood a monument to everything he hated within this world, of all worlds even. The same thing Mrs. Lachaise told him about - unfiltered evil, and he was utterly powerless to stop it. The man started kneeling, his knees cracking in response as the wounds that dotted his body flared up in pain, courtesy of the deceased. The man grimaced - he would not last long, but reconciliation was more important than living to him now. His eyes narrowed at the squirming and snarling boy. Of all the things he wanted to say for so long, he could only say one thing to his young reflection. "Who are you?"
"WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!" "G-huh?!" Liam''s red eyes shot open as he almost lunged out his beanbag in surprise, his paws clasped around his ears from the noise. The racket continued as he squinted his eyes at the Flying-type that invaded his rest. Staravia flew circles around the room, chanting his well-known morning alarm. "WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE U- EEP!" His screeching was cut off by an array of jagged ice shards being hurled at the Flying-type, who dodged all of them and instantly flew out of the room. A more spatially aware and amused Liam witnessed the shards of ice lodge themselves into the cosmic themed wallpaper, the fragments dispersing into nothing but cold vapor. His eyes snapped over to the beanbag beside his, seeing a very perturbed and very awake Gloria glaring at the tears in the paper caused by her actions. The Riolu let out a tired chuckle. "This is the second time you''ve done this, y''know. Are you going to apologize again?" His partner frowned, a look of worry overtaking her glare. "I hope he doesn''t take it personally. It''s just my, um¡­ anti-Roark instinct?" An embarrassed blush consumed her muzzle as she yawned. "That''s¡­ all I can explain it as." Liam rolled his eyes, hopping off his beanbag and taking a huge yawn as well. His thoughts then caught up with him, a flash of memory of his dream shooting through his mind, causing him to freeze up on the spot, his look now vacant and glossy. ''What I just saw¡­ was that¡­ a dream or¡­'' It was so vivid - like that one he had when they were sent scouting a while back. As if he was looking in on reality from a window, where he could hear things, feel things, and see them in accurate detail. He could feel the chains wrapped around that boy, the tension in the room, the hatred that coursed through the boy. The events occurring seemed to contrast with his past vision, though, giving him very little, if anything to connect the two to some greater meaning. Liam tightened a paw, looking down at it. He wanted to just write it all off as nothing more than dreams or hallucinations, but the visceral feeling of it all worried him, the headaches he endured when it happened. That perhaps the two were very much connected, and he was just left in the dark of it all. Gloria sluggishly got out of her beanbag, stretching all four of her furry white paws. Her tired blue eyes stared at the blank looking Riolu clenching a paw. "Are¡­ you okay, Liam? Did you sleep well?" She let loose a tired giggle. "I think you''re daydreaming again." Liam slowly nodded. "Daydreaming¡­ yeah." His lifeless gaze contracted as his paw untightened. He flopped back onto his beanbag, admiring the simple wooden ceiling in his sprawled out form. ''Do I want it to be just that?'' Whenever he thought about it more, the more it made sense. He never felt like a Pok¨¦mon, like one of them. And the ''Pok¨¦mon'' he saw in these visions don''t look like any he or anyone has seen before. Ever since he awoke that day, he always wondered about his past and somewhat longed for the return of his memories, to not be a blank or a ghost anymore. His eyes wandered downstairs to the smiling and ever curious Vulpix in front of him - he smiled in return. ''But ever since I''ve collaborated with her¡­ maybe my memories returning didn''t matter so much anymore.'' It was true when he told her that it just didn''t matter if he never knew who he was, that he was happy to just be here and do the things he wanted to do, with her by his side of course. It was a choice he made very clear to both her and himself. His stare returned to the ceiling. ''But then¡­ this whole vision thing muddled that choice up.'' It was like an awful joke. That not even a week after he said that he would experience these events. Now he was faced with making another choice, one that could decide his fate of working together with Gloria. To either shove these visions away as nothing more than dreams, or to believe in a past that was forgotten returning to him. "Going back to bed, Liam? I thought you wanted to go visit the Meowstics'' today?" Gloria asked softly. Liam sighed deeply - he could not decide this alone; he needed her input, so he took a gamble. "Gloria¡­ what would you do if I regained my memories?" Her smile flipped upside down as she shuffled her forepaws together, clearly caught off guard by the question. "Well¡­ I''d, uh, see if we can contact your family¡­ if you have any that is." She flinched slightly at his downcast look. "It would really be up to you. Me and Roark don''t um, own you, y''know." Gloria started smiling again. "But I''ll be supportive of whatever you choose to do, even if... it means that we can''t be a team anymore. I guess it would be unlike me to stop you, considering I''ve helped you this far." Liam sat upright, mulling over her response in his head. "Yeah¡­ family, if I have any." ''That father in the vision¡­'' And there it was again, that feeling of there being something more for him to uncover. But he didn''t just want to regain the past and abandon Gloria and her dreams for it. He made a promise to Roark to stay by her side. "But don''t worry, Gloria¡­ probably won''t happen," Liam assured. He scolded himself inwardly for never telling her of what actually happened on their scouting mission. Even after almost a month passing, and he still hadn''t summoned the courage, or rather, an actual explanation to give her. How could he explain to her if he didn''t know himself? Would she call him crazy for thinking he''s some non-Pok¨¦mon alien that uses drivable steel carriages to get around? Liam laughed at the thought, as she had already called him plenty of crazy for some of his ''leap of faith'' actions during their job requests. But this event was far more far-fetched than anything he could pull off in the field. The conflicted Riolu sighed, deciding to keep the events of that day and possibly today to himself. He just wondered if there would come a time where he would need to tell her all of this, if that would ever hurt her, or him. Gloria tilted her head. "Are you sure?" She giggled again. "You''ve gone through at least five different emotions in the span of a few seconds." Liam stood up, sighing again. "Ain''t that the truth¡­" He twisted his body, popping some unused joints. "Let''s get this show on the road, shall we?" "It''s our day off, remember? No adventuring for you," she said matter-of-factly, bending down to pick up her saddlebag as Liam raised a brow. "You act as if a day off means no adventuring. If anything, that means even more adeventuring." He smiled as the cream saddlebag was hoisted around Gloria''s side. "For me, it means relaxing. But first we need to go see the siblings, as you''ve drained a lot of our battle items... mostly our Blast Seeds." She shot him a knowing look as he scratched his neck in embarrassment. What could he say? He just loved a good explosion. Liam lumbered over to their slightly opened door. Already he could hear the eager steps of his fellow guildmates getting ready for breakfast. He smiled at the thought, turning to look at a still packing Gloria. "What have you got planned for us, or¡­ yourself?" he questioned. "I don''t think I can stomach another trip to the library." Gloria huffed. "I was going to relax and quietly read in the Sunshine Forest. You''re free to join, but Roark wants us later to go, uh¡­ see something." ''Of course he does,'' Liam grumbled in his mind. Every time they took the dark fox''s offer, it was a gamble of what oddity he would take them to in Empyrean. It would either be something embarrassing for his sister, for Liam, both, or even something that was actually cool to the Riolu for once. "I guess I''ll have to tag along." Gloria ambled over to the door. "Good, maybe then we can talk more about your memory if you feel like i-" "Memory loss? Isn''t that a familiar thing, huh, Gloria?" The honey-like voice of Leafeon, who was now in front of the doorway, almost sent the shocked Vulpix to the floor. "L-Leafeon?! Did you¡­ hear us?" Gloria squeaked out. A nod came from the Grass-type as she finally entered the room. "I came to investigate what made Staravia bolt out so here fast, but I ended up hearing something else¡­" She pivoted her eyes towards the aghast looking Riolu, who took a step back at her entrance. "So, you''re the one with amnesia then, right?" Leafeon grew a victorious smile. The Riolu in question froze in horror. ''Shoot... is she going to tell the Guildmaster?'' It was a worry they both he and Gloria shared, but sadly forgotten about until it suddenly came to fruition right now. Liam spared a look towards a still astonished Gloria, seemingly pleading for her assistance. Gloria obliged, dread filling her heart. "Leafeon¡­ are you going to tell the Guildmas-'''' She was cut off by a sudden quadruped-like hug from the leafy Pok¨¦mon. "Gloria! I would never!" Leafeon nuzzled her head further into Gloria''s neck. "You''re, like my little sister, y''know!" A dazed Gloria exchanged looks with Liam, who let out a sigh of relief and thanked Arceus if he ever happened to exist. A cooling bead of sweat travelled down the Vulpix''s face as her lips contorted into a shaky smile. "R-right¡­ then, you''ll keep this to yourself?" She moved her head away from Leafeon''s and looked into the empty halls outside. "We didn''t want you guys to know because¡­ um." She winced as Leafeon broke off the hug. The Grass-type adopted a bemused smirk. "Gloria¡­ did you forget?" Gloria gulped, feeling a bit stupid right now. "M-maybe? i''m not really sure what I''m supposed to remember..." Leafeon giggled, pushing the Vulpix slightly with her earthy paw. "I think it was very sweet of you to look after Liam." Her gaze fell upon the Riolu, who was beginning to feel like a third wheel again. "Was it the same? Waking up in the middle of nowhere with just a name in your noggin?" Liam''s mouth parted. ''... How would she?'' He shook his head, "Yeah, just the name of... Liam. That was it." Leafeon nodded, "I told you at the festival that I trusted you, and I still do." She giggled again. The Riolu inferred that she was the source of Gloria''s spouts of spontaneous giggling. "I guess I should''ve called it beforehand, a ''mon with a name acting so confused and alien. The signs were there all along." Her visage was now mixed with sympathy. "It''s a tough thing - one that I understand in keeping this information to yourselves very much." Liam bit his tongue instead of asking for more information. It was good enough for him that she wasn''t going to tattle on them to the Guildmaster, risking him or them both getting kicked out of the guild. He had a sudden new respect for Leafeon, even if they barely talked. Gloria held a paw to her scarf. "... Do you think we should tell the others? Maybe they''ll understand like you?" Leafeon smiled, shaking her head. "I appreciate your optimism, Gloria, but that kind of talk would get him or the both of you branded as crazy, or worse. I''d keep it out of Team Moonlight''s ears... especially Scizor''s." Her smile then widened. "But you guys have done a good job hiding it so far!" Liam frowned, ''So far, until now... '' He looked at Gloria, who was now recovering from her terror. ''And how long can I keep everything from her? Dreams¡­ or memories.'' Time would tell it seemed. A spark appeared in Leafeon''s eyes. "Hey¡­ how about after breakfast you two meet up with at Sylveon''s Sweets!" She winked, looking at Gloria. "I can get her to make your favorite." That same spark lit up in Gloria''s orbs as her fluffy white tails started to wag. "R-Really? I''ll definitely come right away then!" Her giddy glint spun around. "You''ll come too right, Liam?" "Oh, uh¡­" He remembered the last time he was there - the pink colors, the overpowering sweet sugary smell in the air, and the touchy-feely owner behind the counter. A shudder ran through his body at the thought of returning now. He swallowed that fear and gave a small nod. "Sure, we''ll meet you there, Leafeon." "Great! Then¡­" Leafeon plodded happily to the door, turning her smiling face towards the two. "I''ll see you there." The Grass-type then took her exit. Liam let another relieving sigh, the mental rollercoaster of today seemed to finally stop, for now. Gloria also let out one, silently thanking her sister-like mentor. Her excitement then returned, along with the wag in her tails. "We''ll go straight there after we do our business with the Meowstics'', okay?" she said with a more resounding tone. He smirked. "Okay, your highness." ''Joy.''
The rumblings of the wooden carriage on the paved stone were now a memory of the past as it passed, allowing Liam and Gloria to finally cross the street. Today was relatively quiet in the usually bustling marketplace of Empyrean, with only a few Pok¨¦mon out shopping this early in the morning. They had just taken a quick visit to Toxapex''s Bunker to check out their stockpile that they had previously gave the Pok¨¦mon. With a sinister look, he all but confirmed that they needed to visit the Meowstics''. Liam brushed past a few Pok¨¦mon, holding a paw over his head to block the sun''s blinding rays. He squinted his eyes at the royal blue painted stand directly in front of them, the siblings behind the counter seemingly checking and replentishing their morning stock. He jabbed Gloria in her side with an elbow. "Let''s get there before anyone else does." She gave a nod in response, the two speeding up their casual pace and arriving at the stand not long after. A knock on the countertop from Liam caused the siblings to stop their work and swiftly get to their usual positions. "Team Requiem!" the posh brother spoke first. "Back for more battle items, one assumes?" Gloria smiled. "Yep! Liam here used up all our Blast Seeds and Wonder Orbs." She stood still as the Riolu unhooked the saddlebag wrapped around her waist. Liam placed the bag on the counter. "That may or may not have happened, but it''s true that we came here for this reason." He gave the bag a pat, his gaze wandering over to the many colored disks that lined the stand''s walls. "And¡­ maybe another thing?" He had spoken to Gloria to this before, about learning a new type of move. His Force Palm was deadly according to her, but he desired having a new trick up his sleeve for any tougher foe, such as that Magmortar they faced a while back. Liam repositioned his eyes back to the siblings. "Do you think there''s a TM I could use that would give me some sort of edge?" The elegantly spoken sister chuckled into a paw. "Edge, you say? I think we have something that can fit your battle style, I assume." She sent a wink to the Fighting-type before whirling around. Her paw swept across all the rows of TM''s before landing on a strikingly bright yellow one, her eyes narrowing to read the text as she plucked it off the shelf and turned back around. She held it towards Liam, who leaned across the counter to take a better look. "Thunder Punch," she read out. "This move will send out shocking amounts of power to your opponent!" "Emphasis on ''shocking''," the brother added with a smirk. "I heard some Pok¨¦mon hit with this move can be stuck paralyzed; like they ate a Stun Seed." Liam blinked, slowly reaching a paw over the counter to grab the still extended yellow TM from the sister''s paw, his eyes boring into the disk. "You think this is the one, Liam?" Gloria asked, breaking his concentration. He expunged the pressure within him with an exhale, giving one final thought about doing this, smiling and looking up at the Meowstics'' again. "How much?" "One-thousand Pok¨¦," the brother confirmed almost immediately, a victorious smile on his face. "Feel free to give a test while we do business with Gloria." "Well¡­ good thing we saved so much, even with the guild taking so much." Liam stepped away from the counter, letting Gloria take over. Once he was a good distance away, he held the TM closely in his paws, remembering what Gloria told him to do. The thoughts swirling in his head tuned into one thing only, learning this move. His eyes closed shut as his mind focused, the yellow coloration of the disk fading away. His body jerked a little, dropping the now colorless disk onto the ground. Slowly, he cracked open both eyes and looked down at the dropped disk. ''Did I¡­ do it?'' He decided to test that thought, holding his arm out and enclosing a paw. Just like every time he used a move in battle, the idea of his paw being encased by electricity surged through his mind. He grunted, trying to get that hidden power to reveal itself. Then it happened - tiny yellow flickers of electricity jumped out of his fur, forming a field around his enclosed paw. Liam quickly withdrew his arm in shock, observing his now splayed paw and checking if his fur was singed or burnt by the wild sparks. ''I guess so¡­'' He would still need to train this new move, hoping that their meeting with Leafeon wouldn''t take up too much of his time so he can thrash around some dungeon Pok¨¦mon with his new move. Gloria shoveled in the freshly bought seeds and orbs into her saddlebag, handing off a handsome amount of Pok¨¦ to the polite shop owners. Once the newly acquired items were secured in their respective pouches, she turned to see Liam walking back to the counter, waving his paw around and freeing it from any potential sparks. She giggled. "Well? Are you happy now?" Liam smiled. "Sure am," he lied somewhat, only truly being satisfied once he could pummel some Pok¨¦mon with it. Gloria rolled her eyes, slinging the saddlebag around her side. "Thank you, Mister and Miss Meowstic. We''ll be off to Sylveon''s place now!" The sister behind the counter chuckled into a paw again. "At Sylveon''s? Why, we just handed a large supply of baking supplies to her just today. She was in a fantastic mood, even more excited than she typically is!" Liam sighed, the sister''s words not being good news for his sanity. However, Gloria smiled widely at her words. "I think it''s because Leafeon is going to be-" "INCOMING!" The shout of a scratchy female voice from the heavens caused Gloria to halt and head the voice''s alert, hopping to her side. Liam also took a step back as something, or rather, someone landed right in front of him. It was a small Pok¨¦mon about as tall as Gloria - white fur with lush green grass growing along its legs and atop its head, where two furry white wing-like protrusions sprouted out from. A red leaf hung from its nape. A green saddlebag was strapped to its side, and the same scarf Liam and Gloria wore was wrapped around its neck. "Sorry ''bout that," the Pok¨¦mon flatly commented. "Scuse me, luv." She then brushed past a still flabbergasted Gloria to greet the equally shocked shopkeepers. Her leafy paws were placed on the counter. "Here for my Energy Ball, which was already paid for. You lads kept it nice and safe for me, right?" The brother behind the counter shook himself free from his trance. "Uh¡­ of course! We''ll get it right away, ma''am!" He swiftly flipped around to filter through the shelves stocked with TM''s. The gears in Liam''s mind began to turn as he analyzed the Pok¨¦mon that had so rudely dive bombed on them. The shape and description of this Pokemon reminded of something he had seen in a book from the library. ''Why do I recognize¡­ wait a minute.'' He took a gamble. "Hey, aren''t you¡­ a Shaymin?" The Pokemon in question turned around, hearing Liam''s voice. "Uhhh¡­ yeah? What''s it to ya?" She then got a good look at both of the starry themed scarves wrapped around the Pok¨¦mon''s necks. "Crikey¡­" She muttered under breath. "The two of ya are part of the guild, aintcha?" Shaymin cracked a grin. "I''ve been gone too long, haven''t I? We''ve got new dweebs!" Liam blinked, ''Dweebs?'' "Though¡­ I haven''t seen a Riolu around Celestic in ages!" Shaymin inspected Liam''s build. "Who are you? The Guildmaster''s long lost son?" "W-What?!" Liam stammered out. "No I''m not¡­ his son, or whatever. I''m from the Shore Region, and the name''s Liam." Shaymin tilted her head, "Name too, eh? Sure you''re not related? I heard the Guildmaster even came from the Shore Regi-" "No." Gloria took a step forward, clearing her throat and extending a paw towards Shaymin. "It''s very nice to meet you, Shaymin. We''re Team Requiem! We began working at the guild over a month ago. I''m Glor- "Uhuh¡­ I already know that, luv. Roark always speaks about you - some bookworm or nerd I take it?" Gloria''s outstretched paw was lightly swatted away by Shaymin''s own, causing her to step back and shuffle her legs together in embarrassment. "No need for formalities or anythin'', just know that I''m part of Team Evergreen with that other sheila there - Leafeon." Her smirk developed a crack. "If the Guildmaster, the bugger that he is, didn''t terminate me for being gone so long." Liam found his tongue, "We''re actually going to see Leafeon at Sylveon''s Sweets right now." Gloria nodded to this. "Ah! Now ain''t that a surprise. Leafeon and that dang Sylveon cozying on up. Maybe she deserves a visit from her teammate¡­" Shaymin sighed. "Tell ya what. You seem like nice blokes¡­ even if you look like a buncha dweebs." Neither Liam nor Gloria knew how to exactly respond to that. Nonetheless, Shaymin continued. "How about we all go together there? Once I''m done shoppin'', of course." The Riolu and Vulpix duo exchanged looks before shrugging and nodding simultaneously to her request. As if on cue, the Meowstic brother thrusted a bright green TM over the counter. "Here is your Energy Ball, Shaymin. The last one in fact!" "Tch. Took ya long enough!" She snatched the green disk from his paws and tossed into a now open pouch on her saddlebag and then closed it. "Lead the way then, dweebs. It''s been a while since I had a sweet tooth." The sister Meowstic blinked at her lack of gratitude before waving a paw. "P-please return next time!" Her bewildered brother nodded along to her words. Gloria smiled, waving her paw back and forth. "Thank you again!" Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Liam offered a brief wave as well, Shaymin already waltzing off. They eventually grouped up and headed down the road leading out of the marketplace and towards another section of the city littered with fancy diners, cafes, and assorted family bakeries. It had been a while since Liam had walked down this street, being the day he woke up as a ghost, but he still remembered everything in their path, especially one rounded pink building that was now before them. They all entered. A chorus of tiny bells above the door''s entrance rang out throughout the inside. A blinding wave of pink assaulted the Riolu''s eyes, reminding him exactly what kind of territory he was in. The bakery was quiet, and it appeared no customers were here this early in the morning, except for one occupied table to the room''s right. There sat Leafeon, Sylveon, and even the motherly Lopunny they had done a job for previously. She was sipping away at a much expected pink tea cup, laughing and chatting with the others seated. Liam could even see the antler covered necklace they uncovered wrapped around her neck. The sounds of the chiming bells above the entrance door stole the rabbit''s gaze from her friends and towards the new arrivals. A smile graced her lips as she waved them down with a paw. "Gloria! Liam! It''s great to see you here! And¡­" She tilted her head. "Is that... Shaymin?" The sound of her partner''s name caused Leafeon to turn her attention as well, bounding out of her seat and towards the Pok¨¦mon. "Shaymin?!" Once Leafeon caught an eye of her partner, she sprinted forward to envelope the Pok¨¦mon into a friendly hug, who squirmed at her actions. "Hey! You''re back!" Leafeon removed her head from the hug. "For good, I assume?" Shaymin broke away. "Yeah, things were about to get ugly with one of the elders. Left before it could." Leafeon frowned at this. "Where did you even go?" Realization then hit her. "... Back to the village? You know I told you not to go there! Not yet¡­ at least." Shaymin winced at her scolding. "Nah, I know that. It''s just..." Leafeon smiled, leaning in. "Just¡­?" "Y''know me, Leafy. Had to go see them after everything I''ve accomplished so far out in Celestic." Sylveon popped up beside Leafeon, a big smile staining her features. "Oooh, It''s very good to see you after so long, Shaymin!" Her long pink and white feelers protracted out of her bow and towards the Grass-type. Shaymin blocked her attempts with a paw. "Woah, ribbons off the merchandise! I don''t do that sugary, sweet kindness thing, luv." Her standoffishness sent the Fairy-type into a giggling fit, with her refocusing her attention on the Vulpix and Riolu beside Shaymin now. "Well, then, It''s good to see you as well, Glory and Li Li! It''s been too long." Liam''s fur almost paled. ''Li Li? That was the nickname she chose?!'' The feelers of Sylveon soon floated their way, Liam taking a large step back away from them, remembering both experiences from before. Gloria, however, embraced the gesture, allowing the feelers to wrap around her outstretched paw and giggling at the positive feelings she was being given. "It''s good to see you too, ''Sylvie''!" Gloria tugged slightly on the ribbons, her tail starting to wag behind her. "Um¡­ Leafeon said you would make my favorite, right?" "Of course I did! On the house, for my two-" She stopped and laughed."-Three guests." She motioned with a feeler to the table where Lopunny was seated. "Please, have a seat while I get everyone''s treat ready." The Fairy-type unraveled Gloria''s constraints and skipped past the counter. They obeyed her orders, walking over and taking a seat, Gloria nearly sprinting to her own chair in anticipation. Lopunny took another sip of her tea. "It''s been a while, hasn''t it?" She directed her gaze on Liam and Gloria. "My, over a month so far into the guild! Time sure flies, doesn''t it? How are you dears doing in your efforts? My little Buneary especially wants to know." Gloria gladly took initiative. "We''re doing great so far! The Guildmaster even said many times that we were one of the best teams he''d seen enter the guild!" "It''s true!" Leafeon concurred. "A little gossip with Indeedee every now and then gets me reports on everyone at the guild." She winked at Gloria. "Roark and I told you that it would work out, right?" Shaymin whistled. "Sheesh, never seen that ice cube of a Guildmaster even say much a word of appraisal to anyone else." She smirked, shooting Liam a look. "Do I smell¡­ nepotism from the dweebs?" "Shaymin!" Leafeon chided. "I''m not his son." Liam retorted, wearing a deadpan expression. Shaymin started to laugh up a storm, "Nah, nah, I kid, mate! Impressive stuff though from two new rookies." She mockingly sighed. "When will he give the guild''s best flyer that same treatment?" Leafeon narrowed her eyes. "You know why, Shaymin." Her light brown orbs rolled in their sockets. "Arceus knows how many times you upped and left to who knows where. Scizor started keeping count, too!" "Relaaax, Leafy," Shaymin said softly. "I''ll have a talk with the old Lucario and everything will be fine; the bloke will understand. Besides, I give him a lot of information he needs for his work. He can''t get rid of me that easily!" This was perplexing to Liam. ''Give the Guildmaster information? Like what?'' As he thought about it, another realization hit him at exactly what kind of Pok¨¦mon Shaymin was. When his time came to speak, he would bring it to light. "Um¡­ excuse me, Shaymin?" Gloria interrupted, flinching a bit under Shaymin''s gaze. "Where exactly did you go? Everyone said you''ve been gone for two months, and that you didn''t say where you were going." "Home, luv!" Shaymin happily shouted. "The Grass Continent, where the Shaymin Village is located. Open fields, rich farms, and clear blue skies without a cloud in sight for soaring along with your mates. It''s also where the Gracidea flower also blooms." She pointed a paw at the red leaf hanging off her nape. "We Shaymin can change into this absolute beaut of a form you see now with the help of that flower. If not, we''d be stuck as ground dwellers." "I heard the Shaymin there are very friendly, too!" Lopunny chimed in. "That they give those beautiful flowers away as some sort of souvenir for visiting them." Shaymin nodded begrudgingly. "Uhuh¡­ that comes with being the ''Gratitude Pok¨¦mon'' - total joy and stuff. But other than being a tourist trap, the village also serves as a sort of message and farming outpost for the other Legends''." The gears in Liam''s mind began to turn. ''Other Legends''? Then my assumption might be true¡­'' He would have to ask her and confirm his suspicions. "Shaymin¡­ aren''t you a Legendary Pok¨¦mon" "Yeah, how come you didn''t know, dweeb?" she said casually. "Anyway, us Shaymin are on the lower totem pole of that status, seeing as we''re not all powerful, govern over anything, or are the only ones in existence. The top dog Legendaries are essentially in charge of us lower ''mons." Lopunny gave a motherly, reminiscing smile. "Yes... my little Buneary always wanted to meet the Legendaries of the world. It must be an honor, Shaymin - seeing gods and protectors of our time." Shaymin scoffed loudly at her words. Gloria seemed enthralled. "Wow¡­ I had always wanted to visit the Shaymin Village one day. But¡­ you said something about the Legendaries being in charge." She gasped. "Wait! Do you Shaymin seriously do work with some of them?" The Grass-type nodded. "Sure do." Resentment crept into her scratchy voice. "We''re practically their damn servants, farming their food or delivering messages of the outside world they choose to cut themselves out of. It''s why I am such an amazing flyer, having been doing errands and playing suck-up my entire life for those bloody bludgers." "Shay-" Leafeon attempted to stop her friend. "Nah, nah, let me finish, Leafy. And then everyone, even the elder of the village just accepts it with a joyous little smile on their face. Because it''s our bloody ''duty to Arceus'' and¡­ ''we need to be grateful''. None of the elders got any spine, and I wasn''t gonna stick around for it!" Liam was rightly shocked at her venting, as much as Gloria. While he was aware there was a divide between the Legendaries and normal Pok¨¦mon, they weren''t aware of even Legendaries like Shaymin here being upset at the ''top dogs''. Leafeon attempted to salvage the conversation. "Well¡­ Shaymin, can you now tell me why you decided to return there?" Shaymin sputtered. "What? Can''t see my mum and dad and tell them how much of a better success I am? I wasn''t there to cause trouble with the elders. Not worth my time duking it out with old ''mons." "Don''t you think you should listen to your friend there - Victini?" Leafeon countered, tilting her head. Shaymin cackled. "Him? Friend? Nooope. He''s the same as those other suck ups, just a lot more annoying and¡­ by Arceus I hate his stupid little face." She shook her head, bounding out of her chair. "Y''know what, you lads got me too peeved to eat anythin''." Shaymin began angrily marching towards the bakery''s entrance. "What? C''mon, Shaymin!" Leafeon yelled. "I can... get Sylveon to make your favorite?" Her efforts didn''t sway Shaymin. "If you need me, I''ll be taking a much needed nap at the guild after I sort out things with the Guildmaster." She looked back at the table for a split second. "But it''s good to see we got new dweebs at the guild - cheers!" The familiar chime of bells reverberated through the room after Shaymin took her exit. Liam stared out the window, watching her quickly take flight and disappearing into the sky. The noise of a door swinging open beyond the room''s glass counter, however, stole his attention away as Sylveon emerged, balancing a platter of Pokepuffs with a single ribbon. "Hey! Did someone show up? I got everyone''s Pokepuffs!" The Fairy-type strolled over to the table, placing the platter down, only to notice one customer missing. "Huh? Where did Shaymin run off to?" "She... decided to leave, Sylveon." Lopunny said delicately. "Awwww¡­" The Fairy-type wilted at her words, ears and ribbons drooping as she seated herself on Shaymin''s absent spot. "Why''d she go and run off? I don''t bite!" she ended with a sad giggle. "Sorry, Sylveon, it''s not you." Leafeon huffed. "I''m going to be more tough on her when I return to the guild. Being gone for two months is bad enough," she grumbled. Her words seemed to return Sylveon''s jubilance, the Pokemon picking up a pink Pokepuff with her ribbon, not waiting for anyone to dig in herself. Gloria knew exactly which one was hers, a visible hunger in her eyes as she swiped the decorated white Pokepuff off the platter, fangs already sunken deep in the sweet confection. To Liam, the two Pokemon seemed to have the same voracious appetite if anything sweet was in their vicinity. The Riolu reluctantly grabbed a blue puff off the tray, breaking his silence as well. "No offense, Leafeon, but she didn''t seem like the ''Gratitude Pok¨¦mon'' to me." He took a bite out of his dessert. A horrific explosion of sweet and sour flooded his taste buds. Gloria swallowed her bites down. "I¡­ um, don''t want to be rude too, Leafeon, but I''m going to agree with Liam here. She seemed the total opposite of any Shaymin I''ve heard of in my books." Leafeon sighed, making circles around the platter with her paw. "Yeah, she can get like that sometimes. It''s a miracle we even established a team together in the first place, seeing as I''m her sole friend." Liam was taken aback. "Sole friend? I mean¡­ it makes sense, but that''s rough." Sylveon spoke up, crumbs littering her face. "Maybe she just needs a party to make her stop being such a grump?" Lopunny took another sip of her tea. "Maybe the dear just needs some space? It was probably a long trip to another continent, and having to say goodbye to her family again¡­" Liam shrugged, taking another bite of his sickly puff. "She left her village because of the other Legendaries, right? Something about just being servants to them and their ''duty to Arceus''?" Leafeon shook her head, "That''s Shaymin''s story, and she''s not the one to lie about it, seeing at how mad she gets when she talks about it." Liam decided to resume his eating, seeing as no one else had anything to add. He had hoped Shaymin would''ve been more friendly with her misgivings, but for now he decided to chalk it off as a standard rebellious teen phase, as she didn''t seem much older than him. But all the talk about Legendaries sent his mind spiraling into remembrance of that time he and Gloria first entered the Empyrean Library to learn more about Celestic. They then spent hours scouring through books about Legendaries, and even Arceus himself. While everyone at the table enjoyed their treat, he recalled the events of that day in his head.
Before Gloria could respond, he interjected. "Speaking of learning, in the book about Celestial Mountain. You mentioned an ''Arceus''. Is that a Pok¨¦mon, or some sort of alien?" She noticed his confusion and giggled. "Arceus? We''re gonna be here a while then." She jumped to her paws and walked towards the bookshelves again. "First, you need to know about the Legendaries." Gloria found a small stepladder and hopped onto it. "They''re Pok¨¦mon like us but¡­ um, they''re the closest you could get to a god-like figure like Arceus." Liam''s interest peaked. "So¡­ are they gods or rulers themselves?" Gloria shook her head, scouring the shelves. "Kind of. They''re more like really powerful guardians, or ambassadors of such things like¡­ space and time. But they''re still mortal and can have children like us regular Pokemon" "Space and time? Legendaries can just do that?" Gloria found the book she wanted. "Sort of, one the Legendaries, Dialga, keeps the balance of time by just¡­ existing. Palkia, his opposite, guards over his domain of space. Only Arceus can truly manipulate those boundaries. At least¡­ that''s what I''ve read." She then tried tugging on the wedged book to release it. It came loose, along with multiple other books. "Woah!" They tumbled off the shelves, landing on the wooden floor. Liam chuckled, walking over to pick up the book she wanted, only to notice it was already open. He got a closer look at it, a picture was drawn of some sort of Pokemon with a caption above the drawing. "''Dialga.'' This is the Legendary you spoke of, right?" "Yup!" Gloria leapt off the ladder and walked to where Liam was. "This book has illustrations of the majority of each Legendary. Here¡­" She flipped to another page, another drawing and caption. "This is Palkia, and... " She turned another page, this Pok¨¦mon had two different forms apparently. "This is Giratina - said to inhabit a world opposite of ours. Together, they''re all known as the Creation trio, one of many trios." Liam absorbed this information. "I''m guessing the others work the same?" Gloria nodded. "Here, I''ll show you my favorite of them." The pages flew by in a blur until she stopped. "We''ll start with Xerneas." Liam got a good look at the picture. It was a black and blue deer-like Pok¨¦mon. Large multicolored antlers sprouting out of its head. Even if it was just a drawing, he felt a wave of regalness travel through him. Gloria cleared her throat. "She is hailed as the Goddess of Life to some groups in Celestic. Her antlers contain the majority of the life bearing power within her, and it said that she could bring life back to a dying forest with just one shake of them." A page was flipped. "This is Yveltal." Liam could definitely tell it was some avian-like creature, the long wings and tail of it forming a Y-shape. Its red coloration and splinters of black gave him the impression this wasn''t as well intentioned as Xerneas. "He''s considered the God of Death to many, just like Xerneas. When his body lights up, it says he creates an attack that turns the Pok¨¦mon of his choosing to stone, banishing them to a world of suffering where he also exists." Liam''s eyes grew wide. "To stone? He can seriously do that?" Gloria giggled. "Apparently." She turned the next page, where the final member of the trio was pictured. It was large and serpentine in nature, hexagonal spotted scales covering its entire black and green body. "This is Zygarde, supposedly the God of the Earth. Not much is known about him, but he is said to dwell deep below the surface, only emerging if the ecosystem of the world is being threatened, like some guardian." She looked up, "And that''s the Aura Trio. Great stuff, isn''t it!" Liam exhaled; it was a lot to take in. "Sure is, but¡­ how do you guys get all this information? Are they still around?" Gloria frowned. "All this information is really old, from thousands and thousands of years ago. Few Pok¨¦mon over generations have even seen or spoken with any of them. Perhaps the Legendaries are still sore from that event long ago." The Riolu''s eyebrow raised. "Event? What happened?" The Vulpix shrugged her shoulders in response. "No one knows anything specific, but there''s countless tales of an event over ten thousand years ago - something occurred which caused a divide between normal Pok¨¦mon and the Legendaries." "That''s pretty strange... and you think the Legendaries are still mad about whatever happened?" "I guess so¡­" She sighed sadly. "I know the Legendaries are Pok¨¦mon like us. They have feelings, dreams, goals, and duties like we do. I just wished they made more contact, and maybe even tell us more about them or Arceus." There was that name again. ''Arceus''. He needed to know about this Pok¨¦mon. "Hey, Gloria, think you can tell me who Arceus is now?" She smiled, turning another page of the book. "We''ll get to him eventually, let''s continue with the other Legendaries." A giggle erupted from her again. "I''ve studied so much about them, so now would be a good time to show you." ''Oh brother¡­'' The Riolu got as comfortable as he could on the old wooden floor, lying supine and resting his head on his paws as he listened to Gloria talking about different Legendaries for what seemed like hours. All of the descriptions greatly surprised him. Emissaries of both the sun and moon, a being that devours light itself, golems built out of ice, rock, and steel, a species built on gratitude to others, and even one that granted wishes. This world seemed to shock him every step out of the way, but it wasn''t like he was complaining. Gloria stopped at a final page. "And then¡­ Arceus." Hearing her word, Liam immediately got up to take a peek. The Legendary wasn''t anything otherworldly or ethereal like he imagined, but something about his appearance told Liam that he was some sort of authority figure. Gloria cleared her throat again. "The theory goes that there once existed an egg, an egg that contained Arceus. When it opened, he then created and shaped our universe and world with his thousands of arms and glowing lines from the wheel on his back. Then he created the Legendaries and by extension, us." Liam blinked. "So, that makes Arceus¡­ god? If he is the creator of everything?" "That''s what the vast majority of Pok¨¦mon believe in, even if no one has ever seen him outside of drawings or tales of the past. I don''t know much about any churches, but some more religious Pokemon say that he will return someday." Liam''s face contorted in realization. "Is that why I hear some Pok¨¦mon on the streets muttering ''I swear to Arceus'' or ''Arceus, why?''" She laughed. "You''ve got it!" It was a strange thing to him - that a Pok¨¦mon not only crafted the universe and world, but just vanished without a trace, no one knowing a single thing about him, along with the mythical Legendaries who are distant. The more he thought about it, the more the questions piled on, but he was just happy Gloria took the time to explain all of this to a very lost Riolu. "Hey, Liam¡­ what would you do if you had the power of Arceus?" That caught him off guard. "What?" Gloria rubbed the floor with a paw. "Sorry for the sudden weird question, but I''ve always wondered what I would do. I told you about my whole hero thing, and that I just want to be one. So, I could help a lot of Pok¨¦mon with that power, be someone to look up to and stuff." She shook her head, "Sorry for being cheesy, again. What would you do?" Liam laid on his back again, staring at the ceiling in thought. ''The power of Arceus?'' Theoretically, he could do practically anything, but what would he want specifically? ''Maybe create a paradise of endless exploration, or¡­ return all my memories, or... '' He was stumped, but as he reflected on it more and more, the thought of being a god was akin to what Gloria had talked about. To be looked up to. "I guess¡­ I would protect this world. Just like the Legendaries do. That''s what a god is supposed to do, y''know?" She smiled at his response, closing the book with a paw. "Well put! We, um, should find you a book for regular Pok¨¦mon now, right?"
A crackling noise echoed throughout the dungeon as sparks of yellow electricity coursed through his blue fur. Once his paw was fully engulfed by the current, he clenched it shut, forming a fist and smashing it right into the face of a Scatterbug. A roar of booming thunder followed the impact. The weak Bug-type collapsed instantly, bursting into an orange glow. Acting quickly, Liam pivoted to his left, grabbing a nearby Rattata trying to bite him by its purple tail. He began to swing it around, quickly becoming a blur as he picked up more and more momentum. WOOSH. WOOSH. WOOSH. He then let go. The Rattata was sent careening into the wall of dirt, indenting itself into it and crumbling pieces of dirt off the wall. The rat fell over and disappeared into orange light. Liam cringed at the sight - while he would never do that to an actual Pok¨¦mon, the dungeon Pok¨¦mon were fair game, not being real and whatnot. The Riolu checked his surroundings, a smile etched on his face. ''Either they fled at the sight of my strength, or I just wiped them out again.'' After the two of them left Sylveon''s Sweet, he followed Gloria into the Sunshine Forest, voluntarily going into the Mystery Dungeon to test out his newly acquired Thunder Punch. He wasn''t sure how long he had spent in here thrashing the Pokemon, but he decided that now seemed like a good time to make his exit. He navigated through the grassy corridors, locating the bizarre, earthy staircase and walking up it as darkness overtook his vision. When it receded, the Riolu appeared near the trail again, the sounds of shuffling green trees and the bright sun in the blue sky greeting him. ''She should still be over on that hill.'' Liam lightly jogged on the paved road, running through the rows of trees that obscured his vision. When he heard the sound of running water, he slowed his pace, knowing that he arrived at his destination. A small stream of water ran through the path''s side. After following it, he entered a large glade with a hill, white wallflowers blooming along its sides. A lone tree was resting at the top, along with the outline of a stationary and familiar white Vulpix. ''There she is.'' Apparently the same clearing he awoke in was the same spot where she loved to quietly read when the Seadra fountain in Empyrean was busy with Pokemon. Liam jogged over again and began his ascent up the hill, his incoming presence not known by the Vulpix. Gloria''s legs were tucked in her sides, muzzle and both eyes glued to the book she was reading. Once he was near the base of the tree, he cupped his paws around his mouth to give her a dose of reality. "BOO!" "AH!" Gloria whipped her head around in shock, her expression evaporating into annoyance. "Don''t do that!" she pleaded in exasperation. "I don''t like it when Roark does it, so I''m definitely not going to like it when you do it." Liam chuckled, "Speaking of Roark, I remember you said we needed to go and meet him somewhere?" Gloria returned her attention to the book resting on the grass. "I didn''t forget. Once I''m finished with this chapter, we can go back to my house and get him... where he is almost certainly napping." She turned her head for a split second. "Please don''t wander away now?" Liam placed his paws on his hip. "No need to worry, I''ll keep you safe. I already got it out of my system." She rolled her eyes and giggled softly. "Good." With nothing left for them to say, Gloria returned to reading while Liam stood around patiently waiting. He took a deep breath, placing his paw on the tough bark of the tree. ''I''ve been here more than a month¡­ and still nothing on why I woke up-''he patted the bark, ''Here specifically.'' The Riolu turned around, trying to override his frustration with the amazing view from atop the grassy hill. Small white petals drifted in the cool summer breeze, floating up towards them and climbing above the verdant trees of the forest. His eyes caught a flock of Unfezant flying through the cloudless sky. This kind of peace was something they needed. Even if Liam loved adventuring, moments like this seemed to shine most of all. Gloria seemed to notice this moment of tranquility, opening her mouth to speak her mind. "Isn''t life such an amazing thing?" Liam kept his gaze on the heavens, staring down the flock of Flying-types as they faded away one by one into nothingness. His eyes began to shrink, mouth parting, awareness of his environment creeping in. That wasn''t Gloria''s voice. His attention immediately snapped to her prone form. "... What?!" Gloria vanished. A great rumbling shook the earth beneath his paws as the world around him began to change like in a dream. He took a step forward, mouth agape at what he was currently seeing. Plates of green grass erupted out of the ground, connecting with the elevation of the hill to form solid ground. White wallflowers sprouted out of this new terrain, dancing in an invisible wind. The lone tree at the top of the hill remained in its place. The forest in his front melted into a blur of dark green, seas of flat, fertile grass plains replacing it. Beyond the expansive fields, a distant lush mountain range shifted and grinded into place. Huge mist-like clouds rolled in behind it, hiding whatever lie yonder. To Liam, it was uncharted territory, untapped potential, ripe for exploring. He gave a quick look behind him, a forest different from the one he came out of taking its place instead. A chorus of soothing angels were singing faintly in his ears, mixing in with the natural ambience of swaying leaves and soft wind. They greatly relaxed him, quickly making him forget about the surreal nature of everything happening at once. The damp smell of a now departed morning rain swamped his senses. Without a doubt in his mind, he knew where he was. He was here again. ''That place.'' "Hello." That familiar silky female voice from before penetrated through the cooing whispers in Liam''s head. The Riolu could only gawk at the ocean of a sky, seeking the identity of the voice. He swallowed a forming lump in his throat as he spoke. "H-Hi?" The voice responded back. "I''ve been watching you." "Y-You have?" Liam stuttered back. ''She'' laughed tenderly, "Not that closely, Liam. But I have seen much so far." He didn''t know how to respond to that, but the voice continued regardless. "You seem¡­ much happier than before. That makes me happy as well." Liam took another step, almost stumbling on his shaky paws. "Who¡­ exactly are you?" The voice let out a dismal sigh. "There''s a fence between us, Liam - one that is not so... easily crossed. You would not know, sadly, and might not for a while. It is already hard enough for me to see you this often¡­" Just like before, Liam could feel and sense everything - the grass beneath his paws, the wind bristling his fur, the smell of dew. He needed to know. "I... don''t understand. Is this place real?" "Sadly, no." The voice sighed, before hope appeared in her voice. "Do you wish that it was?" "I¡­ yeah." "I am glad that you do, but don''t worry, the future will show this to be a reality soon." Her words pleased a part of Liam, but he still desired to know more. "What exactly is this place?" "This¡­" The voice tried to find the correct words. "This is your ideal paradise, Liam. Where everything you may or may not know you desire, is right here." Past the horizon, Liam could see a white house along with a wooden fence start to form in his vision. It was familiar to him, but he couldn''t tell why. He shambled forward again, this time towards the house. But would stop in his tracks as something grew out from beneath him, the green stalk of a young wallflower curling as the head bloomed its white petals before him. The Riolu knelt down, slowly bringing his paw over it and plucking it out of the ground. He stood up again and started dissecting the flower with his eyes, feeling how real it felt. "I''ll ask again¡­ Don''t you think life is amazing?" "Huh?" Liam snapped out of his daze. Living was at first very strange to him in this world, trapped between the thought of a preexisting life and the birth of a new, himself right here. But he had done so much with Gloria by his side, joining the guild and exploring Celestic. It was fun, and he loved doing it. No matter what was thrown at him the first day he woke up in this world, he was living a life he doesn''t regret one bit. "Yeah¡­ it really is." "But... life could be so much better, right? A world free from sorrow, anger, and evil. Like a painting, a dreamscape, but realized." ''Could it?'' Sure there''s been bumps, but everything seems fine.'' Again, he didn''t know how to respond. "I''m¡­ so sorry, Liam, but this is as long as I can currently project this fantasy. We must part ways again." The vibrant landscape surrounding Liam began to spin and spin, until it was nothing more than a blur of colors. Black spots invaded his perception. The wallflower he once held was gone, along with the feeling of holding it. It was sad; a part of him didn''t want to leave, not yet. "But do not fret,Liam." The voice uttered again. "When this world falls into flames, and we sunder into dust, we will make it out. You and I will both awaken to our shared dream finally realized. A place we can truly call¡­ paradise." All Liam could visualize was darkness, his once acute senses of the dream lost. Her silky voice resounded across his mind in one last message. "Farewell, for now." "LIAM!" "GAH" The Riolu felt something bat one of his feelers, the familiar feeling of electricity shooting through his spine as he face planted into the earth. Gloria hid her snicker behind a paw. "I''m¡­ sorry I had to do that, but you were just¡­ sleepwalking? And even saying some weird stuff, so I had to get your attention somehow." Liam''s groans were muffled as he lifted his face from the ground, spitting out some strands of grass. There, Gloria noticed something sliding down his cheeks. "Why are you crying?" "Huh?" He stood up, wiping his tear stained face with a paw. "Thanks, Gloria. I, um, don''t know what came over me." Trademark worry traveled across her face. "Are you sure you got enough sleep?" "I¡­ uh, yeah I probably didn''t get enough. Sorry." She perked back up, "Great! I finished my chapter, so we should go back to Empyrean and get Roark for his¡­ thing to show us." "You go on ahead. I''ll be there in a second." Once she was down the hill, he collapsed into a seated position. The memory of his experience from before now just sinking in. His paws mindlessly took hold of the grass beneath him as his thoughts wandered. ''This is the second time I''ve had this happen, just randomly. But this time, someone, a woman, perhaps a Pok¨¦mon was speaking to me directly.'' He tightly squeezed the grass in his grip, ripping strands of them out of place as he grit his teeth, his breaths shallow and harsh. ''I can''t make any sense of this?! Why does it all feel so real?!'' Perhaps Gloria was correct in her assumption that he was crazy, even if she meant it in joking fashion. How could he even tell her about this vision as well? That he heard a voice talking to him? Liam closed his eyes, slowing down his breaths. ''It''s so¡­ frustrating. To not know any of this.'' He stared at Gloria while she trotted down the path, only turning around to wave at him with an open smile before continuing on her merry way. "..." ''I guess I have no choice but to take this in stride¡­ again.'' He got back up, took a deep calm breath, and began trudging down the green hill.
Liam and Gloria entered the guild''s mess hall, it seemed that everyone was already here for dinner, as ruckus was the room''s current noise distribution, with constant chatter between guildmates chowing down at their respective tables. They had just gotten back from Roark''s latest journey through the city right as the sun began to set. This time out with the suave Zoroark was thankfully pretty decent for the both of them. ''How he managed to light it on fire, I will never know,'' Liam drowsily mused. He was totally out of it today, and his body would agree. Suddenly, a door in the hallway behind them opened, Hatterene shuffling away from the room with her nurse in training, Braixen following her. The fox was wearing a small red nurse cap, along with her usual white armband with a red cross wrapped around her shoulder. "Team Requiem! It''s great to see you back for dinner!" the fire fox called out with a modest wave. "Same to you, Braixen." Gloria tiredly chirped back. "Glad to see you doing well in your training¡­ I hope?" She was never sure of the head nurse''s mood. Once Hatterene turned her head and caught a glance of Liam''s state, her glare sharpened, a striking gleam appearing in her eyes as she sped off towards the Riolu, grabbing and raising him up to her eye level. She started shaking him with her hat''s ''hand''. "Diaphoresis. Possible chills. Tiredness and muscle aches. You must have a fever." Liam was stunned that her strictly monotone voice could carry such a menacing tone. "I¡­ I¡­ don''t have a fever! I''m perfectly okay!" He was now visibly sweating. "Y-Yeah, it''s true, Miss Hatterene!" Gloria yelled. "We''re totally fine!" The Psychic-type narrowed her eyes. "Hm. Fine." She loosened her hold on him as he immediately scrambled to Gloria''s side. "MIGHTYENA!" she roared. The Dark-type in question audibly whimpered as he limped out of his seat and scampered towards them. A blood stained cloth was wrapped around his front paw. Liam wasn''t sure if he was moaning because of the pain, or because Hatterene called him over. "Y-Yes, nurse Hatterene?" Hatterene bored her eyes into Pok¨¦mon. "In the room. Now." Mightyena gave a faulty grin. "B-But, it doesn''t hurt anymore." "It was not a suggestion." "Wait! I-" He was cut off by Hatterene''s ''hand'' reaching over and picking him up with remarkable strength, flinging him like a sack of potatoes as he screamed. A crashing noise boomed from the nursing room as Mightyena was thrown in. The door was then quickly slammed shut as Hatterene found her way inside at record speeds. The suppressed howls of Mightyena were heard through the door, causing everyone to wince. Braixen bowed slightly, an irked look on her face. "I¡­ am so sorry for head nurse Hatterene''s actions, Team Requiem." Liam dusted himself off. "Ah, it''s nothing to worry about Braixen. However, I''m surprised you can even work with her¡­ personality. The orange fox sighed. "I know¡­ but she''s the only one here with better experience than me. Like my mom said, it''s my only shot!" A ''clack'' noise from behind the three of them caused their backs to turn. There stood Scizor, his eyes glazing over the clipboard in his grasp before looking at those who stood blocking his way. "Team Requiem. Braixen. Please, step aside, I have an announcement for everyone to hear." The three of them hastily made their way further into the mess hell, allowing Scizor to step inside. The Bug-type cleared his throat. "Attention! I hate to interrupt your meals, but there is an important notice issued to me, straight from the Guildmaster." There was noticeable uproar after his words, but it was all stifled by a wave of his large red pincer. "After some new revelations, we have decided that in one month''s notice¡­ we will be embarking on an expedition." His words replaced the guild''s bickering with cheers and applause. A smile graced Gloria''s lips, a thump appearing in Liam''s heart. ''We''re actually going to go on an expedition?'' Scizor looked down at his clipboard. "We will have details on exactly where and what day when we get closer to the date. Until then, that is all. Please enjoy the rest of your day off." He brushed past the three still from shock, fading into the hallway with a ''clack''. Liam placed a paw over his beating chest. Today was certainly an emotional rollercoaster, ups and downs included. With the future expedition, his visions, all of it. The future. That was what the voice spoke to him about. Everyone in the mess hall was still celebrating the news. Purrloin was happily chatting away with Leafeon about it while Rockruff was jumping up and down in his seat. Staravia was flying around erratically, Monferno swatting at the Flying-type so Joltik didn''t so happen to land on his face. Liam managed a smile. The voice from before made him wonder if truly one day he would awaken in a place he could call paradise. Because right now, they might just make it there.
Ten thousand years¡­ Always watching¡­ Always waiting. Requiem.
Author''s Notes: To you, a reader witnessing the final chapter of this story. This is a message... from the past.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time:The Silent Warrior The Silent Warrior Chapter 12 The Silent Warrior The unmistakable noise of Scizor''s careful and boisterous steps on the porcelain floor met the ears of everyone gathered in the foyer. He emerged from the hallway, stepping into the middle of the room, along with another Pok¨¦mon in tow, a golden furred Lucario. Jackson''s steely look scrutinized every Pok¨¦mon present as he followed the Bug-type. Arriving at their destination, Scizor would hand off a scrap of paper to the Lucario, who gave it a passing glance before engaging in a conversation with his red advisor. To everyone quietly standing around, this was an unspoken message to start freely congregating amongst each other. They all quickly converged by the stone Milotic fountain, Gloria taking the opportunity to make small peeks into the hallway, looking for a familiar figure to emerge. "Where is Liam? He might miss the announcement!" she harshly whispered. Monferno snorted. "I thought the guy went ballistic when hearing any news about the expedition?" Staravia kept hovering in mid air. "M-Maybe I should go check?" He flapped his wings. "What if he f-fell asleep?" The Fire-type shrugged. "He''s probably just having his usual staring contest with the ceiling." "Mony!" Braixen barked out. "Please try not to make more rude comments, lest you cause another fight with him." Roark chuckled. "I''d listen to her, Monferno. Who knows how many patient beating methods Hatterene taught her?" He waved a crimson claw. "And how are you gonna teach your kids right from wrong when you''re an asshole yourself?" Rockruff laughed. "Ooh, burn!" Monferno scoffed in retur. "Oh puhlease. As if you''re one to talk, the guy with no family to his name." "Ooh, double burn!" Mightyena yipped, slapping his paw on top of Rockruff''s. "~Mreow¡­ I understand that kind of feeling, darling," Purrloin lamented. "Awww, but you''re like a sister to me!" Mightyena replied, nestling himself on the cat''s side, much to her chagrin. "Or mother¡­" Purrloin grumbled. Roark leaned against the Milotic statue. "No family? What are you talking about, Mony?" He extended an arm down to pat Gloria''s head tuft. "... I have the sweetest sister in the world right here!" The Vulpix wiggled out his grasp. "Eheh, right." She dug a paw into the floor. "What about you, Leafeon? Don''t you, um, have another sister besides Sylveon?" She hoped this would get Roark off her case. The Grass-type in question adopted a smile. "If you consider all seven of my sisters - yup! Glaceon was the only one that actually came with me and Shaymin here to Celestic after leaving the Grass Continent. Right, Shaymin?" She looked around the room to find her partner still gliding around the room. The aerial wonder touched down after hearing her name, stretching her freshly used joints and furry white ''wings''. "Yeah, cause Leafy couldn''t be a cook for ole mom and dad forever, so we went straight ''ere. But that Glaceon was super cold to everyone, sparing the irony. " Leafeon sighed. "That''s true. and she hasn''t really written much about where she is or what she does now to me or the rest of our family." She started to smile, specifically towards a white Vulpix. "But¡­ at least I have Sylveon. And another sister right here with me at the guild, which brings the total up to eight." Gloria blushed. "Thanks¡­ Leafeon." "S-seven sisters?" Rockruff squeaked out, bewildered. "That''s Eevee families for you," Leafeon remarked. Shaymin groaned, shaking her head. "You dweebs are such saps." This earned a chuckle from Roark. "Get sappy with us, Shaymin! Tell us all about your cute widdle brothers and sisters back in the village." A chorus of nodding heads and shouts of encouragement followed the fox''s words. Shaymin chuckled. "Nah, only child. But they do shove that whole ''everyone is family'' junk in your face. Though, soaring the clear skies with my mates is good enough as family." An excited Rockruff bounded in front of Shaymin''s face, crouching down as if ready to pounce her. "No way! That''s like¡­ the same thing the Lycanroc clan does! This other Rockruff I played with was, like my blood sister!" The Rock-type sighed. "I guess we''re the same, huh? Because we both left¡­ or well, I got kicked out in my case¡­ hehe." Shaymin rolled her eyes. "Hey, Shaymin!" Monferno shouted. "Did you get yourself a new frie-" He was cut off by a swift jab in the ribs from Braixen. Laughter from everyone crowding around the statue flooded the room, only to recede when the appearance of a yawning and stretching Riolu stumbled through the halls. One of his red eyes cracked open to view everyone huddled around each other, swiftly hastening his pace to join them. "Morning," Liam said flatly, yawning again. "... I thought I was going to be late." "You know I don''t like you taking late night jobs by yourself," Gloria scolded. "You could get hurt, or¡­ or worse!" Roark grinned, placing both sets of claws on his hip. "Aww c''mon, sis. Let the boy have his heroic night adventures. I know you came to terms with my own late outings once I got you a little midnight snack," He teased. "That''s¡­ different," Gloria sputtered, shaking her head. "Look, I just don''t think you''re getting enough sleep, Liam. So, can you stop for me¡­. please?" She looked deeply into Liam''s tired orbs. Roark gasped. "Ooh, she''s giving you the ''look''. Fun time''s over, Liam." Rockruff was mesmerized. "Wicked. Gloria, do you know, like¡­ Baby-Doll Eyes somehow?" A slap on the head from Purrloin was enough to awaken the Pok¨¦mon from his trance. Liam sighed, a smirk worming its way on his face. "C''mon, Gloria. You know I can''t say no. I''ll stop going out by myself." The Vulpix smiled warmly. "Good, because you almost missed out on the announcement today." She pointed a paw at Scizor and Jackson, who were still conversating. "Announcement?" The Riolu was now spurred out of his morning fatigue, the tail behind him starting to wag. "Is it¡­ about the expedition?" "Yup," Roark confirmed, grinning madly. "They''ve just cancelled it, and now everyone is on cleaning duty for a week." His words shook Liam to his core. "Wait a minute¡­ WHA-" He shoved a paw into his mouth once he saw Gloria shaking her head and shooting daggers at Roark. Leafeon giggled. "No, no, we''re still going. And I heard from Indeedee that the Guildmaster has decided already." Indeedee smiled. "That is correct, Leafeon." She laughed softly into a paw. "Charizard couldn''t help but mention it in our daily talks." Liam tilted his head. "Okay, but whe-" "ATTENTION!" the gruff voice of the Guildmaster shouted. "POSITIONS!" Everyone loitering around the statue scrambled to get into their daily arrangement, forming a singular row and column of eager Pok¨¦mon. "MORNING ADDRESS! Three¡­ two¡­ one-" "STARLIGHT! STAR BRIGHT! WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT, SHINE A LIGHT ON US TONIGHT!" Scizor stuck to Jackson''s side as the Lucario took a step forward, crossing both arms behind his back and viewing each individual present before speaking. "I''m fully versed in the rumor floating around. That is, the confirmation of our future expedition. And to that, I say you will all walk out today with more knowledge of this expedition." Liam''s chest tightened, a tiny drum beating in his heart and a permanent smile on his face. A few cheers from the small crowd arose, quickly stifled by Jackson''s raised paw. "Exactly two months from now, we will depart on a week-long journey out of the Meadow Region by carriage. We will arrive in Elysium City to stay for one day, before leaving for the main part of our expedition, which is..." The Lucario paused. "Celestial Mountain." An even louder ensemble of cheers and clapping from almost everyone filled the room. The drum in Liam''s chest began to beat louder, his contagious smile spreading to Gloria as they exchanged a silent look of excitement. Once the noise settled, Jackson continued. "As you are all well aware, Celestial Mountain is a very important landmark on this continent and across the globe, being the tallest mountain in the world. However, its importance to us as a guild relies on its relationship between the birth of this world, and the Mystery Dungeons." He stopped and looked over to his side. Scizor took the floor. "Various data collected throughout generations of research has concluded to the fact that Celestial Mountain is home to the biggest concentration of Mystery Dungeons in the world. This information correlates with another fact that Celestic has the most dungeons out of any other continent." Jackson nodded to his words. "And the theory of Arceus'' early actions on this earth; that he created Celestial Mountain first. It all connects back to the Mystery Dungeons. That perhaps, the creation of this mountain is tied to the origin of the dungeons." Liam soaked in all this info. It made sense for the guild to be interested, and it even reminded him of the time in the Empyrean Library where Gloria shared almost the same theory. ''Maybe these two possibilities really are connected, and the truth of this world lies within Celestial Mountain.'' He wanted to know more, with the Guildmaster obliging him. "The guild is interested in this claim. We will scale this mountain and dissect its secrets and ruins. If this expedition succeeds, we will gain further insight on our mission of locating the source of all ley lines, and eliminating the Mystery Dungeon once and for all. But that is not all. Team Drarosteel, yes, the Team Drarosteel, will be accompanying us on this expedition as well. They will arrive here tomorrow for a quick check in, but will be staying in Empyrean City in the meantime." ''Team Drarosteel¡­ why does that name seem familiar?'' Liam thought. ''Have I met them before?'' He was currently drawing a blank, mostly from how giddy he was feeling. Another round of explosive ovation came, along with another lift of Jackson''s paw. "That is all the information I will give out right now. Please, do not let your excitement affect the quality of your work in the coming months up to this expedition. For today, take up your duties as given yesterday. Dismissed." Everyone began to spill out into the hallway, now a lot more pep in their morning attitude. Liam and Gloria met up and began walking slowly towards the hallway. The Vulpix the first to spew out her delight. "I can''t believe it! That we''re not just going to any place, but Celestial Mountain out of them all! And they even think the same thing that I do!" "Yeah, but like the Guildmaster said, we shouldn''t get too excited," Liam teased. Gloria huffed. "As if you''re one to talk. Aren''t you finally happy to get out of this region for a bit?" "Yup, I think I can die happily now. After we go of course." She giggled at this. "Team Requiem! Please stay for a moment." The voice of the Guildmaster halted their movements, the pair exchaning a look before walking straight towards the stiff Lucario, the three of them now the only Pok¨¦mon present in the foyer. Jackson cleared his throat. "I hope the two of you remember almost two months back when I sent you on a mission to Criss-Cross Creek to locate a Mystery Dungeon, yes?" "... Of course, Guildmaster," Gloria replied. "Good, because you two are not taking job requests today, but instead are going on another mission. Specifically, a trip back to the creek to find that Mystery Dungeon there. Recent revelations still make this mission a main priority to our cause." Liam frowned. "Orders are orders, but¡­ last time we went, the boats didn''t seem that effective in scouting the area." He avoided mentioning the fact that he was also ineffective at properly scouting that time. "Exactly, which is why you will be using a different search method." Gloria tilted her head. "What did you have in mind?" "Flight. Charizard will fly over the creek with you two on his back. There you will get a bird''s eye view of the entire area, which should be more effective." Liam''s eyes grew wide. "... No offense, but shouldn''t we have done this instead of boats?" Jackson sighed. "Yes, but Charizard has been¡­ difficult the past few months. We would''ve gone with another flyer outside of the guild, but now Charizard has insisted he would take you." That was a bit relieving and also surprising to them, even if they had rarely seen Charizard, a supposed founding member of the guild and Team Moonlight, ever inside the guild itself. "After breakfast, head over to Leafeon''s garden outside the guild. He should be there¡­ sleeping, most likely." "We''ll get it done, Guildmaster. You can count on us," Gloria assured. "Good, get prepared after breakfast and get this mission done. Hopefully, you will find what this guild is after." Jackson turned his back on them, marching into the hallways. A small window of silence appeared after the Guildmaster''s departure, only to be broken by Liam placing his paw on Gloria''s shoulder and wearing a wide smile. "Race ya to the table. Winner gets the other''s cobbler!" He then took off into the corridor. "Wait! I didn''t agree¡­ ugh!" Gloria sped off in hot pursuit of the Riolu. Once the two arrived in the mess hell, they took a seat at one of the already occupied tables, where Rockruff, Mightyena, Monferno, and Braixen were all situated. The curious Rock-type at the table couldn''t help but bring up something he noticed. "Hey, did the Guildmaster reprimand you two or something?" "Awww, I know how that feels," Mightyena sadly confided. Liam shook his head, "Nah, he wants us to go on another mission, back to Criss-Cross Creek again." He shrugged. "Whatever there must be very important to the Guildmaster." "Like¡­ to the guild''s cause of destroying the Mystery Dungeons or something?" Mightyena asked? "Yeah." Rockruff and Mightyena gave silent looks of apprehension to each other, with Mightyena pushing the Rock-type slightly. "C''mon, tell them the story!" "No, you do it!" "You''re the one who asked him, so you!" "Uh... fine." Rockruff looked around the room before leaning across the table and whispering. "Have you guys heard of the Team Hydra Incident?" "Hmm?" Gloria inquired. "I''ve¡­ never heard of that. What is it?" Liam picked up the sounds of Monferno laughing slightly through his meal, along with Braixen narrowing her eyes at the hound duo. He couldn''t tell exactly why. Rockruff shifted his eyes. "Well, me and Mightyena ran into this one guild member near the Empyrean City markets that graduated over ten years ago! He told us about this incident that happened then which threw the entire guild into chaos - stir crazy!" Mightyena took over. "Yeah, and that there was this team - Team Hydra. They went to this secret dungeon to investigate its connection to the guild''s cause." He leaned in as well. "Guess what, they never returned because¡­ they died!" This was a surprise to the pair across the table, but they weren''t quite sure on why this story was of importance to them. "Oh," Gloria said with a bit of sadness. "That''s sad, but... those sort of things can just happen. I know that all too well." "No, no, no!" Rockruff countered. "They weren''t just killed by an accident, or by the dungeon ''mons. They were killed¡­ by other Pok¨¦mon!" The silence that followed was palpable, shocking both Liam and Gloria. The much louder laughter of Monferno then broke the tense atmosphere. Liam wasn''t convinced. "How are you sure that they were¡­ murdered? How would you even prove that it was what really happened to them?" "Because they found the, uh¡­ bodies of them." Mightyena gulped. "They were placed far away from the dungeon they entered, and that''s not even the craziest part! They all had fragments of bullets within them, like someone shot them all!" Liam couldn''t believe that. "Bullets? Like from one of those rifle things the guards around Empyrean carry?" Rockruff nodded. "Yup, and it was most certainly their cause of death then. No dungeon ''mon is capable of pulling a trigger¡­ I hope." "But I don''t understand," Gloria said wistfully, tugging on her scarf. "Why would any Pok¨¦mon just¡­ kill another for something as senseless as going into a dungeon?" Liam couldn''t figure that out either - perhaps a disagreement, or some other details and context they lacked. Regardless, he was skeptical at best. "I agree with Gloria; it doesn''t make sense as to why this happened." "Think about it, man!" Rockruff barked. "It''s the sign of a total cover up! Team Hydra found something big, something that cost them their lives!" The Riolu didn''t budge. "That¡­ sounds more like a conspiracy than anything." "Tell em, Monferno!" Mightyena said. The Fire-type seated next to the pair of dogs took a bite out of his apple, making loud crunching sounds as he finally gave his input. "Isch true," he spoke through a stuffed mouth. "Schomeone killed that team for what they schaw." He gulped down his food. "Thing is, nobody knows what Pok¨¦mon or group is responsible. Tell me this, Mr Personality..." Liam growled lowly upon hearing his dreaded nickname. "Maybe you can thrash a stupid dungeon ''mon around any time of the day, but what about a reeeal Pok¨¦mon? One that''s smart enough to really kill you with just a pull of a trigger." Monferno smirked. "Can you dodge a bullet, Mr Personality?" The Riolu in question sighed."No. No I can''t." As Monferno laughed at his response, Liam glanced over at Gloria as she continued to fiddle with her scarf, a downcast look on her face and clearly uncomfortable with the conversation. "It''s not funny, Monferno," Liam growled. "Please don''t spread rumors, Rockruff and Mightyena," Braixen piped up, a bit irritated. "And stop trying to scare Pok¨¦mon. We''re supposed to be professionals, not kids at a campfire." "Awww, I''m not trying to scare them. I just want my friends to be safe," Rockruff bemoaned, his ears flopping. The fiery fox closed her eyes. "That''s fine, I guess." She shifted her attention to Monferno. "You too... and don''t talk with your mouth full." "Okay, okay, I''ll stop," Monferno relented, raising his hands. "Just be careful out there; you never know." Liam didn''t like those words - ''you never know.'' But it was too late to respond, the discussion already dead and gone. As he waited for Leafeon to finish their meals, he thought about it long and hard, stealing another look at Gloria, who was still visibly disturbed. ''Why would any Pok¨¦mon do that?''
Liam and Gloria strolled through the halls, content with their fill of today''s breakfast. Once they were out of earshot of everyone remaining in the mess hall, the Riolu went to reassure a still startled and paler than usual Vulpix. "Don''t worry, Gloria. Braixen is right, it''s just a stupid rumor meant to scare you." She let out a sigh of relief. "Yeah, I just¡­ it unnerves me, y''know?" "Team Requiem." The two spun around at the sound of a stark voice and the ''clack'' of Scizor''s steps on the ceramic floor. The Bug-type checked his surroundings to make sure no one else was present, before engaging the pair. "I overheard something at breakfast. Something about this¡­ incident?" Gloria straightened up, brandishing a nervous smile. "Oh! Rockruff was telling us about it, but it was just a rum-" "No. It is true," Scizor casually let out, albeit tinged with sadness. "This event did happen, and three out of the four members of Team Hydra were-" He stopped to sigh, "Murdered... by an unknown party by use of rifle fire." Liam couldn''t believe what he was hearing, that the rumor was true according to Scizor. It brought back memories of the exact words the Guildmaster had told them aboard the carriage ride their second day at the guild. ''Forces, ones beyond even the guild, seek to stifle any recent unearthing''s of the Mystery Dungeons, lest they cause massive unrest, or any other reason. The identity of these groups are just as mysterious as the dungeons themselves.'' ''But he said that it was all hearsay and speculation. However, it was very real apparently, if the Guildmaster wasn''t lying to us.'' He did not like the sound of that reality, not one bit. Gloria''s chest tightened, her eyes tearing with emotion. "Why, why would anyone do such a thing?" The Bug-type sighed again. "My memories of that horrible day are hazy at best, but the fourth member that we know lived, fled the guild and has never returned. And the location of where they were sent has been lost to time. Which means that our way of knowing what happened exactly is near impossible. But me and the Guildmaster have already drawn our conclusions." Liam raised a brow, "What¡­ conclusion?" "That Team Hydra obtained information about the Mystery Dungeons that was never meant to be discovered, and this other Pok¨¦mon or group present made sure it was never to get out. Thus, sealing the team''s fate." ''Huh, guess Mightyena''s conspiracy theory is correct according to the Guildmaster himself,'' Liam mused sadly. "Team Requiem." Scizor''s eyes sharpened. "When my home village of Areos was annihilated by the ley lines, I swore and dedicated myself to find the truth and do the world justice. And we''ve gone through many setbacks after twenty years of operations." A fire almost seemed to light in his orbs. "But I swore to those souls of that lost village that I wouldn''t give up in the face of adversity, and that these groups that wish to stop us will realize that we will not." It was an unusually confident declaration from the quiet and astute Pok¨¦mon, to Liam at least. The Riolu didn''t want to give up either. The truth had to come out, eventually. ''But what about Gloria? Does she feel the same?'' "Team Requiem, I am ask- no¡­ I am pleading with you to not cave to these threats against our cause. All our hard work will be for naught if we did what they wanted, which we won''t." Scizor felt he said enough as he began to walk down the hallway, only to stop and turn around. "Please go and complete your mission with Charizard. Any discovery, big or small, helps us get closer and closer towards our goal." Scizor was now gone, leaving a pair of conflicted Pok¨¦mon in his wake. Immediately, Liam faced the Vulpix beside him, who wasn''t looking very well after the Bug-type''s corrections, almost hyperventilating. "Gloria, you alright?" She swallowed a little, fidgeting with her scarf. "I-I just¡­ sorry, I''m just¡­" The Vulpix sorely needed a hug. Liam stepped forward and embraced her. "Hey, hey, don''t worry about it. You know what he said, right? We can''t give up to these guys." He hoped he could help. Gloria melted into the hug. "Yeah, I won''t. I''m just so confused about the whole thing." He let her loose. "About what?" "Why would any Pok¨¦mon want to protect knowledge about the Mystery Dungeons? They do nothing but harm us! And to..." she paused, hating to say this word, "... Kill another Pok¨¦mon for it? I didn''t think anyone was capable, really." Liam knew she always saw the good side of Pok¨¦mon rather than the bad. It would''ve been her downfall if he or Roark wasn''t there to provide her with that sense of edge she needed for situations like this. "There''s obviously something more to this, and we gotta find it and stop them, or help, I''m not sure. Though, I''ll protect you from these guys if needed." He grinned, flexing an arm. She softly giggled in response, her anguish disappearing in the face of humor. "... Okay, ''Mr Macho ''Mon''. We... should go get Charizard now for our mission." He could only agree, the both of them picking up the trail once again. After pushing the wooden entrance doors open, they also pushed past many of the Pok¨¦mon stationed by the entrance just waiting for the guild to open. A paved path to the right of the building led straight to the gardens, a haven for all things growable, be it hot peppers, colorful fruits, or green vegetables. The path ended at the gate of a wooden fence that stretched the entire perimeter of the garden. The gate swung open as they entered, the two scouring the wide grassland for any signs of Charizard. Liam squinted his eyes. "See anything?" "Nope, just crops and-" Gloria caught something, pointing at it with her paw. "There''s a hammock over there with something orange and big on top of it." This was their Pok¨¦mon for sure. They lightly jogged towards the hammock, which was suspended with rope by two trees. Once they arrived, Liam tiptoed near it to get a look at its occupant. "Yup, that''s Charizard alright." The Fire-Flying-type''s immobile body sunk deep into the cloth supporting it, his eyes closed and arms crossed behind his neck, the large flaming tail connected to him lazily drifting along the grass. Puffs of hot smoke and even cinders seemed to billow out of his nostrils as he snored loudly, clearly fast asleep. Neither of them had any clue on how exactly to proceed. Gloria plodded forward. "Should we wake him?" She hesitantly nudged her paw a few times into the dragon''s big belly, hoping to stir him awake. However, her efforts were in vain as the Pok¨¦mon just kept on snoring noisily. "Maybe we should just wait for him to get up?" she suggested. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. "Nah, I got this." Liam bent down and searched for a big piece of grass. After finding the correct size, he plucked it from the ground and raised it over Charizard''s nose, aiming the tip of the leaf into one of his enlarged circular nostrils. Then he started tickling it. As the Riolu did his magic, more gusts of steam and cinders shot out of Charizard''s nose. Liam could even feel a new heat in the air as it intensified, but he kept at it. Soon enough, Charizard''s nostrils flared up as his head started to shake, his blue eyes along with his gaping maw opening before the inevitable explosion could release. Then it did. "AAAAAACHOOOOOOOOOOOOO" Liam instantly removed his appendage before the rocket of flames from Charizard''s nose could envelope his paw. The leaf he held was blasted into nothing but ash, the long stretching blaze even burning some leaves of the tree connected to the hammock. When the flames receded, Charizard yawned, stretching his arms and back as he sat upright in the hammock. "Woah, that was some serious nasal firepower this time. Must''ve been the pollen," His baritone voice grumbled tiredly. Gloria cleared her throat. "Charizard? Uh¡­ the Guildmaster told us to come and wake you for our mission today." Only now did the Fire-type realize that there were two others here, quickly hopping out of the hammock and facing the both of them. "I didn''t expect the two of ya to actually wait for a washed up ''mon like myself to fly you there! Guess I should thank Jack for his kindness," He said, whipping his flaming tail around. Liam tossed the remaining bit of leaf in his grasp. "So¡­ you''ll take us?" "Of course I will!" Charizard hollered. "I was the one who suggested it in the first place. This old but awesome explorer needs to stretch his wings and fly far from this boring place, ya feel me?" Two adequately timed nods was all Charizard needed as he fired up his internal engines, the draconic wings across his back unfolding and spreading out as he stretched them. "Great! Now go get prepared, ''cause I''m ready to take off at any moment. And I fly fast."
A large orange figure wearing a brown saddlebag flew through the clear, blue skies at impossibly fast speeds, his impressive wingspan piercing through the air and creating streams of gale. Furious wind whipped against Liam''s face as he held on to Charizard''s warm scales for dear life. Gloria more so did the same, hunkering down to avoid the wrath of the hostile blasts of air. "Charizard!" Liam screamed through the chaos. "Ease up a little! I think we''re here!" The Fire-type miraculously heard the Riolu as he swerved his head. "You got it, kid." With a flap of his leathery wings, their speed was adjusted to be more serene. With their flight now more calm, Liam was able to get a better look at his surroundings, peering down at the terrain below. He could now see where the name Criss-Cross Creek came from, as multiple rivers ran through each other and created tiny islands of land in between. Their game plan was simple - hover above the area and locate the Mystery Dungeon or anything of interest located on the islands. This encirclement lasted for about a half hour, until Liam could make out some oddly shaped bits of grey stone-like objects on one of the green islands. "Charizard! Right there, take us down!" The Riolu pointed right at his target. A puff of smoke swelled out of Charizard''s nose as he again flapped his wings, now descending towards the earth at alarming speeds. Luckily, he halted his momentum before they could barrel into the ground, landing softly on the grass and allowing his occupants to jump off. Liam could now get a better look at what he saw, traversing the wet grassland to see exactly what it was. The pillars were indeed some sort of stone material, but they were mostly crumbled, only faint patterns visible in the cracked stone. "Gloria, Charizard, I¡­ think these are some ruins." He looked past the object, his eyes widening. "No, we definitely found some ruins." What lie ahead were more decayed pillars and walls reduced to nothing more than debris from the passage of time. Overgrown mossy flora obscured the majority of the ruins and blended in with the greenery, almost invisible to an untrained eye. The only somewhat intact structure was a cracked grey stone brick wall, a large faded symbol was engraved into it, drawing Liam''s attention most of all. "Hey, check this out. There''s something on this wall." He carefully inched toward it, trying to get a better view. It was a strange drawing. A golden yellow skirt-like object was depicted, with four green objects seemingly encrusted into it. There was no text where Liam could decipher a clue to this mysterious painting. "Gloria, have you ever seen this symbol before?" he asked the Vulpix who plodded over to his side. She analyzed it, slowly shaking her head. "No, I don''t recognize one like this. And I have a book on symbols!" "Step aside, let me see it," Charizard grunted, stomping his way over. "... Well this brings back old memories, that''s for sure." "So, you do recognize it?" Liam inquired. "Yup, even if faintly. Back when Scizor, Jack, and I explored the continent, we came across these strange ruins and symbols across the regions." Gloria took a shot in the dark. "Does the Guildmaster think these places are related in some way to the Mystery Dungeons?" Charizard shrugged, scratching his neck with a claw. "I don''t know what goes on in Jack''s head, but I assume that would be the case. Keep poking around, these places always have something more to ''em." They heeded his advice, studying each part of the ruins they came across. Petrified shovels and other tools for digging were found, meaning some Pok¨¦mon were interested in the ruins even long ago. However, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, until Liam came upon a large mound of dirt and unearthed tree roots connected to the mess of stone. He wasn''t expecting much, simply walking around the edges for anything that looked interesting, when something got him to investigate further. It was a tablet around his height placed against the mound. The material was stone like the rest of the ruins, but in perfect condition, as if it was recently placed there. He placed his paw on it, then knocked on the stone. It felt hollow. Liam knocked the stone again, "I think¡­ I think there''s something behind this tablet." He tried pulling on its side to release it, but it was futile. "Don''t worry, I got this." Charizard lumbered over to the Riolu''s position and grabbed the opposite side. "Pull!" Together, with their strength combined, the tablet was forcefully ejected from its place. Gloria carefully peered into the gaping hole where the tablet once stood, her mood changing completely at what she saw within. Inside was a void of complete darkness, where light never seemed to get past. Undoubtedly the telltale appearance of a Mystery Dungeon. "It''s a Mystery Dungeon! Inside the mound!" Liam peeked his head in. "Wow¡­ do you think it''s the same one we''re looking for?" He popped his head back out. "Charizard?" The dragon took a gander as well. "Most likely, especially with that symbol you found. But... " Charizard frowned upon evaluating the frame of the tiny doorway inside. "Me and my big gut have no chance of fitting inside, so the job of exploring it is up to you two. Think you can handle it?" Liam adjusted the cream saddlebag around his shoulder. "Sure can... Right, Gloria?" The Vulpix took a deep breath, internally psyching herself up. "Mhmm, we totally got this, Charizard." "Very well¡­" The Fire-type tapped his saddlebag with a claw. "If something happens and you need transport, just contact me through your ELE. My number is 6." He then flexed his leathery wings, smiling. "In the meantime, I''ll stop by Sandslash''s place here and catch up on old times. Until then, little explorers!" WOOSH! In less than a second, Charizard was airborne and flying far away from their location. Their mission was just now beginning. "Alright, you ready?" Liam asked, cracking his joints and smirking away. From the forest, Gloria swore she heard the rustling of a nearby bush, but she swallowed her fears and answered back. "Lead the way¡­" He did just that, stepping into the narrow passage and straight into the void. Gloria gave her surroundings one last scan before following her partner on into the unknown.
? BF 1 The dirt floor beneath them expanded, cracked stone brick walls exploded out of the ground, paintings splashed across their eroded surface. Mossy vines appeared out of nowhere, coiling around the walls and digging into the floor. As usual with the surreal nature of these places, dungeon Pok¨¦mon appeared out of every crevice or corner they could, intent on attacking the invading pair. Liam did what he does best. BOOM. The Blast Seed he threw exploded on impact with the Aipom''s face with fiery success, the Pok¨¦mon quickly vanishing into orange light. The Riolu didn''t relent, already cocking back his arm and forming a Force Palm to swat away a pesky Yanma that got in his range. A sweeping chill of freezing vapor spewed out of Gloria''s mouth at a group of encroaching Phanpy. She amped it up a little by creating pellets of her trademark Ice Shard to hurl at the Ground-types. Once they wiped the floor with their foes, the two grouped back together to navigate through the winding corridors of the dungeon. However, Liam couldn''t help but stare at the walls of each room they went past, the paintings on them intriguing him. Mystery Dungeons always had the same variation in designs. Some grassy, some rugged. And that the ley lines copied whatever land it stole to reform it as a dungeon with its similar terrain. But this dungeon seemed to defy that claim of randomness. At first he thought the paintings were random gibberish spat out by the dungeon. But when he took a closer look, they all seemed unique and held an air of importance to him. Then it struck him. The ley lines must''ve taken a piece of the murals from the land it dungeon-ized. And that what they were passing through right now was the possible history of this place. He stopped at one in particular. "Gloria, are you seeing this?" The Ice-type was brought out of her world. "Hmm? What is it?" She gazed upwards at what he was looking at. "Oh¡­ that''s¡­ a mural of something? Those are Legendaries!" The scene depicted two Pokemon, Zekrom and Reshiram respectively. In the middle of the drawing was the same symbol they had seen previously outside the ruins, shining as the two legends seemed to guard it. "Do you have any idea?" he questioned, unconsciously already knowing the answer. She studied the mural for a moment. "Maybe this place has something to do with the Legendaries? I can''t infer much from one painting¡­ but that would be fascinating if true!" she gushed. Liam looked around the room, "Maybe if we go to another floor we can find another mural." "I believe so, too. Let''s continue!" ? BF 2 Liam narrowly dodged another lightning fast Sucker Punch through use of Quick Attack. This Scrafty was giving him more trouble than the others. His paw glowed a bright magenta as he charged up a Force Palm, using Quick Attack again to rush his opponent. The Scrafty met him head on with its own Brick Break, their fists colliding against each other in a clash of purple and black energy. What Liam didn''t count on was a mystifying wave of harsh pink wind to start assaulting the two of them. He cringed in pain as the wind bristled his fur, almost like he was getting burned by it. With a little quick thinking, he grabbed the Scrafty by its shoulders and held it against the wind, shielding himself from the accursed pink current while his opponent suffered the full brunt of it. It was successful, the Scrafty vanishing into glowing light as the wind also receded. Liam''s eyes darted across the room for the culprit, until they landed on a horrified Vulpix. "Gloria... did you do that?" She stiffened, "I-I¡­ I was trying to use Frost Breath. But then I had a thought and it, um¡­ came out as Fairy Wind, I think." Her gaze met the floor. "I''m sorry if I hurt you or anything." Liam laughed at her worry, popping open a pouch in his saddlebag. "I''m not mad, your new move is cool!" He brought out an Oran Berry and bit into it, enjoying the rejuvenation it provided. "Anyway, check out the new mural." This time it was even stranger. There was a mountain drawn, with four of the symbols from before bursting out of the mountain''s sides in different directions. Again, none of it made any sense to the two onlookers. ''If only the creators preferred text instead of cryptic wall drawings¡­'' Liam muttered in his mind. Gloria tapped her chin, "Maybe the symbol is some artifact?" She shrugged. "That''s¡­ all I can gather." Liam could only silently agree. They needed to keep looking. ? BF 4 Another floor, another mural. This time it seemed to be some random building, the symbol from many times before proudly displayed on top of the structure. Liam was stumped. "I''m¡­ not too sure about this one either. Thoughts?" It took a second, but Gloria gasped in realization. "I got it! The symbol is an item that this building¡­ or now dungeon is keeping inside to protect. And the Legendaries are involved somehow in this protection. That''s my theory, anyway." The Riolu smiled. "Wow, I''m surprised you could come to that conclusion. It does seem probable." She blushed in response. "Uh, thanks." "Maybe we can get some confirmation of your theory once we reach the end of the dungeon."
After taking the last flight of stairs, darkness enveloped their vision, only to diminish as they were released by the void. They quickly scrutinized their surroundings, a bit alarmed at the lack of light given to them. The end of the dungeon led them into a dank narrow hallway, a stone sliding door at the end. Liam stumbled a bit through the dark. "I''m not sure where we got spat out." He walked towards the stone door and tried pulling it, only to realize that it didn''t budge. "Oh¡­ that''s not good." Gloria winced. "Uh¡­ I''m not sure what we can do now." "Wait a second. Stay here." The Riolu spotted a tall shaft in the walls that was large enough for him to fit in. He jumped for it, hoisting himself up. "There''s gotta be some way to enter. If I start screaming, you run," he joked, earning a giggle out of the Vulpix. Liam crawled through the shaft, hoping to find any button or control switch for the door mechanism. He got his wish when the shaft ended near a dusty grate and peephole, a switch next to it. It took a little elbow grease to pull on it, but when he did, he was greeted with a muffled grinding noise. ''Liam! You did something to the door!'' he heard Gloria shout. The Riolu began worming his way out of the shaft, landing back onto the stone floor with a ''thud''. A quick analysis of the door told him that he must''ve unlocked it through the switch. He put both paws on its side, intent on trying again to open it. "Moment of truth¡­" he groaned out as he pulled on it with all his might. A grinding noise filled the air, his efforts succeeding at sliding the door into the wall. With the entrance now open, the two quickly piled into the new room, to be free from the claustrophobic hallway. Once they entered, the scale of the room immediately became clear as they gawked at their vicinity. Large sheets of stained and broken multicolored glass cut into walls of cracked stone bricks that wrapped around the chamber''s sides. Grand pillars were erected, reaching the crumbling ceiling, where a grand chandelier was suspended from, rusty and unlit. Massive underground roots, vines, and other foliage thrived here, snaking their way across anything in their path. Dirty water leaked out every crack possible, creating small streams and rivers on the floor. And just like with the other ruins, various shovels and other excavation equipment were strewn everywhere, along with some other scattered objects they couldn''t quite put their paw on. "This must be the main hall of the place! Wow..." Liam spoke with awe. Gloria wandered aimlessly, carefully avoiding any mud puddles. "Was this place built underground?" The Riolu stared into one of the shattered windows. It gave the fantastic view of a solid dirt wall. "No, this place was buried¡­ by time most likely. It''s in complete disrepair." He effortlessly tore a piece of stone from one of the pillars. She poked at a shovel still stuck in a dirt mound. "That must explain all the equipment we''ve seen. Someone must''ve tried to unbury it all." He nodded, looking around. "There has to be something of importance here, then. Let''s see what we can find." They separated their work, each having a side of the room to scrounge around the floor and investigate further. All Gloria seemed to find were empty cylindrical shells, or broken tools and fragments of paper too heavily damaged by water to be deciphered. It was Liam''s side that produced the most fruitful findings, with something already catching the Riolu''s eye as he picked it up. It was a thin, square shaped, metal card-like object. He wiped away the grime it collected, now able to see its glossy black finish as it gleamed in what little light there was in the room. A strange pattern was engraved into the metal, with lines crossing through other lines in a random maze-like fashion. "Hey, Gloria! Check this out!" The Vulpix stopped what she was doing to jog over to his location. "What is it?" He displayed the small black item to her. "This thing, do you have any idea what it is?" It took a moment before the gears in Gloria''s head started to turn, letting out a gasp. "That''s¡­ that''s an Entercard! I recognize it from one of the books I read about them, but¡­ why is it here out of all places." Liam shrugged. "I just found it lying on the floor." He popped open the saddlebag to throw the card inside. "I know the Guildmaster spoke about them before; do you have a clue what they do exactly?" She flinched. "Er, I know they do something to Mystery Dungeons, but that would probably be better for him to explain. Did you find anything else, though?" "Uhh, let me see." The Riolu went back to surveying the floor for anything of value. It took a few more minutes, but it proved successful once when a slip of paper with actual comprehensible text on it was found. He brushed aside the black armband that was covering it, picking up the half damaged paper and cleaning up the muck with a paw. "I can kind of interpret some of this. A lot is damaged, though... " Gloria placed a paw over her chest. "Go ahead, read it." He gave it his best shot. "First digsite didn''t lead to¡­ and we''ll need to find a new loc¡­ markings for proper Entercard placement. Luckily, the Mystery Dungeon here¡­ natural barrier against... Allfather is expecting results¡­ I don''t know¡­ to find this thing so we can go home already." Liam stopped reading. "That''s all that could be salvaged. Does the name ''Allfather'' ring any bells?" She shook her head. "No clue, these messages must be very old and from long lost groups. But what I''m most interested about is what they were trying to excavate." He wasn''t sure either, but Gloria''s theory came to mind. "Maybe they''re looking for the symbol, if it''s some artifact like you think it is." Gloria smiled at her little success. "Right! But uhh¡­ we don''t really have much to work with." She glanced around the desolate room. "We should move on, maybe there''s more ahead." Liam stuffed the paper into the saddlebag. "There''s a corridor to the right, I think I saw the shadow of a Mystery Dungeon in it." Sure enough, there was another slender hallway for them to cram into. The shadow splotch of a Mystery Dungeon was at the end of the long hall. "Either this is the next area, or the exit. Think we saw enough?" Liam suggested. "Yeah¡­ I think so." She shivered a little. "This place is starting to give me the creeps." He laughed, "Alright, let''s move on."
When they popped out of the darkness of yet another dungeon, they appeared in some confided dim and earthy room. Gloria squinted her eyes. "It''s really dark... Where are we exactly?" Liam could see a few rays of white light shimmering off the dirt walls. "I think we''re above ground again." He needed to be sure. The Riolu found a rusty shovel wedged into the earth, picking it up and hacking away at the wall where the light was coming from. After a few minutes of intensive digging, the wall came crashing down. He immediately stepped back before he could be buried, cracking open an eye to look at his actions. Bright sunlight bathed the room, revealing a window to the outside world was formed. Liam grinned, already running into the opening to get some fresh air. "Hey, wait up!" Gloria called out, dashing off as well. Liam examined the wide grassy and forested environment they emerged from. It looked like they came right back out of the large dirt mound they entered, the mossy stone ruins still scattered everywhere. He stretched his arms, happy to just see the sky again. Once Gloria was by his side again, he unhooked the ELE from the saddlebag and started walking. "I can''t believe we actually found something for once; a hidden chamber nonetheless!" He started turning the dial to six, flipping the switch on the side to contact Charizard. A rustling noise from the nearby bushes nearly distracted Gloria. "Hopefully, the Guildmaster will reward us for our efforts." She giggled. "Maybe then you''ll get your wish and we won''t get tax-" SMACK! A speeding white blur collided into the Vulpix, sending her careening and tumbling across the grass, only to smash her head against a tree - knocked clean out. "GLORIA!" Liam dropped the ELE and made a mad dash towards the incapacitated Pok¨¦mon. He had no time to think about the whereabouts of the aggression, if it weren''t for the attacker now blocking his path. His aura tassels immediately flared up in response. "What the-" ''DUCK!'' his mind screamed at him. He did just exactly that, instinctively bending forward before the rush of black claws above could slice into him. The attacker became a white blur again, bounding backwards as Liam staggered back to a full stance. The Riolu could now see who exactly was the culprit. It was a bipedal arthropod-like Pok¨¦mon with a hunched over posture. Silver colored plates of armor covered the bug''s purplish body. Its face mandibles twitched erratically, the beady black eyes of it boring straight into Liam''s. Without a doubt in his mind, he knew this Pok¨¦mon. It was a Golisopod. A calm breeze blew through the grassy fields, bristling the fur of Liam as he engaged in a staredown between him and the Golisopod. None of them moved a muscle, content with examining their opponent. This stillness would eventually be broken by Liam, who slowly reached for his saddlebag. Golisopod sprang into action, scurrying towards the Riolu with his sharpened black claws. Liam abandoned his idea, pivoting to the left before planning his counterplan. ''Shoot! This guy is giving no time to thin-'' His thoughts were cut off by a swipe propelled by bubbles of water from Golisopod''s arm. Liam jumped back a bit too late, the bug''s claws slicing a side of his stomach as he cringed in pain. ''Water¡­ Water-type! Okay then.'' Liam needed to get back in the game and get on the offensive immediately. Coils of sparkling yellow electricity pulsed around both of his enclosed paws. He sprinted towards his target, slamming his electrified fists into Golisopod''s armored white shell. The Pok¨¦mon didn''t even flinch. ''What?! How am I supposed to¡­'' His gaze wandered over to its belly region. ''There!'' Liam ducked below Golisopod and charged up his double Thunder Punch combo again. This time, he hammered down on the bug''s unarmored belly, beating and shocking the exposed flesh. Golisopod''s mandibles twitched in pain, the Pok¨¦mon putting his massive clawed arm in between the Riolu''s assault. With a massive amount of force, the arm flung Liam from his position, catapulting him a few yards away. "G-AH!" Liam grunted as his back smacked against a decayed stone pillar. He had little time to regain his bearings, as in his blurry sight, the vision of something fast and blue was barreling towards him. ''Move! Move!'' His aura feelers shot up, his body now acting faster than his brain. A well timed Quick Attack allowed him to flee his position. BOOOOOOM! The impending column of water smashed the pillar into smithereens, sending cascades of mossy stone everywhere. Liam scrambled to his hind paws, hastily opening a pouch in the saddlebag to retrieve a sorely needed item. Golisopod emerged from the monolith of water, intent on continuing his onslaught. However, a Blast Seed lobbed directly at his face had other intentions. BOOM! Liam threw another seed, this time, a Stun Seed. Before it could even reach the disoriented Pok¨¦mon, the Bug-type swiftly sliced the seed in half while it was mid air. ''What the- how did he¡­?! Oh no.'' Golisopod summoned another Waterfall, wrapping himself in another column of water. He charged the Riolu at breakneck speeds, the Fighting-type failing to get away and getting launched backwards by the strong current. The two''s journey ended up colliding with more pillars, sending bits of stone flying. Liam spat some blood out. ''Now''s my chance!'' He got up as fast he could and fired up his twin Thunder Punch''s again. WOOSH! Another pair of black claws aimed at Liam, another scream from his aura tassels to move. He tumbled out of way before Golisopod''s attack could gut him like a fish, the claws smashing into a nearby pillar and sending pieces of rock everywhere. Getting back up, he skidded towards Golisopod with a Quick Attack. The Riolu closed in and unleashed his fury into the distracted Bug-type''s belly, beating into it like a drum with the occasional uppercut. Golisopod thrashed in agony after each crackling paw landed their blows, his tiny legs almost buckling. In a rage, the bug threw him again with a swing of his monstrous arm. Liam plummeted a few feet away, tiredly rolling his body out of the way before the Golisopod struck the ground where he once lay with a devastating Razor Shell. The Riolu stumbled onto shaky legs, heaving as he did so. He didn''t have much left in him, and none of his attacks seemed to only make the Bug-type more ferocious. Worse yet, his saddlebag was knocked out of his grasp. A two clawed swipe whipped his face, producing thin bloody streaks across his cheeks. It didn''t stop, as Liam was pummeled by relentless jabs from Golisopod. Soon enough, the damage and his fatigue was too much, and the Riolu collapsed to his knees, shutting his eyes closed. ''I can''t...'' Golisopod raised his arm once again, forming a deadly Razor Shell to seal in his opponent''s fate. Liam braced for impact, but it never came. In fact, he felt warmth amongst the cool breeze. Then that warmth turned into an almost burning feeling. He peeked his eyes open to see a torrent of red hot flames being spewed from the mouth of a flying orange dragon, slamming into Golispod''s back, who screeched in agony. ''Charizard?!'' Charizard closed his mouth and landed onto the earth with a ''thud''. "NO ONE messes with our rookies. Got that, little bug?" Flames licked the edges of his mouth, ready for any sudden movement. "What''s it gonna be, huh?" Charizard growled, grinning viciously. "Charred, or squashed?" The Bug-type took a step back from them both, accessing the situation. To Golisopod, a skilled and honorable warrior, he had only choice. Emergency Exit. He again turned into a white blur and vanished at insane speed, leaving just like the way he came. Liam, still a bit winded, got back on his feet. "Charizard¡­ how did you even-" The Pok¨¦mon tapped the ELE on his saddlebag. "You must''ve turned it on, because I was able to hear the commotion. Sandslash was even talking about strange figures he saw lurking around, so I was on alert anyways." Liam sighed. "Well thanks, I almost¡­ I... " "Don''t sweat it, kid. Sometimes we all lose one, and sadly I''ve had a lot of losing recently. You gonna be alright?" "Yeah, just peachy," Liam responded in deadpan, looking around for the lost saddlebag. Charizard swerved his head around. "Say, where''s the girl? What was her name again? Maria?" "Gloria," Liam corrected, his eyes then expanding in awareness. "Gloria!" He ignored his exhaustion and sprinted towards the still motionless Vulpix beside the tree. Once Liam was by her side, he held her head with a paw, checking for injuries. On the back of her skull was a nasty bruise and a cut, a small pile of blood soaking into the grass. But she was still breathing, which was all that mattered to him at this moment. "Charizard!" A flapping noise was heard as the Fire-type descended on Liam, who gingerly picked up the Vulpix and held her close. "What happened to her, kid?" "I don''t know. We just got attacked out of nowhere," Liam said honestly. "We need to go see Hatterene right away!" Charizard contracted his wings. "Why didn''t ya say so? Let''s fly!"
"And¡­ after you exited this dungeon, you were randomly attacked by this Golisopod?" Scizor summarized. Liam nodded, scratching his itchy bandages. "Yeah, and then Charizard swooped in to come pick us up." When the three of them returned to the guild, Gloria was immediately handed off to Hatterene, who after a period of sharp glares, began to work her nursing magic. Luckily, the Vulpix just suffered a concussion, and would recover after some much needed rest. Afterwards, Liam was expected to present his findings to Scizor in the Bug-types personal quarters. Currently, he had gone through everything they had discovered, but he had yet to show the Pok¨¦mon the note and Entercard they had found within. Scizor inhaled deeply. "I see... I must apologize to you and Gloria for putting you both in danger for this mission." His features softened. "But I must tell you that your findings are revolutionary for our cause. You mentioned taking some items found there?" Liam placed Gloria''s cream saddlebag on the table, opening one of the pouches and retrieving two things, a slip of paper, and a thin metal card-like object. Scizor grabbed the card-like object first, analyzing the strange patterns engraved into it. "This... is an Entercard." He studied it again "But I''ve never seen patterns like this before. It''s almost too well made... like it was manufactured. Interesting." Scizor''s curiosity got the better of him as he then snapped up the dirty note with a pincer. The researcher was immediately shocked to see actual text that was coherent, his mood changing completely as he began to read. "Yes¡­ yes!" Scizor stood up and marched over to the giant map of Celestic. "While the information is basic, it gives me exactly what I need to... " He took a pin and nailed the note to the map, swaddling some string to it. "Make some connections that make sense¡­ uh." Liam simply watched the Pok¨¦mon operate in a separate world from his own. Scizor only noticed after a few minutes of rambling to himself. "... Apologies, Liam. You are free to take your leave. Thank you so much for your and Gloria''s efforts. The Guildmaster and I will work hard to reward your team properly." Liam picked up the saddlebag and turned the knob to the door. He swung the door wide open amd entered the pitch-black hallway. The Riolu then took a deep breath, leaning against the door as he was finally able to think in peace. They had discovered something amazing today, but the aftermath left a bad taste in his mouth, and he couldn''t tell why. "Hey!" "AAH!" Liam yelped in shock, before registering the suave voice of Roark, along with the snickering that came afterward. He shot a glare at the almost invisible ruse fox lurking in the dark. "Ha, you¡­ hahaha!" Roark tried to speak through his laughter. "You should''ve seen the look on your face!" "Very funny, Roark. Why are you awake this late? I thought you were sleeping in the nurse''s office last time I checked." The fox shrugged, "I just wanted to check up on you. After all, you did fight that gnarly bug all by yourself. That had to be rough, right?" He laughed. "If I was there, then I''d have to activate ''Big Brother Mode''." Liam sighed, "It sure was, and¡­ if Charizard wasn''t there we woul-" he shook his head, "I''m sorry... that I wasn''t able to protect Gloria, but it was so sudden." "Don''t worry about it. Gloria''s a big girl, and I know she will walk it off with one of her cute smiles. And don''t forget your safety is important too. Even if I''ve only known you for two months, you''re still good as family to me." Liam smiled, "Thanks, Roark. I guess... I guess I needed to hear something like that." "Great! ''Cause that''s enough sap from me today." The Zoroark slinked into the dark halls again, waving a claw behind him. "Get some rest yourself! My sister needs her sidekick in prime condition!" Liam was now alone, again. And he wasn''t quite sure if liked that, being in an eerily quiet and now empty guild. But he sure wasn''t tired with the thoughts swirling in his head; he was restless, and desired some time to think about things alone. "Sorry, Gloria. Guess I''m staying up again, just this one time." He decided on stargazing for a while, swinging open the wooden doors of the guild''s entrance to greet the dusky and midnight blue world. Once outside, he promptly gazed upwards, his eyes glistening at the dazzling view. It was a totally different experience than viewing the night sky in a place like Empyrean City, where the city lights drowned out the nightlight. But here he could see every bright star, every splatter of cosmic light, debris, or dust. "Wow..." The Riolu stopped his unblinking stare to tread the sides of the purplish building. After one of his now defunct late night missions, he would come to this cliff at the back of the guild to get an amazing view of the night sky. It was his favorite spot, so getting a view right now was a must. But as he got closer towards the cliff, he began to hear something, a distant voice. ''Starlight¡­ star bright.'' ''Huh?'' ''With all your might¡­'' The voice was gruff, but was singing as softly as possible. And it was familiar to Liam, who carefully snuck forwards towards it. What he saw next was shocking, because hanging off the cliffside was none other than a golden furred Lucario, who was speaking to the flickering orange ring on his paw. "Shine a light on our child tonight." He chuckled lowly. "That''s what we''d sing... right?" "... Guildmaster?" As soon as that word came out of Liam''s mouth, Jackson whipped his head back and lowered his paw, an angry scowl on his face. But that scowl quickly faded once he realized what exact Pok¨¦mon disturbed him. "Liam¡­ why are you still awake? It is already past midnight." The Riolu gulped. "Uh, I couldn''t sleep, and I sometimes come here to stargaze. Who¡­ were you talking to?" Jackson stared for a while. "No one... I was talking to myself." "... I think I''ll leave then, and not disturb you." Liam turned to leave, following the same path he took to enter. "Liam." "Huh?" "You can stay; you just caught me off guard." "... Okay." Liam hesitantly made his way over as Jackson patted the dirt next to him. He took a seat, instinctively looking up at the sky and just soaking in everything. Jackson joined him, "You know¡­ Pok¨¦mon don''t really wonder about the stars. They don''t know what they hide, how large they can be, how powerful, how destructive. They''re content with living simple lives that just see the stars as a backdrop." "The stars? What about them?" Liam wasn''t exactly well versed about space. "Billions of years from now, our sun, a star itself, will start to die. It will enlarge itself and turn into a red giant, swallowing everything in its surroundings, until collapsing to start the process all over again, to begin new life. It is inevitable." Jackson smirked. "I always found it funny how much in common the ley lines and stars share. The ley lines will eventually consume the planet, wiping out all life and land. And Pok¨¦mon, just like the stars, don''t know about it. Sometimes... I wonder if saving this world is pointless, and that the ley lines are inevitable. And maybe we''ll just succumb to attrition." "But that¡­ can''t happen!" Liam argued. "You swore to destroy the ley lines after your village was wiped out, right? That''s what Scizor still dedicates himself to, and Charizard too, I imagine! We still have to protect everyone from a threat, even if they''re not aware of it!" Silence reigned after the Riolu''s choice words, Jackson contemplating them before deeply exhaling and narrowing his eyes. "Liam¡­ I know you''ve been lying to me. You''re not actually from the Shore Region, are you?" Liam''s blood ran cold. "You¡­ knew?! Are you..." He urgently stood up. "Sit," Jackson commanded. "You''re not in trouble, if you let me finish." It took Liam a second, but he slowly sat back down, clenching a paw. "Liam, I''ve had many characters join and leave the guild in the past twenty years. Thieves, liars, or just plain criminals. You are not one of them." The Riolu eased up, sighing deeply. "... How did you know?" "Call it a hunch." Jackson faintly smiled. "I know about being a criminal, because I was one, a damn good one at that." "... What?" "Yup. I never told any of the others, so you''re the only one to know this. But I did all sorts of the bad shit you see now on the bulletin boards. Robberies, extortion, gangs¡­ murder. I didn''t see meaning in life at all, only living to thrive in the chaos I caused." Liam wasn''t quite sure if he should be appalled, or fascinated by how different he is now. He would''ve never guessed that the professional leading the guild for so long was just another street criminal. "How did you change?" "I didn''t, but I did meet someone that tried, and she was my everything." The Lucario''s faint smile grew. "My little wallflower." Liam huddled his legs together, eyes still fixated on the sky. "Was she your girlfriend? Or someone else?" "Wife. I remember the time she told me she was pregnant, and that I was going to be a father. And she was so happy, to be with a scumbag like me that... I just didn''t understand. That''s when I realized I craved something more than chaos - fatherhood - the kind I never experienced." He attempted to smile. "I was... going to have a son of my own - something I didn''t even know I wanted. Of course I was worried; maybe about money, or responsibility, but I-" He stopped. Jackson rubbed his eyes, shifting his legs and exhaling loudly. "I remember arriving and the doctor taking me into a room with this bundle of plastic tubes and wrapped cloth on a bed, and telling me... telling me my son didn''t make it through birth. And... um¡­ I." The Lucario slowly shook, overcome by this alien emotion. "I didn''t know... how to even... react. I thought maybe... that this was my punishment, and it was never meant to be for someone like myself. There was never a chance for me to experience fatherhood, to bond, to give a good life, to give my son a good childhood, one I wish I had." "But¡­ what happened to your wife?" Liam questioned, wincing once he caught the immediate angry look Jackson gave off. "... Revenge begets revenge, and past actions and past dues of your sins eventually catch up. I still loved every bit of her, and she reciprocated. But I couldn''t protect her from my own sin, and I was now alone in a hateful world I helped create. My grim reminder." There was another stretch of silence after his words, Liam not being able to piece together a sufficient response. It was heavy, out of nowhere, and he didn''t want to say the wrong words. "... Do you want to protect Gloria, Liam?" "I¡­ yeah, I do. But I''m just not strong enough to do that. I thought I could, but I can''t." "Charizard told me of what happened today. Do you think it''s scary?" Liam tilted his head. "What is scary?" Jackson''s eyes sharpened, "That you failed to protect someone, in this case, Gloria?" He looked over. "Do you think you failed to protect her?" The Riolu''s posture sagged. "I really do. Roark told me not to worry, but if the circumstances were different, me and her could''ve been¡­ killed." Even if in a joking manner, the words of Monferno seemed to ring out through his head at just how easy it would''ve been. ''Can you dodge a bullet, Mr Personality?'' A third spell of silence was cast over them, only to again be broken by Jackson. "Tomorrow you will not work on job listings." "Huh?" "No, instead you will be personally trained by me on how to properly utilize your aura in combat situations." The Lucario''s eyes flashed a bit of emotion. "Then you will learn how to fight and defend your loved ones if any harm comes to them, got it? Because we''re the same." Liam hastily nodded multiple times, his heart beating in his chest. "I''ll be ready as soon as you are, Guildmaster. Should I... sleep now to get ready?" Jackson shook his head. "No, stay here¡­ stay and keep a bastard like me company for a while longer." And Liam did just that. For what seemed like hours, they pointed and gaped at various oddities and constellations in the night sky. The Lucario sharing more insane facts about the cosmos and universe to an amazed Liam. Enjoyment replaced past sorrows. Today, the night seemed to last much longer than usual.
Under the blanket of ten thousand blinking stars, share the view with someone the same as you.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time:Audacious Aura Action Audacious Aura Action Chapter 13 Audacious Aura Action Liam''s cardinal eyes gently fluttered open, the Pokemon smacking his lips as his vivid dreams faded into reality. His tired eyes wandered around their quiet quarters, noting the absence of a squawking Staravia in it. He chuckled, silently thanking the Guildmaster for letting him sleep in. With his brain also now aware of his surroundings, Liam recounted the events of his strange dream. He was on this lightless planet infested with blight and other infectious materials. Crazy mind controlled Parasect were trying to tear him to pieces, but he always escaped, either through intense battles or sheer luck sometimes. It was such a crazy dream that he needed to tell Gloria all about it. Liam smiled, pivoting his head over. "Hey, Gloria! You''re never gonna bel- Oh... right." The beanbag right next to his was empty, lacking the usual sleeping Vulpix. She was most likely still resting in the nurse''s office. He sighed, now recalling the events of the ''fight'' that went horrible for the both of them. But he also remembered that today was the start of his aura training with the Guildmaster. ''And I can''t show weakness like before, time to get ready.'' Liam quickly got off his beanbag, stretching his unused muscles and psyching himself for the important day head. He tore open the doorknob to their quarters and bounded into the hallways, dodging any fellow guild members still rubbing away the remnants of sleep in their eyes. Jackson had told Liam to head straight to his office after he woke up. The Riolu did just that, making his way over to the room across the mess hall with the symbol of a Lucario head etched into it. He gave the door a few brief knocks, awaiting a response. A few moments later, it came, a muffled gruff voice from inside reaching his ears. ''Come on in.'' Liam opened the door to Jackson''s neatly decorated office, his gaze drifting towards the golden Lucario sitting near his desk and scribbling onto some documents. "I''m ready for my training, Guildmaster." Jackson looked up, "Good, go to the training grounds near the left side of the building. I will meet you there soon." He waved a paw to shoo the Riolu away, returning back to his writing. Liam hastily nodded, shutting the door and tearing through the halls again. Once reaching the foyer, he opened the double wooden doors to the outside world and took the path to the left of the building. This area was a new sight to him, as he had no reason to enter before. Lines of scuffed white paint were splattered onto the cratered dirt in a rectangular pattern. Training dummies'' made out of thatch and cloth were designed as different Pok¨¦mon and spread out across the battered field. Targets,and even stone pillars were erected in rows for practicing ranged attacks. Liam took in a deep breath, hopping up and down on the soles of his paws to prepare himself both mentally and physically. He wasn''t sure what aura training entailed, but if the Guildmaster was behind it, then it was going to be rough. Sure enough, after around five minutes of standing idly around, a golden furred figure emerged from the purple building and began to make its way towards Liam. Jackson looked around the field. "You didn''t bring your saddlebag?" ''Shoot, was I supposed to bring it?'' Liam gulped. "No, it''s still in the nurse''s office." "Good." "Huh?" "Today you will be working without the assistance of items in battle. If you become too reliant on them, you will easily be overwhelmed when caught off guard." Liam sighed. "Just like yesterday¡­" Jackson stepped past the Riolu and into the white rectangle. "Before we begin our actual training, you must understand what aura actually is." Liam tilted his head, following Jackson. "And just what is it? Like a move, or power within Pok¨¦mon?" The Lucario shook his head. "No, aura is something that only two types of Pok¨¦mon inherit. The Lucario line, us, and certain Legendaries." "But what does it do exactly?" Jackson closed his eyes. "I want you to remove whatever bullshit about aura you might''ve heard from other Pok¨¦mon." He clenched a paw. "Aura is not an attacking force, or an omniscient tracking power. It''s more of an instinct, or a sixth sense." The Riolu absorbed this information. It made sense, and he thought back to all those times in the past where he felt his body move almost on instinct and scream at him. "This hidden sense is the one that alerts you of imminent threats, such as a punch to the face, or even a point blank Hyper Beam." Liam gasped. ''So that''s why my body was acting so strange at the Eden Theater, and when that Golisopod charged at me. It was my aura acting up to get me out of danger.'' "Guildmaster, you said before that I could utilize my aura in battle?" "Correct, knowing how to use your aura in battle can make the difference between life and death. However, it can only be used to protect your own life, and there is only one instance of aura being translated into an attacking move." "Which is?" Liam asked with bated breath. Jackson cracked his neck. "Observe." The Lucario hunched over, holding his two paws together as his four tassels started to float upward in an invisible wind. A sphere of solid light blue energy began to form between his paws, expanding and expanding until Jackson released it, the sphere being hurled at a stone pillar a few meters away. BOOM. The tower was reduced to nothing more than bits and pieces after the collision, leaving a gaping Liam in the process. "Aura Sphere," Jackson said calmly. "Once a Riolu is ready to evolve into a Lucario, they will harness their aura into a move - this move." He faced a still shocked Liam. "Now, are you ready to begin training?"
''Why¡­ does my head hurt so much?'' Gloria''s eyes opened, closing slightly as a wave of aching pain crashed in her mind. She tried lifting her head, only being able to bring it up enough to where she could take a look at her surroundings. ''... Where am I?'' An unfamiliar sterile, white room met her blurry vision. Clean wooden cabinets were positioned above a white countertop, with various beakers and vials of strange liquids neatly assorted on the counter. But what caught her eye the most was the tall, pink hairy figure shuffling across the floor. She recognized this as Hatterene, the head nurse of the guild. The Fairy-type didn''t seem to notice Gloria''s state as she scribbled into her notebook. "Um, Miss¡­ Hatterene?" Gloria weakly managed to get out. Hatterene slowly turned around, her emotionless gaze falling upon the Vulpix lying on a padded counter. The claw on her hat soon grew a mind of its own, grabbing a hold of a glass filled with a strange blue and purple liquid and thrusting it near Gloria''s face. "Why¡­ am I-" "Do not talk. Drink." "B-but-" "Now." Gloria flinched, hesitantly taking the bottle with both paws and deciding to just go through with it. She gulped down the glass''s contents, raising an eyebrow at the sweet but chalky taste of it. The Vulpix peeled the glass from her lips. "What is this stuff?" Hatterene bored into the white fox. "Crushed Oran Berries mixed in with headache medicine. I prepared it in case you woke up." Gloria observed her environment again, now knowing where exactly she was. "Why am I in the nurse''s office? Did¡­ something happen to me?" Hatterene nodded, "Yesterday you suffered a concussion in the field which rendered you unconscious and unfit for duty; that is why you are here in my office." The Vulpix''s eyes slowly widened. "I was- but, I don''t even remem-" "Upon waking up, you will not remember the events of being put into a state of concussion," Hatterene said flatly. Gloria squinted, trying to think of the last thing she did. ''We exited that ruin''s Mystery Dungeon, went out into the field, and ¡­'' She sighed, struggling to recall anything beyond that point, but already knowing what most likely happened. ''I just hope Liam''s alright...'' "Charizard and that Riolu boy brought you here - so I assume that they will give you the full details." "Liam''s okay!?" Gloria half shouted and questioned. "Where is he right now?" "The boy''s whereabouts are none of my current concerns. His injuries were briefly healed by me and he was sent on his way." Her hat claw pointed at the glass still clutched in Gloria''s paws. "Finish that and you will be free to leave." Gloria nodded, quickly swallowing the rest of the concoction and rising gently out of her cushioned confinement. She spotted her saddlebag resting by the doorframe of the room, picking it up with her teeth and swinging it around her side. "Thank you so much, Miss Hatterene!" Gloria gratefully exclaimed, heading towards the room''s exit. "Leave." And leave the Vulpix did, now strolling through the halls and feeling a lot better with her headache now a distant memory. While she continued to contemplate the events of yesterday, her ears picked up large amounts of chatter from the main foyer of the guild. ''Huh? What is that?'' She originally thought it was just the many teams creating a fuss over the job requests, but she could hear the familiar voices of her fellow guildmates beyond the halls. She put off finding Liam for now, deciding to investigate what was happening in the lobby. Once Gloria entered the lobby, she caught a glance of each member of the guild crowding around a trio of Pok¨¦mon - the trio in question causing her eyes to widen. It was a Garchomp, an Aggron, and a Tyranitar, all soaking up the attention being given to them. ''Team Drarosteel¡­ they''re here?'' Gloria knew full well that the Guildmaster told everyone of their arrival tomorrow, but tomorrow was already here it seemed. She began to panic internally, not knowing what her next action should be - to greet them if possible, or pretend to be invisible in the crowd. Sadly for her, Monferno would choose her fate, as he broke off from the crowd upon noticing her presence, and shouted. "Hey, Gloria! C''mere! Team freaking Drarosteel is here!" The Fire-type was then hastily corralled back into the gathering by Braixen. ''Shoot - I guess I have no choice¡­'' Gloria knew all too well of Team Drarosteel, seeing that they are currently the most famous exploration team in Celestic by far - only mildly eclipsing the now defunct Team Moonlight. She read about their exploits all the time in each Celestic Cognizance that came in the mail. But reading about them was far different than seeing and talking to them in the flesh. And while she wouldn''t tell anyone, she preferred exploration teams within the novels she read. She inhaled then exhaled, moving forward to join the group, her paws feeling like jelly the more she got closer. Soon, she joined the jabbering as a starstruck Rockruff shot question after question to the illustrious trio. "Ooh, ooh! What was your guys'' most exciting adventure?" Garchomp raised her shark-like head in thought, letting out a velvety hum. "There was that treacherous march through Crabominable territory. Still got one of the scars to prove it." The Aggron behind her butted in. "Aye, but what about those double crossing mercenaries at the top of Mount Volcarona?" The hulking Tyranitar beside him chuckled, also chiming in, his accent just as strong as Aggron''s. "Ya call that exciting? What about that siege off the Shore Region''s coasts from those Ice Continent pirates?" Garchomp rolled her eyes. "Boys, those were all great times, but as this team''s leader, I''ll have to override this one bit." Laughter spread through the crowd, while the Dragon-type''s teammates grumbled under their breath. Gloria remained still - she felt like she had something to ask, but her lips remained sealed, and paws planted on the ground. Purrloin giggled with mirth. "~Mreow! You three have been on dazzling adventures, right?" She purred. "What kinds of treasures and trinkets have you discovered, mmm?" Monferno scoffed. "They''re not treasure hunters, Purrloin! They''ve got more important stuff to do than find shiny rocks." Garchomp nodded. "It''s true that we don''t go out seeking treasure, but this time around¡­" She struggled to find the words. "Things are a little different." "W-What do you mean?" Staravia flapped his wings, careful not to send the Joltik on his back flying. "You''re saying you''re out to find something in Celestial M-Mountain?" "Sort of." Garchomp sighed. "Our purpose in joining your expedition is to provide assistance, but also hopefully uncover details pertaining to this guild''s mission." Gloria was stunned. ''Team Drarosteel also knows about the ley lines?'' She was sure they had explored the mountain before, so it only made sense as to why they would return again. Aggron slapped his metal chest with a ''clang''. "That mountain is a dangerous place - that even us Aggron wouldn''t make home in. But we''ll be there to keep you lads and lassies'' chin up." Unfortunately, before another question could pop from the eager crowd, Scizor emerged from the hallway and immediately locked eyes with everyone present. "Team Drarosteel, I apologize for our¡­ excited members." He waved a pincer. "You all have jobs to do, please do not bother them any longer." He then disappeared back into the hallway, like a ghost. A collective sigh moved through the crowd, as each quickly broke off to get back to their duties. Gloria instinctively let out a sigh of relief, content on blending in with her leaving guildmates. "Don''t worry guys!" Garchomp yelled. "We''ll be sticking around Empyrean, and-" She stopped, as one Pok¨¦mon leaving in particular caught her eye. "Wait a minute, is that¡­ hey! You, Vulpix!" Gloria stopped dead in her tracks, her heart beating loudly as she meekly turned around. "Y-Yes, Miss Garchomp?" "Aren''t you¡­" The sand shark''s eyes narrowed. "No way, you''re that same Vulpix from the Eden Theater, right? You''re the ''mon who brought down that Magmortar merc!" Aggron caught on quickly. "Aye, the lassie does look familiar - I think you might be right." "Uh¡­ yes! That was me, but¡­" She dug a paw into the floor. "My partner kinda did most of the work." Garchomp closed in on Gloria, towering above the Vulpix. "I got to have a little chit-chat with Empoleon on what happened. Turns out you and that Riolu saved his blubbery hide from disaster!" Tyranitar piped up. "Here''s herself, the hero who stopped an assassin! If ya weren''t there, then that Magmortar would''ve turned that ambassador to ashes." "H-hero? We were just¡­ caught in a bad place at a bad time, trying to save our own lives." Garchomp grinned her sharp teeth. "Isn''t that how heroes are made? And besides, you''re in a guild that produces these kinds of ''mons." "Well, my partner and I are pretty new to the guild." She tugged on her scarf "We joined a day after the, uh¡­ incident happened. We''re Team Requiem." Aggron made a whistling noise. "Even got a team? Sounds like you have it figured out, lassie. But everyone has their own goal for joining a guild - so what is yours if ya mind me askin''?" "I joined because¡­ becau-" "Hey, sleeping beauty! You''re awake!" Before Gloria could react, a swooshing noise interrupted her as a pair of red claws hoisted her to a dark furry chest. She attempted to wiggle her way out, already knowing who the culprit is. However, she was let go as Roark chuckled up a storm. "And you''ve got an audience with Team Drarosteel? We''ll have to add ''superstar'' to your list of achievements, eh?" Gloria lightly pushed him away, to little effect. "Not now, Roark!" Garchomp tilted her head. "And this is your brother¡­ Roark? I have heard about you, mostly from your Guildmaster." Roark raised a brow. "Good things I hope. Roark, master of illusions and guild jockey at your service." He extended a claw, which Garchomp tapped with her own massive talon. "A pleasure, we were just discussing your sister''s little¡­ or rather big victory at the Eden Theater. I was very impressed - you don''t see feats like that from the average recruit." The Zoroark crossed his arms. "Really now?" He looked down at the rightfully embarrassed Vulpix. "Think there''s room for four on Team Drarosteel?" "Roark!" "Aw, c''mon, Liam will understand." Garchomp laughed tenderly. "Maybe not now, but I see potential in you, Gloria. I just don''t think you realize it." Roak laughed with her. "Tell me about it, I''ve been egging her on forever to join the guild. She doesn''t know she has what it takes." "I do!" Gloria suddenly blurted out. "I just-" "Need some confidence," Garchomp finished for her, a gleam appearing in her eye. "Y''know, I do have some spare time today¡­" "Ah, I know that look in ''er eye!" Aggron guffawed. "Gloria was it? You''re about to be mentored by the roughest and toughest gal this side of Celestic!" Gloria did a double take. "Mentor? But I don''t need-" "Aww, c''mon sis. Would you rather me teach you battle tactics?" The Vulpix sighed. ''He does make a good point.'' She soon realized what she said, shaking her head. "Sorry, but I don''t want to trouble you, Miss Garchomp." If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. The Dragon-type chuckled at her formality. "Just Garchomp, and I think you should reconsider. At this stage in your guild career, one miscalculation could mean life or death. At least, from my own experience of course." Gloria instinctively remembered the events of yesterday, or rather, what she couldn''t remember. A sudden weight formed in her stomach, as feelings of uselessness set in. Fortunately, a sudden nudge in her side by her brother made her eject such feelings and formulate a better response. "Okay, I''ll do it." Roark raised an arm in victory. "Woohoo! I''m sure it''ll be fine, sis." He began walking towards Aggron and Tyranitar, pointing a claw at them. "This sounds like a good excuse to celebrate. You two in?" The two behemoths exchanged looks, Tyranitar already knew what was happening. "Haven''t had a pint in a while - sound good, Aggron?" "Aye, but what about your duties, Roark?" Roark scanned his surroundings. "Scizor ain''t around, is he?" A brief shake of everyone''s heads seemed to give him all the information he needed. "Great! You''re paying," he said to the two, patting them on their backs and walking to the guild''s exit. Gloria sighed. "... Be careful!" "Doesn''t work like that with boys, Gloria, trust me," Garchomp remarked with a smirk. "Now, are you ready to begin your training?" The Vulpix was taken aback. "Today?" "Of course - no time like the present. Your partner won''t mind, correct?" "I, um, don''t even know where he is." "Perfect." Garchomp pointed her long talon at the guild''s exit. "Your Guildmaster told me the training grounds would be occupied today, but I know a spot around here that works just fine. Follow me." Gloria wanted to counter the dragoness'' statement, but felt her words crumble apart as Garchomp stomped over to the exit. ''I''ve got a tough day ahead of me¡­''
"Turn around." The Riolu blinked, wordlessly obeying his orders and turning his body. The Lucario crouched, raising a paw near one of Liam''s aura tassels. "This sensitive organ stores that instinct - your aura. When faced with immense harm, they will trigger a response in the body to move." Liam recounted the many times he''s experienced those sudden twitches in his feelers, now understanding their purpose in his arsenal. "The first step in our training is testing your aura reflexes, how quickly you respond in time." Jackson cracked both of his paws, getting ready. "Okay¡­ how are we gonna-" A feeling of electricity jolted through Liam''s feelers, transferring to his body''s instinctual response as he immediately jerked to his right before Jackson''s paw could connect with him. He quickly spun around, with only one question on his mind. "Hey! Why did you just-" The Lucario chuckled at his bewilderment. "Turn back around. You''re making good progress." Liam begrudgingly did so, planting himself firmly on the ground. The feeling of electricity coursing through his body returned, narrowly escaping another jab from Jackson. The Guildmaster didn''t seem to relent, throwing multiple fast punches at the Riolu, with Liam barely scraping by. But his luck eventually ran out as he failed to react in time and suffered a blinding punch to his side. He stumbled forward, his spiraling momentum causing him to faceplant into the dirt. Jackson laughed hard at his misfortune as while Liam picked himself up, growling. "What''s¡­" he spat out some dirt, "... So funny?" "Watching you eat the dirt, kid," the Lucario responded. "But don''t worry, that''s just part of the learning process." Liam brushed off the dust coating his fur. "What am I supposed to even learn?" "This is the first step in using your aura to its greatest potential. Trusting and harnessing that instinct will allow you to dance around your opponent." He grinned. "Come back. We''ve got a lot more to do." Liam sighed.
Gloria stiffly treaded along, trying not to falter in her steps while her head stirred in thought. Here she was, a regular recruit at the guild about to be trained by a world famous explorer. Garchomp guided the Vulpix towards the back of the guild, keen on discovering her favorite sparring spot from the past. But something else plagued her thoughts, and caused her to speak her mind. "What were you going to say back there?" "H-huh? What do you mean?" Gloria stumbled both mentally with her words and physically with her steps. "Before your brother interrupted you¡­ about why you joined the guild." The Vulpix recovered. "Because¡­ I wanted to help the Pok¨¦mon of Celestic." A moment of silence consumed two, as both continued to walk down the grassy path. "I¡­ see." They arrived at their destination, the rather spacious cliff side at the back end of the guild. Garchomp took a few heavy steps forward, memories already flooding back into her mind. "Ah, it''s been so long, maybe since I was still a Gabite." She turned to face Gloria. "Me and your Guildmaster used to spar here from time to time while this place was still under construction." Gloria was shocked, her fascinated side revealing itself. "That was over twenty years ago! You knew Team Moonlight all that time ago?" Garchomp chuckled. "Uhuh, and thanks for reminding me how old I am." She looked around. "But being here again gives me an idea¡­" "What kind?" Gloria inquired. Garchomp pointed her talon at the Vulpix, a devious toothy grin growing on her face. "A good ole spar - you and me."
A spark of electricity shot through Liam''s thoughts as he dodged yet another punch from Jackson. He could feel himself getting faster and faster each punch. ''Hey¡­ maybe I got th-'' A paw smashing into his shoulder broke his train of thought, sending him crashing to the ground. He slowly got back up on his hind paws, quietly grumbling at the Lucario''s laughter behind him. "Okay¡­ we can stop your aura training for right now and start focusing on actual combat." ''Finally,'' Liam bemoaned in his mind. Jackson stood back up, walking across the scarred field towards a cluster of painted sacks. He rose a paw for Liam to follow him, stopping at one of the tall sacks. It was a Bibarel, or rather, was crudely painted like one. "We''ll start off simple - training dummy." He looked down at the Riolu. "Show me what you''ve got, kid." Liam nodded without hesitation, already knowing what to do. A purplish glow manifested in his left paw, as he slammed that same paw into the smiling Bibarels face. He then followed up with an electrifying Thunder Punch from his right paw. With the amount of force being exerted on the sack, it promptly fell over with a ''thud''. Liam immediately looked back at the Guildmaster in anticipation Jackson, however, didn''t seem impressed. "You can punch alright." He picked up the sack, placing it upright again. "Now, show me how you disorientate your opponent and knock them off balance." Liam absently blinked in response. His main battle tactics before were recklessly pummeling his enemies either with his paws or the occasional Blast Seed. Jackson narrowed his eyes, taking the lack of a response as the answer he needed. "Step aside." Liam obeyed his orders, backing up. Within a split second, the Lucario smashed his head into the sack''s ''face'' at lightning speeds. He followed the headbutt up with a sweeping hind paw of the sack''s bottom. Before it could crumple to the ground, he pulled a paw back and slammed it into the ''chest'' of the sack, sending it tumbling a few yards away. Liam''s mouth gaped with awe as Jackson locked eyes with him again. "Before we leave today, I want to see you doing shit like that."
"W-What?!" Gloria sputtered. "Sparring?!" It was a near death sentence to her. "Of course! You can''t learn without some practice in you," Garchomp responded. "But you would destroy me!" Gloria countered. "Don''t worry, I''ll go easy on you. But I don''t expect you to do the same." She tapped her scaly chest with a talon. "Learning to fend off a big target like me is much needed out in the field, where anything can happen." Gloria thought of yesterday, reeling in her thoughts. For the majority of her life, she avoided any fight she could, only battling the weaker Pok¨¦mon inside the Mystery Dungeons. Fighting that Magmortar was an unforgettable experience, and she could only compare that feeling of impossibility to now. But like Garchomp said, this was her prime opportunity to learn and eliminate that fear. Gloria took a deep breath, taking up an offensive stance. "... Okay, we''ll spar." "That''s what I like to hear!" The dragoness crouched down, a low amount of purple draconic energy building up around her talons. "Let''s see if you handle this." She broke off into a modest sprint, straight at the Vulpix. Gloria nearly yelped at the sight, but remembered to wrench her body out of the way before the dragon''s talon impacted the earth. However, she didn''t account for Garchomp''s second talon slicing into the earth beside her and boxing her in. She began to panic, but Garchomp reassured her. "Break free! This is your chance to strike back!" Gloria recovered from her shock, opening her mouth to spew her frigid Icy Wind at Garchomp''s face. She then used her spare time to dash out of her enclosed space, hearing a velvety chuckle from the dragoness. "There''s some bite in that move to a ''mon like me." She wiped off the frost sticking to her face, baring her teeth. "Let''s see what else you got!"
Liam grunted in pain as he headbutted the sack for what seemed like the tenth time. Jackson watched closely. "Now disrupt its balance." The Riolu followed his attack with a sweep of the sack''s bottom, quickly adding in a flurry of punches into its middle region. The sack fell to the ground as Liam let loose a drawn out exhale. "Did I do-" a shake of the Lucario''s head stopped him. Much to Liam''s dismay, Jackson knelt down and picked the sack up, slamming it onto the ground. "Again."
Gloria decided to take up her usual ranged strategy in a battle. She stood firmly, closing her eyes in concentration as a collection of glistening ice crystals started forming above her. CRACK! A shower of broken ice cascaded onto the the Vulpix as she opened her eyes in horror. Garchomp stood towering above her, just previously slicing through Gloria''s row of Ice Shard. The Dragon-type grinned. "The pressure''s on! No one will stop to give you the time of day in a battle!" Gloria just barely dodged another swipe from Garchomp, feeling the talon graze her fur. She needed a new plan fast, as her old ones weren''t working.
"What?!" "You heard me. Punch me," Jackson explained, his back turned against the Riolu. Liam slowly closed his open mouth, tightening a paw as he moved forward. The Lucario didn''t move a muscle as he threw a fast punch aimed at his back. The punch never landed. "Try again." A bit frustrated, Liam attempted punch after punch, which Jackson swiftly ducked or sidestepped. Being caught up in his pursuit of a move landing, Liam never foresaw his hind paws being swept out beneath him. Before he could fall, Jackson turned and slammed his paw on Liam''s chest, sending him to the ground in a position of submission. He released a second later. "Now, let''s see if I can get you to do that to me."
Bright purple and yellowish flames packed with draconic energy smothered the area where Gloria once stood. Purplish flames licked Garchomp''s mouth as she sent another weakened dose of Dragon Breath Gloria''s time, the Vulpix knew she couldn''t flee in time from the impending attack. A crazy idea that only Liam could''ve thought of popped in her brain. With zero time to think of any other action, she chose. Gloria opened her mouth and released a wave of freezing cold Icy Wind at the encroaching Dragon Breath. The two opposite forces collided, exploding into a mist of multicolored dust, before fizzling into nothing. Garchomp laughed at the sight. "Talk about fighting fire with fire!" More energy began to energy across her talons. "But I''m just getting warmed up, and I still need to see you at your greatest."
Adrenaline flooded Liam''s senses as his aura tassels pulsated in response to a threat. He ducked the punch thrown at him, along with the second and third one. This was his best run yet, and just in time for him to enact the second part of the run that he was told to do. After dodging the final punch, Liam quickly turned around and swung his leg right into Jackson''s chest before he could send another punch. A smirk wormed its way on the Lucario''s face. "... You''re getting there."
"New targets require a new strategy!" Gloria now took Garchomp''s mid battle advice to heart, ducking a swipe from the dragon. In her mind, she was cooking up a plan to turn the tides in this fight. One theory in particular cropped up, but she had to put it to the test first. They circled each other, Gloria waiting for an attack, and Garchomp looking for an opening. Once she found it, she zoomed towards the Vulpix, her purplish hued talons ready to deliver a Dragon Claw. ''Now''s my chance,'' Gloria hissed in her mind, trying to squash the fear of it failing. She opened her mouth and released the strongest Icy Wind she could muster at the talon headed her way. The mini storm of ice coated Garchomp''s upper arm, encasing it in a layer of thin ice and stopping her attack in its tracks. ''It worked!'' Gloria used the Dragon-type''s astonishment to her advantage, bolting under her legs to safety. Garchomp cackled at her predicament, scraping the chunks of ice off her talon. "Impressive, let''s see what else you have in store for me."
Tiny cracks in the small tower of stone soon splintered into huge crevices as Liam continued his thrashing of the rock. With one final punch, the tower crumbled to bits of debris. "Next one, fast," Jackson commanded. Liam did so with haste, using his newly acquainted knowledge to perform a devastating axe kick to the other tower of stone, quickly reducing it to a pile of rubble. "Only four more to go - keep up the pace, kid."
''I hope this works,'' Gloria recited in her mind, preparing to put her plan into action. She waited for Garchomp to get closer and closer - only then could she begin. Once she saw her opportunity, she took it, sprinting towards one of the dragon''s legs. A powerful Icy Wind was expelled out of her mouth, coating and freezing one of the dragon''s leg solid. The Vulpix nearly fell over after being swiped by Garchomp''s talons, but remained on her paws and ran to the other leg with the help of the adrenaline pumping through her veins. Another wave of frigid wind encapsulated Garchomp''s second leg, locking her in place momentarily. The dragon smiled, wondering what else the Vulpix planned for her. Gloria narrowly dodged another swipe, darting to a safe distance. With Garchomp attempting to free herself from her icy constraints, Gloria attempted to use an experimental move that she had accidentally unleashed on Liam yesterday. The air around the concentrating Vulpix wavered; pink colored forceful currents of wind blew past the struggling Garchomp, colliding into her. After seeing it work, Gloria didn''t relent, sending more and more Fairy Winds until she couldn''t any longer. After finally breaking through the ice, and withstanding the nonstop wall of Fairy energy, Garchomp staggered on her feet. Gloria''s eyes expanded. ''I made her stagger!'' A victorious smile stretched across her face, her tails wagging. It might not have been much to any other Pok¨¦mon, but to her, it was everything. "Wow," Garchomp began. "Thinking outside the box really got you this far, didn''t it?" She flexed her now unfrozen limbs, staring at Gloria. "But something tells me you''re far from over, right?" Gloria stared back, a passionate fire of a thousand suns burning behind her blue orbs. Garchomp crouched low in response. "Ha, that''s all I needed to see."
"Come on, hit me!" Spheres of solid aura energy exploded near areas where Liam once stood, the Riolu making a desperate attempt to flee from the many Aura Spheres that Jackson was throwing at him. He skidded to a halt as his aura tassels flared up, letting the stray sphere fly past his projected path. Jackson materialized another Aura Sphere. "What''re you standing around for? Come fight me!" Liam nodded, changing his path and sprinting at the Lucario, occasionally ducking as various Aura Spheres nearly connected with him. Once he got close enough, he did as told, attempting to land a punch on the Lucario. Jackson danced around his attempts, also throwing his own blows at the Riolu. But with his new training, Liam was able to sense most of the attacks coming with his aura, dodging and weaving through all of them. For a few moments, they were both equals at their craft, until one of them got the upper hand. Liam saw a flaw in Jackson''s stance, quickly capitalizing on that fact and performing a sweep of the Lucario''s legs with his hind paw. With him off balance, Liam knew this was his opportunity to land a hit, thrusting his paw smack-dab into Jackson''s chest. Caught off guard, the Lucario stumbled backwards, landing on his rear. After a few seconds of silence, he began to laugh. "Heh¡­ I think you''ve got it, kid." Liam wordlessly approached him, holding out a paw for him to grab onto. Jackson accepted, pulling himself back up to his hind paws. He looked out towards the position of the sun in the sky, smirking. "But why don''t we seal this fact in with some more training?"
It seemed hours had passed as the two went at each other countless times. But once they were all tuckered out, they finally called it a draw and began to rest their weary bodies on a fallen log. Gloria stared at the orange and purple sky, acknowledging the telltale sign of a beautiful sunset. She would''ve never believed that one day she would spend the day sparring with a Pok¨¦mon such as Garchomp - and even impressing her with battle tactics that she would have never used before. But even despite her success, she still wanted to know one thing. "Mis- Garchomp, why did you choose me out of everyone there?" The dragoness took a while to respond, as she gazed at the shrinking sun. "Because¡­ you reminded me of myself when I was young." "... Oh." Silence set in, and Gloria attempted to conjure up a reply. However, Garchomp beat her to the punch, swinging her head to face her. "I guess if we''re playing the question game¡­ then I got a question. Why do you seem so averse to fighting? In a guild like this¡­ you''re not really given a choice to be a pacifist some times." Gloria shuffled her front paws together. "I know that¡­ but I just never liked to fight others, not even in my youth." "Y''know... as a Gible growing up in the Dragon Village, I never liked exploring, nor did I want to be an explorer some day." This information greatly shocked Gloria. "Wait, what?!" To think that one of the world''s greatest explorers never dreamed to be one was an almost unthinkable statement. "It''s true. I just wanted to be like one of the normal Pok¨¦mon out there, but Arceus obviously had other plans for me..." She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. "Point is, one day you might have a new perspective on something, and that will change your entire life." "Maybe, but I just don''t see..." Gloria''s words began to trail off as she looked down at her saddlebag, an open zipper catching her attention. She knew that exact pouch, peering inside and panicking once she realized that there was nothing in there. She immediately got off the log, her eyes frantically analyzing her surroundings. "Wait! My necklace - it''s missing! Where-" Garchom silenced her with a talon. "Calm down, it must''ve fallen out while we were sparring. Let''s look around the area for it."
Liam let out a much needed exhale, stretching his sore arms and leaning against one of the undamaged pillars of stone. He stared at the sky, watching the retreating sun slowly sink in the horizon. Right now he felt like he could take on the whole world. The Lucario beside him, also resting on a stone pillar, peered up at the sky, gawking at the almost invisible stars of the night sky peeking their way in as the sun departed. He narrowed his eyes at it. "I hope that today was a learning experience for you. Power can only be managed by true skill, and that will help you protect what you swore to." "Thank you, Guildmaster¡­ for teaching me." Jackson grunted. "Utilizing your aura in dicey situations will save you from yesterday''s ordeal, so don''t thank me, thank yourself... But I want to know more about what you haven''t told me." Liam raised a brow. "Huh? What do you mean?" "Before you joined this guild. Who are you?" "I... " The Riolu had difficulty continuing, not knowing whether to tell the Guildmaster about his memory issues. However, seeing as the Guildmaster saw through his previous lies, it seemed foolish to hide more from the sharp eyed Lucario. This was his chance to finally get some possible answers to this mystery that befuddled him. "I¡­ don''t know. I remember waking up on a hill beside a tree, with just the memory of a name echoing in my mind." There was zero response from the Lucario. Jackson seemed to absently absorb this information. "I see¡­ and you don''t remember a single thing from your¡­ previous life?" In his mind, Liam could only point to those bizarre events that plagued this mind before. To him, they didn''t make any sense, but perhaps the Guildmaster would have foresight on them.
"Aha!" Garchomp held up a blue colored necklace, the middle piece of it glistening in the light. "I assume this is it." Gloria nearly sprinted over. "Yes! That''s it!" She grabbed it from Garchomp''s outstretched talon, polishing any blemishes on the Never-Melt-Ice piece of it with a paw. "You seem quite enamored with that necklace. Is there something special about it?" Gloria held it to her chest. "I¡­ yeah, it really is. I don''t want to lose it." She sat back on the log, putting the necklace back into the saddlebag and zipping it up. "One day, I think I''ll be worthy of wearing it." Garchomp smiled. "Ah, so it''s an heirloom of your family, then?" "No, it''s¡­" Gloria slowly began to smile as well. "Something more than that." "Well, I''m sure there''s a story behind that you''ll tell someday. But, do you think after today, you feel a bit more worthy to wear that necklace one day?" The Vulpix absorbed her words, looking up at the sky. "I''ve still got a lot to prove to them and myself." Garchomp followed her gaze. "Sounds about right, but our little trip up Celestial Mountain might fix that, right?" "... Yeah."
"I remember these flashes¡­ One was of some sort of kid with the same name as me on a boat with his father. And this other time, I felt myself chained to a wall and¡­ the rest is pretty fuzzy." "That''s¡­ strange." "That''s not even the strangest part." Liam took in a deep breath, preparing to explain his other vision he was getting. "There''s this¡­ voice that speaks to me sometimes. And I cannot tell if she is very real, or I''m simply going crazy." Liam wanted to press a little. "It''s a stretch, but... do you think it''s related in any way to my past?" Being so unsure of it himself, he needed some guidance for this conundrum. "Perhaps, or simply put¡­" A scowl formed on Jackson''s face. "Someone out there is laying a path before you. And you have a choice to follow that path, or not." Liam sighed. "You think? I haven''t even told Gloria about these¡­ happenings. I don''t know how she''ll react." "There''s lots of things we don''t tell to the Pok¨¦mon around us - for better, or for worse. That choice is in your control." He pointed a paw at the guild''s building. "You''re dismissed for today. I''m sure Gloria is awake, and awaiting your return." Liam nodded, removing his back from the stone tower. "Again, thank you Guildmaster. I won''t mess up like yesterday again." Jackson said nothing in response, watching the Riolu slowly withdraw back into the guild. He returned his sights to the sky above, searching for those invisible stars again.
After a while of searching and asking his fellow guild members, Liam was finally able to track down the whereabouts of Gloria. Just like yesterday, he stuck to the sides of the guild and wandered to its backside. When he arrived at the cliffside, he saw both Gloria and Roark already engaged in a conversation from the looks of it, both admiring the blazing orange, red, and purple sky. He stared at it for a while, before deciding to make his presence known. "Hey!" Gloria immediately swiveled around once hearing Liam''s voice, a warm smile stretching across her face. They both met each at a close distance, exchanging a brief friendly hug. Gloria broke away first. "Roark told me everything that happened yesterday." She tilted her head in curiosity. "He said you did flips and tricks around that Golisopod?" ''... Thanks, Roark,'' Liam grumbled in his mind. "Er, no, that didn''t happen. I¡­ didn''t bring my A game to that fight." He lightly batted an aura tassel, wincing at the feeling. "But the Guildmaster trained me today, and I feel like a new ''mon with new strength!" Gloria''s smile widened, her tails fanning behind her. "Me too! I feel... like I still have something to prove!" Roark cracked a grin, raising an arm in celebration. "Oh yeah! Looks like the gang is back in fighting form, eh?" The two of them nodded as he pointed a claw at the large mountain formation in the distance. Celestial Mountain. "Now, let''s save that zest for when we conquer that overgrown hill over there!" Liam''s heart began to swell in response, his mind beginning to think of the future again. Right now, he felt on top of the world, but he could only imagine what the view on top of Celestial Mountain looked like. His eyes instinctively wandered over to Gloria, his thoughts of the future mixing with her. ''I''ll have to tell her¡­ sooner or later.''
Nightfall had already settled in hours ago, and Golisopod was late for the rendezvous. The Bug-type spent the entire day trekking across the breadth of the Meadow Region. It wasn''t bad enough that he was late, but the fact that he, an honorable warrior, was beaten by some members of a guild. Golisopod would''ve chittered in rage if it weren''t for the fact that he had just arrived at home base. It was an innocuous building that used to be a guild long, long ago. Now, it was the ''Razor Claw Guild''. The door to the building swung open as a Weavile and Bisharp came out, a smirk appearing on the former''s face. "Golisopod! I assume your scouting efforts were fruitful? What did ya see?" A fidgeting noise came out of the Bug-type''s mouth, only serving to confuse Weavile more. She sighed. "Bisharp, do some translation magic." The Steel-type nodded, walking over and letting Golispod''s vocabulary spill into his ears. After a few seconds, he stepped away and went back to Weavile, a conceited smirk on his face. "Well, what did he say? Spill it out, Bishy!" Weavile yelled, her impatience growing. "Weav''s, it''s what I predicted. That place is important, and the guild near Empyrean is interested enough to send its members there to investigate." Weavile was appalled. "Wait, no - they''re¡­ sending Pok¨¦mon back there again?!" He shrugged. "That''s what the big guy over there told me. He even fought a few of them looking for stuff they might''ve taken from the inside." "... Go back in, Golisopod. Your efforts will be rewarded later." Golisopod inclined his head, chittering in happiness as he stepped past the pair and lumbered into the building. Weavile sighed. "I can''t believe it." Bisharp placed a gauntlet on her shoulder. "You know¡­ we''ll have to go there again on our own time. There''s something there that everyone wants a piece of." She brushed his gauntlet off her. "I know, Bishy. For now, we''ll have to bide our time, and maybe see what our anonymous client has in store for us..."
Both paths to the truth are now on a collision course, but when will they eventually collide?
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: A Little Chat Over Tea A Little Chat Over Tea Chapter 14 A Little Chat Over Tea CLINK! The ice cubes rattled against the glass on their way down, piling at the bottom. For extra measure, she grabbed a couple more from the tray next to her and threw them in. CLINK! ''That''s probably good enough.'' Weavile''s claw latched onto a big bottle of her favorite Nanab Berry whiskey, tilting it over her glass and letting its brown contents pour and swish into it. For any other Pok¨¦mon, it was cheap garbage, but to her, it was her comfort drink. She sighed, tapping the glass with a claw. ''Is it worth the hangover? Arceus knows this won''t be my last tonight¡­'' Across the cherrywood table, Rhyperior slammed his own hefty glass down. "What are you looking so down for, Cap?" He chuckled deeply. "Don''t tell us that you lost your taste for whiskey?" The Simisear beside him laughed, shaking his head. "I haven''t been here long, but I see the captain down here all the time." A metallic squawking noise from a few tables away graced everyone''s ears, as Skarmory raised her glass with a wing. "C''mon Cap''n! Drink!" Skarmory began to chant the last part. And soon, everyone present in the room began to raise their full glasses of alcohol, chanting along to rally their leader. "DRINK! DRINK! DRINK!" Hearing the encouragement of her fellow mercenaries, Weavile abandoned her previous worries and grabbed her glass to the cheers of her comrades. She chugged it down, feeling the liquid burn her throat like so many times before. She wondered if she would regret this, but let go of that thought as she had many times before. Weavile tore away the now empty glass from her lips, sighing at the taste. ''What kind of leader am I to put a damper on their happy hour?'' Her listless gaze watched everyone return to their entertainment. ''Why am I still feeling like shit, though?'' Despite her best efforts, she could not squash the ever growing thoughts in her head - the thoughts of that place. She told herself that she would never return after what happened, but fate was a funny thing. Weavile quietly chuckled, already hearing the voice of Bisharp in her head spouting out about how much importance that place held to the ''truth of this world''. She could only roll her eyes every time he went off on one of those tangents. Like there was even was a truth to uncover that wasn''t greed at the heart of it all. It was like he didn''t realize that he was still a mercenary. Weavile''s claw latched onto the bottle of whiskey again, stealing a glance at the Pok¨¦mon around her. Some were playing card games, arm wrestling, or tentacle wresting in Octillary''s case - or just drinking for fun. ''Why the hell couldn''t I have just been a normal merc?'' To her, this place and her lifestyle was her calling above all. But something else resided within her that told her it wasn''t just that. Revenge. Justice. Fulfillment. Weavile narrowed her eyes at the melting cubes in her glass. Of course, there was always a reason for something, and she definitely had her reasons of establishing the Razor Claw Clan. Reasons that she has never fully disclosed to her faithful comrades, besides Bisharp. For years, she had always brushed those thoughts of telling them away, as to her, they were nothing but criminals. But as time passed, she began to saw them more and more as comrades. She chuckled to herself again, pondering about all those times Bisharp took a jab at her. ''Heh, maybe I am growing a bit soft.'' "Captain!" "Eh?" Weavile swerved her head towards the direction of the voice, which was Electivire. "What are ya bugging me for, plughead?" The Electric-type laughed, "All week we''ve been wondering what was up with you." He grew a devious grin. "Is it that time of the mo-" "Shut it," Weavile growled lowly. "I wanted to know too, Cap''n!" Skarmory squawked from the back. "Ya haven''t even shouted at anyone!" Murmurs of agreement swept through the half drunk crowd of mercenaries. Weavile groaned, not even knowing the answer to that question herself. ''How would I¡­ even begin to tell them? Would they even care?'' They were useful to her in accomplishing her feats, sure. But letting them all in on exactly they were chipping away at was something she refused to tell them. Keeping them ignorant and waving a bag of Pok¨¦ in their eyes for now was seemingly the only feasible way to keep her operations going. After all, they were just mercenaries. Weavile coughed into a claw. "Don''t worry, runts. I''m just a tad sick. I''ll scream at ya lackeys later." She sighed. ''Just a little longer - they''ll understand¡­'' The creaking of the double doors to the Lounge broke her train of thought, as sounds of metallic steps on wood greeted everyone''s ears. "Captain Bisharp!" Rhyperior drunkenly shouted. "Come to have some fun with the boys, eh?" Bisharp shot down his efforts with a wave of his gauntlet. "Not today, I have matters to discuss with Weavile here." Upon hearing her name, Weavile faced the approaching Steel-type, a smirk expanding on her face. "What''s it this time, Bishy? More requests?" He shook his head, wearing a grin of his own and pointing at the room''s exit. "Something better - you''re gonna get a kick out of this." Weavile stared at the glass in her grip. "If you''re interrupting me time¡­" She placed it on the table and stood up, mock glaring at Bisharp. "It better damn be." "Oh, trust me - it is." Surrounded by their drunk and happy criminal Pok¨¦mon in arms, they breached the double doors of the Lounge and entered the dark purple hallways of the ''guild''. Bisharp then escorted Weavile to his room, where a thin envelope was laying on his bed. "So... you found a girlfriend to send you letters?" Weavile joked. "Am I supposed to be shocked that you managed to find someone?" Bisharp strolled over to the bed, picking up the envelope and handing it over to her. "Not exactly, Weavs. Let''s say that it''s from the kind of ''mon you''d hate to see me date." She rolled her eyes in response, snatching the paper away and tearing it open with a swipe of her claws. Once the letter inside was revealed, she took it out and began to read the angrily worded heading, her eyes widening. "Oh no, not her." Already she could feel the seed of a blistering headache forming. And Bisharp''s now uproarious laugher wasn''t helping her case. "This must''ve appeared last night in our mailbox. I can''t help but wonder what''s on her mind," Bisharp sarcastically wondered. "Clearly nothing at all. What a bitch," Weavile grumbled. "But hey, maybe she''s turning over a new leaf." "I doubt it, but give it a read anyways." She obliged, clearing her throat and reading the neat cursive writing. Dear ''Queen of the Mercenaries'' Hello, my dear Weavile! I hope you are able to comprehend this letter, as I know reading is very hard for a slack jawed street Rattata such as yourself. But how are you doing these fine months? With those requests I snatched up a while back, I''m sure work is hard to come by! Anyway, I am writing to you to offer a meeting in neutral territory - that is, a nice little chat over tea at a place near Sylveon''s Sweets in Empyrean City at around twelve at noon on Monday, yes? I have matters to discuss to you about an incident that occurred not long ago to my sweet little knights. I also understand it might be too classy for alcoholic ruffians like your clan to attend, but please attempt to. P.S: And please bring your cute little co-captain along with. The more the merrier, my dear Weavile! From: Her Majesty, Serperior of the Rose Clan. Weavile tore the letter into pieces, scattering them over the floor. "Fuck¡­ she actually wants us to go to her little tea party." Her eyes squinted at the floor. "And that''s today¡­" Bisharp gazed down at the now shredded letter. "You know¡­ we might just have to attend." "What?!" Weavile was taken aback. "Why should we have an audience with that crazy bitch of a Pok¨¦mon?" "Because¡­" Bisharp walked over to wall where the map of Celestic was displayed. Various scraps of paper and colored string connecting across the different regions littered the map. "That mysterious mercenary group we stole that dungeon''s information from? Hell¡­ it just might be the Rose Clan for all we know." Weavile approached him, questions already brewing in her mind. "Why would Serperior care about anything like that? For years, she''s been after my position in this game, not answers." Bisharp let out a drawn out sigh in response, ultimately shrugging. "Just got one of those feelings, Weavs." He looked to his side, feeling Weavile''s smug features staring back. "... What?" She playfully punched his shoulder. "You never just get ''feelings'', Bishy. Tell me, what''s got those gears in your mind turning?" He approached the map, giving it one last look over. "I''ll tell you, but¡­ we''ll have to go see her to confirm my suspicions." Weavile sighed, already dreading the experience. "Fine, but you''re getting us a flight to that city." "Just treat this like a date; a date with your worst enemy."
"I hate this fucking city." Bisharp shooed away the tiny Mienfoo trying to pass out newspapers to them. "Serperior picked a good time for a dinner date, didn''t she?" Weavile scolded herself and that Grass-type for flying all the way out to Empyrean City for this meeting. She preferred to stage meet ups in the shade of questionable street corners or abandoned ruins, not busy shopping districts. She adjusted the black bag around her shoulder, pushing past more Pokemon. "If she picked it to piss me off, then I guess she succeeded," the Ice-type grumbled. "If it''s for reasons I suspect, then she might have a good reason to¡­" That earned a laugh from Weavile. "Hah, as if that snake has a reason to be a bit-" She bumped straight into a Riolu, breaking her words. "Hey! Watch where you''re walking, moron!" The Riolu scowled, readjusting his black scarf. "Moron? You bumped me into me!" "Excuse me?" The Fighting-type''s Vulpix partner intervened. "We''re so sorry for bumping into you, miss." The Vulpix tapped her partner''s shoulder. "C''mon, Liam, we''ve already got everything. Let''s just go." Her words seemed to calm the Fighting-type down as the two walked away. Weavile angrily stomped ahead, freeing herself from the mob of Pok¨¦mon and forcing Bisharp to attempt to catch up with her. "Jeez, Weavs. What''s got you so riled up today? You''re like a teenager again, yelling at guild kids and everything." "You know why," she responded. "This situation isn''t exactly where I want to be right now¡­" It was a half truth. While having a sit down with her dreaded ''nemesis'' out in the field was bad on its own, her thoughts from earlier still plagued her mind. Bisharp chuckled, "Whatever, just don''t blow your top at her. Trust me, she doesn''t need more ammo to shoot at you in her angry letters." "Thanks." Thankfully for Weavile, they arrived at their destination after just a few trips through the winding streets of Empyrean. As mentioned in the letter, they took up a seat outside of a tea shop next to Sylveon''s Sweets at a table draped in white cloth. Bisharp gave a quick scan of their surroundings, noting the lack of Serperior around. "Hmm, either she''s late or this is a new tactic of hers - pranking us." Weavile rested her head on a claw, squinting her eyes at the sun shining on their faces. "Doubt it, she would never pass up on an opportunity like this." "We''re gonna be here a while it seems," he lamented. After around twenty minutes of waiting, in which Weavile was ready to leave any second or stab someone with her darts. But before she could act on that, a familiar slithering noise and overly pompous female voice met their bored ears. "My, my, the delinquents actually showed up!" Weavile silently growled in her mind. ''Here we go¡­'' The slithering noise got louder as the pristine Serperior crept into view across the busy street. Along with her presence, a stout Aegislash in its Shield Form ominously floated behind her. "And you even left a chair out for me! How thoughtful!" A green vine extended out of Serperior''s leafy neck, pulling out the wooden chair as her body coiled around it, soon resting her entire form on the chair. Once situated, Aegislash floated over and assumed its position her near side, glaring into the two Pok¨¦mon across from it. The Grass-type sighed in relief. "Much better after a long carriage ride with noting but boring grizzled mercenaries to talk to, right, friends?" Weavile scoffed. "Cut the act, what''d you call us here for anyways?" Serperior scoffed back. "Oh yes, just a moment, dear. Right now I''m a bit¡­ parched." One of her vines extended into the air, waving at a passing Lilligant in uniform. "Waitress!" The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Weavile sighed. "This isn''t nec-" "Nonsense! Service here, please!" ''Keep calm, Weavile, keep calm¡­'' The Lilligant waitress teetered on over, notepad at the ready in her leafy grasp. Serperior cleared her throat. "Yes, we''ll have three Polteageist teas; piping hot, yes?" The waitress nodded, earning a smile from the evergreen serpent. "Marvelous, thank you!" With the waitress now gone, Serperior adjusted her gaze back to Weavile, who seemed to barely contain her rage. "Is there something on my face, my dear Weavile? You''ve been giving me a strange look this entire time." Weavile murderously gripped the white cloth table. "I think you know why, snake." Bisharp tapped Weavile''s claws with his gauntlet, signaling for her to cool it. "Let''s just get down to brass tacks. What is your purpose in staging this meeting?" "Well, it''s for a few reasons, good chum," Serperior hummed. "I witnessed your little charade at the premiere of the Eden Theater. Quite the preparation for that one, wasn''t it?" Weavile eased up, suspicion replacing anger. "How do you even know that was us? And I call bullshit on you even attending." Serperior laughed - one filled with mirth and smugness. "I shared quite a laugh with Mayor Empoleon when your little Magmortar goon was carried out cold!" She sighed. "I wish that event wasn''t swept under a rug - it would have been a magnificent newspaper to read. ''Razor Claw Mercenary Clan defeated by two random Pok¨¦mon.''" ''Guess the Meowth''s out of the bag on this one¡­'' "Defeated? Our mission there was successful." "Successful? Maybe successful in attempting to torch a little innocent ambassador to ashes." Serperior rose her snout. "I know your clan is full of barbarians, but please make an effort to not seem so proud of it." "Innocent? Hah, as if. They may have got the Council and the rest of this continent fooled, but I''m more wise to them¡­" This was a surprise to Serperior. "You¡­ have a vendetta against the Alignment?" She guffawed loudly, various Pok¨¦mon around their table casting glances at them. "You two think yourself a hero of Celestic for attempting to thwart them, hmm?" Bisharp raised a brow. "Heroes? No, more like¡­ sending a message that we will not stop until we get what we want." "And what is that, my dear Bisharp?" Before he could respond, the Lilligant waitress from before appeared, balancing a platter of tea cups on a leafy appendage. She set it on the table, politely bowing before scurrying away. "Thank you!" Serperior shouted, a vine of hers extending towards the tea cups. "Please, help yourselves, darlings." Bisharp reluctantly grabbed his, but Weavile didn''t budge. Serperior daintily sipped from her teacup, raising a brow at the glaring Ice-type. "Are you not thirsty, Weavile? It might grow cold, darling, like your heart." "I don''t like tea..." "A pity." Bisharp took a sip as well, flinching at the taste after drinking nothing but alcohol for so long. "Our interests in the Alignment are none of your concern. Now, get back to why you''re here." "Well¡­" The Grass-type rested her cup back onto the platter. "I''d like to discuss the incident of a theft of an exploration team near the Lush Gardens." ''Does she¡­?'' Weavile leaned over the table, honing her glare at the Pok¨¦mon. "What do you exactly know about that, huh?" "Oh, just that you two ruffians roughed those poor Pok¨¦mon up to acquire the information of a dungeon they had." Bisharp smiled, his theory coming out on top. "I see¡­ and you''re here to discuss this with us because...?" An irritated look crossed Serperior''s features. "That team was supposed to relay that information to a mercenary group - my mercenary group." Weavile smirked, "Oh, so that''s how it is¡­ you''re upset your little delivery ''mons were robbed by us?" "Robbed?" Serperior laughed haughtily. "Please¡­ a little persuasion was enough to coax the information out of them. That is not why I called you here for a chat." Weavile rose both arms in the air, completely dumbfounded. "So what the hell are we here for? You got what you wanted, snake!" A vine extended Serperior''s tea cup up as she took a hearty gulp, smiling. "I am here to send a message to the Razor Claw Clan¡­ you, my dear Weavile." The Ice-type leaned in again, a scowl forming. "Oh, really? What is your little message if I might ask?" Another sip was taken. "Mmm, that you are not the only ones after the truth I''m afraid... " Bisharp placed his teacup down, narrowing his eyes at her. "I do not follow. Do you assume our work is playing into some deeper meaning?" "No need to be so coy, Bisharp. Your attempts to outwit me are futile at best, as I am already aware of your... escapades in the past." Weavile began to scratch the cloth table, attempting to contain her anger. "I am not after this ''truth'' like you think I am. My business is with the Alignment only, and my clients don''t dictate what I do." "Does your hatred or lust for revenge solely motivate you, Weavile?" Serperior asked, her fangs glistening in the sunlight. "Surely you are not as simple minded as I think you are? That is no behavior fit for the ''Queen of the Mercenaries''." "What?! You little-" "Ladies, please," Bisharp interjected. "Serperior, this¡­ ''truth'' you''re following. What makes you think it''ll lead anywhere." "Only the complete destabilization of Celestic and the world, my dear. And the Rose Clan will be the very first to unearth it! So it would be wise for you to, hmm¡­ dawdle off to do your usual drunken antics instead." Weavile suddenly grinned, everything making sense to her now. "So this is your little threat to us? I''ve heard worse." Serperior closed her eyes. "It''s not a threat, my dear." She opened them back up. "It is a promise that I will wipe your little clan of misfits out and reign as this continent''s true mercenary queen!" Weavile''s claw nearly shredded the cloth as she stood out of her seat, leaning over. "Fat fucking chance, snake. You''ve tried before and you still won''t win this time!" She wanted to jump across the table and slash at the Grass-type''s throat. Bisharp yanked Weavile back into her chair. "We won''t be halting our missions any time soon, so this meeting of yours is a bust." Serperior sighed, shaking her head. "I knew you two would be stubborn, but competition does not sway my efforts either, I''m afraid." Her vines picked up her teacup again, gulping down the remnants of the tea. "It was nice seeing you today, Weavile. The next time we meet, I hope you will be kneeling out of respect for your new mercenary queen." "The next time we meet, your head will be the newest wall trophy," Weavile spat back. Aegislash, who was originally still as a statue, moved out of way of a slithering Serperior. It dutifully followed behind its leader, the both of them soon exiting the area. But before she was truly gone, the serpent angled her back to the table for one last remark. "And thank you dears for footing the bill! I''m afraid I forgot to bring my purse along!" The Grass-type threw her head back and cackled to the heavens as she and Aegislash departed, leaving a fuming Weavile behind. "She really got under your skin this time, didn''t she, Weavs?" Bisharp remarked. "Shut up, Bishy." Weavile released her grip on the table, finally relaxing. "And aren''t you happy your little theory about her got proven right?" "Sure am, but this only complicates things further. With the Rose Clan even involved in this, who knows how many players we gotta take out to get to the center¡­" "Yeah, but that shouldn''t be too much of a pro-" Muffled harsh static emanating from the bag around her shoulder broke her sentence. She immediately stopped to open the zipper to peer inside, finding the strange yellow device emitting such noise. ''No way¡­ again?'' Soon, the rumbling of static faded, as an unmistakable and familiar gruff voice came out of the tiny device. ''Razor Claw¡­ your services are needed.'' Weavile and Bisharp exchanged looks.
"The reason I have contacted you is because I need your assistance in another matter," the voice spoke through the hole in stone wall. Weavile leaned against the broken mossy surface of the building. "Well, that''s obvious, so just spill me the details and we''ll discuss it." "Of course. There is a tiny clearing located near the Soaring Falls. Here, there will be two¡­ assets that I require captured and brought back." "Kidnapping, huh?" She whistled. "Been a while since we''ve had one of these requests. So, who''s it gonna be?" "A Gallade and a Heliolisk. These are the Pok¨¦mon I want you to bring to me - is that clear?" Weavile crossed her arms. "I''m gonna need a bit more than that. What are the details of this¡­ capture." "The two will be meeting up with another pair of Pok¨¦mon to establish a deal around midnight today. Once that deal is complete, you will act," the voice confirmed. "The price tag is your choice of anything below twenty-thousand Pok¨¦." She whistled. "Below twenty-thousand? Sounds like a deal to me. Alright, we''ll gather these ''mons and bring ''em back here." "Perfect. Send me a message through that device when you have secured the assets." A grinding noise filled the air, the square-shaped hole in the wall allowing their conversation now being sealed by a cracked cinder block sliding into place. Weavile released her back off the wall, walking back to where Bisharp and Honchkrow were currently stationed. Bisharp saw her smirk first, raising a brow. "You seem to be in a better mode. What has our client got in store for us?" "Kidnap job, Bishy. These always get me in a good mood." He shook his head, jumping back on Honchkrow''s back. "You''ve got issues, Weav''s." She cackled, joining him on Honchkrow''s back, the crow Pok¨¦mon extending his wings and taking to the skies. "Let''s go back to base and prepare for the harvest."
"Get down, get down!" Weavile harshly whispered. Bisharp did as told, crouching behind her as they encased themselves in the nearby bushes, staring at the four Pok¨¦mon congregating ahead. Their trip to the falls in the dead of the night was a dangerous one, with crashing waterfalls flowing out of cracks in the ravine nearly knocking them out of the sky. Luckily, they managed to land their crew safely around the cliffside. From there, it was only a matter of time until they found the small clearing, where their target was surely found. But finding the right time to strike was an entirely different matter. "You got eyes on them, Weav''s?" "Sure do¡­" Her eyes snapped to a Machoke and Toxicroak blocking her vision of the two other Pok¨¦mon in front. Strange, shiny metal plates covered their torsos, along with metal tubes strapped to their backs. Weavile''s gaze hardened at this. "Rifles. We''re gonna need to be careful. Anyone of them can-" "Shhh," Bisharp warned, placing a gauntlet over his mouth. "Don''t want them to hear us and-" his eyes caught the two Pok¨¦mon in front move, whispering again, "Look, they''re doing something." With movement happening, they were able to confirm the two Pok¨¦mon''s identity - a Gallade and Heliolisk, both wearing armbands. Weavile growled under her breath. ''No fucking way¡­ these guys are the assets?'' After a few words were exchanged between the four Pok¨¦mon in the clearing - none of which reached their ears - the Gallade tossed a card-like object onto the ground as he and his Heliolisk companion stepped near it. An ominous flash of orange blossomed at their feet. Weavile tried to get a better look, whispering. "What are they-" An explosion of orange glowing light burst out of the object''s expanding frame, enveloping the two Pok¨¦mon near it. Once the light receded, the Gallade and Heliolisk were gone. With their communication severed, the Machoke and Toxicroak gave each other a shrug and marched down the path they came. Bisharp gaped at what he just saw. "They just-" "Disappeared," Weavile finished for him, clenching a claw. "And these two are about to leave with our answers. We take them down, now." He scowled. "Fine, I''ll take the Machoke. You take the frog¡­ and just watch out for those rifles. Don''t want to bury you too early now." Weavile emerged from the bush, a toothy grin on her face. "That all depends if they''re quick on the draw..." She immediately splayed her claws, dashing towards the retreating Pok¨¦mon, with Bisharp hot on her trail as well. Before the Toxicroak could even notice, an encased icy fist slammed into its side, sending it to the ground. Weavile immediately pounced on her foe, ripping the rifle off its back and tossing it aside - her claws then pressed against the bulbous throat of the Toxicroak. "Move a muscle and you''re history, got it?" Unbeknownst to her, the Machoke beside her was already drawing its weapon at the sense of danger. It locked onto Weavile, squeezing the trigger. BOOM! With the sound of an explosion, and a shower of smoke and gunpowder, the bullet sailed harmlessly through the air, as Bisharp thankfully reached his target and knocked the rifle out of the Machoke''s hands. The Steel-type narrowly dodged a lightning fast punch in response, ducking under the Pokemon and slamming his sharpened knee into the Machoke''s chest. The Fighting-type kneeled in pain, which gave Bisharp ample opportunity to strike. He summoned a Night Slash, dark purple energy surrounding his arm blades as he battered the kneeling Machoke into submission. The Machoke almost keeled, but attempted to stand up, only to receive a sudden and painful Iron Head to the face. It fell back into the dirt, shakily holding up its arms in an act of surrendering. "Alright, Alright! Y-You won¡­ what the hell do you want from us?!" The Toxicroak on the floor grumbled. "Damnit, Machoke. I told you this would happen." Weavile smiled, removing her claw from the Poison-type''s throat. "Sorry, boys, but you''re gonna need to tell us exactly what went down just now. Who were those two?" "T-Those guys?" Machoke stumbled over his words. "We just came here to confirm the new delivery location with ''em! We swear!" She scoffed at this. "Right, and you two are¡­" Her eyes wandered over to the metal chest plates they wore; they expanded once she saw the flower symbol engraved into it - a rose. ''Arceus. Not her¡­'' Bisharp followed her gaze, realizing what she just did. "... Who gave you these orders? Serperior?" Machoke nodded multiple times. "Y-Yes! Her highness did!" Weavile rolled her eyes at the title. "What are the contents of this delivery? And what is the new location?" "I¡­ don''t know what the deliveries contain, but¡­ they said tomorrow in Elysium C-City, during the festival!" The Fighting-type flinched upon seeing her scowl deepening. Weavile pointed a claw towards the clearing''s exit. "Get outta here! You saw nothing, got it?" The Machoke and Toxicroak heeded her words, scrambling to their feet and collecting their missing rifles. Weavile watched them as they urgently left the area, breathing a sigh. Like Bisharp stated before, things seemed to only get more complicated from here. "Seems like that snake wasn''t lying. She really is trying to one up us¡­" Bisharp placed both gauntlets on his hip. "Yeah, but we now have the location of her next little shipment with them." "It doesn''t make sense, though. Why would the Alignment supply a mercenary group?" He smirked. "Well, we can find out tomorrow if you''re up for finding answers, Weav''s" She smirked back, wordlessly popping open her bag and retrieving the yellow device. She flicked the switch on its side and spoke into the speaker. "Are you there?" A few seconds later, the gruff voice responded. "Yes. Were you successful in capturing the assets?" "... No. We found the two, but they disappeared in some orange light. The two other ''mons we beat down didn''t provide any answers, either." She sent a wink Bisharp''s way. An audible sigh traveled through the speakers. "That is¡­ troublesome to say the least. Until the next time I require your services, Razor Claw." The voice, along with the static vanished. Bisharp chuckled, "...Well, I hope you''re ready to pack your bags tonight. We have a lot to do tomorrow, apparently." In response, Weavile glowered at the sky, shaking her head. "I hate that snake so much."
Liam could hardly contain himself right now. Today was the day the guild began the first step of the expedition to Celestial Mountain. Currently, everyone who could lift heavy objects was situated in the foyer of the guild, pulling along boxes of supplies needed for their week-long trip outside. Sometimes, Liam cursed that he was born a Fighting-type, as now he was subjected to intensive lifting. Roark pulled his container alongside the Riolu, shooting him a look. "Hey, Liam. Have you seen Gloria anywhere?" Liam dropped his box, stretching his back. "Nope. Is she still in our dorms?" The Zoroark shrugged, getting back to pulling his load. "Dunno, but you''d better go check on her... " Liam nodded, shifting his eyes around his surroundings for the signs of the clipboard holding Bug-type. The coast was clear. With one final glance, he bolted from his position and sprinted to their dorm. The door was slightly ajar, allowing him to crack it open with a paw and enter. His gaze snapped to Gloria, laying on her beanbag and holding some sort of blue necklace in her paws. "Gloria? Are you okay?" The Vulpix almost jumped out of her fur, quickly putting the necklace back into her cream saddlebag and facing Liam. "Oh¡­ uh, yeah!" Her ears drooped. "Sorry if I got you in trouble by being late." "Nah, Scizor isn''t here yet. Are you¡­ all ready?" He placed both paws on his hip. "This is the big day, y''know." She nodded, standing up and looking vacantly out their window. "Don''t worry, I was just thinking about things." Liam came over to her, placing a paw on her side. "Well, we have plenty of time to think about things on the carriage ride there." He strolled over to the door. "Are you ready to go, then?" She smiled, walking over as well. "Of course, I don''t wanna spoil your most anticipated trip." Going back to the main hall, they assisted the rest of the guild in transferring the boxes outside. There, three carriages led by Mudsdale were stationed. Over time, wooden containers from inside the guild were placed on board. Once the job was complete, and the carriages were full, Jackson and Scizor gathered everyone outside, the Shiny Lucario preparing a speech.. "Attention! Over the next few hours, we''ll be riding these Mudsdale carriages to Elysium City, where the annual festival there will be in full swing. We will stay the night in a hotel already prepared for our arrival by the time we get there." He gave each and everyone a glance of his sharp red eyes. "Once a day passes, and we leave the city, we will travel directly to the nearby Celestial Mountain to begin our expedition - is that understood?" A chorus of ''YES, GUILDMASTER'' met the Lucario''s ears, pleasing him. "Very well, you are free to enter your carriages now." As if a switch was flicked on, each guild member began to climb aboard the carriage of their choice. Liam found himself, Gloria, Roark, Monferno, and Rockruff in the same carriage together. The puppy Pok¨¦mon bounced up and down. "I can''t wait to see Primarina and her crew play at the festival there!" He got into a pouncing position. "Ooh! Do ya think I could get her autograph somehow?" Monferno snorted, "Ha, get in line, pal. So many dudes out there think the same. It''s not gonna happen¡­" Rockruff tilted his head, "Why not?" The Fire-type jabbed himself in his chest. "Because... I''m gonna get that autograph." He placed both arms behind his neck, leaning against the railing. "Nuh-uh!" Rockruff retorted. "Sure am." Roark laughed at the two. "You''re both wrong. I''m getting that autograph, and ones from the Oricorio Sisters, too!" He waved a claw. "Then sell them all to desperate ''mons of course." A rocking motion then rumbled the carriages, the Mudsdale starting to trot down the paved path. The expedition was finally beginning. As the hours rolled by, Liam gripped the wooden railing of the carriages, watching the rolling green hills and meadows of colorful flowers slowly fade into taller plains. The temperature also dropped - the cool mountain air becoming more apparent with time passing. The sun began to set too, and as dusk rolled in, he began to see distant lights and faraway buildings. ''That¡­ must be Elysium City,'' he thought. With the carriages drawing closer to their destination, the Riolu was able to see more and more of the place. It was no Empyrean City, but it was a sight to see. Colorful Pok¨¦mon shaped buildings and grand feats of architecture were just one of the many things that took shape around them. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! ''Ah¡­ are those?'' Liam looked towards the sky, seeing the mystifying remnants of exploding fireworks illuminating the night sky in multicolored fire. It reminded him of the premier at the Eden Theater. ''Must be from the festival¡­ I can''t wait!'' Joy filled his heart at just the thought of this expedition - and now, he was finally going to be able to experience it all. ''This is gonna be so-'' His vision wavered, as if a flash of blur invaded his line of sight. He blinked, looking around in his state of confusion. ''What was that? Did someth-'' Immediate pain flooded his senses, his grip on the railing intensifying to keep him from tumbling to the ground. He gritted his teeth, feeling the pain getting worse and worse. Curls of blue and yellow wrapped around his eyesight, worsening his ability to see. ''N-no¡­ it''s hap-'' He lost the ability to speak and think coherently from his pain, slipping further and further into a state of unconsciousness. The colors in his vision melted away into mute blobs. Familiar voices, and the sound of soft instruments playing replaced his natural hearing. As everything collapsed around him, something began to play inside his mind - a vision. It was happening again.
The past can never be forgotten¡­ no matter how joyful or painful.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: The Tune Of Nature The Tune Of Nature Chapter 15 The Tune Of Nature It was almost midnight. The noise of chirping crickets reverberated through the forest, carrying across the cool wind of the night. With the sound of shuffling branches, a white tailed deer emerged from the trees and plodded through the grass, checking its surroundings for potential predators. When safety was apparent, it bowed its head to feed on the moist vegetation below. But before it could get its fill, bright beams of white light shone across its face. Wide prey eyes stared at the radiance, which seemed to get closer and closer, spooking the deer into a panicking prance back into the forest. A low rumbling noise traveled the road bordering the forest as a blue pickup truck flashing its high beams flew past. Two passengers were inside - one adult, and one child. Liam stared out his side''s window, watching the motions of the dark world outside fly past. Sleep almost claimed him a while back, so he played games of spotting numerous critters to pass the time. But the excitement of this trip prevented him from fully drifting away. Robert adjusted his grip on the steering wheel, watching out for deer on the road. "I want you on your best behavior at this place, got it?" "Mmhm," Liam mumbled back, staring out the window. The man threw a look over at the boy, before returning his gaze back to the road. "And don''t¡­ mention anything about your mom, okay?" "I won''t, dad." "... Good, we''re just about here." The concrete road ended, transitioning into a paved dirt trail. At the end were visible sets of parked cars, where Robert slowly drove his truck into an open spot. He released his foot off the brake, taking his key out of the ignition and casting a glance at Liam, who was eager to leave. "We''re just staying here for your performance and the fireworks. After that, we''ll be back on the road again." The boy released his seatbelt. "Got it." He immediately opened the passenger side door, jumping out. Robert silently chuckled at his display, popping his side''s door too and stepping out. "Get your stuff out of the back and follow me." Liam ran to the truck''s backside, flipping over the tarp that covered their belongings and looking over its contents. All the supplies they required for their trip were here, strapped down with rope to keep it from tumbling away. But he was looking for one item in particular; after a few seconds of scanning, he located it. ''There it is!'' The instrument was resting against the trunk''s side, a few scratches on its carved wooden frame showing its amount of usage. He pulled it out from the straps of rope, admiring the signature engraved on it. A pluck of its strings to test it out produced that wonderful homely sound he loved so much. Banjos were always his favorite instrument. "Come on, Liam!" Robert yelled. "It might start any minute now." "Coming!" Liam redid the straps, scurrying back to match the pace of his father, who was continuing his small trek through the tall cattails and grass to their destination. The boy looked forward, seeing what was taking place ahead. Glowing orange lanterns on posts revealed a small wooden stage with sound equipment and sets of large instruments already set up. White clothed tables with plates and of fresh food were lined up in rows, getting a rise from a hungry Liam. From the looks of it, over a hundred people from around the area showed up for the celebration. A young man in a casual t-shirt and jeans noticed the two enter, dropping his plate on one of the tables and nearly running over. An almost relieved smile graced his features as he extended a hand towards Robert. "Rob! Man, it''s good to see you after so long. Uh, thanks for coming - everyone at the station was wondering, y''know?" Robert accepted the handshake, looking him firmly in the eye. "Liam''s been practicing, so I decided we come here for the performance. We''ll be gone shortly after." The man blinked, bringing his gaze downstairs to the small boy beside Robert. "Liam¡­ it''s been a while since I''ve seen you, too." He pointed a finger at himself. "You remember this face?" "Uh¡­ yeah?" He could faintly remember the man showing up at their old house from time to time. Apparently, he was a deputy at the local station, and once partnered with his father when he was still a police officer. The man then grew a solemn look, placing a hand on Robert''s shoulder and leaning in to whisper something into his ear. "Hey. I''m, uh..." The man stopped to sigh deeply. "... Really sorry what happened to your wife. We tried to find the car''s model, or its license plate, but we couldn''t-" Robert brushed his hand off, eyes briefly flashing with emotion. "There''s nothing that could''ve been done. Just drop it." The man leaned back, breaking their connection. "Right¡­ Sorry, I''ll, uh¡­ leave you two." He gave Robert a parting look before slinking back to the tables. Liam could only wonder what words were exchanged, but knew they weren''t good ones from his father''s features. Before he could think about it, his shoulder was jostled. "I''m gonna have a chat with the organizer. Feel free to wander, but not too far." Liam nodded, smiling. "I sure won''t." "Good." Robert stomped ahead, leaving the boy to his own devices. Liam''s gaze swept across the mini festival, taking in the familiar atmosphere of old parties he would attend. He even recognized faces from the local church that his family used to go to when they lived near this area. ''Wow¡­ even the Sumter County Choir is here!'' Before he could reminisce some more, a growling noise coming from his stomach reminded him that he was still hungry from the long trip here. He diverted his attention to the tables of food propped up, looking at the banjo in his hold and back to the tables again. ''Guess I can eat before practicing a bit.'' He wandered over to one of the tables, aimlessly glazing over the many options he could choose from. Black-eyed peas, fried chicken, peach and apple cobblers, and a whole assortments of pies to choose from. A smile grew on his face just listing them all. It reminded him of past family gatherings when his mother would bake a whole array of wonderful things. But knowing he will never experience something like that again spiraled his stomach into a deep sickness. Now he didn''t even have the appetite to eat anymore. His father told him time and time again not to dwell on it - to just let go. Liam knew his father also desired the same thing he did. It was just so hard to find it. Revenge, or simply closure. "... Liam?" Time seemed to slow down, the quizzical silky voice with a hint of country in it registering in his mind. He turned, eyes scouring the festival grounds before he found her - the glint in her golden eyes and warm smile standing out. Her long blonde hair, pale, almost ethereal skin, and white sundress matched beautifully. Her dress and hair fluttered in the chilly breeze. She always had such an enchanting aura to her - almost heavenly. They wordlessly moved towards another, with the two staring at each other for a small moment. Liam''s mouth parted, following up her greeting. "H-Hello, Mrs. Lachaise." He scouted the grounds for his father, sighing in relief when he knew the coast was clear. "Please, just call me Elena, Liam." Her yellow orbs danced around the scenery, sparkling in the light. "You don''t need to be so formal in a place like this." "Sure, Mrs- Elena." He scratched the back of his neck. "How come you''re here? Err, not that you shouldn''t be, but-" She giggled softly. "It''s been such a long time since I''ve seen celebrations as large as this. And¡­" She looked down at the banjo he clutched. "I wanted to see you play after all the practicing we did..." He followed her gaze. "Will you be up there with me?" A hopeful look was cast her way. "Of course - there''s already a piano set up on the stage. It took a lot of convincing, but now we''ll play together¡­" The boy sighed in relief. "... Thank you, Elena. You don''t know how much better I feel with you-" "Liam!" ''Shoot.'' Instantly recognizing the voice of an angry father, Liam took a step back as Robert closed in, putting himself between Liam and Elena - a hand firmly placed on the boy''s chest to keep him a good foot away from the woman. "What are you doing here?!" Robert harshly whispered. "Is he also-" Elena shook her head, "My husband could not make it, sadly." She looked past the man and at the boy behind him. "I came here to see the fireworks, and to pass along some confidence in your son. We''ve been practicing so hard and-" "You can talk to him the next time he is at your home." Robert narrowed his eyes at the woman, before the hand on Liam''s chest now rocked the boy''s shoulder, spurring him out of his daze. "You''re set to begin shortly with the choir." He pointed to a group already near the stage. "Go to your spot. I''ll be watching from the crowd. Good luck... son." "R-Right." Strung along by his father, Liam began the arduous trek over to the small stage, the heart in his chest beating like a drum in nervousness. But a quick glance back showed Elena treading over to the other side of the platform, where a piano rested. It calmed him, slightly. He gulped, taking weak steps up the wooden stairs over to a chair where he then sat. His clammy fingers ran across the strings of his banjo, lightly plucking them to produce that soothing sound he loved so much. The thrumming in his chest got louder once the rest of the band and members of the choir stepped on stage, getting ready to begin the performance. Never before had he played before a crowd as big as this, and it was more than apparent from the anxious look on his face. "Liam!" That voice calling to him reminded that she was there for him. He found her across the stage, on the piano and smiling at him. "Remember, deep breaths¡­" He nodded, closing his eyes - inhaling and exhaling. Before he knew it, the performance was beginning and the world around him didn''t exist anymore. He was all alone in the neck of the woods, playing his song in peace. When his time to play came, he took another deep breath, and let loose his spirit in musical form.
Reality came knocking as Liam took a deep breath once realization set in. He kneeled, almost crumpling to ground in his disoriented state, stumbling back to a standing position and looking around in a frantic state. He was back in the real world, and still on the Mudsdale wagon. An orange palm clasping on his shoulder almost sent him reeling again - the cackle-like laughter from Monferno preventing him from doing just that. "C''mon, Mr. Personality! Stop daydreaming already, we''re in the thick of the festival now and about to get off." A quick scan of the Riolu''s surroundings proved the Fire-type''s words. The carriages rumbled slightly, being pulled in a single file line across a cobblestone paved road. Many Pok¨¦mon wearing strange outfits spilled along the sides of the carriages, ambling through the busy streets - or in some cases, dancing their way through. Glowing orange street lamps and lanterns that hung from strings of multicolored ribbons that stretched from building to building. It brought light and warmth to an otherwise chilly night. Street vendors were propped up around every street corner, selling food or various novelties. Scraps of confetti swayed in the wind, carrying across the streets. Liam blinked, shaking his head and brushing the primate''s hand off. "I wasn''t daydreaming! I was¡­" Monferno rolled his eyes, chuckling. "Whatever you say." Their short journey through the streets ended when the carriages took a left turn and stopped in an open area with less Pok¨¦mon congregating around. A series of whinnying and muffled stomps from the Mudsdale told everyone on board everything - this was their stop. Liam walked to the back of the carriage with a limp, his thoughts swirling in his head. Sweat pooled around his face, but he tried his hardest to not collapse while climbing down the wooden carriage. Roark and Gloria were right behind him, and he offered them a weak smile. ''Don''t think about¡­ don''t think about it...'' When the Guildmaster and Scizor hopped off their carriage, the Bug-type motioned a large red pincer for everyone to gather around the duo. Once everyone circled the Lucario, Jackson took a quick glance around before speaking loudly amongst the celebration around them. "I will be very quick about this, so just listen to me." He thrusted a paw across the street and pointed at a faraway building. It was three stories tall, sporting many windows and a large sign near the top that read ''Snooze-Lax Inn''. A cardboard cutout of a Snorlax was built in the back, waving its clawed paw at whoever looked its way. "We''ll be staying at that inn for the night, and will be leaving early in the morning straight to Celestial Mountain. You can rest at the inn now, or enjoy the festivities for tonight. But be responsible... and do not jeopardize our mission here." Jackson''s gaze swept over each member of the guild, before he started marching away from the group and into the partying streets. Scizor, Charizard and a selection of other tired members joined him in disappearing into the crowd. This left Roark, Team Blazingheart, Team Nightshade, and Team Requiem to do whatever they wanted for the night. Rockruff immediately struck a stance, his tail wagging. "Cool! We get to do what we want! What should we do first, guys? And-" A paw swipe from Mightyena reminded him. "Oh¡­ yeah! When does Primarina start playing?!" Monferno shrugged. "Dunno, have any of you seen her pool on a cart escort she usually comes in?" He laughed, earning a brow raise from his Braixen partner. "Does she really need that to move efficiently on land?" Roark nodded, smirking. "Yup, but she''s a real talent in the sea. Got to see her perform in the ocean near Watersong City. Remember that, Gloria?" Gloria rubbed her eyes with a paw, adjusting the saddlebag around her side. "Mhmm¡­ I''m really tired, but I uh, kinda want to see her show tonight." Purrloin sauntered into the streets, spotting a large stage-like area a block down. "Mreow~ By the foot traffic... I think she should be performing at that stage in the distance, darlings." "Shoot, I need to secure a good enough seat." He glanced back at the group. "Are you all coming?" A chorus of ''yes'' came after his words. Gloria nudged a still rattled Liam, breaking him out of his trance. "Hey¡­ are you able to come with us? I think you''ll really like this!" He wetted his lips, sputtering for a second. "U-Uh¡­ yeah. Sure!" She giggled at his shock, walking after the Zoroark. "Don''t worry, you can explore around the city once we''re done." He hesitantly followed the group, who chauffeured him in his dizzy state to the wooden stage. It was a large one, with many sets of funny looking instruments and colorful banners that dropped off the stage''s ceiling. One in particular showed an illustration of crashing waves and a singing Primarina backed up by four Oricorio in different forms. Roark stopped in his tracks once they reached the bleachers, which were nearly packed with excited Pokemon. He tapped a red claw on his chin, scanning the area for empty seats. "Well, at least we don''t have to pay for this." A claw was pointed at a group of unoccupied chairs near the middle. "Aha! It''s no front row, but it''ll do. Come on!" Monferno rolled his eyes. "Who died and made you leader? There''s some spots open near the bottom." The Zoroark started walking up the stand''s stairs. "What did you say? Speak up!" "I said-" "I can''t hear you! What... " Roark''s voice faded into the noisy audience, causing Monferno to grind his teeth. The Fire-type waved a hand, stomping off to the stairs. "Bah, whatever. I''m going near the bottom." Not wanting to be left behind, the group ascended up the stairs after him, splintering off into different sections of the bleachers. Liam followed Gloria as they stepped past multiple Pok¨¦mon and took up the two vacant seats next to Roark, who promptly spoke up. "I hope you two are comfy. Primarina puts on quite a show, and not a disappointing one at that." Gloria sighed contentedly. "I hope she uses her Sparkling Aria like last time¡­" This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "Oh yeah, that was an amazing stunt of hers." Liam looked down upon the stage, anticipating the aquatic wonder he''s heard about so much to appear. It wasn''t until he observed the street behind the stage that he saw her bizarre entrance. Just like Monferno remarked, she was inside a well contained pool built on top of a cart, which was pulled by two other Pok¨¦mon. Four Oricorio in diverse styles flanked the sides of it, occasionally giving a brief flutter of their hypnotic feathers. The Primarina in the pool grew a large smile and waved a white flipper at the crowd, amassing an ensemble of booming cheers. The pool cart then stopped near the stage, the Water-type inside sliding down and onto the ground. The cheers got louder and louder as she dragged her rather large form up the grand stage, her avian cohorts right behind her. A few other Pokemon wearing curious outfits also ran up on stage, standing near their instruments of choice. Once Primarina wiggled her way to the microphone stand near the middle of the stage, she waited for the crowd to simmer down before letting her voice flow through the large speakers positioned near the bleachers. Just like Liam predicted, the singer sounded as elegant as can be. She was almost as soft as Gloria, but had a more womanly chime to it. "Thank you, citizens of Elysium City... and all of my wonderful and dedicated fans for attending this year''s festival and today''s show!" The crowd went wild at her words, the Water-type smiling as she waited for them to settle before speaking again. "I won''t stall any moment longer! The show begins as of now!" She raised both flippers to enunciate this fact, letting the crowd cry out their approval. Liam felt an elbow jab his side, finding the culprit to be a smirking Roark. "Hey, maybe she''ll make you into one of her fanboys, eh?" Gloria glared at the ruse fox. "Shhh! It''s starting!" As soon as those words left her mouth, the yellow spotlights shining on the bleachers turned off, leaving only the giant stage in front to be bathed in light. The voices in the audience were reduced to murmurs as Liam gripped his chair''s sides, eager to see the performance beginning to unfold before him. But before he could truly immerse himself, a chill travelled across his spine. His perception wavered, curls of blue and yellow forming around the spots in his eyes. He could do nothing but watch as it happened once more. ''Not¡­ again¡­'' Just like before, a vision began to play in his mind.
Liam strummed the strings of his banjo, producing his final arrangement of notes in the song. With one last chant of harmonious lyrics from the choir, it was all over. A cacophony of clapping exploded from the crowd that gathered around the stage, along with some whistles from the more enthusiastic listeners. While the choir and rest of the band waved to the crowd and departed, Liam stood around for just a little longer. He held his banjo to his chest, a blush dusting his small cheeks as he stared out into the cheering audience, seeing his own father staring back with a smile adorning his features. It may not have been a packed concert, but it was almost overwhelming to the young boy. This was his first time ever performing before a crowd of people. And he couldn''t have asked for a better performance. He stood up, walking down the creaky wooden stairs with more confidence than when he walked up them. The only thing left to do was to wait for the countdown and the fireworks to begin. And right now, he just wanted to relax and watch them. He retreated to a set of white plastic chairs in the back of the area, taking a seat and simply watching the motions of the celebration occur around him. It wasn''t long until the long anticipated moment of the entire day came. Nearly everyone was near the stage again, shouting out the countdown. Liam would''ve joined in, but felt content in watching this historical event unfold before him. "Five! "Four!" "Three!" "Two!" "One!" "HAPPY NEW YEARS!" And just as those words were shouted, Liam could hear a loud whistling noise behind the stage as the explosions and cracks of fireworks above were heard. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The boy looked into the starry night sky, watching the trails of dust combust into a flurry of reds, yellows, whites, and blues. He thought long and hard about the new year, and all the joys and sorrows he would experience in this new age of mankind. ''The year 2000¡­ wow!'' It was such a monumental milestone, not just for humanity, but for him in general. The decade previously held the best and worst moments in his young life. But before he could dwell on it, a womanly voice broke his train of thought. "Liam? Do you mind if I take a seat beside you?" It was Elena, her inviting smile and soft steps towards the boy jolting him out of his staring contest with the heavens. "Sur- wait, uh¡­" He started looking past the woman, into the small crowds. "Is my dad looking at us?" She laughed into her hand, "Your father is holding a conversation with someone else, which means we can finally talk after so long apart." A smile began to tug at his lips. "... Yeah." The woman sat on the chair to the left of the boy, letting out a long sigh and lifting her head to view the fireworks in the sky, the sounds of pops and bangs accompanying them. Liam followed her gaze, thinking of what mess of thoughts to spill out. "Thank you, uh... for the help with my performance. I think I did pretty good." All the practice that he had done at her home seemed to pay off. And even when the time came for his part, she was there for him at every step. Elena smiled, bringing her attention over to Liam. "You have a passion, Liam. At such a young age, you needed a mentor to hone such a skill." He held the banjo in his arms, looking over the fine strings. "I guess it''s an honor, y''know?" "Of course, but I''d still love to practice more with you." His face lit up. "Yeah!" The conversation came to an end, the both returning to watch the crackles and snaps above. Elena would break the silence a minute later. "Thank you, as well." "For what?" "For keeping me company. It can be quite lonely in that house when my husband is not around. And¡­ painting has become a lot more enjoyable with a helper around." Liam wasn''t quite sure at the time if the woman had children and they were just distant, but he quickly realized that wasn''t the case. Like she reluctantly told him, it wasn''t from a lack of trying, either. Ever since he had first arrived, she was the only soul inside, creating new pieces of art and tending to her garden of wallflowers. She seemed strange at first, until she opened up, and then he did as well. It wasn''t long until they realized they had formed a close bond. From her, he learned about this world - the feelings he felt, and the dreams they both longed for. "S''no problem, Mi- Elena. I¡­ have a lot of fun doing things with you. Maybe sometime we can go somewhere else?" "Yes - perhaps." She scratched at her arm, inhaling deeply. "It''s very... difficult for me to leave my house of comfort. I''m sure you understand; you know how this world is, and how I feel about it." "But," the boy tried to counter her words. "But you came all this way¡­ and you performed!" "I came here only because of you¡­ so I could finally watch you play." She closed her eyes, smiling. "I don''t regret coming." "Oh¡­ thank you." He wanted to go places with her, but he knew her reasons like she said. The world was an angry place, and she had already seen the brunt of it before. Her lids reopened, letting the flares of fireworks reflect across her golden orbs. "You know what they say about new years, Liam. New expectations and changes - a better tomorrow. But¡­ it never does come, does it? Even in this new millennium, conflict has and always will exist." Conflict was something Liam understood well, and it always seemed to rear its ugly head throughout the ages. Whether it was in these very parts of America years and years ago, or sometime in the distant future - it was almost always for the same reasons. "I wish it didn''t, and that¡­ the happy moments in life could last forever." Elena laughed softly at his response, "I am glad you''re still young and innocent enough to wish for such things." "Hey!" Another tender laugh came. "I may be old on the exterior, but inside is a little girl who also wishes for the same things, too." She looked over at the boy. "Don''t ever forget that you are a good presence in this world of hatred, Liam." Her stare was back on the night sky, taking in the combustion of vibrant fire. "It may not be this year or millennium even, but I know that there''s another world in which we don''t know. A world where our sisters¡­ would have a chance at living a true life." At the mention of his once possible sibling, Liam''s eyes began to brim with tears. Bile collected in his throat, feeling like he wanted to throw up. "Do you... really think so?" "... If we as a species continue on this path, then total destruction isn''t far away. But life always finds a way to begin again, Liam." "That sounds-" "Liam!" The boy almost jolted out of his seat at the stern voice of his father. He looked up, seeing Robert walking, or rather stomping his way over to them, glaring daggers at Elena. "I told you that you could talk with him at your house." He looked over. "Come on, we''ve got to go. It''s a long trip down to the lake." "Right, sorry, dad." Liam got out of his chair, walking over to join his father. Elena seemed surprised. "A trip? If I may ask¡­ where to?" The boy beamed, eager to tell her. "To the highest part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, near Appalachia!" "Ah, that sounds quite exciting. You''ll make sure to tell me all about once you''re back, yes?" He nodded vigorously. "Yeah! Of course!" Robert checked the watch on his wrist, lightly tugging Liam away. "Let''s get going, we''re supposed to meet someone there soon." Just as they started to walk away from the woman, Elena spoke up again. "Please be safe during your trip, Liam. And remember¡­ to not fall victim to the evils of this world." Her eyes shifted towards Robert, restrained anger hidden behind them. "Or else, you might end up repeating the same mistakes." The man countered her glare with his own, letting her words sink in. "Yeah¡­" He pulled the boy further away. "Come on." They wandered further away from the celebration, brushing through tall grass as the sound of fireworks were reduced to muffled booms. It wasn''t long until they reached the makeshift parking looked back once last time to Elena, who smiled at him and waved. He copied her actions, waving goodbye.
BOOM! BOOM! Liam''s eyes snapped back to reality just as the massive bubbles of water floating above the stands began to burst, cascading a light shower of water onto the crowd, who erupted into energetic cheers and clapping. The Riolu whipped his wet head around, his mouth parting as he realized he was back in the real world again. He looked down at the stage, seeing the Primarina below retreating back to the pool. ''Is the¡­ show already over?'' Gloria freed herself of wetness with a shake of her head, smiling widely. "Wow! I think that was her best Sparkling Aria yet!" Roark ran a claw through his damp dark mane, whistling. "You just may be right, sis. Primarina really outdid herself this time, especially her Blackwater Dahlia performance." Liam felt a red claw nudge his shoulder, rousing him out of his staredown with the stage. "Hey, that shocked look never left your face the entire show. Tell me, what was your favorite song?" The Riolu blinked in response, "Uh¡­ I¡­" Gloria giggled into a paw. "I''m guessing you can''t pick? I told you that you would like this." "Yeah¡­ I guess I did." As the cheering faded, a plethora of satisfied Pok¨¦mon left their seats, heading towards the exit stairs. Roark offered to lead the two partners down, stretching once they were out of the stands and back on the wild streets of the celebrating city. "Man, does it feel good to get out of those stuffy seats!" The fox tapped his chin with a claw. "Now to see whatever else this city has to offer¡­" Gloria yawned into a paw, batting her tired lids. "You can do that, I wanna get some sleep for the expedition tomorrow." She looked towards Liam, who was staring off into space again. "Hey, you look a bit out of it. Do you wanna go to the inn to rest up?" "U-Uh¡­ nah, I''m good. I uh, wanna see more of the city." Truth be told, he was restless, and sleep could never stave off what he was currently experiencing. But his thoughts were immediately scattered by Roark pulling him into a side hug, grinning wildly. "You mean to tell me this is a boy''s night out? It''s been ages!" Gloria giggled again, albeit more drowsily. "You two have fun, I guess. I''ll see you all tomorrow." She took off her saddlebag, handing it over to Liam. "Just don''t blow our Pok¨¦ on Blast Seeds or whatever." He managed to smirk a little. "No promises." Roark waved a claw. "Later, sis." The Vulpix trotted away in the direction of the tall Snorlax themed hostel, merging into the passing crowd of Pokemon. Liam watched her leave, only to find his shoulder jostled again by Roark. "Hey, let''s say we find ourselves a nice little beverage stand." He winked, telling Liam all he needed to know. Drinking alcohol and competing with Roark at the same time was also something that he didn''t need to deal with his troubles right now. Liam broke out of the fox''s grasp. "Sorry, Roark. I¡­ just wanna wander the festival for a bit." Roark shook his head, walking down the street and waving the Riolu off with a claw. "Psssh, okay. But don''t say I never suggested the thought!" "I also don''t really want to be carried back to the hotel." Roark looked back. "Not my fault you''re such a lightweight!" He started walking backwards, raising his arms and accidentally bumping into a Glaceon who was passing by. "Whoa! How you doin'', beautiful?" The Ice-type snarled back. "Watch where you''re going, creep." The fox arched a brow, following after the Glaceon. "Hey, you know I can change into whatever you want, right? Both voices quickly faded into the crowd as they continued to argue and walk away. And just like that, Liam was now all alone in the bustling streets of Elysium City - free to do whatever he wanted in this breathtaking place. But for reasons that plagued his mind nonstop, he could do nothing but wander the busy streets in search of answers to the visions he was experiencing. Questions of why they felt so familiar and so homely to him. Questions of why this was happening to him. Questions that would never be solved it seemed. For about an hour, he continued to aimlessly wander through the thick of the festival, absently gazing at all the attractions and corner stores the city had to offer. Nothing really caught his attention, until a stand built into a stone building called Meloetta''s Soprano stole his gaze. It appeared to sell musical instruments and other related accessories. He wasn''t sure why, but he felt compelled to investigate further. Two Pok¨¦mon were stationed near the small shop, a stout looking Corviknight beside the counter, and one of those strange Psychic-type Raichu that Liam read about in his book floating on its tail behind the stand. Both were exchanging a conversation, which fell apart as Liam entered the fray. The Raichu bobbed in the air once spotting the Riolu stroll up. "Heeey, little dude! Looking to buy some top of the line and premium instruments this side of Celestic?" He splayed his nub of a paw towards his selection in the back of the stand. "We''ve even got a one of the kind piece from Primarina''s band." Liam frowned, a bit overwhelmed. "I, uh¡­ sorry, I don''t know what I''m looking for, really." The shop owner shrugged, "Take your time - ain''t like I got more customers to attend to, right Corvy?" The steel plated crow nodded, speaking in a male accented voice that was similar to the Meowstic twins, but more urban and less posh sounding. "S''alright, mate. You''ll still get your Pyroar''s share of the profits once you''re¡­" The Pok¨¦mon trailed off as he intently watched the Riolu beside him scanning the stand''s collection. "Hey, that scarf you''re wearing¡­ ain''tcha part of that guild near Empyrean?" Liam jerked out of his stupor, looking up at the bird. "Uh.. yeah! Though, we''re kind of here for expedition reasons." Corviknight cocked his head, "Really now, and I thought you were here on ''oliday retreat¡­ Where to?" "Celestial Mountain, tomorrow." "That place? Sounds like you''ve got a tough day ahead of ya. But you seem a bit lost, mate. You alright?" Liam nodded, staring off into the selection of instruments again. However, something hanging off one of the stand''s back shelves caught his attention - his eyes transfixed on the familiar design of it. It was made out of pure natural wood, with a circular base and cheap looking strings. Across the surface of the instrument was a painted white flower. He didn''t know why, but his heart started to race, his mouth running on its own. "How much¡­ is that instrument in the back?" The Raichu behind the counter followed his ogling, shrugging again. "Dunno, man. I got that banjo a while back, but don''t know who owned it. How does five-hundred Pok¨¦ sound?" Liam placed his saddlebag on the counter, briefly contemplating whether he should do this. But all the feelings in his chest and mind told him to do it - he decided. Opening up one of the pouches, he grabbed the correct amount of gold coins needed for the transaction and handed them off to the Raichu. "Good man! You will not regret this purchase!" Raichu merrily floated away on his tail towards the back of the shop, grabbing the relic of an instrument and hovering back to hand it over to the starstruck Riolu. Liam grabbed it, letting his paw glide across the fine wood of the banjo. Corviknight chuckled at the sight. "You look like ya just discovered a missing piece of yourself. Cherish these sorts of things, mate. Arceus knows how much I miss my first flute." Liam looked up, holding the banjo close to his chest. "Uh¡­ thanks." The Raichu behind the counter grinned, waving his stubby paw. "No need to thank us. Enjoy, man." Liam zipped back up the saddlebag and slinged it around his shoulder, returning to the hectic streets. He looked back momentarily, swearing the red eyes of that Corvinight were fixated on him. He went back to casually roving the streets, his mind combing over the many sporadic thoughts currently driving him insane. It wasn''t long until the curls of blue and yellow began to contort his vision.
The small wooden boat rocked slightly in the gentle waters of Lake Norman, occasionally caressing and bending strands of tall cattail that rose above the water. It waded through various lily pads and other large aquatic flora that floated on the surface - all to the sound of croaking frogs and buzzing insects. The man who was rowing the boat with the two paddles on its sides stopped temporarily to fetch his bottle of moonshine near the bottom of the craft. He popped open the cap to wash his mouth full of the concoction, placing the now empty bottle back down. A harness built on the rim of the boat proudly displayed a rebellious battle flag. The blue cross with its white stars on a red background billowed against the cold wind of the night. The man swallowed the liquid down before addressing his two recent guests aboard the tiny vessel. "Ya see... My great grand daddy fought the yankees on this very soil ages ago. And someday, kid¡­ you''ll fight ''em again." Liam tilted his head. "Yankees? Why would we fight them¡­ eh, again?" Robert chuckled, "Lay off the moonshine, Ted. This country may be heading towards ruin, but don''t get your wet dreams running." ''Ted'' scratched his beard, grumbling. "Conflict is always on the northerners'' agenda. Trust me, if they''re looking fer a fight¡­ we''ll give ''em one." Liam sighed, watching the moonlight reflect upon the gentle waves of the lake. It was just like Mrs. Lachaise has said about this world. Conflict has and always will exist. Robert scoffed. "Maybe we should worry about our own backyard first." "I know ya were an officer before, Rob. Tell me, what''s yer opinion on all these PMC''s runnin'' the show in the cities?" "My opinion matters little. I let my actions speak for me." Another laugh came. "I guess you''d be right." Ted went back to rowing, drifting the small boat across the body of water until it nearly beached itself on the lake''s shores. "Alright, you folks can git yer belongings and head out now. The mountains this time of the year are a sight to behold, believe me." The two occupants hefted their large and very full backpacks across their shoulders, safely stepping out of the boat and onto the moist grass. Robert extended a hand, which Ted accepted and shook. "Thanks for the ride here. You''ll be back the day after tomorrow, right?" "Anytime, Rob! Just make sure to tell me how everythin'' goes in the city." "Of course." Liam followed his father as they trekked across the fields and into the forests beyond. Even despite the darkness present around them, he could see the steep outlines of distant mountains. ''Just a bit further¡­''
Liam didn''t know where he was truly going, but he kept walking anyway. The motions of the festival around him seemed to dwindle into nothing but a blur as he traversed past the sea of Pok¨¦mon and winding alleyways. The paved cobblestone road soon transitioned into soft grass that caved underneath his hind paws. It wasn''t long until the city behind him was gone, and he was in a forest of pure nature to surround his thoughts with. But he was too enthralled with his state of mind to notice the flapping of metal-like wings behind him.
For almost an hour, both Liam and his father unpacked their belongings for the trip and began to set up camp for the night. "There!" the boy exclaimed, finalizing his setup of their tent''s posts. Robert groggily opened up the tent. "Good, now finish whatever else you were doing and get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us." He sighed tiredly, stepping in and zipping the flaps back up behind him. Liam was now alone in this wonderful place, left to his own devices. Sleeping wasn''t something his restless body could do right, and only one thing was etched into his mind. The boy plodded over to his heavy backpack again, sifting through the large pouch, until he uncovered his banjo. Midnight practicing was just as fun as midnight adventuring. But he needed to find the perfect ''stage''. He began searching the surrounding area, finding the right one shortly later. It was a large tree stump in the middle of a clearing surrounded by pine trees. The white moon in the sky was shining a spotlight on it, almost like a stage would. It was perfect. He hiked through the bushes and ferns to reach the stump, sitting on the moss covered stub of wood and resting his banjo between his arms. A deep breath escaped him as he began to strum the strings, generating his melody throughout the quiet woods. The sound of a banjo filled the air, blending in with the chirps of crickets and humming of harmonious insects.
Liam plucked at the way strings of his banjo as best as he could with his paws, adjusting his posture on the large tree stump and stamping his hind paw up and down to catch a rhythm. He attempted to replicate the song in his vision, getting very close. He kept at it for a while, immersing himself in a feeling that was completely familiar to him. But when he finally stopped, a new warmth filled his chest as he peered up at the bright moon, realizing just what he had discovered within. Ever since he first woke up beside that tree on the hill in the Sunshine Forest, he always wondered who he really was. It ate at him, sometimes making him think that he truly never existed at all. But the fact that he was here right now, staring up at the same stars as that boy put that idea to rest. The Guildmaster had told him that someone or something was laying out a path before him, and that he had to choose whether to follow it or not. It was possible that these visions were the path that he needed to follow. ''Visions? No¡­'' There was no denying it anymore. These were not visions he was experiencing - these were memories, memories of a time when he was Liam, a young boy with an adventurous spirit, one that resonated with himself. ''I am¡­ Liam.'' A lone tear slid down his cheek as a relieving smile graced his lips. He had a place to belong, a calling to his real name. "It''s a bit wonky... innit." Liam whipped his head around, swiftly wiping his cheek free of tears. His features then relaxed once he recognized the familiar avian from the musical shop standing just beside the path. "You¡­ followed me here?" Corviknight nodded. "Yeah, uh¡­ sorry ''bout that, mate. But you seemed totally confused and lost at the shop, so I had to make sure you were alright in the noggin''." He tapped his black steel chest with a wing. "It''s a guard''s duty to keep ''mons safe." "Yeah¡­ sorry, I just-" "No need to explain yourself. Sometimes we all need time to ourselves." He inhaled, before smirking. "So¡­ you aight to return? You have an expedition tomorrow. Isn''t that right?" Liam hopped off the stump, walking over. "Yeah, we''re set up near the Snooze-Lax Inn." Corviknight displayed his impressive wingspan, turning around. "Hop on, mate. I''ll get ya there in a jiffy." The Riolu hesitantly hopped on top of the bird''s strange metal-like back, making sure his banjo was nice and secure. Once he had a grip, the Flying-type took off, soaring past the spruce pine trees and into the dusky skies above. Liam quietly admired the dazzling lights of Elysium City, feeling the cool wind course through his fur and lightly bat his aura tassels. But he wasn''t so much marveling at the view as he was jumping for joy on the inside. All these long months of emptiness in his mind had now been given clarity and fulfillment. He relished in this personal victory, but found out that he needed something else. Completion. BOOM! BOOM! Once again, the star-filled heavens above Elysium City exploded in color, the two drifting through the angelic dust it created, letting it wash over them. ''I am Liam. That is¡­ That is something I can finally admit to myself¡­''
There is no better feeling in this world... than a reason to be.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: A World Of Secrets A World Of Secrets Chapter 16 A World Of Secrets Above the starry skies of Elysium City, a Corviknight quietly soared amongst the twinkling stars and colorful remnants of recent fireworks, flying past tall and intricate looking stone buildings, and swathes of large crowds in the restless streets below. Glaceon let out a short sigh, holding her head high and trotting down a busy intersection. After many long hours of scouting the city, and denying the charming attempts of multiple Pokemon, she had spotted the two assets she was sent to look for. ''Stupid Weavile¡­ Of course she makes me do the lackey work.'' The steamed Ice-type made a beeline across the cobblestone roads, and into a series of dark and grimy alleyways. She carefully tiptoed her way around puddles of water, and piles of trash to the safehouse they had secured earlier before the festival began. She stopped at a shabby looking wooden door built into the back of a stone building, beating her dark blue paw on the entrance and flipping her icy bangs as she impatiently waited for her to be allowed in. It wasn''t long until a silenced lumbering noise came from beyond the entrance. The door then swung inward slightly, revealing a pair of twitching magenta mandibles peeking out from the darkness inside. Glaceon rolled her eyes. "Let me in, Golisopod." A chittering sound reached her ears as the door was then pulled wide open by the Bug-type''s large clawed arm, who quickly retreated back to his private spot of meditation. Glaceon immediately stepped in, happy to be free of the dirty outside world. It was a small, dark, and cramped space only lit by a few glowing orange lanterns in the corners of the room. It was made clear that only four Pok¨¦mon from the clan were going to Elysium City, as to not cause potential suspicion. Glaceon whipped her cold gaze to a dusty looking table positioned along the walls. Two individuals were seated by it on creaky chairs, fiddling with their sets of cards. Weavile grinned wickedly at her opponent. "C''mon, tinman. Lay out your cards." Bisharp grimaced, his tongue digging the inside of his cheek. "Alright, a promise is a promise, Weav''s." He hesitantly laid his cards flat on the table, showing off his hand. Not a second later, Weavile slammed down her cards as well, a victorious grin etched on her face, while Bisharp just sighed at his obvious loss. She leaned back in her chair. "When we''re back at base, I want you on it right away." "Yeah, yeah... " Glaceon narrowed her eyes at the display occurring before her, coughing loudly into a paw. "Ahem!" Weavile spared the upset Ice-type a glance, shuffling her deck back together. "Ah, good to see you back, ice queen." She waved a claw at the Pokemon. "Did ya see the two anywhere?" Glaceon growled at the nickname, before slowly nodding. "Of course I did." She whipped her bangs once more. "I found them wandering the festival before they entered the Council''s main headquarters just a few minutes ago." That caught Weavile''s attention as she dropped her cards on the table and immediately stood up, a new kind of grin finding its way on her face. Bisharp was up as well, a fierce and determined look in his eye. "So you say," Weavile began. "Then that means we gotta act now." She pointed her claws at both Glaceon and Golisopod. "Remember the plan - you follow us just out of sight, and only engage if we do. If we''re spotted by guards, then you make an escape back to the safehouse, got it?" A trilling noise from the silent Bug-type and a ''hmph'' from Glaceon was the response. Bisharp marched past the table and grabbed a black saddlebag stuffed in the corner of the room, tossing it over to Weavile, who slung it around her shoulder. "Like Weavile said, this is hopefully just recon, so don''t get caught." Bisharp said, casting a glance at the two clan members. "You don''t wanna end up like Magmortar." Weavile smirked. "Hopefully?" He rolled his eyes. "A possibility, Weav''s." She chuckled, walking past the three and swinging open the wooden door to greet the cold night air and muffled sounds of the city''s festival around them. She cautiously checked her surroundings before walking out, Bisharp just behind her while Glaceon and Golisopod stuck to the far back. "Think this will be juicy, Weav''s?" Bisharp inquired. "Maybe. If we''re lucky, then they still have yet to go to their trading location with Serperior''s bozos." A wistful look grew on her face. "It''s a shame this isn''t a snatch and grab mission. I wonder if those two are high in rank..." The Steel-type quickened his pace, now by her side. "What I rather want to know¡­ is how or rather why the Alignment is trading with the Rose Clan, a bunch of mercenaries like us." "Mysterious groups do mysterious things, Bishy." Weavile said, sighing and shaking her head. "I don''t really care for their reasons - I just want his head." A snort was his response. "Well I do - you know that." "Whatever." The group exited the dingy alleyway, merging into the crowds of Pokemon flooding the cobblestone roads. Glaceon jogged forward, her interest peaked by the conversation that was absorbed by the boisterous and noisy celebration. "Weavile, I''ve been in this clan for years and you''ve never bothered to tell us why we''re messing with these weirdos all the time." Weavile chuckled. "There''s no gossip here, ice queen." She waved a claw behind her. "At the end of the day, you''re still getting your Pok¨¦ no matter what we drag you into." Glaceon whipped her bangs with a huff. "That is¡­ true." Through the winding streets of the ceremony, Weavile silently guided her crew across, until the crowd thinned out in a plaza-like area near the center of the city. Smooth foundation stretched across the landscape, along with large stone fountains of aquatic Pok¨¦mon spewing glistening water from their maws. A decorated pathway laden with trees and other green shrubbery led to an enormous structure beyond, which dwarfed any other building in the city by far. Columns of white concrete pillars were erected across the building''s front, along with rows of long staircases leading into a grand hallway. The structure split into four different sections that curved around in a circular layout. There were multiple stories and windows dotting the sides; the ceiling above all sections bending and forming an arch to unify the building. Banners of blue backgrounds and shining suns were draped off the building''s sides, floating gently and proudly in the wind. Weavile whistled, crossing her arms. "It''s been a long time since we''ve seen the Council''s main crib, right, Bishy?" He nodded. "Ten years to be exact. But we never mustered up the courage to enter the belly of the beast, did we." "Nope." She smirked. "But why enter when we can just wait for our prey to come on out." Glaceon huffed again. "Can we get this over with? My paws are starting to hurt!" Weavile thrusted a claw at the building. "Bisharp and I will have a little stakeout near the entrance. Once those two come out, you both will follow us, just not too closely, got it?" Brief nodding from Golisopod and Glaceon sent them scattering across the plaza, finding their own spot to blend into the crowds. Weavile and Bisharp, meanwhile, turned their attention to an unoccupied bench near the building''s pathway, which gave them a perfect view of the entrance. Once seated, Bisharp couldn''t help but speak up. "Don''t you think it''s a tad bit suspicious that we''re here. We''re practically celebrities according to the Council... " "You know me, Bishy, I like to take risks. And besides, the guards are all keeping watch over the festival." "That is true." For a while, they silently watched numerous Pok¨¦mon come in and out of the large building. None were the elusive duo they had seen the night previously. "Y''know Weav''s, eventually we''re gonna have to tell the guys back at base our secrets." Weavile vacantly watched the entrance, contemplating his words in her head. "... I know that, Bishy. It''s just a matter of when all of this uncertain bullshit clears up." She bit her tongue, anger swelling up. "Secrets are meant to be found, like you said." Bisharp bowed his head. "Sometimes¡­ I wonder if you and I will ever see eye to eye on the truth of this all, instead of that revenge of yours." She was about to cook up a response, but felt it die in her throat as her gaze fell upon two Pokemon exiting the structure - a Gallade, and a Heliolisk - purple armbands strapped around their shoulders. An elbow from Weavile was then hastily jabbed into Bisharp''s side. "Look alive! That''s definitely them¡­" She was ready to see what happened next.
They silently stepped down the gray concrete stairs of the Council''s central offices, feeling a lot better now that the burden of failure to come to an agreement with the Council was not on their shoulders anymore - it was a success. Gallade readjusted his armband, bringing his head up to look at the twinkling stars above, slightly wincing at the crack and explosions of fireworks painting the sky in different hues. A smile was imprinted on his face as he spoke - his voice callous but young. "... Have you ever seen something like this before?" The Heliolisk turned its head to the stars, smirking and speaking in a male almost nasally voice. "Maybe the tower''s lights, but these are more vibrant¡­ and explosive. But I bet you wish it were raining, don''t you?" Gallade laughed, relaxing his muscles and sensing the natural wind of the outside world on his skin. Even the full moon in the sky seemed to shine brighter than he would''ve ever expected. Days, or rather, nights like this brought out a feeling within that he didn''t get to experience often. He just hoped that one day everyone back home could as well. The Psychic-type''s response fell flat as he watched his companion fiddle with the saddlebag attached to the Electric-type''s waist, retrieving a strange looking plush doll that held a significant resemblance to a Wooloo. "What¡­ is that? And why does it look like one of those sheep Pokemon?" Heliolisk smiled, extending forward the well knitted lookalike with a claw. "Managed to buy it from a vendor while you were preoccupied with watching the festival." He gave it a squeeze. "Think my brother will like it?" Gallade could almost imagine the hyperactive Growlithe bouncing off the walls at the prospect of something new added to his collection of rather chewed up toys. "I''m sure he will. We can hand it off to him after we complete this last meeting with the Rose Clan." The expression of amusement on Heliolisk''s face immediately morphed into one of disdain - his yellow and black tail behind him thrashing wildly as he stuffed the plush back into the saddlebag. "It''s a mistake that we''re cooperating with these¡­ mercenaries. They''re untrustworthy, and have no allegiance to our cause." Gallade sighed, keeping his gaze on the moon and letting it wash away his disappointment. "I know¡­ I don''t like it either. But the orders from the Allfather are clear, and we''re expected to carry them out." "It''s stupid!" Heliolisk snapped back. "We should be out here looking for that commander, or that Fire-typ-" "They''ll be found eventually, don''t worry." Gallade trained his eye on the Pok¨¦mon. "We''ll talk with Magearna once we''re back about it." The pair traversed the small hallway of nature, too enraptured with their conversation to notice two other Pok¨¦mon lurking the path behind them. Weavile and Bisharp used the shrubbery dotting the pathway to their advantage, hiding in the shadows of trees and bushes to avoid any unwanted attention. "Magearna?" Bisharp inquired. "I''ve never heard of that name before. Is it a Pok¨¦mon?" "Just keep listening before asking any questions, tinman." Gallade and Heliolisk wandered away from the pathway, exiting the central plaza-like area and heading down one of the many packed streets of the city. The Psychic-type took the time to gawk at the almost non stop motions of the festival around him. Heliolisk frowned. "She can''t do much on her own without our assistance. You know how she is¡­" Gallade nudged the Pok¨¦mon''s shoulder with his bladed arm. "All of this will be resolved in time. You don''t need to worry so much." Heliolisk brushed off the arm. "Easy for you to say. I never liked this Allfather. The things he''s making us do¡­" Gallade shot him a look. "Each Allfather is given a responsibility and a connection. His main priority is to help light the path before us, as ours is to protect it." "Jeez, aren''t you the astute one," Heliolisk quipped back. "I don''t know why he hasn''t promoted you yet." His words caused Gallade to chuckle. "I try, but I don''t think I''d like to work in a field without you by my side." "Because you totally need my help." Gallade laughed again. "As expected." After a quite uneventful trip through the city''s streets the celebration around them began to wind down as they neared a dead end - the only remaining path being the large alleyways, which the pair quickly strode into. Weavile and Bisharp emerged from the small crowd still present, sneaking their way towards the dimly lit alleyway that the mysterious pair ventured off into. "I keep telling you, Weav''s. Us and them aren''t so different." She growled back. "If you saw what I did, then you''d realize it''s all a facade." "Maybe so, but there''s more to this - I know it." A drawn out sigh escaped her. "There always is, Bishy¡­" As they skirted their way to the alley, Weavile momentarily looked back at the festival behind them, seeing Golisopod and Glaceon slowly plodding towards them. At a closer glance, she also caught a glimpse of those familiar outfits she dreaded adorning various Pokemon. "Stay quiet, metal-head. Guards are everywhere." Bisharp scoffed, "You''re one to say¡­" She smirked, "Whatever¡­" Just behind the duo ahead, Weavile and Bisharp disappeared in the pitch-black shadows of the alley, following in silence. Other than their own footsteps, the echoing mix of sounds in the darkness did little to ease their nerves. Gallade shifted his eyes warily at each crossing point, until his gaze fell upon a pair of small disheveled looking Litleo curled up along the sides of a building, a grimy cloth draped over themselves to protect against the cold. Such a sight sparked an ounce of familiarity from within, a chill racing up his spine. It sickened him to think some Pok¨¦mon weren''t fortunate enough to experience this beautiful world. "Even up here¡­" Gallade murmured to himself. "All this suffering for the young and old still exists." Heliolisk followed the Psychic-type''s listless look - that same pang of familiarity rising inside. "This path the Allfather is making¡­ Do you think we''ll ever see it happen?" Gallade watched the Litleo cubs huddle together for warmth in their drowsy state. Just like a certain Helioptile and Ralts did in the past. He wasn''t sure why, but seeing such kinship even in the most dire of times provided him a sense of hope - of gratitude for life. "Rest easy, friend." The Psychic-type glanced over, confidence overtaking the sadness in his eyes. "We might have to do questionable things, but I know there''s a light at the end of this all." Heliolisk nodded slowly, taking his stare off the frail looking Litleo. "I hope so, too." Eventually their trip through the desolate alley ended at another dead end, this time, a group of stern looking Pokemon lined up against each of the buildings that cornered the area. Gallade looked around, analyzing the breastplates on their forms - a single red rose stitched on. Weavile ran her sharp claws along the edges of the alleyway''s corner, standing in the shadows that obscured her and Bisharp''s location. She resisted the urge to simply run out and claw them to shreds. ''Stupid snake¡­'' "You are all part of the Rose clan, yes?" the Psychic-type questioned. A Roserade, and a Luxray stepped forward, with the former bowing slightly, extending her arm bouquet over her leafy chest. "Yes," the Roserade said with a hint of pride. "And I assume you are the two emissaries sent for us?" Heliolisk harrumphed, "That would be the case, mercenary. You-" Gallade held out an arm blade in front of the Electric-type, halting any potential vitriol from spewing out. "Apologies, we are just here to adjust the location of our next supply delivery, and recent developments in our agreement." A smile appeared on Roserade''s lips. "Yes, would our regular spot near one of the markings work?" Weavile gnashed her teeth together, whispering something harshly into the ear''s of Bisharp. "The Alignment is delivering supplies to these guys!" "Yeah¡­ and they made some kind of agreement," he whispered back. Gallade nodded. "That would be sufficient, but the Allfather also requests I know more about your endeavor in stopping the other clan." Weavile widened her eyes, leaning in further and whispering. "Stopping another clan? Which one is he¡­" The Roserade gleefully laughed into her arm bouquet. "Princess Serperior has been vigilant in undermining the Razor Claw clan''s dominance over the continent." That was when it all made sense. The countless years of back and forth between the two clans, then the slow buildup of Serperior''s forces and equipment. Weavile knew the Grass-type was coming for her title, but didn''t realize just how much it meant to Serperior. Bisharp seemed just as shocked, but Weavile could tell he was silently leaping for joy at the prospect. He closed his mouth to stop him from shouting, before whispering to the Ice-type beside him. "Weavile¡­ do you know what this means?" She did, and she didn''t know what to feel at this moment. Angry at the fact that the Alignment was funding her greatest rival to fight her, or happy that the Alignment has realized the danger her clan poses to them. "I do," she replied sharply. "This means that-" Gallade approached the Roserade, a stern look in his eye. "The Allfather has also requested for me to inquire about your clan''s presence in the Grit Region, especially around the ruins." Roserade guffawed. "Princess Serperior has many clients in that region, mostly from the bandit nomads." Weavile almost laughed, ''Bullshit.'' Gallade seemed convinced as he backed up. "Very well, I hope your clan succeeds in your efforts. We were cutting it too close with the¡­ situation... at the Eden Theater." ''So we did spook them¡­ wonderful,'' the Ice-type noted in her mind. "We will be taking our leave now." Gallade motioned to Heliolisk, who briefly glared at the mercenaries before reaching into the saddlebag. "Send a few of your members to our transaction spot." Roserade bowed yet again. "Of course, thank you for your time." Heliolisk brought out an orangish card-like object, tossing it on the ground as both he and Gallade stepped on it. With a parting look at the Pokemon around them, and an explosion of orange light, the pair was gone. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Weavile and Bisharp patiently waited for the mercenaries to depart, but noticed the electrifying black fur of the Luxray frilling up, a gleam entering its predatory eyes. A growl began to fill the alley as its now shining pupils contracted, staring directly at the shadowed area in which two Pokemon were hiding in, now revealed to the Electric-type. "It''s them! The two captains!" the Luxray roared, fur crackling with electricity. It took only a split second for a barrage of elemental attacks from all angles for Weavile and Bisharp to scatter out of harm''s way, regrouping in the middle of the alley''s dead end. ''X-ray vision, how typical,'' Weavile bemoaned in her mind. Roserade laughed uproariously once more, holding her head up high. "My, my, it appears we don''t have to hold up our end of the bargain for long!" A sinister smirk crossed her face. "We''ll simply annihilate you here!" Surrounded by foes on all sides, Weavile jabbed Bisharp with an elbow, peering into the darkness of the dusky corridors for the next part of the plan. "Hey, think we should give these guys a good ''first impression''?" The wink she sent afterward gave him all the information he desired. "They''ll never see it coming¡­" In the blink of an eye, a white blur catapulted through the narrow alleyway and smashed into the grassy chest of Roserade, sending her careening into a nearby building, and forming a decent sized hole in it. Golisopod halted his steadfast movement, whipping his obsidian black eyes on all the shocked Pok¨¦mon circling him. Glaceon hurriedly leapt off the Bug-type''s armored back in a dizzying state, staggering on her paws and glaring at her partner. "Why''d you have to go so fast¡­ idiot!" The Pok¨¦mon responded in a series of mandible twitches, flexing his claws as an arrangement of yellow holographic swords rose above him - Swords Dance. The faux weapons clashed, resulting in a fluorescent wave of powerful energy to wash his form. But the Rose Clan was not one to be intimidated, leaving their spots on the walls to charge at the four intruders. Flames built up in the jaws of a Houndoom as it sprinted at Weavile with malicious intent. She easily sidestepped the hound, bringing down a slash on its exposed side, sending it to the ground with a yelp of pain. At the same time, Bisharp dealt with his own enemies. An Arbok had quickly coiled around his metallic body, constricting him in place. He could tell the Turtonator in front was planning an attack in his incapacitated state, so he needed to act fast. With a bout of quick thinking, and the formation of solid steel on Bisharp''s head - an Iron Head making a devastating collision with the Arbok was enough to knock it out cold and release him from its grip. The Turtonator was still preparing its shell attack in the meantime, only to receive a Razor Shell to the face from a beefed up Golisopod, dropping instantly with a ''thud''. While her Bug-type companion mowed through the ranks of opposing mercenaries, Glaceon followed his path of destruction and finished off any remaining Pok¨¦mon - sealing them to an ice induced sleep with her concentrated Ice Beam. Bisharp took a good look at the group of groaning or unconscious Pokemon littering the ground "Think we showed them we''re the best mercs on this continent, Weav''s?" She flicked some blood off her claws, garnering a grin. "You mean the best in the world, Bishy. They can''t even-" The violent flapping noise of cloth in the wind resounded through the alleyway, only intensifying after an entire squad of flying Pok¨¦mon rounded the alley''s corner into the dead end - brown, dusty coats adorning their bodies, rifles strapped to their backs, and a shared glint of justice in their eyes. Weavile recoiled instantly, "Council guards! They must''ve heard¡­ shit - remember the plan!" She locked eyes with Bisharp, who returned with his own fiery look. Things were about to get more interesting. Glaceon stood her ground, puffing out her cheeks. "I am not scared of some¡­ muscleheads wearing drab coats! I will- EEK!" The Ice-type''s act of defiance was met with swift resistance from Golisopod, who yanked her up with his arm, holding her closely and producing fidgeting noises from his mandibles while she squirmed. "Let me go you stupid bug! I will freeze you soli- AAAAAAA." Her voice became but an echo as Golispod turned into a white blur again, zipping through the alleyway at near impossible speeds. While the guards were still stuck in shock from the sigh, Weavile and Bisharp saw ample opportunity to make their getaway, so they took it. At nearly the same pace, they bolted from their spot, leaving a few guards to tend to the wounded members of the Rose clan. The remaining guards made a sudden U-turn at the dead end, flying at breakneck speeds towards the fleeing pair, squawking out demands. "STOP! BY ORDERS OF THE COUNCIL, YOU ARE UNDER ARREST UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!" Weavile didn''t bother responding, smiling to herself. ''It''s like they don''t know who we are.'' "WAIT! IT''S THE TWO CAPTAIN''S OF THE RAZOR CLAW CLAN! DO NOT LET THEM ESCAPE!" a new voice from behind shouted, before quickly fading away, presumably to gather more backup. ''That''s more like it¡­'' Jumping across piles of trash and dodging the occasional swipe of talons from the guards, Weavile and Bisharp exited the narrow alleyway, emerging into the still booming festival grounds on the streets. They ran into the crowd of Pokemon, pushing and shoving their way across. Meanwhile, more guards of the flying variety began to swarm the area like angry Combee. While Bisharp dealt with his own group of avian guards, Weavile rushed through the busy streets, searching for an alleyway to run into. Before she could find one, a dive bombing maneuver from a Staraptor forced her to abandon the plan, hastily ducking the bird. "STOP THAT WEAVILE!" With the spotlight now on her, she knew she needed to get out fast. Pushing past more angry Pokemon, Weavile scrambled across the numerous stands lining the road, jumping past the aghast vendors inside and scattering many baskets of fruits or baked goods in her warpath to freedom. All while the wings of authority were in hot pursuit behind, sending blasts of compressed air to stop her. It was times like these that gave Weavile a nice window into the past. Simple times - like a Sneasel stealing a regular old Oran Berry, and being chased by the local guards. Times like these seemed to only reinforce that part of her that desires a life like this. But she couldn''t help but wonder why the other part of her hates this so much. ''There!'' At the appearance of a nearby alleyway, she dodged yet another swipe from the guards and made a mad dash into the shadowy corridor. With the darkness and disorientation of the city''s winding alleyways on her side, the first part of her escape plan was a success. SHe never stopped running, only momentarily glancing behind her to see the absence of Council guards. She was about to write off the second part as a success, until a loud whipping noise from the alley''s corner revealed another, more larger and menacing guard - a Salamence. It was only a second later that the Dragon-type noticed Weavile, furiously beating its red wings and rocketing forward, easily surpassing the Ice-type on foot. ''Fuck. Time to switch gears¡­'' She clenched her claws together and glanced upward, seeing the underbelly of the gliding Salamence. Solid ice then began to encase her makeshift fist, before she jumped as high as she could and slammed an Ice Punch right into the dragon''s belly. A guttural cry escaped the Pok¨¦mon, earning a smirk out of Weavile as the dragon swooped up, turned around, and exposed its gaping maw to the Ice-type. ''He''s gonna-'' She had little time to react before the purplish draconic flames erupted from the Salamence''s mouth, lighting the area around Weavile ablaze. She emerged not a moment later, burn marks across her fur and a scowl staining her face. From the flames, an array of jagged shards of ice were sent spiraling towards the Salamence, pelting its skin and producing a roar of pain. Another dose of purple flames were cast to the alley''s ground as Weavile nimbly jumped to the sides of the buildings, anchoring onto stone bricks that were ajar. Before she could plan her next move, the dragon suddenly swooped down and rammed its entire body into the building she was hanging off of, letting her crash to the ground and leaving a sizeable dent into the building. Bolts of thunder crackled around the Salamence as it unleashed scattered storms of electricity at the felled Weavile, shocking her greatly. The Ice-type picked herself up quickly, barreling out of the way before the dragon could ram her again. Weavile knew this needed to end quickly. As quickly as she could, she opened her black saddlebag, scoured her selection of orbs, and picked one up - the Luminous Orb. She hurled it at the meddling Salamence, resulting in the orb''s destruction and a flash of white light that briefly encompassed the alleyway. The effects were weakened outside of Mystery Dungeons, but it gave her all the time she needed to sprint as fast as her tired body could from the Dragon-type''s wrath. She never stopped running. only relenting when the familiar door to her safehouse was in sight. A quick check of her surroundings proved her escape attempt a success, so she stopped to take a breather, hoping that her comrades also found their way back to the safehouse. But inside she already knew the answer to that question. Grabbing a hold of the door''s handle, Weavile threw open the door and weakly entered the dark room, seeing that familiar hardened look of Bisharp staring back at her. In the corner, Golisopad sat in his usual meditation pose, while Glaceon attempted to loosen the curls cropping up in her blue fur. ''No matter what we do, we still find a way¡­'' Bisharp raised a brow once he saw the scorched marks on Weavile, jostling her shoulder. "You''re a little late, aren''t you? Something happen?" She snorted, coughing a bit. "Got caught up in traffic. You know how it is this time of the year." "Of course, but¡­" He looked up at the ceiling in thought, before looking back down. "What those two said¡­ and what Serperior is doing in the Grit Region." Weavile tapped her chin with a claw, grinning. "You think there''s something juicy buried in that sandbox? I mean, they wanted to investigate the Criss-Cross Creek, and we know for sure there''s something of interest there." He grinned back. "Definitely. And we need to be the ones to scoop it out." "I like your thinking, as long as this gets me-" She bit her tongue. "Us¡­ closer to the truth of this all." "It just might¡­" From across the room, Glaceon stomped her paws on the creaky wooden floors, whipping her icy bangs in protest. "I do not want to wander around a giant empty desert looking for old junk, Weavile!" Weavile laughed loudly, "Don''t worry, ice queen. Something tells me this will be a special kind of operation¡­" In the Pokemon''s heart, she knew everything they were doing was to achieve something. Whether it was the pursuit of truth in Bisharp''s eyes, or her own personal justice for her past comrades. Even though she hated everything about them, Weavile couldn''t help but reflect upon the words spoken by the Gallade. That there was a light at the end.
Liam steadied his crimson orbs on the mirror''s reflection, taking in the image that stared back at him. He slowly extended his paw, or rather, the reflection''s paw and ran it across his muzzle, feeling the sensation of his fur being bristled. While his senses told him that everything was normal, it felt like everything but that to his brain. The Riolu in the mirror was a completely different beast. ''Why¡­'' Why was a question he asked himself many times after the revelation he experienced the previous day. It began to consume his thoughts, until it was the only thing he could think of. He thought he had gotten over his obsession to find out his past before, but now it only intrigued him more. He had found himself, but was still in the dark about the reason for this all. How he lost his memory - how he ended up in the Sunshine Forest, and how he became a Riolu - a Pok¨¦mon ''This¡­ isn''t who I am. But¡­ what even was I?'' He wasn''t one for insane theories, but the thought of aliens was too believable now to pass up. Liam almost laughed upon recalling the first day when he woke up and followed Gloria out of that forest, feeling like he wasn''t a Pokemon. In the end, it was true - he wasn''t. He felt estranged in this strange world, where things felt familiar, but also different. He sighed, turning away from the image in the mirror. In the past, he was able to accept never recovering from his amnesia, but things were different now. His uncovered past revealed things about himself that he would''ve never imagined before. The secret of it all lingered in his thoughts, tempting him to venture more into the unknown. And he was always a fan of the unknown. Exiting the bathroom, Liam entered the tiny room that he, Gloria, and Roark shared at the inn. Rays of golden morning light poured out of their window, obscured by beige curtains, and accompanied by loud snoring. Across the room, and crashed on a plain looking couch was a sleeping Zoroark, claws resting on his belly, and another pair supporting his head. Liam snickered at the Dark-type''s splayed out form, knowing for sure that the fox was intoxicated beyond any measure yesterday. He stood still for a moment, letting the light bathe over him, until realization of this new day set in over the tired Riolu. His tail began to wag uncontrollably, an excited smile overtaking his once drained and blank features. ''Today''s the expedition!'' For months he had been waiting for this moment, to finally conquer something as monumental as Celestial Mountain. He was ready, but he needed to know if someone else was. ''Is Gloria¡­'' He diverted his attention to the large plush bed, seeing the white Vulpix curled up in a ball near the pillows. He silently plodded over, lightly bopping her exposed snout and loudly whispering. "Hey, Gloria! It''s time to wake up!" The sleeping Vulpix scrunched her muzzle up in response to the touching, burying her face deeper into the covers to avoid it, which only made Liam further his efforts. He pushed her side, "C''mon! Wake up!" Eventually she began to stir, groaning softly and lifting her head out of the bed. She batted her blue eyes, adjusting to the bright light in the room, before resting them on the excited Riolu by the bedside. "L-Liam¡­? Is it time to go?" He began to eagerly nod, before stopping suddenly. "Uh¡­ I''m not sure, but I just wanted to wake you up first." A sheepish smile was imprinted on his face. "Sorry if I got you up too early." Gloria drowsily giggled her yawns away, "I guess now would be a good time to get ready." She wiggled her way out of the covers and onto the shaggy carpeted floor. "Did you enjoy the festival?" "Uh¡­ it was great! Primarina''s performance was awesome!" It saddened him a bit that he didn''t get to experience all the amenities of the celebration, but the return of some of his memories trumped everything else. The Vulpix looked around for her saddlebag, finding it lying near the bedside table. She slipped it around her side, smiling at his comment. "I told you that you would like it!" she said gleefully. "What did you and Roark do after I left?" Realization of what she said took over as her look then became suspicious. "You didn''t¡­ do anything stupid, right?" He quickly raised his paws in defense. "Hey, wait a second - I didn''t go with him! Whatever he did is on him!" Her wary stare soon collapsed into giggles, as usual. "Okay, but what did you do?" Liam blinked, his response slow. "I¡­ just wandered around. You know me, I like to explore my environment." Of course that was only the information he could provide her. He hated lying, especially to her, but he knew this was the best option for right now. The Riolu brought his gaze to the carpet, before perking back up, a goofy smile on his face. "Wait! I got something to show you!" He shot across the room, flipping over a blanket to retrieve the item. It was the old banjo he purchased from the festival - white flower painted on its scratched surface. After he was transported to the inn, he procured some strips of cloth from around their room and created a makeshift strap for the battered instrument. Liam slung the banjo around his shoulder, making his way over to Gloria as he proudly held it with open arms. "It''s a banjo! One of the shop vendors had it in the back of his shop and I bought it!" He gave a few plucks of its strings, producing that sound he loved so much. Gloria stared at the instrument for a while. "I didn''t know you could play." "I didn''t know either!" He looked down at his banjo. "Guess I... discovered a part of myself yesterday." She smiled earnestly. "Well, I''m happy for you. Maybe¡­" Her smile became meek. "Maybe you could play a little for me some time?" "Yeah! I can do that after the expedition ends and we-" A yawning noise from the couch across the room scrambled his words. Roark stretched from his uncomfortable position, holding up a single claw in the air. "Man... never accept dares at a bar." Roark held a claw to his head, sparing the two a glance. "You think this place has room service specifically catered for hangovers?" Gloria frowned. "You know I told you not to go overboard, remember?" The Zoroark shrugged as best he could, chuckling. "You know that goes in one ear and out the other, sis." Before the Vulpix could lecture her older brother, a few daintily knocks were placed on their door, the ruse fox silently thanking the interrupter for saving him from his sister''s rant. Liam walked over to open the door, revealing it to be Leafeon, who introduced herself to everyone. "Hey! Just wanted to tell you guys that we''re leaving in a bit!" Gloria nearly sprinted over to the door, hugging the Leafeon with great intensity. "It''s good to see you this morning! Is everyone else ready?" The Grass-type leaned into the exchange. "Yup! They''re all chatting with Team Drarosteel in the lobby." Roark snapped his claws. "Leafy! I need another favor!" He winced. "Which can be redeemed about now." Leafeon rolled her eyes, breaking the hug and trotting over to the Zoroark. She let her Aromatherapy do the magic - green mystic energy flowing out of her fuzzy tannish fur, basking Roark in its enchanting glow. "Ah¡­." The fox groaned in bliss. "Screw Arceus, you''re the real goddess." "I try." While Leafeon tended to her ''patient'', Liam wandered over to the large window. He brushed away the curtains blocking the view of the city and peered at the outside world, only to gawk at what was taking place on the streets below. Stretching far and wide on the cobblestone roads was an entire battalion of diverse Pokemon. They marched down the streets, hardened looks staring straight and brown coats gliding in the wind. Each who could hold a rifle did, placing it square against their chests as they continued forward through the streets. Along the sides of the road were even more Pokemon waving banners and flags, cheering out various calls that were lost to the thunderous sound of footsteps. "What is happening down there!?" Liam yelled to no one in particular. Leafeon focused her attention on the astonished Riolu. "It''s the Council guard parade! Always happens a day after the festiv-" Liam was already gone from the room - the entrance to it wide open. Roark scoffed, awestruck at the Riolu''s speed. "Man, that kid can run!" Gloria was spurred into a giggling fit, ambling towards the room''s entrance. "Sorry about that, Leafeon. He can get a bit¡­ too excited."
Liam blazed down the hotel stairs, racing through the halls and entering the main lobby of the building. He had to see the parade up close. Gloria, Roark, and Leafeon were not far behind, also appearing at the spacious foyer not a moment later. The glossy beige tiled floor beneath their paws gave way to a stainless red carpet, with a column of large decorated marble pillars stretching to the ceiling. Near the center of the room and by the lobby''s desk, were the entire crew of the Cosmic Quilt Guild, except Scizor and Jackson. All were engaged in a chat with the three imposing members of Team Drarosteel. Nonetheless, Liam sprinted past all present, breaking through the revolving doors of the inn''s entrance. Garchomp broke her discussion to stare at the blue bullet that zipped past her vision, until the appearance of a white Vulpix entering the fray came into her sights. She cracked a grin, beckoning a large talon at the snow fox. "Gloria! It''s been a while, come join us!" With everyone''s focus on her, the Vulpix gulped and gingerly made her way over, accompanied by her big brother and also self proclaimed big sister. Upon her arrival, Aggron smacked his chest with a hearty ''thud''. "It''s good to see ya again, lass! Still got some fire in ya like last time?" Gloria nodded eagerly, puffing her chest out. "Yes! I''ve been giving it my all during our missions! Liam can be my witness to that¡­ even if he ran ahead a few times." Roark chuckled, attempting to frazzle the Vulpix''s head tuft. "I keep telling this lot - my sister is one of a kind. She''s packin'' quite a lot of skill in that nerdy brain of he- ow!" He rubbed the part of his ankle where the Vulpix jabbed her paw into. "And she''s been helping me a lot in the kitchen as well!" Leafeon chimed in. "Yup, Maria- I mean Gloria knows I like all my Figy Berries extra cooked!" Charizard added. Rockruff almost started salivating. "The stuff they make is soooo good! Like yesterday there was a-" He also received a jab from his partners. Garchomp flashed her razor sharp teeth. "Where we''re going today¡­ you''re gonna need that fire more than ever, Gloria." She shot Aggron and Tyranitar a look. "Isn''t that right, boys?" Only a modest shrug came from Tyranitar. "I was still a Pupitar at the time, but Aggron isn''t ready, says he." The steel goliath bumped a fist into the Dark-type. "Now you''ve gone and done it. Slandering my name like that." "You deserve it, motormouth." "Why I outta-" Both got a talon to the face, courtesy of a certain Dragon-type. Monferno snorted at the display, flicking an ear. "C''mon, what''s so difficult about this mountain? It''s got a lot of Mystery Dungeons - big deal." Roark also flicked the Fire-type''s ear, much to his dismay. "Wait, so you superstar''s already explored the mountain? Any reason to be back at that tall Drilbur hill?" "We have always wanted to return to Celestial Mountain, but got caught up in a lot of our adventures over the years," Garchomp said. "We didn''t get far in our expedition in the past, mostly because of your Guildmaster''s actions." Staravia flew around wildly, nearly throwing Joltik off his back in his frantic state. "No w-way! You guys and the G-Guildmaster explored together?!" "Aye, but not just him, lad. Us and Team Moonlight go way back. We''re just as interested in this potential truth like Scizor and Jackson are," Aggron noted. Garchomp sighed fondly, letting the memories flood back in. "That Lucario is quite like the mountain itself - a secret. But since we''re here to crack ''em, then we''re gonna make sure this is the last time we have to come here."
Liam squeezed his way through the many Pok¨¦mon present, all of them in the way of his goal of finding a better vantage point of the whole event. Eventually, the sound of marching grew louder and louder as he clambered on top of a nearby wooden box to get a better view. But once he managed to climb up, what he witnessed didn''t disappoint. Almost in perfect synchrony, the guards went row by row, their aged brown coats drifting with them. They threw their legs up into the air, bringing them down with immense force, advancing further into the city''s heart. The strange weapons placed against their chests were also tipped with pointy bayonets, begging for an enemy to get up close and personal with. A shower of victorious and vibrant confetti rained down on the guards, along with the deafening cheers, whistles, and hollers of the crowd. Liam knew military parades were supposed to be impressive and flashy to promote patriotism in Pokemon, but he couldn''t help but feel overwhelmed by it all. The only guards he remembered were the plain looking ones from Empyrean City. "It''s pretty wicked, innit?" "GAH!" Liam nearly sent the frail box toppling, but managed to steady himself. He immediately locked eyes with the steel feathered avian flapping his wings beside him. "Corviknight?" The Pok¨¦mon tapped his armored chest with a wing. "That''d be me, mate. Enjoying the parade?" Liam blinked in response, "Uh¡­ yeah? It''s um¡­ actually really cool!" Corviknight shrugged, "Maybe if you''re a civilian. But the entire march puts a lot of strain on us bloke''s." He watched the guard''s journey through the streets with a sly smirk. "Glad I got to skip out on it this year¡­" "Wait¡­ you''re a guard of the Council?" "Yyyup!" The bird tapped his chest with a wing again. "For nearly two years at that. ''Mons are nice, but the pay is pretty shit, I''d say," he grumbled. Liam needed to ask a question that he never seemed to get an answer on. "I''ve heard a lot about the Council, but what is it exactly?" Corviknight looked appalled, "What?! You live on Celestic and have no clue what the Council is?" "I''m, uh¡­ foreign?" Silence took over the pair for a solid second, until the Steel-type began to snicker under his breath. "Mate, you''re pretty weird, but I guess that''s typical for foreigners." He shook his head. "Anyways, the Council is like a body of government, right? They''re the ones who set up all the authority and laws on the continent. " Liam racked his brain, "So if it''s a Council, then who is representing everyone?" "Mayors, or more specifically, mayors from well populated cities like Elysium, Empyrean, and Watersong. Each region of Celestic has members of the Council, and all get their input on certain things." Corviknight smirked. "Did ya see Primarina''s show last night at the festival?" "Yeah, but what about it?" "Guess what - that singer is the mayor of Watersong City in the Shore Region, which means she''s also part of the Council." That was certainly a lot to think about for the Fighting-type. "That''s the gist of it, and-" Corviknight stopped his spiel upon noticing the banjo strapped around the Riolu''s back. "Hey, glad to see you''re still tugging that thing around." Liam followed his gaze. "Thanks, I think it means a lot to me, too¡­" "Innit crazy how music always holds a special place in our hearts?" Corviknight flapped his wings. "Anyways, I''ve gotta fly before my superiors notice this bird is gone. Been nice seeing you, Riolu." "Liam." "... Liam." The crow saluted the Riolu with a single wing, leaping into the air with a great big ''woosh'', beating his wings and flying off into the sky without a moment''s notice. Liam watched the Steel-type vanish from his sights, reflecting on the words of the watchful but friendly avian. Music really did hold a special place in his heart.
They were almost there. Roark whistled, tossing the remainders of his Aspear Berry off the side of the Mudsdale carriage. "A banjo? Heck, I''ve gotta show you how good I am with my acoustic guitar some time." He nudged the Vulpix beside him with an elbow. "Right, sis? I know how much you loved me sending you off to bed with it." Gloria went deep in thought. "That was so long ago¡­ I can hardly remember." "Ah, but I do!" Roark retorted, raising a claw. "And I remember when you were so tired that you would start drooling all over your books." She frowned. "Thanks for the reminder..." "No prob, sis." Liam stood against the carriage''s railing, staring off into the distance. It was a perfect day, blue skies all around with the sun shining on their backs. But he was more interested in the looming figure of a mountain before them. ''We''re so close!'' As the Mudsdale pounded the firm rocky ground, they inched closer and closer to their destination. The shadowy image that was once part of the horizon was now fully revealed to the envoy of explorers and guild members alike. Vast grasslands turned into enormous mountainous terrain, teeming with all sorts of cliff faces, caves, forests, and jaw dropping waterfalls and rivers. A sort of mist seemed to roll in around the mountain''s side, shrouding whatever existed on its surface or within the cracks in its tall and grandiose appearance. ''We''re here! We''re actually here!'' It took a lot of willpower for Liam to not jump out. The Mudsdale grinded to a halt, spewing mud and other bits of earth in their wake. After the long ride to the mountain, everyone eagerly climbed out of their respective carriages, grouping up near a large boulder wedged into a grassy hill. There were a few bouts of excited chatter amongst those organized, only to be stopped once Jackson broke free and stood in front of everyone else, arms crossed behind his back. "Listen up! We are now beginning our expedition of Celestial Mountain starting now! We are to break up into three teams to take on different parts of the mountain." He thrusted a paw to the left of him. "For the first team, I want Team Blazingheart, Evergreen, Static, and Nightshade!" A chorus of ''yes'', and a few ''no'' emanated from the group, the chosen beginning to assemble into their makeshift teams. Jackson pointed to his right. "For the second team, I want Team Drarosteel, Gloria, Roark, Charizard, and Scizor!" Liam raised a brow. ''Wait a second. Why am I not with-'' "For the final team¡­ it will be myself and Liam." ''What?!'' Scizor was just as confused, stepping forward. "Guildmaster, I don''t see why me and Charizard aren''t accompanying you-" Jackson narrowed his eyes. "This is final, Scizor." "... Yes, Guildmaster." The Bug-type retreated to his team''s spot. The Shiny Lucario motioned to the large bags and backpacks still on board the carriages. "Grab the supplies you will need for the few days we will spend hiking up the mountain. If you have located something, then your job is to contact me through your ELE." His eyes glazed over the Pok¨¦mon present. "Any questions?" Silence. "Then the expedition begins now. Split up and we will dissect this mountain for good." As soon as the Guildmaster''s parting words were over, the team''s began the process of selecting the gear needed for the arduous trek up Celestial Mountain. Liam felt himself getting nervous at the thought of teaming up with the Guildmaster himself, but swallowed that fear and followed the Lucario back to the carriages. "Take these backpacks, Liam. Scizor has put most of your belongings in them." The Riolu followed orders, jostling the quite heavy rectangular backpack around himself. Once the two of them were situated, Jackson led him across the quiet valley of boulders and rocks, straight towards Celestial Mountain. This adventure that Liam has been waiting to start for so long just began. "This is a mountain of secrets, Liam. We are here to fully uncover them¡­"
This is a world of secrets. Some are meant to be discovered, while others not.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: The Magnagate Investigation Project The Magnagate Investigation Project Chapter 17 The Magnagate Investigation Project It began in the blink of an eye. Flashing through the blue irises of Gloria, the earthy and compact ground beneath their paws started expanding greatly. The inky black sky surrounding their vision morphed into one of a cliffside in the early afternoon, the faux sun in the sky baking the rocks in heat, with fake wispy clouds drifting just above their heads. A great rumbling shook the dungeon''s floor as walls of jagged rock, grass mounds, and trees erupted out of the terrain, separating the rooms in an artificially constructed maze of narrow corridors. "Do you ever stop gawking at these things, sis?" her brother called from behind, trudging forward. The Vulpix blinked in response, brought back into reality. "I think Liam was right¡­ It never gets old seeing this." Roark meandered around the room, swiftly picking up any orb or elemental seed that materialized on its artificial floor and stuffing it into his large mane. "Of course he would say that. Hey, speaking of¡­" He cocked his head back at her. "Did the Guildmaster tell you beforehand that he would snag the kid for his own group?" Gloria lowered her head, frowning. "No, he didn''t. We''ve waited so long to go together, and now it''s not gonna happen¡­" The Zoroark was quick to comfort her. "No need to worry, sis. You''re dealing with a master illusionist!" A flash of white light enveloped the Dark-type before it quickly retreated. Now standing where the tall fox once stood was a much smaller Riolu, paws on its hip and a goofy smile etched on its muzzle. Roark then imitated the voice and slight accent of her partner. "Hey, y''all! Who wants to go out and explore a random forest? Then we can throw Blast Seeds at mon''s faces!" The mimicry was enough to rouse Gloria out of her funk, a healthy dose of giggles escaping her. "That-" She struggled to speak between her laughter. "-Does sound a bit like him. You do a good impression, but, um¡­ don''t tell him I said that." Roark freely batted one of his illusionary aura tassels. "Nah, I think I will." "Roark!" "Alright, alright. Let''s just get this stupid dungeon over with already." White light encased the faux Riolu, a smirking Zoroark now standing in its place. He waved a claw at the Vulpix to follow, who stuck behind as they traversed the winding open halls of the dungeon. But Roark couldn''t help but give a second thought. "I think I play a good him, since we already share a lot in common." Realization struck Gloria hard.
