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Pokemon MysteryDungeon: The Seventeen Plates of Arceus



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Sun Jun 26, 2016 7:27 am
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StupidSoup says...



Ren Day A8 5:30 P.M.

Ren sat in his room, not bored but unable to think of anything to do. After yesterdays test he was more wary of his comrades, especially the Gardevoir. She seemed bent on finding everything about him, who he was and why he wanted to help the Resistance. Of course that was her job. Nevertheless, Ren had a hard time trusting someone who seemed to have no intention of trusting him.

He sighed, slowly standing and walking over to the door. He stared at it, wondering if he was ready for the day. Sadly, the answer was obvious. No, he was not. No matter how long he waited he would never be ready for what was happening.

Ren stepped out into the empty hallways and floated up the stairs to the roof without really thinking, he let his feet go where they wished. The sun sulked behind a heavy covering of clouds. Ren emerged on the roof of the building and walked to the edge before sitting. He looked down on the same white landscape. Part of him still wished to burn it all down, take all the snow and ice and melt it into nothing. Ren ignored that part, dead set on believing he was getting better. But despite all that faith he still dreaded today's test. If it involved fighting, which it inevitably did, Ren wasn't sure how he could remain passive.

Face it, You cant escape me.

Ren stood, stone faced, and walked back down the stairs to his room.

Please, this is inevitable. How are you going to escape, by running away again?

Ren trudged down the empty hallways, spying the Beartic from yesterday waiting at his door.

You think you've matured just because that mangy Absol got a hold of you? Please, you're the same person you were when you arrived here.

"Are you ready to leave?" The Beartic growled, his face as unreadable as ever.

You go through these ridiculous tests thinking they'll help you fit in but today when they'll see who you really are. They'll see m--

"Yeah. Lets get this over with." Ren replied, staring up at the bear's icy blue eyes, forcing his mind to go blank.

The bear grunted, then turned and loped down the hallways. Ren followed, pointedly glaring at the floor. Forcing himself to fill his mind with the dull sheen of the ice he walked upon.

Soon, they arrived at the agreed meeting point. Ren was slightly surprised to see the others were waiting for him. Gardevoir, or rather Lieutenant Madeleine, stepped up as Ren settled into a waiting position next to Aegeas.

“Welcome, everyone. Here begins the second day of your Resistance Evaluation Test. Congratulations to all of you for having completed the first day; you’ve proved to be capable and effective so far. I’d like to state that Commanders Cassandra and Xerneas will be accompanying me in observing today’s set of challenges and keep an eye on your progress."

Ren raised an eyebrow. If Commander Cassandra was to be watching, the days tests would be far more important than the last ones. Regardless, Ren kept his thoughts to himself as the Gardevoir continued speaking.

"Now, gather around me, everyone, and we’ll be teleporting to the scene for today’s tests. I’d specify, but I think it would be best for you to see it yourselves, not to mention that it wouldn’t be fair for the other participants if you were to prepare some kind of strategy before beginning the test. And, of course, security reasons. Come a little closer; we don’t want any accidents taking place before the test even begins.”

Having finished her speech, the Lieutenant beckoned everyone towards her. Ren shuffled forwards and squinted as a sudden flash seared his eyes. As his sight returned, he could hear the distinct sound of sand scratching against the psychic bubble around the group.

“Now then, as before, we are here for two reasons. In this case, it is test your performance in fighting during a sandstorm, as well as your tolerance to being poisoned. Naturally, as with yesterday, it will not be lethal. At worst, you’ll faint, although you’ll hopefully do this after you’ve completed the test. Otherwise, as you know, you will fail.”

“I’m assuming that we’ll begin by spending ten minutes in a sandstorm?” The Dewott grumbled from beside Ren. He obviously wasn't happy with the environment they had been placed in.

“Correct,” replied the lieutenant. "As a matter of fact, this will effectively be conducted in a similar fashion to yesterday’s tests, except you’ll be facing a sandstorm instead of hail. Not to mention poison instead of being frozen. However, I’m not going to be standing here and spend all of my time providing explanations. North, activate RBPT Phase Two, please.”

The Castform, or rather the amorphous grey blob sitting next to the Gardevoir nodded slightly then morphed, its bland exterior blurring into the shape of a stylized sun.

“RBPT Phase Two initiated. Sandstorm ETA: less than a minute.”

However much the Castform's body had changed, its dull personality stayed the same.

"The order is the same as last time. First Gabriel, then Ageas, then Ren, then -"

Aegeas mumbled something under his breath and the Gardevoir turned towards the Dewott, annoyance flickering across her face.

"Unless, of course, you want to serve as an example for everyone else."

Aegeas struggled with himself for a second, then appeared to give up.

"“Sandstorm ETA: In ten seconds…nine…eight…”

Ren looked over at the Castform as it seemed to whir to life once more. The Gardevoir sighed, then looked over at the horizon.

“It’s almost time. Let us begin the second component of your Resistance Evaluation Test. Aegeas, step into the sandstorm.”

The Dewott complied. Ren and the others watched as he left the circle and was instantly enveloped in a tidal wave of desert.

Ren stood silently brooding as one by one, the others were cast into the sands. Ren expected more expression on each of their faces but whatever they felt, they did a good job hiding it.

Finally, it was Ren's turn.

"You know the drill by now."

Ren nodded and stepped forwards. Instantly, he was bombarded by sand. Sand streaming past his eye lids, into his mouth, up his nose. Ren could only think of one way to get rid of it. He lifted his head and burned it all away. The sand turned to glass, stinging and biting his insides, then it melted away into nothingness in the face of such intense heat. Ren poured more energy into his bubble of fire, finding it harder to maintain than the one before. He reasoned that this was because it was harder to burn away sand than snow.

Regardless, he kept it up. However, as the minutes ticked by, Ren realized he wouldn't be able to keep his sphere active for the entire test. Less than five minutes had gone by and he was already out of breath. He tried bringing down the volume of the shield so it only outlined his figure but to no avail. The shield was still blocking to many projectiles.

Finally, Ren relinquished his grasp on his own dwindling supply of strength. Once more, he felt the sting of the sand scratching its way into his skin. Ren grunted and leaned forwards, trying in vain to make his body more streamlined. The seconds ticked by, so slowly that Ren felt he would be nothing but bones before phase two of the test.

You neeeeeeeed meeeeeeee.

The whisper was in a sing-songy voice. Ren snarled. As if he needed to fight against any more than just sand. He stared down at the sand, trying to fill his mind with it, which wasn't very hard. The whisper died down Ren wasted no time in occupying himself with trying to think of a way to protect his tattered hide.

The heat shield was to costly. That was a fact. However, fire could be used in more than one way.

Ren let himself flare once more, tongues of fire super-heating the sand around him. Ren grunted at the amount of stamina leaving him but consoled himself in the fact that he wouldn't have to endure it for to long.

Slowly, molten sand pooled at his feet. Ren quickly drew on it before it turned to glass. He succeeded. Ren kept the pools to hot to solidify, supplying himself with a constant supply of fire.

Smiling, Ren put his hands out and let out a pulse of energy. Instantly, the sands faded and Ren was left with a profound sense of accomplishment.

The next few minutes were a breeze. Ren drew on the existing heat of his lava puddles to supply his shield. Eventually, the Gardevoir's voice echoed in his mind.

"I congratulate you on your victory over the first part of this test. However, the worst is yet to come. As before, you will now face substitutes created by myself. You must defeat them within two minutes of each other or you shall fail. I will return once this step has been completed. Are you ready?"

Ren nodded. The Gardevoir exited his mind. Soon, the first substitute appeared. Ren lowered his shield, growling as the sand bite into his hide once more. Ren concentrated heat into his palm and smashed it into the head of the statuesque figure. His fist went right through it's face, melting the rest of the statue away. Ren grunted and instantly put his shield up again, waiting for the next substitute to appear. While he did have tremendous offensive power, Ren had begun to realize more ad more that he could not take a hit.

The next substitute appeared. Ren lowered the shield once more and rushed his opponent, his fist blazing with an uncontrolled flame. This time, Ren's strike was explosive, sending both it's intended target and it's owner hurtling backwards. A hoarse scream escaped Ren's throat. His skin was cracked and bleeding, one particularly large gash on his back had split open. The pain was like being branded. Ren could just see the next substitute appearing ahead of him through the haze of pain.

Yooouuuuuu neeeeeeeed meeeeeeee.

Ren screamed again, a spasm shaking his body.

It seems you've failed this test. Here, why don't I try.

Slowly, the pain faded. The sound of the sand rushing around him faded to a dull clatter. Ren stood and glared at the substitute, then lifted his hand and watched as the statue melted. Ren looked down at the sand again, remembering the roof of the headquarters. What had he wanted to do? Looking down at all that snow.

Ren looked up, a cone of heat surrounding him, becoming thicker and thicker. The air shimmered violently and the ground creaked and groaned below him.

The next substitute appeared, Ren let loose the energy he'd been storing. The sandstorm was blown apart. Ren could see the surprised faces of Lieutenant Madeline and Cassandra. He grinned a broken, crooked grin and raised his foot to stomp.

NO!

Ren flinched, his foot stopped in mid-air.

YOU'RE NOT ME!

Ren spread his arms to his sides and looked down, a stunned look on his face.

His torso was covered in a dark shade of red. As he watched, the metallic red spread from his chest to his arms and legs.

LET GO OF ME!

Ren let out a wild scream as the strange metal reached his head. Then the armor was complete. Ren stood limp, a blood red glow emanated from him. His body was completely encased in the reddish metal. It's form was otherworldly, fitting together almost like a jigsaw. The helmet itself was angular, needle like spikes pointed outwards from the back of his head. Likewise, the front of the helmet also ended in a point much like a snout. A black visor covered where Ren's eyes should've been.

Nothing stirred. Then Ren looked to his right with a sudden jerk of his head and took off before anyone had a chance to react, his legs rocketing him forwards faster than he'd ever gone before.

He was gone faster than Gardevoir's telekinesis could travel, faster than Cassandra could strike with a psychic attack, even faster than Xerneas's deadly Moonblast.
I have a license that lets me solve aids - A friend of mine


Here Comes the Birdyyyy ~Poopsie


You gotta have the confidence of a gazelle running through a herd of lions - TK Sharp


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Charizard821 says...



Riley | Letter for a Lady | Day A8, 8:00AM


Dearest Flurry,

That sounded a little too old-timey.

Flurry,

Too in your face.

"Ugh. Why am I already struggling?" grumbled Riley,

He was tired and achy from the training with Twinkiel. The lamb really didn't let up. He decided to enlist the help of Ricardo, and called for him. The Diglett was soon there and patiently waiting to assist the Riolu, knowing the message would soon be his to deliver.

"What's a good way to open a letter?"

"Probably gently unfolding the leaves, being sure to keep it dry and-" Ricardo stopped talking as soon as he caught the look on Riley's face.

"I meant how do you begin writing a letter?" said the Riolu impatiently,

"Um, well that depends on what kind of letter it is. But aren't you missing the return address?"

Riley stared at him blankly.

"You need a return address so that your recipient knows where to send it back." Ricardo continued, "I also need to know where the recipient will be so I know where to go."

"Couldn't you just ask around for Flurry the Snorunt? Our groups are constantly moving around."

"Mister Riley, uh... she could be anywhere in the whole continent. That's a lot of search area to cover. Surely you have to have some way of narrowing it down."

Riley thought for a moment. "Zulu!"

"Didn't Mr. Thunderfleece send him out training?" asked Ricardo,

"... I knew that."

After a moment of silence between the two Pokemon, Riley stood up.

"Wait here." he said to Ricardo, and made to leave the room.

Riley walked over to Zulu's room, hoping that what he was looking for was there. It was. Riley grabbed the psychic crystal and exited Zulu's room. He honestly had no idea how the thing worked, but he knew it could be used to call Cresselia. Somehow.

As he set it down on the table next to the Greatwood leaf he'd be writing on, Ricardo asked, "What is that?"

"A magic crystal, I think." Riley responded, uncertainty playing on his face. "I'm pretty sure Zulu uses it to call Cresselia."

Ricardo's jaw dropped. "Cresselia?! That's a Legendary Pokemon! You guys get to talk to Legendaries?!"

This reminded Riley that it was highly unlikely that all the Pokemon in the continent communicated with beings of divine power as much as the humons did. Trying not to make a big deal of it, Riley simply said, "Yeah, sometimes."

Ricardo looked astonished.

So much for down playing it.

Returning to the subject at hand, Riley wondered aloud, "How do you work this thing?"

Spoiler! :
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"Maybe you have to say the name of whoever you're calling?" Ricardo offered,

Riley figured it was worth a shot. Staring into the crystal, Riley timidly said, "Cresselia?"

When nothing happened, Ricardo piped up again, "Maybe you have to picture the person in your mind."

Riley closed his eyes and imagined Cresselia. This time when he spoke her name, he heard back from the crystal, "Hello, Zulu. How are yo- wait a moment, who are you?"

Riley suspected he had never been good at phone calls, as he hastily replied, "Riley! Um.. hi, I'm uh, Riley... of the Resistance?"

There was silence for a moment, before Cresselia asked, "Riley the Riolu?"

"Yes! That's me."

"Oh, hello there Riley! What can I help you with?" Cresselia asked warmly,

Riley's mind raced to find the right words. "Um... well, I'm trying to write a letter. To Flurry,"

"The Snorunt?" Cresselia interrupted,

"Uh, yeah." Riley replied awkwardly, "Anyway, I have someone here to deliver the letter for me, but he needs to know where Flurry is. And since I don't know, I thought I'd contact you so you could contact her group and then let me know where they are - er, or where they'll be in however long it would take to get from here to there, or something. We're in Cutthroat Pass, by the way, but you probably already knew that."

Riley felt his face getting hot as soon as he caught Ricardo's questioning look.

You really don't have to make it that obvious that you're bad at this. At least try to talk like a normal person.

I am trying.

Riley didn't even realize that Cresselia was talking to him, so when the crystal suddenly went silent, he stammered, "Uh, sorry, could you say that again? Please?"

"I said that I could do that for you, but I'll have to call you back." repeated Cresselia.

"Okay, thanks!" exclaimed Riley a bit louder than he had intended,

"Bye-bye."

"See ya."

Riley turned to look at Ricardo, who was still giving him the same questioning look.

"What?" Riley asked defensively,

"Nothing." said Ricardo, finally breaking the stare and turning to face the table.

The two sat in silence, and Riley's mind began to wander. He stared into the crystal in his hands.

An all-powerful cell phone crystal. I wonder what it smells like.

Checking to make sure Ricardo wasn't watching, Riley quickly sniffed the shiny rock.

Smells like... a rock.

He then wondered what the crystal tasted like, but decided against finding out, since eating magic rocks didn't sound like the healthiest thing to do.

A moment later, Cresselia re-established connection. "Hello?" she said,

"Hello?" responded Riley,

"Hi again, Riley. So, I talked to Flurry's group, and they said that it would probably take about three days for Ricardo to intercept their group if he left from Cutthroat, and that would happen at the southwestern end of the Mangrove Shores. Does that sound good?"

"Um.." he glanced over at Ricardo who was watching him intently, "lemme ask Ricardo."

"Ricardo?" asked a puzzled Cresselia,

"My messenger."

He turned to the Diglett next and began, "Hey Ricardo-"

"I already heard it, Mr. Riley. That sounds great to me."

"Excellent." came the voice of Cresselia, "Is there anything else I can do for you, Riley?"

"Ooh, ooh!" Ricardo spoke, drawing Riley's attention again. He mouthed the words "Can I talk to her?"

"What? No!" Riley mouthed back,

"Why not?" Ricardo mouthed, clearly upset,

"Hello?" spoke Cresselia,

Riley glanced between the crystal and Ricardo and sighed, defeated. He handed Ricardo the crystal and mouthed "Make it quick."

"Hello?" said Ricardo,

"Yes, hello? Who is this?"

Ricardo broke into a huge grin like he was meeting a celebrity. "Hi! Hello, my name is Ricardo. I'm Mr. Riley's messenger, but that's not important. I can't believe I'm actually meeting a Legendary! Well, sort of. What's it like? Do you ever get asked to sign an autograph?"

"Oh," Cresselia laughed with a hint of confusion, "well it's nice to meet you Ricardo. And, in response to your question, no, I've never been asked to sign an autograph."

"If I ever meet you in person could I have one?" asked Ricardo, excitedly,

Cresselia responded with a rather drawn out "Um.. I suppose."

"Yes! Thank you! Okay, I'm gonna give the crystal back to Riley. Er.. Mr. Riley. Bye!"

Riley snatched the crystal away from Ricardo who looked like he'd just been made a king.

"Okay, I'm back. Hi." said Riley,

"Hello again... again." said Cresselia, still clearly confused.

"Well, thank you for all your help Cresselia. I think we have everything we need. Oh! One more thing! How do you start a letter?"

"That depends what kind of letter it is." she responded,

Out of the corner of his eye, Riley caught Ricardo mouth, "I told you."

"It's a.. um.. letter that's meant for a friend, but without sounding like I'm trying to friendzone myself. You know what I mean?"

"You're overthinking it, Riley. Writing 'Dear Flurry' will suffice for what you're intending."

"Okay, thank you again."

"Any time. I have to go now Riley, but it was nice talking to you."

"You as well. Bye."

"Goodbye."

And with that the connection was dropped. Riley quickly returned the crystal to where he'd found it, and sat back down to write the letter. Before he could start though, he had to know just how much he could disclose in this letter.

"Ricardo, when travelling to deliver this, will you be underground?"

"Yep, that's how I can guarantee it doesn't fall into the wrong hands."

"Okay, good."

And so, Riley began the letter.

Spoiler! :
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"Dear Flurry,

How are you? I'm writing this letter to ask how things are going for you? For me, there's been a lot of crazy stuff happening. We're putting together this place called the Last Exile where people can come and battle each other, or place bets on battles. Twinkiel thought it would be a good idea to bring all of Cutthroat to one place to gain info on the Surge Plate. He was also thinking of training me by making me FIGHT in those battles. Can you believe that?! Anyways, thankfully, I don't have to. He got a Machoke to do it instead. But I am getting trained here. Today was my first day, and well, let's just say Twinkiel beat me really badly. Don't worry though, I'm not too hurt. He sort of revitalized me afterwards. I dunno, he's a complicated guy. One minute, he's really friendly and funny, and the next, he's intimidating, cruel and unyielding.

On the topic of those that I'm with, though, I guess it's worth mentioning that I haven't really made a friend yet. I've spent some time with Zulu, but mostly that was saving a Vulpix and Diglett from harm. (This very Diglett messenger, actually. His name is Ricardo.) So we haven't really had the chance to become friends yet. I've had some good conversations with Twinkiel, but he's so unpredictable that I don't know if I can really trust him. On a personal level, I mean. He's a great ally. Ariala and Fleedjio are both nice, but I haven't really spoken with either of them, and there are a few others, but I barely speak to them either.

I guess I just feel sort of lonely in this group. I'm sure it'll change soon. I hope it does anyways. But right now, I find myself missing you, and Shaymin, and Articuno, and yes, even Gabriel. Now that I think about it, we were close to becoming friends, him and I. And I screwed it up when I called him Gabe. I never really even apologized for it, I just left him alone and he left me alone as best we could. Maybe I'll write him something too. But anyways, this letter is for you, and I just wanted to let you know that I'm alright, and I can't wait to see you again."


Riley sighed. It was now or never. But was it really a good idea to tell her in letter form?

Probably not, he thought to himself, though it would save me the most embarrassment.

"When I do see you again though, Flurry, there's something that I have to talk to you/tell you about. It's the kind of thing that shouldn't be said in a letter. Maybe that makes it painfully obvious, but I still think it should wait until we're next together. And so...

Until then.
-Riley

P.S. Feel free to write me back if you want. I'll ask Ricardo to stay with your group until you decide whether to write to me or not. If you don't want to write back, just send him off, and if you do, then he'll stick around until the letter is written."


