Young Writers Society

Flurry | Travel Preparations | Day A2, 3:00 AM

There was no explanation for it, but Flurry had the easiest time waking up at unreasonable hours. She told herself before falling asleep that she'd sneak around that night, and lo and behold, her eyes fluttered open to a darkened room and a view of Shaymin snoring in the other bed.

Silently, she leapt to the ground and scurried to the window. Unlike the boys, she and Shaymin had a window large enough that she could fit through. It was one of the benefits of sharing a room, she supposed.

Snorting as Shaymin let out a particularly loud snore, Flurry fumbled at the window until it slid into the icey wall above it. As it slammed open, she flinched and glanced back at Shaymin.

Another snore.

Flurry grinned and pulled herself to the window sill. Trying to still her heart, she thought cold, frozen thoughts and took a few deep breaths. Then, she blew a stream of snowflakes at the wall beneath her.

They stuck, and Flurry focused her breath so that a triangular block stuck out of the fort's side. She jumped out and blew herself a path to Riley's window, then reached up with her knobby hands and pounded.

It was slight, but she saw movement under the covers on Riley's bed. Then, he groggily heaved himself up and glanced around.

Flurry waved, and he froze. (Pun intended.)

Riley raced to the window and opened it, wrinkling his snout as the cold blew over him.

"What are you doing?" he whispered.

"I'm helping you and Gabriel get away from your guards for a bit. Now come on, we still have to wake him up."

"How-" Riley cut himself off as he leaned out. He groaned in that I'm-so-stupid way that people use when they type the wrong numbers into a calculator. "Oh, right."

Oh yes, Flurry was very proud of her snow-making abilities, even if it left her feeling a little dehydrated. She puffed herself up and made a smug face as she led Riley along her ledge.

"So, what are we doing after we get Gabriel?" Riley asked.

"We're going to the library. I just found out that there is one here, which makes total sense, because the building is gigantic." Flurry paused to freeze more walking space. "And there's a basement too, but it's got a combination lock on the door."

They reached Gabriel's window, and Riley gave her a funny look.

"Does the combination lock part mean something important?"

Flurry shrugged. "It means I can't make a key to get in, but that's about it." Knocking on the window, she listened to Riley cough. He must have choked when she mentioned the bit about making keys.

"You broke into rooms?"

"You and Gabriel were stuck in training all day, and I'd already explored every unlocked room in this fort. I needed something to do."

He sighed, and whether it was from exasperation or something else, Flurry didn't know. She didn't even bother to dwell on the thought, because at that moment, Gabriel was calmly arranging the blankets on his bed so that they stood up like he was actually sleeping.

When had that guy even woken up?

Eventually Gabriel made his way to the window and slid it open. His mask was stretched up in curiosity.

"Should I be concerned?"

Flurry waved a hand as though climbing around the sides of snow forts was a totally normal thing. "Nah, we're just going to the library to do research. Care to joi-

When Gabriel suddenly heaved himself out the window, Flurry silenced herself. She tried to offer a smile, like "look, Gabriel! We're going to help you get Xerneas back! Isn't that great?" but he paid no mind.

Though she had it in her mind to point out her good deed, she reconsidered when Riley grinned instead.

"How do you plan to get us to the library?" Gabriel asked.

Flurry smirked. Sometimes, being an ice-type came in handy. She opened her mouth as wide as it would go and imagined gallons and gallons of snow flying at her command. Then she blew towards the ground, and a pile of soft, fluffy snow grew up beneath them.

"I was thinking of asking Fleur to come," Flurry said, considering the height of her pile. It was very high; they would probably be fine jumping onto it. "But I didn't want to put a grass type through all this cold. You don't mind, right, Gabriel?"

The answer was a short, clipped "no." Flurry shot Riley a look, wondering if the other riolu knew why Gabriel was so terse.

Riley shook his head; evidently, this quiet was new for him too.

Well, it was better than bickering. Flurry shrugged and jumped off the ledge, relishing the freezing air that swirled in eddies around her. With a whump, she landed in the pile. Two more thumps echoed hers, and she heard Riley trying to stifle a laugh.

She floundered through the pile, swimming towards solid ground while reorienting herself to the fort's layout. If she remember correctly, the library should be towards her left...

When the boys finally stood beside her, snow sticking to their arms and faces, she pointed to the left.

"That way. Let's go."

The walk was silent mostly, except at the beginning, when Riley and Gabriel threatened to get in an argument about the merits of jumping into snow piles. Thankfully, Gabriel did not press the matter.

The library windows were a cinch to squeeze through. As long as one had a key, it was possible for even a pokemon as small as a dedenne to reach and open them, and they were just wide enough for Flurry to fit through.

Obviously, she provided the key. She wondered what kind of excellent morals the locals must have had for the Resistance to use keys around a bunch of ice pokemon, but the thought was a fleeting one.

As the group entered the library, they took a moment to gape at the bookshelves that stretched up and down and around the room. A collage of spines in every color, many of them gilded, glowed in the dark. Ladders sat atop rails that swirled about and crisscrossed the aisles, and a grand staircase led to the tables on the second floor.

"I think they catalogue the books the same way humans do, because I had no trouble figuring out the system," Flurry explained, starting towards the biography section.

"I don't even remember how we organized books in the human world," said Riley.

Flurry laughed. "Neither do I, but I just get that feeling, you know?" She pointed at a shelf and looked back at Gabriel, who lagged behind. "There's stuff about geography in there, if you want to search it."

He seemed to jump at the chance to be alone again, or maybe he was just that excited to find a way to help Xerneas. As Gabriel stepped into the noted section, Flurry and Riley continued along the aisle.

"I found some books on famous poison-types earlier. I mean, these guardians can't be just anybody. Maybe there'll be clues there."

"You found them and didn't bother to read any?" Riley walked right next to her, his gait even.

"Well, no. I thought it would be more fun if everyone worked together." But as Flurry said that, she glanced backwards.

Riley did as well, clearly thinking the same she was. "But you had Gabriel look into something by himself."

They reached a shelf of books where the dominant color was purple. It came in all shades, from lavender to near-brown. Flurry paused before entering, and Riley stayed by her.

"Listen, Riley. I think that fight yesterday really affected him. I mean, obviously you took the brunt of the physical pain, but we both know something's different."

Flurry didn't think either of the boys had the courage for it, but Riley looked her straight in the eyes before speaking. "So we're giving him space? To sort it all out?"

"Right. Unless you think he would be better off with a good talking-to."

Simultaneously, they turned towards the geography shelves. Gabriel wasn't in view, but Flurry could imagine him flipping through the pages of a thick book, all by himself.

"I-I think I would rather be left alone if I was feeling upset," Riley said. "If he wants to talk, he'll come to us first."

A thought in the back of Flurry's head told her that wasn't true. Leaving a problem alone was like leaving a garden to the weeds; if it wasn't fixed early enough, you had to kill the whole plot and wait a year before planting anything new.

She pushed the thought away. "Let's do that, Riley," she said, walking into the aisle of purple books.

It didn't take long for Flurry to settle on the floor with a thick collection of biographies laid on the floor in front of her. She'd picked out something akin to an encyclopaedia, figuring it might be the best way to sort through a large number of pokemon all at once.

It wasn't. She found every short paragraph, every detail intriguing. There was just so much history, so many amazing, brilliant pokemon. A team of three poison pokemon had tried to thwart the early successes of a famous exploration team. One roserade had founded a potions college in the Marsh of Light. There was even a tale of a villanous tentacruel pirate who ravaged the seas for decades.

She wasn't shaken from her awe until Riley touched her shoulder and asked if she'd found anything of note.

Flurry blushed, though her face did not heat up (thank goodness). "Uh... not really. I mean, there weren't many locations mentioned except for this ruined mansion at the top of some huge waterfall and a college for making potions." She didn't want to admit that she'd been so absorbed in reading that she forgot what she was looking for.

"I think I saw something about the college," Riley said. He climbed up a ladder and plucked a thin, magenta book from the fifth shelf up. "Here. It's a brief biography of each professor there. Who built that mansion you mentioned?"

"Some nidoking... I forget his name, but the mansion was named Pa-Patchemwork? I have trouble with the pronunciation, even if the language itself makes sense. Weird, right? We can read a language we don't even remember." Flurry laughed and watched Riley push the ladder along the rails in the floor.

She opened up the book he'd given her and leafed through it. The roserade's portrait was in the very beginning, along with a list of incredible discoveries and advancements. Every other pokemon mentioned was also at least partly poison-type, though some had clearly achieved more than others.

At the end was a blank space with the name Algol written in. Unlike each prior entry, Algol was given no date of release, retirement, or death. He had no portrait, no biography, and only one achievement: Last headmaster of Mistress Gifter's College of Alchemy, a position he attained a very long time ago.

From the top of his ladder, Riley called out to her. "Patchemwork is in shambles now, even though it was built less than a hundred years ago. I don't think it's the dungeon, but we don't actually know that much to begin with, so I could be wrong."

"It's not the Patchemwork mansion."

Flurry and Riley whipped their heads around to place the voice. It was Gabriel, standing in the dim light that shone through the windows. How long had they been in the library?

"The mansion is under restoration efforts, despite the war. Apparently pokemon running from the battles in the Greatwood Jungle decided to fix it up and begin living there, like they had when it was first built." Gabriel gave the facts only. He did not offer anything else, and no tonal changes indicated what he found important or interesting.

It was strange, but Flurry and Riley had agreed not to press. "Okay," she said, "what else did you find?"

"There isn't an abundance of poison-types to begin with, so there are only three locations truly connected with poison pokemon."

A beat of silence passed, and Flurry felt unease pinch her stomach. She couldn't place why.

"They are the Patchemwork mansion, the Alchemist's College, and a region of Death's Forest."

"And where is the forest?" Riley asked.

Gabriel looked up, and Flurry caught the blankness in his expression. She wondered if it was something she'd said, or if her attempts to comfort Riley had resulted similarly and that Riley was just pretending for her.

"It's in the Land of the Dead, near the sea."

"That's not even close to the Marsh of Light... we probably can't visit both."

Everyone was silent until Flurry looked at the windows again and gasped.

"We have to get back to the rooms soon." She piled up her books and handed them to Riley. "Otherwise you two will be in even more trouble than you already are."

She and Gabriel waited a few seconds and Riley replaced the books, and then they raced through the halls of the shelves. Their feet were quiet on the soft, carpeted floor, and they slipped through the window into the red light of a new, rising sun.

When they reached the pile of snow beneath their rooms though, they were met by Shaymin's shrill, accusing voice.

"You three snuck out again!" she shouted. "Do you never learn?" A white snout poked out of Flurry's window, though Shaymin clearly knew better than to perch on the window sill, so that was all that could be seen.

"Well? How did it go? Did you find what you needed?"

Flurry shook her head. "No, but we narrowed it down a lot. Do you know anything about a college of alchemy or Death's Forest?"

She felt Riley panic behind her. Had she forgotten to tell the boys that Shaymin approved of their activities?

"You mean Mistress Gifter's? I used to deliver some of the hard-to-get items they used in their experiments. Too bad they had to shut the place down under Algor. Poor guy didn't really deserve that, and he was so eccentric that I bet he stayed there all by himself anyways. I wish I knew where they'd buried him, you know?"

Both Flurry and Riley gawked. Had the information really been so close?

"Granted, he probably isn't really dead yet, that Algor," Shaymin continued. "He really did love the college, and after all his days as an adventurer, I'll bet he turned the place into a mystery dungeon. Plus, he's a ghost-type. His life is... extended."

"Shaymin? Why didn't you tell us this earlier?" Flurry yelled.

The hedgehog frowned. "You didn't ask. Now, if you want to know about Death's Forest, then I'm afraid I can't help you except by saying it's a safe-haven for anyone with regrets. Anything else?"

A grin spread across Flurry's face, and when she looked at the boys, she saw Riley beaming, and a spark of determination in Gabriel's stony expression. They were all on the same page.

Riley put a hand to his mouth and shouted, his voice clear as the winter air. "Can we borrow the bag again?"

It was time to leave.

-The Epic of Aegeas, Part 2.4


The warriors had assembled elsewhere. Luno had been careful about his plans, and Aegeas assumed that this leader was not about to let his innocent, carefree subjects experience panic and fear on a particularly important day in the society of the land. Aegeas was at the helm of this small group of a half-dozen Clefable, behind him being Luno, Deano, and many of the other leaders that he had seen at the tree previously. Artemis had come with them as well, though, as the only Clefairy in the group, had been delegated to a position in the back, much to her consternation. She stood pouting behind the others, and Aegeas couldn't help but resist a small smile, though it faded quickly.

Ahead of the gathering was a large stone-inlayed cave, at the center of which lay a ladder that lowered into a pit that appeared to go far beneath the surface. They stood there wary, and a few of the leaders gazed back, half-expecting some of their citizens to have followed the mysterious gathering. However, Luno had been careful in disguising them with his psychic power, and so there was none others than they. Aegeas looked behind him, and Luno nodded. Aegeas nodded back, and, with this signal, the group trouped ahead, reaching the ladder at the center of the cave. Aegeas went down first, grabbing the cold metal edges of the ladder and sliding down, ignoring the pain on his hands caused by the intense friction of the action. He looked behind him, at the stone walls, knowing that, any moment, he could run into an enemy Pokémon, or at least find the dungeon itself.

He arrived at the bottom within seconds. Without a moment's hesitation, he wheeled around, and walked out of the stone ladder system as the other Clefable leaders levitated towards the bottom, though some had a hard time fitting, and Aegeas could hear complaints and squeezing noises. He did not care, but was awed as he stepped forth, and the cold stone at his feet receded to form warm earth, revealing the massive beauteous scene beyond.

A large, vibrant forest seemed to burst forth from the ground around him. Tall, ancient trees sprouted high, nearly touching the roof of the expansive cave. A dirt path led straight forward, winding past these numerous ancient oaks, and dozens of beautiful flowers illuminated the way. These flowers ran the gamut of color, like as though a rainbow had sprouted upon the land, and these were the remnants. He stood, looking up at the massive trees beyond, with an expression both of awe and suspense. The walls he could hardly see, and the moisture was a little more than he was used to, but it was evident that, even in this paradise, something had gone horribly wrong.

One of the ancient trees was bored clean through. The wood had been splintered in numerous places, these shards landing on the ground beneath, some touching the flowers and damaging them. There was a massive hole through the tree, and Aegeas was thankful for the fact that the tree did not show any signs of toppling. There were signs of devastation in the ditches that pockmarked the ground, some trampled flowers, grass, and fallen leaves of trees, and the statue ahead, which appeared damaged and injured. He marched forth, he finding enough evidence that the group in his expedition had reached the bottom to join him, and they continued at a steady pace.

"Wow," said Artemis, in surprise, "You always told me about this place, Dad, but I didn't know it was so....awesome." She spoke the last word with extra emphasis.

"It was, Artemis, it was..." replied Luno in a forlorn voice, as he touched the clawed bark of a tree.

"We have arrived," said Aegeas simply, stopping. The others followed suit. He did not wish to leave Luno in a worse mood than the Clefable already was. Aegeas respected the feelings of Artemis, but did not wish to see tears in such an important event, and from such a man who loved all life.

An ancient statue of Xerneas, the legend of life, loomed before them. It stood in its gloriousness, the ancient statue bearing two sets of four horns, the expression and movement details enough to depict this Pokémon as almost living, moving, ready to burst forth from its pillar and come alive again. However, like before, there were signs of damage - part of the set of right horns had been brutally marred by claws, and some pieces had fallen to the floor. They admired its brilliance with gaping eyes and mouths for but a short time, and then Luno marched forth, ahead of Aegeas, and grabbed the pieces of a damaged White Flute. Luno's expression was the grimmest Aegeas had ever seen it - there was not a trace of a smile showing on Luno anymore. Even when the Clefable had tested him, Aegeas could sense the smile growing behind Luno's face. Such was not the case here.

Luno turned around, and handed the flute to Aegeas, saying, with a voice that sometimes crackled, giving an indicator to his brooding thoughts,

"I am sorry. I used to be a genius with this flute, capable of playing it from a midsummer's night to the worst blizzards of winter. My voice has faded, and with it, my ability to play well. I bestow it upon you, Aegeas, to be able to play the song "Giver of Life." Do not look at me with such an expression...remember, I can read your mind. I know of the time that you, with Keldeo, came to a distant land where you saw the notes of the song from a merchant. You have spent a year playing such instruments, and you have memorized the song. Go now...play...I will give you my power to hold the flute in place."

Luno closed his eyes, and a purple glow emanated around the flute, holding its pieces together, and made sure that the crack that split the flute in two was sealed. Aegeas stopped, thinking quietly for a time, the memories of the song coming back to him. With them, they brought memories of Keldeo...Aegeas shook aside the thoughts quickly. He did not know Keldeo's whereabouts, and was nervous that perhaps Keldeo had gotten himself lost, or worse...Keldeo had always been a little eager, sometimes a little crazy, but he hoped beyond hope that Keldeo had not done something foolish.

The beautiful notes of the sweet melody played throughout the land, enticing those around him. Aegeas felt the sensations as he caused the long melody to unfold, the tune rising high above the cave depths, and illuminating the land around him. For quite some time, he felt invincible, capable of the most daring and heroic feats, even beyond his true powers. Those beside him quivered, then began to dance, laughing at themselves and their energy. At last, though sad, the song died away, the feelings faded, and the statue quaked and crumbled. Everyone stopped and stared, quietly, as the statue moved away, and another ladder was revealed beneath. Tears speckled the eyes of many of the observes, most saddened by the loss of such a precious song, and Aegeas quietly deposited the broken flute beside the ladder.