After climbing the final staircase of the Mystery Dungeon, darkness flooded their vision, the surrounding dungeon walls vanishing with the darkness. It culminated in them being spat out near the mouth of a cave entrance. They found themselves on the famed steep and jagged cliffs of Celestial Mountain, a breathtaking view below of the untamed grasslands and ocean of pine trees, all nestled together in an untamed forest. Blinding, but now real afternoon light bathed their surroundings, shattering on the rugged terrain, a rush of cool mountain air accompanying. Gloria felt her vision return, her guilt still remaining inside, eating at her conscience. Roark had put her worries to ease with a little talk, but she couldn''t shrug off that feeling of lying to someone close in her gut. Even after a streak of confidence, her judgement was still clouded by natural worry. Before she could think more about it, a crimson claw lightly flicked her snout, causing her to stumble back quite literally into reality. Gloria scrunched up her muzzle, touching it with a paw. "Roark! Why''d you do that?!" "Because I think we''ve reached our second checkpoint." He scoured the steep cliffs, before his sharp eyes caught figures in the distance. "It''s our lucky day after all¡­ c''mon!" Roark broke off into a sprint, towards the huddled figures atop an even steeper cliff a few meters away. Gloria sent away her troubled thoughts and scrambled after her brother. "Slow down!" Gloria heaved out, her paws aching. Roark chuckled at her tardiness. "I''ll race ya there!" ''Ugh¡­'' Gloria bemoaned in her mind. As they hastily approached, the blurry figures morphed into the appearance of their group, saddlebags that matched their natural colors strapped around their bodies. They were seemingly engaged in a friendly conversation, which was halted once a smirking Zoroark plopped down from the cliff face beside them. Charizard sensed an attack, extending his orange leathery wings and whipping around, flames licking his jaw, before realizing the sneaky intruder was a friend and not a foe. "Roark?" The flames dissipated. "When''d you drop in, bud?" "Just now, big guy. You guys see anything cool yet?" Roark scoured their vast mountainous surroundings. "Or any locals? Swore I saw a few ''mons on the hike up here." Scizor followed the fox''s eyes, just as confused. "Locals? Are you positive you weren''t seeing things?" Garchomp tilted her head at the fox''s claims, "I''ve heard rumors of a group of Pok¨¦mon living in Celestial Mountain long ago, but the last time we were - we didn''t find any other ''mons." "She''s tellin'' the truth, lad." Aggron added. "Not a single soul in sight that day. Was quite eerie, right, Tyranitar?" The Rock-type beside him barely moved. "All I remember is your stupid tail in my face." "Shut it, rock face." "Make me, lead belly." Just before the two could bicker some more, Gloria finally caught up with the illusion fox, huffing and puffing away her weary lungs. She looked up from her position, catching the entire group staring back at her. Her muzzle burned. "Hi¡­ every¡­ one." Garchomp chuckled at her embarrassed gaze, stomping forward and extending a large talon for Gloria to lean her body on and take a breather. "Didja keep your cool all the way up to the checkpoint? It''s been a long few days, hasn''t it?" Ever since the entire guild arrived here, their long trek up on the mountain was not a simple walk in the park. Instead of normally scaling the cliffs, they resorted to using the many Mystery Dungeons that dotted the landscape to slingshot their way to various checkpoints. To be able to explore a place the Vulpix only read about before was exciting to say the least, but a monumental task. "Thanks, Garchomp. And yes, it has¡­ but we haven''t found anything either." Gloria said with a frown. "She speaks the truth," Roark added. "Nothing but valleys, craters, and the occasional yawn here and there." Scizor bowed his head to the fox''s words. "Your experiences are akin to ours, I''m afraid." His head perked back up. "But if our goal is to explore this mountain entirely, then we shall." Garchomp sighed, "Might have to at this rate. Whatever''s existed here long ago isn''t just gonna be in our path." Gloria tugged on her scarf. "Maybe we could talk with the other groups? Maybe they''ve found something after their checkpoints¡­" Her suggestion earned her the curious eyes of everyone in the group. "Unless you''ve... already spoken with them?" she managed to squeak out. A red pincer from Scizor glided across his personal red saddlebag, retrieving a Minun-like device that was attached to the cloth. He turned the round dial on its ''face'', the screen now displaying a different number. "No, we haven''t. Orders by the Guildmaster were to contact him if something was located, which has not. Yet, I believe you''re right in contacting the other group for possible knowledge." His pincer then flicked the switch on the ELE''s side as he spoke into its speaker. "Monferno, do you read?" Beyond the noise of crackling and harsh static, a familiar arrogant voice pierced through, meeting the group''s ears. "Loud and clear, Scizor. Shoot." "Has your team uncovered anything or interest since the last checkpoint?" "Nope, unless you count weird looking rock formations, which I don''t." "Rock formations?" Scizor adopted an analytical look. "Can you elaborate on those?" "Ugh, Rockruff thinks- oof!" The sounds of a brief struggle came through the ELE''s speakers. "Will ya¡­ let GO of my arm, Rockruff!" A new boy-ish voice then shouted through the speaker. "No! Scizor, can you hear me? Tell the Guildmaster that I definitely saw a deer looking statue near our last checkpoint! It''s-" Rockruff was cut off by more sounds of struggling through the speaker as another voice took over, a bit gruffer than the previous. "Scizor! Shaymin''s not following the group! She''s flying above the Mystery Dungeons and not entering them with everyone else!" Mightyena yipped. "Send your complaints to Indeedee, dweeb!" the voice of the Pok¨¦mon in question shouted back, barely hitting the speakers. "Ugh." Scizor gulped. "Please, everyone. Just-" A cacophony of voices exploded from the ELE''s speakers, drowning out the Bug-type''s attempts to defuse the situation. Roark then stepped in, beckoning a claw at the ELE in Scizor''s grasp. "Lemme talk to them." "That''s not¡­" Scizor suddenly flinched at the device''s increase of volume, the group behind the speakers getting more and more volatile. He reluctantly handed the ELE over to Roark, who brought it to his mouth. "Ahem¡­ SHUT UP!" The ELE went quiet. "Now, Mony¡­ you read?" The sound of something being snatched away came through the speakers as the voice of Monferno returned, a bit peeved. "Make it quick, Roark." "Rockruff mentioned he saw a statue near your second checkpoint. That true?" A sigh travelled through the speakers. "Yes, he did¡­ apparently. He said he also saw you guys, too. Think the mountain air is getting to his small brain or something." Roark did a double take, swerving his confused look over at Scizor. "How close are we to the other group?" Confusion filled the Bug-type''s stare at the yellow device. "The Guildmaster and I have gone over the maps countless times. Our checkpoints are spread far apart - there''s no chance that it was us." "That''s what I told him!" Monferno shouted. "Anyways, we''re gonna get moving. We might just reach the peak by tomorrow - who knows. I''m sick of being this group''s babysitter..." "Aww, c''mon," Roark said, attempting to coax him. "Show a little leadership for dear Braixen." Monferno''s response was instantaneous and angry. "The first thing I''m gonna do when we''re back is suggest your retirement to the Guildm-" The device''s dial was turned by a red claw, stifling any further remarks. Roark flipped the ELE''s side switch, handing it back to Scizor with a grin staining his features. "Well, maybe we have a little look-see for ourselves?" "We can''t¡­ right?" Gloria intervened. "We have to stick to our group''s goal." Charizard nodded. "Jack is pretty uptight about these sorts of things. And I don''t want to put all my faith in a hyperactive little canine." "Aye," Aggron confirmed. " But, we could be leaving behind a worthy find, you think?" His words spurred Garchomp to send the overwhelmed Bug-type a reassuring look. "What do you think, Scizor? Can we manage a little detour?" With all eyes on him, Scizor squirmed slightly at the pressure. "I¡­ perhaps we could. We are supposed to stick to our group''s side, but the main mission is to investigate¡­" Garchomp rested a large talon on his shoulder. "I''m sure Jackson will understand. C''mon, we might just find what we''ve been looking so long for on this damn mountain." The avid researcher stared at the talon, contemplating the dragon''s encouragement. He sighed, letting her talon slide off his shoulder as he opened his saddlebag, retrieving a map with his pincers. "We should have enough time to get back to our checkpoint before sundown. Let''s go."
"W-Woah!" Gloria watched with trepidation, her forepaws shuffling together as bits of sediment crumbled off the cliff face where she stood, falling into the dreaded depths of the valley. Her group watched from below, waiting for her to finally make the leap down. From her perspective, she could be a million feet from them, leaving her natural fears to stew. ''Why¡­'' "C''mon, sis! We''re burning daylight out here." "Just¡­ give me a second." She had watched her reckless partner jump from heights countless times through their adventures, but always tried to find the easier way down herself. Unfortunately for her, there was no easy down, with a graceless slide down the rugged terrain her only ticket back to regrouping. Requiring that extra push like so many times before, she glanced back at the group, finding the sturdy leader of Team Drarosteel staring straight through her, unconsciously sending her the same message everyone else had. Jump. Swallowing her fear, the Vulpix closed her eyes, before leaping from her safe position on the cliff and into the annals of the valley below. Her descending body collided with the gravely surface encasing the cliff, scraping her fur as she tumbled beside her group with a ''thud''. She had little time to react before her chuckling brother scooped her up off the ground, placing her upright. "That''s the spirit, sis! Get dirty!" "Ugh," was her response. With her daring rendezvous a success, the group continued their trek through the mountain''s many steep valleys. Bringing out the map from his saddlebag, Scizor inspected the roughly drawn area on their surroundings, honing in on the circled areas. "We''re getting closer to their third checkpoint, so be on the lookout for the campsite." "On it," Charizard said, swiftly spreading his wings and taking to the skies. Tyranitar kept a watchful eye on the tall hills dotting their surroundings. "Or those ''mons that kid supposedly saw. Native tribes in the Mountain Region always bring their ''warriors'' out against so called invaders." Aggron scoffed. "You''re gettin'' your wee little head a bit too paranoid. Nobodies bothered livin'' ''ere for centuries." The Tyranitar ''tched'' at his response. "Think you''re just scared of gettin'' roughed up by one of ''em." "Are ye mad?!" Aggron yelled. As the two bickered, Gloria attempted to heed Scizor''s words, scanning her vicinity for remnants of the other group''s camp. Left to her own devices, the Vulpix''s mind wandered, sending her right into her sour mood from before. It wasn''t until the sounds of weighted footsteps beside her that the troubling thoughts withered away. "Being in a team is quite the handful, you think?" Garchomp said, chuckling at the display occurring in front of them. Gloria snapped her head to the grizzled veteran beside her. "Uh¡­ it can be sometimes." Her thoughts immediately swarmed of times where her partner would wander off. "But I can be quite a handful, too." Garchomp laughed tenderly, "So can I - I''m not an easy woman to work with as well sometimes. I haven''t seen much of your Riolu friend''s antics, but I know you, Gloria." She grew a sharp grin. "And I liked what I saw of our little scuffle back then. Need I remind you?" "That''s¡­ the thing," Gloria exhaled wearily. "Everyone always says that I''m doing a good job, and has such high expectations of me. But, I just feel - I don''t know - inadequate?" She flinched upon saying the last word. It was a while until the Dragon-type responded, reflecting on her familiar words. "You know¡­ when I lived back in my old village, my mom was practically famous there. Kinda like what some ''mons would attribute to my team nowadays." Garchomp''s features softened. "Hearing about her exploits all the time, the adventures she would endure¡­ it all just made me feel... so inadequate in comparison to her." Gloria blinked. "... Really?" A nod from the sand shark was her response. "It wasn''t until my mother disappeared that I left the village, in pursuit of her, or... maybe just to be free of that life I was so familiar with." Garchomp stared fondly at the mist ridden valleys of their environment. "I didn''t think a regular girl like me back then had the tenacity that my mom did, but here I am now." Garchomp looked down at the Vulpix''s stunned face. "Speaking to you, a spitting image of myself, who still shackles to her instincts." "You... really think that?" "You think I don''t?" Garchomp chuckled. "I don''t make offers of personal training to every ''mon I see, you know. You looked like someone who needed an extra push to get what she wants." It was nothing new to Gloria. All throughout her life, the Vulpix had her family and friends behind her, pushing her towards her dreams that seemed so far away. Following her parent''s footsteps, venturing into her first Mystery Dungeon, even joining the Cosmic Quilt Guild. All of this was done because she needed that push, and she was sick of it. "I know, and I''m tired of it - tired of worrying about if I can do¡­ anything!" She stamped a paw into the ground. "I just want to stop feeling so bad about myself all the time." "Same reason why I left my own village. Sometimes, you just need to leave your comfort zone and brave whatever life throws at you." Gloria trained her eyes on the Zoroark walking the trail in front, looking downcast. "I''ve promised I would, but fulfilling it just feels so daunting and out of my reach. I wish I could just have my dream in front of me already." "The world stops for no one, Gloria." "Huh?" The Vulpix stopped in her tracks momentarily. "You can''t just wish forever about something, and then expect it to drop in your lap." Garchomp laughed fondly. "If I never left my village, I''d still be a regular farm girl, sulking about my mom being annoying, or dreams I never followed." Her features became resolute. "What are you fighting for, Gloria?" The Vulpix cocked her head. "What do you mean¡­?" "The reason you''re here right now, in the guild of all places. You obviously weren''t forced here. And I never forgot that fire in your eye last time we met. So, are you seeking glory?" Gloria mouthed that word. "Glory?" "Everyone wants it, right? But, you know only some can have it. Not everyone gets a happy ending¡­" "I¡­" The Vulpix''s heart tensed, trying to find the right words. "I want to be a hero, okay?" She shuffled her paws together. "I want to know that I made my mark on the world, and made it a better place at least. I do¡­ I do want glory." Garchomp grinned. "Big dreams for such a tiny Pok¨¦mon, eh?" "H-Hey!" She was not tiny. The dragon''s grin became sincere. "Which is a good thing, since we''re both in this together." Gloria stopped her pouting. "Together?" Garchomp displayed her talons. "Even gals as old as me have dreams that they haven''t fulfilled yet. There''s places I''ve never been, Pok¨¦mon that I¡­ have yet to reconcile with." Her scaly cheeks reddened, eyes shimmering a little. "And even then, the idea of being a thought of as a hero is still fresh in my mind. So, maybe we could take this road together?" Gloria''s heart fluttered in her chest at the dragon''s suggestion, opening her mouth to reciprocate, only for a loud flapping noise above to halt said reply. She looked up, gulping at the orange entity dropping straight down towards her at breakneck speeds. The Vulpix quickly stepped back, letting the orange blur smack into the earth as Charizard flexed his wings. "Sorry ''bout that, Sarah." He snapped his attention towards Scizor before Gloria could correct him. "Yo, Sciz, the camp is just a couple dozen yards away." "Aye, then use your scaly behind to lead us to it," Aggron remarked. Charizard snorted, producing gusts of steam from his nostrils. "No need to tell me. Consider it done." He flapped his wings again, shooting off into a different direction, albeit a bit slower than before. The group followed the Fire-type, cutting across the trail and clambering past the numerous cliffs and ravine-like scars inflicted on the mountain''s extensive surface. They passed a clearing of trees, where the remains of a campsite rested on its heart, the glowing embers of its long since extinguished campfire still smoldering. "Hey, looks like they still left some goodies for us," Roark said, immediately descending upon the leftover tents propped up along the grass. Gloria sighed, slogging after her brother to stop his inevitable ransacking. Scizor glanced around. "If what Rockruff stated is correct, this ''statue'' should be observable from the camp." Garchomp assisted his efforts, scrutinizing their hilly surroundings. "Do you think it could be some old native landmark? They use those a lot in the Mountain Region." "Perhaps," Scizor noted. "It could otherwise be the remains of a ruin." Roark emerged from one of the tents with Gloria behind him, munching on a Sitrus Berry. "Or maybe itsch one of those schecret lever tchings," he spoke with a full mouth before swallowing his fill and shooting Gloria a curious look. "Don''t they have those in the books you read?" "Uh¡­ sort of?" Charizard circled around the camp, until his eyes became fixated on a strange rock formation overlooking the clearing. He soared over to get a better look, roaring to the befuddled group below. "Hey! Is this the rock thing that kid was yapping about?" Garchomp stopped to gaze upward. "That''s¡­ what is that?" Just resting atop a cliff was the supposed ''statue'' that Rockruff had spotted. Its tannish colored rock was seemingly etched to take the form of a deer-like creature. It appeared that time had eaten away at its long since smooth visage. Chips and dents were present everywhere on the stone, sometimes with entire chunks of tan rock removed through damage. From the looks of it, the statue was a quadruped that stood on four spindly legs, with a bushy tail coming from its backside. However, the most striking features were the long antlers that sprouted from the statue''s thin face. Scizor scrutinized the figure. "This is¡­ a Pok¨¦mon?" Garchomp hesitantly nodded. "Has to be. No way something like this could form naturally." "Let''s get a closer look," Scizor replied, fluttering his insect-like wings and scaling the cliff. Once the group was situated near the statue, they began to examine it, attempting to figure out its foggy identity. "Stantler?" Tyranitar wondered out loud. "Or maybe one of those Sawsbuck lads?" "Can''t be. Look at the size of the antlers on this one!" Aggron argued. Roark ran his claws around the statue''s sides, feeling for something. "Hmmm¡­ nope!" Gloria tilted her head. "What do you mean ''nope''?" "No hidden switch to be found." She frowned in exasperation, glaring at her playful brother. Roark''s attention shifted to something beyond the statue. "Well, maybe it does have a purpose?" He extended a claw directly in front of him. Said claw was pointing to a cave entrance just a few yards away, nearly obscured by large pine trees. Large boulders were blocking its gaping maw, denying entry to all who came across it. A layer of mossy foliage carpeted the hunks of rock, further camouflaging it amongst the trees. "A cave?" Charizard furrowed his brow at the Zoroark. "Come on, stop playing, Roark. There''s hundreds of caves on this damn mountain!" Scizor stepped forward, analyzing the surrounding area for further clues. His eyes caught a glance of rusted mining tools wedged into the ground, caked with muck and nearly blending in with the dirt. Even the cavern''s entrance was unnaturally carved inward from the outside, presumably by Pokemon themselves. The Bug-type quickly formed a hypothesis. "This must''ve been a mine of some sorts. But there hasn''t been any activity of this scale on Celestial Mountain for thousands of years¡­" "Either that''s a lie," Roark spoke up, a grin splitting his muzzle. "Or we''ve just hit the ancient jackpot." "You just might be right, Roark," Garchomp said slowly, stomping her way over to the blocked off entrance. She snatched up one of the rusty tool''s off the ground, eyeing it intensely. "Hmm, not sure if this is as old as I imagine this place is. Maybe some group brought this equipment here to dig it out?" Scizor racked his brain for the truth, but found only one answer "I suppose¡­ that this is an actual ruin." His heart began to race, uncontrollable thoughts racing through his head. "Then that means it''s possible that we¡­" He trailed off as Garchomp gave him a knowing smirk. "No need to finish that sentence, Scizor. I understand your thinking loud and clear." She angled her head over at Aggron and Tyranitar, who returned her determined gaze. "Shall we?" Aggron chuckled. "No need to tell me twice, ma''am." Both Aggron and a silent Tyranitar trudged over to the mine''s mouth, stopping near the gigantic boulders that impeded their progress. The two teammates then began thrashing the moss covered rocks with powerful physical attacks, cracking and shattering many of the stone obstacles in their way. Garchomp returned her attention to the rest of the group. "Anyone else want to join in on the fun?" Gloria winced, dodging the shower of pebbles created by the rampaging duo. "Wait! Are we really entering this place?" She looked towards Scizor for answers. "Yes, Gloria," Scizor replied, his mind already made up. "Garchomp and I see potential in uncovering this abandoned mine. If nothing of note is found, we will return to our planned route." His lips curled into a small smile. "But, if we do¡­" The Vulpix gulped, but understood completely. For around a half an hour, the members of the group slowly chipped away at the blockage with their combined attacks, be it physical or special. Despite their efforts, it seemed the bundle of boulders was too much of a hassle for even the largest of members. They then took a break from the strenuous task, while Roark combed through the tiny peepholes that gave a window to the inside. What he could see was a dark, narrow shaft completely buried by rock and other pieces of rubble. "Pssh, no way in hell we''re getting in." Scizor''s chest tightened. "Don''t tell me¡­" "Yeah¡­ the wooden structures holding it all up must''ve rotted to shit a long time ago, and the entire tunnel just collapsed." He shrugged, waltzing over to rest his back on the cliff walls beside the mine''s entrance. "I know they say ''no stone left unturned'', but this would be an imposs-" As soon as Roark''s back touched the cliff wall, he fell backwards, phasing straight through the stone. "ROARK!" Gloria ran forward, ignoring her instincts and the bewildered shouts of her teammates as she charged into the seemingly fake wall, quickly being absorbed by the translucent and portal-like surface. Before she knew it, she reached the other side, the clamoring of warnings by her group now deaf. Her body tumbled down a sloped rock wall, roughly sliding through layers of crunchy gravel and other sediment. The Vulpix''s descent down would end as she was spat out in the middle of the cave''s chamber, right next to another Pokemon. "I thought knights came in shining armor, not fur." Gloria''s ear perked up. "Roark?" Her head snapped around in different directions. "Where are you?!" A single red claw was raised by the cave''s floor, belonging to a Zoroark lying on the ground with an arm resting over his belly. The fox was immediately tackled into a hug by a very worried but also happy Vulpix. "Don''t scare me like that again" Gloria scolded, squeezing his chest. She suddenly stopped, backing up as worry flashed across her face. "Wait, are you hurt?!" Roark chuckled through a cough, wiping some dust off his shoulder. "Just my dignity." He stood up, casting a confused glance around their mystifying location. "Now, where the hell did we end up anyways?" Before they could get a proper grasp on their surroundings, two Pokemon emerged from the mirror-like wall in which they came - Garchomp and Scizor. They too slid down the gravely slope, ending up on their backs right beside the two siblings. "Gloria! Roark!" Garchomp yelled in surprise, picking herself up. "Glad you two are safe!" Scizor stood up, adjusting his saddlebag and throwing a look at the wall they appeared out of. "That was¡­ that was¡­" "Certainly not supposed to be there," Garchomp finished for him. "I think it''s one of those Psychic-type illusion doorways - the ones that camouflage themselves." Roark threw his arms up, baffled. "First off, they can do that? Second off, who would bother to put near the most random location on this mountain so they can humiliate the local Zoroark!" A toothy grin found itself on Garchomp''s muzzle. "Yes, Psychic-types can produce this kind of thing. However, it takes a very powerful Pokemon to do so, which only raises more questions than answers." Gloria gasped. "Do you think there''s a Pokemon that lives here? Maybe¡­ they did it so they can''t be found?" Scizor looked around, noting the cavern''s desolate appearance. "Not likely, this cave looks just as abandoned as the mine, and maybe just extends to it. But¡­ I wonder." Excitement built up his chest yet again. "Maybe¡­ this illusion was created to protect something." Roark whistled, creating an echo. "I like your thinking. When are the big guys up top going to come on in? They can''t fit or something?" Garchomp laughed. "No, they can''t, but they opted to stay and keep guard while we find out just what''s down here." She marched forward, evaluating the cavern encasing them. The group of four were smackdab in the middle of a large naturally formed chamber, with a tall but narrow passageway leading further into the cave''s depths. Large aqua colored crystal-like structures grew from the walls, acting as imposing stalagmites and stalactites. They glowed intensely, washing the cavern with a calming blue glow. "This¡­ is a crystal cave?" Scizor gathered. "It''s rare to see one that hasn''t been stripped of all its crystals." Garchomp tapped her chin with a talon. "Makes it all the more weird that some ''mon decided to hide an entrance inside. Let''s keep movin''." The group wedged their way into the slender hallway of stone and gleaming crystal, traveling a long distance through it to reach another grand chamber. Yet, this room was to be the greatest shock of all to its newcomers. Large rotting wooden tables, chairs, and other crafted signs of living were strewn about the room. Long since burnt out torches were kept on handles lining the walls, along with large pieces of paper with faded scribbles adorning the damaged pages. An assortment of antiquated measuring tools, bundles of rope, and harnesses littered the floor. Elemental seeds, orbs, and other kinds of dungeon created items were kept in oversized drums, with a few taken out to be placed on shelves or tables. But the most noticeable thing in the room was the enormous shadow that consumed a large portion of the chamber, denying access to beyond - the telltale sign of a Mystery Dungeon. Scizor''s jaw almost dropped. "Have we¡­ finally?" His excitement got the best of him, his wings flaring up as he buzzed around the spacious chamber. "This has to have been a research station. Without a doubt!" He was like a Slurpuff in a candy shop. Garchomp silently agreed, walking further into the room. "Kinda begs the question of what kind of research exactly." Gloria and Roark strolled around the area, gawking at various things that peaked their attention. One item in particular caught the Vulpix''s eyes as she wandered over to investigate. Sitting on top of a busted table was a circular crystal-like object that pulsated vibrantly. The identity of the item escaped her mind, but she knew it was an important find. "Ooh¡­" Roark said, tapping the object in question. "Is that what I think It is?" He chuckled. "Man, those were a lot of fun to use in the Rescue Society." Scizor heard Roark''s voice as he flew over urgently. "What is it?" Garchomp made her way over, holding back the erratic Bug-type with a talon. "Calm down, Scizor." She then observed the strange orb, a smirk crossing her face. "Because we haven''t even seen the best part yet¡­" Scizor followed her gaze, also understanding their findings. "This is¡­ a Projection Crystal? Of course, we''re in a crystal mine. They must have manufactured these here by the dozens." Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Gloria blushed in embarrassment. "Can you¡­ maybe give me a rundown on them again? It''s been such a long time since I''ve read about them." "Now ya done it, sis," Roark remarked. Scizor obliged her requisition, clearing his throat. "The Projection Crystal is an invention from multiple millennia ago. Once the crystal is infused by Psychic-type energy, it will activate and store the user''s memory of an event for a few minutes. Once finished, the crystal can be activated again to display a projection of said memory. This creates a ''bubble'' around the device, which expels the memory''s events to viewers inside of that bubble," he finished, letting out a much needed exhale after his spiel. "They were very rare back then, but are useful in storing knowledge of data, meetings, and other historical events." Roark began to clap, "Thanks for the exposition, Scizor. Now..." He grabbed the crystal. "When are we gonna take a dive into the past?" Garchomp and Scizor exchanged looks, but both knew that there was only one way of knowing what went down in this chamber long ago. The Dragon-type motioned for everyone to follow her, to which they did. She stopped in the center of the room, turning towards the Zoroark holding the orb. "No time like now to see for ourselves what this place was for. Hit it, Roark." Roark chuckled. "As if I wasn''t gonna already." He found an indentation in the orb, pressing the inside of it with a claw. With a clicking noise, the orb''s pulsating state began to fluctuate colors, shifting from a natural aquatic blue to a vibrant blend of purple and pink. Suddenly, a flash of light enveloped the orb, culminating in a release of stored energy. A see through force field flowed from the device, encasing the group surrounding it in a bubble of pink Psychic-type energy. Gloria spun around, watching the strange device begin to create the stationary bodies of Pok¨¦mon from scratch. She felt her heart beat rapidly as the fabricated memories were near completion, and the true Pok¨¦mon behind this hidden place were uncovered before them. None were prepared for what they were about to witness.
The Projection Crystal started recording once it fully vacuumed up the pink psychic energy swirling around it. A tiny fuchsia colored paw placed the orb on a large oval shaped wooden table, allowing it to observe its surroundings. A row of lit torches provided warmth and illuminating yellow light to the otherwise dark and damp antechamber. A weighted paw then stepped towards the table, the flickering hearth of the torches revealing its owner a stern looking Entei. "Now, tell us why you have summoned us to this place, Mew," the Fire-type growled out. "I have duties to return to on the Blaze Continent." More heavy footsteps echoed through the room as yet another Pokemon emerged into the yellow spotlight. Its glossy, pure black body seemed to crackle with a tinge of electricity. Its tail whirred like an engine, a strip of powerful blue voltage emanating from it. Zekrom glowered at the floating Psychic-type. "And I don''t want to keep Reshiram waiting, as she is already expecting me at my shrine." Mew giggled, floating just above the ground as she zipped her lithe form around both of their heads. Once finished, she placed her paws on her hips, straightening her cheery expression. "No need to worry, everyone. I summoned you all here for a very, very important purpose." Zekrom narrowed his crimson eyes. "Reshiram is-" "Coming here, too," Mew finished for him. "Now, if everyone can calm down about their dumb duties, we can get right down to work." "What kind of work did you have in mind, Mew?" a feminine voice clamored from the back, belonging to a peeved Palkia. "This better not be a prank like last time." More outbursts from the decent sized crowd of the Legendary Pokemon began to arise, all focused on a certain Psychic-type. Mew held up a paw. "I will let my mate explain the situation." She zipped away, allowing another small Legendary like herself to emerge from the crowd and take center stage - a Victini. The rabbit-like creature hopped to where Mew once floated, clearing his throat. "Alright! Is everyone paying attention to me?" A grumbling noise emitted from those gathered, clearly uninterested in the two''s exploits. Victini took this as a yes. "Awesome! That means I get to show you all the mysterious thing that popped up here suddenly! If, uh, you haven''t already seen it of course, heh¡­" He sped off towards the end of the chamber, expecting the group to follow. Few did; the remaining higher status Legendaries still skeptical of this entire ordeal. Victini skidded to halt, pointing straight ahead. "Take a look! Isn''t it strange?" Just a couple feet from where the Victini stood was a colossal, almost pitch-black shadow that nearly reached the cavern''s tall ceiling. No light seemed to pass through its void-like appearance. Virizion stepped back slightly, shocked at the anomaly before her. "Victini¡­ what is this thing?" The Fire-type shrugged, "Wouldn''t have a clue, I''m afraid. The Excadrill miners told me that they were leaving the mine because of constant headaches, and this shadow just¡­ appeared¡­ like out of nowhere!" Mew glided over to them, tapping Victini on his shoulder. "Tell them the rest of the story!" Victini perked back up. "Oh! Apparently, a few workers went missing after this shadowy thing appeared, and the king who rules over the workers went to us to unravel this mystery!" Dialga stomped forward, angry at this blasphemy he was hearing. "And you expect us to listen to some commoner king?! My duty is to defend time, not solve mysteries of missing workers at the whims of some random monarch!" Mew sighed, jostling Victini again. "The full story, Victini." The Fire-type''s ear''s shot up. "Oh, right! I told the king that us Legendaries would try and figure out what happened, since his kingdom is busy with, uh¡­ war and stuff, I guess." "You spoke for us?!" Dialga roared with righteous rage. "You do not have the authority to do such a thing! You are wasting precious time that could be used for far important mat-" "Come on, Dialga!" Victini interrupted, frustrated. "No Pokemon even has the power to mess with time!" "Why, you insolent little-" "ENOUGH!" Mew cried out, shutting the both of them up. "Listen¡­ I think we can all play the ''who has authority'' game all day, but regardless, we''re Legendaries! Our role in this world is absolute." Dialga sputtered in exasperation, "M-mew! Please understand that this is not our fight." "It is our fight, Dialga. You may have forgotten our ancestor''s duties, but we are still here to respect them." "... Fine." Dialga backed off, literally. He then stared into the shadow. "Have you or any of the workers entered this¡­ shadow?" Victini shook his head. "Nope! We''re not actually sure if it''s safe to enter. But, that''s kinda why we''re establishing this whole operation. This could be something really dangerous!" Entei sighed. "Have you any plans for figuring out just what this entity is?" Mew placed a paw under her chin, adopting a thinking pose as Victini did the same. "The king did supply us with a lot of equipment for the job, so¡­ I hope you guys can help us crack this mystery." "Yeah! And, maybe we can gain just a little more trust from the commoners. We''ll be heroes to everyone!" Another round of grumbling and acceptance of plan came from the Legendaries, which gave Victini all the leeway he needed to kickstart everything. The Fire-type flashed his signature victory pose, a symbol of peace and hope with just his two fingers. "Come on, everyone! Let''s get to work!" Mew meandered over to a section of the mine where rows of carts overloading with crystals excavated out of the winding tunnel systems. She grabbed one, showcasing it to the Pokemon present. "We''re in luck! Since this is a crystal mine, we can manufacture our own Projection Crystals to record our research. For every action we take against this thing, I want it recorded on the crystals for future study." Zekrom nodded slowly, "I can''t speak for everyone in this room, but I will abide by your rules, Mew. I hope that this investigation actually leads somewhere." "Thank you, Zekrom, and trust me." She locked eyes with Victini, who returned her gaze and happily waved. "I''ve got a feeling we''ve stumbled upon something big."
A clicking noise was heard as the Projection Crystal turned off, content with its memory collection. The memory projection''s bubble faded away, leaving behind a group of stunned Pok¨¦mon in its wake of discovery. Scizor was the first to break the silence. "L-Legendaries? They were¡­ investigating a Mystery Dungeon!" Garchomp huffed, scratching her chin with a talon. "Kings, too? Celestic hasn''t had monarchs for thousands of years. So, this is what the mountain was hiding from us all this time." Gloria was still reeling from the short experience, her heart thumping loudly in her chest. Never before had she seen so many important Pok¨¦mon in one room. She had only read about the many secret lives of Legendaries, but their interactions were scarcely recorded. ''And¡­ even that Victini wished to be seen as a hero to us regular Pok¨¦mon.'' It was a conviction familiar to herself that stirred her up inside. But, she couldn''t help but ponder what became of this project, why this place was seemingly abandoned. And why the Legendaries of today were still distant to the Pok¨¦mon they swore to protect. "Woah, woah, hold up." Roark said, raising up his arms. He pointed a claw at the shadowy entrance at the chamber''s end. "Does that mean this is the first Mystery Dungeon?" "¡­ Not exactly. It''s possible there were dungeons that went unnoticed in their time." Scizor reasoned. "But, this may just be the first recorded contact between Pok¨¦mon and the Mystery Dungeons!" His stoic voice did little to hide his excitement. "This¡­ just might be the find of the century!" "Millennium, more likely," Garchomp said, looking around in all directions. "That Mew said something about using more Projection Crystals for data collection. Let''s see if we can find more around this room." Everyone was in agreement, scattering to different sections of the mine to scour for orb-like crystals amongst the abandoned setup of equipment. For a while, it seemed the possibility of more answers were out of their grasp. However, Roark was able to find a crystal wedged between some rocks with his keen eyesight, and familiar past of ''finding'' valuables. "We''re in luck, gang." He grabbed the orb and waved it around. "Let''s see where this one takes us." The group gathered in the middle again, preparing themselves for another dive into this hidden past. Roark pressed the indentation within the orb, letting loose a bubble that began to construct the memories of a certain Psychic-type.
Mew set down the activated Projection Crystal on a table before gliding over to the all encompassing shadow. She watched with anxiousness as the walls surrounding the strange shadow were blasted or shredded away by destructive attacks from the rather large amount of Legendaries gathered for this mission. Construction was well underway. Long wooden poles were erected near the shadow''s entrance, bundled with large amounts of tight rope. Their first few tests involved tossing various objects into the void, curious if there was an actual bottom to this quite literal mystery. Attaching the rope from the poles to different items and slowly reeling them in also gave no insight, as the twine would cut off when said item was consumed by its inky black depths. Despite everything they fed to the shadow, the eerie silence that came afterward was the sign that there was no belly for it to drop into. Mew was dumbstruck, thinking of multiple ways to approach this conundrum. Special attacks performed by everyone in the room presented no harm to the shadow, and dropping objects into it was only going to last for so long until they were stumped. Was it a portal to someplace else? A new type of undiscovered move that lingers? The questions were endless, but the answers to which were nil. She knew they needed to get drastic if the circumstances demanded it, and that scared her most of all. Dialga stomped towards a thinking Mew, worry present on his face.. "Palkia and I have been discussing matters of this... ''shadow''. She has come to the theory that this aberration is a crack in spacetime, which somehow manifested in our reality." "She''s¡­ serious, right?" The Psychic-type''s mouth was agape from the claim. "How would we even begin to fix something like that? We don''t have the power of Arceus himself on our side!" "It''s not a conclusion, but I proposed the same question of its origins to the other Legendaries here, and they have not managed to trace down a possible explanation themselves. I fear¡­ that we may have to evacuate the rest of the inhabitants on this mountain if what Palkia hypothesized shows validation." "... Thank you, Dialga." She sighed, retreating back to her thoughts to dig out a new angle to take this project. With the possibility of this being bigger than she could imagine, she needed to take chances with more dire consequences. A Pokemon was needed to enter the shadow. Mew sucked in all her worries with an inhale, grinding her teeth. "Everyone! Stop what you''re doing and come by me!" Although the Pokemon present didn''t wish to stop their efforts, they left their positions and gathered as a collective near the hovering Psychic-type. Mew tried to find her words. "There''s¡­ a way we can determine the potential danger of what we''re dealing with. We... need-" "To send someone in, right?" Victini suddenly chimed in, looking straight up at his partner. Mew stared back quizzically. "... Yes. We do, but-" "I''ll do it." Murmurs and harsh whispers broke out amongst the Legendaries, with shouts of disbelief from his proclamation. Mew herself was too shocked to utter anything back; the thought of her mate entering that thing was a weight too heavy for her conscience to bear. "Victini! We have no knowledge of what even lies within that shadow!" Dialga warned. "If you enter, you may never even come out!" Mew held a paw to her rapidly beating heart, floating in front of the Fire-type. "Don''t do this. We can just¡­ find someone who''s willing, okay?" Victini shook his head, "No, I want it to be me. I brought you guys all into this mess, and I wanna prove that we can fix this!" Despite his obvious insanity to the Mew, she couldn''t help but appreciate his stupidly selfless way of approaching things. "Victini¡­" She smiled amidst the wave of conflicting feelings crashing inside her, a tear forming in her eye. "I won''t... stop you from leaving, idiot. Just¡­ please come back." They exchanged a brief nuzzle as Victini backed off, his resolve clear. "The world stops for no one, Mew. It''s time I put my Pok¨¦ where my mouth is, y''know?" She didn''t say anything back, just hoping her partner would be back safe and sound. "You have my deepest respects," Zekrom proclaimed, to the many nodding heads of everyone in the chamber. "I bid you a safe journey, and a hero''s return¡­" Victini took a deep breath, sending an emotional Mew a parting glance, before hopping towards the shadow''s entrance, taking in its feeling of vast emptiness. He then suddenly turned around, flashing his sign of victory. "See you all in a bit!" The Fire-type entered the shadow not a moment later, vanishing into the void of uncertainty.
The fabricated bodies of the Legendaries vanished once the projection ended, leaving the group of four still curious about the events that transpired here long ago. "Well then..." Roark flicked a claw. "That little rabbit dude might''ve been the first Pokemon to enter a Mystery Dungeon." Gloria felt chills invading her senses after the event of Victini''s heroism played out before her. She had read so much about the selfless acts of fictional characters within novels, but couldn''t imagine someone enduring the task of voyaging into some place so daunting at the risk of losing everything. "Yeah, but we need to know what became of him, or this entire project," Garchomp mentioned, whipping her gaze around the room. "But I don''t see any more Projection Crystals around." Roark scoffed. "That¡­ can''t be it, right?" Gloria needed to know more about this project''s fate. She couldn''t let this be the end of their journey here, so she spoke up. "Wait! Is it possible that they could''ve expanded beyond the Mystery Dungeon? Maybe there''s another area to this place." Scizor considered her words, before nodding. "Yes, I don''t believe the Legendaries simply stopped their work after this. We need to go deeper into the mine and get to the bottom of this project''s history." Garchomp smirked. "I like your attitude, Scizor. Let''s smash this dungeon and go on." With no more information to be found, the group switched their sights to the looming entrance of the Mystery Dungeon at the far end of the mine''s chamber. They steeled themselves, walking into the shadow as one.
Wispy puffs of white smoke slowly drifted out of Charizard''s nostrils, carried into the sky above, all to the tune of loud snoring noises that rumbled the earth surrounding the Fire-type''s supine form. Tyranitar attempted to drown out the noise, smashing rocks by the mine''s entrance. "Who told that lazy bastard he could sleep on the job?" Aggron shrugged. "I''ll give ''em a pass, since there doesn''t seem to be a soul on this mountain. We just need to wait for the lads inside to do their thing and get out." The sound of tumbling rocks and bits of gravel alerted Tyranitar to look upward, his hard exterior scrutinizing the muffled sounds of footsteps and whispering voices just above the cliff face. "Hmm¡­ he says not a single soul, eh?" Tyranitar mumbled. "Guess that kid was right about two things. Look alive, Aggron." The Steel-type curiously peered up, only to find the angry stares of dozens of Pokemon looking down at them. Blue and yellow colored garments covered a large portion of their bodies, along with makeshift antlers that clung to their shoulders. Aggron knew right then and there that this was not a friendly greeting. "Charizard! Get up ya sad sack of scales! We got hostile natives!" The Fire-type grumbled out a sleepy response. "Just¡­ place my food down near the hammock, Indeedee¡­" "Charizard!" The Pok¨¦mon above jumped down from their position, sliding down the jagged cliffs as more dressed Pok¨¦mon emerged from the surrounding forested area. They all converged into one unified group, trapping the three Pokemon by the mine''s entrance. "Forget this," Tyranitar snarled out, kicking the drowsy lizard''s ankle hard. "Wake up!" Charizard''s eyes snapped open, his wings unfurling as his upper body lurched upward. "Ghuh!? Wha- what''s going on¡­? Is it-" It was only until his vision refocused that he saw the predicament they were in. The attackers didn''t bother waiting, charging towards the ambushed trio. A Bayleef was one of the first to reach them, only to receive the equivalent of an exploding volcano from a well timed Flamethrower by Charizard. It dropped instantly, knocked out. "NOBODY disturbs my power naps!" Charizard roared, beating his wings and surging into the air. Aggron chuckled yet again. "Guess diplomacy is out of the question. Let''s show these bum''s just what kind of Pokemon they''re messin'' with!" "For once I agree with ya," Tyranitar grumbled, shifting his fierce gaze at the encroaching Pokemon surrounding them. The rest of the attacking Pokemon didn''t relent at the show of force, reaching their targets, throwing everything they had at them.
The group of four simultaneously exited the back entrance of the Mystery Dungeon, completing their excursion through it and reappearing in another section of the mine. This area was in complete disarray in comparison to the last chamber. Wide cracks formed in the rocky flooring, splitting off the room into different sections, and swelling pieces of wood furniture, tools, and other relics in its wake. Water gushed out of gashes in the walls, flowing into the ravenous cracks and creating natural streams. Scizor frowned, but felt relieved that there was more to discover. "So, they did expand beyond the dungeon. I wonder¡­ did they discover the ley lines as well?" Garchomp looked up, contemplating his words. "It''s entirely possible that they attempted to find an energy source to the dungeon by just¡­ digging straight down til they found it. It''s not too far off from what us regular ''mons did a while back." "Regardless, we won''t know for certain if there''s no more windows into the past¡­" Luckily, despite the carnage present in this room, Roark was able to spot a visible Projection Crystal bobbing in the flowing streams of water, along with several other smashed orbs. Roark pointed straight at it. "Bingo. There''s our key." He sped off towards it, pulling it out of the water and returning to the group''s location. "Let''s hope this isn''t another tease. You have the honors, sis." The crystal was placed on the ground and rolled over to the distracted Vulpix. A red claw lightly flicking her ear was enough to return her focus. Gloria blushed in embarrassment, scrunching up her face. "O-Oh, sorry! I''ll, uh¡­ start it now." She hoped this whole story had a happy ending. A press of the orb''s indentation sent it spewing out its psychic energy, immersing the group into yet another memory of the past.
Mew dropped the Projection Crystal, tears of happiness sliding down her cheeks as she flung herself into the chest of an awestruck Victini, just as he emerged from the void of black, to the gasps and shouts of other Legendaries awaiting his return. "Don''t¡­do that again!" Mew scolded, hugging him intensely "Enter this shadow again¡­?" Victini choked out, still smiling. "We''re gonna have to anyway. And¡­ please back up, you might squish ''em." "Squish what?" Mew questioned, releasing her Bewear-like vice. Victini held out numerous strangely colored objects, including a large seed, a glossy orb, and a fresh looking Oran Berry. "See?" "You¡­ found these in there?" Mew needed to know more. "Where did you end up?" "I¡­ it was so surreal." Victini struggled to recall his miraculous encounter. "Everything was all dark at first, and I thought I had died. But it was like a magnagate to this new¡­ world that seemed to grow out beneath me, with walls and rooms like the cave around us, all stitched together in some weird labyrinth!" Victini stopped to breathe, sitting down and cradling the items he brought from the other side in his lap. Bruises and other scratches adorned his fur - clear signs of a scuffle from within the shadow. "I wasn''t the only other ''mon in there, too. I thought¡­ I saw the Excadrill and Drilbur workers that were missing, but they tried to attack me!" Victini sighed, managing a small laugh. "The whole place was like a castle dungeon, but like... ten times crazier!" The wonders of the mysterious ''new world'' beyond the shadow brought harsh whispering amongst the Legendaries. Some were optimistic, some fearful of this apparition. Dialga didn''t doubt Victini''s words, the theory that Palkia proposed still fresh on his mind. "You said this shadow was a magnagate? That must mean there was an end point to this¡­ ''dungeon''?" Dialga inquired. "Yeah, I, uh... must''ve finished the final room of this place, and it spat me out near this new chunk of the mine. Going through the magnagate again led me back here. It''s a shame I couldn''t find those workers - they might be still trapped in that place!" Mew placed a paw on his shoulder, her tears gone and brave face put on. "We''ll find them, don''t worry. Right now you need to rest your little noggin''." She giggled her worries away. "We should see if can carry materials into-" "Mew!" The familiar voice of Reshiram caused the Psychic-type to halt her words and spin her floating form around, facing the dragon that flew in from the mine''s entrance with haste, her ivory coat ruffled, and a distressed look across her face. "Reshiram? So, you actually came to help?" ''Yes, and I bring grave news that another one of these shadows has formed in the middle of that sandy region on this continent. I''ve sent a few of my followers to check the other continents for this anomaly." Outcries were now vocal as panic set in over the gathered, concerned about their shrines or places of worship being smothered by shadows. Mew''s heart dropped at the information, the gravity of the situation now weighing on her mind more than ever. If there was a way to stop the spread in its track, the steps they take now were the most important. Mew lingered over the quarreling Legendaries. "Everyone! Calm down, please!" Her attempts to defuse them were drowned out. "Please¡­ Agh." With her patience worn thin, she summoned her mimicry powers, creating an Echoed Voice that reverberated her inflection and sent shockwaves through the rowdy crowd. It was a success, as the Pokemon stopped their bickering to hone their attention on the frustrated Psychic-type. "Listen, I understand a lot of you are afraid of what''s happening. I¡­ also am afraid." She locked eyes with a weak looking Victini, feeling her heart soar above the fear. "Victini and I promised to establish this project and combat the possible threat that this magnagate poses. We are all here to fulfill that promise, and eradicate this peril once and for all." She drifted towards the shadow, thrusting a paw at it. "As Legendaries, we have a duty to serve this world - protecting it and its inhabitants. This project''s expansion beyond the magnagate will continue, and we will find whatever fuels the magnagates spread, then eliminate it."
Scizor blankly observed the projection dim, before dissolving completely. So many emotions were rolling inside of his armored husk of a shell. Even without further knowledge of this project, he knew the outcome of it. They failed - the Mystery Dungeon continued to exist, and the ley lines continued to sink their roots in all around the world. A scythe-like talon jabbed his shoulder, scrambling his thoughts. "Hey, you good to keep going? Lookin'' a little more red than usual there." Garchomp asked with a sly smile. "¡­ Yes. From this crystal we have gathered this projects primary mission - the elimination of the Mystery Dungeon." "Aaand that leads them to locating the source of the dungeons - the ley lines." The dragon sharply grinned at their findings. "Guess the guild wasn''t the first to this party." "Uh¡­ Garchomp?" "Yes, Roark?" "The giant hole in the ground behind us wouldn''t happen to lead all the way to the ley lines, correct?" "H-huh?!" Both Garchomp and Scizor immediately swerved around, being witness to the gaping fracture in the earth besides the Mystery Dungeon''s entrance, the source of this room''s shattered flooring. Scizor knew immediately that this was it. "So, they did manage to locate the ley lines underground." He walked towards it, minding the edges as he stared into the enormous Pokemon made crater. "And there they are¡­" Gloria nervously tiptoed near the hole, peering into the long and dark crevice below. An ominous orange-yellowish glow at the bottom sent shivers down her spine. "Is that¡­" Scizor nodded, his tone hollow. "Yes. Those are the ley lines - the destroyers of this world." Roark whistled. "And you say Pok¨¦mon in our times dug up these suckers up as well?" "Correct. Long ago, we had a team from the Grit Region dig down deep enough to reach the physical ley lines. That was when I theorized a way to stop them by finding the coordinate of all ley lines." Alongside the chasm''s rim was more equipment hanging from the edges, threatening to drop into the almost never ending pit. An unbroken Projection Crystal was wrapped up in rope, hanging over the hole''s maw. Garchomp expertly sliced the constraints, balancing the orb over her talon. She sent a glance Scizor''s way, who silently confirmed for her to go on. With a click, they were brought back to the place where it all began.
Mew glided across the newly restored chamber, carrying an activated Projection Crystal. For the past few months, the ''Magnagate Investigation Project'' expanded, bringing more Legendaries to the fray. This included sending teams into the magnagate to test theories, such as collecting and testing the strange items that appeared within the dungeons. Mew was no stranger to pranks, but these objects were beyond even her tinkering. Seeds that explode - orbs that grant a boost of energy, or create a blinding burst of light. There were even traps littered around the various dungeon floors that sprung off when stepped on, ranging from harmless to deadly. The ever so tenacious Zeraora even tried to capture one of the attacking Drilbur constructs to bring it back for study. Sadly, the Pokemon seemed to vanish once exiting the dungeon, only leaving the thunder cat with a headache and lots of scratches. "... Heck, maybe I should prank Victini with a bundle of those sleeping seeds." She snickered at the idea, but tried to put on a serious face for her current duties. "Mew! Over here!" the ethereal voice of Lunala called. "Coming!" Of all the breakthroughs they made through this journey, this next one was sure to be the gamechanger for this ordeal. After a bout of decision making, the idea to search underground by the shadow''s entrance was approved by her and Victini. It was a successful move, as something incomprehensible was discovered deep in the cavern''s surface. And Mew was ready to document their findings. Mew hovered near the bat-like Pokemon. "Are they ready to show me?" "Yes, but I can only allow you there for a few minutes. The others have experienced strenuous headaches after long term exposure. I''ve just sent Terrakion down to show you, so be quick." "I''ll be in and out!" Lunala opened the third eye on her forehead crest, splaying her circular wings and charging up a Moongeist Beam. Once the concentrated attack was complete, she launched the pillar of purplish light at a nearby wall, colliding into it to form a warped swirl of matter sucking energy. "Thank you, Lunala," Mew said with gratitude, hastily entering the wormhole with the Projection Crystal. Once she was transported to the dig site, all she could feel was an unrelenting force pushing into her brain, and the ubiquitous view of fluctuating orange blurring her vision with its vibrancy. She could hear an eerie humming noise in her ears, coalescing with the ambience of swaying grass, rough winds, and flowing water. "Mew!" The rough voice of Terrakion shouted. "Did¡­ Lunala send you?!" "Y-Yes!" the Psychic-type tried her best to respond rationally with the chaos around her. "Is this¡­ the power source?" Terrakion nodded, albeit painfully. "Yeah! Look into the walls, and you''ll see these energy line things!" Mew headed his words, boring her gaze into the warmly illuminated walls. "That''s¡­ what are those?!" Glowing lines of golden orange vibrated amongst the dirt, rock, and clay of their surroundings. They buried themselves deep, forming a maze-like pattern with their entwined arches, loops, and streaks through the earth. A dug out portion near the bundle of lines showed an arrow of pulsating orange stretching almost infinitely through the ground, leaving only the mind to wonder how far it extended outward. Terrakion cringed in pain from his splitting headache. "We¡­ don''t know, but we believe it''s powering the magnagates. Each time a team enters the shadow up top, these¡­ line things start to physically change its patterns down here." Mew''s head was pounding as well. "Tell me more¡­ when we''re out of here. We should leave. Now." The Psychic-type escorted him over to Lunala''s wormhole, taking one last look at the fascinating but intimidating foe before her. Its origins were unknown, however intriguing it may be. "I hope you''re right, Victini."
"Woah, so that''s what the ley lines look like up close? I think I''ll stick to the kids'' drawings we have of ''em," Roark remarked, twirling the deactivated Projection Crystal on one claw. Scizor sighed. "It''s been such a long time since I''ve seen them up close. But, what''s strange to me are these headaches the Legendaries experience when close to them. That wasn''t the case for us when we ventured to it." "Maybe it''s unique to them only?" Garchomp presumed. "The Legendaries may be mortal and even have children like us, but they still have their own quirks and weird abilities we don''t." Scizor refocused his sights around the room of many splintering gaps of rock. He spotted a pair of narrow hallways leading out of the room, pointing a pincer at them. "There''s our next area of interest. We''ll split up and investigate each hallway for new information, then meet back up combine our findings." "You heard the man, sis. Let''s skedaddle." The Zoroark ushered the inattentive Vulpix away, heading to the hall on the left. "H-Huh? Hold on!" The voices of both got quieter and quieter, until only Scizor and Garchomp remained in the deserted chamber, the both of them choosing to not dawdle around and head to the remaining corridor. Garchomp ducked under a fallen pillar of stone, speaking up. "Nice on you for taking authority with Jackson not being here and all. You underestimate yourself a lot, y''know?" "... Maybe. I just don''t see myself leading Pokemon as well as he does. It''s too stressful, and I think it has taken a toll on him ever since the guild was created." "He''s always been acting strange and distant for years - a far cry from when we first met, I might add." She huffed, grimacing. "But I''m not worried about him, I''m worried about you." "Me?" The barely lit hallway held more wide entrances on its sides, presumably living dorms. They entered each lodging that wasn''t blockaded by fallen boulders and other debris. Despite living and breathing legends of old residing here, the accommodations were quite modest, with just a bed and a few oversized tables for dining. "Yeah, I know you and Jackson have grown restless over discovering any leads, and shit¡­ I''m still trying to find someone dear to me. Just know I''ve always respected your dedication." "... Thank you." Even with the praise, he still couldn''t shrug off that feeling of futility from before. The final dorm within the hallway was much more spacious, containers full of items from Mystery Dungeons lining the floor, as well as various tools and instruments fit for only a Psychic-type to use. Even the walls of the room were bizarre, showing a constantly swirling backdrop of infinite space - orange lines connecting across different stars and constellations. "This obviously must''ve been the quarters of that Mew. I wonder if... " Garchomp stopped her gawking and narrowed her slits, before grinning. "There we go¡­ this must be the last undamaged Projection Crystal." The orb was resting on a table, with discarded and dried up cloth scattered around it. Scizor strode forward, taking a deep breath of hope before hitting the indentation to begin the stored memory''s tale.
"Shoot! How do I¡­ oh, there we go!" Victini placed the Projection Crystal in the hallway leading to his quarters, hopping back inside his room to sit adjacent to a table with piles of written notes on them. He rubbed his temples, attempting to free the pain of his blistering headache. He then abruptly stopped to cheerfully wave at the crystal recording him. "Hey, Mew! Recording my notes and theories for this week''s research roundup! I know you''re busy helping Reshiram set up that other place, so I''m gonna do this real quick!" He flipped through the pages of his notes, stopping on one. "Aha! My research on these ''glowing lines'' that the other teams uncovered is¡­ rough to say the least, but I think there is more to them. It''s-" He halted to massage his head. "Sorry, just a little headache I got. Anyways, since another magnagate popped up on this continent, I believe these ''lines'' are all connected to one another, sending information and energy to each other - like a constant loop!" Victini flipped to another page. "What''s most interesting is that it''s entirely possible that there is a source of these lines, a coordinate that passes along that energy through these lines, allowing them to expand. But If we found that coordinate, then it''s possible we could end the spread of the magnagates for good!" The flipping of notes was stopped, his headache spiking all of the sudden. It was a moment before he regained his bearings. "I need to have Tapu Lele mend this headache, so I''ll make this quick. I¡­ was hoping we could find those lost miners, but then I had a thought. What if¡­ the magnagate formed while they were leaving, and they got trapped within it?" His pain intensified, but he continued his train of thought nonetheless. "Maybe... they''re in a state of quantum limbo - both alive and dead, acting as defenders of the dungeon." He laughed glumly. "I remember when the miners said they left because of headaches, and¡­" Awareness crept in just as his pounding mind released. Before Victini could even react, a pitch-black shadow engulfed where he sat, taking up the entire room. Dead reticence then set in over the remainder of the Projection Crystal''s recording.
A red pincer was forcefully brought down on the orb''s indentation, ending the outthrust of memories. Scizor backed up, hyperventilating before he collapsed in a sitting position. Past trauma flared up inside, the memories of that day he tried to shove away in his thoughts now resurfacing in its most frightful appearance. "Scizor!" Garchomp understood her old friend completely, knowing his past all too well. She knelt near the rattled Bug-type, consoling him with a talon on his back. "It''s okay. Just breathe. In and out," she said soothingly. Scizor replicated her words, trying to refocus back into reality. He looked down, collecting his thoughts once more - the emptiness from before bubbling up. He felt like his life''s work was crumbling before him. "... Garchomp. Do you think we are doomed?" The sandshark was caught off guard. "What do you mean?" Scizor inhaled, exhaling as his eyes swelled up with tears. "Is it just¡­ inevitable that we are overtaken by the ley lines? Is everything we''ve worked to accomplish this far just in vain? Not even the most powerful of Legendaries together couldn''t expel them¡­" "No," Garchomp stated firmly. "Of fucking course we''re gonna stop it. Isn''t this something you''ve wanted to do ever since that day? It''s your life goal." "... I''ve always told new members not to bend to others, but I guess I can''t follow my own preaching." He went silent for a moment. " I have always just been a dutiful guild assistant. I¡­ I don''t know if I even have what it takes to complete our goal anymore." "Scizor, look at me." He did so, panning his crestfallen look to see her determined one. "You are without a doubt the greatest Arceus damned researcher I''ve ever known. I never met a Scyther before that cared so much about unmasking the Mystery Dungeons, because nobody cared, including me." She chuckled in memory. "I thought you were just a weirdo at first, but you made me really think this about this world." Scizor''s already crimson cheeks darkened at her praise, smiling sadly. "I''m¡­ glad I managed to do that, at least." She extended a talon for him to latch onto. "I don''t care how long it takes for the both of us to get the answers we need, but we''ll do it together." He stared at the appendage for a second, before sighing and gripping it with his pincer. She pulled him up, showcasing her sharp toothed grin. "... Thank you, Garchomp." "Feelings all the same." She opened her purple colored saddlebag, placing the Projection Crystal inside. "We should gather the other orbs for Jackson to see, then rendezvous with the big guys up top."
"Desecrators!" "Ugh¡­ lay off the nature mumbo jumbo already, will ya?" Charizard scoffed out, rotating his wingspan and adjusting his altitude for a dive bombing maneuver. A contingency of Water-types was hot on his trail, eager to extinguish his flames with sprouts of water, but the Fire-type was no rookie at this game. "Eat on this, chumps!" He opened his maw, spewing out volley after volley of molten hot fire balls at his pursuers. Each attack landed, earning him the blackened and defeated forms of his stricken enemies. Charizard cackled at his work. "That''ll take a while to sleep off!" Not to be outdone, Aggron and Tyranitar worked on the ground, mopping up any attackers that dare cross their way. "Save some action for the rest of us!" Aggron cried out, bellowing with laughter as he headbutted an invading Ledian. "You mean save ''em for me." Tyranitar retorted, erupting pillars of jagged stones between his foes. "These greenhorns are just up my alley of destruction." The almost never ending wave of angry Pok¨¦mon stalled after the three began their own assault, with only the largest and toughest attackers still in the fight. An Aerodactyl soared above the cliffs, twirling its bony body in a downward spiral towards Charizard. The collided midair, duking it out gnashing claws and teeth. "Do you..." Charizard growled. "... Have any idea¡­ who you''re facing?!" The Rock-type ignored his rambling words, aiming to take the fiery dragon down to the ground with a Crunch to the nape. Charizard saw his opportunity, twisting his body and latching onto the Aerodactyl''s shoulders, whirling it around at breakneck speeds. "Grraaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" He let go, sending the poor Pok¨¦mon careening into a nearby wall of rock, breaking off huge chunks of it as the prehistoric avian crumpled to the ground - defeated. "I''m the powerhouse of Team Moonlight, and never forget that!" Charizard roared out. With their comrades falling fast, the group of attackers switched their tactics to fleeting, grabbing their wounded or unconscious and scampering down and up the cliffs to evade the trio''s wrath. "Looks like we got our old big headed pal again," Aggron chided, smirking at the now vacant area. "And we sent those ''mons packing. Hopefully the lads in the other teams are well and safe." Charizard landed with a ''thud'', reaching for his saddlebag. "I''ll give ''em a call just to make sure. Then, we wait for the team downstairs to finish their business."
"Aaaaaachoo!" Gloria sneezed, quickly concealing her snout with a paw as her brother snorted with laughter. "That was so adorable! Do it again!" The Vulpix let out a muffled ''no'', still covering her muzzle, and now moving away from the cabinets layered with a carpet of dust. Once out of the danger zone, she relinquished her hold, inquiring about her brother''s progress. "Have you found any in those drawers?" Roark slid down an elongated blue crystal jutting out of the wall, landing beside the Vulpix. "Nope. Just more dust and ancient junk those Legendaries might''ve tinkered with." The hallway they entered led them to a series of multiple doorways, which contained living spaces and other aspects of normal life in the days of old. With no Projection Crystals lying around like before, they resorted to scouring cabinets and other piles of debris in search of new leads. Gloria deflated at the news, wanting to know the outcome of this mysterious project. However, deep down she wanted to know where this Victini hero ended up. "Oh¡­" "But¡­ I was saving this for last." He waggled a claw. "There''s one of those Psychic-type seals at the end of the hallway, just waiting for me to break it down and discover more stuff." She perked right back up. "Really? Show me!" Just like Roark had mentioned, the end of the corridor revealed a decaying breach with a pinkish psychic latch holding it in place. It was nothing that a well executed Night Slash couldn''t fix. Roark kicked the makeshift breach in, scanning the contents that lie within. But the only discernible thing to be found was the unmistakable appearance of a Mystery Dungeon just beyond the doorway. Gloria squeezed her way past the Zoroark, standing by the shadow and looking on in. "Well, seems like we''ve got some more cave exploring." He yawned boringly, lumbering over towards the shadow. "Let''s get this over with¡­" "Wait!" He raised a brow, before retreading his steps and bowing politely. "Well, I am a gentleman, so I guess ladies first." "No! I-" she sputtered out her speech, digging a paw into the ground, "I¡­ want to go alone this time." "..." Roark went quiet, seemingly contemplating her declaration. After a brief stint of silence, he placed both claws on his hip, smirking at the brave little Vulpix before him. "You know you never needed to ask before, so I''m glad you''re telling me straight up now." He tried frazzling her tuft of fur, only getting resistance in return. "Can''t say I didn''t try¡­" She giggled, "Thank you, Roark, for letting me do this." "Do you remember?" "... Remember what?" "The first time you entered a Mystery Dungeon - your first leap into the reality of this crazy world?" Roark shook his head, reliving that memory in his head. "You were so confident yet frightened, but now¡­ now you look totally ready for whatever is beyond that dungeon." "I am." She touched her scarf, eyes brimming with confidence. He waved a claw. "Then you don''t need to hear me yammer on. Go show yourself and the world that you''ve got the spunk to be a hero." Pride swelled in her heart. "Right!" Gloria took a deep breath, swallowing her fears and confronting the shadow before her. Each step she took was slow, but eventually she picked up pace, before sprinting into the vacuum of darkness. She was ready to see the next chapter of this story. Victini''s Quarters BF 1 The stone walls began to form around her, but she never stopped running, dashing through the near invisible passages that materialized in real time with her paw steps. If the world was her stage, then it was going to compose itself only when she ran forward, never looking back. It wasn''t long until she found the stairs, heading further towards her goals. Victini''s Quarters BF 4 An attacking Drilbur attempted to jab its claws into Gloria, failing to do so as the Vulpix nimbly ducked the assault and opened her mouth, creating an Aurora Beam as twin beams of pure cold energy that encased the Ground-type with a layer of ice, freezing it solid right then and there. It was only after Garchomp''s training that she was able to fix her usual way of battling, now more involved and willing to enter the fray. The frost casing on the Drilbur melted, just as the Pokemon vanished into orange light. Victini''s Quarters BF 11 Gloria smashed the One-Hit-KO orb beneath her paw, releasing a purple mist that shrouded her body in its aura of strength. She waited for the Monster House''s cluster of lifeless Drilbur and Excadrill to approach before she initiated the crux of her strategy. Pink colored gusts of wind picked up behind the Vulpix, pounding the group of Pokemon with its enhanced might. Each exploded into orange light one after the other, until the room was clear of all aggressors. She sped down a corridor, finding the rocky staircases and climbing up, failing to look back and see a rabbit-like Pokemon hop after her in a futile charge to stop the intruder. Gloria exited the haze of blackness, breathing a whisper of relief as her vision readjusted to the reality around her. It was strange, but she relished in her feelings of heroism throughout traversing the Mystery Dungeon. ''For glory¡­'' It appeared the Mystery Dungeon had transported her to a separate hallway in the crystal mine that was enclosed from all sides. What was most strange to Gloria, was the lack of echo, the noise of running water, and the general atmosphere of an abandoned and desolate place. This new area was without a sound - serene almost. She carefully trotted ahead, occasionally glancing around, curious to know more about her near peaceful surroundings. Healthy bundles of grass grew along the cave''s edges, teeming with white wallflowers that were in full boom. ''Wait¡­ is that?'' The Vulpix stopped at a podium of rock built near the hallway''s left side. A Projection Crystal was resting on that podium, cushioned by fuchsia colored pillows, as if it was a shrine. She approached it, finding the imprint where she would place her paw to activate the concealed memories inside. ''I''m¡­ ready to see the next chapter.'' She pressed it, observing a bubble of psychic energy surrounding her as the recollection of the past was played out.
Mew tightly held the Projection Crystal to her chest, sniffling away the hot tears that spilled from her eyes. She adjusted her grip on the orb to wipe her tear stained cheeks free of wetness, before floating over to the all encompassing shadow that blocked off the entrance to her beloved''s quarters - her greatest enemy, and her greatest friend now combined. "Hi¡­ Victini." She rolled the crystal around in her paws. "It''s been a while since I''ve last seen you, ever since we had to evacuate this place. I¡­ don''t know if you can even hear, but I never stopped looking. Countless times I''ve ventured through the dungeons trying to find you in them, with no luck." Mew held out a paw to the shadow''s penumbra, laughing quietly to herself. "Now I have so many duties to uphold at this new station in that sandy region, and I¡­" She coughed, her sickness reanimating to life again. "I would''ve never participated in this project if I knew I''d lose you, but I''m guessing you would be stubborn enough to join, anyway." The Psychic-type dropped to the ground, gasping out more tears as she clutched the Projection Crystal. "I''ve even watched your last research recording; I''ve your final words so many times that I could recite it just off memory. But I hope you weren''t true - that you aren''t at the whims of the magnagate." A dismal smile graced her lips. "A foolish, stupid, but definitely brave hero like you deserved to die only a hero''s death." Mew slowly floated back into the air, drifting towards the podium she built. "Now I have to seal this project away with illusions, making sure no one finds it until we come back." She gently placed the crystal she held onto the platform''s padding. "But I don''t think of this place as a project anymore." Another tear was shed. "I consider it your tomb that I have to say goodbye to¡­ possibly forever." After finalizing her last moments, she floated towards the shadow, preparing to leave and seal her lost lover for good. "Goodbye, Victini."
The projection ended, leaving an aghast Vulpix to sulk in solemn silence. She held her head up, trying to piece together what she just witnessed. Victini was dead, and the Mystery Dungeons were apparently behind it all. Her mind immediately thought of the town of Areos, the once home to the Guildmaster and Scizor. She remembered when they told her that the village was suddenly enveloped by a forming Mystery Dungeon, with all of its inhabitants swallowed by the sea of darkness - gone forever. ''That¡­ must''ve been what happened to¡­'' It couldn''t have been. Gloria began to aimlessly wander the hallways of shining crystals and budding nature in relative peace, trying to convince herself that the memory she saw wasn''t the ending she feared most in this world. It wasn''t long until her journey ended at a dead end, with the most enchanting grove to be discovered. Mossy grass overflowing with white wallflowers extended in a circular base as trickles of water seeped through it, forming tiny streams and currents. Cracks in the ceiling above let a heavenly ray of daylight shine upon the center of the grove, highlighting the most important piece of its magnificent composition. A single tombstone. Gloria gradually reached the quiet spot of solitude, her eyes wide as she stared into the monument of the dead, already knowing who this was intended for. ''Why¡­'' The Vulpix broke down, kneeling next to the gravestone and sobbing uncontrollably, letting her tears hit the grass and wallflowers. She wasn''t even sure why she was crying, but her heart was crying with her. Here was the final chapter in this story, and the end for all heroes who strove to better this world. ''Why¡­ why does everyone I look up to always have to go in the end.'' Gloria thought of her parents, of Roark, of Liam, of Leafeon, and the other wonderful Pokemon that got her to chase her dreams of glory and heroism. To say goodbye to them at any moment in her life all was a feat that she wasn''t ready for. She thought back to Garchomp''s words of advice not long ago, searching for that courage to defy against the cruelty of their reality. The world stopped for no one. Gloria stood up, drying her tears with a swipe of her paw. She spun around, never looking back at the tombstone as she marched to the ghostly black entrance of the Mystery Dungeon, her resolve complete as darkness consumed her vision. ''I made a promise, and I''m going to keep it.'' It began in the blink of an eye.
For even the bravest of heroes, the world stops for no one. Requiem...
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: Fatherhood Fatherhood Chapter 18 Fatherhood ''This time for sure.'' Liam bent down, scouring the trail''s bed of flat rocks for the perfect one. ''That one!'' He scooped up the right sized hunk of rock, refocusing his attention on the small lake in front of him. His grip on it tightened as he slowly pulled his throwing arm back. ''Come on¡­'' The Riolu chucked it, watching the stone soar across the lake and rapidly skip across it. He held his bated breath, counting down each individual skip. ''One, two, three- dang! The rock failed to make the fourth jump, plunging into the lake''s depths. Nonetheless, Liam rebuffed his efforts, bending down to grab another flat looking stone. ''Okay, it''s this time for sure.'' He cocked his arm back yet again, before lowering it, slowly realizing his forgotten mission as of now. ''Shoot. What was I supposed to be doing right now?'' "Liam!" He gulped. ''¡­ Right.'' Hearing the gruff voice of a certain Shiny Lucario, Liam dropped the stone, spinning around to see the owner of said voice stiffly marching his way, carrying a perturbed look as he spoke. "The passage we were originally going to take has been blocked off by rocks. We will coordinate our new route and make a detour to the right. As for now, we''ll stay with our camp on this plateau, conserve our energy, then get back to climbing at dawn." Jackson scoured their surroundings for signs of their camping equipment, arching a brow. "¡­ I do not see the tents that I asked you to place." He squinted at the sweating Riolu. "Care to explain why?" "I¡­ uh, I." Liam dropped his shoulders, tail drooping. "I got distracted. Sorry, Guildmaster." Jackson went silent for a moment, allowing Liam''s anxiety to spike, before breathing in a sigh and walking over to the nervous Riolu. "It''s fine, kid. We''ll rest here for a bit, then set up camp once nighttime hits." He looked up, squinting his eyes at the mountain''s tallest summit. "By then, the peak will be in our sights the following day." Liam collapsed in relief, huddling his legs together, a joyous smile tugging at his lips. "I heard on the ELE that the other groups were getting close, too. Do you think we''ll reach it first?" Jackson sat down as well. "Possibly, but don''t get your hopes up. Reaching the peak isn''t really our primary mission." The two went silent, quietly taking in the sounds of flowing water and the rush of mountain wind on their fur. "¡­ So, you like skipping rocks, huh?" Liam snapped out his daze. "What?" Jackson got up. "Whenever I felt overwhelmed or angry as a child, I would break out of my room and head off to the local lake and skip stones across it." He kneeled on the bed of stones, picking up a decent sized one. The Lucario''s wrist snapped almost faster than a bullet, sending the stone soaring above the pond. Once it neared the water, it bounced, rippling across its surface at impossible speeds. Liam counted the number of skips it made in amazement, losing track not long after fifteen. "Wha- What!?" The Riolu jumped up, an incredulous look on his face. "How''d you do that?!" Jackson smirked a little, picking up another stone. "Practice, obviously. But the key is angling all your throws." He replicated his last toss, producing the same steadfast skips as before. Liam, not one to be outdone, copied the Lucario''s actions the best he could, sending another flat stone hurdling across the lake - fourteen skips. The Riolu pumped his arms in the air. "I did it!" Jackson chuckled lightly, retrieving another smooth stone. "Yeah, but you''ve still yet to even match me, kid." The glint in Liam''s eye was enough of a rebuttal. For a brief few minutes, they partook in this friendly match, attempting to outdo each other by way of adjusting their pitches. This moment of peace would be broken by Jackson, his mind still curious of the Pokemon beside him. "Ever since we began this hike, I''ve noticed you staring off into space quite a bit. There''s always a reason for something, so you might as well tell me what''s been bugging you ." Liam threw another stone, watching it glide across the water as his illusion of sport was torn down by the Guildmaster''s inquisition. He brought his gaze to the earth, knowing full well that hiding anything from the Lucario was seemingly futile. "A few nights ago, right when we arrived in Elysium City. I¡­ I had another memory." Jackson snapped his attention to the Riolu - astonished. "You called it... a memory. Does that mean you''ve chosen which path you''ll take?" He finished with a sullen look. "Yeah, I think- no, I know I found myself in there." Liam kneeled, fetching another rock. "It felt so good to know that I was something before, y''know? But I¡­ I''m not sure about a lot of other things." "... Do you feel overwhelmed? Like you''re being tugged in two different directions?" The answer to that question was pretty obvious to Liam. On the outside, he showed as much vigor as he loved to exude, but on the inside, his mind was broken so much by these glimpses of memories that not even he could fathom. The Mystery Dungeon and its threat against this world was one thing, but he was battling something else within all this time. The Riolu squeezed the stone, releasing his inner frustrations into it. "I want to know more, and I just know something is leading me to it. There''s gotta be a reason for this, right?" Jackson didn''t answer immediately, boring his eyes into the pond. "... I did tell you there''s always a reason for something - bad, good, doesn''t matter." He studied their surroundings, spotting their rectangular backpacks laying in the tall grass. "Grab your stuff - we''re gonna get back to climbing." "... Got it." Liam gave the stretch of water a parting glance, walking over to heave the hefty backpack over his small shoulders. After the two were situated with their belongings, the Lucario pulled out an aged looking map of the mountain''s right hand side, taking the time to plan out their next move. Meanwhile, a distracted Liam found himself ogling the broad expanse of natural terrain above and below them, brimming with adventure, discovery, and a sense of limitless freedom. Despite everything he had and still is going through, being here right now to experience it firsthand was a stroke of luck he would never regret. ''I can''t wait for-'' His vision blurred for a split second, a feeling of sharp and prickly pain flooding his nerves. All of this was familiar to him, which led to the conclusion of only one culprit. ''So soon?!'' He nearly bowed over in pain as strands of blue and yellow curled around his perception, bleeding into spots of black. Nonetheless, the Riolu managed to stand straight amongst the assault on his body, embracing what was about to come next. It was this unknown that he was now accepting of, eager to know more of his past. ''I''m ready for this!'' A flurry of familiar voices, whistling wind, and shuffling leaves graced his ears. He braced himself for the onslaught of memories that were now being unleashed yet again.
Morning had just dawned over Southern Appalachia, bringing the sun''s warm golden rays through the canopy of thick trees dotting the Blue Ridge Mountain. A perfect day like this was most suitable for ambitious hikers to ascend its green peaks. And with the local wildlife now awakening to the morning sun, there were many diverse critters to identify and examine. ''Just a lil'' closer!'' Liam carefully tiptoed through the grass, planting his back against the rough bark of a spruce tree. He held his trusty notebook and pen close, taking careful peeks around the tree''s berth. He had already applied his pine smelling deterrent before engaging in the hunt, but he needed to be sure. ''Well, if things get outta hand, I still got the spray¡­'' The young boy bided his time, before sucking in his fears and shifting his body to get a better look behind him. He twisted his head sideways, staring at the large clearing behind him, hoping to spot that coarse black fur amongst the natural backdrop of greenery. Disappointment swiftly overtook his excitement, with only an empty glade to be witnessed. ''Awww, dang. It must''ve wandered off already¡­'' With his efforts to track down the black bear that had wandered the nearby forest, he began packing up his supplies back into his quite full backpack of hiking essentials, throwing it around his shoulder as he embarked back to his camp''s location. Even though he was unable to spot the fleeting beast, he kept his head high at the thought of seeing more of the mountain''s wildlife. ''And maybe¡­ I''ll even see those rare red wolves!'' Through an opening in the trees, he could see the remnants of last night''s campfire, and the legs of his father pacing back and forth as he scrutinized the map in his grasp. Liam wandered over, keeping a hand firm on one of his backpack''s straps. "I''m back! Did ya plan our next route?" Robert''s attention was stolen by the returning boy as he folded the map back up. "Yeah, we''re gonna head out now. The path I was gonna take had some knocked over trees blocking the trail, so it looks like we''re gonna have to take the detour." A smile then stretched across Liam''s face. Detours were always the more fun option than planned out pathways. "So¡­ we can head off now?" The older man nodded, lifting up his own backpack off the ground, slipping it across his shoulders. "I''ve already gathered up our camp''s belongings, so yeah, we''re going now." Liam was already way ahead of his father, blazing down the wooded trail opposite to their camp. Robert chuckled slightly, "Other way, son." "O-Oh, right!" The boy quickly swiveled around, changing directions in the blink of an eye, with his father treading along his sides. With the two finally back on the trail up the mountain again, Liam, like many times before, began to immerse himself into their surroundings. Whether it was the lingering smell of pine and morning dew, or the cool winds that occasionally swept through the forest. All of it seemed to quell the burning anger that resided within the boy. Being here right now with his father gave him the hope that things might just turn around. "Liam¡­ there''s something I wanna show you ahead. Are you up for it?" It took a moment for his distracted boy to respond, who seemed to grow delighted at the proclamation. "Of course I do!" Robert nodded. "Alright, just follow me closely. It''s a place that''s... special to me."
Liam jolted forward as the rush of memories came to a sudden close. He took deep breaths, steadying himself back into reality. Before, he would still be in shock from the visions, but now he just wanted to extrapolate more knowledge of his past identity. ''I was with¡­ my father, and-'' The Riolu halted his thoughts, sprinting from his position, towards the Lucario still prepping up their voyage on the map. He needed to tell him of what just occurred. "Guildmaster! I had more of my memories appear!" Jackson looked up, shocked. "You''re saying¡­" "Just now! It-" A raised paw interrupted the excited Pokemon. "Compose yourself; you''re likely to receive more memories in the coming minutes." Liam simmered down, his mind still buzzing with a single thought. "Do you think¡­ What you said before is true?" Jackson''s gaze met the floor as his orange ring flashed - he sighed. "I told you before that someone or something is possibly lighting a path before you, and now it seems you''re following it." He advanced over to where his backpack lay, picking it up. "We have a lot of ground to cover today, so we''re heading off now." "... Right. But what if I have more me-" "You''ll tell me about them along the way. Now, we''re burning daylight." Liam understood the Guildmaster''s haste, angling his head upward to see the massive cliffs they had yet to climb past. He gulped, realizing the grandiose gauntlet that lay before them. However, his love for adventuring the unknown thwarted that imposing feeling. With a jostle of his hefty backpack, he followed his Guildmaster deeper into the mysterious mountain. ''One step at a time!'' he told himself. As they trekked this new path, the Riolu waited and waited for the next wave of memories to surge through him. While their forested surroundings coaxed him into relaxation, only then did those familiar tendrils of blue and yellow creep into his vision again.
"Gah!" Robert misjudged his fall, causing him to lose his balance as his foot slipped off the rock. His legs plunged into the rapid currents of the river, thoroughly soaking his pant legs. The man scowled, slogging through the stream''s powerful tide, all to the tune of his son''s laughter behind him. "Go ahead, laugh it up." The man chuckled, reaching the river''s opposite end. "Let''s see how well you do." Liam knew he could do better than his father, approaching the small speedily flowing river that blocked his path. Stones of various sizes were tall enough to crop up through the water, providing a pathway for the boy to safely hop across if her were agile enough. ''I totally got this.'' He wasted little time jumping from his spot, landing carefully on the first rock. The boy briefly stumbled, trying to regain his footing. "Ten more to go, Liam!" his father said jokingly. "Uh, don''t worry! I got it!" There was another leap.
"Hurry up, Liam! And don''t look down!" The Riolu nodded, feeling the sweat trickle down his face at the task. There was slight apprehension as his hindpaws started moving by themselves, but he was quick to rectify his confidence. A large wooden log was balanced between two jagged cliffs, with the log being the only bridge to the other side. Just below was a river of surging water that led downstream to a waterfall. Wherever it led, it was certain that if you were to fall, it wouldn''t be a trip unscathed. Liam swallowed his fears, holding his arms outward to keep his balance as he tiptoed along the felled piece of timber. He kept true to the Guildmaster''s words of advice, not daring to take a gander downstairs at what could be his watery fate. But it didn''t take long for him to surpass this challenge through use of his delicate pawsteps, and even find some enjoyment in doing so. But the curls of blue and yellow would soon ensnare him into yet another forgotten memory.
''Ah, could this be¡­?'' Liam hastily brushed aside the thorny thickets and branches in his path, emerging into a new area of the mountain that he could describe as totally dead. It was a wasteland of life that seemed to extend for miles, with spindly and blackened remnants of trees that rose like charcoal colored pillars - a far cry from the verdant and bountiful forest behind them. The ground was ashen, covered with soot and the scattered remains of once tall and proud pine trees. Robert promptly caught up. "This is the easiest path towards what I wanted to show you, so just follow my lead and we''ll get outta here very soon." "Uh¡­ sure." The two journeyed through the scorched earth, occasionally stepping across ash covered stumps or logs. Eventually, Liam spoke up with a question that was plaguing his mind. "I, um, read about the fire here before we left. Do you think it was natural, or if someone else did it by accident?" Robert looked back momentarily. "Could be either in my eyes. But I''ve known quite a few people from my youth who would even do it on purpose." The boy frowned. "... Why?" He couldn''t understand someone who would destroy for no reason. A shrug, followed by a shake of his father''s head was the response. "Can''t rightly tell you. Could''ve for curiosity''s sake, to release some frustration, or to just have some fun and watch the flames." "Even if it harmed the environment around them?" The boy could only imagine the homes of animals destroyed, or the ones that couldn''t escape - it sickened him. The man nodded. "When you have nothing, that''s when you stop caring about your surroundings. Happened to them, and it happened to me too." "But you aren''t like that anymore. That''s why you became a police officer, right? To stop people like them from harming others?" Robert inhaled sharply, caught off guard. "... Yeah. It was because I had you and-" he stopped himself, changing the subject, "Liam, do you still want to become a park ranger?" "Of course I do!" It was always a dream of his to become a park ranger, to protect this beautiful land and the creatures that called it home. There was no way in the world that you could convince him otherwise that it wasn''t his calling. "I''m glad, because... I don''t want to see you living a life without purpose. I want to see you be successful." "Thanks, dad." The two wordlessly went back to wandering the desolate land, with Liam keeping his eyes glued to their surroundings. Mrs Lachaise has mentioned something akin to a forest fire like this - the idea of perseverance and rebirth through devastation. ''No matter how much you burn something down, it will rise from the ashes stronger and more determined than before¡­''
WOOSH! The rocky tops of geysers began to erupt around them, spewing forth a great volume of boiling water that rose high into the air, most of it evaporating into pockets of hot steam. This spectacle happened multiple times, like natural fireworks that rattled the skies. Liam couldn''t keep his eyes off the stunning event, pointing at each exploding opening while Jackson followed his gaze, a slight smile tugging at his features. Their trip through the sea of bursting hot springs eventually ended, now standing before a vantage point of their entire journey so far. While the view of the vast lush forests and rocky bluffs were impressive, Liam''s mood was stifled by something else far more visible. Scattered like the jacks, dark shadows dotted the terrain, spanning from small blips in caves to expansive acres of pure darkness - the mark of a Mystery Dungeon. Jackson observed the land below with a flat expression. "Liam, when you look at this¡­ what do you see?" The Riolu didn''t respond instantly, opening and closing his mouth until he found his voice. "I¡­ I see potential being stolen - all the possible experiences or adventures there now gone. Like¡­ this world''s being robbed from us." Jackson inhaled, narrowing his eyes. "I see a disease that has sunken its roots deep into this world long ago, slowly suffocating us throughout time." His eyes shifted to the upset Riolu. "Perhaps there is a greater purpose to them that we are blind to, but, Liam¡­ what do you think their purpose is to exist?" That was a difficult question for Liam to comprehend - a reason to exist, for the Mystery Dungeons no less. He tried to wrap his mind around it, but couldn''t come up with any feasible reason for them to be here. "I don''t know. But they shouldn''t exist, right?" "... Possibly." Jackson began walking away from the grassy ridge, waving for the Riolu to follow. "Whatever the true answer to that question is, we''re just gonna have to find out on our own someday." Liam gave the cluster of the shadows behind them one last glance. "Yeah. We will."
It wasn''t the tallest cliff in the world, but it might as well have been to the small and inexperienced boy. "W-Woah!" A medium size piece of rock tumbled off the eroded face, nearly hitting Liam as he changed hands. He clung to the surface of the rough wall, looking up to see his father slightly ahead. Trying again, the boy grabbed another section of the cliff that was sticking out, finding it difficult to do so. Robert was near the top, but glanced below to see Liam struggling. He immediately swung left, holding out an outstretched hand for the boy to grasp and hold onto. "Grab my hand, son."
"Grab my paw, kid." Liam briefly stared at the extended paw, clasping onto it with his own. With the Guildmaster''s superior strength on his side, he was easily pulled up to the cliff''s topside, along with the Lucario. "Did we¡­ make it?" Liam forced out, falling on his backpack and catching his breath. Jackson nodded, wearing a somewhat distressed expression as his orange ring flashed. His stare lingered on the Riolu, before he uttered something. "There''s... something I want to show you just ahead." Liam''s eyes widened, keen on finding out what exactly it was. "What is it? Some sort of ruins?" The curiosity was evident on his face. Jackson turned his back against the cliff, treading ahead. "... Sort of. We got one more dungeon before we reach it, so I need you at your best." "I''ll show you then!" With newfound furor, the Riolu immediately stood up, following the Lucario down another winding forested path. Along the way, the Pok¨¦mon swore he remembered catching a glimpse of a deer-like statue, but brushed it off as just his excitement getting the best of him. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. As they approached what seemed to be their last Mystery Dungeon before arriving at this supposed place, Liam was pulled into yet another memory.
"Here it is, Liam." The boy in question excitedly hopped off the mossy ridge, sliding down a gravely slope to get a better view of the spectacular waterfall. The sound of crunching shale behind him made him momentarily glance to his side, seeing his father join him in witnessing this sight. It was no Niagara Falls, but the deluge of water was colossal, and its roar thunderous. It spilled from all sides of the tall cliffs, sparkling in the afternoon sun, and producing the illusion of a blurry rainbow through its hazy mist. "You know¡­ your mother always wanted to come out here and see this." "She did?" Robert stepped closer towards the falls, taking in its amount of force. "Whenever I told her about moving down here, that was one of the things she wanted to see." His shoulder slackened as he sat down with a relaxed sigh. "Maybe she would''ve seen it that summer, but¡­ well, at least you get to see it now." After a brief minute of silence, the man''s rest was soon joined by his son, who took a seat next to him. "... Thanks for showing me this, dad." "Don''t thank me - thank your mom for telling me about this place." Liam huddled his legs together, observing the waterfall pound into the earth, over and over. It was these kinds of moments that you couldn''t capture by seeing a picture, or reading about it in a magazine somewhere. Simply being here to experience it all in its majesty made everything along the way worth it in his eyes. ''And you never got to see it for yourself¡­ mom.'' These brief few minutes of peace amongst the loud crashing of water were nice to Robert, but he found his attention averting to his son, instead of the spectacle in front of him. The boy suddenly stood up, gripping the straps of his backpack as he peered into the forest beyond the falls. "I think we should go back to hiking, dad. We might even reach the peak before the end of tomorrow." "... Yeah, I think we''ve seen enough." But to Liam, seeing these amazing things with your loved ones seemed to be the most memorable of all.
From the depths of an inky black shadow, a Riolu and Lucario emerged, adjusting to their new surroundings. "Are we there, Guildmaster?" "Yeah, I think we just might be. This area looks¡­ familiar to me." Exiting the Mystery Dungeon''s shadow had transported them to a new, more open clearing amongst the forest. Boulders littered the landscape, wedged into the ground over time. But the most noticeable thing was a massive opening in the mountain''s side just ahead of their location. Liam stepped forward. "Do you see that over there?" "I do¡­" Jackson''s orange ring gleamed as his eyes snapped to it. "Drop your stuff and follow me." The two dropped their backpacks on the grass, reaching the large fissure not long after. Like something was forcefully ejected from the earth, the crevice splintered all the way up the cliffside, producing wide cracks in the mountain''s side. White wallflowers marked the entrance that led into the unknown. Liam was perplexed. "It''s a cave? What''s down there?" Jackson peered into it, "I call it the ''World''s Eye'', for it burrows as deep as I can imagine a Pokemon could feasibly explore. And one day¡­ I entered it, and came out a different man than before. That was when I decided to create the guild." "Wait! You came to Celestial Mountain before?" The Lucario slowly nodded. "My team came here with a mission, a mission to discover the truth of the ley lines that had annihilated our village. We searched hard for what we wanted, but didn''t get the answers we deserved here." Liam crossed his arms. "But how does this place tie into it? How did it change you?" "... You could fight for so long against a force, then change your perspective on a whim when your loved ones are involved. They''re the most important things in life, right?" The Guildmaster was always vague before, but this was something unprecedented to Liam. The Riolu approached the cavern''s entrance, hoping to see more, only for Jackson to block him with a paw. "Not yet. It''s not your time." "What do you¡­" Jackson''s four aura tassels spasmed erratically as he whipped his head around, seeing a pink misty projectile rocketing towards their location. He reacted instantly, shoving Liam out of the harm''s way as he dove to the sides himself. The blast of psychic energy zoomed past them, disappearing into the crevice''s abyss. Liam quickly picked himself up. "Wh-What was that?!" Jackson growled, glaring at the clearing''s outskirts. "An ambush..." The Riolu was going to respond, but took notice of the rustling trees and bushed around them. After a few seconds of eerie silence, swarms of Pokemon emerged from their hidings, encasing the pair inside a circle. Blue and yellow colored clothing adorned their bodies, along with strange anter-like protrusions tied to their heads. "W-Who are these guys?! And why¡­" "Save your breath, kid." Jackson backed up, analyzing his foes. "Don''t think - just fight!" An angry looking Granbull then beelined for a still stunned Liam, lifting its paw to strike down upon the Riolu. With a sudden twitch of his aura tassels, Liam was catapulted out of his stupor, ducking the swipe and pivoting to his left. ''These guys are for real!'' Majority of the attacker''s assault was focused on Jackson, with a Bastiodon being at the vanguard, attempting to wrestle the Lucario to the ground with its substantial weight. However, its attempts were halted by a flurry of Fire Punches into its shield-like face, forcing it to back up. A Skuntank attempted to replace its stricken ally, only to receive a swift kick into its stomach, sending it flying across the clearing. Firing up his twin Thunder Punches, Liam had no choice but to go on the offensive. He slammed his electrified paws into the Granbull''s sides, following up with a well timed uppercut, knocking the frenzied Pokemon to the ground. But his victory was short lived, as a nearby Beedrill collided into his chest, forcing him to halt his attack and leap backwards. ''How am I¡­ shoot!'' It seemed the group of assailants had realized the two weren''t going to go down easily, now closing in faster than before. Jackson and Liam found themselves back to back, watching their enemies charge up physical or special attacks. "Kid, I hope you''ve been practicing your aura well..." The barrage of combined moves would eventually reach them, causing both of their aura tassels to go haywire. As if a switch was turned on in them, they began ducking or evading each blow with steadfast snaps of their limbs. Jackson, being the expert in aura manipulation, was able to heed his body''s warnings completely, while Liam attempted to emulate the master''s movements beside him. For a moment, it seemed like they were invincible to their foes - dancing around them with ease. But a single powerful punch by a Rhydon into Liam''s chest would break his concentration, punting him across the field. The Riolu weakly inclined his upper body, seeing the group of aggressors encroaching on Jackson. "Guildmaster!" The incredibly confident eyes of the Lucario met his own, before the Pokemon abruptly rose one arm into the air, the glowing orange band on his paw blinking rapidly. But Liam''s attention was more focused on the rainbow colored stone that was indented into the ring - a strange swirling pattern in its center. It seemed to swell and crackle with a white energy, enveloping Jackson in its blinding glow. Pebbles began to slowly hover above the ground as the group of attackers backed up, eyes wide at what was now transpiring. A solid sphere of white then encased Jackson, churning and radiating a bluish energy. It got bigger and bigger, expanding until cracks appeared in its all encompassing frame. The fractures in the large orb intensified, the entire thing exploding in a violent unfettering of forceful power, the swirling symbol from before briefly flashing above. Liam shielded his face, cracking open a single eye. ''What is this?!'' The striking Lucario that stood undetermined held a different resemblance altogether, now sporting elongated aura tassels that swayed in an invisible wind. More sharpened spikes jutted out of his limbs, his tail more bushy, and his fur also now taking a golden-greenish tint. Silence filled the air, but was swiftly replaced by the sound of a charging attack. More specifically, four Aura Spheres bursting with immense power around Jackson''s body. They flew at impossible speeds into the shocked crowd of Pokemon, barreling into them and sending multiple into the treeline. At such a colossal display of power, the group of Pokemon quickly began to flee, dragging their fallen comrades and disappearing into the forest, or simply leaping off nearby cliffsides. Seeing this, Liam hopped up, slowly approaching the intimidating Lucario with pure unfiltered shock on his face. A single glow of white light shooting across Jackson''s body would revert the Pokemon back to his normal form. "What even¡­ how did you¡­ what?!" Jackson held up a paw, showcasing the rainbow stone embedded in his ring from before. "Mega Evolution. With this stone, I am able to briefly tap into its power and transform into a Mega Evolved state for a small amount of time. That attack you just witnessed is only a peek into what is capable with Mega Evolution." Liam''s jaw dropped, "Is it possible that I could Mega Evolve someday?" "If you have evolved into a Lucario by then, and acquired a Key Stone, then it is entirely possible." "Key¡­ Stone?" Jackson marched towards their forgotten belongings, grabbing his backpack. "An artifact that will allow you to Mega Evolve at any time. Only certain Pokemon are lucky enough to find one at all, or even master the technique." He picked up Liam''s backpack, tossing it behind him. "Feel free to have a short rest, but we''re gonna need to change directions for a while." The Riolu caught it, tilting his head. "Why?" "Because we''re going after them."
"-and then you suddenly created these ginormous Aura Spheres and threw them at ''em!" Liam gushed, earning a chuckle from Jackson. "I''ve never seen a Pokemon get launched that far!" "Few get to see what else I can achieve in my form, but that is typically the case for most Mega Evolved Pokemon." The sun had begun to set in the horizon, bringing with it an orange tint that shrouded the mountain''s open fields in its warmth. The hale pair of Pokemon that wandered this rocky meadow would liven it up a bit through friendly exchanges and laughter. "I know! But-" Liam was cut off by a ring of harsh static that exploded from the ELE clipped to the side of Jackson''s backpack. The Lucario stopped walking upon hearing its chatter, reaching behind to snatch the Minun-like device. He held it and waited for the stark voice that emanated from it. "Guildmaster, are you there?" Jackson flicked the device''s side switch, pulling it closer to his mouth. "Loud and clear, Scizor. Has your team located anything of note during your travels?" The reply back was ecstatic, but wary. "Yes! But¡­ I have also come to inform you that a group of strange Pokemon showed up and attacked us while we were investigating a site. Have you encountered-" "Yes. Liam and I were able to successfully deter them." He changed the subject. "Now, tell me more about this ''site''." "Guildmaster¡­ the site was an underground mine used as a base of operations for Legendary Pokemon thousands of years ago - all to investigate the sudden appearance of Mystery Dungeons, and how to stop them." Scizor''s words were laced with pride. Liam''s eyes almost bulged out of their sockets, his jaw hanging loose. ''You''ve got to be kidding¡­ Legendaries¡­ and they investigated the Mystery Dungeons?'' His head was spinning even trying to wrap his mind around it. Whatever it was, he was sure to pick Gloria and Roark''s brain to get more information about this. Jackson seemed to realize the implications of this find, now pacing back and forth. "Scizor, tell me right now. In this site, was there any mention of shrines." The response was delayed, "... Shrines? No, we''ve already combed the place clean of new information. However, Gloria was able to uncover a possible second loc-" The ELE''s side switch was flicked, ending the communication between Scizor. Jackson''s paw shook with rage as his breath came labored and ragged, the grip on the device becoming murderous, producing cracks in its delicate frame. He then tossed it to the ground, slamming his hindpaw into it over and over, until it was nothing but bits of scrap metal. Liam watched with horror, eyes shifting from the now destroyed ELE and the enraged Lucario. "Guildmaster! You-" "SHUT UP!" Jackson roared, whipping his head back. Liam flinched, yet still wanted to help calm him down. "But they could be wrong! They might''ve missed something! Or maybe-" "STOP PRETENDING EVERYTHING IS FINE!" That was enough to shut the Riolu up, who just stared at him in shock. Jackson glared back, breathing in and out. Eventually, he would turn back around, crouching and clenching both paws to contain his fury, only to place them against his skull as he looked outward to view the golden tinged terrain in hopes of finding relief. "... What the fuck is wrong with me." A shift in the mountain''s wind brought a cool and relaxing breeze that swept through the field, coursing through the tall grass and fur of the two Pokemon on it. "... Fuck." Whether it was minutes or mere seconds, the peace of silence was lost as Jackson abruptly stood up, marching through the fields again as if nothing had happened. Liam wordlessly followed; the Lucario was still his Guildmaster after all. There were no more exchanges along the way, but that didn''t stop the creeping blue and yellow tendrils from invading the Riolu''s vision once again, bringing him back to a world he didn''t recognize anymore.
They were closer than ever to reaching the peak, but first they had to go through a portion of the swampland, which meant a change in wardrobe. "C''moooon!" Liam struggled to get into a pair of pants he had specifically brought along for this moment, which to any observer, would see that they were far too small for him. Nonetheless, with a little tenacity, he managed to slip them on. "There we go! I''m all ready now, dad!" Robert had already assembled his getup, and was rearranging his pant straps, only for the boy''s antics to make him stop and question his son''s selection of leg wear. "Liam, why did you bring the small pair?" The boy blushed. "I, uh, well, this is was all I could find in my closet!" The man grinned knowingly. "Which is because your closet is a huge mess, right?" "N-No?" the boy attempted to lie, clearly not doing a good job at it. "Well, if those pants tear during the hike through the water, I might just have to carry you on my shoulders like you were a toddler again." "What?! No way!" Robert laughed heartily, preparing another quip, but heard a buzzing noise from his backpack. Instantly knowing it was his phone, he dropped his backpack, hurriedly opening up a zipper to retrieve the vibrating device. He flipped open the phone''s cover, giving his son a hand signal of needed privacy. Liam understood completely, quietly retrieving his notebook and jogging over to sit on a rotten looking stump. While his father spoke words that he could not decipher from this distance, he decided now would be a good time to run through his ''Nature Notes'', as he described them. Along with a short physical description of the various plants and animals he''d find, he also sketched them to the best of his young and very inexperienced abilities. ''Chicory, Daylily, and even the Rhodo¡­dendron? Did I spell that one right?'' He wanted to check his book of plant life to check if that mouthful of a name was correct, but simply laughed it away as he flipped to another page. But after a while of glossing over his notebook, he would soon stumble upon his old diary entries. ''Ugh, my handwriting was so bad back then.'' Truth be told, it was still horrible according to his father, but he could totally differentiate the two. Like a gateway to the past, he read the countless mundane or even thrilling adventures a younger version of him would embark upon in his old home''s backyard. Whether it was accidentally touching some poison ivy, or hunkering down underneath an overgrown tree root, there was something about this life that an older him desired so much to return to. It was simplicity, the near limitless freedom it felt like he had to explore this new and exciting world that hadn''t yet shown its true colors. Innocence. After a while of flipping and reminiscing, he would stop upon a tiny passage with more neat handwriting - his mother''s no doubt. It was a poem she wrote after her own father had died, and shared it with a young Liam. The small but beautiful verse talked about imagining yourself in a familiar forest, surrounded by all the friends and family you''ve come to meet in life - a paradise to call home forever. But she had only told him half of it, and said she would tell him the rest when he got older and more mature. The boy would never get to hear the other half. Tears would fall and stain the worn out pages as he read the poem over and over, fantasizing over a place that would never exist. A yell from across the clearing would break his emotional trance, looking behind to see his father pacing back and forth near the ridge. Robert slammed the phone down, ending the call. He heaved in and out, feeling a toxic bile rise in his throat. His hand''s grip on the phone clenched, before he hurled it off the cliffside in a blind fit of rage, screaming loudly to the heavens. No matter how far he ran, how hard he fought, it didn''t seem to matter. The man crouched, burying his face into his hands. "What the fuck is wrong with me... " He blinked away angry tears, trying to tune out his inner thoughts. "God¡­" He would fail to register the pitter patter of soft footsteps behind him. "... Dad?" Robert immediately straightened up, whirling around to see an aghast Liam staring up at him. Time seemed to slow for the man as he realized there was no escaping this anymore. This was the hardest truth a father would have to tell his son. With a few solemn steps, Robert kneeled to meet Liam''s height, gripping his shoulders as he focused on the boy''s worried appearance - his own fear and sadness staring back. "Liam, your mother¡­ she''s dead because of me¡­" The man was able to grapple the small hand before it could pound into his chest, holding it firmly as he kept his attention on his son, who was fighting back his own angry and confused tears, uttering a whisper of a demand. "Why¡­" There was no response. "WHY WOULD YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!" Another enraged fist was thrown, but caught again by his teary eyed father. "Because there''s no point in hiding it anymore - from you or myself," The man admitted. "And because¡­ I''m scared." "Scared?! What do you even mean?!" the boy shouted, trying to break his hands free. Robert let go of his grasp, standing up again. There was so much he wanted to say, to explain, to make the rightfully angry child understand, but even the anger towards himself was far greater. "... I''m scared of becoming someone who doesn''t care, someone whose only goal is violence and revenge. Liam, you-" "SHUT UP!" The boy realized what he said and backed off, collapsing into a kneel and letting loose the flood works he''s kept in for so long. Every day he would try to find a glimmer of hope in things - to pretend that there was still a life left for him, and that everything would turn out fine in the end. He cried for as long as he wanted to, not even noticing Robert silently leave to collect their belongings and walk ahead, towards the swampland, alone. Liam would eventually look up, finding his father gaze back expectantly, waiting for him to follow along, just like many times before. The boy picked himself up, wiping away his tears with an arm as he sluggishly accompanied the man, for he was still his father at the end of the day.
Dusk was setting in, and they still had a ways to go before they could catch up with their attackers. Jackson shattered a large stone in their path with one mighty Brick Break, reducing it to bits of rubble as he trudged past it, tagged along by a vacant looking Riolu. Whenever the Pokemon would fall into a trance of memory intakes, it gave the Lucario''s scattered thoughts enough space to breathe. However, no matter how hard he tried, the events from earlier couldn''t be scrubbed from his mind. It was the first time in a while that he had an outburst like that. Years and years of scouring this world had finally seemed to take its toll on him. But a flash of his paw''s orange ring would remind him that he was not alone in this fight, not for long. He marched ahead to survey their surroundings, wondering if they should go for the highlands, or stay low in the forests to track down their past enemies. "My mom¡­ she''s... she''s dead." Jackson stopped in his tracks, his fur bristling with horror as he sharply inhaled. He stood in silence for a solid minute, before slowly turning around to face a grief stricken Riolu, tears sliding down his muzzle. "I can''t even remember her name¡­ or who she was¡­ but she''s dead, and I¡­" Liam collapsed to his knees, hyperventilating. "Is everyone I know gone?! Why am I¡­ even here. Why..." The Lucario calmly walked towards the upset Riolu, kneeling to reach the Pokemon''s eyes. "Do you remember when I told you about my own family?" Liam tightened a paw. "... Yeah." "And you remember... when I told you about the son that I had lost?" A nod was Liam''s answer. "I¡­ I do. But¡­" "Get up." "H-Huh?" Jackson extended his paw, "I can''t promise there''s a light at the end, but I can''t have you giving up just like this." His awaiting paw was kept still. "You and I - we''re the same. We fight and fight; that is who we are. We both have duties and dreams to uphold, despite our constant setbacks in life." The Riolu sniffled, hesitantly reaching out and grabbing the paw. The Lucario would then pull him back up to his hindpaws, looking him firmly in the eyes. "Are you ready to accept it?" "Accept¡­ what?" Jackson flipped around, resuming his hike. "That we''re in this cruel world together." Liam blinked, trudging behind his Guildmaster. "I¡­ I guess we are, right?" He wanted to know something, to understand. "Can you¡­ maybe tell me more about your family?" There would be no answer back as their travels into the dusky mountain continued, leading them further and further up its heavenly heights. Only when the stars became visible did the Lucario crane his head up to gaze at them, finally speaking. "We have the whole night to talk, don''t we?"
Liam lifted the lantern up, letting its smoldering flame brighten up their swampy surroundings with its radiance. Using its luminous light as a guide through the dark, he gently slogged through the murky water that nearly reached his stomach in height. His father was close behind, checking the boy''s blind spots for a possible exit point. "I remember running so far away from South Carolina, anything to just get away from the orphanage, or the violence I was so accustomed to." "... When did you meet mom?" Liam asked, moving aside a thorny wet branch. Robert smiled in remembrance. "I went so far as New York City, and what a crazy place that was to a country bumpkin like me." He sighed. "We, uh, met in this dinky little pizza parlor, and things just started from there. Got an apartment together, but she wanted something different." The lantern was lifted higher, exposing the small fireflies that danced around them, their abdomens flickering to the tune of croaking frogs, buzzing insects, and a man''s pained chuckle. "I told her it was clich¨¦ for a city girl to want a simple life out in the South, but she was a woman who knew what she wanted, and she sure got it, heh..." He inhaled slowly, wading through deposits of algae in the lake. "I changed my name and moved back to South Carolina - built a house on the prairie with the money from my¡­ past work, and tried to live a life I never had before." Liam absorbed this information as he stepped onto the first piece of dry land for quite a while, removing the bits of leaves and twigs that clung to his clothes. Despite everything he heard, he knew there was more pain to uncover; there always was. "But¡­ that''s not the full story, right, dad?" "No, it never was."
The rocky bluffs of the greater Celestial Mountain heights proved quite difficult to navigate through in the thick of the night, with only a pale moon and a whisper of chilly wind to accompany them. Luckily, Liam had stuffed a Luminous Orb into his backpack for the trip, now using its natural yellow glare as a beacon to guide them. "As a kid, I was always fascinated with the stars. My mom¡­ bless her soul, would even go out to buy me a telescope." Jackson gritted his teeth, breathing heavily. "I watched my own father strangle the life out of her one night, and all I could do was watch through a crack in the closet door - terrified. That¡­ single fucking night was when I couldn''t pretend that things were fine anymore." Liam cringed at the details, looking down. "What, um... When did you decide you would become an outlaw?" The Lucario snorted. "Nobody just becomes a criminal on a whim. It''s always for something or someone - for money, power, fame. Every other reason under the damn sun." "... What was yours?" "Truthfully - chaos, the adrenaline, the rush. When you''re always beaten down, it feels good to beat someone else down in return. To me, the world was nothing, and I was nothing, which meant that I could be anything if I took it by force." They stopped a section of the trail split into two by a ravine''s splintering chasm. Thankfully, the Lucario was able to scale a hill adjacent to them, lending Liam a helpful paw for him to clamber up as well, finding themselves in a place doused with deposits of rainwater. "But you mentioned finding a Pokemon that wanted to change you?" Jackson nodded, "That woman¡­ I thought it was all bullshit, but she really showed me that family was everything, that I should be fighting for a better tomorrow instead." He stared into a shallow puddle, observing his distraught face. "Even now, when I''m trying to make the world a better place, I always just see past victims."
Robert stared into the puddles reflection of him, seeing a man he didn''t want to recognize anymore. But he would end the staredown with himself not long after, returning to the small alcove they ducked into a while back. The rain from their initial arrival had come back with a vengeance, pounding the Appalachian forests for what seemed like hours. Liam wanted to brave the downpour, but was swiftly prevented by his ever so protecting father, leaving them stranded until the storm had subsided. It wasn''t all so bad for the young boy, however, as there was a gap in the leaves of quivering trees that allowed them to see the gleaming stars, free from a city''s light pollution. "I had never seen your mother so happy before, until you were born." Robert couldn''t shake the smile appearing on his face. "She wanted to do so much more with you, and even wanted another little monster around the house - a little sibling to add into the mix." Liam could feel the painful tears coming again, but resisted against them. He had only one simple thing one his mind, and wanted to know. "Dad," the boy almost choked on his words. "What were you going to name my sister?" "It was¡­ June. She wanted to name her June." Now came the flood of tears from Liam, who huddled his legs together, crying for the little sister he would never play with, teach things to, or grow up with.
"What name were you going to give your son?" "..." Liam lay on his back, watching the ever shifting cosmos with an undeniable sadness that ruptured him to his core. But he said nothing about it to the Pokemon next to him, watching the stars as he did in his forgotten past, dreaming about the sister that never was. Jackson opened and closed his mouth several times, sputtering out broken sentences, and wiping the wetness staining his cheeks with both paws. It took him a while to collect himself, but eventually he would open up once more. "When I was young, there was this lone bright star I would spot with my telescope all the time. So much so that I gave it a name - Apollo." "Is that... " "Yes." Jackson let loose a hoarse sigh. "That was¡­ the name I had chosen for my son - a name that''s been engraved in my mind for decades." Liam inquired nothing more, choosing to quietly admire the view above with the Lucario beside him. He couldn''t stop thinking, thinking of the little sister that was lost to him, both in memory and existence - the name that she was supposed to be gifted when brought to life. ''June.''
Daybreak had finally come for the Blue Ridge Mountains, the morning sun now revealing its blinding arches through the famous blue hued curves of greenery. At the top of its quite humble peak was a hunched man, taking in the fantastic view around him with a blank expression. Robert took a long drag of his cigarette, breathing out the toxic yet calming white smoke into the harsh gusts of air. He made sure to enjoy the sight while it lasted, knowing full well what he would return to in the coming days - the mayhem that was occurring in the city - the ''return of the old days'', as he had called it. There was no escaping it. He took another puff, trying to think of more pleasing thoughts. The man nodded his head to the sounds of a faint banjo that carried throughout the wind. A double take would make him stand, turning around and walking towards the campsite they had set up in the sparse woods nearby. As he got closer, the music got louder and louder, and with a brushing aside of obscuring leaves, Robert was able to witness the composer behind it all finish his work. Liam sat upon an aged tree stump, plucking away at the strings until the song that came from his heart was over. Not expecting an encore, he hopped off the large stub of wood, unwittingly bumping into his father on his trip to stow away his instrument. "D-Dad!" The boy nearly fell over in shock. "You scared me!" Robert laughed. "Sorry. I just couldn''t help but see you play¡­ once again." He looked down at the banjo. "I remember when I first got you that, and you were over the moon about it." "Yeah¡­" Liam held it close. " I''m still practicing, but I think I really understand now!" "That''s nice..." A breeze ran through the trees, carrying stray leaves that floated up into the cloudy blue skies. Sadness, guilt, and other emotions panged inside the estranged father, forcing him to grab onto the boy''s shoulders again, needing to speak his worn out mind one last time. "Liam, I don''t want to pretend anymore that things are okay; they''re not. But I want to make things better. I want you to live a life worth living, okay? I''ve messed up so much as a father to you, but I want to make things up." Robert stumbled on his words. "That''s why I took you fishing, and brought you out here - to prove that I still want to be that person in your life." The banjo was dropped to the ground as the boy was brought into a hug by his now crying father, but the youth did not fight it, melting into a much needed embrace. Liam sniffled, returning the hug, his emotions overwhelming him. No matter what words he said before to the man, nothing could separate them now. "I love you, dad." "I love you too, son."
Liam awoke peacefully, resurrected to consciousness by the rays of the morning light that reached down into the campsite and graced his face. He raised a paw to shield away the sun''s brilliance, standing up and yawning away his tiredness. A glance around their makeshift encampment showed no sign of Jackson. ''That''s weird¡­ the Guildmaster''s gone. Did he go out to collect berries?'' He had little time to dwell on the whereabouts of the Lucario, as his acute hearing picked up the distant noise of music in the distance - a singing banjo. Feeling entranced by it, he wandered off in the direction in which the melancholy harmony was being played. The melody''s trail would lead him out of the forest''s outskirts and into an open area with a large precipice, giving an impressive perspective of the progress they''ve made so far. However, the Riolu''s attention would suddenly shift to the creator of the harmony, who was sitting by the cliffside. "Guildmaster?" Jackson turned his head, placing his worn out looking banjo on the grass. "You''re up pretty early." Liam blinked, pointing at the now idle instrument. "I heard you play, and decided to investigate." An unnoticed smirk was formed, "Well, I hope you enjoyed it. It''s not often that I have enough free time to play." "I, uh, also play a little. I bought a banjo the other day in Elysium City, but I''m still learning." "Really now¡­" Jackson rose, back still against the Riolu. "Maybe someday we can play together, and I can teach you." The response was wistful, hopeful even. Liam''s heart was thumping in his chest, realization hitting him like a truck. Ever since he showed up in the guild, the Guildmaster was always looking out for him. Either through teaching him how to utilize his aura, being someone to confide in, and now again with this entire trip. He needed to know exactly why. Liam stepped forward. "I asked you at the start of this expedition, and you didn''t respond. Why¡­ why did you only bring me along?" The gale in the clearing picked up, whipping the fur of the two Pokemon on it as the posture of the Lucario slumped, almost defeated, his orange ring flaring. He would search the open skies for an answer to deflect, or to hide behind, but found no reason to anymore. "Sometimes, when a man loses something dear to him, it breaks him." Jackson finally looked back, anguished tears sliding down his face. "Sometimes¡­ a man must pretend he still has something in life to continue." Liam approached the broken Pokemon, now understanding completely. He didn''t want to pretend things were fine anymore, because they weren''t. But he wasn''t going to run, nor allow the grim reminder of his past to affect him now. He was here, and here to stay for the long struggles ahead. They embraced, squeezing each other as to hopefully never let go, releasing their inner frustrations, their agony, and desires in one drawn out hug. "Please," Jackson pleaded, closing his eyes and forgetting his responsibilities right then and there. "Please let me pretend for just a little longer." The hug would endure, with the sun''s dawn washing away those invisible stars.
Fatherhood is difficult for those who have made mistakes along the way, and for those who could never experience it at all...
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: The Riolu At The Top Of The World The Riolu At The Top Of The World Chapter 19 The Riolu At The Top Of The World It was another bright and sunny day on Celestial Mountain. For the members of the Cosmic Quilt Guild that set off nearly a week ago to scale its mighty presence, the end was just in sight. And for one team leader atop a green hill, that meant one more push until they would reach the peak. "For the love of¡­ can you erase that part about my mom, Braix?" "Why, Mony?" she asked with a perplexed turn of her fluffy ears. "My parents always liked to talk with your mother all the time." "Ugh¡­ at least put a good word about me in there, so mom will see it." Braixen laughed as Monferno crossed his arms, analyzing the scrap of paper she was diligently writing away at. He glazed over sections of shining achievements Braixen had earned over her brief few years at the guild - being one of the best field duty members, and now a nurse in training under the guidance of an expert like Hatterene. Monferno knew she was going places, but couldn''t see any achievements like those under his belt. "You should really write to your mom someday," Braixen remarked, tapping her chin with a quill. "I''m sure she wants to hear all about the missions you and I have done ever since we joined." "¡­ I don''t think that''s a good idea, Braix," Monferno admitted, deeply inhaling. "Not sure if she''d want to hear about me, at least for a while, until I can show her¡­ something." Searching his mind for anything of value to say about himself to his mother brought up nothing as always. He didn''t know if she would appreciate it, anyway. "What about you being our team leader for this expedition? Scizor doesn''t make mistakes often." Monferno snorted. "Yeah, real proud of him for making me the babysitter of this trip." He threw his arms up. "Rockruff''s done nothing but get on everyone''s nerves, and Leafeon can''t even get Shaymin to stop skipping dungeons and go in with the team!" His words proved to be perfect timing, as just over the range''s rugged horizons came a soaring Shaymin, grinning cockily. The Grass-type glided over to the pair resting on a grassy ridge, making circles around them, before landing with style, much to the dismay of a certain Fire-type. "How''s it goin'', mates? You blokes ready to make the trek up to the peak yet? I haven''t seen skies this clear and open since the Shaymin Village." Braixen''s authoritative side kicked in. "Shaymin, you shouldn''t be ignoring the plans of the team leader. The group is supposed to work as one, and it can''t operate well if our best flier disappears every now and then." "Yeah, I think everyone, including Leafeon, is getting sick of your shenanigans," Monferno added, receiving a set of furious eyes from Shaymin. "Listen here, no ''mon just gets to boss me around all day - especially some no talent bludger like yourself! Now, I''ll help with spottin'', but I''m not gonna be your little lackey to command around." Before either of the two could respond, Shaymin took off with an angry leap over the cliffside, gliding away from the group camp and her troubles. "¡­ Man, what a bitch." "Monferno!" He shot her an incredulous look. "Braix, I know you''re thinking what I''m thinking. I don''t see how the Guildmaster even puts up with her antics." The fire fox sighed - as much as she wanted to be professional around her colleagues in the guild, Monferno was right - some just wanted to be a thorn in her side at times. "That Lucario works in mysterious ways, Mony. I''m sure she''ll come to her senses one day, or Leafeon will make sure she is." She stood, gathering her letter and patting Monferno on the shoulder. "And¡­ I don''t think you''re untalented at all, Mony." "Appreciate the praise, Braix, but I don''t really have the authority like the Guildmaster or Scizor to lead you guys." "You led us all the way up the tallest mountain in the world to our team''s last checkpoint." Braixen smiled. "To lead an organized crew like us, I think that takes a lot of talent." Before the Fire-type could respond, a child-like voice would pick up behind. Turning around, they could see Minun running as fast he could on his stubby legs over to them, firmly holding his ELE in a paw. "Monferno! I''ve just got a word from Scizor! He said his group is going to regroup with ours in a few minutes!" "That all?" Monferno approached the Electric-type. "Did Scizor mention anything about that place they found?" Minun shook his head. "He just said for you to look out for them near our camp''s edges." "Got it." Fulfilling his new duty, Monferno hopped down from the grassy cliff, going past their campsite and scaling a nearby hill to get a good vantage point of the surrounding mountainous region. With them being this high up, trees were scarce, giving him perfect vision of other Pok¨¦mon. And after a while of scouting, he could see the weary group traverse through a valley of rocks, straight towards their camp''s location. ''Man, even Roark looks like he went through the wringer.'' Once the encroaching group was in speaking distance, Monferno left the hill to greet them, curious of what the discoveries that his own team failed to locate. "Well? What''s the scoop on the place you guys found?" Scizor took a deep breath, glancing at each member of his group, who silently gave him the floor to speak his fascinated mind. "We had found an abandoned mine from long ago, which held a secret entrance guarded by Psychic-type powers. Inside¡­ we uncovered the ruins of a Mystery Dungeon investigation project¡­ which was helmed by the Legendaries of the past themselves." Monferno was now positive that he had been given the short end of the stick. "Legendaries?!¡­ You''re all pulling a prank on me, right? I didn''t expect Scizor to do this also, but that''s just crazy talk." "Ain''t crazy talk, Mony," Roark spoke up, jabbing a claw at the filled rucksack slung around Charizard''s shoulder. "I saw it myself. And since you obviously can''t believe me, we took those Projection Crystals they used with us." Monferno''s jaw dropped. "Okay¡­ I''ll believe you all for just a quick second. Tell me just why some powerful and all knowing Legendaries would hang out in a mine to study dungeons?" "With us we have brought their mission statement and eventual evacuation, Monferno," Scizor replied. "More will be discussed once the expedition has concluded." "Uhuh¡­ I''m sure the Guildmaster will be pleased." Garchomp stepped forward. "Speaking of which, has your group been contacted by Jackson at all in the past few days?" Scizor nodded. "The conversation between the Guildmaster and I concerning the site was suddenly cut off, which has led us to wonder if he has mentioned anything to you." Monferno shrugged. "Minun said he couldn''t catch his signal or something. All I''ve done is follow my orders and get to the final checkpoint." A soft voice in the group''s back finally spoke up. "Do you¡­ do you think the Guildmaster and Liam may have been, um, injured somewhere?" Gloria''s mind festered with worry over the pair, Liam in particular, who was always prone to recklessness. Roark chuckled. "Can''t be, sis. Those two are a powerful bunch together, I bet." Garchomp grinned at his words, "Right, our best option right now is waiting for those two to come straight here-" Her presumed plan of action was swiftly cut off by the sound of frantic wing flaps, which belonged to a panicking Staravia, who zipped their way at an alarming speed. "S-Scizor and Monferno! Quick! You all n-need to come and see who Rockruff found near our camp!" Monferno raised a brow. "Rockruff found who? That ''mon is always making up stories and other junk. What makes you think this one is true?" Staravia sputtered, "No! Th-his one is actually true! I saw the Pok¨¦mon - he''s like the ones with f-freaky antler horns and strange clothing like Rockruff s-said! Tell them, Joltik!" From the avian''s back came a shrill cry of agreement, courtesy of the tiny yellow arachnid clung to the bird. A gasp emanated from Aggron. "Lad, did you say that Pok¨¦mon wore antler horns and strange garments?" "Y-Yes!" Charizard growled, thinking of his stolen nap. "Those little tribals¡­ It''s gotta be them." Garchomp spared her metallic ally a glance. "Aggron, you think this ''mon''s part of the same group that¡­" "Aye. We need to hurry and find that kid right away, for that Pok¨¦mon may be preparing an ambush." "Wait!" Gloria yelled. "What if that Pok¨¦mon just wanted to talk to us?" Scizor steeled himself. "Your skepticism is noted, Gloria. I hope diplomacy can work, but we will have to see¡­ Staravia, guide us to Rockruff immediately." "Right away!" The Flying-type flew through the camp again, with the group, excluding Monferno, hot on his tail in pursuit of the strange Pokemon. Monferno sighed, shaking his head. "Can''t believe that mutt was actually right. I''m never gonna hear the end of it from him¡­" The Fire-type''s brief lamenting over his disbelief would soon end by the paws of an approaching Braixen, who paused to stare at the newly arrived group of Pok¨¦mon bolting off. "I see Scizor''s team is here. Do¡­ you know why they just ran off?" "Yeah, we''re gonna need to get the rest of our team up and ready to fight or something, cause apparently this mountain isn''t home to nobody."
Garchomp led the vanguard of her allies and accompanying guild members, with Gloria just beside her, curious to confront the identity of the Pok¨¦mon that had attacked them. Along the way, every other member of Monferno''s team would accompany them, just as curious as the snow fox. She had only hoped this encounter would not end in violence. The combined team''s short embankment through the camp would end at its outskirts, where they see in plain sight an injured Grovyle, who bore an incredible resemblance to Staravia''s description. It was slumped over near a rock wall, with Rockruff close by, who instantly became aware of the group''s presence. "Guys! Look! I told you I wasn''t lying!" Garchomp immediately stomped over, causing the Grovyle to stand weakly, preparing for a fight that it could never hope to win. "I assume you are part of the group that attacked my friends?" The dragon narrowed her draconian slits. "Care to explain yourselves?" The Grovyle heaved out a sigh, now standing firmly. "We- we did not set out our intentions to harm, but to protect our families against a force we thought had returned to hurt us and Celestial Mountain." "Protect?! You lot ambushed us from the cliffs!" Charizard roared, to the agreeing growls of Aggron and Tyranitar. The Grovyle flinched, "Yes, but there was a plausible reason for us to initiate first. Please understand that we made a crucial mistake in identifying you as intruders." He said with sincerity lining his voice. "This¡­ Rockruff, your ''guild member'' had explained to me that you are not who we thought you were." "But wait!" Gloria shouted, her mind burning with questions. "We had gone into the expedition thinking there were no Pok¨¦mon living on the mountain, but you said you attacked us to protect your families here? Is your group¡­ native to this place?" The Grovyle was going to respond, if it weren''t for another voice interrupting him - the gruff voice of the Guildmaster. "They are, Gloria. And they will also answer more questions." From behind the wall of stone, two backpack wearing Lucario and Riolu jumped down, landing beside the gathering of onlookers. Jackson would spare no time in hastily approaching the stunned Grovyle, glaring intensely at him. "A full explanation would suffice for my guild members, beginning with your tribe''s identity." Grovyle clenched a hand, clearly uncomfortable with the idea. "I-it is only fair¡­ Very well." He straightened up his posture, pulling off the antler horns tied to his head. "I am a member of the Followers Of Life. It is my duty to my clan and our goddess to protect the lives of fellow Pok¨¦mon." "Sure didn''t hesitate in trying to take ours¡­" Roark remarked from the back of the group. Scizor''s mouth slowly parted. "The¡­ Followers Of Life? Surely you are not mistaken?" Jackson held up a paw, "He speaks the truth, Scizor. If I am correct, your clan is located near the peak?" Grovyle raised a brow. "That¡­ Yes, yes we are. I lead teams of Pok¨¦mon around the mountain to survey it, and make sure there is peace." Gloria frowned, stepping forward as well. "If your clan wanted to ensure peace, then why do you have ill intentions with this other group?" Murmurs of agreement emitted from the guild members, rebuffing Grovyle''s stance. "This other group¡­ They came to this mountain long ago, aiming to dig up that abandoned mine. An argument between us and them began¡­" The Grass-type inhaled sharply. "Then a fight broke out, and numerous members of our clan were killed. We managed to force them into retreating, but it left a heavy toll on us¡­" Garchomp glowered at him. "I get it that your clan was wounded over that incident, but why attack us first if we showed no harm to the mountain, or your Pok¨¦mon." More whispers were uttered, causing the cornered Grass-type to flinch. "I gave out the order to ambush the two groups we had spotted near the statues. I¡­ I did it because I couldn''t risk our brothers and sisters getting hurt again." Before anyone else could respond, Jackson placed himself between Grovyle and the rest of the group, narrowing his eyes. "You said this other group traveled to this mountain to unearth that mine - who was that group?" Grovyle gritted his teeth, thinking of that fateful day once more. "They were¡­ strange. They carried these metal tubes around their backs that sounded like an erupting volcano, and wore armbands." Liam, who was standing by the sidelines simply watching, racked his brain. He knew that Council guards carried around rifles, but the armband part was something also familiar to him. Nonetheless, his mind was so scrambled from the past few days that he couldn''t fabricate an identity of these individuals, but kept that thought in mind. Scizor also calculated the Pokemon''s words, his eyes slowly enlarging. "Did you say¡­ armba-" He was cut off by Jackson''s raised paw. "Grovyle, where are your other men? I noticed you were in the group that ambushed me and the Riolu over there, but I do not see them with you now¡­" Grovyle held his injured arm. "Yes¡­ that Mega Evolved form of yours greatly shocked us. And as for my allies, they are here right now in hiding, as I came out to peacefully investigate this camp." After his explanation, the surrounding bushes and the verdant leaves of nearby trees began to rustle, revealing stowed away members of Grovyle''s group. They then circled the group of guild members once more, but held no malicious intentions this time. "We do not wish to fight you again, travelers," Grovyle said, holding out a leafy appendage for Jackson to shake. "We wish to make amends with your guild, and prove that we are Pok¨¦mon to be trusted." The sturdy Lucario would analyze each clan member that surrounded them, studying their somber and regretful faces, before returning his attention to Grovyle. He would accept the pawshake, relaxing many in the group. "Your clan''s village is near the peak, correct? My guild''s expedition was set to end once we reached the summit." "Then it would be an honor to show your guild our village, as we do not get outsiders often, besides a Lycanroc clan that braves the trip to meet us." Rockruff felt like he was about to explode in excitement, wanting to say something, but failing to find a moment in between Grovyle''s offer. "Come - we will guide you there, and I will convince our elder to arrange a grand feast in the night to celebrate your hard work in scaling this mountain, and¡­ as a way to apologize for our misguided actions." His parting words were enough to convince the majority of the guild, who were eager for some actual cooked food for once in this trip. Jackson ended the exchange, turning around to address his own Pok¨¦mon. "Listen up! In about an hour, we will follow Grovyle and his men up the mountain to his clan''s village! I expect for you all to be on best behavior, so pack up this camp and get ready for our final journey here!" With their Guildmaster''s command, and the promise of a feast in their name, each member of the guild quickly got to work, dismantling the camp''s tents and equipment while Team Drarosteel chatted with Jackson. Liam didn''t follow his comrades, instead searching the sea of Pok¨¦mon to find the one he sought after. And then he locked eyes with her, who returned her gaze, the two of them now staring at each other with bated breath. They would eventually walk slowly to meet, never breaking eye contact. "Hey." "¡­ Hey." Their bottled up emotions would open up as they suddenly hugged, the two partners of Team Requiem now finally reunited. After being separated for almost an entire week, they could tell at a glance that the other had been through a lot - emotionally and physically. Gloria broke free, smiling with an embarrassed blush covering her muzzle. "I, um, hope you had fun hiking with the Guildmaster. I know I did¡­ discovering the Legendaries project and all." She thought of Roark and Garchomp''s constant encouragement throughout the expedition, the discovery of the mine''s secrets, and even finding Victini''s grave. And no matter what, the Vulpix could never stop thinking about what it takes to be a hero - the sacrifices one must take for a better tomorrow. Liam returned the expression, "We did have fun - lots of it." He laughed, pointing a paw at his large backpack. "We even had the idea to take our banjos with us, so we played together a lot in the night." He thought of the various obstacles he and the Lucario crossed - the countless Mystery Dungeons they conquered, the area of exploding geysers they crossed, and even the pain and trauma inside they fought together. A broken man who desperately wanted to be a father, and a lost boy who had no family to call his own anymore. Before Gloria could respond, a set of crimson claws would find themselves on their pair''s shoulders. A quick glance to determine their owner would find the visage of a smirking Roark. "Well, the dream team is back in fighting form, eh? But don''t you two have some more work to be done until we reach the peak?" He threw a claw to his left, motioning back to the working guild members still packing up the camp. "Help this poor old fox, will ya?" Help they did, because soon they would witness a sight few Pok¨¦mon would ever see in their lives.
"Please keep to the path - the village is just past these statues." Grovyle''s entourage led the members of the guild up the grassy slopes of the cliffside, scaling a paved dirt trail that extended into a small lush forest. They would pass more deer-like statues and aged signs. "Mreow~¡­ ugh." Purloin huffed, Mightyena assisting her with walking. "This trail is not fit for a lady! Your clan should seriously- ouch!" She stepped on a pebble, hissing slightly. "Consider stairs!" Monferno groaned back. "You''ve complained the entire trip, princess. They ain''t just gonna roll out a red carpet for us." The glare and haughty eye roll was the feline''s response. Grovyle sighed, "Yes, I apologize, Miss Purloin. We have been able to grow our food here on the mountain just fine for years. But our lack of contact with others on this continent hasn''t allowed us much materials to work with." "I''ve read about your clan before, albeit not much," Scizor mentioned. "But I''ve seen tales that say your tribe has members around the world, and whose origins possibly date back a couple millennia." Shock and awe was present on almost everyone''s faces in the group, who couldn''t imagine a clan that old lasting into the modern age. "You have done your homework, I see," Grovyle replied, smiling. "The village is just up ahead, and we will discuss our proper history once we enter." With no more words to be shared between the two parties, they took their last few steps up the trail and past the trees and greenery that blocked the view of distant houses and other statues. Just beyond this hall of nature was a wooden gate already open for them, allowing the large group of Pokemon to enter without trouble, entering what seemed to be the square of the village. Decorated hamlets dotted the treeline row to row, with growing vegetation that clung to the wood and windows of some, giving it a touch of the environment. Strands of blue and yellow cloth were strung along nearly every home and small shop, matching the colored clothing the Pokemon walking the paved roads were wearing. However, the most impressive centerpiece of the square was a massive stone statue of a deer-like Pokemon. It held significant resemblance to the other crumbled and withered effigies located all across the mountain, with its large antlers and lithe frame. Many of the native Pokemon stood by this statue, praying to it. For even a place as remote as this, to call it lively would be an understatement. "Wow¡­ can''t believe Pok¨¦mon actually live this high up," Roark said, shaking his head - gobsmacked. "Now, you can''t tell me you guys couldn''t fit a bar here or something." Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Grovyle laughed. "We do get to trade with this ''Council'' in the cities below on rare occasions, so we do have some drinks of the¡­ alcoholic variety." "Haha! I''ll take all my previous comments on you lot back!" Charizard yelled, pumping a clawed fist up. "Aye, just save some for us, ya big bellied hog," Aggron grumbled. Liam observed the large stone figure in the square''s center, searching his mind again for that familiar feeling he felt. He knew he had seen this Pok¨¦mon before, and only after a small amount of consideration did he recognize it. He opened his mouth, ready to confirm his suspicions. "Is that statue... of Xerneas?" "Yes¡­" Scizor mouthed, now remembering the passages he read long ago. "The Followers of Life are also devoted followers of Xerneas, the Goddess of Life Eternal." Grovyle nodded, admiring the icon before them. "No matter what part of this planet you find us, we will always dedicate ourselves to living in Xerneas''s image. And here, we-" "Is that you, Grovyle?" an elderly female voice questioned, beckoning everyone''s attention "Grandmother?" From the doorway of an odd looking cottage across the square, an old Leavanny slowly shuffled her way over to the group, adopting a motherly smile that suited her age. "My, and even brought in travelers from your guard outing?" A nervous sweat would form on the Grass-type''s forehead. "I¡­ yes, but I brought them here to make amends with a feast later tonight after we mistakenly attacked them." The Leavanny covered her mouth with a leafy hand. "Well, I''m glad you apologized, then." She averted her careful gaze from Grovyle to the newly arrived group. "So many of you¡­ and is it true that you all will stay for tonight?" Jackson approached the Bug-type, "Yes, ma''am. My guild has come here to witness the peak - we then will leave in the morning." He scrutinized their surroundings, looking for a particular building. "Where can I find your elder''s quarters? There is a matter of importance that I would like to discuss." The leafy appendage of Leavanny would point to a grand structure near the end of the village, covered with blue and yellow banners with tinted glass windows adorning the sides. "Elder Sawsbuck will be happy to speak with you, dear." Leavanny bowed. "As for the rest of you, I''m sure Grovyle and his men can take you to the peak, and even come back before the elder begins the fest." "Uh¡­" Grovyle blinked, realizing the new task assigned to him. "I''ll most definitely escort them to the peak, and also tell the elder of their temporary stay." He raised an arm, giving way for multiple guards to head towards the large building. "That would be appreciated, right, Scizor?" Garchomp asked, tapping the spaced out Bug-type with a talon. "We might be able to find more clues up there." "... Right." Scizor cleared his throat, acknowledging the look of approval Jackson gave him. "If any of you wish to accompany us to the peak, then stay here near the statue. Otherwise, you are free to wander the village until dinner later tonight." Liam had already chosen his path - he was finally ready to see the summit of Celestial Mountain. Leavanny cleared her throat as well. "It would also be an honor to show some of you fine folk of our long history at our archives - if you wish to keep an old lady company for a bit, of course." There seemed to be no takers, until a small white paw hesitantly rose amongst the group. Gloria stepped forward, holding her scarf firmly. "Um, would¡­ you show me the archives? I''d love to know a lot more about your clan." Leavanny seemed delighted to hear her acceptance, crossing her arms together. "Why, yes! Just follow me, dear!" She strolled down an opposite path, further in the village, expecting the Vulpix to follow behind. Gloria heeded the aged bug''s advice, breaking away to trot behind Leavanny. She would momentarily glance back, locking eyes with Liam, both of them acknowledging that they would see each other later that day. Roark would also make sure to send her a wave of his claw, silently telling her to have fun. Eventually, the rest of the group would either stay with Grovyle and the rest of the guards, or break apart exploring the village and chatting away about the new sights. Jackson would immediately excuse himself, heading straight towards the elder''s abode. However, before he could make it across the village, a red pincer would tap him on his shoulder. "Guildmaster, I... want to talk with you privately." "... Fine." The Lucario readjusted his route, taking a right into a part of the village where natives or members of the guild were loitering around. He would turn, facing his loyal advisor and giving him the floor to continue. "A few days ago, our conversation was suddenly cut short, and neither me or Minun were able to contact your ELE." "I accidentally dropped it off a cliff, but don''t worry - once we leave this mountain, we will travel as an entire group to avoid communication issues." Jackson explained. "Now, was that all you wanted to discuss until we went over the details of your team''s findings?" Scizor bit his tongue. "Yes¡­ there is something else." He paused to look around, making sure nobody was near to hear. "That Grovyle mentioned something about a group of Pokemon wearing armbands that came here long ago to excavate the mine. That group¡­ he''s talking about the Alignment - the Pokemon that helped build the Eden Theater." "I know, but I''m more concerned with finding out what knowledge the Legendaries might have accumulated from their findings. I want a full report on it once we''re back at the guild, so the others can be informed about it." Scizor nodded, "It will be done, but¡­" The Bug-type inhaled, slowly exhaling." There''s a matter of the Council that we need to address. More specifically, the ultimatum they gave us the other day." Jackson remembered the day they had first arrived in Elysium City by carriage, and the pair were approached by members of the Council guard, as a request of the Council members themselves. The brief meeting was a direct message to the Cosmic Quilt Guild, in that they were authorized to disclose any of their potential findings within Celestial Mountain to them. The Lucario would do no such thing. "The Council understands the importance and reputation my guild has acquired over the years. I have called their bluff, and we will not yield to them under pressure." "Guildmaster... I don''t want to see them close this guild down - they shouldn''t have the right to do it. We are so¡­ so close to finding out this world''s secrets. Just a little more time and we can... " "Jackson! It''s been a bit since we''ve talked!" Loudly stomping over, the friendly yet intimidating presence of Garchomp was immediately known. "Spoke with Aggron and Tyranitar, and they were pleased about the expedition. But I''m curious¡­ how did you know about the Followers of Life being here?" Jackson''s attention shifted to Garchomp, then back to Scizor. "The first thing we''ll do when we''re back at the guild is prepare to find that second location you mentioned. Once we do, we''ll immediately set out to find it." He brushed past the sandshark, retracing his steps back to the elder''s quarters. "... Well, that Lucario is the same he''s always been," Garchomp lamented. "You know that''s not true." Scizor sighed. "This whole endeavor has put us both under monumental stress, and I''m not sure if the guild will live to even see it, or even I¡­" "Whatever happens, you know that my team will always be sticking up for you guys." She grinned. "Heck, just say the word and we''ll help you with scouting out that second location." He grinned back slightly, "... I''d like that. Thank you¡­ again, Garchomp." She chuckled, turning around. "C''mon, let''s go see if there''s anything of interest near the peak. I know you''re dying to see it." The Bug-type peered up at the blue sky for answers, guidance, hope, or anything that could help show him and his colleagues a tomorrow where the ley lines didn''t threaten this world. Since the day his village vanished, he''s been searching, and now he''s been given a lead by the Legendaries of the past. With their failures in mind, he would make sure they would not fail this time. Scizor knew he would not let go of it - no matter what. "I guess I am."
"I see¡­ Thank you for telling me of their arrival. I will gladly attend the feast for our guests. And please make sure their accommodations for tonight are well. Dismissed." The two guards bid their elder farewell, making their exit. They strode across the blue and yellow carpet, releasing the creaky wooden double doors to the outside world. Once they were gone, the orange autumn colored Sawsbuck would saunter back to his couch, resting his weary form. Everyday he grew more tired, and every time he woke up, he''d wonder what day would be his last. Before he could close his eyes once more to rest, a creaking of the double doors would resound through the room. Sawsbuck curiously tilted his head, wondering who the sole Pokemon that entered was - A Zoroark. Roark looked around, his gaze finding a confused Pokemon staring back. "Huh, guess this wasn''t the village bar I was looking for... " Sawsbuck was silent, but eventually chuckled softly. "It would appear not, sir. Are you one of these ''guild members'' that are visiting us?" The fox shrugged. "I''m more of their errand boy, but, eh, I still consider myself a part of the gang. And no need to call me sir." He chuckled to himself. "Already turned forty a few months back and I don''t need more reminders that I''m growing old over here." "Ha! I wish I didn''t have to remind myself, too." The Zoroark moseyed on over to a set of shelves and cabinets that lined the wooden walls of the room. Books, masks, bottles full of liquid, and various other items were placed neatly on them. He ran a claw across a dust covered bottle, attempting to decipher any names he would recognize. "So, what kind of crazy drinks do you guys keep around here? Tribes always have some weird voodoo concoction that''ll make ya hallucinate flying Mareep and stuff." Sawsbuck laughed again. "Sorry to disappoint; we don''t have anything like that. But¡­ I do want to ask a question." "Shoot." "You act very¡­ young and rambunctious for your age. It''s not something I encounter often when talking to my fellow clan members, Zoroark." The fox grabbed a glass, swishing its contents around. "Roark. You can call me Roark." Sawsbuck arched an eyebrow, "You¡­ have a name? Not many Pok¨¦mon adopt names, besides titles and such¡­" "Heh, you should see this other Riolu kid I know. And this sweet little dork of a Vulpix I call my sister." He smirked, picking up another bottle. "You got any actual alcohol in this place? I didn''t climb the tallest mountain in the world to go on a sober streak, y''know?" Sawsbuck sighed, eyeing the many bottles on the shelves and reminiscing of a time when he would drink with the Pok¨¦mon he called his friends - all gone to the passage of time, now kept under Xerneas'' watchful gaze. But seeing time fly by was always more noticeable by an old man like himself. "Roark¡­ why do you drink?" A shrug was the fox''s response. "Why do we do anything on this rock? Why do us ''mons feel the need to become heroes, explore the world, or solve mysteries and junk." He twisted open a bottle, taking a whiff of its berry aroma. "We do it because we like it, and want more of that feeling. Call me an alcoholic, but I drink because it makes me feel alive and young." "And¡­ you don''t have feelings or regrets that you wash down through a bottle?" "¡­" Roark squeezed the bottle in his grasp, careful not to break and spill its contents on the carpet. His mind was shrouded in a perpetual fog over that question, wondering the answer to it himself. "... Way back when, I used to live in a small city on the Mist Continent, and my job, well, my only way of living was through robbin'' ''mons in the alleys between the markets in broad daylight." He chuckled again, rocking the bottle back and forth in his claws. "Pretty damn good at it, too - even got myself known as the Zoroark who didn''t know how to make illusions. And when the sun would set, I would climb on a tall building and just¡­ drink." "But you''re here now," Sawsbuck assured. "You''re a member of this guild, and you have a sister and friends to call your own." "Yeah, I sure do." "So, is there still another reason you drink to this day?" "In the past, I wasn''t just stealing to get by. I was trying to find someone, but I couldn''t help but get caught up with the law." "Did you ever find this Pok¨¦mon?" Roark looked up at the ornate ceiling, sighing. "Nah¡­ well¡­" He smiled, thinking way back. "I did find someone long ago, but I still wonder about it every now and then. Where are they now? Are they looking for me? What is¡­" He held the drink close, thinking of that fateful day. "My purpose." Sawsbuck leaned back, closing his eyes. "Life always has a purpose, Roark. Regardless of what path or aspiration you take, what you do will always hold meaning to someone. That someone in my life would be my dearest daughter, but finding purpose midst completion of one''s goals in life... that is difficult." Roark clicked his tongue. "Bit too late for me to be a father, but I do have my little sister to protect. She¡­ is really the reason I get up a lot of times in the morning." He snorted. "That or there''s someone in the guild that needs pranking badly." The elderly Grass-type chortled, raising a cloven hoof towards one of the closed shelves in the corner of the room. "That cabinet there houses some aged tonics and wine. Make sure to bring me a glass as well."
"Wow! This place is really large, Miss Leavanny!" "Oh, please, dear, you don''t need to call me ''Miss'' or anything." Their small adventure through the quiet village ended at a building which supposedly housed artifacts and records of past members of the Followers of Life. The section about artifacts excited Gloria the most, who always wanted to see more relics of a bygone era. The cream colored Vulpix entered the rather spacious museum of history, plodding around to check out the numerous strange and rather decrepit looking objects laying on plaques. Leavanny would follow her, exposing each and every one. "Ah, that glossy stone there is actually a Mega Stone! Its origins here most likely date back thousands of years, when kings and queens would Mega Evolve for grand battles against their foes." "Really?!" The Grass-type nodded. "Mhm! We firmly believe that Mega Evolution is directly tied to Xerneas'' power, which was most likely shared to us a long, long time ago." If the Vulpix had a quill on her, she would get to writing these descriptions down immediately. Nonetheless, she eagerly went to another exhibit, tilting her head at its strangeness. It was a mural carved into a stone tablet, which was beyond damaged, with only a small chunk of it being salvaged from the looks of it. But what could be gleaned from the painting was a gathering of Pok¨¦mon. After squinting hard, Gloria was able to make out the clear depictions of Xerneas and a Lurantis standing before a crowd. "What¡­ is this supposed to mean?" Leavanny studied the mural, "While our records aren''t the most accurate, we know for sure that we dug up this tablet in the ruins of a city that we¡­ have come to find is the very first civilization to grace this earth, and our clan''s origins." Gloria''s jaw almost dropped, staring wide-eyed at her. "You''re kidding, right? I thought that city was just a rumor that explorers told in novels!" Leavanny nodded, "Yes, my dear. Only buried bits of chiseled stone remain inside the earth, and our exodus from other continents to find it was a lucky stroke for us." She stepped over to a large map of the Celestic Continent, tapping a location near Celestial Mountain. "Right beside this mountain is where that city emerged, and we Followers of Life are closest to both Xerneas'' resting place... and our journey''s starting point." Gloria strolled over to the many bookshelves that lined the walls, wondering just how much history there was to uncover. But something the Bug-type said irked her a little, and interest tugged at her mind. "You said¡­ ''Xerneas'' resting place''. Does your clan know what happened to Xerneas or Arceus?" "Ah, my dear, now that is a story." Leavanny followed the Vulpix''s wandering gaze, picking up a dusty book and flipping to a specific page. "The details are fuzzy, but the elders over the past millennia have come to a conclusion that Xerneas perished in a fight with her rival and opposite in life¡­ Yveltal, the God of Death, in that city." The fox''s ears perked up, "... Yveltal? Wait! Are you saying that Yveltal, um, killed her in battle?" Leavanny chuckled, "No, my dear. Those two are equals in everything - both in balance of life and death, and power. Neither could truly kill each other, and nor could any other Legendary Pok¨¦mon, for they truly are manifestations of Arceus'' will given physical form." She bowed her head. "Sadly, our archives do not store any information about Arceus. I am sorry to disappoint you, my dear." "No, no!" Gloria sputtered, "I really am learning a lot right now! But¡­ if you say the two of them could never really die, then how come you say Xerneas perished in that fight?" Leavanny inhaled, "That¡­ my child, is something that not even I or any elder of the past could come to comprehend." She took out another book, turning the grimy pages. "While we have concrete evidence that Yveltal is still dormant within that city, the whereabouts of Xerneas has eluded us since our very existence." "Dormant? You mean¡­" "Yes. Yveltal lives, but in a cocooned state. We assume he drained enough power in that fight long ago to return to this form. However, the energy he needs to recover is something no Pok¨¦mon or Legendary could offer." Gloria frowned, taking a shot in the dark. "Maybe Arceus could have revived him with his powers?" "Ah, yes! That is something the elder and I have considered once." The Bug-type grew a wide smile, crossing her arms. "You''re a very bright young lady, aren''t you?" "Thanks, nanny, I-" Gloria immediately stopped herself from continuing, a blush burning her muzzle. "I¡­ um, I¡­" "Nanny?" Leavanny crooned, nostalgia flooding her senses. "My, I haven''t been called that in such a long time! Do you consider me one?" "No! I¡­" The Vulpix cringed, squinting her eyes." Sorry, you just sounded and talked a lot like a Pok¨¦mon I once knew, and I blurted something stupid out." "You don''t have to apologize, dear. I think it''s very sweet of you to still think of that presence in your life." She tilted her head. "Is she still around?" "Um, no. She passed away when I was just a kid." "... My deepest sympathies, dear." With the resurgence of buried emotions she held as a child, Gloria sat on the floor, gliding past memories in her head. She remembered her nanny led her out of the village whenever her parents were gone on missions, and into a town below with the biggest supply of books the young Vulpix had ever seen. They would scour the shelves, read, and pass theories around to their heart''s content. At that time, the Vulpix saw a sweet old woman looking to spend quality time with someone else, and her nanny saw the child as someone who needed to see more than just her snowy village. In this time, Gloria felt pinprick-like tears welling up at the loss she faced when so young. Her sudden emotional shift would be broken by a leafy appendage resting on her paw. "Mortality is something we all must endure. None of our families, our friends, or anything strangers we meet are safe." Leavanny kneeled, keeping her arm on the fox. "I''m positive your nanny desired the best life for you. And look at you now - a smart girl in a guild ready to take on the world, right? Don''t forget you climbed this impervious mointain, and that means you can overcome life''s obstacles." Gloria sniffled, tears still building up in her blue orbs. "I did¡­ I did do this, didn''t I? I left my village, I joined the guild, and I''m right here talking to you because I''ve chosen this path." "Yes¡­" Leavanny stood back up. "You can look back at the past that held all your doubts and know that you made it. If your nanny was still with us, I assure you that she would be proud to see you now." The Vulpix wiped her wet cheeks, happy to bid her sensitive emotions farewell once again. She knew for sure that would come out of this expedition a different Pok¨¦mon, a more reassured one. With Garchomp''s mentorship, the fate of a heroic Victini, and Leavanny''s kind words, she couldn''t stop anymore - not like the world would give her a chance that it never gave anyone else. "She would be¡­"
"Just pour it in the bowl - thank you." The Zoroark heeded the deer''s advice, sitting down and tipping the unique looking bottle of wine into a wooden bowl beside the kneeling Sawsbuck. The fox then kept the bottle to himself, taking the occasional greedy gulp. Roark peeled his lips from the aged glass. "Gotta say¡­ you ''mons make some fine wine for practically being hermits." He took another sip. "Just glad you guys weren''t cultists or anything." Sawsbuck guffawed at his claims. "I would hope we aren''t seen as that to travelers. We are religious indeed, but our morals are most important." "Cool, but if there''s some sacrifice to Xerneas that requires a Zoroark¡­ count me out." The elder laughed heartily again, lapping up a good amount of his alcoholic serving. "Tell me, Roark. What is your biggest fear in life?" The fox halted his next big swig, placing the bottle down and clicking his tongue in thought. He was not the kind Pokemon for a bleeding heart analysis about himself, but he would try. "Well, any brother in the world would say losing their sibling, or not being there for them¡­ but if there''s something else creeping into view, then it''s what I said earlier - lack of purpose, I guess." "Purpose¡­ As an elder, I struggle with finding purpose to still be one with so many young and bright Pokemon living here to take the reigns." Sawsbuck groaned, his weak body getting the best of him. "I am far too weak to leave this place to even see my daughter, and I know my time is coming - and with it my purpose. I once promised here that I would never leave her¡­ a foolish thing, I know." "Yeah, I know all about making promises here." Roark sighed, finishing off the bottle. "When you got a sister as talented and with a future that bright, sometimes you wonder if you''ve completed whatever purpose life gave you. And-" He paused momentarily, squeezing the empty bottle. "And well¡­ I guess I can''t complain about something like that, but it does make me wonder if there''s more in store for this old has-been." "We see to that together, Roark." He slowly curved his neck to stare at a clock on a wall, noticing just how much time flew by. "Well, I would advise you to return to Grovyle to witness the peak for yourself." "Yeah¡­ you''re probably right." Roark set the glass down, standing up. "Was fun drinking with you, elder, but I got a little sister to embarrass out there, so you take care now, old man." Sawsbuck grinned. "You are not so far from my age, Roark. You will soon know what it feels like to be so sore when you walk." With a trademark parting chuckle from the dark fox, Roark waltzed over to the large double doors, stepping back in surprise as they opened by themselves, and another Pok¨¦mon entered - a Shiny Lucario. "What''s up, Guildmaster?" Jackson silently glared at the fox. The Zoroark stared back, wearing a slightly amused expression. "Stand aside." "You got it, boss." Roark allowed the Lucario to pass, exiting himself as Jackson entered and marched straight towards the caught off guard Sawsbuck. "So, you are the leader of this guild I''ve been hearing about? To start off, I am deeply sorry for the attacks my clan put your Pok¨¦mon through. I hope we did not jeopardize any mission you came here for." "Thank you, but no - our mission went unimpeded. However, I am here for a different reason; knowledge of a Pok¨¦mon." "I would gladly repay the debts we owe to your clan in the form of an old man''s spiel," Sawsbuck gracefully replied. After hearing his words, Jackson turned around and headed back to the double doors. He grabbed both handles, closing them shut before returning back to the old deer. After a long week of climbing up Celestial Mountain, the Lucario was ready for the next step. "Tell me about Yveltal."
After quite a while of waiting in the village square near the Xerneas statue, Grovyle would finally begin the short hike to the peak, accompanied by a small group of guild members, Team Drarosteel, and the village guards. With each step they took, they could feel themselves getting closer and closer to the finish line - the tallest point of this world. Liam''s heart pumped in his chest, the excitement of it nearly getting a hold of him. He made sure to keep his scarf nice and tight, as the cool winds were more frequent as they went higher and higher. ''Gloria and Roark are gonna have to drag me off this mountain once we''re done¡­'' "Near the peak, there''s this strange symbol that our ancestors found long ago when settling this place!" Grovyle yelled. "Since it''s so close, we''d thought we show you." Scizor and Garchomp''s attention immediately peaked, the both of them sending each other looks that said if all. There was more to find out here. "Ooo! Is it like one of those treasure chest locations?" Rockruff yipped. Mightyena arched a brow. "I thought they only buried those in sand?" "Aye¡­ but sometimes a pirate walks the plank with his riches and buries it for safekeeping," Aggron said. "Right, Tyranitar?" Tyranitar simply scoffed. Through the tall spruce trees and rocky terrain of the trail, their efforts of the past half hour would come to fruition in the form of a grassy plateau. In the middle of said plateau were very faint markings burned into the ground. "This is the symbol I was talking about¡­ it''s very peculiar." Scizor was the first to flutter over with his insect-like wings, walking circles around the etched in pattern. Garchomp would join him, trying to decipher what possible explanation there was for the symbol. Nothing in his mind would prepare him for what he could uncover. It was three circles overlapping the other, with spirals and swirls coming out of each circle''s outline. At the center of the symbol was a small rectangular shape. "This¡­ this looks like an Entercard marking, like someone was making sure this was the spot," Scizor suggested. "But it doesn''t look like any Entercard making I''ve ever seen¡­ The pattern is too bizarre and complex." "Hmm, you think, lad?" Aggron grumbled, shooting Garchomp a look. "You ever see something like this in our travels before?" "Nah," She muttered. "Never seen this kind of Entercard pattern before." While the other guild members and Followers of Life shared their two cents of what the symbol could possibly mean, Liam was more interested in finding a higher vantage point to see everything at once. He knew they were at the peak, but he needed to be at its tallest inch to feel complete. ''There!'' Just beyond the odd symbol was the last cliff he would need to climb, Sprinting over, he clambered over its mossy surface, leaving behind the group to witness the summit first out of anyone. "Hey, Scizor." The Bug-type snapped out of his mental battle with the unique pattern, turning his head to see Garchomp''s kind yet sturdy visage looking back. "I remember you spoke about that group who helped you and Jackson discover the ley lines, and that they''re supposedly good with Entercards. You think¡­?" Scizor knew where she was going with this, nodding. "It''s true - they are. And they''re located in the Grit Region, which is-" "Exactly where the second location of the Legendaries investigation project supposedly is¡­" Garchomp grinned, flashing her wicked sharp teeth and extending a talon. "I think our little collaboration here shouldn''t end just now, eh?" Scizor blinked, his blank expression slowly morphing into a genuine smile. He bumped his large red pincer into her talon, signifying his agreement. "If everything goes smoothly with the Guildmaster, we shall see your team in the Grit Region with us." Garchomp gazed up at the sky, taking the sight in. "Heh, I think that Lucario will come around sooner or later and relive the glory days of Team Moonlight." "I¡­ I hope so too."
''¡­'' Each step, each drum-like beat of his heart made the nerve racking yet monumental moment he was about to experience more grand. In breathless silence, his hindpaws glided across the smooth grass, almost possessed. When he finally stepped onto the last piece of land this mountain could offer, the Riolu stood still, drinking in his victory, the white wallflowers that dotted the cliff he stood upon dancing with him. Here he was - the top of the world. The ocean blue sky''s clouds were pierced by the peak''s might, the see-through opaque wisps now visible from above, like he was inside heaven itself and looking down below. Past the clouds, the distant seas of land stretched farther than Liam could wrap his head around. To his left, the sandy dunes of the Grit Region caught his attention, but the freezing tundra and forests of the Frost Region to his right captivated a wild side of him - all separated by more mountain ranges in the middle. Putting his back to them, he turned his sights to the rugged and volcanic Mountain Region, right next door to the Meadow Region in which he called home. ''I can see¡­ all of Celestic.'' Right now, he could see himself exploring every bit of those regions in the future - unraveling every secret and mystery that kept itself secure until he arrived in this world. A wind picked up, quietly rustling the grass and bristling his short fur. He began to reflect on the Riolu that awakened almost a year ago, and the Riolu that was now atop this mountain. Liam couldn''t identify himself that Riolu of the past anymore - the one that was lost all the time, the one that didn''t know what to do, the one that truly didn''t know if he existed at all. Being here right now to witness this amazing view was more than enough proof that he was existing. Thinking of Gloria, Roark, the Guildmaster, the Pok¨¦mon he came to know, and even the mother and father that were lost to him now - he wanted to show them the true Liam. ''I hope you''re still out there¡­ watching over me.'' Continuing to observe the continent from a perspective few would ever experience, he didn''t notice his vision blurring, and the world around him shifting into something completely different. He only watched in amazement as it happened, flower petals drifting across his form. Liam was here yet again - in ''that place'' - his paradise. The fuzzy clouds vanished, bringing forth a mist that shrouded the pastured platform where he stood. The ground below shook as plates of faraway meadows and plains overtook the environment, naturally blending in. In the distance, green mountain ranges and valleys were obscured by rolling veils of white mist, making his mind tingle with wonder as to what new adventure could be held there. The same angelic choir of voices from before started singing and cooing into his ear, relaxing him into a state of utter euphoria. From behind, white Pidove-like creatures arose from nothingness, flapping their soft wings and flying off into the peaceful, bright blue sky above. The Riolu watched them leave into the horizon, before hearing a familiar voice speak to him again. "Hello, Liam." "... Hello." "I am so happy to see you once again¡­ and especially at a time like this." "I¡­ I''m so happy that I made it here." "And I am so very proud that you''ve come this far in your journey, surmounting indescribable feats. It won''t be long until we can see each other again, and I can show you the true spectacle that is a life in paradise." "... I''d like that." "It fills me with great joy to hear you say that¡­ but I must bid you farewell for now, Liam. Goodbye." "Goodbye... " Liam watched his paradise disappear before him, along with his senses of elation inside. He was now back into the world he called his own, and still observing the peak''s majestic view. A striking pain of blue and yellow flashes would fluctuate across his vision, interrupting this beautiful moment. It never relented as glimpses of a claustrophobic concrete room, the feeling of cold iron chains around his arms, the stomping of loud boots, and a gruff voice echoing throughout his mind that shot a sinister chill up his spine. "Grim reminder, kid¡­" END OF PART ONE
Imagine waking up in a strange world, and defying all challenges in your path to reach a peak this great - seeing the uncertain past now behind you - a vision, a memory, a dream, a magnificent sight¡­ that could last over ten thousand years.
Author''s Note: We''ve come a long way from the Liam in Chapter 1 to now, haven''t we? I bet you''re scratching your head at this being an ending, but this is truly only the beginning of this story. When we return, we embark upon the story''s very first Special Episode! And after it ends, we''ll be right back to where the guild ended off their expedition! Let''s start this tale off somewhere high up in the snowy vistas of the Glacier Peak Mountains, where a certain Pokemon with a dream of heroism will be born...
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time:Special Episode: Can You Make A Promise? Special Episode #1: Part 1: One Lucky Day Special Episode: Can You Make A Promise? Part 1: One Lucky Day A flurry of cascading snowflakes descended from the twinkling midnight sky, the furious gale of the night blowing them to new destinations. Across giant and sheer glaciers in the ocean, and huge swathes of freezing tundra''s, they would ascend into the skies, reaching the Frost Region''s very own Glacier Peak Mountain. While not the most hospitable for majority of Pok¨¦mon, many Ice-types in particular would call it their home - especially one village nestled atop the mountain''s rugged cliffs. Travelers and Pok¨¦mon native to it would come to call it Kyuris - named after the beast, Kyurem, who was rumored to dwell deep inside the mountain''s many caverns. At a time like this, everyone who inhabited the village was asleep, taking rest in their timber cottages. But one cabin on the outskirts of the village still showed signs of activity throughout the night, with a warm and illuminating lantern turned-on near the windowsill. Just beside the isolated lodge, and sitting on a ridge overlooking the mountain, an alabaster coated Ninetales would keep a sharp eye on a snow shelf tucked away in a distant valley - his concern grew. "Definitely need to check that out with Beartic, and-" Realizing the words coming out of his mouth, he steered his gaze to instead stare at the starry sky. He has promised his mate that he wouldn''t think or mention about work for an entire week, as the two had been given time off to adjust to their new life. "Ah, I wonder how long I''ll have to stay up¡­" It appeared his decision to advert his attention was a good choice, for the auroras decided to return in full swing tonight. The divine curtains of twisting green light spiraled across the stars, providing its cosmic radiance to all those that gazed up at the heavens. It was one lucky day, and it seemed Arceus himself bestowed these blessings unto them. Before he could continue to admire the scenery, a creaking of the door to the cabin behind him would steal the spotlight, looking back to see his beloved mate exit the home and walk softly towards him. She was a Ninetales just like him, but her cream-ish locks of flowing fur were more darkened in tone. He didn''t know much about Shiny Pok¨¦mon, but it was another lucky stroke for him to meet a wonderful woman this rare and beautiful. "Honey¡­ I think it''s finally about to happen," she said quietly, a wide smile stretching across her muzzle. "¡­ You''re for real, aren''t you?" He gulped, psyching himself up for what was to come - an excited grin of his own forming nonetheless. "You still think you''re correct on your assumption?" She laughed, hastily returning to the door. "Hurry. I''ll prove you wrong once we see her." Before he could retort back, she was already inside once again. Bidding farewell to the calm snowy showers of the outside, he joined her on the inside, closing the door and embracing the warmth he grew to miss everyday. It was no mansion, but it was cozy enough for two Pok¨¦mon to reside, which was soon to change. Other than their own bedding, their harnesses, rope, and other work equipment were neatly placed on shelves, ready for them at a moment''s notice. But no item nor piece of furniture was more important than what was cradled in the corner of the home. Protected by warm bits of straw, a white Pok¨¦mon egg was to be seen. Visible cracks formed in its outer shell as it wobbled on its own back and forth. "You weren''t kidding¡­" the male Ninetales'' said softly, slowly inching his way over toward the nestled egg. "And look! He''s already trying to break free and see his pop, ha!" Rolling her eyes, the soon to be mother carefully rested her body mere inches from the shaking egg. She would be joined by her mate as the young couple watched with bated breath for their sole child to finally be brought into this amazing world. They wouldn''t have to wait any longer. "Hey! Look! Its-" "Shhh!" the female harshly shushed. The egg''s movement accelerated as chips of the outer shell began peeling off, until a wide cracking noise and tear in the thin frame would pop the top half of the egg right off, revealing the newly born Pok¨¦mon inside. The innocent and baby-blue eyes of a snow-white Vulpix would slowly unfurl, batting its virgin eyelids at the influx of blinding new light. It yawned cutely, locking its tired gaze unto the two starry eyed Pok¨¦mon staring back, mewling softly at them. The new mother would waste no time in standing up to brush aside the scattered pieces of shell casing that surrounded her child. After doing so, she delicately grabbed the tiny kit by the scruff of its neck, laying down and placing the pup near her stomach to rest upon. "Hah¡­ it looks like I was¡­ right, huh?" she said, her emotional dam about to burst with joy. "Come¡­ come and see your daughter, honey." He would only break out of his happiness induced stupor after her words. The Ninetales'' slowly walked over, getting a good look at the fuzzy little face he would take care of the rest of his life. He didn''t cry often, but no man wouldn''t cry upon seeing their kid for the first time. "Wow¡­ You''re adorable, you know that?" he mouthed. A weary cry from the pup was the response he got, and he accepted it. "Heh, me too¡­ me too." He raised a paw, gently touching the Vulpix''s much smaller pair with his own. "You don''t know it, but you''ve got great things coming your way¡­" His mate silently agreed, diligently attending to her daughter''s dietary needs. The rest of the night would go smoothly as both parents stayed up until the morning and even the day to make sure their Vulpix was well secure for living with them as a loving family.
"C''mon! Just a little more, sweetie!" The one year old fox kit listened closely to the male voice''s encouraging shouts, stumbling around in the general direction she heard it come from. Eventually, her sluggish crawl would turn into a staggered trot, utilizing her four short paws to now walk towards the voice. "That''s it! Keep going!" To a mere infant, the wooden floor of a modestly sized cabin was like traversing an entire continent, but her will to reach the Ninetales wouldn''t falter, bringing her closer and closer. It wasn''t long until her efforts would be rewarded, as she completed the journey, rubbing her furry cheek against her father''s forelegs and babbling away incoherently. "Haha, you did it!" He angled his neck downward, nuzzling the little fox. "You made daddy very proud today, didn''t you?" "¡­ D-dad-dy?" The Ninetales'' sturdy blue orbs lit up in surprise at the high pitched yet soft voice coming from the Vulpix. He kneeled to the floor, wanting to hear more from his daughter. "Sweetheart, can you say that one more time?" "¡­ Daddy!" The father immediately embraced her with a paw, laughing loudly. "You called me daddy! Haha, can''t wait to show your mom what you just did!" The tiny pup, however, didn''t seem to understand her father''s enthusiasm, and endlessly repeated that word for her own entertainment.
While the claws of a Ninetales weren''t as sharp as a Weavile''s, or any other clawed Pok¨¦mon, the tips of them were just pointed enough to slice an Occa Berry in half. Vulpix watched in childlike fascination as her mother expertly diced up the pile of berries and other frost resistant fruit on the kitchen counter. The Ninetales would then brush the bits of cubed fruit into a bowl, moving on to the next step of prepping dinner. "Does this interest you, sweetie?" The distracted kit''s ears perked up at her mother''s comment. "Mmm¡­ yeah," she mumbled, not knowing what to say. Being only three years old, she didn''t have the vocabulary to express just what about her mother''s cooking interested her. "Do you remember that nice warm berry soup that me and daddy make all the time?" The Vulpix thought long and hard, before nodding viciously, remembering that meal fondly. If she were to learn how to create it by herself, then she could eat as much as wanted of it, and that was a small child''s dream. "Well, you might not follow everything I do, but just watch what I do, and try picture yourself doing it!" And so Ninetales'' restarted the process, slicing the berries, placing them in a dish, adding drops of honey and pinches of sugar, then putting it all into the open tray of a funny red and yellow device. It was shaped like a Darumaka, which never failed to amuse the little girl whenever she saw it. After a few minutes, the device grew red and hot, jettisoning steam from its ''nostrils''. But once its tiny tantrum was over, her mother adopted small mitts around her paws, opening up the appliance and retrieving the now liquified contents from it. She placed the scorching bowl on a nearby rack to cool off, free from the paws of a curious Vulpix. "And once it cools off, it''ll be ready to eat!" her mother explained. "Maybe when you''re older you can start creating your own food¡­ or making your own recipes, and then teach your children them!" Vulpix didn''t exactly know what a ''recipe'' was, but the thought of making her own dishes or recipes by herself one day excited her. However, there was one other concoction she wanted to see done before her eyes - the round delectable puff-like treats she''d only see whenever she was on her best behavior. "Poke¡­ puffs? Mommy! Can you make Pokepuffs?" The Ninetales'' face blanked a little, knowing exactly where her beloved daughter was going with this. She sighed, knowing this was still good learning for her small fox. "Oh¡­ alright, sweetie. But I''m only doing this so you can do this yourself one day." "Yay!" While the Ninetales got to work on whipping up a batch, an enthralled Vulpix would observe her do so, attempting to harness the cooking powers of her masterful mother.
"Take a good look! That''s what me and daddy do on a regular basis!" "I see - I see!" Vulpix slightly squirmed her way out of the Ninetales'' smothering tails, getting a good look at the group of working Ice-type Pok¨¦mon entrenched in a pit just beside a valley of steep looking snow overlooking the village. The workers chipped away at the hole''s sides, ensuring all the snow would simply fall inside once triggered to fall. They were the Glacier Guiders, a group of Pok¨¦mon from her village that prevented avalanches and saved Pok¨¦mon all across the Glacier Peak Mountains. "You see, sweetie¡­ when the seasons change and the weather gets warmer, we have to stop any deposits of snow that may come falling down." "Wow¡­ Do you do that everyday, mommy?" The Ninetales'' giggled, bringing her child close. "Not always, sweetie. But in order to keep everyone here safe, sometimes me and your daddy must do what we need to do." "That''s so cool!" While the pup had seen a lot of things in her five years on this earth, the jobs her parents went on all the time always stirred her mind crazy at what it was. But one lucky day, her constant begging to tag along would pay off, and she got front row seats to observe them work a safe distance away. "Honey! Uh, got some news!" Vulpix, hearing the jubilant tone of her father, bounded after the voice''s direction, but found herself barreling into a set of soft wispy tails. "Just wait a second, sweetie," her mother cooed, much to the dismay of the hyper fox. From beyond an embankment of compact snow, a massive Beartic and another Ninetales emerged, heading their way with concerned expressions on their faces. Vulpix hid in her mother''s tails at the sight of the imposing bear, but slowly popped back up once seeing her father. "Turns out those ''travelers'' we found near the cave weren''t actually travelers - they were bandits." The Shiny Ninetales'' gasped at the revelation. "Surely that can''t be true, right, Beartic?" She tilted her head. "What would thieves want in these mountains, anyway?" Beartic shrugged. "Dunno. They were Ice-types too - a Glaceon, a Bergmite, and a Froslass." He laughed hoarsely. "Said they came here to see if Kyruem is really here, but ah¡­ was a buncha nonsense to trick us into lettin'' ''em go." "We don''t have proper jailing quarters in the village, so what will we do with them?" she questioned. "Could a guard unit from Slush City come and arrest them?" "Might just have to keep them in the village for now, honeym" her mate responded. "It''s a bit dangerous traversing the mountain now, and a couple of thieves in the mountains isn''t really a priority." Beartic scoffed. "We''ll let them hang around Kyuris for the time being. In the meantime, let''s keep setting off these avalanches before the caravans come in a few days." Vulpix wasn''t quite sure what exactly the three were discussing, but all she could grasp was that they had caught thieves - bad Pok¨¦mon. Heroes always saved the day from Pok¨¦mon like those in the stories her parents read to her, and it seemed today proved those mere tales to be true. She could only wonder what it felt like to be a hero and save the day herself.
"With that taken care of¡­ I suppose we have some time for recess." The Jynx had little time to react before her hyperactive students exited their seats and bolted to the door in an excited frenzy. "Ah! Please don''t push or shove, and remember to stay within the school yard!" The teacher''s advice fell on deaf ears as each child exited the schoolhouse in droves, running out into the fenced off snowy fields to frolic around and play with their friends. Vulpix exited last, thankful not to get trampled by her fellow classmates. While she did want to know more about today''s lesson, the kit wouldn''t pass up another opportunity to read her favorite book. Once outside, she searched the crowds of playing Pok¨¦mon to find her friend - Cubchoo. After spotting the cub standing around all by herself , she jogged over, her quite hefty saddlebag of school supplies and books fluttering in the wind behind her. "Cubchoo! I brought my book again!" The bear sniffled the drooping blue mucus dangling from her nose, eyeing the incoming Vulpix. "R-Really? You''ll read some to me again, r-right?" "Um, yeah!" The bear''s eyesight was poor without her glasses, and since she had lost them a while back, Vulpix had volunteered to act as the Pok¨¦mon''s eyes and read to her on occasion until she got a new pair of glasses. The cub clapped her paws in delight. "Yay! Same s-spot?" "Sure!" Huddled together on a frost covered bench underneath a tree, Vulpix opened her saddlebag and procured the little red book from it. The title across the front read ''The Lucky Tale'', accompanied by colorful art of a fox-like Pok¨¦mon with an erupting volcano behind it. The children''s novel told of a Fire-type Vulpix from a faraway continent, who would go out on a heroic adventure to stop a volcano from destroying her home village. Vulpix couldn''t help but see herself in that other Vulpix''s situation, imagining herself of saving her own village from an incoming avalanche or roving bands of thieves. Her imagination went wild with different scenarios as she read out loud the first few chapters to her friend. "W-Wow! She really beat that mean Houndoom a-all by herself?" Cubchoo squeaked out in surprise, sniffling. "Yup!" Vulpix flipped the page. "She''s really cool!" "Um, Vulpix?" Cubchoo''s attention was honed in on a circular sticker attached to the book''s cover. "What''s t-that thing say?" This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. The confused fox tilted the book on its side, cocking her head. "What do you mean? I don''t see it!" "There!" The small bear pointed straight at it. "Isn''t that the book return thing from the library?" With a quick glance, the kit was able to determine that her friend was correct in her assumption. Horror dawned on the Vulpix''s expression as she closed the book in fear. "Ah! I was supposed to turn this book in yesterday!" She leapt off the bench, tossing the book into her saddlebag in a hurry. "I need to go right now and turn it in!" "B-But it''s school time!" Cubchoo sneezed, frowning. "You can''t just leave right now, right?" Vulpix couldn''t put this off any longer, as she already feared bringing her parents home a bill for a late fee. If she were to run all the way to the library and turn it in, then it was possible she could return before recess ended. It was a bargain she had to take. "I''ll be back soon! If, um, I''m gone longer, just tell Miss Jynx I got really sick all of a sudden!" "O-Okay¡­" With her new mission on a time limit, Vulpix ran towards the fields fence that blocked her from leaving. She didn''t like breaking rules or skipping class, but she swallowed her worried thoughts and squeezed her small frame through the fence''s holes, eventually ending up on the other side of it. ''Okay, now to go to the library!'' She put her stubby paws to good use, sprinting down the school''s hilly terrain and into the snow packed central square of the inner village. Shooting past wooden cottages and confused Pok¨¦mon wandering the streets, she made a mad dash to the tiny house of bookshelves this village called a library. ''Please, please help me make it, Arceus¡­ or Kyruem, whoever!'' The young kit prayed to whatever Legendary out there witnessing her plight as she neared the last turn to her destination. However, she didn''t account for the slick coating of ice that encased the cobblestone roads, causing her to slip and glide across it. Vulpix gasped, realizing her situation and squeezing her eyes shut, unsure and frightened of where her journey would end up. She expected to face plant into a pile of snow, but didn''t expect to smash right into the backside of another Pok¨¦mon. Luckily, she was able to regain her footing right after, quickly hopping up and rubbing her freshly bonked snout with a paw. "Ouch¡­ sorry there, miss¡­ or, um, mister?" The Pok¨¦mon in question, a Froslass, whirled around with a twirl of her ghostly kimono-like dress of ice. Thankfully for the fox, her aged face lacked an angry expression, seeming more embarrassed than anything. "My, was I in your way to the library, dear? I apologize for being rather slow¡­" Vulpix seized up, shuffling her forelegs together. "Um, yes? Wait, No! I mean- I just needed to return a book here." She motioned to her saddlebag with a whip of her head. "I gotta get back to school, so that''s why I ran and, er¡­ slid into you." "Well, dear, I''m afraid to tell you that the library is closed today." "W-What?!" She was gonna get killed by her parents. "Yes, but¡­" The Froslass made up her mind. "Since you came all this way, I can possibly convince the librarian in there to accept your deposit." "Really?!" Vulpix grew a joyous smile. "You''ll do that for me?" Froslass giggled. "I am the librarian''s assistant, so I can make it happen if I wish¡­ Do you have it on you, dear?" Vulpix wasted no time in opening her saddlebag to retrieve the book, handing it off to Froslass, who turned around and floated into the timber lodge. Vulpix was just behind, unsure if she would have to pay a late fee for her tardiness. Inside was a narrow labyrinth of dusty bookshelves and halls of paintings of old elders or other important figures of Kyuris. Nonetheless, the two went past it all to reach the desk at the end of the room, finding a quite busy Sandlash swamped with surrounding papers. Frosslass coughed to get its attention, briefly chatting with the Ice-type while Vulpix curiously analyzed the stuffy library as any kid would do. But what she did notice from the adult''s conversation was the mention of a late fee - her blood ran cold. ''Shoot! Now I need to get mom and dad to do this!'' "It''s fine, Sandslash, I will pay for it with my own money." Frosslass took out a sack of Pok¨¦ from her dress, dropping the right amount of coinage onto the desk. "That should cover it, right?" ''Huh? Did she¡­'' The Sandslash seemed to accept the payment, shooing them both off with a wave of its icy claws. Froslass immediately began to leave, chauffeuring the shocked kit beside her out the door and into the cold streets. The hasty return back to school wasn''t present in Vulpix''s mind, as only one question resided within her. "Why''d you pay for my book fee, Miss Froslass?" The Ghost-type folded her hands. "I''m aware that school children don''t carry around Pok¨¦ with them, so it seemed convenient to pay right then and there¡­ And besides, I wanted to help out a child that I presume loves to read, correct?" Vulpix blushed. "Um, yes! I come here when I don''t have homework to do." Froslass laughed into a hand. "My, I bet you''re quite a smart girl in school with all the knowledge you must know by now¡­" "Er, well¡­" The kit dug a paw into the snow. "I kinda just like books about heroes and stuff. That''s¡­ that''s what I wanna be when I grow up!" "Ah¡­ that''s a good dream to have. But being a hero isn''t all about strength - it''s about having the knowledge and wisdom to save the day for others that lack it! Only when you better the lives of other Pok¨¦mon can glory be considered yours¡­" Vulpix wanted to have that glory, the feeling of bettering someone else''s life with her own. Like her parents, she wanted to help others. But while translating the Pok¨¦mon''s words into her own guidance, she remembered that one prospect her mother had mentioned. "Um, Miss Frosslass? Can I ask you a question?" "Anything, dear." The fox squirmed, trying to find the right words for her proposal. "Well¡­ my mom told me a while back that once I turned seven years old, we''d need a nanny at our home to watch me while they were gone for work, and¡­" Her crystalline colored eyes shimmered with hope. "Could¡­ could you be my nanny for just a bit?" Frosslass was stunned that the child would entrust a mere stranger with an offer this personal. She contemplated it, but felt her hesitant defenses on the outside weakening at the kit''s innocent and hopeful gaze. On the inside, her heart thumped with joy at the thought of watching over this youth. It was one lucky day for her to be late to work. "If your parents would accept me as one¡­ then it would be an honor, dear." Vulpix did a little dance with her paws, jumping up and down, careful to not slide on the ice again. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I won''t be bad or anything, I promise!" "I know who your parents are, so I expect you won''t be trouble." Frosslass angled her head. "My, shouldn''t you be back at school by now?" "Uh, shoot! I gotta go now, Miss Froslass! But I hope to see you again!" Vulpix said her goodbyes in a frantic flash, darting down the opposite street back to her school. She may have been late to return, but she definitely considered this to be one lucky day for her to earn a new friend and a possible nanny through her heroic adventure.
It took a lot of convincing, or rather, begging from Vulpix to have her parents strike a deal with the Froslass, and have her become the kit''s nanny while they were gone. However, the two Ninetales'' would keep a sharp eye on the Ghost-type in secret before they could fully trust her to guard and care for their child alone. But after realizing her true intentions, Froslass was given passage and fully accepted into their home. "Remember just a pinch, dear." "Um, right!" Since Vulpix''s mother was quite busy on certain weekends, the pup was able to practice the many recipes that the Shiny Ninetales adopted over the years with someone else. With Froslass supervising by her side in the kitchen, she tried her very best to prepare a dish of Pokepuffs her hard working parents would appreciate when they finally came home. Frosslass took the pot of sugar from a flustered Vulpix. "Like this¡­" She lightly tipped the container over the bowl of patter they were stirring. "And you pull it back before it becomes too sugary to eat." "That''s¡­ that''s not a bad thing, though!" Her nanny chuckled, handing the pouting kit a wooden spoon to stir the contents of the bowl with. Eventually, their quite messy efforts in the kitchen will be rewarded, but Frosslass knew to take it one step at a time with the child''s remarkable sweet tooth.
"Mag¡­ nifi¡­ um.. kent?" "Magnificent, dear," Froslass corrected, observing Vulpix decipher a novel of stronger vocabulary for her age. "And that word right there is ''artificial''." "Arti¡­ ficial?" A nod sealed in the kit''s vocal victory. "Artificial! Artificial!" The bookshelves inside their tiny home provided many insights into a world of knowledge, history, and even fiction that amazed the kit. But Vulpix wanted to someday visit a huge library and read all the books there. Still, she learned little by little of Celestic and the surrounding continents each day.
"Wow! Is this really just a library?!" Vulpix sped past the double doors of the building''s entrance, entering a grand room with bookshelves that rose like pillars, and stained glass windows lining the walls. Well lit chandeliers were suspended from the stylized stone ceiling, burning fervently. "Yes, it is!" Froslass answered, a wide smile across her face, but quite as large as Vulpix''s. "Slush City''s library isn''t as monumental as the one in Empyrean City, but its wealth of collected intelligence is vast enough to have you reading for centuries!" The kit didn''t understand much of the old lady''s spiel, but her parting words excited the small bookworm greatly. With a wag in her tails, Vulpix picked an aisle to trot down, analyzing the titles of fiction, non-fiction, and other works that interested her. Frosslass hovered behind her in amusement, even feeling youthful just walking down these old hallways of literature.
Hours seemed to go by in a flash in the library as Vulpix turned another page of the extensive book she was reading out loud to Froslass. It was a codex of all Legendary Pok¨¦mon around the globe - their mythos and real powers described in details. Currently, they were discussing the possible truth of Kyurem and the fabled treasure beneath the Glacier Peak Mountains. "Nanny! It says here in this book that Kyurem really does exist! And, um, but there''s no sign that there''s treasure there at all." Frosslass nodded. "Many Pok¨¦mon spread rumors that Legendaries guard relics of artifacts of importance. While most are false or hearsay, it doesn''t stop exploration groups from trying to find them." Vulpix pondered this truth. "That seems kind of silly¡­ If Legendaries are like us, why would they do something like that? If they got loads of Pok¨¦ from selling their treasure, then they could buy all the Pokepuffs they ever wanted!" The Ghost-type laughed fondly at the kit''s innocence. "It''s not so simple, dear. Some could protect treasures out of honor or duty, or even to keep it out of the hands of Pok¨¦mon who would steal it for their own intentions." "¡­ Nanny, do you know why Pok¨¦mon do bad things?" Despite it being a question by a still growing child, it was a question of philosophy that every Pok¨¦mon had a different answer to. For Frosslass, that answer resided deep inside her aching heart - hidden beneath layers of regret, anger, confusion, and great sorrow over the old lady''s many losses over her years on this earth. But being here and reading right now with this joyful spirit soothed the woman''s frothing feelings inside. "Vulpix¡­ did I ever mention to you before that I had a daughter?" "Um¡­ no?" The kit leaned in, ears springing up with curiosity. "Who is she? And is she the same age as me?" Frosslass sighed contentedly. "No, my dear. If she were still alive, she''d be the same age as your parents." "If she was still alive¡­? Do you mean...?" "Yes, dear. She¡­" Frosslass swallowed her distaste. "My daughter is no longer with us, along with the children she was going to bring into this world. There''s not a thing I could do to see her again, no matter my actions." Vulpix bit her lip, lowering her book. "Nanny¡­ why are you telling me this?" "Because Pok¨¦mon have many¡­ vindictive but very real reasons for being bad to others and themselves. And I am no stranger to it, dear." The kit gasped, not believing her words. "You? A Bad Pok¨¦mon? That can''t be true¡­ right?" she almost pleaded. "Yes¡­ I am. While I am an old lady, my childish anger still found me in groups of roving bandits who attacked and stole from others." Frosslass sighed, gazing out an adjacent window. "I told myself when venturing to the Glacier Peak Mountains with thieves beside me¡­ that there was no reason for me to exist in this cruel world, but that is no excuse for my actions, dear." "But¡­ you aren''t a bad Pok¨¦mon, nanny." The fox''s eyes shined with hope and happiness. "You''ve taught and shown me so many cool things this past year! You''ve shown me that you''re a good Pok¨¦mon and an awesome nanny!" "¡­ Thank you, dear." Frosslass shuttered a few freezing tears from the pup''s statement. "I was happy to have your parents accept me despite my actions, and It means¡­ a lot for you to say those kind words to me." The fox leapt forward with astounding speed, wrapping the Ghost-type in a much needed hug. It would last for quite a while, both parties knowing how much the other meant to them.
Frosslass quietly watched on the sidelines of the open field as Vulpix and her friends from school played in the snow - playfully wrestling or throwing snowballs at each other - just being kids and having fun with their lives. She coughed quietly into a hand - she knew her time was coming soon, but she wasn''t thinking about herself or the life she left behind before settling down in this isolated village. Instead, her thoughts were of the kind and intelligent Vulpix she would have to leave behind very soon. What sort of emotional toll would she leave on her? Could it be repaired? Should she have ever accepted the offer to be in this position of her life? Nevertheless, having an impact at all on the fox''s growth in life was something remarkable to her. All her past regrets seemed to vanish when that young Vulpix yipped in joy upon finishing an exciting book, or recreating her mother''s recipes perfectly. Frosslass would never be a mother again, or even see her own grandchildren, but her cold heart might as well melted over her brief time with the kit - pretending there was a deeper connection between the two - like mother and daughter. She watched Vulpix score a point in the strange children''s game they were playing, wondering if whatever paradise beyond this realm would absolve her of her sin, or if that even mattered to her in the first place. This was redemption - letting go of past anger and finding purpose with one''s fading years.
Vulpix stormed out the house after hearing her parent''s sorrow filled words, tears streaming down her face. She ran, but didn''t go far, standing near the cliffside near their house and crying her heart out in disbelief over what happened. Frosslass had passed in her sleep - her nanny was gone. She was rightfully upset, confused, and angry that one of the closest Pok¨¦mon in her life would just be taken from her like that. She didn''t want to believe that it had happened, and that she would see the kind, old Frosslass waiting at their doorstep like so many times before. She didn''t want to say goodbye just yet. Bawling her eyes out, she didn''t hear the crunching of snow behind her - not until the calm voice of her father would interrupt her emotional moment. "I know you''re hurting, sweetheart, but please understand this was something unavoidable." "W-Why¡­" Vulpix spoke through her tears. "I still wanted to do so much with her, and¡­" The kit broke down again, now aided through her turmoil by her father''s reassuring paw on her back. "I know, honey. It hurt us to see her go too, but I''m sure she had a lot of fun watching over you in her final year." He smiled warmly, nuzzling the Vulpix''s tears away. "We know she meant a lot to you, so we won''t hire a new nanny. Know that her memory and pride in you stays forever." Vulpix wiped away the wetness staining her cheeks. "Will¡­ will I ever have to see you and mom g-go¡­ one day?" There was silence as her father took in the quiet mountain''s breathtaking view of the drifting snow over the cliffs. He remembered a sight like this, the night his daughter was born, and the day his life changed forever. "One day - when you become a woman - you''ll understand things you don''t now. That means saying goodbye to Pok¨¦mon you''ve come to cherish, and it could come at any time, sweetheart¡­ This is something me and your mom must face on a regular basis, and something you''ve only just experienced now." The teary blue orbs of the Vulpix were now dry, courtesy of her father''s small speech. The loss of her nanny was devastating, but this was something she''d just have to accept it and move on - like heroes did. However, the thought of losing her parents someday hung heavy on her young mind, never leaving it as she thought happy thoughts of her many adventures with Froslass. ''¡­ I hope you''re still watching me, nanny.''
"Are the straps working? Let me see real quick¡­" "I''d be more concerned about the harness, honey. You know that thing almost snapped like a twig last time at our checkpoint." "Well, consider it one lucky day now that the weather''s warming up a tad bit. Hopefully that pile near Abomasnow''s area won''t come down because of it." Vulpix listened to both her parents bicker back and forth about their upcoming mission near the mountain''s peak. She had only heard snippets about it, but apparently it was really important, and demanded all members of the Glacier Guiders to attend. Her mother returned the kit''s curious gaze. "Me and your father will be gone for a bit long this time, but I think you can handle yourself at eight years old, right, sweetie?" Her father also jumped in. "Yeah! Did we also tell you another group will be working with us? Called the ''Rescue Society'', and they help Pok¨¦mon in need of assistance all across Celestic!" Vulpix grimaced. "Um, will you be able to maybe come back tonight and read that book to me?" She smiled, hoping to win over them. The Ninetales'' couple exchanged looks, wondering if they''d even return today at all. But after a quick glance back at the puppy eyes display their child was exuding, their was no doubt that they would return and read to her. "We promise," her father said resolutely, heading towards the doorway. "We''ll pick it up on our way back, so just be patient for now, okay?" The Shiny Ninetales present would jostle the metal gear attached to her white frame, following in her mate''s pawsteps. She looked back, sending her daughter a wave of goodbye. "Be safe, sweetie! We''ll be back as soon we can!" With a loud closing of the cabin''s door, they were gone, and Vulpix was now alone for the time being. She considered visiting Cubchoo and her other friends to hang out, but felt drowsiness clogging down her natural kid instincts of playing. ''Maybe later I can show them the next book in the series¡­'' With a yawn, she ambled over to her cloth bedding in the corner of the lodge, curling into a ball of white fur to rest away the day until the night would arrive with its bedtime stories she was promised. After hours of sleeping peacefully, a colossal rumbling noise and subsequent echo of it would awaken her as she scrambled up into an upright position in shock. Various potted items on shelves in the room fell to the ground and shattered from its might, the windows briefly rattling and shaking. ''Wha- What was that?!'' Vulpix was deathly afraid to check out what happened, but she reluctantly mustered up the courage to exit her bed and look around. Nothing inside the kitchen blew up this time, and there were no lanterns lit right now. In a confused state, the kit looked out the window, finding the serene image of her village in the daylight. Strangely, the walls of packed snow that bordered the cliff behind the village many times before were absent. She rubbed her eyes, thinking she was just hallucinating after waking up. ''Why isn''t it appearing? Why-'' Vulpix watched as an incoming sea of snow, ice, and rocks tumbled down the cliffs and pummeled into the houses dotting the outskirts of Kyuris, obliterating them completely in its destructive wake. Another rub of her eyes, but still, the impending wave of snow didn''t vanish. ''Wha¡­'' The avalanche didn''t stop, destroying more and more of the village as it grew ever so closer to Vulpix''s home. She slowly backed up from the window, absolutely petrified at what she was seeing. The cabin began to tremble and quake before the incoming surge of the snow and ice, the windows shattering as a flood of arctic fury flooded the cabin''s insides. Vulpix screamed in terror, dropping to the ground in a panic before the scattered shards of broken glass could cut her. Frigid rocks and other bits of stone and wooden debris from the village smashed into the home''s sides, blowing the walls wide open and pushing the creaking foundation of it near the cliffside. Vulpix held onto a nearby piece of timber wedged into the floor for dear life, still praying that this was just a horrible nightmare. She would never awake from one as the avalanche''s destruction of the house would crush its last remaining legs of support, sending the pummeled structure down the cliff''s steep and rocky slopes. Vulpix cried out in pain as she fell with the wrecked cabin, striking multiple jagged pieces of rock and wood the way down, feeling her consciousness fade in and out. It wasn''t until her and the remnants of her cabin smashed into the snowy ground that she was brought back into reality. Vulpix immediately let loose haggard breaths, coughing out vestiges of blood onto the snow. Attempting to move from the rubble proved futile, as boards and other pieces of icy rock trapped her battered body underneath. The kit could do nothing but cry for help and hope that someone could hear her. "M-Mom! Dad! P-Please! ¡­ Anyone¡­ please help me¡­" Her cries soon turned into soft whimpering, the fox''s pain surging from the arctic wind''s cold bite upon her wounds. Everything in her surroundings began to blur, and she truly wondered if she was going to die here - all alone, without her parents and friends by her side. But before she could think about that, a distant snapping noise and a muttered curse word would prove otherwise. From an adjacent cliffside, the remains of a connection of rope dropped into the snow, along with a Pok¨¦mon decked out with gear for the winter elements, and a black cape that fluttered in the chilly wind. It was fox-like, bipedal, and had a large mane of black and red fur - along with sharp crimson claws that adorned its paws. Vulpix knew these Pokemon were called Zoroark, and were known for their crafty illusions. "Man, I told Bisharp not to cheap out on the rope for this operation." The fox shook his head, chuckling. "Now I gotta take the long way back up the mountain, and hope that wasn''t what I just heard up there near that village¡­" "¡­ Please¡­ help." The Zoroark spun around at the introduction of the soft yet pleading voice, being witness to an injured Vulpix trapped beneath the debris of a demolished house. His features softened as he quickly approached, kneeling to meet her weary gaze. "Hey, I''m with the Rescue Society, and I''m gonna help you get out of this, alright?" His claws searched for the area where her legs were trapped. "Just hang on tight, kid - you''ll be out lickety-split, alright?" Vulpix didn''t respond, already unconscious from shock and trauma.
It takes just one lucky day for your life to change forever¡­ for better or for worse.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Special Episode Part: Falling Without Purpose Special Episode #1: Part 2: Falling Without Purpose Special Episode: Can You Make A Promise? Part 2: Falling Without Purpose The morning sun greeted the city of Verdure, the heartland of the Grass Continent. Its warm and bright influence spread throughout the tall buildings and homes of many awakening Pokemon, signifying the start of a shining new day. As usual, the market district of the city would open at the crack of dawn as Pokemon started to trickle in to do their early shopping ritual. Eventually, the hub of commerce would become flooded with buyers, spending to their heart''s content. Guards were stationed near the square''s sides, wary of thieves and a certain fox with a wanted status on his head. In one of the many dark alleyways connected to the shopping district, a crafty Zoroark hanging off a flickering street lamp would use this morning rush to his advantage. "Heh, looks like I''ve got a few potential customers myself today. Now, let''s see¡­" Roark climbed higher on the pole, squinting his predatory gaze at the influx of finished shoppers entering the alleyways to avoid the crowds. He scrutinized each Pokemon that entered his ''territory'', debating on who to go after. "A Machamp? Not tusslin'' with no Fighting-types today. And I''m definitely not messing with any Fairy-types." He shivered at the memory, but found his attention drawn to a lone Grass-type carrying a saddlebag and wandering the alley. "Hmm, that Snivy kid, though¡­" He had a general rule of thumb to not target kids, but he was beginning to get desperate. His Pok¨¦ count was pitiful, and his stash of food was growing dangerously low. Each day he wasn''t out robbing, the more his time searching for answers was strained. "Well, can''t take a moral high ground on this with my situation." He leapt off the street lamp with newfound vigor, getting on four legs and quietly sprinting through the alley''s pitch-black shadows in relative sneakiness. Illusions were something he could never conjure himself, so he used his quick speed and stealth in the darkness to get the job done. Besides, the ''Illusionless Thief'' had a nice ring to it. As the Snivy entered a large portion of the winding alleyways, he decided now would be a good time to enact his little game of finding out what was in the bag. Stopping at a nearby corner, he psyched himself up for yet another dance in the streets. "Alright, you''ve got a hot date with a new victim, you handsome devil, so don''t screw this," he lectured himself, clearing his throat and preparing his big entrance. Meanwhile, the Snivy found herself in quite a jam - lost in the narrow maze of alleyways with no clear way out. She looked around, debating with her inner self on what way to go next. But before she could decide, a raking of sharp claws on stone and a chuckle from behind would rattle her thoughts. She whirled around, searching the many shadows of the dingy looking passage for the culprit. "W-Who''s there?!" She stamped her foot to hopefully display that she wasn''t scared. "Show yourself to me right away!" "Well, don''t mind if do¡­" From behind a cover of discarded wooden boards came the smirking visage of a Zoroark, confidently striding his way over to the gasping Grass-type. "Y-You''re the-" "Illusionless Thief," he finished, jabbing a crimson claw at himself. "Bingo. Now, pass over your bag. I got an appointment to catch, and I can''t get caught up with a whole chase with guards." Snivy gulped. "You can''t do this to me. I''m¡­ I''m a princess! A princess of a very strong mercenary clan!" She puffed her tiny chest out. "And if you rob me, I''ll send my minions after you!" Roark chuckled at her obvious bluff. "Yeah, maybe when you''re older, kid." He strode over and yanked the saddlebag off her shoulder. "Yoink! Now, let''s see what kind of goodies you got for me¡­" "D-Don''t take it all, please!" The fox glanced around to make sure there was no onlookers, placing the bag on the floor and opening up its many zippers. He scrounged through them, finding mostly children''s supplies that were of little use to him. The few Pok¨¦ that was there he pocketed, subconsciously knowing it wouldn''t even pay for today''s expenses. However, there was one item in particular that he raised an eyebrow at - an entire bottle of the finest Perfect Apple whiskey this side of the Grass Continent. He swished around the brown liquid of the decorated bottle with a claw, whistling. "How''d a runt like you get your paws on this? Actually¡­" He scoffed. "Why are you even carrying around alcohol?" Snivy sighed, knowing she had to tell the truth "I, um, stole it from the market¡­" She rubbed her arm. "My dad told me to get some ''cause he couldn''t move from an injury, and the... wouldn''t sell it to me, so¡­" Roark shook his head, staring at the glass of liquor. His anger at the father for sending his daughter out to buy alcohol was only eclipsed by the anger directed at himself for trying to rob a child in desperation. Every problem in the world seemed to arise from this bottle, and he was no different. Roark dropped the Pok¨¦ he stole back into Snivy''s saddlebag, his weathered moral compass still showing signs of life. Still, he clutched the drink and pointed a claw at an adjacent alley. "Tell your dad to suck a lemon, ''cause this is mine. Scram, and if the guards ask, you never saw me." Snivy hastily nodded, grabbing her saddlebag and sprinting off in the direction he gave. ''Well, guess it''s back to the old grind¡­'' Slipping the bottle into his rather large mane, the Zoroark slinked back into the black shadows, clinging to them as he passed multiple guards searching the streets for the ''Illusionless Thief''. ''Guess I''m gonna have to call it a day due to these bozos.'' Reluctantly, he changed directions, finding an isolated street corner where no Pok¨¦mon would recognize his unmistakable form. Taking a small breather, he pulled out the bottle from his mane of fur, swishing around its mystifying contents again. There was temptation in his gaze, but he quickly decided not to. ''Ah, maybe I''ll save it for a celebration or somethi-'' A sudden stinging pain and subsequent brief flashes of blue and yellow in his vision made him suck his teeth, kneeling slightly from the short experience. ''Just had to fuckin'' get me there, right, brain?'' Roark chuckled through his pain, fixing his stance and beginning to stroll through the lonesome alleyway - all the way back to his apartment, still gripping the glass of alcohol. ''Maybe one day you''ll tell me your secrets, brain¡­''
"Didja hear the news, foxboy?" "Eh?" Roark said, peeling his lips from a freshly finished shot glass. "I don''t follow the news, Ursaring, you know that." "Hah, of course you don''t." Too many bars in Verdure began to identify the Zoroark as a wanted outlaw not long into his thieving escapades. And since he didn''t know how to create illusions, the only place he could go to catch a drink and hang out was a seedy and most likely illegal joint hidden in between one of the city''s many alleyways. But Roark wasn''t there to discuss the finer details - he was there to drink until he couldn''t see straight. "But tell me, what happened in this hellhole today?" the fox asked, rattling his claws on the decaying wooden counter. "If a newspaper has my mug on the cover of it, can I get a discount?" The bear snorted, "Nah, the real news is that those ''Rescue Society'' ''mons are showing up around the city in droves." Roark had heard of these Pok¨¦mon before, mostly through word of mouth by various passerby''s on the street, and his own curiosity getting the better of him. Apparently, they were a large group of volunteers dedicated to assisting Pokemon all across the Celestic Continent. Be it a rescue mission in a dangerous Mystery Dungeon, or a daring operation against an ensuing hurricane, the Rescue Society gave the local guard of any town or city they visited a run for their money with their extensive talents. But the one question that lingered on the Zoroark''s mind was why they were here in the Grass Continent of all places. "Yeah? What are they here for, though?" he shot back, waggling his empty glass. "They''re pretty busy ''mons, so I didn''t expect them to hang out here on vacation." Ursaring grabbed the glass, filling it back up and sliding it over. "Get this - they''re here for some mission in the Sunbaked Plains, right? Well, I heard from another lad up in town hall that the Rescue Society is also here to help with the ''thief problem'' going around the city." Roark instantly downed the glass, raising an amused brow. "Sheesh¡­ I think I''m too good at my job. You''re saying I now gotta look out for these Rescue Society guys?" The bear shrugged, "Dunno. But it''d be a shame to lose my best customer now, wouldn''t it?" "Heh, yeah¡­ it would be." The fox quietly eyed the barren shot glass in his grip, wondering just when he would eventually have to give up the ghost with his life''s sole mission, or simply be captured and let the justice for his deeds sort him out. But he knew there was only option in the end, and that was to keep going until he found a clue - any lead at all to follow. There had to be a light at the end - something that would show him his actions built to something. "I''m gonna get out of your hair- er¡­ fur, Usaring." "You be safe out there, Roark! Well, as safe as you can be with your profession¡­" "I''ll try." The Zoroark left the rusty stool, tossing a handful of Pok¨¦ he took out from his mane onto the counter. After a silent wave of goodbye, he exited the small bar, stepping out into the desolate alleys once more. He straightened his back with a crack of his unused joints, acclimating his shaky vision back into reality. It was noon when he entered the questionable establishment, and now it was night, bringing with it a blanket of stars that were obscured by the city''s smothering lights. ''Think the market''s are staying open til midnight, so this is a perfect opportunity for some more action¡­'' Before he could plot out his upcoming plan of late night business, his eyes caught a glimpse of activity near the end of the alley. He immediately sidestepped into the unlit shadows, observing the rather large entourage walk by. At a glance, Roark could tell they weren''t the average guard of Verdure. They wore various sets of gears and tools on a belt around their waists, along with a black cape that drifted in the cold breeze of the night. A Bisharp led the group down the city''s streets, holding a map and telling the others something that the fox couldn''t overhear. ''Shit. Guess Ursaring was right - these guys are here, and are maybe looking for me.'' Despite this potentially being a major wrench in his operations, he had no choice but to continue his efforts tonight. ''Hope I still make enough for my big meeting in a few days¡­'' With yet another obstacle in his path to possible answers, he got on all fours and sprinted towards his usual spot near the bustling market, hoping it wouldn''t be his last hustle for good.
It had been a week since Roark had spotted members of the Rescue Society congregating in the streets, and ever since then, his attempts to steal from the Pok¨¦mon entering the alleyways have been blocked at every opportunity. Squads of Pok¨¦mon now patrolled them, just waiting for the Zoroark to pop his head in for a capture. He was beginning to grow more desperate each day for money, more so than he was before. Now only monetarily peeking atop his trusty street lamp, he searched the seas of shopping Pokemon for the perfect target. ''C''mon¡­ C''mon¡­'' A lone Whimsicott entering his line of sight would seal in his latest victim. Cracking a grin, he jumped off and dashed towards his newest target. He had to get this one in the bag, or he''d go hungry another day. ''Arce- what''s his face¡­ Arceus! Let me get away with this just once, okay?'' Regardless if his pleas were heard, the fox quickly reached his target before the guards could deter the Grass-type away from the alleys. After spotting the poor Pok¨¦mon all by herself in the labyrinth he called home, he advanced with more haste than usual, ready to get this over with. "Alright, lady, just drop your Pok¨¦ and I''ll get out of your, uh, massive hair." The now quaking Whimsicott backed up, uttering loudly in fear. "G-GUARDS!" "Oh, you gotta be¡­" Usually the frantic alerts of his victims could never travel through the alleys and reach the ears of distant guards, but since they were constantly roaming them now, a nearby squad was just right around the corner. And after hearing a cry for help, a sharp turn around a corner would have them come face to face with thejr number one suspect. Roark wasted no time in taking off, forgetting his attempts and putting all his efforts into evading a capture, or worse. Behind him, he was able to listen in on the echoing commands of getting more backup. ''Man, today is just not my day¡­ or any day for that matter.'' Racing down a corner, only more guards and Rescue Society members greeted him. He skidded his attempts of fleeing to a halt, sprinting down an adjacent corridor before a wave of paralyzing and mobility reducing attacks could land on him. ''The hell? These guys are everywhere! A violent flapping of wings behind would catch his attention, looking up to see a Mandibuzz swooping low to catch him with her talons. Purple energy encased his claws as he jumped and sliced the ensuing talons with his trademark Night Slash before they could snatch him up, causing the Pok¨¦mon to swerve into a wall. "Not today, sister!" Cackling to himself, Roark made a sharp right and jumped over multiple fence-like wooden boards to his escape route. Despite this, the constant pitter patter of footsteps around him said it all - freedom wasn''t gonna come cheap. ''Okay, okay¡­ let''s see if those items I stole a while back still work.'' Digging into his messy mane of dark fur, he uncovered a good selection of battle items. Clutched in his claws was an old looking Blast Seed, a dented Luminous Orb, and a black hued seed supposedly called a Doom Seed - the latter of which he knew nothing about, except the fact that the Pokemon he nabbed it from was pretty eager to let him take it. Whether or not these items were suitable for his current situation, he didn''t think about it too hard. Hopping over another wooden board, a large group of guards on both sides were there to finally catch him. However, the fox''s speed seemed too much for them to handle, as the Zoroark shot past them in a blur, throwing an assortment of items behind him. Roark never looked back, but could hear the muffled explosion of a Blast Seed exploding, a pulsing noise from the Luminous Orb doing its blinding magic, and another thunderous detonation that appeared to fit the ''doom'' of the Doom Seed. "Haha! Eat on that, sucke-" Freezing beams of ice interrupted his victorious taunt, slamming into the ground near him and encasing his hind paws in thick ice. He attempted to budge out of his frozen prison, with little success. "Really? I''d rather take some of your paralysis junk than-" He was yet again cut off by a Sawk guard tackling him, wrestling him to the ground and breaking off the icy restraints. A brief scuffle between both parties would ensue as other guards began to run in and assist the Fighting-type. ''Not like this, foxboy!'' Realizing his impending capture, a thought cropped up in his mind, and he put all his faith into it. Quickly reaching into his mane, he pulled out the last orb he had - a Knockback Orb. Smashing it onto the cobblestone road released a shockwave of pink energy that blew back all the Pokemon surrounding him. ''Now''s my chance!'' He ran away with his all his might before the guards could recover, going so far as to cross into the busy streets and spring himself off wagons and food carts. Still, the chase went on, and he beginning to grow tired of it. But there was less of them each time he managed to get away. This would all come to an end soon. Swinging off street lamps and other poles, he glanced back to see only two Pokemon left running after him - a normal Dewott guard, and that Bisharp from before, the black cape of the Rescue Society flapping behind it. Surprisingly, the Dewott stopped in its tracks, pulling off the rifle attached to its back and taking aim at the escaping Zoroark. Roark watched in perpetual shock. ''There''s no way! Are they really going to-'' The weapon then fired, its rain of bullets and gunpowder striking the alley walls, as the Bisharp had pushed the rifle away from its target just in time. From what Roark could hear behind him, the Bisharp began scolding the Dewott for its actions. Whatever commotion there was, he used it to his advantage, fleeing into the alley shadows to blend in and finally escaping the clutches of the Verdure guards. He smacked his back against a wall, sliding down it and breathing in and out after the exhausting chase across the city. ''Hah¡­ guess I gotta count my blessings for that Bisharp''s save.'' The Zoroark wasn''t sure why the Steel-type halted his untimely demise, but he accepted it nonetheless, as today was a small victory in the sea of failures. Once his small break was finished, he safely inched his way back home, sneaking around the constant patrols that were sent out looking for him. Each day he worried of them finding where he was hiding out, and busting down the door to drag him off, never to see daylight again. ''Tomorrow has to give answers, or I''m not sure I''ll make it to see them in the future¡­'' Everything he had been building up to with his life of crime in Verdure weighed on that small glimpse of hope he could find tomorrow - purpose.
''This is it. I need this win right now.'' Here he was, near the entrance to the Whipped Winds Air Delivery Services. It was a small rectangular building located near the outskirts of the city, where the greenery and sprouting golden wheat merged with the wood and stone buildings. White wing-like structures were built around the building''s sides, now crumbling due to age and lack of repair. It was a dying business, but it was the only one that would accept his services, and home to the only Pok¨¦mon he could truly call a friend. Roark found solace in the broken wings, staring up at the gray overcast shrouding that layer of doubt in his heart. ''Old man, you better have at least somethin'' for me¡­'' With a quick glance at his surroundings, he entered through the double doors. It was dark inside, the entrance lobby holding no Pok¨¦mon to greet him. The fox remembered the first time he entered this place, where it was bustling with customers and Flying-type aces that could find anything and anyone. Things could change so swiftly for him, and this place was no different. Roark found the staircase, slowly walking up the steps as his heart pounded like a drum from a mix of anticipation and fear. As he took the last steps up, a lone door at the end of the hall would draw him closer towards it. He wrapped his claws around the door''s knob, breathing in and out. Once his calming exercises were over, he bit the bullet and twisted the knob, entering the stuffy new room. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. From the looks of it, it was an old attic converted into a modestly sized bedroom, fitted with a bed and several dusty drawers. A window to the outside world brought in its dreary pale light, providing life to a white wallflower held inside a flower pot resting on the windowsill. But Roark''s eyes were fixated on the Pok¨¦mon sleeping in the bed, softly stepping on the creaky floorboards of the room to observe it sleep. It was an Unfezant, a rather old one according to the raspy breaths it gave out as it slept. "Hey, old man, wake up." An impatient claw batting the Flying-type''s red wattle would cause him to grumble out some unintelligible words, stirring in his blanket as the bird cracked open his baggy eyes to see a smirking Zoroark kneeling by his bedside. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Fez." Roark chuckled. "I didn''t disturb you from your coffin too early now, did I?" Unfezant blinked. "R-roark¡­?" He coughed suddenly. letting out his own grizzled chuckle. "I assume you''re here to pay your respects?" "Hah, not today, friend. I''m here to see what happened with the twenty Pok¨¦mon I paid to send to each major city on the other continents. Something has to have turned up, right?" "¡­" Unfezant went silent, only to position himself up right a moment later with a groan. He shakily pointed the tip of his wings to a dresser in the corner of the room. "That dresser¡­ In the top drawer - I want you to have what''s inside it." "Ah, giving me your family''s ancient bird relic or something? Trust me, I''ll take good care of it for ya." The fox strode over to the dresser, pulling it outward and nabbing the cloth sack found inside. It jingled with the clinking of metal pieces and was quite hefty. His curiosity got the better of him as he opened the bag, finding heaps of Pok¨¦ inside - it struck him. This bag was the exact amount of payment he gave to Unfezant for the twenty fliers. Roark turned, juggling the sack. "This some sort of joke, Fez? This is the money I gave you for the trips." "¡­ I know, and I want you to take it back." The fox squinted his gaze, "Have you seen this dump? I think you need the money more than I do, okay?" He scoffed. "Besides, when did you become so charitable all of a sudden?" "Because, it''s pointless for us to do this anymore." "What''s pointless?" Unfezant sighed, trying to find the right words. "I sent them out again like you asked¡­ and all of them came back with the same knowledge - nothing." The bird locked eyes with the fox. "Nobody knows of a ''mon named ''Gloria'' across every city or continent we''ve ever flown to." Roark marched back to the bed, shaking his head in disbelief. "No, can''t be, Fez. Your guys didn''t search hard enough. There has to be someone else that came-" "Listen to me, Roark¡­ You need to accept that the Pok¨¦mon you think is out there waiting for you¡­ isn''t." The man''s words sparked anger within the fox as Roark leaned over the bed and tapped his head with a claw. "Don''t you remember that this is the only possible connection I have to my old life? There''s nothing else inside my noggin'', ''cause ole Arceus decided to throw me a curveball in the memory department!" "And so you''ll search the ends of the earth for scraps of clues? You''ve gone so far as to become a petty thief in order to secure funds for these little gambles of yours..." Roark scowled, standing back and splaying his arms. "This¡­ is all I have! What other purpose do I have on this rock? Drinking and sulking about the past I could be living instead of being here?" "Your purpose is not mine to say, nor is anyone''s. You''ve chosen this path - one that I don''t think will lead you anywhere from what I''ve seen.." "And you think I can just have a fresh start just like that?!" Roark grinded his teeth. "I didn''t ask for things to end up so broken inside my head! I didn''t want to sit down and just think about who''s missing from my life. I didn''t know¡­" He shut his eyes, inhaling deeply. "That things would end up this bad for me." Unfezant averted his attention to the windowsill, watching the flower in the pot dance with the tiny motes that gathered around the rays of cascading light. The soul that was lost before was still lost now, and he could offer no guidance like before from his ''coffin'', as the fox had so eloquently put it. "Is this your purpose, Roark? To find this Pok¨¦mon? Do you think everything will just flood back into your mind if you manage to find her?" Roark followed the bird''s gaze, striding past the bed and towards the window. He inspected the wallflower, flicking its white petals with a claw as he listened to Unfezant once more. "My purpose has been fulfilled already. Through teaching so many young chicks how to fly like a pro, to starting this, well, unfortunately bust business here. I''ve flown with the best, and even with the Shaymin up north one lucky day." The Pok¨¦mon went into another coughing fit. "I''ve¡­ had my failures and my victories." The Zoroark grimaced, nearly snapping the stem of the flower from his grip on it. "So, when do I start winning, huh? Since the day I woke up, I''ve always been¡­ losing." "The day you let go of this... dream... might be the day you realize your true purpose." "I¡­ I made a promise, y''know." "And promises are sometimes broken. You know that." Roark stared out the window, searching the city''s sprawling urban landscape for a purpose - his purpose. Despite everything he''s done so far to find this ''Gloria'', the case would always be cold, and his mind left with more confusion than before. He saw no purpose in the window to his future. "You found me, old man¡­ so don''t think I''ll forget you when you''re gone." "It''s not so easy to say goodbye, but it must always come." "Yeah¡­"
Roark swung open the door to his apartment - a gift of a much healthier Unfezant of the past. The smell of musk and stale air from inside was there to greet his arrival back. ''Home sweet home.'' It was the day after he had visited the dying Flying-type, and a few hours since he attempted another robbery for Pok¨¦, to no success due to the constant guard patrols. His efforts ended in another chase through the streets; he escaped it, but deep down knew that luck wasn''t always on his side. His time was almost up. Sluggishly crashing on a couch that smelled of mildew, he closed his eyes in an attempt to sleep away his frustrations. However, the weight forming in his chest at the looming future proved that rest would never come. ''Damn. What to do in this dump¡­'' Cracking open his tired lids, he scanned the barren and boring contents of his small room. A messy stack of papers caught his eye - his past attempts of searching for ''Gloria'', the second name he had heard upon awakening. But after contemplating it for a while, he instead focused his attention on a sole glass bottle resting on a table in the middle of the quarters. The unopened Perfect Apple whiskey he took from that Snivy the other day. ''Ole reliable, I guess¡­'' Rising from the couch, he snatched the bottle and opened his front door, leaving his apartment and checking his surroundings as always. Once the coast was clear, the fox meandered up the stairs that led to the building''s stone roof. The complex was the tallest building in Verdure, and its rooftop was his favorite place to drink. Opening the metal ceiling hatch at the end of the stairwell, he climbed up its ladder, now on the very top of the entire building. ''Maybe I just needed a little pick me up.'' Twisting open the cap of the alcoholic beverage, he took a swig as he trudged over to his usual spot, feeling the delightfully burning liquor torch his throat as it went down. Alongside the edge of the rooftop is where he stopped, taking in the view of the entire city around him. ''Nothin'' beats this - that''s for sure.'' Beams of orange and pinkish light from the setting sun struck the wooden and stone buildings below, also casting a warm glow over the vast open fields stretching the outskirts of Verdure. The Pokemon that inhabited the world beneath him seemed like tiny Durants, scurrying through street corners in one collective colony of society. And of course, he could also spot the numerous patrols on the lookout for him and others. Roark took another big sip of his bottle, getting a good look at the impressive sights all around him. Already he could feel the effects of the liquor creeping in, blurring the sickness he felt inside with something new - clarity. ''This world is so damn big¡­ and I''m so damn small.'' He squeezed his eyes shut. ''I promised, but I can''t even find you on my own without digging myself deeper and deeper into this shit¡­'' Another massive gulp of the fiery liquid went down. ''Gloria¡­ I don''t even know who you are. If you''re my mom, my sister, a friend, or even anything to me. But you''ve kept me afloat this long, whoever you are.'' The fox went to take another gulp, only to find that he downed the entirety of it already. His grip on it almost shattered the glass as he sighed, shaking his head. ''You''re a cruel mistress, world¡­'' His perception of his immediate surroundings was slightly blurry, but a few blinks set him straight as he clambered on top of the roof''s edges, almost stumbling. He stood, glancing at the massive drop below and the empty glass still clutched in his claws. ''Guess it''s goodbye, friend. Sayonara.'' The bottle was let go, its purpose finished. Roark watched it fall into the abyss, before returning his shaky vision back to the lowering sun. A chilly wind of the approaching dusk swept through the roof, coursing through the Zoroark''s fur. It was a nice and calming feeling, which sparked something emotional inside. Sadness - extreme sadness at everything, and he didn''t know why. Before he knew it, tears were streaming down his face, but he didn''t wipe them, his hind paws adjusting themselves on the edges as he took silent yet shaky deep breaths. ''I hope you''re living your best life out there, Gloria¡­'' He wasn''t sure if it was the alcohol that made him slip, but now he was falling. A furious gale shot through Roark''s fur, his useless body plummeting faster and faster towards the ground below; getting one last glimpse at all the glittering city lights accompanying this liberating feeling. For some odd reason, he wasn''t scared of what came next, the consequences of his actions that he was now descending to meet. Halfway down, and nothing mattered anymore. ''Yeah, this is fine¡­'' Further and further he went, but as he neared his journey''s end, all he could think about was how much better the view was from this far down. Closing his eyes, he let fate take control once and for all, colliding into the earth, taking his resolve with him.
"¡­ Ngh..." "He''s waking up! Tell Bisharp and the others immediately!" "I''ll alert the commander as well!" Roark stirred in his sleep, groaning at the constant shouts and sounds of shuffling gear around him. Reluctantly, he cracked open a eye, wincing at the rush of pain that flooded his nerves. He felt a soft cloth pillow beneath his neck, along with a sense of constriction throughout his limbs. "Wha¡­ the hell?" He slowly lifted up his pounding head, glancing down to see gauze and other bloody wrappings adorning his arms and legs. It hurt to breathe, and he could barely move from the bed he was resting on. "Where¡­ What is this¡­" Opaque walls encased him in this room, already giving him the knowledge of where exactly he was. Both guards of Verdure and members of the Rescue Society congregated at the only door that led out, keeping a wary stare on the incapacitated Zoroark. Strangely, some held worried or sympathetic looks. "Huh, that hangover must''ve carried me all the way to my capture," he weakly joked to himself. An opening of the door sent the Pok¨¦mon scattering to the room''s sides, making way for a Bisharp wearing a harness and a black cape to enter. Its attention immediately snapped to Roark, marching over to rest a gauntlet on the hospital bed. "It''s good to see that you have awakened - we were worried your injuries were too servere. Tell me, how do you feel right now, son?" "Like shit." Roark spat out, glaring daggers at the Steel-type. "Just get your little victory speech out now and throw me into whatever dumpy prison you''d like." Bisharp kept his gaze on the fox. "Do you¡­ remember what happened a few nights ago?" "Remember?" The fox coughed. "The hell you talkin'' about?" "You fell quite a long fall from those rooftops, and you''re very lucky that Pok¨¦mon have such strong resistance to punishment." "Yeah¡­ real lucky." "How old are you, son?" "Twenty, I think. I don''t know¡­" Bisharp was greatly shocked. "You don''t even know how old you are? You must have been on these streets for a long time, haven''t you?" "Long enough to know that my days were over, and I just¡­ didn''t see it coming before it hit me right then and there." "Did you do it¡­ on purpose?" "¡­" Bisharp nodded, waving an arm behind him, motioning for a plea of privacy. The command was recognized as each Pok¨¦mon exited the room, leaving only two behind. "Let''s start over. I''m Bisharp, the sole supervisor of the Rescue Society. I''m sure you''re well aware of us, and our attempts to capture you." Roark let out a sore chuckle. "Well, you can call this washed up outlaw Roark, tin head." The Steel-type raised a curious brow, "You have a name, son? Not many Pok¨¦mon choose to take up one." "Guess I''m a special case." Silence set in, Bisharp digging through the pockets of his front harness to apply bandages to the fox''s crumpled frame. Roark observed him do so in bemusement, a thought popping up in his mind. "Why did you save me back then¡­" Bisharp looked up, "What was that, son?" "When you and the guards were chasing me through the alleys, you stopped that Dewott from shooting me. Why did you?" "Because¡­ even a thief like you doesn''t deserve to die." "Really now¡­" Bisharp tied another loose wrapping in his gauze. "We didn''t come here just to capture, but to help you readjust with society after we did." "¡­ What?" "It''s true, son. The Rescue Society isn''t just about saving Pokemon from natural disasters or conflicts. It''s about saving Pokemon from all situations, regardless of their background." Roark soaked in his words, unsure of what he should feel. Happy that he wouldn''t rot in a cell for the rest of his life, or angry at the fact that he was still in this realm, listening to the pride spouting Pokemon. "So, what - you''re gonna fix me up, then dump me off in the streets again? Who says I don''t just try and do the same thing that kept me going?" Bisharp locked eyes with him, "I want you¡­ to join us." "You''re joking. Me?" "Yes, and as soon as you recover, I will train you just the same as every other Pok¨¦mon." "What makes you think a has-been thief would be a good addition to your goody little two shoes club?" Bisharp chuckled at his disbelieving comment. "Son, I see things that typical Pok¨¦mon don''t. You may not see it after what you''ve done, but there''s always a purpose that you can fulfill in this world." Roark thought about all the options on the table right now, and how little they paled in comparison to joining forces with the Rescue Society. He could shed his criminal past and have the opportunity to explore an entire world that was alien to him. It was the opportunity to find more clues about his missing past. "You went through quite a lot of effort to just hand me a resume, didn''t you?" The fox let out a chuckle himself, finding the strength to lift a single claw from his blanket. "Well, consider this job accepted, tin head¡­" Bisharp smirked, wrapping his gauntlet around the claw and shaking it. "It''s a pleasure to have you aboard, Roark." The ''Illusionless Thief'' was no more.
"Roark! Bisharp is giving the order to rendezvous with the other team and give them the all clear!" a Feraligatr yelled. "On it!" Roark released the rope from his harness and unhooked his claws from the volcano''s rocky slopes, sliding down to meet the squad of Water-types. The hardy team fought off the continuous streams of magma pouring out of the mountain''s surface with powerful spouts of water, cooling them into a solid instantly. "Tell that tin man I''ll be back in five minutes flat!" "Haha! You got it, pal!" Smirking, the Zoroark sprinted on all fours away from the team''s ongoing battle with flowing lava. He curved a bend, expertly dodging the occasional piece of lava rock that tumbled off the quaking cliffs. ''Feels like this whole thing''s about to blow, so we better act quick.'' Hastening his speed, the fox approached a wall impeding his path and wasted no time in tossing the rope attached to his harness over it. The beautiful daggers he called his claws were good enough to impale themselves into the stone, giving him the ability to climb up. Once his vantage point was secure, he scoured the reddish surface of the volcano in search of the others. ''Aha! Maybe I can pull it off after all¡­'' Mentally counting down in his head, he traversed at a rapid pace, reaching them in a matter of seconds. Another wave of a molten rock was spilling out from the ground, and the second team of Water-types were standing by for orders. "Hey, you lot! Bisharp said to do it now!" Heeding the shouts of the fox, the combined force of aquatic attacks dispelled the invading sea of lava into nothing more than steam and hot solidified stone. Roark sighed in relief, "Good! Now, if Bisharp''s team pulls it off, then this volcano isn''t erupting anytime soon!" As the team made their way back to camp, Roark instead wanted to wait near the entrance of the Mystery Dungeon that Bisharp and his men entered. Along the way there, he noticed the rattling of the volcano seemed to mellow out, until fading completely. ''Never doubt the master, I guess¡­'' Nearing the pitchblack gateway of the Mystery Dungeon that led into the volcano itself, he leapt atop a nearby hill and began to plot up a fun little prank to pull on the leaving Steel-type. He waited for about ten minutes, thinking about giving up on the plot until exhausted members of the Rescue Society exited the shadow one by one. ''Showtime!'' Utilizing his illusion trickery, the fox focused on replicating the form of a Legendary Pokemon he once read about - Entei. In a flash of bright white light, his appearance was altered into a menacing beast of a Pok¨¦mon. ''Perfect. Now¡­'' Bisharp was last to exit, too distracted with refitting his harness to notice the hulking frame of an Entei bounding towards him. It wasn''t until the very real sounding conjuration landed right beside him that Bisharp noticed, collapsing to the floor in shock. "Gah!" The Steel-type couldn''t believe his eyes. "E-Entei?!" "BISHARP OF THE RESCUE SOCIETY! AFTER DISRUPTING MY ERUPTION, I AM HERE TO MAKE YOU PAY FOR YOUR GRIEVANCES!" Bisharp suddenly recognized the suave voice of the trickster mixed in with the bombastic yelling. "¡­ Roark? Is that you, son?" The Entei illusion began to bellow with laughter, before a flash of white consumed its body. A Zoroark emerged from the blinding light, reaching an arm out for the fallen Pok¨¦mon to grab. "Got you good for a second, old man." Bisharp stared for a brief moment, accepting the assistance and standing up. "That you did, son." He chuckled. "Sometimes I wonder if I made a mistake getting you taught on how to use your illusion powers." "But then who would take my place as the prankster of the team?" "You pose a good question." They walked and talked the long trek back to camp, discussing the fine details of their success in halting the eruption of the Basalt Bonfire Volcano, which threatened to annihilate a small village of Dragon-types near the bottom of the mountain. Bisharp unrolled his map of Celestic, tapping their location. "Since our business here in the Mountain Region is finished, in about a month, we''ll head straight to the neighboring Frost Region for our last mission on Celestic." Roark groaned. "Another snowy area? Is there some giant icicle we need to smash or what?" "No. There''s a massive snow shelf on the Glacier Peak Mountains that resides by the village of Kyuris, which it poses a threat to. We need to assist the local rangers there, the Glacier Guiders, in safely defusing the situation." "Should we secure a perimeter? In case the village ''mons are in a potential blast zone?" Bisharp nodded, tucking the map away in his saddlebags. "I''ll go over specifics when we arrive, but this is yet another important operation." "Yeah, just wait until Spinda starts yapppin'' on about- ah!" Arcs of blue and yellow spirals shot across the Zoroark''s vision, causing him to kneel from the spike of electrifying pain that accompanied it. Bisharp knelt down immediately, placing a gauntlet on the now hyperventilating Pok¨¦mon. "Are you okay, son?" "Yeah, yeah¡­ I''m¡­ fine." Roark managed to stand, blinking away his blurry eyesight. "It''s just¡­ I don''t know what the hell causes that to happen. It''s been doing that ever since I woke up that day." Bisharp was the only Pok¨¦mon he confided his past to in the Rescue Society. After being there for roughly ten years, the fox began to see the Steel-type more as a mentor or father figure. Someone like Unfezant who actually cared for his wellbeing. "You are a strange case, Roark. But don''t that let deter you from achieving your goals and purpose." Bisharp remembered the emboldened words he spoke long ago. "Even now, I still know you''re looking for her." Roark looked down, sighing. "C''mon, old man, let''s instead get back to base and start brainstorming ideas on how to tackle this big pile of snow, okay?" "Ha! I think you''ve got the right idea." Bisharp walked ahead, sending a glance back while he did so. "Keep up the tenacity, Roark! Someday, you might find yourself taking my place!" "Yeah¡­" As the caped leader departed the sweltering land, Roark dug into the saddlebags connected to his harness in search of something. Feeling his metal flask, he fished it out and twisted open its cap, already smelling the apple fermented aroma that arose from the container - Perfect Apple Whiskey, his favorite. ''At least I got you, old friend¡­'' The fox took a hearty swig of the flask, feeling the familiar burn in the back of his throat. When he was finished with consuming the powerful liquor, he popped the cap back on, but kept the flask clutched in his claws. He swished arounds its contents, trying to push away thoughts of that dreaded day. ''You''ve gotten me in a lot of trouble, but It''s still my dumb choice in the end, isn''t it?''
''Pray to Arceus this works, or I''m just wasting some of my precious elixir here.'' Roark grabbed his torn saddlebag, ripping apart the cloth from it and taking out his flask of whiskey. He popped the cap open and then slowly began to pour some of it on the pieces of cloth. Hoping his memory served correct, he grabbed the damp pieces of cloth and tossed them into the dying campfire. The scraps settled upon the smoldering charcoal, before combusting into yellow flames and flying bits of orange cinder. The Zoroark raised his arms in victory, scooting closer to the now blazing fire, careful not to let his black cape get close. ''Haha! Now Bisharp can''t tell me I wasn''t listeni- ooh!'' He scooted back just a bit after feeling his fur get singed. ''Oh, yeah, gotta watch out for those invisible flames.'' Stealing a glance over at his right, he observed the sleeping form of the Vulpix he had rescued from the destroyed cabin. Luckily, her legs weren''t seriously injured from the wooden beams that encased her in. And after the girl passed out, he was able to scoop her out of the debris, carrying her off to a nearby alcove that shielded the two from the wintery elements. ''Might have to rebandage her in a bit, but she might need more rest.'' He scowled, recalling the previous hour of events. ''Fuck. I really hope all that shaking up top wasn''t an avalanche, ''cause then we''re gonna have a serious problem.'' His duty throughout this operation was to keep a perimeter around the mountain, and act as a recon over the many checkpoints that the Glacier Guiders created. But after a series of loud rumblings and quakes throughout the mountain, the rope he was using to keep himself connected to the cliffs snapped, stranding him in the middle of a freezing wasteland. And if that wasn''t bad enough, now he had to escort a lost little girl back to her parents. All in all, he had a lot on his plate currently. But now that he had a moment of calm before the eventual storm, his thoughts shifted to the suggestion that Bisharp gave him on their trip here. The possibility of Roark leading the Rescue Society in the Steel-type''s absence. Roark watched the flames of the campfire crackle. ''Maybe it is time for me to climb up the totem. Bisharp''s getting old, and I''m not gettin'' any younger myself, either. But being a leader to all those heroic ''mons? Man, not sure I even have the heart to-'' A grunt to his right shattered his mind''s back and forth, returning his sights back to the white Vulpix, who was now stirring in her sleep. He watched patiently as the kit let out more soft murmurs, before her blue orbs would bat open and drowsily analyze her foreign environment. "Wha¡­ where¡­" Vulpix''s chest tightened as fear gripped her. "M-Mom? Dad?" "Hey, kid." Vulpix gasped, attempting to scramble up to her paws. However, a stinging pain in her sides would force her back to the ground, making her look up to see the image of a Zoroark sitting crisscrossed near a campfire. If she was frightened before, her anxiety was reaching new levels. "W-Who a-are you?" she uttered. "Where''s¡­ where''s my mom and dad?!" "Calm down, kid, your memory isn''t up to speed." Roark rose from his position, jabbing a claw at himself. "I''m from the Rescue Society, and I just saved you from a house wreckage close by." He motioned to the stone walls around them. "After that, I found a tiny little cave for you to warm up and let your wounds heal." Vulpix seemed to simmer down just a bit, still looking around. "Are we... are we safe?" "Yeah, you''re gonna be fine. Once you''re all healed up, I''m gonna take you back to your parents - you got that?" The kit slowly nodded, but Roark wanted to know more about what exactly happened. "Do you think you can tell me what happened before you passed out?" She blinked, from both confusion and shock at her lack of recollection. "I¡­ I don''t remember! All I remember is going to sleep in my bed and waking up here!" ''It must''ve been too traumatizing for her to remember. Poor fucking kid¡­'' Roak sharply inhaled, "Well, maybe we''ll learn more about what happened along the way." He sat down, directly in front of Vulpix. "Since we might be together for a bit, you can call me Roark, or ''R'', as some of my buddies call me, heh." Vulpix tilted her head, "Roark¡­? Like, Zo¡­ roark?" "Uh, yeah!" She managed a small smile. "That''s, um, kind of silly. But I like it!" "Much appreciated." Roark stood up again. "You rest here - I''m gonna assume the cabin you came down the mountain with is yours, and I''ll try and recover any small belongings we can take back." "The¡­ the cabin? You mean..." She whirled around, peering out of the cavern entrance to see a mangled mess of wood and broken glass that was her home. She ignored her injuries and ran out in an adrenaline fueled hurry, desperately trying to reach the destroyed lodge. "Kid, wait!" Roark was just behind her, growling obscenities under his breath as he trudged through the snow. It was a short lived chase, which ended once the Zoroark caught her at the cabin''s ruins, attempting to brush away bits of wood and uncover the place she used to call home. "Kid, your injuries - you can''t be out here!" He attempted to drag her back with a paw, but found the crying Vulpix forcing her way out of his hold. "M-My¡­ my house!" She sniffled, sobbing loudly. "Why is it destroyed?! W-What happened?!" "I don''t know, but¡­ we''re gonna find out, alright?" "But¡­ I w-want my home back!" she screamed uselessly, stomping an upset paw into the snow. All the memories the Vulpix had in the cabin growing up were now gone. Her first words, the first book she read, learning how to cook from her mother, playing with friends - all of it reduced to rubble before her. Roark sucked in his emotions, gently patting the young kit on the back. "¡­ It''s just a house, kid." He was able to finally pull her away from the wreckage. "I know it''s hard seeing this, but trust me when I tell you that your well-being is more important to your mom and dad than some house." "B-But¡­" "Please, go back and rest - you need it." "O-okay¡­" A choked up Vulpix began to trot back to the warm cave, struggling to hold back more tears as she did so. Roark watched her go, closing his eyes and holding his head high. ''Damn, I feel like such an asshole doing that, but I had to.'' It was just another day in the Rescue Society. Digging into his saddlebags, he retrieved his flask of whiskey and took a comforting sip. It was a long journey until a refill, and he knew it wasn''t gonna be smooth sailing all the way through. ''I wish I didn''t just have this pit in my stomach at the thought of what exactly happened to that little girl.'' He brought his gaze back down to the flask he was holding, swishing around the calming yet troubling liquid held inside. ''Fulfill your purpose, old friend, and I''ll fulfill mine here.'' Roark took another gulp.
Take a swig of your life''s constant failures and setbacks, and find yourself falling¡­ without purpose.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Special Episode Part: I Remember A Name Special Episode #1: Part 3: I Remember A Name Special Episode: Can You Make A Promise? Part 3: I Remember A Name The flickers of the dying campfire''s flame were finally snuffed out, leaving only bits of ashen charcoal and a whisper of black smoke. ''Alright, we should get a move on¡­'' Roark grunted as he stood, popping his unused joints and plodding over to a corner of the room where a small fox Pok¨¦mon slept on pieces of straw. Vulpix managed to get past her tears and give her injured body a much needed rest, while he decided to stay awake to keep watch over the traumatized kit. Even through the bitter night, he kept his eyes wide open for a sign of anything - his comrades or a passerby Pokemon - but nothing did come, and that told him that they were on their own for a while. "Hey, kid. Time to wake up - c''mon." Hearing his boisterous voice, Vulpix would slowly uncurl her tired eyelids. "H-Huh?" she grumbled, readjusting to her surroundings. "Roa¡­ Mr. Roark?" "Yeah. We need to get going now." He threw a claw at the remnants of their campfire behind him. "Fire''s dead and I don''t want a blizzard to suddenly force us inside. Is your side feeling better than before?" "O-Oh, um, yeah," the kit mumbled, rising out of the warm straw. "Do we really need to leave now?" "I can''t just leave you here while I go and find your parents, so you''re gonna have to tag with me for a little bit." "Okay¡­" Roark began collecting his various strewn about items littering the cave, stuffing them back into the small pockets on his harness. However, a few belongings were left behind, visible cracks or tears in them. "I¡­ searched your home for anything that wasn''t broken or damaged beyond repair. Just tell me if you want me to take any or not." Vulpix frowned, lowering her head and walking over to see what remained of her home''s collection. A few disheveled scarves, some nearly shattered vases of spices and sugars, and a small selection of battered books. Here was all that was left of her past. The red and yellow cover of her favorite book instantly caught her eye - the flashy title on it reading ''The Lucky Tale''. She stared at it for a moment, silently thanking Arceus for saving it, before placing a paw on top of it. If anything was to be saved, it was this. "Can, um, can we take this one?" "Sure thing." Roark bent down to grab it, gently placing it into its own pocket. "If there''s anything else you need, just grab it - we got a lot of ground to cover today." Vulpix glossed over the ravaged objects once more, her mind already made up. "I think I''m ready to go now, Mister Roark." "Just Roark, kid. Don''t make me feel too old now." The kit formed the first smile he had seen from her in a while, and he returned one back. "Trust me - I wanna get this over with as much as you do, so just stick to me and we''ll reach your mom and dad by tomorrow." That hope that she would was all that Vulpix was holding onto. Roark jostled his gear and straightened his cape one final time, entering the blinding light of the cavern entrance and reappearing into the cold landscape of the outside world. There was a bite carried throughout the howling arctic wind, which swept snow away and whipped through the tired fox''s fur. ''Can''t say I missed you, winter weather.'' Vulpix was just behind him as he exited the cave, taking in the vast untamed terrain that separated her from her parents. There was always a thrilling idea in her head of embarking on a journey all by herself through the mountains, but she dreamt nothing of the present that she was now enduring. But she had to be brave, like a hero. "I think if we take the trail up, we can start properly scaling the mountain and possibly reach a checkpoint." Roark explained, stepping through the snow and twisting his head around. "Just follow me closely and don''t wander off." "Um, got it." The Zoroark walked alongside the cave''s sides, feeling the inclinations in the ground. Once he was able to get a solid footing, he began his ascent upward. Vulpix kept up as best she could, trudging through the snow alongside her new companion. She only stopped momentarily to glance back at the broken remnants of her home, holding back the tears that would''ve come if she stared too long. ''Goodbye¡­''
"You''re almost there, Vulpix! Just a little more and I can pull you over!" "I''m¡­ trying!" Vulpix steadied herself with deep breaths, pushing herself to inch her body closer and closer to the cliff''s narrow gap where Roark''s held out claw was waiting. With a little tenacity, and remembering her parent''s advice, she ignored the assistance and managed to successfully leap across the rift, a pair of claws catching her before she plummeted down hill. Her face would still sink into the snow, however. Roark chuckled. "Didn''t need me, I guess. That was a great jump, kid!" "Thmnks," Vulpix mumbled, lifting her head from the snow. "I used to watch my mom and dad do it all the time, so I wanted to try it myself." Roark scouted their new but nearly identical surroundings, spotting a pathway marked with wooden pole-like fixtures. These were the trails leading to the mountain''s checkpoints - he was sure of it. "Are your parent''s some kind of ranger in these parts?" Vulpix tilted her head. "Um, kinda. They''re in this group called the Glacier Guiders. They''re really cool!" Roark stopped in his tracks, "Glacier Guiders? You mean-" he smacked himself in the forehead, "That Ninetales couple I met¡­ They were your mom and pops, right?" Vulpix''s face lit up, her tails wagging as she walked beside the fox. "Yeah! You know them?!" "''Course I do. My team came to this mountain to meet with the Glacier Guiders for this operation, and I spoke to those two before we started." He looked down at his small companion. "Pretty cool pair, and they spoke highly of their daughter''s potential." "R-Really?!" Vulpix nearly squealed. "I haven''t told them yet, but I really do want to become a Glacier Guider someday!" "That so?" Roark smirked. "Well, keep up the little adventure we got goin'', and take some pointers from me. Once you reunite with your parents, I can give them some glowing praise for ya." All of Vulpix''s previous sadness and anger was now washed away by this remark. "I''ll¡­ I''ll do my best, M- Roark!" "Same here, kid." The trail led further up the mountain, through seas of large rock clusters and winding forests of snow covered trees and bushes. One thing was certain, and it was that this was not going to be a walk in the palk, nor an entertaining one - Roark wanted to fix that. "Hey, since we might end up walking for a while, why don''t you tell me a bit about yourself?"
"It was the first time my mom let me cook something, so I wanted to make some Pokepuffs, and, um¡­" "Well? Did ya do it right?" They trekked across a bridge of frozen water, their steps careful and light, so as to not cause a fracture in the bed of permafrost. "Um¡­ when I placed the batter in the Darumaker, I forgot to turn down the heat seating, and so the entire thing exploded and sent batter all over the kitchen!" Vulpix squeaked out, blushing in embarrassment. "Heh, if you think that was bad, then you should''ve seen what horrible stuff I make for breakfast at the Rescue Society¡­"
Fierce winds flew through the mountain''s cliffs and ravines, bringing forth a blizzard of frigid snow that shrouded the two Pokemon''s vision on the trail. Despite the horrible conditions, they kept morale high through sharing stories and entertaining accounts. "And then what happened?" Vulpix shielded her eyes from the winds, slightly giggling. "Cubchoo opened her mouth and spewed out frost all over those bullies! Mrs. Jynx had to let them leave early because of it!" Roark cackled at the tale, squinting to see what was ahead. "Man, that''s why I don''t mess with Ice-types¡­" "But wait! Something else happened right after!" "I''m listening¡­"
Large crystals of hail came down in sheets, battering the icy land around them as they took cover in an outcropping of rock. The two Pokemon absently watched the downpour of thick ice, waiting for it to come to an end as they continued to share stories. "Wait, so the Fire-type Vulpix spat more flames in the volcano to stop the eruption? And a Volcanion was actually behind the volcano erupting in the first place?" Vulpix nodded, wagging her tails. "Yup! Her attacks overloaded the core thingy and it stopped the eruption!" "I¡­ don''t think that''s how volcano''s work, but¡­" Roark watched a particularly massive chunk of hail fall like a shooting star and smash into dozens of pieces on the ground. "This world is strange enough as it is."
Roark twirled around the hooked end of the rope he was carrying, finding a good spot and chucking the rope''s end all the way up the wall of solid ice. The hook managed to catch the side of a rock up top, locking itself in place as he tied his end of the rope to his metal harness. "Alright, Vulpix, here''s how we''re gonna do this." He beckoned her closer with a claw, the Vulpix following him. "You climb into my mane and hold on tight while I shimmy up this cliff." Vulpix cocked a curious brow. "In your¡­ mane? Um, how is that gonna hold my weight?" Roark chuckled. "Smart, I see. I say this because I''ve seen Zoroark moms carry their Zorua''s in their mane before, so the same logic should work here." He did a double take. "Just, uh, don''t think of me as a mom, alright?" A laugh was coaxed out of the kit, shattering her hesitance as she approached the fox, attempting to figure out just how she would climb on in. A pair of claws would rectify her befuddlement, scooping her up and burying her into the mangled mess of dark and red fur. She popped her small head out, clutching the bundles of fur with her paws. "Okay. This fox is about to start climbing, so keep your grip tight, kid!" Roark outstretched both arms, jamming his claws into the wall of ice and pulling himself up with a grunt. He repeated this rhythm over and over, keeping a careful eye on the Vulpix nestled deep into his fur. "Bumpy ride, eh?" "Y-Yeah!" "It''s almost over anyway." Impaling his final claw into the ice, Roark lifted himself over the wall''s edge, landing his victorious body onto the snow. Vulpix wrangled herself out of his mane, taking a few steps to bring equilibrium to her dizzy vision. Roark sighed in relief. "And we''ve still got a ways to go¡­" He took this brief moment to relax, gazing up at the sky from his position. "Hey, wait a second¡­" Smoke - visible fumes of smoke were rising into the sky. The Zoroark immediately stood up, his eyes following the grey trail in the sky. It rose from beyond a ravine in the mountain, its origin blocked by numerous rocks and trees. It may or may not have been a checkpoint, but he found his new destination to travel to. "Kid, we''re changing our course just a bit to check out that smoke over there." Vulpix observed it as well, curious. "Maybe it''s a campfire?" She grew a large smile. "Maybe my mom and dad are there! And your friends, too!" "I hope so¡­"
Entering through a wide cave entrance, the pair stumbled in abject darkness through the rather large chamber in search of an exit. "It is way too dark in here," Roark grumbled. "Do you have a torch or something?" Vulpix mumbled, her slight fear of the dark creeping in. "Yeah, give me a sec¡­" The Zoroark opened up a small saddlebag attached to his harness, pulling out a miniature sized lantern with just the right amount of fuel. After a turn of its lever, a wick inside the glass casing ignited with a small flame, providing warmth and illumination to their dark surroundings. What the flickering light would reveal along the cave''s walls would greatly shock an observant Vulpix. "Roark! Look at the walls!" "What¡­ more icicles and stuff?" "No! There''s drawings of things!" Roark angled his head to the right, being witness to a grand mural etched into the cavern wall. While it was faded in appearance, it obviously resembled an imposing Pokemon. It seemed strange to Vulpix, until the gears in her mind began to turn, and she instantly recognized the Pokemon depicted. "That''s¡­ that''s Kyurem!" "Kyuwho?" "Kyurem! It''s the Legendary Pokemon that was rumored to dwell underneath the mountain long, long ago!" "Really now." Roark swung the lantern around, raising it higher and revealing the spacious chamber''s pillars of spiraling ice. "This doesn''t seem to be a typical cave, either." "Can we, um, investigate just a tiny bit? We can go find the smoke right after!" The fox thought it over, ultimately deciding. "Ah, alright, but keep your eyes peeled for an exit." "Yes!" They journeyed through the heart of the cave, eyes glued to the walls in case of another mural. Vulpix would be the first to spot one, excitedly running towards it as Roark shrugged and followed, shining the lantern upon her findings. The carved painting in question was of a strange object. To the naked eye, it resembled a fractured wheel-like object, with arches and crosses intersecting one another. However, its importance was lost on the two investigators. "Wow! It''s some sort of treasure!" Vulpix mouthed. "Really? It kinda just looks like a broken fence to me." "Wait! There''s another painting!" Vulpix sped off to another part of the chamber, Roark sighing as he followed and proceeded to repeat his last action again. This time, the mural was more forthcoming with its details. "Um, can you tell what it is, Roark?" The fox squinted. "Looks like a bunch of ''mons out in the cold. Poor guys." The painting showcased a long line of different Pokemon marching through a raging blizzard, with many fallen Pokemon among the snow that appeared to have succumbed to the blizzard''s might. "I don''t get it." Vulpix frowned, trying to interpret the drawing. "Were they lost? Or¡­" "I think they''re explorers, or this is some sort of exodus." He shrugged. "That''s my interpretation at least." They continued to search the walls for more clues, but were met with no more illustrations of the past. Vulpix was disheartened, but was glad she was even able to see this. Roark, on the other hand, was far more interested in the glimpse of blinding white that was the cavern''s exit. But as Vulpix stepped out, his eye caught a glimpse of something stuck in the icy floor of the cave. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ''Did someone leave a neckerchief? He bent down, scraping the ice that concealed a piece of black cloth his hard work was done, he was able to unearth the ragged bits of what appeared to be an armband. Any detail that was imprinted into it was worn down and faded by time in its frozen prison. ''Tch. Guess it was nothing.'' He dropped the scraps of cloth, following the young kit out of the cave.
"Look! That smoke really did belong to a campfire!" "Yeah, which means we might be in luck¡­" From beyond the trail in which they embarked upon for hours, the plume of rising smoke from before was clearly seen in the distance. A burning yellow fire was all that guided them further towards a possible encounter with others. But as they neared, it become more and more clear what they were just now finding. "It looks like a wooden carriage!" Vulpix remarked, keeping up a steady pace. "They bring those into the village all the time with food and other stuff!" "A caravan?" Roark grimaced. "Not sure why it''s all the way out here, though." The Dark-type''s confusion would soon be erased as they neared the halted carriage. Various dents and scratches littered its hull, with some chunks of it even missing. Numerous bandaged up Pokemon were resting beside the campfire created near it. "Something happened here¡­ Something that-" "STOP!" A feminine yell to Roark''s left would make him stand his ground, facing the shouting voice. A golden furred Ninetales was crouched low, baring her teeth at the Zoroark and raising her many tails in defense. "We''re not going to let you steal more from-" the vixen suddenly stopped, quickly realizing her mistake, "Wait¡­ You''re not that other Zoroark from before." Roark smirked, but kept his distance. "Unless he was a handsome devil named Roark, then no, it''s not me." "Then just who are you?!" Vulpix was very excited to see a foreign member of her species, but she bottled up those feelings momentarily. "Um, hello, miss? We came over because we saw smoke. Please don''t be mad!" Roark nodded. "I''m from the Rescue Society, and we''re conducting an operation with the Glacier Guiders." His attention rested on the injured Pokemon. "Can you tell me just what happened to your caravan?" Ninetales relaxed her defensive stance, sighing. "Well... I''m very glad you are here, then. We were¡­ we were going though the mountain to make it to Slush City for transport, but we got attacked by bandits along the way." "Bandits?" Vulpix frowned. "I thought the Glacier Guiders made sure there weren''t any!" "I''m guessing they were too busy with this operation for them to spot thieves," Roark answered. "Do you know where they went?" Ninetales shook her head. "We were barely able to escape the avalanche with our supplies, so we had no time to track them as they ran away¡­" "Avalanche?" "Yes. The bandits had Fire-types near the cliffs waiting for us to come by. When we did, I''m assuming they warmed up the snow, causing it to come down and trap us in." Ninetales scowled. "I don''t know what they did, but we heard a massive rumbling noise after the first avalanche hit us, so we got out as fast we could, and stopped here to care for the wounded." "I''m really sorry that happened to you, miss," Vulpix said, ears drooping. "Wait, you said something earlier about another Zoroark," Roark brought up. "Was this Zoroark one of the bandits?" "He was white and red - looked like a ghost. I think he was their leader, because he said a few choice words to me before the avalanche came." ''Great. Now I have another one of me roaming these cliffs. White and red, though? Surely that can''t be a Zoroark¡­'' "Is there anything we can do to help?" Roark asked. "Once the Rescue Society is done with this operation, I''m sure we can try and find these thieves and recover some of the caravan supplies." "If you can, please help me find my daughter!" Ninetales'' pleaded. "During the escape, we went through the Never-Melt-Ice Ravines, and we lost her going through it. My mate is out looking for her while I watch over these Pokemon, but night will come soon, and-" "I''ll do it," Roark said resolutely. "Just point me in the right direction. Vulpix, you stay here with her." "Wait! I wanna go too!" "Kid, there might be bandits out there, and-" "I still wanna go and help this Pokemon! Please!" Ninetales managed a smile. "It''s always hard to convince my daughter otherwise. Maybe it would be best for you to take her along?" The Dark-type sighed, eventually smirking. "Ah, whatever¡­ you can tag along in the search." "Yes!" The Vulpix jumped up and down several times in glee.
