Young Writers Society

Day A9

Frost

They, he, Shade, and Vex had set up camp at the peak of the mountain. Shade had insisted on the peak, saying the winds would "blow away remorse" and besides, it was good to get fresh air every once in a while. Vex had found a massive drape, probably one of which had hung at the entrance of the mountain, and had laid it out as a rug for Shade. Shade had then begun what he called, "studies". Frost was to fetch him whatever he wished, whether that be food, or an extra cloak, or one time actual medical supplies

"You're a ghost. Its not like a bandage will help you."

Shade had simply grimaced and replied.

"Please get a move on. You wouldn't want me getting frostbite would you?"

Frost had rolled his eyes, but still performed the task. Shade had been conversing quietly with Vex when he'd returned. As he landed, first aid pack in hand, Vex nodded to his pupil, drawn his cloak around him, and jumped face first off the mountain. Frost followed the kecleon's path with some interest until Vex phased through the ground. Frost looked back at Shade, who was beckoning for the first aid kit.

"Where's he going? And why does he have to phase through the ground?"

Shade grinned as he was handed the pack.

"He cant actually go through the ground. He just teleports upon hitting ground so it looks like he's going through it. As for his destination. That's a secret, for now."

"Fancy."

Shade opened the pack. Inside was a roll of bandages and an assortment of berries.

"Now, how do these work?"

Frost inspected the pouch, throwing out the roll of bandages. Something moved next to him and he turned to see Shade's other arm stretching four times its length to catch the roll of bandages. Shade continued inspecting the pouch.

"Everything is put here for a reason Frost, might as well leave it."

"Why?"

"Think of it as doing a favor for these poor bandages. Instead of the cold rocky mountain, they get a warm pouch with sweet berries."

"They don't have a purpose here, they're just taking up space."

Shade sighed.

"Not everything needs a purpose Frost, look at Vex. He's a half mad kecleon who drags around a rug on his back and spends all of his time poking doo-hickeys with a wrench."

Frost sat there, utterly confused.

"Wait, what?."

Shade grinned.

"Surely you've heard of the Tinkerer King of Sazandora? The Mystical Mechanic of The Marsh? The Practitioner of Portstrom?"

"Ok, ok I get it. He makes things, isn't that his purpose?"

Shade laughed at this.

"The Practitioner of Portstrom is regarded as a failure. Vex hasn't made anything useful in centuries."

"Centuries?"

Shade paused.

"Long story. Won't you help me with these berries?"

Frost nodded reluctantly.

"You realize I have no idea what to do with these?"

"Halve the Oran, halve the Yachi, and give me the Enigma berry."

Frost grabbed a ceramic bowl from the bottom of the bag and grabbed the selected berries. Shade gave him a rock.

"For mixing and mashing."

Frost obliged, halving the berries with a psychic beam and mashing them with the icy rock. Soon he had a bowl of assorted berry juice. Shade took the bowl and proceeded to down the contents. He made a face.

"Tastes like delibird crap."

Frost smirked.

"How d'you reckon?"

Shade ignored the question and silence reigned for a minute.

"You know Frost, your story isn't so different from mine."

Frost looked at him.

"How so."

"We both go hand in hand with madness and we've both let this madness consume us at one moment. Yet, just as I have, I believe you will return to yourself, and that plate will come off and we'll defeat the evil it's instilled together."

Frost was silent for a second.

"It isn't wise to deal in hypotheticals."

Shade smiled.

"well well, call me a prophet."

"What?"

"Nothing. Only, your words bring me hope. And with hope comes a beautiful sunrise."

At this, Shade gestured ahead. Through the fog and cloud, Frost could make out slivers of yellow rays peeking over the white mountaintops. Frost let a grin form at the corners of his mouth.

"Well, you haven't convinced me yet Shade. And Arceus willing I'll put up a fight."

Shade laughed.

"Oh you'll fight me 'till the end. I'll see you there Frost."

Twinkiel - Dynamo sparks for Icarus wings

Day A8, 14:37


“Aaaah, Home Sweet Home!” Twinkiel joyously exclaimed upon entering the hideout as the fading morning lights entered along with him and Ariala – who, to her regret, had decided to let go of his paw once they arrived. With their aviary companions still standing on top of their heads, they abruptly stopped, staring at the unexpected chaos before their eyes.

“What do you MEAN already busy?!” Gotias the Machoke shouted to the Vulpix next to him. “Didn't you SEE the damage that blasted vampire did to Belzya?! Heal her already, she's in a bad shape!”

“B-But sir, I have orders to take care of this Maractus first.” Annabelle replied, uneasy. “And I'm not finished treating his wounds.”

“And you can't work on two patients at a time?!”

“Not when they're from two, radically different species. I… I'm afraid I'm not experienced enough yet. I'm sorry.”

“G-Gotias, it's fine.” Belzya intervened. “The lady's right, let her finish her thing and–”

“No! First that Mr.Mime, and now this?! Your wings have been damaged enough! You'll lose them if this keeps up!”

“She won't lose anything if she rests!” Fleedjio intervened, standing before Annabelle and Timmy the Maractus, who was still unconscious. “Twinkiel ordered for Annabelle to heal the Maractus first. Don't blame Annabelle for obeying!”

“Oh right, and because that Flaaffy asks, he gets what he wants?! So, we don't matter unless he wants us to?”

“This has nothing to do with the matter at hand! Belzya is a former soldier of the New Order, trained to survive in harsh situations! Timmy is a regular merchant! And besides, Belzya was attacked while Twinkiel was gone! He had no idea what her state was when he gave his order!”

“Well maybe he should've kept his little vampire in check before doing anything, 'cause there's clearly something wrong with him!”

Fleedjio let a fearsome growl escape his lips. “You don't know what his problem is.” he whispered menacingly. “Not even I do. But the little dragon is under my care, and if you disrespect him any longer, you might just suffer the consequences.”

“Oh? You'll turn crazy too? Is that a thing when you work under a guy like him?”

“Stop it, Gotias.” Belzya intervened. “We don't need to get on another dragon's bad side.”

“Oh yeah?! You think I’m afraid of this kind of threat?!”

As the dispute continued, Twinkiel sighed in the distance. “Bro?” he inquired, gazing at Zulu. “Get our lil' birdie and yourself out of this mess, will ya? I'll calm 'em.”

Zulu gazed at Abby and urged her to fly out of harm's way, doing his best to explain her that this wasn’t a common situation in their lair.

Well, Twinkiel thought to himself. Time for a fake snap.

“Lead the way, champ. References are loadin’ up.”

“HEY, PEOPLE!”! Twinkiel screamed as he approached the group.

“You!” Gotias immediately shouted back. “You're exactly the jerk I wanted to–”

Twinkiel used Electro Ball! Voltek Fleece was activated!

“Begin with The Debate.”



A startled Gotias stopped to stare at the singing Flaaffy. “Wha… What are you…?”

“Debate. Rich. Advantage. High. Tower. Follow up with Booster Tower.”



Twinkiel stopped singing, staring at Gotias expectantly. Seeing as everybody in the room had been petrified by his insane singing and his Electro Ball still stuck in his hand, he proceeded to smash said Electro Ball on the ground, thus activating an unorthodox Electric Terrain.



Gotias kept on staring. “I… I don't… know?”



Twinkiel walked in circles with his paws behind his back, the scowl on his face growing stranger and stranger as his electricity built around his body.



Twinkiel stopped walking and glared at them all, an expression of incomprehensible rage on the face.



Twinkiel raised a finger. “But!


Twinkiel's electricity disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared and he retrieved a serene expression. “We good?” he calmly asked to his silent audience. “We can finally stop these stupid disputes now? We can? Ve-e-e-e-ry good. So! Lemme answer everything.”

“First comes the muscly myth and his bug pal.”

Twinkiel approached Gotias and pointed a paw at him. “No more complains. You're not a tool, and neither is Belzya. Wait your turn and everything will be sorted out. I don't wanna threaten you, so I'll just stop here before I do. We calm? We calm. Movin' on.” Twinkiel pointed at Belzia. “Sorry for what happened. Nobody really knew Zulu had been… Possessed… by this thing of his, so I didn't know you'd suffer from it. He's a dragon though, so Fleedjio should be able to keep him in check for next time. And I'll personally make sure that he succeeds in doin' that. We calm? We calm. Next.”

“After strength comes kindness. Gotta reassure that dragon.”

Twinkiel walked towards Fleedjio. “Thanks for trying to make sense out of all of this, but looks like it's hard to do that for long. You now see why my job's so difficult and why I rely on insanity to resolve a few problems.” Twinkiel smirked. “It just stops people dead in their tracks. Anyway! You keep doin' your job and make sure you catch the right Zulu and don't let the bad one get away. We calm? We calm. Next.”

“Big one’s back in the bag. Small fruits are next. Both.”

Twinkiel gazed at Annabelle. “Don't worry about your experience, love. You'll learn in due time, but for now, keep doin' what I asked you – Belzia comes next. We calm? We calm. Next.” Twinkiel pointed at a wall leading to the other rooms. “You there. The Riolu thinking he can sneak on Twinkiel Thunderfleece and not get noticed. You have five seconds to come out and follow me before I blow you up along with that wall. Five. Four. Three. Two.”

“I'm coming, I’m coming!” Riley shouted from behind the wall, culpability written all over his face. “Uh… S-Sorry I–”

“No-o-o-o-o-o it's fine!” Twinkiel assured. “It's fine. Like I said, insanity stops people right in their tracks, so no worries, 'twas not an actual threat.” Twinkiel smirked again. “Hard to realize that, isn't it? Anyway. I need to talk to ya 'bout something, so come with me. Ariala, you come too. Zulu, you've got an apology to deal with, and as punishment for your… other self's bad behavior, you'll introduce the place to our new recruits. Oh, and Fleedjio? Abby's under your wing too now. I'll help you with that though, don't worry, but right now I got my hands full.”

“No worries, I can handle it.” Fleedjio assured. “I'll fill you in if anything more happens.”

Twinkiel nodded. “Thanks. You need cookies in your life though. I'll explain that expression later. Let's go people! Ariala, Rift, c'mon on.” with that said, Twinkiel marched towards a deeper layer of the cave, placed next to his room. Ariala and Rift were right behind, with the former humming happily as if nothing had happened.

“Job’s done.”

You too, need cookies, m’dear. I’ll try and give some tonight. Or maybe just later in the day. Midway through the corridor Twinkiel stopped and turned back, gazing at an anxious Riley. “So, Rift.” he began. “How's your aura training coming along?”

“Oh, um… I...”