He, like before, was the first to come in. Unlike before, the dungeon was comprised of a series of compacted, squeezed in, stone-inlayed tunnels that extended for a far distance beyond. Aegeas stepped forth, and, though only two of the Clefable could stand side-to-side, he found they had reasonable space to move and go about their business. Aegeas stopped where the tunnel split in three, turned around, and spoke, in his firm and warrior-like tones,

"Find everyone you can, and get them out of here. I trust that you will be able to memorize the depths, paths, and troubles of the maze, knowing that you have been here for such a long time. Save everybody, save everyone...I'm going for the Plate."

And so they separated, and it was not long before Aegeas found himself alone. He was unaware of the passages of the cave, unaware of the surprises possibly lurking beyond, and had no conception of a map of the cave. He did not concern himself as he walked forth, and soon, he felt a psychic energy. A map formed within his mind, revealing the elaborate series of tunnels and passageways. A blue dot represented himself, and he formed a smile on his face. As always, Luno had come to the rescue. Several purple dots represent the Clefable, and many pink ones represented the Clefairy. It was obvious the extent of the chaos, for it seemed that dozens of these pink dots covered every square inch of this map of the mind. Aegeas forced himself to march ahead, despite the feelings of agony he felt at the thought of so many Clefairy suffering, and he continued through the cramped maze...

======
To Be Continued Soon...

Day A2, 5:35 PM

“Love Gengar. Hate Gengar. Hello Gengar.”
“DARN IT!”
Twinkiel could only watch as Plasmya – for it was obviously her –, the Breloom and Frost escaped in the night.
Frost.
Of all the people to betray Twinkiel, it had to be a companion the Flaaffy had the pleasure to work with. God, or rather Arceus, really has a great sense of humour.
Twinkiel glanced at Cresselia and Zulu: they were too tired to pursue them. It was up to him.
“Channel Celebi!” he thought. "Channel Celebi!" He repeated the phrase several times and, finally, a familiar presence popped into his mind.
“Yo, Twink! Need any help?”
“Of course I need help! Big news: Frost betrayed us. Please, stay calm and contact Fleedjio, I need him to pursue them.”
After what seemed like a long time, Celebi answered, her mental voice overcome by bitter sorrow.
“Done. He's coming. But y'know, I think it'll be too late. And you can't chase him down on your own. Jiojio will be here for you, 'Kay? Don't do anything too reckless.”
“But-”
“Twinkiel! You're the guy who makes plans around here! You're the last person we need to become a hostage, or worse! Just follow Cresselia's instruction and stay where you are!”
“Ugh, fine. I needed to ask him a few questions anyway. How's your chase goin'?”
“We found some trails, but we're not sure yet. I'll call you back when we'll find Ren.”
The Time Traveler cut the communication and Twinkiel opened his eyes.
“Twinkiel, follow us. Lugia's party will come to deal with Tornadus. Zulu, come with me.”
The Flaaffy turned his head towards Cresselia as the Noibat jumped on her back, exhausted. Sadness filled the Legendary's eye.
“No, I'm staying. I contacted Celebi and Fleedjio's coming for me. Don't worry, I'll be fine on my own.”
“Are you sure? We might be absent for a long time.”
The Flaaffy smiled.
“I'll be fine, I tell you. Destroy your sorrow in battle. I shall obliterate mine in training.”
Cresselia nodded and flew off, leaving him on his own.
“And I don't want anyone near me when I begin butchering those trees,” he angrily muttered, retrieving the shoulder bag he had abandonned on the ground.

******

""I prefer walking with Twinkiel!" said Frost, smiling."
Twinkiel used Thunderbolt!
With a furious scream, the Flaaffy unleashed a lateral EnelSpada on the tree in front of him. The sword-shaped move added a deep wound on the trunk, and the tree finally collapsed with a loud crash.
“Five PPs to wound it, and a last EnelSpada to bring it down,” the Flaaffy thought, panting. “Waaaaaay too costy.”
Twinkiel removed the Power Lens off his face and gazed at his two Power Anklets fixed upon his legs. He had found these power-enhancing items in the shoulder bag Celebi had retrieved for him, and he was sure the Time Traveler had looked into his mind to choose what items he needed. The Power Lens incresed his Special Attack, and the Power Anklet improved his speed. All he needed was training with these to get better.
“Should probably share these with Zulu at some point. He's gonna love them.”
“Your fighting style is really... Wild.”
Twinkiel turned around and found himself staring in the eyes of a Salamence.
“Fleedjio!”
The latter smiled.
“You remind me of me when I was your age. You seem... frustrated.”
“I kind of am. Celebi must've told you, but Frost betrayed us and harmed us both mentally and physically, and I really, really want to electrocute him for that.”
A gloomy grin appeared on the Flaaffy's face.
“...Slowly.”
“Don't!”
Ariala let herself fall from the dragon's back. She ran towards him, anxious.
“Don't. Please. Vengeance will bring nothing but more pain. He must have a reason to do what he did! And besides, you two were good friends!”
Twinkiel glared at her, making the Clefable uneasy.
“It's just as you said,” he replied, impassive. “We were. Friends don't throw fire balls at you when you approach them, but if that's the way he wants things to be, then I'll oblige with pleasure. I need to get stronger anyway, and that's exactly why Fleedjio can help me.”
Twinkiel pointed his stubby arm at the dragon, a cold determination in his eye.
“Become my Move Tutor. Teach me Dragon Pulse. I know for a fact that my species can learn it, but I'm not gonna wait until I become an Ampharos. According to my... information, Pulsing energy is an alternative way to use Aura, and I need to master it.”
Fleedjio shook his head.
“If you want to master Pulse power or Aura, you need to wait until you evolve, because you cannot learn Dragon Pulse for now.”
“...Oh. Bummer.”
“However,” continued the dragon, “both Aura and Pulse are energies that come from within you. They're your life force. In other words, if you cannot master your own electricity first, don't even hope to master either of those energies.”
“Master my own energy? You mean my electricity?”
“Precisely. Try toying with the shapes of your electric powers. By mastering them, you'll eventually evolve. And when you're ready, you'll learn Dragon Pulse. Ampharos can learn this move naturally.”
Twinkiel nodded in agreement. A plan. A course of action to follow. That's all he needed.
“Well then!” he exclaimed, putting on his Power Lens. “Back to training it is! You're supposed to be my guardian for now, so just sit back while I improve my shining skills! It's Twinkle time!”

******

Day A3, 1:40 AM

“Haah... Haah... C'mon... One more time...”
“Music's got me feeling so free! One More Time!”
With the music invading his mind, Twinkiel once again let the electricity flow through his body. He let out a fatigued cackle. Time to test the evolved moves he had practiced again.
Twinkiel used Electric Terrain!
A big spark of electricity pulsing in his fist, the Flaaffy brutally punched the ground. The energy gathered immediately spread across the land. Twinkiel felt a surge of energy, and a satisfying smile grew on his face. Now for the other one.
“Focus... The beam must be even more focused than usual!”
Twinkiel used Charge Beam!
With Electric Terrain's power boost, the precise yet powerful beam the Flaaffy had released against a small tree literally obliterated everything from the trunk to the highest branches.
Twinkiel's Special attack raised by one!
A mad laugher struck his entire being as One More Time continued to resound in his mind. This was perfect. Like he did with Discharge, Twinkiel had learned to spread his Thunderwave in a specific area in order to boost his own electricity rather than incapacitate others, thus learning Electric Terrain. Like he did with Thunderbolt, Twinkiel had managed to create a precise beam focusing in one direction, but it was powerful enough to destroy everything that it hit, but it had less Power Points than Thunderbolt. But as a secondary effect, the Charge Beam allowed Twinkiel to grow stronger each time a target had been hit. It was an endless cycle of electric destruction, and if the foe tried to mess with the Flaaffy himself, he could strenghten his defense to its maximum with Cotton Guard. Finally, Power Gem provided him with the variety he needed, and it also allowed him to shoot several projectiles in a row and remain conservative with Charge Beam's PPs. To the Flaaffy's eye, it was an almost flawless moveset.
“Speed is the only thing I don't have. But the Power Anklets still help me become more quick-footed, so I should be fine even in that department.”
The Flaaffy ate a Sitrus Berry and removed all of his Power items. He instantly felt lighter.
“Should probably get some sleep now.”
He put the items away in his shoulder bag. Looking up, he saw Ariala sitting in a platform-sized branch of a very tall tree. Smiling, the Flaaffy nimbly climbed the tree's trunk, pulling himself up with several lianas. As silently as he could, he sat next to the Clefable, gazing at the shining moon with her.
“It's almost time,” she whispered with melancholy.
Twinkiel remembered what his Inner Echo had said about her.
“Ariala?” he asked softly. “What was the curse Hoopa gave to you?”
The Clefable looked at him, now smiling gently.
“I don't know. The only thing I'm sure of is that a demoness lives within me. She especially likes to come out by moonlight, but... she makes a lot of exceptions. I never met here, you know. I don't know what she does when I'm not around. I already caused some trouble to you all, haven't I? I woke up near Fleedjio's position with no idea how I even got there.”
The Flaaffy nodded slowly.
“Yes you did. But I think I'm the only one who knows that you and your demoness, as you call her, are in the same body.”
Ariala had stopped listening. A sudden headache seemed to have taken her. She gazed at Twinkiel, slightly panicked.
“I... I'm used to it,” she whispered as her skin began to darken. “Hey, promise me something... When I wake up again... Tell me how she's like, okay? Tell me her name. I... I want to...”
But it was too late. The Clefable's wings had become spikes, her skin had entirely darkened into a deep purple color, her eyes had turned bright red, and a huge, devilish grin had appeared on her face.
Plasmya yawned, a hand in front of her oversized mouth.
“Hello, Gengar.”
The Gengar turned towards Twinkiel. Her grin became slightly nicer.
She was a traitor. A fiendish, sadistic being who enjoyed watching others suffer. She had no moral whatsoever, and so far, she's done everything she did for the sake of having fun.
And yet, Twinkiel wanted to smile back.
“Sadistic, devilish glee, evil. That's what I've always admired. That's what I cherish. That's what I need.”
“Shut up! I'm a dramatic jester, not an evil mastermind!”
“And I enjoy acting as an evil mastermind.”
“Oh, hello there!” Plasmya gently waved, oblivious to the Flaaffy's inner conflict. “Fancy meeting you again. Looks like you survived since our last meeting at Kyurem's place, huh? And wait, did you just called me by my species' name? That's kinda lame. It's Plasmi for the intimates.”
“Actually, the last time we met was when you, a Breloom and Frost attacked us. And yes, I did cal you by your species' name. You remind me a lot of another Gengar. The only representant of your species that I utterly hate from the bottom of my soul.”
“Wait, so that means you like all the others? Awww, that's cute! And also quite rare. I think you're the only one I know that likes Gengars! Wanna hug?”
“YES YES YES YES YES!”
“No hug for you! NO HUG FOR YOU!”
“I don't like them all, no,” answered the Flaaffy, struggling to control himself. “And no thanks. In fact I'm not exactly sure why I'm not attacking you right now.”
“BECAUSE I LOVE HER. I WANT TO SCARE PEOPLE WITH HER BY MY SIDE.”
Plasmya glided closer to Twinkiel. The latter didn't know if what he felt was joy or discomfort. A sent of chemical gas mixed with cold air tickled his nose. It emanated from her. Twinkiel wanted to close his eyes and let the smell get to him. He had always enjoyed the scent of chemical products.
“Personally, I'm not attacking you because I'm in a super good mood,” she whispered happily. “And maybe I'm still under Ariala's influence. She kinda likes you. But then again she prefers Frost. I think I prefer you, though.”
“And why is that?”
Plasmya's bright white teeth appeared again as her beautifully sadistic grin grew larger.
“Because you're nuts, that's why!” she laughed. “You provoke a Legendary and survive the fight, you provoke a second one and kick his butt, you mingle yourself with random people to participate in and win a war, and finally you join the Resistance in a meaningless struggle against the Almighty himself. See what I mean? You. Are. Crazy. And I love crazy people! You sure you don't wanna hug? Your wool look soooooooo soft...”
Twinkiel let the Gengar wrap her finger around his wool and toy with it. He stared at her, a stoic expression on the face. Her finger was close to his neck. He could zap her in an instant.
“You were sent to corrupt me too, weren't you?” he asked, slowly preparing his assault. “That's the only reason why you're buying time here. So you can make your move.”
The Gengar pouted.
“That's mean! Crazy people are cute! You're cute! I mean all that!”
Twinkiel couldn't help his cheeks from turning bright red, nor could he stop the speeding pace of his heartbeat.
“Love Gengar. Hate Gengar.”
“I-I don't care! And you d-d-didn-... Forgot to answer!”
“I'm... I'm stuttering? Why am I stuttering?!”
Plasmya's grin reappeared, this time expressing pure amusement.
“I can't believe it. The great Twinkiel Thunderfleece is stuttering in front of a girl. It's so cute! You really do need a hug, don't you big guy? Oh and to answer your question, I made my move about twenty seconds ago.”
Twinkiel's eyes widened. Suddenly, he heard a peculiar noise: Fleedjio was snoring on the ground. A Gengar was standing next to him. It looked up and smiled at Twinkiel.
It was Plasmya. Which meant that the Plasmya in front of her was a mere clone that the Gengar created while he was distracted.
"...Clever girl..."
“Note to self: when a villain is making a distractive speech, SHOOT HIM.”
Twinkiel hastily rose up, now sharply focused. Fleedjio was still on the ground, and so was Plasmya...
“I think you'll have to jump to reach the real me. Good luck, dear!” With a wink, the clone disappeared and Twinkiel focused his gaze on Plasmya. Yes, the Salamence was near enough. It could work.
“So you want me to come down there, huh? Well here I come, ghostly freak!”
With that, Twinkiel jumped down at his foe's encounter and landed firmly on his knees.
“So!” said Plasmya, her gleeful tone stil present in her voice. “I guess it's just you and me now. What a fun date this has been, huh?”
Twinkiel furiously blushed again, but this time, another image came into his mind: Spadassya, her Leaf Blade activated, graciously destroying the entrance gate to the Mystery Dungeon, a sly smile upon her face.
The Flaaffy smiled happily.
“Sorry”, he replied aggressively, his Inner Echo helping him in the process, “but I'm not really into zombie prostitutes. I'd rather date a Duskull than a disgusting pack of cold gas such as yourself!”
“Why are you blushing, then?” shouted Plasmya, deeply angered by the Flaaffy's words.
“Because it sickens me to be complimented by a moaning ghost! Don't you have a grave to finish your date into?”
There were two major scary things about Gengar, or so Twinkiel had learned.
The first one, very common, was a grinning Gengar. It was usually a proof that it was ready to commit atrocities and enjoy every single one of them.
The second one, very rare, was an angry Gengar. His eternal smile would disappear, only leaving a serious expression coupled with soul-staring, emotionless red eyes. The eyes of a murderer only wishing to commit his crime.
And from what the Flaaffy could see, Plasmya had fallen in the second category of Gengar. Twinkiel needed to act, and fast.
Twinkiel used Electric Terrain! The sleeping Fleedjio woke up!
As the Flaaffy had expected, Plasmya had simply levitated out of the way to avoid being affected by the Terrain. But both her and Twinkiel knew that the Flaaffy was an excellent distance damage-dealer.
“A rapid physical move will come next,” predicted Twinkiel.
Twinkiel used Cotton Guard!
Plasmya used Sucker Punch! But it failed!
The Gengar dived to attack Twinkiel with her move, but the latter's brand new agility allowed him to easily dodge the attack. He turned back and pointed his arm at his adversary, smiling.
“Smell ya later!”
Twinkiel used Charge Beam! It's a Critical Hit!
Enpowered by the Electric Terrain and Twikniel's training with the Power Lens, the beam hit Plasmya directly in the back, and she flew towards Fleedjio, who was already awake.
Fleedjio used Dragon Pulse!
A green, spherical energy ball came out of the Salamence's opene mouth. Another direct hit struck the Gengar and she flew back to Twinkiel, powerless. The latter brutally smashed his foot on Plasmya's belly.
“Pokémon Metagame for the win!” he concluded, grinning down on the defeated Gengar. Plasmya was heavily breathing, unable to move. She stared at Twinkiel, and the latter retrieved a serious expression. Something was wrong.
“You... You didn't mean it, right?” she whispered.
The Flaaffy said nothing.
“You didn't meant it, right?” she repeated. “I'm not... I'm not just a pack of cold gas, right? I... I'm still alive, you know. I... I don't wanna go back to my grave...”
She was on the verge of tears.
Twinkiel sighed. The last thing he needed was to witness one of his favorite sadistic model burst into tears. Looks like he needed his Inner Echo's help again.
“Song. Cheer up. Dark. Catchy.”
“Zombie Prostitute: Aurelio Voltaire.”
Twinkiel nodde absently. One of his favorite artists, if he remembered correctly.