Just as the Ninetales'' had mentioned, the Never-Melt Ravines was where they took their search. They traversed the mountain''s cliffs and scoured the large crevice of twisting ice spires for hours, but found no trace of the missing Pokemon. Eventually, their efforts would find themselves in the nearby cave systems. "Wait for them to fall, kid!" The long spear-like icicles that hung from the ceiling began to shake and shake, until a crack near the top of them sent them falling, impaling themselves into the cave''s ground. Luckily, neither of them were below the surprise attack. "Woah¡­" Vulpix watched with wonder as more icicles started to fall in unison. "This place is really cool!" "Yeah, and dangerous," Roark remarked. "But that Ninetales'' daughter should be around here if she didn''t leave already." "Where should we look first?" "I say we-" ''H-Hello? Is anyone there?'' The new voice echoed throughout the cave, seeming to appear from the cracks in the rocky walls that led to the outside. "Can you hear us?!" Roark shouted, hoping to get an answer back. ''Yeah! Where¡­ where are you?!'' "We''re in the caves! Are you Ninetales'' daughter?! We''ve been looking for you!'' ''Mom sent somebody for me? I went through the Mystery Dungeon here to get out of this pit, but I got stuck between something!'' "Through the Mystery Dungeon? Got it. We''ll be right there!" Roark nudged the Vulpix to his left. "C''mon, the dungeon entrance is just to the right!" As the Zoroark moved on ahead, Vulpix shuffled her paws together, a desire popping up in her mind. "Um, do you think I could enter the Mystery Dungeon by myself?" Roark turned, dumbstruck. "Are you kidding? Do you know how dangerous Mystery Dungeons can be?" Vulpix flinched. "I know! But¡­ I really want to show that I can do this by myself! That I''m really growing up!" "Ugh¡­" Roark shook his head. "Listen, I don''t think-" "Please!" He bit his tongue, contemplating the offer. "Fine. Your parents would obviously kill me, but I think you''ve proven yourself today, so¡­" "Yes!" Vulpix squeaked out, entering a passage to the right. "I hope I''m not making a mistake!" Roark proclaimed, right behind as they walked. Soon enough, the lightless shadow of the Mystery Dungeon''s entrance was present before them, and Vulpix was sizing it up. She had never entered a dungeon before, and had only read about them in books, or listened to accounts from her mother and father. To say she was afraid was an understatement, but she threw all those feelings aside to focus on one feeling that motivated her above all. The feeling of being a hero. "Okay¡­ I''m ready to go in!" "If you say so. I just hope you know what to do when you''re in ''em." "I do!" She retorted, fixing her erratic breathing. "I just, um, need to convince myself that I''m ready." A minute passed as Vulpix continued to psyche herself up, now inching towards the shadow''s penumbra. Once she was close enough, she decided to swallow her fears and leap into the abyss, vanishing completely. Another minute went by as Roark stared into the dungeon''s entrance, chuckling to himself. "Okay, I''m not that bad of a caretaker." He made sure his harness was secure. "She deserves a moment of freedom to herself, but I''ll have to keep watch¡­" Without any hesitance, he stepped into the shadow. Never-Melt-Ice Chasm BF 1 An icy platform expanded from nothingness, firmly planting itself under the paws of a shocked Vulpix. She watched in awe as walls of stone erupted from darkness, forming a maze-like perimeter around the room she was in. Tapering icicles created frozen stalactites on the ceiling, but never budged. ''So¡­ that''s¡­ that''s what all those books were describing.'' After standing idly for a while, just soaking in the experience of being here, she managed to take a few shaky steps forward. ''Right. Um, I need to find the staircase¡­ wherever that is.'' Two hallways on her left and right caught the kit''s attention, but she inevitably picked the left one, hoping her choice would win out in the end. Vulpix progressed through the corridor, keeping a wary eye out for the supposed ''protectors'' of these dungeons that could appear from seemingly thin air. ''I really hope I don''t have to fight¡­'' As she departed the room she entered from, another Pokemon would materialize inside the dungeon - a Zoroark. Roark blinked, looking around for a sign of his petite companion. "She couldn''t have gotten far¡­" He stretched his arms, yawning. "Guess I''ll wait for her to get cornered by some dungeon ''mon before I intervene." He then picked a hallway to saunter down, making sure to stick to the shadows that he was so used to. Never-Melt-Ice Chasm BF 2 "W-Woah!" The floor beneath Vulpix shook, before the rocky ground vanished completely, leaving behind a circular pit that she nearly fell into. Luckily, she wasn''t directly under the sprung Pitfall Trap, allowing her limbs to scramble up the sides of the stone and back onto solid ground. ''I¡­ I did it!'' Victoriously, she confidently marched her way into another corridor, now aware of potential traps. Roark was just behind her, out of sight as he gazed down at the Pitfall Trap and back at the departing Vulpix. "Okay, okay, I''ll give her that one." Never-Melt-Ice Chasm BF 5 ''I might be near the end!'' Vulpix had been making great progress all throughout her trip of the dungeon, and she could feel it in her chest that she was only one staircase away from putting this all behind her. It was now or never. ''I hope the stairs are right after this¡­'' Her words trailed off as another Pokemon slowly ambled out of the hallway she was going to enter, locking eyes with the stunned kit, who didn''t dare move. The most shocking part wasn''t the fact that it was a dungeon Pokemon, but that it was a Vulpix just like her. Like looking into a mirror, it was a reflection of her, but lacked life and jubilance behind its baby blue eyes. The doppelganger wasted no time in eliminating the distance between it and the intruder, swiping its clawed paw at the kit. Vulpix stepped back, scared out of her wits at seeing a Pokemon just like her. But through her fears, she began forming a strategy in her young mind to win this fight. ''Okay! Um, my Ice-type attacks won''t work so well, but I can bite it maybe!'' She narrowly dodged another paw swipe before she sank her teeth into the artificial Pokemon''s arm. Greatly utilizing her fangs, she unhooked them before delivering another fatal bite onto the Ice-type. But before Vulpix could unleash a consecutive bite, a golden light enveloped the other Ice-type. She shielded her eyes, only opening them once the light faded, the enemy now gone. She had won her first fight. ''I did it! Yes!'' The empty hallway was all for her taking, and she gladly accepted it, already moving through it with ease. Roark would emerge from the shadows behind her, smirking at the brief fight he had just witnessed. "Well, guess she did have it in her¡­"
Vulpix emerged from a pitch-black shadow, switching her shocked gaze back and forth at the new location she found herself in. She had done it - she had conquered her first Mystery Dungeon all by herself. ''I can''t wait to tell Roark and- oh, right!'' "Hello?" she spoke up, scanning her rocky vicinity. "Are you here?" Moments later, a soft voice akin to Vulpix''s spoke up. "Y-Yes! Do you see that ridge over? I''m stuck between some rocks!" Vulpix would find said ridge a few feet away, skirting around the edges of which to see the form of a Fire-type Vulpix wearing a saddlebag wedged between two sides of stone. She immediately thrusted her paw into the cracks of the rim, waiting for her to grab on. "Grab my paw and I''ll pull you out!" "O-Okay!" The Fire-type was able to raise a paw, clasping it on top of her counterpart. Once there was a grip, the stone''s squeeze on her got looser and looser, until she popped out of the ridge a newly freed Pokemon. "Thanks so much!" The Fire-type went wide eyed. "Wow! I didn''t know you were one of those Ice-type Vulpix!" Vulpix nodded, attempting to contain her inner happiness. "Yeah! But, um¡­" She tapped her chin with a paw. "Before we return to your mom, how do we mention each other since we''re both Vulpix!" "Oh, you can call me ''Vulpy'' for now! My friends back in the Blaze Continent call me that all the time!" "Really? You''re from the Blaze Continent? What''s it like there?" "It''s really hot! I don''t know much about Ice-types, but I think you''d melt there!" As the friendly chat went on, the two children were quite unaware of another Pokemon exiting the shadow - a Zoroark in particular. Glossing his vision over the freed Fire-type Vulpix, Roark grew yet another smirk. "Hey! You girls ready to cut the gossip and head back now? Nightfall''s about to arrive soon!" The two Vulpix stared at the intruder before smiling and sending each other looks of confidence. Now as a trio, they entered the Mystery Dungeon again, thwarting any challenge that blocked their path. ''Vulpy'' showcased her amazing talents of pyromancy, practicing it on any dungeon Pokemon that crossed her path. Vulpix would stand by and assist when needed, simply gawking at her counterpart''s strength, hoping that strength could hers someday. After sweeping through the Mystery Dungeon, the only challenge left was the journey back. The setting sun in the sky was a sight for sore eyes, bringing a multitude of warm and vibrant colors to the ocean of cold white and rugged black. The trio of Pokemon walking through the frozen wastes would use this opportunity to guide them back to the carriage, just as the Ninetales'' from before ran towards them, overjoyed. Vulpy ran ahead, nearly tackled into a hug by her mother. "Mom! Please! I''m back, okay?" "I know, but I''m just so happy that you''re alright¡­" Ninetales lifted her muzzle, shedding a tear. "Thank you so much for finding my daughter. We¡­ we still have some Pok¨¦ left over that the bandits didn''t find and-" Roark waved a claw, "Nah, no payment required. Everything the Rescue Society does is volunteer." "Thank you¡­ again." Vulpix sucked in her own tears at such an emotional moment, feeling her chest swell up with pride at what she had accomplished today. She wondered if this is what it felt like to be a hero, to save the day for someone else. It was a good feeling, and something she craved more of as she thought about it. "Um, Vulpix?" "H-Huh?" Vulpix seized up as Vulpy broke from her mother''s hold to trot on over, opening her saddlebag up and pulling a small item out and harshly whispering. "Don''t tell my mom, but the reason I got stuck in that ridge was because I saw something I wanted to bring her." She extended the item further, waiting for Vulpix to accept it. "Since you rescued me, I thought you should have it! I think it makes Ice-type moves stronger or somethin''." The object that Vulpy held was a Never-Melt-Ice, an icicle shaped piece of ice that true to its name, could never melt. Vulpix stared long and hard at the gift, before hesitantly reaching a paw out and taking it, feeling its cold properties flow through her body, like it was meant for her. "Thanks¡­" "No problem!" Vulpy whipped her head around, seeing her mother wait expectantly. "Looks like we''re gonna go once my dad comes back. So, I guess this is goodbye!" "Bye, Vulpy." Vulpix stepped forward and wrapped her warm counterpart into a hug, the two of them embracing and consciously sending their final goodbyes. But once it was over, Vulpy returned to her mother''s side as Roark waited for Vulpix to return to his. Ninetales'' would utter one last line before they departed. "Remember! Those bandits and that Zoroark are still out there, so be careful." "You got it, ma''am." Roark nudged his worn out companion. "Think it''s time we set up camp for tonight?" An exasperated sigh of agreement was the response he got.
Underneath the stars on this cold night, a campfire atop one of the many cliffs of the Glacier Peak Mountains was burning bright amongst the flurry of showering snow, with two relaxing Pokemon residing by the warm open flames. Roark flipped another page in the book he was reading. "''And so, Vulpix gave her final goodbyes to the friendly Pokemon of Lavasteam Village, picking up where her adventure left off.''" He closed the book. "That''s the end of the chapter, so that''s it from me." "Aww¡­ you didn''t get to the best part yet!" Vulpix bemoaned. "Maybe I''ll pick it up at a library in that village up top." He then remembered a detail from earlier. "Actually, I forgot to ask, but you''re from Kyuris Village, correct?" "Yup!" "And¡­ you still don''t remember what happened the other day?" Her mood soured. "No¡­ I don''t. Sorry." Roark looked up and sighed, watching the moon and stars. ''That Ninetales said there was a loud aftershock after that avalanche, and with Vulpix''s house from the village coming down the cliff like that, maybe¡­'' He stopped himself from thinking of a horrible event like that. "So, kid, did you have anything else you wanted to talk about?" he asked. "Hmmm¡­" She racked her brain. "You said you would tell me about your past earlier! So¡­ Can you?" He mulled it over, rolling onto his back and crossing his arms behind his head. "It''s not exactly a happy tale¡­ and you might just think I''m a nutcase." "I promise I won''t! Please?" She leaned in, attempting her best innocent expression. "Agh, you kids and your adorableness. Fine, I''ll spill some of my brain out for ya." Vulpix eagerly scooted closer, ears perked up. "I wasn''t born into this world as you were, with a mom and dad, or at least¡­ that''s what I think. The first memory of my life was waking up on a beach, just lying around in the sand." "You¡­ lost your memory?" Vulpix tilted her head. "Like, you banged your head up or something?" He shrugged, "Dunno how I lost it, but I just did. I woke up, and I remembered a name - well, two names - both echoing throughout my mind. Roark and¡­ Gloria." Vulpix gasped at the revelation. "Ah! Um, so is that why you call yourself Roark now?" "Yeah, it just had to be my name, or someone else''s that I just nabbed for myself." He let out a low chuckle. "Ever since then, that was all the possible information of my past I got¡­" "But what about ''Gloria''? Who is that?" "..." He sighed. "I''ve been searching for that answer for eleven years, kid. All I know is that if I''m Roark, and I''m here, then someone named Gloria also has to be out there as well. Whoever they are, or were, is what I dedicated my life''s purpose to finding out." "... I think you''ll find her one day." "You might be right, but I''ve got more important duties nowadays." "Oh¡­" The crackling of the campfire overtook their conversation, the two of them silently observing the flames. Roark would open one of his saddlebags, retrieving his trusty flask and taking a sip of its fiery contents. "What is that?" Roark put the container away, grinning. "Something you can''t drink at your age - alcohol. Adult stuff, y''know." "Oh, Frosslass used to tell me to keep away from the bottles that my parents had high on the shelves. Is that what that is?" "I assume so." He cocked a brow. "Who''s Froslass? Your aunt or somethin''?" Vulpix felt her heart flutter at the influx of memories - both happy and sad ones. "She was my nanny, but she passed a year ago¡­" "Ah, sorry you had to experience that so young, kid." Roark lamented, looking up at the stars again. "There was this old Unfezant that spotted me wandering the beach when I woke - got my bearings straight, taught me how to fight, how to use money again, and¡­" He held back his emotions just this one time. "I never did appreciate all the things he did for me¡­ until he was at death''s doorstep. He was always there for me, but I only cared about finding answers. He never said it was a bad thing for me to do, but he wanted something greater for me, and I never saw it, I guess. " Vulpix sniffled. "Frosslass was always there for me too. She always knew I was more sensitive than the others. Even when other kids bullied me for it and I cried, she didn''t say it was a bad thing." "It isn''t. Heck, I''ve cried tons of times." Roark admitted. "Really?" "Yeah. Every time I returned home to my dinky little apartment, sometimes I''d just¡­ breakdown - cry, drink, or let out my frustrations in other ways. It was all a cycle I was trapped in, and I''m just lucky I''m still alive and broke free from it." There was a brief stint of silence again, only to be broken by a yawning Vulpix, who rubbed her teary and tired eyes. "Can we talk more in the morning? I''m pretty tired¡­" "Hah, just get enough rest. We''re nearing the top of the mountain, so we''ll reach your parents very soon." The kit accepted his claims, curling up in a ball on the pieces of hay they had constructed earlier. Soon enough, she was dozing off, letting out a series of cute snores in the process. Roark would observe her sleep momentarily, before standing up to slide his back against a nearby stone. ''Maybe today I''ll finally get some rest¡­'' However, the thought of those bandits and that ''ghost'' Zoroark roaming the mountain was enough to keep him half-awake. ''Or not - who knows.'' Tonight, he would truly be sleeping with one eye open.
Dawn had finally come for the Glacier Peak Mountains, setting the stage for the morning sun to rise in the east. Rays of white washed the still warm cinders of an already extinguished campfire, the brightness of them causing Vulpix to stir in her sleep. Roark had already woken up earlier, setting up the supplies they required for breakfast. But in the meantime, he found himself aimlessly walking alongside the steep cliffs of snow and ice, taking in the amazing view of daybreak. ''Guess this is the final day with Vulpix¡­'' He had met and worked with many children throughout his time in the Rescue Society, but none seemed more filled with hope and desire for glory than Vulpix. Even now, he cracked a smile just thinking about her potential future wherever she ended up. Either working with her parents in the Glacier Guiders like she wanted, joining a faraway guild with her own exploration team, or even joining up with Rescue Society. ''She''s got a purpose - that''s for sure.'' He happened upon a nice vantage point that looked over the entire mountain and its surroundings, getting a good view of the sweeping tundra''s and valleys of snow and ice. ''So, why the hell do I still feel so empty? Is leading the Rescue Society really all that''s left for me to do?'' Just like so long ago, atop that tower, he felt his purpose fading with this looming promotion. Despite all his adventures, friendships, and heroic endeavors he went through, he could never escape that dreaded feeling. ''You''re still a cruel mistress, world¡­'' Digging into his liquor saddlebag yet again, he retrieved his flask to take a gulp, only for a flash of electrifying pain to flood his senses, making him drop the container off the cliff. The shock of it was so great that he nearly stumbled off himself, landing roughly on his rear as the pain continued. ''Fuck you, brain! Not now!'' Still, the spikes of agony shooting across his body increased as curls of blue and yellow invaded his spotty vision, coagulating into a blur of colors. Never before had he felt a pain this great, and it was not stopping. ''Wait. This is¡­'' The blowing wind of his mountainous surroundings was now lost on him, only being able to listen in on soft whispers as his vision began to contort more and more. The sound of familiar voices shouting, glass shattering, and objects whizzing around was all he could hear with his heightened senses. ''This is something different. This is¡­'' A vision began to play.
He remembers a name, a name that sobered him up and delivered a purpose that he could never find, and a promise that he could never fulfill...
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Final Special Episode Part: Gloria Special Episode #1: Part 4: Gloria Special Episode: Can You Make A Promise? Part 4: Ushered in darkness, the empty room of a medical station was occasionally rattled by the sounds of cracking gunfire and the revving of distant vehicles. Shadowy figures in the night would run past the building''s windows, before the double doors leading inside would burst open. Five men quickly entered, accompanied by the whizzing of screaming projectiles colliding into the dirt just behind their fleeing soles. Their ebony clothing of bulletproof gear blended into the dark surroundings, the rifles strapped to their back''s merely silhouettes. Two men slammed the doors closed in a hurry as two others carried the slumped over final member on their shoulders. His golden blond hair and youthful face was a stark difference from his older companions, but grew more pale as his eyes barely opened, breaths labored and heavy. Blood spilled profusely out of the hole-like wounds in his broken vest, staining the ceramic floor as he was carried into the room. "Clear that table!" a gruff voice shouted. The urgent command was heeded by one of the men near the doorway, who ran over to a nearby table and sent the contents of it to the ground with a sweep of his arm. "There! Get him on it!" The two men carrying their injured ally lifted him up, dropping his motionless body on the now cleared stand. As the other pair searched for tweezers and other medical supplies in the back of the room, the rest tore apart the shattered bulletproof vest and clothing to witness the mess of blood and open flesh that was the young man''s chest and stomach. "Bullets didn''t go through! We have to pull ''em out!" the gruff voice of the man standing beside the table yelled, looking closer. "Fuck! I think one of them might''ve hit one of his arteries!" "We don''t have the time to take the bullets out!" the man beside him argued back. "They already know where we are, and they''ll-" The room''s many windows began to get riddled with bullets from afar, piercing the glass and showering the occupants inside with its broken fragments. "Then¡­ then we have no choice but to leave him here." "We''re not leaving him here." "G- Glo¡­ Gloria¡­" the young man on the table croaked out, not even feeling the pair of hands holding his face up. "Rorke! Just hold on a bit longer, kid! the man holding him up pleaded, his eyes welling up with tears. "Think about Gloria! Think about your little sister you want to return to, alright?!" He whirled his head around. "Help us carry him back to the plane! We can bring him back to the safehouse!" "And have us die with him as we try to board?!" the man next to him challenged, baring his teeth. "This whole operation going to shit is your fault, Robert! If you didn''t allow Rorke to lead us in, he would still be-" "My fault?! If you hadn''t convinced him to stay¡­" Rorke tuned out the bickering muffled voices and thunderous boom of gunfire around him. Splotches of black invaded his blurry vision, mixed in with flashes of oscillating orange. His mind was lulled into a sense of warmth and comfort, forgetting the previous events that found him here on this table. Everything and everyone he forgot, except one person most important to him. ''Gloria¡­ where¡­'' Another wave of shrieking bullets completely shattered the windows of the room, exposing the men inside to the encroaching enemies outside. "Listen - we don''t have the fucking time for arguing!" one of the men in the back of the room screamed, making his way over to a door that led further into the building, throwing its handle open "I''m not rotting in a fucking jail cell, or dying to the mercs out there, so we''re leaving - now." His sentiment was reluctantly amongst the men, abandoning their search for medical supplies. With their cover gone, all but one man ran through the open. The sole person left would look back at his injured friend lying helplessly on the table, holding out a hand. "I¡­ We promised we''d get out of this together. I''m so fucking sorry, kid." Pulling his hand back and shedding a few tears, the man left in pursuit of his comrades. As the open room was bombarded with more bullets, Rorke would drift further and further into the abyss, with more flickers of vibrant and oscillating orange in his deteriorating mind. ''Gloria¡­ please wait.'' He took his final raspy breath, the last feeling in his body a sense of him being wrapped up in chains, everything turning black again. ''Gloria.''
The curls of blue and yellow spirals invading Roark''s vision began to disperse, until everything was back as it was. The fox simply stared at the rising sun in a trance of pure shock, slowly standing up, as if his reality would collapse again if he moved too fast. However, once his bearings were gathered, his thoughts swarmed toward what was gathered from the short vision. He was overloaded with so much information so fast that it made his head spin - the gaps of questions he always had now filled with potential answers. ''That was¡­ a vis- no, a memory¡­'' A memory of once being someone named Roark before all of this, and his death being the gateway that led him to where he was now. After all this time of stumbling in the dark of who he was before, he had finally been bestowed knowledge. But one emerging detail seemed to resonate within him most of all. ''Gloria¡­ you''re my¡­ little sister.'' Roark searched for years in hopes of finding out who she was, and what she meant to him, and he knew now. But whatever victorious feeling inside him was crushed by the realization that she was not here with him, and that he was not there with her. Separated by worlds and time, he was stuck here with no way back. He had been given clarity, but with it came a price. "Um, Roark?" The Zoroark recoiled at the soft voice, turning around and concealing his swamped emotions with a flat expression. "What¡­ what is it, Vulpix?" "Er, well¡­" She dug a paw into the snow. "You were staring off into space, so I wanted to know if you were okay!" "... Yeah. I''m okay, kid." Vulpix flashed a smile, wagging her tails. "Great! Does this mean we can have breakfast now?" He blinked in response, eventually chuckling as he walked back to their camp. "Sure does. I hope you like plain berries, ''cause that''s all I got on me." Vulpix happily jogged her way back to camp, waiting patiently for breakfast to arrive. And once it did, the two are in relative silence. Roark kept his head low, stewing in his thoughts as Vulpix looked on in curiosity. "Um, Roark? Are you sure you''re okay?" "I''m¡­ just thinking, kid." "About what?" He raised his head, forming a smirk. "Thinking about what I''ll tell your parents when we find them. Maybe even what you accomplished in that Mystery Dungeon." Her tails began to wag again. "R-Really? You think they''ll be happy for me?" "They will." He gazed up, breathing in a sigh. "You''ve got a bright future ahead of you, and¡­" Something caught his eye, making his heart thump in his chest. "And¡­?" Vulpix said quizzically, following his gaze as her blue orbs expanded. "Wow! Who¡­ are they?" "¡­ The Council," Roark replied, watching the skies in awe. Dozens of Flying-type Pok¨¦mon soared above, the brown coats adorning their bodies flapping in the wind. All of them headed in one direction, flying past the two below and diving into a region near the mountain''s peak. Vulpix''s jaw almost dropped. "Aren''t they the, um, govern¡­" the young kit stumbled over the large word, "government¡­ of this continent?" "Yeah, and they shouldn''t be here." Before she could ask why, Roark cupped his claws over his mouth and amplified his voice loud enough to where the Pok¨¦mon in the skies could hopefully hear him. "HEY! DOWN HERE! WE NEED HELP!" Roark scanned the sea of avians for any outliers that heard his plea. But after a decent amount of waiting, none seemed to notice his beckoning. Going in for a second round of shouting, he noticed a large Noivern above break formation with its group and dive bomb straight towards the duo. Roark and Vulpix hastily backed up, allowing the Noivern to swoop down and land onto the ground, scattering snow in its wake. It then observed the two with suspicion, only for the markings etched onto the Zoroark''s body harness to give it the information it desired. "You''re one of those Rescue Society members, right?" she asked the fox. "You''d be right." Roark stepped forward. "Two days ago, I got separated from my fellow members and ended up rescuing this kid here." He threw a claw behind him, motioning toward a frightened Vulpix. "We''ve been trying to reach where our operation is located, and where her parents are, so we need help getting there." Noivern was taken aback. "You mean to tell me you don''t know what happened two days ago?" Roark raised a brow, but felt his heart constrict in growing fear. "... No. All I remember hearing is a loud rumble and then my rope snapped." Shaking his head, he needed to know more. "Why is the Council here? And why are there so many of you?" Noivern opened up her wings without a reply. "You''ll just have to see for yourself¡­" She sent them both a saddened glance. "Hop on and I''ll take you to the village myself." It was not the answer Roark wanted to hear. "C''mon, kid," he said, his chest never untightening. "Remember to hold onto me." Vulpix was rightfully concerned and confused, but swallowed those feelings and tiptoed her way towards the winged dragoness. A set of red claws would pull her up and rest her against the Zoroark''s body as Roark planted himself on Noivern''s back. "We''re ready." "You two hold on!" Noivern unfurled her leathery wings and started beating them in a rhythmic pattern, lifting herself off the ground and swiftly taking to the skies. She would regroup with her comrades, flying side by side with them as she revolved back to the group''s destination. Vulpix watched in both fear and amazement at how far up they were, being witness to the grand view of the Glacier Peak Mountain from all around. Still, the words of the dragon made her stomach turn, just as it did with Roark''s. Noivern angled her head back, "It was only today that the emergency alert from the Rescue Society got to us. Once the Council heard, they mobilized the entire Flying-type regiment and sent us out here to help assist with the damages." Roark scowled, "Emergency Alert? Damages? Are you saying¡­" Before he could finish, Noivern flew over a cliffside, revealing Kyuris Village in its entirety beyond it, or what little remained of it. What used to be rows of cabins and other wooden structures were reduced to scraps of wooden debris and chunks of icy rock. Littering the cobblestone streets were the bodies of wounded Pokemon; some were corpses covered with a layer of cloth. Guards of the Council flew down by the dozens, dropping onto the streets of the destroyed village and assisting the many Rescue Society members on the ground. All operated in a sense of urgency, sifting through the wreckage and uncovering the Pokemon still trapped within their homes. Noivern followed her diving allies. "The avalanche came without warning, and went through the entire village, along with certain checkpoints where the Rescue Society was stationed. It''s horrible that this happened¡­" Roark could only watch in horror as his greatest fear over the past few days was realized. Their operation to stop the avalanche failed, and the entire village was wiped out. But none took this news more worse than Vulpix, who began visibly shaking at what she was seeing, tears trailing down her cheeks. Not just her home, but the entire village she called home was now gone - erased in one fell swoop. Her friends, teachers, and all of the other Pokemon she grew to know in Kyuris were down there, injured or dead. Her quiet shock and crying was remedied by Roark, who brought her closer to his side, obscuring her view of the tragedy below. Once Noivern was able to safely land, Roark immediately got off, still keeping Vulpix by his side. The words of the dragoness would follow suit. "I don''t know how many survivors are left, but please help us anyway you can." Roark nodded firmly, "That''s what we do, ma''am." He knelt down, lifting Vulpix''s head. "Look, I know this is difficult to see, so I''m willing to hand you off to someone else while we find your parents, okay? Is that what you want?" She sniffled, fighting back more tears. "N-No¡­ I want to¡­ I want to help!" Despite everything that happened to her, she was still willing to help others, and Roark found that most admirable of her. "¡­ Alright, then I''ll need you by my side at all times while we help folk, okay?" He gave her a little shake. "Things are gonna be messy, but I need you with me one-hundred percent." She nodded, wiping her cheeks. "I¡­ I promise." Both of them then spent hours combing through the leftover scraps of homes, letting the shouts and cries of Pokemon guide them to their entrapment. Along with the assistance from the Council guards and other Rescue Society members, more and more Pokemon were being rescued as time went on. "I-Is someone there? Please¡­ help! " Vulpix''s ears perked up. "That''s¡­ that''s Cubchoo''s voice! She''s alive!" She raised her voice, hoping her friend could hear. "CUBCHOO! WHERE ARE YOU?" Roark stepped past her, "Her voice came from that direction." He whirled around and beckoned a claw. "Team! We got another one over here!" The assembled group of Pokemon quickly scrambled into action, following the Vulpix and Zoroark to another mangled wreck of a cabin. There, the voice was more profound, rising through the logs of fallen timber trapping her within. "V-Vulpix? Is that you? Are you here to get me out?" "Yes!" Vulpix yelled, pulling pieces of wood out. "We''re here to rescue you!" The rest of the Pokemon got to work excavating the cabin, getting closer and closer to locating the small cub inside. But after lifting another felled log, the stuck Cubchoo was spotted, wedged between two broken shelves with minor lacerations on her body. However, a problem that became very apparent to the rescuers was that they wouldn''t be able to simply lift the shelves off her. Doing so would potentially cause irreversible damage to Cubchoo''s entangled limbs. Roark scoured his mind for ideas, before one cropped up, and he had to take the chance. "Vulpix, you''re small enough to get inside and get Cubchoo loose before we pull the wood off. Can you do it?" Without hesitation, the kit nodded, standing aside as the team created a makeshift tunnel into the debris leading to Cubchoo. Once it was completed, Vulpix was able to crawl through the burrow of wood, now able to gently loosen Cubchoo''s limbs from the shelves. After doing so, the team up top took away the remaining tiles of timber encasing the two. Cubchoo was now free, and instantly wrapped her best friend into a hug, tears streaming down her face. "Thank you¡­ so, so much, Vulpix!" She sniffled her large mucus drip. "It happened so fast! And¡­ and I was trapped in there for days! And¡­" Roark watched from afar as the two friends reunited, the feelings of failure fading, but still present inside. Over the past few hours, many villagers were able to be saved by their combined efforts with the Council guard. And this seemed to be the last Pokemon to be found still alive throughout the devastated village. Seventy Pokemon lay dead, with hundreds injured. But Roark knew that number could''ve been zero if this operation was a success. ''What the hell is Bisharp gonna tell the Council? And why isn''t he here helping us?'' "Roark." The Zoroark snapped out of his troubled thoughts, a familiar voice from behind making him turn around. It was a close friend of his in the Rescue Society - Feraligatr. Bandages covered his bruised frame, which only caused more worry to stir in Roark''s chest. "Feraligatr, what happened here." The Water-type looked around, blinking in disbelief at the destruction around him. "We did everything correct that day. The Glacier Guiders were helping us dig the large trench needed to contain the avalanche, but¡­ something happened throughout the mountain - like a shockwave - and the entire snow shelf near us came crashing down on us." He held a claw up to his bandaged left eye. "The collapse luckily only took my eye - but others weren''t so lucky. We were only able to alert the Council and get to this village just today." Roark was appalled, but one detail was bugging him immensely. "What do you mean ''something happened''? If the avalanche wasn''t our fault, then how did it-" It suddenly struck him - the bandits. The thieves who robbed the Ninetales'' caravan by creating an avalanche to stop the carriage. A chain reaction must have occurred through their actions, causing the snow shelves near the checkpoints to collapse, along with the massive one overlooking Kyuris Village. A sinking feeling stirred in Roark''s chest. Feraligatr stepped forward, staring intensely into his eyes. "Not long after the avalanche happened, a few of us were able to spot an injured Pokemon entering a cavern entrance near one of the checkpoints with a bag around its back. Strangely enough, it looked a lot like you, but it was colored white and red." Roark knew that had to be the ''ghost'' Zoroark - he had to be the one behind this calamity. He just had to. "I know who that is, but did anyone follow after this Pokemon?" Roark didn''t want to imagine him getting away with this slaughter. "The two Ninetales'' from the Glacier Guiders did, telling us they''d get answers out of it. But they haven''t come back yet¡­" "Um, did you say Ninetales, mister?" Roark turned to see Vulpix trotting up beside him, as well as the Noivern from before landing on the cobblestone roads. "I''ve spoken to my comrades and they say the majority of the village has been accounted for, except for that pair of Ninetales''." Feraligatr nodded at her words, focusing on the Vulpix in front of him. "I see¡­ Are they your parents, little one?" "Yeah!" she spoke up, her spirits picking up. "You¡­ you said they entered this cave, right?" "Right, but nobody has heard from them since they entered, so-" "I''ll go." Roark interrupted, whipping his gaze to Noivern. "Can you take us there?" Noivern unfolded her wings, "I was just about to ask! I''ll get two other fliers to take everyone there in one trip!" She was off again, flying around the village to recruit more Pokemon for the search party. "Roark, can I come?... Please?" Vulpix pleaded. "I don''t think we should do that." Feraligatr argued. "She should stay here with the Council guards." "No." Roark shot back, looking down at Vulpix. "I''m gonna make sure she reunites with her family right then and there." Vulpix smiled intensely.
Roark and Vulpix hopped off Noivern''s back as she swooped down, landing in the snow. Following her arrival were two more Flying-type''s, who dropped off Feraligatr and a decent number of supporting Pokemon. All around them were personnel of the Rescue Society, transporting various medical supplies or covered up bodies of the many unfortunate members that passed. Roark watched them leave his peripherals, not wanting to ask where they were being taken. Right now he had a mission to complete, and it deserved all his attention. "So, this is the cave that the couple entered?" Noivern questioned, eyeing the large maw that led into the mountain itself. "Nobody else decided to check on their status?" "Correct," Feraligatr answered. "This cavern leads up to the mountain''s peak, so I''m not sure why that Zoroark entered if he was trying to escape capture¡­" Vulpix walked up to Roark, uncertainty on her face. "Roark? Do you think my parents are okay? If that Zoroark is as bad as you say he is, then¡­" Roark knelt down, steadying his gaze onto Vulpix. "They''re gonna be okay - I promise that. I am not going to fail you, kid. I''ve made it my mission these past two days to do exactly that, and I''m not gonna let you down." Vulpix leapt forward to hug his ankles briefly, before stepping back. "Thank you¡­" Opening one of the many saddlebags on his harness, Roark pulled out the Never-Melt-Ice that Vulpix had been gifted the day prior, holding it out for the kit to see. "When I return with your parents, I''m gonna make sure to tell them that you earned this through your heroism, got it?" She beamed. "Got it." Stuffing it back into his pockets, Roark stood, stepping near the cave''s entrance. He could not fail Vulpix, not like he failed so many others. "We''ll be here as long as you need, Roark." Feraligatr said. "But be safe - we don''t need more dead heroes¡­" If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "You won''t need to wait long then." Without another word, Roark entered the cave, muting the voices behind them as he put all his attention and focus into finding the pair of Ninetales'', as well as finding and capturing the ''ghost'' Zoroark himself if need be. ''Wherever you are¡­ you''re not going to be free for very long.'' Utilizing his natural feats, he bounded across the icy stone of the spacious cavern, curving through its various bends. Time like this was rare for him - time where he had only himself and his restless thoughts. Naturally, they shifted towards the memory he had pushed aside for more urgent events. ''I left you behind, Gloria, and that''s something I can never fix, can I?'' Gripping his claws on cold rock, he used each stone that jutted out on the walls to climb up, eventually reaching the next section of the cave. ''I spent my whole life on this strange world searching for you, but you could never be found. Maybe¡­ maybe this one glimpse into the past is all I will ever know of you.'' Coming across a rather steep wall, he untied the rope from his harness, twirling it before throwing the hooked end of it over the wall. Feeling the hook up top strike something sturdy, he jammed his claws into the rocky wall and began the trek up. ''Maybe this memory was a sign for me to give up on you. That I should focus on taking up the torch old man Bisharp wants me to take.'' He got onto his belly, crawling his way through a small tunnel, wondering where its confined corridor went. ''But I never saw being a leader as my true purpose. It was always about finding you¡­ and being the brother I couldn''t.'' Now wandering aimlessly through the frozen halls of the cave, he would take any path that crossed his way, only to find dead ends or edges that led into a dark abyss of nothingness. ''I could save so many others, but I could never quite save myself, could I¡­'' Squeezing his body through a narrow crevice in the walls, a ray of shimmering light at the end of a corner stuck out to him. Light meant one thing - the exit out of a cave. But as he followed this radiance and entered a new antechamber made of ice, something more horrifying became apparent. "No¡­" At the far end of the chamber, a steep and tall shaft of frozen rock leading up was the source of the light, its rays shining down on the motionless bodies below - two white Ninetales. "No¡­ Please¡­" Roark advanced cautiously, his stare never leaving the two still Pokemon. The pair''s necks were clearly broken, most likely induced by physical trauma from a long fall - instant death. He looked up the shaft, spotting the torn remnants of a safety rope near the top. He already knew what happened. "You fell¡­" He looked down, the damaged and cracked metal harnesses on their bodies catching his eye. The rope that was still connected to them lay in a messy bundle. "Your harnesses gave out¡­ and you fell." He stared at them for a while, desperately wanting this revelation to just be a horrible nightmare or illusion - but this was just the cruel reality he was facing. In a daze, he stepped over the deceased couple, hitting his back against the shaft''s wall and sliding down into a sitting position. Closing his eyes, a tired sigh escaped him as he gazed up - defeated. Every action he did to save Vulpix from her fate, every conversation he had with her, and every moment of connection he shared with her was because he thought she would see her parents in the end, and his job would be finished. Now, it would never come, and he would fail her like so many others. Roark chuckled bitterly, "You would''ve been so proud of her once I told you what she''s done¡­ accomplished these past few days." He shook his head. "Smart and brave - one of a kind kid, I tell ya¡­" Silence was the response he got. Opening his eyes, they would fall upon the scattered items that spilled out of the Ninetales'' harness saddlebags. One item in particular would capture his interest - a small book. Leaning over to grab it, its flashy cover art of a Fire-type Ninetales proudly puffing out its chest would bring a sad smile to his face. It was obviously the long awaited sequel to Vulpix''s favorite book that she was expecting her parents to read to her when they returned. ''A Tale''s Promise''. "You still had a purpose to fulfill. You knew her so well, and loved her so much." He gritted his teeth. "Why the hell... did you have to die? Why am I still alive if you aren''t?" Holding the book close, he placed it inside one of his harness''s saddlebags, keeping it tight and secure. "Now, I have to go out there and break that little girl''s heart all over again¡­" Finding the courage to stand up, he left the couple behind, only momentarily glancing back as he exited their frozen tomb. Retreading the same paths he came in through, the looming prospect of what he had to reveal was weighing heavy on his consciousness. It was always the worst part of the job, and it was unavoidable. Standing by the cave''s entrance, he took a deep breath, before walking through it to greet the snowy mountains of the outside. Slowly panning his gaze around, he prayed she was not here, but there she was, conversing with Noivern. He wondered what she was talking about, and as she turned her head to see him emerge from within, he didn''t dare look her in the eye. Vulpix, Noivern, and more guards of the Council rounded up near the cave''s entrance, wondering why only one Pokemon returned. "Roark¡­ you''re back pretty soon," Feraligatr murmured, glancing between him and Vulpix in concern. "Did you¡­ happen to find them?" All eyes were on the Zoroark, and after a moment of chilling silence, he spoke. "... Noivern. Please take Vulpix to where the other refugees are." Wordlessly, the dragoness heeded his words and approached the kit, who retreated in a confused manner. "Wait, Roark! Where are my parents?!" She backed up further. "You¡­ you said you''d bring them back!" She never got an answer back as more Council guards appeared behind her, with Noivern attempting to gently envelope the fox into her wingspan. Vulpix would evade this maneuver, ducking over her legs and running over to beat her paws onto Roark''s own. "Please tell them to stop! I just want to see my parents! You promised!" He averted his gaze, only causing more confusion and anger to sprout within Vulpix. Before she could pound her paws on his leg again, the guards were able to restrict her limbs, pulling her back. She began to kick and scream in a vain attempt to get back her freedom, blinking out hot tears of anguish. "LET ME GO!" Noivern once again neared the kit, this time being able to safely pluck her from the guard''s hold. No matter how much Vulpix squirmed or resisted this, it was futile. "I just¡­ want to¡­ see mom and dad!" she sobbed out, giving up on fighting. "Please¡­" Making sure Vulpix was secure in her grasp, Noivern sent Roark one last parting glance, before taking to the skies. Only then would Roark look back and watch them leave - perhaps the last time he would ever see Vulpix again, and she left completely devastated. Feraligatr approached slowly, "Roark, don''t tell me that they''re-" "We''re gonna need a team to get their bodies out." Roark simply nodded, still watching Noivern fly away. "I need to speak to Bisharp." "I neglected to tell you, but-" The Water-type squeezed his claws shut. "You need to see for yourself." Roark paled at his words, breaking his gaze with the sky. "See what?" "... Follow me." Reluctantly, the Zoroark would follow Feraligatr as he trailed behind the many Pokemon still rushing bodies up the hill of fallen snow and rock. Each step he took would create a thump in his heart, and as they conquered the hill and saw beyond it, his world came crashing down. Row after row of his fallen brothers and sisters were laid out on strips of cloth, their black capes taken off and draped over their bodies to conceal their identity. In this mass grave, he knew there were friends in there - his comrades he worked with, joked with, grew to understand. "How- how many?" Feraligatr observed solemnly, "The avalanches struck each major checkpoint, hitting all of us stationed there. None were hit worse than Bisharp''s squad¡­" "Bisharp? He''s¡­ here?" Saying nothing, Feraligatr hiked down the hill as Roark followed again, his eyes never leaving the mass of bodies. The Water-Type would stop upon one fallen Pokemon, its metal gauntlets and blades sticking out of the uniquely patterned cape. There was no doubt in Roark''s mind that this was him - Bisharp. "We tried everything to save him, but his injuries were just too severe; there was nothing we could do." The fox collapsed to his knees in distress, holding out his shaking claws over Bisharp''s body. He would pull a section of the obscuring cape off, revealing his battered face. ''Peaceful'' would be the word Roark would use to describe his final expression. "His last words¡­ did he have any?" Feraligatr nodded, "We tried to keep him conscious, so he talked about his son joining the guild near Empyrean City, and how happy he was for him. He¡­ also spoke of you, and how he was happy for you whether or not you took over leadership for him." Even when dying, the old Pokemon found ways to be mirthful and contended. Roark pulled the cape back over Bisharp''s face, wiping away the tears staining his fur. The Pokemon had saved him twice in the past, but he couldn''t save him or any of the souls on this mountain in return - nobody could. "With Bisharp gone, you''re the replacement he wanted," Feraligatr stated. "We''ve lost a lot of good Pokemon today, and the Rescue Society is hurt more than ever - we need your guidance." Righteous anger replaced the grief within Roark as he thought of the Pokemon responsible for this all. He clutched his claws in rage, knowing exactly what they needed to do now, and where to go. "I know who did this," Roark muttered. "Get me a team - we''re going after him." He was going to put a stop to this ''ghost'' Zoroark once and for all.
"The blood leads into this cave!" Feraligatr shouted. Following the same path the Ninetales'' couple tried before, a trail of blood from the injured Zoroark led them straight to his whereabouts. Their journey to find him would lead them further up the mountain, now near the pinnacle itself, with just one hollowed out cavity to search. Flanked by both guards of the Council and members of the Rescue Society, Roark bent down, spotting the remnants of red blotches onto the snow. They were close, and he knew it. "He''s just up ahead - has to be." "We should lure him out," Feraligatr suggested. "We don''t know if any of his followers are with him in there" "No. I''m going ahead with a direct capture myself," Roark said, walking towards the cave. "If you hear fighting, then that''s the signal to come in and assist, got it?" There was disagreement in both ranks, and many suggestions of how to proceed, but Feraligatr and the rest would inevitably accept his decision. "Just be careful, Roark. They''re outlaws - they''ll do anything to escape." "Trust me, I know." Entering the cave, he again used the marks of blood against the rocky ground to find his target. They would eventually guide him into a section of the cavern where the trail of blood ended, and a small shelter was built. ''No one''s here¡­ Could he have left already?'' The bag Feraligatr had mentioned before had its items spilled out on the floor, from bandages to an entire stockpile of seeds, Wonder Orbs, berries, and bottles of alcohol - no doubt the stolen supplies from the caravan. ''If he was leaving, he would''ve taken this with him¡­'' Realizing the culprit might still be here, he took his steps more carefully as he made his way through the cave. Further ahead, the blinding light of a distant exit was seen - a shadowy figure visible beyond it. ''I knew it. That has to be him.'' Without any hesitation, he marched to the exit, emerging from the cave and stepping onto the Glacier Peak Mountain''s very peak. Pillars of stone and ice sprouting upward on its sides shielded him from the chilling wind. A light snow was drifting about, complimenting the grand view of the sky''s orange sunset. But what caught Roark''s attention was the bandaged up Pokemon sitting on the peak''s edge, overlooking the setting sun and clutching a bottle of brown liquid. It''s bipedal form held a striking resemblance to himself, but its fur was a ghostly white with streaks of faded red. The large mane atop its head trailed off into thin wisps and curls. His counterpart in the flesh. Taking another step, the sound of crunching snow he left behind alerted the Zoroark resting by the edge. It would turn its head around, glaring its sharp yellow eyes at the intruder, before returning to watch the sun slowly go down. "Was... waiting for one of you to fi- find me," the Ghost-type slurred. "Saw a whole b-bunch of birds in the sky before, so it was only inevitable, I guess." Roark advanced cautiously, whipping his head in all directions in anticipation of an ambush. "Where''s your Fire-type pals at, huh? Ready to ambush me? It can''t be just you." Zoroark snorted. "Dead. We got caught in one of those aftershocks after we raided that caravan. Got buried in snow and rock, and I was the only one who made it out alive." Roark stopped his advancement, "You''re lying. Just cut the act already." "Heh¡­ Does it look like I''m tricking you?" The ethereal fox took a swig of his alcoholic beverage. "I''m- I''m a bit too drunk to even think of doing that, buddy." Roark wanted to knock that bottle right out of his claws, his anger rising. "Do you even realize what you created out there? How many lives you''ve stolen?! How many families you''ve ripped apart there?!" He took another swig, "Heh, you think I don''t realize?" He managed to stand up on shaky legs, exploding in drunken rage and waving his bottle. "OF FUCKING COURSE I REALIZE THAT! YOU THINK I¡­ YOU THINK I WANTED TO DO THAT, HUH?!" "You admit it, but that doesn''t absolve you of your crime." Zoroark scowled. "I gave that command to create an avalanche. I fucking stood on that cliff and watched as that village was destroyed." He stumbled towards Roark, almost tripping. "I lost all my crew for what - a bunch of fucking useless junk!" Roark angrily latched onto him, pushing him around as the intoxicated Ghost-type made no effort to evade. "I had to tell a little girl out there that her parents were dead - the village and home she had now gone - all because of you." He rattled him some more, fresh tears welling up in his eyes. "There''s friends of mine out there in a mass grave that I can never see again because of you!" Thoughts of Bisharp flooded his mind, his legacy that was cut short by the actions of this Zoroark before him. A leader and father that would leave behind a son, the Rescue Society, and a lost Pokemon that spent ten entire years by his side, through thick and thin. "... Then we are the same. Lost with no one by our side, eh?" Roark yanked him closer, bringing his crimson claws near Zoroark''s throat. "I LOST¡­ EVERYTHING BECAUSE OF YOU!" It took every fiber in his being from slicing his throat apart right then and there. "Kill me then!" The Ghost-type dropped his bottle, falling to his knees and pushing his neck into Roark''s set of claws. "Do it, you fucking coward. Do it! You''ll be doing me a favor!" "... Why?" Roark uttered, removing his claws. "Why did you do all of this for one caravan?!" Zoroark erupted into a bout of a drunken laughter from his question, looking down and averting the glare Roark was sending him. "Two thousand." "... What?" "Two thousand Pok¨¦," Zoroark coughed out. "Heard it was carrying that much to Slush City, so I cooked up a plan to stop it and take that cash for myself." Roark couldn''t believe it. "You¡­ you killed all of those Pokemon down there for just two thousand Pok¨¦?!" "... Have you never done anything out of desperation?" Roark''s eyes enlarged at this statement, releasing his hold on Zoroark as he turned his back on him. Burying his face into his claws, memories from his criminal past were unearthed and shoved to the forefront of his mind. Scrounging by everyday, and doing horrible things to many in order to just survive. However, the worst thought he had was when he compared himself to this Zoroark. "You don''t know what it''s like to lose¡­ every moment in your life," Zoroark spat out, stumbling back to the peak''s edge. "To be hunted like some fucking Rattata every single day." Zoroark stopped by the brink of the cliff, shakily adjusting his hindpaws and looking down at the blurry drop below. The guilt lurking in his mind was clouded by his inebriation, but he knew what he had to do - the only thing left to do. "There''s nothing out there for me. No purpose¡­ not anymore." Holding his arms out, he relaxed his muscles, taking deep breaths. "I''ll fix this¡­ all of this." He let go, his paws slipping as he closed his eyes and embraced what was coming. Before the rush of wind could take him, a forceful tug of his back''s fur stopped him from falling. Cracking open an eye to glance at what was halting him, he caught the stern visage of Roark, whose claws were holding him back. "Why?... Why did you stop me?" Zoroark croaked out, blinking out a few tears. "... Because I didn''t have someone there to stop me." Zoroark squirmed in place, lashing out and flailing his arms in an attempt to free himself. "LET ME GO! LET ME¡­ FUCKING- AGH!" Tripping over one paw, he collapsed to the ground, heaving. "I can''t¡­ do this anymore." "But doing what you were about to do is never an option." Zoroark sneered at him. "If I go back, I''ll only face the Council''s firing squad... or I''ll rot in a cell for my entire life¡­" "It doesn''t have to end like that. You can still salvage this, and turn it into something greater." The Ghost-type chuckled bitterly, "Consider me blind, ''cause I don''t fucking see it." Roark walked over, sitting down next to his counterpart. "... I was in the same position you are now - lost and without purpose. I was lucky enough to have my eyes opened, even if I thought it was too late." He looked out towards the flaming horizon. "Your life doesn''t have to end here on this horrible day. The Rescue Society can help you find your true purpose." "Nothing can fix me¡­ I''ll never be able to look back and forgive myself." "It''s not about forgiveness. It''s about making a lasting impact on this world, and feeling complete." Roark looked at him briefly. "If I can ask, is there anyone still close to you?" Zoroark bowed his head. "... My mom. She-" he broke down again, his claws hiding his tear stricken face, "She would never want to see me again if she knew what I caused - what I did to gather money for us both." More and more, Roark began to see his reasoning for this catastrophe. It never eased the hatred and sorrow he still harbored, but it resonated with another part of him. "I have someone close to me, too," Roark uttered softly. "A little sister of mine, but I''ve never seen her, or remember who she is, or what she likes. But¡­ just knowing she was out there gave me a purpose, a reason to stay alive and keep fighting, because maybe I''ll find her one day." "And you found her, right?" "In a way, I did, but I had to lose everything to find out. '''' Roark looked down. "But even now, leading the Rescue Society isn''t the future I foresaw. I wanted to be a brother, not a leader." "I... always wanted to make my own exploration team. Explore the world and see all sorts of things¡­ not this." Hearing his bygone dreams, Roark reflected on Vulpix and her wishes of heroism; how those dreams she held were shattered by this event. If he could do anything to repair those hopes, he would take it. And that''s what made him realize something - that his purpose didn''t have to lie with the Rescue Society. He could fix this - fix both of them. "Alright¡­ I''ll go with you," Zoroark said, watching the sunset again. "But do you promise that there''s still something out there for me?" "I promise." It was trying to find his purpose that led his life to this moment, and here he would find it.
''Empyrean City, huh? A lot more impressive being in it rather than hearing about it.'' Having just entered the city, he gawked at the tall buildings, crowds of different Pokemon, and the plethora of unique shops dotting the streets. It reminded him of Verdure, providing a sense of nostalgia as he walked alongside carts and carriages that rumbled through. But this time he wasn''t a thief, nor a hero. It had been a month after the Glacier Peak Mountain Avalanche, and he had left the Rescue Society not long after. Once a suitable replacement for him was found, he gave up his harness and cape, and then his farewells. After ten years of serving, it was over. Majority of the young refugees of the event were sent to an orphanage in Empyrean City, so after sending a letter of inquiry to it, he trekked across Celestic to find it. With just a cream saddlebag hanging off his shoulder, he reminisced more, passing street after street in search of the rabbit eared building. After stepping out of an alleyway, there it was, looming before him. ''Guess it''s now or never¡­'' Before he could take another step, the door leading into the orphanage swung open, and three Pokemon came out - A Lopunny, a baby Bunneary clinging to her mother''s legs, and a white Vulpix. Roark''s gaze immediately connected with the kit, who stared back in shock. She would run to meet him not long after, a mix of happiness and confusion on her face as he took a knee. Opening his saddlebag, the Zoroark retrieved a small book - ''The Lucky Tale''. He held it out for her to see, smirking. "Hey¡­ I believe I didn''t finish reading this to you."
"''And so, Vulpix, with all the friends she made throughout her grand journey, put her tale of luck and fortune behind her, and returned to her home village as a true hero¡­''" Roark closed the novel. "That''s the end." Resting atop one of the tall stone buildings in the city, Roark had taken her up it after they left the orphanage, admiring the gorgeous sunset and the dazzling lights that began to flicker on across the city. It was a welcome sight for Vulpix, who listened intently as Roark finished his dramatic narration of the book. "... Thank you," she said softly, sniffling. "Sorry, the, um, ending always makes me cry a bit." "Don''t be sorry, kid. Heck, got me a little emotional too." "Really?" "Yeah, it was nice, even for a kid''s book." As silence overtook them, they went back to quietly admiring the urban scenery - one too overwhelmed with grief and confusion, and the other quite reluctant to extend his personal offer. However, Vulpix would break this silence to say what she''s wanted to say since he showed. "Why did you show up again? I thought¡­ I thought your job was done." "... Well, I guess it wasn''t." Roark crossed his arms over the roof''s railing. "I just couldn''t have you rot in that place. You don''t deserve that." She deserved so much more, but this world seemed hellbent on crushing both him and her. He wanted to fix that, and his offer would decide everything. Vulpix frowned. "What do you mean?" Closing his eyes, he sucked in his worries and doubts, going straight for it. "Do you remember when I spoke of someone named Gloria? And how I didn''t know who she was?" She nodded, "You¡­ never found her, though, right?" "I think I just did, kid." Removing his position from the railing, he turned around and kneeled to reach Vulpix''s height. "On that awful day, I remembered something. Gloria, she¡­ she was my little sister." "R-Really? You-" Suddenly, her ears wilted. "What do you mean by ''was''?" "There''s no way for me to see her again, kid. But I still want to be there for someone - to be a big brother - the one I could never be to Gloria." Fighting through the tears, he continued. "I want¡­ to be that someone in your life." Blinking out her own tears, Vulpix spoke after a moment of silence. "I''ve¡­ never had a big brother before." Pulling her into a embrace, she broke down, sobbing into his shoulder as he held her. This emotional moment would last for quite a while, until Roark broke off the exchange, reaching for something in his saddlebag. Vulpix wiped her remaining tears and watched as the Zoroark pulled out a necklace that shimmered in the dusk. It was a Never-Melt-Ice pierced through the middle by a line of string. She instantly recognized this as the same item of reward that Vulpy had given her. Roark clutched it in his claws, looking at it briefly before extending his claws and unfolding them. "''Gloria'' means glory to many Pokemon across the world. And I know it''s something you want." He opened the necklace, enlarging it enough to where it could slip around her neck easily. "I''m not asking you to replace Gloria, but I want you to know this is a fresh start for us both. And maybe¡­ maybe it does bring me some solace knowing she''s still somewhat here with me." Vulpix stared at the necklace, already knowing her decision. She also desired for a way to end her horrible past and begin anew. She may be known differently, but her personality and dreams would stay the same. "... I will." Smiling at her acceptance, he lifted the necklace up and guided it around her neck. The icy rock that stayed forever cold would rest against her chest. Still, one last question lurked in Roark''s mind - the one he wanted to hear the answer to most of all. "Can you make a promise?" "Of what?" "Promise that you''ll never give up on your dreams. That you''ll see your purpose through to the end." Gloria smiled wide, nodding intensely. "Of course! But can you make one, too?" A nod would reassure her as she hugged him again, tears sliding down her cheeks. "Please¡­ please don''t leave me." "I promise."
"Watch your step! Just a little further, sis!" Gloria frowned. "I can''t walk properly if I have a blindfold on." "It''d spoil the surprise! Duh!" Guiding her along the streets of the residential sector in Empyrean City, Roark had been cooking up a surprise for her for weeks. With his stockpile of Pok¨¦ from his time in the Rescue Society, he had enough to fund this endeavor. He couldn''t wait to see her reaction to it. "Alright! You can take off the blindfold now!" Gloria did so swiftly, readjusting her vision to see what was in front of her. Just a few feet away, a small white and round house was built. The features of which resemble herself, with her blue eyes up top and curls of wispy fur covering the roof. She gasped. "Y-you got us a house! And it looks like me!" "Well, it sure beats living on the streets, and, uh¡­" Roark trailed off as she sped off towards the tiny abode, entering in an excited frenzy. He would chuckle to himself as he watched her in the windows bouncing around the new home and taking in its sights. "Didn''t expect this kind of reaction, but I''ll take it."
"C''mon, Gloria! You can do it!" Roark yelled from his seat, jabbing the Grass-type next to him. "Think my sister can beat your sister at her own game?" Even at just twelve years of age, Gloria was by far the better cook in the household. Her talent was also recognized by a Sylveon who owned a sweets shop, offering a friendly challenge to test the Vulpix''s skills. Gloria was reluctant, but with a little encouragement from her brother, she accepted the offer. Now being watched by a few dozen onlookers around the outskirts of Empyrean City, the two chefs competed in a battle of speed. The main dish would be a batch of Pokepuffs, with both trying to get theirs done first. "Gloria is darn good for her age, but Sylveon does this for a living, y''know," Leafeon retorted, a thought crossing her mind. "Hey, you still thinking about joining the guild?" Roark crossed his legs, eyes glued on the event. "Yeah. Although, that Shiny Lucario guy in charge didn''t seem to want me in his secret club." Leafeon giggled. "Yeah, the Guildmaster is quite selective. Shaymin and I were only able to get in because I could cook and Shaymin had knowledge about the Legendaries she did errands for." "I''ve got ten years of experience at the Rescue Society, so that should be enough¡­" he grumbled. "And twenty years you don''t remember, huh? I remember not being able to believe you when you told me you had amnesia, or something like that." He chuckled. "That''s cause I accidentally blurted it out. But if you keep that a little secret between you and I, then my transition into the guild can be smooth." "Hehe, of course." Another thought popped up in her mind. "I''ve always wondered this since you told me, but¡­ couldn''t there be another Pokemon that ended like you somewhere in this world?" Roark raised a brow, putting serious thought into it. "Possibly. But if they''re anything like me, then they don''t tell that to everyone they know." "Or, y''know, they accidentally tell you," she teased "Shove it, sister."
The Riolu gulped once more, "Y-Yeah. All I could remember is waking up on a hill, in a clearing... and a name engraved in my mind. And that''s when I met her."He indicated to Gloria with a paw. "Just one name... right?" A quick nod reassured Roark. "Huh..." The Zoroark looked deep in thought, his eyes never leaving Liam''s. Never before would he have imagined stumbling into an amnesiac quite like himself. The Riolu, who called himself Liam, was quite like himself when he first awoke on that sandy beach - alone, lost, confused at everything in this strange land. He would go through life and never find out his past, or who his family once was. He would wander aimlessly, searching for the purpose of his existence. Whether or not the Riolu''s condition was exactly like his, he would not leave him behind - he would guide him just as Unfezant failed to, and Bisharp succeeded in. "You believe him, right?" It surprised him that Gloria had forgotten about his own amnesia, but he would use this opportunity to show them both their path to success. Twirling his spoon in one claw, the ruse fox sharply inhaled. "Yeah¡­"
Gloria stood on top of the tallest point in the world, the peak of Celestial Mountain. Her scarf fluttered in the mountain wind as she absorbed the fantastical view around her. She silently thanked Liam for telling her to do this, as he described that it was a ''once in a lifetime sight''. "There you are!" The Vulpix gasped, whirling around to see her smirking brother scale the grassy hills. Once he was side by side with her on the pinnacle, he whistled at what he was witnessing, creating an echo that reverberated through the entire breadth of the mountain. "Dang. I''m not the biggest fan of heights, but this is pretty damn great. Well worth the stupidly long trek up, if I may add." Gloria smiled. "It really is, right? But I heard from Scizor that we''re gonna have another expedition as soon as we''re back." "Tch, can''t give this old fox a break, can they." He muttered before jabbing her sides. "Hey, I know you''re still carrying that necklace." She took a deep breath, nodding. "I¡­ I am." "... Do you think you''re worthy enough now to wear it?" He smirked. "I mean, you can''t tell me that this entire expedition wasn''t enough proof." "I know, I know. And¡­" She touched her saddlebag. "I really do think I am this time. This entire year has been so crazy, but I''ve really done a lot by joining the guild with Liam." "Damn straight, sis." Frowning at his language, she prodded him with a paw. "I''m trying to be serious here!" "Stop being so adorable then!" "Ugh¡­" Chuckling again, he waved a claw behind him as he left the peak. "Don''t stay up there too long! We still have a feast to attend in our name in the village!" "I won''t!" she shouted back, returning to admire the amazing view and ponder about her future once more.
Nightfall had set in over the Cosmic Quilt Guild hours ago, bringing with it a full moon and a blanket of stars in the skies above. The guild had returned from its expedition, happily sleeping away in their personal dorms. However, for the case of Team Requiem, one member was still awake. ''For some reason¡­ I can''t sleep.'' Gloria repositioned herself many times in the bean bag that was her bed, attempting to lull herself back into a slumbering state. But despite her best efforts to curb her insomnia, it wouldn''t work. Glancing over at her sprawled out partner, she tuned out the loud snores he emanated, quietly giggling. ''Jeez, he snores just as loud as Roark sometimes.'' Realizing her predicament, she hopped off her bed to retrieve a book in her collection to read and pass the time with. Finding her cream saddlebag lying next to a dresser, she opened its contents, one item inside making her go wide eyed. The Never-Melt-Ice necklace. She took it out, hooking it around her paw as she stared at it, her heart beating rhythmically. Nodding, she walked over to a nearby standing mirror, gazing at the confident Vulpix that stared back. Taking a deep breath, she looped the necklace around her nape, letting the frigid rock rest against her Cosmic Scarf. Looking into the mirror again, a new Gloria seemed to be born from this moment. ''Mom, dad, Froslass¡­ I hope you''re watching me.'' She made a promise to them all, and she wasn''t gonna break it. END OF SPECIAL EPISODE
A purpose and a promise. One must be broken for the other to be seen by all.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: The Phantasmagoria: Part Two Hubris In An Hourglass Author''s Notes: Hello! If you haven''t skimmed past yet, I assume you''re wondering why the AN''s are at the start of the chapter and not the end. The reasoning for this is that I have something a bit more important to announce. January 8th of this year marks the first anniversary of this story! To celebrate this milestone, I will have two links below to a polling website for two polls that are related to the story. The polls will not end on a certain date, and you do not need an account to vote. At a later date, I will come back and review the results of the polls. If there is a significant reaction to them, something special might be done from the winners, and new polls in the future will be made to see if anything has changed as the story continues. Favorite Character so far POLL strawpoll.com/sw2fzhwvx Favorite Chapter so far POLL strawpoll.com/c59166qch You are free to do only one of your choosing, and I highly appreciate any who would take the time to do this. But that is enough out of me, as we will begin the very first chapter to Part Two of The Phantasmagoria!
Chapter 20 Hubris In An Hourglass "I defied and separated the vices that God sewed into the earth, and became one with it. Please... Take my hand." The slow ticking of the clock''s hands followed after the brief conversation the two men shared, both of them staring each other down from their opposite seats on the beige furniture in an effort to dissect the other''s thoughts. Eventually, one would break this silence. "Do you¡­ still harbor feelings of resentment towards your father?" "¡­ What?" Dr. Thompson leaned back into the couch, picking up the assorted documents lying next to him. He flipped through a few pages, occasionally glancing up to see the confused person staring back at him. "Before they expired, I took the time to review some of the transcripts of our previous sessions," the man said, reading one page in particular. "More specifically, the earliest ones following your arrest and the state''s enforcement of these sessi-" "What does this have to do with my father?" Liam suddenly inquired, a scowl forming on his features. "Well, I''ve noticed some of your¡­ rants against him have seemed to fade over the years. Is this a topic you''re comfortable with discussing again?" Comfortability was something the young man let go of as soon as he entered the doors to this place. Storing his feelings inside seemed to be useless now that he was here. "I never truly hated him. Even after what he did to the city, my family, and even Mrs. Lachaise." Dr. Thompson tapped his fingers on his thighs. "Do you think it is because he was your father - your caretaker in life - or is there something else you see in him?" It was a stupid question, Liam thought. But it did make him think about what he truly felt about the man that tried so hard to save Liam from either himself, or others that sought to have him removed. If only that outcome would have turned successful, and he would have a father to this day. But in the end, it was just him that lived to see the aftermath of his father''s exploits. "It took me a few years to realize, but I did see what my dad was trying to accomplish; it just didn''t work." The older man nodded his head to this. "From your accounts, it was your father''s defiance against his past and these groups that only brought out more of it into the light. And his defiance¡­" "Got him punished," Liam finished, leaning up from his chair. "Y''all think he''s evil or something - like a monster who tore up the city because he wanted to. But I see now that he had to become that evil to defeat it himself." "It doesn''t work like that, Liam. Fighting fire with fire is never going to work." "Take out the source of the fire, and there won''t be any more flames." Dr. Thompson sighed. "Liam, your father was never going to root out those groups on his own. Evil isn''t something that can just go away, or be thrust out of us. It takes shape in many forms, but is always prevalent throughout all of us." Something about his words flicked on a switch in the young man. Liam shook with rage. "It''s the most disgusting part of us. I wish that I didn''t have these¡­ evil feelings within me, but I don''t have a choice!" he shouted, standing up. "I never had the choice to live out of the life that I wanted! IT WAS TAKEN FROM ME!" He pounded his chest with open hands, freely letting any stored up anger and tears out. "Everything was so PERFECT! I had an amazing family! I had everything in life figured out! And then-" he stopped, choking on his next words, "And then¡­ it was all gone." The young man then collapsed back into his chair, burying his face into his hands and heaving out bouts of broken speech. "Fuck¡­ I just- Why¡­ W-Why do I always lose?!" he seethed, clenching his hands tight, nails digging into his skin. "I can''t even live normally anymore. T-this is too much for me." Dr. Thompson set down the documents, eyes fixated on Liam. "¡­ That''s exactly why we''re here. I am here to have you expel all of that anger here. You need to understand that I am here to help you, not provoke you. This place is here to oversee your recovery." "Fucking lies," Liam spat out. "I''m only here because the state thinks I''m gonna snap and hurt a bunch of people." Everyone was watching the young man; viewing him like an animal that was about to break out of its cage. Sometimes he entertained the thought of doing just that, getting the revenge his father couldn''t, just to ease his pain. To become that evil to destroy it. "Liam¡­ I know there''s a great capacity of anger and vengeance within you - that path of evil your father went down. However, I''m not worried that you are going to hurt someone else." Liam tore his gaze from his hands, glowering at the compassionate man staring intensely back at him. "I''m worried about what you will do to yourself¡­"
The curls of vibrant blue and yellow in Liam''s vision began to fade away into nothingness, his sights returning to normalcy, leaving behind a horrified expression on the Riolu''s face. His grip on his banjo tightened as he struggled to recall the events of that memory. It sent his mind reeling as new information was being revealed. Gloria turned her head away from her book, the necklace she wore gleaming in the sunlight. "Why''d you stop playing? I really liked it!" "U-Uh, guess I¡­ guess I just got distracted," he replied, taking a deep breath. She giggled. "You shouldn''t daydream so much. It might affect some of our missions, y''know." "Yeah¡­" He relaxed his hold on the old instrument, managing a smile. "Sorry, I can go back to playing if you want." The two were currently resting in the very clearing that Liam woke up to a while ago. With this being their day off from the usual guild work, and the weather being so sunny and clear, this wouldn''t be a time they were going to waste on staying inside all day. He still couldn''t believe he had been in this land for an entire year. Gloria closed her novel, glancing up to view the sun''s position in the sky. "Um, maybe another time." She reluctantly got out of her comfortable resting position. "I think we should get back to the guild before dinner starts." The word ''dinner'' seemed to knock sense into the Riolu as he took his back off the tree he was propped up against and stood with a slight jump. He then slung his banjo''s strap around his shoulder and nonchalantly strolled down the clearing''s hill. "I''m not gonna miss out on dinner this time!" he shouted. "And I don''t think you wanna see Leafeon run out of her Pokepuffs!" His attempt to earn a reaction out of her succeeded, the Vulpix now suddenly revitalized and jogging right behind the Fighting-type. Making their way through the Sunshine Forest yet again, Liam''s thoughts were also consumed by his illusive past, and the memory he was given a brief glimpse into a few moments ago. ''Why did I seem so different in this one? I was¡­ older, but something bad must''ve happened.'' The pieces of the puzzle were scattered and simply out of his reach. He could only infer that something horrible had taken place that would make a Liam of the past react in such a way like that. ''I could feel everything he- I felt, too.'' He could sense the frustration, sadness, and resentment that emanated from himself. But the most worrying part of all to the Riolu was the immense feeling of hatred that swelled inside of his past self. ''That therapist guy said he could sense that capacity of anger and vengeance within me - an evil. Do I¡­ really have that ins-'' ''Who are you?'' The sound of a gruff voice shooting across his mind interrupted his thoughts as his walking faltered slightly. Regaining his bearings, his attention shifted to the strange invader that frequently stopped by in his brain. Ever since the day he stood atop Celestial Mountain, a new voice began to plague him from time to time, spouting the occasional cryptic line or threat that shot a chill up his spine. But the scariest part wasn''t that it was speaking to him, but that it sounded familiar. And it wasn''t like he could talk to this voice like he could the other in that strange dreamscape. It was like an echo of the past, and that terrified him in a subtle way. ''Maybe I am going crazy¡­ I''ll just have to make sure Monferno doesn''t catch wind of this, heh.'' "Liam! Hurry up!" Gloria shouted, a good distance ahead of him. "On my way!" he yelled back, catching up with the impatient fox. Who was he? He was Liam, and that is all that voice needed to know. Emerging out of the forest, they trekked across the grassy plains back to the strangely designed purple building that was their guild. All seemed well at first to the pair, until they stepped down the hill leading to the structure and saw a multitude of Pok¨¦mon in brown coats lurking by the entrance, rifles strapped to their backs at all times. "Council guards?" Gloria questioned, a bit hesitant to take another step. "What are they doing here?" Liam gulped - he had only seen guards of the Council during the parade in Elysium City, and they seemed extremely hardened compared to the regular guards stationed in Empyrean City. Although, he did know of one friendly face. He tapped her side. "C''mon, let''s just go see if we can enter." "¡­ Okay." Slowly walking up to the open doors of the guild, they expected to be stopped before entering, but they were ignored as they were seemingly waiting for someone else. It wasn''t until they almost entered that another coat wearing Pok¨¦mon exited the building and blocked their path - a Corviknight. "Ah, sorry to be in your way! Feel free to- hey, wait a minute - I recognize that face of yours!" He pointed a wing at the equally shocked Riolu. "You''re that bloke from the festival, aintcha?" Liam eventually nodded, "Uh, Yeah! That''s me." "And you''ve still got that old thing!" Corviknight squawked, motioning towards the banjo across the Riolu''s back. "Tell me, am I gonna see you up on stage with Primarina and her mates in a few years?" Liam blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh, probably not. But my Guildmaster is teaching me how to play better." "Is he now ? Well, I''ve just had a chat with that bloke, and he''s one stubborn ''mon, I''ll tell ya." Gloria''s ears perked up. "Um, can I ask a question? Why did the Council send its guards here? Is¡­ something wrong?" "Nothing''s wrong, luv," Cornviknight confirmed, tapping his coat with a wing. "I''m not a captain or anything, so all I know was that my superiors told me and a few others to come here and ask for information about this guild''s findings from their recent expedition." Liam blinked, "The guild''s¡­findings? Like what?" Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Inwardly, the Riolu already somewhat knew. ''No doubt they want to know about the Mystery Dungeon project those Legendaries started way back. But did the Guildmaster tell them?'' Corviknight shrugged, "Dunno, mate. Whatever stuff you guys might have found really interested the Council or somethin''. I tried getting any info out of that Lucario, but he wouldn''t budge a bit." ''That''s the Guildmaster all right¡­'' Gloria shuffled her forelegs together. "Do you think the guild might be in trouble if we don''t say anything?" The bird shrugged again. "I don''t know all that legal bollocks, luv. I just carry out the orders and do my job like any other guard ''ere. Speaking of¡­" He gave his comrades a lookover, brandishing his pair of black wings. "We can head off back to the carriage now, mates! Can''t say we didn''t try." A series of grumbles came from the guard Pok¨¦mon as they broke off their positions near the entrance and began exiting the property. Corviknight watched them leave with a frown, ultimately returning his attention to the pair. "You two stay safe out there! And if you want advice from little ole me, then I say stay away from any missions in the Grit Region. Things are happening down there, and let me tell, they''re not pretty things." He bopped his chest again with a wing. "Take care!" Before either could ask him another question, the Steel-type took off after the guards. However, his warning was not lost on the two. "Something happening in the Grit Region?" Liam recited, shooting Gloria a quizzical stare. "Is he true? I don''t really read the Celestic Cognizance all that much." Gloria bit her lip. "I don''t really know that much, but I heard there were, um, protests." ''Protests? Against what? And if what Corviknight said was true, then they couldn''t be all that peaceful¡­'' Liam shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "Whatever. Let''s just go eat; I''m starving." She smiled. "Yeah!" Finally being able to enter the building, they walked in and were witness to the chaotic oddity that was the guild on its day off. In the main hallway, a Mightyena strapped down to a chair with rope was frantically sweating as other guild members talked to the Dark-type. "Gotta say, Mightyena," Monferno began, scratching his chin. "Don''t think Hatterene is gonna let you go after this. I think it''s the end of the line, pal." "Just cut me loose!" the canine yelped. "I don''t know when she''ll be back! And she appears out of freaking nowhere!" "And you thought it was a good idea to escape from her medical room?" Leafeon questioned. "She tied me up!" "It''s a fair reaction, Leafy," Roark commented as he maneuvered around Mightyena, touching various parts of his body. "Uh¡­ not there. You feeling any better yet?" "ROARK!" "Hold up, I''m trying to find your chakra. Some crazy Psychic-type down by the marketplace told me they''re real and can heal you and stuff." Liam and Gloria watched from afar, equally horrified but also amused at the events unfolding before them. The situation only escalated as Hatterene shuffled down the halls at alarming speeds, greatly shocking everyone present as the claw-like hand attached to her hat snatched Mightyena''s chair. "Please do not tamper with my patients," she remarked with little emotion, glaring at the suspects. All three guild members crowding around the Dark-type began to back off, well aware of the head nurse''s capabilities. All they could do was watch as Mightyena was dragged off into the halls, listening to his fading screams. It was just another day in the guild. Leafeon turned to notice the pair of Pok¨¦mon standing by the building''s entrance, waving her leafy paw at them in recognition. "Hey, you''re just in time! I''m about to kickstart dinner!" But guild life did have its perks.
"It''s now official, sis." Gloria looked up from her tray. "What do you mean, Roark?" The Vulpix throughout her meal was occasionally casting a glance around the mess wall, keenly observing the happily eating Pokemon. Even a heavily bandaged up Mightyena was devouring his food, splatting a good amount on an annoyed Monferno next to him. "It''s official that you totally underestimate your cooking skills." He swept an arm across his surroundings. "Nobodies throwing it up, so I''m not sure what your deal is with being modest about it." Gloria frowned at his statement. "I agree with him, Gloria," Liam interjected, swallowing down his fill. "Although he could have worded it a bit better, you and Leafeon do a damn- darn good job," he corrected, hoping to spare her wrath. "Yeah! Totally!" Rockruff shouted from Liam''s left, his tray practically cleaned. "I thought Leafeon was the best cook in the world, but maaan your potato things were so good!" She held a paw against her necklace. "T-thanks, guys! I was really nervous when Leafeon told me to join her, but I''ve learned a lot from the best in the past." As all the members of the guild ate in relative peace, the unmistakable sounds of Scizor''s marching on the porcelain floor would steal everyone''s attention as he entered the mess hall with a Shiny Lucario by his side. Sidestepping, Scizor allowed Jackson to walk forward and clear his throat. "Attention! I require only a small amount of your time; then you can return to eating." Nobody dared to fight against his word, so he continued. "In a few days, this guild will embark on another expedition. For this expedition, our efforts will take place in the Grit Region." This time, a good number of whispers and murmurs traveled around the mess hall - some in excitement, others in trepidation. Jackson would wait for these quiet outbursts to settle before speaking again. "Our discoveries in unearthing the ''Magnagate Investigation Project'' on Celestial Mountain has led to forming another expedition in search of answers." He motioned towards the stationary Scizor beside him with a paw. "Scizor and I have combed over the collected Projection Crystals and other data combed from the project, and have come to a theory that there is a second location that the Legendaries built to continue their research." More hushed communication was set ablaze after his revelation. "This second location would have to exist somewhere in the Grit Region," Jackson concluded. "We believe that the key to eliminating the ley lines can be realized by finding this second location and its potential secrets." The gears in Liam''s mind began to turn as he processed this information. While he wasn''t there to initially discover this hidden project, the things it revealed were fascinating to no end. However, the possibility of the second location being in the Grit Region led to another worrying situation. ''Isn''t something bad happening there right now? Why are we risking going now?'' "As before, we will take the Mudsdale carriages to the region itself and enter the town of Sanctus. There we will make contact with a group of adventurers and local relic experts to combine our knowledge in hopes of finding the next step." He paused, momentarily looking around the room. "More specific details on what we are bringing will be announced tomorrow. For now, this is all." As Jackson turned his back and walked away, the voices of chatting Pokemon picked up behind him. He would only stop to turn around and stare at one Pok¨¦mon in particular - a Riolu. Once his staring was acknowledged and returned, he gave a swift nod before leaving the mess hall. Liam knew that meant only one thing - he was in for some training tonight.
"Agh, why can''t I get this right." The full moon and the glittering stars in the silent skies above the Cosmic Quilt Guild provided a phenomenal view to accompany the enchanting twangs of a banjo that drifted through the wind. Around the back of the guild sat Liam, sitting on the ridge of a small cliff that oversaw the expansive prairie that enveloped the horizon. "If I remember what he said¡­ then it''s three beats," he spoke to himself, plucking some of the instrument''s strings in succession. He did this for a while, trying to catch a rhythm, too immersed in his practice to notice the sounds of footsteps behind him. "It sounds a lot better today." Liam was so startled by the voice of the Guildmaster that he nearly dropped his banjo off the cliff, hugging it tightly against his chest as he swiveled his head around. "G-Guildmaster! You heard me? Did¡­ Was I doing it right?" Jackson chuckled slowly, "I heard a bit of it in there. Still, your rhythm is terrible." ''Ouch. At least he''s honest about it¡­'' Jackson walked over, grunting as he took a seat by the Riolu and pointed at the strings of the banjo. "Lemme see you do the one I told you about the other day." "O-Oh, sure!" Liam racked his brain in search of memory of that day, quickly finding it and putting his skills to the test by attempting to replicate it with his banjo. It was supposedly a song from the Lucario''s childhood. While the name of it sounded funny, it was by no means an easy song to play. Nonetheless, he tried his best, and if the hardened stare Liam was getting told him anything, it was that he was doing a good job so far. "Switch up your strings. Remember to repeat that first flow," Jackson asserted. Liam did just that, holding his breath as he translated those memorized notes into harmonic tunes. Realizing he was getting a hang of it, he became immersed in the sounds he played. But he wasn''t the only one getting into it; his Guildmaster was even tapping his foot on the grass, quietly humming his own rendition of the song. It was then a great surprise to the Riolu when he heard the Lucario actually starting to sing over the music. "''If it hadn''t been for Cotton-Eyed Joe, I''d been married long time ago,''" Jackson sang in an accent. "''Where did you come from, where did you go? Where did you come from, Cotton-Eyed Joe?''" Liam watched on in mild bemusement and shock at the man''s sudden shift in demeanor, but didn''t say anything as the Lucario prattled on about ''storms'' and ''tools''. As the Riolu finished up the remainder of the song, Jackon''s singing trailed off into laughter that bubbled out of his chest. He held a paw to it, calming himself as he took deep breaths. "Sorry ''bout that, kid. Sometimes I just get too caught up with myself. It''s very¡­ nostalgic to me; makes me feel like a kid with my own banjo again, y''know?" Liam slowly set down his banjo, listening to his Guildmaster. It was a sort of melancholy feeling that he found himself relating to, even if he never truly understood. But he still still knew of the connection they shared; that he was once a boy just like Jackson once, even if they were totally different species. "Yeah¡­" Pure silence came afterward as they absently gazed at the stars, until a nervous Liam would proclaim something that tugged at his mind. "I, uh, got another memory earlier." Jackson seized up, whipping his head around to stare. "... Tell me." Liam huddled his legs together, sighing. "Well, this time I was much older¡­ and I was in this therapist''s room, I think." "... I see. Anything else?" "Just like the other memories, I felt the feelings of that Liam in the room. I felt¡­ I don''t know, angry?" He gulped, tugging his scarf. "I just felt really mad at everything, and had this massive pit in my stomach - like I was sick." It was hard to describe the mess of ugly feelings he sensed, but made a vain attempt to. "Then¡­ the, uh, therapist guy said my father went against these groups and defied them. He even said he saw those same qualities my father had in me. Vengeance, anger, this¡­ path of evil." "Do you believe him?" "Huh?" Jackson was now fully turned around at this point, his back against the stars as he kneeled in front of Liam, his golden ring flashing. "If somebody took someone from you, would you defy everything to avenge them or try and bring them back?" "I¡­ Yeah, I would." The Guildmaster''s question reminded Liam of their discussion on this very cliff a while back, about how he wanted to protect him and Gloria from others. Or when the Guildmaster asked for their goals and dreams before stating the guild''s mission statement. This was a test. "None of us are truly evil for wanting those closest to us to live long, happy lives. It is in our nature to do so, and family is the closest above all." Jackson narrowed his eyes, grabbing Liam''s paws and holding them tight. "It is in our nature to defy against rule, so take pride in having the strength and courage to make a better tomorrow." Liam looked up, nodding to his words. "I understand, Guildmaster." Jackson relinquished his grip, standing up. "The Council wishes for this guild to bend and kneel before them. But we will defy them, and show them that there''s a truth to this world that they are missing - a meaning they can''t grasp." "But¡­ What if they don''t understand the threat of the ley lines?" Liam countered. "They won''t, which is why time is of the essence," Jackson lamented, the ring wrapped around his paw flickering. "The hourglass is almost filled, but we have enough time to prove to them a threat beyond their imagination." If his words were true, then this new expedition needed to dig up some answers.
Kicking up sand and other clouds of dust, the pack of Mudsdale carrying almost all members of the Cosmic Quilt Guild and their supplies galloped along the narrow trail that led them to their destination - a town built around an oasis in the middle of a scorching desert. The second expedition was now in full swing. Liam held up a paw to block the incoming rays of sunlight that battered his fur and the ocean of beige sand that encompassed all directions. While the open scenery was a nice change of pace for him, the sweltering heat that came with it was less appetizing. He considered himself lucky that he wasn''t Gloria right now, who was taking shelter underneath a box to avoid the beating sun. "C''mon, sis," Roark chided, tapping the crate that housed the Ice-type. "It''s just a little sun. How bad could it be?" Meanwhile, Monferno was resting against the carriage''s rail, his arms crossed behind his neck as he soaked in the sun''s rays. "Not our fault you guys missed out on being Fire-type''s, right, Braix?" The Braixen next to him smiled, occasionally waving some air on herself with a paw. "I wouldn''t go that far, but this region is very hard to live in for some other Pokemon." "Yeah, which is why it''s a total ghost town compared to other parts of Celestic," he added. Liam leaned over the railing, squinting his eyes to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be a cluster of buildings in the distance - they were growing near. But as they got closer to this spot of civilization in the middle of nowhere, it became increasingly clear that there were more Pokemon leaving the town than ones arriving to it. Carts and other carriages of Pokemon flew past their own, only making the Riolu''s mind wonder why they were seemingly leaving in droves. It wasn''t until their own carriages finally hit the town''s cobblestone streets that they saw the commotion taking place ahead in the town''s square. Countless bands of Council guards were gathered behind makeshift barricades connected to buildings, making sure the crowds of protesting Pokemon didn''t spill over. Some that managed to get a little too close to the guards were shoved back or lightly whacked in the side with the butt of a rifle. As the Mudsdale carriages strode past, everyone on board could hear the shouts and yells from both the guards and the protestors throughout their standoff. "This is horrible¡­" Liam commented, backing away from the railing. "Why are all these protests happening, anyway?" Gloria emerged from her cover to answer his question, taking a good look at the crowds. "Um, it was hard to find information in the newspapers about it, but I did manage to find some. A while back, a bunch of the yearly supplies of food and water supposed to be sent to the Grit Region were instead diverted to other regions because of a drought. And, um, a lot of Pokemon abandoned their homes and started becoming bandits to live - it''s awful." "Sheesh," Roark said, biting his tongue. "I''ll tell you, it ain''t easy living off the land in a place as desolate as this." Liam tilted his head. "If that was the case, then shouldn''t the guards here be passing out supplies to everyone?" Gloria frowned, shaking her head. "That''s the thing. They''re not here to do that; they''re here to arrest a lot of these bandits hiding out here." The Riolu said nothing in response, going back to watch the crowd continue to hurl insults and defy the stationed guards. It was horrible to see on either side - the Pokemon who didn''t have enough food or water to live normally, and the guards who were simply carrying out their job to make a living. Resolving this conflict seemed so simple to him, but there was always an overlying complex issue. Thinking over this problem in his head, his thoughts were immediately run over by the voice that spoke above everything in his mind. ''You and I? We''re weapons.''
"See anything, Weav''s?" From atop a tall, sandy hill, Weavile tore the binoculars from her face and shook her head. She leapt off her vantage point, landing next to Bisharp and unraveling the layers of dusty cloth shielding her face and mouth from the desert''s elements. "Sand." "Oh?" he responded. "Sand, sand, and more fucking sand." She tossed him the binoculars and strode past. "Ice queen! Get out here!" A tent erected between two large pieces of rock proved effective in withstanding the occasional wind, and was essential in their efforts of scouting other Pokemon. However, a certain Glaceon saw it more as a hideout from the heat. "We don''t have all day!" Weavile shouted again. Eventually, the flap to the tent would open, and a peeved Glaceon would exit. She glared daggers at Weavile as she strolled past the two of them without so much a word, whipping her icy bangs. "Sanctus Town is nearby, so if Serperior and her mercs aren''t out in the dunes, then they should be in town," Bisharp stated, crossing his arms. "Still no word from our client yet?" "Nah," Weavile said, tapping the black saddlebag around her waist. "He said his device broke or something in a letter he sent us, so it''s gonna be a while until we hear back from him." "You''re not a bit alarmed at the fact that he knows where we''re holed up?" "Not until the day we inevitably betray him," she said with a smirk. "I''m more worried about that snake than some guy behind a wall." Bisharp rolled his eyes. "Right." Walking after the exhausted looking Ice-type in front of them, the sights of Sanctus Town were just a few minutes away. Thanks to recent events occurring in the region, obscuring their identity wasn''t as important. Their only concerns were obtaining the information of those ruins the Rose Clan was after. "Think the Council screwing up big time is gonna make things here easier, Weav''s?" "The snake won''t make it easy for us, Bishy, you know that. If she knows we''re here, then she''s gonna make sure we don''t find what she''s after." "And that''s not gonna happen," he added. "Exactly. She''s gonna realize what happens when she defies our control¡­"
Defiance against a god. Defiance against a government. Defiance against your inner evil¡­
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: Uproar LTWNBR: To Gloria Letters That Will Never Be Read Dear Gloria Hey, it''s your big bro, Roark! Or maybe I should write ''hello'' because letters are supposed to be formal and all that junk, but it''s not like there''s an address for me to send this to, anyway. Heh, and there it goes again; that tightened feeling in my ole furry chest. Been a while since I truly stopped to sit down and just think about you again. Maybe it''s been so fricking long that you already forgot about me, and moved on with your life. That scared me a little. And maybe you don''t know, but I don''t get scared that often. Monferno and some of the other guild cronies might say otherwise, but this fox is rock solid in the fear department. Hell, I''ve taken up the job of scaring others with my freaky illusion magic (still thanking Bisharp for that illusion training to this day). Where was I? Oh, right, I wanted to talk about our days and stuff. Right now, the guild is all getting prepared for the next expedition to find the ''second location'' that some old Legendaries in the past might''ve built in that dusty sandbox area called the Grit Region. Apparently all these places are linked up with finding out the ''truth'' about the ley lines'' (basically magical lines beneath the dirt, weird stuff) origin. Confused? Heh, yeah this world''s a weird place. Someday I''ll have to sit down and tell you about these wacko places called ''Mystery Dungeons''. Trust me, the name fits well, ''cause entering these areas is like entering some alternate dimension, and Pokemon (the creatures that live here and I happen to be now) consider them a part of average life! I keep getting off-topic (thanks brain). So, how was your day? I mean, I know you can''t write back or tell me anything, but it''s the idea that you''re maybe thinking about it, right? Nah, that''s stupid. Truth is, I don''t even have a clue why I''m bothering to write this when I should be packing up for the expedition. Maybe I''ve just gone insane over the, like, twenty years (yeah, I''ve been counting) I''ve been on this weird planet, or I''m possibly a bit too tipsy from drinking the Sitrus Berry Wine next to me. Tastes like trash, but I always end up drinking it. Weird how that works, huh? Me and the woes of alcohol go way back to the day I woke up in this world, you know. Waking up on some random beach, having two names called ''Roark'' and ''Gloria'' echoing in my mind, getting yelled at by some bird (Unfezant initially thought I was some wasted drunk), then brought to a seedy looking bar in a city called Verdure. And that might''ve been the first time I''ve ever downed a beer, unless you knew me to be a wild child in the past, heh. Let me tell you, when I told that old geezer that I couldn''t remember anything, his eyes turned into dinner plates. Guess it''s why he tried everything in his power to set me straight, get me up on my paws and live a good, healthy life. Told me everything there was to know about ''Pokemon'' and this world, and even set me up with this gig for this struggling messenger company that he ran. I would work for him delivering packages in the city in the day, and talk over drinks in his office at night. He had a lot of hope for me, thinking I could be a productive asset for the city or his company. But none of his hopes for me really happened, though. That''s because I never stopped thinking of you, Gloria. At that time, you were just a name in my mind, an echo or something I couldn''t let go of. It was the only connection to the past, so I clung to it, maybe more than I should have. I wanted to find you, is what I''m trying to say. Unfezant wasn''t a fan, but being the stubborn bastard that I am, I left his graces with only a little money and a bottle of whiskey at my side. Even if I had plans to scour the earth to find you, being an amnesiac also meant I wasn''t the best with knowing where the hell anything is, which kept my furry behind in the city. Hah, but that wasn''t the only boneheaded move I made. When my funds started running low, I had to resort to stealing from other Pokemon around the marketplace. Maybe you would be shocked to know this, or maybe not, but it''s not something I take pride in anymore. It was do or die in a sense, and I couldn''t let go of that feeling. All the money I stole was so I could find you, so I could have other trained eyes search each continent of this world looking for someone with your name. In hindsight, it was an impossible task, but was the only thing that kept me getting up from my apartment''s dinky couch. It gave me purpose, I guess. To know that I might have a family or friend out there who''s waiting for me to return. Even when they all came back with bad news, I still kept at it, drinking away my sorrows and loneliness when I wasn''t being a thief. I was desperate for any hope, only to find it all drying up. It''s fuzzy to me, and thinking of the details of that day makes me want to vomit, sometimes keeping me awake at night. Standing atop that apartment building, an empty bottle in my claws, and knowing the walls were closing in. Looking back at it now, I was so dumb to attempt something like that. But in the moment, it was almost a liberating feeling, you know? It''s a fucking terrifying sense to me now, and something I hope I never feel again. But there I fell, and I didn''t scream or cry for help, just letting fate take me down. It wouldn''t happen, of course, since my claws are still struggling to write this letter (seriously Zoroark claws suck at holding quills). In the end, I was saved from my own stupidity by this group called the Rescue Society. A Bisharp from it took me in at my darkest hour and said they could forget my troubled history if I joined them. Lucky break, right? Well, it wasn''t like my body could summersault out a window and escape like before, so it was the only option for me, and I don''t regret it one bit. Ten freaking years I served with those guys, and nearly every day of it was a possible dance with lady death. Stopping pirates from taking over merchant ships, going into dangerous Mystery Dungeons to save Pokemon, and even stopping active volcanoes. While you never left my mind, I felt like I was doing some actual good in my life. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. And then, my last assignment in the Rescue Society - de-escalating an avalanche on Glacier Peak Mountain. Gives me the chills to this day thinking it was supposed to be a normal operation. That it didn''t have to end so horribly like it did. But the universe did decide to throw me a bone, and by that I mean a little girl that was separated from her home village. I did my best, protecting her, helping others, sharing stories, scaling the mountain to reunite with her parents. Of course, there were no parents of hers to return to by the time we arrived, and no village of hers to live in anymore - she had lost everything dear to her, and I had lost countless comrades I knew for years in the devastation. This was no accident, nor was it natural. And once I found the culprit behind it all, I never wanted to kill a Pok¨¦mon more than him - a Zoroark like me. My claws were so close to his throat, but I couldn''t bring myself to end this pitiful bastard. Call it a mix of upholding my duties, or a moment of self reflection. But it was a flash of memory I had atop that mountain that stopped me. A small glimpse into this memory of me, well, dying, I guess. And guess what, I wasn''t even a Pok¨¦mon to begin with! At least, that''s my interpretation of the strange bipedal creatures in black clothing I saw, and I was the man they would leave behind in the carnage, all alone. From the words of my own dying body, I got to know who you truly are to me. You''re my little sister, Gloria. Heh, well, maybe you''re not so little anymore, but you''d still always be my little sister, you know. Twenty years apart. I wonder how old you are, and what kind of job or dream you strove to achieve. Do you still even remember me? Who do you remember me as? I guess I was a criminal as well in the past, so maybe you don''t think too fondly of me. In that case, sorry for being a bad brother. I''m rambling (this entire letter is just that, huh?), but seeing the Zoroark trying to, well, end it like I once tried, I had to stop him and convince him to turn himself in. After that, I left the Rescue Society altogether. I don''t know what happened to him in the end, or what happened to the remaining members of the Rescue Society. I let it all go to find someone who was damaged irreparably by this Zoroark''s actions. Just as you must''ve been damaged by my own foolish actions, I needed to fix this guy''s foolish actions. Hah, it''s getting harder to write this when the paper is getting wet, but I''ll keep trying, because there''s someone I want to introduce to you. Her name is Gloria, and I swear this isn''t a prank I''d usually play. She''s a Vulpix (think of the cutest, but also nerdiest ice fox you know), and she''s my adopted sister. Remember that little girl I met atop the Glacier Peak Mountain? I got to know her as we traveled; got to know her likes and dislikes, how smart she was, her goals of becoming a worldwide hero and all that hopeful junk. As a Rescue Society member, usually we part ways with the Pokemon we rescue, but there was something about this Vulpix that drew me to revisit her. All of her dreams in life were crushed by this avalanche, and I couldn''t let her life be controlled by that. I wouldn''t be able to live with myself if I didn''t fix things like I was supposed to. To take her away from the orphanage she ended up in, and to call her my little sister, and to suggest the name of Gloria to her, is my way of fixing things with you. You may not ever know of this, or know that I am still alive somewhere, but this is my way of saying that I never forgot about you. Truthfully, the only reason I haven''t drank myself to death by now is because I am there for her, and vice versa. She has a purpose, one that needs to be seen by the world, and my purpose is to be there for her, to give that little push into starlight she desires. And well, no mean to brag or anything, but she is going through the guild with flying colors, helping all the Pokemon across Celestic as best she can in her little adventure exploits. But here''s the kicker, I found another Pokemon just like me! Cool plot twist, eh? Well, he''s now this little canine fellow called a Riolu (he totally missed out on being a cool illusion fox like me). He doesn''t remember anything, and he appears to be the same age as I was when I came to this world. Just like with Vulpix, it was my duty to fix things, and I wouldn''t let this kid wander this earth feeling so alone and forgotten, never finding out his past or who he was. Sometimes I feel like shit for not telling him the truth about myself, but I know I''ll tell him it when I see that he''s become a truly whole ''mon. Kid is doing great, going with my suggestion to team up with Gloria and being so adamant about adventuring across Celestic. He''s even learned how to play a banjo, just like those country bumpkin ''mons out in the fields. Heck, he''s even been buddy-buddy with our hard-ass Guildmaster (don''t ask me how that''s possible, ''cause that guy glares at me any opportunity he gets). And then there''s me, the old fox with a drinking problem. After seeing these two succeed in ways I couldn''t even imagine, it does worry me a bit that this is it for me. Not that I''ll keel over any second now, but that I''ve already fulfilled my duty on this rock. It''s only now that I understand why Unfezant disagreed with my ideas of finding you so much; he lived a life worth living, and he wanted me to have that same feeling. But as anyone knows, I''m not the type to sit on a park bench and tell the passerby youths my life story. Nah, I still got the energy to party and the looks to woe over ladies, right? Feels wrong to even admit that I''m fumbling in the happy department when everyone around me is doing so well. Here I am, though, drinking down more alcohol than I usually do, talking to myself in this letter. If there was a reason that me and this kid were brought into this world, then I''d like to hear it, because I feel like I''m losing my purpose all over again. Anyway, how was your day? Your big brother, Roark
Roark let go of the quill in his grasp, taking a deep breath as he looked over the many pages of work he''d been scribbling at for hours. He flipped through each individual page, analyzing each spur of the moment thought ripped from his mind and put onto this paper. All of it was garbage - useless to anyone but him. Wiping away his excess tears and straightening up the mess of papers, he held them up, inhaling again. A tearing nose filled his room as his crimson claws ripped part the pages of written text, quickly reducing the letter to nothing but shredded sheets. And now even he could not read it anymore. Letting the pieces fall onto the desk, he swiped the nearly empty bottle of Sitrus Berry Wine next to him and stood out of his seat. Downing the remaining foul vestiges of its contents with a wince, he made his way over to his room''s doorway, never looking back at his torn up writing. He had preparations to complete.
Author''s Notes: Hello again! I have decided to release this experimental work I''ve been planning called ''Letters That Will Never Be Read'' LTWNBR are in-universe letters written by characters from their POV''s that will occasionally be released as the story progresses and characters evolve. Big or small in size, I hope these will provide a further insight into the minds of each major character it dives into. I would appreciate any comment about these, whether you like or dislike them, and if I should continue making these. As for the usual chapters, we will return with ''Uproar'' hopefully very soon, so keep your Cosmic Scarves tightly wrapped around your necks! And please remember to cast a vote for the polls below, as they''re still ongoing! Goodbye for now! Favorite Character so far POLL strawpoll PERIOD com/sw2fzhwvx Favorite Chapter so far POLL strawpoll PERIOD com/c59166qch (Remove the PERIOD and add a ''.'') Uproar Chapter 21 Uproar "Watch your head, kid!" Liam snapped out his thoughts and heeded Roark''s advice, ducking his head beneath the carriage''s rail as a tiny piece of stone was hurled past the trotting Mudsdale'' and into a set of makeshift barricades separating the Council guards from the sea of enraged protestors. The attack was but one of many, with other small objects being thrown from the crowds to pelt the barricades. "Heh, things are heatin'' up around here," Roark commented, his body low as he kept Gloria shielded with his body. "Just not in a good way¡­" Tension picked up across the town''s center as more and more Pokemon piled in from the connecting roads to holler at the stationed guards. Pokemon who got too close to any guardsmen were pushed away and given warnings that were drowned out by the contention that flooded the square. More tiny objects were thrown at the barricades, hurtling past the carriages caught in the crossfire and narrowly hitting the panicking guild members crouched by the railing. An unmoving Charizard, however, didn''t acknowledge the situation as he lay on his back, arms crossed behind his back. "Sheesh. It''s like you kids never seen a protest before," the orange dragon grumbled, his eyes closed. "Make sure those rocks don''t get in here!" "P-protest?!" Rockruff yipped. "Are you sure?! ''Cause this looks like a- AH!" The Rock-type ducked before a stone could pelt his face. "Like a riot right now!" Monferno sneered at the crowd. "Hate to say it, but I agree with Rockruff! These bozos must think we''re Council guards with their lousy aim!" Recognizing the threat of danger to the traveling guild, the Mudsdale'' sped up their efforts to wade through the ever growing crowd of dissenters. Finding an opening in the row of connected barricades, the carriages were safely escorted into the less chaotic streets of Sanctus Town. Feeling safe enough to peek their heads out from cover, everyone seemed to take in a deep sigh of relief after escaping the clutches of the crowd. Liam would utilize this opportunity to observe the town''s natural beauty with rekindled excitement. The oasis of greenery in forms of shrubs, cacti, and tall, swaying palm trees meshed well with the red and brown ceramic structures. Water wells, pots, and other forged containers littered the entrances to homes and stands, along with multi-colored paper streamers that were strung along from home to home - a Celestic staple. While the sandy and rural desert town was a welcome sight from the Meadow Region''s endless grasslands, Liam''s internal excitement of the new environment and expedition was dampened by the display he was currently seeing. Any stand that wasn''t closed or packing up its supplies to leave held a massive line of Pokemon both young and old, advertising their meager supply of clean water above all. Many homes they passed seemed abandoned, if not run down completely by lack of care. The Pokemon that weren''t shopping for essentials wandered the streets, lacking any expression of optimism that Pokemon in other cities seemed to exude. Liam scowled - it all looked ugly to him now - that such a pretty place could be defaced by scarcity and crooked actions. He propped his less than enthusiastic face on his elbow, viewing the miserable town with an altered perception of it as the carriages rolled past. He wanted to be excited about the expedition, about the new sights, but the situation currently unfolding seemed much more pressing. After a few minutes of riding through the suburbs and market districts of the town, the Mudsdale carriages pulled into a road that led them to a rather large building wedged between two homes. Its old and worn wooden material stuck out from the rest, a fancy pictured sign that read ''Grit Ruin Excavators'', with the eye popping image of digging Drilburs and Gurdurr catching all of their attention. While it didn''t scream grand or imposing, Liam knew there had to be experts in there if the Guildmaster needed their help. Grinding their hooves into a halt, the Mudsdale came to a stop as all of the guild clambered out of the carriage, discussion ablaze about what occurred at the town square. As their Guildmaster spoke with the pack of Ground-types, each member would inevitably group up near the building''s entrance fraught with anger or confusion, channeling it all towards a weary Scizor. "What the hell was that, Scizor?!" Monferno yelled, rubbing his sore neck. "We enter through an active protest and end up getting pelted with rocks?! We shouldn''t even be here!" Verbal agreement with his comments followed most guild members, who began to speak up. Scizor bit his tongue. "I underst-" "Me and J-joltik barely had enough time to p-prepare!" Staravia squawked with a flap of his frantic wings. "We didn''t even get a week after the announcement before w-we were packing!" "Yeah!" Rockruff yipped, emerging through the crowd to stand center stage. "We weren''t even told what teams we''d be in, and who would be the leaders of them!" "Can we please calm down?" Gloria squeaked out, ears laid flat against her head. Her words would fall on deaf ears, however, as the outbursts grew in volume. Scizor would throw Charizard a look, who only shrugged. "Calm down?!" Shaymin roared from the back, hovering into the front with her wings and driving a paw into the Bug-type''s chest. "Answer a question, mate! This whole region''s in a crisis and we''re supposed to play ruin hunters while it''s all goin'' down?" Leafeon would inevitably shuffle forward to snatch her away from Scizor. "It¡­ does seem inadequately timed," Braixen chimed in. "Maybe we should return another time?" The thought of retreading their steps through another carriage ride in the heat sent another shockwave of aggravation. Scizor had to put an end to this uproar himself. "EVERYONE!" All attention was reverted back to Scizor after his unexpected shout. Upon realizing all eyes were on him again, he coughed nervously into his pincer and spoke. "I understand why tempers are flaring at what just happened and the setup for the expedition," Scizor established, taking a deep breath. "But I only know as much as you about the logistics of this expedition. The Guildmaster wished to embark upon this expedition as soon as we got back from Celestial Mountain." Liam frowned at his statement. ''The Guildmaster said the Council wouldn''t understand the guild''s efforts, and that time is of the essence to prove the threat of the ley lines. But¡­ why does he think there''s little time left?'' The Lucario was a very thorough but vague Pokemon, and getting any straight answer from him seemed impossible. Things only felt clear atop Celestial Mountain, where he began to understand him and his actions, but this time he had no choice but to believe in the Guildmaster. ''Now that you know who I am¡­'' Liam scowled at the invading gruff voice in his mind, attempting to focus on the words of a speaking Scizor again. "Now, I''m sure you have questions, but I assure you the Guildmaster will answer them all after our meeting with the Grit Ruin Excavators is finished." The Bug-type''s conclusion was aptly timed, as the Shiny Lucario finished his discussion with the Mudsdale and joined up with the group, replacing Scizor''s position and clearing his throat to address everyone. "As Scizor has claimed, I will answer all questions and concerns about the expedition after my short meeting has concluded. Please stay in this courtyard until I return. Is this acceptable?" His resolution seemed to win over the majority of the grumbling guild, besides a still seething Shaymin. "Good." He turned his back on them, walking up to the building''s entrance. "I promise you all that everything will be a lot more clear." Before the Lucario could even finish his ascent up the stairs to the main entrance, the double doors blew wide open as three familiar Pok¨¦mon exited - Team Drarosteel. Garchomp immediately locked eyes with Jackson, a hint of worry mixed in with her usual confidence. "We have a big problem," she grumbled. "Aye, you can say that much! It could jeopardize the mission!" Aggron added from her side, getting a nod from a silent Tyranitar. "Outside or inside?" Jackson asked. "Outside," Garchomp replied with a slight growl. "I think we should get out of the region for now and-" "Is he there?" "Yeah, but-" She never got to finish as Jackson brushed past the team and entered the building, shutting the doors behind him. Aggron scoffed. "That lad must be in a hurry¡­" Garchomp silently grinded her sharp teeth together, but let go of her frustration as her spotted the gathering of guild members near the doorways. To say some were shocked at their arrival would be an understatement. Rockruff bounded from the crowd in typical fashion. "You guys are here?! That''s so cool!" Garchomp flashed a grin, stomping down the steps. "Well, we promised a certain someone we''d be here." Her gaze swept over to Scizor. "Though, it''s a shame that we might have to call it quits on the expedition." Disbelief ran rampant through the guild members, some relieved while others confused or angry. Despite what happened already, Liam did not want to see an end to the expedition, especially if things were as serious as the Guildmaster claimed. Scizor approached the dragon, happy yet alarmed. "It''s always a pleasure to see your team, Garchomp. But¡­ I must ask why you say such a thing?" Roark crossed his arms. "Lemme guess, another group of tribals trying to keep us from investigating?" Garchomp managed a smirk, but immediately wiped it away. "Tch. I wish. It''s worse than any tribe or roving bandits - mercenaries."
Jackson locked the double doors behind him, turning around to face the interior of the old structure. While he told himself to make with haste, he stood still for a moment with a faint smile, letting the nostalgia of a forgotten past wash over him. Just as he remembered it all these years back, before Team Moonlight was world famous, before the guild was created, and before his team realized the gravity of their situation. He was young and lost, but excited to explore and discover, blissfully unaware of any truth or past. It was hectic here before; Pokemon buzzing around their team in excitement of digging up more ruins and strange trinkets from a lost age. But now it felt quiet and felt deserted now, leaving the Lucario much room to think about all that lost time from the past and the present. The creaky wooden floors called to him as he marched inward, absently gazing at all the digging and mining equipment strewn along the walls, as well as the many oddities and strange artifacts that were found buried in the vast dunes. Even Entercards were laid out on tables and shelves. But his eyes did linger on the large amounts of mapped out areas of the Grit Region, most undoubtedly the location of Mystery Dungeons across the region. It took just one dive into the earth to trigger that drive of mystery and intrigue into the excavating team, and the rest was history. It didn''t take long for Jackson to find the Pok¨¦mon he sought for pacing by his lonesome at the end of the room, the familiar suit of equipment wrapped around the muddy mole''s side, accented by a formal tie that clashed with his dust ridden setup. "Excadrill." The Ground-type halted his strained thinking to stare at the Pok¨¦mon who invited himself in. The more he stared, the longer the stretched out smile on his face grew. "Now, is that Jack payin'' me a visit?!" the Ground-type bellowed out in a drawl, quickly removing the distance between the Lucario and throwing his arm around the stiffened Pokemon''s back. "I knew your big oie heart would come around in the end! Don''t worry, it''s just me and you and me in here, as the rest of my crew are in their quarters." The exchange was reluctantly accepted by the Lucario. "Tell me ya at least invested in getting a woman after all this time!" Excadrill patted his back hard, laughing at the lack of response given. "You''re sayin'' ya still got no girl at home? C''mon, maybe we can share a story over a bottle of beer like old times, eh?" Jackson''s face twitched with anger, before settling into expressionless. "Sorry, but I''m not here for any of that. My guild is waiting outside, and I need to know what''s stopping this expedition from continuing." "Ah, so that-there Garchomp gal and her giant buddies weren''t kiddin''..." Excadrill dropped his casualness, backing up and adjusting his tie. "Well, it all started after the protests broke out, and not soon after we dug up this heapin'' fortress lookin'' structure way out in the sands." "... Tell me about this ''fortress''."
Everyone had gathered around the members of Team Drarosteel to hear Garchomp''s account of her interactions with the Excadrill. "Apparently, the Grit Ruin Excavators spent months digging up this sandstone fortress buried out in the desert. Must''ve been hiding in the sand for thousands of years, since some surviving inscriptions tell of Celestic''s king and whatnot." "Aye, but that''s not all they found!" Aggron exclaimed, jabbing Garchomp in the shoulder "Tell ''em, lassie!" Garchomp nodded. "While the ruins were impressive by itself, an object that seemed to be preserved in the sand resurfaced - a Projection Crystal."
Jackson and Excadrill walked through the halls of the wooden building, the walls lined with paintings of the eccentric Ground-type posing with various groups of workers at unearthed treasures and ruins. Other paintings showed a different lifestyle, one of Excadrill posing with various mayors and elders from all across Celestic. "Lemme tell you, after we found that Projection Crystal near that fortress?" Excadrill whistled, performing a digging motion with his claws. "We dedicated all our efforts into findin'' out what their reason was for setting up show below the fortress." "And you kept this information from my guild? When you knew this finding concerned information about the ley lines?" Jackson questioned. "Well, I did want to keep it a secret for a bit, let my crews have a bit of glory till we invited y''all to see. And trust me, Jack, if I told y''all immediately, the Council would stick their fat noses into our business and shut it all down before the party really starts." "They already have intruded on my business after my guild''s last expedition." Excadrill scoffed, "Now, if my attempt at earning that spot in the mayor''s office worked out, I''d make sure to never have any of their guards in this town again, ya hear me?" "But it''s not just the protests and the guards keeping you down, correct?" "Shucks, if only it were that easy, Jack. Nah, we managed to hit the jackpot of bad luck and alert a group of, well, I''d guess you''d call ''em mercenaries... of our actions." Jackson stopped in his tracks, facing the mole. "What were their names?" "They called themselves the Rose Clan."
Gloria tilted her head, taken aback. "Um, I''m confused? Why would these, uh, mercenaries care about this fortress, anyway?" Her sentiments were shared by most of the guild members listening, Roark nodding his head to her words. "Yeah, I''m with my sis on this one. What would a bunch of blood thirsty criminals want with some sandcastle?" "Maybe there''s treasure? Criminals love Pok¨¦, right?" Rockruff wondered, before an idea cropped up his mind, his tail wagging. "Ooh! What if there''s some super secret ancient weapon made by the Legendaries they''re after?!" A collective eye roll by most of the group was apparent after his reply. Garchomp shrugged, "Excadrill didn''t know their exact reasons. But one day a bunch of those mercenaries and their leader barged into this building and demanded that his crew to handover operations of the fortress over to them."
Opening the doors to a set of rather large quarters, the pair made their way inside to locate the hidden Projection Crystal that Excadrill had hidden away after the arrival of the mercenaries. "The, uh, ''leader'' of those mercs was some crazy snake lady who insisted she''d be referred to as ''Princess Serperior''," Excadrill explained, walking over to one of his dressers. "Made sure to threaten me and all of my crew present that resisting wasn''t an option¡­ Makes my blood boil still thinkin'' about it." Jackson took this all in, clenching a fist. "So you did it? You relinquished the investigation of this fortress to them?" Excadrill slid the dresser out of place, nodding shamefully. "Wasn''t like I had a choice in the matter with a knife against my throat, Jack, you understand." Tapping his claws against the wall, the Ground-type removed the secret panel of wood guarding the Projection Crystal inside from onlookers. Despite its battered and very worn looking crystalline frame, it was no doubt capable of replicating a memory of the past. "... If that crystal plays what I think it will, then we must recover access to the fortress as soon as possible." Excadrill scrutinized the Lucario''s hardened expression, grabbing the Projection Projection. "Y''know¡­ you never told me what your guild found on Celestial Mountain. That Garchomp lady said it was something big and important to the cause." "It is, and what you have might be the other half of the puzzle." "... Alrighty then." The crystal was then taken out of its enclosed place and handed off to Jackson. Before the Lucario could initiate the sequence of replaying memories, Excadrill halted him with a pair of claws. "Before you play it, I need to tell ya the other bad news¡­ and it might just be worse than those mercs." "What." Excadrill sighed. "After my crew was kicked out of the fortress, I made an appeal to the Council to fight back against this ''Rose Clan''." "And?" "They said if I performed any action against the mercs, my business would be forcefully disbanded, my crew and myself potentially getting imprisoned for escalation of the situation." He scowled. "It''s downright rotten, and my claws are tied on all fronts, Jack." "..." Jackson tightly gripped the Projection Crystal, deep in thought. He had to see what this memory entailed before deciding on an action. Pressing the correct button on the orb, its natural aquatic blue color flushed a shade of purplish-pink as a bubble of pure Psychic-type energy encased the room. Body structures of Pokemon were fabricated in real time, forming the structure of the memory. Just seeing the Pokemon in question solidified the judgment Jackson had made in his mind. Now came the hard part of deciding what to do next, and already a risky idea began to form.
"... So, you''re telling us there''s nothing we can do?" Monferno raised his arms. "That we''re just supposed to go home now?" "Can''t your outstanding reputation convince the Council to retract this decision?" Braixen added. "The information from this stronghold could be very valuable to us!" Charizard laughed from his slumped over resting position. "The Council reversing decisions? Hah! Good luck with that!" The rest of the group seemed just as miffed, mostly at the prospect of having a long trip back to the guild just after they arrived. Garchomp sighed, "Listen, I''m as upset as you guys, but arguing over this isn''t something my team can manage. We are on good terms with the Council, and while this is a setback, I''m sure we can all recover from this." Aggron and Tyranitar silently nodded to this. Ending her drawn out summary of events, the dragoness would look towards a conflicted Scizor. She would offer him a comforting smile and a nod, to which he accepted and also returned. "... Thank you, Garchomp," Scizor finally said, bowing his head. "This¡­ This is very disappointing to hear. I¡­ would like to apologize to everyone here for the outcome of this expedition. Once the Guildmaster returns, we will tell him of our and Team Drarosteel''s departure." Liam was frustrated beyond relief, to think that the expedition was going to be canceled just like that. Everything that they had been building up to since the trip to Celestial Mountain was now going to be robbed by this ''Rose Clan'' and the Council''s safeguard. He hated this plan of leaving, and was ready to voice his displeasure, but was stopped from doing so when the double doors leading into the building opened. Jackson stood in the doorway, Excadrill right behind him. "Everyone inside! I have a very important announcement to make regarding this expedition!" Liam trusted the Guildmaster, knowing the Lucario had an easy solution and wasn''t going to bend a knee like he said.
Jackson quietly paced around the main foyer with his paws behind his back, gazing at all the Pokemon present. All the attending members of the Cosmic Quilt Guild and Team Drarosteel were on one side of the room, while Excadrill was on the opposite side, staring at the Lucario with an unsure look plastered on his face. There was no avoiding this ultimatum. Jackson stopped in the middle of the room, clearing his throat. "Attention! I have already spoken to Excadrill''s workers, and they have been made clear of the situation, with the majority agreeing to it." A few turning heads on the guild''s side came after his claim, but Jackson continued. "I''m sure all of you are well aware of the predicament we are in now through Garchomp''s account. And I am sure all of you think or believe that we should stop the expedition and return back to the guild." He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before speaking again. "... That is not going to happen." Everyone was visibly confused. Garchomp grit her teeth, intending to interrupt, only for the paw of Jackson to stop her. "Before any of you say anything, please view the Projection Crystal that Excadrill and his crew uncovered near the fortress." Walking over to pick up the crystalline orb perched against the walls, Jackson held it up for everyone to see. "Watch¡­ and you will see why this is my decision." The indentation in the sphere was pressed.
"Okay! Logging our data with entry number one; our arrival." A fuchsia colored paw let go of the Projection Crystal''s memory collecting indentation, the orb now recording and safely tucked between the small chest of its floating Psychic-type user. She stared ahead at the massive castle forged out of sandstone and the monarchies muster of strength - Regi Castle. Due to a mysterious illness sweeping through the region, and the war against the Ember Continent putting a strain on soldiers and resources, the king of Celestic offered her team this castle for research. It was even said to contain a vast underground labyrinth beneath it, and was close enough to the magnagate that appeared in the region; it was perfect for their next station. "Mew!" The voice of a stern Dialga caused Mew to whip around, holding the Projection Crystal close as she scanned the group of Legendaries present and all the supplies they had acquired for the arrival. Crates full of building materials, foodstuffs, and all the Projection Crystals they needed to record research. They had to produce results - they just had to. "Oh, uh," Mew stuttered out, quickly regaining her composure. "Is everyone prepared to enter? I don''t know when we''ll leave, not until we figure out a solution or answer!" The number of Legendaries that had joined the investigation team had risen exponentially after the discoveries that the Magnagate Investigation Project revealed, along with the tragedy of Victni''s demise. Some had noble goals of stopping these ''shadows'' from spreading and taking over more land and Pokemon, while others simply cared about protecting their shrines or place of worship. Regardless, Mew required any assistance in the investigation. Entei stepped forward. "If I may speak for everyone here, then I say we are all ready. After witnessing the horrors of these ''magnagates'', there is no reason not to fight back against these intruders." Agreement rushed through the Legendaries gathered, putting an earnest smile on Mew''s face. "Then we shouldn''t waste any time! Let''s figure out the truth and put an end to all the magnagates!" Cries of support reached the Psychic-type''s ears as turned around and flew off towards the fort of sand, her team of invigorated Legendaries close behind. She stopped near the gated entrance, where guards wearing armored plates were stationed. Upon noticing her, an armored Flygon flew over and saluted the small Pokemon. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "Pleasure to see you, ma''am!" she barked. "His highness has cleared out both Regi Castle and its dungeon for your investigation team! Please remember his highness requests all of your research when the work has concluded!" Mew nodded. "Thank you, and yes, we will." Loyalty to the crown seemed a small price to pay for potentially saving the world. With all said and done, the Legendaries walked straight through the castle gates and into the impressively vast interior of the fort. Mew coughed haggardly into a paw as she floated through the halls affiliated with royal red carpeting, only one thought repeating itself in her mind. ''I hope you''re watching, Victini. I''m¡­ I''m doing this all for you.''
Jackson ended the Projection Crystal''s projection, looking around the room to see the stunned faces and quiet discussion of the guild members. Satisfied, he returned the orb to its original location and returned to his speech. "As all of you can plainly see, this¡­ is of high interest to our cause." Liam felt a thump in his chest - this was it right here - those were the same Legendaries from the Magnagate Investigation Project. The second location was real, and supposedly underneath that very fortress the Grit Ruin Excavators dug up. It seemed all the hard work of finding it was over, but there was always a bigger problem. ''But now it''s under the control of those mercenaries¡­ And the Guildmaster still says he wants to continue the expedition?'' "This right here is the reason I am not ending this expedition," Jackson reasoned, taking another deep breath. "This right here¡­ is why we are going to take back Regi Castle." Silence reigned the room after his finishing comment, many bewildered stares honing in on the Lucario. Garchomp would take a step forward, growling under her breath. "Jackson, what are you-" A raised paw interrupted her. "I understand many of you are alarmed at this outcome, but this is the only way for us to access the Legendaries'' research. I strive to prove the threat of the ley lines to the world. If that means my guild must fight and defy these forces to find the truth, so be it." "... You want us to fight against mercenaries?!" Monferno blurted out in astonishment. "No offense, but are you crazy?!" "Aye!" Aggron yelled. "That''s madness! Suicide, even!" "Whatever you do, Jack, I''ll be on your side¡­" Charizard muttered, throwing Scizor an inquisitive look. Scizor acknowledged the glance, feeling the urge to speak up in either support or to denounce his superior and friend, but felt the words die in his throat - he couldn''t do it, and he didn''t know why. Jackson paced back and forth. "I am not going to lie to you or sugarcoat anything. Fighting them over control is a very risky move, and not something you joined this guild for. Nor have you signed up to go against the Council''s wishes in any way. This is why I have come to this ultimatum." He stopped, focusing his attention on the guild again. "If you do not wish to continue with the expedition and assist this guild with its cause, then your status as a member of my guild will be terminated, and you will be sent home to pack your things." The uproar was instantaneous. "WHAT?!" "You''re s-seriously going to kick us out of the g-guild if we don''t choose to fight?" "Mreow~ That''s completely outrageous!" "You can''t do this!" Liam''s aghast gaze found Gloria''s as she stared back at in equal horror, the Vulpix seemingly ready to pass out at any moment. He expected the Guildmaster to put up a resistance, but not go to extremes such as these. What were he and her to do in a situation like this? Team Requiem was at risk of dissolution, and he knew it. "ENOUGH!" Jackson roared, halting any outburst. "... For twenty years my guild has worked endlessly on searching for the truth of the ley lines. I have never stopped at the first sign of trouble, and I have no desire of upholding the Council''s illusion of normalcy. This decision is final¡­ It''s best for you to decide where you stand, because I am not going anywhere." The room fell quiet again, the reality of the situation and their Guildmaster''s conditions settling in for many. "Now, I understand this is a massive undertaking, so all of you will have one day to decide. Excadrill has opened up this building for you to stay at for the remainder of the expedition." Jackson swept a paw over to the entrance''s double doors. "I believe all of you should leave for now, clear your head, then come to a conclusion tomorrow. But if you have already made your decision, then consider this your last day in the Cosmic Quilt Guild." Slowly, each member of the guild would walk towards the entrance to leave, some throwing looks of betrayal at the Lucario. Excadrill laughed nervously from his side, jogging over to give his small spiel before everyone left. "And for those who do choose to stay, I''ll introduce more of myself and my crew tomorrow! You''ll get some teachin about Entercards! And uh, make, uh, sure to steer clear of the protests, hah!" Little acknowledged his comments as all of the guild exited the building. Excadrill straightened his messy tie and swallowed the lump in his throat, turning to face Jackson. "... Well, I guess we should go over our course of action against the mercs, right?" Getting only a nod, the mole shuffled into the halls, leaving behind Scizor, Jackson, and the rest of Team Drarosteel with its infuriated leader. Jackson marched after the Ground-type, satisfied with the results of his ultimatum. But he would never enter the halls, however, as a certain dragoness sprinted after him and placed herself directly in front of the Lucario, eyes ablaze with rage. "What do you think you''re doing?!" she harshly whispered. "You''re going to risk losing all of the guild and forcing them to fight against a group of highly trained mercenaries? Have you lost it?!" Her vitriol was backed up by her teammates as they closed in on her. "Aye! What you''re doing is overstepping the boundaries your guild has!" Aggron yelled. "And even risking our team and the guild being viewed as criminals and traitors to the Council," a silent Tyranitar spoke. Garchomp continued, "I tolerated your strange actions on the Celestial Mountain expedition, but there are Pokemon out there that have dedicated their lives to helping the cause, and you''re going to kick them out if they don''t assist you with this¡­ war against this Rose Clan?!" She threw a look at Scizor, who was deathly silent. "Scizor! Back me up on this!" The Bug-type in question froze up, saying nothing in response as his gaze reached the floor. He felt too conflicted on that matter to commit, his submission evident to the Pokemon around him. Jackson observed Scizor briefly, before stepping up to Garchomp and glaring intensely at her. "Listen¡­ very closely. I have led Team Moonlight and my guild to success for countless years. Do not question my authority when your team has done nothing but frolic in the spotlight it has been given." Garchomp glared right back. "You think this is about prestige? This is about-" "Doing the right thing for the greater good," he finished. "You talk about the world not stopping for anyone, and how you see things in Pokemon that will lead them to success. So why don''t you take your own advice and see your team change for the better, instead of being Celestic and the Council''s lapdog. You have become complacent in your success, and if you do not wish to assist my guild, then consider this partnership over for good." A forceful paw hitting Garchomp''s chest caused her to stumble and step aside as Jackson marched past, walking into the halls and disappearing into Excadrills quarters. The group stood silent for a moment, until the forlorn looking dragoness spoke. "... Scizor, what happened to him?" "I¡­ I don''t know." He placed a pincer against the pounding heart in his chest. "I want to trust him - that he knows where to guide this guild. I really, really do, Garchomp." Aggron shook his head. "What he''s suggesting is getting the guild involved in a matter between a bunch of criminals and the Council! Madness, plain and simple!" "You need to stop him," Garchomp countered, stomping over to the Bug-type. "I know you both are under lots of stress, but his rationality has clearly suffered over the years. This isn''t the right way, Scizor." "I can''t just tell him to step down, Garchomp. He would never accept it - Charizard wouldn''t - and I don''t know if I can accept it to end like that." She frowned, backing up. "Scizor¡­ I learned about the ley lines because of you. I started to care about the truth of this world because of you. You are very capable of leading the guild to success. And I believe the Pokemon out there can put their faith into you as a leader." "You say that¡­ but I can''t imagine the guild living without Jackson in charge." Garchomp turned away with a sigh, not having enough energy to try and change his mind at the moment. She was far too frustrated to even consider taking up the proposed ultimatum, and only wondered what happened to change the shy, calm, but happy Lucario into such a ruthless leader. Only the statements that he made about her seemed to appear in her mind. Complacent. Doing the right thing. "My team will wait here till tomorrow, then we''ll decide what to do."
Gloria sat on a stone staircase near the Grit Ruin Excavator''s base of operations, absently playing with her scarf and saddlebag to distract herself from her thoughts. She was in a town that was actively protesting its rulers, and in a guild that was expecting her to fight against forces of very trained and very real Pokemon. Roark would tell her she was between a rock and a hard place. "Hey." She nearly jumped out of her fur hearing the voice of Liam. The Riolu chuckled a bit at her actions, sitting down next to her. "... Hey," she eventually responded. They sat in silence together, viewing the desert town baked in sunlight, heat, and social tension. It wasn''t until Liam suddenly hugged the Vulpix that this spell was broken, producing a squeak and a faint blush on Gloria''s cheeks as she melted into the embrace, her plume of tails beginning to wag. The hug would endure for a brief moment before the Riolu broke away. "Why, um, why''d you do that?" she sputtered. "You looked like you needed a hug." "Thanks¡­ I guess I did." Liam took a deep breath, pulling his knees up to his chest. "So¡­ what are you gonna do?" Gloria took a while to answer, pulling at her scarf. "I''ve¡­ I''ve always read stories about heroes who save the world and all sorts of Pokemon and stuff. They always followed the laws and didn''t oppose the rulers or fought dirty. But¡­ they always believed in one thing." "And what''s that?" "They always believed in doing the right thing." She shuffled her forelimbs together. "... Are we really doing the right thing if we fight those mercenaries?" Liam bit his tongue. Of course he wanted to fight back, to find the truth of the ley lines, and save this beautiful world from annihilation. But could they just do that without provoking another group and risking the wrath of the Council? He didn''t want the expedition or his adventuring with the guild to end - it just couldn''t. Gloria inhaled, fighting back her fears. "Well, I''ve made my choice¡­ I''m staying." "You''re staying?" This truly caught Liam off guard, but maybe it stayed true to the Vulpix''s character. "... So you think the Guildmaster is doing the right thing?" "I, um... I remember when he told us about his home village and I... " She touched her Never-Melt-Ice necklace, holding it close. "I know how traumatizing that must''ve been, how it feels to lose the Pokemon you love in an instant. I promised to follow my dreams and become a hero, so¡­ if this is my test to see if I can become one, then I''m taking that chance." Liam went back to sightseeing, finding himself agreeing with much of what she had said, even if she didn''t know it yet. One way or another, he had lost his mother, and had lost June, the sister of his that never was. It''s hurt him ever since that day he found out, along with being separated from his father. Even without remembering much or anything about them, the pain of losing them stung hard. She nudged him, "Um, what about you? Are you willing to do this?" "... You''re my partner and best friend, Gloria. Wherever you go or do, I want to be a part of it," he finished, flashing a smile. "I trust the Guildmaster has a plan for us to succeed." She gave a smile of her own. "I''m glad you said that¡­" They had started this together, and they weren''t going to end it just like this. "Hey!" Both of their ears perked up at the familiar suave voice of their Zoroark friend and brother. Roark sauntered over, latching his claws on their backs as he kneeled, wearing a smirk. "Scooch!" They obliged, allowing the ruse fox to slide his way into the middle of them. He kept his arms around their backs, bringing them closer. "So¡­ what''s the consensus, gang?" he asked. "Think this guild is worthy of our greatness, or has the old ''mon in charge gone crazy?" "We''re staying," Gloria said confidently. "I made promises, and I''m going to keep them and stick with the guild to achieve them." "Yeah!" Liam shouted, raising a paw. "I still want to explore all of Celestic with the guild! This doesn''t change it." Roark grinned, bowing his head. "Well, can''t speak for the rest of the guild members are doing, but whatever my little sister and her sidekick wants, I''m all for it." His words earned a giggle from Gloria and a glare from Liam. "But trust me, this isn''t gonna be easy from here on out. We''re talking about Pokemon who''ll fight tooth and nail to keep their job." That part was very true and worrying to the pair. Their only encounters with fighting Pokemon outside of dungeons were the Magmortar and Golisopod that ambushed them. They had only won or survived those dances with death out of sheer luck or wit. It was much different than fighting a dungeon Pokemon. Could they even do it? Would the rest of the guild be willing to do it? It seemed only time could test these questions. Gloria sighed. "As long as we are not forced to¡­ ''kill''," she said the last word very cautiously, "or torture any Pokemon, then I am willing to fight for doing the right thing." Roark patted her on the back. "That''s my girl!" He then tapped Liam''s shoulder. "What about you? Ready to knock some mercs down a peg and get ''em arrested?" Liam scoffed, nodding. "We have no choice, do we? It''s fight¡­ or go home." This was their ultimate test as loyal members of the Cosmic Quilt Guild. To fight for a world free of Mystery Dungeons meant commitment to doing the right thing. Roark suddenly stood up, messing with the tuft of fur atop Gloria''s head. "Say, how about we lighten the mood and get some grub?" He looked down at the Vulpix fixing her head fur. "I saw a little Pokepuff stand on our way into town; you interested?" Gloria''s sweet tooth appeared to quickly erase her previous emotions. "Sure! Do you want to come, Liam?" "I''m good." He didn''t have the will to tell her he hated Pokepuffs with a passion. "More for us, then," Roark said with a shrug, ushering Gloria down the stairs and into cobblestone streets, only stopping once to yell. "Catch ya later, kid!" Liam watched them disappear, too deep in thought to recognize the pitter patter of footsteps behind him. "Have you made a decision yet?" The Riolu turned to see the Shiny Lucario right behind him, expecting an answer from him. "We''re staying." Jackson smiled slightly, "Good." He crouched down next to Liam. "I know today was shocking, but it''s the only way to secure what is rightfully ours." "Even if it''s the right thing to do¡­ will the Council understand our intentions? We''re trying to better the world!" Jackson stared at the Riolu for a while, letting out a ragged sigh. "... I used to know this girl at this orphanage I ended up in at a young age." Liam slowly turned to face the Lucario, ears at the ready to hear his story. "She was, uh, what you would call a ''wallflower''," he explained. "Always spent her time away from the other children just¡­ drawing and stuff. Now me - I wasn''t exactly the friendliest kid there, but one way or another, I ended up becoming friends with her." Jackson scratched his chin with a paw. "We talked about a lot of stuff; our likes, our dislikes¡­ our parents - standard kid stuff. But one day, she expressed how she wanted to have some actual buckets of paint to use instead of just pencils and pens. And well, to impress her, I wanted to go out and get that stuff for her." "Did you?" Liam questioned. "I remember getting out of my bed that night and escaping from the orphanage to visit some paint and supply shop just a block away." "So you bought her the paint?" Jackson blinked. "... It''s fuzzy to me, but I know I didn''t have money at the time. I remember just standing by the entrance and contemplating what to do since the shop was closed. And then¡­ I just did it." "Did what?" "I broke in; used a large rock to smash the windows and stole all the paint I could carry back to the orphanage." He held a paw to the heart in his chest. "I remember feeling exhilarated at what I did, and how happy the look on her face was when I gave it to her. I didn''t know it at that time, but she would become my everything in life." "... What happened to that girl?" "That girl became my wife," he finished, the orange band on his paw blinking. "Oh¡­" "... While what I did was not right by society''s measure, I felt as if I did the right thing to make her and myself happy." Jackson took Liam''s paws, holding them like he did last time. "Regardless if the Council agrees with our actions, our goal is to eliminate the ley lines and stop the spread of the Mystery Dungeon at all costs." "I understand, Guildmaster," Liam said, locking eyes with the Lucario. "I''m not going to pretend things are fine; they''re not." Jackson gripped his paws tight. "Only we understand each other, Liam. Family will always be the most important thing in life. Never forget that." Liam removed his paws from the exchange, feeling invigorated by the Lucario''s tale from his past. He looked out to the town again - the world was a beautiful place plagued by ugliness from its depths and even the laws that governed it. But even past his joys and thrills of adventure and exploration, in his heart of hearts, he had a deep desire to reconnect with his family. ''Mom, dad, June¡­'' He was done pretending things were fine. Something had gone wrong, and something had to be fixed if he was to ever see what remained of his family again. ''I will find out the truth of this world, and my past. I have to.'' Yet again, the gruff voice that haunted his mind echoed once again. ''What were you before all of this¡­ happened?''
Bodies and the butts of rifles clashed amidst the chaos that was occurring at the Sanctus Town square. Kept behind barricades and occasionally pelted by small rocks and verbal shouts, the ensemble of Council guards once set to deal with the outcropping of bandits were now seemingly held hostage by the protestors. More and more guards seemed to arrive by each day in an attempt to quell the unrest. By extension, more and more protesting natives arrived at the square to show their disdain for the Council''s action. To any onlookers of this chaotic spectacle, it seemed like an Electrode ready to explode into full scale violence. Just a few paces away from the ensuing action, a pair of Pok¨¦mon would watch with much amusement - a Weavile and a Bisharp. "Enjoying the view, Weav''s?" "Seeing the Council get what they deserve? All smiles here, Bishy." Growing bored, they went back to blending in with the Pok¨¦mon wandering the streets. Finding a familiar alleyway to slink into, they would walk in the shadows that they were so comfortable in. "So what''s our next option if scouting doesn''t return any clues?" Bisharp whispered. "Submit to the snake and admit she''s the ''Queen of the Mercenaries''?" she mocked, rolling her eyes and scouring the alley''s for their building. "If she''s not, then who is?" he asked with a grin. Weavile found the doorway, removing the sheet that hid it from any passerby''s. "Is there any better candidate than I?" Swinging open the door, the pair entered and witnessed the scene of dozens of hard working Pok¨¦mon. Inside a large and decaying storage house, the vast majority of Weavile''s clan were hard at work inside. Mercenaries of all types scurried through rooms, scouring over pinned maps of the Grit Regions on the walls, or forming small scouting groups and going over plans of action. To see it all playing out before her put a large smile on Weavile''s face, her heart swelling. She was nudged out of her trance by Bisharp. "New guy looks like he has some news for you." Simisear had noticed the duo enter right away, making his way over with haste to lay out his information. "Captains, it''s nice to see you!" Weavile smirked. "Pleasure to see you all work for your Poke. Now, got any new intel on our flowery friends?" The Fire-type nodded, "A few things. Our scouts spotted some Rose Clan members handing out rifles and other supplies to those nomad bandits alongside some of the trails the caravans take. And we saw multiple groups of bandits attacking any caravans that passed." "Tch. Sounds like a classic Serperior, getting other lackeys to fight for her, and against the Council no less." Along with the Alignment paying the Rose Clan to keep her clan down, this Buneary hole of crisscrossing conflicts sometimes made her head spin with. A conundrum like this had to have a source much simpler at the end - it had to. "Anything else?" Bisharp asked, crossing his arms. "Well, we did just find out one of the locations they''re using to trade rifles and supplies with this group." Both Bisharp and Weavile took immediate notice of his words. It was undoubtedly one of the very locations the Alignment would use to trade with the Rose Clan. "Does Skarmory know this location?" Weavile wondered in an almost excited tone. "Yes, she-" "Tell her to wait outside for me and Bishy, got it?" "Got it, Captain." Simisear jogged off into the swarm of working mercenaries, just as a shout from Electivire came from across the room. "CAPTAINS''! You''re gonna wanna see this!" Bisharp jabbed Weavile in her shoulder with his gauntlet. "You deal with him. I''ll be waiting outside with Skarmory." "Don''t poke me, tinman." He shoved her a little with a smirk, exiting the hideout as Weavile traversed the sea of her loyal comrades. Electivire had his back against a storage closet, anticipating her arrival. Despite the noise surrounding them, she could isolate a couple of strange shouts from beyond the door; two to be exact. "Got some presents for ya. All wrapped in a nice pink bow, too." "Shut it, plughead. Open it already." The Electric-type shrugged, taking his back off the door and opening it, giving Weavile the perfect view of inside the closet. "Oh, you guys shouldn''t have¡­" Inside were two Pokemon, a Machoke and a Toxicroak; their Rose emblemed breastplate indicating they were affiliated with the Rose Clan. Trussed up together with rope and gagged, they stared wide-eyed at Weavile in a mixture of fear and anger. "Oh, it''s you two again. Quite unfortunate, huh?" Electivire chuckled, "Yeah, found these two walking up to some of our scouts without attacking. For some reason, they really wanted that letter they had kept safe." Weavile''s curiosity got the better of her as she stepped in, spotting the white envelope stuck to the Machoke''s breastplate. Snatching it off, a quick scan caused a long drawn out sigh to expel out of her. Another letter from Serperior. ''Might as well rip the bandaid off,'' she lamented, beginning to read the green inked transcription. ''Dear ''Queen of the Mercenaries'' Hello, darling! I wish I could see the pouty expression on your horrid little face right now! Why, you might ask? That is because my wonderful and gallant knights of the Rose Clan have already seen your wretched little misfits spying on us from the dunes! I know your puny little brain cannot comprehend how, so I''ll tell you-'' Weavile tore the paper to shreds, snorting. "Guess that''s the end of our pitiful cover¡­" "So, uh¡­ What are we doing with these two now? Should we¡­?" He made a slicing motion across his throat. Weavile looked at him and then the now panicking pair of mercenaries. After what appeared to be a battle of decisions in her mind, she eventually sighed, slamming the door closed on them. "See if they know anything else. If not, just toss ''em back where you captured them." She strode away, sending one last look back. "You''re in charge while we''re gone! Make sure everyone''s scouting locations!" "You got it, Captain!" Emerging into the alleyway again, she covered up the doorway before making her way over to Bisharp and the expected presence of Skarmory. She found them near the streets, lurking in the shadows. "Let''s go this show on the road," she requested Bisharp acknowledged and hopped onto the Steel-type''s back. "You''re pretty eager today, aren''t you?" Weavile hopped on right behind him. "We''ve got a perfect smokescreen and distraction set up with those protests. I''d rather we act fast and scout our targets before we hit ''em." "Smart. I like that in you." "Don''t get your hopes up, tinman," she replied with a smirk, tapping Skarmory''s side. "Alright, get us airborne and to that trading site!" "You got it, Cap''n!" Using barely any strength, Skarmory took to the skies in one beat of her metallic wings. The trio zoomed past Sanctus Town and flew above the appropriately titled ''badlands'' of endless sand and rocky plateaus that formed the Grit Region. With the gleaming sun on their backs, and the wind rippling through them, the pair could only wonder what awaited them here. After only a brief few minutes of flight, Skarmory began to run circles around the hazy view of a few buildings below - this was the location. "Nobody is here it seems!" the bird yelled. "I''m takin'' ya down now!" Adjusting her altitude for a divebomb, Skarmory dove towards the earth at alarming speeds. Nearing close to the sandy ground, she dropped her talons and skidded across the heated terrain into a perfect stop. Bisharp and Weavile would hop off not long after her landing. "You stay here ''til we come back from investigating," Weavile commanded. "And make sure to hide yourself in case anyone comes." "You got it, Cap''n!" Bisharp took a step forward to survey the land. "Looks like some abandoned mining town from long ago¡­" Decrepit houses, saloons, and even a partially remaining cathedral of a smaller size was built near the sides of a dusty trail. There was no Pokemon in sight, and none appeared to inhabit the ghostly shacks, but they were well aware of the truth. Bisharp observed the faded road. "Carriage tracks are here. Fairly new, too¡­" Weavile pointed at something out of view near the cathedral''s remains "Look. The carriages are probably over there. Bet they''re clumsy and left us something to track them with." "Good thinking." Sneaking through the deserted town, they neared the back of the cathedral, identifying multiple sets of new carriages, ropes that used to hold cargo now slashed off. Weavile frowned. "Well, there''s our confirmation that-" A loud burst of noise resounding behind them made their heads snap back in shock, witnessing golden arcs of energy erupting from the ground itself as a strange card-like device expanded into their reality. Two arguing figures shrouded by this orange light became very apparent to the pair as they took their first steps; saddlebags around their hips, and armbands visible on their limbs. A Gallade and a Heliolisk.
"It''s stupid!" "Listen to me, Heliolisk!" Heliolisk stormed off, entering the dilapidated church in his anger and frustration. Gallade marched after him, forgetting to gather their Entercard and unaware of the forces lurking behind them. Rays of light showering down from the crumbling ceiling smoothed the vast and empty floors of the once religious grounds. "We have no choice in the matter!" Gallade argued, stepping closer. "Our meeting with the Council just now proved that we must take action against the Rose Clan¡­ And it''s the honorable thing to do for us to mend ties with this government - the Allfather wills it." The Electric-type threw his arms up. "The Allfather wished for us to work with those mercs! He said they understood our cause! Right after he says this? They betray our trust and try to steal what''s rightfully ours." He tightened his paws. "The Allfather is making a fool out of us." Gallade took another step, his expression stern and resolute. "Heliolisk. Do not disrespect the Allfather... for you know what happens to those that do. He is chosen by the Allmother herself to guide us through this journey." "I trust and follow every word of what the Allmother speaks to him¡­ but I do not trust the Allfather to lead us," Heliolisk admitted, stiffening up. They stared in silence, not uttering another word. However, two figures closing in behind a still Gallade would force Heliolisk to yell in surprise. "Gallade!" The Psychic-type whipped his head around and pivoted to the left in the nick of time, dodging the Night Slash that Weavile had lunged at him with. She flashed him a wicked grin as she bounded away with her impressive agility, taunting away at the pair. "Allfather this, Allmother that. Shut up already, wontcha?!" Gallade leapt back and adopted a fighting stance, his arms flashing with pink psychic energy as he unleashed multiple Psycho Cuts at his attacker. It was relentless, and Weaviler found it difficult to avoid getting hit herself, scurrying across the floor to avoid getting hit by each slice of energy. Meanwhile, Bisharp sped off to the sides, keen on flanking a panicking Heliolisk. He would close in on his foe, who had done little to prepare himself for battle. Heliolisk would make an attempt to summon coils of electricity through his opened neck collar, but a meaty punch into his stomach caused him to kneel over in pain and stop his attack. Realizing the situation was dire, Gallade tensed up and stood his ground. He then slid down the armband on his right arm, revealing a metallic gold ring - a Key Stone firmly placed in its middle. The ring began to vibrate and spark, pulsating an aura of raw power and energy as a purplish sphere encased Gallade. ''Mega Evolution?!'' Weavile cursed in her mind. ''There''s no way we''ll-'' "GALLADE!" The Psychic-type was ripped from his transformation as he witnessed the dilemma his partner was now in. Heliolisk shook in place as Bisharp''s bladed gauntlet was mere inches from his throat, the Steel-type glaring at Gallade in a clear threatening manner. Gallade slowly lowered his arm, backing off. "Please¡­ let my friend go." "Hah, good one, Bishy!" Weavile sauntered up to the defeated pair. "Well, good to know you freaks still consider friendship a thing¡­ Take off the Mega Ring and slide it over." Gallade glowered at her, reluctantly doing as requested. "... I know you, Weavile and Bisharp. You''re the captains of that mercenary clan that attacked the Eden Theater. The ones attempting to sully our name." Weavile smiled. "And I know you two as valuable targets that could provide a whole bunch of juicy intel¡­ as long as I don''t have to kill you myself that is." The Ice-type was jumping for joy in her mind. These Pokemon were the same ones her anonymous and mysterious client desired to capture, and the same ones who met up with the Rose Clan in Elysium City. Bisharp intervened, excitement disguised by his voice. "Don''t listen to Weav''s. She''s just got a chip on her shoulder. We want you two alive, but you must cooperate with us." He brought his gauntlet closer to Heliolisk''s throat, producing a gasp of fear out of the Pokemon. "You tell us what we want to know, and your partner lives." Gallade stiffened, his inner sense of honor forbidding him to work with the enemy. But there seemed no other option with his friend''s life on the line. He could only hope he''d be forgiven if he was to ever return home. "... I will only tell you information that would keep me and Heliolisk alive upon our return." Weavile sighed, "We''ll play getting to know each other in a bit. What I want to know right now is what happened with that meeting with the Council?" She smirked knowingly. Gallade locked eyes with the fearful Heliolisk, getting a shaky nod of his head a moment of silence later. He would have to tell. "Okay¡­ I''ll tell you from the beginning."
It was now or never. They were expecting them by now. Gallade and Heliolisk stood outside the Council''s main building of operations. For a grand structure not from their home, it was quite impressive, only serving to intimidate them further. Inwardly, they prayed to the Allmother for strength and nerve for this prospect. "... I suggest we get inside," Gallade said with a hint of apprehension, striding up the large stone staircase. Heliolisk followed close behind, unsure. "Do you think the Allfather made the right decision appointing us to this ambassador role? We''re no Simisage!" "I know, but we''ve done this once before. We can do this again, trust me." Walking into the entrance, a retinue of Celestic''s finest guard units were blocking their passage further in. Adorned with leather coats stained the colors of a setting sun, and pristine rifles tipped with pointed bayonets, they searched through their saddlebags like last time. Once the safety procedure was finished, one silent guard would lead them down the wide halls and staircases. As if combining a palace of luxurious golden carpets, paintings, and expensive decor with the pressuring atmosphere of an office, that was the feeling Gallade and Heliolisk shared during their long and nerve wracking walk to this meeting. Eventually reaching the end of the building''s main hallway, the guard leading them flipped around and finally spoke. "The Council is in a meeting, but I have orders to let you in nevertheless." Whirling around again, the guard unlocked the double doors leading into the main conference room and stepped back, letting them walk in and witness the heated discussion taking place. "-It''s absurd! This is an uproar against Celestic''s very own values!" "Calm yourself, Elder Kommo-o!" The chamber itself was rather modest, with just a large black stained wooden oval table that took up most of the room, and a large window overlooking the scope of Elysium City. At least a dozen Pokemon of various sizes were crowded around the table, bickering away endlessly it seemed to the pair. But the majority of the mayor''s and village elders were of no interest to them, except the few who knew who they were and what they were here for. Primarina rested her head on a flipper. "I still believe the best course of action is to increase the number of food and water supplies the Grit Region depends upon." An aged Kommo-o slammed his paw onto the table. "And where do you suppose we get these supplies, huh?!" he demanded, glaring at the Water-type. "I''m not going to let my kin starve this winter because of a bleeding heart!" "Elder Kommo-o!" Empoleon shouted. "Please! We are entertaining any thoughts on the matter; this is not a direct vote." His statement caused the old dragon to grumble under his breath. "Now, I am of the impression that various caravans have been attacked and ransacked by these bandits in the Grit Region, yes?" A Lapras from across the table opened her mouth. "That is correct, Mayor Empoleon. While the Frost Region''s shipment of timber and Never-Melt-Ice was on time, the ore shipments that were supposed to come, never arrived at the docks. The deal with the Grass Continent¡­ was never finalized." A sense of panic began to settle around the table as more leaders from different regions and cities began to voice their concern one after another. "This is an utter embarrassment!" Kommo-o roared. "Are we supposed to sit by and allow these thieves and dissenters to rob this continent freely?!" Empoleon raised a flipper. "Everyone! We are trying to resolve this situation peacefully, as Primarina has stated! I believe¡­ I¡­" His speech trailed off as he noticed the two familiar Pokemon standing in the doorway. "I¡­ wish to call a recess right now." Primarina sighed, "Thank you, Empoleon. Maybe we can return with much clearer heads." "... Yes," he responded coolly, his eyes never leaving Gallade''s quite worried ones. "Let us return in half an hour''s time. But the Pokemon that should remain are myself, Kommo-o, Carracosta, Manectric, and Pyroar." All of the Council members not called to stay gradually left their seats, exiting the conference room and leaving only the remainder named left. These were the Pokemon the pair knew, and by the unpleasant and thoroughly angry look on almost all their faces besides Empoleon, they knew this meeting was not going to be one of gratitude and respect. The doors were closed shut, locked by a guard from the outside. Now all alone together, Kommo-o took the time to glare at them both. "The Alignment has much explaining to do about the Rose Clan."
It''s an uproar! A battle in which you choose to fight for a better tomorrow, or to keep living in the suffering of the present¡­
Author''s Notes: Here''s some Liam and Gloria character art by @cloudnine937 on Twitter!
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: Ultimatums And Accords Ultimatums And Accords Chapter 22 Ultimatums And Accords The conference room grew stiff and quiet as the two Pok¨¦mon standing by the double doors slowly walked further in. "Take a seat, please," Empoleon suggested with a flipper. "We have much to discuss, and not much time, I''m afraid." Gallade swallowed his apprehension, the advice and encouragement of the Allfather coming back to him. He nudged a nervous Heliolisk and sent him reassurance via a nod. They then sat down as requested, opposite to the Council members that knew very well who they were. They only needed to win over two Pokemon today; Mayor Empoleon, and Kommo-o, High Elder of the dragons in the Mountain Region. Kommo-o was the first to speak up, glaring at the pair. "Let us get things straight. Our meeting today is to amend the grave mistakes the Allfather has committed recently." Gallade already had an inkling of what they were referring to, the two of them well aware of the alliance gone awry. Empoleon frowned. "¡­ Have you heard of the protests in the Grit Region?" "Riots," Kommo-o immediately spat. "Our shipment of beneficial supplies to the region was diverted due to an unexpected drought, and now portions of the populace there have decided to revolt!" Gallade found it difficult to sympathize with the Council, Heliolisk more so. A world where Pok¨¦mon went a day without eating or drinking was far from what they desired of a life. But sadly, they could draw many comparisons back to home. No matter how much a society strived for perfection, it could never be obtained - but that would change. Empoleon continued. "While we are working to manage the situation peacefully, these bandits that have been appearing recently have become¡­ a much bigger issue than expected." "From attacking our mining caravans to forcing entire villages to assist their foolishness and halt our efforts!" Kommo-o hollered. The three other leaders of varying importance began to chime in one by one with their grievances on the matter. "This conflict affects all of the regions, including my port''s requested shipment of ore!" "Ambassadors from all the other continents think we are showing weakness or hesitation!" "We cannot have this stain on the Council''s reputation! How are we going to tell the public that¡­" Their shouts tapered off after a flipper from Empoleon was raised. "I''m sure these two have heard enough about the conflict, as that is not the real matter of this meeting." Gallade bit the bullet. "The Allfather has informed us of the situation, and we fully understand the issue at hand - our dealings with the Rose Clan." Through the silence, Heliolisk felt the need to speak up, but Empoleon would beat him to the punch. "Am I correct in saying these ''dealings'' were shipments of rifles, Entercards, and other supplies? That was the official statement I was personally given, which we¡­ unwillingly accepted to preserve the relationship - our mistake." Gallade reluctantly nodded. "... Yes. My partner and I were chosen to conduct meetings in both Elysium and Empyrean City with representatives from the Rose Clan. After we would reach an agreement, the dealings were done in remote parts of the Grit Region. We would often train groups of their Pokemon on how to properly utilize the Entercards under orders," he said almost shamefully. "And the Rose Clan provided their efforts in stifling the rise of the Razor Claw clan, along with stopping their leaders from conducting another fiasco like the Eden Theater''s premiere, correct?" "That was the Allfather''s intention of our alliance, yes," Gallade confirmed. "The Razor Claw clan has shown itself to target the Alignment specifically on multiple occasions. To protect our ambassadors from the threat of danger again, and to protect the relationship and interests we have built with Celestic. We¡­ thought this was a preferable way than getting the Council involved." There was not a word said as the Council members digested his statement. Gallade could only silently hope the Allfather had given him the right message to send. Heliolisk was gripping the table, mouth twitching in concealed anger. Empoleon let loose a sigh. "... Many years ago, I was the first to acknowledge the Alignment''s desperate attempts to barter a deal between the Council. Now, the few of us that knew eventually accepted the offer-" "Under great scrutiny," Kommo-o interrupted. "Under great scrutiny," Empoleon corrected. "And under oath to safeguard the Alignment''s homeland and security of its Pokemon, we would be given new technologies, such as rifles, and additionally other forms of information." Pride leaked into his voice. "The Eden Theater was a grand collaboration of our relationship, and a massive leap forward for Celestic and the world." Gallade nodded. "We understand, Mayor Empoleon. The Allfather has and will always be grateful of you offering Empyrean City''s plot of land to us." "It was a pleasure of mine¡­ But right now, you must know that through your dealings with the Rose Clan, you have contributed to the destabilization of the Grit Region and by extension, Celestic." Kommo-o leaned across the table, "Those rifles and other supplies you handed off to these mercenaries? A large percentage of it is being funneled into these bandit groups in exchange for assisting them in taking over portions of the region!" Empoleon straightened his tie, locking eyes with Gallade. "If the Allfather hasn''t already ended the alliance with the Rose Clan, then he must do so immediately if we are to still cooperate with the Alignment. I do not wish to do so, but this situation leaves us with no choice." Four sets of flinty eyes, excluding Empoleon''s, would land on the pair. Gallade bowed his head, heart pounding in shared shame of their actions in confirming the transactions with the mercenaries. Neither of them wanted to do it, but orders were orders, and he knew the Allfather only did this to help them find the light at the end. Glancing over at his partner, the quiet seething on his face made him bring his head back up. "After our last transaction, all ties were cut between us and the Rose Clan. To be entirely transparent, we warned them of their involvements with the desert nomads and the occupation of buried ruins." Empoleon tilted his head at this claim. "Ruins, you say? Just the other day, we were given an inquiry by a group of miners in the Grit Region that a buried fortress they uncovered was forcibly taken over the Rose Clan - Regi Castle¡­ I believe it was once called?" Kommo-o harrumphed. "That''s not all those scoundrels captured! Legendaries from across the world were enraged to see that a shrine belonging to Landorus was taken over! All of this mayhem stems from the Alignment''s actions!" Gallade grimaced at the old dragon''s claims, knowing that all the blame couldn''t be placed on their shoulders. But something else irked him - these ruins the Rose Clan were taking over. If it was anything like the Allfather warned, then it only spelled ruin for everyone. Thankfully, Empoleon was there to alleviate Kommo-o''s comments. "Hopefully these unfortunate events can be put to rest once the protests settle and we are able to negotiate an offer with the bandits." "Negotiate?!" Kommo-o sputtered, slamming a fist onto the table. "Why should we mop up their actions?! The Alignment needs to pay for this! We shouldn''t-" "SHUT UP!" The outburst from Heliolisk caught everyone''s attention, the Electric-type standing up from his chair to continue his rant. "You think we wanted to trade with them?!" Heliolisk yelled. "None of us wanted to do it! But we were ordered to trade with and train those¡­ those devils! None of them cared or respected our cause! And neither do any of you!" Gallade lightly kicked Heliolisk under the table, glaring sternly at him in an effort to halt the Pokemon''s diatribe. The action would prove futile, however, as more vitriol began to spill from his lips. "All of you only care about your profits and reputations!" Heliolisk pointed a claw at an astonished Kommo-o. "If you want to blame someone, then blame the Allfather for starting this to begin with! It''s-" He stumbled over his next words, becoming aware of the tirade he just unleashed. The Electric-type slowly sat down, bringing his head to greet the table as the others digested his words. Gallade was rightfully embarrassed, shifting around in his seat. "I am very sorry about the actions of my partner. If you desire, we will take our leave and¡­" Empoleon waved a flipper, sighing. "That isn''t needed, as I believe this meeting is already concluded. While I wish for no bad blood between us, I somewhat agree with Kommo-o that the Alignment must assist us with cleaning this mess - immediately - that is our ultimatum here." Gallade nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. "Very well. We will relay this information back to the Allfather." He cast a glance over at Heliolisk, who emanated a mixture of shame and lingering anger. "Make sure he gets the message loud and clear," Kommo-o grumbled. "There is already so much on our plate as is!" The same could be said for the two partners. A knock upon the double doors would steal Empoleon''s attention. "... I see that is all the time we have. Our next meeting will have to be scheduled after we solve matters in the Grit Region. We will wait for the Allfather''s approach in anticipation." Gallade and Heliolisk took this as their exit, standing up and making their way over to the double doors just as it unlocked and opened to a sizable amount of returning leaders. They quietly slinked past, none seeming to notice the leaving Pokemon. Retracing their steps through the grand building, they were searched by the guards one last time before being able to leave with their thoughts intact. But they weren''t out of the clear just yet. The bustling square outside the main hall was chock full of Pok¨¦mon and prying eyes - unfit for their Entercard placement. The alleyways would prove more than effective at shrouding their activity time after time. On the downside, it gave them the illusion of being mere criminals that hid in the dark, and stirred unforgettable memories of their childhood experience back home. Heliolisk stepped over an assortment of trash in his path, head hanging low as he swallowed his shame. "Sorry¡­ about my outburst there." Gallade said nothing as he marched past, an air of irritation trailing him as he went further into the alley. "... Hey! I said I was sorry, okay!" Gallade whirled around. "Are you? Do you know what you just did? You made a mockery of us back there! Sorry isn''t going to cut it when the Allfather hears of this incident." The Electric-type''s face paled. "You''re not seriously going to-" "I''m not going to mention your comment about him. Regardless of the shame you may have brought on our name, I am always looking out for you." He sighed, letting go of his frustration. "You just¡­ You just need to understand our position in all of this, okay?" Alongside the commander, they were some of the only Pokemon trusted to interact directly with the Allfather - a great honor to Gallade, but a lukewarm offer for Heliolisk. Their loyalty was further tested after Simisage''s unprompted retirement as ambassador following the Eden Theater''s premiere - an accord was created. From conducting deals with the Rose Clan to attending meetings with the Council, it felt like they were being trained to become official advisors or ambassadors, and Gallade was all for it. "I''d gladly accept our position if it was the previous Allfather, but all we''ve been doing is trying to be all buddy-buddy with this government up here, instead of focusing on what''s really important," Heliolisk shot back. Gallade scoffed, continuing on his way. "It''s a lot more complicated than that. The Allfather is making it easy for us to find the path to paradise, and it just so happens to have some detours along the way. We keep chipping away at our goals until we find salvation." Heliolisk rolled his eyes at the Pokemon''s choice of language. "You''ve read too many of those mystery novels in the archives." He returned to following. "I''ve never seen what we''re actually looking for, but we know they''re out there." "Indeed. But it takes time to unearth such mysteries and locations. Be patient, my friend." "Tch, sure." Entering an even more discreet location amongst the twisting alleyways, the veil of darkness proved suitable for their exit. A quick scan of their immediate surroundings would give them the all clear as Heliolisk dug into his saddlebag and took out a card-like device, tinkering with it. His partner kept watch, making sure no Pokemon could catch a glimpse of them. "You agree with some of what I said back there, right? Working with those mercenaries wasn''t our fault; it wasn''t what we all wanted¡­" Gallade sharply inhaled. "... I never said I agreed with it. But I believe it was a necessary evil to help us destroy an evil - that''s what the Allfather told us, remember?" Heliolisk shook his head, nodding. "Sure¡­" The Psychic-type would never say it outright to his superiors, but he didn''t wish to agree with that sentiment. If the Council was correct, and their actions have led directly to more suffering, then what was the point of this all if it never benefited their goals? What reason did the Allfather have for continuing to support a relationship with the groups above ground? Something else that Heliolisk blurted out during his rant against the Council members irked him. "Entercard''s ready. Maybe we can ask Magearna to make us some grub after we relay this to the Allfather, eh?" "Sounds good¡­" Gallade said, his mind still distracted. ''Devil'' - a word occasionally used by passionate Alignment followers to describe a non believer. But he was stumped as to why Heliolisk would use such terminology.
"And after we left the meeting, we went straight back to deliver the Council''s wishes to the Allfather." Weavile nodded her head to Gallade''s summarization of events, cracking a grin. "Is that so? Ain''t any other juicy details you want to give us? I mean, this Council news is big, but I want to know more, like what''s this castle thing the Rose Clan took over?" "Nothing specific was discussed, and we had nothing to discuss as we left," he said matter-of-factly. "Our meeting was only about dealing with the mercenaries." Gallade knew the admission of a few crucial details would possibly throw the two off - it had to. "Sure..." After the ambush and swift defeat of the mysterious pair, Gallade and Heliolisk were brought to the decayed church''s walls, their saddlebags taken, their limbs bond by tight rope - a useless measure to the average Pokemon, but it wasn''t like they would be kept out of the mercenary captains'' sight. Bisharp emerged from the crumbling doorway. "Skarmory''s going back to our little hideout to gather more flyers for transport. Until then, we can continue with our little interrogation." Weavile''s smirk grew larger. "Excellent. Now¡­" She raised an eyebrow at the fuming glare Heliolisk was sending her way. "Bishy, you seeing the look this little coward is giving me?" "Heh, all bark and no bite on this one, Weav''s. Only took one punch to get him to start crying and begging." His stinging words caused Heliolisk''s head to droop as Gallade scowled at their attackers. "What more do you mercenaries want from us?! A ransom? A bribe?" "Information," Weavile said. "We''ve heard, seen, and spoken to a lot of your ugly kin over the years - me especially - but I think I want to hear it straight from the Ponyta''s mouth, y''know?" Gallade hadn''t the faintest clue of what the crazy Weavile was demanding from them, but neither of them were in any position to deny their questions. He would just have to deny them anything that would assist them in getting what they wanted, whatever it was. "First question!" Weavile announced almost eagerly. "What is the Alignment?" "... We are a religious organization that believes in betterment, prosperity, and the ideal that all Pokemon should live in a paradise, of which there are no faults or evil witnessed." The Ice-type whistled, shooting Bisharp a smirk. "Sounds pretty lofty, eh, Bishy? Out on the beach, sunny sky, drink in claw, nothin'' to worry about?" The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "Sounds more like retirement to me, Weav''s." Weavile returned her gaze back to the tied up Pokemon. "You sure your little group isn''t a cult? This whole ''betterment'' of Pokemon and ''paradise'' sounds like one big scheme to get new followers in my eyes." Gallade wiggled around in his bindings, enraged at her false claims. "Your words do nothing but slander our name! Never once have we preyed upon innocents, and only criminals like yourselves have done exactly that at the Eden Theater!" "... Oh, I''m sure you haven''t," she replied in heavy sarcasm, masking her own anger. "But answer me this; why would a religious organization fund other mercenaries to fight their rivals?" Her question left Gallade silent, the Pokemon nearly asking himself the same question. He didn''t have a response or counter, and Weavile took that as her smoking gun. "Gotcha there, I see. You take the honors of the second question, Bishy." The Bisharp would do just that, kneeling in front of the pair. "Who''s the Allfather?" Gallade was slowly figuring out what they were attempting to do, but he couldn''t hold off any answers, not yet. "... The Allfather is our leader and chosen prophet by the Allmother. He is the sole Pokemon that guides us to victory and a better tomorrow." Weavile rolled her eyes, looking at a slumped over Heliolisk. "You say that, but this runt here said that he didn''t trust the Allfather anymore. Got a bit of division in your dinky religion, huh?" Gallade said nothing, not wanting to comment on his partner''s growing disdain for their beloved leader. Bisharp crossed his arms. "Must be if you''re so scared of telling us information that''ll put you two in the gallows back home. What kind of religion that wishes for peace, sunshine, and all that junk does something like that?" Yet another question Gallade could not truthfully answer - it was a reality that pained him greatly. "Third question!" Weavile declared. "I''ve heard different accounts from many of you, but who''s this Allmother chick? Is she just the queen to a ki-" "Do not disrespect her name!" Heliolisk suddenly spoke up, his shame replaced with anger. "She is our true guidance. Arceus was not the original one - she was! She is all knowing, all powerful, and is a true god that speaks directly to every Allfather, giving them the knowledge to assist us and-" "Uhuh, I''m sure she does," Weavile interrupted, scratching her chin. "But forget all of that fake religious mumbo jumbo." Her apathetic expression then morphed into one of seriousness. "I want to know about someone else in your ranks - a commander." Gallade and Heliolisk exchanged looks of shock, wondering just how she would know of this safely guarded information. But they understood now that the Weavile knew far more than what she was letting on. "Didn''t think I''d know about that, did ya?" she said smugly. Gallade growled. "You ask us these inane questions when you already know the answers? What is your reason for all of this? You''ve attacked our brothers and sisters before, then our ambassador, and now this! What is it you''re after?!" he demanded. Weavile''s claws tightened as she looked dead into his eyes. "I''m looking for someone¡­ a commander of yours." "Who¡­ and why?" She laughed darkly. "That''s for me to know, and for your Allfather to deliver to my doorstep - he''ll know for sure who I am. As long as he continues to ignore me and hire my rivals to stop me, we''ll always be that thorn in his side that won''t go away." Bisharp stood, back at full height. "Revenge may be what Weav''s desires, but I know there''s something more sinister at play with your group. Secrets you don''t want anyone to know, and an entire continent littered with your actions and footsteps." Gallade shook his head. "I have no idea what you''re talking about." Weavile clenched her claws, glaring hard at him. "Don''t even think about bullshiting us here. We know - we know that the Alignment, the Rose Clan, the guild, and everyone else is looking for something. Something so big that it could change Celest- no, the entire world if it was found." Bisharp nodded. "We know of the ruins at the Criss-Cross Creek. We know your group was there once looking for something. There''s nothing you can hide from us that we won''t eventually find..." Not another word was said by the pair. Weavile took this silence as an opportunity to pick up a card-like object she had confiscated from the outside - an Entercard. She displayed it for them to see, smugness visible on her features as she flicked its metallic frame with a claw. A laugh bubbled out of her as she watched their expressions morph. "So secretive that you use these things to travel without a trail, eh? Well, I know these Entercards have exact coordinates that me and Bishy can ride that''ll lead straight to where you came from." She threw Bisharp a smile. "Think these coordinates lead back to home? Maybe we can stop and pay a visit¡­" Horror washed across the pair''s face after realizing they left their Entercard outside. However, Gallade was there to prevent anything from happening, an aggressive look on his face as he leaned in to catch their ears. "If you ride that Entercard¡­ you will never come back, you hear me?" he warned. The two captains'' shared a look, instantly recognizing the tone in the Psychic-type''s voice that indicated it was not a bluff at all. Weavile would drop the Entercard into her personal saddlebag, Gallade keenly watching to see what exact pouch it was in. But before the captains'' could formulate a response, a multitude of soaring shadows visible through the church''s open roof caught their attention. "Backup''s here," Bisharp said, walking towards the entrance. "You get those two ready; they''re valuable cargo, so don''t scratch them up, will ya?" "Valuable my ass," she retorted as he left, staring at the angry pair again. "But sadly he''s right. If one of my clients did want you fools kidnapped, then you just have to be." This was news to Gallade and Heliolisk, but before they could truly discuss this, Weavile forcibly pulled on the ropes constricting their arms, pushing them. "Don''t make this hard on us and we won''t make it as hard on you, ''kay?" She lightly shoved them again. "Now get walkin''." Exiting the desecrated church, Gallade and Heliolisk slowly stumbled across the dusty trails of the town they once directed business in. At the end of the faded road were numerous grizzled looking Flying-types, none of which gave them any hope of when they would ever return home, if at all. "One of you goes over to Swellow; the other goes over to Honchkrow," Weavile commanded, then raising her voice. "Bishy! Where we takin'' these sad sacks of flesh to?" "There''s some abandoned dungeon from Celestic''s ole monarchy days that our scouts found! Bisharp yelled back, assisting the mysterious duo in climbing aboard their chosen flier. "We''ll take ''em there for tonight!" "Good enough for me." Once Gallade and Heliolisk were secure, the two captains jumped on their respective fliers and gave everyone the all clear to start flying. Dozens of Pokemon took to the cloudless skies above, forming a pack of defenders as they took off in the opposite direction in which they came. But unbeknownst to the mercenaries, another Pokemon that saw all the events below transpire from a birds eye view would flee the scene. It wore a breastplate across its scaly black and blue chest, a rose painted on it. Hydreigon shot through the air like a rocket in her effort to return back to base, her scouting efforts unneeded as another team of Flying-types were now following the Razor Claw''s escort. Princess Serperior needed to hear of these new revelations. Flying past endless dunes and rocky plateaus, a massive Pokemon created pit drew Hydreigon in. The sandstone fortress that was the Regi Castle was a sight to behold. It was kept well preserved in the sand throughout the ages, its sturdy fortress walls and spiraling towers were perfect for the Rose Clan''s base of operations. Drifting towards the balcony of the tallest tower, a roll of washed out red carpet guarded by more breastplate wearing Pokemon invited Hydreigon into the castle itself. Lit torches placed on the sandy walls illuminated the small chamber in an orange glow. Hovering past more stationed guards, her path was promptly blocked by a floating shield - Aegislash. "Stand by - her highness'' orders," it proclaimed in a ghostly pitch. Hydreigon gnashed her jaws and flailed her arms in frustration at the shield''s gall, but ultimately followed its orders and remained still, all of her heads staring ahead. A throne of perfectly maintained red and gold trim lie ahead at the end of the rolled out carpet, clearly something brought to the fortress instead of renovated. Coiled around its royal seat was the serpent-like body of Serperior, daintily sipping down a cup of piping hot tea. A crown of pure gold rested on her head, a bed of thorns and small roses wrapped around its shiny outside. "My, I just had a wonderful chat with the bandit leaders!" Serperior uttered, smiling warmly at Hydreigon. "And now a brave knight of mine returns with more news? Marvelous!" Aegislash floated away from the carpet and joined up with a Roserade beside the throne, allowing Hydreigon to come closer to her princess and bow her three heads in submission. "Mmm, rise. Roserade, will you be a dear and hear Knight Hydreigon''s findings?" "Of course, your highness," she replied, striding over to the dragon in question. Roserade listened closely to the gravely whispers and grunts that Hydreigon released into her eardrums. When all relevant information was gathered, Hydreigon broke away and flew out of the tower''s entrance. Roserade returned back to her post alongside the throne room and stopped to whisper the information into Serpererior''s invisible ears. "... Oh my!... Really? We''ll have to do that!... Perfect, darling!" Untwining herself down from her majestic throne, Serperior extended a vine to grab her cup of tea as she slithered across the red carpet with a massive grin on her scaly face. Emerging into the harsh daylight, she looked down from her balcony and consumed her tea with much more enthusiasm. Her plan had failed yet succeeded in ways she didn''t imagine happening. While using two of her squires as bait to lure Weavile and Bisharp to an ambush site for capture was her original plan, the sudden appearance of her two dealers was a plot twist she did not foresee coming. But once her loyal warriors found out where the dungeon that would hold the pair was located, she knew she could capture all four of them in one fell swoop. It was a perfect idea that only her wit could devise. She had already expertly drained the Alignment of all the resources it would send her way, and was given the necessary information to locate this relic of a bygone era she missed so dearly. It was child''s play to take over control of it after the work of unearthing it was mostly finished. However, it wasn''t all done, and there was still work needed to be finished before they could find what they were after. Gazing downward, she watched all of her mercenaries hard at work, digging up large amounts of sand, or blasting rock that got in their way of progress. It put a smile on her face to see that many Pokemon assist her in realizing her dream of conquest and sovereignty. Another sip of her tea, another smile that tugged at her lips. If what the old geezer said was true, then what lay below this castle could change everything.
Monferno crossed his arms behind his neck, trying to get comfortable on the creaky wooden bunks they were given. Everyone in the guild was meant to share one in a single confined room with one window, which most undoubtedly would spell disaster, but it wasn''t like any of them were in the greatest of moods. Today was the day all of them were expected to choose; whether to stay with the guild, or to leave and hang up their scarves. All of them were agitated or even disturbed by their Guildmaster''s ultimatum, and Monferno couldn''t even get a straight answer out of Braixen of whether she would stay or not. Their team''s chance of survival was hanging by a thread, and it angered him beyond measure. ''Stupid Guildmaster¡­'' While the other guild members were relaxing in their beds and chit chatting over recent events, the eccentric Excadrill from yesterday had taken the time to hand everyone a business card. Apparently, the Pokemon found it an appropriate time to advertise his work at a time like this, but the majority of them would be tossed away. Looking over at the room''s doorway, the primate caught a glimpse of Team Requiem conversing with Excadrill, the mole handing Liam a business card before waving goodbye and walking down the halls. The two partners would share both a glance and a shrug, eventually retreating into the halls. Something about those two always bugged him, and he couldn''t quite pinpoint it. He had helped them join only a year ago, and in that time they have excelled far beyond what he and Braixen have ever done. Even their stoic Guildmaster had taken a shine to the Riolu, despite there being nothing remarkable about him to Monferno. ''What''s so damn special about you, Mr Personality? Braix doesn''t even get that kind of recognition¡­'' Spotting his lifelong friend and ally sitting on a bunk opposite to his, she had her head buried into a pillow, clearly awake yet numb. He bit his tongue, wanting to go over and say something to her. He wished Braixen would just tell him her choice so the weight of his own decision could be lifted off his shoulders. In an attempt to shut out his thoughts, he listened in on the conversation the rest of the guild was having - obviously led by Rockruff''s instigation. "Is everyone really going to leave?!" Rockruff yipped, jumping up and down on his bunk. "But then who would be left in the guild?" Leafeon sighed. "I hate to say it, but what the Guildmaster wants us to do is insane. Fighting merecenaries? And not just that; the Council isn''t going to approve of this action¡­" "You think they''d shut down the guild or arrest us?!" Rockruff asked incredulously. "I''d have to try and find my clan again if that happened!" "Maybe, maybe not." She shrugged, exhaling again. "I don''t know¡­ it''s just¡­ difficult for me to say goodbye after so long." "But we can take them down, right? We''ve taken down Pokemon after Pokemon in Mystery Dungeons, so why can''t we do the same to them?" "They''re mercenaries, man!" Mightyena countered, hanging both paws off his bunk''s edge. "I bet you they have rifles that''ll kill you in an instant! Like how that one team in the guild''s past¡­ y''know." The Dark-type''s comments drudged up memories of the Team Hydra incident , igniting fear and worry of that possibly happening again if they stayed. "Mreow~ My team can''t possibly risk a gruesome demise like that!" Purrloin hissed. Staravia flapped his wings in a panic. "Me a-and Joltik agree! T-this is too much for us to go through with!" As agreement poured in from the majority of the guild members present, Monferno found himself at a crossroads. If he stayed, he would have to fight against actual mercenaries. On the other hand, if he left, he would have to return home. Neither option felt preferable, but he had to decide by the end of the day. Rockruff hopped off his bed and sprinted towards Leafeon and Shaymin''s bunk. The Legendary was currently packing up any belongings of her taken off the carriages, anger present on her face. "Shaymin! Can''t your Legendary pals swoop in to help us?" the Rock-type suggested. "What we''re looking for is the Legendaries research of the past, so shouldn''t they care about us finding it?" Shaymin halted her progress, rolling her eyes. "I told you blokes already. None of us knew about some old dungeon research from way back when, and I sure as hell didn''t." She snorted. "Not like any of ''em would help any of ya. They''re all self centered bastards¡­" "Can''t you just ask them?" "No. And even if I could, I wouldn''t, because they only help what suits them, not us." Rockruff tilted his head. "Us? But aren''t you a Legendary too? Surely you''ve got some sort of connection or friendshi-" "Shut it!", she hissed, slamming a paw onto her cot. "I''m not talkin'' to any of ''em, and I don''t need to hear your stupid plan!" Rockruff recoiled at her tone, rubbing the floorboards with a paw. "S-sorry¡­ I just wanted to know since, y''know, Legendaries are supposed to lead us and be an example-" "And I''m also sick of hearing you blabber on about your stupid Lycanroc clan or whatever!" Shaymin yelled in anger, fluttering down from her bunk and jabbing a paw into Rockruff''s chest. "None of us want to hear that nonsense! And none of us care about it!" "Shaymin!" Leafeon shouted. "You''re going overboard!" "Yeah! Back off!" Mightyena yelled, followed by more disapproving comments from his peers. Shaymin cackled, batting the Rock-type''s chest again. "Going overboard, mate? I''ll tell ya something - nobody likes this runt here! Truth is, he''s a nuisance to everybody, and you all know it yet won''t admit it! Always messing up on jobs and never achieving anything in his time here! He''s just dead weight!" she roared, the puppy deflating at her words. Monferno was watching the entire scene unfold before him in ire, and something about Shaymin''s demeanor made him snap - like a mother scolding her son. He jumped off his bunk''s top rack, finally speaking up after silently observing. "HEY! Leave him alone!" Shaymin whipped her gaze at the voice, sneering at him. "Oh? You want to get involved too? Might as well lump you in with this runt here. Both of ya are just dead weight!" Monferno grit his teeth, hands clenched tight in rage as he stomped over to the Grass-type. "You want to talk about the truth? Reality is everybody here thinks you''re the nuisance. Always shirking work and bullying others." Shaymin leaned in, inches from his face. "I don''t need a nobody like yourself talkin'' about me like that." Her eyes shifted towards Braixen, who seemingly picked herself up from her bed to see what was happening. "Oh¡­ I see now. You''re just trying to make a scene as a big hero to look good for your stuffy little girlfr-" Monferno tackled Shaymin, charging a few feet forward and slamming her into the wooden posts of an empty bunk. Flames licked his knuckles as he unloaded multiple punches into the small Legendary''s sides. It was not a one sided fight, however, as Shaymin immediately fought back and strongly kicked the primate with her back legs. Chaos could describe the living quarters as guild members were split between supporting the fight, or attempting to stop the wrestling duo with words - a useless effort. Things began to escalate as Shaymin formed an Energy Ball between her chest and launched it, hurtling her attacker into a wall and sending many objects on shelves to the floor. Monferno would waste no time in running back, landing multiple Fire Punches on the Legendary''s abdomen as another wrestling match between the two began. Both were beginning to tire out, but Shaymin would have the upper hand as she sent another Energy Ball directly into his chest, forcing Monferno onto the floor with its power. She didn''t relent with her attacks, continuing to pound on him with her paws as he shielded his face. "Never! Hit! Me! Aga-" A column of magical fire interrupted the Grass-type''s shouts, briefly enveloping her body and forcing her to quit attacking as pain wracked her body. Shaking herself free of the mystical flames, an enraged glare was sent towards its creator. Braixen stood in defiance near the middle of the room, holding a stick that was just used to launch an attack on Shaymin. Her expression meant one thing - back off. A rustling of footsteps near the doorway would bring in the shocked expression of Team Requiem, Excadrill, and other guild members. Shaymin heaved back and forth. "THAT''S IT! I''VE HAD IT WITH YOU LOT! I''M DONE, YA HEAR ME?!" The Legendary wasted no time in collecting her saddlebag off of her cot, hastily flying through the open window and leaving the building altogether. Slowly picking himself up, Monferno spat out the blood that accumulated in his mouth, looking over to see the astonished faces of his fellow peers. Despite everything that transpired in this short time period, he managed a small smile. ''Good riddance¡­''
"Two I''ve got," Tyranitar said smugly, laying his cards flat on the table. "Go ahead, metalhead. Let''s take a gander at ye hand." Aggron did so confidently, sure of his superior deck. "Three Vespiquens, rockface." He grinned. "Guess you''re buyin'' this time, pirate." "So he says¡­" Aggron cast a look to his left. "Garchomp, tell this eejit of the rules of a deal, since he clearly forgot." Garchomp tapped her talons on the wooden table, mind still enraptured by the events of yesterday. She couldn''t shake Jackson''s words off her thoughts; it was eating away at her conscience, scrambling her approach to this situation. Opting not to stay at the Grit Ruin Excavator''s building for the night, her team landed residence at a one room home hotel - the owners of which immediately let them stay, despite the protests going on in the town. It was almost certainly due to Team Drarosteel''s famous reputation, and it only added to the Lucario''s words, eating away at her mind. "... Sorry, boys. I''m just thinking about the guild; what we should do about it." She gave the two an inquisitive look. "I''m willing to hear suggestions." Aggron scoffed, collecting his cards. "Listen, lass. I know you have a lot of respect for Team Moonlight, and so do we, but Jack has clearly lost his mind if he''s plannin'' to attack those mercenaries." Tyranitar nodded, "Metalhead''s right. Council will eat that Lucario and other ''mons in his guild alive in the courts if they caught wind of his actions. And if we got ourselves mixed in?" He whistled. "Our good graces with ''em go down the drain." Even past the dangers, the Council''s intervention was a reality Garchomp had also considered. Not only would members of the guild potentially be prosecuted for crimes, but her team could be on the chopping block if they fought the Rose Clan. Yet, if the guild and her team didn''t fight them back, a valuable source of information that could turn the tide in their favor would potentially be lost forever. They needed a different way. They needed a way that didn''t result in a violent war or a political nightmare. "We can''t just leave the guild out to dry like this," Garchomp said. "For Arceus'' sake, we helped found it all that time ago. It has risen to be the most popular guild in Celestic! It can''t just end like this because of Jackson''s actions! We-" An opening of a door behind the dragoness alerted the trio''s attention. While they expected it to be the generous owners of the hostel, the bright red armor-like exterior of Scizor was quite a surprise to them. He cautiously walked in, his eyes wandering to meet Garchomp''s own pair. "I had to visit a few other lodgings to see where your team went. Have you¡­ come to a decision yet?" Garchomp opened and closed her mouth several times, sighing. "No. We were just talking about it. I''m glad you came here, though." "... You know I am staying. I came here in hopes that you would stay and assist us with the guild''s efforts." "So you agree with Jackson''s plan of action?" she proclaimed, standing up from her seat. "You want the guild to fight against this Rose Clan." Scizor tensed up, but kept his head high. "It''s not up to me to decide the guild''s actions - it''s Jackson''s. And yes¡­ I am willing to fight for this opportunity, even despite the consequences." Garchomp advanced towards him. "Consequences? The consequences of this are far greater than you could imagine! You''re risking soiling your team''s and the guild''s legacy over this!" She shook her head, nostrils flaring with anger. "... Jackson''s corrupted you, I know it. You would never do something as irrational as this before¡­" A defiant look crossed his face. "You are wrong, Garchomp. This is something we have to do." It saddened her to realize it, but she could not work with Team Moonlight or the guild anymore, and certainly not with Jackson in charge. Stomping her way over to the house''s entrance, she threw it open, glancing behind her. "C''mon, boys, we''re leaving the region¡­" she said dejectedly, her gaze finding Scizor. "The Council is eventually going to hear of this plot, so I advise this expedition be stopped until another way has been found." Before he could respond, she walked out, stepping onto the hotel''s small porch and standing by its wooden railing. She looked out to the setting sun as she waited for her teammates, its warm orange rays hitting the clay buildings and cobblestone streets. A sigh would escape her as she recognized the clacks of Scizor''s footsteps behind her. "... Jackson was never born in Areos Village, nor did he ever live there." She turned around at his words, completely stunned by what he just told her.
The pieces to this grand puzzle are scattered, held by those who do not wish for it to be solved.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: Decision Decision Chapter 23 Decision "Hey! Got you two some stuff to keep you alive!" Weavile grabbed the latch of the rusty steel grate beneath her and threw it open, exposing the two prisoners trapped in a pit below. Blinking away the sleep in their eyes, Gallade and Heliolisk glanced upward to see the smirking face of the Ice-type. Kneeling, she would hoist a cloth sack over the opening and shake its contents out. What came out of the bag were four apples that tumbled into the darkness below and landed beside the pair. "Should be a bit better than the sludge they probably feed you, so enjoy it, punks!" she shouted, cackling to herself. "You''ll be let out in a day or two - a little more talk between you two and I, then we''ll find out what to do with ya." Before they could respond, Weavile slammed the grate shut and exited the dungeon cell. Entering the barely lit halls of the crumbling keep, she spotted Bisharp leaning against a shattered stone pillar. He eyed her in return and shook his head in disapproval as she walked up to him. "What''re you shaking your head at me for? Feeding ''em?" "Treating them like shit isn''t going to make them say more," he said, keeping his voice low. "I know you would rather tear them to shreds, but we still need them for the time being." She scoffed, walking ahead. "Scum like them don''t deserve any special treatment. If they want to cry mistreatment when they return to the Allfather, so be it." He followed her, side by side. "These guys are more than just soldiers or traders. They know more than they''re letting on, so it''s best you not give them more reasons not to open up." Weavile wanted to fire another rebuttal, but his advice was true. They weren''t surprised Serperior would betray her dealers, but the Council having a secret committee that demanded the Alignment to amend their errors was of great surprise to them. She knew the Gallade was omitting details just by the way he avoided names and specific events, but she would eventually find out. Yet, no matter how far down this Buneary hole of mystery and secrets went, she only desired one thing from this group - revenge - swift and just against a sole Pokemon. "They''ll open up," she replied. "We''re not letting them go ''til we squeeze any information we can out of ''em¡­ and maybe even convince the Allfather to give that commander up to me." It felt so far away, but still within her reach after all this time and plotting. Bisharp shook his head once more. "... Never gonna let that go, huh? I mean, what if this guy isn''t even alive still? If the Allfather strikes down anyone that messes up, then what do you think might''ve happened to him after you screwed-" Weavile whirled around and lightly shoved his shoulder. "What are you getting at?!" she demanded. "Are you trying to convince me again to give up on hunting this bastard?" Bisharp scanned her sudden agitated features. "... I think it should be pretty obvious, Weav''s. Don''t you see this is more than just revenge now? I''ve always understood your anger, but this is bigger than that." Her face lit up with rage. "You think I''m just going to let go of us?! That they don''t deserve justice after what happened to them?" She jabbed his chest with her claws. "You understand, but you were never there to witness that happen right in in front of you! You could never feel what I went through!" Never could she forget the team of three that saved her from the streets of petty crime. Never could she repay the debts she owed them for all they did to save her from her own idiotic actions in the past. But in their wake, she would do everything in her power to avenge them, and she would never let go of their spirits and influence over her. Bisharp pushed past the Weavile blocking his path, marching down the sandy dungeon''s dark and narrow hallway. Reaching the open doorway that led outside, he hesitated walking through, his frustrations over the Ice-type boiling over as he turned around. A mixture of emotions was present on his face, and he directed them at the enraged Weavile. "... When my father died in that avalanche, I felt what you went through, Weav''s. But I didn''t go after the Pokemon that caused it, because my dad was always about saving Pokemon from themselves." He inhaled, enclosing a fist. "... I chose to leave with you and start this clan not to appease your revenge, but to figure out what the guild couldn''t." Before he left, he spared a parting glance. "Me and them? We were alike; we saw the forest for the trees. At the end of the day, it''s still your decision, Weav''s." He left, leaving the seething Pokemon to stew in her own thoughts. Weavile wanted to chase after him and lash at him with her own thoughts, but couldn''t, her hind claws dug into the ground. What Bisharp was asking of her seemed unreasonable and illogical of her to commit to. Why should she care if the Pokemon that wronged her was still out there? Why should she care for the ''truth of this world'' if it fulfilled nothing in her heart? Yet, the emboldened hopes and theories of her deceased comrades stirred that sense of wonder they helped bring out of her long ago. Something that lurked in the shadows of her desires of revenge. Swallowing down her rage and memories of the past, she followed after her close friend co-captain. Emerging into the cold desert''s veil of night, she advanced past the Pokemon stationed to guard the two prisoners and towards the Honchkrow that blended in with the dusk. Bisharp was waiting for her there, eyeing her in a perplexed manner that undoubtedly judged her future actions. She shot him a friendly glare in return, earning a small smirk from the Steel-type. As they hopped onto their avian ally and took off in silence back to their hideout, the barely audible noise of quiet footsteps were lost on the mercenary guards protecting the aged dungeon. Grizzled looking Pokemon with rifles around their backs crept around the structure''s edges, making sure not a glimpse of the rose embedded breastplates they wore were seen.
Monferno lurked by the doorway that led into a small closeted area of the large building they were all crammed into. Scratching the bandaged areas on his arms and face, the wounds from his fight with the Legendary earlier weren''t severe at all, but they sure did leave some lasting pain. ''Stupid Shaymin¡­'' Leafeon attempted searching for Shaymin in the town following her heated departure, but after finding nothing, most assumed she ditched the guild altogether. And with only a few hours left before the guild was to make their decision to leave or stay, the majority had already decided on leaving. However, there was one Pokemon Monferno had not heard from yet - his partner, Braixen. Hovering his outstretched hand over the doorknob, he sucked in his fears and doubts and twisted the knob. Carefully opening the door, he peered inside the ''study hall'', noting the bookshelves lining the wooden and a desk at the end of the room. As he entered and walked in, his gaze was solely trained on someone else entirely. Braixen was hunched over the desk, diligently scribbling away on a piece of paper illuminated by the orange glow of a nearby lamp. She seemed to be too ingrained to notice the creaking of wood behind her, a trail of sweat sliding down her face as she breathed in a sigh. "Hey." She nearly dropped the quill in her grasp, whipping her head around to suddenly recognize the smirking features of her partner. "You scared me! But, um, what''s up? Do you need me to reapply your bandages?" He waved a hand. "Nah. But I did come here to say thanks for assisting me in that fight. For one small ''mon, that bi- Shaymin¡­ can hit pretty hard." She smiled, her bushy tail giving a slight wag. "... Thanks. But really, you shouldn''t have attacked her like that, even if she insulted me." "She called you ''stuffy'' and my ''girlfriend'', Braix. I''m sure you''d lay the beatdown on someone if they called me a prick or your boyfriend." She let loose a small chuckle. "Maybe not to that extreme, Mony, but I do understand why you felt the need to protect our honor like that." He''d always known Braixen to be the professional type, and it was a trait she wanted others around her to see her as in public. Even when he was just a Chimchar and she a Fennekin, the kit was always out to prove her capabilities to her parents, while he just wanted to keep on playing with no thought of his future. This air of sophistication only grew once they formed a team and joined the guild, strengthening once Braixen became Hatterene''s apprentice as an assistant nurse. Always so busy with training - never around to just be friends and hang out or do missions together. In private, she could be her natural self, the one that Monferno knew so well. Yet, it always remained in her tone, and it felt somewhat belittling to him. But he knew that past this respectable persona she had crafted, she was the same playful and friendly Fennekin from his youth. "So," Monferno began, leaning his back up against the desk. "Who''re you writing to? Your parents?" Her slightly happy expression faded. "... Yes. I wanted to write them before the expedition began, but the Guildmaster sprung into it so soon and I¡­" She sighed again, releasing built up frustrations. "I just don''t know how to tell them about this, Mony. How can anyone? These aren''t just simple outlaws - these are hardened criminals trained to kill!" Monferno wet his lips, preparing to ask the question she eluded beforehand. "Then what is it you''re doing? Are you staying¡­ or leaving?" The dreaded answer continued to tighten the pit in his stomach. Braixen didn''t respond for a brief few moments, clenching the quill. "I think¡­ I think I''m going to leave the guild." She looked up at him. "I admire everything about the guild''s mission and cause, but this is too much for me, Mony. Even if I''ve striven to become a field nurse, something like this that can jeopardize my future or life isn''t the right way¡­" He wished he could consider this a surprise, but knowing the fiery fox for so long, it wasn''t something he was shocked to hear. She had a future ahead of her, a pure reputation to maintain - the Guildmaster''s brash ultimatum and lack of care for their input proved too much for her to handle. Braixen dropped the quill back into the ink bottle, scrunching up her paper. "My parents would never want me doing something like this, and I just have to follow what they set out for me." She looked up at him. "But first I need to know¡­ What are you going to do?" A battle was taking place in Monferno''s head, one of which where both sides were at a stalemate. There were positive and negative factors involved, but one deterrent against leaving was returning home, and that terrified him. "Dunno, Braix." He crossed his arms, mock contemplating. "Might just have to see what the others decide. But after all we''ve been through here¡­ this is it for you? You''re not gonna miss patching up Mightyena every week?" he wryly joked. She nodded in sadness, standing up from her seat. "We''ll always be Team Blazingheart, Mony, but not with this guild. I''m sure we can find another guild to join, or become an independent exploration team!" she exclaimed, trying to find hope in this situation. "Uh, yeah, maybe¡­" Despite her best efforts to keep his spirits high, he knew there was little opportunity for him beyond this guild. She was the sole reason he was accepted into it in the first place, and continuing to coast off her success didn''t sit right with him. She was clearly going places, and it didn''t look like that was also in his cards. They were long-time best friends. They were partners of a team. But there was an invisible divide present between them. Unraveling the Cosmic Scarf wrapped around her neck, Braixen observed it with both fondness and immense sorrow. She then slowly handed it over to Monferno, who reluctantly grabbed it from her paws. Just like that, her time in the guild was over. "... I hope you do leave, Mony. Fighting against these mercenaries is far too dangerous for any of us, not even counting what the Council might label us as. I know we can do successful things outside the guild." He didn''t respond, biting his tongue as he looked at the scarf. "I''m sure Hatterene can write you a nice letter of recommendation for ya. At least you''ll get some use out of these few years, y''know?" Braixen shut her eyes and leaned in to hug the primate. He accepted it, holding her close with a blank expression on his face. She eventually broke the embrace, gracefully walking towards the open doorway and turning around once she was in the hallway. "Maybe I''ll see you along with the others who are leaving by the Mudsdale'' carriages?" She wore a weak smile. "I still want to see you again regardless of what you choose. But¡­ please be wise about this, Mony." And then she was gone, leaving him behind with just a memento of her mark on the guild. He stood in silence, squeezing the scarf in dissatisfaction. ''Fucking idiot,'' he muttered to himself in his mind. ''I should have said something else to her¡­ anything.'' But there was nothing he could do, and so he walked out of the study hall, sluggishly wandering back to their sole dorm room with a certain numbness staining his feelings. He didn''t know whether to be sad that she was leaving, or happy that she was free to do whatever she wanted now. Regardless, he was alone in his next decision. After reaching the dorm''s entrance and opening, he wished to crash upon his bed and take a nap to reset his scrambled brain. But upon trudging inward, he caught a glimpse of a small puppy Pokemon curled up in his bottom bunk - Rockruff, sulking by himself and noticeably more quiet than usual. Monferno fought off a sigh, "... What''s up, Rockruff." The Rock-type slowly found his gaze. "Oh¡­ hey. What''s up?" he said, lacking any past enthusiasm. Digging the inside of his cheek, Monferno plodded over and sat on the same bunk Rockruff was currently occupying. "... So, are you moping around here ''til we''re forced to decide? Where''s Mightyena and Purrloin at?" Rockruff sniffled. "They''re, um, buying some things for when they return back home." "Guessin'' they''re leaving the guild?" "Yeah¡­" Rockruff''s attention shifted to the neckwear the Fire-type held. "Whose scarf is that?" "... Braixen''s. She just left the guild." "R-really?" Rockruff was stunned, sympathy mixing in with his pouting. "I always thought you two were a really good pair. You''re still friends and teammates though, right?" "Sure were, I guess, and yeah, we are." Monferno went silent, still clutching the scarf in his grasp. Both of them were far from close friends, yet here they were, both without the teammates that brought them to this guild. It was a day ago that they were happy and excited for this new expedition, and now things seemed to have taken a turn for the worst. "Thank you for, um, sticking up for me," Rockruff suddenly mumbled. "Even if we don''t get along that well." "No problem." Rockruff bit his lip. "If you don''t care about me asking, can you tell me why you did it?" "Honestly? I don''t really know. I just¡­ I just saw you getting berated like that and I couldn''t take it." Monferno tightened his grip on the scarf, anger boiling inside him. "I know how it feels. Getting told how useless you are compared to others, and that you''ll never amount to anything." Rockruff bowed his head."... Is it true what she said about me? That everyone finds me annoying?" Monferno shrugged halfheartedly. "Listen, I can''t speak for everyone, but you can be freaking irritating when you bounce around the guild and won''t shut up about your clan or some random story." The puppy''s ears wilted. "Oh¡­ well, at least you''re honest about it. I guess I can be annoying and stuff, because my own pack mates used to tell me that." ''For good reason I bet¡­'' Monferno muttered in his mind, before cursing at his wandering thoughts. He was trying to be nice and forget all his past grievances with the Pokemon. "They used to call me useless, too," Rockruff continued, his tone despondent. "Said I could never lead a pack, and then the pack leader even told me to leave because of my behavior." "And that''s how you met Purrloin''s team, huh?" "Yeah. They picked me up to join their team after I got kicked out. Told me I could join the guild and prove myself to be a true leader of my own clan one day." Rockruff sniffled again, wiping his wet cheeks with a paw. "But Shaymin''s right¡­ I never really have accomplished anything in the guild besides being dead weight." "And neither has she," Monferno countered. "She''s always been the slacker around here." ''And I guess I''d be that second slacker¡­'' the Fire-type quickly noted. "I know right?!" Rockruff blurted out, before frowning. "It''s just¡­ It''s hard to stand out and prove yourself when you don''t have anything special about yourself, y''know? Compared to the others in the guild, I''m really nothing¡­" "Yeah." Everything Rockruff was telling him, Monferno could relate to, not that he would tell him. He had always unknowingly compared himself to others, even before he joined the guild. It only seemed to worsen after he helped Team Requiem join, and how far they had surpassed him in the eyes of his superiors, despite his presence at the guild for numerous years. He began to silently despise them for that fact, even if it wasn''t their fault to begin with. It was like he provided nothing to this world, a useless fixture to forever exist in the background. "But you know what?!" Rockruff exclaimed, hopping out of his curled up position. "I''m not gonna let her words get to me! That''s why I''m staying, even if my teammates leave! To prove to her and anyone that doubts me that I can be an awesome leader to any Pokemon out there and show them I have what it takes!" "Well, at least you''re in good spirits again." "What about you? Are you going to stay?" "... I don''t really have a choice. It''s either stay, or return home to face my mother." Monferno sharply inhaled as trauma he''s long since buried tried to unearth itself in his mind. "And there''s no way I can do that. So yeah, I''m staying." Rockruff nudged his shoulder, a grin on his face. "Maybe we can form a new team together? Whaddya think?" Monferno cracked a slight smirk. "Don''t get your hopes up¡­" Perhaps he wanted to stay to avoid the consequences of returning home, or perhaps he wanted to stay because he wanted to still prove to himself and others that he also had what it takes. To feel a sense of worth he hasn''t felt for as long as he could remember. ''And I have to do all of this fighting without you by my side, Braix?'' Looking down again at the scarf he bunched up in his palms, he continued to scold himself for failing to somehow convince her to stay, while he was so unsure himself. But from what she told him, he had one more chance to not screw things again and divide their friendship even further. If she was there for him again, then maybe it could give him the extra push to be better and do better. ''You''ve got one more chance at this, asshole, and then it''s over.''
Garchomp was dumbfounded by what he was implying, speechless as the Bug-type slowly moved past her to rest his red pincers on the porch''s wooden railing. "What are you trying to say, Scizor?" He looked out to the sunset that fell upon the town, mind calculating his next response as he came face to face with reality. He couldn''t keep this to himself forever, and neither could he leave a friend in the dark for so long anymore. "... It happened one morning when me and Charmeleon went to the surrounding shores of the village." Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. "That''s when we found him - resting on the beach - alive, but left by himself." Garchomp cocked her head. "You met Jackson lying on a beach? Not as children?" The official story she and the rest of the world had given was that the three members of Team Moonlight were childhood friends, and formed their famous team after the annihilation of Areos Village by the ley lines. It was this almost legendary tale that inspired her to leave her own village, and never did she imagine her team would reach Team Moonlight''s fame. To hear that it was all a fabrication felt like a serious blow to her own childhood, yet it intrigued her. "He was alone, confused, and lost. He had zero memory of his past, except the name of ''Jackson'' echoing in his head. We¡­ We were just teenagers, and we had no idea how to help him, but we still wanted to help him recover his memories." "Amnesia," she concluded. "There were no family or past friends of his you could have found?" Team Drarosteel had run-ins with Pokemon who partially lost bits of their memory across the numerous jobs and adventures they embarked on. They had never encountered someone who had total amnesia, but here was a case she has been blind to for over two decades. "Nothing. He was a total ghost; no family or friends that knew who he was in the village. It was just like he came into existence. Even after we formed Team Moonlight, we didn''t stop trying to find out who he was, but nothing came up." Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "But you still decided to keep it a secret from everyone?" she questioned. "Why keep it a secret from me and everyone else that cared for him?" Scizor batted his pincers together, clenching and opening them repeatedly. "... It was Jackson''s wish for Pokemon not to know, and we agreed with him. Once our team became world famous and Jackson stepped up as an official leader, we wanted to protect our reputation. Even now, he doesn''t want anyone to know his true past." Garchomp approached him in a conflicted state. "Then why are you telling me this? After all this time, why now?" He turned around, meeting her stare with his usual stark expression. "Because I''ve guarded this secret for twenty five years and I cannot lie to you anymore. As much as I want to respect Jackson''s wishes, I cannot lose my friendship with you and your team over his actions. But... that''s not all I''ve kept quiet about; I do know when Jackson''s behavior shifted." This truly caught her attention. "I noticed his change after our first expedition to Celestial Mountain ended, and through all the years of the guild. He grew distant, more angry, and withheld certain information from us," Scizor explained, digging up painful memories. "There were days where he wouldn''t eat or would leave unexpectedly; times I would enter his office to see it completely dismantled by his paws; large amounts of Pok¨¦ I''ve seen vanish from our paperwork without explanation." Garchomp absorbed his almost rant of past events in a daze. She always knew the Lucario she initially met was so different from the one in the present, but not to this extreme that Scizor has endured over the years. It only served to anger her more, and the fact he was only telling her this now was worrying. "You never confronted him about his behavior? Not once?" she asked incredulously. "How can you still trust him if he can''t trust you or anyone close to him?" He flinched at her tone, yet remained stout. "I''ve considered it, but... I''ve always been loyal to Jackson. His leadership combined with my role as an advisor and researcher has gotten the guild this far. He and Charizard are my closest friends, Garchomp, and I can''t turn my back on them." Garchomp wanted to admonish her friend for lying or for sticking by such a Pokemon, but past all her frustrations of being left ignorant, she still had her respect for him. "And I''m guessing that''s why you''re accepting his plans to fight these mercenaries?" "You know I would never concoct a plan as violent and perilous. Still, it''s a plan you need to realize is our only chance at obtaining what could get us further towards our goal. Jackson knows we are at the crux, and we have to keep fighting, no matter what the Council or anyone thinks." "And what about you? You''re ready to face the consequences of what you might start?" Scizor nodded, "I have researched the Mystery Dungeons for the majority of my life. I may hesitate briefly, but I do everything in my power to avenge the lives of any and all throughout the years that have been stolen by the ley lines. To that end, I will no doubt put my life on the line to achieve justice for all Pokemon on this earth." Such a powerful proclamation from the Bug-type made the dragoness go quiet in thought. Resting her talons on the wooden railing, she made a final contemplation of her decision. "Wow¡­ That''s the type of nobleness I''ve always known you for. Still makes me fired up to tear through the opposition." She chuckled cheerlessly, viewing the blazing orange horizon. "And you want my team to go through with this plan, despite the consequences?" "You are just a part of this quest for the truth of this world as me or anyone in the guild, Garchomp. Look past the risks and see the grand scheme of things." The castigating Jackson had lashed her with resurfaced in her thoughts again. Perhaps he was correct, and her team only cared for the limelight and saw contemporary matters as more important, instead of focusing on preserving this world for the next generation. She had always prided herself on being a role model and not letting fear or complacency deter her, but here she was. The world stopped for no one as she would say, and who was she to get in the way of its motions. It was time for her to finally commit to this life long prospect that only her idols brought to her attention. "You have to promise me one thing," she said. "Promise me that after this expedition ends, you won''t hesitate to confront Jackson. I''m not asking you to make him step down, but his psyche has clearly deteriorated over the years. You should be a team and he''s alienating you and the rest of the guild." "I¡­ I agree with your terms. I''ll do it." Garchomp could only wonder if this ''second location'' would truly change the tide of their battle against the ley lines. She and the world had grown complacent with them before, but now it was time to take charge and fight back. "All right, I made my decision."
It was approaching his selected time. Jackson silently admired the twinkling stars in the sky that gradually revealed more and more of the blanket of limitless space, eliminating the scarlet skyline as the sun was covered by the night''s darkness. Wearing a small smile, he could have stared at this fantastic view for hours, if only he had his telescope with him. However, the flickering of the orange ring across his paw erased his mild enjoyment. There was no avoiding this outcome, and he had to weed out the unwilling. Stepping up the stone stairs to the Grit Ruin Excavator''s building, he threw open the double doors and marched in. The foyer was chock full of Pokemon, be it the numerous amounts of Drillbur, Gurrdurr, and other Ground-types'' that crowded the walls - or the members of the guild that stood at the end of the chamber in their usual morning routine positions. Team Drarosteel, Scizor, Charizard, and Excadrill were waiting for him just a few feet in front of the guild members, Garchomp staring at in him with a mix of both apprehension and confidence. He stared back, challenging her intent and mettle with his own steely gaze. She had opposed his ultimatum, but still stood here today, telling him everything he needed to know. Standing before his guild, he scrutinized their blank faces as they looked at him, wondering what thoughts lay in their heads. He crossed his arms behind his back, ready to voice his ultimatum once more. "I understand that yesterday and today have been very stressful and turbulent for you all, but this is where we settle this debate. All of you were accepted into this prestigious guild to help us complete our mission in removing the ley lines from the world, and all of you have done very well in helping us chip at that dream of a better tomorrow free from Mystery Dungeons." Guild members exchanged looks and quietly murmured to themselves. "That''s why we must make difficult choices, because truly, we are saving the world from an impending disaster - a disaster it is unaware of. That''s why it''s imperative for us to not bend the knee to anyone or anything that threatens our cause." He suddenly shifted his attention to Excadrill''s Pokemon in the back of the foyer. "Workers! Are you with me?" he yelled. ''YEAH!" they screamed back in unison, nearly shaking the room in their clamor. Jackson refocused his attention on his guild. "These Pokemon and the members of my guild that seek to stay are willing to fight, even if laws of society standing in place would prevent them. So¡­ if you wish to stay in the Cosmic Quilt Guild and continue our mission, please step forward." From all the Pokemon present, Liam, Gloria, Roark, Monferno, and Rockruff all stepped forward and remained behind their Guildmaster. The five would send each other mixed emotions, but Gloria''s horror was the most noticeable. They were the only ones to act, the remaining Pok¨¦mon making their decision very clear to Jackson. "¡­ Along with Braixen and Shaymin, who have already left, the rest of you will be required to turn in your scarves and other guild property." He swept an arm to the building''s entrance. "The Mudsdale'' carriages outside will remain for an hour, then they will take you back to the guild to pack your belongings." Gloria could only watch as the Pok¨¦mon she grew to call close friends slowly began to leave - petrified at this reality. Past the constriction of sadness in her chest, a strange but inviting feeling began to well up. Her pounding heart told her to abide and be content with this outcome, yet she just couldn''t. Running in front of her Guildmaster, she raised her voice to stop their attempts to leave. "Everyone listen! Don''t leave!" Her efforts stalled her exiting comrades as they stopped to look at her, exasperation on her face. "Are you all seriously going to throw away this opportunity?! Haven''t you all heard what happened to the Guildmaster''s home village? Doesn''t the thought of your own friends and families ending up gone just like that get you motivated to fight?" she cried out, almost choking up at the end. Gloria didn''t stop there, stamping a paw onto the floorboards. "It''s our duty to prove to the Pokemon all around the globe of this danger! And prove to them we can really be true heroes and save the world from the ley lines! This isn''t glory that you can turn your back on, or a danger you think can just go away! None of the problems that us Pokemon deal with can go away if nobody acts on them! I can''t... I can''t deal with you all leaving and giving up. I..." Seeing the Vulpix mumble and squirm over her next words, Liam immediately took charge and stepped forward to emit his own improvised speech. "She''s right, everyone! If the Mystery Dungeons continue to take over this world, then there''ll be nothing left of it for the Pokemon of the future!" He raised a paw to his chest to amend his thrashing heart. "I''ve seen so little of Celestic so far, but its natural beauty makes me want to keep adventuring and exploring all over the world! But if all of its beauty were to vanish in time¡­ then what world are we leaving behind for our loved ones? That''s why we need to fight these mercenaries, because it''s the right thing to do!" He stole a glance over at Gloria - she had her eyes glued to the floor, shuffling her paws together in discomfort. Jackson noticed the duo''s silence, retaking the spotlight of attention as he raised his arms up and shouted at the top of his lungs. "EVERYONE! NOW YOU SEE WHY WE MUST FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE! KNOWING THIS, WHERE DO YOU STAND NOW?" Amidst the silence following his words, a guild member hesitantly made her back to the group - Leafeon - she spoke. "... After hearing that, even if Shaymin is no longer here to complete Team Evergreen, I understand now that our mission is more important than legality. I''m staying." More and more guild members eventually returned, grouping up with the rest. Staravia flapped his wings, "I g-guess me and Joltik w-were being selfish and not considering the g-guild''s goal, r-right, Joltik?" A shrill screeching noise came from the yellow ball of fur on his back, affirming his remark. Purrloin harrumphed. "It would be¡­ unwise to just let the world crumble like a cookie. E-especially if there''s more Pok¨¦ to be made!" she quickly added. "Team Nightshade would be famous world wide if we destroyed all the Mystery Dungeons!" Mightyena yipped, his black tail wagging. "I bet we''d also be super rich, too!" "I know the guild still needs my electrical assistance, and I''ll just have to keep providing!" Minun added to the fray of intermixing voices. Jackson raised his voice again, overlapping those talking. "EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM! ARE YOU READY FOR WHAT COMES NEXT?" "YEAH!" The boom of the workers, including all of the guild, resounded through the lobby. Excadrill took this as his time to kickstart his own spiel, straightening his tie and speaking up. "All righty, glad Jack''s crew got things sorted out, ''cause now it''s time to dig in our claws and show those mercs a resistance they won''t forget!" He meandered over to a wall in the room that displayed a large paper map of the Grit Region. "Gather ''round, y''all! I reckon you''re gonna wanna catch all the details of this." With newfound invigoration, everyone heeded the mole''s words as he tapped a location north of Sanctus Town. The small scribbles etched onto the map indicated a large hole into the earth where Excadrill pointed to. "After doing our preparations, we''ll take a bumpy trip up north to my team''s base of operations and get ready for our offensive." He chuckled, throwing a look behind him at the guild members. "Y''all will be taught what Entercards are and how to use ''em there; they''ll be crucial to retake that doggone ancient castle." Garchomp smirked a little. "Sneak attack, I presume? If they have rifles, we can avoid as little danger as possible." The Ground-type jabbed a claw at her and grinned. "Right on! But Jack and I agree that it''s not gonna be so easily done¡­" "We''ll still need to account for Pokemon of the Rose Clan that aren''t stationed at Regi Castle," Scizor dutifully added. As Excadrill and other Pokemon commenced in a back and forth of logistics and plan outlining, Liam felt a pointy tap on his shoulder. Glancing to his side, he caught a glimpse of a rather pumped yet slightly worried Roark. "Great performance from you two," the fox whispered into his ear. "And I hate to grab your attention from this boring meeting, but you know where Gloria went? She kinda just left after her epic speech and all." Liam was puzzled but also amazed by her sudden actions, and could only wonder why she would just leave a briefing. "Sure," he whispered back, replacing his excitement with curiously. The Riolu waded through his now animated comrades and the ocean of Excadrill''s workers that crowded the room. Once finally into the hallways of the building, he took the stairs and entered the sole dorm the guild was given and expected to find the Vulpix in their shared bunk - but there was no sign of her. Knowing his partner best, he reached the small closet, opening the door to it and stepping inside. Other than the small amount of bookshelves lining the wall and a single desk, his eyes snapped to the lone form of Gloria seated onto the floor and silently reading from an open book. "I knew you''d be in here," Liam said with a smile, walking over to her. "Why''d you just leave suddenly?" It wasn''t unlike her to occasionally leave and catch up on her readings alone, but something about her demeanor seemed off to him. She seemed disturbed, like she was pushing herself to read and ignore her surroundings. Gloria eventually looked up, forcing a smile. "Hey, I, um, just wanted to read up on the history of Regi Castle." She pushed the book forward, attempting to ignore her feelings. "Look here! It says that the king of Celestic got help from Zygarde of all Pokemon to create protectors for this castle from just clay, ice, and magma. It''s, uh, really cool... huh?" "Um, yeah." He got closer, analyzing her shifty movements. "Why are you acting so weird? I mean, Gloria, you just gave that awesome speech out there! You and I just convinced our friends to stick with the guild! Aren''t you ecstatic?" She inhaled, nervously exhaling. "I want to be, but¡­ I don''t think I said all of that just to motivate them." "Can you tell me what''s wrong?" "... I don''t know if I should," she squeaked out as she cradled her necklace to her neck, beginning to shiver. "You won''t consider me p-pathetic if I tell you?" her voice cracked near the end. Liam closed the distance between them, sympathy and confusion on his face. "Gloria¡­ I would never do that. Tell me what''s wrong." Out of the blue, the Vulpix tackled him into a hug, unabashed tears free to slide down her cheeks as she held him tight. He was absolutely bewildered by this action, but didn''t make any effort to break out of the embrace as Gloria began sobbing and hyperventilating. "I¡­ don''t¡­ want to see my f-friends leave me," she cried pitifully, squeezing him so he couldn''t move. "Please, I''ve had to watch e-everyone close in my life disappear¡­ Please promise that you or R-roark won''t leave me too; I don''t want that ever again." Liam was silent out of shock as she continued to mumble hushed phrases through her sobs. He held her closely, however, reassuring her through physical means. He could only wonder where this side of her spontaneously erupted from. But from her own plea of Pokemon leaving her life, he could deduce that she was keeping something painful hidden away from him. Something that he could relate to undoubtedly, and he had to convince her that everything would be fine, just had to convince himself in the past. "I promise," the Riolu said softly and sincerely.
''It''s now or never, I guess.'' Opening the double doors, Monferno jogged down the stone stairs and into the night hanging over Sanctus Town. Sure enough, he could spot the carriages that brought them here, stationary on the empty cobblestone streets. He squinted at them and could see an orange figure aboard one. ''That''s gotta be her¡­'' Fumbling with the Cosmic Scarf in his hands, he hastened his pace and strode over to the carriages. A Braixen wearing a nurse''s armband was seated, looking around and rubbing her paws together in anxiousness. She would eventually spot Monferno just a few feet away from her, exchanging stares as she smiled slightly at him. ''Don''t screw this up, asshole.'' He climbed and jumped over the railing, taking a seat next to his partner. "So¡­ what''s up?" "One of the Mudsdale''s told me they''re taking me back in an hour." She bit her lip, sending a glance towards the large building again. "Where are the others who are leaving? And¡­ are you leaving too?" "Nobody else is leaving, Braix. And nah, I''ve made my choice to stay and fight. It''s only you and Shaymin who are leaving." She tensed up. "... S-so you came to say goodbye, right?" The primate fell silent, releasing a long-drawn-out sigh. "Nah. I came here to convince you to stay." "Mony, you know I can''t-" "I know, I know," he interrupted, scratching his itchy bandages. "I know you don''t want to stay and risk everything, but¡­ I think it''s actually in your best interests to stay in the guild." "You really think that?" Monferno nodded, chuckling faintly. "Team Requiem gave a speech a few hours ago, and it really opened my eyes; made me want to stay with the guild." It was a lie; he had already planned to stay to avoid going home, but he felt it was necessary to tell her this to reel her senses back in. His comrades had been convinced by the guild''s ambition, Braixen being the outlier, and he needed to show her that she couldn''t throw this opportunity away. "Braix¡­ You can prove to be so much more than just a nurse. Saving the world? I mean, if you wanted to help Pokemon as a nurse, then why not be the next best thing - a hero. You''d have your name known all around the world, y''know? This whole thing with the ley lines and that all junk is more important than a simple job." Braixen shook her head, frazzled by his claims. Being a nurse out in the field was always what she desired, and what was drilled into her by her mother and father at a young age. The thought of being more than that, while tantalizing, felt unattainable by her own skills or image. She had succeeded in her brief few years at the guild, yet there was always a limit to one''s success. "Even if I wanted more, my parents would never accept me doing this." "Hell, I say who cares what they think. You''re your own ''mon, and you should decide for yourself." He swallowed his remaining inhibition. "And besides¡­ I can''t ever see myself doing much without you by my side, even if we''re going different directions in life." It was the crux of his argument, and the truth he could never admit to her. Despite all the hope he wanted to still have, he never would be where he was today if it weren''t for her pivotal role as his best friend in this dysfunctional partnership. He had never succeeded at anything in his brief few years at guild, yet he wanted another chance to prove he wasn''t a failure. Braixen looked at him, forcing down her own aversion. "Do you really think this is better for me?" "I mean, it''s your decision, Braixen." Opening his palms, he handed over the bunched up Cosmic Scarf he held. "And have I ever lied to you before?" She formed a small grin at his slight sarcasm, already thinking of past memories one might consider bad, but she found them fond. Peaceful reticence enveloped the carriage as they both watched the stars and the moon, Braixen calculating all possibilities in her head. She then grabbed the scarf as he shot her a knowing look and bumped her shoulder. "Is the Guildmaster still awake?" she questioned, wrapping the scarf around her neck. Monferno let out a sigh of relief. He considered himself lucky to mend Team Blazingheart back together, and he knew it it would only be tested further in time.
Shaymin hurtled through the cloudy midnight skies in no clear direction, the cold wind striking and soothing her charred and blackened fur, but never easing the pure anger that flooded her entire being. ''Fuck ''em. Fuck all of ''em.'' The Legendary''s decision to leave had already been decided after the Guildmaster''s ultimatum, but the straw that broke the Camerupt''s back was the scuffle she had with Monferno. She was done after all the years of apathy she felt for the guild. No longer was she going to be subjected to to whims of another Pokemon''s goal. ''Wherever I go from, it''ll be far away from that dump.'' It didn''t matter where she was - the guild or her role back in the Shaymin Village - it all only continued to fuel her hatred of the authority that controlled it and all those that just accepted it like Mareep. She had no direction to follow, but her heart told her to go anywhere that allowed her to be free and fly with zero agency hovering over her. ''What I would give for just a bright day for once.'' Through the harsh winds, her ears pricked up at the sound of harsh crackling through her flowing saddlebag. Mumbling obscenities to herself, she slowed down and glided down to the earth, her paws eventually meeting the freezing sand. ''Better be an apology or a lump sum of payment for my efforts¡­'' Opening up her saddlebag, she pulled out her ELE just as it began emitting a voice - one that was very recognizable to Shaymin. "Shaymin¡­ can you hear me?" Shaymin hung her head, at least happy to hear from the only Pokemon she could consider a friend in the guild. Summoning her plentiful courage, she flicked the switch on the Minun-like device''s side and spoke into its speaker. "Sup, Leafy. How ya doin''?" Leafeon''s response was quick and concerned. "Where are you? I couldn''t find you in town and I was worried your mood would get you arrested by the guards." Shaymin smirked. "As if they could catch someone as good at flying as me." "Are you really going to leave like this? I know you didn''t like stuff about the guild, but the Guildmaster valued you as a member just like everyone else." Anger leaked into the Legendary''s scratchy voice. "Pfft, as if! All he wanted was to know about the Legendaries and where they hole up their miserable little shrines. I was just a library on legs to that bloody slave driver." "Shaymin, I''ve worked hard to introduce you to Celestic, and I''ve been very patient with you throughout our relationship. You need to come back so we can fix this with everyone." "Are ya serious right now, Leafy? Didn''t you blokes just say you were gonna leave?" "... Me and the others realized the guild''s goal is too noble to just give up on." Her tone shifted to one of beseechment. "Please¡­ Please make the right decision and come back." Shaymin wished to respond, but something above in the skies that caught her eye replaced her mellowness back with rage. "... I''ll have to talk to ya in a sec," she mumbled, flicking the ELE''s switch and tossing it into her saddlebag. A trail of sparkling gold and other colors of a full rainbow came from the tail end of a large avian in the sky. Its wings of scarlet red and regal gold flapped in unison as it zoomed across the sky. There was no doubt in Shaymin''s mind that the Pokemon was the same one she knew - Ho-Oh. "No way¡­ HEY!" To see a ghost from her past, she rocketed into the sky and began to chase after the Legendary. It seemed a fruitless effort as her speeds couldn''t match the Ho-Oh''s, but she tried nonetheless. "Get back here!" she yelled at the empty heavens before her. She flew in the Legendary''s direction for a few minutes, before looking down to see a collection of ruins and strange farmland built in the middle of a bustling oasis filled with palm trees, small lakes, and crops. "That bastard''s gotta be down there¡­ somewhere." Gliding down into the array of strange structures, she whipped her gaze around the area once landing. While there was no sign of the rainbow winged Legendary, she did notice something very peculiar; there were numerous effigies and grand paintings of a Pokemon on numerous structures. ''All of ''em are about Landorus in this munted place. Is this a Legendary shrine? They''re usually this ugly...'' Before she could investigate further, footsteps in the dark sent her own alert. Emerging from all sides, Pokemon shrouded in darkness and wearing breastplates with a rose inscribed into them began to creep into her view, glaring daggers at the intruder. "What''s up with you guys?" Shaymin questioned, sporting a smirk. "Don''t tell me Landorus makes you poor blokes dress up like for worshippin''." Shaymin never got a response as they inched closer, the moonlight overhead now revealing the rifles they carried now pointed straight at her. She froze in fear, mind battling with her body''s instincts to fly away. But she knew if she did, she would be shot before she could even lift a paw off the ground. "Uh¡­ you lads mind pointin'' them things away from me?" she muttered out to no response, backing up as a Golduck broke from the encirclement and walked up to her. "Personal space, mate! Can''t you just let me-" The butt end of a rifle smashed into her skull, turning everything in her vision to black.
Cracks in the stone walls and ceiling of the dungeon allowed traces of the moon''s influence to creep into the empty structure, feeding through the openings of a steel grate and letting its rays fall upon the two prisoners trapped at the bottom of a dark, dank pit. Gallade fought off sleep as he stared upward at the small glimpses of the outside world they could see. He waited for any sign of movement above, any pitter patter of distant footsteps, but none would come - they were truly alone in this ancient keep. A flash of light and a humming noise to his left would shatter his focus, looking over to see his partner attempt to light up his body. "C''mon, c''mon," Heliolisk said to himself, his body flickering. Gallade watched his attempts, finding small entertainment in doing so. "Still afraid of the dark after all these years?" "You know me," the Electric-type grumbled. "I''ve never liked it." Heliolisk''s body eventually lit up in a yellow radiance and provided a small radius of light to their surroundings. It reminded Gallade of a much darker time in their lives, where a Ralt''s and a Helioptile huddled together in the pitch-black alleys for warmth and survival. It was never easy, and there was never a day they wished for a better life, but they persevered by themselves to get where they were today. "... Sorry." Gallade glanced at him. "For what?" "Sorry for potentially messing things up with the Council. And¡­ sorry for being such a coward back there; not putting up a fight against those bastards." There were things about Heliolisk''s demeanor that irked him, but it was neither the time nor place to mention it. He had noticed it, and would have to bring it up another day, if they were to see one. "You don''t need to apologize. We got ambushed, and I also failed in my duties," he lamented. "Regardless, we have bigger things to worry about." Heliolisk flexed his digits, anger still present inside him. "That Weavile¡­ She said she knew a commander. Do you think she meant the one who deserted or Commander Blaz-" "I don''t know," Gallade said, befuddled and concerned. "But those captains'' aren''t just normal hired mercenaries out for money; they''re trying to tear us down for a reason that I can''t figure out." If the Allfather''s claims were true, and this Razor Claw clan was interfering with them for years, then it had to be something serious. Perhaps it was just money or for extortion, but he could feel their conviction, and it continued to puzzle him as to where they got their knowledge and resolve. "Do you think there''s a way we can escape?" Heliolisk wondered. "Maybe contact the commander or the Allfather so we can fight back against both of these clans?" Gallade knew they had to get out of the captains'' grasp if they were to complete their mission. By orders, they were sent to negotiate the release of someplace called ''Regi Castle'' from the Rose Clan. If their plea was ignored, then the Allfather wanted the full force of the Council and the Alignment to descend upon the fortress. Heliolisk hated this pointless conflict, but Gallade knew there had to be a justification for the castle''s safeguard. Orders were orders. "I think so," Gallade responded, deep in thought. "I saw where that Weavile stored our Entercards. If we can get to that saddlebag of hers¡­ that will be our ticket out." "How are we gonna do that? These guys would never keep an eye off us." "We gain their trust. Say what''s necessary, then plan our escape." Heliolisk rubbed his claws together. "If we continue to tell them things, and we do manage to escape, do you think the Allfather would really¡­" His words trailed off, but Gallade knew what he was referring to. Punishment was commonplace back home, and there were days where the streets were filled with the screams of Pokemon being dragged out of their homes. He knew, because he had participated in the acts of catharsis, even if he found no joy in doing so. Anything that risked toppling what they had created over multiple millennia wasn''t to be trifled with. Gallade stayed silent, unsure, but hopeful their fates would never come to that if they were to return. "It''s weird to say, but I''m starting to get homesick," Heliolisk admitted. "My little brother is probably wondering where I am¡­ or he''s chewing up all his toys," he joked in sadness. Gallade smiled. "Yeah, I bet he is. But¡­ I enjoy the outside world more. Everything out here feels so simple but complex - it''s amazing." Back home was a constantly flurry of bright neon lights and tall elegant structures that seemed so alien compared to the real world. Yet, the world beyond their scope had natural beauty and sights that were so fantastical, it was almost like he was dreaming when he first witnessed the falling of rain onto the earth and his skin. That moment wiped away his past anguish and provided clarity in his desires of a better tomorrow with a promised family of his own. They had spent their entire lives in darkness, and the prospect of entering the light of paradise was far too great for any Pokemon to deny. "We are going to get out of here, brother." Gallade said, completely determined. "I want to reinstate your faith in the Allfather to lead us, because he knows we are here to do the right thing, no matter what we must do." "Hmph, we''ll see," Heliolisk remarked, running out of energy to keep his glowing form, his fear of darkness returning. "We just really need to get out of here first." Gallade went back to peering at the rays of visible moonlight in the dark, planning in his head as to just how they will make their getaway from the mercenaries.
Neon lights, sleek towers, the fear of persecution to uphold total secrecy - that sounds like home to some unfortunate souls.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: Entercards Entercards Chapter 24 Entercards A trail of swept up dust followed the back wheels of a carriage as it traveled down a narrow roadway carved into the sand. With no clouds in the sky, the sun came down hard on the roving caravan. Sweat accumulated around the brow of a Rapidash pulling the wagon along, its thoughts only concerned with the empty trail that lay ahead. Aboard their wagon of miscellaneous goods were wooden boxes of various ores and materials harvested from the region''s mines, a layer of woven rope sealing them in place. A sole Ampharos guarded the product as it leaned against the large crates, the stetson atop its head lazily drifting across its eyes. Sleep nearly came for the Electric-type, head nodding to the peaceful rumblings of the carriage moving across sand and small rocks. BOOM! A cracking noise ruptured the motionless desert air as the front wheel of the carriage exploded into chunks of wood, Rapidash letting loose a shocked whinny. It broke away from the trail in a panic, rolling the incapacitated carriages onto the rough terrain beside the road. Silence came afterward as the Fire-type looked around frantically in hopes of spotting what made such a racket. The Ampharos on board eventually recovered its bearing, breathing a sigh after its nap was disturbed and jumping off the carriage to investigate, waltzing around the front to shoot a quizzical stare at the shocked equine. "What''s the issue this time? Didja run over a Blast Seed or somethin''?" Rapidash sputtered at his casual comment, stomping his front hooves into the sand. "Blast Seed?! There was no explosion, and that noise was too loud to come from one! Didn''t you hear it, too?" Amphraros rolled his eyes, fixing his hat. "Are you gonna get spooked over every sound out in the boonies? At this rate, we won''t reach Empyrean City on schedule, and then the higher ups will have our behinds for dinner." "I''m serious. What if it was bandits making that noise? I heard they ambushed two other caravans on the other main road just today alone!" "First off, the Council sent guards to patrol the roads, and second off - you''re not helping our chances of leaving this region safely when you stop all the dang time. Now, let''s get back to it already; I''m sick of the heat." Rapidash readied a response, but found his attention drawn to something else - the carriage''s frontal right wheel. "Uh, I don''t think we can do that now. Look!" Ampharos entertained his suggestion, glancing over, only for his heart to utterly sink at the sight. "Oh¡­ you gotta be kiddin'' me here," he mumbled to himself, trudging over. An entire half of the wheel was blown off, chunks of its wood scattered along the roadside. In the state that it was, there was no feasible way that the carriage could be pulled by a single Pokemon - they were stuck here. The sounds of soft thuds and footsteps beyond the sandy hills that surrounded them were lost on the investigating pair. "Well, consider our expected and timely arrival a bust," Ampharos grumbled. "We''re gonna need to get help and look for assistance; say our wheels got disabled by rocks." "It wasn''t a rock, though! It had to be the noise that did that!" Rapidash concluded. "What do you think it was?" Amparos knelt down to further inspect the wheel, a small fragment of metal was wedged into the wood - a bullet to his eyes, undoubtedly. Immediately after his observation, three young looking Pokemon leapt from the obscuring hills behind them - a Bayleef, Crocanaw, and a Quilava - dusty white cloth wrapped around their bodies and faces to shield them the elements. The Croconaw pointed their sole rifle at the pair, barking out a muffled order. "Both of you stay still! No one moves and no one gets hurt! Got it?" Rapidash emitted another aghast whinny. "Okay! Okay! Just take what you want, man!" "And they said it''d be safe on the roads with one Pokemon for protection¡­" Ampharos grumbled, raising his paws and staying still. "Can''t you vermin go after the guards patrolling the area and not us Pokemon just trying to make a living?" "Shut it!" the Croconaw yelled, angling its head to signal to his accomplices. "We''re taking the ores and half of whatever water supplies you got, ya hear me?" "Tch, as long as you leave enough for us to survive out here." The quiet Bayleef and Quilava quickly got to work, hopping aboard the carriage and cutting loose the rope holding the crates of ore together. They opened various containers of merchandise that were chock-full of seeds, Wonder Orbs, and other battle items. These were immediately pocketed into the saddlebags they carried. "Hey!" Rapidash shouted at the two, throwing a look at the Croconaw. "You said you were just taking the ores and some of our water!" "We''re taking whatever we need," the Water-type said. "We need these more than you guys do, got that?" "So you can attack more caravans and get more innocent Pokemon hurt," Ampharos growled, squinting his eyes at the robber. "That''s how you''re gonna fight? Get more ''mons to rally against you?" Croconaw scowled at his claims, marching over until his rifle was inches from the Electric-type''s face. "Listen here. Fighting back is the only way our voices will be heard! We''re dying out here while the Council tries to arrest us for simply trying to live, and¡­" His voice trailed off as he looked off into the distance, eyes wide and mouth ajar. Ampharos followed his gaze in confusion, but instantly cracked a winning grin at what he saw. "Haha! Looks like you''re out of luck this time. Cavalries here!" Blazing down the road and spewing a storm of dust beneath their wheels was a long corridor of other carriages that steadily got further and further towards the isolated group. Fear was stricken into the hearts of the bandits as they watched with gaped mouths. Crononaw regained his bearings, waving his rifle at his comrades. "Get out! We''re outta here!" he screamed, making a break for the hills. The Bayleef and Quilava obeyed the hectic order and scrambled down the carriage in a panic. A trail of stolen items fell from their open saddlebags as they fled, leaving behind a stunned pair in their wake as they watched the ensuing freight of transport rumble the sandy route. " A-are those actually guards?!" Rapidash exclaimed. "They showed up in the nick of time to save us, but¡­ I don''t think so." Eventually, the convoy reached their eyes, and it served to only confuse them even more. At least a dozen of the equine-pulled vehicles were full of Pokemon and little cargo - Drilburs, Gurrdurrs, and other Ground-type Pokemon that crowded around the railing and gazed at the marooned pair. One that zoomed past even held an assortment of Pokemon that wore black scarves with yellow stars on them. Clearly they were not guards of any kind. Their attention was then drawn to a single carriage that disembarked from the road and rolled in front of the staring pair. An Excadrill merilly hopped down from the railing and began strutting its way over to them while wearing a large grin. The worn suit of grimey metal tools and card-like objects jostled across its waist, at odds with the formal tie hanging from its neck. "Howdy, boys!", the mole cheerfully bellowed once near. "You two look like lost tourists out here!" Ampharos blinked, eventually finding his tongue. "We''re not! We''re, uh, part of a caravan headed north, towards Empyrean City." Rapidash nodded eagerly at his partner''s words. "Yeah! We were skipping past Sanctus Town ''cause of the protests, then we got ambushed by bandits!" the horse explained. Excadrill chuckled, "Caught a glimpse of those cowards runnin'' with their tails tucked beneath their legs with my binoculars. Must''ve saw my posse comin'' down the road and thought we were guards, sure of it." Ampharos looked behind the Ground-type to see more of the carriage''s speed down the road. Three Pokemon caught his eye - an Aggron, Tyranitar, and a Garchomp - the world famous Team Drarosteel for sure. It felt like he was dreaming of this encounter, and only made him wonder more who these Pokemon were. "Course¡­ I ain''t gonna leave you two stranded out here," Excadrill continued, glancing at their carriages busted wheel and harrumphing at the sight. "Council guards ain''t gonna bother to help ya, but I''ll be happy to bring ya along for a bit." Rapidash snorted with happiness, stomping the ground. "You''d do that for us, man? We got a schedule to maintain, and being late would kill us!" "Ain''t no skin off my nose. Even got a few workers to help you take your merchandise aboard." Ampharos sighed in relief, tipping his hat in gratitude. "Thanks a bunch. But if you guys aren''t guards, then who are you?" The mole''s face lit up with pride as he straightened his tie. "Right now we''re on a little, uh, expedition and¡­" He halted his rambling and dug into one of the many pockets of his suit, retrieving two business cards. "Forgot that I''m not supposed to say anything, so y''all just take these while I help load your stuff." Both Ampharos and Rapidash exchanged looks of apprehension before taking the cards, the latter of which awkwardly holding it with his teeth. "Now, if y''all or your friends ever need assistance in the Grit Region, you know who to go to!" Excadrill explained, taking this as his exit and walking away to signal his workers for assistance. Ampharos looked down at the square of rough paper, raising a brow at the detailed art of uncovered ruins and treasures buried in the sand. Text was displayed over a strange card-like object exploding orange colored lines out of its frame. ''Grit Ruin Excavators: You find it, we''ll dig it!''
''Sure is a lot of sand out here.'' Roark watched the motions of the desert whirl by with his arms crossed on the wooden railing, head nodding to the constant rumblings of his and other carriages'' hitting the road. It was either the boredom of being stuck on an hour-long ride, or the lack of anything interesting being witnessed along the way that forced him to stave off napping on the deck. ''For the love of Arceus or whoever, don''t fall asleep like an old ''mon; that''s how Charizard got known as Snorizard, don''t you remember?'' For a split second, he thought of reaching into his mane for a quick sip of liquor to get energized, but quickly shot down that idea. He was trying to stay sober for these new missions, where all the stops were pulled out. If everything was getting a bit more serious, he''d at least try and make an effort to be more serious. Of course, serious and him just weren''t a great combination. ''Oh, yeah, still gotta remember to embarrass sis about her heroic stunt yesterday.'' Thinking back on it now, he wore that proud brotherly smile hard during her small speech. He was glad to see her evolve into this Pok¨¦mon that cared so much for helping others. That glory of hers she desires seemed to get closer into view each shining moment she demonstrated. And yet, it sort of saddened him in a way to realize this. Like happy hour at his favorite bar was about to suddenly end. ''Was always wondering why parents got sad about their kids leaving the house. Guess I know why now.'' When she was ready to figuratively spread her wings and fly on without needing anyone to help her, he would end up at another crossroad in life - another purpose to seek and fulfill in the next chapter of his life on this strange world. ''Whatever lies next¡­ I don''t think drinking and hitting on the nearest chick for a night of fun is gonna be in my cards later on.'' Perhaps the guild''s thirst for answers and discovery of the world''s truth would quench his own desires for something grand. If it wasn''t, then he would have to find another outlet to find a purpose in. ''Well, no point moping about what ifs. Guess I''ll go see what the others are up to.'' Quietly chuckling to himself, he broke away from the railing and began meandering around the carriage. Stepping past other chatting guild members, he scoured his limited space before landing his sights on his favorite target. A smirk grew on his face as he slyly approached, the pair stopping their discussion once he came in view. "Ladies! How are we doing over here? How did it feel to give Shaymin a much needed beatdown?" Monferno''s unamused glare was a stark difference from Braixen''s polite chuckle into her paw at the Dark-type''s wording. "Quite fine, Roark," she transitioned cleanly. "We were just discussing our past jobs and experiences together, nothing much." "Ah, was it that one job where Monferno got stuck in a Pitfall Trap, and you had to get the client you were sent to rescue to come help him out?" Roark laughed up a storm. "C''mon, even you have to find that a bit funny, Mony." Monferno rolled his eyes. "Did you just come here to be an asshole?" "Nah¡­ Well, kinda, but I think I have a question for you two." Braixen tilted her head. "What kind?" "Why''d you stay? I mean, I know Team Nightshade just wants the fame and money that comes with saving the world and that junk, but what about you two?" Monferno and Braixen looked at each other, before the former decided to answer first. "I stayed because I really think this is my second chance at proving myself here," the primate admitted, snorting. "Yuck it up all you want, but I can''t really do this whole guild thing without Braix by my side." "Pretty admirable for yourself," Roark commented, switching his attention over to Braixen. "What about you, though? Everyone thought you were leaving to pursue some fancy nursing job elsewhere." Braixen smiled at the thought. "My parents would love that, and it would be nice, but¡­" She briefly looked at Monferno, sighing contentedly. "I realized I didn''t want to throw away all the time I''ve spent here with everyone. And maybe being known as more than just a nurse is something better to shoot for." "Big goals for the both of you, eh? Gotta say, pretty proud and happy that you two stick around like that." Monferno switched gears, snickering. "Okay, you hassled us enough. But what''s keeping you around, Roark? Is that mid-life crisis I always hear about hitting you hard or something?" Roark chuckled. "Hey, I''ve still got the amazing looks and energy to keep up." He crossed his arms and took a deep breath. "I don''t believe there''s a ''truth of this world'' or whatever the guild thinks, but I''ll stick around ''cause maybe there''s something in it for me. If you knew my past, you''d know what this old fox might be capable of¡­" "Uh huh, I''m sure." "I believe your claims," Braixen piped up, smiling upon seeing her partner''s eyes roll. "Gloria and Liam are partially responsible for my return, and I know your sister is happy we all decided to stick together." Roark uncrossed his arms, looking past the pair and searching the carriage. "In fact, ''scuse me a second while I go bring those superstars over." The Zoroark stepped away, walking past more guild members and the occasional worker of Excadrill in his way. Eventually he spotted the two Pok¨¦mon of Team Requiem observing the desert lands by the railings - separated and not side-by-side. He stopped himself saying anything to them, biting his tongue. It was hard to tell their moods from afar, but he could deduce by instinct that something was up between them. And the fact that they said very little to each other while packing up for the ride. Gloria''s attitude in particular worried him ever since she gave out that speech. Whatever it was, he didn''t want to immediately pry, and only hoped that the problem would be resolved before he would have to intervene and mediate like a good brother always does. He decided to walk back to Team Blazingheart, confident of his decision. ''Don''t know what that kid did or didn''t do, but he better make sure to mend things with her. For the both of us¡­'' Roark oversaw those two getting to know each other, start a team together, grow together, and he wouldn''t accept them straying apart. After all, if they were gone, then what reason would he still have to stay with the guild? What purpose would he have left? A small urge to drink away this feeling stirred within him, but was suppressed with a frown.
Liam was deep in thought, as was typical of the Riolu whose mind was constantly barraged and invaded by memories and familiar voices. But this time, his concern was only for his partner. So much so that admiring the wonderfully desolate lands of the Grit Region took a back seat to his inner troubles. ''What do I say to her? What can I even say?'' The events of yesterday were fresh in his mind; between everyone''s decision, the plan, and Gloria''s outpouring of emotions. He would be lying if he said he saw that coming, that such raw feelings could come out of the chipper and passionate Pokemon. He adjusted his iron grip on the railing and stole a small glance at the Vulpix opposite of him, gazing out into the nothingness, her features seemingly expressionless but noticeably troubled. She didn''t say much to him afterward, whether it was out of shame or some other reason that escaped him. Whatever was going through her mind, he wanted to reassure her that everything would be fine. That all of the Pokemon around her would still be here moving forward. ''But then again, am I really in the right mindset to say that to her?'' As a Pokemon who struggled internally, yet kept an exterior of outgoingness, how could he help someone with a situation as similar as his? ''Guess I''ll have to figure that out¡­ Along with everything else.'' A few minutes would pass by until the lengthy road came to an end, the long line of carriages transitioning onto rough terrain. It was a bumpy ride, but it wouldn''t last long, as something Liam would consider ''jaw dropping'' entered his peripherals. The equine-like Pokemon pulling the vessels of wood gathered side-by-side, coming to a complete stop as their destination was finally reached. The destination being an enormous hole burrowing into the desert''s surface, Liam was the first to get out, jumping down to the sands below in excitement and desire to see it up close. While the Grit Ruin Excavator workers clambered down and got to work, the guild quickly joined Liam just as stunned. Excadrill shuffled after the Riolu, quietly laughing to himself as he shouted. "Here it is! The hole that Team Moonlight got my crew to dig all the way to the ley lines so long ago. It''s amazing, ain''t it? Just don''t fall in! Ain''t no way any ''mon could ever climb out of a hole like that!" Liam and the others slowly approached the sides of the ginormous pit, eagerly taking a peek into the ravenous depths of it. It extended down farther than it initially appeared from simple observation, almost as if it reached down to the core of the world itself. Clumps of sand, clay, and rock tumbled off its deep sides and fell down to reach the eye catching anomaly lying at the bottom. A strange layer of vibrant golden-orange covered the entirety of base, seemingly blocking any view further down. It occasionally fluctuated and pulsed a variety of orange and yellowish colors. Garchomp shook her head, her sharp teeth forming a grin. "Can''t believe this is actually a real thing¡­ Thought it was just an exaggeration." Scizor copied her head movements, "We would never lie about this. This was made through our desires for the truth, and we followed the mystery from there. But now I see it has changed since we unearthed the ley lines, and a barrier has formed¡­" "Barrier, huh?" she questioned. "That''s what we''re calling these shield things?" Before the inevitable breakout of discussion began, Excadrill pushed his way past the guild members and gazed into the chasm, a proud smile on his features. "It was Team Moonlight''s belief combined with other theories that the source of the Mystery Dungeons were below us. Strange. It feels like only yesterday we did this, huh, Jack?" he reminisced, bumping the arm of the Shiny Lucario beside him. "Yes," Jackson replied curtly. "Once we discovered the ley lines and how they expand and manipulate our reality, that was my team''s evidence to adventure the world in search of answers. To investigate a threat that the Council didn''t consider worthy of their attention." Excadrill straightened his tie. "Yuuuup! And this big ole project here got me fired up to know about these strange lines. Shucks, I wouldn''t know a lick about Entercards if y''all didn''t show up and open my eyes to the truth!" "Speaking of which¡­ Please enlighten my guild about these ''barriers'' and Entercard manipulation." "All right, back on track!" Excadrill cleared his throat, pointing a claw at the aberration lurking at the hole''s depths. "That is what we call a ley line barrier. These things are like bubbles or shields or something of that sort that form over ley lines out of the blue. They are impenetrable; no claw or tool strong enough that can break through this barrier. Buried relics, places, and even other dungeons are inaccessible if a barrier forms over it." "Except there is one way to get through these barriers," Jackson added. "Show them." "Right. Follow me, y''all!" Excadrill turned his back and strolled back to the static carriages, passing by his busy workers as they unloaded the various crates of supplies. As the guild and Team Drarosteel followed behind, Liam took the opportunity to walk near Gloria, who kept her distance away from the others. It took her a while to notice his presence beside her, and the small grin that resided on his face once she peeked over to see who it was. While she avoided any direct eye contact or spoken words, he was able to witness a faint smile across her lips. He didn''t go any further, content with simply walking together. It was just good to know that she was easing up a little. Excadrill stopped in the middle of the flat clearing, waving his claws for the guild to back away from him, forming a circle of Pokemon around the mole. He then opened a pouch in his suit and procured a thin, card-like object. It was colored a dark gray and was metallic in nature, curious lines etched into its frame. The card was held up high for everyone to get a good look at it. "This here is what we call an Entercard!" Excadrill explained, waggling it a little. "These little devices grant us instantaneous travel by manipulating and riding the ley lines themselves! Crazy soundin'', aint it?" A few interested or baffled murmurs cropped up among the unknowledgeable guild members, only serving to make Excadrill''s smirk wider. "These ain''t modern by any means, and nobody knows where they originate from, but they''re powered the same way a Darumaker or another doohickey is powered - Pokemon energy." He then laid the Entercard flat onto the sands. "Just like you have to occasionally refill your devices with energy, the same goes for Entercards. Now¡­ watch this." Pressing an indentation at the card''s bottom frame, a mist of orange energy began to permeate the air, eventually hovering above the Entercard. Excadrill stepped back as he summoned a move from within - Mud Shot. Globs of muddy spheres that formed around Exadrill''s shoulders were sent careening into the mist of energy and fizzled into nothingness upon contact. He repeated this action multiple times before the haze was sucked back into the Entercard, the engraved lines on it now shimmering with an amber gleam. Excadrill picked up the now fully charged device, holding it high as whispers arose from the watchful guild. "Give it a few attacks and it''s ready for transportation!" He placed the device back down on the sands again. "But every Entercard needs a coordinate and a certain pattern to create said coordinate and pull from the ley lines, like a two way connection. When y''all have it prepared like I do now, then you''re all set." He gave all the onlookers a straight faced look. "¡­ Who wants to see somethin'' really neat?" Amazed nods and murmurs of agreement came from the Pok¨¦mon naive of what awaited them. Excadrill chuckled at their excitement, tapping the indentation on the card''s bottom again and quickly running to merge with the crowd. Everyone watched with bated breath as to what would happen next. Soon after the initial activation of the Entercard, the device began to expand, the metallic frame of it growing bigger sides. The engraved lines began glowing brighter and brighter, until the entire top layer of the card was encased in a blinding orange luminance. A light tremble shook the ground beneath their feet as strands of golden light that resembled ley lines erupted from the Entercard, coalescing into one brilliant, flickering pillar of energy that resounded throughout the area. Liam held his unblinking stare, his heart thumping rhythmically in his chest, wonder and excitement taking over his mind. A quick glance to his side showed him that even Gloria was able to shake away her forlorn demeanor into shock and awe. "Haha, and there she goes!" Excadrill shouted through the noise, stepping forward. "What are y''all waiting for? Set it up to only last a minute or so! Which means It''s time to take a trip through them ley lines!" Excadrill chuckled and wasted no time in jogging his way over to the eruption of light, merging into it and vanishing altogether - gone in an instant. Liam watched in fascination, glancing behind him to gauge the shocked or calm reactions of his fellow Pokemon. Clenching his paws and wetting his lips, he made a split decision and ran into the flaring Entercard. The rest of the guild was quick to follow his pace, merging one by one into the radiance. Flashes of orange flooded the vision of everyone who stepped over the Entercard, never leaving their perception as a feeling of weightlessness rushed through their bodies. It felt as if they were being pulled by an invisible current in the water, going downward at alarming speeds. The whole experience was instantaneous, lasting only mere moments. When normalcy returned to the transported Pokemon, they found themselves in a sandstone cavern shrouded in darkness, the Entercard below their feet siphoning back its orange energy and returning to its standard form. A strange symbol dug into the rough sands they were standing on resembled the same pattern engraved into the Entercard. Those guild members unacquainted with the device''s method of travel appeared dazed and winded, some overly dramatic and stumbling to the ground in their stupor. Even Scizor and Team Moonlight had to readjust themselves to their new surroundings as various members of the guild engaged in ravenous discussion of what just happened. Liam had to take deep breaths, but couldn''t keep a smile off his face. He could draw a comparison back to when he, Gloria, and Rockruff fell from one of the Soaring Fall''s waterfalls. It was scary, terrifying even, yet felt exhilarating to him after the moment. Now the only thought he had about these cards were what gates of exploration were now open to them. Throwing a look over to his partner, she seemed to struggle finding her footing. He quickly offered her his body as support to lean on, which she surprisingly accepted with a quiet mumble of gratitude under the Vulpix''s breath. Even something small like this was a win for him. Excadrill laughed merrily at everyone''s varying experiences, unfazed himself. "Once a specific symbol is engraved in a new Entercard, creating that same symbol on a spot of physical terrain will link ''em together, allowing instant transportation to that physical symbol. And you remember that ''barrier'' from before? We just went straight through it, meanin'' that Entercards are the only way to pierce it - experts secret." "You mean to tell me¡­" Roark slowly wheezed out, holding his claws over his wobbling knees. "¡­ That we''re doing more of this shi- er, stuff in the future?" "I hope so!" Rockruff gleefully retorted, still shaking his head free of dizziness. "That was awesome! I mean, this is so much cooler than boring carriage rides!" Monferno rubbed his eye, smirking. "What? You need someone to hold your claws while we do it, Roark?" he joked, much to Braixen''s chagrin and Roark''s scoff. "If they are necessary, then yes, Entercards will be used throughout our current missions," Jackson responded. Garchomp analyzed this new claustrophobic area, looking behind to see only a collapsed excavation tunnel filled with rock. Turning her attention to what lay forward, she was met with the unmistakable pitchblack entity that was the entrance to a Mystery Dungeon. "If my experience with Entercards taught me one thing, it''s that they''re perfect for finding hidden dungeons," she mused aloud. Excadrill nodded proudly. "Yessiree! But this dungeon in particular is very important to my crew, and I''ll show ya why when I give y''all a tour. Trust me, ya ain''t seen nothing like this before¡­" Scizor stared at the lurking shadow, his throat tightening. "Is this¡­ This is the dungeon you told us about?" he questioned anxiously. "Yup. Dug it up almost ten years ago on the dot! This dungeon here is different from any others I''ve seen; one of those ancient villages from thousands of years ago that got swallowed whole by a forming dungeon." Scizor didn''t reply back, still staring down the unwavering dungeon entrance, a certain paralyzing feeling striking his limbs. Garchomp went wide eyed. "A thousand year old village being entirely preserved like that? That''s a very rare occurrence," she muttered to the nodding heads of Aggron and Tyranitar. "Rare?" Aggron questioned, chortling. "Lass, that''s a once in a lifetime find right here!" Excadrill approached the shadow. "Accordin'' to some of the text present throughout the Mystery Dungeon, it was once called Vita Village¡­ Not anymore, I''m afraid." He turned to wave an eager claw. "C''mon! Lemme show y''all why this place is really special." Now curious of the dungeon''s prospects, the guild members treaded behind the mole as he merged into the shadow, many following in with a new excitement after the experience they just had. But the one Pok¨¦mon that didn''t follow behind was Scizor, his lower extremities glued to the cavern floor as he looked at the Mystery Dungeon with a certain sickness manifesting in his stomach. It was unusual for him to feel this way, or at least out in public where his dutifulness was expected. Garchomp was close to entering the shadow, but turned her head to spot Scizor standing alone by the Entercard symbol. Despite the Bug-type''s usual stark and flat expression, she could expertly identify the unquestionable apprehension that he was silently emitting. They locked eyes with each other, the dragoness sending him a reassuring nod, then quickly disappearing into the darkness. Gazing down, Scizor noticed his pincers quivering uncontrollably, breaths shallow. He did everything in his willpower to suppress these instinctive actions, ultimately ceasing his trembling and calming his breath and mind. Now was not the time to dwell on personal experiences irrelevant to their mission. After all, Garchomp was now counting on him. He could do this. Scizor forced himself to move forward, marching into the abyss of Mystery Dungeon''s entrance with a mix of confidence and unease.
Vita Village BF 1 A giant platform of artificial sand expanded from nothingness and planted itself under the feet of the arriving group. Antiquated homes and cottages constructed of stone or clay with straw roofs arose from the sea of black, quickly forming a wall around the edges of the platform. The chamber now resembled a place of commerce, littered with empty pots and stands void of any Pokemon to run. The roads that once both travelers and citizens alike now splintered off into corridors that led further into the dungeon''s maze of near identical rooms. The faux sun that hung in the cloudless sky above them made its blazing presence known, yet no heat was felt, nor was there a wind for it to be carried on. However, the usual formation of a typical Mystery Dungeon did not stop just there, as new structures began to appear in the blink of an eye. Multiple workstations, open cabinets of mining equipment, sacks of foodstuffs, battle items, and even a crate full of Entercards lined the room. Maps of other regions in Celestic, along with messy paper scrawls of different Entercard symbols and intertwining lines were pinned to the wall. The hallways that branched off from the large chamber and went further into the dungeon were blockaded with planks of wood or large stones, impeding any attempt to enter or exit the room. To finalize this overload of sights, two Drilbur that were tidying up the workstations stopped their efforts to happily wave at the bewildered newcomers. Before any of the guild members were able to spout their rabid curiosity, Excadrill jogged over to the middle of the room and raised his arms, accompanied by a cheery smile. "Welcome to the heart of the Grit Ruin Excavators! Where our second business comes into fruition - Entercard and ley line research!" Garchomp wandered around the room in awe, followed by her just as amazed teammates. "You¡­ You built this place inside a Mystery Dungeon? How is this even possible to maintain if the ley lines move so often?" "Correction! They don''t move unless every ''mon exits the dungeon," Excadrill explained proudly. "As long as a single ''mon stays and doesn''t advance through the stairs, the layout of the dungeon doesn''t change. All it took was generatin'' a decent sized room and makin'' sure the dungeon ''mons don''t disturb us none." "And here I thought the Cosmic Quilt Guild was the only group interested in the Mystery Dungeons," she murmured back. "Well, thank Jack and his team for showin'' me about these ley lines in that big hole out there so long ago. My eyes were opened, and so will yours." The rest of the guild began to explore the converted room, taking in the mix of an uncanny, ancient village, along with the adjustments made by the Grit Ruin Excavators stretching along the area. A large portion of them would wander near the boarded up corridors after hearing the shuffle of footsteps behind them, peeking past the cracks or missed spots to see what was the culprit. The noises of which were quickly identified as coming from the constructed defenders - dungeon Pokemon. Seeing as there was no way for them to cross past the barricade and attack those inside the room, they instead paced around the corridors endlessly and mindlessly. Excadrill noticed their curiosity and meandered over, his smile replaced by a frown. "If ya ever wondered why the ley lines need to go, take a good look at these ''Pokemon''. They might just be the Pokemon that once lived here, thinking they were safe and all, only to have their lives stripped away in an instant... And the Council wants to think there''s not a threat to worry about," he said with heavy distaste. Scizor''s glare into the empty eyes of the dungeon Pokemon never strayed away, the sick feeling in his stomach returning full force. Jackson only momentarily observed the husk-like Pokemon, before glancing around the room and speaking up loudly. "Attention! You have all been debriefed before our trip of what teams you will be splitting up into! Find your leader - they will give you a handful of Entercards, a list of symbols, and locations to test with those Entercards!" He crossed his arms behind his back. "Once you are familiar with using Entercards, you are to return to this Mystery Dungeon for reassignment. You may now begin training with your teams!" As the guild hesitantly stopped their visual exploration and broke off into separate groups. Liam bit his lip in both anticipation and concern, for his only partner throughout this training was Gloria. There was no Roark to ease the tension and put a smile on either of faces, but he could fix this himself. The Riolu didn''t waste any time in arriving by her side, the two of them silently standing side-by-side, averting any direct eye contact as they waited for their team leader to arrive. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. But it didn''t take Excadrill long to come over and access the two of them with an inquisitive smirk. "Team Requiem! Might I say I''m glad ya stayed; had a nice lil'' chat with y''all the other day." the mole said. "Green but determined I say, and I''m sure Jack sees that in ya too." Liam beamed at the praise. "Thanks. We''re just happy that everyone stayed with the guild, too." Excadrill scratched his chin, chuckling. "Now¡­ you''re sure ya weren''t born ''round these parts? I wasn''t crazy when I noticed that faint Grit Region accent." Liam shook his head. "Uh, nope! Was born in the Shore Region, sorry." "Dangit! Well, ya still got the spunk of a ''mon from here and not those lazy sun soakers," Excadrill grumbled under his breath, reaching into one of his suit pockets and taking out a handful of shiny Entercards. "Bit of a learning curve with these, but I''m sure y''all will get the hang of it. Trust me, they''re actually pretty dang fun to use!" Excadrill then handed over the card-like devices to Liam, noticeably lacking a pattern engraved into their frames. "Gonna have to make your own pattern on the surface, put it in the card, then fill it up with some energy to get ''er energized. So¡­ who wants to give it a go first?" Normally, Liam would be quick on his feet to snag an opportunity like this first, but this time things were different. Turning to his partner, he extended the cards forward, a joking grin plastered on his face. "Ladies first?" Gloria appeared taken aback at first at his lax question, looking up at his cheesy expression and down at the Entercards he hoped she would grasp. Liam then got what he wanted, a smile slowly expanding across her muzzle as she looked up at him. A smile that he didn''t know he would miss so much.
