EVERYONE: Luceat Lux Vestra

[silurica]

Chapter 10: A Piece of Gateau​

The doors of the Old Chateau close behind Luca and Celia. The only light in the dark building is the orange light of the setting sun, filtered through the dusty windows. Luca sets their bag down and rummages through it, with Celia watching by their side.

"Ah, found the flashlight." Click. Light now fills the direction ahead of them, revealing the tattered furniture and paintings and rotting floorboards. "Good, the battery is still charged. I'll be counting on you if any wild Pokémon appear to attack us, but we should minimize fire usage here."

They take another look inside their bag and notice the box containing the Azure Flute. It's a precious relic… but it's also a tool that Alfa has entrusted them to use. What should they— No, there is no time to fuss about this now. They take out the instrument and put it inside the pocket of their coat.

What now? They played it cool earlier, but a creepy place is creepy. Even if ghosts aren't real, it's not unheard of for Ghost-type Pokémon to create illusions to distract their prey. No, actually, it would be hasty to assume ghosts aren't real when they are traveling with the closest thing to a creator deity.

They pout, remembering they have no choice but to go forward. "Fine. Let's go."

The most conspicuous thing in the foyer is the statue of a… draconic thing. It has a plated head and webbed wings, but it also has six legs. Luca has never seen a Pokémon like it before. It also feels like it's glaring at them. Still, needs must; they begin to check the statue, seeing if they can find a hidden switch or compartment on it – anything. After all, leaving the mansion as soon as possible would be ideal.

There is nothing of the kind on the statue or its pedestal. However, when they look up at the statue again, its eyes now glow red. Ah. They can scream now. They want to scream. But by instinct they know that screaming would make the situation worse. "Sorry for intruding," they mumble as they enter the door next to the statue, away from it.

It's a dining hall; a wooden table spans across the room – perhaps many people dined here in the mansion's glory days. There is nothing but cobwebs under the table. Just like the foyer, the dust is thick and the walls are decorated with paintings. It must be a rich person's hobby; Luca wouldn't mind having one of such clients.

The kitchen is located right next to the dining hall. The sink is moldy; they opt to not check it after giving it a cursory glance. The room doesn't look like a place where anything precious may be kept, but they peek into the cupboards just in case – pots, pans, knives, and many more utensils sit unused, rusting away with time.

When they least expect it, their stomach growls. Really now? True, they are approaching dinner time, but that just from looking at kitchen utensils? It's a good thing that there is nobody to hear it except Celia.

"Oh dear, are you hungry? Please, help yourself to our prized old gateau."

Luca turns and points their flashlight toward the source of the voice: an old man in tuxedo carrying a slice of dark-colored sweet on a silver platter. Light shines through the translucent old man. Oh. They will be cursed if they don't eat this, won't they? Or will they be cursed if they do eat it? Which is it?

They accept the platter and split the sweet into halves. They gesture at Celia, telling her to eat one of the halves. Celia gives her trainer a look of concern. Luca bites into their half of the Old Gateau as if absolutely nothing was wrong, and Celia – though still concerned – follows. After that, they stand and bow at the old man ghost with a barely audible "thank you", then immediately depart from the kitchen and dining hall.

"If I'm gonna be cursed, at least I won't die hungry," they mumble to themself in between their hasty footsteps toward the second floor.

The hallway of the second floor is so long, the light of the flashlight fades off without revealing the end. There are many doors, but none that Luca can open. After the tenth door, a realization dawns on them: does the hallway even end? No. No, that cannot be right. They retrace their steps, but the stairs they climbed have disappeared.

Inhale. Exhale. "Damn."

They look left and right; the endless hallway and the mocking doors. The air is tense with a certain sense of wrongness. Celia huddles closer to her trainer's legs, shivering. Is this a curse or a Ghost-type Pokémon's doing? They have no idea, but they know they have to do something. They feel the Azure Flute in their pocket; should they summon Alfa now? No, they don't want Alfa to reveal his power in front of Mira – they left Chopin with him for a reason. So what they should do is….

"Celia, we're in a pinch, right? We need to do something, however dumb, right?" asks Luca. Celia coos, soft but raising in tone. "Okay, I don't know what would happen if it's a curse, so let's place a bet on it being a Pokémon's doing. Burn our surroundings with Flamethrower. Do it now! Go!"

The Cyndaquil hesitates at first, but her trainer's instruction is clear: they will break through this with force if they have to. Flame blazes on her back, from her mouth, then on the floor and the walls. The hallway burns brightly, but no smoke comes. A screech from the distance and a creaking sound from below; the floor under their feet falls apart with the encroaching flame. They fall down and down and—

"Where are we…? Ugh, my head…. Celia? Where are you? And where is my flashlight?" Luca feels around the floor in darkness until they touch a familiar shape; they pick it up and turn its switch back on. The light reveals what appears to be a library: the walls of this room are covered by bookshelves from one end to another. Just like everything else in the mansion, dust and disrepair envelope this room.

A rustling sound. Luca points the flashlight toward it: it's Celia, tottering toward her trainer. They sigh in relief. It seems the danger has passed for now, and with their adrenaline slowly wearing off, they begin investigating the library for clues of where Alfa's Plate may be.

Unbeknown to them, a shadow lurks hungrily in the corridors….

 

[Welkamo]

Good, the battery is still on.

Famous last words.

Even if ghosts aren't real, it's not unheard of for Ghost-type Pokémon to create illusions to distract their prey.

Ah, the paradox of ghosts and Ghost types.

Ah. They can scream now.

This is very funny, especially the period after "ah".

"If I'm gonna be cursed, at least I won't die hungry," they mumble to themself in between their hasty footsteps toward the second floor.

Good reasoning.

There are many doors, but none that Luca can open. After the tenth door, a realization dawns on them: does the hallway even end? No. No, that cannot be right. They retrace their steps, but the stairs they climbed have disappeared.

A cautionary tale about food poisoning, I see.

Is this a curse or a Ghost-type Pokémon's doing?

We're on our way to a Disney Acid Sequence.

Unbeknown to them, a shadow lurks hungrily in the corridors….

And ending on an ominous note...

An interesting shift in tone with this one. Horror stuff, but not M rated horror. I like it. Keep it up.

 

[silurica]

A cautionary tale about food poisoning, I see.

Hah. I didn't think of that, but I can see it now.

An interesting shift in tone with this one. Horror stuff, but not M rated horror. I like it. Keep it up.

The phrasing "not M rated horror" somehow reminds me of the time when I was told, paraphrased, "you're not an explicit writer, in multiple senses of the word." In any case, thank you, I'm glad if it works here.

(Also have I finally managed to scrub a chapter clean from tense mistakes? Gosh.)

 

[System Error]

Okay my thoughts here might be scattered and odd since I wrote the first three of these when out and on a phone and being too lazy and/or distracted for proper grammar and only basic ramblings, but here goes.

C1
- This dude just has the flute just because?
- They pronouns, fancy
- Well at least God doesnt have a top hat
- Did the person just drop the flute in shock
- Wow god not knowing about modern technology
- This Arceus has balls just jumping into a ball
- Speaking in riddles
- Plates quest!
- Insert child of light joke here
- Well people flying through the air will not be conspicuous at all

C2
- I guess this explains why he wasn't up to date on technology. So much for being all knowing. Good.
- Mfw taking god to a museum
- Well god just learned of extincition
- Antics with god, wanting to smite the nonbelievers
- Oh, he was angry at them for playing god
- And OG professor
- In another universe they all go underground to mine the second plates
- Well the professor was quick to believe this

C3
- I think using fire in a mine would be a bad idea but ...
- God is not subtle, i hope for his sake satanists arent abound
- This professor is a kook and it shows and it's great
- The scene switching is very off here. Left me very confused. There's nothing to indicate one happens
- Wow jerk onix. Funny wild explanation reaosn though
- God boost
- WHY DID THEY PASS OUT?
- Shoutouts to legends?

C4
- Off screen plate getting
- Well Mesprit is definitely the emotional type
- Mind readers, always scumbags
- Eve? I hope the other two aren't Adam and Lilith
- Tfw Palkia goes on a journey?
- Distortions though, oh no don't tell me it's the satan interpretation
- "Hey dude wanna fix time and space lol it's real easy bro"

C5
- What a well made timepiece to be able to handle dimensional distortions and keep time perfectly
- Well that is not at all creepy wanting to paint a girl you just saw..
- Falling and getting blushy for someone you just met , bet that'll bite them someday
- I see that trying to fool the press was an unwise idea
- Flow of the flute scene felt a bit off in a hard to describe way
- Oh her journalist sense is totes tingling there

Interesting story so far, we'll see where it goes.