“~I was alone, and I, needed a date, I was, takin' a walk, past the cemetery gate, when I, I saw a sign, that said 'For a good time...~”
The Flaaffy looked at Plasmya as his song continued.
“~...Take a left down at Tombstone number 8.' Went through the gateway, and I'm pretty sure I, saw some eyes, peepin' out of a sepulcher I, took a step into the tomb of Ill Repute... That's where I met her, the Zombie Prostitue.”
Twinkiel smiled.
“I remember this song ending pretty happily,” he said gently. “Tell you what: go get some rest, and next time, I'll sing you the rest. And by the way, no. You're not just a pack of cold gas.”
The Flaaffy removed his foot from Plasmya's belly, still smiling.
“You're a Gengar, Plasmi. And I love your kind, no matter what.”
Twinkiel used Charge Beam!
Twinkiel could've sworn he saw a tender smile forming upon the Gengar's face before she collapsed for good. But now that she had turned back into a Clefable, he'd never be entirely sure.
“Well that was an eventful night!” exclaimed Twinkiel, turning towards a sleepy Fleedjio. “Just let her sleep near you, okay? I'll explain what happened tomorrow. I really need to get myself some hours of sleep now."
The Salamence simply nodded and placed himself around Ariala. Twinkiel climbed back in the tree and was slowly taken by a light slumber. In his dream, Light and Darkness were united and, together, they spread honest despair and cruel hope across a city. The Flaaffy smiled tenderly in his sleep.

******

He was still dreaming peacefully when he felt something smash into his tree. Twinkiel managed to keep his balance and rose up...
...Only to find himself staring in the eyes of a wicked looking creature with several rings across its tiny body, and a grin rivaling of malice with that of a Gengar.

“N°720: Hoopa. No Evolution. Alternate Form(s): Hoopa Unbound. In its true form, it possesses a huge amount of power. Legends of its avarice tell how it once carried off an entire castle to gain the treasure hidden within.”

“Pumpking the Hoopa. Pokemon Showdown. Competitive play. Sweeper of entire teams.”
“So you're the one who took down my spy,” began Hoopa, seemingly satisfied. “It's a good thing she sent me the signal, or else I could've never warped so easily around here. Oh well! Change of plans for me. Don't bother calling for help though, 'cause your dragon friend is not wakin' up any-”
Twinkiel used Charge Beam!
It was almost point-blank range and perfectly aimed, and yet Hoopa had the unearthly reflex to – barely – dodge the move.
“Hey, you could at least let me-”
As quickly as he could, Twinkiel launched his tail forward, surprizing the little Legendary. He wrapped it around his opponent's tiny body and flung it into his arms. Without looking down below, the Flaaffy quickly sat against the trunk of the tree and calmly put his electricity-filled Tailamp on top of Hoopa's head.
“So, here's the thing, Pumpking,” he began calmly. “You have quite the Special Defense necessary to resist to my moves, but no Physical Defense to back that up. You can't really get out of your current situation without those missing muscles of yours, and I can spam powerful electric attacks from point blank range. DO. NOT. Attempt to use your rings, as it'll result into me aiming at them and, well, preventing you from using them and damaging you in the process. So yeah. That's that.”
The Flaaffy had never seen such amount of utter confusion in someone's face before. It was almost funny.
“Why... Why did you hug me?”
Twinkiel blinked. Now that was a really good question. Why did he tightly embraced the deadliest, most blood-thirsty and demonic general of the New Order, feared by both the Resistance and the New Order because of his unpredictable strength just as much as his wicked wits?
Twinkiel shrugged.
“I really needed a hug,” he simply answered.

-The Epic of Aegeas, Part 2.5

It was not long before Aegeas, following the path indicated in the map that Luno had formulated, found strange, almost malicious effects. At first, he felt quite light. Jumping into the air to see if he could increase the distance and speed of his walking, he had accidentally gone too far, and had smacked his head against the roof of the cavern. He rubbed the sore wound for quite some time, and did not ever attempt to jump again. He merely closed his eyes and wound his way through the maze. It was incredible, the depth and complexity of the maze, and he found himself quite amazed by the sheer ability of anyone to make it to begin with. He could see the dots of Luno, Deano, and the others, and, although Luno made no attempt to communicate, Aegeas could see the efforts of his friends to save the various Clefairy, all of which he assumed, hopefully, were only wounded.

It was then that he walked into another passageway, and felt as though a leaden weight had been pressed upon his forehead. His walking transitioned from a quiet creep to a low, long series of strides that made, to his annoyance, a lot of noise. He bowed down to the overbearing weight, and almost made an attempt to jump, though he stopped himself from doing so. He was half afraid the gravity of the place, which he identified as the problem, would turn light and he would injure himself again. Thus, he carried on for a period of time that seemed to transition several hours, though it felt an eternity to him, until he finally arrived at a long passageway that extended to the center of the ancient maze. It rose high above, almost as high as the cave that had marked the entrance to the Dungeon, and was wide enough to where Aegeas knew that his companions would've hardly have had to make room for one another. He had experienced numerous gravity shifts and was growing to hate the place immensely, he still rubbing the sore on his head. Before he gave the effort to jumping outwards, and beginning a possible battle with the evil that lurked within, an uncomfortable thought rose within him.

"Why had Luno lead me through a path that never once met with an injured Pokémon?"

The though chilled him to the bone, his teeth chattering, and warmed a rage inside of his heart that forced him to leap outwards and dash down the passageway, he holding back an effort to scream in wrath. He moved into an aerodynamic pose, and speed down with an expression of hatred on his face. He traveled for only a short time, traveling at much faster speeds than he had previously, when he heard an ancient, primal voice that forced him to stop dead in his tracks. Aegeas's teeth chattered. A freezing cold enveloped his body, and he swerved to the left, hiding behind a pillar. He stood, his back towards the pillar, arms crossing his body, though he made no physical expression. His body was as hard as a rock, though his mind was not so. He closed his eyes, and exhaled slightly. He thought in the deepest corners of his mind, a name being born that brought, like so many other things, painful memories. He had hoped, beyond all hope, that this Legendary was not here. He had hoped, beyond all hope, it was a minor Legendary, or perhaps a member of the NO who had already came and gone. But it, while it was a member of the NO, was his worst nightmare. It was not Hoopa - Hoopa he could handle, though he hated the legend with a burning passion. This was different, and it became clear why so much damage, and hurt, had been done to this dungeon.

"I can see you, old fool. Did you think that I was not near your travels?"

Aegeas bolted, dashing to the other pillar that marked the entrance of the ancient passageway to the elaborate center of the Mystery Dungeon. As he did so, he caught a glimpse of the NO Legendary that stood at the center of the pillar-surrounded stone field. The land was covered in grass, much of it trampled under the weight of something large that had evidently come before him. In the middle of the field, standing and roaring in the direction of the massive passageway Aegeas had come from, was the legendary....

Dialga.


"I see you there, Aegeas!" Dialga boomed, "Did you not think immortality would leave you swiftly?"

Aegeas, despite the freezing feeling in his bones, shifted to another pillar. He hid behind there, crossing his arms over himself, making sure that he hid as much of his frame from Dialga. If Dialga had but a glimpse, Aegeas knew, it could bring a spell of time upon Aegeas that would doom him to death. Aegeas did not wish this happen. However, as he stared at the ancient rock face, Aegeas refused to allow himself to leave the area and escape with the knowledge that the NO had the Pixie Plate. He wished it for himself, no matter how much the sandstone passageway looked enticing. If he could get the Pixie Plate, he could save the Clefairy and their land, and repay the favor Artemis had given to him.

"I always knew that you had allied yourself with those...humans. Once one, always one. Even after Palkia perished, you thought it well worth the costs to choose the side that you thought did not mean glory. You are wrong!"

Aegeas bolted to another pillar. As he did, however, the sudden realization of what Dialga had said crossed his mind.

"Palkia...dead?" though Aegeas. He was at first surprised, but his realization quickly grew into horror. "If Palkia is dead, and....those humans....what happened? What did Palkia do!?"

Aegeas had forgotten about Dialga. He forgot about the pillared region. He forgot about his mission, and his objectives. It was those others, those that he did not know, nor was he sure that he would ever know, that had managed to have stunned him outright. Perhaps Palkia had been dispatched in the middle of the transportation process, thought Aegeas, who shuddered at the idea of what could've happened to the new humans. The transportation through space had always been iffy, and, with such a particular instance, Aegeas knew, it could've been far worse. He felt fearful, wishing to help these others, and save them from an even worse fate than sorrow. It was in that moment that he moved too slow. Dialga saw him, and Aegeas knew it. He could see the legend turn to face him, an expression of vengeance and fury marked upon Dialga's face. Aegeas closed his eyes, expecting the wave of a quick death to fall upon him and bury him in the dungeon.

But then....there was nothing. Aegeas, who had formulated a stiff pose, arms diagonal, pointing towards the ground, felt not a single thing. For a time, he felt as though perhaps he had been killed, and this was the end of his existence. It was certainly duller than he had assumed. After a period of time, a slow realization came to him, as he could still feel, as he could hear his breath, and no noises nor sounds welcome him, as he though he would expect from the halls of Arceus. He opened his eyes, finding himself in the exact same environment as he had previously. He moved from his stiff pose, and felt feeling rushing back into his body, once again recording the unnatural moisture of the place. A thought entered his brain, and he furrowed his brow, he almost delighted to know that nobody had been in the area with him. "Those movements," though Aegeas, "They were too....unnatural. A legend doesn't move like that.... It was as though the legend was but a..." He reviewed the evidence before him, and soon came to a stunning conclusion, one that irritated him, and one that also vindicated the New Order and their goals...

...The Dialga was a fake.

Alek and three other of the apprentice Stealth Specialists were in the underground forest Verizion had grown, hiding from a search squad of grass types. The objective of the game he and the others were playing was simple. The apprentices were supposed to try and take each other out while avoiding the search squad. Being in a forest, Alek was a bit out of his element. But that also worked to his advantage. The search squad and the other apprentices expected him to be near the stream or pond. Not up in the trees.

“Out of my element? Please. Anywhere with shadows is my element.” Alek thought.

Being hidden always made him feel safe. Before he’d made friends with Arthur and Felicity, he’d had to run and hide from the other apprentices that bullied him. Being a Frogadier already made him gifted in stealth, but with the added experience of his early years, he was almost a ghost. Alek saw some of the search squad moving through the forest, looking up in the trees. If it weren’t for the leaf camouflage he’d quickly constructed, his blue skin would have been visible a mile away. Suddenly, the squad stopped. The Mightyena of the group had smelled something. Suddenly, there was a shimmer as the Kecleon apprentice tried to make a run for it, his color changing skin unable to keep up with the rapid change of scenery.

“Get him!” The Mightyena shouted.

The Victreebell squad member lashed out with his Vine Whip, grabbing the Kecleon.

“Ha, nice try youngling.” The Victreebell jeared.

The Kecleon kicked and struggled, trying to get away. The rule was if you could get away, you were still in. But that Kecleon wasn’t getting away from a grip like that. The Victreebell tauntingly lowered him towards his mouth, causing the Kecleon to yell in fear.

“Oh relax, I’m just messing around.” He said, raising him away from his mouth.
“I’ll take him out of here. Find the others.” The Victreebell said, scooting towards the forest’s exit tunnel. The rest of the squad moved off in search of another apprentice.

“Poor Vince.” Alek thought. He began to look for any sign of the others. There was an Ariados, whose name he couldn’t recall, and Sully the Seviper. Alek hated playing against her. She always won. Alek suddenly froze. He saw some movement out in one of the trees. It was the Ariados.

“Not so stealthy are you?” Alek laughed to himself. He began calculating his plan of attack. He’d leave a substitute in his current hiding spot. Since it wouldn’t have any camouflage, the Ariados would be certain to see it. Once he saw the substitute, the Ariados would begin trying to work his way over to it. But Alek would be hiding higher up in the tree, just waiting to drop down on him and take him out with some Night Slashes and Water Shruikens. It was foolproof. With his plan mapped out, Alek got to work.

~~~~~

Tarant the Ariados looked keenly around for any sign of his enemies. No doubt Sully was somewhere on the forest floor, but that Frogadier whose name escaped him would likely be up in the trees. And being blue, it wouldn’t be a difficult task to find him.

“Oh ho, what’s this?” He muttered aloud. Following a glimpse of blue he caught in one of his eyes, Tarant slowly turned to see the Frogadier perched in one of the trees, completely oblivious.

“A poor little frog scared up a tree. Perhaps he could use some help down. Oh Tarant, you clever Ariados. You’d make father proud.”

Tarant began to move at an infuriatingly slow pace, not making any movement that might alert his prey.

“The itsy bitsy Ariados climbed up the forest tree…”

Tarant fired a strand of virtually invisible web, slowly climbing across it. Once he’d made it to the other tree, the Frogadier still hadn’t noticed him.

“This one wants to become a Stealth Specialist? Someone with his skill set would better serve the army in the janitorial staff.”

Tarant was just below the Frogadier’s hiding spot. All he’d have to do is inject him with a poison sting, and he’d fall right out of the tree for the search squad to find. Very little effort on his part.

“This will make an excellent chapter in my memoirs.” Tarant chuckled. With amazing speed, he lunged forward, his mandibles dripping in poison. He bit into the Frogadier, giving him a good shove for good measure. Tarant watched as the Frogadier hit the ground with a thud.

“Such a shame no one was around to see such a magnificent victory.”
He sighed to himself. Then something strange happened. Tarant was sure he’d been perched in the tree, but he suddenly found himself lying on his back.

“Hmm… that’s ooOOWW!” Tarant cried.
It had taken the pain a while to register, but now that it had, he’d realized his backside had been absolutely destroyed by someone. In his peripheral vision, Tarant saw the Frogadier he’d pushed down dissolve into particles of light. It had been a substitute.

“Hey! There’s one!” The Mightyena called out. The squad went over to the crying Tarant.

“Oh suck it up.” A Mienshao said.
“I’ll get this guy to the infirmary. The rest of you try and find whoever took him out.”

While the Mienshao carried Tarant away, the Mightyena and the rest of the group began looking around. But they didn’t see the camouflaged Frogadier hiding up in the foliage.

“I got him! I got him! I got him!” Alek repeated to himself. In all his time at doing this training regiment, he’d never once been the cause of someone’s elimination. Sure he’d gotten some hits in, but he’d never been directly responsible for an elimination.

“Wait until I tell Arthur!”
Then the memory of where Arthur was hit him.

“Oh… right.”
Alek’s joy was replaced by sadness. His best friend was miles away, gone for who knows how long.

“What if I never see him again? What if he dies? Snow cone day just won’t be the same without him…”

Alek’s thoughts were cut off as he felt something sharp press against his throat.

“I got distracted…” Alek sighed.

“Damn right you did.” A voice said behind him.

Alek slowly turned around, coming face to face with Sully the Seviper.

“Hey Sully.” Alek said awkwardly.

“Don’t hey me whelp. You pull this kind of shit on the battlefield, you’re dead.” She said.

“So, I guess you’re not going to go easy on me?” Alek asked.

“Hell no. You make a mistake, you pay the…”

Alek spit a water gun into Sully’s face, causing her to hiss and swing her blade away. Alek ducked down, avoiding the blade’s return strike. He swung under the tree branch, finding cover further down. He listened hard for Sully, but didn’t even hear a branch creaking.

“Stay calm Alek. You can take her.”

Alek formed another substitute, feeling himself weaken a little. He forgot that to make one of these, he had to use some of his own stamina. He soon realized Sully wouldn’t fall for it though. He was camouflaged, his copy wasn’t. Unless…

~~~~~

Sully slithered down the tree, occasionally flicking her tongue out. Her tongue was her primary sense. She could taste the lingering flavor of anything, and she could taste Frogadier.

“Stay focused. Find Ale… the target. Take him out of commission. Wish I could box.” Sully thought.
If she tried to focus solely on the issue at hand, all her distracting thoughts tended to worm their way into her mind, breaking her concentration. So she occasionally let one of her wild thoughts in, just to keep the others out. She slithered further downward, making absolutely no noise at all. Years of hiding from wild Pokémon, thieves, and slavers had toughened her up well. She knew trick to stealth better than anyone. If you keep confidence in your stealth, then it will work for you. Sully stopped her descent. She saw the blue skin of her target through some of the leaves.

“Who does that little whelp think he’s fooling?” She thought.
When she’d encountered him, Alek had been wearing some leaves as camo. This one was clearly a substitute. Unless… he’d known Sully would make that conclusion and this was the real one. But what if he expected her to reach that conclusion and was keeping his plan in the simple state, banking on it being so stupid and amateur that she wouldn’t suspect it. But what if…

“Stop. Don’t underestimate your opponent. Choose the less risky. Look into acquiring knitting needles.”

Sully began to move on. If that one was the real Alek, then he didn’t see her yet. If it wasn’t, then she’d just have to find the real one. He was probably within striking distance of his lookalike. It would be the smart thing to do. Sully slowly craned her head around, looking for any signs of a disturbance in the foliage. Then she saw it. Leaves that didn’t match the tree they were in. She saw his eyes looking up at his decoy through his leaf coverings.

“Clever, but not enough so.” Sully thought.
She’d end this quick. A Poison fang would be enough to stun him enough so he’d fall. Sully crept lower, soon right underneath Alek. He still didn’t move.

“What if I was wrong and the other one is the decoy? Would a shoe business do well here?”