“Take your time to answer, by the way. Lily and I have no reason to judge you.”

“And before you ask,” Ariala intervened, “Lily's my nickname, or so says that mad lamb over there.”

“Okay, um...” Riley took a deep breath. “It's… It's not working so well.” he admitted bitterly. “Look, I've tried, and that Machoke guy–”

“Gotias.” Twinkiel corrected.

“Right. So, Gotias tried to explain me, and Fleedjio too, but… I really have no idea how to see my aura. I mean, I know you told me it was all instinctive stuff in my case, but I… I just don't get it. I'm sorry.”

“Don't be.” Twinkiel said. “No one said you should understand that kind of abstract stuff right away. I had a feeling you'd either ace the whole thing or fail 'cause you didn't get it, as I don't think you're a… 'middle ground' kind of guy. Just an observation, is all. Anyway! I'm gonna help you a bit, or at least enough to get a better image of your aura. The mastering part's still something you gotta do yourself. So, keep followin'! We're going to my personal laboratory, so to speak.”

“Okay. Um, Can I… Can I ask you something?”

“Go for it, man!”

“Are you… Sane right now?”

Twinkiel couldn't help but giggle. “Ah, right. It would be scary if I said: 'let me help you!' while not being sane.” he conceded. “But really, Rift, that's not the real question. I could say yes. But would you believe me if I did? Because I don't think you would.”

Riley frowned. “Did you just dodge the question?”

“No, I'm getting to it. It's just that I know where this is going, and apparently, you don't. Yes, Rift, I am sane. In fact, I'm sane ninety-nine percent of the time. But since you can't read my aura or my mind, I can convince you with logic, but not on a personal level. After all, you're terrified of me.”

As usual when Twinkiel was talking to Riley, he noticed that the Riolu seemed confused. “Okay, lemme clarify this.” the Flaaffy offered. “As I said, I'm sane most of the time. You personally can't be sure of that yet because well, you don't know me. But anyone who knows me and my usual patterns doesn't worry or react much when I'm acting like I'm going insane.” he pointed at Ariala. “That would be why she's still smiling.”

Riley glanced at Ariala, as if noticing her for the first time. “Wait, so… You got everything he was saying?”

“Not everything, no.” Ariala admitted. “But he'll explain me later. He was just mixing quotes he heard in the Human World or this one to sound erratic. If he was really going insane, he'd quote things at a much faster rate, without focus or sense, and he wouldn't be in complete control of his electricity.”

“Yet I formed an Electro Ball without visible problem, and turned it in an Electric Terrain to see if anyone was hiding somewhere.” Twinkiel completed. “Y'know. Like you, Rift.”

Riley's eyes widened. “Oh. It's… the same thing you did during training.” he realized.

“E-e-e-e-yup! And because you've experienced that before, you know this makes sense. So yeah, I was sane, I still am, and I can help ya while being so. QED: I'm a badass actor!”

“But then why d’you act like you’re crazy so many times?” Riley asked. “You could just… stop, right?”

Twinkiel sighed. “Oh, that. Yeah, that’s the insane part. No, Rift. I can’t stop. If I do, I will, without a doubt, go insane. Often. And that, Rift, would be creepier.” The Flaaffy giggled sarcastically. “Kind of ironic, isn’t it? I must act like a madman to stay sane, but people still think I’m insane all the time, so I must deal with it. That’s fine, I guess, since it’s kinda fun to scare people out. Or killing. Killing’s sorta nice! Or singing randomly. Singing’s fun. Quoting, too, I love drama! I… I do… But…” Twinkiel’s smile froze on his face. The joyful expression he put on it slowly, very slowly disappeared to show off something new behind it. He barely felt Ariala’s paw slipping into his, drowning in the frustrated sorrow he held captive deep inside his being every single day.

“…I’m… Tired…” Twinkiel whispered. For a short second, he was a lost child, doomed to call for a companion that didn’t exist. He was an empty shell wandering around to feed himself with something, anything.

“Junior says: ‘Grin and Bear it. When that don’t work… Grin and Smash it.’”



“…Whoo…” Twinkiel sung. “We can own the night, don’t, worry ‘bout a thing…! Don’t worry ‘bout a thing…! Don’t worry ‘bout a thing…” he tapped his foot to the beat of his mind’s music, his spirit coming back to him. “I know we’ll be alright, don’t, worry ‘bout a thing! Don’t worry ‘bout a thing! Don’t worry ‘bout a thing!”

Ariala and Riley hadn’t budged, gazing at him with equally worried eyes. Twinkiel flashed a joyous, child-like smile, eyes sparkling with liveliness. “I’ll be ju-u-u-u-st fine!” he assured. “C’mon, Rift, I’ll take you to the next level, Thunderfleece-style! This way!” Twinkiel marched forward, followed by his two friends.

“Twinkiel?” Ariala couldn’t help but ask. “Are you sure you…”

“Self-feeding machine, Lily.” Twinkiel interrupted gently. “I’m everyone’s cheerleadin’ light bulb, so I don’t really need any other. Enough chit-chattin’ though, I don’t want Gotias to say I’m doing a sloppy job and actually be right. So… Please.” Delicately, he moved Ariala's paw away from his and kept on walking. They reached the end of the corridor and put a paw on the boulder blocking the entrance to the next room. “…Hmm. Strength test today, eh?” Twinkiel commented. “‘Kay then, let’s see…” an Electro Ball appeared at the tip of his tail and travelled all the way to his second paw.

Electro Ball turned into Pulsing Enel Impact!

Twinkiel shattered the boulder with an electric fist, and several sparkling spider nets appeared all around it instead of dust. “Fun fact!” he exclaimed before entering in the room. “Unlike popular beliefs, Twinkiel Thunderfleece doesn’t actually performs move calling all the time. Hi-ho, Moskito!” Twinkiel called. From somewhere inside, a Joltik ran across the room and stopped in front of him, jumping with excitement.

“Hi-Ho! Hi-Ho! ‘Skito says hello, hello!” Moskito exclaimed. “Twin’kay? ‘Twin’kay too, today?”

“Yes, I’m okay! C’mon, hop on my head. And hey, did you grow bigger? Because that’s rad.”

“‘Skito’big! ‘Skito’bigger, ‘ndeed!”

Twinkiel turned back with, the tiny spider comfortably installed on his head. “Seriously guys, isn’t he just the cutest thing ever? Twinkiel asked. “Oh, and yes, he can speak a bit now. Usually in rhymes, for some reason. I think he wasn’t always feral, but he’ll tell me more on that later. Anyway, welcome to my laboratory! What do you think?”

Riley and even Ariala seemed too agape about the place’s state to fully listen to Twinkiel.
His “laboratory” was a simple room like the others: it had a massive pile of straw which served as a bed, and polished rocks as its furniture – in this case, a table. But on top of that, the entire room was filled with shiny blue spider nets and strings of paper, notes, and footprints of both Twinkiel and Moskito. There was even an odd-looking net formation that looked like a humanoid skeleton next to the bed, and an especially big pile of notes placed next to it.
It certainly looked like the lair of some mad scientist plotting to create some a horrible monster.

“Looks spot on, doesn’t it?” Twinkiel commented as they entered. “Didn’t have time to clean up the spider webs with the whole Zulu thingy, so I kind of expected this reaction, actually.”

“It’s… It’s so fitting it’s scary.” Riley said.

“Agreed, and I’m used to the lamb.” Ariala added. She shared an understanding look of concern with Riley, and they both gazed back at the place’s wacky architect, who had already moved towards the bed, humming to himself.

“Don't mind the skull thingy on the side by the way.” Twinkiel warned. “It's a work in progress. I'll need a few parts to test it – and no, I don't mean body parts. Now then! Real talk for a sec here. Moskito, can you close the door please?”

“'Skito'kay! 'Skit'osing, right away!” the Joltik jumped from Twinkiel's head and went on his way, using his nets to reassemble the previously destroyed boulder.

“Thanks, mah man. Now, Rift. What I'm about to show you… Is the unbalanced version of something I planned to save for the exploration in the Hive. You're not supposed to know I can do that yet, so I'd like it if you didn't let it slip or anything, aight? I'm a 'mon of many surprises, and I don't like 'em to spread until they're ready. Sounds fair?”

Riley nodded. “I won't say anything, I promise.”

“Thanks. Just being careful. So! After I'm done with the preparations, daddy here's gonna Enel Impact you. Don't… panic. You already know my electricity isn't just harmful, right? Good. During that move, you're gonna focus on your breathing, and try to remember what you see when you use Foresight – heck, you can even use it to help yourself out. Then, I'm gonna throw in some pulses into you, and it should help you unlock the stuff needed for you to feel your own Aura.”

Riley couldn't help but frown. “Uh… should?”

“I've had some experiences with Pulse Energy before, and it's essentially an equivalent to Aura, as far as I've been told by a master of the craft. So normally, my… energy should be able to link with yours, and you should be able to see both yours and mine. I… would go into details, but it's hard enough to explain already. Just focus on my energy as I release it, and try to see it with Foresight. Then, after the pulses I'm gonna send you, try to see yours. Oh, and Ariala's there because she can heal you with Wish in case something wrong happens. I know, I know: it doesn't sound reassuring. But I wouldn't be a strategist if I didn't plan for worst case scenarios. Now then. Let's begin.”

Twinkiel used Electro Ball! The Voltek Fleece was activated!

The move, about the size of an apple, was much smaller than usual, but seemed charged with much more electricity. It crackled menacingly as Twinkiel approached it from his face. After staring at it for a few seconds, he swallowed the Electro Ball, to Ariala and Riley's utter surprise. Twinkiel immediately compressed both of his arms on his stomach, grunting like a wounded beast.

“T-Twinkiel?!” Ariala exclaimed, taking a step forward. “What are you–”

Still heavily breathing, Twinkiel lifted an appeasing hand, contrasting with the large amounts of sparks escaping from his body. “Third time I'm doing this, Lily, I'm getting used to it…” he whispered. “It's… just the first time I do it without…! Moskito's…! Ugh…!” uncontrollable convulsions shook his entire body.

Gotta release it…! Twinkiel thought to himself as he struggled to even stand. Instinctively, he raised his right leg above his stomach and heavily stomped the ground with it, his right arm following the motion as he took the stance of his favorite Street Fighter.*



Twinkiel used Electric Terrain!

“MESSATSU!” Twinkiel shouted as his electricity spread from his legs to the entire room. It rapidly climbed the walls and reached the ceiling, thus trapping the place with shiny strings of light. Twinkiel himself opened his arms as the Voltek Fleece behind his back whipped the air like an angry snake. The Flaaffy hovered above the ground, overflowing with energy. He was panting and grinning at the same time.