Through swept up sand and orange arcs of light swirling around in the air in tandem, an Entercard expanded into existence from nothing, accompanied by a ring of flaring energy circling it. A shadow was visible through the light, canine and quadrupedal in nature, remaining in the pillar of radiance as the energy released quickly evaporated back into the card-like device. Rockruff leapt from his now stationary Entercard, whipping his head around in amazement. "That¡­ THIS IS SO COOL!" he yipped, stamping a paw into the sand. "I''m never gonna get over this! You guys agree with me, right? They should''ve shown these things to us a long time ago!" His loud inquiry to the assortment of guild members lounging around had fallen mostly on deaf ears, most too tuckered out from the hours of back-and-forth Entercard they had endured. While Braixen and Monferno leaned against each other for support, Roark laid on his back and twirled an Entercard between his claws, looking ailed. "Glad to see you''re at least happy with this arrangement," the ruse fox grumbled. "But nah, these things are the death of me." Monferno laughed, nearly rattling Braixen out of her drowsy state. "Can confirm. Me and Braix saw this geezer stumble out of his card and bend straight down to throw up. Braix had to shield her eyes." "Hey, that ain''t nothing new to me," Roark countered. Monferno turned his attention to Rockruff. "Where''s Mightyena and Purrloin? Wait. Lemme guess, they''re probably out trying to rob or sucker some of the locals." Rockruff sighed, sitting down. "Nope. They said they got ''motion sickness'' or whatever after my sixth trip with the cards!" The puppy tilted his head. "Hey¡­ Why did you think they would rob someone? Team Nightshade is all about helping Pokemon!" Monferno raised an eyebrow, "You know they''re-" He stopped to check if Braixen was still sleeping, then continued. "-thieves, right?" "What?! No! Did Staravia tell you guys that? He tells fake rumors all the time, y''know!" Roark chuckled sickly, "Hate to break it to you, but pretty much everyone knows, Rockruff. Petty thieves really, and they''re not really good at hiding it." Rockruff was dumbfounded, "I don''t believe it! I mean, if everyone knew, then how come the Guildmaster doesn''t? And if he does, then why would he allow them here if he''s so careful and professional?" The silence following his questions was seen as a victory to Rockruff. "See, it doesn''t make sense!" he proclaimed, puffing his chest out. Monferno bit his lip, "I don''t know. The Guildmaster has to know somewhat, but maybe that doesn''t really matter to him? I mean, don''t tell Braix, but if I was in charge, I wouldn''t care all that much." "But the guild wants like, the bravest and most good hearted Pokemon out there, right?" Rockruff wondered. "Pokemon like Team Drarosteel! Ones that could take the ley¡­ whatever they are!" Roark pointed a claw at the Rock-type from his supine position. "Which is why the Guildmaster might not care about backgrounds of certain ''mons, as long as they can help support the goal. He let my furry behind wander in without so much a look at my past, so why should he care about some low tier criminals when the world''s supposedly at stake." "Huh¡­ I guess I didn''t think about it like that," Rockruff admitted, before shaking his head. "But c''mon, guys, they''re not thieves! When did you ever see them steal something on a job!" "Whatever you say," Monferno said with a yawn, slowly lifting himself up so as to not disturb a sleeping Braixen. "Gonna go ask if Leafeon can make us some lunch, ''cause we earned it today." Roark raised a claw into the claw. "Roasted Chesto Berries. Tell her if she makes ''em I''ll be happy enough to kiss her." "Gross, but okay," Monferno snickered, walking away from the group. "Wait! Tell her to make poffins! The spicy ones! Spicy Poffins!" Rockruff shouted behind him. He never got a reply back. Monferno casually strolled through the sands, trekking up a small hill to survey the land. Besides the massive hole in the desert, the only other point of interest was the site of activity that was being rapidly built before his very eyes. Pokemon of the Grit Ruin Excavators set up tables, tents, campfires, and various other small structures suited for the mission, all the while wisps of orange Entercard travel light could be seen appearing and disappearing from afar. He could have stopped here and enjoyed the view if it weren''t for his rumbling stomach, so he continued walking. It wasn''t long until he found her, sprawled out on the ground with a very worried look staining her once serene appearance. Her eyes were glued to the speakers of an ELE, almost anticipating for something to come out of the device. She was then caught off guard when she heard a voice to her left and not from the ELE. "Hey, Leafeon. Rest of us have gotten pretty hungry from training, so how about you fix us up with some food?" Leafeon didn''t turn her head to face him, completely concentrating on the ELE. "Can''t now. You''ll have to, um, wait until dinner. Or get Gloria to help; she''s good enough to hold her own." Monferno sighed heavily, gazing down at the ELE. "Did the Guildmaster tell you to do this? What are you even waiting on?" "No, he didn''t. If he wants me training, tell him I will do it, but not now. I need to hear her." "Hear who?" A bead of sweat traveled down Leafeon''s face as she swallowed. "Shaymin. I was talking to her yesterday and trying to get her to return, but¡­ then she stopped responding." Monferno scowled at the name, scratching one of his bandages. "Okay¡­ and? She might''ve gotten angry at you or something else and is pouting." "She wouldn''t get angry at me!" Leafeon shouted back, before realizing her abrasive tone. "Listen, I know that you and everyone else here don''t like Shaymin, but I know her as a friend, and she wouldn''t just not tell me what''s going on." "Okay, okay. Are you saying she hasn''t said a word since yesterday?" Leafeon shook her head. "Nothing. Other than bits of static and some other noises that come through - but none are her voice." She stared into the ELE''s speakers again. "I''m worried¡­ worried that something bad happened to her while was flying, like she lost control and fell into a ravine. Or maybe she got into a fight with the guards and-" Monferno held up a hand. "Relax, will ya? I''m sure she''s fine. Legendary strength and all that stuff." "... I hope so."
''Fuckers better hope I don''t get outta here¡­'' Drops of water fell down from the cave''s stone ceiling and accumulated into small puddles onto the ground, only to be stepped over and splashed against an angry Shaymin as she paced around. She looked past the gaps in the iron bars that prevented her escape and muttered multiple obscenities in her mind and under her breath. ''Just one slip up. One mistake of theirs and I''m free.'' She would search every nook and cranny for a possibility of freedom, yet was unsuccessful in spotting anything besides dead ends and pitch-black darkness barely lit by torches placed along the walls. Thoughts of luring her captors into the cell flooded her mind, a raging sneer affixed to her face as she contemplated it over and over. "Please, child, sit and do not waste your energy," a weak but elderly voice to her right beckoned from the cell''s dark corners. . Shaymin snapped her enraged face over to the voice. "You just want me to lie down like a mutt and accept being caged up, dontcha? Well, tough shit, ''cause I ain''t goin'' down without a fight, you hear me!" "... I only wish for your safety, child." "Not needed, pal. Especially from a Legendary like yourself¡­" The voice sighed at her tone, shifting his body out of the darkness and into a haze of the cavern''s natural blue light. Its body was quadrupedal and rustic orange in color, feline in appearance, with cloud-like features forming around its four legs and a white ''beard'' adorning its rugged face. But as he came more into view, the lacerations and bruises that dotted his body became more apparent. He sat stationary, clearly too injured and exhausted from a losing fight to stand. Shaymin smirked slightly, "I wonder what the other Legends will think when they see their mate Landorus got beat up and held captive in his own shrine by some ''commoners''. That''ll raise some eyebrows, ya think?" Landorus flared his nostrils. "This situation was beyond my control, young Shaymin. We were outnumbered and overwhelmed by these... savages. But do not fret; our fellow Legendaries have witnessed our distress and will return to free us." "Our?", Shaymin questioned with a glare. "As if you and all those other bludgers consider me to be on the same level. Don''t make me laugh, mate. Maybe if I had an ugly shrine and brainwashed followers too, I''d be seen as equal." "Child¡­ I do not understand your ill will against your peers. Has the Shaymin clan''s leader sat down to properly teach you the values of Arceus?" Shaymin seemingly forgot her anger and burst into laughter, only serving to confuse Landorus more. "V-values of Arceus? Do ya really expect me to believe that indoctrinating junk? Just to serve other Legends like a slave forever and put ''em on a pedestal?" Landorus dismissed her words with a puff of breath. "Arceus'' teachings have always been paramount throughout time, and its structure is necessary to keep all Legendaries close together." "Call it whatever you want, mate, but it''s just an excuse to push us around. Hell, you''re reminding me of Ho-Oh right now, with all his ''rules'' and ''tradition'' nonsense." A reminder of the whole reason she was here right now resurfaced in her mind, reigniting her hatred of that Pokemon. "Child¡­" Landorus said delicately. "You''re young, angry, and confused about these principles. But in time, I am positive you will realize there is a greater purpose to our lives as Legendaries. We are to be good examples to Pokemon all across the world, just as Aceus willed it long ago." Before another angry retort could come out of Shaymin''s mouth, the squeaky noise of a wooden door opening just out of their sight halted her. Returning her attention back to the bars, Shaymin listened to both footsteps and also a strange slithering noise that got louder and louder each second. She wet her lips and formed an expression of defiance as two Pokemon entered her vision. Besides the emotionless Golduck that delivered the blow to the side of her head beforehand, the coiled up Serperior staring straight at her with its predatory eyes exuded an entirely different aura. The flickering of the torchlight made the golden crown atop the Grass-type''s head gleam in an almost royal manner, illuminating the smug smile that wormed its way on the snake''s face. "My, I had to personally see for myself if the reports were true¡­" Serperior mused softly. "But alas, another Legendary that couldn''t challenge my darling knights." She noted both the large purple bruise on Shaymin''s temple and the charred bits of green fur across her form. "And not a very pretty one at that¡­" Shaymin approached the iron bars, containing her rage just for a second. "So, you''re the big sheila in charge, huh?" She eyed the Pokemon up and down. "What, ya think you''re some queen bandit or somethin''?" "Princess," Serperior corrected astutely. "The title of queen is something I have yet to prove, but for now you may address me as Princess Serperior." Shaymin snorted. "Oh, a loon. Like hell I will - not after your little thugs decided to knock me unconscious and stick me in here. I ain''t gonna kiss your behind... wherever that is, so you might as well let me go." Serperior glided across the rugged stone and got close to the bars, narrowing her slitted eyes. "You''ve got quite a mouth, young lady. I''ve read that Shaymin are supposed to be grateful; that they respect higher authority." "Gratitude ain''t my thing, so you can take your authority and shove it." "... You should be grateful that you aren''t a bullet riddled corpse rotting in the desert, sweetheart," Serperior said coldly. There wasn''t a quick response back as Shaymin swallowed the lump in her throat, the reality of her situation now overtaking her mettle. She was alone here, held to the whims of these murderous Pokemon. Serperior honed her eyes to the black scarf with yellow stars wrapped around Shaymin''s neck. "You are part of a guild or exploration team, correct? I did not know that Legendaries were allowed to join institutions like that." It took a moment for Shaymin to respond, pushing her subtle fear away. "I¡­ I ain''t part of a guild anymore." "Mhm, so there''s no Pokemon out there looking for you, no clan of Shaymins that will want to reunite with their missing sister many continents away?" Shaymin bit her lip and took a step back as the Grass-type inched her face closer into the bars. She was correct - no one knew she was here, not even Leafeon, and certainly no one from the guild would come to save her now. "Do you want to hear a story?" Serperior asked with a smile. "I used to live on the Grass Continent with my father when I was a little girl long ago. We had to move to a big city, and live in a poor little house wedged between two alleyways. I hated it; the crowds, the insatiable Pokemon, the ugly noises and sights. You know what it''s like to live in a foreign land, right?" Shaymin didn''t want to answer, but felt a pressure to nod her head. Serperior smiled, "So you understand what it''s like to act out in protest. And I did. I disrespected those who I encountered, even my dearest daddy. I stole - just small quantities from shops - but kept getting more bold. I was out of control and on a path of self destruction, until my father noticed. You know what he did next?" Shaymin said nothing. "Whenever I would talk back or fail to address him as ''sir'', he would punish me, lock me into a small room for hours or even a full day. No food or water, only books of ancient history to read and pass the time. I was there many times, with only the knowledge of elegant kingdoms in the past to give me company." Her eyes glazed over, staring past Shaymin. "It was¡­ pleasant. The way kings and queens demanded respect from all those below them, it taught me to respect my own father. It helped shape the wonderful woman that I am today, which is why I am telling you this." Shaymin glared at the snake, fear hidden behind her angry green orbs. "... And why are ya tellin'' me this? What''s your deal?" Serperior smiled darkly. "You remind me of my younger self, so brash and rebellious. If my darling knights didn''t think death was your fate, then perhaps you have a new route in life. You just need a little... encouragement, hm?" Shaymin slowly caught onto her thinking, eyes widening. "No¡­" She backed up again. "No, there''s no way you''ll ever get me followin'' orders from you. Not happenin''." "I said the same to my father once, and it''s no different for you. In a position like this, I own you, dear," she hissed. That emphasized word sent shivers down the Legendary''s spine, bringing back her rage as she ran over to the bars and bared her teeth. "You think I''m gonna be your little pet slave?! Fat fuckin'' chance!" "That choice isn''t up to you, darling. In time, you''ll understand to respect authority, just like I had to." Serperior threw her head back and laughed haughtily, slithering away from the iron bars. "Next time I expect you to address me as ''your highness''. Otherwise¡­ I''m sure there''s some ways to get you to do so. " As the Grass-type began to leave with her silent Golduck companion, Shaymin realized her intentions and erupted into anger, slamming her body uselessly against the separators. The pain didn''t matter as much to her as escaping this place, lobbing obscenities as loudly as she could. "YOU''RE A TWISTED FUCK, YA HEAR ME?!" Serperior listened to the shouts and cries of her new captive fade into an echo as she traversed the cavern''s hallways. She quietly hummed a tune and observed the numerous other jail cells she passed by. The followers of Landorus that once prayed at the shrine were now held as prisoners below it. They congregated in groups, whispering to each other out of fear or anger towards the Grass-type as she went by. Twisting her head to her right, she spoke into the ear of the Golduck following by her side. "The Shaymin, are you sure she''s not part of a larger Legendary group?" "Yes, your highness. As far as we are aware, she has no involvement or greater understanding of our operations in the region. Just a stray that wandered in at night." "Very well. Stay and continue your watch over the followers until further notice, Lord Golduck. As long as the Landorus is kept well, their tempers will be mellow." Her clan''s reasoning for taking over Landorus'' shrine was purely for potential knowledge of Regi Castle. Her biggest source of information about the ruin had told her supposedly everything he knew, so the next best thing was the nearest location of a Legendary. But it frustrated her immensely to see the excavation efforts at Regi Castle reach a dead end, along with there being no worthwhile leads at this shrine to follow. They needed a breakthrough, and she was going to get it. Serperior slid up the stairs, exiting the dungeon and entering the daylight. The shrine once dedicated to worship of Arceus and the gift of agriculture was now littered with mercenaries and local bandits. Cracks of gunfire resounded around as many trained their aiming. She smiled at the Pokemon that stood out of the way and bowed before her as she slithered past, looking for a specific Pokemon among her knights. She soon spotted the Krokorok sitting on a broken rock column and tinkering with a strange object. Curious, she moved towards him until he noticed her presence and stopped to bow, speaking in a dignified manner. Yet, her eyes remained on the Minun-like device, which had both ears and a speaker. "Greetings, your highness. Is there anything I can do for you?" Serperior extended a vine to grab the device out of his grasp. "Lord Krokorok, what is this¡­ gadget?" "It was found in the saddlebag of the Shaymin we captured, your highness. Oddly enough, we have heard a scrambled voice occasionally come from it, so I have attempted to figure out how it works." She inspected it from all angles, using another vine to flick one of the switches on its side to see if it changed anything. The device was almost dropped from her clutches when a burst of loud static from the speakers jolted her senses. Suddenly, a female voice could be heard through the mess of static. "Shaymin¡­ Please¡­ Are you there?" Serperior''s interest peaked, and after erasing her stunned expression, she attempted to speak into the apparatus. "... Hello? Can you hear me, dear?" The response was instantaneous, "Yes! Um¡­ Have you seen or talked to a Shaymin, miss? I really need to know!" "Why, I believe I have. Are you a friend of hers?" "Yes! Is she near a town or village? And is she okay?" the voice asked in a concerned manner. Serperior formed an idea, smiling sinisterly. "She is, dear! Currently, she is being held captive by us at the Shrine of Landorus." "W-What?... Who is this?! Are you pulling a prank on me? Please, I need to know where Shaymin is!" "You are speaking to Princess Serperior of the Rose Clan, dear. And no, pranks are too uncouth for a lady such as myself. But this Shaymin character is here, and I will allow her departure if agreements are met." The voice didn''t reply for a moment. "You''re that¡­ What do I have to do to secure Shaymin''s safety?! What are you doing to her?!" "Calm down, dear," Serperior said coolly. "If you wish to see your friend Shaymin, I can agree to an exchange of fifty thousand Pok¨¦ to the site of the shrine in return for Shamin''s safety. How does mmm¡­ three days sound? If three days pass, then I''m sorry to say that''s the last you''ll hear of her, dear." The Grass-type waited for a response, but nothing came, so she flicked the device''s side switch. "Keep an eye out if that Pokemon decides to follow up on my offer. We are keeping the Shaymin regardless if they bring the money. As for the other situation, have any of them been able to get through?" "U-uh." Krokorok snapped out of his trance. "No, your highness. We had to stop and rethink our options over the evening." An unexpected roadblock in their excavation of Regi Castle had halted her progress - an orange shield totally encasing the remainder of earth separating them from their reward below Regi Castle. Not even the hardest strike of a pickaxe or a teleport from a Psychic-type could break through the barrier. None of them had seen something like this before, and she wondered if it was some sort of failsafe created by the Legendaries from long ago. "That is¡­ unfortunate. However, I expect you are ready for what happens next." "Yes, your highness. I will oversee the operation. Everyone is positioned accordingly." "Excellent." While the impenetrable shield was a setback, she knew the two ambassadors from the Alignment could turn the tides in her favor. If the plan was successful, she would eliminate her competition and also gain new Alignment secrets that the exiled commander could not tell of. Secrets that could allow her to get past the barrier. But there was another issue. The bandits she armed would only stall so long against the Council, and if they were informed of her intentions, an alliance between the Alignment and the Council would for sure stop at nothing to eliminate her clan. Combine that with her incessant rivals that always intrude on her desires, she knew time was of the essence if her clan was to live. If all of these factions were to descend upon her at once, it would surely create the perfect storm.
A screeching noise from above filled their sleeping ears, jostling the two Pokemon out of their not so pleasant slumber on the floors of the dark shaft. They cracked their eyes open and stared up at the circular hole of flowing light that shined down on them - freedom it looked like. A long length of rope appeared through the grate''s opening and fell to the ground beside the disheveled looking pair. The message was clear. Gallade was the first to move and grabbed onto the rope, beginning to scale it, a difficult endeavor after he was starved of most energy. A worried Heliolisk was hesitant to accept the offer, but any opportunity to escape this torture was an opprtunity he would take. After both of them gradually clambered to the top, they were greeted to the stern face of a Druddigon that held the rope in place. "Get movin''." Gallade took the Dragon-type''s advice and began walking down the keep''s crumbling halls. Heliolisk wasn''t quick to do so, only moving after he was given a sharp glare from the Druddigon. He shuffled alongside Gallade and wringed his claws together nervously, leaning into his partner''s ear. "What the hell do we do now?", he whispered harshly, visibly frightened. "Nothing," Gallade muttered back. "Not yet. Wait." "And just wait for them to kill us?" "Have faith. They need us. Wait." It wasn''t a satisfying answer to Heliolisk, but he had no plan himself. Tailed by the Druddigon, their conversation died down as they stepped through the open doorway and into the broad daylight. The ruins of the keep smackdab were in the middle of nowhere, with only desert plains and cliffs of sandstone surrounding them. The only company here was a gathering of hardy looking mercenaries that never took their eyes off the pair. Looking up, blips of distant figures in the blue sky began to get larger and larger. Soon enough, multiple Flying-types were soaring above the keep and flying closer to the ground each second. Before they reached the ground, Gallade caught a glimpse of black capes flapping in the wind, attached to the backs of two Pokemon riding on their backs. They were here, which implied they still wanted to talk. Druddigon pushed the two out of their trance and forced them to keep walking forward. Weavile and Bisharp immediately hopped off Honchkrow''s back once he landed, eyeing down the pair that stopped in their tracks. Weavile adjusted her saddlebag and closed in wearing a grin, Bisharp not far behind with an unreadable expression as always. "How''s the sunlight feel?" she said, accompanied by a snort. "Soak it in, ''cause you''re not gonna be seeing it much anytime soon." Heliolisk paled at her words, wetting his lips, "And what do you mean by that, huh? You keep us caged like slaves for another few days, we give you what you want, and then you kill us once we''re not needed?" "Trust me, if we wanted you dead, you''d be lying in a shallow grave already." "How are we supposed to believe tha-'''' Heliolisk was interrupted by a jab on his side from Gallade. "We have already told you everything we could tell you," the Psychic-type said calmly. "Anything else would jeopardize our safety upon returning home." "Yeah, well¡­ Bishy and I think differently." Gallade tensed up, but remained vigilant. "And what do you mean by that?" "We''re not done with you, is what we''re saying," Bisharp suddenly spoke, crossing his arms. "There''s a few details and a few stories we want to hear more about." "And then after that¡­ What?" Heliolisk questioned with a scowl. Weavile approached the nervous Electric-type, leaning over him as he flinched. "Let me put your mind at ease, runt. You give us what we want, you return home safely to your little cult base, and everyone''s happy." "We''ll do it," Gallade confirmed, shutting down the look of disbelief Heliolisk gave him with a side glance. Weavile smirked, backing away from them. "Not like you had a choice in the matter, but hey, glad you won''t make this difficult for all of us. We treat you like you''re Pokemon with actual hearts in your chests, and the same goes for us." "Weavile is right," Bisharp added. "You''re being brought to a new location. You''ll be given blindfolds to wear, and you are expected not to struggle, make a fuss, say or do anything along the way, got that?" Gallade analyzed the plan''s details in his mind, nodding and raising his right limb to his chest, pounding it. "I promise on behalf of the Allmother and Allfather that there will be no trouble caused by myself or my partner." Weavile laughed at his stiff response, strolling around the area. "Glad to hear that, soldier boy. But we aren''t taking off just yet." She looked around, flicking her gaze to the numerous large crates and other strewn about materials resting on the hot sands. "Clean up time, everyone! Get this stuff packed up on our fliers and get ready to be airborne!" All of the mercenaries standing around mute immediately sprung into action as that command left Weavile''s mouth. Crates and containers were pried or smashed open in some cases by more large and reckless Pokemon, the contents of which being transported into saddlebags or smaller separate boxes fit for aerial travel. The two captains oversaw these efforts, intermixed by brief conversations between the two. Gallade and Heliolisk stood still and observed the mercenaries work efficiently as a team, unsure of their next move. This moment of respite would be cut short by Weavile, halting her chat with Bisharp to shoot them a look, a look that read for them to stop standing around and assist her mercenaries. So they did. Working under the scorching sun surrounded by nothing but barren desert and hostile mercenaries wasn''t a job Heliolisk wished for, but his nerves were slightly calmed by having Gallade work beside him. The Druddigon from before was assigned to him, the both of them tasked with salvaging multiple wooden containers of their insides. An hour of this went by painfully slow for the Electric-type. After finding another lonesome crate, the Druddigon effortlessly ripped open the top layer. Inside were multiple rows of items fit for battle; Seeds of all kinds and various vibrant Wonder Orbs. Heliolisk looked down, a lone desire of retaliation entered his thoughts. Darting his eyes around the area, all of the other mercenaries were busy at work, not paying attention or keeping guard. He looked back down into the open crate again, biting his lip at the chance he had now. He could blind the Druddigon with a Luminous Orb, and then act fast while the others were distracted and use an Escape Orb on him and Gallade before they could realize. They would teleport away and reappear almost five minutes away, giving them enough time to hide or run far away. But one fact punctured a hole in his plan - no Entercards. Getting home without them would be no easy task, especially with an entire mercenary clan trying to find them. A slamming noise to his right rattled him out of his daydream as Druddigon glared daggers into him. "Work." Heliolisk gulped and returned to his task of taking the items out of the crate, mind relinquishing his idea of escape. He was so frustrated that he couldn''t do anything to help free themselves, and Gallade''s way of peacefully working with the mercenaries was not helping his temper. He had a little brother at home, one that looked up to him and was waiting for him to come back home. He despised that he was such a coward compared to Gallade, that anyone else back home couldn''t fight back against the nonbelievers that threatened them. The small amount of advice he had been given by the commander reemerged in his thoughts. ''Never trust a devil'', he said. Devils, these Pokemon certainly were. After a few minutes of sorting all the seeds and Wonder Orbs out of the crate and onto the ground, there was only one thing left to grab. A long container rested on the bottom, clearly heavy from the looks of it. Heliolisk sighed and went to grab it with a grunt, the Druddigon assisting him as they slowly hoisted it out of its confinement. "All right, we lay it flat." The Electric-type did just that, delicately dropping the rectangular box the same time his ''partner'' did. He then took the moment to dust himself off, catching his breath. Blood splattered against the wooden crate as a bullet pierced straight through Druddigon''s right temple. The dragon flailed his limbs and dropped onto the sand instantly, letting out a few involuntary twitches before going still, eyes dead and lifeless. Time slowed to a crawl around Heliolisk. The ensuing crack of gunfire echoed, muting the shocked shouts and calls of the Pokemon around him. He slowly swept his frozen gaze around, watching the mercenaries flee their position in slow motion, yet he didn''t move. His breaths were shallow, blood covered limbs quaking, yet he did nothing but look around. Gallade tackled Heliolisk to the ground and scrambled through the sands on all fours as another boom from nowhere shattered the sky, both taking cover behind a large boulder. Heliolisk heaved back and forth, his eyes never left the smear of blood on the wooden crate and the Druddigon''s body. Another shot was fired that entered the skull of Honchkrow as he attempted to fly to safety, the crow smacking into the ground. Weavile and Bisharp were crouched behind their own slab of cover, the former whipping her back and forth in an attempt to scout out the attacker. "Get to cover right now!" she barked. As those who listened to her advice followed it, an eerie silence set in over the area, but Weavile knew it was far from over. Sprouting pillars of light and a loud shimmering noise erupted on all sides of the crumbling keep. One after another, Entercards expanded into existence as ley lines uprooted from their natural location danced in the skies. The arrivals formed a ring of orange luminance around the keep, quaking the earth beneath their feet in its might. "AMBUSH!" Weavile yelled, preparing herself for a battle. Numerous Pokemon wearing rose painted breastplates charged out of their respective Entercards, some holding raised rifles while others built up energy in their outstretched claws and gnashing teeth. The mercenaries of Weavile''s clan soon conquered their shock and stood their ground, charging up attacks of their own as the enemy closed in. A battle commenced. It was chaotic and bloody from the viewpoint of Gallade and Heliolisk, who never moved their hiding spot behind the boulder. They flinched as freezing beams and columns of blazing fire sailed past them, strikes of thunder kicking up dust and scorching the earth beside them. Gallade had trained in aspects of multiple target battles before, but never had he experienced something of this scale. It threatened to break his will and nerve, but he defied his fear in an attempt to save both of their lives. Tuning the sounds of conflict out, he honed his vision on the two captains'', plotting an idea in his head. Weavile slashed the chest of an Espeon that got too close, delivering a swift kick that sent it to the ground and snapping her head towards Bisharp. "How many of ''em?!" she yelled. Bisharp utilized his Iron Head and smashed his metallic cranium into an Umbreon as it crumpled to the ground. "Too many! Outnumbered!" Immediately after his warning, another flash of Entercard arrivals appeared from their right as more soldiers of the Rose Clan poured out of the orange light. Weavile clenched her teeth at the sight, throwing her gaze to the duo of Rhyperior and Electivire that were just finishing up stomping a Loudred into the ground. "Rhyperior! Electivire!" Weavile exclaimed, jabbing a claw at the new arrivals. The two caught on quickly and sized up the group of Pokemon that charged towards them. They briefly exchanged looks and nod of solidarity before engaging. Rhyperior started off by slamming his rock column-like arms into the ground, shaking the ground as large spikes of pointy rock jutted from the ground and raced towards the ensuing group. It barreled into those too slow to react, which triggered Electivire''s response to run alongside the spikes. Galloping on all fours, his eyes formed a gleam in them, his twin tails sparking electricity. Once fully energized, coils of hot blue plasma spiraled out from his tails and snaked their way through and in between the skewers of rock. The heat seeking plasma struck the chests of Pokemon unfortunate enough to stand in its path, shocking them still and allowing a speedy Electivire to pummel with a well timed Thunder Punch. Finally, Rhyperior called back his spikes and held his right arm out straight. A pebble grew from nothing and hovered in front of his arm''s cannon, slowly developing into a rock, and then a massive boulder over time. Squinting his eyes, he aimed his Rock Wrecker perfectly and fired without hesitation. The reinforcements that remained were now completely blown away by a shattering boulder. The dynamic duo''s reward for their victory was a sequence of two gunfire shots that uselessly collided into Rhyperior''s natural armor and narrowly missed Electivire''s head. Weavile turned around, attempting to locate the source of the shots again. A glint of the sun reflecting on the metal of the rifles caught her attention, pinpointing it to the cliffs of sandstone overlooking the keep. Weavile formed a murderous glower and bumped the shoulder of Bisharp next to her, bringing his awareness to the attacker behind them. They knew what to do. Weavile dropped her saddlebag and sprinted towards the cliff, Bisharp in hot pursuit behind her. More bursts of fire from atop the cliff same as the two captains hopped on rocks and scaled the cliff at a rapid pace. Once they were atop the bluff of red stone, Weavile flicked her ferocious glare to the two Combuskens'' firing down on her Pokemon, who noticed their presence and pulled the bolt back on their rifles, training them on the intruders. They weren''t aiming for the head, only the limbs, they noted. This didn''t stop either of the captains'' as they lurched forward at alarming rates with their claws and gauntlets splayed out. The Combuskens'' kneeled and took their shot, one bullet bouncing off Bisharp''s leg and denting its metal, while the other merely took off the fur of Weavile''s right arm, only seeming to increase her anger. Weavile lunged forward, black cape flapping behind her as she savagely sliced the throat of the Combusken in her warpath, Bisharp following suit with the same execution on the other doppelganger. They gurgled out choked cries as blood filled their lungs and fell twitching. Back down to the anarchic battle on the ground, Gallade was keenly watching the saddlebag Weavile had left behind, formulating an idea. The Razor Claw''s were losing bad, caught off guard and facing reinforcements arriving by Entercards, with even Rhyperior and Electivire struggling to fight back now. Gallade knew they wouldn''t come out of this alive if they were to lose, so he had to bet everything on his trump card. And he did just that. Scrambling out from behind the cover of the boulder, Gallade stayed low to the ground as he went over and picked up the black saddlebag. He hastily opened it and searched its contents, finding both his Mega Bracelet and the Entercard that would send them home. He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately grabbed the bracelet and connected it to his arm, pointing it to the sky. Nearly all of the fighters stopped to look at the bubble of pure energy forming around Gallade. It crackled, flashing an odd symbol before fully encasing the Psychic-type. A few seconds later, the shield burst open and revealed the Mega Evolved form of Gallade. His head crest was larger, arm blades sharper, and had a white cape flowing from his back, expression resilient and determined. Gallade wasted no time in leaping into action, for this form lasted only mere minutes. He dashed towards any Rose Clan soldier he saw, sending supercharged Psycho Cuts from his arm and dropping them instantly before they could fight back. He didn''t know if he was simply knocking them out or worse, but pushed past this disturbing question and continued his ravenous assault. He was a soldier, a protector of the Allfather, and he did what the situation demanded of him, no matter what. The tide of the battle turned shortly after Gallade''s endeavor, as now only a sparse few Rose Clan remained standing. And when they were finally brought down to the ground and snuffed out, aside from numerous groans and murmurs, the keep was deathly quiet. The sand was stained with blood and black battle scars, breastplates littering the area as spots of risen fire crackled intensely. Weavile and Bisharp slid down the cliff to survey the fallout. The Rose Clan was defeated, but her clan had taken immense losses, judging by how many bodies of her comrades were lying still in the sands. Her blood boiled at the state, but her greater attention was grabbed by something else; she and Bisharp ran forward to investigate. A white light wrapped around Gallade as he sprinted over to Heiolisk, vanishing moments later and revealing his transformation back to normalcy. He bent down and extended arm to the trembling Electric-type, who looked up at him and slowly clamped his claws on him. Once they were reacquainted, they turned around to see the two captains'' and what remained of their mercenary force staring at them menacingly, waiting for either of them to attack. "Look!" Gallade yelled, stepping forward. "You can trust us! Yes, I took the bracelet, but by doing that, I saved all of us from certain death!" Anger clouded Weavile''s judgment as she sneered at him. "And what happens if we turn our backs next? You''re gonna pull that same stunt then!" "If we wanted to, we could have left with the Entercards!" Gallade yelled, earning him a quizzical stare from Heliolisk. "But we stayed to fight and help!" A lie - they would never have a chance to escape, but he had to play his cards right. "Weav''s, maybe he''s right, if just a little," Bisharp offered, sighing and looking back to observe the multitude of bodies. "Things would be a lot different if he didn''t help..." Weavile didn''t respond, thoughts and feelings festering in her mind of a certain Grass-type. But these were cut short when the sounds of muffled gasps and a struggle behind them were heard. "Captains!" Rhyperior and Electivire were seen dragging along a bruised and battered Krokorok that seemed to haven given up his attempts of escaping. He was brought forward to the two captains'' and made to kneel, looking down and cowering from their intrigued gaze. "This one here says he''s the one in charge of this ambush," Electivire explained, shoving the Ground-type. "Ain''t that right you piece of shit?" "Y-yes!" the Krokorok cried. "I can tell you what you want, just leave me alive!" Weavile kneeled before him, leaning forward. "Start talking," she commanded, dancing her claws along his throat. "Prove your worth to me." "P-princess Serperior, she told us to do this, that you two and that Gallade and Heliolisk were supposed to be captured!" he sputtered out, wincing at the feel of her cold and blood stained claws. "Us captured?" Bisharp questioned. "And those two¡­ Why does she want us captured?" "To take you out of the picture, so you wouldn''t find out about Regi Castle and disturb us. And¡­ she wanted those two back there most, because our Alignment source didn''t know things that they might know about the castle." Weavile exchanged looks with Bisharp before slowly removing her claws and standing up. "This ''source''... are they located in the region?" "Y-yes! He''s in a village just near Regi Castle," Krokorok answered, looking them both in the eyes pleadingly. "I can tell you a whole hell of a lot more! You just have to promise my survival!" "... Take him away, and keep him safe and out of sight," Weavile said before throwing Rhyperior a glance. "Rhyperior, you find out this town he''s talking about and make a trip there tomorrow. You get your answers from the Pokemon there about this source with or without force." "On it, ma''am." As they left with their new prisoner, Gallade spoke up again, overhearing the past conversation. "We''re here because of the Rose Clan!" he admitted. "We came here to stop them from supplying the bandits and trying to get into Regi Castle." From the look Heliolisk was sending him, he seemed insane to tell them their mission details. And while it pained him, it was useful to build trust. "We both have a common enemy. We both want to stop their advances. Let us work together to stop the Rose Clan, and we will help you any way we can," Gallade said. Bisharp seemed convinced enough to allow them association, eager to hear of knowledge they could further obtain from the pair. However, Weavile struggled to see these two as being equal to them as partners. But since her partner seemed to already have an answer to their suggestion, she had no choice but to fold and hope things panned out smoothly. "You talk to us about this Regi Castle, then we can work together," Weavile said, turning her back on them. Pokemon of the Rose Clan still alive and writhing on the ground were subsequently extinguished by shots of their own rifles as her few comrades left surveyed the aftermath. "That snake wants a war? We''ll give her a fuckin'' war she''ll never forget."
Expanding into existence, an Entercard laid flat on the sands and produced a pillar of golden light, a shadow lurking in the golden fluorescence. Gloria carefully tiptoed her way out, a woozy feeling in her stomach still lingering even after all her rides with the Entercards. "Hurry up!" a male voice called. "I''m coming!" she squeaked back. "Just a little, um, dizzy!" Her response didn''t seem acceptable as a Riolu emerged beyond a sandy hill in front of her, wearing a big smile and a banjo that was strapped to his back. He ran over and grabbed her paw, running back to where he came from with her unwillingly in tow. "Just this way!" Liam assured. "O-okay!" Traversing the land together, the last hill they went past hid a surprising secret. A small lake stood defiantly among the dry and hot sands. Lush greenery and tall, swaying palm trees grew alongside its gravely edges. Yet, the most beautiful thing one could witness were the multiple waterfalls spouting from the cliffs bordering the lake. A rainbow appeared through the crashing water and gentle mist. In such a hostile environment, it felt serene and peaceful. "Amazing, right?" Liam said, soaking it all in with a happy sigh. "Found this place after I used one of those Entercard symbols." "Wow¡­ It''s beautiful," she murmured, eyes dazzling. Liam strolled down the sandy dune and stood by the lake''s shore. Bending down, he grabbed a flat stone and positioned himself accordingly. He then snapped his paw back and sent the stone skidding across the calm water - three skips. He went at it over and over again, attempting to beat his previous score each new attempt. "You should try this! It''s fun!" he recommended, flashing her a joyous smile. Gloria stared at him blankly, looking down at her four paws, then back at him. "Oh¡­ right, heh." He went back to skipping rocks, Gloria content with simply watching him enjoy himself. However, he stopped not long after starting, standing still as he gazed out towards the lake and its small yet compelling waterfalls. "I get it now." "... Um, get what?" she asked, tilting her head. "The whole thing yesterday if you don''t mind me talking," he said, reaching down to find another stone. "I know now why you''d, uh, always worry about my reckless antics, or tell me to not take jobs alone. And I get it, because even if we''ve only known these guys for a year, they''re like family to us now, and we want the best for them." Gloria seized up, her inhibitions about this topic reappearing. What she did yesterday was an expulsion of emotions she didn''t want to release, nor want anyone to see her do. It made her look pathetic, weak and invulnerable, as if she was too reliant on others to be there for her. It wasn''t a moment fit for a hero, and she knew it. She said little to Liam or anyone afterward to ease that discomfort she felt about herself, but somehow it only made her feel worse. Now he was willing to talk about it, and she had the opportunity to open up. Liam tossed another rock, watching its trajectory. "You saying that stuff about everyone close leaving you¡­ Well, I can relate to that, y''know. Never knowing my folks and all, it hurts." But he did know them; he knew who they were, what possibly happened to them, and it made the feeling so much worse. Gloria fiddled with her necklace''s Never-Melt-Ice. "I just¡­ I hate how much I care. How small and helpless I feel sometimes. I only got this far because of Roark, you, and so many others that it feels like I am completely reliant on you all." She let loose a deep sigh. "I just want everyone to be safe. But with everything that''s happening now, I know that''s not what''s going to happen." She seemed stuck in a way, wanting those around her to be close and not leave, while she pursues her own dreams of heroism. These two principles conflicted, only highlighting her own insecurities. "Family is everything, the Guildmaster told me," Liam shared, crossing his arms. "When I woke up that day, I didn''t know anything in this world to care about but the large expanse of the world to explore; that''s all I cared about, or wanted to at least," he mumbled, before raising his arms into the air. "I don''t know why, but I feel so invigorated now, like we need to take action." "Um, what do you mean?" "I think it''s time for us to stop talking about what we want and start doing what we want." He looked at her, smirking. "You saved me, Gloria. And I wanna see you be that hero you always talk about." The Vulpix smiled proudly at him, face determined. "I''ll show you." "Good." Gloria trotted towards the lake''s shore, watching as Liam picked up another flat stone. "Liam¡­ would you ever tell me if you got back your past memory?" Liam lost his smile, swiveling his gaze to Gloria''s, silent for just a moment. "... Of course." She nodded, deeply inhaling and exhaling. "Sorry, I''m just worried, I guess. I don''t know how I would feel if you regained your memory and wanted to do something else in your life, or return to any family you might have. I... I like what we have now." Liam didn''t respond, remaining still as he contemplated his actions, squeezing the stone in grip. He then took his usual throwing stance, but something caught his eye. Small pots and other containers were sitting near the lake''s edge just a few yards away. He deduced instantly that these were property of nearby natives, most likely used to gather water that was so scarce now in the region. He threw the stone and watched as it glided across nothing and dropped into the water with a splash. He couldn''t figure out why, but seeing a scenic location like this being defiled by flaws of a system irked him in such a manner. Everything here to him now had a different tint to it, a tint of ugliness. Liam glanced over, observing Gloria''s icy blue necklace. "Will you ever tell me about that necklace?" "... Someday. I don''t think I''m ready for that." "Then I guess there''s things I''m also not ready to say." The pair went silent. Liam sat down onto the gravel and pulled on his banjo''s straps. He held the instrument in his hand, admiring the white flower engraved into its beaten up wood frame. Without so much a word, he began to strum the strings and play a song the Guildmaster taught him. Gloria smiled and sat down next to him. The two of them enjoyed this strange and alien melody together, happy to share this moment of rest after reconciliation together again.
These aspects of beauty tainted by the consequences of our reality. It makes you wish for a better alternative, a better tomorrow.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: Heroes And Nobodies Heroes And Nobodies Chapter 25 Heroes And Nobodies "My mom used to have a saying she would tell me time and time again that I always hated - something about, uh, heroes and nobodies," Garchomp pondered, racking her brain. Excadrill crossed his arms. "And what''s that supposed to mean? Some sort of motivational tale?" It was midday, the fiery desert sun above beaming down on the encampment set up above the Grit Ruin Excavator''s underground station. Numerous tables and workstations were laid out on the flat sands and rife with the presence of workers coordinating. Both Team Drarosteel and Team Moonlight, along with Excadrill, were positioned at a chosen station, observing efforts from afar. In the distance, small glimpses of orange Entercard light could be seen blipping into existence in different locations, like twinkling stars in the night. "Nope. It was like a warning¡­ for me." Garchomp rattled her large talons on one of the wooden tables. "Whenever I wanted to leave the village to be my own Pokemon, she would tell that saying of hers." "And what kinda sayin'' would that be?" She shook her head in remembrance. "That there were heroes and nobodies in this world - heroes that would venture throughout the world, save the day¡­ then die tragically young. And then there were the nobodies - simple Pok¨¦mon that lived day to day and kept the wheels of society in motion, staying well and alive." She flashed a sharp grin. "Of course, mom wanted me to be the nobody." Excadrill bellowed with laughter. "Seein'' as you''re here now, that didn''t quite work out for your momma!" He jabbed a claw at Jackson and Scizor, who were quietly communicating to each other at another table. "Heck, all of us here can be considered heroes and not nobodies. And I don''t see us bein'' snuffed out'' so soon." Garchomp adopted a proud stance, raising her head high. "Well, dear old mom couldn''t foresee the heights my team would reach. Ain''t that right, boys''?" she called to the two Pok¨¦mon beside her. Aggron nodded, smacking his large chest proudly. "If it weren''t for ya, I''d still be chowing down iron and tusslin'' with my Lairon lads back at Steelcrag Mountain. Sometimes I miss those days¡­" "Ya miss gobblin'' down iron ya big bellied loudmouth," Tyranitar grumbled. The Steel-type laughed. "And I''m sure you miss raidin'' ships off the coast, pirate boy." "We all miss something here, boys," Garchomp said, eyes glazing over in thought. "But I wouldn''t give up everything in the present for something in the past. I''m over that." Excadrill crossed his arms. "Sounds like quite a story between you three. My momma wanted me to get a head start in life and tossed me out to the Mightyena once I turned working age, yessiree." He glanced back at the two silent Pokemon behind him. "What about you two? Can''t rightly say I''ve heard much about Team Moonlight''s pre world famous past." Jackson ignored the request of conversation as he scribbled down more notes and drawings of diagrams onto a wide sheet of paper, eyes never leaving it. However, Scizor would hesitantly take the initiative, backing away from the Lucario and facing Excadrill, both pincers behind his back. "Well, there''s not much of note to discuss before Team Moonlight was founded," Scizor explained. "Charizard and I were born in Areos Village and were very good friends growing up. We lived with our family and friends there until¡­ that day." The sick feeling in the Bug-type''s chest manifested again. Excadrill scratched his neck, "Ah, uh, my fault on opening past wounds like that¡­ Jack''s always hush-hush about this stuff, but y''all three met each other in that village, huh? Must be the work of Arceus, like a miracle." "¡­ Indeed we did. We have been best of friends for over two decades, and I do not intend for this to change." Although the conversation was between Scizor and Excadrill, Garchomp found her attention drawn to a still Jackson, noting his slight facial reaction to the last comment. It was only after her private chat with Scizor that she began to realize and notice these quirks the Lucario sometimes showed. It intrigued her, yet disturbed her in a way she couldn''t put her talon on. "Getting back on topic, we have something to show you, Excadrill," Garchomp said, changing the topic as she reached into her saddlebag to pull out something. "We believe it''s got something to do with Entercards, and we''d like you to take a look at it and hopefully confirm our suspicions." The mole smiled proudly, fixing his tie. "You''re talking to an Entercard researcher extraordinaire, miss! Lemme see whatcha got." What came out of her saddlebag was an unassuming slip of paper, which she carefully handed over with her sharp talons. Excadrill grabbed it from her with an amused expression, squinting to get a better look at what was sketched onto it. It was a drawing of a peculiar symbol - three circles overlapping each other with many swirls and spirals. "What you''re seeing there is what we found atop Celestial Mountain at the very peak. It was marked into the ground, but pretty faded, so it had to be long ago. Thank Scizor for his observation and artist''s rendition of it," she explained, shooting the Bug-type a smirk. Scizor smiled. "It''s my hypothesis that the symbol is related to the same symbols used by standard Entercards. Yet, this pattern is too bizarre and unique for a typical Entercard." He swallowed. "¡­ What do you think of it?" "¡­ I think y''all are right," Excadrill muttered, slowly forming a grin. "But I''ll come out and say it - I''ve never seen somethin'' like this before." "But you think it''s related to Entercard symbols, right?" Garchomp asked with a tilt of her head. "Yeah, I do. But I ain''t quite sure why the symbol is made like this. If it''s some archaic method of the past, or¡­" He snorted. "Or it''s for some advanced type of Entercard. I dunno, could be either, but this mighty interestin'' regardless." The idea of an advanced Entercard stuck in the pair''s minds. It was easier to write off that it was a random pattern etched into the earth ages ago, but that didn''t sit right with them, and they knew deep down there was more to it. Excadrill frowned, stuffing the paper into one of his suit''s pockets. "Can''t believe I got stumped by this, but I''ll take another crack at it later and see if I notice anyth-" "GUILDMASTER!" Interrupted by a shout from below, the Pokemon looked down the hill they were occupying to see Leafeon rapidly sprinting towards them. Once she was in earshot, she yelled to them again, tan fur frayed and her wide-eyed visage desperate and frightened. "G-guildmaster! Please, you need to help right away! I-It''s about Shaymin! They''re¡­ they''re going to-" "Calm down," Jackson uttered as he stepped away from the table to see her trembling form. "Tell us what happened exactly, Leafeon." Leafeon inhaled and exhaled to remove her panic. "Shaymin. She was¡­ She was captured by a group of , um, the same ones that threatened Excadrill''s group¡­ with the Serperior woman!" Shock jumped across each face in the group, all except Jackson, who kept his blank expression. Garchomp scowled, "You''re serious, aren''t you? How do you know this?" Leafeon gulped. "The Serperior, she contacted me through Shaymin''s ELE. She said that Shaymin was being held at some shrine, the Shrine of Landorus. She wanted money in exchange for Shaymin''s return, or in three days they''d¡­ they''d-" She struggled to get the words out as she threw her teary gaze to her Guildmaster. "Please! I know Shaymin left and could be difficult, but she doesn''t deserve this! We can get the Council to help, or get her back our-" "That''s enough, Leafeon," Jackson interrupted with a raised paw. "Please, return to the others. We will discuss our next actions and share them with the guild later." "But-" "Please. We will work this out." Leafeon stared back momentarily, analyzing the Lucario''s monotone gaze boring into her. She eventually relented, sniffling and wiping her face free of wetness, running back to where she came from. Garchomp watched her leave, biting her scaly lip. "Shit. Like we don''t have enough on our plate already¡­" she grumbled. "But we can''t let this go unnoticed." "Right on, lass! These scabby little mercs shouldn''t have the right and freedom to do as they please," Aggron added, Tyranitar nodding to his statement. "We''re not," she said. "We''re fighting back against them, and they''re not gonna push us around." Excadrill shook his head. "Shrine of Landorus, huh? Heard it got captured a while back, even holdin'' the Legend there hostage and its worshippers. Bad stuff, I tell ya, and the Council are sitting Duckletts on the matter." "If that''s true, then this means we have to intervene." Scizor said nothing, shooting glances between the others and back to Jackson, who observed them intently. While he did agree with a swift rescue of one of their former guild members, there was only one opinion that would actually matter. He couldn''t read minds, but he could tell there was a differing idea brewing in the Lucario''s head. Garchomp looked around, "All right, first we''ll need to inform the others. After that, we''ll-" "No." Garchomp snapped her attention to Jackson, taken aback by his comment. "¡­ Excuse me?" "No. We will not go through with any extraction of Shaymin." The stunned dragoness stomped her way over to the Lucario, angling her head to glower at him. "You''re telling me¡­ that you''re going to let a member of your own guild die to these Pokemon." "Former guild member," Jackson corrected, glaring intensely. "Shaymin decided to leave the guild, and therefore is not any of the guild''s concerns anymore." "Not any of the guild''s concerns?!" Garchomp sputtered, flashing her sharp teeth at him. "Not only did she aid your guild for years, but there are other innocent Pok¨¦mon held captive there, and you''re just going to ignore them?" "There are more important matters for my guild to attend to. I will not be sidetracked when time is scarce." "You wanted to lecture me about doing the right thing before, and now I am. We all are, but you don''t. Do you even care about the Pok¨¦mon around you? Do you not understand what kind of example you''re providing?" She attempted to emphasize her point by jabbing his chest with a talon, only for a paw to swiftly smack it away as Jackson inched close to her, snarling under his breath. Aggron and Tyranitar appeared on Garchomp''s side, sizing the Lucario up with steely expressions. "You know it''s the right thing to do, Jackson," Aggron said, backed up by Tyranitar''s silent stare. "C''mon, we gotta do this all together now." Jackson didn''t budge at their arrival. "If your team wishes to be heroes, then by all means, charge into that shrine alone, but leave my guild out of it." Garchomp leaned further in. "All of your members have decided to willingly follow through with your pursuits, and you don''t think they''ll want to do this as well? You''re mistaken." Excadrill raised his claws. "Why don''t we just calm down here, okay? Jack¡­ we''re talking about civilians there, customers of mine no doubt, too! Didn''t ya see the two caravan ''mons we had to pick up earlier? Nobodies comin'' to save ''em anytime soon." The Ground-type''s words did little to ease the tension between Garchomp and Jackson as they continued to glare at each other, anticipating any movement from the other. Scizor could foresee nothing good in the coming minutes, choosing to swallow down his hesitancy and speak up. "Guildmaster¡­ We can do both. We can separate planning and still prepare for our assault on Regi Castle right away, like this never happened. It can work, so trust us, please." He flinched not long after speaking, wondering if this was a good idea. Jackson was still for a moment, giving the Bug-type a side-glance, before speaking slowly to the dragoness in front of him. "... If I do not have a plan of action presented to me after the day is over, then my guild will proceed as originally intended. If this is what you want, then you will deal with this yourselves." The Lucario forcefully shoved his way past Garchomp and her teammates, descending the sandy hill and leaving the group to walk away by his lonesome. Garchomp did little to hide her beyond frustrated expression, arms flexing with rage. "He doesn''t wanna help his own Pokemon? Fuck him - we can do it all ourselves." Her gaze found Scizor''s, mellowing out. "And thank you for sticking up for us, Scizor. Are you able to help us with this?" "I¡­ I will give it the majority of my attention, as much as Jackson can accept." "Great. We need a good thinker if we''re making a plan tonight." Excadrill crossed his arms. "I guess it''s a good thing to say that I''ve got a map of the Shrine of Landorus tucked in our underground setup. Plus, we can also use the same Entercard plan me and Jack concocted for Regi Castle." "Entercards for this?" Garchomp tilted her head. "Don''t you need a physical symbol at that location for those to work?" Excadrill smirked, raising a knowing eyebrow.
A flare of orange light exploded into existence over a rocky cliff, an Entercard manifesting along with it onto a symbol marked in the sands. Once the dramatic entrance of it concluded, two Pokemon stepped away from the card - a Riolu and a Vulpix. They took a quick second to observe their surroundings. "Seems like this is the place," Liam said, squinting his eyes."But I don''t see any castle-like building in the distance." "Maybe it''s below this cliff?" Gloria offered, frowning at the harsh sun above them. "I hope we don''t have to stay out here all day¡­" "Hey, I think it''s nice to get some sun on your fur. Better than being cooped up in the guild with paperwork." He started walking forward, making sure to keep the hefty cream saddlebag steady as he leapt over rocks in his way. She followed him, walking around the stones in her path instead. "That''s easy for you to say, not being an Ice-type." He laughed. "You''ll live." Their mission here was simple, if not a little dull. After the events of their Entercard training the day previous, Team Drarosteel and their Guildmaster had gathered all of the guild and Excadrill''s workers for an important announcement. They were going to see action much earlier than anticipated, and a different location altogether - the Shrine of Landorus - where their former guild member Shaymin was held captive by the Rose Clan. It was even more alarming to hear they would storm this place only a day later. While many were chosen or volunteered to go themselves, Team Requiem was chosen to do recon for their primary mission of taking back Regi Castle. While they were out peacefully scouting, the rest of the guild was getting ready for a more daunting task. "Don''t worry about starving, ''cause I packed us some lunches," Liam said. "Even got a Pokepuff with your name on it." "Oh, uh¡­ thanks!" The Riolu stopped and looked over his shoulder, seeing his partner seemingly stare off into space behind him. Once she caught him staring, she snapped back to full awareness, white muzzle burning red with embarrassment. "You''re still worried about Roark," he realized. She nodded, almost shamefully. Liam went back to walking. "He volunteered to go with the others, you know. He wouldn''t do that if he wasn''t sure he''d be okay." "I know, but¡­ I just wish he went with us now, or I could be with him there." "Then you know I''d have to go as well. No matter what, we''re crossing into danger." He looked back again. "We''re ready for that, right?" Gloria''s blue eyes honed in on him, a shimmer of new confidence. "Of course. I can accept this." "Same here." Their short trek through the field of rocks and grainy sand ended at the beginning of a cliffside a few dozen feet above the earth. Trailing around the edges of it, they walked around the sides until they saw it. It was a fortress made entirely out of red sandstone and shattered glass, ancient and decrepit in appearance, yet still grandiose from afar. "There it is," Liam said as he knelt down to open his saddlebag. He took out a pair of binoculars and placed them over his eyes, scoping out the ''castle''. "Wow, there''s quite a lot of ''em." Through the lens of enhanced vision, he could see the area''s finer details clear as day. His binoculars followed Pokemon wearing rose painted breastplates as they patrolled in or around the fort. He swallowed the lump in his throat, coming to terms that these were their enemies, and they would soon battle them for control of the fortress. "Are they doing anything?" "Walking around and talking, maybe," he replied. "Wait. I think that''s¡­" Liam swept his vision over to a newly arriving Pokemon near the backside of the building - a Serperior. It was tailed by an Aegislash as it slithered over to a large hole where many other Pokemon with shovels and other digging instruments were stationed. The Grass-type appeared to exchange words with the diggers, impossible to translate from this far away. "The Serperior lady is down there talking with them." He lowered the binoculars from his face. "Other than that, not much else is happening." "How long does the Guildmastere want us to watch?" she asked with a sigh, already wilting from the heat. "Few hours. He wanted us to write down what happened over that time." He sat down completely, opening another pouch in his saddlebag. "I also brought some books we can read. Maybe we could finish that one with the Skitty thief?" Gloria gave him a perplexing look. "We did, remember? You fell asleep halfway into it." He blinked, before laughing and digging into the saddlebag. "Well, we could give it another shot." She rolled her eyes and gazed out into the desert as her partner brought out much needed supplies to stave off boredom. However, there was something nestled between the fortress and the emptiness of the landscape that caught her attention. It was a village, a small one from the looks of it, yet she could catch glimpses of the faintest scuffles occurring near it. "... Hey, Liam. Could you pass me the binoculars?" "Uh, sure. Not much to see, though." The Riolu did just that, and she awkwardly positioned them in front of her, leaning forward and taking a peek into the lenses at the tiny town. What she saw made her jaw drop slightly, a shiver trailing her spine following shortly after. A Rhyperior near the village''s entrance was entangled in a fight with a pair of frail and weak looking Leavanny. The latter of which proved no real match to the hulking Rock-type as it tossed one of them to the ground like a ragdoll. It pointed its massive rock column of an arm at the felled Leavanny and barked out something unheard. The other Leavanny made a futile attempt to keep the Rhyperior from getting any further, with little success. Gloria couldn''t watch any longer, tearing the binoculars away as a new emotion that wasn''t worry flashed across her face - anger. She looked around and bit her lip, a thought entering her mind that seemed insane, but felt like the only option, and the right to do. "Liam. There''s something going on down there. Something bad." Liam tossed a Razz Berry in his mouth. "Schomething with the merchenaries?" he questioned through a full mouth. Gloria shook her head, eyes fixated on the village. "No. Follow me!" she exclaimed. He swallowed. "Huh?" The Vulpix put all her faith into her instincts and jumped off the cliff, falling a few feet down until she reached ground. She pushed forward and slid down a rocky and steep dune, ignoring the pebbles that showered her face as she did so. Liam was quick to shoot to his hind paws and assess the situation. "Hey, Gloria! Where are you going?! We have a mission to do here, y''know!" "Just follow me!" she yelled back, finally reaching the cliff''s end. "This is more important, and they need our help!" Not long after her words, she took off. Liam watched her go, before muttering a few curses under his breath and hastily packing up their supplies back into his saddlebag. He jumped not a minute later, and while he would be lying to say it wasn''t always a thrill to jump off haphazardly, things were different when his partner suddenly had the idea. He ran after her, wondering just what it was that stirred her to act. Gloria sprinted off towards the village, necklace swinging up and down off her chest as its modest buildings came into view. Those fuzzy figures she saw wrestling from over yonder became much more clear each step she took. She swallowed the lump growing in her throat, accepting the reality that she was doing this - this was happening. Rhyperior growled and pounded a foot into the sand. "I told you multiple times already! Give me the house where he is, and you won''t get hurt!" he hollered at the two quivering Grass-types''. "HEY!" Rhyperior didn''t bother to look over his shoulder, sighing. "If you wanna stay safe, little girl, it''s best to pipe down while I''m talking with your mom." Gloria rebuffed her efforts. "Leave those Pok¨¦mon alone!" Now curious, the Rock-type slowly turned around to face this soft yelling voice, the two Leavanny scrambling to safety. It then shocked him to see that the Sewaddle he thought he was speaking to was in fact a Vulpix, a very determined looking one, to be exact. He stared for a moment, before breaking out into hysterics, his large tail swinging behind him. "You''re kidding, right?" he struggled to say through his laughter. "Sweetheart¡­ Where are you parents at right now? They know you''re trying to play hero here?" Gloria grinded a paw into the ground, dead set on this. "I said¡­ leave." "So you want a fight. Well, sorry to say, I don''t fight little gir-" BOOM! A small explosion detonated across Rhyperior''s rocky back as he flinched in pain. He immediately whirled around to see his attacker, pinpointing the explosion''s cause to a Riolu holding another Blast Seed just a dozen feet, his scowl apparent as he adopted a fighting stance, just like Gloria was now doing. "Oh¡­ it''s on now!"
"And are you sure this is going to work?" Garchomp inquired. "I''m appalled you''d even ask such a question!" Excadrill said jokingly, tapping his puffed out chest with a claw. "You''re talkin'' to an Entercard expert for over twenty years here!" "Just want to make sure this doesn''t send us off to another dimension." The mole chuckled as they walked and talked across the plains of sand that was their place of congregation. It was noticeably more quiet than usual, lacking the buzz of scurrying workers. They walked towards the area where their plan of attack was being held, all but set to happen in the coming minutes. "Nah, nah," he said, pulling out an Entercard from a suit pocket. "All you need for this to work is one physical symbol in that area, and luckily I''ve had one tucked with me." "And so all these Entercards link together through this one symbol like a daisy chain?" "Bingo. To avoid everyone transporting to one symbol and gettin'' smooshed, they''ll instead be spread around the place like jam. Call it a roll of the dice, ''cause they can end up anywhere around the shrine''s vicinity." Garchomp sighed, "Which means the location they''ll end up at will be entirely random? That''s not gonna be great for coordination." Excadrill frowned, "Sorry, lass, but this is the best you can get. If it''ll boost your confidence in this a little, I''m sure y''all will prevail; these mercs ain''t nothin'' but a pack of Wishiwashi tryna be big and tough." "I hope you''re right¡­" This entire operation would be her first taste of leading something like this. While an act of bravado and confidence was her usual course of action throughout her team''s run of successful missions across the globe, this time things was different. They were heading into enemy territory completely blind with Pok¨¦mon that had no hesitation to kill. Precious lives were in her talons, and she had to keep them safe. Scaling a small hill, their attention was drawn to the tons of Pokemon gathering below it. They were both of the guild and Excadrill''s many vivacious workers. Multiple rows and columns of Entercards were laid on the sand, energy already filled in them, and ready for usage. The Pokemon beside them were conversing and pooling items for the upcoming battle, some wearing worried expressions, but the majority seemed almost determined as they got ready. It eased Garchomp slightly as she approached. Monferno breathed out a sigh, observing Braixen wrap her red nurse''s armband near her shoulder. "¡­ You know you don''t have to go, Braix." Braixen kneeled down and opened a bag chock full of medical supplies and berries. "I do. Medical attention is needed if anyone gets hurt, and since we''re for sure doing this, someone getting hurt is a near certainty." She stopped fiddling with her things to look up at him, smiling. "And you''re going, which means I''m obligated to." "Even past that¡­ you still want to do this?" "I decided to stay, haven''t I? If I''m going to continue being part of the guild, it''s natural that I fight for it as well. There was no going back after we decided to stay, and I''m accepting that." He smirked in return. "Pretty cool to see that. I like that hear that from you." "¡­ But what I want to know is why you''re doing this for Shaymin." Monferno bit his lip, scratching his bandages. "Maybe I just want to be the bigger ''mon. There''s other Pok¨¦mon there in need of saving, too. Can''t let grudges stop a rescue job." Her gaze lingered, "¡­ I like to hear that from you. It sounds very noble, not like you," she ended with a modest chuckle. "Don''t get used to it, Braix." In truth, this was all about proving himself. Over the long years he spent at the guild, nothing seemed more worthy of testing his capabilities than this moment. The expertly hidden fear tucked away in heart felt enough to burn a hole through, yet he continued anyway, because truly what else was there for him besides this? He couldn''t think of a life outside doing, especially with Braixen not by his side. "I know why!" Roark suddenly said from behind, clamping a pair of claws on Monferno''s shoulder. "Mony here wants to be a big ole hero!" Monferno jostled his way out of the ruse fox''s grasp. "And I''m sure you''ve got a better reason to do this?" Roark flashed a grin, striking a stretched out pose. "Been a while since I''ve actually put my amazing skills to the test. This is a familiar situation for past me, so why not indulge him a little, y''know?" "Yeah, well, this isn''t the past¡­ But maybe the mercs will go easy on an old man." Braixen crossed her arms. "I think both of you will do very fine out there. I think we all will." Her eyes shifted to a certain Dragon-type as she stomped into view. "I believe we''re about to find out, in fact." "Hey, listen here!" Garchomp yelled, receiving everyone''s eyes on her. She was standing in front of the Entercards. "We''re set to begin the operation in just a few minutes, and I needed to say a few things!" She went quiet, her next words more soft. "I know that the past week or so has been¡­ a lot. Trust me, I know. From this whole expedition to your choice of staying or leaving, to now fighting against a clan of mercenaries. None of us expected an encounter so early and on short notice, and I apologize for this, but¡­" Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. She trailed off, looking into the crowd of Pokemon staring back until she found Jackson''s cold gaze boring into her. She tried deciphering his look just as he tried to many times before in the past, with little success. Was it anger? Disappointment? Displeasure? Or was it a look of judgment, one that told her that she chose this path, and there was no going back now. Yet, despite that, that glare of quiet scrutiny, a one she has seen many times in her life, both as a child and adult, seemed to only embolden her decision. So many times she was held back from doing what she wanted, or doing what felt right, and now she was in charge of this. She stared back at him, defying him one more time with her expression of pure assurance. "But this is where we make our comeback! Where we prove ourselves as Pokemon who desire to fight for the present and the future!" She straightened her posture, raising an arm high into the sky. "So, c''mon! World''s not stopping for anyone! Let''s get out there and kick their asses!" "YEAH!" the Pokemon present cried back. Garchomp stepped away, "Everyone knows the mission details! Excadrill''s team, you''re first to go! Make us proud out there, boys!" A storm of Drilbur, Gurrdurr, and other restless Ground-types ran to their respective Entercards. With a click of their card''s bottom indentations, they vanished one by one in an explosion of golden orange light. Garchomp was quick to follow behind them as she went to her own Entercard, Aggron and Tyranitar by her side. "Next team, let''s go!" she roared. As the guild proper moved into action, her gaze wandered over to Scizor as he fluttered over to his own Entercard with his insect-like wings. He would look back, the two of them now smiling at each other. They both wanted this, even if they were told or urged not to, and she wouldn''t have it any other way. She and her team were soon enveloped in orange. They flowed through the ley line openings like water in a river, reaching their hostile destination in a matter of seconds. When their vision was returned to them, they were somewhere else. A quick turn around and a scan of their new surroundings proved this method of travel to be successful. They were at the Shrine of Landorus. Chaos brewed as sprouts of appearing Entercards popped into reality from nowhere all around the shrine''s ruin-like structures. Shouts and yells from the panicking Rose Clan members stationed were intermixed with the sounds of Pokemon sprinting out of their cards to battle. Team Drarosteel would soon follow suit as they charged to the nearest breastplate wearing Pokemon in their vicious sights. This would be a battle they were sure to win.
"Stay still!" Rhyperior locked his gaze onto the Riolu as he sprinted away from his current location. A breath of frustration escaped him, slowly pulling up his large cannon-like arm and readying an attack. But before he could complete it, a stream of twisting auroras collided into his outstretched arm, painfully encasing it into a sheet of freezing ice. He threw a glare over to his side, catching the white furred culprit flee from his sights. BOOM! A Blast Seed thrown by Liam connected with the frozen arm right after, shattering the ice and discombobulating Rhyperior for a second time. More angry mutterings manifested in a roar of rage as he slammed his limbs onto the ground. The earth trembled and groaned from his created Earthquake, causing Liam and Gloria to falter with their steps and crash to the ground, their attempts to stand futile. "Now you stay still!" Rhyperior blared. "You stay still and you die!"
Thunderous booms rocked the skies above the Shrine of Landorus. Murals decorated with inscriptions and artistic depictions of Arceus and both Landorus were blasted off by stray beams of various elemental attacks. Ground that was once sacred to the Pokemon here was now trampled by both attackers and defenders as they clashed in a frenzy. The Rose Clan was caught off guard and vastly unprepared for an attack of this scale. Yet, they fought valiantly, as expected by their glorious leader and princess. Many gathered on the rooftops of clay temple-like buildings and unleashed barrages from above on their foes. Trails of black smoke and gunpowder billowed from them like chimneys as the few Pokemon with rifles fired relentlessly at any movement in a panic. This only stoked the rage and built up Charizard''s Flamethrower as he swooped low to each building and torched the Pokemon on top into unconsciousness. Monferno was glued to walls of an alleyway between two structures, hyperventilating. His eyes snapped to each piece of stone shot off by rifles, and each physical fight that was happening in the corner of his eyes. There were shouts and cries he could not unhear, ones he didn''t know if they belonged to the enemies, or his friends. He lost contact with them almost immediately after in the chaos, and he was all but alone out here. They were supposed to arrive, make the mercenaries surrender by force, then free the captives - that''s it. He had a mission to complete, something to prove to himself and others, so why was standing here and not helping his comrades? He gulped, forcing his muscles to move as he ran out of the alley''s cover, adrenaline pumping throughout his veins. Putting himself right into the fray of bombardment from all angles, he spotted a lone Prinplup wearing a rose decorated breastplate leaning against a shattered pillar. This was where he could prove himself. Flames engulfed his newly formed fists as he charged towards the Water-type with a gleam in his eyes. Before his enemy could even realize, he tackled the Prinplup to the ground and wailed upon its face and steel armor. He felt like he was doing something important, something that mattered and was grand to him. That was until the Prinplup fought back. A scalding jet of water spewed from the penguin''s mouth straight into Monferno''s face, knocking him off balance and onto the ground. No longer did he have the upper hand as the Prinplup sprung to its feet. Its flippers grew gray and sharp as it struck Monferno multiple times with Metal Claw. The primate spasmed in pain, his wounds from before throbbing under his bandages and preventing him from fighting back. Why did he think he really had what it took to do this? Because of his unwillingness to realize his inability, he was going to die here. "Get off my friend!" a jubilant voice screeched from behind. Monferno''s assailant was ripped away from his revenge as Rockruff jumped on the Prinplup''s back and bit down hard on its skin. The Water-type wiggled his body around intensely in an effort to rid of the puppy''s quite sharp fangs, to little to no success. Rockruff would eventually get his foe down to ground as he relinquished his bite and quickly formed a medium-sized rock from thin air. He sent it crashing onto the Prinplup''s belly as it sputtered, before falling unconscious. "... R-rockruff. You¡­" "Saved your butt!" the puppy barked, wagging his tail and running to the primate''s side. "Now get up! We gotta keep fighting!" "... Well said, heh."
"I''m done playing around!" After the Earthquake ended, Rhyperior started moving, and like a charging Bouffalant, he was faster than initially thought. He held up an arm as he rushed towards them, tiny circular rocks forming from his arm''s mouth and being ejected at alarming speeds at the pair. The ones sent to Gloria missed and shattered on the ground, but the ones hurdling Liam''s way were something seemingly unavoidable to any other Pokemon. The Riolu''s aura activated at this moment, electricity shooting up his spine as he honed in on this reaction. He kicked up sand, arms and legs shifting in tandem to dodge rocks that flew past him. All but one escaped his dance of survival, exploding into his chest as he wheezed in pain from its power. Another Aurora Beam from Gloria slammed and froze the chest of Rhyperior. The ice instantly crumbled as he shifted attention to the Vulpix. Another roar bellowed from him as he slammed his two arms onto the ground again, this time causing a split in the earth, spikes of rock erupting from it and barreling towards Gloria. She was too slow to react and was sent launching by a pillar that formed under her. Liam realized her predicament and took out a Stun Seed from his saddlebag, hurling it at Rhyperior before he could approach the fallen Ice-type. The seed popped upon touching his rocky plates and released bolts of yellow static that restricted his movement, reducing him to mere growls and twitches. Liam bolted after Gloria to lift her head off the sand, her weakly looking up as he offered her an Oran Berry to munch down. She scarfed it down and leapt back up to her paws after feeling its effect, greatly shocking Liam at her tenacity. They exchanged looks between them and the snarling Rock-type that stared back, waiting for the paralysis to wear off. A hasty nod between them said everything. Gloria sprinted towards Rhyperior and expelled another beam of frozen energy at his stationary legs, cocooning them in solid ice as she ran under him. Liam was right behind her with his outstretched paws glowing a bright purple. However, the Stun Seed''s effect on Rhyperior wore off, and the behemoth of a Pokemon retaliated by attempting to slam the incoming Riolu in his path with his arms. Liam''s aura activated as he pivoted to the right, avoiding the impact and finally reaching his target. His two Force Palms smashed against the ice, breaking it and also impacting the Rock-type''s unprotected areas. Immense pain rattled Rhyperior, but he still was standing, and was eager to deliver payback.
Above a rooftop left unscathed by Charizard''s flames were a group of Rose Clan members releasing attack after attack onto the seemingly endless supply of Pokemon still appearing by flashes of Entercard all over the shrine. "How fuckin'' many are there?!" yelled a Dragonite. "They''re all over the place!" a Fraxure to his left screamed back. "We''re gonna need backup right away, or we''re screwed!" "You got the ''screwed'' part of that right," a Liepard behind them nonchalantly said. "Say, have you guys seen a wickedly handsome Zoroark crawl out from one of those cards?" The group turned to face this Liepard just as a burst of white light enveloped the feline, quickly fading away to reveal a smirking Zoroark standing in its place. It raised it arms and cackled maniacally as a shockwave of dark and purplish energy washed over the group of mercenaries, knocking them to the ground and bringing them in and out of consciousness. Roark fled the scene of his misdeeds and expertly slid down the clay building, dashing on all fours to his next set of victims. "Ha! Had to give ''em to the ole Night Daze illusion combo!" Moments like that allowed him to relive a part of his life he hadn''t seen or done in years. He felt alive as he leapt from broken pillar to pillar, almost for a moment believing he was back in the Rescue Society, or back to his days as a thief escaping from guards. Purpose found again, it felt like. Shadows appeared from above as he dashed into an alleyway. His smiling muzzle looked up to see a new group of Pokemon staring down on him from the rooftops. Yet, there were no breastplates covering them, only bundles of cloth wrapped around their body and face. Mercenaries these weren''t, but bandits they certainly were to his eye. "C''mon, let''s fight! Thief to thief!" Roark beckoned to them with a large grin. The challenge of battle was accepted as a Furfrou and Heatmor dropped down to face him. They wasted little time as they went in for the attack, the Furfrou''s jaws extending for a Crunch as its Heatmor companion spewed bits of Flame Bursts at the Zoroark. Roark, of course, saw this coming a mile away as he danced around these actions. Despite the severity of the operation, it felt like an old game to him. Roark grinned as he bounded towards the Furfrou and delivered strike after strike of his Night Slash. The canine responded by attempting to barrel into the fox, not succeeding as Roark swerved out of the way in a frolicking manner. Yet, even his swift movements held a degree of aged slowness, which the Furfrou capitalized on. Gnashing teeth were then clamped down on Roark''s leg, and while painful, it gave him the perfect position to pummel his opponent. Before he could even think of a move, he caught the faintest glimpse of a white flushed orb flying past into his peripherals and shattering on his shoulder. A flash of pure white consumed Roark''s vision, thrashing to shake free of both his blindness and the strong jaws that held him still. A cracking noise resounded from the rooftop above as Roark let out a sudden cry of pain. As the Luminous Orb''s effect faded away, his bewildered gaze shot to his leg held by the Furfrou. A sizable bullet wound was gushing blood down his trembling leg. His eyes widened at the sight, fur standing on end as he used all of his force to push the shaggy Normal-type away before another shot from above could seal his fate. He succeeded in shoving the Furfrou off, adrenaline keeping his impaired leg stable in standing as he backed away to assess the situation. This was more dire than initially thought.
"ENOUGH!" Wooden planks and other bits of clay and stone exploded out of an abandoned house as Rhyperior stormed through it like it was nothing. His tail''s club demolished more walls as it swung madly. There were noticeable chips and cracks in the Rock-type''s plated armor, his enraged eyes darting to any peek of the small duo as they ran behind the building. Their war had been going on for minutes, bringing them closer into the village itself. Liam and Gloria found themselves getting more and more tired, breaths labored and panting as they prepared for the next bout of heavy attacks. They knew victory was possible and in their sights, yet getting there was still something they would have to overcome. Rhyperior eventually smashed the entirety of the structure as he stormed out, just as another Blast Seed detonated in his face, thrown by Liam. He took his fuming revenge by wildly charging towards the Riolu, swinging his arms like a madman and damaging nearby homes as Liam ducked and weaved to the best of his aura abilities. One good unavoidable blow to the Riolu''s back was enough to ground him completely. As he struggled to get up, Rhyperior turned his attention to Gloria as she squared him off from this opposite end of the village road. Holding up an arm, his angered expression turned into concentration as a small pebble floating in front of his cannon began to grow larger and larger. Gloria took notice of this and bolted from her open position. She attempted to avoid any place of hiding for the villagers, sprinting and jumping to find cover from this daunting attack. Rhyperior''s arm tracked her through each movement, teeth gritting as the floating stone in his cannon morphed into a gigantic boulder. Feeling the time was right, and seeing her visible, he pulled back his arm and fired it. His Rock Wrecker sailed across the road and annihilated any house or other edifice in its path of destruction The boulder collapsed into pieces after striking a second home and toppling it over, revealing the woozy looking Vulpix taking cover behind it. Bits of stone from the attack sliced into her fur, and she stood on wobbly legs that threatened to crumple any second. Rhyperior grinned murderously at this as he stomped his way over to her, ready to deliver the final blow. "GLORIA!" Liam stood on his hind paws, an outstretched paw raising to sky and holding a purplish Wonder Orb - a One Hit KO Orb. Gloria would tiredly lock eyes between him and the encroaching Rhyperior as he lifted his arms into the air one last time. Liam threw the orb as hard as he could towards his partner, where time seemed to slow down. Gloria focused on the Wonder Orb as it descended from the heavens and began falling between herself and Rhyperior. A split second decision occurred to her in the blink of an eye and she formed the most powerful Aurora Beam she could muster, discharging it directly at the mid-air Wonder Orb. The twisting beam of energy shattered the orb just as Rhyperior brought down his arms. A purplish aura then coiled around the Aurora Beam as it continued on its course and collided into Rhyperior''s chest. Freezing ice spread across his entire body like all consuming fire. Gloria never relented her attack until the Rock-type was completely frozen solid, unmoving. Silence filled the area as she finally gave up to catch her breath, staring at her work. The statue of ice that was Rhyperior remained still, his twisted grin petrified behind transparent blue walls. Cracks then appeared in the ice as the statue shook and shook, before slowly collapsing to the sound and crumbling to chunks of hail with a loud thud. Rhyperior himself was freed from his icy prison, lying flat on his stomach, knocked out cold. Liam and Gloria immediately exchanged looks of disbelief, before overjoyed smiles of relief crossed their muzzles. It was a shared reaction as the Pokemon of the village emerged one by one out of their hiding spots to check their fallen antagonizer. They cheered relentlessly with many rushing to greet and thank their heroes.
Garchomp took her weighted foot off a swiftly defeated Houndoom and surveyed the land, aided by her two teammates by her side. They were not losing, but they were not winning either. From her limited perspective, and the sounds of battle reduced to only small bursts of action from both sides, they seemed to be in a stalemate. Her team trudged over to the walls of a ruined building, taking peeks beyond it at the force of Rose Clan members behind it. They perched themselves behind makeshift cover and on rooftops, making sure none of the opposing side could charge through. With this deadlock, Garchomp knew it was only a matter of time before their reinforcements would arrive. "What''s the plan, lass?" Aggron harshly whispered. "The others we get, and we storm their defenses, I say," Tyranitar said. "And get blown to smithereens by their rifles and attacks?" "It''s a thought, metalhead." "Nah, I think I know what to do," Garchomp whispered back. "Give me the saddlebag. And do you know where Team Moonlight is?" Aggron heeded her command, tossing it over. "Just around the corner. Charizard is restin'' his lazy bones, though." "Tell them we need to combine our powers, and give these mercs something they don''t expect." She quickly opened the saddlebag, sifting through its contents with her talon until she found three important accessories at the bottom. A smirk crossed her features as she looked up at the two, who knew exactly where this was going. Garchomp pulled out her own personal trinket, admiring the Mega Stone etched into it. While she and her crew began to affix them to their bodies, she heard a peculiar noise from above as she looked up, her jaw almost falling to the floor at what she saw. Piercing through the white cloud in the sky was a green serpentine-like dragon with yellow symbols stretching along its narrow body. Its ravenous maw and two armed claws were outstretched as it descended rapidly towards the shrine below it, eyes full of anger. White energy built up in its mouth, before it unleashed a weakened Hyper Beam upon the remaining Rose Clan members stationed on the rooftops, more than enough to knock them out clean. "T-that''s a¡­ Rayquaza!" Garchomp stuttered in amazement, gazing up again. "There''s more!" Gliding through the blue skies was an entire band of flying Legendaries'', from all kinds. Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Latios, Latias, Lugia, Reshiram, Zekrom, Lunala, and many others of the same species. They encircled the Shrine of Landorus and began to swoop down to attack, specifically targeting the Pokemon wearing breastplates or cloth wraps with rapid strikes of attacks. It was like Arceus himself bestowed a miracle upon them in Garchomp''s eyes as she simply observed with a childlike glee. She and her team could only watch in incredulity as the Legendaries'' made short work of the mercenaries and bandits all around them.
Liam munched on an Oran Berry as he observed Gloria from afar, watching the weak and disheveled looking Pokemon of the village crowd around her to give their support and thanks. She had a permanent smile glued to her face while she handed out containers of water to the needy villagers, taken from their saddlebag. This was apparently Debilis Village, a relatively unknown place home to the sick, the dying, and the forgotten of the Grit Region. There was no way these Pokemon could have defended themselves from the Rhyperior, so them appearing was like a miracle to the residents. He still hadn''t gotten over how she ran from their primary mission to do something like this, and that they succeeded by the skin of their teeth. He wasn''t angry, only surprised by her actions. But he didn''t want to be surprised, because this felt like something she always wanted to do. Finishing his vitalizing meal, he made his way over to her as she finished handing out supplies. He stopped just a foot from her. "Hey." "... Hey," she responded quietly. Liam stepped forward to bring her into a friendly embrace, Gloria melting into it as she inhaled and exhaled from this comforting feeling. Their hug ended moments later as they broke away, still smiling ear to ear to each other. "Can''t believe you did this," Liam said with a shake of his head. "Not that I''m complaining." "... I said I''d show you." "You sure did, heh. If only Roark was here to see it¡­" Gloria looked around, "The, um, villagers said some Council guards will be arriving soon to arrest the Rhyperior and guard the village." "Should we wait here in case more of these guys show up?" He patted his saddlebag. "I''m still saving a Doom Seed with one of their names possibly on it," he teased. "No, they can take care of things and protect these Pokemon. We can go back to our mission now, but¡­" She pointed a paw to an ordinary house alongside the village road. "The villagers said the Rhyperior was trying to find the Pokemon in that house, but it hasn''t come out since, so¡­" Liam placed a paw on her shoulder. "I''ll go check up on ''em. You keep doing you out here." Her heart swelled with pride. "... I will. Thanks." Liam broke away and began treading the dusty trail further into the village. He walked past ailing Pokemon either coughing uncontrollably or stumbling around in their attempts to walk. It was truly a place that housed the unfortunate souls of this land, and he would be lying to say it didn''t break his heart or shroud it in anger to see this around him. Nearing the unassuming residence, he lightly knocked the clay building''s wooden door with an enclosed paw. A few seconds later, a clicking noise was heard as the door became slightly ajar, two sets of eyes appearing from the darkness visible inside. "... Who¡­ Who are you?" a hoarse voice uttered, looking at the Riolu''s black scarf wrapped around his neck. Liam cleared his throat, smiling at the pair of eyes. "Hello, sir. My partner and I are members of a guild, and we just now took down a Rhyperior that was harassing the village and looking for you. Are you, uh, in any danger from these Pokemon, sir?" "... You-" The voice and set of eyes cut off as the door now swung open fully, revealing the weathered appearance of an old Nidoking. Liam stood awkwardly in the doorway as he was seemingly given entry to step in. "Come in. Please." The Riolu did just that as he ambled inside. Despite the small size of it, the abode of this strange man was quite homely. The floor was carpeted in red, yellow, and orange fabric, frazzled and discolored in some places.. Dusty dressers, tables, and other objects were neatly lined up against the walls. A bed was positioned in the middle of the sole room of the home, sunken in and deflated almost. The air was quiet and dry inside, the scent barren and almost nonexistent. The glimpses of light coming in from the windows blocked by curtains illuminated the room in paleness. There was something to this place that irked but also intrigued Liam. It felt like a home lost and left abandoned. "Can I get you anything? Food? I would offer water, but it is rather scarce," the Nidoking said as he shuffled past the Riolu. "Uh, nah I''m fine, thank you." Liam''s wandering attention was drawn to something resting on a stand that was covered by other dust covered objects. He walked over to grab it, noting that it was a small framed painting of something. It depicted a smiling Pangoro next to an equally smiling Nidoking standing behind a dark backdrop with fuzzy neon blue lights in the corners of the sketch. Yet, the strangest part was how strange the ''painting'' looked, as if it was too detailed for it to be drawn. "You asked if I was safe?" the Nidoking suddenly questioned, sitting on his bed with a haggard sigh. Liam turned around, quickly putting down the object of his interest. "S-sorry, sir! And yeah¡­ my partner and I wanted to know if something was wrong." The window lighting that struck his bed revealed the bags under his eyes, and the two clawed scars dotting his purple arms and chest. "That Rhyperior¡­ I believe it was sent by the Rose Clan." Liam''s eyes popped with surprise. "Really? How do you know?" "... They came here once before, almost a week ago. They came here to see me specifically, and tell them about a place." Gears were shifting around in Liam''s head as he began to realize what ''place'' he was talking about. "That place¡­ Would that be Regi Castle, sir?" Nidoking looked at him strangely. "You mentioned you were part of a guild, correct?" "Yeah. The Cosmic Quilt Guild. We''re from Empyrean City!" The Poison-type''s expression soured, but kept his gaze. "Your guild, is it attempting to investigate Regi Castle?" Liam nodded, "That''s what our reason is for taking an expedition here. But those Rose Clan members took control of it and now we have to take it back from them," he said with a confident clench of his paws. "It never ends¡­" Nidoking murmured wistfully. "The Serperior came here, threatened the lives of the children I care for and look after in this village¡­ all for information about that awful place." He growled. "Sick, rotten Pokemon." "That''s awful, but... how do you know all that stuff? And why did they go to you specifically?" Nidoking scrutinized the young Riolu''s curious expression, before looking down "There was a time when I was¡­ important. Pokemon would heed my beckoning, travel to places in search of things that always eluded us. I was an instrument of combat and progress to those above me, all for this greater good we attempted to find." "So like a leader or commander?" "... Yes. Something like that." He sighed once more. "But that time is over, by my own claws. Now I live in hiding here, away from home and the Pokemon I knew, waiting¡­" Liam found his words subtly hitting close to him, a wave of sadness washing through him. "Waiting for what?" Nidoking looked back at him. "For my mistakes to catch up with me, for my past demons to emerge and deliver what was owed. I escaped that place, that life, but it never did leave me. It''s inevitable that I face it, and accept whatever punishment I am granted." Silence fell in the room as Liam absorbed his words. "... Riolu. Whatever the guild does, the secrets below that fortress cannot fall to this Rose Clan or any other being that has terrible intentions for this world. Do you understand that? "... I understand, sir." Liam looked to the home''s entrance. "I think I should, uh, go now." "Thank you," Nidoking said gently. "It felt good to chat with another peacefully." As Liam quietly walked to the door, he suddenly stopped, sensing his body jolt from an electrifying feeling. Blue and yellow spirals briefly shot across his vision as the familiar and gruff voice from before echoed throughout his mind, creating a chill up his spine. ''You will have to pay for your father''s mistake, just like I did.'' He thought it was gone the day previously, yet here it was again, taunting him. Nidoking noticed Liam''s lack of movement. "Is there something on your mind?" "... No. Goodbye, sir." "Goodbye, Riolu." Liam approached the door and swung it open, briefly standing in the doorway. He let loose a weary sigh, before stepping into the daylight. He shut the door forcefully, the air released blowing away some of the dust accumulating on an armband resting on a dresser beside the doorway, yellow lines coming out of its center.
"Ah! Fuck!" "Just hold still! And stop swearing!" "You try holding still or not swearing after getting hit with a bullet!" Braixen breathed out an air of frustration as she poked her needle one last time through the Zoroark''s skin, bringing it out again and stitching together the ruptured flesh. Taking a moment to analyze her work, she nodded and placed her sutures back into her kit, standing up to face the grimacing muzzle of Roark. "Luckily, the bullet went straight through, and these stitches will work¡­ for now. I''m afraid you will have to get them looked at by Hatterene when we return back to guild, as I am not as skilled or have the best equipment," Braixen admitted shamefully. "To temporarily combat the pain, I advise you to consume small amounts of Oran or Sitrus Berries whenever this region flares up." Roark shot her a grin as he reached into his mane to bring out a flask. "Way ahead of ya. Any excuse to scarf down berries is one I''m behind." "Don''t pour your alcohol on that wound again. It will slow the healing process." "I won''t, I won''t! Sheesh, you''re like my little sister." Braixen gave a small smile at his comment, but lost it as she picked up her saddlebag of medical supplies. "Now, I have to help the many others here, so please do not disturb me." Roark watched in amusement as the fire fox nearly jogged over to a makeshift encampment built in the middle of the shrine''s square. It held dozens of other injured Pokemon after the battle was over, friend and mercenary alike. It seemed almost a miracle that zero lives were lost during the operation, but he believed that was attributed to the Legendaries'' interception. He took a hearty sip of his liquor as he tested his bad leg, wincing at the pain that came with having to actually walk with it. With a grumble of curse words under his breath, he managed to hobble over to the other guild members standing around. All of them were either engaged in chats with their teammates over the battle, or gawking at all the Legendaries'' perched on building rooftops and watching them. Monferno was one of the few that wasn''t doing either, standing by his lonesome and lettings his mind wander aimlessly. But any thoughts he had in his mind were suddenly scattered when a pair of crimson claws belonging to Roark landed on his shoulder. "Hey, you should see Braixen over here," Roark said as he elbowed the primate. "Like a damned head doctor with a million patients in her clinic." "I know. It''s awesome¡­ for her." Monferno went back to staring into space "... What. You''re not gonna mention my messed up leg? C''mon!" The Fire-type glanced over, snorting. "What is there to say, really? It completes the old man look." Roark laughed merrily, taking another swig of his flask. "There ya go - don''t act so down! This is our moment right here!" He emptied the flask, sighing. "We''re heroes¡­ sorta." Monferno observed the motions of his friends and colleagues talk away their experiences in the battle, the thrill and smile that never seemed to wipe across their faces. Everyone accomplished something in this first battle against the mercenaries. Everyone around him felt like they contributed to something that improved them, made them feel like a hero. So why did he feel none of that right now? Why did he feel like a stranger here? There was quite a commotion as new Pokemon began to arrive into the square - the Pokemon rescued from below the shrine''s depths. Many were worshippers of Landorus, and once their faces met sunlight, they almost stopped and dropped to their knees to pray for thankfulness. Yet, there was one Pokemon that caught Monferno''s eye as Leafeon stood by her side and escorted her out. Shaymin. The Grass-type was beyond unkempt as she stumbled out into the square. Her green and white fur was muddy and washed out, still showing the burns of flame that Braixen scorched her with. There was a swelling, purple bruise on her right temple, and multiple lacerations sliced into her skin and fur. Her eyes lacked the usual arrogance and rebellion, instead dullened and staring off into the distance. He couldn''t help but stare at her, either out of his still lingering anger towards her, or some form of pity. He stared until she stared back at him, and that''s when a new feeling seemed to emerge between them both - forgiveness. With a mutual nod, they sealed away any past problems. Across from the Shrine of Landorus'' square, Team Drarosteel and Team Moonlight congregated near the shrine''s entrance, discussing the details of the chaotic operation. Garchomp couldn''t keep the smile off her muzzle. "I''ve spoken with one of those Legendaries'', and they claim they''re here because of Ho-Oh, that they came here to rescue Landorus. I guess it was just perfect timing for us." She chuckled, watching the mythical Pokemon begin to take off into the skies. "Man, it makes me feel like a little girl again. You only dream of something like this happening." "Just another day in Team Drarosteel, I say," Aggron said with a smack of his chest. "Indeed," Scizor added, giddiness of his own creeping into his stark voice. "I wish we could have explained more of our involvement to them, and their ancestors, but this is a very spectacular moment." "Enjoy this moment," Jackson said as he stepped into view, crossing his arms behind his back. "From now on, there will be no distractions from the primary mission." Garchomp scoffed. "You can''t even be happy that we rescued your own member along with multiple other innocents? This was needed." "... I''ll be happy when we have gathered what we came here for in the first place." "Forgive me for wanting to help Pokemon in need," Garchomp growled, baring her teeth at him. Scizor glanced at Garchomp with worry, bringing attention to himself. "We will get right into our operation on Regi Castle, Guildmaster. There will be no more distractions." "Good. With the Rose Clan weakened, we''re in striking distance now. One more assault on that fortress and this war will be over, and the second location ours."
Krokorok stood as stiff as he could, feet straight and only slightly twitching. His gaze swept across the abandoned town, watching gusts of desert wind blow sand and other bits of the deteriorating town''s debris into the air. He swallowed the dryness in his throat, biting in his lip in both anticipation and nervousness. All he could do was continue to wait. Suddenly, an explosion of orange light materialized in front of him. An Entercard appeared along with two shadows standing atop it that became more clear as the light faded. They stepped away from the card and neared Krokorok, revealing themselves as breastplate wearing Houndoom and Roserade respectively. "Lord Krokorok," the Roserade spoke regally. "It has been one day since your ambush against the Razor Claws. I do not see them here in bindings¡­ Yet the plan has succeeded, yes?" Krokorok bent his head. "No, Lord Roserade. There was confusion among my fighters and the capture was not obtained. I am¡­ the only survivor that wasn''t captured or killed." "... That is very unfortunate to hear. Princess Serperior will be very displeased with this news." The Ground-type shot back up. "She will, but there''s something gravely important I overheard the two captains speaking of." "And what would that be?" the Houndoom probed. Krokorok looked up and past the two, staring at the two rifle barrels glinting in the sun on top of a cliff overlooking the town, just waiting for him to mess up. "There''s an alliance being formed between the Razor Claws and the Alignment. One that is designed to take down our influence in the region." Roserade was taken aback by this information. "This alliance, are you sure of its existence?" "Yes. I¡­ I also have information of where a meeting between the two captains and other officials of the Alliance will take place in the Grit Region." Houndoom and Roserade exchanged looks of apprehension, before looking back at Krokorok. "Come with us right now. If this is true, then Princess Serperior will need to act right away," the Grass-type said. "We are already facing reports of the Shrine of Landorus being attacked." Krokorok stepped forward and headed to the Entercard with the two others. Their departure was hasty, and in a few seconds, the trio were gone with an eruption of orange luminosity. Reticence took over the desolate mining town once more, only to be broken by a sharp laugh. Weavile and Bisharp stepped out of a dilapidated shack, just a few feet away from the meeting that took place moments before. Weavile laughed to herself again as she whistled loudly into a claw and waved it around the town''s houses. Scores of her own mercenaries then began to trickle out of these homes and got to work. "You think this will work?" Bisharp asked her as he knelt down. "It''s my plan, so yeah it will," she said smugly. "I know the snake will be so upset and will take it upon herself to get me, especially if she thinks we''re in cahoots with the Alignment now. Then we enact your own plan. Tell me, will that work?" she asked mockingly. He reapplied more bits of cloth around his wounded leg, cringing at the small amount of blood oozing from behind the dented metal. "If she and her guards are distracted at this ''meeting'' of ours, then we can slip into that fortress and find what they''re looking for. At the same time, we could take her down with our own little ambush." "... We just had to bury our own comrades, so it only makes sense for her to bury hers as well." Her scowl turned into a small smirk. "Course¡­ she doesn''t actually give a fuck about the Pokemon around her." "Glad to see I''m with such a big heart." She looked at him. "And what''s your takeaway from this? You really aren''t gonna try and scold me for sparking this war?" He looked back. "It''s already been sparked - a long time coming with Serperior. I wish there was another way, but we have to do this for the truth of this world. I will not stop until we get it. So yeah, that''s my takeaway. And I think you should see it the same, Weav''s." "Yeah, yeah, save me the details." Bisharp stood up, "I''ll speak to our scouts and get them to watch the fortress to see if Serperior or her guards make a move on our spot." "Oh yeah, ask ''em if they''ve seen Rhyperior. He hasn''t returned yet with that source the Krokorok was talking about." "Will do, Weav''s." As he walked away, Weavile sighed and watched her mercenaries gather materials and get ready for their own big surprise to the Rose Clan. Her gaze eventually settled on two Pokemon far outside the ghost town. Gallade marched across the sands towards Heliolisk, the Electric-type staring off into the distance, clearly bothered. He approached him without making so much a sound, mouth opening and closing as he wondered just what to say. "How are you feeling?" "... Fine, I guess," Heliolisk responded, rubbing his face with his claws. "I just¡­ I just can''t get that image out of my head, you know? That Druddigon getting¡­" "We can talk about it if you want." "No, I don''t." Heliolisk turned to glare at him. "Why did you do it? Why did you tell them our mission here?" "Heliolisk, you know I needed to get their-" "You saw how all those Pokemon got mowed down like it was nothing! And now we''re supposed to get their trust and work together with these murdering bastards!? How are we going to tell the commander or the Allfather about this?" "We''ll find a way out of this. Trust me." "I¡­ I need to be alone for a bit." Heliolisk stumbled off into the vast desert as Gallade watched him, wanting to follow him. He ultimately sat down on the sand instead, frustrated with how his partner and best friend was acting. "Is he going to be a problem?" Gallade glanced over his shoulder to see Weavile standing behind him. "No. He''s just a bit¡­ rattled from what happened. I promise he won''t do anything to jeopardize your plans with Regi Castle." "Do I need to be worried about you? Especially with that Mega Bracelet?" Gallade shook his head. "I will not fight you, as it does not benefit us." He slipped his armband over the bracelet on his arm. "And thank you for allowing me to wear it. It is special to me." "And how special is it?" she asked with a smirk. "Allfather give that to you for being such a good pet?" "... It was a gift from a dear friend. One that is no longer with us." "Isn''t that cute." Weavile crossed her arms. "I have stuff and other trinkets I still carry with me when I had friends of my own, trusted partners and teammates." Her piercing glare into Gallade hardened. "I didn''t ask for what happened to me to happen, but here we are." Her words were harsh and intended to bite him, but he couldn''t feel that way. "... I didn''t ask to be born into this world, to live this life that I was given. None of us back home did," Gallade murmured, a tear escaping him, which was wiped away. "But we were, and we made the best of it." "So you''re saying you just accept the shitty cards you were dealt?" "I do not accept it. That is why I and the rest of my brothers and sisters do this willingly." He looked straight up, smiling. "I am so fortunate that I was chosen to see this wonderful world with my own eyes. I wish one day¡­ that I could share this feeling with my children." Weavile followed his gaze into the vast blue sky. She wondered what trick or delusion he was sharing with her, what tactic of manipulation she expected from Pokemon like him. Her burning desire for this revenge seemed to be always present in her mind, but this moment right here made her think of something different. Her future past all of this.
You were not asked to be born into this world, and yet you have lived this life you were given. What do you make of that?
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: Deception Deception Chapter 26 Deception "This is an outrage!" The warm, orange sunset reflecting through the fort''s stained glass windows accented the crackling torches aligning the halls of the ''throne room''. A cup of tea hoisted by a green vine was twitching in restrained anger; Serperior''s once prestigious expression alit with rage at the news delivered to by the two Pokemon before her. She shifted from her comfortable curled up position into an agitated striking one. "Pray tell, what were you buffoons doing while all of this happened?!" Roserade ducked into a bow, radiating shame. "Your highness, it was an ambush by a much larger group with Entercards tactics unknown to us and-" "And?" Serperior argued, baring her fangs. "They are but lowly guild workers and bumbling, moronic miners! How could a Lord such as yourself fail your princess in such a way?!" Roserade winced at her venomous tone, bowing further. "... I am ashamed of our failure, your highness. There was an attempt to gather more forces to fight back, but the arrival of Legendaries in their aid was unexpected." "Lord Krokorok!" Serperior suddenly beckoned, shifting her attention to the sweating Ground-type beside Roserade. "Step forward and give your reasons for your lack of success. I am to assume you have another excuse as did your fellow lord?" Krokorok shook his head, bowing as well in submission. "T-there is no excuse, your highness. The ambush we enacted at the keep was well executed¡­ a-as you yourself planned," he quickly added, "but ended in an unexpected failure due to the actions of the two Alignment advisors. The Gallade utilized Mega Evolution and brought down my forces, but did not target any of the Razor Claws''." Serperior''s wrathful features were now wrought with shock. "Were they not prisoners of those barbarians? Why would they fight for one side and not for their own freedom?" A lone and scary thought entered her mind. "It couldn''t be¡­" Krokorok swallowed, choosing his next words carefully, and remembering the details of them that were drilled into his head over and over. If he messed up one part of it, he was certain there would be retribution by both sides. "Your highness¡­ there is something of grave importance I must share." "Speak your mind already!" an impatient Serperior hissed. "¡­ In the wake of the battle, I stayed a while in stealth to glean any information, and I did. The advisors spoke to the captains; something about contacting the Allfather and forming an alliance between the Alignment and Razor Claws to unite and destroy our kingdom." "Impossible!" she shrieked, horrified at this outcome. "You are not deceiving my ears, are you, Lord Krokorok?" "¡­ No, your highness, I am not. In fact, I was able to overhear another detail; a meeting. One between the higher ups of the Alignment, including its commander, along with the Razor Claw''s captains. It''s taking place here - in this part of the Grit Region." Serperior leaned in from her throne, flicking her serpent-like tongue. "Tell me more." "I-in a few hours, your highness," he stumbled, yet recovered quickly. "I know where it is! Where they will all be at a certain time¡­" This news was not good news at all. Her clan had suffered enormous losses and setbacks at two different intervals. Outsiders and a Legendary force had pushed her out of the Shrine of Landorus; Council guards had moved into Debillis Village, cutting contact with her Alignment source. Now her bitter rivals had defied her ambush and were now in talks with an alliance that was for sure meant to destroy her influence in the region. She had enemies on all sides, closing in on her swiftly, aiming to take away what was rightfully hers. This seemed to be the perfect storm she was dreading. Yet, there was one glimmer of hope for her plans - the meeting; it was near. A crashing of the meeting between her two enemies at their most vulnerable would be the crushing blow she sorely needed if her clan was to remain on top in the region. Once they were gone, she could focus on making sure Regi Castle''s secrets were for her eyes only. Her position of royalty was not going to crumble to two failures. The tea cup hoisted by one of Serperior''s extended vines was thrown from her grasp and shattered on a nearby wall as Serperior huffed loudly and coiled down from her throne. Her face shifted rapidly as she slithered down the hall''s blood red carpet, expressing both smoldering rage and a smug smile of radiating confidence. "Lord Krokorok!" she called out. "Accompany me and speak of the specifics of that location! Afterward, you two will be returning back to our home castle!" Krokorok gulped again, following after the now fired up Grass-type. From beyond the sight of the fort''s stationed guards, a pair of binoculars followed Serperior''s hasty movements through the reflective, stained glass windows until she was out of sight. The binoculars then dropped as the claws of the Weavile holding it tightened at what she saw through them. "Hah! Looks like that cowardly little croc didn''t wimp out on us after all," Weavile remarked with victorious glee. "Don''t be so sure," the Bisharp sitting next to her cautioned. "Wait ''til we see some more movement." "Yeah, yeah, tinman, I get it." She scoped back in. "Let''s just see¡­" Minutes passed atop the sandstone cliff they were positioned on as Weavile swept her focused gaze across the fortress, holding her breath in anticipation. This moment of silence was broken after a commotion near the fort''s front entrance was spotted by her binoculars. The entrance''s rusty, iron bar gate was slowly hoisted from the inside. Dozens of breastplate wearing Pokemon then proceeded to march out of the structure''s interior. Serperior herself was close behind her mercenaries, trailed by the ominous floating Aegislash behind her. This had to be their plan working as intended. "Hook, line, and sinker. What I would give to see the snake''s face when she finds our surprise," Weavile said through a grin, stuffing the binoculars into her saddlebag. "All right, Bishy, time to wow me with your plan, since mine has clearly worked." "Simple, clean, and stealthily. That''s how we do this." "We''ll see, tinman," she murmured, casting a look behind her. "Look sharp, vermin. We''re going in, so stay quiet and follow our lead. Especially you, runt." Heliolisk seized up as Weavile stared him down, muttering some unheard curses beneath his breath. Gallade, however, remained vigilant as he peered at the fortress from behind rocky cover. He dropped a knee to make a prayer for victory to the Allmother, whispering unusual phrases to himself and placing a firm arm onto the armband covering his Mega Bracelet. Weavile rolled her eyes at their behavior, slinging her black saddlebag over her shoulder. "Whatever. Let''s go see what that snake is too stupid to find." She was the first to slide down the jagged cliff, smirking the entire way down. "Ladies first, Bishy!" Gallade and Heliolisk were quick to follow the two captains as they descended down from their position. They trekked across the hot sands towards the looming structure of their desire. Carefully, as to not attract attention to them, yet fast enough to get in without a trace. Two Absols'' were stalking the pair from behind, coming with the group to solely watch them in case they planned to run. Gallade worried his plan of escape would have to wait after this operation, if that ever was to come. Heliolisk shuffled over to Gallade''s side, glancing momentarily behind him at the glaring Absols'' before whispering into his ear. "How long until we can do something? The Allfather and commander have to know by now we''re in trouble." "We can''t do anything with those two behind us," the Psychic-type whispered back. "If I can get to that Weavile''s bag and take out the Absols'', then we can use our Entercard to get back home." His response seemed to ease Heliolisk''s nerves, if just slightly. A minute later, the Electric-type spoke softly again. "This place; it''s what the Allfather said the mercs were supposed to leave from¡­ If this place is important, and we''re really gonna enter it, what do you think is inside it?" Gallate didn''t respond as the group neared the dug out boundaries of Regi Castle. They stopped to see the large group of Rose Clan mercenaries venture off into the vast desert wastes, no doubt in pursuit of the ''meeting'' they would intend to crash. With the majority of the Pok¨¦mon guarding the fortress gone, it was left scarcely protected, ripe for their next plan. "¡­ What I hope is that it is clarity," Gallade said. "I do not want us to stumble around in the dark any longer, to not have friends and family live another dreary life of darkness." He looked up at the imposing fortress. "If it''s true that this place holds secrets, then I wish we discover them for the benefit of our home." He and many others back home were sick of failure, sick of their lack of discoveries, and sick of their suffering. As long as he lived and breathed, he would make sure the path to paradise promised by the Allmother would be found and followed. It was what kept him going, truly.
The sun setting in the distance over the encampment meant one thing - it was showtime. Huddles of guild members and workers of Excadrill were gathering near their tents and scores of equipment. One notable group of three was disconnected from the clamor, chatting casually as they waited for their Guildmaster''s next command. "Seriously, you two should''ve been at that shrine place while it all went down around us. I mean, Legendaries swooping down like that? It was a blast!" Gloria frowned at Roark. "It wasn''t a blast. It was very serious and you could''ve¡­ died," she struggled to say those words. She did not want to harp so much, but it clouded her mind so much at the time. "You even got shot! Those Pokemon weren''t playing around, y''know." Roark chuckled as he bent over with a pained grunt to ruffle her wispy hair tuft. "When you get to my age and feel all rusty, sometimes you just gotta do it without question." He stopped to straighten his leg out, putting some more weight onto it. "And hey, I''m not a cripple, so you don''t have to worry about that." She eventually smiled at his antics. "I just don''t want to be scared like that again, okay? I wish you didn''t agree to going to our new operation¡­" "You know I can''t be dead weight and not do something risky, sis." The Zoroark cracked a grin. "Hey, speaking of risky; what you two did yesterday¡­" He broke out into another chuckle. "Liam told me all about how you ran from the mission and liberated that village all by yourselves. Ain''t that right?" A pair of snapping claws in front of the daydreaming Riolu''s face jolted him back into reality. He honed in on Roark''s amused expression and took a calming breath. "Stay awake here, kid! Sis here is too shy to tell the story." Liam shrugged, smiling at the blushing Vulpix beside him. "There''s nothing to say that I haven''t told you. Her worry paid off, and we did it by the skin of our teeth." "Man, we could''ve used a pair like you back in the Rescue Society," Roark said, focusing back onto Gloria. "¡­ You never forgot that promise, and it shows." She looked down in thought after his words. He knelt down as best he could, reaching a claw over to grasp the Never-Melt-Ice hanging from her necklace. A tender smile stretched across his muzzle as their eyes connected. "You and I both know how proud your parents would be of you now. I don''t need to overstate that, do I?" "¡­ No," she mumbled. "Then I guess I''ll say it for them. You make me very proud every time you prove yourself." He bounced the icicle with his claws. "You didn''t have to waste your whole life to do something so special¡­" She sniffed, shuffling her forelegs together, before tackling the Zoroark into an awkward hug. He stifled his groan of pain from her sudden embrace with a chuckle, wrapping his arms around her back as she melted into him. Liam watched this heartwarming event between the two with a certain melancholy feeling bubbling in his chest. Before, when he lacked the memories of his past, an occurrence like this would simply be sweet to his blank self. Yet, now he could only think of his own parents. Was his mother ever proud of him before she died? If his father was still alive, could he say he was proud of him? The answers he knew and the ones he didn''t were always out of his reach, and the small windows into the past he was given never seemed enough to his ever curious mind. Ever since that trip out to Criss-Cross Creek, it ravaged his thoughts, changing his perception of the world around him and what he believed in it. The Guildmaster was always there to help him when he bottled it all in, but his words only deepened his desires. He wanted to know the full story, and why he was in this world full of oddities and creatures that seemed beyond the realm of that small country boy''s simple world. Far from home he was. That''s what it seemed like to his fractured brain. Roark cracked an eye open and looked over at Liam, beckoning him over with a claw. "C''mon! This is a family hug, sidekick!" The Riolu blinked, before grinning and stepping over to join them. He extended his arms and fell into the clinch of warm and slightly cool fur. They kept this moment of togetherness a moment longer, taking it in. While these two weren''t family by blood to Liam, or were even from the same world as he was, he would be lying to say it didn''t feel like it. They made him feel comfortable in this land, and he wished for their happiness and safety above all. Liam held onto their bodies tight, feeling like never letting go. Across the camp, another interaction between close friends was taking place - Leafeon and Shaymin. The Legendary was attempting to take off into the skies, her bandaged ear wings only allowing her bruised body into the air for a mere thirty seconds before she had to stop. A growl escaped her each time as he was forced to descend. But she kept at it, testing her limits further each time. Leafeon was a few feet away, happiness mixed with worry in her expression as her eyes followed the gliding Pokemon. Even if the others weren''t so happy to see her, they were willing to accept her again, and she herself was just happy her friend was alive and safe now. "Are you sure you''re fine to go with us?" Leafeon inquired. "Nobody is forcing you to go, Shaymin." Shaymin grunted as her paws hit the sand again. "¡­ Yeah, but I wanna go, Leafy!" She took a deep breath before launching into the air again. "If I could convince the Guildmaster and the others to let me back in the guild, then I can most definitely convince ''em to let me go!" Leafeon frowned. "You don''t have to prove yourself to the others. It wasn''t your fault this all happened, and we would''ve done it for anyone else." Shaymin managed to stay in flight for a solid minute before returning to the ground, landing near Leafeon with a sigh. "¡­ What if I want to prove myself, huh? What if I''m sick of being looked at as a bastard here." Leafeon was nearly taken aback by her words. The Shaymin she knew since they came to Celestic was always adverse to making friends beyond her. She had tried to make the Legendary be more rational and friendly, but it seemed to backfire every time. "I was only in that fuckin'' jail cell for a few days, but it felt like an eternity," Shaymin said, closing her eyes and gritting her teeth. "I had all that time alone to just think. About you, about my family¡­ about me. I came here years ago, and all I''ve ever done is put others down here, like back home. I thought I was gonna die there with that memory of me in you guys'' forever." Leafeon shook her head. "You know I would never think of you like that." She smirked. "Besides, I think your attitude makes you look tough." "You know I can''t help it, Leafy." She inhaled. "But the truth is¡­ I was a shitty friend to ya, and an even worse teammate. I wanna fix that, really. That''s why I wanna go." She exhaled forcefully, cracking a smirk. "And also to kick their asses as payback¡­ if ya let me, that is." Leafeon pondered her claims with a knowing smile. "There''s no Team Evergreen without a second member, so... no duh I need you." "Thanks, Leafy." "Did you apologize to Monferno and Braixen yet?" Shaymin avoided her curious gaze and bit her lip. "Uh, nah, I haven''t gotten around to that. I think I''ll talk to ''em after we''re done with the expedition." Leafeon rolled her eyes. "They''re not mad at you, Shaymin. Nobody is angry anymore. If you wanna put the past behind you, then maybe now''s the time to start fixing things." Shaymin really did, even if it was hard to swallow her distaste of the guild structure. The things she endured over her brief but grueling encounter with the Rose Clan showed her this was no game. If she were to really become a member of this guild, this seemed to be the first step of doing so. It was either this, or return home, and she couldn''t face that. "I''m happy that you''re finally making a change," Leafeon added. Shaymin opened her mouth to reply, but a gruff shout from behind caught both of their attention. They turned to see their Guildmaster beckoning all the others with his waving paws and inaudible commands. Their operation was seemingly beginning now. "Talk with ya later if we come out of this tussle alive, Leafy!" Shaymin snickered as she took to the skies, gliding over to the gathering Pokemon. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Leafeon followed her friend with an amused expression, much less worried than she was before. Jackson waited until every Pokemon in the immediate area was surrounding him. Over a hundred strong they were, and all looking at him, more determined than ever after their ordeal at the shrine. While he didn''t expect an outcome like that, he was more than happy to capitalize on a success for their next big move. This was it, and they were going to get what they were owed. "Everyone!" Jackson bellowed, arms crossed behind him. "In just a few moments, our next and final blow against the Rose Clan will commence - a full scale attack on Regi Castle!" Shouts and vivacious cheers from the crowd followed his announcement. "Our scouting missions have concluded, and a plan of attack has been coordinated for this very hour! We have gone over the details in the morning, but hear your roles once more!" Diverting his attention to a barren area littered with laid out Entercards, he swept a paw across them. "The first group will use their Entercards to spring up around the fortress, causing chaos and confusion, much like the attack on the Shrine of Landorus¡­ However!" His outstretched paw was then directed to the multitude of Mudsdales'' that typically pulled their carriages on expedition. Except they now wore saddles fit for personal riding, with bridles hooked around their mouths. They stood silently next to one another. "The Mudsdale have graciously agreed to take part in this operation. Not long after the first team arrives through their Entercards, the second team will arrive by riding the Mudsdales'' towards the fortress, striking down any stray mercenary while riding. This flurry of action from both team''s combined will swiftly bring our enemies to their knees. Afterward, Regi Castle will be in our control." Murmurs spread throughout those gathered, getting themselves amped up for what came next. Jackson took center-stage again, breathing in, his orange paw ring flickering. "This operation will be the most important encounter of this expedition. Our actions are to be impeachable if we are to obtain what we have come here for - the second location. The secrets buried beneath that fortress should not be stolen by criminals that care little for the future of this world!" He thrusted a paw into the air as he yelled again. "Today we''re not just fighting for the guild, but for the futures of your children and their children! We fight¡­ for a world free of Mystery Dungeons!" "YEAH", screamed the crowd, more restless than ever after his speech. "The second team will take off shortly! Let''s go!" Jackson commanded as he walked away. The meeting dispersed as everyone flocked to pack up their supplies and head to their chosen positions. Liam felt more determined than ever after hearing his Guildmaster speak. He wasted no time in heading towards his team''s area. A lone Mudsdale was chosen by him as he jumped up on its back. It blew some air in amusement as the Riolu struggled to gain balance and remain seated. He would eventually get the hang of it, only slightly wobbly as he grabbed the reins. While his inexperience showed he had never done this before, he felt like he had. Despite the circumstance surrounding this, he was beyond excited, his heart thumping as he stared out into the flat, sunset stricken desert that awaited him. "I guess I''ll see you after we''re finished." Liam almost fell off the Mudsdale''s back after hearing Gloria''s soft voice beside him. He looked over, spotting her staring up at him. "Uh¡­ I guess we will, heh." She giggled at his lack of composure. "You were really excited about this. Are you sure you''ll be able to do it?" "I think you know the answer to that," he said confidently, casting her a look. "Now tell me how you''re feeling about this." Gloria took a moment, but her smile never faded. "I feel good about this. I feel¡­ bold and unafraid now," she admitted. Liam smirked, saying nothing in return as he looked back up front and gripped the reins. He took deep breaths, trying to channel some of that lack of fear and happiness battling between his anger and doubt creeping within his mind. Yet, now wasn''t the time nor the place to worry about that, as if that mattered. "Second team go now!" his Guildmaster hollered. With a rumbling neigh and kick of their front legs into the air, the Mudsdales'' pounded their hooves against the sand and took off into the direction of the fortress, creating a trail of swept up dust behind them. Gloria watched them depart, her eyes fixated on Liam, a sense of worry and apprehension still clinging onto her senses.
Heliolisk huffed out of tiredness, clinging to the grapple hook''s rope and stopping to catch his breath. He was never considered the most agile out of his squad back home. "Hurry it up, runt!" Weavile''s voice called from within the structure. The Electric-type growled a curse before pushing himself to shimmy further up the rope. When the cracked sandstone bricks were within reach, he jumped to them. He suppressed a yelp when he latched onto the bricks, his feet dangling well more than a hundred feet from the ground. Gallade noticed his predicament and immediately stepped in to pull his partner up. Muttering a ''thanks'', Heliolisk stood up to witness their current location. They were inside the perimeter walls of Regi Castle. Its crumbling and barren insides were dead silent, devoid of any Rose Clan mercenaries that usually patrolled it. The walls wrapped around the core of the building, seemingly leading inward at some point. Weavile pulled up her grappling hook and stuffed it into her saddlebag, glaring at Gallade. "You better have had a good reason for needing to bring the runt along." Gallade held an arm in front of a scowling Heliolisk, blocking him from talking back. "If what Krokorok said is true, then this ''barrier'' is something my partner and I can overcome." "Whatever it is, let''s get somewhere quiet and empty," Bisharp said as he tiptoed through the hall. "Follow the plan and try to avoid being seen. If there''s anyone in our way, we knock them out - no execution." "Don''t need to tell me twice, tinman," Weavile cackled, following him. "We''ll be in there and out without a trace before the snake even realizes she got duped, with this place''s secrets in our claws." The group of four, including the Absol pair, slowly traversed the outer walls, searching for staircases or hatches that would lead them into the fortress itself. After a few minutes of walking, a series of muffled bursts could be heard all around them, followed by indecipherable shouts and the rush of footsteps. They stopped and held their breath. "The hell''s going on?" Weavile harshly whispered. "Don''t tell me the snake got second thoughts¡­" "No, can''t be," Bisharp said. "Maybe they''re leaving through Entercards, or bringing more Pok¨¦mon here. If so, let''s just be extra careful¡­" Weavile shook her head and continued to walk down the hallway. "Whatever it is, we can use the chaos to our advantage." Gallade and Heliolisk were hesitant to continue after listening further in on the obscured discord around them, but a dirty look from the Absols'' made them move forward without question.
They were near. It was a journey that took them through desolate swathes of desert, tall valleys of natural clay and giant chasms. The galloping Mudsdales'' blazed across the orange hued sands with no sign of stopping, sweat trickling down both their faces and their focused riders. The faraway setting sun provided a waypoint for them to reach, the imposing Regi Castle standing in their path. Liam wiped his brow free of wetness with a spare paw as he hesitantly released his iron grip on the Mudsdale''s reins. The fortress was dead ahead, and they would arrive in less than two minutes. He didn''t know why, but his paws were trembling when they reached for the ELE attached to his saddle. Flicking the switch on its side, he waited a moment to speak into it. "G-guildmaster! We''re approaching the fortress now in just a few minutes!" "Good. Full speed ahead, kid," the device replied. As the band of equines and their determined riders got closer, it happened. Flashes of orange light began erupting all over the fortress one after another. Sights of ensuing battles between the arrivals and the mercenaries began shortly after the spectacle. Liam knew Gloria and Roark were in one of those Entercards, and that they were fighting within the fortress right now. If anything could give him courage right now, it was the thought of any harm being brought upon them. The anger that burned within him when his loved ones were threatened. The Riolu steeled him as he grabbed the reins again, preparing for battle. The Mudsdales'' were immediately spotted as the few Rose Clan members on the ground fired at the approaching Ground-types''. A lightning fast projectile from a rifle whizzed past Liam''s head. He ducked as more attacks of all kinds were sent their way. Yet, his spirit never wilted at their retaliation. The Mudsdales'' broke formation and scattered across the lands surrounding the fortress. Beams and blasts of elemental energy chased them as many swerved around to charge at a mercenary standing out in the open. Liam tugged on his Mudsdale''s reign as a lone Stoutland came into his sights. His companion realized the Riolu''s intentions as it dashed towards the shaggy canine. Purple energy manifested in Liam''s paw as he held it outward, waiting for his moment. His Force Palm crashed into the Stoutland as he zoomed past it. Looking behind his shoulder, the large canine was slumped in over the sands, defeated. He grinned at his triumph, pulling on the reins again to steer Mudsdale towards another victim. The battle for the fortress waged on, many mercenaries out in the open being incapacitated by the blitz of Mudsdales'' storming across the area. Handfuls of Blast Seeds were lobbed from Liam at the mercenaries as he dashed past them - his favorite. Soon enough, many of their enemies on the outside were vanquished. Their victory had to be near. The sounds of fighting within the castle also slowed to a crawl as the minutes came by. Liam pulled by the castle walls to witness many of his friends pulling back from fights and overlooking the Mudsdales'' from above. His heart thumped as he caught a glimpse of Gloria within the fortress, fresh out of a battle. She stood defiantly on the unconscious body of an Ivysaur - zero fear on her face. He smiled widely at this. "All Rose Clan members appear to be down. Inform your teammates to wait until the fortress is swept before leaving your positions," his Guildmaster''s voice reverberated through his ELE. This retaking of Regi Castle seemed easy to Liam - too easy.
Weavile took a peek down two opposite hallways. When the coast was clear, she and the Pokemon behind her continued on their way. They had gone further down into the fortress, passing by the few Rose Clan members left behind, who seemed more interested in running past them to seek whatever was occurring above. None of them were complaining about this oddity. The fort''s interior fell deathly silent as they traversed its hallways, which were increasingly becoming more grimy and filled with piles of sand or debris. "We must be getting close," Weavile said, waving her lit Luminous Orb around her surroundings. "These annoying tunnels have to go somewhere." "Somewhere they couldn''t access apparently," Bisharp added, throwing a look behind him at Gallade and Heliolisk. "If this barrier thing is real, you sure they don''t know how to get through?" Gallade nodded. "I am positive. It was information my partner and I omitted from our Entercard training with the Rose Clan. If what we''re looking for is past the barrier, then we will be the first to see it." The smirk on Bisharp''s face couldn''t be erased. Weavile whistled. "Happy birthday, Bishy, you got what you wanted. Now, let''s just see if this is all worth our time in the first place." The stretch of hallway ended at a large chamber. Muck and other pools of sand filled the room. It seemed all excavation efforts of the fortress ended here - a dead end. "What about here? Can we place the card here?" Weavile asked the pair. "Yeah, we can do it here," Heliolisk said. "Travel noise won''t go past these walls." "Then do it. And don''t even think about escaping, because we''re leaving at the same time." "G-got it." Gallade and Heliolisk got to work setting down their blank Entercard, inputting the correct coordinates for a transport straight downward, past the barrier and into whatever lurked below it. They then etched a symbol into the sands that would allow them transportation back. "It''s done," Gallade confirmed, pointing at the Entercard lying on the ground. "If we take this, then it will go straight past the barrier." "It better," Weavile grumbled as she positioned herself near the Entercard, "because your usefulness depends on it." The rest of the group also huddled near the card as Gallade reached down to press the indentation in it. In an explosion of golden orange light, they vanished.
Serperior could see it clearly, even through her hazy perception. She and her large gathering of forces trekked across the desert for what seemed like hours. The location of the meeting was somewhere called Dry Heat Ridge - a hilly area with many cliffs surrounding the dunes. Even when a distant sandstorm began rolling in on her location, and her underlings advising her to return back to the fortress, she would not budge. She would bring an end to her two biggest threats right here and now - capture or execution. Her kingdom''s future depended on it. "In this area!" Serperior hissed. "Be ready to attack at your princess'' command! Do not let the storm deter you!" Orange and red clouds of dust whipped the scorched sands as they entered the ridge, the reach of the ravenous sandstorm acting like a fog over the area. Still, they persevered and squinted their eyes at anything they could see. Yet, no matter how much they traversed the ridge, not a single Pokemon was in sight. "No, no, no!" Serperior seethed in frustration. "This meeting should have started here by now! Could they have postponed it because of the sandstorm? No¡­ They have to be here somewhere!" Through the howling of the storm around them, her ears singled out the tumbling of small rocks on the cliffs surrounding her regiment. A chill then ran up her spine as realization of her situation set in. A ringing bullet fired from one of the cliffs and struck the face of the Passimian next to Serperior, dropping it instantly. On cue, Pokemon of all kinds leapt from their hiding position among the jagged rock and descended towards her group. She instantly knew these aggressors to be Pokemon of the Razor Claw clan. "Defend your princess against these heathens!" Serperior screamed to her forces as they scrambled to get into combat. The two opposing sides clashed in a bout of gunfire from above and combat on the ground, one side clearly winning over the other. The sandstorm sweeping the area gave the ambushers as they began to pick off their blind foes - a sturdy Golisopod even barreling through the breastplate wearing Pokemon with First Impression. A stray projectile ricocheted off of Serperior''s crown, denting it as she fled urgently from her rapidly falling regiment. She knew this battle to be a lost one, and her capture or death was imminent if she were to stay. Her trusty and silent Aegislash bodyguard followed closely, slashing any Pok¨¦mon that attempted to get near her with its mighty blade. It laid down an Entercard into the sands as Serperior slithered near it, flicking its indentation as it powered up to transport the two back to their clan''s home base. A raging fire burned in Serperior''s eyes and mind as she watched her dreaded enemy mop up the rest of her forces and win over her again. She had been tricked, deceived by one of her own. The tendrils of orange coming from the Entercard merged into a blinding pillar that consumed her body. Serperior had lost this battle, but she knew she would win the war. Her revenge would be inescapable, and her desires reached if it killed her.
An hour had passed since their highly successful assault on Regi Castle had begun. After sweeping the fortress of any other remaining Rose Clan mercenaries, all of Excadrill''s workers had taken up positions of defense against any potential reinforcements. However, all was quiet as the fortress appeared to be finally taken back. The entire guild, Team Drarosteel, and Excadrill were currently inside the fortress itself, gathering in a large war room-like chamber with many outdated and deteriorated maps of Celestic and other continents adorning the sandstone walls. "I-I can''t believe it!" Excadrill sputtered. "Thirty two! I double checked the head counts, and only thirty two dang mercs were guarding this place. We counted at least a hundred of ''em a day ago." Garchomp couldn''t wrap her mind around it as well. "And you''re for sure your workers searched the fortress entirely? None of ''em in hiding and waiting to spring on us?" "There ain''t nothin'' in those winding tunnels ''sides sand and wreckage." The mole whistled cheerfully. "We wrapped up those mercs in just a few minutes! Like shockin'' a barrel of Magikarp - that easy!" Scizor shook his head. "It couldn''t be that easy. There has to be a reason for their absence." He looked around the room. "We must be ready in case they return." "Why''s it matter that they left?" Shaymin said as she flexed her flight skills and flew around the room. "We beat the piss out of ''em! Who cares if they come back to save some face. We''ll beat ''em again!" "I agree with Shaymin!" Rockruff proclaimed, puffing his chest out. "We beat these guys twice! Who''s to say we can''t do it a third time?" Majority of the other guild members seemed to concur with their logic. Scizor, on the other hand, continued to think about this situation. "Or maybe¡­ maybe they have gotten what they came here for and left. If what Excadrill''s workers are saying is true, there is nothing here pertaining to the second location, meaning they could have-" "Fat chance!" Excadrill shot down with a wave of a claw. "Jack and I spoke to one of the mercs, and they claim they found nothin'' here." A grin grew on his face. "Well¡­ ''cept for a ley line barrier blocking their dig efforts." The last part raised some eyebrows, most notably Scizor, his heart fluttering. "What you''re saying¡­ This means-" "Means we''re still in the race!" Excadrill interrupted again. "My theory is that the Legendaries'' lil'' workshop is deep below in the fort''s labyrinth. But a ley line barrier forming above it over the ages kept the mercs from discoverin'' it. Heck, it could''ve kept anyone from findin'' it!" Garchomp smirked. "But we know how to get through those, don''t we? Tell me, can we use an Entercard to possibly get into that labyrinth?" "Sure can! We can even do it right now! As long as Jack agrees to it, of course." All eyes were on the Shiny Lucario as he finally spoke, an Entercard clasped in one paw. "Today, we have defeated a foe that has stood in the way of the future. And now, the key to unlocking the secrets of this world will hopefully be found here. Our efforts in discovering the Magnagate Investigation Project at Celestial Mountain have been building to this moment, and I see no reason in stalling any longer." He placed the Entercard down, pressing its indentation as it sparked in activation. A symbol was then drawn into the sands surrounding the card. "Gather!" Jackson yelled. "We shall see its existence as a group together!" The guild, Excadrill, and Team Drarosteel packed together closely by the Entercard. In just a few seconds, all of them were consumed by an orange radiance. Minds and bodies coalesced into particles as they traveled downward through the earth, piercing an impenetrable barrier below it and continuing through their journey. In a single second, they were someplace else. Their feet felt ground. Liam heard the crackling of fire as he opened his eyes. They were in a chamber unfamiliar to them, well lit by wall torches that strangely burnt brighter than normal. The walls encasing them were sandstone, just like the fortress, with connecting patterns etched into them. Chunks of missing stone in the ceiling above allowed sand to cascade from it and pool beneath their feet. The Riolu felt the urge to explore the room. "These torches¡­" Scizor muttered, staring at their impossible states. "Only very powerful Pokemon could create an everlasting flame such as these..." Scizor could not help himself as he noticed an opening leading into a massive hallway. His insect-like wings carried him to it, with many of the guild following him. He peered into the halls, his mouth ajar at what he saw. Beyond the chamber was a grand labyrinth of hallways and rooms. Many accommodations were scattered across the maze; tables with odd fixtures, large containers of seeds and berries, maps of an older Celestic, and messy scribbles lining the walls. All of it was in complete disarray, yet were unmistakably connected to something they desired. "This is it," he mumbled. "This is the second location¡­"
"It''s been weeks without a proper end to this madness," Kommo-o grumbled. "How long will we continue to entertain their foolishness?" "As long as it takes to end this peacefully," Empoleon responded, stepping from the window to sit down at the large oval table. "You know escalation would only worsen the matter." Per their usual standards, another Council meeting among the chosen mayors and leaders of Celestic was taking place. It seemed a repeat of the last time, as the back and forth bickering over their choice of action in the Grit Region took centerstage once again. All Empoleon could do was mediate the situation, his mind somewhere else. "And keep allowing our shipments to be attacked?!" Kommo-o growled with a slam of his paw. "Our lack of action is what is lasting this treason!" Half of the heads sitting in the room nodded to his words. "I am willing to dedicate a large portion of my region''s supplies to the Grit Region," Primarina offered. "If that''s what it takes to end this terrible event." The other half of the heads took agreeance to the Water-type''s offer. "Thank you, Primarina, but that won''t be needed," Empoleon said. "The conflict in the Grit Region will stay there, without an effect on other regions, and our guards will do their best to protect the caravans. For now, it is best to keep the tempers of the locals mild." "This fence-sitting is absurd and cowardly," Kommo-o spat. "We can discuss your much noticed disdain more in our next meeting," Empoleon remarked with a wave of his flipper. "That is all for today, everyone! Please, have a safe trip back to your cities, towns, and villages! The only Pokemon I wish to stay a bit longer are Kommo-o, Carracosta, Manectric, and Pyroar." The rest of the representatives not called to remain got out of their seats. They shook paws or chatted with each other cordially as they exited through the double doors. At the same time, a Gabite guard walked in with a box filled with the binders, folders, and other documents, placing it on the table before leaving. The five Pokemon left in the room sat in undisturbed silence for a moment. "So¡­ What has been the Alignment''s progress with uprooting the Rose Clan," Kommo-o inquired calmly. "That was not part of the discussion I had with the Allfather, sadly," Empoleon said with a sigh. "But apparently he has sent out a dispatchment of his advisors to negotiate with the mercenaries." "''Negotiate''," Kommo-o snorted, reaching a paw over to comb the hefty box''s contents. "And what is the reason for this dump of paperwork?" "Right there is what was actually discussed. Inside are documents pertaining to the Cosmic Quilt Guild; its members, history and creation, and all of its documented expeditions and income forms." Kommo-o knew instantly, breathing a sigh. "Arceus above¡­ not this nonsense again. Why is this Allfather so enraptured by this particular guild?" "I wouldn''t know, Kommo-o, as he refuses to give me further information. All I understand is that he is gravely worried by the guild''s recent actions, and more specifically, one individual from it. He wishes for our conclusion to be a blockade of the guild''s expeditions, and even a dissolution of the guild entirely." His words ignited some discussion among the three other Pokemon present. "Just a week ago, he requested for us to send guards to their guild''s location to pry information from them about their recent expedition," Kommo-o said, pointing at the box. "And now he wishes for us to investigate a meaningless fear of his that he won''t even elaborate on? This is a waste of our time." "... It is, but I wish to keep our relationship with the Alignment friendly, so we will entertain this request just like we had the others." Empoleon reached over the table to grab a folder from the box. "Now, let''s hopefully get our conclusion before the night is over." The other four Pokemon reluctantly grabbed their own helping of documents. "As is typical, I must stress that any information of this investigation is kept confidential." Empoleon held up his document, flipping a page to reveal a painted portrait of a Shiny Pokemon. "This is an official investigation into the Cosmic Quilt Guild. And more specifically by the Allfather''s request¡­ its Guildmaster."
Throughout our brief lives, we are deceived by the illusions of greater wonders and greater destinies, only to never see them realized.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: Entercard Research Station Entercard Research Station Chapter 27 Entercard Research Station Ghosts of pink Psychic-type energy wavered around the activated Projection Crystal before it was all sucked into the glossy aquatic blue sphere. A fuchsia colored paw gripped the orb tightly, holding it close to the chest of a floating Pokemon as she spoke. "Entry number two - our arrival into our main base of operations; the labyrinth below Regi Castle!" "Must you use a Projection Crystal for every instance? We have many, but not an infinite amount for your diligence." Mew turned around, looking over her amassed group of Legendaries from all corners of the world. "We need as much documentation of our efforts and discoveries as we can make, Dialga. Enough that it''ll convince the other Legendaries to join us, and enough so that when we show all the Pok¨¦mon in Celestic, they''ll understand this threat to them as well." She smiled and shook her Projection Crystal. "So yeah, I do. And all of you should too." "Noted," Dialga said with a nod. "I advise we immediately get to work." "Of course! Everyone, let''s map out the labyrinth and get everything set up!" Heading the command of their director, the group of Legendaries'' quickly got to work unpacking and carrying their crates of supplies off into the maze-like halls of the sandy cavern. As Mew observed their hasty movements with a thump of determination in her heart, a series of flapping wings from behind stole her attention. "Mew, I bring news of our scouting missions." The Psychic-type spun around, Reshiram and a few other flying Legendaries'' in her sights. "Uh, good news, I hope?" "Not necessarily. We have visited other continents across the globe and¡­ the magnagates have spread there. We did not approach the shadows, but they appear to be identical to those we initially found at Celestial Mountain." A lump appeared in Mew''s throat. She had hoped the spread of the magnagates was relegated to only Celestic, but now she realized this was no mere local threat - it was global. "On the brighter side, we have not heard of any magnagates forming over any villages or points of interest. Locals have ventured into them despite our warnings, even referring to them as ''Mystery Dungeons''. Some think they are fun bouts of exploration, and are none the wiser to their true nature." Mew scowled. "We can''t¡­ We can''t have a world in the future where things like this are considered normal. Not after what I¡­ we experienced at Celestial Mountain." "Rightly said. My team and I will continue our voyages around the world in hopes of spotting a pattern with the magnagates. Best of luck with your efforts here, Mew." Reshiram and her band of flying Legendaries'' took off, swooping past the large staircase leading up into Regi Castle proper. Mew watched them depart, exhaling her inner frustrations with a sigh. The problems and threats to their cause and the world only seemed to pile on further. ''Mystery Dungeon, magnagate¡­ What are you? And why are you infecting our world?'' Her thoughts shifted to Victini again, painfully so. His research of the ''glowing lines'' beneath the ground and his theories about them prodded at her mind. If they were the power source behind the magnagates, then they were the key to eliminating them altogether - they had to be. A fit of coughing interrupted her pondering. If the stress of being this project''s sole leader wouldn''t be the death of her, it was this cold she couldn''t seem to get rid of. ''Victini, you''ve always had the right ideas, so I''ll make sure your theory is proven right.'' She flew off further into the labyrinth, assisting in her group''s efforts in setting up their station.
The illusion of moving Legendary constructs went still, before shattering into pink mist and funneling back into the Projection Crystal. Scizor kept it clutched in one pincer as he and the rest of the group behind him soaked in the preserved memory of Mew. Rockruff was the first to voice his excitement, tail wagging behind him. "Wow! You''re telling me they weren''t always called Mystery Dungeons? Did you guys hear all of that?" "We all saw the same memory, Rockruff," Monferno grumbled. "Can you play it a-again!" Staravia stuttered out with a flap of his wings. "Me a-and Joltik couldn''t hear over Mightyena p-panting!" "Hey! It was a long dungeon!" Mightyena shot back. As the guild bickered back and forth, Scizor stayed silent in the matter. His eyes shifted from the Projection Crystal to the lurking shadow of a Mystery Dungeon behind them, from which they came to find this ruined hallway. A forlorn sigh escaped him. Jackson raised a paw, calling attention to him. "Attention! The discovery of this crystal is evidence to suggest there is more throughout this area! Your new mission is to split up into groups and explore the labyrinth for more Projection Crystals, or any information you can gather along the way. Once this dungeon has been combed thoroughly, we will regroup and pool together our findings." He looked around the room. "I only ask for a few of you to stay behind here and safeguard our search." "I guess that''ll be me," Aggron chimed in. "You lads can go on. Arceus knows how much I''m tired of explorin'' caves." Tyranitar stomped over to his teammate. "That makes two of us, metalhead." "Make that three!" Charizard bellowed as he flew over to the duo. "My bulk isn''t suited for sandy digs like this." Jackson nodded. "Very well. As for the rest of you, it is paramount that any information relevant to our cause is found and kept safe." He turned his back and continued walking further down the halls. "Let us be off to unearth the secrets left behind." "Right behind ya, Jack!" Excadrill shouted, waddling after the Lucario. "How''s a pair of old ''mons together sound?" As the room split into multiple other hallways, the guild did as instructed and broke up into multiple pairs, each one embarking down their own chosen path. Scizor was far too enraptured with observing their surroundings than to choose a team. He set down a random hallway, mind solely focused on what he saw in the Projection Crystal. "Hey, looks like you still need someone to walk with." He instantly recognized the velvety voice behind him, turning his head to greet it. "I¡­ guess I do." Garchomp smirked and advanced towards the Bug-type. "Figured you''d be a bit more excited about there being more crystals here. What''s going on inside that head of yours?" "Thinking." "Which is pretty typical of you." His blush was unnoticeable across his face''s red exoskeleton. "It''s different." "We can walk and talk about it." The newly found pair did just that, journeying through the crumbling halls of flowing warm sand and tumbled over furniture. They kept their eyes peeled and wandering around to spot any Projection Crystal or intriguing find hidden among the ancient ruins. "What that Mew said, about the Mystery Dungeons being seen as normal in this world," Scizor explained. "That they were lucky to not have ley lines forming underneath villages, and that Pokemon weren''t aware or cared of its danger." "You got a point to this?" "It''s still relevant thousands of years later. Pok¨¦mon are unaware and uncaring. They think the Mystery Dungeons are normal and simply forces of nature." Scizor sighed, closing his eyes. "It hurts me to see Pokemon so misinformed, so ignorant of the lives taken away by the ley lines." Garchomp nudged him with a talon. "You already know what I''m about to say, don''t you?" A small smile broke through his sorrowed state. "Yes¡­ I do." "Once we figure out the truth, we''ll do what these Legendaries couldn''t do. We''ll finish what they started, and we''ll do a damn good job at that." "I hope so." The two went silent for a bit as they quietly walked through the torchlit hallways. Yet, a thought persisted in one''s mind. "It does make you wonder," Scizor said. "What a world without Mystery Dungeons would really be." "A pretty boring one, maybe," she joked, shaking her head. "Nah, I think the world will be just peachy. All we gotta do is make it that way first." "And if we do? The aftermath of which I am still struggling to picture." "When we do," Garchomp corrected with a toothy smirk. "For starters, the guild will be seen as heroes to all, even if Pokemon haven''t realized it until then. We''ll still always have other problems out in the world, but with the Mystery Dungeons out of the picture? That''d be a big relief. Though, my team is probably gonna have to find some new ways to keep the income flowing in, heh." "Perhaps I''ve been too¡­ pessimistic. I can''t understand why, when we''re surrounded by potential answers in this fascinating place." "Right. And what about you? Once we complete the guild''s goal¡­ what else is in store for the world famous Team Moonlight?" A question such as that caught Scizor off guard. His thoughts were always focused on both the past and the present, yet never the future. It was an idea he could never fully grasp, only adding to his hidden doubts and frustrations along the way. "I¡­ don''t know, sadly," he admitted. "I''ve spent more than half of my life dedicated to researching the cause, and most of it as an assistant to the Guildma¡­ Jackson. It''s difficult for me to picture anything of my life beyond that." Garchomp frowned. "Well, I guess we''ll have to see, won''t we?" "..." Darkness slowly crept in on the duo as they journeyed on, the forever burning torches that dotted the pathway gone as the walls that surrounded them were crumbled away into debris. The remainder of the shattered hallway led downard, an ominous orange glow at the end of which luring Garchomp and Scizor to follow it and investigate. As they got closer, the ground beneath them became skinnier and skinnier; cracks in the earth around them leading into an abyss of orange glow and pure blackness. They reached a dead end, standing on a strip of sandstone surrounded by a large chasm-like chamber. Shelves, tables, and other furnishings hung over the edges of a room above them that had collapsed inward. Long, winding tunnels were pierced through the ground below them, ley lines visible through them and illuminating the chamber. "They had dug to the ley lines again," Scizor observed, "What were they looking for this time?" Garchomp looked around the chamber, her eyes wandering upwards and locking onto a Projection Crystal resting on a shelf hanging over the room''s edges. "Why don''t we see for ourselves?" she said with a smirk. "Think you can get it?" Scizor felt the thump in his chest at her finding. "I can most definitely make an attempt." With a small buzz of his wings, he carefully fluttered above the pit and hovered near the dangling shelf. He then plucked the orb from it and returned back down to the ground. Scizor took a deep breath before pressing the indentation on the orb and releasing the pink vapor of Psychic-type energy into the air.
"Resist¡­ the pain, everyone!" Mew gritted her teeth as she dropped the Projection Crystal on the ground. A pang of irritation shot through her small body, restricting her usual sprightly movements to a stiff hovering. Her fellow Legendaries'' behind her suffered the same ailment as they lurched forward, enduring the agony as instructed by their leader. "Almost¡­ there!" Mew pushed herself forward once more, stopping mere feet from her and this world''s foe. Twisting, glowing, orange lines crisscrossed another as they pierced through the cavern''s walls, vibrating intensely. The Psychic-type could hear an eerie rush of sounds flood her eardrums; flowing water of a river, the rustling of grass, a howling of mountain wind, and other noises she couldn''t comprehend through her pain. "Are you sure this will work, Mew?!" Dialga shouted, stopping himself from going any further. "I guess we''ll have to see!" Mew yelled back. "Come on, everyone! We do this now!" The Legendaries'' stopped in place and began to charge up their attacks. One by one, highly powerful beams of fire, ice, electricity, and other forms of energy were launched at the glowing orange lines. They collided with such a force that it shook the room with its might, only encouraging them to continue their assault. "Don''t stop!" Mew screamed, observing their efforts. "Keep going!" The powerful barrage continued, emboldened by Mew''s encouragement. After a solid minute of attacks and no results, Mew began to doubt the effectiveness of her strategy. As she formed the words of stoppage in her mouth, a vibration in the golden orange lines caught her eye. There was a flicker and occasional shuffle of obvious discontent as the anomalies were stricken over and over, now actively writhing in place. Her plan was working. Exhaustion began to set in over the Legendaries'', many halting their attacks. Witnessing their success about to be reverted, Mew made a split second decision. She gathered the strongest amount of power she could muster into both of her paws. A pink sphere of solid Psychic-type energy crackled intensely as she charged it to its maximum. After the rest of the attacks on the mysterious lines petered off, Mew launched her supercharged attack straight at them, the orb exploding in a intense shockwave that dwarfed all bombardments before it. In the aftershocks of Mew''s attack, there was stillness throughout the chamber. Suddenly, a ribbon of one of the golden orange lines broke away. Before Mew could react, it shot towards her, stopping mere inches from her face as the Legendary was sucked away into the stray line in an instant. The line then bent backwards, sliding back into its original position within the cavern''s tunneled through walls. Horrified silence filled the room. Shocked looks from all the tired out Legendaries'' snapped around, forgetting the constant pain that wracked their bodies. Dialga stumbled forward, mouth ajar as he stared at the once more stationary lines. "M-Mew!" he beckoned uselessly at them. "... MEW!" Dialga stood still as he hoped for a response back. He would get it in the form of another line lashing out of its twisted position and extending towards the ground. In a flash of orange-ish particles, the unconscious body of Mew reappeared on the cavern floor as the diverging line reverted back to normalcy. Dialga rushed to pick up the fallen Pokemon and Projection Crystal beside her, fighting through the pain caused by the mysterious lines. "Create an exit portal now!" Lunala quickly sprung into action, opening the third eye on her head crest and swooping into a nearby wall. As she collided into it, a gateway of matter sucking energy was created. The weary Legendaries'' then crowded into it, one after another, eager to leave the place that caused them so much trouble and pain. The other side of the portal would send them back to where they once came from. Many would stumble out of the portal and collapse onto the floor, drained and sore. Dialga gently laid the unconscious Mew down, gathering his bearings and analyzing the group to make sure everyone was accounted for. He also needed a moment to digest exactly what had happened in those brief few seconds. "... We will wait until Mew awakens," Dialga said, voice hushed and uneasy. "Then we will figure out what just occurred." The Projection Crystal''s memory recording ended with a dimming of the orb.
The Projection Crystal''s memory recording began with an influx of pink energy swirling into the orb. "Are you positive you are able to use your powers?... Er, safely, that is." Mew laughed weakly, rolling the Projection Crystal onto the other side of her bed. "A baby Abra could fill up one of these crystals, Dialga. Safe to say I could charge one even if I was asleep." "I am only looking out for your wellbeing." Mew''s powers activated once again as a fire was ignited in a lantern resting on the bookshelves beside her bed. The eternally burning flame inside it flickered gently, its warm and yellowish orange light illuminating her modest room. The labyrinth system below Regi Castle thankfully included a barracks, allowing rooms for her Legendaries'' to rest, but not Mew. Her thorough exploration of the area proved fruitful when a small study room was found, which she quickly took over as her personal quarters. This is where the prevailing amount of her research was conducted, poured into journals and other Projection Crystals scattered around. Mew coughed into a paw, before smiling at the dragon. "Thanks for that, but I''m okay, really. I just want to record the events of what happened the other day." "Very well. I will not impede you." "... Entry number fourteen - a recap of our attempts to dislodge the mysterious energy lines below a Mystery Dungeon. My theory that displacing them with some powerful blows proved, uh, semi-correct. While we weren''t able to permanently destroy or move them, there was a temporary reaction created. One of the lines broke away and transported me somewhere else. Somewhere¡­ I don''t even know. I was still underground and surrounded by those lines, but I wasn''t anywhere near the others. I was panicking at that moment, so I used all my energy to use one last attack on the lines around me, and it must''ve sent me back to the others. And then¡­" she trailed off, biting her lip. "And your theory on it, Mew?" Dialga guided her wandering mind. "... Oh, right!" She weakly floated out of her bed with a grunt, gliding over towards a desk. She grabbed a handful of notes with scribbles of writings and diagrams on them, reviewing them. "While total removal of the lines through our methods seems impossible, I believe that what happened to me can be replicated again as a means of transportation. It''s, um, a bit of a stretch, but if it''s possible, our understanding of these ''Mystery Dungeons'' can grow. That''s¡­ it for this entry, I guess." "That was an excellent account, Mew. Now, please rest before you fall unconscious midair again." Mew scoffed as she flew back and flopped her tired body on her bed''s pink sheets. "It was one time, Dialga. And when did you become my father?" Dialga chuckled. "You are this project''s leader, and our greatest mind at that. It serves us to worry about you." Mew stared up at the rocky ceiling, slowly shaking her head. "... I''m not - Victini was. I just picked up the pieces after Celestial Mountain." "As if Victini did this on his lonesome," Dialga countered. "Your persistence and determination to thwart this enemy showed back then as it does now. Truthfully, I would not be here now if it weren''t for you and your mate opening my eyes." Mew closed her eyes, fighting back the tears she had shed too many of. "... I''m still finding it hard to believe he''s gone. I keep thinking that I''ll see him around the corner flashing that stupid gesture of his," she said, a sad smile crossing her face. "The two of us¡­ We had so much planned outside our duties..." Dialga angled himself to look down on the Psychic-type. "It is never too late to achieve those dreams. Victini would not wish for you to give up on that." "No, he wouldn''t. But I can''t see myself doing any of that without him." He lowered his head, "Letting go is difficult, Mew. I do not expect you to forget, only to accept his passing and turn both of your ambitions into this project''s success." "I will, Dialga." Mew sat up, a fierce look on her face. "Even if a small part of me hopes there''s a trace of him somewhere in those shadows, I know it''s pointless now to look. Everything that I work to accomplish now is for the Pokemon of this world, and for the safety of themselves and their loved ones. What happened to Victini and the king''s miners¡­ It should never happen to any Pokemon again." "Your convictions are our convictions, Mew. We will triumph, and the loss of Victini and many others will not be for naught." Mew gathered enough strength to float off her bed, carrying the lantern from her bookshelf to her desk and reorganizing her assortment of papers piled atop it. "Exactly, which is why we can''t afford to stall any progress. We need to figure out if we can manipulate these lines, and how it can be used to stop its spread. For that to work, I need everyone''s attention on this." "I will share your words with the others when they awaken," Dialga said with a nod, lumbering over to the chamber''s doorway. He briefly looked back, observing Mew hard at work jotting down writings. "You have matured greatly, Mew, more so than I and others have. Us Legendaries have much to learn from your compassion for the common Pokemon." Mew looked up momentarily. "... Thank you, Dialga." As the hulking Legendary ducked under the doorframe and left her quarters, she refocused her attention on the papers laid out on her desk. The lantern illuminating her work hissed as she adjusted its flame to grow larger, the notes she held up to the warm light more visible in the darkness of her surroundings. As she flipped through various descriptions of both the ''Mystery Dungeons'' and the mysterious lines, she lingered on one diagram created by collaborating members of her group; an imagined design for a contraption that could potentially be used to manipulate the lines. Mew rubbed away the sleep in her eyes as she took hold of a nearby quill and began to add new ideas of her own onto the design.
A sneer was affixed to Shaymin''s face as the holographic constructs created by the Projection Crystal vanished, the energy sucked back into the orb. Leafeon would hold the crystal under her paw before rolling it into the open saddlebag hanging from her side. Once it was tucked away and secure, she turned to the others and smiled. "We''ll show this to the Guildmaster later. Let''s see if we can find any others that are hidden!" "Wow!" Minun exclaimed. "The Legendaries were trying to make a device to mess with the ley lines? I wonder if a contraption like that would be an Entercard, or something else entirely..." Mightyena shook his head, "Maybe it''s some kind of super weapon like Rockruff said? I mean, that''s gotta be what those stupid mercenaries were after, right?" "That''d be r-really cool to find, r-right, Joltik?" Staravia sputtered to the clinging companion, getting an inaudible squeak back. "Boys and their weapons¡­" Purrloin added with a huff. "As long as it''s expensive, darling." Leafeon rolled her eyes, "Whatever it is, let''s get our job done right here." All except Shaymin quickly got to work searching for any remaining information left behind. The quarters of Mew seen within the projection was a far cry from its current state. Furniture, dressers, and bookshelves were coated in thick layers of dust and grime, overturned on their sides and the contents inside scattered across the room. A small pitchblack shadow of a Mystery Dungeon engulfed the area where Mew''s bed originally was, the bed itself gone. Shaymin shuddered as she tore her gaze from it, swallowing her feelings of this place and assisting the others. After a few minutes of lifting objects and scouring the room, the group gave up and exited into the winding hallways. As they walked and continued on their journey of exploring the labyrinth, Leafeon crept up beside a troubled Shaymin. "You okay?" Shaymin nearly jumped at her voice, eventually scoffing. "We''re here in this dump, aren''t we?" "It''s a historical dump." Leafeon smiled coyly. "You never said much about the last Legendary place we found. How come? This is the work of your ancestors." "Not my ancestors, Leafy," Shaymin corrected. "Doubt you''d see any Shaymin allowed to work here instead of the fields, or as some measly messenger." "Even if there weren''t any Shaymin involved, this is still part of your history." "History I ain''t involved in. You think those chef snobs in Empyrean would let you into their little secret restaurant club? Same thing here, mate." "Well, I like to think my skills are a tad bit more homely," Leafeon said with a wink. "Besides, can''t you see the motive behind all of this is more important." "All lies, Leafy. Legendaries don''t care about helpin'' Pokemon, only themselves," she spat, teeth baring at her memories. "The shit I''ve seen with my own two eyes is more than a few crystals can show." "That Mew didn''t seem to be lying at all. She seemed really determined to-" "That sheila was in over her head," Shaymin interrupted, her agitation rising. "Buncha useless hopes and dreams is all this place is. Yeah, she might have been a good Legend, but she''s an extinct kind." "Those Legendaries that helped us liberate the Shrine of Landorus and rescue you weren''t kind?" Shaymin snorted. "That''s what those bludgers want ya to think, Leafy. They were only there to save their precious little shrine." She spun around, taking in their decrepit and abandoned surroundings. "I mean, why didn''t those blokes show up here before, huh? Why do we gotta be the suckers and dig out their own work if it''s about savin'' the world?" "I guess you have a point there¡­" "Yeah, I always have a point, Truth is, Legends ain''t good ''mons at all." "And you''re on that same boat?" Leafeon shot back with a smirk. "¡­ I''m trying to get off it, Leafy, you know that. Everyone at the guild, and all the other regular Pokemon out here in Celestic that aren''t bloody mercs, I identify with ya the most. It''s just¡­ it''s hard to connect." "You''ve got the paw in the door at least." "Fuck the paw - I want to go through it entirely." Leafeon giggled. "It takes time, Shaymin. But I think you''ll begin to fit in with the others in the guild in no time if you keep at this attitude adjustment." "''Attitude adjustment''. Now you''re startin'' to sound like my folks back home. Tough chance there, Leafy." A sigh would be Leafeon''s last remark as Shaymin plodded ahead. She hoped and truly believed her unruly friend would break through her shell in time, and yet she still opposed many words of encouragement. Shaymin was nothing like Gloria in terms of helping her alleviate fears and doubts, but Leafeon would still continue to pursue the Legendary''s gradual change. "Hey! There''s a super big room up ahead!" Mightyena yelled from the group''s front, tail wagging behind him. Shattered pieces of Projection Crystals littered the halls as the group ventured forward. A makeshift barricade blocking the large chamber from the hallway was blown wide open, chunks of sandstone and planks of wood piled up. They carefully trudged through the mayhem of the past, emerging into this new chamber of the labyrinth. "Wooooow!" Mightyena blared, his voice creating an echo. "Look at all the stuff in here!" It was an armory from the looks of it, the insides hosting scores of archaic weapons and other armaments rusted beyond use hanging from boards on all walls. However, something far more intriguing were the large, corroded metallic contraptions that were spread across the room in rows and columns. Empty woven baskets and tables holding tools stood by each of the strange defunct machines. Staravia flapped his wings, eyeing their vicinity. "What the h-heck are those things? Isn''t t-this just some o-old armory?" "Mreow~ Perhaps a sewing machine?" Purrloin suggested. "Even soldiers need clothes, darling." "It''s a weird looking one, then!" Mightyena yipped. "Yeah, it''s for sure a sewing machine," Shaymin remarked with heavy sarcasm. She then shot a look at a bewildered Minun. "Aren''tcha the whiz kid ''round here? Tell us what these are, mate." "Uh¡­" Minun took a hesitant step forward. "I''ll need to take a look first." The group followed the small Electric-type as he meandered over to one of the odd contraptions. He peeked his head around its scratched sides, scrutinizing it up and down. The bottom section of the machine was flat, a rectangular outline in the middle for something to slide into. The upper section was an appendage that drooped down near the outline, a peculiar pattern etched into the end of the arm''s smooth bottom. "¡­ Well? Spit it out, mate," an impatient Shaymin said. "I think it''s some sort of stamping device." Minun deduced, getting a closer look. "But¡­ I''m not really sure since this is really old." "Can''t we just turn it on and find out?" Mightyena questioned. Shaymin laughed at his fatuity. "Ya really think something thousands of years old would just turn on?" "We don''t even k-know what p-powers it, either!" Staravia sputtered. The sound of something rolling in front of the group prevented any further comments. "Then why don''t we find out what it is," Leafeon said with a wink. "Found this one behind a table while you guys were arguing." Without another word, the Grass-type pressed the Projection Crystal''s indentation and released a flurry of pink vapor into their surroundings, a holographic sphere encasing them into a window of the past.
"Entry number twenty five - continuing the last entry after the crystal ran out of memory to record." Mew held the Projection Crystal as she paced around in the air back and forth, mind ablaze with worry and a seed of doubt sprouting within. Her eyes were glued to the same spot where the three volunteering Legendaries vanished into thin air. According to her own personal tests with the device, they should have been back two minutes ago. Dialga stepped away from the encircling group surrounding Mew. "I am certain they will return. They are only delayed." Mew did not respond, but she did heed his calming advice. Instead of frantically zipping around the room, she remained still and took a deep breath. Internally, she knew she couldn''t let fears and personal traumas of her own sabotage their efforts. Closing her eyes, she believed they would return safely from the unknown. If Victini could before, then they could now. An explosion forced her eyes to reopen, honing in on the lashing of orange ribbons twirling from a pillar of light. Mew held her breath as she waited for the transport sequence to dimmer. When it did, out emerged Raikou, Suicune, and Entei, who walked away from the motionless device dizzy, but seemingly as healthy as they left. A sigh of relief escaped many of the Legendaries'' gathered, some moving forward to attend to the brave trio. Mew could only stay stationary as she internally relished in their victory. Dialga would stomp over and offer her a confident smile to bring her back to reality. "It worked. Just as you and the others theorized it would." She nodded, her heart swelling in her chest. "Yeah, it did. Now we gotta figure out what to do with this news." "This is a revolutionary invention, Mew. The king of Celestic and any other kingdom across the world would kill for this technology if they were to understand and fabricate it." "Yeah, which is why we can''t let this knowledge get out until we figure out if it''s safe. Only then will we hand over our research to the king." "The device¡­ It was your final touches that truly created it. What shall you name it?" Mew flew over to the site where the Legendary trio tested the prototype. She plucked the card-like device from the sands, surrounded by a peculiar symbol. She inspected it for any signs of damage or wear, yet there was nothing but pure orange energy flowing through its metallic rivets. "We''ll call them Entercards." She clutched the card tightly. "These¡­ These will be our tickets to prevent the spread of the ley lines. They have to be." "''Ley lines''?" Dialga inquired. "Is that what we are naming those monstrous anomalies?" Mew nodded. "In a few days time, I want us to get a number of mechanisms that are capable of producing more Entercards. We can place them in the armory and conduct more research from there. Then, uh¡­ I''ll figure out things from there." "I will share this with the king''s soldiers. Hold your chin up high today, Mew, for we have made history here." With a bow, he made his return back to the celebrating group. For Mew, a celebration would be too early. Only the complete removal of this bizarre enemy that constantly plagued her thoughts and feelings would suffice for victory. Even then, she had lost the Pok¨¦mon that mattered most to her by reaching it. Her life was reduced to this moment, this desire of vengeance and justice for all Pokemon affected. She was not a leader before this, nor a researcher or hero to Pokemon. But fate seemed to have a funny way of changing things in her. And if fate was correct, she would uphold her duties to the bitter end and stop a disaster before it arrives. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. There could not be another Victini. Mew thumbed the Entercard, ideas and ways of approach swarming in her mind. She blinked away days of missing sleep, breathing a sigh as she went back to work.
"Hey, sis, it''s not a race!" Gloria ignored her brother''s calls as she jogged through the hallway, stopping at a large wall in particular. Faded murals and long scrolls of barely readable text were emblazoned on its crumbling features. "Come over and check this out!" she yelled with a certain giddiness in her tone. Liam and Roark shared a look before entertaining the excitement of their companion and wandering over. As the two came into view, they took in the entirety of the hazy composition. Colored portraits of numerous posing Pokemon in various garbs took center stage, accompanied by text inscriptions and dates next to each defining Pokemon, presumably of their life and death. "I recognized some of their faces from a book I read a while back!" Gloria exclaimed, nearly producing a squeal as she thrusted a forepaw at one of the painted Pokemon. "Look! That Tyrantrum right there is known as the ''Unstoppable Heart''. He was a civilian in Celestic''s ancient past who single-handedly took on soldiers from the Grass Continent when they invaded his hometown. He only died after he was able to let the majority of the town''s citizens escape." Before the others could speak, Gloria moved her paw to another figure. This time a surly looking Samurott wearing what appeared to be armored metal plates along its legs and upper body. "The ''Peasant Warrior''," Gloria said with much fanfare in her voice. "She was initially drafted into a war with the Blaze Continent, and was seen as highly skilled and courageous from the beginning. It''s said in one of her biographies that she captured multiple towns behind enemy lines by herself. She disrupted battle after battle and changed the course of the war before she was found and executed." "Sis, I think even these guys would say you''re being a nerd about them," Roark teased. The Vulpix raised a paw to her chest. "I am not being ''nerdy'' about it. It''s a monument to past heroes of Celestic. Their stories are immortalized here on this wall." "I''m more of a statue guy, sis. It''d suck to have your greatness trapped in some dusty book or ruin." Gloria shook her head, refocusing her attention on Liam, who stared blankly at the detailed wall. "Hey, what do you think? Don''t tell me you agree with my brother." The Riolu bit his lip. "I think¡­ I don''t know. It just seems like if there wasn''t a war, then these Pok¨¦mon could just be themselves, y''know? No one would have their homes destroyed, families torn apart, and be forced to stand up and fight for something so¡­ destructive." "¡­ Sheesh, aren''t you a downer?" Roark said, chuckling. "Remind me to not invite you to the next party." Gloria frowned. "Um, you do have a point. But... I think these Pokemon were already heroes before, and the wars allowed them to fulfill that purpose." Liam scratched his neck, smiling sheepishly. "Uh, sorry, I was a little distracted about something. Didn''t want to be so pessimistic." Roark waltzed past the two Pokemon, ambling further down the hallway. "Save the negative stuff for when we find nothing in this sandbox of a maze." Gloria would give the murals one last proud look before continuing on their venture, Liam trailing behind much slower. "Hey, speaking of statues, when we all become world famous, where are you gonna put yours?" Roark propositioned to the Vulpix walking beside him. Gloria''s muzzle burned. "¡­ I don''t want a statue, Roark. Being known and looked up to is enough, don''t you think?" "Psh," Roark blew her off with a wave of a claw. "I''ll have mine replace that stupid Seadra fountain in Empyrean City. And even if you don''t want one, I''ll make sure you get one." "Please, uh, don''t?" "Oh, I will. I''ll make the biggest scene ever about it." Liam attempted to keep his focus on the quarreling pair up ahead, yet the gruff voice that followed his thoughts continued to echo its barrage of enigmatic phrases at him. Every time he thought he had evaded it, it had come back in full force, almost taunting him. ''Who are you?'' ''Go¡­ away,'' Liam countered in his mind. ''Take a good look at your old home, the old you¡­ burning away.'' ''Shut. Up.'' Liam pounded his head with an enclosed paw, hoping he would be spared of the voice''s vague onslaught. When the rattling in his mind ceased, he took a deep breath and caught up with his closest allies, wearing a faux smile. As they pursued down the halls in no clear direction, the hallway gradually became twisted and broken. Sand flowed from cracks in the walls and ceiling, piles of rock and other wooden debris from a demolished barricade blocking the path ahead. This route would mean a dead end for the trio, if it weren''t for the massive opening carved into the sandstone walls to their left. A rumbling noise from within and tiny motes of dust drifting out of the entrance would draw them in. And what greeted them at the end of the cavern was a sight truly to behold. A massive torchlit chamber of the labyrinth was fractured into chunks of jagged terrain. They hovered like desolate islands over a giant pit swallowing the entire room and its contents into a sea of swirling sand at the bottom. And yet, something stirring underneath the ravenous crater would shock them even further. WHOOSH. WHOOSH. WOOSH. Three columns of sand erupted from the pit, spewing into the air dozens of feet high. They lingered briefly before dissipating as more bursts of sand rose up around each segment of the room. "¡­ Well, this is a lot more interesting than the stuff back there," Roark commented. "It''s amazing what nature can sometimes do¡­ And, um, really scary," Gloria added with a gulp, not daring to look into the chasm below them. But none were more enraptured than Liam, whose starry-eyed look and thumping in his heart matching the flare-ups of each sand pillar. If there was anything that could make him forget his moments of strife, it was these glimpses of wonder and thrill. His trance was broken when a glint entered his peripherals. Tracing the source of it down, he watched the object rapidly ascend a pillar of sprouting sand before falling again, only to repeat the cycle over and over. Liam raised a paw to point at it. "Hey¡­ Isn''t that¡­" Roark followed his gaze and immediately sighed. "Yeah, it sure is." A Projection Crystal was caught in the motions of the pit''s never ending fountain-like display. "How are we even¡­" Gloria mouthed, shaking her head. "We''re gonna need to go back and get Charizard to help us get it." "It''s gonna take a while to convince him to do any kind of work, but we''ll try," Roark said as he began to walk out. "Let''s get him before he sleeps himself into a coma and it''s too late." "No," Liam replied sharply. "I''ll¡­ I''m gonna do it," he told both himself and the others. Gloria tilted her head. "Do what?" "I''m gonna get that crystal without Charizard''s help." Before anyone could say anything or stop him, Liam ran forward and leapt from their tiny outcropping of broken land. He timed his jump just right that his inevitable descent downward into the pit was caught by an erupting tower of sand. The hot sands catapulted him into the air as he maneuvered his body and guided himself to the next forming pillar. This time, his hind paws landed on the sparse amount of ''land'' it provided. He utilized the mere seconds of time he had to hop to each sprouting column before they collapsed, utterly persistent in his goal of reaching the orb. The pair of Pokemon watching from below were too mesmerized to persuade the Riolu to get down, knowing how futile that would be. "You know, sis¡­ He might need another Pok¨¦mon to help him reach that crystal," Roark proposed, chuckling at the incredulous look Gloria gave him and pointing at his bandaged up leg. "Hey, I''ve got an excuse over here." Liam was close. Mere feet from claiming his prize, the Riolu put faith into his instincts and allowed himself to fall. His plunging body was saved by another erupting pillar. He rode up the rising sands until he felt airborne again, looking upward to see the Projection Crystal falling onto him. He then held out his arms and let the orb safely fall into them. Wasting no time, Liam carefully made his way back to where his comrades were. Now that he had perfected his timing and jumps, the return almost felt like a dance. When his back hit the sandy cascades, he could only let out a joyous laugh and enjoy the rush he felt as he was launched. This free feeling felt almost intoxicating, but he knew not to overdo his riskiness. After one last ride of the spouting pillars, he jumped off and rolled his body at the last second on the hunk of land from which they came. Cracking a winning smile, he held out the very scratched but intact Projection Crystal. "See? We didn''t need Charizard at all," he proclaimed proudly, catching his breath. Roark laughed and smacked the back of the Riolu. "Amazing job there, kid! You two have some serious crazy streaks in ya, but I like it." Gloria was still a bit frazzled by her partner''s recklessness, ears laid flat on her skull. "I don''t think I need to tell you how dangerous that was. But at least we, um, have the crystal?" Liam smirked. "Darn right we do! Let''s see what this one is about." The Riolu immediately hit the orb''s indentation, releasing its veil of uncovered memories.
"Okay, I''ve started recording my memory, so you can, uh, do your thing." A horde of tiny green creatures squirmed past a nervous Mew. One by one, they began merging into one another in front of the Psychic-type, forming a larger mass as time grew. Eventually, a flash of green light would complete this transformation, and out emerged an entirely different Pok¨¦mon. Its body was large and imposing, a scaly array of green and black hexagonal patterns adorning its serpentine-like appearance. A hood protruded behind its head, the hexagonal ''eyes'' of the Pokemon blinking between shades of white and green as it stared at the floating Mew in front of it. The lack of a mouth didn''t stop its unearthly voice from being emanated, deep and heavy, like multiple voices layered on top of each other. "Fascinating. Pokemon ingenuity at its core." Mew gulped. "¡­ Thank you, Zygarde. Now, uh, are you able to answer some quick questions? It won''t take long, I promise!" "Yes." "How long will you be staying here exactly?" "This conversation." "Can you maybe consider staying behind a little longer to help us work in any way?" Mew somewhat pleaded. "No." "Okay¡­ Lastly, a few Pokemon are worried about those golem things you made. They won''t activate randomly and attack my members, right?" "If they are not tampered with." She sighed. "You''re pretty blunt. But I''m still very happy you decided to show up¡­ even if it was, uh, almost unannounced." "Fear me not, young Mew. My arrival is not to impede or progress this ''project.'' Clarity and forewarnings are what I shall speak, if you care to listen." Mew held up the recording Projection Crystal. "Of course I will. I guess I can start off by asking why did you come here? Er, back again I should say." "Contact has been kept between myself and the king of these lands since I have lent my creations. Your exploits came to me through whispers and rumors." "So much for keeping this place a secret..." Mew grumbled. "But since you''re here now and know this is a real thing, what knowledge did you want to share with us?" "These ''Entercards'' of yours. This facility is investigating them." "Yes, we created them here and are still researching their properties. It''s still in the early stages, but our hypothesis is that Pokemon energy can manipulate the ley lines in ways of using them as some sort of transport system. We believe these cards are the key to locating and destroying the main source of the lines, which would remove the Mystery Dungeons by extension." "Ley lines¡­" Zygarde mused. "These powerful abnormalities, I have sensed their appearance into our earth long before recent events. Young Mew, you have studied what I am, yes?" "Many times growing up, yes. You''re Zygarde, the God of the Earth; part of the Aura Trio with Xerneas and Yveltal." "More astute than your peers. My duties are to monitor the status of this world''s ecosystem from the Earth''s Den. Following the collapse of Legendary order long ago, I slumbered in waiting, until now." "Until these shadows started popping up¡­" Zygarde''s hexagonal eyes flashed. "You are correct. And yet, these ''ley lines'' are perhaps a greater and more ancient threat than initially perceived." The gears in Mew''s head started moving. "You alluded to it again. Are you saying these ley lines existed in the past as well?" "No. However, the events of the past and the schism between common Pok¨¦mon and Legendary Pokemon draws me to a conclusion. This cataclysm¡­ Are you familiar with it?" "The disappearance of Arceus. Do you¡­ know what really happened?" "No. Only Xerneas and Yveltal would possess that knowledge, and they fell together in battle against one another. Yet, the blame is shifted onto the commoners, the reality of what occurred obfuscated." "How does this all tie back to the ley lines and Arceus?" "These ley lines, I can sense the unyielding power of Arceus within them." Mew was astonished, "You''re kidding¡­ And you''re certain about this?" Her worries grew tenfold by his statement. "Yes. There is no doubt. It is a power that not even I or any Legendary could match. The correlation of these ley lines and the vanishing of Arceus is impossible for me to overlook." "If that''s true, then how are we going to stop the ley lines? Even if our Entercards can help us find the source, what then?" "These Entercards are not the keys to victory, only the tool necessary to deliver said keys. A silver lining exists, one created after the fall of Arceus - shrines." "Shrines?" Mew questioned. "Like¡­ a Legendary shrine?" "Said details of these structures are beyond even me. The purpose, however, was to preserve ''artifacts'' of the old world, to keep them protected for when the time came to ''restore'' the old world. That goal remains unfulfilled." "And why is that? My parents never spoke of any place like that." "The passage of time ravages our dreams and the fight within us, young Mew. Pokemon grow to accept too easily, even Legendaries such as myself. My wish is for your generation to break this curse of futileness, to finally bring forward the truth of this world, and the truth of Arceus'' absence." Mew inhaled, finding the courage in her heart to inherit such a task. "Just tell me what to do, Zygarde. We will fulfill it as much as we can." "Contact your elders, revisit the tales of the past. Listen to them and not ignore it as do your fellow Legendaries. These ''artifacts''¡­ They are the keys to the truth, and will possibly stop the threat these ley lines pose." "I will. I''ll do everything in my power to trace down these shrines." "¡­ Arceus molded us Pokemon at the dawn of creation, our duties to this world and universe clear. Xerneas, Yvetal, and myself¡­ we are avatars of existence, greater than any Legendary and not capable of death. In time, I believe they will return to aid and usher in the return of order to this beautiful world." A flash of green light consumed the body of Zygarde, a bundle of green creatures combining into a different shape. When the light receded, this variation of the Legendary was canine-like, lithe and small. It bolted away from Mew at a fast pace, only to stop as a layered voice flowed off its body. "Your loss, Victini, I have heard. You are young, but you have overcome a tragedy to become the leading woman you are now. I wish success upon this project, and perhaps we shall meet again when the time comes to eradicate this threat." "¡­ Thank you. For your wisdom and kind words." Zygarde resumed dashing away into the halls, leaving behind a drained Mew as she stowed away in her thoughts, reflecting on the many wise words of the immortal Legendary. ''So much information. So much to do, and so-'' A hoarse cough would interrupt her thinking, forcing to tiny form to land onto the ground and heave. She felt herself getting weaker each day. And whether it was out of exhaustion of working, or this sickness that wouldn''t go away, it did not matter, for there was always more to do. Mew lifted herself back into the air, flying away to inform her waiting comrades of the short meeting.
"I''m not seeing any Rose Clan members." "Then I guess they really were too stupid to figure out how to get down here." Bisharp stepped away from the wall''s edge. "Don''t be so quick to rule it out, Weav''s. Serperior can be pretty crafty when she''s not all¡­ insane." "The snake will never get an inch from me, Bishy. Besides¡­" Weavile held up the Projection Crystal they recently discovered and played. "We know what''s really down here now, and she doesn''t." A research station for Entercards created by the Legendaries. While they didn''t understand the context or technicalities used in the memory, they were certain the labyrinth was used for this purpose. Suffice to say, the reasons of which were something beyond them. Weavile glanced back. "C''mon! We want a good amount of this place searched before any of the snake''s goons find out we''re here." Gallade and Heliolisk stopped their staring of the vicinity and heeded their ''leader''s'' command. The ever so vigilant Absols'' that stalked behind them were keen in staying that way. Bisharp hid his eagerness with a stoic expression as he led the group. "I give us an hour or two before the snake returns. By then, we should gather as much information about this place as we can. This is a revolutionary discov-" "Yeah, yeah, I get it," Weavile muttered, batting away a cloud of dust and sand in front of her. "You better be happy, ''cause I''m just here for the gloating." "Sure you are, Weav''s, until we discover something massive." "The Legendaries being here a long fuckin'' time ago for something is already massive, Bishy." "I''m talking world changing massive here. A place like this is one in a million." As the two captains'' bickered, Gallade and Heliolisk carefully plodded behind, walking around fallen obstacles or vaulting over chunks of sandstone in their path. They were still digesting the contents of the Projection Crystal''s memory, of which a certain detail irked one of them. "Psst, Gallade," Heliolisk whispered to his partner. Gallade made sure the two Absols'' behind weren''t eavesdropping before leaning over. "Make it quick." "That Mew in the memory¡­ She kept insinuating that Entercards were invented here. But our textbooks back home say that we invented them." Gallade knew such information to be factual. They were taught from a young age that the Entercards they used frequently were created in order to discover their home. But what confused him now was the crystal''s memory contradicting their version of history. He wasn''t sure what to think of that, and he didn''t like that feeling. "We do not know the full details, brother," Gallade assured. "There''s perhaps some nuance we''re not aware of yet, or haven''t found." Heliolisk bit his lip, a different thought in his mind. "But don''t you think¡­ that maybe we''ve been told a lie? Maybe this is why the Allfather didn''t want anybody to find-" "No. Do not jump to conclusions about our forefathers. It''s highly disrespectful to our achievements, and you know what would happen if you said that back home." "¡­ Whatever you say." Gallade strode past the Electric-type, not wishing to speak with him any further. He was highly frustrated at his partner''s lack of faith, the blasphemy he spoke that would get him severely punished back home. He was trying to keep him and his brother safe, so why couldn''t he understand that? And yet, he did not want to think of the memory''s implications. It would be a question he would ask the Allfather upon their return home, if possible. His wisdom and guidance could be trusted above all, of course. He knew Heliolisk would come to understanding eventually, as would many who questioned the legitimacy of their Allfather. Weavile tore off a nearby torch from the walls of the hallway, its eternal flame lighting the path forward as it grew darker and darker by the second. Their silent walk was then cut short by the noise of scampering and other voices beyond the decaying walls. No words were exchanged as they waited for the sounds to die away. "The fuck was that?" Weavile whispered harshly. "It isn''t ghosts, that''s for sure," Bisharp murmured. "Keep your eyes peeled. They might have figured out a way down here." "Great¡­ Are you starting to regret wanting to come here now?" "Don''t push it, Weav''s." The group returned to wandering the halls, albeit more cautiously than they were before. They would take a right into one of the hall''s many rooms. Inside were what appeared to be living quarters, or what remained of them. The overturned and rather large beds and tables proved difficult to move past, sand pouring from all shattered corners and covering many dust coated objects. Bisharp looked around, "Now that I''m thinking about it, this place¡­ It resembles that other ruin in Criss-Cross Creek a lot." He threw Weavile a look, who soured at the mention of the region. "You agreeing with me here?" "I''m not in the mood to talk about this." She shook her head, sweeping the torch across the room. "Let''s search these rooms. Could be another one of those crystals hiding in this shit." An hour would pass of them searching through each and every room, sifting through ripped paintings of past Legendaries or soldiers of an ancient Celestic, defunct Entercards, and the pieces of broken Projection Crystals. The books and journals they were able to find had either pages torn out, or were too faded to read. Whether the lack of clues left behind was deliberate or purely due to time''s inflictions, they had little answers to base off. "Hey! I, uh, found one!" Heliolisk called out, pulling the intact crystal from a pile of rubble. Weavile smirked, "Looks like you are good for something, runt." She placed her torch and saddlebag down, walking over to snatch it out of Heliolisk''s claws, who sneered at her. "Maybe there''ll be something left of ya to send back home, huh?" A look of excitement crossed Bisharp as he jabbed the Ice-type in the shoulder. "Enough teasing, Weav''s. Hit that crystal and let''s see what else was here." As she activated the Projection Crystal and released a holographic bubble that immersed them into the past, Gallade positioned himself close by the dropped saddlebag, his opportunity found.
"Entry number forty two - uh, a lot of traveling and a lot of listening." Mew placed the Projection Crystal by her side as she laid down on her pink blanket, a strange weakness in her body today keeping her mostly bedridden, as instructed by a dutiful Dialga. Her own sick feelings seemed to translate to all her other peers, many coughs or sniffles heard around the labyrinth as they worked. While she worried for the health of her Legendaries, no one wished to stop working, even herself. If sickness or insomnia plagued her, she would always be here for the cause. "In the past month or two, I''ve visited almost every continent in the world with help from Reshiram. I spoke to any elder Legendary I could, heard any old tale or rumor I could. It was, uh¡­" Even now her head spun from how much the old Pokemon loves to talk for hours about honor and romanticized events. Regardless, she naturally picked any worthwhile detail from the seemingly never ending barrage. "Enriching to say the least," she finished. "But Zygarde was right, because I now know two shrine locations in Celestic, and I''ve sent two teams to those locations to scout them out. They were abandoned and ancient for sure, but we didn''t investigate further. I''ll have to make another entry later going into detail on them, but for now, that''s it." She racked her mind of any further accounts over the past couple days. "Things have been fairly smooth in the station here, other than all of us being a bit sick. Entercard production has slowed, but we have numerous data entries about them. Uh¡­ Another thing! " She had yet to mention the project within her memory recordings or to other members of the station, but she felt ready to finally mention it after all her tests. "I''ve gone through Entercards multiple times. I''m able to sense something that most Legendaries can''t. Like being able to trace the energy and maybe the source of the ley lines as I travel through them. With that, I can maybe try to produce some sort of ''map'' of ley lines like I tried in Celestial¡­" A knock upon her quarter''s door scattered her thoughts. It opened not a moment later to the scowling face of Entei. "Mew! There is an incident that deserves your attention right away!" The Psychic-type sighed. "Machines broke again?" Entei shook his head. "A large group of Pokemon has somehow shown up here. They are not part of the king''s forces, and they wish to speak only to you." Curiosity and intrigue was bouncing around in Mew''s head as floated off her bed with a sore grunt. She debated turning off her Projection Crystal, but inevitably would take it with her. "Take me to where they''re at. I''ll speak to them." Entei nodded and backed away from the door, bounding down the pristine sandstone hallways. Mew flew after him, a seed of unusual worry sprouting in her chest. She hoped they were mere Legendary worshippers offering blessings, but a situation like this didn''t seem likely. Rounding a corner, she became a witness to the incident in action. In the middle of a hallway, her Legendaries'' were in a stand-off with another group of Pokemon. Mew thought her eyes deceived her, but she could swear they were nearly two hundred of them crowding the halls. As she flew above, the fierce looks of defiance her Legendaries'' wore faltered slightly. They backed off slightly as Mew floated only a few feet away from the strange group. "Uh, hello?" she said. "You wanted to speak to me, yes? Is there a leader of this group I can talk to?" "It would be I, miss Mew!" a male voice from the back shouted. As if on cue, the Pokemon in front stepped off to the sides and made way for another to walk forward - an Infernape. Strange words were marked onto his skin as he raised his arms into the air, intense eyes slowly panning to meet a befuddled Mew''s. "To this flock of wonderful Pokemon... I am known as the Allfather, the one who hears the words of the Allmother - her shepherd in the flesh." "Woah, slow down," Mew said. "Allfather? Allmother? Are you some sort of religious group for Arceus?" "The Allmother is above even Arceus, ma''am," the Infernape calmly refuted. "She is the creator of everything; the roots within the soil we walk, the one who waits for salvation to embrace us." "That''s blasphemy!" shouted an angry Legendary from Mew''s side, many others adding in. "How dare you speak ill of the fallen!" "Leave this place at once!" Mew held up her paws. "Calm down everyone!" She returned her attention to Infernape. "Now, can you tell me what your group is, and why you''re here exactly?" "The Allmother¡­ She first spoke to me in a vision," Infernape began. "I was but a humble mayor when her silky words came through me in a vision of my ideal world. She told me to create a covenant within my village''s Pokemon, an unbreakable alignment. When the others saw the truth, I took my flock from that village at the behest of the Allmother." The Fire-type raised his arms again, hovering them above the Pokemon that bowed their heads in respect. "Our pilgrimage brought us to the king of Celestic. The Allmother wished for us to learn of this place, to gain access and befriend the Legendaries behind its secrecy." Mew slowly nodded, more confused than ever. "And why did this ''Allmother'' want you to come here?" Infernape met her eyes with a fiery gaze. "We are the Alignment. We walk a dark path that is lit by I, the one that will guide us to paradise, promised by the Allmother." He held his hands to his chest. "We wish to work together with the Legendaries behind this operation, to begin the path to paradise with the knowledge we seek." Mew was taken aback by the offer, but already had her mind made up. "Um, well I''m sorry to say, but I can''t have any of you here." "But here we are¡­" Infernape uttered. "Our wits could be combined. We could-" "Which I''m sure you could, but I can''t," Mew stated, shaking her head. "I don''t know what the king said, but this operation is for Legendaries only, and we can''t have any common Pokemon muddled up with this." "Perhaps we can come to an-" "Enough!" Mew yelled, before easing up her tone. "... Look, I''m sorry, but this is a restricted area. That''s how it stays." "¡­ Very well," Infernape muttered. "I will echo your sentiments to the Allmother." He turned around, arms raised once more. "My flock! Let us leave these Legendaries at peace and disturb them no more!" Dejected looks came from all sides of the group as their Allfather walked away from the Legendaries''. All would follow him as they departed into the halls in which they came, tailed by the occasional Legendary to make sure they were leaving for good. Mew watched them go, unsure of what to think. "What a strange bunch. I''m not sure what they were trying to accomplish¡­" "Heresy, most likely," Dialga voiced from behind. "But regardless of their madness, I am most concerned that they know of this place. Who knows if they are to return." "Yeah¡­" Mew mouthed, staring at the now empty hallway. "Just to be sure, we should barricade some of these hallways." "A proper solution to random arrivals." She whirled around, "Okay, everyone! Let''s get back to work!" Various forms of agreement and joy that the Pokemon were gone reached her ears. But as she watched them leave, a ragged and painful cough forced its way out of her lungs. It caused her to drop the Projection Crystal and close her eyes. When her fit of coughing ceased and she opened them back up, they went wide like dinner plates. Blood. It was splattered across her paws. She stopped staring to look back up at the exiting group, noticing each time they coughed. A pit in her stomach formed as she returned to bore into her paws.
"Mew¡­ Mew!" The Psychic-type snapped back into reality as she stopped staring at her paws, glancing over at Dialga. "¡­ Sorry. Must''ve dozed off a bit there." He rolled the Projection Crystal away from them, scrutinizing her unkempt features. "Your eyes are bloodshot. Frankly, you look terrible." She laughed slightly. "You shouldn''t say those things to a girl." "Ah, but it is true! Can you tell me the last time you had a decent rest under Lunala''s moon?" "No, I couldn''t. Things¡­ are just really hard to manage around here. Going over data with the others, reading up old tales, managing tests, and setting up this¡­" She motioned with her paws to what was before her. Dialga stared ahead. "It was a worthy effort, Mew. With this, the end goal of this project has been illuminated." The walls and ceiling above them moved at a constant pace, seas of pure black and the patches of white stars in the expanse of space whizzing past in a clockwise manner. Orange radiance washed the large chamber in an ethereal glow, growing further in intensity as one got closer to its source. In the middle of the room lay a contrast of orange wisps and free flowing energy slowly moving around, a holographic depiction of their earth residing in the strange ''nebula'' surrounding it. Tendrils spread out from within the ''earth''s'' insides, overlapping each other and producing smaller splinters of infinite lines. Its influence was small in terms of total coverage, only a sparse amount of spindly tendrils. All of the visible lines were connected by other larger roots, which emerged from a pulsating mass of orange in the center of the ''earth''. "I attempted it in a limited way at our last location, but, uh, this took a while to even plan," Mew admitted, rubbing her sleep deprived eyes. "I had to go through so many ley lines to trace down a signal that I felt like I was going crazy." She laughed. "I thought I heard a voice while I was traveling, like a whisper in my ear, y''know?" Dialga chuckled politely, "I cannot approve of your destructive habits. But this¡­ This is phenomenal. You have outdone yourself again, truly." "Thanks¡­ But this could have never been done without you guys. You''ve all stuck with the project for months, not even returning to your families or shrines. I know it''s hard." "When the fate of the world is potentially at stake, is it even a question of staying or not?" Mew eyed the holographic images. "It is at stake, and Pokemon aren''t aware. But we finally found it - the source of the ley lines." She stared at the ''earth''s'' center, where the orange glow resonated most. "It''s exactly where we thought it would be, and aligns with the old tales and legends I''ve heard." "Hrmph. Then it is there where we shall end this anomaly. Where the truth of this world''s past will be revealed." Dialga shook his head. "I would have never believed the day you and Victini called a meeting that it would lead to this moment. I was furious and blind, but you two knew something we Legendaries didn''t." His words sparked something within her. "I¡­ I never wanted this, Dialga." Mew shut her eyes. "We just wanted to help find those missing miners. I never wanted to lose Victini. And if I knew what would''ve happened to him if we continued, then I wouldn''t have ever started the project in the first place. I¡­" She broke. Droplets of tears hitting the sand as she sobbed unabashedly. "... I''m not a leader. I''m not anyone worth following. We were just kids who stumbled upon something bigger than us. But now I can''t go back. I can''t bring Victini back. And even if we succeed, I''ll be left with nothing but old memories. I feel¡­ trapped. Some days I want to run away from this all, but I could never; Victini would never want me to." Dialga remained still, soaking in her innermost feelings. "Time has been perceived by my kind since Arceus formed us. Time¡­ It is a fickle entity, but ultimately only goes forward - forever." He cast Mew an encouraging look. "Your painful memories will be replaced by better ones. Time allows you to grow and let go, evolve and change. And you have already without even knowing, Mew." She wiped her tear stained cheeks. "I don''t want new memories. I want the old ones back." "That is something that neither I or any Pokemon could realize." "¡­ I know." Silence encompassed the fantastical room, only to be broken by a hoarse cough from Dialga. "Blasted sickness," he said, clearing his throat. "Now that the knowledge of where the source of these ''ley lines'' originate from has been acquired, we will have to form a plan of action for when the time comes." Mew seemed distracted by something, slowly nodding. Dialga began stomping out of the room. "Gather some well deserved rest, Mew. Never fear your leadership skills, for we will be the unsung saviors of this world, and you are at the forefront." As the large Pokemon departed, Mew stood by her creation alone, observing its ceaseless changes to their earth.
The Projection Crystal flushed pink as it absorbed up the bubble of memories shown back into its circular containment. Scizor clutched the crystal to his chest, looking up from the pool of dirty water he was halfway sunk into and staring straight through Garchomp. "You sure were eager to jump into that nasty sludge for the crystal there, huh?" Garchomp jeered. "But with what this one revealed? I can''t imagine what you''re feeling right now." Scizor quickly waded through the murky water, emerging by the dragoness'' side as he nearly began hyperventilating. "The coordinate - it''s real," he said with immense emphasis. "All of the data from other researchers over the years, all of my own theories; they''ve been confirmed by this Mew''s design." He began pacing back and forth. "The core of our world - astonishing. I¡­ I have to tell Jackson, Charizard, and-" Garchomp impeded his hectic movements with an outstretched talon. "Breathe, Scizor, breathe. You''re happy and I''m happy, but we have to relay this to them later. We got a lot more ground to cover here." Scizor took her advice, inhaling and exhaling. "¡­ Right. Excuse my elation. We can continue our investigation." She smirked, "Not like it wasn''t entertaining to see you so giddy." An invisible embarrassed blush was his response. With the Projection Crystal safely tucked in Garchomp''s saddlebags, they got back to exploring. Their feet splashed puddles of dark green groundwater as they traversed through the hallway in near complete darkness, the torches that originally lined the halls snuffed out entirely. During portions of the corridor where the water ascended almost to their chests, they hopped across furniture and broken pieces of sandstone bobbing in the muddy basin. Eventually, a glimpse of orange light at the far end of the hallway drew them in like a beacon. "Seeing something crazy up ahead," Garchomp said. "I wonder if it''s that thing in the memory we just saw." "If it is, we will need to investigate it right away." Picking up the pace, they trekked toward the light until they entered a new area they had seen before. Swirling stars in a spatial backdrop greeted them, forever rotating the walls and the ceiling in a clockwise motion. The construct in the middle of the chamber emanated its orange holographic projections out into the air, powered by its surroundings of pink wisps and the sound of a low hum. "This is the true power of Mew," Scizor spoke, awe in his tone as his head snapped around the room. "And all of it is still operating thousands of years later¡­" "It''s just like that Mew''s room back in Celestial Mountain," Garchomp said. "I''m stumped¡­ How she able to locate the ley line source just like that?" "From what I could tell, she based it off the ''star maps'' Psychic-type Pokemon would create in the past to track down stars in the night sky and place them into a visual astral map." He motioned a pincer to the strange construct. "Perhaps Mew managed to warp that idea into a different creation - a ''ley line map''." She cracked a grin. "You sure know your stuff. But how do we know it''s still working and collecting stuff about the ley lines?" Scizor looked at the holographic depiction of their earth, his heart sinking at the sight. "There is no doubt that this map is alive. Look." Garchomp followed his gaze, eyes wide at what she saw. "Arceus¡­" she grumbled. "There''s so many of ''em." The bundle of ley lines gathered inside the holographic earth was a stark contrast to what they were witnessing now. Orange lines erupted practically all over the planet, invisible and kept beneath the surface. Smaller curls sprouted from preexisting threads, moving forward to create their own splinters. Each line all connected to another, leading straight into the core section of the earth. "Thousands of years later, and thousands of Pokemon have most likely died as they affected our world," Scizor lamented, eyes lingering on the projection. "It took this long, but we have at long last uncovered the location of the coordinate - the core of our world." "Easy part''s over, but the hard part?" She whistled. "Who knows what''ll take to get to a place like that." Scizor began lumbering over to the room''s ever shifting walls and sliding down it with a tired sigh. "Let''s rest for the time being. We will retrace our steps and deliver our findings to the others during our regroup." "Oh, I''ve still got enough energy in me, but yeah, I''ll sit down for a bit." Garchomp stomped over and sat down next to the Bug-type. They watched the shifting cosmos and listened to the humming of their environment in a lull. "... A librarian," Scizor suddenly said. "Huh?" "You had asked me earlier what I would like to do if we accomplished the guild''s goal. Being one¡­ That has been my dream since I was only a child." She glanced over at him. "Really now? I''ve never heard of this ''til now." Scizor nodded. "I used to visit Areos Village''s library many times, almost everyday." He smiled in remembrance. "I remember there was this Mismagius librarian that was always there, always so kind and helpful. We would discuss many things; past history, Pokemon biology, and old legends. She taught me how fun and fulfilling it was to learn and teach others, instilling that desire in me from a young age." "Well, I''m guessing there''s not many at the guild who like that as much as you do." The Bug-type suppressed a laugh. "Not particularly. Jackson, Charizard, and you entertain my thoughts. But¡­ Sometimes I wonder what could have been if my village wasn''t erased, that I didn''t help create Team Moonlight and the guild. That instead of pursuing justice for the Pokemon of my home and the entire world, I would be a simple Pokemon behind a desk, tending to the knowledge around me." "You can''t turn the clocks back now. What happened happened. But when we do win, there''s always that chance again." "... It''s a comforting dream of mine, but it''s one I know is far away, perhaps not even possibly anymore." Scizor shook his head. "I''m a researcher. I pursue knowledge, not guard it. These long and turbulent years adventuring Celestic and the world¡­ It''s changed me. Whether it was for better or worse, I can''t tell myself." The dragoness bumped his shoulder. "Hey, none of the dragons in my village ever believed in me; never thought I was going anywhere but there, including my own mom. But Team Moonlight? You were an inspiration for many Pokemon like me to get out there and do their own thing." "I don''t feel worthy of praise like that. I''ve kept my head down at the guild for almost half of my life. I feel estranged from my closest friends, excluding you. I¡­ My whole life has been reduced to this guild and its mission," he admitted, sighing. Scizor was pained and also relieved to utter a statement like that. It felt humiliating to say, even if he had immense pride in his work. A future beyond his research of the ley lines was impossible for him to foresee. For all that he knew, his life would end when their victory was finished. "You are worthy." Garchomp looked him straight in the eyes, never blinking. "You convinced me to stay here and fight despite the risk of the Council. You convinced Jackson to let the guild assist with retaking that Legendary shrine. You''ve done all these things because of your passion for the truth." "That is all I am, Garchomp¡­ A researcher with a passion. Nothing more." "No, that''s bullshit," she growled. "The guild has ruined your belief in yourself to do great things. This is why Jackson needs to step down. I know you don''t think you''re worthy of leading the guild, but-" ''... Gigigigigigigigigi¡­'' Garchomp leapt up, throwing looks around the chamber. "The hell was that?" Scizor stood up as well. "It sounded close by." "Let''s get to it, then. The others could be in danger." The pair immediately made their exit out of the bizarre room, heading towards the direction of the sound.
Liam, Gloria, and Roark emerged out of a Mystery Dungeon''s penumbra, breathing out a sigh of relief after climbing through many floors and fighting many battles. "Did you two see the way I messed up that Golett back there?" Roark said, shadowboxing the air with his claws. "I may not be as agile right now, but I still got it, I''m telling ya." Liam raised an eyebrow. "You sure you didn''t make us hold you up to get through one floor?" "Words like that create bar fights, kid." Gloria giggled, adjusting her cream saddlebag. "C''mon, we still have this area to explore before we regroup. And we already have a lot to show them." The trio began walking, casting curious looks at the new chamber of the labyrinth they were in. Tall stone pillars were erected in rows beside them, yards of land surrounding them. Most intriguing to them were the statues of strange Pokemon that littered the otherwise empty room. Some looked like they were forged from steel, clay, or ice, while others even looked like they wore the skulls of dragons on their arms. Gloria grew a wide smile as she realized their purpose. "It''s the castle''s protectors! The ones Zygarde made long ago for Celestic''s king!" She nearly ran off to investigate, but was blocked by the arm of Roark. "Yeah, and if you remember what we saw in that crystal, the big guy said to not mess with ''em. Let''s keep it that way, sis," he said, getting a pouting look from her in return. Liam''s gaze swept across the vast room, until it landed on the walls in front of them, a paw being thrust at what he saw. "Hey, look at what''s on the walls!" Large hexagonal patterns clung to the sandstone walls, occasionally vibrating and flashing different shades of green and black. Gloria tilted her head. "Maybe it''s what Zygarde made to control the protectors?" "Whatever it is, I value not knowing," Roark added. "Let sleeping Arcanine''s lie, right?" Just beneath the flooring of the three Pokemon, another trio was venturing through the torch lit hallways of the labyrinth. Monferno and Braixen were lagging behind an energetic Rockruff as he bounded ahead with an almost infinite amount of energy. "Hurry up, guys! We have so much more to explore here!" the Rock-type yipped from afar. An irritated expression was glued to Monferno''s face as he trudged forward, leaning over to whisper something into Braixen''s bushy ears. "Are you starting to regret letting him come along?" "Don''t say such a thing, Mony," she whispered back, only to let out a tiresome sigh. "He''s just a bit¡­ excited." "Excited, hah. He''s bounced around every area of this place even though we''ve found nothing." She chuckled airily. "Maybe you should take up after him? You could enjoy the guild a lot more than you usually do." "Not happening, Braix, ever. The day you see me acting like him is the day you end our partnership." "You know I would never." "Yeah, you say that now¡­" Rockruff continued sprinting forward as the two mingled behind him, set on investigating the strange green and black hexagons in the distance. When he finally reached them, his amazed look somehow grew even wider. "Guys! You need to see this!" he shouted at his slow comrades, tail wagging behind him. Braixen and Monferno eventually caught up with the hyper Pokemon, their hallway meeting a dead end. "¡­ Hexagons on the wall?" Monferno groaned, rubbing his face with a hand. "Did we really walk around for thirty minutes to see this?" "You don''t know that, Mony," Braixen said as she looked around, planting her paws on her hips. "The Guildmaster told us to search everywhere for clues. So let''s do it!" "Like that!" Rockruff exclaimed, pointing a paw at a mass of solidified clay at the hallway''s end. "That could be interesting." Monferno groaned again. Rockruff ran forward again, jumping over fallen pillars and sidestepping piles of debris in his determined path. He suddenly stopped in his tracks upon seeing an oddly shaped rock in his path. Puffing up his chest and blowing out some air to clear the dust away from it, he realized it was some sort of hexagonal construction. "Check this out! I found something!" Leaning in closer and squinting his eyes, he read out what appeared to be words written onto the panel-like structure. "Regi¡­ gigas. I wonder if that''s some kind of Legendary treasure!" His ears shot up as he spotted something else. "Hey, there''s some button on here!" Without any hesitation, he pressed the indentation in the panel. Immediately following his action, the green and black hexagonal patterns on the wall dimmed momentarily, only to flash between the two colors rapidly as a boisterous rumbling noise filled the air. "What did you just press, Rockruff?!" Monferno yelled. Rockruff backed away from the panel, stiff tail between his legs. "I- I don''t know!" The thunderous noise grew louder as the room began to quake, the mass of solid clay before them shattering into pieces and revealing the colossal creature that hid inside of it. White and golem-like, its seven black eyes flashed red as it began to slowly move. Entire sections of the hallway gave way as its mossy legs took their first fatal steps, the flex of its long arms and three white fingers piercing through the ceiling and causing large chunks of sandstone to fall. "We need to get out here NOW!" Braixen screamed. The three ran for their lives as the walls around them began to crumble and collapse inward from the awakened giant''s might. Just above where this was taking place, Liam, Gloria, and Roark held panicked looks as the room began trembling, the pillars around them tumbling to the ground, and the eyes of the immobile ''statues'' around them glowing a bright red. "W-what is happening?!" Liam yelled. "We didn''t do anything, did we?" Before any of them could react, the ground beneath was completely demolished by two claw-like white fingers breaking through, a gargantuan Pokemon screeching at them as they fell into the chasm of its destruction below. "REGI¡­ GIGIGIGIGIGIGIGIGIGIGIGIGIGIGIGAS!"
She is the roots within the ground you walk, the sun that shines upon your skin, and the stars you gaze up at. But most of all¡­ she is the one who waits.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time:The Keys To The Truth LTWNBR: To My Best Friend Letters That Will Never Be Read: To My Best Friend
Dear V Hey, it''s been a while since I''ve written to you, or even got the chance. Things have been really hectic around here ever since we started producing Entercards. I was pretty skimpy on the details of them in my last letter, but you would be over the moon if you knew what they could do. Seriously, I think you''d start jumping around for real. But to be honest, a lot of the credit in the design should go to you. After all, you made the theories I put to the test. I guess they weren''t all useless wastes of Projection Crystals like Cobalion thought, huh? Anyway, everything else has been pretty smooth all things considered, besides some weird group of Pokemon showing up randomly. You''re probably wondering if Zeraora is still being a jerk to the others, and yeah, he kinda is. It''s like, he doesn''t even have a shrine or any duties given to him and he thinks he''s so high and mighty! Oh, but the others have been improving a lot. When we first started, you and I knew none of them were that invested, but now they''re almost always working, never leaving the station. They''re really devoted to the cause, and I can''t blame them. Yeah, I know what you''re thinking; many are just worried that their shrines could be taken over by those shadows. But I think some of them really do want to help the other commoner Pokemon, and I really do want to help myself. It sucks. We''ve never really had a chance to mend ties between us and the commoners, and I think this project can be the bridge for that, y''know? Other Legendaries have already seen our progress and decided to join us, so who''s to say we can''t unite all Legendaries to help? And guess what? I met Zygarde a month ago. Yeah, the Zygarde; the same one who was around during Arceus'' time. Turns out he doesn''t hide and meditate in his cave for all eternity like you said, heh. But he was pretty scary to see, or even talk to, and he has so many different forms he turns into on a whim. Thankfully, he wasn''t there to shut us down (trust me, I think he could if he wanted to), but he instead told me a lot of helpful things and advice. Right now, I''m following his words, because it''s looking like this whole project is much bigger in scope than realized before. Oh, how am I doing? Well, I''ve been finding out how difficult it is to run an entire station of Legendaries almost by yourself every day. I know, right? Dialga has changed a lot since we first started the projection, and he''s practically become my assistant (even though he''s dozens of years older than me). Even when things become hard and I get frustrated or depressed, he''s always there to say some motivational retort that''s frustrating to hear itself. I guess this is what growing up is like, with how much responsibility is now on my shoulders. They say I''m a grown woman now, V, but I was only hatched twenty years ago - and you just a couple before that. You already know that I was never the model Legendary, never the professional Mew that my parents were. You aren''t either, and I think that''s why we hit it off so well. Do you remember when we met? In the Shaymin Village out in the fields where all the Gracidea flowers were blooming and the sun was shining, near that river. It''s still clear as day in my mind, like it was yesterday. All of us Legendaries were there for duties and other stuff, but you and I definitely weren''t. I still smile when I remember all those things we did; like when we pranked Rayquaza and made him think a meteor was gonna hit the earth. Or when I used Transform on us both so we could go see the royal festival in Celestic and hang out. You remember when we first tried that frozen Moomoo Milk treat shaped like a Vannilite there? I swear I could still remember the taste. Legendaries never made sweets like that. I got in trouble with the other Legendaries because I was neglecting my own shrine just to spend time with you. We did lots of things we weren''t supposed to, even if it felt right to do. Stuff that''s regular to any other Pokemon, but was special to us. I look back on those memories and feel like they were the best times of my life, and it''s weird to think since I''m still so young. Do you ever look back on your own moments in the past and just want to relive them over and over? I do. Every time I go to sleep in this dark and creepy place, my only thoughts are about the past - the ones with you. Dialga said I shouldn''t linger so much, but why can''t I? He hasn''t lost someone so special to him like I have. When my parents passed, I only had you to cry to, to depend on for support, and you promised then and there to never leave me. I guess you unintentionally broke that promise. We had a lot planned for the future, didn''t we? I truly dreamed of escaping from my Legendary duties so we could explore the world, experience it for what it was. We could really help the Pokemon of the world and not just sneer at them like the others. And then when we had everything figured out, we could settle down and have a child. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Yeah, you got me to finally admit it. I didn''t know how you would react if I told you, but I gave it a lot of thought, and I really do believe I could do it with you by my side. I think you would''ve agreed, and I would be so happy inside. All these Pokemon around me telling me to move on, to let go, and maybe you would say the same, but I can''t. Really, there is no one that is truer and more closer to my heart than you, and you''re gone, because of how much you cared for this world and other Pokemon. Zygarde told me about things relating to the world''s past, and the animosity between us Legendaries and common Pokemon. About how the appearance of the ley lines (I heard you call those lines this in one of your theory crystals) correlates to the disappearance of Arceus. All of this goes so deeper than we realized, and the world is truly at stake here. I was told to find old shrines across Celestic and recover artifacts from them. We know the source of the ley lines now - the earth''s core - and thinking about what Zygarde said, those artifacts would be the key to destroying the ley lines for good. V, when we first gathered some Legendaries up to investigate that shadow over Celestial Mountain, I would''ve never thought it would lead to this. We were still just kids, ones that didn''t know what they were getting into. With all these shadows popping up across the world now, and this responsibility to lead the station on my shoulders, it''s getting to me. Maybe shirking my duties all those years ago has finally caught up with me. I don''t sleep that much anymore; I don''t smile as much as I used to, or pull any jokes or pranks, and I almost dread waking up everyday when there''s so much to do. I''m not a leader or a researcher. You are. You were smart, brave, and willing to do so much for the project. If you were still around, you would press on through all this pressure to reach that thing you cared a lot for - victory. But I''m ashamed to admit to the others or even myself that victory isn''t what''s been on my mind the most. It was finding you. I''ve researched so intensely and went through that shadow that formed over you so many times, but no trace of you was found. I couldn''t accept it at that time, so I continued to search to this day. And even when this station is preparing itself to confront the ley lines, a part of me is frightened at the idea that we will never see it realized. You ask why? Well, it''s because of something out of my control. I''m dying. All of us are slowly dying in the station. You''re shocked, I know, but I believe it''s true. It wasn''t until I was coughing up blood to grasp how much danger we were all in. I figured out there''s an illness sweeping across the Grit Region of Celestic, and countless villages have been wiped out completely or abandoned as Pokemon fled the region. Even the soldiers of the king have stopped coming here to deliver supplies. Celestic''s king, he never told us anything, or even warned us. Everyone in the station has been infected, and are none the wiser to reality, except me. I grow more sick and weak by the day, sometimes never leaving my bed as I lie to my Legendaries and tell them that I''m just tired. They''ll soon experience the same symptoms that I do, and panic will set in. I don''t know what to do then, or what to tell them, and if the project will even survive when our lives are in jeopardy. I''m finding it difficult to accept the truth that we might not even make it long enough to stop the ley lines, or an even worse truth that I''m still struggling to accept. That you''re dead. Gone forever. And I''m only writing to myself. I hoped one day that I could give these letters to you if I found you again. But if my death really is unavoidable, then maybe I could still see you again. I''m scared, V. Scared of my own death, scared of what the others will do when they find out, and scared of what the fate of the world will be if we don''t succeed. I don''t know wha
Blood splattered on the laid out paper as Mew coughed violently, her tiny chest wheezing as her sickness reanimated to life. She dropped the quill in her paw and nearly curled up on her chair, the pain swelling in her stomach feeling like hot needles were poking her. Eventually, when the discomfort aching her body ceased, she looked back at the letter she was writing. Red and black were mixed together. Her blood had soaked the page, staining it and combining with the still wet ink. She attempted to wipe off the scarlet blotches with a paw, only for the page to be muddled with a mess of colors. She knew it was ruined forever now. With a raspy sigh, she sat back in her chair, moving moments later to open a bottom drawer in the desk and retrieve numerous amounts of papers with ink writing on them - all of her letters to Victini. She piled them on top of the ruined letter, weakly holding out a paw over them. Orange flames erupted from her paw as the papers ignited instantly. She watched the flames grow, listening to the crackles of it as her work was destroyed in front of her. She could not stop the tears from coming. They flowed from her like waterfalls, unable to break the gaze with the blaze. She eventually set the fire out with a Water Pulse, leaving nothing but ashes and lingering cinders of her words to no one. Mew then flew away from the desk, wiping her tears away as she floated over to a nearby dresser. She hastily opened it and took out a Projection Crystal from the many that were neatly placed inside with the names and dates listed beneath them. The plucked crystal was then set down and its indentation immediately pressed, unleashing its bubble of energy and holographic figures. When the crystal finished constructing its perfect recording, a memory began to play, along with the sound of a voice. "Hey, Mew! Good ''ole V here! Making another entry in my little theories about the shadows. If Cobalion complains again, tell him we can''t save those Drilbur miners if we''re banging rocks all day! Anyway, what I wanted to say in my last entry was..." Mew''s sunken and puffy eyes were glued to the familiar figure in the soothing memory, hearing him talk but never listening to what he said, for she memorized all of his words already.
Author''s Notes: Surprise! Hope you enjoyed this second LTWNBR. And if you want to help me out, please consider voting in this new poll I have created about the direction of the story so far. Tell me how you feel about it, whether you like it or dislike it. Link to that below! strawpoll.com/polls/eNg6R0QO8gA The Keys To The Truth Chapter 28 The Keys To The Truth Gallade kept his stunned gaze on the projection as it ended, the holographic figures going still before collapsing into pink energy and being siphoned back into the Projection Crystal. A blink would snap him back into reality as he scrambled to get away from Weavile''s dropped saddlebag. While the others were still collecting their bearings at what they saw, he carefully snuck the Entercard in between his armband and Mega Bracelet. Weavile turned her head to stare at him not a second later. "Who would''ve fucking thought? You two¡­ heh." She shook her head. "You''ve got a lot of explaining to do." She shot an equally shocked Heliolisk a look. "Care to speak up?" None of them did. Bisharp took the Projection Crystal from Weavile''s grasp. "I agree with Weav''s here. I was expecting some crazy shit, but the Alignment being involved with this place? That''s a bit more interesting, you think?" "This place has got to be pretty damn old, huh? You thinking a couple hundred years old maximum, Bishy?" "You should brush up on your history, Weav''s, because that Mew and Infernape were talking about a king, and there hasn''t been one in Celestic for thousands of years." Bisharp looked over at Gallade and Heliolisk. "Strange detail that is..." The duo stayed silent, briefly exchanging glances at each other. Weavile brandished a smug smirk. "Well, that''s certainly an eye raiser. How much shit has your little cult been hiding? I know for sure the Alignment hasn''t told Celestic or the Council they''ve been polluting the continent for this long." She sauntered over to a stiff Gallade, poking him with a claw. "Tell me, soldier boy, your Allfather ever taught you about this lil'' encounter with the Legendaries?" The Psychic-type swallowed, considering his words. "... No. This is entirely new to us. Our written history dates back a few hundred years, not thousands." Weavile stepped back, throwing a look behind her. "You hear that, Bishy? It''s the sound of lies." "I am only telling the tru-" "And we''ll get to hear plenty of that in the future," Weavile finished with a wicked smile. "We''ve hit quite the jackpot here, so let''s not waste any of our precious time left here." Bisharp nodded. "There''s still a few other paths we can take. I bet there''s more of those crystals around here. Let''s gather them before the Rose Clan figures out we''re down here." "Which means plenty of other explanations of why this place is so damn important to the snake," Weavile added, swiping the Projection Crystal back and lifting her saddlebag off the ground. "Let''s get this done fast." "Why don''t we split up?" a sweating Heliolisk piped up, wincing once the cold gazes of the captains'' were on him. "It only makes sense, right? If we have little time to explore. Me and Gallade can take one of the paths." Bisharp glared at him. "You think we''ll take our eyes off you for a single second? We allowed your partner to do what he did at the keep, but you''re pushing it." Weavile nudged his shoulder, "Relax, Bishy. What are they gonna do - dig to safety?" She cackled at the thought before looking over at the statue-like Absols'' lurking in the room''s doorway. "You two follow them as they take this path of theirs. You''re never taking your eyes off of them." The identical twins'' blinked in recognition of their captain''s command. "Splendid. Now go off and bring us back some more clues, will ya?" The Absols'' sidestepped away from the doorway as Heliolisk and Gallade hesitantly took this as their cue to leave. They did so, looking both ways down the torch-lit hallway''s string of the caved-in living quarters. With the pair of sharp eyes narrowing onto them from behind, they hastily went down one at random, going nowhere in particular. Gallade hurried his pace a bit to further the distance from them and the looming Absol twins. He then leaned in to whisper into Heliolisk''s ear. "Why did you do that? You''re only making us look more suspicious." "I saw what you did back there," the Electric-type shot back. "While we were all watching that projection, you did something. It''s in your armband, isn''t it?" Gallade gave a curt nod to his speculation. Heliolisk smirked. "I knew it! You did have a plan for us to get out of here." "Keep your voice down. I only acted on an opportunity, and it''s not certain to work." He gave a half hearted motion to what was behind them. "Those Absols'' will never give us the chance to use the Entercard while they''re here." Heliolisk couldn''t accept an answer like that. "So when will we get that chance? You heard that Weavile back there. She''s not gonna let us leave, not after what we saw back there. And what the hell was that, anyway? That was the original Allfather in that vision. The same Infernape in all of our books, paintings, and plays back home." Gallade was still struggling to accept the reality of what the Projection Crystal revealed, what it meant. He felt blessed to actually hear and see the primordial Pokemon from so long ago, one spoken so highly in their books and tomes of the past. Yet, what the vision truly spoke was something far more concerning. "I¡­ I don''t believe we have sufficient knowledge to conclude what has taken place here." "Well, what if the Entercards were actually made here? What if we didn''t make them like we were told?" "That''s preposterous. Perhaps our brothers and sisters of old returned and the Legendaries accepted their proposal of a partnership, thus allowing their creation," Gallade hypothesized. There was no other reason in his mind that it could not be this outcome. Heliolisk scowled. "... They lied to us, Gallade. They lied to everyone back home." His eyes twitched slightly in anger. "If we''ve all really been doing this for thousands of years, then when will this all end?" Gallade did not know how to respond to that, unsure himself. He wetted his lips, holding his armband still. "We will bring this up to the Allfather later. There are more important things to focus on right now." "Like getting out of here." Heliolisk angled his head to peek at the Absols'' trudging just behind before returning to whisper. "And like you said, they''ll never give us a chance while they''re here¡­" Gallade knew what Heliolisk was implying, yet continued to trek forward through the hallway without another word. The thoughts swirling in his mind were a mix of both plotting to get rid of their assailants, and a cry for answers of why his faith was being questioned so much, both by the ruins around them, and his closest friend.
"... GIGIGIGIGIGIGIGAS!" Liam frantically whipped his gaze around the rumbling chamber as the ground beneath him began to fracture and crumble away. Before he knew it, he, Gloria, and Roark, were freefalling into the dark depths below them. An instinctual scream that escaped the Riolu as he descended was reduced to a sudden wheeze, the trio hitting the hard, sandy floor. Quickly pushing himself up to a kneel, Liam looked up in horror as large chunks of the ceiling began to rain down on them, his aura feelings going berserk as they got closer. Roark helped Gloria up and held the stunned Vulpix close as he stumbled into a run. "Get to safety, kid!" Liam did not need to hear him to know what to do. Honing into the electrifying feeling shooting through his nerves, he dodged each piece of hailing debris that crossed his path without even breaking a sweat. When the rocks ceased, and the plumes of red and orange dust sweeping this new room settled, he squinted his eyes through the darkness to spot Roark and Gloria, running towards them. "What the heck was that?!" he yelled as he got near. Roark caught his breath first before pointing a claw at something out of view. "That, kid." Liam turned to follow the fox''s raised arm, his jaw dropping at what he saw. A behemoth of a Pokemon stood at the end of the destroyed room, slowly inching forward, its moss covered feet taking multiple seconds to raise and pound the ground, shaking the entire room in the process. Seven ''eyes'' across its white and yellow body flashed an array of red colors as it rose another leg. Liam blinked, "W-what is that Pokemon?!" Gloria felt a wave of fear hit her as another tremor shook the room and her body. "T-that''s Regigigas. It''s¡­ It''s the master of all the regis and-" "And not important right now, sis!" Roark said as he wrapped both arms around the two, forcing them into a huddle. "Okay, first thing - shut up and calm down. Second thing, we had methods of dealing with super large targets in the Rescue Society. First strategy was attempting a negotiation without hostilities. And well¡­" He momentarily raised his head from the huddle to stare at the encroaching Pokemon. "I don''t think that guy speaks the language of peace like we do, so second strategy¡­" "Which is?!" Liam said hurriedly, attempting to ignore the ''thuds'' behind them that got louder and louder each second. "They''re slow. We''re fast. We use that to our advantage here." "A-are you sure we can do this?" Gloria asked incredulously. "Wouldn''t be saying this if we were meeting our demise, sis." Liam latched his paws onto the worried Vulpix''s side. ''We can do this, Gloria! Remember Magmortar and Rhyperior? We totally got this!" "And Golisopod?" she questioned. "Uh, just¡­ Forget that one!" A quake that was louder than previous signaled that their foe was closing in. Roark gave both of them a quick glance. "You two will have to deal the serious damage here. I can''t do much with this bum leg, but I sure as hell will be a good distraction." Another rumbling passed through their bodies. "And now would be a good time to move!" Roark yelled. When Regigigas finally closed in on his tiny targets, the hulking golem came to a complete stop as it began to raise its arms almost in slow-motion, giving ample opportunity for the Pokemon below to bolt away. Moments later, the drawn out attack would smash into the ground, its monstrous force and resulting shockwave knocking the trio to the ground. The earth itself was even left scarred, numerous fissures originating from the impact zone splintering the room. Liam wasted no time in jumping to his paws, assisting a less dexterous Gloria get onto hers. A look back at their previous position told him that Regigigas was still recovering from the attack. If they had any opportunities to land any attack - regardless of their effectiveness - it would be now. "Gloria, back me up here!" Yellow sparks of electricity consumed the Riolu''s enclosed paws. "I''m going in." The Vulpix was astonished at his recklessness. "You''re gonna get close to that thing?!" "Uhuh," he replied curtly, taking a single step. "Um, wait!" "No time to think! Just act!" With that, he beelined straight towards the goliath as it returned to a neutral stance, its eyes blinking red once again. Liam could just reach about a quarter of its mossy leg as he began to slam it with multiple lightning quick Thunder Punches. Each strike felt more pitiful than the last, as if he was punching a brick wall. Regigigas did not react immediately to the damage, gurgling out a combination of both high and low frequencies. "GIGIGIGI¡­ REGIGIGAS." Liam''s flurry of attacks soon began to falter, his seemingly limitless amount of energy fading. He had hoped it would do anything to the colossal Pokemon, even a single scratch. Landing one last Thunder Punch, he looked up to see Regigigas finally reacting to his assault, in the form of three white claws expanding over him. Beams of frigid ice then hammered into the claws, freezing them solid and allowing Liam to scramble to safety as he looked back. ''He seemed a lot faster that time¡­'' "Hey! Over here, big guy!" The eyes of Regigigas flickered as it slowly turned its body to face the smirking visage of a Zoroark. More distorted utterings of its name emanated from the colossal Pokemon as it moved in to attack. Roark saw his opportunity and kept backing up, luring the golem into a heavy stagger. "Strategy three: Bait these big suckers into long and tiring attacks!" The fox stopped and raised his arms once again. "C''mon! Out in the open for attacks here!" Regigigas'' limp began to transition into a more mechanical shuffle throughout the ''chase'', eyes gleaming as it came to a complete stop and lifted its arms high. Roark shot to the side when its limbs came crashing down, creating another deep crater in its wake. "Strategy four!" Roark beckoned to the two Pokemon standing by the sides. "Hit ''em hard while they''re vulnerable!" Liam and Gloria shared a glance, both nodding in recognition before speeding off towards the motionless Pokemon. While the Riolu moved to land multiple Force Palms onto Regigigas'' legs in hopes of damaging it, Gloria stood off to the side and summoned a Fairy Wind. Pink gusts sailed through the air and cut into the giant in an attempt to halt its movements, yet was ultimately futile as Regigigas stood back up and went back on the offensive. "GIGIGIGIGI!" A surprisingly swift swipe of its three claws was directed at Liam, who was forced to utilize his Quick Attack to make a narrow escape in the blink of an eye. The golem then whirled around and followed up with another raise of its arms, smashing the ground as the Riolu tumbled out of the way with a well timed roll. Liam got a safe distance away from the behemoth before looking back in shock. "Is it me, or is it getting faster?!" Gloria gulped. "My book did say it was purposefully meant to have a slow startup!" More mutterings of its name came out of Regigigas as it rose a mossy leg high. It then brought it downward, producing a powerful earthquake that rocked the chamber, stalactites and remaining pieces of the ceiling breaking away and cascading on the unfortunate Pokemon below. During the chaos, Regigigas'' eyes flickered red as it honed in on Liam, moving into a charging position with protracted claws. Gloria was the first to notice, head snapping between Regigigas and the Riolu. "Liam! It''s gonna charge you!" Liam, who was too busy trying to dodge falling rocks from above, turned his head briefly to see Regigigas break off into a sprint, barreling across the room towards him. His aura feelers screeched at his body to move, and the wide-eyed Riolu was more than willing to listen. He bolted away just before the claws could latch onto him, continuing to run away as the golem corrected its path. "GIGAS!" "Woah!" Regigigas effortlessly slashed an obstructing pillar into chunks of stone as it pursued a fleeing Liam like an enraged Tauros. The Fighting-type''s body would bounce and jump from the force of the golem''s thunderous steps as it gained on him. Liam glanced back to see Regigigas swinging its arms ferociously at him, reducing even more pillars into rubble. "Aah!" Liam yelped as an enclosed claw nearly managed to grab him. He jumped off the arm it was attached to and just barely managed to leap off the other that locked on to him. As he was mid-air and struggling to stave off the tenacious golem, a Stun Seed thrown by Gloria shattered onto Regigigas, bolts of electricity locking the Pokemon in place and giving Liam room to land with a roll. "Thanks¡­ Gloria," the Riolu said through exhausted breaths, before throwing his gaze across the room. "Could use another distraction! Don''t you think, Roark?!" "On it, kid!" The Zoroark scurried as best he could from his cover, stopping a good distance away from the immobilized Pokemon. Roark then became a blur of transparent figures, numerous doppelgangers of himself leaping from his body and encircling Regigigas entirely. "How do you like my Double Team, big guy?" the combined voices of all the Roark clones shouted. The Stun Seed''s effects on Regigigas dissipated faster than usual, the golem regaining its movement with a flex of its limbs. Regigigas held his stance like a statue, eyes flashing as it almost calculated its next action. It wasn''t long until it rose both arms into the air, white claws crackling with a strange black and purple energy. The trio below watched in a mix of apprehension and horror as the energy built up into a sphere, growing larger and larger, until the golem spread its arms out, releasing an intense shockwave that swept throughout the chamber, eliminating Roark''s doppelgangers in an instant. Liam flinched and shielded from the attack with his arms, a closed eye then peeking beyond them following the aftermath of it. "... Roark, I think you only made it switch attack styles!" "It''s gonna attack again!" Gloria warned. "Get to cover!" "REGIGIGAS!" Regigigas proved the Vulpix''s warnings right as it lifted just one arm, raw energy expanding inside of its clenched claw. Numerous bolts of electrifying black and purple energy shot from the claw and landed on various spots across the room. They expanded in sync with one another before exploding violently and sending arcs of hot plasma shooting through the air. Liam and Gloria held their breaths behind a shattered pillar, cringing as their furs felt almost singed by the intensity around them. They didn''t dare peek behind their meager cover as Regigigas took another deafening step towards them, roaring its broken voice at them. "GIGAS¡­ REGIGIGA-" A storm of meteors ignited with purplish draconic fire collided into Regigigas from above, halting its gibberish and movements. "... That looked like a Draco Meteor," Gloria mumbled, her eyes snapping to the source of the attack, a joyous smile then consuming her features. "Hey! Look who it is!" Garchomp and Scizor stormed out of their cavity''s entrance, the dragoness wordlessly opening her saddlebag to retrieve a necklace from it, looping it around neck as she threw the saddlebag for Scizor to catch. She came to a sudden stop, the rainbow colored stone encapsulated inside her necklace glowing with life. It swelled with energy until a bubble of white light encased the sand shark, the cracks that appeared in it eventually bursting the orb and freeing the newly Mega Evolved form of Garchomp. A strange symbol hovered in the air briefly as Garchomp narrowed her eyes at Regigigas. She stood a good head above her normal form, spikes lining her chest, talons like large scythes. "Team Requiem, Roark, I require your assistance!" Scizor called out, gaze fixated on Regigigas. "Garchomp is building her strength to the maximum to counter this Pokemon! We need to protect her while she does!" Liam threw a look at Garchomp, who was surrounded by spirals of purple flames that danced around her. He knew what needed to be done, charging out of his cover. "All right, I''m in!" "I''ll help as well!" Gloria added, following her partner "You got it, boss!" Roark chimed in, emerging into the fray again. "REGIGIGIGIGIGIGI¡­" The entire room rattled from another slamming of Regigigas'' foot, jagged spikes of rock erupting from the ground and threatening to impale Scizor in its warpath. The Bug-type flew from the attack with a buzz of his insect-like wings, nearing the goliath and performing steadfast Bullet Punches anywhere he could. Liam and Gloria assisted from below, freezing and subsequently smashing anywhere they could, hoping to steal the golem''s attention. "GIGIGIGI¡­" An outstretched claw from Regigigas reached below to grab hold of the two Pokemon. The suddenness of it nearly claimed a distracted Liam, but a nimble Roark was quick to intervene with a Night Slash upon it. Another attempt by the golem was aimed towards Gloria, who needed to be pushed by Liam to avoid the destructive crash of its arm. Not willing to relent the pressure, Regigigas swatted the Riolu away with a claw and appeared to ready a second charge. "Stand back, Team Requiem!" Scizor exclaimed as he landed onto the ground, fishing out a pink flushed Wonder Orb from Garchomp''s saddlebag. The colossal Pokemon ran at full speed towards the Bug-type, who ultimately crushed the Knockback Orb once his foe got near. A sweeping wave of pink energy rushed Regigigas and forcefully shoved it across the room, the golem slamming an arm into the ground midway through to regain its traction. Regigigas screeched its name as another shockwave of dark energy burst out from its body and kept the others from getting close. "All right! I''ve got it!" Garchomp yelled from the opposite side of the room. "A hundred percent chance it goes down for good!" After numerous Dragon Dances, the pure amount of raw energy radiating off the dragoness was enough to make Liam''s feelers act up, everyone taking a step back to give her space. Purplish flames wrapped themselves around Garchomp''s form as she took a single heavy step, fierce yellow eyes glaring at her opponent. Regigigas recognized this new contender, holding its ground and bringing its arms together. Its claws were intertwined as a devastating amount of energy began to manifest, the room aglow with a mix of blacks and whites while it grew enormous in size and power. "Do it now, Garchomp!" Scizor screamed. Garchomp roared loudly as she sprinted forward, barreling into the chest of Regigigas within the blink of an eye. Her scythe-like talons were impossible to see in motion as she slashed away with zero hesitation, utterly relentless. Sparks flew off the golem''s body, sounds of grinding metal and rock filling the air. The Dragon-type continued her onslaught until she felt herself losing control of this impossible strength. Garchomp leapt off Regigigas, analyzing the damage she caused. Deep gashes littered the colossal Pokemon''s chest, far greater than any infliction left behind by the others. The scratchy voice that then came out of the golem was even more warped and barely audible - a far cry from before. "Gigigigi¡­ regi¡­" Regigigas promptly fell face first onto the ground, accompanied by a shockwave of rock and dust in its wake. The chamber fell silent, as if waiting for the hardy golem to awaken and sunder the area into chaos again, but it would not happen. Roark was the first to speak, chuckling. "And then there''s strategy five: If all else fails, just beat the fuck out of it¡­" He shot Gloria a look, who was still staring in awe at what she witnessed. "Sorry for swearing, sis, but it just felt right." Liam caught his breath, observing the fallen Regigigas. "You think it''s¡­?" "Oh yeah, I''m sure," Garchomp huffed as a white light consumed her body, normalcy returning to her. "I was ninety percent sure back there it''d work, but it looks like Arceus was on our side after all." She took off her necklace as Scizor handed back her saddlebag, smiling the whole time. "Let this be another lesson to any future ''mon that wants to mess with Team Drarosteel, eh?" Nobody was in any position to exactly disagree with her. Scizor opened his mouth to speak, but halted as a mixture of voices echoed across the room. Three Pokemon skulked into the chamber from an opening - Monferno, Braixen, and Rockruff. The latter was the first to show his face to the group, tail wagging behind him as he pointed a paw at the defeated Regigigas. "Wooooow! You guys actually beat it? Hah! In your ugly face, uh, whatever you are!" the puppy Pokemon taunted. "Rockruff? What are you guys doing over here?" Liam wondered. "Oh, you know, just taking in the pretty sights," Monferno said sarcastically as he and Braixen walked into view. "The hell do you think, Mr. Personality? Whole damn guild probably heard the commotion." Braixen spoke up before Liam could return a scathing reply. "Now, now, calm down, Mony. The reality is, um, well¡­" Her naturally professional demeanor crumbled away. "We hid after we activated and brought that Pokemon back to life. It seemed reasonable at the time, but we were unaware of your presence, Team Requiem." She bowed her head, ashamed. "I am very sorry for the trouble we caused you." Gloria moved in to offer a hug to Braixen, who reluctantly accepted. "We''re not mad at you guys." She tightened her embrace. "We''re just happy everyone is safe, right?" As if one cue, all the splintered groups of the guild began to enter the chamber from various interconnecting hallways. They quickly ran over to investigate the scene of a previous battle, gawking at the giant Pokemon that laid on the ground, unmoving. Staravia flapped his wings, frantically swooping around Regigigas. "W-woah! What happened here?!" Shaymin snorted. "Battle''s already over the second we get here. What a waste of time¡­" Leafeon giggled. "Don''t tell me you thought you could take on a Pokemon like that, Shaymin." "Ya sayin'' I couldn''t?" Liam ignored the cacophony of new voices and cocked an eyebrow at Braixen''s claims. "Wait. You''re saying you guys activated this Pokemon?" Monferno held his hands up. "To make things perfectly clear, it was Rockruff who started pushing random buttons on some weird hexagon panel thingamajig." "Called it," Roark remarked. All eyes were on the canine as he nearly sweated from the silent judging. "H-hey! How can you blame me! Pushing random buttons is how I got into the guild in the first place!" Rockruff admitted. "Look on the bright side; you guys beat it! That had to be really fun, right?" His change of topic seemed to sway the guild''s attention. "Did you take it down yourself, Garchomp?" Mightyena yipped, before gasping. "Or maybe¡­ Or maybe Scizor has some secret superpower and did it himself!" Garchomp shook her head. "Nah, I only got here just as Team Requiem defeated it. All the credit goes to them." She shot the befuddled Riolu and Vulpix a wink before nudging Scizor with a talon. "Right, Scizor?" The Bug-type was caught off guard, but followed along. "Erm... Of course! We can''t deny the efforts of our colleagues here." Before Liam or Gloria could explain the actual truth, the rest of the guild chimed in to speak their praises of the team, stifling any words as they simply basked in their accolades. However, the arrival of a Shiny Lucario into the room would break this celebration as Jackson marched to regroup with the rest. "Guildmaster!" Scizor proclaimed, going rigid. "I must apologize for this incident breaking our rule of segmented teams. I assure you that there is an easy explanation for this mishap." "I''ve heard enough," the Lucario calmly stated, his steely gaze meeting a nervous looking Rockruff. "Rockruff, your actions have endangered your fellow guild crewmates, along with the guild''s mission. But despite that, your foolishness has rewarded us, it seems¡­" Curious looks followed Jackson as he pointed a paw at an opening in the rock that was once blocked by the mass of clay holding Regigigas. Rockruff caught on and puffed out his chest proudly. "Oh yeah, look, everyone! I did do something good!" "However¡­" Jackson continued. "I cannot overlook recklessness. You will be reprimanded upon our return to the guild." The puppy''s cockiness melted instantly, ears and tail drooping. "What?! Aw¡­" Jackson motioned to the opening. "Excadrill has volunteered to guard over Regigigas. As for the rest of you, we will continue our exploration of the station through this new area. If you have collected information already, we will pool our knowledge once this place has been combed thoroughly. Am I understood?" A chorus of agreeing voices and nodding heads appeased the Lucario as he turned his back and walked towards the opening. "Let us be off."
A Projection Crystal ignited with a fusion of pink Psychic-type energy. "Entry number¡­ I can''t remember right now." Mew sat hunched over a desk, totally focused on the mangled mess of an Entercard''s insides before her, the orange light of lantern beside it flickering across her pale and sickly features. She growled obscenities under her breath as her sunken eyes followed every twisting line embedded into the metal. She only ceased her endless scrutinization to scribble some hasty notes into the papers haphazardly scattered around the table. "Mew." The Psychic-type jumped at the baritone voice, immediately relaxing when she realized who it was. "... Dialga. You scared me." Dialga offered a faint chuckle as he moved into frame. "The others are sleeping, and yet you are still working at their stations." "You''re up, which means what exactly?" "That I am here to offer my assistance, as helpful as that may be." He observed her rather disorganized surroundings. "Although, perhaps you do not wish for a second pair of eyes to slow you down." Mew coughed into a paw, shaking her head. "No, no! By all means, Dialga, get one of your, uh, large chairs and help me with this. Because, well, this problem is a lot more difficult than I thought it would be." Dialga went quiet, as if he held his tongue over something. "... This problem? Would it be the Entercard transportation to the core?" Mew nodded, giving a hoarse sigh. "I''ve got the symbol all figured out, and even where we can place it atop Celestial Mountain - the peak - but that''s it. It''s that barrier that''s preventing us; our Entercards can''t get through it like those other ones we found. And it''s entirely surrounding the region beneath the mountain, like it''s guarding it. We''ve completely hit a roadblock here." She clenched her paws. "It''s driving me crazy¡­" "I assume rest is out of the picture here?" Mew smiled weakly, "I''ll sleep eventually. It''s just¡­ I can''t accept that we''re getting stuck at this stage. We know where all the artifacts are now. We know where the source is. But there''s this one snag that''s preventing us. And I don''t know how much time we have left..." "There is time, Mew, I am sure of it. You have agonized enough. Surely you can rest until-" "Are you gonna help me, or are you just here to coddle me like a child?" she snapped back. Dialga waited for her to simmer, adjusting his demeanor. "... My apologies, Mew. I will assist you, but there is another reason why I am present. One I am sure you understand." He took a step forward, the lantern''s glow now illuminating the paleish blue tone that overtook his body. "Your sickness¡­ You know now that this is no mere cold." Mew stared back, heart beating rapidly in her chest as she struggled to answer. "I¡­ I¡­ Yeah. It''s worse, Dialga. I thought it would go away in a week or two, but¡­" She failed to finish her words. Dialga moved forward, now standing beside the table. "The others have no knowledge of this. They believe it is merely a common ailment." Mew nodded in disgrace. "I never told anyone after I found out what it really was. I didn''t tell you guys because I was scared of what you all would say, what would happen to the project." "I would never abandon you or this project, Mew. It means too much to me." She attempted to smile, failing even that. "I know you wouldn''t, but without the others, there is no project." "This illness of ours. What do you know of it?" "It''s spreading all over the Grit Region, and almost the entire region has been deserted. From what I''ve read and seen with my own eyes¡­ this disease is fatal, and we only have about a month or two left to live if I were to guess." Dialga did not respond, choosing to look up at the ceiling as he absorbed this information. "If that is true¡­ then I will not live to see the birth of my children." "I''m¡­ I''m so sorry, Dialga," Mew spoke through fresh tears welling in her eyes. "I never wanted it to go down like this, especially when we have gotten so close." "... I do not place the blame on you." He returned his gaze to her. "So this is why you have worked late into the night so many days. I have noticed, and the other Legendaries will soon as well. How much can you prolong their naivety?" "I don''t plan on deceiving them forever." Mew sighed again, feeling a weight being removed off her shoulders. "I''ll tell them the next time we have them all gathered. But right now, I''m more focused on making sure our plans are doable. Even if¡­" "Even if we were to meet our demise, the torch could be carried to another," Dialga finished for her. "Exactly. Victini gave us the knowledge necessary to continue, and we could do the same." The tense feeling in her chest never went away. "I still want there to be a way we could do it ourselves, but I''m not sure¡­ I''m not really sure of anything anymore to be honest," she admitted. "I have hope, Mew. I have hope in both this project and yourself to lead us to the truth. Regardless if we are there to witness it ourselves, it must be done." He ambled off to slide a giant chair over to the desk, sitting down on it. "Let us get to work. You have mentioned a problem with the Entercards?" Mew inhaled, letting out a painful cough before nodding and tidying up her mess of notes. "Yeah, and I think it has something to do with the energy we have put into the cards. It''s not enough, especially to get through that barrier. If we¡­" The Projection Crystal recording Mew''s memory from the desk cut off her words as it dimmed.
"Guess that''s it." "Now are you interested?" Weavile snorted as she tucked away the Projection Crystal into her saddlebag. "Maybe, Bishy. I''m more annoyed at trying to figure out what the hell this place''s goal even was. Obviously not just tinkering with Entercards." "It was clearly important enough for them to continue after their deaths. Something about ''artifacts'', something about a ''source''. Whatever it is, I''m keen to learn a bit more before we make our exit." "Meh." Bisharp took one of the eternally burning torches off the walls. "You''ll see, Weav''s." ''Gigigigigi¡­'' Weavile perked her head up at the distant voice, which was accompanied by loud booms. "It''s also hard to pay attention when you''ve got a warzone happening in the background, y''know." "That''s the Rose Clan''s problem, not ours." She smirked, "Damn right it is." The pair plodded ahead, wary of their dimly lit corners, their eyes wandering each bit of their surroundings for either Rose Clan members that managed to find them, or another Projection Crystal they could claim for themselves. The orange glow from a room up ahead would draw them to it, Bisharp waving his torch around as they entered. "Looks like some kind of disassembly station for Entercards," he commented as they took in their new environment. Entercards were strung up in the air, metallic claws built from the walls holding them still. The innards of the cards were popped open, revealing the ethereal orange light from within. Stacks of papers and books near the strange instruments were dispersed in a chaotic manner, all of it too blackened and charred by a flame of the past to decipher the contents of which. "Someone must''ve burnt all the research they did here," Bisharp mused as he sifted through the scorched leftovers. "Who knows if it was on accident or on purpose, though." Weavile''s attention was not on the Entercards, but was instead locked to the outline of something lying in the sand. "Hey, Bishy, quit playing detective and look at that." Bisharp reluctantly heeded her words, only for his eyes to widen at what he saw. "Oh, now this is something¡­" The skeletal remains of a small Pokemon were infused to the orange and red sands of which it laid upon. White and dusty, it was clear that whoever these remnants belonged to, that they died long, long ago. Weavile scoffed. "Poor bastard. But hey, that''s not a Legendary, right? Looks way too tiny and pitiful to be one." Bisharp crouched down to get a better look, analyzing the shape of its ashy skull. "... Nope. It looks to be like a Linoone or a Furret - something like that." "If those Legendaries didn''t allow regular Pokemon like us inside, then how come this sucker''s here?" she questioned. "Lone explorer got trapped or something?" The gears in Bisharp''s head began to turn as he thought back to previous information they uncovered.
"Wow! Look at all these old books and stuff!" Rockruff sped ahead of the rest of the guild as they arose one by one from the pitch-black shadow of a Mystery Dungeon. The sight of bookshelves overwhelmed them; tall enough to reach the ceiling, and also wide enough to stretch the entire room. The ones that weren''t collapsed onto the floor held numerous dusty books and pages in between each ancient tome. "I wonder how long it''d take me to read all this stuff!" the peppy canine wondered aloud. "You can read? Sure surprised me," Monferno snidely commented as he walked past. "Hey, I read lots!" Liam scratched his nose bandage that Braixen gave him, stopping to admire the vast room of seemingly endless knowledge they were in. "This place looks even bigger than the library in Empyrean City¡­ And this was all meant for soldiers?" "Our monarchs weren''t known for their wise purchases, kid," Roark explained. Gloria eagerly moved to grab a book from one of the shelves and opened it, yet was disappointed to discover that the text was too faded to read. "And so much of it has been buried here for so long, just wasted away. I wonder if some of these only existed here and nowhere else¡­" Liam shrugged. "With how much bad stuff clogs the shelves of Empyrean''s library, maybe it was for the best?" "Sis just wants to know if there was a cheesy romance novel she hasn''t read yet." The dirty look the Vulpix in question sent Roark''s way stirred a rich chuckle out of him as he scampered on ahead. Scizor was the first to round the corner of the room''s maze of bookshelves. His gaze was transfixed to the broken pieces of Projection Crystals sprinkled on both the ground and the bookshelves themselves. "These Projection Crystals. Every one of them we have seen thus far has been shattered. Why?" "Could be on purpose," Garchomp said as she stomped over to his side. "Can''t see these spontaneously exploding like Blast Seeds." "Destroying their own research, though?" Scizor could not wrap his head around it. "There''s something we''re not understanding here." "U-uh, g-guys¡­?" Staravia''s shaky and muffled tone ringed from a distant hallway. "You might wanna s-see this!" Curious, many of the guild members followed the flighty avian''s voice around the corner. But after reaching Staravia and witnessing what garnered his attention, they were stunned at what they saw, some horrified. "Damn," Roark muttered, shaking his head. "Couldn''t have picked a more boring place to drop dead." "Mreow! I think I am going to be sick!" Purrloin shrieked dramatically, raising a paw to her forehead. The white skeleton of a very large Pokemon rested up against one of the bookshelves in the hallway, slumped over. Surrounding it were numerous cracked Projection Crystals, along with journals and other written entries with their pages torn out or burnt to ashes. ''I-is it a Legendary?" Mightyena asked almost fearfully. "I thought those guys just turned into dust when they died!" Shaymin rolled her eyes. "We''re all mortal like you, moro- mate," she corrected. "Nothin'' magic about dyin'', ''cause we all die and rot the same." "If it really is a Legendary, then which one is this?" Minun wondered. Scizor fell to a kneel, mind attempting to connect this Pokemon''s bone structure to another. It took him a moment of thinking and examining every angle of it, but he was sure of its identity when he finally spoke. "It''s a Dialga. The fins and spines of it tell me that much." "Shit. You think it''s the same one from all those memories of Mew?" Garchomp speculated, scratching her chin with a talon. "It just may be," the Bug-type replied. "Although, it begs the question of why he would have perished here exactly. And where were the others?" His gaze fell on what surrounded the skeleton. "This destruction of their work. It can''t be just a mistake anymore, right?" No one present had an answer to this current conundrum. Liam''s acute ears picked up a strange noise flowing through the halls, like the swelling of a Darumaker while it was cooking intensely. "Hey¡­ I think I hear something nearby." Everyone went quiet as they attempted to listen to the peculiar sounds. "I hear it, too!" Gloria proclaimed, stepping away from the group. Truth be told, she only wanted an excuse to take her eyes off the deceased Pokemon. "Maybe we should, um, go investigate it?" "Better not be another golem¡­" Roark lamented. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Guildmaster, can a few of us go check it out?" Liam inquired to the silent Shiny Lucario standing among the group. "One team will scavenge this area for further clues," Jackson said bluntly, "The other will continue forward to investigate other rooms. Let us do that now." The rest of the guild were more than happy to stay behind, some not wanting to investigate what was beyond the antique library. Team Requiem, Team Blazingheart, Scizor, Garchomp, and Jackson would be the ones to progress forward through the labyrinth. Their search for the odd noises would increase the vibrations and echoing hums beyond the walls. As they got closer, a certain weightlessness took over their bodies. It wasn''t noticeable until their trip ended at a roadblock, where a strip of metal was wedged into the hallway, refraining them from continuing. Particles of dark purple energy floated into the hallway through gaps in the blockade. Liam lifted an arm, noticing the change in their atmosphere. "Does anybody else feel¡­ floaty?" "Yeah, we need to be careful." Garchomp responded. "Something about this area doesn''t sit right with me." "The source of this reaction may lie past this hallway," Jackson noted. Scizor neared the sheet of metal blocking the hallway, the weightlessness in his limbs increasing as he got closer. Grasping the metal with his pincers, he attempted to push it out of the way, only to stand back in shock as it began to float away aimlessly, exposing the insides of a room shrouded in an ominous haze. Monferno''s jaw dropped. "Uh¡­ Was that supposed to happen? ''Cause it doesn''t look like it should''ve." "Definitely not, Mony." Braixen said. "This is something new¡­ and maybe dangerous." Scizor held a pincer out. "Be careful. There is something powerful afflicting this location." The group heeded the Bug-type''s words of caution as they entered. Immediately, the full effects of their environment''s gravity alteration became apparent. Their bodies felt as if they were in a constant free fall, their limbs weightless and rising without action. The smaller Pokemon in the room found it most difficult to keep their paws on the ground, kept afloat in a constant drift. Gloria would find her already uneasy feelings growing tenfold as another fear of hers took over - heights - or in this case, her body''s lack of control of gravity as she struggled to keep herself centered. Liam, on the other hand, transitioned to this change with relative ease, rising through the air with a joyous smile. "Woah! It kinda feels like we''re in space right now!" the Riolu exclaimed. "This has gotta be the best part of the labyrinth!" "I, uh, really can''t agree with you," Gloria countered, observing her spinning surroundings in a daze. "I''m stumped. How is this even happening?" Scizor''s gaze was locked to an anomaly straight ahead. "Without a doubt, the source of this region''s lack of gravity must be attributed to that." He emphasized by pointing a pincer at it. In the center of the room, a mass of twisted metal and dark purple and pink crystals jutted out from a pile of wreckage. Arcs of electricity discharged at random intervals from the pulsating crystals and loose cables connected to it, tall fulgurites and other scorched marks forming in the sands surrounding the aberration. The haze and low hum that overflowed into the room and hallways seemed to originate from this spot. Yet, an even graver discovery was made as the group went further into the cavern. Skeletons of dozens of Legendaries and other types of Pokemon stood before the anomaly, their white and dust ridden bones lit by its haunting purplish glow. Many had their arms shielding their face, as if to block an incoming force, yet were too late. Purple and pink crystals grew from their feet and other limbs, locking what remained of their bodies into statues of their own demise. What skeletons that weren''t glued to the floor drifted around in the room''s zero gravity, intermixed with floating pieces of debris. "By Arceus¡­" Garchomp muttered, completely floored. "I''ve never seen something like this¡­ It''s an entire graveyard of Pokemon." "The graveyard of this entire station, most likely," Scizor corrected in a mournful manner, noting the large amount of Legendary skeletons littering the room. "Whatever happened here, it took everything out in one instance." Braixen shook her head. "For these Legendaries that gave it their all and dedicated themselves to a goal to go out like this¡­ What an awful way to die¡­" "At least it was over quickly," Monferno murmured. "Search this area," Jackson commanded. "There''s perhaps some crucial clues left behind that are vital for our cause." "Yeah, the rest of you just be careful," Garchomp warned. "This wacko place isn''t to be toyed with." As Garchomp and Jackson went to scout ahead, the rest of the group lingered around the remnants of the device in the room''s middle. A creeped out Monferno and Braixen would stick very close to each other as they wandered their bizarre environment. Gloria, who already felt nauseated at the zero gravity, was very hesitant on exploring a room littered with the dead. However, her partner''s natural curiosity and loyalty to his Guildmaster spurred him to investigate further. Propelling himself into the air with a leap, Liam floated over to one of the hovering skeletons, analyzing its features. Strangely, he could faintly remember its bone structure from a book that Gloria almost forced him to read. When he thought about it more, his eyes widened in realization. This was not the skeleton of any Legendary he knew. "Hey, this one isn''t a Legendary! It looks like a¡­ Zangoose?" Gloria peered up at him, attempting to avoid looking directly at the Pokemon''s remains. "What? That shouldn''t be right¡­" "I''m pretty darn sure it is. You wanna come and check?" he asked with a smirk. "Uh, I think I''ll just trust your word." Liam tilted his head, "Though, it makes you wonder how they got here if this place was for Legendaries." "Maybe they were an explorer? It couldn''t be the mercenaries." Liam glided over to another bundle of bones. "There''s another regular Pokemon here. If this guy or gal was some explorer, then they didn''t come alone." As the pair theorized on what the past of the skeleton entailed, Scizor found himself standing by his lonesome and silently thinking in his head. A quick look around could bring him to the conclusion that the Legendaries perished while attempting to power a strange machine, or some malfunction caused its disruption and release. While he was enthralled at the current situation they were still sifting through, there was a sinking feeling in his chest that something was wrong, that there was a piece still missing. He did not want to accept that the project and the Legendaries behind it ended right here. The tap of a talon on his shoulder would break through Scizor''s frustrated state as he glanced over to see Garchomp. Her face lacked the usual confidence she exuded, instead more concerned and focused. "Scizor. You need to see this. Follow me. Just you." The Bug-type learned to never question these types of directions from Jackson, so he wordlessly obeyed her and followed the dragoness to a small cavity at the far end of the room. Jackson was waiting for them, a Projection Crystal grasped in his paws. "You didn''t need to bring him." Jackson growled. "There is always time after the expedition." "Yeah, well, he deserves to know," Garchomp said, giving Scizor a reassuring look. "Go ahead." Without another word, Jackson pressed the crystal''s indentation and released its storage of ancient memories.
"Please¡­ Please let this work," Mew mumbled under her breath. She rubbed the drowsiness out of her eyes before holding the Projection Crystal close and flying across the room. "Entei, is it all ready?" "The Entercards are all prepared for charging, Mew," the Fire-type confirmed. "I''ll give you the signal to start." It took a while for her creation to come into fruition, but it was now ready following a shortage of workers beside her. After she had disclosed the truth of the illness spreading through the station, half of the project''s team would leave for good, enraged and upset at the lack of transparency, or fearing for their own lives. Only the most dedicated to the cause would stay behind in the aftermath of her confession. They were aware of their own certain demise, but wished to march forward. A part of her wanted to be angry at those who deserted the project, but another part of her understood why, and even sympathized a bit. After all, if she had any family left, she would want to spend her last moments with them as well. Mew gave one last look at the apparatus in the middle of the chamber. Dubbed as ''The Amalgamation'' by the small number of Legendaries she had left, this was their answer to the lack of power infused into their Entercards; an energy source mixed with massive amounts of their powers designed to transfer it all into connected Entercards. Large pink and purple crystalline growths formed around the machine''s metal core from the sheer amount of energy built up inside of it, just waiting to burst open. It was an unstable and desperate attempt at a fix for their problem, but one Mew had put her diminishing hopes into. "Okay¡­ Turn it on now!" Entei ducked under one of the jagged crystals, pressing his paw on a switch near the back of the device. "It has been activated, Mew!" Mew''s bloodshot eyes were glued to ''The Amalgamation'' as it began to spark and whirr to life. Its vibrant and dark crystals began to fluctuate moody colors as it crackled with newfound energy from within the machine. The coils that linked from the device to the Entercards lying on the ground lit up, Legendary power flowing into the cards as they glowed orange. After running it for a solid minute, the machine eventually began to produce too much energy for it to handle, crystals producing large arcs of purple electricity that scorched its surroundings. A boisterous rumbling noise stirred from within it. "Shut it off now!" Mew yelled. Entei obeyed her command and flicked the switch again, the machine settling back into a low and ominous hum. Mew hurried over to one of the many Entercards laid out, observing its insides with a frantic look. She got closer to them, noticing that each card initially brimming with energy was fizzling out or permanently damaged their metallic frames. "... No, no, no, no!" A sick and frail looking Entei lumbered over, "What is it this time?" he asked despondently. "The cards - they won''t hold the energy we gave them! Why¡­ Why after so many attempts does it not work?!" she screamed out, closing her eyes with a sigh. "But even if it worked, would it be enough?" Right now, she had no answers to that question. "What is there to do, Mew? If these Entercards are not able to breach the barrier to the core and locate the source, then what is this project''s fate? How do we proceed?" "The Entercards must work," she said, finality coating her words. "The only way we can take the artifacts to the core is if they work as intended, but they aren''t strong enough. We need to run more tests. We need to keep everyone working on the machine and keep powering-" An uncontrollable cough broke Mew''s rambling and forced her to drop to the ground as she heaved out traces of blood and other phlegm into the sand. Entei quickly moved in to assist her back up. "You need to rest, Mew. You cannot work in this state." "No! I just need to-" "MEW!" A distraught shout for the Legendary''s name rang throughout the hallways connecting to the chamber. Moments later, a wounded and bloody Zeraora carrying the unconscious form of Zarude across his shoulders stood in the doorway, panic apparent on his face. "Mew! Those damn heretics from before have returned! They''ve destroyed our barricades and are attacking us!" "What?! No¡­" Mew scrambled into the air, taking the Projection Crystal with her as she soared past the pair. "This has to be a misunderstanding!" "Wait, Mew! It''s not safe for you!" the voice of Zeraora echoed behind her. Mew ignored his warnings as she zipped through the halls, no matter how much her weak body protested it. Distant explosions and battle cries of warring Pokemon could be heard in the distance - the cries of her workers. She hastened her speed, flying past dozens of common Pokemon running through the halls and engaging in fights with her Legendaries. Rounding a corner, she emerged into what seemed like a major skirmish occurring on opposite sides. Dialga turned to look at her from behind the cover of a broken barricade. "Mew! The Alignment has returned! We must fight back these heretics before we are overrun!" "For the Allfather!" "For the Allmother!" The courageous shouts from nearly a hundred Pokemon filled the hallway as they threw themselves at any Legendary in their path, quickly surrounding their sickened and outnumbered foes. Mew hovered in the air - petrified - for her worst fears were being realized. Yet, she knew that this was no nightmare, and she had to fight for this project''s life like many times before. Dropping the Projection Crystal and summoning orbs of sparkling pink energy, Mew launched them at any encroaching Pokemon. She dodged beams of elemental attacks directed her way, sending a few dazzling moves of her own in response that decimated entire groups of enemies. But despite her efforts in staving them off, a nagging feeling of vertigo clouded her senses at every turn, eating at her will to keep fighting. She felt weak, so weak. Black spots invaded her vision as she hacked up more blood and dropped to the ground. The last thing she saw before going unconscious was Dialga running over towards her.