 

[silurica]

Henlo, henlo, thank you for the comments.

The scene switching is very off here. Left me very confused. There's nothing to indicate one happens

I assume this is referring to the mine shenanigans, for which, that's fair. I've always had a hunch this is when my comic experience might bite me instead of helping lmao. That said, I'm not sure what I can do to keep the fast-paced switching and the chapter is pretty dang big already (it's 2k words; the average chapter size here is 1k-1.5k). Well, it's something to think of and keep in mind for the future, if nothing else.

Flow of the flute scene felt a bit off in a hard to describe way

(nods and takes notes again) It's intended to come off as obtrusive since I thought just playing the flute wouldn't be terribly interesting and an abstract problem needs an abstract solution (probably), but also it's one aspect that's intentionally more experimental than others, so I'm not surprised if it doesn't always work so well.

 

[silurica]

Chapter 11: Lost and Found​

The library of the Old Chateau covers various topics, from nature to technology to philosophy. The most recent books that they can find are dated around twenty years ago; could it be that was when the mansion became abandoned? There are notebooks scattered about as well, but the writings have faded and become illegible.

It will take a long time to check these books one by one, so they decide to try checking other rooms for clues first and return if needed. When they leave the room into a hallway, a shadow is lurking just outside, strangely serpentine and glaring with red eyes. Luca knows what to do now: "Celia, use Flamethrower!"

There is a distant screech again as the shadow is enveloped in flame. Luca takes advantage of the distraction to grab Celia and run as fast as they can. The hallway has become labyrinthine, twisting and turning in uncertain directions. Still, they run and run. They only stop when they hear a voice filled with urgency calling for them, "Hey! Over here!"

When Luca turns toward the voice, they recognize the green braid and green dress in front of them. "Miss Cheryl!"

"What? How do you know my name?" Her hand moves to her braid as she stares with suspicion. Before Luca can answer, she shakes her head. "Actually, never mind that for now. I know a safe place." The woman takes Luca's hand and pulls them into a room.

It appears to be a trophy room of some sort, filled with paintings and statues of even higher density than other rooms that Luca has entered. There are also shelves with various knick-knacks decorating them, and— The Plate! There is a dusk-colored stone tablet on one of the top shelves! They drag the nearest chair toward it right away, reaching for the item they have been searching for.

"Are you a treasure hunter or something?" asks Cheryl.

"Uh, no, not usually," replies Luca, their hand almost reaching the Plate – for the umpteenth time, they wish they were taller. "This belongs to someone I know, so…." Just a little more… their fingers topple the Plate over from its place, and thankfully it falls right into their grip. They let out a long sigh of relief; finally they no longer have to linger in this dreadful place.

After securing the Plate in their bag, they inform Cheryl about their situation: how they met Mira and learned her name, and how they ended up running around in the bizarre mansion.

"Mira…. Oh, I really made her worry, didn't I?" She shakes her head. "I only wanted to take shelter for a night, and… there was a lonely little girl. I realized she's a ghost – I mean, just look at this place – but I still felt pity for her. I thought it wouldn't hurt to play with her for a bit, and before I knew it…. Well, here I am now."

"And the ghost?"

"She left earlier, and not long after that, I heard your footsteps."

Knock. Knock knock knock. All three of them stare at the door. A shrill voice comes from behind it: "Cheryl…?"

"Just to be clear," Cheryl whispers, "I only have Chansey with me. Her attacks are ineffective against ghosts. It's… part of why I've been stuck here."

Knock knock knock knock BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG—

BANG. The door opens wide: it's the same serpentine shadow as before. "Let's play… Let's play…" Is it just their feeling, or did the shadow grow larger? It now has many arms – wings? – spanning across the room. No matter. Luca shouts, "Again, Celia! Flamethrower!"

Celia's flame envelopes the shadow, but it's unmoving. A hissing sound permeates through the air. "One of daddy's treasures is missing… One of… One of you took it… Thief… Thief… Thief—"

The shadow lurches forward – neither Luca or Celia can react to it fast enough. It wraps itself around Celia, raising her to the air. Her flame struggles to combust. Eventually, the shadow lets the Cyndaquil go, and she falls to the floor with a thud. She winces, crumpled and trembling as she struggles, but it soon becomes clear that she is no longer able to move.

"Celia!" cries Luca. With reluctance, they take out a Poké Ball from their pocket and call their partner back. They grit their teeth. "Sorry. You did your best."

"Give it back… Give it back…"

The serpentine shadow looms. Celia is knocked out, and Cheryl has no Pokémon with damaging moves. They tried to avoid this outcome, but this is the last thing they have up their sleeves: they take the Azure Flute from their pocket and blow into it as hard as they can.

A familiar, mysterious wave of power emanates from the flute. Golden light fills the room and everything, and it shall repel all malice. Nothing shall be beyond His gaze. Nothing shall be beyond His reach. Nothing shall—

"Come on! This is our chance!" Cheryl's voice snaps Luca out from the trance as she drags them out from the room. To Luca's surprise, whatever happened appears to have paralyzed the shadow. The two run, making their escape down the hallway.

Huh? It's peculiar, the geometry and layout of the mansion isn't as confusing as before – they may even call it normal. In no time, they have reached the foyer stairway. Downstairs, they can see Alfa with his hair down. Luca has never felt this glad to see that man.

That feeling is short-lived, however, as the serpentine shadow has caught up with them again. It lurches toward Luca; they close their eyes in fear.

The binding attack never came for Luca. They open their eyes and realize that something has frozen the shadow at its place when it's merely a finger away from them. Alfa is looking – no, glaring. His eyes shine red and green.

"Imitators." His tone is unchanged, yet there is a weight to it that Luca has never felt before. "I shan't forgive that arrogance of yours. Begone!"

With that single word, the shadow disperses into its true form: a great number of Ghost-type Pokémon – Gastly and Haunter, and Misdreavus and Mismagius. Within that chaos, the flickering shadow of a girl retreats into the dark hallway.

"Poor her," whispers Cheryl.

Night has fallen outside of the Old Chateau. Upon seeing Cheryl, Mira hugs the woman and bawls her eyes out. Meanwhile, Luca gives Alfa an earful of what happened in the abandoned mansion.

"There was a distortion in this building," explains Alfa after the barrage of complaints has stopped, "and your playing of my flute mended it for now, just like in Jubilife City." He then frowns. "Although I did not foresee those spirits doing what they did. Arrogant. Distasteful."

It's unusual to see Alfa grumbling like this; usually he is calm, even almost emotionless. But this…. No. Luca remembers now: it has been a while, but this feels a little like that time at Oreburgh Museum. They now realize that, perhaps, at that time they had stopped him from doing something regrettable.

"I'm sorry, Child of Light."

"Huh?"

Alfa's unexpected words brought them back to the present. Sorry? What for? As they wonder about that, they feel a weakness in their legs and fall to their knees – fatigue? Their vision wavers, but they see one thing: Alfa's pale hand, offered to them.

"I overestimated," he says. "I should have predicted this after Jubilife City."

"Luca? Are you okay?" asks Mira, with Cheryl following right behind her.

Luca takes Alfa's hand and gets back to their feet. It should be fine if they keep holding on to his arm for now. "I'm just tired, I think. Don't worry about it."

"That's right, we had quite an adventure," says Cheryl. "Why don't we find someplace to rest and have dinner together? I have a few Chansey eggs I can share."

At the mention of dinner and eggs, Mira raises her hand. "Oh! Oh! Leave dinner to Mira! Mira will make something tasty!" She exclaims, "And then as promised, Mira will give you the stone tablet from the forest, Mister!"

 

[System Error]

Next two chapters...

- Wow sudden crushing on Mesprit
- And Ervi again. From an artist's perspective.
- Well I imagine not-God would be pretty otherworldly beautiful but I guess they only like female beauty, no bishies allowed
- One big thing to land on the hand
- Just casually handing out the Shaymin item
- Heh, was going to remark Shaymin was never mentioned, and it's mentioned.
- Or maybe the myth is vague on purpose
- Real smooth Luca. Bet you've just found another girl to paint.
- Yup, called it, maybe. But hey, God being attentive
- Well it seems Pokemon can casually disguise as humans here. Probably led to some unfortunate romance related incidents...