“Okay… Got it.” Twinkiel assured, looking at his arms as if to test they were indeed his. “Ho, Moskito! Gimme a status report after this, will ya? Thanks. Now, ladies and gentlemen!” Twinkiel continued, hovering slightly closer to the ground as he approached Riley. “I hope you enjoy this early version of my new form, Dynamo Twinkiel. Because yes, I had to name this. Not quite ready for the public yet, but its services are still fully operational. Stand still, relax, and use your Foresight on me. Pulsing Enel Impact!”

Twinkiel's electric discharge hit Riley at full strength, and he couldn't help but use Endure in reaction to it. Twinkiel closed his eyes, as he felt the amazing amount of energy pass through Riley's body, mingling with his own. For a split-second, he felt in perfect harmony with his Riolu companion: and upon opening his eyes and locking them with his, he realized that he certainly felt the same thing too. They smiled at the same time.

"So, Riley!" Twinkiel screamed over the noise. "Got anything?"

Riley's eyes widened. "I... I can see!" he exclaimed. "There's... your electricity moving towards me!"

Twinkiel nodded. "And what else?"

Riley frowned. "Some sort of... uh... pulsing... thing?"

"Good!"

Twinkiel used Electro Ball!

"Use your Foresight on my Electro Ball! What can you see?"

Riley obliged. In front of him, Twinkiel channeled more electricity through his tail, pulsing like a giant, visible heartbeat covering the Flaaffy's entire body. A specific chunk of it moving from his tail, to his back, to his right paw. Which had been raised, only to move towards…

“...W-Wait, what are you doing?” Riley asked in a worried tone.

“Hey. I told you to not panic! Focus on that ball of energy you see around my hand. Describe it!”

“Uh… Uh… It's… It's your electricity, and… something else, like before. It looks…!” Riley frowned. “It… It looks… Gentle?”

Twinkiel smirked. “And now?” he gazed at Riley like he'd gaze at a mere bug he'd want to crush. Yes. Crush like he crushed Metal. Crushed like he crushed as many enemies as he could. If he'd get in his way, he'd

“Hostile!” Riley exclaimed. “De-Definitely hostile!”

Twinkiel giggled. ‘Twas definitely enjoyable to see an experiment working so well. It was time to energize the Riolu and

“Joyful!”

Twinkiel frowned. “Yeah, I get it, you can read my intentions, but uh, you can stop now. You should look next to your head instead.

Riley obliged again, confused: around him was a cobalt blue mist, itself circled by a thin layer of yellow light.

"That's your aura, man!" Twinkiel exclaimed joyfully. Though I think I see it more clearly than usual, prolly 'cause we're, um..."

"...Connected?" Riley suggested.

Twinkiel grinned. "Connected." he agreed as he removed his paw from Riley's chest. But his smile disappeared quickly. He lifted his head, realizing that Riley was floating slightly above him.



Riley learned Magnet Rise!

“W-What? Wh-What's happening to me?!” Riley exclaimed, his arms and legs moving in all directions. “Twinkiel?! How do I get down from here?!”

Twinkiel blinked. “Oh, right. Uh… Well actually I don't know how it works for you, Rift.” he admitted. “I think you'll come down on your own. See, you absorbed a bit of my own Pulse energy to use your Aura, and since I’m wearing the Voltek Fleece, you must've learned Magnet Rise while we were… connected. Since Magnet Rise is essentially that thing’s effect. I think we just had a Move Tutor session by accident.”

“I… I can learn Magnet Rise??”

“You sure can, Rift!” Twinkiel assured. He giggled to himself. “Or maybe I should call this form Icarus Rift! Kinda fits, too, since your flight is temporary.” Twinnkiel reached for the ground, his electricity finally dying down. He gazed at Ariala, who was still in front of the door, looking at him with an anxious look. “Lily?” Twinkiel called softly. “Think you can–”

Without even letting the Flaaffy finish his sentence, Ariala lifted a hand. A blue light appeared around Riley and he was flung back on the ground.

“Th-Thanks!” Riley exclaimed, still trying to find his balance as his aura shone around him. Without paying him much attention, Ariala lifted her other arm and flung Twinkiel across the wall, in a much more brutal fashion than with Riley. Twinkiel barely felt the pain, more confused by her behavior than anything else. She approached him, apparently shaking for a reason that the Flaaffy had no idea could even appear within her.
Ariala, for the first time since he met her, was angry.

“Never, EVER scare me like that again!” Ariala shouted, surprising both Riley and Twinkiel. “I thought you were gonna explode or something! You're not supposed to eat your own moves when they're meant to damage other people!”

“…Actually, I learned how to do this from a Plate Guardian I fought back at Greatwood.” Twinkiel quickly explained. “It's called the Aura Boost Skill. Like I told Riley, my electricity isn't just for damaging. But instead of energizing him, I–”

“Then tell me!” Ariala interrupted sharply, her red eyes brimming with rage. “Tell me about that stuff, because Plas…! I'm not always there to cope with your… your… Your mad things! So, do it like with your references! Explain them to me!”

“…The heck does that underling think she is? I don't have to tell her jack–”

Finish that sentence and say goodbye to your cookies. Twinkiel gazed at her. Red eyes. Ariala didn’t have red eyes. Which meant that…

“Hello, Gengar.”

Twinkiel took a deep breath. “Ariala.” he began. “I can't always tell you what my references are beforehand, you know that. But yes, I could've told you about this project before. I usually do. This Aura Boost thingy though… It's a bit special, so I forgot, and I'm sorry for that. I'll tell you all about it later today.”

“...You promise?”

“Pinky swear!”

Ariala couldn’t help but giggle. “I have no idea what this means, but I know you don't have a pinky.”

Twinkiel blinked. “...Oh. Right. I'll… explain that later, too.”

A distant thud made them turn their head: Riley had fallen on the ground, looking visibly embarrassed. “...Uh… Don't mind me, I just… figured out how to use this thing.”

Twinkiel chortled. “Well, well, Icarus Rift already controls his new wings? I certainly don't mind that at all!” he looked at Ariala. “I, uh, would love to follow his example and get back on the ground, though.”

Ariala looked away. “R-Right. Sorry.” she released him from her psychic grip.

“'Skito'lert! 'Skito'lert!” Moskito exclaimed, running from the corner of the room back to Twinkiel's feet. “Tingling, tingling!” he pointed at a series of strings stuck in one of the walls of the room. “Tingling, tingling!”

“My Spider Sense is tingling.”

“Spider Sense… Right! The alarm!” Twinkiel exclaimed. “I totally forgot you already spread a few webs all the way to the main door. Gotta thank Ricardo for his practice tunnels. So, you're telling me we have a new visitor, Moskito?”

“No'new, no'new! 'Skito'lert! 'Skito'lert for Queen!”

“Queen…?” Twinkiel repeated thoughtfully. “You mean Sully? She's here? uh. Guess we gotta greet her then.” the Flaaffy pointed a paw at Riley. “Not you, though. You need to talk to Fleedjio and practice your Icarus Rift thingy – and by the way, keep that name in mind. You don't have to shout it or anything, but trust me: keywords are important for memory.”

“I know.” Riley answered in a confident tone. “Yours is filled with them, right?”

Twinkiel smiled. “Ho, ho. Looks like that trip we shared was a bit more useful than expected. Anyway! Let's move, people!”

With a majestic move of his arm, Twinkiel moved his Voltek Fleece away from his sight and marched forward, with Ariala, Riley and Moskito right behind him. It was time to greet their regular visitor.

Twinkiel – Hurt you bad

Day A8, 14:46

“About damn time you showed up, Flaaffy!”

Twinkiel chuckled at the words as he, Ariala, Moskito and Riley came out of his laboratory. He waved at Sully, though immediately noticed that she appeared… stressed. “‘Tis but a pleasure to meet you again as well, fair lady.” Twinkiel exclaimed. “What’s up?”

“This is no time for your damn jokes. I have a big problem. And you do, too.”

“…Two ‘damns’ in two sentences. Yup, you’re stressed alright. What’s on your mind?”

Sully gazed at Twinkiel’s friends. He followed her gaze. “Rift, you know where to go.” Twinkiel looked back at Sully. “Ariala and Moskito stay, though. She is kind of like my tail, and he… Well, he can make doors.” with that said, Twinkiel walked towards his actual room, where Sully and himself had first talked. Twinkiel moved his tail towards Moskito and threw a tiny spark at him, ordering him to use an Electroweb on the door space. As the Joltik happily obliged, Twinkiel and Ariala sat down, ready to listen to Sully.

“Alek sent me.” Sully began. “He… He says he wants to fight you. To… To kill you. He wants to prove that you’re a liar, that you manipulated me, that the New Order can’t be evil.”

Twinkiel closed his eyes, sighing with exasperation. “Mental age: ten.” he commented. “Alright, just tell me everything in detail, please. What happened exactly?”

Without wasting time, Sully immediately explained everything that happened, from her coming back to Alek to their dispute, accidental fight and his unexpected outburst. Twinkiel remained stoic during the entire story, though his gaze had slowly darkened as she continued. When it was over, he raised up and began walking in circles. “…Moskito.” Twinkiel began. “You can open the door now. Go practice your aiming.”

The Joltik once again obliged, undoing his work without a second thought before running back to Twinkiel’s lab.

“Ariala.” Twinkiel continued. “Get Plasmya ready. I’m gonna need a punching ball soon.”

Ariala nodded. “Purpose?”

“Last minute training, combat experiment.”

Ariala’s eyes turned red as her eternal smile turned into a deranged grin. “No worries, babe. We’re your willing slave, and we’d never mind an order for you.”

“Thanks. And… Sorry.”

Ariala laid a soft kiss on Twinkiel’s cheek. “I said: no worries. Though you better show me the real you some time this century… That’ll be wonderful compensation.”

Twinkiel gazed at her. “…Hello, Gengar.”

Ariala giggled. “Good guess, babe.” With that said, she gracefully bowed and walked out of the room.

“…Hmm. She’s getting bolder.” Twinkiel said to himself, before turning back to Sully. “No reaction?”

“Not really. Starting to get used to you and your damn weirdos.”

“To their defense, they’re not all weirdos. In any case, here’s the plan. First, you tell me everything.”

Sully frowned. “Didn’t I just…”

“No, but I mean, everything about Alek.” Twinkiel corrected. “Everything you know about him. Everything you see in him. Everything you feel for him, be it friendship, love, or just companionship, I don’t care, and most importantly, I won’t waste my time judging you. The point is: right now, I’m not in the mood to spare an immature buffoon, and you, m’dear, are no smooth talker, unlike me. So, I need your view. To both make sure that I don’t kill him, and make sure that I make him snap out of his current… status.”