Sully calculated the distance between the two Alek’s. If she was quick enough, she could hit one with Poison Fang and the other with a Poison Tail.

“On the count of four. One…”

Sully coiled up, preparing to spring.

“Two…”

Her fangs and tail began to glow a dark, sickly purple.

“Three…”

There is no significant event to document at this point.

“Four!”

Sully sprang forward, fangs bared. The sight would have been enough to startle even the most hardened of warriors. She bit into the camouflaged Frogadier, then using him as an anchoring point, swung her tail forward to slice the uncamouflaged Frogadier. Both hits hit perfectly. Sully gave the one she bit a shove off of the tree with her head, while the one she’d sliced toppled out of the tree without any assistance. Both landed on the ground.

“So, which one was the real one?”

Sully looked down at the two, waiting for one to start dissolving into light particles. But she wasn’t expecting them both to do so.

“What?” She gaped.
“Two substitutes? But that would mean…”

She swung around just in time to take a Water Shruiken to her face. She hissed in pain, losing her balance on the branch. With a cry she fell out of the tree, landing on top of the still dissolving Substitutes below, the breath getting knocked out of her.

“Clever little Alek. Hmm… Coil cozies? Nah…” Sully thought, writhing in pain.

Up above, Alek watched her. Forming two Substitutes had almost caused him to completely pass out. But he never went into any game without his berry pouch that Felicity made him, which was currently short one Oran Berry. He felt kind of bad, but he knew Sully wouldn’t be angry with him. If anything, she was probably happy with him. Alek felt like he had Butterfrees in his stomach as he realized that he’d actually won. He’d never won before.

“I won!” He shouted for joy. He leapt down from the tree, the search squad coming into view.

“I won! I won!” He shouted repeatedly.

“Yeah yeah, good job.” The Mightyena said, not really caring.

Alek couldn’t help but feel excited. The Butterfrees in his stomach had been replaced with Beedrills.

“Go ahead and get out of here. The next group is waiting their turn.”

Alek walked towards the exit, feeling happier than ever. He’d actually won his first game! He felt unstoppable! He couldn’t wait to tell Arthur about this. He’d write a letter to him right away.

~~~~~

Dear Arthur

Hey Arthur. It’s Alek. You wouldn’t believe what happened to me today, though it will probably have been a couple days by the time you’re reading this. I won a game of hide and seek! Hope you were sitting down for that. It was my first win ever since joining the New Order. It was me against Tarant, Vince, and Sully. And I won against all three of them! I felt great afterwards. I think I might be close to evolving, but Felicity will still probably evolve first. I haven’t seen her in a while though. I think she misses you. Snow cones just don’t taste the same without you around. Hope that knife I made you is coming in handy. I think I might have a future in the forge if I don’t make it as a sneaker. Hope Felicity’s scarf is keeping you warm up there. Is it true that there’s a mountain taller than Mt. Providence in the Northern Plains? Well, I’m running out of paper. I have a lot more questions, but you can just answer them when you get back from your mission. Hope you’ve found some of those Resistance jerks up there.

See you soon
Alek

P.S. Don’t forget to bring me back a souvenir!


Alek looked at his completed letter. And he hadn’t even made any spelling errors. Alek folded it up and stuck it in an envelope. Using his tongue, he licked the envelope and folded it shut. It was ready to be sent. He checked the envelope over, making sure there was nothing on the envelope that might show it came from Mt. Providence. It was some kind of mail rule the currier division had put into place. But the envelope was just plain white. Nothing incriminating about that. Alek signed the envelope with just his name and where he wanted it to go. Frostpoint village, Northern Plains. Now he just had to get it to one of the delivery Delibirds. Alek got up from the desk in his quarters. He shared the room with four other apprentices, but they were all out right now. Alek left his quarters, lightly jogging to the mail room. A single bored looking Delibird was in the room, reclining against a mail bag that would normally be carried by one of the more heavy duty carriers, like a Skarmory.

“Yes, how can I help you…?” The Delibird sighed.

“I have a letter for delivery.” Alek said, holding it out to the Delibird. He took the letter in his wing, looking the envelope over.

“Frostpoint huh? Well, I’ve got nothing lined up. I’ll head out for it tomorrow.” The Delibird said, stuffing the letter in his tail.

“Thanks.” Alek said.

“Any incriminating information in the letter?” The Delibird asked.

“Why would that matter? The letter is in the envelope.” Alek said.

“Ha, you think that will stop some Resistance spy? Anyone could read that letter before your friend gets it. So I’ll ask again, is there any incriminating information in the letter?”

Alek thought back to what he wrote. He won hide and seek, close to evolving, Felicity missed him, and snow cones didn’t taste the same… nope. He didn’t remember writing any top secret information in there.

“No, it’s good. I remember what I wrote.” Alek said confidently.

“Good lad. I’ll fly off for Frostpoint tomorrow.”

Alek turned around, walking out. He could go for some more training right now. He wanted to surprise Arthur with how strong he’d gotten once he got back.

“Hey. You.” A familiar voice called.

“Oh no.”

Alek turned around to see Sully the Seviper slithering towards him.

“Hey Sully.” Alek said tentatively, ready to make a run for it if he needed to.

“You, me, training room. Now.” She said.

“Why?”

“How damn obvious do I have to get? I want a rematch.” Sully stated.

“Oh. Well, ok.” Alek said, slightly relieved that she wasn’t going to fight him right here.

“Don’t look so relaxed Alek. I’m not going to go easy on you.” She said, baring her fangs.

“I wouldn’t expect you to.” Alek responded. The two stared at each other, waiting for the other to look away first.

“You going to look at my ugly face all day, or you going to move?” She asked.

“You’re face isn’t ugly.” Alek said, earning a weird look from Sully.
“I mean, it’s decent.” Alek corrected. He’d learned from watching Arthur’s interactions with Felicity that that was the best go to response to avoid embarrassment.

“Good to know. Hope your face is still decent after this is over.” Sully said, slithering past him. Alek could have sworn though that as she passed by him, she was blushing too.

~~~~~

Luckily, the training room was not in use. With today being squad combat training for the older apprentices, Alek and Sully were alone.

“Get in the ring.” She ordered. Alek complied, climbing onto the raised circular platform. Sully, with some difficulty, managed to hoist herself onto the platform.

“So… are we starting now or…”

Sully suddenly lunged for him, maw open wide. Alek just barely avoided her, feeling her scales brush across his leg. He retaliated with Water Shruikens, but Sully just batted them away with Poison Tail. Alek didn’t want to risk any close range attacks with her, so he just fired Water Shruikens and Guns, but Sully easily avoided the Water Guns and just continued to swat away the Shruikens.

“I don’t get it. I did so well against her earlier.” Alek said.

“Realize your problem yet smartass?” Sully asked.

“What problem?”

“You can’t beat me in a straight fight. You probably couldn’t beat anyone else either. You rely too much on stealth and ambushes. You’ll be put in situations where you’ll have to fight Mon to Mon, not that cloak and dagger crap.” Sully said.

“Well thanks for the info, but I can fight without stealth just as well.”

Alek summoned up a substitute, but the summon cost him quite a bit of stamina. Coupled with how tired he already was and he suddenly got very dizzy. Sully leapt at the opening, using the same momentum trick she’d used against his duel substitutes during the hide and seek match. She bit into the Substitute, then swung her tail around using the copy as an anchor. But instead of slicing Alek with her tail, she just let her coil wrap around him, pinning his arms to his side. Sully soon let go, pulling herself up to his face, tail blade at his throat.

“Alright, what the hell was that? I could clearly see that was a Substitute.” She said, lightly pressing her blade against him.

“I planned to try and confuse you after I summoned one more Substitute, but it took too much energy out of me.” Alek answered, nervously looking at the blade poised against him.

“See what I mean. You only summoned those two last time because one, you didn’t use up as much energy dodging and attacking, and two, you had a pouch of Oran Berries. And plus, you’d need more than just two more lookalikes to confuse me. You’d need at least five.” She said.

“Ok, I see your point. But could we please continue this talk with you not squeezing me?” Alek asked.
Sully released her wrap on Alek, who breathed in some of the air he’d had trouble getting.

“Well then how am I supposed to win in a straight fight? Stealth is my element. I’m no good at anything else.” Alek said.

“That’s why we’re here. I’m going to teach you.” Sully said.

Alek wasn’t sure he’d heard that right.

“You? Want to help me?” He asked.

“Whoa, you can hear? Points for the dumbass Mon over here. Yes I want to help you.” Sully said.

“Wh…”

“If you ask why, I’ll slit your throat and bury you under the ring.” Sully threatened, causing Alek to close his mouth.

“Now, first thing’s first. Why only use ranged attacks on me? They’re easier to avoid than close range ones.”

“Well, I knew you’d outmatch me in close combat, so I stayed away.” Alek explained.

“Well that’s another point for you. You knew I was better in one area, so tried to keep things in your favor. But once you saw that your strategy wasn’t working, you should’ve tried something else.” Sully said, sharpening her blade on the ring floor.

“I did. I tried to use Substitute.”

“We already went over how wrong that was. Do you know about the move Double Team?” Sully asked.

“Yes! It’s when you create only ghost-ish lookalikes of yourself, not solid ones.” Alek explained.

“Very good. You have some hope yet. Yes, that’s what Double Team is. But the best part is that you hardly use up any energy to use it, and you can keep using it as many times as you want. Of course they vanish instantly when hit, but you can spawn them anywhere. It’s good you already know Substitute. That should make learning Double Team easier. First, just try to use it.”

“But I don’t know h…”

“Just. Try. To. Use it.” Sully repeated.

Alek sighed. He concentrated, thinking of a more ghostly Substitute.

“Now.”

Alek tried sending out a Double Team. A lookalike appeared in front of him, just standing there.

“Now for the test.” Sully said. She walked over and sliced through it with her tail. The lookalike collapsed in on itself, working more like a liquid than a solid.

“Not bad for a first try, but a Double Team needs to be completely spectral, like a Zoroark’s illusion. Again.”

The next few hours proceeded like this. Alek would try a Double Team, Sully would test it, Sully would ridicule him if it was wrong, and the whole process repeated.

“Can’t I take a break?” Alek asked after his latest attempt.

“What do you need a break for? You’re just standing there.” Sully said.

“I’m thirsty.” Alek answered.

“You’re a damn water type. What do you need water for?”

“Hey, even we need to rehydrate at some point.” Alek snapped.

“I’m your instructor, and you don’t talk to me like that. Now you’re going to keep trying until you’re no longer thirsty. Again.”

“How does that even make sense?” Alek asked incredulously.

“Again.” Was all Sully said.

“Fine! I’ve been trying for hours and there has been no progress, but if you want to stay up all night, then go ahead! I can last longer than you.” Alek shouted, casting another.

“I doubt you can last longer than me. I once went three days without sleep, running from some Sazandora slavers.” Sully responded, slicing through the lookalike. To both her and Alek’s surprise, it flickered out of existence, leaving no trace it was even there.

“Now that was a damn good Double Team.” Sully smiled.

“I did it?” Alek asked her.

“Sure did. No resistance at all when I sliced through it. Congratulations, you’ve completed step one.”

“You mean there’s more?” Alek asked in despair.

“Of course. You can’t expect people to just fall for a Double Team that can only stand there. You need to learn to control them. Soon you’ll be able to host a one man performance of Krickatune on the Roof.” Sully said, referring to her favorite play.
“But since I don’t want you dying from being pushed too hard on my record, I’ll let you go for today. But you better be around when I call for you.” Sully said, flicking her tail blade menacingly.

“Yes ma’am.” Alek said, saluting her.

“No need for that. I’m your coach, not your commander. We’re still the same age.” She said.

“Understood coach.” Alek said, turning to leave.
“And Sully? Thanks.”

“Don’t get all mushy on me. I still don’t like you.” She said.

Alek smirked, walking out of the training room. Sully watched him go.

“Good kid. Need to train him harder tomorrow. Maybe work on some kind of energy drink.”

Day A3 6:00 a.m

Ren stepped out of the tent to watch the sun rise. Xatu was already there, of course he was always up before the Blaiken.

Wings apart, the psychic gazed into the sun, unblinking. Ren slowly walked up to him and tried the same.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Xatu said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Ren flinched and Xatu continued,

"Now, before we do anything else, would you like to ask me anymore questions?"

Ren thought about it, the images of the man in the shadows flickering across his mind's eye.

"What is my past?"

The bird sighed.

"Of all the questions, you have asked the hardest, but I shall tried my best"

With that, the psychic turned towards Ren and gazed deep into the Blaziken's eyes. There was silence, then a flash of pain washed over the bird's face and he stumbled back, gasping. Ren stepped forwards, concerned yet Xatu shooed him away,

"No, I am quite fine. Your past I one of the most painful I've read in ages."

Ren waited, a look of confusion plastered on his face.

"You come from a broken home. Your father was violent and your mother was stubborn and eventually the fighting began."

Ren stood stock still, a tear rolling down his cheek,

"They sent you away of course, none of them were stupid enough to let you go through that experience for to long, yet you were old enough to remember what happened and...well the orphanage isn't a very happy place."

Now it was Ren's turn to stumble back.

"This is the reason you're so quiet, Ren." Xatu repeated.

Suddenly filled with a burning rage, the Blaziken howled into the air and pillars of fire erupted around him. Turning an eye towards a nearby mountain, he directed the seething mass of flames into the stone burning it, no, melting it down to nothing but a large nub protruding from the earth.

"You have demons, my friend. You cant let them out." Xatu whispered, yet it resounded in Ren's skull, like a lost echo.

The Blaziken felt a psychic force envelop his mind and, with blinding speed, he turned and leaped towards Xatu, his fist blazing. The blow struck and a wave of pure heat radiated off of the two, yet Xatu took the hit and barely flinched. Then, he raised a wing and suddenly, despite his rage, Ren's eyelids drooped and he fell to the ground.

"You cant let the demons out Ren, they're what give you strength but if you let them, they will destroy you."

The rage left the Blaziken's eyes and he sat, tears falling to the ground. He spoke, and his voice was cracked with what could be only described as loneliness, terminal and complete.

"How?"

Xatu's features softened,

"You are not alone."

Ren shrunk away, an expression of fear on his face. He had heard these words before and knew what the psychic was attempting,

"NO! Don't do that to me! Don't be like them!" he shouted, but Xatu only stood there, a gentle expression on his face,

"You are not alone."

The Blaziken howled, not in rage but in pain, and scrambled back. It couldn't have followed him in! It couldn't have tailed Ren this far.

"You cant be them! You cant do this to me!"

"You are not alone."

With nothing left, Ren curled into a ball and wept. There was no more restraints or barriers, and this time, he let Xatu place a wing on his shoulder. Xatu sat, looking at the weeping human, in all his years, the psychic had never seen one so troubled.

He vowed to help.

The Xatu stood and gently guided Ren into the tent. There, he shed a sweet sleep upon the weeping human and walked outside,

and sat,

and stared at the sun, wings spread.

Frost

Day: A3

Frost stopped when the gengar stopped. The Breloom, who had been lagging behind, jogged up.

"What is it?" Frost asked. Gengar stood stock still for a second, then a slow grin spread across her face. She turned to Frost.

"Change of plans, we will take you to mount providence, but as a test of devotion, you, accompanied by us of course, are to retrieve the psychic plate in the heart of the marsh of light, which is probably a good thing, its only about an hour away."

Frost nodded. He didn't care what they did, as long as they justified it, and getting a plate before the resistance, that was a good enough justification for him.

"Alright then, lets go."

Plasmya was right, it took an hour or so, despite the thick foliage and wild pokemon, to reach the heart of the marsh, a small sundial shrine.

"Alright, ordinance says the key to this one is to maintain a level head and an anchor to yourself lest you get caught up in the psychic power and devolve into insanity." Plasmya said, a devious smile spread across her face.

"That being said it'll probably be easy for all of us, it only really affects conflicted personalities." Frost steeled himself, mentally shredding all his thoughts and cares for his friends, no, not friends, enemies. He created his anchor, the moon, he pictured the moon in the sky, a beautiful sky, full of blinking pearls and shining tears so light one would be hard pressed to pull away. With that image in his mind, he turned to Plasmya, who now had a dark flame in her hand.

"Whats that for?" He asked.

"to crack this dungeon ya need an equal but opposite force. A shadow ball should work." With that she threw the dark flame at the shrine, instead of exploding, the ball was simply absorbed. Something creaked inside and half the shrine folded in on itself revealing a hidden stairway.

"lets go then." Frost was the first in, holding in one hand a ball of flame, illuminating the dreadful abyss.

Suprisingly the stairway did not go far. About a minute later, the room lightened enough for Frost to extinguish his flame. The room they were in stretched for about as long as a football field, at the end stood a pedestal with a purple plate on it. The gengar whistled.

"This'll be easy." With that she started towards the plate. Almost immediately purple fog enveloped the room, masking everything from sight. Frost looked at the breloom.

"We better go in after her." The breloom sighed and nodded. Together they started into the fog, and immediately lost sight of each other.

Frost decided not to call for them, obviously it wouldn't do any good, instead he focused on his pearly night sky and the glorious moon. He envied that moon, the perfect anchor, or so he thought. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the fog began creeping into the sky, snuffing out the stars and covering the moon. A voice whispered in his ear.