- Interesting that she is one of many
- Not recognizing the child of light
- Well I suppose that answers my question about Poke love...
- Or maybe the Mew mixups. And multiple Mews. He is going to be pissed when he learns of the Twos.
- This is some lore.
- Oh hey a madeup local delicacy. And specifically described as healing status
- And he is drawing God after all, woo
- Can it be said that this is a story all about how Luca's life got flipped turned upside down?
- Well he doesn't seem omnipotent enough to become a human so that checks out
- With art, anything can be of true beauty

Not much to say about these two, except that LORE and they form sort of a mini plot arc together.

 

[silurica]

Chapter 12: The Eternal Horologist​

In the waiting lounge of Eterna City Pokémon Center, a man in white is in the middle of a light sleep when a chill brushes his cheek. He opens his eyes to the sight of his companion pressing a yellow can against him. "What is this, Child of Light?"

"Tsk, no reaction," murmurs Luca to themself. "It's a drink. For you."

The chilled can is pleasant to the touch. Luca sits next to him and cracks open theirs; Alfa follows after them. The drink is sweet and fizzy; a new taste for him.

"The nurse said Celia should stay here overnight," says Luca. "The paralysis was pretty bad."

"I see," replies Alfa. "One night for such a wound… time truly has changed."

"I'm glad it's just one night, and I wanted to take a look around this city anyway. This is a historical site, you know? It's too bad that apparently they don't hold the Dragon Dance Festival anymore though."

Suddenly, recollection hits Luca. They look into their bag – mentally noting how they should spare time to reorganize it later – and pull out a dusk-colored stone tablet from it. "Here, your Plate from the Old Chateau."

Alfa takes the Plate to inspect it. After staring at it for a moment, with a tinge of regret in his voice he concludes, "I was mistaken. This Plate carries fear, but not of spirits; this is the fear of cunning."

"Cunning? So it's a Dark-type relic?" Luca flips through their journal. Here, they learned this from Professor Linden: the Dark-type Plate is traditionally called the Dread Plate.

"I couldn't communicate with the spirits residing there even if I wanted to. Regardless, I'm grateful for your assistance, Child of Light."

Luca glances away and chugs down their lemonade. "You know, you could've told me that Mira had the Insect Plate."

The clock ticks. Alfa asks, "Does that matter?"

"Well, what if we didn't find her friend and she didn't give it to us? I mean, if you didn't sense your Plate, I wouldn't have entered the Old Chateau."

Condensed droplets of water trickle down to Alfa's hands. He answers, "I believed in the world, and it returned the favor. All shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well."

Ah, him and his cryptic logic again. Luca sighs. "Anyway, twelve more to go, huh? And the Flame Plate is still the only one compatible with my team…."

"We are making good progress, I say."

"I guess you're right. So, do you have any idea where the rest are?"

Alfa nods. "One of my children should be guarding a certain Plate… one that was cherished by a Draconic belief. It was for this reason I proposed this city as a destination."

"Then? What kind of odd— I mean, how is this one child of yours like?"

He takes another moment to consider the question. "A good boy."

Luca blinks. That is nowhere specific enough to find—

"Father? Is that really you?"

That voice belongs to a young man in a dark blue jacket, standing at the entrance. His silver hair – though short and choppy – and his red eyes could make him a splitting image of Alfa. There is no mistaking it: this must be the person Alfa spoke of. How fortunate that they did not have to look; did Alfa predict this?

"I heard from a customer there's a man who looks like me wearing all white," says the young man after approaching them, "and sure enough, it's you, Father."

Ah, Luca understands now: Alfa was relying on his conspicuous look to be found instead.

"Oh, Paley! Is this someone you know?" asks a nurse passing by.

"Yeah, my father," answers the young man. Alfa sips his lemonade without care.

"Mr. Paley… Senior?" She gasps. "Wow! Make sure to show him how the town has changed!"

He laughs as he makes a shooing gesture. "Anyway…." He turns his attention back to Alfa. "People still call me Paley, but I'd prefer it if you called me Daiya. And let's go to my workshop; we can relax and talk more freely there." Alfa stands up from his seat. When Luca stands up too, he asks, "And who are you?"

"Sometimes a traveling companion of your father, sometimes an underpaid intern," answers Luca.

Daiya leads them to a small shopping district near the ancient dragon statue. Unlike the tall apartments and offices in the middle of the city, the buildings in this district show clear signs of age, yellow as pages of an old book, with architecture from a bygone era. There are a few chic cafés and bars scattered about, perhaps looking to indulge in the romantic atmosphere of history, but most of the buildings remain shuttered.

The workshop that Daiya spoke of is one of the few businesses lingering in the quiet street. Above its door hangs a sign saying: Paley's Watch & Clock. The bell at the door chimes when it opens. Just as the sign suggests, clocks of many shapes and sizes adorn the walls of the workshop. The shelves contain watches and small mechanical parts. "I'm a horologist – you know, clockmaker and watchmaker – though I also dabble in contraptions of other kinds," he explains. "Say, are you a gym challenger?"

"No, it's not for me," answers Luca, quick and plain.

"Ah, shame. I designed the puzzle mechanism in this city's gym. It was a fun one."

While looking at a grandfather clock, Alfa asks, "How is your relationship with your sister?"

Daiya winces in reluctance. "Does that have to be the first thing you ask?" he asks, but when his father gives no response, he understands that the topic was unavoidable. "It's… fine. It's as good as you can expect from us."

"You are not fighting with her or anything of the likes?"

Daiya scratches his head. "Tiana lives in Hearthome, so we don't see each other often, but she looks fine on TV." He clicks his tongue. "I can't say I accept her being an idol though. I mean, she was already pushing it when she became the ambassador of Hearthome Sanctuary, but now everyone knows her face. Someone immortal shouldn't stand out that much. Moreover, now people know me as Top Coordinator Tiana's brother, and sometimes there are weird reporters looking for stories. Also—" He stops when he notices how he has rambled on and lets out a long sigh. "Will you go to Hearthome, Father? Maybe she will listen to you."

"…And that opinion of yours didn't escalate into a big fight?"

"Huh? No, but why do you ask? It's been just the usual stuff between us two."

"Dialga…."

Daiya tenses up from hearing his true name. Alfa takes his eyes off the clock to directly look at his son. Two pairs of red eyes stare into each other.

Without taking his eyes off his son, Alfa commands, "Answer me: why did I awake to torn and distorted fabric of spacetime?"

At that question, Daiya immediately throws himself down, bowing toward his father with his forehead touching the floor. "My deepest apologies, the Adamant Orb is cracked."

Alfa crosses his arms and sighs. "Stand up. You should have told me earlier. Why was it the Three Spirits that woke me up and not you?"

"I-I didn't want to," mumbles Daiya.

"Dialga."

He winces. "Father, I'm the guardian of time! I was supposed to protect my domain, wasn't I? So I spread my gears to fix the distortions as best as I could. There were many and—"

"They didn't hold," says Alfa, his words thrusting his son into silence. "We had to correct several of those on the way here."

Daiya casts his gaze downward. "Yes. My apologies, I will do better."

Seeing his son like that, Alfa rubs Daiya's head, messing up his hair. "Foolish. The flow of time wasn't the only thing broken. Why did you try so hard on your own?"

If Daiya had something to say, he now refuses to speak it, as he only bites his lip in frustration.

Alfa sighs. "Fine, at least show me the Adamant Orb."

Left with no other choice, Daiya walks toward the grandfather clock. He opens it, stops the pendulum with one hand, and gives the bottom part of the clock a push. It pops back upward, revealing a secret compartment. Hidden inside it are a stone tablet and a blue crystalline orb, which he takes and hands over to his father with another murmur of apology.

There appears to be no crack or defect visible to the naked eyes, but Alfa's widening eyes and Daiya's behavior tell a different story. "Just what," asks Alfa, "could happen to make the Orb turn this way?"

With a heavy voice, Daiya confesses, "I dropped my guard, and those Galactic scoundrels snatched the Orb from me." A frown forms on his face. "Did you see the weird, flashy building with all the spikes?"