Scizor watched the holographic figures involved in the memory go stiff before collapsing into pink energy that was then sucked back into the Projection Crystal. He felt confused, overwhelmed by what he saw happen in only the span of a few minutes. "They were attacked," he mouthed. "Attacked by a group of other Pokemon¡­" Garchomp made sure none of the others from the group wandered over before facing him. "Yeah, and it''s not just that detail we''re worried about. That Dialga in the memory. He said something about the ''Alignment''." She scratched her chin with a talon. "Now, I''ve met many groups in Celestic, so I can''t say for sure, but do you remember hearing about a group like that?" Synapses were firing off in Scizor''s brain as he began to piece things together, a chill running up his spine as realization set in. "The Alignment is a religious group in Celestic. They were the ones responsible for the creation of the Eden Theater in Empyrean City nearly a year ago. But¡­ I''m stumped as to why or how they could be here thousands of years ago, especially to attack the Legendaries." Garchomp frowned. "You sure you''re not mixing them up with another group? I remember attending the premiere of that theater, and they didn''t seem the type to do something like this. Weird, sure, but not to this level." The Bug-type shook his head, clearly rattled by this revelation. "No. Those Pokemon in the memory were rallying for the ''Allfather'' and ''Allmother'', which are important figures in their religion. If this was a coincidence, then it would be a massive one." "... Fuck." Garchomp scowled. "As if this expedition couldn''t get more messy. And you''re telling me this was thousands of years ago?" "The Alignment has been known to be secretive about their history. No one knows their origin or where they even gather. But if this memory says anything, then we know just how far they go back." "If we''re the only ones to know about this, then what do we do? Go to the Council and show them what we found? Or is this even relevant to a group that old? They obviously had to change a lot over those amount of years," Garchomp suggested. Scizor began to pace around, his thoughts uncontrollable. "Now that I think about it, back during our expedition of Celestial Mountain, the Followers of Life mentioned them once battling with strange Pokemon wearing armbands. The Alignment had to have come there to excavate the crystal mine where we found the first Legendary station." "Are you implying that they knew what was inside that mine?" "Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows if it was even recent or not. All we know is that they could be involved with both locations." He bit his tongue. "... There''s just too many missing pieces to say what is for sure." "I think the biggest question here is why would they do this? What would a religious organization want with the research of ley lines?" That was a point Scizor was struggling to answer himself. Jackson, who was silent through their entire exchange, finally spoke up, his orange paw ring flickering. "I am keen to learn more about these ''artifacts'' spoken of by the Mew in the memory. Her plans to take them to the core, the supposed source of ley lines." "... Did you even listen to us right now?" Garchomp said, a growl noticeable in her voice. "We''ve got a more important issue at hand than whatever else you''re thinking about." "I am well aware of our findings. However, it is not our duty to investigate the actions of another group, nor is it ours to bring up to the Council. At this moment - right now - we are here to gather research for the guild''s cause." "Oh, so you wanna let these guys get away with what they might''ve done?" "That''s not what I said." Jackson countered her glare with his own. "Bringing this up to the Council will only introduce an investigation that will impede our cause. We will not hide this information, but we will conceal it long enough until its risk is averted." "Risk? This entire expedition has been a risk!" she yelled, baring her sharp teeth at him. "Don''t forget that we''ve been fighting with those mercenaries behind the Council''s back. If they figure out that we hid information like this, it won''t just be the courts, we''ll be imprisoned." "There is no benefit to us exposing the Alignment''s past, only downsides. The Council''s issues with my guild will be resolved eventually, but not now." "And I''m supposed to trust you? After all the shady shit you''ve done so far? The Pokemon of Celes- no, the world deserves to hear this. If this group is a threat in the modern age, then the Council needs to know." Just like before, Scizor was caught between the Pokemon as they went at each other''s throats with hostile words. Both had good points, but he still found himself drifting towards Jackson in terms of a logical solution to this problem. "He''s right, Garchomp," Scizor suddenly spoke, sighing. "The Alignment will need to be questioned in time. But right now we''re so close to discovering something big. We can''t be distracted at a time like this." "Thank you, Scizor," Jackson said with a nod. Garchomp appeared disheartened at the Bug-type''s comments, shaking her head. "... This is a big mistake, you know that? We''re putting too much on the line for this. I''d be lucky if the Council even allows me to keep my team if news of this was to come out that we hid this." "Again, the Council will be dealt with," Jackson reiterated. "As Scizor stated, we are close to something massive, and we should continue our efforts here." "And what will we tell the rest of the guild, huh? If the Council can''t know, what about them?" "They will know what happened here, but they will not know the identity of the attacker to avoid any type of panic." Garchomp looked over at Scizor to gauge his reaction to this idea, who reluctantly nodded. "... All right. I''ll keep my mouth shut. And I''ll make sure Aggron and Tyranitar keep their mouths shut, too. Just know that I have a bad feeling about all of this¡­" Scizor could only silently agree with her, deeply concerned about the ramifications of this discovery himself. Jackson tucked away the Projection Crystal into his saddlebag, walking out of the small cavity. "We will share our findings with the guild, then focus on finding more crystals, or any further information on those ''artifacts''."
"Woah! What just happened?" "I turned it on. It should be recording my memories right now for a few minutes." "Wow¡­ No wonder we were told to find these." Grumpig positioned the Projection Crystal a few feet away from him and Marshtomp. It sat wedged between the tall pile of rocks blocking the hallways. Debris surrounded the pair, entrapping them into this confined space. Their saddlebags were laid out on the floor, its contents spread across the sands. Grumpig smiled. "Yeah, I thought it was already filled, but I guess not. Guess things aren''t all bad, huh?" Marshtomp frowned in return. "Do you know how long we''ve been stuck here? It feels like hours¡­" "I wouldn''t know. But I can still hear our brothers and sisters out there fighting." "Then there is hope we''ll get out of here!" "I have no doubt we will. Once we succeed in our crusade against the Legendaries, the others will surely come to our rescue." Marshtomp shifted into a more comfortable position, laying against the sandstone walls. "Y''know, a few months ago, I never thought I would see a Legendary Pokemon, or even fight against one. This is scary stuff, but I know for sure we got this!" "The Allfather made it clear that the Allmother had marked this place." Grumpig sat down next to him. "I didn''t think I would involve myself with this, either. I had only recently moved to the village when the Allfather first began preaching. I don''t know why exactly, but the way he spoke about paradise and how all Pokemon could reach it made me believe. Believe that someday all of us could live in such a place." "What do you think it looks like?" Grumpig raised his head in thought. "I don''t know. The Allfather isn''t really sure, either. I like to think it''s perfectly suited for each Pokemon who lives there, y''know? No pain, no hate, no distrust, or ever saying goodbye to Pokemon. That sounds like a proper life." Marshtomp''s stomach growled as he smiled. "If that''s true, then my paradise would be filled with lots of Perfect Apples and other tasty stuff." Grumpig laughed jovially, "Don''t think about food so much while we''re down here; you''ll make it worse." "I know, I know¡­" Grumpig looked over his shoulder. "Hey, I never heard your reason for joining this... Alignment. So, what is it?" Marshtomp went deep into thought, gazing downward. "To be honest, I''m doing this all for my little brother, Mudkip. When the Allfather made us all leave the village for this ''pilgrimage'' thing, I had to leave my brother behind. It was tough, and everyday I wonder how he''s doing alone, but I think it''s worth it in the end if we can really reach paradise. That way he can live his best life, with nothing there to stop him, y''know?" Grumpig seemed satisfied with his answer as he rested his arms behind his back. "There were some days when we were all out resting in the plains that I questioned my faith in the Allfather and Allmother. I wondered if reaching paradise was even feasible for us Pokemon, or if it even exists at all. And if it does, would we even be the ones to reach it?" Marshtomp shrugged, "Maybe it''d be the next generation to discover it." "Maybe¡­" The two silently listened to the occasional noises and booms that rattled the labyrinth, eventually falling asleep, hearty and hopeful.
Gallade stifled a tear from coming out as he held the Projection Crystal close. His watery eyes glazed over the two dusty skeletons huddled against one another beside piles of rocks of other rubble. He didn''t know why, but to see the two Pokemon from the memory in the present now haunted his vision. While his partner was distracted, Heliolisk found his opportunity. Utilizing the large amount of electricity he secretly stored up in his frills while they were watching the memory, he whirled around and delivered a powerful burst of electricity into the two Absols'' stalking them from behind. The twins'' were caught off guard by this attack as they felt the full force of Heliolisk''s discharge. They would collapse to the floor not long after, twitching and smoking, yet still alive. Gallade spun around, snapping out of his stupor. "Heliolisk! What did you do?!" "I found our opportunity, so I''m freeing us - that''s what." The Electric-type motioned towards his armband. "Place your Entercard." Gallade was hard pressed to find a reason not, briefly looking around for a sign of the mercenary captains'' before reaching into his armband and retrieving the metallic card. He placed it onto the sands, taking a step back. "There. It''s all ready for us to go back home, brother." Heliolisk let out a sigh of relief he desperately needed, yet stood still as he looked at his partner, shaken but resilient. "... It looks like I was right, sort of. If the Legendaries really made the Entercards here, and we attacked them, then maybe we just stole them and said we made it ourselves. I can''t say for sure, but it feels like that." "..." The Electric-type grimaced, "We were lied to, Gallade. The Allfather lied to us. Our history was down here this entire time and they never said anything. We were told to stop those mercenaries from messing with this place, and I think I know why now¡­" Gallade swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "I never would''ve thought that our forefathers would stoop to attacking the Legendaries themselves. It''s hard to picture it, but if this memory and the lives of these two Pokemon are correct, then it''s very real." "... That Marshtomp even had a little brother, just like me, and he died here for nothing." Heliolisk faintly smiled. "I''ve done all these things for Growlithe, hoping he would be given a better life." He looked at the bones of Marshstomp. "Thousands of years have passed between me and this Pokemon, yet everything is still the same as it''s always been." "I worry for your faith, brother. Even before we were given this mission, I noticed it in your heart." Heliolisk''s scowl deepened as he clenched a claw. "My faith never went away. If anything, it''s been strengthened by what we saw here. We fought for something once in the past, but now it seems like all we do is hide and play suck-up with the outsiders." He knelt down to press the indentation in the Entercard, kickstarting its release of energy. "I believe in Commander Blaziken. I believe in the Allmother. And I believe in us reaching paradise, but I don''t believe in our Allfather." Gallade chose not to fight his partner''s convictions again, knowing this was not the time nor the place. He stepped near the Entercard, gripping the Projection Crystal tight. "The Allfather needs to see this memory of our brothers from the past. I believe it can reignite his desires to lead us to prosperity again." Throughout these long days of imprisonment and anguish, Gallade''s faith had been put to the test. He had seen things no Pokemon from home was allowed to see, and yet he still refused to break. He believed in their sacred mission, their plight for all Pokemon. After all, if he gave up on his faith and dreams now, what were the sacrifices he and other Pokemon around them made worth? A blinding beacon of orange light consumed the pair as they were whisked away by the Entercard, traveling back to the place they called home.
"Now is not the time for Projection Crystals, Mew." "Who knows¡­ We might need them¡­" her weak and hushed voice said with a hint of amusement. "The only thing you need to do right now is stay here." Dialga entered the small quarters and gently laid the deathly pale body of Mew upon her bed, moving away the crystal and covering her frail and shivering form with pink sheets. She seized under this newfound warmth, her mind finally relaxing as deep and heavy breaths escaped her. "And here you go... Acting like you''re my dad again," she remarked with a slight smile. "At least you still have your sense of humor." "... I got that from Victini, heh." A feeble Dialga trudged over to one of her dressers, finding there to be some difficulty in doing so. He grabbed the sole lantern resting on its wooden surface, lighting the oil inside with a small puff of Dragon Breath. He placed it near her bedside, letting its yellow-orangish glow flame over her face. He positioned himself over her, making sure she was able to clearly see his sorrowful expression. "It''s over." Mew stared up at him, confused. "What¡­ What is? Where¡­" She struggled to force her words out, breaking into coughs. "Where is everyone else? Are¡­ Are they still fighting?" Dialga opened and closed his mouth multiple times, bowing his head. "Those Pokemon came in droves without warning. We gave it our best effort, but it was not enough. All of us Legendaries were pushed back into the chamber storing The Amalgamation and¡­ There was a stray attack that landed on that unstable machine during the battle." He closed his eyes, his deep voice breaking. "No being in that room made it out alive, I am afraid¡­" Mew absorbed this terrible information without a word as she stared off into space. "You¡­ You''re not lying, are you?" "... I would never lie to you, Mew." "..." A choked sob could be heard from the Psychic-type, her bloodshot and puffy eyes streaming tears. She clutched her sheets, openly weeping at the fate of her workers. "They... They didn''t deserve to go out like that. This isn''t fair." "I know. They knew the risks of what they were doing. Their ends were tragic, yet thankfully painless." "Are you the only one left?" she asked somewhat desperately. Dialga ducked his head again. "I have wandered the labyrinth, yet am I the only soul still here besides the bodies of our brothers and sisters, along with those of our invaders." Mew''s grief turned to rage, a fire burning in her blue orbs. "The Alignment¡­ Why would they attack us? For what reason?!" "I would not know their true intentions, yet I do know what they came looking for here - our research. I have seen some of them run off with our Entercards and Projection Crystals; specifically the crystals in our library centered around the artifacts. The crystal detailing the location of one in the mountains of the Frost Region is gone, and some of our other ones scouting that crisscrossing river have also vanished. What they plan to do with this information, I cannot tell." "They can''t get away with this¡­" Mew wiped her tears. "This research and those artifacts can''t fall into their paws. Zygarde put his faith into us to stop the ley lines, and we can''t let him down." "What is there to do, Mew?" Dialga hacked a bloody cough into the sands, his breaths shaky and ragged. "Our deaths are inevitable. Our comrades are gone. The king has turned a blind eye and has given up on us. The project is all but over¡­" Deep down, Mew knew his words to be true, yet was something she could not fathom. Everything she and her mate had created in the span of a year had been destroyed in the matter of moments. But despite this, she would not accept an end like this. She would not let her destroyers gain from their demise. "The invaders fled after the explosion," Dialga said. "But I believe they will return soon to steal more of our research that they have missed." Mew knew what needed to be done. She locked eyes with him. "Destroy it. Destroy our Projection Crystals. Destroy our notes. Destroy all of it. They can''t be allowed to have it." Dialga returned her fierce gaze, shutting his eyes in acceptance as he stepped away from her bedside. "... I understand. I will proceed with your command."
A speechless Bisharp took a step back as the Projection Crystal''s energy faded, his limbs quaking in response to what it revealed. Weavile noticed as she stepped away from the amassed bones of Pokemon cluttering the hallways, appearing indifferent to what was shown in the memory. "You okay, Bishy? Looks like you''re about to explode there." He looked at her. "We know now, Weav''s." "... Oh, so you figured it out." She kicked some sand with her feet, sighing. "Yeah, I figured that out, too." "The Alignment came here long ago, attacked the Legendaries here, then stole their research about these artifacts." Bisharp squeezed the crystal in his grasp. "But thousands of years later, that ''crisscrossing river'' the Dialga spoke of was Criss-Cross Creek, the same place you and your team went to investigate, and the same place those Alignments bastards were at." Weavile gnashed her teeth at the mention of the site. "Yeah¡­ Sure was." "Do you know what this means, Weav''s?" "You tell me, tinman." "It means that we know why they were there, and what they were looking for exactly. Hell, it means we even know why our anonymous client was so damn interested in the place. There''s some relic there that''s possibly world changing. Especially if the Legendaries wanted it for themselves to combat the ley lines somehow." "Yeah, and you know what? It''s payback time for us." "What?" Weavile grabbed the Projection Crystal from him. "This is how the Alignment collapses - with this. We make a few copies of it and leak it out to the public across every major city. It''ll create a panic that''ll get the Council to cut ties and go against ''em. Then those cultist fucks will be weak and ripe for total destruction. By that point, I''ll have found that bastard of a commander and give him what he deserves." She smirked viciously at the idea. "Yeah¡­ That''s what we''re gonna do." Bisharp shook his head repeatedly. "No, no, no no, no. Weav''s, you can''t leak this. If this gets out, they''ll shut down everything. If the Alignment is gone, then everything that they''re hiding will be, too." "And why should I give a shit? I''m perfectly fine with them burning to the ground, so why aren''t you?" Bisharp narrowed his gaze. "Because this discovery is more important than that. For the truth to be found, the Alignment has to stay afloat for now, until we can figure out what''s really going on." "''The truth''," Weavile mocked, moving to jab him in the chest with a claw. "The truth is that these fucks need to be erased. What they did to me, what they probably did to others proves they deserve no mercy." "Your experiences are irrelevant here." "They''re not, Bishy. You know they need to go." Bisharp snatched the Projection Crystal back from her, distancing himself. "You''re not going to leak this. Or else¡­" She took a step forward. "Or else what?" "Or else I''ll leave the clan... You should already know how much this means to me, and what you''ll be doing is crossing a line." Weavile broke into an intense laugh. "Bullshit. I''m calling your bluff. You''re nothing without this, and that bounty on our head by the Council won''t just go ''poof'' as soon as you call it quits. Face it, this is all you''ve got." "Am I bluffing?" Bisharp pounded his chest with a gauntlet. "Don''t forget this is a co-owned operation, and you''re not the boss of me. We started this clan together, and I can sure as hell leave it if I want to." "You would throw away everything we''ve done just for this?" "Don''t downplay this discovery, Weav''s. This is something even the guild would''ve wanted badly." The Ice-type threw her claws into the air. "Then why don''t you just fucking crawl back to the guild then, huh? If that''s what you really want, then I''m sure they''ll be glad to take a wanted outlaw back in!" "Don''t act like you don''t know why I left," he shot back. "I started this clan with you because I believed we would have an actual chance at cracking the truth that the guild couldn''t. Look around you. The guild could never find a place like this with all their restrictions. But we managed to do it all by ourselves, didn''t we?" "We''re here because of the snake, not because I care for your damn cause." "Yes, you do care. You can lie to yourself, me, whoever you want, but I know more than anyone else that deep down you do." His harsh words then took a more sympathetic tone. "I know that you''re still hurting, Weav''s. And I know that you still desire to find the reason why they were killed." Weavile took a step back as she grit her teeth at him, claws outstretched as she felt the urge to lunge at for even suggesting such a thing. Yet, no matter how enraged she was, she could not bring herself to target a close friend. "You¡­ Don''t you ever say something like that!" "But you know it''s true. Even back then, you knew that there was always more to it." She attempted to block out his words as she turned her back on him, but he continued. "And I did, too. Why do I think I''m still here with you? It never was about being a mercenary to me. I didn''t care about the Poke, or the fame of being the top clan in the continent. That shit never mattered, because I don''t care about this clan." She said nothing in return as she clamped her claws open and closed. "But Weav''s¡­ I gave you that Razor Claw. I left a promising future at the guild to start this clan with you. Can''t you see now that this is more than just a job?" Weavile crouched low to the ground, slowly inhaling and exhaling away her anger. "... Ten years. It''s been ten years almost to the date that they died, but it still feels fresh in my mind." She looked at him over her shoulder, eyes brimming with emotion. "Vaporeon, Croagunk, Minccino. There''s not a day I don''t think about them." Bisharp approached her. "I''m not asking you to forget about them. I''m asking you to see past their deaths and realize what led to it. If they were alive today, they would want you to let go and seek what they wanted to find so bad." "... I can''t. I''m nothing like them," she admitted. "They were so damn passionate about the guild''s mission, but I only followed them because we were a team; Pokemon that I could trust." She snarled at the hot tears that slid down her cheeks. "And I feel like such a fucking child every time I think of it." "You''re wrong, Weav''s." He laid a free gauntlet on her shoulder. "I saw that passion in you back then, and I can still see it now." "I''m just a criminal. I came from the streets, and I''ll always be among them." Weavile wiped her face free of wetness, shaking her head. "I''m not a researcher or some hero. I''m a mercenary - that''s it. This isn''t a job to me like you said - it''s my life. This clan is all that I have, and all that I''ll be¡­ I don''t want to lose you, Bishy, but I have nothing to offer except what I am now." "I still want to be by your side, Weav''s. We''ve been in this game through thick and thin for far too long. You''re cunning, determined, and fierce. I''ve always admired those qualities in you." "I guess you really do have good taste in ''mons¡­" she joked, wearing a half-smile. Bisharp withdrew his gauntlet. "But for me to stay here, I need to know that you agree that the truth comes before your revenge. I need to know what you value in your heart most." "You''re asking too much here. But... fine. You win. I''ll let you decide what we do." Bisharp nodded, dropping to a kneel. "Good. Once we get out of here, we grill those two Alignment goons on what else they know until we have to let them go." He popped open the saddlebag Weavile was still carrying and dropped the Projection Crystal inside. "Then we''ll¡­" His voice drifted off as his eyes widened. "What now?" "There''s two Entercards. There were three in here before." They two looked at each other in a moment of epiphany before they both bolted down the path in which they came. "You remember where we sent them off to?!" Weavile yelled as she sprinted. "No, and it was your bright idea to let them!" he shouted back. "Don''t start with me now, tinman!" The muffled noise of an Entercard ahead starting up alerted them as they ran. Quickening their movements, they rounded a corner just in time to see the glowing twirls of ley lines consume a Gallade and Heliolisk, both vanishing in an instant. "Damn!" Weavile cursed to herself. "Too late." Bisharp jogged over to check up on the incapacitated Absols'', checking for signs of life in their twitching bodies. "Paralysis. Guess that one you called a runt wasn''t so much of one, was he?" Weavile rolled her eyes as she walked over. "Now that they''re back home and obviously going to tell the Allfather of what happened here, what now? Is your master plan still going to work?" she said sarcastically. "They don''t know what we know now, Weav''s." He walked over to grab an Entercard out of her saddlebag, placing it down onto the sands. "We got what we wanted here before the Rose Clan did. And now we''re going to really scare the Alignment." "Which is?" "We''re going back to Criss-Cross Creek. We''re getting that artifact for ourselves." Weavile grimaced, yet did not counter his plotting. "... Fine. We''ll do it. But I''m picking who gets to go with us this time. No more dealing with the ''ice queen''s'' bitchiness." Bisharp grinned. "That''s the you I wanted to hear." He pressed the indentation in the Entercard, a crackling noise filling the air as a blinding pillar of orange light flowed from the card, consuming them and the two Absols'' in a glow. Unbeknownst to the two Pokemon making their swift getaway, another Pokemon would be a witness to them as they had their backs turned - a Shiny Lucario. Jackson stood in the intersection of the hallways, his vacant gaze boring into Bisharp and Weavile as they disappeared in a flash. Scizor emerged from one the hallways, panting after running for so long. "You¡­ heard it as well?" His head popped around the corner, scanning the area. "Did you happen to see anything?" "... It was nothing." Jackson''s stare lingered on the spot of the mercenaries'' absence for a brief moment before he returned to walking down the halls, Scizor following behind. It took them a while, but they finally managed to catch up with the rest of the guild that was congregating around a doorway. Shaymin would surprisingly be the first to introduce herself to the Lucario and his dutiful advisor. "I''m guessin'' ya heard what we found?" she asked. Jackson appeared to be distracted, but nodded, "I assume this is the location of where we must search?" "Yeah, mate, in those quarters we searched before." Shaymin pointed a paw at the doorway before angling her head to yell at the grouped up Pokemon. "Hey! One of you lugs with the crystal thingy needs to come show it off!" Minun would be the one to reveal himself, rolling over a Projection Crystal that was almost twice his size. "This one right here, Guildmaster! We found it in the back of that library. It''s like we were meant to find it, too!" Jackson bent down and took the crystal. "Thank you, Minun. I will release the memories for myself to see before we begin the search." The Shiny Lucario then pressed the indentation in the crystal.
"Another Projection Crystal, Mew?" Dialga spoke. "How much energy can you still spare?" "This time¡­ it''s needed, really." Mew sat prone in her bed, staring up at the ceiling as she was too weak to move any part of her pale and shivering body even an inch. Small coughs and gasps escaped as she spoke, her voice a shadow of it once was. Dialga moved the crystal away. "I have completed most of your command, but you have asked me to spare some of the crystals from destruction. Why?" "Because¡­ There''s still a way¡­ Still a way the project can live on," she muttered. "We''ll be gone¡­ But we can still win." If the spirit of Victini managed to live on through herself, then she could pass along her will to another. "And that is why you wished to record this?" "Yeah¡­ There''s something you need to know." Dialga moved closer to her bed, making sure he could hear every whisper from her. "You have my attention." "The crystals¡­ The ones detailing our plans to confront the source and the location of the shrines holding those artifacts¡­ I hid them a while back. They''re here, inside this very room, the same way I hid our last station." Dialga was stunned, "Mew, if those fall into the heretic''s paws, then¡­" "It won''t¡­ Those Pokemon will never find it. But maybe¡­ Maybe another group in the future could¡­ They could discover this place, and figure it out, then complete what we started." He understood her resolve now, backing away from the bed. "This is what you choose to leave behind in your last moments?" "Yeah¡­ It is." A pitiful cough escaped her as she formed a small smile, eyes wandering over to the dragon. "Guess you¡­ finally got me to rest, huh?" He smiled back, letting out a single tear. "I will keep this crystal protected. The project''s dream will live on past our deaths." "... Thank you, Dialga." Her smile grew as she returned to look up at the ceiling. "I think¡­ I think I''d like to be left alone now. You¡­ You can leave. You''ve already proven yourself so much." Dialga nodded, coughing as he stumbled over to the doorway, taking the Projection Crystal with him. "I will stay until my last breath and protect this place from the heretics if they are to return." "There you are, being my best number two¡­" He gave the Psychic-type one last look. "... Goodbye, Mew." With his parting words, he left her quarters for the last time.
Jackson''s inattentive demeanor changed in an instant after the crystal stopped projecting. He rushed over to the doorway leading into Mew''s quarters, orange paw ring flickering as he called out to the Pokemon behind him. "Search this room immediately! Every part of it!" Shocked by this change in their Guildmaster, yet eager to discover what was left behind by the ancient Legendaries, the guild piled into the small room. They meticulously searched through each nook and cranny of the already messy quarters. Bookshelves and other dressers were knocked over, portraits ripped off the sandstone walls. But all avoided the shadowy entrance of a Mystery Dungeon that engulfed the once location of Mew''s bed. Dozens of minutes passed to no avail, many of the guild becoming frustrated. "I d-don''t believe it!" Staravia said with a flap of his wings. "There''s nothing h-here!" "Maybe that strange group of Pokemon took it already?" Leafeon wondered. Mightyena frowned. "Maybe that Mew was fibbing? I read that they''re known to be tricksters!" Roark chuckled. "As an actual trickster, I think this is a bit too elaborate to be a prank. But I''d admire it if it was." "Keep searching!" Jackson urged to the dismay of the Pokemon around. "Uh, you guys? You might wanna come see this¡­" Liam spoke from across the room, staring at a wall. The eyes that were now on him grew wide as the Riolu''s paw merged into the wall, the sandstone rippling from it like a pool of water. Liam then took his chances and walked straight into the oddity. The rest of the guild was not far behind as Liam found himself in an entirely new circular room separated from Mew''s quarters. Small alcoves in the walls surrounding them held Projection Crystals in pristine condition that rested upon pink cushions. Scizor looked around in amazement. "This room was safeguarded by Mew for thousands of years in the same way the previous location was. Fascinating¡­" Jackson wasted no time in plucking one of the Projection Crystals and playing it. The projection it released only lasted thirty seconds before he shut it off and tossed the orb away. He repeated this action numerous times on all the crystals in the room with seemingly irrelevant information. The rest of the guild could only stand back as he searched through the contents of each one in a frenzy. Ultimately, only Projection Crystal was allowed to play fully; one that was carefully stowed away at the far back of the antechamber.
"Entry number fifty! Our most important one!" Mew zipped around the air before centering herself before her gathered Legendaries, floating just a few feet above the ground. She planted her paws on her hips, a smile staining her features. "All right, everyone! You know why you''re all here right now, correct?" "The plan, of course," Virizion''s voice rose from the crowd. "Correct! We''ve got it all figured out now." Mew''s smile eroded slightly. "Well, except the whole thing with the lack of power in the Entercards, but we''ll cross that bridge when we get there." "I have heard you speak of this plan before, but please tell all present of it," Dialga said. Mew nodded, "Right. Reshiram and her team have already created the Entercard symbol atop Celestial Mountain''s peak that will take us straight to the world''s core, where the source of the ley lines are. Our Entercards aren''t powerful enough to pass that barrier as of right now." She flew over to a paper map of Celestic stretched across the walls, circles drawn over various points around the continent. "But we have managed to find the locations of the four shrines that house the artifacts, which I''ll name off now." The gathered Legendaries honed their attention on the hovering Psychic-type as she spoke. "Beneath the surface of a tall, cold, snowy mountain, guarded by a frightening beast. The deepest point of the ocean, surrounded by beds of bright coral. Encased by layers of rock and magma in an active volcano. And one hidden away in the forests between many criss-crossing rivers." Mew shifted her attention back to her Legendaries, adopting a serious expression. "If we gathered all these artifacts and took them to the source of the ley lines, then maybe-"
The memory cut off as Jackson ended the projection and took a step back from the wave of shock that swept his senses. Stumped looks from the others were sent his way, the orange ring on his paw gleaming as he gripped the Projection Crystal tight, like he never wanted to let go. "We¡­ We have it," he said, his gruff voice holding a tone of awe and shakiness. "We have what we came here for." Scizor walked over, "Guildmaster, what do you mean? You will have to explain what it is that-" The Projection Crystal Jackson was holding was thrusted into the Bug-type''s pincers. "You make it your priority that this crystal is not damaged or lost, you understand me?" "Uh¡­ yes, Guildmaster. But-" Jackson moved to exit the hidden room. "We will be leaving this place immediately. Our mission and the expedition as a whole has been a success." The confused looks of the guild members were apparent on all their faces as the Shiny Lucario left without another word.
Krokorok wringed his claws together nervously following an explosion of orange Entercard light that came into existence yards away from the castle''s vine ridden and corodded metal gates. When the radiance of it faded, the breastplate wearing guards behind him crouched into a kneel as Serperior and her ever so silent Aegislash escort popped into view. The royal snake''s infuriated gaze then locked eyes with Krokorok as she began to make her way over to him. "My Princess! You have returned back safely!" Krokorok exclaimed, bowing into a kneel as well. Serperior said nothing as she continued to slither across the grass. "I assume the ambush was a success, your highness? It truly could have been if your genius was-" The sharp blade of Aegislash ramming into Krokorok silenced his words. It pierced straight through his chest and emerged out his back, a choking gurgle and an aghast expression on his face being the last vestiges of life he let out. A bloody Aegislash then removed himself from the lifeless Pokemon''s body as it slumped to the ground. Serperior never gave Krokorok''s corpse so much a glance as she motioned to the appalled guards standing beside the gate. "My darling knights, I request that you fetch a few shovels to bury this fiendish traitor. And if it does not inconvenience you, may you send Hydreigon to see me at my throne for her to accept my accolades as our newest Lord?" A sharp and hasty nod was all they gave her. "Thank you, my beloved knights." As they entered through the gates and into the wrecked castle to fulfill her wishes, a resounding explosion from behind filled her ears. Aegislash instantly shifted himself in front of his princess to defend her from this possible threat, his appearance changing with a twirl of his sword into a large patterned shield. Serperior curiously turned her head to stare, her eyes expanding at what she saw - orange Entercard light. When it dissolved, multiple Pokemon materialized from it, quickly spreading out across the area and stationing themselves at an even distance from another. A strange garb that was clearly suited for combat adorned their bodies, the stern look on their faces staring straight ahead. They gave way for another Pokemon to step forward, a Blaziken. The most noticeable feature of it were the many words carved into its flesh; ''devil'', ''paradise'', and ''shepherd'' being the most prominently featured. "Identify yourself, intruders!" Serperior beckoned. Aegislash rebuffed his efforts by creating a King''s Shield that protected the Grass-type with a transparent barrier. Blaziken raised his arms high into the air, the falling sun illuminating his form from behind as he looked up at the vibrant sky. "And here we meet again¡­ " He slowly panned his face down. "At the opening of a seal¡­" Serperior''s prudent gaze fell upon the black armband around one of Blaziken''s arms. "... You are of the Alignment? Tell me, what are you cretins-" She gasped as she realized what Pokemon was before her. "... You are the Alignment''s commander, yes? I recognize you now. You were beside that sniveling wimp of an Allfather while we chatted about my service prices." "Indeed I am, Princess Serperior." He made sure to emphasize her title, bowing slightly. "Pardon my rather sudden entrance, your highness. I have come to make an offer that concerns the illustrious Rose Clan." Serperior smiled at his honeyed praises, yet soured at the proposition he made. "I have no interest in working with the Alignment any longer. And am I not to presume that you have already cut all ties with my clan?" "Ah, but it is not the Alignment you shall work for, but myself." She perched an eyebrow at his claim. "Surely you jest. Your duty falls under your Allfather''s." Blaziken held his head up proudly. "The Allfather is unfit to guide his flock. Under his rule, he has tainted and stifled our path to the gates of paradise." He tapped his temples with a claw. "The voice of the Allmother has spoken to me in dreams of mine, marking me as her shepherd. She speaks of a divine victory that is not achieved by the Allfather, but by myself and all other true believers." "You are an opponent of your leader?" Serperior looked at the statue-like guards surrounding Blaziken. "And these Pokemon with you are aware of your treachery to the Alignment and agree with it?" "You mistake me, Princess Serperior. I am not treasonous to our cause, and I only wish for its success. But to do so, the devils that oppose it must be eliminated." Serperior squinted at him. "If these dubious claims you make are true, how do I put my trust in you?" Blaziken smirked, "Were you bewildered when the identity and location of one of our exiled commander''s fell into your clan''s lap? That was purely my doing, your highness." Serperior was dumbfounded at this revelation. "So there is truth in you..." She scowled. "Regardless, it does not matter. My blasted rivals have all but destroyed our efforts in uncovering that ruin. My clan is wounded, and my efforts will be focused on removing that thorn in my side." Blaziken''s smirk grew, "What if I could offer your clan a shot at redemption? A chance to wipe away the Razor Claw clan''s influence from the continent." "... I''m listening." "Something big is soon to happen. Something that not even the Alignment or the Council will see coming. When this event occurs, we will need your clan''s assistance." "''We?''" "I am one of the Allmother''s shepherds, but there are two others; one that is not even aware of it yet. The other has requested that I recruit your services." "Really now¡­ Tell me of the benefits that my clan will gain from our collaboration." Blaziken looked up at the mossy and disheveled castle hidden behind trees and other shrubbery. "You are a woman that desires the prestige of the old, correct? This wreck of a castle is unsuited for an esteemed Pokemon such as yourself. If you are to aid us, I can imagine large swathes of land that could be called yours; Pokemon that will look up to you and obey your royal decrees." The idea of her dreams of a vast kingdom being a reality fogged up her mind, the prospect seeming too tantalizing for her to reject. As she mulled it over in her head, her guards returned with shovels, sparking Blaziken''s entourage to step over and grab one of the tools they brought, the mercenaries reluctantly letting them. Serperior watched as her guards and Blaziken''s own simultaneously worked together to dig a shallow grave, dumping the body of Krokorok in it once they were finished, piling the dirt back on top. She made her decision right then and there. Serperior slithered over to the Fire-type, extending a green vine forward. "You have earned my position. Alert me when you require me, and my clan shall provide its strength and services. As long as I am promised my share of these riches you speak of." Blaziken''s claws grasped her vines, the wild and cutthroat look in his eye meeting hers. "To defeat a devil, you must become a devil. Thank you for accepting my offer, Princess Serperior." "When this is all over, you shall refer to me as Queen Serperior." "Of course." His claw and her vine shook in agreement, sealing their cooperation.
The setting sun wavered in the sky, letting its bright orange rays shine upon the sands, dark shadows being casted off rock formations. Jackson and Excadrill walked side-by-side as they exited the large sandstone gate leading into the Regi Castle. Drilburs and other workers under the eccentric mole were seen roving around the fortress, occasionally hauling tied up and unconscious Rose Clan members into empty carriages. "I can''t thank ya enough for comin'' out here, Jack. Ya not only evicted these darn mercs from this place and other parts of the region, but ya managed to solve the mystery of this here fort in record time!" Excadrill crossed his arms, a giddy smile lighting his face. "I mean, Legendaries being the true creators of Entercards? I would''ve sooner believed Tepigs could fly before such a thing!" "The feeling is mutual, Excadrill," Jackson said. "I must thank you as well for allowing us to assist you. As much as I would like to stay, my guild must leave for Sanctus Town immediately as we prepare to return back to the Meadow Region." "Nah, I understand, Jack. The things ya must''ve dug out of that place must be very important. I won''t hold your guild up." "My guild may require your assistance in another matter very soon. Is this acceptable?" "Of course, of course! Ya scratched our back, so it''s only fair we scratch yours. Uh, but right now my workers are more focused on holding the fort and getting these merc suckers into the Council''s paws so they can be put behind bars. I hate havin'' to help those bloodsuckers, but¡­" His ramblings were cut off as an incident caught his attention. "Hey! They ain''t sacks of seeds, so don''t you go tossin'' ''em like that! We gotta keep ''em nice and healthy lookin'' when the Council guards come!" Jackson took this as his cue to walk away, Excadrill running off to scold the misdeeds of one of his worker''s. He met up with the rest of his guild and Team Drarosteel, who were waiting for him beside an array of Entercards and the saddle wearing Mudsdales''. Garchomp narrowed her eyes at the Lucario. "Are you gonna tell us now what was so jaw dropping back there?" Jackson ignored her inquiring, walking over to Scizor and holding out a paw expectantly. The Bug-type caught on quickly and handed over the Projection Crystal in his grasp. Jackson then signaled for everyone to gather around with him a free paw. When they all surrounded him, he finally spoke, making sure all could hear him. "Twenty years¡­ Twenty years spent looking for leads, for clues, for any signs that us mere Pokemon had a chance at defeating the ley lines. Pokemon have joined this guild, completed hundreds of missions, graduated, but have never managed to find what we have so desperately searched for." Jackson rose the Projection Crystal into the air for all to see. "But today¡­ Today we say goodbye to those long years of ignorance." His voice rose an octave. "Today we have discovered a way to eliminate the ley lines from this world!" His assertion ignited shock across the group. "All of you have dedicated yourself to the guild''s cause more than any other Pokemon before you! And to that end, we have been rewarded with the keys to victory! You have fought ferociously, and you have fought for the lives of all Pokemon of the future! For your children and their children! Celebrate! For you have lit the path to this guild''s assured victory!" His words turned the guild''s disbelief into elation as all they burst into uproarious cheers. Liam felt compelled to join in the contagious spirits of the Pokemon around him, hugs and other forms of physical comradery being shared around as they relished in the praises and words of their achievement. Yet, Liam felt his attention drawn to Jackson, noticing the strange mix of expressions on his face as he observed their reactions. Liam could not tell if it was happiness or sadness. "Let us return back to the guild to celebrate this discovery! You have all deserved it!" "YEAH!" the combined voices of all the guild members shouted back. Jackson hopped onto one of the Mudsdale''s back, waving a paw. "Come! Let us waste no time in returning home!" The rest of the guild excitedly followed his command, some choosing to use the laid out Entercards to transport back, while others clambered up the Mudsdales''. Liam found himself in the latter, adjusting himself on the large saddle as he grabbed the reins of the Mudsdale. He was eager to feel the adrenaline of another ride through the boundless desert like before, now accompanied by this overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment they all felt. Before he knew it, the Mudsdales'' were off, an entire line of them galloping across the sands, straight towards Sanctus Town. But as Liam enjoyed the rush of warm wind coursing through his fur, he noticed something strange up ahead. Angling his head to get a better look, he saw Jackson''s Mudsdale veer off from the group. ''What''s the Guildmaster doing?'' he thought, curious. Jackson''s steed was now completely off course, heading into the vast emptiness of the desert around them. Liam gulped, taking multiple glances between his Guildmaster and the column of Mudsdales'' still steaming forward. He made a split decision. Liam tapped the muscular neck of his Mudsdale. "Hey! Follow that Pokemon!" He caused the Ground-type''s eye to train on him, unwilling. "Just do it! Uh¡­ Please?" An annoyed huff was its response. Liam''s Mudsdale began to also break away from the stampeding equines, venturing off into the untamed wilds, hot behind the Shiny Lucario. It was at this exact moment that a spark of pain shot through his senses. Tendrils of blue and yellow began to surround his vision. ''It''s happening¡­ It''s happening again!'' The world around him grew mute and blurry as images rapidly flashed in his mind, the sounds of hooves beating the ground and familiar voices consuming his hearing. He relaxed his body as he was brought back into the world of the past again. His past.
You see now that the curtain is being unveiled, but are you prepared to witness the true stars of this fantastical show?
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: Lone Star Lone Star Chapter 29 Lone Star Dunes. Cacti. Shrubs. Wildlife. These were all the sights Liam saw momentarily as the world whizzed past, bountiful landscapes that extended miles reduced to a blur. Even when the motions and rumblings occurring around him began to cease, his eyes were still glued to his surroundings, utterly captivated. Only the rhythmic taps of a finger on the window from the outside world broke his daydreaming. The car door swung open as the figure behind the reality check revealed himself. Weary and distant hazel brown eyes would meet the boy''s own identical yet jubilant pair. "We''re here." Liam reacted instantly to this information, fiddling with his seatbelt before nearly launching himself out of his seat. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he jogged out into the open, only stopping so he could get a closer look at their surroundings. The man watching him run off chuckled a little as he slammed the door to the pickup truck closed, walking after the excited boy. Vast, beautiful, seemingly empty to the naked eye, yet teeming with life and nature hidden among the scorched earth; this was how Liam would describe the Chihuahuan Desert. A warm wind blew through its arid lands, swaying bushy shrubs and thin yuccas, parting Liam''s hair as he soaked in this new environment. The setting sun watching over the desert proved a remarkable sight as its influence washed over it, oranges and sharp blacks of cast shadows most visible throughout one''s gaze. "Amazing, isn''t it?" Liam glanced over to see his father beside him. "Yeah¡­ It really is." They were finally here. He was still finding it hard to believe. Robert swept his gaze across the desert. "Used to own a book about sightseeing back in my early teens." He scratched behind his neck sheepishly. "Well, more like a picture book, ''cause reading wasn''t my strong suit back then." A smile of remembrance replaced his embarrassment. "I always loved horses; wanted to ride one someday. Then I saw a bunch of photos of this part of Texas, and well¡­ then I wanted to live out here, heh! A nice, simple life of ranching." "It was worth the long drive here. That''s for dang sure," Liam murmured. Robert began walking forward. "We''re a bit late, but I''m sure the owner of the ranch will understand." "I hope so." Liam rubbed the itchy bandage across his nose before following his father, who was also fiddling with the cloth bandages wrapped around an arm that was noticeably more stiff in movement than the other. Traversing paths of course dirt, it was not long until they reached their destination, the wails of distant creatures picking up as they neared. Stretching miles across the desert, a wooden fence was erected that encased dozens of acres of land. Other than the singular ramshackle house and assortment of rundown-looking byres, the area was predominantly littered with cows, many either roaming the barren plains or grazing along with their calves and other animals in their pens. Robert opened the gate leading into the ranch before jostling the shoulder of Liam. "Hey, why don''t you head on down to that stable over there." He pointed to a modest structure at the far corner of the fenced property. "Gonna have a little chat with the owner first, and I''m sure those horses would enjoy the company." Liam grew a wide smile at the idea. "They sure would!" "I''ll see you down there when I''m done, son." Taking their separate paths, Robert headed over to the home in the middle of the ranch while Liam began his trip over to the stable. The boy meandered through dry and hilly fields, occasionally being approached by curious bovines. He would happily give each that crossed his path a caress under their chins before continuing on his way. After a few minutes of through such a large area, he stopped before a wooden outbuilding that was messily coated in chipped gray paint, the large double doors leading into it wide open. ''Oh shoot, I hope they won''t be afraid of me,'' Liam thought, his heart almost racing from newfound anxiety. But he knew better than to be a quitter. Putting his fears aside, the boy entered the building and was immediately assaulted with darkness. The straw-covered floorboards creaked and groaned as Liam cautiously walked further in, a small lightbulb dangling from the ceiling drawing him to the center of the expansive room. From here, he could see each pen on opposite sides that held a different equine, of which many would take interest in his arrival. The large horses'' swung their heads over the openings in the rails to investigate the young boy, a short huff or scrape of their hooves across the floor heard around the room. Liam interacted with each horse that was more welcoming towards him, rubbing their necks or scratching behind their ears. He did this all while wearing a smile for a few minutes until he happened upon one pen and its occupant in particular. A pure white horse, almost pale. The horse seemed wary of his presence, retreating to the back of its small enclosure and eyeing the boy. Liam moved carefully, mouthing the words of advice he had read about earlier under his breath. "Watch the ears, watch the ears¡­" Splaying his palm outward in a gesture of friendliness, he trained his eye on its twitching ears, noticing that they never were pinned back as he got closer. Knowing this was a good sign, he placed a hand onto its firm white coat, gauging its reaction to his touch as he slowly moved his hand up its neck. While he was not an expert on equine behavior, it was not hard to tell it was less afraid of him now. "See? I''m a friend." The horse nickered softly and pushed its head into Liam''s hand as he ran his fingers through its ghostly mane. "You''re a really pretty horse... I wonder if-" "Liam." The boy perked up at the voice of his father, angling his head to see the man standing in the doorway, a curious look on his face. "Oh, dad, look! This one is-" Liam was cut off as the white horse gave him a rough lick across the cheek. He laughed as he pulled his face from the affectionate animal, who attempted to lash him again with its tongue. "Hey, stop it!" Robert grew a warm expression. "I see you picked your horse." Liam''s jaw almost dropped. "Wait! He really said we can¡­" Robert smirked. "We''ll have a few hours to ourselves, but we gotta bring ''em back before it gets too dark." It took the boy a lot of willpower to contain his excitement, a wide smile visible on his face as he looked back at the horse who put its trust into him. However, something more pressing would surface in his mind as he looked around the messy stable, losing his joy-filled expression. "The ranch owner, does he take good care of the animals as he should?" "I wouldn''t have come here if he didn''t, son. I know you care." A smile would return upon Liam''s face. It did not take long for them to get prepared for their outing. Two horses would emerge from the stable, affiliated with bridles, metal halters, and dusty leather saddles. While Robert proved more than capable in keeping himself steady atop his rust-colored steed, Liam found it quite difficult with his smaller stature to keep his body balanced. It was especially more daunting now that he sat on such a tall and majestic creature, the view of his surroundings from such a height a bit overwhelming. A stray thought entered his mind that he was not ready for such a task as horse riding. But he was vehemently against giving up such a dream of his. Liam gripped the reins of his horse, locking his feet in the leg straps of the saddle. He took a deep breath, psyching himself up for what was next to come. "You think you''ve got it?" his father questioned. Liam swallowed down his reluctance. "Uh, yep!" "You sure?" "Definitely¡­" Robert smirked at the boy''s shaky display of confidence. "Then why don''t we get out of here?" He used his unbandaged arm to reach a hand down and pat the withers of his horse. "I''m betting they want a good ride as much as we do." Liam nodded as he lightly jabbed his foot into his horse''s side, Robert doing the same. The experienced equines understood this subtle command and began to trot away from the stable. This calm walk would turn into a more refined canter as they traversed through the ranch, swerving around cattle and other animals in the open fields. Liam bit his lip as he tried his best to maintain balance, observing his father''s movements in an attempt to emulate them. With each beat of the horses'' hooves across the rough terrain, his heart thumped in response. Yet, he could feel his anxiety melting away second by second, replaced by this sense of wonder he always seemed to chase. He used this newfound poise to squeeze the reins of his pale horse harder as it and its orangish counterpart broke into a gallop, dashing past the fence borders of the ranch and into the untamed wilderness. The blazing sun came down hard on them as they rode forward without a clear path, trails of dust kicked up in their wake. The gale they whipped up battered Liam''s skin with the desert''s heat. He embraced this brisk feeling, jerking his head to the tune of his own horse''s, leaning into each sudden movement it made. In such a moment, it felt as if he could forget every negative encounter and thought before this, his mind solely focused on reaping this fleeting experience. The boy had no idea where they were going, and he would not have wanted it any other way.
Liam nearly fell off the moving Mudsdale as he jerked back into reality with a startled gasp. Frantic and sharp looks were cast around his immediate surroundings before his initial panic settled and realization began to set in. The Riolu blinked. ''Another memory. This was one so different, but felt just like all the rest. Maybe¡­'' He shook his head to free his thoughts from going astray. ''There could be more memories returning like before, but I need to stay focused.'' Regaining control of his Mudsdale''s reins, Liam attuned his body to the sturdy equine''s movements. Squinted eyes were cast up ahead as he tried to see where his Guildmaster rode off to, only to notice a Mudsdale standing motionless in the far distance, no rider atop its saddled form. Liam tapped the withers of his Mudsdale to redirect it over to its lonesome copy, a huff being its reluctant acceptance. Upon reaching the other Ground-type, Liam hopped off his Mudsdale and looked around, eventually settling his gaze on a familiar Pokemon just a yard away from his location. The Shiny Lucario stood among an array of wavy, sandy dunes. He appeared to be speaking into a Minun-like device, yet his words could not be deciphered from this distance. Liam bit his lip before slowly making his way over to him. As the Riolu got closer, Jackson suddenly stuffed the ELE into his saddlebag and pulled out a different object - a wooden pipe. He peered into its open bowl before placing the stem of it into his mouth. A paw was held to the pipe''s bottom before igniting into flames, burning the underside of the pipe along with the contents inside its chamber. Jackson took a long puff from the stem of the pipe and withdrew from his mouth, exhaling a smoky vapor into the air. "Great view, isn''t it?" Liam nearly stumbled at the gruff voice. He straightened himself and stopped in his tracks, staring at the Lucario as he glanced back at him. Jackson analyzed the pipe in his grasp. "Met a group a long time ago that gifted me this. Stuff it uses isn''t as strong as what I was used to, but it''s good enough." He took another long puff of it, smirking. "Nothing can beat good ole nicotine¡­" "Isn''t that stuff bad for you?" Liam said as he took a few curious steps forward. "I mean, you''re inhaling smoke and-" "Why are you here?" Liam was taken aback by his shift in tone, reversing his steps. "I could ask you the same thing. Why did you break away from the group?" Jackson went silent for a moment, twirling his pipe in one paw. "It''s over." "¡­ What''s over?" "We have what we came here for. We have what''s needed to complete the guild''s mission." He shook his head. "Twenty-five years¡­ Twenty-five years that I''ve searched almost every corner of Celestic for this, and I''m finding it hard to believe that this is real. I needed some time to collect myself." Liam felt a little bad for interrupting the Lucario''s personal moment. "So, uh, what are these ''artifacts'' that are so important to the guild? You said they could eliminate the ley lines, but you still haven''t told us anything about ''em." "You don''t need to understand now. Just know all will be clear in time." The Riolu frowned at the lack of an actual answer. "You really can''t tell us? Why?" He threw his arms up in frustration. "How come everything around here is just one big secret?" "Did you really chase me down to get answers out of me? You''ll be disappointed." "I was¡­ I dunno, worried? You were acting weird after we found that hidden room, so I wanted to know if you were okay. Besides, you''ve always looked out for me, and it''s only natural I do the same." "You don''t need to worry about me, kid." Liam''s frown deepened. "Your speech was really good, though. It got everyone - even me - a lot more excited at what we found, even though we don''t know anything about it." Jackson returned to smoking his pipe. "Took a lot of practice over the years to perfect my speaking skills. To act, to think, to be someone that commands through communication, not just force." Liam cocked an eyebrow at his claim. "But it''s still real, right? You actually believe the things you say." Jackson finally turned to face him, a mix of emotions on his face. "''Course I do, kid. But¡­ I''m not this type of Pokemon." Grey smoke departed from his lips and drifted upward. "I had to learn how to be a leader, when all my life I''ve been someone that only obeyed themselves." He turned back around and waved a free paw. "If you''re not gonna go back with the others, then you might as well stay a while." Liam took up on his offer and further approached the Lucario, now standing beside him. His eyes glazed over the land surrounding them with intrigue. It was expansive and seemingly empty, yet he knew it was brimming with potential life and mystery. Jackson gazed up at the sky, staring at the night''s stars that were creeping into view among the sunset''s colorful hue. "You know, before I was a Guildmaster or even a criminal and a wanted man, I wanted to be someone else; an astronaut." Liam looked at him funny. "An astro¡­naut?" he mouthed the alien yet strangely familiar word. "What is that?" A rare smile grew across Jackson''s face. "It''s someone that breaks free of the limitations around us. Someone that''s brave enough to go where no one has gone before." He rose a paw high into the air and clenched it tightly, as if he wanted to grasp the stars above. "Was my dream as a kid. Journeying across the stars and distant planets, not bound by anything." Liam pictured in his mind such a life, how outlandish it seemed to be, yet how exciting it sounded. He would never have imagined that the Guildmaster, as rough and stern as he was, would dream of something so whimsical in his youth. The Riolu opened his mouth to comment, only for the swirls of blue and yellow consuming his vision to rip his attention away from the present.
"Let''s stop here for a bit, Liam. Give ''em a little rest." "Aww¡­ But yeah, they deserve it." The speed of the two horses'' began to reduce before they came to a complete stop. Robert quickly hopped off his steed to stretch his legs, Liam reluctantly following suit, giving a thankful pat on his pale horse''s withers as he stepped away from it. He observed the tall and treacherous rock formations that surrounded them, wondering just how far they had ridden into the desert already. Robert walked over to the edge of a modest cliff. "I''ll be honest, I lied just a bit to you." He reached into the pockets of his pants and procured a small box, flipping open its top. "They probably don''t need a break, but I do." A cigarette was lifted from the box and placed into Robert''s mouth as he pulled out a lighter and flicked it open to reveal its thin flame. A quick light of the cigarette was all he needed as he pulled it away from his lips and let loose a smoky vapor into the air, a relieving sigh escaping him not long after. Liam noticed and scowled at the sight. "I thought you quit? Mom said-" "I know," Robert interrupted, almost ashamed as he took another drag. "And I was, but¡­ you know. Things happened." A long silence overtook them, frequented by trails of smoke entering the orange and pink-hued skies. When the man was finished smoking, he instinctively flicked the cigarette butt onto the ground and stomped on it. Liam frowned and bent down to pick up the cigarette''s remains, holding it away from him as if it was radioactive. "You shouldn''t do that, dad. These things do a lot of harm to the environment." "Sorry, son, force of habit." Robert took the cigarette butt and stuffed it into a pocket, his eyes fixated on Liam. "Even after everything that''s happened, you still want to be a park ranger, don''t you?" The boy smiled. "Of course I do! That''s always been my goal! But¡­" He sat down next to his father, legs swinging off the cliff''s edge. "I still have to go back to school and do all the stuff I missed after I was taken out. Do all those boring tests and junk." "Thought you didn''t like school?" Liam rested his cheek on a hand, a pouting expression on his face. "Yeah, it was really boring, and some of the kids were really mean; calling me ''treehugger'' and other stuff, but I think I miss seeing other kids. And I''m tired of staying inside that stupid apartment all day." "I know. Trust me, I don''t want you without an education out here; I know how rough that is from experience." Reticence ruled again, but was opposed by the boy''s natural curiosity. "Dad, did you always want to be a cop?" Robert took a seat and looked up at the sky, searching his memories. "Yeah. Ever since I was left in the orphanage, I kinda just gravitated to it over time. When you''re with people that want to help you find yourself in this world, you want to help them back. Being a police officer is like that - well, besides the paperwork." He chuckled softly. "But you get the picture. I always wanted to help people, and it just fit." "Yeah, I do." Liam could draw many comparisons between his father''s ideal job and his own. Nature was his calling, be it because of its beauty or its freedom. As much as he wanted to explore it, he wanted to protect and maintain its majesty. It was no doubt a dream of his to fulfill that role, but he had yet to attain it, certainly not with their current conditions. Liam looked over at his father. "Dad¡­ You ever think you could go back to being a cop?" Robert was caught off guard at this question as he averted his gaze. "Liam, that''s¡­" He sighed. "With the way things are now, there''s no chance of me ever returning to the force. And even if I could, I just wouldn''t." The boy was disheartened to hear such a claim. All his life he had known his father to be a prominent member of the community; always returning home with a hearty smile and plenty of stories of his daily encounters to tell over dinner. He had longed for those days, not even realizing at the time how impactful they felt. "So that''s it? It''s just... over?" Robert nodded. "It''s for the best, son." He returned the boy''s saddened look. "But even if I can''t go back and change what I did, it won''t be the same for you. If you want to go back to school, then I''ll make that happen when this is all over." "When will this be all over?" Liam spoke up. "When will things be safe enough? When can we finally go back home?" Robert stared at him for a while before he stood up, grunting as his stiff and bandaged arm moved with him. "... Let''s get going. Better to not waste so much of our time." Anger and frustration briefly flashed Liam''s face before he relented to his father''s words and got back up on his feet. They wordlessly returned to their horses'' and hopped back onto their saddles, a light kick into their sides enough to spur a whinny out of them as they galloped back into the setting sun.
"Kid." Liam blinked, glancing over at Jackson. "Huh?" "I asked you a question." The Riolu grew an embarrassed blush. "Uh, do you mind repeating it?" "Before you were the Pokemon you are now, can you remember what you wanted to do with your life?" Liam could immediately piece together both the recent memories and past ones that illustrated the ideals of his youthful self. "I remember¡­ From what I can tell, I wanted to be some sort of park or forest ranger?" Jackson withdrew the pipe from his mouth, blowing away wisps of smoke. "A park ranger¡­ Yeah, I could see that. Maybe you''d become something like after the guild closes." "The guild closing?" Liam was astonished. "Once we complete the guild''s goal and eliminate the ley lines from this world, there won''t be a need for the guild anymore." "Oh¡­" "But tell me, when it does happen, what do you imagine yourself doing afterward?" Liam contemplated such a question, almost unsure himself. He had been in the guild for nearly his entire time within Celestic, and it was hard to imagine his life outside of it, mostly since all his free time seemed to be eaten up by it. Yet, there was a yearning inside of him that grew each time he laid eyes upon the wondrous world around him. "Well, there''s lots of things I''ve wanted to do that you just can''t do while you''re in the guild." A smiling Liam spread his arms out. "Like, exploring all the parts of Celestic that I haven''t been to yet, and I''ve only seen the Meadow and Grit regions so far!" "And what about that girl you''re partnered with?" Jackson took another puff of his pipe. "She okay with that?" "Gloria? She''d be okay with it¡­ I think. I''d still want for us to be a team, of course. We''re great together, so why shouldn''t we stick together?" Liam bit his lip, wanting to switch focus over. "So, uh, what about you? If the guild really does, what are you gonna do?" Jackson''s paw ring glowed as he gazed up at the dusky sky. "Once this is all finished, there''s not much left for me out there." "What do you mean? Isn''t your exploration team, like world famous? You could probably be one of those ''astronauts'' if you really wanted to!" Jackson scoffed. "You don''t need to worry about me, kid, only yourself. I''ll be satisfied enough once this is all over, and only then will I rest." He dropped his wooden pipe back into the saddlebag slung around his shoulder. "Come on, there''s something I want to show you." "We''re not going back to the others? Wouldn''t they be worried?" Jackson began walking over to the Mudsdales''. "Scizor knows. Let''s get a move on before night hits." Liam opened his mouth to retort, but it died in his throat as he moved to follow. However, the curls of blue and yellow would envelop his vision yet again.
"Woah! Check it out, dad!" "Keep your distance, son." "Oh, I know, but look at it!" Liam''s mouth was parted in fascination as he crouched low to the ground, getting a better look at the animal before him - a hissing snake. It was tightly coiled up in a defensive position, poking its head out from the bundle of rough scales and baring its venom-laced fangs. A rattling noise carried across the desert as the end of the snake''s tail intensely vibrated, daring the two beings that disturbed it to come closer. "A western diamondback rattlesnake," Liam murmured, wary of the length between him and the snake. "One bite and that could be it." He shot a look of amazement at his father. "Amazing, right?" Robert gripped the boy''s shoulder and reeled him back slightly. "Which is why you shouldn''t get too close." The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Let me just sketch it first!" Robert chuckled to himself and strayed away as the boy whipped out a notebook, flipping through full pages of notes on flora and fauna before finding a free page to conceive his drawing. Meanwhile, Robert walked over to the edge of the cliff they were on, peering off into the distance. He waited for Liam to complete his rendition of the snake before it slithered away, fighting off the urge to reach into his pocket for another round. "Hey, you done over there?" he shouted. "You''d like to see this!" "Finishing up now!" True to his word, Liam appeared by his side a moment later to view what his father spoke of, and it did not disappoint. Like a true oasis, a grand lake of salt water formed between the ridges of tall and rigid mesas, shrouded by bushy oaks and thorny cacti. Colored a clear aqua blue, the sunset granted its surface an orangish sheen that sparkled in the dim light. "It''s not the Rio Grande, but good enough, you thi-" The boy was already descending the cliff before his father could finish his sentence. Robert chuckled as he followed. "Guess it is." Liam strolled up to the rocky shore. "It''s so peaceful¡­" Realizing the potential here, he bent down to search for a flat stone in a bed of pebbles. Once he found the perfect one, he cocked back his throwing arm before snapping his wrist, the stone flying from his grasp and skipping across the calm lake. "Twelve skips! That''s my best yet!" "Trying to beat my record?" "You could only do eight!" Robert watched Liam from the sidelines as he attempted to best his throws. "This lake reminds me a lot of your cousin''s lake house. Do you remember that place? All those times we took you there?" Liam halted his game as he racked his brain. He did remember - the countless joys and fun experiences he had there, even with people he barely knew. The sunny days of swimming in the lake to avoid the heat, the warm, muggy nights of dancing fireflies in the starry skies while he and his cousins played until dinner rang. He was always sad when he had to leave after the weekend was over, hoping there was just another hour or two to linger in the moment. "It''s been years since we''ve been there," Liam mumbled. "But it''s still so clear in my mind, like it was just yesterday." Robert nodded, "I remember standing from the porch with your uncle - a nice cold beer in our hands as we watched you and his kids swim in the lake. Oh, and your mother¡­" He shook his head. "She always wore the most beautiful summer dress. The auburn color and the way it swayed in the wind with her hair just accented everything about her. That-" A muffled vibrating noise erupted from Robert''s pocket, shattering his growing smile as he muttered an inaudible curse and pulled out the buzzing phone from its confinement. He flipped it open and placed it to his ear, before snapping it closed only a second later, letting loose a sigh. "Who was that?" Liam asked. "Work." The boy frowned at the hollow tone in his father''s voice. "Is it bad?" "It''s nothing you need to be worried about." "¡­ It''s more dangerous stuff, right?" "¡­" "You can at least tell me about it. You can trust-" "That''s enough. Just drop it." Liam whirled around, "But I want to know!" He scowled at the man. "After what happened, don''t you think I deserve that?" Robert avoided the boy''s gaze as he looked away. "We came here to forget these things, son. It''s best for you not to get involved." "¡­ Can we really forget if we have to go back home to it?" "It doesn''t matter. I have to deal with this myself, not you or anyone else. Please¡­" Liam approached him, "How can you say that when it affects us both?" Tears began to well up in his eyes. "What about mom? Did she know about this before¡­" His last words were stuck in his throat, unwilling to come out. Robert finally returned the hurt-filled stare, his silence palpable before he relented. "¡­ Do you really want to know?" Liam nodded with a sniffle. "Then you''ll get the full story, the true one I never even told your mother..."
"We''re here," Jackson said, walking away and throwing a paw up. "Follow me, kid." Liam leapt from his Mudsdale''s saddle, a myriad of emotions flashing across his face. He managed to shove them all down as he trudged behind the Shiny Lucario, who stopped upon reaching a strange rock formation alongside a dusty trail. Surrounding it were numerous other remnants of stone structures and pillars crumbled into rubble, all except one statue. The rock of it was carved into the likeness of a Golem, its smooth surface long since eroded away by sand and time. "It''s, uh, a statue?" Liam said, a bit unimpressed. "More than that, kid. Take a better look." The Riolu moved in closer to heed his advice, his eyes widening as he now saw dozens of small scrawls upon the rocky plates of the Pokemon statue. "Woah! These are all the names of Pokemon and exploration teams!" "You see anything familiar?" Liam squinted as he scanned more of the rock, until his eyes landed up one etched in name. "Team Moonlight¡­ That''s your team." Jackson nodded, "It''s been a century-old tradition for Pokemon to mark their exploration names on this statue when they first arrive in this region." He slid a paw across the faux Golem. "Though, I wonder if it''s still here after all these years¡­" "What''s still here?" Jackson kneeled and began to dig through the cracked earth in front of the statue. Liam stared in bemusement as the Lucario kept digging until his paws hit something solid. Carefully, an old and worn wooden chest was pulled from the sands, thrust towards Liam. "Open it." Liam reluctantly agreed to the task, taking it off the Lucario''s paws as he quite literally cracked open the box in an attempt to lift its crumbling hood. Inside were numerous trinkets and an assortment of seemingly junk. He sifted through rotting Blast and Stun seeds until he pulled out a rather large rectangular object at the chest''s bottom, confused with what exactly it was. "Flip it over, kid." Liam realized his mistake and did just that, shocked at what he saw. It was a painting - a portrait of Team Moonlight in their younger ages. Though the colorful paint had been washed out or chipped off over time, he could still clearly make out its intentions. A satchel-wearing Scyther hovered in the middle of a sparsely lit wooden room, an almost blank but determined look across its face. On the Scyther''s left side was a Chameleon wearing a confident smirk as it posed and crossed its arms. The last Pokemon depicted on Scyther''s right was a Shiny Lucario that had thrown an arm around the Scyther as it smiled at the unseen artist behind the painting. "This is you," Liam said. "And Scizor and Charizard." Jackson took a look at the painting for himself, exhaling in thought. "Oh yeah, this brings me back... We had just completed our first few missions and made our team official after what happened at Areos Village." He tapped the painting. "A Smeargle who we did a mission for offered this as a reward instead of Pok¨¨, and we took that offer." "But why is this here of all places? And why is it buried beside a statue?" "As I said, exploration teams came here to leave their mark, and we wanted to take that up a notch. We came here to this region to get that Excadrill''s help to dig all the way to the ley lines, and this was our first stop." Jackson took the rest of the wooden chest from Liam, peeking inside. "We decided to come back for this box together at a later date, but more than twenty years later¡­ it''s just a forgotten memory now." Liam continued to analyze the painting, noticing all the differences of the Lucario in the painting and the one beside him now. The past one that held such a contagious smile and lacked the stern, aloof visage of the Lucario now. Liam attempted to piece together the small bits of past that his Guildmaster would give to him, yet struggled to complete the full picture of the man in his mind. Something felt off, and it did not make sense to him. "Your wife..." Jackson''s demeanor suddenly shifted as he tossed what remained of the box into the sands behind them. "... What about her?" Liam gulped, knowing to broach carefully. "You said that she, um, died. When was that? Did this all happen before Team Moonlight, or after?" "Why do you want to know?" "You only told me about her, right? That''s what you said back then at the guild. So, what actually happened with-" "You''re crossing a line, kid," Jackson suddenly spat, baring his teeth. "Drop it." Liam flinched in shock and took a step back as he reconsidered his next words. But after looking back down at the painting he held, he decided he would not back away. Swallowing down his respite, he doubled down on his intentions to learn more. "I¡­ I won''t. I''ve shared everything I''ve known about myself, who I thought I was before I lost my memory. Don''t I at least deserve to know about who you were?" "You wouldn''t like to know me, kid. And it''s best you don''t." "But I do!" Liam shouted, regaining the step he initially took back, staring at the Lucario. "If I''m really the only one to know this side of you, then when will you stop being so secretive and just tell me the whole truth?" Jackson went silent for a moment as he averted his gaze and stared at the nothingness of the desert encircling them. A flickering of the orange ring on his paw would spur him to finally speak. "You really want to know, don''t you?" Liam retained his flinty stare on Jackson. "... Then we got to go all the way back. Before the guild, before Team Moonlight."
The many plateaus of reddish mesas and orangish cliffs were the predominant resting spot for a man and a child after a long hike up them. Their sore and resting feet dangled off the rugged edges that overlooked the desert''s many valleys and plains. "You remember when I told you about how kids from my orphanage would sometimes start forest fires?" "Yeah, I do," Liam said, swinging his legs. "That was me." The boy whipped his head around to glare at his father. "You really did that?!" His appalled tone softened, posture slackening. "¡­ Why?" Robert wetted his dry lips as he formulated a response. "I was in that place for nearly seventeen years. When you''re in these kinds of places almost your entire life, losing your precious years of childhood, you get mad. I was always angry in that place, and most of it was put onto my parents who I never even knew. So, I took all that anger out on the things around me - the staff, other kids, and yeah, even the environment." He shook his head. "No surprise that any family didn''t want to deal with me, but that still wasn''t the end of it." "What do you mean by that?" "I eventually began doing petty crime. Stealing things around the orphanage, maybe some stuff around the block. But that still wasn''t enough; later on in my teens, I started getting into gang activity, robbing local banks - that stuff." Liam was stunned. "And you did all of that stuff because you were mad?" "It wasn''t just anger, son. I felt¡­ alive." Robert felt his gaze drawn to the blazing sky. "it was the first time I experienced what felt like a real life outside of the orphanage. It''s hard to see that now, but when I was younger, that was how I saw it. I thought life was cruel and pointless, because why would any god leave me in a place with no reason? The crime for me was just an escape, until¡­" "Until what¡­?" Robert''s face morphed into multiple expressions as his mouth opened and closed. "Until¡­ Until I killed someone." Liam''s eyes grew wide, leaning back and staring at the man as if he did not know him anymore. "You k-killed someone?! Why-" Robert settled him down with a raise of a hand. He then heaved a sigh as he began to recount his past again. "The dates fuzzy to me, but it was around May in 1987. Me and another guy had just finished robbing some small bank the day before. Think it was called Charleston First - whatever. But there was another person involved, some kid almost the same age as me. He was supposed to be crowd control, making sure it went all smooth and fast. But he never showed up on the day we were supposed to do it; apparently got cold feet or something - doesn''t matter." "What happened to him?" "¡­ The day after we did the robbery, me and the guy I did it with tracked him down." Robert rubbed his eyes, gritting his teeth at the coming thoughts. "Cornered him in some alleyway and grilled him for what he did. I¡­ I remember being so angry at him that I pulled out the pistol from my pocket and¡­" He clenched a hand, forcing the next painful words. "And I shot him. He fell in an instant - not even a cry of pain. I only realized what I did a minute after, and we ran away before the police arrived." "¡­ Is that what made you quit?" Robert nodded shamefully, "It was only after what happened that made me see what that type of life did to me. I did run away from South Carolina. I did change my name. I did meet your mother, and we did move back here to start a new life." His hand found the boy''s shoulder. "I never lied about that, son." Liam sniffled as fresh tears manifested. "But you didn''t explain. If you did all of that to get away, then why did mom die?" The man''s sorrow-filled eyes fell upon the boy''s. "It was because my past eventually caught up with me."
A gentle clopping noise could be heard as two Mudsdales'' trotted side-by-side on the warm sands with a Lucario and a Riolu in tow. They would briefly give one another a wordless exchange, a roll of their eyes being a suitable response to their current situation. "I was about seventeen years old before I really got into the game," Jackson said. "Before, it was just small shit you''d get a slap on the wrist for." Liam blinked away traces of emotion in his eyes, looking over at Jackson. "''The game''? What''s that?" "Something you could never really stop playing," the Lucario remarked. "Organized crime - Getting your hands dirty the right way - that sort of game." He patted the withers of his Mudsdale, jumping off once it came to a complete stop. Liam replicated his action as he also jumped down from the equine Pokemon. "You mentioned it a few times, but never really explained it. What did you do exactly? Steal Pok¨¨ from some caravan like most outlaws?" "A better question would be what I didn''t do, kid." They gravitated to the sunken bed of a river whose water had long since dried up, now a sandy pathway with stones lining it. It led nowhere in particular, the setting sun hitting their backs as they walked further down it. "I was more than some common thief," Jackson elaborated. "I was someone that ran an entire city network from the shadows. Robberies, extortion, smuggling - anything. For a long time, I considered myself a king- No." He stopped himself, a proud pitch replacing his flat voice. "I thought of myself as a god. That I was invincible, and no man could reach what I built. It was never about the money to me, but the power and initiative involved. If you were not working with me, or under me, then you were to be removed in time." "Is it, uh, normal to feel like that when you''re an outlaw?" Liam said, feeling a bit unnerved after his recital. "No, kid. But when I was young, alone, uncaring of the cruel world around me, that''s what I felt." Jackson scoffed at his past self. "I turn fifty-six next month¡­ All I see now is that young me was driven by adrenaline, chaos, chasing something pointless. But by the time I figured that out, it was already too late." "But you''re here now," Liam said. "So it wasn''t too late to get out, right?" Jackson shook his head. "It doesn''t work like that, kid. No one leaves on their own terms, not alive at least. It''ll chase you to the ends of the earth." "¡­ Did you ever hurt any Pok¨¦mon? Like, kill them?" Jackson halted his steps. Liam did not need a straight answer to know the truth when he also stopped in his tracks to stare at the Lucario''s unwavering expression. Yet, he would get one regardless. "March 24th, 1989 - one of those dates you just don''t forget." Jackson met Liam''s gaze. "That was the day I first killed someone. One of my rivals out on the street - over in an instant - made not even a sound. He knew the risks of what he was doing, but even then, it still affects you. It eats away at you in the back of your mind, and it did to me for many years." He sharply inhaled and exhaled. "I still remember his face, how scared he was before I took my shot." Liam''s disturbed expression supplanted his confusion at the strange date his Guildmaster gave him, queasiness churning in his stomach. He was finding it hard to believe that the Pok¨¦mon beside him had taken a life, and perhaps many more over the years. He was not sure if he should be angry or upset, or if that even mattered now. He knew he was missing a giant piece of the puzzle that the Guildmaster held close, and that seemed more important to figure out. He simply wanted to know the truth, which he was slowly getting. Liam forced down these strange feelings like many times before, returning to walk the aimless road. "Can you tell me more about your wife?" A smile began to grow across Jackson''s face as his orange paw ring gleamed vibrantly. "My wife¡­ My wallflower. She was that beacon of light through my own darkness."
"Your mother, Angelica, she was the best thing that ever happened to me. Well, besides you, son," Robert quickly corrected with a sad smile. Liam huddled his legs close to his chest. "Did she ever know who you really were once?" "No. She never knew, and I intended to keep it that way. My reasons were... selfish. I wanted this life between me and her to be perfect, something I could never seem to have before. But if I knew what would''ve happened to her had I continued the charade, I would''ve explained in an instant so you and her could be safe." Liam''s nostrils flared, his narrowed gaze focusing on the ground. "... The people that took mom from us, who are they?" Robert glanced at him, sighing. "That''s what this whole thing has been about, son." "What thing?" "My ''work''." Robert moved to position himself in front of Liam, making sure the boy''s eyes were fixated solely on him. "I''ve been trying to find your mother''s killers, and to guarantee your safety from these people as well." Liam could not believe this information. "But I thought you said the police couldn''t help us?" "... I had my own ways, Liam. Past connections that could maybe help me figure out something I didn''t." It did not take long for Liam to catch on to what his father insinuated. "¡­ You became a criminal again. Right? That''s what you''re telling me." Robert stepped back. "In a way, yeah. But this wasn''t- isn''t for money or anything except promising your safety." "Safety from who?" Liam insisted. "Why can''t we just tell the police what''s happening? You were one-" "I won''t." Robert shook his head. "They can''t help us, son. These¡­ ''men'' that came for your mother, they''re not afraid of the police or any repercussions." "So what makes you think you can stop them?" Robert hesitated a moment, bowing his head. "... And you''re right, Liam. It was stupid of me to involve myself." A peculiar look was cast the man''s way, who continued. "And it wasn''t just me; you had to experience what happened that night, and I can never forgive myself for letting that happen in the first place." Liam touched the bandage across his nose, a flurry of memories he tried so hard to bury resurfacing in his mind. All he could remember that day were windows being shattered by loud bangs, and stray pieces of glass slicing him as his father forced him to crawl along the floor to safety. Even now his limbs quaked at reliving that terrifying experience, a hitch appearing in his breath. They had come here so he could forget that encounter, but it was apparent now that there was no escaping it. "I know you''re scared, son." Robert moved in to land a hand on Liam''s shoulder. "¡­ I''m scared, too. But I want you to get through this. I want you to come out of this stronger than before." "I just," Liam''s voice was choked up, "I just don''t know why this all had to happen." "Mistakes, son." Robert lowered his head again. "If I could go back and erase every mistake I made before meeting your mother, I would." His head rose. "¡­ But I can''t, and that''s what makes us human."
Liam''s paw slid off his bandaged nose as he stared blankly off into the distance. Wavy, sandy dunes stretched as far as the eye could see; bare and desolate, embraced by the lowering sun''s wrath. Jackson approached from behind, standing beside him. "My wife understood me; knew me inside and out. All the hate and ugliness that I was, she accepted that. At the same time, I accepted her own flaws, but¡­ she was angelic in my eyes." Liam wiped away his troubled grimace. "You said she tried to change you before." The Lucario nodded. "She was passionate and determined in her ways to ''fix'' me. She was like Peitho; tempting me to see something I just couldn''t. But then," his eyes became glazed over, "she struck something in me. Something I can''t ever get rid of." "... Fatherhood, right?" "... It was hard to imagine at the time, but there was a real chance. A real chance of me being a father." Jackson turned his back on Liam and clenched his paws as he took a few steps away, desiring a space to act out. "At first I was against it, but that¡­ that fucking woman." His paws pounded his head, held against his skull. "She saw something in me, and I gave in to her words. I was hopeful, ready to put my past all behind me. I was ready to begin my new life, and then¡­" His voice reduced into a hoarse whisper. "And then he was taken from me." "Your son - Apollo." Jackson faced Liam, eyes brimming with restrained emotion. "What kind of god would just allow a beautiful baby boy to die¡­ before he''s even lived?" His head shook. "No god. No god at all." Liam held a bated breath, finding any response to be pointless. All he could muster was a sympathetic look as the Lucario ambled towards him in his stiff steps. "It was never the same since. Our love was unbreakable but was silent. I didn''t realize how much that broke me, but it did. I became only a weapon after that, fulfilling the role I created." Jackson paused. "She moved on, accepted it. But I¡­ I could never accept something like that." Liam bit his lip and took a single step forward. He decided that now was his chance to confront the man. "Even when I first entered the guild, you acted strange - the way you looked at me at times. And even before that, when you decided to take me and Gloria in, did you know something I didn''t? And on Celestial Mountain¡­" A noticeable growl came from Jackson as the Riolu took another step, his twitching eyes boring into Liam. "You told me about the son you never had, his name. And when I think about it, all that training you did for me, why you only took me in your group, and what you said about pretending¡­ It all makes sense now. You did all of that because you thought I could be your son; I could be Apo-" A steadfast punch straight into Liam''s chest forced him to drop to his knees and wheeze for air. His pained and confused look shot upwards at the culprit. Jackson knelt to meet the gasping Riolu''s level, a furious and twisted scowl claiming his features. "Don''t you ever think you''re comparable to him, YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!" the Lucario roared, words laced with venom. "You''re just a naive and stupid fucking kid, who knows nothing! Some¡­ husk she sent to haunt me!" After a moment of silence between the two, Jackson straightened himself and gave one last look at Liam before backing up and storming away. Liam remained petrified for a moment. Only when the pain in his chest settled did he push himself back up. Yet, his breathing grew ragged as he watched Jackson leave. His paws were clutched tight, blinding anger visible through his gritting teeth. Instinct called, and he answered. Liam emitted a loud snarl and charged toward the Lucario, who did not take another step as the Riolu tackled into him, sending them tumbling down a sandy hill. Once at the bottom, grunts could be heard as they fought for control over one another, one clearly more ferocious than the other. Liam attempted to throw a wild punch, only for it to meet air. Every frenzied action of his was countered, eventually leaving him flat onto the ground, his arms pinned by Jackson, unable to budge. The area grew quiet once more, Liam resorting to calming himself as Jackson stared down at him, ultimately leaning in to speak. "You are broken. You are cursed. You are everything that I am. Because we''re the same." Jackson stood up, dusted himself off, and began to walk away again. Liam laid in the sand as intrusive thoughts surrounded him, like many times before. He blinked, a sudden epiphany overwhelming his senses. He slowly stood up, wearing a dazed expression as he turned to the Lucario. His mouth parted, "All these cryptic things you say, the things you''ve told me about. I didn''t understand any of it at first, but now I do. You say that we''re the same, because¡­" A deep breath was taken as Liam took another step. "Because you''re human... like me." Jackson stopped, a rush of dusty winds sailing through the area before he glanced back. "So you figured it out. But that''s not the only similarity we have, kid." "So that''s the truth, then. All this time... you knew. You knew about me, but you didn''t say anything." "I guess I didn''t, kid." "¡­ Why?" "¡­" Liam anticipated a response as Jackson fully turned around.
Robert took a long inhale of his cigarette, a sigh following a billow of smoke. " Did you know that I''m only thirty years old, Liam? Turn thirty-one next month. You and I aren''t so far apart in age, you know that?" Liam lobbed a rock with a swing of his arm, watching it tumble down a sandy cliff in the distance. "Mom did always say you looked older." He managed a small smile, thinking of past memories. "I remember when I was really young and thought you were really angry with her." Robert chuckled bitterly. "She always liked getting under my skin like that, but I enjoyed it. She was so lively; would brighten a room just by entering." He took another long drag. "Best believe she would''ve teased June as much as she did to you." At the mention of his little sister that never was, Liam''s fists clenched, fingernails digging into his skin. "She should''ve been here¡­ June - her and mom. They should be here right now, enjoying this." "I know, son." Robert smothered his cigarette into the ground, pocketing it and closing his eyes in shame. "This is all my fault. I''ve ruined that chance at a new life I was given, that perfect family we had. And I didn''t stop there¡­ I just had to ruin other lives. " "What do you mean by that?" Robert fought back tears as he threw his head up at the sky. "¡­ When I got back into this twisted game, there was a kid working with me. Only twenty years old; throwing away his life just to provide for his sister all the way across the country, in Seattle. He wasn''t like the others around him, but I could see their influence on him." He wrung his hands together. "I only wanted to help him escape this life, not be consumed by it, but when everything went to shit, and he needed help the most, I¡­ I let him give in." He looked at Liam, almost staring past him. "He''s dead now because of me." "... How many people have gotten hurt since you got involved again?" Liam mumbled, horrified at his account. Robert wilted at the boy''s gaze. "Countless. The things I''ve done, what I''ve seen. I want to get away, get away from everything." He shook his head. "But I''m trapped, son. I''ve gone too deep, and there''s no returning or running now, not like before." "But that can''t be true!" Liam suddenly yelled, shoving his father''s unbandaged arm. "We¡­ We can go somewhere! We can leave South Carolina, even! Go-" "No, Liam. There''s no escaping these people. There''s no escaping from what I have to deal with." A thoroughly vexed Liam whirled around at his words, knees hitting the sands as reality began to enclose him. The shimmering lake where they fished, the misty mountains of Appalachia that they climbed, and the vast desert that surrounded them; they were all just beautiful distractions, hollow husks of memories. No matter how hard the boy tried to forget and move on, he could never. Mrs. Lachaise had told him of this, how these feelings were understandable yet unavoidable. But now he could not even see her anymore. He picked up a stone and looked to throw it, yet instead squeezed it with all his might, releasing his frustrations into it. There were so many feelings rolling inside him - anger, sadness, fear. He was too weak to prevent anything that happened to his family, only able to watch as it crumbled before him. Not even a crack appeared in the stone as he attempted to compress it into nothingness. A hand was then rested on his shoulder. "I''ve realized how much of a monster I am, Liam. If you choose to hate me forever for what I''ve put you through, I accept that." "I... I don''t." Liam sniffled, feeling the tears coming. "You''re not a monster. You''re my dad." "And I wish I could be that till the end of time, son."
Liam did not realize the stone in his grasp was breaking until it was crushed into dozens of pieces. He watched the pile of newly created pebbles fall from his paws. "How long have you had all your memories?" he asked the Pokemon beside him. Jackson summoned a Fire Punch and held his flaming paw beneath the bottom of his wooden pipe, taking a puff of its stem not long after. "Right before the guild was created," he said, white smoke trailing his words. "The perspective it gave me of everything before that moment was¡­ overwhelming." His orange paw ring flickered. "But I pressed on, doing what was necessary and required of me." "You kept this entire side of you to yourself for two decades?" Jackson slowly nodded, glancing over. "Tell me, kid. Have you told that girl you''re partnered with about the true you yet?" "Gloria? She¡­" Liam frowned. "She doesn''t deserve to deal with what I have to go through." Jackson scoffed, "Yeah, that''s what I first thought, too. Pushed away every Pokemon I knew as a result, because I believed them knowing the truth would be too much. Sound familiar?" Liam''s gaze met the sands. "You don''t realize you''ve destroyed things before they''re already gone, kid. Everything you''ve bottled up just... explodes." Liam''s head eventually rose. "So, what''s it like to be human? Besides the fingers, clothes, and weird moving machines, what''s really being one? Can you remember that?" Jackson went silent to think. "To be human is to fuck up. To have every opportunity to change fly past you. And when you realize it, it''s already too late." He took one last puff of his pipe before bringing the arm holding it back and tossing it over the hill in front of them. "But any Pokemon could say the same." "So then what''s really the difference between us and Pokemon?" "¡­" Liam did not need to hear words to know his answer. Moments later, the Lucario turned to stare at him, his distressed gaze seemingly looking past the Riolu. "My soul is a cancer¡­ I have lived, died, and lived again." He held out his arms, analyzing them like they were not his own. "This fur I wear, this creature I am now, it doesn''t matter when the person inside it stays the same." Liam swallowed, a certain dryness in his throat. "... Did you really mean it? That I was a ''husk''? That I''m just nothing, and unlike the Pok- human that I was?" "I''d say that''d be up to you, kid, but it isn''t. You''re a husk of nothingness one moment, and then you''re not." "What do you mean?" "You will remember your true self, just as fragments before have appeared. But soon... you will remember everything." "I- I will?" Liam could tell by his somber tone that the Lucario did not consider this a good thing. "You really mean that, don''t you?" "Wouldn''t say it otherwise, kid. And when you do, then it really begins." The gears in Liam''s head began to turn. "¡­ Do you know why we''re here?" Jackson fell quiet again. "Kid, that''s something you couldn''t even begin to understand. No¡­ I''ll spare you from that. You deserve at least that much." Liam gritted his teeth at yet another barrier the man set up. "What? What do you mean I wouldn''t understand?!" Another urge to tackle the man again for answers grew, but he knew it was fruitless to attempt it. "This is something I have to bear." Jackson straightened himself, fighting back his tears. "I''ve already accepted my place in this cruel world, and I can only hope it leads me to some sort of salvation." His sullen look bored into the dismayed Riolu. "We were promised that." "... Wait. Aren''t we in this together? As humans!" Liam tried to reason as the Lucario wordlessly trudged away. "Why aren''t you telling me anything again? Didn''t you say we''re the same?!" he yelled desperately. Liam took a step forward and opened his mouth to shout again, only to be pulled into another memory.
"You need to know something, Liam." Robert straightened himself as tears welled in his eyes. His good arm stretched forward, a hand lying on the boy''s shoulders, who recoiled at the contact. "You need to know that whatever happens to me, that I never gave up on you. You and your mother were always in my heart no matter what." "... Whatever happens to you?" the boy struggled to repeat. Robert''s next words were choked. "I had so much fun teaching you how to fish, hike, horse ride. Things I never had a father to ever do with me. I only wish that I could have done so much more with you." Liam jostled the hand off his shoulder, lightly pushing the man to get his attention. "But you''re not going away! We''re gonna beat these guys! Right?" The lack of a response spurred the boy to push him again. "Right?! Tell me you are!" "I¡­ I can''t, Liam. They''ll get me - they will eventually - but I''ll never let them take you. I need you to know¡­" Robert finally broke, tears streaming down his face. "I need you to know, and accept, that one day in the future¡­ you might not have a father around anymore." The boy ferociously shook his head. "No, no, no!" His sniffles turned into audible sobs as tears clouded his vision. "You can''t just d-die! I already lost m-mom, and I c-can''t lose you, too!" He moved in to pound the man''s chest again, but instead fell into an embrace, his arms wrapped tight around his father as if not wanting to let go. "I''m so sorry, son¡­ " Robert wrapped his arms around him in a protective manner and held him close. A hand of his ran through the boy''s short, brown hair. "I''m so sorry," he muttered, knowing it was never enough. "P-Please don''t l-leave me¡­ Please!" Liam''s shaky voice devolved into muffled crying as he buried his face into his father''s side. "I''m sorry¡­"
Liam stood speechless as the Lucario continued to stumble away, his expression permanently fixed with despair. A single tear escaped him, sliding down his cheek. All attempts to speak died in his throat. Before Jackson could reach the patiently waiting Mudsdales'', he glanced back to look at the Riolu one last time. Liam could tell there was pain, grief, and guilt lurking in his red orbs; an expression he had seen countless times in the Pokemon before. "You will remember everything. You will remember every fleeting moment of happiness, every ounce of suffering you have endured. There''s no escaping it." Jackson reeled back his look and peered up at the many stars now coming into view. "There won''t be a time for us to talk in the future once you remember. But maybe when this is all over¡­ you''ll look at me in a different light, and we''ll start over again." With his parting words, Jackson hopped on a Mudsdale, waiting expectantly for Liam to follow along. Realizing there was nothing else to be said or argued against, Liam slowly copied the actions of his Guildmaster. Clambering onto the saddle of his own Mudsdale, Liam awaited the signal, and when it was sent, they started moving. Sinking lower and lower in the sky, the wavering sun highlighted the two equine Pokemon as they galloped across treacherous valleys, barren fields of cacti and cracked earth, and endless dunes of sand. So many emotions boiled inside Liam''s mind as they rode; anger, sadness, frustration. Yet, he never felt fear. The unknown was something that excited him, and even despite realizing he knew very little of the truth that was kept away from him, it stopped him none. If anything, he came out of this stronger than ever, more determined than ever to prove that he was not what the Guildmaster thought - a ''husk''. ''I am a Pokemon. I am a human... I''m alive, and I''m a person. I''m here for a purpose.'' Liam gripped the reins of his Mudsdale, eyes facing straight ahead. He was blind, naive, not knowing what lie ahead, yet was willing to see it.
To be human is to make mistakes, to be challenged in every way conceivable, and come out of it changed.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: Castaways Castaways Chapter 30 Castaways Distant, echoed shouts of other inmates carried across the cell grounds, followed by loud bangs of fists meeting the iron bars and commanding barks of patrolling correctional officers. A young man clad in a red jumpsuit received no verbal lashing as he quietly sat by his lonesome on a metallic bench in his cell. He wrung his hands together, repeatedly clenching them and then opening them through fresh bouts of anger, visible bruises, and purplish markings adorning his knuckles. His narrowed gaze remained upward, fixated on a barred window near the ceiling of his concrete confinement. The mere glimpses of the outside world he could see were patches of grass nestled up against the glass, and a single white wallflower erected proudly over the endless blue skies. He watched every movement of the flower as its petals slowly swayed in an invisible wind. He did not react when the sounds of boots stomping next to his cell got louder and louder. There was an unseen jangling of keys to his side, the door to his cell swinging open with a shriek. Only then did the young man pan his face down to look at the stern and wrinkled expression of the uniformed man beside his cell. "You''re up." Liam was ready to get this over with. Cold handcuffs were latched around his wrists as he exited his cell and was swiftly escorted out of the holding grounds through a flight of stairs. The dreary, dirty cages he once knew of were soon replaced by clean, sterile hallways that led him further to his fate. The only company by his side was the officer, his jumbled, murky thoughts, and the noise of his rattling handcuffs as he marched forward, his unblinking gaze staring straight ahead. Only a few halls and rooms did he have to cross before he finally arrived. The correctional officer stopped before a large wooden double door, fishing for the right key on his belt before inserting it into the door and twisting it unlocked, opening it right away. "Go in." Liam walked in not a second later. The courtroom proved less intimidating than he once thought, more modest in size than the ones he has been in before, yet the smell of mildew and stale air was something he always detested. Benches surrounded his narrow strip of dark gray carpet, only seated by a few people sticking to the back row that looked at him with apathy. He did not return their looks as he kept walking forward until he was before the judge''s tall podium, standing still and staring up at the black-robed person seated on the bench. The judge, an older woman with short, silvery rose-colored hair, returned the young man''s blank stare with her own quizzical one. She waited for the bailiff at the far end of the room to close the double doors. Once the entrance was locked once again, she began sorting through the stacks of paperwork on her podium''s desk, only speaking once they were fully scrutinized through her thin reading glasses. "If everyone is situated, the court can move on. We have CA20061628598. Today''s date is June 17th, 2006. Inmate, please state your full name." Liam inhaled deeply. "Liam Gaspard Shaw." "Shaw¡­" The judge appeared perplexed as she looked down to thumb through her papers again. "Hm. It appears I wasn''t wrong, and nor were the familial documents I see here in the background check. Your father was Robert Shaw, and your mother was Angelica Reyes." "Yes, your honor." The woman removed her glasses and set them on her desk. "As a matter of fact, I recently finished sentencing a few of your father''s accomplices just a few months ago. I''ve never seen a story quite like this in our state, and the chaos all those years back when it imploded." Her head shook. "You must''ve been in those trials before to testify. Haven''t you, Mr. Shaw?" "Six years ago I was, your honor." "You were thirteen years old at that time, then. I can only imagine how difficult that was, especially given the circumstances in which you endured during that time." Liam could tell there was disappointment lurking within her stare. "I was hoping I would never see you in handcuffs one day." Silence fell upon the courtroom, their exchange replaced by stifled coughs and the ringing keys of the active stenograph. The judge cleared her throat as she shuffled her papers again. "Well, I wish to not stall the court any longer. We shall proceed with the hearing." She slipped her glasses back on and began to read off her documents. "Mr. Shaw, you''ve been accused of Assault and Battery in the second degree; this carries a maximum sentence of three years in a state prison, and a fine of up to two-thousand-five-hundred dollars. The victim''s name is Sean Erickson Wright, who will not appear for this hearing, as he is still recovering in the hospital. I understand that we have a few witnesses subpoenaed for a later court date, but I will read off one witness statement now for the court to hear." The woman flipped through numerous pages until stopping at one in particular. "Ah, here we are. A witness states they saw you - Mr. Shaw - engaging in an argument with the victim - Mr. Wright - near the entrance of a pharmacy you had stepped out of earlier. According to the witness, Mr. Wright appeared to be slightly inebriated at the time of this encounter, and that this argument between you and the victim went physical after some time. It''s claimed that you struck Mr. Wright multiple times in the head, who then fell to the ground as you proceeded to severely kick him several times in his stomach and chest region. Other witnesses then immediately moved in to pull you away from Mr. Wright as he stopped moving and responding shortly after the attack, according to paramedics. They then say that you were very hostile and resisted their attempts to ameliorate the situation, but that you became calm and were cooperative with police when they arrived and drove you to CCDC." She pulled away the papers from her face. "Are you ready to enter a plea at this time, Mr. Shaw?" "Guilty, your honor." The judge glanced over to her right to make sure the stenographer heard his words. "The court does accept this plea. However, before we move on to the matter of bond, I did have a few questions regarding yourself and the victim." She removed her glasses again, crossing her arms on the podium. "This argument between you and Mr. Wright, can you tell me what exactly it entailed?" "He-" Liam flexed his digits, his blistered knuckles forming tightened fists from sheer anger of remembering. "He said¡­ awful things about my family, my father specifically, your honor. He recognized me, came over to me, spewed his garbage, and I stood for what I believed." "I understand that Mr. Wright and his family were personally affected by your father''s actions in the past, which is why I assume this encounter occurred in the first place." "Yes, your honor." "Can you tell me why you decided to assault Mr. Wright?" "I¡­" Liam paused momentarily. "I wasn''t gonna stand around and let him say all those things about my family, so I acted. I know I had a lot of feelings within me at that time, and I just¡­ I vented them on him, your honor." "Do you regret what you did to the victim?" "... No." The judge laced her fingers together as she mulled over his words. "I won''t sugarcoat it, Mr. Shaw. I understand your emotions weigh heavy even after all these years, but that does not excuse your flagrant attack of this man. This is an act that goes on records, and can follow you throughout your life." "I know, your honor." She pursed her lips. "Seventeen years I''ve been on this bench, and I''ve sentenced many young men such as yourself to what I believed was their inevitable fate. You''ve seen what it''s like in your brief time, Mr. Shaw, haven''t you?" "I have." "The men that occupy these cells, they''re rejects of society. Those who have lost control over their lives; that''s why they''re there. Not to just rehabilitate them, but to cast them away like scraps off a plate. Now tell me, Mr. Shaw, do you wish to become one of these men?" Liam considered his response, averting his gaze from her. "¡­ Your honor, every day of my life since my mother died has been a nightmare I could never wake from. It feels like I''m still in it. My life before all of this¡­ it was absolutely perfect. I keep reliving it over and over in my head, but it''s never the same; it''s gone forever now. It was all there once, but it''s gone now." He wetted his lips, eyes closing. "When I think about what I am now that it''s all over, I don''t really see a person anymore. Because really¡­ I died all those years back, with them." The court was silent yet again as the judge absorbed his words. "Mr. Shaw, do you want freedom from yourself? Do you want to be separated from what happened in the past, to what happens now? I realize that you think this is where it ends - many who enter my court think that - but ultimately the terms of your sentence are up to me." "¡­" The judge unhooked her fingers. "I wish to speak more in private after this hearing is finished, but we will proceed normally." She grabbed her papers. "I don''t see any priors, nor any outstanding warrants, and I see that¡­" The woman''s monotone voice faded as Liam withdrew his attention from the courtroom around him, waiting for it to finally be over as he shut his eyes. Fast, cold, yet invigorating was the sensation he felt. A deep blue pickup truck flew down a dirt road, a trail of dust and tire tracks left behind in its wake. The hand of its driver was extended out of the open window, palm splayed to catch the rapid winds at such a speed the vehicle was traveling. The truck then took a right, the barren road transitioning into rough gravel that ground under its spinning wheels. The truck came to a sudden stop near the hills of tall, green grass and cattail that bordered the trail. Not a second later, the sole occupant of the vehicle stepped out. Liam raised a hand over his face to combat the sun''s powerful rays. The humidity in the air clung to his skin as he pocketed his car keys and made his way around the truck, stepping off the gravelly road and descending the hill. Dew-covered shrubs and other wet foliage were pushed aside as he wandered deeper into the forested region. The sound of running water beyond the trees drew him further in, and it was not long before he uncovered the source. A creek split across the forest in multiple streaks of clear streams that connected to the grander body of water in the distance. River rocks not buried beneath the flowing current propped themselves up as water surged around them. The tall trees and their leaves provided a natural canopy over the area, strips of light cascading from its openings down onto the river. Liam felt his breath stolen by the sight as he walked slowly as if to not disturb the tranquility. He stopped near the ridge of the creek, shoes halfway steeped into the water. Six years had passed since he first came to Lake Jocassee, even if he was finding it hard to believe. For a long period, Liam simply stood and watched the white water rush downstream. He eventually began following its journey by walking beside the creek. His wandering gaze tracked each rustle or animalistic chirp of his surroundings, content to just watch and never interfere. Despite recent events fogging his mind, there was a small smile across his face. His small hike would end as the splintered creek merged into the greater lake, the trees ahead parting to a vast basin that shimmered in the daylight. Liam came to a stop again, taking the time to soak in the view. Of course, that was not all he wanted to do. His knees cracked as he bent down to pick up a handful of discolored rocks alongside the river. He brushed away any stones that were either too jagged or heavy, being left with a decent amount of flat, round ones. Clutching them, he sized up the body of water before him before taking a single stone. His wrist flicked as the stone flew from his hand and across the water, creating large ripples that kept pushing the stone upward until it inevitably met its fate deep in the lakebed. Fourteen skips. Spurred to keep going, he reached down to grab another bunch of rocks, only stopping his collection as something in the distance caught his attention. A small rowboat was being paddled across the surface of the lake - two hazy figures occupying it - a small figure, and a larger one. There was no doubt in Liam''s mind of what that pair was as he watched them gently cross out of sight. Something about the view now felt ruined - desecrated. Liam gripped the sole stone in his grasp, dropping it once it felt like all his frustration was poured into it. He lingered in these new yet very familiar feelings as he breathed a sigh. A hesitant hand then rose from his side and dug into the pockets of his jeans, retrieving a small slip of folded paper. Breaking its seal, he straightened it out before reading its printed font, scoffing a second later. ''Charleston Counseling Office: (843-87-'' Liam scrunched the paper together as he avoided reading the rest, yet tried not to tear it. After all, it was his sentencing that the judge of his case gave to him, and one he was obligated to commit to. He shoved the paper back into its pocket, knowing he would have to deal with its ramifications later. As for the present, he decided to stay a little longer, enjoying this brief moment of respite among nature. In just a while, he would be back on the road again, back to see what remained of his old home.
Blue and yellow curls danced around Liam''s vision as they began to ebb back into his peripherals. The Riolu''s body rustled back and forth atop the galloping Mudsdale as he stared off into the distance, aghast at the memory burned into his mind. The angered quaking in a paw of his alerted him back to reality, reaching down to place his other on top to settle its movement. Wetting his lips, Liam returned to gripping the sides of the saddle, trying to make sense of what he saw. Two quadrupedal silhouettes contrasted against the setting sun as they dashed toward the town of Sanctus. The rough sands that their hooves pounded gradually shifted into patterns of orangish cobblestone. They maneuvered around various Pokemon that gathered in the streets, the intensity of the crowds increasing as they went further into the town. Liam could hear the heart of the protests raging away in the town square ahead - just as they were when they arrived first here - yet his attempts to get a glimpse of it in action were ripped away as the Mudsdales'' cut across the street and into an alleyway to avoid entering the square. After a few minutes of gently riding through the alleys in between homes and market stands, they finally arrived at their destination. The Grit Ruins Excavator headquarters was bustling with action; the Mudsdales'' stationed were affixed with carriages, patiently awaiting instructions as they always did. Guild members and a sparse amount of Excadrill''s workers also assisted with hauling boxes of goods from the main building to the carriages loaded with cargo. The two late equines trotted over to their kin and stopped as the Riolu and Lucario leaped from their saddles, Liam letting out a sigh. The expedition was really coming to an end, and they would soon return home. Upon their arrival, Scizor and Garchomp immediately stopped what they were doing at the sight of them. The sand shark was the first to speak as she stomped over loudly, tail whipping behind her with a scowl staining her features. "You mind telling us what the deal was with you straying off the path?" she barked at Jackson as he strode towards her. "We didn''t know where the hell you were, and you didn''t even say anything on your ELE! Me and Scizor had to pick up the slack and get everyone else to work on the carriages!" "I see that you managed fine," Jackson said calmly, aiming to move past the dragoness. "Now, if you''ll excuse me-" Garchomp positioned herself in front of the Lucario. "Woah, woah, woah, you''re not just gonna up and wander away again without answering some questions. Scizor and I deserve at least that much, you think?" Scizor realized where this was going. "Garchomp, we can discuss this later-" "No. I know there won''t be a later with him," she said, glowering at him. "All that shit back at Regi Castle, with you freaking out over those ''artifacts'' and not saying a damn word to us. So tell us, what''s so important about ''em to make you act like that, huh? You''re not ignoring me this time." Liam quickly realized this was not a conversation he wanted a part of as he took a step back. Jackson, however, chose to stand his ground. "I don''t need to tell you anything," the Lucario spat. "Your team and the rest of my guild will know in time the developments we have made - that is final. And so will the Council be informed of our progress; not when they have the chance to strike it down, but when we fulfill what''s needed to be done." Garchomp leaned further in, baring her wicked sharp teeth at him. "''What''s needed'', huh? You''ll just lie and hide secrets from them like the rest. Why don''t you cut the act and tell us what''s really happening here?" Jackson went silent, flicking his gaze up and down the dragoness'' imposing form as he slowly approached her. "When the Pokemon of Celestic realize our intentions, and when the entire world knows that our goal is legitimate. When the threat of the Mystery Dungeon and the ley lines vanish - and the world is saved - your questions, yours and the Council''s concerns¡­" He stopped inches from her, eyes narrowing. "... No one will care." Jackson pushed past Garchomp before she could utter another response. It took her a massive amount of willpower, along with the red pincer of Scizor blocking her, to not stomp after the Pokemon, instead resorting to growling obscenities under her breath. Meanwhile, Liam appeared quite troubled after listening to their argument, swallowing the lump in his throat, and finding the courage to speak up. "Uh¡­ Mrs. Garchomp? Am I allowed to know what''s going on between you and the Guildmaster?" Garchomp''s head snapped towards Liam, producing a small yelp from the Riolu. She formed a bitter smile. "Didn''t see you there, Liam - just Garchomp. And yeah, I guess you know already I''m pretty damn upset with your Guildmaster." She waved a talon at Scizor''s stuttering attempts to stop her. "It''s okay, Sciz, not like he didn''t hear it." "Do the others know?" Liam questioned. "It''s¡­" Garchomp sighed. "Look, it''s pretty private stuff, and I made the mistake of being a loudmouth; blame me for being partners with two of ''em." A chuckle broke her sour mood. "Don''t tell your guildmates this, but I have issues with your Guildmaster. He''s a pretty secretive guy, and he''s preventing us from knowing crucial information about this expedition''s discoveries. Why? Only Arceus knows¡­ I just wish your Guildmaster was like he was when my team originally met him; this would go a whole lot smoother." Liam frowned at her claim, knowing full well how the Lucario acted. "Will this affect things when we return to the guild?" Garchomp shrugged, "I''m not a Psychic-type, so I can''t predict the future. It may if your Guildmaster refuses to share what he knows, or if the Council finds out about our little ''scuffle'' with that mercenary clan." Scizor gave her a look that said everything, to which she nodded. "We can talk a bit more on the carriage ride, but you should regroup with your team. Gloria''s been pretty worried that you vanished without a trace, so I''d check up on her." Liam bit his lip. "Oh yeah, I should do that right away. She, uh, gets like that if I''m gone for too long." Garchomp laughed again. "She''s a fighter, that one. Plenty of moxie in her, and I knew doing a little training with her would draw that out. You two make a great pair from what I''ve seen and heard. One day you could be like my or Scizor''s team." Liam puffed his chest. "It''d be a real honor to be seen like that, Mrs- er, Garchomp." Garchomp winked and turned to lumber away. "Keep at it and you will." Scizor would offer the Riolu a hasty bow as he followed her. Liam knew what was required of him as he spun on his heels and began marching toward the double doors of the large wooden structure. He swerved around Gurdurr and Drillbur carrying crates and other supplies until he ended up in the foyer. A quick survey of his surroundings proved no sign of her, only fellow guild members packing their belongings, so he took the creaky stairs up to the hallways that connected their rather brief living quarters. It was only around ten seconds of moseying around the halls until he heard the soft voice of his partner. "Liam!" He glanced down the hall to see the Vulpix herself nearly barreling towards him. He took a step back just in case as she stopped mere inches from him, a very relieved expression dancing across her muzzle as her plume of tails wagged behind her. "You''re back! Everyone said they saw you and the Guildmaster broke away from the group," Gloria said, forming a frown. "Why did you do that? You made me really worried¡­" Liam scratched his neck with a paw. "Yeah, sorry about that. I was checking on the Guildmaster and stuff." "Is, um, something wrong with him?" "Nah, we¡­ talked about things." "Like what?" Liam bit his tongue as he went quiet. He wished that he had the strength to tell everything to her, to make her understand his inner strife, especially after what the Guildmaster told him. But he could not, and it tore him up inside that he was going to continue lying to her face again. "¡­ Nothing. Just stuff about the expedition and our team." He smiled widely. "He said that we''re doing great so far, and we might have some special jobs just for our team when we get back!" "Really? That''s amazing! But¡­" Gloria dropped her smile. "But I really wish you would stop wandering off, especially during important missions." "I know, and I''m sorry. I won''t do it again without telling you." Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "... Can you promise?" "I, uh, well-" "Sis, you can''t make guys promise on stuff like that," a suave voice rang. "It''s in our nature to disobey." Roark came strutting down the hall as best he could with his bandaged leg. A smirk was plastered across his muzzle as planted himself between the pair, an arm latched on Liam''s shoulder. "I see you''re back, blue boy. Tell me, were the cacti and piles of sand fascinating up close?" Liam snorted. "I wasn''t just sightseeing, Roark, but yeah, it''s very pretty out there." He waved his paws around. "You got miles of undisturbed nature to explore; plus riding on those Mudsdales'' is really fun!" "Boooring," Roark said, emphasizing by pretending to yawn. "I''ll tell ya what''s really interesting - going back home for a nice nap and then getting our reward for diving into this sandpit." "Reward?" Gloria asked with a tilt of her head. "Who said that?" Roark looked over both shoulders before leaning back in to speak. "Word around the ole grapevine is that our favorite slacker - Charizard - leaked some little info that Scizor and the grumpy guy in charge told him." His smirk grew. "Turns out the guild is getting a quick vacation over in that Eden Theater place." Liam exchanged a look of surprise between Roark and Gloria, who appeared even more intrigued than he was. Almost an entire year had passed since they attended its premiere, and despite their encounter with Magmortar, the whole event was very exciting to be present for. "Uhuh, and that''s not even the best part," Roark continued, "''cause it looks like we lucky ''mons get the full package for a day. Bar, personal suites, private theaters, did I mention the bar? All free. And this time there''s no pyromaniac with cannons for arms trying to torch you, so consider that a plus," he finished with a wink. "This is great!" Gloria exclaimed, a glint in her eyes. "I hope they have any of those new ''films'' to show. Oooh! And I wonder if they could adapt some famous plays, too! Like ''Taming of Fire'' and ''Meloetta''s Last Ballad''!" Giddiness was very apparent in her voice as she tugged on her scarf and necklace. Roark held up his claws. "Hey, you didn''t hear this from me." He shot Gloria a look. "And I know you''re excited, sis, but don''t make me drag you from that theater like I have to with your books sometimes." A roll of the Vulpix''s eyes spurred a chuckle out of the Zoroark as he frazzled the tuft of fur atop her head. "I''m able to control myself just fine," she huffed. "It''s you that I''m worried about¡­ All that drinking; it''s unhealthy." "And so is your Pokepuff addiction," Roark shot back, chuckling. "You''ll understand my reasons when you reach my age, sis." He glanced towards an amused Liam. "Tell your team leader I''m right." Gloria stamped a paw on the floor and gave her brother a stern glare. "Tell my brother he''s wrong, Liam." Liam blinked, before breaking out into a laugh. "You two¡­" He smiled and shook his head. "You two are amazing." "Hey, I already know that," Roark said as he tapped the nose of Gloria, causing her to scrunch her muzzle. "Sis just needs a little more coaching in her ring to accept that, and I shall provide." Gloria let out an exasperated sigh. Liam opened his mouth to say another remark, yet a lump forming in his throat after remembering recent circumstances forced it down. He attempted to swallow it, to no avail. "I, uh¡­ need to get some air. Is that okay with you guys?" Roark scoffed. "You''re telling me you didn''t get enough of the desert already?" He shrugged. "Go ahead. Just don''t run off before we leave, or else sis will go ballistic again." "I wasn''t ''ballistic'' - just worried," Gloria mumbled softly. Liam began walking down the stairs. "I''ll meet up with you both at the carriages." Once the Riolu was out of sight and earshot, Roark leaned in to whisper something to Gloria. "Have you noticed anything about ''em? His eyes were a little puffy and red, and you know what that means¡­" She absently twirled the centerpiece of her necklace with a paw. "I didn''t want to be, um, intrusive or anything. He''s gone through a lot of change in such a small amount of time, but I hope it''s something we can help with, and that he can tell me about anytime." "You said he''s been staring into space and stuff a lot more, right?" "Yeah, daydreaming. Like, sometimes he''s awake, and then he''s unresponsive. I don''t know if that''s related to his amnesia." A chuckle flowed out of the Zoroark. "Don''t worry so much about it, sis. Sometimes I also clock out of reality, so give the kid a break." "¡­ I just hope it''s not something bad." Roark didn''t respond as he furrowed a brow, attempting to dissect this mystery. Through this mental trial, an idea began to take shape in his mind.
''Geez, how long is this ladder¡­'' Liam''s paw grabbed onto what appeared to be the last plank of a ladder as he ascended up it. He was immediately hit with a warm and dry breeze once he emerged from the small trap door and onto the roof of the large wooden structure. From here he could see all of Sanctus Town and its aged clay buildings from a vantage point. Liam took a deep breath and relaxed his frayed nerves. He gripped his head with both paws and attempted to hold steady the mind that caused him so much trouble inside. Stumbling over to the railing that boxed in the roof, he shoved his thoughts aside and took in the view instead. The sky had turned a vibrant purple with an orangish hue that was slowly being consumed as the sun retreated further - stars that began to be visible and were ubiquitous. While the beauty would have entranced him any other day, Liam''s gaze was glued to something else occurring in the city. The protests. Tiny cinders and columns of gray smoke from lit fires wafted past him, combining with the loud cries filling the air around Sanctus Town, originating from the town''s central square. Crowds of civilian Pokemon and scores of both local and Council guards partook in a standoff, the latter of which staking behind makeshift cover. The two sides would clash every now and then, tiny objects or stones launched at the guards, who retaliated by smacking away any Pokemon that got too close to them. "Quite a sight, isn''t it?" Liam spun around at the voice''s introduction. The Lucario pulled himself out of the latch as he too walked towards the roof''s railing. He peered out into the chaotic streets. "... This is the fate of all civilizations, kid." His unblinking stare found Liam. "Rise. Control. Power. Unrest. Unraveling. Collapse. Decay. Repeat. Humanity''s no different, and neither is the Council." Liam rested his arms on the railing. "So many Pokemon out there in the town that are just barely surviving. We all saw it throughout the expedition. The help they need isn''t coming, and if it is, it just isn''t fast enough." "These Pokemon. They''re cast aside, their pain intended to be unseen by all," Jackson said. "But they''ll be the beginning. It took one action to cause this uproar, and it''ll only take one spark to light the fire of something different." Liam gave him a confused look. "You really think that?" "I know so." Jackson turned. "Come on. We''re leaving." Liam''s attention flicked between the Lucario beside him and the raging protest. Of what he had seen so far of this ''Pokemon world'', it seemed so peaceful and beautiful, yet this event and many others showed him it was from that ideal perception he once had. So many emotions inside him festered that he didn''t realize a paw of his was trembling in anger. He halted its movement and looked up at Jackson - concerned - as if it was out of his control. "¡­ Guildmaster, do you remember what you were like before your memory was returned?" Liam remembered the painting of Team Moonlight he had seen earlier. He bit his lip. "Garchomp said something to me about when she first met you; that you were a lot different." Jackson let out a puff of air. "Oh yeah, I was different. I wasn''t the man that I was now, not even close. I thought more - docile, less authoritative, naive - a blank slate." He looked at the Riolu. "A lot like you." A pit grew in Liam''s stomach as he watched Jackson walk back to the ladder hatch. "Guildmaster." The Lucario stopped. "I woke up in this world thinking I wanted to get my memories back, find out who I was, and see my family again because I felt empty and lost. I got that wish, and it felt like freedom to know that I really existed once. But¡­ ever since Celestial Mountain, it felt like whatever- whoever I was before this, they''re coming back. And I can''t do anything to stop that from happening." Liam found it hard to say his next words. "I-I''m not scared, but what if gaining all my memories back will change me like it did to you?" Jackson went silent as his orange paw ring flared. "You should be scared." The Lucario dropped into the hatch and began climbing down the ladder as Liam bored into the roof''s tiles. He threw a glance behind him at the protests, then to the hatch. Tightening his paws, he fought off the reluctance to stay and followed after his Guildmaster. Down on the ground level of the Grit Ruin Excavator building, the guild members had just finished loading the carriages, and now were boarding themselves. Scizor marched around, a clipboard in his grasp as he inspected each of the cargo collected. Once everything was accounted for, he fluttered over to his carriage and awaited his Guildmaster''s command for them to leave. "Sciz." The Bug-type glanced over his shoulder to see Garchomp stomping over. "Garchomp. Is there anything on your mind before we return?" "Yeah, and I need a solid answer." She stopped near the carriage and hooked a talon over its railing. "You remember what I said I wanted you to do after the expedition ended?" Scizor seized up but nodded. "... I do." She leaned in. "Listen. I know you''re hesitant since he''s your friend and partner, but this is beyond that now. He shouldn''t be in charge in his state of mind, and not when he''s withholding information from you and Charizard." "I understand, Garchomp. I only hoped there was another way around this." "Trust me, I wish there was, too. But with the way things are now with these ''artifacts'' and-" She stopped to look around and make sure no guild members were eavesdropping, before dropping her voice to a whisper. "-and the Alignment being involved more than a millennium ago? I got a bad feeling about all of this." "We''ll overcome, Garchomp. In time, I believe we will figure out all the secrets that keep us from accomplishing our goal here. Our discoveries here prove that." She scraped her talon alongside the wood. "Well, I''m glad you''re in good spirits about things, but we need to resolve things with Jackson first." "... I''ll do it. I''ll confront him, and I''ll see if I can make him step down, if only momentarily as we decide our next move." Garchomp tried to grin, but it faltered. "It''s only so long ''til the Council finds out what we''ve done. Your guild will have to reveal your findings, and who knows what happens after that." "What will your team do now?" "Aggron, Tyranitar, and I''ll be taken back to home base by the Mudsdales'', but we won''t be there long. Missions to catch up on, meetings to attend, though I''m sure the Council will come to question us soon on our involvement." She shook her head. "Fucking Jackson roping us into this mess¡­" Scizor lowered his gaze. "I''m very sorry that your team was pulled into this." "Nah, don''t be. I made my decision to take part in this; we all did." A talon tapped Scizor''s shoulder. "And I hate to admit it, but Jackson was right. My team¡­ we haven''t done our best in helping your guild, but I want to change that starting now." "Your team has done so much for us already, Garchomp. But thank you, we will need as much help as we can get." Garchomp stepped away from the carriage. "We''ll keep in contact with each other. And let me know if- when Jackson decides there needs to be new leadership." She flashed him a grin. "I know you''ve got what it takes, and everyone in the guild will see, too." "... Thank you, Garchomp." As she lumbered back to her own carriage, Scizor''s head fell back against the wooden railing. He closed his eyes, dreading a moment in the future he had no choice but to do. Minutes passed, guild members happily chatting away with each other before a single shout from a Shiny Lucario seated them and kickstarted the guild''s exit. The Mudsdales'' formed a solid line of carriages that gradually filed through the streets. Once they poured through the town''s entrance, the hooves of the equines began to pound the dusty trails with all their might. The setting sun highlighted the guild''s form as they vanished into the desert - their journey home now realized. In the absence of their wake, all was still in the town of Sanctus in the eyes of any onlooker. It was as if time stopped for the small settlement until it happened. BOOM. There was an echoing shot of gunfire, then another. BOOM. More shots filled the air with devastating bangs as the sky became lit with the expulsion of elemental energy erupting from the town''s central square - the spark now lit.
Her lantern flickered. Particles of dust and ash floated around the small chamber of solid sandstone. Darkness desired to be her only friend as it encompassed all corners of her vision, closing further in as her only source of light began to dim with each passing second. She would have counted the seconds until it went, but even that she was incapable of. Her lantern flickered again. Its flame went out permanently. Mew stared up at the ceiling, too weak and consumed by sickness to do anything but. Her searing headache robbed her mind of any lingering thoughts. She had tried to close her eyes and sleep away the inevitable, but her pain was too sharp, too constant. She was grafted to her bed for an amount of time that alluded her, but it was pointless to think about it. All she waited for was the release of death. As time passed, her blistering headache only seemed to create more pain for her. She felt as if this was the end, and readied herself for it. Her pain grew to a climax that threatened to tear her up inside; she desired to scream, yet no words would come out as she was engulfed in a shadow. Darkness. Mew slowly opened her eyes to the view of inky black all around her. She miraculously found there to be movement in her limbs as she shakily held them up to her face - flabbergasted. She whipped her erratic gaze around the silent, limitless space she found herself in. A sense of claustrophobia settled in as she did not dare move. In the blink of an eye, a grassy floor expanded from nothingness and began to eat away at the darkness. Tall trees and bundles of colorful flowers budded and blossomed instantaneously. Patches of vibrant pinks, oranges, and whites filled in the gaps like splotches of paint on a canvas, illustrating the perfect backdrop of the morning sun that peeked over the forest. The sound of water, wind, and rustling leaves were constant. Mew was paralyzed - one moment she was at the brink of demise, and now she was at the center of an almost mystical landscape. She finally found the nerve to move, floating slowly around her surroundings, as if she would shatter the world if she went faster. "Hello." Mew recoiled at the introduction of a silky, female voice emanating throughout her mind. Her head snapped in all directions in hopes to spot the originator. "H-hello?" "I am happy to see another Pokemon¡­ It has been quite some time." Mew swallowed, "W-where am I? Am I¡­ dead?" The disembodied voice fell silent for a brief moment. "You were caught between both extremes - life and death. Your soul has fallen into a web, now under my embrace." Mew failed to come up with a response. Her instincts to study her surroundings got the better of her as she flew over to a fern dripping with dew. She touched it gently, a drop of water landing on her paw. She was surprised by how real its leafy texture felt, and how the trickle of wetness slid down her fur. "... If I''m not dead, then what is this place?" "Beautiful, yes? It is but one of infinite possibilities, one of many iterations." Mew drew back in shock as the sight of numerous landscapes appeared and disappeared in an instant within her vision. Bountiful illusions enticed her instantly, though she had not the slightest clue of why. When the visions receded, she felt herself longing to see them again, troubled by these new feelings. "What did you just do to me? W-what were those places you showed me? And who even are you?" "You are a curious one, but there is someone I wish you would meet first." The trees in front of Mew groaned as they were effortlessly shoved aside, obscuring thickets and other greenery slipping away into the grass. A path was created that was free from any obstacles, lined with white wallflowers that danced in the wind. A shining light up ahead intended to persuade Mew into reaching it. Hesitantly, she fulfilled the voice''s directions and began to glide across the grassy path. The beacon of light she flew after would increase in luminosity as she got closer. It blinded her, enveloping her vision in all-encompassing white. When the light receded, she found herself staring at a familiar figure. Victini. Mew''s eyes grew wide as she rushed over to the Pokemon, colliding into his chest and wrapping her arms around his torso. He accepted the unprompted hug and held her close as her fresh tears stained his fur. "V! Please, please tell me, please," she whispered, "please tell me this is really you." "It is, Mew. It''s me." Mew reluctantly removed herself from the embrace, wiping away her tears. "I''m s-so glad to see you, V. I''ve¡­ I''ve been so alone without you, and I''ve tried so hard to continue our work, but everything went so wrong, and-" "Shhh," Victini hushed her, his voice strangely soft and soothing. "It''s okay, Mew. Everything is going to be all right now." Mew steadied her emotions with deep breaths. "Do you know where we are, V?" Victini extended a paw forward. "I''ll show you. Grab my paw." She accepted the offer and gripped his paw as he pulled her further down the path. The landscape around them warped again as fields of tall, golden wheat rose from the inky shadows, the sky now a rich shade of orange. Strange animalistic chirps could be heard among the strands, mixed in with choirs of soft, echoing voices that sang and cried out to them. They followed a trail of fallen golden leaves through the seemingly endless fields of grain. "Ah... Nice, isn''t it?" Victini asked as he walked. "Do you feel relaxed? I always feel very relaxed in this place." "What is this place, V? How come we''re in it?" "Look around you, Mew. It''s pure magic, pure bliss. No fear, no hatred, nothing that could harm you or me." Victini inhaled in the pleasant aroma around them. "Sometimes I don''t want to leave... ever." Mew felt lost, "What do you mean by that? You didn''t answer me¡­" Neither the ''voice'' nor Victini seemed inclined to give a straight answer, and it only served to confuse her more. "¡­ Mew, have you ever felt like your life wasn''t fair?" She was caught off guard by his sudden switch in demeanor, unable to form a response as he continued. "I mean, what have either of us really done with our lives that was accepted? That wasn''t required for us to do? We were born under the grasp of other Legendaries, dictated that we should live and die under our banner of worship of Arceus. We were never allowed the life of a normal Pokemon, never allowed to really live. Our dreams of escaping our duties and running away to start a new life... were just dreams, and could never be ours. We never lived our lives, Mew, we lived the lives of others." "No¡­ Don''t say that," she mumbled. "You can''t really tell me you think that." Her memories of the energetic and positive Pokemon did not match the Pokemon in front of her. "All our work to save the world was all for nothing in the end. Our accomplishments and goals never mattered; only if it benefitted those in power. The king of Celestic, the Legendaries greater than us¡­ they''re all the same. They never cared about the Pokemon of the world, only themselves. But they have no power here, no sway over our lives. We''re free, Mew, free from their evil, their hate, their control over us." "You''re not making sense, V. This isn''t like you at all." Victini calmly turned around, a relieved expression across his face. "Oh¡­ I''m done, Mew. I''m so done with being the servant. I''m done being the ''hero'', and I''m done living their lives." A thick fog rolled in over the field as Victini began to walk forward. He stopped and kneeled to pluck a white wallflower blooming out of the ground before stumbling into the misty cloud and vanishing out of sight. "W-wait up!" Mew wasted no time flying after him. She entered the barrier of fog and was immediately assaulted with blankets of vapor that shrouded her perception. She flew further into the murky and barren landscape, desperately searching for her lover. "V! Can you hear me? Where are you?!" "You are quite the perceptive Pokemon, understanding my lines. You had given up your life in pursuit of which you did not understand - an admirable trait for someone so young." "What do you-" She scowled. "Where''s Victini? Why is he acting so strange? And who are you?!" Mew gasped in shock as the earth around her began to quake violently. She gawked as an impossibly tall mountain rose from the ground, piercing the fog with its might. "What you uncovered in the heart of Celestial Mountain stirred the search for answers within you. Even following major setbacks, you marched forward into the unknown." The terrain shook again as a fortress of pure sandstone shot out of the ground beside Mew. She instantly recognized the massive structure as Regi Castle. "Your desire for knowledge brought you here, and your fate was sealed within its ghastly chambers. Yet your soul endures." "You said that before. My¡­ soul?" "Lives on. Your harps were hung from the willows when the tendrils of death unfurled, but your very being has been preserved by me." "Preserved by¡­" Mew mouthed before she shook her head ferociously. "Enough with the convolution already! Give me a straight answer!" she shrieked, on the verge of tears. "What is this place?!" "¡­ You wish to see. Very well. I will show it to you." The dense fog surrounding Mew dissipated and left behind a dark void of nothingness. In the blink of an eye, she was in yet another almost ethereal environment. A crisp, verdant grassland was where she found herself, accented by rolling hills of green and cold, harsh winds that occasionally swept through. Darkness ushered in over the near featureless plains, yet a small yellowish light could be seen fulgurating in the distance as Mew squinted her eyes at it. To her, it looked like a campfire. Mew enacted on her curiosity and flew over to investigate. As she got closer, a gasp escaped her at what she saw. A Pokemon was seated down on a wooden log, deeply staring into a crackling fire before him, shadows dancing behind it - Victini. His inattentive stare into the campfire was stolen as Mew drifted over to him, alleviated at his presence. "V, it''s you again¡­" Victini''s stare drilled into her - elated yet exhausted. "Mew¡­ It''s really you." She noticed the more natural tone in his voice. "I thought I was seeing things, but I guess I wasn''t¡­ heh." Mew tilted her head. "But we just talked - don''t you remember? You said all these things about our lives; stuff I''ve never heard you say before." He gripped his head, wincing. "... Sometimes my mind feels cloudy, and I can''t hear my own thoughts or say my own words. I blank out, and I think it''s because of this strange place." "Do you know where we are?" Victini went silent but slowly nodded. "Yeah, I do. Tell me, before you arrived here, did you ever have a really wicked headache?" Mew blinked, now remembering the painful sensation ailing her mind while she was on her deathbed. "I did¡­" "Before I was brought here, I had such a really bad headache while recording my notes through those Projection Crystals." He sighed. "I thought it was just a migraine from overworking and stress, but I didn''t realize what it really was before it was¡­ y''know." The gears in Mew''s mind began to turn as a horrible realization sprouted within her. "I remember that crystal; you were in so much pain, but you tried to detail your thoughts, and then that shadow formed you. That must mean¡­" "Exactly. You and I experienced the same headaches, and now we''ve been engulfed by a forming magnagate." Mew''s heart sank. Victini continued as he returned to stare into the campfire. "When I came here, I heard a woman''s voice. She spoke to me as I wandered around this weird place, like she was encouraging me to keep exploring. I tried finding her, but it was pointless. But it didn''t take long for me to figure out where I really was." "But¡­ How are you so sure we''re inside a magnagate?" "Look up." Mew heeded his words as she peered upward, a chill racing across her spine at what she saw. Glowing lines of solid orange energy fluctuated and pulsated among the pitch-black skies. The largest splintered off into more criss-crossing lines that birthed even smaller curls and wavering strands. Each line was connected to another, and all intersected at one point - the core. Its light was intense, blinding those who looked too long. It hummed an eerie frequency for all to hear, mixed in with the sounds of flowing water, sharp wind, and rustling leaves. "... It''s the ley lines," Mew uttered with a horrified expression. "So we really were-" She did not have the strength to finish her sentence. Victini grinned as he pointed up at the sky. "Look! It''s exactly like I thought! All of these lines come from a single coordinate. They all feed information and energy to each other to expand." His grin faltered. "And, well, you and I were caught in it while it expanded." Mew''s breaths were shaky as he tried to control her emotions. "I-is this where the Pokemon in the dungeons come from? Those miners we tried to save, they have to be trapped here with us as well." "Look around, Mew." Her gaze swept through the grasslands, spotting multiple Drilbur wandering the fields aimlessly, some pointing claws at the anomaly above them in both awe and fear. As she looked closer at their surroundings, she noticed parts of the land that were in stark contrast to the grassy plains - forests of pine, a snowy tundra, barren deserts, rocky cliffs - all fractured off the mainland and drifting over a sea of the infinite void. "They were caught in the forming magnagate as well," Victini said. "All of us - we''re in some state of quantum loop - a limbo between life and death, like the voice told me when I arrived. Once we''re here, the ley lines must send ''information'' of us back to the magnagates above it and project a physical recreation of us - just like the land they consume and then ''dungeonize'' when we enter a magnagate. That would explain the attacking Drilbur in the magnagate we found." He flashed his signature ''v'' sign, withholding another smile. "I came up with a name for this phenomenon! ''The Apparition Effect''. It would''ve been great to tell you all this during the project, but¡­ it''s too late for that, I guess." Mew managed a small smile as she floated closer to him. "You''re so smart, V. If only you were still around, maybe we could''ve put an end to all of this. I wouldn''t have any nights where I couldn''t sleep, couldn''t eat, think. We could''ve left our research behind and ran away. It would just be so-" "Hey, hey, it''s not the end, Mew," he interrupted. "It never is. You gave it your best - I know you did - and I know there''ll be Pokemon that''ll solve what we couldn''t." Mew was mere inches from him. "I just¡­ I''m just so happy to hear your voice and see you again, V. I don''t care what happens to me, as long as we''re together through this." Victini glanced up at her as he held out his paw for her to grab. She obliged, both of them holding each other for support as they stared into one another''s hearts. "¡­ I don''t know, Mew. This place is so crazy, and I''m not sure if it''s real, or if I''m even real," he admitted, but offered her a genuine look. "But I don''t care about that now. No matter what happens to me, I want you to know¡­ I love you, Mew." She sniffled, gripping his paw tight. "I love you too, V." As if on cue, a cold gust of wind blew through the grasslands, snuffing out the warm blaze of the campfire and sundering the region into abject darkness. Mew no longer felt the warm fur of Victini as he vanished with the wind. Now all alone, Mew turned to see that a particular object was lying in the remnants of ash and dying embers of the campfire. A Pokemon egg. A warmth grew in Mew''s chest as she stared at it, her thoughts dashed away as captivation took control. She slowly floated over to it, gently picking it up as she felt its lifelike texture, sensing in her paws the thump of a heartbeat from within its life-giving shell. Mew did not know why, but she knew deep inside that this was her egg - her child. "I can see, feel, and hear the love you share with each other. Lovers that were cast away from each other, now reunited in a promised land; free from hate, evil, corruption, and entropy. I have seen your deepest desires, and one was most prominent above all - motherhood." Tears streamed down Mew''s face as she clutched the egg close to her chest and looked over her shoulder - terrified. "¡­ What are you?" Silence reigned momentarily over the grasslands. "I¡­ I am the future of this world." Mew flinched as the egg she held began to gradually disappear. She desperately tried to keep hold of it, to no avail. "But this promised land is but an illusion of the mind. A painting that you can only appreciate, yet never live within its perfect colors." Fear strangled Mew''s heart as the grassy plains surrounding her faded, replaced by dreaded walls of sandstone. They formed a perimeter around her, a maze-like structure of rooms and winding corridors encasing her in like a tomb. "I take no pleasure in what happens to you. It is beyond even my control. But do not be scared, as there is a light at the end. And you shall see it when the time comes¡­" Mew wanted to scream as an alien sensation brute-forced its way into her mind. She could not control her own body as she felt vestiges of her soul being ripped out of her, eyes dulling and turning blank and lifeless. A pressure in her vacant mind told her to move, to wander, to attack anything that moved, and she obeyed. "March, little soldier, until paradise is born."
When we remembered Zion; we were cast away from holy grounds. We wept by the rivers, we yearned to return.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time:Tranquillitas Ante Tempestatem LTWNBR: To My Father Letters That Will Never Be Read: To My Father Dear Dad, Hi. I''m not really sure how to begin this, or if there''s even a point to doing this. But I''m gonna try just in case there''s ever a moment when I can send this. In the million-to-one chance that you''re reading this, no you''re not seeing things. It''s me, Liam, your son. But there''s something you need to know first, and it''ll really shock you. I''m not a human anymore; I''m a Pokemon. What''s a Pokemon? Well, according to a friend and a few books I read, it''s said that we''re the sole inhabitants of the planet. There are all types of unique Pokemon that exist, and they can do amazing things that you couldn''t even imagine! I''m a Riolu - I''ve got paws, blue and black fur, and these weird tassels that give me an ''aura instinct'', which really helps me dodge attacks in battles sometimes! I know this all sounds confusing, and I thought it was too when I first came here. I don''t know how, or even why, but I''m here in this strange world now. It was more than a year ago when someone found me in a forest and helped me process all this change. Her name''s Gloria, and she''s my partner in a team we created together - Team Requiem. I guess one word to describe her would be ''promising''. She''s sweet, caring, and a bit shy, but she''s determined, and I''ve always admired that part of her. Easy to fluster too, but I wouldn''t tell her that. Oh, right, and then there''s her brother, Roark. He really likes to trick me and Gloria with his freaky illusion abilities, but he''s a good guy deep down. He''s even the one who convinced us to join the Cosmic Quilt Guild and form a team! What''s a guild? Well, it''s full of other Pokemon teams that work together on jobs and go out on expeditions to help Pokemon in need and accomplish our main goal. I''d be writing this forever if I explained the goal of our guild, but I''ll let you know that we''re doing very important things. The world may even be saved by our actions! And while we''re so close to the guild''s goal, and I want to be happy about that, there''s something else eating away at me. I have amnesia, or at least I used to; it''s hard to explain. When I came to this world, I knew nothing about it or even myself, except a name - Liam. My first few months in this world felt like a blur. I knew not a darn thing - not anything about being a human, about my world, about you or mom, just emptiness. I thought I was a Pokemon who simply had no place to be, and that really affected me. I even used to think that I never existed at all before I woke up here. Joining the guild with Gloria to me felt like I was giving myself purpose in a life that felt very hollow and meaningless. Sometimes I look back on how I was starting off and wish for those quiet days again. Everything seemed to change after joining the guild. She and I made good friends with our guildmates and did mission after mission across the region, helping any Pokemon we could, and we loved doing it. It was around this time that I began to see my situation differently. I felt like I was given a second chance, like a do-over of my life. It was frustrating to look at myself and see nothing, and it was even worse when others saw that much in me as well. It seems random to mention, but I remember this one mission me and Gloria went on that stuck with me. We were sent out to this little town called Veldt Heights - a really pretty place out in the Meadow Region - lots of colorful flowers, clean air, these old buildings and tool shacks with moss growing on them, and really friendly Pokemon. We were there to help this Florges retrieve an item of hers she dropped at the end of a nearby Mystery Dungeon, which we happily did. We did the usual; got the item, gave it back to her, collected our payment, then went to leave. But the old woman insisted that we stay for a while, and have lunch as an extra little reward. While I was already satisfied with our work and ready to go, Gloria of course wanted to take up the woman''s offer, and you know I couldn''t say no to the face that Roark warned me about. I told myself that I would endure the boring stuff and keep to myself as always, but this time was different. We stayed at her home for hours, listening to her stories and telling some of the few our team created so far. She was very sweet, and I found myself losing any thoughts about leaving while we talked. She eventually led us outside and into her personal garden, and it was a sight all right. Gloria and Roark say I''m easy to impress, and while that may be true, this garden was something else. It was walled off; there were these thin streams of water that flowed across the garden. Roses, tulips, sunflowers, hyacinths, daffodils, wallflowers - she had it all. Even this special flower only found in Celestic called a Bluecrest Camellia. It looked like a blue hydrangea, but had a glint of sparkle across its petals, and smelled like fresh rain - I wish I had them myself. The woman wanted us to help her plant new ones in her garden in exchange for extra payment, as she was too old to do it all by herself. Gloria was more than happy to do it free of charge, of course. Me? To tell you the truth, I knew that woman could do it herself, but she wanted company, and what kind of jerk would I be to deny her that? We were out in the garden pulling weeds and laying down soil until the sun began to set. It was hard work, even tiring out a Fighting-types like myself. But doing this small little favor sparked something in me, like I awakened something inside myself. I loved doing this; planting a tiny seed in the ground, pouring a little water over it to begin its next stage, and then watching them slowly grow and blossom over time. To nurture something, to keep it protected throughout its short life. I know it can be hard to imagine since you don''t have amnesia as I do, but this seemingly unimportant encounter has stuck with me ever since that day. After we finished planting all the seeds, the woman spoke with me one last time in private while Gloria conked herself out on a couch from exhaustion. And I admit, while Gloria and I agreed to keep my amnesia mostly a secret, I did spill some of my thoughts - or lack thereof - to Florges. I told her about how lost I felt, how I never thought of myself as a Pokemon - nothing specific, but she got the picture. She said many words, but one thing I do remember most is this one line of hers that resonated with me. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ''Too narrow is the flower''s hold and mind of which dreams and change grow upon. Let its seeds and petals scatter on the wind, free to let go and free to live on as buds of new hope outlast dying sorrows.'' I found out she passed away just a few weeks after we had met. Sometimes I daydream about that garden again, about that town actually. I thought if I would ever settle down one day and stop exploring, I would want to live in that town and have a garden as Florges did. I''m telling this story because I eventually regained my memories, or at least a bit of it. It was this one mission we were sent on - scouting Criss-Cross Creek from a boat - I''ll never forget it. It was that mission where a memory was burned into my brain. It was one where you and I were out on lake, and you taught me how to fish. I was confused at the time, but that was the first moment where I was given a connection to my past. I would continue to get these random bits of memories shoved in my mind as time went on, and I was struggling to process it all, and what it meant. Back then, I thought I could forge a new life even if I lost my memories, but now that they were coming back, a picture of my old life began to take shape. Gloria, Roark, and the others in the guild, they never knew what I was going through, what I was slowly beginning to understand about my past. I decided to keep it that way, and I''m not sure if that was a good idea. I was at a crossroads. I didn''t know what to do. I''d say only I knew about this, but I''d be lying. There''s someone else I haven''t mentioned. Jackson, the guildmaster, quickly knew what was happening to me. Get this - he''s a human that was turned into a Pokemon just like I was - a Lucario. To call him strange or aloof would be an understatement, but he''s the closest link I have ever had to my old life. I told him everything, and he said that someone was laying a path before me, and I could choose to walk it or not. In retrospect, I could tell he was lying about there being a choice. From then on, we were as close as he would let me. I told him about my memories as they came in, and he helped me understand them as I began to also accept them as reality. I was Liam, a human from another world, not a Pokemon. It was liberating for a time, hearing the strum of a banjo and feeling like I was right at home, like I was right back at that festival you took me to, and I was on stage again performing my heart out. That was all until Celestial Mountain. A huge expedition the guild went on to retrieve knowledge of our goal, and I was chosen to be the sole partner of my guildmaster as we trekked up this awesomely vast and beautiful mountain. It was there I learned more about that Lucario. It was there I learned more about my past, about what happened to mom, and about you. I could tell in your voice and every action of yours that you were devastated, and so was I when I found out. And then I learned about June. Even now my heart feels like it''s about to jump out my throat when I think about her. She existed once, you know? She could''ve been born, and I could''ve had a little sister by my side. It hurts to think that there won''t be a possibility of that anymore. My guildmaster went through a loss of his own, too; his wife, a son he''d never have. He keeps me at arm''s length on purpose, but I know it''s because he''s struggling, too. There was one moment atop that mountain where I think his true self was shown, not hidden away or lied about to others. I know past all the blankness and empty feelings inside me that there''s something true - something real and present, and I''m beginning to understand that now. Just a few hours ago I experienced another memory, and things became a lot more clear. All the amazing things I''ve seen us do together as a father and son in those memories, I know now that they were just distractions - you even told me so back then. You and my guildmaster are very similar in your intentions; you both tried to keep me from realizing the reality of my situation. You, him, myself, we''re all alike in that regard. We''re all broken in ways we can''t even begin to understand. Dad, I don''t know how much it means, but I forgive you for what you did. I know you tried your best to salvage what was left of our family, even if it was pointless in the end. I remember the last words you told my younger self; that I would have to cope with not having a father around anymore. I don''t know the full picture, not yet, but I hope that you were wrong. I hope that you''re still around, still alive to know that I''m still alive, still hopeful that we can reconnect again. But there''s one issue that''s trying to take my hope away. My guildmaster told me that I would remember everything from my old life, regardless of if I wanted to or not. He said I should be scared. I don''t want to be scared or worried about what my memories show me, but what if he''s right? What if regaining all my memories changes who I am as a person for the worst? I saw a memory where I was so angry at someone for what they said that I attacked them, and even now I can feel the occasional trembling of anger in a paw that I know for certain I didn''t intend. I can feel myself longing for the family we all had, though I know so little of it. The person in these older memories, the Liam that exists in it, I don''t want to become him, but it may be inevitable. And if so, what about Gloria, and all the others? I have to write this letter close to my chest so her occasional peeks don''t spot anything. She has her own problems to get over, and this would only worsen them. But she deserves to know, right? We''re partners, and I keep telling myself that it''s better for her not to know. I think I''m going to tell her before it''s too late, before I remember everything. Dad, do you miss me? I miss you. And sometimes I miss the old Liam that never dealt with these feelings - the one that changed so little. You have no idea how exhausting it is to be pulled in so many different directions. So many memories, so many familiar voices that either coax or taunt me. I''ve been pulled so much it feels like I''ve been split down the middle. It''s hard, it''s tough, it''s painful, but I''ve lasted through it this far, haven''t I? So how long will it be until I''m given a release? I hope you get this letter one day. Your son, Liam
Moonlight hit the backs of the stampeding Mudsdales'' as they pounded the grass with their rumbling carriages in tow behind them. Liam pulled away the inky quill from the mess of words scrawled onto a piece of paper. A blank expression was glued to his face, his eyes glazing over the page. The sound of uproarious laughter broke his train of thought as he glanced over to his side to see his guildmates chatting up a storm on the opposite end of the carriage, Monferno ripping something yellow and fuzzy off his back. From what he could overhear, Joltik had latched himself to Monferno''s back again. Gloria giggling ceased as she noticed Liam staring at her. She smiled warmly at him, and he copied her features in return. His gaze moved past her, looking off into the distance at the glowing bundles of yellow light in the distance - Empyrean City. Liam knew home was only a stone''s throw away, and yet his and the guild''s troubles were far from over. Returning to look at the letter he wrote, Liam frowned. He took the page off the carriage''s railing and held it up against the night. A tearing noise was muffled by thrashing hooves as he tore apart the paper, left with useless scraps. He bundled them up in his paws before leaning over the railing and opening them up again. He watched as the pieces of his letter drifted and scattered in the winds until there was nothing left in his paws. Liam let out a heavy sigh before he moved to join his boisterous comrades.
Discord: z2h2z Next Time: Tranquillitas Ante Tempestatem Tranquillitas Ante Tempestatem Chapter 31 Tranquillitas Ante Tempestatem ''7 DEAD; DOZENS INJURED FOLLOWING EXPLOSIVE RIOT IN GRIT REGION''S CAPITAL TOWN.'' "Kid, how long does it take to read a headline?" Liam blinked as Roark snatched the Celestic Cognizance out of his grasp and tossed it onto the stand''s wooden counter. "So, what do you two think?" The Meowstics'' shared a look before shrugging their shoulders in synchrony. "Not much one can really think, Roark," the male one spoke with a posh tone. "It''s terrible that it happened, but accidents happen." "And accidents are unavoidable," his elegantly spoken sister chimed in, flicking her brother''s ear with a wave of pink psychic energy. "Remember the shipment of TMs you dropped? The guards made us spend all morning sweeping up those fragments. Tch, tch." "Please let it go, sister." Roark scoffed and raised his arms high. "Hey, this could be your chance to raise prices. Plenty of Pok¨¦mon will need supplies once Celestic falls into anarchy and the apocalypse is upon us." "Roark!" an upset-looking Gloria yelled, pushing into her brother''s side with a paw. "Don''t say things like that!" Roark knelt down to meet the Vulpix''s height. "I''m joking, sis, calm down." He pinched her cheek and produced a grimace out of her. "Chances are there''ll be a few more protests, and then Pokemon move on with their lives. Trust me, I''ve seen these things on every continent before." Gloria''s frown deepened. "I just keep thinking about those poor families who''ve already suffered a lot through the drought, and now they''ve lost family members¡­" Her expression lightened slightly. "But I''m glad we were given the chance to go there and help those Pokemon, even if it wasn''t much. I would do it again if we could." Liam appeared as if to interject, but held his tongue. "That''s the Gloria we love to hear!" the female Meowstic cheered with a raise of a paw. "Many times Roark would come here to buy just to sing your praises to us," her brother added, smiling widely. "We were so glad to see you finally create a team, and a great one at that!" Gloria tugged on her scarf and averted the eyes that fell upon her. "Um, thank you a lot for the kind words, really¡­ but I''d really wish Roark wouldn''t mention me so much." Roark chuckled. "No need to be so modest, sis. Besides, we''re about to be known as the bunch who saved the fu- freaking world! Embrace a little praise for me, will ya?" Gloria grumbled under her breath. The Meowstics'' behind the counter clasped their paws in unison, the female the first to speak. "Speaking of which, we''ve had a few guild members give us little blurbs of what happened in the Grit Region. Care to gossip with us a little?" "As long as we wouldn''t get in hot water with your Guildmaster," her brother said. "That man can be quite intimidating¡­" Roark attempted to alleviate their fears with a wave of his claws. "Bah, don''t worry about Mr. Glare. I''ll give you a brief rundown so we aren''t here all day." He dropped an elbow onto the counter as the Meowstics'' gathered to hear. "Get this - we just combed that big ole desert and found the jackpot of discoveries in some ancient castle fortress thing. Bossman won''t say what exactly it is, but it''s something that could take out the Mystery Dungeons for good." "You''re kidding!" the male Meowstic exclaimed, "A Celestic without Mystery Dungeons everywhere is like a tree without leaves!" He frowned. "But all I can think about is how many customers we would lose if that really happened. And a good majority of our stock comes from dungeons. That wouldn''t be great for us." Roark shook his head. "There''ll always be Pokemon like me who get hurt or do the hurting with your stuff, dungeon or no dungeon." The female Meowstic huffed. "Roark''s correct, brother. Besides, this is a positive for Pok¨¦mon all across the world. We can afford to lose a little when the world could be saved." The male Meowstic crossed his arms. "Well, who knows for sure," Roark said, shrugging. "Mr. Glare is sending us straight back into an expedition tomorrow. This time - thankfully - is close to home." "A third expedition already?" the twins questioned together. "Where to?" "Criss-Cross Creek!" Gloria piped up from the back. "We weren''t told much, but there''s apparently something there related to what we discovered in the expedition. What''s crazy is that Liam and I were there twice before! And now we''re going back to uncover what we discovered there before!" She shot Liam a look, hoping he would jump in and say something. However, she could tell something else was churning in his mind as his stare was glued to the ground. Roark chuckled as he ran a claw through his thick mane. "Yeah, yeah, we''re busy ''mons. But busy ''mons also get vacation days; today being one of ''em." "We heard from the others! The Eden Theater''s second premiere, right? Oh, I bet it''s dazzling there!" the female Meowstic swooned. "It would sadly take us weeks to afford tickets to get in." "Try ten weeks minimum," her brother lamented. Roark''s smirk turned smug as he stepped back. "The perks of guild life, I guess. I think it''s a pretty suitable reward after we did in-" "I think it''s a terrible thing." Quizzical stares snapped to Liam as he raised his head. "Not the, um, reward, but what happened at that protest. It shouldn''t have happened. It doesn''t feel fair at all, y''know?" His gaze hardened. "I remember seeing that Council marching parade back in Elysium City. All the Pok¨¦mon there who attended looked happy that those guards were there to protect them. But still¡­ both sides fought, and Pokemon still died. It makes you wonder if there''s even a point to these systems if it all ends up the same anyway. I remember thinking back then that Celestic was a very peaceful place, and now I feel almost¡­ disappointed?" There was silence following the Riolu''s sudden diatribe, replaced by the sounds and chatter of the bustling street around them. Roark broke the group''s stillness with a chuckle. "Kid, things ain''t always so sunshine and rainbows around here. I don''t know what sis put in your head to make you think that, but Celestic isn''t like that." Gloria bit her lip, mind stirring with worry. "Yeah¡­ I''m not sure why I said all that," Liam said, clearing his throat before turning his attention to the concerned-looking Meowstic twins. "Uh, how much do we owe you for the Blast Seeds and Wonder Orbs?" The male Meowstic blinked back into reality as he hastily shook his head. "No payment necessary this time! Your team and Roark are good friends of ours, and returning customers at that!" His sister nodded to his words. "You sure?" Liam asked. "We do have enough Pok¨¦ if that''s what you''re worried about." "Kid, you don''t argue with free," Roark said as he picked up one of the Wonder Orbs and shoved it into his messy mane. "I guess so¡­" Liam wrapped an arm around the haul of goods they selected and dumped them into the cream colored saddlebag strapped across his shoulder. He took a step back from the royal blue painted stand as the Meowstics'' waved at the three of them. "We hope you enjoy the festival!" they said together. "And we hope you succeed with your mission tomorrow!" "We will!" Gloria cried back with a wave of her own, tails fanning behind her. "Thank you for the items!" After Roark and Liam gave their own farewells to the cheery shopkeepers, they were now finally on their way to the Eden Theater. Getting out of the hectic shopping district, they embarked down one of the many streets that led to the imposing tower gleaming in the night sky. Swaying searchlights in the distance guided them toward it. Bombastic music intermixed with voices that whizzed past them and shining lights and vibrant displays of cultural art were the motif of a typical festival in Empyrean City. The alluring smells of fried food and sugary sweets wafting from the many stands propped up along the sides of the street tempted the trio to investigate, yet they endured each test of their will and kept moving, as their true prize was much sweeter. "So, kid, what the hell was all that about back there?" Roark nearly yelled over the cacophony of their surroundings. Liam could only muster a shrug. "Dunno. I was just¡­ thinking." Gloria appeared to frown but erased it away to reassure her partner with a smile. "Um, for what it''s worth, I agree with some of what you said." A pair of Roark''s claws clamped down on Liam''s shoulders. "Hey, if the whole guild gig doesn''t pan out, you can always become a politician." Gloria giggled at the prospect. "Could you imagine that?" She ceased her laughter moments later. "Er, no offense to you, Liam." "None taken," Liam said. "I would totally suck as a politician." Roark scratched his chin. "Yeah, you would, but has that stopped any of those in office?" "Rooooark¡­" Gloria bemoaned, shooting daggers at him. Roark chuckled as he picked up his pace and strode past the two Pokemon, forcing them to follow behind. Their walk was rather uneventful as they made their way to the Eden Theater, the impressive sights around them captivating all those who stopped to stare, all except one Pokemon. Liam''s face twitched, his body jerking in response to the sparks of electrifying pain spontaneously shooting through his nerves. His attempts to corral these sensations and clutch his head to rid of them proved futile. Numerous snapshots of memories flashed across his vision in the blink of an eye. An open, grassy meadow, flowerbeds of white wallflowers, the glass of shattered windows scattered on a floor, a house set ablaze, and a woman wearing a pale sundress. He could not decipher what it all meant, yet knew deep down how familiar they were to him, but were just out of reach. The pain flooding his senses vanished as quickly as the memories did as he struggled to maintain his face of normalcy on the outside. Just when he thought it was over for good, a gruff voice emanated from the deepest reaches of his mind. ''Who are you?'' Liam was forced to shove down these intrusive thoughts as Gloria pointed at a nearby stand to gather his attention. After trudging past the seas of Pokemon and other pleasant distractions in their path, they now stood in the lengthy line that granted entrance to the Eden Theater. Liam''s gaze was instinctively drawn upwards as he gawked at the sleek, steel frame of the building that towered over everything else. Just like before, the streaks of neon blue lights that lined the tower''s sides captivated him. Simply admiring its design proved more than effective at stalling his mind, along with waiting for the column of Pokemon ahead to dwindle. An entire year had passed since he first entered the Eden Theater, and he was still finding it hard to believe. Once the three of them reached the tall entrance, they flashed their passes to the stationed guards and were given permission to enter. Blue lights on black steel pulsated in the short hallway as they and many others funneled into it. Upon reaching the end, the main foyer of the tower greeted them, flooding with Pokemon chatting among themselves, or staff carrying platters of drinks around the room to attendees. Many were seated near the grand theater, engrossed in an ongoing film. From what small snippets Liam could see, it appeared to be very action-oriented. "Still crowded as ever," Roark commented, grabbing the pair''s attention as he jabbed a claw at the elevators. "Our ''special'' rooms are at the top. Race ya to ''em!" Before they could say anything, he vanished into the sea of Pokemon. "Hey! Let''s stick together!" Gloria yelled as she maneuvered her way after him. Liam snorted, following his partner. They missed the Zoroark just moments before his floor went upwards, a smirk and a wave of his claws the last thing they saw. Entering their own elevator, they waited patiently as a staff Cinccino stepped inside to press one of the many buttons on the door panels, the strange contraption rumbling slightly before beginning to rise. Liam buried the familiar feelings stirring with him as he smiled at Gloria, who was too caught up in admiring the elevator''s mechanisms to notice. "So, what''s the plan tonight?" he asked. Gloria took a second to realize he was speaking to her. "Oh! Um, I was thinking we could just have some fun!" "And your definition of fun is¡­?" She giggled, pushing into his side. "Didn''t you listen to Scizor''s speech at the guild? There''s new games and films to see. Oh! And there''s this new machine called an Emotionizer - fun stuff!" He shrugged, smile growing. "I''ll take your word for it." The elevator buckled once more as the metal doors slid open, revealing an area of the theater they had never seen before.
"Looks like I got you cornered, Mony," Roark taunted. "D-don''t listen to him, M-monferno!" Staravia shrieked beside the primate. "You got this!" Joltik also screeched his support from the bird''s back. Monferno''s head shook as he surveyed his remaining Vespiquen and Doublade pieces. He glanced at his foe''s arsenal, frowning at the army of ceramic Pokemon led by a smug Zoroark. Despite a tiny voice in his head - along with Staravia''s incessant squawks in his ear - telling him to keep going, he folded, raising both hands. "I give up. You win." A chorus of ''awwws'' and playful ''boos'' erupted from around the game table. "Monferno, you still could''ve won!" Leafeon scolded. "You had good pieces left! There was still a chance." "A twenty percent chance, by my calculations!" Minun added before crossing his arms and began sulking. "Could''ve won our money back, too¡­" Monferno shrugged. "Dunno. Guess I didn''t like my chances." Roark cackled as he leaned in to shovel the large amount of Poke piled onto the table into his arms. "I think Monferno just realizes he doesn''t stand a chance against the king of this game." He perked a brow. "Unless anyone thinks they can stop me¡­" Staravia flapped his wings erratically, "Ooh! I w-wanna try!" "Me too!" Mightyena hollered. "Purrloin says I need to win back all the Pok¨¨ I lost here!" Roark grinned as he leaned back in his chair. "Always looking for more cash in my drinking tab, so bring it on!" As his fellow guild members engaged in another game, Monferno found his exit and swiftly bid everyone his farewells. Now left to his own devices, the Fire-type wandered around the spacious room. Flashing neon lights and the howls of laughter from Pokemon gambling away their Pok¨¨ proved irritating as time passed. His back would hit the steel walls of the room, resorting to simply watch and stare past the games and their fun. There was a stray thought in his mind to talk to Braixen and keep the night going. It was snuffed out with a sigh and a cross of his arms. Instead, he waited for the night to be over, staring into nothingness. "Hey, Monferno! You good?" Another sigh escaped the primate as he recognized the jubilant voice. "What do you need, Rockruff?" Rockruff bounded over and planted himself beside Monferno. He stared up at the Fire-type, concerned. "You looked pretty bummed out over losing that game. It''s not that serious! C''mon, let''s play another game and beat Roark for good!" Monferno rubbed his face in exasperation. "It''s not about the game, Rockruff. I''m fine. Go back to playing with the others or something." "So what''s the problem then?" "No offense, but I don''t think you''d even understand it." Rockruff''s ears flattened. "Hey¡­ didn''t we talk about our problems back at the start of the expedition? You''re my friend, and I wanna know what''s bugging you." Monferno went silent, as if debating to speak in his mind. "Well?" "I''ve been thinking about leaving the guild." Rockruff nearly fell back from shock, mouth agape "Huh?! Y-you''re not serious about doing that, are you?" Monferno nodded slowly. "But¡­ why?" Rockruff mumbled. "Didn''t you decide to stay even when everyone else was gonna call it quits? We fought those mercenaries and discovered a whole freaking Legendary research fortress with ancient golems! Wasn''t that amazing? I mean, think about how far we''ve come and-" Monferno stopped his rambling with an open hand. "Rockruff, I get it. I really do get it. But no, I think I''m done. I''ve realized that now after my perfomance in the expedition." He crossed his arms. "And seeing everyone celebrate in this fancy tower and think we''re gonna be heroes and save the world¡­ I know I''m not capable of being part of that." "But I know you''re capable! And I know Braixen knows that, too!" Monferno found himself tracking down his partner among the crowds of Pokemon. He saw her happily chatting away with an Audino and Blissey; clearly nurses from one of the many hospitals in Empyrean City. Despite the awful feelings bubbling in his chest, he couldn''t help but form a slight smile at what he saw. Proud of the connections and aspirations his friend had managed to form through her own talents and dreams. "What are you gonna tell her?" Rockruff questioned. "I don''t think I can tell it to her face. Maybe a note, maybe someone else tells her, maybe nothing¡­" "Just like that, huh? What are you gonna do then? Walk the earth in search of riches like that old Furfrou in the film we saw before?" Monferno let out a tired chuckle. "Who knows? Maybe I''ll go back home, hitch a ship to another continent - anywhere from here. Could pick up carpentry; get use out of these opposable thumbs, heh." "You''d really do all that?" Rockruff murmured. "C''mon, you''ve been here for years! If you wanted to get into the guild, why quit when you''ve gotten this far?" "I didn''t get in here by finding an ''amazing discovery'' like some others did," the Fire-type said, resentment lingering in his tone. "Braix was pushed by her parents to join the guild, and she needed a partner to form a team. But even past that, I remember actually being happy here once." His hands clenched. "Anything to get away from home, from the pressure, from my mom - I don''t know. I just wanted to prove that I wasn''t a screw-up, and I couldn''t even do that." Rockruff affixed him with a steely look. "You''re not a screw-up." His tail drooped. "If anything, I''m the screw-up. My own clan didn''t want me, and I still mess things up at the guild." "Then I guess we''re both screw-ups¡­" The Rock-type frowned. "Still, I''m in a team; Mightyena and Purrloin depend on me to stay and be together. Don''t forget you''re in a team, too! Why would you wanna leave Braixen all by herself?" "Braix doesn''t need dead weight dragging her down." Monferno sighed. "This is for the best. She can chase her dreams, and I can try to find mine." "Well, I can''t stop you, but if it means anything, I hope you do stay. You stood up for me against Shaymin, and I''ll always return the favor, y''know? We guild ''mons gotta stick together if we''re gonna save the world and stuff." Monferno glanced down at the Pokemon beside him, forming a smirk. "You know what, you''re not so bad after all, Rockruff." He held out an enclosed hand, his intentions clear to the canine. Rockruff was more than happy to bop it with his paw. "Hey, whatever you do, just remember that-" His words trailed off into gibberish as he caught sight of a familiar figure coming their way. "Uh, t-talk to you later - gotta go!" As the small canine bolted off, Monferno''s eyes flicked over to the Pokemon slowly approaching. He cocked an eyebrow once realizing who it was. Shaymin stopped herself in front of the Fire-type, throwing a look at the fleeing Rockruff. "Did I make that bloke skedaddle or somethin''?" Monferno snorted. "Yeah, you did." "Shit. My apologies, mate." "It''s fine." She filled in the vacant space left by Rockruff, leaning against the wall. Not a word was said as they listened to the cheers and clinking of glass beverages around the room. "So¡­" Shaymin broke the silence. "How ya goin''? Been holdin'' up well? Some crazy shit went down during that expedition." "I caught a glimpse of Leafeon talking to you before you came over here. She told you to make up with me, didn''t she?" Shaymin forced out a breath of air. "That obvious?" He nodded, "Listen, you don''t gotta make up with me, or even Braixen. We''re cool. Rockruff may be another story, but he''ll stop being a wuss soon enough." He threw a hand at the bustling entertainment in front of them. "So go ahead - you can tell her we''re friends now or whatever." Shaymin seemed to fight off the urge to do just that with her contorting facial expressions. But she planted herself firmly, not intending to go anywhere yet. "Look, I didn''t need to be told to come admit I was a bloody jerk to you and everyone else. I wanted to say somethin'' eventually, but I didn''t think any of ya would wanna hear it." "I''m listening." "Yeah, guess ya are." She let out a heavy sigh. "I''m real fuckin'' mad at myself that it took me years to realize what a bludger I was. Leafy- Leafeon''s the only friend I''ve ever had here in the guild and even in all of Celestic. I had a second chance served to me on a silver platter through her, and I fucked that up, too." "Don''t beat yourself up. Helps nothing." Shaymin scoffed, "Trust me, mate, I''ve already had the piss beat out of me by those mercs. A little self-reflection doesn''t hurt." Her eyes narrowed. "Y''know¡­ I actually thought I was gonna die in that shithole they put me in, or something even worse. It made me think about what I''ve done so far, and how much I need to change. And then you all came to save the day like a knight in shinin'' armor." Monferno gave her a side glance. "And now you wanna turn over a new leaf? Just like that? What makes you think the others buy that?" Shaymin opened her mouth and closed it several times. She settled on another drawn-out sigh. "This''ll be the third chance I get to turn things around. And I''m gonna try my damndest to not screw it up. As long as Leafeon is there to set me straight, maybe I got a shot at this." "And what''s stopping you from leaving the guild and beginning again? You did it before; a whole fresh start. That sounds nice, right?" Shaymin''s head shook, "I can''t run anymore, mate. It didn''t work for me back then, and I know it won''t work now. When ya got an opportunity, you hold onto that." Monferno mulled over her words in his head, eventually forming a scowl. He opted to resign his next words, returning to observing the crowds. Shaymin looked up at him, a battle clearly taking place in her head. "Hey, you mind if I ask ya somethin''?" "Shoot." "Well, Leafy and I wanna play this new gamblin'' game they got set up here, but we need three ''mons to start it. So¡­" Monferno nodded immediately. "Sure, why not." She smirked, bumping his shoulder. "Ya look down in the dumps, so maybe a game will fix that. And make heaps of Pok¨¨ in the process, eh?" She began ambling away, shouting her next words. "Meet Leafy and I down by the bar - drinks on us, and don''t keep us waitin''!" Monferno watched her leave, a small part of him wanting to stick to his wall and shut off all the thoughts and expectations that ensnared him to move forward and partake in the festivities. Looking around, he could see the smiling faces of his comrades, yet could never keep one glued to his own face; he desired their happiness, wanting to capture that feeling himself. As he scanned the room, his eyes snapped to Braixen, who was staring right at him with a wide, infectious smile that spread to him. She eagerly waved, intending for him to come over and speak to the other nurses. He was not one to deny the requests of his partner as he took his back off the wall and headed over towards her. ''After tomorrow''s mission, she''ll know,'' he repeated in his mind ad-nauseam.
Glasses filled to the brim with alcoholic liquids clinked against one another as loud cheers exploded from all over the room. "Attention! I still have a few more announcements, so keep your mouths shut for a few more seconds!" The boisterous mercenaries reluctantly heeded their captain''s shouts and settled back into their plush chairs. Bisharp continued his speech once a vast majority quelled their whispers, first clearing his throat. "Along with the bonuses for those on the Grit Region special mission, you will all be returning to your usual contracts following tomorrow''s mission. Plenty of jobs available in the Mountain Region, and plenty of action and Pok¨¨ to be made there." A gray, metallic wing rose from the back of the room, belonging to Skarmory. "Aye, Cap''n! What''s all the fuss ''bout this new special mission?" "Details will be given to those selected before we embark tomorrow," Bisharp said. "But I must stress that once we return, things may change around here." Perplexed looks followed his statement. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "Let me guess, this is all about us thrashing those Rose Clan twerps back in the desert, eh?" an Electivire jeered with a grin. "''Cause I got a few more Thunder Punches to serve those freaks," he added with a flex of his arms, electricity crackling through his yellow fur. Bisharp smirked, "Appreciated. But they''re not relevant to what I''m suggesting." He surveyed the entire room with a glassy look. "This¡­ may change this entire operation if we find what we''re looking for." He blinked. "Regardless, any drastic decisions will be made after this mission has concluded. Is this acceptable?" Muttered forms of agreement bounced from Pokemon to Pokemon. "Then enjoy the rest of your night. And don''t drink yourself into comas; we need a good lot of you sober for tomorrow." Happy to be done with the announcements, the mercenaries returned to celebrating their recent victories. They were clearly unfazed by their captain''s comments as they downed glass after glass of hard liquor. Bisharp threw open the double doors and exited The Lounge, making a beeline across the foyer to a particular purple-stained hallway. Upon reaching the door at the end, he gave a swift knock before he opened it, flinching as something whizzed past his face. PLINK. A dart landed on the outer reaches of a dartboard that was littered with the presence of others. Bisharp swept the disorganized room with his gaze, taking notice of multiple darts impaled into the motivational posters of their faux guild. A painting of a Serperior hung on the wall had the most darts piercing through the artwork. The sole culprit behind these acts appeared to be Weavile as she fished into her saddlebag for another dart and gave Bisharp a flat look. "So, this is how you''re psyching yourself up for tomorrow," he said. PLINK. Weavile rolled her eyes, taking out another dart. "Do me a solid, tin man. Stand against that wall over there." "Funny. I suppose I shouldn''t be surprised you stayed in your room all day brooding like a teenage girl." "Yeah, well¡­ don''t confide in me how ''excited'' you are about going to that shitty place. You wanna drag me there? Fine. Don''t expect me to jump for joy, though." Bisharp leaned against the doorframe. "You should go out to The Lounge and do your magic on the troops. They always go wild and thirst for blood when they hear you speak." "And lie to them about what we''re really doing again? Please, I don''t have it in me right now to do that." "And when will you? We''re partners; I''m not conducting these operations by myself." Weavile grit her teeth in response as she searched for another dart to pour her frustrations into. Bisharp beckoned her with a gauntlet. "I wanna show you something in my quarters. Maybe it''ll get your spirits back up." She sighed and leaped from her bed, pushing past the Steel-type. "If it''s not a stiff drink and time away from you, then no, it won''t." Bisharp smirked and followed her. Emerging through another doorway, Bisharp stepped past her and walked towards the large map of Celestic plastered over the dark purple walls. Red strings were wrapped around pins dotting numerous locations across the continent''s regions. Bisharp tapped an area in the Meadow Region with many cross-crossing rivers, a red circle encasing it. "It''s taken years to fully connect the pieces we''ve been given," he said. "Trailing all those Alignment excursions, trying to figure out who our anonymous client is and what he''s hiding. All of it''s here, and now we finally have the linchpin of what could unravel the world''s mysteries." Weavile frowned. "Is what you dragged me here to see? I''ve always been an unwilling witness of you fawning over this thing." "No. That''s not what I was going to show you." He walked over to a table where two black capes and a strange Minun-like device rested. "This is it." Curious, Weavile lumbered over to investigate. He handed over what appeared to be her signature cape with an image of a Razor Claw etched into it, yet something was different. Three scarves with yellow stars filling the inky darkness were sewn around the cape''s edges. Bisharp smirked. "Had some extra free time from planning tomorrow''s mission. It''s their scarves - all three of them." Weavile''s face flashed a mix of emotions, her claws shaking slightly as she grabbed it from him. She inspected it, finding that the scarves acted like tethers. "¡­ Y''know, most ''mons gift girls expensive jewels or fancy dinner dates, Bishy." "Good thing I know what makes you tick, Weav''s." She smiled, running her claws across the cape. "Looks like you got me pegged." There was a glint in her eyes. "''Cause if you fucked up and torn them, I would have to claw your throat out." "You''re not the only one with something new." Bisharp picked up the second cape on the table and held it out for her to see. The fabric of it was uniquely patterned like it was made of rivets of steel. A large ''RS'' was engraved near the neck region. "It''s my father''s. They thought I should have it after he passed." Weavile scrutinized it further. "There''s no Razor Claw symbol on there." She shot him a look. "What are the others gonna think about this?" Bisharp withdrew the cape, sighing. "I told you my feelings about the clan already, Weav''s. I don''t need to state them again, do I?" "Oh, trust me, I know already. But get this." She jabbed his chest with a claw. "Just because you don''t care doesn''t mean you give up the clan." "¡­ Weav''s, when are we gonna stop being just mercenaries?" Weavile did not respond, choosing to glare at him instead. Bisharp pointed at the map. "This is where we stop being just mercenaries, and we become something more. Not all of them out there will understand what we''re doing, but some will, and that''s all we need on our side." "Becoming more than mercs, huh," Weavile mumbled, repeating his words in her head. "You still chase down this kiddie shit even after all this time." "And I know you want to chase that as much as I do." Weavile''s mask cracked as she grinned murderously. "You''re damn right I do. I want answers, and payback. But here''s one caveat for everyone else." She took a dart from her saddlebag and slammed it on the table, embedding it into the wood. She then snapped her fiery gaze up at Bisharp. "The Razor Claws will be the ones to uncover what''s inside that place - not the snake and her minions, not the Council, not our client, and definitely not those cultist fucks." Seeing the table splinter from her outpouring of passion filled Bisharp with well-hidden mirth. He yanked the dart from the wood and grasped it tightly in his gauntlet. "Tomorrow is where everything changes, Weav''s. You''ll see soon enough that this whole mercenary thing is just a means to an end. You and I are meant for better things." "We''ll see, Bishy, we''ll see¡­" She began walking back to the doorway. "I''m getting our brothers and sisters fired up for tomorrow. You finalize our strategies to get into that hellish place." Bisharp watched her leave with a victorious smile. But he quickly wiped it away, knowing there were more important things at hand. Walking over to the map of Celestic, he slammed the dart in the center of a red-circled region, piercing the words written onto the laid paper. ''CRISS-CROSS CREEK.''
The dark, dank alleyways of Elysium City remained empty of the presence of Pokemon and prying eyes. Only the occasional echoed voice traveled through its dingy corridors of chipped brick and moldy wood. This silence was disturbed by the shrieking arcs of yellowish-orange energy exploding from a card-like object that manifested into existence. Two figures would emerge from the Entercard, stepping away from the pillar of light and adjusting their armbands. Gallade glanced at their surroundings for signs of anyone before narrowing his gaze straight ahead. "We should hasten our pace before we are late." "If those protestors will even let us through the doors," Heliolisk said. "I heard from the reports that things are getting worse." He turned. "Isn''t that right, commander?" Another figure exited the receding burst of energy and knelt down to retrieve the Entercard. He stowed it away in his orange saddlebag before approaching the duo. Blaziken raised his arms high, appraising the Pokemon before him with a dignified look. "We must understand that the Pokemon of this continent operate in different ways than our own. These lost souls have no one to turn to for guidance and instead lash out. Steel yourselves." Heliolisk nodded. "Well said, commander." The Fire-type took the initiative and marched forward, searching for a way out of the alleyway as the pair behind him followed close. "Your presence is required at this meeting with the Council for appearances. All matters of discussion involving both mercenary clans and your predicament with one of them will fall upon me." "Got it," Heliolisk said, shooting Gallade a look. "You got it?" "... Of course." Stepping out from the cover of darkness, they entered the main streets, the setting sun overhead casting an orangish glow on the city. They trudged their way through groups of Pok¨¦mon gathering in the plaza all in pursuit of the large building that overlooked the area. Passing pathways of trimmed hedges and flagpoles from which Celestic and the Council''s flags flew, their attempts to climb the white marble stairs leading into the headquarters were thwarted by a crowd of gathering protestors around the doors. Their restlessness grew as they saw the three approaching, the stationed guards resorting to pushing Pokemon to make way. "The Council''s inevitable mistakes corner them at their very heart," Blaziken commented as he strode up the stairs. Heliolisk quickly followed after his commander while Gallade lingered where he stood. He exchanged glances at the agitated Pok¨¦mon that shouted at the guards and also at him. After swallowing his resignation, he entered the large structure through its illustrious double doors. The trio remained near the entrance as a retinue of guards in orange leather coats swarmed into the foyer to search them. "The Pokemon out there desire change, an escape from this world''s troubles," Blaziken said as a Throh patted him and his saddlebag down. "They still cling to the hope of this old world that there will be change, but there won''t. Not without action." Once the guards were finished with their procedures, they allowed them to continue on. Halls of portraits and ornate statues of various Pokemon passed them as they scaled the stairway to the meeting that awaited them. Two more guards stood near the end of the hall leading into the conference room, and after a brief glance, they immediately opened the doors to the chaos occurring within. All members of the Council seated around the oval table were locked in an endless debate, their raised voices overlapping and muddling one another''s. "We need a response!" "Action is how we should respond! Shut down any major events and install daily patrols to counteract any new gatherings!" "Escalation of the situation is not what we need right now." "The Blaze and Grass Continents are calling off all shipments until we address this!" As more incoherent shouts and potential solutions filled the room, the Empoleon at the far end of the table locked eyes with the newcomers. He quickly raised a flipper that attracted all eyes at the table to him, "Attention! I hate to call it a recess now, but can I, Kommo-o, Manectric, Carracosta, and Pyroar have the room? This will only take a moment." The mayors and other representatives collectively grumbled as they left their seats and began to file out of the chamber, some giving strange looks at Blaziken and the words carved into his feathers and flesh. Once the unspoken names were gone, a guard swiftly closed and locked the doors behind them. "Have a seat, please," Empoleon said. The trio set out occupying the now vacant seats. "Speak," Kommo-o grunted. "What has the Alignment done to remove the Rose Clan from the Grit Region?" Empoleon waved a flipper, "Kommo-o, calm yourself. We are not enemies here." His eyes found Blaziken. "I believe this is the first time we have met the Alignment''s new commander? While the current situation is less than ideal, I''m happy nonetheless that we have finally met after all these years." Blaziken extended a talon to grab, which Empoleon happily obliged in shaking. "The pleasure is all mine, Mayor Empoleon! Might I say I absolutely envy Empyrean City. The Pokemon of this continent do not lie when they call it the ''blooming flower among buds''. You must be a Pokemon of many great feats if you lead such a city," he praised, voice dripping with delight. "Ho-ho, please, no need for such kind comments." Empoleon''s attention drifted to the scars dotting the Fire-type''s body. "If I may ask, what are those odd words you have, ahem, embedded into yourself?" "I am glad you asked that, mayor. They are a source of my strength and commitment to the Allmother," Blaziken said with immense pride. "All commanders of the Alignment are to uphold these phrases and ideals close to us. I, however, chose to wear them on a physical level that bridges even further." Kommo-o was almost snarling. "The meeting¡­ Quit the formalities and tell us what we require to know. Has the Alignment solved this issue or not?" Blaziken sharply inhaled, then exhaled. "The Rose Clan has been dealt with. You will no longer have to worry about their presence within the Grit Region. Nor will they be funding any of the roving bandits in the region anymore. Gallade and Heliolisk here have diffused any potential for new conflict by negotiating with their ''Lords''." Gallade and Heliolisk shared looks at the obvious lie being told but kept their mouths sealed. Empoleon sighed in relief. "Thank the almighty Arceus. That is another weight off our shoulders¡­" He settled his gaze on the due beside Blaziken "But as for the other mercenary clan - the Razor Claws - we have heard of sightings of them within that region. Can you two attest to these claims?" "No," Blaziken said matter-of-factly. "If they were present, then it would be only to spy on their rival''s activities." "He asked those two, not you," Kommo-o shot back. Blaziken rattled his talons on the table. "I understand that Gallade and Heliolisk were appointed as official advisors after Simisage retired. They have done a fine job as his replacements. But from now on, I will be the one to give answers here; I will be the Allfather''s connection. Now, may we move on?" The elder dragon grumbled under his breath. Empoleon cleared his throat and nodded. "While the time we have left is short, I do want to discuss our findings involving the Cosmic Quilt Guild; more specifically, its guildmaster - Jackson." Blaziken smiled. "Oh? The Allfather has been most impatient with the Council''s action on the matter. Have you all come to a decision yet?" Empoleon motioned to the large piles of paperwork across the table. "We''ve scoured every piece of information regarding the entire guild. But there have been no signs of corruption or bad intentions against the Council or the Pok¨¦mon of Celestic." He adjusted his tie. "Be as it may, I personally know Jackson from various encounters. Rough around the edges, yes, but not a criminal in any way." Blaziken let out a friendly chuckle. "I assumed that much given that guild''s wonderful reputation. However, I was informed that the Allfather is very adamant that the Lucario is investigated thoroughly." Kommo-o tapped the table with a claw. "Listen here. The Council has already conducted its investigation and has found zero evidence leading to any wrongdoing. If your Allfather is so keen on this, then he needs to bring evidence of his own." "I have to agree with Kommo-o," Empoleon said. "Our findings are quite the contrary to what the Allfather is suggesting. All of this seems rather baroque." The other three silent members nodded to his words. "Well, the Allfather was expecting this conclusion, and he graciously gifted me something to pass along to you." Blaziken popped open a latch of his saddlebag and retrieved a small envelope from an open pouch. "Mayor Empoleon, you strike me as a dignified man, which is exactly why the Allfather has drafted a letter solely for your eyes only." He held out the envelope for the Pokemon in question. Empoleon accepted and took it from his talons. Tearing the envelope open with a flipper, he took out the single paper from within and began to read off the top. As his eyes went further down the page, his cool expression morphed into confusion, then concern, panic, and finally abject terror. He slowly pulled the letter away from his face. "I¡­ This letter; the Allfather is absolutely certain what he claims is truthful?" Blaziken met his fearful gaze. "There is no reason not to believe what he says in this letter is true if he desires only your attention on it." Empoleon said nothing through a long period of silence. He waved a flipper for the Rhydon guard at the far end of the room, who obliged and stomped over to the Water-type and leaned in. "Alert Braviary. Tomorrow his guard will arrest Jackson and the accomplice. I will be there in Empyrean to assess any fallout." The Rhydon nodded and made his way out of the room. Empoleon stood up from his chair and struggled to find the strength in his legs. He limped over to the large window drowning the chamber with the orange rays of the sunset. He looked out towards the city and the many Pokemon that walked the streets - unaware. Kommo-o observed Empoleon with genuine worry. "E-Empoleon, what did that letter entail?" "If this is really the reality of our situation." There was a pregnant pause in between Empoleon''s words. "Then what have we done?" Blaziken stood from his seat. "I believe that is all for this meeting. The Allfather also wishes for a face-to-face meeting after this business with the Lucario is concluded." He glanced at a bewildered Gallade and Heliolisk. "Let us return home at once, shall we?" The mentioned pair hesitantly got up from the chairs and followed as Blaziken threw open the doors leading into the hallway. They left behind a stunned and quiet room. Blaziken burst through the doors of the Council''s headquarters. He paid no heed to the growing crowd of angry protestors and stepped down the marble stairs, Gallade and Heliolisk hot on his trail. They entered the alleyways in which they arrived, checking their dimly lit surroundings for Pokemon. When the coast was clear, Blaziken turned and grinned. "The meeting went absolutely perfect. With the situation in the Grit Region dealt with, we can move on to more important matters." "Commander Blaziken, may I ask something?" Heliolisk inquired. "Why is the guild such a concern for the Allfather? I heard the guildmaster''s team was world-famous, and now he''s just getting arrested? This seems really fishy, don''t you think?" Blaziken latched his talons onto the Electric-type''s shoulder. "I do not claim to know everything our Allfather requests of us, but his wish is my command." He motioned a talon at the large building they came out of. "You can never undo the opening of a seal, and what has happened here can never be undone." "And what about lying about us back there? We were taken hostage by that Weavile and Bisharp! And that letter! What was in it that made-" "Heliolisk, I understand your confusion. I am just as confused as you are." Blaziken''s grip on him tightened. "But know this. Our enemies - the devils - seek the small chinks in our armor. They wish to destroy us from within. But our faith is what keeps us strong, keeps us protected. No matter what we do to secure paradise, we must never lose faith in the Allfather, our brothers and sisters, and most importantly - the Allmother." Heliolisk pounded his chest with an enclosed claw. "Understood, commander. I will never lose faith in both you and the Allmother." Blaziken wore a smile, patting Heliolisk''s shoulder. "We were side by side in our squad, Heliolisk. We endured the same trials given to us. I know you have a warrior''s heart within you. Cast aside your fears and doubts, and it will surface." As Heliolisk beamed at the praise, his eyes found Gallade. "Gallade! You have been nearly silent this entire trip. Is there something on your mind I can alleviate?" Past all the pride and brass Blaziken exuded, Gallade could tell there was a small ounce of pity detectable in the blue orbs that scrutinized him. He freed his thoughts with a shake of his head. "Nothing, commander. Any questions I have I will bring them up to the Allfather in our next encounter." Blaziken nodded. "Very well. I am very proud of you two. It''s no wonder the Allfather has promoted you both as advisors and ambassadors." He reached into his saddlebag and pulled out the Entercard they had used previously. "Please, return home. I believe Magearna has a pleasant surprise planned following your successful escape in the desert." Heliolisk took the card-like object and gave a short bow. "Thank you, commander. We''ll do just that." The Electric-type walked to the original point of their arrival, the scars of their transport pattern still burned into the cobblestone paved road. He laid down the card and began setting it up for travel, a quiet Gallade hovering behind him like a ghost. Heliolisk noticed Blaziken was not stepping toward them and voiced his curiosity. "Are you coming, commander?" Blaziken shook his head and smiled. "I have business to attend to above ground, but I will return home soon. Farewell!" Just as his words ended, the Entercard exploded into a pillar of orange light and tendrils of ley line energy. Gallade turned to give Blaziken one last analytical stare before a pair of claws yanked him away. The pair vanished into the light that quickly dissipated and revealed a now undisturbed alleyway. Blaziken dropped his smile as he marched deeper into the alleys. He dug into the deepest depths of his saddlebag to pull out something.
''Tall, cold, snowy mountain, guarded by a frightening beast. Frightening beast¡­ Perhaps Kyurem of legend?'' Scizor kneeled to pick up a lantern on the ground. He swung its flickering light toward a map of Celestic on the walls of his quarters and illuminated it. He used a free pincer to trace along the Frost Region on the map. ''Howling Blizzard Mountain, Cryogonal''s Summit, and the Glacier Peak Mountains. Which could house the artifact?'' Scizor scowled, as he could not recall the details of the Kyurem legend. Deciding to move on to another artifact location, he wired some string around a pin of the Frost Region''s mountainous area and connected it to the pin nailed in Celestial Mountain that had the most string linked to it. He placed the lantern down on a table where sheets of paper were neatly stacked. Grabbing one, he picked up a quill to jot down a list of potential locations. ''The deepest point of the ocean, surrounded by bright coral¡­ Maybe Rainbow Reef Tre-'' The muffled noise of a door opening interrupted his thinking. He quickly deduced it was the guild''s entrance doors, and angled his ears to listen as the thud of footsteps resounded outside his chambers. They ended with the swift shut of a door. Scizor paused, for he knew exactly what Pokemon entered the building. A building apprehension and dread grew in his chest at the prospect of what he was going to do. A voice in the back of his mind told him to let it go, to forget his intentions. But he made Garchomp a promise, and he did not intend to break it. Scizor pushed past the feelings of weights in his limbs and exited his quarters. He tiptoed through the darkness of the halls until he ended up facing a door, the face of a Lucario chiseled into the wood. He gave it a few knocks with a pincer. "Gui- Jackson. May I come in?" A few seconds later, a gruff voice emanated from within. ''You may.'' Scizor opened the door just as Jackson closed a drawer. He stood by the doorway, staring at the Pokemon hunched over a desk. Ash and other grime clung to the Shiny Lucario''s fur, a noticeable glimmer in the orange paw ring he wore. Moonlight poured in from the open window behind him and basked the worn looking banjo lying against the desk in its radiance. "You''ve been gone almost all day. Where have you been?" "I had matters to address before our mission tomorrow," Jackson said before glancing up at him. "I see that you stayed here instead of celebrating with the others." Scizor found his tongue a moment later. "Ah, yes, I have. I wanted to comb over the Projection Crystals we have gathered in hopes of pinpointing the artifact locations. I have currently zeroed in on a few locations in each region, but I require time to visit the archives in Empyrean''s library in search of any legends or myths that can aid in finding the shrines." Jackson waved a paw. "There''s no need to exert yourself before tomorrow''s mission. Please, rest. I will go into these details myself." "Sorry, Jackson, but I insist. I will make sure our information is as accurate as possible." Scizor clenched his pincers. "I¡­ I also have concerns regarding these revelations of the Alignment and our relationship with the Council." "Don''t worry about any of that. We need to concentrate our immediate efforts on tomorrow''s mission to Criss-Cross Creek. Only after we secure this guild''s goal do we refer to anyone else." "I just think-" "Scizor. Everything will be fine. You can go now." "... Understood." Scizor took a step back and faced the door. His pincer was latched onto the handle of it, but he didn''t move an inch. He turned and delivered Jackson a stern look. "Jackson, I need you to listen to me. This is very important." "If it is, then I''d like to hear it." Scizor inhaled - he knew he could do this. "I-I wanted to let you know that I think you should¡­" His next words hung in his throat. He spoke them in his mind, but they would not come out. Instead, they were totally different. "I think you should let me lead tomorrow''s mission." "Scizor, we have already gone over this. You and I will stay here to coordinate while Charizard leads over two search teams. This is final." "Please. I can be trusted to do this. I want to see this Legendary shrine for myself, and see what this artifact really is. If it actually exists." An intense debate seemed to be occurring within Jackson''s head as he stared at his desk for a long time. A heavy sigh escaped him. "All right¡­ You may go." Scizor bowed, pincers behind his back. "Thank you, Jackson. You are not making a mistake, I promise." The Lucario suddenly stood as he made his way over to the Bug-type. Two paws clamped down on Scizor''s shoulders. "What we are about to uncover is something that we as young adults back then could have only dreamed of. Your family, Charizard''s, everyone in Areos Village, and Pokemon all across the world throughout the ages - they will be avenged; their deaths will not be in vain." "They won''t. We''re gonna put an end to this." Jackson smiled. "Once this is all over, you, Charizard, and I can rest easy knowing Team Moonlight finished the job. You are a dear friend to me, Scizor, and I am glad to have met you all those years back." A tinge of grief accompanied his words. Scizor looked deep into his eyes and was unsure of what he saw within them. "... Thank you, Jackson." "Call it a day and get some rest. You will need your energy for tomorrow." "Yes. I will prepare the morning announcements before you awaken." Scizor bowed again. "Goodnight." "Goodnight." Scizor left Jackson''s quarters and entered the empty, pitch-black halls of the guild. Entering his own chambers, he slammed the door behind him and placed his back on it. His heart would not stop pounding. His mind raced as a swarm of thoughts buzzed in his mind, scolding him for his unwillingness to proceed with the confrontation. He closed his eyes and slowed down his erratic breathing to a calm exhale. ''I''m sorry, Garchomp.'' Scizor consciously moved the date of his confrontation to tomorrow. Vestiges of doubt lingered in his mind, reinforcing his inability to face a friend that he knew had been lost for years.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Bundles of fireworks rose into the night skies above the Eden Theater and exploded into bright, colorful balls of fire. Liam had his face almost pressed up against the wide glass windows as he watched the display, an assortment of colors reflecting in a pair of blank crimson eyes. He did not react to the whimsical chime of an elevator reaching his floor, nor the pitter-patter of footsteps behind him. "Liam?" The Riolu whirled around at the introduction of a soft voice. He quickly calmed his frayed nerves. "Oh, what''s up, Gloria?" "You''ve been gone for hours. I was a bit worried, so I tried finding you." He chuckled. "You and worrying. Now that''s a good couple." Gloria rolled her eyes and approached him. "All of us are about to watch another one of those films in the theater. You wanna come and see? One of the protagonists is even a Riolu!" Liam shook his head. "I''m totally spent for tonight. All these flashing lights are giving me a headache." He changed topics by signaling to his left with a paw. "Hey, have you seen these things around the building?" A rectangular machine was pressed up against the steel walls of the vacant room. It was colored a deep, vibrant pink; frilly curls shooting off the sides like flowing ribbons, and two pink ears on top of the apparatus were made to resemble that of a Sylveon. A flat piece of metal connected to tubes inside the machinery was extended outward, arrow signs on the colored metal exterior pointing at it. Gloria let out an excited gasp. "That''s the Emotionizer I was talking about earlier! They have these all over the building, but I never tried it." Liam clutched the few Pok¨¨ in his paw. "Well, it''s supposed to guess your personality through sensing emotions in your paw. But all it ever did for me was spit out some error message. See for yourself." He inserted a few of the golden coins into a slot of the machine, the metal sensor piece lighting up in an array of colors once he put in the correct amount. Placing a paw onto the sensor, he waited as a peculiar sense flooded his body, the machine whirring. It stopped moments later, and a very cheery female voice flowed through the machine''s speakers. "I''m sorry. Your emotions could not be read. Please try again later!" Liam crossed his arms. "Stupid thing took almost five-hundred Pok¨¨ from me." She giggled. "Here, let me try it." Gloria moved to grab a handful of Pok¨¨ from Liam with her teeth and began inserting them into the Emotionizer''s slot. She placed a paw on the sensor once the full amount was paid, closing her eyes and letting the strange sensations wash over her. After the machine produced a ringing noise to signal its success, the lively voice returned once again. "You appear to be¡­ the anxious type! Was I correct? He-He!" Liam grinned. "I guess it wasn''t a pile of junk after all. It got you perfectly." Gloria withdrew her paw from the machine, amazed. "This is so cool! Don''t you think so, too?" "I''m not that into fancy tech. Seems a little, uh, gimmicky?" Another roll of her eyes was her answer as she stepped over to the Riolu''s side, joining him in staring out of the room''s massive window into the city. Dazzling lights and spectacles of the sprawling festival were visible all across Empyrean City. Pok¨¦mon moving throughout the streets looked like mere drops of water in an entire ocean. More fireworks shattered the skies and showered the pale moon in different colors. "Y''know, it''s been an entire year since we''ve been in the Eden Theater," Liam said. "Back then, we didn''t even have a team yet, and we weren''t in the guild either. Just two amateurs with a single mission under our belt." "Aren''t we still amateurs?" "Official amateurs," he corrected. Gloria giggled. "We''ve been through a lot, haven''t we? Joining the guild, doing missions, Celestial Mountain, and now all this stuff involving the Grit Region. If we manage to remove the Mystery Dungeons from this world, then we''ll be seen as actual heroes!" "Yeah, we would. And I''m guessing you''re pretty stoked about that." Gloria''s heart swelled in her chest. "I really am. It''s embarrassing for me to say, but I remember as a kit picturing all the heroes I read about in stories to be, well¡­ me." "If it makes you feel any better, any time we would go see a musical performance, I would imagine myself on stage as well." "... It sounds stupid, and it is, but I want Pokemon to know my name. I want them to know I am. To know I''ve made my mark in this world, and mattered to someone who needed help." "You couldn''t have picked a better profession for this dream." "No, I really couldn''t." Resounding bangs of fireworks outside their window stole their attention for a brief moment. Liam wetted his lips, swallowing through the dryness of his throat. "Gloria, there''s something I want to tell you." The Vulpix smiled, "What is it?" "I¡­" Liam''s serious expression began to falter, a light-hearted grin forcing its way onto his face. "Do you remember that one time when we first started missions where I had to pick up this old Drampa''s Gummis at the end of a Mystery Dungeon?" Gloria appeared to comb through her memories before a wide smile split her muzzle. "I do remember that!" Liam fought off a laugh as he continued. "And since I didn''t know what Gummis even were, I picked up those-" A fit of giggles halted his recollection as Gloria struggled to contain her laughter. "Hey, let me finish first!" he chided. "Anyway, I picked up Grepa Berries instead and returned to his place. He was so mad that his weird hair started to rise and he said-" "''How''d you even put on that scarf on the mornin'' if you can''t find me my Gummis!''" Gloria imitated before her giggling transpired into a full-blown laugh. Liam joined in her amusement, struggling to finish the story. "And you had to tell him that I was from a faraway land, and only understood old footprint runes. That was a great mission." "It was. I''m glad you had me remember that." She wiped away a tear from her eye and all traces of her joy. "Hey, you mind if I tell you something, too?" "Sure. Shoot." "Um, it''s more of a question than anything. I didn''t come up here just to find you, but to ask you something. Roark wanted me to ask if you had any of your memories come back yet?" Liam felt a lump in his throat form. "Uh, why would he ask that?" "I don''t really know. I guess since it''s been a year since I found you, he was wondering if you remembered anything." "No, I- No, I haven''t." He shook his head and pointed at it. "Still blank as ever, you see." "Huh¡­ Good." Gloria immediately realized her mistake and blocked her mouth with a paw. Liam gave her a curious look. "Good? What do you mean?" She was frozen in fear, but hesitantly removed the paw from her lips. She sighed heavily. "Do you mind if I admit something really, really selfish?" "I won''t judge." "... I don''t want you to regain your memories." Liam was taken aback. "W-what? You really don''t want that to happen?" Gloria fidgeted where she stood. "There''s this thought in my head that if you remember your past, you would want to go back, and then you would leave me and Roark behind." "Gloria, you know I would never leave you just because-" "I know! It''s just¡­ I fear that happening." She fiddled with her scarf and necklace. "I get so scared about being alone again and it shuts me down." "So that''s what happened in Sanctus Town." She nodded, "I get my strength from my friends. You, Roark, Leafeon, Garchomp, and everyone else gave me that push I needed to chase my dreams. I don''t believe I can do any of that without you guys supporting me." "I know what you mean - I really do." Liam sighed. "And you know what? I agree with you." "On what?" "Not remembering anything, y''know?" He stared out the window. "I look back on all those memories of us starting out and I kinda¡­ miss those days. I was lost at first, but then I felt confident that it didn''t matter if I remembered or not. I don''t know why I feel this way now, but I do." Gloria managed a smile. "You came out of your shell a lot faster than I ever could. You''re reckless, and sometimes impulse, but you''re so eager to explore and go out on more adventures that it makes even me excited. Even that banjo you got and the songs you play. I like a lot of things about you." Liam turned to face her and smirked. "Hey, I like a lot of your weird quirks, too. Dragging me into daily library visits always bore me to tears, but you being there makes up for it a lot. You just being there to help me adjust to Celestic helped me become who I am today. You matter to me." She faced him as well. "You too," she said softly. Their fleeting moment of silence as they stared at one another was dashed away by a sudden embrace between them. "Here''s to another year of Team Requiem," Liam said, holding the Vulpix close to him. Gloria said nothing and melted into the hug as her tails swept behind her. After some time, she reluctantly pulled herself away from the Riolu, smiling. "Well, that film''s about to start soon and I don''t wanna miss it." Liam raised both paws. "Hey, go ahead and enjoy. I might even go down there to catch it myself." "There''s always room for one more. If not, I''ll see you in the morning for tomorrow''s special mission." He winked. "You betcha." Liam kept his eyes glued on her as they slowly walked back to the far end of the room. He waited for the closing of the elevator''s doors and its echoing chime to relinquish his gaze. He stood still for a solid minute, a twitch then appearing in his limbs. BOOM! A sizable paw-shaped dent morphed the Emotionizer''s frame. BOOM! Another deep dent rocked the machine where it stood and formed numerous cracks in the metal. BOOM! Liam pulled back and delivered another devastating punch into the Emotionizer that toppled the machine over completely. Resounding clangs and the noise of tearing metal bounced around the walls of empty room as the Riolu viciously kicked the fallen machine. He tracked it down when it spun across the floor from his attacks, never relenting his rage-fueled pummeling of it as he kicked it over and over. It was all but a pile of pink scrap metal, mangled tubes, and a broken voice box when he was finally finished. Liam''s back hit the large glass panels as he slid down it. Sparks of pain jolted and jumped his nerves. His paws covered his eyes in an attempt to shield the frenzy of images flashing through his mind. The adult version of himself standing by a single gravestone, a banjo underneath a messy bed, a small hand restricted by metal chains, and a pair of familiar, sinister hazel eyes. ''Grim reminder, kid,'' the gruff voice in his mind said. Liam clutched his head to rid himself of the constant barrage of images and the voice. He knew it was coming - all of it was coming back - and it was happening soon. ''Tomorrow. I''ll tell her everything tomorrow¡­''
Et audivi tamquam vocem in medio quatuor animalium dicentium: Bilibris tritici denario tres bilibres hordei denario, vinum, et oleum ne laedaris.
Author''s Note: Aliquid venit. Non sentis in ossibus tuis? Cras...
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: Revelation 6:7 Revelation 6:7 Chapter 32 Revelation 6:7 Sparks and wisps of embers trailed across the wooden floor. A thriving and hungry fire began to rise and lick against the walls and windows. Glass shattered as flames erupted from the house and absorbed the oxygen of the outside world, a plume of smoke trailing from the broken window into the blue skies. Grunts and other sounds of a scuffle came from within the burning home. Moments passed until a door leading into the home burst open. A man carried out a child over his shoulders that flailed in his grasp, held down by a bleeding arm. "Take out my guys, huh?" The man sneered. "I''ll give it to you. You got your dad''s spirit in ya." Liam snarled at his words and pounded his fists on the man''s back as his legs thrashed. His eyes were bloodshot and glued to the house, hot tears streaming from them as the flames continued to consume the home''s insides. His desperate attempts to flee resorted to biting down hard on the man''s shoulder. A pained grunt was heard as the arm wrapped around the boy''s waist yanked Liam and forced him to halt his endeavors. "Feisty little shit, aren''t you? Settle down, ''cause the day''s far from over." The fire inside the house could not be contained any longer as it began to envelop the outside walls. Wood burned and blackened, the once vibrant flowers that lined the porch were reduced to embers, and a tower of smoke funneling out of the house smothered the once-perfect skies. Liam could only watch in horror as he was taken further and further away, incapable of preventing his home''s destruction. "Look at your old home, the old you... burning away." The trunk of a car popped open as the boy was tossed inside. Liam seized any chance to fight back as he kicked his legs and threw frantic punches at the man. His fists were caught before they could meet his target, the man squeezing Liam''s hands and overpowering him. The boy had no choice but to yield, resorting to burning a hole through the man with his glare. "Me and your old man got some unfinished business to sort out first. But I got a place just for you, kid." The man placed his hands on the trunk''s hinge. "Now¡­ let''s go and find daddy." The trunk slammed close, trapping the young boy in darkness.
Liam jerked his head and twitched as the memory came to an end. He panted, slowly regaining his bearings and returning to reality. "Woah, kid, wake up call!" a suave voice next to him said. "We got a long and boring trail to walk here, y''know." "Sorry, just tired," the Riolu mumbled. Gloria strolled up next to him. "You need to get more sleep, Liam. Remember the last time you were too excited for a mission?" Roark chuckled. "Kid was like a shambling corpse at the morning chant." A small smile graced Liam''s lips. "Can''t help it. Expeditions always get me goin''." Moonlight shined down on them through the canopies of trees rustling in the cold wind. The trail they were embarking upon took them from their guild to the forests surrounding Criss-Criss Creek. For hours they walked, getting ever so closer to their destination. "Hey! You guys are being a bunch of Slowpokes! Hurry up!" the boisterous voice of Rockruff yelled from further down the trail. Liam took the opportunity to blaze down the trail to catch up, Gloria and Roark exchanging looks before they followed after the Riolu. They slowed their pace upon merging with the greater group of their guildmates. Scizor led the band of Pokemon from the very front, seemingly unfettered. His posture was stiff, eyes staring straight ahead. The Pokemon behind him, however, found it more suitable to conserve with another. "Ooh! Let''s play a game to pass the time!" "How about a game called ''quiet'', Rockruff?" Monferno grumbled. "Aw, c''mon! Anyone else wanna play?" "What kind of game is it?" Braixen said. "Don''t encourage him, Braix." "I say the color of a place, ''mon, or thing around us, and you guys guess what I see!" Rockruff explained. "Hmm, I see something green!" Monferno rolled his eyes. "Is it the trees?" "Nope!" "Rockruff, you do realize how many things in a forest are green, right?" Braixen questioned. The puppy laughed, "C''mon, just guess!" "Um, a Xatu is flying above us. Is it that?" Gloria guessed. "Nope! Try again!" "A fern," Liam suddenly said, his eyes glued anywhere but the group. "Uh... Liam got it! He wins!" Monferno sighed, "This is a stupid game, Rockruff. Nobody besides Mr. Personality even knows what a fern is." "Yeah, but we''re making some time fly by!" Scizor turned, "Everyone, please behave professionally. We will soon be arriving at the site and meeting with another group, and I require utmost attention." Roark chuckled, "We''re just having some fun, Scizor. What''s got your shell so rattled?" "Guildmaster''s put him in charge for the first time," Monferno said. "Hell, I''d be nervous too if I was leading such an important mission." Gloria nodded, "But it''s great to see, Scizor. All of us are happy for you!" "We should respect Scizor''s wishes," Braixen added with a neat smile. "This is quite an opportunity he has, and I wouldn''t want us to mess it up for him." An invisible blush appeared on Scizor''s cheeks. "T-thank you, Braixen. I understand most of you look to your Guildmaster for guidance, but hopefully I can offer that." Roark peered up at the starry sky. "Hey, I also see something green. It''s coming right this way." Shaymin glided through the air with ease, wearing a wide smile and performing circling maneuvers around the tops of trees. She eventually descended to the group of Pokemon and landed in front of Scizor. "Shaymin, what are the visuals? Did you see the ruins? Are the others there? Has the excavation been compl-" "Mate, I''m only one ''mon, so cool it," she interjected. "Anyway, yeah me and Charizard found it. He''s out there flappin'' his lips with the head mole guy in charge or whatever. Looks like they cleared out most of the rock and other junk." Scizor sighed in relief. "Thank you, Shaymin. You may return to guiding us." "With pleasure." Shaymin was airborne within a second. Scizor angled his head, a thump appearing in his chest. "Let''s, uh, pick up the pace, everyone. We are near the site." Lips were sealed, paws and other limbs focused on beating the paved trail ahead. Following the gliding Shaymin in the night sky, they broke off the pathway and headed into the dense forest. They brushed past wet foliage and continued their trek into the woods until they happened upon a clearing marked by mossy, crumbling pillars of stone and an old-looking mound. A site of clear excavation was present throughout the ancient ruins as swathes of terrain were razed, rock and dirt piled up near the clearing''s edges. Gurrdurr, Machop, and other types of burly Pokemon were clambering aboard carriages led by the ever-so-silent Mudsdales. Excadrill noticed the arriving group and halted his conversation with Charizard, an ear-to-ear smile on his face as he shimmied his way over to Scizor. "I made a promise to Jack, didn''t I?" the Ground-type said. "You need us? The Grit Ruin Excavators will be there bright and early." Scizor gently clamped his pincer down on the extended pair of claws, shaking them. "Your dedication to our efforts is very appreciated, Excadrill. Without your help, none of this would''ve been possible." Excadrill withdrew his claws and tugged on his tie. "Aw, shucks, you''re gonna make me as red as a Razz Berry. As much I helped y''all, y''all helped me. ''Sides, it''s all for a better tomorrow, like Jack says!" Scizor looked around. "Have your workers uncovered anything that could lead us into the shrine?" "Sure have." Excadrill began walking away and motioned for the Bug-type to follow. "You''re gonna burst outta your exoskeleton once you see this!" Scizor followed the eccentric mole as he led him to a dig site located near the large mound of earth. A wide plane of removed grass and dirt revealed a floor of solid, cracked cobblestone. There was a faded symbol still visible within the stone - a peculiar pattern. Scizor instantly recognized it as the pattern used to mark Entercard coordinates. "You- You found an Entercard-" Scizor''s breath hitched, realizing the magnitude of this discovery. "Mew and her team of Legendaries must have placed this long ago. It has to lead to the shrine and the artifact." Excadrill tapped his head and winked. "Hit it right on the ''noggin. You sure are smart! No wonder Jack put you in charge. Could use at least ten of ya back home to replace these knuckleheads," he grumbled. "Aheh, uh, thank you." "Spent all morning tryin'' to dig into the shrine, but those dang ole ley lines decided to prop up a barrier over the ground." The mole threw a claw at the faint pattern in the ground. "Looks like Entercards will be your only way in and out, I''m afraid." "It''s no matter. We have prepared well for this and many other outcomes." "Well then¡­ I guess my services are finished here." Excadrill raised his large claw for another shake, but instead changed his mind and wrapped the surprised Bug-type into a firm hug. "You be safe now and find that artifact, ya hear? Y''all know I''m lookin'' out for the guild, and especially Team Moonlight." "Er, t-there''s no need to worry. Please, we''ll be fine." Excadrill removed himself, "Sorry, it''s just this whole mess with those ancient Legendaries and the Council''s got me stirred up. Makes ya wonder what''s really goin'' on in Celestic, but maybe it''ll all be sorted out soon as Jack said." Scizor bit his tongue, preventing his words from straying. "Let''s focus on obtaining the artifact. We need to know what we''re dealing with first." "Right on. Find this sucker and we''ll wipe out those dungeons for good. Just remember, my workers and I will always-" A loud snort of an impatient Mudsdale glaring at Excadrill interrupted him. "Bah, but enough of me yappin''." Excadrill started jogging over to the carriage chock full of Pokemon, throwing a look behind him. "Tell Jack I still wanna buy him a beer when this whole thing''s over!" When the Ground-type finally wiggled his way into a cramped carriage, the hooves of the Mudsdales began to beat the ground. It was only a moment later that the carriages were storming off into the night and leaving behind the ruins. Scizor watched them as they got further and further away, a thump in his chest reminding him that he was now the sole source of authority left. He suddenly felt a rush of heat and heard a loud ''thud'' as Charizard landed next to him. "Yo, Sciz, did visuals on the area and no ''mons are here beside us." Scizor gulped. "Thank you, Charizard." "No problem." The dragon grinned. "Let''s get this show on the road, old friend." The rest of the guild ambled over to where the duo was, casting curious looks upon the symbol etched into the stone slab. Shaymin strode through the air before she landed beside the others. Gloria gasped. "This wasn''t here last time Liam and I searched the ruins. Did Excadrill''s team find this?" Rockruff''s eyes went wide as he investigated each corner of the pattern. "Woah! This is like one of those Entercard travel thingies, right?" Scizor nodded. "You are correct, Rockruff. What we have here is an Entercard coordinate marker no doubt placed long ago by Mew''s group. I theorize that this will bring us into the shrine." Excitement began to bounce off each Pok¨¦mon of the group. "Er, but I must inform you that not all of you will be. The Guildmaster has told me to split you all into two teams. One will investigate the shrine while the other will keep watch over the outside ruins." Monferno held up his hands. "Woah, woah, woah. You''re telling me not everyone was allowed to go on this expedition, and now we gotta split up again into another team? For what reason? Nobody''s in this forest except us." Shaymin huffed, "Yeah, this seems like a whole lotta junk. Why couldn''t Leafeon come along?" "And my teammates!" Rockruff cried. Scizor sighed, "Listen, I understand your frustrations. However, these are direct orders from the Guildmaster, and he wanted it this way. Is this clear?" Forms of grumbled agreements reached his ears. "Good. Here are the teams; Myself, Liam, and Monferno will search the shrine. The rest of you will stay here." Rockruff stomped the ground. "This stinks! We all wanna see the shrine, too!" "Yeah, gotta agree with the kid." Roark chimed in before glancing at the frowning expressions around him. He moved to jostle Rockruff''s side. "But right now if Scizor says ''jump'', we say ''how high'', right?" "Yeah¡­" the Rock-type bemoaned. Scizor unlatched his saddlebag. "Thank you, Roark. Liam, Monferno, let''s commence the search." He pulled out an Entercard as the two aforementioned Pok¨¦mon stepped forward. Kneeling, he began to copy the symbol in the ground onto the metallic card winding frame before placing it down onto the faded pattern. A pincer hovered over the indentation that would activate the Entercard. Yet, it was not pressed as Scizor stood and took a deep breath. "Everyone, I wish to say something before we enter." Scizor swallowed, finding his next words hard to get out. "Yesterday, while I was gathering details for this expedition, I took the liberty to further investigate an incident that occurred within the guild over ten years ago. I must admit, I have managed to uncover the missing job details from this incident, and it is hard to say, but it is connected to this location specifically." Rockruff tilted his head. "Wait... Are you talking about Team Hydra?!" Scizor reluctantly nodded, "Yes, I am. Most of you have heard the rumors but were not around when it happened. More than ten years ago Team Hydra, a team from our guild, was sent an anonymous tip to investigate these ruins, which they set out on doing, and¡­ Yes, three members of Team Hydra were found deceased not far from here. Their deaths undoubtedly due to foul play." A wave of unease traversed many of the group upon these revelations. "But I don''t want any of you to think about that." Scizor clenched his pincers tight as he narrowed his gaze. "We must never forget our positions here. The Cosmic Quilt Guild has come so far and has overcome so many setbacks to reach this point now. Vaporeon, Croagunk, Minccino, and Sneseal; their losses will not be in vain. We must hold them in our hearts and minds as we venture into this shrine." His look fell upon the faces of his subordinates - his comrades - and felt his previous fears melting away. "All of you have sacrificed something to be here, and put your lives on the line to secure a better tomorrow. Know this, I will protect you with my own life if it comes down to it." Silence reigned before Roark began clapping his claw-ridden paws. "Now that''s the Scizor we like to hear! Am I wrong, gang?" A chorus of supporting cheers then exploded out of the Pok¨¦mon, Scizor beamed as he absorbed their ferocious ovation. "I won''t stall any longer!" Scizor yelled. "We will return with the artifact. That is a promise I make to you all here and the Pokemon we left behind." He kneeled again to finalize the preparations of the Entercard. As Liam stepped near this Bug-type, he felt the presence of a paw on his shoulder. He turned to see the sheepish smile of Gloria staring at him. "Hey, um, be extra safe while you''re in there, okay?" She bit the straps of her cream saddlebag against her side and held it up. He smiled and grabbed the saddlebag before leaning in to give her a brief hug. "You know me - I''ll try to. No promises, though." A chuckling Roark walked over and lightly slugged the Riolu on the shoulder. "Yeah, nah, it''s a promise to sis and a threat from myself." Gloria shook her head. "Just come back in one piece." Liam gave her a mock salute. "Got it, ma''am," he said sternly, spurring a giggle from the Vulpix. "Mr. Personality! Hurry it up!" Monferno shouted. Liam momentarily glared at the primate as he positioned himself beside the Entercard, Monferno standing to his right. Scizor waited for everyone else to stand back before he pressed the card''s indentation and straightened himself. A crackling noise filled the air as orange tendrils of ley lines spewed forth and lashed the air. A pillar of blinding golden light then consumed the trio where they stood. In an instant, they were gone.
"Got any visuals?" "You bet your shiny metal ass I got visuals¡­" Weavile tore the binoculars from her face and scowled at what she saw. Her cape fluttered behind her in the strong winds, the three scarves tethered to it flowing with it. She stood from her squatting position and waved a claw at a nearby bush. Two Pok¨¦mon emerged from it and heeded her beckoning - Glaceon and Simisear. "All right, here''s how this is going down. Ice queen, I want you to tell the others their positions. No fuss - you do it - got it?" Glaceon whipped her icy bangs. "Hmph. Whatever you say, Weavile." She quickly sauntered away. Weavile placed a claw on Simisear''s shoulder. "Bisharp and I have seen your progress since you joined, and we think you''ve earned a little promotion." Simisear''s eyes widened. "No kidding. For real?" "You''ll be in charge of managing these bozos and keeping the place guarded as me and Bisharp head into the ruin. Don''t fuck up or I''ll pull your head off, got it?" "Uh, y-yeah, I''ll get right to it. Thank you so much, Captain Weavile." He immediately jogged after Glaceon. Bisharp crossed his arms and smiled. "You look more fired up than yesterday. Safe to assume you''ll be fine heading into this place again?" A wave of anger passed through Weavile, causing her to shudder. "If anyone deserves what''s inside that dump, it''s the Razor Claws. If the Alignment hasn''t already nabbed it long ago, now''s our chance." She returned to scaling the grassy hill before her. Bisharp followed. "This''ll be more than a bargaining chip. We''ll hold something that they''ve killed for." "Yeah¡­ And that means wonders for us, doesn''t it?" "Things will get tough, but we always persevere." Weavile turned her head. "So answer me this. Why do we need half the clan here to sit around while we go looking? Waste of money if you ask me." "The way I think it is... if those Alignment advisors we help capture blabbed off to the Allfather. He might know that we know something, and he wants these ruins guarded if we were to show up." She cackled. "Man, you got everything figured out in that big head of yours." "I told you how much this means to me." "As long as this means the destruction of that shitty cult, keep plotting, tinman." Weavile finally surmounted the tall hill in her path. From her vantage at the very top, she could see a wide view of the wet forest from above. Her eyes then caught a glance of a mossy structure deep within a clearing, a pang in her heart appearing at the familiar sight. She let out a sigh before she fished for the binoculars in her saddlebag. Peering into the lenses, she scanned the glade, only to gasp at what she saw. "Arceus, Bishy, you may actually be right for once. There''s Pok¨¦mon here that are not us and-" Weavile''s heart sank as she saw the black scarves the Pokemon walking around the ruins wore. Bisharp followed her gaze. "What''s wrong? Is it really the Alignment?" She ripped away the binoculars. "No¡­ it''s not them. It''s the fucking guild, Bishy. They''re here." "You have to be messing with me." He marched over and snatched the binoculars from her grasp, looking into them. "Fuck. You weren''t wrong for once. What are the chances of this?" Weavile frowned, "We should''ve known. Golisopod encountered two of ''em months ago." She gnashed her teeth and growled. "Of course, they would return to begin this nightmare all over again..." "What do you think our approach is here? I''m not sure the troops are gonna like us fighting them, especially Glaceon with one of her sisters in the guild." A battle was being waged in Weavile''s head, but the victor was clear. She tightened her claws and sneered at the ruin far in the distance. "¡­ It doesn''t matter who''s there, or who''s in our way. All that matters is that we get what I- we deserve." She countered his stare. "We''re going in there. We''re defeating them, and we''re taking the artifact for ourselves." "How is this gonna work then, Weav''s? You''re in charge of battle strategies." "Tell the ice queen she can kick rocks without explaining too much; she won''t complain about paid time off. Then let the others know there''s been a change in plans." "You and I both know the guild is strong. They won''t go down without a fight." Weavile grinned deviously, "But we''re stronger. You know that. Just one thing before you go, tell them¡­" She stole one more glance at the faraway ruin, a crestfallen expression on her face. "Tell them to go easy on ''em."
A metallic card expanded into existence along with a burst of bright, orange light. Three figures emerged and stepped away from the Entercard as the energy around them expulsed into nothingness. Each of them looked around and adjusted to their almost pitch-black surroundings. Monferno scoffed. "Well, at least we can say there is something down here. But did anyone think to bring a lantern? ''Cause I sure didn''t." Liam shook his head. "No lantern, but I got something close enough." He opened his saddlebag and procured a Luminous Orb. He raised it high, the translucent orb flickering before glowing a bright yellow that illuminated this new environment. Crumbling stone walls of a hallway surrounded them, pools of murky water sinking deep into the ground as water continuously dripped down from the nearly caved-in ceiling. Scizor held his breath, taking careful steps forward as if he risked shattering what he saw. "If this area is really what I think it is, then we are the first Pokemon to see it in almost ten thousand years..." Monferno knelt to pick up their Entercard. "Neat. Now can we get on with it? This place is already giving me the creeps." "Really? I think it''s awesome," Liam said, waving the Luminous Orb around. Scizor stopped his vacant staring as he dug into his saddlebag to retrieve a Minun-shaped device. He fiddled with a dial and flicked a switch before speaking into it. "Charizard, we have successfully been transported into a location underground that I believe is the inner sanctum. We will investigate further and report to the other team at the guild with any potential findings." Moments later, a baritone voice emerged from the crackling static of the ELE. "Copy that, Sciz. Don''t tell Jack, but I''m taking a little rest from scouting. Dead of the night; no ''mon is coming here." "I think- Very well. I will report to the team at the guild now. Thank you, Charizard." Scizor turned the dial on the ELE and spoke again. "Minun! My team has managed to find a way inside the supposed shrine thanks to Excadrill. We will now proceed with the investigation." "That''s great!" the faint, young voice of a boy echoed through the device. "The Guilma¡­ ster is nearby to offer any he.. lp." "Minun, your voice is breaking up. Are there any problems with the electrical connection?" "Oh, I''ll have to fix th¡­ at when you guys return. Long-distance communi¡­ cation is finicky and all. But Leafeon is here to transcribe, so keep us inf.. ormed!" Scizor turned off his ELE and stuffed it back into his saddlebag. "Right, let''s commence the search." "Finally," Monferno muttered. The quiet hallway was by disturbed their resounding footsteps and trickling water. Liam swayed the Luminous Orb around in hopes of discovering something, Scizor keeping a keen eye on everything, while Monferno simply trudged forward and was more interested in dodging the mud puddles in his path. After minutes of traversing the barren hallway, they could hear the sounds of tumbling rocks and moving earth. A ravine had sliced the stone corridor and formed a great gash in the ground. A haze of dust settled at the bottom of an exposed chamber, though the only way to it was down the jagged cliffs. Monferno sighed. "Great, just great. Did you bring the stuff, Scizor, so we don''t break our legs?" Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Liam smirked, "I got a way. Just follow what I do!" Without another word, he leaped off the broken hallway. Adrenaline pumped through the Riolu''s veins as his hind paws slid down the steep scarp. He jumped before he could tumble off and rolled onto solid ground. Liam exhaled and smiled, looking up at the Pokemon still standing by the ravine''s edge. "See! Just do what I did! Easy!" A bundle of rope fell down the crevasse, the other side held firmly by Scizor. Monferno laughed while he began descending the rope. "Not everyone is as suicidal as you are, Mr. Personality." Liam frowned. Once the primate reached the pit''s bottom, Scizor fanned his papery wings and joined the two of them. Liam dispersed the darkness surrounding them with a wave of his Luminous Orb, his jaw-dropping at what was now visible. A grand statue of a Pokemon forged from marble was erected in the center of the room. It was quadrupedal in nature, an equine-like stature with long, pointy hooves. Its head trailed off into a wispy mane. An arc structure made out of yellow onyx was placed over the middle of the statue''s body. A fracture split the quadruped into two, cracks in its frame threatening to crumble the entire stature. Monferno raised a brow. "Hey, this Pokemon statue. It looks a lot like most of Arceus'' depictions." Scizor slowly nodded, his mouth remaining ajar. "You''re correct, Monferno. This isn''t just any Legendary shrine, it''s a shrine dedicated to Arceus himself¡­" Liam angled his head to look past the broken bust. "Hey! There''s a Mystery Dungeon past this point!" The three of them moved further to investigate the Riolu''s claims, finding the shadowy void of a Mystery Dungeon entrance engulfing the path ahead. "This statue of Arceus is confirmation of the shrine''s existence here," Scizor said, taking a step toward the shadow. "In that case, there must be more to it past this dungeon." Monferno sighed. "Sure is. Let''s get this over with." Scizor and Monferno merged into the shadow and vanished in an instant. As Liam walked over to follow them, he felt a twitch of pain rupture his senses, accompanied by a familiar, gruff voice in his head. ''Grim reminder, kid.'' Liam shuddered and attempted to ignore the intrusion in his mind as he went into the dark abyss. A debris-filled stone platform expanded beneath his paws, mossy walls manifesting themselves and boxing in the three newcomers. A single corridor connected to the faux room. Criss-Cross Creek: Shrine Of Arceus BF 1 Scizor took the initiative to lead Liam and Monferno down one of the narrow hallways. As they entered another chamber, Yellow-orangish light at every corner would bring into existence dungeon Pokemon that sought to attack the intruders. They fought back these apparitions with ease, making their way further into the dungeon via the crumbling staircases. Criss-Cross Creek: Shrine Of Arceus BF 2 ''Sunder into dust.'' Liam grit his teeth as he scanned the dungeon surroundings. His gaze then fell upon an odd mural emblazoned upon the stony walls. "Hey! There''s something here." Monferno tucked himself into a wheel of flames and barreled into a grassy Wormadam. "More statues aren''t ''something''." "No! It''s a painting of something! Gloria and I have seen this in the dungeon when we were here before!" Chipped, painted colors stood out on the gray walls. While washed out, it was still visible and decipherable. It depicted Arceus separated from the arc structure on its back, surrounded by seven various Legendaries playing seven strange-looking flutes over the backdrop of a mountain. An altar was shown where Arceus stood. And what appeared to be the moon hanging in the sky was a deep crimson. Scizor stopped to study the mural intensely but found his interest peaking upon seeing a slab beneath the painting with strange letters. "The dungeon must have saved some of the shrine within the dungeons. There are also transcripts here. Perhaps an explanation of this mural?" "Looks like footprint runes; really old ones they don''t teach anymore," Monferno said. "You''re a researcher, Scizor. Are you able to translate this?" "Footprint runes as ancient as these aren''t my specialty, but I will make an attempt." The Bug-type knelt in front of the stone slab, Liam and Monferno protecting him from any dungeon Pokemon wandering over. He mouthed off any words he could infer. "Mountain¡­ Arceus¡­ First creation¡­ Hall Of Creation. That''s what most of this is saying." "Mountain¡­ Celestial Mountain?" Liam wondered aloud. "Don''t most theories say it was the first place Arceus created in Celestic?" He ignored the spurts of electrifying pain occasionally shocking his senses. "You''re correct, Liam. The Hall Of Creation is spoken in many myths and legends as Arceus'' main shrine and place of affairs for all Legendaries." Scizor placed a pincer under his chin, thinking hard. "The ley line coordinate supposedly rests beneath Celestial Mountain. I wonder if¡­" He sighed. "We need more information to deduce anything. Let''s continue onward." Criss-Cross Creek: Shrine Of Arceus BF 5 The trio stopped before another mural on the wall and a plaque beneath it. It showed a lithe quadrupedal Pok¨¦mon with tall, multicolored antlers standing before a massive wall of orange light. Scizor moved his gaze to the slab of stone with footprint runes. "Blockade¡­Hall Of Creation¡­ Powers and past kinship weren''t enough." "Blockade, huh? That''s Xerneas in this picture thing. So maybe this Hall Of Creation place is blocked off from her?" Monferno theorized. "Possibly," Scizor said. "But I''m more interested that Xerneas is depicted here. Her ''demise'' should be around the time of this shrine''s creation, if Zygarde was correct." ''We are the same.'' Liam scowled at the voice in his mind. "Maybe, uh, maybe she has something to do with Arceus'' disappearance?" "It''s becoming increasingly more likely," Scizor responded. "This ''blockade'' is undoubtedly the ley line barrier Mew and her team couldn''t get past with their Entercards atop Celestial Mountain. The Hall Of Creation¡­ If it really exists, then it would be beyond this barrier." Criss-Cross Creek: Shrine Of Arceus BF 9 A Golett sailed through the air and smacked against a mural on the wall before dissipating in an orange glow. Scizor, Monferno, and Liam walked over to investigate. This time, there were two Pok¨¦mon visible. Xerneas and what looked like a Lurantis were side by side in a field of blooming white flowers. The sun above them was black, and stars plummeted from the heavens. Scizor once again translated the runes of the plaque beneath the mural. "Of those who once exuded eternal life¡­ The Usurper¡­ allies and friends once before." Scizor turned his head. "I believe we should contact the teams with our findings before we continue." Monferno shrugged. "If it gets us out of here quicker." Scizor retrieved his ELE and began to speak into it.
"Charizard, we have gone further into the shrine and entered a Mystery Dungeon, where numerous murals were discovered within. We will continue forward." Shaymin rolled her eyes and flew over to where the sleeping form of Charizard lay, his ELE still clutched in his claws. She pried the device from him and flicked a switch. "Yeah, we hear you, mate. Charizard decided to take a snooze, but I''ll be here for ya." "Ah, thank you, Shaymin. I will contact the other team now." As Scizor''s voice faded in the staticky shrill, Shaymin tossed the ELE onto the large belly of a snoring Charizard. She then sprinted toward the group of Pokemon encircling the Entercard symbol in the ground. "Gonna be a while ''til they shoot back up," Shaymin said. Roark stretched with a loud yawn. "Gotta say, This whole expedition''s got me agreeing with Charizard here. What a snoozefest." Braixen cocked her head. "I think it''s better than us risking our lives, don''t you think?" A red claw waggled at her. "That''s the best part, sister." The Fire-type stifled a smile. "Maybe. But knowing we''re helping Pok¨¦mon of the world, in the end, is worth the boring moments." "Uuuuggh!" Rockruff moaned as he rolled over on his side. "You guys know what''s bugging me? Team Hydra. Scizor confirmed all those rumors we heard from ex-guild members." Roark tossed an Oran Berry into his mouth. "What about it? It happened already. Like Scizor said, we keep them on our minds and move forward." "Nah, nah, like¡­ What actually happened to ''em? What Pok¨¦mon would even do that, and why was it here? Maybe ''cause of the artifact thingy? And what if they''re still here?" Rockruff rubbed his temples. "Man, all this thinking is making me paranoid." Gloria tugged on her scarf. "Um, sorry, but can we please move on to a different subject? Maybe something a bit more light-hearted?" Roark chuckled as he snapped his claws. "All right! Memorable moments from before you joined the guild - let''s go! Any takers?" He looked around to the sight of wide eyes staring back at him. "Well, I''ll go first then. About fifteen years ago, the Rescue Society booked us rescuers a little vacation to the Shore Region, and man was it a good time. Good drinks, white sand beaches, gorgeous waters, and gorgeous ladies." He grinned. "Got to know so many guys in my squad. Spinda, Granbull, Feraligatr, Crawdaunt. We spent hours gambling our meager paychecks hoping to strike big - never did, though. I still miss ''em a lot¡­" His grin dissolved into an absent stare. Rockruff raised his paw high. "Ooh! Ooh! I got one! Can I go next?" The gaze of the others landing on him gave him the signal to continue. "Okay, so one windy day long, long ago, the Lycanroc clan was journeying across Thornpike Hallow. Me and another Rockruff were goofing off when the wind knocked me off those rickety wooden bridges we were crossing. No one but her saw, and while the clan continued on, she stayed to help pull me out of this ravine I fell in. We talked for hours and hours, and while it was scary, I really liked talking to someone, to her, y''know? We got to know each other as more than playmates. And she was so nice, and had the prettiest fur, too!" Gloria giggled, "Sounds like you had a crush on her. Did you?" Rockruff wrinkled his lip to hide the coating of red dusting his cheeks. "What?! N-no!" Roark chuckled, "Trust me, sis has an eye for this sort of stuff." "We were just friends," Rockruff sputtered. "But, uh, I''d like to see her again someday." "That''s a nice story, Rockruff. Maybe you will one day," Braixen said. Rockruff swiftly changed topics. "So, uh, what about you Braixen? Got any cool stories before you became the assistant to that crazy Hatterene lady?" Braixen smiled and shook her head. "Well¡­ I do have one. It''s not exactly eventful, but it plays again in my mind from time to time. When Mony- Er, Monferno and I were little, we used to play in this public lot my father owned. I remember one day in particular when he and I were lying under the shade and watching the skies after we were done playing. We used to ask each other a lot of things as we got to know each other. And we eventually came to the topic of professions, but he couldn''t name one he wanted, so we brainstormed things he could be. Back then, I never thought I wanted to be a nurse. I wanted to be a dancer, one that traveled all across Celestic to entertain. We talked about that a lot." She wiped away the mistiness in her eyes, rubbing her red armband. "I don''t know why it makes me emotional, but it does." "A dancer?" Roark questioned "Never, ever could I imagine you as that. No offense." Gloria rolled her eyes. "I can see it! Braixen always composes herself very thoroughly. I bet she''s great at dancing!" Braixen blushed and held her cheeks. "Thank you, Gloria. That means a lot." Gloria smiled, "I guess I''ll go next. When I used to live in the Glacier Peak Mountains, we used to have this annual festival dedicated to Kyurem the mountain guardian. One time my parents were too busy to take me, so my nanny did. A lot of the children from my school were there. I didn''t have many friends back then, and I was shy about making new ones." She fiddled her with necklace. "But my nanny pushed me to do so, even if I didn''t want to. We had a lot of fun that day, and I met a lot of friends I wouldn''t have if I never went!" "See, sis? All you need is a little push to get things done. Even if you don''t want to," Roark said before glancing to his side. "Hey, Shaymin, you''ve been quiet. You got any extravagant Legendary adventures to share?" Shaymin scoffed. "Please, mate, nothing is exciting about those lugs. I like my times outside of being their underling." "Which are?" the fox prodded again. "Soarin''," Shaymin said with a cocky grin. "When you weren''t put to farmin'' or errands, nothin'' beats gliding across perfect skies with your mates behind ya for fun. Some of the most beautiful locations in the whole world we went to. But besides that? Nah, everythin'' else about the Shaymin Village is not worth rememberin''." Braixen frowned. "Shaymin, not to sound pushy, but if you want to talk about it, we''re here." "Nah, I''m still sore about it. Hell, even thinkin'' about it again makes my blood boil. When ya can''t even-" Shaymin halted her words as a shudder passed through the bushes behind her. She immediately adopted a stance, gritting her teeth and throwing sharp looks around. "There''s a ''mon here. I can feel it in the wind. It''s-" Shaymin had only a split second to react as she pivoted a white blur that sailed past and collided with a tree. An outstretched claw that had missed its target cleaved the tree in half, the perpetrator revealing itself to be a silent Golisopod. Gloria recoiled. "A Golisopod?! Wait, is that-" The Vulpix was cut off by the noise of rustling leaves and the pounding of footsteps as numerous Pokemon burst from the clearing''s natural cover screaming a boisterous war cry. They stormed toward the group charging attacks in their paws and claws alike. Flying Pokemon now circling above in the night sky dive-bombed to meet their foes. "AMBUSH!" Roark yelled, leaping to his paws. "Hold ''em back!" Each guild member, though caught off guard, prepared themselves for battle as the shouting Pokemon drew near. Spurred by the sounds of chaos around him, a sleeping Charizard cracked a single eye open to the sight of charging Pokemon. A torrent of red-hot fire then erupted from his mouth as he stood. He pumped his wings and hovered before the invaders as flames licked his jaw. "OKAY, WHICH ONE OF YOU RODENTS WANT A FUR CLEANING FIRST?!" he roared. Just a few yards away from the ensuing conflict, Weavile pulled the binoculars from her face and smirked. "Looks like the Charizard still has that ''lazy strength'' the others called it back then." Bisharp tightened a gauntlet. "They''ll need our assistance in bringing them to heel." "And we''ll provide. Let''s go."
"Minun, this is Sci¡­ zor. We have exited the Mystery Dungeon and are now in another cha¡­ mber of the shrine." Sounds of footsteps sloshing through water and stepping over broken glass were heard through the ELE''s staticky speakers. "This appears to be the main hall of sorts¡­ Ah, I see someth¡­ ing rather strange. We will investigate further." "Sounds good, Scizor! Keep us updated!" Minun paced around the stone Milotic fountain, ELE in his grasp as he wordlessly communicated to Leafeon with a head nod. The Grass-type quickly got to work scribbling something down on a large sheet of paper plastered over the ceramic tiles of the floor. The rest of the guild Pokemon in the building were resting on beanbags lifted from their chambers and onto the foyer. In the meantime, Indeedee would make rounds around the room and deliver cups of tea from her silver platter. Purrloin took a sip of her tea and sank into the comfy chair, letting out a rumbling purr. "Mreow~ I must thank the Guildmaster for not letting all of us go on the expedition. Spelunking in dirty ruins is soooo not my forte." Mightyena pouted. "I think it sucks! I wanna explore ancient, dirty ruins with my team! Think of how many relics there are to be sold- er, retrieved!" "You do raise a good point," Purrloin mused. Staravia flapped his wings erratically. "W-why is the G-guildmaster cooped up in his room, anyway? Why didn''t he g-go with them? I mean, he hasn''t even c-come out all day!" "There''s no point in trying to understand our enigma of a Guildmaster," Leafeon said. "We do our jobs, go with the flow, and try to come out unscathed." Mightyena''s snout wiggled as he sniffed the air. "Hey, Leafeon, are you cooking something?" "No, Mightyena. Please don''t tell me you''re hungry again." "But I smell smoke!" He sniffed again. "Maybe from the Guildmaster''s room?" His ears swiveled to muffled noises traveling the still hallways. "Hey! And maybe glass or something shattering?" Minun waved a stubby paw at the group. "Keep it down, guys! I''m trying to listen for more information." Outside the purplish starry sky-themed walls of the Cosmic Quilt Guild, two carriages led by equine Pokemon in sturdy armor would roll up to a trail leading to the building in near silence. Slowly, Pokemon in dusty, leathery coats dropped down one by one. They tiptoed through flowers and tall grass, the metal of drawn rifles clinking against their coats as they surrounded the large structure. A Rhydon among the formation turned and made a silent command with its claws to the others behind it. Five Council guards followed it to the back of the building while the rest kept a position near the main entrance and garden, rifles trained on the windows and doorway and anticipating any movement. The Rhydon stopped near a window, where a white wallflower in a flower pot could be seen against obscuring curtains with odd noises heard beyond it. The Rock-type gave the signal for those who followed to hold still, then whispered harshly. "The Guilmaster''s quarters. We wait until the lights go off, then we make the arrest."
"Woah, check this out!" Liam yelled. The Riolu ducked under a partially collapsed stone column and emerged into a spacious room, followed closely by Monferno and Scizor. Swampy vines grew and clung to the decrepit walls, laden with mud that oozed into dirty puddles in the ground. Stained and ornate glass windows were seen all across the room, even the very ceiling itself. While most were broken or dirtied beyond recognition, some remained visible and intact. Muddy water cascaded through holes in the glass like a waterfall, drowning the flooring in paths of murky currents. "Wow. It''s kinda amazing how nature reclaims itself, huh?" Liam commented. Monferno rolled his eyes in response. Scizor stepped around the room and analyzed each stained-glass window he could find. "This is fascinating. There are more murals of Arceus and Xerneas here. How connected were they back then?" He looked at the ceiling. "And even... Yveltal?" Liam and Monferno stopped to stare up at the window Scizor''s gaze was glued to. It depicted a violent battle between Xerneas and Yveltal over the burning rubble of a town. Cowering Pokemon were shielded behind Xerneas as she appeared to absorb an incoming ray of red energy unleashed by Yveltal, her rainbow-colored antlers turning a stony gray. Likewise, a beam of blue and yellow coiled around Yveltal''s body. "So this is that battle or whatever between those two, right?" Monferno asked. "I would assume so," Scizor said. "The Followers Of Life said that Xerneas and Yveltal ''perished'' in what was known as the world''s first civilization. That is¡­" His attention was drawn to something by their right. "Hold on, what is this?" The Bug-type''s intrigue carried him over to a wall with more footprint runes embedded into a layer of solid rock. More strangely, however, were an assortment of symbols jutting out of the stone-like buttons. Scizor studied the runes and translated them in his mind, mumbling it under his breath. "Scizor, care to speak up a bit?" Monferno piped up. "What is this thing?" Scizor became startled, "Ah, these are Unown letters. Legendaries used them frequently in the past to send out ciphers to other Legendaries or hide sacred treasures from common Pokemon. If I''m correct in my assumption-" he tapped the stone slab with a pincer, noting the hollow sound it produced, "-there is something beyond this." Liam scowled at the rapid memories flashing across his vision. "You, uh, think this is some sort of puzzle to the artifact?" "Possibly. But I require time to study these runes more and crack this Unown cipher." Scizor waved a pincer behind him. "Please, you two continue the investigation of this chamber. I will remain here." Monferno shrugged as he walked over, Liam taking a moment to readjust before he followed the primate. They aimlessly walked through the shrine''s grand hall, shining much-needed light on objects or statues of various Legendaries. A sigh escaped Monferno as he moved pieces of rubble out of the way to scour glyphs and more stained-glass windows. He knew it all meant nothing to him, nor did it interest him, but it banished the more intrusive thoughts of his by doing so. He knew in just a matter of hours, he would have to break the news to everyone, including his best friend and partner. Deep down, he knew he didn''t have what it took. "Lots of murals with that Lurantis again looking evil or something," Monferno said. "They must''ve really hated that chick¡­ or dude." "... Get out of my head," he heard Liam mumble quietly. "Shut. Up." Monferno threw a confused look at the Riolu. "The hell''s wrong with you, Mr. Personality? You''ve been acting weird this entire expedition." "Mind your own business!" Liam snapped, before calming down. "Uh, sorry, Monferno. Just been troubled lately." "Troubled¡­ Whatever." Monferno returned to his distractions, but his clenching fists would force him to turn around again. "Actually, I got a question. You''ve been at this guild for more than a year. You teamed up with Gloria, been sent on special missions, favorited by our ice cube of a Guildmaster, and all these other great things. All I gotta ask is¡­ How?" "How? What do you mean?" Monferno rested an arm on a broken pillar. "How does it come so easy for you and the others? All of you seem to just fit here. But I just¡­" He growled under his breath. "I don''t have any of this ''magic'' you guys seem to have." Liam countered his stare with a drained expression. "Monferno, none of this ever came easy for me. You don''t even know how much¡­" He clutched his head, exhaling. "I''m still struggling to figure this all out." Monferno raised a brow. "What? You''re telling me you and Gloria aren''t the dream team everyone thinks you are? What do you got that me and Braixen don''t?" "Where is this all coming from?" "Look, all I want to know is this; how are you so damn happy in this guild? How do you know you fit in here?" "Monferno, I¡­ don''t. I don''t belong here. That''s the truth." "Then what''s stopping you from leaving then, huh? You talk a lot about exploring the world. Why don''t you do that?" "... Someone once taught me that running is pointless, and it''s inevitable. The truth is, I''m scared to figure out what he really meant. But I have no choice but to accept what''s happening and deal with the consequences. Because it''s changing who I am, who I was once." Liam slowly shook his head. "Honestly, I¡­ I can''t remember a time when I was truly happy. I just keep asking myself where did everything go wrong? And how do I fix it?" Monferno took a step back and reassessed his thoughts. His expression morphed several times before a small grin appeared. "Don''t have a clue on what you''re talking about, but you know what? I understand how you feel, Mr. Personality." He gave a bitter laugh. "Maybe we could''ve gotten along better." "Maybe¡­" A long silence fell upon the hallway, accompanied by constant drips of condensation. This was soon broken by the voice of Scizor bouncing off the walls. "Liam! Monferno! Come quick!" The pair immediately dropped whatever they were tinkering with to run back to the shrine''s main chamber. They arrived just in time to see the large stone slab in the decaying walls begin to quake, a grinding noise filling the air, then the slab sliding back to reveal a doorway into another section of the shrine. Scizor turned and smiled victoriously. "A message needed to be written through the Unowns. ''The Usuper''." He returned to stare into the now open passage. "Steel yourselves. This may be what we''re after." As Scizor marched into the tunnel, Liam and Monferno trudged behind. As they walked the halls of countless statues, stained-glass windows, and wall carvings, the rays of an unearthly yellow glow peaked through overgrown vegetation. Scizor sliced coils of thick vines in their path, determined in finding the source of the light, of which he caught a glimpse of. "I see something!" he shouted. A dead end marked the end of their travels and the end of their searches. Resting on a cracked pedestal was the source behind the intense glow - an artifact. It was colored a rich gold, a green jewel encrusted in the ridge between two intersecting metallic arcs that were cut off at its bottom. A large mural on the wall before it was revealed by the object''s blossoming light. Arceus was illustrated once more, lacking the mystical wheel in his middle section. Four pieces of the artifact were depicted shooting off from Arceus. Scizor''s jaw dropped. "This¡­ This has to be it. The artifact! It really does exist!" Liam felt drawn to it as he inched closer to the object, the intense power it radiated carrying his aura tassels in an invisible wind. Before the others could warn him, his paws touched the fine, cold metal. He mustered the courage to grip it, lifting it from its spot. He held it tight against his chest, a wave of intense aura washing over him. "Woah¡­ Are you sure it''s okay to hold that thing?" Monferno asked. "I don''t know, but I just had to, y''know?" Liam said. Scizor almost dropped his ELE out of sheer excitement as his shaking pincers flicked its switch and spoke into the speakers on its ''cheeks''. "Minun! You won''t believe this! We have located and retrieved what is undoubtedly the artifact!" He eagerly awaited the usual chipper response, only to be confused after not getting one. "Minun¡­ Minun, are you there?" Moments later, a garbled, gruff voice traveled through the static. "Scizor, I ha... ve heard. Please describe wh... at you have gathe... red." "U-uh, right, Guildmaster. It''s a golden, metallic object with an arc and a green jewel embedded within it. From the looks of it, it appears to be a fragment of a much larger piece." The response was instantaneous and direct. "Get to the guild imme... diately. This is an order." "Right. I will contact the team above ground and we will head right back." Scizor messed with the ELE''s dial. "Charizard, are you there? Shaymin?"
"Is anyone listening? We have located the artifact and are going to transport to the ruins above ground! Stand back and ready yourselves for what you''re about to see!" The voice of Scizor crackling out of the ELE lying on the grass was quickly drowned out by chaotic sounds of fighting and attacks striking the earth. Braixen stood her ground, wielding a flaming stick and casting large fireballs at any Pokemon that crossed her vision. Fear strangled her heart as she knew they were getting closer to her each second. "Who are these Pokemon?!" Roark bounded across the clearing, slashing any mercenary in his and Braixen''s way. "Mercs I bet! Maybe it''s those Rose Clan buffoons out for venge- oof!" A gut punch from a Hitmonchan made him snarl. "Okay, you asked for it!" Orange wings flapped in the dark skies above the clearing, columns of magma spewing from the gaping maw of a raging Charizard. Any mercenary capable of flight swarmed the Fire-type, only to be sent hurtling toward the ground smothered in flames like living torches. An unlucky Yanmega caught up in Charizard''s claws was swung over and over until it was finally released and sent careening into a tree. "OH YEAH!" the dragon bellowed. "KEEP COMIN''! I GOT PLENTY OF MORE FOR YA!" Shaymin flew around the clearing with a raging fury. She formed numerous Energy Balls around her and scattered them in any direction she found an opposing Pokemon. Her sights then fell upon Rockruff as he was being chased down by a Kabutops. She flared her nostrils and shot off in the direction of the puppy Pokemon. Rockruff unwittingly backed himself against a boulder wedged into the ground, now face-to-face with his pursuer. "H-hey! Maybe we can t-talk about it? W-what do you say?!" Just before the long, gray scythes of the Kabutops could swipe down on Rockruff, green orbs of energy slammed into the Water-type''s back, dropping it instantly. Shaymin hovered over the area, her snarls and enraged shouts blared over the surrounding carnage. "I DON''T CARE WHO YA FIGHT FOR! YOU MERCS ARE ALL SCUM!" Gloria ducked and maneuvered past the overwhelming amount of both physical and special attacks directed toward her. She thought herself free from the conflict until an Electivire wearing a wicked sneer made its presence known before her. Electricity jolted through its lashing antenna and bright yellow fur. "Now what do we have here? The little girl who managed to take down both Magmortar and Rhyperior," he said. "Impressive. No matter, I''ll take you out quickly." Gloria had mere seconds to react before the Electric-type leaped and smashed the ground where she once stood. With no way out, she chose to defend herself. Volleys of sharp, crystalline icicles sailed through the air and pelted the Electivire, who simply shrugged it off and continued his assault. His antennae fluctuated as arcs of yellow electricity shot toward the Vulpix. Gloria was able to narrowly dodge with only singed fur. As the Electivire raised a fist crackling with more electricity, she inhaled and breathed a twin beam of auroras that collided into his enclosed hand, freezing it solid. It took only a moment for him to shatter the ice and emit a loud, menacing growl. "I see how you play now! Too bad it won''t save ya!" Electivire dropped to all fours as electricity coursed through his fur, a funnel of sparking voltage enveloping him. He then bounded after the Vulpix like a speeding bullet. Gloria weaved through thickets and crumbling pillars that were smashed by the Electivire''s Wild Charge. Only when the attack began to peter off did she stop running to take in ragged breaths, too exhausted to keep going. As the Electric-type closed in, she realized her predicament. No items. No backup. No chance of escape. Electivire struck a stance, his antennae going wild. A thunderous boom shattered the air as a large bolt of lightning raced toward Gloria. She attempted to flee, but it was too late. The devastating Thunder connected with the Vulpix and produced a shriek of pain out of her. The powerful voltage sapped her strength as she slumped to the ground, unconscious. Electivire cackled, "Gahahaha! Consider that payback for-" He was interrupted by a dark blur darting past his vision. "What the¡­ GAH!" He felt a painful sensation engulfing his back as he reached to touch it. His hand returned bloody; he growled. "Show yourself, coward!" The agile culprit revealed itself to a Zoroark as it knelt atop a broken stone column. "Think you''re so tough going after ''mons smaller than you, huh?" Roark vanished from the Electivire''s sights, who frantically looked around for the fox. Multiple Zoroarks then emerged from bushes and rocks and danced around the Electric-type, occasionally slashing at him while he was overwhelmed. "You got another thing coming, buddy," their combined voices taunted. Electivire growled again, "ENOUGH OF THE GAMES!" Electricity surged through his fists as he punched the Zoroark clones in a frenzied manner. Roark, watching from the shadows, found his opportunity and raised his arms high. He squeezed his eyes shut and mustered enough energy from within to summon multiple Night Dazes. Eerie, silent waves of darkness crashed into Electivire, shadowy tendrils enveloping his body as he thrashed in pain. When the shockwaves finally ceased, Electivire''s eyes rolled into his skull as he collapsed. A tired Roark stumbled over, planting a foot atop the defeated Pokemon. "... And that''s what you get for messing with my little sister." Suddenly, an explosion of orange light manifested over the ruin''s Entercard symbol. Three Pokemon emerged from it, who were deeply confused at the pandemonium surrounding them. At the same time, a Skarmory circling the area went into a nosedive, straight toward the new arrivals. Weavile and Bisharp jumped off of Skarmory right before the Steel-type collided into Monferno and Scizor, knocking them away from a bewildered Liam. Weavile then latched her claws onto the artifact''s metal arc, attempting to pull it from the Riolu. Liam resisted her efforts and gripped the artifact tight as the Ice-type snarled at him. "Let it go, kid! It''s ours already!" "N-never!" Bisharp intervened and kicked Liam square in the chest, the Riolu losing his hold and being sent tumbling a few feet away. Now in the claws of Weavile, she stared intensely at the mystical relic in her grasp before turning her head and screaming. "WE HAVE IT! RETREAT! GO!" Weavile and Bisharp quickly got on the back of Skarmory and took off into the night skies. The remaining mercenaries who were still standing heeded their captain''s command and ran off into the depths of the forests, some dragging their unconscious comrades with them. With their withdrawal, the guild quickly gathered together to cope with what transpired. "Scizor! What the absolute heck just happened?!" Rockruff shouted. "We got attacked by random Pokemon!" "Yeah, and they just ran off with what we spent an hour trying to find!" Monferno added angrily. "The hell do we do now?! Go after them maybe?!" "Not ''random Pokemon'', Rockruff," Roark said as he walked over, Gloria gently cradled in his arms. "Those were most definitely mercenaries." Braixen held a paw to her heart to steady its rapid beating. "Maybe¡­ Maybe it really was that Rose Clan we fought in the Grit Region." "Could be revenge," Roark suggested before glancing at the newly arrived trio. "That Weavile took something from Liam. Was it that artifact we''ve been looking for?" Scizor was too appalled to give an appropriate response as his gaze was transfixed to where the Skarmory vanished in the sky. "I- They- they stole the artifact." Rockruff blinked, "W-what?! We went through all that trouble to get it stolen?! We need to go get it back!" Shaymin grit her teeth and jumped into a glide. "That''s exactly what we''re gonna do! These blokes aren''t gettin'' away with it." "SHAYMIN!" Scizor yelled as she soared away. "Don''t! Don''t do it." The Legendary scowled and reluctantly descended back down to the ground. "Then what are we supposed to do, mate?! What''s your big plan, leader?!" Scizor winced at her tone. "Uh, we need to¡­ we need to-" His erratic movements halted as he opened his saddlebag and took out his ELE. He flicked a switch and nearly shouted at it. "Guildmaster! Minun! Anyone!" The voice of Jackson erupted from the speakers, followed by a loud crashing noise. "Speak. Are you close to the guild?" "Guildmaster, the artifact - it''s been stolen from us!" Scizor said through panting breaths. "I- We don''t know who they were, but-" "I know who they were," the gruff voice replied, followed by another bang. "You do? Please, we need to figure out a way to-" Scizor was interrupted by a deafening shriek resounding through the forest that made everyone freeze from fear. A cold wind billowed across the clearing, shuddering trees and bushes in an unearthly silence. "Get back to the guild. You¡­ You have all done what has been required of you." A long silence followed Jackson''s shaky words. "Thank you, everyone." Yet another loud crash was heard through the static until the signal was suddenly cut. "Guildmaster¡­ Guildmaster¡­ Jackson!" Scizor frantically turned the dials and flicked the switches of the ELE to regain the lost signal, to little success. "Something is wrong, very wrong." He looked up from the device to see everyone staring up at the sky. He looked up as well. Pokemon of all kinds were flying above the forest, their flight patterns abnormal and seemingly desperate, as if they were escaping from something. "These Pokemon, are they coming from Empyrean City?" Rockruff wondered aloud. Another ear-splitting cry rattled Scizor from his vacant gaze. His eyes grew wide as an epiphany enveloped his mind. "Everyone, we need to return to the guild - now!" His wings buzzed as he flew urgently back toward the trail in which they came, before turning to scream at the shocked Pokemon. "GO!" Incited by his words, the group took off into a sprint after the Bug-type. They cut across the forest, vaulting over fallen logs and wading through thick foliage to get back to Empyrean City faster. As Liam sprinted, he felt strikes of pain lash his senses like many times before. The dreaded, familiar voice wormed its way into his head yet again. ''Grim reminder, kid.'' The pain and influx of flashing memories in his mind became too great, forcing him to heel and stop his advances. He clutched his head, feeling a vision beginning to form that compelled him to watch.
Liam felt himself regain consciousness. He opened his hazel eyes to the view of total darkness. The ground was cold, looking like gray concrete in his hazy perception. His back was slumped against a wall, and any attempts to move his limbs were met with the sound of clinking metal. Confused, he looked down at his hands and was horrified to see what was attached to them. Chains - iron and sturdy - attached to the wall he was up against. He tried to remove them, to pull them off with his fingers, but they would not budge. Memories of the past few hours then flooded his mind. He realized where he was, what had happened, and who did this to him. The squeal of a creaky metal door echoed throughout the room. A fuzzy yellow light pouring out of the doorway beamed Liam in the face. The boy stared into the exit to freedom, hearing the stomping of boots like thunder from beyond it. As the stomps grew louder, a figure emerged and stood in the doorway. They carried a limp body in both arms, appearing like a dark silhouette in the light. "I remember my father holding my mother in his arms after he had killed her," the figure said. "And he looked at me straight in the eyes and said, ''I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.''" Liam''s wide-eyed stare bored into the man. The figure shifted the body in his grasp. "Let''s begin... and put an end to this, so you can begin again, kid." The metal door slammed shut.
And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, "Come and see!"
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: Grim Reminder Grim Reminder Chapter 33 Grim Reminder Moonlight shined down upon the Cosmic Quilt Guild. Filling the air were the gentle pluckings of a banjo, its twangs carried throughout the plains plunged into ubiquitous darkness. Time passed, and the clumsy melody gradually faded into the night. Liam laid his banjo on his lap and looked back with a grin. "Better that time, Guildmaster?" Jackson shook his head. "It''s acceptable, but you''re failing multiple notes." He walked forward and grabbed the banjo. "Let me show you." Liam obliged the Shiny Lucario and scooted to the side as Jackson kneeled and gripped the wooden instrument close. As his paws ran across the banjo''s strings, a slow tune poured out and immediately entranced the listening Riolu. The song eventually picked up in pace, Jackson''s paws briskly strumming the strings as one of his hind paws repeatedly tapped the grass to catch onto the rhythm. Then suddenly the playing ceased, the Lucario now still. Liam pumped an enclosed paw into the air. "That was so great, Guildmaster!" "¡­ Thank you." Jackson handed back over the banjo. "It helps to close your eyes and focus solely on your movements. To become one with it." Liam''s amazement was not satiated. "When did you learn how to play so well? You had to have played it for years!" Jackson went silent as he stared up at the bright moon. "It was my tenth birthday when my mother gifted me a banjo and a telescope. Every night after school I would practice and play songs for her beside our trailer." A smile forming across his muzzle was quickly snuffed out. "¡­ That woman had her demons, but she loved me like a true mother would." Liam lowered his gaze upon remembering the grizzly details the Lucario shared with him before. "Um, sorry for bringing it up." "It''s fine, kid. I wouldn''t want her to be forgotten." "¡­ For what it''s worth, I think she would be proud to see what you''ve become." "No. No she wouldn''t." Liam cocked his head. "Why wouldn''t she? You''re the Guildmaster of the most well-known guild in Celestic! That''s something to be proud of, right?" "If my mother knew who I really was, what I''ve done, what I''ve become, she would be disappointed." Liam moved to rest a paw on Jackson''s shoulders. "The past is the past, right? I think I should know that more than anyone." "Is it?" Jackson stood, his back against the Riolu as he stared beyond the vast grasslands surrounding the guild. "My father was a monster. I was still naive enough back then to think the world was anything but cruel. I believed he was all the evils of this world incarnate. I¡­ I wanted to kill that man, truly. A part of me still does, but I''ve gone beyond that now." "Because you became an outlaw?" "No. A ruthless monster is what I became, what I''ve become." He turned to face the Riolu. "I am just like my father, if not worse." "But you''re not!" Liam yelled as he stood. He frowned, looking down at the banjo in his grasp. His eyes focused on the drawing of a flower etched into the wood. "You were someone who understood what I was going through. You were there for me, and helped me figure myself out¡­ even if only a little." "You have much you still need to learn. Or even about me." Jackson''s orange paw ring flickered as he stared intensely at Liam, almost through him. "Men¡­ Men do strange things when their desires are obtainable." He trudged toward Liam. "Family is everything, kid. So tell me, what would you do to see them again?" "I¡­" Liam did not have an answer. The brief flashes of memories he did have only gave him a glimpse into what once was. But despite that, he yearned to know more, to see more, and to feel the feelings he experienced. His thoughts churned up recollections of the latest memory he was given, and how enraged he felt in it. The loss of his family - of his mother, and June. Grief nearly overwhelmed his senses as he brushed away a forming tear. A ''great capacity of anger'' the man in his vision claimed to see within him, and he was finding it hard to dispel that claim. Jackson gripped Liam''s paws. "When the rifle is put in our hands, the only way out is to pull the trigger, to obey our purpose as weapons. I thought that once. I had so many chances to stop this, but it''s too late now. I''ve gone too far to let go now. All of this was destined to happen." Liam could see the restrained emotion even behind his dull, crimson eyes. "It has to happen, or else everything has been for nothing." Liam''s mouth parted. "... What has to happen?" Jackson hung his head. "I wasn''t lying when I told you there was little time left - that the hourglass was almost filled." He backed up. "Get some rest. Our expedition to the Grit Region must be swift and thorough." As the Lucario moved to make his exit, the voice of Liam made him stop in his tracks. "Guildmaster¡­ If you ever need someone to talk to, then I''m here." The Riolu smiled earnestly. "I know I''m not good at this deep and emotional stuff, especially with my amnesia, but you can trust me. I''d understand like you understood me if you just opened up." Jackson remained motionless for a moment. "Sometimes I wonder if I''m still that child from so long ago, staring at this world from a crack in my closet door." His head angled slightly to look back at Liam. "Get some rest." With his parting words, the Lucario drifted away. Now by his lonesome, Liam contemplated his final remark but refuted it with a smirk tugging at his lips. He was far too restless about the expedition to give in to sleep. He instead sat down on the cliff''s edge, banjo in his grasp. Under the bright glow of the moon, he strummed the instrument''s strings per his Guildmaster''s advice. A pleasant melody echoed across the lands surrounding the Cosmic Quilt Guild.