Sully nodded several times. “Okay… Okay, that makes sense.” she admitted, uneasy. “What next?”

“Next part is: you wait here. For two hours. Then we go and get him.”

“Wh-What?!” Sully exclaimed. “Two hours? What the hell are you gonna do with two hours, pack your stuff and tidy your room?”



Twinkiel grinned. “Sort of. You see, m’dear, we’ve established a long time ago that I’m experienced, clever to some degree, and strong – also to some degree. But this is a Greninja we’re talking about. You don’t know what Ubers are, but in the human world, it’s the highest ranking of Pokemon species based on how powerful they are. Greninjas are among them, and they hang out with Legendaries they can defeat when at their peak of their power. So, don’t expect me to go out there and fight without a plan. That’s why I’m gonna prepare, and you’re gonna wait and not do something stupid like go back to see him or something. He was dumb enough to not give me a time limit to come his way, and doesn’t know how long it’ll take for you to find me and make me come. So, let’s use that.”

“…Damn it, I hate it when you’re right.” Sully commented, the tip of her tail moving around with irritation. She raised her head to glare back at Twinkiel, hissing softly. “One thing though, okay? One more thing before I start talking. If… If you kill him, Flaaffy… If you kill him, you’re not coming out of this place alive.”

Twinkiel’s gaze hardened. “If I kill him, Sully, I’m not even giving you a five second head start. Now then!” Twinkiel moved his tail in front of him. “…For Alek.”

Sully stared at the tail. “If you’re expect me to shake that, I’ll have you know that two ‘mons intertwining their tails means that they’re lovers, especially in my case.” she stated carefully.

“…Fancy that.” Twinkiel commented. “Though in human language, shaking paws mean that a pact or agreement has been made between two pe… I mean ‘mons. You, however, have no limbs. So… For Alek.”

Hesitating for one more second, Sully finally twisted her tail around Twinkiel’s. “…For Alek.” she repeated solemnly.

******

The more he walked, the more Twinkiel felt a silent rage boil within himself. Each step was an excuse for him to release it via tiny electric sparks around his feet. He needed to stick with the plan.

“Hey, Flaaffy. Flaaffy?” Sully, slithering next to him, called with the uneasy tone that hadn’t left her voice ever since she had come to ask for Twinkiel’s help once more.

“Mm?”

“Are you that eager to fight Alek? You’re discharging your electricity all over the damn place.”

“No, I’m not – I actually really want to murder him right now.”

“Wha–”

“I know, I know. Made a pact with you. Not gonna kill him unless there’s really, really, really no other choice – in which case you stop me and try your luck with him again. But that’s why I’m ‘discharging my electricity all over the place’, as you so justly said.”

“But why are you angry?”

Another spark, bigger, came out of Twinkiel’s body as he took another firm step. “Oh, you’ll know soon enough, Rainha. You’ll know soon enough.”

“What the hell is with that nickname, by the way?”

“It means Queen, in my human family’s language. Giving names to people and items I like is an anti-stress thing. And it seemed fitting.”

“…Thanks, I guess.”

“Mm.”

“…What’s your family like?”



“Oh? Interested in the psycho’s backstory now?”

“I basically told you everything I had in store, so I’m pretty sure you can tell more bits of whatever the hell made you a psycho in the first place.”

“Fair enough. Though, uh, the short answer is this world’s war. Nothing changed, I was always the way I am right now. As for my family… My mother is the best among them. She was harsh, unforgiving, but also kind, comprehensive and analytic enough to understand what was needed for me to grow well and loved. She had to play both father and mother because Dad was away. Dad himself was kind of a… How should I put it? An external help you call for when you need advices.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad.”

“Luckily, it wasn’t. I have fond memories of times at his place. As for the rest well, I have a sister… who’s… Well, she can’t live without having males to manipulate and, uh, ‘enjoy life’ with. I didn’t care much for her existence, and she found me strange anyway – mind you, I hadn’t killed or harmed anyone back then, as I hadn’t been forced into a war.”

“Right.”

“And then I have six uncles.” Twinkiel’s face darkened. “I despise them with all my soul, the reason behind that being that when Dad was in need, they chose not to help him. And I couldn’t go see him, because they considered my mother and I outcasts from the family.”

“Huh. Talk about cruel. Why’s that?”

Twinkiel grinned. “Because... We're wanderers. We assimilated customs that didn’t belong to anywhere else, because we mixed them up. Mom did it to survive, and I did it for fun. I was a child, after all. Point is, they figured we’d become ‘monsters’, so they didn’t tell us when dad died, Mom learned it on her own. The last thing I remember before being sent here was that I had drawn something I had planned to put next to his grave. But I can’t remember exactly what it is. That’s the one memory I really wanna figure out.”

“…Is this the part where I say that I’m sorry?” Sully inquired. “Sorry there, Flaaffy, I’m no good with these things.”

“That’s okay, neither am I. ‘Sides, your backstory isn’t exactly, y’know… Happy either. I think mine’s actually happier than yours.”

“It doesn’t sound any damn happier.”

Twinkiel chuckled. “Yes, but I have an advantage nobody else has.” he gazed at Sully. “…I don’t care. Or rather…I can’t care. Fairy tales and cartoons were my closest friends, and I remember them every day. That’s all I ever needed, and all I really need. One day, I’ll find a way to materialize them. I don’t know how yet, but I’ll find a way. And you’ll see. You’ll all see how fun they are. Or… Creepy, I guess. Hmm.”

“…It’s sad.” Sully said, shaking her head. “This entire thing is just… sad.”

“To anyone that isn’t me, it is. But well, it’s like Bowser Jr., one of my fiction friends, used to say.” Twinkiel offered a happy smile to Sully. “Grin and bear it!”

Sully grinned along. "I'll steal that one. Deal with it."

"You're welcome!"

They continued walking until she pointed out a new, uncrowded road to follow. And at the end of it waited a Greninja, arms crossed. A menacing look was stuck on his face, and it became hateful when he noticed the two approaching him.

“About time you showed up.” Alek said in a cold tone, staring down at Twinkiel. “I thought you were just gonna give up and never come here.”

Twinkiel stared back without a word. Aight, let’s review. What do we have so far?

Playing tough. His current persona fits with the data we’ve been provided. Just like with the New Order captains he’s defeated, he’s trying to throw basic taunts at us. He’s using his one experience to try and destabilize us. You don’t change a winning team, after all.

“What’s wrong?” Alek continued. “Meowth got your tongue? Or did you finally realize you were gonna die after lying so much?”

Case in point.

Seems like he hates us by default, too. So, we’ve got a case of ‘blinded by useless faith’, AND emotions. He can’t mindgame us, but we CAN mindgame him. He’s a freakin’ Greninja though, so we’re sticking to the main idea.

“ANSWER ME!” Alek finally exploded, uncrossing his arms and taking a scary step forward. Twinkiel still stared, arms behind his back. He gently moved his paws hidden by the Voltek Fleece, discharging a tiny spark to prepare his guest for action.

Get ready, Moskito. “…If you knew anything about me, Alek, you’d actually be as worried as your snake pal over there.” Twinkiel declared, pointing at Sully, who had moved away to the edge of the road. “You see, I enjoy every second of my battles, to the point where I try my best to enter on the battlefield in the flashiest way possible. It’s usually not as cool as I want it to be, but well, I fancy fun about all else.” A nasty scowl appeared on Twinkiel’s face. “As you can see, I haven’t done any of that. Wanna know why?” before Alek could even hope to answer, a pulsing glow appeared all around Twinkiel, followed by the crackling noise that always announced the coming of a thunderstorm. “Because I’m angry, Alek. Angry at your foolishness. I also realize that I need just a few emotions to deal with yours, AKA I need to fall to your pathetic level. Well, except for one thing.”

“Oh yeah? And what’s that?”

“...I’m not gonna kill you. I’m just gonna hurt you really…” Twinkiel raised his right leg above his stomach and heavily stomped the ground as his right arm followed the motion – thus taking his favorite battle stance.

Twinkiel used Electric Terrain!

“…REALLY…!”

Then, Twinkiel fell on all fours, with the natural lamp at the tip of his tail shining brightly above his head. “…Bad.” Name?

Kuma stance.

Akuma = devil, Kuma = bear, and we’re on all fours. I like it. Stance review?

Easier for Guest Moskito to aim. Easier for us to use the Tailamp at its full potential and destabilize enemies. Easier time channeling electricity through tail/body than limbs. Sacrifice: most of the currently established Enel-moveset, unless Voltek Fleece is used accordingly.

We’ll be fine.



Twinkiel rapidly crossed the distance between Alek and himself, then proceeded to hurl himself towards him. He opened his mouth and fired a Thunderbolt at his foe, who simply sidestepped. Expecting the move, Twinkiel moved his tail on the side, trying to grab Alek as he passed. Alek jumped over the tail, preparing Water Shurikens to punish the failed assault. To his surprise, Twinkiel turned around in mid-air and unleashed an ElectroWeb with all four paws, which finally hit him, slightly lowering his speed in the process. Twinkiel put his feet back on the ground – he silently thanked the Voltek Fleece’s hovering function once more as he did – and pushed the web towards him, thus forcing the captured Alek to smash himself back on the ground. Without wasting time, Twinkiel put a foot on the enemy’s belly and raised a paw above his head.

Stance change: Akuma Stance. Successful.

“Enel Impact!”

The modified Thunderbolt turned into Twinkiel’s signature move and engulfed Alek. But his body disappeared in a puff of smoke right after the shock.

Substitute data: confirmed. Experience Match: iStudying’s Greninja. Highest Probability: close-range back hit.

Alek used Night Slash!

Twinkiel used Cotton Guard!

Even with the Cotton Guard around his skin, Twinkiel was flung forward, falling face first against the ground. Our instincts were correct. Status report.

Mid damage, even with Cotton Guard. Careful, careful.

And Alek?

Substitute + ElectroWeb. At least a quarter of his battle endurance is gone.

Twinkiel rapidly turned back and was greeted with a flurry of Water Shurikens. He fell on all fours again and raised his tail high above his head, as if aiming at the sky. “Enel Burst!” with that said, he released a Thunderbolt upward. It had engulfed his entire body, thus acting like a powerful shield. Although the Shurikens were destroyed upon touching the electric outburst, Twinkiel found himself facing multiple versions of Alek, staring at him with their arms crossed.

Guests status report.