"Only from a distance," answers Alfa. "We arrived in this city today and the Center took priority."

"I saw it on the news. It was built by Team Galactic, right?" Luca chimes in. "It's just as tacky as their uniform."

"Then you probably have heard of this rumor: according to the residents of Eterna City, the Galactic Eterna Building was built in one night."

"Oh, yeah, I heard that one. There were even speculations of mass hysteria or brainwashing, since how do you even build something that big in one night?" adds Luca. "It's unthinkable no matter how rich you are. Unless…." They look at the Adamant Orb in Alfa's hand.

Daiya clenches his fists. "I am ashamed that my power was used to make such an ugly building…"

"As you should be," replies Alfa without taking his eyes off the Orb. Daiya has a pained look on his face.

"Wait, was that really the only thing that Team Galactic used it for?" asks Luca. "I mean, they're a cult! An ambitious bunch! Wouldn't they want to do more with it?"

Daiya shrugs. "I guess they didn't have the chance to. You see, not long after the Orb was stolen, a skilled trainer arrived and helped drive them out of the city. I got my Orb back, but it was already too late – the Orb cracked from their poor handling and now controlling my power is a struggle."

Meanwhile, Alfa turns the Orb in his hands, examining every single surface of it. At last he concludes, "I can restore this. Prepare the Draconic Plate."

There is hesitation in Daiya's expression at first, but he nods and takes the stone tablet from the grandfather clock.

Alfa pulls off the ribbon tying his hair and gives it to Luca, summoning his golden wheel, and with it his divinity and power. He then places the Adamant Orb over the Draco Plate from Daiya. As he whispers unheard words, light begins to envelope him, brighter than what Luca has seen before. His long hair and his coat float gently in the flow of it all.

A crack appears on the Draco Plate. It grows longer, wider, covering all surfaces until finally the Plate can no longer hold its form and turns into dust. The Adamant Orb now glows with a fresh azure radiance.

Colors return to Daiya's face as he receives the renewed Adamant Orb. He can look at his father's face again at last.

When he does, the light in Alfa's eyes goes out and the man in white collapses to the floor.

 

[System Error]

Next two.

- That feel when jelly Pokemon
- Man being called out by not-God on party composition has to be rough
- Well that demonstration ended poorly
- Typo where you call Onix Onyx
- Nox? We got a rival name, I see. Well we got a rival name repeated but the nature is more clear
- Huh, apatheist bird?

- Luca failed to notice the vampire screaming ZA WARUDO at them before it was too late
- Oh hey it's this girl I need to go rescue already though prolly won't battle with since I heard she spams Ally Switch which somehow survived the Thanos snap
- And Team Galactic sort of still here and not-God not noticing
- In before the owl brings back a martian
- Haha he really doesn't know this is great
- Their worst offense, bad fashion
- Poor Mira is probably very confused at Alfa's deal
- Just talking about all this stuff right in front of the little girl
- And adventure next time!!

 

[silurica]

- Typo where you call Onix Onyx

Whoops.

- Huh, apatheist bird?

Okay, there are reasons why Chopin acts the way he does, but this is a funny way to put it (scritches are more relevant anyway).

- Oh hey it's this girl I need to go rescue already though prolly won't battle with since I heard she spams Ally Switch which somehow survived the Thanos snap

At least you will help her find the exit, right? ...You will, right?

 

[silurica]

Chapter 13: Eternity, too, is an Obstacle​

Daiya closes the bedroom door behind him. Upon noticing Luca waiting outside, he forces a smile. "I think he is just exhausted. A little sleep will restore him as good as new."

"Is he always like that?" asks Luca. When Daiya only looks instead of answering, they grow flustered and add, "Oh, uh, sorry if that's a rude question. I've only been traveling with your father for a short time, and he doesn't talk about himself a lot, so…."

The expression on Daiya's face softens. "Let's talk in the kitchen. I have Poffins."

Just like the bedroom, the kitchen is on the second floor of the workshop. It's small but clean and well-organized, with jars of spices decorating the counter. Daiya places a plateful of colorful cookies on the dining table as he asks, "Luca… right? What do you think about my father?"

Remembering the reactions they received from Eve and Sheila before, Luca asks back, "Do you want an honest answer?"

Daiya tilts his head, curious. "Honest answer, I guess."

"Well, he's… not bad, but he's hard to read, and I think he's kind of… weird," answers Luca. "Like, when I ask him what's in his mind, he gives me cryptic answers. He also gave me a weird nickname."

The young man chuckles. "Yeah, that sounds like him."

Huh. That was unexpected; he isn't upset that his father is called weird. Not just that, he agreed. Luca was already preparing themself to get a judgemental look for that. Still confused, they ask, "Can I give the Poffins to my Noctowl?"

"Hm? Go ahead," answers Daiya. He takes one of the Poffins himself and dips it into his coffee. "I hope you will forgive my father's awkwardness. He loves the world, but always finds himself out of place in it. That happens when you sleep pretty much all the time."

As they listen, Luca takes Chopin out from his Poké Ball and hand-feeds him the Poffins. The Noctowl is more than happy to accept the offering.

Watching the Noctowl, Daiya concludes, "Hmm, I guess it's fine to tell you more, since the old man probably won't bother. How should I put this…? Father may look powerful, but he's actually in a constant state of energy preservation when awake. Being connected to all veins of the universe will take a lot from you. Oh, he won't say it's tiring though, since he doesn't know what it's like to be not tired." He stirs his coffee and sighs. "Sometimes I wish Father could know too what it's like to not be a god. Me and my siblings are blessed in that regard."

"I noticed he would nap whenever we're not moving from one place to another. Is that why?" asks Luca.

"Oh, so you have seen him like that."

"I've never seen him fall asleep right after using his power like earlier though…."

Daiya leans on his hand, staring down with a distant look. "I guess that was because fixing the Adamant Orb wasn't a small task."

"Actually, question." Luca raises their hand. "Did the Draco Plate really break?"

"Yup. Didn't you see? That Plate is done for."

"I-Is that the only one?"

"The earth will produce another soon. No idea where it will be, though."

Luca pulls the Poffin they were about to give to Chopin – his beak snaps emptily – and instead eats it themself. They drink their coffee to clear their throat. It's setting in now. The realization is setting in. "This is… probably bad…."

Daiya raises an eyebrow. "Is there something wrong?"

"My agreement with your father was something like, I will help him find the seventeen Plates because he needs them to restore his power and fix spacetime. But since the Draco Plate is now gone…."

With every word, Daiya's eyes widen, until there is only a pure look of horror on his face. He stands up, slamming his hands on the table. "You should've told me sooner! I mean, Father should've— Argh!" He makes a mess of his hair and rushes outside of the kitchen.

Luca follows Daiya into the cramped hallway. Meanwhile, Chopin treats himself to another Poffin behind his trainer's back.

In no time, Daiya emerges from a room with a hard hat and a bag of mining tools. "We're going to the Underground. Now."

"But didn't you say you don't know where it will be?"

"I'm a dragon and his child. I will be able to sense it. Maybe."

Despite doubts about the Plate's location, Luca finds themself following Daiya to an establishment in the middle of the city, where mining tools and sparkling stones of many colors are displayed on the window. Daiya swings the door open with force and enters barging in. "Old man! Lend me a set of Explorer Kit!"

"Well, well, if it ain't young Paley!" The old man behind the counter strokes his graying beard. "I heard the news: Paley Sr. returned! And it just happens that my trusty old clock is growing late, so if it could get his blessing…."

"Sorry, old man, can't do now. Father is taking a good rest after the long trip. But I can take a look at it later," replies Daiya. "For now, one set of Explorer Kit. Please."

A redheaded, bespectacled young man comes over to the counter, staring at Daiya in the eyes. "What is this about? Did something happen to your kit?"

Daiya beams. "Oh, Roark! Good to see you here. Come help me in the Underground too."

There is a glint in Roark's eyes when he hears the word 'Underground'. He asks again before he can get carried away, "No, seriously, what is going on here? And who is that behind you?"

"Stuff happened, and now I need to find another Draco Plate. I know we can find one somewhere inside the earth of Sinnoh. Luca here," – Daiya points at the trainer – "is something like an assistant. They don't have their own Explorer Kit yet."