"You will not find the plate at last, instead you'll find betrayal, dark past." Frost whipped around, but saw nothing except the fog, the everlasting dread purple fog. He began to panic, he tried to focus on his night sky, but instead he saw the bloodied, gored face of Zulu, twitching in its last moments of life.

"Give in to fear, the dark awaits, you cannot fight what you can't hate." Frost closed his eyes. An image flashed across his eyelids. A man stood in the hallway and a bloodied face lay near his.

"I love you."

Frost screamed, unleashing a wave of fire into the fog.

"give in to fear, its been foretold, the way is clear, your will must fold."

Frost clutched his head. The words rang in his ears.

"I love you."

He sank to the ground.

"I love you."

his hands fell from his ears and his body drooped in defeat

the fog cleared.

Frost stood a couple yards away from Gengar, who lounged at the steps of the pedestal, the breloom was next to her, curled into a ball, hands over his ears. Frost looked up at the pedestal, expecting to see the plate. What greeted him was far worse. A mega alakazam floated above the pedestal in a half lotus positioned, regarding Frost with cold blue eyes.

"You've fallen far, little one." the gengars ears perked and she turned to face the alakazam.

"Well, well, if it isn't the guardian. About time." The alakazam turned to her.

"You.. you aren't real." Gengar shouted in fury, she formed a dark sphere and threw it at the guardian, who simply swatted it away.

"Fine, you cannot see your errors." The Alakazam, as quick as a whip, a psychic bolt flew at the gengar, exploding on impact and sending her flying across the room. Frost sprang into the air, firing a barrage of phsychic blasts at the Alakazam. The breloom still huddled in a ball.

"I am almost tempted to give the plate to you, If it would make you see your wrongdoings, but no, I am sworn to protect this with my life. The alakazam dodged out of the way of the blasts and slammed into frost, sending him to the ground. Ignoring the pain, Frost charged at the Alakazam, they clashed, sending a massive wave of psychic energy across the room. Finally, Frost was forced again to the ground.

"I will offer no sanctum to you who are bent on destruction. You must die for your sins...." The alakazam's eyes went wide, he looked down. A black hand, covered in dark energy protruded from his abdomen.

"There you are wrong my friend. We work to restore order to the world, you alone cannot stop us." The alakazams eyes rolled up into his head and he turned to stone. Plasmya emerged from behind him, smiling. The alakazam turned to stone and a plate clattered onto the pedestal. Frost looked at the plate, then back at the alakazam.

"An unfair trade." Gengar glanced at him, but didn't respond. At the pedestal, the breloom uncurled from where he was and looked up. The gengar looked at him.

"get up." Frost floated over to the plate, his words still echoing in his ears.

"an unfair trade." he stopped in front of the plate.

"go on, its yours. Just think of what you want most in the world." Gengar whispered. Immediately Frost thought of his night sky. A world unreachable by anyone except him. He grasped the plate.

"a transparent dream, a fools world." a voice emanated in his head, the plates voice.

"Your heart is corrupt." Immediately, a presence pushed into his consciousness, consuming his thoughts. He tried to yell for help, but he could not speak. He watched as a purple cloak encased his body, leaving only one way to describe frost. A ghost. A hood enveloped his head, plunging him into darkness and then his whole body, even the hooded cloak, glowed purple and became transparent. Two dark purple eyes stared out of the hood, eyes of malice, eyes of dread.

-The Epic of Aegeas, Part 2.6 And Conclusion


Day A2, 6:34 P.M.

For a time, Aegeas stood there, panting ferociously, sweating flooding in storms down his face. His hands were balled into fists and at his sides, and he was slightly stooped as the mental weight pressed down upon his head. In the ancient columned room, he stood in the midst of a small, grassy field, where sandstone steps reached from besides these columns. The long corridor from whence he had came beckoned him forth, to escape and bring about word of the happenings that had transpired in such a short time, but he found himself unable to leave. He lay exhausted, trying to suck in everything he had just experience, and the new information that he received from the fake Dialga.

It all made too much sense, Aegeas thought. The Dialga had moved too much like a puppet, or the fake dragons he remembered in a partially completed memory. The Dialga's turning was unnatural, and the beam, though he had seen it for only a second, did not appear realistic in its effects and initiation. Now, there was only one remnant that gave any credence to the arrival of the New Order - an ancient stone statue. However, it did not look ancient, and it was not accompanied by the slab that Aegeas had assumed the Pixie Plate would look like. The statue of a Mega Gardevoir was pointed, facing in the direction of the long corridor Aegeas had come from. It was frozen in the middle of a pose, developing a beam of energy in front of it, held close to it by both of its hands. The Gardevoir's gaze was fixed upon the beam, and Aegeas wondered whether or not, standing perpendicular of the statue, it had been defeated in the midst of an attack. He knew the ancients and their statues, and the way they came to perish if their lifeline, the energy of the plates, was severed.

"He fooled you quite well."

Aegeas looked about him, expecting a figure or a voice. It appeared quite suddenly - as though it was born inside of his head. He did not see any figures, nor did he pay attention to the direction from which the voice had come. Madness was something he shrugged aside at once - he had long ago suppressed any voices in his head.

"You suppose that I am dead, do you not?"

Aegeas gazed at the speaker of the words. It was the Gardevoir, and, suddenly, the voice in his head made sense - they were part Psychic-type. He nodded his head.

"Even one such as I cannot die so quickly."

"Was it...?" began Aegeas

"Yes," replied Gardevoir, "Dialga kept me alive. He needed me."

"But..."

"Because he expected you to come. He noticed that you were in the area, and you, with your 'noble traits', as he put it, would likely come on the word of the locals."

"Why didn't he..."

"Do it himself? Ah, you silly, he is a leader of the New Order. He cannot be expected to deal with every trivial matter encompassing his world. When he finished me off, he forced me to craft the falsehoods, drive you mad...all for the sake of a little time."

"And he didn't succeed."

"Yes. And now, I am going to perish. The Plate is not here; it is in possession of the New Order."

"But what..."

"Give aid to who needs it most, my friend. You have not chosen a side, I see - that is well. I will respect you for that. Hence, I will give you advice. I cannot guarantee that one such as yourself will stick at your position, and I know the sorrow you feel for me. Nonetheless, do not worry for me - help anyone and everyone you can, whether they are your allies or bitterest rivals. Whether you are one of the New Order or Resistance, be sure that you help all in need, and you will find the retribution for your past sorrows and failings. Besides, immortality is rather dull...I'm sure you learned this of yourself. Be, Aegeas Dewott...alive, on my dying breath, live."

With that, the voice of the Gardevoir vanished into the mist, and Aegeas could hear her no more. He cried, and he cried, and he cried the long way back.


Day A2, 9:58 P.M.

Beneath the tree of ancient standing, beside the massive pile of Moon Stones, the many leaders of the land, as well as Artemis, Luno, and Aegeas, stood side by side, holding each others hands, as they observed the dozens of meteorites that fell upon the festivities. Aegeas watched with surprise and delight as he watched the multitude of meteorites grabbed by dozens and hundreds of the Cleffa line, they lowering the meteorites gently into past-used holes. He smiled with delight as he watched the hundreds of adorable, young Cleffa spurt from the tops of the meteorites, descend upon the ground laughing and cheering, and were subsequently embraced by new adoptive couples. Cheers rose into the night sky with fervor and energy at each new happy event, and it brought a tear to Aegeas's eyes. The little stubby Cleffa were so eager, so curious at everything around them, and so willing to help and display their energy on such a day.

It reminded him of when he was younger.

He fell upon the previous memory. He remembered, with pain. He had escaped the dungeon at last, informed Luno of the sorrowful news. He told him what he tried to do, and the futile attempts that he had performed - the Pixie Plate, the pride of the large gathering attending the festival, was captured by the malicious attempts of the New Order. He told Luno of the terrible fate of Gardevoir, the complicated plot of Dialga, and the consequences. He remember how Luno had said nothing, how his face was a grim mask...the wet spot produced by a tear lying on the rocky ground as Luno left. Aegeas couldn't have done anything, he couldn't provide any solace, and this brought the most sadness upon Aegeas, who joined the silent Luno in the procession towards the festival. Aegeas did not inquire as to Luno's peril or the whereabouts of the Clefairy within - he knew well enough what had happened, for Luno had been grim even before this latest news. Aegeas felt as though he had failed Gardevoir once more.

As the memory fell upon him once more, he looked up at the sky and though to himself, as he saw the latest series of meteorites descend upon the ground, he thought to himself,

"May ten of these young beings of new life replace every one taken away by the efforts of this vile war."

Before he knew it, he found himself within the embrace of a large being. It was Luno, to Aegeas's surprise, before Aegeas chided himself, reminding himself that Luno was capable of hearing all his thoughts and emotions at present. Luno had managed, upon hearing his thoughts, grabbed Aegeas and lifted him into the air in a massive bear hug. For a second, the air was knocked out of Aegeas, so sudden and surprising was Luno's actions. He couldn't say a word for a brief time, until Luno set him upon the ground again, and then Luno almost burst into joyful laughter, so much was his appreciation of Aegeas's words. As Luno stood chuckling, looking high into the sky, Aegeas took deep breaths, sweat forming on his slightly pale face, he clutching his stomach. It was an experience that he had not experienced before, and it was quite surprising.

"Wow," said Artemis, letting go of the Clefable elder whose right hand she was holding to look at the still-panting, slightly terrified Aegeas, "I haven't seen anybody my dad's liked so much." She smiled and chuckled, winking in the direction of the oblivious Aegeas, who stood for a time letting go of the brief burst of terror by gazing up at the therapeutic sky. He hadn't expected such an informal action from such a respectable Pokémon, and Luno had great physical strength, which contributed to Aegeas's sudden weariness and lack of breath. And so they stood there, hand in hand, watching until they all grew tired and weary, and until Aegeas had dispelled of the sudden scare he had received and gained his composure once more. Then, seeing that the latest flurry of Cleffa had finished arriving, they whisked themselves away, Luno guiding the weary Aegeas to an establishment built within the face of a rock wall. In the meantime, as they walked, Aegeas could not help but notice the many joyous parents bringing their young children in a massive line towards the rock cliffs of the valley, and smiled once more at this display of joy and kindness. Luno informed Aegeas of the fact that the festival had concluded its second day, and he did not see the Moon Stone ceremony for it was to come at the conclusion of the third day, though Aegeas did not pay much attention. He was happy, tired, and felt so many emotions that he wished strongly to fall upon a bed and go to sleep swiftly. At the encampment, which was separated from the others by a respectable distance, Aegeas found a decent bed enclosed by stone walls and a wooden door, and no sooner than had he fallen upon the comfortable hay bed, he fell asleep, allowing rest to ease the weariness set upon him.

It was not to last.

======
To Be Continued Shortly

-The Epic of Aegeas, Part 2.6.5 And Conclusion

Midnight, Day A2-A3

The room was simple, and yet slightly elegant. In front lay a wooden door, and the ceiling, floor and walls were all composed of polished, straight, firm and solid stone. Aegeas had been led within the massive encampment, which he had been informed as the location of the elder Clefable and their families. Beyond lay a hallway that extended throughout the massive, multi-floored place, and he was nestled behind another row of rooms that were given balcony views. It did not matter to him in particular the place of his sleep - he was willing to sleep most anywhere if sense allowed him to do so. He slept in a hay bed that was surprisingly comfortable, without any pricks against his skin that would irritate him at night. It was comprised of a green, bean-bag like sack placed upon a oaken frame, and sheltered him for the night. He lay between a green blanket of unknown origin and the hay beneath in the pose not unlike a mummy in a sarcophagus.

His mind was left to wander, but wander did it not.

At first, it was the shape of a....football? The memory came to Aegeas as he slept, he part-consciously reminding himself that this particular object had some sort of a meaning in the world he had come from. It was a habit of his, having experienced such a long time and having seen so many sights, to be capable of thought even during a time of sleep, though it was temporary and brief. Whatever the football's particular meaning, he had missed it by a week. It did not miff him sorely, though it did disappoint him. Having a rent asunder memory was not the most comfortable experience. Besides, he felt as though he enjoyed the time involving this object for numerous reasons he could not pierce together. Then, it faded away, all went blank, and the thoughts of his partially-active brain died away.

An Oshawott.

He fidgeted in his sleepy momentarily.

A palace of ice, chandeliers dangling above the polished floor and walls. Everything smooth, slick, and beautiful. Two tall windows in front, several small ones to the side, and a beautifully patterned door behind him. Pillars at the corners, silence the last thing in attendance. No decorations save a mystical object in front, guarded...

He kicked briefly.

Her.

He stopped moving altogether.

A battle. Sounds of screaming. Stairs spacing her and him from their foes. A long battle, complicated maneuvers, firing shots at the masked enemies above.

He was far from her. A Bellossom she was. He heard a sound, rushed forward, doing a barrel roll, firing a Water Gun blast at the enemies.

Too late. A slash in the air. She fell.

He ran to her, holding her head in his arms, terrified and panicking. She was not breathing.

He tried to drag her away, keep her away from the grasp of her enemies. It walked up to him.

A glimmer shone on the edges of his closed eyes.

In a swift movement, the Oshawott was grabbed rudely by the head, and chucked out by the force of the massive arm. He struck a small window, bordered by ice and comprised of particularly thin, transparent ice. He burst through the icy window, shattering the ice as though it was glass.

He lay on the snow, staring at the sun above, too weak to move. Icy shards lay at his feet and all about him. He could hear more shouting, and, before he lost consciousness, the fleeting figures of his friends flickered into view at the massive ice doors of the palace.

He remembered the cavalcade. The procession. The funeral. He lay the helm, beckoned forth by his dearest companions, many of whom were once friendly Legends. The nudged, the shoving, the 'come on, you can do it.' The burial, the final ceremony, the crowds leaving...

...And all he could do was cry, cry, and cry, knowing that he couldn't do anything, and he wasn't able to do anything.

Tears fell down the proud warrior's face. It was a dream that was his personal nightmare. It was a dream that he had experienced every single day for the past decade. It was a dream that persisted, no matter the brightness and cheerfulness of the day. Sometimes he swore he had been cursed by Darkrai to suffer this eternal fate, but he was asleep, and he could not think of the matter. His face was a grim mask - he did not pout, and his body did not move. His body was as hard as stone, but his soul had not so easily copied its body's will. There he lay, tears streaming down the sides of his face, and this happened for many hours until the morning's first light, for we all know of the difference of the length of a nightmare with the length of night.

And as Luno walked by, unaware of the plight of Aegeas; as he passed by the door of the warrior, Luno stopped, hit by a sudden bought of rheumatism. He collapsed upon his knees, coughing feverously and ferociously. His hands grasped the smooth stone of the floor, and he found himself only able to stare down, so much the mental weight of a swarm of bad memories powerful. Luno coughed, blinking the tears from his eyes, and trying to keep himself calm. He had not expected anyone in his land to have experienced such personal grief save himself alone. By the time that he had processed the horrible memory, and he found himself standing once more, he found it a hard time to stay upright, and shook and quaked violently, running against the walls repeatedly. After a period of time that was but brief, though it seemed eternal to Luno, he left the corridor, and left Aegeas alone.

The rosy-fingered dawn shimmered on the land once more, and as Aegeas awoke, he knew it was time to leave.


======
-End of Part 2

Day Negative X

Life among Mortals



"Guardian, where are you?" Mew called out, drifting through the woods, searching for her friend.
"If you jump out and scare me, i'll be very angry with you." Mew huffed.

"When have I ever done that?"

Mew squeaked, flipping around.

"Sorry." The Guardian apologized.
"I thought you could sense me telepathically."

Mew looked at her friend. He'd undergone quite the dramatic change. The rough, gem that had been at the center of the pile of weirdly colored goop he had been was no longer visible, and he had now formed arms. But he still slid around like a Slugma.

"Well, I can. But I prefer to talk. Reaching out to someone's mind feels like an invasion of privacy, Guardian." Mew said.

"It's been a while since you visited. What'd you need from me? And you know I have a real name now." Guardian said.

"Well, I like Guardian better than that stupid name Palkia gave you. And I don't need anything. I actually have a message from Giratina." Mew said, looking anxious.
"We've heard you've been travelling around the world, healing the sick and those close to death."

"Of course. I'm supposed to protect life aren't I? I've always had a way with disease." Guardian said.
"As a Legendary, isn't it my job to protect the mortals?"

"Of course. But you see, Giratina, Yveltal, and Darkrai aren't exactly... happy with what you've been doing. You're denying them their part in life." Mew explained.

"Who cares if they're happy or not. Xerneas brings life to others, why can't I?"

"Xerneas and Yveltal work together to ensure that those whose time of death do die, just as those who are still young are healed. But you're going around and healing everyone you come across. It needs to stop." Mew said sternly.

"If I can't protect the lives of those I meet without permission, what good am I?" Guardian asked, sounding upset.

"I'm just saying you need to show more discretion when dealing with mortals, that's all. You don't want to get on Giratina's bad side." Mew warned.

"Of course. I'll be more careful." Guardian promised.

But I wasn't careful was I? No, I still stepped past my boundaries. Was I in the wrong? Of course not! I did what I thought was best. But no, the Legendries are as selfish as politicians of Earth. But only later would I regret my decision.

The dragonight flight had not taken long. Traipsing through Frontier Town had also not taken long. In fact, the two items together took up just over an hour and a half. The dodrio ride to the marsh was short and sweet, and the hikes through tourism territory were enjoyable enough that they didn't feel very long.