Moonlight shined down upon the Sunshine Forest. Numerous Pokemon sprinted through the untamed wilds below. They brushed past shrubbery and frantically vaulted over fallen logs. "Hey! Let''s talk about this first!" Rockruff yapped as he ran. "Why are we running?! What''s going on?!" "Didn''t you hear that crazy scream, kid?!" Roark shouted back as he ran alongside the Rock-type, clutching a still-unconscious Gloria in his arms. He looked up and through the canopies of trees as the sky swarmed with fleeing Pokemon. "All these ''mons look like they''re flying away from Empyrean City!" "This is so crazy! I''ve never seen Scizor act like this before! It must be really serious if-" "Quit your yapping, Rockruff!" Monferno yelled from the canine''s side. "Just focus on getting back to the guild!" "Scizor!" Braixen called out. "Can you please stop and explain to us what''s happening?" The Bug-type did not respond as another piercing shriek resounded through the forest, becoming louder and louder. Rockruff grit his teeth. "Is that scream coming from Empyrean?! And is that why the Guildmaster was cut off?" His eyes enlarged. "My team!" He picked up the pace upon this realization. Liam''s heart was pounding in his chest as he sprinted with all his might. Worries for the safety of his friends at the guild, especially his Guildmaster, weighed heavily on his mind. These feelings were exasperated by the painful strikes of rushing memories and the pervasive voice stalking his mind. ''Grim reminder, kid.'' Liam scowled. ''Guildmaster¡­ What''s happening?'' They burst from the tree line, Shaymin and Charizard swooping down from the skies to stick near the group. They ran up a hill that obscured their sights, their jaws dropping once they saw the horrific sight beyond it. Hundreds, if not thousands of Pokemon were darting across the grasslands. The source of their desperate fleeing was Empyrean City. Multiple plumes of smoke could be seen rising into the sky from wrecked structures consumed by raging fires. The echoes of cries from Pokemon within the city were occasionally engulfed by loud booms and flashes. "By Arceus¡­" Scizor murmured. "Empyrean is under attack!" He was gone before anyone could respond, rushing down the hill. The rest of the guild, while appalled at what they were seeing, bolted after the Bug-type. They brushed past escaping Pokemon covered in ash with terrified expressions haunting their faces. "Wait! Are we at war?!" Rockruff cried. Charizard flew low to the ground, snarling. "I bet it''s those Blaze Continent crazies! They''ve always been itchin'' for more beatdowns!" "Then where the hell are their soldiers?!" Monferno yelled as he ran. "There''s only ''mons running away!" Liam scowled as his horrified gaze bored into the smoldering city. Electrifying pain in his nerves and mind desired to steal his attention from the present. His attempts to resist it now were all but futile. ''But you''d do it too, right?'' Suddenly, he came to a stop, as did the others around him. An eerie silence overcame the grasslands that was swept away by cold winds. An overbearing and sinister pressure formed in the minds of the group. Liam felt the slow thumps of his heart increase to a rapid beating. His aura feelers sent a spark of warning to his senses, yet the danger was not apparent to him. He threw desperate looks around to locate the source of this sensation, to no avail. Braixen clutched her head. "This feeling¡­ What is it?" Shaymin shook her head in an attempt to free herself from the choking force. "Agh! The hell is this?!" Rockruff pointed a shaky paw at the ground. "G-guys¡­?" A small puddle of pitch-black shadows manifested among the shuddering strands of grass. Splotches of bloody red were mixed in as it began to swirl and enlarge, the group taking a step back. It became faster and faster until the earth itself caved in and fell under the whims of the distortion now crackling with red energy. The fear-filled eyes glued to the vortex of darkness widened as something began to emerge from it - a Pokemon. Black horns jutted out from the portal. Piercing blue eyes contrasted them as the large body of an avian-like Pokemon slowly emerged. Its neck bore a gray scruff that billowed behind it. Bright crimson feathers lined its body; obsidian veins branching into two massive, ribbed wings that became outstretched. Golden orangish lines rose from the swirling vortex, looping around and entangling the Pokemon''s limbs like chains. The Pokemon then raised its head to the night sky and opened its beak. "KYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!" The sheer force of its shriek created a shockwave that blasted much of the guild to the ground. Those that withstood it could only stare in horror at what was before them. Scizor removed a shielding pincer from his face, his jaw dropping. "This is¡­ Yveltal?!" The Pok¨¦mon flapped its mighty wings and catapulted into the sky. It then turned and shot toward Empyrean City, the flickering orange lines wrapped around its body trailing across the stars. It left behind aghast Pokemon in its wake. Rockruff lifted his muzzle from the ground, spitting out bits of grass. "T-that''s Yveltal?! I thought he died, like, ages ago!" "I¡­ That can''t be real. This¡­" Scizor was too stunned to finish. Monferno helped Braixen to her paws, throwing a look at the massive Legendary. "Sure fucking looks like it! But what the hell is it doing here?!" "Nah, it''s gotta be some sort of illusion trick!" Shaymin yelled. "There''s no way this bastard is still kickin''!" "Don''t look at me!" Roark countered, holding Gloria even tighter. Liam pulled himself up and stared at the Legendary as it circled Empyrean City. Never did he imagine he would be witness to a Pokemon hailed as a true god from the books Gloria showed him. He only wondered if it truly was real. Yet, the thought of it being genuine shook him to his core. ''Who are you?'' the gruff voice asked. Hot puffs of steam jettisoned out of Charizard''s nostrils. "What are you lot standin'' around and gawkin'' for?! We''re going after that thing!" With a flex of his wings, he rocketed toward the city. "C-charizard! Wait!" Scizor screamed before breaking off into another sprint. The startled members of the guild had little else to do but chase after the Bug-type. They weaved through more fleeing Pokemon until arriving at the city''s entrance. Rubble was everywhere, small fires lingering on the charred remains of numerous market stands. Entire buildings appeared as if cleaved in two, blackened scars burned into the cobblestone streets beside them. Rockruff grimaced at the destruction before finding his gaze drawn to the dark skies. "Hey! It''s coming back!" From the gray clouds pierced the spiraling form of Yveltal. It swooped down near their location and suspended itself in the air. The orange lines on its body then began to shine as it spread its wings and tail into a ''Y'' formation. Its red feathers lit up in a deathly glow before its limbs were enclosed around its body as it almost cocooned itself mid-air. The unthinkable then happened. Yveltal threw open its wings and unleashed a red and black beam of pure destruction. The ray ripped across the city, colliding into houses and other structures that were flattened in an instant. A family of Shinx and Luxray running nearest to the guild were caught up in its indiscriminate attack. When the clouds of dust parted the area, all that remained of the family were those resembling stone statues. Scizor''s pincers quaked as he took a step back. "This isn''t an illusion¡­ This is the real Yveltal!" "Look out! It''s coming back!" Roark yelled. "KYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!" Yveltal''s earsplitting shriek was a warning to all below. It once again dive-bombed and let loose another crimson beam that devastated the city. Screams and loud crashes filled the air in its wake. When the attack petered off, the guild emerged from beyond the cover of crumbling houses as a plume of dust rolled across the streets, choking their breaths and coating their furs in ash. Monferno coughed into a hand. "What the fuck was that?!" "Was that-" Braixen struggled to speak through her coughs. "Were those Pokemon turned to stone?!" "O-Oblivion Wing!" Scizor yelled. "It turns any being hit with it to stone! Only Yveltal is capable of this!" "So this is the real Yveltal and not a fake?!" Rockruff deduced. "Your eyes aren''t deceiving you, kid!" Roark confirmed. "This sure as shit is happening!" "Where is Charizard¡­" Scizor murmured. "Charizard!" he screamed through the thick smoke. A flap of leathery orange wings scattered the clouds of dust as Charizard hovered before the guild. Pure rage was visible through the dragon''s bared teeth. "Sciz, that fuckin'' thing is torching everything in the city. All the homes, all the ''mons here¡­" He emitted a loud snarl. "Someone''s gotta put a stop to it, and I''m gonna be just that ''mon!" He whirled around and fanned his wings, but found his attempts at flight stifled by a red pincer latching onto a wing. "Charizard! Do you realize what Pokemon this is?!" Scizor asked, desperation clinging to his voice. "This is not any enemy we''ve ever faced before! I can''t allow this!" Charizard angled his neck to stare back at the Bug-type. He flashed a cocky grin. "¡­ Sciz, isn''t this what we always thought we would be doing as kids?" "I¡­" Scizor grit his teeth as he loosened his grip. "Please think about what you''re doing. The danger of this!" "Danger''s always been my preferred name, Sciz. You know that." "Please¡­ Just-" "Stand back!" Charizard freed his wings from Scizor''s hold. "''Cause you''re about to see me knock that thing out of the sky!" "Wait! Charizard!" The Fire-type was already gone. He flew upward into the skies wracked by thunderous booms and constant flashes. Shaymin ground her teeth. "That lug''s got the right idea! No fuckin'' Legendary is gonna start a massacre when I''m around!" Before any utterance of her to stop came out, she propelled herself into the air and tailed the Charizard. "C-can they even stop it?" Rockruff wondered. "Isn''t that Yveltal thing supposed to be a god or something?!" Scizor watched the dragon vanish into the gray clouds, shaken by fear and doubt about his closest friend''s resolve. "Charizard is the strongest Pokemon I have ever known, but¡­" A shove from Roark scattered his frenzied thoughts. "Hey! Focus! If you''re still the leader, then you need to tell us what we''re doing!" "We¡­ We-" Scizor''s eyes widened. "We need to get to the guild! Everyone there is in grave danger!" "And go through the entire city to get there?!" Monferno shouted through the constant crashing of noises around them. "We''re gonna be like those Luxray and Shinx before that happens!" "There''s no time for arguing!" Roark countered. "We have to make sure they''re safe!" Scizor gave another look above before he sprinted down the chaotic streets ahead. Monferno and Braixen also gave eachother momentary glances before they took off after the Bug-type. Liam stood completely still as he stared at the family of Luxray. The final expressions frozen forever were ones of pure terror - mirrored by his own. ''We are the same.'' "C''mon, kid!" Roark grunted as he pulled Liam away. Up in the skies above Empyrean City, Charizard flew in the direction of Yveltal as its red feathers glowed and another ray of energy annihilated the structures and Pokemon below. The Fire-type grounded his teeth as he picked up the pace. "Hey! Don''t forget you got back up here, mate!" the scratchy voice of Shaymin called from his behind. Charizard huffed. "You better head back to Scizor and the rest, short stuff! I got this locked down already!" "Then ya don''t know how much I wanna see some big, strong Legendary on a power trip go down!" "Little firebrand, huh? Fine! Let''s see how you hold up!" Flocks of Empyrean guards flew alongside the duo, fear visible in their eyes. The sound of a loud caw reverberating through the air alerted the guards as they changed courses and flew toward the source of the noise. Charizard and Shaymin diverted their courses and followed them as they drew near to a congregation of more guards gathering around a sole Braviary. The avian was squawking out commands left and right as small dispatchments formed and shot off after Yveltal. Charizard waited for the group to thin out before he swooped in beside the Braviary. "Captain Braviary, ''bout time we met! Here''s some moral: ya got a veteran working for you now!" "Don''t forget me, mate!" Shaymin piped up. It took a moment for the overwhelmed Pokemon to react to their arrival. "The Charizard from Team Moonlight? And a Shaymin?" He peered at the black scarves they wore. "Your Guildmaster, we were¡­" He shook his head. "Now is not the time for this. Empyrean City is under attack by this ''Yveltal'' beast!" "You know where this bastard crawled out of?" Charizard asked. "Only Arceus knows that¡­" Braviary muttered. "The attack began ten minutes ago, and out of nowhere! At first, many thought it was a mere illusion prank, but then those dreadful beams came down. The city hall was targeted first, then the barracks of my men. After that, it has been targeting everything." His head hung low. "I am still unaware of Mayor Empoleon''s status at this time." A low growl rolled out of Charizard''s throat. "So this Yveltal thing is doing it deliberately, huh? How many aerial guard units do you have left?" "Only a couple. I had dozens before, but¡­" Braivary squeezed his eyes shut. "My forces in the city below have no means of stopping it, leaving it only to us. Backup is coming, but I fear it will be too late by then." "Shit. Looks like you''re gonna need all the help you can get," Charizard said as he flexed his wings. "Good thing I''m here to provide the much-needed firepower!" "... Do you know how to lead an aerial unit?" "I''ve taken entire units down before if that helps." "Good enough." Braviary''s gaze found Shaymin. "A Shaymin¡­ And not even you have an idea as to what is happening?" "Mate, I''m just here to give a Legendary a good thrashin'' and save some ''mons close to me while I''m at it!" Shaymin responded. "Very well." Braviary emitted another loud squawk and gathered the attention of all nearby guards. "LISTEN UP! There will be no reinforcements coming any time soon! Yes, this means that you and the comrades beside you are the last remaining Pokemon capable of stopping this carnage!" He spread his impressive wingspan outward. "We fight not for the glory of Celestic, or the politicians that use us, but for the very home we swore to protect! Remember your wives and your children! This is what you are fighting for today!" His heartfelt address bolstered the guards as they gave rallying cries and caws. "Squad Fierce Gale will support Charizard and the Shaymin! Squad Thunder Beak will be under my command! The beast must be stopped at all costs!" Braviary squawked before he shot off in the direction of the Legendary. The guards let out more vocal support as they followed their captain. Charizard was quick to catch up with Braviary, both neck and neck as dozens of Pokemon soared behind, ready for the battle that was soon to happen. "KYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!" "It came from the storm clouds!" Braviary yelled, pointing a wingtip above. "Climb!" Gradually, each Pokemon ascended higher and higher into the skies until they merged into the wall of rumbling, ashen clouds. Veins of blue lightning flashed, a churning vortex disturbed by the large flaps of Yveltal''s wings as it hovered in the forming storm''s heart. Specks of rain and ice battered the new arrivals, who shrugged off the elements and immediately set off after the Legendary. "Surround it!" Braviary yelled. "If it can''t fly away, then it can''t escape our attacks!" Squad Thunder Beak was quick to heed their captain''s command as they spiraled around the Legendary and encircled it on all sides. Charizard threw a look at the Pokemon behind him and gave a short nod. "You lot, get a barrage ready before it acts!" the dragon roared. Squad Fierce Gale swooped in between the other squad of Pokemon, each delivering a payload of powerful attacks. Freezing columns of ice and scorching flames impacted Yveltal''s body from all sides. The Legendary seemed unfazed however, its crimson feathers burning with radiance. "It is soon to attack! Break formation!" Braviary proclaimed. Braviary''s squad obeyed the warning and began to scatter as red energy crackled around Yveltal. The Legendary folded its wings before unleashing an unyielding dark, crimson beam at its foes. Pockets of the night sky were visible as holes were blown through the clouds, and the unfortunate Pokemon incapable of escape turned to chiseled stone. The statues of once lively Pokemon hurtled toward the earth and vanished from the clouds. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Charizard gnashed his teeth. "All right, Fierce Gale! Get up close! Strike it before it can attack again!" Yvelal was swarmed by ensuing Pokemon that kicked and slashed its massive body in a frenzied manner. The Legendary lifted its head and opened its maw to shake the sky with a horrifying shriek that rivaled the surrounding claps of thunder. "KYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The chain-like streaks of orange across its body flickered until its light became blinding to all that gazed upon it. A shockwave of golden energy then burst from Yveltal and blew back all those closest to it. Many Pokemon were knocked unconscious and sent into a freefall. Yveltal did not relent as it folded itself again and struck those falling with an Oblivion Wing, petrifying them instantly. Shaymin paled at the sight. "W-what was that?! I''ve ain''t ever seen a move like that before!" Yveltal screeched once more before flying out of the cloud formation. Those able to witness its flight pattern could only stare in horror. "The beast is going for the Eden Theater!" Braviary called. "We cannot let this monument of progress be destroyed! Even if our wings are clipped, and even if our beaks are clamped shut!" he rallied. "You heard the man!" Charizard hollered. "Protect that theater at all costs!" The remaining Pokemon of both squads hastily linked back up with their leaders and flew after Yveltal. The Legendary left behind trails of utter destruction in its wake, firing off multiple Oblivion Wings below as it flew in the direction of the sleek tower overlooking the city. Charizard''s snarling overtook his features as he chased Yveltal, flanked by his squad. "Left-wing! Keep a tail on it!" Yveltal dove into a spiraling maneuver, and so did the others commanded by Charizard. A whirlwind of slashing talons came from above and sliced the Legendary. It retaliated by wildly firing off another Oblivion Wing, damning many of its pursuers to a stony fate and tearing chunks of steel from the Eden Theater''s frame. Yveltal then suddenly diverted its course and began flying after the remaining Pokemon behind it. "The bastard''s comin'' right for us!" Charizard bellowed. "Evade it around the tower!" The guards turned on a dime and fell back as the massive Legendary lurked overhead. Charizard led the dwindling group across the pulsing, neon-blue structure as Yveltal descended. The Fire-type flipped around midair to shoot off a Dragon Pulse from his jaws at Yveltal. Many of the other remaining Pokemon copied his actions as attacks whizzed past or struck the unflinching Legendary, to little avail. "KYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!" Charizard resumed his laps around the tower. He momentarily glanced back to see another Oblivion Wing rip through the rest of his squad and further damage the building. With no more obstacles in its way, the Legendary focused its attention on Charizard and hastened its wing flaps. Shaymin swerved around one of the tower''s corners and fired a volley of Energy Balls at Yveltal. Those that landed produced a screech of pain from the Legendary as it whirled around to face the much smaller a sight spurred Shaymin to grow a smirk as she followed up with another attack. "Ya like that, birdbrain?!" she taunted. "''Cause I got another one for ya, mate!" The air around Shaymin wavered. A green glow overtook the Grass-type''s body as particles and other matter were sucked into the ever-growing luminosity. The pink flower around Shaymin''s neck also shone until it coalesced and all visible light collapsed in on itself. In the blink of an eye, an explosion of green waves burst from Shaymin''s body and crashed into Yveltal, producing a shriek of agony from it. "We call that a Seed Flare, birdbrain!" Shaymin shouted victoriously. However, Yveltal was quick to shake off the attack with another cocooning of its limbs. When they spread open, a red and black beam was discharged at Shaymin. She narrowly avoided it as the ray found more flying targets and petrified them. Braviary scowled at the loss of his men. His cries to those left resounded through the air. "Do not give up hope! We fight to the bitter end! Even if our wings are clipped, and even if-" A stray beam turned him into stone instantly. The skies above Empyrean City became deathly silent. Filling the void was the wavering hum of Yveltal''s flickering lines - the sound of whipping wind and gushing water. It then spread out its wings in a ''Y'' formation. Its feathers lit up before the earth was ravaged with another Oblivion Wing. Shaymin''s smirk evaporated as she threw looks around. "Hey! Did it take out everyone?!" Her gaze snapped to Charizard as he emerged from around the damaged Eden Theater. "Big guy! What''s the plan now?!" The dragon in question snarled loudly. "Didn''t think it''d have to come to this, but- aw, shit, who am I kidding? It has to come to this! Get a good look, short stuff!" Charizard raised a claw into the air, revealing to Shaymin a metal bracelet looped around his arm; a rainbow-colored stone was encrusted into it. The stone gleamed with light as a sphere of solid white energy encased the Fire-type entirely. Splintering cracks appeared in the orb before it shattered in a violent unfettering of energy, a strange symbol now grafted upon the dusky stars. The newly Mega Evolved Charizard zoomed toward Yveltal. Three horns protruded from the now sleeker dragon''s head, his wings longer with ragged edges. The burning ember at the tip of his tail from before a constantly raging inferno. "Always wanted to fight a Legendary growin'' up!" Charizard hollered. "Guess you earned the privilege of making that wish come true!" Searing hot flames spilled from his jaws as he neared the Legendary. "LET''S TUSSLE THEN!" Down in the city below, entire neighborhoods had been reduced to rubble and blanketed in a thick cloud of dust. Districts were smothered in bright flames that burned endlessly and stretched as far as the eye could see. Despite the horrific sights, the guild traversed the city as fast as they could. "Don''t stop!" Scizor exclaimed. "We must get to the guild!" "I-it''s coming back!" Rockruff warned. "KYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM" Liam''s heart pounded in his chest. Desperate Pok¨¦mon pushed past him as he sprinted forward. He looked up to witness a crimson ray slam down into the cobblestone street, petrifying a crowd of Pokemon before him. Guards positioned on the rooftops of houses rushed to the very tops to fire their rifles at Yveltal as it flew overhead, only for them to tumble off the now-razed structures as stone statues themselves. It took everything in Liam''s willpower to not look back as he ran past the terror-stricken statues. The gruff voice in his mind, however, was there to catch up with him. ''You will have to pay for your father''s mistakes, just like I did.'' "Don''t look back!" Roark shouted over the chaos. "Don''t look back! We¡­ Oh shit." He came grinding to a halt as he looked back, his gaze connecting with something - something that shook him to his core. "Everyone, wait!" Monferno only stopped to shove the Zoroark forward. "The hell are you stopping for?! We gotta move!" "WAIT!" Roark asserted as he pointed a claw to their left. "The Lopunny Orphanage - it''s collapsed! There''s Pokemon in the rubble! I can hear them!" Braixen paled, "Mrs. Lopunny''s place?!" Roark gave a grim nod. "There''s a tunnel system to our right! The Yveltal''s attacks can''t reach them there!" He repositioned Gloria over his shoulders. "C''mon! We don''t have a lot of time left before-" Monferno''s palm stopped the fox before he could move and yanked him back. "What the hell do you think you''re doing?! We have to get to the guild!" Roark pried the hand off him, baring his teeth. "Monferno. You better not be suggesting that we let children become victims here." "Don''t you fucking think I meant that at all! What I''m suggesting is that we''ll all be victims with that thing still out there!" "Charizard and Shaymin are busy distracting it! That should give us all enough time to get them into the tunnels!" "Why are you so eager for us to play heroes? Weren''t you just saying that Scizor has to make a decision? So now you''re calling the shots?" "I know how much you wanna run to the guild like a coward and hide, Monferno, but this is bigger than that! We can''t run when the lives of Pokemon are at stake here!" Rockruff bit his lip and looked to the group''s leader for guidance. "Scizor! What do we do?!" Scizor''s eyes flicked to the two arguing Pokemon, then to the battle being raged in the skies above. They briefly lingered in the heavens before returning to the group - hesitant and afraid. "I¡­ We should¡­" His voice quivered from trepidation. Liam had already made his decision as he made a beeline for the ruined building. The shouts of his name faded into the sounds of annihilation occurring all around him. He could see what remained of the wooden building; its Lopunny-like ears jutting out from a pile of collapsed and fractured timber. Small Pokemon were trapped under logs and chunks of stone, their tiny cries and sobs reaching his ears as he got closer. All of the guild was quick to catch up with him. They quickly gathered around the building''s remains to move pieces of wood out of the way. Liam wanted to assist but found any movement in his limbs stifled by what he saw emerging from the piles of debris. The stone statue of a Lopunny and Buneary embracing in what appeared to be their final moments. The Riolu took a step back, his vacant gaze sweeping the city as blood-curdling screams and loud quakes that rocked the earth whittled away into an idle heartbeat in his chest that pounded faster and faster. He could see everything around him but felt himself getting dragged deeper into his mind. Pain was inflicted upon his nerves, memories of past visions and voices resurfacing. ''Look at your old house, the old you¡­ burning away.'' This was a nightmare. He knew no other conclusion. He wanted to wake up. A pair of red claws jostling his shoulder snapped him back into the real world. "No time to daydream!" Roark shouted. "Help us get these kids outta here and into safety!" This was reality. He knew that now. And there was no escaping this. Liam clenched his teeth as he rushed to aid the others. He built up Force Palms and smashed stones that pinned a Lillipup beneath the rubble. He extended a paw for the crying child to grab, freeing them from their prison and hoisting them into his arms. Monferno and Braixen helped one another clear the wood with controlled bursts of flame, while Rockruff grabbed the exposed infants by the scruff of their necks and placed them on his back. "Don''t you little guys worry! I got you," the Rock-type said calmly as he attempted to console them. "Soon this''ll all be over, so think about the good stuff! Like eating yummy Pokepuffs, or going out on cool adventures!" Roark could see the final child - an Eevee buried deep within the rubble, only visible through small gaps. His claws sliced through wood with ease but were of little use against the tough stone that encased the Pok¨¦mon. "Scizor!" he called to the Bug-type beside him, "I need a controlled Bullet Punch on these slabs right here!" Not getting an answer or action, his look intensified. "Scizor! Focus here!" Scizor reluctantly lowered his stare down to the earth. "Y-yes! I will help!" He positioned his shaky pincer over the stone slab. The red coloration of it morphed into a glossy gray as he rapidly tapped against the rock. Cracks appeared in the stone as it slightly gave way. "That should be enough!" Roark tested his words and attempted to gently pry the stone into two pieces. It was a success, but another web of twisted wood and pieces of stone blocked him from the Eevee. "Fuck! This is gonna take a bit! Don''t you worry, kid, we''re gonna get you out!" he reassured the infant. Monferno held two Phanpy''s in both arms as he scowled at the Zoroark, taking glances at the sky. "You need to hurry it up, Roark! We don''t know how much longer Charizard and Shaymin can stall it!" "I know what I''m doing here!" the fox barked back. "Someone grab that wooden plank right there and pull it! All of you help!" Up in the skies, Charizard easily outmaneuvered the crimson rays that Yveltal blasted. Scorching flames spewed forth from his maw that chased the Legendary. Shaymin assisted by occasionally unleashing Energy Balls from afar. Yet, her exhaustion was slowly catching up with her. "Big guy! You still think you can take it? I hate to admit it, but I don''t got much left in my tank, mate!" "Just keep yourself airborne, short stuff!" Charizard answered as his hungry stare bored into Yveltal. "Been so long since I''ve had an opponent worthy of me Mega Evolving! And some ''god'' at that!" He tsked. "Laying the beatdown on this bastard will look great for my legacy!" A horrendous screech emitted from Yveltal as it circled the sky to face Charizard. The flaps of its wings magnified as sharp currents of wind sliced through gray clouds and toward the dragon. Charizard responded by wrapping his leathery wings around his nimble frame as a forceful gale battered them. When the Air Slash died down, Charizard threw open his wings to reveal a toothy grin - his body undamaged. "That all you got, bastard?! ''Cause I got somethin'' for you, too!" The Fire-type let loose a deafening roar as he shot after the Legendary. Yveltal''s tactics changed as it went into a dive, Charizard following hot on its trail of flickering, orange lines. The Legendary flew low to the ground as it attempted to evade the pursuing dragon, weaving through collapsed and burning buildings, through narrow strips of alleyways until Yveltal began to climb higher above the city. Charizard saw his opportunity as sparks of blue fire built up in his jaws. He fired a blast of compressed, screaming flames that formed a strange symbol and zoomed toward Yveltal. The Fire Blast landed in a massive combustion across Yveltal''s feathers, resulting in a pained roar from the Legendary. "Short stuff! Give it hell!" A glowing Shaymin descended from the skies, waves of green energy discharging from Shaymin and bathing Yveltal in a burning sensation that devoured the oxygen around it. Once the Seed Flare wore off, the Legendary tore through the skies once more, flying toward the mangled but still-standing Eden Theater. Charizard chuffed, "Bastard takes everything! But that sure as shit doesn''t mean we''ll stop!" "As long it means I get to cause ''em more pain!" "I like your spunk, short stuff! Now let''s go finish this!" Charizard and Shaymin prepared themselves for what they hoped would be the final encounter with Yveltal as they chased it down. Yveltal was quick to act, emerging from a corner of the structure and blasting an erratic Oblivion Wing at them. The beam nearly grazed them as they split their flight paths, Charizard opting to charge the Legendary head-on as Shaymin hovered close, trying to conserve energy. "Up close and personal! Just how I like it!" Charizard bellowed. Another crimson ray of certain doom triggered Charizard''s instincts as he dived to avoid it. His maneuver served double as a distraction, the dragon ascending directly below Yveltal as it searched for Charizard. A cocked arm and well-timed Fire Punch then nailed the Legendary square in its chest, faltering its flight. Yveltal screeched and dug its large talons into the dragon, greatly slicing Charizard in the process. Yet, he did not relinquish his hold on the Legendary. He endured the onslaught and landed blow after blow of flaming punches, his fury and savagery subsequently rising. Yveltal attempted to flee the entanglement and beat its wings. It succeeded for a single moment, but an orange claw latched onto its tail would deny its endeavor. Charizard summoned all the strength he had left as he pulled the Legendary back, who shrieked and roared at him. "You''re not getting away¡­ BASTARD!" With all of his might, Charizard spun around, whipping Yveltal back and sending it careening into the Eden Theater behind him with a thundering boom accompanying it. The Legendary smashed windows and warped the black steel around its spread form - completely frozen as it stared at Charizard, the golden chain-like lines across its body flickering. Charizard was quick to capitalize on Yveltal''s plight and put himself between it and possible freedom. His starving look from before was now voracious. He failed to notice the shimmering of Yveltal''s lines grow brighter and brighter as he cocked an arm back, flames consuming his enclosed claws. "KYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM" Charizard''s eyes widened, but it was too late. A humongous explosion of orange light burst from Yveltal''s lines, engulfing Charizard and Shaymin, along with a large portion of the Eden Theater into a blinding fireball. Down in the city below, Scizor dropped a wooden plank as his horrified gaze was drawn to the sphere of utter destruction in the sky. "No¡­ No!" he cried. He was powerless to do anything but watch, his hope hanging by a thread. When the implosion of light faded, Yveltal emerged from a wall of smoke churning out of the crumbling Eden Theater - unfazed. Shaymin slowly glided her way out of the choking dust - weak and littered with bruises and deep gashes. Her breaths were shallow, her consciousness fading in and out. She locked eyes with the sinister and barren ones of Yveltal as it stared back, its lines glowing again. A shiver traversed her spine as a sense of primal fear and powerlessness overwhelmed her - a feeling she had experienced before. She was going to die. A rumbling trill crawled out of Yveltal''s throat as three golden, spear-like objects manifested from its lines. They zoomed toward Shaymin and locked onto her with ease despite her feeble attempts of dodging them. They impaled her body and then vanished into tiny motes of energy, the Grass-type falling unconscious as she dropped from the sky. With the vanquishing of its foe, Yveltal turned its attention to what remained of the Eden Theater. The weighted flaps of wings could be heard as they fanned the plume of smoke away, a heavily injured and profusely bleeding Charizard becoming visible. A reddish glow of pure rage appeared in Charizard''s eyes, his orange scales catching fire. Yveltal reacted as its red feathers began to light up, its limbs creating a ''Y'' formation. Charizard mustered the strongest Flamethrower he could, breathing a stream of solid blue flames that surged forward. Yveltal''s Oblivion Wing met the Flamethrower halfway before it could reach the Legendary. It was as though time had stopped as those below observed the attacks stop one another, both sides seemingly equal to them. Yveltal was stronger. The crimson beam pieced through the cobalt flames and struck Charizard. The dragon went stiff, his fierce gaze frozen in time; once burning, orange scales now a cold, stony gray. Charizard fell as Yveltal''s Oblivion Wing then slammed into the Eden Theater before petering off. Scizor watched the statue of his closest friend plummet, overcome by terror. "CHARIZAAAAAAAAAAARD!" he screamed into the night. But it was not over yet. The creaking of the Eden Theater could be heard echoing across all of Empyrean City. The upper half of the swaying tower hung over huge chunks of missing structure, its weight hinging on a few exposed support beams. The creaking grew louder, the noise of tearing metal resounding through the air. The supports failed. The beams buckled as the entire top portion of the Eden Theater came crashing down and toppled the other half in an instant. Roark was finally able to pull the Eevee from the rubble just as he and the rest of the guild were thrown to their feet by a shockwave, a deafening noise shaking the sky following it. They threw looks around, noticing a massive wall of smoke beginning to envelop the city from where the Eden Theater once proudly stood. Roark''s instincts took over. "WE NEED TO GET TO THE TUNNELS! NOW!" The Zoroark threw the Eevee over his other shoulder and ran, pulling along a distraught Scizor with him. The others quickly followed him, grabbing all the children they could carry as they raced to a hatch located across the shattered street. With nothing left to stop it, a screeching Yveltal descended into the city now being assaulted by a choking cloud and fired Oblivion Wings at anything in its sights. The shockwave resulting from the collapse swept across the city, obliterating nearby homes and blasting off twisted pieces of steel that severed anything in its path. Debris ripped across the streets and houses near the guild, narrowly missing as they endured a violent wind. The hatch was within their sights. Roark was the first to reach it, pulling it open and dropping himself and Scizor inside, keeping the top open so the others could reach it. Braixen, Monferno, and Liam followed shortly after and let go of the infants they carried from within. Rockruff, however, lagged behind - hampered by the weight of multiple children on his back. Monferno lingered on the hatch''s ladder as he looked back. "Rockruff! Hurry up already!" The Rock-type grunted, "I-I''m trying!" He tried to shift the weight that was bogging him down. "You little guys are soooo heavy, but in a healthy way, y''know!" Monferno wanted to help, but as he moved, he felt his limbs seize up at the sight of Yveltal entering his peripherals. It was closing in on their location. "Rockruff! COME ON!" As Rockruff slowly got further to the hatch, a tremor shook the earth and knocked an Igglybuff off his back. He stopped to help it back up. "KYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM" "ROCKRUFF!" Rockruff peered up to see a beam of crimson rip across the street and race his way. His eyes widened as he made a split decision. He shook all the children off his back and forcefully pushed them into the open hatch. The Oblivion Wing petrified him into stone instantaneously. Monferno froze, "Hey, Rockruff¡­ You-" His mumblings were cut short as Roark yanked him back into the tunnel and slammed the hatch down before the mass of smoke rolling across the street could pour in. Silence accompanied darkness. The hissing of a lantern resting on wooden boxes was suffocated by soft sobbing and hushed words said by the dozens of Pokemon taking refuge within the cramped, stony corridors of the tunnel system. As soon as Roark gently laid Eevee and the unconscious form of Gloria upon the ground, he was shoved against a wall. The culprit was revealed to be Monferno as a hand was latched around the fox''s throat and squeezed until Roark let out a choked gasp. "What the fuck were you thinking?!" Monferno screamed, tears welling in his eyes. "YOU DID THIS! This is your fucking fault!" The Fire-type tightened a fist in his free hand and pulled it back. "Monferno, stop!" Braixen had tears streaming down her face as she tugged at his raised arm. "Please! Stop it!" "Get off of me, Braixen! If this bastard hadn''t made us stop, then Rockruff wouldn''t have-" "Please¡­ Just stop." Monferno''s furious gaze connected with her pleading one. He then looked at Roark, whose sorrow-filled eyes relayed the same information. His fist unclenched as he relinquished his grasp on the Zoroark. He fell to his knees and shook his head. "What the hell are we supposed to do?" he croaked. "That thing¡­ It''s gonna destroy everything. There''s nothing we can do. Charizard and Shaymin couldn''t even stop it. And I¡­." A quaking of the tunnel followed his words. "... There is something we can do," Roark said. He nursed his throat with one claw while he pointed the other at the earthy ceiling. "There''s nothing we can do to stop Yveltal or whatever it is, but we can help any Pokemon we come across. Pokemon that can''t get away, just like the children we saved." Monferno sneered, "And you mean?" "We have to go back out there. We can''t stay here." "What you''re saying is just suicide! You want us to throw our lives away for this?!" Roark went silent but slowly nodded. "... I don''t know about you, Monferno, but I know one thing about this guild - all guilds across the world. They share one thing in common - helping Pokemon at any cost. My- our purpose as members of the guild is to do exactly that." He lowered his gaze. "I''m willing to put my own life on the line if that means achieving that goal. And all of you should as well." His expression darkened. "Rockruff, he¡­ These are the consequences of what we do." "You''re fucking crazy¡­ This isn''t some heroic game like you think it is." Roark glared, "I''m more serious than I ever have been before. This is life or death for many out there." "And you want us killed," Monferno spat. "Was Rockruff not enough for you?" Roark stumbled over to the hatch and lifted it, looking up to see an orange haze of dust whipping across the barren streets filled with stone statues of Pokemon. The terrified visage of a stony Rockruff stared at him, his paw still outstretched. He grimaced as it threatened to break his composure. "Do what you want, Monferno. Stay here forever if that''s what you really want, but I''m not going to." Roark returned his gaze to the inside of the tunnel, eyeing Braixen. "You shouldn''t either. Not with your talents." Braixen wrung her paws together. She looked over her shoulder to see the infants they rescued and other wounded Pokemon being attended to and healed by nurses. She recognized many of them as the medical professionals of Empyrean that helped teach her what she knows. She touched her red armband, then wiped away her tears as she marched over to the hatch''s ladder. "Braixen, what are you doing?!" Monferno yelled. Braixen clambered up the ladder, sniffling. "I have to go. There''s Pokemon that need me out there." "Braixen, don''t! Don''t listen to-" But she was gone before he could finish. "Damn''t!" Monferno''s limbs shook in place before he, too, began to ascend the ladder. "Braixen, wait up!" He only stopped to shoot Roark a sharp glare before he bolted off in the direction of his partner. "Liam." The aforementioned Riolu snapped out of his stupor and walked over to Roark - despondent and very much afraid - almost hyperventilating. The Zoroark gripped his shoulders, the fox''s somber stare boring into his eyes. "I need you to do something for me. Something very important," Roark said. "What?! Tell me!" "I need you to head to the guild. I need you to make sure everyone there is okay, you got that?" Liam steadied his breaths as he gave hasty nods. "Yeah, yeah I do!" "You''re gonna come back okay, right?" "I will!" "You''re gonna come back and be safe with your partner here, okay?" "I will!" Roark tackled the Riolu into a brief hug before shoving him off. "Then go!" Liam wasted no time in climbing the ladder and running down the dust and debris-ridden streets. Roark also put a claw onto the ladder but faltered before he could fully commit. He turned to see Gloria lying beside an unresponsive Scizor staring into a wall. He rushed over and knelt to cradle the sleeping Vulpix in his arms. He smiled and planted a kiss on her forehead before placing her back down. He then returned to the ladder and climbed up it, giving her one last hopeful look. The hatch came down.
''I wonder what kind of person you are?'' Liam sprinted across the grasslands surrounding Empyrean City as fast as he could. A layer of dust and ash coated his fur from journeying through the ruined city. But his condition mattered not to him, only the guarantee that his comrades were safe. The assailant in his mind closed the gap with each step he took. ''What were you before all of this¡­ happened?'' The cobblestone paved path he and Gloria had embarked upon so many times in past missions was now ruptured and broken, blackened marks scorched into the surrounding flowery meadow. Curls of blue and yellow invaded his vision like growing antlers, strikes of acute pain lashing his nerves. It was so great that he spasmed and crumpled to the ground. ''What will you become now that it has?'' Liam immediately pulled himself up. He ran up the hill that overlooked the Cosmic Quilt Guild and stopped at the very top to stare. His heart sank. The roof of the starry-sky-themed structure had caved inward, the large telescope in the observatory that once observed the stars broken in two - its lens cracked. "No, no, no, no, no, no," Liam muttered to himself as he took off in the direction of his guild. ''Family is everything we have, kid,'' the gruff voice echoed. ''Without them by our side, how do we continue this painful world alone? How do we let go? Your father¡­ he only understood that before it was too late.'' As he got closer, he noticed numerous stone statues of Council guards littering the structure''s surroundings. The rifles some held were pointed to the sky, aiming at an enemy that was once present. The Riolu skidded to a halt near the double doors of the guild. He tried to swing them open, only to find resistance as debris blocked the entrance. A hazy fog shrouded his burning mind as a different but familiar voice spoke to him - a voice he recognized as his father. ''I''m sorry, Liam. I''m sorry for everything. All of this was my fault. I told you I wanted to avenge Angelica, but that''s not the whole truth. I did this for my soul. I can''t let go, Liam. This has to happen until you''re safe.'' Liam grunted as his attempts to pull the rubble out were futile. He resorted to kicking the doors - hard and desperately. Another familiar, female voice chimed in, one that brought ease to his frayed nerves, if only momentarily. ''Loss is always a difficult thing, Liam. It''s something that we humans and even all life go through. But my mother and her mother passed down knowledge of a place - a poem - ''the ''Forest of Vanishing Sorrows''. Would you like to hear it?'' He could hear the shattering of wood as his kicks intensified. He was getting closer. A new voice emerged from his mind''s reaches, female and silky. It resonated with him. ''Your mother spoke of the ''Forest of Vanishing Sorrows''. The place where you see everyone you''ve ever lost, and learn to let go of them. But¡­ Who would want such a thing? To never see your loved ones again? Liam, could you see yourself ever entering that forest and thinking that?'' The double doors came crashing down with one last jolt. Liam stepped inside the eerily quiet and pitch-black guild, throwing his frightened gaze around the foyer. "Guys! Where are you?!" But as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, they landed upon something - someone. Moonlight peaked in through craters dotting the ceiling, shining down on a stone statue of a Leafeon peering up at the visible night sky. "No¡­" Liam turned. He came face-to-face with the petrified form of Mightyena. ''Grim reminder,'' the gruff voice said. He turned. Purrloin. Staravia. Joltik. Stiff, stone statues. ''Grim reminder.'' He turned again. Minun. Hatterene. Indeedee. ''Grim reminder.'' The world around Liam began to spin and spin. He clutched his head and shut his eyes to close off the reality around him that he refused to accept. So many incomprehensible visions whizzed past his searing mind, a growing ache now rattling his body from within. But through it all, the sounds of faint sobbing could be heard overlapping his ragged pants. Liam''s absent gaze swiveled over to a large opening in the walls that led to the far end of the guild. He trudged over to it, walking through the breach and toward a Pokemon standing on the cliffs that overlooked the grasslands - crying into their paws. "Guildmaster¡­" An ear-piercing screech resounded throughout the night sky as Yveltal suddenly appeared overhead. It swooped down near the guild and slowly descended near the edges of the cliffside, blocking the pale moon with its size. Liam wanted to shout, to scream at his unresponsive Guildmaster to run or hide, but those words died in his throat as he saw the Shiny Lucario raise an arm. The orange paw ring the Lucario wore shimmered as Yveltal''s golden lines flickered in response. The Legendary obeyed and hovered itself in front of the Pokemon - stationary and pacified. Jackson turned his head to look at Liam, tears staining his cheeks. "Didn''t I tell you?" At that very moment, Liam felt something trigger within. Memories began to meld together - both new and old. His pain flourished into a sense of overwhelming revelation. It all came flashing through his mind in the blink of an eye. He remembered everything. Everything that he was. His life. His childhood. His adulthood. His death. All the years of constant torment, complete misery, and total despair were now fully realized. And yet, as he stared at the Lucario before him, one prominent memory was conjured up from the deepest pits of his mind. It burned itself into his vision as the blue and yellow antler-like curls danced across it one final time to show him.
Liam''s murderous scowl remained on the man as the stomp of his boots on the gray concrete reverberated around the room like thunder. The man stopped inches from the young boy, who thrashed against his iron chains. His arms dropped as the body of another man in his grasp fell to the floor, a pool of blood forming by the head, where there was a visible bullet wound. The man glanced down at the corpse with a sympathetic look before stepping into a ray of light and making himself visible to the appalled young boy. Sinister hazel eyes, swept-back black hair, and a matching beard; the man spoke in a gruff tone. "First time we ever properly been introduced, isn''t it?" The man lowered his removed gaze to meet the boy. "Name''s Jackson Lachaise. But you probably already knew that." Liam reacted with an almost animalistic snarl as spittle spewed from his mouth. He yanked at his bindings, trying to break free and attack the man looming over him. "Now that you know who I am¡­" The man took a few steps forward before he kneeled in front of the boy, regarding his young reflection with a lengthy stare. "Who are you?"
A blue sphere of solidified aura energy built up in Jackson''s paws. Liam''s eyes widened. A long since forgotten and extinguished fire within him was now reignited into a raging blaze. His distraught expression slowly began to twist and contort into a murderous scowl of gritting teeth. He recognized the Pokemon before him, the monster behind all of his life''s anguish. All the evils he believed of any world incarnate. The man behind the killing of his mother, and the man who murdered his father. The Aura Sphere within Jackson''s paws swelled as the Lucario threw it. It sped toward its motionless target and sent the Riolu sailing into a wall behind him, collapsing it completely. Before Liam could even move, Jackson was atop him and pummeling his face and torso with frenzied punches. "THAT WE ARE THE SAME?!" the Lucario screamed at him. "AND WILL BE THE SAME FOREVER!" Liam slipped in and out of consciousness. He felt tired and weak. And that was when everything went black. Darkness.
And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Discord: z2h2z Next Time: Vendetta Vendetta Author''s Note: Hello! It has been quite a while since the AN has been placed at the beginning. This is because I have two things to share that I believe are important to be seen and not skimmed past. First: In the near future, I will be revisiting every past chapter and providing much needed edits to scenes and general prose. There will be zero edits of the presented story, so you are not required to re-read in order to understand future chapters. However, if you feel you need to revisit past chapters to brush up on your knowledge of the story, or understand how it has reached this point, then I encourage you to do so when the edits are made. I will make another AN at the end of a future chapter when the edits have been finished. Second: After the last chapter was posted, I felt I needed to make a proper statement regarding the massive reveal and bombshell that was dropped on you all. Chapter 33 (Grim Reminder) was a very important feat, and something that the story has been building to since its very first chapter. Throughout multiple years of planning and also writing, keen-eyed readers have seen that every step of the way has been building up to this decisive moment that alters the perception of the story entirely. I would like to personally thank every reader that was here for the initial posting of Chapter 1 and has stuck with the story ever since. Through all the rough moments and all the waits between chapters, you have been through it all to reach this far. All of the theories, all of the comments, and all of the people that have reached out to me via Discord, I appreciate all of it and wish to see even more in the future. To wrap this up, the events of the last chapter are but a catalyst to everything that occurs next. The true beginning of the story is now revealed. And I am more than eager to show you through the gates that lead into its hidden and closely guarded heart. So, welcome. Welcome to The Phantasmagoria.
Chapter 34 Vendetta Birds chirped, leaves shuddered, white wallflowers swayed in the wind, and the bright sun was shining overhead. The rumblings of a car engine scared away a foraging deer as a deep blue pickup truck drove down a dusty road. The vehicle came to a gradual stop along the grassy edges of the trail, next to a mailbox. The driver side door swung open as a young man stepped out of the truck and surveyed the large swathes of grasslands. He wore a sad smile. Liam settled his gaze upon the charred remains of a large home taken over by nature. Moss grew alongside the blackened exterior. Black and yellow tape wrapped around wooden posts embedded in the earth fenced the structure in. The house was soon to be torn down, and this would be the last time he could see it. He took in the quiet sight with a nostalgic sigh. His hand ran across the mailbox beside him and over the faded words engraved into the wood. Reading them sent a pang through his heart. ''DUM SPIRO, SPERO''. He walked toward the burned home, only stopping to look up at a sole tree occupying the clearing. He remembered the many times he came home from school and climbed it, wondering how far he could reach each attempt. He suppressed a small urge to revisit traditions and continued on. He gave a quick glance of his surroundings before ducking underneath the perimeter tape. He ascended the rotting wooden stairs of the porch as small animals were alerted to his presence and scurried underneath the floorboards. He tested the doorknob of the entrance door. Locked. A swift kick to the door blew it off its hinges, revealing the dark interior. Liam stepped past the doorway and procured a small flashlight from his pockets. He turned it on and waved the ray of light around as he explored the desolate home. The flashlight shined upon overturned furniture and dusty tables; across cobweb ridden cabinets and shelves that held painted statues of trees and animals. Liam stopped near a shelf and picked one up that resembled a canine. The text inscribed on the statue''s base told him that it was a Black-backed jackal. He smiled. He had always loved his mother''s work. Liam placed the statue back on the shelf as he kept exploring. The crunching of glass under his shoes alerted him to an assortment of picture frames on the ground. The photographs within were burned, their colors dulled and warped into a charred, indecipherable mess. Yet, there was one that he could still visualize. Liam knelt down to grab the smashed frame and took out the photograph within as he stared. He could see the remnants of three faces burned into the paper, their features gone, but were clear in his mind. Only the edges of the photo remained unscathed; cold blue water and warm rays of a rising sun peeking into the frame. He could picture this photo vividly in his mind. The memory played over in his mind like it was yesterday. The smell of fresh morning dew on the cattail, the feeling of running his hand across the river''s current, and the joyous voices he heard calling out to him among the buzzing insects. A mix of bliss and melancholy constricted the young man''s heart as he reminisced. He pocketed the photograph. The steps of the home''s staircase creaked and groaned underneath Liam''s shoes. Once reaching the second floor, he waved his flashlight around in the darkness, shining the light on three doors of the hallway. The first door he opened was the room of his parents - only an empty bed left to occupy the space. His eyes lingered on it before he shut the door. The second door swung open as Liam entered a new room he scarcely remembered. Wallpaper colored a vibrant pink was peeled away or torched a charcoal black. Plush toys huddling in corners were fused into a bundle of twisted, burnt furs. Liam found his attention focusing on something at the far end of the room - a crib. He walked over and rested his hands on its sides, peering inside. Just like his parent''s bed, it was empty. The third door''s knob would not budge but would come crashing down just as easily as the front door had. Liam entered and was immediately hit with a wave of nostalgia. His room remained untouched. His bed was just as messy as he remembered it, small clothes that would fit a child littering the floor. His closet was still full of junk he would shove in it to appease his tidy mother. Everything was scorched by the flames of the past, yet he could recognize it all in his mind, before it was all ruined. Liam turned off the flashlight and let it roll away as he sat down on his bed, taking in the silent yet serene environment. A thought entered his mind as he ducked his head to look under the bed. There it was. Just as he had left it there so many years ago. Liam grabbed the wooden banjo from under the bed and brushed away the cobwebs attached to it. He gave the instrument a lookover, noting its strings had been warped or broken by fire damage, rendering it useless. He threw the banjo back into the darkness and flopped his body on the stiff blankets of his bed. His vacant gaze bored into the ceiling. All of his memories surrounded him, but he knew them to be just memories. Something he could never return to. All of his hopes, of his wishes and desires to reunite with his family, were crushed by the reminder that they would just be that. He wanted to sleep here and awake as a young boy again, to live what was once his, what should be his. And he knew he would do anything to achieve that wish. Liam closed his eyes.
Liam opened his eyes. But the rays of moonlight filtering in from the holes in the ceiling only funneled into only one crimson pupil that expanded to the size of a dinner plate. As his blurry vision cleared, he locked his gaze with the teary eyes of Gloria as she loomed over him. "Liam!" The Riolu immediately jumped up and backed up before the Vulpix could tackle him into an embrace. His dazed and startled look shot around the room. He was inside the guild''s main foyer. Monferno, Braixen, Roark, and Gloria were all staring at him - covered in ash and soot. The petrified stone statues of his comrades were beside them. "Where- What is¡­" Liam mumbled to himself as his shocked gaze swept the room. Everything around him felt familiar but distinctly alien and foreign. His heart picked up in pace. "Am I dreaming? T-this can''t be real." He looked down at his bruised and battered body and felt as if he didn''t fully recognize the flesh and fur that he was. He lifted his shaky paws and stared at them, then touched the bandage that was wrapped around his left eye. "It was the best I could do without Hatterene''s help," Braixen wistfully said with a sniffle. Roark raised both claws as he took a step toward Liam. "Kid, just calm down, okay? You''re safe. We''re all safe right now. The Yveltal is gone¡­ for now, at least." He looked around. "Is everyone accounted for? What about Shaymin?" Braixen wiped away forming tears. "Monferno and I found her gravely injured near the site of the Eden Theater''s collapse, but¡­" She sniffled. "Another group took her, a-and I don''t know where she is. I''m sorry." Roark sighed in relief. "That''s fine. She might still be alive." He looked at Liam. "Kid, can you remember anything from the past few hours? Do you know who did all of that to you?" The Riolu took another step back as the previous events that led to this moment came rushing through his mind. His expression of shock would then morph into a seething scowl of bared teeth. "... Where is he?" "Where''s who, kid?" "JACKSON!" Liam roared as he pounded the ceramic flooring with a hind paw. "That son of a bitch did this to me and is behind all of this!" The room fell silent at his claim, wide-eyed stares focusing on the enraged Riolu. Braixen felt faint as his words sank in. "... The Guildmaster?" Monferno gripped Roark''s arm and pulled it to steal his attention. "What you saw running over here! Didn''t you say that it looked like the Guildmaster was on top of Yveltal as it flew away?!" Roark slowly nodded, "I did say that, but- " He shook his head. "No. No, that can''t be true, kid. There''s no way in hell even that shifty Lucario could be capable of something like this. I think you''re-" "You think I''m lying?!" Liam screamed at him. "I saw him control Yveltal with my own two eyes!" "I didn''t say that, kid! What I''m saying is you could be misunderstanding things." "Misunderstanding?! You look at what he did to me and think this was a misunderstanding?!" "Please! Stop arguing!" Gloria cried out. She felt fresh tears well up in her eyes as she pressed into Roark''s side, who pulled her in and wrapped a comforting arm around her. Monferno scowled. "Sure as shit doesn''t look like he''s lying, Roark. But it can''t be true, right? It just can''t fucking be. If there''s anything to know about the Guildmaster, then Scizor would know." A hollow ''clack'' noise resounded throughout the main hall as Scizor emerged from the darkness of the main halls. He wore a sullen look. "Everything is destroyed," the Bug-type muttered. "The Projection Crystals we''ve gathered have been smashed. The extra ELE''s we had in storage are either missing or smashed. The map of information I worked on for so long has been burned, and all other resources secretly hidden throughout the guild are gone." Scizor closed his eyes. "This destruction was not circumstantial. It was not done by Yveltal, but by another on purpose." "Then- then that must mean Liam is correct, right?" Braixen spoke through forming tears. "The Guildmaster was the only Pokemon here that wasn''t turned to stone. And he knew..." "No¡­ No. I refuse to believe he would do this," Scizor said, his stark voice cracking. His stomach tightened into knots. "I''ve known Jackson for twenty five years, and he would never, ever do something like this. All that can we confirm is that that he''s missing and-" "Missing?!" Monferno interrupted as he pointed at a furious Liam. "He''s saying otherwise, Roark saw him flying Yveltal out of here, and now all of our work we spent years on is just randomly gone?!" He clenched his hands repeatedly. "I hate to say it but¡­ I''m starting to believe the Guildmaster did this." Scizor glared at him. "Stop it. Stop it right this instant. Do not make assumptions of Jackson as if you truly understand what has happened." "I''ve fucking seen it all happen out there! Out in the city where all those innocent Pokemon and our friends got turned into stone by that thing!" Monferno yelled back. "Everything that we know points to the Guildmaster being behind it! Who else could it be?!" The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Why would he do this, then?!" Scizor screamed in anger. "Tell me why would he destroy everything we have worked for?!" He paused as his voice lowered and his head dropped. "Why would he allow Charizard to succumb like that?" "Because you don''t know what kind of a person he really is!" Liam intervened. "You have no idea what he''s done to me before, and what a monster he is!" "He is not a monster!" Scizor countered. "That is my closest friend and your Guildmaster that you are slandering!" "Scizor. Listen closely to what everyone is saying," Roark said calmly. "We get it. We all understand that he''s your friend and also our leader, but like Monferno said, everything we know points to him. We can''t totally confirm it, but the Pokemon you thought you knew¡­" He sighed. "He could not entirely be who you thought he was." Roark''s words struck Scizor deep as the Bug-type took a step back, his limbs quaking. He attempted to steady them. "... No. No, I do not believe Jackson was behind this. We were so close to uncovering the truth that he would never jeopardize our goal. Our comrades here-" "Are now fucking dead because of that bastard!" Monferno shouted as tears ran down his cheeks. "They''re not dead," Scizor murmured softly. "Please, trust me when I say they''re not dead. If the many legends of Yveltal are true, then the souls of Pokemon it has petrified into stone are sent to a different world parallel to ours - a place void of life. They''re alive, but trapped there." "How do we get them back, then?!" Braixen cried. "... The only known way would be if Yveltal himself willed for them to be free." Monferno rubbed his face free of wetness. "Empyrean is destroyed by some Legendary god, our friends are trapped in some hellish world, and our own Guildmaster may have done all of this?" He buried his face into his hands. "This is all so fucked¡­" Liam backed up until he hit a wall as he surveyed his surroundings in a panicked state. His paws clutched his head as events previously shrouded in mystery became clear in his mind. "What did I do¡­ I left therapy, I came home, I took those pills and-" His eyes widened. "No, no, no, no-" The Riolu suddenly bolted out of the guild''s mangled double doors as the others bickered. "LIAM!" Gloria took off from Roark''s side and sprinted after Liam. "Sis, wait! Gloria!" Roark''s yells were met with silence as he growled under his breath. He moved to follow after his sister, glancing back. "Everyone just stay here. We''re gonna figure things out once I''m back with those two."
Liam sprinted through the ruins of Empyrean City as fast as he could. Utter destruction was visible in the peripherals of his sole, unblinking eye as he ran down the mangled cobblestone streets. The wails of Pokemon around him reached his ears. The rush of hurried footsteps and the spinning wheels of carriages on stone shot past him as they fled the city in a haste. He vaulted over overturned stands and chunks of rock until he reached the main square of the market district. There his gaze would land upon numerous petrified stone statues as Pokemon gathered around and mourned. He recognized some of the statues. Sylveon. Mayor Empoleon. The Meowstic twins. Palpable rage bubbled up from within and twisted his horrified expression into one of pure hate and malice. He cast aside his current thoughts as his limbs shook. He took a single step forward before he found his movements stifled by a pair of crimson red claws holding him back. "Kid. Stop where you''re going." Liam whirled around and threw Roark''s claws off of him. "Stay out of this, Roark! I''m not going back until I finish this!" Roark held up both pairs of claws. "Just calm down, okay? Talk with me. Where did Gloria go? She was following you." Liam appeared to take his advice as he took a moment to speak, steadying his rapid breaths. "I accidentally yelled at her. She ran off into the city somewhere. But I don''t know where." Roark scowled, "Listen. I don''t know what you plan on doing here, but you need to return to the guild. If Jackson is really behind all of this like you say he is, then we need everyone available to sort out this fucking mess." "Y''all¡­ Y''all don''t even know who that monster really is. He took everything from me!" Liam bared his teeth. "My entire life was robbed by him, and he was playing me for a damn fool all this time!" The gears within Roark''s mind began to turn as he regarded the Riolu with a strange look. "Something''s changed. This doesn''t sound like you, kid. It sounds like-" An epiphany struck him. "No. You regained your memory. That''s it, right?" "Everything. I remember everything now. And I''m not supposed to be this canine¡­ jackal thing! "I''m not a Pokemon. I don''t know what this world is but somehow I''m in this place, and somehow Jackson is here with me, too!" Roark hid his surprise and wonder through a blank look he was finding hard to keep straight. His heart began to race. "I never thought that-" He shook his head. "Look, it doesn''t matter right now. What matters is us getting back to the guild and figuring out our next move." "I''m not going anywhere until Jackson gets what he deserves!" "Deserves what, kid? What''s your plan here?" Liam''s eyes narrowed, "Listen to me. Jackson is a dead man, you hear me?" "Okay, you''re angry - I get it. But what''s your plan here? Let''s say you do find him, all right? You know you can''t take both Jackson and Yveltal down by yourself." "I''ll kill him with my bare hands if I have to!" Liam roared before he calmed down momentarily. "But I need to know where he went. And you saw him fly away." "I did, but-" "Where?! What direction did he go in?!" Roark let out a long sigh. His mind brewed a battle in which he was conflicted on both outcomes. Ultimately, he pointed a claw at the night sky, where a column of Council guards was flying west of the city. Liam attempted to bolt off in the direction of the guards but was yanked back by Roark. "Let go of me!" "I''m not letting you run off to your death, kid. Those guards? They''re not chasing after Yveltal to defeat it - they''re chasing after it to serve as a distraction to help Pokemon here evacuate in case of another attack." Liam jerked himself out of the fox''s grasp. "It doesn''t matter! This is personal, and it''s between me and Jackson!" "Can''t you see that I have enough on my mind already? With my sister devastated by the loss of her home and friends? With losing all of the others? I can''t face the rest of us left if I lose you, too." "There''s nothing you can say that will convince me to stay." "Just think about this for a single moment! What if this doesn''t go the way you think it will? What if you don''t come back from this?" "Then¡­ Then I guess this is goodbye." Roark''s stance slackened. "Liam, don''t. Please, let''s go back to the guild and form a plan first. We''ll even tell the others all about your amnesia!" He clasped his claws together and shook them. "Something... anything!" There was then silence as the two stared at one another. Liam hooked a paw on the cosmic themed scarf wrapped around his neck and tugged at it. He unraveled it before tossing it over to Roark, who reluctantly caught it as he stared at the Riolu. "This is where we go our separate ways." "Liam¡­" Liam put his back to the Zoroark. "Wait." Liam stopped. "You promised me. You promised me that you wouldn''t leave her." Liam turned, his once enraged visage overcome by sorrow. "I''m sorry." The Riolu began to move and grunted in pain as his numerous wounds flared, yet it did little to stop him. Liam took off down the ravaged streets in the direction of the flying Pokemon overhead. He quickly disappeared from Roark''s gaze into the crowd. The Zoroark''s claws tightened around the scarf as he let out a guttural growl of frustration. There was still one thing he knew he had to do. Roark tucked away the scarf into his mane of fur and scampered down the streets in search of Gloria. As vast as the destroyed city was, and how much chaos it was engulfed in, he knew exactly where his little sister would be. His search took him to a familiar neighborhood he had been down so many times. Numerous homes were caved in or were reduced to piles of rubble as a thick cloud of dust covered the area. Bands of guards ran past him as they attended to houses ablaze, dousing them with Water-type attacks. Injured Pokemon lying on the street were either being lifted and taken away by flying guards or thrown onto a carriage full of other wounded Pokemon. Roark''s eyes scoured the block until they landed upon the hazy sight of a circular home stylized after a white Vulpix. It looked as if it was miraculously untouched by the attack. He let out a sigh of relief before sprinting over to it. He threw open the door to the sight of total darkness. He shut the door behind him, his steps on the firm carpet floor careful as his acute hearing picked up something - the sound of muffled sobbing. He quickened his pace and went through an open door in the hallway. As he entered, his eyes laid upon a lump on the bed bundled in a blanket - a blanket he recognized as Gloria''s childhood favorite. The sobbing grew louder as he neared the bed. Roark inhaled deeply before he removed the blanket and revealed the curled up Pokemon underneath. "Hey, it''s me," he said in a hushed voice. Gloria peered up from the blanket''s cover. "R-roark?" "Yeah, it''s me. I''m here, sis." Roark sat on the bed and rested a claw on her form, gently raking them through her fur in an attempt to calm her. "Liam, h-he-" she blinked away trails of hot tears. "He told me to ''stay away'', and I don''t know what I did, or why he''s acting like this." Roark frowned, "He''s going through some things, sis. It''s complicated right now." He sighed, dreading what he was about to do. "I tried to stop him, sis. I really did. But he said it himself that nothing was going to convince him, and the look in his eye said enough." "W-what do you mean?" He reached into his mane and procured a black scarf dotted with yellow stars. He held it out for her to see, and another outpouring of emotions escaped the Vulpix as she buried her muzzle into the blanket''s wool. Roark wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close as she sobbed loudly into his fur. "Shh, shh, it''s okay. He''s gonna come back, sis. I know he is. He''s just confused and angry." "It¡­ happened again," she croaked out. "I wake up and everyone I love is gone. L-leafeon, Sylveon, everyone at the guild. They''re all-" Roark tightened his hold on her. "They''re not gone, sis. They''re just trapped, and we have to save ''em. Together, you got that?" "H-how¡­ How can we even save them?" "I don''t know. Not yet, but we will. And we''re gonna save them. Trust me on this." "I can''t- I can''t do this anymore," she mumbled. "I can''t keep going on like this. I c-can''t fulfill any promises." Roark leapt off the bed and kneeled before Gloria to focus her attention on him. "No, no, no, no. Sis, you can''t just give up now." "I-I''ve lost everything!" Gloria shrieked, ejecting more tears. "Without Liam, without Leafeon, and without everyone else, I''m¡­ I''m nothing." She surrounded herself with more of the blanket in an attempt to block the outside world. "I can''t keep doing this. I just want to be left alone¡­" Roark cupped her face with his claws and forced her to look at him. "Gloria. You are everything to me. I want- I need you to keep going. I can''t have you destroy yourself like this." "Why? What''s the point anymore?" Roark sat back down on the bed, looking away as silence overtook the room. "I''ve been through this before, Gloria. I thought that there was no point anymore, and that it was the end for me. When nothing matters, you do insanely stupid things." He paused. "I can''t forget what I attempted - it still plays in my mind sometimes." "W-what plays?" Roark shut his eyes. "The feeling of your life flashing before your eyes." He let out a strained laugh. "I remember it. The rush of wind, the adrenaline, the fear. I saw Unzefant''s face, and it reminded me of how much I screwed up, how I should have listened more to his advice. I thought I saw someone before it was all over... Someone I was searching for. She didn''t look like any Pokemon I''ve seen, but she looked happy, and that made me happy. " His gaze returned to the Vulpix. "I fell. But I''m alive and here now because of you, Gloria. I can''t have you fall, too." Gloria appeared to mull over his words as she sniffled. Roark got up and walked over to a cream colored dresser up against the walls of the room. He opened the top drawer of it and dug through its contents until his claws latched onto something cold and hard. He lifted the object from the drawer and made his way back over to Gloria, kneeling in front of her again. "I can''t promise things will get better right away. Things will be the toughest they''ve ever been. Hell, even I''m second guessing what I did earlier, and if I made the right call. But you and I have been through so much, and I know how tough you can be." Gloria threw off the blanket encasing her, leaning in as Roark extended the object for her to see. It was an icy blue stone that sparkled and glistened in the moonlight peaking through the room''s windows. She instantly recognized the unmistakable snowflake pattern of an Ice Stone, the one given to her so long ago by her parents. "What I can promise is that I will always be there for you. For however long I need to be by your side until I see your purpose fulfilled." He motioned to the Ice Stone. "I think now is the time - more than ever - to take that leap, sis." Roark awaited her reply as Gloria stared at the shiny stone in silence. He watched her stand up from the bed and hop off it. She stumbled past him and the stone. "I need to see the others," she spoke. "I need to see if they''re safe before I decide." Roark celebrated his small victory with a weak smile. "We''re gonna figure this out, sis." He shoved the Ice Stone into his mane. "We''re gonna learn what''s really going on and move past this - together." He had only wished his hopeful words would be proven correct upon their return.
"No¡­ No, I refuse to believe any of this." "And what if it''s the truth, Scizor?!" Monferno argued as he paced around the foyer. He stopped. "What if he really was working against us the whole time? Have you even put any thought to that before?! Tell me! Because it could''ve stopped all of this from happening!" "Monferno, stop!" Braixen shouted. "That''s not fair to him, and you know it!" "I just-" Monferno clutched the sides of his head as he squeezed his eyes shut. "Just fucking how? How did it all come to this?" Scizor leaned against the shattered statue of a Milotic and steadied his erratic breathing. "What you''re asking me¡­ You''re asking me to throw out everything I''ve ever known about Jackson, about our friendship, about Team Moonlight." He glared at Monferno. "You''re saying all the convictions and genuine moments he and I shared over more than half of our lives was just a front?" "I''m not saying that it was back then. But maybe he changed one day, or he''s being forced to-" Monferno shook his head. "I don''t know, okay?! This is all such a mess..." Braixen held both paws against her beating chest. "There has to be something we can do to save the guild! We could go to the Council and tell them everything we know! Or- or we could appeal to other guilds in Celestic! The Cosmic Quilt Guild is the most impor-" "Braixen. Look around you," Monferno uttered as he stared into her tear filled eyes. "We''re all that''s left of the guild. And without everyone else to make it function, there''s no guild left¡­" The reality of his words and their situation finally dawned upon Braixen as she became overwhelmed with emotion. Monferno moved to embrace her as she bawled into his shoulders; for her lost comrades, and for the lost sense of hope she had left. Monferno fought back against his own tears as he glanced over at Scizor, seeing the listless expression across Scizor''s face. "With Charizard gone, and whatever happened to Jackson, you''re the only leader we have now," he said. Scizor did not spare the primate a look as he removed himself from the Milotic statue. He lurched toward the broken entrance of the guild. "Hey! Where are you going?" Monferno questioned. "We can''t stay here. Not anymore," was the Bug-type''s hollow response as he stood in the doorway. Monferno scowled as he helped Braixen walk with him over to Scizor. "Then what''s the plan?" "... I don''t know. I don''t know if there is one." "What do you mean you don''t know?!" As Scizor, Monferno, and Braixen all exited the guild and emerged into the outside, they caught a glimpse of two figures sprinting away from the destroyed city in the distance and toward the guild. As they got closer, it was revealed to be Roark and a very despondent looking Gloria. Roark caught his breath before speaking. "Good. You guys stayed. We''re gonna have to find Shaymin''s location first before we get started on a plan." Braixen looked around, "Where''s-" "He''s gone¡­ for now, at least." Roark pointed a claw at the cream-colored saddlebag slung around his shoulder. "I gathered as much supplies as I could from our house. Once we find Shaymin and discuss our next move, we should gather anything useful from the guild." He gazed at the wrecked building in front of him. "It''s not safe here anymore. Especially if Yveltal returns." "But what about the others?!" Braixen cried. "We can''t just leave them here!" "... I hate to say it, but we have to leave them here for now. We''ll have to figure out a way to save them at a later date." Unbeknownst to the chattering group, multiple carriages led by heavily armored equine-like Pokemon were rolling across the grasslands and toward their location. The group only noticed when the wooden transports stopped just a few yards away. On cue, dozens of Pokemon in dusty, brown coats poured out from the carriages and completely encircled the group on all sides. They held their ground - energy of all elements building in their limbs as others brandished rifles and pointed them from a knelt position. The bewildered gaze of the surrounded group darted to each glaring guard. They froze, not daring to make another move. For a single second, there was stillness. A Houndoom wearing a ragged, amber colored cloak suddenly pushed past the motionless guards and stood before the group. "By orders of the Council, all members of the Cosmic Quilt Guild are to be placed under arrest effective immediately!" he barked at them. Scizor looked around in a panic as he held up his pincers. "Wait! This is all a misunderstanding! We have no invol-" "Silence! You are not to move or say anything further! Or all of you will be lined up against a wall and swiftly executed!"
Where are we going from here? How do we learn to let go of everything we thought was once true?
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time:An Hourglass Shattered And Hubris Unleashed An Hourglass Shattered And Hubris Unleashed Chapter 35 An Hourglass Shattered And Hubris Unleashed "How are you boys doing down there?" Garchomp waited a few more moments before she peeked down at what lay below from atop an Archeops'' back. The calm and still waters of the extensive ocean responded with silence. A second later, a pillar of water erupted from the sea as a gargantuan Wailord wearing a black eyepatch rose high into the air and let out a bellowing call that rattled the bodies of those present. Gravity then pulled the colossal Pokemon down as it flopped back into the water and continued on its journey. Its lengthy back protruded from the sea and revealed a large saddle with two drenched Pokemon holding on for dear life. Garchomp grinned. "How does the Alomomola Sea taste, boys?" Aggron spat out bits of seawater as he looked up. "Saltier than that team of thieves we clobbered back there!" His prideful expression soured. "Now tell me somethin'' - how come ya get a personal pair of wings while we gotta wrangle an oversized Magika-" A spray of water splashed across his face. "Ah! Maybe that was a bit too far!" Garchomp laughed. "You two lose some weight and I can arrange something!" "Don''t think I wanna return to the days of bein'' an Aron, lass!" Tyranitar nearly collapsed as his head was positioned over the thrashing ocean. "Seasick, I might be¡­" Aggron let out a hearty chuckle as he patted the Rock-type''s back. "Looks like even our swashbuckling pirate can''t stand some wee sickness! Don''t worry, laddie - nothin'' a little Sitrus Berry can''t fix, ha!" Tyranitar could not muster a retort as he groaned. "Don''t worry, boys!" Garchomp yelled. "Home''s almost in sight!" After a few minutes of traversing the breadth of the Alomomola Sea, the horizon yielded the sight of dry land. Archeops sped off in the direction of it while Wailord steamed ahead, much to the chagrin of its battered riders. Once the sandy shores of a small isle were a blur beneath Archeops, it went into a sudden dive as Garchomp leaped from its back mere seconds before it struck the earth. The dragoness took in the salty breeze with a toothy grin as she waited for her teammates - fully aware of what was coming next. Wailord slowed to a halt before it could beach itself along the shore. Now a few yards away from dry land, Aggron and Tyranitar shot each other reluctant looks before trudging across the massive Water-type''s back. They stopped near the blowhole and awaited their fate. Seconds later, a column of water erupted from the hole and blasted the two Pokemon high into the sunny skies. They then plummeted and crashed into the white sands in a twisted pile of interlocked limbs and pained groans. "As I said, you both lose some weight and maybe you stick the landing next time," Garchomp said with a chuckle. She waved and saluted Wailord and Archeops as they sailed off into the distance together, a farewell cry from the Water-type echoing across the land. "Just glad those two are on our side now." "There''ll be a next time?" Aggron bemoaned as he stood himself and shook the wetness off his steel plates. "Feel like I stumbled out of a pub," Tyranitar muttered, staying put on the ground. "Or hit with a dozen Totter Orbs, I feel..." Aggron chuckled as he knelt to pull the Rock-type up. "Save the blowhole blastin'' for emergencies only next time, lass!" He shot a glance at Tyranitar, who was currently heaving over the sands. "Ya tell a ''mon not to gobble down a whole barrel''s worth of Chople Berries like some stockpilin'' Greedent, and that same ''mon goes out to sea on a full stomach." Tyranitar glared at the Steel-type. "The loudmouth who ate an entire mountain''s worth of iron ore back there is talkin'', is he? A bit rich." "Ole rockface wants another tussle, does he? Aye, I can oblige." "Still whoop you I could with one hand behind my back and sick as can be, metalhead." Two talons latched themselves on the shoulders of the quarreling Pok¨¦mon as Garchomp pushed herself in between Aggron and Tyranitar. "Boys, save the fire for our next battles." She jostled them as she grinned. "Besides, you two should be happy! No longer do the Pokemon of Pastureposy Town need to worry about Team Nightmare and their cronies. And there''s a team right here that can take all the credit and fame for it, right?" "Aye, but did we have to travel all the way to the Grass Continent for days just to lay the smackdown on some thieves?" Aggron asked. "I agree with lead for brains here. Thrashin'' some bad guys is nice, but not swimmin'' across entire continents," Tyranitar said, Garchomp sighed. "Look, I know this whole trip to the Grass Continent was on short notice, but I thought we needed a little distraction." Aggron crossed his arms. "Did we need a little distraction, or did you need a distraction, lass?" Garchomp sighed again as she averted his gaze. "See, now I''ve got ya pegged! C''mon, spill your guts out for us!" Tyranitar scoffed. "Shouldn''t it be obvious? This whole trip of nonsense stems from that guild, it does. And that Lucario," he grumbled. Garchomp crossed her arms. "Hate to say it, but Tyranitar''s right. This whole situation with the guild, with those mercenaries, and with the Alignment¡­ Well, I''ve been having a difficult time keeping my head straight through it all." "And our temper managed," Aggron interjected. "That Jackson¡­ What a nasty gowk he''s turned into! I have to give credit to ya for not pullin'' his head off durin'' the whole expedition." She smirked. "I was close. But no - I couldn''t be the one to stand up to Jackson. It needed to be someone else. Scizor understood what I wanted from him, and now that we''re back in Celestic, we''re gonna see some changes at the Cosmic Quilt Guild. With hopefully Scizor taking some proactive measure." Aggron shared a look with Tyranitar. "You really put your hopes in Scizor to make that ice block of a Lucario stand down? Even for a Bug-type, he''s rather skittish." "Trust me, I know he went through with it. Jackson is Scizor''s best friend, and he wouldn''t want him to go on this path he''s leading the guild into. All I hope is¡­" She slowly inhaled and exhaled. "All I want is for things to go back to how they once were, and for Team Moonlight to make a resurgence when the Mystery Dungeons are dealt with. To how they once were when we first met them. You both know how much I look up to those guys. Everything that I''ve gone and done is partially owed to their actions back then. " "A tall order that is," Tyranitar said. "Not everythin'' will be like when we were kids again." "Look, we''ll talk more about it at base. One step at a time, Tyranitar. That''s all we need." Aggron nodded, "Aye. And speakin'' of steps, let''s get off this beach and return to base. I need some dryin'' off to do." "And some admirin'' of his shiny, metal plates in the mirror, he does," Tyranitar said with a snicker as he walked past. "Every day with this eejit¡­" Aggron grumbled. Garchomp chuckled. "Don''t worry. One of these days you two will get along. Eventually." The trio took a trail leading out of the sandy beach and into a boundless field of vibrant, tall grass and assorted stones wedged into the earth. They climbed higher and higher up the seemingly remote island, now surrounded by rocky bluffs that extended over the choppy ocean. They walked carefully across the narrow strip of land provided to them. "Watch your step, boys," Garchomp warned. "We don''t need a repeat of last time." Aggron growled. "My foot slipped, lass." "I think he wanted a swim," Tyranitar interjected. Garchomp grinned. "Don''t worry about it; we''ve already reached the easy part." Beyond the bushes and trees, and beyond the natural walls of cliff faces was a sight for their sore eyes. Piercing the skyline were tall spiraling buildings with ladders and walkways connecting each structure to another. Cliffs were carved into small homes or large, glowing forges ablaze. Steam wafted into the skies from pieces of molten metal dunked in cauldrons of cold water by blacksmiths. Tough and grizzled-looking Pokemon busied themselves atop the highest reaches of the village while others on the wooden platforms below went along their day; bartering at the markets or chatting with their fellow Pokemon. All of them seemed to share a sullen look that never went away. "Hornswaggle Valley¡­ When you''re gone, you actually start to miss it," Garchomp murmured. "Well, I don''t," Aggron said as he quickened his pace alongside the narrow pathway. "Let''s get a move on before some blether tries to sell you an overpriced trinket he once stole from some merchant''s unsold inventory." Garchomp laughed as she followed him. Tyranitar stopped as he surveyed the village. "Somethin'' feels wrong. More uppity this dump usually is." Aggron turned. "You were one of ''em before, pirate boy, so why don''t you tell us what''s with ''em?" Tyranitar snorted and continued onward. Soon the shrouded village was behind them, and before them were the treacherous cliffs and gorges drenched in sunlight. They ascended a long set of stone stairs. A tall and imposing mountain greeted them once they reached the top. The entirety of it was chiseled into the semblance of a grand base. Open windows, balconies, winding staircases around the mountain, and colorful, detailed banners plastered onto the walls of bronze rock. Yet, the most eye-catching design was the three peaks of the mountain expertly sculpted to resemble the heads of Team Drarosteel. Their ''mouths'' were outstretched and their teeth bared to appear threatening and resilient. Streams of water deluged from their mouths and created spectacular waterfalls that ran down the cliffs and into a river below that split the valley in two, leading into the vast ocean beyond. Garchomp stopped and took in the sights of their base with a sense of pride and wonder. A certain childlike glee took hold of her. "But this place is really something. Straight from my mother''s vision. Don''t think I''m wrong in saying we''ve got the best exploration team base in all of the world¡­" Tyranitar shrugged. "Beds are comfy, at least." "And to think the ''mons who carved this beast of a mountain wanted us in shallow graves once." Aggron crossed his arms as a thought entered his mind. "Come to think of it, a lot of our close allies were dreaded foes of ours before." "Call it our air of charisma," Garchomp''s sharp talons slid off each other with a metallic shrill, "and some unmatched combat skills." "Aye." Garchomp strode toward a large opening in the mountain. "Let''s go in and see what that ''Treasure Of All Wonders'' those ''mons of Pastureposy Town gave us. Then we''ll follow up on that anonymous request to explore some hidden Mystery Dungeon no ''mon has ever stepped foot in. Should be some impressive treasure at the end, or an impressive view - the view''s always better." "Ah, ah, ah! I think you''re forgettin'' somethin'', lass," Aggron said. "Before you go draggin'' us off on ventures into the unknown, we first gotta figure out what we''re goin'' to do with Jackson and the guild." Garchomp sighed as her stride slowed. "Yeah, I know we do¡­" As the sight of the base''s large entrance came into view, they noticed the tiny wings of a Noibat flap as it frantically flew back and forth. Once its gaze locked with the bewildered trio, it flew toward them with great haste. The Noibat then came to a sudden stop nearly inches from Garchomp''s face as she recoiled in shock, the bat''s wings struggling to keep itself hovering as it huffed and attempted to collect its breath. "Pipsqueak! What are you doing out here? Shouldn''t you be with your crew?" Garchomp questioned. "I-it''s an emergency, Team Drarost-teel!" the young Noibat screeched. "You lot have to come! I''ve got a ship ready and all to head off to the mainland!" Tyranitar shook his head. "Don''t think I''ve got more ocean sailin'' in me, little fella. Next time, will ya?" Aggron chuckled. "What''s the emergency this time, lad? Not enough sweets in your plundered loot? Too noisy when you''re tryin'' to have nap time?" Noibat waggled his pegleg as he fumed. "No! It''s somethin'' worse! Trust me here!" Garchomp smiled at Aggron''s jabs as she cocked a brow. "All right, pipsqueak, what''s the problem?" "It''s about that big city on the mainland called Imperial or somethin''! The ''worst attack on Celestic in over a hundred years the big ''mons in charge are sayin''! Ya have to come and see!" Garchomp felt a chill race down her spine.
The tall double doors of Team Drarosteel''s groaned as they swung inward. Garchomp silently stepped inside, Aggron and Tyranitar trudging behind her loud stomps. The expression glued to her face was one of vacancy as her mouth gaped slightly. Her shadow wandered across stone walls lit by the warmth of burning torches. She passed a row of statues resembling her team that struck heroic poses and stopped at a wall adorned with many paintings. Her golden irises flicked to each painted vision of a moment in their history and absorbed the rush of emotions and feelings of nostalgia it gave her. But she found her gaze focusing on a sole portrait. A Gabite, Lairon, and a Pupitar stood in the middle of the painting''s frame in a craggy field, striking a stance. Close to them was another set of Pokemon - a Scyther, a Charmelon, and a Shiny Lucario proudly tugging and showcasing the black scarves they wore dotted with yellow stars. Garchomp sharply inhaled as she walked over and shifted the painting from its position and held it in her talons. She exhaled as she scanned it once more. Aggron approached her from behind, his head held low. "Lass. There was nothin'' that we could''ve done there. For the city, for those Pokemon, for the guild, for Team Moonli-" "No. No, we could''ve," Garchomp croaked out as she shook her head. "We- We had a chance to really change things, but we didn''t. I did nothing while all of this was happening." "But ya didn''t know! None of us could''ve known that bastard Jackson was plannin'' all of us this!" Tyranitar countered. "I did¡­ I knew it deep down. I know I did," she said. "Scizor kept it to himself for years that something was wrong with Jackson. He confided in me not long ago. I said- I told him to confront Jackson and make him retire, so things could be mended. I thought that would fix things." Her eyes welled with tears as the painting in her grasp trembled. "But all those years before this, I''ve turned a blind eye. I was only looking out for my own team, and not those that got me to this point." A gray, metal claw latched itself on Garchomp''s shoulder. "You''re not carrying this burden yourself, lass. Tyranitar and I haven''t done the best we could''ve for them." "But this is my team, Aggron. I''ve led you guys for so long, trying to help Pokemon, trying to help Celestic, trying to find my mom." Droplets of tears splattered against the painting as she squeezed her eyes closed and clutched the frame close to her chest. "I¡­ I don''t think I can lead this team anymore. All this destruction and loss¡­ It feels like I allowed it to happen." "Quittin''? Out of the question!" Tyranitar barked as he stomped toward her. "Team Drarosteel can''t exist without a strong and courageous ''mon like yourself leadin'' us in! Not like Aggron and I can lead, either!" Aggron''s grip tightened as he spoke softly. "I know you''re hurtin'', lass - we all are." His eyes shimmered as he looked down. "Ya think seein'' Charizard - that lazy and egotistical but fearless lad - bein'' pulled out of the rubble as just a statue didn''t tear this oaf of a ''mon up inside?" His next words came out warbled. "''Cause it did, and so did seein'' familiar faces all across that city." Tyranitar turned and hid his quivering face from them. Garchomp pushed Aggron''s claws off her as she placed the painting back onto the wall. As she stared at it, her talons quaked, and she desired to tear it into pieces. But her thoughts reeled back in her erratic emotions. "Jackson¡­ All the way back then, when we first Team Moonlight, he said that he was looking out for them, and for the world itself." Her mouth opened and closed. "What happened? Was it all a lie? A trick? Twenty-five years he waits¡­just to destroy everything around him? Why?" she pleaded to the ceiling. "Things aren''t certain now, lass," Aggron said. "But we need to be as strong as steel if we''re gonna survive this storm; if Celestic or the world is gonna survive this." "I¡­I-" The dragoness stumbled over to another part of the large chamber; one with shelves lining the walls that were laden with books and tucked-away maps popping out through slim gaps. Her stomps became muffled over the luxurious red carpet as she stopped before a crackling fireplace. "Almost every night when I was a kid, my mom would tell me stories from her adventures by the fireplace, and they seemed so fun and exciting. She''d show me her scars and where she got them from." She chuckled sadly. "Made me want to have those ugly scars. She had so much to share, I thought she was the greatest explorer out there. I always looked up to her - I wanted to be her. But¡­" Garchomp turned to face the wall of portraits behind her. She looked at the one she had previously picked up and then found her eyes drawing upward at a new frame; one that dwarfed all the others in size. It was a vertical portrait of a Garchomp very similar in stature to her wearing many battle scars and markings across its scaly body. It grinned and showed its determined look to all that gazed upon it. Garchomp stared at the painting. "But it feels like all the heroes I looked up to were frauds¡­ And even me." Aggron spoke up, "Lass¡­ that''s not true. The heroes we all look up to - they''re just Pok¨¦mon - like you or me. But it doesn''t matter what they''ve done if it got you to step up and succeed in your own life." He stepped toward her and threw an arm behind him. "Garchomp. You''ve already done so amazin'' things. We''ve all done what we could to save Pokemon and help this whole continent. What happened now doesn''t erase all of that, and if we''re the only ones that can stand up now, by Arceus we''re gonna do it!" Tyranitar silently nodded as he quickly wiped his face. Garchomp''s mouth parted, "I¡­" BOOM! Garchomp dropped to the ground as a speeding projectile narrowly grazed her temple and sliced the side of her face. "GARCHOMP!" Aggron and Tyranitar yelled in unison as they rushed to her side. They turned their heads as they ran and noticed the smoking barrel of a rifle poking out from an open window in the rock. Mere seconds later, chaos erupted around them. Over a dozen Pokemon flooded the hollowed mountain from its open balconies and entrances. Some wore simple breastplates while others were almost entirely clad in shiny, steel armor. Emblazoned across these defenses was the painted symbol of a red rose. Arcs and beams of built-up energy followed suit and shot toward Aggron and Tyranitar. They responded by shoving a statue of a flexing Tyranitar in their path to the ground and taking cover behind, as well as shielding an incapacitated Garchomp. "Check Garchomp while I cover ya!" Tyranitar yelled. "On it!" Aggron crawled over to the unconscious dragoness and lifted her up, analyzing the small wound across her face. His worry spiked until her eyelids snapped open. She stared up at him in a mix of confusion and shock. "She''s alive! They couldn''t keep ''er down!" "Good! Now focus on these mercenary chumps!" Aggron laid Garchomp back down and jumped straight into the fray. He and Tyranitar emerged from behind the felled statue and made their presence known. Bullets merely ricocheted off them and the clinking of armor resounded as Pokemon swarmed them from all angles. A sweeping maneuver from Aggron''s long tail sent many slamming into the rocky walls. Tyranitar smashed the heads of helmet-wearing Pok¨¦mon together as they crumpled to the ground instantly. The more Pokemon that came, the more they seemed to fall. "This all ya got?!" Aggron bellowed as he slapped the steel plates of his chest. "Was expectin'' more!" "Rights to brag, we''ve got! You''re facin'' the greatest exploration team in the world here!" Tyranitar added. The tactics of the mercenaries then changed as they retreated behind makeshift cover of their own. Columns of scorching fire and pressurized water erupted from multiple corners of the room and slammed against them. They quickly retreated to safety behind the statue once more. "They''re goin'' ranged! Any ideas?!" Aggron questioned. "I''m not the planning ''mon here! I destroy, not create!" "At least we can agree to that!" "Then shut up and use that tiny brain of yours to..." Tyranitar''s words trailed off as he witnessed Garchomp rise from the floor. The Dragon-type opened her saddlebag to retrieve an Oran Berry and smashed it against her face, slathering her wound with it. Its healing juices dripped down her enraged features and bared teeth. "Tyranitar. You take my bag and give out seeds and Wonder Orbs to Aggron. Aggron. You take the orbs he gives you and knock them into the ones clustered together. You don''t stop until they''re all down." "Aye, ma''am! But what about you, lass?!" The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "I''m taking out as many as I can." Garchomp threw her saddlebag at Tyranitar as she spread out her talons and dark blue fins, ducking slightly. A second later she was sprinting across the room at lightning speeds, jumping across overturned furniture and running across walls, slicing any mercenary before her. Aggron and Tyranitar took up their new positions as the Rock-type tossed Wonder Orbs in the air for Aggron to send sailing through the air with a flick of his tail. Petrify, Slumber, Knockback Orbs, and even Doom Seeds began to burst all over the chamber; those not afflicted by them would be taken out by a swift Garchomp as she made her rounds. Aggron surveyed the damage all around him. "Is that all of ''em?!" Garchomp came to a stop. "Hopefully so. Now we need to find the leader of this amb-" The ground began to shake. Team Drarosteel hit their backs against each other and looked around in confusion. The quaking intensified; bookshelves, trinkets, and paintings on the walls were crashing to the ground and chandeliers swinging uncontrollably. "Be ready for anything!" Garchomp warned. The shaking grew to the climax as the earth in front of them erupted and the enormous, winding frame of a Steelix shot up from a hole. Crimson paint was splattered over its spikes and rows of grassy thorns were thrown over its body. It glared intensely at the trio before opening its maw and spewing a powerful blast of purplish breath at them. Garchomp zoomed out of the attack''s way while Aggron and Tyranitar stood and absorbed the gust, only flinching slightly at its paralyzing effect. Garchomp ran forward to engage the Steelix but backed off as she noticed a crest hanging from the Pokemon''s neck gleaming. Her eyes focused on a small rainbow-colored stone embedded within it - a Mega Stone that was pulsating. "Brace yourselves! This one''s gonna Mega Evolve!" Light came forth from the crest and engulfed Steelix in a sphere of white energy. The sphere then shattered with a forceful gale that forced the trio back as a much more threatening Steelix was revealed. The Pokemon had nearly doubled in mass, its lower jaw heavily armored, and its spikes were now prismatic crystals. The hexagonal patterns across its body flashed a deep blue as it let out a deafening roar and tunneled back into the ground. Team Drarosteel collected their bearings as the chamber rocked again, followed by loud noises heard beneath them. Garchomp cursed to herself. "Who knew mercenaries could get ahold of Mega Stones, and all this other equipment!" Aggron scowled, "That Mega Steelix could bring this whole base down if it keeps tunnelin'' through it!" "And you don''t think doin'' that is its plan, metalhead?!" Tyranitar yelled. Garchomp''s eyes widened. "That''s exactly what it''s doing¡­ We need to stop it right now!" They ran across the chamber and toward a flight of stairs leading further up the mountain. More mercenaries began to clamber through windows and aimed their rifles at the trio. Aggron and Tyranitar shielded Garchomp by using their impenetrable bodies as she ascended and listened closely to the vibrations of the earth around her. "It sounds like it''s going up to our bedrooms!" Garchomp bellowed. Tyranitar slammed the rock beside him and summoned a Stone Edge that ripped across the wall and ravaged their assailants. "That stupid rock eater better not mess up my beddings!" Aggron guffawed. "You''d be lucky to have anything other than a pile of rubble to sleep on if this ''mon succeeds, rockface!" Tyranitar grumbled under his breath. Upon reaching the end of the staircase, the door leading into the bedrooms blew open with tremendous force and sent pieces of rock, bed frames, and sheets flying throughout the base. The Mega Steelix appeared through a cloud of dust and regarded the trio with a glare, glittery gemstones manifesting themselves around the Pokemon''s body and shooting off in multiple directions. The Power Gem lashed the trio with cuts and forced them to retreat down the stairs. Steelix then crunched into the ground again and continued its burrowing. "We need a plan!" Aggron shouted. "It won''t be long til this whole mountain comes down!" Garchomp went quiet among the chaotic sounds and quaking earth that got worse with each passing second. An idea then popped into her mind. "We need to get it as high as we can, and in a room by the ocean." "Ah! You''re thinkin'' of the training grounds!" "You bet I am! We need to get it there!" "Then let''s wrangle this wee snake!" Floor after floor they climbed, fending off the remaining squads of mercenaries that trickled in to halt their advances. Stalactites hanging from the base''s ceiling cracked and fell down on them; even entire rooms came tumbling down as the monstrous, steel serpent punctured through the mountain at a rapid pace. "We''re close! My saddlebag - right now!" Garchomp yelled. Upon being thrown it, she took out a pouch from it that was chock full of red-hued seeds. "I''ll grab its attention once it burrows up here, then you two make it angry enough to stay here. I''ll defeat it real quick afterward." "Say again?" Tyranitar questioned. "A strong girl ya are, but this ''mon is no joke, either." "We have our own Mega Stones, lass! We could power up and give it a beatin'' it won''t ever forget!" Aggron suggested. "No. We won''t need Mega Evolution if my plan works." The stairway ended as they rushed into another hollowed-out room filled with training dummies and wide pits of sand. They waited in total silence for Steelix to make its presence known. The light trembling of the rock beneath their feet signaled when it was near or far. They braced themselves when the quaking grew intense, a roaring Steelix bursting from the ground not long after. Garchomp took out a red seed from the pouch and hurled it at Steelix before it could dig again. The Blast Seed exploded against its jaw and left nothing but a scrape on it. But the Pokemon''s attention was caught as it turned and readied itself to attack. "Aggron! Tyranitar!" The two in question immediately went on the offense, surrounding the Pokemon on opposite sides and wailing on it with attacks. But despite their onslaught, it seemed only to anger Steelix further. Aggron huffed as he slowed down. "My Iron Tail''s are barely makin'' a dent in this armor!" "Speak for yourself! I''ve got this savage locked down!" Tyranitar spoke through a tired grunt. "Just a- oof!" A lashing of the Steelix''s tail across his face silenced him. Steelix roared as the floating crystals orbiting its body spun. Its jaw lowered as a blinding ball of white energy began to build up in its mouth, the hexagonal pieces of its body shining. Steelix fired its catastrophic Hyper Beam point blank at Aggron and Tyranitar, blasting them clean to the ground. Its rage-given power did not relent as the ray of destruction it continued to unleash slammed into the ceiling and swept across the floor. Garchomp was able to narrowly duck underneath the beam. Seeing her fallen comrades incapable of putting up a fight, she decided to put her next plan into action. She twisted the pouch of Blast Seeds until they were tightly sealed and then tossed at her enemy. The sack flew into Steelix''s gaping mouth and ignited instantly from the Hyper Beam. A series of powerful explosions rocked the inside of Steelix one after another. When the smoke settled, Garchomp could see its jaw was loose and ajar. The Steelix''s rage-filled gaze connected with the dragoness as she sprinted toward the wall. She came to a stop and turned, waving her talons back and forth. "Come get me, big guy! Right here! Ripe for a charging!" Steelix''s aggravation heightened, its roars growing louder and louder as it charged the Dragon-type as fast as it could. Mere seconds before the Steel-type could collide into her, she jumped out of the way as Steelix smashed apart the rock walls and tunneled through it - straight into the clear, blue skies hanging over the valley. Steelix''s cries faded into nothing but an echo as it hurtled toward the ocean below. Garchomp did not spare a second to savor the victory as she rushed to the aid of Aggron and Tyranitar. She gripped their shoulders and summoned all her strength to pull the two giants to their feet. Aggron''s pained coughs transitioned into a rough chuckle. "The lad sure could tunnel, but he can''t fly now, can he?" "Now I''m really pissed we don''t have our beds anymore¡­" Tyranitar muttered, sore and weak. Garchomp grinned. "At least the base is still standing¡­ sort of. But right now we''ve got bigger problems." "MISS GARCHOMP!" The high-pitched shriek and the sound of tiny wings flapping alerted them to the opening Steelix created. Noibat fluttered into the room from the opening and flew toward the trio. "Pipsqueak! You shouldn''t be here!" Garchomp scolded. "It''s too dangerous for you here, squirt. You should head back to your ship." "But it''s about the mercenaries! A few maties from Hornswaggle Valley captured the leader or somethin'' of the group!" Team Drarosteel exchanged looks. The double doors of the hollowed-out mountain swung open as Aggron, Garchomp, and Tyranitar stomped out into the open. Garchomp''s attention was drawn to the edges of the cliffs, where figures were visible. She marched over as two eyepatch-wearing Tyrogue flashed grins and walked up to her. "Garchomp! Ma''am! I tied up that important lookin'' ''mon over there!" one Tyrogue exclaimed. The other Tyrogue shoved him. "No, ya didn''t! I did!" "Quit lyin''!" "''Scuse me, boys," Garchomp said as she lightly pushed past the bickering pair. An injured Zangoose in a decorated, bright red uniform was thrashing wildly against the iron grip a Swampert had it in. Garchomp scrutinized the Pokemon with disdain. The Zangoose countered her glare with its own. "Me and these squirts ''ere ''eard the commotion from the village and found this scallywag tryin'' to sneak away," Swampert explained. Zangoose spat out traces of blood near Garchomp''s feet. "You should be dead, Garchomp. I shot you - clean." Garchomp ran a talon across the bandages wrapped around her right cheek. "Good thing you were a lousy shot so I have a scar with a story I can tell my children. Now¡­" She kneeled, her face mere inches from the Zangoose. "Tell me why the Rose Clan has decided to show up here and attempt a little assassination? Was this some petty revenge over what went down in the desert?" Zangoose chuckled darkly. "You and your ilk haven''t got the slightest clue of what Princess Serperior has planned." Garchomp snarled, "Oh, really? Then why don''t you first inform me of what was supposed to happen here?" "Simple. We take you out and collapse the mountain - make it seem like an accident before news could reach our next target." "Quite a plan. And the reason your princess or queen or whatever went through with it is?" "Princess Serperior didn''t send us - a client ordered us to target you at this location." Garchomp did a double take. "¡­ What?" "You heard me. We were given supplies, more firearms, and Mega Stones. Whoever wanted you three out of the picture was sure of it. And not even just for you¡­" "Who is this Pok¨¦mon that sent you?" "The most contact we had were two Pokemon dressed strangely - lots of black and some orange colors - looked like guards or soldiers. They said they were there on behalf of their ''commander.''" Garchomp snorted, "A bit ironic to call them strangely dressed, huh? Where did you meet these Pok¨¦mon?" "Elysium City. The alleys near the square and the Arcadia District. We were told to go back there during sunset once we finished the job." Zangoose''s eyes narrowed. "That''s all I''m telling you¡­ So if you plan on killing me or throwing me in some hole in the ground, get it over with." "Pretty open for a ''mon in a clan full of crazies." "The Rose Clan provides safety for targeted ''mons like me and provides a good supply of Poke. If the price to live is the cost of other lives, then I choose to live; even if I don''t agree or believe in what we do." Zangoose leaned in. "Princess Serperior isn''t just a mercenary - she wants to become more than that, and at all cost. Her price?" He suppressed a laugh and sneered. "Who''s to say how many others have to be buried for her to achieve her goals." Swampert jerked the Zangoose back. "Alright, ya had your talk, merc." He looked at Garchomp and grinned deviously. "What do ya say we make an example out of ''em and do some keelhaulin'' with Noibat''s ship?" Garchomp shook her head as her talons latched onto Zangoose and lifted him high into the air. She then launched him over the bluff and watched as the Pokemon fell into the ocean with an audible splash. "Toss the mercs overboard - they can swim back to their ''princess''," Garchomp commanded. "Then alert your elder that we may have some new threats on the island." Swampert nodded and galloped away, ushering the Tyrogues to jog after him. Aggron and Tyranitar lumbered over and looked at Garchomp expectantly. The dragoness stared at them for a while before sighing. "I don''t know what I was thinking back there, boys¡­ All that went down in the expedition, and now with Empyrean City''s destruction, it just¡­ I didn''t think I could take up this position after I failed so many Pokemon out there." Garchomp glanced at the wrecked state of their base, her expression hardening. "But now I see that stepping down isn''t an option when there''s so much at stake, and so much we don''t know yet." A wide smile grew on Aggron''s face as he slapped her shoulder. "See! All ya needed was a little eye-opener on things!" He crossed his arms. "But what ''mon would want to see us taken down so bad? Jackson, or someone else? We''ve made enemies before, but not on this level." "What happened today wasn''t just a coincidence - I''m sure of it. The appearance of Yveltal and Jackson''s betrayal, the arrest of everyone in the guild, and now assassination attempts? This is starting to look more and more like a part of a much bigger plan, and we need to get to the bottom of it." "And what you''re sayin'' is¡­?" Tyranitar''s words lingered. "We''re going to Elysium City, and we''re finding those Pokemon that sent these mercs here. And we''re figuring out who this ''commander'' Pokemon is." "And yet another fuckin'' boat ride to the mainland?" Aggron chuckled and slapped Tyranitar''s back. "You bet, rockface!" Garchomp threw her talons around the necks of her two comrades and pulled them closer to her. "From here on out, our duty is to protect Celestic and even the entire world if it comes down to it." She puffed out her chest. "We''re Team Drarosteel - the greatest exploration team out there! And what do we tell our non-believers, boys?" "We go where no one goes, defeat those considered unbeatable, and never stop when the world turns!" the trio all shouted together.
A burning flame flickered that repelled the darkness surrounding it. A Poliwrath wearing a brown and dusty coat swung its lantern around as it closed a heavy metal door behind it. It traversed a hallway of closed and empty cages before stopping at one that held the only prisoners. The Poliwrath dropped the lantern and then slid a metallic plate full of apples under the rusted iron bars of the cell. "Dinner time," it said coldly before walking back down the halls. Blood-red claws pierced the skin of one of the apples that was hoisted up to meet Roark''s face. He gave it a quick look over before retreating to the back of the cage. His back hit the wall as he held out the skewered apple to the Pokemon beside him. "You should eat," he said. "Didn''t see you touch anything today or yesterday." Monferno turned his head away from the fruit. "I''m not hungry. Too much to think about right now." Roark rescinded his offer and plucked the apple from his claws. "I used to flake on dinner as well back in my heydays, too. When you see something so horrific, it stops you from functioning. On a lot of days, I woke up completely drained. Can''t recommend it." "I couldn''t sleep at all yesterday," Monferno mumbled. "It still feels like some dream¡­ or a nightmare I haven''t woken up from yet." "Neither could I. But you need your energy." "I already said I''m not-" An apple was shoved in front of the primate''s face. Monferno scowled as he grabbed it and took a bite. "Where are we, anyway? The carriages they put us on had barriers up. All I could hear was shouting." "I tried to listen in on some guards as they passed. Didn''t hear much, but I think we''re in Elysium City. Been here a lot of times to know they prosecute a lot of outlaws in their big, fancy courthouse." Monferno squeezed the apple in his grasp. "It''s bullshit that they''re pinning the blame on us. We''ve said we were innocent so many times and they just don''t listen to us!" Roark glanced over. "If the most respected Pokemon out there turned out to be working against you and summoned a Legendary to destroy everything, you wouldn''t be suspicious of the cooks in the kitchen with him?" "... Sorry, but I can''t find any humor in all of this." "No, don''t be - just a stupid, old fox trying to keep spirits high." The gentle hissing of the lantern and the sound of shifting earth above them filled in the darkness. Roark scratched the back of his neck as he let out another, more heavily drawn-out, sigh. "I think we need to talk about what I did yesterday." Monferno looked away and clenched his jaw. "I''m not asking for forgiveness. I want to explain why I did what I did." "... Then explain." Roark peered up at the pitch-black ceiling. "I keep telling myself in my head that it was the right thing to do, the noble thing I would''ve done in the past. But that''s not the total truth. It was... selfish, really." His stare into the ceiling''s dark void deepened. "I made you all stop to help that orphanage because of how much it meant to me." Monferno''s gaze returned. "What do you mean by that?" "That place. It''s¡­" Roark smiled softly. "It''s where I adopted Gloria. Just like her, that orphanage by extension became a piece of me. Of course, I wanted to save those children, and I''m sorry, but I would''ve done it again if I could. Pokemon like them have gone through so much already, and they didn''t deserve a fate like that." "I get what you''re saying. Though, sometimes I wish I was an orphan myself." Monferno pushed himself off the wall and held his back against Roark. "But no. This isn''t about that. You know what it''s about." Roark lowered his head. "You know, losing so many of my comrades before broke me up inside, but many times I understood because it was the risk they accepted when they took the job. But Rockruff? He was just a kid. Yeah, he joined the guild, but he never signed up for what we went through." "..." The Zoroark continued. "But you saw him, right? You saw how heroic he was at that moment. He saved all those kids he took with them. That''s something I sure never thought I''d see Rockruff do." "Yeah, and it makes me feel even worse." The sounds of sniffling echoed throughout the halls. Roark shut his eyes and wiped away a forming tear. "You know I never intended for that to happen. All I can hope now is that we find a way to save him - to save all of them. And if there isn''t¡­ then- then I guess I''ll have to live with what I''ve done." Monferno absorbed his word as he paced the cell over and over. He clutched his head before gripping the iron bars that confined them inside. "Y''know¡­ What you said then was true - I''m a fucking coward. Before Yveltal came, I could''ve run outside and pulled him into the tunnels, but I hesitated. I hesitated because I was scared." "It happened, Monferno. Everyone was scared. I could put on a brave face, but I was scared." "No. This was different. I just¡­ I just don''t understand why this all happened." Monferno smirked despite the tears running down his cheeks. "And just when I was starting to like that mutt. I was supposed to leave this whole guild behind on that day." "You were?" Monferno nodded as he wiped his face. "Once we were done with that trip to Criss-Cross-Creek, I was gonna start packing my bags and heading home. Guess that''s not in my cards anymore¡­" "But why? You were a great guild member. Hell, why do you think I went to you and Braixen to get Gloria and Liam in the guild?" "Everyone always says that, but I don''t feel that way. Compared to everyone else, I feel inadequate. I''m not a natural leader like you or a dreamer like Braixen or Gloria. I''m just me. Some coward being carried by his teammate." "No, I don''t believe that, Monferno. I might rag on you occasionally, but I never considered you a coward. I only said that at the moment because¡­ well, you know." "You might think that, but I find that hard to believe because..." Monferno''s stance slackened as his hands slid down the bars. "... You join a place to try and find some purpose in your life and turn it around, but you just feel incompetent. You try to please someone who wishes you were never born, and even that doesn''t work. I wanted to run - I still do. And now Braixen does, too." Roark looked to the other side of the room and saw Braixen and Gloria cuddling up to each other. Gloria laid her head upon the Fire-type''s lap and quietly cried as Braixen gently pet her in an attempt to soothe her. Braixen brushed her tears away while also wiping her own. "She tries not to say it or think about it. To keep her appearance strong, but I can see it in her eyes," Monferno explained. "If we ever get out of these cells as free ''mons, then I know we''re returning home." "Monferno, both of you can''t just leave. Even if we were freed from here," Roark said. "Think about what we went through in Empyrean. What if that happens to the town you live in, to your friends and family there?" "It''s out of our hands now, Roark. Without a guild, without any trust in us, what could we possibly do? How do we stop a Pok¨¦mon that''s considered an actual god?" Roark walked over to him. "We do something! Anything! Even if it means breaking out of here..." He jabbed a claw at his chest." Because I''m not giving up when I have so much behind me - we all do! We need to get out of these cells and convince the Council of our innocence." "You can''t¡­" a hushed, stark voice interjected from the far side of the call. Roark and Monferno''s gazes were locked to Scizor as the Bug-type stood up from his corner. "None of us will be free until there is a trial. And the chances of us winning it are slim." "How do you know there''ll be a trial?" Roark questioned. "Couldn''t you hear it on your way here? The crowds are ferocious, and The Council is desperate. Since Jackson is missing, they need to appease the Pokemon of Celestic, which means someone - or a group of Pokemon - needs to be punished in his stead." Monferno grit his teeth. "You aren''t saying what I think you''re saying, are you?" Scizor''s tired eyes swept across the jail cell. "There is a way that everyone''s freedom can be guaranteed if the plan I have succeeds. But we need to wait, and you need to trust me."
"Read your transcripts, Pokemon of Elysium City! See that such a catastrophe was foretold millennia ago! ''On the anniversary of Arceus'' demise, a shimmering of black and red wings descend upon Celestic and sunder it into dust!'' To give into eternal life and be promised security, we must remember our origins and call to Arceus himself!" The preaching Piloswine''s voice was drowned in the sea of voices from other Pokemon gathering en masse in the streets. Orangish skies and the flare of the setting sun blossomed over the horizon. Council guards stationed at every street corner attempted to calm down citizens and refugees alike but could do nothing to quell the unrest unfolding all over the city. Anarchy appeared to be the only rule followed. "''Scuse us! We have to get through!" a velvety voice rose from the crowd. Garchomp had no choice but to push past Pokemon in her way. Many stopped and dropped to their knees, begging her team to help everyone or speak to the Council. The fact that she could do nothing to help them only filled her with anger and sadness. "We''re comin'' up on the city square, lass," the voice of Aggron chimed from beside her. "The Arcadia District should be near it." Tyranitar huffed. "These ''mons, ya think they''re even gonna stick around when word-" "We made sure no word has gotten to them yet about the Rose Clan''s failure," Garchomp stated. "They will be here. We just need to find them." Pokemon moving through the streets poured into the expansive city square and swarmed the large headquarters of the Council. Midway through navigating the packed square, Team Drarosteel found their path blocked by a convoy of carriages escorted by heavily armored Council guards. Black barriers bolted onto the sides of the carriages blocking anyone from seeing the occupants inside. Only when the carriages rocked or swayed could others see inside through the cracks. "They''ve got Scizor and the others in there!" Garchomp cried. "Where are they taking them now?" Aggron angled his head to view past the enormous crowd and beyond. "... That fancy lookin'' courthouse, it looks like. They''ve got cells underneath it." The dragoness paled slightly. "That means they''re going forward with the prosecutions. They''re going to try and convict everyone in the guild!" "Ya see this crowd? How wild they are? They don''t just want imprisonment - they want executions," Tyranitar spat. "Scizor... I can''t imagine what he''s going through right now," she mumbled. Garchomp watched the carriages roll further and further away, the reinforced sides of them being pelted with stones and other objects - while others verbally assaulted those within with harsh words and swears. Some Pokemon even attempted to board them and were repelled by guards. When the convoy vanished from her sight, she scanned the crowd in a lull. The crowds of restless Pokemon became a blur - except for two sets of eyes intensely staring at her in the corner of her vision. She snapped her gaze to the alleyways of the Arcadia District. She saw a Linoone and a Magmar dressed in a strange garb of solid black and stripes of goldish orange that split into different lines running across the entire ''suit''. A grayish bandana concealed most of their face. Once Garchomp connected with their gaze, they nonchalantly walked away into the darkness of the alley. Garchomp''s body moved faster than her mind as she kept staring at the spot they vanished. "... They''re here. They just went into the alleys by the Arcadia District! Follow me!" she exclaimed as she sprinted through the crowd. "You''re kiddin'', lass! Tell me ya are!" Aggron yelled. "Just do what the boss lady tells ya to do!" Tyranitar shouted. "Figured that out twenty years ago, I did!" Puddles of murky water splashed beneath their feet as Team Drarosteel ran through the narrow, dingy corridors of the alleyways. "They can''t be far!" Garchomp said, squinting her eyes - they then widened. "There they are! To the right!" The Linoone and Magmar were now in a full-fledged sprint. They cut across corners and tipped over cans of trash to slow their pursuers'' advance. Garchomp vaulted over each obstacle they created while Aggron and Tyranitar lagged behind. Her speed increased as she was getting closer and closer to her targets. Linoone and Magmar then suddenly stopped at the door of a small home and threw it open, stepping inside and locking the door behind them. "They''re not gonna be able to hide while we''re here!" Garchomp roared. The dragoness came before the door and sent it crashing down with a forceful kick. Aggron and Tyranitar finally caught up to her, speaking in between gasps for air. "Chasin'' down loot and ''mons used to be as easy as a Larvitar¡­" Tyranitar grumbled. "Those ''mons¡­ they''re inside this wee hut?" Aggron asked. Garchomp nodded. "We''re finding out who this ''commander'' is - right now." She stepped inside the home as Aggron and Tyranitar followed. The light emanating from a lantern on a desk washed the small home in a warm, orange glow. Crates and oblong-shaped bottles containing elixirs of all kinds filled up much of the empty space. The wooden floorboards creaked under Garchomp''s weighted steps as she stalked the insides, her talons twitching in anticipation. She peered under tables and cots, opening cabinets large enough for a Pokemon to hide in, but it proved fruitless. She flared her nostrils and smelled the air for a whiff of their scent, but picked up nothing. The Linoone and Magmar were gone. Aggron scratched his head. "Lass, are ya sure they went in here? Sure feels like we broke into some poor lad''s home about now." Garchomp growled and stomped a foot. "They were here, but they must''ve been pretty fast. Almost like¡­" She kneeled and inspected the floorboards, noticing a ring of charred wood. "Figures. They used an Entercard to make their getaway." Tyranitar crossed his arms. "Great. Just peachy. Now what do we do? Hike it back to our base that''s got more holes than a nest of Digletts?" "We start investigatin''!" Aggron proclaimed. "We''ve claimed so many secret treasures by just observin'' our surroundings and seein'' what was left behind." He walked over to the desk and picked up a rifle leaning against it. "Look at this firearm! No doubt more advanced than those dilapidated rifles the Council uses!" Garchomp stomped over the desk and picked up a stack of papers, skimming through each one. "This is all just paperwork that merchants fill out for the cities. This whole place is just their cover story." She tore up the papers in a fit of frustration. "Gah! This can''t be it! There has to be something here!" "I think you''re forgettin'' somethin'', lass¡­" "Forgetting what?!" Aggron pointed at a map unfurled on the desk and obscured by various items. Garchomp brushed them all away and gazed at the map. Small sections of a roughly outlined region were circled. "This looks like a map of the Grit Region. Or at least a very specific part of it. Could just be trade routes for their ''merchant'' identities," she deduced. "It looks a bit familiar, doesn''t it? That giant pit there looks like the same one that Excadrill lad showed us." "... You''re right, Aggron! This is the location of Excadrill''s second base for his workers. But why do they-" "Zangoose!" Tyranitar erupted as he slammed an arm onto the desk, greatly shocking them. "He said we weren''t the only targets, ya eejits!" The gears in Garchomp''s mind began to turn. "Oh no¡­ The Rose Clan is going for Excadrill next!" She immediately opened her saddlebag and took out the ELE from within. She turned the dial on it to a specific number before flicking a switch and speaking into it. "Excadrill¡­ Excadrill, are you there?!" Seconds passed, and her worries amplified, but were alleviated when harsh static crackled through the ELE''s speakers, and a drawled voice piercing through it. "Miss Garchomp, I take it? You couldn''t have popped in at a worse moment!" "Why? What''s going on?" "What ain''t goin'' on, is what you should be askin''! Right now I''m trapped in my own base while my workers and I fend off mercs comin'' through the Mystery Dungeon! They''ve got us all surrounded above ground!" Garchomp scowled. "The Rose Clan! That''s who is attacking you, right?" "Pardon my language, ma''am, but you bet your scaly behind they are! First they were tryin'' to put me in a cell, and now it''s a grave! This whole situation has turned rotten!" "Just hold your ground! I and my team will be there right away!" Loud booms wracked the speakers. "Y''all better hurry, then! These varmints are gettin'' closer and closer each second!" "Do you still have that Entercard symbol near the base?" "Sure do!" Garchomp switched off the ELE. "Okay, boys, put on your game face. We''re going into a battle that''s already turned hot." Aggron frowned. "We''re ready, lass. But how do ya expect us to travel to an entire region in such a short period?" "Sometimes you''re just as hard-headed as Tyranitar, Aggron." "Hey!" the Rock-type in question yelled. Garchomp procured an Entercard from her saddlebag and held it out for them to see. "This is where we get to surprise them in return¡­"
Drowning in flowing sands and unraveling hubris. The hand that grips this shattered hourglass has tipped the world upside down in their favor.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time:Cornered Cornered Chapter 36 Cornered "Oh, here it is! Lemme see¡­ Yveltal, the God Of Destruction. He is said to be the counterpart to Xerneas, the Goddess Of Life Eternal." A page was turned in the book. "Hey - look what it says here. ''When his plumage glows deathly red, a devastating attack is released that petrifies any Pok¨¦mon struck by it into stone''. That must''ve been what happened to all those Pokemon in that city if it really happened." Gallade grimaced and lowered his head. "... Please continue." Heliolisk copied his expression as he flicked through another page of the dusty book splayed on a wide wooden table. "It says here that after Yveltal fought with Xerneas long ago, then turned his body into a cocoon to slumber and regain his strength. But it also says that this was mere speculation, and Yveltal has been considered deceased, along with Xerneas, for more than ten thousand years." "Until now that is¡­" Heliolisk shut the book. "Does this satisfy you now?" he bemoaned. Gallade rapped his blade-like elbows against the table in thought. "Almost. I believe we have a source of information on Xerneas here if you would please locate it." Heliolisk crossed his arms and shot him an unamused look. "Do I look like Magearna to you? I''m not the servant around here." A rich chuckle stirred out of Gallade. "''Knowledge is a very important weapon in one''s arsenal.'' Do you remember hearing Sergeant Malamar spout those words at every training session?" "Please¡­ I don''t want to live through another one of those stupid, long-winded book clubs he made us do." "Ah, but ''Accelgor''s Resolve'' has excellent themes and storytelling! Did you not catch that the third time he made us read it?" "The only thing it''s excellent at is making you fall asleep." Heliolisk rolled his eyes at the extra round of laughter coming from Gallade as he hopped off a rickety, wooden chair. The Electric-type meandered through the expansive halls of bookshelves, his agitated steps echoing off the black marble flooring. Gallade watched him hesitantly ascend up a tall ladder leaning against a bookshelf with a smile. His eyes then flicked to the other shelves lining the chamber, his amusement now dampened at what he saw. The shelves were mostly empty, and the Archive itself was almost always barren of new entries. Gallade had even distinctly remembered certain books from the outside that were removed and never brought back. It seemed only content that was written within the city and approved by the Alignment''s higher authority was allowed to remain. ''For how much our superiors say that knowledge is important, why do they limit us in such ways?'' Gallade questioned in his mind. Heliolisk was nearing the topmost shelf before the flickering of the ceiling lights stopped him. A second later, the entire room was sundered into complete darkness. The Electric-type shuddered from atop the ladder as his body then lit up in a yellow and illuminated his surroundings. "S-stupid blackouts," he muttered. "It''s been happening all the time this past week. Sometimes I envy those above ground. All they have to do is zap a little lightbulb and they have working lights again." "They must be adjusting the tower per the Allfather''s request," Gallade said as he looked around. Moments passed before the vibrant, orange ceiling lights turned back on. Heliolisk thanked the Allmother under his breath as he rummaged through the few books on the top shelf. He picked up one and briefly opened it. "Looks like this is it," he said before tossing it behind him. Gallade effortlessly caught the book mid-air and eagerly cracked it open. He flipped through its pages and stopped at one in particular. He analyzed the rough sketch of a lithe Pokemon with tall rainbow colored antlers. "Here she is - Xerneas. It says here she brings the wealth of life and the growth of flora with each step of her hooves. Before her demise, it says that she inhabited a mystical and abundant forest isolated in a separate reality from our world. Only those worthy of seeing her could find their way into it and be rewarded with eternal life." Heliolisk scoffed. "You really believe all of this? That these ''Legendary'' Pokemon could be so godlike and all-powerful? It''s stupid." "Perhaps not to the extremes we see mentioned in these mythic tales. But after all this destruction that Yveltal has seemingly wrought, there has to be an inkling of truth in these texts." "Isn''t that blasphemy? The only Pokemon in this world that is a god is the Allmother - the only god to ever exist. These other Pok¨¦mon can''t be like her at all; that would go against everything we''ve known!" "You''re correct, Heliolisk. It''s rather asinine to suggest these things. But¡­" Gallade closed the book and took a deep breath. "There are so many Pokemon out in this world that we never realized before. They''re all so different and believe in things we never could ourselves. You''ve seen it. It''s fascinating in a way how little they know about this world, and how little even we know about it. We''re alike in that regard." "Fascinating that all of them could be so backward?" Heliolisk drolled. "Tch, last time we were up there, we got captured and threatened. The Pokemon of the outside world, they''re¡­" He grit his teeth as his tail thrashed behind him. Gallade knew there was more he wanted to say, but the room remained silent as the Electric-type shook his head. "It''s crazy that we even found ourselves in these positions as ambassadors. I never thought I''d see myself talking about the outside world or even seeing it all in my life." "We''re very lucky Pokemon - you and I." "Yup. We sure are." Heliolisk began climbing down the ladder but stopped when his gaze crossed a stack of magazines matte paper. Gallade swore he could see stars in the lizard''s eyes as Heliolisk swiped them and proceeded to jump off the ladder. He presented them to a thoroughly astonished Gallade. "Look! It''s back after so long! ''The Misadventures Of Team Bolt and Commander Raichu''!" Heliolisk tore his gaze from his comrade to the stack of booklets his claws gripped tightly. He excitedly flipped through pages and pages of illustrated Pokemon and striking text boxes. "Don''t you remember? This stuff was worth more than a day''s meal to me back then! Oh, man, it''s all coming back¡­" Gallade smiled upon witnessing his friend''s elation. "Of course I do. And I think you remember those pretend plays we did." Noticing Heliolisk''s smile morph into a sly grin, he puffed up his chest and raised an arm that swept through the air. "It is I, the illustrious Commander Raichu! Halt your villainy or face the might of my shocking attacks!" he bellowed with an air of bravado. Heliolisk could contain his laughs as he almost dropped the stack of booklets. "Man, you play him better than the Pokemon in the short films. And I always thought I could play him." "There''s always a chance in the future, you know." "Yeah, but I''d doubt they''d want to cast someone like me," Heliolisk lamented with a sour expression. He spread out the books he carried onto the wooden table. "Hey! How about we stay here a little while longer and do some more reading? Y''know, like the old days!" "I thought you hated me dragging you to the Archives?" Gallade inquired. Heliolisk pouted. "C''mon! I''ve got the cool stuff right here and not those boring old textbooks." Gallade stood up from his seat. "As much as I would like to indulge in some nostalgia, we have more important matters for today." He emphasized by tapping the green saddlebag slung across his shoulder. "Let''s leave the Archive and get to it before the day''s over and curfew kicks in." "Agh! Really? But yeah¡­ you''re right." "But there''s always tomorrow, brother," Gallade said with a jostling of the Electric-type''s shoulder. Heliolisk''s smile returned. Together, they put back the books they had plucked from the shelves and made their way to the entrance of the maze-like library. They gave their hushed farewells to a bored-looking Togedemaru librarian manning an empty desk. The Archive''s tall, ornate double doors swung open as Gallade and Heliolisk emerged into a narrow corridor. The buzz of orange ceiling lights dangling above them bounced off the walls forged from riveted, black steel. "Another reason to hate the Archives; this place gives me the creeps," Heliolisk said. "This place is always really empty and feels abandoned." "You know why. We''re some of the only Pokemon allowed to enter and browse whatever we wish. Not many Pokemon get the chance to experience something so grand, so life-changing, so-" "Yeah, yeah, I get it - we''re lucky and all. But-" The words in Heliolisk''s throat died as the room''s humming became mute, the lights shutting off and bringing forth darkness. His body shuddered as he muttered unintelligible curses at their situation. A few seconds passed before the lights turned on again. "You know, one of these days you will have to conquer your fears about being in the dark," Gallade said. "It''d also save you from an embarrassing conversation later in life." "Oh, shut up!" Heliolisk blurted as his cheeks burned. "I wouldn''t go around telling ''mons about how you''re scared of Ghost-types!" A smug smile tugged at Heliolisk''s mouth. Gallade held his head up high in a humorous display. "You wouldn''t because that''s complete slander of my character." "Hah! As if! And trust me, I''ve known you for a loooooong time. There''s plenty more stuff I know about the ''honorable and mighty Gallade'' that ''mons don''t know about." "Oh, but there''s something I know about you that trumps anything you know about me." "And that is?" Heliolisk nearly shrieked as Gallade began tickling the collar of black frills along his neck. Involuntary laughter bubbled out of the Electric-type''s chest as he thrashed and attempted to relinquish himself from Gallade''s nonstop barrage. "Haha! Stop! P-please! Ha- Stop!" In a bid to put a stop to his friend''s antics, Heliolisk reached a claw outward and clasped the red crest on Gallade''s chest. The Psychic-type clenched up and spasmed slightly as his nerves were jolted by the sudden sensation. But more importantly to Heliolisk, the madness was over. He playfully shoved Gallade. ''Don''t do that ever again! And here I thought you were supposed to be the older and more mature one here¡­" "By only a year, brother. And sometimes you forget I am still the same Pokemon you knew all the way back then. Teasing and all, of course." "Well, you manage to hide it well during trips. Speaking of which, what''s so important that we have to do today?" "We''re going to the Alabaster Floret Palace and speaking to the Allfather," Gallade said. He popped open a pouch of his saddlebag and looked at the glossy Projection Crystal tucked inside. "I believe we have much to discuss with him after recent events." Heliolisk soured at the mention of the Pokemon. "The Allfather, huh? What is there to talk about - the Yveltal thing? You know there are whispers from the other soldiers that the Eden Theater was destroyed in the attack. If that attack even happened at all." "It''s mere conjecture for now. I would like to hear it from the Allfather himself. But no, there''s something else we need to discuss with him. I think you know what I''m talking about." The Electric-type frowned. "Yeah¡­ I remember. And I have a lot of other things to ask him as well," he said, his tone laced with venom. Gallade scowled at him as they both jogged up a flight of stairs at the end of the hallway. "Keep your antagonism of our glorious Allfather sealed behind your lips. We will be there to discuss and not accuse." "Whatever¡­" Breaching another set of doors, they stepped out into the city. They were immediately assaulted by the combined luminosity of pulsating neon lights built into surrounding structures and tall street lamps. Gallade narrowed his eyes at the overwhelming display and swept their surroundings with his gaze. Pockets of misty fog rolled across the streets and obscured the few clothed Pokemon that walked it. They were silent and kept their heads low as they walked, entering tall abodes constructed from steel. The cavern walls encasing the district in were dark as can be, apart from the occasional spikes of glowing, aqua-blue crystals jutting out like stalactites. Beyond the darkness, a cluster of lights belonging to the greater city was visible. Gallade''s ears could pick up the faint thrums of a violin through the stillness - a street performer, he deduced. He drank in these familiar sights with a sigh and took a breath of the artificial air. The more he looked, the more he realized the stark differences between the cities Celestic and his own. There was no hawking of goods on bustling marketplaces here, no joyous moments, or friendly connections that spread to the crowds like a contagion. But he understood that it was always like this. This was his home. A place he was born and lived all his life in. The recognition of this always stirred feelings of melancholy within him. Heliolisk slapped his shoulders with a claw. "C''mon. You can daydream about the rain later." "Oh, I will," Gallade responded, smirking. "But since you brought it up, I have learned a few more facts about rain during our time above ground. Did you know the rainiest place on our planet is a jungle within Celestic called the Dewfall Vineha-" "Agh!" Heliolisk covered his ears. "Please stop! I don''t wanna hear anymore!" Gallade laughed cheerfully. Not long into their journey, Gallade noticed the way Pokemon in their path would scatter when they caught sight of them. It had been something he had witnessed ever since his promotion from mere soldier to an ambassador of their entire cause. Many Pokemon in the city spoke to him differently, treated him differently, and generally tried to avoid him. ''It has to be because of that. I thought they were jealous once, but now I know the real reason.'' Gallade looked down at the armband looped around his arm that concealed his Mega Bracelet. The once golden-lined insignia he donned was now a prominent white. It signified his rank and importance to all who saw it. He remembered the days when he and Heliolisk did all they could to not cross paths with Pokemon wearing these armbands to avoid potential punishments. ''They fear me. They fear us.'' It disturbed him greatly. A glance over at his partner showed that Heliolisk felt the opposite. The Electric-type appeared to revel in the feelings he got when the Pokemon that caught his gaze shrank and tried to make themselves not visible. Gallade could feel the pride emanating from his toothy smile. He was unsure of how to feel about this. "Yoo-hoooooo! Misters Gallade and Heliolisk!" a female voice called out to them from the shadows. Gallade turned and felt a chill run down his spine as he saw a Mismagius and Misdreavus floating over. Of all the Pokemon that feared their status in the city, Mismagius was one whose brazenness and mirth never swayed her from engaging. She never appeared frightened of getting punished for her boldness. It was a trait he admired of her, even if she did scare the living daylights out of him on most occasions. After all, she did know both of them before they were inducted as soldiers of the Alignment. Mismagius hovered just a few feet away from the both of them; the Misdreavus hid behind its older guardian. Mismagius wore a fancy dress of vivid orange colors and splotches of light purple that draped off her ghostly form. She twirled in the air and showcased the sparkling, golden ribbons, purple bows, and other flashy accessories displayed upon her attire. "I look simply ravishing, don''t I?" she asked haughtily. A hint of amusement seemed to always lurk in her tone. Gallade''s nerves were still shot. "Uh, I¡­" "Oh, Sir Gallade, so stiff and chivalrous. Where''s your chutzpah now?" "You look extremely beautiful today, uh, Mismagius," a heavily blushing Heliolisk said. Mismagius smiled widely and spun again in place. "My oh my, thank you for your kind words, Sir Heliolisk. At least someone here has the courtesy to compliment a lady¡­" She looked at Gallade and stuck her tongue out in a teasing manner. Gallade crossed his arms. "Is there something we can do for you, Mismagius?" "Can a woman not broach a dialogue with her closest friends anymore? Oh, the horror of such a thought!" Mismagius cried out before growing a warm smile. "Actually, my dears, I wish to know more about this recent "expedition" you two embarked upon! If I am allowed to know, of course." Heliolisk raised a brow. "Well, we can''t talk about any political junk going on, but what did you want to know?" "Everything! I''ve always been meaning to ask about your excursions, but I''ve sadly never had the chance." She gasped. "Like the ''sun''! The gigantic fireball that hangs in the sky and provides light and warmth to the world. You must have seen it with your very eyes - and they aren''t burnt off! Tell me, is it really that gargantuan? And does it burn those who anger it?" Gallade shook his head. "In some textbooks above ground, they say the sun is a star that is actually very far away from the planet. There is even a Legendary Pokemon called Solgaleo that is said to be an emissary of the sun itself. It''s very imposing." "Yeah, Gallade here can tell you all about how he couldn''t stand the heat whenever it was out. But I totally loved it!" Heliolisk said, smiling. "The captain of our first expedition told us to not stare up at it, ''cause it''s very bright and can hurt your eyes." Mismagius cackled loudly. "I imagine it would be a hundred times worse than staring at the gaudy lights all over the city." Her expression softened. "Ah, but I wish to learn more! The wonderful magnagates, do they exist above ground as well?" Gallade nodded. "The Pokemon of the outside world don''t refer to them as magnagates anymore, but ''Mystery Dungeons''. They are all over Celestic from what we observed, and many Pokemon fear them or even explore them for fun. It''s very bizarre to witness." "So very strange... But the outside world - what is it truly like?" Gallade collected his stray thoughts before responding. "The outside world is¡­ majestic. I had always wanted to see it for myself, but experiencing it is another thing entirely. It''s very overwhelming at first, but I got used to it. So many sights, feelings, and smells. I don''t understand much of it, but the Pokemon there are much like us, and it saddens me. I hope one day we can save those souls along with the souls here." Mismagius turned to Heliolisk. "And you, Sir Heliolisk?" Heliolisk scoffed. "It''s big, it''s confusing, and it''s full of evil and desperate Pokemon. So yeah, just like here." Mismagius hummed at their responses. "My, it sounds rather fascinating. I wonder what kind of fashion sense they have, or¡­" She trailed off as she noticed Misdreavus looking up at her with pleading eyes. "Can we ever go see the sun one day?" the petite Ghost-type asked. Mismagius smiled fondly and patted her head with an ethereal appendage. "Beloved sister of mine, I hope so. Whether it is this sun of the outside world or the one present in our fantastical paradise. This world of darkness we inhabit is just a stopping point for us. I promise that to you." Misdreavus appeared to brighten up. Mismagius cleared her throat. "Well, I would have you dears go along your merry way, but there is something else I needed to ask. I-" The sound of crackling static overtook her voice and drowned out the entire district. Oddly shaped speakers attached to various buildings emitted this cacophony for a while until a disembodied and authoritative voice echoed throughout the streets. "Citizens of the Inflorescence District, please attend the afternoon announcements." The strange voice vanished as all the Pokemon in the streets dropped whatever they were doing and began following one another down a single street, including Gallade and the others. Flanked by guards, over a hundred Pokemon were slowly filed into a plaza in the heart of the district. A pattern of intersecting, orange lines that blinked and pulsed was imprinted on the stony floor. One by one, Pokemon dropped to their knees on segments of the line. Guards keenly observed their efforts as they patrolled. Gallade and Heliolisk were positioned side-by-side as they patiently awaited for the voice to return. Once all the Pokemon were seated on the pattern, a nearby speaker crackled to life. "Please begin your appeals to our glorious Allfather and Allmother." The plaza fell into silence as Pokemon did as instructed. They bowed their heads and uttered phrases that grew into a chant of combined voices. Their prayers eventually petered off as the voice boomed again. "We will now begin the afternoon announcements." The sounds of shuffling paper could be heard through the speakers. "The locomotive between Inflorescence and surrounding districts will be temporarily shut down for maintenance." More paper was shuffled. "There is a special bulletin that must be remembered. Rumors have been spread of a recent attack on the continent of Celestic. If you have heard these claims from a soldier or other expedition member, please report this to the local authority figure in your district. This concludes the afternoon announcements. Glory to the Allfather!" "Glory to the Allmother!" the crowd chanted in unison. "Eden unto you all." The speakers then died as Pokemon picked themselves up and went back to their daily occurrences. Mismagius huffed as she and Misdreavus grouped back with Gallade and Heliolisk. "As I was saying before we were rudely interrupted, there is something I require of you - well, Sir Heliolisk," she said. "As you may know, there will be a gala at the Bouquet Chateau later tonight, and one may wonder why I am dressed for such an occasion." Mismagius tittered endlessly as she twirled. "That is because I have been graciously invited!" "That''s amazing!" Gallade proclaimed. "Y-yeah, what he said," Heliolisk added. Mismagius nodded as she turned to the Electric-type. "Yes. But since I will be absent for the majority of the day, I was curious if Misdreavus could have another playdate with your little brother for today." Heliolisk appeared to mull it over. "Well, Growlithe is always itching for more toys and more ''mons to play with, so I don''t see why not." He smirked and elbowed Gallade. "He doesn''t like playing with stick in the mud ''mons like this guy over here." Gallade frowned. Misdreavus giggled. "Growlithe is soooo much fun to play with! But he''s really silly sometimes!" "Please be careful with him, though," Gallade warned. "He very much likes to bite and I have the marks to prove-" His heart jumped a beat as Mismagius vanished before him. In a split second, the Ghost-type was behind him and tickling his neck with her breath. "Gah! Please don''t do that again!" he shrieked. Mismagius cackled at his reaction. "Many apologies, Sir Gallade, but I could not resist. Don''t fret; my dearest sister can handle herself with that spry pup." She floated over to Heliolisk and got very close, causing him to smile nervously. "Ah, right! I was given a tad bit more information on this gala." She leaned in closer. "I could bring along a single friend." "Oh, that''s r-really cool!" Heliolisk exclaimed before realization struck him. "Wait! Do you mean¡­" She sprung back as a wry grin crept on her face. "I would like to formally invite you, Sir Heliolisk, to the gala. Call it a gift!" Heliolisk''s cheeks flushed with a red glow as his next words came out shaky. "O-oh, you mean¡­ you would really want to take me?" "Why not, dear? It could be a little opportunity to catch up on lost time, yes?" "Well, uh¡­ s-sure! I would love to go with you!" "Marvelous! I will have to prepare some proper apparel for the event that matches your scales. But¡­" She hovered inches from him and quickly pecked a burning cheek with her lips. "We shall see the details later tonight. Let''s call it a date - hmm?" Heliolisk squirmed in place. "Yes," he squeaked. "Excellent!" Mismagius and Misdreavus began floating away from the pair, the former whirling around with a fluttering of her dress and a tip of her ''hat''. "I hope to scare you another time, Sir Gallade! And I shall definitely see you later, Sir Heliolisk! Ta-ta!" she ended with a wink. "G-goodbye!" Heliolisk hastily yelled as they departed. As soon as the sisters were out of earshot, Gallade lightly punched a completely still Heliolisk in the shoulder. Heliolisk quivered as he stared at his partner with an ecstatic expression. "Dude!" he uttered. Gallade simply smiled at him. "She- she-" "I know. I couldn''t believe it either." The lizard burst into a fit of joyous laughter, Gallade joining in as they hugged in recognition of this feat. Heliolisk broke away as his next words slipped right out. "Maybe in a few years, we could be like you and Gothorita!" The Electric-type immediately realized his mistake as Gallade dipped his head and said nothing. Heliolisk took a step back and adopted a mournful look that radiated shame. Through the silence, he could only say one thing. "¡­ Sorry." The trip to the palace was quiet. The bright, neon streets of the Inflorescence District were far behind them. Chilling fog shrouded their pitch-black surroundings. The rock walls of the cavern formed a natural corridor that led them to a shining structure in the distance. They were the only souls that trekked this pathway. Heliolisk took small glances at Gallade. The Psychic-type looked straight ahead with a stern look that dissuaded discussion. Heliolisk tried to find the courage to speak, yet failed. He slinked behind Gallade and smoothed his frayed frills. As they got closer to their destination, the rocky floor beneath their feet transitioned into smooth, black marble. Threads of spiraling, orange light splintered throughout sections of the floor that their feet touched. Through the thick fog and darkness now repelled by the intense luminosity beneath them, they stood before the Alabaster Floret Palace in all of its glory. They had remembered tales told through whispers in their youth that the Allfather''s palace was ''a flower blossoming among dead weeds''. They were then astonished when they first laid eyes upon it and realized the tale was more literal than initially perceived. Built amid the barren, dark wasteland was the construct of near-transparent white crystals modeled in the shape of a blooming flower. Its multiple entrances were built into its glossy ''root''s that curled and burrowed into its surroundings. The ''stalk'' rose hundreds of feet into the air, almost reaching the cavern ceilings with its imposing presence. Fanned-out ''petals'' spread far and wide, each big enough to contain a chamber within that was connected via stems. Golden rays from spotlights hidden behind the veil of darkness cast the palace in luster. The crystalline flower sparkled and shined in all of its ineffable glory. It was always breathtaking to them. "Hold your tongue throughout this meeting, brother," Gallade said sternly. "We are now entering our glorious Allfather''s sanctum, and we must respect it greatly." "Tch. You think I''m gonna blab about how I don''t like him? Here of all places?" Heliolisk countered. Approaching the main doorway, dozens of guard Pokemon clad in reflective, prismatic armor from head to toe spilled out and surrounded the pair. Two metallic spear handles clanged together in front of them and put a halt to their progress. Gallade felt his heart swell as he stared at them, Heliolisk much the same. These were some of the most dedicated Pokemon to the Alignment, and fiercely loyal to the Allfather. "Stop! State your business for being here!" an Azumarill guard shouted. Gallade and Heliolisk raised an arm to show the white Alignment armbands they wore. The spears that blocked their path were immediately withdrawn. "The reason for this visit, ambassadors?" the Azumarill inquired as she tapped the ground with the butt of her spear. "We wish to have a small chat with the Allfather regarding our recent excursion," Gallade said, "Is he currently available?" Azumarill nodded. "The Allfather has just finished the afternoon proceedings with the district heralds. You may enter and speak with him now." "Thank you. Eden unto you, sister." "Eden unto you as well, brother." Gallade and Heliolisk were trailed by numerous guards as they finally entered the palace. As impressively bright and glittery as it was on the inside, the foyer they walked into lacked much of anything. The sole thing of interest was an elevator built out of steel and crystal at the far end of the room. "I say this all the time because I know how much you distrust this Allfather," Gallade said in a hushed voice. "You''ve made it clear these past few years." "For good reason¡­" Heliolisk grumbled. Gallade affixed him with a flinty glare. "Do not disrespect our glorious Allfather. You understand the rules and the respect you must give. I know you do, so please." They walked over and stepped inside the elevator. A latch on the side panel was pulled, and the automatic doors closed on them. The lift shook as it slowly ascended up the palace. "We have to follow the rules. All of us." Gallade''s voice was coarse and slightly cracking. "Or else Pokemon get hurt. I can''t allow that to happen to you too, brother." "¡­" A humming noise resounded within the elevator as it came to a sudden stop and the doors opened. They then emerged into a grand antechamber fit for the Allfather. Rows of more guards in prism-like armor stood like statues on opposite sides of the room. Pokemon fitted in strange, fanciful clothes observed Heliolisk and Gallade enter from a gallery above, their blathering reduced to hushed whispers. Spiraling pillars of crystal marked the way forward as they walked. Orangish yellow lights flared beneath them and split into curls and lines that all crossed at a single point in the center of the room - a throne. Seated on the throne was a hunched-over and young-looking Frogadier. Its baggy eyes were glued to the transparent floors. Gallade noticed the lack of attire the Water-type usually wore, only golden-orange regalia visible. Still, he took a knee before the throne as he did so many times before. Heliolisk copied him, yet barely tried to stop the scowl forming on his face. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Gallade bowed his head. "Oh, glorious Allfather. We have come here today in your presence to recount the information we have gathered during our expedition." Frogadier nearly jumped as his head shot up. He blinked wearily before shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "I- uh¡­" a nasally, warbling voice blurted out. "I mean, it''s great to see you again, Ambassadors Gallade and Heliolisk. We had spoken briefly upon your return, but I''m glad you came here today." Gallade nodded. "Yes, Allfather. My partner and I have much to discuss before you and the gallery here if it does not inconvenience you." Frogadier stood up from his throne. "It doesn''t at all, Ambassador Gallade. But please, let''s go somewhere more private to go over your findings." Gallade clutched his saddlebag tightly.
"I''ve seen enough. You can turn it off now." Gallade obliged his Allfather''s request and pressed an indentation on the Projection Crystal. The figures of a Grumpig and Marshtomp vanished into bright dust as it and the holographic bubble encasing the room were sucked back into the glossy orb. "After we recovered this Projection Crystal, Heliolisk defeated the Absols'' in a surprise attack. I then used our Entercard I stole back from the Weavile''s saddlebag and returned here. That is everything that happened throughout our mission in the Grit Region," Gallade said. "Thanks for the recounting, Gallade." "Of course, Allfather, I-" Frogadier shook his head. "Please. While we are in private, just call me Frogadier." He groaned as he began pulling off his bulky regalia and throwing it onto the crystalline table. "I, er, understand you two have questions, and I have no choice but to answer them, it seems. I''ll answer whatever I can." He reached for a teacup on the table. "I also apologize for the, um, poor quality tea I have prepared. Magearna is currently charging at her station." Heliolisk opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it as he slinked to the back of the room. Gallade could sense his close friend''s reticence as he cleared his throat. "Well, All- Frogadier, if it''s something you can tell us, then we would like to know the truth of what we saw; behind what happened at Regi Castle so long ago. How we saw the very first Allfather make contact with the Legendaries there, and how we once stormed the fortress for our own gain." Frogadier gazed at the floor for a long while as he took a sip of his tea. "Yes, I figured you would want to know. And the truth is¡­" He looked up. "Everything that you saw and heard of that place is true. It happened once." Gallade felt his vision fluctuate as he took a step back. He took a deep breath as he slowly absorbed this admittance. "So¡­ We have attacked innocent Pokemon from the outside world before - Legendaries, even. And this occurred thousands of years ago?" He felt bile build up in his throat. Frogadier sighed. "Yes. The Alignment has been around for multiple millennia, not for only seven hundred years as our public archives would suggest." "I don''t understand¡­ Why? Why were we misled into believing such a thing?" "It wasn''t a lie I wished to continue, Gallade - but it''s one necessary to keep this city and the Pokemon in it safe. Please understand that the previous Allfathers were worried about what the Pokemon could learn of." "What do you mean?" "That they would ask questions. They would have ideas of turning against the Alignment and the Allmother. It was then decided that certain information about the Alignment and our past would be withheld and altered for future generations. If the Pokemon didn''t know our extensive history, they would commit themselves more to our goal." "And you continued to feed us this lie," Heliolisk suddenly said as he clenched his claws tight. "Every Allfather is supposed to light the path to paradise for us. So why have we all been so stagnant all this time? Why haven''t we followed what the Allmother has told us and find what''s needed to reach paradise?" Frogadier shook his head. "I never wish to lie to you all. But I never had a choice in the matter. What''s really necessary is keeping the Pokemon here protected and safe." Gallade opened and closed his mouth several times. "And the Entercards¡­ We didn''t invent them ourselves." "No. The Allmother led the first Allfather from his town to that Legendary group. The Entercards we stole allowed us to settle this place, and their research gave way to our goal of reaching paradise. All of this¡­ It''s so long ago. But we have wronged so many Pokemon, and that is the truth behind it all." Gallade turned his head away. He wanted to assure himself that there was a rationality for these actions. He had refused to believe what was in front of him, but now that his Allfather had said it himself, he was dumbstruck. The thought of the Alignment''s existence stretching thousands of years boggled his mind. And worse yet, it made his actions feel small and insignificant. Heliolisk scowled. "The mercenary captain that captured us - a Weavile - she said so many nasty things about the Alignment that it made my blood boil. Other Pokemon above ground just think we''re weird, but she¡­ she''s an enemy that wants to destroy us!" Frogadier collapsed into a plush chair. "We don''t have enemies - only victims. She''s one of many that we have hurt throughout our long existence. We have created so much evil in the process of doing good for all. The Allmother has reasoned this to me and past Allfathers in many visions, but I¡­ I don''t feel this to be the case." Heliolisk''s sour expression deepened. Gallade approached the fatigued Water-type. "This ''attack'' on Empyrean City by Yveltal - did it really happen?" Frogadier rubbed his eyes. "It was horrific, Gallade. The entire city was destroyed by that beast. Men, women, and children were all petrified. I tried. I did what little I could to try and prevent it, but it was too late. I should''ve done more than acting upon my desperation." Realization struck Gallade as he remembered the night before the attack. ''The Allfather penned a letter to the Council. Then after reading it, they sought to arrest the Lucario of a guild. Did the Allfather know something?'' "I''ve been up for days," Frogadier continued. "Trying to get new information, fearing what comes next. I feel cornered on this matter." "Has the Allmother spoken to you recently regarding this?" Gallade asked. "No. She has remained silent for a month. For the time being, I must look elsewhere for answers." "Why would the Allmother be quiet?" Heliolisk questioned. "She chooses only one Pokemon to speak to! And that''s you! Why would she not speak to you? Does she not trust you or something?" Frogadier winced at his tone. "Heliolisk, please. Our situation right now is, um, very¡­" "Tenuous?" Gallade assisted. "Yes, tenuous, that''s the word. Currently, I''m most worried about keeping the city safe - from Yveltal or other threats. We need hope." "What about the Pokemon of the outside world? Shouldn''t they need hope the most right now? We should give that to them and tell them about the city, about the Alignment, and our goal of paradise!" Heliolisk exclaimed. "I must agree with Heliolisk. Is it not wise to send missionaries up to the surface and advise the Pokemon there of our pursuit of paradise? We have remained hidden and secretive for so long. We could save so many lost souls if we opened up¡­" Frogadier stood up from his chair and lumbered to the far side of the lavishly decorated room. He nervously fiddled with his bubble scarf. "I can''t have knowledge of this place spread. I won''t allow it. This is a place of protection and safety for us. We have committed so many grave mistakes, and if the Pokemon of the outside world were to know, they would want vengeance. They know next to nothing of what we truly are, and that is how I want it to remain." Heliolisk was about to retort but Gallade stifled his words with glare and a shake of his head. The Electric-type growled under his breath as he stormed out of the room. Gallade sighed as Frogadier wilted under his sorrow-filled gaze. "I''m trying, Gallade. You know this wasn''t a position I took willingly." "I understand, Frogadier. I know you have been doing all that you can in your father''s stead. Heliolisk is very¡­ frustrated at recent events. It''s very disrespectful and I apolo-" "He can dislike me or my actions all he wants; I would never punish him. I know many others in the ranks of the Alignment are just as upset with my status as Allfather like Heliolisk is." Frogadier moved forward and placed his hands on Gallade''s shoulders. "I''d like to talk to you later - just you and me. There''s so many things that I know, that I wish I didn''t, or that I could change. I know I can trust you to be on my side, Gallade. I know that you''re different from so many others surrounding me." Gallade beamed with pride. "Understood, Frogadier. I''ll be available whenever you need me." "Thank you. I am needed soon, so this is goodbye for now." Gallade gave his farewells, exiting the chamber and emerging into a hallway of blinding white crystalline walls and floors. With no sign of the Electric-type, he assumed Heliolisk had exited the palace in a fit of rage. He did not hold it against him. As he approached and opened the doors to the elevator, he stopped. A stray thought nagged at the edges of his mind. ''There''s something I need to ask of the commander.'' Spinning on his heels, Gallade marched down the transparent halls again and turned corner after corner. Eventually, he ended up at a closed door and gave it a few brisk knocks. He waited patiently before the door suddenly swung open, his heart jumping a beat. There looming before him was the heavily scarred yet smiling visage of Commander Blaziken. "Ambassador Gallade! It is a surprise to see you in the palace today!" Gallade bowed. "Commander Blaziken. I am not intruding on your personal time, am I?" "Of course not! Please, step inside!" Gallade obliged the request and stepped into Blaziken''s quarters. It was a room dominated by sturdy black steel walls. Racks of blunt and edged weapons were hung on racks. The disassembled components of rifles rested on tables or within baskets, which seemed to have been recently tinkered with. Gallade had known the commander in his youth when he was just an enlisting Combusken in his squad. He knew the Fire-type to be a resourceful Pokemon with a gallant spirit even before his rise as the new commander. And yet, Gallade always sensed something odd after his promotion. The zealous nature his commander came to adopt, and the skin he purposefully flayed with scars and words. Even more peculiar was his attitude toward Gallade ever since their graduation. It was as if Blaziken felt sorry for him, and he was unsure why. Blaziken walked over to a mess of papers haphazardly strewn about on a desk and picked a few pages up. "I am merely going over the backgrounds of my most elite soldiers, and also checking up on their assigned weaponry for possible malfunctionry." Gallade arched an eyebrow. "Apologies for asking, but is this necessary? Are they not the most trusted and devoted members of the Alignment?" "Of course they are, Gallade! But one must remain ever so vigilant of possible treachery." "Treachery?" Gallade could never consider such a thing. "None of those who wait for you will be ashamed; those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed." Blaziken puffed his chest. "Those who do not believe in the Allmother cannot be trusted. They are among us, I am certain; they hide in plain sight." He noticed the perturbed look crossing Gallade''s face and smiled warmly. "But fear not, Gallade. We have known each other long enough that I know you to be a very faithful Pokemon." "T-thank you, commander. I''ve come here today to ask something that I didn''t want to bring up to the Allfather in respect for his current situation." "What kind of question?" "It''s about the attack that happened in Empyrean City. This Lucario ''guildmaster'' that supposedly perpetuated this attack, who is he?" Blaziken crossed his talons behind his back as he threw Gallade a curious look, almost analyzing his features. "And where do you suppose this question came from?" "Er, well, I would like to know if this Lucario is a threat to our cause. The Allfather is restless and worried over this. If he is worried, then I am too, and we all are." "And he has a reason to be, Gallade. Our enemies are vast and monstrous. An entire city of Pokemon petrified by a devil and his heretic beast." Blaziken threw out a pair of talons and clenched them. "But now is the time for us to fight back! Soon we will cast aside our reservations and step out of the shadows and into this errant world to correct it in the Allmother''s vision. The Pokemon of Celestic, eventually the world, will know who we are, and will follow what we have followed for hundreds of years." "The Allfather thinks differently. He believes we should stick to what we''ve always done." Blaziken lowered his head. "A seal has been opened by this Lucario''s actions. One that cannot be closed anymore. We cannot afford to be so indecisive when the opportunity is present. The Allfather come to reason and guide this flock to their rightful home in paradise." He looked back up, his arms now raised high. "My soldiers will see that the Allmother''s promise to us all is seen through. And that extends to you as well, Gallade." "Me?" Blaziken marched over to a wall on the right side of the room. He pulled off an armored suit-like piece of apparel from a rack and walked back over to a stunned Gallade. The piece of clothing was neatly folded before being presented with a proud expression on the Fire-type''s face. "Gallade. I have known you for so long. We were once mere trainees - side by side in our squad to protect the glory of the Alignment together. We have gone down separate paths, yes, but we never strayed too far." "Commander, I-" "I know that your heart has been left empty for so long after a great tragedy befell you. But today I present an opportunity to fill that vacancy in your heart with the Allmother''s love. Gallade. I wish for you to join the most elite rank of the Alignment''s guard." "I-I don''t get it," Gallade stuttered out. "Shouldn''t Heliolisk get this opportunity? He''s always wanted this role¡­" A sense of guilt shrouded his voice. "Y-you should really give this to him instead. He''s been working so hard and" Blaziken latched a talon onto his shoulder and sighed. "Yes, Heliolisk is a very talented and dutiful Pokemon. But he still has room to grow and mature. I want to see more from him like I have seen from you. You held your ground against the mercenaries in the Grit Region. You protected the secrets and honor of the many Pokemon here, and that takes immense faith." "I don''t know what to say, Commander. It''s a great honor, but¡­ doesn''t this mean I will not see the Allfather anymore?" "Not as much, no. I understand you have become accustomed to seeing the Allfather in your ambassador position, but the Allmother requires the finest of Pokemon to protect our flock. You are that Pokemon, Gallade. You may not see it now, but are one of us. You will be the heart of the Alignment itself when you wear this." Gallade looked at the presented garb and then up at the hardened yet passionate face of Blaziken. He peered into the Fire-type''s eyes piercing blue eyes and saw something in them had seen so many times before in the commander. Pity and well-hidden guilt. He reluctantly grabbed the attire from Blaziken. "Thank you so much, commander. Must I make a decision now?" Blaziken shook his head. "Please. Rest on this choice. Come back to me when you have decided your path. " "I... I will." "But remember, Gallade. With the opening of a seal, others will now be opened. Decide which path you follow that will be safe." Gallade took a deep breath.
The door to Commander Blaziken''s quarters closed as Gallade stepped into the palace''s halls. He unraveled the folded clothes he held and overlaid them over his form. The ''suit'' consisted of a firm polymer material that could cover him from head to toe in solid black. Steel fittings were interwoven around the shoulders, knee joints, and other sections. Stripes of orangish yellow lines streaked through the black colors of the armor. Connected to the top of the suit was a grayish bandana that could run up his neck and conceal most of his face. ''The most elite and devoted soldiers of the Alignment¡­'' he repeated in his mind. Despite the mix of emotions he currently felt, pride seemed to swamp most of them. ''If I accept this offer then-'' "Are you kidding me?!" a loud voice shattered his thoughts. Gallade looked up to see a furious Heliolisk glaring at him. The Electric-type pointed a claw at the armor he held and growled. "Commander Blaziken gives you the chance to join his ranks? Not me?! Why?! You asked him, didn''t you?! Tell me!" Heliolisk demanded. "Heliolisk, I never-" "I''ve done all my training, and attended so many teachings and ceremonies! I took down those Absols'' and saved us, and it still wasn''t enough?!" "Brother, please calm down and let me explain-" "Shut up! I''m tired of hearing your pity!" Before Gallade could say another word, Heliolisk was stomping through the translucent, crystal halls and heading down a stairwell. Gallade silently cursed to himself as his body hunched over. He took a single step forward in the direction Heliolisk went before a tinny, female voice stopped him. "It would be unwise to follow him at this moment, Gallade." Gallade turned. "M-magearna?" Excess steam jettisoned from the bottom of a metallic-looking Pokemon as it slightly hovered above the ground. Two golden-colored rabbit-like ears sprouted from a gear with a face, its neutral expression twisting with a clanging noise into a small smile. A pulsating orange and yellow ''core'' was the centerpiece of the Pokemon''s upper body and was connected to two claw-shaped arms. The Pokemon''s bottom half was a ''gown'' that draped over its pointy legs. Emblazoned on the gown were multiple bending and criss-crossing golden lines overlapping a faded orange background. The noise of turning sprockets and twisting servos resounded throughout the hallway as Magearna made her way over to Gallade. He could not believe his eyes when he had first laid eyes upon her. The rumors of the palace having a servant not made of flesh, but of steel, mechanical gears, and combined Pokemon energy were true. He thought of her as a close friend and mentor. "It is a pleasure to see you once again," Magearna''s voice emitted from a speaker within her ''mouth''. Gallade eventually found his tongue. "The Allfather said you were still charging in your bay." A staticky hum flowed through the speakers. "It seems the Allfather still has not fully grasped my rather speedy recharges." Magearna''s silvery eyelids flicked, her golden eyes dimming as a more robotic voice came out. "My current battery module has an energy surplus of up to two hundred percent more than my original model. This is a fact." Gallade had always noticed this quirk within Magearna. He had assumed it was due to her original personality being overwritten through time by a personality full of sisterly wisdom and occasional snark that he came to know as the real Magearna. Occasionally, this older personality would attempt to claw its way back but always remained tucked away. "The pleasure goes both ways, Magearna, but¡­" Gallade sighed. "It appears I have unintentionally upset Heliolisk by receiving-" he held up the armored suit for her to see, "-this. I know how much he desired to be a part of the commander''s squad. He really looks up to Blaziken. But-" The shimmer in Magearna''s eyes returned. "But that does not excuse his abhorrent behavior recently. If Commander Blaziken believes he is not, then he is not ready." "I know. I want to say he is because I can feel his compassion for our cause. I just wish I could push him down the right path to achieve that goal¡­" Magearna''s eyes dimmed. "My emotion detectors are picking up on feelings of poignancy, Ambassador Gallade. Shall I fetch some tea and begin some enrichment activities?" Her eyes glowed as she crossed her arms over her dress in a rigid manner. "Apologies for that, Gallade. Perhaps your partner requires a stern talking to. You are the oldest, after all." "It feels like I''ve done that so many times before with no success." "Or a firm smack upon his head." "Magearna!" Gallade squinted his gaze. "I would never do such a thing. Even if I''d like to sometimes..." "Because you are friends - closest of friends. You care for him, you understand his desires. Paradise is what all Pokemon desire in the deepest reaches of their heart, yet we have different beliefs and ways of reaching it. Heliolisk is much like that. " "He believes the Allfather isn''t doing what''s necessary to guide us to paradise. So many times I tried to convince him that the Allfather was doing what was needed for us all, but he wouldn''t hear it. He keeps fighting me on this. And I¡­" "And what of you, Gallade? How are you feeling after these recent experiences?" What sounded like choppy laughter made her metal chassis vibrate. "You are not a machine like I am, and yet you try to act like one. How quaint." "I¡­" Gallade squeezed his eyes shut and exhaled through clenched teeth. "To be truthful, I feel trapped. With what the Allfather revealed about our history, the attack on Celestic, and Heliolisk being so¡­" "Bratty?" Gallade let out a sad chuckle. "I guess. And now Commander Blaziken wishes for me to join his elite regiment and quit being an ambassador. I''ve been pulled in so many directions recently that I don''t know what path to follow, or who to stick by. My zeal remains strong, but like the Allfather, I too worry for the future." "Gallade, I have roamed and tended to the halls of this palace since it was first built. I have advised and stood by the Allfathers of multiple generations. One principal is consistent throughout this epoch of ours - hope." Her chassis twitched as a monotone voice crackled out of the speakers. "You were a homeless Pokemon turned into a soldier who became an ambassador of our glorious cause. You are strong. This is not a true fact, but considered one by my memory banks of you." Gallade smiled softly at her flat yet encouraging words. "Thanks for the pep talk, Magearna." "It is what I am best at," her true voice chimed. "I need to find Heliolisk and talk to him. A real talk that I''ve neglected to have with him for so long¡­"
A shovel was wedged into a mound of dirt as a heaping pile of it was scooped up and tossed into a shallow opening in the earth. A grunt echoed throughout the chilly night as a clawed foot was pressed onto the blunt metal end of the shovel. More dirt was hefted up and shoveled into the hole before it was completely filled. The filled hole was then patted with the shovel and flattened. Weavile caught her breath as she slammed the shovel into the ground beside her. She smirked at her work and flicked dirt off of her fur. She stood in front of three weathered gravestones. "There. Nice and safe now. You three will take good care of our little prize, ya hear?" She turned her back on the tombs and started descending the hill. She stopped once at the bottom and glanced back. "At least it''s where it truly belongs now - with you guys." Weavile made the slow walk back to her clan''s base, thoughts and wayward emotions swarming her mind. As the pristine, purple-stained building came into view, she wore a proud smile at what was her faux guild that continued to trick the Council for years. Yet, every ounce of pride came with a tinge of sadness. Oftentimes, the base reminded her of the past. She pushed back these intrusive thoughts more times than she could count. ''What a dump, but it''s my dump, at least,'' she thought. Before Weavile could take another step, the sound of muffled static resounded from her black saddlebag. Realizing what this was, she quickly popped open a pouch and grabbed the vibrating Minun-shaped device from within. She flicked on a switch and positioned its speaker in front of her mouth. "This is Weavile. Speak." The device spat out more harsh static as a gruff voice pierced through. "Captain Weavile, your clan''s services are needed once more. The payment for this job will be generous and enough to satisfy you." Weavile felt her heart soar. She knew this was her chance. "If it''s a job that doesn''t go to the Rose Clan, then it''s a job we can certainly take." "Good. You will meet me here tonight in three hours at our usual location to discuss the details. You will also bring along your co-captain for this job to be accepted." "Pretty specific, huh?" "You will do it or there will be no job. Goodbye." The voice faded after its parting words. Weavile rolled her eyes and switched off the device, throwing it back into her saddlebag. A devilish smile then worked its way onto her face. ''Bishy''s gonna get a kick out of this¡­'' The door to her clan''s home base flew open as Weavile sauntered inside. She wandered the halls before standing in the open entrance to the Lounge and peering inside. The atmosphere of despair and unease was palpable. Her mercenaries drank, ate, and laughed all the same, yet lacked the boisterous enthusiasm of before. While her ears welcomed this change of pace, her heart hated it with a passion. Sucking in these feelings, she stepped inside and made a beeline toward the bar at the far side of the room. Taking a seat, she raised a claw and shouted. "Hey! One of you lugs go fetch me a drink! Dealer''s choice!" An Octillery immediately got out of his seat and slinked behind the counter to begin crafting a concoction, utilizing his many limbs to do so. Weavile watched him work with great amusement before she glanced over to look at a Pokemon sitting right beside her. It was Bisharp, his face obscured by a newspaper he looked completely engrossed in. Weavile leaned over and yanked the newspaper out of the Steel-type''s gauntlets. She read off the bold headline at the top of the print. "Celestic Cognizance¡­ yadda yadda¡­ Empyrean destroyed¡­ Mayor Empoleon and thousands feared lost¡­ yadda yadda." A tearing noise filled the air as Weavile sliced the newspaper into shreds of paper. She held up a claw again. "Octillery! Make it two drinks!" "On it, ma''am!" A thoroughly vexed Bisharp gave her a deadpan expression. "You''ve never been a fan of hearing news, haven''t you?" "When was I ever? All the news I wanna hear is good news." "Well, this is all bad news. Empyrean has been turned into rubble, refugees are scattered across the continent; somehow Yveltal is back and is probably gonna hit another city - Elysium, I''m guessing." He sighed. "Whole thing''s a mess." "Think about the positives here, Bishy. The Council is missing its daddy and is up against the wall after everything that''s gone down. And now we have the very thing we wanted to find in the first place! Bet those cultist fucks are gonna feel that." "I''m guessing you didn''t hear. The guild was arrested." Weavile gave him a bewildered look. "What?" "You remember our Guildmaster? That stern son of a bitch - the Shiny Lucario? They''re saying that he was behind this thing with Yveltal. Whole continent is in a frenzy over this. Those of the guild left who weren''t petrified got taken in by Council guards. Looks like there''s gonna be a trial - and not one particularly in the guild''s favor." She rubbed her face slowly. "¡­ I never liked the guild, but the ''mons there didn''t deserve that. And after we robbed them of that artifact thing. But that hardass Lucario? Yeah, I could tell back then there was something wrong with him. Arceus, I need a drink right now." She slammed her claws. "Octillery! Hurry it up!" Two glasses filled to the brim with alcoholic contents slid across the bartop. "That''s a lie, Weav''s. I know you liked being in the guild." Weavile snatched her glass and took a long swig. "I liked being with my team. They liked the guild, not me. So don''t start with this." Bisharp snorted and took a small sip from his glass. "No need to be so defensive. I still remember seeing that smile of yours in the guild''s halls. You know, you were quite an explorer when you weren''t so temperamental." "Is this your way of flirting, tin man?" She grew a wry smile. "''Cause I''ve seen it all. And getting me liquored up isn''t gonna work, either." "No. I just don''t get it." "Get what?" Bisharp rested his head on a gauntlet. "With what we know now, with all we''ve accomplished, do you really see yourself still leading a group of mercenaries in ten years? Taking the same jobs, drinking the same alcohol, and sulking day in and day out? You can''t run an illegal operation for that long without being caught." "Maybe I will, Bishy. You got a problem with that?" She laughed. "Oh, right, ''cause you don''t care about the clan. You''re gonna leave it and me someday, ain''tcha? Please, I''ve done this for ten years and I can do it without you..." "Maybe I will, Weav''s. Do you have a problem with that?" "Yeah, maybe I do. Maybe I like hearing your stupid earfuls all day." Weavile glanced over. "I told you already in that castle - I''m just a mercenary. Even before the guild I was terrorizing the streets. Like the snake says, I''m a street Rattata. Wasn''t until those three showed up and filled my head with stupid ideas of exploring the world and saving it from Mystery Dungeons and all that junk." "They were both right and wrong. The guild was never the way, but there is always another path." Weavile glared at him. "There isn''t. It''s just more nothingness. And I''m not gonna allow my ambitions to be crushed again by listening to more dreamers. Like they were, and like you are..." she murmured. Bisharp narrowed his gaze. "And what are your ambitions, Weav''s? Being the self-proclaimed ''Queen Of All Mercenaries''-" "Which I still am," she interrupted with a smirk. "-Or is it your revenge on the Alignment? What is it really that keeps you going?" Weavile downed more of her drink. "... You know, after we stole that artifact from the guild, I was really happy at first. This is what my team was supposed to find all those years back, and now it''s finally in its rightful claws. But¡­ that feeling is gone now. To tell you the truth, now that I have it, I feel more lost than ever." "I think I know why." She rolled her eyes. "Oh, do tell, doctor." "I think you''re realizing this mercenary thing isn''t you, Weav''s. I knew you long enough in your guild days to see how curious and passionate you were about the world." "I was until those cultists stole that part of me," she spat. Bisharp pointed a gauntlet at her and winked. "And that''s another lie right there. I still see it in you. It''s just buried and it needs to resurface more." "What needs to be buried is that fucking Nidoking. Only when his lights are snuffed out will I finally be happy." "Will you really?" he asked earnestly. His words stung Weavile to her core. Her claws raked against the glass she gripped tightly. "What do you want me to do, huh? Do you want me to dissolve the clan and start a dinky little exploration team with you? Is that it? You want me to be a Pokemon I can''t be anymore?!" She sneered at him. "Besides, why do you even care? I''m not like you! And maybe I do want to suffer and sulk here for another ten years - twenty even! Did you and your big brain ever consider that?!" she finished with a loud snarl before gulping down the rest of her drink and slamming the glass onto the bartop. Bisharp responded by picking up his drink and chugging the contents of it in mere seconds, greatly shocking Weavile. He placed the glass down gently. "I admire true resolve. I hate frauds. I hate phonies. I hate the overbearing and rule-abundant society Pokemon have come to create. I want to know the truth of this world, but the guilds and governments of this world are ultimately superficial. My father''s death, your team''s demise, I learned that by seeing you." He looked over. "Weavile. You''re the most confident and honest Pokemon I know, and yet you still lie to yourself. You need to accept the part of you that wants to know more about this world." He smirked. "And smile more, too." "Smile?" "Yeah, like you when you were grinning ear-to-ear holding that artifact. Speaking of which¡­" Bisharp leaned closer to her ear. "Where did that thing go? I know it didn''t just sprout legs and walk away. Unless some clown here got the idea of pawning it off." Weavile cackled. "Don''t worry about it. It''s safe. Nobody is gonna come looking for it. Well, except one ''mon." "And who is that exactly?" "Remember our little anonymous client from before? He''s returned, and it looks like he''s caught wind of our sleight of hand." Bisharp''s interest seemed to peak as he rested his arms on the bartop. "He knew before the Alignment? Unless he''s part of them which means¡­" He shook his head. "What else did he say?" "He wants us to meet him in a few hours at the spot and he wants you to be there, too. It''s got the word ''trap'' written all over it. He wants back whatever we nabbed at Criss-Cross Creek." The Steel-type rolled his eyes. "No shit. But¡­" He trailed off as he noticed the assured look on Weavile''s face. "Weav''s, don''t tell me you''re thinking of going." "You bet I am, tinman. Think about it! It''s a trap, but if we go there with the clan in tow, this guy''s forces won''t expect such a thing. We could overwhelm them and drag this ''anonymous'' Pokemon out and see who he really is!" "I don''t know about this, Weav''s. Your plans are usually stupid as is, but this guy¡­ We have no idea what he''s capable of." Weavile scoffed at his hesitancy. "Are you kidding me? He''s a guy behind a wall! Probably just a few guards with him, too." She jabbed the table with a claw. "We''re the fucking Razor Claw clan! We''re the best and most lethal mercenary clan on the whole continent! We don''t take shit from no one! And that''s why you and I are going there to confront and capture him!" "I don''t remember consenting to this." "Yeah, well, I''m doing it anyway." She jabbed his arm with a shoulder. "C''mon! You''re gonna sit here and preach to me about learning the truth of this world without possibly wanting to know it? This guy has to know something about this shiny piece of junk if he, the Alignment, and the guild wanted it so badly!" Weavile swore she could see a gleam appear in Bisharp''s eye as he listened to her. "See! I know that look when I see it! You wanna know what he knows as much as I do!" "Maybe it''s the booze kicking in early because I can''t believe I''m saying this¡­" Bisharp sighed as he slowly nodded. "Yeah, I think it would be beneficial for us to capture him." Weavile leaped from her stool. "I knew it! So get ready because we''re gonna reel ourselves in another victory!" He smiled. "I hope you don''t forget what I said. This could be the next step to something bigger and beyond this clan." "You can hope, Bishy! But for this one time, you''ve got no choice but to admit that we need the clan." "Just this once, Weav''s." Spurred by his agreement, Weavile rushed over to an empty table within the Lounge and clambered atop it. A drunken giggle escaped her as she raised her claws high. "Hey! Listen up! Listen up! Got some important news that goes for all of you slackers!" "Oh boy¡­" Bisharp mumbled to himself. "In a few hours, I''ll need everyone who''s sober enough to accompany Captain Bisharp and I on a little protection job!" A series of grumblings and groans came from the already downtrodden mercenaries around the room. Weavile smirked at their aversion and shouted again, "But here''s the kicker! For this little forced job? You''re gonna be paid triple of what''s in your contracts!" Almost immediately the room exploded in cheers and the clinking of glasses together. "Now you''ll think twice about switching over to Serperior, eh? We''re the Razor Claw clan! And don''t you slackers ever forget that!" she boomed. "YEAH!" her mercenaries cried in unison At this very moment, Weavile felt her spirits rise higher and higher as she watched her rejuvenated mercenaries spring themselves into action. There was a warmth within her chest that could not be snuffed out by her cold exterior. Deep within her heart, she could feel that yearning for the truth eclipsing her desire for revenge. ''It''s time I figure out what was worth the death of my comrades. And I won''t let this opportunity slip past.''
He was getting close to his target. Liam''s face was forever twisted in an expression of pure rage as he tore through the dense forest. Thorny thickets were brushed past, and wet foliage was stomped beneath his paws. His fur was heavily lacerated and littered with purple bruises. Small amounts of blood trickled from his bandaged right eye. He lifted his gaze from the path forward to the traces of the night sky visible through the forest''s canopy. A blurry figure shot past his vision, increasing the snarling noises he emitted. While the avian guards of the Council quit their pursuit long ago, Liam still remained. For what seemed like days, he chased the shadow of it with barely any stops. He was starved, dehydrated, tired, and wounded, but he refused to give up. "JACKSON!" he roared. His speed increased as he smacked branches blocking his way and shot occasional glances above to locate the Legendary again. Scaling a rugged hill, he failed to notice the vines wrapped around his body ensnaring a hind paw. He tried to take a step forward but was yanked back. He stumbled in a panic before losing his balance and tumbling down the hill as more thorns and rocky edges pricked his body. "Urk! GAH!" Liam eventually reached the hill''s bottom as his body flopped onto the tall grass. He let out a hoarse wheeze before pulling himself up and continuing his drained sprint. Seeing a shimmering of moonlight in the distance, he ran toward it. The Riolu burst from the treeline and emerged into a clearing. He ran up a shaky outcropping of land that overlooked a lake in the middle of the forest. His gaze was drawn to the starry skies in search of his foe. It was right then and there that he caught sight of it for the very first time. Yveltal and its glittering orange lines trailing behind it, with a Shiny Lucario riding it. "There you are! JACKSON!" he screamed at the figures. Yveltal flapped its mighty wings as an earsplitting screech rattled the sky. The Legendary whirled around and its body shimmered as it went into a sudden dive over the lake. Liam watched in horror as the once calm waters now rippled intensely. Swirls of black and red formed atop the lake and birthed an inky whirlpool. Yveltal flew straight into the vortex and vanished. In a split second, the portal was gone as well, the lake now still and the night sky hushed. "... No. No, this can''t be happening. You can''t- You can''t keep getting away¡­ I won''t allow it. No! I..." But as much as Liam yelled, he knew deep down that he had failed. There was no catching him. His body quaked as the feelings of bitter defeat replaced anger. He collapsed to his knees and peered out toward the lake. Before he could move another muscle, the unsteady ground beneath him gave way. He fell a great length and plunged into the icy cold depths of the lake. His eyes were wide, his breaths escaping as bubbles as the water pulled him under. The darkness beneath the shimmering lake slowly swallowed him as he felt compelled to swim up. But he made no effort to resurface as he sank deeper and deeper.
"Here we are, Bishy. This is where it all ends." "Or begins," Bisharp said. "The knowledge this guy might have could be the real game changer." Excitement crept into his voice. "Big enough for us to move past the merc business." Weavile cackled. "Now don''t get your hopes up that much, tin man." "Well, I still don''t think this is the right move." "Hey, you got to plan our last theft. It''s my turn now. And kidnapping ''mons is my specialty." "Let''s hope so." Weavile bent down on a knee, her black cape billowing in the crisp air of the night. She turned and raised an enclosed claw into the air. The dozens of hardened Pokemon trailing behind her heeded the silent command and crouched. Others emerged from the tops of hills and stalked through the tall grass. They disguised themselves within bushes or hid behind crumbled pillars littering the clearing. "Looks like everyone''s in position. Time to finish this," Weavile said as she walked on ahead. Bisharp would keep a close distance behind her as a few mercenaries accompanied him. Weavile strolled through the moss-covered ruins, her eyes scanning each potential hiding spot for an enemy to appear from. The area was dead quiet, apart from the howling of wind. She approached a still-standing structure deep within the ruins - a destroyed church constructed of gray bricks. She felt a rush of memories flood her mind as she stared at it. So many jobs conducted by her clan were found through talking to the voice behind the building''s walls. Bisharp had crafted a grand web of mysteries linking so many details based on this one anonymous client of theirs. Weavile herself had come to realize how much of this mysterious world she failed to understand through this man. And now she was going to capture him. ''This is it, then. No going back from here,'' she said in her mind. As she leaned against the church''s brick wall, she felt an incredible sense of dread swamp her senses. She fought back these alien feelings with a heavy inhale and exhale motion. She lifted a claw and knocked it against the brick. "Hey! You in there?" Scraping noises could be heard behind the wall as a gruff voice came through the numerous cracks. "Yes. I assume you''re ready to hear my offer of payment first?" "Actually, I''m here for a different reason. A reason you''re likely also here for." Weavile grew a smug grin. She watched as Bisharp planted himself a few yards away, many of her mercenaries lurking behind him as they got into attacking positions. "You probably thought you were gonna catch us off guard with a little ambush, huh? You said we were surrounded before, but I think it''s you that''s surrounded now." The voice went silent. "¡­ Is this really what you want to happen?" "Looks like I didn''t have a choice if you knew what we did. So, why don''t you come out now, mystery man? Or do I have to drag you out myself?" "You fail to understand that this is exactly what I desired!" A piercing screech shattered the calm night sky. Weavile peered up in confusion, her features then contorting into absolute horror. She brought her gaze down and screamed at the top of her lungs. "BISHARP! EVERYONE! ABOVE YOU!" Bisharp looked up to see a beam of red and black energy racing toward him. He reacted on instinct and threw himself to the ground as the ray of destruction ripped across fields of grass and mossy stone, striking multiple mercenaries in its warpath. When the dust settled, petrified stone statues of Pokemon littered the clearing. BOOM! The brick wall of the church came crumbling down as a golden-colored paw emerged from the darkness and latched itself around Weavile''s neck. Her protests came out as choked gasps, her claws attempting to pry the paw off her as she was raised into the air. Her assailant revealed himself as he stepped out into the outside and ferociously glared at her with his crimson irises - a Shiny Lucario. Weavile was then flung from his grasp and landed beside a fallen Bisharp as a shimmering sound echoed. Pillars of blinding, golden orange light sprouted in a circular pattern around the ruins and encircled the area entirely. Rose Clan mercenaries clad in red-stained iron armor stormed out of manifesting Entercards and surrounded the unwary Pokemon. They raised their rifles and jagged greatswords, building up energy attacks that were ready to fire off at a moment''s notice. Yveltal broke through dark clouds in the sky and descended toward the ground. Its razor-sharp talons dug into the earth before Weavile and Bisharp and created a shockwave that swept across the lands. Its mighty wings were then laid out on the grass as it eyed the pair coolly. Weavile and Bisharp cast frantic looks at their surroundings. They were witnesses to the signs of surrender from their mercenaries as the Rose Clan - almost a hundred strong - encroached on them without a single attack thrown. They winced as the cold steels of swords and the barrels of rifles pressed up against their necks. Forced onto their knees, they looked up to see the Shiny Lucario marching his way over to him. Jackson raised a paw as the golden ring wrapped around it flickered. The orangish-yellow, chain-like lines wrapped around Yveltal gleamed in response. Yveltal heeded the wordless command and backed up slightly, allowing the Lucario to stand before the two captains''. He momentarily glanced down at them before raising his head high and shouting loudly. "Mercenaries of the Razor Claw clan! Those who have surrendered and those who are still in hiding - you are cornered! You have three options as of now! Sign new contracts with the Rose Clan and work under them, flee from here and never look back, or fight me and lose a battle you have no chance of winning!" The clearing was deathly silent. Jackson returned to stare at the captains''. They looked up at him in a mix of bewilderment and horror. "Your clan is finished," the Lucario spat. He slowly knelt and regarded them with a vicious glower. "And you two¡­ are mine." Yveltal''s glowing orange lines flared again. Its massive wings unfurled and its maw opened to utter a blood-curdling cry. "KYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring. Submerge yourself in shallow knowledge, and find yourself sinking deeper and deeper and deeper and¡­
Author''s Note: A little learning is a dangerous thing. The water is now welling; it''s bleeding and seething under the surface. Drowning in it. Magearna Character Art: imgur DOT com/a/ck3cSwq
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time:Deeper And Deeper Deeper And Deeper Chapter 37 Deeper And Deeper Water splashed and rippled as a tanned young boy waded through a creek strewn with river rocks. The boy stopped and bent over to peer into the waters, his short brown hair and determined expression reflected across its algae-rich currents. An outstretched hand then dove deep into the water as the boy wriggled his fingers from within. He braced himself for the lashing of teeth and readied his submerged hand to latch onto anything that took the opportunity. "Liiiiiaaaaam!" the drawn-out, familiar voice of a girl came from beyond the treeline and stole his attention. Liam quickly withdrew his hand from the creek and peered into the crowded forest. Twigs and fallen leaves crunched underneath tall ropers that belonged to a young girl emerging from the treeline. Liam could see her medium-length scarlet hair sway in the gentle wind, her freckled face wrinkling in bemusement when she saw him. Despite his predicament, he could not help but smile every time their gazes crossed. June - the spry little sister he loved with all his heart. "What are ya doin'', Li?" she asked, crossing her arms. "Are ya tryin'' to noodle some catfish again? Ma and Pa already told ya not to after the last time ya got bit." "Nah, nah, I wasn''t - I swear!" Liam said in his defense. His eyes darted to the necklace resting against his chest, grabbing the piece of jagged deer antler at the end. "My, uh, charm fell in the creek while I was crossin'', so I went and dove for it, yes I did." June looked at him askance. "¡­ Ya ain''t such a good liar." Liam frowned as his arms dropped unceremoniously in the water. "I gave it my best, sis. Reckon I''m honest as the day is long - like Pa says," he ended with a wry smirk. "Quit playin'' around and let''s get to Swan Lake already." She spun around and headed back into the forest before turning her head. "And Pa says ya gotta row the boat for me," she ended with her own smirk. "Says a lot of things, that man does¡­" Liam crossed the creek and followed closely behind his sister until they were side-by-side. He took a deep breath and drank in the sights of a picturesque forest that smothered the pair within its natural canopies. It was perfect, and the more he looked beyond the forest, the more the gaps of white space were filled in with glimpses of untamed nature. Liam felt his daydreaming disturbed as June batted his shoulder and stared at his necklace. "Why do ya carry around that necklace all the time?" she asked, giggling. "Did Ma really convince ya pieces of junk have ''special powers'' or somethin'' stupid like that''?" Liam clutched the piece of antler and held it close to his chest. "It ain''t junk! And it ain''t stupid either if you think about it. Ma makes those little statues so she feels closer to her old home, and wearing this makes me feel closer to Mother Nature herself!" June rolled her eyes in response. "Me sportin'' my charm is just like you showin'' off those boots of yours, ''cowgirl''," he teased. Her freckled cheeks burned and her fists tightened. "Hush up. Ya know I''m just wearin'' them ''cause Uncle Curtis got ''em for my birthday." "Sure, sure, whatever ya say¡­ cowpoke" June shot him a scathing look. "I mean it! Do I have to get Pa to wrangle ya again?" Liam laughed gleefully. "Maybe Pa could also help ya wrangle in some cattle! Or maybe teach ya to ride one of them ponies ya always wanted!" June flared her nostrils as she stormed ahead. Liam smiled and followed the trail of tramped flora left in her wake. "Oh, c''mon, sis! A little teasin'' never hurt no one!" Emerging from the treeline, Liam and June happened upon a lake in the middle of the forest. It sparkled in the morning sun''s rays. Cattails slick with fresh dew grew alongside the clear waters. They walked alongside the lake''s rocky shores as June neared a beached rowboat and stepped into it. She brushed aside the two fishing rods resting on a bench and plopped herself on it. She crossed her arms, her pouting glare finding Liam as he caught up. He chuckled. "All right, all right, no more teasin''!" "Ya better," she muttered. Liam hopped into the rowboat and knelt to retrieve a blue and white cooler below the benches. He popped open its lid and marveled at the amount of writhing worms packed within. June, however, formed a look of disgust. "Ugh, how come Pa made us go with them slippery ''lil worms?" she questioned. "Couldn''t we have used cheese? Them fishies like that, don''t they?" "Some do - but Pa is a worm guy, and he wants ya to learn like he did," Liam said as he closed the cooler. He then pulled a more compact box out and opened it, revealing an assortment of colorful lures, along with bundles of reel. "We got our bait, reel, and our tackles here! Pa sure wasn''t no liar when he said he got everythin'' set up for us." "Sooooooo now we can get on with it, right?" "Yeah we can, Your Highness," he murmured. June smiled widely as she kicked her legs back and forth. "Well then, get to rowin'' with ya, Sir Liam!" Liam groaned. "The things I do to be a good big brother ''round here¡­" She giggled. "Nice to see ya treatin'' your sis right for once." Liam stepped out of the rowboat and began pushing its wooden hull across the wet grass. Water splashed and welled as the boat made contact with the lake, the small vessel now slowly drifting across it. Liam quickly hopped back on and planted his behind on a bench. Small, sun-kissed hands then latched onto two paddles on opposite sides of the boat. Liam grunted as he began rowing the craft further into the lake. The sun made its shining presence known across the calm, sparkling waters. Liam''s muscles ached from the repetitive motions, but his heart and mind soared at what he was currently experiencing. The air was thick and humid, clinging to his skin and invading his nostrils with a smell of fresh rain. Beyond the gentle creaking of the rowboat, his ears picked up the soothing chirrups of a Mourning Dove, the singing of a Northern Cardinal, and the cries of a Red Fox from deep within the forest. He felt surrounded by the natural, uncorrupted forces of life itself like it was squeezing him in its warm, inviting embrace. To call it bliss would be an understatement. The rowing ceased as the boat slowed, stopping in the heart of the lake. Liam took in a deep breath as he looked at their surroundings. "Always nice to get out of the house and onto the lake, ain''t it?" June leaned over the boat''s railing and peered down. She smiled and reached a hand down to swish through the crystal clear waters. "Would be nice to get our feet wet instead and do a ''lil swimmin''. Ma said we shouldn''t, but it ain''t like there''s piranhas." Liam shook his head. "No piranhas, but the catfish here¡­" He gulped upon remembering a particularly painful memory. "Well, we ain''t gotta worry ''bout them." A loud guffaw came out of June. "But Pa insists on not swimmin'' again after he got bit by one of them mean ''toe biters''." Liam snickered as he knelt to retrieve their fishing rods. "I could hear his cryin'' and swearin'' from the other side of the lake that day. Can''t say I blame Pa." He handed her a rod while he cradled his own, his lips curling into a wide grin. "Now. Are ya ready to learn how to fish, sis?" June swung the fishing rod over her shoulder and nodded eagerly. "Great! Now we just to¡­ uh," Liam''s words trailed off as he looked around at their setup in a confused manner. "Oh, right! Get the tackle on the rods and set up a line!" He paused. "At least I think so." June harrumphed. "Are ya kiddin'' me, Li? All this time you was talkin'' ''bout bein'' an expert at this fishin'' thing and teachin'' me, and you was just spinnin'' the yarn?" He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey! I only done this once before with Pa! Besides¡­" He let out a short huff. "I got a memory clear as day, so don''t ya worry!" "Whatever ya say. Now are ya gonna teach me or what?" The next few minutes passed as Liam attached lures to their rods and threaded the reel through them. Mixed in was colorful commentary from June through her initial learning struggles, much to Liam''s chagrin. But once everything was prepared, they stood side-by-side and held their fishing rods outward toward the lake. "All right, now we''re gonna cast ''em," Liam said. "Watch what I do!" The boy maintained his perfect stance as he extended the fishing rod over his shoulder. He swung it back not a second later, the long reel gliding over the lake until it landed gently in the water. Liam smiled at his successful cast before glancing over at his sister, who was nervously fiddling with her rod. "Now you try it! Do exactly what I did!" "Um, okay, I''ll try it!" June breathed in and out before she whipped the fishing rod behind her with immense force. Her eyes squeezed shut in concentration as she balanced herself on one leg and kept her rod as far back as possible. Seconds later, she threw the rod back as the reel went flying over the lake, the lure creating a small splash when it landed dozens of feet away from their boat. Liam blinked. "Well, I hope that worm was able to stick on the lure after that journey ya sent it on." June''s reddened face scrunched up. "I just wanted to make sure I got it on the lake!" "Whatever ya say, Junebug.". She rolled her eyes. "So now what do we do?" "We wait!" Time passed by slowly as the two siblings kept a steady grip on their fishing rods. They waited patiently for their prey to take a bite, feeling for any amount of movement in the living waters, and listening for the sounds of splashing. June lowered her rod slightly. "Li, I don''t mean to be rude since ya was so excited and all ''bout teachin'' me, but¡­ this is kinda borin''." The boy laughed. "Never said it was gonna be fun, now did I? But it''s relaxin'', ain''t it? Away from home, away from dumb ole school, away from Ma and her list of chores. Yup!" June pouted. "From the way ya was talkin'' bout it, I thought we was huntin'' for sea monsters." "Ya never know, sis." His jubilant tone turned sinister. "Some man-eatin'' ''toe biter'' might turn up to snack on a cowgirl and her brother, and then finish off their Pa!" His joke sent her into a storm of giggles as she shoved him lightly with her shoulder. "Quit playin''! Ya gonna make me drop the rod!" Liam''s own laughter faded as the tranquil sounds of the lake replaced their voices. His gaze was drawn to the clear skies as a bevy of swans descended from the heavens and landed in the waters. Like tiny white boats, they drifted closely together and occasionally dunked their heads in the lake. June giggled lightly at the playful honks and whoops they sounded out. Liam found his breath stolen by their beauty, but eventually found his tongue and spoke up. "I heard ya speakin'' with Ma the other day - in her room." June perked an eyebrow as she glanced over. "A bad liar and now one of them nosey girls lookin'' for gossip? Jeez, Li." "It- it ain''t like that!" he defended. "I was just passin'' down the hall and heard you both talkin''. Y''know, talkin'' about your future and all." He grew a sly grin. "And you wantin'' to be one of them silly movie actors." June flipped her hair with a turn of her head. "It ain''t silly - and so what if I do? You''ve seen me at the school plays, which means ya know I''ve got the talent of one." "I know ya do! It''s just," he frowned, "you''d want to run off to California and join some ''Hollywood'' business they got there?" "But Hollywood sounds like fun! Fancy dresses, shiny lights, and I could meet so many of them famous movie stars!" she gushed. "That stuff sounds so silly and fake, sis. Them movies, too - I don''t get it. Why would ya wanna watch somethin'' imaginary when ya got the whole world to live in and experience? I mean-" He was suddenly treated to a round of laughter from his sister. He eyed her with a confused look. "Hey! What''s so darn funny?" "That''s ''cause you never even sat down to experience one, Li. We don''t even got a television at home! You and Pa - y''all seem to think we''re still in the 1800s." Liam was not bothered by the remark, shrugging. "And what''s so wrong with that? I think more people should be like us. Out in the middle of nowhere and away from the city, family''s all here, and the simple, honest beauty of Mother Nature. And who says ya can''t become an actor here?" June let out a frustrated growl as she threw a free hand high. "Ugggghh! See! This is what I mean! I love ya, Li, but I could mistake ya for a mule with how stubborn ya are." Liam smiled proudly. "As long as ya don''t think I look like one, sis." His cheerful expression waned. "But why would ya wanna run off to some stuck-up place like that?" "Because it''s my dream, Li." "I know, but-" "There ain''t no ''buts'' to it!" She sighed and wore a resigned smile. "I know you''re lookin'' out for me and all, but when I''m a grown woman and stuff, there''s decisions I gotta make for myself. I don''t wanna stay in South Carolina my whole life. Ma knows I got big dreams, and she wants me to reach ''em, no matter where I go. I''m sorry, Li, but I don''t wanna have my big brother make decisions for me forever." Liam flinched, almost hurt by her honesty. He recovered with a warm smile of his own. "I-I know, sis. We ain''t gonna be kids forever." His features twitched slightly. "But If ya got dreams, then I don''t wanna hold ya back. It''s just¡­ I like being your big brother, y''know." He chuckled. "''Sides, I need to make sure that Hollywood place can handle a rough ''n'' tumble cowgirl blowin'' through town." June shot him a withering look before mellowing her features. "I should slap ya for callin'' me cowgirl again, but ya reminded me of somethin'' - somethin'' I should thank ya for. Few weeks ago, when ya protected me against those idiots after class." Liam sniffed. "S''no problem." "But ya didn''t have to punch one of ''em. Ma don''t want you gettin'' suspended anymore," she said as a giggle escaped her. "One thing I know is that I''m tired of helpin'' ya with your math and English homework." "If I didn''t show them I was for real, they''d keep pickin'' on ya. Have they messed with ya since?" "Nah. Ya sure scared ''em off. They scatter like rats when I see ''em in the halls now." "See? It was good that one of ''em gots a black eye now. Nobody messes with my family - especially my little sister." ''Well ain''t that that sweet of ya. And ya know I''m always lookin'' for ya, too." June looked up in thought. "Y''know, maybe Ma or Pa could explain it better, but I think I know somethin'' ''bout you, Liam Shaw," she enunciated slowly. Liam raised a brow. "Oh? What do ya know ya haven''t already called me?" "Well¡­ Maybe ya-" Their peaceful conversation was put to an end as June''s fishing rod jerked in her grasp. The girl panicked as she felt a lively force from within the splashing waters pull her rod downward. "Ah! Somethin'' bit! What do I do now, Li?!" she screamed. Liam dropped his rod and focused all his attention on June, placing a hand on her shaking shoulders. "Calm down, sis! First step is to lift your rod upward so that mean ole fishie doesn''t drag it into the lake!" "O-okay!" June did as instructed and lifted her fishing rod. "Now what?" "Wait till the fish stops fightin'' and start reelin'' it in!" When the ferocious splashing ceased, June began spinning the handle on the rod and reeling in her lure. "Keep goin''¡­ keep goin''," Liam encouraged. Slowly but steadily, the creature hidden beneath the thrashing waves was dragged toward the rowboat. June gave one final spin of her handle as the brightly colored lure erupted from the lake before the pair. Writhing in the air and latched to the lure''s hook was an olive-green fish with spiny fins. Liam leaned over the boat''s railing wearing an expression of pure excitement. "Ya did it, sis! Ya caught a," he tilted his head, "looks like a bluegill! Big one, too!" June''s face mirrored her brother''s as her shaking hands threatened to drop the rod. "I-I did it! I actually caught one of these scaly things!" Before her catch could wriggle its way out from its capture, Liam plucked the fish from the hook and deposited it into a cooler loaded with ice. "I know I said we would toss ''em back into the water, but ma said she''d cook ''em for dinner if we caught a few bluegills." He saw a gleam in his sister''s eyes, knowing full well it was because of her love of seafood. "You''re kiddin'', right? I''ve been fixin'' for some good sea critters!" "I ain''t." He smirked. "And I know a spot with lots of bluegill over yonder." June excitedly stomped the boat''s deck with her ropers. "Then let''s head over there now! C''mon, we still got hours of daylight and I''m gettin'' hungry! I wanna eat till I''m full as a tick!" "All right, all right, hold your horses; I''m the one doin'' all the rowin'', anyway..." Liam sat down on a bench and grabbed both of the idle paddles. Water rippled beneath the rowboat as it began slowly moving further into the lake. June observed Liam''s repeated motions as she slumped her body against the wooden railing. "I ain''t forgot what I was gonna say earlier," she said, her vivid amber-colored eyes meeting Liam''s as he stared at her. Her next words carried a strange, somber tone. "Maybe¡­ Maybe ya don''t want me leavin'' ''cause you''re afraid of change." Liam stopped rowing. The boy felt his body tense up through sheer animalistic fear. Goosebumps erupted across his arm as a cold feeling swamped his sensations. His chest burned; his mouth gaped as he tried to draw a breath, but was blocked by an odd pressure building up. His widened gaze darted around his blurry surroundings before they snapped to something coming into view. Something incomprehensible. Another rowboat passed theirs. A fox-like creature that was white as snow leaned against the boat''s railing while another blue and black bipedal canine gently rowed. The foreign vessel quickly vanished in the hazy distance of the lake as Liam''s intense stare tracked it. Only the cheery voice of his sister yanked him back into reality. "Why''d ya stop? Are ya tryin'' to make sure we don''t get dinner?" "N-nah, just thought I saw somethin'', is all." June stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry. "If it ain''t a sea monster, then it ain''t worth stoppin'' for. Get back to rowin'', Sir Liam!" she bellowed with a pump of her fist in the air. Liam''s face flashed a mixture of expressions before settling on a smile. "Ya got it, Your Highness." The rowboat continued on its way, wading through cattails, lily pads, and gentle waters.
''Ew, did I swallow something from the lake?'' Liam stifled a cough as he pushed himself off his bed. He took a look around his room, grimacing at the messy and disorganized state of it. He knew his mother was sure to give him a blistering earful about it later, yet he did not feel compelled to act when there were far more important things to take care of first. ''Where is it¡­ I remember placing it somewhere.'' Liam stepped past the haphazardly discarded laundry and peeked into his crowded closet. He rifled through its contents but could not find the object of his interest. He threw himself to the floor and peered into the darkness beneath his bed, a smile gracing his lips as saw the wooden circular frame of it. He reached a hand into the abyss and pulled out his banjo. Liam sat back on his bed and propped the instrument in his arms. His fingers hovered above its strings as he took a couple of breaths. He waited a couple of seconds before beginning with a single strum. It was a cheery tune - one that he had picked up from his uncle during his last birthday party - and now he was going to play it during his next one. For hours on end each day, he meticulously whittled away at this song. He nodded his head to the well-practiced notes, a foot tapping the wooden floorboards in rhythm with his playing. ''This next section is so hard. But I-'' His thoughts and playing were halted by another fit of coughing. He scowled, tossing the banjo onto his bed in frustration. ''C''mon, I can''t have some stupid cough prevent me from practicing.'' He psyched himself up. ''Yeah, just a few more sessions.'' As Liam moved to pick back up his instrument, the sound of commotion coming from the open window in the room caught his attention. He hopped off his bed and trudged toward the window. He stuck his head out into the open, where he was given a view of blank nothingness. He blinked. He saw sprawling fields of hilly grasslands surrounding the home. Looking down at the driveway, he located the source of the noise - a tanned man in a sweat-drenched t-shirt digging through an open toolbox and muttering curses under his breath. It seemed his father was also having troubles of his own. The front door to the large home swung open as Liam exited. He meandered over to the driveway, where his father was hunched over the open hood of a deep blue pickup truck. Filling the air were sounds of metal ratcheting and the almost growling grunts from the man. Liam strode around the side of a cart and into the view of his father. He leaned against the glossy finish of the vehicle''s passenger side door. Robert did not take his attention off the exposed engine. "I just waxed it, Liam," he deadpanned. Liam smirked as he removed himself from the truck. "How ya doin'', Pa?" "Could be better, son," the man grunted, wiping his oil-slick hands with a white towel. "Been here all mornin'' with this fuckin'' hunk of junk." He paused. "Shit. Your ma don''t want me swearin'' in front of ya. You''ll keep quiet, ya hear?" "My lips are sealed, Pa, but maybe I should mention to ma about gettin'' a swear jar." Liam crossed his arms as he leaned over. "What''s wrong with the engine?" The mere mention of it caused Robert to scowl. The man shook his head. "Was plannin'' on headin'' out earlier to the market; didn''t get even a couple feet off the driveway before the engine went kaputz on me." He tapped what looked like to Liam a crooked, inverted golf tee with his wrench. "Looks like one of the valves went and got bent, meanin'' this here cylinder might not be takin'' in the right amount of exhaust. Plus this piston here," he tapped another set of metal pieces, "could hit that bent valve, tear it off, and cause a whole amount of ruckus in the engine." Liam blinked after zoning out during his father''s long, uninteresting spiel. "Um, so that means the truck don''t work, right?" "No." "But it will work when we gotta head to the party tomorrow, right?" "Here''s hopin'', son. Either I fix this, or I gotta call Bill and have him take us there." The man glanced over at Liam. "I ain''t gonna cancel nothin'' when it comes to my boy''s special day." "Cars and trucks, they''re nice and all, but they seem more trouble than they''re worth if ya ask me. Pollutin'' the earth, breakin'' down all the time. What''s wrong with a good ole horse?" Robert laughed heartily, revealing his grim-ridden features from behind the truck''s hood. He scratched his five-o''clock shadow. "I take ya out horse ridin'' once in Texas and now ya wanna go and revert all the progress mankind has made? Strange kid I got here." "Darn right I do! And I bet it''d fix them traffic problems, too." Robert returned to fiddling with the engine. "Thanks, Liam, but I''ll stick with my truck over some beast of burden. Goes a hell of a lot faster, too." "But it don''t seem to work now, does it? And this ain''t the only time, either. Why don''t ya just get a new truck and replace this one? I mean, ya called it a ''hunk of junk''." His father chuckled again, seemingly at the boy''s temerity to say such a thing. "I''ve been with this truck since the year ya was born, son. You''ll learn when ya get a vehicle of your own someday, but this truck here? It''s like family, and ya always keep family close." He patted the truck''s front bumper. "Racked up close to a hundred thousand miles on it. It''s my baby - and don''t let your Ma know that." Liam crossed his arms. "Guess ya and I are the only ones that see it that way¡­" he grumbled. "Did ya know June said she wanted to go that ''Hollywood'' place when she gets older?" If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Twisted valve pieces clattered loudly onto the cart beside Robert as he dropped them. He let out a short huff before ducking underneath the hood again. "Your sister is just growin'' up, son. She''s figurin'' out where she wants to go in life, and that''s good. She might not go as far as Hollywood or whatever they call it now, but she''s got talent and the drive. I reckon she''ll go places - like you." Liam puffed out his chest. "Them forests out there need protectin''. That''s the job of a forest ranger, and I''m gonna be one of ''em, yes I will," he said matter-of-factly. "I know ya will, son. But¡­ sometimes life likes throwin'' ya a curveball. Happened to me when I was young." "What do ya mean?" Robert placed his wrench down and stared up at the blue sky. "Did I ever tell ya I wanted to be one of them NASCAR drivers?" Liam attempted to stifle his laugh but failed. "Seriously, Pa?" "Dead serious, son. Every time we all got a chance to watch television in the orphanage, I''d always have to fight with the others to put on a race - talkin'' punches, not wordds. Watchin'' those stock cars zip around the track and drift was always the highlight of a depressin'' day. Ya don''t know how happy I really was when your sister wanted to see one live." "I never got behind it. What''s so fun ''bout seein'' cars drive around a track on loop?" "Startin'' to sound like your Ma," Robert remarked. "It''s fast, it''s exhilarating, and it got me into cars. And yeah, I wanted to drive one of them stock cars, too. In front of thousands of spectators, aimin'' to succeed." "So why didn''t ya? I could see ya wearin'' those silly overalls," he said with a grin. Robert stiffened as his mouth parted. A moment passed by before he let out a long sigh. "Back then, in my youth, things wasn''t like they were now. I didn''t have you, your sister, or even your Ma. Didn''t know my folks, either. I was truly alone in this world, and then I started runnin'' with a bad crowd. Things¡­ They got crazy. But I eventually found a way out, met your mother, and got this house built here." Liam frowned at the brevity of his father''s explanation. "A way out? What do ya mean by that?" The man sighed. "Maybe it''s somethin'' I can tell ya when you''re older - much older - but it''s better to not mention it. These bad people I ran with, they-" he stopped himself. "We was friends once, and we was bad people. I don''t rightly know what happened to ''em, but I hope they fixed their lives like I did mine. And I like to think I make up for what I did then by what I do now - protectin'' and servin'' the fine folks of Sumter County." "Well, then I''m glad my Pa did just that!" "But¡­" Robert returned his forlorn gaze to the skies. "Maybe it doesn''t make up for my mistakes. I don''t regret what I did to secure a family; I wanted- I needed to have what I never did. I saw a chance to get out and I took it. I''m glad I did. And yet I still lay awake some nights thinkin'' that I didn''t end my problems but only ran from ''em. And those problems will come to haunt me in the future." Liam absorbed the man''s words with rapt attention. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped when he saw his father clenching his fists. "Liam?" "Yes, Pa?" "Ya may never know what I''ve done to reach this point, son, but I want ya to know one thing; I never want ya goin'' down the path I went down, and committing the same mistakes I did." The boy honed in on the intense stare his father was now giving him. He tried to swallow the growing lump in his throat to no avail. He peered up at the sky, noticing a strange oddity permeating the sea of endless blue. ''Are those¡­ bubbles?'' Pockets of air drifted languidly into the atmosphere. Liam swore he could see bright rays of moonlight shining through shimmering waves. The sounds of the serene nature around him were sucked into a vacuum of dull, muted noises. His terrified stare lingered on the ascending bubbles as they increasingly vanished one by one. "Liam!" Robert snapped. The boy jerked in place. "H-huh?" "If you''re gonna stick around, then can ya hand me my flex head wrench?" He jabbed a thumb at a red toolbox a few feet away from him. "Uh, sure!" Liam trudged over to the open container and looked inside. The boy''s already hazy vision was now swarming with multitudes of screwdrivers, pliers, spanners, clamps, and wrenches all in different sizes and shapes. He was so inundated by the display that he simply stood there. Such a simple request felt like an incredible task as the spotlight Robert glanced back, eyes narrowing. "Did ya find it?" "Um, what''s a ''flex head'' again?" His father groaned and flicked a hand. "Forget it, Liam, I''ll get it. You should be practicin'' for tomorrow''s performance, anyway." Liam let out a sigh of relief. "I''ll gladly do that instead, Pa. I reckon I''ll see ya around later." "Dinner time, for sure," the man said, grinning. "And tell your sister I wanna have a little chat with her later about this ''Hollywood'' business." "Will do, Pa." Liam blinked and regained his perception. He walked back to the front door with a noticeable hitch in his steps.
The stairs squeaked underneath Liam''s careful footfalls as he ascended them. His cough returned with a vengeance and forced him to stop and heave over the railing. He hacked his lungs out until drops of a clear fluid flew out of his mouth and stained the wood. More of it spilled from his jaw as he wiped his lips and suppressed a gurgle crawling from his throat. He panted where he stood. ''First these hallucinations, and now I''m coughing up¡­ water?'' It befuddled him, and he had no answer to the many questions popping up in his mind. He chose to ignore them and move on. Liam leaped the last few steps of the staircase and emerged into a hallway decorated with paintings of flowers and ornate-looking white statues resting on tables. They depicted various animals - from howling wolves to diving humpback whales - glistening in the sunlight peeking through the curtains of windows. These peculiar figures could be seen on shelves all across the home. Created by his artistically gifted mother, Liam loved them dearly; mostly because they represented wildlife of all kinds. While his father held lukewarm reactions to them, he and his sister were always excited to see a new one or partake in making one themselves. Faint humming could be heard from the open door to his parents'' bedroom. Liam lingered by the doorway before stepping inside. Small cardboard boxes filled with bubble-wrapped objects lined the floors and even the wide bed in the center of the room. The boy watched with a smile as his mother paced around the room, a bounce in her step. Liam could not help but feel calmer every time he crossed paths with his mother''s contagious optimism. With her long, scarlet hair that glowed in the sunlight pouring into the room, colorful blouses, and her warm smile that seemed to never fade. Her words and mere presence alone reinforced his love of the world when its cruelty revealed itself. To their community, she was Angelica, a housewife with a streak of creativity. To his father, she was ''Angel'' - a fitting name Liam had thought. And to himself, she was simply his ''Ma''. The boy did not know what he would do without her. Angelica soon noticed him lurking in the doorway and twirled around, showcasing that eternal smile and warming Liam''s heart right back up. "Hey, sweetheart." "How ya doin'', Ma?" The woman motioned to the boxes littering the floors. "Do you remember when we met the Lachaises at church last week?" Liam nodded. "Yeah? What about ''em? They seem like decent folk." Angelica hummed as she laid a hand on a taped box. "Well, Mrs. Lachaise and I had a long chat. She loved the little statue I showed her and wanted to buy a bunch from us!" She clapped her hands together. "She told some of her friends from across the county and now they want to buy some, too!" "Wait! So you''re gonna sell all them ''lil statues we got here?" "Not all of them, Liam. But it''s nice to have some extra money around here, and it gives me something to do!" The boy frowned and crossed his arms. "I don''t know. It kinda feels like we''re sellin'' pieces of our home away, don''t it? Shouldn''t that be more worth than money?" Angelica resumed wrapping up the painted statues and placing them in various boxes. "Liam, there''s so much more to a home than decorations. If was just you, June, your father and I, it would still be a home. And I wouldn''t sell off any of you. Well, except your father when he insists on doing things ''the right way''," she remarked. Liam exhaled an amused huff, his smile betraying his conflicted thoughts. "I¡­ I guess you''re right." Angelica laughed lightly. "If you''re here about dinner - it isn''t for a few hours." "Nah, Ma, I ain''t here ''bout that." "Hmmm, and have you cleaned up your room and sorted out your clothes as I''ve asked for the dozenth time?" Liam scratched the back of his neck. "Err, I still haven''t gotten around to that yet. I''ve been busy practicin'' for tomorrow." Angelica whirled around and placed her hands on her hips, looking at him almost expectantly. He wilted under his comforting yet authoritative gaze. "I-I''ll do it after dinner later, I promise!" he said hastily. "But I just wanted to talk to ya about somethin'' - somethin'' that''s been, uh, buggin'' me lately." Her features softened. "If something is wrong, Liam, then you can always come to me or your father. Now, what is it, sweetheart?" Liam walked over to the bed, brushing aside layers of bubble wrap as he sat on it. A cough erupted from his mouth but was quickly snuffed out. Strangely, his vision fluctuated and blurred as he recalled a certain memory - one that had been plaguing him the last couple of days. An odd force weighed heavy in his throat. He ignored it. "It''s stupid, Ma, but the other day, when June and I went fishin'' down by the lake, she said somethin'' to me." Angelica sighed. "Your sister says quite a lot of things, Liam. She has quite a thing for theatrics." "Nah, ma, this was different. I remember overhearin'' ya and June talkin'' ''bout her leavin'' South Carolina someday and headin'' to Hollywood or whatever to start this acting thing. I told her it was silly and she should stay here, but then she said¡­ She said that I was afraid of change, and that made me feel really weird, I guess." Angelica brushed aside the cardboard boxes on the bed and sat down next to Liam. She placed a comforting hand on the boy''s shoulder. "Sweetheart. I remember when you were just six years old, and you wouldn''t let go of that blue blanket I gave you as a baby. Even when it was nearly torn in two and bits of strand, you still clung to it." Liam blushed at the reintroduction of that memory, looking away as his mother continued. "Heck. You''re more stubborn than your father. So what do you think? Do you think your sister''s right?" The boy shifted uncomfortably in place. He fiddled with his necklace charm. "... I keep thinkin'' about when grandma got real sick and passed. Almost every night before I sleep - and I cry sometimes ''bout it. She was a part of all our lives, y''know, even if she didn''t live here. She was there for me - for all of us. So when she was gone, it-" a few tears slid down his cheeks,"-it felt like a piece of me was gone, too. And, uh, I just get scared that if June leaves, then we might never see her again." His soft voice began cracking. "Like she''ll become famous or whatever and never have the time again, o-or she''ll get hurt and-" "Liam," his mother said. "I know what you''re feeling. I miss my mother every day, and yes, I do still cry for her sometimes, too. But we all have to move past this and accept the changes in our lives." "I¡­ I don''t know if I can, Ma," he croaked out. "I don''t want things to change from how they are now." Angelica moved her hands to the boy''s back and rubbed it soothingly. "I had to change my own life, too. Almost thirteen years ago, I met your father in New York City - in a pizzeria - and everything I thought I had planned for me was turned on its head right then and there. He was new to the city while I lived there for two years after moving from Indiana. He said he was looking to start over in life, and that captivated me. I took a gamble with this mysterious, handsome drifter and drove down here to start a new life. We were just teenagers, and I had to give up all my dreams of being an artist there to do this. Your grandmother said I was being a fool; said I should''ve stuck to the course, gone to college, got a degree, and lived in some apartment flat for a decade." She snorted and shook her head. "My mother eventually came around to trusting your father. But I remember her saying something to me days after you were born that stuck with me since." Liam glanced over. "What she say?" "She told me that I would regret being with your father and that I would regret having you. " A significant blow was dealt to Liam''s core as her words sank in. He could not fathom that his grandmother would feel that way about his mother. He wanted to be angry at this revelation, but could not bring himself. The stern yet loving old woman was always watching out for him; helping him with schoolwork, making him realize his love for music, and getting him a banjo for his birthday. The poems she created and read out to him while he laid in his bed and imagined them playing out in his head. "Make no mistake, Liam, my mother loved you as much as she loved me. She came around in the end and embraced this change. I know she passed knowing full well that I had made the right decision, and that I don''t regret anything." "I still- I still don''t think I can accept somethin'' like that." Angelica placed both hands on the bed behind her as she leaned back and smiled. "It sounds like you need to hear ''The Forest Of Vanishing Sorrows'' again." Liam''s heart was now aflutter at the mention of the poem his grandmother occasionally read to him. Before he could say anything, Angelica began to recite it, her timbre motherly and reminiscent of his grandmother. "Tears flow and flowers grow. Across tombs read intimacy sundering to dust. Stand beside relics as eyes shutter and throats go tighter." Liam closed his eyes and simply listened. "Think and you are there. Let go and weather the storm; these freezing, frigid scars shall warm to a crisp. Absence of familiar smells and instead a comforting pine and oak." The boy took a deep breath. "When eyes open, the scrying forest awaits, and intimacy springs alive. Take your first step into this copse and¡­" Liam waited for the stanza to be continued, but it never came. Confused, he opened his eyes and was immediately caught off guard at what he saw. Thick trunks of tall, evergreen pines flooded his vision. The boy pushed himself off a stump he was sitting on, his bewildered gaze snapping around this new environment. He was in a clearing deep within a dusky forest, and not his home. ''What the¡­ Where- where am I?! What''s going on?'' The twinkling stars and moon hanging above were obscured by the tips of pines. Trilling noises of insects and the hoots of hunting owls intertwined harmoniously. Liam took a hesitant step forward as if this mirror to another realm would shatter. "Ma? Pa?" He turned around. "June! Is anyone out there?" The forest returned his shouts with the vocalizations of unseen animals. Liam seized up at the silence that followed but found his hopes clinging on as he saw a paved dirt trail that led out of the clearing. He steeled his shaky nerves and jogged toward it. Only glimpses of moonlight parted through trees shuddering from sharp gusts and onto the trail. And yet strangely, Liam felt completely warm on the outside and serene on the outside. He kept walking in whatever direction the path was taking him. Confusion and fear still clouded his mind. "Ma! Pa! Where ya at?!" After a few more unanswered pleas, he focused entirely on the pathway. Scanning the tree line, he noticed cracked, gray headstones behind bushes and trees; they lacked names or noticeable features. They grew in numbers as Liam walked further, his leisure pace now a quick amble as he attempted to put distance between himself and the headstones. ''Is this forest a cemetery or something? What''s going on here?!'' Liam''s hopes soared as he saw a glowing red light in the distance. He made a mad dash toward it, emerging into another, much smaller glade. The dying embers of a campfire were still smoldering in the clearing''s center. The boy stopped near it as the path reached a dead end. He looked down and saw another headstone placed right in front of the campfire. Unlike the nameless ones from before, there was visible writing on it that sent a chill racing down his spine. ''LIAM GASPARD SHAW AUGUST 12TH 1987-JANUARY 8TH 2007'' The warmth Liam initially felt was ripped away and replaced with a cold, numbing sensation. The blood in his veins froze into ice. The rhythmic pounding in his head was mirrored by the scalding sensation tearing his chest asunder. He backed up from the headstone and turned to see sets of familiar eyes observing him from the forests of pine. They were sympathetic. The shallow breaths Liam took were reduced to wheezing as he shut his eyes off from the world. ''No¡­ This isn''t real! None of this is! I''m back home, with Ma, Pa, and June, and I have a party tomorrow!'' he reinforced in his mind. ''Ma put me in bed, and this is all a nightmare. I''ll wake up, and I''ll-''
The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in vibrant, scarlet, and purple tones. The sounds of corn stalks being brushed aside resounded throughout the field as Liam marched through it. His body jerked and he let out a haggard cough that sent specks of water over strands of dry grass. Ignoring this, he happened upon stacks of piled straw and bent down to pluck a strand. He chuckled and wedged it between his teeth before continuing. He ascended a steep hill and flicked his amused gaze to the singular tree at the very top. June was resting her back on it and occasionally flipping through the pages of a book she appeared engrossed in. Liam reached the hill''s peak and then cupped his hands over his mouth, yelling. "BOO!" June visibly flinched and slammed the book close to her chest as she glared daggers at Liam. "Hey! Did ya have to go and do that, Li?" "I was just wonderin'' where ya went, sis. Party''s ''bout to start soon and you''re off wanderin'' into farmland?" "Just doin'' some readin''. Why? Ya got a problem with that?" Liam circled her with exaggerated, long steps. "Oh? And what ya readin'' there, cowgirl? Tips on gunslingin''? Ooh! Or maybe ya actually do read them cheesy romance books Ma got ya!" June scoffed and returned her attention to the open book. "It''s ''bout these two girls from the countryside movin'' into the city and becoming actresses together. Then they become rivals and stuff and start betrayin'' each other for movie deals." "And no romance junk?" She rolled her eyes. "Nah. Y''know, we can read it together if ya want. It''s mighty interestin''" "Me and readin'' don''t get along well. I ain''t so good at it, and it seems more like a thing for girls, don''t it?" June scoffed at his claim. "Now I know why ya ain''t ever found a girl at school. Ya act like one of them hicks who ain''t got a lick of sense." Liam grinned and bit the straw sticking out of his mouth. "Oh, just ''cause ah tawk like this, then I''s stupid and always fixin'' fer sum moonshine?''" he said airily, exaggerating his accent. "''Cause ah wrestle wit mean gators ''n bears, and ah don''t take too kindly to that disrespect, ma''am! And ah-" He was cut off by loud giggling from his sister as she hid her face behind the book she held. "Hey! Do ah need to call my daddy and have ''em git you?" "Ya s-sound like Uncle Curtis!" she struggled to say. Her amusement eventually petered off. "You''re too silly sometimes, Li." Her brows perked up upon observing her brother. "Why the heck is your skin so blue? Looks like ya took a bath in dish soap." "Don''t worry ''bout it; I''m just nervous, is all." Liam crossed his arms, shivering at the sudden chill sweeping the area. "Ya was around for my last practin'' sessions, so what do ya think? Think I can hold my own up there on stage with those talented folk from the choir?" "Hmmm, I don''t know, Li. Ya think that I could become a good actress?" she asked smugly but with a hint of curiosity. "I''ve seen ya in school plays, and I''ve seen ya spin the yarn with Pa ''bout gettin'' an allowance, so I''d say so." June smiled victoriously. "Then ya got this in the bag, Li." Liam opened his mouth to retort but the rumblings of a car engine stole his and June''s attention. A blue pickup truck flattened grass as it drove toward them from behind. The vehicle then came to a stop as the passenger side window rolled down and Angelica popped her head out. "Liam! Junebug! The party is about to start!" Liam shot his sister a grin. "Race ya back to the truck!" he shouted before immediately taking off down the hill. "Ya know I always win these!" June grumbled before she sprinted after him. Car doors slammed shut as Liam and June strapped themselves to the back seats. A second later, the truck was moving once again and driving through the fields. Liam''s face was glued to the windows as mazes of corn and wheat became but a blur to his eyes. Excitement and fear bubbled simultaneously in his chest as they got closer to their destination. He broke into a sweat, stomach twisting in tight knots and churning to the bumpy ride. ''I got this! Everyone''s gonna love it!'' he reassured himself. June seemed to notice his nervousness and lightly punched his shoulder. "Don''t ya sweat it, Li. Ya got this!" Liam gulped and pushed his worries aside. "¡­ I do." The party came into view as the truck rolled to a stop. The four occupants inside stepped out and began walking toward it. A large, wooden stage was erected in a vast clearing that was packed with mingling family and friends. Colorful balloons were tethered to posts. Smoke from sizzling barbecue on open grills wafted above. Long picnic tables were covered in white sheets and held platters of fresh food - undoubtedly Liam''s favorites - that smothered the party with a pleasant aroma of fried goods. Liam nearly drooled at the smell as he craned his neck to look up at a wide, blue banner stretching across the orange sky. A thump appeared in his heart as he read the bubble letters on it. ''HAPPY 13TH BIRTHDAY LIAM!'' Cheers, and fervent clapping exploded from the party attendees as they saw Liam and his family approaching. Liam was approached by multiple relatives and found his arm sore from how many hands he shook, and his back aching from the strong hugs he received. He was eventually left to his devices as everyone else grabbed plates of food and conversed in small groups. Liam merely stood around and watched the motions of the party for a while. After being told ''Happy birthday'' so much, his head and heart were overwhelmed. But something caught his attention, and it was not the many sights the party offered him, but something beyond it. Atop a grassy knoll, a woman in an alabaster sundress stood with her back to the party. She swiped away at a canvas on a stand, seemingly in her blip of reality separated from his. The boy found himself staring at her as she passionately painted away, though he could not see what the canvas depicted. A cold gale excised the humid breeze and made Liam shudder. He felt a cough coming from the back of his throat, but it never came as a firm hand clasped onto his shoulder. He looked up at the owner of it and saw his smiling father. "Already thirteen years old, Liam, and I can''t believe it. If I blink, I''m sure ya will be eighteen and ready to leave home," Robert said with a chuckle, taking a swig of a beer can in his other hand. Liam frowned. "I hope not, Pa. Sometimes I wish I would stop agin''. Uncle Curtis now wants me to start a job out in his fishin'' shop. " "Well, I can always give him my blessin'' on that. Growin'' up is hard, and comes with certain responsibilities, but also some benefits; like gettin'' to drive your own car someday." The boy''s frown deepened. Robert chuckled again before giving him a straight look. "Look, lot of us adults here wish we could wind the clocks back, too - but the fact of the matter is we can''t. We do what we gotta do, and we live the lives we was given. So start smilin'', converse with the fine folks we got here, and enjoy this party while it still lasts." With his parting words, his father walked away. And Liam took his advice immediately. He smiled and caught up with old friends and relatives. He stuffed himself with delicious food. He enjoyed every second that he was given. Still, his attention was always focused on the looming stage in the corner of his eyes. He knew it was coming, and he knew there was no avoiding it. This was his party and also his performance. An hour passed by until members of the Sumter County Choir filed up the stairs of the stage and took a seat in the wooden chairs. Attendees crowded around as the testing thrums of guitars and violins filled the air. Excitement was palpable all across the party as the show was about to begin. And yet there was still one seat left empty on stage. Liam closed and opened his mouth several times as he slowly stepped toward the stage. It was only then that he realized he did not have his banjo. He whirled around in a panicked state, only to see June holding out the wooden instrument with a smirk. "Did ya miss this?" she asked cheekily. "Um, yeah, reckon I did." She giggled. "Then go play already!" Liam grabbed the banjo and rushed onstage to the encouraging shouts of many - the loudest being June, who was standing on a table and stomping it with her ropers. He plopped himself in the empty chair and looked at the amassed crowd. It felt like the world was watching them; his anxiety spiked, but his excitement peaked. The choir members looked at him expectantly, their faces missing and blank. Liam coughed again before he responded with a look that exuded confidence. They nodded and prepared themselves, Liam doing the same and gripping his banjo. ''Remember everythin'' grandma taught ya. Remember all the hours of practice.'' He laid his fingers across the banjo''s strings. ''Okay¡­ Okay. On the count of three! One. Two. Three!'' He began with a single pluck of the strings. The show ended with a final drawn-out strum. Cheering and clapping exploded from all angles of the crowd. Liam''s tense expression softened into one of absolute elation at their reaction. He peered into the horde of people and saw his mother and father smiling proudly at them; he smiled back. He saw June leaning against a post and merely giving him an approving nod; he nodded back. Overcome by this moment, Liam leaped him from his chair and stood near the edge of his stage. He intended to give an out-of-the-blue speech of his gratitude as he opened his mouth. But all that came out were choked gasps and gurgles. Liam blinked as he stepped back and surveyed the crowd. He wondered why he could not speak, or if he was simply too speechless to do so. He blinked once more. ''They''re¡­ They''re still clapping. Was I really that good?'' Indeed, the crowd was still going wild, and all their ferocious cheering was focused solely on Liam. The boy took another step back until he collapsed into his chair. Dizzy and disorientated, goosebumps erupted across his cold, clammy arms. His breathing turned ragged before ultimately fading into more gurgles. ''I don''t feel so good, but¡­'' The crack of multi-colored fireworks bursting in the sky resounded across the field. Liam swiveled his blurry gaze around as the crowd grew to a fever pitch, black specks consuming his vision turning to large splotches of darkness. ''But I feel so¡­'' His chest burned like molten lava was being spilled on it. His lungs were full of a strange substance that kept a weighted pressure on them. He slumped further into his seat. ''I wish I could say thanks for everything, but I feel so peaceful¡­ just right here.'' A ringing noise in his ears drowned out the restlessness. No longer could he even move his numb limbs as his eyes slowly closed on their own.
"Liam!" Liam groaned and turned in his sleep at the vocal disturbance. "Liam! You''ve got to get up! Please!" The boy stirred again before he reluctantly cracked an eye open. He saw his sister staring down at him. Her scarlet hair was frazzled, and her eyes filled with worry and fright. "J-June?" June nodded. "It''s me, Li, and you''ve got to get up!" "Okay! I''m getting up!" Liam finally pushed himself up from the soaking wet grass he was laying on and opened both eyes. What he saw was nothing short of nightmarish. They were by their lonesome in a vast field and captured in the eye of utter chaos. Tidal waves of water surged across the plains, crashing up against and uprooting trees and rocks. Whirlpools were birthed from the enraged sea and towering tornadoes of water formed and raised high. Spiderwebs of lightning occasionally lit up the pitch-black sky. A light rain descended from it and pelted them. "June! What''s- What''s going on?" Liam cried. "What is this?! Where''s Ma and Pa?!" June sighed as she knelt in front of him. "Listen to me, Li, and listen closely. Ya have to stop this." "W-what do you mean, sis? Stop what? Where''s the party and everyone else? I was just performing there!" "There ain''t no party, Li; there never was." The boy''s face paled and his mouth parted. "What¡­ N-nah! We was just there - you and I! I was playin'' on stage and-" "No, ya wasn''t." "This is all a dream, then! My mind playin'' trick-" "No, Li! Stop the games already!" June snapped, her hands latching onto his shoulders. "Please. Stop. You''re lyin'' only to yourself." The boy visibly recoiled and turned his head. "I-I don''t know what you''re talkin'' ''bout. This ain''t real. None of this is." June smiled sadly. "You''re right, Li¡­ None of this is." She motioned to their surroundings. "Look what ya done. You''re destroyin'' yourself." "No. No - you''re just my mind messin'' with me. I''ll wake up and continue my party and-" "Ya ain''t a kid no more. You''re an adult. Ya can''t hide no more from what''s real." Water trickled in from the raging storm, seeping into the ground beneath them and welling up their fallen knees. Liam peered down and saw the reflection of a young boy in the trembling water - an identity he so desperately wanted to cling to. His counterpart flickered until an older version of himself appeared. The reflection altered again until it resembled the odd, bipedal canine he hallucinated before. Its crimson eyes were sunken and bloodshot, its blue fur drenched and sticking out. Liam stared at the creature until it, too, vanished in the increasing waves. "You''re dyin''¡­" June said wistfully. "Only a few minutes, but ya lived a different life in that time." "N-no," Liam uttered. He clutched his head and squeezed his eyes closed. "I''ll stop the teasin'', sis, I promise. I''ll c-clean your room for a whole month, even. But please say you''re jokin''. Don''t¡­ Don''t say that everythin'' wasn''t real this whole time." June moved closer to her brother and pulled him into an embrace. Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. "I wish I could. But I can''t lie to ya anymore, and ya can''t lie to yourself anymore, either. I ain''t real, and ya know that deep down." Liam said nothing as he held onto her tight and buried his face in her shoulder. He never wanted to let go of her, decrying her words in his mind. "You''re wrong," he said, his voice muffled. "Ya are so silly and pigheaded, Li," she mumbled, forming a small smile. "I keep tellin'' ya, but you''re so stubborn to accept it. We''re both alike in that way." Liam reluctantly pulled himself away and wiped his tears. "Then if ya ain''t real, then who- what are ya? Are you me?" "I''m¡­ I guess I''m the part of ya that still sees clearly; the part of ya that still wants to live." Liam scowled as searing, bitter tears flowed from his hazel eyes. "And what if I don''t want that anymore?" "Then-" A pregnant pause followed. "Then I guess this is it." The storm worsened. Turbulent seas swallowed entire forests and plains. Frenzied typhoons enlarged as tornadoes multiplied. The ground beneath the motionless pair quaked as the water level rose to their waists. Rain now came down in freezing sheets. "But ya know there ain''t no comin'' back after this; not like before," June whispered, brushing aside her wet, auburn hair. Liam remained silent as he watched the carnage unfold around them. "Ya can''t ignore it anymore. But that''s a good thing." June raised an arm and pointed a finger at a hill unravaged by the sea. "''Cause maybe there''s still a chance for change." Liam followed her gaze and his eyes widened. It was the mysterious woman in the white sundress from before. She was facing them and looking straight at him. The incomplete canvas from before was now finished, and he could see it vividly. A headstone with his name and fate on it - the one he saw in the mysterious forest. "¡­ There''s nothin'' left for me other than this," he muttered. "This world... I don''t care if it''s fake when it''s real to me. If I''ll die, then I''ll die here with ya." "But this can''t be the end after everythin'' you''ve gone through. Why would ya want a fantasy in your head, when it could be lived in reality?" "Could there even be a reality where ya really existed?" "I don''t know, Li. But if it means anythin'' to hear it from yourself, then I would''ve loved ya like any other siblin''." "Ya really mean that?" Liam waited for an answer. "June¡­?" He returned his attention to the spot where his little sister was kneeling, only to find it empty. He was all alone; just how it had always been. The shaking of his world reached its pinnacle as the water at the boy''s waist was rapidly climbing. The dark skies cracked and split open, gushing forth waterfalls that began filling up the drowned world. Liam''s instincts activated as he desperately tried to swim upward to a surface that was constantly rising. He put all his feeble strength into one action that felt inevitable. An invisible force stalked him and kept trying to pull him back under; a voice in the back of his mind telling him to stop fighting. But no matter how many times he was consumed by the tide, he resisted. He could see rays of light shimmering across the sky as he gave one last push before he succumbed. His vision darkened.
Water erupted like a geyser as Liam emerged from the depths of the lake. An intense, protracted gasp escaped the Riolu''s lungs as they gorged themselves on precious oxygen. A fit of uncontrollable coughing broke the stillness in the air and forced fluids from his maw. Wide, crimson eyes met twinkling starlight as his choking slowed, and he felt his consciousness reawaken. The bruises across his fur ached, and the cuts and lacerations stung from the water''s frigid bite. Blood trickled from his soaked eye bandage, dripping into his parted mouth and bestowing him the taste of iron. His absent gaze swiveled; pine trees and dense forests. Everything hurt, and the fact that it did stirred elation within him. He was alive - and with that graced a smile upon his quivering lips. He was happy, but that was crushed in mere seconds. He craned his head up to see the full moon barely shrouded by dusky, gray clouds. It drowned him and the uncaring loch in its silvery luminescence. He floated in place, only staring, and not moving a muscle. A minute passed, and then another before the Riolu twitched. He laughed. More spontaneous laughter spilled from his muzzle as hot tears ran down his cheeks and dropped into the burbling lake. His cackling turned ragged as he continued, his expression twisting and contorting into a vicious scowl. His vocalizations ended with a whimper as he sobbed. Even more laughter came, his cries only louder. And yet, nothing responded to him. Water splashed and rippled like shockwaves around the Riolu as his arms swung down at the lake. He took all his caustic anger out on it until his arms were too tired to move. They fell limp into the freezing drink, the waves, and erratic noise he created fizzling out in mere seconds. He thrashed in place and emitted pained screams at any being who cared to listen to his agony, but even that proved futile. He stopped. With everything spent, he did nothing but stare ahead. The lake was still once more.
Mouthful of air, resuscitating a corpse given life it rejected, now baptized in cold, harsh revelations.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Discord: z2h2z Next Time: Two Shepherds And Their Unwitting Flock Two Shepherds And Their Unwitting Flock Chapter 38 Two Shepherds And Their Unwitting Flock Swathes of swirling rainbow energy were birthed from the glowing, rose-colored necklace the Aerodactyl wore. They coalesced and formed a brilliant white sphere around the outstretched Pokemon. Plumes of sand were whipped across the scarred battlefield in its wake. The prison of light encasing the Aerodactyl swelled before shattering as a ferocious and emboldened cry pierced the sweltering air. Long, obsidian-colored spikes adorned the Pokemon''s new form. Its jagged wings spread out as it swooped down to face its three foes on the ground. "Boys! We got another powered-up merc to mop up!" Garchomp bellowed. Aggron headbutted a Skuntank with his metallic cranium before turning his attention to the Aerodactyl speeding their way. "Aye, lass! Just another notch in our belt!" He turned. "How about ya get him for us, Ty!" Tyranitar''s blank expression turned fierce as he turned to face the newcomer and stomped the ground. Pillars of rock then erupted up from the sands and attempted to strike Aerodactyl as it expertly maneuvered through them. It raced toward Garchomp and gnashed its large jaws at her, merely grazing her scales as she dodged. The dragoness sneered and slashed at the Rock-type with her talons. It retreated but Garchomp followed, leaping off the leftover columns of rock. Her maw opened to spew out a stream of purplish, draconic energy that battered the Aerodactyl. It grunted and climbed higher to avoid her attacks. Meanwhile, a dozen Rose Clan mercenaries surrounded Aggron and Tyranitar. The hulking duo exchanged looks before they stomped the ground in unison, the earth quaking and groaning from their combined Earthquakes. The already weakened Pokemon collapsed and were unable to move, only twitching. "SCREEEEEEEEEEAAAAH!" The echoing shriek of Aerodactyl above resounded as it descended in a spiraling maneuver. Boulders manifested and plummeted from the skies onto Aggron and Tyranitar as they hunkered down and endured the onslaught. Garchomp zeroed in on the Aerodactyl as purple energy engulfed her form. Flaming Draco Meteors rained down, tearing through falling boulders and smashing into the Aerodactyl. It screeched in pain, its steadfast flying faltering as it dropped to the sands. Still, its fight remained as it tackled Garchomp to the ground. Sets of twisted teeth revealed themselves to her as the Aerodactyl snapped its jaws in a feral frenzy. A well-timed kick punted the Rock-type off her and sent it careening into a felled boulder. "Hey! Fossil with wings! Over here if ya want a real fight!" Aggron yelled, smacking his chest. Aerodactyl''s eyes narrowed in unrestrained rage. Its wing flapped uncontrollably as it shot toward Aggron and assaulted him with a barrage of bites. The Steel-type crouched low and absorbed the blows with his body - a glint of light appearing from it. Garchomp and Tyranitar immediately recognized what was yet to happen and found natural cover to duck behind. Aggron''s body shone greatly as Aerodactyl continued its onslaught. Mere seconds later, the light expanded before exploding into metallic shrapnel that burst outwards. Boulders were reduced to pebbles, cacti, and thin yuccas shredded, and Aerodactyl was lying across the sands - unconscious. Its body shimmered as its Mega Evolved form faded. Across the ravaged battlefield, silence reigned. It was cut short when multiple Entercards were thrown to the ground and roared to life. What remained of the Rose Clan escaped into the pillars of orange light, quickly dragging their fallen comrades until they were gone. Garchomp peeked her head from behind a set of rubble. "Aggron, you sent them scurrying back to their princess with that Metal Burst!" Aggron gave a proud smile. "Ain''t no merc in this world that can stop me, lassie! Remember that!" Tyranitar rolled his eyes. "Let''s focus on what''s important here! Make sure Excadrill and his team are safe!" Garchomp''s eyes widened. "Right! Excadrill said he was trapped in the Mystery Dungeon and-" "And I''m¡­ right here," a new yet familiar, drawling voice chimed in. Team Drarosteel turned to see a heavily wounded Excadrill slowly making his way over to them. Two Drilburs by his sides kept his shaky legs from collapsing. Blood from the entrances of a bullet wound and other inflictions trickled down his dusty fur and gear. The large mole wheezed in pain as the Drilbur hoisted his body onto an oblong-shaped rock. He laid supine, his breathing slowing. "Excadrill!" Garchomp cried as she sprinted over, followed by Aggron and Tyranitar. Oran and Sitrus berries were crushed in the claws of the two Drilbur. Their combined juices dripped on the exposed wounds. A sharp hiss escaped Excadrill as he stared up, caught in a daze. Grit Ruin Excavator workers crowded around the wheezing mole - worried and distraught at their leader''s condition. Garchomp threw a determined look at them. "He needs a nurse immediately! A couple of you head out to the nearest village or town and get one! Quick!" she barked. A few Drilbur dispersed from the gathering and ran across the plains. "Guess I''m thankin'' my lucky stars," Excadrill croaked out. "The best darn exploration team in Celestic¡­ Appearin'' like knights in shinin'' armor to save my behind." His bloody lips curved into a stained grin. "I want my Ma¡­ to say she ain''t proud of me now. But if I die now, then I won''t ever be able to." Garchomp''s features softened as she walked up to the still Pokemon. "You''re gonna be okay, all right? The Rose Clan is gone." She winced upon scrutinizing the extent of his injuries. A survey of their surroundings revealed the motionless bodies of Excadrill''s workers across the scarred sands. Her heart dropped, as she knew them to be the ones who did not make it. "I¡­ I''m sorry we didn''t get here quick enough." "Don''t say that. Don''t ever apologize to a ''mon for savin'' ''em. My workers and I¡­ I reckon we owe our lives to y''all, and don''tcha forget that. But what I don''t get¡­ is how y''all knew to come here." "We were ambushed at our team base by the Rose Clan," she said. "After we took care of them, we tracked some of them back to a hideout they were using in Elysium City and saw a map of your camp here. Didn''t take long for us to connect the dots and utilize those Entercards you taught us about." Excadrill let out a hoarse cough. "Who would''ve thought trainin'' y''all ''bout them would save my life one day¡­" "My team and I may have just met you during the expedition, but we protect our allies." "Remind me to pay y''all back someday then¡­" Excadrill groaned as his head swiveled to look at Garchomp. "Them Rose Clan buffoons, they¡­ they were a lot more equipped than the last time we tussled with ''em. A lot more bloodthirsty, too." Garchomp frowned. "This wasn''t revenge for what we did during the expedition; someone hired the Rose Clan to assassinate us. And they''re using Mega Evolution now. Something we''ve only seen our toughest rivals out in the field use. I''m positive Serperior didn''t go spelunking for them herself." "Exactly-" he coughed, "-what I think. They must got some fancy, rich client of theirs that can afford to hand off supplies to these chumps like it was nothin''. And this client ain''t too happy with either of us bein'' alive." "Clearly not. The boys and I believe that¡­" She paused, sighing. "You- Have you heard about Jackson and Empyrean City?" Excadrill''s weary expression morphed into sheer anger - a type Garchomp has never seen on the Ground-type before. He grunted as he pushed past the pain he experienced to lean his body up. A scowl remained on his face as he spoke languidly. "That rotten mutt. When I heard what happened in that city, I couldn''t believe it. I- I shook his paw after the expedition ended; I helped clear the ruins at Criss-Cross Creek, and he repays that by destroying a city and dooming its citizens to some purgatory." His rage bubbled into a twitching sneer. "I admired him, and he¡­ he played us all for fools, that scoundrel." Garchomp could feel her own anger rising at the mention of the Lucario. "Couldn''t have said it better myself," she murmured. "But the boys and I believe that Jackson is the one behind these attacks on us." "Aye!" Aggron yelled from behind. "The location of our team base is on an isolated island - home to a bunch of reformed pirates. It was a wee secret between us and our close lads, but Jackson was one of those who knew." "Not such a ''secret'' it is when ya keep mouthin'' off about where it is all the time," Tyranitar mumbled. Garchomp nodded. "Jackson knew about our base, what kind of a threat we are, and all about you, too. It isn''t a stretch to say he got the Rose Clan to do this. Scizor, he¡­" Her heart dropped upon speaking of the Bug-type''s name. "He mentioned to me during the expedition that Jackson would take money from the guild on occasion, but he didn''t know what he do with it. I knew something was up with Jackson by then. I think he was funneling that into mercenaries, or something to do with whatever plans he has. If not him, then who else? This... doesn''t sound crazy, does it? Excadrill shook his head. "It ain''t. But¡­" He hissed again as he forced himself to stand up one agonizing step at a time. "Why would he go for ''lil'' ole me? You''d think there''d be some other ''mons out there on his choppin'' block." Garchomp rested her chin on a talon in thought. A stray thought entering her mind sent a chill down her spine. "Excadrill. You''re amazing with Entercards. You know so many things about the ley lines and manipulating them with Entercards. Apart from the guild, you''re the only other Pokemon in Celestic with that much know-how about the dungeons." Excadrill found it painful to adjust his tie but did so with pride. "That I am, ma''am." "Which makes you the perfect target. Whoever wanted you gone wanted to make sure the Pok¨¦mon of Celestic know nothing about the ley lines or Entercards." "I¡­ I see what ya mean, ma''am. A ''mon other than my Ma wantin'' to see me buried." He shook a pair of claws at the sky. "How do ya like them apples, Council? Looks I am popular enough, ya Rattatas in suits..." "A lot of the guild were caught up in the attacks on Empyrean. Scizor and a few others made it out, but the Council arrested them. Excadrill, they''re trying to put them on trial for the attack." "Oh, are they? I''ve seen how these play out." "And? What are their chances of beating this? They''re completely innocent!" "Lady, it don''t matter what y''all think. The entire continent is in an uproar over this Yveltal business. Empyrean is in ruins, local towns and villages are in lockdown, and ''mons all across are aimin'' for the Council to be removed - for a good reason, I might add..." "And what are you getting at with this?" "The Council needs approval more than ever, and sendin'' the guild to the dungeons is a perfect way to regain that trust. They''ll lose no matter what." Garchomp took a step back in shock. Her mind swirled with thoughts of everyone at the Cosmic Quilt Guild. She thought of Gloria, a pupil whom she trained and hoped would become the next best explorer and hero to grace Celestic. She thought of Scizor and her heart sank again. "No. No, we''re not letting that happen. I don''t believe the Council would stoop to something like caving into a mob." Excadrill laughed at her rebuttal, which served only to anger her. "Ya think they won''t? Empoleon was one of the most level-headed ''mon there, and he''s a statue now. Kommo-o has taken his spot for sure, and from my conversations with him, he''s willing to destroy any threats to the Council''s existence." Garchomp''s expression soured at another name she had a history with. "And how are we supposed to believe you?" "''Cause I was once one of them phony politicians, but I was real, ya see. I tried to join the Council before they changed the rules to favor mayors and elders, and ''mons that kiss their behind. I know how these types of ''mons operate," he said bitterly. "But that don''t matter, ''cause I know a way the guild can be free." "Tell me. How?" "We bust them out of their holdins'' before the Torchics come to roost, of course!" Garchomp was taken back. "What?! Are you saying we break them out of their cells, or is this another silly idiom of yours?" "This ain''t no joke, ma''am. I know where they''re holed up, ''cause I was once in that same position after a ''lil'' disagreement with Kommo-o back in the day." He smiled fondly in remembrance. "Point is, I know how easy it is to get under that courthouse and into those cells." "Even if we were to entertain this idea, how would you do it? This is a heavily guarded place." "Easy!" Excadrill made a digging motion with his claws, producing a groan of pain from him. "My Drilbur will make a tunnel connecting from outside the city to the cells underground. All it takes is one second for us to blast the walls open and get the guild into that tunnel. A quick getaway would be waitin'' for them at the end, and then we''d all make like a Ghost-type and vanish before the Council''s goons show up." Tyranitar sniffed. "Crazy as it is to imagine, it seems like a plan as any." "Exactly! And that''s why we''re gonna go with it!" Excadrill exclaimed. "No, we aren''t!" Garchomp countered. "Are you nuts? Not only would we be committing a crime, but we would involve the guild as accomplices! If this was to fail, then they''d have no chance of being free! The only move here is to get an audience with the Council and convince them to release the guild. They respect my team; they would hear me out." "They would never have a chance to begin with, lady. What makes ya think they wanna hear ya when a hundred ''mons are outside and bangin'' on them doors for action?" "They would-" "They would listen to them ''mons, not you," Excadrill said matter-of-factly. Garchomp was now visibly growling as she thrust a talon at the mole. "You just want to believe whatever you want to believe! What, because you failed at becoming part of the Council you think they''re gonna imprison innocent Pokemon? The Council has stuck out for my team before on many occasions, so why can''t you have faith that-" "THIS AIN''T A GAME!" Following his explosive comment, Excadrill affixed the dragoness with a flinty glare and stepped forward. "Ya might think you''re some bigshot crawlin'' around Mystery Dungeons, savin'' the occasional ''mon, and bein'' seen as heroes, but in the real world, none of that matters! These guild ''mons might be the only chance at ridding this world from the ley lines, and if they get locked away or executed, then there goes our chance!" He reversed his steps. "You''re at a crossroads, lady. Ya gotta decide which is more important; protectin'' some government backed up into a corner, or fightin'' for a better tomorrow." "I can''t allow you to do this," Garchomp said through a repressed snarl. "There has to be another way that isn''t pinning a target on us as well. Scizor''s smart - I bet he has his own idea on how to free them." "It ain''t nice¡­ It ain''t nice - I know that. But we don''t got a choice, do we? If Jackson is really behind what ya say, then we can''t stand by as the guild gets convicted; that''s what that mutt wants. We free ''em, combine our smarts to figure a way out of this mess, and the Council will see that we did the right thing. It''s not perfect. It may not even work. But doin'' somethin'' is better than hopin'' and doin'' nothin'' at all." Pink, floppy ears appeared over the crest of a sandy hill as an Audino wearing a red nurse''s cap revealed itself, flanked by two Drilbur. Excadrill noticed its arrival and began limping toward the Audino. He glanced back at Garchomp. "Some of my workers need to be buried or sent back to their families, and I need to heal. I''ll¡­ I''ll give y''all some time to think over what I said. But y''all should go with my workers to Elysium City; maybe ya could still talk some reason with the Council, but I doubt it." Garchomp watched the mole be led away by the nurse in a mix of anger and disbelief. She observed her surroundings and the carnage that was left behind. Her legs wobbled as she walked over to a cracked boulder and slumped against it. Aggron and Tyranitar followed her, looking down at the dragoness with looks of bemusement. She peered up, looking at their faces as well as the cloudless skies. "... I sounded like my mother back there. Back there and the whole expedition." She grit her teeth. "Nagging my dad, wanting everything her way. I hated her for that, but I learned everything from her, even her negative traits." Aggron sighed and knelt in front of her. "Lass, ya ain''t gonna accomplish anythin'' in this world by always comparin'' yourself to your flesh and blood. You''re not your mother; you''re you, and that''s all that matters." "I wish it were that easy for me to feel that way, Ag. I didn''t want Team Moonlight to fall apart like it did; they were heroes to me growing up. And I don''t want to go against the Council when the whole continent seems like it''s falling apart. I just- I wanted things to be perfect¡­ My mom wanted our lives in the village to be perfect. She and dad would argue about what was really important; what was real, what was fake. And now I feel like a little runt again - lost and confused on what actually matters." If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Tyranitar snorted. "As much as motormouth here and I told ya to stay out of the Council''s business before, we can''t overlook it now. So get up and stop being such a wuss, boss lady." "To put it more delicately, you''re stronger than this, lass. All three of us are as tough on the inside as we are on the outside," Aggron said with a prideful strike to his chest. "But ask yourself this; what is important right? Reality or fiction? I think ya know the answer to that¡­" Tyranitar added his own knowing stare at the dragoness. Garchomp bit her lip in response. A pregnant pause followed before she stood to her full height, holding her head up high. "I''ve decided, boys."