"Somewhere inside the earth? How do you know?" asks Roark, one eyebrow raised.

"Oh, let's say it's my family's trade secret. We've been maintaining the dragon statue for generations, after all."

"Somewhere?"

"Somewhere."

Roark pushes up his glasses, then shakes Daiya's hand. "Consider this challenge accepted."

"I knew I could count on you." Daiya grins. "I will tell you about another secret passage in Mt. Coronet after we find the Plate."

"Pair of digging maniacs, those two," says the old man to the befuddled Luca. "Roark was really happy when young Paley came to this city several years ago and started challenging him in matters of spelunking. But well, I get how fun digging and tunneling is! After all, they don't call me the Underground Man for nothing! Hoho!"

"Grandpa! No need to tell a customer about that," hisses Roark with an air of embarrassment. He brings out and places various items on the counter: hard hat, pickaxe, hammer…. "But well, honestly I didn't expect the heir of the legendary watchmaker would like spelunking as much as I do."

"What can I say, it's a recent hobby," replies Daiya – recent by the standard of an immortal dragon from the beginning of time, for sure. "Anyway, can we go now?"

From the Underground Man's house, they descend down to the cellars, and from there they descend deeper and deeper below. When they enter a larger passage, they know they have arrived. Roark decides to take the direction opposite of Daiya and Luca to expand their area of search. Although it's not before attempting to brief the Underground newbie on the intricacies of the tunnel networks and the workings of the treasure radar.

As they wave their goodbye to Roark, with his explanations still fresh in mind, Luca decides it's time to breach a certain topic. "Hey, Daiya, I've been meaning to ask… I heard the Underground extends throughout the entire Sinnoh region."

"Yup, just as Roark said."

"And we're going to look basically blindly? With no clue except for your dragon sense thing?"

"A-yup. I will find the new Draco Plate even if it takes eternity."

Ah. Luca was starting to think that Daiya has more common sense than his father, and while that may be true, they now realize that they may have expected too much.

Daiya raises the lantern over their heads, the brim of his hard hat casting a shadow over his face. "Welcome to Sinnoh's Grand Underground. It's dig or die."

 

[System Error]

Yes, eventually, I will help her. First, I need to work up motivation to play, though. Can't play on my TV because that pushes the upstairs power enough to cause the breaker to switch, and...well, I guess I do have to start using these new joycons eventually, and their fate is inevitable...

10
- The battery is only on when it's in use. Maybe better wording is in order
- Rare to see proper fire use indoors in fics
- I'm sure ghosts serve very good meals, FF6 said so
- See? Said so. Even gave a tasty treat.
- Endless hallway? Trust your intuition and go through the door to the moon princess.
- Well that was horribly and hilariously reckless of them.

11
- Okay they were worried about using fire indoors now it seems like they just don't care
- Oh hey what a coincidence being able to knock out both goals at once
- Good she called them a treasure hunter now there's no need to rip her lungs out
- But ghosts attacks are ineffective against Chansey too...
- Welp they said the T word, good thing I was just joking
- Oh I was wondering, I guess it is a Giratina shade of some sort
- Distortion, that word again...
- Yay, eggs!

12
- Oh boy it's time for time
- Hey they're making decent progress.
- No one tell Alfa that good boy means a dog
- Daiya huh? We non-dairy dairy products now?
- If Dialga's human job is clockmaker, is Mesprit's psychatrist?
- Shoutouts to Gym puzzles, rarely seen because anime style seems to reign supreme
- Oh, idol Palkia........
- Welp Daiya has been a bad boy. At least Alfa is just stern
- But Galactic stopped doing wicked things under Saturn's leadership. Something's up. Either laughing at continuity or something more devious
- Oh, well this was talking of an event in the past. But given the remnants, something is still amiss.
- Well shit. He destroyed the thing he was looking for. Time to find the second underground?

13
- Daiya he destroyed his plate. I think a nap isn't going to fix this one.
- That feel when Luca doesn't like Poffins when they're really just blended berries, not like dog food
- A god he may be, but he seems to know little about efficiency or how to make a universe self-sustaining. Wild twist.
- Well I was being mostly referential and sarcastic about all the plates everywhere, but that was less dramatic than I thought...
- Oh they will eat Poffins Poffins after all, just wasn't hungry i guess
- Maybe this is a problem, but we'll see. With their luck they'll find it easy anyway, maybe
- See? Underground.
- Underground Man casually revealing he knows who Alfa is
- Challenge accepted. This Roark is pretty based.
- And next time: time to dig it. Because it's the Underground, the RNG can be a harsh mistress. Also in before the wall collapses right before they can get to it.

 

[silurica]

The battery is only on when it's in use. Maybe better wording is in order

Thanks for raising this to my attention. I changed it to "charged". (Which changed the kind of flashlight battery they had from what I initially imagined, but rechargeable is prolly better anyway.)

Well that was horribly and hilariously reckless of them.

Today, we will solve our problems with Arson.

But ghosts attacks are ineffective against Chansey too...

Tfw the ghosts have type coverage but you don't. Also it's probably best for a human to avoid a Night Shade to the face.

If Dialga's human job is clockmaker, is Mesprit's psychatrist?

Is being a trickster fae a job.

See? Underground.

Okay now you know I had a laugh when you said "go look in the Underground" in a previous review because, this. This will work out fine. Probably. What is a patch of land when you have eternity to comb through it. (Luca is regretting everything now.)

 

[silurica]

Chapter 14: Two Gears of a Klink​

It has been a week since Daiya decided the best course of action for the Draco Plate issue is to literally scour the earth looking for it in the Grand Underground. Luca sits alone in the dark, next to a pile of Iron Balls of various sizes – things that they and Daiya wrongly excavated whenever he mistook a presence in the wall for the elusive Plate. When they are cursing at their luck, they notice the sound of footsteps and a bright light approaching.

"Heya! How is it going?" greets Roark, covered in dirt. "And where is Daiya?"

"He went to another passage alone," answers Luca, pointing toward the direction opposite of where Roark came from. "I'm taking a rest now since my hands feel sore."

"Still no luck, huh? Me too."

Roark sits himself next to Luca. At first, he only rubs his glasses, but after he realizes his glasses can't be any cleaner, he asks, "Hey, don't you think Daiya is acting weird? I know he enjoys being down here, but for some reason this feels different than usual. It's like he's rushing…."

"You think so?" asks Luca back. "Sorry, I don't actually know him that much yet… I've only met him recently."

"Ah, that's fine." Roark looks away and mutters, "Don't know him that much, huh… I've felt that way too."

Luca tugs on their scarf, hoping they word their question carefully. "So, uh, you're friends with him?"

"Friends, huh? I wonder about that."

"Is that not it? Your grandpa made it sound that way."

"Ahh, well, I guess it can sound like that," replies Roark. He hums, sorting through his memories. "You see, grandpa actually got my meeting with him slightly wrong; it was me who first challenged him to see who can find more prism spheres in an hour. I mean, he was looking at the spheres he dug up like he had no real interest in them, so I thought a little competition would bring some spice to it. It ended up being more enjoyable than either of us expected, especially with the traps and sabotaging, and we started to meet up regularly since then."

"That does sound fun," replies Luca. "How is he usually like?"

Roark nods. "A bit prickly and stubborn, but considerate in his own way. He has this air of mystery about him that's…." He trails off and covers his mouth, his eyes narrowed.

Before the silence can drag on, he waves his hand and continues, "Well, usually I'm busy supervising Oreburgh Mine and the gym, and he's busy with his workshop in Eterna, but down here I can feel like the two of us are the gears that make a Klink. We'd forget all that and mess around until we get tired."

They are friends, aren't they? Luca tilts their head, wondering about what happened between the two. There is a sense of uneasiness in the way Roark picks up a few pebbles from the ground and shifts them in his hands.

"And then Team Galactic's invasion of Eterna City happened. The crisis was solved, of course, but it left him looking pretty depressed, and he frequented the Underground less. So when he invited me for another spelunking challenge, I thought he had felt better, but…." He throws the pebbles; they bounce off the wall with listless thuds. "I wonder if I can call myself a friend if he won't tell me what is troubling him. I didn't even know he still had a father until recently."

"Oh, does it feel like…." Luca makes a catching motion with their hand. "When you think you got him, he already slipped away from your grasp?"