Moskito wasn’t hit by the Night Slash. Plasmya is still inside the shadow, waiting for Emergency Sludge Bomb order.

Good. Banter time. We’ll scan the field ‘til we find the real one in the meantime. Twinkiel sighed, scratching his head with his tail. “Really man?” Twinkiel exclaimed, faking annoyance. “You get into an argument with your bestie, so you decide to hang out with copies of yourself instead? I know you’re a ninja and all, but the scarf-tongue make-out sessions look kind of overkill here, not gonna lie.”

“…Gross.” Alek muttered, visibly angered. “You’re so gross. Is this what I’m supposed to look for? Leave the New Order and make friends with criminals like you?”

Twinkiel grinned. Ho, ho, that kid wasn’t gonna win that kind of battle with Twinkiel Thunderfleece. “No, you’re supposed to look for the bigger picture, a new point of view and the brains to see below the cover of a dusty book.” Twinkiel immediately replied. “Here’s an example.”

Electric Terrain fading. But natural electric impulses detected.

Twinkiel pointed his tail somewhere on his left and fired, to the real Alek’s surprise. The Greninja leaped away, appearing in front of Twinkiel. The latter discharged a few sparks on his back.

Moskito, NOW!

Invisible between Twinkiel’s fluffy neck and the Voltek Fleece, Moskito fired an ElectroWeb just as Alek was inches away to hit Twinkiel with another Night Slash. He was pushed away and his speed was once against reduced. It was his turn to bite the dust, to Twinkiel’s relief.
It was expected, but still: that Greninja was fast.

“You were so focused on the disgusting side of my sentence that you missed two important things.” Twinkiel said, walking towards him and abandoning his previous stance.

Electric Terrain has faded.

Okay. Banter time. Moskito’s warmed up in case I lack power. Stay sharp. “Number one,” Twinkiel continued, hands behind his back as he stared down at Alek like a masterful teacher, “your voice gives away your location, as your clones don’t mimic sounds. Number two…” Twinkiel pointed at Sully with his tail. “I know that you had an argument with Sully and mentioned it in my previous provocation. Use your brain for a sec and try to guess what that means.”

Slowly but surely, Alek got back on his feet, staring at Twinkiel with careful eyes. “…That she trusts you, apparently.” he spat in a bitter tone. “I guess that’s fine, since you’re both violent killers.”

Twinkiel didn’t need to look at Sully to hear the shocked gasp, and had no trouble imagining the sadness of her face. He stomped the ground with his feet as a huge amount of electricity covered his body. Alek immediately fell back, ready to throw another series of Water Shurikens.

Electric Terrain successfully created, and partially masked with outburst. Must hide it. Must fully hide it. Get angry.



“Your imbecilic mind DISGUST me on SO MANY LEVELS!” Twinkiel shouted. “How can you be so, freakin’, BLIND?!”

“Blind to what?!” Alek shouted back. “I’m not blind to your lies, that’s for sure! Your talk about the New Order being evil may have convinced Sully, but I’m not buying it! Tell her the truth! Tell her the truth about–”

“YOU’RE MISSING THE DAMN POINT! GOOD LORD, this, is why I always hated mindless heroes!”

Alek seemed taken aback. “What are you–”

“Forget the New Order! Forget the Resistance! Forget everything for now and focus on what matters, and that’s Sully! She threw away the safety of her mission, her safety as a being, for you! She came to me, a psychotic stranger, at the risk of losing everything, including her job as a member of the New Order for your moronic sake! She left you shortly after to try and assassinate me, partly because of how dangerously close I had come to take your life and screw up your mission! She even told me everything about her and how she sees you afterwards to make sure that I’d know enough to not kill you here and now!”

Alek’s eyes slowly widened. “She… She… did?”

Twinkiel took a menacing step forward, glaring at Alek. “You wished for power? She made you evolve. You wanted company? She narrated her life for you. You wished to make your beloved New Order proud? She saved you from those in it violent enough to attack you, then accompanied you to this hellish place just to make sure you could complete your mission. And you dare…! You DARE to assault her and send her away like she was a meaningless pebble?!”

“…I…!”

“Hero or villain, RESPECT YOUR ALLIES, DAMN IT!” Twinkiel interrupted, his electricity reacting to his passionate shout. “You know her enough to realize that she’s not convinced by just anyone. So, if I convinced her, if what I told her sounded true enough for her to trust me to this point, you can’t even give her the benefit of the doubt? You trust the golden cage the New Order gave you more than the ‘mon who made you strong enough to thrive in it?” Twinkiel’s anger seem to suddenly vanish as his expression changed. “…You disgust me.” Twinkiel concluded in the coldest, most heinous tone he had in his collection.

The last insult seemed to trigger something within Alek. He opened his mouth and released an unstoppable stream of water at his foe. Seeing the attack coming, Twinkiel once again took his Kuma Stance and released an Enel Burst-type Thunderbolt. The upward stream of electricity, powered by the Electric Terrain, was strong enough to stop the attack.

“WHAT DO YOU KNOW?!” Alek shouted before firing another Hydro Pump, once again stopped by an Enel Burst. “What do YOU know of the New Order?! We’re trying to make things right, and you’re trying to make us look like tyrants wanting to take over the world! But that’s what the Resistance, people like you, want! And that’s exactly why you should be stopped!”

“And they fed you, sheltered you when you needed it,” Twinkiel completed, “taught you how to defend yourself, and how beautiful a world would be if it was united?”

Alek’s eyes once again widened. “How…?”

“Because Sully said the same exact thing – as in, literally the exact same words. Because you were both brainwashed the same way. And what I said to her, I’ll say it to you, too, but in another way. You haven’t met Hoopa, but you fought against the New Order’s captains.” Twinkiel’s smile grew larger. “You saw it, didn’t you? You saw how much they wanted to defeat you. To kill you. To prove to you that you weren’t superior than them. You even had to kill one of them to make him stop with that exact same Hydro Pump you’re using against me.”

Alek’s gaze became terrified. “SHUT UP!” he fired a panicked Hydro Pump. But Twinkiel, slowly crawling towards him, used his Enel Burst to counter it, and was sent a few steps back – though luckily, his Kuma Stance allowed him to keep his balance more easily. Relentless, he continued his advance, and his speech.

“You’re acting the exact… same… way.” Twinkiel declared in a deep tone. “Trying to harm, to kill those who don’t agree with your views. Trying to murder those you hate for reasons related to your personal emotions instead of your brain.” Twinkiel summoned another Enel Burst, countering a third Hydro Pump.

He’ll run out of PPs soon. Five Hydro Pumps available. Two left.

I know. We’ll bet on Static to finish this. I have EnelStinger as an alternate solution. “You asked me what I know of the New Order?” Twinkiel continued. “I know that they hire guys like Darius to deal with people like me. I know that Darius had slaves that I had to free, and that the New Order let him have them in the first place. I know that they have Kyurem on their side, the very same Kyurem who eats frozen ‘mons for breakfast to try and fill his inner void. I know that when I participated in the Greatwood conflict, Zapdos was there to murder a tribe that was completely neutral before the New Order appeared. Oh, and did I mention? You also have Thundurus and Tornadus on your side, too. Wanna know what they do to harm the innocent? Or maybe you’d prefer to hear about Darkrai?”

Alek fired another Hydro Pump. This time, Twinkiel dodged it and hurled himself at Alek, pinning him against the ground with his paws. “Now them, allow me to return the question to you.” Twinkiel exclaimed. “What do you know? Not only of the New Order, but of the world? What have you seen, outside of your golden cage? What have you seen of the people’s opinions of your so-called ‘attempt to create a better world?’ You have done nothing, and you dare tell me that I’m a criminal, when you haven’t fought even a quarter of the battles I had to deal with, alone, afraid, fighting for my life and forced to evolve as quickly as possible to keep up with the war!”

Alek opened his mouth again, but this time, Twinkiel fired a point-blank Enel Impact, cancelling Alek’s desperate assault. “What kind of a world can you create… if you can’t even trust the friend that gave you everything that made you who you are?”

“SHUT UUUUUUP!”

Alek used Night Slash! It’s a critical hit!

Twinkiel used Cotton Guard!

With using both arms, Alek performed a powerful Night Slash and pushed Twinkiel aside. Though the Flaaffy managed to keep his feet on the ground, Alek immediately raised up and unleashed Night Slash after Night Slash, screaming desperately as Twinkiel put his arms forward, blocking the attacks.

Electricity discharged?

More than enough to wait for the Static. Keep enduring.

Alek took a deep breath and unleashed his last Hydro Pump. Twinkiel was pushed far away, but managed to retrieve his Kuma Stance and used an Enel Burst to avoid going too far. He fell on his knees, his head spinning. In front of him, Alek had attempted to run in his direction. But to his surprise, his legs went numb, and he fell on his knees as well.

Alek had been paralyzed.

Twinkiel unleashed his trademark evil laugh before raising back on his feet, grinning with utmost glee. “This is nothing.” Twinkiel exclaimed. “Nothing compared to Gotias’s Hammer Arm. Nothing compared to Kyurem’s Outrage. Nothing compared to falling to my doom with Thundurus. Nothing compared to the Greatwood War. Nothing compared to Darius’ Super Needle. Nothing compared to Mumbles’ resilience.” Twinkiel raised from the ground, opening his arms and taking a deep breath. "I am awake.” he declared. “Aware, and awake. Scared, too, so scared that my heart’s beating like crazy. But I’m awake, and my brain is functioning at way more than one hundred percent. I have you to thank for that.”

Alek’s body began shaking. “Y-You’re a monster…!”

“Says the evolved lab experiment freshly sent out in a mission he had no idea how to deal with.” Twinkiel replied as he stomped the ground, creating a new Electric Terrain in the process. “One more thing, before I finish this. You fought to protect your childish belief, after casting away the only friend who could give you support. But me?” Twinkiel tapped his foot on the ground twice. Plasmya came out of Twinkiel’s shadow, grinning down at Alek. Then, Moskito appeared on Twinkiel’s shoulder, staring at the Greninja with curious eyes. “I have a cause, people to fight for, and people to fight with. In other words, big boy…"

Spoiler! :

Twinkle Time

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"...I FIGHT FOR MAH FWENDS!”

…Smash Bros Ike reference? Really?

Don’t ruin this, it’s perfect.

Twinkiel used ElectroWeb!

Moskito used ElectroWeb!

A first ElectroWeb encircled the weakened Alek, followed by a second. The Greninja’s paralysis prevented him from moving away. He was also far too weak to create a substitute and get out of his unfortunate situation.