After writing the letter, Riley put the Greatwood leaf aside, and grabbed a new one.

"Mr. Riley?" Ricardo asked inquisitively,

"Just call me Riley. And I have one more letter to write."

Truth be told, as Riley had written the words on the Greatwood leaf, he realized that what he had said was true. He did miss having Gabriel around, and it was his fault that their friendship had turned sour.

Time to make that right.

Riley began to write once more.

"Dear Gabriel,

I wanted to apologize for the way I've been acting to you. Ever since I called you what I called you that day at the arena, our interactions have been tolerable at best. You and I haven't really gotten the chance to become close. No, I lied, we did have the chance. But I threw that chance away when I made the mistake I did. I'm sorry for what I said, and I'm sorry for every time I upset you with some stupid argument or action. It took me the time away from those I've come to know in this world to realize just how much I miss being around them. You were one of those people, even after everything we've been through. Through this realization, I decided it's worth a shot to try and fix things between us, and maybe become better friends. That is, if you still consider me a friend at all.

I hope this letter finds you well.
-Riley"


Turning to Ricardo, Riley said, "Okay, here's the plan. First, I'm gonna need you to head to the southern Mangrove Shores to find Flurry's group. Look for Raikou the Legendary. She'll be travelling with him. Deliver this first letter, and stay with their group until Flurry sends you off. After that, I'll need you to head directly to Frostpoint Village. There's a snow fort there, and in that snow fort is another Riolu named Gabriel. This second letter is for him. Same deal. Stay with him until he sends you away. That way, they both have the chance to write back. Sound good?"

"For sure." Ricardo replied, "But what if Gabriel isn't there?"

"Talk to the Snow Fort commander Cassandra. She's a Jynx. Let her know you're with the Resistance and that Riley the Riolu sent you to deliver a letter to Gabriel. Ask her to tell you where you can find him. After all of that, head to the Shrine of Safety to find Cresselia. From there, she'll call Zulu on the crystal to find out where we are. Then just head back to us."

"But I don't know exactly where the Shrine is."

"Ask Raikou, Shaymin, or Xerneas when you see them. Remember what they tell you, and you'll find it."

Ricardo nodded in determination, but Riley caught the gleam in his eye.

"And no asking for autographs."

"Just one?"

"Cresselia. That's it."

"You got it, Mr- err.. you got it, Riley!"

Ricardo grabbed the Greatwood leaves and, taking both messages in a small pack along with other provisions, set off for the Mangrove Shores.





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Poopsie says...



Day A8 8;00

Frost stood in the shadows. Head low. Face down, trained on the icy floor. He felt the weight of buried memories resurfacing. Keeping him rooted to the spot. Feelings still burst through his mind. Cracking through the empty space like fireworks so bright they hurt his eyes. And so he kept them closed, blocking the light like he was trained to do. An angry voice told him to stay closed. To keep the feelings away, for they caused pain and confusion. Yet their was another voice now, one that spoke in a soft whisper of the bittersweet sky of an overcast city, a sorrowful sight, but a sight that Frost found he couldn't help but smile at. In the back of his head he heard the voices now.

You need this power. It is necessary to restore order to this realm. Their is no backing away now. You must fight through this pain, this.....feeling. You are a necessary evil.

Their is a power to feelings. Its something in the wind, a nameless drop in the stagnant sky, and it claims those who truly fight for good. Light flows through you, so come, take its strength. Scale this pit with me.

Take my power and they will remember you

It is not being remembered that makes you great. It is how you are remembered. How you came to be remembered...


''Is...is that Kecleon still here?''

Frost's head snapped up, Ho-Oh stood in front of him. That ghastly light danced around his plumage. He wore a concerned look. Frost doubted it was for him.

''Vex? No."

Ho-Oh seemed to relax a little.

"Do you fear him too?"

Frost thought for a minute. It was a strange question coming from the legendary.

"Not as you do. It's a different fear. Not necessarily of Vex himself, but of what he represents."

Ho-Oh looked puzzled.

"And what is that?"

Frost sighed to himself.

"It's the concept that even in the pits of insanity, the darkest depths of the mind. Their is still understanding and compassion. Their is still that which makes us human."

"Human?"

Ho-Oh remained puzzled, but Frost stopped.

"Tell me...what is it to be human?"

It is to succumb to your emotions. To fall to the whims of your mind. It is evil and we must bury it deep within ourselves.

It is a mindset within us all. A want for compassion, kindness, and hope. It is all around us. That which makes the wind sigh and the sun dance across the mountain tops at dusk. It is Santa Claus, or the Easter Bunny. It is the voice inside us that says 'I am beautiful, I am unique'. It is how we exist.


"It is the fine line between dark and light. The gray of dusk, the purple of twilight, when the sun creeps over the mountains just as the darkness did at dusk. It is the stars in the night or the moon in the morning. It may seem like it doesn't belong, and maybe it doesn't, but it is there nonetheless. To show us that we can change, that life is a mixture, and it gives us the strength to move on. It is equilibrium, and that is what matters most, for what you do is only defined by how you do it. That is humanity."

Ho-Oh stood for a second, then asked.

"Is it in me?"

Frost grinned.

"That is for you to decide."

"Is it in you?"

Frost's smile faded.

"I'm not sure yet."

Ho-Oh paused at that response.

"Then maybe you must decide."

Frost didn't respond. His mind warred against itself.

"Frost!"

Frost!

Frost!

Frost turned, stunned at the perfect meld of light and dark shouting together in his mind. Vex made his way down the icy hall. Ho-Oh grew pale and took off, fleeing the approaching figure.

"Vex"

Vex smiled with crooked teeth.

Shade asked for you

Frost stood, perplexed.

''What do you and Shade have? What binds you two together?''

Vex simply smiled and gestured for him to follow.

An endless number of twisting halls later, Frost found himself standing over Shade. He lay on the ground, half his body obscured by the dark shadows cast by the halls.

''Hello again Frost. Today we're going to bring you back.''

''Back from what?''

Shade smiled.

''You know just as well as I do.''

Frost ignored the answer.

''And how does this begin?''

''Well, first, you're going to help me with this.''

At this, Shade, turned, revealing his other arm. It had been cut and cauterized from the elbow, leaving only a ghostly stub. Frost stood, confused.

''Can't you just grow that back? You're ethereal, decapitation shouldn't affect you.''

Shade smiled.

''Of course I can, but I feel like i'd rather grow it back the old fashion way. Ah I remember when things used to take time Frost. When the days seemed slower, when much could be done...had to be done in the few hours of sunlight. I want to take you back to those days with me. Won't you help a decapitated ghost?''

''Why should I?''

''Because you lack something.''

''And that is?''

Humanity

Humanity

''Humanity. Frost. Come find it with me.''

Frost thought for a moment.

''Fine, but answer me this. How do you know Vex? Why does he follow you around?''

Shade smiled.

''You should've guessed that one Frost.''

Frost raised an eyebrow.

''He is my master.''
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BrumalHunter says...



Gabriel | When Day Becomes Night | Day A8, 3:49 AM


Sleep was meant to let the body recover from the day’s activity, the brain process all that had happened, and the mind find some quiet solace. But alas, there was no rest for the restless. While the first two did take place, Gabriel himself found no peace at all and instead wrestled with memories from his abandoned life. To make matters worse, all the memories were combined with distorted versions of those he had made within the past two weeks. Kyurem gave him detention for arriving late to class and sent him outside into the swamp, Twinkiel asked for help with the synthesis of salicylic acid, Lieutenant Madeleine brought him his milkshake, Mewtwo asked him out on a date in the middle of a blizzard, Fleur told him to get out of her way…

It was when a Tyranitar softly closed the bedroom door behind him and spoke to Gabriel that he finally woke screaming. A light appeared in the hallway outside the room, after which one of the nurses came running, lantern in hand.

“There, there,” she cooed, placing the lantern on his bedside table, “it was all just a dream.”

She took his temperature, fetched a wet towel, and dabbed away at the sweat on his forehead. While she continued whispering reassurances, Gabriel struggled to slow down his breathing. Once she’d finished, she offered him a glass of water, which he accepted.

Handing the glass back, he looked around and tried to identify the other sleeping ‘mons. He failed, not only because he didn’t know too many, but because the lantern didn’t illuminate the infirmary very well. In fact, the shadows it cast made the task even more difficult.

“Where’s Fleur?”

If she had endured the same harrowing experience as he, she would be in an even worse state. Great was his surprise when he learned that was not the case.

“She’s in her room.”

Relief mingled with incomprehension. “That’s fantastic! But how…?”

“After the test, your friend had a case of severe frostbite. Many nurses, myself included, worked on her simultaneously. In the end, we managed to prevent any permanent damage and left her to rest. Little did we know that our treatment had been so successful, she was awake and active by dusk.” The nurse smiled, but then scowled. “Ideally, she should rest a few more days, but we were told your tests are of the utmost urgency. Damn bureaucracy taking precedence over a ‘mon’s welfare…”

Gabriel regarded her with his eyebrows raised in surprise. He’d never have thought a Blissey could be so… err, he didn’t actually know how to describe it, but whatever it was, it was unexpected.

“If there’s nothing else you want, I think it would be best if you go back to sleep. We don’t want the other patients waking up too.”

He shivered. “I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep again.”

The nurse laughed it off. “Nonsense! Here, I’ll give you something that will induce a deep, dreamless sleep.”

Gabriel was reminded of Cassandra’s Lovely Kiss. When his lips touched the potion, however, he firmly withdrew his prior thought. It was as effective as the kiss, for he already felt drowsy after only a single swallow, but it perfectly fitted the stigma of medicine being bitter and revolting. He was still contemplating this when he once more slipped into unconsciousness.

***


“Okay, I think you’ve had enough sleep by now. Come on, wake up.”

Gabriel mumbled something incomprehensible in response.

“No protests.” The voice proceeded to shake him. “Come on, a little flower recovered faster than you.”

He opened his eyes only wide enough to peer at Markus. “Fleur was a priority patient, so she received more intensive care than me.”

Markus rolled his eyes. “Excuses. I never slept this much after you beat me. Are you saying you’ve gone soft?”

“My fur has always been soft.”

“Not the same. I mean your–” He interrupted himself as soon as he put his hand on Gabriel’s arm to test the claim. “Whoa, you weren’t joking. Damn, you’re like a Wigglytuff, except with reversed types. It’s no wonder Fleur doesn’t want to let go of your hand.” He winked.

Gabriel blushed and withdrew his arm underneath the blanket. “What time is it?”

“I believe you asked me that exact question yesterday. I should buy you a clock or something.”

“The time, Markus.”

“I was getting there! Sheesh, you’d think a person would be grateful they received a visitor. It’s ten minutes past noon.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem.” The Mienfoo dragged a chair closer and plopped down onto it. “So, the obvious results aside, how did it go?”

“It was like the actual Hell from Norse mythology.”

“I have no idea what that is,” he replied, grinning, “but it sounds bad.”

“I’ll clarify: We had to endure ten minutes of hail before taking down four substitutes of Lieutenant Madeleine – within a time limit – and finally being frozen.”

Markus’ jaw dropped. “And you survived all that? Nice.”

“Well, yes, I passed, but I fainted directly afterwards.”

“Duh! Of course you fainted! This is the most difficult training regimen in the world we’re talking about. The only ‘mons who could possibly stand a chance against us are Cobalions’ apprentices.”

“What are they?”

“The elite of the New Order, although that’s not saying much. Like me, they’re trained to become warriors from a young age, but the difference is that Cobalion personally approved each of his apprentices’ recruitment. Besides them, the New Order’s minions suck at battle, since they go for quantity over quality.”

“So they’re essentially the only non-Legendary threat the New Order poses?”

“Basically. But now that I think of it, the NO’s spies and assassins are probably also apprentices. I can’t imagine that they were trained in the normal way.”

Gabriel reached for the glass beside him, but Markus beat him to it and held it out for him. “Thanks,” he said, taking a sip and handing it back. “So, what would happen if the NO ever improved their combat training?”

Markus scoffed. “They won’t. But if, hypothetically, they did, we’d be screwed. Their propaganda ensures they have a constant supply of soldiers, so they just teach them the basics and post the sorry souls where they’re needed.”

“But what’s stopping them from doing a better job at training their recruits?”

He regarded Gabriel patronisingly. “Really? We’re what’s stopping them. Training adept soldiers costs time and money. The first they wouldn’t have because we wouldn’t give them the chance.”

“And the second? Surely they have more than enough resources to afford it.”

“Oh, they do, but those Legendaries are a bunch of greedy bastards. They’d prefer to upgrade their palaces in Radiance rather than spend it on improving their armies’ strength. Some rumours even say they use slave labour. Can you imagine that?” He shook his head disdainfully. “And then those New Order zealots think they’re fighting for the right side.”

“Is there a ‘right’ side?” Gabriel asked.

The question caught Markus by surprise. “What do you mean? Right now, we’re the only thing standing between the NO and total control of all Terraria. I mean sure, there are probably smaller rebel factions, but none are as organised or effective as us. We also don’t commit any atrocities.”

“That we know of,” the Riolu corrected.

“At all,” Markus countered hotly. “Where’s this line of questioning coming from?”

“Nowhere in particular,” Gabriel responded, less passive than before, “but I’ve only been here a while, so I can’t know whether the Resistance is as transparent as they would have us believe.”

He could see Markus was getting riled up, but the Mienfoo looked away for a few seconds before saying in a restrained tone, “I’ll ascribe this new paranoia to your recent arrival in this world. But you’re right; you don’t know about everything that’s going on, so maybe hold back on the suspicion until you have good enough reason not to, okay?”

Gabriel nodded, not wanting to alienate yet another friend. “All right. I’m sorry.”

Markus glared at him for a moment longer before his expression softened. “It’s all good. Listen, this is the third time I’ve taken a break to see how you were doing, so my trainer’s getting cranky. So, err, I guess that means I’ll see you later.” He added jokingly, “If you don’t faint again, that is.”

Gabriel smiled. “I’ll try.”

After the Mienfoo left, he felt remarkably lonely. He lay on the bed for what felt like too long and then called the nurse, demanding he be discharged. She did a check-up on him before reluctantly agreeing.

He’d never been to the infirmary before, so it took him a while before he wandered into a familiar part of the sort. Soon thereafter, he was at his room. Fleur must have been waiting in her room, because she knocked on his door mere seconds after he had closed it. He practically flung the door open and embraced her.

“How are you?” He looked down, lifted one of her petals with his finger, and inspected it. “The nurses told me your condition had been critical.”

“It was,” she confirmed, walking inside. Gabriel closed the door behind them and sat on a chair while she jumped onto the bed. “But they are very good at their job. While I was out there in the hail, it felt like I was being crushed into a pulp. But I drained the substitutes’ vitality each time, so it made the experience more bearable.”

“How did you handle being frozen?” he asked, grimacing at the recollection of being encased in ice.

“It was very cold, but not too bad.”

Gabriel gawked. “Not too bad? I would have thought that you would have suffered the most of us all.”

Fleur looked thoughtful. “I think I did, but it was too overwhelming for my body to process, so I just felt absolutely numb. I was surprised, but the cold was too intense to hurt.”

Gabriel scratched his head. “I’m not sure you’ll get such a lucky break a second time if you were ever frozen again, so let’s agree to keep you away from the north after we leave here.”

She brightened. “Sure! Plants love sunlight anyway.” She patted the spot next to her. After he sat down, she asked, “So, now what?”

“I don’t know. We could prepare for today’s test, but I’m not sure whether that would be wise. We might end up exhausting ourselves beforehand, which will make yesterday’s efforts a waste. On the other hand, not preparing might just as well leave us too unfit to complete the next phase, seeing as it will probably be even more difficult.”

“Which do you think is more likely?” Fleur asked.

He shrugged. “What do you feel like doing?”

Her brow scrunched up into a frown. “Let’s just take it easy. If we’re not as tired tomorrow as we are now, then I say we can have a practice session. Well, I guess it’s more you than me. I sort of sustain myself on Mega Drain.”

Gabriel fell backwards onto his pillow. “Then reading it is.”

And so they each chose a book, Fleur selecting some awful novel (the quality of Pokémon literature wasn’t very high, it seemed), whereas he preferred his studies. They occasionally exchanged a few words to break the silence, but they were half-hearted attempts at conversation that were forgotten shortly afterward.

“Fleur,” Gabriel said several hours later as a thought struck him, “I haven’t slept through today’s test, have I?”

“Nope,” she replied without looking up. “The commander dropped by while you were sleeping and said the test would be delayed until six.”

He looked at the mechanical clock on the wall. “It’s ten-to now.”

She decisively snapped the book shut and replaced it on the shelf. “Then we’d better go before that scary Beartic comes to fetch us.”

“Won’t he do that anyway?”

“What if he has to fetch all of us? I’m sure it’s possible to get to the briefing room while he’s escorting someone else.”

Gabriel inserted his bookmark and lay the volume down on his end table. “Fair enough. Let’s go.”

She was right. When they reached the briefing room, Xerneas and Cassandra were engaged in a quiet conversation in the corner, Lieutenant Madeleine discussed whatever was on her clipboard with North, and the nurses… appeared to be standing around idly. Xerneas looked up to watch them enter, but didn’t even stop talking to the Jynx while he did so. His and Gabriel’s eyes met for a second before eye contact was broken again. Gabriel realised he hadn’t seen his guardian since the previous morning.

“He stayed with you for the first twelve hours after you had fainted,” Fleur whispered.

Gabriel regarded her with surprised countenance. “Since when do you read minds?”

“You’re usually closed off,” she replied, taking a seat, “but there are moments when you drop your guard.”

He sat down too and pondered the thought. Being aloof wasn’t good, but neither was wearing his heart on his non-existent sleeve. He then pondered that thought and looked at his arm, followed by the rest of his body. Who would have thought he’d ever be fine with wearing no clothing at all? Then again, his fur really made it quite redundant. Still, it was an odd situation and he suddenly felt distinctly uncomfortable. He’d have to enquire into it when circumstances were more appropriate.

Aegeas arrived sometime later, followed shortly by Ren. Thereafter, the Gardevoir stepped forward and announced that Xerneas and Cassandra would be observing them that time. Gabriel noted that Absol was absent, but he hardly had time to give it much thought before they were teleported to a desert.

Well. Three guesses what type of weather they’d have to endure…

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Swirling all around the lieutenant’s psychic bubble obscured the evening sunlight, and though the desert sounded fierce already, he was certain the worst was still coming. He recalled how much quieter his first trip to the Sazandora had been. He supposed he should be grateful he had seen it calm at all.

Lieutenant Madeleine drew their attention and succinctly explained what was expected of them. Interestingly, Aegeas somehow managed to get himself the position of first to brave the desert’s fury, but to Gabriel, it mattered little. No matter the order, they’d have to face the same sandstorm eventually. In fact, going last was probably worse than going first, since then you’d have had time to become sufficiently anxious.

As it turned out, none of them even had to go last to become anxious. After North had announced the sandstorm was a minute away, Gabriel immediately saw a vast wall of sand rise from the east. Needless to say. Panic clutched at his heart, for being in the path of something that large was enough to make the most courageous of ‘mons cower. The wall rapidly approached, but it was not until he had counted to fifty that his heart began beating much faster.

North began its countdown, and upon reaching five, the bottom of the sandstorm was no longer distinguishable. At two, the air turned hazy, and at zero, the air turned dark brown. Five seconds after the sandstorm had officially hit, it was dusk all around. After fifteen seconds had elapsed, it was night. Twenty-five seconds after onset, nothing was visible – not the Lieutenant’s psychic bubble, not the little hand that desperately clutched his, not even his muzzle.

A sandy void had swallowed them all.

Aegeas had stepped out of the bubble as soon as North had finished its countdown, but, like everything else, he was no longer visible. Lieutenant Madeleine didn’t even stay to say anything to him; she simply teleported them to the next spot.

“Gabriel, you’re next.” Her voice was heard, but only barely. The bubble muffled some of the noise, but not everything.