"Yeah… yeah! How did you know?"

"Oh, I was just thinking, it's like somebody I know," says Luca. It's just like Alfa. Daiya may not speak in a cryptic manner like his father, but being an immortal deity, he must be keeping people at arm's length, consciously or not.

Now they think about it, what do those deities think of people like them and Roark? Mere humans whose life can be snuffed out at any moment? Despite attempts to get closer to them?

"Well, we better get back to work too if we want to find that Plate." Roark stands back up and dusts off himself. "Thanks, Luca. I feel a little better now after talking about it."

"Yeah, anytime."

As the light of Roark's lantern disappears into the distance, Luca stands up as well and takes their pickaxe. When they turn at the corner into the passage Daiya went to, their light illuminates the very person that they just talked about with Roark; not digging or investigating the walls, merely standing at the corner. They cut to the chase: "Were you listening?"

"So what if I did?" asks Daiya back with a smile. When Luca doesn't answer, he turns away and says, "Let's look for the Plate again. After we find it…."

"Wait!" Luca drops their pickaxe, grasping for Daiya's arm. "Why do you try so hard on your own?"

"Why… you ask?"

Oh, no. They have moved without thinking or preparing for this. "Uh, your father asked you that, and you didn't answer, and it just… felt appropriate…. Sorry." They hesitate, but they let go of the young man's arm.

"Because it was all my fault," answers Daiya, his firm voice echoing in the passage. "Everything was. If I didn't lose my Orb that day, it wouldn't have been broken. If it wasn't broken, I wouldn't have grown weak and the fabric of spacetime wouldn't be torn so easily. If spacetime was still intact, Father wouldn't need to push himself that far." With each word, his voice grows more irate and tense. "In the first place, Roark and I should never have…."

He trails off, his hand halfway to making a mess of his already unkempt hair. But he clenches his fist and turns away. "Sorry. You can go back for today if you want. I will be looking for a while longer."

At first one thought crosses Luca's mind, but before they can give breath to it, another immediately obstructs it: you are a stranger. They swallow their words.

Upon returning to the workshop, they notice an elderly couple standing in front of the closed door. When they inquire about the couple's business, the answer is as expected: that they heard Paley Sr. has returned to Eterna City, and they wish to get something of theirs fixed for the sake of their grandchild who will embark on a journey soon. With reluctance, Luca sends the couple away before retreating into the workshop.

Something doesn't add up, they realize. Daiya complained about how his sister's disregard of their immortality is problematic, and yet some people in this city treat getting his handiwork like visiting a shrine for good luck. He would rather hide the fact that he's not human, but it seems he has done no more than shrug off such an odd treatment. Also, there is the matter of how people speak of Paley Sr. like an old friend despite Alfa giving all the impressions of having slept through at least the last century, if not more.

Meanwhile, Alfa himself has yet to wake up.

Luca takes a seat next to the slumbering deity. On the desk there is a personal computer and a small collection of books. Right above the monitor, there is also a shelf decorated with evolutionary stones and a jar filled with colorful spheres – those must be Daiya's treasures from the Grand Underground. Next to the pillow, there lies the ribbon usually tying Alfa's hair.

Alfa has never been the most talkative person, but now the silence feels long and heavy. They stand to open the window. Afternoon breeze blows the curtain, warm and gentle. In the distance, they can see the Eterna Galactic Building, imposing and sinister even with its tackiness.

Perhaps if that building didn't exist, they wouldn't be standing here. Perhaps they wouldn't have met a deity at Spear Pillar. What would they do in a world without 'Alfa'? Perhaps they would have returned to working as Professor Linden's assistant by now, after failing to catch a glimpse of Mesprit. They wouldn't have believed in myths and gods, and definitely not one as much a sleepyhead as Alfa or one filled with as much worries as Daiya.

They recall the words they almost said to Daiya. Despite everything, they haven't regretted meeting Alfa. Roark, too, perhaps doesn't regret his meeting with Daiya. They let out a long sigh. "I mean, just because he's immortal, that doesn't mean he has to keep a distance from everyone!"

They glance back at Alfa, who is still asleep. For some reason, they expected him to sit up and reply with a cryptic one-liner. They really have grown accustomed to his presence, haven't they?

When they look out of the window again, they see Roark staring up at them. Oh. Oh, no. Did he hear that?

 

[System Error]

Okay C14

- Why Iron Balls?
- There seems to be something between Roark and Daiya not being conveyed...
- Oh I guess Roark is just feeling like a crummy friend
- A powerful Pokemon it may be, but Daiya has the same issues as a human
- You know it occurs to me: you alternatively use GRAND UNDERGROUND!!!!!!!!!! and Underground. Should probably stick with one.
- And ending on a note that I'm surprised hasn't come out sooner.

Hm, quicker than I thought it'd be. Mostly basic plot progress here. But hey, a hook for next time. Let's see where it goes.

 

[silurica]

Why Iron Balls?

Dialga isn't only Dragon-type. (If it's not already obvious, Daiya isn't the brightest light bulb around.)

You know it occurs to me: you alternatively use GRAND UNDERGROUND!!!!!!!!!! and Underground. Should probably stick with one.

This was actually a conscious decision. Narration uses the full name when referring to the place, but characters use the shorter name in spoken lines (except for that one time when Daiya was being a dramatic goof). Also the full name fits the sheer size of the dang place, and in general, the fic was never meant to stick closely to one canon.

That said, I'm still somewhat hmph that BDSP removed almost all of the multiplayer-related features of the Underground.

 

[silurica]

Chapter 15: A Stitch in Time​

Luca rushes downstairs, their footsteps loud enough to be heard from outside of the workshop. The bell at the door rings out a frantic chime as they dart outside and yell, "Whatever you heard earlier, please forget it!"

Roark, with a smile on his face, narrows his eyes. "Was that supposed to be about anyone in particular?"

Oh, no. They made it worse. Good job.

"Anyway, is Daiya back home yet?" asks Roark.

"O-Oh. No."

Roark looks thoughtful for a moment, then asks, "Can I come inside?"

"Maybe if it's just the workshop…." murmurs Luca. "Daiya's father is sleeping upstairs," says the person who just made a whole racket going downstairs.

The door closes with another chime. Roark is observing the clocks on the wall and saying something, but his words don't stick in Luca's mind, as they only dearly hope that Roark won't pry further into what they said.

"By the way, have you heard of the rumors about the Paleys?"

"Huh?" Luca blinks. Roark is looking at them expectantly. "I'm sorry, the Paleys?" They have been digging all the time since coming to Eterna, no opportunity left for art or study. Luca wishes they could mine hours of time instead of useless Iron Balls if they were not to find the Draco Plate soon.

"Yeah." Roark nods. "There are old rumors surrounding this workshop and the Paleys, maybe even appropriate to call it a legend."

At the word 'legend', Luca's ears perk up at once.

"There's one that said, Paley's watches and clocks bring good luck. Another one said, the workshop only opens for seven years to protect the dragon statue, then the watchmaker will leave to make way for the next watchmaker. Also, it's believed that the workshop would only open its door for men with red eyes and silver hair."

"Wait," interjects Luca. The gears in their head turn as they start making sense of their limited observations. "Are you saying the Paleys come and go, and they all look similar? Throughout many, many generations?"

"Yes?" responds Roark, an eyebrow raised. When Luca says nothing more, he continues, "You see, Daiya never denied those strange rumors, and some of us even believe a few of them."

"They sure have that kind of power, stories," replies Luca with a voice that isn't quite there. In their head, they are still replaying the few interactions they had with the people of Eterna. They do have a hunch that Daiya must have a cover story about his family situation, but how readily people accept Alfa like an old friend still stands out to them.

Roark places his hand on one grandfather clock, looking at his reflection on it. "I wish I didn't lose to that power."

"It's not too late to change it," says Luca. They gasp, noticing what they blurted out, and quickly add, "I-I mean, do you remember the friend I talked about before? I think… I also want to know him better. It hasn't been going that well, but it feels like if I don't try I will come to regret it. But of course, if you don't feel the same way…."

Roark smiles and replies, "Yeah. You got a point. I was thinking that too." He gazes at the stairs at the back of the room. "I wanted to see what kind of person his father is, but… is it true that he is sick now?"

"Uh." Luca glances up. "Something like that."