“Prepare yourself!” Twinkiel said as he raised a paw and created an Electro Ball. Looking down, he located the single thread Moskito had left for him. It led directly to Alek’s electric cage, just like they had practiced. “Enel…! STORM!” Twinkiel shouted as he slammed his fist on the thread. The Electro Ball travelled through the net and reached Alek before detonating, releasing a huge display of spinning electricity in the process. Alek fell on the ground once more, his body shaking uncontrollably.

“Alek!” Sully couldn’t help but scream, slithering her way to the battlefield. She moved her tail towards his head and lifted it, using it like a pillow for him to rest on. Twinkiel and his team also approached the defeated Greninja. The Flaaffy sat on the ground, tired, but satisfied. Moskito climbed on his head, and Plasmya stood next to him.

“Twin’kay?” Moskito inquired.

“Yes, and partly thanks to you.” Twinkiel replied.

“’Skito’ppy! ‘Skito’ppy Twin’kay!”

“…Gosh, and I’m just happy you exist for me to cuddle you in the near-future.”

“Allowing me to watch that awesome firework? You deserve hugs too, babe.” Plasmya commented, nodding to herself.

“Thank you, and you’re welcome.” Twinkiel giggled.

“You… You didn’t kill him, right?” Sully couldn’t help but ask as Alek’s body finally relaxed.

“Nah, he’s just unconscious.” Twinkiel assured. “And with Electric Terrain still on, he should wake up any second now. Oh, and um, by the way. Rainha?” a rare smile, filled with childish happiness, decorated Twinkiel’s face as he gazed at Sully. “…You’re… you’re admirable, you know?”

Sully was taken aback. “I…”

Alek indeed opened his eyes as he gasped for air, with Sully’s worried face appearing in his sight.

Don’t… Let up.

I perfectly remember how Piccolo’s surprise attack went on Goku. I’ll stay on guard. “Welcome back to the world of the living, big guy!” Twinkiel said in a joyous tone, unfazed by Alek’s head rapidly turning in his direction. “Like I promised your snake pal, I’m not gonna kill you. So then! Now that you ran out of Hydro Pumps, are paralyzed and defeated, and had the rage-filled battle you wanted, can we finally communicate phrase to phrase, and not phrase to fist? I can prove essentially everything I said if you just let me, I can answer all the questions you may have peacefully, and I think I made it clear that if you still don’t wanna trust me…” Twinkiel pointed at Sully. “…Then please. At least trust her judgement, darn it. Anyway… My associates and I shall await your decision. And react accordingly.”

“For the record?” Sully commented, visibly relieved of a huge weight, “’Fighting for your friends’? That was pretty damn cheesy, Flaaffy.”

Twinkiel chuckled. “Oh, shut up.”

Flurry | Tumbling Down Under | Day A9, about 8 in the evening

The desert was slightly more bearable at night. Then, the sand chilled, and the sun stopped being so absurdly hot, and the red remnants of sunlight glittered over the tops of the sand dunes like mood lighting at a fancy restaurant.

As Garchomp led the negotiating party to the center of town, Flurry allowed herself a sigh of relief. Finally, she could make herself feel cold for more than two seconds. And yeah, the miserable heat had helped her avoid some of her memory threads, but it also had not been fun repeating the words 'too hot' in her head over and over again.

"So you see," Garchomp was saying just as Flurry decided to listen to the conversation, "we would love to have you all. This is a trading post, of course. The more people the more profits. But we don't have enough water for all those pokemon."

"It is only one night," Landorous pointed out.

Flurry sure hoped they were only staying one night. She had heard rumor that the Trading Post marked the last stretch of desert, and then they would only have a few more days before the journey was over.

"Yes," Garchomp agreed, "but you have great numbers, and you have been in the desert for a few days."

With a stuttering step, Flurry leapt to keep pace with the group. She wanted to stroll, like she had in Frostpoint, and just explore at her own pace. All these big pokemon moved too fast.

The party continued on, arguing numbers and liters and handfuls, until reaching a tower in the center of the post. The building rose like an obelisk, but a bell hung in a room at the top, and its dark silhouette looked like something out of a western.

Before entering the tower, Raikou lowered his head so Jewels could remove Shaymin from his head.

"Wait, what's going on?" Flurry asked.

"You really don't care about anything official do you?" Jewels asked, grinning.

"It's boring," Flurry said, because official things were boring.

Raikou let out his thunderous laugh and nudged the point of Flurry's head-hat. "You four are going to explore a bit. We might not be able to negotiate shelter, but we should still be able to purchase some limited supplies."

"Oh, we're doing price comparisons," Shaymin groused. "Why do you guys always give me the lame jobs?"

Claiming the negotiations as an excuse, Raikou left that query unanswered and turned to follow Garchomp and Landorous up into the tower. Shaymin stuck her tongue out at his back.

"Maybe they give you the lame jobs because you act like you don't like any of the cool ones?" Demetrius guessed, watching as Jewels set Shaymin on the ground. He earned a solid and not-very-intimating glare for that comment.

"Sorry," he said.

"I'm not," Flurry said. "I like shopping." She got the glare next.

"For your uncalled for comment, Demetrius," Shaymin declared, "you get to carry me next."

Immediately, Demetrius's face twisted into dispair. Sure, he could probably handle her for a short walk, but price comparison involved a lot of walking back and forth. "I-I mean I guess that's-

"Don't let her bully you, Demetrius," Jewels said. "We can all walk on our own." She crossed her arms and looked about the square. "Why don't we start by looking at this well? Garchomp said there was a slight water shortage."

Flurry didn't remember that. Granted, she didn't remember anything of the pre-negotiation conversation, but still. A water shortage sounded important. She waddled along behind Jewels and Demetrius, vaguely curious about what the inside of the well looked like. For one reason or another, she couldn't conjure up an image of what she might see.

When she hit the well, she realized that, of course she was too short to look in. Jewels could see over the top just barely, but only because her eyes were higher up on her body.

"It does look pretty dry," Demetrius said. He had his head inside the well's mouth, and his voice sounded echoey from there.

"How deep is the water?" Shaymin asked, scratching her ear like the bored hedgehog she was.

Demetrius gave a long pause. "I'm not sure? It looks pretty deep though."

"It's also pitch black at the bottom," Jewels pointed out. "We could drop a rock down and count how long it takes to hit the bottom?"

"Does that trick even work?" Flurry asked.

Crouching down to pick up a sizeable pebble, Jewels stood upon her tip toes and nudged Demetrius out of the way. "Sure it does, if you use the right math. We can say the downward acceleration is about ten meters per second squared, just for mental math's sake."

"I don't think I took physics," Flurry said, eyes wide.

Demetrius mirrored her look of awe. "Neither did I."

"I can fly without it," Shaymin said. "So who cares?"

Obviously, everyone but Shaymin cared, but no one said that. Instead, Jewels dropped the rock, and Demetrius stuck his head in back the well and started listening. After an uncomfortably long time, he pulled his ears out and shook his head.

"I couldn't tell what was the hit and what was just the air moving around," he said sheepishly. "Sorry."

Shaymin let out an exasperated groan. "Ugh," she said. Then she reared up, sank her itty bitty claws into Flurry's hat, and hauled herself up.

"Ow!"

"Get closer to the well," Shaymin grit out. She swung her weight towards the well, and Flurry just about toppled. The only thing that stopped her was the force of her cone hat hitting the stone well.

And of course, that same force threw Shaymin into the well.

General Interlude:
Secret Base

A cold wind began to blow, helping with a wave of its gentle push the slow movement of gravels that paved the way towards a secret, dark cave.





A sudden apparition disturbed the tranquillity of the place: it was but an echo of a grave voice that sung joyfully, approaching the cave in a jolly fashion – with dancing steps, and a flickering light hanging behind the figure’s back.



The light grew closer and the breeze hushed, as if politely stepping out to allow the new figure to pass and proclaim its wish for fun.



A sudden flash enlightened the walls of the cave, revealing the familiar figure of a bipedal pink sheep with a flashy yellow fleece cape decorated with electric blue stripes over its shoulder. The creature continued its march as the tip of its long tail emitted its glow across the cave.



Twinkiel spun around as he reached the refrain of his wonderful song, lively as could be.



Letting out a happy sigh, Twinkiel stopped his song and turned around, a grin plastered on his face as he stared into oblivion. “Stop the music!” Twinkiel exclaimed. Then, he frowned. “No, like, stop the music. Like, the music that’s playing right now. Pause it, it’s gonna distract you – unless, of course, you can handle its catchy nature and my awesome being at the same time. I’ll give you a few seconds!”

Twinkiel tapped his foot on the ground and, seconds later, waved his hand. “We good? Okay. Hello there!” was his greeting. “That’s right, I’m talking to you! I’ve finally gone full Deadpool and broke the Fourth Wall myself, too!” Twinkiel frowned again, scratching his head. “Well, more like, I joined the club of many characters that did that before him and I, but hey, he’s among the famous ones, right? Gotta give some reference for y’all. Oh, and speaking of clubs, welcome to ours! And I say 'ours' for two reasons.”

Twinkiel raised a paw. “First, because let’s be honest – I’m confident, but not pompous enough to say that it’s my club, as this ain’t my story. Second, because, quite simply...” Twinkiel’s grin grew larger as his took his Akuma Stance, stomping his foot on the ground to activate an Electric Terrain. It lit up the entire cave, and especially its entrance – where other familiar figures stood proudly for him to introduce. “...It's dangerous to go alone – so, take this!” Twinkiel concluded in a singing tone before turning towards his companions – the Humons. “WHAT’S UP, FOTHERMUCKERS?!”

Jewels’ smile disappeared, replaced by a frown. “...Fothermuckers? Really?”

“Look, Mommy, you either let me have fun, or we’re getting an +18 tag ‘cause I’m that unrestrained when I don’t."

Jewels pointed a menacing finger at the approaching Twinkiel. “Call me that again and I’ll slap your face off.”

Twinkiel gazed at her with serious eyes. “Mommy. I said: Mommy. Slap my face off if you wanna. But you’re my Mommy.”

Jewels found herself taken aback by the declaration, and so was the rest of the crew. “That’s… cute, and all, but find something else, please, I’m not old.”

“Then Mãe. Means the same thing in my family’s language, except you won’t recognize as that because this ain’t no English.” Twinkiel chortled. "And also I'll be among the only ones able to pronounce it - readers will have to google it."

“...Fair enough. You get to live another day.”

Twinkiel smirked once more. “I’ll try to use it wisely, Mãe. Now, come on in, people! We’ve got some catchin’ up to do!”