“Lieutenant?” Xerneas’ voice. If Gabriel had been able to see him, he’d have looked at his guardian in surprise.

“Yes, Commander Xerneas?”

“What is the protocol on Steel types during this phase of the test?” He sounded anxious, and Gabriel probably wasn’t the only one to pick up on it.

“They get to sit out, seeing as they’re immune or extremely resistant to sandstorm damage and aren’t affected by….” The Gardevoir trailed off upon realising she’d been given an unspoken command. “Oh, of course! Gabriel, seeing as you’re bound to evolve soon, going through this would be a moot point.”

He felt touched that, despite their recent argument, Xerneas still only had his well-being in mind, but he had to show he didn’t need to be babied. (It was as much a matter of pride as it was a matter of showing he was as capable as any of the Resistance’s other agents.)

“If it’s all the same, lieutenant,” he called, “I want to do this.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, her tone emphasising her doubts despite having yelled the question. “If you insist on participating in this part of the test, you can still fail, regardless of your circumstances. It would be a pity, since the second half of the test is less extreme and focuses more on actual scenarios you might encounter in battle.”

If he had any reservations before, he had none at that moment. “I’m certain.” He spoke almost too softly.

“Then you may step outside. Try not to let the winds blow you too far from your starting position.”

Fleur squeezed his hand before slipping hers out of his grip. He clenched his fist, set his jaw, and stepped out into the–

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Instantly, the sheer power of the storm overwhelmed him and sent him tumbling. Whether the supervisors had seen anything was irrelevant, for they wouldn’t assist him anyway. Unfortunately, getting himself to stop rolling was not too easy when he was less than a metre tall. By the time he succeeded, the sand had stung him all over. He made to dust himself off out of habit, but quickly realised the absurdity of it and sat down cross-legged. It was certainly uncomfortable, but it provided him more stability, in addition to allowing him to pass the time. Besides, he really needed something to prevent him from panicking; he’d never been blind before.

Thus, he spent the next eight minutes with his eyes closed and his mind as unoccupied as he could keep it. According to Miriander the Sage, one had to meditate every day – not as a means to reflect on worldly affairs, but rather as method of reconnecting with the cosmos as a whole. It sounded pretty new age, but seeing as he already saw auras, knew the spectral plane existed, and had a god for a mentor, perhaps the movement wasn’t as bizarre as he had though back on earth.

Regrettably, his composed state was ruined when a psychic bubble literally knocked him off his feet. He scrabbled at the sand for a moment before moving back towards the bubble and only stopping once he felt it.

“Meditating to increase your power was… excellent idea!” Lieutenant Madeleine called from inside. “…can’t see you, naturally, but there’s no other explanation for sensing a spot of calm in a sandstorm. I hope you don’t have too much trouble keeping track of my substitutes. Good luck!”

Gabriel wasn’t entirely sure he had used Meditate, even if he had meditated, since it wasn’t a move he should have been able to learn. If that was the case and he had already learned Calm Mind, it wouldn’t help him anyway, seeing as he hadn’t yet unlocked any aura attacks. While he was thinking, he realised he saw a light in front of him. Substitutes had auras? Well, at least he had the comfort of knowing the fight wouldn’t be any more difficult than the previous day’s…

Not wanting to embarrass himself again by the way he took down the substitute, he opted to treat it as a live sparring partner. He would throw punches and kicks at it, pretend to duck under some attacks, jump over others, and then return to pummelling the substitute. If only he had evolved already – then he could use the spikes he’d have on his hands (or paws?) to inflict supereffective punches on it.

He suddenly punched nothing but air and fell face forwards, tumbling again. After he recovered, he looked around madly, but the light was gone. One down, three more to go, he guessed. He crouched down to avoid being blown over again and waited for the next substitute to appear. After dispatching it in a fashion similar to the first time, he repeated the process. However, his mock spar wouldn’t be able to extend to the fourth substitute, for he was exhausted.

When the Gardevoir appeared to create the last clone, he called out, “Lieutenant, is it this dark throughout the entire sandstorm?”

When she didn’t respond, he thought that she hadn’t heard, or worse still, hadn’t yet arrived, but she had evidently paused to contemplate his question. “Now that you mention it… somewhat darker here than elsewhere in the sandstorm. …wonder why. …teleport you to a different location?”

“I’m fine!” he responded. “Just send the last one in!”

She wordlessly obliged and removed herself and the others from the immediate vicinity. Gabriel only took a single step before stopping again. Something felt wrong. His skin was stinging all over, but it felt as if he might be bleeding somewhere. He couldn’t feel any blood on his body, though, so he suspected heat exhaustion and dehydration were muddling his senses.

He shrugged, but the pain in his stiff muscles discouraged him from doing it again. He gave his all against the substitute, but still, it felt like he achieved nothing. He imagined the struggle of the others being worse than his, and somehow, the indignity of that gave him just enough power to throw a punch strong enough to defeat the substitute. The logic behind it was lost to him, but it had worked, so it didn’t matter.

His stiffened muscles begged him to stretch, but he didn’t think that was wise. The lieutenant had said they would have to be poisoned, and though he couldn’t remember when she had said it, he was certain it would involve another fight. Stretching after he was done… might also not be possible if he fainted again.

The relentless wind suddenly dropped. Gabriel put his hand out, and indeed, he felt a psychic bubble. He did not expect the Lieutenant to begin glowing, however. A dimmed-down version of Flash?

“I see you are confused,” she called, “but the explanation will have to wait until afterwards. The light is to compensate for the darkness.”

He was puzzled for a moment, but then Gabriel saw Xerneas and Cassandra were absent. Given the warning, he decided not to enquire. The lieutenant said something to North (probably something along the lines of “North, commence RBPT Phase Two-Point-One”) after which it turned to and hurled a blob of purple energy at him.

“Defeat this final substitute, and you will have passed. The longer you take, the more likely you are to faint.”

Purple spots swam in front of him, so he couldn’t exactly glare at the Resistance official, but he hoped she got the idea. He searched for the Gardevoir’s clone, but it was nowhere to be found.

“Have you made the substitute yet?”

“Yes! It’s right there!”

Still nothing. “Please, lose the light!”

Darkness enveloped him once again, but when Gabriel looked again, he felt distinctly stupid. He had been looking directly at the substitute, not the Lieutenant. The poison must have been neurotoxic in nature. But whatever its effects were, he wouldn’t stand a chance without a clear mind. He tackled it to the ground and desperately hit its face until it faded away. By then, a splitting headache had taken hold of him, making coherent thought beyond his ability. He made to turn around, but stumbled and fell. His reserves spent, he couldn’t even get back up. Fortunately, one of the nurses dragged him inside the bubble and out of reach from the desert’s rage. A clear bell sounded and the purple spots instantly vanished.

“What… was that?” he asked, clinging to the nearest Blissey for support. He noticed Aegeas in the arms of the other one.

“Heal Bell,” Lieutenant Madeleine replied. “And you have passed without fainting. Your Guardian would be proud.

“Speaking of, can you tell me where is he now, or do I have to wait for everyone to finish?”

“The latter, but you won’t have to wait for very long.”

When they teleported, Gabriel was surprised to see that he could actually see. Visibility was still poor, but he spotted Fleur a metre off. Green energy drew away from the substitute and into the Petilil, so she was most likely maintaining a constant Mega Drain. When the substitute faded and the flow of energy ceased, Fleur hopped in excitement. When she stumbled, Gabriel immediately launched forwards, but the Gardevoir caught with him battle-honed Psychic reflexes.

Pulling Gabriel back, Lieutenant Madeleine called out to Fleur, “Well done! You may enter the bubble and we’ll go back to the base.”

Fleur didn’t need to be told twice, for she was up in a second and skipped towards them. Another Heal Bell chimed once she crossed the barrier. Gabriel made to say something, but the sudden change in location interrupted. The bubble then disappeared, allowing him to sink down on one of the briefing room’s chairs.

“It seems our two youngest trainees have the best tolerance to poison. I’m impressed.”

The Riolu angled a wary eye towards the Lieutenant. “I’m nineteen.”

Lieutenant Madeleine raised a hand to her mouth. “My apologies! I thought…”

“Gabriel, you’re bleeding.”

He jumped in shock. “I am?” He twisted his head around to look at his back, since his arms and legs clearly weren’t bleeding. At least it confirmed what he’d thought earlier. “Where?”

“Oh dear,” the remaining Blissey said, the one with Aegeas having left already. She motioned with her hand to indicate he should come closer. “Come, let me have a look at you.”

He tentatively stepped forward, allowing the nurse to examine him. Apparently, the injured locations were all on his posterior, for that was the side that had faced the oncoming winds the most. It was also no wonder he couldn’t see any of the wounds, since they were on his upper right arm, his lower back, both his aura-sensing appendages, and even his tail. He’d have to pay attention to that thing during battles.

After the nurse had dabbed all the injured spots with something he assumed and hoped was disinfectant, she whispered a few words and finally patted him on the head. “All done. Your injuries have stopped bleeding already and will scab over soon. The scabs will have fallen off within an hour.” She smiled and left the room.

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Gabriel turned to the Lieutenant. “May I ask why Xerneas, Cassandra and Ren aren’t here now?”

The Gardevoir sighed. “You’re persistent. For some obscure reason, Ren has run off. Xerneas chased after him, but that Blaziken is fast; Xerneas will probably try to keep a steady pace while tracking Ren’s aura and wait for him to tire. Cassandra came back here to notify the Legendaries, so Lugia has probably also joined the chase by now.”

“What does this mean for us?” Gabriel asked uncertainly.

“Honestly, I don’t know. We’ll continue with the test tomorrow, but Ren will have to redo today’s part once you’re all done with the third phase. If he fails, then the mission will be cancelled and we’ll have to wait a week for a skilled enough team from Sandveil to arrive.” She sighed. “If he does pass, then we proceed with the plan. He shows amazing technique and even used Iron Defence to create his own armour, something I’ve never heard of in a Blaziken, so he ought to pass.” Her tone more hesitant, she continued, “But even then, I don’t think any of you are mentally prepared for this whole business.” She brushed her hand over her head, similar to how humans sometimes brushed their hands through their hair, and walked away. She was still close enough for Gabriel to hear her ask herself, “Since when do we use kids to fight an adult’s war?” though.

Suddenly, he realised he and Fleur were the only ones still left in the room. He nervously scratched the inside of his natural collar. “Do you think we have to go to the mess hall for supper?”

Fleur regarded him with titled head. “Don’t they usually bring our food to us? You know, to limit our contact with the normal recruits?”

“Will that still be the case today, what with Ren running off…?”

She shrugged. “I guess we’ll have to see.”

The flower slipped her hand into his, causing him to blush, but he nevertheless took it and led her away. Just after they turned the corner to the second-to-last corridor before their rooms, Absol appeared in front of them. Both Riolu and Petilil recoiled in shock.

“I apologise for startling you,” the blue and white canine said, “but I need to know what happened to Ren.” Gabriel began recounting what the Lieutenant had told him, but the Disaster Pokémon cut him off. “Yes, yes, I know that already. But did he seem off to you?”

Gabriel was surprised to find himself intimidated. “No.”

“And yesterday? I know you spoke to him on the roof. What did he say then?”

Getting some of his defiance back, he replied, “Nothing that indicated he would do what he did. If anyone should know, it’s either you or Lugia, since you’re the ones who’ve known him the longest. Whatever happened out there, it’s not owing to anything recent.”

Absol continued to stare at him with piercing eyes, even when saying, “Fair answer.” He turned and trotted away, but stopped to call over his shoulder, “You two did well today. You may be able to protect each other yet.”

The lovers regarded each other with mild surprise.

“Ominous, much?”

“Quite.” Gabriel nodded towards the retreating canine. “Let’s hope he didn’t mean anything by that.”
But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
— Paul the Apostle

Winter is inevitable. Spring will return eventually, and AstralHunter with it.





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Robusto says...



New Order Operative Alek
Cutthroat Pass
Blinded by faith


~~~~~

Alek couldn’t believe his ears at first.

“No way. It couldn’t be… it couldn’t be…”

But as he neared the crowd that had gathered near the outside of one of the many inns in Cuthroat Pass, Alek saw it to be true.
Sully… was singing?

“What a thrill…” Her voice sang, carrying around the pass.

Alek followed the sound of the voice, absolutely captivated. His thin form made slipping through the crowd easy for him. There were a LOT of guys making up this crowd…

“With darkness and silence through the ni-ight…”

“Excuse me… excuse me…” Alek said, shoving past more mon. And at last… he got into view of the singer.
It was Sully alright. Her eyes were closed, her head swaying in the air as her lower body was coiled up below her.
A cloth sack lay open beside her, coins and other objects laying in it. Clearly they were tips for her performance.
Alek would have gladly tossed some coin onto the stage had he had any.

The crowd was entranced by the song Sully was singing. Alek had recalled her story of her performing in front of crowds back in her home city, but had never put much stock in the fact she was actually good at it. Boy had he been wrong…

~~~~~

Sully smirked to herself as she counted up her spoils. Quite a bit. Maybe enough leftover from what she’d gotten it for to get some upgraded housing for herself and Alek…
She frowned at this thought.
Ever since her battle with that deranged Flaafy… she’d been having thoughts she’d never experienced before. Thoughts of just flat out deserting the new order…

“Sully!”

The Seviper turned her head from her bag of treasure towards the voice, seeing someone she hadn’t expected to see up and about.

“Alek? The hell are you doing up? You usually sleep in.” Sully remarked.

“Well… part of me felt a bit worried about just laying around when we have a mission to complete. I mean… if I go back empty handed… I don’t want to really think about what might happen to me.’ Alek said nervously, though a confident smile soon took up his worried expression.
“So, I was out talking to people about the hive here.”

Sully waited for Alek to share his findings.
“… and?” She eventually asked.

Alek’s confident visage gave way again to a depressed visage.
“… nothing. No one knows anything about any plates here. I paid for a piece of information from a secret broker, and all he was able to tell me was the last known location of some super powerful plate, which was almost eighty years ago. And it’s not the one we’re looking for.”

Looking at Alek, Sully felt a twinge of rage. Here the New Order had sent the most naïve mon she’d ever known to a land of thieves and murderers, expecting him to not only not die, but return with a legendary artifact. How did they even know it was here? Had they just set him up for failure?
“Alek… did Cobalion say anything about what might happen if you don’t bring the plate back?”

Alek thought for a moment to his conversation with Cobalion.
“… no. He never did say anything along those lines. But… he wouldn’t kill me. I mean, at most, I might be due for some vine whips… but that’s a worst case scenario.

Sully grit her fangs. She’d be damned if she was going to let that happen.

“You ok Sully?” Alek asked, looking at her oddly.

“Yeah… I’m good.” She said, shaking herself out of her negative emotions.
“Look, you’re still a little injured, and we aren’t going back into that hive with just the two of us. That’s why I’m out here raising money. There’s bound to be people here willing to go in there with us for a little quick cash.”
Sully’s thoughts drifted to Twinkiel and his band of misfits. Very possible…
“So,” She continued.
“I say for today, we take ourselves a break. Just hit up some of the more interesting places, maybe do some mercenary browsing. What do you say?”

The idea appealed to Alek, as evidenced by his smile once again returning to his face.
“Sounds fun to me.” The Greninja said.
“This place is WAY more interesting than mount Providence. I bet we haven’t even seen all there is around here.”

“You’ve got that right.” Sully smirked.
“There are businesses right under our feet, believe it or not.”

Alek’s eyes widened in excitement at this prospect.
“Well come on then! I want to see all this place has to offer!”

Sully tugged the drawstrings on her sack of loot, closing it up before passing it to Alek with her tailblade.
“Then let’s get going. I want to see at least half of the stuff I haven’t seen yet before the sun goes down. Then we’ll see what night life around here is like.”

~~~~~

“Ah yes, that TM is not one you see everyday.” The Spiritomb merchant smirked.
“That one teaches a quite lethal move called Guilotine.”

Alek looked at the disk in awe.
“What does that move do?” He asked.

“Seperates an opponent’s head from their body.” The Spiritomb cackled.

Alek, now looking terrified, placed the TM down.

“How much?” Sully asked, interested.

“Well, moneywise, 120,000 Poke. A small price to pay to see your enemies heads roll like balls across the battlefield. But for you my dear… I think you might be able to offer me something in exchange for it.” The spirit Pokemon said, its spectral tongue licking its lips.

“Wow, Sully. What do you have worth 120,000 poke?” Alek asked in awe.

Sully looked half about to murder the Spiritomb.
“I’s rather kiss a Muk.” She hissed menacingly.

“Such fire.” The Spiritomb chuckled, unfazed.

Alek turned his attention to what looked to be a rack of cracked TMs.
“What are these?’ He asked.

The Spiritomb stopped his ogling of Sully to see what caught the Greninja’s attention.
“Ah, those are my specialty… and highly illegal. Fusion machines. Extremely volatile things, those. They contain two different moves that can be combined in harmony. For example, a Thunderbolt laced Water Gun. Or a sub zero temperature Flash Cannon.”

“Whoa…” Alek said, picking one up.
“What’s this one?”

“Aha, that one is quite special. Combines psychic with gravity to really do some damage to an opponent. But you’re just a dark type. And these don’t run cheap. That one in your hand is 700,000 Poke, and it’s my cheapest.”

Alek put it back with a sigh.

“But money isn’t the only form of payment I accept.” The Spiritomb cackled with a wink.

“What else do you OW!” Alek yelped as Sully slapped him with her tail.

“Not on your life. F***ing pervert…” She grumbled.

“Now now. No need to be rude.” The Spiritomb chuckled.
“It’s best not to make enemies and wind up with a dampener clamped onto you.”

Alek rose an eyebrow at the mention of such a punishment.
“What’s… a dampener?” He asked.

The Spiritomb was all too happy to answer.
“Thieves and bandits from all over reside here. A lot of them bring all sorts of gear they’ve stolen from New Order patrols. Among these pieces, on occasion, are dampeners. Metal cuffs made out of a strange ore. Their name comes from the fact that once clamped onto someone… you’re powerless. Special abilities are suppressed, as well as moves. And it seems the only way to get rid of them once one is on you is through amputation. Which is real unfortunate if someone gets one around your neck.”
He cackled loudly at that last line.

“Wait… the New Order has these?” Alek asked, not noticing how troubled Sully looked.
“I’ve never seen them befOW!”

Sully slapped Alek with the flat of her blade again, stopping him from possibly blowing their cover.
“You have any of these dampeners on you?” She asked.

“Looking to get one for your slave, eh? Sorry, I sold my last one a good month ago. But if you’re looking for some, check with Azer. She sells many things from the Sazandora desert, which is where most of these cuffs come from. And as I understand it, she has quite a few of those devilish little devices.” The Spiritomb smirked.
“Just don’t get on her bad side.”

“We won’t, don’t worry.” Sully said, her eyes narrowed in determination.
“Come on, Alek.”

Alek, giving the Spiritomb a goodbye wave, left the seedy shop with Sully. He had to admit, even he was a bit upset by the thought of the New Order using these dampeners. But they wouldn’t… would they?

~~~~~

It didn’t take the duo long to find this Azer. Seems she was well known among the pass crowd.
They soon arrived at her market stall, where a grizzled looking Absol stood watch.

“That’s a womon?” Alek asked in surprise, seeing the Absol.

“What? Can’t a girl look like a warrior?” Sully asked in mock anger.

“Ah, no!” Alek yelped in apology, earning an amused look from Sully as the two approached the stall.

The Absol looked them over with her beady eyes, almost looking amused herself.
“Kill or capture?” She asked as they got to her stall.

Alek blinked.
“Uh… sorry, what?”

“Kill. Or. Capture. Immolate or incapacitate? Dispatch or catch!? AM I SPEAKING LOUD ENOUGH FOR YOU, TONGUE SCARF!?”

Alek backed off from the Absol in surprise, visibly shaken by her sudden mood change.