"It's odd," he says, "I want to know more about him, but I still want to make sure if the rumors were true or false. From what I heard, we never had more than one Paley in town before…."

Luca glances away. Should they try asking what Roark knows? Or will they just make the situation of Daiya's identity even worse?

The bell chimes. Daiya stands at the door, his mining tools stashed away in the bag in his right hand. He winces with his mouth hanging open in surprise. "Roark?"

"Heya," greets Roark. "I wanted to pay a visit to your father, but it appears that's no good now."

"Oh, he'll bore you anyway," says Daiya as he walks toward the work desk in the corner. He throws his bag next to the desk with a loud thud. "That old man isn't good at conversation."

"Just like you when we just met?"

"Nah, worse," replies Daiya as he takes a seat, followed by a deep yawn.

Roark chuckles. "That would be a sight. By the way, how is the search going on your side?"

Daiya frowns. "Not well."

"Ah, same here." Roark leans on the grandfather clock and asks, "Actually, is there any reason why the Draco Plate and why there is no time limit?"

"I told you, didn't I? This and that happened, and now I gotta have a new Draco Plate. It's important for my family's tradition."

"What is this and that?" asks Roark.

Daiya stares daggers at Roark for the question, but the redheaded man doesn't flinch. He clicks his tongue. "It's not something that concerns you."

Roark doesn't flinch, but he does wince a little. "Maybe not, but I'm concerned about you. If it has to do with when Team Galactic…." He trails off. When Daiya gives no response, he draws a breath and says, "I want to be on good terms with you even if you're not human."

Daiya gives Roark a look. A look of many questions. A look that has put both of them in a corner.

"I mean, the whole Paley rumors are weird, aren't they? You play along like it's completely normal and you've been avoiding anyone finding out about your past before coming to this city," retorts Roark. "Also I overheard Luca speaking something about immortality, and I… I realized I don't know much about you."

Daiya throws a glare at Luca, who flinches at once. He stands up, but then sits back down again. He runs his fingers through his hair and mutters, "That's how it was supposed to be…."

Before that line, Luca had no desire to be involved in this conversation. They were even about to sneak upstairs. That was before that line, and before seeing how dejected Roark looks now. They stare down at Daiya at his desk, and with a pout says, "You know, it's probably not my place to butt in, but even your father wasn't that mean when I said I wanted to know him better."

Daiya stares back at Luca for a stretch of time, then he mutters, "This is all your fault."

"Damn straight."

Following that, Daiya stands up and walks upstairs without a single word. Roark moves closer to Luca and asks, "Was I too blunt?"

"He got what's been coming to him."

"…No," says Roark with a weak voice, "I… I shouldn't have put him in a corner like that. Even if he was just a plain old watchmaker, he must have a lot on his mind now. His father is sick, and whatever that happened to the Draco Plate…."

"But he kept things from you," mutters Luca. Like how his father kept the matter of his lethargy to himself, or how he didn't say anything about the Insect Plate, or how the Old Chateau was wrapped in a distortion, or how using the Azure Flute would be taxing on their body….

"That's… just how it is. Sometimes," murmurs Roark, one hand hovering over his mouth. "Aren't there things you don't want to talk about too?"

Luca pouts again. It's true that they haven't told Alfa much about their life before coming to Sinnoh, but it's a difficult matter for them, and there is no rush to speak about it either. Could it be that Daiya thought he could wait, too? After all, he would spend eternity looking for the Draco Plate if necessary.

No, it's not that. He said Roark wasn't supposed to know….

Just as suddenly as when he left, Daiya returns a moment later with a sullen expression and grumbles, "My siblings have abandoned me."

Luca and Roark exchange confused glances.

"Tiana even rubbed in the fact that I was found out before her." He slumps at the end of the staircase and hides his face with his hands. "I'm such a failure…."

Oh, dear. He has entered another negative spiral. The previously tense atmosphere is now tinged with awkwardness, but despite that – or perhaps because of that – Roark offers his hand to Daiya and calls him with a gentler, more careful tone, "Daiya? It's fine. My bad for bringing this up suddenly, so…."

However, instead of accepting, Daiya only throws a glance. "Laugh if you want. I was the one most careful about not revealing my identity, and yet."

"Why should I laugh?" says Roark, his hand still open. "And I will keep it a secret too."

Daiya is silent, considering Roark's words. After a while, as he casts his gaze on the floor again, he mumbles, "Sit down."

The redheaded man takes the invitation and sits next to Daiya, at the end of the staircase.

Only then Daiya whispers, "I knew you weren't a bad sort. Sorry. I didn't want either of us becoming too attached, but it's not like I wanted to make you upset. But now… uh… how should I say this?" He ruffles his hair.

Just as before, there is a dejected look on Roark's face. Still he asks, "You must have your reason, right?"

With a long sigh, Daiya confesses, "My true name is Dialga. I'm the guardian deity of time."

 

[silurica]

Chapter 16: It's You, Always Has Been​

At last, Daiya has confessed about his identity to someone. Not someone chosen by an authority of the world like Luca, but someone special in his own way. He takes a peeking glance; that special someone is looking at him with a blank smiling expression.

"What?" grumbles Daiya. "I said I'm Dia— Oh, forget it. You must be thinking this is ridiculous."

"D-Daiya!" calls Roark again. "It's just… I wasn't expecting you to be a god. Honestly, you don't give off that kind of impression."

"It's on purpose," murmurs Daiya.

Roark glances at Luca, as if trying to ask if what he heard was true. Luca, with the authority of experience, says to the sulking deity, "You know, your father convinced me by entering a Poké Ball. Maybe you should do that too?"

Daiya looks at Luca, his eyes narrowed and his mouth slightly hanging in disbelief. He mutters, "I'm so not going to do that."

Meanwhile, Roark is still smiling in confusion. He covers his mouth, then opens it again as he gestures with the same hand. "I mean, I've heard of Pokémon disguising themselves as human in fairytales, but…."

"It's real. That part is very real. Can't tell you the specifics more than what you already know though. Privacy matters." Daiya sighs.

"And the rumors?"

"Bogus, most of them. I'm Dialga, but I'm also just a horologist. It helps when people don't ask about my background though."

There is silence after that, as both mull over the doubts in their minds. The clocks in the room tick in unison, loud and clear in emptiness. Before the atmosphere can grow colder, Luca asks the first thing to come to their mind, "Why did you decide to live as a human here? You seem to be only hanging around, unlike your father."

"Why… I just got really irritated about the poor quality of timekeeping in this place one day," answers Daiya without care for delicacy. He tilts his head, one eyebrow raised, and continues, "I guess I also enjoyed the hustle and bustle, but then it became obvious how much I stood out, being immortal and all. So I travel the world to become a part of its fleetingness, but somehow I always find myself returning to this place."

Ah, things click together in Luca's head now. So that is the reason why there is a perception of many watchmakers, all with the same traits.

With a small voice, Roark asks, "So you don't hate m— humans, right?"

Daiya groans. "It was annoying when people pestered me because I'm powerful or whatever, but it's not like I hate your bunch in particular because of that." Shuddering, he adds, "Besides, my old man would be upset if I said something like that, and he's scary when upset."

"Is that so? Then do your best to not incur my wrath next time I come visiting."

Right on cue, Daiya stands up and puts himself out of the way, with Roark lagging behind him. Alfa isn't wearing his coat, hence there is less of white surface area for light to be reflected on his person, but he still has a faint glow about him – unlike his son.

"Thank goodness you're awake! I thought you'd sleep until we find the Draco Plate," says Luca, glad that their days of blindly digging in the dark may be coming to an end. "Why did you sleep for that long anyway?"

Alfa shoots a sharp gaze toward Daiya, who shifts slightly in his place with one hand reaching for his hair. The man in white then remarks, "There are less irregularities in the flow of time. It appears you have calmed the turmoil in your heart at last."

Redness rushes over to Daiya's face. He steals a quick glance at Roark and replies, "Yes, I'm fine now."

"Thus I was able to awake from my slumber," says Alfa, as if that cleared anything up.

While Luca tries – and fails – to fish out a less vague answer from the newly awakened deity, Roark musters up courage again. He draws closer to Daiya and takes the latter's hand to push something into it: a prism sphere.

"What is this?" asks Daiya, staring at the gleaming crystal. No, he knows what it is. What he means to ask is the meaning behind it.