Once the group left the marked trails and boardwalks behind though, that was when the trip started to feel exhausting.

Flurry did not like the Marsh of Light one bit, and every second increased her hatred. It was humid and hot, and she swore she was going to melt into a puddle of water and soak into the already-soggy ground. At least the Sazandora Desert hadn't been wet or sticky.

Both of the boys were ahead of her, though Gabriel looked far less keen on waiting for Flurry to catch up. As she waddled through the muck, he tapped his foot on a tree root. Riley mostly wore discomfort, as though not sure what he ought to feel.

"For a place so hot, it's amazing that there aren't any fire types," Flurry wheezed. She clambered onto the tree root and paused as Gabriel moved on.

"We haven't seen any pokemon since we got off the boardwalks," Riley pointed out.

"Touche."

But while Flurry sounded like she was just casually letting go of an argument, she really did take Riley's words to heart. Suddenly, the marsh seemed darker, and the silence droned like an eerie violin tremolo. It was cheesy, yes, and the comparison seemed to pop out of nowhere, but the point was solid in her mind.

The three of them kept on trekking, and all the while, Flurry kept her ears open for other pokemon. Occasionally, she swore she heard a slight crackle, or an actual violin far off in the distance, but she refrained from mentioning it. She couldn't have the boys thinking she was a coward.

Several silent minutes passed before anyone spoke again, though Flurry felt like it had been hours.

"Oh, look!" shouted Riley. "Isn't that the tree Shaymin told us about?" Cupping a paw to his mouth, he called out to Gabriel. "Could you come back here and bring out Shaymin's directions? I think we're supposed to turn soon."

Though Gabriel tended to stay farther ahead than Flurry was behind, he reached Riley the same time she did. Riley pointed through the thick foliage at one particular tree which stood out from the rest.

"See it? It's the really knobbly one over there."

Flurry squinted. All she could see was green.

"Riley," Gabriel said, "I believe Shaymin told us it was a very tall tree." He pulled out a roll of paper and jabbed a finger at one line. "Ah, here. At the tall, knobbly elder tree, turn northwest and walk straight for a very long time."

There was a moment of silence, and Flurry could feel the boys inwardly sighing about Shaymin's skill in directions.

"I'm sure you can tell," Gabriel continued, "but that tree is not exactly tall."

"When was the last time Shaymin went to the tower?" Riley asked. "I seem to remember that it was over a hundred years ago."

"Trees have impressive longevity."

"Well, yeah, but a hundred years is a long time."

Boys. Only a few seconds into the argument, and Flurry was already sick of it. She waddled around the nearby swamp, looking for dry ground when she stepped on something sickeningly soft.

She looked down to rotten wood. Following with her eyes, she traced a perfectly straight path of ruin and ickiness. Tree branches had crashed to the ground on either side, and actual light filtered through a lessened canopy. At the end of the path? The tree Riley had mentioned.

Flurry grimaced as she turned around, hating the dirt and mud that stuck to her feet.

"Guys," she said. The boys glared at each other. "Guys!"

They snapped their attentions on her, and Flurry felt a surge of pride well up in her gut. With one knobby hand, she gestured to the tree. "Let's just check it out, okay? There's this nice clear path so we can come back to this spot later and not get lost."

Gabriel looked like he might slap himself. He'd realized something, and though Flurry didn't know what, she guessed he felt stupid for not understanding sooner. A hazy thought of trees and kites tickled at the back of her mind, but she pushed it away and made room for the boys to walk in front of her.

The tree felt bigger when the group stood right next to it. From there, Flurry could tell that this tree, despite being a charred wreck now, had once been a massive, towering giant. Even a mamoswine could have fitted inside the hollow trunk.

"This would have made a good tourist trap," she declared.

"Yeah, some actual trails would have made this trip a lot easier," said Riley.

They looked at Gabriel for a third comment, hopefully a brainiac moment involving economics, but none came. Instead, Gabriel rubbed his nose and looked at the open sky surrounding the tree.

"That's northwest," he said, pointing. "Let's go."

Riley and Flurry shrugged at each other and followed, though this time, the whole group stayed closer together. Riley was even close enough for quiet conversation, which Flurry found rather comforting.

"Why did Gabriel suddenly agree with you?" Flurry asked. She fumbled her way around a mud puddle before Riley answered.

"You didn't figure it out? But... you're the one who found the rest of the tree"

Flurry stopped in her tracks. "Wait, what?"

"Don't tell me you didn't realize..." Riley trailed off and sighed. "Okay, so that path you found was basically the fallen tree trunk, and it was all light above it because all the branches had fallen too. You see where I'm going, right?"

Something in Flurry's brain told her that made sense, so she nodded. "I guess I didn't get out much as a human," she said. "Otherwise I would have understood."

The conversation afterwards turned to a Flurry-rant about Starwars and shooting first, which was fine by her. She took every chance she got to follow "memory threads" about anything that seemed weird, avoiding the nag-ey threads so she could keep her tone light-hearted. Riley seemed to enjoy it that way and mostly asked questions without answering many of Flurry's.

Before she realized it, the already-shadowed swamp darkened, and its namesake lights began to float through the marsh.

Flurry and Riley caught up to Gabriel, who immediately mentioned that Shaymin had warned it would take two or three days to hike through the marsh.

"Which means we'll need sleep so we can go further tomorrow. I say we continue this way and stop at the next dry area we see."

For one reason or another, Flurry wanted to raise her hands and shout "here here!" She didn't though, and started humming as she followed Gabriel along their route.

The next "dry area" turned out to be in the branches of a tree. It took some work for Flurry to climb up (as well as help from Riley, who nearly froze, but didn't because it was so warm outside) but she made it to the lowest of the wide branches and settled down to sleep. By then, the sky was truly black, and the graceful, bobbing lights of the swamp illuminated the trees. A charming cricketune song tinkled in the distance, and Flurry's eyes grew heavy.

She didn't realize she was asleep until the song was right over her head. A crowd of bioluminescent pokemon were gathered around the tree, and Flurry heard Riley and Gabriel shouting above her.

"We didn't know!" said Riley. "Promise!"

"The rules say that no one is allowed off the designated trails!" From the light, Flurry could barely see the faint outline of a luxray. His black mane spiked out in all directions, and his eyes practically glowed.

"Our intention wasn't to break the rules," shouted Gabriel. "We're only looking for something."

The luxray tossed his head and laughed. "Looking for something? Out here? Why, that's pointless! The heart lotuses only grow in the eastern side of the swamp, and I doubt either of you is looking for much else."

"We aren't looking for a heart lotus," Riley said. "We-

Gabriel shushed him. "If we promise not to harm the plants and pokemon, may we continue in peace? No one in our group is particularly fond of fire, and we're only-

"No can do!" yelled the luxray. "Now, while I certainly appreciate a good goal--especially for you aimless young ones--I'm afraid that wandering through the marsh is not allowed under any circumstance. Come with me, troubled youths. All three of you."

When had the luxray even seen Flurry? She stood up in the tree and squinted at the surrouding pokemon. Most of them were bug types, with some grass pokemon and a few electric types mixed in.

And there were so many... Flurry doubted her little ragtag group could outrun them, let alone defeat more than four pokemon. The luxray would prove especially tricky. She looked up at the boys, only to see Gabriel motioning with his hands.

He was pointing in the direction they'd been travelling, so he clearly meant to have them run. That wouldn't cut it though, and if Flurry knew that, then the boys did too.

Ah, a distraction. That was what they needed. She suddenly cackled and began glaring as maniacally as possible at every pokemon in the group. Each one shuddered under her gaze, and she got the slight feeling she'd done more than freak them out.

Then, satisfied with all of her leering, she waved a knobby hand in the luxray's direction and screamed.

"Dost thou bite thy thumb at me, sir?" she yelled, lowering her tone as much as possible. Through her peripherals, she caught Gabriel rubbing his forehead and Riley keeling over, about to giggle.

She struck a dramatic, terrified pose, and suddenly all eyes in the group were on her. She was the star, the magician, and Riley and Gabriel could climb and move about without notice.

"Oh no, sir!" she cried, in a voice that made her think of breathing a magical gas called helium. "I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, though I do bite my thumb!"

She tried the leering thing again, with much success, and then moved on with her act. Flailing her arms with great gusto, she laughed towards the canopy. "But I can't even bite my thumb because I haven't got an-

A paw yanked her away, and she practically bounced along the tree branches as she was pulled along. Thank goodness for agile riolus, because there was no way she'd be able to run this fast.

Gabriel's voice drifted towards her, and Flurry was very glad that he was not the one pulling her, because his voice waned with every rustle of branches, like he was constantly jumping between them.

"We'll need to you fend off the bug pokemon, if they give chase," Gabriel yelled. "So I hope you can do the same trick you used this morning."

Uh... no? No she couldn't. A snowy blast like that too concentration and nice, cold thoughts. In case Gabriel hadn't noticed, they were sort of in a tropical rot zone.

Then Riley's voice graced her ears. He seemed to chuckle a little, finding this midnight run almost relaxing. Maybe he'd sensed her sudden tension or something, because his words were exactly what Flurry needed to hear.

"It's kind of nice running with you," he huffed. "I don't feel the heat as much."

After that, the chase passed by in a blur. Flurry vaguely remembered whipping up snow pile after snow pile. They melted quickly, of course, barely touching the plants, but the pursuing pokemon fell back, clearly respectful of the ice-type advantage. It was nice, being respected, and exhilarating all at the same time.

When the group stopped, Gabriel pulled out the directions and pointed out another landmark. However, he gave enough rest time for the three of them to climb atop a tree and watch the sun rise.

It was bright red, a fiery reminder of hope, and also that there would be no pokemon lurking around during the day. It rose quickly behind a fog that made it shiver above the horizon.

Flurry's stomach growled. She blushed, Riley snorted, and a bemused sigh escaped Gabriel. Whatever came next--a horde of beedrill, the dungeon, anything--it was going to be excellent.

Day A3, 6:35 AM


“...He vowed, forever, to be by her side, and that's the story of our, Corpse, Briiiiiiide!”
A grin appeared on the little demon's face as he joined his voice with the Flaaffy's.
“Die, Die, we all pass away! But don't get a frown, 'cause it's really okay! You might try and hide, and you might try and pray, but we all end up the remains, of the daaaaaaaaaaaaay! Yeah...!”
Twinkiel laughed out loud.
“See?” he exclaimed in the night. “I told you that one was amazing! And quite dreadful, too.”
“Alright, alright, I admit it, that was great. But don't forget that–”
Hoopa suddenly gasped as a small but firm electric shock passed through his skin. His joyful expression was darkened, and the hoop he had silently placed above Twinkiel's head placed itself around his left horn.
“Nice try, Pumpking,” commented Twinkiel, a mischevous light dancing in his eye. “But when I said I could play your game all night, I wasn't joking.”
It had been hours since Hoopa and Twinkiel were locked in a tight embrace. The latter had completely forgotten when they had exactly started, as he was actually enjoying his situation.
“I'm hugging my second most favorite trickster in the whole Pokémon world,” he thought with excitement. “Achievement unlocked.”
Hoopa looked up, gazing at the Flaaffy with his big, curious eyes. His usual grin had disappeared.
“How?” he asked thoughtfully. “How the heck are you doing so well? Usually people get tired after one hour or two. Or they just don't play at all.”
“Wait, 'cause I'm not the first one to actually hug you? Darn, and there I thought I was... Y'know, your privileged acquaintance, or somethin'.”
Hoopa raised an eyebrow.
“You are the first one crazy enough to hug me. And um... I know I don't have a defined gender and all, but I'm not really into males. No offense.”
“None taken. I didn't mean it like that anyway. You were a privileged teammate back when I played Pokémon Showdown. I mean, you and Fauch. And Jurasweep. Oh, and Mastershell, too! Ah... Good times. Beatin' up entire teams. Such fun.”
“I'm not sure I understand everything, but it sounds neat. And I already told you: I'm NOT the same Hoopa!”
“And I already told you: I don't care! You're a Hoopa! You're devilish! You're just like Pumpking! End of the story!”
Hoopa sighed.
“You're way too stubborn. But at least I can relate to the beatin' up part. Destroying your enemies is super fun after all. Especially if you get to torture them.”
“With pointy things,” added a smiling Twinkiel.
“And dismemberment!” continued Hoopa.”
“SLOW, dismemberment! And tons of screams!”
The duet shared an equally creepy smile.
“I like you,” confessed Hoopa. “It's really too bad that we have to be enemies. You sure you don't wanna join us? So much fun workin' for the New Order, you've no idea.”
“Nah! Sorry, but I'll pass. I made some good ties already, and I'm not crazy enough to join your side. There's this... sane part of my brain that will never accept that choice. I'll probably end up betrayin' you at the end.”
Hoopa's gaze became thoughtful.
“What if,” he proposed carefully, “I destroyed all of your good ties? Would that sane part of your brain disappear then?”
“It probably wouldn't, no. That and you'd have me after you and your mates, and vengeful Twinkiel really is something you don't want to happen. And I see that hoop hangin' out on my left, Pumpking. Remove it please.”
The latter sighed and moved his threatening object out of the Flaaffy's sight.
“You know, if I was in my Unbound Form, none of this would be necessary. I'd just be destroyin' you lot one by one, and you wouldn't even want to hug me.”
“I'd still hug you, actually. Though it would be more of a bear hug, 'cause y'know...”
“Six powerful arms. Right.”
Hoopa gazed at the moonlight.
“I was respected back then, at least,” he said distantly. “Everything was mine. Knowledge, sacred objects, treasures... Legendaries wouldn't dare mess with me, and I wouldn't have to act as a creepy bastard for them to fear me. My body did the job pretty well.”
The demon's eye focused on Twinkiel again, full of hatred.
“And then a random idiot had to take that power away from me and seal it forever. I hate you humans. I really do. You guys like to meddle with stuff you're not even supposed to, and you get away with it.”
“True. But instead of lamenting on what you lost,” replied Twinkiel, “think about what you've gained.”
Hoopa's grip around the Flaaffy's back tightened. All of his hoops began to pulse with angry power.
“WHAT HAVE I GAINED?!” he screamed, suddenly losing his composure. “I am a shadow of my former self! I was free! I was powerful! I was respected! I had everything I ever wanted, and a miserable creature had to take it all away from me! Why? To fulfill a pitiful quest for righteousness, that's why! I was a god! And I lost my godly might! Now answer me, Human: what have I gained?!”
“Pushed the wrong button, bub.”
Twinkiel stared back at his deranged adversary.
“You know what your problem is?” he began softly. “You abused. You brought attention upon yourself by stealing, and stealing, and stealing again. You were being a jerk because hey, you could. You had the power to do so, right? And then, as you said, you lost it all and was transformed into a less powerful version of yourself.”
Twinkiel's face approached Hoopa's.
“Or at least much less powerful... Physically speaking. And that's my point. What you've gained, Pumpking, is control. In order for you to remain deadly, you learned to control the bits of power you had left. You learned new tricks to get what you want, and thanks to that you're now just as deadly and just as feared.”
“No I'm not. I'm only respected because those who remember, those who know, are aware of what's inside this tiny new body of mine. But that's not what I want. I want my power back. I want, I need to find my Prison Bottle. And when I do...”
A smile, purely evil, slowly made its way on the devil's face.
“Nothing... Nothing, will get in my way. I will become the roaming destructive force I used to be and do what I do best...”
“...Collect and destroy?”
“Pretty much.”
Hoopa looked back. The moon had disappeared, and the first lights of the day had taken its place. The sky had taken a pinky shade, and was slowly but surely turning into orange.
“Looks like you won,” observed Hoopa, slightly annoyed. “I'm not gonna throw myself in a reckless fight against you. Time's up, anyway. May I?”
Twinkiel released the small Legendary, his eyes still locked into his.
“You know, Pumking... About the Prison Bottle...”
“Yes,” interrupted Hoopa. “I know. I'll only gain my full power back for three days straight. No more. But I don't care. I'll find it.”
He slowly floated away.
“I don't even know why I told you all this,” Hoopa admitted. “Nor why you spent five hours tellin' me bits of your life and singing songs. But you know what? That was actually... Fun, in a way. I'll be sure to make you a good slave after the New Order crushes the Resistance.”
Twinkiel smiled.
“If the New Order crushes the Resistance. But I have a better idea. When you find your Prison Bottle, wait until I evolve. I'll be your battle partner for three days straight.”
Hoopa's eyes widened.
“Why?”
“I'm pretty sure you'll be rusty. And far more reckless, given the power boost you'll get.”
“No, that's not what I meant. WHY are you doing this? I'm the devil incarnate! I work on my own, for myself and myself only. And it's even worse when I'm assuming my original form. Why would you appreciate my behavior, or even consider helping someone like me in any way?”
Twinkiel's smile became creepier.
“I know that, in my past life, I had a... fondness for evil characters. And you, Pumpking, represent everything that I enjoy about said evil characters. That and your original form is one of the only Pokémon I never had the chance to dance with. Oh, and speaking of dances!” continued Twinkiel, to Hoopa's surprise. “I think we should organize some kind of neutral event in which both the Resistance and the New Order could compete in peace! Like some kind of Pokéathlon! That would be interesting!”
The demon stared at his mad interlocutor, pensive.
“...That... That could actually be fun, yes.”
Another grin enlightened Hoopa's face.
“But then again we'll be sponsoring the event, whatever it would be. We have most of the resources, which is bad for your side.”
A crazy cackle shook Twinkiel's body.
“That's the whole point of the game, Pumpking!” he exclaimed. “You don't have the physical means to go around and beat up everyone, right? Then do it with your wits! With your brand new means! With your resources, as you call them! That's the first big fight we can have, you know!”
Twinkiel rose up, sheer excitement animating him despite his fatigue.
“That's my first challenge, Pumpking! Let's fight with what you have now. And when you find your Bottle again, let's have an actual battle together! 'Kay?”
Hoopa's smile gradually disappeared. He turned around, ready to leave.
“...Stop that. I don't need anyone's sympathy.”
“But is it only sympathy? Another reason why I love villains so much is because it's so fun to crush them.”
The Flaaffy's smile grew larger.
“I like you a lot... Hoopa. But you're also someone I'd really like to tango with. That aside, have a good day, my dear Pumpking. May we meet again at the event!”
With that, Twinkiel sat back on the trunk and closed his eyes, a satisfied smile on the face. Yes, he was surely going to enjoy his next dream.
Suddenly, he felt two tiny arms wrap around his body. He brutally opened his eyes, surprised.
“What the-”
“Shut up. This is not happening. Close your eyes or I send them in another dimension. I want one more. And it better be good. And fitting.”
Twinkiel hastily closed his eyes, smiling again. None of the demon's hoops had moved.
“Fitting, huh...? Let's talk about power, then. The power that you so dearly want. C'mon, hop into my mind.”
“Power. Almighty. Demonic. Evil. Nostalgic. Favorite singer.”
“Aurelio Voltaire: Land of the Dead.”
Hoopa's mind invaded Twinkiel's as the first notes of the latter's favorite evil-inspired music began to play in his head.