“Heh, I’m guessing capture. Someone like you doesn’t have the guts to kill. Except… you have, haven’t you? Don’t want to do it again though. A person like that is a bigger coward than a pacifist if you ask me.” She said, looking to Sully.
“Now you… I like you. Got quite a dark aura around you. Killed before and just waiting for an excuse to do it again.”

Sully already didn’t like this Absol… but she had some respect for her too.
“Look, we heard you’ve got these special cuffs.” Sully began, getting right to the point.

“Dampeners huh?” Azer smirked.
“Be careful. Someone knows you buy one of them, you could end up hanging by your neck from outside someone’s establishment.”

“Why’s that?” Alek asked, standing off a ways behind Sully.

“Because everyone’s scared shitless of em. Once you get em on someone, they seal up. They take away a mon’s ability to fight. And a mon that can’t fight is a waste of space and life. You see someone with a lost hand or foot, chances are they had a dampener clamped on em at some point around here. And those poor sods who get one around their necks… well, let’s say they’re pretty willing to end it themselves.”

Alek shivered at the sound of these devices. He couldn’t imagine not being able to use a move…

“Where did you get them?” Sully asked Azer.
“In Sazandora.”

“I got a few of them from a slaver looking for some quick cash. Some Cacturne…”
Sully winced a little at this. But she’d expected it.
Azer disappeared behind the counter, ruffling around behind it before placing two objects within view of Sully and Alek. Dampeners.
“Tell me, what do you notice about these two?”

Alek and Sully walked closer, looking at the two objects. They were both unmistakably dampeners, but… one of them looked really, REALLY old. The metal looked like it was being rusted away with age. The other one, however, was smooth and looked almost new.

“One of them… is newer than the other?” Alek asked.

“You bet, tongue scarf. About a year old or so.” Azer smirked.
“Which proves that there’s a way to make em. And I want to be the one to find out how. Can you imagine if I controlled the source of these little beauties? Ah, but that’s a long way off. So for now… I charge five thousand Poké a pop. Take it or leave it.”

Sully wasn’t planning on buying one. She’d gotten all the info she needed.
“Leave it. We don’t need those.” Sully said plainly, motioning for Alek to follow.

“Hey! What the f***! I just wasted my breath answering your questions, you assholes!” Azer shouted.