"It's from our first race in the Underground," answers Roark with a sheepish grin. "That was fun, wasn't it? I still remember it well."

"Ah, I remember it too now." Daiya recalls with a smile on his face, "That really takes me back. I was new to the Underground back then."

He closes his hand, slow and gentle, as if holding a tiny egg. "Man, do I feel stupid," he says. "It feels like I owe you a whole bunch, I don't know where to begin."

Roark looks taken aback at first, but places one hand on his friend's shoulder and replies, "It's fine now."

When Luca has run out of steam, Alfa approaches the pair. A suddenness that puts Daiya on guard, but the only thing Alfa does is pat on Roark's head. No word, only that simple gesture. After that, he turns around and instructs Luca to accompany him upstairs.

Before Alfa can leave, Daiya takes a step forward to speak, "Father, regarding the matter of the Draco Plate…." he trails off. When Alfa halts in response, he continues, "I plan to continue looking for it, as I believe I still hold some responsibility for its disappearance. But I won't be alone."

"I will help out whenever I can too," Roark chimes in. "I'm the foreman of Oreburgh Mine, so I will know if the workers have uncovered anything unusual."

Alfa nods his approval. "Please do." With that, he disappears alongside Luca, leaving the pair alone with the ticking of the clocks.

Once upstairs, Alfa leads them back to the bedroom where he promptly sits on the only chair in it. The computer is running now, but Luca can't imagine Alfa using it – or any piece of modern technology – so Daiya must have gone here and used it when he disappeared earlier.

Looking at the glimmering stones and spheres on the shelf above the desk, Luca whispers, "I wonder if they will be fine. Daiya and Roark, I mean."

Alfa closes his eyes as he replies, "I care not as long as he remembers his duties."

"Wait, that's it?" asks Luca, but they receive no answer. At that moment, they see a shadow of a looming figure they haven't seen in years. Wishing to dispel that dreaded shadow, they ask, "I guess being a god is really important, but don't you care about what he wants to do, or… you know, whether he's… happy?"

Still no answer. They have never expected much from Alfa, but their chest still tightens with disappointment. If this is how he views his own son, perhaps he doesn't care about them either beyond their agreement. That's it. At the end, he is no different from—

"Happiness… no, any emotion is momentary for us," answers Alfa at last, opening his eyes once more. "We may treasure those moments, but never be chained by them, for we must keep moving on as long as this world lives. I trust that child to know and apply this."

Luca stares off into space, considering the deity's words. Their gaze flicks toward Daiya's treasures, then back to Alfa. That shadow no longer lingers, but it has been replaced by a different sort of uneasiness. "Is that why you didn't tell me anything about your drowsiness or how draining the Azure Flute is?"

"I merely saw no reason to speak of my condition," he says. "However, I should have told you about the Azure Flute. You have my apology, Child of Light."

"Then…" they whisper, "can you say my name?"

Once again, Alfa speaks no word, but his silence is answer enough for Luca.

"Ha," they mutter, "you sure act tough."

They hear footsteps approaching, and the door clicks open. It's Daiya, his face brighter than before. "Oh, there—" He stops and shakes his head. "Father, how do you feel?"

"I am well," answers Alfa. "How did your conversation with that human go?"

"His name is Roark," corrects Daiya. A soft smile forms on his face as he answers, "And yes, it went well."

When he notices his reflection in the mirror by the wardrobe, his face glows red and he covers his mouth. He stammers, "A-Anyway, can I borrow Luca?"

Luca shifts their feet. "Me?"

"Do as you wish," replies Alfa, moving his attention to the books on the desk. He takes one and begins reading it.

"Come on, then. Help me make dinner," says Daiya as he beckons to Luca.

Once in the kitchen, however, Daiya gives no task or instruction. He busies himself by chopping a cabbage – the sound of the knife hitting the cutting board is as steady as the ticking of his clocks – while Luca stands behind him in confusion.

"Uhm," Luca raises their voice, unable to bear the awkwardness any longer, "what do you need me for?"

The chopping sound stops. Daiya turns around, looking at Luca with intent, then sighs. "Okay, listen, I won't say how everything went was ideal, but…." He scratches his head with his free hand. "Well, thanks to you spilling the beans, I managed to mend things with Roark – I think – and I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier."

An apology is, to say the least, not what Luca expected. They blurt out, "Did Roark make you say that?"

"Oh, shush."

Luca giggles. This is fine. They don't sense a large distance in those words, unlike when a certain someone said it. After a moment of consideration, they say, "No, I'm sorry, I need to learn to stop talking without thinking too. And it's not me that you should thank; Roark came here to talk with you before he even heard that."

"He would, huh?" mumbles Daiya, now leaning on the kitchen counter.

"So you told him about everything?"

"No reason to hide it from him now," he says, his soft smile returning. "I guess it wasn't bad to talk about myself with someone other than my siblings."

All's well that ends well. It's a little reassuring to see he has a fondness for his friend, despite his circumstances and their differences. At the same time, Luca looks back at the hallway, toward the closed bedroom. They learned something new about their traveling companion today, but the words he said….

It was only for a moment, but they hope they won't be reminded of their own father again when they look at him.

 

[System Error]

Next two.

15
- What were they thinking with Iron Balls other than Fling bait anyway
- What a coincidence he used that word.
- That seems a bit of a suspicious way to operate. Especially since it came unraveled
- And unfortunately for Daiya, Roark has a brain
- Wow some spine from Luca rather than letting kooky gods push them around
- Am wondering of Luca's mysterious past
- Well the other godlegos are dicks.
- And Daiya is like screw it at the end.

16
- And a more chill reaction than he expected
- It seems the Pokes who disguise themselves just count on nobody asking or digging too deep
- Aww Roark cares and worries
- I mean it clears up a lot, his pillar was SLACKING and so he needed them to start getting with the program. Or he faked it. I give that even odds.
- I can see the tragedy of it all, Daiya being unable to form bonds, or maybe being aftaid to. And being taught here he can't let that hold him down. Also i am totally betting now that Alfa is going to do the same to the others
- What about Luca running out of steam? Feels like a non-sequitor
- SAY MY NAME. pwease? :3
- Daiya has no problem saying it. And hm, given his conversation, maybe my theory about Alfa trying to teach them to connect with the world around them is incorrect
- You know I was going to make a remark on Roark's father and the contrast. I thought about bringing up Luca's as well, but I had no evidence to support any thoughts. But now I do. Alfa is like Luca's father. How intruiging.

Okay, time for a bit of speculation! It's now been established that Luca does not have the best relationship with their father. I have one of two theories on why this is. The first would be something to do with them being non-binary. I see this as the less likely option given it's not really been something pushed to the fore as an issue, but I'm not going to rule it out. More likely, I'm going to guess whatever happened - and implicitly whatever made them move to Sinnoh - has something to do with Nox. Perhaps their father was greatly disappointed at their loss? We shall see.

 

[silurica]

It seems the Pokes who disguise themselves just count on nobody asking or digging too deep

Daiya is the type that relied on that and would spirit himself away if people started getting too nosy for comfort, yeah (traveling, as he put it), so some bits of his deeds stuck around as words of mouth, built up and transformed over the years. There probably are some forged documents too, but those are less exciting.

This reminded me, I had fun twisting Dialga's time-oriented work, his position as the caretaker of the legendary statue, and his interactions with the people of Eterna into snippets with varying degree of plausibility and fantasy. Unfortunately I had to cut them away for flow reason since I couldn't find a place for them in the story itself and putting them in plainly, even with a line break, felt like it would be disruptive. A few made it in briefly discussed by Roark and referenced by the elderly folks, but the rest wasn't meant to be.

Spoiler: Rumors

In the old district of Eterna City, there is a watchmaker's workshop. They say…

…the watches and clocks touched by the watchmaker will never be late, and breaking them will unleash a curse…
…the watches and clocks are blessed by the gods and can grant wishes…
…the watchmakers can control time itself…
…the workshop only opens for seven years until the watchmaker eventually abandons it for many years to come, and the next watchmaker…
…the watchmakers were born in Mt. Coronet, and will return to its depth at the end…
…the watchmakers always have red eyes and silver hair. The workshop won't open for anyone else, and for that reason they call it Paley's…
…as long as the workshop exists, the old district will stand…

…and so the rumors go on and on.