The ten Humons directed themselves towards the bottom of the cave. In the middle of the circular room – which looked dark green, a side effect of the artificial lighting – rested a giant stone table with wooden chairs placed all around it. “Normally, they should be big enough for everyone to sit on ‘em.” Twinkiel said. “So don’t worry about the–”

The light suddenly went off, plunging the entire room into the darkness.

“...Size.” Twinkiel finished, sighing. “Yeah, forgot I started my Electric Terrain outside, so, can’t reach inside for long. Talk about half-baked comedy. Uh, guys? There’s an item box over there, could I have some help lighting up the torches? I’ll, uh, set up a commercial break in the meantime.”





“There we go!” Twinkiel exclaimed, sitting alongside his companions. “That’s more like it.” He gazed around him: Aegeas was sitting on his left. Going from Aegeas the Dewott’s position were Bloodmoon the Zoroark, Frost the Victini, Ren the Blaziken, Jewels the Gothorita, Gabriel the Riolu, Flurry the Snorunt, then Riley the Riolu, and finally, Zulu the Noibat, sitting on Twinkiel’s right.

“You can Google their species in case you forgot what they look like.” Twinkiel whispered into oblivion. “So, y’all!” Twinkiel exclaimed joyfully. “Long time no see. What’s going on in your neck o’ the woods?”

“...You’re the host.” Ren muttered. “Shouldn’t you be the one to start?”

Twinkiel blinked. “Hostile tone aside, I legit just thought I had spoken too much already and should end my turn.”

“Well, at least you are trying to be courteous.” Aegeas reasoned politely. “But I believe Ren’s point to be fair, as it was your idea to organize this meeting.”

“We’re all scattered in groups anyway, so, we’ll all get to talk a bit, right?” Zulu inquired.

“Hrrm… Welp, as long as y’all don’t mind...” Twinkiel complied, shrugging nonchalantly. “Okay! So, uh, my neck o’ the woods. Well, like Zulu said, we’re locked in the same adventure, him and I – along with Rift. Yes, I can Riley Rift, because why not. The last thing I remember doing was fighting this Greninja dude from the New Order. He’s pretty strong, but he’s basically a child in an adult’s body. The reason why I’m fighting him is because I fought another New Order member – a Seviper girl named Sully. This Greninja, called Alek, is her partner, and he doesn’t believe that we’re actually not really evil, so yeah, had to convince both of them.”

“Do you fight all the time?” Flurry interrupted, a frown covering her face. “Because I think we first met you after you finished a war or something?”

“And that was right after we fought Kyurem with Celebi’s help.” Frost mentioned, chuckling softly.

“Yeah, which funnily enough is the last good memory I have of you, Mr.Shiny Backstabber.” Twinkiel retorted, childishly pulling out his tongue.

“You’ll discover my reasons eventually.”

“And it’s probably going to be in a fight, too.” Twinkiel added as they both nodded to each other. “But to answer you, Flurry,” Twinkiel continued, “Uh, yeah, I… basically fight all the time – and when I’m not fighting, I’m plotting for… Things. It’s not my fault, though: I think trouble just likes me. I only met these two New Order people ‘cause we were trying to help them not die – then we realized we were on opposite sides.”

“Yeah, but didn’t you, threaten their lives in the process?” Riley inquired, grimacing as he remembered the scene. “They wouldn’t have attacked you if you hadn’t, I think.”

“I mean, they would’ve, ‘cause they’re from the New Order, want the Hive Plate, too, and would’ve therefore attacked us eventually.”

“There’s no denying you’re a creepy jerk when you want to be, though.” Jewels intervened, sarcasm in her tone.

Twinkiel raised an eyebrow. “...You do know I take that as a compliment, right? Because that implies I can control it – which you know I can.”

“Controlling one’s ability to strike fear into enemies is rather useful, indeed.” Aegeas approved, a light smile on the face. “Though I’d rather not use it myself.”

“Eh. To each their own style.” Twinkiel said. “But yeah anyway, right now, we’re working on opening a bar of some sort called the Last Exile, which we’ll use to gather some info on where exactly the plate is, and also gather some interested folks for an expedition a the Hive – since apparently, the place is much larger than a regular Mystery Dungeon, so, we’ll need all the help we can get – yes, even though some of these people are total criminals, but well, we don’t really have a choice.”

“Yeah, and you wanted me to fight in this bar,” Riley added, “but now I don’t have to live with the idea that I’ll spend my days fighting random criminals, since you found an NPC to do that for me.”

“I mean, you would’ve gained a ton of EXP points with that, Rift, but eh, Gotias’s got the initial experience to begin with, so, lucky we met him.” Twinkiel admitted. “Oh, uh, Gotias’ the NPC, by the by. A Machoke, and the first opponent I defeated.”

“Yeah, and he’s even got a Venomoth partner I’m training with!” Zulu added with enthusiasm. Then, his face darkened. “...Oh. And then, um… I think I… attacked her.”

“Oh yeah, little bat demon here’s got a second personality.” Twinkiel revealed before taking Zulu in his arms, hugging him softly. “Don’t worry about it, bro, we’ll figure somethin’ out.”

“Thanks. Um, but you can–”

“N-n-n-n-nope, we’re staying like this, your scales are fluffy.”

Zulu frowned. “...How does that even work…?”

“That question will be answer this Sunday night, when John Cena defends the belt, at WWE Su-u-u-u-uper sla-a-a-am…! Anyway, yeah, we’re basically done – next group!”

“I’m having a nice stroll in the desert with Flurry!” Jewels exclaimed. “We were basically shopping while Raikou negotiated shelter.”

“I’m… Pretty sure I fell in that well with Shaymin.” Flurry commented, frowning. “Aside that the trip is relaxing. A bit boring at times.”

“Pff! You only say that because you’ve got no interest in official stuff.” Jewels teased.

“Uh, how deep is that well, though?” Riley couldn’t help but ask anxiously.

“Don’t worry, Rift: if she’s with Shaymin, they can both fly out of that.” Twinkiel reassured him. ‘cause y’know. Sky Form. We’ll see on Flurry’s next post.”

“And in our case, Aegeas, Ren, Fleur and I are busy getting some actual training.” Gabriel intervened. “We can’t go through the entire SB from start to finish and survive off luck alone.”

“I concur.” Aegeas added, nodding in approval. “We are taking the Resistance Evaluation Test, and it is quite the challenge – though in my case, Volcanion interfered with my mind. A strange fellow, that one. He seems to appear as neither a friend or a foe, testing those that approach him or his lair – Ren and I can attest to it.”

“I’m pretty sure Absol’s the better jerk.” Ren commented.

Aegeas grimaced. “To that too, I agree.”

“Although, we seem to have internal problems of our own.” Gabriel continued as Twinkiel cuddled Zulu more tightly. “Ren ran away again, to be precise.”

“I have my reasons for that.” Ren retorted bitterly. “I didn’t really ask to be possessed, or anything.”

Bloodmoon seemed to come alive as he looked at Ren, grimacing uneasily. “Oof, sorry about that, man.” he said. “Apparently that ties in to whatever my plot point’s gonna be.”

“Oh yeah, haven’t seen you in forever!” Twinkiel exclaimed, gazing at Bloodmoon with surprised eyes. “How have you been, dude?”

“Uh… Good? I remember eating Bidoof meat.”

Twinkiel smirked. “Nice.”

“Thanks for including me, by the way, all of you.” Bloodmoon continued, gazing at the assembly. “I wasn’t sure I’d really fit in here.”

“Get used to telling yourself that.” Frost intervened. “After all, I am doing what I believe is right, but I’m an outsider and an enemy because of that.”

“...Oh yeah, I think I read that part...” Bloodmoon recalled. “What do you do now, again?”

“Just missions for the New Order, really. I found a Plate and equipped it, encountered a few… obstacles, and an interesting guy. Calls himself Shade, and apparently, he thinks he’s a prophet. Not sure about that, but we’re both mad, so, I can’t tell.”

“Mad?” Twinkiel repeated, smirking. “Dude, misguided, sure. Possessed by the Plate or something, maybe. But you’re certainly not mad. Like… You don’t know what that is. Trust me.”

“You’re still sane, though. Repeating a few references here and there doesn’t make you mad.”

“As if being an edgelord made you any madder. But hey, make sure you read my posts more carefully, Shiny – it’s more than that.” Twinkiel said, winking at Frost.

“I mean, to that sheep’s defense, I’m pretty sure that genuinely liking… Hoopa, or whatever his name is, makes him pretty mad.” Jewels intervened. “Not that I support anything about this conversation.”

“Mãe, I don’t like Hoopa, I love Hoopa.” Twinkiel corrected, a serious expression on the face.

“I’m not sure about that.” Riley intervened, smirking smugly. “I mean, somebody’s already busy flirting with a certain reptile.”

“And I want to pour my egg cells into her belly, too.” Twinkiel smiled back as a general frown of disgust passed through the assembly of Humons. “Yeah, don’t try to shy me out of the relationship talk, Rift. I own myself, so, my confidence also includes that. But hey, I’m open to ship suggestions! I’ll open the hostilities.” Twinkiel’s smile became naughtier. “If I was a girl, I would’ve been all over our Batman over here.”

The Humons stared at Zulu, who’s eyes had already widened. “M-Me?!” he exclaimed. “Why me?”

“Twinkiel chuckled before rubbing his cheek against Zulu’s head. “Do you have any idea how cute you are? You’re timid, soft-spoken, all you wanna do is impress those you care about, and if possible, get the crescent-shaped Legendary girl. And now I discover there’s a dark side inside of you. Ugh, you’re like, perfect. But don’t worry bro: if we both get children, maybe they’ll hook up and make things crazier in our stead!”

“But you don’t even know if that Spade girl likes you back.” Jewels objected.

“And what would she see in you anyway?” Flurry asked. “Um, no offense.”

“None taken. I’m pretty sure Spadassya likes me back, ‘cause she told me so, in her own way. That and… “Twinkiel sighed. “...Guys. You know I’m not only insane, right? I tried to explain that to Jewels, last time – yes, I said Jewels, meaning I’m serious right now – but I’m sorta sick of everyone forgetting that I’m not a jester when I’m not acting like one. Y’all are either scared of me, or don’t take me seriously. There’s no middle ground. And see… Spadassya’s the only one who gives me that middle ground. And as far I understand, I bring her some good laugh, so, it’s a win-win deal, really.”

“That seems to make sense.” Gabriel said. “I have a similar feeling whenever I’m with Fleur, she soothes my mind. Though I suppose I should work on being less… clingy, as I wouldn’t want her of all people to feel uncomfortable with me.”

“That is cute, and I don’t mean that ironically. Man, Grass types seem to be lucky in this SB – even Darius is in a relationship!”