“Jokes on you then, bitch.” Sully said, not even looking back as she and Alek left the area. Sully didn’t want to risk having one of those clamped on her again…

~~~~~

“So… what was all that about?” Alek asked once the two were sitting next to what Sully could only guess was an inn.

“Come on Alek, I thought you’d be able to figure it out.” Sully grumbled.
“Darius caught me all those years ago. He had those dampener things. Hundreds of them. Put one on me.”

Alek looked genuinely surprised at that detail.
“But… you didn’t mention it before…”

“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t mention that I had to wear some cold metal cuff. I was too busy trying to focus on the story of my parents f***ing dying.” Sully snapped, shutting Alek up.

“But… how’d you get it off?”

Sully chuckled.
“Look at me, Alek. The New Order patrol that found me helped file down my tail blade a bit, and it slid right off.”

That made sense to Alek. Sully was essentially all tail. Or neck…

“I wanted to check up on these cuffs because of what that Spiritomb said. About the New Order using them. I’m not saying Darius makes them… but he has a f***ing ton of them. I’ve seen them. And if the New Order has them…”

“Sully… I see where you’re going with this.” Alek said, cutting her off.
“The New Order isn’t bad though! I mean… yeah, maybe there are a few bad apples in it… but you honestly think they’re working with Darius? The one Cacturne you actually know!?”

“Yes, I do!” Sully shouted at Alek.
“That Flaafy!? He knows Darius! He FOUGHT him! And according to him, Darius is working with the New Order! The same people that saved me are working with the bastard that killed my parents!”

Sully’s breaths came hard, her anger clearly evident. Alek was very taken back by this accusation.
“No… there’s no way. Why would they work with him?”

Sully let out a loud scoff.
“Someone’s gotta make the war machines, Alek. Grow and harvest the food. Mine the raw materials. Pleasure the soldiers. You said it yourself, the New Order isn’t all good. But maybe it’s worse than you think!”

Alek… was in shock. Where was all this coming from?
“Sully… the New Order would NEVER do that! You’re… you must be thinking of the Resistance or something. Or maybe that Flaafy lied? I mean… this is Cutthroat Pass. They hate the New Order for wanting to keep peace and order.”

“No Alek, I know I’m right. The New Order… is in the wrong here. I’m not saying the Resistance is right, but I know now that I’m done with Mt. providence.” Sully said resolutely.

Alek looked at Sully with a dumbfounded expression.
“You’re… you’re done?”

“Yeah. They’re going to have me kill once I graduate. Just make me another faceless tool to go and die for them. Just like your buddy, Arthur. And Felicity. Oh, she’s going to be pretty good at killing, from what you’ve told me. She could probably snap a person’s neck with just a thought.”

“SHUT UP!” Alek shouted at Sully.
“You’re wrong! The New Order wouldn’t make them kill!”

“Why not? They made YOU kill. One of their own Arceus damn soldiers at that. Maybe a couple years down the road, they’ll have someone kill you?”

Alek, unable to control himself, threw a quickly formed water Shruiken at Sully. Sully, her instinct honed by years of training, swatted it away. But she let her blade carry too far, and it cut Alek across the face. The Greninja let out a yelp of pain, stumbling backwards to the ground.

“Alek!” Sully cried in alarm, slithering over to her friend.
“Damnit, I’m sorry!”

Alek held where the blade had hit him, just under his eye. Luckily the wound seemed superficial. But to Alek… it had done a lot of deep damage.
“You… you go away.” Alek growled at Sully.
“I… you’re wrong about the New Order! About my friends! They’d never kill anyone! But… you would. You have! And… you probably liked it! Just like that Absol said! If you want to leave the New Order…”
Alek stood up, one hand still on the wound.
“Then go! Leave! I hate you!”

“Alek…” Sully started. But before she could finish, another Water Shruiken was flung at her, this one larger than the last. Sully swatted it away… only to be hit by a follow-up one, causing her to recoil with a hiss.

“You… go find that Flaafy friend of yours! Tell him… I want to fight him! I’ll prove he’s a liar!”

“Alek, fighting him isn’t going to prove he’s a liar, and it’s going to get you killed!” Sully warned… and was again silenced by another attack.

“G-go get him! Tell him I’m… I’m going to kill him for lying to you!” Alek shouted. He was starting to cry now…

“Alek, he’s not FOR ARCEUS SAKE!” Sully cried out as she swatted away more attacks.

“I’m not talking to you until you bring him back here!” Alek said.
“I’ll make him tell the truth!”

Sully, seeing that further arguing was fruitless, turned tail and slithered away.
She’d get that Flaafy alright. And she’d have him tell Alek the same things he’d told her. Alek had to see reason. Because if he didn’t… Sully knew the Flaafy would kill him.
“You’d better be able to convince him, you crazy Flaafy. If you don’t… I’ll kill you myself…”





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BrumalHunter says...



Neona | Black Skies (Part One) | Day A9, 12:21 PM


In a world where you could traverse a continent from one end to the other within a week if you were fast, speed was essential. However, departing from Mt. Providence and reaching the Greatwood Jungle within a record time of two days was borderline useless if your quarry hadn’t even exited the desert yet. Neona now had the advantage, but she was one of the New Order’s greatest generals – having the advantage was part of the job description.

Upon leaving the New Order’s mountain base, she had her troops airlifted so they could setup at the base of the waterfall. Strategically, it provided them with easy access to additional food and water, but it doubled as high ground, so the flood wouldn’t be able to reach it no matter how many Wailords Kyogre took with him.

Camp had already been made, so she could relax within the shade of her tent. Not that the heat was the problem, of course. The humidity was killing her, but since the trees were responsible, her hands, or rather heads, were tied. Even so, removing the trees would ruin the ecosystem. She was no nature-loving hippie, but risking the entire continent’s climate over some petty war could be called nothing other than absurd.

Scowling, she studied her maps. At her estimation, the Resistance’s reinforcements ought to reach the Jungle-Desert trading post by the end of the day. She wouldn’t be able to halt their progress without expending unnecessary resources, so she’d just have to tell Kyogre to be patient until the reinforcements had joined the tribes; drowning all your problems in one go was by far the best solution. But secretly, she hoped the Resistance would pull some miraculous victory from their bag of tricks.

Footsteps muffled by pads stopped outside her tent. The stench of carrion and fire accompanied it. Neona didn’t personally know any Houndooms, but regrettably, she did know someone who was quite fond of pretending he was one.

Spoiler! :
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Without turning around, she asked, “What do you want, Zizel?”

“That’s Overseer Zizel to you, general.” The flaps next to the entrance ruffled (and probably began withering away) as the owner of the voice entered.

“Like I give a damn.” She resigned herself to looking at his hideous visage and turned around. “What do you want?”

He angled his face towards the entrance as he approached. “Get in here.”

A Pachirisu scampered inside and placed an open envelope in front of the Hydreigon. It made the mistake of looking up, right into a pair of unkind eyes and two pairs of unkind sockets, after which it squeaked and dashed outside.

“I want to know why you are receiving encoded letters. This is the first one I’ve intercepted, but there have doubtlessly been others.”

She considered it with mock interest, maintaining her temper despite wanting to snap his head off. Couldn’t she have one day without someone interfering in her business? “I think I’ll pass. What possible reason would I have to discuss my dealings with you?” She tossed the letter onto the table.

The hellhound smiled, though inferiors could easily have mistaken it for a snarl. “Come now, general. We both know the responsibilities of my office include investigating all but the highest ranking of New Order authorities for any suspicious behaviour. You could be sending confidential information to the Resistance in preparation of the arrival of its reinforcements and we’d be none the wiser. Thus, you shall either willingly disclose the contents of that letter to me, or I shall have the Council force you.”

“Is that so?” she responded flatly, the suppression of her anger becoming more difficult. “You intercepted my letter without probable cause, which makes it inadmissible, no matter how suspicious the contents might seem. And actually, this is grounds for a hearing of your very own. You can intimidate the other commanders and officials as much as you like, but once they hear you are finally being investigated for overstepping your boundaries and abusing your authority, I’m sure those you dunked on will be singing like Oricorios in no time.”

The Houndoom licked his chops and sat down. “Is that a challenge? Do you even realise how much support I have among the gods?”

“Whatever you think you’ve accomplished and however much influence you think you’ve gained in the span of your gooey life pales in comparison with what I have achieved. You say you serve the gods? I am as close as any mortal will ever come to being one. If you ever want to confirm that, just say the word and I’ll show you why my name inspires fear and awe in those who hear it.”

“I would never have taken you for a braggart, general.”

“I’d respond by saying what I would never have taken you as, but I’ll not go that far. I’d also chase you out of here, but there’s still the unsettled matter of I JUST FREAKING GOT HERE.”

Zizel recoiled slightly at the unrestrained outburst. Neona capitalised on it by moving forwards, pressing him back even more.

“That letter, you idiot, was from an informant among the tribes with whom I had just re-established contact. I am bloody well aware the Resistance is on its way, which is why I’m trying to get someone in their camp before they arrive and security is increased. As much as you’d like to order me to create an ambush for them, there’s no point, since they’ll be dead in a few days anyway, so I suggest you either piss off and allow me to do my job, or you can tell the Council why you prevented me from doing so. If it’s going to be the latter, you can head up to Radiance right now. You’ve wasted enough of my time already.”

He looked amused. “Such fire. Unfortunately, my suspicion has not been assuaged yet. As convincing as your excuse is, I still need to know exactly what that letter says.”

Neona scoffed. “If the stupid dog wants to play games, he can start with fetch.”

“Why general, whatever could you mean?”

“By Arceus, I’d bang my heads against a wall if there was one available.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before replying, “My head scout, you twit. I sent him to rendezvous with my informant, so the letter must have been in his possession when you took it. Despite the Dunsparce that you are, you can’t have been dumb enough to kill him, which means you have him hidden somewhere. Interrogation time’s over – I want him back.”

The overseer made what could be recognised even in a quadrupedal canine as a shrug. “I am afraid I cannot oblige. It’s true that I am done with him, but the friends of those he killed aren’t.”

All three heads tilted somewhat to the left. “How many of your men did he kill?” she asked irritably.

“Quite a few, although those sentimental wretches aren’t my men. But I shall admit, whoever trained your Absol did an outstanding job. I know it’s not you, of course. His style has grace and elegance that you lack.”

A bristling Hydreigon made for a truly intimidating sight, and though it was lost on the recipient, anyone else would have appreciated the danger in which the Houndoom found himself. “You’re a fine one to talk,” she seethed. “Now, why don’t you be a good little mutt and just fetch my scout for me so that I can make some actual progress in my preparation? Unless you’d like to take his place as head sniffer.”

He sniffed disdainfully. “As tempting as that offer is, I must decline. You can have your puppy back, but on one condition.”

“I don’t think he’s into Dittos.”

“Very funny. I may need his services at some point. I need you to ensure his cooperation when that time comes.”

Cue vomiting sounds. “Gross! I can’t believe you’re really asking me for a favour. Before I’ll even think to consider a notion as disgusting as that, you’ll need to offer me something in return.”

“I thought you already had everything you wanted. Is that no longer the case?”

“Don’t flatter yourself. What I ask in return is that you humiliate yourself. Not necessarily publicly, but your embarrassment in that particular situation needs to be undeniable. And I need to see it, of course. Nothing else you can give me would be worth my time.”

He rose and morphed from one fiery canine into another, except his new form was as large as the dragon he faced. “I’ll consider it,” the Arcanine replied. A dome of fire appeared around him, and when the flames died down, he was gone.

She spat. “No, you won’t.” Grudgingly, she added, “Cool party trick, though.”

Neona moved to the other side of the table so that she could see whoever entered her tent next and returned her attention to the map. She’d just gotten back into her zone when the peace was again disturbed, that time by an Absol’s entrance.

“What took you so long?” she snapped.

“I apologise, general. Overseer Zizel teleported me to outside the camp.”

“It’s just like him to turn tail and flee, isn’t it?”

“I suppose so.”

Narrowed eyes regarded the scout. “Aren’t you supposed to tell me something?”

“You haven’t asked the question yet, general.”

“Don’t be coy with me! Speak or die.”

“‘If a tree falls in the Forest of Death but nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound?’”

The dragon huffed. “Presuming I had just asked that, what would your answer be?”

“I was the one who felled the tree, so I heard it fall.”

She nodded, still annoyed, but less inclined to murder. “How many of that damned Ditto’s ‘mons did you take out before you were captured? He was reluctant to be specific.”

“Eight. The Overseer mentioned the number afterwards while he interrogated me.”

“I bet he didn’t expect that,” she mused dryly.

“I believe he underestimated me.”

“He definitely did, which explains his reluctance. Losing so many subordinates in what was supposed to be an easy task must have been greatly embarrassing, especially since the ambush was unsanctioned. How do you think he took it?”

“Why are you asking me that, general?”

“Answer the bloody question.”

“Not well.”

Neona flared her frills. “Is that it? No turning bright orange? No smoke from the nostrils?”

“I believe that would be the appropriate reaction for a Torkoal, general. He just snarled a lot.”

“So you couldn’t provoke any vehement reactions from him?”

“Unfortunately not.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re supposed to have a natural talent for Taunts. If he was torturing you right now, what would your best defiant remark be?” The face opposite her turned apoplectic. “Ugh, I should have known better. Narcissists like you are spineless Goomies. You have no tolerance for verbal self-abuse whatsoever.” A dismissive wave of an arm-head followed.

“General?”

“Drop the act and just bring Captain Blackmore back. I don’t have the patience for this.”

The Ditto morphed into a Butterfree and disappeared with the sound of a popping bubble. Neona counted the seconds as they passed. At six, the butterfly returned, an actual Absol beside it.

“At which point did you realise it was me?”

The Hydreigon nodded at the Absol and shot at the insect, “The low-pitched voice doesn’t fit the squishy body, by the way.”

Captain Blackmore directed his attention to said squishy insect. “The question regarding the fallen tree in the Forest of Death serves to determine whether I am being impersonated. It has two answers: ‘I was the one who felled the tree, so I heard it fall’ indicates I provided it under duress and am either dead or incarcerated, while ‘I am nobody, so I was around to hear it’ indicates all is well. If neither answers are given, the imposter was too incompetent to ascertain whether a status test is in place.”

“That means you’re only partially stupid, Overseer.”

The Butterfree descended and transformed into a Wigglytuff. Neona had never seen such an annoyed plush doll before. “I shall ignore your insolence this once, general. You may think you are clever now, but someday soon, you will make a mistake. When that day comes, we shall see who is laughing. Nevertheless, I am not leaving until I know why you received that letter.”

“Why bother? You already have ‘mons working on deciphering it.”

“True, but if your head scout is trained in counter-espionage, I suspect any codes you use require a cipher. Therefore, there isn’t much point in trying.”

“That’s the closest you’ve ever come to giving me a compliment. I might even have considered saying something nice to you, but I’d rather kiss a Slowpoke. Its ugliness notwithstanding, even it would have realised that I already told you what the damned letter says.”

The Wigglytuff crossed its arms. “The letter hasn’t moved since you tossed it onto the table. How do I know you aren’t lying?”

“What, you want me to read it in front of you?”

“Indeed.”

Another grunt of frustration, but she nonetheless ripped open the envelope and plucked the letter out from inside. When she proceeded to do no more than look at it for the next forty seconds, the Wigglytuff crossed and uncrossed his arms in impatience. When double that time had passed and she had still said nothing, even the scout had grown restless.

“Permission to be dismissed, general.”

Neona peered over the letter. “Granted.”

The overseer jumped in the way and spread his arms. “Oh no, you’re not leaving until she’s read that letter to me. A single sentence is not a report or even a request to meet.”

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“Shut up, Zizel.”

“What’s the matter?” he asked, tilting his head so he could see past the canine. “Are you having difficulty decoding it from memory?”

“Firstly, the cipher has no written form, and secondly, I finished half a minute ago.”

Zizel threw his arms into the air. “Then why the wait? What does it say?”

The Hydreigon slowly put the letter on the table. Looking directly at her scout, she said, “‘Initiate the Black Sky Protocol.’”

“And what precisely does that–?”

A look of shock appeared on the fairy’s face as the purple beam from Neona’s Dragon Pulse hit him square in the chest, the intended target having jumped out of the way. He staggered backwards and made to protest, but the Absol was quick to react and tackled him out of the way, fleeing outside. Neona lunged across the table, scattering the papers and maps on it, and swooped over the fallen overseer.

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“Stop that Absol!” she ordered. Flash Cannons, Focus Blasts, and more Dragon Pulses followed the command as she pursued the captain.

While he ran, the former head scout summoned a Razor Wind. By the time the surprised soldiers in the camp had recovered enough to get to action, white blades of energy appeared to knock them down. Only the general was fast enough to dodge the deadly crescents, but her target was specifically trained in evasion. He turned on a dime and shot past beneath her, heading back into camp. Her shredded wings were useless for stopping her momentum, so she turned in a wide arc and followed the trail of rips the canine had made during its second run through the camp.

As she had expected, it was no use. Upon arriving at the camp’s border where he had fled into the forest, the traitor was nowhere to be seen.

The camp’s fastest soldiers, as well as the other scouts, sped past her into the underbrush. The overseer, now a Gallade, skidded to a stop beside her.

“You’ve done it now, general,” he said, grinning from ear to malicious ear. “And it isn’t even my birthday.”

“Ah-ah-ah, not so fast,” she retorted. “I was going to handle it on my own, but you had to insist on hearing the message for yourself. Look where that got us.”

“Shifting the blame will do nothing to save you now,” Zizel replied smugly. “And in light of this, it seems I did have probable cause to arrest your head scout. Your double agent would still have been in my custody if not for your insistence on having him released, so officially, this blunder is solely your doing.”

“Piss off,” the dragon snapped, heading back into camp.

The Gallade watched her go with the gaze of a Liepard tracking the movements of a Rattata.

“And so, the last laugh is mine after all.”
But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
— Paul the Apostle

Winter is inevitable. Spring will return eventually, and AstralHunter with it.





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Tue Dec 13, 2016 12:07 pm
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TinkerTwaggy says...



Image


Bonus Chapter: Do Dee! Do Daaa!


“Okay okay okay! Is everyone ready?”

Hoopa looked around him. Regice, Registeel and Regirock. The three Legendary Golems had stopped their activities to assist Hoopa. Regice brought up a circle-shaped console, with Hoopa's controller already plugged in it. A psychic bubble formed itself on top of the Ring-O-Sphere. A satisfied Hoopa clapped his hands excitedly.

“Perfect perfect perrrfect!” Hoopa exclaimed. “Okay, um… Snacks?”

Registeel extended his arms, giving a metallic box full of crispy berries.

“Ooh, spicy ones, my favorites! Okay okay… Bottle's there, berries are here… Yeah, I think we're in the clear. Regice, don't forget, stay there to cool of the Ring if it overheats, 'kay? Regi, Rocky, you stay there and gather data. Um… Oh oh! My list!” Hoopa feverishly threw one of his hoops away and put a hand inside, pulling out two papers filled with disorganized writings.

“Don't sweat it, Regi.” Hoopa told Registeel, despite him not worrying about anything. “It's just a lil' thingy I got from my… friend. Been thinking about his thoughts a few times, and some of them are really neat, so, I wrote 'em down. And um, don't worry if I sing. Aight, enough talk, let's go go go!” having said that, Hoopa pushed the central button of his controller, excited as could be.

This oughta be a match to remember! Triumph, or DIE!

Hoopa giggled to himself. The Flaaffy's thoughts had been invading his mind a lot, lately.


******


Spoiler! :
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Latias brutally opened her eyes and raised her head. “HEY, YO!” she shouted at the top of her lungs.

Diance, who was sleeping next to her, couldn't help but scream along, surprised by the sudden shout. “Wh-What?” she said, still sleepy. “Latias darling, you're awake! That's fantastic news. Should I go and–”

Don't worry be happy, no time to look sad!
'Cause when you look sad ya make de caterpillar mad!


Diance blinked. “...Excuse me…? Are you sin–”

Latias used Steel Wings! It's super effective!

Too shocked to even process what was happening, Diance suddenly found herself flying against a wall, hit by a deadly hit from Latias' Steel Wings.

How many times should I say?
Don't let troubles get in your way!


Latias used Mist Ball!

Latias unleashed a mist-like flurry of down on Diance, knocking her aside. The Psychic move weakened the surprised Legendary's special attack, and Latias used her opponent's weakened state to fly away from the room, escaping in the night sky surrounding the Shrine of Safety.
She was crying.

How many times should I say?
Love is what we need right away!


As she kept on singing, Latias threw several more Mist Balls on her room, destroying it on the process. She flew back towards the Shrine, exploring its every corner as she speedily zigzagged through the stone pillars.

How many times should I say?
We need to be strong every day!


“What is the meaning of this?!” a loud voice thundered through the corridor. Zekrom appeared, having gotten out of his room to identify the origin of the noises. Great was he surprised when he discovered Latias flying in his direction at full speed, only to stop right in front of him, a dastardly smile covering her face, her eyes staring into his with mad glee.
She was crying.

How many times should I say?
We are all one, so let's go party!


Latias used Ice Beam! It's super effective!

Zekrom was pushed away by the point-blank ranged cold beam. It had, however, the side effect of fully awakening him.

“I don't know what is going on, here, Latias...” Zekrom warned as his tail began growling like a menacing motor, “but I will not allow you to do as you please in the Shrine of Safety!”

“Wait!”

Cresselia used Psychic!

Latias found herself unable to move, trapped in a mighty psychic grip. Cresselia dashed in front of her, a look of shock and concern stuck on her face.

“Latias?” Cresselia asked. “What has gotten into you? You don't need to worry any more, you have been freed from the New Order's grasp. We're here to h–”

Ho yes, I know that everything is gonna be alright!
Ho yes, I know that everything is gonna BE alriiiiight!


Latias used Thunderwave!

A tiny beam of electric light struck Cresselia and she fell on the ground, paralyzed. Latias was free from her Psychic bind and extended her wings again, staring down at her defeated foe.
She was crying.

“Wh-Why…?” Cresselia couldn't help but ask. “Why are you doing this, Latias…?”

Times rough a times hard but it's a not for you alone.
Every Body right now in a de suffering zone!
Times rough, times hard but it's a not for you alone.
Every ody right now in a de suffering zone!


“STOP THIS NONSENSE AT ONCE!” Zekrom thundered, building up his electricity again. “Stop your singing! Stop attacking us! You WILL suffer the consequences!”

“Z-Zekrom, don't…!” Cresselia whispered to him. “She's… She's not being herself… We cannot harm her...”

******


Hoopa laughed his head off, stuffing his mouth with his spicy berries as the action continued.

“That's right, big guy!” Hoopa shouted. “Suck it! Can't hit what ain't there, and I'm not there attacking ya, she is!” The mischievous Pokemon giggled. “Alright alright, let's keep singing! What's the next verse again…?”

******


Look all around, what do you see?
All the lovely birds in the streets!


With another swift dash, Latias approached Zekrom and struck him with another Ice Beam. Cresselia, who was unfortunately on the path of the move, suffered from it as well. Not wasting any more time, Latias, her demented smile still stuck on the face, dashed away in the night sky, flying higher and higher.
She was crying.

Singing sweet songs for you and me!
Of melody that's so pure and so sweet!


“SISTER!”

Ignoring the call, Latias carried on with her song.

Ho yes I know that everything is gonna be alright!
Ho don't you worry just sing with me toniiiiight!


“SISTER! WAIT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!”

As she approached the shining moon, Latias chose this moment to turn back, smiling down at her brother Latios, who was getting closer to her. The concern in his eyes was tenfold Cresselia's – he looked almost as insane as his sister, and looking into her eyes only aggravated his state.
She was crying.

******


“Tiiiiime for the climax!” Hoopa shouted, floating above his seat with excitement. “Okay Latias! Time to dance for this one!” with that, Hoopa pressed several buttons on his controller and took a deep breath, preparing himself to sing along with his favorite protegee.

******


Latios froze in mid-air, watching in horror as Latias raised her wounded wings, a creepy crackling of her bones resonating through the air as she forced her body to move with a rhythm that only her could follow. The moon seemed to highlight her performance, letting its rays shine over her skin as her smile grew larger, her eyes wider, and her dance faster.
She was crying.

Alright everybody sing with me?
Do deee…! Do daaa…! Do dee, De De Da, DaDaDa deee…!
De duuu..! Da duuu…! Du dee, dee dee dee dee dee dee daaa!


The night, the wind, the dance, the unnatural joy that had possessed Latias mixed with the tears of despair that fell on Latios' cheeks… all these elements had merged to form a single scene, and had turned the cheerful, upbeat tune into something that could only be described as disturbing.