Gloria blinked, uncertain if the words she heard uttered were indeed true and not hallucinations of her already rattled mind. "W-what?!" "Are you crazy?" "Scizor, you can''t be serious!" Scizor stood up from the far corner of the dingy cell. He took in a deep breath before exhaling. "I''m afraid I''m not. It''s the only way for the Council to free you all. If their ire was directed all on me, then I can make a deal and promise your freedom." Braixen''s jaw almost dropped. "S-scizor, doing that will get you imprisoned for a very long time! Or even worse!" "And you''re gonna take the blame for what that bastard did?!" Monferno yelled, almost offended. The Bug-type said nothing. Gloria shivered and pressed up against Braixen''s body. Her eyes watered at what she heard. She threw a desperate look Roark''s way as the Zoroark paced around the cell. "Roark! Please say something! Tell him he shouldn''t do that!" Roark stopped. "Scizor. Are you trying to pin it all on you to save us, or are you doing it because you feel guilty?" "Can it not be both?" Scizor asked, an unreadable expression on his face. "This isn''t a trial, only mob justice. But I promise to spare you all from this injustice and focus their hate on me. It''s the least I could do putting you all into this terrible situation¡­" Roark scoffed. "None of us came into the guild by being forced in, y''know. We all chose this. We need to get through this together - not forfeiting anything along the way." "It doesn''t matter. The guild''s goal - our goal - is bigger than this; it''s bigger than all of us. I have to see it realized. After everything we''ve been through, that''s all that matters in my mind, even if it means I see it from within a cell." "But you''re the best of us, Scizor!" Gloria cried. "If we lose you, then who else do we have to lead the guild?" A red pincer pointed at Roark, who seized up when he saw it. "Roark will. He has the most experience of leading out of us all. His experience in the Rescue Society shows he has what it takes. And despite his personality, I have no doubt he can lead what remains of the guild and its allies to victory against the ley lines and Jackson." Roark pointed a claw at himself. "Me? You''d really think I''d fit the bill?" His mouth parted seeing Scizor nod in confirmation, backing up and hitting the bars of the cell. "Look, that''s¡­" His claws scratched the rusty metal behind him. "I appreciate you thinking that, Sciz, but I''m not the right guy for the job. I already passed up on leadership before; it''s not something that''s my purpose, y''know." "You have to. I don''t have what it takes. I''m a researcher and advisor by heart. I''m not Jackson and I''m not Charizard. But the only way the guild will survive is if there''s a strong leader." "What ''guild''?!" Monferno shouted. "Everyone at the guild is either stone or gone like Shaymin and that Riolu! We''re all that''s left! And Braix and I aren''t gonna throw our lives away when this is none of our business now!" He glanced over at the fire fox in question. "Right? Back me up here!" Braixen lifted her head from her arms and sighed. "... He''s right, Scizor. I don''t want to seem like a coward, or that I''m afraid, but I have a family back home. I know they miss me, and I miss them a lot. I-I thought staying for the expedition was the right thing, but this is just too much now. I can''t take it," she admitted, pulling on her shoulders as Gloria brought her into a much-needed embrace. The Ice-type felt relieved she could relate to her words. "I sympathize with you, Braixen - I do," Scizor said. "But if you truly miss your family, then you want them to live. With Jackson, Yveltal, and the ley lines, there''s no guarantee of anything anymore." His voice dropped an octave. "My home village and family were erased in the blink of an eye. I wish I had the chance to save them before, but I didn''t - no one did. Braixen, the same could happen to your own family and town. But now we have the chance to stop that from ever happening again. Do you really want to give up now, or hide forever from danger and hope it never happens?" Braixen sniffled. "I¡­ No, I don''t-" "Don''t try to manipulate her to stay!" Monferno interrupted with a snarl. "I''m not manipulating anyone to do anything, Monferno. I only ask that you all realize what we lose if what remains of the guild disbands," Scizor argued. "We are so close. And we need to stick together instead of falling apart. If I do what''s needed, I need to make sure my- our dream of a world without ley lines is realized." "You don''t need to be some martyr for us," Monferno said. "Without everyone else? With everyone thinking we''re a part of the attack? And taking down Yveltal? What chance do we have at that? Face it, Scizor, this isn''t our battle anymore." He plopped himself next to Braixen. His partner nestled into his side and rubbed her puffy eyes. "Me and Braixen realized that already. And if we get out of here as free ''mons, we''re going home." Roark hung his head, frowning at what the primate said. "I can''t agree with what Scizor is proposing he do to help our case, but you two can''t just leave this, y''know. Things are harder than they''ve ever been, I know that. But you two? I know you''re stronger than this." Scizor nodded and closed his eyes. His limbs trembled. "I can''t expect you to fully grasp what I feel. I feel the guilt weighing on my consciousness. Even if I didn''t lift a pincer myself, that was the reason why it''s come to this point - my inability. Just¡­ Please, I have tried to propel the careers of everyone in the guild before. I failed to do that. Now let me try and accomplish my duty one last time so every struggle of the last twenty-five years was not for nothing¡­" The jail cell fell deathly silent. Monferno shook his head and opened his mouth to speak, but closed it upon hearing something from beyond the iron bars. The screeching noise of a creaky, metal door opening bounced off the walls. Soon followed the pitter-patter of multiple footsteps and the flickering, orange light of a flame hovering in the darkness. The Poliwrath from before emerged wielding a lantern and a stern expression. Another Pokemon was right beside it, clad in a ragged, amber-colored cloak - a Houndoom. The Poliwrath fished for something in the pocket of his faux leather coat. He produced a set of keys and jostled to find the right one before inserting it into the cell''s lock. The doorway flew open as the Houndoom stepped in, settling his fiery gaze upon Gloria. "Vulpix of Team Requiem! You are required for questioning!" he barked. Gloria shrank under the hound''s glower. Her paws shook as she hesitantly removed herself from Braixen''s grasp, who was also reluctant to do so. Before she could walk over to Houndoom, Roark bent a knee and whispered into her ear. "Don''t say anything that could incriminate us, sis. Keep your cool; stay tough, all right?" "A-all right," she whispered back. The Dark-type gave her a brief hug before retreating to the cell''s corners. Gloria stepped near to the Houndoom as the Poliwrath slammed the cell''s door behind them. "Follow," Houndoom said simply. Gloria felt like her head was spinning after the amount of winding corridors they went down. She could not push down the lump in her throat as she dutifully followed, nor could she stop the endless flow of terrible thoughts in her mind. ''What is this about? Is it about me? Roark? All of us?'' Despite the advice she got, she was scared out of her mind. Another door whined as it opened. Houndoom stepped inside and puffed a short ember into a torch on the wall, illuminating the small room. Inside was just a wooden table and a single chair. "Sit down," the Fire-type commanded. Gloria obeyed and sat down on the uncomfortable piece of furniture. Houndoom then began to pace around the table, like he was about to strike. His movements only served to increase the anxiety she felt. "You were present during the attacks on Empyrean City, weren''t you?" he asked. "Um¡­ yes, I was. Y-you were there. You arrested us at the guild." "Indeed I did. Were you present when your guildmates were¡­ dealt with by Yveltal?" Gloria''s heart panged with sympathy at the mention of her friends. "No. We were, um, we were getting back from an expedition when Yveltal must''ve appeared. I was unconscious during the attack itself." "Unconscious? Might I ask why?" She froze. "Er, it was a dungeon Pokemon that did that. I got careless and took a Flamethrower from behind." Gloria felt horrible lying to anyone, but she knew she could not risk a single detail. Houndoom nodded as he continued to encircle her. "Your partner, the Riolu - Liam. What is he like?" Gloria sank into her chair upon recalling her close friend. "He''s¡­ He''s my best friend. He can be stubborn, reckless, and a bit of a fool like my brother, but¡­" She allowed her muzzle one smile. "But he''s very brave and adventurous. He''s helped me come out of my shell a lot after we partnered up. I care for him a lot; he''s like family to me." Expelling her thoughts on her partner only seemed to exacerbate the pain she was experiencing inside. "I see. When did you meet Liam?" "Over a year ago, in the Sunshine Forest near Empyrean City. He had am-" She remembered her vow and shook her head. "He, uh, came from the Shore Region and was new to the mainland. I showed him around the city and we became friends. Then my brother helped us get into the Cosmic Quilt Guild." "Was there any time throughout your partnership that he acted rather odd?" "W-what?" "Answer the question." Gloria gulped. "Well, he daydreamed sometimes, but I thought it was always because he was enamored by everything he saw around Celestic. It was, um, cute to me, not odd." "He was rather close with Jackson - the Guildmaster - wasn''t he? Training with him, exploring together, practicing instruments." "He was. They always-" She tilted her head. "How do you know about this?" "During the attack, what was Liam doing when he ran back to the guild?" "He- Everyone said he ran off to the guild and saw Jackson controlling Yveltal there. Then the both of them fought and Liam lost consciousness." She held a paw to her chest. "If I may ask, sir, what does this have to do with anything?" "I''ll get to that in a second. And once Liam ''awoke'', what happened to him?" "I remember waking up at the guild moments before he did. I don''t fully understand what happened, but he was acting very differently than the last time we spoke. Then he ran out the door and I chased him and¡­" She paused as her eyes welled up with tears. "He, um, he t-told me to go away, that he- he doesn''t know me and I don''t know him. Afterward, Roark gave me his scarf and said he left to chase after the Guildmaster and Yveltal." She wiped her wet face upon finishing. Houndoom halted his steps and bored into Gloria with an emotionless stare. "Thank you for your retelling. Let me get to the exact reason I am speaking with you. Currently, your partner is the third most hunted Pokemon in Celestic after the Shiny Lucario and Yveltal. The Council and its allies have evidence to believe he is an accomplice in the attack on Empyrean City and its citizens." "...W-what?" The ebony canine placed his paws on the table and narrowed his red eyes at her. "A letter was delivered for Empoleon''s eyes only that claimed your partner was heavily involved with Jackson''s plots from his entrance into the guild to its demise. While I can not disclose this evidence as of now, from what I have seen, it is very concrete in its assessment." Gloria''s heart sank, thumping erratically in her chest as she processed what she heard. He was claiming her trusted partner was actually an outlaw plotting the destruction of her home city. It was unthinkable, numbing, and something she could never come to the conclusion of. She was angry that this Pokemon could even suggest such a thing. "... No! He''s not! He had nothing to do with the attack or anything else!" the Ice-type exploded. "Really? Has your partner ever spoken to you about what exactly he and your Guildmaster have been up to in their talks together?" Her anger wilted. "N-no, he hasn''t. But that doesn''t mean anything!" "To you, it doesn''t. But with the evidence we have at our disposal, it''s easy to determine what was discussed." "No¡­ Stop that. Liam would never, ever do something like this! He loves Celestic; he doesn''t want to destroy it like you think!" Houndoom leaned further over the table. "Tell me, where is he exactly? We have searched all north of Empyrean City and have not found him. You would not lie to a captain, would you?" "N-no, I wouldn''t! I''m telling you the truth! He ran away from the city and we have no idea where he is if he''s even safe at all!" "Gloria, Celestic is in chaos. The Council has lost Emploeon, lost its respect and trust, and Pokemon are desperate for action and strength. Now listen - things can go very well for you and your friends if you cooperate and tell us anything that can lead to his arrest." He bared his wicked sharp teeth at her. "But if you do not, then I promise we will find out if any others from the guild were involved in this scheme to undermine Celestic and the Council." "We''re not with the Guildmaster! Liam''s not either! We''re innocent! We''re-" She broke. Tears streamed down her face as she winced and averted his harsh look, shivering. "Please¡­ Don''t h-hurt him if you f-find him. He''s a good Pokemon! We- I just wanted to have a successful exploration team together! Not whatever you''re saying!" Houndoom withdrew himself from her space. "I cannot guarantee his safety until he is captured. It would be ideal to prosecute him instead of you and your friends, but until he is found, matters stay the same. I do not know if all of you are truly innocent, but we will find out very soon." Gloria whimpered. ''Why won''t he listen? Why¡­ Why us? Liam¡­ Where are you? Please be safe!'' The barred door to the group''s cell slammed closed as Houndoom walked back into the darkness. Gloria wasted no time in throwing herself into Roark''s arms, matting his dark fur with tears. Her nerves were shot, her fur frazzled and unkempt. Her muscles gave out once Roark secured her hug with an arm across her back. "What''s wrong, sis? What happened?" he asked sincerely. "L-liam," she muttered. "They t-think he and the Guildmaster are working together, and they''re- they''re hunting him down!" Braixen covered her mouth. "Why would they do that? " Roark inhaled sharply, deepening his embrace. "It''s okay - you''re okay, sis. Did they say anything else?" Her attempts to speak were muffled and incoherent. "Calm down. Deep breaths, okay?" Gloria nodded and collected herself. "They''re¡­ they want us to help them arrest him, and we can be freed if he''s prosecuted." Monferno snorted. "As if we even know where that country bumpkin went! He could be in an entirely different continent by now for all we know!" "For the Council to want him so badly, they must have something on him," Roark said. His eyes widened when he saw everyone''s eyes upon him. "I''m not saying he did anything; I know he didn''t. But something''s definitely up, and I got a bad feeling about it." Scizor wetted his lips. "There''s also something more concerning, if I may interject. Does everyone here remember seeing those orange, chain-like ribbons of energy wrapped around Yveltal''s body?" Monferno nodded. "Yeah, it''s probably some freaky magic move controlling that thing. Do you know what it is?" "No - not a hundred percent. But when I gazed up at them and saw the raw amount of power they exuded, they reminded me of¡­ ley lines." The jail cell fell silent again.
Ponyta''s purple and light-blue eyes cracked open. Her ears swiveled to the sounds of harsh pounding on her home''s main entrance. She groaned lightly, stirring in her bed and pawing at the pink blanket atop her. She hoped deep down that whoever was disturbing her sleep would eventually leave and let her rest, but those hopes were dashed away by another round of knocks. She huffed and threw the blanket off her, glancing at her bedroom smothered in moonlight pouring in from an open window. Her mind eventually caught up with her eyes as she adopted a confused look across her muzzle. ''Someone bangin'' on the door at this time of day?'' With a heavy sigh, Ponyta crawled out of her comfy bed. She blew a strand of hair from her fuzzy, periwinkle-colored mane off her face and ambled to the open doorway. ''At least it pulled me outta that darn nightmare¡­ Urk, Lunala, give me strength, ma''am.'' Ponyta descended the creaky stairs of her home, wincing at the continued pounding her sensitive ears had the displeasure of hearing. ''Better not be miss spoiled Miltank and her posse wantin'' more feed. I''ll gladly show ''em I ain''t no ''lil'' girl and kick ''em out. Golly, I''d love to do that¡­'' She cast away these wayward desires as she reached the entrance door and pulled on the handle with her teeth. When it opened, she froze up upon seeing two Pokemon standing on her ranch''s porch. It was an Electabuzz and a Seviper, both wearing faux leather coats with rifles on their backs; they smiled at her, the Electric-type taking the initiative to speak. "Hello, miss! Apologies for the visit this late at night, but we have a disturbance in the area that may concern you." Pontya blinked away traces of sleep, wondering if she was still dreaming. "Huh? Disturbance? Nothin'' much happens ''round here, ''specially ''round this here ranch. Sure ya ain''t mistaken?" She hoped they were so that she could go to bed. "Yes, we''re sure. To be frank, miss, this village is currently under lockdown by the Council. We have been sent to patrol the streets and investigate any occurrences." Ponyta poked her head outside, her jaw dropping as she saw entire squads of Council guards roaming the streets and keeping a sharp eye on anything that moved among the forest. "I hope I don''t seem rude or anything, miss, but you seem rather young. Is your mother or father around? Can we speak to them?" "Nah, my Ma and Pa ain''t ''round no more - bless their hearts. I''ve got a guardian who''s in the guard like y''all; he''s a Corviknight, but he ain''t ''round either most days." She withdrew her head inside and cocked it. "Um, is this about that whole¡­ Legendary monster I saw the other day? ''Cause I already told everythin'' I knew to Corviknight." Even reliving what she experienced that day sent shivers down her spine. She still had nightmares where things went horribly wrong instead. Electabuzz crossed his arms. "No, miss. We''re here for a different reason. You see, there''s a very important criminal that we''re looking for." "I respect ya work, and I would help if I could, but I ain''t see nothin'' suspicious in the village." "That''s fine. But my partner and I had an encounter with this suspect not far from the village. Unfortunately, he managed to slip away." Electabuzz exchanged looks with Seviper. "We believe he may have fled into your ranch, miss, and we''d like to have permission to check if that''s okay with you." "... Y''all are sure ya seen him run off into my ranch?" Electabuzz and Seviper gave curt nods. Ponyta let out a long drawn-out sigh. "Ugh, well¡­ Do ya mind if I check instead? Some of the Miltank get real ornery when a ''mon they don''t recognize comes snoopin'' around." "That''s fine with us, miss. But please alert us before engaging with the suspect if you are to spot or hear him," Electabuzz said. "Sure, sure, I''ll be back, sirs." Ponyta shut the door on them and turned to trot toward the door leading into the fields behind her home. Opening it, she sauntered out into the open ranch that was barren of the usual gaggle of Miltank and Gogoats lazing about. Cold winds billowed against the dark green grasslands and coursed through her fur, earning a shiver out of the tiny equine. Ever so committed to a task, she scoured the fields in search of a Pokemon she did not recognize. She searched sheds, the stables, and even the storage, finding nothing. She listened to her surroundings for the sounds of footsteps but caught only the sounds of nature at nightfall. ''Dagnabbit! I''d sooner take listening to them Miltanks gab than play hunt an outlaw!'' Ponyta was about to give up and return to the house when a loud crashing noise came from the barn she just finished searching. She turned around and stared at the large, red building. She debated running back and telling the guards, but shot that idea down in an instant. ''That dang outlaw could run before they arrive. And I bet he''s tryin'' to steal from me! Pa ain''t raised no coward either!'' Now fired up, she marched back into the barn and stood in the center of the vast building. Her spiraled horn lit up, a sparkling pink luster appearing above it and illuminating her pitch-black surroundings. She took a second look at the assortment of objects around the room, pursing her lips in concentration. BANG! Her attention snapped to her left as a rake clattered to the ground and a blue blur zipped past her vision. She swallowed and stepped back, her fear almost overwhelming her. But she pushed past it and walked over to investigate. "H-hey! Whoever''s in here, come on out! There''s guards outside an-" Another noise, much louder and nearer to her, caused her to let out an instinctual scream. "EEEE-MMMPH!" The blue paw latched itself around her muzzle and gagged her from screaming. Her body reacted faster than her mind as her rear rose and her hind legs bucked. The stranger from behind was sent sailing into a wall, taking down a wooden shelf full of things with it. Ponyta whirled around, catching her breath and stamping the ground with a hoof. She could not see the Pokemon shrouded by darkness and scattered objects, but she could hear it groaning in pain. "L-listen here, ya no good outlaw! We don''t appreciate your kind ''round here! Show yourself, or I''ll get the guards over ''ere!" A minute passed before the strange Pokemon said anything, his voice inflicted with a drawl much like hers. "Please, don''t. I''m¡­ I''m sorry for startling you. I don''t mean any harm, but I can''t let them find me." Ponyta sniffed. "Uhuh. That''s what they all say. I ain''t stupid." "I''m not an outlaw, I''m-" The stranger coughed, then gasped for air. "Please, tell me you won''t alert those guards I''m here." "I don''t even know who or what ya are. If you ain''t an outlaw, then who are ya?" The mysterious Pokemon said nothing as he stood up from where he laid, Ponyta backing up in response. She recoiled in shock as the Pokemon shuffled over and revealed himself in the moonlight pouring in from the open door. He was a Riolu, injured and bleeding from numerous cuts and bruises all across his frayed fur. His right eye was badly mangled; the wet, blood-soaked bandage covering it drooped across the Riolu''s face. Water dripped from his drenched body and onto the floor as he limped closer to her. He stopped, his breaths ragged and uneven. "I need your help."
The blind sheep of all creation, witnessing angels in the sky, filing into the flock of two shepherds deftly leading them to their slaughter and rebirth.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: Retaliation Retaliation Author''s Notes: Hello once again! January 8th of this year marks the Third Anniversary of The Phantasmagoria! To celebrate over three years of writing, not only is there a new chapter, but there an important update regarding edits of all previous chapters below! As of writing this, over 50% of the work on editing all past chapters free of errors, fixing shoddy prose, adding new dialogue and scenes, is complete! Some of these changes will go live across all versions of this story as this chapter goes live! The rest of the edits and changes not included are still being worked on, and will be added in when this arduous process is finally complete. I cannot give a date when it will be complete, but be on a lookout for the next few Author''s Notes if this intrigues you. I would recommend waiting a little longer for all of the edits to be added in before deciding to reread the story so far, but this is a mere suggestion. A big thank you to everyone who has been following this story for the three years it has been chugging along! As always, please enjoy this latest chapter and tell me your thoughts on it in either Discord or in a review! Goodbye.
Chapter 39 Retaliation "Would ya stop movin'' already? You''re makin'' this harder than it has to be." "Sorry, but this just really¡­ hurts- GAH!" "Quit fussin''! And keep your voice down! I don''t want them Miltank or Gogoats to wake up. Lemme touch this area and-" "That stings!" "I bet it does, huh? Sheesh, you''re dripping wet like a Yamper playin'' in the rain. Did ya take a swim out in Swanna Lake or somethin''?" Liam suppressed the obscenities he wanted to shout in pain, jerking his head at the constant prodding and poking Ponyta subjected his body to with her hooves. With a shimmering noise, her horn lit up as waves of soothing, pink energy washed across the Riolu''s cuts and swollen bruises. Liam let out a pleasing sigh as she encircled him, sealing up any small wounds she could find with tiny doses of concentrated Heal Pulse. "That''s about it for what I can heal. For them bigger injuries ya got, your only hope is visiting Doctor Reuniclus in the village," Ponyta said. She winced upon looking at his disfigured right eye. "But that eye¡­ It''s all cut up. Can ya see out of it?" Liam shook his head. Ponyta lowered her head. "I don''t think there''s any doctor that can fix that, but ya really need to see one." "I can''t¡­ I can''t stop." "Stop for what? Listen, I''ve trusted ya enough to heal ya, but who are you really? Are ya an outlaw like them Council guards said ya was?" Liam hopped off the barrel he sat upon and hobbled over to the sides of the barn. He clambered atop a workbench and peered into a small window above it. His sole usable eye stared out into the vast open fields in search of any potential threats. His bleary gaze locked onto multiple figures patrolling the starry skies, clad in faux leather coats. He sneered at this sighting. "Look, I''ll leave your farm as soon as I can, but I need your help in getting me out of here without those guards spotting me." "Now wait a gosh darn second! Ya haven''t even told me who ya are! Are ya an outlaw or not? You just barged into my ranch and into my barn all of a sudden!" "I don''t have the time for this. Please just distract them or-" Ponyta stamped the ground with a hoof. "I ain''t helpin'' ya with anythin'' unless ya tell me who you are! That''s final, mister! Out with it already!" Liam turned his attention away from the window, wearing a scowl as he stepped off the workbench. "Fine. But we need to make it quick. The guards are gonna find me sooner or later." "Hmph. I''ll decide if that happens or not. Now, who are ya?" "My name''s Liam. I''m a member- was a member of the Cosmic Quilt Guild near Empyrean City. I''m not an outlaw or any kind of criminal; you have to trust me on that." "Guild¡­ Empyrean City..." Ponyta gasped in realization. "You''re from Empyrean?! That big ole city that got destroyed by that Legendary monster?" Liam''s fierce look softened. "I¡­ I was there when it happened. The guild - everyone - ran through the city as Pokemon all around us got turned to stone, and buildings turned to dust. When I ran back to our guild, I saw¡­ the truth, and something changed within me, and I ran. I don''t-" He coughed. "I don''t know how long I''ve been running, how many hours it''s been, but I can''t stop now while he''s still out there." "Who''s out there? The Legendary monster?" "No. The one that''s behind this all; the Lucario that''s controlling Yveltal - Jackson," he spat with venom. Ponyta gasped. "Th-that Pokemon? The Lucario in the Celestic Cognizance? So what I saw the other day was¡­" She stopped herself. "But that attack was days ago, mister. You''ve been chasin'' him that long?" Liam, too, was stunned at this information. His mouth parted as he slowly nodded. "I have- I still am. And I was so close, but then he just¡­ vanished into some portal." Liam clenched his paws tight as they shook uncontrollably. Rage flooded every fiber of his being as thoughts of the Shiny Lucario flooded his mind; his very presence in this world almost taunting him as he panted raggedly. Soon he was out of breath, stumbling back onto the barrel. Ponyta approached him with a perturbed expression. "Don''t tire yourself out. If what you''re sayin'' is true, then I understand why you''re goin'' after him, but what good is that gonna do? If the Council couldn''t catch him¡­ Erm, no offense, but what chance do ya got against that ''Eehveltal''?" "Maybe I have a chance. Maybe I don''t. All that matters is that this¡­ monster gets what he deserves." He stood up. "I can''t wait any longer. I have to keep-" "Not right now ya don''t!" she exclaimed. "Look at ya. You''re injured, shiverin'', and can barely walk, as is! Go out there and you''ll be on Giratina''s doorstep in no time." "But I can''t stay here. They''ll find me, and then nobody will be able to stop Jackson! Nobody will-" "Calm down, mister! And keep your voice down!" she whispered harshly. "Sit back down - please." "But-" "Please!" Liam reluctantly acquiesced to her demands, his frantic look finding the dirty barn floor interesting. "If what ya said is true, then why are there Council guards chasin'' after ya?" she questioned. "I don''t know. I spotted a pair of them near this lake and they just started chasing me. I had no choice but to hide here and wait for them to leave. Please, you gotta believe that I''m telling the truth. You can''t turn me in to them." "Hmm¡­" Liam anticipated a further response from the equine, his gaze flicking from the ground to Ponyta as she appeared to be trapped in a deep concentration. Her purplish eyes seemed to bore straight into his soul. "... What are you doing?" "Shush! My Ma and Pa always said us Ponyta have the ability to see the true contents of a ''mon''s heart." Liam remained still as Ponyta continued her scrutiny of him. "... All right. I believe ya," she said as Liam breathed a sigh of relief. "Before I go about helpin'' ya further, do ya know what village you''re in, or even where in the Meadow Region ya are?" He shook his head. "Shucks, it ain''t much of an introduction, but nearby is Lunanescent Grove. It''s a nice and peaceful village¡­ Er, until recently, I guess." A wide and bright smile graced Ponyta''s muzzle. "And I run the Moomoo Hoof Ranch here! It''s a pleasure to meetcha, Mister Liam! Even if it could''ve been under better circumstances." "It''s just you in charge, right? Nobody else to worry about?" "Well¡­ It has been for a few years. All I got is my big brother comin'' on occasions to help when he''s free from his duties." "Good. I, uh, I hate to involve you and your ranch in this, but I need your help. Is there a way I can get out of the ranch and the village undetected?" Ponyta brought a hoof to her chin and tapped it. "It''s gonna be mighty difficult with those guards up and about, but I reckon I got an idea." "Lay it on me, then." "In a smidge. First thing first - gettin'' those guards off my doorstep before they start wonderin'' where I am. You stay right here, mister. I''ll be right back!" Pontya turned and trotted out of the barn before he could respond. He cautiously peeked his head through the open doors and watched the Psychic-type enter her abode. His distressed mind stirred with worry that she was going to turn him in to them, that she was only pretending to help him. He scattered these thoughts in an instant. ''She''s young, but she wouldn''t do that. She¡­ trusts me.'' Now by his lonesome, he was accosted by thoughts he tried to evade his entire journey. ''I trusted that monster all this time ¡­ How in the hell is he in this world? This clearly isn''t Earth at all. And he was dead! I was there in that basement, and I heard him die! But he''s somehow been here over twenty-five years? That can''t be right; it''s not possible. Its-'' He grunted as his mind seared in agony. He brought both paws to massage his temples as he paced around the barn. ''But if he''s dead and still alive here, then that must mean¡­ I died. I died and came to this world. '' He stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening. ''How did this even happen? The last thing I remember was that day. I left therapy, I picked up Aunt Chari''s medicine, drove home, and-" He paused. "And I took those painkillers I got. I¡­ I must have overdosed on them. I saw these hallucinations in my room and heard a woman''s voice speaking to me. Everything was black, and then I woke up in the Sunshine Forest.'' The theory of this world being but a vivid dream was immediately shot down in his mind. This fantastical world of talking creatures was real; he lived in it and contracted real joy and pain from it. But the reason for his arrival here continued to elude him. ''Who was that woman I heard back then - and also during those two visions I had? Did she bring me into this world? Did she bring Jackson here as well? And why are we here? Are there other humans here with us? What is even going on?!'' "GRAH!" Liam''s paws pounded his skull in frustration. He had so many questions to ask, but no one to demand the answers of. And yet, he knew it never mattered to him deep down. All he wanted in this last gasp of life he was given was to enact vengeance upon the sole being he hated most. ''Jackson. He has to die. That''s all that matters. He can''t escape what he''s done. He-'' "Um¡­ Are you okay, mister? Keep pullin'' on your fur and you''ll be without it the next mornin'', my Pa always said." Liam turned to the soft voice slicing through his inner monologue and saw Pontya sauntering inside the barn with a greeting smile. Across her back was a light blue saddlebag. "I''m- I''m fine - just fine. Just restless." She looked at him askance. "Are ya sure ya can''t rest up until tomorrow? I got a guest room you could use, and them guards won''t search my ranch now." "No. I have to leave right away. I have to find Jackson and stop him, or no one else will." "Alrighty then. I''ve got new bandages for that eye of yours. And trust me, my plan is gonna work, but I need ya to be extra quiet. Er, and I hope ya ain''t scared of dark, small places." The vast plains and long fence perimeter of the Moomoo Hoof Ranch faded into the distance with the rumbling motions of the wagon. Glass bottles filled to the brim with milk clinked inside the few cartons stowed away in the back. A chip in the wooden cover beneath the cargo revealed a single red eye shrouded by darkness. Liam shifted his body around in the cramped space he was given within the wagon. He peered through the small hole into the outside world he was given and kept watch of their surroundings. It was so he could keep alerted of wary guards, and to stave off the feelings of claustrophobia setting in. ''This is silly; it can''t work. There''s no way we''ll get out of the village. But¡­ I have to give it a chance.'' The wagon slowed to a stop as Ponyta angled her head back. "Psst! Quit movin'' around back there! You''re creatin'' too much a ruckus!" she whispered. Liam reluctantly remained still as the wagon''s movement settled down. "We''re enterin'' the village proper, so absolutely no noise, mister." Ponyta''s gait picked back up, the wagon being pulled along as she trotted down a cobblestone road. Liam spotted a checkpoint further ahead and went stiff. ''I hope she knows what she''s doing.'' Ponyta conversed with the guards stationed at the village entrance. They gave a passing glance at her wagon and its contents before nodding. Ponyta flashed a smile before continuing on her way. ''Maybe this wasn''t such a bad idea after all.'' Moss-covered trees both tall and short shrouded the village''s square in their combined canopies - quiet and moody. Grassy foliage and large, bulbous mushrooms dotted the streets. Blue, green, red, and yellow bioluminescent lights hung like vibrant fruits from outstretched vines that illuminated their surroundings in tandem with the twinkling starlight above. Liam gawked at the natural beauty of the village, finding his inner turmoil vanishing when he simply admired and never detested what he observed. It was like entering a mystical forest. ''This world is so beautiful, but¡­ it''s still tainted by evil. Bad peo- Pokemon are everywhere. Even here, I can''t ever seem to escape it,'' he lamented bitterly. ''But before I remembered everything, it seemed so pure. But that''s what tricked me; evil is everywhere, and there''s no escape from it...'' As Ponyta and her wagon rolled onto the streets of Lunanescent Grove, Liam noticed the scant amount of regular Pokemon walking the streets that weren''t Council guards. The clothed Pokemon seemed to be everywhere; occupying street corners, patrolling the skies, or knocking on the doors of humble log cottages. ''There''s so many of them! They can''t be all here trying to find me, right? What do they even want from me?!'' His rabid thoughts petered off as he listened to the clip-clops of Ponyta''s hooves traversing the once quaint village''s stone roads and bridges. Minutes passed until she reached what seemed to be the final checkpoint at the village''s rear. There, an ensemble of hardened-looking Council guards scrutinized her as she stopped near their makeshift barriers. "Excuse me, sirs! I have an important delivery to make!" Ponyta proclaimed. A massive Bouffalant draped in a brown cloak set down a Perfect Apple he was crunching upon and brushed past a Luxio standing guard to see the commotion. "Hoho, it appears you do, miss, but there has been a strict lockdown in effect over this village. No Pokemon gets in; no Pokemon gets out," his gravelly voice bellowed, the stench of alcohol accompanying it. Ponya smiled innocently. "I understand, sir, but this here is really important. Mr. Alakazam needs his medicine to keep kickin'', and I found a way to get him to take it without any bluster." She motioned to the glasses of milk in the back of the wagon. "I forgot to give him his Moomoo Milk in last month''s supply run, and he must be real low on it, I reckon." Bouffalant chuffed. "This Alakazam¡­ He lives outside of the village?" "Yup. Well, sorta; he''s got a fancy ole cabin overlooking the old village ruins. He''s a bit of a hermit, sir, which is why I gotta visit him for this shipment." Liam could not help but smile at Ponyta''s account. She had proven herself more than helpful to him, and he was wondering how - if ever - he could repay her. But his elation was cut short as his gaze wandered and caught the Luxio staring intensely at the wagon. It was as if it was staring straight through it. He felt himself start to sweat but prevented himself from squirming in the increasingly uncomfortable space. He instead clutched the saddlebag full of battle items Ponyta gave him tightly, ready for the moment to strike. "Feh, civilians and their trite affairs," Boufflant muttered before letting out a long sigh. "I suppose there is not a particular reason you cannot make this shipment. You will return immediately to the village, yes?" "Yup! Just one delivery and I''ll be quicker than an Accelgor with it!" Bouffalant glanced at the guards beside him as they stepped aside. "I will be holding to your word, young lady. You may proceed." "Thank ya, sir! I''ll be on my way no-" "Sister! Oi, little sister, is that you?" Ponyta peered up as the shadowy outline of an avian appeared in the night sky. With a flap of its wings, it descended rapidly, causing the tiny equine to take a step back in shock. Raven-colored feathers drifted in the cold wind as a Corviknight revealed itself with a giant grin curving its beak, hovering a few feet off the ground. "It is you! I was gonna fly by your ranch early tomorrow, but I guess not. Little sis, what are you doin'' up so late for, huh?" the Corviknight asked. Ponyta paused for a minute as she stared up at him, Liam dreading that she was about to break, but her next words would alleviate those fears. "Big bro! What a surprise! It''s nice to see ya again! Um, even if it''s only been a few days." Liam curiously eyed the newly arrived Steel-type. ''A Corviknight? Is this the same one I met in Elysium City back then? And he''s Ponyta''s¡­ brother?'' Bouffalant exchanged looks at the two conversing Pokemon. "Private Corviknight, this rancher here is your sibling?" "Yes, squad leader!" Corviknight said, batting his metallic chest with a wing."About six years now." He looked at Ponyta. "A bit crazy when you think about it, innit? But my question''s still in the air, sis; you''re supposed to be restin'', not haulin'' goods around, luv." Ponyta huffed and whipped her mane. "I ain''t no lil'' girl no more, big bro. If I can run the ranch all by myself, I can run late-night shipments all I want." "All right, all right, I forgot how independent you are now." Corviknight''s coy expression turned serious. "But y''know, tonight is not a good night for this, sis. This village and the surrounding others are on lockdown after that whole mess in Empyrean." "Er, I hate to ask, but is there a bigger reason why all them guards here are in a fuss?" "Sorry, sis, why we''re here is need-to-know and I don''t know if I can¡­" Corviknight trailed off as he glanced over at Bouffalant, who gave a reluctant nod for him to continue. "Well, turns out after your encounter with Yveltal a few days ago, some blokes near Swanna Lake earlier spotted that Riolu the Council''s been all wound-up about. They said he ran and most likely is hiding out here in the village, or close by." Ponyta''s ears folded as she rubbed her fetlocks together. "Uh, is there a reason why y''all wanna capture this Riolu so bad?" Corviknight looked at Bouffalant again for approval before facing his sister. "Lot of us guards don''t know much except what they tell us. But what the Council and our captain say is that this Riolu is in cahoots with that Shiny Lucario and Yveltal behind the attack. Entire northern and eastern areas of the Meadow Region bein'' searched for this ''mon. Even weirder is that I''ve met this Riolu before once; thought he was strange, but never thought he was that kind of ''mon. Crazy stuff, innit?" A chill raced down Liam''s spine. ''Ponyta encountered Jackson and Yveltal? And the Council thinks I''m with them?! How could they even think that?! If they find me, would they even listen to me if I told them the truth?'' He could not take such a risk. He had to keep moving forward. Nothing else mattered more than justice. "Yes. It''s imperative that we bring this Riolu to justice for his crimes against Celestic and the Council. The Lucario and the Yveltal will pay too, in time," Bouffalant said proudly. "Yeah, so we''re not just faffin'' about ''round here, sis. Your big brother''s got more important duties than standin'' around lookin'' mean, luv," Corviknight added, raising his head high. "And these duties you''re currently neglecting are surveying from the skies, private¡­" Bouffalant muttered. "Er, yes, squad leader! I''ll get right back to it! In fact, sis, how ''bout I watch over you as you complete your supply run ''round the village?" Ponyta blinked after absorbing the copious amount of information. She realized her brother''s intentions and shook her head furiously. "Nah, nah! I, uh, I''m headin'' out of the village actually for this last delivery. Yuuuup," she spoke nervously. "So, uh, ya don''t need to follow me or nothin''." "As if I would allow such wastes of resources," Bouffalant jeered. "Young lady. Complete your business and return to this village swiftly and stay within your ranch." "Yup! I better- better get goin'' before Mr. Alakazam gets all cranky. S-see y''all when I come back! Yup!" Ponyta hastily began to pull on the reins of the wagon as she passed the checkpoint and went further down the cobblestone road. Corviknight swooped right behind the wagon and saluted the Psychic-type as she trotted away. "Seeya later, sis! Don''t break those bottles again!" he squawked. Liam waited for the wagon to roll a few yards away from the checkpoint before he moved to look back. None of the guards seemed to follow after them and returned to their usual routines. A long sigh of relief followed suit as he allowed his body to relax. The village was now behind them, replaced by open plains and dense pockets of forest with a single trail to follow. It was not long into their journey until the wagon stopped. Liam tensed up at this before he saw Ponyta break out into a giddy giggle, her hooves dancing in place. "Wow! Did ya see that, mister? All of those guards, my big brother, and I managed to keep my cool! Aw shucks, I was like one of them ''mons in those fancy films!" she gushed. "I rarely ever get to do somethin'' that excitin'' ''round here." Liam blinked. "Uh, sure? Are you okay after that?" Ponyta smiled as she returned to pulling the wagon with a spring in her step. "Yup! As I said, I ain''t no lil'' girl; I''m made of sterner stuff, like my Pa said!" Liam did not feel compelled for their conversation to end like that. "Your brother said that Yveltal landed on your ranch. Is that true?" The wagon''s movement slowed as Ponyta''s smile faded. She looked up in thought, her tail flicking in discomfort. "... Yeah, um, it did. I know I should''ve said something, but¡­ it''s not something I want to remember." "Did you see him? The Shiny Lucario." "I- I did." He could see Ponyta clench up. "I remember that night. I heard a loud noise and went to investigate and- and that ''Eehveltal'' thing was sprawled out on the fields. Was breathin'' real heavy; looked tired or somethin''. I was scared stiff, but that Lucario hopped off that thing''s back and walked over toward me. He¡­ I remember him saying just one thing to me." "What did he say?" "He was cryin'' and stuff. He grabbed me and he said, ''I''m sorry''. He mumbled it a few more times before he flew off with that thing. I still, um, have nightmares about the whole situation¡­" "Sorry. He''s¡­ sorry?" Liam was barely able to contain his rage after hearing about her encounter. ''What is he sorry about? For destroying an entire city and turning all the Pok¨¦mon there to stone?! Is he sorry about taking everything from me?! My mom, dad, and June?! Why is he sorry now and not before?!'' "I''m sorry, but that''s all that happened, mister. I never saw them again." Ponyta frowned and lowered her head. "If ya don''t mind, can we talk about somethin'' else? I don''t like recallin'' what happened that night too much." "¡­ What those guards said back there. I''m not with that Lucario and Yveltal. You have to trust me that I''m-" "I already said I looked into your heart, didn''t I? I know you''re not a bad Pokemon. But¡­ can ya tell me somethin'', mister?" "What?" "My big brother told me that guild near Empyrean was famous when he went there once. Somethin'' about removin'' the dungeons from the world and all that junk. Sounds real noble." "It is - or was - our goal. Destroying these things called ley lines that create the Mystery Dungeons. Or at least, that''s what we were told our goal was the entire time." ''But it wasn''t. No, Jackson was playing all of us the entire time. We can''t take anything he said as true. Are the ley lines and the Mystery Dungeons even a threat? Scizor thought so. But what was real and what was a lie?'' "Wow. That sounds amazin''! If I didn''t have to run a ranch, I''d join one of them guilds. So, did ya have a team there?" "Yeah. Me and another Pokemon I met before we joined - a Vulpix - she-" Liam''s heart sank when he recalled his partner and the last time he had spoken to her. "She goes by Gloria. Sweet, caring, anxious, and a bit heroic at times. Team Requiem, we were." ''We were¡­ Were. Why does it hurt so much every time I think about that?'' "She seems real nice, mister." Ponyta glanced back. "Even if the guild is, um, gone, why''d you run off on her like that? You''re still partners, aintcha? Shucks, I bet she''s worried sick ''bout you." "I-" "If ya want my opinion, I think you should go back, mister. Family and friends are important, and ya can''t accomplish everythin'' alone." Liam paused to think. The moment he woke up in the guild, he was too consumed by shock and rage to act coherently. He fled in a daze, and Gloria ran after him. She begged him to come back, but he never listened; he told her to go away. Never once did he consider how devastated she was as well after what had transpired. The lump in his throat only grew the more he thought about her, about Roark and all the others he left behind. ''What am I even doing here? If it''s really been days since I ran off, then what are the others doing? Are they safe at the guild? Are they trying to find Jackson like I am? Are they trying to find me?'' The more he thought about it, the worse he felt. ''But I can''t. The others, they don''t know me - the real me. They know this Riolu I took the shape of, but not the real me that''s so¡­ gone.'' "There''s some ruins up ahead. I''ll let ya out of the wagon there, and then I guess you''re free to go, mister." "... All right." Bioluminescent bulbs adorning the choking vegetation gradually transitioned into decayed wooden hostels and crumbling stone structures. Moss covered almost every inch of the unnatural terrain. A rolling fog shrouded the abandoned village surrounded by pine trees. Liam observed this new environment. "What is this place?" "It''s the Lunanescent Grove- um, well, the old part of it, that is," Ponyta quickly added. "Old folk speak of a tale; they say that thousands of years ago, the mayor of the village heard a voice speak to him. He convinced the villagers it was a sign from Arceus or some other greater power. Then one day, the mayor and all them villagers mysteriously left their homes - belongin''s and all. Folk say they all went off on some religious excursion, leaving the village behind. Others say they got snatched up by some Ghost-types and went to a spirit world run by Giratina. Place is mighty creepy if ya ask me, which is why no ''mon comes ''round here much." Other than the gentle rumblings of the wagon, the ghost town remained silent as they moved along. Suddenly, the wagon came to a stop. Ponyta quickly threw a look around. "All right. I don''t see any guards, so it looks like ya can get out now." A reply never came. ''I can''t go back to the others - I just can''t. But as much as I hate to admit it¡­ Ponyta''s right. I can''t find or face Jackson and Yveltal alone. But do I just give up now after all I''ve done to get this far? Why? Why am I even pushing myself toward this goal? Is this really all I have left?'' Ponyta unhooked the reins off her back. "I''ll help get those bottles and cover-" "Young lady! Stop where you are!" Liam froze as he instantly recognized the rough voice of Bouffalant. He made not a sound from within the wagon as he listened to the muffled sounds of footsteps coming from behind. The jostling of metal could be heard - undoubtedly rifles now pointed at them, the Riolu deduced. ''Damn! They did follow us here! That Luxio had to have seen me somehow!'' "Private Luxio over here has alerted me that he had seen what looked like a stowaway within your wagon. Before you go any further, this carriage will need to be checked." Liam could hear the trembling words of Ponyta. "U-uh, are ya sure he saw somethin''? I swear there''s no Pokemon inside! I filled the wagon myself!" she defended. The footsteps came closer as Liam clutched his paws tight. He maneuvered the saddlebag''s strap across his shoulder and laid supine, anticipating sudden movement. "I don''t doubt your claims, young lady. These types of wagons have hollow spaces inside with covers for extra cargo, yes?" "That- that''s true, but there ain''t no Pokemon inside-" "If that''s true, then you have no objection to a quick search, correct?" Bouffalant did not wait for a response to form from Ponyta''s sputtering as he spoke again. "Private Luxio!" "Yes, sir?" a new voice chimed in. "Clear the wagon of those crates and open the cover beneath them." Purplish, crackling energy began to build up in Liam''s now-splayed paws. "Got it, sir!" Another set of footsteps grew near the wagon. Crates were shoved to the sides as rays of moonlight seeped in from the revealed chips in the wooden planks, shining down on the form of a Pokemon. "I do see a Pokemon in there, sir!" The wagon''s cover was suddenly blown off as Liam surged out from within and slammed the Luxio''s muzzle with a devastating Force Palm. The powerful attack sent the Electric-type careening across the area before it slammed into a tree - unconscious. Before the other guards could react, Liam withdrew a Blast Seed from the saddlebag and tossed it behind the wagon. The resulting explosion and cloud of smoke gave him ample time to leap off the carriage. "Ponyta! Find some cover!" he yelled. Ponyta looked at the Riolu with wide eyes. "But-" "Don''t argue! Just do it!" The Psychic-type quickly heeded his words and galloped away from the scene. When the smoke settled, Liam saw multiple Council guards encircling his position. Bouffalant narrowed his gaze at him before letting out a supercilious guffaw and stomping the ground with a hoof. "What a find! I knew you would be here somewhere, wretch! Bringing you in would no doubt fetch me quite a promotion!" ''There''s no use trying to bring them to reason!'' Liam adopted a fighting stance. ''I have to fight back! It''s my only option!'' Roark fought off the clutches of sleep as he rested up against the rough, stony walls of their cell. While he listened to the list of important information Scizor was prattling on about, his cluttered mind wandered. ''That ''captain'', what a jackoff,'' he thought. Earlier, the Houndoom that briefly interrogated Gloria returned to warn them of their fates if they did not relinquish information of Liam''s whereabouts, or admitted to their crimes for the chance of a lesser sentence. But to Roark, his threats were hollow; though he knew they had little chance of escaping without some type of punishment. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ''But no one''s gonna touch you, sis. I don''t care if I have to break out of this damn jail to make sure that happens.'' Roark looked down at the sleeping Vulpix cradled in his arms, her cheeks stained with past tears as her tiny chest rose and fell. He combed a crimson claw through her soft fur and lightly jostled the tuft atop her head, getting a hum of delight from the Ice-type. He smiled weakly at his efforts to comfort her. ''Gloria. I know you feel weak right now. And it feels like there''s no hope left. I felt the same before, y''know? But like you showed me without even knowing, I wanna show you that this isn''t the end of the rope.'' He paused as if awaiting a response. ''I know what you''re gonna say. But we''ll get out of this dump; you''ll become stronger than ever. I promise that. And Liam¡­ that kid will see how much of a big dummy he''s being and come back. I just hope he realizes how much danger he''s in right now.'' Roark swiveled his head to the corners of the cell, where Braixen and Monferno were huddled. They looked tired and defeated; he scowled at this. ''They really wanna throw away everything they''ve done at the guild to just run away? I get it, but¡­ I don''t. Did Monferno convince Braixen to give up like that? Or did she finally crack under the pressure? That girl always seemed so prof-'' "Roark. Are you listening? This is vital information," Scizor said. "Shit. Sorry, Scizor. Can you repeat what you said?" Truth be told, his attention was elsewhere. Over the past few hours, Roark could hear movement around them. Vibrations under their feet, pieces of rock crumbling off the walls. And the Zoroark swore he could see an eye peeking at them through a hole in the wall of a cell opposite to theirs. He waved a pair of claws in front of his eyes, believing he was seeing things. ''I''m not going crazy this soon, am I? I''ve been behind bars before, but not this long.'' Scizor resumed jotting down words onto the scraps of parchment he found lying around. "This right here is everything you need to know about these artifacts and where they are." "Okay, lay it on me." "There appears to be four of them in total. There are three locations that I''m certain may or may not house the remaining artifacts. Rainbow Reef Trench is one in the Shore Region. Rumblecrag Volcano in the Mountain Region. And the Glacier Peak Mountains in the Frost Region. I have also noted other similar locations to these in case they are wrong." "The Glacier Peak Mountains? That place has one of those shiny things?" Scizor nodded. "It could. Any of these locations might, and you need to acquire them before anyone else does. Those mercenaries stole the one we had found, but we don''t know who they''re working for, or if they''re tracking down the others like we are." "We never had the time to talk about that. Who are those clowns? How are we supposed to get it back from them, anyway?" "I don''t know - truthfully. I have my suspicions on who they work for, and I have written them down for you as well, but there''s nothing concrete. You''ll have to find out and possibly take it back from them." "Find out? Scizor, all of this seems so vague and-" "Please! You have to go through with this!" Scizor beseeched, tapping the parchment with a pincer. He squeezed his eyes shut. "I don''t¡­ I don''t know everything, Roark. I wish I knew, but there''s no time. I know the pieces to understanding the bigger picture are out there. You just have to take my word and follow with it." "All right, all right. But what you said earlier about Yveltal; you actually think Jackson is using those ley lines to control it?" Scizor went silent. "Could he do that? I mean, I admit I wasn''t paying much attention when you were always jabbering about ''em." "¡­ There are many things not even I know about the ley lines. It''s entirely possible Jackson obtained the ability to manipulate them if he was also able to somehow resurrect Yveltal. Jackson may even desire those artifacts we sought out for himself if his behavior I noticed during the last expedition is a sign. There''s-" Scizor winced. "There''s so many things we do not know. But I am entrusting you with my resolve - the resolve of Team Moonlight - to do what we could not." "I-" "Please." Roark rubbed his muzzle and sighed. "Scizor, you''re placing too much faith in me. I mean¡­ me? Sure, I''ve got seniority, but I''m not the right guy for this spot." He forced out a laugh. "You always reprimanded me for goofing off in the guild, and now you want this old man in charge? Besides, what I pulled off in Empyrean that got Rockruff-" He prevented himself from saying more, scowling. He saw Monferno flick his gaze to him, an uncertain yet guilty look in his eye. The Zoroark was unsure what to think of that; if it was more anger directed at him, or something else entirely. "You fail to realize that I ordered us to do that. I understand what you''re saying, Roark, but I''m sure you know by now that I''m a very observant Pokemon. After the many years you''ve been with the guild, I know you''re capable of this if you''re devoted enough to the task. Please. Please do this for me if it''s the last time I can help you all." Roark contemplated his request. He could recall a time when Bisharp used to step him aside and try to persuade him to accept leadership of the Rescue Society when the time came. And he always remembered shooting his desires down, saying that he was too irresponsible and young to be able to take up the mantle. ''This is the second time I''m being offered this. Maybe it''s a sign from that four-legged jerk upstairs, or maybe it''s time I grow up for once. The boys back then would never believe it. '' Roark chuckled sadly to himself. ''But maybe Scizor''s right in what he sees in me. I can''t say I see it as well, or that I''d be a great leader, but what else is there? What else is there for me in this life?'' He gazed down at Gloria again. ''Once you''re able to go down this road alone, why would you need another?'' "Roark? Do you accept this responsibility?" "¡­ Yeah. I promise I''ll take over what''s left. Might as well, right?" Scizor slid over the pieces of parchment. Written down were entire pages of notes, diagrams, and mappings. "This is a collection of everything I have remembered from my research. All other pre-existing research was destroyed by Jackson in the attack. Take it with you and create copies if you must. Once Shaymin recovers wherever she is, hopefully she will regroup with you all. And Garchomp¡­" His tone was feeble when he spoke her name, appearing to find his next words hard to say. "I hope she learns from my journey what I could not. She and her team will no doubt assist you all in whatever endeavors you face." Roark rolled up the sheets of parchment and stuffed them into his mane. "Do you really think your attempt to shift all the blame onto you will work in the courts?" "There''s no guarantee," Scizor said. "But I know that the Council will no doubt seek any punishment it can onto whomever they deem is an accomplice. I¡­ I would be the most suitable candidate if my long history beside Jackson says anything." Roark shook his head dejectedly. "You don''t have to do this, man. Hell, you''re innocent! You have to give up this guilt junk. We can''t play by their rules; there has to be another way." Scizor looked away. "No, there isn''t. Even if we were to escape now through other means, they would still pursue us if the Pokemon of Celestic demanded it. Someone has to take responsibility for all of us, and that Pokemon will be myself." "That''s-" "What is that noise?" Monferno suddenly said as he looked around. Roark''s ears twitched as he could hear a faint tapping noise behind him. He turned to see more bits of stone from the walls clattering to the ground. The tapping increased in volume as the hushed chatter of two individuals seemingly within the walls of the cell. ''This is the one!'' ''I told ya!'' another voice added. ''Take it down fast!'' Roark cocked an eyebrow. "Call me nuts, but I just heard some voices talking behind that wall. Did anyone else?" Braixen stretched her arms and yawned. "Mhm, yeah. I heard it, too." "Me too," Monferno said as he slowly stood, taking Braixen''s paw and pulling her up as well. "Who are they? Guards?" Gloria awoke and rubbed her weary eyes, leaping out of Roark''s grasp. "What- What''s going on? What is that noise?" The infrequent clicking stopped as the cell grew quiet. Loud drilling could then be heard as chunks of rock and clumps of dirt crumpled off the wall. "Someone is tunneling into this cell!" Scizor alerted. "But who?!" "Everyone back up!" Roark yelled as he moved away from the deteriorating wall, the group following suit. "Roark! What''s going on?!" Gloria screamed, backing up. "I don''t know, sis! But we''re about to find out!" Mere seconds later, the entire back wall of the cell collapsed, shaking the antechamber in the process. A plume of dust and a flood of freshly dug dirt rushed in as a large burrow was visible. Two Drilbur emerged from the dust and motioned to the hole. "Rescue has arrived! Everyone get into the tunnel!" one Drilbur squeaked. "T-the hell?!" Monferno said in disbelief, his jaw hanging loose. "You two just managed to break into our cell?! Are you nuts?" "Nope! And it ain''t just us! Now quick! Everyone into the tunnel!" the other Drilbur barked. "But-" A loud metallic shriek resounded as the door in the hallway between the cells slammed open. A dozen Council guards stormed into the dark halls and crowded the entrance to their cells. "They''re escaping! Does no one have the keys?!" "Alert Captain Houndoom immediately!" "It''s a tunnel! Get the Ground-type squads into action!" Roark grit his teeth. "Everyone! No time to think - get into that tunnel and book it!" "Wait! Us escaping is going to make things worse!" Braixen protested. "We can''t go in there or else-" BOOM! The metal bars of their cage began to warp as guards tackled the cell door. Those in the back charged up attacks in their open maws and outstretched claws. "It''s too late! We have to go! NOW!" Roark hollered as he scooped up a stunned Gloria and ran into the exposed hole. Monferno and Braixen exchanged looks between themselves, then at the tunnel and the encroaching guards. A split-second decision was made simultaneously by them as they sprinted into the tunnels. Roark made it only a few feet before he turned and noticed Scizor standing perfectly still in the cell. "Scizor! What are you doing?! C''mon!" he yelled. Scizor remained where he was. "No! I will hold them off and give you all time to escape!" The cell bars creaked from the combined weight of bodies piling onto it. "What?! Scizor! You don''t have to go through with your plan!" "I have already accepted my fate, Roark! From the very beginnings of Team Moonlight, I have accepted it! I shall pay for my countless mistakes soon!" "Fuck, just forget the guilt and go with us already!" "Scizor, please!" Gloria cried as tears streamed down her cheeks. The metal bars gave in with a crack as countless guards poured into the cell. They surrounded Scizor as the Bug-type stood his ground. His pincers snapped at any Pokemon that got close, his sturdy frame being battered with arrays of multicolored attacks as a result. "JUST GO!" Scizor screamed as he landed a Bullet Punch on an encroaching Ariados. "Damnit, Scizor!" Gloria stretched a paw out. "Scizor!" Roark whirled around and ran as fast as he could through the narrow tunnel. He only briefly looked behind him to see Scizor being overwhelmed by the guards and dragged away. His vision was then consumed by darkness. Only a small glimmer of light could be seen at the very end. For the next few minutes, all he could hear were the pitter-patter of his footsteps and the muffled shouts of Pokemon from behind that grew closer each second. "How long is this damn tunnel!" Monferno exclaimed as he gasped for air. "Don''t¡­ stop!" Roark wheezed out. "We''re almost there, I think!" With one final push, the escapees emerged out the other side of the tunnel and were hit with a blast of nippy wind that coursed through the vast and hilly grasslands. A full moon was visible, illuminating a nearby group of equine Pokemon standing on a hilltop in the moonlight. They were clad with saddles and reins, their steely looks staring ahead with no caution or fear visible in their eyes. "It''s- It''s the Mudsdale!" Braixen yelled. "They''re helping us?" Scattered around the area were a multitude of Grit Ruin Excavator workers. A heavily bandaged Excadrill grunted in pain as he hobbled onto the back of a Mudsdale. He grinned cockily at the group running toward him. "I bet ya thought no ''mon was comin'' to bust ya out of that pen? Consider yourselves wrong!" the mole retorted. "Well, no time to gab! Get on one of these Mudsdale before the calvary comes!" No one stopped to argue. Monferno and Braixen chose to ride together as did Roark and Gloria on another Mudsdale. Drilbur, Gurrdurr, and other worker Pokemon also found themselves on the backs of a Mudsdale. Excadrill threw a look behind to make sure they were situated before he lightly kicked the side of his steed with a foot. ''C''mon! Git!" In just a second, the Mudsdale were steaming forward in a single column across the prairie. "We''re just outside that Elysium place!" Excadrill spoke loudly through the gale. "Goin'' north with no destination in mind! Tell them Mudsdale where ya wanna go and they''ll take ya there!" "A-anywhere?" Monferno questioned. "I said that, didn''t I?" Roark knew exactly where this was going and whipped his gaze to his left. "Monferno! Don''t stray away from us! The Council and their guards will be looking for you all across the continent!" "You think we don''t know that?" Monferno countered. "Face it, Roark! The guild''s done for! We''re not putting our lives on the line for it any longer!" Roark glanced at the other occupant on Monferno''s Mudsdale. "Braixen! Say something!" The Fire-type averted his gaze and remained silent. She wrapped her arms around Monferno''s torso as he leaned in to whisper something into their Mudsdale''s ears. They split off from the pack in an instant, heading off in the opposite direction. Roark scowled at this and returned his attention to what lie ahead. Gloria could only watch in disbelief and horror as Monferno and Braixen drifted further and further away. "They''ll come back¡­ Don''t worry, sis, they will," he murmured and held Gloria tightly against his chest. "Excadrill! We''re heading north, right? Then let''s go all the way to the Glacier Peak Mountains!" "That chilly ole place? What kinda business ya got there? Besides, wasn''t Scizor with y''all back there?" Roark frowned. "It''s just me and Gloria for now! He decided to play hero and stay back to help us escape with you! He gave me everything we needed to know, and I gotta stick with the mission he gave us!" "Ah, I knew there was some fire in that shy bug''s armor! I''ll fill y''all in on what''s been happenin'' when we reach this mountain! Then maybe we could get everyone together again!" "Got it!" Gloria tried to wipe away the tears that trickled down her cheeks to no avail. "Braixen and M-monferno, they''re- we''re all alone now¡­ Everyone''s gone," she muttered. "That''s not true, sis," Roark whispered gently. "Please. They''ll come back. We''re safe now and you need to hold onto hope!" "We''re going to the Glacier Peak Mountains? To home¡­?" she croaked out as more tears flowed. "Yeah. It looks like that, sis. Be strong. Be brave for me." ''As if this new responsibility wasn''t hard enough. Now this? Now another glimpse into the past? And more pain for Gloria¡­ for me. Scizor. I hope you made the best damn decision of your life.'' The cluster of Mudsdale continued their endless gallop across the plains, kicking up dust in their wake that scattered to the billowing winds.
"Out of the way, citizens!" An impatient Heatmor in a brown coat pushed past and even stepped over scores of Pokemon that blocked his way. His fellow guards assisted in keeping Pokemon back as he strode up the marble steps of the Council''s headquarters. The Fire-type marched through hallways and ascended multiple staircases before he was able to knock upon the oak-stained double doors leading into the conference room. A guard from within opened it and allowed him to enter into a heated meeting that was currently taking place. Kommo-o was seated at the head of the oval-shaped table with his face forever twisted into a scowl. "Give me details! Have there been any new sightings of the Lucario and that Yveltal beast?" the elderly dragon barked. Pyroar shook her head. "Nay. Aside from one incident with a rancher - nary a trace of them on the whole continent." "Not exactly true," Manectric said. "A few petrified Pokemon were found near the ruins of an old church. Couldn''t have been taken from Empyrean; they were armed with rifles and looked like mercenaries of some sort. No exact details on which clan or what transpired, but we have a team conducting a wide sweep of the area." "So these terrorists are still within our borders!" Kommo-o slammed the table with a fist. "There will be another attack soon - here, I bet! There has to be! I want the best dragons we can pull from the villages of the Mountain Region and within the guard ranks here and patrolling Elysium City nonstop! I will use my influence there if I have to!" "I concur with your foresight, Elder Kommo-o. Very wise decision," Carracosta chimed in. "I also want more lockdowns on cities and towns across the continent. That Riolu mentioned in the letter to Empoleon is an accessory to the attack. He is a threat and is still out there; he is to be captured on sight." "Already a wide search of the Meadow Region happenin''," Pyroar said. "Few days till we see the results of that." Kommo-o balled a fist. "Now if only we could secure this damnable city from these rioters! I''m one step away from simply removing them from the square by force!" Heatmor made his way over to Kommo-o and whispered into his ear. "Sir, Primarina and the rest of the Council have requested to leave their hotel and join this meeting." "Bah! This meeting does not concern them. We do not need to be bogged down by their hesitancy! We need strength - action! You are dismissed, guard." A nod was given as Heatmor moved to exit the room, only to flinch in shock as the double doors flew open. Three Pok¨¦mon marched into the room and stared at the shocked members of the Council - all three members of Team Drarosteel. The guards in the room immediately drew their rifles upon them or charged up attacks ready to fire off at a minute''s notice. "What is the meaning of this?!" Kommo-o yelled. "This is a private meeting! Who allowed you Pokemon entry?" Garchomp took a single step forward. "Quite easily; we let ourselves in." On cue, more guards rushed into the room and surrounded the trio with rifles raised. Aggron and Tyranitar gave them nasty looks in return. "Are you fools? What business do you have here?" "I think you know why, High Elder Kommo-o," Garchomp said with distaste. "It''s about your recent actions of imprisoning the remaining members of the Cosmic Quilt Guild. You need to stop pursuing charges on them." "Hah, an act of sheer folly! Why would I allow such a thing? The Alignment has already warned us of the attack and one accomplice in their ranks, and I am positive there are more." "But you''re wrong! Jackson is the true enemy here - not the guild. They- we were all fooled by him; the members of the guild, my team, and even the Council. My team has stood by and assisted the Council many times over the years, but I won''t stand by as the Council tries to imprison them all for actions they''ve never committed!" "Aye! This is what they call a ''travesty of justice''!" Aggron added as Tyranitar huffed in approval. "And why should I believe you? What is it that Celestic gains from their freedom? The populace will not accept our weakness!" Garchomp glared at him. "The members of the guild are the only Pokemon with the knowledge of how to save this world from destruction. I admit, I didn''t see it at first, but now I do. I don''t care what you say, High Elder. I''ve opposed you before, and I will do it again to assure their freedom by any means necessary." Kommo-o''s eyes narrowed at the dragoness as he stood up from his chair. "... I remember now. It is you. I did not believe that rebellious Gabite from the village would truly form an exploration team so famous as she claimed she would. That look in your eye - it''s exactly the same as that blasted mother of yours." He shuffled around the table. "But it means nothing as it did then! I brought the Thornhide Tribes to their knees! I bested The Scourge and rose to become the most respected dragon in the Mountain Region! You may be a Garchomp, but in my eyes, you are still a runtish Gible with no authority to challenge my decisions!" "Then it''s a shame... because we are directly challenging you." Following her words, a wheezing Ambipom sprinted into the room. "Elder Kommo-o! There''s been a breach in the jails beneath the courthouse! The guild members - aside from their researcher - have escaped!" A series of gasps resounded throughout the room. Kommo-o''s eyes twitched as he shook in apparent rage. "You¡­ You knew of this, didn''t you?!" Garchomp raised her head high. "I can''t say we''re involved directly, but we did know. The only reason we''re here is to convince you to stand down, High Elder. Do you wanna know why?" "... Humor me," he said through a barely contained snarl. "It''s because I respect you as the once elder of my village, just like my mother taught me to. I still respect the Council, even after all of its failures. I''ve even helped the Council many times when they required my team''s assistance. But... this world is changing fast, and I''m also struggling to adapt to it. You need to get past your old ways like I need to if this world is to be saved. You still have the opportunity to make that choice now. So, what is it?" Kommo-o remained silent as his stern gaze swept the room. He spoke not a second later. "Guards! Arrest these traitors of Celestic!" Disappointment flashed across Garchomp''s face as she raised her talons before they could enact the elderly dragon''s command. "Don''t worry, we''ll go without a fight." Aggron scowled. "Ma''am, ya can''t let them just do this!" "Goin'' without a fight? Really?" Tyranitar questioned. "A reality check this eejit needs!" "We''re going." Garchomp turned and stomped away. She stopped briefly to glance behind her. "I''m disappointed in you, High Elder; you haven''t changed one bit. And that''s gonna bring the Council down with you. C''mon, boys." Aggron and Tyranitar glanced at one another in shock. But a look of understanding flashed across their faces before they reluctantly followed behind Garchomp. The guards escorted them outside and shut the double doors behind them. Kommo-o grit his teeth as he slowly sat down. "I want half of the guards tracking down this Riolu moved to find where these guild members have run off to," he said in a growling tone. "Two terrorists are enough. And I want files on this ''Team Drarosteel'' and their connection with that guild on this table before the night is over. If the Pokemon of Celestic want justice for Empyrean City, then they shall get it." "I shall alert them as of now, Elder Kommo-o!" Manectric barked as he jumped from his chair and headed to the door. Kommo-o leaned back in his chair and sighed. Empoleon had left him a terrible mess to sort out, and he had to pick up the pieces. But he knew he had to take it in stride if the Council was to live past these trying times. Celestic had to live - by any means necessary - and be stronger than ever. ''Should I wait a little longer? No¡­ I have to speak to him now before things get worse.'' Gallade stood by his lonesome in the dark, dingy alleyways between the outer stretches of the city. The buzzing noise of the flickering neon lights festered in his ears and disrupted his thoughts. He fiddled nervously with his armband and Mega Bracelet before mustering up enough courage to place a knock on the door to the apartment. To his surprise, the door creaked open once he made contact with it, a sliver of yellow light visible through the crack. Gallade paid it no mind as he stepped inside and was immediately assaulted by what looked like a war zone. Chairs and furniture were toppled over; stuffed toys of various Pok¨¦mon were scattered over the messy room. Childish giggling could be heard bouncing off the walls as Gallade searched for the source behind it. He found it when Misdreavous suddenly materialized in the kitchen. She laughed merrily and vanished again before a playful Growlithe could tackle her. Gallade cleared his throat. "Ahem. Growlithe?" Growlithe turned to face him, a joyous expression visible on his muzzle as he chewed on a Wooloo plush. "Gwuhlade?" the puppy said with a full mouth. He then bounded over to the Psychic-type and jumped up and down. "Pway! Come pway!" Gallade bent his knees and petted Growlithe on his head. "Another time. Where is your brother right now? Is he here?" "Big brofther isch Upstrairsch." "Thanks. You can continue playing." Growlithe returned to scanning the room with a predatory glare. He waited for Misdreavous to reappear in a new location before he charged after her, only to trip over a large Girafarig toy as she disappeared again. Gallade laughed heartily at their antics before he walked over to the staircase and began to climb it. With a twist of the door handle, Gallade emerged onto the roof of the apartment. He could see Heliolisk at the far end, his claws gripping the metal railing as he looked toward the greater city. The Electric-type was dressed in a somewhat fancy suit - a clean black with yellow cuffs. Gallade considered kneeling for a prayer to the Allmother to find strength, but he instead took in a deep breath before he approached. "I assume you went to the gala," he said. Heliolisk turned his head. "Yeah, just got back from it. It was stuffy and full of snobs, but man I''ve never seen so much food on a table before! They called it a ''buffet''; must be some outside world tradition, ''cause it was real fancy." "I imagine it was better than our regular rations in the mess hall were. Did they have those Baked Tamato Fritters?" "Yeah, they were nice and, uh¡­" Heliolisk scoffed. "Look, you know I hate this small talk stuff. The only thing I really enjoyed was Mismagius spooking some of the guests with her freaky ghost vanishing trick." Gallade chuckled as he stopped beside him. "I didn''t want to spoil the surprise of them being boring to you. Even the Allfather has admitted to me he despises attending them." "Meh, I knew it''d be a borefest for someone like me. But with Mismagius there, it made it all the much better." "Hmm. You know, you''re a very lucky Pokemon. Mismagius is quite the looker, and she''s taken quite a shine to you." "I¡­ I don''t know, man. It feels like- like she''s way too good for someone like me. She deserves one of those strong soldier types from our old unit. I want to be like that for her, but she just says that I''m ''cute when I''m jealous'' and she gets me all flustered and everything." Claws scratched the railing as he let out a huff of frustration. "Girls are just so annoying to figure out! I still don''t know why she likes me; I ask her and she just laughs and floats away!" "I felt the same with Gothorita." Heliolisk blinked in shock as he glanced over. "You¡­ You were? Dude, you were always so confident with her! And, uh, does that mean you''re ready to speak about her again?" Gallade was unsure why he spoke of her name, but he continued. "... I don''t know. Perhaps a little. But yes, I hid it well, but being with her was petrifying, to say the least. Her charm and charisma to my own back then made me feel unworthy of her presence. She was smooth - and I was rigid - like water flowing across a stone. She was¡­" He trailed off as Heliolisk could not contain his nasally laughter. "What is so funny?" "Stop- stop talking like that, dude!" the Electric-type said between his laughter. "Seriously, you''ve been reading too many books from the Archive." Gallade''s cheeks burned as he looked away. "Fine. But Gothorita though¡­ I was always confused about why she chose someone like me - a Pokemon from the streets - nothing. She was even from a richer district than ours at the time I met her." "Well, she was very smart. Smarter than you by a lot." "Haha. That she was." "I remember seeing her atop her apartment some days when we would leave training. She would be exactly where I''m standing and just¡­ daydreaming, I think. She looked like she was thinking a lot, but never had someone to talk to about." Gallade felt an unbearable sadness fog up his senses as his arms hung over the railing. "She had me. Only for a while, she did..." ''The time we had. It was so amazing; like a fairytale from a novel. We could go anywhere. We could leave this place.'' Heliolisk seemed to sense his friend''s somber mood and changed the topic. "I''m, um, guessing you wanted to talk to me about earlier in the palace." A pregnant pause followed before Gallade nodded. "I did. I wanted to give you space, but I couldn''t wait longer." "I get it. I was¡­ acting real stupid back there. I was already angry after we met with the Allfather and heard what he said. Then I saw you with those clothes and just lost it. It felt humiliating, y''know?" "I understand as well, brother. I feel you have a right to be angry after how much work you have put in as the Allfather''s ambassador; especially during our situation with the Razor Claw mercenaries. You have proven yourself worthy enough to enlist in Commander Blaziken''s ranks." "But¡­ No!" Heliolisk grounded his teeth, his tail thrashing wildly behind him. "I shouldn''t have blown up like that. Commander Blaziken doesn''t want Pokemon like that in his elite ranks. He wants strong, efficient, and capable soldiers. But I''m not any of those traits. Compared to you, compared to everyone else-" "Don''t compare yourself to others." "But it''s true! I''m just- I''m tired of feeling so weak and useless. I was the runt of the unit, the one nobody could depend on." Heliolisk threw a claw out and clenched it. "I want to be strong. I want to be powerful. I want to defeat the devils! I want a paradise for my little brother, just like everyone else here. I want to show the whole world the vision the Allmother has! And joining the commander''s ranks would maybe help me see all of that." ''Devils... Our enemies. Who would they even be?'' Gallade shook his head. "You always say you''re weak, but your heart and mind are very strong. You have a warrior''s spirit. I know the commander is watching your progress, and I bet he''s waiting for the right time to give you that position. Hey-" He waited until Heliolisk looked at him. "Mismagius thought you were a catch, so who''s to say the commander won''t think so, too?" he joked. "... You really think that?" "I know that." Heliolisk''s embittered expression eventually contorted into a genuine smile. He and Gallade''s gazes returned to the spectacular view they were given. Beyond the plethora of similar apartment buildings, they could see the city and its blinding beauty. Dotting the background were tall towers of black steel and concrete that rose high. Interspersed were long sections of housing and wide factories between them. But none were more amazing than the thin tower in the very center of the city that dwarfed everything in height. Gallade found the twinkling and flickering of the city''s many technicolored lights almost mesmerizing to stare at. He found it especially hard to talk his eyes off the radiant tower in the middle, as was Heliolisk when his eyes wandered to his friend. Heliolisk let out a sigh. "Y''know, I used to look up at Zenith Tower a lot when I was a Helioptile. It was so bright and felt so warm to look at. Man, I wanted to absorb all that light for myself and just¡­ bask in it. Is that weird to admit?" Gallade laughed. "Not any weirder than the first time you saw the sun and you shirked your duties by sunbathing for hours. I and the rest of the unit had to literally drag you back into the Entercard." "Yeah, you did. But as nice as the sun is, everything here feels much more inviting. This is home to me, and once paradise comes, I hope it looks like this. And everyone gets to be happy living here - safe and secure under the Allmother''s guidance." Gallade could not agree with his friend''s desires. As he looked out toward their city - their home - he could only see the streets and the slums, and the vast amount of Pokemon that struggled to get by day-to-day. Only once did he dream of a world akin to theirs, and that was before he met the love of his life. And despite her being gone, her dream was his, and that was something he could never let go of. A world of freedom and no sorrow; of joys and exuberant life. "Hey, uh, have you accepted Commander Blaziken''s offer to join his ranks yet?" "... No. I asked for some time to think." "You should. Really. It''s not a position he gives out to anyone." "I don''t know, brother. I have already accepted my spot beside the Allfather as his ambassador. And to leave you behind would-" Heliolisk''s claw landed on Gallade''s shoulder as he jostled the Psychic-type. "Don''t think for a moment we''d ever grow apart if you took another role. You''re my best friend - my brother - and nothing''s gonna change that. Got it?" "Affirmative." "Tch. There you go with that fancy schmancy talk. Talk like a normal ''mon!" "I shall not," Gallade said with a smirk. "Nerd." Gallade''s thoughts drifted until Commander Blaziken and his offer washed ashore in his mind. For some inexplicable reason, he felt himself twitch in anger. The fiery eyes of his superior would fall upon him and he would grow uncomfortable as they stared at him with pity and guilt. ''Why? Why does he look at me like that?'' And yet the deeper he searched in his mind, he could find only one reason that he buried deep within to avoid. ''Ever since that day she vanished from my life, he''s changed. Changed toward everyone¡­ toward me.'' There was something he did not fully know or understand about that was hidden from him. But he knew that was something distinctly familiar to everyone who had lived and died in the city. "I don''t know how things are gonna turn out above ground," Heliolisk said, "but I want to know when we''ll finally have our chance to fight back. Commander Blaziken says we''ll have that chance soon; I hope he''s right." Gallade remained silent, strangely unnerved by that statement. Liam took a step back as he assessed his situation and the Pokemon encircling him. ''There''s five of them - minus the one I knocked out. Two Galvantula, a Simipour, and that Bouffalant. This is gonna be-'' "Surround and capture him!" Bouffalant suddenly commanded. His thoughts were abandoned as he darted down the streets of the ghostly village. He did not get far as his hind paws refused to budge. He looked down to see his paws encased in a spider web. A hastily thrown Blast Seed exploded behind him and shrouded the streets in smoke before the guards could catch up. "He''s trying to run away! After him!" Liam knelt and bit the webs off him before he bolted once more. He ran aimlessly through a sea of rotted cottages before he skidded to a halt and dove into one. But the Galvantula were hot on his trail as they scurried inside through gaping holes in the home''s structure. He was able to dodge another silky strand but was then struck in the chest and glued to a wall by another cobweb. The string binding his limbs jolted with electricity as he was stunned mercilessly by the Electroweb. He screamed in anguish before tearing the webbing off him. ''These Galvantula! Gotta get rid of ''em first before I can run!'' Liam ducked under one Galvantula that lunged at him. He then slammed its exposed underbelly with a Force Palm before it crashed into a wall. The other Galvantula scurried up onto the ceiling, spewing web after web at Liam. The Riolu leaped over wooden tables and chairs to avoid the sticky traps. But a well-timed shot from the Bug-type snared him in another cobweb; this one more durable than the others. He struggled and began to panic as the two Galvantula crept toward him, their sharp fangs glistening. His instincts called and he answered, slashing the strings that pinned his limbs down. With only one option racing through his mind, he reached into his saddlebag and procured a Knockback Orb, smashing it against himself with zero hesitation. A shockwave of pink energy exploded from the shattered orb and sent him and the Galvantula hurtling in different directions. Liam''s body blasted through the walls of the home, his body tumbling onto the grass. He quickly pulled himself up and looked around. He spotted Bouffalant and Simipour observing him from the street. "Ready your rifle, private! The Council may want him alive, but a crippled limb is fair game for this wretch," Bouffalant said, glaring daggers at Liam. As the Simipour unstrapped the rifle across its back and took aim, Liam climbed a bridge of twisted vines and wooden planks that brought him to the house''s roof. He sprinted across as gunfire rang out, bits of tile exploding beneath his quick paws. He jumped from house to house, occasionally ducking behind mossy chimneys that crumbled to dust when shot. The shattering of glass stole Liam''s attention as he noticed the pair of Galvantula skittering out of broken windows and onto the roof. A set of fangs then latched onto his fur and bit down hard. Beyond the initial pain, a paralyzing sensation claimed his left arm. He slammed his other paw wildly onto the Galvantula attached to him. He did not cease until the arachnid crumpled and its fangs unhooked from his now numb arm. Liam jumped to another house''s roof before the second Galvantula could pounce him. It pursued him until it was suddenly bathed in orangish-red flames from a bitten Blast Seed. The Bug-type shrieked in pain as Liam took the opportunity to kick the flaming spider off the roof. He then immediately found cover behind a chimney as the crack of gunfire resounded behind him. ''Now it''s this Simipour and the Bouffalant!'' Liam waited for the Simipour to begin the long process of reloading before he slipped through one of the openings in the roof and into the home. Bouffalant harrumphed at his action and threw a hoof at the house. "He''s a feisty little wretch, isn''t he?" "S-should we call for reinforcements, sir?" "Nonsense! I will not let another squad leader steal my capture and glory! After him, private!" Simipour nodded before ambling off to the abode. All was silent as it poked its head through a broken window and peeked inside, finding no sight of the Riolu in the dark interior. Simipour failed to react to the Stun Seed being lobbed at its face as the seed burst and locked its muscles in place. The Water-type could only watch in horror as Liam revealed himself, an enclosed paw crackling with electricity. The charged up Thunder Punch then connected and sent Simipour flying backward. Its electrified body rolled across the street before stopping at the hooves of Bouffalant, who scoffed. "Grah! Incompetents! Must I do everything around here?" Liam''s ears perked up as he heard what sounded like a raging bull charging behind him. His aura senses flared up and he scrambled to safety just as Bouffalant came crashing through a moldy wall. Menacing yellow eyes narrowed at him as the buffalo raised its hooves. Liam ducked underneath a table as a hoof pierced through it and nearly struck him. He scooted away before another hoof came down that dismantled the table completely. "You may have bested those green rookies, but you stand no chance in battle against me!" Bouffalant bellowed. Rolling onto his hind paws, Liam went on the offensive and shot toward Bouffalant with a burst of Quick Attack. He inflicted multiple Force Palms across the Normal-type''s form. But to his horror, none of his attacks seemed to phase Bouffalant as the buffalo''s nostrils flared. A headbutt sent Liam launching across the room. Bouffalant spiraled into a mad tantrum, stomping after the Riolu and destroying anything caught in his warpath. Liam dodged rotten planks tumbling off the walls and ceiling as the home shook violently. With a burst of speed from Quick Attack, he was able to land consecutive Force Palms on Bouffalant as he raged blindly. Yet, his pitiful actions seemed to only anger him more. "You shall be vanquished, wretch!" As Bouffalant went into another frenzied attack, Liam ducked and weaved as the house collapsed around him. His paws then latched onto the horns of Bouffalant in an attempt to stop his rampaging. He was swung around, the buffalo bucking and whipping his head to get Liam off of him. The house was obliterated; piles of mossy wood and a cloud of kicked-up dust were the only remains of it left. Bouffalant snorted before pawing the ground and surging forward. Liam was forced to grip onto Bouffalant''s hair as the buffalo dashed through multiple cottages. Everything was a blur as Liam''s was smashed through wall after wall. ''Can''t¡­ take this much longer!'' Bouffalant came to a sudden stop as Liam was thrown like a rag doll, his body landing on the cobblestone streets. He spat out some blood and cracked open his good eye to see Bouffalant charging again. Too weak to move, he could only hope to endure it. "Take this, wretch!" Liam felt the wind knocked out of his chest as the Normal-type collided into him. His body was flung and demolished a nearby stone well. A shaky paw reached into his saddlebag and rifled through its contents before pulling out a purplish One-Shot Orb. Bouffalant trotted over and knocked it out of Liam''s grasp; he laughed at the Riolu''s attempt. "There''s nothing you can do to stop me from capturing you!" A hoof was directed at Liam''s head, which his aura helped him dodge, then caught another hoof sent his way. Deftly, he maneuvered his other paw to pull a Blast Seed from his saddlebag and wedged it into his mouth, biting down. A sea of flames enveloped Bouffalant as he reeled back in pain. Liam saw his opportunity and used up all of his strength to pummel the buffalo with multiple Force Palms and Thunder Punches from under. ''He has to go down!'' He growled as his foe remained standing. ''But how come it''s never enough?! I''m so... tired.'' "GRAH! ENOUGH!" Bouffalant whirled around and bucked Liam with his hind legs. The sheer force behind the attack sent the Riolu careening through the walls of a cottage and out the other side. His hind paws were able to catch the ground before he fell, skidding to a halt. Splinters dug deep into his blood-caked fur, his stance shaky as he breathed raggedly. His saddlebag was nowhere in sight. ''I''m gonna lose¡­ I can''t... I can''t keep fighting like this.'' Bouffalant emerged from the gaping hole he created in the house, only mildly injured by the looks of it as he casually trotted over. "Hohoho! You may have inflicted some scratches on me, but I shall leave you with some scars for your slights. Consider it justice for the lives you''ve taken, wretch!" Liam stumbled backward; he felt light-headed. His vision fluctuated and his heart palpitated as a strange sensation overwhelmed him. His aura senses were pounding - screaming at him - unlike any warning sensation he had before. "This is the end for you! You will be captured!" A switch flicked on in Liam''s mind. ''... No! I won''t lose! I won''t¡­ I can''t! I didn''t come this far just to lose!'' Liam''s aura tassels lifted in an invisible wind as he felt compelled to hunch over slightly. He planted himself firmly and brought his paws together behind him, staring daggers at Bouffalant. The buffalo snorted out derisively and pawed the earth, readying another charge. ''I won''t¡­ I''m not losing again!'' A sphere of clear, blue, sparking energy manifested between his shaking paws. Bouffalant roared before he galloped forward. ''This strange feeling right now! What is it?!'' Gusts of air whipped around the Riolu as the blue orb he created swelled and his feelers swayed in the wind. A feral snarl spilled from his lips as he bared and grit his teeth so hard they might shatter from the pressure. ''No... I''m not losing! I''M NOT LOSING! NOT NOW!'' Bouffalant was close. Liam let out an animalistic roar as the orb expanded even more. Bouffalant''s eyes widened in apparent fear as Liam lobbed the supercharged sphere directly at him. They collided spectacularly. A burst of white light briefly blinded Riolu as Bouffalant was blown away completely from the surrounding area. He smashed through houses, fences, and carriages until his form finally came to a stop and was covered by piles of debris - unmoving. A stillness resided in the air. All that could be heard was the heavy panting of Liam as he stared in the direction Bouffalant was sent sailing. He gazed down at his paws in bewilderment before the sounds of flapping wings above stole his attention. "I knew I never should have trusted ya!" Corviknight had appeared in the skies with a vicious look directed at Liam. He immediately swooped down with his sharp talons outstretched, aiming to slice the Riolu where he stood. Ponyta''s gaze snapped between Liam and a quickly descending Corviknight in a panicked state. She made a split-second decision and sprinted out from cover toward a motionless Liam. She skidded to a halt in front of the Riolu and looked up. "Big brother! Stop!" Corviknight quickly stopped his dive-bombing mere seconds before he made contact. "L-little sis? What are ya doin''?! Get out of the way! That ''mon right there is the Riolu we''re lookin'' for!" "He''s not a bad Pokemon! Just hear me out!" "I was followin'' ya and saw the whole thing! He was hidin'' out in your carriage! And he took out all of these guards ''ere!" Ponyta stamped the ground with a hoof. "That''s ''cause I was helpin'' him! And he fought ''em to protect himself! I ain''t lettin'' you capture an innocent ''mon!" Corviknight looked stunned. "You''ve- you''ve been helpin'' him, sis?! Ponyta¡­ What kind of mess have ya gotten yourself into?" he questioned in clear disappointment. "... Ma and Pa always told me to do the right thing, and ya said the same thing when ya joined the guard. And I promised to follow those words; I''m only doin'' just that." "Sis, this isn''t anythin'' like that! This guy, he''s-" "Mister Liam! That''s his name! And he wants to save the world - not destroy it like they said he was! He told me the truth, and I looked into his heart!" she added with another stomp. "You don''t really expect me to believe¡­" Corviknight trailed off as he noticed Ponyta''s steely look. He snapped his beak open and closed a few times. "Ah, what the hell. I know how stubborn you get, and I can''t arrest my little sister." Ponyta''s features softened as she smiled. "So you''re not gonna tell on us?" He shook his head. "But for cryin'' out loud - this is a bit much, innit?" He flapped his wings, black feathers flying everywhere. "I know you''ve been bored recently, but harborin'' a fugitive all of a sudden?!" "It''s more complicated than that! I can explain everythin''!" "Explain it later! We have to get out of here before the other guards come to investigate this mess!" Ponyta opened her mouth to speak but gasped as Liam suddenly collapsed behind her, twitching. "Mister Liam! He got hurt badly in that fight! C''mon, he''s got to heal before he can leave here safely!" Corviknight glanced around before muttering a few curses to himself. "... Fine. I''ll take him outta here - you too. But we can''t go to the village hospital." "Take us to my ranch! We''ll figure out somethin'' there." "What a kerfuffle¡­ I hope ya know what you''re doin'', little sis!" Corviknight landed on the ground, plucking an unconscious Liam up and placing him on his back. Ponyta climbed on as well before the Steel-type stretched his wings and took off. "Hold onto him! I''m goin'' up!" Ponyta heeded his advice and gripped Liam tightly as Corviknight climbed higher in the sky. He eventually broke through a layer of dusky clouds and soared above them in complete cover from prying eyes. He slowed down, glancing behind him. "So, uh, you saw that move he unleashed back there, huh? An Aura Sphere, they call it? I thought only Lucario could pull those off." A cold breeze coursed through Ponyta''s sparkly mane as she sighed. "He''s a strange Riolu, this one." "Heh, and you''re a strange little sister I got. We''re almost there, so make sure he''s not spotted." Corviknight continued to silently glide through the night sky. A light gale jostled Liam''s aura tassels as he mumbled and twitched in his sleep. "When he wakes up, he''s got a lot of explaining to do."
Like an animal backed into a corner, there''s only one option, and that''s to fight back! Fight back until a better tomorrow exists!
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: 10,000 Years, A Message Intercepted In The Present 10,000 Years, A Message Intercepted In The Present Chapter 40 10,000 Years, A Message Intercepted In The Present Ponyta stirred in her sleep. A pair of fuschia-colored eyes cracked open as a drawn-out yawn escaped her. She stretched the weary muscles in her limbs and threw off the pink blanket she was cocooned within. Traces of fatigue were blinked away as she propped herself up against the bed''s headboard. A cursory glance around the dark room flooded with moonlight from the open windows proved her fears. "Gosh darn it! Whole sleep schedule is now messier than two Grimer play fighting." Despite her annoyance, a smile played upon her lips after reciting her father''s old saying. Ponyta rolled herself out of bed, her hooves hitting the wooden floor. As her vision adjusted to the darkness, she threw a look at a small, white mattress in the corner of her room. Her head cocked in confusion as she noticed a bunched-up blanket, yet no sign of a sleeping Riolu beneath. "Mister Liam?" She paused for a moment. "Mister Liam, are ya there?" she called out. There was no response. Naturally, worry for her strange and quite reckless guest manifested within her. She quickly trotted into the halls and stepped down the spiral staircase. "Mister Liam! Big bro! Where are y''all at?" Her shouts were met with more silence as she searched every room of her ranch house, yielding no sight of either Pokemon. After a while, she gave up, letting out a huff and blowing off strands of her unkempt mane from her eyes. ''Big bro - that birdbrain'', she grumbled in her mind. ''He said he was gonna watch that darn Riolu like a Noctowl! Bunch of hogwash... But that Riolu, where did he run off to?'' Realizing there was no alternative, she glanced over at the door behind her that led into the ranch grounds, noticing it was slightly ajar. Her heart then skipped a beat. ''Oh, he better not have¡­'' Wasting no time, Ponyta sprinted through the back door and emerged into the hilly grasslands of her ranch. She galloped around for a bit, snapping her gaze all around the lengthy field. ''He''s injured and couldn''t have gotten that far from the ranch. But could he? He sure is stubborn enough to try.'' She was almost ready to give up her search when she saw the stationary form of a familiar Pokemon near the fence perimeter. It was sitting atop a hill dotted with Bluecrest Camellias - motionless and staring up at the glittering stars. There was no doubt in her mind. ''There he is! Now to give him a piece of my mind¡­'' Pontya ran over to Liam, who did not seem to react as she kidded to a halt beside him. "There ya are! I''ve been worried sick lookin'' all over, thinkin'' you ran off somewhere!" "... Sorry," Liam eventually muttered. "I didn''t wanna wake you when I left." "A bit too late for that, mister. Now what are ya doin'' out here? Not only should ya be restin'' after that fight, but there are guards all over the area that can see ya here plain as day- er night! Heck, you''re even lucky them Miltank and Gogoats are too busy nappin'' to spot ya!" she berated, jabbing him softly in the shoulder with a hoof. "What do ya gotta say for yourself, mister?" "I left some time ago when I woke up. I guess I¡­ I guess I needed some fresh air." Ponyta sighed. "Well, ya should''ve told me. Them doofus Miltank just love to wander off, and I get worried sick when it happens. Same goes for all my guests - like you, mister." There was silence before a small chuckle came from Liam. "What''s so darn funny ''bout that?" His quiet laughter ceased. "Sorry, you just remind me of someone. You remind me of Gloria." "Gloria¡­ That partner of yours, if I recall?" "Yeah. This is the longest we''ve ever been separated. I wonder what she''s doing now¡­" "Well, if ya wanna see her again, ya better get your butt off this hill and take it inside before them guards find-" "What if I don''t want to go back?" Liam turned his head to stare at Ponyta. "What if I want to be caught?" His words caught her off guard and she did a double take. She returned his emotionless stare with a perturbed expression. A quick scrutiny of his inner character showed this was not the angry and restless Riolu from the other day. It was like she was peering into the empty husk of a Pok¨¦mon. "I had a dream when I was unconscious," he said. "I was myself again. I was sitting on the deck of my family house on a rocking chair. Dad was out in the driveway working on his truck. I think- no, my sister was there, right beside me. I don''t remember what she was talking about - maybe a movie I knew nothing about - but I was happy to just listen to her being happy. My mom came out the front door and handed us some glasses of freshly squeezed lemonade. It tasted better than any lemonade I ever had before. Everything was perfect." The smallest of smiles that was forming across his face vanished in a second. "And then I woke up." Ponyta blinked. ''What? What is he blatherin'' on about?'' She could only wonder if he had hit his head too hard in his battle with the Council guards. But she could still infer there was an underlying message in his dejected tone. "What do ya mean by all this, mister?" Liam returned his gaze to the night sky. "I think I give up." "G-give up?! Now wait a darn second! You were jumpin'' across rooftops and pullin'' off them dazzlin'' moves to survive against them guards not long ago! What''s with the sudden change of attitude?" A camellia was plucked from the ground by a paw as Liam held it within his grasp. He twirled the stem in place. "When I ran away from the guild, I wanted nothing more than to kill Jackson. To get revenge - for me, and for everyone I knew. But even as I ran, I knew that deep down I wouldn''t get the chance. What chance do I even have at stopping him? Stopping Yveltal? None¡­" He groaned, his numerous injuries flaring to life as he pointed at his bandaged-up right eye. "And this stupid eye - I can''t even see out of it anymore. Against all these odds, there''s not a single way I could ever win." Ponyta silently took up a spot beside him and curled up in the grassy meadow. She knew he needed a talk from a friend, and even if she was not one, she would still be there. "I couldn''t stop him from destroying my family," he continued. "And now I can''t stop him from destroying this world. I''m just- just-" Liam crushed the flower''s stem in frustration. "I''m so weak, so useless. Just like I was a kid - nothing''s changed. You made me see that - what you said before." "... But I didn''t mean that, mister. If ya return to your friends at that guild, ya have a better chance at beatin'' that Lucario." Liam shook his head. "They aren''t my friends." He seemed to realize what he said and corrected himself. "I mean, they are, but they don''t know the real person that I am. They know a different Riolu, and I''m not that same one anymore." He glanced over. "They won''t like the real me. One that''s so weak and pitiful." She frowned, getting increasingly annoyed at his melancholy attitude. Yet, she stuck to the wise words of advice her mother gifted her when dealing with Pokemon like him. "You''re hurtin'', mister - I can see that. But don''t speak all that hogwash about yourself and your friends not likin'' this ''real you''. When it comes down to friendship and savin'' the world, there''s nothin'' more important than that. Isn''t that what that guild was all about - saving the world? Dontcha wanna do that, mister?" Large, aqua-colored petals were ripped out of the Bluecrest Camellia one by one as Liam scowled. "When you''ve seen so many evils, gone through so much pain, why would you want to save a world like this? I don''t belong here; I never did. But it feels like I''ve been brought here to suffer more, and why would I want to keep that going? The world I knew - the world that I wanted- no, needed, was already taken from me." Ponyta''s ears drooped. She was struggling to find anything to say that could lift his spirits, but she kept listening as he continued. Another camellia found its way into the Riolu''s paws and was torn to shreds, deepening her frown. "But one thing I don''t know why¡­ There was an opportunity that I could''ve taken. I could''ve ended it. I could''ve left this nightmare peacefully, but I didn''t. I chose to keep going. Why? Was I too much of a coward to do it again?" A tear followed and trailed down his cheeks. The equine immediately caught on to what he was alluding to and suppressed a gasp. She then affixed him with a flinty glare, placing a hoof on his shoulder and forcing him to look at her. "Listen to me, mister. I''ve known ya not even a full day, but I''ve seen enough to trust ya. You remember what I said about a Ponyta''s special ability; that I can gaze into a ''mon''s heart?" Liam nodded but formed a dubious expression. "¡­ Never believed that I really could, did ya?" She sighed as he nodded again. "But it''s true, mister! I remember gazing into the contents of your heart, and past all that anger and sadness clouding up your emotions, I could see the tiniest bit of hope. There''s good in this world, and there''s good in you, mister." She waited for a response that never came before continuing. "I think what stopped you from doin'' what you were gonna do, and defeatin'' all them guards, is that you still believe deep down that there''s hope." Liam brushed a paw over his damp cheeks, jerking away from her touch. "No. You''re wrong. That sense of yours is wrong. Any hope I had for a better world was gone long ago." He slumped his shoulders. "Please, don''t incriminate yourself any further with me. Just let them capture me, and I won''t disturb you any longer." "Mister. If ya thought you were stubborn, I''m a whole different kind of stubborn. I put my trust in ya, and I ain''t gonna let ''em take you away for somethin'' ya didn''t do. That''s not the right thing to do." "And what I should do is fight more Council guards and makes things worse, huh? And what''s stopping me from turning myself in right now?" he shot back. She narrowed her eyes. "Mister, I swear to great Arceus above I will hogtie ya if I have to. Ya gotta-" "Oi! Oi, sister! Look up!" Ponyta brought her gaze to the stars as Corviknight circled above the duo. A smile graced her muzzle as her daunting task of motivating the Riolu would have an extra hoof. Liam looked up as well, not having any reaction as the armored crow landed before him. "There you two are!" Corviknight squawked out as he landed. Ponyta stood up and huffed. "Shucks, I could say the same for you! You were supposed to be watchin'' Mister Liam while I slept! Some big and responsible guard you are!" she fumed. Corviknight hid his embarrassed blush behind a black wing. "But I was, sis! Er, until Squad Leader Bouffalant and his men were found. Every guard in the area got called into a big emergency meetin'' in the village square." "So? What did they say?" "Well, Bouffalant awoke not long after they found him and the others out cold. After havin'' one of the biggest tantrums I''ve ever seen him go through, he finally told all the other squad leaders everythin'' that happened." Ponyta gulped. "Ya mean¡­ even about my involvement?" Corviknight nodded. "But the good part is, I was able to convince ''em you had no idea the Riolu was in your wagon. You''re not in any trouble, luv, but expect some of my mates stoppin'' by now and then for a quick chat and check of the place." The equine let out a sigh of relief. "Well, at least my ranch is safe. But what about Mister Liam here? They know he''s in the area for sure now!" Corviknight turned his attention to the despondent Riolu, hopping over to him and folding his wings behind his back. His beak curved into a sly smirk. "Hey, you were out cold for an entire day after that big ole tussle of yours with my squad, eh? I bet you think I''m here to arrest you for your ''crimes'', huh?" Liam stared at him blankly. The Steel-type smirk lingered momentarily before he laughed. "Nah, nah, sis here told me everythin'' while you were conked out for an entire day. But there''s some more good and bad news. That guild you were a part of? Not long after the attacks on Empyrean, the Council swooped in and arrested much of ''em." "You''re kiddin''!" Ponyta exclaimed. "But why? First Mister Liam here and now all them Pokemon?" She glanced over at Liam to gauge his shocked reaction. Not even he seemed to expect such an outcome. "Somethin'' seems kinda fishy ''bout all of this..." "I''ll get to that in a bit. And, uh, this next part might be good or bad news dependin'' on how you look at it, Liam." Corviknight pecked open the satchel slung across his wing joints, taking out a bundle of newspaper labeled ''Celestic Cognizance'' and tossing it on the grass. "Take a look at that." Pontya bent her knees and squinted her eyes to read one of the passages near the top of the newspaper. "Four out of five Cosmic Quilt Guild members arrested following Empyrean attack escape from the Elysium City Courthouse through a secret tunnel; Team Drarosteel also arrested after admitting knowledge of the prison break and expected to also stand trial." She gasped. "T-team Drarosteel? Like that famous one with the scary Garchomp lady?" "The very same one, sis," Corviknight said solemnly. He glanced over at Liam, who appeared to still be processing this barrage of information. "Crazy times, innit? Some of your friends from the guild are still out there. They''re runnin'' from the Council like outlaws." "But I bet they stuck together," a wide-eyed Liam lamented under his breath. "Gloria, Roark, everyone¡­" "I bet you''re right, Liam. You guild ''mons are bloody resilient - that''s for sure. But to bust out of a jail cell just like that? You gotta have a good reason for that..." Ponyta''s eyes widened as she planted herself in front of Corviknight. "Big bro! You could take Mister Liam to ''em! He could reunite with his friends!" She leaned in uncomfortably close. "With their help, the guild still might have a chance of savin'' the dang world!" Corviknight flinched as he hopped back a couple of steps. "S-save the world, sis?! Now wait a second. First of all, savin'' the world is one thing. Second of all, findin'' them is a whole other thing. And third of all, who says I''m gonna do all of that after this whole mess you got yourself involved in!" "But you have to! Mister Liam here, he needs to-" "I''m not going anywhere," Liam interrupted, lifting his gaze from the meadow he had desecrated. "There''s no stopping Jackson. He''s already won. I can''t do anything, and neither can anyone at the guild. It''s all gone." Corviknight cocked his head before looking at Ponyta, who frowned. "Sis, I thought he was trackin'' down this Shiny Lucario across all of Celestic? You''re tellin'' me he''s given up already?" Ponyta snorted and stomped the ground with a hoof. "I tried speakin'' some sense into him, but he''s spewin'' out a whole bunch of-" "Hogwash?" "Hogwash," she confirmed. Corviknight sighed. "Liam, is this all true?" "Even if there was the slimmest of chances of stopping Jackson, I don''t care anymore," Liam said. "I''m so¡­ tired. I''ve lost everything I ever cared about; I just want this all to end." He threw his arms up before they fell limp by his sides. "So, turn me in already. You''re better off protecting yourselves than helping me." Corviknight and Ponyta exchanged glances before the small equine deeply inhaled. She slowly trotted in front of Liam and regarded him with a sorrow-laden expression. "Do ya mind if we show ya a place? It ain''t far from the village," she said. Liam said nothing. Ebony-colored feathers flew out from a pair of outstretched wings as Corviknight lowered his body. Ponyta quickly hopped onto the avian''s back and patted the space behind her. "C''mon, Mister Liam. There''s some Pokemon I want you to meet." A sea of tall, verdant trees whizzed past as Corviknight flew above. While Ponyta ducked and shielded herself from the fierce winds, Liam let the gale course through his fur. He eyed the expansive forest below with not an ounce of intrigue. What was tantalizing before was so numb to him now. Eventually, the trees thinned until the tops of numerous headstones could be seen spread out across a large clearing. The tightness in Liam''s chest only grew worse as he observed. Corviknight circled the cemetery before gently descending and landing on a cobblestone-paved pathway. "We''re here," Corviknight said, angling his head back. "Sis, will you be all right?" Ponyta tensed up for a moment but nodded. "Mhm. We won''t be here very long. C''mon, Mister Liam." The Psychic-type leaped off Corviknight''s back as Liam reluctantly followed. She trotted a few feet down the path before scrutinizing her surroundings. "I remember where they''re at. It''s just down this path," she said. Their silent yet serene trek through the cemetery lasted a few minutes. Past the sights of various lost souls and offerings left by their tombs, Liam could smell the Bluecrest Camellias that bloomed among the edges of the pathway - like fresh rain in the morning. He found it strange that he enjoyed this bittersweet array of emotions. Ponyta pointed a hoof forward. "They''re over here. Let''s go see ''em." Breaking away from the path, the trio ascended a hill before stopping at a pair of two headstones. They were small and cheap-looking but adorned with beautiful bouquets and written notes. Whoever these two were, Liam knew they were loved immensely. "I originally came from the Grit Region, if ya couldn''t already tell," Ponyta began. "Times were gettin'' tough for my Ma and Pa out there, and they wanted to move out of the region and start a ranch. I saw ''em work themselves to the bone to afford the Poke for it. They managed to do it one day, and I was so happy we''d be able to move out of the boneyard." She paused as Corviknight laid a comforting wing across her side. "Ma and Pa got real sick one day as the ranch was bein'' built. Couldn''t move a muscle - nope. My big bro here was just a mailmon we''d see now and then, but when he found they were sick, he helped me try to nurse them back to normal. But¡­ but-" "They didn''t make it," Liam realized. Ponyta shook her head. "Just a day before the ranch was completed, they went. I had no other relatives; no other adults in my life besides Corviknight here." She smiled weakly. "I guess even in the worst of times, there''s a bright spot of hope always there." "Before her parents passed, they trusted me to take care of her," Corviknight said. "To do the right thing is something I''ve always wanted. Bein'' a mail deliverer? Sure, it was nice, but joinin'' the guard regiment and helpin'' Pokemon all across Celestic? That sounds more my style." Ponyta was now fully smiling. "Things were rough in the beginning, but we managed to pull through and make the Moomoo Hoof ranch a big success. Ma and Pa¡­ they would''ve been proud." She giggled as Corviknight ruffled her fluffy mane with a wing. Liam glanced at the headstones and then back at Ponyta. "¡­ Why are you showing me this?" The equine''s happy expression turned serious. "Because, mister... life goes on. I used to come visit Ma and Pa here every week. But as time went on, I visited less. It ain''t ''cause I forgot about ''em, but I realized they were still with me in spirit. I didn''t need to cry all the time, even if I wanted to." "I- I don''t-" "Whatever happened to that family of yours, I''m sure they wouldn''t want to see ya sufferin'' like this. Things have been real tough, but like my Pa used to say, ya gotta go through some of the bad to get to the good." Corviknight withdrew his wing from Ponyta. "Is that all you wanted to say, luv?" She backed away from the headstones before stopping in front of Liam. She appeared to compose herself with a steady breath before speaking. "Please, mister, do the right thing and don''t give up. Move on and let go of that grief that''s swallowin'' ya whole. I''ll, um, be waitin'' by the entrance when ya make your decision." With her parting words, Ponyta trotted down the hill back to the path. Corviknight watched her leave. "Y''know, my sis has never shown another ''mon this place before. Whatever you told her must''ve changed her mind. She''s got gold in her heart, that one." If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "..." "But then again, it doesn''t matter. We''ve already met before, Liam. I''ve seen a lost Riolu play his heart out there in that forest with that banjo. It looked like you found yourself then, so why don''t you find yourself again?" "That Riolu you met before isn''t the same one now." "I know. I see it in the way you carry yourself. But this whole shite that you, that Lucario, and the Council are involved in? I may be a Council guard, and orders are orders, but I know when to do the right thing. And the right thing is not arresting you when you''ve done nothin'' wrong, far as I''m concerned." "And how do you know I haven''t?" Corviknight smiled. "All in the eyes. Ponyta showed me that trick; well, not in the same way her powers let her, but still-" He shook his head, scattering feathers. "The point is, sis trusts ya, and I think you''re a good bloke - just confused, is all. And if that means I can take you back to your friends or wherever you need to be, consider it done. That''s a promise." "You would betray the Council just to help me?" Corviknight nodded sternly. "Life? Well, it''s a whole heck of a lot more than just rules, than titles, than money and power. If helpin'' Ponyta back then was doin'' the right thing, then I''d sure do it again." Liam remained silent, staring straight through the avian and his words of wisdom. "I''m gonna leave you alone for a bit if that''s okay. It looks like you need some time to think about what to do next." Corviknight opened his wings before suddenly closing them. "Oh, right! I forgot to give you this." The Steel-type popped open his satchel and snatched the strand of something within with his talons. What he pulled out was an eyepatch; the patch was cream in color, with the image of white flower petals engraved near the patch''s bottom. The eyepatch was extended over to meet Liam''s gaze. "Ponyta said that bandaged eye of yours was pretty much a goner. So, I asked around my unit and there was this ''mon who was once buddies with a pirate from the Shore Region that wore this. I bet there''s some interestin'' story there, but I was able to snag it off him for cheap after he was plastered one night. Here, take it - it''s yours." Liam hesitantly grabbed the eyepatch from Corviknight''s talons. He ran a paw over the smooth cotton and sighed. "... Thanks." "Sis and I will be near the entrance of the cemetery. Once you''ve figured out what you''re goin'' to do, come see us." With a stretch of his wings, Corviknight took off into the skies. Now by his lonesome, Liam was surrounded by the cemetery''s haunting aura. It smothered his emotions in despair. He felt sick; sick by Ponyta''s and Corviknight''s hopeful yet useless encouragement. The more he looked at the headstones that seemed to stretch forever across the clearing, the more boxed in and nauseous he felt. His thoughts drifted to the graves he had visited so many times in his past life. ''Move on¡­ Could I even do that?'' his mind wondered. ''I couldn''t do it as a human, but as a Pokemon?'' It felt wrong - like a forbidden sin and a betrayal of everything he held dear. And yet, he desired relief from his inner torment. His legs trembled as his fatigued muscles gave out. His knees hit the grass as fresh tears welled in his single eye. ''Liam.'' The Riolu perked up at the faintest whisper in his ear. He looked around for the Pokemon behind the disembodied female voice, yet was met with stillness. He flinched as the voice once again wormed into his brain. ''Liam¡­'' "Am I¡­ hallucinating? Or is somebody there?" he asked aloud. "Oh, Liam, this is no mere fantasy." In the blink of an eye, the environment around Liam blurred and warped. Headstones and tombs slipped beneath gaps in the expanding earth and vanished from his shocked gaze. The camellias wilted and were uprooted by blooming white wallflowers. He raised a paw to block the unyielding beams of sunlight that drowned out the darkness of the night and shined down upon his face. He could hear the soft notes of a piano being played, intermixed by soft, whispering voices that sang in his ears like angels. "Moving on¡­ What a terrible thing to consider," the voice said, reverberating throughout his mind - silky and distinctly familiar. Liam removed the paw from his face as his head snapped in multiple directions. Unlike the forested cemetery, he was in just a few moments, he was transported to a fertile grassland. The boundless field extended for miles; distant mountain ranges were obscured in rolling clouds of fog. A cool breeze coursed through this new land, carrying the fresh scent of petrichor. The Riolu stumbled forward as he explored his immediate surroundings. He knew this had to be a trick of the mind, and yet the sensations he was experiencing felt so real. ''That woman''s voice; this place¡­ I''ve seen it before! In a dream I had in Gloria''s house, and then in the Sunshine Forest. It has to be the same!'' He could feel the calm wind and the warmth of the sun across his fur. Glancing down, he noticed the lack of cuts and bruises inflicting his body. And when he raised a paw to meet his right, it was undamaged, and he could see through it clear as day. "I am beyond happy to finally see you again, Liam." "You''re¡­ You''re that same voice that spoke to me before," Liam mumbled. "Out in the Sunshine Forest that day. And at Celestial Mountain." "Indeed. I have been watching your exploits for quite some time, and have made contact with you before." Liam took a step back. "Who- who are you? Are you some sort of Legendary? Why are you giving me these strange visions?" "Who I am doesn''t matter at this point. Please, for only a fleeting moment, explore to your heart''s content." Liam opened his mouth to retort but closed it a second later. He decided to humor her and forced his legs to move forward. His aimless walk through the grassland was quiet yet peaceful as he felt more and more relaxed. An assortment of cooing noises above broke the reticence as he looked up and saw a flock of white doves soaring through the cloudless blue skies. As he looked around, slowly bubbling in his chest was a desire he had not felt in so long. ''It''s not real. None of this is. But¡­ it feels like I''m here.'' "I told you before, but this is your ideal paradise, Liam," she explained. "Everything has been crafted to suit your vision of an ideal world." ''It can''t be her. She sounds so much like- no, it''s a trick. A dirty trick by some Legendary Pokemon, no doubt. She''s trying to get into my head.'' "And- and how do you know that?" he stuttered out. "Keep going." Ascending a grassy hill, he peered beyond and was caught off guard at what he saw. Right here, among the empty sea of grassland, was a house - his childhood home. He stared at it for a while, wondering if it would vanish if he looked away. "This is where you grew up, Liam. I attempted to replicate it as much as I could. I hope you find it pleasing." "It''s- It''s perfect. It''s exactly like..." Liam trailed off before he ran down the hill as fast as his paws could take him. He reached the house and peeked into the home''s insides through a window. Inside was a sight that made his heart soar. His mother was walking around in an apron, managing pots and pans on a stove. His father was setting up the nearby dining table with silverware. There was another person inside that made his heart sink - the younger sister he never had. June assisted his father by setting down plates in front of each pushed-in chair. There were four in total - one that was obviously meant for him. A paw pressed up against the glass. Liam wanted nothing more than to step inside and join them. And yet he knew they were mere illusions, not even glancing his way. A sick feeling manifested within his stomach as a scowl stained his features the more he observed. "They look very happy, don''t they? It''s as if it was always meant to be." Liam stepped away from the window. "I don''t get it¡­ Why are you showing me all this?" His confusion turned into blind anger. "Are you doing this just for fun? Just to torture me?!" "It is the opposite, Liam. I wish nothing more than to reignite the hope you have lost. Your role in this world requires that you do not give up." Her words further confused him, but the gears in his mind turned. "My¡­ role? What do you- wait. Back then, when I took those painkillers, I thought I was hallucinating. But it was you. I heard you in this dark void, and you said my name." He put his back to the house and searched the empty grassland for a figure that was never there. "You brought me to this world. I died¡­ and you brought me here." There was silence. "Tell me!" Liam suddenly blurted out. "... Yes, you are correct. Your soul was nearly lost to the planes of oblivion before I intervened and saved it. I brought you to this world and gifted you the body of a Pokemon. Unfortunately, you were afflicted with amnesia upon your arrival." "You- you ''saved'' it? You ''gifted'' me the body of a creature in a world that wasn''t my own?" Liam questioned with rage present in his tone. He dropped to his knees and squeezed his eyes shut. "Why? Why didn''t you just let me die there?" "There is a reason. I wish for you to see it. Please, while there is still time left, let me take your hand and show you. What you see will no doubt return your hope." "Nothing you show me will change my mind." "I believe you will." Before Liam could say anything else, a bright light consumed his vision. When it faded, he was atop the ridge of a tall, green mountain as the morning sun dawned. A blue haze smothered the forested valleys in the distance. To Liam, this landscape felt distinctly familiar. "These- these are the Blue Ridge Mountains?" "Indeed. A breathtaking place of natural beauty in the human world, yes?" "Yeah¡­" "And there are so many more sights to behold in a beautiful world," she continued. The sun slowly set in the distance as the green mountain ranges also sank into the haze, fading as a flat, sandy landscape emerged. Cacti and spiky yuccas sprouted up, along with tall, reddish mesas. Liam recognized this place immediately. ''It''s the Chihuahuan Desert!" "Yes. But¡­ the beauty of nature does not extend to just the human world." The landscape morphed again, replaced by the sight of numerous waterfalls gushing from the openings in a ravine. "The Soaring Falls!" An impossibly tall mountain pierced the earth and rose high into the sky. Mist rolled across its many mysterious cliffs and valleys, invoking a sense of intrigue in Liam. "And Celestial Mountain!" "These are but a fraction of this beautiful world''s spectacles that you know of. The human and Pokemon worlds - while distinct and separated between universes - are not so different in their inevitable destruction." Once more, the world around Liam changed. Thick puffs of polluting smoke drifted upward from the columns of tall smokestacks. The smog settled in the skyline and blanketed it in a ghastly black layer. The Riolu sneered at the multitude of large factories occupying what looked like a once thriving forest, now reduced to stumps. His nose wrinkled at the stench of pollution and carrion left in the wake of the forest''s erasure. "Mankind''s greed and desire to forever expand and industrialize will suffocate their planet in time. Their disrespect of nature, I know you understand it well, Liam." Liam clenched his paws tight as he seethed silently at the sight. The vision shifted to a chaotic battlefield as artillery shells rained down upon bombed-out, muddy cliffs. Amid constant gunfire and deafening explosions, bodies fell one by one. Streams of blood contaminated the waters rushing up a beach. "But what dwindles their greed in comparison is their thirst for control. There is no doubt that one of the numerous conflicts they have wrought will be their last." There was another battlefield in the middle of a forest but now commenced by Pokemon clad in armor. Elemental attacks of all kinds ripped across land and Pokemon alike. Faction banners were raised against the backdrop of a raging forest fire caused by a stray gout of flame. "Pokemon are no different than humanity. They thirst for power; to become more powerful than their opponent at any cost. They have not reached the apex of mankind''s cruelty¡­ yet, but they will soon approach a point of no return." "It''s terrible..." He could see fields of uncontrolled fire. There were craters in the earth the size of an entire city. Entire swathes of once lush and lively continents reduced to barren, lifeless wastelands. "Two worlds. Two different species. Two equally destroyed societies." Liam could not erase the horrified look on his face as a white light drowned out what he saw. He was back in the endless grasslands, completely untouched by these terrible things the voice showed him. "The Pokemon world is still capable of being saved. I have stood by for thousands of years, unable to act other than patiently wait as societies formed and commit the same mistakes humanity has. But now is the time to act. This is where your role in this world comes to fruition, Liam." "You keep saying that - my ''role''. Please, tell me. What is my role here?" he pleaded. "Liam." The voice paused. "Your role in this world is to save it." Liam let her words sink in for a moment. Every moment he spent in his world, from his very first arrival in the Sunshine Forest, he wondered why he was here. It ate at him constantly, wanting to know his purpose. And yet, now that he knew, it felt so hollow. "It''s a lie¡­ That can''t be true," he muttered, lowering his head. "I could never save the world by myself. I couldn''t stop Jackson before, and I can''t stop him now." "Jackson is not your enemy; he is your ally." Liam slowly raised his head in utter shock. "... What?" "... Liam. After every exchange we have had, do you recognize my voice?" Her voice uncharacteristically quivered as her next words came out emotional and gentle. "Do you¡­ recognize who I am?" "Who you are? You''re-" He stopped himself as his eyes widened in realization. "No. You can''t be¡­" It was so clear to him. He denied it at first, but now there was no avoiding it. "Your voice was always so familiar, but¡­ It can''t be, can it? You can''t be her." "I am the very same, dear." It was her. Tears were rolling down his cheeks - tears of joy. A smile, one that he had not formed in so long, was firmly planted upon his face. "Of course it''s you¡­ Who else could it have been? I thought- I thought I was all alone in this world." "You''re never alone, Liam. Please understand that. I¡­ I have waited for so long to see you again." Liam shook his head and wiped away his tears. "I-I''m so happy to finally see you again. But I don''t understand. How- how are you even-" "It doesn''t matter as of now, Liam. Please, close your eyes for me." The Riolu obeyed her request and shut his eyes. "And now open them." He opened his eyes to the sight of a magnificent forest. He was deep in a copse, surrounded by tall pine trees. So many stars were visible through the small gaps where the night sky was visible, bright, and twinkling. The chirping of unseen birds and insects alike could be heard all around. Liam held his breath as he took a step forward. A distant pathway leading deeper into the forest then caught his attention. He trekked down the winding trail, entranced by nature in its rawest and purest form. As he walked further, a crackling noise made his ears swivel toward the source, and an orange glow steered his gaze over to it. He could even see trails of smoke wafting upwards in the sky. He eventually emerged into another grove. A burning campfire resided in its heart, encircled by three felled wooden logs. Liam made his way over, taking in the warmth and security it provided. He glanced over at one of the log benches and saw a banjo resting up against it. It was undoubtedly his old one from when he was a child. "I spent years crafting this forest. The poem that your mother once shared with you. This place, it''s-" "The Forest Of Vanishing Sorrows," Liam finished in a hushed voice. "It''s- It''s exactly how I imagined it would look like." Liam surveyed the treeline and saw multiple faces of the deceased staring at him. - his loved ones. They filled him with more joy. He once was excited at the prospect of the unknown, but that was a lie he could never admit to. It was a mere facade his younger self propped up against a cold, indifferent world. He wanted familiarity. He wanted comfort in knowing. He knew he was selfish enough to yearn for these unattainable things. Was that so wrong? "Thank you for doing this." "You''re very welcome, Liam. I am most pleased you enjoy it. But there is something that I must request of you." She paused. "I need your help. I need your help in saving the Pokemon world from itself." Liam''s smile faded as he brought his gaze to the earth. "I¡­ I can''t. I''m sorry, but I just can''t. Everything I''ve ever loved in the world has been taken from me. And me? I''m weak. I''m useless. I''m so¡­ tired of all of this." "It is true you were robbed of a future with your loved ones. But a future that I propose will correct such a fate." "That was what we dreamed back then, but there''s no chance of any world being fixed." "Never say anything is not possible. I, too, once believed there was no hope. But with the power I have acquired, things have changed. Jackson has seen this possibility as well, and he has been helping us reach it." He sneered at her comment. "How could you- With a monster like that? He-" "Jackson is not a good man. I have known his flaws since we first met. He grapples with these ''sins'' he has committed in his past life and the ones he still believes he enacts in the present. And yet, past the evil and pain that shrouds his heart, there is goodness. I see that he strives to become better and fulfill something dearest to his heart. Liam¡­ Past all the self-doubt and apathy inside you, there is passion and desire beneath it all." His head shook. "You''re just saying that to make me feel better, like before. I''m nothing. I''m just a kid. I can''t do anything to help you." "You are not nothing, Liam. The brief time that we once shared, I''ve treasured it greatly even after all this time. I thought no one shared my dreams of a better world, but there was a boy with a broken heart that entered my life. We are kindred spirits, you and I, and there''s nothing more important." The groaning of wood could be heard as a walkway burst forth from the ground. Liam said nothing as he trudged forward and stepped onto it. In an instant, the forest was gone, replaced by a sparkling lakefront suffocated by humidity and abundant cattail. "But I''m not a good person," the Riolu admitted. "I feel so much hatred inside. I''ve hurt others. I want to hurt like I''ve been hurt. You said not to give up hope. But you''re holding out for someone not worth any of it." In the corner of his eye, he could see a glimpse of something - a vision overlaid upon the landscape. He could see another manifest as he turned. His mouth parted as he realized what was being shown to him in numerous amounts. They were memories of his being played back. The day he joined the boy scouts. Getting a banjo for his eleventh birthday. His first time fishing with his father. Meeting Gloria in the Sunshine Forest. Them defeating Magmortar. Joining the Cosmic Quilt Guild together. All of their fun adventures and time spent doing jobs. Climbing Celestial Mountain with Jackson. The guild''s dive into the research left behind by the Legendaries in Regi Castle. His team''s fight with Regigigas. His confrontation with Jackson near the expedition''s end. And the last heartfelt conversation he had with Gloria in the Eden Theater before everything changed for the worst. All of these moments flashed across Liam''s face. A certain feeling stirred within his chest the more he stared. "Throughout this grand journey of yours¡­ After all of the challenges and triumphs you have surpassed, are you ready to give up on your dream, Liam?" There was a pregnant pause that followed. "... No," Liam said in a strained voice. His body trembled with emotion as he ejected more tears. "N-no. No, I''m not ready to give up." "All the evils of the world that seek to desecrate its beauty and extinguish its existence. The evil that stole your loved ones and a boy''s innocence. What do you wish would happen to a corrupted world?" Something snapped inside. His outpouring of sadness and grief blossomed into a burning rage. "¡­ I want to wipe it all away." He scowled viciously. "All the evil and the ugliness of the world, it has to be gone!" He could sense a smile on her nonexistent face after hearing him. "And with the erasure of the world''s evil - and the evil inside ourselves - and the constant strife and hatred that accelerates devastation; what would be left is a perfect world of our creation - a paradise. A place where our loved ones never met a demise, and there is only limitless joy. That is the world I seek to create." Liam opened and closed his mouth several times. "¡­ Our dream," he sounded out gently. "Could it really exist?" "It was just a dream to us and many tortured souls before, but now it is a potential reality. And all that is required for paradise to be born, is for you to see it through." There was more noise of creaking wood as a spiral staircase erupted from the ground in front of Liam. He wordlessly began ascending its many steps. His hind paws eventually met rough, rocky mountainous terrain as the staircase vanished behind him. He continued his hike upward, grabbing onto rocks that jutted out and pulling himself further up. Cool grass met his touch as he rose to his full height at the peak of the mountain. He looked around in a shocked daze, stumbling forward. White wallflowers bloomed beneath him as he bore witness to the very sight he saw during his first expedition in the guild. A sharp, cold wind nipped at his fur, making him feel so alive. He was here again. ''The peak of Celestial Mountain¡­'' He peered up at the sky and could see the shimmering, infinite lights of outer space up close as shooting stars hurtled past. A shaky paw was raised to reach the cosmos, and Liam felt a cloud of glittering stardust brush against it. "Over ten thousand years I waited patiently for this very moment. A message has been sent from the future to the past - across time and space - and was intercepted in this present." She let her words linger. "It was a message for you, Liam. One that shows you are loved, and your pain can be healed." Liam dropped his paws. "You would do all of this¡­ for me?" It did not feel real to him. None of this felt that way, but it was. "Liam. Do you believe you could ever let go of your lost family? To never see their smiles, or to hear their voices again?" His chest tightened and his breathing hitched. "Never¡­ I won''t ever let go of them." Even entertaining the thought was unbearable. "Then please¡­ Help me. Help me see an end to the suffering that has plagued all of existence. And when it is done, the gates of paradise shall be open to all." Liam went silent. Just before his reunification with her, he had already given up and lost his hope. But the clarity that recent revelations brought tore at his insides. His sadness, his anger, his frustration, and contempt all fused to form something entirely different - a singular goal in mind. It was a goal he only dreamed of before, believing it was once impossible. But now it was possible. Paradise. "... Tell me what you need to do." A few seconds passed until she spoke to him again, noticeably happier. "Words do not describe my joy at hearing you say that, Liam." The ground beneath Liam shook as bits of the mountains crumbled off in small chunks. "My power to keep this vision intact is waning. I shall make my exit, but do not fret; I will return quickly." Liam smiled widely. "I''m just so happy I could hear your voice again¡­" "Likewise, dear¡­ Farewell." The mirage of Celestial Mountain deteriorated further and further until it collapsed entirely into darkness. Specks of orange dust littered Liam''s perception as the vision ebbed. He was now back in the cemetery and staring blankly at the heavens. There was a twitch in his aura feelers as a new power surged through his veins. He did not react as his body was encased in a white glow. Corviknight and Pontya waited just outside of the cemetery''s metal gate entrance. The restless equine was pacing back and forth as Corviknight absently plucked loose feathers from the plumage around his armored chest. "He''s been in there for a whole hour!" Ponyta exclaimed. "Shucks. I hope he didn''t just run off into the forest. Sure seems like somethin'' that reckless rascal would do." "Ease up a lil'', sis," Corviknight said. "That bloke may be in the dumps, but I know deep down he knows the right thing to do." She slowed her gait, sighing. "Ah, I sure hope so, big bro. I just hate seein'' a ''mon so sad and mopey. I hated bein'' all depressed back then." She frowned, glancing over at Corviknight. "Do ya think I did the thing? Showin'' him Ma and Pa and sayin'' all that somber stuff?" "It was. Some ''mons need to confront that idea of lettin'' go of their pain. Heck, I sure know a lot of ''mons in my unit can''t let go of losin'' a bloody game of cards to me," he joked. Ponyta giggled. "Well, maybe. I just hope I had the right effect-" The Psychic-type was interrupted by a metallic squeaking noise as the cemetery gate entrance swung open. The brother and sister pair turned and stared in shock at the Pokemon that was walking over to them. Strands of blood-soaked bandages dropped onto the grass. A spiked forepaw gripped the straps of an eyepatch and brought it up to lay over a mangled right eye. A singular, crimson eye was brimming with confidence and reignited drive. The Pokemon came to a stop on a hill and stared at them. "M-mister Liam?" Ponyta asked in bewilderment, her jaw hanging loose. "You- you evolved!" The Lucario made his way over. "I did. And I''ve made my decision." "Which, um, is?" "I''m not giving up any time soon." Ponyta whistled loudly as she reared up on her hind hooves. "Well all right then! Sounds like ya found your senses back there, huh?" "Sis wrangles up Miltank for a livin''. No doubt she could wrangle a lost soul," Corviknight added with a smirk. Liam nodded. "If y''all could help me one last time, I need to find my friends from the guild and reunite with them. Corviknight, is there anything else you know about their whereabouts?" "Well, durin'' our meetin'', a lot of guards were pulled off from huntin'' you and sent off north of Elysium City to find those guild ''mons that escaped. My best bet? They''d be near those snowy mountains in the farthest reaches." "Then I''ll have to search north, then." Ponyta ran over to Corviknight and placed her hooves on his talons. "Big bro! You could take Mister Liam and help find his friends! Them guards out there could tell ya if they''ve caught wind of ''em!" "I could, couldn''t I?" the avian remarked, sighing as his little sister looked up at him with pleading eyes. "I should, shouldn''t?" A nod from her sealed his next words. "All right. I''ll talk to my squad leader about gettin'' moved to the other search party goin'' after the guild. Then I''ll take Liam wherever he needs to go. I did promise him, after all." "That''s so kind of ya, big bro!" Ponyta cheered before running over to Liam as well. "When ya find your friends, y''all are gonna finish your goals and save the world and junk, right?" There was an unnoticed glint in Liam''s determined smile as he tightened a paw. "We''re gonna save the world from Jackson and Yveltal," he said triumphantly. Ponyta was grinning ear-to-ear, her tail swishing behind her. "Then why are we wastin'' time with all the gab? Let''s get flyin'' already!" Corviknight chuckled as he spread out his wings. "Hold your Rapidash there, luv! You act like you''re goin'' with him. C''mon, let''s take you back to the ranch." "Ah¡­ I know. I got responsibilities and all, but it''s nice to imagine." Ponyta pouted as Corviknight''s gaze found Liam. "We''ll talk more at the ranch. Are you ready to go back there now?" "Ready as I''ll ever be," the Lucario said as he marched over. He waited for Ponyta to hop onto Corviknight''s back before he also leaped on. "Like Ponyta said, let''s not waste time and get out of here. There''s a lot that needs to be done first." "Confirmed, Mister Evolved ''mon," Corviknight quipped as he grinned. "Here we go - one express flight back to Moomoo Hoof Ranch!" The Steel-type launched himself off the ground and took to the starry skies in mere seconds. When the cemetery was far behind them, Ponyta turned her head to look back at Liam. "I''m glad I could help ya out with your troubles, Mister Liam." "You helped me more than you could ever realize, Ponyta," the Lucario replied. "Once the world is saved, I''ll do anything to pay back the kindness you showed me. "Aw, shucks. You''re gonna make me blush! I don''t need anythin'' from ya; just the world still spinnin'' around is good enough." Liam zoned out completely from his surroundings as his mind wandered to more important things. He replayed the instructions of their plan over and over until it was drilled into him. There would be no more failures. There would be no more pain. His thoughts drifted further. ''And when the world is saved from itself, there''ll be no more evil, no more ugliness - like everything should be. And¡­ I''ll see them again.'' There would exist paradise.
Ten thousand years¡­ A message existing in both the past, present, and future. A woman and a boy; kindred spirits reunited at the crux of a new dawn.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: The Road To Self-Annihilation The Road To Self-Annihilation Chapter 41 The Road To Self-Annihilation "Sis, just how many of these battle items do you have here?" Corviknight inquired. "I''d say you were preparin'' for a war!" Ponyta continued stuffing the blue-hued saddlebag full of seeds and Wonder Orbs. Once finished, she zipped up its pouches. "All set for ya, Mister Liam!" The Lucario walked over, bending down to pick up the saddlebag from the grass and slinging its straps over his shoulder. He wore a grateful smile. "I can''t thank you enough for what you''ve done for me, Ponyta." She beamed at his appreciation. "S''no problem, mister! As long as it helps ya get back to them friends of yours, I''ll provide!" "Are you ready to head off, Liam?" Corviknight asked. "Better now than waitin'' for my mates from the village to find you here." "I''m ready," Liam said, hopping onto the avian''s outstretched back. "It''s gonna be a long trip, so I hope you''re ready." "Hah! ''Ready''? Us Flying-type guards are trained for endurance when in flight, so don''t you worry a bit there." Ponyta trotted over and placed her front hooves on Corviknight''s side. "Y''all come back safe now, ya hear? This whole world-savin'' business is mighty dangerous if ya didn''t already know." Liam looked down at her. "It''s extremely dangerous, but there''s no other choice. If I don''t stop Jackson, then no one else will. And it''s not just Celestic that he''s targeting." Ponyta initially frowned but warmed up to a smile. "You''ve come a long way in such a short time, mister. I''m happy for ya. And I hope ya do succeed in stoppin'' that dang Lucario!" She glanced over at Corviknight. "And you make sure that happens, all right?" Liam gripped her hoof with a paw. He squeezed it tightly. "When I return here, Ponyta, this''ll be a world free from the claws of evil and reborn. It''ll be a world really worth living in - I guarantee that." He let go. "But we''ll just have to make it there first." He wanted so badly to make it there. The tiny equine backed away. "That''s the spirit! Now go out and accomplish it for me and every other ''mon in the world!" Corviknight grinned as he spread out his wings. "We''re off! Wish us luck, sis!" With his parting words, the Steel-type took into the night. Ponyta waved a hoof at them as they soared well past the Moomoo Hoof Ranch. Liam returned her gesture with a wave of his own until she, too, was gone from his sight. It was there that the na?ve and ignorant Liam had died, and where a capable and resolve-driven Liam was born. He would not give up, nor would he settle for what he had been dealt with. He has to succeed in the tasks he was given, or else his second chance in this world meant nothing. Corviknight angled his head back. "Now I know I said your friends might head to the snowy mountains way north, but there''s a few other places. If we head all the way north of Elysium City, there''s Celestial Mountain, and there''s probably a few units up there I can check with. But beyond that, there''s Cryogonal''s Summit and the Glacier Peak Mountains. I can also rendezvous with some other guards headin'' that way and see if they can give us some clues on where they went." "Change of plans; we have to go to Empyrean City first," Liam said coolly. "Change of- huh?! What do you mean? We don''t have the time to make stops here!" "It''s important. There''s something I need from the guild first before we can move forward." "The guild? That place is most likely swarming with guards by now!" "I''ll figure out a way to get past them, okay? Please, I just need to get into that guild," Liam pleaded. Corviknight was silent for a moment as he flew. "¡­ All right, I''ll do it. But no makin'' a scene there, got it?" "Got it." They continued their flight in silence, occasionally steering clear of roaming patrols of Council guards both in the skies and on the ground. Eventually, the sea of trees below them was replaced by a sprawling field dotted with flowers. Corviknight followed a cobblestone road littered with abandoned wagons and stagecoaches. Liam held his breath as he stared forward. ''Empyrean City¡­'' It was eerily quiet as they flew past destroyed building after destroyed building. Twisted steel rose from rubble that piled high on the scarred streets. Entire sections of the city were charred from an out-of-control blaze or were erased by Yveltal''s rampage. Few Pok¨¦mon were seen below, rummaging through empty buildings and navigating what remained of the city. Liam''s heart sank at what he saw. In just a week, the city he came to know and love, was devastated. Memories of his time spent here flooded his mind. Trading with the Meowstics'', reading along with Gloria at the library, and many adventures they had simply exploring its vast landscape. He knew such destruction was necessary for paradise to be born, but he could still not fathom why exactly. He wondered if Jackson felt the same. Liam threw that stray thought away without any hesitation. The man deserved no pity - especially from him. Empyrean City was now behind them as a ravaged trail led further into the meadow. Liam swallowed thickly at the sight of a familiar, collapsed building in the distance. Corviknight circled the area and descended slowly, allowing the Lucario to see below. Numerous stone statues of Pokemon were lined up near the entrance. Liam recognized some of them before he looked away and balled up his paws in a fit of rage. Council guards swarmed the remains of the guild. However, they barely resembled Pokemon at all to Liam. Armored plates adorned sturdy long coats. Menacing-looking masks hid their faces from onlookers. They patrolled the guild''s entrance, its garden, and the training grounds. They scanned the skies as Corviknight hovered above, camouflaged in the blackness of the night. "I know ''mons say us guards are just soldiers of the Council, but the blokes down there are the real soldiers," Corviknight whispered. "Elite rank stuff. I''ve never seen ''em before; thought they were just rumors, but it looks like I was wrong there..." Liam hesitantly looked down again. "I need to get inside. Do you think you can distract them somehow?" "D-distract? These guys?" Corviknight sputtered. "I''ve never had a word with these types of ''mons before! And who says they''d even listen to anythin'' I have to say?" "Look, just do it. Say anything that''ll get their attention. I have to get something inside there if we''re gonna continue." Corviknight appeared to mull it over in his head before grunting. "¡­ Well, guess there''s no alternative. Fine. I''ll drop you off nearby, make a scene, and then pick you up at the same spot once you''re done in there. Got that, mate?" "Got it." The Steel-type swooped over to the back of the building and flew low to the ground beside the cliff side. Liam jumped off the avian''s back and rolled onto the grass. He waited for Corviknight to fly over to the guild''s entrance before he stealthily inched forward. ''C''mon, Corviknight. Do your part.'' A cawing noise then broke the silence. Liam could hear shuffling noises from within the guild - presumably the guards inside leaving to investigate the strange sound outside. Liam took advantage of the opportunity and sneaked into the building through a gaping hole in its side. ''I''m inside! Now to find the Guildma- Jackson''s quarters¡­'' Surrounded by mops, brooms, and various cleaning supplies, Liam deduced he was in the storage closet. Opening a door, he emerged into what was once the mess hall. Moonlight came in through breaches in the ceiling, shining down on overturned benches and chairs. A lump formed in his throat as memories rushing back threatened to stall him. He ferociously shook his head to ward off these recollections of the past. ''I can''t keep getting stuck like this. I have to keep going.'' Traversing the mess hall, he quietly stepped into the guild''s hallway. He occasionally glanced at his surroundings for signs of guards but could see only pure darkness, and hear the sounds of wood creaking beneath his weight. He felt the walls to navigate until his paws slid across the engraved image of a Lucario head on a wooden door. ''This is it.'' The door handle turned as Liam stepped into Jackson''s quarters. The desk at the far end of the room was toppled over, the grandfather clock split into two, and fragments of a destroyed banjo scattered all over. But none of that mattered to him as he instantly walked over to a corner of the room and dropped to his knees. He pressed a paw onto one of the floorboards and pushed firmly. ''Right corner. One of these boards¡­But which one? It has to be around here-'' One of the wooden boards gave in to his pressure. He slid it off to the side, revealing a metal safe wedged in between the gaps of the floor. He then placed a paw over the dial on the safe and began twisting it. ''1¡­ 9¡­ 9¡­ 0-'' Liam heard a ''click'' as the safe door popped ajar. He wasted no time in opening it, rifling through the contents inside. He pulled out a piece of parchment and scanned the first few sentences penned at the top. It was a letter from Jackson directed to him. A snarl was emitted from his curved lips as he tore the letter to shreds and threw the scraps behind him. He returned his attention to the contents of the safe. There were multiple ELEs and Entercards that were inside. He took them all before grabbing another sheet of parchment. A quick scan of the illustrations, instructions, and intricate symbols on it made his heart stop. ''It''s this right here! I''ve got it!'' Liam quickly rolled up the parchment and popped open his blue saddlebag. He tossed the ELEs, Entercards, and the parchment inside before stepping out of the room. He made his way back to the mess hall before he suddenly stopped. He spun around and went down a different hallway, coming to a set of doors. He threw open one of them, stepping inside a small room and immediately being hit with emotion. This was Team Requiem''s room - his room. Remarkably, his old quarters were intact and undamaged by the attack. And yet, anything barely resembling it remained. Their motivational posters were ripped off the wall, their bean bag beds were purposefully ripped apart. Their drawers were all open and bare, the contents obviously collected by the guards in their search for evidence against him. Liam remembered collecting each job listing he and Gloria would complete as keepsakes and placing them inside there. He closed his eye and imagined a regular night in the guild, when he and Gloria would recount their exciting day full of adventure, wonder, and heroism in their beds. Back then, every day seemed to be more thrilling than the last. But it was all gone now, like most things he came to love. Liam was ready to turn around and leave before he noticed an object in the far corner of the room - his banjo - just as he left it. He lingered in the doorway before walking over, picking up the instrument, and slinging its straps over his shoulder. He left the guild for the last time. Dirt crumbled off a cliff face as Liam slid down it. He crouched low by the spot Corviknight had dropped him off as he waited for the Steel-type to fly overhead. As if on cue, Corviknight appeared above and landed beside him, panting and visibly nervous. "Bloody hell¡­ I thought I could strike up a nice conversation, y''know? And then they sweated me over everythin'' I knew! Even if I was one of ''em, they¡­" Corviknight trailed off as he narrowed his gaze at the banjo strapped across Liam''s back. "Mate, I know that thing might mean a lot to you, but I hope it wasn''t what you desperately needed in there." Liam smiled and tapped his saddlebag. "Nope. I got it right in here, so we can move on to the next place." "Next place? Is this a grocery trip?" the Steel-type remarked, narrowing his eyes. "Just how many things do you need before we find your friends?" "Just one more and we''ll be ready to find them." Liam stiffened as he heard movement behind him - clearly the Council guards reentering the guild. "We gotta go now; they''re gonna know someone was inside." "You don''t have to tell me twice. Hop on!" Corviknight spread his wings out as Liam jumped onto his back. In mere moments they were airborne and flying away from the guild. Liam glanced back to make sure they were not followed, breathing a sigh of relief when he knew the coast was clear. "All right, where to next, Liam?" "Celestial Mountain. There''s one last thing I need there." "Far away and very frustratin'' to navigate¡­ Y''know, if you were any other ''mon out there, I''d be chargin'' you for these trips!" "I never said it before, but I can''t thank you enough for what you''ve done for me so far, Corviknight." "If it means this world doesn''t go away, and my sister is safe, then I''ll take you anywhere, mate." Liam looked straight ahead at an imposing mountain range that loomed in the distance. "It won''t. I promise that." He turned his attention to his thoughts, relaying his instructions over and over in his mind. ''Celestial Mountain, the World''s Eye, and then we can finally begin creating what''s rightfully ours¡­'' Freezing, bitter winds whipped across the Glacier Peak Mountain as a gentle snowfall descended upon its treacherous valleys and rocky cliffs. Through the frigid conditions, a pack of Mudsdale galloped across nature''s obstacles like it was nothing. Their flurry of stomping hooves carried them further and further up the mountain. Roark squinted his eyes at what looked like two balls of yellow light flickering in the distance. He loosened his grip on his Mudsdale''s reins as it came to a stop. He then turned to the group of Pokemon following behind him. "Hey! Think I see some lights up ahead!" he shouted. "Could be a village or camp up ahead!" Excadrill pulled his Mudsdale alongside Roark''s, exhaling a foggy vapor. "I see ''em, too! Let''s just hope these are natives and not Council guards waitin'' to pinch us!" Roark took a deep breath as he gripped the reins again. "We have no choice but to see, right? C''mon!" As the Mudsdale sprinted after the fulgurating masses of yellow, it soon revealed another cluster of lights attached to lantern poles spread out across a large, flat plane of land. Wooden cottages stretched across long, paved streets. Tall icicles jutted around the homes and encased them in a wall, acting like a perimeter of some sort. Pokemon - mostly Ice-types - could be seen wandering the streets. But their attention was quickly diverted to the loud sounds of the Mudsdale heading toward them. The Mudsdale slowed their gait upon reaching the small village''s entrance. They trotted into the streets before coming to a stop. Roark looked around briefly before slowly clambering down his steed. He then lightly jostled Gloria, who was still cradled in his arms. "Hey, sis. We''re stopping for a moment," he whispered to her. "I''m gonna let you down for a bit while we figure out our next move, okay?" Gloria hesitantly cracked open her eyes and lifted her head from Roark''s chest. She wiped her tear-stained cheeks as she was gently set down upon the snow-covered cobblestone road. She looked around in a daze, observing this new place with a strange feeling settling in her chest. Something about this village seemed strikingly familiar to her. Excadrill grunted as he hopped off his Mudsdale and made his way over to Roark, shivering the entire time. "By Landorous'' g-great mane, it sure is cold around here." He sneezed. "I ain''t used to this¡­" Roark sighed. "Yeah, well, I can''t say I missed being in the Frost Region again." He turned his sights to the growing crowd of villagers coming out of their abodes to stare wide-eyed at them. "This isn''t a Council camp, but we should be careful about our identities; even an isolated village like this could hear the news." Excadrill followed his gaze. "While we let the Mudsdale rest, why don''t you fill me in on what Scizor told you?" Roark reached into his mane and pulled out the scrap of parchment Scizor handed to him. He unfurled it and let Excadrill take a look at it. "I didn''t get to read it, but there''s a bunch of information he left behind. Think you can decipher all of this? I''ve got to admit I got zero clue on this stuff." The Ground-type took the parchment from his claws, analyzing what was transcribed onto it. "This is all mighty interestin''¡­ These ''artifacts'' - y''all found one of them near that place we dug up in the Meadow Region, right?" Roark nodded. "Apparently. Mercs stole it, but Scizor said we needed to find the rest of them and also reclaim the stolen one. And he said there could be one of them on this mountain, too." "Did he now? I''m assumin'' that''s why ya wanted to head off here?" "Other than this place being a good way to hide from ''mons, yeah. We''ve got a lot of busy work to do, and it''s just us for now." "Not exactly. That Garchomp lady from Team Drarofear, was it? She''s been filled in on what I''m doin''. She was darn stubborn about not attacking the Council, but she eventually came around. I reckon we''ll see her team around once we round up all those guild ''mons scattered across the continent." Excadrill folded up the parchment and handed it back to Roark, who stuck it back into his mane. "This''ll take a while for me to fully grasp this smarty pants'' notes, so why don''t we find out who''s in charge ''round here and hope they don''t know who we are? And-" He grunted in pain as he rubbed his bandages. "Ooh... And I need to find a doctor here to replace these bandages." "We should, and you''re telling me why exactly you''re all messed up, too," Roark said. "And hey, if these villagers are nice, maybe we can figure out if they know anything about these shiny hunks of metal." He turned and knelt. "Sis." Gloria, who was still in a stupor, was brought back into reality by her brother''s voice. "Wha- huh?" "Me, Excadrill, and his workers are gonna stick around town for the time being if we can, all right? We''re gonna find who''s in charge and see what they know. You''re free to go where you want, but please don''t wander off, okay?" "Um¡­ okay, I won''t." Roark leaned in closer to kiss her forehead and ruffle the curly fur atop it. "We''re gonna be okay here - I know it. We''re gonna find and get everyone back eventually, so don''t you worry, all right?" "O-okay." He winked. "That''s my girl. Get something to eat, rest up, and we''ll meet back here." The Zoroark stood back up as he and Excadrill took down a street, followed by the Ground-type''s workers. Gloria watched them depart as she remained still. She eventually mustered the courage to take a few steps forward down an opposite street. Curious looks were sent her way by the various Pokemon gathered to see their arrival. Gloria soon grew uncomfortable at the attention and hastened her pace down the icy road. She nearly stumbled and lost her footing as she quickly rounded a corner and glanced behind to make sure she wasn''t followed. Fear gripped her heart. Did they think she was an outlaw? Did they even want outsiders in their village? She was beginning to hyperventilate, but she stopped herself from descending further into panic. A calming and steady breath escaped her. ''I''m okay¡­ I''m okay, like Roark said,'' she reassured herself, sniffling. ''I''ll just walk around for a bit and then go back to the Mudsdale.'' Gloria pushed on through the village. What continued to befuddle her mind was how familiar everything in the village looked to her old home. The cottages were built the same, the street lamps were designed after Lampents, and even a large building in the distance was eerily similar to the library she spent most of her time in as a kit. The whole village was like a recreation of Kyuris Village. ''But it can''t be¡­ It was all destroyed in an avalanche. Everything was gone, and so many Pokemon there were-'' Gloria stopped herself as a lump appeared in her throat. She refused to think about the past, yet the future looked so bleak as well. Her friends were gone - now considered outlaws - and many others were petrified into stone. Was Liam safe or was he captured? Where did Monferno and Braixen go? What will happen to Scizor after he helped them escape? Where do they even go from here when everything is seemingly against them? These unanswerable questions plagued and tormented her mind. She bit her lip and fiddled with her scarf and necklace. The growling of her stomach accompanied these troubled thoughts. ''M-maybe there''s a Pokepuff bakery around here somewhere?'' She scolded her inner self. She had since promised Roark she would not stress eat, but she was nearing a complete nervous breakdown. ''Heeeey! Vulpix!'' Gloria flinched at an unseen, baritone yet feminine voice seemingly calling out to her. She looked around for the culprit, shaking her head after seeing nothing but passersby Pokemon. ''They''re probably talking about another Vulpix.'' Her paws were shaky as she trudged forward, ears swiveling around to catch another stray comment. ''Vulpix! I''m talking to you! Hey!'' Her pace quickened, her heart thrumming in her chest. But before she could take another step, a pair of fuzzy, white arms matched around her waist. She let out an involuntary squeak as she was lifted into the chest of an imposing Beartic. ''Oh wow! It has to be you, right?" the tall stranger asked, squeezing the Vulpix into an unwilling hug. "But if you aren''t, then this is, um, a bit awkward." Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. "Who-" Gloria croaked out. "Who are you talking about, ma''am?" Her heart fell as she realized this Pokemon might know who she was. "You''re that Vulpix from Kyuris Village, right? I remember you! It has to be you, right?" Beartic exclaimed, sniffling the small bit of frozen mucus that dripped from her snout. Gloria''s jaw dropped. It couldn''t be. "C-cubchoo? Is that really you?" Beartic giggled gleefully and tightened her embrace, much to Gloria''s chagrin. "It is you! Yep, that''s me, all right!" "You- you evolved!" "I sure did. And you¡­" Beartic trailed off as she took a good look at Gloria. "You''re still a Vulpix after all this time? I sure thought you''d be a Ninetales." "Well, I guess it''s because... " How could she tell her that she did not believe in herself to be worthy of evolution? "Oh phooey, I''m so bad at this greeting thing. Why don''t you come to my house and we can catch up!" "Uh, sure!" The door to a large lodging was thrown open as Beartic carried Gloria inside. She then gently set the Vulpix down on the velvet-carpeted floor. Gloria''s head was still spinning after the sheer amount of speed her old friend used to run here. She found herself staring at everything within the home. An expansive living room, ornate furniture, and full bookshelves that lined the lavishly decorated walls. While a simple house to the naked eye outside, inside was like a mansion to her. Beartic knelt to retrieve a bundle of firewood off the floor and threw it into a crackling fireplace. "Feel free to relax your paws and sit down. There''s some Perfect Apples on the table if you''re hungry. You''re, um, my guest and all." Gloria wordlessly obliged, sinking into a couch and sighing. After sleeping on nothing but rock for a week, she melted into its soft cushions. "Cub- I mean Beartic, it''s been a long time since we''ve seen each other. Ten years, exactly." She smiled earnestly. "It''s- It''s so good to see someone from Kyuris again." Beartic wiped her runny nose. "It''s good to see you too, Vulpix." "Oh, um, I go by Gloria now." "Gloria? Pokemon with names are really rare around here. But I guess it''s normal where you are." "A lot''s changed since the avalanche happened. I''ve got a brother now, and I''m living- was living in Empyrean City before Yveltal showed up. Everything since that happened has been so¡­ so-" Defeating. Gloria''s ears splayed against her skull. "Sorry, I don''t wanna dump all my problems on you. You, um, haven''t heard anything in the Celestic Cognizance about the Cosmic Quilt Guild, have you?" "No, we rarely get clippings up here," Beartic said. "Just like the old Kyuris Village, we''re very remote. In fact, we''ve been living in the same spot since the avalanche!" "Wha- huh? Wait." Her heart stopped. "This village, what''s it called?" Beartic laughed merrily. "It''s Kyuris Village! We rebuilt it and have been thriving since!" Gloria''s mouth was agape upon hearing this revelation. How could she not have realized? All the familiar structures and sights, but she could not put it together. Perhaps it was because she pushed away memories of it deep down, or perhaps it was because she did not have recognizable faces anymore to look at. Her heart was happy that Kyuris lived, but she was heartbroken that it was not the village she knew deep down. It was a bittersweet feeling. "Yep! The Rescue Society, or what remained of it, helped us establish a new village over what was left. They''re still around here and helping us nowadays," Beartic further explained. "We''ve been steadily growing since, and I''m even the leader of the Glacier Guiders now!" "The Glacier Guiders¡­" Gloria mouthed before her eyes grew wide. "Y-you''re the leader of them now? I thought your dad was-" She stopped herself. "Is he okay?" Beartic adopted a mournful look. "Yeah, he''s still around, but he''s not as active as he used to be. He got hurt real bad in the avalanche, so he stepped down. And I figured, ''why not follow his big footsteps and take his place?''" She gestured to everything around her before awkwardly clacking her claws together. "So yeah, that''s what I''ve been up to since that day." "That''s¡­ I''m very happy for you, Beartic. You''ve accomplished a lot." Though her words were genuine, her emotions were conflicted. Cubchoo had evolved, had become the leader of the Glacier Guiders, and had moved on from the past. But she could relate very little to her growth. She spent ten years in Empyrean City, too scared and unsure of her abilities to bring glory to her name and accomplish her goals. It was not until Liam arrived that she had no choice but to take a chance. It was Roark who gave her the extra push and comfort in doing so. It was only because of others that she made it this far, and realizing that only highlighted her worst qualities. She could not let go of them. They stained and smothered her lofty desires. Was she simply doomed to sulk forever in her pain? Beartic noticed Gloria''s crestfallen expression and walked over. "Vul- Gloria, is something the matter? I know about the Yveltal stuff, but if you want to talk about it, you''ll always be that friend I had before and could say anything on my mind." Gloria fought back the tears that threatened to spill over. "I just- Things have been so rough lately. The guild I was a part of - everyone from it is gone from the Yveltal attack or missing. I don''t have my partner anymore, and he ran away. And the Council-" She sniffled, letting a few tears slip through. "That''s a whole other issue. I''m here- well, we''re here for a reason. I wish I was strong enough like you to pull through, but I know I''m not - not alone I am." Beartic moved closer. "You must''ve gone through a lot to get here. But I remember how you were, Gloria. You''re stronger than you look, and I''m not saying that because you''re, um, small. Hehe." Gloria smiled through the tears that ran down her cheeks. "I should be happy, though. I should be happy that Kyuris Village is still here, and I should be happy you''re still here - but I''m not." The Vulpix was brought into another hug by Beartic; this one she fully accepted as she buried her muzzle into her friend''s shoulder and cried hard. "Everything''s so... broken," she mumbled, her voice muffled, "and I don''t know how to fix it. I don''t know how to fix me." Beartic patted her back. "Do you remember when you pulled me from the rubble of that avalanche? Everyone was scared; I was scared I wouldn''t ever see my dad again. But you and that Zoroark came, and you helped me escape. I''m, um, not the best at these sorts of things, but maybe you''re trapped, and you need a ''mon to pull you out. And that ''mon is yourself." "Yeah¡­" It seemed so simple for Beartic to say, but was deemed impossible in her mind. "I''m happy to see you again, Gloria. Even if we''ve gone down different paths, we''re still-" A knock upon the entrance doors stole their attention. A second later, a male voice could be heard speaking. "Beartic! Are you in there? We''ve got some new arrivals to Kyuris, and¡­ there''s a lot to take in. Come outside when you can!" The hug was broken as Beartic gasped. "Oh! You can meet the Rescue Society''s leader, too! I did say they were still around and all." She ambled over to the door as Gloria wiped her bleary eyes. "Um, okay. Just give me a second." The door opened as Beartic bowed her head under the doorframe and left, soon followed by Gloria. But what the Vulpix saw standing in the middle of the village''s street made her stop dead in her tracks. It was a Zoroark. Red and white; its flowing mane cascaded into ghostly wisps and tendrils. It stared at her, yellow eyes full of curiosity and friendliness. Gloria glanced to its sides to see Roark and Excadrill. Her brother looked at her with a worried expression that signaled a wordless message. ''Be calm''. She was anything but. "Beartic. I see you''ve already met one of our visitors. Did he- er, she inform you of their situation?" the Zoroark inquired. "Sort of," Beartic said. "It was, um, more so just catching up with an old friend." "Ah, an ''old friend''?" Zoroark returned his gaze to Gloria, who was beginning to tremble. She hated the way he was looking at her - like he was mocking her. "Roark mentioned he had a Vulpix as a little sister. You are Gloria, correct?" Gloria said nothing and took a hesitant step forward. "You- You''re-" She stopped. "Who are you?" The Ghost-type held a claw over his heart. "I''m Zoroark, head of the Rescue Society. We''ve held a position here in Kyuris Village for more than eleven years. It''s nice to meet you, Gloria." She scowled when he said her name, taking another step forward. Her teeth were bared as she muttered her next words. "Are you that same Zoroark from eleven years ago?" Zoroark''s prideful expression waned as a pregnant pause followed. He inhaled and exhaled slowly. "... Yes, I am. I am that same Zoroark." Gloria froze again as did the blood in her veins. Her fur stood up on end, bristling like sharp icicles. "You¡­" All she saw was blinding red. Gloria charged after Zoroark and tackled him into a snowbank. Her claws extended from her paws as she slashed his face over and over. Zoroark attempted to shield himself to no avail. Her cries were guttural and pained, her cold-laced blows rage-driven. "GLORIA!" "Little missy! Stop what you''re doin''!" A pair of red claws yanked Gloria off Zoroark as Roark attempted to keep his sister still. She thrashed wildly in his grasp, hot tears streaming down her snarling face. She glared daggers at Zoroark, who was bleeding from multiple long, deep gashes across his muzzle. "I HATE YOU! YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!" Gloria screamed. "I HATE¡­ YOU!" she wheezed out one last time before being overcome by tears. "Bring her inside!" Beartic shouted before rushing over to Zoroark. "C''mon, Zoroark, let''s go get the doctor." Gloria continued to fight against Roark as he and Excadrill dragged her into Beartic''s home. She tried to get loose, to continue her onslaught against a monster, but she eventually gave up. Her limbs slackened as she closed her eyes and sobbed, wanting this day to just be another nightmare like the previous ones she endured. The door slammed shut behind her. Gallade had long since finished his tasks for the day and was walking down the streets of the Inflorescence District. It was another day of exercising his duties across the city to multiple districts and the heralds he found most distasteful. Dealing with their colorful personalities and flagrant disrespect of him was rough, and yet it all boiled down to paperwork in the end. As much as he loved a good novel to meld his mind with, paperwork was a sworn enemy of his. ''My duties as a soldier but also an ambassador and advisor; I respect these titles, but where do the lines cross? If I''m to become a member of Commander Blaziken''s elite squad, do my loyalties go solely to him, or remain with the Allfather?'' After his talk with Heliolisk the other day, he was beginning to question if the life of a soldier was his calling. He had the experience, and his best friend advised him to do so, so why should he not? And yet, the murkiness that was Blaziken''s demeanor in recent years concerned him at best, and at worst - what he feared at the darkest reaches of his mind would be true. Gallade scattered these thoughts immediately. If he were to speak his mind, it would be labeled treason. He was utterly devoted to the Alignment, the Allfather, and even Commander Blaziken. ''Come, citizens! Listen to what we have to say!'' The staticky voice coming from the speakers across the district caught Gallade''s attention. He and many other Pokemon on the street moved closer to the source of the disruption, rounding a corner and surveying the district square. ''The afternoon announcement was already given, so what is this?'' Soldiers dressed in garb he could only identify as belonging to Commander Blaziken''s regiment stood like statues on a black steel platform. They brandished their rifles and attempted to look menacing to the gathering crowd of Pokemon. Another soldier - an Obstagoon - would stand at a microphone and stage and speak into it. ''The time has come, citizens! The gates to paradise will soon be open, but there are devils above that block the entrance! The Alignment and the Allmother demand all of your support for our efforts going forward!'' The statue-like soldiers stomped their feet and struck a pose. Rolled-up parchment was being handed out to various Pokemon in the audience ''Speak to our recruiting officers and find a position in our ranks! Prove your worth to the Allmother, and you may find yourself in our most elite ranks helmed by Commander Blaziken! You may even see the outside world for yourself!'' Gallade sighed as he watched Pokemon feverishly listen to the soldier''s speech. While enlistment was forced upon some city districts, recruitment was still openly encouraged across all districts. It was how he and Heliolisk ended up in the places they are now. He was mixed on the matter. It felt insidious, but they were all proud to serve the Alignment and its cause. They wanted to protect the city and its Pokemon from harm. But it also promised security. A bed to sleep on at night, a hot meal, and comrades to share it with. It was a good deal for homeless Pokemon like he and Heliolisk once. ''The commander is pushing more of these speeches lately. Is he preparing for something?'' Before he could think about it further, Gallade forced himself to look away as he returned to his regular path. Pokemon in his way saw his armband and quickly stepped to the side, giving him a wide berth. He said nothing to them, offering only a polite smile. Fear was always rampant in the city. Soon he was in his neighborhood, and he ascended the steps to his apartment. But when he neared his home, he noticed something peculiar. The door to his apartment was ajar, and the lights were on inside. Gallade knew this was no evidence of theft, as thieves knew full well the consequences of robbing Pokemon in higher positions. This had to have been the work of patrolling guards. Every week they would stop at a particular house to search it for any potential offenses. He knew this because he had participated in these searches many times in his training to be a soldier. It was a regular occurrence for many. ''But they left the door open¡­ Why? I never brought any books home from the Archives.'' Preparing himself for a possible confrontation with a guard inside, Gallade stepped inside his home. He scoured his kitchen and living room before hurrying up a flight of stairs. He braced himself before opening the door to his bedroom and stepping inside. He did a double-take at what he saw. Flickering candlelight from his nightstand illuminated two figures within the small room. "A-allfather? And Magearna? What are you both doing here?" Magearna was hovering in the left corner of his bedroom, silently staring at him and wearing a blank expression. Frogadier sat on his bed, lacking his usual regalia, and his head held low before he looked up at Gallade. The Psychic-type could sense barely restrained emotion behind his baggy eyes. "I said before in the palace that I wanted us to talk, and, um, I figured here would be more private than there," Frogadier said. Gallade opened and closed his mouth several times. "Well¡­ Of course we can talk, Allfather! I''d be more than happy to do so." "Please, just Frogadier in private." "Ah, my apologies; I always forget." "Please, sit." Gallade walked over and took a seat on the bed next to Frogadier. "Is this referring to the discussion Heliolisk and I had with you at the palace?" Frogadier slowly shook his head. "¡­ I don''t have many friends, Gallade. Definitely not many that I can trust. Besides Magearna here, I think I can trust you with my true feelings." He paused. "At least, that''s what my heart says. But tell me, do you think of me as a friend?" "Why, yes. I like to think everyone in the city considers you their close friend." "No, not that. Not someone who is worshiped, but a real, genuine friend. Am I that to you?" Gallade stopped to think. He had known Frogadier for many years after he took over after his father as Allfather. He came to know the Pokemon past the reverted title. They were both young and new to their respective roles when they met, and there was a sense of respect between them. But could he consider him a friend as he did Heliolisk? One could be imprisoned for making such an unabashed claim of friendship, but could he? It was difficult to say. "I¡­ I don''t know, Frogadier. I would like to think so, as well." "Thank you for saying that," Frogadier said. "Do you remember what you were not meant to uncover at Regi Castle? What that Projection Crystal showed you? There''s been multiple millennia of lies passed down from generation to generation. Things I can''t even¡­ I can''t even imagine how deep it goes." Gallade could not fathom it either. He thought it was a lie itself at first, but the Allfather was there to confirm the painful truth. To know their extensive history was obfuscated was hard to accept; it made him feel small, made their accomplishments feel small. "I don''t like lying," Frogadier continued. "Certainly not to you or Heliolisk, but I had no choice but to. All Allfathers of the past had to hold up this lie to keep the Pokemon of the Alignment steady and focused on their goal; I upheld it as well until you and Heliolisk found out. And I guess, er, well¡­ if it were any other Allfather in charge, the next course of action I would have to take is-," he gulped, "-eliminating you two so this knowledge doesn''t spread." Gallade froze. Frogadier noticed his shock and held up his webbed hands. "But- but- but I would never do that, okay? You have to believe me on that, all right? Do you believe me?" A slow nod from Gallade released a sigh of relief from him. "Oh, good! By the Allmother, I was worried for a second there." Gallade relaxed his muscles. "Is that really what they would have done? Getting rid of Pokemon to conceal these secrets? Is it that important for us to be ignorant all the time?" "To the Allfathers of the past, yes. But I never wanted that. I want the Pokemon here to thrive, to see the sun for the first time in their lives. Do you want to know something about myself, Gallade?" "What?" "I''ve never been to the outside world." "Y-you haven''t?!" Frogadier shook his head, sighing. "I am far too busy, and the district heralds would forbid me to do so regardless. For all intents and purposes, I''m trapped here. The closest connection I have to the outside world is our shaky relationship with Celestic''s government. But even that is deteriorating after recent events." "With Yveltal and that Lucario¡­" "Yeah, and who that Lucario is and what he knows about us frightens me the most. He could destroy everything we have built. And there is much that I know, but can''t share. I wish I could tell you, but-" "Why not tell me?!" Gallade suddenly interrupted, furious. His mind scolded him for disrespecting his leader, but his desire for the truth burned brighter. "If this Lucario is such a threat to our existence, then why leave us in the dark? Aren''t we all embroiled in this, too?" He slammed his bedding. "We deserve to know the truth! So why don''t we?" "Because I''m afraid of what you''ll think of me." "..." "I''m afraid of what the Pokemon here will think of me. Though they don''t show it, they''ve lost faith in my abilities already. I know you hear what they think of me; that I''m unfit to lead the Alignment. And it''s true - I don''t deserve this position. But I have to keep trying, don''t I?" Gallade was taken aback, but it was a belief that was retorted by many around him. ''Everyone from my old squad¡­ and Heliolisk, too. They''re all frustrated, and even I''m frustrated. But it''s not all on the shoulders of Frogadier - It can''t be.'' "The truth is, Gallade, that I''m losing control. Commander Blaziken, the district heralds, and so many others in the party''s higher positions are trying to strip my authority. They want to steer the Alignment in their direction, not mine." "But what is your direction?" Frogadier said nothing as he averted Gallade''s narrowed gaze. "What is it, Frogadier? Do they want the best for the Alignment, or do you? Every Allfather is supposed to guide us to paradise through the voice of the Allmother; that''s what''s needed." "... What they want - what everyone wants - will lead us straight into destruction. I want us safe in this city, I want us protected, and they want to risk all of it." Frogadier looked at a nearby dresser and saw an article of clothing that was folded on it. He frowned upon seeing it. "Commander Blaziken, he wants you involved in it." "The commander? Is this about my invitation to his squad?" A simple nod was his answer. "I don''t know if I''m going to accept it or not. I love my job as an ambassador and advisor to you, but sometimes I miss the life of a soldier." "I get it, Gallade. And if you want to take up that role again, I won''t stop you. But know this¡­ Blaziken is planning something. He wants a war that we have no chance of winning. He thinks I don''t know, but I do, and it worries me." "War? A war with whom?" Gallade questioned, disturbed by the prospect. "The Lucario?" "Myself, the Council, those Razor Claw mercenaries, and anything that opposes the Alignment or the Allmother. After I mishandled the Rose Clan, he hasn''t obeyed a single order from me that I''ve given him. I understand you''ve known him since you''ve trained as a solider, but he''s lost so much of himself since he became the next commander after Nidoking." That sent a chill down Gallade''s spine. He knew how popular Commander Blaziken was in the ranks of the Alignment''s soldiers. And what if they refused to take orders from the Allfather, too? It would spell disaster for them all. ''It''s true that Blaziken changed ever since his promotion. His devotion to our cause turned to fanaticism. He flayed his skin just to prove his faih. But not even listening to our Allfather - the most important Pokemon in the Alignment? Has he truly gone off the deep end?'' Frogadier pointed at the suit of armor. "If you put that on, he expects you to follow him, and only him. It''s a path of destruction, Gallade. To be in those elite ranks, your entire being and sense of self must be annihilated to fully serve Blaziken and the Allmother. You are only dedicated to destroying the Alignment''s enemies. They''re zealots, truly." "And you believe he would want the same from me?" Gallade could never think of dissolving himself or anyone of their character. It was a crime against the very idea of living. But where could he draw the line between Blaziken''s practices and the Aligment''s very code since the beginning? It was a very thin line. "I do. And I don''t want to lose someone I believe is a friend to an existence like that. Please, don''t take his offer." Frogadier stood up, ambling toward the doorway. "I have to leave now. Just know whatever happens next, I want nothing more than for the Pokemon of the Alignment to be safe from harm." Gallade bowed his head. "... Eden unto you, Frogadier." "Eden unto you, Gallade." The Water-type left as Magearna floated over and turned to face Gallade. Her mechanical features twisted into a smile, the gears in her body turning as she offered him a small wave of goodbye. "Farewell, Ambassador Gallade," she said in a dull tone. As Magearna turned again to leave, Gallade called out to her. "Wait, Magearna!" He pushed himself off the bed and swiped the armored suit off his dresser, extending it to her. "Please, take this to Commander Blaziken. Say that I was grateful for the offer, but I must stick with my position beside the Allfather." Magearna bowed slightly. "Of course, I will deliver this to him as soon as I return to the Alabaster Floret Palace." "Thank you. But I have to ask; you know how troubled the Allfather is lately, and he says that Commander Blaziken and the district heralds are plotting against him. But you also serve the commander! I just-" He grit his teeth. "I want to know¡­ What do you think of all this?" A glint appeared in Magearna''s eyes. "Oh, Gallade, you''re always thinking about something," she said, her voice more lively. "Believe me, I know this is a lot to take in. But understand that this situation is not easy for anyone involved. We will always find a way through, so realize that and continue your duties as normal. I also live to serve, don''t I? And serve I shall, until the day you Pokemon step into paradise, and my purpose here is fulfilled." "I-I suppose you''re right. Thank you for saying that." "Goodbye now." The door closed as Gallade was finally alone with only his jumbled thoughts to keep him company. His back hit the bed as he sighed heavily. What could he make of all this himself? Magearna seemed unconcerned by it, but he could not let it go from his mind. ''What shall I do now? Do I simply continue with my work like Magearna said? The Allfa- Frogadier said they''d lead us straight to destruction. But what does that even mean? We only want the path to paradise. And the commander wants a war with our enemies?! It''s insane! That can''t be true!'' So many questions, yet so few answers. Gallade rolled his head over to stare at his nightstand. His tired gaze fell upon the framed black-and-white photograph standing on it. He reached an arm over and grabbed it, placing it in front of his face. It felt so long ago when he and Gothorita had taken this picture. He was still a Kirlia at his age, going through training, and growing up. She was there by his side, giving him insight into the outside world that he wanted to see so badly. She stood next to him in the photo as he smiled at the camera. Her features were blank, but he knew deep down she was smiling in this photo, too. Her death still ripped him apart to this day. ''You were always pushing boundaries, pushing for something greater for us. You knew something that no one else did - not I even knew it. Was it the truth? And if I questioned why you vanished, why you left me, would I disappear, too? He kissed the photograph before he set it back down. ''I want to know. I want to know what we''ve really been fighting for these thousands of years down here. But if I begin to understand like Frogadier has, will my faith be stripped away? Were all our sacrifices thus far for naught?'' Forbidden fruit always tasted the sweetest, he remembered she used to say. And how sweet it was whenever he got a taste. Scizor held his breath. He pressed up against the steel walls of his cell as he listened to the footsteps of patrolling Council guards. He spat out some blood as he stood on trembling legs. The injuries he sustained during his fight with the guards were barely healed - done on purpose. They wanted him weak and unfit to fight again. ''It has to be soon. Either my trial, or my execution.'' It was a terrible thing to deduce, but his fate was already decided. ''But even knowing it, it doesn''t make it easier.'' Scizor grunted in pain as he attempted to open up the wings on his back. He momentarily lifted himself off the ground before he plummeted to the rocky floor. After a few more attempts, he was able to successfully propel himself to the window at the very top of the jail cell. It was small, but it was his only glimpse of the outside world and a view of a rapidly destabilizing Elysium City. His eyes darted to protestors and rioters that sprinted past; crowds of Pokemon that swamped the streets, chanting and shouting their grievances with the Council. Columns of smoke rose in the sky as buildings were ablaze. A perimeter of armored guards formed a ring around the courthouse and prevented anyone from getting near the structure. It was utterly horrific to witness. To see a Celestic he fought so hard to keep safe, reduced to fear and revolt. ''All of this chaos you''ve caused in so little time, Jackson¡­ Why? And how did I contribute to this through these long years?'' Guilt struck his very core. To think that his best friend would betray not just him and Charizard but everything they stood for was inconceivable to him once. But it was the painful truth he had to accept. If he were any other Pokemon, he might have given up just there, but his resolve was greater and bigger than him. ''They had to have escaped¡­ Roark, Garchomp, and everyone else, I know you can inherit what I''ve left behind. There''s no doubt in my mind. Even if this is the end for me, you all can still save this world from the ley lines for me and Charizard. For Areos Village, for my mother and father, and for so many Pokemon that have had their lives ripped apart from this plague.'' His journey was now over, but theirs was from it. Scizor''s ears picked up the sounds of metal jingling as his wings finally gave out and he descended to the ground. The cloak-wearing Houndoom from before had returned, glaring intensely at him as two heavily armored and masked guardsmen opened his cell door. "You are ready to stand trial for your crimes against Celestic and her Pokemon," the canine spat. "I hope you are prepared to face justice today, vermin." "Very well. I will come without incident." Despite his peaceful intentions, sturdy, metal cuffs were latched around Scizor''s scuffed pincers and bruised legs. Houndoom slowly led him down a dark hallway as the two guards behind followed. They occasionally pushed him forward when he was too weak to continue. They came to a series of immensely tall and gilded double doors. Houndoom opened them as Scizor shielded his face from the bright light that poured through. "Get in there," Houndoom barked. The Bug-type was forced to limp alone into a spacious antechamber with benches filled with Pokemon that gave him leery and heated stares. Sunlight peeked through gaps of large windows that were draped over by large banners of a setting sun. His footsteps on the white ceramic flooring resounded through the silent room as he came to a stop and looked up. A Skuntank seated at the large podium overlooking the room glanced around before looking down at Scizor. "If the prisoner is fit to stand trial, then the court shall proceed," it addressed Scizor wetted his lips as hope filled his chest. ''If this is a genuine trial, then I can defend myself. I can still open their eyes!'' He had one last chance to show them the truth. "Wait! Wait! Circle back and land in that clearing you just saw!" Corviknight sighed. "All right, mate, but I''m taking a break to rest my wings when we land!" "Take as much time as you need; this is it right here!" Grass met Corviknight''s talons as the avian landed in a grove surrounded by sheer cliffs and tall trees. Liam jumped off his back and surveyed the land. A dense mist rolled across the numerous valleys in the distance. Geysers were going off, spraying the night sky with scalding water. Celestial Mountain was just as beautiful as he remembered it. Liam pointed a paw at a large fissure splintering off a cliff face that revealed an entrance to a cave. White wallflowers were spread out around the entrance. "There. I need to head into that cave. What I need is inside." "This is Celestial Mountain, so there''s bound to be dungeons galore in there," Corviknight said as he flexed his wings and warmed himself up. "Give me a minute and I''ll be ready to head in there with you." "I''m going alone. It''s the only way it can work." Corviknight cocked his head. "Positive, mate? I know you''ve been here before, but this mountain is no joke for explorers." Liam jostled his saddlebag, flashing a smile. "I''ll be fine. Besides, your sister gave me everything I needed to get my way through." "Ah, she does know how to prepare for the worst, that one. Just be safe in there, all right? I''ll rest up before I see if I can find a Council patrol around here to prod for some info." Liam stopped mere feet from the cavern''s gaping maw. He could not see anything on the inside - like it was a dark void of nothingness. He was here once before with Jackson beside him. But the Shiny Lucario prevented him from entering, intent on leaving him ignorant and unaware of what its purpose truly was. He was done being ignorant. He was done being a fool. ''The World''s Eye¡­ that''s what you called it, huh, Jackson? And if I reach the very end of it, I can reach her, and she can reach me. This must be how you felt twenty years ago when you came here.'' Liam steeled his nerves as he took a step forward. ''But you never knew what you were here in this world for before you entered. I do.'' The Lucario vanished into the darkness.
Take a bite of the forbidden fruit. Walk a road that leads to inner destruction and devastation, fully convinced it was salvation.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: The Lucario At The Crux Of A New Dawn The Lucario At The Crux Of A New Dawn Chapter 42 The Lucario At The Crux Of A New Dawn He swept his gaze across the courtroom. Orange, warm rays of light peeked through the gaps of sun-emblazoned banners covering the windows. Coughs were stifled and chairs clattered as Pokemon took their seats. They looked at him with either animosity or simple apathy. ''Prisoner.'' They spoke softly and quietly to one another, their words of contempt for him suffocated by the loud, metallic stomps of heavily armored Council guards patrolling the room. Their attention and gripped rifles were solely focused on the barricaded doorways occasionally rattled by unseen forces. They were separated from the chaos outside by mere inches of concrete. Would this trial even last before the crowds of enraged Pokemon overwhelmed this courthouse with their rage? ''Prisoner.'' His bruised pincers ached as he brought them to his blank face. A pressure formed in the back of his head the more his thoughts wandered. The sounds he could hear were mute; the faces he could see were blurry. Time slowed down around him as he buried himself deeper into his mind. "Prisoner!" Scizor blinked as he slowly looked up at the tall podium before him. The Skuntank glowered at him shortly before clearing his throat. "I asked you a question, prisoner. Will you accept the counsel provided to you, or will you be defending yourself?" "I¡­ I won''t need any counsel, your honor; I will defend myself," Scizor said. Skuntank nodded in confirmation. "Very well. Let''s begin with the charges." His paws swiped away the papers on his desk as he leaned forward to read them aloud. "Scizor from Empyrean City, you are charged with High Treason against the Council and the Pokemon of Celestic. You have also been charged with collaboration with an extremely dangerous terrorist - a Shiny Lucario known as Jackson. Your last charge is attempting to break out from your confinement and allowing other members of the Cosmic Quilt Guild to escape - and are still missing as of now." Scizor closed his eyes and squeezed his pincers shut. ''At least the others have gotten away. But for myself? They have so much against me that it seems futile¡­ But I need to try and convince this room.'' "How do you plead to these charges, prisoner?" "Not guilty, your honor," Scizor said firmly Hushed murmuring and even a few vocal shouts of disbelief audible from the stands were quickly put to an end by Skuntank''s paw hitting the podium. "Enough! We will be civil in this courtroom!" He directed his attention back to Scizor. "Now that you have given your plea, we will move on to the prosecution." A Smeargle emerged from a doorway behind the podium. It conversed briefly with Skuntank before adjusting the small pair of reading glasses across its snout and making its way to the center of the chamber. The numerous scraps of parchment in its grasp were then shuffled. Scizor stood his ground despite his shaky legs, preparing his mental faculties for a barrage of nearly endless questions. "Court Officer Smeargle, you may begin your questioning," Skuntank said with a wave of his paw. Smeargle nodded and cleared his throat. "Defendant, before Yveltal and this Jackson character attacked Empyrean City, what were your duties as advisor to the Guildmaster of the Cosmic Quilt Guild?" "For all intents and purposes, officer, I was the second-in-command of the guild," Scizor answered calmly. "Other than my role of providing Ja- the Guildmaster with valuable advice, my other duties were numerous. I surveyed the Meadow Region for potential job listings, managed all the finances and transactions carried out, handled the productivity of our members, and dealt with the many logistical obstacles the guild has faced." What once sent a spark of pride through him now sent a shiver down his spine as he listed his many duties. Everything he had done for the guild''s goal of something greater was instead put toward something horrific. His dutiful service was forever stained with that fact. "That''s quite an amount of responsibility for one Pokemon to bear," Smeargle commented. "The Guildmaster knew full well of my capabilities when we founded the guild. For twenty years I''ve served at my post and did everything in my ability to keep it running smoothly." "I see. Let''s rewind the clocks back to before the Cosmic Quilt Guild was formed. How did you meet this Shiny Lucario - this ''Jackson'' character? And why did you decide to help create this guild with him?" The Bug-type''s red pincers quaked and clenched as vivid memories reemerged in his mind. It was one day in particular that changed the entire course of his life. His next words almost came out choked with emotion, but he swallowed down these feelings and responded clearly. "I met Jackson more than twenty-five years ago in Areos Village before it was overcome by the ley lines." "Can you tell me specifically how he and you crossed paths?" "Yes, officer. I''ll explain in detail." Scizor took in a deep breath that steadied his nerves. "It was morning when I exited a birthday party I attended the night before; I had just turned twenty. My best friend was with me that day - Charmeleon." His throat tightened as he mentioned his now petrified friend. "I wanted to head to the beaches near the village to hopefully speak with the Remoraid school there and glean any biological data of them I could submit to the village''s library. Chameleon would begrudgingly follow me there," he remarked with slight amusement. "It was on that beach that I found him..." ''That Pokemon that I found back then¡­ Was it really him, or was it someone else?'' "Jackson?" Scizor nodded almost shamefully. "He was lying on the sand and unconscious. Chameleon said he was probably ''some drunk'' and that we should leave him, but I¡­" Emotion and visible confliction flashed across his face. He felt guilty now for his actions, but how could he have known back then what he would unintentionally set into motion? "I felt like I needed to help this Pokemon. And we did. We brought him to my parent''s house, and we waited for him to wake up." Smeargle scribbled into a scrap of parchment with his ink-tipped tail. "... And when he awoke, what did he say? Did he offer you anything? Or an invitation to form a guild together?" "No, officer. It was plainly revealed to us when he awoke that he was an amnesiac. He could not remember anything of his past or what put him on that beach that day. Despite this setback, he was in good spirits. He was¡­ friendly, outgoing, and eager to learn of a world completely new to him." The Pokemon gathered in the courtroom raised eyebrows at Scizor''s statements. Yet Smeargle continued to jot away and ask more questions. "What did you and Charmeleon decide to do with him?" he probed. "Well, it was clear to us we couldn''t send him to the streets. Even if he was visibly older than us, he wouldn''t last without proper guidance. To that end, we spent the next month acclimating him to the village and surrounding area. We helped him find a job and make friends with the villagers. The three of us became close, and one day - a day I''ll never forget - we showed him a Mystery Dungeon not far from the village to inform him of their existence. Then¡­" Scizor''s next words were reduced to an inaudible murmur, his mouth staying ajar. Smeargle noticed his hesitance. "And what happened after that?" he pressed. "... We went back to the village, but it was gone. A forming Mystery Dungeon has enveloped everything in the area into a shadow. All of the buildings, the Pokemon¡­ my parents - gone. The three of us were one of the only survivors." Scizor wetted his lips as he found the strength to continue his story. "While Charmeleon and I were distraught, Jackson was- it was like a switch turned on in his brain. While he was quiet and somewhat shy before, now he was confident, passionate, and told us what we needed to do next." "Which was?" "He said we needed to eliminate the Mystery Dungeons from our world, and that we would form an exploration team - Team Moonlight. From that point onward, we ventured across Celestic in search of answers to the mysteries of ley lines. We grew more and more famous each year we traveled, and Jackson became more outgoing and a leader to us as well. Those five years went by fast, but they held the greatest moments of my life. I could break out of my shell and meet life-long friends; research and investigate this wonderful worrld to my heart''s content. Charmeleon - now a Charizard - was happy to fight more foes and grow stronger. All the Pok¨¦mon that we helped along the way, it was-" Skuntank raised a paw to interrupt Scizor. "I believe we''re going off track. Officer Smeargle, please continue your next line of questioning." Smeargle nodded as he shuffled his notes. "Defendant, you mentioned Jackson showcasing a switch in demeanor in the past. Did you notice anything about him recently that changed?" "Yes, officer, but it was not recent," Scizor said. "It was twenty years ago, and our team was exploring and investigating Celestial Mountain with another group we met - Team Drarosteel. We found a cave that looked like a ravine, and Jackson said he needed to explore it by himself. We trusted his judgment and skillset, and allowed him to do so. But when he came out of that cave, he was¡­ different." "Different how?" "He was staring off into space and not explaining what he saw within. Some sort of golden ring was now across his paw. And the first words he uttered were that we needed to form a guild." Scizor''s throat felt dry as let out a hoarse sigh. "From that day on, I never knew exactly what he was thinking, feeling, and doing behind our backs. I didn''t notice it at first, but he became colder, more aloof, and prone to bursts of anger. But at that time, I thought it was simply the stress of now being a Guildmaster. I refused to see what he was becoming." Chatter could be all around him as Smeargle paced the marble floor. "And so the guild was created, and you took up your role as advisor to Jackson, correct?" "Correct, officer. While Charizard wasn''t keen on our transition from explorers to managers of others, it was a position we naturally shifted to." "And throughout your many years beside Jackson, have you noticed anything sinister about his actions? Anything that could pose harm to the Council or Celestic?" Scizor stiffened. What he wanted to say came out entirely different. "No¡­ I- I had always worried about his well-being, but I never expected him to carry out an attack like this." "But you knew that he was beginning to oppose the Council and carrying out operations that undermine their authority, correct?" ''So this is what he''s getting to. I''ve got no choice but to tell the truth.'' "Yes, I did know of his efforts to go against what the Council wished for the guild." Smeargle''s disposition changed in an instant as a smug smile wormed its way onto his face. "And you helped him do this, correct?" "I did, officer, with great hesitance," Scizor admitted. "I believed Jackson had the guild''s best interests in mind when he conducted our expeditions. I didn''t oppose him because the guild''s mission of removing the Mystery Dungeons from our world is the most important thing in my eyes." "And you would potentially destabilize the Council and Celestic for this mission?" Scizor pondered his question for a moment before nodding confidently. "If it meant a better tomorrow for this world, then I most definitely would." His statement sent the stands into an uproar. But Scizor remained vigilant through the vitriolic insults hurled his way. The more distraught Pokemon exploded from their seats in an attempt to rush Scizor but were apprehended by Council guards before they could reach him and swiftly exited out of the room. Scizor could still hear their pained cries from the halls when the doors were shut. ''They must''ve lost loved ones in Empyrean¡­'' the Bug-type deduced. ''For them to hate me this much, what could I do to show them to redirect their anger toward something meaningful?'' "This attack on Empyrean - the very heart of Celestic - would you say it was a result of your pursuit of progress?" Smeargle inquired further. Scizor was taken aback by such a question; it felt more like an insult. "The attack had nothing to do with the guild''s research or goals as far as I''m aware, officer." "I don''t believe that''s true, defendant. In fact, I believe that you have been directly assisting Jackson in his efforts to destabilize Celestic." Scizor scowled. "That-" A loud noise wracked the ears of those in the courtroom. Eyes were immediately shifted to the obscured windows as sounds of a scuffle could be heard outside. Concerned whispers among the stands filled the silence that followed. Scizor watched as a Sawk guard marched over to the podium to whisper into the ear of an increasingly nervous-looking Skuntank. "Nonsense!" Skuntank proclaimed aloud. "This court will not be adjourned until we can get a verdict. Court Officer Smeargle, please continue." The smug expression on Smeargle''s face reappeared as he turned. "Your honor, I would like to present forward to court evidence of the defendant knowingly cooperating with Jackson''s intent to undermine Celestic and the Council." The assorted bunch of parchment in his paws was held up high for all those in the room to see. "What I hold here are documents written by Jackson himself that detail the defendant''s agreement in subverting the Council''s authority! Do I have permission to read an excerpt out loud, your honor?" "Permission granted, officer," Skuntank said. Scizor''s heart dropped as he realized what exactly this Smeargle was about to reveal. He knew Jackson always kept a log of important guild decisions and reports that the Lucario wrote himself - stamped by Scizor''s approval. But what he did not expect was for these documents to survive the attack and Jackson''s purging of information. As much as he wanted to shout for the Smeargle to stop, there was nothing he could do. Smeargle cleared his throat before reading aloud. "''After returning from our expedition of Celestial Mountain, Council guards awaited us the following day, pestering for details of the guild''s findings. Much like before, Scizor and I were able to send them away with careful wording. They grow increasingly demanding each day, but they hold no sway over me or the guild. We will always remain free of their influences and their control of the Council. The guild will remain pure and see through to its goal, and Scizor will see to that as well." Though it was not Jackson''s voice, Scizor could hear it through his words. If this was written not long ago, then when did the Lucario stop seeing their vision through? When did the goal of the guild become tainted and obfuscated? Though these unanswerable questions pained his soul, something else irked his mind. He had no recollection of attending these confrontations with the Council guards, so why did Jackson write him into these accounts? Smeargle looked up from the parchment. "There''s a footprint marking on all of these documents. This is your print of legitimacy - correct, defendant?" "Er- Yes, it is, officer," Scizor responded. "I always made sure to verify nearly every document that gets processed through the guild is legitimate. Some were personally given marks to ensure this. Though¡­" Scizor hesitated. "I was not present during these meetings with Council guards and Jackson. As to why it is written down that I attended, I haven''t a clue." "But you have read through this, correct? Your footprint markings would indicate that." Scizor instantly realized the trap he had walked straight into. But there was no escaping from it. "Well¡­ yes, I do read through them. But I don''t remember ever reading or signing a document pertaining to this." The smarmy look on Smeargle''s face did not go away as the Normal-type flipped to another piece of parchment. "Today, Scizor and I had to make a difficult decision," he read aloud. "Our expedition to the Grit Region has been halted by the appearance of mercenaries holding a fortress with immense knowledge within. But instead of backing down and returning home, Scizor and I decided we would fight off these mercenaries and claim what is rightfully ours. Regardless of the Council''s decrees of such actions, and regardless of whether this will affect the region''s balance, we will persevere. We will usher in a new era for this world." Smeargle looked up. "This document written by Jackson also has your footprint marking on it." "That¡­" He was dumbfounded. "And this here document indicates that you agreed with Jackson to start a war with the Rose Clan mercenaries taking position in the region. Not only that, but you did this knowing that it could destabilize the region, yes?" Scizor contemplated his next words. "That is¡­ correct; I did agree with Jackson''s proposal to face the mercenaries. However, I did so for the betterment of all Pokemon in this world. If we could somehow find a way to eliminate the ley lines, we would do so at all costs." Skuntank held up a paw. "I would like to see these documents for myself, officer." Smeargle obliged his request and handed over the stack of parchments to a guard, who gave them to Skuntank. The Poison-type sifted through the paperwork as Scizor nervously counted away the seconds that passed in silence. The parchment eventually was dropped onto the wooden podium as Skuntank looked up - a visible fury in his eyes as he spoke slowly. "Prisoner, not only do you admit to undermining the Council''s authority over the continent, but the rest of these documents indicate that you and multiple members of the guild knowingly assisted Jackson in this ''resurrection'' of Yveltal and the destruction of Empyrean City. And these are all processed with your footprint marking on them." There was momentary quiet before the stands lit up with ravenous anger. Pokemon stood up and hollered at Scizor where he stood. "He''s a terrorist just like the Lucario!" "He betrayed Celestic!" "Hang him!" Scizor''s head was pounding as a wave of sickness traversed his shot nerves. His heart was beating rapidly, his head turning to each call for his execution. But his mouth remained shut, and a certain feeling of stage fright kept him nailed to the floor. As he tuned out their frenzied voices, all he could hear was the chaos unfolding outside the courthouse growing near. ''That can''t be my footprint marking. It can''t! It''s someone else''s¡­ maybe another Scizor? But who would go to such lengths for these forgeries?'' "Order! There will be order in this courtroom, or you will be forced to leave!" Skuntank barked at the stands. "Officer Smeargle, finish up." "With pleasure," Smeargle said. "I believe it''s more than clear now, your honor, that these claims of nobleness and ''betterment'' the defendant purports the guild to exude are nothing more than fabrications. The existence of this ''Cosmic Quilt Guild'' has been nothing more than an insidious front to sew chaos and destruction in our government and homeland. The defendant is undoubtedly guilty of the crimes he has been accused of." Skuntank huffed in apparent agreement as he looked at Scizor. "Defendant, you have the opportunity to take the stand against these claims. If I were you, I would speak your next words very carefully." All eyes were now on Scizor as if a spotlight was honing in. But he was still so lost in his own thoughts to utter even a word. He could not wrap his mind around such evidence ever existing of him betraying Celestic. It was totally at odds with his ideals, but the court believed it nonetheless. Then it hit him. It was staring him right in the face all along. ''Jackson¡­ He forged all of these documents. He did all of this to frame me?'' This revelation twisted the knife piercing his heart. To think that a Pokemon that he saved - a best friend, no less - would try to destroy his character in such a way sent shockwaves through his mind. He felt like a fool - and the weight of the consequences for trusting such a deceiver was now crashing down upon him. This was it. This was the legacy he was going to leave behind. The courtroom fell silent as Scizor hung his head. Not a sound escaped him. Skuntank cleared his throat. "It appears the defendant has no rebuttal against these claims. Prisoner, you-" "I still would like to speak if I can, your honor," Scizor interrupted. The Poison-type harrumphed and waved his paw. "You may, prisoner." Scizor steadied his breathing and let loose a long exhale. His pincers were clamped shut as he addressed the glares and dubious stares fixated on him. "... I stand here as an honest Pokemon. Everything that I have done in my forty-five years of life on this continent - I believe I made the sound decision since the very start, even if it''s led me right here in this courtroom. I was scared of the world once; scared of the unknown and the Mystery Dungeons. But after my village was destroyed, and I formed an exploration team, nothing else ever truly scared me in this life of mine. Except for one thing - never uncovering the truth of this world. I''ve researched philosophies, organizations, plants, and plagues. I could uncover the origins of all of these properties, but I could never figure out where the ley lines originated from." The metal cuffs around Scizor''s legs scraped against the floor as he limped around the room. "Charizard, he-" Tears welled up his eyes that he wiped away. "I told him not to fight Yveltal, but he did it anyway because he wanted to protect both us and the city. He didn''t deserve a fate like that. We¡­ We were just kids at the time; we didn''t know what we''d unleash upon the world. We thought we were helping a lost Pokemon find his way through our world. And Jackson¡­" Scizor''s face morphed into multiple expressions but eventually settled upon a forlorn smile. "I''ve spent this entire week hearing everyone call him a monster, a demon, a terrorist, and wish him death. But even after all he''s done, and what he''s done to soil my name, I just can''t bring myself to hate him." His head shook. "The Lucario I knew and considered a dear friend is not the same Lucario that has destroyed the lives of thousands. If it weren''t for Jackson''s courage at the lowest point of my life, I would never become the Pokemon that I am now. Deep down, past all of the lies and the deceit, I know there''s that same Lucario from back then - my best friend alongside Charizard." All eyes were glued to Scizor as he stumbled toward the podium where Skuntank sat. The Bug-type glared at the Pokemon. "The documents you have in your possession are all forged by Jackson and were planted in the guild for the Council to find," Scizor said matter-of-factly. "That is the truth. But that doesn''t matter to you or anyone in this room, because my fate was decided the moment I was captured." Scizor turned to face the stands. "This ''trial'' is a mockery of the rule of law! What would the founders of the Council so long ago say to this? Where''s your shame? Where''s your honor? Do you simply want a corpse to parade through the streets as appeasement?" "Wrap this up, prisoned," Skuntank muttered as his eye twitched. Scizor scowled at him. "I did go against the Council before - and on many occasions, I sided with the guild over the Council. I helped free the members of the guild who you wrongfully imprisoned. I did all of this in the hopes that the Pokemon of this world would understand the truth of this world. Jackson and Yveltal - they are not the true enemies here. What my comrades will uncover with the research I have bestowed upon them will prove that. And when that time comes, the Council won''t be ready." He paused, collecting his thoughts. "I¡­ I accept whatever punishment I''m given. But I won''t accept this world''s demise from lack of action! And I won''t accept the fate of-" The sound of shattering glass resounded throughout the courtroom as the body of a Marowak in a brown coat came crashing through the draped windows. It skidded across the floor before smashing into a marble pillar and slumping over - unconscious. The double doors leading outside were then thrown open as a Sawk screamed at the top of his lungs. "The rioters have breached the barriers! They''re coming here NOW!" Panic immediately set in as the Pokemon in the stands rushed to leave the room. Skuntank slammed his paw onto the podium and hollered for all to hear. "The prisoner is sentenced to execution by firing squad! Take him to an empty room and make sure it is done! Evacuate the rest of the courthouse!" Scizor''s arms were latched onto by two heavily armored Throh and Scrafty before he could react. His gaze was fearsome, but his strength waned. A part of him wanted to fight back, to live against insurmountable odds, but it was a battle that was already over; his fate was decided before he entered. He had done everything that he possibly could. The double doors he came in were slammed shut as he was forced to walk further and further away by the guards. Freezing, biting winds clashed with warmth as a door to a small cottage opened. A ghostly white Zoroark lumbered inside; it held a Never-Melt-Ice against the deep scratches and cuts inflicted upon its face. Turning, it swept a free arm over the orange-lit room. "Please, please, come inside. There''s a lot to discuss, I''m sure." Roark stood in the doorway briefly before stepping inside and closing the door. While Beartic''s home was more like a mansion, Zoroark''s cottage felt like a quaint abode hidden among the tundra. It was a single room with a bed, simple wooden furniture, shelves with various jars and pots, and a crackling fireplace. But Roark was more interested in the Pokemon standing before him than anything else. "Yeah, I think we should," Roark said as he collapsed onto a chair. "I''ve realized by now how much Excadrill loves the sound of his own voice. ''Mons say I talk too much, but that mole - a whole league of his own, heh." Zoroark chuckled softly, wincing in pain as he removed the Never-Melt-Ice from his wounds. "We never did get the time, did we? So why don''t we start over." He extended his claws outward. "It''s nice to meet you again after so long, Roark." Roark leaned forward to grasp the paw with his own, shaking it. "Same to you, Zoroark. It''s been what¡­ more than ten years since I''ve been here?" He whistled. "Yeah, the memories here ain''t great, I''ll tell you. But this village still being around after it got wrecked in that avalanche? I wasn''t expecting something like that." Zoroark sighed. "Yes, the initial inspection by the Council deemed this land too dangerous to reinhabit. But through time - and some tense negotiations - We were able to secure permission for what was left of the Glacier Guiders and the Rescue Society to reconstruct the village. It was a bumpy road those first few years, but we did it." "Yeah, yeah you sure did¡­" Roark mumbled, lost in thought. Zoroark cocked his head at him as Roark''s ears were pinned against his head. "Look, I think I need to ask this question first before anything else. What happened to you after I left? And how is the Rescue Society still around after what happened that day? It should''ve been all but gone." "I assume you wanted to know, and I''m happy to share that information. After our, well¡­ encounter at the top of the Glacier Peak Mountain, I was transferred to a Council jail in the Mountain Region." Roark held up a claw. ''Wait. Let me guess - inmates in there called it ''Tyrantrum''s Jaw''? I heard some real horror stories back in the day about that place." Zoroark nodded solemnly. "The stories you''ve heard are all but true. Those Dragon-types that make up the guard regiment there are extremely brutal and abusive. Some of the worst outlaws in Celestic were sent there. And I was one of them for a few years¡­" "Shit¡­ I''m sorry that I, uh, wasn''t there. Maybe I could''ve negotiated a better place for you to end up at." "It''s fine. You did everything you could for me." "Yeah, If you say so," Roark murmured. He shivered as the flames from the fireplace ceased and the room grew cold. "So this whole Rescue Society leader thing, is that true?" Zoroark walked over to the fireplace and bent down to retrieve more wooden logs. He dumped them inside the hollowed-out stone; a quick scrape of his claws back and forth along the wood produced the friction that relit the fire within. "It''s true." The resurrected flames danced and reflected across his yellow pupils. "After I was let out for good behavior, I set out to return here to hopefully fix what I broke. To atone for the lives I''ve ruined; to see if I can do something good with the life I almost threw away." "Looks like all that rehabilitation junk they teach you at prison did some good for you, huh?" Zoroark shook his head. "There was no rehabilitation at Tyrantrum''s Jaw. There was only confinement and pain there; exactly what the Council wanted for monsters like myself¡­" He stood and wiped the dust from his claws. They shook slightly - Roark could only assume barely contained anger. "I got out of there because I was lucky. And when I came back to what was left here because I knew I couldn''t run away from my crimes." "So you came back here, and then what? Willing to bet it wasn''t accepted with open arms." Zoroark let out a sad, short laugh. "Not exactly; some of the villagers tried to hang me when they first saw me. It was only because of the intervention of Beartic that I wasn''t killed by a mob." Roark averted his calm gaze and bit his lip. "Fuck¡­ I''m so sorry. I wouldn''t joke about that if I knew what they tried." "It''s okay - no, really - I''m over it. Following that ordeal, a Feraligatr from the Rescue Society took me in. After you left for Empyrean City, and with Bisharp gone, the group was all but annihilated through my own actions. But he wanted the group to remain and he trusted me, so he decided to take me in and make me a member. I was more than happy to join." It sent a pang of familiarity through Roark''s heart. "Feraligatr, huh¡­ He was always looking out for me back then," Roark said, scratching his chin. "Guess that swamp gator just has a thing for helping down on their luck Zoroark." Zoroark smirked. "I guess so. Anyway, Feraligatr took over the remains of the Rescue Society for a while. Since there weren''t as many of us around as before, we abandoned the headquarters and set up camp near Kyuris Village. That''s when things started to change around here. We combined our efforts with the Glacier Guiders to help rebuild the village; to fortify it, and protect it so another tragedy can''t happen again." "So this new ''Rescue Society'', you guys don''t venture off into different continents to help ''mons anymore? Doesn''t seem like you got the numbers for it." "No, we don''t. We keep our efforts focused on issues present in the Frost Region from our camp here," Zoroark explained. "Blizzards, extreme temperatures, lost explorers, and avalanches - we help safeguard everyone we can. And we''ve been doing that for over seven years now." Roark went silent for a moment as he listened to the crackling of the fireplace. "Wow¡­ To think I believed the Rescue Society was just a memory in my head. Man, what an idiot I was, huh? I never looked back after that day, but you guys stuck through it. Bisharp, well, he would''ve been really proud of what you and Feraligatr have done for his baby." Zoroark looked proud to hear him say such a thing, his chest puffing out somewhat. "Thank you! Feraligatr retired a few years ago, and everyone only wanted one Pokemon to replace him as a leader - me." "They chose¡­ you?" "Yeah, they did. I obviously rejected it at first given my background, but they insisted because of all the progress and growth I had. I didn''t want to disappoint them, so I accepted after some contemplation." Zoroark pointed at a painting hung on the wall. It depicted Zoroark and Feraligatr with an eyepatch side by side. Behind them was a group of cheering Pokemon donning black capes that billowed in the gusts of cold wind blowing across the snowy scenery. Roark felt something stir within his heart when he saw those capes. It was that same feeling he had when he went out on his first excursion with the Rescue Society. "Beartic''s daughter painted that. She says she''s not good at drawing, but we all say otherwise," Zoroark said. "I''ll say¡­ So, you became the head guy in charge, eh?" Zoroark nodded. "Indeed I did. The villagers took time to adjust, and some still give me dirty looks, but Beartic''s daughter has eased them into my presence after she took over her father''s position." A comforting sigh escaped him. "And that''s how I ended up here again. A lot has changed, of course, but I hope you find this change acceptable. After all, I owe everything I have now thanks to you, Roark." If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "Thank me? Hey, all I did was do my job that day." Roark grimaced as the memories rushed back into his mind. "We came here to help and save Pokemon. And I almost did something I would''ve regretted." Zoroark gave him a reassuring smile. "I could say the same, you know. But when I was about to fall off that mountain through my own action, you still grabbed me, didn''t you?" "I did. I didn''t know why at that time, but I told myself it was just instinct." "Was it?" "¡­ No." Roark laid his arms across the armrest of the chair and gripped it with his claws, inhaling deeply and finding the strength to continue. "I wanted to kill you - my claws were so close to your throat. But looking at you was like looking into one of those funky mirrors at carnivals - you know those ones?" He waited for Zoroark to nod before continuing. "It was like you were me - someone at the end of their rope and doing stupid shit just to get by another day in this hell. I know you didn''t want to hurt all those Pokemon like I didn''t want to rob all those Pokemon, but we just did it. Why? Because there was nothing else for us in this life - no purpose - just existence." "You seem to have struggled a lot before we met. But I didn''t see that in you then or even now; you looked almost¡­ sure in yourself." Roark laughed and covered his smirk with a pair of claws. "Yeah, well, life''s funny like that. I was lost once, then found, and then I was lost again. But after seeing you at the peak, everything felt much clearer than before. I did a lot of drifting - even while I was in the Rescue Society - ''cause it never felt like I belonged anywhere." He looked up at the ceiling in thought. "And then suddenly having a little sister to look after?" A chuckle escaped him. "That happens to take your attention off things for a while." "Hah, I can imagine that being so." Zoroark smiled. "Your sister was a villager here once; you saved her from that avalanche I caused, right?" "That I did." A frown erased Zoroark''s smile. "I know what happened to her parents. And if it brings any ease to both of your hearts, I did not harm them; their climbing gear broke as they pursued me through the caves." His eyes closed. "I¡­ I should have gone back and-" Roark cut him off with a raised claw. "Stop - just stop. Don''t spiral like that, ''cause there''s nothing you could''ve done for them; I realized it back then when I found them that their gear was faulty. Some tragedies are just tragedies." Zoroark did not look convinced. "Your sister¡­ She has a lot of good reasons to despise me." Roark nodded slowly. "She does. And I should actually apologize to you for what she did. I''ve never seen Gloria explode like that - or try to harm anyone before that wasn''t a dungeon ''mon." "Please don''t apologize either. She saw someone who took away everything she had in this world; it only makes sense for her to react the way she did," Zoroark lamented. Roark winced. "Do you, uh, need any bandages for that? She really did a number on you from what it looks like." "And I won''t require aid either; Zoroark like myself are rather difficult to permanently injure with physical wounds," Zoroark explained. He then pointed a claw at the scratches on his muzzle, which Roark noticed had slowly been vanishing throughout his time spent here. "See? It''d take something fatal for my body to even be affected." "Well, that sounds pretty damn cool. I sure could''ve used that ability when I was getting knocked around like a ragdoll back then." "It does freak out some Pokemon, so there is a bit of enjoyment to be had there as well." "Even better!" The two laughed together for a moment before their enjoyment faded into awkward silence. Roark cleared his throat as he looked around. "So, have you got anything to drink around here? I''ve noticed these jars you''ve got on the shelves here, and being dry and cold for this long has been driving me crazy." Zoroark plodded over to one of the shelves in question. "Ah, my apologies, you''re a guest! Would you care for some water or warm Aspear Berry juice?" "Oh, I meant the, uh, alcoholic kind of drink. Got any of that?" "I do not. I gave up alcohol ever since I was let out of Tyrantrum''s Jaw. Some of the Pokemon in the village may have some elixirs similar to what you''re used to." Roark waved off this issue with a claw - though his ears twitched in slight frustration. "Psh, it''s nothing important. I can go without killing my liver for a bit longer." He fiddled with his claws briefly before speaking again. "I guess I should get to why I''m here exactly." Zoroark perked up. "Oh, yes, I would love to hear how we can help with your situation." "Well, to make a really long story short, I was with a guild near Empyrean City for the past eleven years. After the whole Yveltal thing, we got arrested by the Council ''cause they thought we were behind it - we aren''t. After some time locked away, Excadrill decided it was a bright idea to have his workers tunnel into your cells and free us. We rode away from Elysium on those Mudsdale all the way here." Roark clasped his claws together. "So now we''re enemies or something of the Council and I''ve been made a leader to carry out some vague mission of saving the world or something like that from the Mystery Dungeons." Zoroark blinked. "This¡­ is quite convoluted and confusing, I would say." Roark''s tongue dug into his cheek. "You don''t know the first part of it, pal. But hey, I have the notes for it all with me." He reached into his mane and pulled out scraps of parchment. "The guild''s advisor - good friend of mine - he, uh, put all his research and nerd stuff onto this so we could maybe find something out here." Zoroark grabbed the parchment and analyzed the notes written down. "This looks incredibly interesting, but it means nothing to me. You said you were sent here to look for something?" "Yeah, some kind of artifact or whatever. We apparently found one before it was nabbed by mercenaries. My good friend that wrote this says there''s gotta be one of them here - inside the Glacier Peak Mountains or something." "And these ''artifacts'', they''re very important that you find?" "I guess so. My good friend acted like they''re the only things that can reverse all the crazy shit that''s been happening recently." Zoroark glanced quizzically between him and the parchment in his grasp. He turned a sheet over and stared at what looked like a drawing of the ''artifact'' in question. Golden colored and in the shape of an arc. His mouth slowly parted and his eyes widened. "I¡­ I know this image. I''ve seen it before." "Wha- huh? Seen it where?" "In one of the caves near here on a wall mural. After the avalanche, a lot of collapsed areas resurfaced, and that mural was one of them. This sketch and that mural look incredibly alike - I''m sure of it." Roark grinned. "Well alright then! You can show me and Excadrill to that cave then, right?" "I''ll do you better. I''ll bring some other members from the Rescue Society and the Glacier Guiders to help search that area with you." "That''d help us a hell of a lot if you did.." "The Council may believe you to be enemies, but I don''t." Zoroark held a claw over his heart. "Kyuris Village and the Rescue Society will assist your group in any way we can. It''s the least we could do for someone with a prestigious record like yours." It felt very strange for Roark to hear such praise from a Pokemon - especially Zoroark. It was a foreign concept during his years at the guild being a mere errand boy and occasional explorer. A leader was someone prestigious; not a thief, a jerk, a drunk, or an irresponsible brother. He was all of those, and yet he was still respected by his peers. Why? "Hey, at the end of the day, I''m just a guy. Eventually, we''ll get someone who actually knows how to run things back in charge. I sure as hell hope so¡­" "If you say so, Roark, but I believe in your abilities thus far." Roark chewed on his statement before he shot up from the chair. "I should grab Excadrill and get him here. He can explain our whole situation and those notes better than I could, y''know? I''ll be right back." He quickly ambled to the doorway before halting his tracks as he heard the floor ''clack'' behind him. "Roark." Roark turned to face the Ghost-type. "Yeah?" "I would like for us to talk more in private. You know about me and my past, but I''d love to hear about yours. When you said before that looking at me was like looking into a mirror, I felt the exact same. In a way, it feels like we''re kindred spirits. Brothers in a way - if you don''t mind me saying that." "Nah, I don''t mind. I don''t think we''re ''friends'' yet, but I''d like to see you in that sort of way." Truthfully, he had no idea if that would ever be the case. But a small part of him wanted him to. He both hated the Pokemon for what he was and his reflection of himself, but also admired his evolution. Both of them went separate ways in life but were mirrored in incredibly similar ways. Zoroark smiled warmly. "Hopefully so." He watched Roark turn the door handle before speaking again. "Roark, if Bisharp and that good friend of yours thought you were the right choice to lead, then I believe they saw something in you. They made the right decision, I believe." The door swung open as Roark stood in the doorway, battered by the howling, winter winds of the outdoors. "Maybe they did - maybe they didn''t. I''ve got a job to do here regardless, and Pokemon are counting on me." "... If it means anything to you, I am truly sorry for what happened to Bisharp." "..." The door was then closed. Roark faced the frigid weather head-on with a blank expression. Members of the Rescue Society he for once could not recognize and Excadrill''s workers mingled in colored tents around him. The encampment he was in was active - alive and seemingly prospering among arctic conditions. He ran a claw through his mane and exhaled a stream of vapor, closing his eyes. ''Sorry, huh? That''s it? And for some fucking reason I believe he means that. Why?'' He wanted to feel anger, to feel any sort of resentment toward the Ghost-type like his sister had, but he couldn''t. Much like the real Gloria he spent years tracking turning out fruitless, retribution was the last thing weighing on his mind. Besides, Bisharp would not have wanted such actions, and he still obeyed his leader''s orders. ''Zoroark being here, being a leader; Kyuris and the Rescue Society brought back from the dead. What other curveball are you gonna throw me, oh cruel mistress of this world?'' "Um, hey." Roark''s eyelids snapped open as he instantly recognized the soft voice speaking to him. Glazing down, he saw Gloria staring up at him - an unreadable expression across her short muzzle. "Hey, sis, you-" He stopped himself, realizing something. "Did you, uh, hear all of our conversation inside?" Gloria looked away and guiltily pawed the snow. "Yeah¡­ Sorry, I didn''t want to eavesdrop, but I had to speak to you." Roark chuckled heartily. "Fu- Fricking walls must be as thin as the ones I had in my dorm at the Rescue Society HQ. Tell me, how much did you hear?" She blushed. "Almost all of it¡­" "So, you got anything to say?" "..." "Did you come here to apologize to him? Is that the real reason?" Gloria''s mouth twisted as she struggled to force out her next words. "Um, yes - maybe? I don''t really know, but I feel horrible for how I acted earlier." She bared her teeth slightly as rage crept into her voice. "I still don''t forgive him, but it''s just- I don''t know how to feel about all of this. It''s crazy. But I don''t feel like being angry anymore... I don''t like feeling that way." Roark chuckled again as he knelt and rustled the fur atop the Vulpix''s head. "Yeah, I got a goody two shoes for a sister, don''t I?" He smiled widely as she glared at him. "But you got a bit of fire in you. That''s good. You''re not a pushover, sis. You just need to aim some of that anger at something more productive." A white paw stomped the ground as Gloria pushed herself away from him. "But what am I supposed to do? You want us to work with him? You want me to work beside him? How am I supposed to trust someone like that?! Tell me that!" she demanded. "He''s trying, sis. If you heard all of what he said, don''t you see he''s been doing good around here? This isn''t some long con or trick he''s pulling." "You don''t have parents that were killed here..." She murmured as fresh tears fell from her eyes. "Your home wasn''t destroyed like mine was. Don''t you understand how I feel about this?! He''s-" Roark shushed her with a claw to her lips. "Calm down, sis. I understand completely how you''re feeling. I''m not asking you to be friends with the guy, but just¡­" He looked around, trying to find the right thing to say in his mind. "Just tolerate him, okay? Arceus knows I''m still trying to get past what he''s done, but if this old fox past his prime can try, so can you." Gloria''s lip quivered and her body trembled. She remained silent. "Can you?" he asked again. "I can... I can try," she mumbled. "As long as you''re by my side..." "Atta girl. Now c''mere and give your bro a hug." Roark smirked as she barreled into his chest and released a much-needed sob into his fur. He extended an arm around her side and pulled her in closer. "Let it all out, sis¡­" His dark fur grew damp with the number of tears she shed into it. "I¡­ I just don''t why I''m like this," she spoke, her barely audible voice muffled. "I hate that I''m so- so dependent on you and others." Roark rubbed her back. "It''s because I''m so charming, isn''t it?" An unexpected giggle briefly shattered her sadness. "But don''t feel bad, sis, ''cause we both need each other right now more than ever." ''You think you need me, but you really don''t; you just need to realize that first. Because the truth is I need you more than you ever needed me.'' "So, what do you think, Roark? Think it''s a perfect match?" Roark peeled away the scarf encasing his muzzle in white cotton and narrowed his gaze. He stepped closer to the dark blue walls of the cave and scrutinized the markings etched into the ice. Though clearly faded through age, he could faintly make out what looked like a group of Pokemon holding some type of object. The object of seemingly total reverence was in the distinct shape of an fractured arc. "I think so, Excadrill. Have your workers dug up the rest of that spot?" "Ah, I''ll ask ''em." Excadrill cupped his claws over his mouth and shouted. "Hey! Lazy bones over there! Ya find anythin'' there yet?" "We did, boss! We think it''s an Entercard pattern!" Roark swore Excadrill''s eyes almost popped out of the mole''s head as the Ground-type shimmied over to the voice as fast as he could. The Dark-type followed with a chuckle, strangely keen on seeing this pattern for himself. Indeed, just as the Gurdurr had mentioned, there was a peculiar arrangement of crisscrossing lines and circular loops carved into the cavern''s floor. "Why I''ll be¡­ That''s for sure an Entercard pattern!" Excadrill exclaimed. "Thousands of years old, I reckon." His claws tapped together as he let out a giddy laugh. "Ooh, what a mighty find we have here!" Gloria walked over from the other side of the room, casting glances at the many murals engraved onto the walls. "We were here once, Roark," she mumbled. "Don''t you remember that day we traveled across the mountain?" Roark nodded. "Sure do. Now would''ve thought this place would be so important, eh?" he jabbed the Ground-type next to him. "Say, you bring some of those Entercards with you?" Excadrill scoffed, as if offended by the Zoroark''s claim. "You kiddin'' me? I never leave without ''em!" He reached into one of the many pockets in his utility gear and procured a set of metallic cards. "Gimme some time for my workers and me to put in these patterns; we''ll see what this pattern is for lickety-split." Roark gave him a thumbs up as Excadrill barked for more of his workers to assist him. A group of figures could then be seen approaching the cavern''s gaping entrance. Roark identified them as Zoroark and more Pokemon from the Rescue Society. Black capes with the letters ''RS'' on them fluttered in a fierce gale, imposing against the twinkling stars of the night sky. As soon as Gloria caught sight of Zoroark, she refused to look at him, hiding slightly behind Roark''s leg. But Roark could not keep his eyes off of the group - in awe just as when he saw them in action long ago. It gave Roark relief in some sort of way that he did not realize immediately. It validated that part of his mind that the Rescue Society was in capable claws. "Abomasnow said there won''t be any snowy weather up here for at least twenty-four hours!" Zoroark shouted over the harsh wind. "Think that''s enough time to find what you guys need?" Roark pointed at the Entercard pattern on the floor and grinned cockily. "That''s plenty of time! Say... Think you can give us a hand down there? Could get pretty dicey if there''s dungeons down there!" Zoroark glanced between him and the determined Pokemon beside him before nodding confidently. "We''re by your side all the way through, Roark! We''ll be right behind you!" "Glad to hear that!" Gloria mumbled something under her breath. Roark noticed and gently poked her cheek with a claw. She suppressed a smile from forming as he chuckled. "I hope you''re ready, sis. Could be some real danger down there if this is what we think it is." "I''m¡­ I''m ready for whatever it is we have to face," she said, adopting an assured look. "I have to be, right? For Scizor and the others - they''re depending on us right now to finish what they started." He winked. "That''s the spirit." Excadrill stood up from the floor. "Entercard''s all ready! There''s multiple cards here so all y''all can go." He looked around. "You folks all ready to find that hunk of shiny metal?" "Ready when you are, moleman," Roark said with a wink. "Well alrighty! Roark, Gloria, we three are goin'' in first!" Roark and Gloria stepped forward and got close to Excadrill as he laid out his Entercard and pressed an indentation on the card. In an instant, ley lines were dancing in the confined space as a beam of golden orange light shot upright from the Entercard and engulfed the trio. A split-second passed before they and the Entercard blipped out of existence. Garchomp paced endlessly around their cramped and confined cell while Aggron and Tyranitar were more content in resting up against the walls. Her rough scales were constantly flexing while her large tail swung angrily behind her, narrowly clubbing Aggron in the head before he ducked instinctively. "I can''t believe it," she seethed. "After everything we''ve done for Celestic! After everything we''ve done for the Council! They just decided to throw out all our goodwill?! Throw out everything we worked to achieve?! G-RAAAH!" In a fit of blind anger, she took a massive swipe of the stone walls with her talons, shearing away a chunk of rock. "Those idiotic, cowardly, lying Rattata!" The bars of the cell were rattled by a Primeape in a dusty brown coat as he banged them with a fist. "Hey! Keep it down in there, prisoner! You can make all sorts of feral noises when your trial begins." Garchomp stopped in place and affixed the guard with a vicious glower. "Buddy, you are so lucky there''s these bars between us." She punctuated her remark by flashing her many rows of jagged sharp teeth. Primeape said nothing as he went back to his post, but was noticeably a few more steps away from the cel than before. "Agree with that guard, I do," Tyranitar murmured with a yawn. "Some of us are tryin'' to get sleep, boss lady." Garchomp rubbed her temples and emitted a low-pitched growl. "... Sorry, boys, but this is just terrible. I should''ve listened to Excadrill and stuck with his workers." "Aye, we should''ve," Aggron commented. Garchomp shot him a withering stare. Tyranitar quickly copied her action. "What? We''ll always do what ya say, lass, but that weasley mole had a point," Aggron defended. Garchomp wilted once more. "Yeah, I sure as hell see that now. I just hoped that¡­ I don''t know - I hoped deep down that Kommo-o and the others would have some reason left. But like Excadrill said, with Empoleon out of the picture, they''ve devolved immensely. They''ve got nothing but their own damn preservation on their mind - not what''s actually important." "Aye. Have ya heard the commotion outside?" Aggron asked. "I could hear it through walls this thick! ''Mons aren''t happy with the Council - that''s for sure - and who knows what''ll happen if the guard breaks down." Garchomp pressed her back against a wall and slid down it. "And while Celestic is dissolving into chaos and Jackson''s planning his next move, we''re stuck here. All we can hope is that Excadrill and the other guild members have escaped and are carrying out Scizor''s wishes." "The old armored bug is here, isn''t he?" Tyranitar questioned. "Goin'' through the mock trial right now, I''m bettin''. Tch. What a joke this government has been." Thoughts of Scizor and his fate only exacerbated the feelings of despair rolling inside her. Their situation felt helpless; the Council was against them, and the Pokemon of Celestic would surely be against them if they assisted the remains of the guild. This seemed to be the end for them, and yet she could not cast away the other side of her that defied such a destiny. There was an opportunity present that she knew they could not pass up on, but it was just out of her grasp; her professional side was against such an idea, but it was quickly losing. "Lass, what are ya thinkin''? Aggron inquired. "I know you''re thinkin'' when ya always look so tense and mean." Garchomp sighed. "I''m thinking about not long ago - during the start of the guild''s Grit Region expedition. I''m thinking about what Jackson said about us during that time. How about we became complacent with our success and fame; how we haven''t actually used our team for good." "Listenin'' to a crazy, lyin'', backstabbin'', terrorist mutt now, are we?" Tyranitar quipped. "Finally lost it, have ya, boss lady?" "Heh, not yet, Ty. Look, as much of a bastard as Jackson is, he was right about saying that; we haven''t done right with our position like Team Moonlight did- tried to do. We gotta do something - now - and quick before this situation gets any worse." "And how do you propose we do that?" Tyranitar wondered. "We-" The squealing of a metal door from the dark corridor overcame Garchomp''s voice. A Sawk emerged from the now open doorway, panting heavily. The sounds of many footsteps resounded behind it as shadowy figures rushed past. "Primeape! Captain Houndoom wants all of his regiment to the front doors! The rioters have broken past the perimeter and are storming inside!" "Shit!" Primeape hissed as he ran over, his gear and rifle clinking as he prepared himself for battle. "Are you coming with me?" "No. The rest of us gotta take that Scizor prisoner to another room and keep it on lockdown." "Then let''s hold off these fucking animals." The two guards immediately sprinted out of the hallway with their rifles ready. The hall of jail cells was now left empty of guard presence. Sounds of clear gunfire could be heard from the open door as the entire building quaked from the constant battling all around. "The rioters broke through?" Garchomp repeated. "How much of the city is being overrun right now by them?" "A better question is if these Council lads can even fend off a horde as pissed off as these Pokemon," Aggron said. Her eyes widened. "Scizor! If those Pokemon find him, they''ll kill him without even thinking!" "If the Council doesn''t kill ''im first," Tyranitar added. Garchomp swallowed thickly as she continued to pace around. Fear for Scizor''s life consumed her mind. The audacious ideas swarming in her head seemed like they were coming to fruition out of need - not want. She stopped and ran her talons across the metal bars of their cell, giving it an experimental swipe. The metal gave way almost instantly. "These bars, they''re practically paper. I could slice through them so easily¡­" "Almost like they thought we weren''t ever gonna try and bust out," Aggron said from behind. Garchomp turned to see Aggron and Tyranitar pulling themselves up from the floor. Their cocky smirks told her that they knew it - and she knew it. With one long slash of Garchomp''s talons, an entire section of metal bars was cleaved away and clattered onto the floor. Team Drarosteel bolted from their exposed exit and ran straight through the doorway leading out of the hallway. Nothing stopped the pair of Mudsdale as they galloped across the breadth of the Meadow Region. Dirt caked their hooves as they trekked through expansive forests and fields of brightly colored flowers. Side by side, they steamed onward to their destination. Monferno loosened the grip he had on his Mudsdale''s reins and glanced beside him. Braixen was absolutely stiff and staring off into the distant, grassy hills. She occasionally shuddered as tears rolled down her cheek. "Braix?" he called out. Monferno reached a hand out to touch her shoulder, but she swatted it away instantly before it made contact and cried even harder, avoiding his stare. His arm remained outstretched for a moment before falling limp by his side. "We''re gonna be okay, Braix. We''ll go home and everything will be fine." Monferno returned his gaze to what lay ahead, wondering if he truly made the right decision for them both. ''It''s for her own good, right? She can return home and be safe, and I can¡­ leave her knowing I did everything I could to help her succeed.''
''Agh¡­ My fuckin'' head! Feels like a Taurus kicked it.'' Emerald green eyes fluttered open and were struck by rays of sunlight pouring in through a window draped in moss and greenery. Shaymin immediately shut her eyelids and wetted her incredibly dry lips. Her entire body felt sore, but she could feel and wiggle each part of her limbs. ''Wait¡­ I can''t feel my earwings. The hell''s going on?'' Shaymin cracked open her eyes once more and got a good look at her surroundings. She was resting in the bed of a quaint bedroom with a modest amount of furnishing. She used what little strength she had to throw off the blanket covering her form and scowled at what she saw. Her body was much smaller, and her limbs were stubby. ''Great. I got knocked out of my Sky Forme, and I got no Gracidea at the guild, so I''m stuck in this flightless body. Just fuckin'' peachy¡­'' She ground her teeth before memories came rushing back. She cast a second around the room. ''Wait a second. This isn''t my room from the guild. I was- I was fightin'' someone! I was fightin'' that stupid Yveltal! There was this orange fireball, and I got knocked out of the sky by some freaky orange spear move. Then¡­'' Everything she remembered past that point was blank. Shaymin quickly put her aching muscles into use and jumped off the bed. Remarkably, the door to leave the room was short enough for her to open it in this form, which was rarely the case. Pleasant and natural green colors dominated the rest of the small cottage as she stomped her way through it. The empty home felt extremely familiar to her senses, but nothing mattered now - only answers. ''Someone had to have found me and put me here. Was it Charizard? Did he win against that birdbrain? Or maybe it was Leafy who dumped me here. But why not the guild then? Better not be another one of that sheila''s dirty pranks¡­'' Shaymin found the entrance door and wasted no time in swinging it open. Her jaw immediately dropped at what she saw next. Small clumps of fluffy clouds were drifting across a vast ocean of blue sky. Verdant green mountains dominated the landscape and stretched as far as the eye could see. Multiple Shaymin in their Sky Forme could be seen happily gliding through the skies, laughing and chattering as they soared off into the distance. Land Forme Shaymin quietly strolled through the grassy hills below that were dotted with similar wooden cottages. Fields of bright red Gracidea and other crops were also being attended to. A chill ran up Shaymin''s spine as she stood perfectly still. This was undoubtedly her hometown. This was the Shaymin Village. "What the fuck¡­"
Everything hurt. Weavile grunted as the cold iron chains wrapped around her bleeding, matted legs dragged her wounded body across a stone floor. It was dark, and she could only see the clawed hand of her captor in the pitch-black corridor pulling the chains. She used what little strength she had to glance at her sides in hopes that Bisharp was beside her - like always. But he was not there. The possibility that he was no longer alive sent shockwaves of anger and grief through her mind. But there was nothing she could do but speculate. Not even her vocal cords could sputter open to curse her opponents. The scraping noise of scales on rock caught her attention as something long, green, and serpentine in nature slithered past her. Though she could barely see, Weavile snarled viciously at the piercing red eyes staring at her from within the darkness. "It was very kind of that Shiny Lucario to hand you both over to me on a silver platter," Serperior spoke in her usual smug and regal tone. Spittle dripped down Weavile''s gnashing fangs as she growled intensely. Serperior leaned in closer to the Ice-type''s ears and spoke softly. "I told you that I would wipe out your pitiful little clan from existence and reign as the true mercenary queen. And it was so easy, too!" Her words dripped with venom. "Now the real fun can begin, my dear Weavile!" The Grass-type cackled madly, her long, forked tongue flicking the air as Weavile''s conscious ebbed until everything was dark again.
Blaziken stood proudly at the very center of a black steel platform with orange lines crisscrossing in a strange pattern. His scarred arms were kept behind his back as he marched back and forth along the platform and surveyed his soldiers below. A starry-eyed Heliolisk was right behind him, drinking in the view of what he perceived as an ultimate form of the Alignment''s glory and strength. "Battle formations!" Blaziken cawed loudly. Rows and columns of Pokemon in armor-plated black suits heeded the orders of their commander and stomped the ground once. The tips of rifles were pointed high, catching the light of nearby flood lights. Blaziken began to clap. "Very good, soldiers! Move onto the second formation!" Heliolisk walked over. "Uh, commander? Is there a reason you wanted me to join you at your drills?" Talons latched onto the Electric-type''s shoulder. "You may not be ready to become one of these fine soldiers here yet, but you will in time," Blaziken said. "Gallade did think himself worthy, but I am sure you think differently than him. You have a warrior''s spirit that I intend to bring out of you. I''m positive you''re willing to commit yourself to this trial." Heliolisk gave a hasty nod. "It''s a lifelong dream of mine, commander. I''ll do whatever it takes." "Good." Blaziken returned his sights to the statue-like army of Pokemon. His arm shot into the air as he clenched his talons. "WHO DO WE SERVE IN THIS WORLD?" he screamed "THE ALLMOTHER!" the soldiers shouted back at him. "And why?!" "FOR HER GLORY AND PARADISE!" "Eden unto the Allmother!" "EDEN UNTO THE ALIGNMENT!" Blaziken basked in the vocal devotion they all pledged to a better tomorrow. Resolve filled his very being, as very soon they would all embark upon their pilgrimage to show the outside world the gift they would soon receive. His eyes swept across the battalion until he saw the unmistakable form of the Allfather a few yards away. The Frogadier was atop a nearby tower and staring down at him. A conversation between them was shared with no words, and Blaziken ended it with a wicked smile. He did not care if Frogadier knew. In fact, he wanted the boy to see this. He wanted him to see the real power of the Alignment that he refused to unleash upon the world. "Sawk! Watch the doorway for any stragglers that might come through!" "You got it, Scrafty!" Scizor grunted in pain as his legs nearly gave out on him. The Throh and Scrafty holding his arms stopped letting him walk on his own a while ago and merely dragged him into a new chamber of the courthouse. ''Where¡­ Is this where they''ll finally get rid of me?'' Scizor wondered, drifting in and out of consciousness. He was tired. He was ready for it to be over. The room was small and sparse. Sandbags were stacked high up against the walls until they reached the windows; wooden chairs were stacked on top of others. Shafts of light from a setting sun cascaded through stained glass onto the center of the chamber. "All right. We can set him down here," the Scrafty grunted out. "Okay," the Throh said. Scizor was haphazardly tossed onto his knees. As his head craned upward, he instinctively stared into the orange light that basked him in warmth. Through the radiance, he could see a depiction of Arceus rearing his legs in the stained glass. Though he was not religious, he took solace in knowing the creator of everything would be one of the last things he would see in his life. Perhaps he would even see him soon. Scrafty caught his breath and shifted the armored plating across his coat. "Fuck, this armor''s heavy. Okay, we''ll carry out the execution here." He glared at Scizor. "Don''t move a fucking muscle, bug. Let''s not make this harder than it has to be - got that?" Scizor said nothing as he stared forward. "Throh, give him the blindfold. And do you have your armor-piercing rounds on you? This one''s got a tough shell." "Yeah, yeah, I do." The blinding light was snuffed out of Scizor''s sight as a layer of cloth was wrapped around his eyes. Everything was now dark. "W-wait," he heard the Throh speak. "Once we do this, what happens next? The captain says he wants to hold our position here." A scoff could be heard. "Fuck the captain, and fuck the Council. We take the body and show it to that crazy mob out there so they know we''re with them, then you and I get the hell out of the city before things get even worse." "You mean¡­ desertion? We''ll be jailed if we get caught!" "And is that much worse than getting killed by them out there?" Scizor heard the clinking of metal - undoubtedly the Scrafty''s rifle being pulled out. "Look, two of us can do the job fine. Let''s do this quickly so we can leave this hellhole." "Okay, man, okay." Scizor tuned out their voices and all the ambient sounds around him until everything was pure silence - just how he enjoyed it. All of his attention was put toward his final thoughts floating along an abyss of memories recurring through his mind. There were happy memories and there were also sad ones. Fleeting moments of joy he never once spared a thought were now the most impactful things he ever experienced. "Aim!" He thought of Team Moonlight, and of the strange Lucario he thought was a friend - but could not hate. He thought of Charizard, and a smile crossed his lips. A true friend of his, and would no doubt honor his death if he were freed from his stony prison. He thought of Garchomp and his heart ached at what could have been. He thought of all the Pokemon they had met, saved, or fought, and wished them well. Scizor heard the click of a rifle''s safety being turned off. He thought of his parents, and wondered how proud they would be of him; that he would devote his entire life to preventing their tragic demise from happening to other Pokemon. Even with his death, his ambition would live on - he knew it. There would exist a world in which those three boys truly dreamed of long ago. Scizor closed his eyes. He lived with zero regrets. "Fire!" The sound of two gunshots echoed throughout the empty chamber. Scizor flinched intensely, his ears ringing from the loud noise. He remained motionless, still surrounded by a void of complete darkness as death swallowed his being. When the buzzing in his ears faded, he heard the strange sounds of a struggle behind him. There were grunts, shouts, and scrapes heard through a sea of nothingness. Then there was silence. Scizor recoiled at the reemergence of light flooding his vision as the blindfold covering his face was gently pulled away. When he cracked open his yellow eyes, he saw the relieved face of Garchomp staring back at him. "Scizor!" The Bug-type had no time to react as the dragoness barreled into him, forcing him into a hug. His pincers naturally gravitated to her waist as he cast frantic looks at his surroundings. Aggron and Tyranitar were right beside him, looking just as happy as Garchomp was. "G-garchomp? Aggron and Tyranitar? How are you all here?" Scizor croaked out. "I-I thought I was¡­" Garchomp removed herself from him and grit her teeth. "We weren''t gonna let these bastards kill an innocent Pokemon! Especially not you, Scizor." "But the Council! They''ll know that you-" Talons latched themselves around the Bug-type''s shoulder. "We don''t care about what they think anymore! Things are more important than that! You''re more important than them to me! You got that? Do you remember why I gave you that Metal Coat?" There was a pause and a wait for a response. Garchomp''s impatience grew as she shook him fiercely. "Do you?!" "I-I do!" he stuttered out, hoping to spar her wrath. "Of course I do, Garchomp!" He always believed that she cared. Garchomp rose to her full height. "Team Drarosteel isn''t letting any of our comrades die pointless deaths! We''re getting out of this city, we''re finding the others, and we''re stopping Jackson!" "But how? The city is in chaos! Tell me at least you have a plan out of here!" "Do you think my team is known for excellent planning? We''re gonna wing it - that''s what! We''ve gotta survive no matter what!" she barked. Wounded and bleeding on the floor, the Scrafty with heavy lacerations across his armor crawled over to his rifle. He grabbed it and tried to aim at Garchomp with his shaky aim. Aggron caught wind immediately and quickly threw himself in front of the distracted dragoness, hoping to absorb the incoming bullet. But the unthinkable happened first. A black and red ray of utter destruction blasted through the ceiling and smashed into the ground directly behind Scizor. When the smoke settled, all that remained of Scrafty was a petrified, stone statue frozen in action. Scizor''s jaw dropped. "He¡­ turned to stone? That could only mean-" "KYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!" Wide, horrified eyes looked upward at the gaping hole in the ceiling to see a horrific sight. Beams of black and red lit up the dusky sky as they fired off in multiple directions from the wings of a large Pokemon. The striking appearance of Yveltal and the flickering, orange lines that covered its body like chains blocked the sunset-drenched heavens. It roared another blood-curdling scream before engaging in battle with multiple Salamence, Dragonite, Noivern, and other Dragon-type Pokemon fearlessly throwing themselves at the Legendary god-given physical form. Unfolding before them was apocalyptic in nature. "Yveltal," Scizor muttered. "Jackson''s sent it to Elysium City next¡­" Garchomp sneered. "You said you wanted to know if we had a plan? Well this is how we''re getting out!" Another stray Oblivion Wing ripped through the room and nearly clipped Tyranitar in the shoulder. "Gah! More runnin'' and less gabbin''!" the Rock-type yelled as he took off, Aggron following suit. Scizor was locked in place as he stared up at Yveltal single-handedly fending off multiple Pokemon at once. His gaze honed in on the orange lines entangling the Legendary and watched them flicker following each action the beast took. He tried to find Jackson riding atop it, but like before, he was not there. He was not anywhere, but he was behind it all, right? A talon hooked itself around the Bug-type''s shoulder. "C''mon! I''m not leaving you here, Sciz!" He snapped out of his daze with a shake of his head. "Right!" The pair bolted out of the room just as the ceiling split open and caved, completely collapsing the room into rubble. Liam took a deep, relaxing breath as he was spit out from the shadow of a Mystery Dungeon. He took a moment to collect his bearings. ''I''m finally back¡­ Back to the surface.'' His cardinal red eyes swept across the darkness until they caught the shimmer of the full moon from the wide entrance. He trudged forward until he emerged from the cave. The sound of metallic wings flapping alerted the Lucario to Corviknight as the Steel-type swooped in and landed in the grassy clearing beside him. "There you are, mate! You''ve been in there for almost two hours!" Corviknight squawked, his feathers visibly ruffled. "Was ready to put on a brave face and go to rescue you, but from the looks of it¡­ you made it back all right." Liam was covered in dust and grime as he stared straight through Corviknight - a sense of clarity presented in his listless gaze. He then raised a paw to glide across the flickering, golden-orange scarf that was wrapped around the Lucario''s neck. It did not blow in the cold breeze of the night, nor did it have any texture of cloth or cotton. It felt like running his paw across electricity or pure energy bursting at the seams. It was perfect, but he needed to know if it worked. Liam blinked, then smiled. "Corviknight, how close do you think you could get me to the peak?" Each step, each drum-like beat of his heart made this nerve racking moment more intense. The banjo across his back thumped and jostled in accordance to his swelling chest. He moved closer to his destination with zero signs of stopping, like he was possessed. When his paws stepped over the last cliff blocking his path, he reached the pinnacle and stood before the precipice to drink in his victory. Here he was again - the top of the world. Liam wasted no time in enjoying the view as he started fiddling with his orange ''scarf''. "Hey! Can you hear me? Is this strong enough?" He waited patiently for an answer. For a brief moment, he worried this endeavor of his was for all naught, but then he heard it. "Y-yes¡­ I do." His scarf flickered as a familiar, silky voice emanated throughout his mind. It was a wonderful voice he always welcomed. "Yes, my dear. I have a signal; I have you. From now on, there is no separating us. Not like before." To hear such words from her made his heart soar. Things would be different, and they would make sure of it - together. The white wallflowers beneath Liam''s paws began to sway in a gentle, summer wind. The pale moon, gray clouds, and glittering yellow stars were erased from existence as a beaming sun hung high in the cloudless sky. Vast, untamed fields and flowery meadows replaced the four regions of Celestic. White doves cooed as they flew over the mountain. Liam smiled as he could faintly see a familiar house manifesting in the distance. It was his old home, and it would soon be more than a memory. He would see his father, his mother, and finally meet June. It was so close; it was just within his reach, but there was always something blocking his path. But now he knew what was blocking him all this time. It was not just this world. It was all existence. "Corivknight said his guard friends saw a group of Pokemon on Mudsdale heading toward the Glacier Peak Mountains," Liam spoke. "If I can find my friends there, I can convince them to help us. I can tell them what we need to gather and where to bring it." "Find your friends, dear," she said in his mind. "But know that they will not support our vision for a better tomorrow. They will attempt to break our bond, and if they interfere, they must be subdued. We must endure this ensuing storm together. " She was right. She was so right and it hurt his soul to realize it. But he was not going to let this opportunity slip past him. "Yeah, together¡­" "Paradise will be born, Liam. I swear to that. I opened your eyes to the idea of it before, but now it is much more than an idea or dream; it is our destiny to forge it for all creation. And creation itself shall be our blank canvas..." Liam clenched his paws as he scowled viciously. Vitriol flooded his veins. He was fueled by the desire to overcome. "And anybody who gets in our way¡­ isn''t going to stop us." Nothing could stop what was coming. END OF PART TWO
Imagine rebuilding a past identity once lost; an identity now split between two people. For one to live, the other must perish. For something so fantastical to be birthed into existence, a monumental sacrifice is needed¡­
Author''s Notes: It''s been a long time since we''ve been atop the breathtaking peak of Celestial Mountain, haven''t we? It''s an even longer way down this treacherous path that lies ahead. But before we can move forward, we must look to the past once more. Let''s set our sights on the rugged, jagged landscape of the Mountain Region, where a certain Dragon-type in her adolescence begins to question her place in this cruel world... A new Liam at the top of the world - imgur DOT com/a/rgsFS72
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: Special Episode: The World Stops For No One Special Episode #2 The World Stops For No One: Part 1: Safe And Sound Special Episode: The World Stops For No One Part One: Safe And Sound Hot embers flew out from the crackling pieces of firewood nestled deep in a large, open fireplace. The fire beneath the timber was receding and slowly dying over time. The dancing, orange glow washing across the room''s stony walls and hearth was split in half by a shadow figure looming over the blaze. A heavily scarred Garchomp. The dragoness leaned in close to the fireplace as a steady yet gentle Dragon Breath flowed from her maw and bathed the smoldering wood inside in purplish flames. The fire engorged itself with a mix of vibrant colors as Garchomp smirked at her work and lumbered away. "Now let''s get back to where we left off¡­" she said aloud. Her heavy footfalls grew muffled as she knelt on a fireproof, dark blue carpet. "Okay, you little scamp - since you decided bedtime was unworthy, are you ready to listen to your ma''s stories?" Seated on the carpet, Gible chewed the Mareep plush wedged into her mouth absently. As her mother''s words were processed, her eyes lit up as she eagerly nodded. Garchomp chuckled as she flicked away a bit of drool leaking down her daughter''s jaw. "Scooch over, you little rascal." Gible scooted back as her mother laid out sheets of parchment with writing and other scribbles on them. Some were black-and-white sketches of strange caves, ruins, or environments - while others were rough maps of areas. Gible was completely entranced by what she saw, though she understood none of it. She was dazzled by these lands foreign to her, creating a swell in her heart as she pictured them in her mind. Garchomp smirked at her daughter''s visible admiration and knelt. She tapped a talon on a rough sketch of cracked stone pillars surrounded by palm trees. "See that one, pup? It''s called the Ruins of Isle Ribombee. Was once a princess'' fancy palace on some remote island. And the treasure I found here?" She whistled. "Colorful gems, golden necklaces, and shiny trinkets everywhere! Everything an explorer dreams of was in there!" Sharp teeth squeezed harder against the Mareep plush as Gible absorbed the palpable excitement her mother exuded. Her wonder was only exacerbated by the loud ''thunk'' of a wooden chest plopped down onto the floor. She watched as her mother pulled out objects covered in gold and encrusted with gemstones for her to behold. "And this is only the stuff I decided to keep! Rest of the other junk I found there I sold," Garchomp explained. She then let out a happy sigh. "Exploring? Yeah, it''s tough work, but pretty darn rewarding if ya got the spunk and skills for it." A thought entered Gible''s young mind. What if she could become an explorer like her mother? What if she could venture across the world in search of adventure and untold treasures? The Mareep she absently chewed while fantasizing about her future was nearly torn from her now grinding teeth. Garchomp chuckled as she removed the now-wet plush from her daughter''s mouth and tossed it behind her. "Sounds cool, huh? Interested in being an explorer like your ma?" Gible nodded eagerly, shaking in place from sheer excitement as she readied herself for a potential adventure. "Well, you''re gonna have to grow a bit, sweetheart. You''re too young for this stuff yet - contrary to what some guilds around here believe¡­" Garchomp remarked with a short laugh. Gible huffed, pouting as she looked down at the floor. "Letting her down like that, babe? She may be a hatchling, but the girl''s got the marks of a true explorer in her." In an instant, Gible''s once sour mood evaporated as she recognized the gruff voice behind him. A Haxorus with a green satchel around his waist trudged past her and pecked Garchomp''s cheeks. "Though, don''t think there''s any living explorer as good as you, tough gal." Haxorus smiled. "Actually, scratch that - I''m still the greatest there is." Garchomp scoffed and lightly pushed him away with a smile. "Who''s explored the most out of the two of us and has the most experience, babe? Wanna help me remember?" It was Haxorus'' turn to scoff as he crossed his arms. "Bah, Dragon-types like us don''t need experience. Iron will, sheer power, tough hide - we''re the strongest Pokemon on the continent; that''s what Elder Kommo-o always says, eh?" She let out an airy laugh. "Yeah, and that''s why so many of you meatheads here are dolts. Back in my old village, we had something called ''wisdom''." She leaned in and kissed him on his cheek. "But maybe I like having a meathead around¡­" "You just like having someone to boss around, don''tcha?" "Mmmm¡­ Maybe?" she teased. "Someone''s gotta be there to soak up the Ice and Fairy attacks for me." Haxorus harrumphed. "I''m onto you, babe. One of these days I''ll be the leader with all the glory and you''ll be the sidekick." "A day that will never, ever happen, Haxie," Garchomp remarked smugly. Gible watched in a starstruck manner as her parents bantered back and forth. If she had a partner of her own one day, she wondered if they, too, would bicker about their tales and adventures. It stirred more giddy feelings in her chest the more she thought about it. Haxorus turned to face his daughter. "When you''re older, make sure you beat your mom in everything. Gotta get revenge on her somehow." Garchomp bumped shoulders with him and snorted. She returned her attention to Gible and kneeled to meet her daughter''s eye level. "You wanna know about your father and I''s next adventure?" Gible nodded eagerly. Garchomp looked expectantly at Haxorus as he opened his satchel and retrieved a rolled-up piece of parchment from within. The dragoness snatched it from his grasp and then laid it out over the stone floor. Gible leaned in to get a closer look at what appeared to be a rough map. A large talon belonging to her mother ran across it. "We''re headed over to a place smack dab in the middle of the Mountain Region! It''s got lots of dangerous stuff - Steep cliffs, pools of lava, plenty of Mystery Dungeons!" Garchomp sounded more excited about each hazard she listed off. "Here''s a little geography question for ya, pu; what''s the largest volcano in the world?" Gible contemplated the question. But realization struck as her vocal cords struggled to emit an answer. "R¡­ Rumble. Rumblecrack¡­ Rumblecrack Volcano!" she yelled proudly. Garchomp chuckled. "Close, pup. It''s Rumblecrag Volcano. And you know what''s inside that volcano?" "Treasure!" Gible gleefully proclaimed. "Treasure! Treasure!" Another sheet of parchment was laid out by Haxorus that showed what looked like a peculiar design to Gible. It was a sketch of what appeared to be a golden arc of material with cracks along its bottom frame - like it was ripped off from a pre-existing segment. "That right there," Garchomp tapped the sketch with a talon, "is what we''re after, pup. Seen lots of whatever this is engraved onto rocks and trees near the volcano. Whatever it is, it''s gotta be extremely rare and difficult for an explorer to find." Haxorus swiped up the two pieces of parchment and stuffed them back into his satchel. His large smile was directed at Gible. "And your ma and I are gonna drag it back here, cub." He winked at Garchomp. "Ain''t that right, babe?" Garchomp bristled with mirth and pride. "You betcha! I''m not the greatest explorer on the continent for nothin''!" Haxorus returned her shoulder bump with his own. "We''ll see, partner. This is Team Scale after all, and we gotta share the recognition¡­ together," he said slowly. "Yeah, yeah. I''ll have to get Flygon to watch over Gible while we''re gone. Would you like that, pup?" Garchomp asked the little sand shark. Gible nodded. She always liked when the Ground-type came over; she always brought tons of poffins for her to snack on that her mother never allowed. Garchomp brought her daughter into a warm hug. Gible winced as the rough, scarred scales of her mother''s head rubbed against her own in a quick nuzzle. "Get some sleep, pup. Can''t let our future explorer miss out on her rest." "Yeah, and can look forward to when we return from our adventure," Haxorus added. "The other kids won''t believe what your dad and his tough gal got their claws on." Gible quickly hobbled back onto her feet, scooped up the Mareep plush back into her mouth, and ran through the halls of the cave back into her room. She threw herself into the small, circular bed and clutched her Mareep plush close to her chest as she tried to sleep. The remaining excitement nesting deep within her made rest a challenging task, however. She could not wait for them to return. "Pup! You''re gonna be late! And Arceus knows Drampa gets upset when you''re late to your duties!" a rugged, female voice rang from the stone halls. "In a second, mom!" a scratchy and young voice cried back, followed by sounds of a scuffle. Gabite scurried across her room, half-eaten berries and Wonder Orbs sent tumbling off tables to the messy floor in her wake. She lifted her bed and pulled open numerous drawers all in search of the item she coveted so much. ''C''mon, cmon, where is it?! Where is it?!'' She soon turned her attention upward to the second floor where burrows within the rocky walls were used as a second storage. Her small talons jabbed themselves into small indentations along the wall as she hastily climbed to the upper floor. She jumped to a burrow, tossing aside a Mareep plush before leaping to another one. She repeated this action before she saw the familiar shiny glint among a collection of shredded scales. ''Aha! There it is!'' Gabite grabbed the shiny badge and jumped down to the bottom floor with a loud ''thud''. A light blue saddlebag was yanked off a stone table and thrown around her waist. Flaps and pockets brimming with seeds and Oran Berries were opened and checked before the authoritative voice of her mother boomed through the home once again. "You''re gonna be late!" Gabite sighed and rolled her eyes. "I knooooooow, mom! Almost ready!" Jostling her saddlebag, the young Dragon-type strode to the doorway before stopping herself. She backtracked her steps and turned, sweeping her piercing yellow eyes across her room. They lingered on newspaper clippings from the stacks of Celestic Cognizance on her desk. Many times she had to beg her mother for them, as news delivery Pelipper were rare in parts of the Mountain Region. Gabite walked over and sifted through some of the clippings, reading the headlines written in bold across the parchment. ''TEAM HYSTERIX FINDS ANCIENT TEMPLE AND MAKES CONTACT WITH HIDDEN VILLAGE'' ''GROUP OF GUILD EXPLORERS UNCOVER TROVES OF BURIED RELICS IN MASSIVE MYSTERY DUNGEON'' Gabite smiled warmly, flicking past them until she found her favorite one. ''TEAM MOONLIGHT: THREE FRIENDS TURNED WORLD FAMOUS IN JUST ONE YEAR'' She quickly grabbed it and stuffed it into one of her saddlebag''s pouches. Realizing she also still held the badge she sought in her talons, she carefully threaded the pin through the upper flaps of the saddlebag. White wings spread out of a circular ball with horns spiraling from the top. Although a mere replica of her mother''s gifted to her one hatch day long ago, it was something she always treasured. And now she was going to wear it on her very first adventure. Gabite sprinted out of her room, barreling through the halls until she skidded to a halt right before she could crash into her mother. The scarred Garchomp, alerted to her presence, turned and smirked. "Finally decided to not oversleep today, pup?" her mother chided. "C''mon, I''ll fill you with some grub before you leave." The main foyer of the limestone cavern was smothered in the sweet smells of maple syrup and charred berries. Gabite''s stomach instinctively rumbled, her chops salivating as she plopped herself in a smooth stone outcropping molded to form a bench. "I thought I was gonna be late?" she asked. Garchomp stomped over to a towering kiln of rock and superheated charcoal. A few puffs of Dragon Breath from her maw into the glowing red charcoal swelled the fires inside with a loud ''pwoosh'' noise accompanying it. More sickly sweet-smelling smoke billowed from the kiln top. Gabite swore she could taste it if she stuck out her tongue - like cotton candy her mother once gifted her from a faraway land. "Late for breakfast, young lady," her mother began. "I know how cranky you get without eating all morning." "I don''t get cranky¡­" Gabite mumbled under her breath. Garchomp chuckled. "Flygon can attest to many of your tantrums growing up." She tapped her chin with a talon and a teasing smirk. "What did I ask her again?" A look of faux surprise crossed her features. "Oh, she couldn''t hear me with all the cotton she stuffed in her ears to drown out your crying." "Mooooooooooom!" "All right, all right I''ll stop. ''Sides, breakfast is done." A sizzling noise filled the air as Garchomp pulled out a chamber of the smoking kin. Hot steam flooded out as two talons carefully pulled out a tall tower of hotcakes. The dragoness then placed them on a wide, stone plate on a table nearest to Gabite. The child felt herself drooling as she leaned over and prodded the cakes. They were almost as black as coal; crispened but not flakened. One cake that was broken in two seeped wonderfully smelling syrup and charred berries that intensified Gabite''s drooling. She could never understand why Pokemon outside her village hated burnt foods. To a Dragon-type, it was among the most delicious things to feast upon. "Dig in, pup," Garchomp said. "All for you." No sooner after her mother spoke did Gabite attack the stack of hotcakes with a ravenous frenzy. Berry juice, syrup, and pieces of dough clung to Gabite''s face as she momentarily halted herself and looked up at Garchomp. "This stuff''s great, mom! Where''d you learn how to make this?" she asked. Garchomp smirked and rested her arms on the table. "Your ma wasn''t just a great explorer in the past; she was also a really darn good cook. It''s how I met your father - got right through his stomach." Her wistful comment ended with a sad chuckle. Gabite''s smile nearly faded as she ate more slowly. "Um, are you gonna be around later when I''m done at the farm?" "Who knows, pup. The elder wants me and a few others to scout out some Thornhide encampments not far from the village. Looks like there were some skirmishes with the Thornhide and our caravans." Gabite''s smile fell further. "Why does the elder want us to fight other dragons and villages all the time? Why can''t we just get along with them? It''s all so stupid and pointless¡­" she grumbled and bowed her head. A talon was brought under Gabite''s and pushed her to look up again, staring at the smiling face of her mother. "You know what, pup? I agree with ya there," she told her. "But it''s how we dragons are. The elder wants us to keep that tough, battle-hardy, and controlling aspect from our past." "Well, maybe we need to change," Gabite muttered. "Like you did." Garchomp''s smile faltered. "Heh, I said the same thing when I first came to the village. But that''s the way things are, and it''s the way the elder wants it to stay." Gabite frowned. She never liked when her mother would act like this; it was nothing like her, she thought. It was only after that fateful exploration that her mother came back changed. She never spoke highly of exploration as much as she used to, nor did she share exciting tales from her past by the crackling of the fireplace. She missed those days. "Now, finish up so you can get going," Garchomp said as she removed her talon. "The elder already has his eye on you knowing you''re my daughter - remember." Gabite rolled her eyes. "He doesn''t scare me." She scarfed down the rest of her meal as Garchomp crossed her arms. "You might''ve evolved early, but you''re still my young, twelve-year-old pup." Her mother leaned in as her voice reduced to a whisper. "You didn''t hear it from me, but the old codger''s got a weak spot behind his scales when he flexes them." Gabite giggled and gave a toothy smile in response. "Got it." Garchomp planted a kiss on her head before stepping back and grabbing the now-empty plate. "Anytime, pup. Now get outta here." "See ya, mom!" Gabite pushed herself off the stone bench and raced toward the doorway. She pushed up the steel door latch and breached into the outside world. The cavern walls and its darkness gave way to unyielding sunlight and warmth that felt good on Gabite''s scales. Stone flooring transitioned to green grass that tickled her feet as she descended the steps of her home. A salty breeze carried from the nearby Alomomola Sea swept through the rugged yet fertile ravine that the villagers of Dragging Claw called home. Many Pokemon had just woken up, exiting their caves or towering nests. The clear skies above were filled with flying dragons of all kinds, accompanied by deep roars and flaps of their mighty wings. Fields of many crops dominated the landscapes in the distance, earning a disapproving frown from Gabite. While many Pokemon believed Dragon-types scorned farming and instead raided others for food, it was far from the truth in the modern age of the Mountain Region. ''Would''ve been cooler to go raiding instead of boring, stupid farming,'' Gabite remarked to herself as she trudged down the steps. ''But then I''d have to go along with¡­ ugh, Deino.'' Of all the children in the village, she had the reputation of being the nastiest. Gabite attributed it to her extremely prideful and stubborn, traditional parents - a common trait among the village. ''Would it be so hard for her to smile more at least? Sheesh.'' When she reached the cobblestone roads of the village proper, a familiar, warbly voice called to her amidst the morning rush. "Gabite! Gabite!" The young dragoness turned to the source of the voice and saw Goomy slowly slinking his way over to her, leaving behind a trail of slime. The small Dragon-type, though scoffed at by other children for a belief that he was weak, was a dear friend of hers. He was odd, but she deeply appreciated and could relate to his fondness and desire for adventure and recognition. It was something almost the entire village lacked, she believed. "Hey, Goomy! How''re you doing?" Goomy sighed as his squishy body melted. "Uurgh! Tired! Drampa had me run across the fields all through the night with no break! I feel like I''m all out of slime¡­" Gabite giggled. "That old coot just hates that we''re young. Hey, is he asleep right now?" "Um, yeah! Like he always is. Are you on farming duty again today?" She rolled her eyes. "That''s what the elder says, but I''m not; I got something more important to do." "Ooh! Like what?" "Do you remember a week ago when Mrs. Altaria wasn''t able to access a bunch of her store''s supplies deep in the Scabrous Cliffs?" "Yeah, ''cause a Mystery Dungeon formed in there and- wait, wait!" Goomy''s face morphed with realization. "You''re gonna enter that Mystery Dungeon?" "Yep!" She jostled her saddlebag. "Got a bunch of seeds and Wonder Orbs with me for the trip! I''m gonna bring back those supplies myself." "B-but that dungeon hasn''t been explored yet!" Goomy countered, sweating slime. "The elders told everyone to not enter it!" Gabite sniffed. "So? Then I guess I''ll be the first one to explore it. Isn''t that exciting?" Goomy relaxed a little. "Well- I mean¡­ yeah! But, uh, I just don''t wanna see you getting hurt or anything." "Hehe, I''ll be fine, Goomy. I just evolved, meaning I can handle any ''mon that dungeon throws at me!" she said with a puff of her chest. "''Sides, someone''s gotta return and protect you from that bully Deino." There was a visible twinkle in Goomy''s eyes as he wiggled in place. "Oh wow! You sound a lot like your mom!" ''Yeah, a lot like how she used to sound,'' Gabite remarked in her mind. "Um, I would go with you, but I''m really tired from all the farming," Goomy continued. "But I really, really hope you can bring back Altaria''s stuff. She has the best Purple Gummis!" "Of course I will! Being an explorer is who I am! I''ll come see when I''m back, Goomy, and show you any cool stuff I find in there." "Seeya, Gabite!" Goomy turned and inched his way through the streets, leaving Gabite to contend with her plan within her mind. ''Okay, so Drampa is still asleep around this time. He shouldn''t wake up for a few more hours, giving me enough time to head to Scabrous Cliffs and enter the Mystery Dungeon. If I''m fast enough, I can reach the end and get those supplies, then race back to the fields and finish my work before the old man wakes up. And mom won''t even know what happened until I show it to her!'' Grinning at the cunning plan she devised, Gabite immediately set upon enacting it. She sprinted down the village streets, scales rubbing against scales as she brushed past numerous dragons in her wake. "Hey, Gabite!" a soft, airy voice emanated from the crowd. Gabite turned on a dime, seeing Altaria staring at her from atop a nest of fluffy, white cotton. "Hey, Mrs. Altaria!" she yelled back, continuing her run. "Aren''t you supposed to be working in the fields today?" Altaria questioned. "I''m taking a different route there!" was the young dragoness'' quick response as she steamed on ahead. ''Heh, and if only she knew what I''m actually gonna do.'' Through snaking roads of the ravine, she eventually made it out of the village and into the surrounding plains of reddish brown terracotta - interspersed by thorny, dead trees. Though it appeared to be a sea of nothingness for many, for Gabite, it was an alluring sight to behold. Never before had she been allowed to leave the village for anything other than small trips with her mother. She had heard of the outside world more than she had actually experienced it. And now she was going to finally get a taste of what she craved so much. Popping open a flap in her saddlebag, she procured a map from it and scrutinized its marking. ''Okay, so the cliffs should be east of here. And the Mystery Dungeon is in one of its openings!'' Stuffing the parchment back into her bag, Gabite used the tracking skills her mother had provided her with and set off. Seconds would turn into minutes, and minutes into hours as her environment gradually shifted from barren lands to tall bluffs. When she could hear the sounds of waves crashing against rock, she knew she was close to her destination. Journeying down a narrow valley, her efforts were rewarded with the grand entrance to the Scabrous Cliffs. Its gaping maw of an entrance was pitch-black - an indicator of a Mystery Dungeon''s shadow looming within the hollowed mountain. Gabite huffed. ''It took a lot longer to get here than I thought, but Drampa shouldn''t notice I''m gone.'' She smirked. ''Time to get those supplies and make Altaria happy!'' She stopped by the cliff''s entrance, inwardly psyching herself up for her first Mystery Dungeon experience. The Butterfree in her stomach fluttered endlessly, but she was able to calm her nerves with steady breaths. ''Well, time to head in!'' As Gabite took her first steps toward the shadowy penumbra, she let out an involuntary gasp as she slammed into something hard and firm. The force of the impact bounced her to the ground as the dragoness looked up, her eyes widening in terror. "E-elder?" she croaked out. A towering dragon clad in glittering, scratched scaly armor exited the Mystery Dungeon''s shadow. It directed a harsh sneer at Gabite, who averted her gaze in response. Multiple other Dragon-types she recognized from Dragging Claw soon emerged from the darkness as well, carrying full crates of supplies that undoubtedly belonged to Altaria. Her entire plan foiled in mere seconds. But she had little time to weep for it as her elder opened his mouth to speak. "What is this? Garchomp''s daughter?" Kommo-o scowled at Gabite, sharp eyes narrowing further. "Why are you not at the village doing your duties? And why are you here specifically?" Such a barrage of gruffly asked questions sent her head spinning as she was still reeling in shock. However, she managed to find an answer. "I, uh, I was going to explore this Mystery Dungeon, Elder Kommo-o." Kommo-o snorted. "Verily, child. But I asked what it is exactly you''re doing here." Gabite gulped as the elder''s entourage encircled her completely, completely silent as they waited for her response. "Well, um, I heard Altaria lost her supplies on this cliff when a Mystery Dungeon formed. I was gonna go inside and get them myself," she explained. "You were going to enter an unexplored and potentially dangerous Mystery Dungeon by yourself? Thirty floors of some of the most deadly Pokemon inhabit this dungeon; you would not have survived if you entered." Gabite winced as her plan was once again smashed into pieces Though she hated to admit it, the elder was correct in his assumption she would not fare well against tough foes. Still, she did not want to appear weak in front of him and instead puffed out her chest. "I could''ve taken them, elder! I could''ve brought back Altaria''s supplies by myself!" Laughter rang out from the encircled Dragon-types from such a statement, further stoking Gabite''s anger and embarrassment. Kommo-o would wave off their amusement with a raised claw. "You could not have, child. You are too young and too inexperienced to be taking risks like these alone. If I am to assume you are shirking your responsibilities in the fields today, then you have best return there to correct your missing hours from this foolish endeavor." Gabite gritted her teeth. "I''m not a farmer! I''m an explorer - like mom is!" Kommo-o breathed in a deep sigh. "I understood what type of problem you would be when your mother and father came to the village. Listen here, child. You may not understand this now, but this village can only operate if every dragon here pulls their weight. To that end, you must work; we all must work if we''re to climb to the top and succeed." ''Climb to the top and succeed? What?'' Gabite thought. ''What type of success is there here? There''s nothing but working and fighting!'' Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "Furthermore, our village is under constant prodding from enemy clans," Kommo-o continued. "Your insistence on these ''adventures'' takes away time that could be spent on productive means from being put toward staving off these wretched dragons." ''Yeah, those dragons we chose to fight because of some dumb rule thousands of years ago that only one dragon and one village can be on top and rule the others,'' she ranted in her mind, choosing only to glare at her elder. She wished she dared to say it to his face without grave repercussions from both him and her mother. "Your mother will hear of this when she returns from her mission - I will make sure of it. But I suspect she is already aware, given her reputation. She will have to face a punishment as well if this is the case." "She didn''t know!" Gabite blurted out. "I didn''t tell her anything! She thinks I just went to the fields like usual." "I should not be surprised; a dragon like her who expresses such frivolous ideals would not be able to watch over her young carefully." Gabite suppressed the urge to lash out at him. Occasional slights about her family from the elder were common growing up, but she always said nothing in return as her mother wished. She stood up, dusting off her scales and making sure her slightly damp eyes never connected to Kommo-o. "Get out of here and return to your duties, child." Obeying her elder, she wordlessly turned around and began trudging back the way in which she came. But not far into her trek, the voice of Kommo-o would boom across the valley. "I would have assumed what happened to your father would influence your decision-making, but I suppose not!" Something snapped within Gabite as she whirled around and charged at Kommo-o, fully intending to swipe at him with her talons. But before she could reach him, two Druddigon latched onto her arms and pulled her back. Kommo-o seemed to find her struggles amusing as he formed a small grin. "Perhaps there is some sort of dragon within you. If only you gave up such childish notions and faced reality." It was not fair. It was not fair that he could hurt and insult her family and she was powerless to do anything. A Noivern broke away from the encirclement and spoke with Kommo-o. "Elder, there''s a bunch of Thornhides trying to wrestle control over us in Zapdos'' Roost. How should we engage?" Kommo-o crossed his arms behind his back. "Bah! The Dragging Claws shall wipe them out from our areas. I want two teams of our strongest dragons to push them out and then assault their encampments." He raised an arm and pointed it at Gabite. "Someone here take and escort this child to Drampa for her work duties." Gabite collapsed to the ground in a fit of tears. The stars above the Mountain Region and the Dragging Claw village were full and bright. Gabite huddled her legs over the edges of the cliffside as she could witness the beautiful night sky in its entirety. ''Wow¡­ dad wasn''t kidding about the Minior showers. This is awesome.'' Streaking across the twinkling stars were hundreds if not thousands of shooting Minior falling from the atmosphere in distinct and colorful lines. She was not convinced at first when her father told her that the Minior were actual, living Pokemon. An event like this only occurred every few years or so, and she could not imagine missing something so enthralling. Gabite often wondered where these Minior would wind up in the world. What is their goal? Why do they fall from the sky all the time? There was so much of the outside world she knew nothing about, and yet an event like this only tempted her more and more. She wanted a way out, but she was just a kid. "Pup?" Gabite lowered her head at the voice of her mother. She listened to the muted thuds of her footsteps growing near. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the tongue-lashing she was about to get. "It''s a super cool night out, isn''t it?" Gabite cracked open an eye and looked up to see her mother wearing a calm expression. "Y-yeah, it is," she replied. Garchomp took a seat next to her daughter, craning her head up at the stars and shooting Minior. "Wow¡­ You think you''ve seen everything as an explorer, but this world always throws something new at ya." Her head shook. "I thought I did everything, but then I decided to become a mom. Thought I fought everything I wanted to as an explorer, but then I had to fight other dragons under the elder." A sad chuckle escaped her. "It''s weird when you think it''s all over, but there''s still so much out there; so much more for you to learn and grow from. And that''s because the world stops for no one." Gabite adopted a quizzical look as glanced at her mother. "What does that mean?" Garchomp smirked. "You''re a smart kid, pup. Why don''t you tell me what you think it means?" She racked her brain for a moment. "It means¡­ you can''t let an opportunity pass up on you." "That''s one way of interpreting it. Is that how you feel living here, pup? Do you feel like there''s an opportunity passing by that you can''t take?" Gabite was silent for a moment. "¡­ Yeah. The village, it''s nice, but-" she frowned," but nothing happens here! We just farm and fight and farm and fight forever! It''s been like this since dragons first came here. We don''t dream, we don''t explore, we don''t¡­ live! Besides the other kids, there''s nothing for me here. I wanna leave one day; I wanna be my own ''mon and not some¡­ thing the elder can push around so he can be the big guy in charge," she finished with a sigh, happy to be finally out with it. Garchomp appeared to mull over her words as she tossed her head around. "So, you still want to be who I was once, huh?" "Of course I want to! And what do you mean ''once''? Aren''t you still an explorer?" Garchomp looked away, suddenly aloof. "It''s not a life I lead anymore, pup. It''s not a life I want to champion, either." Her gaze returned to her daughter. "And it''s not a life I want for you to chase like I did." An appalled expression washed upon Gabite''s features. "W-what? How could you say that? After all the stories you''ve told me growing up? About you and dad venturing across Celestic? Your old village even supported you when-" "No. No, they didn''t." Garchomp sighed. "I was kicked out of my village for wanting the life of an explorer. I met your dad during one of my travels and we decided to team up. It was only when you were born that we came here - to Dragging Claw. Elder Kommo-o was already distrustful of us as explorers, but he eventually allowed us to stay and settle. The truth, pup, is that we dragons aren''t supposed to care about these things. Elder Kommo-o, he-" "Who cares what he thinks! He just wants to become a High Elder! He''s making us do all the work for him so those other old dragons can respect him!" Garchomp sighed again. "You''re not getting the point, pup. What you have here in the village is a nice, safe life. But skipping out on your duties three times a week to try and be an explorer? The others aren''t going to tolerate it much longer once you grow older." "Then let them get mad with me! Let them throw me out! It''s probably much better out there than here¡­" Gabite mumbled. "It''s not, pup. It''s not¡­" There was silence, but Gabite mustered up the courage to finally ask a question lingering in the back of her mind for many years. "Tell me. Tell me what happened to dad that made you like this." Garchomp visibly stiffened. "¡­ Are you sure, pup? You might not be satisfied with what you hear." Gabite nodded. Her mother swallowed thickly. "It was the day of our expedition up Rumblecrag Volcano. Your dad and I were getting everything ready for the trip and set up a camp in one of the mountain''s caves. Once we were done, we decided to call it a day and get some rest. It was¡­ pretty strange that night; I swore I could hear voices beyond the cavern walls while I slept." Her face twitched and formed a scowl as she continued. "But anyway, the next day Haxie and I finally begin our exploration. The volcano was massive with lots of snaking paths. There was one path that I saw which had a lot of shiny objects in it, so I told your dad to wait behind as I went to check it out. That¡­ That was the last time I ever saw him." Gabite opened and closed her mouth several times. "And then¡­?" "While I was checking out the path, I heard voices again, but they were unintelligible. I heard your dad speak, then heard some sort of scuffle or commotion. I ran back as fast as I could, but I was too late. There was nothing left - only the trace of some pattern on the floor that wasn''t there before. I searched that volcano for hours and hours, but I could not find him anywhere." "¡­" "I''ll never forgive myself for leaving him behind at that moment for something so¡­ pointless as treasure." Garchomp looked back at Gabite. "So, now you know. Now you know why your mom doesn''t explore anymore. I can''t anymore - because of the memory of your dad and that day. Exploring is not some game; there are risks and consequences, and some consequences are too painful for even a ''tough gal'' like me to take. There are dangerous Pokemon out there, and It''s too dangerous for you to consider as well." Gabite digested her mother''s story of her father''s disappearance with a conflicted look. While she was horrified at what happened, it did not change her view at all. She knew not even her father would give up the life of an explorer over the mere threat of danger. No, it was her mother who was wrong. It was her mother who had lost sight. "That doesn''t change who I want to be, mom. I want to become an explorer like you and dad. I want my own team! I want my own fame! I don''t wanna just stay here and hide my whole life!" Garchomp rested a talon on Gabite''s shoulder. "¡­ There are heroes and nobodies in this world, pup. The heroes get their fame, and their time in the spotlight, but it comes with a price of a life-ending tragically short. The ''mons that are considered nobodies? They live long prosperous lives in simple peace. That is the life I want for you here, pup. You''re safe and sound here." "And what? Become a ''nobody''?" Gabite shoved her mother''s talon off her and bared her teeth. "I want to be somebody! I don''t wanna live in the shadow of who you once were! Can''t you understand that?!" "I do, pup. But I had to grow up myself to realize that life was for us. I had to become a mother for you; there was no other choice in my mind." "If you wanna be my mom, then why can''t you support me?!" "Because I can''t lose you as well!" Garchomp cried back, her weary eyes brimming with tears. "You''re all I have left, pup¡­ Don''t you see that? Please, please understand why I can''t let you do these things." Gabite went quiet for a brief minute before she shook her head, standing up and storming away from the edges of the cliff and her mother. As she walked away, she could hear the faint sounds of sobbing from the cliff that nearly shattered her heart into pieces. ''I¡­ I love you, mom. But why did you have to give up your whole life just for me?''