“Please, don’t compare the angels we’ve found to that Pokémon-eating witch.” Gabriel countered with obvious disgust. “From yours and Zulu’s post, I can barely believe she’s a Fairy-type.”

“I mean, I eat ‘mons too, but that’s not a problem here, right?” Bloodmoon inquired, slightly worried.

“No, you’re just being a predator.” Gabriel assured with a calming gesture of his paw.

“Yeah, the way she does it is a lot more concerning.” Twinkiel approved with a series of nods.

“More random, too.” Zulu added.

“But then… if Spadassya brings you balance, what does Hoopa bring you?” Aegeas inquired, gazing at Twinkiel after a short silence.

“Oh, right.” Twinkiel thought about it for several seconds. “...Unrestrained companionship.” he replied gravely. “He’s me, but without rules, without guidance – and the only way others found to keep under control was to lock away his power, AKA fueling his rage. I understand that completely. I just… Want him to find the same things I found. I can’t stand the idea that he can’t be reasoned with, because I can be reasoned with.”

“...Your issue seems to be more complex that I thought, but I think I understand, too.” Aegeas said gravely. “You live in a world where you feel like any of your actions cannot be interpreted the way you want it to. Like nothing is familiar to you. I think you crave understanding and acceptance more than you crave fun.”

“Basically that, yes.” Twinkiel said, shrugging.

Aegeas nodded. “A similar issue to mine, except in my case, it’s because all the people that could possibly understand my situation are… Well, not alive anymore, for the most part. Forgive me for not going into details, however – It’s all long, and painful. But I do enjoy the company of my training partners.” he continued, giving a smile to Ren and Gabriel. “We don’t always get to be together, but still.”

“Yeah.” Gabriel said. “When our lives aren’t on the line, battling is pretty fun. Getting to experience that with others is a good… Well, experience.”

“How’s Fleur, by the way?” Flurry inquired. “She’s training too?”

“Yes, she is! Although the last training session had me worried about her, since she was thrown in a Hail that lasted ten minutes alongside us.”

“Ouch.” Twinkiel commented. “Poor gal. Then again, depends on her bulk and moveset – what’s her species again?”

“Oh, she’s the Petilil that traveled with us!” Flurry informed. “With me, Gabriel and Riley. It was fun. I kinda miss the snow in Frostpoint.”

“Of course you’d say that...” Riley giggled.

“Well, yeah. But it would be better if, um, you two weren’t fighting all the time? I just… hope you’ll get along at some point.”

“...Oh, right. Well, I’m working on that.” Riley assured, gazing at Gabriel. “I’m trying to make it up to you, but, it’s hard to do that, since we’re far away, and all.”

“And I’m not looking to rise hostilities wherever I go, so, I wouldn’t mind that.” Gabriel replied. “We’ll figure something out.”

“...I feel a bit bad, here...” Jewels intervened, shaking her head in awe. “I’m really just having fun with Raikou. And Flurry’s cool. I... feel like basically nothing bad happened to me.”

“Tell me about it...” Bloodmoon muttered.

“Um, hello?” Twinkiel exclaimed. “Crazy? Right here? We had a dispute, remember?”

“And you got possessed like five seconds into the story.” Frost told Bloodmoon. “I wouldn’t really call that good.”

Jewels shrugged. “As long as I get my lightsaber, I say that encounter was a win-win.”

Twinkiel raised an eyebrow. “Still counts as a problem, though.”

“Ugh, fine. You’re right, I’ll save my survivor’s guilt for later. But really, I’m glad I have a good friendship with my allied legendary. Doesn’t seem to be the case for all of us, I think.”

“I’m pretty good with mine, though!” Zulu exclaimed happily. “I mean, um, Cresselia’s really nice. I just feel a bit guilty, too – she saved me so many times already and I’ve done nothing to repay her. Twinkiel keeps telling me It’ll change when I evolve, and I believe that, but it’ll take a while.”

“At least you’re getting along with Fleedjio now.” Twinkiel added.

“Oh, yeah! Yeah, I am. His training is harsh, but I control Dragon Pulse a lot better, now.”

“And um, I still have a good relationship with Articuno.” Riley intervened. “I mean, that’s why I went as far as I did to rescue her. I kind of understand how Zulu feels, I think. Uh, not about the training though, but Twinkiel helped me a lot with the aura part. But I just… I think I’m more satisfied about things so far, more, um… Trusting, I think.” Riley scratched his head with his paw. “And maybe a bit more confident, too.”

“Welcome to the club.” Frost commented. “Though in different ways. I know I’m a traitor and all, but if there’s one good thing that came out of this, is that I feel like I’m actually useful to something.”

“To your defense, I can relate to that.” Twinkiel said, nodding thoughtfully. “Like, I don’t approve at all, but we’re all humans, originally. Dunno about y’all, but history lessons taught me that there’s never a true good side, so uh, maybe the Resistance has a few surprises for us, too.”

“Heh. I wouldn’t be surprised if they committed some atrocities along the way.” Ren commented bitterly. “Though I guess I won’t be there to see that.”

“Oh yeah, you got yourself an armor or something?” Twinkiel inquired. “The whole dark red description looked pretty rad, in your last post.”

“It’s sad to see you away from us again, however.” Aegeas commented. “Though I suppose plot points will be explained eventually.”

A thoughtful silence fell on the assembly.

“So… What now?” Twinkiel inquired, after what felt like an eternity. “We’ve been on hiatus for a while, and I’m personally locked ‘cause I’m waiting for Zulu to do his stuff next.”

“It’s… complicated.” Zulu replied. “But I’m not really sure what we can do.”

“You mean, aside waiting for our authors to get back on track.” Jewels added.

“They better, as apparently, people actually read us.” Gabriel informed.

“...What.” Flurry reacted, blinking with awe.

“Yeah, and apparently you’re pretty popular, too.” Zulu added, gazing at Twinkiel. The latter’s eyes widened with surprise. “...Huh. I mean, I guess that’s cool, but I don’t… I’m not in this game for popularity. But still, since we are popular and I’m some sort of mascot, I think I know exactly what we should do.” Twinkiel smirked. He finally let go of Zulu and rose from his chair, stretching his arms and legs. “C’mon, people! That should make for a fun little thing for all of us.”

Understanding what Twinkiel meant, Zulu grabbed his paw with the tip of his wing, their backs facing the table. Without them needing to look behind them, the rest of the Humons rose from their positions and, slowly, they formed a strange line formed with all shapes and sizes, holding hands with each other, and staring into the face of oblivion.

“Thank you so much, for reading our story so far, and Happy New Year!” the Humons exclaimed in unison before bowing solemnly to their invisible audience.

Day A9, 2:20 P.M.


“Where is she?”



“Please don’t tell me she’s-”



“Answer me, you bastard!”



“Look me in the eyes.”



“She’s everything to me, you can’t run away and not tell me what happened to her.”



“Did you find her? W-what was left of her, even?”



“I don’t want to lose her.”



“Don’t leave me!”



Aegeas shot bolt upright. He gasped for air, shoving the blankets off of him like they’d been set on fire. It was what he felt like, anyways. Drenched in a cold sweat, he sat on the bed and panted.

His nightmares were getting worse now, which was saying something. The conversations more lucid, the scenes more bloody, and the focus ever smaller. It was about someone he didn’t know. Someone he should’ve known. The way his younger selves talked, they certainly did. But, even if he could recreate the first time they met, the last time, and so many of the fights and conversations in between, he couldn’t relate to any of them. No heartstrings pulled, no tears shed. It was like he was looking through someone else’s eyes. He grit his teeth.

And he could already feel the nightmare slipping from his grip. As much as he wanted to remember, and as great at remembering as he was, he found himself staring blankly at the icy wall across from him. He was thinking of someone. Who was she? What did she have to do with him? Something Volcanion had mentioned flashed across his mind – that he was hiding his memories. It wasn’t a thought he considered for long. Why would he want to hide anything? What could possibly be so bad that he’d try to forget about it?

Speaking of, the old bastard was quiet. Strange. Aegeas closed his eyes and focused on the faint noise at the edge of his hearing. Ah – it was snoring. Volcanion had clearly fallen asleep after what Aegeas guessed was another trip through his mind. How Volcanion could keep that connection between them while still asleep was a mystery, but it was a Legendary for a reason.

Aegeas swung his legs over to the side of the bed and stood up. Not a great idea; he felt a wave of nausea pour through him as the muscles in his arms and legs groaned. He flopped back down on the bed. It was almost like someone had it out for him. He’d been in more intense training in the last few days than he’d experienced since the war. Then there was the matter of Volcanion and Absol trying to pry his mind open.

As Aegeas pushed himself onto his stomach and stared out the window, he wondered if he could beat the both of them to the punch. This was his mind. If it was going to break – and it sure looked like it, as trapped and shut off and isolated as he felt – he wanted to be the one with the hammer. And by what authority could Volcanion decide what he should and shouldn’t see? Aegeas was immortal. He’d fought in wars. He’d taken down Legendaries. A possessive idiot who’d run away from the rest of the world couldn’t control him.

For once, Aegeas smiled. It didn’t feel quite right on his face. But he still had things to cling on to, like the necklace. Whatever it was for.

The second time he stood up, he didn’t have a reaction. That gave him the chance to walk over to the window and stare out into the frozen landscape that stretched out beyond him. The hills of snow glistened under moonlight, flakes scattered into the light wind that swirled into the distance. He couldn’t help but notice that, in all the years that he’d spent wandering after the war ended, he’d never really admired his surroundings. It had all been forgettable white noise; the places and faces had blended together. He regretted that, but he also didn’t understand how his postwar memories were so blurred. Surely he’d gone to plenty of places and met plenty of people. It wasn’t as though he had anything else to do, or anything worth thinking about. Right?

Fortunately, for once, this looked familiar to him. Almost like a déjà vu situation. He wondered if –

Aegeas woke up on the floor. Spots swarmed the edge of his vision as he stared down at his hand. There were a few drops scattered on it. Had he been crying? He stumbled his way onto his feet, realizing a few seconds later that his other hand was stuck to the window. Prying it free, he found the pane had cracked. His heartrate picked up, while his breathing grew shallow. Maybe there was something to Volcanion’s claim that he was hiding his memories after all.

At the moment, though, he couldn’t find the power to walk the two steps back to his bed, much less think about what he was hiding from himself. He stood in front of the window, watching. Waiting. He didn’t know what for, but he knew he’d stay there until he either fell asleep or saw the sun rising.

Something was desperately wrong with him. And, with the dungeon only days away, he wondered if he’d live long enough to find out what.