But to Latios, more than that: it was terrifying. Terrifying to see his sister reduced to such a state. Terrifying to see that she seemed to enjoy every bit of it. Terrifying to feel her incomprehensible tears hit his cheeks. Terrifying to realize that he could barely process what was happening, much less do something about it.

Do deee…! Do daaa…! Do dee, De De Da, DaDaDa deee…!
De duuu..! Da duuu…! Du dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee daaa!


“Sister…!” Latios whispered. “Please, stop this madness…! Let me help you! I… I need to help you! I need you to be okay!” On the verge of tears, Latios witnessed his sister approaching him, the madness written on her face left unchanged.

******


Hoopa gazed at the dancing Latias, feeling his devious heart melt with glee. He smiled to himself, trying his best to carve the scene into his mind forever.

“Regi?” Hoopa called softly. “I think I spent too much time with her. I… I want her back.”

“Mild shock.” Registeel replied. “Careful reminder of procedure to follow.”

“I know what I wrote on this paper, Regi.” Hoopa answered absentmindedly, eyes glued on the screen. “...Alright. But I'll make this last longer. Screw the plan, I'm toying with all of them a bit more.” Hoopa turned back, pointing a menacing finger at Registeel. “And she's... Not... Dying. Alright? Good. Initiating: Death Dive.”

******


Don't worry be happy, no time to be sad!
'cause when you look sad ya make de caterpillar mad!


As her melody continued, Latias let herself fall, gaining speed as she dangerously approached the ground below.

“NO! LATIAS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” having finally regained his senses, Latios flew after her. He knew that he always had been the fastest of the two when angry or concerned, but something about her had changed. He could barely catch up.

Don't worry be happy, no time to be sad!
'Cause when you look sad ya make de caterpillar mad!


“Stop your mindless singing!” Latios shouted over the infernal winds all around them. “Stop! Latias! You're going to–”

Right before squashing herself on the ground, Latias turned back, gazing at her brother with the same expression she had always worn ever since she had woken up.
She was crying.

How many times should I say?
Don't let troubles get in your way!


Mouth wide open, Latias used a Dragon Pulse to hit her brother. Flying behind her at full speed, he had no room to do anything but close his eyes as the powerful move hit him, its super effective properties making it especially painful. Latios managed to recover enough strength to minimize the impact of his fall, thus narrowly surviving it.

How many times should I say?
Love is what we need right away!


A last tear from Latias reached his cheek before she flew back up. But this time, it had mingled with his own.

******


“Okay sweetie!” Hoopa ordered , focused on his task. “Now get back up there, full speed ahead! And don't forget to give a good scare to Landorus!”

******


Latias reached the top of the Shrine. As expected, Landorus had been woken up by the noise, so it was with no surprise that he stood before Latias, arms crossed, his gaze as sharp as the numerous rocks flying all around him.

“I don't wish to harm you any more than necessary, Latias.” Landorus began. “I know that this isn't really you, and I promise that we will find a way to get you back to normal.”

Ho yes, I know that everything is gonna BE alright!
Ho Don't you worry just sing with me toniiiiight!


Landorus frowned. “...She's answering.” he commented. “The lyrics of her song fit the situations she's in… This is too convenient.”

******


Hoopa frowned, interrupting his singing as he released a button of his controller. “Well looks like he's not the leader of the Shrine of Safety for no reason.” he commented.

“Added comment about enemy's original function.” Regirock added.

“...Yeah, he's used to fix disputes between his two genie pals. Good point.”

******


Latias' Ice Beam was promptly blocked by Mewtwo, who had teleported just in time to deflect the attack using his Psystrike.

“She's being mind-controlled.” Mewtwo declared, looking into Latias' eyes. “Adding that to the fact that she's been tortured for days, I believe only one Psychic Type would dare doing such horrid things to Latias, and taunting us in such a wacky way.”

“You mean Hoopa?” Landorus replied. “I doubt he has enough power left in him to do such things on his own in his Confined Form. I wouldn't be surprised if he was involved, but I'd rather think that this is a general warning from the New Order. Let's not jump to early conclusions for now.”

******


Hoopa rolled his eyes. “Yeah, Landorus, let's not believe one of the single smartest ally you've got on your side, WAY more used to mind-controlling than any other 'mon ever and then underestimate me just 'cause I'm Confined. I'm sure that's a greeeeaat idea. C'mon Sweetie, Meteor these idiots and we'll call it a day.”

******


Latias used Draco Meteor!

“I hope you at least trust my instincts, Landorus.” Mewtwo said, raising an arm with apparently no concern for the gigantic energy bullets Latias had summoned in his direction. “I am, after all, known as the most savage of all Pokémons. With all due respect, I believe I am more qualified than anyone else to understand our enemy's actions.”

Mewtwo used Psystrike!

With numerous purple bullets of energy, Mewtwo repelled every single of Latias' Draco Meteors and hit her directly, purposely aiming at the most wounded parts of her body to knock her out.

“What are you implying with this, Mewtwo?”

As Latias attempted to approach the duo for a last assault, Mewtwo raised his arm again, looking at Landorus with an unusual mischievous smirk.

“I can name fingers and point names.”

Landorus chuckled. “Ah, you heard the lamb too. Well then. Perfect.”


******


Hoopa raised his hand. “I GOT THAT REFERENCE!”

******


Mewtwo used Thunder! Latias was paralyzed!

Landorus gave a worried gaze to Mewtwo. “Don't worry,” the latter assured as Latias fell down. “I restrained it. It was just to make sure she'd be paralyzed.”

Giggling maniacally, Latias was thrown away by Mewtwo's move before softly reaching the ground, helped by Mewtwo's Psychic embrace. Her broken mind and body landing right next to her brother Latios.

“S-Sister?” Latios called. “Are you… Are you finally okay?”

Latias used Psycho Shift!

As Latias' eyes shone brightly, a purple aura surrounded her body and invaded her brother's, who found himself unable to move even his head.

Psycho Shift successful! Status Effect has been sent to enemy!

As Latios was tied down to the ground by the paralysis Latias had given her, Latias rose from the ground and used the last of her strength to fold her arms. Latios' eyes widened, as he understood was she as trying to do.

“MEWTWO!” Latios shouted at the top of his lungs. “SHE'S GETTING AWAY! I BEG YOU, STOP HER BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!”

Mewtwo immediately teleported above Latias and raised both of his arms, preparing an overwhelming Psystrike. “High-speed jet-like speed means nothing if I damage your wings.” he commented. “I'm sorry, Latias.

Mewtwo used Psystrike!

The multiple psychic spheres Mewtwo summoned plunged towards Latias' wings, covering her body with a powerful explosion.

Latias Protected herself!

Do deee…! Do daaa…! Do dee, De De Da, DaDaDa deee…!
De duuu..! Da duuu…! Du dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee daaa!


“What?!” Mewtwo exclaimed. “Landorus! She knows protect!” having said that, he prepared another Psystrike, while Landorus sent his already prepared Stone Edge towards her.
But it was too late.

Don't worry be happy, no time to be sad!
'Cause when you look sad ya make de caterpillar mad!


Having sung one last time, Latias fully folded her arms and propelled herself in the air, dodging both attacks with ease as she flew away.

Mewtwo crossed his arms, his tail whipping the air with frustration. “With her current condition, she shouldn't have been able to do any of this. Which means that she's bypassed the strain of her body. She's… She's really putting herself in danger.”

“This also means that she cannot fly too far from here!” Landorus exclaimed. “Quick, we must…!”

No!” Mewtwo shouted back. “No, Landorus. That's what they want. You know that's what they want. And besides, they have Hoopa. He can warp her back to their stronghold in a matter of seconds. The only one that could possibly match her speed is...”

Both Landorus and Mewtwo gazed down at the sobbing Latios. But none of their words could possibly reach the wall of sadness he had surrounded himself into as he cried his heart out. He had lost his sister again. And under her mask of insanity, he had felt and seen how damaged Latias really was.
She had never stopped crying.

******


Spoiler! :
Hyperspace Chaos ~ Theme of Hoopa
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Hoopa gazed at Latias, contemplating with desirous eyes every part of her damaged body before focusing back on her pupils– the best sight of them all. Empty eyes, devoid of any care, any true emotion. Hoopa put a hand on one of Latias' wings and twisted it. After a brief crackling noise, Latias raised her head and stared at Hoopa.

“'You have awakened.'” Hoopa quoted, letting his paw lightly touch Latias' cheek. “'You, the greatest of of my works...' Seriously, you're the best doll I've ever broken. I guess I should start refrering them as the 'Hoopa Numbers', huh? And you'd be Hoopa Number Zero.” he giggled. References were so fun to use.

Another set of tears rolled down Latias' smiling face. “...Duu dee... Duu daa...” she sung in a whisper.

Hoopa's smile grew larger. “Don't worry, my lil' princess.” he whispered in her ear. “I'll give you more action. More pain. More things to fill that empty shell of yours. More things to help your mind from not totally breaking apart. Regi?”

“Confirmed.”

“Use the bigger portal. Send the test Machop in their direction and see how well they can fight against it. In the meantime, Rocky and I will be upgrading our lil' princes over here.”

“Confused retort.” Regirock replied. “Status question.”

Hoopa giggled. “Status, eh? Well, that's very simple.” he turned back to face his comrades, raising his hands in the air like a dramatic puppet master. “The Project Infected has begun! And Latias here? Well let's just say she's gonna become its little… Messiah.”
"Is there a limit to how much living I can live with my life? How will I know if I've gone too far?
And why did I spend my life savings on sunglasses for a whale?
I shall find the answers... to these questions."





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TheSilverFox says...



Passive Resistance (no lo hace quiere)


Day A8, 11:20 P.M.

Good morning, little hero.

Aegeas’s eyes shot open at the sound of that horribly familiar and obnoxious voice. Gone was the world of nightmares and memories that plagued him, and he was more than happy to bury them within the folds of his mind, but he wasn’t exactly happy to be where he was now. Eyes adjusted to the darkness of the surrounding area. It was, quite clearly, not morning, and he was now staring at the icy ceiling that he’d looked up at countless times before. The soft moonlight pouring in from a partly-shuttered window helped affirm his first assumption.

Ah, you…no idea how often…wanted to say that. Yet…I think I’ve ruined... Yes, I’ve quite ruined it. It…yet; it should only be nighttime. Faulty…of reference, that. Perhaps it will be morning…?

The Dewott grabbed his pillow, buried his head in it, and screamed. He was too adrenaline-wracked to go to sleep, what with the memories of the day’s experiences coming back in quick order, as well as his nightmares.

You know…wouldn’t leave you alone, chided Volcanion in a strangely distant and choppy voice, returning to its habit of reading his thoughts. As…heard me say, I move between my desert home and the one... I’d thought…appropriate to switch locations for a time…having determined your location.

“Are you only here to drive me mad?” grumbled Aegeas, as a creeping sense of weariness and pain stretched across him like the blanket draped over him.

I’d say you’ve done enough there…. It didn’t seem…comfortable with where... What was with the man with the s---

“Don’t,” interrupted Aegeas in frustration, setting down his pillow before sitting upright on his bed. The sensations that coursed through his body made him instantly regret that decision, though he had suspected he would. Still, he didn’t think that it would be this intense.

But—

“I said, don’t,” he commanded, grimacing from the sudden numbness of muscles throughout his body. That was replaced with weariness and strain. His skin still felt warm and irritated, although without any noticeable red patches or bleeding. Aegeas’s head ached, throbbing dully in the dark space. Nonetheless, he had clearly exerted himself, and it didn’t take long for Aegeas to remember exactly why.

J…Aegeas, I did not…argue semantics.

“So then, would you care to explain to me what you are here for?” Aegeas stretched, allowing blood to flow through his muscles while he relaxed on his bed once again, breathing deeply. He felt horrible, but a sudden wave of questions rushed out of him as his memories fit together like a puzzle. “Wait, what about the challenge, did I succeed? What happened to everyone else? Am I stuck here?” The last thought was truly awful to comprehend.

Hmph, to your…friend. No worries; I’ve…through your memories while traveling. …fine, but narrowly. You were the worst, though - …out right after challenge’s end. …other two succeeded without consequence. The nurses spent hours treating…to help you recover, and sent you to your bed afterwards. It…hurts, doesn’t it?

The Dewott sighed, continuing to breathe deeply as he stared up at the patterns on the ceiling that had consumed his lazy hours, when he’d just woken up and hadn’t mustered the strength to do anything. How he wished that he could have that time again. “How many times have I told you not to do that?” Realization struck him shortly after he asked that question, and his eyes narrowed in suspicion. “…You’re not here yet, are you? And what do you mean, “other two?” I though there were three?”

…climb mountains in a day, you know. It will…time, so my voice will be choppy. As for the other question, I just…your senses, and the nurses…the smaller two did well. I didn’t hear…a third one.

“That can’t be good,” concluded Aegeas. “Something happened, and it must’ve been bad enough that they refused to spread the word. What did Ren get himself into this time?”

He didn’t seem…alright.

Aegeas decided that, if he couldn’t go back to sleep with this lout talking endlessly, he might as well get up. So, he decided to brave it, and threw off his blankets to sit upright and prepare to get out of the bed. His muscles complained and groaned, and he felt like he was slightly singed, but the pain wasn’t as bad as it had been originally. He wondered what kind of a state he had been when he had been in the hospital bed, and was impressed that the nurses had been able to restore him to his present state. It wasn’t perfect, but he could hopefully get on his feet shortly, and figure out what kind of scheme Volcanion had in mind…

And then he saw the knapsack lying on the ground in front of him.

“Did…anyone visit my hospital bed? Or my bedroom?”

Oh, you were awful. Bleeding…everywhere…neurotoxin messed with your mind…chaotic.

Volcanion was intentionally avoiding the topic. Why? Aegeas grimaced again as he took his first step, but a sense of fiery determination carried him on. His mind felt like it was being weighed down with stones – an aftereffect of the toxin, he surmised. What a joke it would be that such poison didn’t have all that great of an effect on his mind. He remembered having been angry, and confused, and struggling, but it had felt like his normal life, yet magnified, like some horrible exaggeration or parody. How far gone was he? He felt sane, and everyone could agree he acted sane. However, the more he looked at himself, what he was keeping secret, and what he was going through, he had suspicions about his sanity and the secrets his mind was determined to hide from even him. Nevertheless, he bent over, groaning, and snatched up the knapsack, rummaging through its contents while Volcanion, who appeared to be stepping through water – a river, perhaps? – provided his typical narration.

You shouldn’t be…weak. Age isn’t an excuse. You’ve left your body...slip away, and you’ve lost to…canine and a flower. That’s…here.

The Dewott struggled to find something in the knapsack. Angry, he called to Volcanion, “Be helpful here. Who was there at my hospital bed?”



“That’s not your poor connection,” accused Aegeas, now increasingly frustrated and beginning to throw the knapsack’s contents on the bed. “If it would help you, maybe naming Absol would ring a bell?”

But…But…

He finally pulled out the piece of the necklace and sighed in relief, suspending it in front of the moonlight so that it captured the light and gleamed.

He wasn’t the only…he…came when none of the nurses…around... – don’t drop the mirror! - …your person, then went somewhere else.

Aegeas sighed, staring down the gauze bandages that he hadn’t paid attention to before. They stretched across his arms and back. Between two prying individuals, one looking to “help” him, and the other looking to use him (although he could not tell who was who) he was in his own personal hell. Either way, he was at least relieved to see that Absol had not been so cruel as to take the necklace, to hold it as some kind of ransom. Nevertheless, there was the fact itself that he had hidden the knapsack, and somebody had clearly used his/her authority to snoop around while he was unconscious and went to find it.

Come now, it’s time for your training! boomed Volcanion proudly, in the loudest and clearest voice he could muster.

“What do you think I’ve been through?” Aegeas shot back, starting to shout but realizing there had to be guards or security in the vicinity, and screaming in the middle of the night was not the best to way to tell everyone that one was perfectly well and sane. His voice fell down to a whisper. “What kind of training do you think I need?”

I am aware. But…remember my comments on…anger. It’s untapped talent, and…to waste it. Aaagh, the mirror! No, not the necklace…I cannot read thoughts and…river and talk to my assistant…same time.

“So, maybe there’s a little hope that you would leave me alone?” thought Aegeas, as he made his way towards the door, moving the piece of necklace in his hands absentmindedly as he pushed his way across the room, grumbling and groaning in the process. At least he felt wide awake, even if it was midnight and everyone else was bound to be asleep. So be it.

…hahahaha…haha…hahaha…you are my highest priority…hahaha…no Volcanion’s laugh was incredibly eerie, especially when distorted. It felt like a flawed recording or reminiscent of the voice of a screaming ghost. It hurt to hear.

Of course. “How do you expect me to train anyways? It’s not as though I can leave my room in the middle of the night.” The Dewott thrust open the door, hoping to prove Volcanion wrong. He felt even more sluggish and weary with each step, and he was earnestly hoping to fall back down upon his bed and get some form of sleep. It was a shame that he would be willing to take his persistent nightmares and troubles over an obsessive and creepy Legendary, but that was the truth.

He was too used to this weirdness. Aegeas’s shoulders sagged as he came to the inevitable conclusion that there was absolutely nobody in the vicinity. The hallways were quiet, empty, and dark.

It is…of the night, in a big...fortress. It helps that I…spies here…guards take shifts…you will be safe for a while. As long…quiet…you should make it to…roof just fine. Your companions are tired, they must be…heavily.

“Spies?” thought Aegeas as he walked across the cold floor, gauze bandages itching. Heading the roof wouldn’t be a problem – it was hard to miss, after all. Not that that prevented Volcanion from reading his thoughts and attempting to list off directions, until Aegeas interrupted it with his own conversation. “See, this is what I have to worry about. You were almost spotted by the lieutenant yesterday, and I’m sure she could’ve found you if you weren’t so sneaky. What if word spreads that I’m being manipulated by a Legendary who already knows too much about the Resistance without being a member of it?” Normally, he would speak out loud his thoughts, but the prospect of waking anybody else up was not favorable. Who in their right mind would spend their time talking to themselves anyhow?

Sneaky? …thanks! Ah, the lieutenant…very scary. – I am too tired for this! - …I cannot be so…seen. They would only think to see…veteran with delusions, at worst. And…aren’t you?

“I am fine,” shot back Aegeas at once. “I don’t need two Absols. If you’re as sneaky as you say, then fine – as long as I can keep the trust of the people around me, I might live through this. But don’t take shots at a man who has fought far more battles than you could ever hope to.”

How dare you! I am a warrior! …a long time, indeed, since I fought…we have more…than you know, you know…I see no more need…fighting now. Did I say…stabbed in the face? And I have seen…nightmares of yours. You still hold that necklace in your hand. I am fascinated…I want to see your strength. But you…built first.

Aegeas remained as silent as he could while he walked his way up a flight of stairs towards one of the higher levels. He had not realized he was turning the necklace over and over in his hands, but a gaze downward indicated exactly that. Now there was only silence as he inspected the object once again, thoughts waving around in his head.

“How honest were you when you told me you couldn’t break open those memories?” the Dewott finally asked.

…not completely.

He nodded, stepping up to the next floor and walking his way among rows and rows of doors, looking for a flight of stairs that headed to the roof. “I’ll bet it takes time, doesn’t it? You have a time limit to pour through my head, I know as much. Why don’t you make an effort to do so now? You are a Legendary with as big as an ego, and I’m sure you’d find the challenge exciting.”

There was silence. Aegeas hoped that Volcanion’s connection had finally been broken, but it only seemed he had been stuck in thought, as his next words were slow and forceful.

Persuasive, but I don’t think you wanted yourself to know. I have…enough compassion to not do that to you.

There was the flight of stairs. It wasn’t easily visible, and Aegeas suspected there were probably more obvious entrances to the roof, but it was inconspicuous enough that he felt less like he was walking around in the open with his pestilence making its appearance clear. The prospect felt like walking around naked, and was uninviting. “So, it happens that you have just enough of a heart to restrict me from finding out something that I want to will upon myself? I know that I have hidden it from myself, and I understand the consequences, but I want to know who I really am and what I have done. Is that so much to ask for?”

No matter, said Volcanion, unsubtly changing the subject. …here now.

He was correct. Aegeas pushed open the door and found himself in the midst of the fort’s tranquil, flat roof, underneath a wave of stars. Wind ruffled his fur – or was it hair? did he know? – and carried on its way across the cold and bitter landscape. His eyes, adjusted to the darkness, quickly ascertained his surroundings, and saw that there was more than enough room for him to train. The moon and its faint light cast shadows across the landscape, and aided slightly. A part of him was actually a little happy to be here – this was peaceful and beautiful, and the kind of place where he could spend his time staring up at the various constellations whose names he’d been told by a dear friend during the war. His having grown used to his situation made him tired, and this seemed like the place to fall asleep in. Unfortunately, there was the fact that Volcanion would likely pester him until his training, or whatever it was supposed to be, was complete. So, the Dewott set the piece of necklace on the ground behind him, took a battle stance, and patiently awaited instructions.

Ah, your task…simple. Use your water attack, but channel…anger. Find what…and use it. You must have a lot…this should be simple…unless you’re too old.

Aegeas growled.

Aegeas used Water Gun!

The attack fired off into the air and the wind struck it down. It scattered across a part of the roof. That eerie laugh subsequently returned, only louder and more obnoxious. The Dewott breathed in deeply and pulled upon that anger. It was most infuriating, ironically, that he should know he was being manipulated, yet let it happen to him anyway. He felt weak and foolish, and what better way to say otherwise than to take a stand for himself? He could show Volcanion that he was not incompetent, and not a weak and old man, even if that was exactly Volcanion’s intent. Aegeas wasn’t about to let himself fail now, anyhow. It seemed that the goal concocted by his nuisance had now been adopted by himself, and he choose to do this for himself, not the whim of a Legendary.

Aegeas used Water Gun!

This blast was more resolute and capable than the last time, and the wind couldn’t blast it aside. Still, it splashed across the roof without much of an impact. Now Aegeas was beginning to feel warmer, as his own energy combated the winds. His teeth stop chattering, and his muscles ached less. Thankfully, his confidence was building.

...don’t hate me enough. I’m just…nuisance. Find something stronger!

Now the Dewott gravitated around Absol.

Aegeas used Water Gun!

Then came the memories of how he’d gotten here.

Aegeas used Water Gun!

Dialga.

Aegeas used Water Gun!

Hoopa.

Aegeas used Water Gun!

The Clefairy.

Aegeas used Water Gun!

And thus, it continued. It felt like a trace of his youth had returned to him him. Adamant, determined, and unbothered by the cold, Aegeas persisted to throw attacks. Water poured over the roof, gradually growing warm and fiercer. Volcanion was as chronically unhelpful as usual, since it decided that the time was appropriate for him to occasionally narrate its adventures as it traversed his way across the desert and towards the snow. He pitied the Legendary’s hapless assistants. They seemed to be in a worse position than he was, as they had to listen to its endless conversations while they worked for it. Aegeas supposed there had to be reason they still did, and suspected it was force.

Yet, whatever Volcanion’s training was supposed to be, it wasn’t working. At a certain point, Aegeas peaked in his rage and strength. His attacks were persistent and capable, but didn’t feel scalding. Lukewarm, at best. Volcanion had wanted him to channel his anger to make his attacks hotter, and that only pointed to the move Scald. Unfortunately, his surroundings were too peaceful, and they closed up on him. Blasts of water grew colder and less frequently as he grew wearier, muscles aching and body sore. His energy felt like it was being sapped away from him, which was the case. Soon, he was almost back to where he had been at the start, although his endurance and strength had apparently been impressive, given Volcanion’s sparse compliments. The Legendary, however, did not indicate when the training would end, and Aegeas was getting tired this. Both physically and mentally. Now all he wanted to do was return to his bed. Sure, he would be doing this again tomorrow night, if he had the ability to. And perhaps the next night, and the next and the next, until he succeeded. This felt enough for a now, however.

So, he was rather happy when, after a series of Water Gun attacks that left him utterly drained, Volcanion finally silenced. For about the second or two before he realized that the Legendary was almost never quiet without a good reason. Fear cinched up in his heart as he froze in place, concluding that somebody else had arrived, which only took but a second to confirm.

“Do you still remember her?”

His eyes narrowed as he turned slowly around, trying to breathe deeply while his whole body complained as usual, and found himself facing Absol, masked partly by the shadows of the entrance that he’d come from. White fur gleamed faintly in the moonlight as those piercing eyes stared back at Aegeas. Dangling from Absol’s mouth was the string upon which the piece of the necklace was held.

Can he…me? Can he see me? whispered Volcanion faintly in Aegeas’s mind, while Absol took a step forward to make the necklace even more visible.