“The Minotaur's, my butler... The Cyclops my valet... A Centaur draws my chariot, that, takes me down the way... Through a river made, of FIRE! To a street that's paved in bones... I got a dozen zombie skeletons, to walk me to my throne...”
Hoopa smiled devilishly as he felt the melody's refrain coming.
“In the Land, of the Dead! Heck boy, ain't it grand? I'm the Overlord, of the Underworld, 'cause I hold Horror's Hand. In the Land, of the Dead!! I'm darkside royalty! I'm far renowned, in the underground, and you can't take that from me.”
“Likin' it.” commented Hoopa as the song continued. “Next verse!”

******

Day A3, 9:50

“Twinkiel!”
“Freakin' darn it, no! LET ME SLEEP!”
With a sigh, the Flaaffy let himself fall from the tree.
“Seriously,” he mumbled to himself, “I've only slept like... 3 hours. Gimme a freakin' break...”
“It appears that I am getting better at understanding your little stage whispers, Twinkiel Thunderfleece.”
Twinkiel's expression immediately lit up as he recognized Spadassya, gracefully walking towards him, a sly smile on the face.
“Stage whispers?” he repeated. “I am humbling thanking you for considering me as such a respectable actor, my lady.”
“You're actually way to predictable to be referred as “respectable”, yet. And it appears that somebody else agrees with me.”
Twinkiel gave his friend a questioning look before trapping himself in the hard stare of a well-known Seviper.
“Oh! Hello, Snake of the Venom Knife! Fancy meeting y–”
Seviper used Poison Tail!
Twinkiel dodged the surprise attack and raised his arm, preparing a Charge Beam.
“What is the meaning of this?” asked Twinkiel, startled. “What have I done to deserve such a greeting from you?”
Even Spadassya seemed shocked.
“You promised NOT to use your sly words to corrupt my tribe's decisions!” thundered the snake. “And what have you done so far?! You bloody– ”
Twinkiel's electricity suddenly appeared all around his body, interrupting the Seviper's hateful speech.
“You want to tell me what I've done, Sir Snake? Alright then. I interrupted a war between your tribe and your most hated enemies. With the help of your daughter Spadassya, I created a strategy for them to rely on. I gave them my war tactics and power. I led your tribe to victory. And what is the reward I get for all that? You of all people attacking me? I kept my promise, Sir Snake. As I am sure your daughter explained to you, the New Order was awaiting the result of the war to attack, and the Resistance helped us defeat our enemies. How was she supposed to let her tribe, her people, in the ignorance of such events? This conflict has reached us all!”
“It is true, Father!” exclaimed Spadassya. “Twinkiel warned me not to come with him, but I had to come along! I needed to know what was going on, for our tribe's safety! Please, understand!”
The Seviper gazed upon his daughter, thoughtful.
“You are a most troublesome child... Too stubborn for my taste.”
“With all due respect, Father, this characteristic you believe troublesome comes from someone else. And that someone is not Mother.”
The snake hissed with disdain.
“A chief that does not trust his own beliefs is not a good chief!” he replied. “But enough small talk.”
His gaze went back to Twinkiel.
“I will accompany my daughter in this meeting she spoke of. I shall see for myself how much of a threat this war is for the Knife's Edge. This decision is non negotiable.”
“Fine with us, Snake of the Venom Knife.”
Fleedjio approached the group, an awaken Ariala on her back. The dragon had a tall, green shape stuck in his mouth. He opened it and Tornadus fell on the ground, still unconscious.
“Him and Hoopa attacked us last night,” declared Fleedjio. “It was too much for me, and Hoopa got away. Did you you see him go, Twinkiel?”
“Wait what? You were fighting yesterday night? Why didn't you call me?”
“I couldn't. And Ariala gave me a hand anyway. But If you didn't see Hoopa, it probably means that he didn't see you in the tree, or else you wouldn't be here. But then again he was way too wounded to fight anymore.”
“Oh. Well that explains why he decided to play with me instead,” thought Twinkiel, aware of his dangerous situation. His encounter with Hoopa could be interpreted the wrong way if he mentioned it.
Seviper suddenly whistled. A few minutes later, a pack of snakes appeared from the ground.
“Take this despicable green demon in custody,” he said. “And make sure to use enough poison for him to remain paralyzed for the rest of his miserable existence.”
“Yes, Sir!”
The Arboks and Ekans took Tornadus with them and disappeared in the forest.
“Well that's one thing done,” said Twinkiel, speaking for everyone. “Now we've got one more idiot in custody. So, um, Cresselia's probably going to want us to join her, so... Fleedjio? Think you can transport us all?”
The dragon nodded.
“You guys aren't that heavy. C'mon, let's join the rest of the group!”
Twinkiel, Spadassya and her father joined Ariala on Fleedjio's back. With all of his passengers on his back, the dragon took flight, searching for Cresselia and her group.
“By the way... Twinkiel?” asked Ariala, a shy smile on the face. “How... How's the demoness inside me?”
“Oh, you mean Plasmya? Heh... She's lovely. I mean, as long as you like sadistic devils who play around with people just for the sake of watching them suffer, of course.”
The Flaaffy stared at the shocked Clefable.
“She's your polar opposite, Ariala. Where you're shy, she's audacious. Where you're caring, she's cruel. But at the same time, I think you two have something in common. Maybe you could find a way to work together with her. That would avoid future... Problems with her.”
“...I... I see... Well, thank for being honest.”
“Anytime. And sorry for being so brutal. You need to be aware of her evil doings, right? C'mon, let's focus on the next task. We have an important meeting to attend to!”
As the flight continued, Twinkiel let his thoughts drift away as he began to quietly fall asleep.
“...I wonder what Pumpking's doing right now?”

Day A4 1:00 a.m

Ren woke to the sound of humming.

Rising, he drifted over to the tent flap opened it, squinting as dawn's light hit him. As always, Xatu sat, facing then sun, wings apart.

"Good morning."

Ren strode over to the cliff before replying,

"Guess I have to wake up even earlier."

Xatu smiled at this,

"Hey at least your able to watch the sunrise."

Ren shrugged in response and settled down to stare at the sun. His eyes had become accustomed to staring straight towards that furious ball of flame. He still had no idea what Xatu saw in this practice but Ren decided to try it nonetheless.

Soon, the sun rose above the mountains and the sky lightened and morning was upon them, eventually Xatu spoke,

"You know what today will be about right?"

It was more of a statement rather than a question, Ren nodded.

"You are powerful Ren, yet with power comes responsibility. It has fallen to me to help you control your rage and master your power and make sure you don't fall under NO control."

At this the Baziken's features darkened.

"So I'm a tool." He snapped.

Xatu sighed then replied,

"No, you are our future, which is why we must protect you until you are strong enough to face Arceus."

Ren growled at this and stalked forwards,

"Says he who has never known the pain of leaving a family! Why must I do your kind's work? How am I special!"

Xatu only stood there, his tranquil demeanor focused on Ren.

"I know far more about losing things than you could ever know."

Swearing to himself, Ren reluctantly checked his anger. He was talking to a being of obvious power who had been old before Ren was born. Turning back to Xatu, he collected his thoughts and replied,

"I understand that it wasn't your fault I'm here, I just....I don't want to be in this war. I'm not going to fight your fight. From here on out I'm gonna fight to find a way out and to hell with your conflicts."

Xatu nodded slowly,

"I do not approve of your morals but I guess there is nothing I can do to stop you."

Ren shrugged,

"You could always brainwash me into thinking this war is for peace and justice and all that."

"Actually I couldn't."

"Why not?"

"Because it is."

"Shit."

They shared an awkward laugh, then, Xatu beckoned Ren to the edge of the cliff.

"I bought an old acquaintance to help you with...well, you."

Ren now stared as a blue horn peeked over the slope's edge then laughed in amazement as Absol mounted the ridge.

Striding forwards, he embraced his friend then turned towards Xatu,

"You didn't tell me you knew Absol." He said. Xatu just smiled.

"We go very far back."

Absol turned to Xatu, obviously out of breath.

"Of all the places you could have lived." He panted, yet Absol was grinning nonetheless.

"Hey, you used to make this hike in half the time."

Muttering obscenities to himself, Absol pushed through the two and stumbled straight over to the tent before collapsing in a heap inside.

"Yeah I invited him to help you deal with your human memories. Being a human himself, I thought it was only fitting."

Ren nodded, though he no longer smiled. It felt to much like a therapy session and for some reason that troubled Ren.

"We shall start this afternoon. For now, let us be content to watch the Resistance. Or at least let me watch the humans, I simply love how you guys copy the first batch of humans. Get this! Find this! Get betrayed! Kill this! Oh its adorable."

-The Epic of Aegeas, Part 3.1

Day A3, 8:30 A.M.

A large crowd had gathered at the cliff face. When the rosy-fingered dawn came upon the world once more, Luno had guided Aegeas to the place where Aegeas was to leave the gathering. The encampment that Aegeas had taken shelter in looked so humungous with the sun's rays shining upon it, and he was amazed by the complexity and depth of the area, and the way the wide variety of structures looked like....something, though he could not remember it, it began with the Spanish word for "table", though he had no idea what that meant either. He admired the abilities of the Clefable and Clefairy, and wondered how future generations would hold up in such a wonderful place. Aegeas took but a few glances behind himself, though - Luno was in somewhat of a hurry, and very few Clefairy were outside. Luno had explained to him that the Cleffa evolutionary line prefer darker environments, and daylight is like Giga Drain to them. Thus did they continue, until they found the large crowd that had gathered to see Aegeas leave. The place of his exit was a large cliff that extended far down into the desert below, and, though it looked intimidating, Aegeas merely sighed and waved to the crowd.

Hundreds of the Cleffa line had gathered, many of them bearing expressions of sadness seeing Aegeas leave. Aegeas was surprised - he had not expected to have such a reception from the Pokémon. He had assumed that, as an outsider, there was bound to be nobody there. However, it seemed that they held enough respect for him, after seeing him beside the leader Luno and probably one of the few non-Cleffa line members ever in the valley that they were even willing to sit outside in an environment they did not prefer to see him once more. He wore a small smile the entire time, though it was more sheepish than anything. At his best, Aegeas was sometimes introversive.

The cliff was on the opposing side of the mountain as the place where he had come, and Aegeas was curious to experience the opposing environment. However, he could see Luno in the crowd, and lingered a bit longer. Luno was besides his daughter, Artemis, and together, they waved their stubby hands in Aegeas's direction. They stood precisely in the middle of the crowd, squeezed in between the hundreds of Clefairy running about. Aegeas smiled and waved back, and so this occurred, though but for a brief time, until Aegeas felt thoughts not belonging to himself coursing through his head.

I know what you plan to do. I know where you plan to go.

Aegeas's head was blank, trying to destroy any related thoughts to his discoveries of the Resistance. Luno was not supposed to find out, and this disconcerted Aegeas.

Go. Seek them out. Learn. I will support whatever decision you make, warrior.

Aegeas smiled, waved one last time, and saw Luno returning the gesture. Aegeas propelled a Water Gun blast at the ground, and flung himself high into the air. In the smoke and mist, he could see the crowd of Clefable and Clefairy looking in awe as he landed, with grace, on a small rocky region on the cliff face. And so he began his long journey down the mountain, and he felt sad, knowing that his adventures with Luno, the happy-go-lucky leader, and his people, was over.

But that was life, and the most he could do was shrug and move on.




Day A3, 1:30 P.M.

It had taken Aegeas several hours to propel himself down the mountain. The ferocity and angle of the cliff was surprising, even for someone such as him. Nonetheless, he predicted his landings accurately and precisely. Even position he stared at, predicted his initial velocity and direction, and so repeated the tedious process for a long period of time. Once again, he felt as though he knew half a dozen related facts for this particular scenario, but he was unable to procure anything from them. When he had finally arrived at the bottom of the mountains, and was greeted by the ferocious warm air of the Sandaroza Desert, he was taken aback by the sheer heat and force of the winds. He had not expected such a desert to back such a punch, and he was aware enough to know that he needed to continue in earnest. His water powers were often decimated by powerful heat, and, if prolonged exposure such as this were to occur, he knew he could be powerless against whatever may lie ahead.

He trudged ahead through the desert sands, watching as the mountains behind him loomed in their majestic peaks, many covered in fog and mist. It was incredible the height that he had come down from, and this too disconcerted him. He'd expended both energy and time trying to get down from the heights of the mountains, and he knew that would impede him in the journey ahead. Aegeas tried running, but, in the desert sands, his efforts were silenced by the forces of both friction and of the gritty sand's little weight support. Aegeas walked forward in earnest, keeping up such a pace that he knew would provide little expenditure of his energy, and would allow him great support against the sandy dunes. And so he continued for several hours in this manner, conflicting emotions running through his head. He was confident that he had the capacity to survive the entire day in these conditions.

"What then?" he asked, "What happens tomorrow? Or another day?"

Too, he was unsure of the variables he could not pierce together. He had managed to both spend his energy in this process of descending the mountain and was still losing energy from the power of the shifting desert winds. Water-types did not survive long in these environments. However, he decided to put these moments aside, and bury his thoughts within the dustbin of his mind, so that he could not destroy himself in the process in his own panic.

His attention drifted towards his former companions. "What had happened to them?" he wondered. He remembered so many old friends and their accomplices. He had remembered that Absol, his companion. Absol had the mental intuition to save his team from trouble, and was always aware of the slightest factors that could lead into a disaster. Aegeas had always been impressed by Absol's potential, and admired him deeply. Absol had saved his life on more than one occasion, and Aegeas felt it his service to repay the favor.

Then there was the Xatu. Aegeas had never liked him in particular. Xatu was always Absol's friend, and, when Absol joined the team, Xatu came with him. But he was always hypocritical, all-seeing, all-knowing, and disturbing. Aegeas remembered the many days that Xatu had glared at him, peering into his diverse memories, and the way Xatu always criticized humanity. They had too powerful memories to him, and too violent and disturbing ones. Too, they were so manipulative and emotional, and that was what Xatu seemed to preach from day one. Aegeas never forgave him, nor his beliefs, and grew into a vehement opponent of Xatu by the end of the adventure. Xatu seemed too power-obsessed, to willing to pick sides....Aegeas despised him, and that was all he cared for when he thought of Xatu.

Then there was Aegeas's friend, the Tepig with the aspirations of a blacksmith. They had been pulled from the same world together, and were bound to each other as friends and accomplices. From day one, they went out of their way to help each other, and, as brothers, built a powerful bond with each other. He remembered how Tepig had evolved into a Pignite, grew powerful flames, and began to work at forges, crafting weapons of various types. Aegeas used many of these weapons in battle, though he always repaid the favor by assisting the Pignite at his forge or against enemies who sought his power. He wondered what had happened to the Pignite. Last he heard, he'd evolved yet again and had ran off the mountains to make a forge and a home. Aegeas hoped that he was safe - his friend was always rash, cunning, and a physical attacker reputed for strength and ferociousness. Perhaps the forge had tempered his rage? Aegeas did not know, and he stopped thinking of such matters when he ascended a massive dune hill and looked below.

There was a massive cloud of fog beneath, entrapped within a circular valley of sand, that, though it did not exist very high, seemed effective at preventing and negative the influence of the winds above, for only the fog's surface seemed skimmed by winds. This was not normal, and Aegeas knew it - such fog could not possibly exist without there being a source of....moisture. This meant water. This meant sustenance. Aegeas was excited at this discovery, seeing that this large cloud of fog was a great indicator of water beneath, and he wished to find the source at once so as to guarantee himself the capacity to manipulate water for a longer period of time. It could give him the ability to repulse anything vile he encountered along the way, and would allow him to survive for a bit longer within the desert. Perhaps it would be enough to help him escape the desert entirely, and head for the land he wanted to go to, he thought. He, without a second's though, jumped down the sand dune, and fell into the fog of the tiny enclosure, seeking the oasis. Though his expression was grim, his emotions were not.