Four years went by like a blur for Gabite. For the most part, she kept her head down and attended to her daily duties like any dutiful villager did. However, embers of resentment burned greatly within her from time to time. She would still occasionally wander out of the village when there were no prying eyes fixated on her. While her mother hoped she would grow out of this ''phase'', her aspirations were reinforced by what she could only hope to experience. Her heart pounded whenever she neared the village''s entrance - like it was calling out to her to leave. If only she had the courage to take the final step toward what seemed like freedom, but she could never hurt her mother like that. If staying truly meant her mother would be happy, then she would stay as long as needed. "Gabite? Are you well?" a soft voice from above asked. "You''re staring off into space again." Gabite blinked. "Huh? Oh, psh, I''m fine," she said with a wave of a talon. Swablu giggled from atop the dragoness'' head, her fluffy wings acting like a hat. "Whatever you say, G." "Say, where''s Goomy? I thought he liked these sort of things?" "He''s with my mom taking supplies through Scabrous Cliffs," Swablu answered. "He should be back pretty soon for the party. He''d love all the desserts they brought in from around Celestic for today. Cookies, poffins, these ''iced cream'' things; they all sound so delicious!" she ended with a melodious chirp. Saliva drooled down Gabite''s lips as she thought of all the food she would inevitably devour. "It''s the only thing I care about in this ''festival'' thing. That and it''s the only time ''mons around here seem happy." A celebration of some sort was taking place in the heart of Dragging Claw which Gabite and Swablu were walking toward. On this day, Elder Kommo-o and dozens of the strongest dragons in the village set off on their campaign to finally defeat the Thornhides after years of conflict. Streamers sporting the purple and black colors of Dragging Claw ran across the ravine, covering homes and market stands alike. Strange caricatures of different Dragon-types made out of a ''paper mache'' were paraded through the streets on wooden stilts. Dragons all across the village attended and contributed to the festival, vocally expressing their desire to achieve victory over the dreaded and despised Thornhides. Gabite could not bring herself to express any joy over what was a mere celebration of more pointless fighting. And yet she stayed silent in her disapproval, not wanting to ruin the joyous fervor in the air. A thought crossed her mind as she realized something. ''Mom¡­ is how you felt all these years?'' "Hey, Gabite. Don''t you start training with Elder Kommo-o''s dragons next week?" A jolt ran up Gabite''s spine as she snapped back into reality. "Uh, yeah! My mom said I start next week, and when my training is done, I''ll be sent out on regular scouting missions." ''And then I''ll be just another dragon fighting. Another good little villager¡­'' The dragoness could feel her fluffy friend vibrate atop her head. "That''s so cool!" Swablu said. "I always wanted to join, but mom said that kind of work is for tough dragons only. But it''s like¡­ I''m tough!" The cotton bird paused. "Am I tough?" "No duh, you are, Swablu. Other dragons might not see you and Goomy as tough, but that doesn''t always matter. Sometimes¡­" Gabite smiled. "Sometimes it''s better to be strong together than just strong alone." "Wow, Elder Kommo-o would never say that." "Yeah, and it''s something only weaklings think!" a hoarse-sounding voice chimed in from behind. Gabite let out a low growl and turned, facing the newly arrived Pokemon she despised so much. "Hey, Zweilous, grow another more annoying, ugly head today?" Her head vibrated from Swablu''s giggling. Zweilous'' first head snorted. "Have you grown into a better battler yet? I whooped you twice in sparring!" The first head was pushed aside by the second head as it spoke. "You mean I whooped her twice! I was the one attacking last time!" The first head growled. "Yeah, and who was the idiot keeping us in range of her attacks?" it countered, butting heads with its sibling. Gabite rolled her eyes at the arguing heads. "Did you come over here for a reason? I''m sure there''s a whole lot of festival here for a blind hothead by herself." "What? We can''t come over and see a friend?" the first head asked, its mouth curving into a smile. "Idiot. She doesn''t have any friends besides Swablu and that pathetic Goomy," the second head added. "I heard Elder Kommo-o is even gonna keep her on farming duty until she evolves! Which will be never!" both heads said at the same time, cackling loudly. Gabite tensed up in response and clutched the straps of her saddlebag slung around her shoulder. Dealing with Zweilous and a barrage of insults was a pain in itself, but she would not take being pushed around lightly. "Are you gonna keep trash-talking? Or do I have to force you to molt a new set of scales after I''m done with you?" Zweilous chuffed. "You couldn''t beat us in a battle if you tried!" both heads said in unison. "You''re gonna have to get mommy to pull you out of the fight again!" the first head mocked. Gabite''s sharp teeth ground together. "Don''t bring my mom into this." "Why not? You''re both weak; why do you think the elder never bothered to take her to fight the Thornhides?" the second head said. "Famous explorer? Psh, as if." Hot air was expelled through Gabite''s clenched jaw as she took a step forward, raising her talons for a fight. Swablu quickly flew off her head and put herself in between the two feuding dragons. "Waaaait! Don''t fight! You''ll get yourselves both kicked out of the festival!" the cotton bird warned. Zweilous sighed. "Fine. Whatever. I would''ve won anyway," both heads said glumly. Gabite scowled. "Whatever you say, Zweilous. Now can you leave us alone?" "Oh, we''ll leave you alone. We won''t even bother you anymore in fact," the first head said. "We''re ditching this town tomorrow to become first-rate mercenaries! None of you bozos in this podunk village are ever gonna be as strong as us!" the second head continued. Another eye roll from Gabite was all the young dragoness offered as Zweilous stomped away, the duo of heads forever bickering with one another that gradually faded into the sounds of the festival. "You think she''ll actually leave unlike all the other times she said she would?" "She''s just a bluffer, but forget about her; let''s have some fun now!" Swablu cried. And indeed Gabite did have fun as the two of them went around exploring the newly decorated village. They played intricate games of war stratagem and strength contests. They wore masks of different Dragon-types and watched reenactments of important battles in their clan''s history. Gabite even got the opportunity to taste different foods and treats from other regions on Celestic, such as ''ice cream'', which was such a pleasant departure from the scaling hot foods she and other dragons were used to. She wondered if Pokemon outside the village dined on food like this all the time, envying them if that was the case. As the sun dipped past the mountains and then below the horizon, Gabite found herself seated alone on a stone outcropping. She watched the village residents mill about and enjoy the festival''s activities. With how much fun she had, she forgot that it was entirely to celebrate a war with another clan. What would sadden her before was increasingly numb now. It was the way things were around here, and how they were to stay. That was what her mother drilled into her and forced her to learn all these years. But the Garchomp could still learn herself, and she was ready to give a little push. ''Mom''s gotta come stop hiding in her room all day and come see this.'' Pushing herself off the outcropping, Gabite set off toward her home. But not long into her walk, a harsh gale rushed through the streets that beckoned her eyes upward. Nearly dive-bombing from the sky was Altaria, a frantic look in her eye. Gabite had seconds to move before the dragon swooped down in front of her. Altaria panted as her words came out ragged and panicked. "Please! Someone! Goomy¡­ He needs help!" Gabite felt her heart sink. "Woah, what''s wrong with Goomy?" Altaria attempted to calm herself. "I-it happened coming down the Scabrous Cliffs.The land bridge we were using to move my shop''s supplies broke apart, and Goomy, he¡­" Tears welled in her eyes. "He fell into a narrow shaft and rocks covered the hole. I tried, but I was too big to fit inside and help him. I couldn''t use any attack to remove the rocks without risking the whole shaft collapsing onto him." She glanced at the gathered Pokemon. "Please! Any of you!" Other villagers began to crowd around to understand the commotion, a Dragonair slithering forward. "The kid, where did you lose ''em?" he asked. "By the seaside! Closest to the ocean!" Altaria answered. "It''s high tide season!" a Noivern bellowed. "Those waves will swallow the boy up!" Looking around, Gabite could only see other dragons even bigger than Altaria, but not herself. Though it was an awful thing to consider, she saw no better opportunity than now to prove to herself, to the elder and his dragons, and to her mother what type of Pokemon she was. Swallowing any fears she had, she pointed a talon at herself. "I''ll do it. I''ll go, Mrs. Altaria." Altaria''s eyes grew wide. "But- but it''s too dangerous for a child! You can''t go!" Gabite already broke off into a sprint down the street, shouting as she ran. "You said it yourself! I know the area, and I''m small enough to fit in a shaft like that, I bet!" The protests from Altaria and the other dragons were drowned out by the ringing in her ears and that pure adrenaline that pumped through her racing heart. Her saddlebag thumped against her chest, reminding her of a rhythmic beat. Her best friend was in dire danger, and she was the only one who could save him before it was too late. The route to Scabrous Cliffs was all too familiar to her; memorized by heart through the sheer amounts of times she snuck away from the village to train her exploring skills or simply decompress after long days. But this time was different, and she had to take all the shortcuts she knew. Through the barren fields and the steep cliffs that she dashed beyond and climbed over, nothing but the thoughts of saving her friend from a certain demise clung to her mind. Gabite followed a sea breeze blowing toward land until she could hear the distinct sound of waves crashing against a shoreline. A narrow strip of rock was her only way of reaching the Scabrous Cliffs'' seaside entrance. She audibly gulped before tiptoeing across, pebbles and chunks of stone broken beneath her weighted steps plunging into the surging and angry waters below. By the time she reached the end of the perilous stretch, a swivel of her head to face the Alomomola Sea revealed a cluster of gray, rumbling storm clouds heading toward the mainland. The crack of loud thunder in the distance earned a scowl from her. ''There''s gonna be a storm here soon. And if I don''t reach Goomy by then, all that water coming down will¡­'' Gabite ran along the cliffside, cupping her talons around her mouth and shouting. "GOOMY! GOOOOOMY!" She leaped over gaping pits of missing land, screaming her friend''s name some more, but was returned with only the noise of taller and taller waves smashing into the cliffs. ''I couldn''t have been too late, could I?'' Fear gripped her chest. ''No! I can''t give up! I''m not letting him down!'' She continued running. A beacon of hope would emerge not long into her journey - the knocked-over crates and other supplies from Altaria''s stash. Goomy was close - he had to be. She turned around and peered into the dark depths of a rock-filled shaft splitting the narrow corridor in two. "Goomy! Are you there?" Gabite waited and waited as she listened for anything that resembled her friend''s voice. And then she heard it - faint and familiar. "Gabite¡­ Is that you?" an echoing voice emanated from within the darkness. She was elated to hear that he was still alive. "Just stay where you are! I''m coming down!" "Oh wow¡­ Altaria said she was getting help, but I didn''t expect her to bring you!" "Er, well¡­ She knew I was the best for the job!" The sand shark quickly slid down the shaft and pierced the brownish rock walls with her talons. "Keep tight! I''m gonna reach you in no time!" "Uurgh, I hope so," Goomy moaned. "T-this place is all watery and shaky." Faced with a barrier of fallen rocks below her, Gabite gingerly swiped away each piece of stone before she was able to safely drop into a new section of the shaft. Her reptilian slits adjusted well to the darkness in the pit. Between herself and a current of rushing water heading out to sea was a small island of rock where Goomy was stuck. He was a small, quivering mess of oozing purple goo that reformed the instant he caught sight of her. "G-gabite! You''re actually here! I.. I thought I was just hearing things." Gabite smiled. "I''m here, Goomy. Now I just need to get you out of here safely." A quick glance at the slowly rising flood of water separating her from Goomy proved that jumping across seemed like an impossible task. Her gaze wandered until it fell upon the walls, and then it struck her. ''The walls! I can rock climb across them to get to him!'' With the water still rising, she had no choice but to enact upon her intuition and jabbed her talons in the wall. Lumps of rock and clay fell into the waters below as she dangled precariously before lodging her talons further to the right. "B-be careful!" Goomy fretted. "Don''t worry¡­ I-" She grunted. "I got this!" Seeing her destination in the corner of her eyes, she unhooked herself and swung her body to crash onto the small island where Goomy was. Water seeped in through cracks in the terrain as the raging current threatened to swallow it whole. "You gotta move fast, Goomy. Grab onto my talon!" "With what?!" "I don''t know! Just¡­ Just grab onto it with your mouth!" Goomy did just that, latching his lips onto one of her talons as she threw him over her back. The added weight almost caused her to buckle, and a horrifying realization set in as the island sank around her. ''I can''t climb across the walls with Goomy on my back! That means¡­'' She stared at salvation just a stone''s throw away from her very temporary position. She felt her footing falter as rock split apart beneath her. She had no choice but to try what she deemed impossible. "Hold on, Goomy!" "Wait! Are you gonna-" Goomy had no time to finish as Gabite backed up before jumping as high as she possibly could. Time slowed down for her as the daring leap she made seemed to not be enough. Her feet slammed into the embankment as her talons clawed at the ground before the current could drag her and Goomy into a watery grave. Using all her strength, she managed to drag herself onto the floor and stand up. "Oh, oh Arceus¡­" Gabite muttered. "That was- that was so close. Are you alright back there, Goomy?" She could hear the sounds of spitting water behind her. "Uurgh, I swallowed some water but I''m fine, I think." Gabite sighed in relief. "Good. Let''s get the heck out of here now before the whole cliff is underwater!" As fast as she could, she helped Goomy slide up the shaft from which she came before climbing out of it herself. They repeated this action until finally clambering back to the surface. Draconic wings eclipsed the incoming storm as a Noivern descended down and landed before them. "By the elder''s scales, you actually managed to find him!" Noivern exclaimed, flashing a grin. Gabite nodded. "I said I could do it, didn''t I?" "Takes some real spunk, kid. Now c''mon," Noivern said, motioning to her outstretched wings. "Storms gonna hit soon so get on." Gabite and Goomy obeyed without a word, seating themself on Noivern as she took to the skies. There was silence as they trailed through the auburn skies and dark clouds. Gabite collected her breaths and replayed what she did over and over in her mind. Despite the dread looming over every split decision she made, it was immensely satisfying to come out not only unscathed but with a friend saved and by her side. "I¡­ I really owe you one, Gabite," Goomy said. "I didn''t think I was gonna get out. But- thank you," he finished flatly. Gabite smiled and brought him into a hug, not caring about getting slathered in slime. "Hey, I''m just glad you''re okay. I know you would''ve done the same." "I guess, um, I guess this is your first rescue mission as an explorer, heh." That sent shockwaves through Gabite''s mind. This would indeed be the very first mission she truly embarked upon and succeeded at. A warm, fuzzy feeling smothered her chest and rid it of all the doubts and insecurities she had before. She had done it. Her first mission as an explorer. Noivern angled her head toward the pair. "I gotta agree; you''re a hero, kid. You don''t get to see that much around here in the village." Gabite said nothing, content to ride out her victory with a winning smirk on her face. "Hold on tight. We''re landing at the festival. Looks like both of your moms and a whole bunch others are gathered around." Noivern circled the snaking ravine before swooping low and landing in the cobblestone streets surrounded by chattering Pokemon. Gabite and Goomy hopped off - Goomy immediately being absorbed into Goodra''s crushing hug before he could utter a single peep. It provided some amusement to Gabite before her smirking gaze fell upon her mother in the crowd, falling instantly. Garchomp looked positively furious. The scarred dragoness stomped toward Gabite as she backed up. "What are you doing, pup? What were you thinking?!" her mother scolded. "Don''t you realize how much danger you could''ve been in?" But Gabite refused to back down. "I saved Goomy''s life! If it weren''t for me, he would''ve been carried out to sea and drowned!" "And what if you didn''t? What if you couldn''t? One small slip up and you could''ve lost your life or endangered Goomy''s!" Garchomp argued. "Other Pokemon would have had it under control without you recklessly risking yourself and others like that!" "No they couldn''t! And all the elder''s other dragons are too busy in some stupid fight to help us!" She felt more emboldened now. "I got there just in time before anyone else! I knew what I was doing back there!" "No. No, you don''t, pup! You don''t know what you''re getting into. And once the elder finds out, he''s going to-" "I don''t care what the elder thinks!" Gabite exploded "I only care about what you think of me. And why aren''t you proud? Didn''t I do what you always wanted me to do?" Garchomp sighed and squeezed her eyes shut. "I told you why, pup. It''s too dangerous out there. You can''t live a life like I once did without consequences¡­" Gabite snarled. "And what if I did? What''s stopping me from just leaving the village anytime I want?" Garchomp recoiled slightly, and Gabite could see a certain pain in her eyes she had not seen in so long. "Gabite¡­ You have to promise me. You have to promise you won''t leave this place. You can''t be so obsessed with this like I was. You have to give it up and stop endangering yourself. Don''t you realize it? I couldn''t handle it if I lost you too, pup." There was a stillness in the air accompanied by hushed murmurs from the otherwise silent gathering. Gabite stared at her mother''s crestfallen expression before she shook her head. Tears welled up in the corner of her eyes. "I don''t even recognize you anymore. You''re nothing like the mom I knew." Before Garchomp could say anything, Gabite stormed past her, pushing past any dragon in her way. Her arm fins covered her ears from the shouts of her mother calling out her name. She ran the remaining distance back to her home, fighting off more tears and the conflicted emotions broiling in her chest. Two weeks had passed since the festival and the public spat she had with her mother. And it had been a full week of her mother being gone on some important trip to another region by orders of Elder Kommo-o Gabite laid in her bed, sulking and staring up at the stalactites hanging from the ceiling. She came to regret saying the things she said to Garchomp. She never wanted to hurt her mother like that, but her passion for exploration and her disillusionment with her mother collided. If she could take it all back, and the both of them could have a genuine talk without screaming at each other, she would in a heartbeat. ''Maybe when she''s back; we''ll both be¡­ calmer, I guess.'' With a sigh, she grabbed a newspaper with its headlines sliced out from the stack of Celestic Cognizance on her bed. While Goomy and Swablu insisted she get out of her house and hang out with them, she could not find it in her to do anything but laze about. Too many thoughts were swirling in her head to brush them aside. ''But I still got you guys, heh.'' Whenever she was down, whenever she felt defeated, she would read these newspapers and read the articles that detailed the thrilling stories and origins of all famous explorers across Celestic. It provided a sense of comfort and solidarity in her. One of the Pokemon in those articles could be her one day. And yet with how bleak her future seemed, she would have no choice but to give up those dreams of hers. Unfolding the newspaper in her grasp, her tear-stained eyes drifted down to the section dedicated to an upcoming exploration team from the Shore Region - Team Moonlight. She began to read off of it in her mind. ''Five years ago, a Shiny Lucario, a Scyther, and a Chameleon formed an exploration team following the destruction of their home village by a forming Mystery Dungeon. Dedicated to cracking a mystery unsolved by researchers and explorers throughout history, this team has already proven to be extremely formidable and persistent in both solving Celestic''s many mysteries and helping as many Pokemon as they can.'' That could be her. That could be her team. But it was all slipping out of her grasp. The newspaper dropped unceremoniously onto the bed as her thoughts wandered again. She thought of her mother again and wondered if she still found excitement in her travels, or if what happened to her father truly killed any sense of spirit within her. But as her thoughts transitioned to her mother''s latest trip, she realized a peculiar detail. ''She never did say where she was going. Maybe she''s out exploring and I''m missing all the fun.'' She laughed to herself. ''And everybody I asked about it said the elder didn''t issue any mission to mom.'' Then it struck her. Gabite forced herself upward from her supine position, frantic eyes darting around her room. "No¡­ No, she couldn''t have. FLYGON!" She flew off her bed, out of her room, and into the hallway. "FLYGON!" she continued to shout as she ran into the kitchen. A clatter of pots, pans, and bowls clattered to the ground in a loud cacophony as Flygon yelped in surprise at the sight of Gabite''s talons sliding across the floor. "G-gabite!" she cried. "Don''t scare me like that! I would get in real trouble with your mom if I broke all your stuff!" "Forget it, Flygon! My mom! When she left you to watch over me, did she say anything weird?" Flygon clacked her claws together in clear discomfort over the question. "Well, um, she said the usual stuff - make sure you have your breakfast, make sure you do your village duties, and-" "I know that! But did she say anything else?" "Uh, well, she did say something I thought was weird." "Which was?" "She said¡­ ''Tell Gabite that I will always love her'' before she left the village." Gabite backed up, shock across her face. "No¡­ No!" She whirled around and ran down the hallway again. "Wait, Gabite! W-why are you acting so weird?" Flygon shouted. The door to Gabite''s room slammed closed as fresh tears slid down her cheeks. She did not want it to be true - it had to be a joke, a prank, or anything that told her this was not reality. But it was, and she knew deep down that her mother was gone, and was not going to return. ''Please... Please let me be wrong.'' She quickly dug into a pile of unsorted items and pulled out a worn-looking and stitched Mareep plush. She clutched it tight against her chest and collapsed onto her bed in a sobbing wreck. She cried harder than the time her father never returned from that fateful exploration. ''Why, mom? Why leave me without saying anything?'' She did not want to be all alone. She wanted to have hope she was just overreacting, but it was only just hope. Another week had passed, and she was done pretending. Gabite stopped herself just before reaching the giant wooden arch of the Dragging Claw entrance. Throughout her childhood, it loomed over her ideals of a better, more exciting life following in the footsteps of her parents. She took a deep breath and made sure the light blue saddlebag packed with all the supplies she needed was snug against her waist. The sun was shining down; her hopes were soaring high; her goal was resolute and doubtless in her mind. She was going to find her mom. Goomy, Swablu, and even Zweilous were nearby, all voicing their concerns and support as they walked alongside her. "So, you''re actually gonna do it?" Zweilous'' first head asked. "You''re actually going to leave the village by yourself?" the second head continued. "Yup!" Gabite confirmed. "There''s something more to my mom just vanishing like this, and I''m gonna figure it out before the opportunity passes, y''know? Maybe you can finally learn from me and become an explorer too, eh, Zweilous?" Zweilous growled and bared her teeth. "Shut up!" both heads shouted. "We''ll be leaving soon, and we''ll be even more amazing and more popular than you ever will be!" "Hah, whatever you say." "I''m really, really happy for you, Gabite!" Goomy proclaimed. "I know you''ll find your mom out there! Uurgh, I just wish I could come with you, y''know?" Gabite smiled at her friend. "Thanks, Goomy. I''m sad I have to leave you guys behind, but this is something I gotta do alone." Swablu gave a concerned look. "I''m rooting for you too, G, but are you sure this is the right thing to do? Things aren''t always great in the village, but it''s at least safe here." "I have to do this, Swablu. There''s no future for me here." Gabite flashed a grin. "If I ever return here, it''s either with my mom beside me or my world-famous exploration team!" "That''s the spirit!" Goomy yelled. "Well, if you ever wanna come back, we''ll always support you, G," Swablu said. "And I guess... well, we would be less mean to you since you had the nerve to try," Zweilous'' heads reluctantly grumbled. Gabite felt her chest tighten with emotion. "Thanks, guys, really. I''d have gone insane here if it wasn''t for you two sticking up for me." She took another step forward. "So¡­ I guess this is where I head off. I''ll be seein'' you guys." Gabite continued her quiet yet pulse-pounding walk toward the village entrance. But before she could cross the wooden structure, the loud sounds of clamoring scales behind her and a surly, authoritative voice sent shockwaves of ire through her. "Child." Gabite turned to see Kommo-o glaring at her from across the street beside Goomy and Swablu, who remained petrified in place. "Yeah, Kommo-o?" Kommo-o caught onto the lack of his title being used and bristled his scales. He affixed her with a cold sneer. "Your mother has not returned to the village in over two weeks. I''m beginning to suspect she will not." He snorted. "Abandoning her own child - an approach many Pokemon like her take." Gabite huffed. "Then I guess me and her are the same - like you always thought." She resumed her slow walk forward, stopped again by the booming, hateful voice she so despised. "Child! You leave this village now¡­ and you are never to be allowed here again!" Gabite bowed her head, brandishing an unseen smirk. She knew he would resort to an extreme like banishment, but it did not matter to her now. He had no sway over her or her mother anymore. She did not even spare him another remark as she moved on, her back against everything. And then she crossed through the entrance. She kept on going. In a matter of minutes, she had set off on an uncertain journey and had been banished from the only home she knew in this world. And yet she had never felt more excited, more free, more ready for what came next. ''This is it. The next part of my life¡­as an explorer!'' she exclaimed with glee in her mind. A desolate, dry canyon awaited her outside the village''s entrance that spanned what seemed like miles. She greeted it with an unflinching smile, the fires of adventure burning bright within her very core. And then she stopped, realization setting in. ''Oh, almost forgot! Can''t have an adventure without it!'' Popping open her saddlebag, Gabite pulled out a white badge from it. A circular object that sprouted wings and horns; it gleamed in the direct sunlight. She then pinned it over the large flap of the saddlebag to display it proudly. ''Now I''m ready.'' The journey to find the whereabouts of her mother was not going to be easy, but she was always up for a challenge.
There are heroes and nobodies in this world... Which one are you?
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord below! Discord: z2h2z Next Special Episode Part: The Mariner Special Episode #2 The World Stops For No One: Part 2: The Mariner Special Episode: The World Stops For No One Part Two: The Mariner ''All right! The first day of my adventure!'' Gabite grinned as she took off down a dirt trail. The beaming sun shining overhead shattered over the jagged terrain. Trilling cries above alerted her to a flock of Wingull soaring through the skies alongside her. She smiled at them instinctively, though they did not see her adoration at their arrival. They looked like freedom incarnate to her - perhaps a sign of luck in her favor. She was out farther than she had ever been from the village. The wooden gate that she emerged out of a fledgling explorer seeking out her future was long past her now. It was a scary feeling at first, knowing she had nothing and no one to turn to anymore, but if anything it motivated her to find her mother and repair their relationship. She still had her out there, and she still had her dreams now attainable to her. The orangish terracotta plateaus eventually gave way to a cliffside that overlooked the vast ocean. Gabite came to the very edge of the cliff and peered out at the endless horizon. She had been walking, sprinting, and jumping off hills for quite a while now, and she had finally reached the South Alomomola Sea. But it was just now that a certain realization struck her. She had no idea where to start searching. Her heart dropped and her lively expression fell with it. A pang of uncertainty clouded her senses as she wondered truly what her next move was. It felt like her first true test as an explorer. ''What would you do, mom?'' She sighed. ''Course you couldn''t make it easier for me.'' Before her situation truly dawned upon her, movement in the sea stole her attention. Aquatic Pokemon from the restless blue depths resurfaced. A leading Dewgong led a small group of Seel and other Dewgong toward a shallow inlet just off the coast. Gabite saw an opportunity and immediately took it, cupping her talons over her mouth. "Heeeeeeeeeeey!" she yelled, grabbing the attention of the Water-types. "Can I ask you guys a quick question?" The lead Dewgong cocked its head in her direction. "Yeah, kid? What is it?" "Have you seen a big, tall Dragon-type come by a while back? Looks a lot like me with larger, cooler fins and stuff!" Dewgong appeared to rack his brain for an answer before nodding. "Believe I did! Dragon-type and a few other land dweller ''mons alongside ''em; looked like a couple of mariners to my eyes with all their gear." ''That has to be her. Mariners, though? Like Pokemon that work on ships? Wait. What if she already hitched a ship to another continent? I''ll never find her then! Am I too late? AGH!'' Gabite cast aside these traitorous thoughts with a shake of her head. "Do you know where they were headed?" "Headed east, looks like!" Dewgong shouted. "Where to? No clue, kid." "Great! That''s all I needed to know! Thanks, mister!" Gabite shouted back before she broke off into a sprint. "W-wait! You''re just a kid. Heading off alone like that is too dangerous!" Gabite flashed a confident, toothy grin. "I just got banished from my village! There''s nobody but me that can do this!" With her comment seemingly stunning Dewgong into silence, she continued her journey now heading eastward. Minutes turned to hours. A rising tide of foamy waters slammed into the rocky sides of the sun-bleached bluff. The squawks of the Wingull encircling the coast filled Gabite''s ears as a sea breeze flooded her nostrils with its salty, floral scent. The afternoon sun was still shining overhead and blasting her scales with rays of heat. She momentarily stopped to take in the moment. ''I''ve come pretty far, but I just need one extra push until I can rest. Mom went this way - I''m sure of it.'' She found her sights drifting toward the restless sea - doubt resurfacing in her mind again. ''But what if she did leave Celestic? Would she really do all of that just to get away from the village¡­ from me?'' Gabite squeezed her eyes closed and shook nope. "Nope! Not thinking about that, brain. I''m not giving up yet!" She sighed. "I should¡­ I should- oh, right! My map!" Dropping her bulging saddlebag on the ground and opening up it, Gabite dug inside it to pull out a worn-looking scroll. She then laid the crinkly parchment onto the white rock and unfurled it to reveal a large, hand-drawn map of the Mountain Region. It was a large undertaking by both her mother and her father in the past to document much of the region. Gabite remembered dubbing it the ''Wonder Map'' whenever her parents would pull it out to show her a location. A white talon hovered over the map until it poked an area bordering the Alomomola Sea. ''So I''m around here - the White Walrein Cliffs! If I keep going east, I''ll reach Iron Mountain and go through that to the, uh¡­'' Her talon wavered midair before it poked a beach further east. ''Baroness Bay!'' She remembered her mother telling her about Baroness Bay; that it was an old port once destroyed long ago in a war with the Blaze Continent. While the port was abandoned after the conflict, many merchants would rebuild it and sell their wares to traveling explorers. But another group that happened upon its shores many times would give the bay an unfavorable reputation. ''Pirates¡­'' Piracy was always a problem that afflicted the coasts of the Mountain Region, apparently. Due to the lack of Council presence in the region, many outlaw gangs felt emboldened to stake their claims out on the high seas. Gabite was uncertain if all these any of these stories were true, but knew well to steer clear of certain areas of the region. However, there was little choice left for her if she was to find her mother. ''Psh, those are just rumors from eons ago,'' she told herself. ''And it was Zweilous who told me that rumor. Like I''d ever believe a word she''d say!'' Rolling back up her map and throwing it into her saddlebag, Gabite brandished a cocky smirk. ''Like I''d ever give up at just a little danger¡­'' Her saddlebag was thrown over her shoulder as she stretched her body. Her eyes caught the glimmer of the sun while she amped herself up, hoping to absorb just a fraction of its energy for the long journey ahead. She would sorely need it. ''Time to head out! Baroness Bay is calling to me!'' Gabite trailed the edges of the bone-white bluff as water from the tumultuous seas sprayed around her. She faced straight ahead, staring at the looming, tall mountain surrounded by wispy clouds in the distance that blocked her from her next destination. This would be her first major obstacle, and she aimed to crush it completely. The sea-battered cliffs were soon behind her as she scaled mounts of earth and walls of rock in her path to the mountain. But soon enough, she stood before an entrance that surely would lead her into the heart of the mountain. Gabite gulped at what she was staring straight into - a void of pure darkness consuming the cavern''s maw. Never before had she entered a Mystery Dungeon; her one attempt long ago left a scar in her mind that still rattled her thoughts today. Her limbs stiffened, and the warm breeze coursing across her scales was now a frigid wind that made her shudder in fear. ''M-maybe there''s another entrance?'' Looking around, sheer cliffs and slopes dotted the terrain, yet not a single other cavern or entrance was within her sights. She felt her heart thump before she scowled at her actions. ''What am I doing? Am I seriously this scared of entering a stupid Mystery Dungeon? The daughter of a great explorer?'' She laughed at herself. ''Have I really been this sheltered?'' A fierce glare was directed at the shadow, yet nothing but cold indifference was returned. She had to be strong in the face of something still so unknown to her. Her mother, of course, told her of Mystery Dungeons, yet hearing a story was so much different than experiencing it. ''Whatever. I''m sick of being scared already. I''m just gonna go through and see what happens.'' Without any further trepidation, Gabite stomped into the Mystery Dungeon''s umbrage and was absorbed into the darkness. Iron Mountain BF 1 From within the inky shadows came a platform of glittering granite, walls of brilliant marble, and ceiling teeming with veins of rusty red iron ore. Gabite stared wide-eyed at the new environment that materialized around her. She could hear drips of nonexistent water striking the ground - an echo that rushed through the large antechamber that seemingly originated from the void of limitless space. It was bizarre. So bizarre that she could not help but feel delighted at the sheer strangeness of it all. Everything was so basic and simple, yet slightly off. Gabite tossed away her hesitation and ran around the room she was in. Her mother told her dungeons were all fake - twisted copies of the real thing - but could it actually be real? It certainly felt real to all her senses, but she needed to test out that theory for herself. ''Every new explorer has to figure out their environment first.'' She made her way through one of the maze-like hallways splintering off the chamber. She scraped her claw along the iron ore deposits along the wall as she walked, producing an echoed shriek that bounced throughout the dungeon. She certainly could feel the pressure in her talons - but she needed further proof. Gabite entered another chamber and felt her gaze immediately drawn to a large, blue object resting on the floor. Wandering over, she realized it was a perfectly plump Oran Berry. She knew various items lying around in Mystery Dungeons were commonplace, yet the idea of actual food being manifested into existence from nothing was quite shocking. ''Is it¡­ edible?'' She gave it a curious poke; it certainly felt like a real Oran Berry. Picking it up, she sniffed at it. It smelled like a real Oran Berry as well. She inhaled deeply before taking a small nibble of it. It tasted strange: the flesh was perfectly fine at first but ended with a sour aftertaste unlike any Oran Berry she ever had. She thought of tossing it away, but her growling stomach convinced her to quickly scarf it down. ''Ough, that was really funky,'' she muttered in her mind, wiping the juices from her mouth. ''Do explorers really eat this stuff in dungeons?'' Looking around the room, Gabite spotted more assorted items - seeds and Wonder Orbs. She gathered them into her saddlebag before continuing on down a hallway. Another room, another oddity. This time, a set of rocky staircases jutted out from the center of the room. Gabite smiled. ''The stairs!'' She approached the staircase, inspecting it. ''Mom always loved finding the ''stairs'' in dungeons, but I never thought she was literal.'' A hesitant foot ascended one of the steps as Gabite carefully made her way upward. When she made contact with the final step, her vision darkened.
Iron Mountain BF 2 Gabite''s vision returned as she glanced at her surroundings. Another room, another set of winding corridors. She frowned. ''I''m on another floor, everything looks the same.'' Her frown settled into a pout. ''Uggghh, is it like this for all dungeons? I better reach the end of this fast before the boredom kills me.'' Gabite trudged around the empty chamber in a lull before a sudden noise alerted her senses. Footsteps. Loud and heavy throughout the floor. Crouching, Gabite snuck over to one of the hallways she heard the sounds of movement. Peeking into the dingy corridor, she quietly gasped at what she saw. A Lairon. It was lumbering across a room, clearly heading toward one of the dungeon hallways. Its eyes were dull and sunken; completely lifeless from what Gabite could infer. "A dungeon ''mon," she whispered to herself. "Maybe things really aren''t so boring here¡­" Gabite knew that Pokemon found within dungeons were not normal; that they were not even real Pokemon at all. Merely constructs designed to ward off any actual Pokemon that entered. This Lairon would surely attack her if it was aware of her presence, which was a scary yet exciting thought. Fighting in Dragging Claw was always encouraged but she never understood the purpose behind it. But here it was different. This construct - this Lairon - was blocking her goal. ''I can get the drop on it. This''ll be a piece of cake!'' Purplish energy built up in her claws as she stealthily inched toward the slowly moving Lairon. Like a hunter stalking her prey, she came close to the Steel-type before raising her glowing talons and delivering a swift strike upon its back. "GA- OW!" "Wha- ah!" Gabite was caught off guard by the sudden yelp the Lairon made and stumbled backward, falling onto the ground. The Lairon whirled around, fuming. "What''s the deal, ye eejit?! I know ye drakes are real ornery, but attackin'' me for no reason?" He stepped forward and pointed an accusing foot at his foe. "Sleekit lil'' outlaw I''ll bet, but ye ain''t gonna try robbin'' me!" Gabite scrambled to her feet. "W-wait! I wasn''t trying to rob you or anything!" A pink blush formed on her cheeks as she tapped her talons together. "I, um, I didn''t know dungeon ''mons could speak." "Dungeon ''mon?" Lairon appeared bewildered for a moment before he burst into spontaneous laughter. "Ye really¡­" He paused his laughter to breathe. "Ye really thought I was one of those husks, did ya, lass?" "Y-you''re not?" Lairon scoffed, swinging the gray bag slung across his back into view. "Are ye blind, lass? Take a good look! Do I really look like one of ''em?" Gabite shrank a little in place. "Uh, well, I''m really sorry I attacked you then. It''s my first time exploring a Mystery Dungeon, and you''re the first Pokemon I saw in one. I, uh, didn''t hurt you badly or anything, right?" Lairon shook his head. "Gotta be a bit stronger than that to dent my armor, lass. I didn''t even feel a thing!" Gabite rolled her eyes at the obvious lie. "You sure?" "... Well, I guess it wouldn''t hurt to have a wee bite of an Oran Berry." Gabite smiled. "Sure." She opened her saddlebag to pull out a single Oran Berry and extended it out toward Lairon, who consumed it with one impressive chomp. She quickly withdrew her talon after the frightening display of his jaw strength. "Hope that made up for what I did?" Lairon was now smiling as well. "Aye! But one berry isn''t enough to sate my belly. I still have to find some iron ore." Gabite cocked her head. "You eat¡­ iron?" "Sure do! And by Terrakion''s hooves it is delicious! Ye can really taste the minerals in some of the veins here! Have ye ever tried some before?" "No. Dragons don''t eat rock or metals; at least the ones from my village didn''t." "Missin'' out, I''ll say!" Lairon scrutinized her with apparent curiosity. "Say, you''re from a village, but there isn''t one of the dragon clans for miles. What are ye doin'' all the way out in Iron Mountain?" "I''m¡­ looking for someone. Someone close to me," Gabite answered vaguely. She knew Lairon was not hostile by any means, but she did not trust him just yet. "I left my village just a while ago to track this ''mon down. Have you seen any Pokemon come through here? One that looks like me but bigger?" Lairon appeared to mull as he tapped his chin with a foot. "... Can''t say I have. Been more focused on bigger goals." "Bigger goals? Wait." Excitement crept into Gabite''s voice as she approached him. "Are you an explorer?" "Nah! I''m tryin'' to find some iron to eat!" he exclaimed with a wide smile. "Gotta stock up for myself and the other lads." Gabite deflated, a bit disappointed. "Oh, okay." She straightened herself before looking around the room. "I should get going now. It was, uh, nice meeting you, Lairon, but I''ve got to get through this dungeon and out of this mountain." She began walking toward one of the rocky corridors before she heard loud footsteps behind her. "Wait, lass! I¡­ I might need your help, and ye could use mine." Gabite turned. "Help? What kind?" "At the end of the dungeon, there''s a heapin'' bunch of iron ore veins! As far as the eye can see!" Gabite could see the sparkling in his aqua-blue eyes. "I can''t reach it myself, but with ye, I could!" She crossed her arms. "And how would you help me?" "I live on this here mountain, lass!" Lairon proclaimed. "I know it front to back, and ye did say this was your first Mystery Dungeon. Surely ye need some extra protection and knowledge to get through it." While Gabite knew now Lairon was friendly and no threat to her, she did not exactly trust him as of yet. Her mother had drilled into her the idea of dangerous Pokemon deceiving others for insidious reasons. "I don''t know¡­ I think I should do this alone," she said. Lairon brushed off her hesitation with a smile. "C''mon! Scratch my back and I''ll scratch yours. Only fair after ye decided mine was a scratching post." Gabite stifled a snicker as she thought it over once more. ''Should I really trust this random ''mon coming with me? I do need to get through this mountain fast, and he knows the land, but¡­'' Realization struck her. ''Explorers help any Pokemon they can, and he needs my help!'' Now certain of her decision, Gabite flashed a smirk. "Okay! I''ll help you get to that ore, and you help me get through the mountain." She extended forward a talon, and Lairon bopped it with his three-toed foot. "Sounds like a deal, lass. I can already taste that sweet iron!" Gabite laughed at his eagerness and turned to walk down the corridor. "You really like that stuff, huh? Why don''t you just eat the iron in the walls of the Mystery Dungeon?" Lairon was quick to stick behind her, huffing at her words. "The junk here? It tastes off - rusty and like licking a Stunfisk! But the iron outside of these Mystery Dungeons? You can really taste the metal in ''em! Oh, and the springwater near some of the veins? Hohoho - all the minerals you could ever drink! And another thing-" Gabite soon regretted ever popping the question.
Iron Mountain BF 5 The pair blipped into existence within a claustrophobic room and slowly made their way through a hallway. "So what do you really do around here?" Gabite asked her temporary companion beside her. "Y''know, besides chomping on metal and all. Do you do anything for fun? Like, explore or something?" Lairon shook his head. "Not a thing, lass. I''ve lived in Iron Mountain my whole life! Being a part of Aggron''s pack is the whole package, heh. Ye are born in this mountain, and ye will most certainly croak here!" he answered with a wide smile. ''Well he sure seems happy ''bout the whole living and dying here shtick,'' Gabite grumbled in her mind. ''Is that really how Pokemon of the outside world think? Has this guy ever dreamed of something more than living on a mountain and eating iron all his life?'' She bit her lip to prevent her from saying something she would regret - instead asking more questions. "So you live in a pack? How does that feel?" "Like brothers and sisters, we are! We love each other, and we most definitely hate each other too!" Lairon ended with a loud, echoing guffaw. "But all in good spirits. We share our meals, and Aggron will protect our territory from outlaws, pirates, the drakes-" He stopped mid-sentence as he saw the side-eye Gabite gave him, mouth agape. "W-well, except you, fine lass!" Gabite giggled. "You get pirates out here?" Seeing Lairon nod, she continued. "And your leader - Aggron - he protects you from ''em?" "Yep! Er, he did once. Till he got sent to Tyrantrum''s Jaw, he did." Gabite stopped in place, turning to face Lairon with a wide-eyed look. "Tyrantrum''s Jaw? That prison?" She had heard of it before; that it was the nastiest place you could end up as an outlaw in Celestic. It was even named after one of the most fearsome pirates to ever be sent there, who then escaped in a massive prison break. She never believed that story, however, attributing it to another one of Zweilous'' exaggerations. "That he did, lass," Lairon confirmed, sighing. "Big eejit thought a caravan crossin'' through the mountains were disguised pirates. Clobbered them good - then they ran back to tell the Council." "And I''m guessing they didn''t appreciate that." Lairon lowered his head. "Been gone for a year. Terrakion only knows when he''ll return - if at all. But we Lairon have picked up the pieces, and we''ll keep this mountain and its Pokemon protected in his absence." Gabite felt her heart flutter at the resolve of Lairon and his pack. She felt her trust growing for the Steel-type a bit further. "Wow¡­ That''s very noble of you guys." "Bah, we just want a peaceful life. Well, some of us do. I try to think of a life out of this mountain, but it''s hard to imagine." "I can relate, y''know? I used to think that, but now I know there''s so much more of a future for me out here than back home." "Maybe¡­ Maybe," he contemplated. Gabite smiled at his deeper thinking of the subject and pressed on. She entered a large chamber chock full of all sorts of items on the floor - berries, seeds, Wonder Orbs, gummis. It was an explorer''s dream come true. Her eyes dazzled with instinctive, draconic greed as she moved to step inside the room; but a foot from Lairon stopped her. "Hold up, lass! Your carelessness could throw us right into a Monster House!" he warned. "Monster House? What''s that?" Lairon carefully inched into the room, throwing cautious looks at his surroundings. "Like a trap for greedy ''mons - anytime there are heaps of goodies lyin'' about, there''s always a group of dungeon ''mons waitin'' to ambush ye." He stopped in the center of the room. "Huh. Guess it''s our lucky day, lass; not a single one of ''em in sight." The dragoness excitedly stomped into the room to scoop up her rewards, but the loud thuds of her footsteps ceased in a split second. Before Gabite knew it, she was tumbling down a pit of total darkness. "AAAAAAAAAAAA- Oof!" Gabite grunted in pain as she reached the bottom of the pit, the wind knocking out of her chest. She looked around in a daze at her dark surroundings, eventually glancing upward from where she fell. "Wha- what happened? Did I fall?!" She could hear Lairon cackling up a storm as she saw him peer into the pit from above with a wide smirk. She wanted to wipe it off his face with a single swipe of her talons. "Hohohoho- sorry, sorry," he said, halting his laughter. "It''s a Pitfall Trap! Pretty common across some dungeons. You''re walkin'' one moment, then ye are face down in a hole the next." "Traps¡­" Gabite muttered in a murderous tone. "Boy, do I not want to experience that again. Ugh¡­" "Need a claw, lass?" It''s pretty deep." Lairon never got an answer as he watched her clamber up the rocky walls via her sharp talons. Once pulling herself out of the trap, Gabite shook off the thick dust coating her scales like a wet Rockruff would shake its fur. Gabite squinted her eyes at the now hostile room. Everywhere could be a trap in the dungeon, and so she had to move carefully about it. "Let''s gather these items and get out of here already," she said with an agitated huff. Taking a hesitant step forward, she had her sights on a Purple Gummi at the far corner of the room and made her way to it. But she did not get far before she heard a ''click'' resound throughout the still air and glanced up at the ceiling. A metallic hatch opened in the rock as brown chestnuts cascaded from the opening and battered her scales with prickly spines. When the trap finally ended, she was shaking not from pain but from blinding anger. Gabite needed to hurt something. And the hearty chuckling from Lairon behind her provided a nice outlet. She picked up a chestnut and threw it at Lairon. It bounced off harmlessly as he continued to laugh.
Iron Mountain BF 13 "On your left, lass!" Gabite pivoted to her left flank and dodged the incoming swipe of a Honedge''s sharp blade. She countered with a swift slash of her talons as a purplish energy built up in her tail. "Draw the Cufant over here Lairon and I''ll give it something real nice!" "Sounds like a plan. All yours!" Gabite stood perfectly still as Lairon dashed past her narrowed slits. The Cufant hot on his trail changed course to charge at her - in perfect range of her next attack. She waited for the right moment before whipping her tail around and swatting at the Cufant with her Dragon Tail. The heavy Pokemon was sent careening to a nearby wall, quickly fading into wisps of orangish yellow energy. "Yeah! That''s how it''s done!" Gabite yelled proudly. An impressed look found its way on Lairon''s face as he walked back over, a defeated Honedge behind vanishing behind him. "I''ve seen your work moppin'' up those dungeon ''mons on the previous floors, lass. For such a newbie, you''re quite skilled." Gabite felt her pride soar again as she smiled, but it was tainted with the reasoning behind it. She settled on a neutral expression. "It''s because fighting was everything in Dragging Claw - my village. It''s really all dragons care about in the Mountain Region, to be honest." Lairon shook his head. "Fighting? Never understood why ye drakes are so hot-blooded. Why waste all that energy exhangin'' blows when ye could just eat and relax?" "Trust me, I never understood it either¡­" She glanced at the Steel-type. "But with all that eating you guys do, you could probably do with a lot less." "Don''t start with me, lass!" Their collective laughter filled the empty rooms and halls of the dungeon until they found the staircase and headed up it. Gabite felt her vision wavering as she took the final step up the staircase. She closed her eyes for a second before opening them. A vast cavern lit by hanging, glowing lanterns teeming with waterfalls and tunnel systems dotting the iron-rich walls was unlike anything she had seen in the Mystery Dungeon. A quick glance behind her proved her suspicions correct - a visible shadow they had just left. She nearly jumped from the hefty foot of Lairon thumping her shoulder. "Look at that! You just made it through your first Mystery Dungeon!" he exclaimed. "How''d ye feel ''bout that?" "I- I feel¡­" A giddy smile crossed Gabite''s face. "I feel amazing! I thought it was all boring and stuff at first but then those traps, those dungeon ''mons we fought, and then-" She began to pace around and raised her talons high. "WOO! That was really, really fun! I wanna do it again!" "Hold your Rapidash there, lass. Dungeons may be fun and all, but they''re pretty dangerous." Gabite rolled her eyes. "You sound like my mom." "A reasonable dame, I bet¡­" Lairon muttered under his breath. She scanned the vicinity. "So this iron vein you needed help with - wanna lead me there?" Lairon nodded, now taking the lead as he hustled forward. "I know this here mountain like the back of my foot! Follow me - I''ll take ye there." Across a narrow land bridge and through the veil of gushing waterfalls, the Steel-type proved true to his claims as the duo took every curve and bend in their path. When Gabite could keep her head from spinning at the constant turning, she threw curious looks at their surroundings. The tunnels from before stretched for what appeared to be miles throughout the mountain''s interior all around them - looping and intertwining. Other Lairon could be seen wandering through the tunnel system on their lonesome or in packs. Those who stopped their daily motions to glance at the journeying pair stared mostly at Gabite in obvious suspicion. Gabite clutched the straps of her saddlebag tighter at the sight of all their eyes upon her. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "Ah, don''t mind ''em, lass," Lairon said. "Just protective of this place. Pick up the pace - spot''s just around this here pathway." Gabite did not mind putting more distance between her and the wary pack of Lairon, following her companion down a narrow shaft. It was a tunnel still clearly under construction, affiliated with rickety wooden bridges and large piles of rock and other material. "Here we are! The treasure trove, we call it!" Gabite looked up to see long, splintering veins of red streaking across the gray limestone walls and stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Such a large deposit of iron ore was clearly befitting of the name ''treasure trove''. She knew merchants in Dragging Claw that would kill to melt down all of it for armor and weapons. But all of this was for food instead, and she would not have it any other way. "Okay, so here''s my great plan for this!" Lairon cleared his throat. "I saw how ye pulled yourself out of that Pitfall Trap, and it got me thinkin''! Ye could scale the walls and slice at the deposits with your talons and weaken ''em! Then I''ll headbutt the walls and all that sweet iron will come crashin'' down!" Gabite shrugged. "Not like I got a better idea. I''ll see what I can do." "I''ll charge on your command, lass! That''s what my noggin is made for!" Gabite immediately set off on her duty, scaling the cavern cliffs until she could reach the deposits in the ceiling and stalactites. For the next thirty minutes, she carefully sliced deeply into the stones surrounding the metal. "Keep at it, lass! You''re doin'' good!" Lairon encouraged from below. ''Yeah, says the one resting on his side below,'' she remarked in her mind with a heavy pant. ''I never thought my talons could feel tired, but they sure do now. This one last cut should do it.'' "That''s it! Keep steady there, ''cause I''m about to ram it!" "H-hey, shouldn''t I get down before you- WOAH!" Gabite swore the mountain shook in its entirety as Lairon slammed his steelhead into the cave''s walls. All the iron deposits she loosened up shifted in place from the reverberating quake. Pieces and stalactites began to crumble off the ceiling before an entire mass of rock and iron broke apart and fell to the ground, along with a screaming Gabite. The dragoness landed in a mass of red and gray, opening her bleary eyes to see Lairon''s own pair light up in complete joy. "Oh, by Terrakion''s horns have I awaited this moment!" He exclaimed, quickly rushing in to scoop large quantities of iron into his jaw and began crunching it all up. Gabite wanted to be angry at his carelessness, but she found herself rather amused at his boundless joy. She propped up her head with her talons and watched him gobble the iron down. "You''re a strange Pokemon, Lairon." Lairon momentarily paused from his eating to speak. "A very starving ''mon I was before, but not now!" "So, I did my part. When you''re done eating all the iron in this mountain, can you show me the way out?" After a few more seconds of ravenous eating, Lairon appeared finished, stepping away from the pile. "Oh¡­ Yeah! I did say I would, and I intend on doin'' just that, lass! First things first, though¡­" He opened his gray bag with his teeth and started shoveling as much iron ore as he could into it. "Takin'' some of this for the road. The rest is for all these other slackers'' ''round here!" Gabite lifted herself off the ground and smirked. "Lead the way, then." The oppressive sun hovering above was a sight for sore eyes for Gabite. And yet it would slowly sink into the horizon as time passed; the sky awash with pink and orange hues. The dragoness could see the entire breadth of Iron Mountain from where they were, with its twisted peaks and treacherous valleys of serpentine tunnels. If she were not dead tired and starving, she would consider the view breathtaking. "So, I''ve got a question, Lairon. What is it with this ''Terrakion'' guy? You keep mentioning him." "The mountain''s great protector, he is!" Lairon answered happily. "Nary a trace of him on this mountain sometimes, but he''s there - always watchin'' out for us." "I thought Aggron is your protector- uh, was your protector," she said. "For this generation maybe, but Terrakion has been here for centuries!" Lairon then nudged her in her side. "Ooh! I felt one of them vibrations just now; come and see this, lass!" Gabite watched the Steel-type run faster than she had ever seen him run before. Taking that as a sign of something good, she hastily followed behind them. "Is it more iron?" she joked. "Nah, lass! Just up this hill; you won''t be disappointed." The pair diverted from the current trail and scaled a nearby hill. Once at the top, Lairon pointed a foot at a large collection of dark, ashen mountains in the distance. Dark gray clouds and black smoke shrouded its form in a haze of foreboding mystery. "Rumblecrag Volcano! And we''re about to get the show of a lifetime!" Both of them waited silently. "Any second now¡­" he muttered before gasping. "There! It''s starting!" Gabite squinted her eyes at the volcano in an attempt to seek out this ''show''. "What are you talking about? I don''t see any-" she gasped, "-whoa, whoa - what are those Pokemon doing?" Atop one of the volcano''s peaks in the far distance, a multitude of Fire-type Pokemon were gathered close. The air was still and soundless but then exploded into bustling noise. Geysers all across Rumblecrag Volcano began to erupt simultaneously and shoot spurts of steam and hot water into the air. Steady gouts of fire flowed from the Fire-types that swooped and swirled into the sky, coalescing into an orangish red glow that merged with the setting sun. The harmonized flames were synced with more erupting geysers until all fell silent again. "T-that was amazing!" Gabite exclaimed. "Wait! It''s not over yet!" She watched intensely as more collective fire rose into the sky, forming a giant ''O'' that hovered over the volcano. A piercing screech echoed through the land as a flying Pokemon was coming in hot. Literally, Gabite noted, as the large, yellowish avian was coated in flickering fire. "Moltres¡­" she whispered to herself. The Legendary started to twirl midair, nearing the circle of flames. "No way - is it gonna-" "Oh yeah - it''s gonna," Lairon confirmed, grinning. A spinning Moltres spewed fire from its mouth that drifted and encased its rotating form in a mixture of warm colors. It shot through the middle of the hoop and it fizzled out completely into sparks and cinders. Moltres ended its display with a spread of its wide wings - a final series of erupting geysers to finish off the show. Gabite was stunned completely. Never before had she seen something so awe-inducing yet beautiful at the same time. The closest she could compare it to were the Minior Showers she could see from Dragging Claw, but this showcase was so much closer and felt so much more personal. ''I''ve been missing out on so much of this world. All that stupid stuff they put in my head about the world being dangerous, when it was fear that was so dangerous.'' She sniffled. ''Why wouldn''t you want me to see things like this, mom?'' Lairon waved at the cheering Fire-types. "It''s like a greeting of sorts. Every few weeks these ''mons and Moltres make a little show for us, and sometimes we make one back." He glanced at Gabite. "So, what did you thi-" He blinked. "Lass, are ye sheddin'' a tear over there?" "Wha- no!" Gabite swiped at her eyes and turned her face. "Just some dust in my eyes." "You really were cryin''! I saw!" "Shut up," she shot back, affixing him with a harsh glare. Her gaze would eventually soften. "But it was pretty darn cool. I''ve never seen something like that before. Dragons definitely didn''t do fancy shows like that back in my village." Lairon formed a thoughtful expression as he sat on his rump, staring out at the sunset. "This world¡­ I remember cryin'' when I first saw it, too. Lived all seventeen years of my life here, I did. Thought I could spend the next eighty more here, but now I''m not sure." "Not sure?" Gabite took a seat beside him. "What do you mean?" "A bit silly, but exploring through this whole mountain with ye, it''s stirring some dreams back I once had as a younger lad. Dreams of leaving Iron Mountain, exploring all across Celestic in the world, staking a claim and makin'' history - that sort of thing. I have not a clue what you''re after, but leavin'' your own village to find ''em inspired me. What I''m jabberin'' on about is¡­ I don''t feel satisfied here anymore, I think." She pursed her lips - was Lairon really going through the same feelings she had before? Did he feel trapped here in this mountain as she did in her village? The relatability between them in her mind seemed to only flourish with his past dreams reignited. Had she really done that by just realizing her own desires herself? "Seein'' those Fire-types do their thing, it makes ye wonder what you''re missin'' out on in the world," Lairon finished. And there it was. A confirmation of her own ideals through Lairon. She felt vindicated somewhat. "It''s not silly," she said. "It''s living, I think. And to be honest, I didn''t leave my village just to find a Pokemon, I left because¡­ there was no future for me there. Exploring is my dream, and I was gonna be an explorer even if everybody told me I couldn''t." Lairon hummed. "Well then, maybe it''s time I follow in your footsteps. This life thing is only once, isn''t it?" He glanced over at the dragoness and smiled widely. "I''ve got nary a clue who you''re after, but what do ye say about a stowaway?" "You mean¡­ You want to come with me?" He nodded. "I''ve seen your skills in action, lass, but ye lack a little experience. Surely ye could use my assistance in findin'' this ''mon." "But what about your life here? What about your pack and all?" Lairon snorted. "Those granite munchers can survive by themselves. They''re strong and reliable - like me! So, what do ye say?" "I¡­" Gabite bit her tongue. "I don''t know. I don''t think- I think I should do this alone." She stood up and looked away from the disappointed expression on his face. "I''m sorry, Lairon, but it''s really personal, and I don''t think I''m ready for a partner yet, and I don''t think I''d be a good partner, either! And-" "Lass!" he interrupted her frantic rambling. "It''s okay. I''ll escort ye off the mountain and we''ll go our separate ways. I don''t need ye to leave if I ever choose to." For some reason, it stung her for him to say that. She could not understand her own words; why was she putting up walls between her and Lairon? Both of them had similar dreams, and yet she could still not bring herself to trust him fully. Her mind that feared fiercely battled her heart that desired. Was it a product of her mother''s will over her? Lairon stood, heading back down the hill. He stopped only to angle his head back at her. "Just think about my offer, okay?" "Okay¡­" Gabite remained still for a moment in thought before she began trudging behind him. And she did. For the rest of the journey, the pair remained silent, but restless thoughts warred in Gabite''s mind. As they pressed on and conquered more of Iron Mountain, the thoughts only grew worse. She wanted to explore, to have fame, but she wanted a team above all. Close friends; ones she could call comrades that would stick by her side through thick and thin. Could Lairon do just that? Even if just helping her find her mother? She had no concrete answer but was leaning toward one side. She could see the grassy plains not far from the rocky trail. There was no choice but to pick a side before the end neared. A few more minutes passed of quiet walking before Lairon suddenly stopped. "This is it, lass. Keep going straight and you''ll be out of Iron Mountain entire- Oh! Hey, all!" he suddenly exclaimed as he turned around. "Huh?" Gabite copied Lairon''s actions and whirled around, almost jumping in shock at what she saw. Dozens of Lairons were observing them from various vantage points of the terrain. The smiles present on their faces eased her concerns as they lifted their legs to wave at them. ''No, they''re waving at¡­ me. They''re saying goodbye to me.'' A warm smile wormed its way onto Gabite''s face as she waved back at them. Though not a single word was ever exchanged between them, and though her time here was short, it felt like she was leaving behind family. It was a strange yet welcoming feeling. Lairon then suddenly gasped. "L-l-lass! Look at the t-tallest peak of the mountain!" he stuttered out. Gabite followed his gaze and froze. "Is that¡­" Almost a mere black silhouette against the fading sun, a bovine-like quadrupedal Pokemon with curved horns stood its ground atop the mountain slope. Its steely orange eyes hardened upon seeing Gabite, almost as if it was judging her character from a simple glance. "Terrakion!" Lairon blurted out happily. "He even came to see ye off!" "Is he mad? Happy? I can''t tell with him piercing into my soul like that." "Oh, happy for sure. If he was mad you''d be at the end of his horns before you''d know it." Gabite gulped. "Good to, uh, know." Her body jerked at her shoulder again being thumped by Lairon. "Well, lass, was nice guidin'' ye through this mountain. Many thanks for the help back there; a supply like that is gonna last these lads for months." It was bittersweet. It could not end here, right? "Thanks for your help too, Lairon. Now I know not to attack every Pokemon I see in a dungeon. Just Lairons," she ended with a smirk. Lairon chuckled. "As long as it''s not my back, lass. See ye around if ye ever decide to come back!" Gabite watched the Steel-type slowly walk back toward the mountain. She bit her lip and shuffled her feet together. A sigh was let out before she spoke again. "Hey¡­ Lairon?" He turned. "Yes, lass?" "Wanna come with me?" A huff. "Finally! I was waiting for ye to spit it out!" He quickly waddled back over to her. "You''ll get killed out there if ye didn''t have this Lairon here by your side!" Gabite rolled her eyes before settling on a smile. "Don''t make me regret this. C''mon, we''re in this together now." "And I''m more than ready to commit! Let''s get goin'' already!" She could hear the cheers and shouts of encouragement from all the Lairon behind them as they turned their backs on the mountain and continued their trek. It warmed her heart, and she wondered how Lairon truly felt leaving them behind, if just temporarily. A final glance behind her made her take a double-take at what she saw. The smallest of smiles was present on Terrakion''s face. She smiled back.
"Pick up the pace, lass. My hide is becoming brittle fae this cold!" "I''m coming, I''m coming - keep your head on," Gabite grumbled as she carried the stack of dry branches to the fire pit. She dropped them unceremoniously into the center surrounded by stones. "All right, that was all the wood I could find around here." Lairon shot her a look. "I know ye drakes can breathe a mean fire. Think ye could provide us some warmth?" She smirked. "With pleasure." Bending over the fire pit, she took in a deep breath as purplish flames spewed from her mouth. The hot Dragon Breath instantly ignited the wood into crackling magenta flames. Lairon smiled widely as he scooted closer to the fire. "Now that''s somethin''!" "Learned that from my mom." Gabite took a seat near the fire pit across from Lairon as she gazed up at the sky. The full moon and the thousands of blinking stars were out, ushering in darkness across the barren and empty landscape the pair found themselves in. Iron Mountain was far behind them now. She was beyond exhausted but was so proud of what she had accomplished. She had come so far in just a day. And had even earned a friend and companion at the same time. A stick with Leppa, Greta, and Oran Berries skewered at the end was picked up by Gabite as she hovered the berries over the open flames. "We can camp out here for tonight. Tomorrow we should reach our first destination, and then¡­ I guess we''ll see what happens from there." A gray bag had its contents of mostly iron ore spilled out over the dead grass. Lairon, too, held a chunk of iron over the fire pit, drawing a curious look from Gabite. "Want some?" he offered, shaking the heated rock. "Nah, I''d like to keep my teeth," Gabite remarked as she withdrew her now-blackened berry. She licked her lips before taking a large bite from it. "Missin'' out, lass." Lairon downed the liquifying metal with one snap of his jaws. "Now, ye mind tellin'' me where we''re headed out in the morn''?" "Baroness Bay," she said flatly, continuing to devour her meal. "Should be some ''mons there we can ask questions and get more answers on where to go." His eyes grew wide. "B-baroness Bay? That place? Oh no, lass - that beach is a pitstop for many pirates out here. It''s too dangerous for you- for us to go by ourselves!" Gabite sighed. "Ugh, really? This again? All I hear from everyone is ''Pirates this'' and ''Pirates that''. I''ve never even seen any of these ''pirates'' around here. And I never saw any ships by the coast either." "It''s not just hearsay, lass! They lurk'' in the shadows; only comin'' onto land when it''s necessary. There are many factions out here, but none are more ferocious than the Mariner''s crew¡­" "The¡­ Mariner? Like a shiphand? How is he so ''ferocious''?" "She, lass," Lairon corrected. He smirked and took on an ominous, exaggerated timbre. "If ye dares to listen to the tale of this dreadful dame, ye will think twice of ever headin'' to Baroness Bay." Gabite snickered and relaxed her body. "Tellin'' stories for hatchlings is pretty traditional for campfires, so lay it on me." He cleared his throat in preparation. "Legend says the Mariner was once a noble ''mon of high class from one of those ritzy cities deep in Celestic - maybe even a member of the Council, perhaps." "Wait. Shlike the governschment and shctuff?" Gabite spoke through a mouthful of steaming berries. Lairon nodded, continuing. "Anyway, a great scandal happened that booted her from power, along with much of her Pok¨¦. She lost everythin'' - her job, her status, and her riches." Gabite lapped up the remaining juices slathering the stick. "Then?" "She went mad. Abandoned her home and her child and roamed the continent. She eventually found work on a ship as a deckhand, and while that would seem enough for many ''mons, not her. This dame used her natural charisma and silver tongue to take over the ship fae the captain. All of the crew were made to listen to only her, and she turned that vessel meant for trade into one made for battle. That was when she became a pirate¡­ and known to many seafarers as the Mariner." "That''s it?" "I''m not finished yet, lass!" he scolded. "Over the years, hundreds of ships were looted and left to the depths. Many ''mons only saw the glint of her sharp teeth curve into a victorious grin before they were sent to walk the plank. Those that weren''t sent to an early grave were assimilated into her crew. The word ''Mariner'' was etched into the hulls of any ships she sunk. She was more rich than she ever was before as a noble, but only the thrill excited her anymore. Her soul was swallowed completely by the treacherous seas until¡­" Gabite leaned in. "Until?" "Until¡­ until she woke up face first on a desk full of parchment; she was merely dreamin''!" Lairon let out an obnoxiously loud cackle as he pointed at Gabite''s unamused look. "Look at your face! I totally got ye truly believin'' at the end!" Gabite huffed and rolled her eyes. "Hardy har har - you got me. You got any actual real stories you can share?" Lairon wiped a tear from his eye. "Oh¡­ Oh, if ye wish to hear me findin'' a nugget of gold within one of the ores I''ve eaten, then listen well," he ended with another small chuckle and a shoveling of iron into his mouth. She tuned out his loud crunching. "Wanna hear about a real story, then?" "I''m not tired yet, lass." Gabite took that as confirmation and opened her blue saddlebag. She pulled out two slips of neatly cut parchment and handed them over to Lairon. "Read these." She waited patiently and tapped her talons together as his eyes scanned the lines of text. "Ever heard of Team Moonlight?" "Nope!" "Gee, you really did live under a rock - or a mountain in this case. They''re, like, a world famous exploration team and my biggest inspiration in life - besides my parents. When I grow older, I want to form an exploration team just like they did. Venture across the globe, solve mysteries, help Pokemon - that stuff." "Lofty goals there." He handed back the slips of parchment. "And ye say I''m the strange one - carryin'' around cut-up pieces of newspapers." She swiped them back and shot him a mock glare before carefully tucking them back into her saddlebag. "Not just pieces of newspapers - they''re, like, reminders. One day I''ll be featured in the Celestic Cognizance if I try as hard as I can! And the only way I could do that was¡­ leave my village and everyone there behind. Team Moonlight lost everything, and it feels like I did too, y''know Parts of it not really my fault and some parts were..." The sputtering and sizzling of the fire overtook their conversation as Lairon fell silent. He looked up a moment later to catch Gabite''s attention. "This Pokemon you''re tryin'' to find out here¡­ Who are they?" She knew this moment was coming. But it felt so hard to admit it. "It''s¡­ She''s¡­ She''s my mom. I''m trying to find her after she left the village without any reason why." "Your mother?" His tone softened greatly. "Lass, I had no idea. I''m sorry that happened." "Don''t be sorry. I should''ve caught the signs; she was acting even stranger in the weeks leading up. Always locked in her room, barely eating, barely saying anything to me." Gabite scowled and bowed her head. "I yelled at her¡­ At the festival, I got so mad at her that I told her I didn''t recognize her as my own mother. I keep thinking¡­ Could I have?" An idea was gnawing at her from within. Could she have contributed to her mother abandoning her? Did her mother believe she no longer loved her? It could not be just like that, or could it? All these bad thoughts swirled around her like a dark storm. But a heavy foot resting on her shoulder sundered the brewing storm into nothing. "Don''t ever go thinkin'' it was your fault, lass," Lairon said. "Nobody is responsible for their actions but themselves." "I know, but¡­ we haven''t really been a family in so long. What if my outburst was a breaking point and she had enough? I have so many things I''ve wanted to tell, but she would just never listen!" "And if ye find her out there, what will ye say to her?" She threw up her arms. "I don''t know! Hug her? Scream at her for being so stupid? Anything that wasn''t what it was like back in Dragging Claw. I can''t even return there because of that stupid, war-mongering, fossil of an elder banishing me from the village." That pathetic sniffle she hated so much reemerged as she rubbed her increasingly wet eyes. "Goomy, Swablu, even Zweilous - I told them I was going to find her; that I was gonna be some bigshot explorer out here." She gestured to their small camp. "I got everything I wanted but I still feel so alone and lost without my mom¡­" Lairon walked around the fire pit and plopped himself by her side. "Ye are not alone, lass. I''m here. In the end, we''ll find your mother. That''s a promise - and it''s harder than iron, that one." Gabite formed a small smile. "Thanks, Lairon. I''m lucky to have you here, or else I''d explode in nerves right now." She yawned. "I think that''s enough of spilling my thoughts out for today. I''m so tired I can nap longer than a Snorlax right now." "Aye - we''ll need our energy. But there''s one last thing I wanted to share with you." "And that is?" Lairon stomped over to his bag, brushing aside the iron ore and pulling out a strange silver-colored cylinder that reflected the purple flames of the campfire. He rolled over for Gabite to stop with her talons as she picked up and inspected it. "It''s called a Metal Coat! A very rare commodity in Iron Mountain?" She gawked at it like it was an alien object. "What does it do?" she spoke with awe. "Well, nothing for a drake like yourself. Certain Steel-types seem to love it, though." "Oh." Lairon formed his trademarked wide smile. "But think of it as your first treasure, and a gift fae me - your partner!" Her heart swelled with newfound emotion as she clutched the Metal Coat to her chest. "T-thanks, Lairon¡­ I''ll treasure it always." "Sleep well, lass." With his parting words, Lairon plodded over to an area unlit by the fire pit to curl up and rest. Gabite chose to remain beside the warmth-providing flames. She laid on her back to observe the stars and wash her thoughts away. ''Lairon¡­ What a cool guy. To think I didn''t trust him at first. And now he wants to help me find mom. Maybe we just will. And then what?'' A white talon was raised to the sky, curving around the tiny motes of light. ''Can we really start over? Can she accept me if I can accept her?'' There was no answer. She only succumbed to sleep when the fire beside her was completely snuffed out. "I think we''re lost, lass." "How would you know? You never left your mountain before till now!" "And ye never left your village till now, as well! Open this ''Wonder Map'' and let''s take a gander." "Ugh. Fiiiiiiine." Gabite reluctantly rolled out the long scroll of parchment in front of her. Her talon trailed the creased map until it tapped a location in the northeastern reaches of the Mountain Region. "We''re here on the beaches. Baroness Bay should be around here; just keep looking for the signs." "Signs - what signs? Big neon flashing ones?" Lairon joked. "A place as abandoned as that bay, shipwrecks might be the only indicator." Gabite sighed as she resumed walking. "Just keep looking out. My mom was last seen walking with two Pokemon that looked like sailors. I bet they came through her, or maybe even those sailors work in the bay." "If ye say so¡­" A layer of thick, obscuring fog had rolled out from the sea onto the beaches they trekked through. But it did not deter Gabite from searching for the elusive bay. As time passed and their findings remained barren, she needed just one sign - anything. And then she finally got it. "Uh, Lairon. You mentioned something about shipwrecks being an indicator?" "Yup! I sure did and- by Terrakion''s horns!" Though difficult to see through the fog, the distinct shape of a beached wooden ship was lodged into the sands of the beach''s shores. The vessel looked old and weathered; its hull was littered with gaping holes filled in with sand and water. A tattered, undecipherable flag near the ship''s crow''s nest billowed in the warm ocean breeze. "This is it," Gabite deduced. "This has to be it! Follow me!" She sprinted off in the direction of the ship. "Hey! Wait up!" More shipwrecks appeared through the fog - each one more twisted and damaged than the last. They acted as beacons of sorts for Gabite as she pressed on. "Heeelloooooo?" she cried out. "Anybody there?" All she was met with was the creaking of decaying wood, the bells of ships around them croaking out dying rings washed away by the sounds of the sea meeting the shoreline. "Lass, I''ve got a bad feelin'' in my gut about this place." She rolled her eyes. "You''re probably just hungry again. This has got to be Baroness Bay. Let''s see if we can find the docks." She sprinted away before he could utter another retort. "Crazy drake," he mumbled under his breath before following after her. Dotting the beach and stabbing the sands were swords of all kinds. Pieces of black cloth wrapped around each sword''s handle drifted in the wind. The display did little to ease the foreboding tension that swamped Gabite''s senses, but she pushed all those feelings aside to cling to the hope that remained. They happened upon a sign broken in two and lying on the beach. ''Baroness Bay'' it read. Gabite flicked Lairon''s jaw with a talon. "See! We''re actually here! Now we just need to find a ''mon to talk to." "Ye believe anyone would inhabit this graveyard of seafarin''?" He never got an answer as Gabite continued forward. A single glowing lantern amid the deep brume caught her eye. It illuminated a section of the bay''s docks that stretched over the thrashing sea. She ran ahead toward the docks while Lairon stayed behind, his attention elsewhere. Her sights were then latched onto a figure at the far end of the dock. It appeared to be a small green-colored Pokemon with a black strap over its shoulder. "Hey look - a little kid! We can ask him something!" The Pokemon was fiddling with bundles of rope tied to the dock''s posts. Her eyes trailed the length of the ropes and saw they were attached to what looked like ships covered in grey tarps. It was an odd thing to see, but the only thing on her mind was meeting this new stranger. Meanwhile, Lairon approached one of the beached shipwrecks, swearing he could see something past the fog. As he encroached, something carved into the wooden hull was burned into his mind. ''MARINER.'' "Lass¡­?" But Gabite could not hear him as she bent down and tapped the shoulder of the Pokemon she now recognized as a Larvitar. "Hey, little guy! Think you could help me and my pal Lairon out?" she asked cheerfully. Lairon quickly rushed over to her side, a frightened look in his eyes. "We should get out of here - and fast," he urged. The Larvitar visibly stiffened at their voices but slowly turned around. Scratch marks littered its face, and its single eye not covered by a black eyepatch was settling its smoldering gaze upon Gabite. She winced. "Uh, hey there, not-so-little guy?" The Larvitar did not respond as its tiny paws reached for the tube-like object strapped across its belt. It placed the tube into its mouth and blew into it, the horn producing a deafening wail throughout the entire beach. Gabite covered her ears. "H-hey! What''s the big deal!" "We''ve got trouble, lass!" Lairon shouted through the noise. Gray tarps flew off once concealed ships anchored to the dock. Dozens upon dozens of Pokemon emerged from hiding or within the depths of each ship and brandished their weapon of choice. Many remained near the sides of their ship, but some roared and cried out as they leaped off their ships and landed on the beach. They surrounded Gabite and Lairon. Sharpened steel from every conceivable angle was pointed at the pair, who remained deathly still. It was during this dire moment of silent confrontation that Gabite was able to get a good look at these Pokemon. The unkempt features of their scowling, hateful faces told her one thing, and the menacing garb they wore was another thing. But the most damning evidence was when she peered up and saw the black sails of each ship billowing in the wind - a white feline skull prominently emblazoned onto them. "Pirates¡­" she whispered to herself. "Why''d you have to be right, Zweilous?" "I warned ye, lass!" Lairon whispered back. "Shut up. Don''t start with me now," she muttered back. Miraculously, the fog in the area began to dissipate rapidly. Something odd occurring within the ocean caught their attention. Where empty space was between the ships, water fluctuated and swelled unnaturally. A reverberating echo could be heard deep beneath the waves. But nothing could prepare them for what happened next. A gigantic Wailord with an equally colossal eyepatch breached from the ocean with a warbling cry that shook the bones of everyone present as displaced water rained down on the ships and the beach. The Wailord eventually settled and floated nearest to the shoreline. All was quiet; even the pirates ceased their jabbering once the Water-type emerged. Gabite''s jaw hung loose. "Are those¡­ cannons atop that Wailord''s back?!" she whispered incredulously. "And a tent!" Lairon said back. "Look, it''s openin''!" Past the row of long cannons and gunpowder barrels was a dark purple tent erected at the center of the Wailord''s back. A forcefield of pink energy over the tent vanished as soaking wet Psychic-type Pokemon stood away from the tent''s entrance. Moments later, the flaps of the tent opened as a quadrupedal Pokemon stepped out. Gabite instantly recognized its feline stature and spotted markings as a Liepard. The Liepard strutted forward across the Wailord before stopping atop the gargantuan Pokemon''s head, near its pit-like blowholes. Gold and silver jewelry adorned the Dark-type''s legs that clinked and chimed as it lifted a paw and placed it against its scarred, furry chest. A worn-looking buccaneer hat with the same feline skull design from before was nestled between its chipped ears. Three fragments of black cloth were tied to its long, flicking tail. "The captain¡­" Gabite whispered. The Liepard scrutinized both Gabite and Lairon with a curious if not pleased expression. "And what have my pets brought before me today?" it spoke in a decidedly feminine voice. "Hmm? A pair of random Pokemon that you have decided to disturb my rest for?" "Boss lady!" the Larvitar suddenly yelled, saluting the Liepard. "Two intruders in the bay! Their presence made me alert the rest of the crew!" Liepard raised her head high in an almost regal manner. "I see¡­ But questions linger in my mind." Her predatory stare snapped to Gabite and Lairon. "Intruders! Do you know who I am?" Lairon said nothing but Gabite shook her head. A smug grin split apart Liepard''s muzzle. Her wicked sharp fangs were revealed and glimmered in the sunlight. "I¡­ am the Mariner! Scourge of the Alomomola Sea! Plunderer of all vessels! Isn''t that right, ingrates?!" Passionate cheers and screaming broke out all across the ships in agreement, making Liepard''s grin grow even wider. When the outburst finally settled, Liepard spoke again - smugly. "And you two - you are my prey - fallen into this Galvantua''s web of mine. Speak. Who are you?" Rage took her over face for a moment as she stamped a paw onto the Wailord. "Are you spies from that blasted Tyrantrum?!" Gabite wanted to speak, and while the look Lairon was sending her silently told her to do anything but that, she chose to make a dangerous play. Despite her situation, she needed to build rapport with this ''Mariner'' "We''re not spies; we''re explorers!" she shouted. Liepard''s anger subsided. "Hmph. A likely story. You came to explore this bay? A place rumored to be infested with pirates and thieves?" She paused for a solid minute before she began cackling loudly. Pirates all around soon joined in with laughter of their own. Liepard suddenly halted her joy with a derisive snort that quieted her pirates. "Tell me the real answer. Preferably before I send you both to walk the plank." Gabite stepped forward. "I''m trying to find my mom! She left the village and I don''t know why! The only thing I know was that she was heading east with some sailors!" Murmurings throughout the pirates were put to an end with the raising of Liepard''s paw. Her wolfish grin returned with a certain flair to it that Gabite did not like; she had to have known something. "... I knew there was something more to you. And this mother of yours, was she perhaps a Garchomp?" she inquired, voice tainted with distaste. "Yes! She''s one of the greatest explorers out there! Team Scale! Maybe you''ve heard of ''em before?" Liepard strolled across the Wailord and feigned an expression of contemplation. "Hmm. I can''t quite recall." She smirked. "Oh, yes! Now I remember. I met your mother exactly here around two weeks ago! Yes, what a lovely, adventurous lady! Why, ten years ago I would''ve had a nice, elegant chat over tea with such a Pokemon!" Gabite smiled. She was finally going to get answers, even if it was the Mariner of all Pokemon. "R-really? Why did she meet here with, um, you?" "A very good question, young lady. Your mother and I penned a few letters to each other a while back. We planned an expedition to Rumblecrag Volcano together - her and my crew of ingrates here. I even bothered to send a few of these lost souls to escort her here." Gabite was stunned. Her own mother collaborated with pirates of all groups to go out on an expedition to Rumblecrag Volcano of all places. What was her mother truly thinking? And better yet, she needed to know where exactly she was now. "My mom¡­ Is she here?" "Sadly, no. You see, when Garchomp arrived and I went over the details of our expedition together, she didn''t exactly¡­ agree with what I had planned at the volcano. She left this bay and abandoned the planned expedition." "Well, uh, I''m sorry it didn''t work out." "Mmm¡­ Yes, she left." Liepard stopped her pacing and thrust a paw outward at a distant shoreline, snarling. "But that wretched Garchomp only left after she destroyed seven of my most treasured ships!" Gabite and Lairon followed the direction her paw pointed and saw numerous sailing vessels charred and riddled with holes. Both knew full well that at this point their chances of getting out of this encounter unscathed were near zero. "My mom... did all of that?" Gabite croaked out. "Indeed. That mother of yours intends to steal the secrets of that volcano herself - I know it! She seeks out the power of the Dyna Meteorites! She wants it but it''s only going to be mine - for the Mariner only!" Liepard ranted maniacally. "But- but-" Her grin reemerged again. "But her daughter - na?ve and frail - came to my doorstep wrapped in a nice little bow¡­ You wish to find your mother, young lady? Then we shall venture off and find her together! Come and witness when I rip that dragon''s heart out!" she cried to the cheers of her pirates. Gabite knew this was bad - really bad. But there was nothing she could do at the moment. She was totally helpless and at the mercy of this crazy, capricious woman seeking vengeance upon her mother. Lairon quickly caught onto her rapid mental spiraling and reassured her with a nod. She felt a little more at ease. Larvitar, hearing his captain''s declaration, formed an unsure look. "B-boss lady! We ''aven''t completed our repairs yet! There''s still water leakage in some of the lower decks of the ships! And our masts are leanin''!" Liepard looked almost offended by his warning. "Excuse me?" "Er, I was just-" "First Mate Larvitar! Please come up on my Wailord!" "Aye aye!" Larvitar heeded Liepard''s command as he scurried across the connected rope as quick as his little legs could take him. He climbed the mast of one ship before jumping and grabbing one of the pulleys to swing himself over onto the Wailord. He then planted himself like a statue beside Liepard and awaited further instructions. "I find it curious how these intruders were able to get so close to my ships without you noticing," Liepard mused as she walked circles around Larvitar. "They caught me off guard - truly! The fog cover we created covered them up while I was-" A pair of lightning-fast claws slashed him across the face. "You talk too much," Liepard hissed. She lifted his now bleeding face up with her paws. "You disappoint me again, Larvitar, and there will be no more face of yours to scratch. As punishment, you and another deckhand will escort our newest prisoners inside one of our ships and guard them. Be very delicate with the Gabite¡­" "Y-yes, boss lady." Liepard swept her fiery gaze across all of the ships. "We set sail for Rumblecrag Volcano now! Get to work on it, ingrates!" The first thing that caught Gabite''s attention as she was pushed into the lower decks of the ship was the smell. A combination of mildew, seawater, and rotten berries flooded her nostrils. ''Never should''ve expected a pirate ship to smell good,'' she thought, suppressing a gag. The Larvitar from before was in front of them, leading them through the grimy, dank underbelly of the ship. The heavy metal cuffs clamped around her arms and legs clanged together as she was forced to walk. Pirates all around them were sharpening their claws and swords; gearing up for what appeared to be a long voyage to Rumblecrag Mountain. A Flareon behind Gabite pushed her again, preventing her from analyzing her surroundings too much. Her saddlebag was stripped from, taking with it the items most precious to her. It took a lot of inner strength for her not to lash out in a rage because of this. "I can''t believe it¡­" Lairon uttered. "The Mariner story Aggron told me long ago - the dame actually exists!" "Unfortunately, yeah," Gabite said. "A feline that enjoys gettin'' wet¡­ I''ve seen everythin'' now!" "Isn''t the time for jokes either, Lairon." "Be quiet, prisoners," Larvitar yelled. "Yeah, shut up!" Flareon added from the back. Their short tour of the ship ended when Larvitar stopped at a door. The Rock-type was forced to stand on the tips of his feet to reach the handle. Gabite had to swipe Lairon with a talon before the Steel-type burst out laughing. The door swung open and both of them were practically shoved inside. To Gabite, the room almost looked like a cellar of sorts. Various barrels and shelves full of bottles of liquid lined the walls - undoubtedly alcohol if she had to guess. The groaning of the moving ship occasionally made the liquid inside quiver. Larvitar and Flareon would close the door before leading them to a barren wall. "Flareon, keep watch on ''em!" Larvitar barked. "Heh, sure - I got my eyes on them!" the Fire-type yipped. As Larvitar wandered over to another section of the room, Flareon stood guard with a cocksure grin plastered across his muzzle. "Oh, you guys were sooooooo stupid! I mean, you come to explore this spooky-looking beach and think you wouldn''t encounter us? Hahaha!" "Lad, back up a ''lil," Lairon said through a cough. "Your breath really, really reeks." ''At least Lairon isn''t totally freaking out about this like I am.'' Gabite''s desire to think of anything else made her mind and eyes drift over to Larvitar as he approached one of the liquor shelves and ran his nub-like paw across the bottles. ''What''s he doing over there? Can pirates not go ten minutes without getting drunk?'' Flareon ignored Lairon''s jab and continued speaking. "Like, have you never heard of the Mariner or something? She''s the most powerful pirate in the region - the whole world, even! Yeah, I used to be in another crew, but then the Mariner showed up and defeated our captain like it was nothing. She took us all in and made us part of hers! Hey, maybe she could do the same for you two!" Gabite observed as Larvitar picked up one of the heftier-looking bottles and was slowly making his way back. The Rock-type stopped just behind Flareon as the Fire-type babbled on. "And you guys are soooo lucky she wants you alive! If you weren''t, man you''d both be some bodies floating in the ocean! Well, except you, fat-looking Steel-type. You''d sink right to the ocean floor! Hahahaha-" The bottle came down and smashed against Flareon''s skull as he instantly crumpled to the floor unconscious, tongue lolling out. While Gabite and Lairon were locked into a staring contest with Flareon''s body, Larvitar hopped onto the Fire-type and placed his paws over his hips. "I thought me ears weren''t workin'' back there, but ye said you''re explorers, right? Take me with ye!" Gabite and Lairon exchanged looks.
Cherish these wonderful moments of breathtaking adventure and childlike freedom. These aspirations birth the excuses for sheer and complete annihilation.
Author''s Note: Have some character art of the fearsome Mariner! Thank you for reading! (Artist: znkd)
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord below! Discord: z2h2z Next Special Episode Part: Where No One Goes Special Episode #2 The World Stops For No One: Part 3: Where No One Goes Special Episode: The World Stops For No One Part Three: Where No One Goes "Heave ho! Where''s that ''explorer grit'' I always hear about? Push!" a mousy voice barked. "How about you start heavin'' instead of barkin'' out orders, laddie!" a gravelly voice retorted. "Urgh! This ''mon is way heavier than he looks!" a scratchy voice chimed in. Larvitar supervised Gabite and Lairon''s efforts from a distance as the pair pushed the snoring body of Flareon into an open wooden barrel. Twitching paws and orange fur drenched in liquor stuck out from the barrel''s top as the Fire-type was stuffed tight within. Gabite carefully placed the lid of the barrel back on before sending it rolling away with a kick. Lairon caught his breath. "And that furball said I was tubby!" he remarked. Larvitar clapped his nub-like paws together and chortled loudly. "Did ye see the way Flareon went down? Like a sack of ''tatoes! When the others find ''im, they''ll think he got rightly pissed and fell asleep in a barrel!" He exploded with more laughter. "Hey! Cut the laughing before others hear!" Gabite hissed. "And explain just what the heck you made us do!" "Didn''t I already tell ye? You''re explorers! And you''re goin'' to take me with ye!" "Uh, take you where exactly?" "To Rumblecrag Volcano, of course," Larvitar said plainly, rolling his eyes at the wide-eyed stares he was getting. "Pick up those faces, explorers! And stay here while I prep for our big escape!" He ran to the door without another word, but the bulk of Lairon blocking his way bounced him backward. "Hey, hey, where''s the fire, lad?" Lairon questioned. "Ye need to slow down and tell us what''s really goin'' on here!" Larvitar scoffed as he hopped upon a barrel and then smirked widely. He withdrew a short cutlass from a scabbard on his side and thrusted it high. "The three of us will reach the fabled Dyna Meteorites of Rumblecrag Volcano before the Mariner can get her greedy paws on it! And if she dares to stop us? We''ll trounce her and her entire crew if needs be!" Lairon and Gabite exchanged another look of bewilderment as the Steel-type stepped forward. "Uh, puttin'' aside this plan of yours, why exactly do you want to go with us, lad?" he asked. "And why are ye turnin'' against your own captain? Back there it seemed you were second in command to my eyes." Larvitar lowered his blade, scowling. "The cuts and bruises all across me body - signs of the Mariner, they are. Been a part of her crew for many years as her number two, I ''ave. I''ve bled many times in battle for her and hoped she could see me as worthy of runnin'' me own ship. But with her in charge, no ''mon can be considered equal to that dame¡­ And I could be so much more than some errand boy!" "Ah, so you''re feelin'' hung out to dry, eh? Too cooped up here to really stretch your wings." Larvitar flailed his cutlass in a frenzy as the barrel he was on wobbled. "Me heart yearns for somethin'' new! Darin'', reckless adventure! Boundless freedom! An identity to carve out as me own! To go where no one goes! Only an explorer could give me that life!" His act of bravado crumbled away as he dropped to his small knees, sword clattering to the floor. "Please! Take me with you! I can''t bear to stand another day here in this terrible, terrible crew!" "I hate to break the news to you, lad, but we''re not explorers in a sense," Lairon said. "We came out here lookin'' for a dame." He tossed his head in the direction of Gabite, who was just now recovering from her shock. "This lass'' mother, in fact. We don''t have time for excitin'' adventures when she''s still out there." Gabite blinked, mouth agape. "Oh, Arceus! My mom! The Mariner said she would''ve gone to Rumblecrag Volcano to take those meteor thingies from her!" "Your mom was an explorer, right? Do ye really think she would''ve gone there to take those meteorites?" Lairon questioned. "No. My mom always had that ''sense of justice'' thing a lot of explorers seem to have. If she went there, she went there to destroy or hide whatever it is the Mariner wants." A smile graced her features. "Despite everything, I know she''s a good enough Pokemon to do that." "Aha!" Larvitar leaped down from the barrel. "The Garchomp - your mother, you say? Once she found out the Mariner''s plans to use the power of the meteorites, she attacked! Faster than a Vikivolt, she torched many of our ships with those purple flames of hers, and then she made her escape! To Rumblecrag Volcano, I imagine - and the boss lady wants her revenge badly." Gabite frowned. "But I just don''t get it. Why would my mom work with a crew of pirates to explore the volcano? Unless¡­" Lairon leaned in closer. "Unless, lass?" She gasped. "My dad¡­ My dad disappeared in Rumblecrag Volcano when I was really young. My mom searched that volcano from top to bottom, but couldn''t find him. I thought she gave up, but I guess not." A pit formed in Gabite''s stomach. It all made so much sense now. The long nights her mother stayed cooped up in her room, ever so distant from her. Her mother never managed to get over her father like she thought she did. In a way, she felt relieved to know that. Still, anger rose in her chest like a heated pot of water ready to boil over. ''There''s so much I have to tell you- scream at you even, mom. And I''m willing to bet you have something else to say, too.'' Lairon rubbed his chin with a paw. "Well, now this is gettin'' mighty interestin''! Seems like that volcano has quite a few secrets it''s hidin''." "A missin'' mother, father, and dangerous meteorites are plenty enough reason to head there ourselves!" Larvitar added as he crossed his arms. "Now quit the jabberin'' and agree with me already!" "Slow your roll there, lad!" Lairon countered. "Ye might claim to want to escape from the Mariner''s clutches, but if there''s one thing I know it''s that ye pirate lot love some trickery. How can we trust ye not to stab us in the back later?" "The Flareon I knocked unconscious - those chains I helped ye out of - is that not enough proof for you, metal face?" Larvitar said through gritted teeth. Lairon squinted his eyes at him. "Aye, but a ''mon can play a long game." "Hey, no fighting!" Gabite stepped between them before glancing down at Larvitar. "Look, you helped us, and we''re thankful for that. All this crazy stuff about my mom and the Mariner, are you sure that going to Rumblecrag Volcano is what we should do?" Larvitar smirked. "I''m a ''mon who''s sure of many things! That is one of ''em!" Lairon grumbled and rolled his eyes. Gabite sighed. "... We''re going, then. If my mom''s there, then I have to go there as well. Larvitar, you-" "YES! YES! YES!" Larvitar exclaimed as he jumped up and down. He sped off toward the door and threw it open, offering only a few parting words. "Stay here! I promise I ''ave a plan to escape!" He dashed through the open door before it slammed closed, leaving behind a baffled pair. "I hope ye know what you''re doin'', lass," Lairon said. "That bite-sized ''mon might be too much trouble for us. And if the Mariner finds out¡­" "He''s¡­ different," Gabite replied. "But I think we can trust him. If we got any chance of getting off this ship and away from the Mariner, he''s the only one." Lairon hummed to this. "Well, if ye could place your trust in him, then I think I could, too." She smiled. "Thanks, Lairon." "Not yet, I will, but maybe," he said with a turn of his head. She stifled a snort. "I just hope he has a good enough plan¡­" "Wha- are you crazy?!" Gabite whispered harshly. "Jumpin'' off a movin'' ship, lad? That was the best ye could come up with?" Lairon added. Larvitar shushed their concerns with a paw over his mouth. "Shhh! Be quiet, ye scallywags! Not supposed to be here, remember?" Gabite huffed in indignation as she scoured their surroundings. As promised, Larvitar returned with a plan of escape, carefully escorting them to the upper decks of the ship during the night. They were currently within the confines of a supply closet. The smell of sulfur from gunpowder and the metal from stains of blood on the floor made her nose twitch. Pressing her ears to the groaning wood of the walls, she could hear more pirates milling about. "Listen here and listen well," Larvitar continued. "In a few minutes, all these scurvy dogs patrollin'' around will call it a night and rest. The coxswain at the helm will keep the ships movin'' but with no other crew around. That''s when we come out, and that''s when we''ll make a darin'' jump into the Alomomola Sea like thrill-seekin'' swashbucklers!" Lairon stared at Larvitar with a blank look. "... Was this really the best ye could come up with, lad? Shouldn''t we escape on one of them smaller boats attached to some ships? Tenders, they call ''em?" Larvitar shook his head. "The Mariner has all of them destroyed on each ship she takes over so there are no deserters." "Gotta agree with Lairon - this sounds really dumb," Gabite said. "Can you think of something a little less suicidal? Like, maybe we could overpower the Pokemon by the steering wheel and steal the ship?" Larvitar withdrew his tiny cutlass and waggled it at them. "Madness! Sounds like lily-livered cowardice, but the only way we''ll get out of here is slippin'' away into the briney deep - nary a trace of us! We will do this!" "Okay, okay, but what do we do once we''re in the ocean. What now? We''re now in the middle of the freaking ocean!" "And I''d sink to the bottom of it with my mass!" Lairon added glumly. "Not so, scallywags. The Mariner is havin'' her ships remain close to the shores of the mainland. I believe she''s tryin'' to find a river stream that can lead her to the bay near Rumblecrag Volcano. We can swim to the shores easily if we jump!" He threw Lairon a look. "And metal face here can walk to the shore just fine!" Lairon grumbled again. "And if we somehow manage to make it to the shoreline, how are we gonna reach the volcano faster than her ships can?" Gabite questioned. Larvitar sheathed his sword before opening a flap on his shoulder straps. He unfurled a bundle of crinkly parchment that had strange markings on them. "With these maps of the surroundin'' region I stole from the Mariner''s tent earlier, of course!" "You what?!" Gabite yelled before promptly bringing her voice down an octave. "Are you sure no one saw you? If the Mariner knows they''re gone, she''ll-" Larvitar alleviated her concerns with a wave of his paw. "That Wailord of hers was the only soul there - hah!" He waved the maps. "With this, we''ll know every secret path to the Dyna Meteorites!" He smirked at the attentive looks he was getting. "See! I''m no scamp! A good explorer prepares for everythin''!" Lairon turned to Gabite. "What do ye say, lass? Seems like it''s the only way out of this pirate''s nest." Gabite sighed. "I mean, I guess we can-" "Hooray!" Larvitar cheered. "Now ye bellyachers stay quiet and follow me lead!" He turned and ran to the doorway. "W-we''re going to do this right now?" Gabite asked incredulously as she scrambled after him. "Wait up!" Lairon called from behind. "Ye two are too fast for a ''mon of my size!" he huffed. The dark interior of the ship was now devoid of Pokemon beside them. Larvitar led Gabite and Lairon up the staircase that connected to the ship''s deck. The frigid wind that bit at Gabite''s scaly hide was a welcome feeling after being trapped in the musky, humid interior. The deck appeared all but abandoned; it was an eerie feeling for her that stuck out to her as wrong. ''I really hope Lairon wasn''t right about this Larvitar¡­'' The trio crouched low and snuck along the starboard side of the ship. Tumultuous waves of salty seawater battered the ship''s wooden hull and sprayed water on their shuffling feet. "These waves are really tall," Gabite muttered. "I''ve only swam, uh, a few times before. I don''t know if I can do this¡­" Lairon hip-checked her. "Ease up, lass! We''re by your side here! Take a few breaths and calm yourself." Gabite did as instructed, inhaling and exhaling out her fears. Larvitar raised an eye at this and smiled cheerfully. "Don''t ye worry. The Sharpedos in the water only come out in the day," he mentioned. Gabite fixed him with a sharp glare. "Just keep moving." Larvitar withdrew a spyglass from his shoulder straps and leaned over the sides of the swaying ship. He peered into the instrument''s small hole and exclaimed: "See that landmass in the distance? We''ll land there and make it to Rumblecrag Volcano on foot!" "Oh. Will you now?" The trio immediately seized up at the familiar, feminine voice behind them. The sound of her claw-ridden paws striking the wooden deck hit their ears as they turned. Liepard, along with a multitude of sword-gripping Pokemon. Gabite scowled at the smug smirk on the feline''s muzzle, who strutted forward. "Mreow~ - it appears I was right to trust my intuition," Liepard purred out. "I could pick apart a Pokemon''s truest intentions with a single look in my old life. Still haven''t lost that ability, it seems." She circled them but kept her distance. Her predatory gaze fell upon Larvitar and lingered momentarily. "I expected Garchomp''s daughter to make a delightfully bold, yet foolish attempt at an escape - but you, Larvitar? My most devoted little ingrate? Truly, my heart is wounded." Larvitar snorted. "I''m no longer your pet, Mariner! From now on, I''m an explorer! And if any of these Nomel Berry-sucking eejits here realized how twisted ye are, they''d form a mutiny and toss ye overboard!" Liepard''s pompous look twitched with the slightest of irritation. The pirates around her began to enclose the trio, forcing them to move backward toward the bow of the vessel. "You think I didn''t know you stole these old, out-of-date maps? You must have forgotten all my Psychic-type ingrates keeping watch, didn''t you?" Gabite and Lairon''s angry stares snapped to Larvitar, who wore a sheepish look. "You want to run? You wish to desert my crew and steal my treasure?!" Liepard hissed. "If your daring plan of escape was to jump from this ship, then I will allow it." She walked forward nonchalantly, bringing her ring of pirates closer. "And since I''m such a nice and fair lady, I''ll give you a head start before my ships begin firing upon you." Gabite''s back hit the far end of the ship''s bow. In front of her was the slowly encroaching Mariner and her pirates, and behind her was the dark, murky sea. There was only one choice to make at this point. A glance at Larvitar and Lairon beside her revealed them thinking much the same. "ARE YOU DEAF?!" Liepard suddenly roared. "SWIM! SWIM, YOU COWARDS!" "C''mon, you two!" Gabite turned and jumped off the deck of the ship, plunging into the ocean. Larvitar and Lairon wasted no time in following her, Lairon taking a few more moments to clamber the ship''s side and tumble into the water. Everything was dark. Water flooded into Gabite''s ears, drowning out the calls for her name. She tried to keep her head above the thrashing waves crashing into her body. All of her energy was put into swimming toward the hazy-looking shoreline in the distance. A small, green mass desperately fighting back against the current beside her was the only indication Larvitar was still with her. It was cold - so cold. Her muscles screamed at her. But she pushed forward despite everything. Even when her vision darkened, the beach was too close to stop now. She could feel the grains of sand graze her feet as they met solid ground. Receding waves pulled her back into the sea. A green paw grabbed onto her and kept her steady amid the surge. She was here. Finally here. Her feet stomped on the sands of the beach, water spilling off her scales as she dragged Larvitar onto the shore. She then promptly collapsed as sleep took her over. "Hey! Heeeey! Boss lady, wake up!" Gabite cracked her eyes open but immediately shielded them with a talon from the blinding rays of the sun striking her face. She wetted her dry lips and pushed her body up, wriggling any sand stuck to her scales. When her vision readjusted, she saw the smiling face of Larvitar extremely close to hers. "You''re alive, boss lady! Was swearin'' to the great Kyogre I wouldn''t be stuck with metal face here." ''Ugh, this wasn''t all just a bad dream...'' Gabite mumbled in her mind. "Metal¡­" she uttered. "Lairon. Where is he?" "Over here, lass," a weakened but familiar gravelly voice said from behind her. Lairon tilted his head, water leaking from gaps in his armor. "Takin'' a stroll out on the sea floor¡­ Somethin'' I''d never do again - that''s for sure." Larvitar bellowed with laughter. "But we indeed escaped from the clutches of the Mariner!" He brandished his cutlass and jabbed at the air. "Like true explorers, we bested our captors, conquered the stormy seas, and made it to our destination!" Gabite rolled her eyes and swiped the blade away from him with her talons. "H-hey!" Larvitar tried to jump and retrieve the cutlass as she raised it higher each time. "Treason, this is! Give it back!" "You said no one saw you enter her tent to take those maps," she said. "Tell the truth and I''ll give you your little sword back. This isn''t some long con, right?" "That''s the truth, boss lady! I swear on me life! Those Psychic-types help keep the Mariner''s tent dry when Wailord dives into the ocean, so there must be some sort of way they saw me with their powers! Ye ''ave to believe me!" he begged, dropping to his knees again. Gabite looked down at the quivering Pokemon before letting the cutlass drop to the sand. "Fine. I believe- OOF!" She was cut off as Larvitar launched into her chest and squeezed her into a tight hug. "I owe ye for savin'' me life from that dastardly Mariner, boss lady! Thank ye!" Gabite pulled him off her. "Why do you keep me ''boss lady'' now?" "Because you''re the boss now, of course!" Larvitar saluted her, causing a dust of blush to form on her cheeks. "Where should we head first, boss lady?" "Well, isn''t this lad the obedient sort," Lairon said as he trudged into view. "You learn tricks too back there?" Gabite watched Larvitar glare at Lairon and try to grab his cutlass before putting herself in between them. "Hey! What did I say about the fighting? Larvitar, you still got the maps with you?" Larvitar nodded and pulled out the sheets of soaking-wet parchment for her to see. "Not even any water damage. Good as new, I''d say!" She took the scraps of parchment from him, shaking them dry before rolling them out onto a nearby outcropping of bleached rock. "Let''s see here¡­" Her talon hovered briefly before stabbing the parchment detailing a long stretch of coastline. "We''re here - the Sandygast Shoals. And Rumblecrag Volcano is¡­ pretty dang far from here, it seems." Lairon stared up at the reddish mountain range in the distance. "Aye. But I bet we could reach it within a day." He shot Larvitar a look. "If these maps of yours can get us there faster than the Mariner''s ships." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "Of course they will, iron belly!" Larvitar argued. Gabite crumpled the maps and slapped them against Larvitar''s chest. "Good. Because you''re our navigator now. Tell us where to go." "Uh, well¡­" Larvitar scanned their vicinity before pointing out an opening in a rocky bluff. "Into there, boss lady! There''s a tunnel system that connects to the caves beneath the volcano." Gabite stretched her weary limbs. "Let''s get a move on, then. " The sight of Rumblecrag Volcano in the distance caught her eye. Her talons shook involuntarily. ''Mom¡­ Are you really there? Do you really think there''s something about dad you missed here?'' "Lass! Are ye comin'' with?" Lairon yelled. "Coming!" she yelled back. The sun was particularly harsh on this day. Gabite took the hot weather in stride, finding the sunlight rejuvenating after yesterday''s ordeal. She trekked up the hills of the bluff, a tired and panting Lairon trying to keep up behind her. "Huff¡­ How much¡­ Huff¡­ further to this cave?" Lairon asked through long pants. "Not that far," Gabite responded. "Geez, I thought living on a mountain would make you more fit. Must be all that iron, huh?" "Yuck it up, lass. But all this bulk of mine translates to raw strength!" Lairon ended with a proud stomp. Gabite''s attention wandered to Larvitar as the small Pokemon leaped over rocks and swung from one tree branch to another. She somewhat admired the boundless energy the Rock-type had, finding it preferable to the crotchety, callous dragons from her village. Could she consider him a friend and trust him like she did Lairon yet? ''He did free us from the Mariner, even if it was a really dumb idea. Wait. Back on the ship, what he was babbling about - something about meteorites?'' "Hey, Larvitar," Gabite spoke up. "So these Dyna meteor thingies in the volcano, what are they?" Larvitar swung from the vines of a tree and landed beside the dragoness. "Aliens!" "Aliens? Really?" "Sort of! The Mariner said a Pokemon from space burned up in the atmosphere and turned into the meteorites that crashed into the volcano." "So¡­ remains of some dead Pokemon. Why does she want them so bad?" "Oh these meteorites aren''t just rocks and bones; the locals of the volcano say they give ye a great power akin to the strength of a giant if ye slumber in one. They avoid ''em like the plague, though." "Slumber in one?" Gabite swung around to look at Lairon. "You see the volcano''s locals every now and then with that whole performance thing, so have you ever heard about this?" Lairon shook his head. "Never spoken one of ''em before - only seen ''em. But the Mariner showin'' up at the volcano is not good news for those lads." "Which is why we need to stop her from reaching the Dyna Crystals!" Larvitar exclaimed. "That dreadful dame and the villainous Tyrantrum!" Gabite stopped in her tracks. "Tyrantrum¡­ that Tyantrum? The same one who broke out of that Council prison?" Larvitar nodded. "For years the Mariner and Tyrantrum ''ave been locked in a fierce rivalry for control of the Alomomola Sea. Ah, ye should''ve seen the countless battles I was in against that drake''s crew!" "Two pirate legends proved to actually exist. Hah! I would''ve never believed it back home," Lairon said. "So the Mariner and Tyrantrum both want these Dyna Meteorites," Gabite concluded. "But¡­ Either of them can''t have it. If the meteorites are really this powerful, then imagine all the destruction that could happen to the Mountain Region." "Exactly!" Larvitar said with a wayward slash of his cutlass. "We''re explorers! We''ll defeat them both!" "You''re really overestimating our skills here," Gabite remarked. "I only left my village a day ago." "Ah, but surely ye ''ave ventured throughout many Mystery Dungeons, boss lady!" Gabite blushed again as she tapped her talons together. "Uh, I''ve been through¡­" one," she quietly croaked out. "Hahahaha! Not a problem, boss lady. I''ve never been in one meself!" He took a deep breath. "But without the Mariner controllin'' me life anymore, I can do anythin''! Me heart burns for true adventure! And I ''ave so much to say and experience of the greater world!" "Could you experience it a bit quieter, lad?" Lairon grumbled. Gabite giggled. "Ease up, Lairon. He clearly hasn''t been out much since the Mariner took him in. Let him enjoy himself." "Oh I shall," Larvitar proclaimed. "I ''ave so much to say and so many tales I wish to retell!" "Tales from an ex-pirate? That sounds like something up my alley," she said, tantalized by the thought. "Ye really don''t want that, lass¡­" Lairon warned. "Shush, lead belly!" Larvitar quipped. "Now, where to begin¡­" The beaming sun was replaced by the tall ceiling of the bluff''s cavern. They descended deeper into the darkness, Gabite lighting the way with small spurts of her Dragon Breath. Larvitar''s rapid-fire voice bounced across the walls. "The time the Mariner and Tyrantrum went to battle over the treasure of Isle Typhoon! Ye should ''ave seen the way I swung from the masts - ship to ship! I was nigh unstoppable! Too agile and too dangerous with my cutlass! Tyrantrum and his goons were lucky I was in battle for a mere thirty seconds that time!" Their long trek through the cave yielded the reward of a returning sun as they were now high up in the bluffs. Though the monotony of the cave was long behind them, Larvitar''s voice still filled the air. "-And I told Flareon to fix the riggin'' up on the Murkrow''s nest, but here''s the thing! I came back a few hours later and somehow that ball of fur was tangled up in the ropes! Hahahaha - could ye imagine that? Then, another time I told him to tell the Dhelmise to stop anchoring themselves so we could raise the sails; the poor lad had the wrong choice of words with ''em, and when I come back they''re stranglin'' him! Hahahaha!" Swathes of trees and foliage surrounded Gabite and Lairon as they moved forward in a slouched manner - contrasted by Larvitar''s lightning-fast movements as he zipped across trees and fallen timber around them. "And I feel so alive now that I''m not some cog in the Mariner''s machine! I bet I could evolve twice with how much I''ve held back from the world! We should go through every Mystery Dungeon we come across; I could take a hundred dungeon ''mons if they threatened ye, boss lady!" Gabite tried to focus her concentration on the scrunched-up map held by her shaking eyes. Her ears tried to tune out the non-stop barrage of words as she marched up the cliffside in a daze. Lairon faired no better; his movements were sluggish, his body low to the ground. ''Just how long can he go on,'' Gabite groaned in her mind. ''He''s gotta run out of breath at some point, right?'' "And another thing!" Larvitar uttered. "Why don''t we get some proper gear like real explorers? I could use an upgrade for me-" There was a flash of bright light followed by a shimmering noise and a loud ''thud'' of something hitting the ground. Gabite and Lairon continued trudging forward before they noticed Larvitar was now silent, stopping in place. "Ye finally got it out of your system, lad?" Lairon asked. He waited expectantly for an answer that never came. "Lad? Gabite and Lairon turned to see Larvitar gone and an entirely different Pokemon lying on its side on the ground. It was spiky - encased in a thick grayish-blue shell with dark markings. Its two wide eyes were directed at the pair as Gabite approached cautiously and knelt down to take a closer look. She noticed Larvitar''s cutlass and shoulder straps dropped next to the pupa-like Pokemon. "Is this Pokemon¡­ Larvitar?" she wondered. "His stuff''s here and it looks like he-" "Evolved," Lairon finished for her, cracking a wide grin before letting out a loud guffaw. "Oh - great Terrakion''s horns - it looks like the lil'' firebrand was right! He did have enough energy to evolve into a Pupitar. Hohoho!" "Pupitar, huh. Well, can he move at least?" Pupitar responded by rocking his body back-and-forth, but remained locked in place. "He''s not goin'' anywhere anytime soon, lass. Ye know about Metapod and Kakuna evolvin'' into Butterfree and Beedrill, correct? Our chatty ex-pirate here is goin'' through the same sort of process." He sighed, jabbing Pupitar slightly, which made the Rock-type wiggle in anger. "Nature sure is amazin'' - ain''t it, laddie?" Gabite clenched her teeth. "Ugh! We can''t just sit around and wait for him to evolve again!" She swiped up Larvitar''s belongings and placed them into her saddlebag. "We''ll have to carry him or¡­ something." "Lass?" Pupitar attempted to speak through his lack of mouth, but his words were far too mumbled to be understood. Gabite leaned in. "Huh? What are you trying to say?" "Lass, ye might wanna take a gander at the sea!" Lairon yelled. Gabite followed his stare. "Why? What''s- Oh no¡­" Liepard braced herself as Wailord swam to breach through to the surface. Her bed and its mountain of cushiony pillows encasing her in comfort collapsed or tilted backward; glittering baubles and trinkets clattered to the floor as her many self-portraits mounted on dressers were now slanted. "One of these days I must consider having these ingrates use their powers to keep everything perfectly still¡­" she mused to herself, swatting a pillow off her head. The pink forcefield of energy enclosed over her tent flickered before fading away. The flaps of the entrance were thrown open as a sopping-wet Espeon entered. Liepard narrowed her eyes at the Pokemon, who began to shake herself dry. "Outside," Liepard hissed. Espeon quickly rectified her mistake and sprinted outside. A second later, she returned with dryer fur and a throat she cleared with a paw. "Er, Marine- uhm, captain? A question, if I may?" "Since you''ve caught me in a good mood, you may." "Why''d you let Larvitar desert and run off with those two prisoners?" Espeon winced at the scowl Liepard was giving her. "Um, you have the best judgment; I was only wondering¡­" With a lazy stretch, Liepard leaped off her luxurious bed and kneaded a small patch of Wailord''s skin scarred by multiple cuts. Espeon looked at it with worry, which made Liepard scoff. "Don''t worry - he doesn''t feel a thing," she said, taking in Espeon''s slightly trembling form. "You''re the newest Psychic-type I''ve rescued from that mangy crew you were in, hmm? Weren''t they called¡­ Ah, its name left me, but it doesn''t matter anyway." Espeon nodded. "I was, and I''m really, really thankful you brought me into your crew. I hope I can pull my weight around here." "First off, lose the lost little girl act and speak more boldly; you''re a pirate now - act like it! Secondly, your job is to keep this tent secure and watched around the clock. Third, and more importantly, you keep me dry," Liepard finished plainly. "U-understood. I''ll try to remember all of that, captain." "I''m not a captain. I''m the Mariner; a scourge upon the seas and a notable woman of action. If you see another ingrate call me ''captain'', punish them for me." "Got it." "As to answer your question - why did I let those three escape? It''s quite simple." Liepard bared her sharp incisors and let out a velvety laugh that sent chills down Espeon''s spine. "I enjoy the thrill of a good hunt. Something to really sink my claws into. And that Gabite¡­" She paused to lick her chops. "Vanquishing a daughter and that dreadful mother of hers right as they reunite is too good to pass up. Larvitar and that other pudgy Pokemon are a nice bonus." "But Larvitar has the maps of shortcuts to Rumblecrag Volcano, doesn''t he? Couldn''t they make it there before we do?" Liepard shook her head "Larvitar is a simpleton. I discarded those maps for a reason; they only led to dead ends or traps. The Dyna Meteorites and its powers are mine to claim - not that Garchomp''s - and certainly not Tyrantrum." She approached Espeon and leaned in close and smiled. "Believe me, my newest ingrate, everything in life is a hunt. I have long searched, and hunted for my true calling, only to see it in the form of drawn claws. But the next hunt is forever when you''re still hungry, and I am starved¡­" The flaps of the tent burst open as a panting Medicham ran in. "Mariner! We''ve spotted the deserter Larvitar and the two prisoners atop the cliffs near Rumblecrag Volcano!" he exclaimed. Liepard''s smile turned sinister. "And speaking of hunts¡­" She strutted past Espeon and pushed her head into a tattered buccaneer hat resting on a hook. "Both of you man the cannons on Wailord, but don''t fire until you hear my shout," she commanded before walking out of the tent. Her careful almost dainty steps devolved into a feral-like prowl as pirates hurried to their positions. Scores of Electrode bounced across the battle prepped Wailord and positioned themself near manned cannons. Like a sea being split in two, Liepard pushed past every Pokemon in her path with zero resistance, only sparing a single glance at the nearby bluffs that served only to fuel her voracious appetite for a good hunt. "The Mariner always gets her prey," she said aloud. She eyed a particular cannon and made her way to it. On the way, she snatched a net full of restless Dreepy trying to free themselves from their imprisonment. She dragged the bag of small dragons behind her and tittered to herself. "You poor babies miss your momma?" she asked sweetly. The Dreepy chirped in agreement, pressing up against the net again in hopes of escape. "Well think of me as your momma for a while, because momma needs your help right now!" Reaching her desired cannon, she propped it up and slashed the net containing the Dreepy. Before they could flee, she dumped all of them into the cannon and slammed it down. Fire licked the edges of her jaw and opened, snarling maw as she swiveled the cannon over so it faced the rocky bluff. She wasted no time in biting the fuse with her Fire Fang. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! One whistling explosion after another cracked the skies as Dreepy shot out of the cannon and zoomed across the ocean like missiles. Liepard cackled loudly watching each Dreepy rocket toward their target. She pounded Wailord''s skin with her paws. "YES! YES! MAKE YOUR MOMMA PROUD, MY LITTLE INGRATES!" Gabite did not need binoculars to see the multiple supersonic Dreepy flying toward them. "DREEPY! Find some cover and duck!" she cried out, yanking Pupitar off the ground and running to a nearby alcove. Lairon was slow to realize. "Huh? Dreewhat?" He cocked his head at the whistling blurs in the distance and only scrambled to where Gabite was once the whistling grew louder. "What are these wee green things?!" he shouted along the way. The heat-seeking Dreepy zipped and recalculated their flight with a keen sense of detection. They slammed into the rocks the pair were hiding behind with zero hesitation, producing mini explosions wherever they landed. Gabite shielded her face and gripped Pupitar against her chest as the attack went on and on. When the whistling and explosions finally ceased, a cloud of dust settled on the debris-stricken cliffside. Gabite cracked an eye open to survey the scarred land of fainted Dreepy. "Was¡­ that all she had?" Lairon shook off the bits of rock off his back. "This is the Mariner, lass" He stared out at the stationary Wailord in the ocean. "Whenever there''s one attack, one is sure to-" his eyes widened, "-follow..." Circular shadows by the dozens blanketed the sky, blocking out the sun. White and red with fuming angular eyes, the Electrode plummeted down onto the cliffs, crackling with electricity and primed to explode. "HIT THE DECK!" Lairon shouted. Gabite and Lairon ran back into the alcove just before the first Electrode touched the ground. With her eyes squeezed shut, Gabite could feel the vibrations in her bones and the shockwaves that followed. A discordant noise wracked her ears amid the constant explosions that forced her to open her eyes and witness the bluff collapsing into chunks of orangish rock around her. "LASS!" The floor beneath Gabite spiderwebbed into various cracks and splinters before giving way. All she could do was scream as she and Lairon tumbled into a pitch-black trench. "I am sick and tired of waking up and feeling like a Tauros ran me over," Gabite bemoaned, scraping dust off her scales. "That Mariner lady is nuts. Did you see how many Dreepy and Electrodes she shot at us?" "Too many to count," Lairon coughed out. "I''m willin'' to bet that entire cliffside''s been blown to smithereens!" He groaned as he stood up, staring up at the pit they descended from. "We fell a ways down, it seems. At least we''ve got some distance from that Wailord and the rest of her ships." "Yeah, for now. Unless she thinks we got buried completely. And-" She paused, noticing she was not holding Pupitar anymore and gasping. "Larvitar! Where is he? Did we lose him?" She ran around the rubble-filled antechamber in search of the Rock-type. Lairon walked over to a corner of the room and brushed aside a layer of dust coating a shaking Pupitar. "Sadly no, lass." Gabite rushed over and sighed in relief. "Good. We''re all in one piece - that''s good, uh. But¡­" She glanced around. "How are we gonna get him out of here? ''Cause I''m not carrying him the entire way," she quickly added. "And I''m not eager to do the same, lass." An awkward silence settled as the two of them stared at Pupitar, who blinked expectantly in return. "Wait. I''ve got an idea," Gabite said, opening her saddlebag. She pulled out a bundle of rope and looked at him expectantly. "Are you thinking what I''m thinking?" Lairon sighed. A grinding noise clashed with the sounds of crackling torches on the rocky wall as wet earth and rock were parted by the spikes of Pupitar. Rope was tied to his middle section and was connected to Lairon''s chest as the Steel-type dragged him along with a merry expression. Gabite took the lead as she checked and sifted through various maps. "We went down a path looked promising but nope - It goes nowhere! Just like the other five we went through. We circled back and went even further down but still nothing! There''s no exit to this place anywhere! And there''s so many different paths and- Uggghh." She groaned, wanting to tear up the parchment. "Are these even the right maps? I''m seriously going to scream if Larvitar picked the wrong ones." "This is amazin''!" Lairon exclaimed. "I can finally hear myself think without the wee lad in my ear!" He glanced back to see Pupitar glare at him angrily and mutter something inaudible. "Oh, take it on the chin, why don''t ye? Perhaps I should sing ye a sea shanty to pass the time?" Pupitar adopted a thoughtful expression. "Can you guys stop messing around back there? We''re kinda lost here," Gabite said, trying to ease her frayed nerves with deep breaths. "Look at the torches on the wall, lass. That means there''s been Pokemon down here. Follow them and we''ll find a way out." "The torches¡­" Gabite looked up from her maps. "The torches! Lairon, you''re a genius! C''mon!" She scattered the maps to the floor with a flick of her talons and booked it down a pathway littered with torches. "Hey! I''m pullin'' a mon back here!" Lairon grunted as he picked up the pace and ran after her; Pupitar dragged behind and was given a bumpy ride. The row of torches on the wall that guided Lairon eventually stopped, leaving him in total darkness as he sprinted forward. Seeing a glimpse of blue scales ahead, he had seconds to skid to a halt to avoid crashing into a motionless Gabite. Pupitar was lobbed a great distance away from the momentum and ended up lodged into a stalagmite. His unamused expression flicked to the reunited pair. "Why do ye insist on runnin'' off without explainin'' a thing, lass? Do ye take pleasure in makin'' me sweat?" Lairon accused. Gabite did not respond as she slowly raised her arms. "... Do you feel that?" "Feel what?" "The heat. I can. It''s like a Torkoal sauna in here." "Here''s hopin'' there''s one! I need proper rest right now¡­" Gabite rolled her eyes before pointing at a nearby wall. A splintered vein of rock occasionally pulsated a fiery red color. "Look! That''s magma! We could be near one of the volcano''s vents right now! We have to be close!" Her heart suddenly lurched in her chest. ''I could be close to mom right now¡­ She''s here - she has to be, right? And both of us could stop the Mariner, keep the Dyna Meteorites hidden, and then we could finally talk for once.'' With a new resolve, Gabite wordlessly ran down the narrow cavern. Lairon sighed heavily to himself. "I could be back home fillin'' my belly and sharin'' a laugh with the lads and gals¡­" He gave a tug on the rope, jostling Pupitar off the stalagmite. "C''mon. We''ve got one restless drake to go after." Pupitar mumbled something in response.
''Am I close? Please tell me I''m close.'' Gabite could see a red glow in the distance. Her breaths felt strained as the heat in the cave increased a few degrees the closer she got to it. Looking down at her feet, certain spots of obsidian-colored stone were too hot to step on. Steam rose from pockets of exposed terrain that emitted a bubbling sound. ''There''s no doubt now¡­'' Pieces of rock tumbled off a ledge as Gabite overlooked it. She gazed up to see rivers of sizzling lava cascade down shafts and flow into a large pool below her. The noise of shuffling footsteps behind alerted her to Lairon as he stepped cautiously near the ridge and peered at what lay beyond. "There''s a feelin'' in my gut as a Steel-type to get as far away from this furnace as possible," he murmured. "Guess you''ll have to suck it up, then," she said with a playful wink. "Easy part''s done, I guess. Now we just need to find a way up." Lairon tilted his head. "... Do ye hear that? It sounds like Pokemon flappin'' their lips!" She scoured the cavern until her eyes landed on something directly below their position. Her heart sank as she got a good look at them. Two Krokorok were dressed in tattered black clothing and conversing with one another. They wore eyepatches with symbols of outstretched jaws and bared teeth on them. "P-pirates! Two of them down there! Dang - how did the Mariner get here before us?" "Shh - they''re sayin'' somethin'', lass. Listen." Gabite heeded his advice, quieting down and waiting for the two Krokorok to speak again. "... and any chance we''ll see Miss Kitty Cat and her misfit crew again? I''d love to take a bite out of one of those losers," she could hear one say. "Last time we spotted them, her ships were at port in Baroness Bay," the other said. "As long as her crew doesn''t rear their ugly heads here, we should be out of this dump soon and ready to pay her a visit, heh." Gabite''s eyes widened. "They''re not with the Mariner!" she whispered to Lairon. "They''re part of some other crew. But why here of all places?" She heard the loud thumps of massive footsteps beneath her. Peeking down, her mouth hung wide open at what she saw. The two Krokorok sidestepped and allowed a monstrous-looking Tyrantrum to pass. "The boss graces us with his presence!" one of them exclaimed. "That, uh, shiny crystal or meteorite is all ready for you to hibernate in." Not a word nor a single glance was spared by the Tyrantrum as it stomped past the two Ground-types. It went further down the narrow hallway before vanishing from sight. Gabite gritted her teeth. "Tyrantrum''s crew - now it makes sense. He and the Mariner are after the Dyna Meteorites, but he made it here first." "What did they mean by ''hibernate''?" Lairon wondered. "Is the big guy gonna cocoon up in that meteorite like our good friend Larvitar here?" Gabite winced as troublesome thoughts invaded her mind. ''If they said the meteorite is ready for Tyrantrum, then did mom fail to stop him? Was she ever here in the first place? If she''s still searching for dad then she would be here. But all I have for proof is the Mariner saying she would go here¡­'' Once again, she felt lost - without direction. She knew it was a foolish thought, however. ''What am I even thinking? We''ve gotta stop Tyrantrum and the Mariner and protect the Mountain Region. But can me and Lairon do that all by ourselves?'' "Hmm, I hear somethin'' hissin'' louder than an Ekans," Lairon said, glancing around. Gabite snapped out of her thoughts. "Huh?" She looked over at Lairon in confusion before she saw something even more worrying. "Ah!" she yelped. "Larvitar - don''t!" The hissing noise Pupitar released grew louder in volume as he trembled in place, fierce and hate-filled eyes directed at the Krokorok twins. In a split second his body launched at impossible speeds toward his target, the rope attached to his form yanking Lairon off the ledge with him. "HEY- WOAH!" Lairon wailed. Pupitar smashed into a Krokorok before it even noticed, toppling it in an instant. Lairon groaned in pain on the floor beside the unconscious Ground-type before swiftly standing up. He sized up the remaining Krokorok, who snapped his jaws at these newly arrived foes. "Intruders! Part of Miss Whisker''s crew, I''m guessin''? Took ya long enough! Now stay still while I gnaw on your bon- URK!" The body of Pupitar smacked Krokorok''s face with immense force, smashing the Ground-type into a nearby wall. Lairon swung his body around again as Pupitar rolled over beside him. "I won''t lie!" Lairon began. "Swingin'' ye around like that was good fun. I know ye probably have a history with Tyrantrum''s crew, but now is not the time for pickin'' fights, lad!" Gabite jumped down from the ridge. "You guys okay?" "Aye. But wherever there''s goons, more are sure to follow." Before Gabite could reply, a series of voices could be heard beyond one of the twisting pathways splintering off. "Intruders!" "Protect the captain!" Scores of Pokemon in garb similar to the Krokorok sprinted toward the trio, who stood their ground. A Croconaw, Trapinch, Carnivine, and two Drednaw encircled them. They all opened their maws full of razor-sharp teeth and slammed them shut in sync. They slowly encroached, ready for attack. Purplish energy built up in Gabite''s talons. "Get out of our way, or we''ll force you to!" "These lot aren''t willin'' to listen to reason, lass!" Lairon said. His tail ''whapped'' the ground in a threatening display. "But we''ll send them flyin'' back to their ship!" Pupitar hissed and rocked back and forth in response. The Carnivine lunged at Gabite''s face. She swatted it away with a Dragon Claw and stomped the head of Trapinch into the ground as it got close. Lairon whipped his body around, snapping the rope and careening Pupitar into the belly of Croconaw. "Watch out for these two shelled beasts, lass!" Gabite turned but it was too late as twin jets of highly pressurized water slammed into her. She cried out in pain and dropped to one knee. Hastily opening her saddlebag, she took out a Luminous Orb and smashed it on the ground, producing a flash of white light that blinded everyone in the room. She ran to a safe location before the light receded and tended to her injuries with the consumption of an Oran Berry in one bite. Hollering and frantic footsteps came from the halls as more pirates emerged to replace those who had fallen. Gabite and Lairon, forced to retreat backward, now literally had their backs against the cave''s walls. The dragoness turned to whisper to her friend. "Psst! I got a few Stun Seeds for these creeps. We can stun ''em and make a run for it." "And flee from battle?" Lairon shook his head. "We''ve gotta take down these scurvy-ridden seadogs before ever thinkin'' of goin'' after Tyrantrum!" Neither of them expected to see a yellowish Wonder Orb rolling between the feet of their enemies. Gabite blinked. "That''s a¡­ Foe Hold Orb?" There was an unseeable attack and the orb suddenly shattered. A shockwave of electricity exploded from the broken vessel and locked the pirates in place. "Now, Charizard!" a new voice shouted. A sweeping layer of flames engufled the paralyzed pirates. They fell one by one - twitching as smoke wafted off their bodies. Leathery orange wings fanned the smoke away as a Charizard landed on the ground with a loud thud. "Man, torching ''mons is starting to get boring," it commented in a baritone voice. Gabite''s head snapped to the sound of insect-like wings buzzing above. A Scyther fluttered to the ground beside Charizard. "I''ve surveyed the area. The rest of Tyrantrum''s Pokemon have surely fled to his side at the sight of us," it said. Her heart thumped in her chest. ''No. It can''t be¡­'' She looked at the final Pokemon wedged between Scyther and Charizard. A Shiny Lucario wearing a cocky grin tossed a Wonder Orb up and caught it with one paw. "Looks like we arrived in the nick of time." He deposited the orb into a yellow saddlebag and tightened a paw, revealing a metal ring with a Mega Stone encrusted into it latched around his arm. "Nice to meetcha, fellow explorers! Name''s Jackson - maybe you''ve heard of us¡­" He gestured to the Pokemon beside him. Gabite could not help letting out a squeal. "Y-you''re¡­ you''re-" Jackson jabbed a paw at himself and smiled. "Team Moonlight - at your service!"
Three Pokemon - three dreams to go where no one goes. To cross paths, is it fate? Is it destiny? There exists a simpler explanation¡­
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord below! Discord: z2h2z Final Special Episode Part: Motherhood Special Episode #2 The World Stops For No One: Part 4: Motherhood Special Episode: The World Stops For No One Part Four: Motherhood The afternoon sun was peeking over the ravines of Dragging Claw. Dragon-types flying overhead were shadows against the busy cobblestone roads. Everything was perfectly calm. Gabite held her knees close to her chest as she basked in the warm rays hitting her face. She liked days like this. No school, no farming, no fighting over pointless things. It felt normal for once. Sitting on the steps leading to her cavern house, she could see the entire village and all the lives going about their business. "You all right, pup?" Gabite glanced to her side to see the smiling visage of her mother. "Fine, mom. Just thinking¡­" Garchomp sat down next to her. "Thinking about how strong you are? You just evolved the other day." She smirked. "Bet you think you can take down Deino now." She scoffed. "Deino fights dirty, and even if I''d win she''d just cry that I cheated. And Elder Kommo-o always believes her." "Yeah, yeah, she''s a suck-up, isn''t she? But you''re strong, pup - stronger than you know." Gabite gave a toothy grin. "I feel strong! Strong enough to beat you, Mom!" "Hehe, don''t get such a big head about, or else you''ll like your¡­" Garchomp stopped herself from finishing the sentence. She looked away, and Gabite watched her gaze into the distance in almost a trance. Garchomp then pointed at the streets. "Hey, pup, look at that." She followed her mother''s talon and saw her babysitter interacting with two Trapinch. "Miss Flygon? I haven''t seen her for a loooong time! Who are those two Pok¨¦mon by her?" Garchomp grew a warm, genuine smile. "She became a mom over the summer, and those two Trapinch are her sons." "Wow¡­ That''s kinda gross." Her mother guffawed loudly and pulled her close. She struggled to break free but a long tail wrapped around her prevented any movement. She eventually gave up, finding comfort as Garchomp laid an arm around her neck. She remembered her mother wrapping her up tight next to the roaring fireplace. She felt secure, safe, and loved. But now she felt embarrassed more than anything. "Mom! Someone could see!" Garchomp did not ease up. "Not until you take it back." "Ugh, fine. It''s not gross, okay? Now lemme go!" The tail wrapped around her waist shifted away as Garchomp leaned back. They stared at each other before both broke into giggles. When their amusement ceased, they went back to watching the motions around them. "I''m very proud of Flygon. She always talked about having a few rascals of her own whenever she babysat you." "Didn''t she want to be one of those soldiers the Elder brings to fight the other clans?" "She did. But she decided something was more important in her life. She couldn''t become a warrior of the clan because of it but give and take are all parts of life." "Give and take? What do you mean?" "It''s a compromise, pup. It means to get something, you have to give up something in return. Motherhood¡­ It''s a big compromise." "... Did you have to, um, compromise?" Gabite watched her mother''s smile fall as she winced. Was it strange to feel guilty for one''s birth? Her mother was a great explorer renowned by everyone she knew, but she could hardly recall a recent adventure she partook in in the past few years. "Of course I had to, pup. I couldn''t have all these crazy exciting adventures when I was too worried about making sure you didn''t burn the place down." Garchomp laughed seeing her pout. "I had to learn how to cook, how to clean, how to¡­ well, you get the point. Let me tell ya, as someone who used to be a dirty explorer, it was hard. And you''ll have to learn all these things you never knew or wanted to when you''re a mother of your own someday." "Moooooom!" she groaned. "Don''t say stuff like that." Garchomp smirked. "You can enjoy being a kid for now, pup; I won''t take that from ya. But I just want you to know something." "What?" "Despite what I compromised, I don''t regret ever having a cute little pup like you." Before Gabite knew it, she was wrapped up in another embrace. But this time, she did not resist. She was awesome, caring, and understanding all in one. And she loved her dearly. Silence hung in the air as they hugged. "Hey, mom. Have you ever met Team Moonlight before?" "Can''t say I''ve ever heard of them, pup." "Oh, they''re these new explorers that are getting super popular! I read about ''em all the time in the Celestic Cog.. cognee-" Garchomp chuckled. "Cognizance, pup." She giggled. "Yeah, that." "Nah, I haven''t, but I''d always like to meet newcomers." "I''d like to meet them someday¡­." They resumed observing the streets of Dragging Claw until Gabite felt herself grow tired, her heavy eyelids dropping as she fell asleep. The last thing she remembered was a pair of arms wrapped around her. "I''ll keep you safe here, pup. As long as I can." "I-I''m dreaming, right?" Gabite stepped forward, mouth agape. "No way. You guys are actually-" "We''re not fakes, kid," Charizard said with a hint of amusement. He then flexed his two large wings. "Oh yeah, these babies here are the real deal!" Jackson elbowed the prideful lizard. "Charizard here just evolved, so don''t expect anything humble out of him." "Upset you''re not the only fully evolved ''mon around now, Jack?" Charizard retorted, getting an eye roll from the Shiny Lucario. Gabite continued her slow approach. "You guys- I''m like the biggest fan of yours!" She suppressed another squeal as she extended a talon in front of Charizard''s wings. "Can I, uh, touch?" Charizard smirked. "Just don''t scratch ''em, ''kay?" Before Gabite could feel them, she felt something latch down on her tail and pull her back. She glanced angrily behind her to see Lairon spit off her tail and lumber forward. "Nice to meetcha, Team Moonlight!" he proclaimed with a wide smile. "Ahem, sorry about this excitable lass here; aye, she''s quite the fan of yours." He reached a foot over an invitation. Jackson bumped it with a paw. "No problem with fans here. Though, I didn''t expect to come across them here of all places; especially not any fellow explorers." Scyther cocked his head at Lairon. "That¡­ Pupitar you have trussed up back there, is he an outlaw? One of Tyrantrum''s crew that you have captured?" "Him? Nah," Gabite said. "Well, um, he is- was a pirate under the Mariner. But we got captured by her and then he helped us escape, and then he evolved and couldn''t move or talk anymore, so I tied him to Lairon and that''s how he goes with us!" She cracked an uneasy smile and tapped her talons together. "We''ve had, uh, a crazy day." "Aye, but ye should be thankful he can''t gab anymore. He''ll gab your ears right off!" Lairon exclaimed, giving the Rock-type a light jostle. "Hohoho - ain''t that right, lad?" Pupitar rolled his eyes. Scyther''s confused expression lingered on Gabite. "Apologies - you said you escaped from the ''Mariner'', and you''re running away from her?" Gabite nodded. "There''s another reason we''re here, but yeah that''s one of them." "That can''t be true; I''ve studied the Mountain Region''s folklore before coming here and the tale of the Mariner is just that - a tale." "I thought so, too," she said. "We both did - until she had us both in chains. This Liepard - she''s nuts. Went off about this treasure in this volcano called the Dyna Meteorites. She wants their power or whatever and she''s got a whole crew of pirates supporting her." Scyther''s face grew pale. "Wha-" Charizard whistled loudly. "Guess ya aren''t the know-it-all anymore, Scyther." "Don''t start, Charizard." Jackson pushed both of them aside and stood before Gabite. She looked up nervously at him, only to be met with a warm smile. "You two- three," he corrected, "seem to know a lot more than these pirates around here. I guess it would be within reason to let you in on why Team Moonlight is here as well." A pair of papery wings buzzed beside Jackson. "Jackson, I don''t believe we should share details of our mission with strangers," Scizor warned, glancing at Gabite and Lairon. "No offense, of course." "It''s fine, Scy. They were battling Tyrantrum''s goons the same as us, so they''re here for the same reason we are." Gabite leaned forward. "Which is¡­?" The Lucario clenched a paw tight. "To stop Tyrantrum from destroying the region with those Dyna Meteorites!" While Gabite was visibly stricken with awe from Jackson''s resolve, Lairon cleared his throat. "Our goals would be the same, aye, but there''s the problem of the Mariner, as well. That crazy dame''s got scores of ships sailin'' here right now to claim those space rocks for herself!" Jackson rubbed his chin. "Hmm, yeah that does complicate things a bit." He threw a look at Scyther and Charizard. "Any suggestions?" "Burn ''em. Burn ''em all," Charizard harrumphed. "We''re the greatest explorers on the continent. A bunch of peg leg-wearing ''mons don''t stand a chance against us." "While Charizard is right about our capabilities, two pirate captains are too much to deal with by ourselves," Scyther noted. "If we do this, we need the backing of the Council behind us." Jackson shook his head. "This far out? Council won''t lift a paw until we mop up for them. We have to do this ourselves, but¡­" his gaze drifted to Gabite and Lairon, "but maybe we won''t be alone in this battle." Gabite blinked. "Wait. Are you seriously suggesting we¡­ both of our teams together?" Jackson smirked and shrugged. "What do you say? You did mention being fans of ours, so why not get some first-paw experience with how we work as a team?" It took every fiber in Gabite''s being to not scream at such a proposition. She limited herself to a simple smile and a nod. "It would¡­ It would be so freaking cool if we could do this together." "Then consider yourselves Team Moonlight''s official backup now." Jackson looked at Scyther. "Satisfied now, Scy?" Scyther sighed. "This arrangement is¡­ acceptable." Jackson chuckled and spun around. "Great! Let''s get a move on; we got some pirates to whoop." "You''re speaking my language there, Jack," Charizard said as he swooped behind the Lucario. Scyther remained momentarily. "It''s a pleasure to meet you both¡­ and you as well, Pupitar. I wish the circumstances were better, but we have to move fast before Tyrantrum or even this Mariner can activate the meteorites." Gabite and Lairon shared a look before nodding. "We understand," the dragoness said. "We won''t slow you guys down - I promise." Her confident expression was marred by an emerging frown. "It''s just¡­ There''s one other reason we''re here." "And what is that?" "My mom. She''s a Garchomp, was part of Team Scale, and is one of the greatest explorers I know. She knew about the Mariner''s plan, and she might be here to stop her. If she''s here, I need to find her! Please tell me you guys will help" Scyther looked away, making Gabite wince, but that feeling of hurt vanished when he nodded. "First things first - we secure the Dyna Meteorites and stop these pirate captains. After that, we''ll search this volcano from top to bottom if we have to." Gabite sighed in relief. "Thanks so much, Scyther. Y''know, Team Moonlight, you guys really are my heroes." For the first time, she saw Scyther actually smile. "We help Pokemon - that''s what we do," he said before flying after his teammates. Gabite eased her nerves with a calming breath. "Wow. I can''t believe I''m not dreaming." "Best we get a move on like that yellow Lucario says. I''d hate to run into the Mariner again¡­" Lairon grumbled. "And ye better control yourself around these famous lot, or I''ll be draggin'' two ''mons behind me. Hoho!" Gabite rolled her eyes. "I''ve seen the way you acted when some rocks with metal in them fell down." She leaped over the groaning pirates lying on the ground and ran after Scyther and the others. Lairon sprinted after her. "I was starvin'', lass! That''s a perfectly good reason to act like I did!" Gabite ducked beneath a roaring column of bright orange flames that engulfed the rocky ceiling as Charizard rushed past her. From her position on the ground, she could hear the clashing of Scyther''s talons slicing a Numel in a frenzy. The body of a Torkoal flying overhead and smashing into a nearby wall was a product of Jackson''s work, she presumed. ''These guys are scary good at mopping up dungeon ''mons,'' she thought. After the newly formed team of six entered a Mystery Dungeon blocking their path, they easily breezed through the first ten floors with their combined strength. Gabite felt powerful by merely being beside such legendary explorers. She had a lot to prove to them, and she took every opportunity she got to show it. A Darmanitan in front of her slammed its fiery fists into the ground. She quickly scrambled to her feet and let loose a hasty Dragon Breath. The purple flames did little to dissuade the Fire-type from charging into her. She was knocked to the ground but stood up immediately to swipe at the Pok¨¦mon''s legs with her talons. She bared her teeth and headbutted its face, faltering its movements. A gray blur then slammed into the Darmanitan into the ground. It vanished with a glow of orange light as Lairon turned to flash a smile Gabite''s way. "Lookin'' more fierce than before, lass. You fine?" "More than fine," she said. "In fact, I feel great!" ''If only we could do this together, Mom. We still could - I know it.'' A chorus of shimmering noises and blips of orange light fading into nothingness resounded throughout the chamber. Jackson stood up to his full height and jabbed a paw at a nearby corridor. "That''s another Monster House down. Stairs should be past here." "These little ambushes get easier every time," Charizard remarked as he flew forward. "Keep saying that and you''ll face off against something you have no chance of beating," Jackson retorted. "Hah! As if that''ll ever happen!" Charizard shouted back. Jackson shook his head. "Char seems to think this is a solo venture of his now. What I would give to knock some sense into him." "He was like this when he first evolved into Charmelon," Scyther said. "Give it some time - he''ll come around, I''m sure." Gabite wedged herself in between the two of them. "Hey, so how did you guys know about these Dyna Meteorites?" "I don''t think that''s information we can-" "Oh give it a rest, Scy," Jackson said. "Most everybody knows about our goals by now. No need to be secretive about it." "To remove the Mystery Dungeons from this world¡­" Gabite murmured. "I''ve always wondered about that because dungeons have been around, like, forever! Do you guys even know how you could do it?" "That''s what we''ve been trying to figure out. Adventuring across Celestic, investigating places, hearing stories and whatnot," Jackson explained. "To be honest, a lot of our first investigations were just shots in the dark - nothing really concrete. That was until we enlisted the help of some fine ''mons up in the Grit Region." "How''d they help?" Gabite questioned. Jackson grinned. "We made them dig a giant hole under a Mystery Dungeon''s entrance - as far as they could go!" "Woah! Was there anything under it?" "There was something. Something I don''t even know how to explain myself. These orange line things - all tangled up down there. They-" Scyther cleared his throat. "Jackson, I think it would be best for me to explain this." Jackson scratched his chin. "Oh yeah, sure - you''re the researcher here." Scyther reached over and dug into the saddlebag strapped to Jackson''s side. He pulled out a large, worn-looking binder brimming with bookmarks. He flipped it open to a specific page and lowered the binder for Gabite to see. What she saw were depictions of what Jackson had described. A mess of golden orange lines crisscrossed at the bottom of a deep pit. Even if it was just a drawing, she felt strangely unnerved to know these things were just below them. "They''re called ''ley lines''. That is what we found below the Mystery Dungeons," he explained. "And not just below a dungeon, but connecting to other dungeons in the vicinity as well - like a network." "Scyther here thinks that these ley lines are connected through the entire world," Jackson added. "Everywhere there''s a Mystery Dungeon, these ley lines are present. They worm their way through the earth like a Diglett would, but very slowly." Gabite blinked. "Like a Diglett, huh. So these ley lines, are they a Pokemon?" "No," Scyther shot down. "Or at least with our current information, we can conclude that. The ley lines seem to be energy incarnate. They fuel the energy needed to form a Mystery Dungeon, and the land above them is something for it to copy, to take over." "Ah, so it''s a parasite, then. Like one of them Joltiks sappin'' away your juice!" Lairon deduced. "Precisely. Look around you." Scyther threw his scythes at their volcanic surroundings. "This Mystery Dungeon emulates the real Rumblecrag Volcano, but it''s all fake - an illusion. It''s close, but there are flaws in it. I draw comparisons to some Pokemon that like to blend in with their surroundings but in a greater magnitude. There''s nothing in this world that compares to the nature of the ley lines. It''s fascinating, it''s¡­" "It''s some pretty crazy stuff," Jackson finished. "It''s dangerous," Scyther corrected. "As long as these ley lines spread throughout the world, the Mystery Dungeons will never go away. The coordinate must be found and destroyed, and the nightmare can be over for so many Pokemon." "But we don''t know that, Scy. This is one strange world, and if there''s one thing I know, nothing is ever what it seems." He bumped Scyther''s shoulder. "And what''d you say? ''Nothing in this world compares''? C''mon, you know there''s something stranger than that." "Perhaps, but our friends here won''t be privy to that." Gabite felt her head spinning from the insight bestowed upon her. ''Ley lines? Coordinate? I''ve barely got a clue, but Team Moonlight seemed determined enough to chase mysteries.'' Unlike her mother, not once did they speak of treasure. But even her mother stopped speaking of that when tragedy occurred. And she knew Team Moonlight had experienced it before the team was even formed. "You are one smart ''mon," Gabite told Scyther. "And I''m not just saying that ''cause I''m a huge fan of your team." Jackson chuckled and wrapped an arm around Scyther, jostling him around, much to the Bug-type''s annoyance. "He is Team Moonlight''s researcher, archivist, geographer, and general brainiac. Without him, Charizard and I wouldn''t know where to go." Scyther struggled and broke free from the Lucario''s grasp. "This is a team effort, Jackson - like you said. I could never have started this journey without the both of you." He stowed away the binder back into Jackson''s saddlebag. "As long as the three of us are together, I have no doubt we''ll conquer anything in our path." Gabite stopped in her tracks, causing Lairon to stumble into her. "Hey! Keep walkin'', lass!" he barked out. She turned to look at him, deep in thought. ''Team Moonlight all trust each other''s strengths. Could I ever have a team of my own like that someday? Maybe with¡­ Lairon here. We trust each other enough. And with Larv- Pupitar - Sure, he''s dead weight now, but he''s helped us, and maybe we could help him by-'' "I got somethin'' on my face, lass? You''re staring at me real hard." Gabite jerked herself out of thought. "Uh, nah. Still the same ugly mug." Lairon''s eyes narrowed. "Choose your next words very carefully, ye cold-blooded sack of scales." Gabite giggled as she caught up with Scyther and Jackson. The Lucario turned to her and spoke: "But to answer your question, the reason we''re sticking our noses into this business is because Scyther here believes there could be a relation between the Dyna Meteorites and the ley lines." Gabite''s eyes went wide. "Seriously?" "It''s a massive reach, but we''ll take any chance there is to understand more about the nature of the ley lines," Scyther explained. Jackson nodded. "And even if it leads nowhere, we''ll still be helping some locals get rid of their pirate infestation." Navigating a corridor and stepping over puddles of steaming lava, they took the staircase that then obscured their vision in darkness. When their eyes readjusted, they were outside of the Mystery Dungeon and within a vast chamber. Natural, tall stone pillars twisted up to the ceiling that dripped lava into deep orange pools. Charizard could be seen flying around in laps before he spotted them and flew over. "Hand me the binoculars, Jack," he said. Jackson withdrew a set of binoculars from his saddlebag and tossed them upward. Charizard snatched them and gazed into the lens. "¡­ Yeah." He threw the binoculars to the ground, Jackson catching them. "Northwest. Tyrantrum''s crew going into an opening. Looks like those chumps are going to group up with the ships on the surface." Jackson grimaced. "We better hurry, then. I''m not looking forward to seeing what these meteorites are capable of." "I would like to at least see their potential," Scyther said, earning him a few looks. "... Given we could safely experiment with it afterward." "Doubt it. The locals seem to want nobody messing with them, and maybe it''s for good reason." As they navigated through the smoldering hot antechamber, Gabite could not stop her eyes from scouring every angle of the cavern. Room by room they went through, and she still could not stop herself from searching for her mother. It was maddening in a sense; they had a true goal right now, but she was held back by her personal and selfish goal. There was a sense of dread looming over her that never seemed to go away. ''Running around like crazy, that tight feeling in your chest, that''s how you felt here before, Mom. But I-'' Her thoughts faded with a single step. Looking down at the ground, she lifted her foot up. Underneath was a chalky white outline sketched into the rock. It depicted a circle that sprouted wings and horns. "Ye find somethin'' there, lass?" Lairon questioned as he approached. "Sort of. Looks like some kinda drawing?" Gabite knelt down to take a closer look. "Wait." She quickly took off her saddlebag and flipped it over to face her. She detached the badge pinned to the front flap and held it against the drawing on the ground. "It''s an exact match¡­ This replica of my mom''s badge and the drawing." Jackson heard the commotion and walked over. "Find something?" "My mom¡­ She drew this symbol of her badge here." She showed him the badge she held. "Same one I have that''s like hers." The Lucario knelt beside her. "Yeah, Scyther told us about her. But if she was here, it would have been recently. Looks like this was drawn not too long ago." "She could still be here¡­" She perked up at the sound of buzzing wings as Scyther hovered above, his head cocked. "There''s something else besides the drawing," he said. "Look. It''s faint, but you can see a pattern." Gabite followed his gaze and scrutinized the peculiar pattern etched into the ground beside the badge drawing. It was almost as if it was burned into the ground, then scratched and rubbed to erase its trace. "You know what, that looks like an Entercard pattern. But it''s been heavily damaged - like someone doesn''t want others to trace back the pattern." Scyther continued after recieving odd looks from Gabite and Lairon. "An Entercard is something certain explorers use to transport themselves using the ley lines. It''s like opening up a portal." "A portal? And Pokemon can enter these?" Gabite asked. Scyther nodded. "We''ve done it before. Utilizing the long network of ley lines to travel and reach places otherwise inaccessible is very useful for us explorers. But Entercards are very rare to come across, and especially coming across those who can fabricate them." He crossed his arms. "Your mother is an explorer¡­ Do you know if she used Entercards before?" Gabite shook her head. "No, I''ve never heard of these card things. Never heard Mom talk about them either, and she used to tell me everything. But¡­" "But?" It was a sharp stab of pain to her senses for her to remember that night. The night her mother had to tell her that her father was gone. She sighed, knowing the truth had to come out now. "My dad disappeared here a long time ago when he and my mom explored this place. He just vanished¡­ and never returned. Mom tried to find him, and she might''ve gone crazy over it." Scyther bowed his head. "I''m sorry to hear that, Gabite. These markings, however, are clear signs of an Entercard being used. If your father disappeared that day, then-" "Look, I don''t what you''re trying to say, but let''s end it there. I''m over it already. I can''t get obsessed with this like Mom was. He''s gone¡­ and I accepted that a long time ago" She sighed, whipping her head to throw away the stray tear forming. "Can we move on? Like Jackson said, we probably don''t have much time." Scyther had concern written across his face but fluttered back to the ground. "Understood. Let''s continue forward with the mission." Gabite glanced at the horned badge she held and the badge drawn beside the faded pattern. She pinned the badge back onto her saddlebag and swung it over her shoulder. Lairon remained silent but offered her a warm smile, which she responded with her own. ''I''m not getting pulled into this any more than I already have. I''m coming out of this stupidly hot place with mom or nothing at all.'' "The entrance those pirates took leads up to the surface," Jackson noted. "That''s where the meteorites will be." "And where Tyrantrum will most likely be," Scyther added. "Right. Let''s keep our guard up, everyone." The more Gabite trudged up the slopey hallways, the further it felt from a potential truth. But she was willing to put it all behind her, as much as it pained her to let it all go. A sunless sky concealed entirely by clouds greeted them as they emerged from the cavern. It was a flat, barren land nestled between a bay and the towering volcanoes surrounding them. A series of beached ships upon the shores revealed the symbols of jaws upon their billowing sails. Jackson scoured the land before his eyes landed on something in the distance. "Over there! The meteorites!" Gabite''s attention was drawn to the center of the field. Great spikes of golden orange rocks jutted forth from a scarred earth. Strange spiral patterns curled like veins around them, rooted to the very ground. Pirates of all kinds were gathered around a particular spike whose shimmering gleam could be seen from such a distance. "Tyrantrum''s not here¡­" Scyther''s eyes went wide like dinner plates. "Unless he''s-" "Unless he''s inside one of those meteorites," Jackson said. He signaled for Charizard to land as Scyther stepped to his side. "All right, the three of us are going after Tyrantrum before he can do whatever it is those meteorites do. Got it?" Scyther and Charizard gave a curt nod as Jackson turned his attention to Gabite. "You guys secure our flanks. Keep the heat of the lackeys off our backs, ''kay?" "Got it. We''ll do our best," Gabite said proudly. "Once we''re done here today, drinks are on me," Jackson ended with a wink. Without another word, Team Moonlight rushed off toward the glowing meteorites. Gabite''s heart would not stop beating as she placed a talon on her thumping chest. She was given a task by her heroes, and she was going to fulfill it to the best of her abilities. "I can do this," she whispered to herself. "I can do this." "Don''t forget me in that pep talk of yours," Lairon chimed in before motioning to Pupitar dragging behind him. "Ah, and this lively lad back here, as well." She laughed. "Sure, sure. C''mon, we got some pirates to beat up." "Hopefully the last we have the deal with," he muttered. Gabite and Lairon took off in the direction of the bay, their sights locked on Tyrantrum''s ships. "We draw attention to ourselves," Gabite explained as she ran. "Keep them from reaching Team Moonlight." They rounded a rocky hill blocking their view of the bay. "And then they can help us mop up the rest once Tyrantrum is-" She stopped dead in her tracks. Another dozen or so ships were beached just across the shore. Their sails bore the familiar insignia of a feline skull. But her wide eyes were honed in on the Wailord floating on the water''s surface. "Oh no¡­" "Hello, dears!" Gabite jumped in shock and spun around to see a smug-looking Liepard. "You! How''d you even-" Liepard strutted forward, reinforced by a group of pirates that encircled their positions. "My, my, I gave you a head start and I still made landings before you three ever set foot here. Sadly, it appears the hunt is drawing to a close." She slowly lifted a paw and splayed it to show the razor-sharp claws that adorned it. "Now, do me the courtesy of stepping aside so I can beat that disgusting drake to a pulp and take what''s rightfully mine." She took another step, eyes blazing with fury. "Or I''ll have to force you aside." Gabite puffed up her chest. "Not a chance, Mariner. Neither you nor Tyrantrum are getting to the meteorites!" Lairon whipped the ground with his tail. "Aye! What she said!" Liepard sighed. "What a shame." A melodious laugh flowed out of her. "Actually, no - I''m going to enjoy this!" Gabite braced herself as Liepard leaped at her, teeth bared. Both fell to the ground and wrestled for control over the other. Gabite held her arm against Liepard''s chest, preventing the Dark-type''s fangs from latching onto her throat. "Lairon!" the dragoness cried. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "On it!" A metallic tail slammed into Liepard, forcing the feline off of Gabite. Lairon was then immediately mobbed by pirates from all sides. And yet he still fought; a hissing Pupitar joined in the battle, launching his body and Lairon into the fray. Liepard spat out some blood, grinning wildly. "It''s just you and me now, brat." Gabite stood and caught her breath. "Take your best shot, kitty." There was an enraged hiss and a quick swipe of a claw. Gabite did not feel the strike against her fin as she tackled Liepard to the ground. She slashed in a frenzied manner but did not get so much as a scratch upon the limber feline. Liepard expertly twisted and bent her body in response to each erratic attack. "Did your dearest mother ever teach you how to fight?" A set of claws raked Gabite''s chest as she faltered. Dust was kicked up into her eyes as something furry collided with her. She tried to blink away the sand and grime as her body was lacerated by multiple scratches. ''Can''t¡­ see!'' Gabite did the only thing she could think of. Her mouth opened as purple flames spewed forth. She whipped her head around in hopes of her Dragon Breath reaching Liepard. A yowling noise reaching her eyes directed her focus and flaming breath. Her vision now clear, she attempted to burn Liepard with all her might. Liepard stood still, a silhouette bathed in fire. "You think you''re tough, brat?" she hissed through gritted teeth. "YOU THINK YOU CAN BEST ME?!" she roared as she charged through the blaze. Gabite countered her charge by grabbing her reared legs and smashing her head into Liepard''s; the dragoness fell backward from the force. Liepard was caught in a daze and stumbled, a deep laugh stirring from within her. "You fight like hell, don''tcha, brat? But you see - I wasn''t fighting seriously, ''cause-" Gabite attempted to stand but felt her legs crumple from an agile swipe. In a split second Liepard was upon her, a deranged look in her twitching eyes. "I like playing with my prey right before devouring them¡­" "You crazy- GKK!" Gabite''s venom was stifled by a paw slammed against her throat. She tried to hack away at Liepard''s pompous-looking expression, but the Dark-type merely moved her head each time. She emitted a feral-like snarl from her very depths in frustration. "This is rather cute. You really don''t give up, do you?" Liepard taunted. ''I can''t- I won''t! Not when there''s Pokemon counting on me! I still have¡­ something to prove!'' Liepard put more pressure into her paw, dancing her claws along Gabite''s throat. "It would be so easy, and I would linger in this moment, but I have precious time-" A surge of bright light exploded across the land and blinded Gabite. The ground quaked beneath her, trembling and crackling, splitting open and splintering into crevices that revealed bubbling magma. A bone-shaking roar sounded out through the skies that turned an ominous red. The pressure around Gabite''s throat was released as she gasped for air and flipped her body over to stare at what was behind her. A roaring and colossal-looking Tyrantrum, as tall as the volcanoes in the distance, engulfed her vision. Three red clouds circled the golden orange veins crystallized atop Tyrantrum''s massive head. His eyes were orange and pulsating as they focused in on his immediate surroundings. Liepard stepped back, a gleam in her eyes. "The power of the Dyna Meteorites¡­ This is it!" Gabite could only watch in horror as flames licked against Tyrantrum''s jaw. The impossible large Rock-type slowly turned around to face the bay and his vessels - like toy ships compared to him. What happened next completely bewildered her. Fire and devastation erupted from Tyrantrum''s gaping maw and smothered the ships into a blaze. Pirates jumped into the waters to escape the ensuing fireball that consumed everything, leaving behind nothing but floating bits of burning wreckage. "He¡­ He burned his own ships," Gabite gasped out. "His own Pokemon¡­" Her head snapped to Liepard. "What''s happening?!" Liepard took another step back. "... That is no Pokemon - that is an uncontrolled beast." She whistled loudly, directing attention from all her pirates onto her. "Back to the ships, ingrates! That''s an order!" The Mariner and her pirates swiftly ran out of the area and retreated back to their ships on the shores. Gabite groaned as she stood. "Lairon?" she called out. "You still conscious over there?" "Aye, lass," a familiar voice said from behind. "A bit winded, but still standin''." "Good to hear." She turned. "Liepard''s running away like a coward - and no point going after her when this-" she gestured a talon to Tyrantrum in the distance "-thing is still rampaging!" Lairon gawked at what he saw. "Great Terrakion''s beard! D-do all of ye drakes grow up to be that size? How are Team Moonlight gonna take down that beast?" Realization struck Gabite. "Team Moonlight!" she broke off into a sprint, heading toward Tyrantrum. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins despite her wounds screaming at her. "C''mon, Lairon! They were just by Tyrantrum when he transformed!" Something yellow and smoking tumbled near her feet as she slid to a stop. The culprit was revealed to be Jackson as he struggled to stand, his fur singed and blackened in various places. "Jackson!" she cried out. "Are you okay?!" "Just peachy¡­" the Lucario grunted. He pulled out a Sitrus Berry from his pouch, chomping it and slathering its juices over his wounds. "Saw¡­ Tyrantrum encased in one of those meteorites - tried¡­ breaking him out of it, but it was too¡­ late - got caught in the blast," he said through heavy breaths. A buzzing noise and a ''swoosh'' alerted Gabite to Scyther and Charizard''s presence as they landed beside her. "Jack, this looney of a captain is torching his own ships, stomping all over his own ''mons," Charizard relayed. "Whatever the Dyna Meteorites did to enlarge Tyrantrum, his mental faculties must have been eroded!" Scyther theorized. "He''s acting more animalistic and ferocious - like how a dungeon Pokemon would act!" Jackson bit his lip as he watched Tyrantrum fly into another frenzy, fiery breath illuminating the sky. "Isn''t this just perfect¡­" "We have to stop him, right?" Gabite said, receiving their eyes upon her; she winced. "We have to! He''s gonna destroy Rumblecrag Volcano if we don''t!" "Aye! And think about all the Pokemon that live here!" Lairon added. Scyther frowned. "No. Tyrantrum could destroy this whole region if he is left unchecked. We know next to nothing about this transformation process - how long he could stay in this form." "All of you are right," Jackson said. "We''re defeating him right here and right now! All of you got that?" He smirked at the nods of agreement he got. "Good - here''s how we''re gonna do this. Scyther''s gonna fly me up to that crystal thing on Tyrantrum''s head, while the rest of you keep his attention on you. I''ll start whaling on him with everything I got." "Um, are you sure you''ll be powerful enough?" Gabite questioned. "N-no offense, but he''s really, really big." Jackson held up a Mega Ring with a glistening Lucarionite encrusted into it. "Trust me, it''ll be enough." A smile overtook her unsure features. "Well, now I''m feeling a lot more confident in our chances!" Jackson chuckled as he walked over to Scyther, the Bug-type wrapping his arms around his waist. "Give us a few minutes and we''ll take this sucker down." With his parting words, Scyther lifted the both of them up into the air he flew off toward Tyrantrum. Charizard snorted. "And he calls me the showoff¡­" He lowered himself to the ground. "Miss Super Fan, hitch a ride with me." "M-me?" Gabite asked. "Yeah. Hell, I''d take both of you, but your partner over there is a pound too heavy for this trip." She stifled a laugh. "Fair enough. You good down here, Lairon?" Lairon nodded. "Aye, Pupitar and I will do our best when we''re not tryin'' to get smooshed." Pupitar hissed in response. Gabite hesitantly approached the Fire-type, her limbs shaking as she stepped onto his back. Being able to ride Charizard from Team Moonlight into battle was a mere dream of hers as a child, and now she was really going to experience it. Bottling up these childish urges to exclaim her enthusiasm, she gripped his heated scales. His wings then flared out, flame-tipped tail thrashing behind him. "Hold on tight!" he warned. Like an orange missile, he took off from the ground at rapid speeds. Gabite squeezed her eyes shut from the sudden force. Only when his flying eased into a gentle glide could she reopen them. "Wow! I can see everything from here!" she yelled. "We''re here for a battle, kid, not a joy ride!" Charizard reminded her. He nestled his wings close to his body before diving through a barrier of red clouds. "Coming in hot!" Tyrantrum was just below them, Scyther and Jackson closing in on his head. One swing of his lengthy tail crushed a mountainside into an avalanche of boulders. His flickering eyes full of rage were trained on Charizard as he zipped past his vision. "GROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" "Looks like we got his attention!" Gabite screamed, glancing behind her. Tyrantrum took off after them, his mighty steps fracturing more scalding earth that spouted geysers of lava. "He''s getting close!" Rows of sharp teeth grazed Charizard as a jaw dripping with saliva snapped shut, blasting Gabite with the air and steam it expelled. A rumbling noise Tyrantrum emitted sent vibrations through her body. The fear she felt from such a close encounter was something entirely new to her as his body quivered. "Keep calm, kid! Ain''t gonna let anything happen to ya!" Charizard assured. "Y-you promise?!" "Promise!" Charizard flipped to face Tyrantrum and blasted a volley of fireballs at the Rock-type''s snout. Mere scorch marks were left behind, but it sent Tyrantrum into another outrage. A column of roaring flames just missed Charizard as he soared underneath Tyrantrum, ducking a swipe from his stubby arms. Energy built up around Charizard as he circled back. He hovered midair before flapping his wings repeatedly, shooting off multiple arcs of Air Slashes all over Tyrantrum''s body. Gabite squinted her eyes before exclaiming: "Jackson''s on top of Tyrantrum now!" A flash of light shone atop Tyrantrum''s head and formed a glowing sphere. It then shattered with an unfettering of energy, a yellow Lucario emerging from within. Gabite could catch only a few glimpses of Jackson''s new form as his elongated aura tassels drifted in the wind. "Mega Evolution¡­ My mom said she could do that, too!" she cried. "I gotta get me one of those one day!" Charizard responded. The both of them watched as Jackson ran toward the golden orange crystal formation growth attached to Tyrantrum''s head. He then unleashed an onslaught of rapid punches against its veins, shattering chunks of it off with ease. Tyrantrum roared in pain, thrashing his body wildly in an attempt to shake his attacker off. "Duck, kid!" "Woah!" Gabite hit the deck as the very tip of Tyrantrum''s tail swung by where her head once was. Charizard launched another round of fireballs as a distraction before flying away. "GROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The sides of a volcano were obliterated as Tyrantrum smashed into it during his pursuit of Charizard. There was another crunch of its jaws mere inches from Gabite. She breathed a steady Dragon Breath at the underside of the Rock-type as Charizard twirled and spun laps around him. Meanwhile, she could still see glimpses Jackson chipping away at the crystal. "Jackson''s really going to town on him!" Gabite exclaimed. "For a few minutes, he can! Then he''ll be all outta juice!" Gabite was about to respond, but felt a chill down her spine as the world around her grew dark, a shadow extending beyond them. She looked behind them, jaw-dropping. Bursting up from the ground was an impossibly tall sheet of solid rock that was slowly falling forward. "BEHIND US!" she screamed. Charizard put his speed into overdrive as he rocketed away. Gabite began to lose her grip the faster he got, sliding off his back until she could only grip his lashing tail. Peering up, she was horrified to see the wall of stone right on top of them. "We''re¡­ not gonna¡­ make it!" The slab of rock clipped Charizard''s wings before slamming into the ground. Sent into a tailspin, Gabite was flung off the Fire-type and was now in a free fall, hurtling toward the earth and an impending demise. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA- Oof!" She heard a buzzing noise in her ears as her eyes cracked open. She looked up to see the smiling face of Scyther as he hovered midair, arms latched around her. "H-hey," she said lamely. "Hey yourself." He safely descended down to the ground. "That was a close call there. I''m not sure what move that was, but it was like nothing I''ve ever seen!" Gabite looked to the sky to see Charizard still airborne. "He''s still up there! Even after that attack?" "Team Moonlight is many things, but weak is not one of them." She caught her breath. "That''s for sure¡­" "Lass!" "Lairon?" Gabite turned to see the Steel-type in question skidding to a halt before her. "Ye ain''t gonna believe it, but Tyrantrum''s own crew is helping to fight him off!" he yelled. Gazing past him, she could see almost an entire army of pirates surrounding Tyrantrum on all sides. They would clamp their jaws on any flesh they could, or direct their elemental attacks on his lower extremities. She winced as a ginormous head smashing and dragging along the ground removed many of their numbers. "At least they didn''t run¡­" she mumbled. A screeching noise filling the air drew her and Lairon''s attention. Rapidly descending down from a scarlet-hued sky was a spiraling Moltres, flanked by multiple Talonflame. A winding ring of flames followed its twisting form as Moltres collided with Tyrantrum in an inferno of fire that exploded across the Rock-type''s chest, causing it to stagger. "Well I''ll be - it''s the guardian of Rumblecrag Volcano!" Lairon blurted. He raised a foot high. "Heeeey! It''s your good lad Lairon down here!" Seeing the pirates and the locals of the area team up and swarm Tyrantrum all at once was getting Gabite amped up. Her scales instinctively flexed as she scraped her talons against one another. She could not stand idly by while others put their lives at risk. Gabite turned. "Scyther, can you¡­" Her words drifted away as she watched Scyther spit a silky white substance onto a yellow-hued Wonder Orb. "Uh, what are you doing?" Scyther grinned as he motioned to two long lines of multicolored Wonder Orbs and seeds all glued to one another with the same white substance from before. "I cleaned out Jackson''s entire saddlebag for this." He glanced at Gabite. "You want to bring the fight to Tyrantrum with me?" She copied his grin. They were flying through the sky within the next minute, the sticky cord of seeds and orbs trailing behind them. "So I climb up to his knee and wrap these orbs and seeds around him?" Gabite questioned. "Yes. And you then ignite them all with your Dragon Breath!" Scyther yelled. "It should be quite effective!" "You really are a genius, aren''t you?" He blushed. "A-and you are quite kind yourself, Gabite." She could now see Tyrantrum up close and personal, and she did not like it one bit. Scyther flew her close to the Rock-type''s leg and let go. She dropped, sliding her talons against the rocky scales until she felt her grip on them. She waited for Scyther to throw one of the threads before catching it. "I''ll be on the other side, Gabite - waiting for your mark!" She flashed him a smile. "Got it!" The sheer courage building up in her chest overwhelmed the instincts of fear. Using her talons to stab openings in Tyrantrum''s massive scales, she clambered up his leg until the joint of his knee was visible. ''You''re about to go down, sucker!'' Pushing herself up to stand on Tyrantrum''s joint, she dragged the sticky thread over. The shift in movement caused her to stumble, but she kept her ground. She tossed the thread as far as she could over the knee. It landed just halfway across the tendon. Gabite glanced at the other knee to see Scyther throwing his cord as well. He gave her a wink and a signal to go forward, which she did so with delight. Purple flames burst from her mouth and coated a seed in fire. It popped. A chain reaction soon followed as each connected seed and orb exploded. Fire, ice, electricity, and a kaleidoscope of colors ignited across both of Tyrantrum''s knees. He let a pained screech as his knees buckled, slowly beginning to fall over on his side. The world around Gabite suddenly shifted as she fell with him, getting the wind knocked out of her chest in the process. Her head was spinning; she was on her back, staring at the red sky when dozens of brown objects manifested above her. ''Are those¡­ rocks?'' "GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!" Tyrantrum was visibly pouring his energy-induced smoke into the forming boulders that began to rain down like a hailstorm. Talonframe dropped the skies and boulders that shattered on the ground sent hundreds of fragments shooting into the crowds of pirates. Gabite rolled to the side before a falling boulder could smash her to dust. She quickly ran down the length of Tyrantrum toward his tail. A piece of rock smashing into her hip threw her off balance as she tumbled the remaining way. "AAAA- Oof!" "Gabite!" Scyther was hovering beside her as Gabite picked herself up, coughing as she did so. "Yeah," she said, "but I''m gonna need a long rest after today." "All those orbs and seeds did the trick, but it still wasn''t enough." Scyther frowned. "If Jackson didn''t fall off already, that crystal has got to be sufficiently damaged by now." The legs of Tyrantrum trembled as he slowly stood up. He panted, orange, flickering eyes brimming with hatred. More smoky energy built up around him as stone walls erupted all over the cratered land. Gabite scowled. "He''s doing that thing again!" "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-" There was an echoing crack throughout the air as devastating explosions rocked across Tyrantrum. Dreepy raced through the skies, zigzagging over another to explode across various points of his body. Following another crack, multiple Ferroseed were wedged into his chest and neck region. They sprayed a shower of sharp spikes that littered Tyrantrum''s scales. Her jaw dropped. "No way." She turned to look out at the bay, seeing a Wailord with its sides turned to face the volcano. "That crazy lady is actually helping us!" A flap of wings alerted her to Charizard landing beside them, Jackson atop his back. The Mega Lucario hopped off just as a bright light consumed him. When the light receded, he was returned to his regular form. "You guys have been bringing the pain to Tyrantrum down here?" he asked. "Not just us, but the pirates under Tyrantrum and this Mariner character as well," Scyther said. Jackson grinned. "Looks like we can wrap things up here. One good whack at the crystal on his head, and he should be done for." Gabite turned to look at Tyrantrum. He was stationary, heavily panting, drool leaking from his open maw. The three red clouds circling him were constantly fading in and out. More cannon fire from the Mariner''s ships would continually wear him down. "He''s weak, huh?" Oh, did she wish to get the final blow on him. "Sure is." Charizard extended his wings out. "If you''re done lazing around, get on Jack, and let''s finish this bozo already." "You got it, Char." She was going to try. "Guys?" Gabite swallowed down her anxiety as all their eyes were settled upon her. "CanIumtakedownTyrantrum?" she shot out. Scyther and Charizard turned their stares to Jackson as he started chuckling. "We''d do anything for a fan. Go ahead, Charizard, take her." A giddy smile broke out over Gabite''s face as she quickly leaped onto Charizard''s back. Scyther walked over, holding a purple-flushed Wonder Orb in his scythes. "It''s a Knockout Orb. Break it, and it''ll infuse enough energy in you to take out an opponent in just one attack." He smiled. "Saved just this one from Jackson''s saddlebags." "Which you''re repaying me for - that I''ll remind," Jackson quipped. She grabbed it and held it tight against her chest. "Watch me. Big guy''s going down." Charizard lifted himself into the air before rocketing straight up. Gabite braced herself as Scyther and Jackson became mere blips below them. They pierced through the skyline, going so high that she could see the distant stars forming in the midday sky. There was no sound. Compared to the chaos on the ground, it was peaceful. Then there was noise. Charizard suddenly dove back down, slicing through the clouds. She knew her time of action was coming. She shattered the Knockout Orb onto her chest and absorbed the intense energy that washed over her. She felt she could do anything, take on anybody. There was a fierce look in her eyes as she leaned back. ''I got this. I got this!'' The wind was whistling through her ears. A dazed Tyrantrum was in her sights. Charizard curled in his wings and straightened his flying. ''He''s getting close. He''s so close!'' They were mere inches from him. "JUMP, KID!" Gabite jumped from Charizard and delivered a final slash of her talons upon the crystal structure atop Tyrantrum''s head. Great cracks formed in it, rays of light surging through the new openings before it shattered into thousands of pieces. A final, defeated cry emitted from the Rock-type. "GRaAAAooooooooOooooOooOOoO-" Another blast of white light blinded Gabite as she fell. ''That was¡­ wow.'' Gabite was sitting on a piece of driftwood on the shores of the bay, collecting her thoughts. She glanced over, watching some of the local Pokemon in the distance carry an unconscious and now normal Tyrantrum away. ''Yeah, I did that, buddy,'' she snarked to herself. ''Have fun walking that off in jail.'' Her heart surged with pride over their battle with the pirate captain, but problems lingered in her mind. ''I mean, I''d like to stay, shake some paws, and bask in my victory, but I have things left to do.'' She frowned and stood up. ''And mom to find¡­'' "Hello, dear!" Gabite flinched and whirled around to see a face she did not want to see. "Mariner? Ugh, please, I''ve eaten like ten Oran Berries already and I don''t want to fight you again." Liepard let out an airy laugh. "Aren''t you a cocky brat? A single battle and she believes she can take on the Mariner like that¡­" Gabite rolled her eyes. "Since you''re not here to fight, and you did help us take Tyrantrum down, why are you still here?" "Why, I have something to give you." The feline strutted forward, making the dragoness back up in response. An Espeon ran up from behind Liepard with a scrap of floating envelope held up by a pink field of energy. Liepard snatched the parchment from the Psychic-type''s hold. "Thank you, ingrate. Off with you." As Espeon ran back to the ships offshore, Liepard extended the envelope forward. "This belongs to you." Gabite hesitantly took it from her. "What is it?" "It''s a letter your mother entrusted to me when we," she scoffed, "were still considering an expedition here. It''s addressed to you, and she wanted me to deliver it to you after our work concluded." Her heart skipped a beat. "R-really?" "I wanted to burn this in front of her once I brought her to her knees, but considering you did help me vanquish my rival, consider this thanks." Gabite was unsure what to think. The Mariner was a terrifying Pokemon and tried to kill her more than once, but an offering like this seemed too kind for a woman who was about to tear her throat out an hour ago. "And¡­ you''re just gonna let me have it?" "Would you prefer I did burn it?" She held the letter close and stepped away. "N-no!" "Then consider our business done, brat." "Just like that? No plans of revenge or making me walk the plank since you couldn''t get to the Dyna Meteorites?" "My hunt ended here, and I''ve seen what that kind of power did to that disgusting drake. I will simply have to conquer the seas in another way." She turned and began to saunter away. Gabite watched her walk across the shores and board the beached Wailord as multiple pirates pushed it back into the water. The Mariner then stood up on its large head and grinned for all the world to see. "I am no captain - I am a conqueror! A hunter!" Liepard cried out. "But like a captain, I always go down with my ship!" A pink force field appeared over Liepard as Wailord slowly descended into the watery depths. At the same time, all of the Mariner''s ships reeled in their Dhelmise and set sail into the distance. Gabite held the letter in front of her, debating if she should open it right now or later. ''Could I even handle this? What would she even say?'' "That Liepard¡­ I assume she was the Mariner?" She looked over her shoulder to see Scyther walk into view. "Oh, yeah she was. Were you guys looking to go after her now?" He shook his head. "We have other work to be done here. And seeing as how she didn''t go for the meteorites and even assisted us in defeating Tyrantrum, perhaps she has it in her to turn over a new leaf?" "Her? Pfft - no way. She''s one hundred percent nuts. But thankfully she said she wasn''t gonna go after us anymore." She let out a sigh of relief. "So, uh, what''s happening with the Tyrantrum?" "Most of his crew fled after he was defeated, but the locals are keeping Tyrantrum here until the Council can arrest him and send him back to Tyrantrum''s Jaw." Scyther smiled. "With him and this Mariner gone, Rumblecrag Volcano is safe once again." "That''s awesome! But¡­ what about the meteorites?" "When the Council arrives here, they''ll transport these meteorites to a safe location so an event like this never happens again." She cocked her head. "I saw you over there messing with the meteorites. What''s your, like, theory or whatever? What made Tyrantrum get so huge anyway?" Scyther was quiet for a moment before suddenly exclaiming: "DYNAMAXING!" There was excitement in his tone as he continued. "That is what I have dubbed this phenomenon! This type of transformation could be akin to Mega Evolution''s effect on certain Pokemon! The story of these crystals being meteorites may be mere mythos, but their true identity may in fact be related to the ley lines, as I hypothesized. Ah, but I need more time to study them before they are moved, and-" A raised talon put an end to his rant. "Okay, okay, Dynamaxing - cool - I get it." He blushed. "Apologies. I can a tad bit¡­ too excited." "I''m happy for you, though. You''re doing something you really love." She wanted to feel like him, to be so caught up with what she loved and not be tied down to something that could hold her back. Gazing at the letter she held, the emotions gripping her chest felt as if ready to burst out. But could not cry in front of her heroes. Scyther''s features softened. "¡­ I said that we''d help search this volcano for your mother. We can still do that." Gabite shook her head. "If she wasn''t here fighting Tyrantrum, then she wasn''t here to begin with." "But you came here to find her-" "We came here to stop Tyrantrum and the Mariner," she corrected "That was what mattered most." He smiled widely, and by Arceus did she love that smile. "Hey, uh, before you go off do more of your nerd stuff, I''d like to give you something." Opening her saddlebag, Gabite retrieved an odd-looking metal cylinder from it. "Listen, don''t tell Lairon I gave you this, and don''t ask why I know why you need this, but here you go." She extended the item forward. Scyther carefully took it from her. "A Metal Coat¡­ These are impressively rare." He met her gaze. "Thanks so much, Gabite!" "Nah, thank you guys for helping us keep the region safe. Without Team Moonlight, we''d get thrashed." "I suppose I was wrong about being wary of you three. And now I won''t be the only unevolved Pokemon in our team, heh." He glanced behind him. "I should get back to researching the meteorites before they''re gone, but I should let you know Jackson wanted to talk to you." "I''ll make sure to do that, then. See ya around, Scyther." Scyther offered her a gracious bow before fluttering his insect wings and flying away. ''A talk with the leader, huh?'' She found him near the beach a few yards away from the clusters of Pokemon in the remains of the battlefield. The Shiny Lucario knelt atop a bluff overlooking a sunset drenching the bay in orange and pink colors. It was almost mesmerizing to look at as she approached. Taking in the salty breeze and watching the waves ebb and flow against the shores was therapeutic after the chaos she had endured. "You wanted to have a chat with me?" Jackson gave a short nod. "That I did." He saw the apprehensive look on her face and chuckled. "Don''t worry - nothing you did was wrong back there. Really, I just wanted to say you did one heck of a job." She felt that surge of pride again. "T-thanks. It means a lot to hear it from you." "The three of you seem new to being an exploration team. I''m guessing you never quite expected to deal with stuff like this before." "You can say that again. These last two days have been the craziest and most action-packed in my whole life! But you know what, I wouldn''t have it any other way." "I know what you mean. Once you get a taste of something good, you don''t wanna go back." Jackson pointed a paw out at the beach. "Almost five years ago, I was lying on a beach just like this. Nothing in my head, nowhere to go, completely lost." "A night out after drinking?" she presumed. He laughed. "You could say that. But Scyther and Charmeleon were there to pick me up when I was done, befriend me, and help me understand my place in this weird, weird world. And in a way, being a part of Team Moonlight was my way of thanking them." His reminiscing stirred up thoughts of Lairon and Pupitar. Both of them lived lives they were unsatisfied with - Pupitar more so - but they each had a shared goal of a desire for freedom and adventure. "But it was also a way for me to figure more about myself - who I am, who I was," he continued. "Maybe I''ll never figure out why I''m here, or what I''m even doing, but you know what? I got two best friends by my side, and an amazing world to explore with all kinds of Pokemon to meet and help. If I''m here to be a leader and stop these Mystery Dungeons and bring some hope to the world, then I''ll take up that mantle." She never did think the Shiny Lucario was one for introspection. In all of the newspapers and all of the interviews she read about Team Moonlight, he was cocky, bold, and a bragger much like Charizard was. Was it all an image propped up for the masses to gush over? An image of confidence her own mother would display for many in her youth? ''No, I''m not being realistic about it.'' Jackson was fallible. Her mother was fallible. And even she was fallible. Gabite sat down next to him. "I come from a village called Dragging Claw, and the only news from the outside world was the Celestic Cognizance. It''s how I heard about you - about Team Moonlight. I wanted to be an explorer so bad because of you guys." She could feel the blush burning her cheeks. "I even cut out some segments of the newspaper with Team Moonlight in it so I could read it over and over." Jackson scratched his chin, nodding. "You really are a fan of us, heh!" Her blush deepened as she crossed her arms. "Nobody wanted me to do this - not even my own mom. And to get here, I had to get banished from my own home and not see my friends there again. Team Moonlight gave me the courage to do that." There was still anger and resentment over that fact. But she had accepted those consequences before she even stepped through that wooden gate. This was her life now, and she would go wherever it would take her. "You left something behind - we all did. And me, Scy, and Char¡­ we didn''t get that choice before it left us." "¡­" "But I didn''t bring you here just to mope about my life or pry about yours; I wanted to propose something as thanks for assisting us - an expedition." "An expedition?" She was silently jumping for joy. "Where?" "A place Team Moonlight has always wanted to explore - Celestial Mountain." Gabite had heard of it before growing up. Despite living in a region filled with impregnable mountains, Celestial Mountain was by far the tallest and most vast landscape at the center of the region. On top of that, it boasted the most amount of Mystery Dungeons anywhere. No typical exploration team would dare try to overcome such an obstacle. But she knew Team Moonlight was no typical exploration team. "I''d- I''d love to, but¡­" She sighed. "The truth is I don''t really have an exploration team. Lairon and Pupitar were tagging along to help me find my mom and all the craziness that followed." Jackson smiled. "Same way Scy and Char formed a team with me. Sometimes when you don''t know where you''re going, or you have a different destination in mind, you end up right where you belong." His cardinal red eyes tracked her. "Do you think you belong here? Exploring and adventuring?" "Of course I do." "And do they like the same things?" "Uh, kinda? Lairon likes eating iron more, I bet." He laughed as he stood. "Then I think they''ll see it the way you do. You''re a tough girl - you can convince them to form a team." She shook her head. "I don''t get it. Letting me join you on an expedition, wanting us to make an exploration team. Why me? Why us?" Jackson walked past her before stopping. "''Cause when I look at you, I see the next generation of Team Moonlight." And then he was gone. She contemplated the offer, but no matter how enticing it was, the letter in her saddlebag was burning a hole through her chest. ''I can''t hold this off any longer.'' Throwing her bag onto the ground and ripping the envelope from it, she tore apart the wax seal on it and removed the parchment within. She began to read off the top. ''Hey, pup I know you''re reading this, wondering where I''m at, and wondering when I''ll come back. But the truth is I don''t know where I''m going, or when - if ever - I can ever return. I know you''re angry; I''d be angry, too. There''s been a lot of things unsaid throughout these years. And as powerful as you might''ve thought I was, I''m too scared to tell you these things in person out of fear of what you''ll think of me. But you might''ve come to a conclusion about me already. I can''t get over it. The day your father disappeared shattered my world. I thought if I could move on and raise you in a safe environment, I could feel better about myself, but it didn''t work. I couldn''t stay cooped in a village underneath the claw of an elder I despised. But I made you do it. I''m not just a coward, I''m a hypocrite as well. We are very alike, pup, and I knew the second I turned my back you''d charge out of the village and live the life of an explorer that I always raved about. You have every right to hate me for what I''ve done, what I''m putting you through. But you have to understand I did everything out of love. Leaving was the easiest way to take my problems elsewhere. I couldn''t drag you into this when you have moved on but I haven''t. I can''t let go, and that''s why I have to go. I have to search and find out what happened to your father. I will go wherever the answers take me, even if it''s to my last breath. I''m a terrible mother. I tried my best, but it wasn''t enough to make things right. You have a choice now; stay in the village with Flygon or leave. I won''t be around to hold you back from what you really want from this life. It pains me that you could leave and end up hurt, or disappear like your father, but you''re a strong girl. You can be an amazing explorer if you really want to. You have a bright future ahead of you, but I have to contend with my past. My story is well and over, but yours is just beginning. It is getting harder to keep writing this, so I will end it here. Even if you continue to resent me for what I''ve done, I will always love you more than anything in this world. Goodbye, pup.'' The very last words of the letter were stained as tears trickled from Gabite''s face. She clutched the crumpled parchment to her chest and cried. She cried harder than ever before. But there was no Mareep plush to soak her tears into, no mother to hold onto anymore. ''You made me who I am, Mom. How could I ever hate you?'' Time passed by as she remained on the bluff, watching the sun sink lower and lower until the stars revealed themselves. She wondered if her mother was looking up at them wherever she was. "Lass!" Gabite quickly wiped away her tears and turned around. "L-lairon?" Lairon and a tall, bulky Pokemon lumbered over to her. Her attention immediately shifted to the stranger. He was green-colored with visible holes in his spiked rocky shell. He said nothing - though his vacant glare drilling into her said more than enough. "Guess who this is!" Lairon exclaimed. "Uh, I have no idea." A chuckle escaped the Steel-type. "Ye aren''t even going to guess? Tiny lad, carries a sword, likes to gab?" Her eyes widened. "This guy is Larvitar?" "Tyranitar now," he corrected. "Guess the lad here wasn''t lyin'' about all that unused energy he had." He faced Tyranitar. "Now that ye can speak again, got anythin'' to say?" Tyranitar snorted and turned his head away from them. "Wha- No, ye can''t just become a strong and silent type after what you put us through, lad!" Gabite laughed. "You guys crack me up¡­" "The locals want to throw a celebration for takin'' down that big boy, and-" Lairon trailed off as got a good look at her. "Are ye okay? Your eyes are red and puffy." "I''m fine." She sniffled, wiping away another tear. "I just feel¡­ Is it weird to feel both happy and sad at the same time?" Lairon and Tyranitar exchanged looks. "A bit peculiar, lass." "What he said, boss lady." Gabite placed her talons on her hips. "Jackson just offered for all three of us to come along on an expedition to Celestial Mountain. But the thing is, we''d have to be an official exploration team. I''d get it if you don''t want to-" "I''m in," Tyranitar stated. Lairon''s jaw dropped as a set of eyes were now settled on him. "P-put a ''mon on the spot why don''t ye?" He frowned. "That sounds nice and all, but what about your mother, lass? Don''t ye still want to find her?" She sighed. "She''s on her own journey. And if she''s not her¡­ I don''t think we''ll find her anywhere. An exploration team is what I''ve always dreamed of, and you guys are all I got." He gave her a deadpan look. "I could always hustle back to Iron Mountain." She giggled. "C''mon, I was just playing. There''s no other Pokemon I would''ve chosen." "If that''s the case, then I''m in!" Gabite pumped a talon into the air. "All right! Now we''re Team¡­ Uh." She blinked. "Oh shoot I didn''t really think about our name." "Team Ironchums!" Lairon suggested. "No," she quickly shot down. "Team Sharpsteel," Tyranitar said. "Also no." Gabite tapped her chin. "What about¡­ Drarosteel. It''s got all types in it - Dragon, Rock, and Steel!" She waited in anticipation for their responses before crossing her arms. "Look, it''s dumb but that''s our team name now and I''m not taking it back." "You are the boss lady after all," Tyranitar grumbled. "Any counter to that, ''ironchum''?" Lairon was too busy staring up at the sky to notice his comment. "¡­ Am I hallucinatin'' or is that meteor headed straight for us?" Gabite looked up, her jaw-dropping. "That''s not a meteor, it''s a-" A falling Minior bounced off the sands of the beach. A still moment passed before dozens of multicolored Miniors fell from the stars and rained down upon Rumblecrag Volcano. Cheers arose from all the Pokemon gathered around as the starry sky was awash with rainbow streams. "A Minior Shower," Gabite mumbled. "I''ve only seen them afar¡­" "GAH!" Lairon dodged a Minior before it collided with him. "I think I prefer seein'' them from a distance!" She giggled. "C''mon, let''s go see about that celebration you mentioned. ''Cause I am starving."
Celestial Mountain was more beautiful than she could have imagined. Beyond shrouds of a mysterious mist were grand vistas, gushing waterfalls, dense forests wedged between valleys, and erupting geysers that sprayed scalding water. The morning sun freshly dawning over the rugged yet fertile landscape was truly a sight to behold. Gabite took a break from the sightseeing and stepped away from the ridge. "Do you think we should go in after him?" Scizor shook his head, not looking up from the map gripped in his pincers. "Jackson was positive that he entered this cave alone. Please, have some faith in him." She shot him a look. He looked up, wincing. "... Very well. If he doesn''t return soon, we will go in as well." Throughout the long trek up Celestial Mountain, she noticed the Shiny Lucario acting stranger than usual. She believed it was merely nerves getting the best of him, but that theory was shattered when Jackson heavily insisted that he explore a cavern by himself. ''He''s the boss, but is that really necessary to prove himself or something?'' Stealing a glance at the cave in question, she found it quite odd - a common thought on Celestial Mountain. The opening was like a fissure in the earth itself, with a void of pure black for one to enter through. White wallflowers dotted the entrance leading to it. ''Well, it''s another Mystery Dungeon I don''t gotta go through. Yeesh.'' "You need to grow more of a spine, Scy," a baritone voice grumbled. "Our enemies out there''ll walk all over you." Gabite turned to face Charizard, who was flat on his back on the ground and rolling in the grass like a playful Rockruff. To see such a powerful and boastful Pokemon in this way was too humorous for her. "W-why are you doing that?" she said between laughs. Charizard growled. "I''m itchy, ''kay? Carrying you clowns up also got my back really sore, and the grass feels good." He narrowed his eyes at Gabite as she continued laughing. "Bite me, kid." Even Scizor could not withhold a smile. "You have to admit it''s pretty funny, Charizard," he said. "And to think my own teammate is against me¡­" the Fire-type muttered, smirking. As her laughter winded down, she looked off in the distance to see Lairon and Tyranitar arguing. Her saddlebag was being yanked around until Tyranitar decided to hold it above his head. No matter how much Lairon tried to grab it, he was not tall enough. ''Those bozos. But they''re my bozos. And we''re all a team.'' It was a warm feeling that kept her sturdy throughout the treacherous journey up Celestial Mountain. Telling everybody that Team Drarosteel''s first official adventure was collaborating with Team Moonlight on an expedition was also too good to pass up. "Jack''s back!" Charizard suddenly yelled. Gabite''s attention returned to the cave''s entrance as the familiar Shiny Lucario slowly emerged from the shadow of a dungeon. She noticed that he now wore a flickering golden-orange ring around one of his paws. But what was more noticeable was the visible shift in his expression. Before he had entered, he looked as carefree as ever. Now he exuded a cold demeanor exemplified by his vacant glare. He stood perfectly still, staring straight through them. When he finally spoke, his heavy tone was a stark contrast from usual. "We need to form a guild." The hair-raising screech of Yveltal carried through the cold wind that rustled the spruce forest bordering Elysium City. Its ghastly cries would eventually fade into the night. Gachomp slowly peeked her head out from the cover of a nearby rock. She watched as a visibly wounded Yveltal emerged from a swarm of flying Dragon-types and flew away from the battered city. A pregnant pause followed until she whispered: "Yveltal''s retreating - those Council birds actually did it¡­" "It''ll return," Scizor said through ragged gasps for air. "It''s too powerful¡­ with the ley lines powering it." Garchomp snarled as she turned around, surveying her team and Scizor as they hid in a shallow trench. They were tired, dirty, and covered in dust as they escaped a city ripped apart in mere minutes. She knew they were lucky to make it out with their lives, while so many other souls were not. It made her boil every time she thought about it. ''What I''d give to get my talons on you, Jackson¡­'' Forcing down these dark thoughts with a scowl, she faced Scizor, who looked more defeated than ever. "Excadrill and I worked together to free the guild from the prisons. We didn''t take into account you catching the blame yourself, so I had to-" "Why did you come for me?" he croaked out. She was taken aback. "Don''t you remember? You''re important to us, Sciz. You''re important to me. And I couldn''t live with myself if I let you die there." "It would be fine if¡­" Scizor paused, eyes brimming with tears. "I was ready to die there, Garchomp. Don''t you see? I came to terms with-" A swift talon swiping him across the face shut him up. "Listen to yourself! This is not you! Giving up? Like hell we will. You can''t just call it quits when the world needs you most." Her features softened. "Charizard, everyone from the guild, all the Pokemon that Team Moonlight helped through the years, they wouldn''t want to see you give up¡­" Scizor shuffled his knees close to his chest. He closed his eyes as a tear slipped down his cheek. "I-I don''t know if I can anymore, Garchomp. Everything- everything has gone so wrong and I can''t fix this all by myself. I had Charizard and Jackson by my side before, but not anymore." Garchomp grabbed a pincer of his and clutched it tight. "Then let''s do it together." Scizor flinched as an iron claw latched down on his shoulder, then flicked his gaze to a rocky one on his opposite shoulder. "Aye, we let the lass do the talkin'', but we agree with everythin'' she says," Aggron said. Tyranitar silently nodded with a fierce look. Garchomp smirked. "You can''t get rid of us, Scizor. So you''re just gonna have to accept that Team Drarosteel isn''t gonna stand by anymore. So¡­ will you work with us here?" Silence followed. A sigh escaped Scizor. "... I gave Roark a detailed log of my theories and knowledge of the artifacts before he and the others escaped through the tunnels." "The prankster fox? Him?" "He''s quite resourceful when he''s serious." "Fair enough. You''ll have to tell me about these ''artifacts'' later. Excadrill said he was going with them wherever they went, so I''ll ask him about their location through the ELE." She stole another glance at the smoldering Elysium City. "We''re gonna fix this¡­ All of it, I promise." Scizor finally smiled, which made her heart soar. "I could always count on you to set me straight when Jackson or Charizard couldn''t." "Well now you''re stuck with me, so get used to it. We''ve got a lot of work to do." Garchomp stepped out of the trench and adjusted the straps of her saddlebag. She looked down at the horned badge pinned to its large flap, smiling warmly at it. Despite all the grime and filth covering her, it remained untouched and shiny - like new. ''We''ll go where no one goes to get it done, too. And if Jackson wants to give us a fight, Team Drarosteel is gonna fight like hell.''
Could you go an entire life hating another for not being strong enough? The answer may not be so simple.
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: The Phantasmagoria Part Three Burn Notice Chapter 43 Burn Notice . "Take my hand and I will lead you into a paradise of our deepest desires - a world we''ve all dreamed of." . The gold-plated lighter flicked open, friction igniting flying sparks in the blink of an eye. A steady and controlled flame rose from the spring, flickering and wavering in a cold wind. His hazel eyes were briefly mesmerized by the reaction - a often occurrence for him. He held the flame beneath his cigarette and leaned against his flashing patrol car. Trails of smoke drifted from his curled lips, partially obscuring his flinty features as he observed the scuffle beside him. Robert always liked it when they still had some fight in them. A scraggly young man in a white tank top was pushed against the hood of the gray sedan. He struggled intensely against the grip of another man not much younger than him clad in dark blue. "Hey, this is bullshit!" the man cried, wincing as metal cuffs were latched around his wrists. "Those ain''t my weapons!" He squirmed in place again, getting another hard shove against the hood in return. Robert peeled away the cigarette to an ashy haze that concealed his amused expression. "Ease up a little, Rick. Startin'' to collect suspensions like paychecks each quarter." Rick yanked the man up, eyeing him as if he were a skittering cockroach. "Pieces of street trash like him? Maybe we should rough ''em up before we send ''em back to their mama!" The handcuffed man''s dinner plate-like eyes darted to Rick and then to Robert, who exhaled slowly. His partner never could control his temper, not against criminals like the one he manhandled. However, there was some pride he felt whenever he saw him in action. Rick was even younger than him when he joined the force - spry and confident. Patrolling around Charleston during his days as a rookie felt a lot like taking his son around. He was often lost in those thoughts; of how much time he spent here instead of home. Rick jerked his head to a deep red sedan parked behind his patrol car. "You see the firepower he''s packing in the trunk? Ain''t ever seen anything like it before! He could take out all the mercs on the street with ''em!" With a flick of his spent cigarette, Robert strutted across the sidewalk toward the suspect''s vehicle. He admired its glossy finish and peered inside to see plush leather seats - not a single scratch or mark upon them. "Least you''re takin'' good care of this beaut. The boys at the impound will like this one for sure." He stopped and glanced back, cracking a grin as he thought hard. "Caddy¡­ Fleetwood¡­ 1992?" The man stared dumbly at him. "... Not my car," he mumbled. Rick smirked. "Damn, Rob, ya sure know your cars all right. Maybe we need a new detective ''round here." He winked before rounding the car until he reached the trunk. Popping it open, his eyes were feasted to a spread of criminal delights. Handguns, assault rifles, sawed-off shotguns - even a cluster of grenades - all neatly packed into one rectangular wooden crate. A find as easily and readily displayed as this was too good. It was almost suspiciously good to him, but there was a time and a place, and he considered this a small victory nonetheless. Robert whistled as he withdrew one of the sawed-offs from the trunk. He held it high for his partner to catch a glance. "Hah! Don''t think ya can get a permit for that one, man!" Rick exclaimed, jostling the cuffed man. "Not my car, like I sai-" A thump against his head shut the man up. "We''ll figure that out, thank ya very much." "Watch it, Rick," Robert warned again before returning to the trunk. "No serial numbers on these guns - no brandin'', no model numbers. They look¡­ brand new, I reckon." It was hard to say if this was his smoking gun, ironically enough. This was the proof he needed after all of the cases of other appearances went cold, yet there was a missing link. Something tangible and real that tied back to the true culprit unleashing these weapons of war upon the city streets. But this was a chance. Slamming the trunk door, Robert marched over to the man in handcuffs, adopting the best stern expression he could muster past the joy filling his heart. "Mr. Peterson, you''re under arrest for possession of multiple firearms and explosive ordinance with not a lick of a permit whatsoever. Anythin'' you say or do can be used against you in a court of law. That understood?" The man said nothing. A smile split Robert''s features. "Smart. Rick, take him to your car. You bagged him, after all." "Yessire, I did!" Rick shoved the man forward. "C''mon, you - get movin''!" Walking back to his cruiser, Robert opened the driver-side door and sat down with a heavy sigh. His back hit the seat, his gaze lazily drawn to the baggy, sunken eyes in the mirror staring back at him. With his short brown hair and that permanent five o''clock shadow he wore that Angelica loved, sometimes he could not recognize the man he saw. Despite being one of the youngest officers in his unit, the job had visibly drained him of his youth through the years. ''Or maybe it''s chasing ghosts that did it for me,'' he remarked to himself. He was close; he could feel it. And when he was finally behind bars, he could rest easy knowing his family was safeguarded against anything. It was a reassuring feeling to constantly chase down. A better part of the year he spent hounding the police chief for a proper investigation. They knew nothing of what he knew, and he had to keep it that way if this were to work. ''And the bonus I''d get would go nice for Liam''s college fund, heh. June, too, when she''s ready to finally come out.'' A swift hand clasping the driver''s side door wrenched him from his thoughts as his head swiveled over to meet Rick''s head poking inside. "Hey! Thanks for backin'' me up here. Never know what these rats are gonna pull on ya, huh?" Robert took a moment to compose himself. "Any time. That tipoff we got ''bout this route worked like a charm. Might even score us a search warrant on the business if this guy is willing to rat out his supplier." "This punk? He''ll make bail for sure and slink off back to his hole or wherever he came from. Chief thinks all these ''gun merchants'' of yours are related to the merc companies; thinks maybe you should back off them." He scoffed. He was warned many times to stop investigating the mercenary companies operating in the district, but they were not what he was truly after. Still, the power they slowly accumulated through the years spread through corruption and other bureaucratic manners far above his pay grade was a huge threat looming above him at all times. Officers had been threatened, even killed to keep their operation going. It sickened him, but his job was not to merely stand by. "We signed up for this kind of shit, Rick. Chief has already gotten us into this mess by trying to get these ghost guns off the streets, and I''m damn well certain there''s another player in this game besides the mercs. As far as I''m concerned, they''re just another player." "I''m serious, Rob," Rick said, his face mirroring his words. "We ain''t the FBI or CI-whatever - we''re just local guys. We don''t know what these people are really capable of, right?" How could he stop the pursuit when it was always nagging at the back of his mind? No, he could not just let it go. "Right." Robert''s hand latched onto the door. "I gotta do a few more visits before the end of my shift, so I''m headin'' out." He pointed a finger. "You make that runt talk, ''kay? Find out where''s he gettin'' his supply, who he''s sellin'' these weapons to, and keep him scared." "I''ll make him squeal if I have to, Rob." He smirked at his partner''s aggressiveness and turned his key in the ignition, the engine roaring to life. The small computer mounted to a desk beside his main console whirred to life, the black and white display spitting out blurbs of text and a seal of his department. "Ah, ah, ah! I need to know the next time I can come over to your lovely home," Rick said, still lingering. "Oh yeah, It''d have to be this Saturday. Angelica is thinking of us hosting a barbeque with some of the neighbors¡­ Even the ones I don''t like." "Shucks, as long as Angel makes those famous hushpuppies and sweet tea of hers. I''ve been fixin'' for ''em all week." "Can you believe it? Before I met her, she didn''t even know what a hushpuppy was." Rick shook his head. "Yanks¡­" He slapped his hands on the door one last time. "Anyhoot, I''ll let ya be. See ya down at the station later!" "See ya, Rick." Slamming the car door shut, he breathed another sigh - one that always left him after dealing with Rick. He liked the guy like any other friend, but there were some he could only stomach for so long. His thoughts eventually drifted to later as he gripped the steering wheel. ''Gotta type up the report on this and add it to the main evidence file, avoid Denise on my way out, then pick up some morning sickness meds for Angel.'' His musings of these mundane tasks were ripped away by a discordant, staticky noise spewing from his police radio. "Dispatch, 10-33 - available officers respond," a monotone female voice pierced through the criss-crossing of other officers on the line. ''Fuck. And on a day I wasn''t even supposed to be on duty¡­'' Robert shook his head and added another mental note to his foreboding task list. He picked up the radio and held the wired instrument to his mouth. "10-98." "10-57 at White Garden Street with 10-54. Witness on sight spotted a maroon-colored sedan fleeing the scene." His heart dropped. Ice flooded his veins as he recognized that street, the street he lived on, the street his wife and son lived on. His hand tightened around the radio, a terror he had not felt in a long time gripping his senses. "10-4," he uttered before tossing away the radio and ripping the car''s transmission lever into drive. Rubber tires squealed against the cold asphalt as his patrol car took off, whaling and blinking in distress. Other vehicles that drifted to the side to avoid him were but a blur. His foot never left the gas pedal as his mind hyper-fixated on one single coded message from the short blurb of static. ''10-54, 10-54, 10-54, 10-54¡­'' Robert drove faster than he ever did before.
They told him there was nothing that could be done. He found that hard to believe. Robert was hunched over a clothed kitchen table, nursing a glass of his favorite bourbon that never remained far from his lips. He turned through another page of the open binder resting on the table. Grainy wedding photos were glued to the pages - clearly unprofessional as they were taken by Angelica''s sister. He smiled softly and continued flipping through the binder. There were so many pictures of her in his foolish attempt to capture her radiance for the ages. But a photo could not ensnare the feelings he felt whenever she neared a corner. He stopped at a photo in particular - Angelica holding a baby Liam wrapped up in a blue blanket. Her long scarlet hair, that warm smile that made every long day cooped up with paperwork at the station oh so worth it. He could never have that feeling again. They told him she died instantly from the one bullet to the head. He found that hard to believe with the multiple shots they riddled her with. Rage flooded his system as he slammed the binder closed. Two weeks had passed since their family was shattered, and the fleeing car and suspects vanished without a trace. Not a single cigarette butt left behind or stray hair to be analyzed. It happened fast; it was coordinated, and that was what enraged him most. Turning his attention to the other item on the table - a letter with sharp handwriting - his eyes tracked the words addressed solely to his eyes again and again. ''RETIRE. OR THE BOY GOES NEXT.'' Dropped into his mailbox yesterday. That was all it said - all it needed to say to convert his mourning into something more. Truth be told, he had already resigned a week after Angelica''s death. How could he look at the faces of his fellow officers when he failed the ones closest to him? How could he force down the bitter feelings that they, too, failed him when they were meant to be brothers and sisters. He could not let his guilt or his animosity overwhelm him in the face of duty. Now he spent most of his afternoons and evenings sulking in an empty house and replaying the events of that day over and over in his mind. His footsteps bounced off walls as he ascended a staircase up to the second floor. It felt cold within these wooden walls, vibrant colors dulled to a greyish hue that melded with the overcast rays peeking through windows obscured by curtains. The outside world felt dangerous, but the inside was soul-crushingly lonely. His fist rapped against the door of Liam''s room. "Liam! You up? Could fix us up some grub if you''re hungry." He waited. Silence. He lingered some more, silently praying for even a decline of his offer. But only more silence. "¡­ Well, if you change your mind, just come out of your room." Liam took it the hardest when she died. They used to have problems keeping Liam in his room, but now he never seemed to leave. There was never an outcry or release of emotion from the boy, only bottled-up feelings and blank, almost lifeless stares into space whenever they crossed paths. There was a light in that boy''s eyes that died, and he was unsure if it would ever reappear. Robert descended the stairs, drifting back into the kitchen and opening the refrigerator. The jars of sweet tea lovingly made on the day of her demise caught his attention. They were beyond rancid at this point, but he refused to throw them away. They told him he would eventually move on and heal. But he could not let it go. He could not live in fear for his son''s life and stew in guilt. Slamming the fridge door shut, he marched into the living room and yanked a phone book from a shelf. Slapping it onto the kitchen counter, he thumbed through the yellow pages before spotting the page he bookmarked previously. Flipping to that page, his eyes ran across one of the advertisements displayed prominently. A bearded man with wavy black hair and a wide open-mouthed smile was leaning against a silver Mustang. Below the grainy-looking advert was the name of a business and a phone number. Robert hesitantly reached to pluck the phone off the hook next to him. His mind was at war with his instincts to close the phonebook and forget ever suggesting what he was about to do. But now he felt cornered. And that was the worst position you could put a man in. ''If I go down this road, will I ever get the hell off it? Is this really the right thing to do?'' Nobody in his life could advise him except for himself. As he slowly dialed the cursed number and held the phone to his ear, he knew he signed his fate right then and there. He could not escape this life any longer. He listened to the dial tone, heart thumping in his chest. The repetitive noise jackhammering into his skull then suddenly cut off. There was a still second, the sound of metallic cranking and distant voices filling the void until a familiar gruff voice barked through the speakers. "You''ve reached Jackson''s Auto Parts And Repair. This is Jackson speakin'' - how can I help ya?" Almost thirteen years had gone by without hearing that voice but it was still recognizable. Robert cracked a smile as he considered his next words carefully. "... Hey, J. Been a while. You remember this voice?" There was a pregnant pause. "... I ain''t followin'' what you''re sayin'', sir. Is there a problem with your automobile that I can fix?" Robert''s smile grew. "Summer of ''84. I stole a pack of cigarettes from Mr. Aldens office. You and I shared ''em underneath that broken bridge near the orphanage; it was rainin'' cats and dogs that day. You remember this voice now?" "... That''s ancient history. What''s the real reason you''re callin''?" "I need your help, and you''re the only one I think can help me." Another long pause. "Let''s discuss this in person. I hate talkin'' over the phone." "Where at?" "Diner I like - Dolly''s - up near Bayview Street. Ya been?" "''Course I''ve been. Best damn omelet in the state, far as I''m concerned." A snort. "Meet me there in the morning - nine o''clock sharp - just you and the clothes on your back." The dial tone buzzed into his ear again as he withdrew the phone, placing it back on the hook. He leaned against the counter, a dizzy feeling overcoming his senses. He raised a hand against his beating heart. ''Why the hell am I even doing this? Would it help? Or am I makin'' it worse?'' He needed security and safety for Liam, but he needed closure the most. He made contact, made his bed, and made the grave. Now he had to lie in it.
The cup of steaming hot coffee rose to his lips as his eyes swept across the crowded diner. The chime of a bell above the diner''s entrance was like a signal of impending doom - a constant reminder of what he was going to embroil himself into. Robert resigned his stare to the white laminate table. ''He was always paranoid before. Is he even gonna show? Or maybe this is a trap.'' Glancing at the window on his left, he squinted past the morning sun''s rays and into the parking lot. He scrutinized each car that came in parked, each person that stepped out that could deliver him his final fate. Perhaps he was the paranoid one now. "Ho-lee shit¡­" a gruff voice snapped him out of his daze. "Didn''t recognize ya at first, but here you are." Robert turned just as a man suddenly took a seat in the booth directly across from him. He was alarmed at first but relaxed when he saw his features. The man had a short ducktail beard and swept-back black hair. He wore a gray button-down shirt and a wide grin as his sharp, calculating blue eyes met Robert''s. Robert''s mouth parted in shock. "I thought you weren''t gonna show." "James Callaway..." Jackson sounded out, laying his hands flat on the table. "You thought I would leave my best friend from the old days high and dry?" "It''s Robert now - changed it once I returned to SC. Maybe I thought you were too busy to meet me, seein'' as ya got your own repair shop now. Nice to see that, by the way." Jackson shook his head. "That place runs itself without me there. And seein'' as how you reached out to me after thirteen years without even a damn ''hello'', safe to say my interest peaked." Robert could sense the bitterness in his tone, and he could not blame him. He wanted to distance himself from that world, start a new life, and become a father. There was bound to be resentment from those who remained attached when he pushed the abort button. "Look, Jack, you know how I felt. After that last botched robbery and the fallout from it, hidin'' out in New York, comin'' back, I just couldn''t-" Jackson waved a hand. "I get it. You wanted out. You found yourself a pretty girl, had a baby, and then everythin'' seemed to click. I didn''t get that at the time, but I did over the years." Robert took another sip of his coffee. "As long as we''re on the same page - and there''s no bad blood between us." "Far as I''m considered, water under the bridge. Nice to see ya again, James." "Same to you, Jack." A waitress came over, refilling Robert''s cup and taking their orders. Little by little, he felt the tension evaporate. Robert felt his nerves ease up to a certain degree. Though perhaps it was just his mind jumping to conclusions, and Jackson knew nothing. "So I heard you became a cop over the years, just like you said you would. A pretty good one from what I''ve heard." "From what you''ve heard?" Robert shot his words back. "Eyes and ears everywhere - I found out the real ''Robert Lachaise Shaw'' ages ago when you first got the house built. I knew you would stay here in South Carolina; lots of folks try to leave home and just can''t." He was not sure what to feel knowing that Jackson had been aware of his presence for a long time. On one hand, this was a friend he could trust, on the other hand, unpredictability was what he had known Jackson for in the past. "So you knew about me this whole time and didn''t say anything. And I''m the bad friend for not reaching out sooner?" "We stayed away from each other for good reasons. You couldn''t taint your image by associatin'' with someone like me anymore." "And who are you now? If I could turn over a new leaf, what about you these past thirteen or so years?" Before Jackson could answer, the waitress returned with their food. Robert continued to wait for an answer as Jackson poured two creams into his coffee. He suppressed a forming smile. Despite all the lost time, they were still very alike in many regards. "I kept goin''. I turned our pitiful lil'' crew into somethin'' more. I took on rivals, crushed ''em, absorbed ''em, and carved out a piece of the city for myself." The man smirked as he stirred his cup. "If ya thought I was gonna start blendin'' into the backgrounds of crowds, then you were dead wrong." The sounds of metal forks striking plates filled the air as Robert stuffed a helping of omelets into his mouth. "I should''ve asked earlier, but what happened with you and Elena? Last time I saw her, she talked about headin'' to nursing school or whatever." Jackson flashed a smile and held up his left hand. A small wedding ring was fitted on his fourth finger - a gold band with an encrusted orange gem that looked more expensive than the one he gifted Angelica. "Married her close to ten years ago. She got her schooling and was a nurse for a while, but some¡­ things happened and she stays at the house most days." Robert gave an earnest smile. "You and Elena married¡­" He shook his head. "You two were pretty much perfect for each other, so it makes sense that you tied the knot." Jackson glanced at the ring. "She''s the perfect woman in my life; the only person that understands me. Never gave up her paintin'' neither. Some of her work is¡­ beyond my understandin''," he ended with a wistful chuckle. "My little wallflower¡­" Seeing a man such as Jackson gush about his wife was strange to see. Robert felt emotions well up in him as he looked down at his own wedding ring. He never took it off since that day, and most likely never will. It felt like a sick joke that Jackson could continue their lifestyle and keep his loved ones while he lost them on the straight and narrow path. But there was no room for bitterness left in him. He had to protect the loved ones he still had. "I heard about her¡­ Angelica. It was all in the papers a week ago." Robert looked up, a stillness to his breathing. "¡­ She''s gone, Jack. The woman I gave all of what we had up for, and was fuckin'' taken from me." The table rattled as he jabbed it with a finger. "My unborn daughter." Jackson nodded solemnly. "Startin'' to understand why you called me. Is that what this is about - revenge?"This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. "This isn''t just revenge. Just a few days ago I got a letter in the mail threatening my son if I didn''t retire from the force." Robert''s enraged expression mellowed into one of concern. "I''m scared, Jack. I already pulled Liam out of school, and we can''t stay in that house anymore." "It was a driveby, right? Did anyone know the make of it?" Robert rubbed his face with both hands. "I don''t know¡­ a maroon Chevy or somethin'' from the past decade. Nobody knew a damn thing ''bout where they went, or even got a plate." "Professional. But still sloppy enough to figure out who did it." "Then who? Who could''ve done this?" Jackson took a long sip of his coffee. "SPMC¡­ They were lookin'' to take you out and your wife got mixed up in it. How do I know this? Few months ago one of my guys was taken out at his usual spot, and a maroon sedan was seen speedin'' off." The Southern Private Military Company. It was the opposite of a weight getting lifted off his shoulder - like a boulder falling down upon him. His worst fears were being realized. ''I should have known,'' he thought, grinding his teeth. ''I should have fuckin'' known¡­'' Rick warned him of this, but he brushed it aside. Too busy following one criminal to forget the bigger one lurking behind. "Your department, was it tryin'' to pin some crimes on them?" Jackson continued. "They''ve been known to do that to anyone disruptin'' their operation. Scares most local cops out of tailin''." "Chief told us other departments need our assistance in investigatin'' the SPMC. Even when other officers were getting hurt in Georgia and Alabama." Robert scowled as his hands and teeth clenched in rage. "That fucker¡­ Inviting him over for dinners when I should''ve put a bullet in him." "Calm down. Any problem you have is with the SPMC, and believe me, I''ve got a bone to pick with ''em same as you." Robert visibly relaxed. "¡­ I need your help. Not just protection from them, I need these bastards in charge who took Angelica from me taken down." He jabbed the table again to enunciate his words. "Whether it''s imprisonment or a bullet to the head - I don''t care." Jackson grinned. "I''ve got some good and bad news for ya." "Let me hear it." "Good news is that I''m ready to head out to war with these fucks just about now. Bad news¡­ well, as much I''d love to do a favor for a friend, I''m gonna need your help takin'' them down with me." And here it was. The exchange for peace and mind for his family was a metaphorical step into hell and a life he left behind. Robert swallowed thickly, his mind already concluded but his mouth failed to cooperate. "I ain''t gonna promise the world, James. But I will promise I''ll do everythin'' I can to keep you and your boy safe." All he had to do was embrace it. "I''m in." Jackson downed the rest of his coffee, eyes flicking to the window before settling on Robert. "Later tonight¡­ around eight o''clock, I need ya to show up to the waterfront. There''s a parking structure near one of the malls - you know that one?" "By the harbor, right?" "Yeah. You''ll park near one of the alleyways and meet some of my guys. They''ll take you to my safe house by the port, and that''s where this job will take place." "This job? What is it?" "Burn notice. Got this crew of mine - they used to be solid, sold most of my merchandise through the ports, and did what was told of them. But now they''ve gotten sloppy; merchandise ''gets lost'', and some of ''em are floatin'' ''round the idea of joinin'' the SPMC. So I''m gettin'' rid of ''em - plain and simple." "And by gettin'' rid of ''em, you mean¡­" Jackson chuckled. "Exactly what you think I mean. These boys know too much ''bout my operation, and I don''t need competitors snappin'' ''em up." A dirty job. But he knew he had to start off somewhere. And if this helped him get further toward beheading the SPMC and securing his family''s future, then he had to stomach it. "All right, I''ll be there at eight o''clock sharp." "Good. I''ll let my boys know beforehand you''re showin'' up. ''Course, I''ll be there, but consider this your first test for coming out of retirement, J," he ended with a devilish smirk. "One more thing. Since I''ve quit bein'' on the force, I need a steady income. For a new place, for-" A wave of hands halted his words. "You''ll be taken care of - like all my guys - even more so if ya keep your mouth shut about it ''round ''em." Robert sighed, hanging his head low. "Thank you, Jack, really. You don''t know how much I appreciate this." "Nah, I do." Jackson stood up, digging through one of his jeans pockets and pulling out a wallet. "''Cause guys like us, when we try and try to stick to the right path, we get chewed up and spit out. We''re told to suck it up, move on and let the system sort it out." He took out a twenty dollar bill and threw it on the table, catching Robert''s eyes. "The right thing to do gets thrown aside by men in true pain." Robert watched as Jackson walked away, throwing open the diner doors and vanishing from his left. He mused over the man''s parting words, fork hovering over his now cold meal. ''The right thing to do¡­ Should I have just turned a blind eye like all the others?'' Listening to the sounds and sights of happy families around him, he was thrown into a memory not long ago when he and his family dined here. Apparitions and ghostly figures manifested beside him as he quietly ate. They spoke about their day, and he spoke of his. When he finished, he was alone. That was how it was going to be from here on out, and he needed to get used to it again.
The bright headlights of a deep blue pickup truck shone past shop windows as the vehicle rumbled past. Splashing through puddles of rainwater, it rolled through an alleyway and into an empty lot nestled by abandoned structures. At the same time, black SUVs pulled up alongside the truck and parked. Robert killed the engine, flopping backward in his seat and adjusting to the near silence that settled in. He could hear the muffled sounds of car doors opening and closing, clearly belonging to the entourage that corralled him here like a prisoner. This was his reintroduction, after all. Reaching underneath his leather jacket, he withdrew his service pistol - the one memento he got to keep. A deep breath escaped him as he laid the handgun against his rapidly beating chest. His eyes drilled into the red brick walls blocking what lie ahead, then flicked to his rearview mirrors. Dangling from a chain, a small sculpted racehorse slowly swiveled around. Days spent watching television in the orphanage, he remembered each NASCAR and horse racing match by heart. He let it slip out one dinner, and the glint in his wife''s eyes said everything. A joint project of his wife and son, with Angelica''s arts and crafts abilities combined with Liam''s motivation to paint everything she made growing up. He watched it spin some more, smiling and giving it a little flick with a finger. A window to the past, a light through darkness, he felt a wave of unease the longer he stared at it. The truck''s driver-side door flew open as Robert stepped out. A dozen men of all ages and races walked past him, clad in clothing as dark as their vehicles. One of them stopped to speak to him - a stout, bearded man wearing an earpiece connected to his black jacket. "Jack told us you were comin''. If ya still got your spurs, we wanna see ''em." "Y''all just lead the way," Robert said. "Maybe you''ll see somethin''." Robert followed closely behind the group, a chorus of pounding boots against the wet asphalt. A cold breeze that came in from the direction of the sea made him shiver; he despised the cold. The buzzing yellow bulbs of overhead street lights distracted him from the men ahead pulling out handguns of their own from their waists. He was starting to get reminded of various busts he performed through the years. But there would be more bullets sprayed than arrests during this ordeal. He had never taken another life as an officer. But could he do it as easily as he did before in his past? These wayward thoughts were scattered as the group came to a stop near an unassuming building near the docks - likely a warehouse of some sort. The waves were particularly fierce that night, crashing against the wooden piers and spraying the air with a salty mist. Robert could see the lights of Charleston from across the sea. The peace was then shattered by muffled gunshots and yelling occurring within the building. The stout man shot a look at Robert as shoved a new magazine into his pistol. "Ready for some action?" he said. "Just watch us mop ''em up and learn." Jackson''s goons began entering the building through an ajar door. Robert muttered a curse as he entered with them. It was dark on the inside, with only a few turned-on lamps on desks illuminating an otherwise empty room. There were intersecting hallways that forced the group to split up and search. The tension was palpable as Robert followed one group. The further they went, the more signs of chaos were apparent. Casings littered the concrete floors, and bodies wearing bullets were slumped against walls. He could see glimpses of shadows sprinting through rooms, the flash of a gun muzzle before a deafening thud. It felt foolish to compare a typical bust to carnage like this. This was nothing like he was used to. "Robert, was it?" a voice whispered in the darkness. "Take that hallway - put down anyone you see that''s hostile." Robert gave a firm nod and broke away from the group, heading down a separate hall that was thankfully clear of evident mayhem. He took out his service pistol in anticipation as he hesitantly entered a spacious chamber. He briefly checked his corners before entering. An unoccupied forklift in the corner, various large crates gathering dust scattered about, but no signs of activity. He did anything but relax; his training taught him that much. His footsteps were faint and well thought out, but a pair of boisterous steps up ahead sent him on high alert. A shadow across the light of a dangling street lamp. A large man stumbled into his sights, bleeding from a chest wound and panting heavily as he waved a handgun around frantically. "JACKSON!" the man screamed. "Where the fuck- come out ya fuckin'' rat!" A misstep caused Robert to step over a shattered glass bottle. With the eyes of the man darting to his position, he put a plan into motion as he withdrew his firearm and pointed it straight at the scowling man. "Police! Drop your weapon!" The man stared back at him in confusion before letting out an ominous chuckle. "Well, ain''t that fuckin'' cute. What - Jack sent ya to that say while you kill all my fuckin'' guys?!" Robert reaffirmed his stance as the man approached. "Final warning! Drop it!" "You gonna fuckin'' shoot me, sunshine? Take your best shot." Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw another shadow coming into view. The gun-wielding man continued to approach until he got a good look at Robert, his eyes widening. There was a scrape of a footstep behind the man, an unraveling of a spool of wire. "What the fuck? You''re supposed to be-" A thin wire entwined around the man''s neck prevented his last words. His handgun clattered to the ground as he struggled to break free. Robert jumped back in shock as Jackson relentlessly choked the man before him. Chokes and gasps filled the air, clenched hands flailing in a desperate attempt to claw away his assailant''s iron grip on the wire. Robert could not stop staring at Jackson''s expression - the sheer brutality captured in one animal-like sneer half covered by darkness. Every struggle, every futile resistance, Jackson pushed him backward. His boots squeaked against the concrete with each feeble kick. A purplish hue overtook the man''s face as his eyes bulged out. His knees crashed to the floor, Jackson coming down with him. It went on for another agonizing minute until a final pathetic whimper crawled out of the large man''s lips before his limbs gave out and he fell to the ground - finally extinguished. It was a haunting last moment that sent Robert reeling back. Men should never make noises like that. Jackson removed the now bloody wire from the man''s neck, grinning victoriously at his deed. "Never used this shit before! Gotta say, worked like a charm!" He glanced over at Robert. "You all right there, James?" Robert was hunched over, hands on his shaking knees as he tried his best not to vomit from what he saw. "Like¡­ Like a million bucks, Jack," he forced out through a ragged cough. He heard a cackling laugh and felt a slap on his back. "When you''re done pukin'' out your lunch, come help me lift this big sack of shit over to the docks." Robert looked up, taken aback by the request. "That guy''s built like a brick house, Jack. No way we''re gettin'' him anywhere." Jackson shook his head and knelt down to grasp the deceased man''s shoulders. "Excuses ain''t gonna make this day go any faster." He hefted the man up. "Grab his boots." "Jesus Christ¡­" Robert swallowed the rising bile in his throat and grabbed onto the man''s dark boots. "All right - on three. One, two, three-" Both men grunted heavily as they lifted the body up from the ground. Robert followed Jackson''s lead as they moved backward into another hallway. An open door ahead allowed some fresh air to trickle inside, which he very much needed. "You got here just as the fun ended," Jackson said, huffing. "Maybe it''s a good thing¡­ It''d be a shame if ya got killed on your first day back." "Day''s not over yet," Robert grumbled. "Here''s hopin''..." They eventually made it through the open door and onto the docks. At the same time, Jackson''s men looked to be mopping things up rather thoroughly. Bodies were pulled out of the building and laid out atop body bags lining the wooden piers. Robert was caught off guard at how professional and organized they were, despite his initial assumptions a year ago. "The big guy we''re carryin'', Rhett was his name," Jackson explained. "Used to be the manager here and one of my best guys here. Found out he wasn''t sendin'' the whole cut of distribution - was takin'' a portion for himself. Georgian, too - can''t fuckin'' trust those inbreds." He was not comfortable putting a name on these people. If they had to be put down, so be it, but they would be nameless to him. But Jackson did not seem to mind naming the men he strangled to death. That was what separated them both; he could see the humanity inside these people that Jackson could not anymore. ''At least that''s what I''m telling myself to cope with what I''m doin'','' Robert thought. "Still got that sour look on your face, James. Next you''re gonna tell me you never killed someone as a cop." "We try not to. I haven''t even shot at someone in over five years. Was hopin'' I''d never have to again." "That''ll change - don''t you worry." Carrying the body of Rhett over to one of the piers, they dropped him unceremoniously into one of the body bags. Jackson stopped to spit at the man and mutter inaudible curses before turning to the chubby man zipping up the lifeless faces never to see light again. Robert found himself staring at one in particular - a young man in a bloody tank top. He ripped his gaze away, gritting his teeth while also letting out a sigh of relief. "Usual shit, Miles. Take ''em on one of the boats, dump ''em in different spots, then clean up," Jackson told his underling before returning his attention to Robert. "Easy part''s over, but now we gotta torch up the safe house. Can''t let the SPMC catch a whiff of weakness in my operation." "You''re takin'' the threat of the SPMC a lot more seriously than the damn government," Robert commented as he followed Jackson back to the building. "Bureaucrats are too busy stiftin'' through paperwork to fix the loophole that birthed the army sweepin'' these streets. But I don''t have time to wait like they do." Jackson threw open a set of double doors leading into a new section of the warehouse. It looked like a makeshift office space of rectangular tables and chairs crowded around computers and monitors plugged into wall outlets. Large wooden crates were piled high on tables or in the corners of the room, indentations in the foam within that let the mind wonder about what once filled them. "Here we are - brains of the whole operation," Jackson said as he leaned on one of the tables. "My product gets shipped out through this port internationally. But with certain situations like today, there''s gonna be some delays." "Uhuh, and what kind of "product" are you shippin'' exactly?" Jackson chuckled and waggled a finger at him. "Now where''s the fun in discoverin'' that yourself?" "I don''t like bein'' left in the dark on this, Jack." "You won''t. You''ll learn the inner workings of my business soon. Then you can reintegrate with us just like the old days." ''Like the old days, huh?'' From what he had seen, this was anything but. The days of their scrappy partnership of robbing local banks and convenience stores had mutated into something beyond them both. Robert had realized this, but he wondered if Jackson had as well. "I just think-" The double doors flew open from a thunderous kick. Robert''s instincts activated as he turned on a dime and whipped his extended firearm at the person standing in the doorway. "Hey- woah! Don''t shoot the messenger!" cried the intruder. The newcomer appeared to be younger than any of the other men present, keeping a steady grip on two red cans of gasoline. He had messy blond hair and wore a Nirvana t-shirt with a v-neck; a pair of sunglasses hung off of it. He looked and dressed nothing like the rest of Jackson''s crew, adding further to Robert''s confusion. Jackson lowered Robert''s arm with a hand. "And speakin'' of learnin''..." He walked over to the young man with a grin and noogied his hair. "I''d like ya to meet Rorke, my work-in-progress." Rorke whipped his head away, flashing a grin of his own at Robert. "By ''work-in-progress'', he means the assistant that does errands for him." "Twenty years old and shows a hell of a lot more promise than the dogs we''ve put down today," Jackson said, patting Rorke''s shoulders. "He was off on some business of mine in North Carolina. But since he''s back, you and he are in the same boat ''bout this SPMC situation." Robert pocketed his service pistol. "Sorry ''bout that, Rorke. Pleasure to meetcha, but be careful makin'' an entrance like that next time." "Jack, who is this guy?" Rorke asked, glancing Robert up and down. "Doesn''t look like any of the other suckers you got here." Jackson opened his mouth but Robert beat him to the punch. "Ex-cop. You could say I''m an old friend of Jackson''s." "A cop? Are you sure this guy''s not wearing a wire, Jack?" Rorke jeered. Robert threw a sour look his way as Jackson chuckled again. "I need you two to play nice, ''cause you''re gonna be my ace in a hole," he said. "Now, Rorke, what''d you come bargin'' in here for?" "Miles and the other guys out there said we''re ready to light this place up like Christmas on your go," Rorke explained. "Sounds good to me." Jackson grabbed one of the jerry cans Rorke held and handed it to Robert, who reluctantly took it. "You two douse this room; make sure not a trace of anything but ash is left once it goes up. I''ve got some things to take care of before we''re done here." Jackson exited the room through the double doors, leaving Robert and Rorke behind. Both of them immediately got to work, creating large piles of paperwork and splashing gasoline all over it. They overturned furniture and ripped apart electronics and other miscellaneous gadgets. All of the evidence that he was going to destroy, bothered him in a way. But nothing bothered him more than when Rorke opened his mouth to make conversation. "So¡­ I tried asking Jack, but he wouldn''t answer me. But you Southerners, do you actually eat grits every day?" Robert sighed. "Occasionally." "Like, what is it really? Is it like porridge or soup?" It was like Rick never truly left.
The metal door behind him slammed shut as Robert took a few hesitant steps on the multi-story parking structure''s top floor. Jackson had told him to meet him here after everything went down. If there was any chance he had found out, he would not let his guard down. He pulled his jacket closer to his skin, staring up at the crescent moon''s silent, cold gaze upon the earth. He saw Jackson up ahead - the only soul in the area - leaning against the platform walls and looking out toward the city. He approached, throwing his hands over the cold stone and taking in the view. Robert had to admit Charleston was magnificent at night. He could only see it through the lens of a police officer before, the grime and undesirables that emerged in the dark he had to rout out. But from this vantage point, it was dazzling lights and a thriving city. The smoke drifting into the skies caught his attention as he honed onto the source. The safehouse he was just at was now ablaze, the sound of fire trucks racing toward a product of his creation echoing throughout the city. Was he an undesirable now? Was he any better than those he put behind bars? "Was startin'' to think you weren''t gonna make it," Jackson said, interrupting his thoughts. "... Your boy wonder, Rorke, he sure likes to open his mouth a lot. Someday he''s gonna get hurt ''cause of it." A smile played upon Jackson''s lips. " Picked him up from a crew he ran with two years ago - Rorke made a lot of money for ''em before I broke it apart. Seattle kid - not a lick of a discipline in him, but he''s got potential." Digging into his jean pockets, he procured a packet of cigarettes, taking one before offering it to Robert, who reluctantly accepted. He waited for Jackson to light it up before taking a long drag, expelling a vapor of smoke over the sides of the railing. The release of adrenaline and relaxing feelings flooded his mind, but it all felt tainted somehow. One of the few fleeting pleasures in his life now felt like a constant reminder. "I was supposed to give up smokin'' the day it happened - Angelica wanted me to. Enjoyed my last one near my patrol car." Jackson grinned and took a drag of his own. "Yeah? Elena tried to get me to step before. That was about five years ago." He blew out smoke. "Women." Robert shook his head. "I still keep thinkin'' about it¡­ She went to go check the damn mail, ''cause I forgot to that day. That was when¡­ it happened." "You keep bringin'' this shit up all the time; you really think that''s gonna make yourself feel better ''bout it? Like you could''ve stopped it?" "I swear to Christ, Jack - I find out who drove that car, who fired the shots, who gave the order, and I''ll-" "Spare me the details, James. Instead focus that anger on the SPMC." Robert gritted his teeth and looked away. Jackson was married, but how could he fathom the pain and turmoil he was enduring? He wanted to bark out exactly that and make him truly understand but found it ultimately pointless to argue against someone so desensitized. Instead, he worked on reducing his cigarette to a shriveled nub, stewing in bitter thoughts each long drag. "The people down there¡­ they don''t even know it," Jackson broke the silence. "Know what?" "That this city is mine. They can live their lives, go to their jobs, and return to their families, but they won''t ever know that I run this city. All those low lives out there that use a piece, I made that happen." He looked at Robert, smirking at the uneasy expression he wore. "I''ve been buildin'' up this for so long. Do you remember? That''s what we always dreamed of back in the orphanage." ''An empire of crime,'' he reminisced. An impractical dream born from rebellious youths drunk on their recent heists, drunk on feelings of lashing out against a society they had felt robbed them. It was childish, and Robert had long since cast such thoughts out, but Jackson seemed to take it to heart. He should have known when he was disappointed to see him leave, that Jackson believed he would be missing out on an opportunity; he thought much the same for him. Maybe he wanted to see his closest friend change like he had, or at least embrace the illusion of it. "The way ya told me ''bout it," Jackson continued. "I didn''t truly think you were serious until you put a bullet through Harper''s eyes." His greatest sin. One that always chased him through the darkest reaches of his mind. Days where he would awake in a cold sweat after remembering that fateful confrontation in the alleyway. ''I''m tellin'' ya, James. With you back in the saddle, there''s nothin'' that can stand in our way. Even past this SPMC hurdle, it''s a big opportunity if ya stick around." "I''m here to protect and provide for my son, Jack. Once I can guarantee that, I''m out." "Just give it some thought. ''Sides, you did good work today; I could use that in the future." "Mighty thankful for your praise, boss," Robert sarcastically remarked. "I think maybe a bonus is in order." Jackson cut the tension with a sharp laugh. "I''m just fuckin'' with ya. You''re not like any of the leeches down there on the underbelly of this thing of mine. What me and you have - it''s closer than friendship - brotherhood, in a sense." "Thirteen years gone by¡­ and you still think of me as a brother?" A smile - a shockingly earnest one in Robert''s eyes. "One that never called or stuck ''round much, but family nonetheless. Ya gotta understand - nothing is more important in this life than family. If I didn''t have Elena or you by my side in that awful fuckin'' place, I¡­ well, I don''t rightly know where I''d end up." Robert raised his glowing cigarette to the stars. "The moon. You wanted to be an astronaut - I remember that distinctly." Jackson chuckled, shaking his head. "Kid like me would''ve never made it. Even I knew that back then." "Well, if it weren''t for me suggestin'' we hit up that gas station, and we never met, maybe¡­" Robert considered his next words carefully. "Maybe you''d be someplace¡­ better¡­ than all of this." Jackson looked at him strangely. He could not tell if it was restrained anger or some form of poignant sadness. It was the first time since their reunion that he looked to be in genuine thought and not already concrete in intention. "Maybe," he said, smoke drifting from his pursed lips. "But I don''t think anythin'' would change. I''d still be right here, makin'' my mark." He could never wrap his mind around this man, not before and certainly not now. Robert flicked his cigarette off the edge. "It''s gettin'' late; I need to make sure Liam is in bed. Or at least ate somethin'' today." "I wanna see the boy again one of these days," Jackson said. "Give my respects for his Ma. Elena would love to meet him, too." "We can arrange that. Maybe it''d pick up his spirits, too." Robert pushed himself off the stone railing. "Call me ''bout our next meetin''. And¡­ thanks again, Jack, for everythin''." Jackson kept his sights on the city''s light show. "Go home to your boy, James. You''re still a father - remember that." "I thank God I am every day, Jack." Robert began to walk away, only throwing a momentary glance behind his shoulder at the man who remained. Absently smoking away the night as he stared at the city - an entity he claimed solely for himself. It was strange, but Jackson always looked to be in his own world whenever he spoke - even in the past. What was real and what was fake with a criminal was always a matter of deduction, if not guessing. But what lurked behind that mind of his continued to elude him just like his own. ''Maybe we really are brothers?'' They could not be brothers. He was different from him; he had to be. But the long walk down the parking structure''s stairs forced him to reflect. In truth, the line that separated them both was thinning, and he was terrified of that.
Yellow-orange flames burst along his enclosed paw, bathing the blue fur in a swelling inferno. The blaze met the bottom of a pipe as he took a slow inhale. He withdrew it from his lips a second later, smoke drifting upward and partially obscuring his flinty canine features. "This stuff, does it really work?" he asked. "Salazzle secretions," a voice beside him said. "A mere pint is enough to ignite and burn down a structure of any material. I am quite an expert in this regard, shepherd." Jackson observed as the Pokemon approached the building. Stained a purplish hue, the faux-guild reminded him of what he used to be, what he pretended to be. Seeing his once bright-eyed students turned cutthroat mercenaries replicate his work stirred feelings of melancholy in him. He quickly snuffed out said feelings with a sharp snort. ''I respected their game, got what I needed from them, but they had to get in my damn way¡­ Good for nothing mercs.'' The Pokemon attired in dark blacks and steel augments started splashing the building with a colorless, noxious liquid from metal cans. They broke through windows, pilfered what once belonged to the Razor Claws, and doused all that remained. He had to admit the zealots showed promise through their religious fervor and desire to follow any and all orders. Jackson turned, scrutinizing the Fire-type they called their ''commander''. Tall in stature, littered with deep scars engraved into his flesh, and always had a crazed look in the eye. "Your followers are pretty good; standing up to the Council''s soldiers, though, is what I''m not seeing." Blaziken smirked. "These are not my only Pokemon, shepherd; our glorious Alignment has many believers below waiting for the moment to strike. This ''Council'' will never have a chance to fight back before the continent is seized." "You''re the most competent one I''ve seen from the Alignment. So I expect you''ll prove that competency when I require your action soon." The avian puffed out his chest feathers. "With the power of the Allmother and you, shepherd, there is no chance of failure. You have nothing to worry about - I assure you." It was like a child aiming to impress his beloved hero. He found it amusing at first when the Alignment zealots fawned over him as some prophetic leader destined to lead them toward a promised land. But now he found it pathetic, tiresome even. This is what he desired from the people below him in the past, so why was he so put off by it now? It never ceased to irk him. "Once I''ve gathered all the Legendaries I can, and you have taken the continent from the Council, then we move on Celestial Mountain," Jackson said. "Provided we have all the necessities beforehand." Blaziken nodded. "Yes, shepherd, but I do have some misgivings." Jackson puffed on his pipe as he silently waited for him to continue. "This ''Yveltal'' beast¡­ It failed in the destruction of Elysium City and the Council''s headquarters. Can we truly rely on its ghastly powers to succeed?" As if on cue, a hair-raising shriek pierced the cool night air. Two massive blood-red wings stretched out to form a ''Y''. Yveltal then tucked its wings into its chest and dive-bombed to the ground beside Jackson, creating a mini shockwave as it landed with a thud. "KYOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" it screeched again, snapping its beak and whipping its head around erratically. The horror-stricken eyes of many Alignment zealots snapped to the Legendary beast as they remained frozen in place or retreated to a safe distance. Some even dropped to the ground and muttered inaudible prayers. Blaziken, however, was a stark contrast to his soldiers - sizing up Yveltal where he stood as if to rebuff his criticisms. Jackson found his defiance quite defining of the Fire-type''s character. He raised a paw, the flickering orange ring wrapped around it quelling Yveltal''s restlessness into quiet subjugation. "Yveltal used much of its energy at Empyrean," he said. "And I''ll admit, the Council put up a hell of a fight at Elysium, but it''s a minor setback. Once our trump card here recovers, nothing can rival it." Blaziken crossed his arms. "And in the meantime, we must pour time and Pok¨¨ on this ''mercenary princess'' and her poorly trained conscripts? How is this mercenary unlike Weavile and Bisharp - the devils that stole such a holy artifact?" His feathers became ruffled as he sneered in distaste. "My apologies, shepherd, but I detest working with such a woman." "Serperior is useful. She''s a nice roadblock for us to put down behind us. Let her have all the delusional demands in the world; when she''s outlived her usefulness, she''ll be taken care of - permanently." "That is¡­ acceptable. But I do have one final misgiving." Smoke billowed from Jackson''s mouth. "I''m still listening, aren''t I?" "This group from your past - these ''guild members''. They have not truly been disposed of, have they?" It should have been clean. It should have been thorough and as merciful as possible. But the appearance of the Council''s guards to arrest him threw a wrench into such plans. All of them could have been eliminated upon arrival back to the guild if it were so easy. The Rose Clan mercenaries he sent after Excadrill and Team Drarosteel were repelled. Both parties were now surely going to collaborate against him. The evidence he left behind at the guild to keep any who survived the onslaught behind bars also failed, as many escaped from the Council''s clutches. A lot went right, but a lot had gone wrong. He understood well those who knew how to stop the wheels of motion in his plan could not be allowed to remain. ''They can''t last forever. Them still being around shouldn''t fuck this up too bad.'' "If they become too much of an issue, I''ll put an end to their efforts as well," Jackson said. "A bigger issue right now - the Weavile and Bisharp you mentioned will have to be interrogated to find where they put the damn thing." He motioned with his pipe to the building. "Tell your men to sift through the ashes when it''s done, and then dig anywhere nearby; they could''ve buried it." Blaziken nodded. "I will relay this to them. And I must say, shepherd, I was quite skeptical of your existence and your methods before I met you, but any such qualms have been alleviated through your wisdom." "Yeah, whatever. I can take care of the rest here, so you take them elsewhere until I''m finished." Blaziken put his talons to his mouth and whistled loudly. The sounds of shuffling bodies and the clinking metal of their suits filled the air as the Pokemon and their commander retreated from the area. Now by his lonesome, he was finally able to think, or at least have the illusion of being able to. ''Fucking freaks¡­'' Then it happened. That melodious chime that always rang in his head before a silky voice he had heard so many times in this life flowed into his mind. "They are strange beings for sure, but their devotion to paradise is unparalleled among Pokemon." Jackson scoffed as he looked down at his blinking ring. ''I''ll work with the cultists, but don''t expect me to ever like them.'' Not receiving another reply, he took the initiative. ''I know you spoke with the boy. How did he take it?'' "The poor dear had reached his breaking point before our reunion. But I opened his eyes, took away his pain, and he embraced the future for this world, much like you did in the past." He grumbled. "I guess he did." He felt disappointed, and he was not sure why. "Liam is quite resilient - as resilient as you. But Jackson, you put up this facade of stoicism all these years. I know you care; I know you care for a world free of pain, suffering, and death." ''Maybe I care too much. Maybe we both do. And that''s the problem.'' He did not get a response - very much like her nowadays - left all alone in his jumbled, confused thoughts that were never truly private. Flames erupted from his paws as he formed another Fire Punch. This time, he fully ignited the pipe in his grasp until the wood was smoldering and crackling. Glancing at the soaked building, he tossed the blazing pipe through one of the shattered windows. The result was instantaneous. Red hot flames and choking black smoke engulfed the mercenary compound like it was a box of matchsticks. In mere seconds, everything was consumed by a massive fireball that spilled burning liquid all over the grass. The heat was intense and sublime, and he could not avert his gaze from the disaster. If Serperior did her job, and Blaziken did his job, he could do his. And if everything worked out, there would be a reason for his continued existence. As flames danced across his eyes, he truly wondered what existence he led all this time really amounted to.
To understand where the roots of this grand story unfurled, you must go back to where it first sprouted.
Author''s Notes: To kick off the new year, I hope you enjoyed the very first chapter to Part Three! I am still hard at work on edits all across the story; I anticipate a full scale release of them in the next update or two. Work on the official discord for The Phantasmagoria has also begun! If you''re interested in joining, add me on my Discord for any updates regarding the story or the Discord server!
Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below! Discord: z2h2z Next Time: Of All Gods And Heroes Across Time