No. The Dewott was far too tired for this. He’d wasted his night, and was bound to wake up weary and sore. The last thing he wanted was yet another emotional situation, particularly as he had been channeling his anger of Absol for the past hour or so. “I don’t think so, but keep quiet,” thought Aegeas, dissuading Volcanion from speaking further. He didn’t want a war on two fronts.

“Do you. Still. Remember. Her?” Absol reiterated, emphasizing each of his words. Aegeas thought it patronizing.

Silence. Aegeas stared down at the ground.

“You’re broken. I can fix you.”

“That’s what you think,” responded the Dewott in fury, fists clenched while he glared at Absol, who remained as neutral as always. “You’ve come here full well aware that I’m weak and tired, and you’re here to manipulate me. I don’t care how good you think your intentions are – whoever she is, I know enough that I have buried her, I have forgotten her, and I will be the only one to dig her from her grave. Your idea of helping me is to see me fall apart, break me as much as you possibly can, so that you can stitch together the pieces. I told you I won’t stand for that.”

“There is nothing that will save you as you stand,” mused Absol, now walking around the Dewott. “You’re divided. Torn between who you used to be and who you want to be. They are impossible to reconcile if you hide the former and pretend it does not exist. Sometimes, you have to bleed yourself before you can understand yourself. Yes, you must be torn down if you want to survive, and thrive.”

“Why am I even listening to you?” shouted Aegeas, pulling out his scalchops. Absol instinctively growled in response, looking more an angry hound than anything else, but stood still. “All you want to do is sneak in my head and break it apart. What if, instead of coming to terms with myself, I lose myself in the process? How would it feel if you ended up making another madman? Your games are childish, and I refuse to bow down to them. I can take care of myself, thank you very much. I believe you have honest intentions, but the ends do not justify the means if those means are horrible. You’ve never helped anybody. You didn’t help him, you wouldn’t help her, and you won’t help me. I am not here to fight you, but, if you don’t give back that necklace, I will.

“Feel free to tell everyone I’m crazy. Go on, do it. Ruin my reputation, ruin everything of mine that you can touch. You’re already trying as hard as you can. If you threaten me again, however; if you decide to push me into the ground, I will go after you. I will tell the leaders of this Resistance what you have been doing, and you will have to stand down. I’ll see to it. So don’t you dare come near me again, even for that training you so conveniently forgot. See, aren’t I doing it myself, now? Go home, and leave me alone.

After a few seconds of silence, Absol’s tail drooped, he dropped the necklace onto the ground, and walked off into the shadows without a word. Aegeas snatched it up and inspected it to see if it was a fake, a last gambit of cruel falsehoods. It seemed real enough.

“You will fall eventually,” said Absol, finally, as he made his departure from the roof by coming through that same entrance Aegeas had gone through. “I don’t need to go near you to do that. If you think you can help yourself, you will break yourself apart in the process, as I want you to. You’re doing my job. It’s just a waiting game now.”

And, with the opening and closing of a door, that was it. The Dewott breathed a sigh of relief and frustration as he stood alone on the roof, looking at the prize. Was it really worth all this trouble? What can of worms was he staring down, and what impact would it have when he opened it? Deep down, he knew that Absol was, to an extent, right – he was now fighting his own psyche and inner turmoil, and he wasn’t sure if he could win that battle. What was he supposed to do now?

…go to sleep, said Volcanion at least, it having likely waited until it was sure that Absol was gone.

Aegeas sighed and complied, opening the door to the entrance and leaving the roof.
S'io credesse che mia risposta fosse
a persona che mai tornasse al mondo,
questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse.
Ma per ciò che giammai di questo fondo
non tornò vivo alcun, s'i' odo il vero,
senza tema d'infamia ti rispondo.

Inferno, Canto 27, l 61-66.





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BrumalHunter says...



Shane | Black Skies (Part Two) | Day A9, 12:34 PM


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Shane Blackmore, Former Captain of the New Order and Head Scout of General Neona's Reconnaisance Team, leapt over roots and dove under branches and vines as he attempted to evade his pursuers. Ordinarily the picture of confidence and composure, he was now naught but fear and focus. All that mattered was getting to his rendezvous as quickly and with as little injury as possible - an immensely difficult task, considering it was half a day's travel away.

Despite his adrenaline-boosted dash, his footfalls were soft enough not to drown out the faint buzzing he Detected behind him. After vaulting over another gnarled root, he took the landing low to the ground and coupled his momentum and potenial energy to jump high and onto a branch of a nearby tree. The deadly Bug Buzz passed by harmlessly beneath him; the scream that followed indicated it wasn't as harmless to the sound's source.

His form shimmered, summoning four images of his likeness, each of which fled in a different direction when he jumped down. The Greatwood Jungle was vast and dense, so he was the leftmost of the fivesome, hoping to avoid as many of his hunters as he could. With his third eye glowing blue, he risked a glance behind him. The risk was worth it, for it allowed him to swerve right just in time to miss the jaws of a Yanmega.

"Give it up, captain!" the bug called. "We've been together for five years! The others and I know your tactics, your preferences. You can't escape!"

His third eye pulsed and returned to its usual dull navy. "I don't want to hurt you, Ezra. Cease your pursuit!"

The scout responded by firing off an Air Slash that severed the branch where the canine had been a moment before. "We don't want to hurt you either, captain. We respect you. That's why we want to take you in alive! But we're not letting you get away."

Mid-jump, Shane extended his right paw and grabbed on to the bark of the nearest mangrove, holding on only long enough to be whirled around a hundred and eighty degrees. The dragonfly made a U-Turn and followed behind. However, it had not expected its target to perform the daring manoeuvre a second time and flew past - straight into the manifestation of energy summoned by the traitor. Shane heard his former team member crash into the underbrush, but whether he would ever rise again was uncertain. He chose not to let the thought linger.

Sounds of pursuit echoed in the distance. Fortunately, none were nearby, but the idea he got would soon change that. Taking as deep a breath as he could while sprinting, he howled into the jungle, willing his Voice to travel as far as he could. The closest ambient noises abruptly died away, but those beyond a few metres quieted only a little before continuing their rainforest reverie. He no longer heard 'mons crashing through the verdant impediments in the distance, so they undoubtedly knew where he was. Did his ally?

Some sleeper you are if you're made the very first time you're activated.

That was a yes, to his relief.

Our goal was to remain hidden until we were needed, he replied. That has been accomplished, even if my exposure was a bit too sudden for my liking.

No kidding, the voice jabbed. Still, my bet was on three days, not two. But either way, Daphne owes me a hundred Poké.

Shane bit back his retort and listened for any signs of chase. None yet.

How close are you, Blaise?

How in the name of Rayquaza should I know? How close are you?

Do you want me to stop and ask for directions?

Our captain - such a charmer. Just keep moving towards the sound of my irresistable voice.

Like a Dustox to a flame? Or, to be more accurate, like a Dustox to a burning Mothim? Despite the situation, Shane grinned.

Humph. Maybe I should let you die and take over as team leader.

Says the Bug who almost died because of a Stealth Rock.

That was one time! I-

I can't talk now, Shane interrupted. I've got company. Just check in every ninety seconds so I don't head in the wrong direction.

The snap of a twig some distance behind and above him was all the warning he needed to prepare for the first of the wave of assailants. He dug his paws into the ground and skidded to a partial halt. He then jumped around and swung his head in an arc. Blue crescents of energy flew away from his glowing horn and towards the Hawlucha who had aimed to intercept him. The scout banked right, but not in time to avoid having his wing clipped. Shane did not wait to see him fall out of the air.

"Besides Rick and Pratchett, who else is with you, Alesse?" he called behind him.

"I'm not giving you any more advantages than you already have, sir!" Alesse, the Whimsicott and Prankster in his team, answered.

"I'm sorry it has to end this way!" he replied. He meant to say more, but a Persian - Rick - Tackled him into a cluster of bushes.

Shane made to fight his comrade off, but the cat clung to him as if its life depended on it. The result was that the two struggling Pokémon rolled out of the bushes and into a river. Their tussle continued up to the point of drowning, but even while gasping for air, they refused to give in. Provided with no alternative, he Night Slashed the other scout in the side. Boosted by his Super Luck, the attack inflicted critical damage, as evidenced by the sudden spurt of red that mingled with the brown of the water.

The Absol fought the current to the bank opposite the point at which he had entered the river, with the Persian crawling out on the other side. After he collapsed onto the mud, he noted seeing only Alesse tending to Rick's wounds.

"Your luck has run out, captain."

Shane titled his head to face the speaker. He was met with crossed arms and a lightning bolt tail aimed straight at him.

"Move and you're dead," the Raichu said. "Unlike the others, I won't hesitate to kill you." He lifted his gaze to his comrades. "When will the overseer's troops get here?"

"Soon! Those who chased after us will still be a while, but a detachment from the camp was basically just waiting for us to get him stationary."

Blaise, Shane called, eyes still on Pratchett, if you can hear me, now would be a good time to pull off a miracle, or else you'll be taking command after all.

"Why'd you do it?" the Electric mouse asked, focusing once more on the beaten canine, who in response averted his gaze. Three separate teleportation noises sounded around them, causing bugs and birds to flee. "Did you really buy into all that Resistance crap?"

"If my suspicious are correct, our disgraced Captain Blackmore has more unconventional motivations for his deeds." Shane stiffened and rose to his legs. He met the Gallade's smug stare directly. "And it seems he harbours previously concealed loathing for me. Hmm. He may be the garden variety Resistance sympathiser after all. I'll bet you have the same disregard for life."

"Ezra and Vasquez aren't dead," he retorted with more conviction that he felt.

The Gallade looked up and around at the gathering of soldiers around him. "This 'mon," he pointed at Shane for emphasis, "has deceived his comrades, three of which are either gravely injured or dying. Yet he claims he caused no permanent harm so as to convince his own twisted conscience that it will not be tormented by the spirits of the fallen. He dares to utter their names in an attempt to convince you too. But even so, his paws are stained with the blood of the dead." He motioned to the extravagantly dressed Empoleon beside him as a cue.

"Ashton. Aerith. Robert. Tristan. Evangeline. Octienne. Vayren. Krosis."

Silence fell as those gathered recalled the loss of their friends. Shane allowed them a moment before breaking it.

"You lecture me about callousness regarding death, yet you have someone else recite the names as if from a list."

The Empoleon removed the trident from his back and pointed it at the Absol's chest. "Show some respect or I will slay you where you stand."

The Absol looked down at the weapon like it was a child's plaything, his face clearly showing how unfazed he was by the threat.

"I spent too little time with the fallen to remember their names," Zizel countered, "but that doesn't mean I don't know their histories. You are interested only in those who served with you, which substantiates my claim. You may think you prematurely ended only eight tales, but what of Krosis' kin, who he had intended to save from impending doom? What of Aerith's children, who must now brave this indifferent world as orphans? Not to mention the loss of talent and skill Terraria must now endure. Octienne, one of the greatest minds I have ever known, accompanied these soldiers to conduct vital research.

"I could continue to describe all the contributions of which you have robbed society, but my words fall on deaf ears. You may pretend to regret hurting loyal soldiers, but you fool no-one. We know you will never be haunted by the ghosts of the deceased, for there is no room for compassion in that frozen heart of yours."

Shane scanned the angry faces of Zizel's minions, noting how, besides the overseer, there was only one other Psychic type. To anybody else, it would have been an insignificant detail. To him, it revealed an opportunity. He turned his full attention to the Gallade and decided to test his theory.

"Fallacies suit you better than hyperbole, overseer. Flawed logic can still be excused, but your exaggeration clearly conceals the fact that you've gone soft. Your reputation for ruthlessness is known throughout the order, yet here you are, lecturing me about the deaths of a few worthless pawns." Outrage filled the glade. He frowned and addressed the murderous crowd. "What? Save two, everyone gathered here is a pawn, and ironically, it is only the two queens that know it. But only one queen appears to be truly willing to make necessary sacrifices." He contemptuously batted the trident aside and gazed at the overseer once more. "If you are troubled by the death of eight, how can you possibly deal with the casualities of full scale war? You are weak and deserve to be crushed as much as the puny Resistance."

Zizel waited a second longer to reply than usual. He had realised a mind-game was afoot and needed to employ caution. "A grand speech for a sniffer dog. What could you possibly know about making sacrifices? The timing of your betrayal shows that you want to prevent the coming flood, which benefits the "puny Resistance", not the greater good. Your argument is invalid."

"Graduated to outright dismissal, have we?" Shane mocked. "You have good reason to be skeptic, but claiming the idea to flood the jungle as your own makes me wonder how smart you really are, as everybody knows Arceus' council is responsible. Your current form is appropriate, since I heard one Avellon of Mt. Providence's garrison fancied himself a clever chap too. If you pay as close attention to the grapevine as I do, I'm sure you know where that misguided notion got him."

The first word of the overseer's reply was lost to the Empoleon captain's, "Silence, you fools!" The two he addressed regarded him with indignation and shock. "He's stalling for time and you're playing into it. Either we arrest him now and prepare him for interrogation, or he dies."

A Focus Blast knocked the Empoleon of his feet. Had Shane been responsible, he'd have been dead on the spot, but as he was not, stunned silence emphasised the Steel bird's groans.

"You forget your place. And you-" Zizel grabbed Shane by the scruff of his neck and held his elbow-blade to his throat, "-have said quite enough."

Eyes on the blade, Shane calmly said, "If I betray the New Order just before a major operation, the first thought will be that I want to prevent it. Naturally, you try to stop me and fail, so you warn Kyogre he must accelarate the plan. However, since I am but one, he will laugh you off. He ends up being attacked after all and the jungle still ends up being flooded. Both sides are severely weakened. It's a lose all around."

"Are you implying you work for an opportunistic third party?"

This is getting long-winded. Say something catchy.

"No, I work for the Resistance as a spy, I'm just excellent at manipulation." Shane's Protect knocked Zizel away. From inside the blue sphere, he said, "Enjoy explaining this to your superiors, overseer."

A Volcarona and Natu appeared above the Protected Absol. "Finally, some action!" the bug called, doing a circular, aerial dance above his friend. A powerful wind spiralled outwards, blowing away all the hapless Pokémon while also scattering fiery scales. "Hey, Shane, let them have a one-liner before we leave!"

"I had one planned, but it won't fit the atmosphere. Getting into Zizel's head is tiring, but not as much as being in it."

"Aww. I'm not sure what you meant by that, but I guess our epic introduction will have to wait until the team's assembled. Peace out, suckers!"

The Absol, Volcarona and Natu teleported away, leaving the firewhirl to disperse and the collection of soldiers and officers scattered across the scorched scene.

***


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Dialga was, at the best of times, an imposing sight. When mad, however, that particular quality was magnified tenfold. Neither Neona nor Zizel were truly intimidated by the steaming Dragon, but both were good enough actors to imitate suppressed fear. Being back in Neona's tent, huddling against the sides helped.

"Captain Hector did well to inform me of your failures. How two of the New Order's most valuable members made such a spectacle of what was an entirely preventable issue in the first place, not even High King Arceus knows. I mean an Absol? By me, he wasn't even Mega-Evolved!"

"With respect, Lord Dialga," Neona said, maintaining a firm tone despite feigning slight fear, "Shane Blackmore is no ordinary Absol."

"As much as I hate to admit it, the general is right," Zizel, still a Gallade, agreed.

"Then where did you come upon this fantastic Absol?" Dialga asked.

"He came to us, my lord. He joined the reconnaissance division at first, but once his skill became well known in the scouting circles, I drafted him for my personal team."

"And it never occurred to you to screen him first?"

"Of course it did, my lord. I used all our resources to see what I could discover about him, but nobody knew anything. He could have been a Ghost, for all we knew."

Dialga bristled his wings in annoyance. "On what grounds did you suspect this scout of treason, overseer?"

"On the grounds of his being my scout," Neona answered, glaring at Zizel. "And that I sent him alone to contact my informant in the local tribes."

"I must add the entire endeavour was covert," the Gallade promptly added, "which would normally not raise any suspicions, but there are no records of any New Order informant in the tribes of the Greatwood Jungle commissioned by the general. From an objective perspective, she had no reason to send the head scout out on his own."

"A fair point," Dialga conceded, "except that he was a damned scout! Recording their every action would defy the purpose of their position. General, have you used this contact before?"

"I have, but not for years. Seeing as the encoded message is clearly written using the cipher I provided, he was either coerced into cooperation or bribed to be a double agent."

Dialga snorted. "Then it was by sheer dumb luck that this matter was nipped in the bud. However, I still cannot understand how one Absol escaped not only you both, but also your troops. What makes him so special?"

"He-"

"Not you, general. Since Overseer Zizel proclaims his objectivity, he can justify his own shortcomings."

The overseer seemed most displeased with the Dragon of Time's decision, but had to oblige. "If given an Absolite, he would undoubtedly use more conventional means of attacks, but since he is without one, he resorts to calculated risks and unpredictability. His Ability is undoubtedly Super Luck, for he lands Critical Hits without fail. Even Special attacks are devastating. When I first had my auxilary troops ambush him, he summoned a Razor Wind and subsequently unleashed a Dark Pulse, effectively combining the moves. As a result, many were injured while others flinched."

"Such an attack takes time to execute. How was he not stopped beforehand?"

"As soon as he became aware of our presence, he Detected and dodged the soldiers' attacks and created several copies of himself via Double Team - simultaneously. While all the copies charged the Razor Wind, they performed a Swords Dance, and once it was ready, released a Dark Pulse in conjunction. The attacks thereafter were mostly Night Slash, Psycho Cut, and Shadow Claw. He performed these while creating yet more illusory copies."

For the first time, Dialga did not sound incredulous. "No ordinary Pokémon should know how to Link moves so effectively."

"He is not the only one," Zizel elaborated. "I suspect there may be several others, of which at least one is confirmed, who are working with him. I speak of a Volcarona who ensured his escape after I had him trapped out in the jungle. I don't know how, but it was faster than any of us, and before we could react, it had summoned a Whirlwind Linked with its signature Fiery Dance. There was nothing we could do."

"That in itself requires serious scrutiny. Why could you do nothing? Your first instinct should have been to Protect yourselves."

At that point, Neona chipped in. "I can provide the reason for that."

"Then speak."

"My scouts were present during the confrontation. They say the overseer's Pokémon were Taunted by insulting their fallen comrades, while the overseer itself," she smiled and glanced at Zizel at the jab, "was Taunted by being lured into a mental snare. He had tried to paint my former head scout as heartless by pretending to show sympathy for the deceased, but when he was called soft, he couldn't refute it without denying what he had just said, and in front of the deceased's friends, no less. Enraged, the overseer let his guard down and fell for the Taunt completely. I told him Absols were naturals at that."

"Enough!" The Dragon and amorphous knight lowered their gazes. "You are both forthwith placed under probation. I expect fully detailed reports on this matter to be delivered to the council posthaste. I shall be collecting statements from your inferiors as well, so you had better include all details, no matter how unflattering, under fear of severe punishment." Without another word, the Dragon created a rift in reality and stepped through.

Neona and Zizel gazed at each other.

"You will pay for this," the Gallade said.

"Yeah, yeah. Do you want to know how the Volcarona was faster?"

Zizel crossed his arms. "Enlighten me."

"Quiver Dance."

"Rubbish. Stat boosts and drops are erased when you teleport."

"Not when you blink a short distance. That scout that filled me in on everything? He said that though he didn't realise it at the time, he saw only you and that Alakazam of yours teleport in reinforcements, yet he heard three indications of Teleport being used. If one of those was the Volcarona who assisted Shane, he could have used Quiver Dance while the surrounding fauna fleeing from the sudden disturbance covered the noise. After that, he probably just waited for Shane to do his thing."

"Admiring the work of a traitor, are we?"

"His skill in Linking moves is admirable, so yes, I am. That doesn't mean I don't want him eliminated. Capture, as you know, is unlikely, so killing him would be the best course of action."

Zizel scowled. "This could all be a clever ruse to hide that you're working with him. Your performance earlier was rather lacklustre."

"That's a stretch, even for you. What possible reason would I have for betraying the New Order? I can do what I want without anyone but you interfering. Sure, there are so many blasted policies to keep in mind, but besides the paperwork, nothing's restraining me. If I defect, all that goes away. So yeah, no. Now get out. You were never welcome here in the first place, so if you're going to be staying, you can get your own bloody tent."
But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
— Paul the Apostle

Winter is inevitable. Spring will return eventually, and AstralHunter with it.





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StupidSoup says...



Day A8 12:45


There is no letting go. There is no going back. There is no letting go. There is no going back. There is no letting go. There is no going back. There is no letting go. There is no going back....


Ren stared out from behind the black helm that had dropped before his vision. His eyes focused in and out on the road ahead; not much more than a dirt path. He watched his feet rush back and forth and ever forwards, spewing dust out behind them.

You have spent to long being afraid. You no longer deserve a presence in this world.

That voice. It was no longer his own rage. It was no longer the twisted little Torchic in the back of his head. It sounded older, wiser, and angrier. Ren could not fathom why such an entity would want to take him. Why not Xerneas or Cassandra? They were strong and sure of themselves.

We take you to Him. The Plates call to their master. If they are left alone for long enough without a guardian, they will return to their origins...

Ren continued staring out ahead of him. He could no longer bring himself to care. His life was over. He was trapped inside a suit of armor he could not control.

However, someone or something has loomed over our existence. The Plates no longer heed their masters word. They seek something else, or are being drawn to another being. Why or even how this has happened is beyond us.

There was only the quiet little mystery in front of him. Some last predicament to ponder over. Ren didn't comprehend what was going on. He knew he was being taken somewhere. Somewhere dead. The trees around him were naught but skeletons. A dense fog had gathered around him so that only the ground ahead was visible. Ren pondered how such a place could exist.

There is a Stag behind us.

Ren tried to turn his head, but failed. The helm remained forwards. By Stag, Ren assumed Xerneas was on his tail. His first thought was one of disgust. To many people trying to meddle in one little existence. Pulling this way and that way and telling him to fight or to flee. He was sick of following. Sick of being scared and confused.

He believes he can track us and bring us back. He does not understand. The Plates do not answer to the Resistance. We will lose him. Our destination draws near.

Ren tried in vain to peer ahead. Nothing but fog availed itself to him. He didn't know if anything could exist in this tortured wasteland but It couldn't be good if it had survived in such a place. Perhaps it was simply mechanical. Or perhaps it was just a building, housing others trapped like himself.

There is a greater existence Ren. There is power to be gained. Power to be used to end such suffering like your own. The price is free. All you must do is comply and wait.

The Blaziken scoffed. He'd heard enough empty promises for a lifetime. First an oath to bring peace and equality that required his willing servitude. The Resistance. Then another promise to remain subdued. To stay quiet and compliant so the Resistance could weave their little plans over him.

He has collected a Plate already. That of Darkness. It's owner is much like yourself. He still has a spark in him. His mind is not so resigned to fate. Perhaps he can teach you.

A sigh escaped Ren's lips. He would not be trained by anyone. Not if he had a say in the matter. He focused on the road ahead, feeling it rise suddenly. He was climbing. Was this Mount Providence? Ren remembered some vague detail about someone named Arceus and the NO. Was he being taken there?

This is the place of the dead. Far from the prying eyes of Mount Providence. It was here long before the gods split. The dead are those who remember. One day we shall cure them of those memories and set them free. No more pain.

"Stop messing with the dead you idiot. Theres no point." Ren muttered, growing annoyed with the voice in his head. All the talk of plates and destinies left a sour taste in his mouth.

You are ignorant. We shall discipline you soon enough. Besides, what do you know about the dead?