He landed with a soft thud upon the sand obscured by fog, and, quickly, the fog swallowed up the desert sky above. He stared upwards, but, to his surprise, saw nothing. He'd assumed that, from the displacement that he'd instigated, it would be enough to cause a large portion of the fog to drift away, there by exposing the oasis beneath. He didn't let it bother him, and, instead, breathed a sigh of relief as he absorbed the sensations in the air. He pushed aside negative thoughts, and thought that he was happy, and he was enjoying himself for once. It felt comforting, relieving, and reminded him of a sauna. It was both hot and wet, and relaxed him immensely. There did he stand for a time, enjoying himself. Then, surprisingly, he heard some sounds in the distance. He put a hand to his ear, and looked about him, hoping to capture some aspect of the noises. However, the sounds were not easy to identify at first. They were muffles, grumbles, and the occasional curse. He grimaced warily, and, finally, captured the sounds. They were directly west, which happened to be the same direction that he'd been traveling for quite some time. He put more mental effort into hearing, and, finally, acquired some noises.

"You stepped on my hoof, you buffoon!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Like I can see your little hoof when I can't see my own?"

"Hmm...you're only lucky you're right. We need to find him at once. I have the feeling that we're being watched."

"Yes, exactly, though who's looking? You know who started this fog."

"You know this fog attracts others. We do not want attention on ourselves."

"Fine."

One of the voices was masculine. One of the voices was feminine. This Aegeas took in for a brief time, before he stiffened. He was aware of the identity of the voices, and it surprised him immensely. Both that he knew the speakers, not having seen them in a long time, and who they were, as they were not exactly definable as the "friendly" type. They had both managed to come, and it also gave credence to the idea that this fog was not natural. Aegeas paled slightly, and turned around, hoping to escape the misty valley before he found out who, or what, lay hidden in the fog. Now that he was aware that the being within the oasis, if it was an oasis at all, was likely unfriendly, or at least powerful, the enticing water seemed to be useless to him. Several powerful forces were converging, and he wanted none of it.

That was when the mist rose into the air, having dissipated. Suddenly, the bright desert sun shone on the scene below, and Aegeas was temporarily blinded as the desert heat battered him once more. When at last he had become used to the effects of the heat and the light, he slowly turned around. It was the last thing he wanted to do, as he found out in the next few seconds....



======
To Be Continued.

Mt. Providence
Day A3, Morning

Alek moaned as he woke up. How was he feeling sore from yesterday when all he did was stand there and cast Double Teams?

“And I’m going to be doing more of it today. I should really get some practice in before Sully calls me up.”

Alek summoned a Double Team next to his bunk, watching an identical Frogadier appear next to it.

“Walk.” Alek thought, but the Double Team just stood there.
“Walk!”

The Double Team fell forward onto its face, vanishing.

“Great.” Alek muttered.

“It actually was pretty good.” Vince the Keckleon said from his bunk, having watched Alek.

“No, not really. It needs to be able to move, otherwise it’s no good.” Alek said.

“Oh. Well good luck with that.” Vince responded, rolling back to sleep, his color shifting to match his quilt. Alek however got out of his bunk. He was going to spend the entire day in the training room until he got this right. He grabbed his berry pouch, knowing he’d need the energy. Oran berries had a surprisingly long life before they rotted, and his pouch was chock full of them. He pushed aside the curtain that served as the door to his dorm, and jogged to the training room.

~~~~~

“And that’s the proper method to create a paralyzing poison that won’t damage the central nervous system.” Sully’s alchemy instructor finished. Sully, however, was not paying attention. While it looked like she was taking notes with the ash tipped stick in her mouth, she was really working on developing a mixture of her own.

“Leppa Berries? No, mixture would be too unstable. Damnit. Unless… I could re stabilize it with some Ninetails hairs. But then there would be a risk of the mixture igniting in the drinker’s stomach. But Alek’s a water type. This could work…”

Sully finished her scribbling, pushing the paper aside with her snout.

“Class dismissed.” Her Swallot instructor said. The class stood up from their wooden stools, exiting the classroom. Sully however stayed. She slithered over to her instructor.

“Sir, permission to use the alchemy lab?” Sully asked, saluting him with her tail.

“For what purpose?” He asked.

“To make something you dumbass.”
“I have a mixture I’ve been working on, and I’d like to see if it can be made.” Sully responded respectfully.

“Do you have this mixture written down? I would like to see it first.” The Swallot said.

Sully slithered back to where she’d been writing, stabbing the corner of the paper with her tail and bringing it back to her instructor. He grabbed it with one of his yellow whickers, holding it in front of him.

“This is an… interesting recipe. You don’t plan to drink this yourself do you?”

“No sir. Why do you ask?”

“Because Sevipers don’t evolve. May I ask what you intended this mixture to do?”

“It’s supposed to give a permanent power boost to its drinker.” Sully explained.

“Well, it certainly would. But it may also force an evolution to occur in the drinker.” Her instructor explained.

“What? A potion that could evolve someone?”

“Of course that has a very low probability of occurrence. But still, this solution has a very volatile nature. If a fire type drank this, they could explode. And I can’t even begin to calculate what side effects may occur. I wouldn’t recommend making this private Sully.” The Swallot said.

“Of course sir.” She answered, saluting.
“May I see the recipe back? I’d like to make some more adjustments to it.”

“Yes. I would like to see it once it’s revised.” He said, handing Sully back the paper.

“Of coursh shir.” She said, the paper held in her mouth. She slithered out of the room, into the hall. But instead of heading to her dorm, she slithered towards the lab.

“I don’t make mistakes with my potions. This thing will work. And Alek will thank me for it.”

~~~~~

Alek cast another Double Team, smiling. This one walked slowly forward, but didn’t fall over.

“I’m doing it! It’s working!”

Alek called the Double Team back, chopping it with his hand so it vanished. He summoned another, willing it to run. He watched in satisfaction as it ran forward, running until it fell off the ring, vanishing as it hit the floor.

“Sully will be so proud of me!”

The next couple hours consisted of Alek trying all sorts of Double Team tricks. He summoned three at one time, summoned them while running and leaping as if dodging, and even learned they could mimic attacks. By the afternoon, he had learned to summon a maximum of ten Double Teams, and to have each of them perform individual actions without a constant command of thought from him. He even learned he could control his Substitutes like that, but unlike his Double Teams, his Substitute was a copy of every bit of him, not just his exterior, so he could make it talk.

“Hello Alek. How are you today.” Alek asked his lookalike.

“Oh just great, thanks for asking Alek.” He made his Substitute respond.

“Should I leave you two alone?” A voice asked.

Alek turned and saw Sully (standing?) in the doorway. She had a pouch tied around her neck, something bulging inside.

“Sully!” Alek exclaimed, blushing in embarrassment.
“I didn’t know where you were, so I’ve been practicing all day waiting for you.”
Alek willed the Substitute to disintegrate.

“Good job kid. I take it you learned to control Double Team?” She asked, slithering onto the ring.

“Yes. I can summon ten at once now!” Alek exclaimed.

“Glad to hear. Ready for our rematch now?” She asked, taking position opposite of Alek.

“You bet.” Alek answered. He quickly ate an Oran Berry to restore any strength he might have lost from practicing his Substitute before tossing his pouch aside.

“And if you can beat me, I’ve got a prize for you.” Sully said, removing the pouch on her neck with her tail.

“What is it?”

“You don’t get to see until you win.”

Sully flashed her lethal tail blade, which had taken on a purple hue as she powered up Poison Tail.

“Get ready Alek. This time, it’s the real deal.”

“So you went easy on me in the forest?” Alek asked.

“What? Hell no I didn’t…”

Alek tossed Water Shruikens at her while she was distracted. Sully brought her tail up in time only to block a few, the rest hitting her body.

“Nngh… nice one.” She grunted.
Sully suddenly snapped forward, lunging at incredible speed. Alek leapt aside, tossing more Shruikens. Sully quickly knocked them away before lunging at him again. Alek brought up a Substitute between him and Sully, her fangs biting into it. Alek felt dizzy from the sudden loss of energy, but it wasn’t near as bad as last time. While Sully snapped back from the Substitute, Alek spawned ten Double Teams, disappearing into the group. Sully found herself looking at a crowd of completely identical lookalike Aleks.

“Not bad.” She said.

“Thanks.” Sully heard a voice say. She swung her tail at the nearest lookalike, feeling her blade hit something solid. Alek fell to the ground, her tail having left a large gash in his side, but nothing fatal.

“You probably would have stood a chance if you could learn to keep your damn mouth shut.” Sully said. But suddenly, Alek’s body began dissolving.

“Substitute?”

Sully was too slow this time, as Alek flew at her and bashed away with Night Slash. Sully hissed in pain, swinging around to bite him. Alek back flipped away, hitting her with Water Shruikens as he flew. When he landed on the ground, the old Double Teams vanished and ten more new ones took form around Alek. But they were grouped too close together to be effective, and Sully sliced through the entire group with Poison Tail, this time hitting the real Alek. He grunted in pain as the blow knocked him down onto his back, leaving a cut on his face. Sully leapt into the air, coming down towards him with her fangs open wide. Thinking quickly, Alek created a Substitute on top of himself, her fangs sinking into it.

“Better you than me.” Alek thought, jabbing Night Slash into Sully’s side with both his hands repeatedly. Sully tried to retreat, but her fangs were stuck in the still disintegrating duplicate. Soon she managed to recoil from Alek as the Substitute completely disintegrated. Alek rolled onto his feet.

“Bet you weren’t expecting that.” Alek taunted.

“No… I wasssn’t.” Sully hissed angrily.

Alek felt really scared now. An angry Sully was not something to underestimate. But she suddenly relaxed, laughing.

“Damn good job Alek. No sense in continuing this fight. You win.”

“You’re giving up?” Alek asked, shocked.

“Hell no. I’m just making a tactical withdrawal. There’s a difference.”

Sully slithered off the ring, panting.

“Are you ok? I didn’t hurt you too bad did I?” Alek asked in concern.

“No, I’m fine. Just a little worn out. But a win is a win, so you’ve earned your prize.”

Sully flicked the pouch towards Alek with her tail blade. He caught it, opening it up.

“What’s this?” He asked, pulling out a vial filled with clear, blue liquid.

“Just a little something I whipped up in alchemy. That little beauty will give you a permanent power boost once you drink it. And don’t worry, it’s completely safe. I don’t make mistakes with alchemy.” Sully said.

“I didn’t know you took alchemy.” Alek said, studying the vial.
“I thought you just wanted to be a Stealth Specialist.”

“If I plan to make it as an assassin, I need to get familiar with venoms. Just dip my tail in something extremely deadly, and I can guarantee a target’s death with just a scratch.” Sully said proudly.

“Can I drink it now?” Alek asked.

“Sure. It’s all yours. Just don’t drink it too fast. It’s not the most stable drink.” Sully said.

Alek looked at it with concern, but popped off the piece of cork jammed in its top.

“How did you put the stopper on this without hands? How’d you even make it without hands?” Alek asked.

“When you’ve got a handicap like mine for your whole life, you learn to work around it. Now drink up.”

Alek brought the vial up to his lips, slowly letting it pour down his throat. It had a sort of fruity flavor, with a smoky aftertaste. Once he’d downed it all, he looked at Sully.

“I don’t feel any different.” He said.

“Hmm… guess it’ll take some time before it actually takes effect.” Sully said, trying to keep the worry out of her voice.

“Oh. Well, thanks again for making it for me. And thanks for your tutori…”

Alek stopped, shuddering a little.

“You ok?” Sully asked, unable to keep the alarm out of her voice.

“I don’t know. I feel kind of funny.” Alek said, clutching at his stomach.

“Like stomach ache, or your insides are melting kind of funny?”

“More like Butterfrees in the stomach.” Alek answered.

“Whew, that’s good. I thought I might have done something wrong.”

No sooner had Sully said that, Alek doubled over, collapsing on the floor.

“Alek!” She shouted, slithering over to him. He was foaming at the mouth, gurgling the water he would normally use for attacks.

“Oh Gods. I did something wrong.”
“Alek! Come on, stay with me!” Sully shouted.

Alek shuddered more, spasming on the ground.

“What do I do? I don’t have medical training!”

Sully did the first thing she thought of. She wrapped herself around Alek, squeezing his stomach. He coughed up more water, but none of that blue liquid he’d drunk. His breathing was slowing, his spasms lessening in intensity.

“No, no, no, no!”

Alek suddenly stopped his thrashing, lying still.

“Alek?” Sully asked.
No response.

“Come on. If you think this is funny, then you’re going to have your throat slit.”

Still no response.

“Sweet Arceus, I killed him.”

Sully unwrapped herself from around Alek, looking at his body.

“I need hide him… it somewhere.” Sully thought.
“They’ll never know it was me.”

All of a sudden, Alek lit up in a blinding light. Sully looked away, the radiance too much for her. Sully wondered if maybe the potion was causing him to combust after all.

“Sully? What’s going on?” Sully heard Alek ask as the light enveloped the room.

“Alek? You’re alive!”

“Yes I’m alive! But why can’t I see anything? Your potion made me go blind!”

“No, I think you’re…”

The glow began to die, allowing Sully to finally open her eyes.
“Evolving.”

Alek was still on the ground, but he wasn’t a Frogadier anymore.

“Sully? What did you do to me?” Alek asked, looking himself over. He was taller, his colors had darkened, and his joints had grown more limber. Alek had evolved into a Greninja.

“Alek, I’m sorry. I didn’t think… I mean it shouldn’t have… aww to hell with it. I made a mistake.” Sully admitted.

“Mistake? This is the best thing ever!” Alek shouted, jumping to his feet. He staggered slightly, not used to his new body.
“You were right about that potion being a power boost. Look at me!” Alek shouted with joy.

“Ha, yeah. Guess I was worried over nothing.” Sully laughed, blinking away what had been the start of some tears.

“You were worried?” Alek asked, turning towards her. He put his arms out in front of him to steady himself, having almost lost his balance again.

“Yeah. I don’t need a murder charge on me. I’ve got priors.” Sully said.

“You do? For what?”

“Slicing up people that annoy me.” She said menacingly. Alek couldn’t tell if she was joking or not.
“But I’ve got to admit, you look like you could take on a damn captain. How do you feel?”

“Great. I feel like I could jump up to the ceiling.”

Alek tried doing just that. He didn’t touch the ceiling, but he got pretty close. He landed back on the ground, though this time he couldn’t keep his balance and fell over.

“Just imagine what the New Order could accomplish if you gave every one of the apprentices that potion.” Alek said in awe at the idea.

“Don’t think it would work on them.” Sully said. She didn’t want to admit she made the potion specifically for him.

“So I’m one of a kind? That’s awesome.” Alek said, lying on his back.
“I feel so powerful now. I love it.”

Sully had to keep reminding herself he was still the same age as her. Being a Greninja now, he looked a lot older than he actually was. She wondered if that was a good or bad thing.

“Wait until I tell Felicity. Then I can get sent up with Arthur.”

“Oh come on. You just had the most badass evolution ever, and you want to just walk in a room and show everyone?”

“Umm… yes?” Alek said uncertainly.

“Don’t you know anything about appearance? Who’s going to notice you that way? You need to show your skills off to a crowd.” Sully said, an idea beginning to form in her mind.

“A crowd? How big are we talking?” Alek asked.

“A field full.” Sully answered.

“You don’t mean…”

“Oh yes.” Sully responded. She had an amazing idea. Alek would love her for this.
“You, in the battle course, taking on an enemy team, solo.”

“Solo? But no one’s ever done that before?”

“There’s a first time for everything. I mean look at you. 15 and already fully evolved.” Sully remarked.
“And just think how a captain might react to a performance like that. You’d get assigned to a squad quicker than you could blink.”

“You mean I might get myself on a squad? At only 15?”
The thought amazed Alek. Arthur would be so proud of him.

“Let’s see how much you’ve actually powered up though. Try a Water Shruiken.” Sully commanded, eager to see what kind of devastating power her potion had created.

Arthur stood up shakily, but he seemed to be getting used to his new body. He quickly formed the attack and launched it at the wall. Normally, it would have just dissipated against the wall, leaving a small crack in it. But this time, the Shruiken hit the wall and took a huge chunk off with it.

“Daaamn.” Sully said.
“Kid, you’re going to go places.”

“And it’s all thanks to you Sully. Thank you so much.”

Alek pulled her into a hug. Sully’s eyes widened as a heavy blush formed on her face.

“Alright, let me go.” Sully ordered.

Alek let her go, too happy to notice her blush.

“Ok, I’m on board with this battle course match. I’m going to beat any of the other apprentices easily. No one can boss me around now.” Alek said dreamily.

“Apprentices? No, no, no. You’re not impressing anyone by fighting some apprentices. I’ve got something better in mind…” Sully laughed. She could tell, Alek had gained considerable power. And he was already adapting fast to his change. He was lethal.

“What do you have in mind then?” Alek asked, seeing an evil glint in Sully’s eyes.

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