Ren sighed again.

"I'm not arguing with a voice in my head. This is pointless."

I am not pointless. I am a teacher and a guide. You are the only one here who is pointless.

Ren grit his teeth.

"Why does everyone in this world have to be so damn arrogant?"

We are not arrogant. We are simply wiser than yourself. You are simply immature.

There was obviously no point in trying to argue with the voice. Whatever it was it didn't understand him.

"Fine. I'm just a moron I guess. When do I get to be "disciplined"?

The Guardian is not far off. Another day at this pace and we shall arrive on schedule. He shall show you how to thrive in this land.

"I don't want to Thrive anywhere, I just want to leave!" Ren grumbled.

No. That is not possible. You have been lied to and now we shall show you the truth. The path you have taken to enter this world is not one you can return through. Dialga controls time here. He is the guardian of the gate between worlds. There is no escape.

Ren sighed at this. He had suspected there was no way out of this world but having it confirmed finally drove the fact home. He was never going to be human again.

You will learn to love this place. You will learn to thrive. You will learn.

Ren continued looking straight ahead, but deep down he vowed no matter what torture he endured, no matter what pain he was put through, he would never give in to this so called Guardian.
I have a license that lets me solve aids - A friend of mine


Here Comes the Birdyyyy ~Poopsie


You gotta have the confidence of a gazelle running through a herd of lions - TK Sharp


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Gabriel | Late Night Talks | Day A9, 12:44 AM


After the ominous exchange with Absol, Gabriel and Fleur had tried chatting about their experiences of the day's test, but it was a half-hearted conversation. Gabriel wanted to talk about Ren, but Fleur didn't know what to say, so they instead sat in awkward silence. He thanked her for the Soothe Bell and spoke about evolution for a bit, but the uncomfortable silence returned soon thereafter. She suggested leaving him alone for a bit, not actually giving him any choice in the matter.

As she had predicted, their food was brought to them, but his appetite was spoiled, so he didn't eat much. She never returned afterwards, so he unenthusiastically poked around in his bags, unpacking the books and alchemical apparatuses he had neglected. He retired soon thereafter, but sleep refused to come.

He thought back on everything that had happened in the past two weeks. (He couldn't even remember the exact number of days that had passed.) Maybe he should have grown accusomed to it all, and for the most part, he had, but it was in times like those that it all seemed an elaborate dream. How could he possibly be a Riolu in a foreign universe, fighting to save the world from devastation? He had a decent knowledge of Pokémon from surfing the internet, but he had never played the games or watched any of the episodes, yet there he was - a Pokémon himself.

The oddest thing was that he felt more at ease there than on earth. He had friends, people whom he loved and who loved him back. Even local divinities looked forward to spending time with him. Seeing auras and the prospect of being able to manipulate them excited him more than his studies ever had.

He shook his head and rose, reaching for clothes that didn't exist and that he didn't need - yet another confusing new reality. He wasn't going to sleep at that rate, but he didn't want to wake the others just because he wanted a distraction. So climbed the stairs to the office of the only person he thought wouldn't mind, hoping she was awake.

He raised his hand to knock, but heard voices inside. Cassandra was definitely awake and conversing, but with whom, he couldn't tell. The voice sound buzzing, almost electrical. Ah! The Rotom scout, of course.

He frowned. Was he really going to eavesdrop? Gabriel pushed the thought aside and proceeded with knocking. The voices immediately silenced, Cassandra granting him permission to enter.

"Sorry for interrupting." Gabriel closed the door behind him, anxiously looking at the Jynx and her scout.

She motioned him closer. "Mah door is alwehs open, so to speak. Zirius was jost reportin' back on de activity around de Glehcial Museum. It's nothing he can't tell me lehter."

The Ghost took it as his cue to leave and phased through the wall. Gabriel approached Cassandra, who walked around the desk and placed a tender kiss on his forehead, embracing him with one arm.

"Thanks for making the time to see me."

She returned to her seat, Gabriel taking the one opposite her, as usual. "Ah'd never torn you aweh, sweetheart. Bot someting tells me you're not here for ahdle talk. You look serious."

"Is it that obvious?" His smile turned into a grimace. Running his hand over his head, he elaborated, "It's the whole story with Ren that's bothering me. I spoke to him yesterday, before our first test. It didn't go as well as I had hoped, but he didn't seem like he would just run away. Lieutenant Madeleine didn't tell us much, except that Xerneas set chase and you came back to inform the other Legendaries. Absol doesn't seem to know much either - Fleur and I ran into him earlier."

The Jynx leaned back in her chair, concern evident on her face. "You haven't technically asked me a question yet, except dat yes, it is dat obvious."

Gabriel sighed. "Is Ren coming back? The lieutenant said that he'll have to redo today's test and that if he fails, the operation is cancelled. But if he doesn't come back at all, that will definitely happen."

"Whah do you tink he ran aweh?"

"I don't know. The same reason he did the previous time, I guess? The only ones who have run away for reasons that make sense to me is Riley and, well, me. We both wanted to get our Guardians back. With Ren... I don't know, he just leaves."

"Ah tink you have someting you want to add."

Situations like those illustrated how deserving Cassandra was of the rank of Commander - she sure was perceptive. He hesitated. "Frost suddenly turned against us too, and for no apparent reason. The one moment he was guarding Thunderus, the next he had released him and attacked Moltres, his Guardian, with the help of two New Order Agents. Has Ren gone down the same path?"

Cassandra looked thoughtful. "Ah don't know enough about your former Victahni comrade to comment on his motives, bot Ah've spoken wit Absol about Ren; de Blehziken is troubled, not treacherous."

"So did he just have a breakdown and leave to escape from all the stress?"

"We don't tink he left of his own accord."

Gabriel frowned. "What, so was he mentally manipulated? But how? Nobody knew we were in the desert. Unless..."

"Dere's no need for dat kahnd of tinkin'. If we have a mole, and Ah don't mean a Drilborr or Diglett, dey haven't leaked any important information yet. At least, not dat de enemy has acted upon. No, Ah meant someting else. Did he do anytin' strehnge before he left?"

He thought back on what he had seen before he had been dropped off. "No, nothing in particular. Although, Lieutenant Madeleine had mentioned Ren's using Iron Defence. No Blaziken has ever used that, and even though Ren is a human, he shouldn't logically be able to learn it."

The Commander nodded. "Dere you go. It wasn't Iron Defence - it was de Inferno Plehte."

Gabriel gawked at her. "I thought Moltres had that!"

Cassandra shook her head grimly. "Ren is literally de only non-Legendary who has a Plehte. Lugia has de Torrent Plehte, Celebi has de Verdant Plehte, Xerneas has de Mana Plehte, and Landorus has de Terrestrial Plehte. I tink de Resistance's leaders are regretting deir choice."

The Riolu leaned back in his chair, completely dumb-founded. "That must be why the Resistance wants him back so... badly." He trailed off, a new thought leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. "Is that the only reason they went after him? Because he has an Arcean Plate?" He remembered how reluctant Lugia had been to send somebody after Riley when he had ran away. If Riley had been in possession of the Fighting or Steel type Plates, circumstances would probably have been different.

"If it was op to me, none of you would ever have been brought here. But since you're here anyweh, Ah'd have let you ondergo vigourous trehnin' before sendin' you all off on missions, not after. Like dey did in de old days, back at Vallus."

"If they used to do that, why aren't they doing it now? Surely the result would be better than the current one."

"De Legendaries were unahted against a common enemy. Now, dey are scattered and divided. Dey do not see de harm dey are causin' by actin' so rashly. In fact, de only reason you four - tree, witout Ren - are doin' de Resistance Battle Preparehtion Test at all is because Ah insisted and Xerneas had de sense to agree. In de end, you will have a distinct advantage over de oders, which isn't ahdeal, as you should all be equally powerful."

Gabriel scoffed. "With respect, Commander, we shan't be equally powerful even after the training. Ren is fully evolved and by far the best candidate for taking on the Glacial Museum as far as physical aspects and type advantages are concerned. How are we supposed to compete with that?"

Cassandra wrung her hands. "Dat's de problem. You jost stehted both truts dat count against de mission's execution: you admitted you don't tink you're ready, and Ren is now missin'."

"Wait, that's not what I meant. We didn't just endure two days of madness simply to give up because Ren's gone. We can continue without him, can't we?"

"How?"

"Xerneas said he was coming along anyway, so why can't he just enter the Mystery Dungeon with us? Absol could come along. I heard he's done it before with the other humons."

"Well, Ah don't tink-"

Realising their training truly was about to be wasted, he donned what he hoped was his best desperate expression. "Commander, please. I've already retrieved one Plate with Flurry and Riley without too much incident. Can't we be given an opportunity to show the Resistance what we can really do?"

Hesitation danced on the Jynx's face for a few seconds before resignation took the stage. "All right, all right. Damn, dose poppy ahs really are as effective as Pokémon seh."

Gabriel couldn't believe his luck. "Really?"

"Yes, really. Xerneas won't be pleased at all, but Ah guess we owe it to you and de oders to give you a chance."

The Riolu bounded off his chair and embraced Cassandra. So delighted was he by the new independece and trust, he momentarily forgot about the depressing matters they had discussed before. It even excited him enough to banish the insomnia-inducing anxiety. His mind filled with determined thoughts of proving he wasn't just a weak pup, he peacefully slipped into the realm of the sleeping.
But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
— Paul the Apostle

Winter is inevitable. Spring will return eventually, and AstralHunter with it.





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Shane | Black Skies (Part Three) | Day A9, 1:21 PM


"It's been a while since I was last here," Shane commented. The smell of fir and spruce hung strongly in the crisp air.

"It's been a while since we've been anywhere," Blaise pointed out. "Sleeper agents tend not to change scenery too often."

Shane stared dully at his companion. "Especially when they're scouts, am I right?"

"Oh, that. Neeever mind."

The Absol sniffed the air, trying to identify any smells besides those of the surrounding conifers. "Your little friend teleported us down-wind from the village; he knows his stuff. By the way, how did you find a Natu who's been to Frostpoint before?"

"I don't have your Super Luck, so I had to search bloody hard, that's how. The jungle is massive."

Shane shrugged and turned back in the direction of the village. "It couldn't have been too arduous if you managed to find one while maintaining your cover."

The Volcarona scoffed, setting off. "My tribe was wiped out during the recent war, so technically, my cover was blown. I found the little guy while searching for a new one. He was very eager to help and too naive to realise he could make a fortune out of extorting me."

The Dark wolf shook his head. "That was risky."

"I'd forgotten how patronising Absols could be," the Bug teased. "It was a calculated risk. That my plan worked out should rather be an indication of intelligence than recklessness."

"Well, you did save my fur," Shane conceded, "so I suppose I can let you have that one."

They walked on in silence for a bit before Blaise broke the silence. "I can't believe you're just ignoring our excellent teamwork, even after so many years."

"You mean the confrontation in the jungle?"

"No, I mean the staring contest we had with one of the trees. Duh! Obviously I mean the whole deal with Zizel!"

Shane regarded his companion curiously. "Are you surprised?"

"No; I just wish you'd acknowledge when something is awesome every once in a while Seeing the surprised look on the overseer's face was priceless."

"Very well: your ambush was awesome."

The moth did a loop the loop around a low-hanging branch. "You are too kind."

They walked on for a bit before the Absol suddenly stopped and looked at the trail behind him. "I can wipe my tracks with my tail, but you leave behind puddles of molten snow in your wake. You should stay behind."

"Whoa, talk about ruining the mood. Tsk. Even if your compliments are hollow, don't try so hard to make the recipient understand that." He sighed. "How do you plan on reaching Mitchell? You can't use telepathy."

"The Snow Fort is protected against Psychic attacks. You can't teleport in or communicate with anyone inside if you aren't specifically granted the ability. Your telepathy would therefore be of no use."

"Then how do you plan on getting inside?"

"By walking in through the front, of course."

The Volcarona narrowed his eyes, an action most would have missed owing to the lack of eyelids. "He's the most famous Absol in the world. They'll immediately recognise it's not him."

Shane remained expressionless but patient. "I've imitated him before. Very few know his name, if they even know for a fact he has one, and just as few know what he sounds like. If I act stoical and aloof, I ought to be fine. I can mimic his voice reasonably well anyway."

"Yeah, but you don't have the same aura. You also don't have the same unnerving quality that he has in Pressure, so that might arouse suspicion."

"That would be why I don't plan on staying long. He's always coming and going, and because he's so secretive, the common guards shouldn't know to and from where."

The firebug grunted in exasperation. "But you don't even look like him!"

"Assumptions, Blaise. We look quite similar."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Huh." He landed on a log. "Well, then, don't let me keep you. Go, leave your best friend behind with nothing but the cold snow and empty forest to keep him company."

Shane left the clearing without another word, leaving his companion indignant. "Rude!"

He looked back and said, "Don't start any fires," before departing again.

Blaise humphed. "Am I allowed to start any fights?"

"No," Shane called. "Just sit there and be bored until I return."
But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
— Paul the Apostle

Winter is inevitable. Spring will return eventually, and AstralHunter with it.





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Jewels | Sands Sans Salvation | Day A9, 7:35 PM


Flurry obviously hated the desert, but Jewels hadn't grown to love it any more than she had the the first time Raikou had taken her there. She still had to squint because of the severe glare, and the heat was still as draining as ever. At least the sun had begun its descent, releasing its intense hold on the sands.

"I'd kill for a pair of shades..."

"What are those?" Demetrius asked tiredly. Yeah, very few of the refugees tolerated the heat well.

"They're tinted lenses to be worn over the eyes. They block out bright light."

"I knew a Vivillon with Tinted Lens once."

"How long... until we reach it?" Flurry enquired. If the column hadn't been moving at a snail's pace already, she'd have been left behind hours ago.

"There isn't much farther left to go," Landorus replied. "It will become visible as soon as we cross that dune."

Jewels dragged her gaze up. "You mean the huge one right in front of us?"

"Yes."

The Gothorita cried dry Fake Tears. "Raikou, be a good Guardian and let me ride on you."

"I can't be seen showing favouritism," he replied, his lopsided grin not reaching up to his eyes.

"But I'm your ward!"

"And my energy has been depleted. I would barely be able to carry you. Even if I did, others would want a ride too. I'm not a Mudsdale, you know."

"But you're carrying Shaymin!"

"Hey, leave me out of this," the hedgehog replied. She lounged on Raikou's head with her eyes closed. "There are perks to being a Legendary."

Raikou chuckled, shaking and annoying Shaymin in the process. "You heard her."

"But-!"

"We're almost at the top of the dune. Pretend you know Rollout and have some fun."

Jewels stooped down to touch the sands. "It's not so hot anymore, but it's probably still warm enough to give me a first degree burn. I think I'll pass."

Once they finally reached the top - it really was a massive dune, good grief - she rejoiced. Flurry and Demetrius joined in, but Shaymin scolded them for interrupting her nap. Landorus turned back to the long line of refugees in the distance.

"Take heart, everyone! Respite is in sight!"

Cheers erupted from the refugees, though they quickly fell back into silence. Prolonged excitement required too much energy.

A shape in front of the collection of stalls and tents drew Jewels' attention. Evidently, the Umbreon beside her saw it too, for he said, "Err, there's a Zebstrika looking at us."

The others around them directed their attention to the zebra (except Shaymin, who continued to sit with eyes closed on her mount). Raikou shrugged. "It's not every day you get to see Legendaries. I suggest we go say hello."

They agreed and began the descent. When the other refugees started following them down, the Zebstrika ran back into the Trading Post.

"Hey, the Zebstrika ran back into the Trading Post," Demetrius noted. "Should we be worried?"

Landorus laughed. "Why should we be? It's not... like..." the earthen genie trailed off.

Pandemonium had broken out in the commercial centre, for Pokémon were running around madly, grabbing some of their possessions and fleeing. The genie's smile disappeared.

Jewels looked behind her. "Err, I think they think we're invading." The others turned back too. "I mean, that's already a large group, and it's only about a tenth of the total."

Turning back to the front, Flurry asked, "But why would they think the Resistance would attack the Trading Post? Isn't that something the New Order would do?"

"That might just be who they think we are," Landorus mused gravely. "We must hurry."

"One swift resolution coming right up!" Raikou exclaimed. He shot forward, causing Shaymin to perform a couple of surprised backflips before the genie caught her.

"He's going to make things worse, isn't he?" she asked, upside-down.

Jewels started half-jogging, half-slipping down the treacherous slope, with the others setting off just after her.

"Pretty much!"
But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
— Paul the Apostle

Winter is inevitable. Spring will return eventually, and AstralHunter with it.





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Shane | Black Skies (Part Four) | Day A9, 2:05 AM


Being a member of a rare species was unfortunate when trying to go unnoticed in an urban environment, but as Shane entered the outskirts of Frostpoint Village, he mused that he was probably in the only settlement on all the continents where the contrary was true. For him, at least.

Nobody dared stand in his way and preferred to avoid him without making their intentions obvious. It suited him, and probably the individual he was imitating, just fine. He reached the Snow Fort without complication and waited for the guards to grant him entrance. Most would have been nervous in his position, but he had full confidence in his plan - he had to, for the one they called "Absol" would never show any signs of being nervous about anything.

"Afternoon, captain!" the Gallade to his left called, saluting.

The Mienshao on the right did the same, though he asked, "Back so soon?"

Shane didn't even bother looking at the Pokémon. In fact, he needed only to express a fraction more boredom than he felt for the Gallade to take care of the question for him.

"You idiot," he whispered to his partner, "we don't have the clearance to ask questions like that!" Turning back to Shane, he apologised and knocked on the door, signalling the guards inside to open it.

The Absol used Future Sight as he stepped through, knowing his glowing third eye wouldn't attract any attention. Any such worries would be unfounded, for nobody was supposed to pay attention to his actions. Intuition guided him to the right, so he ensured his path was clear before allowing the vision to take hold of him.

Mitchell, where are we? He glanced at the icy Ninetales on the tabletop. She met his gaze only for a moment before looking down, disinterested.

The Meowstic hid his confusion well. What do you mean? We're on the second floor, where all research is conducted.


Shane banished the vision and climbed the stairs as if hadn't just predicted a reunion with an old friend. As he traversed the frozen corridors, he continued to allow his sixth sense to guide him on his way. He subtly checked the rooms as he passed them, immediately stopping outside the one that contained the Fairy canine.

He allowed himself a moment of silent joy before crossing the threshold and halting a few steps inside. The Ninetales looked up at him, causing the cat who was examining her to look up as well. He immediately saluted.

"Captain! It is an honour to receive a visit from you."

Shane looked to his right, where a Delibird was carefully writing a report. Noticing he was being watched, he looked up too and dropped his quill. He quickly picked it up and saluted. Sweat broke out on the bird's brow.

"Proceed," Shane replied, turning back to the Psychic and ignoring the Delibird. "Speak with me."

Yes, Captain Absol? the Constraint Pokémon responded uneasily.

That Ninetales couldn't penetrate your mind in her wildest dreams, while I am immune to mental probes. We may speak freely. Seeing the beginnings of a smile develop on his friend's face, he added, But try not to look too pleased to see me.

Sorry. But just so we're clear, I am pleased to see you.

As am I, but I stole a smile just before I entered. Shane paused, creating the start of the moment he had seen previously. Mitchell, where are we? He glanced at the icy Ninetales on the tabletop. She met his gaze only for a moment before looking down, disinterested.

The Meowstic hid his confusion well. What do you mean? We're on the second floor, where all research is conducted.

Thank you. I had foreseen this exchange, so I had to ensure it went full circle. On to more pressing matters: the protocol has been activated.

Mitchell crossed his arms. I figured as much. Why?

We're still two members short. I'll explain once the band's back together.

And cue the arms dropping back to their sides. Fair enough. Where and when do I meet you?

A clearing in the forest to the southwest and as soon as you can.

The cat nodded. In about an hour, then. Try to leave behind some Dark aura for me to track.

Shane turned and left without another word, leaving the other two occupants of the room slightly nonplussed. He exited the Snow Fort as easily as he had entered and melted away into the snow once he entered the forest. He returned to Blaise, rubbing against trees as he did.

"All went well, I presume?"

"Three down, two to go."

The Volcarona fluttered. "Actually, Hannah already knows. She was first to be activated."

Shane sat down, looking almost like a disappointed pup. "Oh. Then four down, one to go."
But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
— Paul the Apostle

Winter is inevitable. Spring will return eventually, and AstralHunter with it.





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Jewels | A Trading Post Called Trading Post | Day A9, 7:41 PM


Jewels disliked a great many things about the desert, as she had undoubtedly ensured her travelling companions knew, but more specific to that particular moment in time, she disliked running on sand. The ineffectiveness of the act wasn't what got to her, though, but rather the ridiculous light in which it placed her. Awkward running poses definitely did not go well with her glamorous bows.

Ahead of them, Raikou waited with twitching tail. "I don't see why Hoopa likes scaring Pokémon so much," he said, his focus on the masses fleeing from the sight of him. "It's no fun talking to retreating backs."

"That's because they only see a fearsome tiger," Jewels teased, "whereas I only see an adorable kitten."

"Flattery doesn't work with me, missy."

She punched his shoulder. "That's because your ego couldn't possibly get any larger."

"Want some ice with that burn?" Shaymin remarked as Landorus stopped beside the pair. "Flurry'll be more than happy to provide some."

"This ice hat won't be more than happy to do anything but hide in one of those lovely tents," Flurry said, waddling to a stop. Demetrius skidded to a halt behind the Snorunt, accidentally knocking her over.

Jewels giggled and stepped forward to help, but movement to her left caught her eye. Four Claydols floated into view, throwing up Reflective shields and Light Screens. A couple of seconds later, they were joined later by a Maractus, a Bisharp, a Sigilyph, and much to Jewels' dismay, a Garchomp.

"If you seek a confrontation, then take another step!" the Dragon roared, brandishing its scythes menacingly.

"We pose no threat," Landorus reassured the Garchomp. "We are of the Resistance, not the New Order."

"Hah! Regardless of your allegiance, the sea of Pokémon behind you contradict your supposedly peaceful intentions. Leave or fight!"

Landorus placed Shaymin on Raikou's head and floated closer, his arms raised and palms held upwards. "The Pokémon you see behind us are refugees rescued from a New Order slavery. Have you heard of Darius the Cacturne?"

The Garchomp spat on the ground. "Why do you think I'm here? It's against mons the likes of him that I guard this trading post."

"Then we have more in common than you think. It was from his operation that these refugees were saved."

"It's true, I was one of his prisoners!" Demetrius called, finally managing to flip Flurry back onto her feet. He smiled, but when the huge Dragon glared at him, he yelped and ducked behind the Snorunt.

Suspicious but less inclined to shred them all, the Garchomp asked, "How can we verify your claims?"

Landorus turned to Raikou, who nodded and sped off.

"Seriously?!" Shaymin exclaimed, once again sent flying. That time, Jewels caught her and placed her on the sand.

Raikou swiftly returned with a terrified Scrafty on his back. The poor thing rolled off the moment the Electric tiger skidded to a stop and retched. Jewels recoiled, snatching Shaymin out of the way. Both wrinkled their noses and looked away.

After the Scrafty made himself presentable, Raikou nudged him towards the mighty Dragon, who inspected the sinister shackle on the mon's wrist. The Scrafty audibly sighed and drooped when the Garchomp withdrew his head.

"Very well, I believe you."

"You do?" Jewels asked, despite herself.

"Yes. I have seen that type of restraint only once before, and it was indeed from a prisoner who had miraculously escaped Darius' camp." He nodded to the Sigilyph, who flew back in the direction whence it had come. Addressing Landorus again, the Dragon said, "You seek shelter and provisions, I presume?"

"That is correct," Landorus said. "But only for the night. We shall depart for the Greatwood Jungle at dawn."

"I see. Will you compensate us?"

The genie exchanged uncertain glances with Raikou. "We will, but if this truly is a trading post, then you must be willing to negotiate your terms."

"Bah. Fair enough." He swung his arm in a motion that almost amputated the Maractus' arm. "Follow me."

"Are you sure this is safe?" Flurry whispered to Jewels, who relayed the question to Raikou.

"Eh, I'm sure we'll be fine. What's the worst that could happen?"
But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
— Paul the Apostle

Winter is inevitable. Spring will return eventually, and AstralHunter with it.








The poetry of the earth is never dead.
— John Keats